#((Not entirely sure what she'd be a chimera with

[galarglory]

Realized I take a lot of inspo for Gloria from Dungeon Me.shi which made me realize Gloria's a little like Falin which NOW has me picturing Gloria as a Dragon Chimera

[chobani-flip]

outsider perspective @bucktommypositivityweek

Lady Cassandra Elizabeth Andromeda the First despised the tall loud one with all her heart. She longed to dig her claws into his stupid big arms and hiss-scream in his face: "LEAVE AND NEVERMORE LET YOUR HORRID STINK DARKEN OUR DOORSTEP!" but she knew there was no use.

For she'd already tried to do so the first two times he invaded their domicile with his loud noises and twitchy feet. But Her Human had always prevented her from driving her point home by picking her up and trying to cuddle her against his lovely warm kneadable chest. The ignominy! And he had the AUDACITY to make low, distressed, sorry noises at the Loud Stinker INSTEAD OF APOLOGIZING TO Lady Cassandra FOR THIS EFFRONTERY!

__

"I'm so sorry, Evan, I swear I don't know what's got into her."

"Hahah...Er, well, I suppose I need to give her time to get used to me."

__

The Loud Stinker was back again. Lady Cassandra supposed she'd have to add the use of forbidden magics to the black book of his sins for he appeared unexpected, uninvited and entirely under his own power! Without Her Human! One moment she was napping in a glorious sunbeam by the Tastes-Evil-Green-Leaves, and the next He was there! Armed with a horrific minion whose obedience he compelled by the continuous twitching of a thin black wand.

But Lady Cassandra would not be so easily threatened into submission! Not even by a chimera such as the one The Loud Stinker controlled, whose hideous long furred limbs and feathered tail quivered to the metallic beat of the jingle bells affixed to its collar.

She would allow that she had first chosen to take cover under the Tastes-Evil-Green-Leaves receptacle. But that was only to ascertain the threat and decide on the best plan of attack.

SHE WOULD NOT GIVE HER LIFE CHEAPLY!

She tucked her front legs under her neatly and readied her back legs and tail. She could feel her warm blood rushing through the clenched muscles of her belly, tension tingling from the the tips of her ears to the end of her whiskers.

"Jingle-lin-lin-ling," mocked the chimera.

Lady Cassandra let out a low growl and leapt. Like an avenging fury, she flew through the air and fell upon the foul beast.

With fang and claw, she tore at its treacherous limbs. With her back legs, she pummeled the soft body. She was not yet victorious for some evil magic still moved the chimera, trying to reanimate its corpse through a thin black hair. But Lady Cassandra was stronger and her cause was righteous and the jingle bells now tolled the invader's death!

Yowling, she gnawed at the hair. It was tenacious but her molars where sharper and stronger and at last, the beast lay dead at her feet.

__

"I honestly don't think she swallowed any of it, babe, she just bit through the elastic and the moment it wasn't moving, she lost interest. Well, she tore it up a bit. But it's all accounted for. Still, I wanted to let you know anyway ... No yeah no, you're right, I shouldn't push it. I just thought the toy might help, you know? ... The bedroom, I think. I thought I saw a bit of fluff under your pillow. ... Listen, I wanted to surprise you with dinner and wait for you here but I don't want to stress her out, so... You sure? ... OK, then. See you later, Tommy. L- See you!"

__

One foe vanquished. Another to go.

Unseen and in the comfort of her sanctum, Lady Cassandra bided her time. The Loud Stinker was in the Treasury now--she could hear his clanging and banging--but that could not be helped. She might have been worried if she thought the Loud Stinker shrewd enough to discover Her Human's stash of Delicious-Soft-Juicy-Meat-Bags in the topmost cabinet, but Lady Cassandra had observed the Loud Stinker enough that she was certain he lacked the wit.

Still, she needed a plan. The Loud Stinker could not be allowed to take up her side of the bed with impunity, nor beguile Her Human into his mating ritual when, accompanied by wretched new sounds from the metal box, he and Her Human slowly shambled back and forth from the Treasury all the way to the Sunbeam Room WHEN IT WAS TIME FOR LADY CASSANDRA'S DAILY BRUSH AND CUDDLE AND SHE COULDN'T EVEN NUMBER-EIGHT BETWEEN THEIR LEGS AND THUSLY MARK HER POSSESSION OF HER HUMAN BECAUSE THEY MIGHT STEP ON HER!

Lady Cassandra contemplated the contents of her stomach and whether there might not be enough for a hairball which she could then deposit into the Loud Stinker's shoe.

Hmmm, perhaps. It would not be very large, but in such cases Lady Cassandra believed a little went a long way.

She rose, stretching leisurely and began to plot her route. Moving swift and unseen until the deed was done was the key!

Lady Cassandra shot towards the sofa, then stilled, pressed her belly against the ground, and with bated breath listened for signs that she'd been detected.

Nothing.

He hadn't even turned one ear her way, the fool!

She allowed herself one satisfied wriggle and a swish of a tail before she rushed towards the hall. Keeping low to the ground, she danced through the shadows, claws contracted, not letting even a whisper of a footfall sound.

Almost there, almost there, just one more corner, then behind the door, almost-!

A loud wooden thud sounded from the Treasury and Lady Cassandra felt her feet freeze unbidden under her. She blinked, twitched her ears and hoped against hope that-

And then, as she knew it would, the siren song commenced.

Snip-snip-snip-sliiiice-scrape, resounded gloriously, tingling through every nerve and hair follicle of her body.

It was stronger than her.

Lady Cassandra turned and with the mien of one going to their own execution began her walk towards where the song of the Long-Shiny-Claw was calling her.

She made no effort to hide now, what use would it be? The Loud Human saw her then, stopped his song and made a hideous pigeon sound. Lady Cassandra was dismayed and disgusted at herself for approaching closer.

"....grrrssshh-ooo-argh-Lady-Cassandra-aeoiwgoad-lovely-girl-joihwadivawečtgae-would-you-like-some?"

Curse him! Somehow he'd learned the Spell only Her Human knew!

Ensorcelled, she stepped closer and craned her neck. Before she knew it, the Loud Human was bowing low to her, producing an offering.

Gingerly, unable to resist, Lady Cassandra took it between her teeth.

__

"Hi?! I-"

"Shhh!"

"-thought you... were asleep... What? I don't get a hello today?"

"Look. L o o k! Look at her!!"

"Oh wow! That's only what? One and a half? Two feet? How did you do that?"

"I don't know!"

"Well, what got her out of hiding?"

"I'm telling you, I have no idea. One moment I'm mincing the carrots and the next she's rubbing up against my leg!"

"Oh yeah, the magic of the cutting board."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, works better than her name. Every time. Am I right, lovely girl?"

"Don't wake her! She'll remember she hates me!"

"Nah, the way to Cassie's heart is through her stomach and you can bribe her stomach so very easily. Isn't that right, Cassie-girl?"

"Oh my god, she touched me! Can you see that? She's touching me!"

"Honestly, I don't know who's more adorable right now."

"Is she purring?!"

__

Lady Cassandra Elizabeth Andromeda the First stretched one of her paws languidly and shuffled closer to the warm Human. With five crunchy carrot sticks and a whole inch of a bacon rasher warm in her belly, she felt quite reconciled to his presence now.

After all, following his enterprise in the Treasury, he didn't even smell entirely objectionable now. His fingers under her cheek were perhaps untrained, but not altogether unpleasant. Lady Cassandra signaled her approval with one single soft trill of a purr.

It wouldn't do to show too much fervor, of course.

But yes, she decided, perhaps, with a little training, she might grow to enjoy having Her Human's Human around.

___

author's note: look, i don't know what happened? hope you enjoyed?

[lostandfoundvocaltrax2005]

October 3rd. Afternoon, at the time of writing this.

its been a good while since i've written in here (guess thats why i shouldn't make vent blogs..), but i haven't really felt like i've had anything to say i couldn't express in short bursts? even now i'm not entirely sure what to put down. so, i guess i'll start with this. my boyfriends came home from their mission recently, so my mood has been relatively stable and i don't feel like hurting myself anymore. which, i think, is both good and bad. i don't like feeling like i have to rely on them in order to stay sane, but i don't think it counts unless i tell them? its fine to feel things privately. on the topic of lovers, i have two things i'm not sure how to express concisely. i guess i'll start with the most recent, that being Viv. i guess almost everyone thinks we're a couple? i got the okay i didn't know i needed from her dad (he brought it up while cuddling me to keep from fucking me. which, hysterical timing for that, but whatever keeps it in your pants) and Vex asked me if she was a new partner of mine. i reckon it'd be the next logical course of action but she's kind of already taken and i do Not want to be the stepper on toes homewrecker. she said something that jabbed a really, really tender spot i didn't know i had. she that if i got old, she'd take care of me until we both vanished. (well, not that exactly, but thats basically the gist of it). i know that i am loved but goddamn is it good to hear stuff like that. it feels a little selfish to say im sick of people expressing their attraction to me, but i think its different when its just constant sexual remarks. it was both refreshing and nauseating hearing something like that. the second thought was that i've been thinking about my time in washington recently because i got an urge to look through old texts. i feel kind of bad for how i acted, but at the same time, i know that if i had been any softer i'd have gotten walked all over. my two exes from that school are dead and i don't really know how to process it? i guess? kylar killed himself to try and prove he wasn't a waste of time, and Kidd just straight up murdered crispin for the crime of stalking me. and that kind of reminded me that this other kid, hunter, fucking killed his mom over me! Nicole and i were joking when we brought it up, i never wanted anyone to die! i know its a matter of socialization difference and the fact i'm somewhere on the aroace spectrum (i looked into recently after Doc brought it up) but holy fuck chimera pussy can not be that worth it.

Dad said he'd jump off a building for me too. its all really disorienting to think about. i got "married" recently. its in quotation marks for multiple reasons (he put the ring on my right pointer finger, there were no witnesses, the groom is FUCKING FOURTEEN. FOUR. TEEN. in my defense it was NOT my idea i tried to talk him out of it but it didn't work). at the very least he's a sweet kid and has only really done things i'd expect of a boy his age. basically he hasn't tried to fuck or move in (low bar, i know). i've been thinking a little about how time travel works recently as well. i find it odd that things become "fixed points" once you know about them. i guess its a subconscious thing? i don't know, this is way outta my pay grade. ..speaking of marriage, actually. i know better than to put any stock into the words of people who don't give a fuck about me but, yknow, i'm paranoid. not my fault. i've been thinking recently about what that zydrate guy said, about how 17 is usually the cut off age for most pedophiles. i know Jackson said i had to be 20 for him to marry me, but i can't help being anxious. oh wait thats right halloweens coming up! Kidd's bday soon ^_^ and i gotta start working on my costume. i'm going as the guy who shot me a little while ago. yeah. hey, look, i never claimed to be smart. that was something everyone else decided i had to be. and also, its cunty. both the idea of going as the guy who tried to kill me and the outfit itself, its cunt. whatever. i don't have to explain myself.

i wonder what i should get for his birthday. i wanna go shopping this weekend, so i'll look around while i'm out. huh. i had more to say than i expected.

[transientfrost]

Oh, she wanted to choke him for that nickname! They had a serious situation on their hands, and he was making jokes and even teasing her over it - Did he not think? Or even care?! She'd give him that he was strong, but these were chimeras! Even those who'd had a hand in their creation had wanted to get them far, far away from the skies, and if they weren't careful, it was them they'd come back for, him included. The moment they found out the role he'd played in the entire mess that'd led them to that point in time...

But in the end, her frustration caught in her throat, his subtle call out not only insulting, but right on the money. "And what does it matter how they find out what they are? They've been finding out. Remember, one of them is almost as ancient as we are. She's had several millennia to hone those skills of hers, and now that control I have is breakable - And you're here insulting your own leash. She must not be around, or you'd never call that Fenix a bird brain."

Successful distraction? Probably not. Bringing up the 'bird brain' that had been linked to him, his own soulmate, would likely do little to keep him from noticing her quick turned of the conversation, but how did she tell him the truth? She'd given away some of it in an attempt to gain another contract, sure, but at least she hadn't given away all of it - Unlike that smug look on his face that made her blood boil and hands want to give him away.

"Besides, you know as well as I do that the memories still exist within them, Izayoi. All it takes is a little unlocking and reinforcing of the forms they've taken on, and they'll have them back. As it is, we have a dragon walking around with a memory leak, and that's another issue to deal with later on. It doesn't matter how they find out. What does is the danger that poses, even with the other safeguards in place. You know Ral. She'll have your head for what you did."

" And...? "

Honestly, if he could've shrugged any harder at Lunaria's concern right then, then he would've. Mock threats and 'what-ifs' went about as far with Izayoi as conspiracy theories did when someone else had facts to break them up with. Lunaria had every right to be concerned, that much he wouldn't dispute, but to Izayoi? These 'chimeras' were just another wildcard he could use to spice things up with - so he still wasn't worried.

" What's done is done, Lulu. You're not gonna see me act any differently now than I did back then just cause we've got a couple of chimera lovers who just so happened to get close. I mean, I doubt they'd even be able to find me, let alone actually be a challenge for me. And besides- "

" How would either of them learn the truth in full anyway? Unless someone like you clued them in. None of those bird brains alive from back then have all the memories left to share, do they? "

[manslaught]

it's not as if mikayla's done much to really earn taissa's trust— if she were able to think more clearly, she'd recognize that, know that she's lied to her repeatedly, despite most of them not even being believable. all the times she'd insisted there was nothing between them, that she didn't want tai, that she was straight; she told herself those lies didn't count, because they were fueled by fear, not malice, but they likely didn't earn her much trust regardless. but all the lies she tells her now are only to protect her, because tai doesn't understand the world mikayla comes from, because it's so much to explain, so much to put on someone else.

“ i didn't mean to. you weren't supposed to see me like this. ” she was supposed to just deal with it on her own, the way she always does. mikayla can't even find comfort in having taissa here with her, because instead, she's just anxious, knowing she has to give her some kind of answer, reveal a part of herself that she wasn't prepared to get into yet.

and almost immediately, she regrets giving her the truth, because she can tell it was a mistake. the irritation tai feels is obvious, though mikayla doesn't entirely understand it. she'd expected confusion, disbelief, but not this. maybe she should have, thinking back to the way some of the other campers act when they first arrive, like they're annoyed by everything they're being told, but mikayla always felt like that was different, because it is annoying to have to deal with all of it firsthand, to find out that they're doomed to a life of fighting off monsters just for existing.

anger begins to swell in her chest as tai pulls away from her, but mikayla does her best to smother it, to remind herself that this isn't something that's easy to accept— it was only easy for her because after being faced with a chimera, saved by a satyr, there wasn't really much room to argue after. she wants to be patient, understanding, but both are virtues mikayla's never excelled at, never even tried. she doesn't really know where to begin.

“ i told you i wasn't fucking normal. i don't know how many times i told you that. ” she remembers tai insisting that it didn't matter to her, but seeing the way she's reacting now, mikayla's afraid that maybe that wasn't true. maybe she will lose taissa, just because she decided to open up, tell her the truth about herself. and maybe it's for the best, to lose her now rather than later, because tai finding out would always be inevitable if they wanted to last— better to just rip the bandaid off now, to end something that's just hardly begun, rather than waiting years down the road.

she lets out an irritated groan, hands clenching into fists, ignoring the pain that shoots up her arm as she does. “ i'm not going to a fucking hospital, taissa. i'm not telling you all this because i've lost too much blood. ” there's a part of her that almost wants to use that excuse. it would be easier to just laugh it off, blame her lightheadedness, and tell tai to act like this never happened, but she's not sure if she could live with it after, if she could be with tai, knowing that she's unwilling to listen, to even try accepting the truth about mikayla.

but if she was tempted at all to take it back before, the thought vanishes entirely when tai throws that in her face, because it doesn't feel fair, not now. she has been real with her, telling her about her father, why she was so afraid to be with her, giving tai as much as she could without revealing the rest of herself— none of that came easily to her, not after spending her entire life hiding the entirety of herself from everyone, including her own siblings, the people who should have understood her the most. “ if i was going to lie to you, don't you think i would have chosen something a little more believable than this? i am being real with you. more real than i've ever been. ” she scoffs, “ what do you think happened? you think i got mauled by, what, a fucking bear in the middle of the city? is that what you want me to tell you? ”

mikayla had offered to prove she was telling the truth, but now that she feels like she has to, despite tai not asking for it, she's not entirely sure how she's supposed to. if she were like some of the other campers, like leo or percy, maybe then it would be easier, but her powers aren't as obvious, leaving her clueless on how to make tai believe her. “ just fucking look at me, tai. do i look like a normal person? ” for once, she's not just being conceited. even covered in her own blood, she's beautiful in a way that most people aren't. but mikayla knows that's not enough proof, that tai isn't going to just buy the fact that she's this attractive because her mother's the goddess of beauty, even if that's the truth. so mikayla reaches for the flask, not just to remind tai of what happened when she drank from it, the way almost all of her wounds vanished immediately, but so she could crush it in her hand, the metal crumpling like plastic beneath her fingers.

“ i can do shit like that. and you know that, because i've broken so much shit around you, even if you were too fucking distracted to notice. ” mikayla gestures toward the cracks in her headboard, indents that are too similar in shape and size to her fingers to be pure coincidence. “ and... the way people just fucking listen to me? you think that's normal? that day when my roommate interrupted us, when she was fucking crying about whatever the fuck happened, i told her to stop crying, and she did— it's because i didn't give her a choice. ” she's hesitant to even bring it up, afraid that tai might assume she's used that ability on her, if tai even believes it at all, but she just wants to make her realize that everything's been there this entire time, no matter how much mikayla's tried to hide it from her. “ i know it's a lot, okay? i know it's crazy. but i'm not fucking lying to you. ”

trusting her?  that's hard in any normal situation.  she rarely ever knows where mikayla stands,  and she leaves far too many loose ends for taissa to ever know how to properly deal with.  had it been anyone else,  taissa wouldn't waste her time,  feeling like way too many things were out of her hands for her to every accept.  but there's something about mikayla that just makes it so difficult for taissa to ever truly turn away,  something that pulls her in instead,  and after so long of convincing herself she didn't need to get this close to anyone again,  she finds herself longing for it anyway.  she just feels comfortable with her,  less exposed than she often does with those who are always asking too many questions,  and she doesn't want to lose that.  but right now, she doesn't know how to handle whatever's going on with her.  it's only making her start to panic.

 ❝  trust you,  ❞   she repeats, rolling her eyes and shaking her head quickly.   but she looks down at mikayla's hand as she places it on her knee,  and she wants so badly to melt into the touch,  to remind herself that whatever happened to mikayla,  it doesn't matter,  because she's here and she's going to be okay.  still,  something eats away at her,  telling her that it's not that simple.  there are too many signs that make it obvious it's not,  signs that taissa is desperate to ignore -- but mikayla's making that so difficult.   ❝  --- i'm trying, ❞   she says,  in a much calmer voice this time,  but she still looks at her with the same worried confusion,  and an attempt to bury the anxiety behind it,  too.   her eyes search hers,  trying so hard to believe her,  but she can't make sense of anything.  she has to take her word for it -- and that's not always easy for taissa.  after a long moment, she gives her a small nod,  trying not to dwell on the wounds on her features.   ❝  okay.  you're just--- freaking me out,  ❞    she admits,  and admitting that is more than she'd normally be willing to give,  but she's at a loss of words.  

if mikayla wasn't covered in wounds, taissa might have laughed to disregard explanation she starts to give,  because it sounds so ridiculous coming from her lips.  instead,  she gives her a small glare -- on that isn't intentional but happens regardless,  because she's already decided that the trust she was willing to give her a few moments ago is nothing now.  her jaw starts to drop  --  not out of shock or understanding,  but of pure annoyance,  because every word coming from mikayla's mouth now sounds so ridiculous, and to taissa, a little insulting.

she has limited knowledge of the gods -- all from classes that were such a bore to her because it was never productive,  just a waste of her time as she was entirely uninterested in the things she couldn't understand.  'aphrodite' is a familiar name -- one she likely disregarded immediately once zooming through an exam,  but now,  there's something so deeply dreadful about it.  she lets out a scoff first,  her leg instinctively pulling away from mikayla's hand as she tries to figure out how to process whatever she's spewing now. 

 ❝  yeah, that 'monster' really did a number on you,  ❞   she mumbles, words dripping with sarcasm,  making it clear she doesn't believe her -- but she's only more concerned about what really happened to her now,  because she's making no sense.  the problem is that whatever mikayla's saying may actually be registering somewhere deep down where tai doesn't want to reach --- because suddenly,  she's no longer intersted in getting to the real truth,  a wave of anxiety hitting her that she can't place.  if she thinks too long about this,  she might actually understand that there's truth to mikayla's words.  she might actually be open to hearing it.  but none of that makes sense on the surface, and even allowing herself one brief moment to truly think about it terrifies her,  so she has to push it down instead -- even if that means hurting mikayla in the process.

---  just as she did in the wilderness,  when the entity that swallowed them whole was calling the shots,  and tai refused to believe in it until she'd nearly pushed everyone away.  she believed in it out there  --   but once she returned to civilization, she promised herself never to give in to anything like that again,  because it made her feel entirely out of touch with who she was and everything she ever knew --- just as what mikayla's telling her now threatens to do. 

her jaw clenches, a scowl forming on her features.  she straightens up, preparing her defenses.  taissa isn't falling for it.

 ❝  what the fuck is wrong with you?  ❞   she's caught between her worry about mikayla's current condition and her own selfish need to build a shield to protect herself from everything that is unknown to her.  nineteen months in the wilderness didn't actually provide the clarity she convinced herself it might have out there -- it only put her even more on guard,  not just to those around her who wished to dig out every secret she had carefully buried away,  but to those who might try to drag her into something she can't possibly make sense of.  ❝  seriously,  mikayla.  you do sound fucking crazy.  just fucking let me take you to the hospital,  ❞   she insists again,  because it's better than asking yet again what really happened,  and it's more comfortable than actually allowing herself to entertain the idea that a fucking greek god is her mother.  

❝  unless you really are just that fucking afraid to be real with me about anything,  ❞   she can't help herself from adding,  bitter resentment creeping back up from the time when it felt like mikayla was only playing with her heart over and over again.  there's no real reason for it to come up now -- other than tai's attempt at a defense mechanism,  because despite not wanting to lose her now,  she'd rather argue over something that she can make sense of,  rather than something she's too afraid to know might hold some truth.