#santa barbara forest
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Lunch is on the griddle at the Santa Barbara Forest Camp.
Carson National Forest, New Mexico
1959
#vintage camping#campfire light#carson national forest#new mexico#santa barbara forest#family#camping
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Los Padres National Forest, California.
The aim was Divide Peak, but I saw something that looked more interesting on the way up. In fact, it's the unnamed high point of the Santa Ynez Mountains, so it is more interesting. I tagged the original goal on the way down. From April 2013.
#day hike#big hike#Divide Peak#Kings Crest#California#Los Padres National Forest#Santa Barbara County#Ventura County#landscape#hiking#nature#hike#mountains#Santa Ynez Mountains#peak bagging#peakbagger#unexpected happenings#travel#outside#chaparral#boulders#ridge top
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More frequent hot droughts also means trees have less time to recover. "After a drought event has ended and the trees are well watered again, they have a chance to regrow and recover some of their damaged organs," says Anna Trugman, an assistant professor at the University of California in Santa Barbara, where she studies the effect of climate change on forests. "But if you get more frequent droughts, back to back, that can result in a longer term decline because they are not able to recover." The big old trees are sitting ducks. That's a problem because not only are they big and old and awe-inspiring, they are critical for storing carbon to keep the world from warming even faster. The 1% largest trees hold 50% of the carbon held in forests.
Jim Robbins, ‘The genetic power of ancient trees’, BBC
#BBC#Jim Robbins#climate change#droughts#tree recovery#Anna Trugman#University of California in Santa Barbara#forests#big old trees#carbon storage
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🍳 poppies
#national forest#home sweet home#mountain castle#life is but a dream#santa barbara#grad school life#spring quarter 2022
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My Rose, My Pretty Flower
Abby Anderson x F!Reader
Ways to help Palestine
Main Masterlist | Abby Anderson Masterlist
Summary: While traveling to Santa Barbara, you and Abby stop in an abandoned house and hit the jackpot; finding a brand new rose toy.
Word count: 1.1k
Warnings: canon divergent (no Lev), reader is able-bodied, pretend the rose toy existed before the Outbreak, sex toys, oral sex, fingering, squirting, pet names, no use of y/n
“We should stop soon. It’s getting dark,” you say, stopping and putting a hand on your hip, wiping the sweat off your brow.
“We could hole up in one of these houses,” she says, gesturing to the street of abandoned houses you’re about to turn onto.
You’re almost to Santa Barbara. The grueling, multi-month-long journey is about to wrap up. Only a few days left to go. But for now, you’re tired. Your feet hurt. And you’re pretty sure you could fall asleep standing up.
“Sounds good to me.”
She draws her gun, crouching down, and approaching one of the houses on the corner. It’s a small house, one level. It looked like a cute starter home for a family or a young couple before the Outbreak.
“Stay vigilant,” she says,” slowly opening the door.
There doesn’t seem to be anyone here, nor any infected. And after a sweep through of the house, she confirms that you two are indeed alone.
You pick up a picture frame on the kitchen counter and look at the couple in the photo– a young man and a young woman. You try to not think about their life here, what they were like, where they were on Outbreak Day.
“Ready for bed, baby?” Abby asks, her strong arms wrapping around you.
You set the photo down and lean into her. “Yeah,” you sigh.
“I raided the bathroom and took some stuff,” she says, letting go of you and leading the way to the bedroom.
“Oh yeah? Got anything good?”
“Bandages… dental floss.”
“Not bad.”
“And I found something else… in the nightstand,” she says, sitting on the edge of the bed and opening the drawer.
“Oh?”
She holds out a pink box with a rose on it. Under the clear plastic, there’s a rose inside the box, too. And when you take it in your hands see that it’s not just any regular rose– it’s a sex toy. The box reads:
ROSE TOY CLASSIC SUCKING VIBRATOR
-10 Massage Modes
-Waterproof
-Rechargeable
-Easy To Clean
But the most important thing the box says is:
-Comes Fully Charged
“What are you suggesting?” you smirk, handing the box back to her.
“How about you put on a show for me, pretty girl?”
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” you say, kicking off your shoes and pulling your shirt off over your head. You strip yourself nude and get on the bed, reveling in the feeling of lying on something soft and not on the forest floor for once.
You spread your legs as Abby opens the box, turning on the toy to test out the different settings. She gets in between your thighs, lowering her head to hover in front of your pussy. It’s already getting wet but she licks your clit, moaning at you and your taste. After getting you properly lubricated she takes the toy on one of the lowest settings. Your breath hitches in your throat. You’ve never felt something like this before and Abby knows that.
“Don’t worry, we’ll take it slow,” she coos, watching your legs flex and your chest heave up and down. “Besides, I want to tease you anyway,” she adds with a smirk.
A shiver runs down your spine. You feel yourself already getting close. But wait, how is that possible?
Almost as if she senses that she turns down the toy to a lower setting, not letting you cum just yet.
“Not so fast,” she says.
You whine in response, your back lifting off the bed.
“I said I wanted to see a show, pretty girl,” she reminds you, bringing her fingers to her mouth. She moistens them for you but doesn’t give them to you just yet. She wants you to cum with just the rose first.
“You’ll get my fingers when you cum, baby,” she says.
But for that, you need more, a higher setting.
“Please,” you whimper, “I need more.”
“Well… Since you asked nicely like such a good girl,” she says, turning up the toy by two settings.
You grip the sheets, squeezing with your might as your orgasm threatens to spill over. It’s one like you’ve never felt before, intense and euphoric. Your cunt clenches around nothing and your core muscles spasm as waves of pleasure wash over you.
“That’s a good girl,” she says, watching your eyes close and your mouth open into a soft O.
She gives you time to ride out your first high before turning down the toy again and sliding in her fingers. Your face feels hot. Stars dance in your vision. That was amazing. And she’s about to do it again, but this one is going to be even more intense.
Her fingers curl against your g-spot, expertly making a come here motion. The toy keeps stimulating your clit, working you up to your second orgasm. You’re already feeling spent but you want this one more than anything. Besides, you’ll have heavenly sleep after this is all done.
“So wet for me, baby,” she says, fingering you faster. Her other hand turns up the toy, letting you get used to a particular setting before turning it up again and again. And finally, you’re at the highest setting. Wetness seeps out of you and runs down your inner thigh. The small bedroom is filled with wet, squelching sounds of your pussy and the strong vibrations of the toy.
“Give it to me, pretty girl.”
And then you cum for the second time. This one was harder and wetter. So wet that Abby gasps and says, “Baby, you squirted.”
She sounds excited, continuously curling her fingers inside you and lowering the toy until it’s turned off. She pulls her fingers from your cunt and lowers her head in between your thighs, lazily lapping up every last drop of your spend.
You close your eyes, letting her take her time until she lies on the bed next to you, pulling you close.
“Go to sleep, baby. You earned it after that.”
“Already on the way,” you yawn.
“Love you,” she whispers.
“Love you, too,” you whisper back, drifting off to sleep in her arms.
-
The morning light seeps in through the window, hitting your eyelids and slowly waking you up. You rub your eyes and sit up, looking over at Abby sleeping soundly beside you.
You should probably get a move on, taking advantage of all the daylight you can. But in just a few days you’ll be with the Fireflies and it won’t be just the two of you anymore.
So for now, you lie back down and enjoy it being just the two of you for once.
Fic notifs: @beskarandblastersfics
Dividers: @saradika-graphics & @animatedglittergraphics-n-more
#abby anderson x reader#abby anderson x you#abby anderson x female reader#abby anderson x f!reader#abby anderson#abby anderson smut#abby anderson fanfic#abby anderson fanfiction#tlou fanfiction#the last of us fanfiction
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Research by Clay Trauernicht, a fire specialist at the University of Hawaii, and others has shown that the scale and frequency of wildfires have been increasing across in Hawaii from the early 1900s to the 2010s. The researchers also identified a major culprit: non-native plants.
“Wildfires were most frequent in developed areas, but most areas burned occurred in dry non-native grasslands and shrublands that currently compose 24 percent of Hawaii’s total land cover,” the researchers wrote. “These grass-dominated landscapes allow wildfires to propagate rapidly.”
The non-native grasses were brought to Hawaii by cattle ranchers in the 19th century, University of California Santa Barbara ecologist Carla D’Antonio told me. “They were selected because they were drought tolerant.”
They are also invasive. The abandoned sugar and pineapple farms across the state are quickly taken over by non-native grasses. “When the land gets abandoned, the grasses are the first invaders. All you need is a little drought to have a flammable landscape.” Maui is currently in a drought.
The grasses are an especially potent fuel, D'Antonio explained, because they grow quickly when it rains and then stick around, deeply rooted into the soil, as dry, dead organic matter, becoming a “standing layer of very ignitable fuel.”
Then after a fire, these non-native plants tend to do better than native ones, thus increasing future fire risk. Fire “has generally been shown to decrease the abundance of native woody plants because nonnative, invasive, fire-adapted plants out-compete natives for resources in the post-fire environment and tend to dominate post-fire communities,” according to a United States Forest Service review.
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A Place for You - Part One
Post Santa Barbara!Ellie x Ex-Firefly!POC!Reader
I’ve had this in the works since January. I wanted to post it when the first episode of the HBO series came out. But uh… it didn’t happen because this ended up waayy longer than planned. This photo was taken in TLOU2 Photomode by @kevinphotomode!
Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four
Warnings: Post-TLOU2, Apocalyptic Racism (young Reader), Racial Killing (young Reader’s parents), PTSD, Flashbacks, Trauma, Nightmares, Talks about Violent Murders, Past revenge Murder, Grief, Deadly Infection of Limbs, Prothetic Limbs, Dissociation, Heavy Depression, Low Self-Worth (Ellie), Reader lives on a Homestead, First Kiss (young Reader), Childhood crush, First time, Fingering
Summary: You weren’t expecting to see Ellie on your porch after six years - nor her passing out shortly after. You nurse her back to health from the verge of death, and the two of you bond through your shared traumas… and memories.
~ Late Fall of the Year 2039 ~
You hum as you begin cutting into the deer, carefully maneuvering your knife so you don’t puncture any organs. The soft thunk from the blood dropping into the bucket steadily gets louder the bigger you make the incision. A woof has you pausing and smiling at your dog who decides to sit at your heels. You reach down to pat Scout’s head before turning your attention back to the deer. You’d be able to quarter it and bag it once all the organs are out.
“We’ll be eating really well this fall, Scout. We got lucky with this one. It should last us until the spring.” You talk to him, “That means the next one should hold us over for spring, and you might get a new blanket.” An excited woof is your response, making you giggle. Soon, with practiced ease, the organs are removed and all the excess blood is in the bucket.
“Okay, Scout.” You pick up the bucket and he takes it from your hand, “Take this to the drop-off, and be careful.” Scout turns and heads off into the woods to your usual disposal site. The smell of the blood and guts attracted the infected so your family made a trap point to focus on them. You’d head out there once the meat was safely stored to torch any that wandered in.
By the time Scout returns with the clean bucket, you’ve removed the legs and head from the deer. The two of you finish up your routine with you removing the meat while Scout ran the inedible pieces to the drop. Now was time to make the trip back to the house, so you loaded up and headed back to your meadow. ‘I’ll have to check on the chickens and make sure there are no entries into their coup. I’ve got to keep them warm and the predators out.’ You remind yourself. ‘Then, it’s checking over the house and making sure nothing will get too cold.’ Suddenly, Scout starts barking, jolting you out of your thoughts as he takes off running toward the house.
“Scout!” You shout and run after him, pulling your shotgun from your bag. ‘Ah, hell! I hope it’s just a false alarm!’ The last time he reacted like this, some infected had managed to get inside from a busted area in the fence. A tree had collapsed during a storm, attracting the few in the forest, and you had to spend a few days fixing it. You grit your teeth, lifting your gun as you round the corner of the house. It’s been a while since you’ve had to use it on a human, but that didn’t mean you would hesitate with it.
The sound of Scout’s barks mixes with what sounds like… laughter? Your eyes widen when you see a woman standing on your porch, trying to calm down Scout as he jumps up and licks her face. You watch in shock, slowly lowering your gun as you listen to the laughter while trying to process the sight. The woman looks up at you, her face showing relief as a tired smile makes its way across her lips. It takes a moment, but you realize that you met this woman a few years ago when the two of you were much smaller.
“So um… I’m Ellie. Like Joel said.” Ellie reintroduces herself to you. You glance at your parents who are walking inside with Joel before you turn back to her with a grin.
“Hi, Ellie! I’m Y/n!” You greet her, lifting your clippers to show her, “Do you want to come up to my room with me? I have some books we can go through!”
“What kind of books?” Ellie raises an eyebrow.
“Ah, space-”
“Space?!” Ellie shouts and then her face goes red, “I-I mean- Space? That’s cool. I like space.” You gasp, grab her hand, and start dragging her to your room.
“Oh my god, that’s fucking amazing!” You squeal, “I actually have a telescope we can look through if you end up staying the night! Have you ever looked through one before? It’s so cool. My dad had found one for me last year…” You ramble to Ellie the whole way.
“Ellie?” You blurt out in shock, hurrying to put the safety back on your gun. You grin at her, suddenly feeling happy about the unexpected company. It’s been just you and Scout for way too long.
“Hey, Y/n.” Ellie says before her eyes roll back and she faints, falling onto your deck with a loud thud.
“ELLIE?!” You shriek, flinging your gun to the ground as you sprint to her. Scout freaks out as you hurriedly drop down and feel for her pulse. The firm beat only calms you down slightly before you open the front door and pick her up. You rush to the guest room, kicking the door open to place her on the bed. Mindlessly, you’re yanking at her clothes and taking off all the layers so you can inspect her for any bites. You pause as you’re removing her jacket, seeing her left hand bandaged and clearly missing parts of her fingers. You take a moment to unwind the bandages and a soft gasp leaves your lips. ‘It’s infected. I’ll check that after I confirm she’s not bitten.’ You shake your head and get back to work. You find no bite marks, only a tattoo on her arm along with dozens of scars all over her. You knew she’d be annoyed that you stripped her, but you didn’t have a choice. Finally, you press your hand to her forehead and hiss in aggravation. ‘She’s running a fever.’ You sigh, carefully picking up her injured hand. ‘It’s likely because of this infection.’ You examine the wound, noting that it must’ve reopened at some point as there are signs of old stitches.
Scout noisily comes into the room, making you glance at him and see him dragging a backpack that you assume to be Ellie’s. You put Ellie’s hand down and take it from him, patting him on the head before placing it on the desk. Your eyes linger on the numerous weapons sticking out of it, wondering when she learned to use a bow and arrow. ‘She had quite a few the last time she and Joel came by, but this is my first time seeing them up close.’ You sigh and look back to the woman passed out in your bed. ‘What happened to you?’ You frown.
“Alright, Scout. Why don’t we get back to work, huh boy? I have a feeling Ellie will be asleep for a while. Once I get the meat stored, I’ll work on helping her through this infection.” You look down at him. Scout whines, pawing at his face before pointing to Ellie. You give him a soft smile, reaching down to ruffle his fur. He liked Ellie when she came by last time, so it was nice to see him caring for her.
“You watch her for me, then. I’ll get this sorted out.” You motion to the meat, making him woof happily before he jumps onto the edge of the bed and lays down next to her.
It was two weeks before Ellie woke up. The first few days were the worst, keeping her from falling into a coma and injecting her with antibiotics. You wiped her body down with cold water from the river in an effort to break her fever. Once her fever broke, you were able to relax a little but she was still fighting off death. Her rest was fitful, causing Scout to come to fetch you more than a few times out of worry. You left him in charge of her since you couldn’t be at her side. She’d open her eyes and deliriously mumble things to you before falling asleep again. You alternated between tea, water, and soup, briefly waking her up to get her to drink them. Ellie was barely conscious, even when you fed her and it worried you. While you went around and prepared for the winter months, she stayed at the front of your mind the whole time.
You were in the middle of chopping firewood when Scout came sprinting out to you, barking like a madman, before sprinting back into the house. You followed after him, racking up your axe along the way and stumbling up the steps as you hurried to remove your boots. Your pulse is racing and you’re fearing the worst. She had been getting better, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t come back overnight. Ellie’s voice is horribly broken and raspy as you hear her talk to Scout, and you lean in the doorway as he rolls all over her.
“You’re awake.” You exhale in relief, seeing the energy in her movements as she looks up at you, “I was so worried when you collapsed.” You walk into the room, grab the glass of water on the dresser and take a seat at the edge of the bed. You help her take the first few swallows, gently wiping away a drop of water from her chin.
“...I’m sorry.” Ellie sighs, accepting the glass from you, “I didn’t know if I’d make it here if I’m honest.” She lifts the glass to her mouth and you watch for any shakiness. Her hand trembles slightly, so you keep your hand up to support her.
“You had a horrible infection in your fingers that traveled into your body. You went septic, Ellie.” You frown and cross your arms, “You’re lucky I know how to treat that. What happened?” That question makes her pause and she slowly lowers the glass with a heavy sigh. You turn to her, bringing your legs up to tuck them under you. She’s quiet for a moment, staring at the water as she chews at her lip.
“You don’t have to tell me. I’m sorry for asking.” You place a hand on her leg, “It seems like it’s something heavy.”
“No. I- Fuck.” Ellie groans, running a hand through her hair, “Joel’s dead. Murdered.” She says suddenly, recoiling at her news. ‘Murdered?!’ You straighten up in alarm.
“I chased after his murderer, leaving the little family I had behind, and long story short… I couldn’t do it.” Ellie fiddles with her bandages, “Kill her, that is. I was so close to it, but in the end, I couldn’t do it. She uh… bit my fingers off in the fight.” She lifts her hand, flashing you an awkward smile at you before dropping her hand into her lap.
“Ellie. I-” You flounder for the right words, in complete disbelief, “-I’m so sorry.” You wrap your arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug that she stiffens up in. When you go to pull away, she relaxes into your arms and hugs you back. She tightens her grip on you and starts sobbing as she buries her face into your neck. You feel your heart break as her tears run down your neck, and you shift around so she’s sitting on your lap while she cries. You practically cradle Ellie in your lap, letting her cry as you try to comfort her. She tearfully rambles about everything that happened as she tried to get to your home, unloading on you in her distraught state and leaving you speechless. You were the only person Ellie could go to… Scout had jumped up and laid his head on her leg, letting her shakily play with his fur. By the end of it, she fell asleep. You take a deep breath, laying her down as you try to process what was said, and Scout wedges between you two with a whine.
“I know, bud.” You stroke his fur, wiping tears from your own eyes, “I didn’t expect that either, but it makes sense why she showed up in such a horrible condition.” You sigh and glance at the sleeping woman next to you. ‘She looks so peaceful after going through all of that.’ You delicately wipe the tear tracks from her face and go to get out of bed. Scout whines, gently grabbing your wrist in his mouth and making you pause.
“Scout…” You sigh and he whines again, tugging you back toward the bed. You glance at the door, thinking about all of the things you need to do, but Scout insists. ‘Winter won’t be here for a month. I can rest for a day. Besides, I’m ahead of schedule.’
“Okay, okay.” You laugh softly, getting back into the bed and laying down, “...Happy?” You raise an eyebrow at him. He woofs and licks your face, making you giggle and push his snout away. You lay there and pet him, accidentally falling asleep in the process.
You feel warm when you wake up. Warm, comfortable, and… stuck? You open your eyes, confusedly looking to your left, and come face to face with Ellie. You blink sleepily, your mind taking more than a few seconds to catch up to the situation. You let out a squeak, feeling your face heat up as her breath fans across your cheek. ‘I-I’m in Ellie’s arms.’ You shift ever so slightly and you’re well aware of the complicated position you’re in. Her arms are tight around your waist, one of yours is tucked under her head while the other is across her waist. Your legs were intertwined and the two of you were practically chest to chest. ‘How did we get into this position?’ You swallow, feeling your heart pounding in your chest. ‘There’s no way I can get out of this without waking her.’
Your heart drops when you notice that Ellie’s eyelids are fluttering. ‘No. No. No! Don’t wake up now!’ You panic and do the only thing that comes to mind… you shut your eyes. You feel her grip on your waist tighten, a sharp intake of breath following shortly after.
“Shit.” Ellie whispers, “How the fuck…?” There’s a pause before she’s shifting, trying to untangle herself from you. Except, that’s not possible without waking you up. She stops after a few seconds and lets out a deep sigh.
“…Y/n.” Ellie says quietly, “…Y/n, wake up.” She shakes you slightly with her free hand. You slowly open your eyes as she continues to shake you. The blush on your face is back the moment you meet her green eyes.
“Morning.” Ellie says sheepishly, her cheeks turning pink, “We’re um… a little tangled.”
“R-Right.” You stutter and the two of you work together to get yourselves separated. It takes a minute, your legs being the issue but you manage to get free.
“Sorry, Scout begged me to lay down after you fell asleep. I didn’t plan on falling asleep next to you.” You fidget with your flannel sleeve, glancing at the dog looking at you from his doggy bed. ‘You sneaky mutt. When did you bring your dog bed in here?!’
“It’s okay.” Ellie sighs, “Um, can I get something to eat? I’m starving.”
“Oh! Yes, of course! You can jump into the shower and I’ll leave a change of clothes on your bed for you. The towels are in the closet.” You perk up, immediately heading to the door, “You’re okay with eggs and bread for breakfast?”
“Eggs and bread?” Ellie blinks.
“We have a patch of…” You pause at the surprised look on her face, “Eggs and bread it is.” You flash her a smile and leave the room. The first thing you do is grab her a change of clothes and place the neatly folded pile on the bed. You can hear the water running and you frown, wondering just how long it took for her to get to you on foot. ‘She came all the way from California.’ You head out to the chicken coup and gather up the eggs, happy that you have enough for a big meal. You practically skip into the kitchen and get to work chopping up some vegetables.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” Ellie says from behind you, making you pause. You turn to her and smile, seeing that she looks a lot better now that she was able to get cleaned up. ‘Wait.’ Your eyes flick down to your waist, seeing the black and white shirt on Ellie. ‘When did she get my flannel?’
“Can you get the bacon out and chop it up?” You point to the freezer, “It’s in a labeled ziplock bag.”
“You have bacon?” Ellie gasps, darting to the freezer and you turn back to your vegetables. ‘Did I accidentally leave it on the bed?’
“My mom was in the process of making improvements the first time you came by. Now I have pigs, chickens, a dairy cow, and a few goats. Bacon is for rare occasions, but I think you being here calls for it.” You place the vegetables into the hot frying pan and Ellie takes your place at the cutting board.
“I’m not that special.” Ellie chuckles, taking out some of the bacon and cutting it up, “I met you once when we were kids.” You can’t help but watch how skillfully she uses the knife, moving quickly and precisely. The pop of the oil in the pan snaps you out of your staring.
“You’re a friend I haven’t seen in years.” You roll your eyes, glancing at her, “Yes. Yes, you are that special.” You and Ellie briefly make eye contact and you smile as you look away. ‘Either way, she looks good with it on.’
“Why?” Ellie gives you a curious look.
“You were the first kid my age my parents let me play with. When any other Firefly kid came through I had to stay away from them. They never told me why… just said it was for my safety.” Ellie was more than the first kid you played with. She was your first crush and first kiss.
“So the few days Joel and I stayed…”
“Were the best days of my life.” You smile at her, making her eyes widen. You stare at each other for a bit before you clear your throat and go back to your tasks.
“Do you want me to toss them in like this?” Ellie lifts the cutting board. You glance at the chopped-up pieces and nod your head. She dumps them into the pan and it’s not long before the bacon is sizzling. You head for the eggs, cracking them onto a bowl before whisking them up. Without you having to ask, Ellie takes your place at the pan and keeps an eye on them. You idly wonder where she learned to cook eggs. Soon you’re plating the omelets and grabbing your bread box.
“So, you make bread?” Ellie leans against the counter next to you.
“I do.” You grin, pulling the fresh loaf from the box, “My grandma had her recipe books. Each one was for something different. Soups, breads, sweets. I spent a lot of time reading them and learning how to make the things in them.” You hear Ellie gasp as you take it out of the bag and place it down on the clean cutting board. It was baked yesterday morning before you headed out to gather wood.
“Holy shit!” Ellie exclaims, making you laugh. You grab your knife, cut a few decent-sized slices, and put them onto the plate. You hand Ellie her plate and the two of you walk to the table, Scout happily following you. You put your plate down across from her, quickly grabbing the hibiscus tea out of the fridge.
“Do you want some tea? I-”
“-I’d love some. Thank you.” Ellie interrupts you, making you smile. You pour out some for her, sit down once your glasses are full, and take a sip. Ellie does the same, her eyes widening as she licks a drop from her lips.
“That’s good.” Ellie looks at you, “Really good.”
“I’m glad you like it.” You giggle, “You can have some more if you finish that glass. My mom looted all of the closed stores when the pandemic first started. The town was empty so she took advantage.”
“I might take you up on that.” Ellie says before taking a bite out of her eggs. You blush when you hear her let out a low moan. Your eyes dart up, seeing her looking at you with an awed gaze.
“You… like it?” You let out a small, flustered giggle.
“This is the best thing I’ve eaten in months.” Ellie sighs blissfully.
“How long did it take for you to get here?” You ask in between bites, “You left that out yesterday.”
“Five months.” Ellie says, breaking her bread in two, “Tracking time gets tedious when you’re traveling, so it could be shorter or longer.” You give her a sad smile, watching for a few seconds as she digs into the meal. She came looking for you after that fight… and nearly died in the process. It saddened you to know that you were likely the only person she could rely on.
“When we’re done, I’ll check your stitches. I’ll need to keep a close eye on them to make sure they don’t get infected again and heal properly.” You state.
“Thank you, by the way.” Ellie sighs, moving a piece of her omelet around with her fork, “Thank you for caring for me these past few weeks. I… You were the first person I thought of and I desperately needed a safe place to go.”
“Ellie.” You reach across the table and touch her hand, making her look at you, “I told you six years ago… you’re welcome here. Once your hand is healed, if you choose to leave, you can. Until then, don’t worry about being here. I’ll take care of you. Just focus on getting better.” Ellie stares at you, seeming to be far away… a look you’ve grown accustomed to seeing.
“Thank- you.” Her voice cracks as tears spring into her eyes, “Thank you so much.” She whispers, ducking her head down to hide her tears. You let out a quiet sigh, feeling your heart clench in your chest. It seems like you two have more in common.
The longer you were around Ellie, it got easier to tell that she was struggling. You’d wake up in the middle of the night to her screaming, thrashing around in her bed in a panic. Sometimes she’d call out Joel’s name or names of people you didn’t know. You’d turn the light on, wait for her to wake up, and hold her in your arms as you helped her calm down. Occasionally you’d find her in the shower, skin red and steam filling the bathroom as she stared into space. You’d help her out, guide her into getting dressed and tuck her into bed.
Ellie zoning out was the most common. She would zone out, staring into space in the middle of a conversation or activity. You’d patiently wait for her to come back, gently repeating what you were saying and trying to continue the conversation. It didn’t bother you. You understood what she was going through, even though you didn’t know the full story. You struggled with witnessing your parents’ death, having to kill their murderers yourself, and getting used to living alone. The first few years were the worst, with one particularly bad flashback resulting in a burn on your arm. So, you didn’t push Ellie to do anything she couldn’t handle but that didn’t help her feelings about it.
You open your eyes and groan, a glance at the window showing you that it was early morning. Your body is begging for water, so you begrudgingly get up from your warm blankets. A shiver goes through you, reminding you that the first snowfall is a few days away. ‘I need to finish up the last preparations.’ You hug your jacket closer to your body as you exit your room.
“Fuck! Just- fuck!” You hear Ellie curse, making you stop outside of your door, “UGH! Just hold the damn thing!” You can hear the aggravation in her voice and before you realize it you’re knocking on her door.
“Els?” You ask softly, “Can I come in?” It’s silent and you listen closely for her reply.
“Yeah.” Ellie responds, with a heavy sigh sounding, “I think I need you.” You open the door and the smell of blood catches your attention. A gasp leaves your lips and you rush to her side, blood dripping down her arm from a large gash.
“How did this happen?!” You hurriedly grab another towel, pressing down hard on the wound.
“I was… practicing on using my hand again. My knife slipped and… I got myself.” Ellie frowns, looking away in shame. You inspect the wound and bite your lip, relieved she didn’t hit anything vital.
“You’re going to need stitches again.” You pull the First-Aid box closer, reaching in for the things you need.
“Great.” Ellie huffs.
“Hey.” You brush your hand over her cheek, “Relax. There’s no rush to do things. It’ll take some time to figure things out with your-”
“-I can’t relax!” Ellie shouts, startling you, “I can barely help you other than picking some things up! I can’t even grasp things the way I used to! How am I supposed to be of any help when I can’t even keep a knife stable?! I’m more of a burden to you than help!” She breaks down sobbing and you feel your heart shatter. You knew she wasn’t feeling great, but she never clued you in that she was feeling like a burden.
“Ellie.” You frown, “Please don’t say that about yourself. You’re not a burden. I can’t fully understand what you’re going through, but I can sympathize. You came to me for help and that’s what I’m doing. I don’t expect you to be able to do anything, much less assist me while you heal.” You motion to her fingers. The stitches had been removed a month ago, and the skin reformed nicely since then but it was still tender. It would be another month before she was fully healed.
“I know you’re feeling restless, but I need you to work with me.” You sterilize her wound, getting a hiss of pain from her, “Once you’re healed, we can work on it. If your fingers reopen, we’re back to square one and another few months of waiting. So please be patient.” You plead, focusing on stitching up her arm.
“I’m sorry. I’m not used to other people helping me. Even when Joel… I’ve been taking care of myself. Not being able to help. Not being able to even grasp my flashlight properly is…”
“Upsetting.” You nod, “I get that. I know what you’re feeling. I’ve… felt it before. I haven’t talked about my parents’ absence but the same thing happened with them.” You glance up at her, seeing her look at you in shock. You swallow and focus back on what you’re doing, wiping some blood away.
“We went into the town a few months after you left. My dad had hidden anything we didn’t have space for to keep it safe from raiders until he finished building the storage unit. So, we were going to collect the last of the stuff and bring it home. Some old friends of my dad’s had come to find him and things went to hell.” You could practically hear the gunfire in your ears, your mother telling you to hide, “Apparently, they had a vendetta against him for choosing my mom over them. They didn’t like my mom. Racists.” You scoff, feeling the anger once more.
“How… did they die?” Ellie asks hesitantly.
“One of them got the jump on my mom and I couldn’t get there in time. I watched as they shot my mom. Twenty bullets. One for every year my dad left them. They did the same to my dad.”
“Holy shit!” Ellie gasps, gripping your shoulder tightly in disbelief, “Those sick fucks!”
“I saw red. I couldn’t sleep at night knowing that they got away with it. With all of my training, I still couldn’t do shit to save them. I took my mom’s axe and used the Firefly network to hunt them down... I killed them all. I thought it would make me feel better but it…” You take a shuddering breath, “It made me feel empty. It’s been six years, but I still have nightmares. The screams, the pleading, the blood, the fire. I still remember it all.” You finish the last stitch, double-checking to make sure it’s secure. Her arm would be easier to manage than her fingers.
“Y/n. I-” Ellie was at a loss for words, “I’m sorry. I didn’t ask because you didn’t seem like you wanted to talk about it. That must’ve been a horrible situation.”
“It was.” You sigh, standing up, “I thought that if I was faster or if I didn’t listen to my mom and hide… they could still be here. I’ve dealt with the guilt of being alive instead of them for a long time. So, I’m begging you, Els… Lean on me.” You put a hand on her shoulder, looking her dead in the eyes. Those other Firefly kids you trained with weren’t anything to you. Ellie was your first and only friend even though she was with you for three days. You were serious. Just as serious as you were six years ago when you told her she would always have a place with you. You cared for her a lot. After all, she made you feel like a normal kid for the few days they stayed with you.
“…I will.” Ellie says sincerely, resting her hand on yours, “I’ll lean on you.”
Winter flew by and you and Ellie made a lot of progress. To your surprise, she quickly got comfortable with you looking after her. The two of you ended up sleeping in the same bed so you could keep an eye on her wound. With a couple of major injuries healing, she had a higher risk of them getting infected and you wanted to avoid that. Scout had wanted to join in on the fun and dragged his dog bed into the room as well.
By mid-winter, Ellie’s fingers had completely healed and so did the gash in her arm. You worked with her every day on figuring out how to effectively hold items with her newly healed hand. It was challenging at first, especially with her trauma but you slowly got through it. It took a lot of gentle coaxing, tears on Ellie’s side of things, and persistence from both of you. She was able to firmly hold a knife within a few weeks and carry certain small objects without issue. But, you noticed that the cold seemed to bother her hand. She would mention that she was in a lot of pain if she left them exposed so you took it upon yourself to help with that.
“Ellie?!” You call out, nervously holding the wrapped gift close to your chest. You had been working on it secretly with some leather and hide you have. You are quite anxious about giving it to her, because you aren’t sure if she’ll like it. You glance down at Scout who's on your heels, knowing that you’re nervous.
“On the porch!” Ellie responds and you head toward the back of the house. You find her curled up on the couch, tucked under a blanket with your old astronomy book opened on her lap. Scout hops up and snuggles with her, making Ellie let out a cute giggle. A smile crosses your face, eyes darting to the soft snowfall before looking back over to her.
“What’s up?” Ellie asks, tilting her head curiously.
“I have something for you.” You hold out the gift. Ellie jolts up, surprised that you have something for her. She reaches out and takes it from you, placing it on top of your book.
“You didn’t have to get me anything.” Ellie laughs, unwrapping the item.
“I didn’t. I made it for you.” You shrug, a grin making its way onto your face.
“Y/n!” Ellie gasps, lifting the gloves out of the wrapping, “You made me gloves?!”
“I made you two sets.” You sit down next to her, picking up the soft one, “One for winter and one for working. This one is made with goat leather, and there are extensions inside of the fingers. It should fit snugly and bend as if you still have the rest of your fingers. This one is deer hide. It’s soft and will keep your hands warm. It should fit perfectly to your hand as it is now. You can wear these underneath the other ones if you need to.” You watch Ellie slip the gloves on, smiling to yourself as the deer hide one’s fits perfectly.
“These are really soft!” Ellie grins rubbing her hands together, “I can’t even feel any cold! Thank you!”
“Don’t thank me yet.” You chuckle, holding up the other gloves, “You have these to try on.” These are the ones you’re nervous about. It took you a while to figure out what material to make the fake fingers with.
“How do I put it on?” Ellie furrows her brow, inspecting the clasps, “It looks a little complicated.”
“Here, let me help you.” You gently take it from her, “There are two sleeves that go over your fingers to protect them and keep the pieces secure. They stretch like this… Then, you put your other fingers inside and clasp this around your wrist.” You tighten the clasp, explaining that there’s a quick release in emergency situations. She listens closely as you show it to her, eyes wide in wonder as she slowly flexes her fingers. You watch as her lips part, a gasp leaving them as she watches it bend with the rest of her hand.
“Do you… like it?” You nervously fidget with your fingers, “I can make any-!” To your shock, Ellie’s lips are on yours as she cuts you off mid-sentence. Your cheeks burn as she pulls away, her face turning red as she realizes what she did.
“I’m sorry I- um…” Ellie clears her throat, rubbing the back of her neck, “Yes. I love them.”
“That’s good. That-That’s great!” You stutter, hastily standing up, “I’m going to put some more wood on the fire.” You speed walk away and your fingers brush over your lips. ‘That was even better than my first kiss.’ You think flusteredly, feeling a tingle in your lips.
Spring arrives before you know it and it’s back to working around the farm. Ellie - sporting a spring/summer version of her glove that only covers her two fingers - insisted on helping you. You two had addressed the kiss and Ellie apologized for it. You shyly shared the fact that it was better than your first one, and it snowballed into a whole conversation about your life here. Ellie was genuinely upset that you had been all alone for the past six years. The two of you got much closer, cracking jokes and having fun as you fixed up the farm. You learned that Ellie already knew how to care for animals, and she finally told you about her life before her incident. It was hard for her to talk about at first, but she shared a new story every day. You were happy to learn more about her life, but it made you sad, too. It gave you more motivation to help her through the days.
Along with becoming more open, Ellie was definitely flirting with you. She’d make comments about your work that focused more on you than what you were doing. It made you very flustered since you’ve never been flirted with before. You didn’t mind it. You kind of liked it. You end up flirting back, surprising her one day but she happily went along with it. It wasn’t long before you were catching feelings for the auburn-haired woman.
Life on the homestead was so much brighter with Ellie around. Your routines changed to include her and you found yourself with more free time than you were used to. You excitedly used that free time to show Ellie around the area or take her into the city. The two of you had a chance to enjoy the world together. A run-in with some infected showed you how protective Ellie was. She pushed you behind her, using her body to protect you as she fought them off. When they were dead, she looked you over with such a concerned look in her eyes you thought you might faint. No one has been that concerned over your life in a while and it made your feelings for her deeper.
“How about we go down to the river?” Ellie asks, hands tucked into her hoodie pocket. You look up at her, contemplating her question.
“I’ll have to secure the chickens first.” You answer, standing up and dusting off your pants, “I don’t like them being out if I’m not around.”
“Awesome.” Ellie gives you a breathtaking smile, “I wanted to sunbathe on the rocks.”
“Sunbathe on the rocks?” You giggle.
“Yeah, I’ve got to work on my tan!”
“Your tan?” You start laughing, “You’ll get a tan working in the field with me. You don’t need to sunbathe for that.”
“What if I want to tan my whole body?” Ellie raises an eyebrow, a teasing smirk on her face, “You’ll let me harvest strawberries naked?”
“Na- ked?” You choke, your face heating up at her words.
“I mean there’s no one around for miles.” Ellie shrugs casually, “I’ve always wondered what it’s like to go skinny-dipping.”
“Have fun with that.” You clear your throat, turning around and hoping she doesn't realize you’re blushing.
“You could come with me, you know? Relax a bit.” Ellie circles around you to see your face, “It’ll be a fun experience for the both of us.” You bite your lip and look down at the ground. With Ellie around, you didn’t have to work as hard as you used to. And, although she hasn’t mentioned leaving, you were always on edge for the moment that she decided she was ready. It would be another memory to add, to fondly look back on when she did leave you behind.
“Okay.” You nod, “Let’s do it.”
“Really?!” Ellie grins, “You’re serious?”
“Why not?” You chuckle at her enthusiasm, “You’re right. It’ll be a fun experience for both of us and no one is around. It’ll be nice to let loose.”
“Awesome! Let’s go!” Ellie grabs your hand and starts running with you back to the house. You laugh at her antics as you hurry around to secure everything before you leave. You can’t help but admire how easily Ellie locks up the chickens and properly closes off the coupe. ‘It’s going to be heartbreaking when she leaves.’ You sigh but shake off the sad feelings. You wanted to enjoy your time with her.
After securing everything, you leave the house and head off into the forest. The area Ellie was talking about wasn’t too far from your place. It was a beautiful river that went up to your waist when you had to wade through it. You were nervous, extremely nervous the closer you got. You’ve never been naked in front of anyone and you agreed to skinny-dip with your crush of all people? You stop and marvel at the beauty of the area. Golden sunlight reflecting off of the water with leaves lazily drifting along and making the place look so… intimate.
“Ready?” Ellie glances at you.
“Ah…” You look at the water. ‘It’s only Ellie. It’s not like I’m showing off or anything.’ You nod, “Yeah, I am.” You turn away from her, slowly removing your clothes. You’re conscious of every piece you remove, goosebumps covering your body as you think of Ellie’s eyes on you. It makes your body feel tingly. ‘God, what am I thinking?’ You close your eyes, letting out a long exhale. ‘I shouldn’t be having these thoughts about my friend.’
“Y/n?” You jump, feeling fingers brush against your shoulder.
“Yeah?” You respond, whirling around only to get the breath knocked out of you, “You’re… beautiful.” You whisper, mindlessly. You can’t stop your eyes from wandering her body, entranced by her beauty. Ellie is lithe, toned, and everything you had embarrassingly imagined.
“I… can say the same about you.” Ellie whispers, her eyes roaming your body in return. You blush, crossing your arms over your stomach in a poor attempt to hide.
“L-Let’s go in.” You grab her hand and hurry into the water. You let out a squeal, startled by the cold water against your skin.
“Holy shit, this is cold!” Ellie curses, her grip on your hand tightening. You knew the river never warmed up but this makes you want to jump back out!
“It’s a nice change from the hot weather, though.” You comment, carrying on forward until you’re up to your shoulders. A memory crosses your mind, one of you and your parents playing around in the water. You turn to Ellie and give her a mischievous smile. You came out here to relax and have fun, so that’s what you were going to do.
“What?” Ellie raises an eyebrow. You immediately jump at her, getting a shout of surprise as you push her into the water. You’re submerged underneath with her for a moment before you’re coming up for air. The first thing you do is laugh as Ellie sputters and wipes the water from her eyes.
“Y/n!” Ellie exclaims, a laugh bubbling up as she looks at you with wide eyes, “Oh, it’s on!” She lunges at you, making you shriek as you’re knocked underwater. The two of you go back and forth, jumping on each other and playing in the water. You hadn’t felt this carefree in a while and her laughter made your stomach twist. Laughter that you were the one causing. There was something about Ellie that made you feel so bubbly. Even once you were sunbathing on a river boulder, you felt like you were floating and it was all because of her.
“I’ve never felt this relaxed before.” Ellie sighs, turning her head to look at you.
“Me either.” You mumble, resting your head on your arm as you look at her. The sunlight made her face practically glow. You could see her freckles, her eyes shone like the leaves on the trees, and even her hair seemed more reddish than normal. You were content laying here with her. ‘I could lay here forever.’
“Y/n?” Ellie whispers, propping herself up to get closer to you.
“Yes?” You hum, lifting your head. Your breath catches in your throat as you see a soft look in her eyes.
“Can I kiss you?” Ellie says even quieter as if she’s afraid for you to hear her question. Your eyes widen as you process it, and your heart starts pounding in your chest. You didn’t expect her to ask that, but the more you played it over in your head… the more you wanted it. You wanted her to kiss you.
“You can.” You whisper back. Her fingers caress your jawline, gently guiding you up and toward her. The moment is filled with anticipation as your lips hover an inch away from hers. You were so close. So close to kissing the woman you were crushing on. You gaze into each other's eyes, hers flicking down to your lips before she finally kisses you. ‘Her lips are soft.’ You think, but become too entranced by them. The way they move against your lips. How it makes you feel… How Ellie makes you feel. Slowly, it gets more intense. Her kisses get needier, hands grabbing at your body beneath her and you reciprocate. She makes your body burn and you feel an odd ache between your legs. It’s almost saddening when she breaks the kiss, making your new issue more apparent.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be so touchy.” Ellie apologizes but you shake your head.
“I like it. I’ve never had this kind of intimacy before.” You say breathily, shifting uncomfortably as the ache becomes more obvious.
“Are you okay?” She asks in concern, “Are you sure I didn’t make you uncomfortable?”
“I- um…” You feel yourself blush. ‘Do I bring this feeling up to her?’ The concern in her eyes only makes it worse, “You didn’t make me uncomfortable, but I feel um… t-this weird aching I’ve never felt before. B-Between my legs.” You look away from her, feeling embarrassed that you don’t know your own body’s responses. You hear her chuckle and she turns your face back to hers. You can see the understanding in her eyes.
“It’s okay. It means that you’re aroused and this is what you feel when you are.” Ellie gives you a soft smile, “I can ease that feeling for you, but that involves me touching you down there. But, I’d only do that if you’re comfortable with that.”
“Oh.” You blush harder. ‘How could I not know that? My mom gave me a whole course about sexual health! I just… lose myself around Ellie.’
“I’m okay with that.” You respond shyly, “You can touch me.”
“Are you sure? You did just have your first kiss. Well, real one.”
“I’m sure. I would like for you to do it.” You nod your head.
“Okay, but tell me to stop if you feel uncomfortable in any way.” Ellie agrees, waiting for you to nod before leaning down to kiss you again. You can feel her hand move down to your thigh, it resting there while you kiss. A nip on your lip has you parting your lips and her tongue slipping into your mouth. A low moan sounds from you and Ellie’s hand drags along your thigh before stopping at your clit. She breaks the kiss and starts kissing your neck, making you tilt your head back.
“I’m going to touch your clit, okay?” Ellie murmurs against your skin.
“Okay.” You breathe out, a bit distracted by the feeling of her sucking on your skin. You feel her fingers shift before - “Ellie!” You gasp, a groan leaving your lips as a twinge of pleasure goes up your spine. Little whines and whimpers come from you as she plays with your clit.
“You’re doing great.” She whispers encouragingly, “Just relax into the feeling… Good girl.” You try your best to listen to her. She talks you through it, guides you through how you’re feeling, and explains the pressure in your abdomen. It feels like forever before the pressure releases and you whine out her name as a heat races through your nerves. You’ve never felt this before. It felt amazing yet you think you might burn up on the inside. It only made the ache down there worse.
“That- That was…” You try to catch your breath, “That was amazing but I still feel that ache.”
“I know.” Ellie pecks your lips, “I wanted you to feel that before I went in you… Are you ready?”
You take a deep breath to calm your racing heart, “…Yeah. I’m ready. You should totally kiss me again, though.” That makes her laugh and shake her head. This time you’re the one pulling her into a kiss. You’re nervous but excited as her hand finally moves to the place you need her to be. A shiver goes through your body as you feel her rub your slit. It felt weird. A good weird, yet you couldn’t help but wish she’d hurry up.
“I’m going to put my fingers in.” Ellie whispers, pausing your kiss.
“Do it.” You encourage her. She gazes into your eyes as you gasp, feeling her fingers enter you. You’re vividly aware of her fingers, the cool feeling of her skin is a welcome contrast to how hot you feel down there. There’s a pause, a moment for you to breathe and steady yourself before she continues. Every movement has you gasping for breath, sending waves of pleasure up your spine. Ellie’s nothing but sweet, once again guiding you through it because things felt different this time.
The pressure in your abdomen was slow to build up, compared to when she was playing with your clit. It was a deeper pleasure, lazily coiling through you but intense enough to have you moaning for Ellie. Her eyes on you are just as intense, making your heart clench in your chest. Her kisses are firm, purposeful, and dizzying at the same time. Even her words make you clench around her, to your surprise. It was a side of her you’ve only gotten glimpses of. A side of her you’re very interested in.
“Come on, beautiful.” Ellie coaxes you, kissing your collarbone, “Don’t run from the feeling. Allow yourself to feel it… Cum for me, it’s okay.”
“Ellie!” You moan loudly. You can feel yourself tighten around her fingers as the pressure releases and she lets out a low growl.
“Good girl.” Ellie kisses you, “Good girl.” Her words make you feel proud of yourself for listening to her. And you blush at her praise for you.
“Thank you.” You whisper, meeting her eyes, “Thank you for this.” You feel like you’re floating. Your heart was racing once again and there was an overwhelming feeling of love coursing through you.
“Shhh.” Ellie pulls you into her arms, “Just enjoy the feeling. Let’s enjoy this time together.”
“Does that mean you’re staying?” You ask hopefully, playing with the hair at the nape of her neck.
“I have no plans on leaving.” Ellie smiles and you feel overwhelmed with joy.
#ellie williams x reader#ellie x reader#ellie tlou#ellie williams#post tlou2#please read the warnings
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"a disaster beyond description" - the parallax view on parallax (& coast city's destruction)
i've often talked about the importance of pre-parallax retcon hal jordan, what a radical move his downfall had been for an art medium so uniquely focused on status quo and how much walking that back in post-2005 continuity damaged the character & his development. however, something i've become increasingly interested in lately is the outsider point of view on the magnitude of coast city's destruction and hal's descent into madness -- the reverberations of one of the darkest days in the dcu were far and wide for a good long while there but rarely acknowledged outside of nostalgia pieces nowadays and even more rarely understood as a thoroughly visceral, well-written, well-planned arc that intentionally portrayed the superhero world as largely unsympathetic to the trauma of one of their own but the average civilian as grappling with that loss nearly on the same scale that hal did.
to that effect, i thought i would show a highlights reel of this outsider POV and how much it adds to the weight of the pre-2005 story. while i've accepted some tie-ins to major events (ie zero hour 1994, final night 1996), this will feature titles entirely unrelated to green lantern presented in real life chronological order by publication date in order to showcase the impact that's compelled me so (that's no convergence: green lantern, no legends of the dcu #33-36, etc).
"every office, every home, every school and hospital is atomized. the west coast and its entire ecosystem is instantaneously shattered-- and more than seven million men, women and children that once called the coast city area home-- die."
to set the scene, the explosion that destroys coast city actually appears in superman 1987 #80 (cover date: aug 1993) as part of hank henshaw and mongul's plan.
the destruction had spread as far as santa barbara & the los padres national forest. getting closer to ground zero, hank henshaw also proceeds to resolutely take care of a handful of the sole survivors:
(adventures of superman 1987 #503, cover date: aug 1993)
you all know the reading order here. past the return of superman and the events of emerald twilight, the first outsiders to have gotten the news are the darkstars
whose immediate course of action is to brand hal jordan a criminal (darkstars #23, cover date: aug 1994)
and as zero hour-induced temporal anomalies keep coming up, the darkstars start seriously considering further tampering with time in order to prevent "the creation of a power-mad monster" (darkstars #24, cover date: sept 1994).
it's a sentiment that the majority of hal's justice league colleagues share, as zero hour: crisis in time and the final night both tell us, but a more sympathetic view comes two years later in the spectre 1992 #47 (cover date: nov 1996)
and a more neutral one from waverider in superman: the doomsday wars #2 (cover date: dec 1998)
interestingly enough, more details of the in-universe perception of hal's actions comes from deadman: dead again
where we learn that "sources close to the JLA" have actually issued a press statement naming hal as wholly responsible for the green lantern corps massacre, with no hint that they've been equally forthcoming about the motive behind his actions (deadman: dead again #4, cover date: oct 2001)
the last pre-retcon word goes to superman: day of doom #3 (cover date: jan 2003), a sobering portrayal of the immense horror of coast city's annihilation and subsequently a look into the reality that had made hal snap:
post-retcon, nostalgia pieces like dcu: legacies #8 (feb 2011) and dc retroactive: superman - the 80s (oct 2011) both treat the mad-with-grief version of the story as the truth -- as does the 2015 convergence event --but outside of these few instances, the tour de force of storytelling that is this years-long arc has been cast aside in favor of an unnecessary retcon. as the zero hour: crisis in time 30th anniversary approaches, i'd say it's just the right time to remember that hal (unrepentant hal, power-hungry hal, hell-bent on making everything right hal) had had a perfectly proportional reaction to the tragedy he'd endured, if not outright a justified one.
#hal jordan#green lantern#parallax#coast city#green lantern corps#zero hour#zero hour 1994#zero hour: crisis in time#hank henshaw#superman#cyborg superman#deadman#boston brand#donna troy#darkstars#the spectre#jim corrigan#dan jurgens#(to whom we owe 90% of this beauty)#meta#dc#dc comics#u can reblog
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Every May — August 2023 RTC production that I know about !! (If you see any of these, please get a recording of some kind!)
Abingdon Community Theater, Bel Air, Maryland — May 6th — May 7th
Stone Soup Theatre, Durham, North Carolina — June 8th – 11th & June 23rd — 25th
Santa Barbara High school, Santa Barbara, California — June 1st — 4th
Tribble School For The Performing Arts, Houston, Texas — June 1st — 4th
Mini Mirage Theatre, Kendall, Florida — June 2nd — June 11th
Oddfellows Youth Theatre Playhouse, Middletown, Connecticut — June 16th — June 17th
Emporia State University, Emporia, Kansas — June 22nd — June 25th
Skiing Squirrel Productions, Clinton, New York — July 7th — July 8th
Forest Theater Guild, Carmel, California — June 16th — July 9th
Trinity Theatre Company, San Diego, California — July 21st — August 12th
Opera Wyoming, Casper, Wyoming — August 4th — 13th (with a preview on the 2nd)
Brown Cow Collective, Alberta, Canada — August 11th — 26th
#It isn't much of a list yet lmao but I wanted 2 get this out before April ended#ride the cyclone#rtc#tommy talks!!#again; please get a recording of some kind !! even if it's just an audio !!
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did we ever get a straight answer as to where animorphs takes place? my personal headcanon is santa cruz cause of that one time comment about jake not seeing a boardwalk from the ocean and santa cruz has a really cool boardwalk lmao
Canon clues have allowed us to narrow it down to:
Costal city (1)
Southern California (2)
Not Santa Barbara (3)
Not Los Angeles (4)
But other than that, we don't know! So Santa Cruz could fit.
1. We know it's a costal non-rural area because, like OP said, there's a boardwalk within walking distance of the kids' homes. There are also dozens of books (#4, #15, #32, etc.) that feature the kids spending their days on a public beach. We also know that there are at least a few large office buildings (#23, #30) so it's not a tiny town.
2. #54 states that Rachel’s body is flown "back to California" for the funeral, making it clear that this is their home state. #51 states that "the state capital" (so, Sacramento) is "over 200 miles north" of the hork-bajir valley, so this isn't San Francisco.
3. Jake states in #54 that "I bought my parents a house in Santa Barbara" and they "moved" there, suggesting that this is a relocation to a different city than the one he grew up in. (Setting my Animorphs fics there was artistic license; at the time, it was the only SoCal city I'd ever visited and I had cousins living there whom I could DM with questions about the area.)
4. Ruling out L.A. is mostly deduction, but it's notable that Cassie’s land backs up onto a national forest, Marco's apartment is within walking distance of the beach, and a short bike ride will take you from one to the other (#4, MM2). It's my understanding that the best bicyclist in the world couldn't get from the woods-and-canyons part of L.A. to the coast of L.A. in less than an hour, so they're probably not in the city proper.
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Dead Dove. E.W x reader
wc; 1k
AUTHORS NOTE; hey y'all, new fic!!! this story is gonna be dark as hell so read with caution, Ill attach the trigger warning down below. enjoy!
!!TRIGGER WARNINGS!! EXTREME GORE, MURDER, STALKING ILLICT PHOTOGRAPHY, KIDNAPPING, MANIPULATION, DRUG USAGE. (I apologize in advance for writing this.)
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"Have you heard about the carnival next week?”
Jesse asked you as you both walked through the empty hallway. The only noise is the clacking of your Mary Jane’s. You shook your head, adjusting the collar on your uniform.
Suddenly, you crashed into something hard, knocking you off your feet. You winced and opened your eyes to see forest-green ones already taking your figure in as you sat on the cold hallway floor. Her glare gave you goosebumps,
She looked you up and down before stepping over your outstretched legs and simply walking away. Your eyes narrowed in annoyance as you glared at her back as she retreated.
“What the fuck!?” you exclaimed to Jesse as the girl left the corridor. You dusted yourself off as you stood back up. Shaking with anger, you continued to make your way out of the school.
You waved a curt goodbye to Jesse, the small interaction with the auburn-haired girl still bugging you.
Ellie Williams, a second-year at Santa Barbara High, a year above you. In middle school you had a giant crush on her, every time her green eyes met yours you’d internally panic.
Now all you felt was disgust, even if her freckles reminded you of stars.
‘How did I ever like that absolute dic-’
Stop.
You shook off the negative thoughts just as quickly as they came, you decided to just forget about her.
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‘Maybe she was just having a bad day?’
You flopped down on your bed as you tried to validate her actions, forgetting about her didn't last long. You became restless as you tried your hardest to fall asleep. The night breeze whooshed into your room from your open window. Your curtains are drawn back, leaving a full view of your bedroom from the outside of your parent's house. Your eyes slowly drifted into a deep sleep, leaving you unable to recognize the flash of a camera through your window.
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The next morning you’d wake up in a good mood. You walked to school blasting music through your headphones. You reached the alley behind your high school when you were alerted by your ringtone. Your phone screen lit up with an incoming Facetime from an unknown number.
Your brows furrowed in confusion as you swiped your thumb across the screen, answering the call.
A grainy video of you standing in the alley played on the screen.
You froze.
‘This is a fucking video call’
Your heart dropped as you slowly turned around, a masked figure faced you as they hung up the call.
You whipped back around and ran as fast as you could into the safety of your high school.
Your lungs screamed as you ran into the first period. Year 2 Literature, you sat in your usual spot as your teacher explained the project your class was assigned to do.
“All right guys! Partner up and get to work”
A chair screeched against the hardwood floor as it was dragged towards your desk. The sound made you flinch. You looked up so fast you swear you almost snapped your neck, still on edge from that morning. “Is it okay if we partner up?”
You met her familiar eyes and you just stared, confused as hell.
“Why?” you asked her.
“I wanted to apologize, for yesterday.”
You crossed your arms and leaned back in your chair.
“I was in a shitty mood.” she continued.
“It's fine.”
Ellie raised an eyebrow.
“Really- it's no big deal. Forget about it”
“Okay..”
You guys worked in comfortable silence for the rest of the period, you almost forgot you had a stalker that morning-
‘Oh shit, I have a stalker’
Your face paled at the thought.
“Are you alright?” Ellie asked as her eyes raked over your almost paralyzed state. You nodded almost robotically.
She looked like she was about to say something before the bell interrupted both of your thoughts.
‘Saved by the bell’
You collected all your school supplies as you walked to your next class. The lessons went on for what felt like forever. You were interrupted by your phone chiming in the last period.
Fear coursed through your veins as you noticed an image attachment. A picture of you sitting in class was taken just a couple of minutes ago. You looked around frantically, growing paranoid as you inspected everyone closely. Your heart pounded in your chest.
The walk home was worse, every crunch of gravel underneath your feet had your hands shaking a little bit more, making you look like you had just gotten out of an ice bath. Every passerby looked like the mysterious figure from that morning.
Your breathing begins to escalate as you run the rest of the way home. Trying to suffocate the feeling of eyes on you, watching
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Little did you know, you had every reason to be paranoid.
A certain freckled girl was indeed, watching you. Ellie had herself convinced her hobby was harmless. A healthy dose of fear was good for everyone once in a while, wasn't it? That’s how she validated her actions as she fingered the soft satin fabric of your scrunchie in her pocket.
“I think I have a stalker”
You blurted out to Jesse as he took a hit of the blunt you guys passed back and forth. The weed was like truth serum, that and the fact Jesse was your best friend. You couldn't keep anything from him. Your eyes stared at him, dazed from the substance use.
“What?”
You guys lay on his bed going through the messages.
“Y/N, this is fucked up. You need to tell someone” Jesse looked disgusted as he stared at the illict pictures.
“No! It's probably some stupid prank, I don't want to give them the satisfaction of knowing they got to me. Halloween coming up, it's probably Dina or some kid from my class”
Jesse nodded but still looked skeptical at your ignorance. You two finished off the blunt and binge-watched The Walking Dead together.
next chapter
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Los Padres National Forest, California.
The road was closed and I wanted to be at the far end of Romero, so I just had to hike it from end to end. It's only a little long for this, but most don't do it. Ocean views up one side, long views over increasingly large mountains on the other. It felt good to do this one in its complete form. I even went on to Cottam Camp after reaching the end of the trail. From April 2015.
#day hike#long hike#thru hike#landscape#wildflowers#Romero Canyon Trail#nature#California#Santa Barbara County#Los Padres National Forest#travel#hiking#Blue Canyon#Romero Canyon#outside#mountains#ocean view#mountain view#at the interface#hike
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Look for the light
Short description: The story picks up after Santa Barbara and Ellie's visit to the Farmhouse. Ellie decides to depart from the farmhouse without a clear goal or destination in mind. However, her journey takes a turn and she is saved by Y/N from intruders . Ellie, who is still grappling with grief clashes with YIN due to their strong personalities. Ellie finds Y/N annoying and Y/N challenges her in return. Due to a particular circumstance, they're forced to seek temporary shelter together.
Warnings : kind of enemies to lovers , they're not big fan of each other, mentions of death , guns , mentions of murder, potential smut in future , English isn't my first language
word count : 2.3k
Chapter one
Ellie had been in the forest for a few hours, looking for a way out without any particular goal in mind. She wanted to distance herself from the painful memories that bottled in her mind for past few years. The hope and glimpse of happiness she had felt vanished as soon as she entered the empty hallway of the farm house, leaving her only with memories. Deep down, she understood that pain would remain her constant companion, regardless of where she went. Still, at that moment, escaping her haunting past seemed like the best option, even if she lacked a clear destination.
The summer heat was unbearable, even under the trees. Ellie eventually found a small spot to rest, where she put down her backpack and grabbed a water bottle to quench her thirst. While she drank, a snapping sound caught her attention. Infected weren't common in the area, so she wondered if it was some kind if animal, which was the best case of scenario . She carefully put the bottle down, attempting to grab her gun . But it was too late. Out of nowhere, four men appeared, pointing guns at her. One of them grabbed her from behind, trying to restrain her.
" Fuck " she yelled loudly, as she was trying to get out of intruders' arms .
" Now easy girl, we won't harm you if you stay still " One of them said with a mischievous smile on his face.
" I'll fucking ki..."
She couldn't finish her sentence as man behind her grabbed her neck, attempting to strangle her. In the midst of the struggle, Ellie's mind raced, and she remembered the knife in her back pocket. In a blur of motion, she found herself on the ground, the last remaining man on top of her, threatening her with her own knife.
Despite Ellie's attempts, unknown man almost succeeded in his intent, but was disrupted with a gunshot echoing through the woods. Ellie pushed him away, discovering a stranger standing in front of her , putting her gun in the back pocket. Confusion swirled in her mind as the girl took in the situation , extending a hand, urging Ellie to get up.
"Come on, we don't have much time. There are many of them in these woods," the stranger warned, gesturing her urgently.
Your POV
"She seems so angry , scared and sad at the same time" you thought to herself as you looked in her green eyes , Quickly scanning her features on her face .
" I don't need your help to get up " She mumbled as she quickly got up , starting to collecting her belongings.
"Um... How about " thanks for saving my life?" you retorted, growing irritated with her behavior .
" I killed three of these fuckers without you, would've killed the last one as well " She looked at you , slightly rising her tone .
Despite her fiery attitude, she studied you, her gaze starting from your body and ending with your face.
" I don't think that you would be able to kill him with knife in your throat, but okay , you really seem like a person who has everything put together " You replied sarcastically, following her steps .
Rolling her eyes , she fully grabbed her gear, leaving you with a dry response:
" Anyaways , it was nice to meet you whatever, I gotta go " She wiped blood off her face , heading in the direction of the woods.
" Hey hey hey " you quickly followed her , grabbing her arm to stop her. She looked at you once again, scanning your features, waiting for what you were going to say
" I don't think you understood me earlier." You exhaled " I'm not very fond of you , trust me , but I think it's better to stick together, for few hours " You looked around " You don't know these people, there are lots of them, they are fucking dangerous and are ready to do anything , I mean anything " you explained, masking your fear. The horrifying scenes you'd witnessed hours before meeting Ellie were etched into your mind.
" Shit " she took deep breath " listen... I'm not scared of these fuckers , trust me , I can deal with them , but if you're scared and want , you can tag along until we leave this place " smirk accompanied her words.
" Oh you're just so brave , aren't you? " you rolled your eyes , letting her arm go, as you stepped forward, trying to take the lead " You keep forgetting that I was the one who saved your ass just few minutes ago " You glanced back just to see annoyance on her face .
" Now , we have to move , they're getting closer " You finished your sentence, continuing your way out of the woods.
Next few hours were quit, even too much quiet , other than exchanging small sentences, both of you focused on your own tasks, attempting to navigate your way out. It was evident that she shared your dislike for small talk, so you didn't even try to bore her with questions. It was clear that your paths would diverge once you escaped.
"Um, if you're hungry, I have some almonds left," she spoke up, breaking the silence, her gaze fixed on you as she studied your features.
"I'm fine, had something a few hours ago," you replied quickly , offering a forced smile.
"Okay, whatever," she muttered once more, struggling to match your pace.
And next few hours also were the same , except for catching her occasional glances in your direction, she remained quiet. Looking at the sky, which was barely visible, it was clear that it would go dark very soon and you needed some kind of place to stay in . While you didn't expect her to stay, you secretly desired some companionship after witnessing the ruthlessness of the other group, even if it meant being with this rather unpleasant stranger.
"Um..." You paused, locking eyes with her, as it dawned on you , that you didn't even know her name "By the way, what's your name?" you inquired.
"Ellie," she swiftly responded, even though it was obvious that she wasn't fond of sharing any kind of information with you
"Right, Ellie," you sighed, taking a breath. "It's getting dark. I believe we should find some kind if shelter , or not. I'm just informing you of my plan."
"I think we should keep movi—" She couldn't finish her sentence as a loud shout pierced through the woods.
" I THINK THEY WENT THIS WAY"
You both quickly moved away , realizing that that someone wasn't very far away .Finding nearest bushes , you sprinted down ,shooting Ellie a quick look.
"Listen, I spotted their group hours before they attacked you. I saw them encounter another small group , they killed them in seconds—tortured, even. Trust me, if they're close, we need to fucking run," you whispered m, striving to maintain your composure while flashbacks from earlier in the day replayed in your mind.
"And after... they did unspeakable things to the bodies," you added, attempting to mask your fear.
I mean..." Ellie paused briefly, her gaze sweeping around. "I'm okay with running," she added , meeting your eyes.
"If we stay together, we can escape this place. Just stay cautious and run no matter what," you took charge once again, the urgency fueled by the sound of their voices resurfacing.
"THIS WAY!" the man's voice yelled once more.
And you two ran . Other than taking few short breaks , you didn't look back , trying to escape this haunted place as soon as possible. You didn't know how much time has passed, only thing you knew was that after long , tiring time, you two found yourselves out of the woods , stepping in front of the house , which seemed in an enough shape to think that someone was living inside . At the same time , place seemed very empty and abandoned.
" Listen, I don't think we should stay here," Ellie murmured, concern in her voice. "I get that you're tired, but this place seems occupied, and more importantly, it's not far from the woods," she added, her eyes on you.
"I don't know about you, but I've had an awful day and I need need to rest. I'll check the house, and if it's empty, I'm staying. I don't give a shit about the rest," you exhaled, striding towards the entrance.
"Weren't you the one who just had me running for hours to escape those people? And now you don't give a shit ?" She quipped with a small laugh.
"Less talking, more action," you replied, once again annoyed with her , nodding towards an open window. Without hesitation, Ellie widened the opening, confidently entering the house without a word. She seemed experienced at this.
"Um, I think the house is clear," she called out loudly, the front door already open before you realized.
"Come in," she urged with a serious tone.
"It's only been like 30 seconds. How can you be sure?" you started to ask, but she handed you a note.
"If you're reading this, congrats. You're the new owner of this place because I'm probably dead, rotting somewhere near the river. One of those fuckers bit me, and I refuse to turn into one of them, so I'm going to end my life. There's canned food, clothes, beds, and other supplies in the house. Feel free to use them. But please, do not take my guitar and records. They belong here,"
You quickly scanned note , as mixed feeling emerged your body . On the one hand , you were happy that you found place to sleep in , but on the other hand , this note hit too close to home, as memories started to haunt you once again, remembering your family home , finding oddly similar to this one , as it was so lifeless and full of memories at the same time.
" Looks like we won the lottery " you mumbled and looked at her , trying to read her emotions once again.
" Yup..." She murmured, putting backpack on the ground " Let's just find our beds and I'll leave first thing tomorrow " she finished her sentence, as she scratched her head. Glancing her hand , you quickly noticed that two of her fingers were missing.
I wonder what she's been through," you thought, as Ellie caught your gaze on her hands, trying to conceal her imperfection.
"At least can we find some food? He mentioned canned goods," you attempted to brush off the awkwardness, but it didn't seem to alleviate the tension. Ellie appeared more distant now.
After opening cans of beans and peaches, you found a small table in the living room and headed towards it. As usual, Ellie followed you silently, taking a seat across from you. Dinner was again marked by quietness, though this time, Dinner once again was quiet but this time you were the one who was quietly staring , gathering thoughts in your head . Ellie seemed to be holding lots of emotions—sadness, grief, anger—all painted across her face simultaneously. She was so hard to read. considering the fact that she wasn't fond of you either, made it harder to get to know her even a little bit . Not that you were entirely sure if you wanted to. After losing everyone you ever loved in 20 years, forging connections wasn't high on your bucket list.
" Can you stop staring at me ?" silence was broken by Ellie.
Her words took you off guard, but you weren't the type to shyly look away , even though she was challenging you in many ways , you would never admit it.
" god , I looked at you once " you rolled your eyes " and what I'm supposed to do? We've been together for 12 hours already and you haven't said a word , I'm getting bored here " You took your last bite and put fork in the can .
Grabbing your backpack , you headed towards the hallway, quickly finding two bedroom doors . You checked, both had beds and matrasses that were somewhat clean . As you headed back to living room , you bumped into Ellie , who was standing in hallway, waiting for your next move .
" Um , I checked and there are two badrooms " you looked down , trying to get away from the awkwardness as soon as possible.
" Oh thank god I don't have to sleep wirh you " she said quickly, trying to make conversation less awkward, but it clearly didn't work . She took short pause , looked at you , continued talking with calm tone
"you can choose one, I'm fine with either" she gestured, as you gave her small , genuine smile .
" Okay, I'll take the bedroom that's on the left then " you said quietly, almost whispering, as she nodded, heading towards her bedroom .
Before you opened door , you took a small pause and turned around . It was like she sensed your next move , as Ellie was already facing you .
" I'm Y/N by the way " You murmured and looked in her eyes , she gave you soft smile , as she stepped back .
" well thanks for saving me today Y/N" She finished her sentence and before you knew, next thing you saw was her bedroom door closing in front of you.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Ahhhh I'm so nervous to finally publish this!!! I have had this idea for months and I finally had courage to write it. It's my first ever writing something, so please be kind and tell me whether if I should continue or not! Comment or dm me your thoughts, it would really mean world to me to hear what you think about it .

#ellie williams#ellie x y/n#ellie x reader#ellie williams x reader#the last of us#ellie tlou#ellie x you
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Re - banyan tree. Southern California has false banyans colloquially referred to as Australian banyans or Moreton bay figs, they don’t have aerial roots like true banyans. They have a few famous huge ones in Santa Barbara but they’re mostly in public parks / forests bc the roots are so intrusive that private property usually doesn’t have space for them. And they’re rare. So it’s likely not even their property. Why would you bury a miscarriage in a park or forest, wtf??!!!
And why would you write about it?????
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Elvira's House of Mystery Special #1
After working through two very much kids' comics in a row, it's nice to be back with a story that's willing to have a bit of an edge to it. And House of Mystery has delivered for me before.
Elvira's Christmas Carol
To nobody's surprise this is yet another retelling of the three Ghosts scene of A Christmas Carol. Elvira learns the spirit of Christmas by getting taken around by Cain, Abel, and Destiny. In the end she resolves to celebrate Christmas by sending a giant bat to Cain and Abel.
Oh, What Fun to Laugh and Sing a Slaying Song Tonight!
This one troubled me. It does contain a Real Santa (as well as several fake Santas), but I could have done without the magical healing scene.
We once again have a crook robbing a Santa gathering donations, and then stealing his costume and heading off with the cash to rob other places. Onija Smith, our troublemaker here, apparently just broke out of Rikers Island 2 hours ago and is on the run. He breaks into a house and while stealing all the gold and silver is discovered by a little girl - who thinks he's Santa! She's blind and asked to get her sight back for Christmas. Smith tells the little girl he's doing a spell by gathering all the valuables, then escapes out the window as he tells her he needs to get something from the sleigh to make the magic work. However... REAL SANTA suddenly comes down the chimney!
And cures her blindness. Yeah. That happened.
Santa's feeling old and tired as he gets back into his sleigh, and as he takes off...he runs over Onija Smith, killing him.
This is House of Mystery after all.
Oh Christmas Tree - this is by Barbara Randall so I'm going in with decent hopes.
A couple of social climbers (Faye and Steve) have just moved into a fancy new house and the wife wants the best Christmas Tree this year. They look at a bunch of options but Faye declares she wants a 'real wild tree' so they go chop one down in the forest (which was off limits for lumbering).
After a Christmas party of showing off the house, the couple go to bed and the tree comes to life, growing roots and through the walls to attack the couple and kill them in the house.
The tree's growth takes over the whole house, and is so huge it eventually gets cut down to be the Christmas Tree outside the White House.
'Twas the Night Before X-Mas...
The Night Before Christmas poem, about nuclear winter (this is a nice change, I haven't had many Night Before Christmases yet).
Some aliens stop by but find that the entire planet has been wiped out by the nuclear bombs.
However...their ship detects something moving and they worry it's a missile! (it's actually Santa)
Unfortunately, Santa gets zapped by the aliens.
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A gift for @txny-dragon written and drawn by @plumblossom37 based on the prompt “Meg meets death (or Death)”
The first time she met death, she was with Nero.
The bright yellow tape surrounded the area where her real father lay with huge slash marks across his gut. They were a deep red colour, matching with the rose that her mother gave to them.
She looked at the body full of horror, disbelief, and guilt. She turned away and sobbed into the purple suit of her father’s murderer; its toxic scent filled her nose. A dark feather flickered in and out of sight on the steps of the New York Public Library.
A change of the light, and it was gone. Swift like the wind.
The second time she met death, she didn’t remember it.
Nero’s imperial household was a palace of toxic. They were forced to train, to kill anyone and anything that their stepfather wanted them to.
It was inevitable.
The third time she met death, it was at the hands of Nero's colleague – Caligula. Only a while before were they all sitting together, eating fish tacos, chilling out on the Santa Barbara shore.
Jason Grace was stabbed twice in the back. She’ll kill him, she’ll kill him-
And her dummy former god nearly faced death, too, because he had the stupid idea of his to stab himself with the talking tree arrow. And all she could do in that cyclone of wind was watch in horror and disbelief.
She faced death countless times in Camp Jupiter. That stinking dead-but-not-really purple skeleton king. Everyone who died in the battle.
And almost that dummy big brother-of-hers-but-not-really, again.
She faced death a lot in those six months. For a daughter of Demeter, who was the goddess of growing plants and stuff, she sure did face a lot of death instead.
Then, she was free.
Nero could cause no more harm. And Apollo rid the world of that big snake, again. So suddenly, she was in charge of her step siblings, and she was back in Aeithales. And Lester was, too. He came by quite often, even when he was all goddy again. She had a feeling that he didn’t really like it up there.
-
The first time she met Death, it was only an accident. Deciding to leave Aeithales for a small while to get away from her step siblings and cool down was a mistake, apparently.
Skipping all the details, she was now faced with this emo-looking guy with large, black, feathery wings. And a tablet. In the middle of Actual Nowhere.
“McCaffrey?” Mr. Emo Bird Guy asked. Warily, she nodded once.
“Hmm.” he tapped some things on that tablet. “Well-”
“Meg!” She heard Apollo's faint voice in the far distance of… nothing.
All of a sudden, she felt her body mending back together, shifting back into place, and then the nothing was replaced with something. She suddenly felt the dry ground underneath her, and squinted open her eyes to see Apollo, with his extremely goddy getup. Ah. That's where the light was coming from.
She lifted her hand to shield her eyes.
“Ugh. too bright.” Meg heard some apologies, then the light faded away. She opened her eyes again, and Lester was there looming over her like a tree in the forest.
“As I was saying,” continued Mr. Emo Bird Guy from the other side, simultaneously giving her whiplash, “it appears that you aren’t on the list.” He looked at Lester. “She’ll be fine this time.”
Lester thanked Mr. Emo Bird Guy, who nodded in response and then disappeared as Lester turned his head back to face her, fussing over her and giving her ambrosia and stuff. Typical dummy Lester.
The second time she met Death, Lester brought him over for both his friends to meet under better, lighter circumstances, or something.
“So!” Lester said. “Thanatos, Meg McCaffrey.” He gestured to Meg. “Meg, Thanatos.” He gestured to Mr. Emo Bird Guy, whose name was apparently Thanatos. They stared at each other for a few moments.
“You’re that Emo Bird Guy from last time?” she asked, crossing her arms. Lester wheezed at the comment (“Emo Bird Guy– Meg, no–”) as Thanatos blinked.
“I… suppose I am,” he said, as Lester laughed even harder in the background. If he continued doubling over any further, she figured he would turn into those koru plants.
“Are you this dummy’s friend?” She jerked a thumb at Lester, who was still busy trying to quell his laughter. (“Give me a second–”)
“Of sorts, yes. We tolerate each other. That idiot stressed the Hades out of me on his trials, however. If I wasn't immortal, he would have taken off a third of my lifespan,” he muttered with exasperation (but Meg could hear fondness in there, too.) She snickered in response.
Oh yeah, she thinks this’ll work out.
#toasecretsanta#plumblossom37#txny-dragon#meg mccaffrey#pjo apollo#pjo thanatos#trials of apollo#toa#riordanverse#trials of apollo fanfic#trials of apollo fanart#toa fanfic#toa fanart#riordanverse fanfic#riordanverse fanart
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