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romione-trope-fest · 1 month

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Sleep Hexed

Title: Sleep Hexed

Author: cheesyficwriter

Selected Trope: Only One Bed

Brief Summary: A No Voldemort tale featuring two idiots in love who don’t quite know it yet. Post-Hogwarts years.

Rating: T

Word Count (if applicable): 3,738

Trigger Warnings: N/A

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Chapter One

Sleep.

Interesting, isn’t it?

All humans need to have the energy to go about their daily lives. Although sleep is unavoidable, the task can become significantly compromised at any moment.

For Hermione? Sleep has always seemed so simple, yet it causes her much more grief than she cares to admit.

It’s midday during an impossible season of trials at the Ministry, and she can’t focus on the work that needs to be done simply because she tossed and turned all night long. Instead of her brain deciding that she needed proper rest before a full day of work, Hermione found herself laying awake for the fifth straight night in a row.

Why can’t she sleep when it feels like she’s tried everything in the books to help her? Hermione always maintains proper hygiene, avoids caffeine as much as possible, performs a nightly Atmospheric Charm to keep her bedroom at an ideal temperature, and even has a set bedtime—no matter how often she has to remind Ron and Harry that the use of her Floo after ten in the evening should only be for emergencies!

Although the cafeteria is bustling with energy during the busy Ministry lunch hour, Hermione’s only point of focus is to mentally strategize ways to get at least an hour of shut eye tonight. Yet she nudges the food around on her plate with her fork, lacking any appetite to eat.

Her legs are restless beneath the table as she fights the urge to bounce her knee in a jerky rhythm. Ron slides into the empty seat across from her, kinking an eyebrow in her direction as the table shakes from her incessant knee movement. He opens his mouth as if he wants to address it, but says nothing. Hermione bites her lip to hold back a yawn, her eyelids drooping of their own volition.

“Ron!” Harry plops into the open chair next to Hermione without warning, his eyes bright. She jumps as his lunch tray clatters onto the table. “Mate, that match last night—”

“Was fucking brilliant!”

The two boys fall into a natural conversation, allowing Hermione’s thoughts to drift to topics that don’t involve her. She takes a long sip of her water, hoping the sensation will keep her engaged long enough to excuse herself to the loo without appearing suspicious.

Harry and Ron discuss Quidditch stats for the next five minutes, but her red-headed best friend steals glances her way every so often. A throbbing headache beneath Hermione’s temples grows stronger and stronger with the excessive noise in the room. As she reaches for her glass of water again, her hand collides with the rim and tips the clear liquid onto the table.

“Bugger!” Hermione withdraws her wand and mutters a quick Scourgify, but nothing happens. She inwardly groans, agitated over her inability to even hold her wand with a steady enough hand.

Unfortunately, she isn’t the only one who notices. Ron frowns and stops speaking mid-sentence, studying her movements with sudden interest. “What was that?”

“What do you mean?"

"You. With your wand, just now.” He nods at the 10 and ¾ inch of vinewood dangling loosely between her fingers. “You fumbled a simple spell.”

Hermione scoffs at the critique. “Thanks, Ron.”

“No! It’s just—” He blunders, gesturing towards her face. “I mean it’s you. You’re brilliant. Are you feeling okay?”

“I feel a bit off today. That’s all.” The retort snaps out of her mouth all too quickly. “Maybe I’ll leave early to get some rest.”

“Leave early?” Ron snorts, leaning back in his chair. “You mean actually leave on time with the rest of us for once?”

Hermione rolls her eyes but clamps her mouth shut. It’s baffling how he manages to keep track of her work hours when he’s usually the one cutting out early. But she’s certainly not going to tell him that.

Ron sighs, propping his elbows on the table as he leans forward. A whiff of sandalwood hits Hermione’s nose, and she struggles to find a way to hold her own underneath the intensity of his gaze.

The growing lump in her throat is too difficult to swallow down, so instead she averts her eyes while mulling over a way to steer the conversation in a different direction.

“Are you getting enough sleep, Hermione?”

He’s so dangerously close, it’s unnerving. Can he spot the dark circles around her eyes? She’s tried so hard to conceal them with magic this week. Hermione blinks as she fights off another yawn. In a curt tone, she responds, “I’m getting sleep, yes."

Hermione omits the max one hour a night part, but still.

Both of Ron’s index fingers shoot out from the fists propping his chin up. "Your spell must be wearing off. These weren’t there earlier.”

He’s pointing right at her eyes. Oh Merlin.

The implication of Ron’s words rings loud and clear. But Hermione is determined to remain Silencio regarding her sleep cycle. She just needs time to sort out what to do with her dilemma.

“You’re still coming to our party at Grimmauld Place tonight, right?” Harry asks through a mouthful of pea soup, cutting in like he hasn’t been listening to their conversation, even though it’s obvious that he has. It’s so like him to want to maintain the peace. “Gin will hex you if you don’t.”

It kind of feels like I’ve already been hexed.

“I’m not sure. I’ll have to see how the rest of the afternoon goes.”

Ron tuts, clearly not happy with her answer. “What are you on about? You have to come!”

“I don’t think I have to do anything, Ron.” Her scathing reply comes out much snappier than she intends. She can tell her mood is starting to swing in the wrong direction, and she needs to put a stop to it before her friends pry any further. “Look, I’ll try my best to make it. I’ve got to get back to work.”

As she stands up with her tray, Ron mutters under his breath, “Got to get some sleep is more like it.”

He’s right. Of course he’s right, and that’s what’s so frustrating.

Hermione ignores his comment and starts on her brisk walk towards the Floo, as fast as her legs can carry her. She’s got a stack of files on her desk at home. Maybe taking a half day and tending to those would be a sufficient amount of work for the day. Kingsley will understand, and she’ll make sure to send him notice as soon as she arrives at her flat.

Although not certain she’ll have the energy to even make it to the gilded fireplaces, Hermione has to try. There’s a good chance that she might give in to her fatigue before she is even out of view from her two best friends. And she certainly doesn’t want to be caught drooling all over the papers on her desk in the Law Enforcement department if Ron pops in to check on her.

A part of her still believes it’s useless to go home right now—with the intention of getting some rest—when there is so much work to be done. She already knows that as soon as she crawls into bed, she’ll be wide awake again.

–

It’s no surprise that Hermione ends up at Harry and Ginny’s party, after all.

Even though Ron had sent an Owl to persuade her to attend—five times, to be exact—it’s still a decision that she made on her own.

After giving it much thought, instead of getting her desperately desired sleep, it occurred to Hermione that exhausting herself at a large gathering might be exactly what she needs to fall into a snooze-filled dream tonight.

So here she is. Along with every other witch and wizard from her year at Hogwarts, apparently. It didn’t occur to her that this would be a class reunion. Harry really does like to embellish when he insists that “it’ll just be a small gathering with a few friends” but there’s no turning back now.

Music surges over the boisterous conversation as Hermione steps out of the Floo, and the atmosphere is immediately electric. The party is in full swing as she squeezes her way through the sweaty bodies of many familiar faces who greet her upon arrival.

Luna is twirling underneath the large overhead chandelier in the center of the entryway. The twins are giving out free demonstrations of their joke products to individuals who are none the wiser. Ginny is already the life of the party, stumbling around and singing off-key to a Celestina Warbeck classic.

The air is hot and sticky, clearly evidenced by the prickle of sweat developing on Hermione’s forehead. It’s quickly apparent that even with so many partygoers pressing in all around her, she still feels alone, as ridiculous as that sounds.

At least until Ron appears out of nowhere, as if he’s just apparated straight into the middle of the drawing room. It’s a possibility, but it would be an impressive feat for someone holding two drinks in his hand. He thrusts one cup in Hermione’s direction.

Her nose wrinkles as she catches a strong whiff of cheap whiskey. “What is this?”

“It’s a drink,” he yells over the music, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “You look like you need one more than anyone else here.”

She knows exactly what he means without needing to go into more detail. Loosen up, Hermione. You’re too proper.

A heavy sigh leaves Hermione’s lips, but she takes the drink he offers. “Thanks. Great party.”

Ron cups a hand around his ear, leaning closer. “What did you say?"

"Nevermind,” she shouts, just as her gaze falls on a man standing across the room, waving both hands in their direction. “I think Dean is looking for you.”

He follows Hermione’s point, snorting when he spots Dean and Seamus gesturing to the pyramid display of flipped over plastic drinkware set for another round of the wildly popular House Cup. Before jetting off, Ron’s fingers close over her arm. “Will you stay?”

The urgency displayed in his eyes warms Hermione’s cheeks. She falters, but agrees. “I’ll stay.”

Making such a promise turns out to be a hard one to keep. Apart from frequent check-ins by Ron, she keeps to herself. While her time at Hogwarts was great—fantastic, really—the best memories she has are with Ron and Harry, navigating their classes and gorging themselves on monthly Hogsmeade trips.

Many of her classmates once spread rumors that she was in a love triangle with Ron and Harry. It was absolutely absurd! None of them had ever crossed that line. Can’t men and women be just friends without any romance brewing? She was there for Harry as he sorted out his feelings for Ginny and helped him come up with a solid plan to tell Ron, which turned out to be not so solid, but Ron got over it eventually. The boys were also there for her when she got her heart broken by Viktor Krum—well, more so Harry. Although Ron used to worship the Bulgarian Seeker, he is always in a foul mood nowadays whenever the subject of Viktor is broached. That particular period of Hermione’s life is now hidden away in the Forbidden Forest of conversational topics.

Throw Lavender Brown in that forest too, but no need to go into detail there.

Regardless of her close friendship with Ron and Harry, she’s now surrounded by many people who have better relationships with the boys than anyone else ever did with her.

Is that Hermione’s fault? Did she not socialize enough at school? Sure, she took her studies seriously and spent more time in the library than on the Quidditch pitch, but Ron and Harry did their part to remind her to take breaks long enough to have some fun from time to time.

The thought consumes her, enough to crave more breathing space. Hermione scans the olive green walls that seem to be caving in on her, looking for an escape. She locates the grand staircase at the end of the hall, which spurs a new idea. Of course! Harry recently converted one of the bedrooms upstairs into a library. She’ll take a short perusal through the stacks and then return to the party afterward, refreshed and ready to mingle.

Once she navigates through her schoolmates and reaches the landing at the top of the stairs, her attention goes over the banister to the people down below. Hermione catches a flash of ginger hair in the entrance hall and meets Ron’s gaze. His brows furrow as she ascends the stairs, as if he has been keeping his eye on her the whole time.

Oh well. He can follow me if he wants.

Hermione continues on her path until she reaches the library, jiggling the rusty doorknob until it creaks open. The darkly-lit room has a faint, musty scent of wood, and she could sneeze from the amount of dust clouding the air. Harry really needs to tidy up the place.

Yet she could still spend hours in this dark corner, looking for hidden treasures or important insights. Harry’s bookshelf, she soon discovers, leaves much to be desired. It’s mostly filled with miscellaneous titles, such as Charm Your Own Cheese, and a stack of old periodicals, like the Sunday Prophet and Which Broomstick. The real eyebrow raiser though has to be his copy of 12 Fail Safe Ways to Charm Witches. Was that one a Ginny purchase?

And not a single one of their textbooks from school!

“Don’t tell me you’re going to hide out here all night.”

Hermione grins despite the disruption, knowing that Ron would follow her. His curiosity always wins in the end. After setting one of the books back onto the shelf, she turns to find him leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed over his chest.

Taking a step forward, she goads, “I didn’t realize I needed a security guard to keep a watchful eye over me.”

Ron’s eyes twinkle. “Did you just label me as a security guard? That’s a bit insulting.”

“Says the Auror with a massive ego—which proves my point, honestly.”

It’s amazing how their banter is doing wonders to re-energize her. Getting into a compelling argument is the only strategy that really works to keep her mind off her present situation. And for that, Ron is the best partner.

“And furthermore,” she continues before he has a chance to contend her claim, “it’s clear that you managed to lose your game of House Cup, seeing as how you have nothing better to do than to visit me in a library—of all places to find the likes of Ron Weasley!”

Ron’s eyes narrow as he takes a slow step in her direction. “Why are you picking a fight right now?”

“I’m not.”

I am.

“You are, and it usually means you are avoiding something.”

All these years of knowing Ron Weasley, and she had somehow forgotten how well Ron Weasley knows her.

“Are you deflecting?” He continues, not loosening up on his interrogation tactics. “Is this still about our conversation from earlier? Please tell me you at least got some rest when you went home.”

“Rest, maybe. Actual sleep, definitely not.”

His lips press into a firm, thin line. She hates when he gets concerned. Ron is so fussy and determined and stubborn. The minute he sniffs out a problem with her, he gets all bent out of shape until he solves it.

“Have you taken any Dreamless Sleep? I don’t recommend extended use of that stuff, but if you need something to give you a little push—”

Hermione holds back the urge to roll her eyes, not interested in hearing a list of solutions that she’s already worked through herself. “Tried it. Didn’t work.”

“How about seeing a Healer at St. Mungo’s?”

After two days of minimal to no sleep, it was the first place she went. “They say I’m perfectly healthy and there are no physical indicators as to why I’m not sleeping.”

“Well, have you tried counting Hippogriffs?”

Hermione’s forehead crinkles at the absurdity of his suggestion. “What?”

“You know, as the saying goes?” Ron waves a flippant hand. “Don’t Muggles count to one hundred in their head using some sort of quantifier? Like Chocolate Frogs?”

“It’s sheep, actually.” Hermione covers her mouth, stifling a giggle.

“Even better!” Ron gives an exaggerated head roll when she doesn’t react. "Well, I think it would be fun.”

She really can’t think of something she’d rather do less, honestly. “I’ll take your word for it.”

Ron taps his chin, giving this unauthorized role of being her Healer for the day a considerable amount of thought. “Have you tried keeping your room dark and cool?”

“Always.”

“Ear plugs?”

“It’s almost too quiet.”

“White noise charm in your room?”

“Doesn’t work.”

Ron’s shoulders sag as he slumps back against the wall, blowing out a steady stream of air that removes a stray ginger curl out of his eyes. “Of course you’ve bloody tried everything.”

Hermione releases a frustrated groan before sprawling herself out on the black velvet chaise in the corner of the room. Ron follows her, nudging her boots hanging off the edge of the furniture.

“Budge up.”

“Fine,” Hermione grumbles, lifting her legs up long enough for Ron to slide in. He lowers her legs down over his lap.

“Well, you just recently transferred from Care of Magical Creatures to the Law Enforcement Department.” He squeezes her ankles in a supportive manner. “Give yourself some time to sort it all out. You’re probably just in your head too much.”

The longer Hermione goes without so much as a power nap, the less convinced she is that Ron’s theory is true.

She flops a hand over her eyes and allows a small yawn to escape her. Where did that come from? “I’m actually pretty tired right now.”

“Good. Sleep.”

Although she can feel her consciousness ebbing away, the universe must have a twisted sense of humor because all Hermione wants to do is continue talking to Ron. She needs to convince him that she will be just fine, and that she will figure out a solution on her own.

Still, her eyelids flutter closed as she allows the world to fade to black.

–

A blazing ray of sunlight filters through Hermione’s eyes. The tingling sensation in her hand indicates that it must still be heavy with sleep, and her eyes shift to find the culprit.

Ron.

The last visual she can recall is him sitting next to her on the chaise. Now he’s sprawled across the length of the seat, squashed in between her and the backrest. It’s also very likely that she’ll fall flat on her face given the precarious position she is now resting in, much in thanks to Ron’s body taking up most of the available space.

Her legs and feet dangle off the edge of the chaise, and the lack of proper pillow support has her head tilted downward towards the floor. She’s even got sore limbs and a kink in her neck to prove it.

Wait, is it morning?

Hermione gasps, making a quick attempt to sit up, but she can’t move with the weight of Ron’s arm curled tightly around her waist.

What in the world—

“Ron, wake up,” she hisses, nudging an elbow back to poke him in the ribs.

“Mmm…no.” Ron sniffs the air, shaking his head down into her curls that are splattered across his face. “Not the spiders, Mum.”

Hermione holds back her laughter, giving him a rougher shake. “Wake up, Ron!”

He groans, an action that only pulls her tighter against his chest. The pressure steals a significant amount of air from her lungs. “Ron, oomph, I can’t breathe!”

“What?” He finally croaks, his eyes clouding over in a sleep-filled haze. “Hermione? Wha—oh, fuck, sorry!”

Unfortunately Ron’s sudden realization of their positioning doesn’t fare too well for Hermione, who tumbles to the ground with a squeak as he releases his hold on her. It’s sheer luck that her forearms break her fall, preventing her from actually landing on her head.

Ouch. That’ll leave a bruise later.

“Shit!”

Hermione rolls her eyes, huffing stray pieces of hair out of her face. “Language, Ron!”

“Fu—er, I’m sorry, Hermione. I didn’t know…wait, is it morning?”

She clammers to her feet, rolling out her wrists. Glad you’re catching up, Ron. “We must’ve fallen asleep.”

Ron nods, letting out a yawn and stretching his arms above his head. “That’s good though, right? Looked like you needed the rest.”

A throat clears, alerting Hermione to another occupant in the room. Harry stands in the doorway clad in his pajamas and full of messy bedhead, squinting his eyes through his glasses.

“Blimey, I thought you two had left. I saw the light on when I was walking to the loo.”

Hermione meets Ron’s gaze, both sets of their eyes widening. “Uhm, actually we were just chatting. Must have lost track of time,” she manages to get out through shaky breaths.

Harry’s eyes dart between both of them, appearing unconvinced. “All night?”

“Yeah.” Ron’s gaze remains fixed on Hermione, a slight twinkle in his eye. “All night.”

Hermione’s fists clench into two tiny balls at her sides. If Harry had shown up just mere moments earlier, he would have found them asleep together. What could he have possibly imagined then?

“You do realize it’s morning now?” Harry continues on with his line of questioning.

Ron tilts his head towards the window in the room. “Worked that out for ourselves, thanks.”

“Got to be honest, Ginny was pretty miffed when she thought you two left without saying goodbye.” Harry crosses his arms, a devilish grin curling onto his face. “Wait until she sees that you’re still here!”

“I’ve got to go actually,” Hermione blurts out. There is no possible universe in which she will stick around long enough for Ginny to take the mickey out of her over this. “Crookshanks needs his breakfast and he’s a right terror whenever it’s late.”

Ron harrumps. “Bloody cat. Want me to see you home, Hermione?”

“I can get myself there, thanks.” With a brief wave at both of the boys, she exits the room in a hurry before either of them can see her flushed cheeks.

She fell asleep. She fell asleep.

And it was all because of Ron Weasley.

#submission

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paarke · 2 years

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They say that one man can’t change the world, but Hadi did. His obsession to be the biggest became apparent from a young age, but no one ever dreamt that the entire planet and everyone on it would end up being enslaved by the growing muscle man and the world nothing more than a tool for him to perfect and build his titanic physique. The population has shrunk dramatically as a result of his continuing growth and those that remain exist solely to meet his needs. The stats are truly awe inspiring. He currently consumes around 85% of global food production. Over 90% of the worlds iron and steel is now tied up in the massive weights he uses, although those 45 million ton plates are barely a challenge now. Most of the worlds shipping, millions of bridges, thousands of miles of rail tracks and scores of buildings have been flattened to provide this. Only infrastructure crucial to provide for him is allowed to remain. No one knows just how many have perished as he strides around the planet. Entire cities going unnoticed as they disappear under his feet. His last visit to Europe has left most of it a flat, barren wasteland. The sheer crushing power of his insane mass is so great he changes the geology of the planet with every step. There are now so many diamond deposits beneath the earth that if anyone was left to care, they would be pretty much worthless. He’s also drastically changed the whole map of the earth. Many islands have disappeared, and low lying areas, even some entire countries have disappeared beneath the waves as sea levels rose by well over 100ft. Partly due to the effects of his body heat drastically increasing global warming, and the many millions of gallons of sweat he pumps into the atmosphere daily as he trains, but also the vast displacement of water as he steps into the oceans has caused biblical tsunamis and floods that have gone miles inland. Mountain ranges have disappeared as he clambers over them, sinking them into the ground, but new ones have sprung up in different places. He can do what takes nature billions of years in a few hours. Worryingly, satellite measurements seem to suggest that he is growing at a faster rate than ever, having gained almost 2.5 miles in height over the last 6 months and increased muscle mass at an even greater rate. The last time scientists managed to communicate with him to try and find out his plans, he said he wanted to visit the Southern Hemisphere. One side of the planet still relatively unscathed. They tried to talk him out of this, genuinely concerned that his increased mass could actually tilt the planet the wrong way, or even change its orbit. He said he didn’t care, and ripped off his vest, the sudden release of his strong, hormone filled musk instantly wiping out all life within a few miles, and flexed one of his impossibly vast, ripped pecs, and told them by the time he got down there he was looking forward to crushing an entire continent beneath it.

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theoldmagoobaddee · 1 year

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THE REALITY OF WORLD HUNGER IN 20 YEARS' TIME

INNOVATIONS IN AGRICULTURE: WHAT THE BILL AND MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION HAVE BEEN INITIATING ALONG WITH R.I.P.E. PROJECT MANAGER, STEPHEN LONG.

THE STATS

☆ The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization says 70% more food will be needed by 2050.

THE 1ST GREEN REVOLUTION

☆ In the mid-twentieth-century, when many parts of the world where nearly starving, the Green Revolution prevented this and 1 billion lives were spared.

☆ This was achieved through irrigation, hybridized seeds and man-made fertilizers and pesticides from industrialized countries, sent to the third world.

THE R.I.P.E. PROJECT

☆ The R.IP.E project is initiating what it hopes will become a revival: egging a twenty-first-century Green Revolution on by genetically engineering crop plant seeds, in order for crop plants to photosynthesize more efficiently.

INEFFICIENT PHOTOSYNTHESIS RATES IN CROP PLANTS AND THE LACK OF DARK GREEN LEAF MATERIAL - THE GAUGE, DETERMINING CHLOROPHYLL CONTENT.

☆ In crop plants, phototosynthesis has been found to be in short supply - with farmers using weak parent plant genes in seeds for the new season's sowing - due to a gap in the evolution of crop plants; as the plants adapt to surrounding plants, bugs ,birds and small animals; ensuring a win over their competitors for sun, water and nutrient-rich and oxygenated soil - photosynthesis necessities and biodiversity fundamentals.

DYNAMIC CONTACT - A TERM USED IN CORPORATE MARKETING

DYNAMIC INTERACTION - The special, symbiotic, beneficial or parasitic relationship between an ecosystem's species, that egg on adaptations in a particular species.

☆ Crop plants are not in the same Dynamic Contact with organisms as eco-system regulars because all and any plants that happen to sprout near or on a crop site are usually uprooted or are treated with herbicides. This is in an effort to keep all available natural resources for the crop plant to make use of alone. Also, due to pesticides/insecticides, crop plants have very little Dynamic Contact with insects, very necessary for the crop plants evolutionary adaptations, as insects teach crop plants how to protect their yield and other functions like maximizing the surface area in the sun but they also pollinate - yes! pollinate! - crop plants.

I think in recent years, it seems, insects have all but died out. No glow-worms, earthworms, dung beetles, fireflies, silkworm and so on. My theory is that we can thank our farm food crop pickers and planters as the pollen would probably get stuck between fingerprint ridges and that is what has been fertilizing many plants.

TIRED SOIL - DEVOID OF NUTRIENTS AS CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS LEAVE BEHIND NITRATE CRYSTALS (300X MORE TOXIC THAN CO2) AND THEIR PRESENCE ALSO KILLS OFF EARTHWORMS - NECESSARY TO OXYGENATE TOPSOIL AND BIO- DEGRADE ORGANIC MATERIALS LEAVING BEHIND NUTRIENTS.

☆ Also, crop plants are usually planted, crop upon crop, year after year, draining the soil of necessary nutrients needed to facilitate photosynthesis.

Agapanthus leaves, showing the high concentration of chlorophyll, visible through the dark green pigmentation of the leaves.

EVOLUTION WOULD INADVERTENTLYKILL OFF LONE CROP PLANTS.

☆ Evolution's natural selection would focus on survival and reproduction and therefore would focus on pollination. So in theory, for example, the plant would adapt by producing a concentrated but light and maybe sticky, pollen, easily detached by bee legs and snout, thereby maximizing the survival of the crop plant by trying to accelerate population growth rate.

25% MORE CARBON DIOXIDE IN OUR ATMOSPHERE IN THE LAST 50 YEARS. CARBON BASINS, IN THE FORM OF ICEBERGS, FORESTS AND SEA AND RIVERBEDS ARE IMPERITIVE FOR EXCESS CARBON TO BE ABSORBED. REFORESTATION PROJECTS WILL ABSORB THIS INCREASE IN CARBON DIOXIDE.

☆ In the last 50 years, a major molecule needed in photosynthesis - carbon dioxide - has increased in our atmosphere, by 25%.

☆ The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has funded the genetic engineering of crop seeds in order to increase food production, globally.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation logo

☆ In the tobacco plant leaf there is a stoma which enables gaseous exchange which, during a drought, would retain water. Hoping that the gene responsible for the tobacco plant's stoma function could be implanted in the crop plant and assist to shed heat energy, emanating from a moistureless, evaporated surface and topsoil and atmosphere quicker, genetic engineers have attempted to isolate the gene responsible for the tobacco plant's stoma and insert it into crop plants.

☆ After genetic engineers at R.I.P.E. transferred genes from the Thale Cress plant - three variants thereof - they had crop yields that were increased by 30%, 19.5% and 20%.

Thale Cress

GENETICALLY ENGINEERED THALE CRESS IS A WATERWISE G.M. PLANT.

☆ The same amount of water was used for genetically engineered plants, compared to the parent plant that had not been modified yet, and only 1% more nitrogen was used by the GM Thale Cress.

WE CAN CONCLUDE THAT INDOOR FOOD GROWING WOULD NOT BE TAXING ON AVAILABLE WATER SUPPLY.

☆ Photosynthesis is a complex procedure which requires over 160 discrete steps. The program used for dreaming up potential combinations of genetic engineering - taking one species useful characteristics and then inserting the gene responsible and inserting it into another species lacking that particular function - has been attempting billions of manipulations, mathematically and in a Latin kind of way, depending on what is possible and hopefully solutions will be made commercially available soon.

My personal opinion is that in order to reduce heat energy in the atmosphere, we need to:

1. Blow up rock formations. Use smaller paving tiles and bricks etc. and use an organic or non heat conductive grout in between.

2. Stop using chemical fertillizer altogether, as the Nitrate crystals left behind are also big conductors of heat. It also kills off earthworms, who cool the soil with their oxygen by-product.

3. Use the gene that generate the leaves of the Agapanthus or the Arum Lily. In addition, if the Arum lily rhyzome root system gene can be implanted in the crop plant; the seed then mixed with a tree that produces a lot of shade but mottled shade (maybe making mini trees the same height as the crop plant) and establishes it's roots deeper down in the soil than the crop plant and then, lastly, the stuff on the ends of those backscrubbers from Zimbabwe; I think it's called whittles; if those 3 species could be joined to the crop plant seed (a 4-in-1 kind of seed) we would have some shade, bio-diversity and the rhyzome "creeper" root that sprouts the plant in a planter's ROW, saving space inbetween; maximizing yield and covering bare earth. The whittles will act as a filter between the sun and moisture in the topsoil as well as act as a carbon basin foundation.

The farmer would also never have to pull out harvest plant leftovers or burn the field as the root system would make the crop plant an evergreen plant, meaning it would not have to be sowed and cut down - only the harvest fruits removed; which would/could produce food all year, potentially.

Source -

The Plant Whisperer pg.62 Interesting Magazine 46/2019

#world_hunger #Green_Revolution #Bill_and_Melinda_Gates_Foundation #R.I.P.E.#The_Ripe_Project #Stephen_Long #Crop_Seeds #Crop_Seed_Engineering #photosynthesis #evolutionary_lagging_in_crop_plants #Africulture #agriculture #food_growing #climate_change #deforestation #REFORESTATION

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gertlushgaming · 5 months

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Undying Review (Steam)

For this Undying Review, where Infected by a zombie bite, Anling's days are numbered. She must now fight to survive, not for herself but for her young son, Cody. Ensure Cody's survival in this zombie-infested world by protecting him, searching for safety, and teaching him valuable skills, at any cost.

Undying Review Pros:

- Beautiful low poly graphics. - 1.25GB Download size. - Steam achievements. - Full controller support. - Ten save slots. - Graphics settings - full screen, resolution, graphics quality, and AMD FSR 1.0. - Twitch drops integration. - Can rebind controls for the mouse and keyboard. - Two characters - Anling, and Codey. - Character customisation - head, clothing, and suit. - 3 game difficulties - Tranquil, Adventure, and Fierce. - Excellent voice work. - Hand-drawn art cutscenes with basic animation. - The game takes place during a zombie apocalypse. - You are immediately gripped by the story and style of the game. - 3D game world. - Collect crafting resources and you have a full inventory management system. - Any interactive parts in the world can be done by you or Cody. - So you play the mum Ainling and you are with your son Cody. - Full crafting of materials and items at the correct table. - Your home is your base of operations, but you need to scavenge for parts to fix it up and unlock new crafting capabilities. - Store items in a storage box. (can be upgraded to be bigger) - Food and drink are stored in refrigerators to make them last longer. - You can track recipes or resources so they show on your Hud. - Your character has been bitten by a zombie so you have symptoms menu showing your state and if you have any effects or are on the decline. - Teaching Cody things will improve his stats and make him more reliable and independent so things like teaching him to craft and forage for resources. - Handy mini-map. - The world map fills in as you explore, random events can happen when traveling and your distance is determined by fuel and how upgraded your vehicle is. - Find/learn new tech guides which are basically crafting recipes. - Handy tutorial menu to recap. - You have a set of menu shortcuts. - The right stick is used to give orders to Cody like follow me, stay here, etc. - At times you need to comfort or chat with Cody in order to get him back in the game. - Storage is your central place to put supplies and resources. - Hunger and water meters are at play. - Over time you rebuild your house which then opens up new features like cooking meals and crafting at the bench. - Teach Cody anything you do like crafting, repairing, and cooking, he earns EXP and then unlocks the ability to do these actions himself. - All weapons and tools degrade over time and break. - You get fed missions over time and when you trigger them. - After sleeping you get a breakdown of anything that happened in the night and anything that happened to you like healing or getting warm etc. - Repairing, cooking, and crafting pull resources and materials from the storage. - Despite the dire depressing atmosphere, the game is a lot of fun and it's great just to go out scouting and fixing up your home. - You can break down unwanted items for materials and use them to upgrade items. - When selecting a place on the map you get a breakdown of what's going to happen such as time taken, fuel used, etc. - Full stealth complete with icons over their head to show if they see you. - A bar shows above things like trees, cars, etc to show how much you can keep getting resources from. - Use items to open up doors and lock items. - Meet characters and have multiple-choice encounters and interactions. - The story changes from your actions and interactions, especially with Cody. - Combat varies from melee and ranged weapons. - You can plant food and tend to them. - A great sense of exploration. - Time plays into the game flow as you have to be wary about actions taking time off the clock and you both get tired along with a deadline... - Making noise can attract zombies. - The game does tell a gripping story. - Find mementos and memories from your life amd you place them in your house. - If either of you die then it's game over. - Stealth starts to play a big part, especially in built-up areas.

Undying Review Cons: - Minimal graphics settings. - Had the controller not work on boot up a fair few times. - Cannot rebind controls. - You get fully voiced cutscenes and sequences then the bulk of the game is text with a few noises or the odd word thrown out. - No auto-scroll for the interactions. - At times Cody asks to do something so you let him and you just get told he can't do it yet. - The tutorial stuff is very sporadic and minimal, I never felt early on like I knew what to do or what the best way to tackle situations was. - I didn't even get told about how to navigate the menus properly and it made progress harder than it should have been. - Despite Steam saying otherwise, the controller does indeed work. - The camera is set and in a game, like this, it makes seeing things very hard and frustrating in combat/stealth. - A lot of additional inventory management like having to equip weapons/tools even when you pick them up, it feels like it should be a pickup and equip or have the option. - Most of the time you are just having Cody watching and learning the whole time. - It takes ages to teach Cody actions and it just drags on too much. - The comforting of Cody is fine in places but it honestly feels like a way to add another layer to a simple task. Related Post: DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing Rally Edition Review

Undying: Official website. Developer: Vanimals Publisher: SKYSTONE Store Links - Steam Read the full article

#Indie #PC #steam

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unclogplumbing · 2 years

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Liberia, Hollywood, FL, USA - Discover What To Expect

When you decide to move to a new city, one of the most important decisions you'll need to make is where to live. Whether you are relocating for business or for personal reasons, you'll want to discover what things you can expect from your new area. A good way to do this is by reading moving blog posts from people who have already moved there.

Local Cuisine

The area is known for its large number of restaurants and eateries that cater to every taste.

The most popular cuisine in Liberia is American food, with over 100 restaurants serving American cuisine in this neighborhood alone. Other popular cuisines include Italian, Chinese and Thai food.

You can find almost any kind of restaurant you are looking for in Liberia - from fine dining to quick take out spots. The menu at many restaurants changes daily depending on what's fresh and available so you can expect an exciting dining experience every time you visit a restaurant here such as GNS Seafood Express and Sweeteheartz Community Cafe.

The GNS Seafood Express is a seafood restaurant located in Hollywood, FL. They have a variety of seafood options and their menu is very diverse. The food is delicious and reasonably priced. The restaurant has a nice atmosphere and there is always something going on in the area.

Sweeteheartz Community Cafe is a small community cafe that serves breakfast and lunch to the surrounding community. The menu has many different kinds of food items such as sandwiches, salads, soups and more. The prices are reasonable and the quality of the food is very good. The staff is friendly and welcoming, making it easy for you to enjoy your meal at this place!

Area

Liberia is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. The population was 11,756 at the 2010 census. It is part of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010 census.

Liberia is located at 26°1'48" North, 80°11'16" West (26.039860, -80.184734).[4][5]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.3 square miles (19 km2), of which 0.05% is water (0.00 km2).

Fair Market Rents

Fair Market Rents (FMRs) are the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) estimate of what an apartment should rent for in a given area.

They are used to determine the amount of rent subsidy provided by HUD.

Fair Market Rent data is available for over 3,000 areas across the country.

Section: You can find the best rental deals on these sites.

Airbnb. This site offers properties from all over the world. Because it's so popular, you'll find a lot of choices and great prices. You can also use Airbnb to book rooms in hostels and hotels, which are another good way to save money while traveling.

HomeAway/VRBO. This site offers homes and condos for rent from homeowners who have been vetted by HomeAway/VRBO experts, so you know they're reliable.

Vacation Rentals by Owner (VRBO). This site is similar to HomeAway/VRBO but has fewer properties available at this time.

Weather

The average temperature in Liberia is 14 degrees Celsius and the average precipitation is 149.5 mm. The weather in Liberia is often humid with little variation in temperature throughout the year. Daytime temperatures can rise up to 30°C while night time temperatures drop down to 21°C. Liberia has two seasons: dry and rainy. The dry season lasts from December to April while the rainy season lasts from May to November.

Crime Stats

The crime rate in Liberia is very low compared to other cities in Florida with only one reported incident per year according to city-data.com

Commute Times

Liberia is a small town located about 30 minutes from Hollywood, Florida. Liberia is a great place to live if you're looking for a quiet community with plenty of amenities and great schools.

Liberia has excellent public transportation and it's very easy to get anywhere in Broward County. If you need to get downtown, there are several bus routes that run through Liberia every day. You can also hop on one of the many buses that connect to Miami or other nearby cities like Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton.

The commute time from Liberia to Hollywood Beach is about 10 minutes and from Liberia to Fort Lauderdale is about 20 minutes.

Neighborhoods

The city is divided into neighborhoods and districts that are not officially designated. However, some of the more well-known neighborhoods include Hollywood Beach, Hollywood Beach South, North Beach, Hallandale Beach and Aventura.

Schools

The education system in Liberia is divided into pre-primary, primary and secondary levels. In primary school, students are usually aged six to 13 years old. The basic curriculum consists of English, mathematics and Liberia's official language, Kpelle.

The secondary level education system in Liberia is also divided into junior and senior high schools. Junior high school includes grades seven to nine and senior high school includes grades 10 to 12. Secondary schools provide a wider range of subjects than primary schools such as science and technology, arts, music and home economics.

In Liberia, there are 49 public secondary schools, two private secondary schools and seven international schools with an enrollment capacity of 27,000 students.

Demographic and Diversity Information

The population of Liberia is 5,832 people. The median age in Liberia is 31.4 years. The average household size in Liberia is 2.71 people. 39% of people are married and 61% are single. In Liberia, there are 1,456 men for every 1 women that lives in the city.

There are 1,045 families residing in Liberia with an average family size of 2.58 members. The racial makeup of the city is 85% Black or African American, 6% White, 5% Two or More Races, 3% Asian and 0% Native American/Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander. The average income per household in Liberia is $35k-39k annually with an average rent price of $950-$1k annually.

In Liberia, you can expect to find a warm and inviting community of people, with a diverse range of interests. They are most often willing to open their hearts and homes to you. This is more than just a city, and there is much more to discover here. If you are looking for somewhere new to explore, look no further than Liberia, FL.

Kitchen Sink Drain Cleaning

Kitchen sink drain cleaning Liberia is a popular service offered by many local plumbers in order to keep drains running smoothly and prevent future blockages and clogs from forming inside of them. The process involves snaking out the drain and removing any debris that may be blocking its path through the pipes below your kitchen sink.

The main purpose of this service is to remove grease buildup from deep within the pipes below your sink so that you won't have another problem with clogged drains in the future.

Unclog Plumbing 24/7 Hollywood Liberia (954)-994-2235 https://unclogplumbingservices247.com/

#Kitchen Sink Drain Cleaning

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trrickytickle · 3 years

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(Much) Better With You

A/N: Prompt sent by @ultimateswitch19 and belated sequel to my kataang (!!!!) fic Better With You! It should come up on my blog when you search it :) Let me just say, I LOVE KATAANG. This is also my second time writing any ATLA in a hot hot while. I thought MHA would be more popular since that fandom is full of tickle trash, but boy was I wrong. I need to start writing for way way more fandoms. I might list them all. Set pre!Cave of Two Lovers book Two. (ba sing se? more like ba sing nay. we haven’t been there yet sweeties.)

(Switches!Kataang)

Previous installment: https://trrickytickle.tumblr.com/post/640749398366830592/better-with-you

“...One-hundred plates of fruit pie on the waaalll!!” Aang and Sokka chorused

In hopes of finding a place to stay for the night (which was obviously hard right smack in the middle of nowhere) for their travel to the North Pole, the group of three wound up what was seemingly yet another random mountainside cave after hours of trekking from village to forest to inn they couldn’t afford. But hey, anywhere’s okay as long as the Avatar gets to master all four elements, right?

The trio plopped their belongings down on the rocky ground, their bags making a cushioned but mighty thud as Aang and Sokka sighed in union, staring at the sharp ceiling decorated with dazzling stalagmites. It was like looking into a kaleidoscope, however the Avatar couldn’t help the fact that there was a familiar atmosphere. Their distracted daze was soon interrupted by Katara’s commands (”we need to stock up on food stat!” accompanied by a pull to the ear for Sokka.)

“Aang?” Katara said. The young monk nodded and awaited command.

“Stay here. We’re training.”

“But- woah!” Katara pulled his arm, making their way into the very same tunnel they’d been to like, what? three weeks ago? After their absense, the turquoise waterhole had looked better than ever, and stalacites surrounded them like an army of guards. Crystals and rocks hung from the ceiling like a natural chandelier. Aang looked on in awe, swerving an orb of water around his tattooed hands. “Katara! But wait, how did you know..”

“I set us up. Come on, let’s see if you’ve gotten any better, Pupil Aang.” She smirked with a teasing wink, a look of challenge and determination. Her student stood there flustered, but shook it off with an attempt to come off as equally courageous by puffing his face up, earning an earnest giggle from Katara, who unfortunately couldn’t predict the assault which was coming her way.

Aang once again puffed up his cheeks, only this time he administered one of many enormous raspberries on Katara’s clothed stomach, making her squeal and snort out of both surprise and the ticklish sensation coursing through her sides and middle. The fluttering vibrations seemed to go on and on, but as soon as he pulled away, there came another wave, so on, and so forth. Every second was a new flurry of nuzzles and raspberries, each getting even more diabolical as time passed on. However, both benders couldn’t help but feel a little bit of deja vu about this sensitive situation... which was what urged Katara to get revenge once again. Unfortunately she had failed in her mission of holding Aang down, toppling over allowing for him to access her ribs and shoulderblades- a new spot the young Avatar had discovered just then. Her laughter was melodic, but mainly because of the sour notes of snorts and sputters throughout- like a broken guzheng. Ah, and the death threats. Who could ever possibly forget?

“GAHAHAHA- We’ve tahalked about this! No dahaha-disobeying your teAAAAHAHAHA!” Her snorting sentence was interrupted by a sudden dirty move- use of the Octopus Technique she had stood against in their past time in the very same cavern, only this time Aang had utilized all eight tentacles, while still giving Katara raspberries on her lower ribs, eliciting numerous loud squeals from the waterbender.

But little did he know, this would be the last straw for Katara. It seems that he had forgotten about his waterbending teacher’s vengeful nature and determination at the wrong moment. Using as much force as she could muster, she pushed Aang into the turquoise waterhole, her flowing garments sopping wet. Straddling his tattooed legs, Katara dug into his armpits, a spot she had remembered off the top of her head, leaving Aang in stiches of childish squeals and escape attempts.

“Eeeeaaah~ahahah! Ehehe- thahat all you got!?” He tried to come off tougher, but his giggly wheezes and little kicks proved otherwise.

“Oh, why would it ever be, pupil?~ After all, you were having so much fun when you had the upper hand. Here’s a tip. Don’t leave any openings. I thought you’d already know that by now.” she deadpanned while exploring his hollows with her deviously cut nails. “Were our constant sparring sessions not enough evidence? Huh?” She was poking and prodding at Aang’s toned but squishy stomach with the occasional playful nibble, driving him nuts.

“Mohonkey feathers!”

“Ah, yeah, wish I could use those right now.”

“Wahahaha- wait, no!”

Once again, she had the upper hand- but not for long. Quickly learning each other’s habits, the two were trapped in a cycle of pinning and tickling, both forgetting their training and instead goofing about while poor Sokka was probably out gathering food and getting himself into a pickle (once again.) . However once they remembered to assume a stance, they had agreed that they were both in huge trouble at each other’s hands. Wriggling out of her hold, Aang was the first one to stand up and take the offensive, remembering what Katara had taught him in the past.

The young Avatar assumed a ready waterbending stance, prepared to trap Katara in a prison of her own design. Due to the fact she lacked as much stamina as him, the waterbender needed some time to recover. While dusting herself off, she tried to leave no openings for him to attack while retaliating.

“Water attaaack!” Aang streamed a blob of water around her neck and shoulderblades, utilizing the basic push and pull philosophy of waterbending. The dirty move was quite akin to a familliar marble trick, which had really helped with his control over the water (and his ticklish waterbending teacher), moving it faster and faster.

“Huh. Turns out once again, I really am a natural at this.”

“You ahahare nohohot-snk-PAHAHAHA-snork!” Katara’s snorts were a reward- they marked every time Aang found a good spot on her. The neck wasn’t his first choice, however it was a good one. While his hands were occupied with waterbending, and he was relishing in the sweet moment revenge, he had forgotten that hers weren’t. She immediately tackled Aang down to the ground, but tumbled beneath him right after, so on and so forth. As they were looking at each other and laughing (genuinely this time!) , too distracted by their play-wrestling to make a move-

SPLOOSH. Into the water they fell. Pausing to stare at each other, they didn’t realize that all along, there were two pairs of eyes on them the whole time, one of which belonging to Katara’s brother.

“We have to go.” Katara murmured, walking out of the secret cavern with her face flushed.

“Why? Is it the Fire Nation?” Aang asked.

“Worse.” The Avatar was concerned. What could be worse? The Fire Nation was a threat to them all- but he was, most of all, concerned about her safety. He shook himself dry, running towards the exit hole, only to see-

“SOKKA! You were spying, weren’t you!?

#tickling #tickle community #tickle fic #atla tickling #t-word #tfb community #ler #lee #tword #tickle

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everydayanimesimp · 3 years

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A Levi x Reader Story//Mermaid Au//The Fourth of MANY Parts

Quick Note: I been trying to get some ideas on a story and I come across some fanart of Levi as a mermaid. I tried to find something for a Levi x Reader Mermaid Au, but most of them are just Ereri shipping stuff. It eventually came to the point where I finally got the idea of creating my own Levi x Reader Mermaid Au. Hope y'all like it!

Summary: You are a mermaid and you are taken by Captain Levi (sine Hange had been begging him to get her one for her experiments). Basically this will be how you start getting used to the ship, the crew, the captain, and the way humans live.

*Contains bits of cringe, actual characters from AoT, and overrated content*

It has been four days ever since you were taken from the ocean. It's been a "thrilling" experience. Hange is very crazy, one of the crewmates named Mike seems to have the nose of a dog, another crewmate named Oluo talks so much to the point where he bites his own tongue three times a day, but nothing screams weird like Levi Though he may be the fiercest pirate of all the seven seas, he's a total clean freak.

"I didn't expect the captain would be so into cleaning," you uttered as Levi was scrubbing the floors of his office with a mop. He just rolled his eyes at you.

He then bolts his eyes at the wooden tub you were held in. "Look at this!" he growls. "There's mold already growing on it! Get out! It needs to be cleaned!"

"Hey!" you squeal as Levi pulls you out of the tub. You squirm a bit to try to get out of his grasp. But it's no use. His arms won't budge around your waist, getting you out of the tub and on the wooden floor of the ship. Levi takes your tub and leaves the room to wash it.

It's kind of difficult when a mermaid like yourself is left on the deck of a boat. It gets hard for you to breathe without any water on you and your fin is very heavy to move in. You feel the atmosphere around you starts to close in, making it hard for you to breath. You need water, stat!

You move your heavy tail out the door and try to find water. For a mermaid, it would take 15 minutes until one would die of dehydration (unless you're strong enough to last without water for hours). It gets tougher the more you move. You then look up at the sails where you could see a spot a human could be on. Oh how you dreamed to be at such a spot where you can see far off places.

Suddenly a hand reaches you and covers your mouth. You squirm a bit trying to leave that person and call for help.

"It's okay. It's just me." The voice was a woman's, calm and soothing.

"Oh, it's just you Nanaba-san," you sigh. Nanaba-san was quiet but very kind. She would often come and assist you with food or more water. She poured water on your face and fin, allowing your lungs to expand.

"Why are you out of the water?" Nanaba-san asked. You told her the whole thing of how Levi stole your tub of water and how you needed to find a water source quickly. "I see," Nanaba-san wondered. "Well, I'll get you a new tub of water that won't attract as much mold as the other one."

"Thank you Nanaba-" you're cut off and hit in the head, knocking you out. Your head on the hard, wet wooden floor. The last thing you heard was Levi's voice. But it was very obscured and quiet. Everything went dark.

You feel your eyes open. The darkness around you told you that it was night. But something felt strange about where you were. You felt more wind than usual when on the deck. But you look up and you see the most beautiful sight you've ever seen.

You look up into the night sky to see thousands of shiny white speckles, shimmering light over a black sky. Kind of similar to the pearls shining in the bottom of the ocean back when you were home. You watched in awe as the speckles in the sky glimmer like gems in the deep, dark water.

"Hopefully this'll get you to not leave," a man's voice uttered. You look down from the stars. You were being carried (bridal style) on the very top of the sails. The one place you dreamed to be on. That man was Levi.

You giggle a bit. "I didn't want to leave, Levi-san. I just needed water."

"Honestly you brat, you're gonna be the death of me one day," Levi sighed, but you can see a tiny smirk on his face. What a night this was for you.

💖💖💖This took me my soul to make. Please like it along with the other parts I created. I need all the support I can get.💖💖💖

#levi ackerman #y/n #x reader #aot au #levi x reader #mermaid au #hange zoe #pirate levi #mike zacharias #nanaba #levi squad

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absurdthirst · 4 years

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Hey there🥰 Could you possibly do one with catfish or whiskey? Helping the reader with a really bad panic attack? 🥺 Stat safe💚

***My Frankie would be a champ at helping with a panic attack.

Focus on Me

Panic attacks were something that Frankie was well acquainted with. They didn’t happen to him, but he’d seen some of the strongest men huddling in a corner crying. Years spent fighting wars would expose him to some of the worst psychological issues a human could experience.

It didn’t make someone less, didn’t change his opinion on Y/N when she had hesitantly told him about her issues. He’d nodded and told her his true feelings on it. He’d help however he could.

When it happened it was sudden. He never particularly cared for large crowds and people shoving into him. Too many years having to keep aware of his surroundings and be mindful of threats to him or his team. He wasn’t aware that crowds could potentially trigger a panic attack for Y/N. She had so been looking forward to the festival.

The night was mild, the warm night made more tolerable by the breeze coming off the water. The salty air paring perfectly with the live bands that were scattered around the docks and the smells coming from food trucks and stands. Lights were strung between the pillars and the screams from the various rides adding to the atmosphere.

They had ventured into a particularly large crowd. Y/N wanting to try a vendor on the other side that supposedly had the best damn seafood chowder and fried oyster this side of Louisiana. Catfish had his doubts, but for her, he was willing to give it a try.

Her hand was tucked into his as they started making their way through the throng of people. He noticed the pressure increasing, her squeezing it tighter. At first, he thought it was so she didn’t lose him. People were being pushy and inconsiderate, making him grit his teeth.

Then he heard her cry. It was a sharp intake of air, almost pained. Turning back, he found her trembling. Her face pale and her breathing shallow as if she couldn’t draw in enough air. Shit.

“MOVE!” His booming voice cleared an area around them. He may not always be the loudest, but he projected unwavering resolve when he needed to. Quickly wrapping his arm around her, he pushed through the people staring at them to bring her over to a corner tucked away.

It was a sea wall, not to many people around, the waves rocking against the pier louder than the din in the background. Setting her down, he dropped to his knees in front of her, taking both of her hands earnestly.

Rubbing her wrists, he spoke softly and steadily. “Focus on me, Y/N. We are right here together. Nothing else. Look at me.”

She continued to shake, but her head raised up a bit. Looking into warm chocolate eyes that were filled with compassion. He nodded at her. “Breathe with me, baby. Nice and steady.”

He took a slow deep breath and whooshed it out gently. He continued to do it until she was following his example. Until her fingers started reaching out, touching his own bare forearms, seeking contact.

“That’s it, baby. I’ve got you. You are going to be just fine.” He murmured, letting their fingers interlace together.

When the episode had passed, she looked away in embarrassment. Catfish stood and sat beside her on the wall, keeping their hands together as they looked out at the passing people.

“It’s okay, you know?” He said conversationally. “We can still go try that chowder and oysters, or we can go back home. It’s whatever you want to do.”

Y/N chewed her lip as she tried to figure out what she wanted. “You wouldn’t mind? We paid for the tickets.”

He turned to her and smiled. “How about I go get us some of that food you want and we can go home and enjoy it. I’d rather be alone with you than anywhere else.”

Her bright smile told him that she loved that idea. He kissed the back of her hand before getting up to brave the crowd. He’d rather sit of their couch and have her to himself. Her panic attack was all the excitement they needed for tonight, but she’d handled it beautifully, his baby was a fighter.

MasterList

Permanent Tag List:

@mudhornmando @thewaythisis @thisis-theway @readsalot73 @synystersilenceinblacknwhite @little-ms-fandom @ah-callie @cable-kenobi @roxypeanut @arrowswithwifi @hanelijoy @javierpenaspinkshirt @wickedfrsgrl @jade10077 @lilangeldevil006 @fioccodineveautunnale @getinthepoolkeanu @kirstiehenderson29 @fleurdemiel145 @thirsty-flygirl @sirianfromsixties @random066 @pascalisthepunkest @pedrosdoll @whataenginerd

#pedro pascal #pedro pascal character fanfiction #catfish x y/n #catfish morales x reader #catfish morales fanfic #catfish x reader #catfish triple frontier #catfish frankie morales #catfish morales #frankie morales x y/n #frankie x y/n #frankie morales x reader #triple frontier fanfic #frankie x reader

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jwillowwolf · 3 years

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Magic and Miracles - Chapter 3

Sanders Sides Big Bang fic, Chapter 3! < Previous Chapter | Next Chapter > | Masterlist Summary: “Remy? Remy? Remington? Oi, Remy, wake up!” Virgil said, shaking the snoring man.

“Huh? Where’s the dragon?”

“Here,” Janus answered.

“Eh? Oh, hey Snake-Eye, Wolfie, Lo, Violent.”

Virgil rolled his eyes. “You weren’t responding to the gentle shaking.”

“That’s no reason to make a man think there’s an earthquake.” Warning/s: food mention. Characters: Logan, Remy, OC, Virgil, Roman, Remus, Patton, Janus. Tag List:@theimprobabledreamersworld @remy-please-come-back

Read on AO3

3 | Lessons Begin

Waking up, walking to the dining hall, and eating breakfast had been uneventful. Logan felt like the atmosphere was relatively peaceful despite the tension from last night. Then again, everyone was still rather groggy from sleep, so he wasn’t going to make any assumptions yet.

Once the seven students had reached the classroom though, they seemed much more awake, aware, and eager to learn about the mysteries behind magic. They all sat at the desks they had claimed the day before and waited silently as Remy came into the room. Remy looked at them with a raised eyebrow.

“Are you all in trouble already? I’ve never known kids to be quiet without adults shouting for them to be so… never mind, let’s get this lesson started. The first spell that all young magic users should know is Stat Check. Do you know what that is?”

The class shook their heads no.

“Good! Because it’s meant to be a closely guarded secret. Never written down or spoken of among anyone but wizards and their first-year apprentices. Before I can even teach it to you, you need to solemnly swear to me that you shall guard this secret as fiercely as all mages before you.”

“That seems rather dramatic,” Janus commented.

“This is magic we’re talking about! Of course, it’s dramatic,” Remy said with a grin. “Now, swear that you’ll keep this secret locked inside your soul.”

The class did as Remy asked, with a bit of speculation but agreement all the same. Unfortunately, I can not repeat the spell, but I can tell you that it is activated by holding a finger to your wrist and saying the ‘activation’ word which I shall from here on censor as ‘stats’.

Remy demonstrated the spell and once he said stats a sheet of light projected from his wrist. Written on the sheet of light was:

Remington Animosni

Titles: Lord Animosni, Friend of the Crown, Expert Wizard, +...

MP: 52 - Full

HP: 100 - Full

Skills: Magic, Potion Making, Charisma, +...

“So this is your main status board,” Remy explained. “It shows your name, titles, MP aka magic points, HP aka health points, and skills. You can interact with it by tapping on whatever to expand the information on it.”

Remy demonstrated this by tapping on the title Expert Wizard, which caused the screen to change to this:

Expert Wizard.

Title earned by increasing MP above 45. Perks: increased HP. Drawbacks: none.

“This is how you can better understand your own magical capacity and skill set. If you want to view your stats privately, then just say S stats. If you want to see someone else’s stats then say X stats while pointing your wrist at the person you want to check. You will only be able to see their name, HP, and MP, but that’s still good to know if you’re perhaps fighting them.”

“Why would magic-users fight one another?” Patton asked.

Remy sighed. “The world is a complicated place, Pat. But never mind that. Try checking your stats, everyone.”

The students nodded then tried out the spells for themselves. All opting to view their stats privately. Logan opened his and read it critically.

Logan Picani

Titles: Loyal Friend, Loving Son, Apprentice Wizard.

MP: 10 - full

HP: 40 - full

Skills: Magic, Baking, Student, +...

He raised an eyebrow curiously and tapped on the skill Student.

Student.

Level: 23/100

Rare Skill. Perks: faster reading and comprehension, easily picks up new skills. Drawbacks: none.

That seems like a good skill to have. Logan wondered if it was the reason for his ability to teach himself so well. He tapped the word again and the screen changed back to the main status board. Then he tapped onto the title Apprentice Wizard.

Apprentice Wizard.

Title Earned by unlocking the skill Magic. Perks: MP access. Drawbacks: HP conversion.

“Um, Mr Ainmosni?”

“It’s Remy, kid. What’s up?”

“What does the drawback HP conversion mean?”

“Ah, well, if you run out of MP during casting a spell, then your HP will automatically be turned into MP. This is a drawback because it can mean draining your HP to below five, which causes you to fall unconscious and die if it reaches zero.” Remy explained.

“Isn’t there a way to stop that from happening?” Willow asked.

Remy shook his head. “It’s an automatic drawback that comes with becoming an apprentice wizard. There’s no way to stop it apart from being conscious of what spells you’re using and how much MP they take. Calculating this will hopefully help you to keep from draining yourselves, so keep that in mind when you’re trying out new spells, kay?”

Everyone nodded.

“Okay, now that you’re more familiar with your stats, let’s do a quick assessment of your magical knowledge, shall we? What are the basic magical categories… Virgil?”

“Rock, animals, water, plants, fire, air, healing, and mind.”

“Correct. Logan, why do these categories exist?”

“They are the eight-core magics. All spells fall under at least one category, and depending on which there will be a different Initiation Word.”

“Correct. Willow, what are the eight Initiation Words?”

“Mowntayn for rock, Pawyng for animal, Ignyght for fire, Groh for plants, um... Rayne for water, Stahwynd for air, Embraes for healing, and... Wysdome for mind.”

“Right. Janus, how is a spell cast?”

“You say the initiation word, draw whatever runes are necessary, then end off with the sealing word.”

“Good. Patton, why do we use runes?”

“The runes represent what specific spell you want to cast.”

“Yep. Remus, how many runes are there?”

“A million?”

“Close enough. Roman, what is the sealing word?”

“Solhart.”

“Correct! Now,” Remy grinned. “Let’s get to the tough stuff.”

The following days were pretty much the same as this one. The class either revised what basics they knew or Remy explained what they didn’t know. They practised pronunciation, studied runes, and learnt about different potion ingredients. Within the first month, the kids had pretty much memorised the basics of magic.

Logan had visited home every weekend and told his dad and Everleigh about it all, but his eagerness from that first week seemed to be slowly wearing out as the class did nothing new. He had thought that today was going to be the same, but instead of leading the students to the classroom this morning, Remy led them to the gardens.

“Uh, Remy? Where are we going?” Roman asked.

“Today, you kids will be going on your first quest,” Remy announced.

The group perked up. “Quest?”

“Yep. I’m confident in your understanding of basic magic, so I am going to let you go off on your own to find some potion ingredients for our first potion making class.”

Remy pulled out seven different pieces of paper. “I’ve made each of you a checklist for what we will need, and while you all have different items, I hope you’ll work together to find what you need. Oh, and before I send you off, I need to teach you a new spell. Inventory.”

Remy stopped and the kids circled around him to watch as he demonstrated the new spell. He picked up a stone and held it in front of him. “Stawynd.” with the indigo light that flowed from his fingertip, he drew a rune that looked like a locked box onto the stone. “Solhart.”

The rune turned white and then vanished with the stone, causing the students to gasp.

“Where did it go?”

“Right here.”

Remy opened his status board and showed the kids a small icon in the corner of the screen that looked like the rune he had drawn. He tapped on this icon and the screen changed to show a bunch of different slots, mostly empty apart from two. One with a picture of Remy’s flask and the other a picture of the stone from before.

“This is an inventory,” Remy explained. “You can put different items into each slot, and depending on your proficiency you will have more or fewer slots. To add items to your inventory, you do as I did to the stone. And to take them back out, you just double-tap,” Remy tapped the stone and it reappeared in his hand. “Tada! Okay, you try with your lists.”

Everyone tried out the new spell and practised it a few times before Remy let them all go on their quest. They went out a gate by the fence that seemed almost hidden and set off into the deep dark woods. Of course, it wasn’t very dark since the sun was shining brightly in the sky, and filtered through the trees to light their way.

“Should we check what each of our individual lists says?” Logan asked.

Patton nodded agreeingly. “Yeah, then we can keep an eye out for the different things.”

“Actually, I think we should just look for our own stuff. More things to look out for means we might miss our own.” Roman said.

Willow frowned. “But this is meant to be a group project.”

“Technically, Remy said he hoped we’d work together.” Remus pointed out.

“I have an idea,” Janus suggested. “Let’s work in teams.”

Roman rolled his eyes. “I just said that would be hard.”

“I mean smaller teams. One team works individually and the other works together, then we’ll see which way is better.”

“How are we going to split up though? There are seven of us.” Virgil pointed out.

“We can have a team of four for the working-together group. That’s four people working together but also the team of three will have fewer things to find, so It works out fairly.”

“Well, how are we choosing teams then?” Patton asked.

“Well, obviously I would be one of the team leaders. I’m a natural-born leader.” Roman declared.

“Yes, the leader of the losing team, because I’ll be leading the winning team.” Janus states.

“Remus and Patton are with me, and we’ll be the individuals.”

“Sounds good. We’ll see you three later then.” Janus said before walking away from the group.

Virgil, Logan, and Willow followed after them till the four were out of earshot. “So, lists?”

“I have blackroot, ginfleck, and wild ginger,” Willow reported.

Virgil frowned. “What’s ginfleck?”

“A medicinal herb used commonly in potions for stomach aches,” Logan replied. “It looks like a sunflower but pink.”

“Why not call it a pink sunflower then?”

“Because… I honestly don’t know.”

“Logan, you live nearby here right?” Janus asked.

“In town, but yes.”

“Any idea where we could find some of this?”

“Well, I think I remember seeing a ginfleck patch somewhere along the road.”

“Let’s go there first then. We can keep an eye out for everything else along the way.” Virgil said, turning in the direction of the road.

And so they went and collected the pink sunflowers and everything else on their lists. It was only late afternoon by the time they returned to the house, but they found Remy lying on a hammock in the garden, napping in the sun.

“Remy? Remy? Remington? Oi, Remy, wake up!” Virgil said, shaking the snoring man.

“Huh? Where’s the dragon?”

“Here,” Janus answered.

“Eh? Oh, hey Snake-Eye, Wolfie, Lo, Violent.”

Virgil rolled his eyes. “You weren’t responding to the gentle shaking.”

“That’s no reason to make a man think there’s an earthquake.”

“Whatever. Have the others come back yet?”

Remy shrugged. “I think the twins are in the house.”

“Patton wasn’t with them?” Willow asked.

“No. Did you all split up?”

“Yes, but we didn’t think they would split up. We divided ourselves into two teams.” Janus stated.

“Well, I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about and Pat will be back soon. Why don’t you guys head inside and get some lunch.” Remy suggested.

The kids exchanged anxious glances but nodded and headed off to the dining room. While they were not exactly a close group of friends, the one person who’d befriended each of them was Patton. He was a kind little ball of sunshine and no one wanted any harm to come to him. Once they were inside the house, the four found Remus worriedly pacing by the door and Roman gloomily watching her from the corner.

Remus paused. “Did you guys see Patton?”

“No. Did the three of you split up?”

“I thought we could cover more ground that way,” Roman answered. “This is all my fault.”

“Let’s not go jumping to conclusions just yet,” Logan said. “Maybe he couldn’t find one of his items?”

“No. I saw Pat’s list before we split up. They were three common types of wild berries that he could have found easily.” Remus declared.

“You’re sure?” Willow asked.

“I saw them all over while I was getting my stuff.”

“He must be lost. It’s rather easy with how thick these woods are,” Virgil said.

“We need to find him,” Janus declared. “We’ve got to go back and look for him.”

“Where and how though? He could be anywhere,” Roman said with clear fear in his tone.

“Willow can track him. They’ve been trained in finding lost people.”

“Yeah, but I’d need a scent to go off of.”

“Like from clothes?” Remus asked.

“Clothes, or a personal item he keeps close.”

Remus ran away then returned in record time with a teal blanket. “Would this work?”

Willow took the item and smelt it. “Yes, this is perfect.”

“We might have to sneak past Remy, in case he tries to stop us.” Janus said.

“There’s another gate that’s closer to the house that we can get through.” Virgil declared.

“Who’s we though? We’re going to need to choose who is a part of this rescue.” Roman pointed out.

“I don’t think any of us are willing to stay behind, not if we could help. Patton may be in danger, and his getting lost is evidence enough that no one should venture off on their own. We need to work as a team here. A real team.” Logan stated.

Janus looked at the twins. “I’m willing to call a truce in the name of teamwork if you are.”

Roman nodded in agreement and Remus grinned. “Let’s go save Pat!”

The group followed Virgil outside and through the second hidden gate. From there, Willow took the lead as she sniffed out Patton’s scent. The group grew anxious the further Willow led them. Patton had gone quite far, from the looks of it, but it felt like something was wrong.

“Why would he have gone so far?” Logan wondered.

“I hate to suggest it, but something may have chased him,” Janus said and Willow nodded agreeingly.

“Wouldn’t that leave a scent of its own?”

“Yes, but I can’t discern anything. There are a lot of smells out here.”

“Can you smell anything?” Roman asked Janus.

“No. I can’t smell at all.”

“What?”

“I’m a dragon. We don’t have a sense of smell like humans do. We use a special organ on the roof of our mouths.”

“Aren’t you half-human?”

“That just makes it easier to shift between my humanoid and dragon form. There aren’t many other differences.”

“Wait, do you hear that?”

The team paused and listened. The only sounds Logan could make out were the normal ambience of the forest. But then he heard it.

“Hello? Is anyone up there?”

“Patton?!” Remus bolted towards the voice, the others followed him close behind.

He came to stop at the edge of a hole and looked down. “Patton? How did you get down there?”

“Remus! Hi! I jumped.”

“You jumped? From this height?” Janus asked, eyeing the drop disapprovingly.

The hole looked like the beginnings of a well, around three stories deep and some stones piled like a wall around the one side. Either the well-maker had abandoned their project halfway, or half of the well had mysteriously been taken away. That wasn’t important though, because right now the team had to figure out how to get Patton back up.

“I’m fine! The water was here to break my fall!”

“Why did you jump in the first place?” Roman demanded.

“I was being chased by some bees.” Patton sheepishly admitted. “My mom always told me, if that happens then you should get below water, quickly. Bees don’t like water.”

“How did you antagonise these bees?” Logan inquired.

“I was trying to get some honey for Remus.”

“Aw, Pat, that’s really sweet. But I’ve been worried sick about where you went!”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. You’re safe now. Um, how do we get him back up though?” Remus asked the group.

“I can grow a long strong vine to use as rope for us to hoist him up,” Roman suggested.

Janus nodded. “Well then, get to growing. We don’t have all day.”

Roman quickly did as he was told and once the vine-rope looked long enough the team tossed one end down to Patton. Each of them lined up and held onto the other end then pulled to get him out of the hole. With all six of them working together, it was a quick and easy task. Once Patton was clear of the well, Remus attacked him with a hug, and he thanked everyone for coming to rescue him.

The entire group was relieved to have him back. So relieved that they didn’t feel any worry, until they returned to the manor and came face to face with Remy.

“Do you have any idea how worried I was? You didn’t even suggest you were going out! And what do I find? Not only one of my students is missing- all of them are! Gone without a trace! Like, poof, never there! What were you thinking? Actually, scratch that were you even thinking?!”

He went on like that until dinner time and the kids decided that among all the lessons they’d learned today, ‘Don’t Freak Remy Out’, is now at the top. Also, maybe it would be better to stick together than separate. They made a good team when their prejudices weren’t getting in the way. But above all, they should never freak Remy out.

---

A/N: thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this. I'll be posting two chapters a day until the full fic is up, so if you want to be tagged, you can just ask.

I'd love to hear what you thought about the chapter if you wouldn't mind commenting. Thanks again for reading! Here's hoping you have a magical day 💜

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actress4him · 4 years

Text

Whumptober 2020 - Day 7

This trope is one of my favs. Also we get Lance whump this time (in addition to Keith, of course), and a hopeful ending! Check the warnings and enjoy!

Read on AO3

Read on FFN

Day 7 - Carrying/Support

Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Warnings: broken bones, mild gore, death mention, mild blood, fever, scorpion mention, venomous creatures, vomit, seizures

The creature was gone. Dead. Keith had made doubly sure of that. It was dead, which was good, but that didn’t change the state that it had left them in.

“Lance?” he called out uncertainly. The Blue Paladin had taken a bad hit from one of the monster’s wildly swinging arms during the fight, flying across the tiny clearing and slamming into the trunk of a tree. He hadn’t moved since.

He’s dead, a cynical voice in Keith’s head sneered. He’s dead and it’s your fault. You got your own teammate killed.

He shook the unwanted thoughts away and took a step closer, hissing as the wound in his side pulled. Lance wasn’t dead. He wouldn’t allow himself to even consider such a thing until he saw for himself. It was bad enough that Keith hadn’t been able to protect him from getting hurt, so he couldn’t possibly be dead.

Slowly he made his way over, one hand wrapped around his middle and applying pressure to the bleeding hole left by the creature’s sharp tail. The first thing he noticed about Lance was the blood on the side of his head. The second was the unnatural twist of his left leg.

“Quiznak,” he whispered, then louder, “Lance. Lance, can you hear me?” Reaching out with his free hand, he hesitantly placed two fingers against his pulse point.

There. A steady heartbeat. He released his breath in a whoosh, wincing at the pain that shot through his abdomen. Lance wasn’t dead. Just unconscious, which frankly, wasn’t a whole lot better in their situation.

They were in the middle of the jungle, just the two of them, with their Lions, their team, the Castle, any hope of help miles and miles away. Something about the density or the material of the trees was blocking their comms signal. And clearly, the jungle was not a safe place to be. Staying here left them as sitting ducks, a nice, injured and helpless snack for the next alien creature that came along. So staying was not really a choice at all, but leaving would be a whole lot easier if Lance was awake.

“Lance. Hey.” He used the hand that had checked for a pulse to lightly pat his cheek. “Time to wake up. We gotta go.”

Nothing. He patted harder, falling just short of a slap, and dropped his hand to shake Lance’s shoulder. “Hey. come on. Let’s go.” Still nothing. “You. Cargo Pilot.” Not even the nickname he knew Lance couldn’t stand brought a reaction.

Keith swallowed hard. His head injury must be really bad if he couldn’t be roused at all. What if he had internal bleeding? What if there was brain damage? What if he never woke up?

Stop it. Stop worrying and just deal with the situation. Clearly he was going to have to carry him, no matter how much his side protested that idea. First things first, he needed to try to stabilize both their injuries. Thank goodness for his knife. A couple of branches and both his sleeves later, Lance’s head was wrapped and his leg in a splint of sorts - not perfectly set, but held still so that it wouldn’t bounce too much while walking - and Keith’s waist was bandaged.

Now came the hard part, and he was already exhausted. Maybe it was blood loss, but the wound seemed to be sapping the energy straight out of him. Didn’t matter, though. He had to get Lance out of there. Had to get them both back to safety, back to the team. As gently as possible, he pulled Lance up by his arms to a sitting position, then turned and draped the arms over his shoulders, trying to make sure his head was resting against one of them in a comfortable position. When he was satisfied, he reached back and hooked his hands underneath his thighs.

The sound that came out of him when he struggled up to his feet was somewhere between a whine and a groan, and he was glad that Lance wasn’t awake to hear it. Straining like that hurt. He took a moment to breathe, to let the pain ease and get used to the weight on his back. It was a good thing that Lance was skinny, and not quite as muscular as Keith. Being taller was bad enough. His legs were so quiznaking long, he could barely keep them from dragging the ground.

Alright. One step at a time. Slowly, he began to trudge forward. His side twinged with every step, but after a minute or two he found a bit of a rhythm, was able to ignore the pain and the way his chest was heaving for breaths already, at least for a while. He tried his best to keep his mind on the task and his surroundings, not on how creepily, unnaturally still Lance was, or how any tree could be hiding a new threat, or how at this rate it was going to take him twice the couple of vargas the trip out had taken.

Just one foot in front of the other.

Ignore the pain, it’s not getting worse, that’s just your imagination.

Don’t trip on that root.

It’s definitely not spreading, those are just muscles you aren’t used to using.

Gotta get over the log. Don’t drop Lance.

You’re just dizzy because you haven’t had food or water in a while.

He wanted to stop far sooner than he allowed himself to. How long he had been walking, he had no idea, but was hoping it was at least a varga. He had a feeling it was less. Putting Lance down almost wasn’t worth it, thinking about how he’d have to get them both back up in a few minutes, but he knew he had to rest and at least drink a little water from his canteen. It wouldn’t do Lance any good if he keeled over from dehydration or exhaustion before he got them out of there.

A quick check of his bandages told him that the bleeding had at least slowed down, if not stopped, which was good. What wasn’t good was the cold that had creeped in from out of nowhere and seized his flesh. The jungle was warm and humid, so it certainly wasn’t atmospheric. Keith shivered, pulling his legs in closer to his body and laying his forehead on his knees. A fever? It kinda felt like it, but it was far too soon for an infection to have set in.

Shaking off the concern, he took one last sip of water and set about getting Lance onto his back. Exertion should keep him plenty warm.

Just keep walking. Just keep walking. Just keep - great, now he was singing it like that stupid blue fish on that stupid movie the team had made him watch.

Exertion was doing nothing for his body temperature. Pretty soon he was shivering, his eyelids burning in that tell-tale way that meant he most definitely had a fever. His throat felt as if it was stuffed full of cotton balls, leaving only the tiniest of holes for him to breathe and swallow through.

A moan from near his ear brought him to a stumbling halt. “Lance?”

Another moan, this one accompanied by movement. “Wha-...ow.”

Keith shut his eyes in relief, then opened them quickly when he realized he was listing to one side. “Lance.”

“Keith? What...what’s goin’ on?”

“We’re on our...way back. T-to the city.” Speaking it out loud reminded him that he should still be walking, so he gritted his teeth and stepped out again.

“What...happened? My head…”

“Yeah, you...you hit it...pretty good. Broke your...leg...too. M-monster...remember?”

Lance shifted against his back, seeming to become a bit more alert. “Oh, yeah. I do remember that.” He sucked in a breath through his teeth as one or the other of his injuries flared.

“Take...it easy. Don’t...don’t…” Keith stumbled, almost falling, losing what he wanted to say in the meantime.

“Hey, you okay? Why don’t you stop and rest a minute? It can’t be easy for a shorty like you to carry me for long.”

“Can’t. Just...stopped. Gotta...get…”

“Yeah, but you don’t sound so good. Come on, Mullet, just for a minute.”

His body and mind were at war over the idea, but his body and Lance’s pestering won out in the end. Getting down proved much easier with Lance awake and able to stand on one leg and support himself against a tree. Once he was sure that Lance was sitting comfortably, he nearly collapsed to the ground, curling in on himself again.

“Geez, you look even worse than you sounded.” Lance leaned in, brushing the hair off of Keith’s forehead with one hand. “Dude, you’re burning up! What happened to you?”

Keith shook his head. “His tail...got me. Don’t know...why...fever…”

Lance raised one eyebrow at him. “You mean the tail that looked a lot like a scorpion’s? Oh gee, Mullet, I dunno, how ever could that have given you a fever?”

The cotton from his throat had moved into his brain now, causing him to just stare at Lance with a blank gaze. Seeing this, his friend seemed to take pity on him and softened his tone.

“It was probably venomous, bud.”

Venom. Right. That would make sense. A wave of dizziness washed over him, and he pressed the heel of his hand against his forehead. “We gotta...we gotta keep goin’. Not...safe. You n-need…” Suddenly remembering the head injury, he looked up and grabbed Lance’s chin, turning his face to the side. “Gotta...get help. Could be…” The words floated away again, leaving him shaking his head in confusion.

“Hey.” Lance took his hand and lowered it. “I’m okay. I’m more worried about you right now. You’re right, we should get going, though. We need to get you back to the Castle, stat.”

Keith nodded, then struggled up to a crouch and turned his back to Lance, waiting for arms to be thrown around his neck.

“Oh, no. No way am I letting you carry me. Just help me up and we’ll walk together.”

Keith glared at him over his shoulder. “Your leg...is broken.”

“Yep, and you’re gonna be my crutch.” He gripped the tree trunk and started trying to pull himself up, leaving Keith no choice but to stand and help him before he hurt himself even worse.

With Lance’s arm across his shoulders and his hand gripping Lance’s belt on the opposite side, they were able to get started again, going even slower than before but going, regardless. Keith would never admit that he was grateful for the new position, since he still thought Lance shouldn’t be walking, but he honestly wasn’t sure how much longer he would have made it otherwise. Even as it was, his body felt like it was burning from the inside out, his vision kept going spotty, and he definitely felt like Lance was supporting him just as much as the other way around. They had to stop to rest far too often, and more than once they had to pause and let Keith throw up, or at least attempt to.

It was nearing dark by the time they finally broke out of the jungle and saw the city where the team was waiting for them in the distance. Lance gave a quiet, tired cheer. Keith celebrated by dropping to the ground, nearly dragging Lance down with him, every muscle in his body spasming involuntarily.

Vaguely, over the sound of blood rushing in his ears, he could hear Lance screaming his name before slipping into Spanish for several sentences. It felt like an eternity before the convulsions stopped. Eventually, he became aware that his head was pillowed on Lance’s good leg, and the blue paladin was looking down at him with wet eyes.

“S-sorry,” he slurred. “I don’t...I...wanted...to get you...back. But…”

“Hey, no, it’s okay,” Lance whispered. “You got me this far. I’ll get you the rest of the way. Somehow.” He tore his gaze away from Keith’s face to stare off at the lights of the city. “I’m just...not sure how, yet.”

“Your...leg’s broken.”

Lance huffed. “Yeah. I know. You keep reminding me of that.”

There was a sudden explosion of presence in Keith’s mind, and he let his eyes slip shut with a smile. “Red’s comin’.”

“Red’s...wait, what? She is?”

A roar filled the air, and Keith relaxed for the first time since morning.

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chocoluckchipz · 5 years

Text

Dance with Me, Chaton - 30

Read it on A03, WattPad, FF.net

Written for @ladynoirjuly2019

< Previous

30. Inspiration

Marinette’s birthday marked exactly ten months, two weeks, and three days since Adrien had learned about the mysterious Ladybug and embarked on a journey to find her in exchange for a feeble promise of freedom from his father. What should’ve been an interesting, few-weeks-long experience at its most turned out to be a wild, life-changing ride by no means easy for everyone involved. Still, as Adrien escorted Marinette out to dinner on her birthday, he found himself unable to regret a single thing, no matter how much it cost him. His gains outweighed it all.

The restaurant Adrien had chosen was unusually private for Paris’ dining scene and one of the most serene spaces he’d ever visited. Soft music floating through the candlelit space weaved itself in between the quiet chatter of other couples in the room. The food was delicious and the staff, friendly. The whole atmosphere was enthralling, making this evening an unforgettable one as the pair chatted, laughed, and indulged in a wide variety of delicatessen, enjoying each other’s company more than anything else. For Adrien, however, the best part of the evening was the birthday girl. With her hair down, an elegant red dress, and stylish accessories, including the ruby earrings he gifted her with this morning, Marinette was the epitome of beauty, her smiles alone outshining everything else in his universe, her constant teases ensuring he remained acutely aware of his feelings for her the whole evening.

“Don’t tell Papa, but this chocolate mousse is the best thing I’ve ever tried in my life,” Marinette said, finishing her dessert. “We must come back. I need to try everything else they have on their menu. Maybe pick up a few things for us to savour at home.”

“As you wish, my Lady,” Adrien said, watching Marinette lick her spoon clean. Never in his wildest dreams had he thought he’d be madly in love with a woman who could out-eat him any time of the day and still remain in perfect physical shape. Then again, that could be easily explained by all that training she’d been doing with Tikki. And as far as Adrien was concerned, Tikki could easily give Plagg a run for his money in the intensity of her workouts. He shivered even at the memory. Her training wasn’t exactly more physically demanding than Plagg’s. Not at all. However, it relied on exceptional speed and agility, something that Adrien had suspected his male body wasn’t built for. The few times he’d trained with Tikki, he’d thanked every deity alive he’d been assigned to Plagg because unaccustomed to such extremely quick movement transitions, he huffed and puffed and miserably fell behind all session long, leaving Marinette a giggling mess as she watched him suffer. His forgiveness, though, was easily earned by a few kisses right after the session.

“By the way, Alya demanded to make sure you knew this place was her suggestion,” Adrien added once the waiter left with their empty plates.

Marinette rolled her eyes. “I should’ve guessed. She did write that article on Paris’ hidden gems a few weeks back. Though, I don’t remember this one on the list.”

“Somebody suggested it in the comments section under her article,” Adrien explained. “She checked it out last week and said it was better than any of the places that made it on her list. So much better, in fact, that she’ll be writing a new article in a few days… after we had a chance to enjoy the calmer version of what soon to be a highly sought-after place. Her words. Not mine.”

Marinette chuckled. “I love Alya. I’d have to thank her somehow because—” She reached for his hand to hold in hers, “—a quiet evening alone with you was just what I wanted for my birthday. Thank you, Chaton. This was the perfect present.”

“No need to thank me yet,” Adrien replied, his lips already bestowing a lingering kiss onto her hand. “The evening is just starting.”

“Seeing as you’ve asked me to bring my Kwami Kave outfit, I’m guessing we’re heading there next?”

“You’re right as always, my Lady. Kwami Kave is next.”

Marinette lightly nibbled at her lip. “Was it bad of me to hope that on my birthday we could spend some time alone? Just the two of us, without constant interruptions of everyone else.”

Adrien chuckled. “We can do that if you don’t mind me being mugged around the corner by a mob of our angry friends tomorrow because apparently,” he playfully bemoaned. “Even Ladybug’s boyfriend isn’t allowed to have her all to himself on her birthday.”

Marinette cocked her head to the side. “But what if Ladybug herself wants to snuggle in front of the TV with her boyfriend instead of going out? I’m sure if they knew how warm and cuddly, not to mention skilled, my Kitty is, they’d understand.”

Ignoring the rising heat at Marinette’s allusive tone of voice, Adrien replied. “I’m sure we can leave as soon as Tikki and Plagg give you your surprise present because, seriously, I think I was threatened and forced to swear I’ll bring you over just for that.”

“Oh! What kind of surprise?”

“Don’t know. They wouldn’t let even me on it.” Adrien paused and looked at Marinette. “Do ‘Rena Rouge’ and ‘Carapace’ ring any bells for you?”

“No. Never heard of those. What or who are they?”

“Beats me. I overheard those along with ‘Ladybug’s birthday’ when I walked in on Masters Wayzz, Trixx, Plagg and Tikki a few days ago, but when I asked them about it, Master Wayzz told me that water isn’t hot enough to put the noodles in yet. Plagg had the audacity to comment that curiosity could be deadly for eavesdropping kittens, and Tikki bluntly kicked me out after that.”

Marinette laughed. “You know you’re adorable when you pout?”

“I’ve been told,” Adrien grinned. “And also, when I sleep, and when I blush, and—”

“Oh!” Marinette perked up. “Speaking of that and Luka. Have you noticed?”

Adrien grinned wider. “You mean how that new girl Ryuko reduces him to a blushing mess with her every word?”

“Yes!” Marinette squeaked. “I’m so excited! I’ve never seen Luka so flustered. He was actually lost for words last time she sassed him.”

Adrien chuckled. “I’m sorry; he’s a friend, but that was a delight to watch. Ever so cool and composed Viperion melting under the Dragon Girl sharp tongue and narrowing eyes.”

“I know!” Marinette beamed. “There is definitely something there. Can’t wait to see how it’ll go down.”

“Then, we’d better grab some popcorn on our way there,” Adrien said and called for the waiter.

Once the bill was paid and the pair walked into the street, Marinette asked, “Do you mind if we can take a little detour? Tikki asked me to grab something for her for tomorrow, and I don’t think I’d want to go anywhere after the club.”

“Sure. Where to?”

“Do you remember I told you about that apartment she bought for investment?”

Adrien let a smile slip onto his lips. “The one you said you’d love to live in yourself?”

“Yup. That one. She forgot some documents there last night and she needs them for tomorrow.”

Adrien opened his car’s door for Marinette. “Why didn’t she get them herself? She had all day.”

“She said she’d be busy,” Marinette smiled. “I assume with that surprise you say they’ve been preparing for me, so the least I can do is to stop by that place and get her those documents. She gave me the key. Here’s the address.” Marinette opened her clutch and pulled a piece of paper out. “It isn’t far from here. Shouldn’t take us long.”

Adrien opened the paper and read the address. “Love how she drew a little cloverleaf and a ladybug at the end. Is that wishing me good luck on finding the place?”

“No.” Marinette giggled. “Tikki just likes to doodle. That’s all.”

Adrien put the paper inside his jacket, only now remembering the envelope that lay there. “Oh, snap. I forgot to show you this.”

“What is it?”

“The latest poll combined with our stats on Lady Noir and a proposal.”

Marinette pursued her lips. “Talking business on our time off?”

“I promise you’ll like it,” Adrien guiltily smiled.

Marinette took the envelope, letting him close the door and get to the driver’s seat. Once inside, he glanced her way. “So? What do you think?”

“I won’t lie,” Marinette responded. “I love the idea of a physical store, but we’ve opened our online one just a little over six months ago. Isn’t it a little too soon?”

“Not according to those numbers and your clienteles demand.” Adrien nodded to the paper in Marinette’s hands. “I told you you’ll be a smashing success. Here are your first results: your ever-growing crowd of customers demand a physical boutique.”

Adrien let Marinette a few moments to think as he drove off into the street before adding, “I also might have already found the perfect location for it too.”

Marinette closed her eyes and chuckled. “Why am I not surprised?”

“Because you know how much I’m excited for you to take the fashion industry by storm. And when you do, I’ll be proud to stand by your side.” He gave her a quick smile, before averting his eyes back to the road. His hand, though, remained in hers, nestled in her lap, for a few more moments.

“Downtown location,” he added. “An exquisite, historic building in a busy, prestigious shopping alley. Lots of tourists, a couple of established fashion boutiques on either side and a few Metro stations a walking distance away. Perfect for your first boutique to go viral.”

Marinette watched him for a moment. “You serious?”

Adrien nodded, his eyes focused on the road as he drove. “I already spoke with the leasing company. They’re awaiting our decision by the end of the week before releasing the listing to the public.”

Marinette bit her lip, focusing her sight on the road in front of her. She was tempted; Adrien could see it. Her own boutique was her dream ever since she could remember herself, and now it was a hair string away from becoming a reality.

“Okay, even if I wanted to do this,” Marinette said. “There is no way I can afford it. Depending on the rent fee, whatever’s left of that payout your father gave me would cover around six months at most in that area. It won’t work long term.”

“Don’t forget about me,” Adrien said. “I own half of the company, meaning I’ll be pitching in as well. We’ll have at least a year covered. By that time, Lady Noir will be long profiting, so the rent won't be an issue anymore.”

Marinette fell quiet. Adrien focused on the road, giving her time to think, one of the things he’d learned about his Lady. Marinette didn’t like to rush with life-altering decisions.

A few streets down, Marinette started biting on her nails. “Lady Noir is way more successful than I’d ever thought it would be.”

“Yup,” Adrien agreed. “I told you it wasn’t just something for me to play with until I’d figure out what I want to do with my life.”

“Well, excuse me,” Marinette chuckled. “What was I supposed to think when I fleetingly mention to you I was debating between starting my own fashion brand on that Gabriel pay-out money or taking up one of the jobs offers I had, and you immediately jump at the chance, making calls, crunching numbers and giving me at least three different ways to go about it the next day? My best bet was you were extremely bored and had nothing better to do than to play around in Let’s Start a Fashion Empire in your spare time.”

“Well I was bored, I can’t deny that,” Adrien responded. “No one goes from being busy 24/7 to doing nothing 24/7 and doesn’t feel bored. But no, no games. I just saw an opportunity and latched to it. You’re incredibly talented, Marinette, and I dare to say I know how to manage a business pretty well. Years of experience, university and all that.”

“You are really good at it. We’d never be at the level we’re now without you, no matter how genius of a designer you think me to be.”

“You are exceptional as a designer, but thank you for the compliment.” He took an opportunity at a red light to reach for her hand again and smile. “Don’t you see it, my Lady? I’ve been born into the fashion industry and know it inside out. You were born to take it by storm, and I’ll be proud to be by your side when you do that.”

She took a few more moments. “Do you really think we should go for it?”

Adrien nodded. “I know we should. Numbers don’t lie.”

“Alright.” She smiled. “I trust you.”

“I’ll schedule an appointment as soon as possible for you to see the location, and we’ll go from there,” Adrien said, pulling over. “Is this it?”

Marinette looked outside. “Yes. Want to go with me or wait for me here?”

“Do I look like I’m insane?” Adrien dramatically gasped. “Who in their right mind would let a goddess like you walk in that building alone? Someone would surely steal you away from me, and I’m afraid I won’t survive that.”

Marinette laughed. “I see Plagg has been rubbing off on you.”

“Maybe just a tiny bit.” Adrien winked.

He quickly got out in hopes to open the door for Marinette. Yet, when Adrien circled the car, Marinette was already standing on a sidewalk, staring at the building in front of them, her head tilted to the side.

“Isn’t just gorgeous?” she murmured under her breath.

Adrien cocked his head to the side. “I bet you love it for the dance studio on the ground floor and that huge red front door with flower pots around it alone. Your two favourite things in one place.”

Marinette smirked. “I mean you’re not wrong but wait, till you get inside. It has the coziest little courtyard I’ve ever seen, not to mention architecture is just fantastic.”

“Shall we go in then?”

“Absolutely.”

Putting in the entry code from the paper Tikki gave them, Adrien noticed Marinette running her fingers against the intricate door frame. She looked in awe at the small but beautiful courtyard, commenting on a few plant choices she’d never thought would look good together, immediately snapping a few pictures for inspiration.

“So gorgeous,” she whispered to herself as they’ve entered the foyer. “You know,” Marinette said louder to him. “Tikki wants to renovate it before renting it out.”

“Does she? Another chance to flaunt her mighty interior design skills?”

“Hey! She’s good. Just look at her clients, all those rich and famous folks who stand in a line to have her create spaces for them.”

“Isn’t it what I said?” Adrien chuckled. “She is good at her job. I know that. I saw her work. Her taste is unprecedented, comparing to the other designers I’ve seen. What about it, though? It’s not really surprising she’d want to do work on her own place.”

“Yes, but because it’s her place, she has free rein,” Marinette excitedly continued. “She doesn’t have to appease anyone but herself, so she’s very excited. I don’t even think I can remember the last time she was so pumped. I mean, she was just bursting at the seams in there, kept throwing ideas at me, proposing innovative solutions, showing me pictures of furniture and fabrics. It was fantastic to watch her.”

Adrien suppressed a grin, chuckling in amusement instead. “Then, I suppose I should expect Plagg visiting me more often than usual. He always gets grumpy when Tikki pays more attention to her work than him.”

Marinette rolled her eyes. “Please. He knows she loves him more than anything. He just likes to sulk for her attention.”

“We do like when our women notice us.”

“Really?” Her eyes half-lidded, Marinette turned to Adrien with a teasing smile on her lips and sultriness in her voice. “Then, please, do tell me what kind of attention you like, Chaton? Because, you know—” She stepped closer and torturously slowly ran her fingers atop of his chest, “—I wouldn’t want you to doubt my love and bemoan your fate the same way Plagg does. I’d like to make sure you’re certain of my feelings for you.”

Adrien felt something stir inside. The look Marinette was giving him, the mischievous tone of her voice, the way her lips curled, her touch at his chest… they’d better get to what they were here for, because a few more moments, and he’d be cancelling all plans and taking Marinette home instead, angry Plagg and Tikki and all the others or not. She was already driving his crazy all evening long with her constant teasing, something she suspected she’d picked up from Tikki. Not that he was complaining, but he was a mere mortal man. He wasn’t invulnerable and he definitely had his limits.

Clearing his throat, Adrien averted his sight and pressed the elevator’s button. “What level was it at again? The top one, right?”

“Yup. Lucky her, she snatched a penthouse.” Marinette wrapped her hand around his arm, a smirk on her lips telling him she knew exactly how she was making him feel, and she regretted nothing.

The door ringer dinged and as soon as the elevator opened, Adrien motioned for her to enter. “After you.”

The rode up mostly in silence. Marinette’s hands wrapped around his arm, she leaned onto his shoulder, speaking a short while into their ride, not even hiding the mischief in her voice. “Maybe we should’ve been rude and took our club clothes up here to change. Would’ve been more convenient than at the Kwami Kave’s change room.”

“If we’d done that” Adrien replied. “You know we’d be stuck here for a lot longer then we’re supposed to.”

“Well, maybe that’s what I want?” She said just as the door opened. “It’s my birthday. I should be able to call at least some of the shots.”

Adrien couldn’t keep a smile off his face. Gosh, he loved this woman! There was never a dull moment with her around. Stubborn and fiery one minute, sweet and cuddly the other. She always kept him on his toes, and that was just perfect. Exactly what he needed after the monotonous life he’d been leading before. So as soon as they’d walked out, he wrapped her into his arms and stole a moment for a kiss.

“I promise we’ll make our club visit as short as you want,” he whispered, pulling back. “Wait for their surprise, and then one word, and I’ll whisk you away before anyone would notice.”

“It’s not because I don’t like going there,” Marinette murmured, laying her head on his chest. “I do. I love Kwami Kave. It’s like a second home. It’s just lately, I’ve become fonder of just cuddling the evening away with you than going out.”

“I feel exactly the same way.” Adrien smiled, tightening his hold on her. “A quiet evening with you sounds just about perfect.”

“Then…” Marinette pulled back and grabbed his hand in hers. She bit her lip for a moment before raising her big blue eyes at him. “I know you’ve already given me the earrings as my present today, and I love them. They’re gorgeous. Not to mention the dinner and you’re taking me to Kwami Kave, but… would it be too selfish if I’d ask you for something I’ve been really wanting for a while now?”

Reaching forward, Adrien brushed her bangs away just so a moment later he could lean his forehead against hers. “You know I’ll give you anything you want if I can. So, ask away. It isn’t selfish at all.”

“Well…” she started a bit hesitant. “You know how you’d been living at Plagg’s for a while now, and you’ve hinted you wanted to get a place of your own soon… and how we’d go to each other’s places every so often… well, practically all the time now because, really, I don’t think we’ve spent a day apart in the last few months…”

“We haven’t,” Adrien sighed, his eyes closed. “I know I’ve been too clingy, so if it bothers you—”

“No,” Marinette rushed to interrupt. “It doesn’t. Not at all. In fact, I think… I think we should move in that direction.”

Adrien quirked an eyebrow, opening his eyes to look at Marinette. “What do you mean by that?”

Her chest rose and fell rapidly before that spark of confidence appeared in her eyes again. “Adrien Agreste,” Marinette said quickly as if trying to get it out before she’d change her mind. “Would you move in with me? I know my place isn’t as big as Plagg’s and it’s not as extravagant, but we’ll be living together. I’m kind of tired of figuring out which place we should go to or of scrambling in the morning because we’ve forgotten something crucial at the other place or the worst: thinking that you’ll go home and I’ll be feeling lonely all evening long. Plus—” her voice filled with teasing notes, “—if we live together, that means more private dances for you. Señorita style.”

Adrien’s lips tagged in a smug smirk. “Are you trying to seduce me into moving in with you?”

“I’m not above doing whatever it takes if I really want something, so yes, if it’ll work, then absolutely, I’m trying to seduce you into moving in with me.”

Adrien laughed, pulling her closer. Cradling her cheek, he lightly brushed his lips against hers. “You could’ve just yelled at me, ‘Hey, you! Mangy alley cat! Grab your toothbrush and forget where that Camembert-obsessed glutton lives.’ I’d jumped at the chance that very instant.”

Marinette grinned. “But I really wanted to mention Señorita-style dancing. I know how much you love it.”

“Of course,” he chuckled. “How could you miss a chance to remind me how weak of a man I am, and how you’ve got me all wrapped around your little finger?”

Marinette giggled. Adrien reached down and brought her closer for another kiss. Holding her against himself, he didn’t rush, savouring the lushness of her lips, the sweetness of her touch, the warmth of her breath. The hallway was empty; there was no need reason for haste. Marinette, however, was his. All his and his alone, and the greedy man he’d become when it came to her, he wanted to indulge.

“We should go,” Adrien said, pulling away. “If I have a moving in with you to look forward to, staying alive would be nice. And you know Tikki: she’d never let me live if I’d fail to keep a promise. Today that means bringing you to the Kwami Kave.”

Marinette giggled. “Come on. She loves you. You can’t deny that.”

“Maybe,” Adrien shrugged. “But hard love is a thing, and Tikki is its mistress.”

Marinette laughed. “Okay, you’ve got me there. We probably should go. It’s this way.” Grabbing his hand, Marinette tugged Adrien into the apartment’s direction. The key out of her purse, she opened the door, walked in and froze in the foyer.

The whole place was filled with balloons, some floating at the ceiling, some hovering in midair, with only a few laying on the floor that was covered with flower petals along the walls.

Marinette gasped, her purse falling to the floor.

Behind her, Adrien closed the door after himself. “Surprise.”

She swirled around to look at him. “What’s going on? Adrien, do you have something to do with it?”

“Decorating the place? Yes. That was my idea, but Nino and Plagg helped.”

“Plagg?” She quirked an eyebrow.

“He mostly bossed us around, but yeah, Plagg helped too.” Adrien motioned to the living room. “Would you like to follow the trail?”

Marinette hesitated for a split moment before a smile sneaked onto her face and she walked into the direction balloons and flower petals went. It didn’t take her long to reach a spacious room with a built-in fireplace, huge floor to ceiling windows, beautiful iron balcony-imitating railing on the other side. The room was free of furniture, balloons and flower petals on the floor filling the room in addition to a few rose bouquets that stood sparingly across space. An elegant banner stood on top of the fireplace. It read,

“Welcome Home.”

Marinette spun around. “Adrien?”

Adrien smiled at her. “If you want it to be.”

“But Tikki… She said… Oh my gosh! Adrien! What’s going on here?”

He walked closer, taking her hands in his. “I wanted to ask you to move in with me for a while now, but since I didn’t have a place of my own, I had to find one before I could do that. And I promise I did want to involve you in that search since, hopefully, I was searching for our potential home together, and I wanted you to love it as much as I would. But I also wanted to make it a surprise for your birthday, which made it a little difficult to involve you in the search.” He nervously chuckled. “I hope I make sense now because it sounds a bit confusing to me.”

“You make perfect sense,” Marinette said. “That’s why you asked Tikki to help you? To keep it a surprise for me?”

“Yes. She knows you the best, so she helped me to narrow down to the final five, and then she took you there under the pretence of buying herself an investment. She said you loved this one so much she would’ve had to have been blind to miss it. So, this was the one I’ve got for us. Hopefully. Uh… But you already asked me to move in so yes, I’ve got it for us.”

Marinette chuckled. “Too bad for you I beat you to the asking to move in together part.”

Throwing his hand against his forehead, Adrien dramatically lamented. “Yes! You did. Woe is me! All my hard practice in front of the mirror! All gone to waste. What shall I do? How will I survive this?”

“Awww.” She patted his cheek. “You can ask me if you want. I’ll even pretend to be surprised.”

Adrien perked. “May I?”

“Sure.”

“Okay.” Adrien breathed in and out. He cleared his throat. “So… I’ve been thinking lately. Of us… as in you and me, and how we work together, which I think is great because we do work great together, wouldn’t you say so? In everything. We’re a great team in dancing, and in business, and very much so in life. And I love you, Marinette. I can’t imagine my life without you anymore. I want to share every minute with you, be it a sad or a happy one, and I want to share your moments. All of them. The best of them and the ugly ones. Because I love you and because you inspire me to be the better me. You give me strength and motivation to live my very best life, and I want to spend the rest of it by your side. So, I thought that, maybe… we should… No. Maybe you would… Would you consider moving in with me?”

Marinette’s lips stretched in a smile as she nodded.

Adrien reached into his jacket and pulled a small box out.

Marinette froze, her eyes widening, lips parting.

Kneeling down on his knee, Adrien opened the box and added, “As my wife.”

Glancing briefly at the princess-cut centre stone set in a delicate, white gold band, Adrien continued, “Now it’s me who’s wondering if I’m being too selfish, but I want more, Marinette. I want us to not only be together but to be a family. I promise I’ll cherish you until my last breath and I’ll treasure every minute you’ll allow me to stand by your side. We’ll buy all the hamsters you want, and I think three kids sounds amazing, especially if they are named Emma, Louis and Hugo. Those are great names.”

Marinette squeaked. “How do you know?”

“Tikki and Plagg might have slipped a few too many hints here and there, almost every time you weren’t in the room.”

Marinette groaned. “Those two. I should’ve known.”

Adrien raised the box in his hand a little higher. “Will you marry me, Marinette?”

Marinette gave him one of the lovelies smiled he’d ever seen as she kneeled down and took his hand in hers. “Partners in dance. Partners in work. Partners in life. Till death do us part.”

Adrien forgot how to breathe. “Is that a ‘yes’?”

Marinette nodded. “As if I could ever say anything but ‘yes’ to you, Chaton.”

He tackled her into a hug, both of them tumbling to the ground, with Marinette somehow ending up on top of Adrien.

Laughing, she pushed back to look at him. “I love you, my sweet, handsome dork.”

“Love you, too,” Adrien whispered, reaching for his fiancée’s face to bring her down into a kiss. “More than I can express.”

Once they pulled apart, Adrien tried his best not to disturb their position as he reached for the ring box. Noticing his intentions, Marinette pushed herself off him and sat down. Adrien followed, grabbing the box and pulling the ring out. Her hand in his, he slid the ring on her finger and grinned. “And now you’re stuck with me.”

“And I couldn’t be happier about that,” Marinette smiled, bopping his nose with her finger. ”That’s even a better present than I’ve wanted.”

He pulled her closer, resting their foreheads together. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she sighed against him.

He brought her hand to his lips, kissing her fingers. Then, the top of her knuckles. The inside of her palm. “And I’m sorry to say but we had to be at the Kwami Kave ten minutes ago.”

“They can wait,” Marinette whispered. Her hands reaching to cradle Adrien’s face, she pulled him closer. “It’s my birthday, and I want to kiss my fiancée senseless.”

“You know it doesn’t take much, don’t you?” he murmured against her lips. “You take my breath away just by being close.”

“Then you’d better prepare yourself,” Marinette whispered, placing a kiss on his neck. “Because I’m taking my main present now, and no one can stop me.”

“As you wish,” Adrien barely breathed out and closed his eyes as Marinette nibbled at his earlobe. “Anything you want, my Lady. Just ask.”

“I already have everything I need right here in front of me,” Marinette whispered, silencing Adrien with a kiss.

_______________________________________________________________________

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#ladynoirjuly2019 #Adrienette #post reveal #fluff #kisses and flirting #aged-up

31 notes · View notes

vegetacide · 5 years

Text

Whump●tober - Embracing Recovery

Veg-notables: Well it was a month in coming but i have finally drawn this whole thing to a close. It’s been quite the trip and the learning experience to boot. Somehow it all wrapped up in a nice tidy package encompassing several story lines into one world completely by accident by there you have it. Something just happen that way.

Many thanks to all those that jumped on this month long whump ride with me and many, many thanks to @gumnut-logic for putting up with me none stop pretty much for the whole duration. Your guidance and support has been very, very much appreciated.. And the mountain loads of candied ammo that was lobbed in my direction. I think I might have a cavity now…

Obligatory whumptober stuff: @whumptober2019 @la-vie-en-whump

Blanket warning: Revelations, hurt, comfort and a resolution of sorts.

Characters: Virgil, Scott, with a dash of Kayo, Gordon and Alan. V/K

Whumptober - TaG’verse

Part 1 Unconscious | Part 2 Shaky Hands | Part 3 Stitches | Part 4 “Don’t move”

30. Recovery & 31. Embrace

Enjoy…

oOo

The moment Virgil stepped foot into the lounge he could feel Scott’s eyes on him and he resisted the urge to roll his own.

“I’m fine, Scott.” He said on reflex as he crossed the space on his way to the stairs. He needed coffee stat and nothing was going to distract him from his goal.

Scott came around the desk, eyes narrowing on Virgil’s face as he headed towards him.

Virgil was well aware of what he looked like and how he felt, thank you very much. He was fresh from a shower, clean shaven and feeling for the first time in a while, well rested. The fact he required coffee to function on any given morning was nothing new and something that decidedly didn’t warranted the frown that was brewing on his brother’s face.

“You’re squinting.”

Now he did roll his eyes and he didn’t care if Scott saw it or not. Turning he trotted down the stairs, Scott hot on his heels.

“Scott, I’m okay. Stop worrying.” Virgil b-lined it for the coffee pot, one though in mind. Most obtain caffeine…

His brother’s hand landed on his shoulder, preventing him from reaching his target just feet from his destination.

“This is really getting a bit much, Scott.” He grumbled and cursed at himself internally for not taking the elevator all the way down the kitchen. Why oh why had he thought that stopping at the lounge on the way was a good idea? Hind sight and all that jazz was bullshit.

“Are you sure?” His brother’s voice sounded worried.

“Yes, it’s just the usual aftermath. Nothing new there, I am always a bit light sensitive for a few days after a migraine, you know this.” Virgil slipped out from under his brother’s grasp, stepped past him and snagged his favourite mug out of the cupboard.

“Any double vision? Blurriness?” Came the expected rapid fire questions as he stalked after him to the coffee pot.

Virgil sighed and didn’t answer right away and concentrated on pouring the aromatic brew. Let his brother stew for a moment, served him right for the mother hen and interrogation routine.

After their lovely discussion the previous morning, Virgil had retreated to his room again, only venturing out around sunset in order to obtain some much needed sustenance and to watch Kayo do her ninja thing on the pool deck.

Thankfully he’d managed to avoid Scott as he had been called away from the island and he’d only had to deal with his very perceptive Grandmother.

That had been an interesting exchange and not one he wished to repeat any time soon. He needed time to wrap his head around things, sort out his emotions and if that meant doing everything in his power to be on the opposite side of the island from everyone else.. So be it.

Except there was his very real need for coffee and due to that vice he had risked the trip down from his room. It was apparently evident that Lady Luck was so not in his corner this fine morning.

Satisfied that his cup had reached its maximum capacity, he lifted it to his lips and took his first sip of the day.

Scolding, hot and deliciously rich, the flavour flowed over his taste buds and sung the song of the caffeine addicted. A thrum of ecstasy fired up his neurons and the pleasure centre of his brain lit up like a Christmas tree. Oh sweet Baby Jeebus, he bit back on the joyful moan as his need was finally sated.

Then his brother’s tapping foot finally registered.

Drawing in a breathe to anchor is growing antipathy, he finally graced his overly anxious sibling with an answer. “No double vision or blurriness. Like I said, I’m fine. Let it go, Scott.”

His brother’s arms crossed over his chest, eyes still inspecting. Searching for any sign of deceit in his answer.

The trust they shared had been rocked and Virgil was well aware that this was the price of his actions. Something he was going to have to learn to deal with but right now… there was coffee..

Sipping away quietly for a few minutes, he let his brother continue staring at him, assessing the minutia of his movements and facial expression with a bored air of one well used to an over protective big brother filling in the very large shoes of their Father.

His patience lasted a lot longer than he thought it would.

“You look tired still, you get enough sleep? “

That did it, patience quota reached. Completely maxed out.

“Jesus… Scott. Stop it. I’m fine.” Putting his mug down with a little more force than he intended he marked off points on his fingers. “I have slept, done pretty much nothing but since I crashed out in Two. I have eaten enough food to satiate a small army. I am more hydrated than even the Fish right now and that is saying something considering he basically lives in the pool. There is no pain and my vision is fine. “

His brother looked like he was about to say something but Virgil put up a hand to stop him.

“No.” He sighed, hands on his hips as his head dropped down. Closing his eyes, he counted to ten to reign in his ire.

“Look, Scott…” He started, stalled out. Gave his doubt the middle finger and plowed on. “Globalmax was over a year ago and you can stop hovering now, I’m not going to break. Sure I get the odd migraine but that’s it. Pack it in, let it go

Scott’s face shifted, darkened. Eyes narrowed, he poked a finger into Virgil’s face. “That’s rich coming from you.”

“What…?” Confused all to hell at the change in his brother, Virgil’s brow furrowed.

“Kind of the pot calling the kettle black isn’t it?”

“I have no idea what you are talking about.”

“Bullshit,” Scott’s temper flared and it had Virgil adjusting his stance to square off against the gale force that had surged into the kitchen. “You telling me to let it go when you can’t do the same. You act like I haven’t clued into what you’ve been doing the last few weeks ever since I put Gordon back on active duty.”

Virgil’s face blanched, his defenses suddenly evaporating in the face of Scott’s accusation and he stood dumbfounded.

“I…”

“You what?” Scott stepped up to him, all righteous anger and indignation but Virgil didn’t know how to respond. Caught off guard by his brother’s fury and being found out so easily, words completely abandoned him.

Scott seemed to catch himself and forced himself to step off, to back up. Temper radiated out of him in waves but he clamped his control down hard on it and closed off as he reeled himself in.

“Ya, just like I thought. You can preach to me about letting things go but I sent you in to that plant. I was the one that put you in harm’s way and we came damn close to losing you. Almost did had it not been for a fleet of stubborn ass doctors set on keeping your heart going.”

His voice hitched at the end and he had to put some physical distance between them, long legs taking him across the kitchen around the table and back again.

He paced a few more steps and stopped, the counter between them. “Just like you did sending Gordon in after Braman at the Calypso crash site.

The words hung like a stinking carcass in the air and Virgil’s chest heaved, breathing in the hot, foul stench of it.

Pulse kicking he tried to come up with excuses, tried to think around what Scott had tossed to callously in front of him but he couldn’t see a way around it. There was no avoiding it when it was strung up with flashing lights right in front of your face like some damn garish marquee sign at a theatre.

“You..you don’t understand.”

"Try it, make me understand.” Scott’s voice grew soft though his posture still screamed unrestrained agitation.

Virgil drew in a breath, thought a moment, blew back out again as his mind tossed out and rejected several responses. Finally he settled on one. “He’s my co-pilot.” As if that should be answer enough.

Like those three words could explain the whole of it. That Gordon was more than a passenger along for a ride in Two. He was his partner on missions, his back up when he was unable to take the controls himself, his goofy baby brother, his responsibility…

Virgil had been well aware of the dangers out here, all those feet below the ocean surface under all that atmospheric pressure of millions and millions of gallons of water but he’d still let him go. Even with the nagging feeling in the back of his head that something didn’t feel right but they were International Rescue so they did what their Father’s legacy dictated.

Even if just for a machine, an automaton that had been broadcasting on all their frequencies for hours on end. He let his baby brother go, and he’d nearly ended up dead.

Left to die at the bottom of the ocean, crushed beneath a mountain of a crumbled volcanic stack like his life meant nothing. Like he was just an irritant that needed to be swatted away and was done so carelessly and with such disregard for everything their family stood for. Everything they had spent the better part of their adult lives striving to achieve.

Hovering above the ocean waiting for some news, seeing the broken body sprawled unmoving across a med-bay gurney had torn a hole through Virgil that he hadn’t been able to fill in all the time since. An aching pit of guilt and despair that he had thought he could handle, hide away in some dark corner of his mind.

It had only grown and festered, like an untreated wound. Kept him up at night with visions of alternate outcomes. Of vaguely remember funerals, caskets draped in white flowers and the somber words.

Kayo had clicked into the fact that something was wrong months ago maybe Scott had too. The concerned etched on his face now mirrored her own every time he looked at her but he hadn’t been able to bring himself to burden them with this. So to throw Kayo off the trail he’d tossed something else at her feet. Hoping that it would be enough to waylay her.

The message from Bramen about their Father being alive. He hadn’t lied to her about his feelings but he hadn’t supplied her with the whole of it. The omission hadn’t been easy and the guilt of that had compounded all the rest, but he had stood firm in visage even though he was crumbling just like that stack on the inside.

As for Scott, he’d just closed himself off. Withdrawn and buried himself in work and good intentions

The stim-tabs had come in handy and as he looked down at his trembling hand he knew, he’d gone way too far with it. All Scott had to do was look back through all of Two’s records to see how far he’d fallen.

Scott had a right to be concerned and Kayo had a right to her tears.

Clenching his fist, he forced himself to answer no matter how painful it was. “He should never have been down there on his own. I should have gone with him.”

“So you could do what exactly?” Scott moved, settled on a stool at the counter, in for the long haul if that was what it was going to take. “Gordon knows what he’s doing better than any of us. He was WASP. He has more qualification for underwater rescue than all of us combined. He is always aware of the dangers every time he heads out there but he accepts it.

Scoot looked to the counter, his fingers playing through the cooling puddle of coffee left there by Virgil’s careless handling. “You can’t stop him from going out there, Virg... “ His words stopped short as the sounds of voices and stomping feet came thundering down the stairs.

Inane chatter about some video game or another bounced around the lofty ceiling and abruptly came to a halt when the aquanaut in question came up short at the end of the flight, Alan nearly running into the back of him.

“The fuck, Gordon? Why’d you sto….?” Alan’s inquiry drifted off as he took in the open air kitchen and instantly picked up on the heaviness that clogged the space.

“What’s up?” Gordon asked as two pair of serious eyes turned his way. One carrying more worry and guilt then it appeared Gordon cared for and the other, frustration at whatever was going on being interrupted. His own gaze darted back and forth between his older siblings with some trepidation. “Who died?”

Virgil turned away, walked over to the large, open patio and leaned his bulk against the thick clear blast door where it nested by its stationary counterpart.

Scott sighed, and Virgil pictured him standing with his hands braced on his hips and his head shaking back and forth is annoyance"Gordon.."

"What?"He asked completely oblivious to what his words had invoked.

Virgil listened to the exchange behind him with only half an ear and watched the play of light across the rippling water of the pool.

Gordon's oblivion question had been more poignant they he knew his brother had meant. It had struck the chord of the conversation and the image of his still, unresponsive body in Two echoed through his mind with a clarity that made Virgil shudder.

It was early in the day still so the oppressive heat this time of year usually drummed up hadn't yet settled over the island yet.

There was a breeze whispering through the fronds of the palms and rustling the long strands of ornamental grasses that boarded the patio in quaint little arrangements that Virgil knew his Father had installed as homage to the woman who so loved to garden when they were little.

The cadence of the conversation behind changed and his pushed his focus back inside to the room as Gordon's voice rose.

"Oh well..it looks like the adults are talking so we better run off and play like good little boys."

"Gordon,. That's not what I meant.".

"Than what did you mean?" He demanded facing off with Scott glare for glare.

When Scott failed to answer, the currently land bound human-fish bristled and turned his sights on Virgil.

Virgil’s mouth gaped a moment as he floundered but he didn't get a chance to respond as Kayo appeared at his elbow, her hand resting a moment on the base of his spine in a gesture of support before she slipped around him and over to Gordon.

Her voice was pitched in such a way that they could all hear her words. "I just got word that Lady P in inbound. Should be here soon."

Gordon’s attention was instantaneously redirected. “Penny’s coming here?”

Kay nodded, “About ten minutes out. Sad something about a reef project she is working on.”

“Ya, she mentioned that to me last week. I didn’t think they would move so fast on it..”

The distraction work and in short order Gordon was back up the stairs and out of the room.

Alan remained behind, gaze ping ponging between all those gathered in the familiar space. A little lost as to what to do and where to go now that Gordon was off chasing after her Ladyship. “Sooooooo…?” He ventured.

Kayo took pity on him, grabbed a bag of oatmeal cookies from the pantry and gave the pair of them a look, her eyes lingering on Virgil as she turned and walked back over to Alan. “Hey, why don’t you show me that new Zombie game you’ve been going on about?”

Alan blinked, shifted awkwardly on his feet as he absorbed the rising tension in the room again and was unsure what to do about it. It was obvious from his pinched expression that he was well aware that things were far from alright between his two biggest brothers.

“Everything okay?” He asked instead as Kayo came up to him.

She glanced back at Virgil as if she was interested in the answer to the question as well.

Virgil’s large chest expanded on an inhalation before he took the reins. “It’s cool, Alan. Don’t worry about it.”

Alan didn’t look convinced and neither did Kayo but she nodded in return.

There would be words later, Virgil knew but for now she would back off and leave them to sort themselves out.

“If you say so…” And the pair of them disappeared up the stairs.

The kitchen grew quiet with their absence, the only sound that of the wind through the palms and a few wild birds that called the island home.

“Listen,” Scott was the first to break the stillness and Virgil peered back over his shoulder so Scott knew he was doing just that. “All I am saying is that I understand where you are coming from. I’ve been there. Am there, every day. Every time a call comes in and I have to send one of you out there to do the impossible because it seems like no one else can, I’m right there where you are now. I have to live with that. Remind myself that not only did I pick this life but you all did too. You know the risks, just trust that they know the risks too and remember that you are not alone.

He came up to Virgil bumped his shoulder against his companionably. “And if things ever get too hard, too much there are those on this island that are more than willing to help and if not here,” His head inclined towards the ocean, towards the world at large, “There are plenty of people out there that owe us a few things and would jump at the chance to return the favour.“

Virgil absorbed what was being offered and finally for the first time in days, months really the weight on his shoulders lifted.

He chuckled slightly as a thought came to mind and just like that the tension was gone, the animosity and outrage and all the negative crap that went along with it up and left.

“What?” Scott asked a quizzical look popping his brow up in confusion,

“How in the hell do you put up with all of this? All of us?”

Scott grinned back, the devil in his smile. “Dad’s private stash of Scotch… lots of Scotch.”

The sun was shifting outside as it made its way across the sky and a spear of light bounced off the pool which made Virgil blink, that fact that nothing speared into his brain with the flash of light didn’t go unnoticed by him. Time took care of all things and it seemed the worst of everything had come to pass.

The band-aid holding everything back had been torn off, the wound free to breathe and hopefully to heal now that all those party to it existence had lanced it of the festering poison that was rotting away at its core.

The disinfectant that family supplied, was to be applied liberally and eventually all that would be left was a fading scar and life would go on.

His smile widened and grew broader as the future finally started to look brighter and he slung an arm over Scott’s shoulder, pulling him in for an unexpected hug which his brother reciprocated wholeheartedly.

“It might be early but somewhere in the world it’s not. Let’s go find that scotch.”

oOo

The End.

The Master List of prompts can be found HERE

#whumptober2019 #whumptober #thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds 2015 #thunderbirds fanfiction #thunderbirds fanfic #no.30 #no.31 #Recovery #Embrace #Virgil Tracy #Scott Tracy #Kayo Kyrano #Gordon Tracy #Alan Tracy #virgil/kayo #the end is here #on to #fluffember

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captainkippen · 5 years

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A tyrus swimming one shot??

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When TJ stepped outside that morning he thought the sky might never have been as blue as it was before. The day was sweltering, sun beating down on the world and creating heat waves that made the pavement ahead all wavy. He was grateful he didn’t have to walk anywhere, but even for the five minutes that he was perched on the porch to wait for the others to pick him up were nearly unbearable.

They head down to the lake in the beat up old pickup truck that Jonah had received for his birthday that year. It always made TJ laugh when he heard it coming, it was so loud and cranky you knew it was on its way before it was even in sight. He had no idea why anyone thought it was a good idea to have such a big truck in Shadyside, but it made him smile. They’d all hop into the back and hope they didn’t get pulled over because on days like this it just made more sense to carpool. Since the group was pretty big Walker would drive too. He’d go pick up Amber, Iris and Gus because as much as they all loved the truck they weren’t completely willing to die by cramming everyone in the back. Reed and Lester would take their bikes down because they could - TJ probably would have too if it weren’t for the excited way Cyrus looked at him when they were making plans.

It was the Fourth of July and the whole group planned to spend the day down by the water. They’d been planning it for a couple of months now, TJ knew for a fact that Cyrus had been stockpiling bags of marshmallows for the campfire, and it was all Buffy had been able to talk about the past few days. He’d been pretty excited himself but work after school and picking up extra credit was pretty exhausting so he hadn’t had much time to think about it. However, when Jonah pulled into the driveway he pushed all stressful thoughts from his mind and decided that today was a day for three things only; sunbathing, swimming, and copious amounts of junk food.

Obviously, they weren’t the only ones with similar plans, because when they arrived at the side of the was packed with cars. Fortunately, they’d anticipated that, and they surpassed the cluttered side of the lake and drove around to the side they knew would be less crowded. Most people wouldn’t bother going where they were because there weren’t toilets, but Reed had valiantly volunteered lifts around to the bathrooms when the girls needed them.

When they all tumbled out of the truck it wasn’t long before the others pulled up behind them. TJ watched in amusement as Marty and Lester both immediately stripped off their shirts and flopped down on the grass. At some point, somebody dug out a set of speakers and filled the air with poppy summer tunes. Cyrus laid out a blanket carefully and patted the spot next to him, indicating for TJ to sit down. He dug out the sunscreen instantly.

“I already put some on before we left,” TJ complained.

“Skin cancer is no joke,” Cyrus said seriously. “Shirt off, please.”

He sighed and made a show of rolling his eyes but did as he was told while the others snickered at them in the background.

“It’s like he’s your mom,” Reed laughed, then laughed harder when TJ flipped him off. He could pretend to be annoyed all he liked, but he had to admit it secretly made him happy to be cared about so much. Cyrus went through the same routine as nearly everyone else except Iris, who was just as prepared as him and lecturing the girls about taking care of themselves and didn’t relax until everyone was suitably protected and armed with a fresh bottle of water.

The afternoon stretched on for what felt like forever. They slipped in and out of the water, chicken fighting and doing handstands in the shallower part, then swimming out to see how far they could get before someone gave in and turned around. It was maybe the most fun he’d ever had in his life. It felt like a summer straight from the movies.

At one point TJ fell asleep only to be woken up half an hour later by Amber armed with glitter and nail polish. He sighed and let her paint his fingernails red, blue and white so he could “get in the spirit of the holiday”, stretching back and listening to Cyrus and Iris passionately discuss Komodo dragons.

When darkness started to fall late in the evening they pulled on extra layers of clothes (though they weren’t needed too much it was still warm) and dug out the blankets. Watching Jonah and Reed argue over how to start a fire, only for Iris to end up doing it instead, was maybe the funniest thing he’d witnessed all week. Cyrus draped an extra blanket around d his and TJ’s shoulders and leaned into his side, allowing TJ to slip an arm around his waist. They stayed like that as they roasted marshmallows. It was inevitable that Jonah would pull out his guitar but when he did TJ groaned teasingly. Marty prodded him until he agreed to play a shaky version of the national anthem, the others singing along as terribly as they could, and then Reed caused a fuss by announcing he’d brought fireworks.

Evidently, that was the moment Cyrus decided it was best to make a break for it. He leaned in and spoke low into TJ’s ear, sending shivers down his spine.

“You wanna go for a walk?”

TJ nodded and stood, holding a hand out to pull Cyrus up. He didn’t let go as they walked away. He could feel Buffy and Andi’s eyes on them as they went, but the rest of the group was distracted by the chaos of the fireworks. It would be at least half an hour before they had them all set up and ready to go, probably under the watchful eye of a concerned Walker. He chuckled to himself. He loved his friends but boy were they idiots sometimes.

He and Cyrus silently weaved their way through the thickening trees slowly, fingers still entwined, listening to the crickets chirp. Around them fireflies faded in and out of visibility, giving the world an almost magical atmosphere. Eventually, they came to another edge of the water. They could see the lake stretching out before them, lights flickering on the other side where other people had set up their own fires and barbecues. There was still a slight glow of light on the horizon from where the sun hadn’t completely finished its descent, but that hasn’t stopped the stars from starting to make an appearance.

“Nice night,” TJ commented inanely. Cyrus had been unusually quiet this evening. It seemed as though he may have been a little lost in his own head. TJ wondered what he was thinking about that had captured his attention so firmly.

Cyrus hummed in agreement, then dropped TJ’s hand abruptly and tugged his shirt over his head.

He stared at him, baffled. “What are you doing?”

“I’m going swimming,” Cyrus said simply, pulling off his shoes next. “You coming?”

“You’re insane,” he replied, shaking his head, but started stripping off himself and followed Cyrus into the water.

It has cooled down significantly since the sun had gone down, but it wasn’t cold enough to make TJ regret all his life choices yet so he took it as a win. The two of them swam lazily out too a deeper part of the lake and then stopped, flipping over to float on their backs. TJ stared up at the stat-dotted sky. In the distance, he could hear the faint sounds of raucous laughter and music playing. The crickets continued to chirp and the waves lapped gently at the shore. The whole night felt so serene. It was so beautiful. He was lucky to be alive.

He startled when he felt something touch his hand, turning his head to find Cyrus watching him with his own hand stretched out. TJ smiled and entwined their fingers once again.

“You okay?” he asked.

“I’m great,” Cyrus replied, shutting his eyes and leaning his head back. It didn’t sound like he was lying but there was an edge of something that TJ couldn’t identify to his voice. The thought of something troubling Cyrus troubled him, so he decided to distract him from his thoughts.

SPLASH!

Cyrus made an outraged noise, turning himself upright and wiping at his face. He huffed as TJ laughed.

“Trust you to ruin a nice moment,” he said accusingly, before splashing him right back.

It devolved fast from there. They flicked water at one another, wrestling rambunctiously and trying (maybe failing a little) not to choke on half the lake as they went. By the time they’d tired themselves out TJ’s sides were sore from laughter and he was completely out of breath. Around Cyrus, he found that was often the case. Nobody else brought him quite as much joy.

He didn’t realise how close their faces were together until he finished blinking water out from his eyes. They were only inches apart, Cyrus still clutching his shoulders, legs anchored around his waist.

“So I’ve been doing some thinking,” Cyrus said.

“A dangerous pastime.”

He flickered TJ on the ear and laughed. “Shut up.”

“Sorry, sorry. So you’ve been doing some thinking?”

He nodded. “About us.”

“Us?” TJ said in surprised.

The way Cyrus talked was like he was laying out a business proposal. It was almost endearing. “Yes. I’ve been thinking about us. We spend almost every day together, I know you like the back of my own hand and I know you know me just as well, and I realised the other day that with anyone else that would probably bother me because like… personal space, y’know? But with you it doesn’t.”

“So…”

“So I came to the conclusion I’m in love with you.”

For a moment the world stopped. TJ seriously considered the idea that maybe he’d drowned while they were wrestling and this is some weird side effect of the afterlife.

“Excuse me?”

“I’m in love with you,” Cyrus stated clearly.

Huh. There was no way that he could really misinterpret that. He didn’t know how to respond. It felt a little like his body and brain had shut down. All he could do was stare at Cyrus with his mouth gaping open like a fish.

The thing was… he’d been in love with Cyrus since they were fourteen years old. This as a fact he��d come to accept, paired with the obvious fact that Cyrus didn’t feel the same way. Apparently, he’d been wrong about that.

“Can you please say something?” Cyrus asked, a hint of worry to his voice. “It’s okay if you don’t feel the same way. I just thought I should let you know.”

There they were floating in a lake, the world around them suspended in time, and Cyrus Goodman was in love with TJ Kippen. A brief flash of annoyance hit him, did this mean that he could’ve been kissing Cyrus this entire goddamn time? Then that feeling gave way to one of excitement and realisation.

“Oh my God,” he said. “Oh my God. Of course, I feel the same way. I’ve been in love with you for years.”

“You have?!”

“Yes,” TJ rolled his eyes. “I’m pretty sure you’re the last to find out.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh.”

Before he could say anything else, Cyrus was pressing their lips together. The kiss was tentative and unnecessarily wet from the lake water but somehow it still managed to be perfect. Above them, fireworks exploded to life filling the sky with thousands of colours. They looked up and laughed. It was the perfect day.

#tyrus #andi mack #tj kippen #cyrus goodman #my writing #Anonymous

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naatland-blog1 · 4 years

Text

Black Magic

Magic and Giants and their Shariah Treatments Some methods of healing the magic have been described in the previous issue, and the rest are summarized as follows: k Treatment with olive oil: Olive (tree and fruit) is a blessing, it is mentioned in several Quran.

Methods of use: Healing verses on oil, reciting verses, al-Fatiha, verse al-Kursi, reading all four pills in the oil, massaging the place of pain three times daily and eating. The Qur’anic verses and Masonic prayers are written on saffron paper and drinking water: Shaykh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, Imam Ibn Qayyim, Imam Mujahid, etc. say that by writing the Qur’an on a clean thing, the patient should wash and drink it for healing. There is nothing wrong with this as it is also included in the tail; however, it is better to breathe.

Different types and forms of magic There may be several forms of magic in the modern era, just mentioned below. Scholars have described several types of forms of magic as follows:

The first division of magic An al-Azim: The magician gives the jinn the names of the angels which he thinks are the names of the angels whom Solomon had appointed to the tribe of the jinn, so when he puts a definite name on whom He must do the work he wants to do. [3] b Altruism: The Gospels are special names about which magicians think their stars.

Belong to This is done on magic minerals and has a special effect according to wizards. [4] c alphabetic: Incidental refers to numbers that are written in numeric form in numerals. The magicians think that writing this on paper or wearing it on the neck makes the child’s birth easier, or helps against anyone, or causes the release of the prisoner. [5] d Al-Najjim: This refers to astronomy. The magician guides earthly events through astronomical changes

The second division of magic A Spoken Devil’s Magic: The magic that is done by the devil himself, called the demonic magic. This is the most deadly and dangerous case because the devils are acting self-interested in it and they are in no need to act. b Magic of demons and demonic spirits: The magic that humans do by seeking special help from magical devils and demonic spirits. It is weaker than the first case, because sometimes the devil helps and never helps.

Magic of Stats (help from the stars): The magic in which the magician uses alphabetical letters, figures and invisible planets (invisible forces) to seek help. This is the weakest case, as most magicians are not experts in this field, using tricks. [7] d The Magic of Contemporary and Cardinal Anxiety: The magician and sorcerer engulfs people by displaying good-natured charisma and dexterity. In it the magician actually controls the eyes of the people, through which he presents the unreal and the imaginary.

The third division of magic: being white White magic: The magic by which to do wrong things positively, such as to benefit someone, to spouse or others, to develop business and so on. Black Magic: The magic by which negative, non-evil and moral acts such as fighting quarrels, loss of life and property etc.

The fourth division of magic: to be real and imaginary A real magic: the magic that actually affects the human body, such as causing illness, killing, dividing love, hatred and discrimination between two people. All of this is tested by the will of Allah. b Imaginary magic: A magic that is related only to thoughts and ideas and is only to the eyes, such as imagining things in addition to their original reality, freezing the dynamic and freezing the dynamic, the smaller the larger and the larger Small etc. Seeing fire and water somewhere. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

Musa replied: You throw, those who threw their eyes, made the eyes glamorous and their hearts terrified and made great magic.

The Fifth Division of Magic: By Attribution A Discrimination: The magic by which to present an unrealistic and imaginary thing to the people, really and truly. In fact, the giants of the greedy mind and the mind and heart are infused with giants, which makes them unable to see the reality of the goods. I intend to.

‘The sorcerers said:’ Amos! Do you throw or should we throw first? ”Moses said: No! You throw Suddenly their ropes and their sticks began to feel like Moses was running through their magic. “ Qalat-e-Aishah: Sahar Rasulullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said:

“The Messenger of Allah was enchanted; it was as if you had done a thing you thought you could do, even though you had not done it.” b Affirmations: The magic done by the stars and planets is to infect the same kind of disease in the human population. Oils, food and drink products are used in a special way in a very vicious way, which is proven to be life-threatening at times. c The magic of imposing evil spirits: the magic in which the demons are imposed upon a greedy person for special effects. They hold on to it until they succeed in their mission.

Magical Holiday Divide: In effect This magic has become so common in the society that every third person is affected by it, someone is hanging in the throat or kept at home, then someone has written papers in his office, shop, factory, letters and numbers. Which are rationally clear that magic exists not only but intensely. Many people are very upset because of this disease, some because of magic, but because of the non-Sharia and other ethical practices of some practitioners, the person who suffers from this disease knows what the magic disease is.

The serious disadvantages of going to the magic gurus and its non-psychiatrists Going to the magic castle is a bargain and a great deal of loss, if the magic really benefits, then the magicians would live the most pleasant and luxurious life in the world. There is no point in going to the non-magical practitioners who treat such magic, though the losses are in many respects, each of which is greater than the other. Here are some of these disadvantages:

Religious losses For the true Muslim, the world’s most valuable heritage is guidance and faith for which every precious thing can be sacrificed but their sacrifice for healing the sick can never be done, but it is unfortunate that magic is practiced in an evil way. Therapeutic factors often impair human beliefs and beliefs that we do not care about. The following are just a few of the reasons that lead to the destruction of the hereafter: A magician commits disbelief, as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) has said: “Whoever came to a priest (magician) and confirmed his sayings, then surely he denied the law which was revealed to Muhammad.”

The magician impedes the acceptance of the prayers, as the Prophet said: “If a man comes to the priest and asks him something about it, his prayer will not be accepted for forty days.”

Sorcerers and the demons make society unattractive. d The unseen ruins the faith of people by reporting things that are often false. e prohibits witchcraft from reciting the Qur’an so that they can cure themselves more effectively through the devil’s way, or else they condition their permission to read the Qur’an and prohibit it from reading illegally. The deception that the verses of the Koran are hot, can hurt you more, etc. f Promotes disbelief and polytheism through amulets.

Provides innovations and scholarships, such as reading a scholarship at a particular time, place, and number, for example at a cemetery at night, or reading the scholarship 313 times near the canal. h Manson conducts non-operation by naming benefits. i Conduct unlawful acts in the name of Shariah scholarships, such as forty days, twenty-five days or twenty-one days of reading in full time and place. j Demands to leave halal affairs and forbid things, such as prohibiting the consumption of beef. Prevent death from going home. Forbids spouses to establish relationships during the wifi period, especially for offspring and in the wake of illness.

The philosophy of asking the name of the patient and his mother in the tail The magician asks the patient his mother’s name and looks at the number of letters that are in their common numbers; For example, the Messenger of Allah’s Name was Grammi ‘Mohammad’ and your mother’s name was ‘Amna’. If you took the common letter ‘m’ in the name of your noun and your mother and took one of the two alphabet (s) in the name of your mother, then they became ‘ma’, which means water, which is why you The magic to be performed was cast into the well. The reason for asking only the name of the mother in the tail.

The reason for asking just the mother’s name is that in the eyes of the devil, no lineage of man, the father is credible, in other words they consider man an illegitimate offspring, so the magician can help his mother to seek help from the devil in the treatment of the patient. Ask the name, because the devil does not accept the father’s name. Modern forms of magic are introduced into the form a magical clay: This is done by magic clay. There are two forms: First case: After tossing the needle into a desired person’s trousers, he is buried in the ground and the man is harmed. Otherwise: The desired person is buried outside the person’s house by picking up dust from where the foot is placed, or by taking his hair and clothes and doing magic on him. b Magic and the atmosphere: There are several variants:

#blackmagic

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