⸻        ･ﾟ                 ✧              julian  snorted,  his  head  shaking  in  sheer  amusement  as  he  placed  an encouraging hand  on  felix’  shoulder. he  was  dressed  casually  for  the  occasion;  a  loose,  white  shirt  hastily  tucked  in  his  trousers  combined  with  his  mud-covered,  worn-out  boots.  the  difference  between  them  couldn't  have been greater  if  it  weren’t  for  the  similar manner in which  they  carried  themselves;  graceful  and refined,  a  posture  that  came  with  years  of  vigorous training  in  etiquette.    “    don’t  you  find  this  place  wonderful    ?    it's  as  real  and  unfiltered  as  this town  can  get.  absolutely  marvellous, i reckon.    ”   guiding  him  further  down  the  farmer’s  market as he beamed at nearly every trinket he spotted,  julian  halted  in  front  of  an  elderly  lady. she appeared grateful to see them both, welcoming them with a bright smile.    “    felix,  i'd like to formally introduce you to  mrs.  chen.  she  needs  two  pairs  of  strong  hands  today to  aid  in repairing  her  shed.    ”

@shoretides

at  first  he’d  found  great  enjoyment  in  the  simplicity  of  observing  her—  his  eyes  dutifully  trailing  over  the  movements  of  the  pencil  in  her  hand  against  the  parchment.  yet  his  gaze  had  been  quick  to  shift  upwards,  carefully  studying  her delicate features  as  if  her  beauty  was  something  he  wished  to  capture  and  remember  for  the  rest  of  eternity.    “    that  sounds  like  a  charming  way  to  start  the  upcoming  winter  season,    ”    he  mused,  lips  curling  into  a  smile.    “    though  you  must  promise  to  teach  me  some  of  the  tricks  i  saw  you  practice  last  year.  it was near magical, the way in which you were gliding over the ice.    ”

"are you doubting my navigation skills?" roni huffs, a slight ire in her tone. the frustrations from hiking longer than they should have been was getting to her, but that didn't mean she'd led them astray — she'd been on this path countless times before! she knew exactly which rotting tree to turn left at and ... roni stops in her tracks and turns to julian, her lips drawn down into a frown. "are you saying you want to turn back?"

⸻        ･ﾟ                 ✧              “    i  wouldn’t  dare,   ”   hands  shot  up  in  surrender,   eyes  wide akin to a deer caught in headlights.  while he  might’ve  considered  himself  to  be  rather fearless,  he  wasn’t  stupid  enough  to  dare  offending  her.  yet  the  heaviness  in  his  body  spoke  of  a  tiredness he couldn't ignore much longer,  yearning  to  be  enjoying  the  sandwiches  he'd prepared earlier that day.  upon  seeing  roni’s  frown,  however,  something  ugly  settled  in  his  chest  before  being  overtaken  by  a  new sense  of  determination.    “    no,  no,  let’s  continue.  we’ve  never  explored  this  side  of  the  forest.  who  knows  what  we’ll  stumble upon  if  we  keep  on  following  this  path.    ”  

truth be told the woman was really only half paying attention to the rest of what the other was saying, after the way he phrased those first words; chin rested on her hand as she nods along wistfully, thinking about what it would feel like were he to ever actually hold her up...those arms were strong and tan but he would for sure be gentle about it, she just knew it, because that was the type of guy he was... "...r-right, right, yeah, of course...I mean love doing this! like...for the animals! they're all so cute and...cuddly! i-i certainly don't mind, I mean i feel like I could just be here spending time with them forever, if I could! just...filling out forms and...feeding them, and roger's been recovering great, too, which has been so nice to get to be a part of, you know?"

⸻        ･ﾟ                 ✧              he’s  nodding  along  to  her  words  rather  thoughtfully,  heart  entirely warmed  by  her  dedication  and  gentleness  towards  a  greater  cause.  his  smile  widened,  positively  beaming  at  her  now  he  was  certain  they  were  on  the  same  page.    “    i  do  feel  similarly.  oftentimes  my  heart  refuses  to  return  home,  wishing  to  remain  here  instead.  there’s  always  something  to  do;  whether it'd be paperwork or  tending  to  the  animals.  though releasing  them  after  you  created  such  a  profound  bond  with  them  is  undoubtedly  the  most heartbreaking  part.  no matter how rewarding it may be  to  bring  them  back  home safe and sound.    ”    he  recalled  his  very own  first  rescue;  how  he  spent  countless  nights  by  the  rabbit's  side  and  how  terribly  hurtful  the  goodbye  had  been.    “    say,  there’s  a  sweet  goat  who  just  birthed  six  does.  would  you  like  to  see  them    ?    they need bottle feeding.    ”

The raven haired woman didn't even notice when her parrot flew off, trying to find someone to help.

his  movements  abruptly halted  when  he  spotted  a  woman  all  alone,  visibly  unwell.  the bird confirmed its intentions by  comfortably  settling  on her shoulder.  body  moving  instinctively,  julian  cautiously approached  the  stranger.  gently  placing  his  hand  against  her  side  in  order  to  support  her weight,   his  eyebrows  knitted  together  in  grave  concern.    “    miss    ?    are  you  alright—  is  there  anything  i  can  do  for you    ?    ”

" is it so hard to believe i simply fell asleep normally? mother refuses to accept that. the breeze was nice and i was looking up at the stars . . . " and just like that, she had drifted away into sleep — dreaming those fairytale dreams once again. " enough about family lies, though, i wanna hear more about your adventures! you're so lucky you got out of amethyst, i hear the housing in ruby is gorgeous. "

at  the  mention  of  his  housing  in  ruby  ridge  his  demeanour  shifted,  any  and  all  previous  concerns  disappearing  like snow  before  the  sun.    “    it’s  entirely  lovely  and  pleasant—  you'd  adore  the  place.    ”    he’d  have  to  convince  uncle  stephan  to  plan  a  visit.    “   i’ve  been  spending  my  days  off  tidying  up  the  garden  after  discovering  deer  and  squirrels  love to stop  by.  i’m  considering  building a  temporary  shelter  for  them—  something  warm  and  cozy  to  help them through  the  winter.    ” 

Anaïs Nin, Trapeze: The Unexpurgated Diary of Anaïs Nin, 1947-1955

Christopher Gregory-Rivera, Reza, Loiza, PR, 2019

[A white fortune cookie paper with blue text. Front: The best times of your life have not yet been lived. Lucky Numbers 41, 36, 22, 51, 39, 34 Back: August, Chinese text 八 (bā) 月 (yuè)]

SUPERMAN (2025) Directed by James Gunn

Joanna Klink, from "Wonder of Birds“, Raptus