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orbital-inclination · 1 year

Note

I requested more of the scenario Molt meeting og nightmare

I'm sorry for the wait anon! For a change of pace, you get a one-shot this time! word count: 3411 general content warning for canon typical violence and angst.

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Something grainy, like gravel and sand, crunched under the soles of his boots as he shuffled back a step. One looping tendril made contact with a roughly cut boulder behind him. The height of the stone reached his hip. Clumsily, he ran his phalanges along its surface. He stepped around it and stopped once he stood on the south side, uncertain of how to proceed from there.

It was rare that he found himself in a space so wide open without someone nearby. He’d like to think he was better at navigating now than he had been when he was younger. Yet, regardless of how much time passed, he could never seem to quite outgrow the sudden spike of anxiety he felt whenever he entered a space that seemed... empty.

He didn’t know what he was walking towards or away from. He could be approaching a canyon for all he knew.

A steady, lonely wind howled above him. It caught the tail of his tunic and the fabric slapped against his side. Something rustled in the distance.

The wind turned cold.

Ley lines of magic, negative and positive, wrapped around this world in a vast net of ever-shifting ripe tides. Instinct had directed him to follow the nearest positive swell but now he felt it move again. Bending as though to make way. Just as suddenly as the air had turned cold, a well opened up, and negativity cascaded down the pit and condensed into a single point of black frost.

A shiver ran down his spine. “Nightmare…?”

Something about Rem’s magic didn’t feel right—

“How unlike you to make the first move. Was it not enough for you to…” his brother’s voice trailed off. “You are not my brother.”

No... no he was not. Rem’s magic felt cold, but not this cold. Though, the undercurrent of bitterness was painfully familiar.

“… the sentiment is mutual,” Molt murmured. He steadied himself on the boulder behind him. Silently, he tried to gauge the other’s intent.

An air of suspicion and curiosity rolled underneath the cold. He had the sense he was also being appraised.

“And yet, you are Dream.”

He did not sound—did not feel happy about that.

“If it were not impossible, I would wager you were from a divergent timeline.”

“Our world had only one timeline,” Molt confirmed cautiously. His voice remained low. “… it’s tied to the multiverse itself. No resets. Just the one.”

“Ah, so you are informed,” his brother's voice mocked. “Your presence here suggests a paradox, then. For all my searching, I have never met another iteration of us who could breach the confines of their AU on their own. It seemed there was some law restricting the role of Guardian to Two.”

He nodded because that more or less described the situation back home. With a renewed sense of scrutiny, Nightmare said, “Can I assume then, that instead of your brother, you were the one who bit the apple?”

And Molt stalled. The question was so direct. It felt a bit like a verbal slap to the face.

Nightmare hummed. “I see. That expression you’re making... It makes sense for my alternative self to have other motives if you are like this yourself.” He heard the grin in his tone, even if he could not see it. “Tell me, Dream. What do you say to adding to that collection of yours?” He— he couldn’t be serious.

“In this multiverse, you have the opportunity to increase your power. If you collect the last apple from my brother, perhaps we can reach an agreement.”

His mouth felt suddenly dry. He had to consciously still his tentacles to keep them from lashing defensively.

“You… you want me to kill my counterpart.”

He struggled to wrap his mind around that. Less so the threat itself and more so that it was Nightmare who was asking him to do it. He felt sick.

His brother’s alternate rumbled a low laugh. “It would not be difficult for you. You dwarf him in raw power. I’m confident you could easily subdue him... Ah, but I see I cannot convince you. The thought distresses you. A pity.”

Gravel and sand crunched underfoot. The sound came quietly. “ … hmm just as I thought, you are blind.”

“...what are you doing?”

Nightmare was amused by the question. Dread washed over him. Nightmare had been speaking to him civilly until that point, and while this mirror of his brother gave off an ambient feeling of danger, he had not taken the feeling as seriously as he should have.

“I am considering what to do with you. Since it seems you are reluctant to cooperate. But you would be of a dull mind not to suspect that already. If you are anything like the thorn I have in my side now, I’m sure you will quickly surmise why I simply cannot let your existence go unchecked.”

Molt slowly shuffled a step back.

“… where do you think you will escape to? Are you even aware of what is behind you?”

Molt froze.

He sensed no one behind him but— the subtle rustle of fabric. A step was taken closer and it dawned on him that Nightmare had been trying to distract him.

Molt’s hearing was keen. It had to be. He learned to rely on it when sensing nearby emotions, and the flow of positive and negative wasn’t enough. But his haptic memory was better, and with one tentacle brushing against the boulder behind him, he knew which side he stood on and which direction he originally came from.

He darted around the boulder, squarely placing it between himself and Nightmare. His brother’s alternate self stood still, contemplative and mildly surprised.

“Hm. You cannot see, and yet you are able to pinpoint my position. Interesting.”

Molt didn’t feel like providing a reply.

Nightmare didn’t move for a width of time that felt like years. And then, he vanished. The cold sucked out of the air in a blip of distorted space-time.

Alarm seized him. Given no time to think, he picked direction and distance at random and took a shortcut through. As he felt his bones materialize in reality again, a dense frame of cold magic solidified where he had stood seconds prior.

Displeasure radiated off of Nightmare in waves. “Come now. Don’t run. It’s unbecoming. We can discuss the terms of your departure from this world with maturity.”

Molt shivered. “Don’t. I would return to my reality if I knew how.”

“Then allow me to assist you,” Nightmare said, and the malice in his words sent needles crawling up his spine. He vanished again in a wash of cold. Molt leaped back, grasping at the nearest tide of positivity to carry him away.

He found his feet again on the sand. The sudden incline made him stumble. The seconds it took to catch his balance nearly cost him. A frustrated growl and the sensation of ice to his right was the only warning he had before a sharp object whistled past his skull. He teleported again and Nightmare followed.

“Enough! Cease this childishness.” The burning cold struck his side. Molt tumbled to the ground. He rolled, gasping in pain, and launched himself to the side. “Stop! I don’t want to fight you.” A loud crack sounded where he’d just been. Gravel pelted his arm.

“Then what happens next is your own fault,” His brother’s voice snarled.

He took another shortcut. Aiming north of the dense vortex of cold desperately trying to put some distance between himself and his brother’s counterpart. He needed that distance to escape this AU. If he attempted the jump too close to Nightmare he might unintentionally drag him along, or Nightmare would be able to sense where he went and this fight would never end. The temperature plummeted. In a split second, a cold tendril snapped around his middle. And then he was flung. His body hit the ground once, twice, and his skull was knocked against something hard.

A hiss shuddered through his ribcage. Molt clenched his teeth as the world spun, attempting to swallow back the sound.

“You brought this on yourself, Dream.”

Gravel and sand crunched at a steady pace. Malice approached slowly.

He struggled to push himself upright. The ground beneath him swayed dangerously. His tendrils lashed, writhing in defense of their host. But the ground beneath him lurched, his arms buckled, and the ground swung up to meet the side of his skull again.

His soul pulsed so fast and hard in his chest, he thought he was going to be sick.

“Poetic, isn’t it? I wonder... did the same desperation drive you?”

Cold wrapped around him and slammed his back into a hard, stone wall.

Claws dug into his jaw, roughly pinning his skull to the stone slab behind him. A strained hiss tore from his bared teeth. He found the strength to wrestle one arm free and dug his claws into the wrist pinning his head down. Nightmare’s strength didn’t waver, but an involuntary noise rattled through him, a jolt that was close enough to a flinch to be nothing else.

Faintly, Molt felt the phantom echo of a hot brand race up Nightmare’s arm, starting from where his claws dug into his wrist.

“W-why are you doing this? I am not from your timeline, so why?”

“The distinction is irrelevant,” the grip on his jaw tightened. “This fate, it’s the least you deserve. For everything you put me through. For every day I was left to defend myself while you selfishly basked in undeserved praise.”

Exhaustion crept into his limbs. He felt weaker and heavier by the second.

“Would you have always resented me?” Molt gasped out. “If things had been different... If our lives had been better—”

Nightmare barked out a bitter laugh. “Even as you are now, you are naive. No. I cannot imagine a world where I did not hate you. For us, no other outcome was possible.” Molt flinched. “... you doubt me? Do you actually believe my alternate self doesn’t resent you?”

The knife in his heart gave a sharp lurch. It would make sense... wouldn’t it. For all he hadn’t done, who wouldn’t resent him?

“N-Night...”

“You neglected your responsibilities, Dream. You were selfish. I’ve always wondered if you had known what I stood to lose that day. If you had known what they had planned to do—” “Nightmare!” Molt snapped. He was terrified, his soul shook, and he was painfully cold. “That was my home too!” Something snapped. He felt the abrupt, quaking shift in Nightmare’s demeanor. Rage colored all rational thought. Molt didn’t know what he intended to do and he didn’t have time to think about it. That rage solidified into a single, sharp tool. Malice soaked the thing so vividly, he could almost see it. A serrated bone dagger.

Molt jerked his head to the side, the claws on his jaw slipped, and something sharp and blisteringly cold scraped the side of his skull.

He might have blacked out for a few seconds. He couldn’t be sure. One moment, his vision was black. Then it was white. He’d yanked a tentacle free in the next. A resounding crack thundered through the stone lab behind him. Nightmare’s grip on his head slipped, caught off guard. Molt kicked his shin, and as Nightmare staggered, snarling, he flash-stepped out of immediate reach.

A safe distance away he sank to the ground.

Head swimming, he lifted a shaky hand to the side of his skull. He felt bone. The dry, clean surface of a malar bone. The muddy, blurred shape of his palm swam in and out of focus.

Nightmare stood very still for a long moment. His emotions felt stunted and Molt could not identify the feeling that had rendered him so still. Moments ago, Nightmare had been content to hurt him in every possible way.

“Get up,” Nightmare said. And he couldn’t identify the emotion behind that command either. It felt like anger but brittle. “I said get up!”

A tremble racked through his body. He felt a forbidden spark of anger ignite in his throat and shakily rose to his feet.

As he slowly lifted his gaze, palm still pressed to the side of his skull, he saw black tar and went still.

It was one thing to guess the shape of the magic that had tossed him around the field like a rag doll, but it was another thing entirely, to see it.

The ground felt like it was tilting. Nightmare was taking too long to respond. And though he hid it well, he was clearly in pain. Head swimming. Pounding. Red-hot needles. Nausea pricked through his brother’s bones.

Nightmare took one step closer. Molt flinched back, and a bitter smile crawled over his brother’s teeth—

“NOT SO FAST!”

A sharp ping. His vision was eclipsed in hazy blue. Before Molt could blink, he found himself yanked to the side, several feet away.

He was released, gently at that, and stumbled once as gravity resumed its normal weight. The world erupted in a cacophony of noise. With color and light sloshing together, it was difficult to make out shape and form, but the stirring magic immediately in front of him was familiar.

“Blue?” Molt whispered, but like Nightmare his magic felt just slightly off. The hope in his soul withered. He was surrounded by strangers.

“MWEH HEH HEH FEAR NOT STRANGE INTERDIMENSIONAL CITIZEN! WE ARE HERE TO SAVE THE DAY. NIGHTMARE! YOU WILL NOT GET AWAY WITH THIS!”

Whatever his brother’s mirror said in reply it was drowned out by noise.

“Wait.”

But his voice was too low. Too quiet. And his plea went ignored.

Too much happened at once after that. The Swap Sans launched himself into the fight. Light. Movement. A flash of white. Bones summoned then shattered by the furious sweep of a black arm. Nightmare’s strength was weakening. The balance had tipped. And battling three by himself? Nightmare couldn’t keep this up for much longer.

Most of the fight happened too fast for his barely stable eyelight to track.

So he did what he always did when the world around him became too chaotic to follow. He reached for the cold pitch of his brother’s magic.

He followed the current of cold as it funneled into a singular point. Pushed back, and back again by a burning white star. Hope. Concentration. Concern for the other, yet the courage to see his actions through to the end. The familiarity of the magic here was disconcerting. But his head already ached something awful and he didn't think his nausea could get much worse. The phantom lashes he’d endured at Nightmare’s hand still burned. But... Nightmare. He felt his twin’s exhaustion, felt the unsteady slip to his heel, and his alternate was closing in now and—

The shortcut was rough. Poorly executed. And finding his balance on the balls of his feet was not fun. He raised his arm defensively, anticipating the attack seconds before, and found his hand closing around the pole of a golden staff. It smacked into his palm with a solid clank. It hurt only a little bit. His own magic absorbed the brunt of the blow to feed itself. To lessen some of his own pain. And staring into the wide eyes of his own face was...

Dizzying.

Everything was dizzying.

That startled look melted into one of fear, and it didn’t make sense. His own rib cage hitched, sharing that fear second hand and then it dawned on him how this might look. Oh. He thought. …oh.

He released his counterpart's weapon and yanked his hand back. The other skeleton flash stepped out of reach, his soul pulsing with the rhythm of a terrified rabbit.

Within the pool of frigid cold at his back, he felt a spark of something that felt suspiciously like gratitude. Nightmare struggled to stand for a moment, winded, then laughed. The sound was not pleasant. “Recklessness must be a universal trait.”

“That’s enough,” Molt rasped. “Please. Just stop…”

“You should have taken my offer when you had the chance,” Nightmare sneered, words bitting. But more than anything, they felt defensive. The darkness pinched into a small, black star, and then he was gone.

“I SEE. WAS I MISTAKEN THEN? ARE YOU AND NIGHTMARE ALLIES?” Blue had taken a defensive stance beside his teammate. His weapon was drawn, but he didn’t move yet. His soul hummed with grim focus. The suspicion hurt.

Molt struggled to speak for several precious seconds. Unsettled. He was reeling from the fight, from everything he had learned about this reality and the cruelty of his brother's words and actions and he was trying ever so hard not to let a tremble snake its way into his voice. It was very hard... to hear someone say those awful things in Rem’s voice.

He shook his head and said softly. “We aren’t.”

Blue’s brow furrowed. “THEN, WHY DID YOU DEFEND HIM?

The words ‘because he is my brother?’ were on the edge of his teeth but the hostile edge to Blue’s magic and tone made him pause. It was less a question and more of an accusation. And that answer wouldn’t have been exactly true besides.

The tendril on his back coiled defensively.

He hadn’t stopped to think before he leapt in front of Nightmare. It hadn’t been a “should I or shouldn’t I” situation in his mind. In that moment he was unable to look past the pain and hurt his brother’s mirror was experiencing. In that moment, the distinction didn’t matter. He had to put a stop to it, that’s all. He couldn’t fight his brother. In any form he took. He just couldn’t do it. It reminded him of too much. And he couldn’t stand to watch that either.

But how could he possibly explain that?

A step behind his teammate, Dream was trying to calm down. Blue’s presence helped but he was struggling. Molt took a step back. He was causing someone pain and distress. He didn’t want that. Blue’s stance shifted. Bracing.

That felt like betrayal too. Molt swallowed something bitter behind his teeth and tried not to think of it that way. Ignored that small part of him that hissed and felt a little bit angry. It didn’t make sense. He knew the person in front of him wasn’t his friend.

“FRIEND, I WANT TO GIVE YOU THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT BUT... YOU ARE ACTING SUSPICIOUSLY.”

“I’ll leave,” Molt said. His head was pounding, and the last thing he wanted was to be dragged into another fight. “Wait...” Dream took a breath. “You’re hurt. Stay for a minute, let’s talk.” “DREAM IS RIGHT, POTENTIAL ENEMY OR NOT, IT WOULDN’T BE RIGHT TO LEAVE YOU THIS WAY. NOT TO FEAR HOWEVER, I AM ALWAYS PREPARED!” “It’s okay. I don’t need candy,” Molt said and felt vaguely like he was reading the lines of a script. If Rem or any of the others were here, they’d be calling his bluff. “Then, what do you need?”

“Somewhere calm, with hope. That’s all.”

The two exchanged a look. Surprise, suspicion, resignation, dread. “I SEE. SO YOU ARE LIKE DREAM THEN. BUT SURELY THAT'S NOT ENOUGH. I... I CANNOT SEEM TO CHECK YOU FOR SOME REASON, BUT YOU DO NOT LOOK WELL.”

Blue seemed to ask to Dream something silently. Concern. Suspicion. Acceptance. Dream sighed. “I know somewhere. It’ll be okay. We’ll be keeping an eye on him together, right? The place I’m thinking of is isolated so...”

“IT’S SETTLED THEN.” he finally dismissed his weapon, and Molt felt the tendrils on his back slowly lower. “SO THEN, NEW FRIEND, WHAT DO YOU SAY TO A TRUCE? WILL YOU COME WITH US?”

He gauged their intent for a moment. Rem had sometimes remarked that his empathy made him gullible. But Molt was tired, and sore, and aching. The others weren’t here. And he let them make decisions for him too much anyway. He hated to admit it but Nightmare was right. Dream wasn’t a physical threat to him. He was scared and trying so hard to be brave, and Molt was trying equally hard not to feel rattled.

“Okay,” he said.

Blue made a noise, something between acknowledgment and mild confusion. Dream offered a strained smile. He supposed they had a lot of questions.

#orbital chatter #moltendreams!au #molten!dream #nightmare!sans #nightmare sans #OG Nightmare meeting Molten!Dream situation but its longer #it doesnt go well #ink arriving late w/ starbucks: so what did i miss?#everyone is gone #ink: wow so alot #one shot

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bxllamiizu · 4 months

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Fría

Pairing: Converted Spy!Mizu x Spy! Reader

Warning: Angst, Mizu has a gun.

A/N: This was torture, but depending on how this goes.. there might be a part 2

⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆

In the dimly lit corridors of the opulent opera house, anticipation hung heavy in the air as you navigated through the elegant patrons, each step laden with the weight of memories and unspoken tensions. Three years had passed since Mizu's inexplicable betrayal, a moment seared into your memory like a haunting melody refusing to fade.

The opera house stands as a testament to your intertwined fates. Fate, it seems, has conspired to entangle your lives once more amidst the grandeur of its ornate halls. Your mission, shrouded in secrecy, echoes the faint whisper of Mizu's pursuit of Abijah Fowler, a quest tied to a haunting familial connection.

The strains of an aria filled the grand hall, but your senses remained on high alert, attuned to any sign of Mizu's elusive presence. Memories flooded in—camaraderie, secrets shared, and a bond once thought unshakable.

In the corridors, amidst whispers and elegant attire, you caught a glimpse of Mizu's unmistakable silhouette. You trailed Mizu through the elaborate corridors of the opera house, shadows cloaking your movements. The years had etched a canyon between you both, widened by her betrayal and the secrets left unsaid. Yet, she remains resolutely distant, each step echoing the chasm between you. The once-familiar warmth in her gaze now hardens, refusing to acknowledge the past you shared.

"Wait," you called out, your voice lost in the grandeur of the performance hall. Mizu strode ahead, her gait purposeful, ignoring your desperate pleas that fell on deaf ears.

As the final notes of the opera drifted away, the opera house vanished from sight, the city streets embracing a clandestine air. It is in those isolated streets, far from the opulent facade, that fate orchestrates your inevitable confrontation.

A tension, palpable and suffocating, hangs between you as you stand, silhouetted against the faint glow of the streetlights.

"You shouldn't be here," Mizu's voice carried the strain of guilt. "This isn't your fight."

"But it is," your words rang with determination. "You were my partner, my confidant. I won't let your actions define us."

A desperate plea lingered, hoping to bridge the gap forged by betrayal. The air crackled with tension as Mizu turned, her eyes ablaze with conflicting loyalties.

A chill seeped through your veins as Mizu's hand darted towards a concealed holster, drawing a weapon trained at you. Instinct warred with fear as you stood, vulnerable yet resolute, facing the imminent threat.

In the midst of the tense stand-off, Mizu’s emotions seemed to wage a war within her blue-eyed gaze, a striking contrast against the midnight hue of her hair cascading in sleek waves down her back. The shadows flickered over her fair skin, highlighting the subtle flush that crept up her cheeks—a silent testament to the storm of emotions churning beneath the composed exterior.

As the weapon was trained, her hands, with their delicate fingers adorned in silver rings, quivered ever so slightly, a telltale sign of the internal struggle she grappled with. The moonlight painted a soft glow on her angular features, accentuating the determination etched into the line of her jaw.

The cold steel seemed to echo the distance between your hearts, a tangible manifestation of the breach caused by Mizu’s betrayal.

“Why?” Your voice trembled, carrying the weight of years of silence and unanswered questions. “Why did you leave?”

Mizu hesitated, her finger poised on the trigger, the conflict etched across her features. "I can't let you intervene. I won't lose Abijah Fowler, not after... not after everything."

"After everything, why?", your voice was on the brink of faltering altogether

Mizu's eyes softened, a flicker of pain seeping through the steel facade. "It was never meant to be like this," she whispered, her voice strained with an unspoken agony. "I had to protect you, even if it meant leaving you behind."

A shiver raced down your spine as Mizu’s confession hung in the air, a fragile admission of the sacrifices made in the name of a greater cause. Gathering every ounce of courage, you stepped closer, defying the imminent threat.

“I loved you,” you whispered, your voice a plea wrapped in vulnerability, “even when you walked away.”

Her breath hitched, the confession echoing in the space between you, a fragile bridge spanning years of turmoil and longing. Her blue eyes widened imperceptibly, shimmering with unshed emotions, reflecting the tumultuous journey of love and duty that had led them to that fateful moment. The moonlight danced in her eyes, illuminating the depth of her internal conflict. "I love you too," she admitted, her voice a fragile whisper, burdened with the weight of her choices. "But I'm not done yet. There are things I can't walk away from, not yet."

The words hung heavy, a tangible barrier between the two of you. With a regretful gaze, Mizu stepped back, her hand lowering the weapon, the distance between you widening with each passing second.

"We were meant to part ways," she murmured, pain etched into the lines of her face, "without goodbyes." With a heavy heart, she stepped back, the moonlight casting an ethereal glow around her tall, slender form draped in a midnight-blue coat.

The ache of her departure eclipsed the echoes of your confession, leaving you stranded amidst the haunting echoes of a love unfulfilled. Mizu vanished into the night, leaving you standing alone, grappling with the shattered pieces of a bond irreparably fractured.

As the city lights dimmed and the night swallowed the remnants of your shared history, you realized that some loves were destined to remain as silent elegies, etched in the corridors of memory, forever unspoken and unfinished.

⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆

A/N: Got me bawling fr, but hope you loved it! As i’m typing this.. it’s 8am, worked on this all night, but hey it was worth it.

#Spotify #blue eye samurai #blue eye samurai mizu #mizu #mizu blue eye samurai #blue eye samurai imagine #mizu imagine #mizu x reader #mizu x you #blue eye samurai edit #blue eye samurai fanfic #taigen blue eye samurai #taigen #akemi blue eye samurai #akemi #ringo blue eye samurai #angst #imagine

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anonymityisfunwriter · 2 years

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Two Sides of The Same Coin - Chapter 25: "Peace"

"I'd give you my sunshine, give you my best, but the rain is always gonna come if you're standing with me. But I'm a fire, and I'll keep your brittle heart warm if your cascade ocean wave blues come..."

"Is it enough if I could never give you peace?"

Pairing: Sunshine!Reader x Grumpy!Bucky Barnes

“Do you ever just want it all to stop?” you longingly sigh, staring out the window in Bucky's room. It's the dead of the night, the secluded area of the Compound leaving the horizon look endlessly pitch black. You were both sitting on the large window sill, but neither of you said anything until now, content to sit in comfortable silence.

“What do you mean?”

“Like don’t you ever get tired? Do you ever just want a little time when there’s no fighting, no missions, and it’s just…quiet?”

“Peace,” Bucky offers.

“Exactly,” you agree, turning to look at Bucky. “Don’t you ever want peace?”

“Honestly, I can’t remember what that feels like. I don’t think about it all that much,” Bucky quietly admits, taking a beat to clear his own rampant thoughts. All he thinks is that those stolen moments with you are the closest he's ever gotten to peace in the last century. “Is that what you want? A life without missions and fighting.”

“No,” you reflexively respond. “That’s not what my life is supposed to look like.”

“Says who?”

You don’t answer the question, instead you offer, “Nick rescued me, and then Sam took me in. I owe them everything.”

“I can’t speak for Fury, but I know Sam just wants you to be happy.”

You swallow the bitter reality of your situation, shaking your head slightly, “It doesn’t change that it’s not up to me.”

“It’s your life. I think it’s up to you to decide what you do with it.”

“My life’s never really belonged to me,” you admit.

"Then who does it belong to?"

You turn to stare at the dark horizon again. "I don't know."

"You," he answers. "It belongs to you."

You shake your head again, the bitterness rising in your mouth inadvertently leaking into your words, "I think we both know that that's not true."

"Aren't I supposed to be the pessimist here?"

You nod, he's right, you're supposed to the optimist. "I am positive that if I tried to leave, if I tried to walk off this Compound, walk away from it all, they wouldn't let me. And I think we both know that."

You look up at Bucky, who's lips are pulled in as if he's trying to figure out how to respond to that. “God, uh, I’m sorry that was really dark. Yeah, that wasn’t-” you trail off, shaking your head. “I’m sorry. Can we just forget it? I’m fine- great, even.”

He takes a moment, whether to press you on confronting what you're feeling or to allow the moment to pass.

"Where would you go?" he asks, redirecting the conversation because he knows you're right. You didn't even have all the information and you hit the nail on the head. And this just confirmed that you knew that. You knew that if you tried to walk off this Compound- tried to walk away from SHIELD or the Avengers, they'd stop you. That the second you stopped doing what they wanted you'd face retribution, punishment, or like Rumlow told you, you'd be an enemy in an instant. Walking away, leaving it all behind, having peace- it wasn't your choice to make.

“The Grand Canyon,” you reply after a moment.

“Huh?”

“The Grand Canyon, that’s the one thing I want to see. Don’t know why, don’t know where I heard about it- I just do. It’s on my bucket list.”

He chortles softly, “You have a bucket list?”

“Of course I do. I probably won’t get to all of it, but it’s there.”

“You plan on dying anytime soon?” Bucky chuckles halfheartedly, though the idea sends a chill down his spine.

“Does anyone ever plan on dying?” you retort. “Especially doing what we do.”

He shrugs. “Guess not.”

“Risk and reward, I guess.”

“And what exactly is your reward?” he challenges, getting angry at your resignation to the whole situation. That you've resigned yourself to being this half-free, plaything that's at SHIELD's beck and call, to bend to their whims and wants at any given notice.

And he gets even angrier because- it's not your choice at all.

“What do you mean?”

“What’s your reward? Sam told me you don’t get paid. Glory? I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that you don’t care all that much about it," he states, though his tone is borderline accusatory, and getting angrier with each rhetorical question. "Retribution? You’re not the type. Atonement? You’ve got nothing to atone for. So what exactly are you getting out of this except being free in the world? And I use the word free very generously.”

You think about that for a moment before responding, “It’s a good way to go.”

“What?” he demands angrily.

“I mean, I don’t want to go, but if I did- doing this, I’d be okay with that.”

“You mean to tell me that you know the likeliness of dying being here, being ‘an Avenger’, and you’re cool with that? Even though you get absolutely nothing out of it.”

“It’s a good way to go,” you repeat. “Even if I do die, I got to know the world, be on the outside, I got to help people. It’s more than I ever thought I would get.”

“You’re thankful you get the opportunity to die a violent but heroic death?” he scoffs in disbelief.

“Well when you put it like that it sounds bad.”

“Because it is bad!”

“No. No, it’s not.”

“There’s more to life than this,” he furiously exclaims, gesturing to the room around you. “There’s more than fighting and missions and SHIELD and you haven’t seen any of it yet!”

“I know…But still, it’s more than I ever thought I’d get.”

“Then you really need to raise your standards,” he snaps.

“Why are you getting so upset about this? I’m not planning on going on any suicide missions- it’s all hypothetical.”

“You know why,” he grunts, though he's not sure that you do.

“I’m not going anywhere,” you promise, placing your hand on top of his.

"What else is on your bucket list?" he exhales, changing the subject because talking about this, talking about SHIELD's hold on you, it's pissing him off. He doesn't want you to see him fly off the handle because of a hypothetical scenario that you don't even have control over.

"Coney Island. Going to the planetarium to see the stars-"

"Why do you need to go to the planetarium for that?"

You shrug. "You can't see them in the city. Too many lights- why, is that not true?"

"No, it is," he says, pausing for a moment. And without offering any explanation, he grabs your hand, pulling you off the windowsill and out of his room. The Compound is dimly lit, so quiet that it feels like you two are the only people in the world right now. Still without explanation, he leads you into the elevator, taking you to the highest floor that it can go.

"James?" you question as the two of you step off the elevator. "What are we doing?"

He still says nothing, only offering a crooked smile as he leads you up a small stairwell, still hand-in-hand. He flings the heavy metal door open, leading you to the rooftop. Most of the Compound is dark, and the entire surrounding area is almost pitch black against the few dim safety lights.

"You can't see the stars in the city. Out here though- we're far enough away that you can," he says, pointing up at the stars scattered across the dark night sky.

"Wow...there's so many of them. It's beautiful," you quietly marvel, craning your neck to the stars for the very first time.

"It is," he whispers, looking at you instead of the stars.

And in this moment, in spite of every thing else, both of you are content to know that you at least had one moment of peace together.

Next Chapter

"Two Sides Of The Same Coin" Chapter List AnonymityIsFun Masterlist

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hikingsafari · 2 months

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Another bear on the trail on our way up the Cascade Canyon

#hiking #national parks #grand teton national park

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ladymercury8 · 2 years

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Rain-Dropped Leaves | Steve Harrington x Reader

Summary: It's midnight on a hot summer's day, it's raining, and you managed to drag Steve Harrington outside. [0.8k]

Warnings: None. Pure fluff.

❃❃❃❃❃

Rain. A cascade of tears billowing from the clouds. Dripping and pouring, kissing the damp ground; clinging onto glossy leaves, spreading a pattern resembling a ladybug; melting into growing puddles, marshy and swampy.

You were inside, curled up on the giant windowsill of Steve’s bedroom. His buttercup yellow sweater bunched up in your hands, your toes curling against your fuzzy socks, forehead pressed against the windowsill.

It was a soothing sound. Constant, rhythmic. The pain of the heavens causing the cleansing of the Earth.

Steve lay sprawled on his bed, arm behind his head, naked chest inclined upwards.

“It’s so beautiful.” You dared to break the silence.

A white flash of light emerged, and seconds later was followed by a deep, rumbling, thunderous noise. Rumbling, like Steve’s chuckle when you lay on top of him.

Steve only hummed in response, scratching his chest with a yawn.

It had been a scorching summer day, the only thing that had saved you was the air conditioning in Steve’s house. And only now, near midnight, did the rain come beating down on Hawkins – a lukewarm storm, rinsing off the heat.

“Let’s go outside,” you turned towards Steve, already leaping up.

“Yeah, that’s a no,” his eyes followed you, as you began pulling on your leggings.

You grabbed some of Steve’s clothes, tossing them at the foot of his bed. “Please, Stevie?”

“Uh no,” his eyebrows were furrowed, head shaking – though far from vehemently.

You got on your knees on the bed, crawling up his frame, near-straddling. Back arched, your lips pressed against his chest, then traced upwards to his neck, eliciting a groan from the depths of his throat. Kisses like rain, scattered and wet. You pushed off, lifting your face to his, blushing at his intense gaze. “Pretty please?”

Steve bit his lip, but your puppy-dog eyes, wide and lovesick, were too powerful. He was completely under your spell. A puppet in your hands. A cloud in your sky.

“Come on,” he huffed, pulling the covers off himself, getting dressed as you thanked him a dozen times. “Yeah, yeah, you’re lucky you’re cute, Y/L/N.”

Bodies waterproof, hair exposed, feet covered in rubber boots. You borrowed Steve’s boots from when he was younger – they were massive, and the result was your foot swimming in the expanse of space, shuffling along.

Steve stepped out, opening his umbrella in front of him, reaching for your shoulder to force you to stay within the confines of his ‘umbrella bubble.’

But that’s not exactly what you had in mind.

From the doorway, you sprinted out. You spread your arms around you, spinning, face up towards the sky, relishing the feeling of tepid rain falling on your hot skin, trailing lines of fissures that made your skin a mosaic.

You laughed, your entire body growing wet and soaked and heavy. Cooled, at one with nature. “Come on!” You called out to Steve, who hid like a cat avoiding torrential rain.

But Steve was a romantic at heart. Cheesy. From a movie.

He threw the umbrella to the side, running up behind you when you weren’t looking. His arms wrapped around your middle, puzzle pieces reunited, lifting you into the air and spinning you in circles while you squealed.

He eased you down softly, and before he could react you had stomped on the ground, spraying his trousers with water.

“Oh no you don’t!” He howled, starting to chase after you. Although he was an athlete, it proved a formidable task with the weight of his clothes and in the blinding rain.

You suddenly gasped, feeling yourself falling forwards. In the canyon of your boot, your foot had mistimed its step, and you were heading down towards the muddy grass.

But Steve would never let you fall.

Only a foot behind you, he caught you nimbly by your hips, in one rapid motion twirling you so that you faced him. Your hands were situated against his chest, your breaths heaving. You looked up at him through clumped eyelashes.

His hair was soaked, and he pushed it back with his hand, spraying you with gentle droplets. His lips were parted, rivers of rain flowing down his face.

You instantly climbed on the tops of your toes, reaching for his neck, pulling him down towards you and crashing your lips together. The rain pulled you closer together, sealing your lips like glue; the thunder echoed your desperation and fervor.

On the muddy grass, soaked to the bone, you were two plants. Limbs intertwined like roots, lips locked like petals. Two plants made of earth and rain. And you knew his mouth like you knew the feeling of water and the heat of the sun. It was natural. It was meant to be. It was part of you.

“Wanna head inside?” Steve mumbled against your swollen lips, hands secure at your waist, hot breath fanning your cooled face.

“Only if we can continue this in the shower,” you grinned, his lips spreading in the same contortion.

Two plants, roots inseparable, rain-dropped leaves holding hands.

❃❃❃❃❃

Thank you for reading! x

#lady writes #so much love for this man #fallingintofiction #steve harrington #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington imagines #steve harrington x y/n #stranger things #stranger things s4 #steve harrington fanfic #steve harrington x reader fanfic #stranger things fanfic #stranger things imagine #1980s #joe keery #joe keery imagine #x reader

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foxbirdy · 1 year

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Absolutely utterly entranced by your traveler's warning comic/poem, and then started scrolling through your entire blog! Sorry bout that like spam lol. You're an incredible artist and seem like such a cool person!! I was curious on three things if you feel like answering: one, do you think you'll ever do prints of your poem, and 2, what's the best hike or trail you've ever been on, and 3, do you have any favorite trail meals or recipes? anyways. off to go make an inaturalist account bc I did not know that was a thing!! Cheers and keep doing you out there!!

🥲 Thank you! This is such a kind message. To answer your questions:

1. Yes, I'm working on getting The Traveler's Warning printed! I'm really touched by how many people have asked for a physical copy. I'm hoping to start taking orders shortly, & mail out a round of copies in late May ♥️.

2. My favorite trail is a tough one - I think if pressed to pick, I'd say the Paintbrush Canyon - Cascade Canyon loop in Grand Teton National Park! That one is a super fond memory for me. Me & some of my coworkers were close to the end of our season, and decided (at about 10 P.M. the night before our day off) that we were going to do it as a day hike because we didn't have enough time off left to backpack it. We started at Jenny Lake, went up the Cascade Canyon trail to Lake Solitude, over Paintbrush Divide, and connected down to the Paintbrush Canyon trail through a skree field. It's got some of the craziest views I've seen in my life!

3. I absolutely do! Chili Mac is obviously a trail worker favorite, but my crew staple was for sure spicy peanut stir-fry! You just assemble your stir-fry ingredients (in frontcountry, maybe this is summer sausage, ramen, and produce! In backcountry it's probably TVP, ramen, and rehydrated veggies) and you make the sauce with a big helping of peanut butter, your favorite hot sauce, whatever cooking oil you have available, a sweetener (honey, sugar, whatever you have on hand), and if you've got it, soy sauce! If you don't have soy sauce, use a generous amount of salt. You want to go light on everything but the peanut butter, and super conservative with the sweetener. You can make the sauce ahead of time, too, and then add it to your soup/ramen/mess when you're cooking! It's a fan favorite. 👍 A tip that is NOT a fan favorite (but is critical knowledge to have) is that if disaster strikes and you don't have a heat source, you can cold-soak ramen for about thirty minutes and it will be soup-able. Somewhere there exists a picture of me eating cold-soaked ramen out of a nalgene, using tent stakes as a chopsticks.

#AND GO INATURALIST GO !!!!!#asks #theineffableculturie #dirtbag tag #<- new tag unlocked #id is in alt text!#beckett.txt

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rebeccathenaturalist · 7 months

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My apologies for the radio silence, folks! The past couple of weekends have been super busy--but with a lot of great stuff!

Weekend before last was Wings Over Willapa, the birding and nature festival that happens on and around Willapa NWR in the very southwest corner of Washington. It's one of my favorite events throughout the year, and I have been involved from the very beginning back in 2018. This year I actually got to be a tourist in addition to a tour guide, getting to explore the old growth cedar forest at Ellsworth Canyon with a Nature Conservancy employee. it was incredible getting extra perspective on this special place. I also got to guide tours through even more old growth cedar at Long Island on Saturday, someplace that I never, ever, ever get tired of. I love how the thousand-plus year old cedars have crowns on the top, since the storm winds often shear off the trees' leaders, so another must then sprout. It gives them more personality.

Right after that I hustled on over to Loomis Lake State Park to lead my beach tour. We explored the dunes, and I showed the participants how to tell the difference between the native Leymus mollis dune grass, and the invasive Ammophila grasses that have taken over that habitat. We found some neat things while beachcombing, like marine snail egg casings, and had some great wildlife sightings, like lines of brown pelicans coasting over the waves, and a lone Hudsonian whimbrel picking its way along the beach in search of food.

That evening we were treated to the keynote speech by author and conservationist Paul Bannick, who spoke on how woodpeckers and owls are very often keystone species in their habitats. I had just enough time that night to get some sleep before peeling myself out of bed for an 8am tour that I led around the Art Trail and Cutthroat Climb at the old Refuge headquarters. I am in love with that place, and I am overjoyed the trails are open to the public after extensive improvements were made earlier this year.

This past weekend was just as much fun! I have been very excited to see the development of Snow Peak's new campfield in Long Beach. For those who aren't aware, Snow Peak is a quality outdoor supply company based in Japan, analogous to REI or Patagonia. Each of their flagship stores has a campfield within a couple of hours which has camping and events. The Long Beach location is associated with the Snow Peak store in Portland, and is just about ready for a soft opening!

I have been hoping to get in touch with folks there since I really, really want to see more ecotourism out in the Long Beach and Willapa Bay area. We're so lucky to have so much beautiful nature out here, and I want to see more people getting to enjoy it. I was thrilled when a representative contacted me some weeks back inviting me to teach a couple of mushroom foraging classes during this year's Snow Peak Way, an annual camping event that draws hundreds of people and which was held this year over on the east side of the Cascades in Tygh Valley.

To say that I had a great time would be an immense understatement. I have been to a lot of festivals, conventions, and other events over the years, and this had all the things that I love about these events, without the things I find obnoxious. I made a lot of friends and connections, was fed VERY good food, and if my experience with borrowed gear is any indication, Snow Peak is well worth the hype. I am very much hoping to get to partner more with these folks once the campfield is open and running.

There's no time for downtime right now, though. I'm back in Portland later this week for several classes, and I have less than three weeks before I'm on the road to Missouri again for my fall visit. In between now and then I have several writing projects due, including the first deliverables for The Everyday Naturalist, plus various other tasks around the home and farm. Things will slow down once we get closer to the holidays, but for now it's all go, all the time!

#camping #forests #Wings Over Willapa #Willapa National Wildlife Refuge #Washington #Oregon #Snow Peak #Snow Peak Way #old growth forest

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kuebikome · 2 months

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do you still go hiking? what are good places for me to hike in georgia? I don't plan to spend overnight on a trail just go out for most of the day

Yessss I love hiking!! I took a break since my hiking buddy dog Lily had what looked like muscle atrophy in her lumbar spine but I took her into my clinic for X-rays and no spondylosis or muscle atrophy! ❤️ she just has a prominent lumbar spine lol

My fav fav fav place to hike is Blood Mountain!!! The Byron-Reece trail is my go to there since it takes you over the mountain and past a pretty stream/river! I wouldn’t go when it’s raining tho since the apex of the hike is on just rock that gets incredibly slippery when it rains lol. I’ve done this just almost busted my ass haha!

Providence Canyon is south but it’s a short hike but awesome through a bunch of huge red dirt canyons that formed in the last ~500 years from farmer runoff! Very good for a day trip but be wary going in the summer as there are bees lol

Amicalola falls are also amazing!! You can see the cascading waterfalls if you’re willing to take a bunch of stairs! And after that is the start of the Appalachian approach trail!! A very pretty trail with lots of foliage and plenty of bugs under the rocks here!

I haven’t been to cloud land since it’s short and idk if you can take dogs or not, but I hear that’s pretty too!!! FDR state park is also a great hiking spot! There’s an old wolf den there. But really I would say any Appalachian trail in Georgia is perfect for hiking!!! Tallulah Gorge seems similar to cloudland too and is dog friendly!

I also looove Mount Vernon!!! Very pretty and similar to Blood Mountain! I want to camp there next lol

#hiking #camping

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gazelessmenagerie · 7 months

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The hours slid by before he awoken in a bleary state, the grains of fine sand billowed from the puffs of air as a stiff body called upon the nerves and tendons connected to muscle. Night has fallen and the chill of the air made him shiver in response as fingers curled into the silken grains below. A cough cleared out his parched throat, tongue sticking to the roof of his mouth as he tried to moisten the interior of his mouth.

Breathe.. . Breathe.. . Breathe..

That's all he had to do..

Cascading seas of jet black hair flowed from his head to the ground, crashing into the sand and catching the debris. Tangles pulled at places in the strong tresses-- obviously needing time and care to be cleaned and untangled. A dusted hand rose to cover his mouth, fingers splayed for a moment before they reached to rub at his aching temple. The loose curl of a tail flexed inwards, bringing its sprawled length closer to the body as the Brute took his time to recall what happened to land him in this unfamilar space enclosed by smooth walls and a few slits overhead carved by the wind and rain. His eyes easily adjusted to the night, shimmering beneath the pale spears of light genty descending through the holes in the ceiling.

Another cough cleared out he phlegm in his lungs, a snort growling through his nasal passageways. Each joint popped in his spinal column, the cold and however long he's spent laying in an unconscious state made his body feel rigid. Control over his power regained itself, blood flowed to a faster rate as the beating organ in his chest pumped blood to stoke the internal fire of his body. Inch by inch, he pushed himself off the floor into a loose, kneeling position sitting over his calves. A roll of his shoulder attempted to loose the muscle, a dull pop sounding beneath the tension before the same process repeated for his other shoulder. Twisting his neck side to side, a sharp hiss exhaled with the burden of an overextended muscle held for hours immediately reprimanded him.

Rubbing at the afflicted site, the Brute spared several minutes to listen to his surroundings. Rising to his feet with a small flex of his ki levitating him off to stand on his own, he began to slowly move his way towards what he believed was the exit out of this deep canyon system.

A hand trailed along on his left, tracing over the smooth walls as he kept going step by step. His other hand held his head, crushing the palm against his forehead as though it would alleviate the headache plaguing him.

Home..

He just needed to get home..

Where was it..?

His head shook itself, trying to remember which place it was this time around. A ruin.. a palace.. a cave.. what planet was he on..? He looked upwards at the sky staring down at him with glittering specks, seeing the waning companion to all Saiyans hover so high upon a silvery throne in the indigo sky.

Silence followed after his footsteps, the echo of the walls surrounding him faded the closer he got to open spaces. Eventually he made it out enough for him to be free of gravity's hold and left the shackles of the ground behind. Squeezing his body through the rock formations, he cleared out to the vast, open sky and gradually began to navigate his way back to that lonely little cave that paled in comparison to the grand, mountainous spire of rock he once reigned within before it collapsed.

#|| Drabble: { Broly }

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mushfiqur · 6 months

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Romantic Places in Armenia

Romantic Places in Armenia, Armenia, a country nestled in the South Caucasus region, is a land of enchanting landscapes, rich history, and an undeniable romantic charm. From the stunning scenery of the Armenian highlands to the ancient monasteries that dot the countryside, Armenia offers a plethora of romantic getaways for couples seeking to rekindle their love. In this article, we'll explore 15 romantic places in Armenia that promise to make your trip unforgettable.

Yerevan: The Capital of Love

Yerevan, Armenia's vibrant capital, is a city that never sleeps. Stroll hand in hand with your loved one down Northern Avenue, explore the artistry of the Cascade Complex, and don't forget to witness the sunset at Victory Park. The city's electric atmosphere is sure to ignite the flames of love.

Lake Sevan: A Serene Retreat

Lake Sevan, the "jewel of Armenia," is one of the largest freshwater, high-altitude lakes in the world. Its tranquil shores provide the perfect backdrop for a romantic picnic or a boat ride with your significant other.

Garni Temple: Ancient Amour

Garni Temple, a Greco-Roman masterpiece, is an ancient symbol of love and devotion. The temple's backdrop of rugged cliffs and lush greenery creates an ideal setting for a romantic excursion.

Noravank Canyon: Where Love Meets Adventure

If you and your partner are adventure enthusiasts, Noravank Canyon offers breathtaking hiking and rock-climbing experiences. The crimson rocks and ancient monasteries add a touch of magic to this romantic adventure.

Jermuk: The Healing Waters of Love

Jermuk is renowned for its natural hot springs, making it a perfect destination for couples seeking relaxation and rejuvenation. The healing waters and picturesque landscapes make for a therapeutic romantic getaway.

Dilijan: The Forest of Romance

Dilijan, often referred to as "Little Switzerland," is a lush, green paradise. It's a serene retreat where you can immerse yourself in nature's beauty and enjoy cozy moments with your beloved.

Amberd Fortress: A Love Story in Stone

Amberd Fortress is an ancient citadel with panoramic views of the Aragats mountain. Explore the ruins and feel like you're a part of an epic love story from the past.

Khor Virap: A View of Love and History

Khor Virap offers a captivating view of Mount Ararat, and its history is intertwined with Armenia's conversion to Christianity. It's a place where love and history converge, making it a must-visit for couples.

Gyumri: Love in the Second City

Gyumri, Armenia's second-largest city, has a unique charm. Its cobbled streets, historical architecture, and welcoming locals make it a great destination for a romantic journey off the beaten path.

Tatev Monastery: Spiritual Romance

Tatev Monastery, perched on the edge of a deep gorge, is a place of spiritual serenity and breathtaking views. It's a fantastic location for couples seeking to connect on a deeper level.

Debed Canyon: A Romantic Gorge

Debed Canyon, in the Lori region, is a picturesque gorge with lush forests and ancient monasteries. It offers an escape into nature's embrace, where love can flourish.

Khndzoresk: Bridge to Love

Khndzoresk, with its swinging rope bridge, is a symbol of connection and adventure. Cross the bridge with your loved one and experience the thrill of togetherness.

Areni Wine Region: Sip and Savor Romance

The Areni Wine Region is not just a treat for wine connoisseurs; it's also a haven for couples seeking a taste of Armenia's winemaking traditions.

Lake Arpi: Love in Nature's Abode

Lake Arpi, a pristine high-mountain lake, is an ideal destination for couples who love bird-watching and enjoying nature in its purest form.

Dzoraget River Gorge: Love's Wild Journey

The Dzoraget River Gorge offers an adventurous journey with white-water rafting and hiking trails. It's a place where love's wild side can thrive.

Conclusion

Armenia, with its diverse and captivating landscapes, offers an array of romantic destinations for couples seeking a memorable getaway. Whether you're wandering through the ancient streets of Yerevan or exploring the natural wonders of Armenia's countryside, you're sure to create unforgettable moments with your loved one.

#Romantic Places in Armenia #Armenia #Dzoraget River Gorge #Dzoraget River #Lake Arpi

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penitentbeggar · 1 year

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WAKE UP.

A whisper beckoned Zhang San to open his eyes, stirring him from his unconsciousness. He expected to see the ceiling of Hansol’s hanok, snuggled in the warm futon that she provided before his collapse. He cracked open an eye, peering at the endless stretch of a dusky sky littered with white, fluffy clouds and faint, flimmering stars. The sky enveloped him in a strange warmth and nothing felt quite real. He pushed himself to sit up, feeling the plush grass beneath his open palms. Carried on the distant wind were soft, aphasic voices. Two sounded feminine, one he recognized as Hansol and the other, a stranger. Zhang San immediately picked up Sun’s chipper tone, the high pitch cracks in his voice that attempted to elude the sorrow in his voice. A husky timbre briefly overpowered Sun’s voice; it was warm and sharp like whisky, though comforting in its poison– Sukuna.

“Welcome.”

A familiar voice drowned out the voices with a low, reverberating om. The powerful and gentle voice sounded like a stream cascading down a canyon. Zhang San peered over his shoulder at the familiar visage, the one he saw every day in the mirror– except, he knew this omnipotent figure was not him. Tang Sanzang adorned white, golden trimmed robes, and a glimmering crown perched upon his long, silky, ebony hair that spiraled around the pillow he occupied. He sat with a glowing radiance that strained Zhang San’s eyes.

“I don’t want to talk to you,” Zhang San outrightly denied, turning his back. He searched for the friendly, distant voices that he loved. Yet, the overwhelming voice of his counterpart severed his connection to the outside world.

“Where are we?” Zhang San finally asked again, abandoning hope of escaping Tang Sanzang.

“We sit on the bridge of our two souls. Look up, the sky. What do you see?”

“The Sun’s setting,” Zhang San observed, his eyes trailing a puffy, white cloud. “I don’t get it, how is this our souls?”

“I am the Day, the light ordained. You are–”

“The night?” Zhang San croaked as he cradled his knees. “Empty… shapeless… dark,” he continued.

Tang Sanzang sighed, the violet and purple hues stretched further across the sky, chasing the orange and yellows towards the horizon. “When you look up at the sky at night, what do you see?”

“Huh? The moon, stars.”

“You find those shapeless and empty?”

“What? No.”

“What is the Sun?”

“Huh? Uh, I don’t know?”

“A star.”

Zhang San frowned, “Cut to the chase and call me stupid and worthless already…I just wanted to sleep, not talk to you.”

Tang Sanzang sighed again, the dark blanket nearly suffocating the final remnants of light. “Those stars in the night sky are distant Suns blazing in the night sky. The nocturnal sky resides the celestial palaces of gods. The dragon of the east, the tiger of the west, the tortoise of the north and the phoenix of the south.” Tang Sanzang took notice of Zhang San’s head tilting back to peer up at the first starlight. Tang Sanzang narrowed on the human's eyes to see the shimmer of innocent fascination that belonged to child-like soul. Tang Sanzang lowered his gaze, a frown possessing his face.

“I’ve been hard on you, my brother.”

Zhang San whipped his head around, nearly breaking it in the whiplash. “What the hell?” Then realization dawned on him. The smoky, ethereal bar, Sukuna’s low, velvety voice uttering the truths Tang Sanzang adamantly denied. Zhang San’s eyes widened and he turned his body half-way, opening up slightly towards the elder. “Sukuna, he said–”

A clap of thunder roared when Tang Sanzang opened his mouth, “Enough! Do not utter the Fallen One’s name in our domain.”

“Fallen what?”

“You are the other half of my soul. The one I have denied countless centuries. However, you are still me, and the seed of my admiration for him flourished in you–nevermind. I did not lull you to sleep to discuss him.”

“You made me tired? To talk to me? I told you, I’m not talking to you.”

Tang Sanzang nodded firmly, “So be it. Then, I will assert myself.”

Time wound back, the dark hues of the night sky chased away by the blinding yellow rays of the Sun. The bright star rose quickly from the crest of the horizon, flying towards the crown of the heavens, illuminating the wide, green valley hugged between lush hills and rocky, towering mountain peaks. The place felt familiar and mythical all at once to Zhang San, as if he walked these green fields in a dream.

Serene quietude fell over the valley, not even the grass rustled as Tang Sanzang stood. With a lax hand, he beckoned Zhang San. Without glancing back, Tang Sanzang began the journey. Several long minutes ticked by before Zhang San decided to follow; he resisted on the basis of distrust, but he couldn’t shake the seed of admiration from his chest. What were Tang Sanzang’s real thoughts towards Sukuna… and what motivated him to open dialogue? Zhang San trailed slowly behind the ivory clad monk with his head hung low.

Tang Sanzang led Zhang San to a river that sliced through the luscious grass. It babbled gently, burbling over water smoothed rocks. Surrounding at the river’s bank were violet dusted irises, vibrant magenta geraniums, sanguine lobelia flowers, and white bell-shaped petals. The breeze made the bed of flowers sway and dance noiselessly, the grass waving silently, happily worshiping the gorgeous perennials. Zhang San squatted and pulled out a rock, he gazed over the smooth surface before he launched it into the river. It made no sound as it broke the surface, and the ripples faded instantaneously.

Zhang San jerked his head up in surprise to the unperturbed monk. He parted his lips, daring to question the physics of the realm but Tang Sanzang hovered a finger over his lips. The two began communicating in an ancient dialect of silent gestures and mutual understanding. With only his eyes and his hands, Tang Sanzang showed the limitations of his soul. Zhang San soon learned that only the river had sound, no other on this plane uttered– even the birds that fluttered by floated in silence, their chirpings muted on the stifled wind.

Quietly, Tang Sanzang pointed towards the sky and Zhang San followed with his eyes. Time flew forward, the Sun disappearing behind the snow peaked mountains and rose the moon from the hills. Suddenly, vicious sounds came crashing against his ears. The distant voices were booming, Sun’s shrieking, Hansol’s cooing, the biwa strumming– it all meshed together in a violent symphony. Zhang San screwed his eyes shut, clamping his palms over his ears to dull the pain. The distant sounds ached, though those close to him shattered his eardrums. The river roared as it crashed against the banks of the splintered ground, the birds’ songs shrilled in his ears, and even the wind screamed as the flowers scraped against one another like sheet metal. Zhang San’s scream fell victim to the unrelenting cacophony that fractured his brain.

Then, infinite silence fell over them. Zhang San opened his eyes to see the sunkissed, cerulean sky that brought serenity over the valley. He looked up at Tang Sanzang, bewildered. Tang Sanzang returned the look with a smile, dragging his finger across the sky to lower the sun to the crest. Sounds gradually amplified to a comfortable level.

“Where we meet, there will be peace.”

“Where we meet, there will be peace?” Zhang San repeated.

Tang Sanzang’s sullen eyes fell to the river. “This is all I have left,” he said, staring down at the water, “a finite river that loops into itself… never changing. You… have much more.”

“I… I don’t understand. What are you trying to say?”

“I cannot make you understand when you close your eyes and cover your ears.”

“Huh?” Zhang San lowered his palms from his ears, failing to grasp Tang Sanzang’s words. “What do you mean? Why can’t I understand?”

A relieved, gentle smile stretched on Tang Sanzang’s lips. “You took the first step, Zhang San. It’s time to wake up.”

Zhang San opened his eyes slowly to the warmth of the golden hour pouring into Hansol’s guest room. The penetrative light blurred his vision, and he blinked the drowsiness from his eyes. He rolled on the futon, looking towards the wall adjacent to the windows, seeing a gorgeous stranger with frigid, pink eyes. Zhang San muttered a syllable, voice hoarse from sleep. The figure lowered a freezing, wet cloth upon his forehead, the cold liquid draining over his temple and into his ears. He winced, the chilling water soaking his hair and the soft pillow underneath him. Zhang San reached towards the figure who sought to abandon him, but no words escaped his throat. Now alone, he sighed gravely, haphazardly lowering his hand into a bowl of glacial water. He attempted to remove his hand and only flipped the bowl forward, spilling the icy water over his futon.

I’m awake, he thought, his tired eyes closing. Sanzang…what was that we had… and why do I feel… lighter?

Zhang San breathed in deeply, and his soul yawned and exploded with repressed, holy energy. His soul overflowed through the hanok, its tendrils stretching out and feeling the world for the first time. Slowly, he sighed, and his soul retreated quickly into his body, nestling inside its home. He opened his eyes once more, feeling a strange warmth akin to a candle fluttering in his chest. For a moment, he forgot about the freezing, drenched futon, but only for a moment. Zhang San hissed when the cold water touched his warm ribs, dissolving all sense of comfort.

“Time to get up,” he sighed, but when he tried to move, his muscles strained to listen. The three weeks asleep brought upon muscle atrophy; his thinned muscles refused to abide by the signals his brain screamed.

“Oh no.”

He found himself stuck in the cold futon and he quietly waited for the stranger to return… or anyone else for that matter, he’s getting cold.

#save #drabble #[ ending hiatus post wooooo ]#[ hes awake! ]

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