#equinox: sick dogs

[arechanga]

Happy New Year!

Two days late because I've been sick like a dog!! but I didn't want to miss out on the fun because I fucking love dragons!! Quetzalcoatl rep!!

I tried to mak her usual urban design with a mesoamerican flare. The face paint is reference to Onyx Equinox's Quetzalcoatl!

#also yes I know the year of the dragon starts in february but everyone's drawing dragons right now and I wanted to jump in aaaa #senorita cometa #webtoon #senorita cometa webtoon #webcomic #webtoon originals #señorita cometa

[abstractednotebook]

Slavic Spring Deities (Post no.1)

Vesna and Kresnik (Vesnik)

Vesna

(VEES-nah) “Lady Spring”, “Lady of Spring Resurrection”, or “The White Maiden of May”

There are about 15 other names for this deity, the ones that I will focus on in this post in particular are:

Vesna

Name that means Spring

Derived from the Proto-Indo-European “wésr” meaning Spring.

Zlata Maja

Name means “Golden Mother of Life”

Zlatogorka

Name means “Golden Hill”

Marjetica

Name means “Daisy”

Fun fact! The daisy is also a sacred flower of the Norse goddess Freya!

She is a glowing radiant goddess, often described as having long golden hair. Vesna is also associated with the day that the Swallows return on approximately March 9th called Strinenija. At this point in the year, another goddess named Striga(Mora, or Morana) would be reborn as this Spring Goddess. The dates however, will vary depending on the climatic differences in the various Slavic countries.

She loves music, dance and song; as well as sensual pleasures (intercourse). She bedecks herself with a flower crown, and the land itself with beautiful flowers. She may be found naked dancing in a meadow, happily surrounded by birds and butterflies.

Like all the tales of Slavic Deities, she too can change her form to the animals she most connects with. These animals happen to be white birds, rabbits, or singing larks. These are also her messengers!

Quick Facts!

Does she have a sacred day? Time? Holiday?: Yes! They are Fridays, the entire month of May, and especially May Day!

Sacred Space(s): Literally; any flowery meadow, garden, or hill!

Sacred Animals: Rooks, Robins, Cranes, Mice, Shrews, Cuckoos, Fire-flies and Glow worms.

Sacred Plants: Maple, hawthorn blossoms, and wild roses.

Offering ideas: Honey cakes, flowers, apples, goat’s milk, flower crowns, bird sculptures (especially of her sacred birds).

Kresnik

(kre-ES-nik) “Living Fire”, “Lord of Spring Resurrection”, “The Lord of Life-Giving Light”.

There’s about 11 names for this Deity!

In folktales, Kresnik can transform into a bird, or really any shape he pleases; or become invisible! He rides in a golden carriage across the sky on a winged horse. We see him in Slovene folk tales wielding a “golden axe” and causing lightning.

Like his female counterpart (or in some tales she is his partner or twin), he too has golden hair (and mustache), he is bright and radiantly handsome; however he is sometimes described to have golden hands (sometimes going as far as to have golden wings).

Oh! And, he lives on a golden mountain where there grows an apple tree; but it’s not just any old run of the mill apple tree—it holds the golden apples of immortality! (Are you sick of the word “GOLDEN” yet?)

The firefly is a sacred animal to him, and I’ll let you guess why.

Quick Facts!

Sacred day, time, or holiday: Spring Equinox, May 6th, Summer Solstice (June 21 or 22), and oddly enough, December 6th and the Winter Solstice. In short, the Winter Solstice was considered his “birthday,” and then he was celebrated at the Summer Solstice with bonfires!

Sacred spaces: Hills.

Sacred Animals: Roosters, goats, red cows, bulls, bears, wolves, boars, oxen, dragons, horses, flying horses, dogs with white spots (specifically over their eyes, but any white spots will do just fine), woodpeckers, and lynxes.

Sacred Plants: Apples, yellow “corn marigolds,” grapevines, buckwheat, blackberries, red cranberries, asparagus, wheat, hay, and various other fruits.

Sacred Objects: Spoked “sun wheels”, flutes, fiddle, a golden hand (think Thanos), a winged white horse, a candelabrum, golden axe, or a club.

Offering ideas: Yellow apples, wine, cooked buckwheat, grapes, candles, incense, Frankincense, wheat sheaves, cranberries.

END POST

P.S: If you have any questions, always remember to ask them!! If I personally cannot answer it, I'll find sources that could help you out!

#slavic folklore #slavic mythology #slavic paganism #rodnovery #witchcraft community #witchcraft #witchblr #pagan #witch community #witch #pagan witch #paganism #pagans of tumblr #paganblr #witches #baby witch #beginner witch #eclectic witch #tarot witch #offerings #deity work #polytheist

[lullabyes22-blog]

Snippet - Old Bonds - Forward, but Never Forget/XOXO

Vi remembers a different time...

Forward, but Never Forget/XOXO

Snippet:

"Flex your fingers," Sevika orders. Vi curls her hands into fists. "Good. Gloves on."

The gloves are ten-ouncers. Well-worn, but good quality. Vi butts her fists together, and frowns. "These fit me."

"You thought they wouldn't?" Sevika says. "I remember your size."

It's wrong to feel the sick tremor of nostalgia. But Vi does. The first time she'd sparred with Sevika was during the Equinox Bazaar, after all. She remembers because they'd gone afterwards to the market for Vekauran-style lentil stew with mango pickles.

Sevika explained that an old boyfriend from the Pump Station used to like it that way. Vi figured he must be dead, because Sevika's eyes would hold a gloss nearly like sadness whenever she mentioned him. Other times, her lip would unconsciously curl into a sexy little smile.  Whoever the guy was, he'd apparently eaten pussy like a pro, given the details Sevika would drop sometimes about his technique, details Vi could barely take in over her own flushed waves of embarrassment.

Even then, she'd been a little bit jealous, a lot aroused, and a whole lot confused.

Afterward, Sevika had stripped off her heavy-duty gloves to show Vi the calluses on her hands: six Hex-sized patches so tough they put pressure on the nerves.

"Rather have real Hexes in my hands," Sevika had griped.

Sometimes, she'd give Vi tips on dirty footwork and sneak-jabs. Vi was a firecracker of raw potential, but Sevika had a decade of experience at laying the nastiest opponents flat with a well-timed blow. She'd show Vi how to deliver a sidewinder by turning her hips the barest fraction. How to move her hands and feet in unison, like a pair of dancers. How to talk trash and stay patient until it was time to go for the knockout.

"You need to get that temper under control," Sevika had warned her once, after a particularly punishing match. "It's gonna get you killed."

Vi scoffed. "Temper's my specialty."

"It'll be the end of you."

"Well, it hasn't been."

"Yet." Sevika shrugged, wiping her brow with a towel. "Then again, I'm not the one you're always trying to impress."

Vi's eyes snapped to hers. The words had a bite, but Sevika's look was knowing.

Vi dropped her gaze.

She'd never told Sevika about her need to prove herself to Vander. Prove that her parents hadn't died for nothing. Prove that she could be strong enough, brave enough, to keep the Lanes safe.

Prove that she could protect Powder.

Now, looking at the familiar glide of Sevika's fingers, her easy competence with the laces, Vi finds the same emotions bubbling up. Dread that she'd never live up to Vander's legacy. The gut-deep longing to prove her worth. Prove she was a force nobody would mess with, because that was the only way to keep everyone safe.

Sevika had that in common with Vi. They'd both lost their families. Both found meaning only in their fists.

But Sevika wanted more than strength. Her bottom line was rooted in one principle: brute will. Her gang always ran the loosest, fastest, riskiest jobs in the Lanes. They played dirty, had little qualms with cutting corners, and none with breaking necks.

Sevika was a hardheaded bitch. If the Undercity was a battlefield, she was always gunning for top-dog. 

Vi remembers one night at the Drop. A fight had broken out over a poker game. The Sledgerunners had been caught cheating. The Dead Enders had taken offense. Violating the Drop’s rules of neutral territory, they’d savaged each other like dogs.

By the time Vi and Sevika arrived, the Sledgerunner's leader, a beefy bastard named Chud, had pulled a blade. His victim lay on floorboards gone glittering-red with broken glass and blood. Mylo and Claggor had helped Vi make a tourniquet out of old belts while Powder ran to fetch a medick. Sevika had flattened Chud with three precise blows and held the rest of his gang at knifepoint until Vander returned.

Sevika proposed taking an ear from both the Sledgerunners and Dead Enders as compensation for the broken peace. Vi suggested letting them off with a warning. Vander had listened patiently to both. Afterward, he'd sent both the Sledgerunners and the Dead Enders back to their territories.

Then he'd taken Vi and Sevika aside and made his thoughts plain.

"We're not judges, and this isn't the gallows," he'd told them. "We're here to keep the Lanes stable. Not make a name for ourselves."

Sevika had looked pissed. "So you'll let them disrespect your turf?"

Vander's eyes had grown dark. "It's not my turf. It's everyone's. I'm here to help keep the peace, not enforce a regime."

Vi's own frustration had bubbled over. "What's the difference?"

"The difference is whether you wanna be a part of the solution. Or the problem. Because that's what it comes down to." Vander sighed. "Sevika, I'm grateful you stepped in. But the Drop's not a chopping block. You don't get to decide who leaves with what body parts."

"Unless you keep your house in order, they'll do this again," Sevika shot back. "They're already running roughshod over half of Entresol."

"I'm not startin’ a gang war."

"You've got the numbers. They'd be too scared to try again."

"We're not soldiers. This isn't a battleground."

"He'd say otherwise."

Vander's features went rigid. "That time's passed. For all of us."

Sevika stared at him for a long moment. Then she'd stalked out. Vi had been ready to go after her. Vander laid a heavy hand on her shoulder. "Let her be."

"But—"

"I'm not asking, kiddo."

Vi's belly churned: anger, confusion. She'd only been fifteen. But she'd sensed she was on the verge of forbidden territory. Things unsaid between Vander and Sevika. Memories—names—better off forgotten.

"What happened?" she asked at length. "Who's 'he'?"

"The past." Vander eyes were distant. "We all have one."

"She's not wrong, you know. We gotta keep a tighter fist on things."

"Not the way she wants to."

"But what if the gangs get stronger? What if they push into the Lanes?"

Vander looked at her with something like reproach. "That's not why we do this." He took a breath. "When the world tells you no, what do you do?"

"Say yes back. Show 'em they're wrong."

"Right. You do that by being better than them. You do it with decency. Not hate."

Vi shook her head. "What if it's not enough?"

"It's not." Vander smiled ruefully. "Which is why we gotta keep at it."

"But—"

"Vi." Gently, he gripped her chin. "The world will tell you no. Over and over. It'll try to break you. Make you hard and cruel. But the best thing you can do is find a reason to keep saying yes. Even when things look hopeless. There's more strength in that than you know."

Vi’s eyes refocus.

Her gloved hands are securely fastened. The laces are wound tight.  So is the grief.

She seethes, "How could you do it?"

Sevika quirks a brow.

"How could you turn on Vander? Leave the Lanes to that monster?"

Sevika's face hardens with restrained impatience. "We've been over this already. Vander betrayed the Lanes too many ways. He was weak. We were all weak under him. What use is loyalty without power?"

Vi seizes Sevika's mechanical hand. "This is power?"

Sevika jerks Vi's hand off. "This is the cost for a bigger reward. Our freedom."

"Yeah?" Vi takes in the suffocating dimensions of the prep room. "Is that why you're down here instead of at Silco's party tonight? Enjoying your freedom?"

Sevika shakes her head. "I'd take the filth down here to what's at that party any day."

#arcane #arcane league of legends #forward but never forget/xoxo #forward (never forget)/xoxo #arcane silco #silco #arcane vander #vander #arcane vi #vi #arcane violet

[icey--stars]

Ghost Hounds (Headcanons)

Headcanons, names, personalities and histories of Eris's ghost hounds and loyal companions.

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Day 4 of @erisweek2023 (Hounds / Autumn Equinox)

a/n: okay. so. i have some very interesting headcanons for eris’s hounds, so here you go. I got bored one day (while preparing Born for Tragedy) and decided “hey! let’s write some history for Eris’s dogs!” also i apologize, i was a bit scatterbrained in this lol

WARNINGS: lightly mentioned domestic abuse (beron. again.) Down towards the bottom, it mentions the loss of a pet. If you wish to skip this, stop reading after Rue (dog name)

↢ 『 ☾ 』 ↣

Okay, so we all know Eris has 12 ghost hounds. I literally have HCs for all of them. Some more than others so let's go through them, shall we?

Eris’s first ghost hound was a birthday gift from his mother. A little puppy appeared at his door miraculously that day and his mother was extremely happy when the boy came in cuddling it in his arms asking if he could keep it. (She told him she got it for him after saying yes)

The puppy was named Percy (recommendation from LOA) and Eris fucking loved that dog. Spoiled the little shit. Percy is BY FAR one of his most loyal dogs.

Percy’s training wasn’t as straightforward as the others’ were, but Percy is also extremely, extremely intelligent and loved Eris to death so he did his best :)

When Percy first witnessed Beron yelling at Eris, he snarled and leaped in front of the boy. The hound got a whipping for it (and still has those scars…) but since then, Eris has loved the dog like none other just as the dog has done for him.

Eris also began hating his father after he hit his doggo because who wouldn’t?? Don’t hit my puppy sir. You will pay for it. Dearly.

Now, when Eris gets a new puppy, Percy is always the one to train them in the basics of being a good puppy. Like potty training, no biting, and KISSES because Percy knows his owner loves them :)

Eris of course takes on the brunt of the training for them all and likes to train them in hunting, tracking and sometimes, for the stronger ones, attacking. Naturally, however, they all learned to defend him (ex. standing in front of him or distracting someone attacking him).

Now, Eris is pretty… well, not liked in the ACOTAR world. We can agree on that. So, when Eris is out and about in the Autumn Court, he often has his doggos with him. If he’s away- the pups get so nervous for him. They just love him so much!

Now, Eris’s next dogs are two females in a litter that he bought himself: Vixen (named for her personality) and Selena (named after a female Eris liked for a while).

Vixen is the equivalent of “I will only listen to one person” and Selena is just happy to be there. Vixen was the first to be trained in “attacking” (also known as Schutzhund for my dog nerds out there) and she was really good at it. She could take down a full-grown fae easily.

A little HC I have about the ghost hounds is that because of their fae blood, some of them can winnow. Vixen is one of the ones who can winnow- but she can’t go very far. (maybe like 15 feet)

Eris was still terrified and overjoyed when he learned of this power though and instantly was trying to strengthen it so that she could use it for every advantage it held.

Selena is a good girl and is very happy. If Eris is sad, she’s coming over there with a big goofy grin and then licking his face and pinning him down like a puppy that won’t sit still while being cleaned. In her mind, Eris is both her owner and her puppy she has to take care of.

The next dog Eris gets is once again bought for himself, but instead of a litter, it was an adult male. Now, this male has already been through a lot. His name was Cadoc and he used to have a mate. The reason his owner was selling him was because his mate died of an incurable sickness. 

In my mind, ghost hounds are very like fae. They can winnow, and they are extremely intelligent, just like doggos in real life! But, they also have lovers in the same way. Mates. 

So, when Eris did get Cadoc, he was a very sad pupper. He wouldn’t eat, wouldn’t get up, wouldn’t even drink. Eris took to taking care of him very gently. Bringing him his food (more on this in a minute) and water and even hand-feeding him when Cadoc wouldn’t even raise his head. And yes, sometimes it did get down to force feeding, but Eris would not give up on Cadoc. He knew the hound had more to him. He was more than just a breeding stud- he could be amazing!

Briefly, let’s also just mention that Eris feeds his dogs very well. Raw diet with a variety of meat, and other healthy things. (so, envision that really expensive raw dog feedings that we see on social media named the BARF diet for doggos)

Cadoc was still suffering however. Eris did his best, but after a year, there seemed to be no hope.

Unknown to Eris, however, Vixen, his spunky little female who listened to nobody, seemed to take pity on the sad male. She growled and forced him to his feet when Eris arrived and then practically dragged him outside to come on a walk.

Eris found it very endearing, to be honest. Vixen wouldn’t give up on Cadoc either.

Cadoc eventually began to stand on his own in greeting, if even just to avoid a nip from Vixen when she urged him to his feet. He began to trot outside and smell things.

Eris began to train him as well and he took to schutzhund training very easily. The male was bulkier than Percy and was perfect for taking down either fae or deer. Cadoc’s condition began to look up steadily.

His personality began to come out. He was very protective and obedient. He liked to please and he was kind of like the equivalent of a big, gentle giant.

Vixen and Cadoc also grew a lot closer. Because they were trained in similar things, they hung out a lot.

Now- I want you all to imagine a tragic, romantic scene between Vixen and Cadoc and then- yeah. Basically, they become mates. Spunky female and gentle giant.

Cadoc is one of Eris’s most loyal doggos (right behind Percy).

The next puppers aren’t bought by Eris, however. Mama Vanserra has been keeping an eye on Eris and his pups and has the perfect gift in store.

It’s three littermates. Three ghost hound puppies. Nimbus (male), Sorrel (female) and Soot (male). Eris could barely contain his excitement at the gift tho. Like literally, he was close to squealing. He for SURE was catering to his mother’s every need for at least a month. Checking up on her, offering her tea, getting her lunch personally from the kitchens- all little ways to show his appreciation.

Now. Sorrel and Soot are the troublemakers, first off. Nimbus is a little quieter, but he’s one of the strongest ones.

Sorrel is by far one of the fastest ghost hounds Eris owns. Absolutely blazing speed. If only there were enough ghost hounds to race them, huh? Eris tries to find one and manages to get one little competition, but literally, it's just three dogs and obviously, Sorrel wins. The ghost hounds are much too fast to race against like greyhounds or something. And not many have them in the Autumn Court- most have hunting dogs for their good noses.

Nimbus is Eris’s sweet little boy who’s one of the best at cuddling. (though, Selena does come close). The pup just sneaks into his bed in the middle of the night, undetected, and Eris wakes up with an armful of ghost hound. (he loves it)

Soot is forever the troublemaker (equal with Rue, who we will talk about later)

He gets into the food, the chicken coops, the farms, the sheets, the kitchens– all of it. He is a chaotic pup and while Eris can try to tame that troublemaker spirit, he will never break it. Soot is one of his worst in obedience for that reason. But, Eris still loves him of course. How can he not with those adorable almond-colored eyes?!

The next pup actually, is not bought, nor gifted. Vixen was found with a more swollen-than-usual belly and exhausted in her kennel one day (when she didn’t arrive to greet Eris like usual) and Cadoc right beside her, licking her ears.

Eris at first panicked, of course, and thought that Vixen was sick and dying of some horrible thing. A vet reassured him that she was in fact not sick, just tired, needed more food and rest, and that she was pregnant.

After that, he’s honestly even more panicked. He knew this was a possibility, but he’d expected it later! When he’d done his research already!

As soon as possible, he reads every book ever on ghost hounds, pregnancies with dogs and everything related. He even managed to request some books from Day Court’s libraries temporarily.

After he’d done his research, he was still anxious, but less so. He knew what was going on now and what would happen once the pup(s) were born. And what he needed to do to support his pupper.

The pup is born without any issues at all. And Cadoc and Vixen turn out as wonderful parents.

The one pup is a male that Eris names Ash.

Ash has adorable quirks to him. He always barks when Eris comes in and rolls over onto his back once Eris does start petting him and is especially playful with the other dogs. (after all, they were like aunts and uncles to him!)

The next two dogs aren’t related, but I’m grouping them together because I don’t have too many headcanons for them actually:

The next pup is Taunya (female), bought by Eris. She kind of has that “mother” personality. As a pup, she always was licking the other dogs and when she grew up, she often was found urging them toward their food, or resting with them when they were tired.

Nimbus takes a fascination to Taunya specifically (and let’s not get on about some age gap thing. Just look at feysand or nessian, alright?). And yes, they do become mates. Nimbus is extremely protective over Taunya and Eris always laughs when he seems to panic as she goes to cuddle with some other dog as if he’s thinking “you are so darn hard to protect woman! goodness! quit cuddling with the threats! gods!”

Taunya doesn’t change though, of course. She’s always gonna be the sweet one.

The next pup is a male called Pyro, also bought as a pup by Eris who is just loving the fact his ghost hound obsession is growing and Beron doesn’t seem to mind. I mean, honestly, they’re quite helpful. They come with him to the military and are perfectly behaved, they help him win hunting competitions… all of it.

Pyro is named for his more amber-colored eyes. 

This pup has the farthest ability to winnow out of any of the ghost hounds. He’s quite powerful, to be honest. When Eris fully tests it, Pyro is able to winnow from the Winter Court border to the Forest House with ease. Even from the Summer Court border! 

Eris doesn’t dare take his dog outside of the Autumn Court except for missions though. He doesn’t want to risk any rumors or threats or harm to his pups.

The next dog has a bit of story. This dog’s name is Rue. A chaotic, insane little pup.

Rue was gifted to Eris by Hue, his brother. Hue actually wanted Rue’s name to be “Hue,” but Eris was not going to allow it and simply settled for something that rhymed. It’s not like it was that bad of a name either. Just confusing when both his brother and dog responded to his call.

Rue is a troublemaker like Soot. However, he’s a bit better at paying attention than Soot and better at sitting and staying. Soot has no self control compared to him.

Rue loves to hunt. Whenever Eris pulls up on his horse with a bow around his shoulders, Rue is up and at ‘em and ready to sprint through the forests to his heart’s content. Even if he’s not as big and strong as Cadoc or as fast as Sorrel, he’s perfectly happy just being there. He’s so enthused when he gets the order to track an animal or catch a rabbit- just so happy.

But, to be completely honest: Rue is the most lazy of the dogs. He groans as he gets up to greet Eris and then proceeds to lay right back down to take a nap. Absolutely loves to nap in the sun.

Eris did have another dog between Jack (later) and Rue. He used to have a dog named Adria. A female who was the best tracking dog that he ever did have.

She was the pup to grow up with Lucien.

However, on that fateful day that Lucien had to run to the Spring Court, Adria followed. Unluckily, she caught an arrow to her chest and died.

She loved to chase deer out of anything, just bounding through the forests.

Eris still misses her (as does Lucien. He didn’t expect the pup to follow him)

The last dog is another pup of Vixen and Cadoc. Eris’s last ghost hound. Jack.

Jack is like Cadoc but not ever having been sad. He’s a happy pup who’s always wagging his tail and barking excitedly at anything and everything. Almost similar to Percy as well.

He was raised before Adria died.

Adria was actually still quite young when Jack was born so they were the best playmates. Even after the female’s death, he was still happy as can be. Eris does see him staring off into the woods she ran off into every once in a while though.

Eris never got another dog after Adria’s death. It hit him so hard. Like a blow to the chest, he just couldn’t do it anymore. So, afterwards, he took to putting most of his energy into the dogs that he already had. He spoiled them rotten after he found Adria’s body on the border that day. He’d care for any future pups that arrive but never buy another dog.

Adria’s grave sits outside of the heated cabin that houses the dog’s kennels. (anyway, im sobbing now, im sorry for that)

List of the Hounds in Order: Percy, Vixen & Selena, Cadoc, Nimbus & Sorrel & Soot, Ash (V+C), Taunya, Pyro, Rue, Adria 💀, Jack (V+C)

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Btw, feel free to ask more questions about the headcanons <3

TAGLIST HERE! - see post for specifics <3

Tagged in all ACOTAR Stories: @bunnymallowo, @officiallyunofficialperson, @margssstuff, @rebloggiest-reblogger, @inpraizeof, @graciereads, @eos-princess, @bubybubsters, @thegirlintheshadows101

(please let me know if you'd rather not be tagged in Eris Week or would like to!!)

#erisweek2023 #eris vanserra #acotar #headcanons #acotar fanfiction #acotar fanfic #ghost hounds #pro eris vanserra #mywriting

[stormcrow513]

Hagging Out: March 2023 - Spring Equinox

@graveyarddirt

So my workings in March tend to start at the beginning of the month, at the eighth my birthday, I'm not a huge fan of my birthday, but I already wrote a whole ass rant about it around my actual birthday so I'm not gonna unpack all of that here,

Was neat having the full moon fall on the day before,

Just sence it's a source of anxiety I've been trying to turn it into a source of power instead,

This year that entailed me doing a thorough cleansing of my self, I was at the tail end of being sick so I did some cleaning of my room as well but only as much as I could manage,

I scraped any icky shit off, I cut my hair from shoulder to above my chin, took a cleansing shower, I called up the elements in a circle, called in what I want in my space, filling up the empty spaces left behind in the cleansing,

I tucked away the cut hair in a napkin, I knew I'd want to do something with it, though at the time I wasn't sure exactly what that was yet,

March is kinda a weird time, at the end of it is the Spring Equinox there's a soft toward bright a shiny and green in stores ect. yet it is very much still the tale end of winter, here where I'm born and raised we've always called it The Snowiest Month Of The Year, and yes it deserves to be capitalized, I myself born at the beginning of the month before we start calling it spring, was born in a from repots pretty fucking bad blizzard, like people probably died blizzard, so it's hard to fully get my mind toward Spring, hell recently woke to this

All righty on to the Equinox itself,

So the new moon hit the day after, but it was going to reach new during the day, so when it does that I do my work for Hekate's the day before, so I had the lovely pleasure of doing both the Spring Equinox AND Hekate's night the same day, and I woke up feeling horrible so the day was off to a super start,

I started doing offerings to the Horae (the Season) and the amenoi (the winds) em fall of 2021 I think? On the Equinoxes and the Solstices thanking them, and asking for blessings for the season ahead, it's made a real difference

I give offerings of water and smoke, tobacco, oats, and coco powder, this time I realized we were out of oats I dug around and found the bag of quinoa that ma had bought back when we moved here five years ago when everyone was recommending it, we tried it hated it, forgot we had it opps, I figured well hell at least I'm putting it back into the earth so I used it,

I also before doing this, I've been doing Jason Millers spirit feast (from the new book, guys a shit head but I've picked up some helpful things, this being one) outside everyday the last couple weeks (before I was doing it once a week, there's been a noticeable difference since I've done it everyday) I set that up and left the myrrh burning while I went and did the above, mighta shoulda put this part first oppsie

I dumped out my Kathos jar into the garden,

I took that hair along with the ashes of some old petitions and laid them at the corner/crossroads of my property,

We all are sacrificing here and now for a better tomorrow, so this was a tangible sacrifice of my past, the effort I've been putting in to become a better Witch a better person, I gifted these to Hekate asking Her help to continue to grow to help me keep my feet on the path that will take me to the future I'm so desperately trying to build,

I washed my bedding, cleaned my room, my altars, then waited for night,

I left my dogs out at 9:30pm feed them and the cats, then I let the dogs out at 11:00pm one last time til morning,

So since I use the corner of my property as crossroads a corner on the visible to where I let my dogs out at, and since you're not supposed to look back after you leave Her offerings I wait till after eleven to leave my offerings,

After the dogs are tucked safe and snug, I close the blinds, I set her offerings in my basket, I made up the Kershnips, prayed, showered/cleansed, slipped into my clean ritual dress and Hekate pendant and began ricting her hymn as I walked to the corner, said my standards prayers left out Her offerings (including a handful of dog food for Her hounds) and made my way back inside no looking back,

After I got inside, I called a circle in my room, said a prayer over Her altar passed her statue through frankincense as well as my pendant I applied

@prairiefirewitch s mugwort ointment I received earlier this month

Then I called Hekate into myself, meditated with Her presence, after releasing I did some other work before releasing the circle

And that's that

#hagging out #hagging out 2023 #hagging out March 2023 #hagging out spring equinox #hagging out spring equinox 2023

[poisonhemloc]

Alright, so in your taco truck AU, what is the state of the owlks?

They're the second most populous species in the city, so they're doing a lot of different stuff

With regards to trucks specifically, there's a group of them running 'Stranger Sausages' which is essentially really fancy (and slightly suspicious) hot dog carts. They do have. a vegetarian dog option (Nomai are the most populous species and uh. They're herbivores)(Like most herbivores they will eat animal protein if offered but most Nomai stick with insect protein for that and not all of them are willing) but they don't really like. Offering that. The owlk involved are not part of the mob. definitely not. (My owlk are obligate carnivores- they can eat. some not meat stuff. but too much or for too long will make them sick)

But normal owlk are all over the map! General demographics-wise they tend to be more... i guess 'more owlk observe their holidays overal than the other species' (major holidays (equinoxes and solstices)are all owlk holidays), and they tend to like movies/shows/videos/etc over other forms of media. The biggest population of them is in the Dark Bramble/Giant's Deep boundary area, but they do live everywhere in various amounts. I think the 'cross the lake/river on a boat' arm of public transportation is almost entirely owlk run.

...more specifically, at the start of the au, Kae (The Prisoner) is kinda. Doesn't have a ton of friends (I'm thinking, was doing astronomy but burnt out somehow and had to drop out- I'd like them to go back to it at some point, but, this is the beginning of everything) but is running a drive in/float in outdoor movie theater right on a nice beach on the lake, next to a spot where a river joins it. It's not super popular, until Granite and Graphite wander in by chance and convince Feldspar and Gossan it's worth it to set the truck up a few nights and business starts picking up (...maybe important, for this, if asked their pronouns, Kae is just. gonna refuse to answer. Figure something out it is not Kae's problem.)

#poisonhemloc's rambles #outer wilds taco truck au #thank you! #oh i hope this made sense somewhere

[1v-lsd]

How to become somebody else

Tired of your lover? Sick of your kids? Hate your job? Do you want to become someone else? Complete any of the tasks bellow and say goodbye to your dandruff, arthritis, toe fungus, or whatever it is that plagues you! Find a black hat box that you can fit over your head. Put it on while sitting in the north-eastern most closet in your house while facing south, with the lights off. Sleep there with the hat box on overnight. When you wake up the next day you will be someone else. Write your name on a piece of paper, then cross it out, and on the other side write the new name you want for yourself. Place the paper, with your name facing down, under a large stone with only three slugs under it. When you wake up the next day you will be someone else. Find a 15-year-old virgin and cover her lips in blood from a Taurus. Have her kiss the back of your head. When you wake up the next day you will be someone else. Eat a blood orange after waking up from a nightmare. Place the peel under your pillow and go back to sleep. When you wake up the next day you will be someone else. Tell a stranger your darkest secret during a full moon, then put all your silverware in a pillowcase and burry it in your backyard. If a knife tree grows overnight, you will become a crow. If a fork tree develops overnight, you will become ghost. If a spoon tree sprouts overnight when you wake up the next day you will be someone else. Find the first picture ever taken of you. Burn it on a piece of your mother’s finest china. When you wake up the next day you will be someone else. Walk and talk backwards for an entire day. When you wake up the next day you will be someone else. Sleep under an abandoned train bridge on the autumnal equinox. When you wake up the next day you will be someone else. Dig up clay from the forest. Make a small effigy of yourself and then eat it. When you wake up the next day you will be someone else. Finely chop a ghost orchid and feed it to a stray dog. When you wake up the next day you will be someone else. Please note: Try only one method per day, completing more than one could cause a tear in the fabric of your reality and turn you into a radish. Nobody wants to be a radish.

#ramblings #the human condition #poetry #poetsandwriters #original poem #original writing #poemsbyme #poems #poem #creativewriting #creative writers #creativewriters #spilled ink #poets on tumblr #poets of tumblr #poetsoftumblr #scribbled words

[shyangi]

"Equinox '75'" by Ursula Le Guin

I am sick of men and women

but am not therefore going

sentimental and praising the wisdom of animals

(unlike us, they are wise without praise).

Nor in order to look at the stars

do I have to be snide about learn’d Astronomers,

who after all look

at the stars more often than I do.

In sickness I still sing, dogged,

the intellectual passion.

I will not even with Jeffers

turn to the rocks enduring

before us and after.

what good is a rock not looked at?

The landscape within me these days

is of stone: mountains,

stars, the open sky.

Not even trees. The beaches

empty in twilight.

A star

is a stone on fire.

A mind, an eye

is stone-dust, is star-stuff

and the light that fills it

is the light.

Are those grey coasts I walk on

the shores of the beginning

or the margins of the last chapter?

I do not know. I walk there

alone on the edges

angry, afraid, and uncertain

with my eyes wide open.

–1977

#literature #original poem #bookworm #bookish

[edgewaterfarmcsa]

CSA WEEK 17

p i c k l i s t

PARSLEY - REDBOR KALE - SHISHITOS PEPPERS! - HABANADAS PEPPERS! - CAYENNE PEPPER! - JALAPENO PEPPER! - BEETS - BUTTERCUP WINTER SQUASH - CARROTS- HEIRLOOM FIELD TOMATOES - CORN - ONION - GARLIC

Content Warning: this newsletter talks about food, if you are fasting in recognition of the holiest day of the Jewish Calendar, then please feel free to pause until tomorrow…. Ok?

And now let’s get into it: our Summer CSA ends this week! What in the world are we all supposed to eat after this week’s goodies run out? Cereal?! Hot dogs? Nightly takeout from Brownsville Butcher and Pantry? JK, As you all know our Fall CSA begins in a week, so this is certainly not the end of fresh veg for those that signed up.  In fact for many of you, the fun starts next Wednesday (first FALL CSA!) when our efforts go into filling the farmstand with towers of brussel sprouts, bins of onions, trays of greens and if you are smart and gluten friendly- a fresh warm loaf of bread (via add on bread share).

  And as for the fields this week, they did get a light frost two nights in a row.  Some plants are toast but the majority remain and they will continue to kick around until a deep kill frost hits and the fog breaks.  Truthfully, none of us expect the peppers, corn, and cherry tomatoes to stick around much longer, but while they are here, we will love them dearly and pick them with pretend Summer delight.  The brassicas and other greens have no problem with these cool temps, and we have enough greenhouses growing food to keep our bellies full and happy through the Winter Solstice (and beyond?).  

In other field topics, we are all impatiently waiting for the tops on the potatoes to properly dry so we can begin to dig the spud field using our fave large piece of equipment, the potato harvester- this will save an insane amount of time.  We are all a little sick of hand digging and our fingernails could use a break.  For real, the pain of hitting your finger nail into a potato while digging into the soil is a shock to the system for daaaaays.  

But the most pressing topic to really hit today is all the food we ate together these last 17 weeks.  From strawberries in June, to blueberries in July and Melon into the end of September.  We ate like kings and queens! And come January, I guarantee you, the onslaught of Equinox peppers will be missed as you sip on your dried tulsi tea.  Moreover, a huge shout out to all CSAers near (farmstand pick up!) and far (Eastman! The Studio! Novo Nordisk! Windsor! Brownsville!).  I don’t know what the CSA means to you- is it just groceries? Is it more? But for me, the CSA gives my every week real meaning and rhythm.  With the help of so many awesome hands and fellow farmers (Ray, Roy, Garnet, Claire, Denroy, Carlington, Tim, Jasper, Strong, Joe and Mike, Mrs. T and Pam), I get to curate your meals from a field! That is a huge honor and I do not take it lightly.  And bottomline here, a massive cheers to you all for taking a chance on Edgewater this season, and I do hope to check in with you all again in the not too distant future.  

Peace, Love, and Habanadas, Jenny

Pro-tips:

 KALE SALAD WITH ROASTED SQUASH AND FENNEL

FROM START SIMPLE

(the above book is absolutely my go to for nearly all meals, treat yourself:

Copyright © 2020 by Lukas Volger. Published by Harper Wave, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. 

 The dressing - a mix of maple syrup, lemon juice, and olive oil, plus an optional jolt of ginger- could make anything taste good, and the salad, with its autumnal profile, works just as well in holiday menus as it does in packed weekday lunches… Add some crumbled feta if you’d like a tangy creamy element.

 2 cups winter squash cut into bite size pieces

1 to 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup or honey

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 teaspoons finely grated ginger (optional)

Salt & pepper

1 small fennel, cored (also optional!)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 large bunch of kale (stemmed and torn into bite size pieces

¼ cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)

Parsley, (chopped)

Preheat the oven to 425.  Spread the squash on a baking sheet, then toss with 1 ½ tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle with a big pinch of salt and pepper.  Roast until tender, 15-20 minutes, stirring once or twice.  Cool.

Whisk together the remaining1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil, the lemon juice, maple syrup or honey, and ginger, if using, in a serving bowl.  Cut the fennel (if using) into thinnest-possible shavings, preferable using a mandoline or, if not, a very sharp knife.  Add the fennel and squash to the bowl with the dressing and stir to coat.  Let stand for about 5 minutes, which will soften up the fennel, then add the kale and toss with your hands.  Top with cheese if using and chopped parsley!

Grounding roasted roots with herbed jalapeño yogurt sauce is a beautiful and simple side dish that features a delicious sauce.

PREP TIME:15 MINS/ COOK TIME:1 HR/ TOTAL TIME:1 HR 15 MINS/ SERVINGS 4 -6

ROOTS:

1 lb carrots (5 medium), peeled and chopped into 2-inch pieces

½ lb beets (3 medium/4 small) peeled and chopped into 1-inch wedges

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 ½ teaspoons za’atar spice

sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

 YOGURT SAUCE:

1 cup mixed herbs, packed (I used parsley, dill & basil), plus extra for garnish

1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped (I left some of the seeds because I like the heat)

1 garlic clove, peeled

2 tablespoons shelled and salted pistachios, plus extra for garnish

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

1 cup thick non-dairy yogurt (see notes for recommendations)

Notes

I would make this a meal by serving it in a grain bowl-style setup with some cooked farro, white beans, and a big handful of chopped/baby greens per person.

I used carrots and beets, but any mixture of root vegetables you like is good. You’ll need 1 ½ pounds.

If you don’t have za’atar spice blend, that’s fine! Just use salt and pepper. The sauce is super flavourful.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 9x13x2 baking dish with parchment paper.

Place the chopped carrots and beets in the baking dish and toss them with the olive oil, za’atar, salt and pepper. Once the vegetables are evenly coated, spread them out into a single layer and slide the dish into the oven. Roast the vegetables for 1 hour, taking them out at the halfway point to stir them up and flip them over.

Make the herbed jalapeño yogurt sauce: In a food processor, combine the herbs, jalapeño, garlic, pistachios, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pulse the machine a few times until everything is finely chopped, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula  if necessary. Add the non-dairy yogurt to the food processor and pulse until the sauce is fully combined and uniformly light green. Check the sauce for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

To serve: Spread the herbed jalapeño yogurt sauce out on the base of your serving plate. Pile the roasted root vegetables on top of the yogurt sauce.

Garnish the grounding roasted roots and herbed jalapeño yogurt sauce with extra chopped herbs and pistachios. Serve warm or at room temperature.

 Corn!

Heads up yall, this corn was picked on Saturday pre-frost as a just in case frost precaution.  It’s great for soups or freezing for winter!  

To freeze: blanch in boiling water, let cool, remove kernels, put in zip lock bag, and freeze!

[platinummice]

*rolls up sleeves* ok so, for dear arch n mason:

Pre-relationship: 1-5

General: 1, 5, 7, 8

Love: 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12

Domestic life: 6, 8, 9, 10

PRE-RELATIONSHIP

3. Did any of their friends or family want them to get together?

This one is a bit hard for me in particular to answer because most of Arch's friends/family are other OC's? I think it would take Arch's dogs a little bit before they really got used to Mason, if that counts. They don't like how much bed space he takes up.

4. Who felt romantic feelings first?

Archer! Mans knew that Mason was just looking for some casual sex and caught feelings anyway! it's alright though because Mason comes around eventually.

5. Did either of the try to resist their feelings?

Yeah mostly just Arch though. I think Mason would be extremely blunt about his feelings.

GENERAL

5. What's their height difference? Age difference?

well Arch is in his 40's and is a solid 6'8" and I put Mason at 6' even and like... 35? That seems good i think.

7. Who takes lead in social situations?

Mostly Mason. Arch doesn't care much for social situations since people are usually just kinda,, scared of him. He will step in if he thinks Mason is handling it wrong, and usually when Arch steps up to talk Mason steps down.

LOVE

5. Who initiates kisses?

When other people are around it is always Mason, he'll grab hold of Arch's mask and pull it up juuust enough to tease his face to the people around before giving him a quick kiss and pulling it back down. There's also a lot of just planting kisses on Arch's mask too. When they're alone Arch has more opportunity to take action.

6. Who's the big and little spoon?

So long as they aren't sleeping around the rest of the pack Archer is the big spoon and Mason is the little spoon.

8. Who's better at comforting the other?

Believe it or not Mason has got comforting Arch down pat.

9. Who's more protective?

Ooof they are both very protective, but I think Arch might just win out on this one. I think he's just got more protective instinct built into him from rescuing animals to plucking random sick and injured raiders out of nuka town. Protectiveness is more in his nature.

10. Do they prefer verbal or physical affection?

They are both more into physical affection i think.

DOMESTIC LIFE

6. Who worries the most?

Yeah definitely Archer, but he also kind of worries a lot about everything.

8. How do they celebrate holidays?

I dont know that there are may holidays they would celebrate? Maybe the equinoxes and solstices, because those are the special days Arch knows the most about. I can see the pack turning it into a huge thing, dressing up in more fanciful masks and garments. Mason changing his face paint up, covered from head to toe in fine pelts, maybe a fancy headdress made from a yao guai or deathclaw skull. Arch equally as decked out, instead of gas mask he's made a mask out of a radstag skull with the best rack he could find. And honestly they just dance and eat and drink and party until they're all exhausted. Its commonplace for practically the entire pack to sleep through the next day. Exchanging small gifts is common as well.

9. Who's more likely to convince the other to come back to sleep in the morning?

Definitely Mason. Arch almost always gets up before the sun to take care of his animals and prep for the day, so Mason is always trying to convince him to curl back up in bed. mans secretly loves being the little spoon and nothing will convince me otherwise

10. Who's the better cook?

Mason but i still would not trust it

#Archer #Mason #dear lord this took so long omg #i love love love the party thing #love it so much #the only other time i can see arch celebrating anything is #maybe if he's invited by friends to do something with them #idk #maybe theres something else mason would participate in i dunno #anyway #here you are corvid

[valancyjane]

Nusquam aliud est vertere (Nowhere else to turn) Chapter 32

‘Theo is already moving for the door. “Blaise – stay with Hermione. Do not leave her side, understand?” Theo’s clover-green eyes are hard and fierce.

“Of course – go, go,” Blaise gestures impatiently. “I’ll look after her.” Theo doesn’t wait any longer, shooting out the door with impressive speed.

“Hey – I can look after myself,” Hermione indignantly corrects, scrambling to her feet and planting her hands on her hips, desperate to throw off her weakness in freezing up at the idea that Marcus Flint is one of her would-be rapists. “I don’t appreciate you talking about me as though I’m a pathetic helpless doll or a child, Zabini.”

“Of course you can look after yourself, Granger – you’re the ‘Brightest Witch of Your Age’, and a total bad-arse to boot,” Blaise murmurs conciliatorily. “But my will to live is strong, and Draco would tear me in quarters with his pale bare hands if I didn’t stick to you like glue right now. Have pity on me? Please? I’m already top of his Shit List for the stunt I pulled with the Spring Equinox Ball.”

Good. I hope Draco tore you a new one. Hermione narrows her eyes as she considers adding insult to injury. Blaise senses her condemnation; he holds out his hands in a placatory gesture.

“I’m sorry, Granger – I had the best of intentions about the Ball thing… I just didn’t consider that Draco wouldn’t tell me to blow it out my bum straightway,” he reasons. “I thought it would spur him into asking you himself.”

“Draco doesn’t believe he deserves to be with me.” Hermione feels suddenly drained: whether it’s due to the inevitable crash after her recent adrenaline rush, or because Draco’s lack of self-worth is potentially a big problem for their nascent relationship, she cannot determine. Probably both. She plonks down into her seat again and rests her head on her hands. Blaise seats himself beside her and copies her pose. His large dark eyes are friendly and sympathetic.

“Want to talk about it? I’m a good listener,” he prompts, blinking his long lashes guilelessly.

“No – really, I am!” Blaise asserts as Hermione involuntarily lets loose a rusty laugh at his claim. “And before you say it… yes, I do talk a lot (only because my word is gospel and solid gold, you understand), but I am perfectly capable of meaningful, comprehensive listening, too. Give me a try – you won’t be sorry,” he lazily leers.

“You can’t help yourself, can you?” Hermione sighs.

“No, I really can’t. I’m one sick puppy,” Blaise confesses without a hint of shame. “Go on – I promise not to judge you for any kinks that you’re comfortable divulging. Can’t say the same for Malfoy – he’s one dirty little dog– ”

“He is not!” Hermione hotly denies, before she realizes Zabini is baiting her. “You arse.” But she is feeling better… much less shocky. Blaise’s gentle teasing has worked wonders…’

https://archiveofourown.org/works/23994118/chapters/62262559

#hermione x draco #dramione fanfic #hermione granger #draco malfoy #blaise zabini #theo nott #mystery #romance #cliffhanger #dramione

[bambigoose]

Puppy Love - Tyler Seguin

The iron gates look like something straight out of the medieval ages, the intricate detailing never fails to take Mia’s breath away during the day despite their imposing stature. She’d moved into this community by per chance a little over a month ago and the judgmental stare of Mrs. Fredrick glaring at her currently stopped being intimidating on day one. That miserable old women had no problem letting Mia know she didn’t belong, not like she needed to be told, her older Chevy Equinox stuck out like a sore thumb in a neighborhood of range rovers, Cadillacs, and even a few Ferraris. Mia however knew better than to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Her mother was an angel and let her live with her until she was twenty six while she was working the nurse supervisor third shift at the hospital, paying off her student loans, and saving every cent she could with hopes of being able to buy a condo. Mia paid rent of course but it was about half of what she would have paid anywhere else.

Five months ago while searching on Zillow, in bed trying to fall asleep after her shift, her house popped up. It had been posted eight minutes ago and she immediately requested a showing saying she could do it that day while shouting for her mom to call out sick and come with her.

Four hours later, Mia was in love. It was a perfect little two bedroom house with an extra room in the basement that could make it three. Her mom had turned the house upside down searching for a reason it was on the market so cheap besides the fact it was about four times smaller than the average house on the street. Finding nothing despite checking every crack and crevice throughout the entire house, both Mia and her mom had their excitement grow. While having a discussion with the relator about the previous owner who passed suddenly at their summer home in Minnesota and their children were just trying to close everything quickly. Mia immediately put in the offer.

She met Mrs. Fredrick three weeks later while the woman continually walked her fancy poodle with her nose in the air around the entire street. Clearly she had less of a problem with the people moving in a little further down the street on the same day. Clearly they had money, based on the two moving trucks and friends luxury cars helping them move in. Of course according to Mrs. Fredrick his ugly dogs would be a problem in the neighborhood, but that was minimal crime compared to Mia moving in with only her three best friend’s and mother’s older cars.  Her nose went even higher seeing them unload a lawn mower, “You’re lawn will never meet the standards of the neighborhood.” The evil witch of the west finally disappeared after Mia just shrugged and stared her down.

Now she just took satisfaction watching her face scrunch up every time she pulled through and waved at her. She could only imagine the rumors she spreads about her being gone all night long most times. Pulling into her driveway, with her decently up kept lawn, Mia placed her head on the steering wheel and sighed. It was a long shift last night and in typical fashion she put off grocery shopping until the very last minute, forcing herself to have to go this morning in order to eat at some point today.

Stepping out of her car, Mia mentally debated whether to just lie down on the couch in her scrubs or expend the energy to walk upstairs to her bed and change into sweats. Opening her trunk, sleeping on the couch was looking even more appealing staring at all her bags. Resigning herself to making multiple trips, she headed in with the first one full of frozen foods, a habit ingrained in her by her mom. ‘Don’t let the frozen go bad in all this heat.’

On her return to the car she thought she could hear jingling as she past the driver’s door but she wrote it off. Turning around the tail end she was greeted by a chocolate lab whitening around his nose and tail wagging a mile a minute in her trunk laying on the cool spot where the frozen food was had just been.

Mia melted on the spot. “Hi baby! Where’d you come from?” She asked leaning down accepting the slobbering kisses all over her face. Her Golden Retriever used to do the same thing before he pasted, if someone opened a car door while he was outside he’d jump right on in. “Where’s your family buddy?” Pushing down a little hard while rubbing his ears, she got an even more enthusiastic tail wag and a tongue rolling out of his mouth.

“CASH! Where are you buddy?”

She heard shouted out from up the street, as his ears perked up. “Cash, is that your name buddy?” Getting one last lick he took up off the street, “Bye bud!” Mia laughed grabbing the last of her groceries before slamming her trunk door shut.  

**

Daylight savings was the ban of Mia’s existence. All she saw was darkness during the winter months; she might as well as move to Alaska with their twenty-one hours of darkness. A surprising winter blast had hit Dallas the past few days in October so she took a deep breath bundled up in a sweatshirt and scarf. All her winter clothes were still in the attic and she couldn’t convince herself to pull them down just for a few days.

Closing and locking her door she headed out into her usually abandoned street. Tonight though she could hear whispering toward the end of her driveway, “Gerry you gotta calm down bud, how are you still this hyper.” Looking up she could spot a man in what looked like a suit with a dog walking across the street from her house.  The dog appeared to be dragging him along popping from flower bed to flower bed smelling everything. Mia giggled quietly to herself, unlocking her car. The click and lights turning on brought their attention to her.  

The dog was clearly an excitable yellow lab, Gerry she believed it was called. The tail was wagging so hard she wouldn’t be surprised if his handsome suited owner would have a bruise on his knee tomorrow morning. “Gerry no.” The command was useless, Gerry had already taken off across the street at her legs, his poor owner practically running in order to not end up face planting on the ground.  

Mia dropped to her knees and readily accepted the puppy loving. The lab was so excited he was bouncing in place, weaving in between her legs before settling on her feet, head leaned back against her knee with the puppy dog eyes. She continually waved off the apologizes his owner was giving. “Hello love! Aren’t you just the most adorable puppy ever?” Scratching up and down his sides the lab start talking to her. Little yelps and excited yips coming out of him each time she rubbed him down. “Shh… gotta be quiet buddy. Mrs. Fredrick will come out and yell at me and your dad. She already hates me enough as it is.”

“Ahh… you’ve met the wicked witch too”came from the suited man, mischief shining in his eyes eliminated by the street light. Sharing a laugh he reached out with his hand extended, “I’m Tyler.”

“Mia. Would it be offend you to know I prepare to refer to you as the puppy father?”

Surprised laughter left Tyler, his eyes crinkling while his face scrunched up. Mia dropped his hand, not realizing how long she had been holding on. Last thing she ever wanted to do was make someone uncomfortable like that, her anxiety was rising just thinking about it. “Well I’ll just have to refer to you as the beautiful nurse.” He says pointing to her ID badge.

“Your daddy is a flirt Gerry.” She says leaning back down to his level getting a slobbering lick all up her face. “Your dogs clearly enjoy slobbering all over me.” She laughed.

“Dogs?” Tyler questioned, trying to think back if he had meet the cute neighbor before. The boys commented on her every time they saw her. The yard work in the yoga shorts and tank top was a particular favorite of the team, especially when working on her flower beds.

She looked up at him locking eyes, “Yes, Cash visited the trunk of my car just last week.”

Tyler went white, he was sure Cash had only taken off into the woods a bit, not all the way down the street and into someone else’s car. “I am so sorry. I can’t believe he…”

Mia cut him off, “Oh he was a love. Not to worry, my last name isn’t Fredrick, your cute dogs and their puppy loving kept you out of trouble.”

Tyler smirked, “Will the cute dogs and puppy loving be enough to get me a date with the pretty nurse?”

Mia looked down towards Gerry, “I don’t know buddy, should I go on a date with your daddy?” Unbeknownst to Mia, Tyler was actively regretting not listening to Jamie and teaching his dogs silent commands. He was banking on Gerry’s excitement and mentally promising him treats should he get him this date. His hopping paid off, Gerry licked her in the face. “I think that means yes.” Mia laughed. “Well puppy father, my next day off is Thursday, but you have a game the next night. Would it work if we do something before your curfew?”

Tyler’s eyes widened like saucers. “You know who I am?”

“If by that you mean know you’re the man with a ton of puppies that lives up the street and happens to be particularly skilled in hockey, then yes but I mean everyone has to be good at something right?”

Tyler release a breath, “And what are you particularly good at?” he joked.

“Loving on puppies, napping, and walking out on conversations so I’m not late for work.” She counted off on her fingers. “I’ll see you Friday?” she questioned.

Tyler smiled, “Come up around five? I’ll order us in something, that way you’ll stay for the entire time. Can’t disappoint the dogs by walking out on them.”

Mia beamed, “So what you really mean is I get to eat and go on a date with the puppies. You clearly know that way to a ladies heart sir.” She scratched behind Gerry’s ears “I’ll see you and your brothers on Friday for our date buddy and I guess we’ll let your dad tag along.” She waved goodbye, hopping into her car and reversing out of the driveway. Tyler watched her go until the tail lights disappeared.

Mia was finishing up her yard work Friday afternoon, she checked the clock sighing, there was about fifteen minutes before she needed to head in and shower for her date with Tyler tonight. She ran into him the next day and numbers were exchanged. They had been talking all week, him sending her different pictures of the dogs every day with reminders not to disappoint them and Mia was excited for tonight.

She grabbed her water and sat down on her steps with her eyes closed and face turned to the sun basking in the warmth. After a moment she felt something wet against her knee. Eyes opening she laughed seeing Marshall, the only Seguin dog she had yet to meet at her feet. “Did your dad send you down here to remind me about tonight huh?” She leaned forward and scratched behind his ears. Marshall galloped up the stairs and leaned against her side, “You’re just a cuddle bug, those young ones trying you out buddy.”  

Throwing her arm around Marshall she pulled out her phone, muting the music and opening the camera. She flipped the camera around and snapped a quick shot of them. Sending it to Tyler Lost dog?

Jesus, I’ll come down and get him.

Petting his side Mia looked at Marshall, “You wanna go home buddy or should I tell your dad I’m stealing you?” Marshall shook out his body and leaned heavily against her. Mia chuckled, “Staying with me then I guess.”

Nope. He’s mine now. He’ll escort me to yours later :P

You’re trying to steal my children.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

“Come on buddy. Let’s get cool inside the house yeah?” Mia called standing up, Marshall following behind her closely. He was practically attached to her hip. She almost tripped over him heading up the stairs. Sitting down on the edge of her bed she tapped the side next to her. Needing no further invitation Marshall hopped up and curled up almost in her lap. “You keep doing this I’m going to call you cuddle bug.”

Slipping out from underneath Marshall she gave him another ear scratch before heading into her bathroom. She made sure the doors to both rooms stayed open in case Marshall changed his mind and wanted to get her attention to leave. She showered quickly, debating what to wear throughout the duration. It was a first date but it was also only at his house. Her anxiety was spiking slightly in worry. Taking a deep breath she told herself he thought you were cute in baggy ugly scrubs everything else you own is better than those.

Rubbing a towel through her hair, Mia throw it up into a messy bun before brushing her teeth. Deciding just to do light makeup she was finished in just a few minutes. Returning to her room in order to check in her friend she paused in the doorway smiling. People say depressed people tend to have more blankets and pillows on their bed, in which place she must be denying the truth but Marshall does not seem to mind at all. He had all but tucked himself under her fluffy blanket, leaning up against her pillows with the ceiling fan circling slowly above him. He raised his head to look at her with a tiny tail wag when she headed to her dresser. "What should I wear cuddle bug?" Marshall was zero help, he just continued to sit there staring at her.

"So jeans and a tshirt with a pullover sweater sounds good then." Slipping into her clothes she nudged Marshall off the bed. "Let's go cuddle bug. Time to see daddy and your brothers." Mia would swear she saw Marshall sigh the same way older siblings do when resigning themselves to watching their little siblings for the evening. The duo walked up the street together never further than three feet apart. That would continue throughout the rest of the night. Tyler had to fight the dogs in order to weasel his way next to Mia on the couch.

…..

Mia sighed pulling into her boyfriend's driveway. Tyler and her had seen even less of each other lately. The hospital had been all hands on deck as the flu ripped through the area leading to a higher than normal admit rate and the Stars were in the middle of the season. Tyler's coach had harshly called out him and Jamie not to long ago so they were practically killing themselves at the practice rink.

Tyler had tonight off and Mia felt awful cancelling their plans to go out at the last minute but truthfully Tyler was relieved. Both of them could use a night on the couch with the dogs and food brought to them.

Turning off the engine, Mia waved to Mrs. Fredrick who of course was even more disgusted with her and Tyler now that the were dating and committing sins staying at each other's houses most nights. As per usual Mrs. Fredrick stuck her nose back up in the air huffing away with her miserable poodle.

Unlocking the door Mia laughed hearing thuds through the hallway. Pulling her phone out from the back pocket of her scrubs she started recording. The post on Instagram was the most liked of the year. Tyler and the dogs rushing down the hallway all but tripping over each other was one of the most hilarious things she had seen in a long time. The best response to her caption which puppy missed me more was Jamie's posted seconds after it went up.

The one with two legs.

#nhl imagines #nhl imagine #nhl fic #nhl hockey #tyler seguin #tyler seguin imagine #dallas stars #dallas stars imagine #hockey writing #hockey fanfiction #hockey imagines

[zirafalling]

Carry On, Simon

A fic I wrote that has a different ending from carry on. Have fun reading :)

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

Baz

 Bunce and I look at each other as we finally get to Watford. Wellbelove is running towards us, panting and sobbing. "Penny!" She cries. "Come on! The Mage is evil! We have to leave!" She scoops up the yappy little dog. She looks back when we run the other direction.

"Penny!" She's jogging in place now. "Come on!" We don't have time for this. The windows of the tower shatter. Simon's in trouble. 

"We need to get Snow!" I shout over the deafening roar coming from the Weeping Tower. I start running. Bounce can make it on her own. She can even bring Wellbelove for all I care. I'm not losing Simon when I just got him back. 

Bunce catches up to me, panting hard. I look back only to see Wellbelove turning the key to Bunce's car and driving away.  We keep running.

The Weeping Tower is a ball of light, and I'm pretty sure I'm crying. I think Bunce is as well. As soon as we get to the tower, the remaining unbroken windows explode. I cover Bunce from the glass raining down on us.

 "How are we gonna get up there?" She shouts after a spell to stop the glass. The Weeping Tower is impossible to get up without spells because of the old rickety stairs. I never knew why they didn't fix the stairs. As I'm thinking of a way to get up there, Penny screams.

"What is it?" I cry, irritated.

"Look up!"

I do, and I see a ball of green and red. As I run towards the falling ball, it becomes clear that it's the Mage and Simon. The Mage is on top of him, clawing at his arms. Simon's wings are still there, and are flapping furiously. "Fly, Snow, fly!" I scream. Bunce is flinging spell after spell. Simon flips them both over so he's on top and opens his wings fully. His ridiculous tail is wrapped around the Mage's leg, and they're floating down safely. 

When they get to the ground, Bunce and I are already at their landing spot. Simon lets go of the Mage, and he shoves his sword in my face.

"Stay away, Pitch boy! This doesn't concern you." He growls. Simon shoves the sword away. He's sweaty and has blood all over his hands and shirt, but he doesn't look hurt. 

"It's over, Davy," I spit his name out like it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. "We know what you did." His face goes pale. Good. He's not getting away with doing this. Nothing is more important than my mother. I won't let him live happily knowing he killed her. 

Simon seems confused, but still stands with me. The Mage is sputtering, looking around nervously. "You have no proof!"

"We do, actually. We've already been told what you did to her."

He's shaking now. He grabs his sword and takes off towards the courtyard. He's getting away! I grab Simon's hand and he grabs Bunce's. I'm shooting spells faster than I can think them. Words are piling in my mouth in a way I can feel and my magic is at the surface, ready to overflow. Is this how Simon feels? Crowley, I shouldn't have teased him so much about it. 

I let go of Simon's hand and summon a flame in it. He's close to the gate, and I'm not letting him leave. He will pay for what he did to my mother. "Bunce, call the Coven. Get someone over here. Now." I throw the fire in front of the gate, stopping him momentarily. I put more around us, making a circle of the flames. One wrong move and I'm up in flames. One wrong move and I'm dead, the same way my mother died. In heat and misery. 

I see Bunce calling her someone out of the corner of my eye and Simon pressing record on a smart phone. "Hear ye, hear ye!" I cast to make sure the phone will pick up what we say. "We've got you, Davy. You can't run." He looks panicked.

"I'm not saying anything! I'm head of the Coven, they won't even believe you." He even talks like a super villain. How did Simon not realise he was a terrible person? 

"It doesn't matter, we already know what happened. We'll find a way." Bunce looks determined and a bit ecstatic. I think she's glad it's almost over. 

 

"We can make you confess. There are truth spells." This makes Bunce falter. Truth spells are illegal, and we all know it. Using it on someone, especially with evidence that Snow is recording, can get me in jail. It will be worse if they find out I'm a vampire. At that point they'll just kill me.

The Mage drops his sword. "We'll see about that, blood-sucker!" He pulls out his wand and before I can do anything he's aiming it at my chest. "Hell hath no fury!" 

Flames are coming at me at top speed and I can't die yet. Not yet. Not when I've just gotten Simon. Not when I'm this close to avenging my mother. I'm pushed to the ground and something's on top of me. I turn over to find Simon panting, his right wing in the snow. "Crowley, are you alright?" I breath. Simon shakes his head.

"Stop him." He growls. I don't need to be told twice. Bunce is already at the man, wrestling him for his wand. "Stand your ground!" She casts, and his feet stop moving. She throws the wand past the ring of fire and I stalk towards the vile man.

"It's over, Davy. The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." His eyes go blank and he slumps for a moment before getting back up. "Did you kill my mother?"

"She wasn't meant to die. I wanted the vampires to scare her away. I wanted them to realise I could help. It wasn't a big deal when she died. It made it easier for me to for me to get into the Coven. They were weak."

I clench my fist. "Did you send the vampires?"

"Yes." I nod. That's all we need. That's a confession. He'll be in jail for years. He turns and his eyes catch on Simon. 

"I killed her, though." He's nodding, like it's obvious. Simon is taken aback. I am as well. Who is he talking about? "Who? Who did you kill? Why are you staring at Simon?" He blinks.

"Lucy Salisbury. Simon's mother." Simon looks ready to be sick. His wing is still limp and he's trying to move it. At this point I can tell it's burnt. He's trying to fly away. I can barely look at him. Simon Snow is hard to look at. You can't look directly into the sun for too long. 

"Tell me… about Lucy. About Simon." 

"Lucy was my girlfriend. I loved her. She listened to my ideas. She loved me. We moved to a cottage in Wales together after school. We had chickens. We never saw anyone. I was researching the prophecy. I thought we could make the greatest mage. We snuck into the White Chapel on the autumn equinox. I killed the chickens for their blood. I laid Lucy down and we began the ritual."

Simon is crying. "Stop, stop, I don't want to know." He keeps going, though.

"It was a hard ritual. She wouldn't stop bleeding and my healing spells weren't working. She was so weak. She just wanted to hold you, Simon. Eventually she blacked out. That's when the bleeding stopped. I snuck you both out. You never cried. You were perfect. 

"We kept you for a year. Lucy was weak. She wouldn't cast spells. She couldn't walk some days. She told me her magic wouldn't come back. I think she was lying. One day, you cried, Simon. You cried and cried and you wouldn't stop. I asked Lucy to cast something for me, but she refused. Told me she couldn't. You cried so loud. 'If you won't use it, you don't deserve it.' I told her. She bled so much. She didn't give much magic. It was hard to take it from her."

I'm aghast. This can't be true. Simon's screaming. "Stop! Stop it! I don't want to know!" The Mage is still talking. His blank eyes have no emotion and I can't hear him over Simon's screams and I'm fumbling for my wand now, but I can't find the spell to make him stop and Simon is screaming and I can't shut them both up and- 

"Your attention, please!" The screaming stops and so does the talking. Bunce's mom is striding towards us, using make a wish to get rid of the fire. I rush to Simon, but Bunce is already at his side. He's sobbing and Bunce has tears streaming down her face. I cast a get well soon on the damaged dragon wing and wrap my arms around both Bunce and Simon. I'm whispering nonsense and Bunce's mom is tending to the Mage. I don't think we'll survive this day.

                          Simon

It's been three months since that day. After Penny's mom stopped the truth spell and handed the Mage off to the other Coven members, she took all three of us to her house. It was all a blurt haze of hugs and tears, both Baz and Penny telling me things would be okay but I knew they wouldn't be. The Mage was my father and he killed my mother. Things would never be the same.

We had to testify to the Coven what happened that day. Baz said most for me, and my recording of the events made it practically useless for me to talk. All they needed was on the phone. Baz wasn't in trouble for using a forbidden spell since it was the only way for the truth to be told. The Mage was sent away to a magical prison. They don't allow him to have visitors.

Baz went back to Watford, but I couldn't. The only reason I had ever gone there was because of the Mage and I never wanted to see him again. Penny and I got a flat and visit Baz on occasion. He mostly comes to us. 

There have been no signs of the Humdrum since Christmas Eve when he caused the dead spot at the Grimm-Pitch manor. My magic is the same, but I've been working on controlling it. My therapist (a magical one, we Skype since she lives in Chicago) helps me with small spells. I haven't done any spells that need more magic than turning on a light yet. She says that's alright and I'll get it right eventually. 

Life is okay. I don't talk to anyone other than Penny and Baz, but I don't really want to anyway. The only person I would want to talk to besides them is Agatha but she moved to California. Penny says they still talk and she's doing well. I'm glad she got away. I know she never cared for magic much. 

I met my grandparents. They were glad to see me. They keep trying to get me to live with them, but I refuse. It's awkward trying to talk with them. I go to Wales sometimes. I want to find the cottage the Mage talked about. I think my mom was buried there. I'm going to Wales again today with Baz. I hope it goes well.

"Ready to go, Snow?" Baz calls from the kitchen. 

"Yeah, coming!" I grab my phone and follow Baz and get into the car. The drive is long (4 hours) and we mostly sit in silence. It's hard being in a relationship with Baz. I love him, but I never feel like I'm good enough for him. My therapist says this is normal for trauma victims. That it's okay I feel this way. 

The forest is beautiful. It's lush and green and we even see a deer on our search for the cottage. Baz says locals say there's a cottage here, so we have high hopes. I hope it's here. I want to be able to see my mother.

An hour later, we come across a small wooden house. This must be it. I burst through the door and pause in the living room. It looks… normal. There's a couch and paintings, a small kitchen, and a hallway with a two dark wooden doors and a bright baby blue door. I go into the dark doors first, leaving the most interesting for last. Inside one of them is a bedroom. It's boring with a king sized bed and a bedside table. The wardrobe doors are ajar with blue and white dresses inside. I search in the bedside table drawers and find a small photo. It's a picture of three people, two girls and a boy. They're at Watford, on the football pitch. One of them looks a lot like Penny's mom, and the girl in the middle is holding her hand. She has shoulder length blond, curly hair. She has my blue eyes and has her arm around the boy. He's obviously the Mage, and I turn over the picture so I won't have to see him. The back has loopy cursive writing and it must be from my mom. "Mitali, Davy and I at Watford, 7th year" it says. Baz is looking over my shoulder as I put the picture in my phone case. 

"Is that your mother?" He asks. I nod and hold his hand. We open the second dark door, but it's just a bathroom. We go to open the blue one, but it's locked. "Do you think there's a key somewhere?"

"You forget we're mages, Snow. Open sesame." The door flies open, and inside is a nursery. The walls are painted blue and a white crib is pushed against one. The wall has the same loopy writing on it in white paint. "Carry on, Simon, for you will save us all. You're my rosebud boy." it states. Baz is gaping at the room and I'm crying. I pull him closer to me and we stand there for a few minutes.

"I have to say goodbye to her. I have to say something." I whisper. Baz nods and leaves the room, closing the door behind him.

"Um. Hi, I guess." I stop. This feels stupid, but I can't just not say nothing. "I'm sorry this happened to you. You didn't deserve this. I don't know if you loved him, but he's gone now. I hope you never have to see him again. I hope you don't see him in the afterlife. I know you Visited me. In October. I wish I had known it was you. I wish I could've met you. Or at least have seen you. I miss you." I sniff.

"I want you to know I'll do what you wanted me to. I'll carry on. I want to have a nice life. I'll come visit you. I wish I could find your remains, you don't deserve to be here.  But I'll keep going. You have to pretend you get an endgame. You have to carry on like you will; otherwise, you can't carry on at all." I sigh before walking to the door.

"I love you." I whisper before exiting the empty room. I'll carry on. I know I can, and I will. For my mother and Baz, and Penny and Agatha. I'll do it for them.

#long post #my fics #carry on #snowbaz #snowbaz fanfiction #snowbaz fic #snowbaz fanfic #wayword son #penelope bunce #penny bunce #simon snow #tyrannus basilton grimm pitch #baz pitch #awtwb

[wendylewis-blog]

03.21.2020 /4:23 am

When I wake up in the middle of the night—I just get up. No reason to toss/turn or fret/overthink anything.

These are weird times. I’ve been seeing and hearing that particular word a lot over the last week or so in texts, on FB or Twitter or Instagram posts, during phone calls to friends and family as we acclimate to our current reality. Weird. Yeah, it is weird—so I guess until what is happening globally gets more legs under it, becomes more familiar and understood, weird seems appropriately defining.

We are all a little lost right now trying to figure out what to do in the seemingly endless hours and days of work at home or no work in sight, staying put in our houses, being in touch with those we love—from a distance. We creep out to the (gratefully open and somewhat stocked) grocery stores. Hopefully, we are not hoarding food or cleaning products because we all need access to both. We have to stay human and civil.

I’ve been home since 03.12.2020, after finishing my styling job in the Target studio. I live in a small community less than an hour from Minneapolis/St Paul MN. Today it occurred to me that our little town of Cannon Falls might fold up: restaurants and pizza parlors and bars might go out of business, the all-too-many insurance companies closing their doors, maybe the eye clinic, the lone chiropractor, that ice cream parlor which serves grilled cheese sandwiches + soup in winter. Maybe Cannon Auto will close, maybe the three dentists will shutter down. I don’t attend church, but—I wonder how all the congregations will fare in the months to come.

This is new ground for all of us. I feel for all of us. We can’t hang out! I miss my daughters, my young grandson, my friends, my music venues and bars and restaurants, the bustle of the city. Granted, we stay in touch, but it’s not the same.

We are in lockdown.

It’s weird.

I’ve been taking a walk most every day with our dog, Sonny. The snow is melting as the days and nights warm and the Cannon River rises, running cold and fast. Every day, I see eagles and hawks circling the sky, deer running across the prairie, robins pecking the thawing earth around my house for worms. It all seems normal even though the world is far from normal.

I’ve cleaned both my bathrooms, vacuumed floors, keep the kitchen clean daily and keep on top of what we might have available for meals. I watch a lot of movies and cooking shows and check in occasionally with social media. I listen to the news enough to stay on top of what weird and weirder things are happening every day, across the country and around the world. My heart is breaking for Italy right now, and Seattle and San Francisco. So far, I’m keeping my spirits up. And—I’m not sick, at least not yet. :)

This feels like a never-ending stay-cation. But, spring is coming and the equinox went by almost unnoticed. I wondered today if I’ll be able to buy seeds to plant in my garden or if they’ll be over-shopped and/or too expensive. I researched Thieves Oil, read about how the virus lives on packaging and just re-subscribed to The New Yorker at a much cheaper price.

Anyway, we are all in this together, as gets repeated endlessly on the news. But, we are actually truly all in this together. We have to be kind, move slowly, stay informed and safe, get sleep, eat well, exercise. Sometimes, we can just stay in bed all day. It’s okay. We have to do and be who and where we are when we are there. Keep it real, ppl.

I’ve started yet another blog here—with this post. It’s gonna be a lot of things as time ticks by over the next year. It might feel brutal some days and restorative other days. I guess whomever reads this is now is joining me in the collective journey we are on together, for better and worse.

I’m with you, from a distance.

[in-trunks-we-rest]

Winter

Everything sighs. 

The boats groan on their ropes as the tide snores.

Leaves fall down dead at the sight of you. 

Summer herself has turned her bright shoulder 

and time is a still reservoir. 

Here, we visit the house you grew up in every Sunday, 

walk the paths of my dead dog and my parents’ dead marriage. 

We hear the same conversations over until we can predict their sentences. 

We drag our heels into the same debates and dramas we grew up with, 

this is for sale, this is opening, closing, changing. 

Here nothing is changing and all anyone talks about is keeping it, 

like there's something inherently worthy in familiar. 

Winter is opening her black mouth again, 

already I know it will be a terrible shriek when it comes, 

when it strips the last of the leaves and the light 

and you will say for months that you hate it like this. 

The fruit in the supermarket will come from the other side of the world 

and will taste like aeroplane breath when it gets here. 

The boats will be cancelled and crash 

and the videos will circulate for weeks. 

Someone will be sick, break up, get pregnant, get married 

someone we love will leave and we will feel like clutching the wrists of their coat sleeves. 

The windows will steam up. The cat will pace and weave round my freezing feet. 

We will fight about the heating. The spiders will come in. 

I will watch my breath turn to fog in my mother’s kitchen 

which will churn out dinners I can taste without touching. 

My skin will dry out. My clothes will be too thin. 

My father will count the days to the equinox 

when my aunt will drum in the dawn on a hillside 

and my sister will feel her fingers again 

and we will both be so much older 

but I am afraid I am the only one who will feel it.

#poetry

[silverfootstepswrites]

Lullaby [60%]

10%   20%    30%    40%    50%    60%    70%    80%    90%    100%

Read Equinox here and come back!

“What?” Kiba demanded before he began choking on his donut. Kakashi reached over to thump him on the back. Sakura reached across Kakashi’s lap to hand him his orange juice to help clear his throat. And once the hacking quieted, Sakura turned back to Tobirama.

“Are you serious?” she asked. 

Tobirama folded his arms across his chest. He nodded. Sakura closed her eyes. She fell back on the sofa, rubbing her temples.

“This is weird, right? I’m not just overreacting, right?” she heard Kiba ask. Followed by a soft cough.

“No, it’s weird. Tobirama said that sirens don’t really meddle in other nests. Not even their own kids’,” Itachi agreed with him.

Sakura cracked one eye open. Tobirama sat on the rug in the same spot. He raised his eyebrows when he met her gaze. 

“Why?” she questioned. 

Tobirama’s eyes darted around to the others before he peeked back at her. “I asked my mom if there were any good hospitals in the area with an S-ward that could accommodate for sirens,” he replied. 

“And she figured out that Sakura was pregnant,” Kakashi concluded. Sighing, Sakura put her feet up in Kakashi’s lap. 

“So, your parents want to meet Sakura,” Kiba repeated, a little needlessly. Tobirama shook his head. 

“No. They want to meet all of you too.”

Kiba choked on his donut again.

“I’m out,” Itachi declared, raising his hand. “I’m charm-weak. No sense in going to meet in the in-laws and making a fool out of myself.” He sat on the hearth of the unlit fireplace. His phone buzzed beside him. He’d been waiting for this call all afternoon. He shot Sakura an apologetic look as he answered it, getting to his feet to go talk outside. He squeezed Sakura’s shoulder as he passed.

“I’m also in favor of Itachi not going. I’m not sure how he’ll react to my mom. But it probably won’t be good,” Tobirama said. And then he turned his attention to the people sitting on the sofa.

“Sheriff- ah. Sorry,” Tobirama stopped himself. Biting his lower lip. 

Kakashi sighed, rubbing his hand through his hair. “Wish I could. But I guess I have no choice but to hold down the fort.”

Sakura and Kiba exchanged a panicked look over his shoulder. Kiba mimed strangling Tobirama, who grimaced in return. 

Kiba laughed too loudly, slapping Kakashi on the back. “Don’t worry! I’ll bring back all the good leftovers!” 

Kakashi wasn’t stupid. When he looked up, he saw the looks of panic on their faces. He ruffled Kiba’s hair, which only reminded them more of the fact that although the sheriff looked young, he was much, much older than them. 

It was quiet for a while. And then Sakura spoke up. “Maybe we shouldn’t go.”

The sigh Kakashi gave in response conveyed so many things. But from the way he smiled, she knew that they weren’t all bad feelings. “You can’t not do everything that I can’t be a part of. Go,” he urged her. 

And Sakura suddenly imagined something. Kakashi sitting alone on his sofa. Sipping warm cider, the TV buzzing low in the background as his eyes drifted to the clock over and over again. She knew that he wouldn’t be all alone. The dogs would be snuggled up at his sides. But the scene still made her chest hurt. 

“Doing things without you is stupid,” Sakura mumbled, looking away from him. She felt him lean in to kiss the top of her head.

“Bring me those leftovers,” was all he said.

A week later, Sakura felt Kiba grab her hand as they headed down the sidewalk. Their fancy shoes tapping against the concrete. Tobirama pointed to a building on the corner of the big intersection ahead. Kiba let out a long whistle in response.

“I always knew you were a rich boy. But this...” Sakura trailed off. She craned her neck to look up at the gleaming skyscraper. She moved her hand so that she could link her arm through Kiba’s instead. His hands were sweaty. Or maybe it was hers. 

“You make it sound like they own the whole building. It’s an apartment,” Tobirama protested. 

“I’m nervous. Do I look weird?” Sakura fretted. She looked down at her outfit. The shimmery fabric was supposed to drape around her. But now she just felt like a bloated sausage swathed in someone’s gaudy curtains. 

“Hey,” Tobirama said. His hand cupped her cheek, redirecting her gaze to him. “You look pretty. And it’s gonna be fine.”

“It better be. You’ve got me dressed up in this bullshit. My tie’s too tight,” grumbled Kiba, his hand in his pocket. He glowered at Tobirama. “I wanted to wear mine.”

Tobirama sighed. “An elastic bow tie does not count as a real tie. You’re lucky I didn’t burn it.”

Kiba continued grumbling as they walked into the lobby. 

They hung back as Tobirama spoke to the person sitting at the desk. After a few moments, Tobirama motioned for them to follow. The man looked up to greet them as they passed. Instead, his eyes latched onto Sakura, mouth falling open. 

As they got into the elevator, Tobirama hit the button for the right floor. Sakura fixed the collar of his shirt. Then she reached up to tousle his hair so that his part fell just off-center. 

“It’s my parents. Not a bunch of investors. Relax,” Tobirama assured her, grasping her hands to pull them down. 

Sakura made a face. “Investors, I can do. I don’t know what to do with parents,” she told him. 

“Smile and say ‘thank you’ a lot. You’ll be fine,” snorted Kiba, knocking his elbow into her arm. 

That made Sakura feel a little better. By the time the elevator doors opened, she had managed to stop fiddling with clothes and hair. They stopped in front of the door. Tobirama glanced over at the both of them. 

“Ready?” 

“Yep,” Kiba answered right away. 

Sakura took in a deep breath through her nose. She nodded.

Tobirama rang the doorbell. They could vaguely hear a woman’s voice inside. Someone responded to her in a deeper tone. There was laughter from somewhere too.

“Don’t worry so much. The canapé’s look fine,” the man called over his shoulder as he opened the door. 

“Dad,” Tobirama said. Sakura recognized him from the photos Tobirama had shown her. The man with the grey eyes and dimples- which he flashed when he smiled at them. 

“Hi there. Come inside,” he greeted them. He stepped aside and gestured for them to enter the apartment. As Sakura and Kiba silently debated whether or not to keep their shoes on or off, Tobirama smiled. Actually laughing as he hugged his dad. The way they clapped each other on the back was so in-sync that Sakura and Kiba elbowed each other, trying not to smile.

“Where’s my boy?” a voice boomed from further inside. 

“Father,” Tobirama sighed. He shot Sakura a helpless look before he turned to face the man. Who crushed Tobirama in a hug. The kind that glued his arms to his sides. He swayed back and forth, glaring when Kiba snickered at him. And then Tobirama let out a grunt as his father lifted him off his feet.

“And you must be Kiba and Sakura. We’ve heard so much about you,” Tobirama’s dad said. He observed Sakura, his head tilting to one side. After a moment, his face split into a smile. Softening his face, crinkling the corners of his eyes.

“Ah, finally. It’s so wonderful to meet you,” he declared. He grasped both of Sakura’s hands, squeezing them just a little. Sakura found herself smiling back. And then he did the same for Kiba, holding both his hands for a moment, the gentleness of his voice putting them at ease. 

Tobirama joined them a moment later, gesturing to the other man.

“Father.”

Sakura braced herself for a similarly crushing hug. Instead, she received a handshake. Kiba, who had been steeling himself for bodily assault, looked bewildered as he was only subjected to a handshake as well. When Sakura looked to Tobirama, he shook his head. 

“He does it just to annoy me,” he explained.

“Look who it is!”

It was a lovely soprano voice. Soft and liquid. The woman who appeared through a doorway looked just like the voice sounded. Beautiful and dainty- even shorter than Sakura, who had never considered herself tall. She reached up with both hands to hug Tobirama, who had to stoop so that she could reach. 

Cheeks flushed, she then reached for Sakura and Kiba, putting an arm around each of them. A sweet fragrance drifted from her skin and clothes. Sakura cast a nervous glance at Kiba, wondering how he was doing. To her surprise, he seemed unworried. In fact, he laughed as he hugged her back. 

“Wow, aren’t you both just wonderful? You must be starving,” Tobirama’s mother trilled. 

She ushered them out of the foyer, into the dining room. To the table heavy with dishes. 

“You must have worked all day for this. It looks amazing,” Sakura remarked.

The older woman beamed at her. “I had it catered. But thank you for saying so. You’re very sweet.”

Sakura felt Kiba’s hand on her elbow, guiding her to one of the seats. 

“You feeling okay?” he asked in her ear. 

“Yeah. I’m fine,” she replied. Still, she felt him run his hand along the side of her neck. And then he sniffed a few times. Whatever he sensed seemed to satisfy him because he pulled out a chair for her. 

Tobirama offered to help his mother in the kitchen. She shooed him out, instead pulling his father through the doorway to help her bring out drinks.

Tobirama took the empty seat to Sakura’s left. And his dad sat across from him. He offered Sakura a smile.

Dinner was delicious. Kiba nudged Sakura to mouth ‘leftovers’ halfway through the meal. Sakura wiped her mouth with her napkin, trying not to laugh. 

It wasn’t as awkward as she had feared. Tobirama’s parents didn’t pry. They wanted to know what she and Kiba did for a living. They asked about Old Pines, which Kiba was more than happy to boast about. When they moved on to ask about her pregnancy, Sakura was ready. It was the standard list of questions everyone seemed to run through. 

“How far along are you?” 

“Five months. I’m due in February.” 

“And you’ve been feeling alright?”

“I’m alright now, but my morning sickness was pretty bad. I think these two suffered more than me,” Sakura laughed, gesturing to the men on either side of her. Tobirama and Kiba exchanged a look. 

It was true that they had gone through every recipe and tried out every home remedy to help with her nausea. Kiba had harvest herbs from his garden to brew herbal teas, looking crushed when they proved ineffective. And Tobirama had been so careful not to eat anything that she couldn’t eat. He still refused to drink alcohol or touch sushi, even though she assured him that she didn’t mind at all. 

After dinner, as Tobirama and Kiba went to do dishes, Tobirama’s mother reached across the table to pat the back of Sakura’s hand.

“Sakura, tell me if I’m making you uncomfortable, but I was never close to my mother. When I got pregnant, there were so many things I wanted to ask but never could. So I just want you to know that you can ask me anything,” Tobirama’s mother said. 

Sakura felt the inner corners of her eyes sting as she replied, “Thank you.” She laughed when Tobirama’s father pushed her a plate of chocolates while Tobirama’s dad handed her a clean napkin.

As Sakura dabbed at her eyes, something occurred to her. She looked up. Tobirama’s mother raised her eyebrows, waiting.

“Not related to the baby,” Sakura warned.

“Ask away.”

Sakura pointed in the direction of the kitchen. She could see Kiba and Tobirama with their backs to her. Kiba scrubbed the plates clean while Tobirama wiped most of the water off and placed them in the drying rack. Neither of them could hear her over the hiss of the faucet.

“Kiba and I are fine even though we’re in the house of three Sirens,” Sakura observed. 

“Ah. We smell like family. You also wouldn’t be affected by any of Tobirama’s brothers,” Tobirama’s dad explained. And then his dark eyes flickered in the direction of the kitchen too. 

“Also, if I remember correctly, once a were has bonded, it’s for life. I’ve never heard of a happily-bonded were leaving their partner for a Siren. I could be wrong, though.”

It took Sakura a moment to process that. She nodded after a long moment. And then she looked to Tobirama’s mother again, who smiled.

“Anything else?” she prompted.

Sakura pressed her lips together, wondering if it was alright to ask. When the other woman nodded, Sakura opened her mouth to ask: “What was Tobirama like as a kid?”

After dinner, they headed to the lobby, Kiba spinning his keyring on his pointer finger as they rode the elevator. 

“Your parents are pretty cool,” Kiba announced. And then he thought a little bit. “But they’re also.... so good-looking. Like, what the hell, man.”

Tobirama chuckled, head falling back to rest on the shiny wall of the elevator.  “I wouldn’t be seen in public with you if you were hideous. You’d be fine if you’d wear something besides plaid all the time,” he retorted. 

“Ouch. Sakura, you hear that? He’s bullying me,” Kiba pretended to whine, clinging to Sakura’s arm. 

Once they reached the street, they strolled a couple blocks to where Kiba had managed to find a parking spot at a meter. Tobirama helped Sakura climb into the pickup truck, which still gleamed from the wash and wax Kiba had toiled over early that morning. Tobirama got into the truck after her, slamming the door behind him. Kiba settled into the driver’s seat, already checking the traffic on his phone. 

“Looks pretty good,” he told them, snapping his phone into the mount. 

“Let me know if you get tired. We can trade off,” Tobirama reminded him like he always did. Kiba nodded. 

Kakashi met them a few hours later. He sat next to the old wooden sign that spelled out the name of their town. Outsiders never noticed it with the way overgrown branches and vines crawled over the paint. His mismatched eyes gleaming in the darkness. His ears pricked up high. 

As the truck slowed to approach him, Kakashi took off running. Smoky tail trailing behind him. He guided them down the streets, on the way they always took to Sakura’s house.

He fazed into human form as they pulled into the driveway. Kiba’s pickup truck growled one last time as they killed the engine. 

“The leftovers are awesome, Sheriff. You have to try the the skirt steak,” Kiba began talking before he had even gotten out of the car. 

Less than an hour later, Kiba lay sprawled on the futon in the living room in just his boxers and a t-shirt. The suit he had worn lay discarded on the floor beside him. His head dangled over the edge, knuckles brushing the floor as his chest rose and fell in an easy rhythm. Tobirama sat hunched over the kitchen table, scowling as he read over the emails he had been ignoring throughout the day. 

“You didn’t have to drive all the way back here. You must be tired,” Kakashi said, his voice soft against her shoulder. They sat on the worn leather sofa up on the loft, their feet resting on the coffee table. 

“Oh, so you’re not happy to see me?” Sakura pretended to be offended. She stuck her lower lip out in a pout as Kakashi rubbed his hand up and down her arm. 

“Of course not.”

And then his hand kept running up and down her arm as he thought. His eyes growing distant. 

“I hope you don’t feel like I’m holding you back. That’s not what I want,” Kakashi fretted, not for the first time. The tap of Tobirama’s fingers on the keyboard went silent as he caught bits and pieces of the conversation. 

“And I’m worried that you might not say anything even if you are unhappy,” Kakashi went on.

“Sheriff, are you drunk? Sakura’s broken up with me twice because she was unhappy,” Tobirama interrupted, still typing away.

“He can’t drink! He’s a ghost-dog..... dog-ghost?” Kiba slurred, half-asleep. 

They heard the front door open and shoes clacked inside. 

��Hey, how was dinner? I brought leftover pizza back,” Itachi called. There was a thunk as Kiba rolled off the futon and onto his feet. 

Sakura and Kakashi smiled. But before he could stand, Sakura took his face in her hands. She looked him in his mismatched eyes- just to be sure that he was listening. 

“I’m very happy. I always am when you’re with me,” she assured him. And then she pressed a kiss to the mole on the left side of his face before she pressed another kiss to his smiling mouth. As she drew away, she glanced over her shoulder.

“Are we saving the pregnant lady a slice?” she called.

"We can only fight Kiba off for so long. Hurry up, you two,” Itachi replied. Someone opened up the refrigerator door, the glass bottles rattling together in the shelf. 

“You want grape jelly on yours?” Kiba asked.

“Yeah. Thanks,” Sakura answered, pausing by the stairs. She reached back, waiting until Kakashi took her hand to follow her down from the loft. Where the rest of their family crowded around the kitchen counter, slices of cold pizza in their hands.

#writing #equinox #lullaby #multisaku #polysaku #what is this mess