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sillyfudgemonkeys · 3 years ago

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Comic buff with a thought, I notice the P5MM art and composition is more striking and closer to p5's art and style than the other manga, which is fine, but kinda... flat. (I find myself thinking there's something missing when I read it, then I look back at P5MM and I notice how there's more clever paneling, imagery, and stylistic choices akin to the games in it (like that one goro panel ya had a rant about) and I realize what's missing) That could be why P5MM is brought up more, just a guess. I dunno how you feel about all that though, I'm curious.

Under the cut cause it gets long cause of pictures:

I am very big on art style and visual presentation. I do actually judge a book by it's cover (manga, game, movie, show, yadda). If I find something pleasing to my eye I'll read it.....even if the contents are trash. Domestic Girlfriend is one, horrible manga (didn't finish, was holding out for Momo, aka best girl, and getting closure for her....then I bounced). Didn't watch the anime (didn't need to I was way ahead in the manga I think), but I know that opening is wasted on it. ldskfjaf Don't invest your time into it, it's not worth it, you would probably learn better morals from P5.......probably. But yeah I found the art style pleasing enough to try it out (I's not amazing by any means, but I like looking at it....or did.....that writing man....dat was bad ;w;).... *waves hands vaguely in air* yeah.

Fun fact, it's why I got into Persona. I happened across an ad for P4 on the PS2 in the Gameinformer magazine, it showed a screenshot from an animated cutscene plus one of the fully body art for the chars and I was like "Yes this is my jam!" (which only doubled down when I read what it was about, and it was a murder mystery and the article also talked up "the mystery of the glasses" which fakldjsalkfs yeah). So yeah it really clicked for me.

Tbh it's why I'm probably going to get back into freaking Bleach, and it's why I got into it and Naruto over One Piece (I don't think I'll ever read ON I'm sorry). Tite Kubo has sexy art what can I say? Can't trust a thing that man writes now but eh. It's also the reason I read a lot of Shojo (and now Yuri) manga, cause their art style is usually what I find very appealing (even if I've read the same gd shojo love story just by a different name for the 1000th time, give me the flowers and sparkly eyes! they are my life blood!)

And I've mentioned I really like Saito's art style. I've (attempted) to color some of his pieces on top of animate some manga frames (most of which I haven't actually published......I...I should....get around to finishing those up....haha...aha....haaaa). I really like his art, it's pleasant. But even with good art, I can still see past it and see what BS it's peddling and it can hamper my enjoyment of it. If I don't look at the context of the scene or the words on the page, I can be down with it. But when I'm reading.......I get annoyed. I balk at anything with Goro. I guffaw whenever Makoto's on screen (cause Saito nails her from P5, she acts useful but really she's useless but the narrative views her as useful it ironically makes her useless......it's the weirdest thing I've ever witnessed >.>). Like Saito really.....gets P5 it seems, down to it's flaws even (tho he can actually make the good parts of P5 shine, or at least parts that P5 failed to execute....execute in a way). But he also makes the flaws.....shine that much harder for me.

Now the Reg manga? it's nothing special art style wise, in fact it starts off VERY wonky, and while still wonky, has gotten a lot....better/cuter (esp Ryu). Not like shojo cute just.......I wanna squish their wittle faces cute (at times when it's not serious).

Like when it comes to Reg Manga these are the two pieces that have appeared in it that I feel kinda hit the P5 mark in terms of style:

(look at Mona, coming into this world like the pustule that he is 8U)

Which isn't much, but it's something. At least Reg's AOA is better looking than the anime. 8U

But I dunno, as the chapters go on, the Mangaka allows for more cuter expressions, and I just like their neat:

(btw I colored that page)

I dunno, it's not as overtly cutsey as Saito:

But they are still charming in a more simple way (without out having them go full chibi), it subtle but it gives it flavor. "Silly why are most, if not all those pics of Ryu and Anne?" I dunno guys maybe you should ask them how their backs are doing, cause they're the ones who are carrying the Reg manga when it comes to this! 8U

Tho I do think the first ch or two of Reg does a better job capturing P5's feel than the rest of the chapters, I think the mangaka is just.....bogged down by exposition and the game's BS that a lot of text on their pages so it almost reads like a novel:

ALots of text, not the most dynamic of framing with the panels. It's kinda eh. I haven't really read the manga past the 2nd dungeon tbh (I mean......as the residential #1 Makoto hater, I think that's fair.....that I'd start to zone out during my least fav dungeon....and then continue zoning out during my 2nd least fav dungeon askfdjaflk)

But during the first two dungeon arcs, I liked how.....bad the PT were at thieving, I liked how green they were. It was obviously a learning process. I also like some of the fight choreo (Saito did the best hand to hand one in the series in P4U's Yu vs Sho....which I actually animated....spoiler.....no I have no released that...my dumbass wants to tempt fate and see if I can redo it in color even tho it took me 4 days non stop to get that animated in just black and white.....but I am a fool so alas 8U). I mean it's not mind blowing, but it was simple and decently thought out, which is more than I feel like we usually get (esp with the anime shows....or at least P4/5's).

But I think what draws me in is....it's lack of P5 style. P5 style has them being still oh so cool despite being new at everything. It's tired me out. P5's how identity is style. It's....style over substance (gonna rile some feathers with that....Cvit(?) vid title). But P5 is overtly stylish, to the point it......weighs on me. Drags me down. Tires me out. I don't think they're cool, I'm bored with it. Ironically, Reg manga lacks that, which......def would make someone (and me usually) give it much of a passing glance. It's very basic I guess. But.....consider me, being in P5 hell, surrounded by all it's nausea inducing stylishness, sees a small break in the hellish hurricane to see.......normalcy. It kinda makes me connect better with the kids (kinda, it's still P5).

They feel like normal kids, trying to do their thing (sometimes trying to look/act cool and failing), and.....it's just the absolute antitheses to P5's brand......and I think that's why I like it. KLFJDSAFLKJA;

Anyway, who knows, maybe when I catch up on Reg in english and re-read MM with the official translation I might change my mind about a few things, or at least how I rank them. But for post length sake, and my sanity sake, I think I should keep the anime and mangas out of the "Which entry do you hate least" post......because I should just make another post where I go into both mangas as well as compare and contrast the anime! :D I'm just delaying some insanity for later haha....

Wait.........I just remember Day Breakers exists......and I liked it....still do....don't have much issue with it. Well shit, that is probably the one entry I hate the least. fklsdjfalkjdfkla;jsL;FJljsfdlskafaj *sobs* nO NO, I committed, and that's just a sad loophole. fdklsajflakfj *sobs* I still need to the game thing, cause let's be honest, the games are where it counts.

So right now my ranking for manga/anime is:

Daybreakers>Reg manga> MM>>>>>>>>>>TV Show Anime and it's OVAs (may the burn in the hell fire from which they spawned)

Oh, one last thing, forgot to put it in but I dunno where to put it now. I like how the manga tones down the pervyness some:

I mean Ryu is a fellow monkey. u_u .......but it's for the best I don't have to see his ape expression. ;w; (iirc the pyramid scene was a lot shorter/faster, but that's by the grace of reading and books rather than animation I suppose).

#silly asks #silly answers #i can't believe day breakers is what I hate least dfkjsalfjaf

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farmerlan · 5 years ago

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Farmer Lan’s Rewatch Guide to The Untamed - Episode 2

SPOILER CAUTION APPLIES.

Alright buds we are going to get right into it - no time to waste!

[WWX hangs out by a river/well with XPG (Little Apple aka Xiao Ping Guo aka XPG from now on), cultivator scene with the demon compass argument happens (cute), A-Yan gives WWX an apple and she’s clearly not mentally all there, mountain top A-Yan dance scene with her mom disclosing her tragic story and father’s death to WWX.]

Differences from the novel:

There’s some minor choronological and setting differences between here and Chapter 6. A-Yan was not the person who gave WWX the apple, it was a random girl. There were two separate scenes with cultivators trying to use the compass in the novel, but it was condensed into one in the drama.

WWX bumps into A-Yan in the town at the foot of DFS and hears of her story from townspeople. A-Yan’s story is essentially the same in both versions, but the novel also includes an additional story about how a slovenly/good-for-nothing oaf became seemingly wealthy and suddenly wanted to get married and settle down, except he died on the night of the wedding. This would later be used by WWX to further support his narrative of what’s behind the ‘soulless people’ cases when he explains it to the Gusu disciples.

[Cut to WWX in a forest, A WILD JIN LING APPEARS! Man, I forgot what a little shit he was when he first arrived <3. WWX and JL runs into each other, except JL thinks he is MXY, banter ensues, WWX traps JL with his paper man and drops that awful YOUR MOM line to JL.

Banter continues until JC brings his posse and incredibly sharp jawline to the scene. Seriously, damn. Things are about to get physical before LWJ arrives. Shade is thrown between JC and Gusu & Co., JC literally looks like he is in pain and why oh why does nothing ever work out for him as his subordinate reports that all the spirit nets have been destroyed. JC decides against picking a fight and tells JL he better BRING HIS A GAME TO THE HUNT before dismissing him. LWJ dismisses the rest of the disciples and walks away, leaving WWX alone. Cut to WWX remembering JC + JYL by the river and then he overhears JL’s true parentage and feels baaaaaaad man.]

In the novel, there is further discussion of the LLJ sect and especially JGS in Chapter 7. Seeing JL’s reaction to him as MXY, WWX then correctly deduces that MXY is actually the illegitimate son of none other than JGS, who was known for his philandering ways.

It was also clarified in the novel that locked within the ‘paper man’ WWX sic-ed on JL was the ghost of a man who had died from gluttony, hence why JL could not get up. He was basically being sat on by a really fat man.

A bigger deal is made in the novel of how LWJ is someone who “appears where there is trouble” – JL says this to him in a sarcastic way, but it’s a common theme that runs throughout the novel, that although he can be considered an extremely prominent figure, he takes the time to help or show up no matter how ‘low level’ the situation is. It’s a sign of his strong moral character that nothing is too beneath his attention.

The situation of the night hunt itself is also explained a little bit more in detail – JL is turning sixteen this year, and this night hunt at DFS is basically a debutante ball for him as you have to be past a certain age to participate in hunts. So, in order to make sure he claims the top prize, JC made sure to come with him and also set up the spirit nets. Aww, they ruined his present!

Fun fact: JC very nearly came to blows with LWJ in the novel but chose not to do so because a) he had to consider sect relations between Gusu and Yunmeng and b) he wasn’t sure he would win since they’ve never fought before. HA.

[Gusu disciples run into old man grave caretaker, these are Wen graves! He asks them to go visit the Tiannu Temple and they move on before he can tell them that the goddess statue moooves. Spoopy. WWX also happens upon the Wen graves. Scene between him and WQ and he realizes it’s the statue stirring shit and JL is about to step in the shit that has been stirred.

Scene in the temple with Gusu disciples and JL, shit starts going down, WWX and Gusu disciples gather outside. Gusu disciples realize they ran out of flares and WWX is all like haha prepare to be punished! WWX clarifies the difference between soul-eaters and the goddess status, links it to the ongoing issues with A-Yan. LJY calls him out – he’s only pretending to be CRAZY! ]

There’s no old grave caretaker in the novel and there’s no Wen graves scene. There are ancient tombs around the area that the Gusu disciples explored, but it was only mentioned in passing as part of the larger conversation around what exactly was plaguing the mountain. What happens in the novel is – WWX encounters a spirit dressed in fancy burial clothes, realizes something is wrong because that kind of spirit (the spirit of a corpse) should not be on DFS, puts two and two together and goes off to find JL.

The scenario of WWX explaining what exactly ‘it’ is to the Gusu disciples closely follows that of the novel, except he also adds the explanation around the slovenly oaf’s story. Basically, oaf prays to the goddess statue to be wealthy, the goddess granted him his wish but took away his soul on the night of the marriage. Hence why WWX encountered the wealthy corpse spirit - essentially the goddess split open his grave and gave the oaf the funeral/afterlife offerings that were buried within it, displacing the spirit in the process.

Also the goddess statue ate some humans in the novel but this was probably too graphic for the drama lol.

[JL shows up with the statue hot on his heels, WWX is like but wait we sealed the statue off before! WWX then builds and plays a makeshift bamboo flute. LJY changes his mind – MXY is still crazy after all, and on top of that he’s also a garbage flute player, ha. WN shows up and WWX is all ???, illusion is revealed, WWX posits whoever did this wanted lure out WN, a mysterious man in black scuttles off in the background.

Men rush WN, WN is like, uhm, y’all ain’t shit. WWX then plays WangXian to suppress WN’s rage, draws him towards himself and then we have THE REUNION – eyes meet, lovey-dovey wrist-gripping scene ensues.]

Interestingly, the drama shows JL being thrown to the ground and trying to scurry away/flinching as the statue advanced on him. In the novel, he actually stood right within reach and thought, “If I can’t kill her right here and now, I’ll die – but so what?!” Basically, he was 100% ready to kill the statue or die trying before WN showed up.

In the drama, we weren’t specifically clued in to the fact that WN is currently unconscious due to the nails in his head. In the novel, WWX realizes this instantly because Wen Ning was not capable of sentient thought and had to rely on WWX’s orders.

The drama hints that the whole thing was staged by the mysterious man in black caught scampering away – in the novel, this is not the case. There was no other person ‘operating behind the scenes’, this whole incident with the statue was not an illusion.

The reunion scene is as it happens in the novel, gripping of wrists and all. Ha. I love you directors.

[WWX is outed as the person who summoned WN and JC is like well well well, Shady’s back. LWJ tries to protect WWX, WWX tries to run away but gets whipped and decides to play crazy as JC wonders why Zidian didn’t work.

WWX appears to faint and wishes to go back to the time to 16 years ago, when he was at Lotus Pier and we start our flashback arc. Cute scene where he gets a sugar rabbit (HA I see you) for JYL. They decide to rest in a tavern. JC bickers with WWX and grouses that JYL and JFM always defends him and is reminded that being free-spirited is considered a virtue by the YMJ sect.]

The confrontation between JC, WWX and LWJ follows the novel partly (the whipping, the face-off between JC and LWJ), but the novel goes into more detail.

For one, LJY is like, ‘wait didn’t YOU kill WWX? Why are you saying he’s back?’ to JC in the drama. In the novel, no one claims that JC was the one who killed WWX in the novel – only that he was present at the battle at Nightless City along with the Yunmeng Jiang sect.

Also, in the novel, someone in JC’s sect basically tells says that there’s no way MXY is WWX because WWX would have chosen someone cooler. WWX was flirtatious with girls and a good-looking dude and MXY is a gay lunatic riding a donkey. And also, his flute skills are so, so subpar compared to WWX. Ha. WWX secretly grouses that he would kneel to anyone who’s able to play a nice melody on a dollar-store flute after not having practiced for 13 years. Touché.

In an attempt to get both JC and LWJ off his case, WWX tries to disgust the both of them by going, “JC is NOT my type but you know who is my type? LWJ uwu he’s so attractive” but it totally fails because LWJ does not take the bait. Instead, he says “Well then, I’m taking this man back to the Lan sect with me.” And that’s the end of Chapter 10. See comments on the flashback/timeskip in the summary section below.

The last conversation JC and JYL shares is very interesting. It’s not in the novel, but it really plays into the narrative that “WWX embodies more of Yunmeng Jiang’s values than JC even though he is not a Jiang”, which is also a theme in the novel and kind of a sticking point for JC obviously. One can say that JC takes after his mom, and WWX takes more after JFM.

Overall Thoughts

This is where the divergence from the novel plot line begins to get a little more serious. The novel employs a series of flashbacks scattered throughout the book whereas the drama is essentially one long flashback from Episode 2 through Episode 33. It obviously makes more narrative sense to arrange it that way in a drama series in order to make it less confusing, especially since they’re using the same actors for past and present WWX/LWJ, but just keep that in mind.

With that said, I will stop at Chapter 10 for the purpose of comparing it to Episode 2. Chapter 11 and 12 have essentially both been removed from the drama besides for the cold springs scene, which was also modified. I will discuss these two chapters when we get to Episode 33 (wow, will we ever get there??). Episode 3 picks up at Chapter 13, which is the beginning of the Gusu arc. Chapters will start jumping around (in the novel, the Gusu arc is only Chapters 13-18, and then the Wen Sect/Tortoise of Slaughter is a separate flashback from Chapters 51-59) so I am going to try my best to match them up lol.

Ending the summary on another cute note, in the novel LWJ’s presence is often described as being accompanied by the light scent of sandalwood, which is what WWX smelled before bumping into him in the novel.

#mdzs #mo dao zu shi #lan wangji #wei wuxian #the untamed #episode 2 #cql #魔道祖师 #recap

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blakemetothemoon · 4 years ago

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Love in a Laundromat - SaifahZon, T, Ch. 1/4

Summary: Zon's favorite place is a laundromat. That is until a certain tall, handsome stranger steals Zon's washer and seems hellbent on making Zon miserable.

Notes: Breaking out of writing angst for my novel by writing SaifahZon cause I love them. Please let me know if you see anything weird! also hopefully they’re in character lololol The rating for this might go to M but we’ll seeeeee!

Read below or on ao3!

The 24-hour laundromat is as quiet as always. It’s why Zon always goes at 11:30 on Thursday nights. No other customers waiting for their laundry. No other machines rattling loudly because they’re past due for tune-ups. The store isn’t in the worst neighborhood but it’s not particularly fancy either. It’s close enough to campus he doesn’t need to walk far from his apartment but far enough away he doubts he’ll run into anyone he might recognize.

This laundromat is, in a way, Zon’s special place to hide away, like a treehouse or special spot in the woods no one else knows about. It’s hard to explain since plenty of other people know the store was there, obviously, yet it still feels like his. It’s his washer and dryer, second from the end. His bench to sit on, notebook in his lap as he scribbles words for the next chapter of his novel. His space where he can have his headphones on and no one will tap him on the shoulder to talk to him or ask him what he’s listening to. His roommates were loud. His job at the coffee shop means interacting with customers for hours. Classes involved answering questions and speeches. This laundromat offers him the kind of “me” time he rarely gets otherwise.

This night is just like every other Thursday. Headphones over his ears, playing a soft, “poetic lyrics” song by an indie artist he just discovered, Zon walks into the empty laundromat. He balances his basket full of dirty clothes and detergent against one hip. With his free hand, he gives the attendant a small wave, then makes his way back to his machines.

And freezes.

Zon furrows his brow and glances around, eyes quickly scanning the store. There aren’t any other customers around.

So, why then, is his washer currently occupied with clothes that aren’t his, swirling around with bubbles that didn’t come from his bottle of detergent? And why is his dryer saying in neon green numbers that forty minutes remain on the current load?

What. The. Fuck. Who’s done this? Who slid in here before 11:30 PM and snagged away the machines Zon knows by heart how to operate. Like how sometimes the dial on the dryer needs to be tilted slightly to the left or it won’t stay on? Why would anyone decide to use this one? Both the first and the last are available, this makes no sense!

Suddenly, a hand grabs his shoulder, and Zon does what any normal human being would do: he screeches and jumps away.

Zon watches in wide-eyed horror as his basket flies free from his hands, lingering in the air with underwear, shorts, and t-shirts. Then it hits the ground with an echoing slam and absolutely no clothes left in it. The bottle of detergent lands heavy back into the basket but, thank god, it doesn’t break and spill.

Zon grabs at his chest, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart. Immediately, annoyance meets with the shock and he raises his head, prepared to glare at whoever the hell had done this.

But the words die in his throat. Because the person who’d tapped him was, uh, hot. Like, swoon-worthy handsome. And tall. Very tall. His skin was smooth and his brown eyes glistened. His hair fell across his forehead in an elegant way, defining his features. His fitted t-shirt displays lean yet defined biceps, and a long, slender neck. In one hand, he’s holding a large iced coffee, barely empty, and in the other, he’s holding—

“Nice sweater.”

The guy is grinning at Zon’s cat sweater. The one his sister gave him for Christmas three years ago. It’s complete with cat ears on the hood and a tail at the bottom. And while it’s the most comfortable sweater in the world and his favorite to write in, seeing someone incredibly attractive smirking at it is fucking embarrassing.

It’s the taller man’s turn to jump, nearly spilling his coffee when Zon yanks the sweater from his hands.

“Don’t make fun of me!”

“What? It’s cute.” When Zon narrows his eyes, the guy shrugs but still doesn’t apologize. He bends down to help Zon gather his clothes. “Here, let me help you.”

“It’s fine,” Zon says and flinches at the unnecessary harshness. Once all his clothes are picked up, he grabs his basket and stands. “Good luck with your laundry.”

The words earn Zon a curious tilt of the head and another smirk. It keeps Zon’s attention on those very nice lips for too long and sends butterflies fluttering in his stomach. Zon quickly makes his way to the opposite end of washers, putting as much space between them as possible.

It works perfectly until after Zon’s started his first load and settled himself onto the bench like he always does. The guy sits down at the other end of the bench. Zon makes a point of adjusting his headphones, a warning not to bother him. Out of the corner of Zon’s eye, he can see the guy shake his head and chuckle.

Beneath Zon’s headphones, his ears burn red.

The next Thursday Zon walks into the laundromat.

And, again, the power button on his washer is blinking green. A soft whirl hums. The timer says twenty minutes remaining.

Zon huffs, annoyed.

“Hey!”

Zon turns and nearly chokes on his own spit.

It’s the same guy from last week. In one hand is another iced coffee and the other is in the pocket of his shorts He’s wearing a tank top this time and his hair is slightly matted to his forehead like he just came from working out and what the hell, he still looked hot.

However, hot or not, Zon has priorities.

Zon has never been great at hiding how he feels so he knows every ounce of frustration is playing out on his face. Jaw working, he demands, “Why are you using this machine?”

But the guy just raises an eyebrow, unaffected, maybe even slightly amused.

“Do you own this place?” he asks.

Zon blushes, but powers on. “No, but I always use this one. Always.”

The guy hums and steps closer. Zon tenses up at the sudden lack of space. Why is this guy suddenly pressing their shoulders together? And what the hell, how could someone be so tall? Zon feels like a hamster next to a giraffe. The taller man squints, purposely putting on a show of searching the washer and dryer. Their faces are close enough for Zon to smell the scent of coffee and some sort of woodsy cologne, and sweat. Something in Zon’s lower half tightens and he forces himself to ignore it.

“I don’t see your name on it?”

“That’s—!” Zon starts to reply but he’s so annoyed he can’t find words. The guy is definitely less attractive because Zon kind of hates him now. Except the jerk isn’t moving away and now Zon is getting lost in those deep brown eyes— “What the hell, are you three?”

A deep, disbelieving laugh bursts from the guy’s lips. He straightens, finally moving out of Zon’s personal bubble. “Are you serious? Dude, you’re the one acting like a kid just because you have to use a different machine.” He jabs a thumb over his stupidly high shoulder. “There’s, like, fifteen other ones to use. And laundromat decorum says first come first serve, so...”

Nostrils flaring, Zon’s hands tighten on his basket as he searches for more words to explain what he is trying to say. But the threat to his routine has the words in his head tumbling together into nothing but white noise.

“Fine!” Zon finally snaps at the guy for the second time in a week. He feels considerably less guilty this time around.

Without another word, Zon storms by the guy, ignoring the amused chuckle. Like he did the week before Zon heads for the first machine. The washer’s door protests the force he opens it with. Zon knows aggressively shoving his clothes into the machine only proves the asshole’s point, but he’s too pissed to care.

Then Zon yanks on his headphones and pretends he’s alone.

#saifahzon #saizon #Why R U #Saifah #zon #blakemetothemoon #why r u the series #Fic

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mrneighbourlove · 5 years ago

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Into the Dark and Unknown: Ch 4. Forbidden Knowledge

"... and this concludes all the text on our culture." Uktena's words slowly rattled into Bonegrinder's brain. The Anagari had fetched several novels from the shelves for the human guests. "Anymore questions?"

Leere frowned, raising her hand. “What makes the Mortuus so dangerous?”

"They use living beings as hosts for demons." Uktena explained to Leere. "They sacrifice that poor person's soul to bring forth the demon to do their bidding."

“Is every single individual Mortuus evil?”

"From our experience, they even use their own children as sacrifices sometimes." Uktena turned to the shelves and pulled off a book on the Mortuus. He flipped open to a page about possession and placed it on the table for Leere to read. "These are the usual tattoos used to summon demons of various hierarchies. Yet, their ultimate goal is to summon an old and forgotten god, long locked away. We don't speak his true name, and instead refer to him as Chaos."

Bonegrinder shut the book so quickly, it echoed. "Tiny princess needs not hear of horrors."

“I... was that my Tattoo inscribed there?”

"... no." Bonegrinder tried to save face. "Just a similar look is all. Nothing to concern yourself over. Best to forget it." He started to put away the book.

Leere turned to the librarian. “There can’t be a whole species of an evil individuals.”

She turned her growing ire to Malik. “I read a report there was a group of Mortuus who attacked Hyrule castle, but some insisted they sought help.”

“True, but they tried to kill the Queen.”

"Our experience with the Mortuus begs otherwise, princess." Uktena was not going to argue with Leere, just state his point from history. "Why do you think Mother put up such a barrier? It is to keep them out of Omisha. After the last incident..." The librarian suddenly wore a sorrowful expression. "Mother was so heartbroken. We were heartbroken for her. We do not want a repeat of the past."

"Whether they truly sought help or not, it does not matter." Bonegrinder dismissed the thought. "What matters is keeping everyone safe, tiny princess. That includes you."

“Holy insufferable Din. What does it take for a woman to get answers?” Leere scowled, pointing to Bonegrinder. “Hand me the book.”

"No."

"I can just get you another copy---"

Bonegrinder glared at Uktena, his meaning of 'shut the fuck up right now' coming across very clearly.

“Get me another copy.”

"... I rather not lose my head to the shaman here." Uktena held his hands up in defense. "He's obviously trying to prevent you from finding out something of cruel and hurtful nature."

"Exactly and it's going to stay that way."

Malik decided this would be one contest of will he’d stay out of.

Leere glared at her friend, feeling hurt. “I came out here to learn. You are actively denying me knowledge.”

"Bonegrinder does not want you to have knowledge of..." He tried to think of the best way to say it. "Of what... of why you have that tattoo."

“Because my guardians wanted to kill me right? Summon a dread lord? Oh! Maybe a terrible demon? Or how about a god! Big shock! Give me the book.”

"... that's not it."

“Then I’ll find out myself.” With her patience wearing thin, she trotted out of the library.

"Wait, wait, you need an escort!" Uktena called after the princess. "Damn it, tell her and go get her before she stumbles upon---"

"She is finally happy and getting better, he does not want her sad again!" Bonegrinder bellowed at Uktena. "You do not presume to order this Anagari, bookworm."

"Okay, okay, fine!"

Leere and her company spent another day at Omisha. Her daytime was spent sulking after storming out of the library. It was only when she met with Solani again had Leere's mood brightened. The little bird-girl wanted to play hide and seek with the human. It was so cute, Leere couldn't resist. The princess learned Solani snuck a book so she and her friends could understand Leere's speech more. This connection melted Leere's heart, so much so that by the end of the session, she wondered if she should adopt her own children. When night came, however, Leere's mind returned to her desire of knowledge. She wanted to learn just what exactly Bonegrinder wanted to keep from her. When she felt confident Malik and Boney were asleep, she snuck out of her hut, dashing silently back to the library. Once there, she called out lightly, not wanting to be too loud in case anyone was asleep.

"Hello? Uktena?"

"Do humans always visit libraries at late hours of the night?" Uktena was never far from the precious books. He had the duty of protecting their history and recording it. Yawning, he hung down from the ceiling, looking at Leere. "What is it you seek?"

"I seek the knowledge Bonegrinder wished to keep from me about Malus." Leere kept her tone strong, straightening to show she wasn't going to back down.

"Third shelf from the bottom, in the middle row." Uktena gestured to the selection of novels on Malus. "You won't find their magic in there, just accounts of history."

“That’s all I need.”

Leere was quick to go to shelf. Unfortunately, Malik was waiting around the corner, grabbing the book and hold it close as he crossed his arms. “What do you think you’re trying to pull?”

The Mortuus couldn’t believe this. “You got to be kidding me here. What does it take for a woman to get what she needs?”

Malik shook the book in her face sternly. “I heard you sneaking out. You’re lucky that snake is a heavy sleeper. He told you to drop the subject on Malus. We have to respect his wishes while out here.”

“I thought you hated him?”

“I respect the Mother. I don’t want to upset her hospitality.”

Leere jumped for the book, and Malik lifted it out of her reach, easily towering over her. “Malik, we both wanted to learn more about prophecies, histories, and the threats and friends that could be found in both Omisha and Malus. You’re acting like a jerk!”

The Gerudo chuckled as she jumped a few more times in her little statement. Her words did have meaning though. “We should consider that Bonegrinder and the Mother have their reasons for keeping Malus so isolated. What if we learn something that you regret?”

“Excuse me?” Leere scowled, feeling like she was being coddled by just another Gerudo in her life. “You think you’re so immune to the effects of bad history?”

“I’ve seen enough horrors to-”

“You don’t think I haven’t seen horrors? You don’t think I know I have trauma sometimes from thinking about the things I have seen? Malik. I know there are many horrors in the world. I know them. God I wish I could forget them too. But if forgetting them, or never facing them again meant that innocent people died, or that another little girl couldn’t be saved from being traumatized, I’d never do it. I’d face those horrors a thousand times over and have my mind clouded by terror as result, just so I could save those people.”

Malik listened closely to Leere. His arms lowered, and the book fell to his side. He sometimes forgot how much this woman had been through. “I apologise. You were right. Bonegrinder shouldn’t keep this knowledge from you. And I shouldn’t see you as fragile little thing.” He walked over to a table, placing the book down. Waving his hand over, he shocked Leere. “Well, what are you waiting for? We have much to see. Librarian. Are there any other books of history?”

"Those on the third shelf are history; those are the ones you currently are reading. The wars that Omisha has had with Malus are on the fourth shelf. It's not exactly a fond read, many lives were lost during the war before Mother constructed the barrier." Uktena then gestured across the room. "If you wish to know of the prophecies, you can read what little material we have, or you should seek to ask Mother. She knows more than all of us."

“Maybe you should tell Mother we asked. Please leave us.” Malik waved his hand, not really thinking about what he asked.

Leere was nice enough to give Uktena a bow of gratitude. “Thank you.”

As Malik and Leere read the books, they read this history of Malus. At least what they could. The war that was mentioned was, to be honest, rather barbaric and did not shy from the details. Swarms of Mortuus mages, corrupting the flesh of the dead, puppeteering the living against their will, and summoning demons of awful ilk. The Mortuus themselves were described closely to Leere’s own appearance. Pale skin, darker hair, red eyes. Some, however, were described with red and black eyes instead of the usual white. They could be anywhere from 5.1 to 5.11 feet tall, only on the rarest of occasions being anything taller.

What was described of the land was either the murmurs of fairy tales, such as a cursed metropolis unlike anything else in the world, or accounts of monsters of Mortuus who meant no harm in their travels. The lands were hilly at the Omisha border. Great expanding grasslands that hid terrifying predators. In a desert that marked as a border between southern and central was a tale of massive colossi that wandered the land, indiscriminately killing anything that came before it. Within the southern lands were also accounts of underground villages that were made in order to hide away from the monsters and cultists that lived in the capital city. Massive crystalized towns that had little barriers of their own. Leere was disheartened to learn that these own barriers had to make sacrifices of their own.

Finally, the biggest myths to be heard. That the land was cursed by a God to have a blanket of death and destruction, despite so much of it being so beautiful. That none could experience the fay that lived in the western forests, or swim with sirens in the north. Two monsters that worried Leere and Malik was a tale of a mighty sea serpent that lived trapped in a lake. Simply named the Devourer. Another was a Dragon that flew with no sound, knew no pain, and had blood as black as coal.

All in all, Leere and Malik were beginning to form their own ideas of what the Mortuus was, until they found a hand written note. Reading it over, it was scribbled in a rushed job.

‘I cry for the world. I don’t expect to live long after writing this. My people, the Mortuus, are dying. Madness has split us down the middle. A darkness has infested our hearts. Many of us are being forced into exile, we’ve finished creating underground establishments, with shining crystals that channel light from the surface, but I don’t know if that will keep the madness away forever. I fear what will happen if we stay hidden the earth for a prolonged period of time while our dark brothers and sisters fester on the surface. I’m going to flee Malus. I will search out those who can save us, and unite our people once more. I can only hope there will be those who will listen. My oracle speaks of a tribe of newly formed witches who have made a monarchy. Perhaps I can go to them. There’s also the Golden Kingdom of Legend, or the even the Mother of all Omisha. I have to have hope. But I feel so, so cold writing this letter. I had a run in with a beast, and it scratched me. Feel so itchy. So cold. Please, help us.’

Leere looked to Malik, her face filled with regret. “He speaks of the Lorleidians, but he also speaks of their formation. How old is this letter?”

Malik shook his head. The Mortuus seemed to be both terrible fiends, yet also held victims among them. “Too old Leere.”

Uktena returned with more books. This time, it was not limited to Malus. There were more novels on the prophecies he managed to find, but it was like putting together a puzzle with all jagged ends. Very little of the prophecies made sense. Some of the riddles were confusing and other rhymes were almost impossible to solve.

"I recalled the blonde prince saying that old Bonegrinder was always singing a horrid lullaby about death and some kind of twisted fate revealed..." The Anagari placed the text on the table for the humans. "These are books pertaining to the Mother Goddess; the highest of high, in all her glory and might. Humans call her Balance. We call her Kaksa." He flipped open the novel to a picture depicting an outline of a form with seven wings unfurled, but one broken. On the next page, there were two more outlines, one with horns and the other with oddly, long fingers. "These two were her left and right hands, Maker and Destroyer. We call them Prama and Dhakk. Is this what you were referring to when you asked about a prophecy?"

“I-” Malik paused, not expecting this information. “Is this important about Malus at all, or Omisha? I fail to see how the tale of another pantheon can enlighten us.”

"Another pantheon is incorrect, this is the only pantheon." Uktena paused for a minute to gaze upon their confused expressions. "You do know that your golden goddesses are the children of Balance... right?"

“No?” Leere said.

Malik almost scoffed at the idea. “Please, the Golden Goddesses created the Earth. I doubt any God or Goddess before them would be so lazy or not have the pride to do it themselves. Where are these three gods then?”

Now it was Leere’s turn to worry if Malik was over stepping his bounds. “How about we go politely ask the Mother what she knows? You know, she she’s still awake.”

"The Golden Goddesses helped create parts of this world, but not all in this world." Uktena nearly rolled his eyes at the human ignorance. "I have so often wondered how humans just leave behind all account of religion if it benefits them. I, on the other hand, would not like to risk being... how do you put it? 'Smited'." He then chuckled at Leere's inquiry. "Mother never sleeps. Come, follow me. I will see if you will be willing to accept your audience."

Both did so, with Malik trying to remember that Uktena had a point. He had seen many spirits and gods in the last century alone. “I suppose the story of creation does only speak of how Hryule and its majesty was created, and not the rest...”

"You would do well to remember that while each culture has its respective religion, in some unique way, all the gods, goddesses, deities, spirits, whatever you call them, tie in together." Uktena reminded them. "Different names, same divinity." Once Uktena had escorted them to the grand throne room, there lounged Mother, reading the latest report from her scouts. "Mother, I beg forgiveness for interrupting you, though the humans seek your knowledge."

"This late?" Mother peeked out from behind her scrolls. "I thought humans had this thing called a 'bedtime'?"

Leere cleared her throat first. “I had thoughts on my mind. Questions that needed answering. Mother, we wish to ask what the story of Maker, Destroyer, and Balance has to do with Omisha and Malus?”

"Ah, so you wish for a lesson of how all that is came to be." Mother put away her scroll and rose from her throne. "Which question first, beloved tiny princess of Bonegrinder? Do you wish to hear the tale of the deities themselves? Or how they play into our home and Malus?"

“The deities themselves, if you may.” Klinge bowed his head, wishing to know for himself.

"The deities are the creators of this world, young lord." Mother told Malik as she used her magic to create an outline of Balance. "This is who the humans know as Balance. She is the Mother Goddess. No other god or goddess is above her. She is responsible for keeping harmony within the world." She gestured to the drooping eighth wing. "However, eons ago, there was a disruption in the heavens..."

“If that isn’t the tale of every god.” Malik muttered. In fact, it made him livid. Why did the gods infighting ruin humanity?

"Balance's two hands, Maker and Destroyer, had one job; help her keep harmony in the universe." Mother then depicted two other figures with the outline of the angelic deity. "Maker and Destroyer were happy with their jobs. But then Destroyer decided he wanted more. He did not like that Maker could have his creations and he was limited to pulling monstrosities out of shadows." Then she said, "And he certainly did not like it when Maker expressed his love for Balance."

“That sounds petty.”

"Destroyer was in love with Balance, and did not want to share her love with his brother." Mother showed the horned figure attacking the other with elongated arms and fingers. "He tried to be rid of his brother but Balance intervened, keeping Destroyer from hurting Maker further. He cursed his brother to be retained in flesh form, yet did not realize Balance's clever spell. Whatever was dealt upon Maker, was then reflected to Destroyer. Thus, the brothers were then trapped on earth in flesh."

Leere gulped, wondering the obvious. “Where are they now?”

"Balance is still in the heavens, waiting for the day of prophecy. Supposedly, to keep the brothers from causing further upsets in this world, she will come down and a host will serve as her flesh form," Mother held up another outline of a woman, merging the figure of Balance with the chosen one. "She will come here, keep her brothers from causing a war on the earth, and then transport them back to the heavens with her. From the way the story goes, when she kept Destroyer from hurting Maker, she was injured herself." She gestured to the drooping eighth wing. "The Mother Goddess would have been here a long time ago, but without her helpers to help her run the universe and having to recover from a grave injury, it has taken many lifetimes over."

“She’ll take over the body of some poor girl? That’s intolerable.” Malik spoke, unhappy with this legend. “The Gods play games with mortals no matter what their own status. It’s beyond ridiculous.”

Leere noticed the Mother avoid her question. Once more, she asked again. “If the God of Balance is in the heavens, what forms did Maker and Destroyer take?”

"... we have located one of the brothers. The other we speculate his form based upon a past meeting." Mother told Leere, seeing no reason to lie. "His memories have still not yet returned of his true identity. While the gods and goddesses do like playing their games with mortals, they also do much for us. Some of the deities are just a little crueler than others." She waved away the figures of magic, and then told the pair. "Yet, Maker and Destroyer are not who we need to worry about now. It is Chaos incarnate... you might know him as Teufel."

“What?!” That certainly got a rise out of Malik. She only needed to mention Teufel once by name to ablaze his fury. “What do you know of the Devil?”

"We call him Taunin. The god of chaos." Mother told Malik with a frown. "Balance's counterpart. Supposedly, the oldest tale in our history is Balance and Chaos were two parts of one whole. They loved each other. However, Chaos became greedy and when Balance 'rested', brought havoc across the world. So with a heavy heart, Balance banished Chaos to earth with the help of Maker and Destroyer to forever roam the world he tried to wipe from existence."

“...I’ve heard everything I needed to know.” Malik’s voice shook in a cold tremble, and he rose to leave.

"Did I say I was done?" Mother's voice cut sharply through the room. "There is more you need to know."

“More? What more do I have to know!” Malik’s anger finally broke. “You claim the Gods do good for mankind. But all I see, hear, and feel from them is tragedy! Demise placed a curse of darkness to plague Hyrule and surrounding lands for eons! The God of Fire for the Hasai drove their Emperor mad with goals of conquest! The Golden Goddesses knowingly broadcasted the ultimate source of power so mortals would fight over it for all time! And now you tell me that these Gods I’m just hearing about now are responsible for entrapping the purist of evil I know on Earth? Teufel led one the Gerudo genocides! He killed my mother and my people! Tell me! What do you know of my suffering that the Gods have committed against me with their petty squabbles? What do you know of the Devil of Hyrule bringing suffering down upon me!”

"... do you truly think that your people, the Hylians, and the Hasai are the only ones who have suffered?" Mother sounded cold. "While there are gods and goddesses who have been cruel to their creations, there are those who have looked after their children. Whether it be a game to them, a form of punishment, or a lesson in obedience, we are all subjective to their will.”

“I never said that they were the only ones. But the Gerudo were my family, Grand Mother. And the Gerudo have been nothing but victims in the face of the gods. Do you have anything you wish to add?” Malik’s voice dropped from his booming anger to simply being tired.

"Yes, you will have time to make use of that anger. A war is coming with Teufel." Mother then told Malik. "And you have a very important job to do."

“I know that more than anyone.” Malik gave a bow of his head. “My questions have been answered. I will return to sleep now.”

Leere stayed kneeling, waiting for the Mother to speak to her.

Mother then turned her gaze to the princess.

"Little one... I know you wish to visit Malus." Mother informed Leere, a touch of disappointment in her tone. "And I know you still plan to find a way to go there. Yet, Malus is a place of horrors, my beautiful girl. I would be lying if I said I wished for you to learn of your people. The Mortuus are a... despicable race who love to toy with their puppets and torment the living." She then told her. "You understand why I will not lower my barrier, and you understand why I wish to keep you from the land... yet, I have no power to stop you if you do wish at some point to go. For now, I will do my best to answer your questions."

“I read about a Mortuus in your library. He said he was looking for help for his land. What became of him?”

"He was found injured, over three hundreds years ago." Mother informed Leere. "We did not eat him, nor did we harm him. We tried to heal him, but it was too late. He managed to tell us of an underground city full of Mortuus who did not agree with the usual ways. We do not know the location of this city, but it is somewhere hidden and safe from prying eyes. However, I could not risk my own children going into the land to seek a needle in a haystack."

“And what do these gods have to do with Omisha and Malus?”

"... the Teufel that Malik is so familiar with, that is their god." Mother took a slow breath. "More than likely, they have been supplying him with body after body after body until they find the perfect host."

“That’s.... that’s despicable.”

"Teufel has had many bodies over the years," Mother elaborated with a look of pure hatred on her face. "Even used some of my children for his purposes." She then slithered around behind Leere and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "And at some point... even you were intended for that purpose."

Leere froze feeling the Mother touch her. She felt something colder at what she said to her. “Forgive me. But that’s hard to believe. Teufel was still sealed away thanks to my father even before I was born for, well, since Malik was in his first human life.” Leere looked up to Mother, focusing her gaze. She was a curious woman, and a clever one too. “One of the books I read also contained information on the Mortuus referring to a God of Destruction. Never anything about chaos. I’m sure this Teufel is certainly evil, but is he really the one behind Malus, and not another being, such as Dhakk?”

"What makes you think the Mortuus would not try to control a deity as great as Chaos? Think upon it, Leere, and you will understand why I am wary of you going back to your homeland." Mother then explained the purpose of Destroyer to the girl. "While Destroyer is given a bad reputation, his purpose is simply to ensure that when certain beings are no longer needed, they disappear. He makes sure the flow of energy of this world is reusable for Maker. Keeping Balance happy/"

“I thought he loathed his brother with a passion?” Leere crossed her arms like a kid, poking holes in Mother’s story. As a scholar, she couldn’t help but here clear bias in the Mother’s statements. “I doubt anyone can control a Diety. I can control people myself, but that takes incredibly powerful magic, and all the concentration I can muster.”

"He loathed that Maker loved Balance and Balanced loved Maker. So yes, he did hate his brother. But that happened eons after the three had lived in harmony for even since time began." Mother then asked Leere. "Your brothers and sisters make you mad, right? You're argued and been jealous, and sometimes, you've even hurt them and they've hurt you. I'm sure you've fought before. Think of this as a sibling spat." The Echidnan then said, "Imagine what would happen if the Mortuus came together to control a deity. Not just one soul doing the magic but many."

“I’ve never met this Teufel before, but aren’t you worried you might be... paranoid?” Leere smiled to try and cushion the blow of her wording. “You see Teufel and the other Mortuus as your enemies. I can see you might think it easier to lump them together.”

"What you call paranoia, I call safety. My barrier, my suspicion, it is for a reason. You have not seen your people stitched together to make a carcass puppet, hearing their spirits beg for the relief of death, and the look of horror on families' faces when they realize what has been done to their loved one."

“No. Not my own people. I’m very lucky for that.” She took hold of Mother’s hand, feeling a warmth. “It’s terrible when awful evils try to bring harm to the beauty in our world.”

"And humans call us evil, judging us for our looks instead of knowing us. There are many different forms of evil, beautiful one, but the worst is perhaps... ignorance." Mother gently led Leere up the stairs past her throne. It was pitch blackness. "And my ignorance cost me."

“You’re a beautiful good too you know.” Leere’s eyes tried to adjust to the darkness ahead. “Where are we going?”

"You will see why I do not wish for you to go to the Mortuus. For you to stay safe and not make the same mistakes as I did."

“Is that a good idea? I’ve seen much darkness in my life before...”

"Take it as a warning of what could happen." Mother then slowly started adjusting light to the room. With her magic, she lit several candles on fire. There in the middle of the room, was a body in cased in solid amber. "This is my husband Melekh... and my son, Aibgor." It was not a single person, but two combined into one. Stitches were holding the Echidnan together, and it was a monstrous thing done to a monstrous species. "Teufel used them against me when I did not bow to his wishes. He wanted me to invade neighboring countries, start a war in his name, and have the others bow to him. I refused."

Leere winced, her hand squeezing Mother’s tightly. She had never met Teufel, but the more and more she learned about him, she hoped she never would. “I’m so sorry for your loss. Are they... still alive?”

"No... Melekh and Aibgor were in torment." Mother looked sad, but most of all... defeated. "He had the Mortuus stitch them together like it was an experiment. Would a body be stronger if it was composed of more souls?" She sighed heavily, placing her hand on top of the amber. "Puppeteer against their will... he had them fight their own people. Slaughter them. Then he set his sights on me." She took a deep breath and admitted. "I had to kill my own mate and son or else they would have killed more of us. I keep them here to remind me of why the country of Malus cannot be trusted. Anyone in throws with Teufel will hurt more innocents... and I will not lose anyone else."

Leere winced, her hand squeezing Mothers tightly. She had never met Teufel, but the more and more she learned about him, she hoped she never would. “I’m so sorry for your loss. Are they... still alive?”

"No... Melekh and Aibgor were in torment." Mother looked sad, but most of all... defeated. "He had the Mortuus stitch them together like it was an experiment. Would a body be stronger if it was composed of more souls?" She sighed heavily, placing her hand on top of the amber. "Puppeted against their will... he had them fight their own people. Slaughter them. Then he set his sights on me." She took a deep breath and admitted. "I had to kill my own mate and son or else they would have killed more of us. I keep them here to remind me of why the country of Malus cannot be trusted. Anyone in throws with Teufel will hurt more innocents... and I will not lose anyone else."

Leere held Mother’s arm close, and she stared up at the matriarch. “I know this might sound childish to someone as ancient as you, but my psychologist tells me that when I think of awful memories, I should seek out a person I trust. Would you like to come dream with me for the night?”

"Bad memories can also be a good defense. A reminder of what happened, and what cannot happen again." Mother then chuckled. "It is not childish. We Echidnans usually seek comfort with a bed mate. Not only for pleasure purposes, but as you have probably experienced with Bonegrinder, some like to cuddle. Him, especially."

“I, uh, have done both once.” Leere couldn’t hide the flush on her face, even in the deep dark. “I’d be honoured to cuddle with you, as too keep us safe from the nightmares tonight.”

"Ah, so Bonegrinder told you the tale of Anagaris being good for chasing away nightmares," Mother told Leere with a slight smile. "Though each of us Echidnans have a good purpose for chasing away evil. Kokyangwutis spin webs to bring good dreams."

“Oh! I thought he was just being positive. That’s what I meant. I don’t have any special powers to keep nightmares away, I just wanted to sleep with you. I MEAN- I rest with you. I know it can be difficult to be with your own negative thoughts, and having someone to hold can be what you need. I’m not coming onto you. Not that you aren’t beautiful I mean. I just-I-uh-oh god I’m tired. I’m not some horny human I swear to you. I am sincere at just wanting to help you feel comfortable...” Leere petered off from her rambling, embarrassed she’d declare something else to make her appear like an even bigger fool.

"Hahahaha!!!" Mother actually laughed. "Oh, sweet girl, you worry too much. I do think that a proper rest will do you good. If you wish for a peaceful sleep, then you may share my nest."

“Thank you”, was all Leere could muster out of her.

"Though if sex is what you are looking for, then I'm sure you could always find a willing partner who is eager to experiment intercourse with a human being." Mother wanted to clarify. "If that's what you were referring to."

“Nope. Nuh-uh. No. Not going there.” God, kill her now. “Let’s just go to bed and forget the last minute.”

"Very well, this way." Mother started to ascend the ceiling and was part of the way upward before she returned to the ground. "I forgot that humans are not the best climbers."

“You could always carry me? I’m sure you’ve always wanted to sneak away with a princess in the night.”

"I suppose that is a dream that could be entertained." Mother extended her spider legs from her back, gently plucking the princess from the ground. "Just hold still." She then climbed to the ceiling once more to reveal a huge bedding. "Humans do like to sleep on soft things, right?"

“Very much so.”

"Then pick your place first." Mother set Leere down on the plush pillows and grasses.

Leere crawled onto the bed, sighing heavenly. Lots of information was on her mind. Gods, Devils, her origins, her people. So much to take in. Without speaking a word, she fell was asleep.

________________________________________________________________

Previous Ch. https://mrneighbourlove.tumblr.com/post/190443537461/into-the-dark-and-unknown-ch-3-test-of-will

Next Ch. https://mrneighbourlove.tumblr.com/post/190819547466/into-the-darkness-and-unknown-ch-5-a-blink-into

#Crossover #ridersoftheapocalypse #Bonegrinder #Mother #Omisha #Malus #Leere #Malik #World building

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vrenaewrites · 4 years ago

Text

CRAVE by Tracy Wolff thoughts: Chapter 0 - 21

Full video here.

In which a mortal girls goes to her uncle’s boarding school after the death of her parents, and finds it full of creatures.

CH 0 for some reason: if you’re not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much space

“Try my hardest not to freak the eff out” - if you’re gonna use expletives, use them

Immediate info dump of “if you’d told me two months ago i was gonna be in fairbanks alaska to get a puddle jumper to denali, the highest mountain point in north america”

CH 1: landing is just throwing yourself to the ground and hoping you don’t miss

I thought these quotes were weird self help quotes but then i realized they were probably the chapter titles

The fog is referred to as “civil twilight” - this weirded me out because civil blood and twilight, idk if this is a real thing? Will look it up if i remember: it is the brightest of the 3 twilight phases and it is ABUNDANTLY clear that she added the civil part to not make it straight up twilight because this book is unwitting twilight satire

He tells her it’s a short runway “because it’s hard to keep a long one clear of snow or ice for any amount of time” HE’S IN THE MIDDLE OF LANDING A PLANE ATM BRO WE DON’T NEED ALL OF THAT INFO ATM

Grace is kind of funny if not a little cheesy

“Textbook landing” - maybe if that textbook is a horror novel he’s reading upside down and backwards - i don’t know if by listening to this i’m missing the line breaks and short sentences that would make this funny, so if i am lemme know but if she didn’t break this up it’s clunky

Her uncle is headmaster of the boarding school she’s being sent to

“Despite being a year younger than my own 17 years” - did you not read this out loud? Did no one hear how redundant that was?

“According to wikipedia, heeley - hailey? - has only one major road” she’s mentioned google and wikipedia at this point and idk if i’m the only one who finds that type of thing annoying af

“In weather that’s 20 degrees below freezing, if the app on my phone can be believed” THIS IS SO ANNOYING

“The insulated helmet will keep you warm as well as protect your head if we crash” yes macy we know what helmets are and also insulation, again the redundancy

CH 2: Just because you live in a tower doesn’t make you a prince

“Is that kadmere academy?” i shout - not, is that it? They’re on a snowmobile, with helmets on, and macy understood her...and she understood macy saying they’d be there in five minutes

She couldn’t google the academy

“I half expected quasimodo to be waiting for us when we got there”

It may be a castle but at least there’s no moat or dragon

Macy has short rainbow-colored hair

She’s wikipedia’d and googled her life away but didn’t expect to not be able to breathe since she’s coming from sea level and is now up in the mountains - i’m from florida and even i know what altitude sickness is

She sees a flash of red in the window “i don’t know who it is or why they even matter” ...what does that mean?

But she doesn’t see them when she looks back and she’s disappointed, which she acknowledges makes no sense…

“I should be bowing and scraping right about now”

It’s a castle with an xbox and giant flat screen, and they have wifi AND cell service up in the desolate mountains. I went to cossayuna - 476 feet above sea level, 7 miles from a town - and NONE of us had cell service the entire time

She picks up a chess piece and it’s a carved vampire, then a dragon

Then she comes face to face with the most intimidating guy i’ve ever seen, not just because he’s hot, there’s something different and powerful though i don’t have a clue what it is”

Face too intense to be beautiful, skyscraper cheekbones????, red lips, stone-cutting jaw, bottomless obsidian eyes, obscene lashes

Trapped by his stare, hypnotized by the sheer magnetism rolling off him in waves

“Annoyance flashes through me”

He’s blocking her view of anything else - did he step between her and the chess board?? Confusion, but because of this she has to look at his long lean body

“Double-wide shoulders” gross

“Nothing to do but admit that this boy is sexy AF - a little wicked, a lot wild, and all dangerous”

“Seriously, when exactly did i become the heroine of some YA romance? The new girl swooning over the hottest, most unattainable boy in school?”

CH 3: vampire queens aren’t the only ones with a nasty bite

He quotes hamlet to her, and she corrects him for fucks sake

“I warned your uncle you wouldn’t be safe here, but he obviously doesn’t like you much”

“Welcome to alaska?” “more like welcome to hell, now get the fuck out”

“Ignoring the pterodactyls flying around in my stomach” - this is a great line if it didn’t take you completely out of the action, which it does

This whole exchange about big bad monsters is soooooo fucking cliche

And he’s talking about the chess pieces the whole time????? Am confusion.

She’s so horny for this insane man screaming at her and cornering her

She says she’s lost everything that matters and he changes, his agony visible behind “layers and layers of defenses he’s erected”

It’s calling to her own agony

They're soooo connected and staring at each other

He pulls on one of her curls and it makes her super horny

“Five minutes ago he was being a total douche to me”

Pushing him is like pushing a wall of granite

He’s got a scar down half his face that she didn’t notice until now????

“A fallen angel with a bad boy vibe for miles”

She’s touching his scar…

“I don’t understand you”

AND SHE QUOTES HIM QUOTING HAMLET IN RESPONSE

CH 4: shining armor is so last century

“Mr. tall dark and surly” would be more snarky and cute if she didn’t just have an ~earth-shattering moment of connection~ with him over their agony or w/e

Some weird instinct i don’t understand tells me not to mention that guy - the amount of times this girl has acknowledged something she doesn’t understand is so redundant and weird.

She keeps referring to the guy she spent half the last chapter basically falling in insta-love with as “tall dark and surly” as if that didn’t happen, as if he was just a dick and then he left without all the insta-love shit

Uncle finn and flint is a student...couldn’t pick any other name?

“A smile in his eyes that’s as different from the other guy’s iciness as the stars just outside the windows are from the endless midnight blue of the sky” and i’ve fallen asleep while she was spinning this long unending heavy-handed metaphor

His eyes blaze with sympathy

He offers to give her a piggyback up the stairs…

“You’re so little i won’t even notice” not lyk other girls guyz

Four guys open the door and they’re all sexy AF, tall dark and surly is among them ofc

“I couldn’t help but wonder why the icy guy made me hot and the one lending me his warmth left me cold” WE GET IT WE FUCKING GET IT WE DIDN’T NEED YOU TO SPELL OUT THE ALLUSION

“I want a name to go with his insane body and even more insane face”

CH 5: things hot pink and harry styles have in common

Macy is a cinnamon roll i love her

His name is JAXON VEGA...JAXON. G2G

Macy was so nice to her that she finally starts crying because macy is the BEST

Grace puts on a harry styles t-shirt and macy is dancing around to watermelon sugar when she comes back. This book already feels dated and it came out last month

CH 6: no i don’t really want to build a snowman

She wakes up in the middle of the night thinking about jaxon and almost has a panic attack

I hope in the actual book there is a tw for panic attacks because when i see / read about the symptoms of one or a description of one it triggers one for me

She goes exploring the castle in the dark to avoid the attack

Some guys come in wearing like concert tees and ripped jeans and she wonders if they’re ghosts, like how hogwarts has ghosts

I could swear he was sniffing me which was totally bizarre and not ghostlike behavior at all - this was cringe except i was listening to it at like 2x speed so when you hear it fast it’s actually funny

The guys corner her

They say something like “show us what you can do” and they seem to smell something about her…? They’re werewolves maybe??

CH 7: Something really freaking wicked this way comes

Hate these titles sfm

“With my thin california blood, i won’t last in the snow”

Jaxon saved her ofc and makes the guys apologize

“The moon is doing its thing” they’re totally werewolves

She thanks him and he’s like “i just made you a pawn in a game” and she’s like dude what but he’s staring at her and it’s making her hot and bothered

He wipes blood of her bottom lip and sucks it off and she finds it SUPER sexy

“This isn’t like your old high school”

He whispers in her ear “you have no idea what i know” and i’m like..okay dis kinda hot or whatever

She wonders when she’ll see him again and why it matters so much to her - bitch because he makes you horny!!!! Just say that!!!!!!

CH 8: Live and let die

It’s at this point that i stopped for the first round, and i had to ask: why the FUCK didn’t macy or the headmaster tell grace that this was a school for - obviously - vampires and werewolves? Is macy one? Is it genetic? Grace is a mortal according to the back of the book.

Grace tells macy what happened minus jax

She mentions to macy the boys didn’t have cold weather gear on and macy’s like hmmm weird idk anything about that

And they’re going to a party tonight and grace is like i don’t wear makeup i only own makeup and lip gloss and i’m like...did i accidentally re-download AFTER because here we go with the NLOG syndrome

The party is a welcome party for grace - and it’s actually a high tea??? Tf?

“I’d die without netflix”

“Have you seen this show legacies? It’s about a bunch of supernatural creatures that go to a boarding school! Isn’t that silly??!”

And then macy says, “who can resist a hot vampire?”

Guys….are we SURE this isn’t satire?

“I can’t help remembering what those guys said about the moon doing its thing when i see the werewolf on the show…”

CH 9: Even hell has its factions

Omg her dress is showing off too much of her big boobs, maybe the jeans she originally wanted to wear will be better

Macy calls her beautiful and then we get a full “with my curly hair and freckles and this color eyes i’m so not beautiful, i’m wallpaper next to macy”

“We could be fashionably absent” lol

The beads on the door don’t shock grace but they shock everyone because she is NOT LIKE OTHER GIIIIIIIIRLS

This castle is goth chic baybeeeeee the light fixtures are downturned thorny black roses where can i cop these

“The pterodactyls in my stomach are now butterflies”

She says FML. did a 50 year old woman write this. Edit: i looked, i cannot find how old this author is

Velvet wallpaper, wall sconces shaped like dragons, LET ME IN

“Self-imposed isolation” lol little did she know what a phrase in the lexicon this would become in 2020

Cliques include muscular people near the windows, soft flowery delicate people in the back of the room which are macy’s friends, super-tall literally hot people in the middle, and the black-or-white money people that seem to be more formal

She says “basketball anyone??” re the tall people lol

I am going to guess: werewolves, witches, dragons??, and vampires

Macy keeps having coughing fits?

Hot redhead - simone, hot dark girl - lily, hot asian girl - gwen

“Simone’s just bitter all the guys are looking at you”

Grace loves dr. pepper so i fuck with her

Macy’s boyfriend is cam and his friend is james, who looks at her like she is food?

“I’m just not that interesting”

CH 10: turns out, the devil wears gucci

Would i have probably picked this title as well? Yes. did it make me cringe nonetheless? Fer shure.

“Do i need some jerk trying to make me his afternoon snack?” huh???? As far as you know these are normal boys...make it make sense

Jaxon makes his ENTRAAAANCE BABY

Dressed all in gucci black - she can tell from across the goddamn room

“Jaxon is anything but regular, anything but ordinary, even here among the blatantly extraordinary”

Icy blank stare soooooo much

She calls his voice low wicked and wild

She can’t stop thinking about “running my tongue over the perfect bow of his upper lip, dragging is lower lip between my teeth”

Idk where these thoughts are coming from!!!! Baby you 17 c’mon now

I try to think of anything else, snow!

She takes a drink and it goes down the wrong pipe lmaoooo

“At least if i find a bathroom i can die in peace” lol

But he touches her and she stops choking and she’s like “he couldn’t have stopped that, i know, but…”

He stares at her as he bites the strawberry and she takes it as a threat

CH 11: in the library, no one can hear you scream

“His moods change more quickly than my bffs instafeed” I -

Oh so NOW she’ll say “the fuck you in his eyes” but she was saying freaking and eff before...did her publisher tell her only x amount of fucks per book?

She goes into the library and her body is like RUN, but she ignores it…

There are beautiful gargoyles and ornate shelves and...stickers fucking everywhere?

The gargoyle is pointing to an secret room that says students needs permission, but she hears chanting and decides to check it out since it might be one of the native languages spoken in alaskaaaaaaaaaa

“Especially because some of them only have less than 4,000 speakers left in the world” okay gracie-pedia tf?

CH 12: it’s all fun and games until someone loses their life

She meets a girl named Leah - who was the one chanting

Okay but i do fuck with the horror movie quote pillows…

Damn leah’s boyfriend died…

“Tea from homemade leaves” again...read this out loud before you put it in a published novel...do you mean loose leaves? Do you mean homegrown leaves?

Is she gonna poison her????

“What do you guys have to lie about that’s so important?” “Everything”

CH 13: just bite me

“Lol jk”

“Finish your drink” BITCH IT’S POISON

Macy and leah are being soooo weird about what could have happened to grace on her own

Apparently leah is super popular and secretive so it’s weird she took to grace so fast - is this a NLOG sitch or a “come into my web little fly” sitch?

She pukes because of “altitude sickness” aka poisoning i bet

CH 14: knock knock knocking on death’s door

This theme of bastardization of guns and roses songs is really....something.

Grace takes a mental health day because she’s still feeling weird

Flint comes to check on her and invite her to a snowball fight…?

If your character’s name is grace, i feel like you can’t use gracefully as an adjective, the same way you wouldn’t say Rue said something ruefully.

Flint kisses her cheek and i’m already waiting for this Great Value Edward/Jacob triangle

But he makes her feel ~nothing~ compared to jaxon

CH 15: so hell actually can freeze over

Macy likes flint, uh-oh

But the different groups don’t mix

“What is this, mean girls alaska edition?” - stfu

Omg her uncle checks on her and he reminds her of her dad and :(

We get sooooooo much detail about how to dress to go out into the wilderness...here is one thing i was able to find out: tracy wolff lives in texas. So i feel like she did ALL this research and then was like y’all gonna LEARN ABOUT THIS I SPENT TOO MUCH TIME!

As a girl who has never ever seen snow, i felt this fascination

She finds a gnarled up weird tree guarding a trail

“A weird sense that i should turn around - like the feeling in the library - came over me but i knew i was just being silly”

The lack of survival instinct henny

She comes across a gazebo where leah and jaxon are sitting

CH 16: sometimes keeping your enemies close is the only thing that prevents hypothermia

That’s not a chapter title, it’s an entire sentence…

Ooh they’re having an angry, intimate convo

And leah slaps him!!

“They’re looking at me like they’re the predators and i’m the prey they can’t wait to sink their teeth into” we get it, first of all. Second of all, what is with the long-winded metaphors

“Every time i catch sight of him i feel something tug at me i can’t identify, something i have no ability to explain” it’s horniness.

Then she just leaves but he catches up to her

With his sexy af hair blowing

“Trying to run away from all the thing he makes me feel when really i just want to grab on to him and hold on tight” - so what is the truth?! You keep acting like you don’t know what the feeling is but clearly, YOU DO.

“Everyone answers to me, eventually.” - we found the line used in the adverts guys!

Oh my god, what an asshat. Asshole, i would have laughed. Asshat is stupid.

It’s annoying af

Doing my best dory impression: just keep walking

“Making friends with a dr - a guy like flint” CALLED IT, he’s a dragon

Leah’s boyfriend was jaxon’s brother

Neither leah nor jaxon was wearing a jacket. BOOM

CH 17: it’s discretion, not diamonds, that’s a girl’s best friend

Not only cringe but grammatically incorrect…she coulda just said “discretion is a girl’s best friend” and we woulda got the reference….

Grace mentions jaxon in front of macy and she’s supes weird and grace is FINALLY like wtf is the secret you’re hiding from me

“She looks at me like i’m a few snowflakes short of a snowball” SOMEONE. READ THIS OUT LOUD. WHERE IS HER EDITOR I JUST WANNA TALK.

The order?! “Just a nickname for the popular boys” bullSHIT

Macy FREAKS OUT when she realizes grace has been alone with jaxon

She says he was interesting and “macy looks at me like i said i wanted to bodysurf the alaskan tundra”

Macy “We’re talking about jaxon right? Arrogance of a rock star?”

She didn’t mention “the scar that turns him from to pretty sexy af, and scary af”

“He’s not the one who tried to kill me” “you’ve only been here a few days, give it time” get her MACY!

HE WAS LISTENING!!!!

CH 18: how many hot guys does it take to win a snowball fight?

Ooh jaxon mad that grace is going to flint’s snowball fight

“His breath is so warm and soft that i can feel it everywhere, even deep inside” okay you horny bitch!!!!! Was this cringe or did i like it or both?

“The orange and dark water scent of him” ...what? Dark water is a cologne? Or does she literally mean like the dark water of the ocean? What in confusion

Her throat is always tight and dry around him, all the time, every day

Flint pops up and he is wearing a dragon beanie…

The rest of the order shows up and “For the first time the phrase got your back makes sense” to grace...are you kidding me? You never understood a very simple common phrase til now? Sure jan

SEXUAL TRIANGLE TENSIOOOOOOOOON

But she only has eyes for Jaxon...they both reach to touch each other.

“Grace” it’s barely a whisper but i feel it all the way inside myself BITCH

“Something tells me this boy and his world famous disappearing act is going to be the death of me”

CH 19: we came, we fought, i froze

Civil twilight AGAIN.

“I didn’t think screwed up and obnoxious was your type” me-OW

The snowball fight happens

Sounds like fun, the designer faction isn’t there

“Did she just do parkour against that tree?” re: Macy so close to being funny. I did exhale through my nose. Then “did you just parkour that tree?” i DID laugh

Flint climbs the tree with grace over his shoulder ‘like spider man’ and all i can think is “you better hold on tight spider monkey”

The wind is so strong it knocks her out of the tree…

CH 20: there’s never a parachute around when you need one

Flint catches her in mid-air...this man… #teamflint2020

“You’re heavier than you look” dead

He has shame in his eyes? Why?

Because JAXON IS THERE AND HE IS MAD!

And flint is SUPER MAD!!!!!!!

Jaxon puts himself between grace and flint so grace can’t touch flint

“Can i just say i’m feeling a lot like alice in wonderland here? Things get curiouser and curiouser.” stfu

I was laughing because she was like “so much for fitting in, now i might as well be painted biohazard orange” but then she said fml. Stfu

Jaxon picks her up

CH 21: I like standing on my own two feet, but getting swept off them feels surprisingly good, too

If it takes up more than one line of a google docs page IT’S NOT A FUCKING CHAPTER TITLE!!!!!

Ooh and his arms feel really good around her, REALLY good

Now he smells like orange and snow and it’s making her crazy

Macy looks at them like she’s getting punk’d

“Grace.” “what?” “shut up.” i’m dead

“I sprained my ankle, i’m not dying of consumption” “yeah well, the night is young” this made me lol despite it being more of macy’s voice than jaxon’s

Jaxon is blaming grace for falling? “You don’t see macy falling out of her tree” is he negging her rn?

She’s called him super-sexy twice in a paragraph

Macy goes to get ice bc she’s scared of Jaxon and grace says, “Et tu, brute?” lmaooo

“I can do it myself” “maybe i wanna do it for you” and macy squeaks LMAO

His scar makes his smile a crooked little smirk...who else had a crooked smirk...the vampire this is 1000% based on, maybe?

“I find myself relaxing despite myself” guys. Reading is power. Read your work out loud so you can hear when you use the same word twice in a sentence, like this.

“My whole body lights up like the aurora borealis i’m still dying to see”

They almost kiss but don’t bc macy comes back

~~~

#crave #tracy wolff #jaxon vega #katmere #cringe books #book review #reading #fiction #negative review #booktube

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marumafan · 7 years ago

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Yuuram in Novel 16

The beginning of Prison arc. Novel 16 and 17 have little yuuram as Yuuri and Wolf are in two different places for the duration of this arc and they’re both very busy. However let's see what we can find. I'm also including some interesting Shinou parts. Yuuram in Novel : 1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16|17

—————————————————————— Novel 16. ch.1 - A slap, a stab, a punch, a push into the ocean -

And besides, I hadn’t planned to return yet, it was Wolfram beside me that pushed us into the sea from the back, so even if it wasn’t of our own volition, in the end we still fell down towards the blue-black whirlpool.

Just as Wolfram said, I know he did it completely out of kindness. He probably wishes I can return to Earth and sleep peacefully, eat Mom’s cooking, then recharge and rest up properly before returning to Shin Makoku. But in the end…

“This is very obviously not Japan.”

—————————————————————— Novel 16. ch.2 - Gunter and Wolfram talking-

“I really wanna see the world His Majesty grew up in… go to where His Majesty grew up… ‘Ears’.”

Of course at this time no one would pay attention to the fact that he got the name wrong.

“You probably want to follow and see as well, huh, Wolfram?”

“I’m still okay.”

“There you go again, you’re always so stubborn with your words.”

“I’m not being stubborn, I really never thought of going to the world where Yuuri grew up.”

“Sometimes you don’t have to force yourself so much, y’know, Wolfram.” Günter’s gaze is condescendingly saying ‘you were just like a pouting brat just now’. (...)

“I’m not forcing myself! To Yuuri and me, it doesn’t matter what kind of world he grew up in, it doesn’t change the fact that Shin Makoku will always be the best!”

(...)“There’s no country better than this, and I believe Yuuri thinks the same. Once his body gets used to it, he would probably want to stay here all the time, right?”

—————————————————————— Novel 16. ch.2 - Ice swan-

“When Your Excellency was still Snow Günta, His Excellency Gwendal stayed by your side. He even put a snow rabbit on your important parts.”

“Don’t tell me you want me to do that too?”

“I have already put a swan ice carving on Gurrier’s crotch.”

Gisela says decisively. Although it sounds cold just listening about it, Wolfram still decides in his heart that he must go see that later.

—————————————————————— Novel 16. ch.2 - Wolfram's power -

If this continues, Wolfram might very likely suffocate.

But Wolfram, on the brink of losing his rational mind, is putting up quite the fight, grabbing Gisela’s wrist and glove, and twisting it unhesitatingly.

“Mgh!”

Gisela clenches her teeth instead of screaming, then turns her body to try and shake off the pressure on her wrist. Although she manages to save her wrist, she also gives Wolfram back his freedom, and his feet finally return to the ground. With that, the Bear Paw has lost its usefulness.

“Did I just witness the moment Anissina’s ma-powered device was defeated with my own eyes?”

—————————————————————— Novel 16. ch.3 -Pretty face-

I shake my head slowly, saying,

“I won’t run.”

If it were Conrad, by now he would surely be saying with a smile, “I knew it would end up like this.” If it were Wolfram, his pretty face would surely go completely red with anger, and then he’d say, “That’s why you’re such a henachoko.”

Lord von Voltaire isn’t like either of them.

—————————————————————— Novel 16. ch.4 -White face-

“I mean, don’t you guys get dizzy on human land because of houryoku?” (...) “Wolf’s condition is more obvious. Because his face would immediately turn white, but you resist more.” “I don’t feel any particular change, maybe because this land has weaker houryoku.”

—————————————————————— Novel 16. ch.6 -Your maryoku is smol -

“What did you say--?”

Behind the open door, Wolfram demands loudly from the chair on the deck. He’s at least twenty adult steps away from this side. This is in order to prevent him from accidentally touching the Box, so they deliberately made him leave.

It is said that even when it is spoken in a foreign language, people can still tell between good words and bad ones. Even though Wolfram is so far away, he can still sense people badmouthing him—despite not knowing exactly what’s being said.

The maryoku sealed inside the pouch is Wolfram’s maryoku, and if he were to hear that… his maryoku is unexpectedly small, he would surely blow his top, so Günter hurriedly replies,

“It’s nothing, y’know—Wolfram—Nothing at all!”

—————————————————————— Novel 16. ch.6 -Stuck up Wolf -

Pouch Man mutters,

“Pretty stuck-up, ain’t he.”

“How troubling, he’s always like that, his stubbornness is always so hard for us to handle.”

“Oh~~ I understand his personality fairly well, to think that his stubbornness is very different depending on whether I’m watching it from afar or experiencing it first-hand.”

“You’re saying you’ve seen Wolfram before?”

—————————————————————— Novel 16. ch.6 -Shinou's description-

“Eh—In that case there’s not enough evidence for me to believe you’re His Majesty Shinou, now what do we do?”

“The way you’re suspecting my status like this, if we were back in my time you would have been executed on the spot long ago.”

He continues muttering,

“To think that I’ve gotten softer too. Back in the past, I was very much respected and idolized, so although I never oppressed anyone with my power, no one dared to raise up their heads and look at me directly either. Especially Lord von Christ, I expected you would perform a spray all the way to the ceiling and then faint.”

(...) “Speaking of that~~ I didn’t have a physical body to start with, but that’s something you can imagine. Living alone all this time as a spiritual body, I was looking for an entrance to the real world when I just happened to find a gathering of maryoku that was in pretty decent shape, which is…”

He uses the tip of his fingers to pull at the hair from the pouch,

“Lord von Bielefeld’s maryoku was sealed up in a hundred percent hair, and became a perfect exit that connected the space I was in to this world. From where I’m at, this is just like a little round window made of transparent ice. Then, the second I passed through that little round window, I used the maryoku gathered there to make this thing that looks like a body physical. In other words… it’s like how when a bubble rises from the bottom of a marsh, the mud will fill with air and swell up. However, observe!”

—————————————————————— Novel 16. ch.6 -Shinou spying on Yuuri and Wolf-

“Y-you watch over everyone?” “That’s right… No, you don’t have to worry, I have no interest in vulgar things, and I don’t watch all of you all day long, after all I only have two eyes. However…”

(....)

Shinou looks at the beautiful face similar to his, saying disdainfully, “Wolf sure is stuck-up, despite how cute he is when talking in his sleep.” “You even know that he talks in his sleep!? D-d-d-don’t tell me you’ve heard His Majesty Yuuri’s sleep-talk as well?” “I have, so? The things Yuuri says are pretty descriptive, mostly about ‘assassination’, ‘dead’ and the like. It’s making me wonder recently, is he really a pacifist?” “If you’re talking about Yuuri, I want to hear too!!!” (Wolf)

—————————————————————— Novel 16. ch.6 -Key-

“A, part, of, the, Box?” “Lord von Bielefeld Wolfram, you are the Key to ‘Inferno on the Tundra’. And the same goes for your two older brothers, Lord von Voltaire Gwendal and Lord Weller Conrart, the Keys of the Boxes of Earth and Wind are hosted on their bodies respectively.” “I am… the Key?” “Didn’t you sense it slightly?” “But… To think… I…”

—————————————————————— Novel 16. ch.7 -Wolf and me-

I bet we’re currently witnessing a special version of ‘Father, give me your daughter!’ But the one acting as the father is the son, and the daughter is his old lady, this difference is too much.

Even if that little skit is so unique, I’m still touched to tears. If I were to find myself in that position in the near future, what should I do? At that time, the fathers would be Wolf and me, and the daughter would be Greta.

Thinking that, I immediately understand Gwendal’s feelings deeply.

—————————————————————— Novel 16. short story at the end -In Greta’s Mirror -Royal family. Greta wants a picture of her mother-

Greta returned to Yuuri’s room and waited impatiently while her beloved family hugged her, then led her by the hand to Wolfram’s room. “Wolfram will paint a picture of your mother from her childhood.” “Childhood?” “Yeah. Greta’s mother and the current you are painted pretty much the same.” Greta sat on a large stool for several hours in the same position without moving. Wolfram, closing one eye and measuring the length with a writing brush, painted a picture with strong-smelling paint. “We can’t take a photograph of your mother, but we can paint a portrait. After this we can make one each year. When Greta is an adult, surely the mother from your memories will be almost exactly like the one in the portrait.” “Really?” “Really. Because Greta is her beloved mother’s daughter, right? But-” Yuuri quickly lowered his voice and whispered in Greta’s ear. He felt around in his pocket again and pulled out a small mirror with a light-blue border, putting it in the smiling Greta’s palm. “It’s a secret from Wolf.” “Yeah, a secret from Wolf.” Greta didn’t know whether or not the completed picture actually resembled her mother. That wasn’t because Greta was forgetting her mother’s face; it was definitely because Wolfram’s artistic style was so incredibly abstract that there was no distinction between a person and a tanuki. Nevertheless she hung the portrait in her room, and spoke to it every morning without fail. But ever after that, Greta wished for a portrait or photograph of her mother.

And every time she used the tiny mirror, she remembered.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Yuuram in Novel : 1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16|17

#kyou kara maou #kkm #maruma #yuuram

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recluse-art · 8 years ago

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momentum - 6

chapter 6

[ch 1][ch 2][ch 3][ch 4][ch 5]

“Why do you have two toothbrushes?” Itachi picked up both items and turned to his younger brother with a raised brow.

Sasuke glanced in his direction with a deer-in-the-headlights expression. Not knowing how to answer, he continued placing his novels in a cardboard box.

Seconds passed as Itachi stared expectantly at the man avoiding his gaze.

“The blue one is mine, you can throw the purple one away,” came his belated reply.

“Hmm.” The older sibling was unsatisfied, but did not prod further.

They finished the rest of the packing in silence, with Sasuke hoping he would not be pressed on the issue. People didn’t call Itachi a genius for nothing - he eventually figured things out, one way or another.

To say Itachi was curious was an understatement.

Once a week, they would Skype to stay in touch and like clockwork, he asked Sasuke how college was going. Were classes okay? Did he need anything?

Without fail, Sasuke gave the same generic answers: college is fine, classes are easy, no I don’t need anything. He occasionally threw in extra details like “I went to a new cafe downtown” or “I visited this museum,” but he did not generally enjoy discussing the personal details of his life. Then again, he was not a very talkative individual in the first place. Neither was Itachi, nor their late father - the Uchiha males were men of few words.

However brief their conversations may have been, Itachi did pick up on something. He was the lead investigator for the Konoha police force, so keen perception was a necessary part of the trade.

Sasuke seemed to have… perked up a little more this semester. Sometimes he would be half distracted on their Skype calls, text tones going off on his side. His focus would shift between his phone and his laptop to reply to his messages and maintain his discussion with Itachi.

Once, the older Uchiha watched with mild surprise as a grin split Sasuke’s face upon opening a particular message. Momentarily forgetting he was on the other side of a webcam, he didn’t mask his delight.

When asked who he was texting, Sasuke adjusted his features back to neutral and vaguely answered, “A friend.”

Knowing he would find out eventually, he let it drop. Now the desire to understand came back full force with the discovery of the mysterious purple toothbrush.

They were loading the last few boxes into the car when Sasuke looked at his phone and typed back a quick reply. Wiping the dust from his hands on his pants, he faced his brother and declared, “I’m going to go meet with a friend since we finished early. I’ll see you in an hour.”

No wonder it seemed like he had rushed packing, haphazardly shoving his belongings into boxes and bags. Itachi nodded in assent. “Have fun, I’ll meet you here at 3.”

Sasuke all but sprinted away from the car and Itachi couldn’t help but smirk. He was acting like a teenager with his first crush. Perhaps he was, he contemplated. His little brother closed himself off from others after their parents’ deaths and while the siblings were in tune with each other, Sasuke still had trouble expressing himself.

The owner of the purple toothbrush must have been rather special, he mused as he watched Sasuke run off.

Itachi pondered upon what to do for the next hour and discovered a traditional Japanese cafe with great reviews online.

So he set off, rather eager to try their green tea and raved-about dango.

Upon entry, he surveyed the quaint shop. It was small, but homey, and there weren’t too many customers. He decided he liked it.

Oh? What’s this? What a pleasant surprise, it would appear that his brother was also at the cafe. Luckily, he was facing away from the door and didn’t notice Itachi’s entrance.

An expert at undercover missions and staying discreet, the detective chose the best vantage point to both spy on Sasuke and his “friend” and remain hidden from the man’s view.

The nagging thought that this was an invasion of his younger brother’s privacy lost against the strong urge to find out what was going on in Sasuke’s life. With his mind made up, Itachi acknowledged that he might have had a minor brother complex.

Situated with his tea and dessert, he took a bite out of his dango while casting furtive glances at the pair.

Pale irises? That girl looked familiar… ah, yes. She was a Hyuuga. His eidetic memory did not let him down; she was the eldest daughter to Hyuuga Hiashi and thus the heiress to the family enterprise, though it was rumored that she declined the position.

Hyuuga Hinata. Now what was his little brother doing with the Hyuuga princess?

Currently, the two were talking. If he could tell by the tired but relieved expression on her face, she was talking about how her final exams went.

Unfortunately, he was not close enough to hear their conversation and he could not analyze Sasuke’s reactions to her, with only a view of the back of his head.

At least he could observe the girl - wait did she just…? He fought to avoid dropping his stick of partially eaten dango.

He watched in shock as she fed Sasuke a piece of taiyaki, which he ate eagerly by the way he took it from her fingers. With his mouth.

The prodigy’s mind was spinning. Was this real life? Did he fall into an alternate dimension or did Uchiha Sasuke really let someone feed him in this manner? And sweets nonetheless? He hated sweets!

It was a good thing Itachi was already sitting because he may not have been able to support himself when he saw his brother push his mug towards her, gesturing for her to try the drink.

She took a tentative sip but pulled away quickly, her nose scrunching in distaste, probably from the bitterness. Sasuke liked his coffee black.

His shoulders shook from laughter upon her reaction and she made a face at him in retaliation to the teasing.

Their relationship struck him as very intimate and he didn’t need to be a professional investigator to deduce that. It was not often that Itachi was touched, but watching his normally aloof brother interact with this girl kindled warmth in his chest.

The voyeur continued to study the couple with a perverse sort of interest. This was an entirely new side of Sasuke that was emerging - a happy, carefree, love-struck boy.

The clock reported the time to be 3:17 but Sasuke was still engaged in conversation with his friend. It was likely they were parting ways for the summer and would not meet again until fall. Itachi did not have the heart to separate the two and only got up when they made the move to leave.

Not wanting his cover to be blown, he escaped swiftly. His police academy training came in handy, seeing as his quick stride took him to the car long before Sasuke.

Interestingly, the Hyuuga princess walked with Sasuke to the car. They stopped twenty feet behind the vehicle and Itachi was able to spy on them via the rearview mirror.

Her shoulders sagged as she looked up to her friend with sad doe eyes and a frown tugging at her mouth. She was obviously melancholy over their departure.

Sasuke placed his hands on her shoulders in a comforting gesture, then brought his face close to hers. Lips moving; he was telling her something. When he finished speaking, he kissed her forehead and tugged her to him for a tight hug. She returned the embrace with just as much enthusiasm, wrapping her arms around his wide torso.

Light pink flooded both of their cheeks when they separated.

They awkwardly bade goodbye and parted ways. When he began to walk to the car, Itachi whipped out his phone and pretended he was on it the whole time.

The passenger door opened and a dazed Sasuke climbed in. Robotically, he clicked his seat belt and turned to gaze at the retreating figure.

Itachi put the car in drive and waited until they left campus to inquire, “Was she the owner of the purple toothbrush?”

“Yeah,” he answered, still in some kind of stupor.

“Well?” Itachi’s tone was expectant. “What happened?”

Embarrassed at the fact that his older brother witnessed the exchange, Sasuke faced the window to hide his flush from the events that just transpired.

“Nothing,” he took a deep breath to calm his nerves, “We’re just friends.”

Itachi nodded in understanding, “I see. That’s quite different from how you treat your other friends.”

“She’s different.”

Buildings and trees turned into blurs as they crossed stretches of land to return home. He thought he would be excited for the summer to come, since he wouldn’t have class or have to deal with the havoc that came with living in one building occupied by a hundred other males. But as they got further away from the university, emptiness engulfed him like a chasm.

Sasuke rest his still warm cheek against the soothing glass of the window and almost drifted off from the ambience of the radio’s murmur and the muted sounds of driving.

“Do you want me to pick up some taiyaki from the store?” Itachi’s voice cut through his sleep addled mind.

“Huh?”

“Because it seems you like taiyaki now,” Itachi couldn’t keep the smirk off his face. Teasing Sasuke was one of his favorite past times because he regressed into a kid again; petulant, but lovable.

He nearly hit his head on the window when he shot up. “You watched us in the cafe?!”

The older Uchiha chuckled, “I just happened to stumble into the same cafe where my little brother was having a date with his pretty girlfriend.”

Sasuke was mortified. He knew his brother was a detective but he didn’t think Itachi would turn his sleuthing skills on him.

Flustered, Sasuke huffed and crossed his arms. “Can’t believe you spied on me,” he grumbled.

With his coal eyes still fixed on the road and one hand steady on the wheel, he managed to reach over and flick the pouting boy in the forehead.

“How could I possibly pass up an opportunity to spy on my dear little brother?” he needled. “Besides, you two make a cute couple.”

They passed a few streets before Sasuke replied bashfully.

“… Thanks.”

#sasuhina #drabble #itachi definitely spies on his little brother #cause he's the nosy mother hen type when it comes to sasuke #still taking suggestions btw :)

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marumafan · 8 years ago

Text

Yuuram in Novel 3

Because yuuram is life I hereby present you with a list of yuuram moments in the novels. This time novel 3.

------------------------------------------------------------------ Novel 3. ch.1

-Another Yuuram reunion-

The one who barged in was the angel-like bishounen, Wolfram von Bielefeld. He stopped dead in the hallway upon seeing my naked torso, and seemed to be at a loss for words, his cute face flustered.

"Yuuri... my God! Your face and arms ... So dark! Have you caught a terrible disease? Or a curse?"

"Are you looking for a fight?" I sulked.

In fact, my face and my arms were well-tanned, but my torso and legs were still white as snow. For baseball players, having this shirt-like tan would be considered an achievement, but when my upper body was exposed like this, it was indeed not the best look.

With the thumb and forefinger, Wolfram pinched my cheek.

"Ow-ow-aie-ooh-aie!! What do you think you're doing?"

------------------------------------------------------------------ Novel 3. ch.1

- Yuuri introducing Wolfram -

Wolfram was a rival-less super bishounen, like a Vienna choir boy who had jumped straight out of a shoujo manga. He had inherited his mother's shiny golden hair and her emerald green eyes. While his build was no better or worse than mine, the difference between our looks was as wide as the gap between heaven and earth. I imagined all artists in the world would fight over the chance to paint his portrait. If he had appeared in someone's dream, the dreamer might even be moved to tears thinking they had seen an angel.

However, he was angel-like only as long as he kept his mouth shut. Else he was just a terribly spoiled and bratty prince. As he claimed, and if one could believe his words, he was already eighty-two years old. If he was living in Japan, he would be a stubborn old man. And because of a small tiny minor cultural difference, we are engaged to each other.

------------------------------------------------------------------ Novel 3. ch.1

- Casually touching Yuuri -

"The Mateki?!"

Wolfram who was strangely brushing the limit of my suntan, stepped into our conversation excitedly. As expected from a Vienna Boys Choir singer, the tone of his voice would even be a little annoying for Mozart.

"I've only heard the stories about it from my father, but he said that the sound of the flute is fantastic! It can make the sky roar and the earth shake. Its sound can conjure a loud storm, that would make you cower!"

"C-cows go?"

"Cows go mosa mosa."

------------------------------------------------------------------ Novel 3. ch.2

- Yuuri being casually gay, and also upset he can’t be an alpha-

I tried to shift my body away from the boy sitting in front of me as much as possible so that some air could pass through between us. However, it was nothing but hot air all around us, and there was no stir even remotely resembling a breeze.

"If you slip further back, you'll fall." Wolfram said.

"I'm dying of heat!" I complained.

Wolfram was obviously enjoying the situation.

Yes, thanks. Very funny. If only it had been a girl who was sitting in front of me, then I would have had my fun. Like a charming gentleman, I would have steadied her, with the reins held in my hands. Sadly for me, the front seat was occupied by a bishounen lovelier than a girl.

------------------------------------------------------------------ Novel 3. ch.2

-Yuuri casually risking Conrad's life to save Wolf -

"What about Wolfram?! He fell in front of me into the sand! But he won't die, right?!" I cried and wailed.

"If he was unlucky..." Gwendal said above me. (...)

"Your Majesty, Wolfram would agree with me immediately. He is also a grownup warrior and knows that things like this can happen. Your safety comes first!"(...)

By now, there was no visible trace of the soldiers who had been swallowed by the sand vortex. Would they pass off falling into such a land hole as a matter of bad luck? Just imagining the honey blond hair and brilliant emerald green eyes frozen with terror, hurt my chest; I couldn't breathe.(...)

"Conrad, I don't want you to be someone who abandon his own brother." I finally said. (...)

"You've said that you would only follow my orders." I said.

"Yes, but that was..."

"You said you'll follow my catcher's signs. Then I order you to save Wolfram. Please! I'm fine; you have no reason to worry about me. After all I still have a strong guard here."

Conrad looked surprised and shifted his eyes back and forth between me and Gwendal.

------------------------------------------------------------------ Novel 3. ch.8

-Wolfram's reaction to hearing that Yuuri and Gwendal had eloped-

"Then you are the younger brother, whose fiancé has run off with your own elder brother?"

"What are you saying?"

In an instant, Wolfram's face had turned visibly red even in the pale moonlight. At the same time, steam seemed to be rising from his head.

"Conrad, what does that mean?" He yelled. "My brother and Yuuri! This cannot be true! I knew it! That cheater! "

"Wolfram, calm down. It is certainly not what it looks like."

"But yes, the two are surely a couple," the girl said. "I've seen them with my own eyes. The poor guys were on the run. They were chained together with handcuffs."

"Chained together?"

It had to be boiling water inside Wolfram's head.

(...)

The Lord Betrothed has gone completely out of his mind with fury and was by then torturing an innocent garbage can with his feet. Conrad decided to let Wolfram vent his rage. He turned around and put a hand on the shoulder of the girl who was about to break out in tears.

------------------------------------------------------------------ Novel 3. ch.10

-Yuuri hearing wedding music as he sleeps on Wolfram's lap; wakes up to Wolfram's hair in the moonlight which he thinks 'is beautiful' (the moon looks beautiful tonight trope?) ; Yuuri 's mantra -

In the meantime, the melodies of "The blue Danube" by Johann Strauss kept playing in my head. And it was not the full-scale version performed by an orchestra, but the cheap version the like of a call center's hold tone.

(...)

"What ..." I mumbled.

The first thing that I could see was thick golden strands shimmering in the moonlight. I didn't even have time to think 'It's beautiful', when I heard someone scolding me.

"Why do you always do this?"

"Wolf?"

"What?"

"Wa...Water..."

(...)

"Ouch... Stop it! I'm drowning, I'm really drowning here. Please forgive me!"

"Do you know how worried I was about you?"

Angering a bishounen, even if one was not at fault, would result in painful consequences. At the same time, I felt tremendous guilt since it was indeed my own impulsive action that caused trouble to everyone.

(...)

Even though I perfectly knew that we were both guys, being pursued by such a beautiful boy like him still caused my heart to skip a few beats. At times like this, the most effective solution was to avoid looking at his face and keep chanting "He is 82 years old" like a mantra.

------------------------------------------------------------------ Novel 3. ch.11

-Pillow Wolf-

As if that weren't enough, I had to lay down across two seats, my head softly cushioned on the thigh of Lord Bielefeld!

"Does my pillow have to be a man's lap, of all things?!" I wailed.

"Every time you do some huge magic, you sleep for two to three days," declared Wolfram, unmoved.

"This time you only slept two hours. And after such a formidable performance, too. Please be so kind as to stay right where you are. You need your rest."

"All right, all right! But why the heck does it have to be with you as my pillow!?"

"Doesn't it make you happy?"

"Do I look like I'm happy?!"

"Oh, you two are truly one heart and one soul," sighed Nicola with shining eyes.

------------------------------------------------------------------ Novel 3. ch.12

-This chapter is just all yuuram-

"Yuuri, I never would have thought that you are capable of such a bold initiative," Wolfram said in surprise after I decided to knock on his door.

The delicate pretty boy did not know what to make of the whole thing. He tilted his head to one side and, his lips slightly open, waiting in silence for an explanation.

"I just want you to have a bath with me. If you feel embarrassed, you can keep your swim trunks on," I said.

"If it's just the two of us then there's nothing to be embarrassed about, but... "

"Then let's go! I'm in a hurry! A towel and a pair of trunks would be enough!"

In a corner of his room, Wolfram was busy digging for some strange object. Was he looking for a rubber duck to take with us?

I pulled the broadly grinning Wolfram, and head towards the familiar royal bathroom.

------------------------------------------------------------------ Novel 3. ch.12

-Definitely foreplay-

"Can you push me into the pool?"

"What?"

"Come on now," I grumbled.

"What kind of foreplay is this?"

Wolfram pushed me into the water, but I immediately resurfaced.

"I don't understand," I muttered. "Hey, what are you doing?! Did I tell you to jump in too?!"

Wolfram emerged again, his blond hair totally soaked. The image was like the scene of an angel bathing. Luckily he had kept his clothes on, just like me. With two strokes, he swam over to me.

"Why did you dive in? I only wanted you to push me."

He wrapped his pale arms around my neck.

"Don't hug me!"

"Didn't you want to try a totally new way of doing it?"

"Way of doing it...? Wolfram, you were expecting to do something naughty, weren't you!?"

Even though I was completely desperate, my partner was shamelessly indulging in his own happy fantasies. I hung my head and swallowed my growing anger. In another attempt, I put my feet firmly on the bathtub floor, and slowly stretched my knees.

------------------------------------------------------------------ Novel 3. ch.12

- He did actually use Wolf this time, bad Yuuri -

"I can't go back, to my home, to earth, to Japan!" I cried angrily.

"I thought it would be just like last time, I could return through the bathroom again. But no matter what I did, nothing happened at all! I thought if I was forced into a corner, I would enter the star journey to escape from danger... But even when you pushed me into the water, still nothing happened."

"What?"

"Wolf... why is that grimace?"

Numerous creases gathered above his nose and between his eyebrows. The ex-prince lifted his chin and pulled his shoulders back.

"You used me for this small thing?"

"It's not a small thing! This is incredibly important for me, don't you understand that much?"

"You are now the king of this country, you can't run around anymore! You've got to stay here. Yuuri, your home is this castle! And that's forever!"

Every time this bishounen scolded me, I would feel the numerous wounds his words caused. As hard as it was to accept, Wolfram was probably right. My diving attempts were pointless. But what other choice did I have? I had never thought that I could never see Japan again.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Novel 3. ch.12

-Yup, he's angry-

"You're unbelievably dim-witted," Wolfram groaned and brushed his wet bang back from his forehead.

His seemingly arrogant green eyes stared at me fiercely. He really does have an angel's face, but his words draw blood with each syllable.

"You belong to this world. You cannot escape, your soul is at home here."

---------------------------------------------------------------

Yuuram in Novel : 1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16|17

#kyou kara maou #kkm #maruma #yuuram

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