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danicadenniss · 4 months

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DreamWorks Trolls

Branch: Troll Of The Wildglade

Chapter 1: The Birth Of A Legend

This is Trolls Brotherhood AU, I will tell the story about the legend. Branch's Narration

The sun shone on the top of the clear blue sky ever so brightly. Its bright yellow rays spreading out, a warm light for a beautiful day like today.

A great dragon zooms across the air so fast that it's almost a blur. His scales, the color of silvery white which glimmers like the river with pale periwinkle spots on his rump, the crest scales from head to tail are moderate cerulean, crest scales and tail tip are teal, and his wings are majestic and great like an angel's. He had two peach-colored, straight horns and arctic blue eyes. It flew just below a group of clouds shaped like creatures known for their singing, dancing, hugging, and most of all, their happiness for their freedom: the trolls.

The land where this dragon and the trolls live in is a beautiful, peaceful, and unspoiled land where every creature lives in harmony and safety. It's beyond any constant of civilization or unknown strangers that might arrive there. The water is purely clean, the green grass bends gracefully in the wind, the trees all stood tall and firm, and everyone live happily and carefree as if there was no danger. This land is what the creatures called the Wildglades. It is known for its many open areas within the woodlands where grassy meadows are located under the canopy of deciduous trees such as aspen and alder.

Now, one may think the dragon flew so gracefully and majestically thoughtout the sky, flying over a valley where some fields of flowers were near a river. Once over the river, it playfully dipped its paw into the water, taking a drink of some water while he had a chance, and flew higher once he's done. He happily flew across the field where he reached some giant rocks along the way.

Now, one may think the dragon is the hero of the story. He's not, but he knows the hero for sure, or at least, he will very soon.

On the rocks, beetles, insects, and reptiles are found either sunbathing in the sun rays or even strolling around the rocks. The dragon flew over the creatures, paying no mine to them at all.

In an instant, we reached a waterfall where there are rapids just after it. Near the rapids, a mother Eninac (wolf like creatures with colorful fur) was teaching her two cubs how to fish and out to a fish near the water's edge, She manages to swipe her claw into the water and came out a fish and landed on the ground. The pups immediately grabbed the fish as they tugged it back and front between themselves while their mother watched.

Later on, we see a view of some wetlands and swamps, surrounded by trees, marshes, and mud being shrouded by a light fog. In the waters, a group of alligators swam calmly while the others rested on the banks. No matter where you go, you will never experience a healthy environment untouched by the the outside world such as this one. The wildlife here live without fear and worry. Big or small, all creatures live with one another in symbiotic and treat each other respectfully.

Finally, the scene jumps back to our dragon friend flying over some beautiful trees in all shapes and sizes and also, full of life. It was actually a stood proudly around the area, across the branches, and flying animals such as butterflies and hummingbirds all flew through the trees.

In an instant, a group of trolls jumped through the tree tops across branches, laughing and hollering from the fun they're having. Below them, another group of trolls ran out of sheer freedom. Some even stated across the grass or on uprooted roots in their homemade skateboards or blades, others swung across some thick vines across the air. They all ran until they reached a lake and jumped into the water for a swim. The one traveling in the trees manages to reach the tops and enjoyed the sweet breezes of the wind blowing through their hair, swaying them back and forth.

The trolls in all colors and ages enjoyed their days like they do every day. They played together, sang together, danced, ran, and even hugged. With freedom, they have no limits or fear. These trolls are the Rainbow trolls and they live together as a clan known as the Glade Clan. They are in pod-like homes above the trees like treehouses while others prefer on the ground, living in underground burrows or pods as well.

Like all clans, they are led their leaders and the Glade Clan is no different and there begins our story.

The clan lived peacefully under the watchful eye of their leader: a green troll with cobalt blue hair and green eyes named Thorn. He wore reddish brown pants, dark blue shirt and a teal bandanna. He stood on top of a thick branch which he could overlook the others and the distance makes it easier to spot danger.

Thorn is known for his strength, courage, fairness, and agility. He needs to in order to protect his people from any danger that might come to harm them. All he wants is for his people and family including his four sons, John Dory, Spruce, Clay and Floyd to be safe and hoped for many happy days ahead.

And speaking of a happy day, on an early morning, that day will be his happiest and he didn't realized it until now.

"Thorn!"

Young John Dory: "Daddy!"

Young Spruce: "Papa!"

Young Clay: "Dada!"

Young Floyd: "Daddy!" "Our baby brother or sister is coming"!

Wood twitched his ears when he heard his name being called. A troll with orange skin, scarlet red hair, and amber eyes came to him, panting from all the running he did.

Thorn: "Alder, boys, what's wrong? Is there danger in our home?"

Alder: "No, Thorn. It's time!"

Young John Dory: Daddy, Mommy is labor and giving birth.

Young Spruce: Hurry, Daddy!

Young Clay: In our pod, Granny helping Mommy!

Young Floyd: Daddy? I'm scared!

Thorn: Time? You mean now? Lead me there!

Without hesitation, all trolls ran toward Thorn's pod: a giant pod that's blue and light green. Behind them, some trolls managed to follow them, wondering what's all the fuss about.

Alder: Boys, please don't look, I want you boys sit down in the chairs.

They sit down in the chairs, they are upset about their mother giving birth.

Thorn entered the bedroom and stood anxiously as he saw his mother in law, Rosiepuff, helping a beautiful teal troll with pink hair and sky blue eyes give birth. The teal troll, who is also Thorn's wife and John Dory, Spruce, Clay and Floyd's mother, Ivy was taking deep breaths in rhythm while being supported by a mountain of pillows behind her as two trolls held her hands, comforting her. Her face all covered in sweat and her hair was uncombed and messy from the stress of being in labor.

Rosiepuff: That's it, Ivy. Easy does it. (Instructed her daughter to relax and to remain calm.

Thorn: Is she gonna be okay, Rosiepuff?

Rosiepuff: She's just in pain,Thorn. But she'll be fine once the baby's out.

Young John Dory: Daddy, Granny, can we can see the baby?

Rosiepuff: No, not yet, sit down, can you please get out in the kitchen's chair? We don't want you getting sick.

Young John Dory: (whining) I don't wanna!

Alder: Shhhh! Johnny, come with me to kitchen's chair.

Young John Dory: (whining) Alright, alright, but I don't wanna.

Rosiepuff: You're doing great, sweetie, just a few more pushes. The baby can only do half as much if you don't push.

Outside, various trolls gathered around the pod. They've heard the news of Thorn's baby about to be born and began to wonder what he or she be like. Yet judging from the screams from Ivy, even they became the concerned for the soon-to-be big brothers and hoped for the well being of the two.

She pushed as hard as she could before she fell back, panting in exhaustion. Her husband smiled and wiped her forehead with a wet cloth.

Thorn: You're doing really well, my flower, I know it hurts and I know you're tried, but you're strong. You can do it. Just try again. For me.

Ivy: (huffing) With you by my side, I have strength. (Once more, she closed her eyes and pushed. She gave it all she had left, screaming at top of her lungs.

Young John Dory: (Young Floyd gasping, Young Spruce shaking and Young Clay biting his nail) I can't look! I can't look!

Rosiepuff: (smiled at the sight of the baby being halfway out.) Just one more push. (Ivy did as she was told and with a final push, the baby was finally out as it slid into Rosiepuff's arms.)

Ivy fell back against the pillows, breathing heavily with her eyes closed. The silence surrounded them was replaced by a high pitched wailing. John Dory, Spruce, Clay and Floyd walked into the bedroom as they gasped and see the baby. Ivy panted and opened her eyes. With a smile, she triedly lifted herself up to see the miracle. Thorn gasped and grinned wildly at the sight of his newborn in his mother in law's arms. The infant is beautiful!

Rosiepuff: (Warm smiled and tears in her eyes) It's a beautiful little boy!

Young John Dory: We're big brothers now!

Young Spruce: He is adorable!

Young Clay: Awwww! He is so cute!

The parents smiled as Thorn hugged his wife, giving her small kisses on her forehead. You did it, my dear. We have fifth son, just like you four.

Ivy: (with tears in her eyes.) We do, don't we?

Once the baby's all cleaned up, Rosiepuff wrapped him in a fuzzy green blanket and passed over her grandson to his parents. Ivy held him close to her crest, kissing his head. The baby calmed down in his mother's embrace and blinked up at her. The baby's eyes were as big and as blue as sky. He inherited his mother's beautiful's teal green skin and his father's cobalt blue hair. He looked up confusingly, but when his vision cleared up, he saw his parents gazing at him with warm smiles, all pain forgotten. The baby cooed as he reached his arms up.

Young Floyd: Hey, there! Baby brother, we are your big brothers and welcome to the family. (The baby cooed)

Thorn caressed the baby's cheek and his son responded in nuzzling it. Thorn realized that his people might want to welcome his son to the world. He stood up and opened the door where the results.

Thorn: My trolls, it's a boy! We have a beautiful, blue troll of a son!

All the trolls cheered, gave their congratulations to the father, and jumped for joy, knowing that not only did they have a new member to the clan but a new heir as well. Thorn shushed them softy, not wanting to scare the baby inside. He allowed them to come and see the newborn, but they made sure not to overcome the baby, his brothers and his mother. Once they saw the baby, they oohed and awed and even smiled.

Female purple troll: (exclaimed clenching her hands together) Aw! He's beautiful!

Another troll: (cooed) Isn't he cute?

A trolling: (whine) I wanna see the baby.

Young John Dory: Daddy, Mommy, what's are you two gonna named him?

Luckily for him, his father gave him a lift and put him on his shoulder where his child could see the baby clearly.

The little baby watched curiously at the trolls before him. There were all happy for him and he managed to make a small smile as he babbled happily, earning some awes from the crowd.

Young Floyd: Mommy, Daddy, Alder? What's are you two going to named our new baby brother?

Alder: We must choose a name for the prince. Suggestions, anyone?

An older troll: (babbling) Yes, it should be something distinguished, I think, something worthy for the prince of the Glade Clan. Perhaps Rowan...or Storm.

Young Clay: Huh?

A male troll with glasses: (suggested) Sycamore sounds for me.

Young John Dory, Spruce and Clay: Sycamore?

Young Floyd: What's about Branch?

The baby hiccuped. He shook his little head, not liking any of the names being suggested for him.

Newborn Baby Branch: Bah! Bra...Bran!

Ivy chuckled at his son's attempt to name himself or maybe speak. She tried to guess what he's trying to say.

Ivy: You know, I think our son wants to be named...Branch. I think Branch would be nice.

Rosiepuff: Oh yes! That sounds lovely!

Thorn: And it's a small yet strong, it's perfect for our son. Don't you agree?

The trolls nodded in agreement, some even clapped their hands happily. It looks like they all agree with the name decision.

Rosiepuff: (giggled) My, my. Barely an hour old and the boy's already helping our family make decisions like a leader.

Alder held him and gently lifted him up for all to see.

Alder: Thorn and Ivy's fifth son and future heir to the clan: Branch!

Everyone cheered along loudly, which slightly surprised little Branch.

Thorn: (chuckled and told his son) It's all right, Branch. That's the traditional family welcome, just for you.

Yonug John Dory: Daddy, We're big brothers now! Branch, welcome to the family.

Young Spruce: Branch, welcome to the family.

Young Clay: (sobbing) We're big brothers now, Branch, welcome to the family and we are happy for you.

Young Floyd: Branch, We're your big brothers and you're our baby brother, you are so lucky.

Branch smiled as he nuzzling his mother, his father and his older brothers lovingly which Thorn returned.

Thorn: We love you, Branch. We all do.

He then placed his son on the bed. Surprisingly, he than began crawling towards his mother, only to softly fail at first. But he rose up and manages to reach his mother who grabs him lovingly. John Dory and Spruce are playing sword fighting with their wooden swords. Clay and Floyd playing puzzles and Rosiepuff then handed Ivy a bottle for him to feed. They usually gather milk from other animals they raise in their small corrals. Branch saw the bottle and began drinking the warm, fresh milk from it, enjoying its sweet. Even making a small bubble after he burped it out, making the others laugh.

Six Months Later

A few months later after he was born, a greedy bounty troll hunter who entered the woods, his Hernan Reyes the leader of an organization called themselves Talons along with his partner in crime Dr. William Afton researched in the forest.

Male Troll Hunter #1: Reyes, looking all in the forest.

Hernan Reyes: So, life not fair for us to do it. We are coming to hunt down to hideous creatures with guns and blades.

Young William Afton: My lord, I found either of those little creatures. They were hiding around it. Near in the forest, the trolls live in over there.

A young scienist Breanna Diaz walked out of the tent and asked Dr. Bruce Davis.

Young Breanna Diaz: Reyes, please don't kill that creatures. My son went to school, his father dropped him off until I picked him up from school.

Hernan Reyes: My son, Dante and I will hunt down the deadly creatures. (He walked into the forest, the trolls heard an earthquake and looked up and gasped by they running and hidden in their pods.)

Middle Aged Bruce Davis: Why did you do this?

Hernan Reyes: I do have a power to hunt down because there are rapids creatures up there and they got away from us.

Meanwhile, Thorn taught John Dory, Spruce, Clay and Floyd about the territories and their boundaries and even to use his hair correctly like a whip. Ivy taught Floyd how to sing and dance. Floyd walked into the room, he see his baby brother in his cradle. Branch smiled at him.

Young Floyd: Branch, you are young and strong like Daddy, he and Alder is protecting our home from threat. (Branch cooed and crawling towards him.) Mommy, Daddy, can we go to the water, with John, Spruce and Clay, please?

Ivy: That's very good, my sons. He's got what he deserved!

Young Clay: (chuckle, he successfully squinted the water from his mouth onto John and Spruce's faces.) John and Spruce's all wet!

Young John Dory: Mommy? Daddy? Clay squinted me in the face.

Young Spruce: Me too! WAAAAAAH!

Thorn: You're a sneaky little troll! Aren't you, my boys!

Young Floyd: (chuckled) Mommy, Daddy, big brothers and baby brother, let's go!

Ivy grabbed him gently and wrapped a light green blanket around him, she carried him on top of her hair.

At the pond, Clay played with his brothers, a little pink female trolling making a sand castle to make her mother and her father proud. He squinted at her, he chuckled at her, she sobbing, and he walked into her.

Young Clay: Are you okay? (She looked at him and he apologized to her.) What's wrong? I'm sorry for you squinted at you.

Little pink female trolling: That's okay, I trying to make sure I make a sand castle.

Young Clay: Are you doing this? If I can help you out with this. (Her mother called to her.)

Female light pink troll: Viva, I hope you can find all the shells.

King Peppy: Viva!

Young Viva: It's nice to meet, bye, promise.

Young Clay: I'm promise!

At the Talons headquarters, Hernan plans to hunt the trolls down, along with his teenage son Dante, and the rest of bounty troll hunters.

Hernan Reyes: Tonight... We hunt!

Talons Bounty Troll Hunters: Yeah! Kill the beasts!

Hernan Reyes: Search the entire forest! Bring me all trolls! Dead or alive!

Talons Bounty Troll Hunters: Yeah!

Breanna look at them, and hold her son Noah, who is scared.

Pastor Abacus Chunch run and raise his hand by asked him to stop hunting trolls in the woods.

Young Abacus Chunch: Stop!

Hernan Reyes: (smiled evilly at him) So, pastor, I need a word with you about to hunt down the trolls. Bring the trolls, dead or alive!

Young Abacus Chunch: Please, I want you to stop hunting in the woods. I don't want you and your soldiers to kill the creatures with guns, swords and the other weapons for your harm.

Hernan Reyes: Stay out of my way, I will crush you with my hammer. You won't be able to stop me for hunting.

Young Abacus Chunch: Please stop, kill the creatures and the wildlife and it's will cause chaos and all the madness because of it between the village and the forest. I don't want you to murdered it. Near in the forest. (He pushed him into the ground.)

Hernan Reyes: I told you, stay out of my way and We will hunt the trolls tonight!

The Talons soldiers cheered on and they marching out of the city and into the forest.

We are going to challenge by protecting the animals from being killed by bounty hunters. Guns violence are illegal and it's to dangerous for us.

#trolls #dreamworks trolls #trolls au #branch trolls #trolls branch #trolls baby branch #trolls john dory #trolls jd #trolls spruce #trolls bruce #trolls clay #trolls floyd #trolls brotherhood au #trolls oc #william afton #trolls viva #trolls cliva #dante reyes

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comicweek · 8 months

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Ángel Manuel Soto - on Carapax backstory and shooting Blue Beetle

Brian Davids: I’ve always liked Raoul Max Trujillo, and Carapax represents a huge opportunity for him. Was the character’s School of the Americas backstory something you pulled from your Bane pitch?

Ángel Manuel Soto: Yeah, when we were building the character of Carapax as a Latino villain in the movie, I purposefully wanted him to have a reason why he’s a villain. Oftentimes, when Latinos are villains in movies, they never tell you why. They’re just bad people, and I think that stereotype has been very harmful to our community. There’s a lot of obscure history in Latin America that the history books don’t teach us, but all of Latin America knows it. A lot of the violence has been perpetrated in part by U.S. military interventionism, and one of the more obscure topics is the School of the Americas, which started the whole neoliberalism movement. Even before it was called the School of the Americas [in 1963], it was a more organized attempt from the CIA to inflict the same type of interventionism, only they were using locals to do it for them.

So this history has never been taught in schools, and we wanted to have our characters live in a world that is grounded in the realities that affect us. And when we were developing Raoul Max Trujillo’s character, we always had the idea that maybe Carapax and Bane came from the same experiments. Of course, the backstory of Bane is different. His whole journey is very different from Carapax, but the fact that they’re both victims of historical exploitation in our communities is something that I wanted to share. Maybe they brushed shoulders or maybe they never saw each other, but they’re both victims of a similar experimentation.

BD: Can you say what you went back and added earlier this year during those couple days of additional photography?

AS: To be honest, we didn’t add anything that wasn’t in the script already. We shot things that were in the script, but we just didn’t have time to do them [during principal photography]. In order for me to finish the movie, we needed those extra days. So they weren’t necessarily reshoots, but we did reshoot one scene to make it tighter. Everything else was a lot of the backstory that was very important to the story and Raoul Max Trujillo’s character. It was very important for me to tell the backstory of our villain, and that was pretty much the reason why we continued shooting. So I don’t call it reshoots; it was just finishing what was promised to me.

BD: Besides the Nana reveal, Carapax’s backstory was my favorite part of the movie, especially since it led to Jaime (Xolo Maridueña) showing compassion.

AS: I fought for that scene and to be able to tell the story of the interventionism in Latin America. If you go through Latin American cinema, all this stuff has been explored, but it’s never been explored in mainstream Hollywood. So we had a minute to showcase this history of violence and how the exploitation and the weaponization of somebody else’s trauma has been used, historically, to inflict more violence on behalf of corporations that only want greed and power. So now that you mention it, it was very important to show that, and I think that is my proudest moment in the movie. We need to recognize that these issues are not just fantasy. They’re very, very real, and if we’re more aware of stuff like this, I believe that we can have a more compassionate and empathetic world.

BD: And revealing Carapax’s backstory in reverse probably had a lot to do with the moment landing as well as it did.

AS: Yeah, doing it backwards was a creative decision. We designed that whole sequence as a peeling back of layers to get to the root of Carapax’s trauma, which was the fact that this kid witnessed the death of his mom. And then through that experience, he now understands that the woman [Victoria Kord] who’s been exploiting him was responsible, to some extent, for everything that caused his trauma.

#blue beetle #angel manuel soto #raoul max trujillo #carpax #storytelling #quotes

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locustime · 10 months

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you guys have loved my bug stuff so far and want to see more of my conceptual world, so here it is!

introducing the “Kayjid” species from the planet “Dragex”! They’re the same species as my avatar. This is the appearance of an average queen. May make something on the atmosphere/ecosystems of the planet next

Design notes and lore underneath!

Kayjids are the dominant species on Dragex - intelligent invertebrates that live in super colonies. As of the modern era, all Kayjid colonies have come together to form one cohesive society. Kayjids aim to conquer as much land as possible, having already developed space travel and having colonised several planets. The queens fulfil a core role in Kayjid society: producing more workers.

All Kayjids are sexless and genderless, not reproducing sexually. All Kayjids are infertile except for queens. Instead, queens are born with millions of “blank” eggs that are capable of developing into any caste, and are released constantly over a monthly cycle. At different points of the cycle, the queen’s hormonal levels vary, causing the eggs to develop into certain castes. Kayjids, as an alien species, do not have DNA and instead have a different genetic material which results in frequent mutations, meaning offspring still have a lot of genetic variation without sexual reproduction. However, in desperate times, Kayjid queens are able to use the stinger on their abdomen to extract cells from another Kayjid, and temporarily have all eggs produced be exact clones of them.

In the modern era, progressions in science allow Kayjids to manually change a queen’s hormones to produce eggs of a desired caste, or to only use 50% of the genes during cloning, meaning you may get the desired traits while still still having genetic variation (similar to our sexual reproduction).

Kayjid queens have one role: produce as many offspring for the colony as possible. They rely on others for support; their front legs are suited for combat and not everyday use, alongside lacking the opposable digits other castes have. Queens have no authority over other Kayjids, but do live a comfortable life being constantly cared for by carers, nursery workers and doctors.

Because of this, queens don’t interact much with the rest of Kayjid society, focusing solely on their job, wearing little jewellery, and rarely having robotic appendages. Currently only one queen has a seat on the Council.

Queens are one of the largest castes and are capable of living over a hundred (Earth) years. Around 250 eggs are produced per day by a Queen.

Kayjids are coloured bright green-blues, paired with red-pinks, as they originate from tropical rainforests populated with plants of those colours. They are heavily inspired by praying mantises, design wise, but I also took some inspiration from a variety of arthropods (ants and beetles particularly). I know they may not be the most alien thing of all time, but I just REALLY love the idea of a sapient bug society, screw me.

Fun fact: “Dragex” is a simplification of my childhood story with a planet “Draegon X” where I had insect aliens similar to the ones I’m making now!

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tuulikannel · 9 months

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I came across this crossover between Dresden Files and Fullmetal Alchemist in my files… I'd all but forgotten about it, having not touched it in over three years. Even though I like it, I doubt I'll ever finish it. :/ So I thought I could at least put here what I've written so far (over 5000 words, anyway), cause... like I said, I personally do like this. ^^ But yeah... be warned: this story will, unfortunately, remain unfinished (unless someone else possibly wants to finish it?)

Cast: Harry, Michael, Ed, Envy, Mei

This takes place (for DF) after Blood Rites (or so, it's kinda irrelevant, really, there aren't really any spoilers) and for FA after Mei has decided to return to her country (here there be spoilers up to that point).

(untitled so far. working title: Fullmetal Files, cause as usual, I lack imagination with titles XD)

(starting with Harry's pov, obviously)

It had been a perfectly fine Saturday night, all things considered. Me and Michael had driven a bit out of the city to banish a well-meaning but pretty confused ghost, a victim of a traffic accident that had been causing a handful of other accidents past few weeks. It had been a simple enough case, and for once I’d return Michael home to his wife without a scratch. I guess I should have been worried about how easily everything had worked out: we had located the ghost fast, banished it with ease, the summer night was cool and pleasant, and the Blue Beetle was on its best behavior, giving us no trouble on our ride back home. That was when the universe chose to remind me that perfectly fine Saturday nights just don’t happen in my life.

“Harry, what is that?” Michael asked. As it was his turn to be the driver he had his eyes on the road, and was the first to spot it. I ceased humming the song that was stuck to my mind – couldn’t remember the title for the life of me, but I was pretty sure it was Johnny Cash – and turned to look out through the windshield. And almost swallowed my tongue.

“Stop!” I had time to yell, before a tiny rip in reality suddenly tore into a huge gap that spread across the road and into the fields. We plunged straight into it.

Somewhere far away from the Briggs mountains, Mei Chang was trudging onward, making her way toward her distant homeland. The girl still wasn’t happy about the decision she had made, but her previous companions were right. Their struggle was not hers. She had her own land and clan to think about, and true enough, even though the worm she carried in a glass jar was a pathetic thing, it was the remains of an immortal being. Maybe that would be enough for the emperor.

Better than nothing, anyway? She just had to hope her Yao family half-brother wasn’t going to pull something better out of his sleeve.

She glanced over her shoulder, thinking of the snowy mountains she had left behind, hoping with all her heart that everyone would be alright. That Alphonse would be alright. That he would get his body back and perhaps someday come to find her in Xing and then… then…

She blushed slightly, her heartbeat quickened, and she started walking again with bouncy steps. When he would come, her family would rule the country, she would make sure of that. He would be astonished of the things she could show him then. And she wouldn’t be just a princess of the lowest clan of Xing, no, she would be…

“Look where you go!” the worm shrieked out from its jar, but it was too late. Suddenly the ground disappeared from under her feet, and she found herself falling into a deep, dark pit. She had time to let out a frightened gasp before she hit the ground, hard. The glass jar flew from her hands, hit the rocky ground and broke.

“Oh crap!” she exclaimed, and winced, hearing in her mind her mother admonishing her for such unladylike language. She jumped quickly to her feet and rushed after the lizard that was trying to scuttle away as fast as it could with its short legs. It was nimble, but so was she, grasping it with care, well remembering its sharp teeth.

“Let go, you!” the lizard squeaked, struggling in her hands, but she had a good hold of it.

Good. Ignoring the worm that was pouring curses on her she rushed to her broken jar. Now, just to fix it, and then figure out what… She paused, for the first time taking a look around.

“Where… are we?” she breathed, and the lizard too stop struggling in her hands to shoot a wide-eyed look around the barren landscape where they found themselves.

As far as the eye could reach there was nothing to be seen. Just the same, empty rocky land, covered in thin layer of dust that no wind moved.

“Damn it,” the lizard swore in her hands. “Why do you fools keep on dragging me into these situations?”

“Ah, I…” Mei started to say, turning slowly around, squinting her eyes as she tried her hardest to spot something, anything, in the twilight scenery.

Twilight? She blinked, realizing something. In every direction she looked at, the sky was shining with the same dull grey light, with no source visible anywhere.

Crap, she repeated quietly in her mind. Unladylike or not, this situation demanded some swearing.

Well. It was bad, but it could have been worse. She was okay and had Envy in control. First things first. Fix the jar, make sure the lizard wouldn’t escape again, then worry about this.

She had barely time to think of that when electricity made her skin prickle, there was a sound of distant thunder, and something fell down from a crack in the sky.

Mei froze, staring at the newcomer. It was manshaped, larger than Alphonse in his armor, and with a furless, wolf-like head and blank white eyes. And very sharp-looking teeth, she noted with a swallow.

“Um, hello…” she started, hesitantly. The wolfman sniffed the air, locked its eyes on her, and sped at her with a ground-shaking growl.

There was no time to think. She threw the lizard toward the attacking creature to distract it, while her foot was already drawing a transmutation circle on the ground. The wolf caught the lizard in midair and gulped it down in one bite without slowing down a bit. She was just about to throw her kunai, when the werewolf suddenly stopped as if it hit a wall. It bent double, shrieking, then suddenly bent backward at an impossible angle. Mei gave a short gasp as its body started deforming. Then she bit her teeth strongly together and threw the kunai to finish her transmutation.

“Stop!”

My cry was still ringing in my ears when we flew through the dark, suddenly falling down. I could feel the Beetle’s springs failing as we hit the ground, and grimaced. Well, at least the car stayed in one piece.

“What just happened?” Michael asked, still squeezing the wheel with white knuckles.

“Beats me.” It had seemed something like a portal to Nevernever, but something was off with it. Portals didn’t just randomly appear on their own, nor spread the way this had spread. Nevertheless… “I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore,” I muttered.

“We weren’t there to begin with,” Michael stated. He had opened the door and stepped out, standing by the car with his hands on his hips, looking around. “There is nothing here,” he stated then the obvious.

“That’s…” I started to say, when a clasp of thunder, followed by the growling of a huge beast, cut me off. It came from the distance, but we could hear it clearly, and we both turned to look in that direction. “See anything?” I asked Michael. I sure didn’t.

“I’m not sure,” he said, squinting. “I think I might have seen some movement there…”

“Does the car still work?” I asked. At least the engine was still on. He got back in and stepped carefully on the gas, and the Blue Beetle started moving with a jerk.

I gave a thoughtful look toward the direction the sound had come from. “How stupid an idea would you say it’d be to go to check what made that noise?”

“Pretty stupid, even by your standards,” he said, but even so started driving to that direction. I gave him a look and he shrugged. “It’s not like there were anything else here in any other direction.” An explosion from where we were heading accompanied his words. We glanced at each other and shrugged, both of us. Let’s be fools together.

Despite the harsh landing we’d got, the Beetle was rolling onward evenly and with ease, making nearly no sound on the rocky surface of this place. It took but a short while before I could see two forms ahead, and I couldn’t help thinking they were getting closer too swiftly. We weren’t driving that fast – at least if we could trust Beetle’s speedo.

Two forms, one short like a child. Based on their stances and body language, it seemed they were in the middle of an argument, if not of a fight. Suddenly a voice full of rage carried to my ears, out of warning as if someone had just turned the volume up.

“…first you feed me to that wolf, then nearly destroy my body right when I’m getting it back! If you think I’m…”

Beetle’s engine coughed as Michael stopped the car. That sound caught the attention of the twosome, and they turned to us, looking startled. I and Michael shared one more look before opening the car doors without a word – he grasping his sword and me my staff, which had been lying on the back seat. I gave the two a frowning look, wondering if I what I thought I’d heard really was correct, or somehow twisted in the deafening silence of this place. Hell, maybe it hadn’t even been English at all and I had just thought so. These two didn’t look like your average Chicagoans, anyway.

Two girls who couldn’t have been more different. One, the younger, was dressed in what I’d say seemed like traditional Chinese costume. She was just a little kid, really, not even in her teens yet. Her hair was tied on two buns, from which sprouted three braids per bun, reaching down her back.

The other was some kind of a punk rock rebel. She was wearing a black tank top that left inches of pale skin and pretty nice stomach muscles visible, and a short mini skirt under which she had thigh-length black leggings, but it wasn’t just her attire on which I based my evaluation. The look on her face promised nothing good to anyone who’d cross her. And I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what she’d done to her hair, which sprouted from under a bandana around her head like the leaves of a demented palm tree.

Yep, they definitely seemed to have been in the middle of an argument, but right now just stood there, frozen, staring at us. The younger snapped out of it first. She sprang quickly to us, not close enough to touch, but still closer to us than she’d been to her companion – in fact, putting us in between the two, a fact which I’m sure didn’t escape Michael either.

I opened my mouth, noticed something, and blinked. “Is that… a panda?”

There was a tiny black and white creature sitting on her shoulder. It sure as hell looked like a panda, but it was smaller than Mouse had been when he was a baby.

“Oh, yes,” the girl said. So she did talk English. That was good. “This is Xiao-Mei. And my name is Mei Chang, pleased to meet you.” She bowed.

“Harry Dresden,” I said. Michael stepped to my side – and in so doing also closer to the little girl.

“Michael Carpenter,” he said, smiling warmly at the girl. Then he looked at the other one, and the warmth disappeared. Interesting. Michael wasn’t quick to judge people based on appearances. “And you are?” he asked.

The punk girl gave us a look, arms crossed across chest, her expression clearly stating she was dubious whether this question was worth answering.

“Envy,” she finally stated flatly, and I rolled my eyes. Yep, punk rock rebel right there.

“Does either of you have any idea where we are?” I asked, deciding to ignore her hostility for now.

Mei glanced at the punk girl and shook then her head. “I don’t think so. I… I was just walking when I suddenly fell into…”

“You fell because you’re a blind fucking idiot who doesn’t look where she’s going!” Envy exclaimed. “Yeah, thanks a lot for getting me my body back,” not that she sounded that thankful as the words were heavy with sarcasm, “but this?” She waved her hand at the empty land around us with a grimace that was anything but pretty.

“Your body…?” I started saying, but then something struck me. “Wait.” I stared at her chest. “You’re not a girl, are you?”

I received a look of pure murder at that. Which, of course, didn’t answer the question one way or the other. This… person was way too flat-chested to be female. But I couldn’t really say that she… he, whatever, would have been male, either. I squinted my eyes considering… their looks. Still rather male that than female, I’d say?

“So which is it?” I asked, giving up. “Just trying to figure out if I’m supposed to say he, she or something else here.”

“In truth?” Envy snarled. “I don’t give a shit what pronouns you worms use.”

That’s what I get for trying to be gender conscious. “Fine. Going with ‘it’, then.”

It glared at me, but said nothing. Then a smile tugged its lips – a smile that had to rank in the top 10 of Freaky Villain Smiles, and I grasped my staff more strongly. “Well, if it bothers you so much,” it purred, and the smile reached top 5, “I can be whatever you want me to be. How about this?”

And in a moment the punk kid was gone and in its place stood a jaw-droppingly gorgeous woman, tall, blond, with full lips and clear blue eyes.

I might have stared a moment with my mouth hanging open. Closed it, when I heard Michael whispering, “Harry, what is this creature?”

“Stars and stones,” I muttered aloud. The woman threw her head back and laughed, and even her voice had changed; deep, melodious, clearly female.

A shape-shifter, and a good one, at that. Those can be tricky as hell. And did we even know for sure what this one’s real shape was? I took a deep breath, considering it carefully. I might end up regretting it, but better find out for sure what we were dealing with here.

I opened my Sight, took one look of the woman, and nearly fell down on my ass, laughing.

“What the hell you’re laughing at, fool?” Envy spat out, and now I had to bend over, leaning against my knees as I was about to choke with my laughter. That voice. That squeaky voice on top of it all was just a bit too much.

“Harry?” Michael asked. I could hear the frown in his voice.

“S…sorry,” I gasped, and made a brave attempt to suppress my laughter. Nearly succeeded in it, too. “It’s just… that thing…” I turned again to look at the tiny, ugly lizard or whatever the hell it was supposed to be, that was glaring at me with its huge saucers of eyes. “Oh Michael, how I wish you could see that too.”

“See what?” Mei asked.

I just shook my head, wiping the tears from my eyes as I straightened again. “I guess ‘it’ is just the correct pronoun in the end,” I said with a grin as I closed my Sight.

Envy, again in his, nah, its usual human form, looked at me sharply, eyes widening a little, and I nearly burst out in laughter again, imagining what that look would have been like on the little green worm.

“Now, that was a sight I’m perfectly fine with having permanently engraved in my memory,” I chuckled.

“What are you talking about?” Envy demanded, with a look that might have been frightening if I could have stopped thinking about that worm.

“I believe he looked at you with his wizard’s sight,” Michael stated. “It allows him to see things as they really are.”

There was a moment’s silence. Then Envy’s face distorted in a grimace so full of rage it wiped away all my mirth – momentarily, at least. The choice of words could have been better.

“Don’t you dare!” Envy shrieked in a voice that nearly tore my eardrums and must have torn some vocal cords. “Don’t you dare look down on me you humanmaggot!”

“Who’s the maggot?” I asked with a chuckle. “I think you’re confused here. Or in denial? But hey, don’t be embarrassed now, I’ve nothing against maggots, worms, or fugly little lizards, whatever you identify with, so…”

It’s a damn good thing my reactions have been honed by multiple monsters in countless fights, so when Envy’s arm suddenly transformed into a large snake striking straight at me, I had my shield up before I even realized what was happening. I heard a whisperof steel and knew Michael had drawn his sword.

“You foolish creatures,” Envy hissed, back hunched up, hands hanging in the front with fingers crooked like claws, face so twisted it barely reminded human anymore. What worried me more, though, was the strange light, like red electricity, that at times erupted in various parts of his… ugh, its, whatever, body, and I remembered with unease something else I had sensed with my Sight, hiding within that little lizard, something dark and twisted and immensely sad. “You imagine you’ve seen the real Envy?! I shall show you…”

Show what exactly remains a mystery, as at that moment a blond kid fell on the lizardry shape-shifter’s head from the sky. A blond kid – and an armful of food.

“You,” Mei stated with contempt while I was still busy blinking at the scene. Whoever this kid was, she obviously wasn’t overly impressed with him.

“Wha…” He was trying to find his feet when his eyes fell on the one he had fallen upon, and he rolled aside with a yelp, as if burned, landing neatly into a fighting stance. “Envy!” he exclaimed.

Okay, based on that reaction he was probably okay. Not that I’d ever really believed in any great friendships with the enemies of my enemies, what came to that.

“Where the hell did you come from?” Envy muttered darkly, standing up again.

“If not from the same place, at least through the same way as the rest of us, I would say,” Michael said, and I nodded.

“Did you too walk into a rift in reality?”

“Huh?” The kid, who had been staring at Envy with unwavering attention, blinked and looked at me. “I… don’t know. I was eating.”

“I don’t believe you losers!” Envy exclaimed, stamping on a bag full of some kind of meat sticks. “How pathetic…”

“Hey, that’s my food!”

“Oh?” Envy gave a baguette a hard kick, sending it flying farther away I would have thought possible. “That’s tough, pipsqueak.”

The kid flared up. It was a sight to see, someone as small as him making a kick that was only an inch away from meeting Envy’s head. “Don’t call me pip…!”

“Children!” I yelled. I’ve got pretty good acoustics for my voice, if I say so myself, not that I often use it that way. It had an immediate effect, as the pipsq… the kid, I mean, and Envy as well both froze where they stood. “Stop it,” I went on, still not quite on my normal speaking tone. “We’re all in the same boat, so let’s leave fighting for later.”

“And work together with this thing?” the blond kid asked me, pointing with his thumb over his shoulder at Envy. “Been there, done that. I got us out of Gluttony’s stomach, and you!” the finger was quite accusing, “did not keep your promise.”

“Wait, what?” I said. Stomach? Gluttony? “Do I want to know…?”

“Gluttony… and Envy,” Michael said quietly at the same time. “The seven deadly sins?”

“Well, we’ve got, what, six of them so far?” the kid said. “Though Lust’s gone, of course.”

“Lust… is gone?” I didn’t know what he was talking about, but somehow that made me a bit sad.

“Yeah,” the kid said. Then he released a slow breath and seemed to force himself to cool down. “I’m Edward Elric. The Fullmetal Alchemist.”

We just stared at him, me and Michael.

“The what now?” I asked then.

“The Fullmetal Alchemist! One of the state alchemists! Fullmetal’s my title. Don’t you…” he fell silent as we just kept on staring at him. “So… what’s the matter?” he asked slowly.

“Just that…” alchemy doesn’t exist, I was about to finish, but paused. That… sounded way too much like something I’d heard people telling me way too often. Okay, so let’s see how these people would react.

“I’m Harry Dresden,” I said. “Wizard.”

The kid frowned. Mei frowned. Envy made a snorting sound.

“As in, a magicking kind of wizard?” Mei asked carefully.

I nodded. She opened her mouth and closed it, not saying it. Nice girl.

Edward had no qualms. “Magic doesn’t exist,” he stated flatly.

“And we’ve a winner!” I pointed a finger to him. “Just what I was about to say about alchemy.”

“But…” he frowned.

“Different worlds, different rules?” Michael asked.

“Possibly.” Different worlds, huh? State alchemist, the kid had said… I was pretty sure I’d know about it if something like that was a thing in any country in our world. Based on his clothing and appearance, I’d say he was rather from Europe than some unexamined corner of the Amazon. Then I frowned. “Though if you’re not from our world, how do you speak English?”

“I was going to ask you the same thing,” Edward said.

Envy groaned. “Are you just going to stand here talking each other to death? Who cares what language anybody speaks!”

I did – if we were from different worlds but shared the same language, that created some very interesting possibilities… but the shapeshifter had a point.

“Anyone have any idea where we are, or how we ended up here?”

Silence.

“And why just us?” Michael said after a moment. “Was it just a coincidence?”

No one had anything to say to that, either.

“Well,” I said with a sigh, taking out my mother’s pendant. “I guess there’s one thing I could try.” I couldn’t be sure if this would work here, wherever we were, but it was worth trying.

“What are you doing?” Mei asked.

“A simple tracking spell. My brother has a similar amulet to this. I should be able to find him.”

“Will it work if we’re in a different dimension or something?” Michael asked.

I shrugged. “Only one way to find out.”

As I started drawing a circle on the ground, I could nearly feel the intent looks I was getting from the kids. Envy wore an indifferent expression, but didn’t look away, either.

“A circle,” Ed muttered. “That’s interesting.”

I stored the question of why for later and straightened. The spell was simple, fast to perform, and to my slight surprise, successful. The pendant that was hanging from my hand on its chain quivered softly, and I felt a surge of excitement. It died away just as quickly, as the pendant suddenly darted upward.

We all stared at it a moment, and turned then to look up where it was pointing. There was nothing to be seen, just colorless, dull sky.

“Umm,” I said. “That’s… uh.”

“Well, we did come here by falling,” Michael said musingly.

Edward was straining his neck, staring upwards. “If I had all the materials, I could transmute us an airplane, but as it is…” He shot a look around at the emptiness that surrounded us. Then his eyes stopped for one worrisome moment on Blue Beetle and he seemed to consider something, but shook finally his head. I didn’t know what he was thinking, but I found it somewhat relieving that my car wasn’t involved in this… transmuting business, whatever it was.

“Is there anything you can do with magic?” Mei asked, pronouncing the M word with certain care.

I stopped to consider. I could always open a door to Nevernever. Of course, there was no knowing exactly where there we would end up – and some areas were better to be avoided. But other than that, I couldn’t really think of anything. Well, except trying to summon help – like my fairy godmother – but I was far from desperate enough for that.

“Everything I can think might leave us worse than we started,” I said. Michael nodded thoughtfully, probably guessing what I’d been thinking. “I’d rather explore this place a bit more before trying something desperate.”

“You do that. I’m off,” Envy snorted, and promptly turned into some kind of a large bird and flew away.

“They can do that?” Edward said, staring after the bird with a frown.

“Apparently,” I said, and made a mental note of checking anyone we might run into with my Sight. Who knew in what shape this guy would pop up next time. I kind of doubted that he… it… whatever, they, would be able to fly away from here.

“Good riddance, anyway,” Edward spat out. “So, what shall we do?” Hands on his hips he gave a glare at my pendant that was still hovering in the air, as if all this were somehow its fault.

“Explore this place?” Mei suggested. “Just because there is nothing here doesn’t mean there wouldn’t be anything anywhere else.”

Looking at the emptiness all around us I didn’t feel confident about this, but sure, just standing in one place was quite unlikely to help.

We packed ourselves into the Blue Beetle. I wasn’t quite convinced of how productive it would be just to drive randomly around, but until I’d think of a better suggestion I kept my mouth shut. Michael took the wheel again and the kids settled on the back seat. I politely and in a very grown-up way ignored what Edward was muttering under his breath of museumpieces, and then bit down a curse when the engine coughed and the car stopped before it even really got going.

Michael gave a sigh. “I guess the fall did take its toll, in the end.”

“Can’t you fix it with magic?” Mei asked, leaning forward from the backseat.

I shook my head. “Magic and technology don’t mix.”

“That’s sounds remarkably unpractical,” Edward stated and got out of the car.

I stepped out of the car as well, trying my hardest not to glower at him. “Oh, really? Thanks for telling me, I’d never realized why my life’s so effing complicated.”

He ignored me, watching the car with a thoughtful look. “I could fix it,” he offered, and I raised my eyebrows. “And improve it at the same time, too.”

“Fixing would be fine,” I grunted, “But I’m not so sure if I want your improvements.”

“Oh? Well, suit yourself.” Without waiting for any further comments he clapped his hands together, then clapped the ground, there was something that shivered in the air and…. damn.

Michael got back in, turned the key, and the engine started purring more softly than ever before. “Well,” he said in a slightly surprised tone, and shot the kid a pensive look. “That certainly looked a lot like magic.”

“It’s not magic,” Edward said, while Mei started saying something about this being a very peculiar way of performing alchemy, without a circle or something. I reminded myself that I would have to ask them about this circle business later. For now, all I could do was to stare at my car.

Damn.

Okay, so it was running again. Great. That was great alright. Just…

It was back in one color, too.

Red.

“It’s supposed to be blue…!”

Edward had been looking at me with a somewhat self-satisfied expression, which quickly turned into a scowl. “How was I to know that? It had more red in it than any other color!”

Well, that was true. But still… “It’s the Blue Beetle, damn it!”

“Stop whining, Harry,” Michael said. “You got it fixed for free. You can use the money you spared to buy some car paint, if you wish.”

“Nah,” I said, and released a breath, forcing myself to calm down. “Won’t be long before it’s all battered again and I got to replace some part.”

“What?” the kid exclaimed. “Take a better care of it after I had the trouble to…” He fell silent, looking shocked. “Damn,” he muttered then. “I’m sounding like Winry…”

“Okay,” I said with a sigh. “Let’s get going.”

We drove a while straight forward. Nothing changed in the view, and just like before, I got the feeling we were moving faster than what the speedometer claimed. As we drove, Mei explained the basics of how alchemy worked, with some side comments from Edward. All things considered, I got to say the basic rules aren’t that different from magic.

“Are you a wizard too, mister Carpenter?” Mei asked.

Michael shook his head. “Just call me Michael, okay? And I’m not a wizard, I’m a knight. A holy knight,” he added after a short pause.

Edward gave a frowning look at his sword that was propped between them together with my stuff.

After a while I shook my head. “This isn’t going to work.”

“I’m afraid you’re right about that,” Edward said, staring gloomily out at the unchanging scenery.

Michael let the car roll to a stop.

(And this is how far I got, I'm afraid. The rest is just random snippets.)

(Envy comes back and tells them they’re inside of a ball)

Ed was eyeing Envy suspiciously. “If you can fly, why haven’t you done it before?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know.”

“Perhaps,” Mei said thoughtfully, “they were just too heavy back then. Now they’ve got to be much lighter. I mean, where would all that mass come from now, after having just eaten one single monster thingy?”

I had no bloody idea what she was talking about. “What monster?”

(explanation)

“You eat monsters?”

“Monsters, nosy wizards, annoying brats… I’m omnivorous.”

Edward was frowning. “If we are on the inner surface of a ball” he said slowly, “that has short enough diameter that you could easily fly through it, how come there is no curvature on the ground?”

I paused and looked around. The kid had a point. All around us the ground was completely flat.

“There was curvature when I looked at it from the air,” Envy put in, looking around as well with a frowning look that probably mirrored my own.

“Is that important?” Michael asked. “I mean, it is weird, certainly, but it won’t help us get away, will it?”

“Perhaps not,” I said, “but understanding this place might be helpful.” Or wouldn’t hurt, at the very least.

(Michael is being Michael)

”I’m a homunculus, remember! An artificial human! I wasn’t even created by this god of yours!”

Michael was unshaken. “And who was it that created your creator? Do you know that? Everything in this universe has its origin in Our Lord.”

“Michael,” I said to him in a low tone. “You’re not really trying to save a deadly sin here, are you?”

(Harry thought Ed and Mei are younger than they are)

“So how old are you guys?”

“I’m fifteen,” Edward grunted.

“Thirteen!” Mei exclaimed, making a little movement with her hands that made me think she might have shown the number with her fingers if she had enough fingers.

“What the hell.” I stared at them. “Don’t they feed their children where you come from?”

“And what do they feed their kids where you come from!” Edward shrieked. “Don’t you go calling me little, beanstalk!”

“Well, he is, like, twice your height, pipsqueak,” Envy put in, not that helpfully.

“Edward,” Michael said calmly, placing a hand on the kid’s shoulder and stopping him in mid-jump toward Envy. “Take it easy.”

(There’s a battle against some random monster)

“Okay, so… let’s see. We’ve got one wizard, one holy knight, one state alchemist, and one deadly sin… and the one to beat the monster’s ass is a tiny little girl.”

#dresden files #fullmetal alchemist #my fics #free for adoption XD

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ms-debonair · 1 year

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I've never done an ask before...

well welcome to socializing for once (♡) this is a memory that reminds me of you and what it feels like to be around you love u when i was much younger, young enough that if the summer became too hot, i could jump into my grandparents pool on a whim and my underwear was a perfectly acceptable bathing suit. young enough that i lived in infinite childhood, untouched by truths of the world (that girls must always have swim tops and shame) and young enough that my hair was still soft and unmarred by dye and bleach and buzz cuts, and my ringlets would spill out and float about me in the pool. when i was that young, i would still spend a week with my grandparents in rural texas, somewhere much closer to the coast, where the humidity suffocated and swaddled and the cicadas sang me to sleep each night. my grandmother loved to be in the water and swim. "i could use an arthritis break," she laughed every time i begged her to get in the pool with me. one might expect someone as young as i was at the time to go cannonballing brashly into the water, wildly, without care. but i would accompany my grandmother slowly into the pool, our gentle steps creating ring-ripples across the smooth surface of the blue water. i wouldn't make an effort to swim, instead i would immediately turn my gaze skywards and float lazily on my back. i would stay that way for as long as i could, ignoring my skin as it puckered and pruned, ignoring the heat on my cheeks that would soon darken to a warm tan. my grandmother would walk slowly around me, tall enough to stand, and the waves she made gently carried me around around the pool. she sang hymns quietly to herself, telling the stories of the bible. although she knew i believed none of them, she still sang just to sing, because those were the only songs she knew. i would squint at the sky above me and as i was so silent and still, i would be blessed by nature. dragonflies, bees, wasps, moths, butterflies, beetles, they all buzzed about, drinking occasionally from the pool, sometimes landing on the little islands my limbs made in the water. the water was cool, the air warm, the clouds slow, and the day endless.

#love u cam #mwah #besos

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usagirotten · 1 year

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After The Dark Crisis Event This Is The New DC Multiverse

Another Crisis has come and gone, and the DCU is altered because of it. The events of Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths remade DC's infinite multiverse concept, sending out ripples across realities and causing disturbances all along the Divine Continuum. Fortunately, Crisis vet Barry Allen is here to make sure all is well, and he’s bringing two DC vets along to help. This week DC Comics will publish Dark Crisis: Big Bang, a new one-shot derived from the Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths event in the hand with a script by Mark Waid and drawings by Dan Jurgens with Norm Rapmund, will try to paint the panorama of the new DC Multiverse. As you will remember in Dark Crisis, the Multiverse was recovered after the Omniverse was the reigning concept after the end of Dark Nights: Death Metal. In this sense, with a frame that deals with the search for the Anti-Monitor by Barry Allen / The Flash, Dark Crisis: Big Bang will show us how the new DC Comics Multiverse was after the fight with Pariah. Dark Crisis is the third act of a larger story that Williamson's been building since DC relaunched its entire superhero line in the wake of the conclusion of 2020’s Dark Nights: Death Metal. In the closing pages of that series (by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo) the fictional DC Universe was restored to a condition it hadn’t enjoyed since the mid-'198'0s, as the multiverse was once again recreated, with all continuity published by the company restored in some form or another to canon.

Barry Allen details all the Earths he has found so far and they include everything from worlds based on old comics to Earth 33, which would be our world. Below you can see the list that includes some of the comics that show those Lands: - Earth 0 - Described by Barry Allen as his Earth and home of the Justice League, it is apparently the main universe of the current DC Comics continuity - Earth 1 - This would be the Earth from titles like Superman: Earth One and is described as a world with young variants of the Justice League that are just beginning to operate as heroes. - Earth 2 - The world of the Justice Society. The reference material cited is The New 52 - Earth 3 - This is the Earth of the Crime Syndicate. - Earth 4 - Described by the Flash as a world with variants of the Question, Blue Beetle, and Captain Atom. The reference comic is Multiverse: Paxamericana. - Earth 5 - Here are the Shazam Family variants as in Multiversity: Thunderworld Adventures. - Earth 6 - This is the world with the Justice League variants of Earth 0 that correspond to the version of the DC Universe that Stan Lee (Spider-Man, Fantastic Four) devised in Just Imagine Stan Lee Creating the DC Universe . - Earth 7 - This was Thunderer's Earth, but it was destroyed. Reference comic Multiversity #1. - Earth 8 - The world known as Angor is identified as the home of The Retaliators (characters based on the Avengers from Marvel Comics) - Earth 9- The world of The Tangent Heroes, the characters from DC's Tangent Comics (1997) label. - Earth 10 - The home of The Freedom Fighters - Earth 11 – The world where variants that are of opposite genders to the heroes and villains of Earth 0 inhabit. - Earth 12 - This is the futuristic Earth from Batman Beyond. - Earth 13 - Barry Allen describes this world as an Earth based more on magic than science. It is the home of Superdemon. - Earth 14 - The home of the defunct Justice League assassins seen in Superman #15 (2017). - Earth 15 - Here is The Cosmic Grail - Earth 16 - The home of the famous sideckicks known as The Just (seen in Multiversity The Just) - Earth 17- A world destroyed by nuclear war in 1986. It is the home of The Atomic Knights. - Earth 18 - The fall of The Justice Riders, a frozen world in the Old West. - Earth 19 - The world of Gotham by Gaslight, described by Barry Allen as the world of "steampunk" heroes. - Earth 20 - Home of The Society of Super-Heroes and their pulp magazine-style adventures. - Earth 21 - The world of JLA: The New Frontier, where the Justice League was created during the space race. - Earth 22- This is the Earth from Kingdom Come. - Earth 23- The Earth of Calvin Ellis, President Superman. - Earth 24 - The world of DC Comics: Bombshells with heroines fighting in World War II. - Earth 25- This is where Tom Strong and his friends live - Earth 26 - The World of The Zoo Crew - Earth 27- A world where the Justice League exists but its members are dinosaurs (seen in Jurassic League ) - Earth 28- A world where heroes fight using mechanized suits (seen in DC Mech ) - Earth 29- The Bizarroverse - Earth 30 - Superman's World: Red Son - Earth 31 - This is the home of Leatherwing and the pirate heroes from Detective Comics Annual #7 (1994) - Earth 32 - Defined by Flash as a world with "random combinations of the heroes of Earth 0". The comic cited as a reference is Batman: In Darkest Knight, the 1994 comic where Bruce Wayne becomes Green Lantern. - Earth 33 - Apparently this is our world, where you are reading this note and attentive to what will happen with Dark Crisis because Earth 33 is "the world where superheroes are fictional characters." Flash #179 (1968) is cited as a reference. - Earth 34 - The world of The Light Brigade. - Earth 35 - The world of The Super Americans. - Earth 36-This is where Optiman and his friends live. - Earth 37 - "A dark world of rapid technological advances" as in Batman: Thrillkiller (1997). - Earth 38 - This is the Earth from Superman & Batman: Generations, featuring multi-generational and older versions of the Earth 0 heroes. - Earth 39 - The world of Agents of Wonder. - Earth 40 - The Earth of the evil versions of The Society of Super-Heroes (from Earth 20). - Earth 41 - Here live Spore, Dino-Cop and Nightcracker. - Earth 42 - "Chibi" versions of the Earth 0 characters. - Earth 43 - Vampire versions of the Justice League as in Batman & Dracula: Red Rain (1991). - Earth 44 - Robotic versions of the Justice League. - Earth 45 - The world of the artificers of Superdoomsday. - Earth 46 - Described as home to "a young Batman with a unique and unrecognizable rogues' gallery). It is the world where Batman: The Gargoyle of Gotham takes place. - Earth 47 - The home of The Love Syndicate of Dreamworld and The Inferior Five - Earth 48 - The world of The Forerunners - Earth 49 - The Land of Injustice (2013) - Earth 50 - A world ruled by the tyrannical Lords of Justice. - Earth 51 - The world of Kamandi, where an "accelerated timeline" caused a Great Disaster. - Earth 52 - The home of the heroes known as The Primate Legion. - Earth 54 - Here lives Tommy Tomorrow, a world of humanity arrived on Mars in 1960. - Earth 55 - The world of DCeased with the virus that turned the heroes and villains of that Earth into zombies (Earth 0 similes). - Earth 59 - The Flash defines it as "the first known parallel Earth", the home of Wonder Woman Tara Terruna seen in Wonder Woman #59 (1953) - Earth-63 —Overrun with vampire counterparts of Earth-0 heroes (DC vs Vampires) - Earth-66 —Batman and Robin face exceptionally benign villains (Batman '66) - Earth-93 —The Dakotaverse (Icon #1 et al.) - Earth-96 —Teenage students Batgal, Bumblebee, Supergirl, Zatanna, and others (DC Super Hero Girls et al.) - Earth-98 —Home of Green Lantern Tai Pham (Green Lantern: Legacy) - Earth-100 —Home to Teen Titans Raven Roth, Garfield Logan, Damian Wayne, and others (Teen Titans: Raven et al.) - Earth-118 —Medieval versions of Earth-0 heroes (Dark Knights of Steel) - Earth-124 —Home to Wonder Woman. Wonder Girl, and Wonder Tot (Wonder Woman v1 #124) - Earth-148 —Earth-0 counterpart heroes are villains and vice versa (World's Finest Comics v1 # 148 et al.) - Earth-162 —Superman and later, Batman divided into two separate beings (Superman v1 #162) - Earth-183 —Superman raised by apes (Superboy #183 et al.) - Earth-216 —Home of Superman. Jr. and Batman, Jr. (World's Finest Comics #215, et al.) - Earth-387 —No divergences in history other than every inhabitant is a werewolf (Adventure Comics #387) - Earth-789 —Superman and Supergirl are Earth's only powered heroes; Batman's parents killed by the joker. (Superman '78, Batman '89) - Earth-898 —A Justice League without a Superman (JLA: The Nail) - Earth-1956 —A teenage Superman (Superboy) and his dog, Krypto, are Earth's first super-heroes; later, home of the Super Friends - Earth-1996 —Mysterious "amalgamated" (?) heroes; requires further investigation? - Earth-2020 —Three generations of Supermen (Superman v1 #354 et al.) 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#cómics #DarkCrisis #dccomics #DCMultiverse #InfiniteEarths

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dansnaturepictures · 2 years

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21/05/2022-Post 1 of 3: Martin Down-The wildlife and story of the visit

We came to the brilliant Martin Down today one place we come every May often a few times as it’s so good for birds and butterflies at this time of year. And we were hit with a cloud of lepidoptera from the off as we walked along from the top car park. Dingy Skipper, Small Heath and Small Copper were sightings early on seeing the first two more this afternoon, as was bright and colourful Cinnabar moths I managed the ninth picture in this photoset of one. Then we saw an exquisite medium sized electric looking moth bounding through the air and saw it land briefly. We saw another further up too, an exceptionally beautiful moth to see and I thought it was a tiger moth. Two kind gentleman we got chatting to later on confirmed from my record shot it’s a Wood Tiger moth and they expressed how it was some find. So I was even more over the moon to see such a beautiful moth. A fantastic addition to my moth list an exciting new species for me. I have taken tiger moths to heart the past few years.

There were four butterfly targets we wanted to try and see today and also early on in the walk we spotted one, when with one of at least a couple of Brown Arguses we saw today my latest butterfly species seen prior to today at Lakeside on Tuesday, we saw the marvel of a bright shining Adonis Blue which I took the third picture in this photoset of. It was a pleasure to watch this butterfly settle and take in its pure beauty. One of my favourite butterflies seen so well in the precious sunlight today, and we saw a few more of them today it was a really good afternoon for seeing them. Later on when in the pit area below the hill fort we were excited to see a butterfly I only briefly saw last year and that was here on a later May day the same day I saw my first Adonis Blue of 2021, the other worldly Green Hairstreak. We got a very pleasant prolonged view of this little lime gem of a butterfly and really made out its beauty so well. Another smashing species to witness today. I took the fourth picture in this photoset of it.

Further up walking beside the ditch we were so lucky to see our third target today, perhaps the jewel of Martin Down’s crown the dazzling Marsh Fritillary. We saw one of this medium sized butterfly settled on the floor then it flew up and met another in the long grass. An honour to see this species as always. One more target remained and I was just feeling that little bit twitchy about it as I knew it’s season was getting on a bit. But we soon saw it to make it four of four targets seen today, when we came across a rustic butterfly good in the drier areas a Grizzled Skipper. We’d see one of the way back too getting some splendid views of it, with the sun a tad in and out it had its wings closed for a bit too which I’d not focused on or photographed before I don’t believe so this was good. A special butterfly to see which I took the seventh picture in this photoset of. My butterfly year list climbed to 23 competing well with my previous years at this stage and I feel somewhat up to date with seeing them given where we are in the season now.

It was a strong afternoon of beetles and other insects with species of the moment cantharis rustica soldier beetle at the place I first saw one last year about today, I have seen them so often and well this past week, Cryptocephalus aureolus leaf beetle which I enjoyed here last year including two mating possibly on a buttercup which I took the first picture in this photoset of, a bright emerald beauty, a black beetle and stepping away from beetles my first ever hairy shield bug also known as sloe bug were nice to see too. There was lots of fascinating cuckoo spit around today too which I took the second picture in this photoset of which will live long in the memory from today.

Supporting all this rich meadow life of course is the array of wildflowers and I saw many today. This was headlined by star of Martin Down the beautiful purple topped burnt-tip orchids a highlight here every spring. People have put circles of stones around them this year to alert to them and stop them being stood on which was great. I also liked seeing some other orchids pink ones I believe heath-spotted orchids I took the sixth picture in this photoset of one and key species I learnt here on the many spring visits last year common rock-rose my first this year and kidney vetch a star of our time in Pembrokeshire last month. Other flowers seen today was lots of bird’s-foot trefoil, mignonette, probable milkwort, lots of nice speedwell, daisy, buttercup, common vetch, herb-Robert as the fifth picture in this photoset shows and a bit of thistle starting to show colour which I took the tenth picture in this photoset of. There were nice bits of hawthorn in flower.

Martin Down wouldn’t be Martin Down without birds and a quartet of its stars shone today with Skylarks we saw flying over, Yellowhammer really well, Corn Bunting high on a bush and we saw and heard the loud wing beats of Grey Partridge flying. It was so good to see the latter here again this year one we have had a great few years for. There were some beautiful sun kissed views of this rich grassland haven today and some pretty sky scenes from some clouds. I did three Tumblr posts today to add some different photos to those I tweeted to reduce the amount I tweeted so my next post has ten landscape photos I took here today. A fantastic time here today, an integral moment in my butterfly year and an enjoyable time generally.

Wildlife Sightings Summary: My first of three of my favourite butterflies the Adonis Blue, Green Hairstreak and Marsh Fritillary this year, my first Grizzled Skipper of the year, my first ever Wood Tiger moth, my first ever hairy shieldbug, two of my favourite butterflies the Brown Argus and Orange Tip, one of my favourite moths the Cinnabar moth, Holly Blue, Common Blue, Small Blue, Small Copper, Dingy Skipper Brimstone and a white butterfly probably Large White giving me the most butterfly species I have seen at once so far this year, other nice moths, Cryptocephalus aureolus leaf beetle, cantharis rustica solider beetle, the other beetle, bee, Corn Bunting, Yellowhammer, Skylark, Dunnock well, Linnets beautifully drinking well in a puddle at the car park, Blue Tit in the car park at the start, Chiffchaff, Rook, Magpie, Mistle Thrush and Grey Partridge.

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teachandwrite-blog · 1 year

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"I am life which wills to live, and I exist in the midst of life which wills to live." - Albert Schweitzer

Hilcias loved whales.

He would walk beside his abuelo down rows of tomato plants and peach trees, shielded from the sun by his trusty cap with a whale on the front of it, and think, "A blue whales heart is the size of a Volkswagen Beetle. A beluga whale is called the canary of the sea because it sings so much. A fin whale can make a sound on our side of the Atlantic Ocean and another fin whale on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean can hear it."

As he sat beside the ocean in the early morning light, a tooth and a conch shell washed up on the shore.

He knew immediately it was a sperm whale's tooth.

Of all the kinds of whales in the world, the sperm whale was his favorite.

Before he had visited the public library and checked out every book he could find about whales, before he had memorized the field guide to whales, he had drawn a picture of how he thought a whale should look and this picture was a picture of a sperm whale.

He picked up the gigantic tooth.

It was a foot long, shaped like a cone, and made of ivory.

This came from the lower jaw of a sperm whale," he thought, "Because they don't have any teeth in their upper jaws."

He knew that if he could slice the tooth in half, it would show the age of the whale like the rings of a trunk shows the age of a tree.

He couldn't believe his eyes or his luck.

He gently laid the whale tooth beside him in the sand.

He picked up the conch shell with both of his hands.

“What a wonderful shell," he thought.

He was amazed by the shape and color of the remarkable looking shell.

Its shape, he knew, was a common shape in nature. It was formed by graphing the numbers 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13..., the Fibonacci numbers, a shape that appears many times in geometry, art and architecture.

Its color, he knew, was a common color in nature, too.

It was three shades of yellow.

Its spine was the bright yellow of the sun that very morning.

Its siphonal canal was the quiet yellow of the corn he and his abuelo shucked in August.

Its aperture was the deep yellow of sunflowers in a field.

He raised the shell to his ear.

He expected to hear only the ocean.

Boy, was he surprised.

The sound he heard wasn’t just of breaking waves and rolling tides.

No, within the sound of the sea, there was a song.

It was the most beautiful song he had ever heard.

He closed his eyes and saw the notes dancing in front of him.

They were something that the great composers might’ve written at the height of their powers.

“It’s more beautiful than even they could’ve composed,” Hilcias thought.

He knew the song came from a humpback whale.

And he knew what the song said!

The whale sang to him in his own language, with his own whistles!

They were notes of love, pardon, faith, hope, light, joy, consolation, and understanding - all of the notes he whistled, all of the music that made up his life, all of the songs that he sang to the world but that the world couldn’t hear, all of those songs came back to him in the song of the humpback whale.

A tear rolled down his cheek, and then he wept as all of the hatred, injury, doubt, despair, darkness, sadness and loneliness poured out of him onto the sand and into the vast waters of the sea.

“I hear you! I hear you! I hear you!” he whistled.

To his great surprise he heard, “I hear you, too! I hear you, too! I hear you, too! Finally, I’ve found you!”

The reason the humpback whale was so happy to find Hilcias was that she needed him.

All of the whales of all of the oceans and seas of the world needed him.

“There’s a story we tell along our migratory routes about a boy on land, a boy who can whistle our language and understand our songs, a boy who could be our hope,” sang the whale.

“You’re that boy, Hilcias. You’re that boy.”

“I’m that boy?” whistled Hilcias into the shell. “Me?”

“You,” sang the whale.

“But, how could I be?” whistled Tomás.

“We’re looking for a lonely whale,” sang the humpback. “We call him 52 Hz because he sings at a frequency we can’t hear.

We think you’ll be able to hear him.

And he’ll be able to hear you.

And we’ll be able to give him a family.”

#brown eyed stories #fragments of hilcias and taki’s notebook #brown eyed girl

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flowerwrites06 · 3 years

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the tale of agape I — jjk

World Info: There are eight types of Love originated from Ancient Greece. In the Realm of Love, these types have been turned into seven Gods and one Goddess. — Agape (universal): OC (Name: Belle) | Pragma (everlasting): Jungkook | Storge (familial): Yoongi | Mania (obsession): Seokjin | Philia (platonic): Namjoon | Eros (sexual passion): Taehyung | Philautia (self-love): Hoseok | Ludus (playful): Jimin

Plot: Agape is a well-loved Goddess in the Realm of Love. Anyone who wins her approval will become the most powerful entity in the land, standing side by side as a co-symbol of eternal Love. Unfortunately with knowledge of this power, Gods and Nymphs are prone to obsession and cunning. So Agapes’ de facto brother, Storge organises a tournament in her honour. Only the winner will become Agapes’ partner.

Pairing(s): God!Jungkook x Goddess!OC (Name: Belle) ft. God!Seokjin

Rating: G | PG | M | R 18+

Type: Drabble | Oneshot | Two Parter | Series

Word Count: 2.6k

Genre: Gods & Goddesses | Fantasy | Romance

Tags & Warnings: betrayal, nothing intense in this chapter but there will eventual smut and violence so

Authors Note: i miss doing a jungkook series lmao so here you go, there were a lot of people during requests asking for a god/goddess au so I’m going on that with a new plot based on the eight types of love. I’m also extremely sleepy and ready to pass out, please excuse any mistakes. And lastly of course, enjoy and let me know what you think! Is this something you’d want me to continue or nah?

Morning began with soft sunlight painting the Love Realm, making the Cherry Palace sandstone glow like a topaz gem. Yoongi, the God of Familial Love stood at the terrace with the God of Platonic Love, Namjoon. Their soft silk robes flowed in the cool breeze as they watched the chariots of red, gold and blue riding into the courtyard; each vehicle pulled by majestic stallions.

“Are you sure about this?” Namjoon asked, eyes gently squinted to adjust to the bright day. His flowing blonde hair looked almost white from the reflection of the sun.

Yoongi shook his head, heart shaped lips pursed. “I don’t like it as much as you do but this is the only way we can filter out the ones on our own accord.”

“Is Belle okay with this?”

“She likes tournaments. Chose the method herself.”

“Jousting?”

Yoongi hummed in agreement, unable to hide the smile spreading across his lips.

Namjoon chuckled. “Sometimes I think she just likes the knocking of heads.”

“Agape has a cheek to her.” Yoongi leaned forward on the balcony railing. All the heads padded out of their chariots, escorted by servants into the palace. Only one chariot hadn’t arrived yet.

“Seokjin is coming too?” Namjoons’ voice grew deep with slight contempt.

“I have to invite him. It wouldn’t be fair.”

“You know how he gets, Yoongi.” Namjoon shifted to face him completely. “What if he gets out of control in this tournament?”

“I gave him my warning last time.” Yoongi raised a hand to calm him. “He knows what’ll happen.”

“You can’t kill him.”

“Oh I’ll keep him alive.”

Namjoon shook his head, laughing. “How do you make even that sound threatening?”

Yoongi grinned. “I made her my sister for a reason. No one hurts her on my account.”

“Understood.”

Refreshing wind brushed through the transparent crème curtains into Belles’ room as her lady-in-waiting fit her into a warm pink georgette dress for the first tournament. The tone matched her pink irises, making them look more otherworldly than ever.

Angel let out a satisfied sigh after fixing the train. “Lord Yoongi knows how to pick dresses.” She stood up straight and fixed the gold patchwork bordering the shoulder of the dress.

“He always chooses pink.” Belle observed herself in the silver rimmed mirror, tilting her head. Her curls fell over half her face.

“Well, you can’t wear red just yet.”

“Such a strange rule.”

“Apparently when Agape wears red, it’s only for the most auspicious occasions.” Angels’ voice turned airy as her face lit up with astonishment. Her passion for the Gods of Love was admirable and endearing without the added obsession of climbing the ladder. She respected the concept of love in its purest form. Belle needed more of that around her. “So it’s special that you wear it in specific times.”

“Will I wear it for my wedding?” A small thrill tingled through her belly mentioning her own wedding. Belle remembered all her dreams about being the splash of red amongst pink roses and falling peach blossoms in the Cherry Palace center garden.

Angel stared up at her, eyes glossed and face flushed with excitement. “It could be the most beautiful deep red dress that has a train all down the Realm.” She gestured out through the curtains.

“That’d be a bit hard to move around in.” Belle giggled as she shrugged off the pink dress until she was down to her white underdress. “But I appreciate the enthusiasm.”

“Watch your left, Eros!” Laughter ensued from outside her room.

“You watch your footwork, Pragma!”

Hearing the Gods’ names being used as colloquial nicknames was a strange sound to Angel but it made Belle grin. She rushed forward through the transparent curtains to the sandstone balcony which looked over one of the smaller gardens. The ones with apple trees and the fountain.

“My lady, wait!” Angel whispered harshly.

The sleeve of Belles’ underdress slid off her shoulder but she barely thought to fix it. Angel quickly draped a silk robe over her body to keep her decent.

The two young Gods of Love, Pragma and Eros dueled each other like they were performing in a playful dance. Yoongi called Pragma by Jungkook and Eros by Taehyung. Both of them a true symbol of their role in the Realm.

Taehyung had beautiful deep tan skin, glowing like a bronze pearl and his sharpened eyes constantly brimmed with bliss over the things around him. He wore a loose silk shirt of yellow and white, half-opened to expose his soft chest while his dark brown curls fluffed and flowed like a gentle garden.

Jungkook was of milk tea skin, sweat on his neck and cheeks glistened, matting his raven hair to his forehead. His body was lithe and muscular adorned in a red and black shirt. The smile on his face had the perfect mix of mischief and pure joy. His feet moved like the genteel steps of a blossom dancer but his sword swings were the strength of a rock sentinel. Chuckles flowed from his lips at the sequence of movements, truly enjoying the activity instead of being full of anger and determination to win something.

Belle wanted to continue admiring him but a sense of her own mischief seeped through. The fountain centered this garden which the Gods did an amazing job to avoid in their flexible parries and attacks. When she noticed Jungkook nearing the fountain ready to avoid, she took a deep breath. “Having fun, my lords?!”

As expected, Jungkook lost his balance and toppled over to the fountain. His beautiful shirt splashed with water and his dampened hair from sweat completely soaked from the fountain flow. From up on the balcony, it looked like a Nymph was pouring water constantly on Jungkooks’ head.

Belle couldn’t help but laugh and Angel tried her best not to follow along.

Jungkook winced at his drenched self; almost a hint of anger on his face before he threw his head back and scoffed out a laugh.

Taehyung looked over to follow the sound and his expression softened when he recognized Belles’ face. “Agape,” he whispered with such a baritone voice that it even shocked Jungkook.

He tracked his gaze up to the sandstone balcony, decorated with pink roses and all-spice flowers. Jungkook raked his fingers through his hair, slicking it back so he could see her. Agape. The Goddess of Eternal Love. Beautiful brown curls and glowing skin against the warm sunlit sky. He couldn’t see it clearly from here but the hints of her pink irises twinkled. A smile tugged at his lips. “You got me, my lady.”

Belle smirked, leaning forward as her cheeks heated. “Be sure not to catch a cold, my lord. I’m looking forward to seeing you at the match.”

Jungkooks’ smile turned to a bright grin. “I’ll be as healthy as a God,” he mused before biting his bottom lip.

The day had come for Seokjins’ arrival. Mania: the God of Obsessive Love. This time Yoongi opted to see him personally in the council room. Kiku, the Earth Nymph Queen and his wife stood by his side despite her wish not to see this God again. In the last banquet, Seokjin had less than pleasant things to say to her and Yoongi was on the verge of announcing war. Thankfully Namjoon broke apart the fight, telling them to separate until they calm down.

Black robe train slithered across the white polished stone floor. When Yoongi remembered Seokjin, he saw a plump skinned charmer who saw the world as a trail of possibilities. Today he stood in front of a thinning man. “I thank you for welcoming me back after my horrible behaviour in the last banquet.” Seokjin spoke in his truest charm but it was changed. There was a darkness under his eyes now and his previously plump skin became sunken with age.

Yoongi attempted a smile. “It’s forgotten.”

Beetle black eyes flickered to Kiku with the same deathly sleep-deprived expression. “And Lady Earth, I offer my humblest apologies.”

Kiku nodded in response without a word. Yoongi knew it was her way to tolerating this visit without giving her true opinion.

“I’m happy to be part of this excitement.” Seokjin intertwined his long fingers together like a spiders legs uncurling.

“Both Eros and Pragma will be participating.”

“How wonderful!”

“Jimin will also be giving his famous stories as entertainment with Goddess Gaias’ illusions. I know you enjoy them.”

“My favorites are of ours.” Seokjin always had his way to maintaining the memory of their history. The two oldest Gods of Love. Family and Obsession building the Realm of Love from scratch. There was a twisted beauty about that fact.

“The servants will help you to your temporary chamber in the Palace.” Yoongi nodded to the three servants awaiting his order. “Make yourself at home.”

Seokjin bowed and turned his heel, quietly expecting the servants to scurry after him.

Yoongi glanced over at Kiku. Her entire body exuded a sense of concern and a hint of anger, green vines were twirling around her fingers to relieve her stress. He held onto her hand, her skin as soft as a cloud. A silent comfort to reassure her that it’ll all be well.

Thousands of people in the Realm of Love crowded on the wooden pavilions, waving their flags of rainbow colours representing their favourite jousters. Excitement thrummed in the air with that hint of curiosity. Who would the Goddess Agape stand next to at the end of the festival? Some of the members of the crowd were already deep into debate as to which fighter would be the most appropriate.

At the center and best view of the arena, three velvet lined seats were placed. Yoongi sat in the middle with Kiku on his left and Belle on his right. A step lower than the seats were the three non-performing gods, Namjoon, Seokjin and Hoseok, the God of Self-Love.

Once the crowd was organized and ready, Yoongi stood up. He didn’t need to move an inch before everyone delved into an attentive silence. “Welcome to our esteemed competition, good people. The rules are simple. You are to clash with your partners in a fair joust and the winner will provide a favor of their colour to the Goddess.” He gestured to Belle. “The one with the most favors will win the match.” Yoongi waved his hand. “Let the games begin.”

A wave of applause and cheer welcomed the first jousting match between Taehyung and an Earth Nymph. Their gold and silver armor glinted against the summer light. Another trail of pin-drop silence as the jousters had their lances ready. Belle kept her eyes on Eros as most of the crowd did. No one expected him to be much of a sportsman but his blooming friendship with Jungkook seemed to have influenced his new hobbies.

With a clap, the stallions galloped towards each other. In a pounding rise of suspense, they grew closer. Closer. Closer. Taehyung smashed the lance against the Earth Nymphs’ chest earning a wild applause.

He reached the other side and one of the servants gave him a white favor for his victory. Taehyung rode out to the platform where Belle sat. Keeping his half-lidded gaze, he kissed the favor and had it levitate towards the Goddess. “For you, my lady.”

Belle smiled and gently accepted the favor. She gave a short bow to acknowledge his gift.

Another series of matches continued on but what Belle truly waited for arrived around five matches later. She may have counted in her head until she saw the red flag matched with green.

Jungkook rode in his glinting obsidian armor and black stallion that had the most beautiful silver mane. He was a picture of magic. Lances at the ready, the crowd stills with anticipation. The Earth Nymph rides first and Jungkook follows suit a few seconds later. There were some murmurs that the God lost his focus in the midst of the match. They soon found out it was another reason altogether.

The sheer brute force of Jungkooks’ lance nearly cracked the Earth Nymphs’ armor and had them falling off their horse. Due to the leather straps, the Nymphs’ struggling body was still being dragged by the stallion while servants tried to get them to safety.

Belle stared at the fallen Nymph in worry, feeling a bit guilty for the sheer excitement brimming through her body at Jungkooks’ explosive victory. He brought a red favor. This time Belle stood up from her chair as the beautiful stallion closed in. Moving down the step platform with Namjoons’ help, she took a moment to caress the stallions’ head.

“For you, my lady.” Jungkook handed her the red favor.

Belle accepted it, feeling the warmth of his palm and the heat exuding from it. “My lord,” she muttered before turning on her heel. Perhaps it was too blatant of an action for her favoritism but she didn’t care.

Yoongi noticed the flushed pleasure on Belles’ face. He couldn’t help but chuckle, rubbing his lips and instinctively holding Kikus’ hand. A part of him remembered how the early thrills of a blossoming relationship felt like. The more Belle smiled, the more he felt grateful for this tournament.

Jungkook stayed still on the spot just watching Belle move back up to her platform. His body and soul grew too comfortable in her aura that it made him dizzy. When the Goddess sat down and faced him, he shook himself back to reality. Giving a quick bow, he rode back for the rest of the tournament.

***

Night fell into a deep blue blanket of sky and the remnants of thrill from the tournament celebrated with ale, dancing and pleasure. Jungkook had last seen Taehyung in a bedroom full of the most beautiful Nymphs and the smell of incense. With the look on his face, one could only imagine what was going on in there. He, however, was called to Seokjins’ chamber.

He knocked on the door four times and announced himself before Seokjin invited him in with a chirpy tone.

“Welcome, Jungkook!” Seokjin was about the only person other than Yoongi who could call him that. “I hope you had fun in the tournament.” He gestured for him to sit at the dining table.

“Sword fighting is more my favourite—” Jungkook relaxed on the chair, his tired muscles aching when it was finally resting. “—but I liked the favors idea.” He smiled.

“I’m sure you did.” Seokjin picked up an apple from the glass bowl and wiped it on his robe. “Keep going like this and our deal will go smoothly.”

His smile faded, fingers lightly tapping on the arm of his chair. “Do you think it’s fair? Sneaking up on the Goddess like this?”

“Don’t start getting a conscience now, my lord.” Seokjin chuckled. “When you were begging for your friends’ life, you said you’d kill the Goddess.”

Jungkook tasted something bitter on his tongue at the thought.

“Too bad that friend didn’t have your beautiful dedication to friendship.” He scrunched his nose. “Wind Nymphs, they’re a bit filmsy, aren’t they?”

Jungkook pressed his lips together, averting his gaze.

Seokjin let out a deep sigh, raising his palms. “Apologies.” The kindness of his gaze ended as soon as it started when he narrowed his gaze. The shadows cast under his eyes made him look more like a Demon than a God. “But we’re still on this deal, aren’t we?”

It wasn’t a request open for Jungkook to refuse. If he backed out of his deal then the price would be dire. Seokjin was an ancient God of Love like Yoongi. Entities like him could take a God or Nymphs’ powers, rotting their core soul into a Demon. An animalistic creature with no memory of their past self.

Jungkook was trapped the moment he thought of a deal with Seokjin. All he could do was nod and accept the betrayal he was going to perform.

next chap >>>

#jungkook #thebtswritersclub #bts fanfic #bts imagines #jungkook fanfic #jungkook imagines #bts gods au #jungkook gods au #fantasy au #bts fantasy #bts fantasy au #jungkook fantasy au #romance #bts romance #romance au #bts romance au #jungkook romance au #ancient greek

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smashpages · 2 months

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This Land is Our Land: A Blue Beetle Story arrives in October 2024 by Julio Anta, Jacoby Salcedo and Francesco Segala. It’ll feature a retelling of Jaime Reyes’ origin against the backdrop of immigration tension in El Paso. Read more

#jaime reyes #blue beetle #graphic novels #julio anta #jacoby salcedo #francesco segala #this land is our land: a blue beetle story

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spooky-z · 4 years

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In your pack au it says that the Fam know about everything since the pack thought that it would be easier this way instead of having to explain everything later, but what about the other superheros? What would happen if on a mission Damian is captured or hurt and the other heros/JL/Teen Titans members are panicking only to have this group of FERAL animal themed heros bust in to save the day?

Here it is. 1.3k of badass pack!

PACK’S FURY

Warning: blood. Lots of blood and violence. Gore (I think) and Dark.

Blood.

There was blood, a lot of blood.

Damian's blood.

Damian, who was as limp as a rag doll in Bruce's arms after being hit by a bullet.

Weak pulse, unconscious.

Everyone was fighting and she should be doing the same, but the sight of Damian, fragile and broken, was glued to her eyes. Burning like fire soaked in alcohol.

Everything Marinette was capable of feeling; anger running through every part of her body, from the sole of her foot, to the root of her hair. The fear of losing someone she loved. Impotence for not being able to prevent it from happening ...

She was ready.

Ready to finish.

To destroy.

To avenge.

And the pack, like her, wanted blood.

They wanted to hunt, bite, tear, crush, vaporize those responsible for this.

Viperion looked at Ladybug, he was barely able to control himself, wanting permission. A signal. Chat Noir had its claws embedded in the concrete. Queen Bee buzzed like an angry beehive. Ryuko had smoke coming out of her nose. Pegase and Roi Singe had murderous expressions.

They were waiting for the alpha prime command.

And Ladybug was already tired of waiting for Batman's signal.

They were losing.

A green hero - whom she vaguely resembles Damian calling him Garfield - had been knocked out by two villains. The shadowy girl in the cloak was overwhelmed looking after another group while trying to protect him.

Nightwing, Red Robin, Red Hood and Blue Beetle were trapped and injured by dozens of men.

Star Fire fought and tried to cover Batman, who protected Damian.

Meanwhile, the man who had shot Damian, watched everything as if it were the best comedy film he had ever seen.

"... Leave him to me." She says, her voice clinical and emotionless. “Make them regret hurting what's belongs the pack. I want them to suffer.”

It didn't take much more words for the group to come out of hiding and attack.

Chat Noir's cataclysm vaporized dozens at once; Queen Bee paralyzed everyone she could, while Roi Singe and Pegase destroyed them; Ryuko cremated everyone who dared to get close; Viperion took no care in breaking necks.

They paved the way for alpha prime to reach her goal.

American heroes - and aliens - looked horrified by the bloodbath. The mad eyes. The cruel smiles when blood spilled and the henchman fell dead on the floor.

"My God." Nightwing whispered, incredulous of what he was watching.

Children who were once pure sun and rainbows were now bloodthirsty demons looking for revenge. He felt his stomach churn.

Red Robin believed that it could only be a hallucination induced by some toxin, because it couldn't be real.

Red Hood had sat on the floor, worn out and not at all surprised. He knew what potentialized hatred was capable of doing to even the best of men.

Blue Beetle, Raven and Beast Boy - who had woken up - retreated amid the carnage. That group was an uncertain and unstable group, they didn't know if they could be trusted.

Star Fire was in a defensive position, even though she knew who they were, instinct speaking louder than reason. Her tension grew when one of them, all in green with scales, approached her and Batman.

The whole place froze watching the scene.

He held out his arms to the man, paying no attention to her.

"Give him to me." Demanded.

Batman stepped back as if to hide Robin from the other hero, but the angry whistle and the icy gaze held him in place.

"I said, give him to me." He waved his hands. “You don't want to face the fury of the pack, Batsy. We are not in our best mood right now, so you better cooperate.”

Batman hesitated for a moment, but ended up handing Robin over to the other hero.

"What-" Star Fire murmured confused when Robin was placed on the floor.

The boy did not seem to have heard her as he bent over Robin's body, placing his left hand over the bullet wound in the kevlar.

For a moment, she thought he was mourning over his body, but then his hand began to shine and the glow began to envelop the vigilant’s entire body. The light show didn't last barely five seconds before it went out and Robin stood up in panic, choking on the air.

The chest, where there should have been a bullet hole, now fully healed. No traces of blood.

He looked confused at everyone, before his gaze landed on the scaly hero.

“Viperion? What are you doing here?"

The hero sighed in relief and smiled.

"We came to take what was ours, Ure."

"We...?" And then he noticed the unusual color in the place.

Queen Bee strangling the last henchman on the floor.

"Did you come to Gotham because of me?!" He complained.

Viperion opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted.

"We would go to hell for the pack, my love." Ladybug replied.

She was standing in the center of all the carnage. The red-spattered face and the black gloves of the suit, dripping blood on the concrete floor. At her feet, Harvey Dent – Two-Face - lay dead. The jaw completely broken, the left eye missing and the right arm at an unnatural angle.

Damian's heart raced at the sight.

His angel had become a demon and all he could think about was how he wanted to kiss her breathlessly.

"We have a rule of not killing, Ms. Ladybug." Batman cut Robin's line of thought. "You and your... pack... just killed thirty men without mercy."

The pack made a mocking sound.

Ladybug raised an eyebrow at the man.

"And...?" Her voice was icy. “They took what is mine. They hurt and almost killed him.” The Parisian heroes - except Viperion, who still held Robin - approached her. "No one who hurts the pack, survives to tell a story."

Batman sighed tightly.

"Even so. We don't do that in Gotham.”

Ladybug put a finger to her chin, eyes away; seeming to ponder the man's words before focusing on him again. The face contorted in an animalistic expression.

"So, the next time Robin is sent on a solo mission, keep in mind that if he suffers any serious injury, it will happen again." She smiled bestially. “You're lucky that I'm not around your neck, Batsy. Because that's what I want to do.”

And everyone felt the truth in those words.

She was prepared to burn the whole world if the pack was attacked.

BONUS:

"Bro, Robin's girlfriend is scary like him." Beast Boy whispered to Blue Beetle.

"Her friends too." The bluish hero replied. “And what is this about a pack? Does it have to do with those animal suits?”

They didn't notice the presence behind them, until it was too late.

"You are very curious, huh." Chat Noir put his arms around the shoulders of the two heroes, who jumped in fright. He had a smile that would seem docile, if it weren't for the sharp look. “But I think it's better if you keep that curiosity for yourself. It's just like that proverb: curiosity killed the cat and I'm sure you don't want to die, right?"

Beast Boy and Blue Beetle nodded violently.

Chat Noir smiled even more.

"Great!" He released both of them and clapped his hands, passing them. “It was nice to finally meet the other Ure partners. I hope to be able to fight alongside you again in the future. Have to go now! Bye!" He waved and a portal opened in front of him, swallowing the hero and disappearing.

The american heroes were paralyzed by what had happened.

"I really hope I don't have to meet them again."

"I agree."

I hope I have met your expectations.

#daminette #pack AU #maribat #lukadren #chlogami #le chien kim #marinette dupain cheng #damian #adrien agreste #max kante #luka couffaine #Kagami Tsurugi #chloe bourgeois

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intubatedangel · 3 years

Text

Cold Snap: Chapter 7

Story Index - All my stories in one place.

***

As soon as the camera angle changed, presumably someone in the news control room had realised they were showing a possibly dead woman under intensive CPR and had cut away, Anna and Carl started to get prepared. Carl called out for his team to join him in Trauma 4, the other rooms already claimed by those doctors who were scheduled for today. There was fewer of them than normal, a few of the nurses already occupied with minor injuries or the other trauma rooms. Zainab was also occupied by the cubicles, sheer practicality making her more useful with the minor injuries that don't need a fully qualified emergency doctor to double-check.

Anna and Carl were joined by Kirstie, Roger, and Trish. It would be enough for now; they could also call for additional help if they needed it when their patient arrived. Carl looked at them, figuring out a plan.

"We all saw what we're dealing with. Cold water drowning, clearly no pulse. Don't expect it to be any different when they arrive here. Our priorities are maintaining artificial circulation and oxygenation while we warm her up. We need to go fast, but careful. The last thing we need is to trigger rewarming collapse. Kirstie, I want you get in touch with Cardio-thoracics and with Nephrology, I want an ECMO or a dialysis machine, both can heat her blood directly, so either will do. We'll also need warmed saline, a lot of it Roger, I want to get a warmed gastric lavage going as soon as we can and depending on her temperature, we may need to consider a thoracic lavage too."

Anna cringed slightly at that. A thoracic lavage would involve sticking tube through their patient’s chest wall. It was brutal, but effective. Carl was continuing.

"Anna, Trish, get the temperature vest set up too, warm her from inside and out. Remember everyone, we have time. We do not give up until she is warm, understood?" The team all nods. "Ok, let’s get ready people." Carl finished, the others all going about their tasks. Trish went to get the temperature vest from Trauma 1, giving Anna a few moments alone with Carl.

"You sound confident." Anna told him as they stepped out of the way of the others.

He shrugged. "We have every reason to be. We have the equipment, the skills, and the circumstances favour us. Cold water drowning discovered almost instantly? It's not a guarantee, but in our line of work? It's the best damn odds we could ask for." He looked at her seeing her far off gaze. "Are you doing ok?" He asked.

She nodded slowly, then looked back at him, with a sharper nod. "Yeah. Just doing what you said." Her voice went quieter, just between the two of them. "Accepting it. Using it."

Carl nodded slowly. "Ok. Let me know if it gets too much. You can take a step back if you need to." He told her, keeping his own voice quiet.

Anna slipped her hand into his and they gave a mutual squeeze. Then, Trish came into the room with the bulky vest and Anna went to help her. They laid it on the trauma bed, spread open, ready and waiting for them. To Anna it looked inviting, and she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to be wrapped up in it. At this point she would normally feel ashamed and try to bury the thought. This time, she didn't try to eradicate it. Instead, she filed it away. Something to think about later, maybe...even do later. She thought back to her unit on psychology during nursing school. Using rewards to encourage behaviour. If they succeeded, she would ask Carl if he could 'tinker' with one over the rest of the weekend, they were his experiment after all, maybe they could be her reward.

She shook her head, dispelling the fantasy and disguising the small smile on her face, as if she were trying to shake a stray lock of hair out of her eyes while she was setting the control panel on the pump unit, which they had hooked to the end of the bed. The had just finished arranging the hoses so they wouldn't be an obstruction when a receptionist stuck her head into the trauma room.

"We just got a 2-minute warning on the casualty." She announced.

"Thanks" Carl dismissed her, looking to the rest of his team. Kirstie was still on the phone in the corner, and she shrugged at Carl's questioning look. "Keep trying, everyone else, let's get out front."

* * *

Lucy kept on rocking her body weight forward and backward, keeping her shoulders and elbows locked, hands planted between Shona's pale breasts. Each time she leant forward, her hands pressed down the drowned young woman’s sternum 2 inches, squeezing Shona's stopped heart, pushing blood out of it and around her body. When Lucy rocked backwards, Shona's ribs sprang back also, releasing the pressure on her heart and allowing it to refill with blood.

Lucy did this over and over and over again, keeping the blood flowing. Keeping hope alive.

She'd heard the driver call out the minute warning. She was aware of Dave hooking things to the gurney and moving around her. She was also aware of the burning in her arms, the lead weight feeling of lactic acid build up. It was a long, excruciating minute. But Lucy never faltered. Shona's ribs bent inwards 100 times in that minute. Each perfect compression forced her abdomen to roll and her shoulders to pop. Her feet swayed and her head bobbed as the force of the compressions translated through her body. It was brutal, what her body was enduring. But that brutality was the only chance she had.

Lucy felt the entire ambulance tilt as it swung into the hospital grounds, felt the inertia tugging her as the brakes squealed and brought the ambulance to a stop. She ignored it all, maintaining her compressions until she saw the blur out the corner of her eye as Anna mounted the gurney, straddling Shona's unresponsive body. Just like they had done two days ago, and so many times before, Anna gave a short countdown before Lucy drew back her hands, Anna planted her own, and Shona's chest continued to be compressed.

The gurney was pulled from the back of the ambulance, Dave squeezing the Ambu-bag regularly, and was rushed towards the emergency entrance. Lucy let them go. She dropped onto the bench, flexing her aching fingers and breathing deeply to pay off the oxygen debt. She shook her arms out, then looked at the man beside her. Jones was still wrapped tightly in the blanket and was staring out after the gurney that had already disappeared around a corner and vanished from sight.

"Come on Jones, you need to get to checked over." She told him, dragging herself to her feet. She helped him from the back of the ambulance, despite the exhaustion she was feeling, and led him toward the entrance. An observer would have struggled to tell which was helping the other, and Lucy was grateful to the porter who ran over with a wheelchair, easing Jones into it before she pushed him into the busy triage area, leaning heavily on the handles herself.

* * *

The wind had eased to a stiff breeze, though it still cut straight through you, in the hour since Shona had fatefully boarded the now sunk Beetle. Yet, none of the team that had assembled outside the sliding door was shivering. Their collective adrenaline rush banished the cold. There was a tension, but it was that invigorating kind of tension, rather than a panic fuelled one. They knew they were up to the task. Their determination was written all over their faces. So, they stood, filled with an anticipation that grew in intensity as the sirens of the ambulance grew louder. Like the legendary warrior, calmly waiting to enter an arena, their own kind of battle was about to begin, and they radiated the same serenity. The same clarity of purpose. The same capacity to spring into action at a moment’s notice.

The siren reached a crescendo, with an accompaniment of squealing tires, as the ambulance pulled into the emergency bay. Anna waited a beat, then stepped forward, giving Roger and Trish just enough time to pull open the rear doors of the ambulance, before she planted her foot on the step, lined herself up, and vaulted onto the gurney. Her knees made the metallic blanket crinkle as she landed softly and shuffled her knees forward. She gave the countdown, and as soon as Lucy's hands left the patients sternum, Anna snapped hers into position.

Even through her blue gloves, Anna could feel just how cold the young woman was. Her ghostly pale skin seemed to pull the warmth out of Anna's hands in an instant. It did not deter the nurse. She began her initial round of compressions. The first press was firm and harsh, to gauge the resistance of her patient’s chest, then those that followed were perfectly judged, pushing in the ideal two inches and drawing back fully in under a second. The gurney moving beneath her had no effect on Anna. She was in her zone. This, this was what she was born to do, and nothing, internal or external, could disturb her rhythm as she put all her effort into delivering the best chest compressions she could to the young woman who lay pulseless between her legs.

As she settled into her task, she became more aware of what was going on around her. She heard the whistling of the flatlined monitor, and she heard Carl say something loudly. He was clearly asking for details, as Anna began to hear the response from the paramedic who was pushing the gurney with one hand, while he squeezed the Ambu-bag that was connected to a breathing tube with the other.

"This is Shona. Trapped and immersed in near freezing water. Immersion resulted in asphyxiation via drowning. Due to the water temperature she's profoundly hypothermic, skin temperature of just 23C. She's been in respiratory and cardiac arrest for between 18 and 25 minutes, confirmed asystole for 5 of those, but likely much longer. Resuscitation attempts started 14 minutes ago, with no response. She also has a closed fracture to her left tibia. We cleared her lungs and intubated 8 minutes ago, applied chemical heat packs and warmed saline as much as we could. Throughout she's had a palpable pulse with compressions, so major internal bleeding is unlikely."

Carl nodded through the report, and Anna knew he was taking in everything, filing it away in his mind, able to recall every detail at a moment’s notice, to the point that the chart Roger was making notes on would be for later doctors, not for the ER team. At the edges of her vision Anna saw black tarmac turn into the marble effect veneered flooring that ran through the ER and almost every other hospital, school and government building in the western world. During those moments Carl was processing what he had been told, and then he began to give orders.

"Right, let's carry on as planned. Get her into Trauma 4 and get her in the TMV. I want a central line in addition to those bilateral IVs, and I want wide bore access in one of her legs, ready for extracorporeal warming. Let's get an NG tube inserted too, bi-directional for the gastric lavage. Let's get a core temp before we consider surgical intervention though." Carl briefly held his fingers against Shona's femoral pulse point, his wrist resting against Anna's calf. "Good pulse with compressions Anna, keep it up, but let's also get a Lucas ready, this could be a long one people!" He said, a tone to his voice that instilled confidence and re-doubled their determination.

They were going to get their patient back. Shona, Anna reminded herself, looking at the girl beneath her, forcing her name into the front of her mind. She had a cute face, even with pale skin and blue lips, that much was clear. The tape holding the ET tube also pulled at the corner of her mouth, forming a grimace, as though she could feel each brutal compression that Anna delivered. Not that Anna was deterred. She was going to do everything she could to get Shona back. To see those lips pink instead of blue. Smiling instead of a forced grimace. She wasn't alone in those thoughts. The whole team was feeling the same way as they guided the gurney into the Trauma Wing and crashed through the doors into Trauma 4.

#Medical Drama #Cpr #defib #resus writing #Anna Swift #Intubation #dark cardiophilia

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queenof-literature · 3 years

Text

Hero of Wild - Chapter 6

I’m sorry about the delay… again… life really does get in the way sometimes doesn’t it? Anyway, I’m kinda planning my timelines/series as I go along, so if things don’t correlate I will try to fix them later. There’s also been some confusion about my story timelines and why Wild can talk in some stories and not in others. Sorry for the confusion! In my stories if WIld can talk then it takes place after this series which is a work in progress. For any questions to the order of my stories, please visit my Masterlist on my Tumblr, @queenof-literature. Thank you as always for the insane amount of support. Love you all and hope you’re doing well!

**This fic portrays Selective Mutism and trouble with speech how I and my peers have experienced it**

TW: Taunting/Bullying (No slurs), Minor Panic Attack

Wild was still a mystery. It had been more than a week since Wild had joined their little crew. Sky and everyone else thought they were done receiving heroes, but Hylia still had surprises for them it seemed. Oh well, Hylia did what she thought was best, and Wild was a good person to have around. After the first time they saw him fight that Lynel, no one could deny that. Yet Sky couldn’t help but wonder why Hylia waited so long. Why make Wild more of an outsider than necessary by waiting more than two months to introduce him? Sky knew he would probably never know the answer, Hylia did what she needed to, but it was still something he questioned. They were back in Wild’s Hyrule once again, even though they were just here a week ago. After Wild’s Hyrule the first time, they went to Sky’s, then a random one, then back to Wild’s again for seemingly no reason. Sky hadn’t even gotten to see Zelda before he left his own Hyrule… it was just frustrating. But Sky tried not to let it show, getting mad wouldn’t help anyone. Sky looked back at Wild, who was doing his best to keep his distance from the group. Well as much as he could, Warriors and Twilight seemed to be worried that him and Hyrule would wander off again to ‘shield surf’.

“Hey Wild?” Sky called out lowly. Wild looked up, eyes full of question and apprehension. He didn’t seem to be in a talk- signing mood today. “Are we still going down the right path?” The Links were currently traveling through a small patch of trees after what Wild had called Proxim Bridge, heading straight towards what seemed to be two large mountains, or one that was split right down the middle. Wild nodded, lifting his hands to sign.

‘The path is straight through the mountains to the stable.’ Sky remembered Wild telling Time there was a stable after the mountain, but it was unusual for Wild to direct them down a large path. Even knowing him for a little over a week, Sky knew that Wild absolutely hated traveling main roads on foot.

“Okay, thanks Wild.” Sky smiled back at him. Wild had seemed to come out of his head slightly, awkwardly coming up to walk a shorter distance from Sky. The older assumed it was in case anyone else had questions. He didn’t mean to make Wild uncomfortable, he just wanted to be sure they weren’t lost. Wild glanced at him, as if expecting him to make small talk the boy obviously wasn’t comfortable at the moment. “We don’t have to talk, we can just walk.” Sky offered, low enough so only Wild could hear him. The other boy simply nodded, though Sky could see the grateful look in his eyes.

The group walked in, a mix of lulled conversation and comfortable silence sweeped over them, and it was moments like these that Sky could simply appreciate his surroundings. As they approached the looming cliffs, Sky couldn’t help but appreciate the beauty of it all. Wild’s Hyrule was savage and massive and overwhelming, but it was also beautiful. The tall rocky walls reflected the bright afternoon sun, the rocks a deep navy blue instead of ominous gray.

Sky felt a small tap on his shoulder and looked towards his companion.

“Yes, Wild?” Sky questioned softly, doing his best to not draw attention to them.

‘There’s some monster camps between the cliffs. They usually leave people alone but we need to stay on the path.’ Wild signed to Sky. Even after that small of a conversation, Wild seemed to slump down a little further. It was almost unnoticeable, but Sky was always good at reading people. Wild said the stable was almost directly after the end of the mountain path, so hopefully he would be able to run off and recharge while the rest of the group stayed at the stable for the night.

“Guys.” Sky called out, gathering the other’s attention. “Wild says that there’s monster camps coming up, but we should be ignored if we stay on the path.” Wild looked slightly flustered that Sky had spoken up for him, but he sent a grateful nod in the older’s direction.

“When isn’t there a horde of monsters in this Hyrule.” Legend grumbled. No one could really tell if he truly hated Wild’s Hyrule or if he was just being sarcastic. It was hard to tell with him sometimes.

“Thanks for the heads up, Wild.” Time interrupted, nodding his thanks to Sky for relaying the message.

The group continued on along the river, looking up in wonder when they finally entered the enclosed path.

“Is that a shrine up there, Wild?” Wind pointed widely to the blue glow in the distance. The rest of the group turned their attention on Wild, who squirmed slightly under their gaze.

‘Yes. One here, two on top.’ Wild signed quickly to get their attention somewhere else. Sky wanted to ask about their challenges, since Wild’s trials really interested all of them, but thought better of it when he remembered how uncomfortable Wild seemed in their large group today.

“We sure we should just leave those camps there?” Legend asked, glancing between the screaming Bokoblins and the Lizalfos swimming in the rushing river.

“If you want to fight them all, be my guest.” Warriors snarked.

“Wild said it’s fine.” Time gruffed, halting that argument before it started. As much as Time wanted to kill any monsters possible to avoid future incidents, in Wild’s land they just seemed to keep coming. Plus the boys were all weary. Even Legend seemed to dread the very idea he brought up.

Wild felt a cold hand squeeze his heart. If they got attacked after Wild explicitly that it would probably be safe, then would they ever trust Wild again? Even if they did, Wild would never forgive himself…

“Is that the stable ahead?” Hyrule asked, glancing at the rustic horse head in the distance. Wild nodded a little dumbly, not noticing how far they had made it.

“Yes!” Wind yelled, and the group sped up with newfound energy. Stops on their journey were always a relief, no matter how brief they were.

After the group finally emerged from the cliffs above, the stable was in plain sight. The group crossed a flat rickety bridge. It reminded Twilight of the bridges the other children in Ordon would claim had trolls beneath. Wild called it Big Twin Bridge, although it certainly wasn’t big compared to some of the bridges the other Links had seen.

As they approached the group felt the same warm aura that Wild’s stables seemed to radiate. The first thing Twilight noticed was the pen of animals every stable seemed to have.

“Are those goats?” Twilight asked Wild, thinking back to the apparent sheep the last stable had. Wild nodded with a small smirk, already knowing Twilight well enough to know the older would go greet the goats when there was time. There were few people at the stable besides the group of nine, but that seemed to be normal for Wild’s Hyrule. Once again, they saw a scrawny young man carrying a beetle shaped bag three times his size.

“Is he everywhere?” Legend whispered incredulously to Warriors.

‘Beetle.’ Wild finger spelled to them.

“Is that his name?” Warriors laughed, only laughing harder when Wild nodded.

“Wild? Are you coming inside?” Four asked, nodding his head to the other Links filing inside the stable to relax around the small table within. Wild shook his head and gestured vaguely to the fire pot.

“But… Dinner isn’t until a lot later?” Four’s brow furrowed, looking towards the sun in the middle of the sky.

‘Has to simmer.’ Wild signed fingerspelling the last word Four didn’t recognize, and Four mentally shelved the word for ‘simmer’ he just learned.

“Okay… but will you come inside after it starts to simmer?” Four questioned, genuinely confused as to why Wild seemed hesitant about going inside. Wild bit his lip then nodded slowly. “Wild… you know that you can do what you need to do in your Hyrule? If you have someone you need to see or something, just let Time or Warriors know. We’ve all had to take care of business in our Hyrule.” Four assured. He couldn’t tell for sure why Wild seemed quiet. Well… more than usual. It didn’t just seem like a bad day like when he and Hyrule went shield surfing, it felt like far more than that. He thought back to his conversation with Hyrule. Perhaps Wild had something to do, but he was too scared to say anything. It was worth a shot. To his dismay, Wild simply smiled a little and nodded. So that wasn’t it, it seemed.

“Let me know if you need any help.” Four finished, shoving down his disappointment. Hopefully Wild would be able to let someone know if he got too bad… as slim of a chance as it was. Wild signed a quick thank you before heading to the cooking pot.

Hylia, he hoped they weren’t here, but he knew they would be. The ‘Treasure Hunting Bros’, still looking for treasure Link had found in under an hour. Link had made the grave mistake of trying to tell them that he had already found it. They gave him the riddle, teasing him, not expecting him to really find it. Even if their arrogance was infuriating, he didn’t want them to spend months, if not years, wasting their time for treasure that wouldn’t even be there if they found it. When he attempted to sign, they rudely waved him off. He hadn’t tried to talk that much to others verbally since he left the shrine. The times he did it didn’t go… well… but he could feel the words on his tongue if he could just push them out, he’d be fine! He tried to approach them, tried to warn them.

“I…” The first word tumbled out of his mouth, hot streaks of pain clawed up this throat. “I… f-foun… I foun-” Link felt frustration and fear only closing his throat more. Why was this so hard? He could feel the words, he could feel his mouth form to say them, why couldn’t he just get them out?

“Uhh, are you okay?” Prissen, the one on the right asked with a laugh.

“Tre-rea-” Link’s words bubbled in the back of his throat only to slur and stutter and eventually die before they even had a chance to leave.

“You sound like a demented toddler, man. Have some water or something.” Prissen giggled out, and Wild felt his throat flame up even more. Somehow the white hot pain was still so cold.

“I don’t have time for this.” Dak snapped. “Either say whatever you’re babbling about or leave.”

So Wild left.

Sky didn’t know whether or not he should be worried about Wild. The boy was quiet, but that wasn’t unusual. The newest Link reminded Sky so much of himself it actually hurt some days. Sky had his bad days, but it was better now.

Wild however, he never spoke a single word. No one could touch him without him panicking and reaching for his sword. The group didn’t want to approach him like a spooked animal, but no one was quite sure what to do. Wild didn’t need to talk, or accept hugs and pats on the back to be truly a part of the group. They would accept their Brother of Courage no matter what, but Sky truly was worried there was something deeper going on. Something the Hero of Sky couldn’t fix.

Looking at the boy sitting by the fire outside the stable, Sky felt more lost than he had in a long time. Sky’s eye twitched as once again the two men conversing in the stable got too loud. Their constant whispering and occasional yell was even getting Sky slightly irritated, but there was nothing to do, they were in a public place.

“It’s him.” The one in blue snickered, now that he was paying attention Sky realized that their ‘whispers’ weren’t even secretive at all. Sky wondered who they were even talking about. It seems the one in red had the same question.

“Who?” The one in red snapped irritably.

“That one!” To Sky’s confusion and worry, he not-so-discreetly pointed directly at Wild outside. The entire group subtly perked up at the mention of their new member. Some in the group were used to praise and whispers, however, this didn’t sound like praise.

“Is that the one that you said sounded and I quote ‘like a demented toddler’.” The one in red asked in a deadpan voice, much to the group's shock. Did that mean what Sky thought it meant? He heard shuffling and expected Warriors to be holding Legend back, he did not expect to turn and see it was the other way around.

“Just wait a second you idiot.” Legend snapped in a low whisper. “We need more information first.” Warriors took a deep breath and sagged slightly. Legend was right, not that he would ever admit it.

“That’s the one!” The one in blue laughed heartily, and Sky felt a rock in his stomach.

“I don’t have time for you to antagonize an imbecile that can’t even talk back.” The one in red warned, and Sky felt his worry turn to anger.

“He was the one that came up to us last time! Not my fault he couldn’t even get a thought out! Tr-tre-” The one in blue mimicked. Sky felt his ears heating up in anger on behalf of their friend that was clearly being insulted. Glancing over, it seemed not even Time knew if he should speak up or keep quiet. They all seemed to have one thought running through their head: Maybe if they didn’t cause a commotion, Wild wouldn’t notice. But these two certainly weren’t quiet about their hatred towards their new friend.

“You talking about Link?” Four piped up, masking the deadly look on his face. The two patrons in front of them either didn’t notice the glares of the other Links, or they were too stupid to care.

“That the one cooking out there?” The one in blue asked, smiling arrogantly at the boy outside.

“Yup.” Four confirmed in a clipped tone. Sky admired him trying to scope out the situation, but it was obvious the hero’s patience was running short.

“Then yeah. That’s the one.” The blue on, Sky had given up on learning his name, smirked. “Dumbass kept interrupting us, stuttering and slurring. Hell, I would have felt bad for the guy if he wasn’t so annoying. There’s obviously something wrong with him.” The loud one luaghed, finding the situation far funnier than eight furious Heroes of Courage.

“That’s it-” Wind growled before lunging forward, letting out a loud ‘oof’ when his middle was caught by Time.

“If I were you, I’d keep your mouth shut.” Time leveled the man with a glare.

“Don’t tell me you’re friends with that fre-”, Sky couldn’t tell which glare was more terrifying, Time’s, or Wind’s.

“I suggest we make a deal.” Warriors’ stone cold voice spoke up. Even the one in red shot out of his thoughts for a moment. “You two stay on the other side of the stable from us, and keep your mouths shut, and we might just do the same.”

“I suggest you take that deal.” Legend spoke up, icy blue eyes trained on the two men before them. Sky could see the man’s gears turning, the one in blue glanced at the one in red, who was masking his fear far better.

“Fine.” The man in blue spit out, following his brother to the corner of the stable with his tail between his legs, not deeming the fight worth it.

“Where’s Wild?” Twilight questioned. Sky’s gaze snapped over the place where Wild sat, finding it vacant. Before Twilight could move Sky was getting out of his seat, his chair screeching against the wood floor.

“I’ll talk to him.” Was Sky’s only declaration before he was outside. He knew where this would lead, and he wasn’t going to let Wild suffer alone.

Wild tugged his hood further up, as if that could make all the bad thoughts disappear. They knew now. They knew. Of course Wild knew they would find out eventually. They surely had their doubts about Wild’s lack of speech with the scars on his neck, but Wild wanted it to be on his terms. Not some random assholes in a stable! Wild forced himself to take a deep breath from where he sat on a log that was covered in overgrown moss. He had fled to one of the nearby patches of trees after the conversation that no one even bothered to hide. Four had asked if they were talking about Link. They knew it was him, and they asked to make sure. Would they think he could talk and just… didn’t? Now that they knew would their disappointment in him begin? They had been so nice, too nice. On the other hand, that’s what Wild thought before they made name signs. For him. They made name signs specifically to make it easier on Wild. Deep down he knew the others wouldn’t be so shallow to discard him for this, but it made battles dangerous. If he saw a monster all he could do is let out a pathetic croak as one of his teammates went down. It made conversations around the fire harder too. They were nice enough to try and include Wild, but it sometimes died off when they gave him room to sign. They were trying, and Wild was trying so hard but it’s not enough-

“Wild?” He heard a calm voice call out through the woods. That was Sky. Wild mentally smacked himself. He just left them! No note, no dinner instructions, he just ran away again. Self loathing wasn’t worth it, it never had been, so why did he always run? Maybe he should make some sort of noise to let Sky know where he was, but Wild didn’t even have the energy to do that, as selfish as it was. He just hoped his cloak would stand out against the trees and moss so Sky wouldn’t be searching for long. A few minutes later his hope came true.

“Wild?” A gentle voice asked behind him. Wild didn’t respond, of course he didn’t. He heard footsteps approaching and he pushed down his panic, it was an ally, not an enemy. Wild wanted to look up, but some of him was too ashamed to do so.

“Wild? Can I sit down?” Sky said when he was finally next to the log. Wild liked Sky, he seemed kind and always asked him things. Questions, opinions, permission to do something like sit down next to him or put his bedroll near his, it made Wild feel a warmth he hadn’t felt in a long time. Or perhaps a certain kind of warmth he had never truly felt before. Wild simply nodded, not ready to come out of his curled position under his cloak.

“I just came to check on you.” Sky spoke as he sat down on the other side of the log, giving Wild the space the boy needed to think through everything. “What they said… it wasn’t okay Wild. Far beyond okay, it was disgusting.” Wild peered up in surprise at the venom in the other’s voice. Sky took a deep breath and continued. “Wild… can I ask you something? If that oversteps just tell me and I’ll stop or leave you alone.” Sky reassured. Wild thought for a moment. Sky wouldn’t push him, Wild could refuse to answer and the other hero wouldn’t push at all. That was just the type of man Sky was. Wild nodded once again.

“Wild… Can you talk?” Sky asked. It was just a question, just a simple yes or no should have been okay, but instead a rush of ice invaded Wild’s body. Without thinking he lifted his hands into his hair, clutching near the scalp like a lifeline. There it was. He was a damned coward, not even being upfront about why he didn’t talk to the other Links. Wild forced himself to nod his head.

“Does it… Does it hurt you?” Sky asked hesitantly. Wild nodded again, refusing to meet the other’s eyes.

“I’m sorry, Wild. I know it doesn’t help but I’m sorry. I know how frustrating it is.” Wild once again glanced up in shock. He what? “Yeah.” Sky rubbed the back of his neck. “Speaking was hard for me when I was younger. I was left at the Knight’s Academy in Skyloft, my home, when I was a baby.” Sky began, looking over to see curious eyes peering from under Wild’s cloak.

“I was quiet, and even when I talked I barely said anything. It took the teachers a while to figure out that sometimes I just couldn’t get the words out. I don’t know, they just couldn’t make it past my thoughts sometimes. The other kids called me stupid or said my head was in the clouds, but Zelda spoke for me on those days and I appreciated it. It never felt like she was babying me, she just always understood what I wanted to say. I’ve gotten better at getting the words out, but it’s still hard sometimes. The other Links understand, Wild. I know our situations are different, but we’re here for you. I’m here for you.” Sky finished. His final statement said as if it were a fact Hylia herself could not dispute. There was no doubt or uncertainty. ‘We’re here for you. I’m here for you.’ The words echoed in Wild’s head. Wild had thought himself weak, but Sky wasn’t weak. Sky was one of the strongest people he’s ever met and he’d only known the man for over a week. Wild’s hands released his hair slowly, coming to rest in his lap before he raised them.

‘I feel the same. I don’t even know if it’s my scars or if it was always like that.’ Wild panicked at the mention of what was before the Shrine of Resurrection, but Sky didn’t question him. ‘But the words don’t come. I can feel them, I can think them, but they don’t come out!’ Wild finished angrily, his hands flinging to his lap once more.

“It’s frustrating.” Sky stated. It wasn’t a question, nor was it pity, it was a fact they both knew. “If you want, we can work on it.” Sky offered, smiling slightly at the pure shock on WIld’s face.

“Don’t get me wrong, you don’t have to talk if you don’t want to.” Sky assured. “But Zelda and I practiced talking over the years and it helped me. Me, or any of the other Links are willing to help, Wild. It’s an option. Otherwise, none of us mind that you sign. We all have things to work around, it comes with a team.” Wild didn’t even know how to respond. Help him? Team? Those were all new to him.

‘Can I…’ Wild trailed off for a moment. Did he want that? Wild couldn’t even really imagine himself talking. What did he sound like without the claws in his throat? Perhaps Wild wanted to find out.

‘Can I think about it?’ Wild asked, forcing his hands to steady, meeting Sky’s eyes. Eyes that held no judgement or malice, just understanding.

“Of course you can!” Sky assured brightly. “Just let me know if you ever want that, or if you just never want to speak of this again. It’s completely up to you Wild.” It was up to him, not Hylia, or the King, or a destiny he never wanted, it was Wild’s choice. That felt nice.

‘Thank you.’ Wild signed simply, and they both felt the emotion behind it. A few quiet moments passed before Sky spoke up again.

“Do you want to go back?” Sky asked. Wild bit his lip.

‘I don’t want to face them.’ Wild signed honestly.

“I’m sure the others have made sure you won’t have to deal with those idiots anymore.” Sky thought back to Wind snarling.

‘Not them. The others.’ Wild corrected before turning away. Coming back to an entire group after running away in shame sent cold waves of panic through Wild.

“Oh… Yeah it’s scary, but after the amount of times Legend has left huffing and cursing I think you’ll be okay.” Sky laughed, feeling ten pounds lighter when he saw Wild’s shoulders shake a little with silent laughter. Wild finally stood slowly, followed by Sky. They began the short trek back to the stable, but one more question still plagued WIld’s mind no matter how much he tried to get rid of it. Wild snapped his fingers to get Sky’s attention.

“Hm?” Sky questioned from his place beside Wild.

‘Why help me? You don’t know me.’ Wild questioned shyly.

“What do you mean? You’re a Hero of Courage.” Wild winced at that.

‘You don’t know me.’ Wild emphasized. ‘Not well.’ Sky seemed to think for a moment.

“That’s true.” Sky confirmed. “But one day or two months, you’re one of us. We’re a group of nine now and it wouldn’t be nine without you.” Sky stated simply, waving at the distant group waiting for them at the stable.

A group of nine. Wild could live with that.

On this episode of: I Think I’m funny. “Four confirmed in a clipped tone. Sky admired him trying to scope out the situation, but it was obvious the hero’s patience was running short.” Cuz Four… short… anyway.

I love Wind so much. He is ready to fight entire armies of Ganon himself to protect his siblings old or new he will square up.

Also does this mirror my other fic “The Tavern”? Perhaps ;)

Hope you guys enjoyed!

#linked universe #linkeduniverse #link #loz #legend of zelda #wild #sky #twilight #time #four #Warriors #legend #hyrule #wind #hero of wild #queenof-literature story #QoL Story

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