#Living room full of house plants in a greenhouse-like residence

[lifestyleofluxe]

#lifestyle #luxury #Living room full of house plants in a greenhouse-like residence #Guernsey #Channe

[five-rivers]

Daedalus

@regular-dog Hello! I am your holiday truce gifter this year! I hope you enjoy this labyrinth-themed fic. Happy New Year!

.

Only three years in, and it was already impossible to tell how big Amity Park was.  Normal methods of surveying didn’t work.  Physical maps were either always right or always wrong, and sometimes both at once.  Driving across the city at a constant speed didn’t help, either.  The outgoing trip and the return trip never seemed to match, and there simply weren’t enough one-way streets in Amity Park for that to be the answer to the problem.  

Asking the residents didn’t help, either.  They couldn’t even agree on how big the city they lived in was.  Some of them acted like Amity Park was the second coming of Chicago, others expressed confusion when Amity Park was referred to as anything but a small town.  

(The census data was almost worse.)

But no matter what version of Amity a particular resident believed they lived in, there were always similarities.  There was always Casper High, and its Ravens, and every student went there, and learned from Mr. Lancer, and heard the rumors about Sydney Poindexter.  There was always the Nasty Burger, and Valerie Gray working one of the many distasteful jobs that the place had to offer.  There was always Amity Park Park, confusingly named and full of even more confusing paths, whether it was a city park or a county park, or something else altogether.

There was always Fentonworks, rising tall and strange from a small, ordinary neighborhood.

There was a heaviness there, around that particular building.  A weight that drew in other things, that twisted.  It was the heart of a labyrinth of streets, of old roads and new, of forest paths and disused hiking trails.  It was the heart of Amity Park.

And it should be said that, at the heart of any labyrinth, there was a monster.  

And it should be said that, at the threshold of every labyrinth, there was a princess.

And it should be said that the one thing that every labyrinth waits for is a hero.  

.  

Samantha Manson wound golden string around her fingers, thinking.  It glowed faintly in the dark of her room, like the thinnest, purest beam of sunlight cast through morning mist and a thick canopy of leaves overhead.  

However, her eyes didn’t linger on it.  Instead, she looked out the window over her– garden– conservatory– greenhouse– private park– the place where she went to grow plants, and be among them, that may or may not have changed in nature and size while she was looking.  Which may or may not have had many natures and sizes.  

She closed her eyes.  Insight was useful, as vital as the blood in her veins and the lightning in her nerves, but it had its drawbacks.  

When she opened them again, a hedge maze stood dark and tempting beneath the light of a moon that should not be full and should not be there and had never been that big, in any case.  The lights of Amity- rising high with skyscrapers or low to the ground and scattered among farmhouses– laid beyond it.  

In her hands, the string hummed, as if it had been held taught and plucked.  A single, clear note filled the air.  

“Do you think it will work?” she asked.  

There shouldn’t have been anyone in her room, and there wasn’t.  But her nearest neighbors could be five miles from the walls of her home or five feet, and she rarely spoke to them.  The distance between friends was greater, but also infinitely less.  

Tucker looked up from his computer, which sat at his desk, in his own room, in his own house, the light from the moon shining in from the window behind him.  His glasses reflected the pale, bluish light of his computer screen.  The wheels of his desk chair rolled across the carpet of his room - so different from hers - with a squeak.  

“You’re not getting cold feet now,” he said.  It wasn’t so much a question as an exclamation.  

Sam sniffed.  “Of course not.  But I’m not the one taking the biggest risk, am I?”

There was a third room.  This one dark and starry.  The glow-in-the-dark stars stuck to every available surface were normal.  The patterns they were in were not.  Nor were the eyes that stared out from beneath star-spangled bedsheets.  Nor was the moon, gleaming from windows stationed on either side of the bed.

“I’m not sure if it actually matters if it works,” said the owner of those eyes, blinking slowly.  “I mean, if it works the way it’s supposed to work.  We’ll just go back to plan A if it doesn’t.”

“No offense, Danny, but plan A sucked,” said Tucker.  

“How am I not supposed to take offense to that?” whined Danny.  “Plan A is fine.  It’s a normal plan.  I know my city.”  The last was said with a casual but deep possessiveness.

“Plan A wasn’t even really a plan,” said Sam.  “Your plan was to just fly in and find them, never mind all the other things that are happening.”

“That’s not so different from this plan,” protested Danny.  “It’s basically the same.  It’s just the how that’s different.”

“Pretty big how, though,” said Tucker.  “And I thought you liked this plan.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” said Danny.  “I’m just saying, I’m just saying that even if it doesn’t work, we won’t be any worse off than we were at the beginning, before, you know.  The research.”  He pointed vaguely in the direction of his window.  

Somehow, Sam knew that he was, in fact, pointing at the stack of thick books sitting on her desk.  Only, instead of pointing at them across the there-not-there division between their rooms, he was pointing in their true direction, across the streets and forests of Amity Park.  

The covers of the books shouldn’t have been legible in the darkness.  Sam could read them anyway.  Greek mythology.  Sympathetic magic.  Recurrence.  Narrative causality.  Daedalus, Icarus, Theseus, Ariadne, Asterion.

Four days ago, New Athens High School had sent a bus bearing the fourteen members of their track team and their coach to a meet in Elmerton.  On the way back, the driver had made a wrong turn, knifing straight through the heart of Amity.  The bus, the driver, and the coach had come out the other side.  No one knew what had happened to the track team.  

Danny had spent three of those days looking for them.  Amity Park had spent those same three days winding itself more tightly than the ball of string sitting on Sam’s desk.  Whether it was downtown, or the forest, or the suburbs, the part of Amity New Athens’ bus had passed through was a maze.  

A labyrinth.  

They’d thrown themselves into research, then, begging for information from their allies.  Or, rather, from Danny’s allies.  Most of them, with the exception of Dora, were there for him more than for the rest of them.  Pandora was the one who had finally noticed the connections, the links with old stories, the resonance.  

There was a labyrinth.  There were sacrifices.  Other roles–

“Or, if you don’t want to leave it, you could send Tucker in,” said Danny, shrugging slightly.  “If it doesn’t work with just me.  You know.”

Sam’s fingers slipped.  

Sam was the obvious choice for the role of princess.  Danny was the obvious choice for the role of hero.  

He should have been, anyway.  

“Hence why I’m asking if you think it’ll work,” said Sam, sharply.  

“I hope it’ll work.”

Sam huffed.  “Not what I’m asking.”

“It won’t hurt to try.”

“It might,” said Sam.  “The monster dies at the end of the story.  The princess is abandoned.  Even Theseus doesn’t have a happy ending.”

“And we aren’t those characters.  It isn’t as if Tucker is going to cut my head off.”  Again, Danny waved in Tucker’s true direction, rather than across the emptiness of his room.  “We’re the ones making the decisions.  We’re just using the stories for– For narrative clout.  Or however you described it.”

“Danny…”

“It’ll be fine.  I mean,” he looked up at her with those too-bright eyes, the rest of his face black with shadows, “if you’re having second thoughts, it’s fine.  We can try something else.”

“I’m not having second thoughts.”  Sam began to unwind the string from around her fingers, wrapping it around the rest of the ball.  The maze outside her window had become a winding garden path, and the neighbors were once again nearby.  

Tucker cleared his throat.  “First thing in the morning, then?  We ride at dawn and all that?”

“Before dawn would probably be better, honestly,” said Sam.  

Danny sighed.  “I’ll set my alarm clock.”

.

It might have been neater to enter the maze in Sam’s backyard, or to start from the spiraling center that was Fentonworks, but that wasn’t where the bus had disappeared.  The bus had disappeared going through downtown Amity Park.  

Well.  Insofar as the bus had disappeared in any particular location.  And insofar as Amity Park had a downtown.  

The lack of permanence of place made discussing things like this somewhat difficult.  

Still.  At the moment, there was a downtown.  A historical shopping district, as a matter of fact.  As he walked down the sidewalk in the crisp, gray, predawn light, Danny could feel beneath his feet a hum.  The shopping district here was the mainstreet of small town Amity, even as skyscrapers loomed overhead, and the layers felt real enough for Danny to reach out and rub them between his fingers.  

(They weren’t really, but they felt like it.)

He stopped in front of an alley that smelled of cinnamon and sea salt.  Here, the layers parted, and you could slip between them, into the interstices and forbidden places of Amity Park.  

“Is this the place?” asked Tucker.  

“Yeah,” said Danny.  “I think so.”  He motioned them to the mouth of the alley, where they’d be covered by shadows and next to unnoticeable by those who were firmly in any one version of Amity Park.  “Sam?”

She teased out the end of the golden string and cast it towards Danny.  As it flew through the air, it twisted and knotted itself before falling over Danny’s head.  The loops shrunk around his neck, creating a narrow golden collar.  

Danny raised his hand to touch it and made a face.  “It’s tight,” he said.  

“Sorry,” said Sam, glaring at the ball of string as if it had betrayed her.  “I don’t–”

“It’s fine,” said Danny, waving it off.  “Just unexpected.”

“Right,” said Tucker, stepping forward.  “Your sword, Theseus.”  He handed Danny a Fenton invention that had a passing resemblance to a lightsaber.

Danny rolled his eyes and took the small cylinder.  “Thanks.  But don’t call me that.”

“Hey, that’s the story we’re trying to tell.”

“We’ll give it a tug if we run out of string,” said Sam.  

“Mm,” said Danny.  “Well.  Might have to give it more than one.  Don’t let me drag you in.”

Sam snorted.  “What, like you drag us into everything else?”

“Seriously.  Just let me go if I start pulling too hard.”

“No way,” said Tucker.  “We’ll just tie you onto some building or something.”

“I have been known to bring down buildings.”

“Well, don’t,” said Sam.  

“Wow.  No sympathy here, I see.”

“Nope,” said Sam and Tucker together.  

“Now go save the tourists,” said Sam, pushing him forward.

“They’re not really tourists,” said Danny.  But even so, he stepped across the line and into the gap.  

Into the labyrinth.  

.

The in-between spaces of Amity Park did not immediately look like they were the in-between spaces of Amity.  Danny sometimes liked to imagine that they were what Amity Park used to look like, before it became a dozen different, mutually exclusive places.  That had to be impossible, though.  There was too much, too many different things, afterimages and fantasies and illusions.  

People walked on the streets, and cars drove, but they were transparent, projections from the layers of Amity immediately bordering this space.  Sometimes, they walked through each other, not noticing at all.  

Danny still flinched when it looked like cars were about to run into one another, and let out a breath of relief when they instead seemed to phase through each other.  

So he walked.  

He walked, and as he walked, the road began to change.  He began to change.  Facades paled.  Grecian columns reached up the sides of skyscrapers and ranch homes.  Brick turned to marble.  Danny’s t-shirt and jeans slowly, gently, became a chiton and chlamys, trimmed in red.  The Fenton Saber became a sword of green-tinted bronze, strapped to a belt around his waist.  His shoes became sandals, laced up to his knees.  

It wasn’t the first time Danny had worn clothing like this.  He did visit Pandora.  But he’d never worn it in Amity Park.  It was a little embarrassing.  The ancient Greeks’ idea of underwear was… lacking, in Danny’s opinion.  But it wasn’t as if anyone here could see him.  

The act of walking here also felt strange, and Danny couldn’t understand why this was needed.  Not really.  Not the act, not the ritual.  By virtue of his nature, he could duck in and out of anywhere in Amity whenever he wanted.  Mostly.  At least, he could find places to duck in and out whenever he wanted.  

He should have been able to find the missing students without any problem.  

But he hadn’t.  

And he still wasn’t finding them.  There was no pull.  No indication of what direction he should go, what direction he could find them in.  

Danny sighed, and the sky above boiled with stars.  

He looked up, not having expected that, then shrugged and continued to walk.  Things here were strange.

There were words on the walls, now, carved into the marble alongside window displays for cell phones and stationary.  Ἀστερίων, Ἀριάδνη, Θησεύς.  He traced Ἀριάδνη with his fingers.  It sparked gold, the same color as the string around Danny’s neck.  

And then the string flexed.  Pulled.  Spooled forward, winding into a ball in front of Danny.  A short thread was thrown off of the rapidly spinning ball and settled on Danny’s head before solidifying into something heavy and cold.

(Elsewhere, the end of the string tears itself out of Sam’s hand, disappearing into the rift between.)

“Oh,” said Danny.  He bit his lip and closed his eyes, and mentally apologized to his friends for worrying them.  “Theseus was from Athens.  Ariadne wasn’t just rich, she had authority over Crete.  We had the roles wrong.”

(Not that Danny really wanted authority over Amity Park.  That… just wasn’t his thing.  He didn’t want to be in charge.  He just wanted to protect.)

But this meant…  He needed to find one of the New Athens kids and get them to be Theseus.  

He didn’t want to do that.  He was here to rescue them, not to force them to rescue themselves.  And… iIf he could find one of them, couldn’t he find the others?  Finding them was the problem he’d started with.  If he could find them, he could bring them out.  

He stumbled as the section of string wrapped around his throat tightened.  That actually hurt!

Then it loosened and Danny took a deep breath.  

Narrative weight, right.  They were already trying this story.  Changing it or aborting it halfway would have consequences.  Ones that Danny didn’t want to deal with.  

He swallowed.  He couldn’t help but remember that in the story of Theseus and the Minotaur, many people, many Athenians, had died before Theseus had finally defeated the Minotaur.  When it was Danny in the role of Theseus, that hadn’t been a concern.  He was certain he could fight any monster, any ghost in the role of the Minotaur.  

But some random kid from New Athens?  One who had probably never seen a ghost, and who had been stuck here for days?  

That… that he wasn’t at all confident about.  

Sam had been right to be wary of the risks.  It was different, when someone else was facing them.  

He rolled the ball between his hands, feeling it over.  Power thrummed between his fingers, brighter and sharper than before.  A thin stripe of gold ran down the sidewalk, twisting over on itself and turning away from the main street.  

Danny sighed, and started to follow.  

.

Danica was starting to panic.  

One moment, she’d been on the bus, falling asleep after a difficult meet despite how risky it was to fall asleep anywhere near Georgie and his so-called ‘artistic impulses.’  The next thing she knew, she was waking up on a sidewalk in some kind of nightmare city.  A nightmare city full of things that looked almost like people but were transparent and walked right through her as if she weren’t there.  

She didn’t know how long she’d been here, trying to figure out how she’d gotten here, where the bus was, where everything else was, but it felt like hours, at least.  She was starting to get hungry.  

She was starting to wonder if she’d gone crazy.  Or if this was what it was like to be dead.  And that was before the buildings started to melt into weird, semi-Greek-Revival messes.  

It was weird here, and she hated it.  She wanted to go home.  She wanted her mom.  She wanted to quit the track team and never have to deal with anything like this ever again.  

“Hello?” called a soft voice.  

She whipped around.  Up until now, this place had been eerily quiet.  

Standing just a few feet from her was a boy, one who could have stepped out of a history textbook.  He was wearing something like a cape, and a Greek-style tunic, white trimmed in red.  Tangled in his hair was a thin, golden circlet.  But the strangest thing about him was the ball of glowing golden string in his hand.  One end of it was wrapped around his neck.  

“You–!” said Danica, suddenly more furious than frightened.  “Did you bring me here?  Why?”

The boy shook his head.  “I didn’t bring you here.  Actually, I’m hoping to help you get out.  You and the rest of your teammates.”  

“They– They’re here, too?  And the coach–?”

“No, just your teammates,” said the boy.  He made a face.  “You guys kind of… Ran into a story.”

“A what?” demanded Danica, incredulous.  She’d also, incidentally, started to back away from the boy.  

“A story.  Have you heard of Theseus and the Minotaur?”

.

“What if I don't want to do this?” asked the girl, after Danny had finished explaining.  “What if I can’t do this?”

Danny stared at her, a bit baffled.  The thing about being a ghost, even half a ghost, the thing about thinking like a ghost… Sometimes it was hard to wrap his head around other perspectives.  Especially when his friends, the only people he really talked to, were just as eager to jump in and help as he was.  

He hadn't wanted to make anyone risk themselves.  He wanted to bring them to safety without that.  He also hadn't expected that anyone would just… not want to help.

“Well, I suppose… I suppose you could follow me until I found one of your classmates who could?” he said.  “Although… I’m not sure if we can do that with this story.  It might be that I have to find someone alone and then they find everyone…  In which case you’d just have to wait for them.  Speaking of which, how long has this been for you?  On the outside, it’s been a few days, but you look a little too good for that.”

“I– What?  Days?  I haven’t been here for days.”

“Not from your perspective, maybe.  Time is weird.  Even without all this…”  He waved his hand, trying to indicate ghost weirdness in general.  “... stuff, even with just the things we can look at scientifically, it’s still relative.�� Right now, you’re basically in a dimensional pocket.  Pocket dimension?  Whatever.  The point is, is time running at different rates really that strange, comparatively?  At least, it made it so that you didn’t starve before me and my friends were able to figure this out.”  He raised the ball of golden string, ignoring how the movement pulled on his neck.  “Right?”

The girl gave him a ‘why are you using science-fiction terms in what is clearly a fantasy scenario’ look.  At least, that’s how Danny chose to interpret it.  

He sighed.  “What’s your name, anyway?”

“Danica,” she said, then looked angry at herself and shrugged.  “Or Dani, I guess.”

“Huh, small world,” said Danny.  “That’s my sister’s name, too.”  Not to mention his.  Maybe Theseus’s story wasn’t the only one being echoed, with a coincidence like that.  

The girl continued to stare at him, this time with a ‘why the heck are you bringing that up while I’m having a crisis’ look.  Probably.  Danny tended to make a similar expression from time to time.  Usually when the ghosts he fought started having lovers’ quarrels in the middle of a fight.  

“So,” he said, awkwardly.  “You can come with me, of course, just to… test out what will happen?”

“Oh!” said Danica, suddenly.  “Just– Just give me that!”  She held out her hands for the ball of string.  

Danny beamed, and passed it to her.  It glowed even brighter.

“Now what?” she asked, staring at it nervously.  

“Now, you need this,” Danny said, taking off the sword and holding it out to her, hilt first.  “And then you search for your friends, and when you find them…”  He pinched a length of the string between the finger and thumb of her free hand.  “You follow this back out.”

Danica was much more reluctant to take the sword than the string.  But that was fine.  One of the two was for holding things together, the other was for taking things apart.  Danny knew which was easier, and which he was more comfortable with.  

“That's it.  Remember, it's just the members of your track team, okay?  The coach and the bus driver got out.”

“Okay,” said Danica.  She took a deep, steadying breath.  “Okay.  I can do this.”

Danny nodded encouragingly.  “Yes,” he said, “definitely.”

.

Danny stepped out of the in-between, back into the alley he'd left Sam and Tucker in.  Except, it wasn't an alley anymore, but a thin dirt path between hedges.  

He was immediately tackled.  

“We thought we'd lost you!” said Sam.  Then she pulled back and examined him closely before looking pointedly behind him.  “Where're the track kids?”

Danny rubbed the back of his neck.  “Well.  In the story, Theseus is from Athens, remember?”

Sam groaned.  “They're having to do it themselves?”

“Yeah.  A girl named Danica.  Dani.  Believe it or not.”

“Wow,” said Tucker.  “Really?”

“Really.”

Danny turned to look behind him, tracing the string where it twisted away from reality and into not-space.

Tucker sighed.  “This is going to take a while, isn't it?”

.

It took Danica surprisingly little time to find her teammates.  For all the time she’d spent wandering on her own, after she’d accepted the sword and the string, she’d located everyone in what felt like an hour.  Some of them were even in groups!

The problem was, she found too many of them.  

.

“Mm,” said Danny, still worried.  “Probably.  I hope she doesn’t have to fight anything.”

.

There had been fourteen of them.  She knew there had been fourteen of them, because the coach and the driver had both done headcounts, because of the number of people they were allowed to field in each event at this particular meet, and because she remembered that someone had been sick.  But there were, including her, fifteen kids now huddled in something that aesthetically hovered in-between the Parthenon and a shopping mall.  

She couldn’t remember who had been sick.  No one could.  But everyone wanted to convince her that it wasn’t them.  

Probably because she was the one with the sword.  

.

“I think that if there was anything, it would have gone after Danny when he was searching earlier, right?” asked Sam.  

“Maybe,” said Danny.  “Unless it was scared of me.  I am pretty powerful.”

“And if Danny’s Ariadne in this, he was Ariadne at the beginning,” pointed out Tucker.  “The story was already going.  Ariadne never fought the Minotaur.”

“Astarion,” said Danny.  

“Huh?”

“That’s the Minotaur’s actual name,” said Sam.  She frowned slightly.  “He was Ariadne’s half-brother, you know.”

“Yeah,” said Danny, slowly.  “He was, wasn’t he?”

.

“Listen,” said Danica, trying to mask the shake in her voice, “I’m sorry, but– But based on everything, you aren’t who you say you are.”  

There was nothing she could do about how badly the sword was shaking.  

“I am!” said the girl, who couldn’t be there, because Eliza had taken the one place in the 100 meter, and Jaylynn did the javelin, and Lachandra had done the high jump, and no one remembered her competing at all.  “I really am, I promise!”

It was convincing, her act.  But it had to be an act, it really did.

“Dani,” said Lachandra, “is it really that important?  I mean, if we take her with us?  We just want to get out.”

“But she could eat us,” said Kevin, who was a bit of a mythology buff on top of being a track nerd.  “She could– If this is the Minotaur story–  She’ll try to kill us and then–”

“I won’t!” shouted the girl.  Her eyes– For a moment, they changed color.  Red.  Her teeth were sharp, too.

Danica gritted her teeth and swung the sword down.  

.

Danny caught her wrist, panting.  He’d followed the string back.  

“Wait,” he said, breathless.  “Wait.”

“Where–” said Danica, jerking back.  “Why–?”

Danny turned towards the ‘Minotaur.’  “Hi,” he said, trying to be as nonthreatening as possible.  “You’re one of Vlad’s aren’t you?”

Their face shimmered for a moment, and then– It was like looking into a mirror.  This wasn’t Dani - his Dani, Danielle - but a boy with red eyes.  He wore a chiton like Danny’s, but he looked starved, pale, terrified.  

He nodded.  

“There is,” said Danny, cautiously, “another story about escaping from the labyrinth.  How would you like to be Daedalus?”

.

“What was that?” hissed Danica, as they walked away from… whatever that was.  “Why are you here, now, leading us out, when you couldn’t before?”

“Story is different now,” said Danny, tightly.  “And I was leading you out before.  Just with the string.”

“What if you get lost?” asked Kevin.  

Danny grinned at him.  “I won’t.  He isn’t trying to keep you in anymore.”

“Who isn’t?” asked Danica.  

“Daedalus.  Him.  He just wanted out, I think.  Sorry for– I’m sorry about all of this,” said Danny.  “I didn’t want to get other people involved in Amity Park stuff, and I especially didn’t want to get you involved in family stuff, but…”  He shrugged, then caught sight of an out.  It looked, from this side, like a slightly darker than expected gap between stately white pillars.  “Here we go!  And I think this one is next to the police station, too, so just, you know.  Check yourselves in.”

“Just like that?” asked Danica.  

“Just like that,” said Danny.  “I will need those back, though.”  He nodded at the string and sword.  

“Right,” said Danica.  She shoved both at him.  “I can’t believe– I would have kill that– Whatever– Whoever–”  She stopped, looking very much like she wanted to cry.  

“I’m sorry,” said Danny again, softly.  “But it is over now.”

The New Athens kids walked into the gap and vanished.  

The string dissolved into golden, glittering light and then settled in his hands as a pair of equally golden wings.  Danny laughed.  

“Okay,” he said.  He turned, bouncing a little.  “I get the picture.  I think we can avoid the Icarus problem, being ghosts and all.”

#danny phantom #holiday truce #holiday truce 2023

[home-deco-ideas]

Living room full of house plants in a greenhouse-like residence, Guernsey, Channel Islands [1440x1800]

#home deco #deco #room #decoration #interior design

[tommeurs]

Living room full of house plants in a greenhouse-like residence, Guernsey, Channel Islands [1440x1800]

#beautiful #room

[whaleofatjme1920]

In a Mirror Image (Eyeless Jack X F!Reader)

🌸 In a Mirror Image

[Eyeless Jack X F!Reader]

[Warnings: blood, language, cheating (both physical but it's not like, in your face, and emotional)]

Part 1

The flowers that grow like weeds in your lungs bloom thicker and thicker every day. Your vision clouds with blue more often than not, and you can’t think about anything but the blossoms and blood that paint the bathroom with a hue you’re already much too used to. It’s a painful existence, and it’s getting worse. One of the most wretched parts? You’re deteriorating so fast that your vision no longer services you. You are blind, unrendered to see. You still choose to live in a delusion, and you are amongst the only who choose not to acknowledge it.

By now, everyone knows but only one other than you refuses to acknowledge it.

You hear Hoodie arguing with Jack more often than not. It seems the blond haired proxy is angry over what Jack has done to you and because he knows what Hanahaki does to those it takes root in.

“You’ll fucking kill her,” Hoodie seethes as he gets in Jack’s face for the fourth time this weekend. “Look at her-”

“I am!” Jack shot back, his arms crossing defensively over his chest. “Who are you to come in here and speculate on something that you’re not a part of?” He growls. Normally, Jack likes talking to Hoodie, but not when Hoodie’s on a mission to prove Jack a sinner.

“I wasn’t even aware you still had one,” Hoodie retorts through grit teeth. “I can’t believe you. Look at the flowers Ja-” and before he can continue tearing into Jack, he hears your bedroom door open.

While you still share the room with Jack, neither of you are in it at the same time. You’ve taken residence up on the living room couch with Kate and Jack more often than not stays with Leia. The room you share is usually empty, much like your heart.

“Hey there, buttercup,” Hoodie suddenly greets you as you tiredly walk into the kitchen where the two men had previously been in a standoff. “Did you sleep okay?” He asks, voice so much softer and gentler with you than what he had just been using.

You shake your head as you take a seat at the table. “I can’t sleep,” you say.

Hoodie’s brows furrow in sympathy before they knit in frustration when Jack sits next to you. He watches as Jack snakes his arm around you before he presses an empty kiss to the side of your head.

“No?” Jack says in a sickly saccharine tone. “I’ll see what I can do about that. Does that sound good to you?”

You nod slightly, the ghost of a smile on your lips. “That sounds good,” you murmur back.

“Anything for you,” he hums as he pulls you in closer to his side.

“You disgust me,” Hoodie hisses to Jack as he gets up and pushes in his chair roughly, making the table bounce. He doesn’t take his eyes off of Jack for a second as he leaves, roughly slamming the front door behind him.

“What was that about?” You ask, feigning innocence. You refuse to open your eyes to the situation you are in.

“He’s having a bad day,” Jack answers. “Don’t worry your pretty little head about it,” he hums as he presses another kiss to the side of your head.

The butterflies in your stomach are dead, but the flowers blood evermore.

“You’re still sleeping out here?” Kate hums as she takes a seat next to you on the couch. She looks exhausted and she’s covered in blood. Her mask is cracked too.

“I guess,” you yawn as you shift slightly from your not so comfortable position. “How has your day been?” You ask as you reach for a glass of water only to see it’s not there.

“Let me,” Kate says as she gets up once more. She knows you’re getting worse. After getting you a bottle of water from the fridge, she comes back to your side. “I’ve had a busy day. Met with an independent named Nyein. They remind me of a big cat,” she finally answers as she opens the water bottle for you.

You take it and begin to slowly sip from it - it stops the flowers from blooming ever so slightly. Your airway opens just a little bit. “Do they now?”

Kate nods as she flips mindlessly through the channels. “They said they’re falling in love with a human. Bad business,” Kate winces, her dark eyes watching you carefully. “I hope they don’t…”

“It’s bad business,” you suddenly say as you feel petals fill your mouth. You cough slightly and the small little forget-me-nots fall into your lap, thankfully free of blood this time. You take one of the flowers into your fingertips and observe it gently. “I hope they’re okay.”

Kate puts her hand on your thigh, lightly squeezing before finally settling on the early evening news. “You wanna burn these blue fuckers?” She asks as the flowers in your lap remain stagnant save for the buds that unfurl at an alarmingly fast pace.

You feel the corners of your lips curl into a smile. “Yes.”

Morbid, your flowers have been springing up everywhere. They’ve infested the temporary house. So, you and Kate went around the place, plucking every single one before starting a bonfire in the backyard.

Toby, who considers himself a bit of a pyromaniac, was immediately summoned by the fire the two of you had cast in the backyard. He’d been out on a grocery run, and honestly, he had wanted to get out of the house.

The dynamics of the house had become uncomfortable to him. What with Leia and Jack sneaking off together and you coughing up a full greenhouse, he has been stressed. Toby can’t stand Jack and Hoodie arguing all the time as it reminds him of the life he tried to escape, and Masky can offer so much but ever since he renounced his love for Jay by force… It’s been hard. Toby knows it’s been hard for everyone involved.

He crosses through the house, sneers at Leia’s room, and then exits through the back to the scent of fire. He sees Kate’s arm around you as the fire blazes slightly blue.

“W-What are you g-gals up to?” He asks, coming to your other side so you remain in the middle.

“Burning stuff,” Kate nonchalantly replies. “You care to chuck anything in?”

Toby glances at you as you struggle to keep air in your lungs. “If I d-d-did, I’d be u-under c-charge for killing a-a-another under the O-Operator’s care,” he muses. He’s referring to Jack, of course. He takes in the scent of burning plant matter and blood and frowns when he remembers it’s yours. His hand reaches yours and squeezes gently.

You squeeze back.

Your experiences with Leia are lukewarm at best, and cold at worst. She’s something, she really is something. There’s moments when no one is in the temp house with you except for her alongside you, and those moments are tense, sharp, like a knife and burn colder than the depths of the sea.

The most memorable conversation you’ve ever had was the one that triggered a domino effect that would lead to a black hole in your chest.

“You’re still up?” Leia’s honeyed voice questions softly as she takes a seat across from you on the back porch at the glass table.

You find it more stifling inside so you choose to spend your time out. The weather is warm, afterall. The sun shines and fluffy clouds the size of whales swim overhead. You have a glass of pink lemonade made from a pouch Hoodie and Kate had picked up earlier. You find that the tang is enough to keep the flowers down.

“Of course I am, why wouldn’t I be?” You say in passing before you sip from the glass. You enjoy watching the rabbits in the backyard. They hop around without a care in the world.

She begins to thread her fingers through her long silver hair, braiding it. “I just think you should be resting,” she says. “You look so tired these days-”

“That’s none of your concern.”

“Touched a nerve,” she sighs. “You know you’re getting worse, right?”

You shoot her a glare, but you know she’s right. You’ve actually been holding out surprisingly longer than most people with Hanahaki Disease. Most people succumb to it within a few weeks of coughing, but you’ve managed to hold out for damn near an entire year. That’s almost unheard of. You’ve been hacking up flowers, their stems, roots and blood ever since Leia came into your life.

Everyone tells you that you’re getting worse, but you should have been dead months ago.

“Stop it,” you growl.

“You’re killing yourself,” she continues. “You could just… Let it all go, y’know?” She hums as she continues to fishtail her silver strands. “Renounce your feelings for him and save yourself.”

You grip your glass and set it back down roughly on the table. “That is literally none of your concern,” you repeat, eyes narrowing at the blue eyed beauty across from you. “Acting like you care-”

“I do, though,” she cuts you off. “I know that the Slender Man has big plans for you, but with you wasting away like this… You’ll never live long enough to see them through.” She flashes you a look of concern, but you can tell it’s fake. It shines like pyrite.

“What, so you can take my place just like that?” You bite back. “You can’t even wait until I’m fucking dead?”

Leia giggles and you hate to admit that it sounds pretty. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Daddy always did say I got what I wanted.” Her eyes drift off and you’re able to see she’s no longer thinking about you, but someone who once loved her. She finishes the braid. “Happy six years to you and Jack. Give him all my regards, won’t you?” She stands up, eyes the rabbits feasting on the clover in the grass, before she plucks your half empty glass from in front of you.

“Leia-!”

“It’s not like you need it,” she chuckles.

“It’s a special day,” you said to Masky, a small smile on your face. “It’s our six year anniversary.” Your posture changes to attention as he closes the door softly behind him. He still smells like cigarettes, but it’s a pleasant scent you’ve found comfort in where others find it a nuisance.

Masky put a smile on his face but it didn't reach his eyes. “You need me to draw a portal or something for you?” He holds his arms open to you as you fall into them, part because you’re so weak and secondly because he knows you need the affection - even if he can’t feel it.

You feel light come to your eyes as you nod after leaving a note for Jack in your shared room on his nightstand.

‘Dear Jack, happy six years! I’d wait for you to get back, but I have a surprise for you at the field you gifted to me for our first anniversary. I await you with happiness. Love, R.’

Masky drew the portal in the living room, a mess of swirling cloud-like silvers and blacks before he laid eyes upon the place you once shared only with Jack. “It’s super pretty,” he says, dark eyes scanning over all the wildflowers. There’s weeds on the path, like no one has cared for it in a while. ‘How poetic,’ he thinks. ‘It’s an allegory for your decayed relationship with Jack.’

“No it’s not,” you giggle as you bring Masky down one of the weed and chicory covered paths to the gazebo. “But it’s special to me,” you hum as you take a seat.

Masky follows beside you. He doesn’t take a seat, mostly feeling it wrong to impose on a space that is Jack’s despite his respect for him falling so far from what it used to be, but takes in the scent of dying flowers all the same. It’s summer, and instead of the sun warming the soft petals, it’s burning them. When you cough up more flowers while waiting for the man who still holds your heart (and refuses to return it) you’re less than pleased to see that they blend in with the untamed mosaic.

“Are you still tired?” Masky asks softly as he lights up a cigarette. “You can rest, I’m sure he won’t mind.”

You glance over to Masky before you rest your head in your hands, wondering where your lover is. You listen to the wind as it blows through the leaves. You listen to Masky’s hum, and eventually, you fall asleep.

You wake back up sometime during the night in your bed and not in a position you normally sleep in. It looks like whoever delivered you back here was extra careful with handling you. You only wake up because Jack has accidentally turned on the light.

“Shit, my bad,” he apologizes, quickly plunging the room back into darkness. “Did I wake you?” He knows he did.

“No,” you lie. “I couldn’t sleep anyways.” That was the most rest you’ve had in months. “Where have you been?” You ask quietly, still choosing to remain buried in the sheets.

Jack slides into bed next to you and gets comfortable. He smells like perfume you don’t wear. Through the faint light of the hallway that peeks under your door, you can see he’s got dark marks on his neck and jaw. “Leia wanted to show me her childhood home. Place isn’t run by Zalgo anymore, so we took a trip out there.”

“Did you now?” You hum as you feel tears prick your eyes.

Jack can see you in the dark. His vision at night far surpasses a human’s. He just chooses not to acknowledge it. Jack knows that his relationship with you is gone, and that you’ve been coughing up flowers for the past year. He knows, and it hurts him. Hurts him deeply that he’s the one causing you such pain, but at the same time, he’s a coward. He chooses not to let you go cleanly because his relationship with Leia is so finite.

He knows she only wants him because at the time he was unattainable. Now that she has him, it is only a matter of time until she does to him what he’s done to you. He understands that fully, but he refuses to leave the safety net that is you because he is selfish. His feelings for you aren’t nonexistent, but it’s that kind of fondness one has after the deed has been done, a love based on past memory and sentiment rather than what will and can be. It has reached his threshold, and you both are too caught up in security rather than what is healthy.

“I did,” he says as his mind rushes a mile a minute. “What did you do today?”

You wonder if you should answer that honestly or not. Would he even care? “I stayed here today, nothing special.” You feel the flowers unfurling in your lungs.

Jack hums once more, his back now facing you as he slowly succumbs to sleep.

You met Masky in the bathroom again, hacking your lungs and more of those fucking flowers up into the bathrub and the sink. Hell, you even got some in the toilet. Your body is growing weaker and weaker by the day. The fact you’ve held out for a year is astronomical, but you know you’ll be being taken from it eventually. No one survives Hanahaki when their lover’s feelings aren’t returned. It either gets returned, or you lose them all entirely.

He almost lost you. You broke the mirror when your body went limp as the vines and flowers crawled out from your lungs, through your esophagus and out of your mouth. If it was an art installation piece, Masky might’ve thought it beautiful, but the fact you went cold and limp and the flowers were blooming at a rapid pace - one he thought he couldn’t keep up with.

Masky, despite not being able to really feel anything, panicked as he took you into his arms. Did he genuinely care for you? No, but he cared to whatever extent the surgery left him with. He fretted because you are under his direct care. He cared so deeply because he too had seen many good proxies and independents lost to it. He cared because a part of him remembered what it was like to have daisies and rhododendrons fill his lungs. Normally, you only have one type of flower to clutter your lungs. Science says “just because.” An old wives’ tale says “love truly lost.” In his case? Jay’s death. Nothing was the same after that.

Masky took no hesitation in scooping you up into his arms and running out of the house to the forest to be closer to his boss’s energy. The Operator could fix this should he will it. He didn’t care that the lights in the house went on from his concerned proxies - the ones who had been sick over what befell you since you came into their care. He didn’t dare let you go as he trampled through the brush in the dead of night, using only the moon.

“Sir!” He calls out frantically. “Sir! I need your help!” He can hear your heart get slower and slower.

And just like that, the devoted father came to his child’s cry.

“My child,” he greets, instantly swooping down to look at your pained, flowery visage. “Did I not tell you to handle this?” He chides softly as he takes you into his arms. The sound of static only grows louder and louder.

“I thought she could,” he says, his tone clearly apologetic. “Please, just… Just fix this for me.” He watches the Operator closely as the tall man holds you in his arms.

While you are not exactly his child directly, you are also still under his care. Leia did not lie that the Operator sees good things for you. Without any other words, the tall man is gone, giving you to gods know who to perform a surgery that should be considered the only humane way out.

He returns to the house where Hoodie, Kate and Toby eagerly awaited him, clamoring around him and pecking like hens wondering where you are. He says that you’re in the hands of a god.

You floated in the ether, your body a galaxy. You watched as your chest was torn open - looked like by the hands of an independent that had talons to rival an eagle.

‘There’s so much,’ she says, her mouth turning into a frown as she worked on carefully removing the clusters of flowers. ‘How is she not dead?’

The Slender Man continues to observe, not offering the doctor any words.

The spirals and swirls inside of you continue to swirl before the flowers get torn out, one by one. The roots that cling to your lungs are stubborn, but with every single one removed, the lights of a different universe go out. Snuffed. Lost. The cavity in your chest grows wider until it births a black hole.

‘How much longer?’ The Slender Man asks, watching as the independent calls in another to help her rid your body of weeds.

She shakes her head as she continues to root them out. They bloom under her touch. ‘I have no idea - she must’ve felt so strongly-’

‘They just keep coming up, Sir,’ the other interjects, her four eyes scanning you rapidly.

The black hole begins to suck up the stars and nebulas that comprise your system. It feasts on you, making every part of what made you you, disappear in its depths. It grows larger as it consumes you. It grows heavier. It grows more powerful.

‘We’re almost there,’ the taloned independent says, her wings fluttering softly to emphasize her point. ‘I’ve never seen it this bad before.’

‘Fix this,’ the Slender Man seethes, his patience wearing thin. He knows your body will not be able to handle this much longer.

The black hole reaches its mass, and slowly, it begins to consume you. It overtakes you, bathes you, and leaves nothing left when it has taken all that it can. Your body is empty. You are a shell. Glimpses of blue, grey and reddish brown flash in your mind’s eye and through the eye of the black hole, but you cannot place the feelings you used to associate with them. You remember, but you do not feel.

The last of the flowers are pulled. The taloned independent is exhausted, and her partner is just as tired. ‘Good fucking lord,’ she breathes out, exhausted from the late night gardening session. ‘In all my years I have never seen that awful disease take hold of an individual that bad,’ she notes. Her bird-like eyes watch over your open chest to make sure they’ve fully cleared it out.

A single forget-me-not sprouts, and the Slender Man is the one who plucks it. Just like that, the flowers, their roots, all evidence you’d ever had life inside of you, is gone. Withered and wilted away.

The black hole takes all that you have to offer, and you are back to consciousness, no longer floating, no longer a home to the vibrancy of the universe.

What came after was a bit of a blur. The Slender Man had brought you back to the safe house you had called your home for the past year surprised to see that some of his favored children were still away, waiting for you as the light of the sun rose over the grass. It was a new dawn.

“How is she?” Hoodie asked, immediately springing up.

“Fixed,” was all the Slender Man said, his gaze shifting from you to your group’s leader. “Masky, I’m entrusting you to watch over her as you have been through something similar.”

“Of course,” the dark eyed man says as he takes you gingerly into his arms. “I wouldn’t trust her with anyone else.”

“One last thing,” the tall man in a suit hums. “I am taking Eyeless Jack from this house. Leia will stay with him.”

“It’s probably for the best. We trust your judgment,” Masky replies.

The Slender Man’s head gently cups Masky’s cheek before he leaves them with the sound of static that dissipates as fast as it appeared.

You spent the first few days after your surgery under bed rest. The Slender Man had healed you but he still worried for the state of your lungs. You needed the rest, and you were pleased to have it. Other than that, you felt… nothing. You were numb. Fleeting feelings of happiness or thankfulness, maybe something melancholic would slip through but ultimately, you were nowhere near your old self.

Jack was not allowed anywhere near you. That was one of the first instructions given to him when the Slender Man had popped into his head. While he did not have an opinion on Jack’s unfaithful behavior, he was more displeased with the fact he’d kickstarted the disease in you. The Slender Man thought that if he started it in Leia, then perhaps everything would turn out alright.

So, he sent the two out with a different group - which mostly meant Jeff, someone the Slender Man knew detested behavior that Jack had committed.

It was not easy for Jack to share the same space with Jeff after word had gotten out about you.

“You’re my best friend,” Jeff had sighed one late afternoon, refusing to even acknowledge Leia in the room. “But that? That was fucked up.”

Jack hummed and kept his gaze on Leia, who looked at him with nothing short of adoration. “Sure.”

Jeff sighed once more and stood up. “You don’t feel an inch bad, do you?”

“No.”

“You’re a shitty guy but you’re an even shittier liar.” Jeff broke the door with how hard he’d slammed it on his way out.

Jack really wasn’t the same, that much was apparent. He’d slowly been becoming more withdrawn and quicker to agitation. Of course, he’d take it out on whoever was around to deal with it. Leia included - it just came in a different form. One in which she’d never complained. But when things were rough between them, things were rough.

Jeff could hardly stand the two most days, so when he’d sneak out, it was with his dog to come pay a visit with you. And he hated how dull you had become.

“Masky used to be a lot more personable,” Jeff would say. “Life of the party when we could get him out of his pseudo-philosophical bullshit. Then he hurled flowers and we knew something was wrong.” Jeff’s hand rubs your back gently as a sign of friendship.

“And then?”

“Then he got that stupid surgery and now he’s just existing. No further purpose, just existing because some pale guy says so for his benefit.” Jeff huffed and looked up at the setting sun.

You found your gaze following his.

“What you’re doing right now,” he began. “It’s no way to live.”

“Would you have rather I’d succumbed to it?” You asked, not adding any inflection to whether you’re happy or sad, hurt or even offended.

“In all honesty?” Jeff tore his eyes from the pink and blue sky. “Yeah. This,” he gestured to you. “This isn’t you.”

Everything you’re supposed to feel feels dampened. Instead, you nodded. “Note taken.”

Jeff frowned.

The first time Jack was able to see you after your surgery was nearing halfway to what would have been seven months. It’d been a rough time without him seeing you, mostly because the guilt had been devouring every humanity he had left. Nothing could fill the void.

Like the first time you had met him, it was an accident when you crossed paths once again. You had been clearing out a house one fine winter’s evening, doing what had been asked of you before you got the faintest scent of something familiar and something you once recognized as comforting. You furrow your brows, weapon at your hip as you slowly and quietly come down the stairs.

Your lips are pressed into a thin line as you peer into the living room. Snow falls outside the window.

“Reader?” A male voice asks, turning around from the hallway. “Is that you?”

You tilt your head slightly as you register the mask you’re looking at. Eyeless Jack, mostly just known as ‘EJ’ or ‘Jack’. You’ve never really spent any time with him though outside of little jobs, so you have no idea who this is or why he sounds so happy to see you.

“Uh, hi, EJ?” You say as you walk at a leisurely pace down the stairs.

Jack freezes momentarily as he comes to greet you in the living room. He’d almost forgotten that when the flowers are removed, so too are the memories alongside feelings.”It’s… It’s good to see you,” he says as he looks down at you, wondering if he should touch you or not.

“I guess it’s nice to see you too,” you say. “What are you doing in this area?” You inquire. You vaguely remember the Slender Man not wanting you two to be in the same area.

“Just out and about,” he answers as he scratches at the back of his neck. “Leia wanted to uh, hunt down some of her sisters - I - it doesn’t matter,” he suddenly finishes, feeling much too awkward to even look at you. He knows you don’t remember, but he certainly does. Looking at you… He has a fresh slate.

“That’s nice,” you say in a tone that’s clearly disinterested. You walk towards the living room windows and look into what is now a cold winter’s night. You can see the snow still falling. If you want to make it back to Masky before he gets worried, you’ll need to head out almost immediately. “Pretty, isn’t it?”

Jack slowly comes to your side and puts his attention on you, watching as the snow continues to fall. “Yeah, the prettiest,” he says softly, desperately trying in vain to hold back on scooping you into his arms. There’s something scratching at the back of his throat.

You nod once again and zip up your coat. “They’re expecting me,” you say, gearing up to brave the snow.

“Do you need any-”

“No,” you cut him off. You’re not sure why it comes out so harshly, but you figure it must be a remnant of a memory you no longer have access to. “I can manage on my own.” You brush past him and open the front door, eyes momentarily clamping shut at how cold it is before you step onto the porch. The sound of the crunching snow is satisfying.

“Stay safe out there,” Jack says softly, not moving from his place as he continues to gaze out the window at the falling snow.

You turn your head briefly over your shoulder, “and you as well.”

Jack hears the door close and you walk off into the night, back to a group he was barred from. That tickling in the back of his throat grows more and more prevalent until he clears his throat. Feels like there’s something on his tongue. He coughs a few more times before holding his hands in front of his mouth, displeased to see the small blue petals he knows will bloom to full flowers in a time frame that is too long to be considered fair.

#eyeless jack #xreader #creepypasta x reader #eyeless jack x reader #creepypasta #hanahaki #angst #masky #hoodie #brian thomas #tim wright #kate the chaser #reader insert #slender man

[exquisitley-obsessed]

Finaces, Firebirds, Foxes and Fawns: 9

Author: @exquisitley-obsessed

Summary: A few weeks after Briallyn’s attempt at uniting with Koschei, Lucien opens the door of Lockhart Manor to find Elain, cold from the rain and holding a note from the High Lady of the Night Court demanding her to assist Lucien in building alliances with the human councils. Forced to work together by their exhausted High Lord and Lady, Elain is able to convince anyone to do anything, while Lucien has the acquaintances to go anywhere he likes. Together, they attempt to unite the fae and mortal lands and unravel the deal made between Koschei and Vassa, while Lucien remains haunted by his own promise to Elain’s father. ELUCIEN, POST-ACOSF

Pairings: Elain x Lucien, Elucien

Warnings: Mentions of sexual assault/abuse/rape + abusive families

A/N: I’ve added a tag list for those who wish to stay updated with this story! Just message me if you wish to be added <3

MY MASTERLIST

THIS FIC’S MASTERLIST

AO3

Chapter Nine: A Sight To See

Elain frowned down at the dress.

“I’m not sure if-”

“It’s perfect,” Nuala said firmly, glaring at her through the mirror. The surprisingly stubborn lesser fae was currently attempting to pin a handful of gemstones into Elain’s hair.

Elain just gave the fae a curt nod before looking back at herself.

Today was the day of the weekly meeting at Huckleberry Hall, i.e. Elain’s debut in the mortal realm as an emissary for not just the Night Court, but all the fae lands. How she’d gotten to this point in her life, she had no idea.

Yesterday she’d spent her time in the gardens chatting with Bartholomew, the Manor’s chief gardener. He was a sweet man that reminded her of her father, especially given all his travelling to the Continent and his collection of rare plant species in his greenhouse. He’d even promised her a few books on the matter and explained in great detail how plants can be useful for a number of things: healing, food, poisons.

He’d even pointed out the aphrodisiacs with a dopey grin, to which Elain had blushed furiously and moved quickly onto the exotic specimens.

She hadn’t seen Lucien that day.

Elain didn’t know why she was so aware of his absence given that she’d done just fine ignoring Lucien’s existence for two years. But yesterday, not seeing Lucien had thrown her balance off. When she was in the garden she kept looking up at the windows of the East Wing where his room supposedly resided. If only to catch a glimpse of red hair and a scarred face, just so she’d know he was okay.

Eventually, she’d turned in to the library to give one final assessment of her notes, and had spent the entire time trying to ask Nuala if Lucien was in the house without technically saying the words.

“Yes, that sounds good,” Nuala said without looking up.

“Yes, that sounds good,” Nuala said without looking up.

“Yes, that sounds good,” Nuala said without looking up.

“I…I don’t know what he does with his days.”

“Me neither,” Nuala shrugged.

“I haven’t seen him yet today…”

“Oh…shame…” From the glint in Nuala’s eye, Elain knew she had caught on to her not-so-subtle questioning.

“Yes…I wonder if he’ll be back later today.”

“Probably, considering he lives here.” Nuala was grinning now. And as Elain’s cheeks turned pink, she bit her tongue and stopped her questioning.

***

“Where did you even get this dress?”

“The Lady Morrigan gifted it to you before you left for the mortal lands, she was too late to say goodbye in person so she gave me the package.”

“Oh,” Elain nodded absent-mindedly. “How does Mor know my measurements?”

Nuala just grinned.

“Mor isn’t…talented in gift-giving, but she understands textiles like no other.”

Elain just nodded once more and shifted slightly upon dressing stand.

The dress was unlike anything Elain had ever worn before. The middle Archeron sister typically favoured dresses with full skirts and corseted bodices, all bedecked with lace, ribbon and silk, and paired with fresh flowers in her hair.

The dress she was wearing today just…wasn’t.

“Why am I wearing this again?”

“Because the mortals must understand that whilst High Fae and humans may look similar, you’re not. If you were to go in one of your standard dresses, the humans would see it as an attempt for you to ‘humanise’ yourself. Whilst common ground is important with the mortals, they must still understand that we are different. Do you see this fabric?”

Nuala took a finger and ran it along Elain’s covered shoulder, who nodded in response.

“This fabric is called Didache. It’s only found in the fae-lands, particularly the Autumn Court. It comes from the Dida-bugs of the Burning Caves who produce a fine silk-like fabric that is woven into sheets. It will remind the humans that we are different and yet-” Nuala grinned at her, “-beautiful.”

Elain blushed and nodded. The fabric was a deep forest green and yet, it moved like water. It seemed to always be shifting with the smallest of movements and sometimes, in the light, she could see not one but hundreds of shades of green flowing together, interspersed with threads of gold.

Mor’s ingenuity was shown in the choosing of this dress, as it both demonstrated a stylistic change between fae and mortal wear, and yet Elain was still able to maintain a comfortable modesty that would not outright alarm the humans.

The dress, unlike the flouncy human design, was a tight fit. It began high on her neck and covered her entire body, connecting to her hands via a tie on her middle finger. It cascaded down her body like a second skin, accentuating every dip and curve. Most strange of all was how it clung to her thighs (a sensation Elain was not yet used to) before the fabric flared ever so slightly at the knees and left a small trail of watery, emerald fabric to follow her as she walked.

It was simple, yet a statement.

Elain would’ve hated to wear such a tight dress if, well, she didn’t look so good. She’d been taught her whole life that covering up was natural for women and whilst she certainly wasn’t prepared to wear the kinds of dresses Feyre sported to the Court of Nightmares, this dress seemed to call for her.

“I think Mor had this prepared for you for some time,” Nuala said, pushing the final pin in. The hairstyle hailed from the Day Court Nuala explained as she had coiled Elain’s mass of hair on top of her head whilst leaving large strands to dangle down her shoulders. Brown bands were wrapped around her head and interwoven into her curls were dark green gems that glittered in the light and made it look as though her hair was made of starlight.

It was…beautiful.

“Thank you, Nuala,” Elain said quietly when her friend stepped back to survey her work.

“No problem,” Nuala smiled, “I know it’s not your usual dress, but you truly look like a Fae princess, perhaps even a High Lady.”

Elain reddened and surveyed herself once more in the mirror.

“The others are waiting for you at the stables,” Nuala said suddenly as shadows began to coil from her hair and she extended her hand to Elain.

After peering one more time at her notes on the table, Elain turned and glared at the female she saw in her reflection. With her hair pinned back, her pointed ears were on display, slightly pink at the tips from all her flushing. The dress, the hair, her dark eyes, the flawless skin – Elain was undeniably beautiful. And undeniably fae.

With a sigh, Elain turned and grasped Nuala’s hand before she could think too much about how she looked and all that had changed.

Even if she didn’t know how to play the part of fae, she might as well look it.

***

There was a small bustling crowd around the stables of Lockhart Manor. The stables were placed near the entrance to the woods and the small trail they would follow all the way to Huckleberry Hall.

Letting go of Nuala’s hand, Elain turned to survey the small crowd. There were stable boys and a few guards, and she could even peek Bartholomew speaking rapidly to a woman in a fine dress who was nodding along with interest, Jurian a few paces behind them, looking bored as ever.

No Lucien.

The thought shouldn’t have made Elain’s heart sink as it did. She’d been awake since sunrise, having breakfast in her chambers as Nuala began the prep work for getting her into the dress. And maybe as she watched herself slowly being transformed into a fae princess; she could only think of her mate’s reaction to seeing her in such an outfit.

Turning back around, Elain’s eyes once more fell on the gardener and the woman, now pointing down at the strawberry plants that lined the pathway. It took a few more moments of staring for Elain to realise that she was, in fact, looking at Queen Vassa.

Looking over her shoulder, Elain threw a stare at Nuala who only shrugged in response. Elain turned back. How was Vassa out? The sun was at a midpoint between East and Mid-day, she should be well past her transfiguration by now.

Sighing, Elain practised walking as she made her way over to the Queen. The dress was surprisingly practical, easier to move in than any of her corsets. Instead of restricting her movements, the fabric simply glided over her skin and moved with her, no doubt catching the light as it did and reflecting a thousand shades of green.

“Queen Vassa,” Elain greeted with a small curtsey.

The Queen turned from the gardener to nod at Elain, and Elain saw how Vassa’s eyes caught on her appearance, her eyes flicking up and down her body for a brief moment, her figure seeming to still.

“You look magnificent, Vassa,” Elain smiled, hoping that her compliment was seen as nothing other than a peace offering.

Vassa was sporting a traditional human queen’s gown. The colour was a deep gold with a panel of green and crimson embroidery running up the centre of the dress. There was a low tie hanging on the queen’s slender hips and a heavy crown upon her forehead. She was the image of strength and power, and next to her, Elain felt as though she looked like the evil-fae seductress.

“Forgive me if it’s a crude question but, how are you…”

”Here?” Vassa said drily, raising a brow. Elain forced herself not to flush with embarrassment and just nodded.

Vassa sighed as though she were bored and raised her hand. Elain was unsure what she was supposed to be looking at, there were two rings on her hand and a nice set of manicured nails but-

Then she realised. The ring on her fourth finger was made of black metal and was far too heavy and brutal to be worn by a Queen.

Looking at the ring, Elain felt something coil in her gut. Turning fae had attuned her senses to magic, and thrumming from that ring was a magic that smelt like sickness.

Suddenly, Elain felt herself drifting out of her body, able to look down on herself and Vassa. As she did, she had the distinct feeling of something falling into place.

”It’s a new addition.”

Jurian's voice snapped Elain back into her body with a small gasp. He was slowly stalking up to them, cutting into a fig with his knife as he moved with a predator-like grace. “It seems that Vassa’s keeper sent us a house-warming gift. He’s only two years late.”

“Jurian…” Vassa sighed tiredly, as though she’d had this conversation several times before.

”It seems like our death-Lord, from his lakeside manor, has decided to give our dear Queen the ability to see daylight.”

Elain could only glance between the two, barely able to keep up with their bantering. She was still feeling overwhelmingly nauseous and was trying to avoid looking at the ring directly.

”Don’t worry,” Vassa turned to Elain with a sneer, “I’m not fixed just yet. The ring comes with a cost. Each hour I put off my transformation adds 24 for later.”

”Why not leave it on?” Elain said in a quiet voice, still feeling the earth move underneath her.

”Oh yes, of course, I’m sure Koschei just skipped over that in his master plan,” Vassa snarked. Elain, to her own surprise, rolled her eyes.

“Well, hello princess,” Jurian spoke before Vassa could. He talked as though he hadn’t seen Elain before.

Elain’s skin couldn’t help but prickle as she watched his eyes lapping up her figure with a complete disregard for anything else.

“Jurian,” Elain nodded, trying to drag his eyes up to her own.

“What did we do to deserve this?” His eyes met hers with a wink and then, again, ever so slowly, Jurian’s eyes ran up Elain’s body, lingering slightly on the fabric that was straining over her bountiful chest before meeting her eye. Elain didn’t deem the comment with a retort.

“Leave her be Jurian,” Vassa rolled her eyes before turning to Elain with something that looked like a coy smile. “It’s fun to see them drool, isn’t it?”

Elain, to her surprise, found herself grinning widely and nodding. If she wasn’t mistaken, she and Vassa had just shared a pleasant interaction.

Today was full of surprises.

“And they say we’re the weaker sex.”

Vassa tipped her head back and laughed, and when Elain turned back to Jurian she found him watching the queen intently, something enigmatic in his stare.

“When you’re done with girl-talk, we really must get going,” Jurian rolled his shoulders. Even he appeared dressed in his finest, and Elain wondered just who it was that must’ve pinned him down to drag a comb through his scruffy hair, now flopping back from his, rather handsome, face.

“Last time I checked Jurian, I’m the Queen, I say when we leave.” Vassa pointed a look at the man who only seemed to smile wider at her retort.

“Of course, your majesty…” Jurian rolled the word around in his tongue, “When you’re ready, my queen, I’ll be waiting for you by the gate…possibly awake, possibly napping.”

And with that Jurian turned and strode away, the woman and the female watching his retreating figure strut across the pathway.

“Idiot,” Vassa cursed under her breath before turning back to Elain. “Lucien told me this morning he’ll be arranging your transport. Apparently, we’re not arriving together, Jurian and I will be one unit, you and Lucien another. Just so you know.”

As the Queen spoke her voice steadily grew colder and colder until she was back to how she usually was with Elain, her voice monotone and her eyes bored. Elain just gave a nod and that was enough for the Queen to deem the conversation over as she turned and followed Jurian down the path. As she moved, Elain couldn’t help but notice how she tipped her head back seemed to drink in the sunlight.

Elain was left standing in the middle of a small bustling crowd, many of the guards moving to follow their Queen and keep her safe. And so, Elain went back to her search for her mate.

After searching the crowd, she allowed her eyes to close and for her focus to turn within. It didn’t take long for her to find the bond, as soon as her eyes were shut it was there, glowing bright and gold, a single thread leading from her out ahead.

Angling herself, Elain followed the bond until she heard his heart, strong and steady, filling her ears like the most beautiful drum. Opening her eyes, she saw him.

Lucien was talking to a rather nervous stable boy and Elain was rather thankful for the small chance to ogle him without his awareness.

For one thing, Elain understood the stable boy’s nerves. Lucien looked…powerful.

He was wearing the finest of his fae attire, with fine brown boots and pants, a crisp shirt, a waistcoat and then a riding jacket. Across his chest was a bandolier with an assortment of eccentric knives, all sharpened to deadly perfection. On his hip were two swords, his autumn blade and another blade but made of gold. His hair was unleashed and cascaded down his shoulders and back, and his scar made his fierce expression even more lethal.

Two years ago, Elain would’ve been petrified at such a sight. It was a reminder that Lucien wasn’t her fae prince, that even though he had the makings of a perfect husband there was something darker and more alluring that hung around him.

He was a courtier, a disowned son, a silver-tongued fox. And Elain saw that everyone underestimated him, and that’s what made him most dangerous of all.

But while any fae prince might make Elain’s heart flutter, the sight of Lucien in his most professional, intimidating glory, roused some feeling deep within her gut. It was like her entire body turned electric, and the air between them seemed to crackle as the bond tightened.

Elain watched as Lucien’s brow furrowed and his hand reached surreptitiously to his ribs. Lucien’s eyes were no longer on the stable boy and his rambling, he was looking around – he was looking for her.

Elain saw the moment Lucien laid eyes on her. He stilled, the hand rubbing his ribs going stagnant.

The world seemed to fade away as Elain watched Lucien’s eyes take in her dress. He started by looking at the neck and then, at a tortuously slow pace, his eyes wandered down and down like Jurian.

But where Jurian’s gaze had made her tired and comfortable, Lucien’s seemed to set every nerve in her body alight.

She watched him as he watched her, and she could see him pause on certain parts. Taking in the first full display of her chest, the way the fabric ran seamlessly down her waist before flaring with her hips, and then again at her thighs.

Some part of Elain dared her to turn around, to show him how the dress barely fit over her behind, how the fabric seemed to stretch as it tried to contain the slopes and swells of her body.

She didn’t know where it had come from – but she didn’t want the voice to stop.

Then, Lucien’s eyes were reluctantly dragged upwards and just before they met eyes, Elain saw Lucien’s tongue dart between his lips to wet them. For some reason, Elain had the strongest urge to clench together her thighs.

Lucien moved forward like a predator stalking prey, with a lithe grace that was reminiscent of a snake.

Elain didn’t care for the rest of the world; she just saw him. Maybe it was not seeing him yesterday, but all Elain knew was that now he was nearby, she wasn’t taking her eyes off him for the foreseeable future.

Every step was torture. Every inch closer made the bond thrum and sing with delight.

Lucien came to a stop barely a foot away from her. There was a pause of silence.

“Elain,” His voice was low, gravelly, restrained.

“Lucien,” Elain’s own voice was breathy.

And then Lucien was bending down, leaning in close almost as though he were going to kiss her and Elain – Elain didn’t recoil. When Lucien’s face was inches from her own, his eyes searing into hers, she felt his palm slip into hers. His hand was warm and much, much larger than her own, and Elain felt raw electricity jolt through her at the contact.

With a deliberate, torturous slowness, Lucien raised Elain’s hand to his mouth and placed a single kiss on her knuckles.

Many men had kissed Elain’s hand before, from old to young, bachelors to fiancés. But it had never been like this.

Lucien’s lips on her knuckles was like a promise. It was just lips on the back of her hand – it was entirely inadequate, it was nothing – and that is what made Elain’s body sing.

Lucien’s eyes never left hers, and as he straightened, he didn’t let go of her hand.

“We’re planning on riding to Huckleberry,” Lucien’s voice sounded a bit clearer, but his eyes were still dark and glittering.

“Okay,” was all Elain could manage. But her body was in overdrive, her entire existence being concentrated into the feel of Lucien’s hand in hers. One small touch and she was consumed.

“Oh look! Lucien-” Jurian’s voice swam from somewhere off to the side.

“Vassa, Jurian, you best be headed off now, you don’t want to be late to miss the guards at the northern checkpoint,” Lucien spoke without looking away from Elain, and his voice was full of such a natural command that another pulse of heat ran through her.

Elain distantly heard as Vassa, Jurian and a few guards saddled up and trot out through the gardens into the forest. The world seemed to thin around them, stable boys returning to the Manor, even Nuala evaporated into the air, until all that was left was a grey-haired horse and Lucien, with his hand in Elain’s.

“I thought we might ride together, to present a united front. But if your uncomfortable there’s another horse in the stables saddled and ready to go.” Elain could’ve sworn that as Lucien spoke, his thumb ran across the back of her hand. “It’s also just a way of me making sure your safe.”

“Are you expecting there to be danger at the meeting?”

“No, very few even know of your arrival and the mortals are in too weak a position to attack a visiting fae. I just…for my own peace of mind.”

Remarkably, Lucien seemed bashful as he spoke, his eyes breaking from hers for a moment as he shifted on his feet.

“Oh…alright.” Elain smiled up at him, and it was a peace-offering. The world seemed to still for a moment as Lucien noticed, and his gaze lingered on her lips.

Then he was clearing his throat and turning to lead her to the saddled horse, but he didn’t release his hand, instead, he used it to tug her along, as though he were entirely reluctant to let go.

“The journey is significantly shorter on horseback; we should be there in around 15 minutes.”

Lucien eventually reluctantly let go of Elain’s hand as he hoisted himself up and onto the horse.

Elain could only watch. Watch as he set himself astride the saddle, watch how his thighs – how had Elain never notices his thighs before – clenched as he seated himself upright. Watch as he flicked his hair back over his shoulder, his muscles somehow flexing through the layers of his shirt and jacket. Watch as he extended his hand to her.

Elain frowned down at her dress as a thought struck her.

“Oh…I don’t think I’ll be able to ride anything in this dress.”

Elain felt rather than saw Lucien go still.

Looking up from the green fabric, she allowed herself to assess him. Lucien’s muscles seemed to be standing on end, his delicious thighs clenched so that the tendons stood to attention. His hands were fisted into the reigns and his knuckles had turned white with his grip.

Most intoxicating of all, was Lucien’s eyes. They were glazed over and distant, as though Lucien were thinking of something intently. Or rather, picturing.

And then Elain saw it.

It was from a distant perspective and the first thing she saw was Lucien, with his browning skin on display as he laid on his back across pale sheets. His beautifully muscled legs were exposed and tensed, his torso nothing but streamline muscles, his arms bare and glorious as they tightened as he gripped onto the figure astride him. He looked so…undone, with his red hair spilling across the sheets, his face furrowed, and his mouth parted with pleasure.

The female astride Elain’s mate had her head thrown back, her golden-brown curls bouncing along with her breasts as she bobbed wildly on top of him. Elain couldn’t hear them – couldn’t hear the moans that she saw rippling from her own mouth.

Then, the pace changed, instead of desperate jerky movements, Lucien and the female’s body slowed into an easy rhythm, each of their bodies rolling together with a trained precision. She could see Lucien’s mouth moving as he spoke breathily to the female, pulling her down so their foreheads touched. She watched as his eyes grew hungrier, how the rolling gave way to thrusting, how he took two fingers and pushed them into the female’s mouth and how she sucked enthusiastically before releasing them with a ‘pop’, how Lucien then dragged those two fingers down her body, slowly, before pushing them down to where they were joined and beginning to rub against her in slow, languid circles-

The horse grunted, and Elain jumped.

All of a sudden she came back into her body, it was as though someone had been holding her windpipe and abruptly let go. Her knees felt weak, her mouth dry, and for a moment, she could barely remember her own name, never mind where she was.

“We’ll winnow.”

Lucien was in front of her now, having gotten down off the mare whilst her mind was elsewhere. He was now fiddling with the buckles on the straddle before a stable boy took the reins.

Elain looked up at him dry-mouthed. Did he know what she’d just seen? Was she even…had there been a shift in her scent? Fear tinged with excitement plunged through her.

“You okay?” Lucien murmured; his eyes concerned as they roved over her face. It looked like he almost reached for her hand again.

Elain didn’t trust her voice and could only nod in response. Lucien seemed to assess her for another moment before he held out his arm, ever the courtier. The female looked out at the stables as she wrapped her hand around his bicep, trying to ignore how the muscles shifted and tensed under her fingertips.

“Right, well…let’s go.”

As Elain closed her eyes and held her breath to prepare for the twisting sensation of winnowing, she could on think of one thing.

Elain had just had a vision; she still had her powers.

#elucien #elain #elain archeron #elain x lucien #elain and lucien #elain/lucien #lucien #lucien vanserra #elucien fic #elucien fluff #lucien x elain #lucien and elain #lucien/elain #elain acotar #elain acomaf #elain acofas #elain acosf #elain acowar #acotar #fffaf

[cherienymphe]

Daddy Dearest (Steve Rogers x Reader)

This is my entry for @kellyn1604 5K Writing Challenge. I chose quote #3: “You complete me” (Jerry Maguire, 1996).

WARNINGS: NON-CON! {IF THIS OFFENDS YOU PLEASE DNI! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED}

Summary: You’re a single mother who’s new to town. Steve Rogers has convinced himself that he’s exactly what you and your son need.

~

You set the heavy plant down with a groan, doing your best not to crack the ceramic pot it was in. You straightened, brushing your fingers along your hairline, frowning when they came back damp. You glanced up at the sky and noticed that the sun was beginning to make its way over your head. You were thankful that you’d gotten up as early as you did, relieved that you would beat the heat after all.

It was always so hot here, and while your last place of residence was definitely no Alaska or anything, the heat you’d endured before was at least bearable. You sighed, brushing your hands along your white sundress just as a soft gurgle sounded from beside you. You glanced at your son, familiar eyes staring back at you as he watched you attempt to organize something akin to a greenhouse together.

“Mommy’s almost done,” you assured him.

He beat his tiny hands against the stroller with a smile, and you returned it. You turned to grab the last potted plant when you heard voices near the front of your house. You frowned, briefly squinting over your shoulder before continuing your task. Your son cooed again, beating his hands against the stroller with a laugh, but you brushed it off. However, when you straightened, plant in hand, you were met with the sight of a tall broad figure standing before you.

With a shriek, your hands lost their grip, but before the pot could fall and break, the stranger exhibited some impressive reflexes and caught it. You stumbled away in fear, closer to your son, when you paused. Your eyes met his and you tilted your head in confusion. Awe filled you as you realized that you knew that face. Practically everyone in America did.

“Ma’am,” he greeted, as polite as his reputation preceded.

“C-Captain,” you responded, immediately cursing yourself. “Captain America.”

He cracked a small, almost bashful, smile at your correction.

“You can just call me Steve,” he replied, and you nodded.

There was a brief awkward silence in which you just stared at him, unsure of what to say or even how to act. He was taller than you’d thought he’d be, and it took you by surprise as you found yourself struggling hold his gaze. Why was he here?

“You want this here?” he asked, gesturing to the table you were trying to lift the plant onto.

“Please,” you breathed, and he paused for the briefest of moments at your response before placing it down.

When he turned back around you were standing closer to your son, a hand placed on his stroller. The blond Avenger’s smile widened as his eyes landed on him, and it blinded you. He took a step forward.

“…and who’s this little man?”

“This is my son, Leo. He just turned 1,” you replied, in disbelief that you were introducing Steve Rogers to your son.

“He’s beautiful,” he said and the sincerity there took you by surprise.

He tore his eyes away from him only to rest them on you as he placed his hands on his hips.

“I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m here…”

You nodded, squinting up at him.

“A few members of our team and I are doing some reconnaissance in the next city over. We’re laying low here in the meantime,” he explained.

That made sense. The next city over was big and lively, full of people attracted to that kind of lifestyle, and you were sure every single person there would learn of the presence of Captain America in no time. It would make their job a lot harder, no doubt. The town you lived in was small, only about 1,000 people residing in it, but everyone kind of kept to themselves. It was a town people came to when they wanted to hide.

“I’m here with you because of an incident that took place some weeks ago.”

You frowned, fingers clenching around the handle of your son’s stroller as you processed his words. His eyebrows were furrowed, eyes apologetic as if the last thing he wanted to do was discuss this with you. You cleared your throat, a chill passing through you.

“Is it…is it related? To what you’re doing,” you clarified.

He nodded.

“We think it is, ma’am.”

You swallowed, pushing your son along as you glanced over your shoulder at your visitor.

“Why don’t you come inside?”

 ~

“Do you want anything to drink?”

“No, thank you,” he answered with a shake of his head.

You closed the fridge, leaning against your counter with your son on your hip. Steve Rogers was sitting at your little kitchen table, his large frame making it, and your kitchen, look so much smaller. You could hardly believe it. You glanced around with a grimace.

“I’m sorry the place is such a mess,” you apologized.

“No need to be sorry. Your neighbor told me that you just moved here,” Steve said, arms folded over his chest.

“We’ve been here for a few weeks. That’s more than enough time to get this place together. I just…”

He sighed when you trailed off, straightening in the chair as he rested his hands in his lap.

“You were kidnapped when you first got to the area, about fifteen minutes away from here,” he gently began.

You nodded, clutching Leo to you. It was the scariest day of your life, and the entire time all you could think about was Leo.

“One of my tires blew, and I had gotten out to change it when it happened. Leo was in the car, and they…they left him. The police found my car and him on the side of the road not too long after. They told me that aside from some mild thirst, Leo was fine. It took two days for them to find me, and I guess my kidnappers had gotten a tip or something, because they cleared out in a hurry only minutes before the police broke into wherever they were keeping me,” you explained, talking about the incident for the first time in weeks.

Steve looked at you sadly, leaning forward now.

“…and you didn’t see a face? Recognize a voice?”

“Nothing,” you shook your head. “I wasn’t of much help to the police either when they asked these questions.”

He stood, nearing you as you looked up at him.

“Don’t be sorry about that. It isn’t your fault. I just wanted to compare your story to some others.”

Horror struck you.

“Others? There are other girls who…?”

“There are. I can’t disclose any details, but I just wanted to hear your experience from you,” he confirmed, keeping his voice low.

Leo was dozing now, and you placed your hand on the back of his head, trembling.

“Do you think I should leave?”

Steve shook his head.

“No. You’re perfectly safe with us here. We won’t leave without taking care of this. I promise,” he assured.

You sighed in relief, smiling at him as he gazed at you.

“Thank you. I feel like I can finally start resting easy, now. I haven’t gotten much sleep since it happened, and raising a 1 year old doesn’t exactly help,” you confessed, walking him to the door.

“You’ll have nothing to worry about from now on. It was nice meeting you…”

You chuckled and resisted the urge to roll your eyes.

“I’m positive you already know my name.”

Steve smiled.

“I do, but it wasn’t given with your permission.”

You felt your face get hot at not only how gentlemanly he was being, but at the way he looked at you. He was giving you his undivided attention, and you hadn’t been looked at like that in a while.

“(Y/N),” you introduced yourself.

“(Y/N),” he repeated, with a nod. “Nice to meet you.”

 ~

There was a knock on your door, and your heart skipped a beat as you almost dropped the picture frame you were holding. You glanced at Leo, sleeping peacefully in his playpen before standing and making your way to the door. You were hesitant as you unlocked the door. Since you came to town the only visitors you had had been the police, and that was only twice.

You cracked it open, blinking in surprise before smiling.

“Steve,” you greeted, opening the door and unlocking the screen. “What are you doing here?”

He looked around, almost worriedly, as he stepped past you. His blue eyes were cold.

“I just wanted to check in on you.”

You frowned, not liking the way he said that.

“Is something happening?”

You always thought it was irrational, but you could never help but to fear that your kidnappers would come back for you. You knew that sex trafficking was becoming more and more common, and you were an easy target. A single mother with no relatives in a small town. It was why you hardly left the house.

He looked at you, taking in your stricken expression before briefly rubbing his hand along your arm, face softening.

“No. I told you, you won’t have anything to worry about anymore,” he replied, taking in the mess.

You chuckled, stepping over some toys.

“I finally decided to start putting all of this stuff away. Sorry-.”

“Stop apologizing,” he gently replied. “Let me help you…”

Your eyes widened.

“No, I can’t ask that of you. I should’ve had all of this done weeks ago and…,” you trailed off when he brushed his hand along your shoulder.

You watched him sit down on the floor beside an unopened box.

“You’re going to keep apologizing,” he said with a chuckle. “Besides, I want to help.”

You hesitated, before dropping to your knees with a small sigh.

“Okay,” you relented, and he smirked, because you both knew that you didn’t have much choice in the matter anyway.

You should have found it odd that Steve Rogers was on your living room floor, helping you unpack and tidy up your house, but you didn’t. He was a good man, a hero. It was quiet but not uncomfortable, and you were sure it was because of who he was. After all, he was still a stranger, Captain America or not, but he didn’t feel like a stranger.

“What is it?” you asked, catching him glancing at you once in a while.

He pursed his lips, a thoughtful expression on his face that you’d seen on the news plenty of times.

“It was just you and your son during the incident, and it was just you and your son the other day…,” he trailed off, and you looked down.

You knew what he was getting at, and he probably didn’t want to be rude and come out and ask. You set down the dishes you’d just unwrapped before sighing.

“I don’t know where his father is,” you confessed.

Steve frowned, rearing back a bit before you continued.

“We were happy. At least…I thought that we were,” you began with a shrug. “When I told him about the pregnancy, he was ecstatic to be a father and then when I was four months along, I woke up one morning and he was gone. All of his stuff was gone, and his phone kept going straight to voicemail. I never saw him again.”

Steve’s face was taught, jaw clenched as he stared at you with wide eyes. He didn’t respond at first, turning his head away as he heaved a heavy sigh.

“That’s horrible,” he eventually said, and you noticed the way his hands clenched into fists.

“Hey,” you said, placing your hand on his arm, drawing his attention back to you. “I know that things were very different in your day, but it happens.”

“Is that supposed to make it okay?” he thundered, and you were taken aback by his anger.

You heard Leo stir a bit before going back to sleep.

“No, it doesn’t,” you sighed. “…but I made my peace with it a long time ago.”

“You had to have been terrified…,” he wondered, his hand coming up to graze your own.

“I was,” you confirmed. “Especially since I had burned so many bridges to be with him. My family didn’t exactly approve, and in the end, I guess they saw something I was blinded to.”

“Don’t do that. Don’t blame yourself,” he angrily replied, shaking his head. “You’re…wonderful.”

“You don’t even know me,” you nervously chuckled. “I could be the world’s worst mother-.”

“You raised him all on your own, (Y/N). He’s beautiful and healthy and you did that by yourself for a year. You shouldn’t have had to.”

You didn’t know what to say, especially with how he was looking at you. It had just been you and Leo for so long, and while you knew you always did the best you could, it felt nice to have someone acknowledge it. It had been hard, harder than it should have been due to your ex’s abrupt absence.

“Thank you,” you whispered, surprised at how hoarse you sounded.

Steve reached out to brush his hand along your cheek, and you were embarrassed. You hadn’t realized you’d started crying.

“God, I’m sorry,” you sniffed. “I shouldn’t have dumped all of that on you.”

You stood with a chuckle just as Leo began to stir again, and this time you knew he was awake for good. You crossed the room, leaning over to pick him up just as he began to cry. You shushed him as you turned back to Steve, finding his intense gaze already on you.

“He’s probably hungry. That’s the only time he ever wakes up in a bad mood,” you explained.

You approached him, eyebrows raised.

“Do you want to hold him while I fix his food?”

You held in a laugh as Steve blanched.

“Are you sure?”

“You’re Captain America. I’d probably trust him more in your hands than I do my own,” you joked, handing him over.

You sharply inhaled as you watched him cradle Leo, your son looking so small in his big arms.

“He looks…so much like you,” he murmured, distracted.

“Yeah, that is one thing I’m grateful for. I can’t see his father in him, at all, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d think I conceived him all by myself.”

You walked past him, hearing his light steps behind you as he followed you into the kitchen. His presence was calming as you moved about, and you looked over your shoulder to see him looking around with a frown.

“What is it?” you asked, pausing in your task, tilting your head at him.

He shook his head.

“Nothing,” he murmured, turning back to your son.

You furrowed your brows but brushed it off before turning back around. It wasn’t long before you heard a low humming sound, the familiar coos of your son reaching your ears soon after.

 ~

“Steve…I can’t take this,” you refused, shaking your head.

He rolled his eyes, brushing past you and into your home, and you sighed.

“Steve,” you protested, but to no avail.

You watched as he began emptying the grocery bags, filling your cabinets and refrigerator with food. You opted to choose your battles, and simply set about helping him. You glanced at him with a small frown.

For the past week or so he’d stopped by almost every day. The two of you would talk as he helped you unpack, and you were grateful because you only had a couple of more boxes left. He’d always play with Leo, occupying him while you made his food, and then you’d talk some more.

It was only recently when he started…broadening his help. He’d bring groceries by and work on things around the house that needed fixing. Hell, thanks to him your greenhouse was actually a functioning greenhouse, now. You were grateful, so grateful, but sometimes…

He turned to look at you as he out the last of the groceries away, and you swallowed.

Sometimes he looked at you in a way that confused you. It was a look that was so intense, you didn’t know how to feel about it. Your ex hadn’t even looked at you that way before.

“Steve, you…you’re doing more than enough for me. Really…”

You’d had this conversation before, and every time it was the same thing.

“I want to help you,” was his simple response every time.

You frowned, crossing your arms over your chest with a huff.

“Do you…do you pity me?”

It was a thought that constantly plagued you, and you hated it. He blinked, and you would have found his reaction adorable if you weren’t under the impression that you were just a charity case.

“No,” he said, sounding almost offended.

“Leo and I have been doing fine, and I don’t want your help if it’s just-.”

You cut yourself off as he took your hands in his, staring down at you with a small sad smile.

“I see a young woman who was left in a difficult situation, and I want to help her. Not because I pity her, but because she’s a wonderful mother who I think deserves the world,” he explained.

There was so much conviction there, and while anyone else probably would have swooned, it just made you slightly uncomfortable. You slowly tore your hands away, glancing away as he frowned.

“Steve…you aren’t Leo’s father, and you don’t have to try and make up for what he did. We’re fine,” you assured him. “Besides, Leo is…he adores you, and what’s going to happen a few weeks from now when you have to leave?”

He exhaled, crossing his arms over his chest, almost like a child.

“I could stick around for a while,” he offered.

You gave him a reproachful look.

“Steve…”

“I might be here longer than you think. Don’t think about that, right now,” he said with a small smile.

You didn’t return it, instead watching him as he began checking your windows and doors.

“I have to leave for a few days, maybe four at the most,” he told you.

“Oh,” you said, hoping the relief in your voice wasn’t too obvious.

“I might send someone to look out for you, so don’t be alarmed if you see an Avenger in your front lawn at night.”

You opened your mouth to protest but decided against it. You simply nodded, watching him grab a pan before turning on your stove. You bit your lip, swallowing a complaint.

 ~

He was right. During the days that he was gone, you would look out of your window at night to find an unfamiliar figure standing in front of your house. There were no lights near your house, and it was always too dark to see who it could be. You pursed your lips, shaking your head as you let the curtain fall back into place before taking Leo upstairs.

Steve Rogers was just being Steve Rogers. That was what you told yourself. He was Captain America, the poster boy for good Samaritans and every parents’ wet dream everywhere. He was only trying to help, and you just weren’t used to help. You weren’t used to people like him, and because of that, you were just acting like a bitch. That had to be it.

What sane person would be annoyed by all that he was doing for you?

It was the third day without him when your cell phone rang. You answered it without thinking, only for your mouth to fall open in shock as the other person on the line began to speak. They confirmed your name and you responded that it was indeed you. Thus, began the explanation for the call.

Your ex, Leo’s father, had been found dead. He had never told you much about his family, and the woman on the phone confirmed they weren’t able to get in touch with any relatives. It seemed that he hadn’t updated his emergency contact after leaving you, and so you were who they had to call. You swallowed as you hung up the phone, unsure of how to feel.

That was how Steve found you when he knocked on your door two hours later. You answered it in a daze, barely acknowledging him as you let him in.

“(Y/N),” he called in a firm voice that startled you from your trance.

You blinked at him, realizing that he’d probably been calling you for a minute. His face was wrought with confusion and worry as he gazed at you.

“My ex is…dead. Nathan. That was his name,” you mumbled, slowing sinking onto your couch.

Steve crossed the room to lift Leo into his arms, the infant placing a hand on the man’s cheek.

“How do you know?” he asked, almost demanded.

You look up at him.

“Apparently I was still listed as his emergency contact. They weren’t able to get in touch with any relatives either.”

He studied you with a frown, eyes roaming over your frozen form.

“You seem upset by the news,” he observed.

Was it just you…or did he sound almost disapproving?

“Well, we had been together for nearly two years before… No matter how things ended between us, when we were together, he wasn’t just my boyfriend. He was also my friend.”

“Friends don’t do what he did to you.”

You huffed, getting a bit irritated by his callous tone.

“I know that, but I never got closure. I was forced to move on and make peace with everything, because I was given no other choice, and now I’ll never get it. I’ll never know why he just up and left-.”

“Why do you want to? He was a coward. He didn’t want to take responsibility for his actions,” he argued.

“I know that, but-.”

“If you know that then why are you bothered by this news?”

“Steve, I loved him…for years. Can I not grieve over this?” you asked him, genuinely confused and taken aback by his behavior.

He simply looked away from you, rocking Leo as he smiled at him.

“So, who’s going to deal with arrangements?”

“I…I don’t know. I suppose that would fall to me, but the phone call came all the way from California. I don’t know what to do,” you murmured. “They didn’t even say how he died.”

Steve ignored you, walking into the kitchen. You frowned as you heard him fiddling around in there, and you surmised that he was going to start cooking. There was that feeling again, that feeling that made you feel like a bitch. This wasn’t his house…

 ~

You slammed the door shut behind you with an irritated sigh. Leo was quiet, simply resting on your hip as you locked the door. You had just set him down, barely getting your jacket off when a knock sounded on your door. You swallowed another sigh, resisting the urge to groan, because you already knew who was on the other side.

Since he’d been back, a day hadn’t gone by when Steve didn’t show up to help around the house and play with your son. The conversations that followed after the one about your ex were filled with…tension. Maybe that wasn’t the right word for it. You couldn’t put your finger on it, but you just felt like you’d disappointed Steve in some way. He’d been borderline short with you, only genuinely smiling when he interacted with Leo.

Steve knocked again, and this time you did sigh.

You weren’t in the mood to deal with him. Far from it, in fact.

You’d finally decided to see what you could do about the arrangements for your ex. You’d been prepared to drive to the next city over and see if you could get a plane ticket or something. You had money saved up, and with Steve helping out around the house as of late, there was no need to dip into your savings. However, your car wouldn’t start. You turned the key until your fingers ached, but nothing would give. You always took care of your car if you didn’t take care of anything else. Now, you would have to spend money to get it looked at.

You were brought out of your reverie by the sound of your door opening. You frowned, realizing that while you hadn’t locked the screen, you’d most definitely locked the other door. Your mouth parted as Steve let himself in, a key in hand as he shut the door behind him. He looked worried as he approached you.

“Why didn’t you answer the door?” he asked, reaching for your face.

You swallowed and took a step back, eyeing him.

“Where did you get that?” you asked, gesturing to the key in his hand as you ignored his question.

His mouth fell into a straight line as he walked over to Leo.

“I had one made,” was his simple response.

Your frown deepened, and you strode over to him, taking Leo from him. You looked him up and down before taking a step back. You briefly closed your eyes, realizing that you were indeed about to be the ungrateful bitch who was about to tell Captain America to stop helping her.

“Steve...we need to talk…”

He straightened, looking down his nose at you as he waited for you to continue.

“First of all, I want you to know that I do appreciate all of your help. You have been an absolute saint, you have no idea, but…”

You looked away, unable to hold his intense gaze as you kept going.

“You’re suffocating me. I know that you’ve taken a liking to Leo and you feel like I deserve everything you’ve been doing for me and more, but it’s starting to make me uncomfortable. Steve, you had a key made without my permission,” you said, gesturing to it. “You’re temporary. You’ve been here for nearly a month and I’m sure whatever you and your team are working on has to be ending sooner rather than later.”

Steve said nothing, simply watching you as you ranted.

“Leo is going to start expecting your company. Hell, even I might start expecting you to be around all the time and that’s not something I want to get used to, because it isn’t true. You’re sweet, really you are, but Leo and I are fine. You don’t need to come around all the time.”

He didn’t immediately respond, simply staring at you with an unreadable expression. His eyebrows suddenly furrowed before nodding.

“I see,” was all he said.

“I know I’m coming off as ungrateful-.”

“No, no,” he said, placing his hand on your shoulder. “If I’m making you uncomfortable, then maybe I am overstepping.”

He placed the key in your hand, almost reluctantly.

“You’re right. We won’t be here much longer, and I guess I never thought about the affect it would have on the two of you when I’m no longer around. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” you murmured.

He reached up, brushing his fingers along your cheek. You flinched, involuntarily, but he noticed, and his eyes hardened for the briefest of moments before sighing. He stepped away.

“I’ll go.”

Your heart sank, and part of you felt like maybe you were being too harsh. You followed him to the door, Leo cooing in your ear.

“Steve, I… I really am thankful for everything. I promise I am,” you assured him.

He looked at you with a small smile, halfway out of the door.

“I know you are.”

You pressed your hand to the door as it shut behind him, staring at it for a moment before taking Leo upstairs for a bath.

 ~

It was sometime in the night when you were woken up by a procession of knocks on your front door. You stumbled down the stairs, half asleep, realizing too late that you weren’t exactly dressed to answer the door. However, considering how late it was, you were sure it was either a case of mistaken identity so to speak or someone needing to use a phone. It was a small town, after all.

You opened the door, surprised to discover who was on the other side. Although, maybe you shouldn’t have been. You’d seen more of him than you had anyone else since you first moved to town. You grimaced, half of your frame hidden behind the door as you pressed your chest against it, hand clutching the side of it.

“Steve,” you breathed. “What are you doing here? It’s late.”

You would be lying if you said you weren’t a bit nervous.

Steve Rogers may have been America’s golden boy, holding true to that the past month or so, but his suffocating presence had been starting to wear on you. It was what had sparked the conversation you’d had with him hours earlier. The conversation where you had to find a gentle way to convey to him that you needed him to back off.

You knew that he meant well, and it was why you were so reluctant to have that talk with him, but… Part of you believed that Steve was getting a bit too attached. That maybe he thought there was something going on here, more than what really was.

“I know. I was in the area, doing some recon when I thought about our talk. Can I come in?”

The question was innocent enough, especially coming from Captain America of all people, but you didn’t feel right about letting him in. You didn’t know why.

“Steve, it’s late. I’ve already put Leo to bed and-.”

“I didn’t want to leave here without talking this out. I’m sorry if I’ve made you uncomfortable, that was never my intentions,” he softly replied.

You pursed your lips, studying him.

You believed him.

After all, you’d only known him to always try and do the right thing, and while you never wanted to say it aloud, you and your son did need help. Steve had been nothing but a saint to you. Maybe it was your own issues and trauma that made you hesitant. Maybe you were reading too much into things and Steve just genuinely wanted to help you in any way he could. He was from a different time, and maybe he didn’t view his behavior the way you did. Maybe you were just being a bitch.

You gazed at him and sighed. His eyebrows were furrowed, blue eyes focused on you with a look of concern that was oh so familiar. Why oh why were you always pushing people away?

“Okay,” you relented.

The corners of his mouth lifted into a small smile as you reached over and unlocked the screen door. You moved out of the way as he came inside, shutting the door behind him with a resounding click. You pulled on your t-shirt, the end of it brushing the top of your knees as you turned to face him.

“I only ever wanted to look out for you…”

You sighed, sitting down.

“I know that,” you quietly replied.

He sat down beside you, facing you as he continued.

“You were right. I was trying to make up for what Leo’s father did to you. It…it tormented me, (Y/N).”

He scooted closer to you, his clothed knees brushing your bare ones.

“I know that I woke up in a completely different world than the one I left when I went into the ice. I know that, but sometimes I still come across things that disgust me. That make me angry enough to kill, and hearing how he just up and left you and your son like that…”

He looked away with a sigh.

“I understand, Steve. It made me angry too, and I get how you got a little carried away, but you don’t need to make up for anything.”

He shook his head.

“I was raised to take care of my girl. That’s how it was… If you were blessed enough to get a beautiful girl you’d do anything for, you looked out for her.”

You chuckled with a shake of your head, brushing his words off.

“That’s really sweet, Steve, but I’m not your girl and you aren’t Leo’s father. You don’t owe us anything…”

He suddenly took your hands into his own, and you frowned. He leaned in, tightening his grip as he smiled at you.

“…but you could be. You could be my girl, and I could be Leo’s father,” he proposed.

Your eyes widened and you reared back.

“Steve…”

“You need me. You said it yourself that you were so thankful for all of my help…”

“Yes, but-!”

“I could be around all the time. You need a man around the house to take care of you and Leo,” he continued, bringing one hand up to rest on your neck, thumb brushing along your jaw.

You heart felt like it was going to burst from your chest. You felt sick.

“No, I-. Steve. You barely even know me, and I hardly know you. Besides, I don’t think I’ll be ready for another relationship for a long time. I just want to focus on Leo, right now.”

“I do know you, (Y/N). You’re so sweet…and polite…and beautiful. You’re a wonderful mother to him, a perfect mother. You’re perfect for me,” he pressed, scooting closer as you moved back.

“No-.”

“You are. You are,” he murmured, leaning in and pressing his lips against yours.

You turned your head away with a frown, pushing against him.

“From the first moment I saw you, I thought to myself that you looked like an angel in that white dress, feet bare and dirt on your forehead. You were so adorable, and Leo was right there with you. He laughed when he first saw me, you know. He loved me,” he whispered, turning you to face him.

You beat your fists against his chest, but you might as well had been hitting a brick wall for all the good it did you.

“When I came out of the ice, I thought I’d never find a girl who was so right for me in this day and age. A sweet girl who wanted a family… I thought I’d spend so much of my time on this earth alone. I was wrong. You complete me,” he said in between fierce kisses.

You finally pulled away with a gasp, slipping from in between him before sprinting to the other side of the room. He frowned up at you, and you frantically looked around the room.

“(Y/N), you can focus on Leo. I can take care of everything, and you and Leo can spend all day with each other. You can devote all of your time to him just like you do now,” he said, standing.

Your legs were shaking as you backed away from him, hand sliding along the wall as you eyed him with tears in your eyes. You’d always noticed how big he was, but it was never more glaring than it was in this moment. He could do anything to you, and you’d be powerless to stop him.

“Steve, p-please. You’re scaring me,” you whispered.

“I can love you the way Nathan never did. I will never abandon you like he did,” he whispered, approaching you like a lion would prey.

“Steve…Steve, I thought you were my friend,” you pleaded, stumbling back towards the kitchen.

His frown deepened.

“I am. I am your friend…and I’m in love with you…”

“No,” you denied, shaking your head as the room began to spin.

“I am. I will always protect you and Leo. You’ll want for nothing. I’ll protect you both from anyone who wants to harm you. You’ll be completely safe with me.”

“Steve…stop,” you begged. “Please.”

“We finished our mission a week ago. We found those men who took you, and I made it so they’d never harm you again,” he confessed.

Your eyes widened at that.

“What?”

“I took care of Nathan too. He got what he deserved for abandoning you like that…”

You halted all movement, staring at him as your stomach twisted into knots. A chill passed down your spine, and you were certain that you were going to throw up.

“Do you know that he was married? He abandoned you so easily and moved on like it was nothing only to give someone else what he should have given you,” he spat, eyes hardening.

A few tears skipped down your cheeks, and then you turned. You ran into the kitchen, almost tripping over the chair as you sprinted past the table. You faced him, hand reaching for a knife as he walked into the kitchen. There was only a table between you, and you released a shaky breath as you raised your arm.

“Please don’t make me do this,” you cried.

Steve looked at you with pity, as if you needed help.

“Just leave. I won’t tell anyone about what you did, I swear,” you promised.

Steve huffed, arms flexing, and you looked between him and the kitchen doorway.

“(Y/N),” he warned.

You ran around the other side of the table, shoving it against his legs before turning the corner. You slid and landed on your side, immediately pushing yourself to your knees as you climbed the stairs. You’d only made it halfway up when his hand closed around your ankle. You shrieked as your chin harshly met one of the steps, kicking out at him as he began to pull you down.

You slammed the knife into the wood, hanging on with an iron grip as one of his hands dug into your waist.

“Steve, please,” you shrieked, screaming when he successfully pulled you down.

The two of you landed at the bottom in a heap, and he wasted no time in pinning you beneath him.

Just then the two of you heard a faint noise, and you knew the commotion had stirred Leo. You struggled beneath Steve, fighting to get to your son, but he wouldn’t let up. A few more moments passed by before it was quiet again, and you knew Leo had fallen back asleep. Steve turned his head to face you, and the tears spilled over all over again.

His chest was heaving against yours, jaw clenched as he ran his eyes over you. You flinched as he reached up to brush his fingers down the side of your face, blue eyes drinking you in.

“We need to be quiet,” he softly said, one of his hands trailing down your body.

You started to buck against him, so much fear coursing through you it made your head spin. His fingers danced along your exposed thigh.

“No, no, no,” you murmured.

He pressed his face into your neck, shushing you.

“We have to be quiet. We don’t want to wake him up, do we?”

You let your head fall back to the floor with a soft thud, defeated. How did you not see it? How did things escalate so far without you noticing? Where did you go wrong?

A loud tearing sound pulled you back to reality, and you cried when the cool air hit your naked core. His fingers were suddenly there, working against you and spreading heat through your stomach.

“Steve,” you begged, reaching down to grip his wrist.

“Let me take care of you,” he said just before sliding down your shaking frame.

Your mouth opened in a silent scream when his mouth descended over the most sensitive part of you. Your hand gripped his head for leverage, digging into his scalp in an attempt to get him off. He simply grabbed your hands and intertwined his fingers with your own. You bit your lip at the pleasure that coursed through you, unsurprised when you tasted blood.

You hadn’t been touched like this in two years, and the abruptness of it all was messing with your mind. You squeezed Steve’s hand, vision blurring as you were positive you were crushing his head with your thighs. Your back arched off of the floor, chest heaving and feet flailing as he thrust his tongue inside of you with vigor. You were almost there, breath hitching as you climbed, but right before you hit the peak, he pulled away.

You fell back to the floor with a groan, turning to get away from him just as his hands lowered to his pants. You crawled across the floor on shaky legs as you reached out to your phone on the couch. Your fingers just barely brushed against it when his hands were on your hips, pushing them to the floor. You gasped as his chest pressed against your back, pinning you between him and the hard floor.

“Steve…Steve, please,” you panted.

You twisted beneath him, legs kicking as he forced himself between your legs. One of his hands pressed into the side of your head, preventing you from moving while the other dragged the tip of his cock along your entrance.

“Let me take care of you, (Y/N),” he almost begged. “Let me take care of you.”

You squeaked when he slid inside of you, hands reaching out to claw against the floor. You sobbed as he thrust inside of you, hand fisted into your hair as soft grunts escaped his lips. You tried to push yourself up onto your elbows, but he was there, leaning down and pushing you back down in the process.

“You’re going to be so happy with me,” he whispered, lips brushing along your ear. “I’m going to be so good to Leo, and when you’re ready, we’ll have another. We’ll give him someone to play with.”

“No,” you moaned, reaching up to dig your nails into his arm.

“Yes,” he hissed, one of his hands coming around to grip your throat, holding you in place as he fucked you. “Can’t you see it?”

You frantically shook your head.

“You’ll be so beautiful, big and round, outside in your bare feet. I’ll build you the biggest greenhouse you want, ten times the size of the one you have, now. I’m going to give you everything you want,” he murmured, dragging his cock in and out of your slick walls.

You gasped, realizing that spots were appearing in your vision. You hit his hand, but he paid you no mind.

“You need me. You need me to take care of you…”

His voice was fading, and you squeaked, attempting to speak his name, but nothing came out. You clenched around him, the sounds of his grunts getting louder reached your ears just as you lost consciousness.

 ~

When you came to, Leo was crying. The familiar sound cracked through your subconscious, and you woke with a start. You were still on the living room floor, prone in front of the couch, but there was a thick quilt thrown over you. You blinked, taking note of your sore throat as you realized that Steve was nowhere to be found.

Leo quieted, and you struggled to sit up, bringing the quilt with you as you clutched it to your chest. You heard footsteps on the stairs and looked up to gaze at Steve as he descended them, Leo in his arms as Steve crooned at him. Your fingers tightened on the cover, staring at the Avenger in fear.

“It’s okay,” he shushed, pressing his lips to your son’s forehead. “Daddy’s got you.”

Tags: @naee-twice @captainchrisstan @xoxabs88xox @mcudarklibrary

#steve rogers x reader #steve rogers #dark fic

[reikaidetective]

Roommates AU HCs

Kurama owns the house and it is in the same neighborhood as his mother's.

Kuronue was the first to move in, and was the reason Kurama moved out of his city central apartment in the first place. (Coming back to life after centuries isn't easy)

Hanko was next to move in. She wanted out of the home she was in and Kurama offered her a room to rent. 

Yukina is a recent addition, and a desperately needed one. She helps around the house without complaint, much to Kurama's relife, and helps balance out the otherwise chaotic energies. 

Yukina asked Kurama herself if he had room for her after confiding in Hiei about wanting to move closer to her human friends. 

Hiei often pops in and out and will either leave before he is ready to sleep or crashes in Kurama's room. Is rarely injured when he comes over but expect comotion if he is. Kuronue will tease him relentlessly about not being strong enough.

Vi lives next door, sharing a fence on the west side of Kurama's property. (Both homes face south)

Vi moved to the neighborhood by chance after he last lease was up and was the one to tell Kurama about his future property being for sale. 

When first moving in Vi was shocked to find Shiori at the local market a few blocks down the road. When she told Kurama he was perplexed she didn't remember his mother lived in that subdivision as she had visited twice before with him. 

Kuronue never does his own laundry and often leaves it on the floor. 

Kuronue can't get a sleep schedule down. He's either up all night or sleeps intermittently. May have some Insomnia problems. 

Does not have a traditional bed. He hates them.

Kuronue burns anything he cooks so he only snacks unless someone else is cooking. Will also steal food and then laugh about it. 

Boundaries is not a word the Bat has in his ready vocabulary. He walks into rooms w/o knocking, will invite you into the restroom while he is doing his business, plops down next to you when you want to be alone, or will even poke at your insecurities. He's Never doing this maliciously, he's just bad at reading human social cues. 

Kuronue is jealous of Kurama and Hiei friendship and lets it be known. And Hiei is having none of his shit. They have very nearly gotten into full on fist fights before.

Yukina cooks 4 nights a week and does all the grocery shopping. She also cooks breakfast on Saturdays. 

Yukina is home often but aims to spend as much time with her friends as possible. In the early afternoons she can be found in Kaiko's restaurant and on the weekends she's often chatting at the solan before it opens or as it's closing with Shizuru.

Is known for feeding the strays and "hiding" injured animals in her room until they are better. No one brings it up because they know she is trying to be sneaky about it. 

Has the tidiest space despite the addition of animals and occasional bird. 

Kurama does his best to let everyone do their own thing but often feels like he is the ringleader of an unruly circus act. 

He's very tired and any help that is offered is appreciated. 

Has plants ALL OVER the house. It's a little chaotic. And don't get me started about how he keeps his demon seeds organized in his own space.

Cooks two nights a week and goes to eat at his mothers on the weekends. 

Loves it when someone else cooks breakfast or takes over his dinner night. 

Almost never prepares or packs his own lunch. Will just grab a piece of in season fruit to have later at work. 

When he gets stuck doing Kuronue's laundry he will not fold or hang it, opting to dump the clean clothes into the man's hammock so he is forced to put them away if he wants to go to sleep.

Vi regularly talks to the residents over the fence. She leaves a step ladder there at all times.

Grows mushrooms in a tiny greenhouse throughout the year.

Has a fire pit on her back porch she lights on fall and winter nights. There is an open invitation to join her when it is lit. 

Kinda paranoid and has bars on the windows and several locks on the exiting doors. 

Always has a new snack to share day or night from somewhere else around the world.

Rarely leaves her house. 

Kurama is the only one with spare keys as she has locked herself out of the house before. 

Add on your HCs for Hanko and the others plz <3 Or if your ideas conflict tell me that too. :)

─┄ °❀ Hanako's addition

°†° «[ ☽⋅ ]» °†°•

#Ask #ask box #ReikaiDetective

[spacecakes20]

Begin Again

(Chapter 8)

(Tagging: @sunnyxdazed)

Chapter 9: Sebastian, Sunflowers

It was quiet after Luna left. He hadn’t meant to spill so much to her, but she felt so easy to talk to, despite not knowing each other long. She was calm, and when she listened, she seemed to listen and understand. Nothing out of her mouth sounded judgmental. She even sounded impressed when she heard he was a freelancer and a self-taught programmer at that. She even cracked a joke to try and ease the tension.

      He felt a little bad about kicking her out, but his current project was so close to being finished. He would have to take a break from clients and commissions for at least a week after this. He deserved a break, and he knew he couldn’t survive on coffee and three hours of sleep for much longer.

      The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs to Sebastian’s room made him grit his teeth, bracing himself. There was no knock, because why would there be? Abigail never seemed to knock, so why would she start now. She usually would barge right in, plop herself on his couch, and go on a tirade of whatever was plaguing her mind that day.

      “Have you seen my charm?” Abigail said, jumping straight to the point.

      “Huh?” Sebastian looked from his computer; confusion clear on his face.

      “My good luck charm!” She sounded more exasperated, lifting his pillow off his couch and searching under it, “The one I got from the fortune teller last year!” She threw the pillow back on the couch in frustration, “I’ve got exams coming up, and I can’t take them without it.”

      Sebastian rolled his head back, giving it a satisfying pop. He exhaled slowly from his nose, “I’m sure you’ll be fine if you just study.” He said flatly.

      Abigail scoffed at that, giving him an eye roll. His violet haired friend was always the superstitious one. For a period of her tween-hood, she even believed herself to be a witch. Sebastian never questioned it; in fact, he’d found it quite charming. She didn’t seem embarrassed about her ideas and hobbies, and he found that admirable.

      “You’re no help.” Abigail jabbed, turning on her heels toward the door, “I’ll just ask Maru.”

      Oh, that’s right. Now was probably a good time to ask about that. “When did you two get so close?”

      That made her pause, hand hovering on the doorknob. She gave him a nervous smile, “Oh, uh…” Abigail’s voice trailed off before clearing her throat, “Turns out she likes collecting gems from the mines. For her experiments, ya know?” She said finally, “I keep her safe from monsters with my sword, and she gets her gems. A win for both of us!”

      That made sense, but he couldn’t understand why they’d try and keep that a secret. As if Abigail could read his mind, she elaborated, “You know how overprotective both of our dads can be.” She shrugged. “Rumors spread fast here so…”

       “Right.” He leaned forward in his chair, resting his chin on the back of his hands, elbows on his desk. Demetrius and Pierre could be considered protective. It made sense that their daughters would want to keep their trips to the mines a secret. With that said…

       “Is that all?” Sebastian asked. If it was one thing he knew about his longtime friend; it was that she was a terrible liar. He couldn’t help but feel that she was keeping something out.

       Abigail simply smiled, giving him a smug, “Yup.” She gave the doorknob a turn but looked back at him before taking off. She stood there a moment as if she was juggling the words she wanted to say in her head. Finally, she said, “You should try giving your sister a chance.”

       Sebastian didn’t answer. He simply rested his head on the back of his hands and sighed. He and Maru had an… interesting relationship, to say the least. Well, “relationship” was perhaps too strong of a word. They lived together and shared the same mom, but their bond stopped at that. To Demetrius, his stepdad, (and Maru’s biological father) she was the perfect child prodigy who could do no wrong. Meanwhile, Sebastian was the problem child who caused nothing but trouble. Their sibling rivalry did calm down as they entered young adulthood, but the damage had already been done.

       Abigail noticed his hesitance. She stood there, frozen for another second, before speaking again, “You’d be surprised to find out how much you two have in common.” She said in an almost sing-song voice. She left after that, closing his door with a click. He sighed to himself, running his hands through his hair. He looked to his computer and had to fight the urge to get up and take a smoke outside. No, no more procrastinating. He needed to get this done today. He gave out another sigh, took a sip of his coffee, and went back to work.

Sebastian felt the weight that lifted off his shoulder when he emailed his client about his finished project. Finally, he was free! For the time being of course. His small moment of victory was interrupted with the sound of his door being opened. Why didn’t anybody ever knock?

      It was his mother, Robin. She gave him her usual bright smile, “Hey Sebby!”

      He simply sent a small smile of his own back at her. He knew that look. She was going to ask him a favor. He just felt it.

      “Can I ask you a favor?” Called it.

      “What is it, mom?” 

      She gave him her signature smile, “Could you take this to Luna for me?” Finally looking to his mother’s hands, he noticed she was holding a Tupperware of food. Upon closer inspection, it looked like chowder. “I invited her to come over for dinner, but she said she’d be busy.” Robin shook her head, “That girl… I know she doesn’t have a kitchen, so I worry about her sometimes.”

      Dinner… It was that time already? The time must have escaped him. He stood to his feet, giving his back a stretch. It gave out a pop, and he winced. Perhaps a walk to the farm would do him some good. Besides, he couldn’t say no to his mother. “Sure thing.” He responded. He met his mom at the door, taking the container in his hands. It was still warm. She smiled warmly and gave him a "thanks," before pressing a kiss to his cheek.

      Once out of the house, Sebastian looked to the horizon. The sun was setting, and the sky was the perfect blend of pinks, blues, and orange. The view was making him crave a smoke, but he bit it down. He took in the fresh air and made his way along the trail that lead to the farm. The summer heat didn’t feel so bad now that the sun was setting. He wasn’t a big fan of summer, truth be told. It was hot, the air was heavy, and the sun was too bright. He also felt like it brought most people out of their houses. The valley felt the busiest during the summer.

      Sebastian was brought out of his musing by the sound of a dog barking. Snapping back to the present, he realized he had made his way to the end of the trail and was standing at the entrance of the farm. The source of the barking sat at his feet.

      “Oh… hey.” He greeted the dog awkwardly. It simply wagged its tail in response. Sebastian knelt down to scratch the pooch behind the ear. He heard the ground crunch before him, the telltale sign someone was approaching. He didn’t need to look up to know who it was.

      “Honey, what are you barking a—” Luna paused when she saw the sight. “Oh… Hello Sebastian.” She tucked her hands into her pockets and made her way over to him. Honey. So that was the dog’s name.

      “You have a terrible guard dog.” The words left his mouth before he could catch them.

      Luna only laughed in response, making Sebastian feel relieved.

      “Yeah, she is.” She shook her head in amusement, “I don’t think she has a ferocious bone in her body.”

      The two were silent for a moment before Sebastian cleared his throat. He stood to his feet and handed her the Tupperware of food.

       “Mom wanted me to give this to you.” He said simply.

       She eyed it curiously, before taking it in her hands. Her expression was unreadable. “Your mother didn’t have to.” She finally whispered.

       Sebastian merely shrugged, “That’s just how she is.” His mother was always like a mother hen to any of the younger residents. Well, mostly Sam and Abigail. Probably because they were all close in age with him and his sister. On top of that, they all grew up in the valley together. She was like everyone’s second mom.

        “Well,” Luna finally spoke, “Tell her I said I appreciate it!”

        Her eyes were full of so much gratitude they were practically sparkling. He had to look away. They were too intense. His eyes caught a few bee houses by a broken-down greenhouse. It looked like only one had been built. The others looked to be works in progress.

        “Getting into beekeeping?” He asked. More like blurted. He had meant to go home as soon as possible, but for some reason, his mouth was on autopilot.

        Luna’s gaze followed his, and she gave an embarrassed smile, as though she wasn’t planning on showing anyone her project just yet. “You could… say that.” She walked over to the bee houses, and for some reason, he followed. Perhaps it was only out of curiosity.

        Upon closer inspection, he noticed that she had also planted a few seeds.

        “I’m making a flower garden.” She said with a smile.

        True to her word, he did notice a lot of flower seed packets. The one he saw the most of were sunflower seeds.

         “You have a lot of sunflowers.” He mused. He’d only meant to say it to himself, but he caught her attention anyway.

         “Yeah.” Luna let out a light laugh, “It’s my favorite flower.”

         Sunflowers huh? Those did seem to fit Luna, now that he thought about it. He recalled her wearing a yellow sundress to the Flower Dance and remembered how much it complimented her. Now that he knew her a little better, he noticed she had a warm and inviting personality.

         “I’m going to place the bee boxes all around the flowers.” Luna continued, “I read that nectar collected from different flowers made different flavors of honey.” She licked her lips, perhaps caught up in a dream about the taste. He’d never been a fan of honey; or sweets in general for that matter. But for some reason, he didn’t have the heart to tell her that.

         “Sounds ambitious.” He said, impressed. He meant it. To think, just a few months ago he was so sure this city girl—who he hadn’t even met—would up and leave once she discovered farming life was too hard. Instead, she’s only a few days into summer, and she’s building bee houses from scratch.

         “It’s nothing, really.” She fidgeted with the tip of her curly lock, looking away at the complement. “But thank you.”

         He simply shrugged, his way of saying you’re welcome. She seemed to get flustered easily, he noticed. He’d be lying if he said it wasn’t a little comforting. To have someone who could get just as flustered as him. It was refreshing. 

         He let out a yawn before he could catch it. He hadn’t really gotten much sleep all week, and it was starting to show. Looking up, he could see the sun a lot less now. It was getting late, and his dinner was probably growing cold. He sighed, “I should probably get going.”

         “Tell your mom I said thanks for the meal.” Luna waved with a smile.

         He only took a few steps when he noticed Luna’s dog was following him. He leaned down and gave her a nice scratch behind the ear, “I’ll see you later too.”

         Luna smiled, giving her dog a gentle pat, “Sebastian’s gotta go, okay?” She said soothingly. Honey whined about that, but she managed to stay put. Sebastian gave another wave, making his way up the trail. He gave out a tired sigh and made a mental plan to sleep for the rest of the week.

#stardew valley #stardew valley sebastian #stardew sebastian #stardew fanfic #Me; I want to update my fic on tumblr more! #Also me: forgets to do that #woopsie #2021 has been stressful tbf

[topindoorgrowing]

6 Interior Horticulture Ideas For Expanding Plants & Veggies In The House

Future Grow Solutions, as the unique Michigan supplier of the CropTower ™, has established a greener approach to indoor expanding procedures. Picking the most effective pots for your plant, including ones with drain openings and that are breathable, will ease your watering distress, also when you're hefty handed on the watering. You can make your very own dirt, with some experimentation, however, for one of the most component, I get dirt from my local plant shop or yard center.

Occasionally cleaning down the surface area of the greenhouse as well as eliminating dead or dying greenery will significantly lower the possibility of parasite bugs. Plants must be closely kept track of for bug bugs on a regular basis. Clean the glass with a firm brush and a mild all-purpose fluid cleaner that does not require washing.

This might assist reduce the temps, however you'll just be able to work with the plants at nighttime when the lights get on. Numerous selections of radishes have growing periods that are much less than 2 months. Selections with brief origin systems like Perfecto, Sparkler, Ping Pong, Easter Egg and Cherry Belle are specifically suited for growing inside. If you are seeking a gardening task with quick returns, microgreens are your best option. Microgreens are edible shoots of plants that are gathered just after the very first leaves establish, about a couple of weeks after planting. They can be used as a garnish, or to include texture and taste to salads, sandwiches, burgers, pizzas as well as more.

A lot of indoor horticulture systems, including larger choices, just take up a few square feet of area-- rendering them compact enough for city dwellers. Some seed shuck yards, like the AeroGarden Harvest, are generally extra portable, portable as well as lightweight-- larger systems like Surge Gardens take up a great deal more area however can expand more plants simultaneously. Aeroponic systems is a more advanced type of hydroponics, utilizing air or haze environments as opposed to dirt. These systems spray nutrient-rich water on the plant's exposed roots, while hydroponic systems require plants to expand in the option.

The AeroGarden is a user friendly, full-service smart garden that will operate in any type of atmosphere. Don't fail to remember a tray or plate to place below your container to keep extra water from getting away. Most thermos-hygrometers likewise keep a document of the greatest as well as most affordable of both readings, so you'll know if something is wrong when it concerns your plants' evening cycle. This makes it much easier to know precisely what it is that your plants need in as for their setting. Bear in mind that your odor filter need to constantly be a little more powerful than your extraction fan when it concerns m3/h.

Robin has been a contributor to The Old Farmer's Almanac and the All-Seasons Yard Guide for several years. She and also her partner Tom have a tiny greenhouse organization as well as also sell plants, cut blossoms, and veggies at their regional Farmer's Market. Rosemary is a tender perennial where I live so I have actually been expanding it in a pot outdoors so I can bring it in when the weather condition cools off. If you have a recognized plant outside you can take cuttings. It will require brilliant light, a trendy area, great deals of air flow, and also constant misting but the extra pampering is worth the effort, specifically if it awards you with its delicate blue blooms.

Interior expanding helped avoid police, opening new opportunities for technology and technical innovation. At the exact same time, indoor farmers realized they could expand cannabis with increased control, vitality, and uniqueness. Expand period remains in full swing for many with the high-end of outdoor space. For those who do not have premises to grow, an indoor shell yard levels the having fun area a little bit. Smart gardens come in all sizes and shapes in 2021 as well as they couldn't be simpler to operate. In a mission to find the very best indoor wise garden, we tested several of the preferred versions to see which ones really generate an awesome bounty of natural herbs, eco-friendlies, veggies and flowers without way too much trouble.

Expand Your Very Own Fresh Food Year

One of the most time-consuming part of growing hydroponically is the setup, and also there are some essential things to think about before you get growing. The development medium is constructed from natural, sustainable materials, as well as has no chemicals, fungicides, hormonal agents or other harmful compounds. Created to simulate your specific plant's excellent natural problems, Seedo delivers accuracy agriculture for brag deserving yields using marginal space. Finally, if you're utilizing a textile pocket yard on an interior wall surface, think about positioning a tarpaulin onto the wall surface prior to placing as an added layer of protection. It gives off white LEDs that simulate growth, red LEDs to create even more blossoms, as well as blue LEDS to create bigger yields.

And also, it allows your plants to be on complete screen for very easy accessibility. A greenhouse is fantastic for growing fresh natural vegetables, you can also utilize it to expand blossoms, residence plants, bulb plants and also seed startings of all kinds. Get started earlier than normal as well as garden longer than your normal summer period. The square video footage needed can be established by outlining a layout that includes expanding locations, walkways, as well as work as well as storage space rooms not attended to in other structures. Sufficient area should be given to stop plants from touching greenhouse wall surfaces during freezing climate as well as to enable adequate air circulation.

As of creating, the team has actually blown past its preliminary funding goal by 500% and it still has a week to go! A Red Dot Design Prize-winning product, the entry-level hydroponic Plantui has actually a put on hold light unit that can scale with the growth of your plants. It looks a bit like a flying saucer that has magically come down on your kitchen area counter. Add nutrients and also water into the container storage tank, snap in the plant pills, include the battery-powered pump, and also plug in the light to get it began.

When looking for the very best hydroponic system, customers must think about the wanted variety of plants as well as the level of automation. Ahead, learn which features are required for a hydroponic system, and find out why the following are well matched for indoor horticulture. Seedo can be either a solitary plant expand box or mature to 5 plants at once. In instance you want Seedo to grow completely instantly, you ought to expand one plant.

The effective pump keeps the water oxygenated as well as the nutrient service flowing all the way to the base of the five-gallon containers. That stated, there are soil nutrients, as well as hydroponic nutrients that can be gotten used to suit dirt expanding, as well. For instance, though their nutrients are created with hydroponic growers in mind, Wolf say Lotus' products can be customized to match various other expand mediums. Cannabis plants can be grown indoors both in substrates like dirt or peat and also hydroponically, which entails growing a plant without soil in a water as well as mineral-rich solution. The tops of the roots obtain oxygen in the air and also all-time lows take water and nutrients from the remedy listed below.

It has incredible attributes consisting of Wi-Fi and also Alexa capabilities. This indicates you can manage your vegetable growing from wherever you are from either the app on your phone or your Alexa gadget! Our understanding is that plants in all stages of development truly gain from a full light spectrum similar to what they 'd obtain outdoors via all-natural sunlight. Since it isn't as well tough to blend amazing as well as cozy spectrum fluorescent light bulbs in this grow light configuration, we figure it makes sense to go on and do so. You could possibly get away with a much more narrow spectrum bulb arrangement in a pinch. Get a jumpstart on the cozy and also trendy weather condition expanding periods AND ALSO expand food inside your home year round with this Do It Yourself grow light setup.

In addition, a personalized, high-efficiency 20 watts LED light permits you to transform the natural herb gardening on/off relying on the plants' requirement at various phases. The increasing adoption of hydroponics as well as vertical farming systems in the Asia Pacific countries, drive the regions development rate at a higher pace. Pathways must fit the motion of employees, consumers, tools, plants, as well as veggies in and out of the greenhouse. Nonetheless, you wish to reduce your walk, job, as well as storage space areas as high as possible, since just the growing areas give earnings or plants and also veggies for your very own usage. Maybe the greatest advantage of a free standing greenhouse is that there are fewer restrictions pertaining to size, elevation and style. Another significant advantage is that freestanding greenhouses usually have far better lights conditions since they can enable light to enter upon all four sides of the greenhouse.

Nutrient-rich water remedies are susceptible to algal and also microbial growth, which can be troublesome for plant wellness. Any water that is included in the system should include nutrients at the recommended focus on the label. If your nutrient solution tag says to include 1 tsp per gallon of water, make certain that each new gallon of water you include has 1 teaspoon of nutrient remedy in it. Other nutrients are typically not a worry in traditional soil-based gardening systems due to the fact that the dirt naturally includes much of these crucial nutrients. While it is possible to expand these plants inside with extra warm and also lights, the amount of added heat as well as light would certainly be cost-prohibitive for most garden enthusiasts. This sort of system uses a tank for water as well as nutrients and also the water is pulled into the channels, usually with tubing and also a pump.

Soil-free growing is a breeze with the Moistenland interior hydroponic garden. Similar to the AeroGarden Bounty, this accommodates approximately 12 plants, however at a much more affordable rate. With a 22 Watt full-spectrum LED light system, this hydroponic planter is optimal for veggies, herbs, as well as fruits to succeed. Hydroponic growing systems are one of the most efficient way generate interior plants and natural herbs without making use of soil. The BEAUTLOHAS Indoor Natural herb Yard has 2 expanding mugs that can grow up to 9 seeds each, although it is best to expand just one type of seeds in each cup at one time. The lights go on as well as off instantly, with 16 hours on as well as 8 hrs off.

You can manage the routine, alter the illumination, check the water degree, as well as much more with the Miracle-Gro ® Twelve ™ application. Two 600w HID expand lights offer your plants 121,,000 lumens of light for huge, strenuous development across your grow area. The grow tent makes the most of light representation onto plants while protecting your garden and keeping your garden's setting stable. Leading that off with up FoxFarm soil for complete nutrition from seed to harvest, and also you're ready to grow up to 12x large plants. In hydroponic systems, plants are grown in an expanding medium, and also a mix of water and also plant food is dispersed, advertising quality development.

#Indoor Growing

[rocketwerks]

J. H. Harvey & Co.

5 West Broad Street (Office & Sales Rooms)

301 North Barton Avenue (Residence), AKA 2401 Barton Avenue

West of Brook Avenue & Admiral Street (Nursery)

West of Reservoir Street, AKA South Harrison Street (Farm)

[CHRV] — looking towards J. H. Harvey & Co.’s greenhouses, circa 1893 — the photograph identifies this as Barton Heights, but based on available map data, it’s hard to say precisely where

A tangled tale of men who grew flowers.

J. H. Harvey, florist, of 5 West Broad street, has his greenhouses at Barton Heights, a suburb of the city. They cover three or four acres of ground there. He has 60,000 square feet under glass. The greenhouses are heated with hot water. There is a bored well for the water supply of the place, two steam pumps and a wind-mill, hydrants and water-plugs throughout, and the equipment of the place is unquestionably as fine as anything of the kind in the South, and certainly the most extensive here.

(Ancestry.com) — advertisement for J. H. Harvey & Co. — Richmond, Virginia, City Directory, 1891

The specialty of this establishment is the trade in cut flowers and ornamental plants. These are shipped by it to all parts of the State. The gardens were established in 1870, and three generations of the Harvey family were interested in them. They were founded by the grandfather of the present proprietor. [CHRV]

A little confusing that, since J. H. Harvey’s grandfather was James Harvey, and he died in 1857 (Find A Grave). Perhaps he was responsible for the family’s interest in the flower business, but what became known as Magnolia Nursery was the province of James’s son, Levenous James Harvey.

(Newspapers.com) — advertisement for Magnolia Nursery by L. J. Harvey — Richmond Dispatch — Saturday, November 15, 1873

He had been in the same line in New Jersey before he came to this city. Mr. J. H. Harvey, the present proprietor, is a young man, but one of enterprise and sterling business character. He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, and as such is a participant in all the projects set on foot by it to further the interests of the city.

His down-town office and sales-rooms, on Broad street, are in the heart of the city and on the principal business street, easily accessible from all quarters of Richmond. [CHRV]

February 2021 — looking towards 5 West Broad Street, former location of J. H. Harvey & Co.

Sadly, the original 5 West Broad Street store no longer exists, having been replaced in 1924 with the present building, architected by Hunt and Amrhein. [AOR] It was also the Harvey family’s 2nd store on Broad Street, after moving a few doors east from 11 West Broad Street when the company was run by J. H.’s brother, Jacob Jones Harvey.

(Library of Congress) — Beers Illustrated Atlas of the Cities of Richmond & Manchester, 1877 — Plate E — showing J. J. Harvey & Bro. Magnolia Nursery

By 1877 Magnolia Nursery was a well-developed enterprise, consuming a considerable piece of land in North Side along Brook Avenue. This of course was back inna day before Lewis Ginter gobbled up the dirt that would eventually become Bellevue, Sherwood and Ginter Parks, and before Brook Avenue would be demoted to the rank of Road. Chamberlayne Avenue would be the new front porch to the north, at least until 95 was built.

J. J Harvey had at this point taken over the family business from L. J. Harvey, who seems to have been stricken with wanderlust in his autumn years. He died a considerable distance from Richmond in 1880 in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. (Find A Grave)

February 2021 — looking west of Brook Road towards the former Magnolia Nursery

Today, the former greenhouse grounds is Hovey Field, home to the Virginia Union University Panthers.

The funny thing is that A City on the James describes J. H. Harvey & Co. as having greenhouses in Barton Heights, which is not quite where Magnolia Nursery was located.

[MTBH] — Map of the Town of Barton Heights in Henrico County, Va. — James T. Redd and Son, 1896 — showing “Garden Tract” to the northwest — (full-size image)

James H. Barton was a real estate speculator, who in 1890 found success crossing a small residential community with a new streetcar line that connected the area north of Richmond with the city. The allure of suburban living found an audience, among them the J. H. and J. J. Harvey families, and it became the Town of Barton Heights in 1896.

The 1894 Barton Heights Directory lists the Harvey’s were living at 301 North Barton Avenue. It would have been their second at that location. [BHD]

[BHPSR] — Map of Barton Heights and Brookland Park — Showing the System of Numbering — 1894 — showing 301 North Barton Avenue at the northwest intersection of Barton & Kersting — (full-size image)

Just two years prior, disaster had struck.

The handsome residence at Barton Heights of Mr. J. H. Harvey, the florist, was totally destroyed by fire last night.

Mr. Harvey was at his brother-in-law’s, across the street, engaged in a game of dominos, and happening to glance at one of the windows he discovered flames bursting from the front of his house. When he reached it the hall was a roaring furnace, and it was with difficulty he rescued his children, one of whom was asleep, from the building. There was a large tank of water on the premises, but this proved practically of no use.

When news of the fire reached Chief Puller he sent over Truck No. 3, and would have sent a steamer also, but could not learn whether there was an available water supply. The truck men did splendid service, and it is due to them that the flames did not communicate to Mr. Harvey’s stables and green-houses. [RD11061892]

(Library of Congress) — Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Richmond (1908) — Index Plate — showing Barton Heights at right & the location of Magnolia Nursery at left

Apparently the Harvey’s need for greenhouse space was such that they were needed on-hand at their home. However, this was smack in the middle of a residential neighborhood, so it’s hard to imagine it as substantial as the operation off Brook Avenue, itself far removed from Barton Heights. Google Maps calls the distance between the house and main nursery at 1.3 miles—not exactly in the neighborhood.

March 2021 — looking towards the former 301 North Barton Avenue

Like any good success story, Barton Heights ignited the acquisitive fires of its larger neighbor to the south, and it was annexed by the City of RVA in 1914. (”Manchester today! Tomorrow... Barton Heights!) 

Changes followed. The former Kersting Street was renamed to Graham, and the houses were renumbered to fit the city’s scheme. Today, the former 301 North Barton Avenue is now 2401 Barton Avenue, and the residence that used to sit on the corner is gone.

(Stadium Journey) — undated photo of Hovey Field, Virginia Union University — formerly Magnolia Nursery

As for Magnolia Nursery, by 1896 J. H. Harvey & Co. company was winding down. The Richmond Dispatch reported its dissolution by mutual consent, and later a Deed of Assignment for all of the Harvey properties. [RD04091896] [RD04181896] The former nursery was  eventually acquired by Virginia Union University in 1907 for their athletic grounds.

[CHRV] — looking southwest towards J. H. Harvey’s Reservoir Branch Barton Heights, circa 1893

The location of Harvey’s other principal property, Reservoir Branch, is more difficult to pin down. It was it was identified as being “west of the reservoir beyond Richmond's suburbs”, which places it in the general vicinity where two cemeteries exist today. [HCO]

(Library of Congress) — Beers Illustrated Atlas of the Cities of Richmond & Manchester, 1877 — Plate O — showing the south terminus of Reservoir Street and the Marshall Reservoir at lower right

The reservoir in question was Marshall Reservoir, constructed in the early 1800′s, and which was located just southwest of Hollywood Cemetery. It stood near the intersection of two streets, Ashland and Reservoir, since renamed Colorado and Harrison respectively.

February 2021 — looking towards the entrances to Riverview & Mt. Calvary Cemeteries

The 1877 Beers map shows the area west of Reservoir to be undeveloped, with no sign of any property assigned to J. H. Harvey. Twelve years later, the 1889 Baist map shows the addition of Riverview (1887) and Mt. Calvary (1885) Cemeteries, along with a burgeoning neighborhood to the west, yet still no trace of Harvey’s farm.

February 2021 — looking towards former location of Marshall Reservoir — the intersection of Harrison & Colorado shown at left where the white truck is parked

On face, it seems reasonable to think that the farm existed on or near the present-day cemeteries, since it was named for a nearby landmark capable of providing the necessary water for a nurseryman, and accessible by a city road of the same name.

Unfortunately, while available maps depict the Harvie name, the Harvey name is absent. Add to that the fact that those cemeteries predate the publication of A City on the James, which depicted the photograph of said farm, makes it hard to place a pin down.

(J. H. Harvey & Co. is part of the Atlas RVA! Project)

Correction

The first version of this post speculated that J. H. Harvey’s competitor W. A. Hammond, who had his own greenhouse operation east of Brook Avenue at Sherwood, may have had a connection to the Harvey properties. This misguided notion was corrected by the discovery of the Barton Heights Directory and Barton Heights pamphlet. It seems more probable that North Side had great land for growing flowers, just ask Lewis Ginter.

Print Sources

[AOR] Architecture in Downtown Richmond. Robert Winthrop. 1982.

[BHD] Barton Heights Directory. Richmond Advertiser Print. Co. 1894.

[BHPSR] Barton Heights: the popular suburb of Richmond. Taylor & Taylor. 1894. Courtesy, Library of Virginia.

[CHRV] A City on the James, Richmond, Virginia. G. W. Engelhardt. 1893.

[HCO] Henrico County. Louis H. Manarin. 2006.

[MTBH] Map of the Town of Barton Heights in Henrico County, Va. James T. Redd and Son.1896. Courtesy, Library of Virginia.

[RD11061892] Richmond Dispatch. Wednesday, November 16, 1892.

[RD04091896] Richmond Dispatch. Thursday, April, 9, 1896.

[RD04181896] Richmond Dispatch. Saturday, April, 18, 1896.

[RTMS09251892] Richmond Times. Sunday, September 25, 1892.

[RT06081900] Richmond Times. Friday, June 8, 1900.

#rvalegends #rva #rvahistory #brookavenue #bartonheights #broadstreet #atlasrva #cityatomic #coloradostreet #harrisonstreet #bartonavenue

[shy-marker-pliers]

High school AU thingamabob

Dark

17 year old senior

class president and is kinda high and mighty about it tbh

“yes i know student council can’t really make any changes without the input of the superintendent but IM THE PRESIDENT AND YOU’RE NOT SO SUCK MY DI-“

does sound/lights for all the shows the school puts on

dating wilford and no one knows how or why they’re together

had a deep as hell voice and a beard the second he hit puberty

takes every ethics/psychology class he can

wants to be a lawyer

that one kid that everyone fears but is actually kinda chill if not a little surly

wears a collared shirt and tie to school every day and would totally get made fun of for it if he wasn’t terrifying

listens to classical music unironically

“oh my god i’m so going to fail this test” *proceeds to get the highest grade in the class*

protector of the gays™️

person: *says something mean to a student because they’re lgbtq+*

Dark: *teleports in front of said student* omae wa mou shindeiru

Wilford

19 year old senior

Yes he still has the mustache

doesn’t give a fuck about what anyone thinks of him

deadass wore a dress to school after one of his friends got made fun of because she wore a suit to a school dance

b u f f a s h e l l

could bench press a teacher if he really tried

on the cheer team

“no i’m not wearing pants, this miniskirt makes my ass look great!”

everyone’s bodyguard

usually attracts a crowd of nervous underclassmen

has mild dyslexia

tol

gives his friends piggyback rides

president of the drama club

works hard enough in school to pass his classes but that’s pretty much it

sleeps in class

Bim

15 year old freshman

vice president of the drama club

wilfords shadow

first freshman to help run the drama club and shoves it in everyone’s face

shouts his gayness from the rooftops

secretly super insecure

loves plants and helps out in the schools greenhouse

named all of the plants but if you tell anyone he’ll stab you

gets mostly B’s and C’s

has mild ocd but not enough to affect him severely

talks like a game show host cause he thinks it makes him sound attractive

it doesn’t

Google(s)

16 year old juniors

identical quadruplets

they have to wear different colors every day or else no one knows which one is which

they’re called the googles because their backpacks match the colors of the chrome logo and they’re super smart

straight A 4.0 GPA students but Oliver has to try a little harder than his brothers

all of them are in the robotics team except for ollie

Blue works on programming and red and green are on the build team

Ollie is the sweetest day of sunshine to ever exist and everyone loves him

he’s basically adopted Eric as his lil bro

tutors people in the library every tuesday and thursday

the other googles disapprove of his relationship with bing but he makes ollie happy so they don’t do anything about it

they all work in a supermarket and they’re saving up for college

ollie wants to be a vet, red and green want to be engineers, and blue wants to be a web developer

Bing

17 year old junior

mostly A’s, a few B’s.

his full name is zachary bing but people call him bing because he’s always trying to one up the googles

dudebro

was pining after ollie for months before chase finally felt sorry for him and told ollie how he felt

they’re dating now and it’s adorable

so soft for his boyf

a really good skater and wins a lot of local competitions

doesn’t study but still gets p good grades

wears sunglasses all the time because he has light sensitivity

Has ADHD

s t r o n k

always challenges people to arm wrestle him

can sing really well and plays gitaur

shares a youtube channel with chase where they skate and to challenges and stuff

Dr. ipiler

18 year old senior

Everyone calls him doc because he helps the school nurse and takes every single biology and health class there is

all A’s

really wants to be a surgeon

best friends with Schneep

huge star trek/harry potter nerd (ravenclaw if you’re wondering)

almost always at schneep’s house studying or just chillin’

kind of a control freak

thinks he’s charismatic but he’s actually kinda annoying

but annoying in a funny way

has a pet ferret that he sneaks into school

feral

espresso and sugar flows through his veins

“i actually got a good sleep last night.” “oh really?” “yeah bro i got a whole half hour!”

super dark bags under his eyes

Host

17 year old junior

all A’s except for in gym class

he has eyes in this

his real name is Simon Charles Teller (there are specific meanings to those names btw look them up) but he’s called The Host because he does morning announcements every day.

has gold eyes and a lot of people find it unnerving

“hey i have a podcast you should totally listen to it”

nocturnal

spends all of his free time in the library

always reading in class but the teachers don’t really care bc his grades are good and he does his homework

wants to be an english/poetry teacher

crushing on the cute shy kid from his english class

doesn’t talk much but he’ll still be nice to you

that one kid who’s always correcting the teachers

Runs the D&D club (he’s the dungeon master)

Eric Derekson

16 year old junior

Mostly high B’s, a couple of A’s.

lives with his uncle mark after he ran away from his abusive dad and is living a happy life

the guy that always volunteers to take care of the class pets over the weekend

animals love him

has anxiety, mild paranoia and autism.

animals, harry potter, and pokémon are his hyperfixations.

he also really likes gardening

crushing big time on hostioli

spends his entire english class staring at him and blushing

is seriously considering joining D&D club just to be able to talk to him

he’s in the art club

wants to be a vet and maybe do some freelance art stuff on the side

Ollie keeps yelling at him to just ask host out already but he’s too nervous

my poor bb boi

Wears sweaters all the time

wears headphones to block out noise if it ever gets too loud at he goes into sensory overload

disaster bi

Yan

18 year old senior

gets C’s

non-binary

has a makeup tutorial channel on youtube and has a pretty decent following

That one weeb

dyes their hair a new color every week

also has a new crush every week

everyone knows who their newest victim is because they never stop watching them

draws anime or cute animals for every art class

wants to be a a fashion designer

does MMA

everyone kinda stears clear of them

writes their first initial along with their crush’s on every notebook they own

has gotten suspended for beating kids up on multiple occasions

doesn’t really have that many friends but they don’t mind

spends their lunches watching their crush

in the drama club and the art club

Randall Voorhees

18 year old senior

C’s and D’s

Eric’s cousin/bodyguard

they have a lot of the same classes and walk everywhere together

loves animals and has like 10 pet rats

he doesn’t really care about his grades because he knows that he wants to be a woodworker/construction guy

makes little houses out of scrap wood for his rats and Eric thinks it’s adorable

always sneaks his rats to school and lets them have play dates with dr. iplier’s ferret

“nO IM NOT RELATED TO JASON VOORHEES HES NOT EVEN REAL SO SHUT THE HELL UP-“

used to live in nyc in queens and still has a pretty strong accent

completely incomprehensible when he’s excited or angry bc of the accent

everyone is jealous of his hair

spends like 100 dollars on shampoo and conditioner and stuff but it’s worth it

acts like the straightest guy in existence but could not be more gay

his boots are always muddy

Yancy

16 year old sophomore

his name is Yancy Bird

g...get it? like jailbird? ahaha...ok i’ll stop

permanent resident of the detention room

but he gets to just chill out and read for an hour so he doesn’t really mind

mostly gets detention for beating up kids that bully others

fuck the system

always wears a leather jacket and blue jeans

“hey, the 50’s called and they want their-“ SMACK. “shut up.”

takes a lot of criminal justice and psychology classes ironically

in the botany club but if you tell anyone they’ll never find your body

everyone is surprised when they find out he’s friends with Eric and ollie

pan but in denial

“i’m not gay guys, that ain’t me, i’m just comfortable with my sexuality. so i can admit when i see a guy with a handsome face and pretty eyes-“

that song is great btw you should listen to it

anyway

always makes really dark jokes and everyone is like “are you ok?”

except for his friends they just laugh

“lmao wouldn’t it be funny if everyone like...died”

#markiplier #markiplier egos #darkiplier #eric derekson #the host #wilford warfstache #yancy iplier #randall voorhees #bim trimmer #high school

[the-deeds-to-shibden]

Sunday 25 August 1839

[Ann braves a painful neck, and the cold, to be driven by Anne to Uppsala, where they visit the largest cathedral in all of Scandinavia. Anne is for once impressed with a sermon, although it probably helps that it’s in a language she doesn’t understand. Tantalisingly, their guide had just recently been employed by a traveller in Persia and the Caucasus. There are no oranges in the orangery and the museum could be better, but all in all it’s rather nice and livable here, plus the food is good. And oh, mines will be visited in the next few days! Do ladies do that? Only if English.]

[up at] 3 1/2

[to bed at] 10 3/4

fine morning Ann’s neck poorly off from Stockholm at 5 1/2 in little carriage and 2 horses – no forbud – at Rottebro (single house) at 7 13/” – terrible boulder stone pave in Stockholm and terrible and many deep channels there – good road nice drive – about 3/4 of the way very pretty wooded lake – Rottebro one story red smeared wood house – not good to sleep at – sun now at 7 1/2  a.m. it peeped out about 7 – very fine morning – off in 13 minutes – good road – nice drive – nice good country for Sweden – peeps now and then of pretty wooded lake (right) Maista single farm house not good to sleep at –  Ann very cold – very good road – forest with mossgrown rocks as in Norway but no large old trees – then open country – less encumbered with rock and boulder than in the other parts of Sweden that we have seen – better farming? and better crops? corn in stook and to cut – peas drying on poles reared in a circle and meeting at top like a Lapland hut – hops. very fine morning – Alisk single house – better than the 2 last –  perhaps one might sleep here? Hamlets and villages and farms thinly scattered today – wondered at their being so thinly scattered close to the capital – the country here seems better peopled than just out of the gates of Stockholm – Snow-ploughs lying at the road side here as everywhere From Alisk to Upsāla very pretty drive – excellent road – open country – at 11 40/” good wood bridge over broadish stream and then fine vista view thro’ forest by and by seen to terminate in the huge brick chateau built on a hill qui domine the 2 steepled cathedral and the city – arrived at 12 20/” – Hotel de la poste – ordered dinner at 2 – changed our dress – out at 1 40/” – to the cathedral – large handsome, clean, whitewashed church – a large crucifix over the altar – beneath the pedestal of the crucifix a cross over which hung a serpent – the altar in decoration like a Roman Catholic altar the congregation was assembled at 2 and the organ played and the people sang psalms till 2 20/”  the preacher began the Epistle at 2 20/” and we staid 10 minutes longer – his manner perfectly quiet, but he spoke clearly and impressively – home at 2 40/” dinner at 2 3/4 in 35 minutes –  then I dozed on the sofa till near 4 – up so early – and driving all the way, (Ann and I in front – John Winter our new courier and the peasant behind) and having nothing to eat but a little gingerbread with Ann between 10 and 11 as we sat in the carriage at Alisk (from 10 27/” to 11 10/” one of the horses being shod in the meantime) i.e. little to eat from 4 p.m. yesterday to 2 3/4 today, made me feel sleepy – out at 4 to the botanic garden – our courier did not know Linnaeus by name – but he native of Hamburg was courier to prince Oscar 3 years – then set up at Stockholm as correur de voitures – failed recently and now gets his living as well as he can – was with Captain Wilbraham of the 7th regiment a fortnight ago for 4 days –  went to Dannemora – not time for Falun – off to Saint Petersburg –  Captain Wilbraham asked if ladies descended at Danemora – no! none but English ladies and several of those had been down! – a civil intelligent garçon gardener shewed us the Serres and orangery and garden ground immediately around them – the building called orangery handsome but no orange trees to be seen there or near there, a few in the serres the man said and the tubs outside filled with our common and Portugal laurels – ivy in pots outside – will no do well out of doors! yet common sorts of palmiers seemed healthy in the orangery larger and healthier than what we saw in the serres – a thing very common hereabouts and forming a low hedge at the botanic garden is Spiraea calcifolia, flowerlike sweet stock 

Spruce firs planted at 2 foots, hedgewise –  and others cut into cones or looked better as obelisks or a parcel of 2 rows of them just below the chateau (in the part of the botanic garden between the museum and chateau) – these spruces looked just as well as if they had been yews and might be got up in 1/2  the time – the museum Thunberg’s collection a poor concern – birds etc. ill stuffed and not in the best preservation – the specimens (an infinity of supports) in spirits locked up in dark cupboards – many duplicates and bad arrangement – the statue of Linneaus sitting – book in his hand – contemplating his favourite flower, Linnaea borealis, not a chef-d’oeuvre, but interesting –  2 or 3 specimens of gigantic elk – caught near here 6 or 7 years ago as I understood – but one of John’s (Winter) friends shot one last winter about 1 1/2 mile from here – salted it – the meat a delicacy – some left –  we are to taste it – this animal in all the forests here – the horns covered with a sort of down – as  also the horns of the rein-deer. Can buy here the salted tongues and hams of rein deer – Fringa, several species of, found in the isle of Gothland sur le bord de la mer – curious sort of ruff round its neck do not recollect having seen this bird anywhere before –  Platalea pygmaea     caught near here      pigmy spoonbill said to be the only specimen of the kind to be found in any museum –  Tetrao generic name of moor game common barn-door fowl classed Phasianus gallus. Heron, genus ardea. from the musée sauntered to the chateau – the governor resides in one part – prisoners before the trial are confined in another part – many rooms unfurnished – the 3 or 4 towers (one at each corner) look well – but the modern parts – one front with a pediment, are terrible –  fine commanding situation – the views from it have excused us the trouble of going to the top of the cathedral – Old Upsāla full in view from the chateau – nothing worth seeing says our courier John at Mora – merely a few stones with no inscriptions at all – then walked down thro’ the town to the Steamer that plies daily between Stockholm and here in 5 hours – deck passengers 2 dollars rigs – salon double that John thinks –  nice vessel enough – deck covered with awning as usual –  Upsāla a nice town – the most livable we have seen – not so low and water girt as the towns in Sweden in general in which one fancies one could not breathe for damp and fog – the castle cathedral university buildings library etc. on high ground – fine fresh air, and agreeable –  our Inn comfortable – the first house just below the new library and nicely situated – a drop or 2 of rain about between 4 and 5 and afterwards but held off till we came in at 7 1/2 – then a shower – till then very fine day –  no supper – no wish for anything since dinner excellent veal cutlets, carbonnade, and preserved gooseberries and fried morsel of potato – then Soup – then fritters – such is the order here –  all good – had just written so far (inked all over accounts and all) now at 10 p.m. at which hour Fahrenheit 60 1/2º –

Anne’s marginal notes:

off from Stockholm to the mines.

Upsala

only English ladies see Dannemora

no fire in the hot houses

Ivy a greenhouse plant here

Spiraea calcifolia

Spruces cut in shapes, yew-wise

gigantic elk.

Fringa Platalea

Swedish towns low and water-girt

WYAS Catalogue:  SH:7/ML/TR/13/0007    SH:7/ML/TR/13/0008

View of Uppsala, by Elias Martin:

Uppsala Botanical Garden (around 1770):

View of Uppsala Castle and Cathedral, by C.A. von Scheele (1797-1873):

#anne lister #ann walker #travelnotes1839 #sweden1839 #anne lister code breaker #gentleman jack #annelister #annwalker

[the-ravens-requiem]

The Beginning

The alchemist's shop seemed to have manifested itself out of the gloomy air that surrounded Darkwood late one autumn night.

The sun rose over the trees, the morning fog lifted -- and there the cottage sat, surrounded by a garden and a tall iron fence. The building itself was situated on a flat piece of land near the lake, where weeds and brambles had grown in the past. On a wooden sign in front of the cottage, there was a picture of a black bird with a red ribbon in its mouth. 

The name of the shop was painted neatly underneath: The Raven's Requiem.

The townsfolk were afraid to approach the warm-looking cottage, citing old superstitions. The location of the shop was in sight of a road, and although the placement of it was only frequented by foot traffic like local fishermen and hunters -- surely someone would have seen the place being built over the summer?

The bravest of the townsfolk craned their necks as they found reasons to walk by the shop, curious eyes hungry for a single glance of their new neighbor -- but never daring to cross the threshold between the shop  and the road. Some swore they had seen a dark figure move amid the orange glow in the windows --  yet others claimed they'd been haunted by an image of a cloaked figure hunched over the plants that lined the sides of the building. Whatever the case, none could say or prove that they had actually seen the shopkeeper for sure.

And so a wealthier resident of Darkwood hired an outsider to look inside the shop. She was to report back to him with whatever she found, and tell him all she could find out about the shop’s owner. The wealthy man was just a simple trader, and he found the sell-sword in a small tavern by chance when on his usual travels. He hired her on the spot for a small amount of gold. She promised that she would complete the job before the week was out.

As she stood in front of the simple cottage with the painted sign out front, Amelia felt like laughing. If she had not personally seen the fear on the trader's face when he told her of the so-called 'strange' shop, she would have thought the job was a complete joke. 

He claimed that the townsfolk sensed an evil presence of some sort when near to the place, but she felt no such thing. He had told her that they were afraid to fish or hunt near the building, afraid that there was some sort of poisonous miasma -- superstition, no doubt.

It was just a simple cottage; The roof built with wide eaves, and in the style that was common in the northern areas of The Middle Kingdom. To look upon this place and assume that there was evil here was downright silly -- madness even. There was no haunting here -- no ghosts, strange creatures, or ancient magics.  

Amelia had made up her mind already, even without having stepped a single foot inside. The townsfolk were simply mistaken, and there was no way that the shop had sprang up out of the weeds and grass overnight. The cobbled stone and wooden framework looked worn, as if the building had been there for decades. The glass in the windows and the small greenhouse in the back seemed cloudy with age.

It had to have been some kind of mistake. Amelia tried to piece together what could have happened for the townsfolk to get so hysterical. 

The explanation could be that the owner simply had restored the building recently, cutting away overgrown grass and ivy and settled in to open up their shop. Maybe it was the new sign which alerted folks, and thus had created this widespread notion of a whole house appearing overnight.

The mercenary examined the area around the cottage, noting that it seemed to be a lesser-traversed road. There were no deep wagon-ruts carved into the roads, and the grass and stones seemed to be relatively undisturbed. 

Amelia was no detective, but  this she was sure of: A whole shop -- a whole house and garden, even -- could not just appear overnight. And even if one could, why would such a power be wasted on a little town such as Darkwood?

To Amelia, this sort of fanciful thing was simply not possible. In her short life and in all her travels around The Known World, she had never heard or seen anything like it. Therefore, it simply could not be true. Fixing her leather armor for the last time and double-checking her scabbard, Amelia confidently strode past the sign along the road and trekked up the worn path. 

The cottage loomed, nestled between the sky-reaching conifers. It reminded Amelia of a painting -- the kind a noble might commission, for it was almost too fanciful and wistful of nature to be real. It was a quaint little place for sure -- and well kept, too. The fallen leaves and nettles were raked into neat piles on the far side of the house, and the garden seemed fragrant with late-blooming flowers and cold-weather plants.

It was clear that someone lived inside, simply because the grounds were kept nicely. The grass and bushes were clear-cut, and the path seemed to improve the farther up she went -- as if someone had recently fixed it up for easier travel. The windows were aglow with light, too. 

A bell above the door jingled cheerfully as she entered the shop -- the door itself heavy and carved with intricate symbols Amelia did not recognize. She thought that they were likely decorative, if nothing else. The interior of the shop was mostly wooden -- the floors, the counter-tops, the shelves. Baskets of dried herbs and bottles of elixirs, tonics, and potions lined every inch of space in the large central room. 

Doors leading beyond -- possibly to the shopkeeper's personal home -- were situated to the north and east. The eastern door looked like it lead outside, having a short hallway between it and the shop proper. To the west lie what appeared to be a sitting room with shelves of books that did not appear to be for sale -- and what laid beyond, she could not see.

Amelia called out a polite greeting, glancing every which way to see if she could spot the shopkeeper. After a few beats of silence, she stepped further into the shop. The pleasant smell of freshly dug dirt and perfumed herbs filled her senses as she began to walk around, noting the way the wood groaned and creaked with age beneath her feet.

A bottle caught her eye, far into the shop on a shelf. It was a sort of reddish color, and looked viscous. The bottle seemed to be made of a clear sort of glass, though she could not read the label from where she was. Amelia walked over to it, stepping carefully so as to not disturb any of the various baskets and bottles on the many shelves and tables that filled the space. 

As she approached, she realized she could see into the sitting room more properly. The bottle forgotten, curiosity got the best of her. She moved closer. At this angle, it looked more like a small library, with pots of flowers and herbs and other assorted plants decorating the room. The chairs looked comfortable and well-worn, made of fabric and dark lacquered wood. 

The prolonged silence of the shop began to make her feel like she was intruding, and an acute sense of dread began to overcome Amelia. What if the shopkeeper was out? What if she had accidentally broken into the shop because they had forgotten to lock the door? She may be a mercenary, but she was no thief. 

A  sudden break in the solemn silence startled her, and with a gasp Amelia spun around to see what she assumed to be the shopkeeper standing directly behind her. 

It was a decidedly peculiar and rare sight to see someone in a full plague doctor ensemble, as the guise was often seen as frightening to common folk. Of course, it often heralded many deaths to illnesses, but there hadn't been such a widespread case of sickness in years. As it was, it did indeed catch the mercenary off guard, and so she was giddy with nervousness at the sight of them. Especially so, because she wasn’t certain how such a heavily costumed person was able to sneak up on her.

"...You are the shopkeep, I presume?" She offered politely, setting an embarrassed smile onto her face. "I saw the sign along the road. I...Have to admit, I was a bit curious. You don't see many alchemy shops outside of the cities." The mercenary realized her hand was on the hilt of her sword, and she quickly removed it for fear of coming across as aggressive.

The figure seemed to draw slightly nearer then, making a motion not unlike nodding with its black beaked mask. "Yes," A muffled but pleasant voice drifted from behind the stitched leather, "I suppose they are a fair bit more rare in the countryside. I thought it clever to open one here for that very reason -- though I must say it hasn't been quite as fruitful of an endeavor as I originally assumed. I must confess, you are my first visitor."

Amelia nodded, slightly more relaxed now that she knew there was a rather well-spoken person hidden beneath the heavy layers of garb. She noted that the quality of the doctor’s voice was surprisingly youthful, if perhaps a bit smokey in quality. "I hope business picks up for you, then. It's quite a lovely place you have here, it would be a shame if it never saw much prosperity."

"Thank you, that's quite kind." The plague doctor replied, "Besides curiosity, is there anything in particular you were looking to cure? I have many things here for sale."

Amelia's face warmed slightly. She hated to lie, though she really was curious despite it being her job to come here. "Oh, no. Well --" She floundered for a moment, "A-actually, do you have anything I can use to keep Rot away from wounds suffered in battle?" 

She wasn't normally one to use poultices or tonics, far favoring field dressings and bandages -- but she would be lying if she said she didn't feel compelled to buy something. After all, Amelia felt a bit sad that she had been the first customer the shop had seen. The easy money from the trader who hired her would be more than enough to offset the cost, anyhow.

"Wounds suffered in battle?" The doctor questioned in a conversational way as they turned to presumably seek for what she asked for. "May I ask what line of work it is that you do?" The unabashed curiosity in their voice compelled Amelia to answer truthfully. 

"I'm a mercenary." She muttered, watching as the doctor stopped in front of a set of shelves. "Quite an unsavory job, all things said and done. But I've always liked to travel, and I like helping people." 

"Is that so?" The doctor hummed thoughtfully, drawing a gloved hand over a few vials and jars. Amelia watched the slightly eerie way the doctor moved, almost too smooth and precise. She supposed that they were just extremely comfortable with the layout of their own shop, which made sense. Or perhaps it was an elf under all those layers. She couldn’t be sure which.

"Yes." She answered, and still more spilled forth in an attempt to get the doctor talking. " I - I guess...I've always been this way. I wanted to see the world ever since I was a little girl. When I was young I trained to be a guard, but I realized I didn't want to be stuck in the same city or town on duty. So I became a sell-sword instead." 

The doctor was quietly listening, taking various jars and bottles from the shelves and looking at their labels briefly before putting them gently back. The silence between them practically compelled her to continue talking, though she was not usually uncomfortable with such quietness. 

"...I personally only take honorable jobs, mind you. Escorting caravans and whatnot. It's good money, too..." Still more silence, save for the sound of her feet shuffling nervously, and the waxy fabric of the doctor's ensemble every time they moved. It almost seemed like they were waiting for her to finish her thoughts. She worried she was being rude by leaving the quiet between them. "...I might start my own mercenary company one day. I've been wanting to for a while. To make sure I only have good folks in it -- not that the company I work for has bad folks!"

The doctor's head turned, the sun's glow from the window catching on the red glass that covered the eyes of the mask. "That seems to be quite the lofty goal for such a young woman. I think the world could always use more kind-hearted people with initiative, like yourself."

Amelia couldn't help but smile at that, though she wasn't sure if it was due to the flattery or because the doctor had finally broke the silence. "Thank you, ser. I agree."

The doctor pulled a small jar carved from wood from off of the shelf. "I suppose you'd want something easy to apply, with no prior preparation to be had. On the field, things can be chaotic and messy, correct?" Amelia nodded in response as she stepped closer to them. "...Staving off Rot and stopping the spillage of blood is of the utmost concern. This should do nicely, I think." A gloved hand placed the jar into hers. 

"...What is it?" The mercenary asked.

"Oh! My apologies. It's a paste, which only requires water to be activated. Apply it thickly to a wound like one would butter a piece of toast, and it will keep the Rot away while also soothing the pain. You can then wrap the wound with bandages, and it will harden into a plaster to stop the bleeding over time. When it begins to crust and peel, you may scrape it off."

"Thank you. It sounds like exactly what I needed." Amelia took the jar in one hand and shuffled around her belt for her coin pouch with the other, "Now, how much do I owe you?"

The doctor held up their gloved hands in a surrendering motion. "Oh, please. It's free, madame. In honor of you being my first customer. Hopefully a kind gesture such as this will bless the shop with prosperity in the future." 

Amelia laughed, pulling a gold piece from her pouch. "I insist. That's no way to run a business, ser. If word catches 'round that you give out your wares for free, what will you do then?" She grabbed one of the doctor's gloved hands and pressed the coin into the leather palm. "Even so, if you insist on it being a gesture of goodwill so that the Gods will favor you, think of this as a gift -- for the pleasant conversation."

The doctor seemed to regard her for a moment before closing their fingers around the coin. "You are too kind." They hum thoughtfully. 

Amelia made her way toward the door, bade the doctor farewell, and shortly thereafter stepped out into the evening air of autumn. When she closed the door behind her, she sighed heavily. She'd have to give a full report to the trader tomorrow when they met again at the tavern. She could only hope that maybe the shop would start to see more customers after she gave the all-clear. The doctor seemed to be a nice person -- or whatever they were. With such a kind demeanor, Amelia could only wish the best for them.

She smiled once more, shaking her head. Small towns like Darkwood were home to many superstitious people, but she supposed that was good for business. She’d been called to many jobs such as this one -- an odd noise from the woods, skittering from a nearby cave. Her swordcraft thrived off of folks like the trader, of small towns like Darkwood.

The odd visage of the doctor and the look of the cottage had been enough to scare them into hiring her to have a look-see. But it had been a simple task for good coin, and she'd have been a fool to turn it down.

She glanced back up at the shop.

...If the paste worked, Amelia would likely be back again to purchase more from the doctor. 

masterlist | ko-fi

#doctor #amelia #ts

[tinirabbit]

flower shop update 04/14/2019

Hi! Here’s the update to the my second character’s, Saph’s, flower shop. I couldn’t find any older pics so I reused the ones from my last post from who knows how long ago. :’D

Main room/store front:

Instead of a more modern pinkish style shop, I made it more rustic and green and added more potted plants instead of only flowers. I struggled with choosing what tables to use and initially wanted a staircase style with taller tables against the walls and maybe lower ones in front or none at all so plants would be on the ground. But I decided to scratch that and place full wooden tables instead since the rest of the room is pretty low. I’m very satisfied with this layout, though I still need to customize the trellises (had to google the plural form--thought it might be trelli haha), and maybe the planter if it’s customizable.

Back room - greenhouse/work space:

I’m really, really happy with the way the back room turned out. It turned into sort of a greenhouse/work area where Saph takes care of her plants and researches varieties and journals them. This room is also capped out on items!

Upstairs living space:

I also really like the way Saph’s room turned out. I had such a hard time figuring out the layout: I knew I wanted to include a cute and comfy desk+bedroom area, small bathroom, and kitchen, but figuring out how to cram all those things in an 8x8 space made me give up and come back again and again until I made drastic changes like shifting the kitchen to the northeast corner and bathroom to the southeast one instead. The couch in the bedroom area kinda made it click. Finally, I’m happier with this room than before! I still need to customize the ranch hutch and replace the two modern minitables with the one that’s bigger since this room has also hit it’s limit on items. I also might replace the gold roses--they stand out a bit too much for my liking.

Basement - ???

I had this idea of how every character’s basements were connected by an underground tunnel and were very loosely base on an Alice in Wonderland theme so this room was supposed to be the forest/magical part of that. That idea is sort of scratched though since Alis’ basement is a witch room and Shun’s (name still pending) is a Japanese-style restaurant--whomp! I like Saph’s basement, though, so I’ll keep it as is. This forest shall be where she collects specimens and makes friends with the fairies.

Saph’s house is definitely the most complete out of all the residents. Expect a few nice screenshots of her daily life!

#acnl #animal crossing #animal crossing new leaf #acnl welcome amiibo #welcome amiibo #animal crossing welcome amiibo #my town #acnl flower #flower shop #greenhouse #acnl greenhouse #acnl bedroom #bedroom #acnl cute flower shop #cute flower shop #3ds #nintendo #nintendo 3ds #acnl house #acnl interior

[ticktockstuck]

Where Everyone Lives, V2.0

There’s an old post lying around here that has basically this same premise but now that we’re post-Flag Friday it’s worth revisiting where exactly everyone is in the Verse, and going into a little more detail then the V1.0 version did. I’ll be splitting this one up by district since most of the cast is in Tick-Tock Town.

Central District

Galekh Xigisi can be found near the Central-Prosperia border in his family’s antique mansion. The surrounding land is gray and dead, and inside the home has been extensively modified to accommodate oozing personages.

Tagora Gorjek lives here with his father, where he often works towards his future career when he isn’t out looking for those in need of his services. The inside of his home is kept clean as a mirror, though thanks to his bumbling clones he has to spend a lot of time keeping it clean.

Tirona Kasund lives with her brainspawn brethren in a communal dormitory run by the city. She’s lived her whole life here, same as the others, and her room is decked out in motivational posters, mathematical or otherwise.

Tyzias Entykk lives and works here, in a communal apprentment she shares with a lot of other up-and-coming law students. Her family home, however, is a modest residence in the middle of Prosperia.

The home of the aristocratic Erdehn family is here, whose questionably talented daughter Amisia is usually off in a studio being rented out in Prosperia.

Seaside District

Polypa Goezee’s main base of operations is somewhere in this district, though she has little hidey-holes scattered all over the city. Main points in common between them all are stockpiles of emergency rations, backup legs, and spare manga lying around to keep herself entertained while she’s waiting out pursuers.

Remele Namaaq lives here, in Seaside Central.

Zebede Tongva and his father live here in a run-down apartment tower infested with bees and bee-friendly plants. It’s in a block of hexagonal apartments near the Seaside-Qerse border, and a stone’s throw from Erisoldier territory in Seaside East.

Tagora Gorjek’s mutated clones have a home to themselves here, paid for by Tagora himself to keep them away from him. Its residents have given it the moniker “the Tagormitory”.

Prosperia

Amisia Erdehn’s art studio is located in a penthouse suite that comes complete with greenhouse area. Most of the greenhouse glass is covered up to keep paint and hand-vomit from splattering everywhere, and the actual living space is fairly small, but Amisia prefers it to her family home in Central.

Bronya Ursama and her wealthy parents live in a wide-but-not-deep mansion with lavish surrounding gardens. Despite having everything she could want at home Bronya’s felt increasingly uneasy and spends more of her time out of the house than in it.

Karako Pierot is staying with a wealthy family who adopted him, though few would be able to tell you he’s doing so if they’re aware of him at all.

Lynera Skalbi and her parents reside in historic Skalbi Manor in the aristocratic sector here. Their not-wide-but-deep mansion is loaded with magical paraphernalia from their family’s past, including a deep stockpile of captured demons.

Stelsa Sezyat lives and works out of a modest home she’s earned for herself. The local community is very accepting of free dolls like her and includes more than a few free dolls in their number.

The Entykk household can be found here, towards the Alterneo-Prosperia border.

The Houtek family lives here, albeit without their daughter Marsti after they mutually decided to part ways.

Qerse

Ardata Carmia lives here.

Charun Krojib lives underneath Tick-Tock Town in the Understreets, deep enough to be below the sewer lines even, but is roughly in the Qerse area. Their cave is right next to a chunk of Clocknet, which they scavenge from frequently for their art.

Chixie Roixmr and her mother have a dingy little place to themselves in the side of Qerse host to many other immigrant families from the Land of Rot and Sparks. It’s on a winding road that’s one of the most curvy in the city outside of Alterneo, but you can tell it’s her home from how many of her own promotional posters she has plastered over every wall.

Daraya Jonjet lives here in a snug two-floor house, not that you would be able to find her here during most hours. It’s in the LORAS part of town, and it shows inside and out as her parents still have the experiment-loving mindset of native LORASites. The house’s scarce room being taken up by science equipment means Daraya spends a lot of time outside the house.

Mallek Adalov and his father control a spacious penthouse, though it feels smaller than it really is thanks to all the tech cluttering the place up. The suite has as many mods as its young resident does, many of them installed to help with doll de-programming and re-programming.

Tegiri Kalbur has been a longtime Qerse native, with both his old dojo and his current apartment being found here. The former has been trashed for years but he’s made the latter into a comfortable little den for himself and occasionally Polypa by stocking the place to the roof with anime merchandise.

Alterneo

Fozzer Velyes works in an in-city cemetery and lives about a block away. The place is small for someone his size so he mostly uses it like a storage shed and just sleeps in the cemetery. Easier to keep people from robbing graves that way.

Marsti Houtek lives down in the sewer lines beneath Alterneo, in a janitorial side area she’s converted into a home for herself. She doesn’t spend frivolously so while the place is spotless from roof to floor, there’s not a lot of decoration here, though it does include a giant tub for her to toss bath bombs into.

Wanshi Adyata lives just a neighborhood away from a historic library, where she works part-time to eventually get her hands on some grimoires stored there. Her house is in one of the upscale neighborhoods closer to the Central-Alterneo border.

The Maenad household, currently sans the Maenad’s daughter Chahut, can be found here.

Emerald Quarter

Zebruh Codakk and his father used to live here in a stately manor, until the latter had a fatal accident and left the whole property to his son and his son’s significant other. The mansion used to be full of people, but now it’s only home to two. Zebruh doesn’t really leave the house anymore, but his self-proclaimed better half certainly does. 

Sburbia

None of the trolls live here, actually! It’s a mostly human-populated district so no surprise there. This section’ll be more packed with stuff when I decide to include the Homestuck cast in this post.

Nocturne / Wrecked

Boldir Lamati lives with her adoptive parents in one of the nicer parts of the district near the Nocturne-Emerald border. Inside her home she has access to a wealth of academic knowledge and when she’s not off sleuthing you can usually find her at home by the fireplace with her head in a book.

Diemen Xicali lives alone in a loft above a butcher shop bereft of meat, living or otherwise. It’s a sparsely-decorated abode, and most of what is there got there thanks to doing favors for Mallek.

Elwurd has managed to fix a place up for herself here, a real model citizen when it comes to home improvement. She lives alone in a place built for two.

Folykl Darane and Kuprum Maxlol are hiding out inside a large warehouse here, one of the few places that can actually support Kuprum and the giant chunk of Clocknet stuck to him. It’s a better place than its humble description makes it out to be thanks to being close to the Emerald Quarter, with internet and everything.

Outside of Tick-Tock Town

Azdaja Knelax and Konyyl Okimaw live in a seaside mansion on the Land of Coral and Combat, won with their collective earnings in the gladiatorial arena scene. Azdaja’s taken over the surface part of the mansion with robotics and advanced tech. Konyyl’s carved her own spot in the mansion’s basement, which runs straight down to the shoreline and is full of traps and dangers she uses for exercise.

Baizli and Barzum Soleil travel with the Midnight Melpomene, performing odd jobs around the carnival and specializing in daredevil stunts. Their young age makes them a rarity within the Melpomene’s expansive staff, and impressively enough still have their own room.

Chahut Maenad, after being forced to flee Tick-Tock Town, briefly joined up with the Midnight Melpomene and eventually made her way to the Land of Oasis and Abyss. She’s settled into a comfortable position on the island of Hore Corror, though she still sometimes tours with the Melpomene to sneak back into Tick-Tock Town.

Cirava Hermod can be found deep inside the bowels of the 🐠ＭＯＩＳＴＹＳＴＯＰＩＡ 🐠, where they tend to stay after Ｔｈｅ Ａｃｃｉｄｅｎｔ led to them becoming partly petrified. Their layer of the city is drenched in seawater and some parts are flooded, but it’s perfect to keep people from bothering them while they stream.

Lanque Bombyx lives by himself on one of the many planets of the celestial ring, though not one mentioned in this post.

Marvus Xoloto travels a lot on business and has no consistent home.

Nihkee Moolah lives on the Land of Coral and Combat. She may not be a native to the planet but she fits right in with the hyper-competitive culture, being a thus-far undefeated gladiator with a home of her own on the planet where she spends most of her time prepping for the next fight.

Skylla Koriga is trapped along with her mother inside the ghost town of Tarnation, located in a nebulous location somewhere on the Land of Dunes and Darkness. The best she’s got is a run-down farmstead but it’s not her neighbors have much better.

Vikare Ratite has no strings to hold him down. He doesn’t live anywhere anymore.

#ticktockstuck #Setting Notes #character notes #yeah i'm not tagging everybody in this individually