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#kids helping wildlife
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Northern Cardinal Male feeding the misses!
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lab-gr0wn-lambs · 6 months
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Maaan why am I getting a bunch of small job offers only now that my laptop is broken
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i’m so frustrated with people’s lack of common sense about wildlife. if you’re interacting with wildlife, you’re not having your disney princess moment. you’re not forming a magical bond. that’s a wild animal who is potentially terrified; maybe it’s curious if it’s young enough, but that just means you should minimise interactions as much as possible to make sure that animal lives a normal life. if your kid comes in holding a wild animal, don’t pick up your fucking phone to videotape it. bring the animal back outside and educate your kid to leave animals alone. you know what happens when you take in wildlife as a “pet”? either you keep it and do damage because even though it’s “tame” it’s a wild animal who is in no way meant to live in that setting unless it’s being kept by a trained and licensed rehabber who knows the housing and feeding requirements (and even then i’ve seen some who are keeping animals irresponsibility), or it ends up at a wildlife rehab when you inevitably harm it enough that you don’t know what to do, or when no vets see you, or when the animal becomes too aggressive for you to handle. and then we either figure out how to rehabilitate an animal whose temperament and/or body you have massively damaged or we euthanise it because the damage is too extensive. start treating wildlife like wild animals rather than a dog or cat. they’re not pets, they’re not domesticated, leave them alone and let them live happy lives as they’re supposed to.
#saw a video of someone’s kid bringing in a baby raccoon and holding it to her chest. what the FUCK are you thinking#‘it’s mine now it’s my pet’ and everyone in the comments is going ‘you heard her that’s her pet now’. fuck all the way off#not only does that harm the animal but that makes it very possible for animals to spread diseases to you or your actual pets#not to mention parasites and fleas#there was one the other day of someone getting a rabbit out of a skate park which is good thanks for helping it. but then the person spent#another 5 or 10 minutes interacting with it and petting it. that’s not a pet store bunny that’s a wild animal and it’s absolutely terrified#im not saying learn body language and temperament and shit for a bunch of different animals im saying have some common sense and leave#wildlife alone. look but don’t touch. if an animal looks to be in distress then contact a local wildlife rehab or any rehab at all and ask#for advice. if there’s a rehab near you then see if you can bring the animal in#if you try to do that shit yourself you can do irreparable damage#it’s all fun and games and ‘oh im keeping it as a pet’ until the animal is malformed and has broken bones and infected wounds or is so#aggressive that it’s taking chunks out of people with no warning#‘this wild animal andomly attacked someone for no reason!’ you see how it’s overweight? people have probably been feeding it and when that#person didn’t have food it jumped on them#someone’s gonna do this shit with a ‘sick bird they plan to nurse back to health’ and get fucking bird flu#im just tired i haven’t been working with wildlife for a year and am going to study wildlife and work with them for the rest of my life for#this shit to keep happening. i know it will but im just tired of seeing it over and over again#my post#y’all can rb if you want im just pissed and on my soapbox
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asgardian--angels · 1 year
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keeping honeybee hives as a way to ‘save the bees’ is the equivalent of claiming factory farmed chickens are somehow stopping greater prairie chickens from going extinct lmao
#wanna know one of the worst takes I've seen by beekeepers lobbying the government?#putting honeybee hives in national parks#to help bee populations#anyway no offense to beekeepers out there who do what they do as a small business etc etc#but the beekeeping industry actively works to shift focus away from wild pollinator conservation onto honeybees#they have a lot of weight and money to throw around and they use it to influence federal and state policy#the relationship between native pollinator biologists and beekeepers is like that of wildlife biologists and hunters#we should be working together to address common issues that affect all these species. and occasionally we do. some of us are both#but way more frequently than necessary we have to walk on eggshells around you because if we upset you you'll rain hell upon us#i speak from experience as both a pollinator ecologist and a wildlife biologist and lemme tell you it's a drag#as long as you have government subsidy on your side you're invincible#remember kids we only rely on honeybees for so much pollination because we destroyed the habitat of native pollinators on farmland#despite this native pollinators account for a not insignificant portion of pollination but it's not widely publicized#it's estimated that if we provide native habitat free from pesticides then we can reduce reliance on honeybees significantly#enough that for some crops we wouldn't need them at all#galaxy brained athena take here: the next big thing will be 'wild pollinator certified' foods
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gingerthesnap · 3 months
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me, screeching at the skies: can someone please god help my characters make terrible decisions while trying to look after a fawn and a sick doe by themselves????? tell me what expired doxycycline or fish tetracycline would do if some idiot kid tried to feed it to a deer in an apple!!!!!!!!!!! i promise the narrative will punish them just give me the forbidden knowledge.
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i watched My Neighbor Totoro for the first time, here's my chronological viewing experience:
woo-hoo! dusty old japanese house with japanese architectural details aplenty
these kids got some ENERGY my goodness
family dynamic's adorable. peak quality dad humor
kids: our house is haunted. parents: that's so cool!
hell yeah, wrinkled old lady rep. we need more friendly old women with potato faces and warts like storybook witches. the backbone of society, these ladies
Plot Summary: Small Child Bothers Local Wildlife
sacred tree sacred tree sacred tree
Introducing Totoro! nobody said this fucker's got TEETH???
Uh-Oh! Inadequate Parental Supervision Detected
(you misplaced your four year old! you're not supposed to do that)
4-year-old: i met a magic forest spirit. dad: oh shit fr?
4-year-old: *angrily hugs sister* missed u bitch
this small child has a smile like a toad. like a really really cute toad. like the cutest toad in all existence. i love her she's perfection please just let this child be happy
rice paddies are so pretty....so back breaking....rice is such a prissy crop
*my crush is stranded in a rainstorm* takethisumbrellait'syoursnowBYE *runs away in panic im so good at flirting*
Giant Chinchilla Learns To Hold Umbrella, Is Fucking Delighted By Experience
take this, it will help you on your quest! *hands u trail mix wrapped in a leaf*
LO-FI HIP HOP STUDY LIST!
crouching down to peer at dirt--A++ top notch foundational childhood experience
mom has a big ass forehead
honey! the chinchillas are performing Rituals in the backyard again
help yeah let's jack and the bean stalk this shit
huh so we're all just climbing aboard the giant chinchilla's tiddies now ok
class trip!
the pure adrenaline of Vegetable Gardening
no! the small child is crying! she is bawling her eyes out. no no no. i can't cope with this. emotionally i cannot cope 🥺🥺🥺
i've only had Mei one hour but if anything happens to her i will raze this earth and everyone on it
please someone make this small child smile again
oh no the tall child is crying too
i can't take this. my heart can't take this.
i need a drink
small child running determined to deliver magic veggies to the hospital. this kid is my hero
she is also unsupervised. so, so unsupervised
babe you are FOUR
godDAMMIT ghibli, you cannot give me watercolor sunsets while a small child is missing. u are killing me. my heart is giving out. this is me, experiencing heart failure.
Totoro to the rescue!
no wait CATBUS to the rescue!
i admit i initially thought the cat was a creep. alice in wonderland prejudiced me. i have revised my notions of smiling cats
i've decided the cat is a metaphor for the magic of a robust public transport system
MEI'S OKAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
and so is mom. she's a lovely lady im sorry for what i said about her forehead. it's a noble forehead.
happy ending YES bitch!!!!!!
ok. ok ok ok. that was magical.
(as a first-time adult viewer i was worried i wouldn't be able to Access the Magic. but i could and i did and it was incredible. that was culture. that was ART. joy distilled into animated form. holy rites of childhood. i understand now. how glorious, this world we grow out of. how full of marvels. i'm going outside to smell grass and sun and get dirt under my fingernails. miraculous.)
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deadsetobsessions · 1 month
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Gothic mushroom shaped candles. Danny picked one up, grinning. Sam would have love these on her alters. Very Sam, very Gotham.
It a bit bittersweet, now that he could think of her without being paralyzed by crushing grief. Her and Tucker both. Danny turned, keeping an eye on Tim as he glared into the case of used cameras.
Danny walked over and tried not to feel guilty about practically mooching off of a child. Even if the money he was using was actually the Drakes’.
“Like anything you see?”
Tim shook his head. Danny pondered over what little he knew of photography- all of which he learned from documentaries that were more focused on nature.
“I think there might be a camera store a couple of blocks down. We could get the ones that takes photos of animals, like the really big ones that takes photos of wildlife?”
“I guess. I mean, I don’t need it since we can…” Tim glanced around suspiciously. Danny willed his mouth to not smile at Tim’s antics. “Fly close,” the kid finished in a whisper.
“Okay, but what about when I’m not there?”
Tim hunched up on himself and Danny despaired inwardly. Uh oh, what did he say now?”
“Are you going somewhere?” Tim quietly asked, sounding hurt and upset.
“No,” Danny soothed, patting Tim on the head. I mean, what if I’m busy with stuff but you want to go take pictures without me?”
“You said to go get you whenever I wanna go out to take pictures.”
“Okay, yeah, I- well, we might as well get you a quality camera, right? To take really really good pictures of the… local wildlife. Like… the birds and the bats, and all that.” Danny winked exaggeratedly.
Tim blinked and giggled when he got the joke. “Okay, as long as you’re staying!”
Danny grinned, fangs and all. “Of course.”
——
At the end of their shopping spree, generously provided and sponsored by the Drake family and their heavy black card, Danny got a phone and Tim got a wild life camera that was a whopping $4,000 but was compact enough to not look absolutely ridiculous.
“It’s heavy!” Tim whined, as he grinned like a loon.
“It’s quality,” Danny plopped the shopping bags on the island in one of the giant kitchens Drake manor had. “I’ll make dinner. You figure out those settings and you can tell me about it when we eat.”
“Okay!” Tim hummed excited, quick fingers and laser focus already aimed at his new device.
Danny picked up his new phone and dialed a number he knew by heart. As it rung, Danny held it up to his ear and began prepping the ingredients. At least
“Hello?” His sister’s cautious voice came through the phone. Danny’s shoulders relaxed.
“Heya, Jazz.” He could see Tim’s ears all but perk up in order to eavesdrop. His mouth quirked up in amusement and Danny turned away. He probably shouldn’t be encouraging that kind of behavior… but it was funny.
“Danny! Are you okay? I- I heard that they chased after you and I was worried sick! Are you safe? Any injuries? Do I need to pick you up?”
“I’m good. Promise. Not bleeding out or dying. It’s actually pretty nice right now,” Danny paused before turning back a little more so he could watch Tim’s reaction peripherally. “Hey, listen, can I adopt a little brother?”
He watched Tim sit up straighter eyed flickering up to him and back down again, a secretly pleased look on his face as he figured out that Danny was in fact talking about him.
“Danny, what the hell?” Jazz huffed, audibly relieved to know that Danny wasn’t on his merry way to becoming a full on ghost. “Who, why, and what kind of trouble did you get into now?”
“Hey, this was me getting out of trouble. Those people don’t even know where I escaped to. Tim helped me out a lot,” Danny said in the tone that meant ‘and there’s more to it but I can’t tell you right now.’
“His name’s Tim?”
“Yeah, you wanna say hi?”
Tim looked terrified as he heard Danny’s side of the conversation. Danny could relate.
“Alright. But you’re explaining everything later, got it?”
“Sure thing, boss.”
Danny turned to Tim, abandoning the peas he was shelling and rinsing off his hand to hold the phone.
“Tim, my sister, Jazz, wants to say hi. Are you cool with that?”
“Uhm! Yeah! Yeah, sure.” Tim, honest to ancients, squeaked. Danny’s enhanced hearing could pick up Jazz’s already melting heart. He taped a button.
“Jazz, you’re on speaker.”
“Hey, Tim. I’m Jazz. Thanks for taking care of my little brother!”
“Uh, hi, Jazz! I’m Timothy Drake! And, uh, you’re welcome! Anytime!”
Tim glanced at Danny for reassurance, relaxing a bit when the halfa threw him a double thumbs up.
Jazz went quiet.
“Jazz, you good?” Danny asked.
“We’re adopting him. Danny, you better make sure knows about everyone. Hi, Tim, I’m Jazz, your new big sister.”
“Uh- I have parents.”
“That can be fixed,” Jazz casually brushed off. Tim looked like a deer in headlights, so Danny took his sister off speaker and went back to cooking. He made sure to smile at Tim.
“Don’t worry, we won’t adopt you if you don’t want to. But it wasn’t a joke, we’re very serious.”
“I’ll think about it?”
Danny shrugged. “Good enough for me.”
“So, where are you?” Jazz asked him, rustling coming through on the phone.
“Gotham.”
“You are so fucking lucky I love you, dumbass. I’ll be there tomorrow at noon.”
“Playing hooky, are you?”
“Fuck off, little brother, before I show Tim your toddler pictures.”
“Thanks, Jazz.”
“Bye, Danny. Don’t get killed again when I’m not there, got it?”
“Sure, sure.”
Danny smiled and returned to his agenda of stuffing as many vegetables into one meal as he can. At least the food isn’t trying to tear out his face.
——
Robin hasn’t heard the eerie giggles around lately, but he’s been practicing his own. It’s weird though, because there’s always a glint of something in the corner of his eyes.
“Robin, muggers.”
“On it, B. Shall we, Batgirl?”
“Let’s go, Boy Wonder.”
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incorrectbatfam · 5 months
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Do the batfamily members ever get too into their undercover work? (Undercover in an office and theyre worried about spreadsheets, working in a warehouse and coming home complaining about missing parts)
Bruce: Status updates on your undercover missions. Dick, you first. What have you got down at the docks?
Dick: I haven't confirmed the Killer Croc sightings yet, but more importantly, our catch hasn't been measuring up to last year's. Tuna we're doing okay on, but the salmon population seems to be on the low end. I've contacted the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries but it'll be another 3-5 business days before they can come down and check it out.
Bruce: At least you're doing something to help. Jason?
Jason: Class was okay. I think the kids are warming up to me as their substitute while Mrs. Maloney is out on maternity leave. The average on the last vocabulary quiz was 83.53% so either I'm doing my job right or they need to be challenged. I'm worried about Tristan Lancy, though. He's normally a good student but his grades have been dropping recently and his parents don't seem like safe people to tell. I'll talk to him tomorrow and try to pair him up with a peer tutor if he needs it.
Bruce: Also see if he has any alternate contacts besides his parents. Tim, any updates at the chemical plant?
Tim: If by updates you mean OSHA violations, I could go on all week. We got a batch of new recruits today and they were just thrown into the work—no PPE, no safety training, nothing. This is what happens when you place production over employee well-being. I'm gonna file a complaint after this meeting. Also, I think the union will have something to say about the manager cutting people's lunch breaks short.
Bruce: I see. Damian? Please tell me you found something volunteering at the zoo.
Damian: Depends on how you define "found." While I have not obtained evidence of a mutant larvae black market, I did help some of the animals at the sanctuary make progress with their recovery. Bobo the monkey is healing from his broken arms and we're gradually getting him re-acclimated to climbing higher surfaces. Suzie the black bear was born a little prematurely but seems to be catching up to her peers in terms of growth. Lastly, we got a grant for additional wildcat research and enrichment. As an aside, we are having an educational seminar on European mountain goats this Friday at 3:30 and I expect all of you to be there.
Bruce: I'll put that on our calendars. Steph?
Steph: It's not really undercover work for me, just work. Anyway, yes the newest Batburger location is being used for money laundering. But I really need to vent about the customers for a sec. We don't open until 10 and at 9:30 this morning some moron was banging on our door demanding Jokerized cheese fries. Then right in the middle of the lunch rush, Janie got sick so I had to fill in as the cashier and it was hell. After that, I had to step in between a fight at the drive-thru because the customer claimed we only gave him nine pieces of his ten-piece Robin nuggets and tried to beat up the kid who took his order. And to top it all off, an entire high school hockey team came in five minutes before closing.
Bruce: Cass?
Cass, blowing balloons: Can't talk. Arranging bat mitzvah.
Bruce: Duke, you're my last hope.
Duke: Margie's bringing a peanut butter chocolate cake to the bake sale. I swiped her recipe and we can easily beat her. Her ganache is way too watery and just runs off the top of the cake, which isn't even leveled. She's also trying to do something with a raspberry filling that isn't working at all. It's like she couldn't decide on what to bring. The bake sale committee also asked if we can bring some apple pies because the original baker has to go out of town for a family emergency. I think we'll win if we bring them with some ice cream and a touch of caramel, even though this isn't a contest.
Bruce: Thank you. At least our most critical case has been taken care of.
Barbara: ...I'll save my book launch for later.
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sixosix · 7 months
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SOMETHING HAPPENS | XIAO
summary verr goldet and huai'an playing matchmaker, basically
warnings wc 1.7k, this fic is xiao pretty much watching over reader in his very xiao way so if you’re not into stalking elements pls don’t read LMFAO + xiao having a crushhh
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You’ve felt the looming presence of someone watching you ever since you’ve set foot in Liyue.
It wasn’t anything sudden—in fact, no ordinary human being would have noticed it. But you’ve been trained to deal with all sorts of animals, from wild Rishboland Tigers down to slippery Red-Tailed Lizards. You could sense the tiniest snap of twigs and freshly fallen leaves that could have only occurred from an interference.
And having dealt with animals for so long, you can safely conclude that whatever has been following you for the past ten days is definitely not an animal. If it were, it would’ve been some skilled predator that somehow disappears into thin air when you steal a glimpse. The only possible trace you could find is the barely discernible mark on the dirt.
It also helped your Vision gave you the blessing of being attuned to the wind and the shift of air from a heavy presence.
You thought you’d be dead by the fifth day of your stay—murdered by this newly-acquired stalker of yours, but nothing happened. You asked (politely, with a please) this person to reveal themselves and save you both the trouble, but nothing happened.
You even went as far as to throw yourself into the first hilichurl camp you saw to see if anything happened, yet while you were defending yourself against one, all of them fell to the ground limp once you turned back to them. You search for more camps nearby, but they’ve all been cleared—and all of them were freshly beaten as if your stalker made quick work once they figured out what you were up to.
“It’s hard to tell if you’re out to protect me instead of murdering me if you don’t show yourself,” you say to the empty field, hoping for at least one answer, but nothing happens.
You suppose all that matters is that it’s hard to feel lonely with the constant presence.
“You been hanging around Wangshu Inn lately?” asks the man you went up to. It is in case you weren’t alone in what seemed to be the beginning plot of a horror movie. At your reluctant nod, he snorts, “Well, aren’t you a lucky one? Or perhaps it’s the complete opposite if you’ve been up to no good and disrespected an Adeptus.”
You don't understand what this man’s point is. You’ve briefly heard of the term ‘Adepti’ floating around Liyue, but you’re not quite sure if it’s one person or something else entirely. Have you done something to offend any deities in Liyue? All you’ve really been up to is researching the wildlife and tracking down the stalker. 
“What does Wangshu Inn have to do with this?”
“Why don’t you ask and find out yourself?”
You frown. “It would save me hours if you just tell me now.”
“I already told you what I know, kid,” says the man to you, a full-grown adult. “But I suppose I can let you in on one secret: you’ve piqued the interest of someone.”
This man is crazy.
You sigh. You’ve only been hanging around Wangshu Inn for shelter, but the sun is setting a little too fast, and the warm lights and delicious aroma of their food are starting to speak to you—you suppose there is no other way.
Making your way up to an inn has never been more interesting.
While walking, you belatedly realize that you feel the presence of the stranger again. It’s stronger than before, says the winds, and they never lie with what they touch as they fly by.
You also take it upon yourself to ask the merchants and customers alike, calling yourself new and curious as to what they know about the Adeptus lingering around Wangshu Inn.
“An Adeptus? All I know is that this inn is hiding a mysterious secret, but none of us have really gotten to a point where we found more about it.”
A secret.
You’d really prefer if the man you met before weren’t lying, as you would want your stalker to at least be some sort of god than an ordinary human being who has been watching you for no other reason.
You mull this information in your head as you climb up the inn. And then your limbs lock in place once you hear a voice. It speaks to you, for some unknown reason—as if the winds have quieted down to make you listen. You’re not sure if it’s the rasp or the absolute command his voice demands that gets to you, but—
“The next person to come here will ask about me. You will say you know nothing about my whereabouts.”
Then, a new, feminine voice speaks up. It breaks the brief trance you’ve been under. “…Is this the same person you’ve been watching over for the past two weeks, Adeptus Xiao?”
Adeptus Xiao. Watching over…?
Yet when you pick up pace and hurry to the counter, it’s just a woman alone, wide-eyed as she looks at you as if you were the one acting stranger.
“Sorry,” you blurt. “I’m, ah… I thought…”
Were you really just imagining that? No. That’s impossible.
The lady smiles. “I’ve seen you around the Inn recently. My name is Verr Goldet, the boss here at Wangshu Inn.”
“Oh, yes, nice to meet you.” Embarrassed, you choose to stare at the cat resting on the edge of her desk. You wonder if that cat can sense your distress; it’s blinking up at you innocently, surely the eyes of someone who has witnessed what you’ve missed. “My name’s Y/N, and I wanted to book a room…”
Verr Goldet brightens, but you suppose anyone receiving a customer would be, too. “I see. Have you considered the room on our highest floor?”
“Not…really?”
She hums, then smiles like she's letting you in on a little secret. “You should. If not, then at least consider climbing up the stairs and see the view for yourself. Most of my customers book rooms solely for that reason.”
That does sound appealing, and you have time to spare. “I will; thank you for the suggestion.”
Pleased, Verr Goldet turns to her desk to assumably book you a room. In the silence, you find your voice, “Hey, boss.”
You look up, and Verr Goldet’s eyes are sparkling. “Hm, yes? Oh, your expression looks terrified.” She laughs, sliding a key across the desk and urging you to take it. “I’m just used to correcting people who call me ‘boss lady’. What was your question?”
“Well, I’m pretty new, and—I’ve heard something interesting about this place.”
“There are a lot of rumors about this place. You’d have to be more specific.”
She might either kick you out from where you’re standing or understand what you’re about to say. “Well, ever since I arrived here at Wangshu Inn I always felt like I was being watched over… and then a man I met outside from here told me that there’s an Adeptus nearby?”
“I see. So you’ve met my husband,” she smiles knowingly. “You’re not from Liyue, aren’t you?” You shake your head. “Usually, no one knows about this, but my husband must’ve caught it, too. You’re looking for Adeptus Xiao, and I have noticed that he’s been lingering a lot more recently. More so than usual—I’ve concluded it’s ever since you arrived.”
“Should I be scared?” Because you’re not. Your heart is pounding. It’s a little messed up, but the thought of someone so highly esteemed having noticed you sends a thrill down your spine.
“Of course not. Xiao is the slayer of demons—he keeps Liyue and, most notably, this Inn safe from harm. Of course, I can’t blame your curiosity: no one else has seen Xiao with their own eyes.”
“Am I correct in assuming my stalker could be this Adeptus?”
Verr Goldet laughs. “Why don’t you head up and find out?”
Breathtaking is the first thought that crosses your mind as you finally reach the terrace. You can’t hold back your elated gasp seeing the place from this height—the lanterns, the people, the scenery.
And then you say, “Adeptus Xiao, are you here? Verr Goldet told me you’d be.” She didn’t say it directly, but the implications were there.
The wind shifts as a presence materializes behind you. It’s an all-too-familiar feeling. Goosebumps arise in your arms, and it’s not from the breeze. You turn, and come face-to-face with the most beautiful man you’ve ever met.
Xiao clicks his tongue, his pale skin tinted red. “I did not ask for them to resort to matchmaking.”
“You heard that? So you’re not denying that you’re the one who’s been stalking me ever so creepily?”
“Do not disrespect the Adepti with your accusations,” Xiao quickly retorts, like it’s second nature.
But you now know that one of the Adepti has a little crush on you, so you hardly care less about that at this point. “I’d say that invading my privacy is more disrespectful.”
Xiao’s silence embodies a scolded puppy.
You grin, stepping closer. It widens as Xiao stares at you warily, yet doesn’t disappear. The moonlight brings out the color on his face. He’s beautiful and acting unbelievably adorable. “It’s nice to meet you, Adeptus Xiao. Thank you for protecting me during my stay in Liyue.”
It must’ve been the sincerity in your voice that has him clearing his throat, scrambling for some sense of control again. “It’s—It’s my duty.”
“To watch over one person in particular?”
Xiao glares weakly, caught red-handed. “Do not get so presumptuous.” He says, yet he hasn’t disappeared into thin air while talking to you, unlike what Verr Goldet says usually happens. That alone says a lot.
“It’s hard not to when you look at me like that.”
Xiao visibly startles, losing his calm composure by blinking. “How do I look at y—“
“I think I’ll be staying in Wangshu Inn for a little while longer,” you voice aloud, the grin on your lips never once faltering. “I’ll be in your care, Xiao.”
Xiao cannot, in fact, handle this, as his entire face goes up in flames, and he disappears into wisps of teal and black. You’re not too worried. You can still feel his presence, the way you’re already getting used to.
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A/N OH MY GOD. A XIAO FIC. FINALLY. FROM SIXOSIX. SELF-PROCLAIMED XIAO MAIN... im shaking as i post this like im so nervous. and i hate this. but out of all the xiao fics i tried to write this one has been the one i actually completed without throwing out halfway through
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Yellow-rump Warbler 05/09/23 Here in our yard FOY.
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carionto · 7 months
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Humans really like space wildlife
As Humanity integrates itself within the Galactic Coalition ever further, trade and travel between Sol and neighboring member systems is growing at exponential rates. In particular, their interest in the native wildlife of other planets is the most widely expanding sector for tourism and commerce.
Even though it is also the most heavily regulated and restricted one, Humans, who typically display a desire to subvert the normal procedures to expedite any process they can, for this they are surprisingly willing and eager to fill in all the necessary paperwork and spend hours upon days making sure they follow and adhere to all the requirements to import some of these creatures.
While such level of determination is not uncommon for new member species who discover a certain non-native creature or something that to the respective natives is commonplace but for them is the pinnacle of exotic, the variety of requests made by Humans is nearly as great as the entire list of known fauna species. And the reasons listed on the forms are even more diverse:
"That's a unicorn! I've always dreamed of having a unicorn and you're telling me there's a dozen subspecies?! Yes, please!!!"
"After reviewing their behavior, this bear-sized fluff-ball is the perfect cat I've always wanted, but couldn't because of allergies. I'll treat them with love and care, my life is incomplete without this fella."
"Tiny. Elephant-duck. Want."
"Our company was looking for a mascot, and these six-legged spindly beaver-crabs are perfect. Here's our mission statement and prepared accommodations for a flock."
"They all said I hallucinated the lizard sasquatch when I was on that acid trip, but now I'll show 'em. It's real. I knew it all along!"
"Aww, these baby puppies are so adorable (referring to the four meter, 800kg Fanged Widowmaker of Abyss Valley predator). My kids were looking through your alien picture books and instantly fell in love with these ones."
And so on. At first we had to reject quite a few, mainly because half of them were deadly beasts from Deathworlds that are almost impossible to capture in the first place. Then the Human officials informed us that, while they will try to stop it from happening, if we don't make importing and adopting even the most dangerous animals in the known Galaxy reasonably possible for them with Human help and expertise in the field, some Humans will set up illegal smuggling rings to "fill the market gap" as they said. Historically, they explained, that causes more problems and expenses than just handling it through official channels.
Reluctantly we were persuaded and have set up a new organization to quell this, apparently, unquenchable Human pack bonding condition. Even if said pet can kill them. We think, as horrible as it may be, that for some that is part of the appeal. Even the ones that breathe out literal poison.
"We'll wear a mask around them. This wendigo-like one is too cute to not get belly rubs."
Said the OFFICIAL Human Representative of a monstrosity that can only be described as the living incarnation of countless teeth, fangs, claws, vivid seizure inducing iridescent feathers, and a body that extends from a inconspicuous ambush pose to a fully 8 meter tall six limbed nightmare machine of Death!
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mochinomnoms · 3 months
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A random thought I had that would be funny is having a zoo/aquarium date with a beasty/fishy boy and they end up seeing their animal counterpart and it stares them down or gives the two of them a lot of attention.
I think Azul, Floyd, and Jade are probably used to interacting with their animal counterparts as the ocean is pretty open and free. I like to imagine a little Azul talking with cuttlefish and other small cephalopods, venting about school and his bullies as their tentacles held onto his own in a comforting squeeze. Jade and Floyd would often be warned to not interact with their animal counterparts, as they could be more aggressive and mean than their merfolk counterparts. They didn't care and would delight in bothering an old giant moray that lived near their grotto. He was a grumpy thing, but surprisingly kind, sort of anyway. He'd rough them up, sending them home with bruises and shallow bites, to get the twins to toughen up and learn to fight back.
They'd probably enjoy the aquarium date, trying to impress you by speaking with their animal counterparts. It only works out until he (Azul and Floyd most likely) are arguing with the fish about who would make the better partner for you. Jade straight up lies and tells you that the moray isn't feeling up to conversation, and why don't we go look at the jellyfish instead :).
Leona and Ruggie probably didn't interact with their animal counterparts growing up, as Sunrise City was a rather metropolitan area. Zoos are a rather foreign concept there, as Sunset Savannah's culture is set on setting up wildlife reserves. The closest you'll get is conservations for endangered species, or rescues for wildlife that were illegally sold as pets. I personally think that lions and hyenas would be held in high regard, due to the lore connected with the King of Beasts. Jack would've seen wolf packs as a kid in the Shaftlands, but wasn't allowed to run around with him until he was a bit older. For the most part, Jack was fond of them and felt a kinship with his animal counterparts. Especially running around with the cubs, it really helped build his endurance!
Leona and Ruggie are a bit concerned and confused about the concepts of zoos. People in Sunset Savannah would not be allowed to interact with the wildlife in reserves unless they were wildlife scientists, conservationists, or veterinarians. Both are staring down the animals, the closest they've ever been to them, curious and maybe even a bit fascinated. While they may not agree with the zoos, they are enthralled with seeing their counterparts so close, even with a thick glass wall between them. Jack is actually going to bring you back home to introduce you to the wolf pack! The youngest of the pack is but an old man in wolf years, but they remember Jack and his family fondly. The same pack and its children have been hanging around them for 3 generations, so Jack is eager to introduce you to what is basically his extended family, especially if you're to join them in the near future.
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ddejavvu · 1 year
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fairy!reader with hotch? 🥹 he’s somewhere in the woods because a murder happened there and when he’s alone she shows up and leads him to a clue?? and he thanks her and she’s all flustered and shy around him? 🥹 thank you!!!
today is multiverse monday! send me any au you can think of :)
--
"The trail goes cold," Aaron huffs, neck craned to speak into the walkie talkie clipped to the strap of his vest. His eyes flutter shut and his fists clench in frustration. He doesn't know how the unsub has managed to vanish, but the footprints abruptly and and there's no misplaced leaves that could be covering them up.
"Psst," He's just released the button on his comm when he hears it, and his hands tighten around his gun quick as a flash. He aims blindly where he heard the noise, into a dense tree that he strains to see movement inside of.
"It's okay!" He hears the same voice, light and sweet, "I won't hurt you. And I'm not who you're looking for."
Once again, he combs the tree for movement, looking for the rustle of a leaf or the snap of a branch. He comes up empty, all until a gold glow catches his eye near a cluster of leaves near the top.
With his gun aimed carefully at the light source, he watches with breathless wariness as you peer out from behind a thick branch.
You're... tiny. You're unlike anything he's ever seen, dressed in a flower and glowing to boot. You look human, you have a human face, a human body, and a human voice, but you're mind-bogglingly small. He doesn't know what you are.
Then you fly, and he sees the wings. They're shimmery and fluttering, guiding you to a lower branch that you wrap an arm around for stability.
"Please don't hurt me," You stare nervously at the barrel of his gun, "I'm harmless. I just want to help."
"Help?" Aaron finally finds his voice, hands sweaty and nearly slipping from how hard he's clutching his gun. He readjusts his grip, "What are you?"
"I'm a fairy," You accentuate the knowledge with a soft flutter of your wings, one that shakes shimmery dust from their surface, "And I couldn't hurt you if I tried. Please put down the weapon."
Against all survival protocol, he does. He guides the gun slowly into his holster, watching as your miniscule fingers toy with a flower growing out of the branch you're hugging.
"I saw a man here a few minutes ago," You hum, looking up at him through lashes laced with the same shimmery substance slowly dusting off of your wings, "He climbed my tree and knocked over my house. He went that way." You point behind you, and Aaron sees a low-hanging line of tree branches the unsub must have used to cross the forest without leaving tracks in the mud below.
"Thank you." Aaron says cautiously, wondering if he should jam you into his pocket and take you straight back to headquarters. He decides not to, because you've just helped him, but he's not sure how to go about concealing information about magical species from the U.S Government.
He starts to back away, slowly, in case you decide that he's the enemy now and turn on him in a glittering mess of fairy dust and flower petals. But your face drops quickly to a frown, and you reach out for him using the hand that's not around the tree branch.
"Wait!"
He stiffens, spine straight, "Yes?"
"My.. my house," You repeat, "He knocked my house over. And it's too heavy for me to carry. I helped you, can- can you please help me, too?"
You redirect your finger to point at a knocked-over bird house laying on the forest floor. It's crudely painted, something Jack would make him for father's day, and he assumes some kid used to camp here and left it as a present for the wildlife. If only they knew who lived in it now.
"Okay," Aaron hums, crouching slowly to the forest floor and reaching for the birdhouse like it's a bomb. Of course, it's not, unless a glitter bomb counts, because his fingers are already sprinkled with the stuff.
You rush to flutter higher in the tree, and Aaron realizes he can't reach the perch you're standing beside. Not while his feet are on the ground.
"You can step on that one," You point to a thick branch protruding from the bottom of the tree, one that the unsub probably scaled himself, "That one's strong enough for humans like you."
Birdhouse in hand, he tests his weight against the limb. It doesn't even creak, and he hoists himself up so that he's eye-level with you, chin hovering just over the branch you're standing on.
"There," You instruct him, and he lowers the birdhouse gently onto its mount. You've fashioned it a nest of sticks and feathers, and he wonders if you stole that from a bird, too.
"Is that okay?" He murmurs, voice quiet with the same wonder he's spoken with since meeting your eye for the first time.
"That's perfect," You gush, and flutter your wings happily, "Thank you!"
As your wings shake, more glittery dust falls from them. It lands on Aaron's nose, and he has to stifle a sneeze if he doesn't want to blast you off of the tree branch. It means he jerks a hand to his face, and in doing so, loses his balance below.
He's barely able to repress his sneeze and catch himself on the branch before he falls, and his face knocks into your legs, landing you on your butt on the branch. His chin falls to your calves, nose butting against your stomach as his head lands in your lap.
"Oh!" You shriek, hands coming up to cup his cheeks, holding his face for stability. Your eyes are wide and shiny, and Aaron looks bewilderedly up at you as he tries stabilizing himself.
"Sorry," He breathes, tightening his hand on the branch.
You reach up a tiny hand to brush fairy dust off of his nose, shaking your head, "It's alright. I didn't mean to dust you."
Once his nose is glitter-free, you cast a bashful glance at his eyes, then lean in to kiss his nose. He barely feels it, a soft brush of something small against his skin, but the gesture sends heat to his cheeks and wobbles to his legs.
"Thank you for your help," You coo, hands detaching from his face and holding the branch below you. As he straightens up and removes his face from your lap, you swing your feet back and forth, glitter streaming down to coat the branch Aaron is standing on.
"Mhm." Is all Aaron can manage, "And- and you're... you're okay here? You're- you live here?"
"I do," You nod, bracing a hand against your birdhouse, "I'll be okay. Just catch that guy, okay?"
"Okay. Yeah," Aaron breathes, nodding as he carefully dismounts the branch below him, "And- and thank you for-" He backs away, right into a tree behind him, "Uh, thank you for your help."
You stifle a giggle at his clumsiness, waving cheerily as he finally turns around, heading in the direction you'd pointed him in. And if, when he takes off his jacket that night in his hotel room to find a fairy dust-covered flower petal, he slips it in his wallet? He's sure it's what you would have wanted.
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thelibrarian1895 · 1 month
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Bruce is the restraining bolt
Let's say that Bruce "dies" again. Tim, of course, figures it's another temporary thing and bonus he doesn't need to risk another organ to prove it this time. That being said, Bruce isn't around to stop them now. Dick doesn't feel the need to be the dad this time since Bruce will be back. He's the big brother, the babysitter at best. Jason has never felt the need to step up into a parental role for any of his sibs before and he's not going to stop now. Cass won't kill, that is her line, beyond that, she's not anyone's parent either. Tim is one bad day away from being a supervillain, he seriously needs a vacation but at the same time he needs something that will keep him busy or he will get paranoid (thanks B for the trauma) and so he's not going to stop anyone, Duke doesn't have the experience to know when or if he should stop any of his sibs, steph and barbara are staying out of it as while they are family they consider themselves cousins at best no matter what B says, and no one is going to let Damian boss them around.
That being established, B is gone, Alfred is fretting but not inclined to stop anyone anyway, the kids decide that while the bat is away...
When Bruce returns, Alfred is just returning from a spa trip his beloved grandchildren insisted that he go on since he deserved a nice break and they even investigated to make sure the spa wasn't a scam or front! While Alfred was gone and Bruce was "dead", all Black Mask's warehouses had been mysteriously destroyed with large explosions that Bruce had previously forbidden because he was worried about collateral damage since some of those warehouses were sandwiched by other storage facilities and places where people squatted. (Steph and Jason, both very affronted because they are professionals B! And yes, there were also glitter bombs involved, it made the fire extra pretty with the different colors).
Furthermore, Lex Luthor is no longer the majority shareholder of his own company anymore, that would be Tim now, and all of Lex's employees are rejoicing since they're all getting a pay raise that brings them from the legal bare minimum to not just a living wage but twice that plus benefits even for those who aren't full timers (which is basically everyone, lex never wanted to get benefits for anyone). Lex is also being investigated for embezzling, money laundering, domestic and international terrorism, and the trafficking of minors (kon). Lex chose a very bad time to make Kon sad and Tim took that personally.
Bruce also discovered that Tim's childhood home, aka the drake's old place next door for the given value of next door, has been demolished and that whole area is now a botanical garden and registered wildlife sanctuary. (Damian with assistance and permission from Tim since technically the land was in Tim's name, Damian persuaded Poison Ivy to help while also monitoring to ensure she didn't slip in anything detrimental and also breaking up the exotic animal smuggling ring that B had been trying to keep from him to prevent this very thing. Tim, in the meantime, just happened to have a number of people on hand more than happy to work in a botanical garden/wildlife sanctuary and no, none of those people were ever formerly ninja who answered to Ra's before realizing that Red Robin was a far better employer, why would you ever think they were?)
And of course, the Joker is dead. None of his kids are fessing up to this. If pressed, they will cry, even Jason, and say that they thought Joker killed their dad and they wished it had been them because they missed him so much! (It was Dick and Barbara, Babs faked the paperwork for Dick to go in as an orderly, Dick, in disguise, gave the Joker altered medication via injection and made sure to get some air bubbles in for good measure, official COD was a totally natural brain aneurysm, so sad, no autopsy needed, burn the body)
Duke was a bit of a wild card and ended up hanging out with Selina, picking up a few extra skills, and using those skills to break into various mansions and apartments of the filthy rich to steal back stolen art and artifacts and return them to museums in their country of origin so they can be enjoyed by everyone (he watched indiana jones recently and the "it belongs in a museum" popped into his head a lot, he did wear a particular hat while he was committing his heists) It was nice potential step mother and step son bonding time
And finally, Cass causes Ra's Al Ghul to lose a particular appendage, one that the lazarus pit hasn't been able to grow back for him thanks to a little consultation with Constantine beforehand. She then went to hang out at Themyscira and got some very pretty bracelets.
Bruce is thinking very hard about just turning around. He takes a nap instead and then he lectures his beloved nutcases about personal safety, the law, respecting what is essentially dibs on certain super villains, and all the other boring stuff he's tried to impose on them over the years.
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rootbeerworshiper · 2 months
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Summer (part 1/3)
Reader x Matt Sturniolo
summery: summer camp has always been your favourite thing, but as you enter you last year at the camp, as a councillor, you meet someone that changes everything.
warnings: none other than swearing and mention of a parent passing
credits to @inlovewithmattstur for helping me figure out an ending !
part 2 here
enjoy!!!
love, sienna <3
you have always been referred to as a “goody two shoes” by practically every person in your life. it wasn’t a nickname you were fond of, but based on the way you always had a book in your hands and the way you never broke a single rule, they weren’t entirely wrong.
it wasn’t like you hadn’t thought about living your teenage life to the fullest with parties and boys, you’ve thought about it every waking second because deep down you felt like you were wasting your adolescence on abiding by the rules adults set in place.
something as silly as a single nickname weighed on your head more than you’d like to admit, was it negative? was it just another way to call you a nerd?
you weren’t sure, and honestly it’s probably better you don’t know. blissful ignorance is just that, blissful.
so here you are, sat on a bus in mid july, sporting your two dutch braids and overall shorts, as you make your way to summer camp.
this year was different than the last few, because you were finally old enough to be a councillor, although it’s silly, you actually love kids, and you love camp.
which all adds to your iconic nickname, because what teenager is excited for summer camp? not most.
something about summer was special to you. most kids like summer because it’s a break from school, but you liked it for almost every other reason.
you liked it for the late night swims with your best friend who’s asleep beside you, you liked it because the abundance of wildlife brings you peace, and you like it because it’s the one time of year your hardworking dad can take a week off.
that and summer camp of course.
you’ve been going since you were 7 and you almost never got homesick because you loved it so much. except for when you peed the bed that one time, then you really wanted to go home.
regardless, the pure essence of being surrounded by log cabins and bright stars was enough to bring you peace, and when you add on swimming with your best friends and getting pushed on the camp swings, you were in heaven.
practically everyone that goes to your camp, you’ve grown up with, and they’re all like your temporary best friends for the summer.
well besides Amara, you and her have been friends since preschool and the two of you were practically inseparable. she was the sister you never had and you were hers.
speaking of family, your family life was a little bit rough. when you were 12 your mom passed away from brain cancer. the doctors gave her two weeks after the diagnosis, but a mere 6 days later she was gone.
you never understood how death happens so fast, how people can be gone from the earth in a blink of an eye with nothing but fond memories left behind.
at the time it felt like it was the end of the world. you and your mom were always close, you told her anything and everything as you procrastinated going to sleep on a school night.
it was impossible to not feel alone. sure, you had your dad and Amara, but no one could ever compare to the mother-daughter relationship you held so close to your heart.
like a constant void within you that would never be filled again.
it took weeks for you to “move on” although obviously, you never would. but soon enough you began leaving your room and eating full meals, and at the time, that was everything.
routine wasn’t easy for you, but it kept you stable. reading books all night and getting good grades became a form of therapy for you because it was all in your control, and you craved control more than anything after she passed.
other than the general sadness of losing your built in best friend, financially your dad struggled. he did whatever he could to provide for you, but with the rapid inflation and one singular income, it wasn’t easy for him.
your mothers passing made you and him closer, but you both mourned the main person who connected you, and it was hard for it to feel the same without her.
at camp, you could forget about this all and live in the moment, actively becoming the person you want to be.
so although you may be referred as a goody two shoes because of it, none of that really got you because you were happiest at camp, and that’s all that mattered.
you were never able to fall asleep in a moving vehicle, brain moving faster than the bus you were in, so you just read yet another romance novel as Amara slept soundly in your lap.
thirty more minutes until everything would be okay again—till you could breathe again.
the time flew by as you read, it’s what you loved most about it. it passed time and you were able to indulge in the words on the page, forgetting about your own sad life.
soon enough you saw the familiar forests and you knew you were getting close. “Amara wake up” you whispered as you rubbed the blondes back.
Amara was everything you wished you were. she’s charismatic, more beautiful than any other person you’d ever met, and most of all she had a sense of balance that made you jealous.
she was able to go to parties and have boys wrapped around her finger all while getting good grades and maintaining a good relationship with her parents.
you loved her, but it was hard not to feel your heart hurt as she rejected yet another guy who fell to her feet. it was exhausting to witness.
she furrows her eyes shut, rubbing her face as she wakes up. “good morning” she smiles. somehow she looks beautiful right as she wakes up—that could never be you.
“it’s three pm but okay” you put your bookmark in between the pages of your book, shoving it into your tote bag that resides on the bus floor as your friend situates herself next to you.
“are you excited?” she asks, grabbing a brush from her own bag, hoping to brush through her ruler straight hair and look more desirable.
she knows the answer to her question, because the answer is the same every year. “i am” you smile like a kid on Christmas morning.
once she’s done brushing her hair next to you, she leans back into the seat, placing her head on your shoulder. “i heard camp councillors do way more crazy shit” she pokes your arm, teasing you without needing to say anything, because you knew what she meant. “my friend told me that when she was a councillor, they all snuck out and got drunk by the lake”
you just roll your eyes and place your own head onto hers. “when have i ever come off as someone that’s itching to get cold and plastered with a bunch of random teenagers?”
“cmon you’re older now, you could try and have some fun” she groans. “soon you’ll be in college and then you’ll be too busy to do stuff like this”
she’s right of course, she usually is. you had planned to go to Boston University and get a degree in english, hoping to maybe become a writer someday, but you didn’t tell many people that.
it’s embarrassing the high hopes you have for yourself—sometimes you can’t help but feel completely delusional.
you’re mom was the one person who fully believed in you. sure, Amara and your dad were supportive, but you could tell they were worried about your career choice, and that was probably the rational thought process to have.
“we’ll see” you say, knowing full well you won’t be doing anything crazy. it’s just easier to give Amara a small beacon of hope every once and a while.
you look out the window the see your camp sign with a bunch of kids lined up for registration at the main cabin. you missed this more than ever and you’re sad that is is your last year.
everything goes according to plan which you are grateful for. some councillors came early to assist in the registration process but you and Amara decided against that.
it feels like home here. the dragonflies flying past you as you walk towards your cabin on the dirt road while the red duffel bag on your shoulder weighs you down. it’s also the hottest day of the year which causes you to squint your eyes slightly as you walk towards where you’re going.
theres around 8 different cabins for campers and a designated councillor for each. they’re close enough in proximity that it’s not a hassle to go between the two which is a relief because you’d be walking to Amaras cabin constantly.
soon enough you make it to your designated cabin and begin to unload your stuff, which doesn’t take long seeing as you packed light. you had grown pretty accustomed to packing for camp and you’ve really narrowed down your long list of stuff over the years.
the campers aren’t in the cabin yet but they will be soon, and that’s when the chaos will begin. until then though, you plan to go help Amara unpack in her cabin, walking out the door of you’re own.
you suddenly bump into someone you hadn’t seen here before, a sharp pain now lingering on your right shoulder as you fall onto the small pebbles scattered on the ground. you groan out in pain but ultimately go to apologize to the figure as you begin to stand up.
that’s when you fully take in the boy your looking at. he’s straight out of a book in the best way possible, wavy brown hair that’s split down the middle, a few strands placed on his face. his eyes are a light shade of blue that make you want to melt onto the floor with the way the sun reflects off of them, as beautiful as he is, he doesn’t look pleased.
another thing you make note of is his few piercings, a few on his ear and one on his nose—for whatever reason it weirdly made him more attractive to you.
“watch where you’re walking” he mumbles under his breath, ultimately continuing in the same direction he started in.
you wipe your dirty hands on you shorts. “oh yeah uh sorry” you almost call out as his back now faces you, eyes trained on the ground ahead of him. “asshole” you whisper under your breath.
most people at this camp were kind, it was rare someone here wasn’t as excited as you were to be attending, but as your eyes follow the boy, you know he’s one of few who’d rather be anywhere else.
you try to get the thought of him out of your head. not only was he rude but there was also something intriguing about him that weighed on you.
he had a look in his eyes that you were drawn to more than the colour of them, a look of hopelessness that drove you insane.
you weren’t even sure why he was here, some random guy who looks like he hates his life wearing a hoodie on the hottest day.
it was all weird, but you try your best to shake the thought of him out of your head as you walk to Amaras cabin.
the next few hours go as normal. you help Amara unpack her cabin which is help she desperately needed.
you’ve never understood how you could be best friends with someone so different from yourself.
by now it’s evening, the sun is still shining fully as you make your way to the dining hall with you cabin. the kids are chaotic, but for the most part they listen to you, and you appreciate it.
naturally you are a leader, which stems from your need to be in control— it works for this job, so for the time being, you get teased slightly less by your peers.
once your kids are sat at the long table, with food on their plates, you take a moment to look around the hall—subconsciously looking for the boy you had your interaction with earlier in the day.
as your eyes trail across the tables placed accordingly in the hall, you see every face but his.
“councillor when can we leave?” a small hand pokes your arm, snapping you back into reality.
you smile down at the girl and place your arm on her shoulder. “just a few more minutes” she groans but ultimately agrees.
looking around once more you finally see him, and to your immediate surprise, you find out that he’s a camp councillor.
councillors are usually people that have gone to the camp growing up and yet here is a boy you’ve never seen before, helping some kid open the ketchup container.
the boy was immediately blunt with you, rude even, but here he is with a new sense of purpose in his eyes and if you look close enough you could see a small smile.
this alone could send you into a spiral.
you never liked the idea of someone disliking you, even if you also didn’t like them—you had wrapped your head around the idea that the brunette boy was just mean to everyone, but the way he talks to kids has you thinking differently.
weirdly enough you’re hurt.
hurt over someone you’ve barley even spoken to all because there was a small glimmer of hope that sparked within you that he’d offer you a helping hand off the ground.
you should have known your life isn’t one that’s capable of being in one of the romance novels that you spend hours obsessing over.
the plan for the night was to have a campfire with all the cabins together while some facility told stories and sang songs. as a child this was your favourite part—the huge bonfire that heats up your face if you get to close, and the acoustic guitar playing in the background brought you comfort.
once again you have your kids riled together as you make your way down to the forest where the fire happens.
there is benches scattered throughout and at this time the campers are able to sit with whoever they want, meaning the councillors can too.
so once your cabin is situated you look for Amaras face on one of the benches.
it doesn’t take you long to see that she’s now flirting with one of the older councillors on a bench in the back.
the way his hand drops on her knee and the eye contact the two are holding makes you wanna puke. you would be happy for her if you thought that he’d be more to her than a hookup, but you knew he wasn’t.
if it wasn’t clear enough already, you were a virgin. technically you had your first kiss in freshman year at the dance but it wasn’t memorable in the slightest because the boy didn’t mean anything to you.
it’s not because you didn’t want to fall in love and go along with the intimacy that follows, but you were hopeless around boys—always saying the wrong thing or wearing the wrong outfit. no matter what it was, according to boys you were a walking turn off, and your best friend happened to be the opposite.
so now you look for a spot to sit, deciding to choose the seat furthest to the back, away from everyone while you think.
you were grateful you brought a blanket because although it’s nice out, the breeze leaves goosebumps all over your arms.
you knees make their way to you face as you curl up on the cold wood bench—you loved camp but something about this year was different and you weren’t sure why.
regardless, you kept your eyes trained on the fire in the distance, completely oblivious to your surroundings.
completely oblivious to the fact that the boy from earlier just sat down next to you. “why are you sitting by yourself? don’t you have friends here or something” he asks, rubbing his hands together to create friction and warm himself up.
you practically jump at his first words, eyebrows furrowing as he keeps his gaze towards the flames ahead. “why do you even care?” you stopped for a second, realization hitting in. “if you’re just here to make fun of me then you may as well go because you aren’t the first”
it didn’t make sense that the same boy who completely avoided you was now making conversation—kind conversation or not, it was weird.
he just chuckles. “that wasn’t my goal but if the shoe fits” you roll your eyes and look back away from him. “you just seem like a social butterfly who’s currently sitting by herself, away from like everyone here” he looks to you now, which you can see in the corner of your eye but you choose to ignore it.
“you see my friend over there?” you point towards the blonde that now has her legs sprawled over the older councillors lap, the boy next to you just nods. “she’s my best friend, but as you can tell she’s a little busy right now, and no chance i was gonna sit next to that sheer amount of pda”
you aren’t sure why your sharing with the guy who once gave you dirty looks, but his demeanour is different now—slightly more welcoming.
“ahh i see” he just sort of nods his head and keeps his eyes focused on the pair. “what’s your name?”
immediate confusion sets in. “what?” you look to him now, expecting a laugh or something but he’s dead serious, so you speak again.“y/n”
he nods again slowly. “i like that, it suits you”
you’re not entirely sure how to feel about the sudden compliment. “thanks” you wait a second before speaking again. “are you going to tell me yours now or are you remaining mysterious?” you tease, weirdly enough now enjoying your time with him.
he smiles slightly. “hmmm it would be more fun to not tell you” the way he looks at you could make you fold. something about his eyes hold power over you that you can’t comprehend. “i’m Matt”
you just nuzzle your face into the blanket slightly more, turning your head to look at him as you wrap your arms around your shins. “so Matt, what brings you to camp?”
he’s silent for a moment, and you can tell he’s grown slightly uncomfortable, which is hard to understand for you.
a question so simple wouldn’t cause most people to feel awkward, but here he is, shifting in his seat, mentally debating how to answer.
“can you try to not be judgemental?” this question intrigues you more than anything.
what could possibly be more embarrassing than being a camp councillor for 9 year olds?
you just nod, trying to smile supportively but ultimately furrowing your eyebrows slightly at the question.
“it was here or military school”
oh. shit.
you try to kind any looks of judgement that may make their way to your face as you muster up the courage to ask a question of your own. “what did you do that warranted that? like were your parents sending you?”
you could ask a million more questions, but you don’t want to interrogate the poor boy who’s being vulnerable with you.
“i kinda got in to the “wrong crowd” or whatever” he uses air quotes to emphasize his point. “and i had a couple of juvie scares for vandalism and trespassing and shit so my parents basically gave me the ultimatum”
suddenly it makes more sense why he looked so miserable when you first ran into each other.
you find yourself internally conflicted on whether or not him breaking the law actually matters to you. he’s a nice enough person—not striking you as the type to be an actual criminal.
so you shrug. “i feel like there’s worse crimes to be committing” this makes him laugh, his hands covering his eyes as if he’s about to wipe away tears of joy.
“i didn’t strike miss “goody two shoes” as the type to be okay with that” he must be able to tell the way that nickname immediately ticked you off because the look in his eyes is one of actual empathy. “struck a nerve?”
you just groan into the blanket in front of you.
something in the way he said it made you slightly less mad at it—maybe you just like his voice enough for it to be okay.
you lift your head and fix your fizzy strands of hair that made contact with your forehead. “it’s kind of what everyone calls me”
you sigh. for some reason you feel like it’s okay to tell him how you feel, although you’ve never told another soul this before. “i just wish i was more than that, like i wish my whole personality didn’t rely on my rule abiding tendencies”
he looks at you as if he’s not sure what to say. “you use really big words sometimes” you just roll your eyes, now being referred to as a nerd as well. “no wait i like it, i don’t think it’s a bad thing to be smart, i wish i was better at saying what i mean or whatever”
once again your thrown off by his abundance of kindness.
“i won’t call you that again i promise” he sticks out his pinky, and as dumb as you feel, your inclined to interlock your own.
“thank you” you look back to the fire and see a bunch of kids now standing, signalling your need to go and line them up—it was pretty late after all. “see you tomorrow Matt”
he nods his head, gesturing you to the clueless kids, as well as saying goodbye to you. “see you, y/n”
a/n: praying you guys like this as much as i do bc it’s my favourite thing to write rn i’m obsessed with it
taglist: @tastesousweet (ily)
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lilislegacy · 2 months
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Percy doing a little bit (or a lot) of everything
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i know everyone won’t agree with this future for him, but humor me
percy in college figuring out that he doesn’t want to be stuck in a lab, but he wants to make a difference. he can talk to animals. he wants to use that ability for good. he wants to help animals in some way
percy wanting to become a veterinarian for aquatic animals. he doubts himself, becasue it takes someone smart and hard-working, but annabeth has full faith in him. and he finds he actually really likes learning about how sea animals function, and how to help them. once he’s a vet, he knows he made the right choice. he loves going to work every day, wherever that is. an aquarium, a marine clinic, the ocean, it doesn’t matter. he listens to the animals and helps them in a way that no other vet on earth can. his co-workers call him the animal whisperer. (which he finds funny, because he’s not whispering, just having a normal semi-telepathic conversation)
while he’s preparing for vet school, percy has an experience that makes him begin to take notice of people and animals dying in fires. he figures “i’m fire resistant. i can control water. im strong. i think quick on my feet… i can help.” so throughout vet school, he’s a firefighter. he loves it. he gets to save people every day. he gets action. he thrives. he saves so many lives. he even takes ownership of the fire house’s new dog - a dalmatian-shepherd mix. he says it’s just for a bit, but the dog ends up as his and annabeth’s family pet (which annabeth totally knew would happen). but he loves being a firefighter. it makes him feel like he’s using his abilities to help people, not just kill endless amounts of monsters. he actually feels like a real hero this way.
percy becoming certified as a professional diver so he can do deep sea rescues, for animals mainly, but he ends up doing human rescues too. in tragedies like the thai cave rescue, he’s there. he’s the pro diver on call for an emergency - human or animal related. he’ll dive any depth to save a life. he’ll even just do it to help researchers, or historians, or anyone, really. and he never charges much, if anything at all.
percy volunteering as a marine wildlife rescuer. he’ll answer a call, day or night. he’ll help get a shark off the beach, cut rope off of a whale, save sea turtles caught in a net. it doesn’t matter, he’s there. and it’s nothing new for him.
percy maybe even writhing a book or two over the course of his life.
percy going on some boat expeditions, which he always leads.
percy maybe even one day teaching, when he’s older and his kids are grown. whether it’s 12 year olds with dyslexia or whether he’s teaching a college class on aquatic animals or greek history. he’d be good at it. he’s patient.
percy doing multiple great things throughout his life. percy using his experiences and abilities for good. percy not letting his past - being kicked out of every school, making bad grades, being thought of as stupid - define him. not letting his past stop him.
percy doing a little bit (or a lot) of everything. becasue he can. becasue he’s alive. becasue he’s talented. becasue he’s intelligent. and because he has a huge heart.
and he has the most supportive partner in the whole world.
percy thriving in life.
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