Written Wonderland

Nick thought he saw an imagination of something in Rav's eyes, which gave him hope that he had, in fact, offered something at least a little bit inspiring. "Wood is definitely a different beast," Rav said, and competing reactions rippled through Nick - some parts defensive, but some parts ...

Rav laughed, and Nick giggled again himself, delighted by the energy in the air. It felt like things were loosening, flowing more freely. Rav quieted, and seemed about to say something, but eyed a woman with a stroller approaching. Nick offered the woman a friendly smile, which she returned briefly,...

After a moment, Jaz chuckled, and Ren raised a curious eyebrow to her as he swallowed his bite of food. She was quiet for a beat longer, perhaps lost in thought. "Our myths say," Jaz finally began, "that Dehaljadrun sang the plants into being when she first created the realm, and we s...

Rav drew in a deep breath, and although Nick couldn't quite put his finger on why , something about it sent a thrill through his stomach. Somehow, he managed to keep his gaze on Rav even through the sensation, maybe almost as if to say, yes --although, admittedly, he wasn't entirely sure to what. Ju...

"Yes..." Jaz stretched the word into two syllables, amused. Ren was about to ask her to sing another song, then--once he finished his present bite of food, and once he formulated his words properly as a request and not a command--but she closed her eyes, in a way that stilled him. She almo...

"Catalpa trees, huh?" Rav commented as they descended the path down the hill. Nick's mind had briefly been elsewhere -- trying to reach for what conversation he wanted to have with Rav. Hadn't he had some idea when he'd suggested going for a walk? He relinquished his pursuit for a conversa...

"Yeah," Rav said, nodding. "I mean, I spent a lot of time hating myself, once I realized what I had done. But it didn't get me very far. That was just a way to distract from actually healing, I think." Nick gave something of a commissatory frown. He was really grateful it sounded...

Cory's eyes took in every nuance of Juniper's expression, and he allowed himself to see his own influence in the subtle heaviness of the man's lids, the gentle rubbing together of his lips. Cory's chest fluttered with warmth and excitement, for now leaving fear off to the side. For this moment, he w...

During the silence Nick left open, he pondered over what hadn't sat right about what Rav had said. Tentatively, Nick was hopeful that Rav hadn't really meant anything negative by it, though in that was a bit of sheepishness about why it hadn't landed for Nick how Rav had probably intended for it to....

Cory lived in each subtle breath that escaped Juniper's lips, in each raise and furrow of his brow. Silence passed between them for what felt like an eternity, but Cory held fast, weathering the uncertainty as slowly, Juniper's gaze turned to the nude sketches beside them, and returned to Cory just ...