press garden . dnp

two weeks. time slips past reaching fingers and into unwavering sands, mocking and pensive in form. two weeks since messy laughter last echoed within head dizzy, dizzy, or she has curled up against skin broken chest, listened to the beating of war drum heart. two weeks since half smiles curved lips and catalyst hands tried to hold another, gentle, gentle. two weeks since shards of what once was and had beens shattered image. two weeks since they came to a sudden end- no, no, not sudden.

that says that neither could see, neither could see it coming. but it's been building, building, rising, rising to a head, the distrust weeding between them since last february's fallout. it has never ceased, has never been soothed, smoothed down so love could flower properly, like lilacs weaved into skin. instead toxicity rallied, blistering cesspool that hurt their passion for another, poisoned minds and tongues until snipes whizzed past teeth, and anger colder than winter's frost consumed two once-lovers. by then they just held on to the bare threads of once what was, remnants of past that they thought they could breathe life into. and look how that turned out.

still, chicagocrimes cannot say that she hadn't loved jade.

she does love her.

jade, a being crafted of nature's cruelties and all-consuming hearth fires. jade, who is hotter to touch than any inferno burning within hades oily lair, a true hercules. jade, who has fought with wired teeth and power that even boldest of warriors cannot fathom. jade, so sure and firm in mind and in her ambitions, ambitions she yells proudly upon pomegranate tongue tip. jade, perceived by the world as impenetrable as she sits upon throne of thinning bone and rowan branches, hellfire personified.

and yes it is true that that is what first held her admiration, her budding of feelings. but then, that is not who she fell in love with. no, love came after, after she got to see jade as she is.

jade, who's smile came so rare but so godly, holy ambrosia and angel sweet, when graced upon her. jade, who's laughter was like rain, a soothing balm to hurting creature ruinous, ruinous. jade, tender in her touches upon shoulder or against side, hands that look so rough capable of being something else. jade, with mind so sharp yet humor so half-thought out, pauses in speech when train of thought faltered so quick to bring laughter from dead girl. jade, an innocent pushed into nature of war and bloodshed, and there is kinship in such misery.

the fact that long strides walk where love once blossomed, now lonesome and stressing is tragedy undwinding. love is doused by crashing waters, and homeland seems to be drowning, drowning. for the dead girl is falling apart, a perfectly put together mess not so perfect, ruined mind running rampant with guilt and anger and self-loathing. chicagocrimes has dealt with heartbreak before, by same hand no less. and she can fight wave after wave, but now following smell of blood on wind, she might just go under.

she is no stranger to confrontation, to slashing claws splitting skin and sharp biting teeth spilling coils of red icky snakes, metallic, copper. but it is the smell attached to it that has her on her feet and moving, closer, closer, with panic pushing to forefront and throat wadding up into knots as she is searching, searching, searching.

and what she finds spills greater terror into veins, a jolt that makes woman unsteady on feet. blood, crimson, foreboding, deep spills over flowery meadow grounds, horrible and overwhelming in every way but that is only the start of downfall. for a body lays midst of it all, lashes of oranges and blacks and browns and whites oh so familiar, familiar, known, loved. first thoughts are of denial, a burst of frightened tears taking eyes because she's losing her, she's losing her, and woman collapsed at her side in an instant. "medic," words tremble with growing emotion as paws push, push against a wound too deep, bleeding and bleeding and bleeding. it stains her hands, hands so desperate as they steady against spilling, torn, cold, flesh. jade was dying. jade was dying. no, no, "MEDIC." jade was dead.

Quote

a really neat sub plot for the sanctuary

FEAR LANDSCAPE

— y/c is victim to a chain of nightmares (meaning they wake up from one nightmare to the next, ect) and in order to escape they have to either a.) conquer their demons or b.) let the nightmares run their course. it can be a oneshot, it can be open for others to reply to or just there to look pretty, it can be some development for down the road, ect, its all good.

developing on this, maybe instead of a nightmare the sanctuarians learn about the dangers of drinking from cinnabar lake and have fever induced hallucinations

- the initiation process? maybe the gaia, since it's protected by the spirits, determines it. like say its someone who comes off as a little shady tries to enter and all the spirits rush through them and keep them from entering the gaia until they can prove to be trusted? the sanctuary members could probably set tents up around the gaia in case that happens or something. another initiation process could be a lil welcoming party where the newcomers drink 'tomato juice' its actually the blood of their enemies and pledge allegiance to the sanctuary. kinda similar to the gaia ceremony, ya know?

- this side of the meadow is cursed, which explains the snake eyes event every two weeks, and since the gaia is protected by spirits its probably the only "safe spot" in the territory.

- the sanctuary can probably start considering itself an anti-clan since it already values a lot of anti-clan morals. maybe it isnt your typical anticlan though, where it captures neutrals and enemies alike out of the blue. (THE FOLLOWING QUOTE/SUGGESTION IS FROM CHECKERS; maybe the sanctuary could become like, an anti-clan, but they only track down and hunt those that are guilty of something? like a vigilante theme?)

- regarding the events we already have i think some of them should go from appreciating and honoring the spirits to actually being involved with them. our traditions seem very repetitive in that sense, the seasonal ones especially. any ideas? i like the spring jubilee and the harvest festival, but maybe two of the other three are more spiritbound.

- meetings are prob gonna be held on the spiral staircase in the gaia from now on because her voice can echo off the walls and that's where everyone seems to be the most anyhow??

- maybe limpid lake allegedly serves as a home to the dead lost to its currents and often times at night, people can hear pleas for help from the drowned and such. through the steam, one might even see the spirits fighting the tide.

— HARVEST BALL

every month, the sanctuary's community holds a ball in front of the gaia, setting up games and banquets before the tree, where in return the spirits that dwell within it begin to sing a chorus of melodies that members and their allies can dance to. wisps often appear on these occasions, parading around the gaia in a harmonious circle until the sun rises.

— HALLOW'S MOON

an annual fall event where the dead and the living come closer than they are in any other season, the spirits stronger than before. night falls faster and faster until the sun never comes up and the paranormal are pulling the strings under a cherry red moon. with this comes both good and bad spirits, maintaining physical forms and bringing either the best of wishes or the worst of consequences.

— STARRY NIGHT MARCH

an annual winter event. limpid lake allegedly serves as a home to the dead lost to its currents and often times at night, people can hear pleas for help from the drowned. through the steam, one might even see the poor souls fighting the tide. to honor those who drowned in the lake, when the sun starts to set the sanctuary marches down to the lake with lanterns in hand. there, they light them and let them wander down the lake, towards its center where the waters then suck them down. it's a somber event, peaceful and sober.

— LIVING DEAD FESTIVAL

an annual summer event.

— SPRING JUBILEE

an annual spring event. a series of booths are set up for the entirety of one month, like ring toss and paintball. gardening and cooking contests is what kicks it off, and a brief tournament marks the end of it. there will be two events per week between the sanctuary and it's allies, the tournament being the end goal.

「 I'VE BEEN HELLBENT, BABY. 」

✧°. HELLBENT ON LOVING YOU ALL DAY LONG

( HELLBENT ON DRUGS 'CAUSE THEY TURN YOU ON. )

❁ WELCOME to the sanctuary's october-november mass adoption! here litters will be put up for family, friends, companions, plots, and more! we'll do our best to keep this constantly updated so we can help you grab a character and get involved with everyone in the the famtuary! now without further adieu i give you the litters available for this month and when you're done here, keep an eye out for the hp tryouts! we hope to see you all very soon!

❁ LITTERS

❁ FORM

aggressive, daring, ambitious, affectionate, emotionally childish, assertive, fiery, possessive, social, self confident??, direct, harsh, decisive, independent, risk taker, thrill seeker, sarcastic, selfish, secretive, unfettered, impulsive, wily, resilient, destructive, ruthless, unforgiving, vengeful, impatient, detached to most tragedies, twisted morals, mostly uncooperative, enigmatic, high strung, rule breaker, two-faced, confrontational, partly lacking in empathy, finds it hard to trust, cynical and ultimately suspicious of others.

— strengths: raw fighting talent, strong will to succeed, ultimately looks out for her home

— weaknesses: prone to making enemies, bad with accepting change

OVERALL MENTALITY: "me and mine first."

things that have / will be developed icly

— gonna develop a bad habit of biting down hard her lip when angry and trying to suppress it (the pain tends to help ground her, though she can quickly spiral regardless). this is her trying to reign in her own impulses and sharp tongue.

— very family orientated but blood is by far no exception to wrongdoings- watch your step.

— loves the thrill of adrenaline that comes with a fight and tends to seek them out in times of stress and frustration.

— does not know how to handle events circulating around death and tragedies in general- her initial reaction is almost always to behave aggressively / violently rather than act as a balm or a source of comfort.

— very private when it comes to herself- does not appreciate those who nose around.

— ultimately protective and possessive of her family, with this notion also extending towards annabelle, threefold, and wolfgang.

— a real fucking bitch, likes to screw everybody over and watch them go off (esp if its krieger or roosterteeth).

— prone to pet names like 'kid', 'boy/girl', 'lil fella' even if the person in question is an adult or taller than her.

SPEAK NO EVIL

AESTHETIC , the thick feeling in your head when you stand up after taking a steamy bath, finding shapes in the clouds as a summer breeze pushes them across the sky, moonlight seeping through blinds onto soft white blankets, the nostalgia that comes from watching old cartoons, dandelion seeds sticking to wet cheeks, the feeling of stars shining down on your face, the smell of wet earth after rain, skin stained with splattered paint, washing your face with cold water, ice cream dripping down the sides of a cone, damaged souls afraid of confrontation, whispers filled with secrets, waking up to the rhythm of rainfall, driving on an empty road, early morning road trips, sitting outside in the evening, warm milk, long hugs.

a little doll made up of darling snowy whites and peachy creams with fur naturally tousled and ruffled, apple is a pretty flower, fitting the mold of fairytale classics easily. soft lashes round peppermint ice blue eyes; a smattering of mocha freckles faintly dust their cheeks, ankles, and hindquarters; red roses and green shrubbery dot along their fur, neck, legs, cheeks, ears, etc at random, weaved and rooted into skin permanently. though not all dolls are without their faults, for the child is missing a hindlimb, torn from the knee and down. the smell of raspberries, pomegranates, and roses often precedes their presence.

feelings about deathstroke, probably; intimidated. they know his name through bill, who did not spare them the explicitly and gory details of his deeds, of all his crimes, they are far from ignorant. he is hardly one to be trifled with or teased, but that is not thought with admiration or wistfulness or anything of the sort. they know what he has achieved to reach that status.

scared. they have seen what he has done.

anger also, because they have seen what he has done. attacking and slaughtering children, where is the pride in that? where is the pride in murder, in torture? they don't understand. they don't understand and their thoughts, their triggers, can't help but wrap around faces of older times. darkstalker. moge-ko. miles. bill cipher. maybe even troubled komaeda. they see all of them in him and it disgusts them.

bruised and battered for attempting to fight back probably, for resisting and snapping their teeth at him. voice will quake, bordering on fear and rage, more rage, when talking to him. scared in the face of danger, but not willing to back down, they have been pushed around for long enough, but then bewildered and confused- but not slow- upon release.

and then exhausted and maybe embittered upon coming back, unsaved, to ruinous borders. they return to their shell, the process of recovery starting anew. muted entirely, no words, no signing. more so a doll than ever before, not dead but certainly lifeless. they are hardly hurt physically, but mental and emotional barriers have been tested. they just might wilt.

or, alternatively, making it halfway through the loner lands to find a raid party on its way. shock at anyone coming, that the story has been rewritten and though the ruins came a little too late, they were given enough thought by their people to be saved. their health improves considerably despite what happened, they are under protection and they want to return that feeling of safety, of defense. they do not bend under deathstroke's will in the face of this enlightenment. instead, they grow.

positive traits adaptable, adventurous, affectionate, agreeable, amicable, benevolent, capable, caring, charming, compassionate, curious, determined, diligent, efficient, empathetic, encouraging, forgiving to a point, friendly, gentle, genuine, hard working, imaginative, kind, logical, loyal, passionate, perceptive, persistent, selfless, sensitive, sympathetic, thoughtful, tolerant to a point.

negative traits anxious, clingy, compulsive, defensive, defiant, dependent, difficult, disobedient, disruptive, over-emotional, envious, foolish, forgetful, impatient, impractical, impulsive, insecure, jaded, jealous, melodramatic, moody, nosy, naive, obsessive, over-thinker, opinionated, picky, quixotic, secretive, self-destructive, stressing, stubborn, tactless, temperamental, touchy, unruly, wary, wrathful.

backcountry winters, broken glass thoughts, sinner's promise, gas station princess, chipped orange nails, ice queen, great frost, hellfire and brimstone, megaera's blood, graveyard cold, dead girl, devil's child, ghost flesh, death standing, death stands still, icy hot, sugar plum eyes, bloody knuckles, war drum heart, thunderclap voice, blizzard unfolding, sleet and bone.

uhh a flowery?? writing piece following chica's childhood and leading up to her death. gonna keep it vague/confusing as hell for the sake of story purposes. tw for mentions of rape and minor blood/gore.

THREAD IDEAS & PLOTS

— [TW: alcohol mention / alcoholism] she relapses, she relapses hard. its been months, a year almost, since lips last touched burning amber. everything is falling apart around her, she's being remimded of terrible terrible things, people she looks to for support are brushing off her feelings or putting her down for acting the way she is. you're our leader, you're supposed to be an example, act like it, act like it. turns out she can only get herself so far before she's looking down an emptied bottle again, mind fuzzy and tongue thick but troubles just as unclear, and thats all she really wants. she's back to square one.

— her fiance is gone again, never to come back and why would she? so she's hurting, she's hurting and angry and stressed, and she wants someone to go to and soothe this pain, to take the edge off. a replacement. cue another messy line of discount lovers and one night stands, nowhere near the real deal but just enough, enough for her. and when she wakes up to messy sheets and the smell of cheap alcohol one day she'll think to self with grimm brother's smile, 'god, i really have hit rock bottom, haven't i?'

— following the string of lovers, there's a self reflection thread, one where she addresses own demons and struggles, stupid mistakes and long lost lovers. chicagocrimes come to terms with some things, one thing- she was not made for love, for sugar sweet smiles and rouge flushed cheeks, for pitter patter of heart and squishy, wriggly warmth. she was made for war, for bloody knuckles split and weeping, for skin bruised a throbbing and tender lilac, for a hell scorched body. forget love, forget feelings, she's tired of the pain that comes with it, she's tired of trying to make things better, and she's tired of testing it's barriers. a lost cause, a promise to ruin any daring to try, she's falling out of interest with that one thing she hoped to achieve over all, pushing other ambitions further and striving to build an empire out of the wreckage. and it absolutely destroys her.

chicagocrimes tends to just . . . ruin whatever relationships/friendships she forms with someone. fishbone, she let her anger get the best of her and chewed him out to hell and back. jade, she cheated on during one of their fights and then let the problems and mistrust fester. breakout, she practically throws out in favor of preserving her home.

ICONS

ICE ELEMENTAL NOTES

— in battle, shards of needle like ice to cut skin or serve as a distraction. freezing the ground under the enemy's feet to make them slip and fall or freeze them in place. Frost Bite™. ball of ice to throw at others, sometimes encircling a heavier object like a rock or something.

— in general; air gets colder when she's present, ice crystals blossom in her fur and between her toes if annoyed / shocked / etc.

horror lorem ipsum needles at bowels alarming. killer mental psychotic sliced. edginess anxiety tension, claw at deteriorated in, creep a tear. anthrax putrid, disturbing and morbid convulsing, rotten menacing fatal bleak, monstrosity dread with demon scourge terrifying. blood ashes tearing in drowning spooky at fanatic with murderer. breathing heavily hell an. rabid anthrax fanatic tearing at a squeal. drenched scream scared dark. creep serial killer, bury a scourge menacing, pain bowels nightmare. needles at bowels alarming. shriek terror shadow, darkness in tense ac, motionless drowning full moon. demon. in fallen angel non terror decomposed rotten teeth. cat at decapitated guns. gnarled hazardous, gore michael myers grave ripped, trapped daring rotten worms, vampire monstrosity bleak are at flesh. pain needles commodo drool rabid nightmare. falling are graveyard graves est. needles at bowels alarming. gore at chainsaw knife crazed choking helpless. disembowel stab, chains dungeon torment fiendish, gruesome psychopath monster captive, a mutilation possession obsession at fanatic. eerie needles edginess, graveyard o, "please dont hurt me."