#Cape Smokey

[huariqueje]

Winged Sunset  -   William H. Hays , 2014.

American, b. 1956 -

Colour linocut reduction on wove paper, 12 x 9 in .

[rhiann0n]

I may not enjoy the people that live around me, but the views are beautiful and make it worth while.

Views from the top of Cape Smokey, Ingonish Beach, Cape Breton Island.

[nolassolace]

"A feeling new and surprising but it wasn't the sound that made my heart pound No, it was because I found her hand is in mine.

- Who cares what you are listening to, it's who you're listening with."

This piece has been the death of me but I think I'm finally happy with it 💕

[oneforthemunny]

spooky series entry: modern!eddie munson

based off the first part of this ask from @belokhvostikova! part of my spooky series with modern!eddie :) enjoy! eddie edit creds @themunsonator5000 !

contains: 18+ minors dni, alludes to smut, really just fluff. reader and eddie do a couple's costume.

��God, I think I’m gonna pass out in here, babe.” Eddie coughed over the hiss of the aerosol can spraying in the bathroom, the vent on and a window open doing little to insulate the fumes. 

“I told you to do it outside.” You huff, eyes rolling in irritation. Eddie had taken over the bathroom, leaving you to the bedroom. 

“It’s fuckin’ freezing out there.” Eddie scoffed, a rather hard hack of a cough following that had you looking towards the cracked door. “And I needed to see.” 

“Could’ve taken a mirror.” You muttered, dragging your eyeliner along your waterline, the perfect sultry and smokey look- just what you were going for. Eddie was going to love it, he always did when you’d make your makeup a little darker, a little moody. 

“I can’t hold a mirror, and my hair, and the spray.” Eddie rolled his eyes like the idea was so silly. Like fumigating the apartment was the obvious best choice. 

“I still need help getting it to spike.” Eddie turned his head towards the ajar door across from him. You were hidden behind the half opened door, depriving him of seeing you- your process, your costume, the deep purple cape he was a little too excited about. 

“Use the hairspray.” You call, and he can practically hear the eye roll in your tone. 

“I did.” Eddie grit, running the brush through his matted half green curls. “Still not working. Got a lot of hair, babe.”

“Yeah,” You snorted, the jingle of your belt and necklace sounding with every step. “I know. It’s everywhere.” 

Eddie smirked, a smug counter on the tip of his tongue that fell short when he saw you. A black high cut bodysuit, fishnet stockings he just wanted to tear apart, and best of all- the cloak. The fucking cloak, velvety that you‘d gotten off Facebook marketpace in September when he told you his vision for your costumes. 

“What?” You eye him, clipping the loose, link belt around your waist so it settled slouchy over your hips. Eddie had helped you make it, a rigged up welding job to get the large, plastic rubies on and in the right place. 

“Nothing.” Eddie’s eyes roamed up and down your frame, taking in every single detail like if he looked away it would be gone. “You, uh, you look very good.” 

“Very?” You repeated, a raised brow that had his head bobbing, blush rising up his skin. “Really? The cloak is doin’ it for you, hm?” 

“Oh, you have no fuckin’ idea.” Eddie groaned, stepping towards you. “Think this might be my new thing. My new kink.” 

“Capes?” 

“You in capes.” Eddie nodded, reaching out to touch the soft velvet. 

“Uh! No!” You clicked, stepping back. “Your hands are green.” 

“So?”

“So you’re not touching my stuff and ruining it, Ed. Wash your hands!” You point to the sink, crowded with hair products, stray hairs, and faint green spray. You frown, glaring at him. “I told you not to make a mess.” 

“I’ll clean it up.” Eddie hums, eyes meeting yours through the mirror, shoving the content out of the sink and hitting the faucet on. 

You roll your eyes. You know he will, really. “Do you want me to grab the gel? See if I can blow it up like Pauly D?” Your lips curl in a half smirk. 

“No.” Eddie shakes his head, the water stained green from his hands. 

“I can try, baby, but I don’t know if it will work. You’ve got a lot of hair. I don’t think it will stand that tall. Maybe the bangs-” 

“-No, it’s fine.” Eddie muttered, wiping his hands on the hand towel, for once. You guessed he didn’t want to ruin his costume. 

“Ed, I can do it for you.” Your voice drops lightly into a softer tone. Maybe you’d been too mean. You didn’t mean to snap like that at him. Was it that mean? “I can try if you want me to. I just… I don’t know how it will turn out.” 

“No, it’s good. I’ll put it on a bun.” Eddie turned to you, taking in your slight frown. 

“Are you ok?” You ask awkwardly. It sounded better in your head, when Ed said it. 

“Yeah, yeah, ‘m good.” Eddie nodded, brushing his hair back, tying it off with a hair tie- your hair tie. 

“Eddie, I didn’t mean to piss you off. I just don’t want green shit everywhere, it will stain.” Your arms found their way back over your chest, defensive and annoyed. 

“No, I know. I’ll clean it.” Eddie swallowed, eyes cutting to you in the mirror, spraying his bangs down one more time for a final touch. 

You huff in annoyance. “So you’re mad at me for what then?” You snap, glaring at him. 

Oh, that smokey eyed glare, the black lipstick, the fishnets, the metallic boots, the goddam cloak. Eddie wasn’t lasting, not when you used that tone, that mean tone- huffy and annoyed, snapping at him. Eddie’s fingers curled around the counter. 

“Mad? I’m not mad.” Eddie shook his head, eyes zoned in on the ruby necklace settled between your collarbones. His knees tightened.

“Then what?” You snap, that snip of a tone that had Eddie’s ears tingling with excitement. “Why are you being weird, right now?” 

“Can you do me a favor?” Eddie asked, brown eyes rounded too sweetly for it to be a mean request. 

It made you falter, your annoyed demeanor faltering for a second. “What?” 

“Can you,” Eddie shoved the bottles of hair spray and brushes back in the sink. “Can you sit right there for me? Just for a second.” 

You glared at him, annoyed and a little confused. “Eddie, what? Can you be serious for a second, just one fucking second, and tell me what is wrong-” 

“Nothing’s wrong, baby, I promise.” Eddie schmoozed, that little coo that had your head spinning. He grabbed at your fishnet clad thighs, pressing them until you were settled on the edge of the bathroom counter with a huff. “Just sit right here for me. Just like that, baby.” 

“Eddie, you need to finish getting ready, seriously. We’re going to be- what are you doing?” Your voice shrills, pushing at his sticky, green stained hair when Eddie drops to his knees. 

“I told you this was doin’ it for me.” Eddie hummed, green stained fingers pulling at your thighs, hips on the edge of the counter, his fingers hooking around the tiny strip of your body suit, pulling it to the side easily. 

“Eddie!” You gasped, his fingers running through your folds. “Eddie, we’re- oh shit- we’re gonna be late!” 

“Harrington won’t notice.” Eddie hummed, a cheek pressed to your fishnets. “It won’t even get fun until after ten, promise.” 

An hour and half later, you arrived at the Harrington house, spilling out with party goers in a multitude of costumes, some pulling Eddie to the side to buy. 

“Well, well, well,” Steve smirked around his plastic cup. “Look who finally showed up.” 

You scoffed, looking at the basketball jersey he’d put on, his “costume”. “And what are you supposed to be? Troy Bolton?” 

“Somethin’ like that.” Steve grinned. “Are you a witch?” 

“No, dingus.” Robin rolled her eyes. “She’s obviously Raven.” 

“Raven?”

“From Teen Titans. God, you really didn’t have a good childhood, hm? Were you a PBS kid?” Robin rolled her eyes. 

“Bet you weren’t allowed to watch Spongebob, either.” You grinned. 

Steve rolled his eyes. “My bad. I’m assuming Eddie and his green hair is your counterpart?” 

“He’s Beast Boy.” Robin smiled at Eddie, waving him over. “That’s so cute. Your idea?” 

“Please.” You scoffed lightly. “Eddie’s. He loves Halloween. He’s been planning this for weeks.” You grin, taking the plastic cup he offered you. 

“Hm,” Steve’s tongue rolled over the inside of his cheek, looking at you then Eddie. “Guess I see why the two of you were late.” 

You frowned at Steve, his grin only growing bigger. “Beast Boy, you’re not a natural green-head, hm?” He snickered, Robin’s face falling in a laugh.

You looked down, through your fishnets and saw it- the green residue left between your thighs, no doubt from your thighs closing around his head. You flushed, eyes cutting to Eddie’s dangerously. 

Eddie bit back a smirk, shrugging gently. “It’s Halloween.” He said simply over Robin and Steve’s howls of laughter. 

[msfcatlover]

The Dancer

Slay the Princess route where you insist there has to be a key, convince the Narrator to let you go back upstairs to retrieve the knife, and manage to escape the cabin to search outside of the window, where you find it half-buried in the garden. The Narrator tries everything to make you drop the key or give up the idea, every step back down into the basement is a different form of agony, before you finally drop to your knees at the Princess’s side (mid cardiac arrest) and unlock her cuff.

The Princess is delighted. She grabs her unshackled wrist with a brilliant smile, leaps to her feet and dances about the basement, revealing in her freedom. Then, suddenly, she realizes how bad off you are, and that joy melts away into panic as she tries to figure out a way to save you the same way you saved her.

She can’t, of course. You’re out of breath, wheezing, and can’t manage more than a single word before your heart finally gives out. Everything goes dark, and you die.

The Princess you meet in Chapter Two is a little bit ditzy, a bubbly attitude, and is already free. She has tiny fairy wings, thin antennae on either side of a crown of morning glories, ribbon-y ballet slippers (not proper pointe shoes, probably), and her dress is modeled after old-school ballerinas. You know, with the floofy bell skirts Edgar Degas so loved to paint.

(And here’s some lovely fairy ballerinas in somewhat similar dresses)

She’s protective & worried, and already out of her chains when you arrive. She cries out in joy when she hears you coming down the stairs and races over to meet you, giving the Narrator one hell of a fright. Because the last thing you saw was her staying in the cabin to try to save you, she prioritizes your health over her own freedom, fussing over you. Her cabin is much cozier, with a basement that actually looks like a livable room, right down to a little fire with a cook pot simmering underneath the window.

If you choose to stay & share a meal with her, you will eventually nod off beside the Dancer, her fingers gently brushing your feathers.

The Narrator says you don’t know how long you slept, and you will never know. Because you never wake up. You shirked your duties, and slept straight through the end of the world.

Any other route will inevitably lead to you two escaping together. Unless you kill her, in which case you get the Burned Grey.

(“This one is revelry, but she is also grieving. She never thought anyone would care enough to help, but you sacrificed everything for her. She will make for an effervescent heart. Do not mourn her, for she has found the love she longed for.)

.

Chapter 3: The Dream The Dream’s skirt is longer, back to floor-length, but also formed of wispy layers of torn silk, making it look almost smokey. Her tiny butterfly antenna have become big, feathery moth-y ones, and her wings now drape down her back like a cape. Her eyes are solid black, but refract light enough to look more like large gems than holes in her face. When she smiles, her teeth are sharp.

She is syrupy sweet, just as caring as the Dancer, just as clingy as the Damsel. But there’s an edge to her now. Your last thought was, after all, likely wondering if she had tricked you, to try to trap you down here. She now cares more about holding you at her side than she cares about her freedom, and would happily keep you trapped in that basement with her for eternity if she thought it would keep you with her. Her innocence is more manipulative than genuine—she will not hesitate to whip out the tears or feign hurt in order to get her way, and her protective affection is now borderline smothering.

It’s easy to fall under the Dream’s sway, but like the Nightmare, she really just wants to mold you into what she wants most. It will take a good deal of trickery of your own to coax her out of the cabin, or else the Shifting Mound will take her around when she clasps chains on you, insisting it’s for the best & that you’ll thank her later.

(“This one is shelter & desperation. She knew only captivity and so sought it as a means to protect the only person who ever cared. Her vulnerability is real, but she coveted your company more than your health or happiness. She will make for a passionate heart. Do not mourn her, for she has found the love she longed for.)

.

No original voices, I think. The Dancer & Dream strike me as Smitten & Paranoid routes, respectively. They are (probably obviously) basically alternate versions of the Damsel & Nightmare, after all.

And you know, I think it’d be interesting to see Paranoid deal with a Princess who just seems nice until things start to ramp up.

[agent-cupcake]

Flashbang

Chapter 2 - Le premier bonheur du jour

Spotify Playlist / All Chapters / Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5 / Chapter 6 /Chapter 7/ Chapter 8 / Chapter 9 pt.1 / Chapter 9 pt.2 / Chapter 10 / Chapter 11 / Chapter 12

Pairing: One Piece Live Action Buggy x f! Reader

Synopsis: What happened while you were blackout drunk? What is your actual job on the crew? Why is there a lion on this pirate ship? These questions and more are left unanswered as you stumble your way through your first day on Captain Buggy's crew.

Warnings: Mentions of past abuse

Word Count: 6.8k

“The first delight of the day Is a ribbon of sunlight It's the fresh breath of the sea And it’s the beach that awaits The first sorrow of the day Is the door that closes shut But soon after you come back And my life resumes its course."

x

Waking up, all you knew was that you were cold. Freezing, really, shivering so hard that you felt your bones tremble. It was because you weren’t dressed properly. You never slept in your underwear. You forced your bleary eye open and looked off the side of the bed, spotting your bag haphazardly abandoned alongside your boots and bandana. Bracing yourself for the chilly air, you pulled the blanket along like a cape to grab your bag, quickly retreating. Even that small movement left your head spinning painfully, a headache pounding twice into your skull, once at the base and again at the left temple. At least all of your clothes were clean, even if they had been mushed into a wrinkled ball. Moving as fast as possible you put on leggings and a sweater, tugging your fingers through your hair before pulling the bandana over your eye. After that, you huddled back under the blanket, staring at nothing and waiting for the shivers to stop. 

Between the headache and the cold, the only thing you wanted was to go back to sleep. That was the best way to deal with pain, or chills, or hunger, or whatever else you felt. If you were asleep, those things became automatic, you didn’t have to deal with them. 

You were halfway under when somebody knocked. 

At first, you hoped it was in your head. A dream. They knocked again, louder, calling your name. That was the thing to wake up the part of your mind that had been sleeping so soundly, that made you realize how wrong the situation was. 

Slowly, you sat up, looking around. You had slept in a bed that did not belong to you, wearing nothing except your underwear, in a room you had never seen before. The bed itself was set into the wall and hung with thick, velvety curtains. Windows lined the far wall, but they were covered enough to let in only the barest amount of light with more curtains and a familiar Jolly Roger, one with a red clown nose. After you recognized that, everything else fit into place. The desk littered with shiny clutter, the red and white theming, the odd mixture of grunge and opulence. You were on a ship. 

The person knocked again. Growing nervous, you threw off the blankets and pulled on your boots, slinging your bag over your shoulder. You had to cross through an anteroom to get to the door. It exchanged a desk and bed for couches, but was fundamentally the same. The air was cold. You opened enough so you could peer through the crack. Crina stood there, looking impatient. 

“So you are alive,” she said, giving you a once over with smokey dark eyes. “Barely.”

You opened the door a little further, blinking against the light. “What time is it?” you asked, your voice hoarse. 

“Nearly noon. Some ships were spotted so we had to leave earlier than expected, I’m surprised you slept through it all.”

You blinked, trying to make sense of what she was saying. Everything was blurry, bleary, a puzzle with a picture so worn you couldn’t make sense of it. 

“Did you have fun last night?” Crina asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I… I guess…” you said, confused. You remembered the drinking, and talking, and laughing, but the specifics were lost in a blurry whirl. “What time is it?” 

Crina rolled her eyes. “Okay, come on. You shouldn’t be in there.” She didn’t wait to see if you complied before turning around. You followed, stumbling a bit before getting your balance and shutting the door behind you. “Those were the captain’s quarters, and these are the officer’s rooms,” she said as you passed a few more doors. 

“That was Captain Buggy’s room?” you asked, your brain chugging to play catch up. The headache was awful. 

She shot you a frown over her shoulder. “You don’t remember?” 

“No.”

She shook her head, although you couldn’t see her expression. “We’re going down to the officer’s mess. Careful on the ladder.” 

She turned from the narrow hall to an equally narrow drop of steps, easily descending. Dizzy and a little sick, you didn’t match her grace, but you managed to avoid falling. 

With your recollection of the ships you had been on when you were young, you expected the officer’s mess to be fitted with elegant yet utilitarian finishings. Modest, but not so much that it forgot civilization. And, in another life, perhaps it had been. Now it was a pirate vessel, and they did what pirates always did. Various props lined the walls, batons and boxes and fabric and wheels and all kinds of other things. Red and white striped banners hung across support beams as if to mimic a big top tent. Signs of age and destruction were everywhere, indication of the tumultuous seizure, but it had once been a fine vessel. Crina didn’t pause to let you gawk, indifferent to the decor as she led you to another narrow hall and turned. You got an odd sense of deja vu there, pausing. 

“Are we going to the infirmary?” you asked, steadying yourself against the wall. 

“Yes,” Crina said as she unlocked the door. “You’ve sailed before?” 

“When I was young,” you said. “My dad was-” You cut yourself off there, realizing that the end of that statement wasn’t something you should reveal. Marines were the enemies of pirates. It wouldn’t look very good if you suddenly revealed that you were the daughter of a Marine Captain, retired or not. “That was a long time ago.” 

“I see,” she responded impassively, opening the door for you.  

The smell hit you hard, like a brick to the face. Scent formed a sort of endless memory, one so ingrained into your mind that you didn’t know exactly where it came from, that you couldn’t remember independently but never forgot. Your body locked up, arrested by the familiarity. Perhaps it was what every ship infirmary smelled of, even masked with the sweet aroma of incense and smoke.

“What are you doing?” Crina asked. 

You shook your head quickly, holding your breath as you hurried in. It wasn’t like it was actually the same. The room looked far more like a place of mysticism than medicine, with a rainbow of glass bottles lining the far wall, herbs hanging to dry, and scarfs draped to hide the stark wall. It wasn’t even slightly the same. Slowly, you released your held breath. It was fine. 

“Sit,” Crina told you, shutting the door and immediately busying herself at the sideboard. You sat down on the table-like bed set into the wall, your shoulders and head immediately drooping. The surface was hard, meant for surgery rather than sleeping, but you didn’t care. With the weight of your head, you would have happily drooped down onto the floor. “Have you ever been drunk before last night?” 

“No.” 

“How do you feel?” 

“Tired,” you answered. “My head really hurts.” 

“Of course it does, you’re dehydrated,” she said, pouring water into a tin cup. The sound alone perked you up, made your parched tongue that much more dry. She added a spoon of powder before turning and offering it to you.

“Thank you,” you said, taking the cup. You intended to take it slow, but the second you got a taste of water, you couldn’t stop until it was gone.

“That’s two times,” Crina said when you were done and wiping your lips. “Two times that I could have poisoned you.” 

You frowned, looking down at the cup and back up at her. “That was medicine, wasn’t it? Like before.” 

“It’s already in your body, it doesn’t matter if you know what it was.” 

You averted your gaze, flushing. “I’m sorry.” 

Crina didn’t respond to that, approaching you instead. “How’s the bump on your head?” 

“It’s fine,” you said reflexively. It hurt, of course. It would hurt for a while. 

“May I check?” Crina asked. You hesitated, but eventually nodded, turning to give her access. The second she prodded the sore spot, you yelped, tears springing into your eye. “Ice will help with the pain and swelling.” She paused, smoothing your hair back into place. “Did you and Buggy have sex last night?”

“What?” you asked, whirling around. The quick movement did not help your sore head, sending little sparks of pain down your spine, your left temple thumping in protest. 

“You slept in his bed after a night alone on the ship, it’s not an unreasonable question. Everybody will assume, but I’m asking you. Did you and Buggy have sex.” 

“No!” you said, blushing furiously. “No. Captain Buggy wouldn’t… I can’t… There’s no way.”

“Earlier, you didn’t even know it was his bed. Could something have happened and you don’t remember?” Crina asked, her tone softening. You stared at her, stricken, your heart racing with sheer panic. “I’ll ask you another question—Is there any chance that you could get pregnant?”

“No,” you said, rubbing your face to hide the blush, feeling a little sick. Surely you would remember if something happened between the two of you. You didn’t even remember how you got into his bed. What you remembered was the warmth, and the saccharine sweet desire, and… Nothing. “He wouldn’t… do that. I wouldn’t.” 

“I’m not here to judge you,” Crina said. “And I don’t want to embarass you. Do you remember when I warned you about consequences? This is one. Sex is fine, but if you get pregnant, you either get rid of it, or he gets rid of you. It’s better to avoid pregnancy in the first place—safer too. I can help you with that.” 

She let that hang in the small room, waiting for your response. You had none, unable to so much as look at her. The thought of having sex was enough to make you wish the world itself would open up and swallow you whole. More than that, it was absurd to think that any man, let alone Captain Buggy, would bother with a one-eyed midget. It was disgusting to even entertain the notion. You were disgusting. 

Eventually, Crina sighed. “When you need contraception, tell me. You have to look after yourself, god knows that no man will. But that’s all I’ll say on the subject. Do you want more water?” 

You opened your eye. She held out the jug like it was a peace offering, which you accepted after a moment. There was no added powder this time. You wouldn’t have cared anyway, you emptied nearly half the cup before your sloshing stomach uneasily warned you to stop. 

“Those bruises on your wrists are impressive,” Crina said. “May I take a look at them?”

You winced, fixing your sleeve to cover the discoloring and wrapping your hands around the cup to keep them from shaking. “They’re fine.” 

“They look painful,” Crina said, leaning against the sideboard with her arms crossed, fixing you with a stare you didn’t like. It hadn’t been a question, but her silence made you want to answer. 

“I’m fine,” you insisted. She still said nothing, just looking at you. It made you squirm uncomfortably, the table creaking. “I was sick a lot when I was little,” you explained. “I’m better now, but I still bruise easily and… It’s fine, my dad says it’s normal.” He said it was expected for a child, especially a girl, to be a little more breakable. You were weak. Frail. That was why you got hurt so often, got hurt by things that shouldn’t have hurt you. 

“He says that it’s normal for you to have bruises? Did he tell you that broken bones and fat lips are normal too?”

“No… No, that was all my fault,” you said. “Because I’m not careful, I don’t ever think about how weak I am—because I was sick.” 

“What kind of sickness was it?” Crina asked.

You shook your head quickly. “I-I don’t know.” 

“What were your symptoms?”

“I was… sick.” 

“Dizziness, headaches, fatigue, chills, anything like that?” 

“I don't… Maybe. Some of those are because of the accident too.” You touched your bandana, tugging it down to ensure it was covering as much of the scar as possible.

“So you still have symptoms?” 

“That’s not what I meant,” you told her, flustered by the relentless questions. “I’m fine.”

“Why did that man, Randall, claim you were mentally unwell?” 

“I’m not,” you said, shaking your head, searching for the right answer, the one that she wanted. “He only thinks that because my dad… My dad worries about me. After everything that happened, he worries a lot.”

“Is that why you ran away?” 

You shook your head, staring down at your lap. Crying now was embarrassing, you focused your entire self on fighting the sting of tears in your eye. Trying to cover it up, you adjusted the bandana again, desperately forcing your thoughts onto something, anything else. 

“If it were up to me, I would not have medically cleared you to be here,” Crina said. “Asking you to perform any physical labor is out of the question, and you’re frail. It is more than likely that you’ll suffer severe injury by the end of the year.”

“I’m not weak anymore,” you said through clenched teeth, soft enough that she couldn’t hear that you were crying. “I’m okay, really. I’ll get stronger.”

“You can’t fix stunted development,” Crina told you. “But it’s not up to me. I’ll do what I can to help you as long as the captain insists upon keeping you around.”   

Your shoulders heaved with a dry, pathetic sob. 

“Finish that water and we’ll go to the galley to see about getting something to eat,” Crina told you. “Cry now, if you need to. After that, you’re going to have to be someone else’s problem for a while.” 

Crina’s medicine and some food had helped you feel better. The headache remained, a stinging, painful reminder of the past night, but you ignored that as you emerged onto the main deck. Sunlight blinded you and the wind whipped your hair into an unruly mess, the oppressively humid salty ocean air staggeringly familiar. Not all memories were bad. Really, some were good. Since your dad was a surgeon, he was allowed to bring you along to help. Fetching things, bringing meals, cleaning up, running messages, helping tend to the wounded. Back then, you were his sweet little girl.

You shook your head clear of those thoughts, squinting through the sunlight to look around. You were looking for Cabaji, Captain Buggy’s Chief of Staff. A man with green striped dark hair and a blue checkered scarf and, according to her, a sour expression. From the description, you would have thought he’d stand out, but it seemed like Buggy’s entire crew could be described with equally colorful traits. Most of them were busy with some task or another. Those who noticed you watched with expressions ranging from unimpressed to hostile. To your great relief, you didn’t see the blunt-featured Ivo anywhere.   

Assuming you would find the man by the quarter deck, you headed in that direction, trying very hard to seem as inconspicuous as possible. Strangely, your unassuming sweater and leggings made you the odd one out instead of helping you blend in. Eyes made your skin crawl as you passed. Did they all think you had slept with the captain? Crina’s words bothered you. They bothered you a lot. But if the two of you had done something, there would be evidence. More than just a missing dress. 

Hesitating at the steps, knowing it wouldn’t be appropriate to approach the quarter deck without invitation, you stalled out. People were still looking at you, likely wondering what you were doing. You didn’t know either. There, caught in a cycle of anxious uncertainty, someone passed right by you. At first, it didn’t register, but then you blinked and turned. Dark hair, checkered scarf. 

You rushed to follow him, relieved. 

“Excuse me,” you called. Nothing, although the deck was terribly noisy. You had to rush to keep up. “Excuse me, sir?” 

Nothing. He was walking so fast too, with a grace and balance you couldn’t hope to match. 

“Excuse me!” you called, reaching out to touch his arm. Your hand missed the first time, catching air. The second attempt connected, and that finally got a reaction, albeit a slightly violent one. You pulled back, narrowly avoiding his elbow. He turned around, searching at eye level before looking down at you. “You’re Cabaji?” you asked. 

“I am,” he said. 

“Um… I’m-” 

“I know who you are,” he said, cutting you off. “We met last night when you were boarding the ship.”

“Really?” you asked, taken aback. The entire previous day was blurry. Except where it wasn’t, but you couldn’t think about that. “I’m sorry I don’t… remember.” 

His eyes narrowed. “What do you need?” 

“I was hoping to talk to you. If you’re not busy, sir.” 

“I am,” he said, clearly irritated.

“Oh. Right. Is there anything I can help you with, sir?” you asked. “I’m not busy.” 

Cabaji looked at you critically. “Do you know where the kitchen is?” 

“Yes, sir.” 

“Go down and pick up Captain Buggy’s lunch then wait for me on the bridge. I have to take care of something first. Can you do that?”

“Yes, sir,” you responded, eager to have something to do. “I’ll be quick.”

“Just don’t mess it up.” 

With that, he turned and stalked away. 

Having a task reinvigorated you. You probably drew just as many eyes, but now it didn’t matter as much. How many times had you been tasked to serve meals when you sailed with your dad? Countless. It was something you could do, a way you could contribute. 

Descending back down into the dark belly of the beast, you had to be careful. Last time you were on a ship, you had both eyes. Although you had gotten used to it in so many ways, you had even been able to scale the southside buildings, the sea required a different type of balance. 

“Back for more?” The cook asked when he saw you, his round cheeks ruddy from working in such a small, hot space. “I haven’t got any scraps, you’ll have to beg somewhere else.” 

“Cabaji asked me to pick up Captain Buggy’s lunch,” you told him, unsure if you should be offended by the comment. 

He looked you up and down, his mouth twisting. It was the same look Cabaji had given you, even similar to the way Buggy had sized you up. Nobody lingered on your bandana like the people in town, far more concerned with your size. “If you drop it,” he told you, grabbing a silver tray to put into your hands, “I’ll be frying up your skinny rump instead.” 

“I won’t, I promise,” you said. 

“When the captain’s done, you bring that back to me. Got it?” 

“Yes, sir.” 

“Better hurry then.”

With a final awkward nod, you made your way back up, extra careful with the tray. It was already getting easier to find your balance. You didn’t care if anybody was watching you as you crossed the main deck, all of your attention on not dropping the tray. If you messed up your first task as a part of Buggy’s crew, you’d be better off tossing yourself into the water. 

Unfortunately, Cabaji wasn’t on the quarter deck. The door into what you assumed would be the navigation and office was closed, but that was probably where Buggy would be dining. 

Standing there quickly became awkward, the sun piercingly bright and the tray getting heavier and heavier. You looked around for Cabaji a final time before going into the map room. It was empty, but on the other side of the sliding doors, you heard voices. Cautiously, you circled the large center table, intending to knock. The map, however, drew your attention. You knew it. You had seen it before. Your town was a burgeoning center of trade traffic, and so new routes needed to be mapped for merchant vessels to facilitate that growth. As a retired Marine, dad was always willing to help out with that sort of thing. He was well connected. Respected.  

One of the pirates had stolen the map right out of your own home. 

Before you could figure out how to feel about that, the door into the captain’s office slid open. You jumped, nearly dropping the tray as you turned around. A man with a white fur vest stopped at the threshold, his eyes immediately narrowing.

“Who are you?” he asked, his tone unnervingly accusatory.

“I… Um…” 

“Well, well, would you look at that,” Buggy called. You looked around the man to see Captain Buggy at the other side of the office, sitting behind a big desk with his feet up on its top. “She’s standing and everything, I’m impressed. After how wasted you got last night, I thought you’d be out for the whole day.”

“I brought your lunch, sir,” you said faintly, not knowing what else to say. 

“It’s about time,” Buggy said. “I’m starving. Bring that over here.” You entered his office, nervously skirting around the man who was still glaring at you. 

Just as you set the tray on Buggy’s desk, avoiding meeting his eye, the other door opened. You looked over your shoulder to see a very displeased Cabaji come in. 

“I’m sorry, Captain Buggy,” Cabaji said as he crossed the map room. “I told her to wait for me out there.”

“Don’t worry about it, I was meaning to get you two in here anyway. Mohji, Cabaji, this is my new cabin boy—er, girl. Woman?” Buggy looked at you inquisitively. “How old are you?” He shrugged it off just as quickly, taking the top off of the tray. “Whatever. I had one, but that didn’t work out. An artist of my caliber doesn’t need a spineless yes-man to run my errands, I need a protégé that I can mold into something really special. I knew you were just the girl from the minute I saw you… Wait, no… No, I knew it from the moment you said that you would happily serve me for the rest of your life.” He grinned, cutting off a chunk of meat. “Yeah, that was it.”

You shuffled awkwardly, trying very hard to avoid looking at any of the men. It was true, but when he said it like that, it took on a far different tone. They had to be drawing the worst conclusions. 

“So, you two,” Buggy continued, talking at Cabaji and Mohji through a mouthful of food, “make it clear to everyone that she’s a part of the crew. I don’t want to hear shit about special treatment or whatever. Except for, you know, if anybody messes with her I’ll feed ‘em to the lion. Maybe that’ll perk him up, eh Mohji?” 

“Yes, sir,” Mohji said.

“Great,” Buggy said. “Cabaji, you can take the afternoon to show her the ropes. Make sure she’s up to snuff.”

“What about crew inspection?” Cabaji asked. 

“I’ll be here to help Captain Buggy with that. Your presence isn’t necessary,” Mohji said, looking at Cabaji with what you thought was a hint of animosity.

“I don’t need either of you to judge talent, that’s my business,” Buggy said irritably.

Neither man responded to that, but Buggy’s annoyance dissipated quickly.

“One last thing. Be careful with her,” Buggy said with a wink, his mood shifting yet again. “Don’t get fooled by the whole one-eyed innocent thing, she’s a real freak.”

“Understood,” Cabaji said, deadpan. 

“Great. Now get out of here. She starts tonight.” 

“Yes, sir,” Cabaji said, grabbing your elbow and pushing you in front of him so he could basically herd you out of the room, past the uncomfortably familiar map, and back into the sunlight. 

He shut the door and pulled you to the side, shooting it a wary glance before looking back at you. “Next time,” he said, “do what I tell you. I don’t care about whatever relationship you think you have with Captain Buggy, you will follow the orders that are given to you.” The implied or else was obvious from his intense stare. Part of you wondered what the or else would be, although the other part didn’t want to know. 

“I understand,” you said, bowing your head. “I’m sorry, sir. And I don’t… Captain Buggy and I don’t have any kind of relationship. Last night, we didn’t do… Didn’t do anything. I swear.” 

“That’s not my business,” Cabaji said. 

“I really mean it,” you muttered, although you could tell he didn’t believe you, and you thought about what Crina said, and waking up in your underwear, and you felt sick in a way that had nothing to do with a hangover. 

“We should get started,” Cabaji said, ignoring your weak objection. You swallowed hard and nodded. You had a job now, you needed to focus on that.

The first thing you learned about being a pirate was that you had next to no idea what you were doing. There were hundreds of things you needed to learn simply about living on the ship before you could begin learning your job, whatever that entailed. The biggest problem was how quickly you wore out. Cabaji was accustomed to being on a ship and athletic, you were neither. Having such a bad headache didn’t help. As the afternoon passed, Crina’s medicine wore off. If it were only the one hammering your temple, you could handle it, but the lump on the back of your head pulsed with every heartbeat, sending fresh sparks of pain down your spine every time you moved your head. 

Like a wind-up doll slowly running down, you fell behind. It was only a matter of time before you collapsed, his voice fading out and the world blackening on the edges. You didn’t do something as dramatic as fall, but you distantly felt your legs fold beneath you, too rubbery to support you anymore. 

“What are you doing?” Cabaji asked, stopping. 

“‘m fine,” you said automatically, your voice faint. “Sorry. I’m fine. I just need a second.”  

“Are you sick?” 

“No, jus’ dizzy,” you said, trying to get your bearings.

Cabaji knelt in front of you, tilting your head up with a hand beneath your chin. Your eye spun, his face blurring.   

“Let’s take a break,” he said, dropping your chin and standing up. 

You might have protested, but the truth was that you very badly needed a break. It was embarrassing, but it would be worse to pass out. So you accepted Cabaji’s help getting your feet, the world blackening on the edges. Fortunately, the officer’s mess wasn’t a long walk, and you gratefully dropped into one of the chairs. Cabaji sat opposite you, his dark gaze unwavering. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking, but his stoic intensity made you squirm. 

“I’m really sorry, sir,” you said. “This won’t happen again, I promise.”

“It’s alright,” Cabaji told you. “There are things we should discuss. About your role on this ship, and about your duty to the captain.” 

That made you bristle, but you forced yourself to relax. He was your senior officer, this conversation was necessary. “Okay.” 

“Captain Buggy is a very unique man. He demands a lot of his crew, especially those who serve him directly. As his Chief of Staff, it is my responsibility to ensure you’re able to meet those demands. Your failure would reflect very poorly on me.”

“I won’t fail,” you told him sincerely, if a little defensively. “I promise. I-I know what a cabin boy does. I’ve sailed before, sir.”

Cabaji leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, his dark eyes narrowing at you like you were stupid. “Were you listening to what he said? Captain Buggy didn’t hire you to be his gopher or attendant. He gave you an official job to acknowledge you as a member of the crew so the others don’t mess with you, that’s it.” 

“Oh, um,” you said slowly, frowning, “maybe I misunderstood. I’m sorry, sir.” 

“We all know why you’re actually here,” Cabaji told you. “I’ll teach you how to perform basic duties, but your only concern is serving Captain Buggy. You will provide him with whatever he wants—will do anything he asks of you. You do not tell him no, or question his judgment.”

There was an implication bubbling beneath his directions that made you skin crawl, thinking again of what Crina said before, but you forced yourself to ignore it. Cabaji said earlier that it wasn’t his business, and it wasn’t. 

“I understand, sir,” you told him instead. “I really do.”

Cabaji’s demeanor softened slightly, his head tilting to the side. “No, you don’t. I’ve known people like you. Children who grew up on the streets, or malnourished ship slaves. Small. Frail. Weak.” He spoke bluntly, though without malice. “Add in your lack of skill and experience, and you’ve got no idea what you’re in for.” He sighed, leaning back. “I’ll do what I can to help you. As I said, your failure would inevitably become mine as well.”

“I won’t fail,” you muttered softly, staring at your knees, your headache hammering at the back of your skull, down your spine. 

He shrugged. “I guess we’ll see.”

When you thought about being on a ship, it was with the experience you had on Marine vessels. Strict order, stricter schedules, and militant discipline. What you didn’t think about was exiting the hatch from the lower deck to see a circle of pirates loosely gathered around a nearly empty spot in the middle of the deck. Nearly empty, except for a lone man beneath a makeshift spotlight. Music crackled out of a speaker, providing him a beat to follow for his routine. It looked like a dance, although not one you had ever seen.

“What’s going on?” you asked Cabaji as he came up behind you.

“Crew inspection,” he told you. “These are the new recruits.” 

You watched the man for a moment before your eyes strayed past the spotlight. Captain Buggy wasn’t hard to find. He leaned against the railing with crossed arms, his dark silhouette cutting through the sunset. Although his scowl was only barely visible, tense displeasure underscored every aspect of his posture. 

Following the flourishing swell in the music, the pirate ran from one corner of the emptied area, using his momentum to do a flip. To you, it was one of the most impressive things you had ever seen, but he landed wrong. A sharp intake of breath rippled over the gathered crew as he stumbled, unable to save it and falling down onto one knee. 

“Stop,” Buggy said, pushing away from the railing, waving his hand to stop the music. “Just stop. I’ve seen more than enough.” 

The pirate got to his feet, his head bowed in deference as Buggy approached him. 

“Was that a joke?” Buggy asked. The man didn’t respond. Without the music, a very loud hush had settled over the entire deck, even the flapping sails and creaking wood quieting down in the face of Buggy’s temper. “You’re all in on it, right? Because if you performed like this in front of an audience, the only thing they would do is laugh.”

The pirate muttered something you couldn’t hear. Buggy leaned in with wide eyes to listen.

“You’re hungry?” he repeated. The man spoke again and Buggy nodded sympathetically, his anger suddenly gone. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I had no idea that you were hungry.” He grabbed the man by the shoulder, smiling. “You shoulda said something sooner.” 

Without any warning, he struck the man in the stomach, using the grip on his shoulder to push him to the side. 

“How about some food for thought,” Buggy said, raising his voice as he strolled into the center of the impromptu stage. “I hired you, all of you, because I need talent worthy of my show. That’s what you signed up for. So where is that talent? All I’ve seen today is shit so bad it’s stinking up the deck. I oughta let every single one of you good for nothing nobodies starve until you can give me something—anything—that I can work with.” 

Everybody in the circle shuffled uncomfortably, most of them bowing their heads rather than meet Buggy’s eyes as he looked at each one in turn. 

“We’re done here, go get some grub,” he said, waving his hand dismissively. “We’ll try this again after you’ve had time to reflect on your failure.” With that, Buggy stalked out of the circle towards the quarter deck.   

“Go get the captain’s supper,” Cabaji told you. “Bring it to his office.” 

“Oh, um. Yes, sir,” you said, nodding.

Cabaji left to follow the captain, and you joined the flow of people going down. It was a solemn group, full of stormy expressions and whispered dissent. You felt a bit of that yourself. Captain Buggy seemed amused by your lack of talent last night, but would that hold? You didn’t have any unique skills, and especially not anything even approaching as impressive as the acrobat from earlier. The only answer that came to mind was Crina and Cabaji’s sickening assumptions. But if that was true, Buggy would have said something. 

It had to be more simple than any of that. He wanted somebody who would be loyal, obedient, and could perform the boring quality of life tasks that captains were too busy for. You just had to prove that you really were the best person for that role. 

Food was already being served to crew members who were not among the new recruits, taken from the kitchen to the mess by other younger pirates. Nobody paid you any mind while you nervously hovered, unsure if you were meant to wait in line or not. You didn’t want to keep Buggy waiting, but you didn’t want to cut in front of anybody and draw attention to yourself. Your indecision was ended by the ruddy-faced cook recognizing you from earlier, giving you the captain’s tray without any further comment. Your skin crawled with the weight of the eyes that tracked you, watching you quickly take the tray and hurry out of the kitchen. 

Working against the flow of people was more difficult than following it, and you had to stop twice to catch your breath, the dizziness from earlier returning. 

The main deck had returned to something like normalcy when you returned. The spotlight had been exchanged for lanterns and crew members had returned to their duties. By now the sun had fallen very low, casting the ship in a smoky haze of near dark. You crossed the deck with your head down, watching your feet to make sure you didn’t trip on anything. 

There were no lights in the map room, just an illuminated line between the doors into Buggy’s office. As you got closer, you could hear Cabaji’s low, calm voice. You had taken too long, and you were a little winded, and Buggy was already unhappy, and part of you wanted to stay in the dark until you could calm your breathing and think of a good reason for making him wait. Instead, you knocked. 

“Come in,” Buggy called, and you opened the door, blinking as you entered his well-lit office. “Took you long enough.” 

“I’m sorry, Captain Buggy,” you said, hurrying to his desk to set down the tray. 

You half expected him to berate you, but he only rolled his eyes, looking back to Cabaji. “You were saying?” 

“Once we seize another ship, we can remain in that area. Those waters are thick with smaller supply vessels and that-” 

“Boring,” Buggy said, cutting him off with a loud enough voice to make you wince as you pulled the lid off the tray. “All of this. It’s all completely uninspired. I’m not gonna drum up any buzz by doing the same tired act as everybody else. People don’t give a shit about small fry supply vessels and shithole villages in the middle of nowhere. You know what makes people pay attention? Giving them something they’ve never seen before. Artistic vision—does anybody else on the ship understand that?” 

Cabaji didn’t say anything. What was there to say? You knew the flint-like look in Buggy’s eyes, in the tone of his raised voice. Any response could be the steel to start a fire.  You didn’t dare draw any attention to yourself, trying to remain as small as possible in the tense silence. A silence that was broken by the door opening loudly. Mohji walked in without knocking, a leatherbound book under his arm. He seemed to realize that he was interrupting something too late, nervously looking from Cabaji to Buggy. 

“I’m sorry to-”

“Did you get what I asked?” Buggy cut in brusquely, his mood shifting yet again to business. 

“Of course, Captain Buggy,” Mohji said. You took that as your cue to leave, passing Mohji with your head down to catch the door from fully closing. 

When you raised your eye to watch where you were going in the dark map room, a pair of eyes reflected back at you. It took a second for your brain to process that what you were seeing was real, but then you yelped in fear, stumbling back into the office and landing hard on your butt. 

“What was that?” Buggy asked from the other side of the room, amused.

“There’s… something in there,” you said, scrambling to get to your feet. “An animal.” 

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Buggy said, nonplussed. “Why’d you let him in there? Everything’s gonna smell like wet dog.” 

“Richie doesn’t stink,” Mohji said. Realizing how his clipped tone might come across, he lowered his head respectfully. “Captain.”

“That was a dog?” you asked. 

“A lion,” Mohji corrected.

“A lion?” you repeated, your voice thin. 

“He won’t hurt you,” Mohji said dismissively. 

You nodded as though you understood. Even Cabaji looked more exasperated than concerned. They made it seem like it was no big deal, like lions weren’t terrifying wild animals that you would never want to meet without a set of bars between you. Even if circuses generally had animal acts, allowing one of them to wander around freely couldn’t have been safe. 

“Don’t look so scared,” Buggy said. “Not even Richie would bother trying to eat you. Not nearly enough meat.” 

That was obviously your prompt to leave. Between the embarrassment of staying out of fear and getting eaten by a lion, you decided that the second was at least more dignified. Still, you could feel the cold sweat on the back of your neck when you slipped out of his office and into the dark room. Hidden in shadow, the only thing you could really make out about the creature was its size. How could it even live on the ship? 

Slowly, you circled the table opposite where Richie laid, keeping your eye on him to ensure he didn’t move. You were nearly to the door when you heard the lion growl. Jumping in fear, you stumbled the last few steps to wrench the door open with shaking hands, practically slamming it shut out of terror that the beast would follow. 

Several seconds of silence from within convinced you that you were safe, scurrying away with only a few backwards glances to ensure you weren’t being followed. 

When you reached the bottom of the steps on the main deck, you stopped to breathe. Maybe from wearing yourself out physically, and definitely from being afraid, your head ached with an agonizing pulse, as if the pain were generating a heartbeat of its own. All at once, an overwhelming sense of alienation froze you inside. You were surrounded by strangers, stuck on an unfamiliar ship, there was a lion on the loose, and your only tether to a life you weren’t physically cut out for was a man you barely knew. And the day wasn’t even over. 

The wave of exhaustion that rolled over you at the thought of all you had left to do was almost enough to knock you over.

Squeezing your eye shut and rubbing your temple, you forced all of those thoughts away. It didn’t matter if nothing made sense, or if you were making a mistake, or that you were afraid, or that you were in pain. Those things never mattered, not when you had things to do. During all those dark months after the accident, that’s what dad said. Submitting yourself to service was the best way to deal with unwanted feelings, to express your grief in a way that could benefit others, and therefore be a salve to your wounded heart. 

All that mattered now was proving your own worth to Captain Buggy through service. You could do that. 

[nightmyst14-blog]

Regaining Treasures pt3

Let's go Part 3!! I personally think this one is the saddest so far. Might change.

Blame the song "Mama's boy" by Dominic Fike for this one.

Setting: Golden Cheese Kingdom throne’s room. She was extremely happy to have Mozzarella back, but was taking a few days to recover for the second child. She had agreed to wait a week for them to revive Smoked Cheese, but something was bothering the golden queen. Dark Cacao volunteered to talk to her.

Golden Cheese; *sitting on her throne, staring t a wooden bird in her hands.*

Dark Cacao: *walks over Birdie?

Golden Cheese: *sniffles*...Will he even forgive me? Will he even forgive himself?

Dark Cacao: Who?

Golden Cheese: My son.. My second born, Smoked Cheese Cookie. He was the most adamant about my ruling, calling me an arrogant ruler, since I didnt care about what was going on in the outside my kingdom’s walls.

Dark Cacao: …I was told he was your advisor, tried to take your Soul Jam as well.

Golden Cheese: *nods* He and I were a lot alike. He even had the most beautiful red wings, so he would fly with me as I tended to my duties. But.. Due to learning what happened to him, he wanted to take things into his own hands.

Dark Cacao: Do you remember the last time you talked to him?

Golden Cheese: *nods* He was upset that I had spared him.After everything he did, he expected me to kill him. 

Dark Cacao: *frowns, remembering his past with Choco* ..And?

Golden Cheese: I..I spared him. As much as I was upset by his insolence, he.. He was right. If it hadnt been for that, I wouldve kept doing what I was doing, making history repeat itself. I..I couldnt.. After all of that, h-he’s my son…

Dark Cacao: *cups her cheek* I..I understand. Losing mine was difficult, especially since I banished him.

Golden Cheese: *shocked* D-Dark Choco? My nephew?

Dark Cacao: *looks away* Yes. Long story short, He went to find an ancient artifact that ended up leading him down a dark road. SInce the last Ive seen of him, he’s left that path. Before he left, I apologized for my idiocy of how I raised him. I have no idea where he is, but if he doesn't want to speak with me again, I’ll let it be.

Golden Cheese: Cacao… *reaches for his hand*

Dark Cacao: *takes her hand, looks at her* You still have a chance to try with yours. Take that chance, okay?

Golden Cheese: *sniffles, nods* Okay.. *gets up* Let’s go start the ritual again.

*the two meet up with the others, getting the ritual set up before midday. Olive sets up a bowl the incense of the falcon sarcophagus, letting it burn since others did their part. The smoke drifted into the coffin, the object beginning to glow as Golden Cheese bent light into the cracks of the sarcophagus.*

*Once it was done, Dark Cacao opens the lid. *

* A young man sits up, groaning a bit. He had long red hair that made it to his feet, scars all down to his right arm under his ruined cape. He had messy red wind, dirty and unkempt from his time in the sarcophagus, some even falling off*

??: *looking around in a confused start, soon turning to fear. His ear tufts were puffed up, shaking as he was trying to stand up*

Golden Cheese: S-Smokey…? Smoked Cheese? *reaches out to him* 

Smoked Cheese: *gasps, swats her hand away* *ends up falls out of the sarcophagus, starts running knowing Pure Vanilla and Olive out of the way*

Pure Vanilla: *falls* Ah! Oh no!!

Olive: *adjusting her glasses* He’s definitely awake!

Golden Cheese: Smoked Cheese, wait!! *spreads her wings, flies after him*

Dark Cacao: Golde- *grunts, helps White Lily up* C’mon, they couldn't have gotten far!

Pure Vanilla: Poor thing, he must be frightened…

Dark Cacao: *shakes his head* No.. worse than that.

*Meanwhile, Smoked Cheese was running through the hallway, pushing past other workers and Cheesebirds. He was trying to use his wings, but they were too stiff and messed up for him to fly. Golden Cheese flew after him, yelling his name.*

Golden Cheese: *flapping her wings* Smoked Cheese, slow down! 

*Smoked Cheese doesn't hear her, not watching where he was going.. He ended up tripping down a flight of stars. With the adrenaline rush slowing down in his body, he became too weak to stand up. Everything was hurting, but It didn't stop him though, as he tried to crawl his way out to the doors. But was stopped by vines, wrapped around him*

White Lily: *using plant magic* Gotcha!!

Smoked Cheese: *struggling, panicked breaths* Gotta get out, gotta get out- *crying, makeup streaks down his face* No, no nonononon…

Pure Vanilla: *gasps* Lily, put him down!! He’s panicking!!

White Lily: *immediately retracts the vines and sets Smoked down on the floor, seeing him hug himself tight*

*Golden Cheese lands nearby, walking over slowly while Vanilla and Lily stay by the stairs*

Golden Cheese: *kneels down, worried* Smokey..? Baby bird, can you hear me?

Smoked Cheese: *sobbing, hugging his arms* I-I… I need to..

Golden Cheese: Ssh.. *gently wraps her wings around him, pulling him close.* Ssh.. breathe, Smokey..

*Dark Cacao and Olive with Mozzarella, the archaeologist pushing the princess in her wheelchair*

Mozzarella: *gasps* Smokey!!

Golden Cheese: I got him, dear… *looks down at him, cupping his face* Smokey..? Smoked Cheese, can you hear me? Come back to me, my baby bird…

Smoked Cheese: *panting, looks up* Y-Your majesty..?

Golden Cheese: *shakes her head* No. Mother is here, Smokey..

Smoked Cheese: I-I… *sniffles, shaking* I can’t be here.. I t-took the Soul Jam… I-I tried t-to k-k-kill you…

*Pure Vanilla and White Lily gasp, while Dark Cacao gives them a nod*

Golden Cheese: *sighs*…That is in the past, Smoked Cheese. You had a point to your words, I was selfish. And arrogant. And being a brat..

Smoked Cheese: Mother…

Golden Cheese: But I could NEVER be mad at you. I love you so much, my son.. 

Smoked Cheese: *hugs her tight, sobs*  M-Mother…!

Golden Cheese: *smiles, hugs back* Smokey… *rubs his back* I missed you so much..

Mozzarella: *asks Olive to move her closer, smiling at her family* Smokey!! You’re awake!

Smoked Cheese: *looks up* Mozzi…? Mozzarella!

 *He tries to stand up, but Golden Cheese helps him hoddle over to her. He sat down besides Mozzarella’s wheelchair, resting his head on her lap*

Mozzarella: *Smiles, runs a hand through his hair* Told you Mother’s plan would work..

Smoked Cheese: Forgive me… I-I was a fool…

Mozzarella: We all were. I’m just glad I can touch your hair again..

Smoked Cheese: *chuckles*

Golden Cheese: *smiles* C’mon, lets get a bed for you to rest in. *goes to help Smoked Cheese stand.*

Dark Cacao: *walks over to Cheese family, nods* Allow me. * easily picks up Smoked Cheese to carry him

Smoked Cheese: Ah! U-um…

Golden Cheese: Easy dear. They are a friend of mine.

Smoked Cheese: O-Okay…

*Soon Smoked Cheese was brought over to the medical wing where he would be treated. Mozzarella stayed with him for comfort, holding his hand through the process.*

Smoked Cheese: *wincing as his wing were cleaned* Ow,Ow!

Servant: *add disinfectant* I apologize, your highness. But I do need to add on this so your wings wont get infected.

Smoked Cheese: Ugh, it stinks.. Who made this stuff?

Mozzarella: *tinkering with her bracelet* Lady White Lily. Mother’s friend.

Smoked Cheese; Right, right… I almost forget Mother has friends outside of the kingdom. Its..its nice we get to meet them.

Mozzarella: And I heard they have kids like us! Maybe we get to meet them one day!

Smoked Cheese: *chuckles* Maybe.

Mozzarella: You think we should do something nice for Mother? After all, she is the one waking us up.

Smoked Cheese: *thinks, sits up* *looks at the servant* Excuse me, do you know where the general's quarters would be?

Servant: across from the Royal Quarters and near the cold springs, my liege.

Smoked Cheese: *looks at Mozzarella, smiles* We have work to do.

[catsaystuff]

I Love Pathologic NPCs so much I'm replaying p2 and writing down different names and random lore

Recently a friend and I made our own pathologic OCS, and I made mine have a connection with one of the kin woman NPCs, which in turn made me interested in all the p2 npcs

I'm only on day 5 of my replay, and i'm aware some of this is probably on the wiki, but here are some random bits of lore and info anyway

NAMES:

Some names of kids that are part of the Soul-and-Halves names: Dandy, Catnip, Ace, Ginger, Snout Smokey and Scout

Some names of the Dogheads: Lika, Chara, Maera

Names of other kids: Siskin, Finch, Uta, Swift, Chickadee, Teensy, Wench, Barb, Pup, Goldfinch, Hatchling, Verochka, Basya

Women's names: Kayura, Aigul, Khetey, Dove, Urmaan, Agnia, Starling

Men's names: Shiner, Piecework, Whistler, Kestrel, Ouzel, Crow, Lefty, Stump, Pochard, Pigeon

Dandy is the kid who trades you sharp things at Notkin's hideout. He also trades the infection maps which he and some others make by scouting the infected districts in hopes it will be useful to Artemy. He specifically sits outside the hideout some days to avoid infecting others inside. He thanks you when you come see a sick Notkin.

Catnip gives you bread and milk on day one if you accept it. You can also go back the next day with a piece of bread to thank her for it. Ginger is another girl waiting outside Rubin's house to notify you about Lika's trial.

Ace is the boy waiting outside of Rubin's house on day 1 whose mission is to notify you about the death of their dogs (Alma, Duke and Wokfling). He can also be found a couple days later on The Cape when you start playing The Kids Game. He tells you not to wake up Nina and also invites you to the Nutshell.

Smokey is the boy who gets surrounded by some Dogheads in one of the stairs to heaven. When you ask him if he needs help he says that he's fine, just admiring the view, and very clearly doesn't want adults to intrude in their business and show up in their places. One of the Dogheads waiting for him to come down is called Chara.

Lika is of course the Doghead you see at the start of the game who gives you a tourniquet but later doesn't show up at the town hall to clear your name. And the Doghead trading a schmowder at the Nutshell is Maera.

Finch is random kid with dialogue, so I'm not sure if it's always him saying this, but he asks Artemy if he saw any trains coming, and later mentions how Uta traded all her buttons for just some sugar, which is outrageous.

You then can find Uta later on! specifically during Capella's piano quest. On the second house you go to Uta is playing the piano, and in her conversation she's just shouting at you to go away and threatens to scream if you get closer. Specifically doesn't say "fuck off" because her mom told her not to but she says a couple of "flick off" and "eff off"

Teensy is a little girl who says she still thinks you're good and nice. And Wench is the little girl playing with the bones and scaring boys away. Basya is a little boy who gets surrounded by other kids because his father is a "bad man" (called Whitebeard), and one of those kids is a girl called Barb.

Hatchling is one of the boys staring at Isidor's infected house, and who says Isidor was helpful when Verochka had shingles last year. I haven't actually found anyone called Verochka around the town

There are some kin women like Kayura, who tells you about the Shabnak and says she doesn't believe people kill other people in this town. There's also Aigul and Khetey, who can be found at Aspity's house.

Other women are Dove, whose children are in the tower and won't come back and doesn't personally believe in Shabnaks. Agnia, who is spending her day outside the Judge's door to check which men come asking if killing at night is legal so she can keep herself safe. And there's also Starling who is particularly worried about the people trying to burn off the plague in the streets.

There's of course Piecework, the man Grief asks you to do surgery on. The reason he got injured is because he and Shiner attacked a woman of the Kin. Piecework managed to kill her and the others fought back. They clearly have no medical knowledge.

Kestrel is one of the men trying to stop the mob justice on day one. Stump is the first person you see playing the piano during capella's quest, he's from the Cannery. Pochard is a kin man who says they've lost faith in Artemy and have decided to fight back. And finally Pigeon is complaining on the street about the Kin revolting with no reason.

AND FOR NOW THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT (kinda) if anyone has more small details like these PLEASE add them. can be from pathologic classic too! There's so many good classic npcs like Willow or the Harpist

[yona049]

𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐱 𝐟𝐞𝐦! 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

Part 1

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Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

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Preview~

𝚈/𝚗 𝚒𝚜 𝚊𝚗 𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝚓𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚒𝚕𝚢 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚎𝚝. 𝙸𝚗 𝙶𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚖 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚗𝚎𝚡𝚝 𝚋𝚒𝚐 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊 𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚢 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗. 𝚆𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚕𝚞𝚌𝚔, 𝚜𝚑𝚎'𝚕𝚕 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚏𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚏𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝙶𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚖'𝚜 𝚏𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝙲𝚊𝚙𝚎𝚍 𝙲𝚛𝚞𝚜𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛.

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𝘿𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙧!!!

𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀! 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗗𝗖 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗗𝗖! ^○^

Warnings :

○Poison.

○Fainting

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"C'mon Gordon! I took a 2 day ferry from Metropolis just to get here! The least you can do is let me see him!"

Y/n was following hot on Commissioner Jim Gordon's heels as he rushed though the police station.

"I don't need the damn Daily planet on my case! I already have the Gazette to deal with." he growls as he stops at his desk grabbing his lighter and cigarette case.

Y/n stops beside him glaring at him intently. She was a reporter who had one job, get a story on Gotham City's favorite vigilante. The Batman.

Gordon lights his cigarette before leaning against his desk and taking a pull from it. He puffs out the smoke before gritting his teeth and making eye contact with the reporter.

"Miss L/n, what makes you think I could get you an exclusive with the bat?" he says.

Y/n only gives him a look that makes Gordon roll his eyes at the stupid question. Only a reporter like Y/n would be able to figure out how the bat gets all his info and who from?

"Gordon, this is my one chance to get a promotion, a good one. You've known me since I was ten! C'mon, just this once." she whimpers almost like a puppy gripping her reporter bag slung over her shoulder.

The commissioner only sighs, shaking his head. "Not this time kid. This is something I promised your dad I'd never let you get involved with." 

He puts his hand on the top of her back and respectfully pushes her towards the exit, snaking their way through the busy police station. 

"Look, while you're here I'll buy ya a drink and we can do some catching up. It's been a while." he stops on the steps outside the entrance.

Y/n sighs and scratches her head out of frustration. "Yeah, I'd love to." she gives a genuine smile before saying her goodbye to The commissioner and walking off into the Gotham night air. 

She stops in the alleyway beside the police station and leans against the building wall. Taking her phone from her pocket she scrolls though the contacts and presses on the name "Glasses man"

Putting it up to her ear she listens to it ring out. Finally, a nervous voice plays out. 'Hey! This is Clark-ah Kent! Leave a message!' 

Y/n sighs before talking. "Hi Glasses, you’re probably asleep right now, I didn't realise what time it was before I called. Anyway, just calling to say you might wanna keep my seat warm. I got nothing from my source. I might just book a ferry home tomorrow. At least it means I can still throw paper planes at your desk. I'll-"

She stops when a shadow flies over the ally and heavy cape flutters echo through the night air. Her lips curl into a hopeful smirk as she looks up at the rooftop seeing the bat signal shining in the smokey clouds.

"Huh, my luck might have just changed." She ends the call and shoves her phone in her pocket.

She hurries deeper into the alley way and immediately she spots the fire escape. Y/n puts her hand on the cold iron ladder before she looks down at her shoes. "Ugh, no way I'm ruining these shoes too!"

After kicking off her shoes she starts climbing to the roof before she finally reaches the top and manages to climb onto the rooftop without gaining any attention. With bare feet she crawls behind a vent and peaks around it at the shining bat signal and two men standing beside it.

The Batman and Jim Gordon in deep conversation. This was her chance, she lifts her phone from her pocket and gets ready to calmly approach the masked vigilante.

A sudden whistle through the air catches her attention, a red cape shines even brighter as the bat signal shines onto it and slowly the S symbol comes into view.

Y/n moves her hand over her mouth to stop the excited squeak when Superman lands beside batman.

'Two heros? Oh! I'm definitely getting that promotion!' She thinks full of excitement.

Batman looks back at superman and his deep growled words manage to remind Y/n of where exactly she was and what her situation was.

"Did you find it?"

Superman nods and opens his fist to reveal a small vial of green liquid. It glows steadily reflecting against the confused look of Jim Gordon who takes it in his hand. 

"What is this? It looks like Joker venom." 

Batman gives a growl and shakes his head. "Not just Joker venom. My scanner is picking up fear toxin too. I'd have to do a deeper scan to be sure."

Finally, Superman looks up from the vial’s hypnotizing green glow. "Few hours ago, Batman alerted me of unusual chemical readings in a warehouse by the docks. Once I got there, I only found this swept into a corner. Looked like they left in a hurry."

 

Batman lifts his head." If Joker and Scarecrow are working together to combine their toxin's, we could have a bigger threat on our hands. And by the sound of it, there could be more." 

Gordon nods and gives an extensive sigh, rubbing the back of his neck, rolling the vial back and forth in his palm. 

Y/n lifts an eyebrow before using her phone to take a picture of the three standing together and looking down at the picture deep in thought.

'Two deadly Toxin's combined, what could the motive be except to cause chaos? Perhaps other villains. But Scarecrow and Joker aren't criminals without purpose, even if they are psychotic they wouldn't work together without a final goal.'

She turns her head back to the scene in front of her when a loud beeping sound interrupts her train of thought. 

The vial in Gordon's hand started beeping and perhaps out of reflex he tosses the deadly time bomb in his hand. 

Superman's eyes fly wide as he rushes to protect both Batman and the commissioner from an oncoming blast. 

However, the vial rolled across the roof until it finally hit Y/n's bare feet and her heart jumps to her throat. 

"Oh shit." she says out loud when suddenly the vial burst's open and Y/n gasps for her last bit of fresh air. 

She pulls her head to her knees and holds her nose, mouth and eyes shut. The toxic gas burns her skin and her eyes start tearing with the fumes banging on her eyelids.

'I can't hold it much longer. It burns!' 

Slowly she gives in to a lightheaded dizziness and falls sideways onto the ground letting her hand fall off her nose. 

Not a moment later the gas clears when Superman swoop's her out of the green gas. She hangs limply in his arms as they hover in the air for a second. 

Superman's gaze turns to pure horror when he sees his co-worker in his arms. Once the toxic gas has evaporated into nothing more than a tickle in the wind Superman lands back on the roof and approaches a worried Jim Gordon and expressionless batman.

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𝐈𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐬! 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰! 𝐀𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤!𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠!

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[crusty-chronicles]

Moon and Sun 🎃Halloween Special🎃

Synopsis: Halloween Hijinx with the boys. Ft: Alluka. ✨With special guest appearances✨

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You glanced over at the clock on the wall. You had some time to spare before the kids got here. Might as well put out one of those small bowls that says 'take one.' It didn't hurt to leave some candy out. You knew how children were when it came to sweets.

The little monsters.

Still, it was better safe than sorry. You'd heard rumors about kids egging or throwing toilet paper at people's houses because they didn't have candy. And even though Kite assured you multiple times it wouldn't happen, you still worried.

Why exactly?

For starters, this was not your house. You and Kite were currently bunking with Colt and Reina. Having stopped by in York New for a few days, just so you two could spend the holiday with the boys and Alluka. In other words, you didn't want little brats to vandalize their house.

This was also the first Halloween you ever got to celebrate. You wanted to do it right. For the kids of course. And maybe for your love of candy. But definitely for the kids!

"Hey, hun! Come here for a sec!" The sound of Kite's voice snapped you from your thoughts.

You quickly made your way over to him. Watching just in time as he put the final touch to his costume. He eyed your reflection in the mirror with a flustered expression before turning around.

"Does it look bad?"

Kite had chosen to go as a witch. A black pointy hat sat crooked on his head with a patchwork cape around his shoulders. His shirt a smokey gray, sleeves and collar puffed out. He wore pinstripe pants to complete the look. 

Bad was the furthest thing he looked. Then again, to you he was always beautiful.

"No, it suits you." You responded. Your expression soft as you fixed his hat.

"My handsome witch. Guess I can't call you princess anymore." 

His face went a light shade of red at your teasing. Yet there was a small smile that let you know he didn't mind it.

"Where's your costume?" He asked.

You tensed up.

"About that…"

"You didn't get one, did you?" 

He already knew the answer from your guilty expression and nervous smile. He should've figured something was off when you didn't buy your costume with his.

"Did you forget, or were you being lazy?" The question came out more accusatory this time. 

You looked away before mumbling something out. And when he asked you to repeat it, you puffed out your cheeks in a pout.

"Didn't really wanna."

"You didn't really wanna?" Kite repeated slowly.

Time was still for a second. Then all of a sudden, Kite tackled you to the bed. Tickling your sides until you were gasping for air.

"The kids have been scheming with you for months to celebrate, months, and you don't wanna? We all agreed to wear costumes so you're going to need a better excuse than that!" 

You feebly kicked your legs from underneath him, giggling uncontrollably while you tried to answer.

"I didn't wanna-hahaha wear something and it looks rea-hehe-ly bad! Get embarrassed easily hehehe!"

His eyes softened for a brief second before continuing his onslaught.

"You could've told me and we could've matched, but no. You wanted to nap and hope I didn't notice when we went out. Didn't you?" Because even though Kite did know you felt uneasy in public situations, he also knew you had the tendency to use it as an excuse when you wanted to be lazy. 

And you were doing it for the kids. It wouldn't be the same for them if you didn't participate.

"Hehehe, matched as what, hah! A familiar??? Go as, hehehe, a cat? You know, hahaha! That I can never look at those things the same way again!"

He gave a few more tickles before pulling away completely. Looking you straight in the eye.

"The truth."

"...I slept in the first few days, and when I went to get one the shelves were empty." Were you proud of that, no. But to be fair traveling made you tired. Your dark circles still not completely gone.

"I'm glad you're able to admit the truth. Now wait there." Kite instructed.

Your face scrunched in confusion, yet you stayed put. Wondering just what exactly he had in store for you. Kite came in a few minutes later with a white blanket that had eye holes.

"*Gasp* The Klu Klux Klan!" 

His eyes narrowed, a little annoyed by your antics.

"Shut up. You're the one who didn't pick out a Halloween costume. Either you whip something up or you go as a sheet ghost."

"I don't wanna!" 

"You'll make Killua mad, Gon disappointed, and Alluka cry. If I have to dress up, so do you." 

It was at that moment, the doorbell rang. Giving you an out of the conversation. 

You immediately sprang up and made a beeline towards the front door.

"MY BABIES!" 

Kite let out a tired sigh before following after you.

You wasted no time opening the door. An excited smile on your face as you saw the boys and Alluka. It'd been months since you saw them last. With Gon deciding to follow Ging around and Killua deciding to travel with Alluka/Nanika. To be able to spend a little bit of time with them after everything that's happened felt like a blessing.

Being able to relax and have fun with your little makeshift family.

"Happy Halloween!" They shouted together.

You just about melted at the sight. The silver haired hunter next to you equally as content. Even though they weren't yours, the both of you truly loved them like they were your own.

Killua was a vampire, wearing dark purple overalls and a cape to match. Fake fangs poking out from the top of his mouth. Gon had been a ram. Curved horns on the top of his head with a brown jacket and moss green slacks. His shoes furry little boots. Alluka had also chosen to go as a witch. Her hat a bright pink along with her dress and gloves. She carried around a broom to complete the look.

You stepped aside and ushered them in.

"You all got here okay? Anybody wanna eat or drink before we leave?" You asked.

Truthfully, you knew you'd been acting more like a parent than an older sibling. You just couldn't help but worry over them. Especially now that Killua's psycho family were resorting to force to get him and his sister back. Aware that Gon was his best friend and were willing to use any means necessary. 

You just hoped you didn't come off as overbearing.

"We're okay. Just saving room for all the candy." Gon answered.

"Uh huh. You know I'm gonna make all of you eat dinner before you have even one piece. I don't want you waking me up in the middle of the night because your stomach hurts." 

You were still haunted by the mess of vomit on your floor. Carpeted floor, if you may add.

"It was one time!" Gon defended while Killua snickered from besides him.

"Sure, and why's the other one laughing? You're in the exact same boat. Don't think I forgot about you putting a potted plant over the mess you made." You addressed the small assassin, who gave you a small glare in return.

"Hey! You said you wouldn't tell anyone it was me! You know what, I didn't take one. I took three!" He lifted up three jumbo chocolate bars from his Halloween pail. You gave a horrified gasp at the sight.

"Demon! That's it, I'm putting you on a leash!"

But before you could chase him down, the sound of Alluka's excited squeal filled the air. You looked over to see her tugging enthusiastically on Kite's sleeve.

"Look! I'm matching Daddy!" She pointed to herself then at the taller male.

You let out a laugh at Kite's flustered expression. The boys cackling along with you as his face went redder. That was another reason you sorta fell into a parental role.

Alluka and Nanika had never really been looked after properly. Never really had a proper family besides Killua. So they sorta clung to you and Kite for normalcy. And it's not like either of you minded. You both adored the girls. You especially had a soft spot for them.

It just caught you off guard sometimes when she would address either of you as her parents.

"You are, aren't you? But I personally love your costume better. Did you and Nanika pick it together?" You cooed. 

Alluka beamed up at you. Always happy that you never forgot to include her sister. Going as far as to tell them to switch every house so they both got to trick or treat tonight.

"Nanika wanted to go as a reaper, but I told her it would be too scary. I wanted to go as a princess, but she said it was too cutesy. Big brother was the one that picked our costume. It's just right." She looked over at Killua, who had turned around in embarrassment.

"Mama/Papa where's your costume?"

You froze at her question. Eyes pleading with Kite who gave you an 'I told you so' look. Yeah, maybe you deserved that. 

"I'm sorry, sweety. I didn't have time to get one."

All of their faces fell at the news. Kite was right, as always. You really should have went with him to get a costume. Damnit, looks like you were gonna have to go as a sheet ghost. Just to make the little goblins happy.

"What do you mean you didn't have time? We were planning for three months!" Killua grumbled. 

You cringed at his angry tone.

"In my defense, we got here a week ago." And you may or may not have spent that time sleeping. Old habits die hard. 

"You were sleeping, weren't you?" Gon hit the nail right on the head. 

"I'm sorry. If I'd known how much it meant, I would have gotten one sooner. If it makes you feel any better, I've got a backup. But you have to promise you won't make fun of me." You compromised. 

But before the boys could consider it, Alluka spoke up.

"Nanika wants to come out!"

Great. All four kids were mad at you. You supposed that was what you got for being lazy. Hopefully, there was still a way for you to salvage the night.

With Killua's encouragement, the two girls traded places. Nanika's empty eyes staring into yours.

"I can gib Mama/Papa a costume." She offered.

You already knew your answer when you looked over to Kite. He gave a small shake of the head. The both of you in silent agreement about what you should do.

"No. I don't wanna take advantage of you." 

Because from what Killua told you, her entire purpose up until now, was to grant wishes for the Zoldyck family. A usually bloody price the more selfish the requests. You never wanted to abuse that power. Never wanted her to have to do that again. 

You wanted her and the boys to have a normal childhood. Well, as normal as it could get. 

"You don't want to go trick or treating?" But kids will be kids. Nanika looking up at you with crocodile tears.

You knew what she was doing, and you'd fall for it anyway. 

"Nonono, Of course I do! I just won't be able to dress up." You tried explaining.

"You don't love us?" This time it was a sob.

You couldn't help but panic, not exactly used to dealing with this. Of course the boys had their share of arguments and disagreements with you. But you don't think they've ever guilt tripped you before. And it didn't help you had such a soft spot for the two girls. Folding almost immediately and preparing to elbow the nearest stranger to take their costume.

"I love you very much! Okay, okay. If you want to. Only if you want to, give me a costume." You begrudgingly gave in. 

"Kay!" Nanika beamed up at you. All traces of crying gone. You cursed yourself for not having a stronger will.

A spark of light. Then a pair of devil horns, a pitchfork, and a black cape fell into your hands.

"The devil?" You mumbled. 

"Now that's a perfect costume for you!" Killua teased.

You stuck your tongue out at him before addressing the small girl.

"Thank you sweetie." 

You wasted no time putting on your horns and tying your cape. To your surprise, the pitchfork was real. You'd have to have a talk with her about not giving out real weapons. 

"Y/n, I hope you don't mind. I invited some more people over to go with us." Gon informed as you finished getting dressed.

"Who did you invite?" 

The doorbell dinged suspiciously after you asked the question. Gon opening the door before you had time to process who could be on the other side.

You couldn't help but grin when you saw who it was.

"Leorio! Long time no see!" You greeted.

He was dressed as a werewolf. A pair of wolf ears on his head. His sideburns a little more grown out than usual. He wore a pair of fluffy wolf gloves and an actual collar around his neck.

You hadn't really seen him since the Chairman Election. Was he a little pervy? Yes. But he was also the guy who punched Ging for not seeing his son in the hospital. How could you not get along well with him? 

He was a dope with a big heart. Now while you were happy to have him come along, it was who he was with you almost closed the door on.

"Kurapika." You hissed out at the mummy dressed blonde.

"Y/n." His tone equally as venomous.

You had your reason for disliking him, and it had to do with the fact he didn't bother seeing Gon when he was literally dying. His phone on mute the entire time. Hell, even Melody, who was an acquaintance more than anything, stopped by. 

It left a bitter taste in your mouth. You would have given anything to see Gon at that moment. 

But Kurapika also had his reason for disliking you, too. He just couldn't understand why you wanted nothing to do with your clan. Everything he was doing was for his. So to see somebody dislike their kin with a passion when he would have given anything to have his back, it infuriated him.

The both of you were pulled away by your respective partners.

"Be nice. We're doing this for the kids, remember? Don't ruin their fun just because you don't like their friend. Got it?" Kite lectured. You let out a huff before answering.

"I'd hardly call him a friend."

"Y/n."

"Fine. But if he gets on my nerves, I'm gonna hurt him."

Meanwhile~

"I get you two don't like each other, but at least pretend to. The kids are really excited we all get a chance to hang out. Please don't let a petty argument spoil their night." Leorio pleaded.

"They started it." Kurapika protested.

"Because you didn't bother to see Gon at the hospital. I'd say a little anger is warranted. And you aren't exactly one to talk. They have their reasons for doing what they did like you have yours. I'm not asking you to be best friends, just make an effort. For tonight."

Kurapika mulled over his words. Letting out a frustrated sigh before nodding.

"Fine. I'll try my best."

The both of you turned around to face each other, extending a hand.

"Truce?" You asked.

"Truce." He confirmed.

The next ten minutes was spent taking pictures. Making sure to get some of the kids as well as several group photos before taking off. You couldn't resist sending one of Gon to Ging. Just to get on his nerves for not being here.

Y/n: Your son loves me more than you 🤭

Musk Master:🖕

You smirked at the message before something caught your eye from the corner. You looked up to see Colt inching his way down the stairs. 

"You sure you and Reina don't wanna come with us?" You asked, catching the attention of the others.

He shook his head.

"I think it's better if we stay in this year. Maybe next time, but thank you for offering. Besides, this human holiday feels a little overwhelming."

"I understand. Take care." You offered a friendly smile. Quickly turning around to herd the kids out of the door.

"Let's go before it gets too late."

—-----------------

You weren't expecting the streets to be this crowded. You should've known better given how big York New was. Nevertheless, you kinda enjoyed it.

Seeing everyone with a unique costume and all the houses decorated. You watched as the kids approached their first house of the night, adamant about walking up to it alone to prove they weren't scared.

The three of them holding out their Halloween pails after shouting 'Trick or Treat!" The person distributing candy dressed as skeleton. Their house covered in cobwebs with giant skeletons in their yard.

"When we get a house, are we gonna decorate like that?" You leaned on Kite. 

"Do you want to? You don't exactly strike me as the decorating type. Especially when it comes to taking them down." He rested his head on top of yours.

"You've gotta point. We'll just stick to carving pumpkins. But I kinda want the Lewis robot. He's got good vibes, ya know?"

Kite gave an amused huff, the both of you watching as the kids returned with bright smiles.

"WE GOT THE RICH NEIGHBORHOOD! LOOK AT HOW BIG THESE BARS ARE!" Killua proudly announced holding up a king-sized candy bar.

"THEY EVEN HANDED OUT BAGS OF GUMMIES!" Gon cheered, proudly presenting them.

"You got jumbo bars?!?! We were lucky if we got a mini bar back then." Leorio said exasperated. 

"I don't think I've ever celebrated Halloween before. It wasn't exactly apart of my clan's customs," Kurapika explained. Smiling softly at the way the trio started trading around their candy.

"You and Y/n, both." Kite informed. And before Kurapika could question what he meant, Alluka and the boys were running over to the next house.

"Hey! At least wait for one adult! We don't want to lose track of you!" You scolded, rushing after them.

The night continued on like that. With you eventually threatening to go home if the kids didn't wait. Resulting in them grabbing the first person they saw and tugging them towards a house. Which more often than not, was unfortunately you.

The last house on the block would become a story to remember. A mannequin with a mask was sitting outside. A bowl of candy on its lap. The trio looked to you for confirmation before rushing forward.

"You should go with them," Leorio encouraged. 

You agreed, unawares of what he was planning. Kite, who could see it coming from a mile away, tried to stop you.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

But you were already gone.

"C'mon, it's their first Halloween. Damnit! I should've sent Kurapika up there with them." Leorio said, disappointed he missed a chance to prank his boyfriend.

"What do mean? What's gonna happen?" Kurapika questioned. His brow raised with suspicion.

"Just watch."

Like clockwork, the 'mannequin' jumped up with a scream. The kids ducking behind you. What was not expected, however, was you punching the poor guy out of reflex. His body immediately going unconscious.

"Told you." Kite pointed out.

But Leorio didn't hear, doubled over in silent laughter. Unbelieving you'd just knocked that poor guy out. 

Kurapika struggling to stifle his laughter from next to him as you encouraged the kids to take everything from the bowl before making a run for it. Their pails now filled to the brim.

"Run run run!" You urged when you reached them. You sent a pointed look at the doctor in training as you fled.

"You set me up!"

"In my defense, I didn't know you'd react like that!" He responded.

"You're my doctor! How many times have I kicked you during the reflexes test?"

"Okay, but it was really funny!"

When you felt you were far enough from the 'incident', you opted for walking to the next neighborhood. 

By then, Alluka was tired out. Asking Kite to give her a piggyback ride until you all got home. He complied, letting the boys know this would be the last neighborhood for tonight.

You were walking in a comfortable silence until you heard it.

Something that shouldn't be playing. A song that had no business being played this early.

"I don't want a lot for Christmas. There's just one thing I need~"

"OH NO SHE'S DEFROSTED!" Gon screamed. 

"IT'S TOO EARLY!!! PUT HER BACK IN THE GLACIER!" Killua shrieked with him.

And then you saw it.

A house decorated in Christmas lights. Little plastic snowmen and Santas placed throughout the yard. You gave a horrified gasp, quickly covering Alluka's tired eyes.

"You have my full permission to egg their house. I mean honestly, Halloween hasn't even ended yet. It's distasteful." 

"No, we are not encouraging the kids to act out." Kurapika argued. 

"Shut up. You probably wash the chocolate off of KitKats." You retorted before Gon pulled you to another house. Killua grabbing Leorio with a laugh.

"How do you put up with that? Your partner's a menace." The blonde complained to the taller male next to him. 

"It's more of a way to test you than anything. Y/n can only hold a grudge for so long, and saying sorry goes a long way for them. Just be patient. You'll win them over eventually." Kite explained, hoping to ease a little of the tension between the two of you.

And for whatever reason, it felt like a weight was lifted off of Kurapika's shoulders. Seems the both of you were stubborn.

"For a second I thought they would be like Leorio. Not only can he hold a grudge, but he doesn't really forgive. Not unless he knows he's in the wrong. But I guess we're alike in that regard." His expression softening.

"Their both hotheads with big hearts." Kite noted.

"And we're the ones that put up with them." Kurapika added.

—--------------------

The seven of you made one more pitstop on your way home. A small Halloween display left out on a yard for pictures. A great way to finish the night up before the inevitable sugar rush tomorrow.

"Alright final picture for the night! Everyone get in!" You ordered.

You all squeezed together as best you could, with Kite taking the photo. Him being the tallest out of all of you. Drained and happy smiles on all your faces as the shutter clicked.

"Mmmm. All of my ripening fruits out together without me~"

"AHHHHHHHH!" One ear shattering scream from all of you as you fled away from Hisoka.

Truly the scariest of creatures you encountered.

🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃

MASTERLIST

Tags: @fandomhoe101 @justxiao @bekataylorgriggs

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

An: Leopika is cannon in the Moon and Sun verse. Sue me 😤 Also HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!! Y'ALL STAY SAFE TONIGHT IF YOU'RE GOING OUT!!!

[notgonnaedit]

Beskar and Bone

Chapter 13: The Jedi

Summary: A lone bounty hunter must make his way through the galaxy as he cares for two children with mysterious powers.

Chapter summary: The clan meets a Jedi. Is this goodbye?

Warnings: Canon-typical violence, torture, poverty, evil people, AHSOKA, Elaine's backstory (If I miss a tag LMK)

A/n: Sorry this chapter came a little late today. Some of you may know that today is opening day of hunting season, so I was up early and hunting.

@thecoffeelorian @dreamsight73 @valeria-lilian

Updates on Fridays. If you want to be tagged LMK

Master list

"Corvus, this is the place," Mando said as he flew into the atmosphere. "I've detected a beacon. I'm gonna start the landing cycle."

Elaine nodded. "We're gonna meet a Jedi?"

"Yes," Mando was close to finishing his quest. Deliver the kids to a Jedi, that was all. But in the weeks he'd spent either protecting them from bounty hunters or finding a Jedi, he'd grown very attached to them. Mando didn't want to admit it, but for the first time in his life, he wanted to break the Creed. Nothing was stopping him from turning the Crest around and flying to a planet far away where he could raise his kids. Nothing but a sense of duty.

Mando landed the Crest, and when the clan of three stepped out they were met with desolation. Corvus had apparently been a forest planet, but all the trees once flourishing with life were reduced to nothing more than black sticks. "Not much to see out here," said Mando quietly. He looked down at the kids and saw that the Child was holding the lever top. "What did I say about that?" He took it from him and put it in his pouch. "This needs to stay in the ship."

The Child whined as his toy was taken away, but Mando just picked him up and put him in the satchel. "Never had dealings with a Jedi before. Let's head into town. See if we can pick up a lead."

Elaine walked along side of him through the dreary forest. Her brown eyes seemed grey in the smokey light. Mando wondered what would happen to her with the Jedi. She didn't seem to have the same powers as the Child, but she wasn't normal, if normal was even a thing anymore in this crazy galaxy.

                            ~~~~~

They approached the town gates where a few guards stood at their posts. "State your business," said one.

"Been tracking for a few days," Mando lied. "Looking for a layover."

The guard nodded in respect. "Nice armor. You a hunter, then?"

Mando nodded. "That's right."

"Guild?"

"Last I checked."

Elaine watched the exchange with great interest. She never knew that Mando was such a liar.

Another guard walked up to the first one, quietly telling him something. The first one nodded. "Open the gate." The gate opened, and the three walked inside.

Immediately, the gate close shut, creaking from wear. Elaine held tightly to Mando's cape as they walked through town. It gave her a bad feeling. All around were guards, monitoring the seemingly harmless people. But as harmless as they seemed, one thing was a fact; they were afraid. They eyed Mando warily, steering clear of him as he walked by. Even with two kids, a Mandalorian was still intimidating.

Mando approached an old woman. "Pardon me, vendor, have you heard of anyone–" he stopped short when the woman turned away, clearly eager to leave.

Mando sighed. He turned to an alley where he saw a man speaking to two kids. "You there. I need some information. I'm looking for someone."

The man whispered to the kids. "Okay, bye." They ran off, and he turned to Mando. "Please, do not speak to them, or any of us."

Confused, Mando continued to speak. "Look, I just need to know–"

"The magistrate wants to see you," said one of several guards that appeared behind them. Mando turned and followed them, but he drew Elaine and the Child closer to him. Something was wrong about this place.

His suspicions were completely confirmed when they walked through a narrow path with prisoners lined on each side. They were tied to posts in cages, and they all looked starved.

"Help us," one pleaded.

"She'll kill us all," moaned another.

Elaine hugged Mando's side, and the older of the two placed his hand on her head as they walked forward past the set of metal gates. Inside was a garden. Probably the only green life on the planet. A woman was sending the plants. "Come forward," she ordered.

She had an aura of power, as if her very presence demanded respect. She was the Magistrate. "You are a Mandalorian?" She asked.

Mando nodded. "Yes."

The Magistrate's eyes darted to Elaine. "And a child of Ovain. I have not seen your kind for some time."

Elaine shrunk behind Mando, and the Magistrate continued. "I have a proposition that may interest you."

"My price it high," said Mando.

The Magistrate looked him dead in the eye, as if she was seeing through his visor. "This target is priceless. A Jedi plagues me. I want you to kill her."

Mando smirked under his helmet, but he played it cool. "That's a difficult task."

"One that you are well-suited for," the Magistrate countered. "The Jedi are the ancient enemy of Mandalore."

"As I said, my price is high," Mando repeated.

The Magistrate held out her hand to a guard, who gave her a long, silver spear. "What do you make of this?"

Mando stepped forward and took the spear, testing it's weight in his hands. "Beskar."

The Magistrate nodded. "Pure beskar. Like your armor." Mando gave it back to her. "Kill the Jedi and it's yours."

Mando finally had a way to find the Jedi. "Where do I find this Jedi?"

                           ~~~~~

The officer escorted the small clan back to the outer gate, where he frowned at the Child. "What is that thing?" He asked.

The Child grunted at him in an attempt to be menacing, but he failed. 

"I keep it around for luck," Mando lied.

The officer nodded. "You're gonna need it where you're headed." His gaze flickered to Elaine, and like the Child, the small girl attempted to make herself as intimidating as possible, but that didn't work.

Mando placed his hand on her back, steering her away as the trio began their trek for a Jedi.

                          ~~~~~

It wasn't too long before they stopped in the center of a dead grove. "Well, these are the coordinates," said Mando. "Keep your eyes open. We must be close."

A light rustle sounded around them, and Mando was immediately on guard. "You hear that?"

"Yeah," Elaine said softly. Mando looked down at her, and saw the fear in her eyes. Seeing those people captured in the town was sure to put her on edge.

"Don't worry," he said taking the Child out of the satchel. "Sit right here." He placed him on a log and Elaine sat next to him. "Let me see what's out there."

Mando paced the small clearing, checking for any signs of life. Elaine felt a chill run down her spine. Somewhere, she could feel someone's anger, but it wasn't Mando or the Child. Part of her hoped Mando wouldn't find the Jedi. Actually, it was all of her. She wanted to stay with Mando and the Child forever. Mando turned to come back. "False alarm."

Suddenly, a branch snapped and out from the shadows came an orange skinned Togruta. She attacked Mando, wielding two glowing, white blades, making her white and blue lekku stand out in the dreary environment. She tried to cut through Mando's armor, but the beskar stopped the blades of light.

In a frenzy, Mando fired his flamethrower at the Togruta, setting her cloak ablaze. She quickly threw it to the ground and charged to attack again, but Mando held up his hands. "Ahsoka Tano!"

The Togruta stopped. Mando panted as he stood up. "Bo-Katan sent me. We need to talk."

Ahsoka shifted her gaze to behind him, directly at the kids. "I hope it's about them."

                           ~~~~~

Elaine sat with the Child on a log across from Ahsoka. Mando patrolled near by, occasionally glancing over at them. Ahsoka was quiet for a long time. She and the Child had their eyes closed and seemed to be talking. It wasn't too long before Ahsoka turned to Elaine. 

The Togruta gave her a soft smile, and Elaine felt slightly more at ease. "What's your name?" She asked.

"Elaine," the girl said softly.

Ahsoka hummed. "Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"

Elaine glanced over at Mando, who nodded. "Okay."

"How old are you?" Ahsoka asked.

"Five."

"What's your favorite food?"

Elaine pursed her lips. She never really thought about it before, but she really liked broth. "Broth. But sometimes Mando will get us a cookie once in a while, and those are really good."

Ahsoka smiled. "I loved cookies when I was your age. Can I tell you a few things about me?" 

Elaine nodded, so the Jedi continued. "You already know my name, and you probably know I'm a Jedi. But do you know what being a Jedi means?"

"You hate Mandalorians, right?" The girl asked, recalling what she'd heard the Armorer and Magistrate say.

Ahsoka shook her head, chuckling lightly. "No, if course not. Many of my friends have been Mandalorians, like Bo-Katan. Being a Jedi means I can use the Force. Can I show you?"

Elaine nodded, and Ahsoka closed her eyes again. She opened her palm and suddenly, a pebble flew into it. Elaine's mouth gaped open. "It it magic?"

Ahsoka chuckled. "Not magic. It's the energy of all living things humming around us."

Elaine's eyes widened. "Is it in me?"

Ahsoka furrowed her brow. "Not exactly." She looked over to Mando and gestured for him to come over.

Mando looked down to the two kids, then to Ahsoka. "Is he speaking?"

Ahsoka looked at the Child with interest. "In a way. Grogu and I can feel each other's thoughts."

"Grogu?" Mando and Elaine synced.

The Child looked to both of them as if answering their call.

Ahsoka smiled and stood. "Yes. That's his name."

Mando looked down at the Child. "Grogu." The Child looked up and cooed.

"He was raised at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant," Ahsoka explained. "Many Masters trained him over the years. At the end of the Clone Wars when the Empire rose to power, he was hidden. Someone took him from the Temple. Then his memory becomes... dark. He seemed lost. Alone."

The Child cooed sadly at her words, but she continued. "I've only known one other being like this. A wise Jedi named Yoda. Can he still wield the Force?"

Mando looked at her. He hated to hear that the Child–Grogu–had gone through darkness. Sometimes it was hard to remember he was 50. "You mean his powers?"

Ahsoka smirked slightly. "The Force is what gives him his powers. It is an energy field created by all living things. To wield it takes a great deal of training and discipline."

Mando looked down at the children. "I've seen them do things I can't explain."

Ahsoka looked down at Elaine. "About that. She isn't actually Force sensitive."

Mando looked at her. "I don't understand."

"Elaine comes from the planet of Ovain," Ahsoka explained. "The people there do not wield the Force, but they believe in it. Instead of the Force flowing through them, they flow with the Force. She has strong emotions, and can share them with people, flowing with the Force and channeling them. Often times, the people of Ovain will feel others emotions unintentionally."

Mando looked down at Elaine. Everything about her made sense. The soul piercing gaze, the way she always seemed to know what he was feeling, and when he felt her fear and desperation back on Nevarro when the Moff attacked. "My task was to bring them to a Jedi."

Ahsoka tucked her hands into her sleeves. "The Jedi Order fell a long time ago."

"So did the Empire, yet it still hunts them," Mando shuddered to think what the Moff wanted with the kids. If it had anything to do with what was in those pods... "They need your help."

Ahsoka looked down at the kids. Both of them were beginning to nod off. "Let them sleep. I'll test him in the morning. I'll figure something out for her, but as I said, the people of Ovain do not harness the Force."

Mando looked down at the kids. He finally knew what was so special about them. But now he had to let them go.

                          ~~~~~

The next morning, Ahsoka, Mando and the kids stood in the clearing. The Jedi opened her palm, revealing a small rock. "Let's see what knowledge is lurking inside that little mind," she said. She used the Force to make the stone hover, pushing it gently to Grogu.

He looked at it curiously, as if unsure of what to do. Ahsoka held out her hand. "Now, return the stone to me, Grogu."

But he didn't. Mando looked at him. "He doesn't understand." He felt guilty for feeling a twinge of hope.

Ahsoka looked at him, and be wondered if she could feel it too. "He does."

Grogu whined, but Ahsoka was patient. "It's okay. The stone, Grogu." Grogu looked at the stone before dropping it. Ahsoka sighed. "I sense much fear in you." She turned to Mando. "He's hidden his abilities to survive over the years. Let's try something else. Come over here."

Mando looked at him. "He's stubborn."

"Not him. You," Ahsoka corrected. "I want to see if he'll listen to you."

Mando walked over. "That would be a first."

Ahsoka smiled. "I like firsts. Good or bad, they're always memorable. Now hold the stone out in the palm of your hand."

Mando did as she said.

"Tell him to lift it up."

Mando turned to Grogu. "All right, kid. Lift the stone."

"Grogu," Elaine corrected, and the one she spoke of lifted his head.

Mando nodded, turning to the kid. "Grogu... Come on, take the stone." The little guy did nothing. "You see? I told you, he's stubborn. They both are."

Ahsoka stared at him. "Try to connect with him."

Mando sighed. But suddenly, he got an idea. He reached into his pouch and pulled out the lever topper. The small sphere glinted in the dim light. "Grogu... Do you want this? Well, go ahead." The Child reached out his hand. "That's right, take it. Come on. You can have it. Come on."

The ball shot out of Mando's hand and into Grogu's. Mando grinned under his helmet and scooped the little guy into his arms. "Good job! Good job, kid. You see that?" He asked Ahsoka like a proud father. Elaine grinned next to happy that Grogu could do it. "I knew you could do it!"

Ahsoka nodded. "Very good. Your turn, Elaine."

The young girl's joy was quickly replaced by reluctance. Mando squeezed her shoulder gently. "Go on, Sarad'ika."

The girl walked over the the Jedi who had now squatted down. She held her hands out. "It's okay, Elaine. Take my hands."

Elaine did as she said, resting her small palms on Ahsoka's larger ones. The Jedi looked at her. "What do you feel?"

"Nothing."

Ahsoka sighed through a smile. "Concentrate." Elaine closed her eyes, knitting her brow. "What do you feel."

"I feel... calm," the girl said. "But also sad," as she spoke, the markings on her horns began to glow a soft greyish white, not unlike Ahsoka's weapons. The glow spread down her face across her swirls, tracing all the way down her arm until they disappeared under her clothes. Elaine opened her eyes. The one under the swirls had turned a pale grey. She gasped at her appearance.

Ahsoka turned her attention back to her. "Focus. What did you mean by sad?"

Elaine looked at Ahsoka's hands. "Like... something's missing, or lost."

Mando stared at them in awe. For a brief moment, he thought he saw Ahsoka's eyes widen, but he turned back to Elaine. Ahsoka let go, and Elaine's glow vanished. She ran back to Mando, a smile on her face as she hugged him. Mando smiled under his helmet and held her close. "Good job, Sarad'ika. I'm proud of you."

Ahsoka stood up and turned to the clan. "They've formed strong attachments to you. I cannot train them."

Mando's pride was quickly replaced by confusion. "What? Why not?"

Ahsoka looked at Grogu. "You've seen what he can do. His attachment to you and her makes him vulnerable to his fears. His anger." 

"All the more reason to train him," Mando countered.

Ahsoka's eyes were cold. "No. I've seen what such feelings can do to a fully trained Jedi Knight. To the best of us. I will not start this child down that path. Better to let his abilities fade."

"And her?" Mando felt a sudden anger that this woman didn't think the kids were good enough. Who was she to decide?

Ahsoka sighed. "She is not like him. The Force is not with her. The only reason she reacted like that was because I sent the Force through her." She turned around. "I've delayed too long. I must get back to the village."

Mando couldn't just let her walk away. "The Magistrate sent me to kill you." Ahsoka stopped. "I didn't agree to anything. And I'll help you with your problem, if you see to it that Elaine and Grogu are properly trained."

Ahsoka turned her head slightly, as if considering. "Very well. But leave them at your ship. While they may have abilities, they are still children and have no place in battle."

                            ~~~~~

Back at the Crest, Mando put Grogu in his little hammock above the bed. The little guy was exhausted from using his powers, and it didn't seem Elaine was much better. She crawled onto the bed, her eyes already closing. Mando brushed her hair off her forehead. "I'll be back soon, Sarad'ika."

Elaine nodded as she drifted off to sleep. "Okay. Bye, Papi."

Mando froze. Did he hear her right? He looked down at her, but the girl had already fallen asleep. Mando felt his heart twist. After he helped Ahsoka, he had to say goodbye.

                           ~~~~~

Mando and Ahsoka walked back to the Crest, the armored one holding the Magistrate's spear. His heart felt heavier though, when he walked inside his ship and found the kids. They were still out cold, but he couldn't delay forever. It would only make it hurt more. He started with Grogu, gently rocking his hammock before taking him into his arms. Mando would miss the little guy, but he needed to do what was best for them. "Wake up, buddy. It's time to say goodbye."

He moved to sit down on the bed next to Elaine. She shifted at his movement and rested her head on his lap. Mando stroked her hair as she woke up, fighting the tears the begged to fall. The girl yawned, a small sound that would signal Mando she was safe. But now he would never hear it again.

Elaine opened her eyes fully and stared up at him. Mando doubted she even remembered what she said before, but he didn't have to be a Jedi to know she meant it. "Come on, Sarad'ika. It's time to go."

Elaine stood up and turned away. Mando heard a soft sniffle, but he ignored it. He had to stay strong. He walked out with the kids and met Ahsoka at the ramp.

"You're like a father to them," ahe said. "I cannot train them."

"You made me a promise, and I held up my end." Despite Mando's sadness, he felt that Ahsoka should stick to her word.

"There is one possibility," she said. "Go to the planet Tython. You will find the ancient ruins of a temple that had a strong connection to the Force. Place Grogu in the seeing stone at the top of the mountain."

"Then what?" Mando asked.

"Then Grogu may choose his path. If he reaches out through the Force, there's a chance a Jedi may sense his presence and come searching for him." She glanced at Elaine. "Perhaps he'll find one that can train her as well. Then again, there aren't many Jedi left."

Grogu cooed sadly at her words. Mando nodded. "Thank you."

Ahsoka dipped her head. "May the Force be with you."

Mando turned and left the ship, happy he got more time with the kids, even if it was just a little. But he knew that time was drawing to an end, and he couldn't delay the inevitable.

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[andkisses]

♡ bonfire | sunghoon ♡

relaxing with sunghoon as the sunsets beyond the ocean; prompt: cuddled by a bonfire wrapped in a blanket

♡ sunghoon x gn!reader | wc. 923 ♡ genres/tropes: FLUFF !! 10000% self indulgent ooey gooey fluff ♡ mentions of/warnings: n/a ♡ a/n: use of pet names (he calls u my love, love) ♡ masterlist ♡

Beyond the bonfire, ocean waves crash against the shore, tide coming in with every wave and eating up that much more shore. The fire’s crackle offsets the steady pattern of the waves. You watch as orange and yellow embers burst up, out, and away from the flames. They float up into the sky before blinking out.

The beach is populated with strangers. Other singles and couples and larger groups, surrounding this bonfire and others like it down the shore. Some brought out camp chairs and some sit on pieces of driftwood.

You, however, firmly believe you have the best spot.

Earlier in the day, as the sun was setting, you watched as Sunghoon dug and sculpted the sand into a type of seat–a low area for you to sit with your feet up and your back supported. As the sun kissed the horizon, dipping into the ocean and covering everything in a deep orange, Sunghoon pulled you to his side. Your hips clicked together, and he wrapped the long blanket you’d brought around your shoulders and down your backs like a cape. Then, he turned to you, eyes alight, and pulled you down.

You were perfectly bundled up, cradled in his arms, and lowkey stuck in his sandy seat creation. You knew, at the end of the night, you would have to crawl awkwardly out. But you didn’t care.

Sunghoon laughed. “I guess you really did fall for me, huh?”

You whacked against his chest with a playful fist. “You pulled me down!” He kept laughing, and it’s music to your ears.

An hour or so later–you aren’t too sure and, again, you don’t care–you’re still out on the beach, snuggled together. The warm summer evening has been replaced with a cool seabreeze. The bonfire, the blanket, and Sunghoon beside you keep you warm against the night chill.

Sunghoon turns his head, which had been titled on top of yours, to press his lips against your temple. His hand moves up from being thrown around your shoulder to playing with your hair, pulling strands away just to let them fall back into place.

Your hands, in turn, play with the one he has resting in your lap. You fiddle with his fingers, his rings. You examine his nail beds, how his knuckles bend just so.

When that hand rises up to catch your chin and turn your face towards his, you don’t stop it. You pull the blanket in closer, keeping this your own little world as his lips find yours.

It’s a simple, languid kiss. One that sits and stays and takes your breath away. It’s salty and smokey, a new sensation. It curls a feeling from your stomach and up your spine. One of your hands comes up, finding a spot on his chest before moving up to cup the base of his neck.

He breaks the kiss, his breathing shallow as he catches his breath, resting his forehead on yours. Your eyes flutter open, taking in his details that you can see from so close. His eyes, soft and trained on yours. The beauty mark at the top of his nose, and the other on his cheek. How he hums slightly, content in your presence. 

“What are you thinking about?” he asks, voice low and soft.

You smile, hand coming up from his neck to caress his cheek and page through his hair. He shivers a little beneath your touch, even still. Even after everything, you still have this power over him.

“I'm thinking,” you begin, and he smiles and nods for you to continue, “about how I’m the luckiest person ever.”

He laughs, pulling you closer. He turns and kisses the soft spot beneath your jaw, and a content sigh slips past your lips. “Funny,” he whispers, barely audible over the crash of waves and warm against your skin. He pulls back ever so slowly, tilting his chin and staring down at you down his nose and through half-lidded lashes. “I was thinking how I'm the luckiest person ever. We can’t both be that, now can we?”

You giggle under his pseudo-serious gaze. He almost cracks at seeing you so delighted. “I said it first,” you try.

“I was thinking it before the sun even set, my love.” And he kisses you again, and again, and again. Hands in your hair, the back of your neck, splayed large and firm against your ribs. You turn closer into him, tucking yourself against his frame. Your fingers run through his hair, massaging his scalp.

Somewhere down the beach, a firework pops, casting a sparkly gold hue for a moment or so. You both jump apart, startled by the sudden sound.

“Are you tired, love?” Sunghoon asks when you rest your head on his shoulder. 

You nod in response. 

Sunghoon places a finger beneath your chin and tilts your head up to his gaze. “Are you happy, love?"

You spend a moment to take it all in. Sunghoon, your boyfriend, your lover, in front of you. His seabreeze-tousled hair. His eyes trained on you and you alone. You feel his arms around you, their strength and warmth and safety. A highlight reel of best moments flashes behind your eyes, and ends with this one, here on the beach.

Another firework pops overhead, this time red and pinkish.

“Yes,” you reply, and you lean up to kiss him, lips landing at the corner of his. He smiles, and laughs, and you feel renewed. You chose right with him. “Yes, Sunghoon. it’s beyond compare.”

[madametamma]

The Coronation Of The Dread Eldritch king

Ghost: “This is quite normal.  The sudden influx of power usually drives the crown’s wearer mad temporarily.”

Jazz: “How long will he be like this?”

Ghost: “Hard to tell.  It’s different with each monarch. He should likely come to his senses anywhere between tomorrow and, oh say, two thousand years from now.”

I love Danny as a mad, Eldritch, ghost king.

I designed him with the crown of fire, frosted devil Horns, a ghost tail full of stars, Glowing hollow green eyes with a glowing Lichtenburg scar across the face, a smokey cape, a wreath of dead and dying blue roses around his neck, and frosted fingers. He makes it snow lightly everywhere he goes.

Feel free to imagine that: 

Danny was saved when his friends knocked the crown from his head and he reverted back to normal, but there are some who insist that Danny put the crown back on.  He can’t become the true ghost king until he finishes going through this phase.

Or that he thankfully only spent a night or two in this form and got control of his new power quickly. No one back home in Amity park is aware of what he went through.  He’s the ghost king now, what’s one more secret on top of everything else in his life?

Or that he spent long enough in this form that when he finally came to his senses, everyone was a little bit older and he had to deal with that.  Danny Fenton was considered missing for years and now suddenly he just shows up again looking the same as he did the day he was last seen.

Or that when he came to, it was 2,000 years later and everything he ever knew was long gone. He’s a lonely immortal.

Or whatever you like

[sophieswundergarten]

Had a very cute idea of some point in *vague hand-wavy time period probably immediately after the mission* where Kate gets sad because she misses her circus family, so the other three get together and try to cheer her up

They make a huge tent with sheets and stuff in the backyard, and they get Rhonda and Number Two to help them prepare carnival-type food like popcorn and cotton candy, and each of them comes up with a little "act" they can do

Reynie dresses up like a ringleader and Constance dresses up in the most ridiculous, tacky, sequined "psychic" costume they can cobble together with lots of costume jewelry and they steal a big glass bowl from the kitchen for her "crystal ball" and Sticky (Who's just wearing a magician cape because he couldn't think of anything else) shows them how they can trap dry ice under the bowl to make it look all smokey

And together they put on a little show for Kate, and when it inevitably devolves into Kate getting really excited and showing them a bunch of tricks she learned at the circus they all just sit on the ground and clap enthusiastically for her until she gets tired and then they hang out in the tent and talk and eat snacks and throw popcorn at each other

[secret-third-thing]

Woody Fragrance Recommendations

for @unlikelypersonalknight1 by @secret-third-thing

This was a lot of fun to put together! Let me know what you think and we can make adjustments based on your thoughts! Sorry I wrote a novel <3

If anyone else wants perfume recs, just give me a shout! Tagging @areyoudreaminof b/c you're my only other acotar perfume buddy <3

So the base I was given was Woody (or Pine-sol which in itself is a VERY unique scent). I took some big creative liberties and started us on some different brands that have different types of woody.

Some quick terminology (used mostly correctly-ish):

Fragrance - what I mean when I talk about cologne, perfume etc

(Scent) Family - You'll hear me refer to Woody as a scent family. This comprises of different notes (ex. cedar, pine, sandalwood)

Notes - in this case, I'm talking about specific scents. A fragrance may have Top notes (what you smell first) mid/heart notes ( what you smell mostly after an hour, and base notes (which really come into play after an hour or so. You can smell them all to a degree when you first spritz something, but the fragrance will evolve over time.

Brand No.1: Replica | Maison Margiela (also @ Sephora)

These scents were created to replicate/evoke memories of fairly universal experiences!

Autumn Vibes - Starts off with a burst of sweetness, but settles into a deep woody note. It's earthy and warm, like hugging a tree.

By the Fireplace - You're hit with smokey notes, and then it becomes a delicious spicy/sweet combo. The sweetness comes from the Vanilla, while the Cloves and Sweet pepper give you that burst of spicy. Real LoA vibes here.

Now it's a bit of choose your own adventure here. Both of these aren't woody, per se, but have woody or wood adjacent notes:

Aromatic, sweet , coffee shop vibes? -> Coffee Break

Leathery, sweet, and a little spicy -> Jazz Club

Brand No.2: Imaginary Authors

Literature inspired scents that are mysterious, broody, and truly unique.

Whispered Myths - This scent is considered sweet, woody and animalic, which is hard to describe other than fur, skin etc. (it's not that gross I promise!) There's also some distinct melon in there.

Cape Heartache - This may be the closest scent to what you requested! It has notes of pine and fir. The light, barely there sweetness comes from fruit (and you guessed it...vanilla).

Memoirs of a Trespasser - another sweet, woody scent, but more of a gourmand (i.e. it's that vanilla!!) If you liked By the fireplace but wanted something a little more sweet and less spicy, try this.

Brand No.3: Boy Smells (also @ Sephora)

A brand that puts a twist on traditional scents. These are VERY unusual and contain a lot of notes that you don't see in a lot of commercial fragrances.

Tantrum - this is woody and GREEN. There's a little bit of citrus in there, but I think the green pepper (aromatic note) really shines here. It's SO different than anything on this list

Hinoki Fantome - deep, woody, smoky, very, VERY earthy. This is what I'd consider a DRY wood. If you like Autumn vibes but wanted something deeper, this may hit the spot

Marble Fruit - If you want something way more floral and fruity but still with woody vibes upon dry down, this is a lovely scent. It also leans into aquatic (my fav). But this is definitely the LEAST woody scent on this list.

Brand No.4: The Harmonist

The love of my life probably. Perfumes based on alchemy. Unfortunately, a bottle is so obnoxiously expensive. Get the scent kit first.

Royal Earth - do you want something creamy, powdery, and woody? This combines everything great about traditional perfume with wood. But it's more floral than woody at first.

Magnetic Wood - this definitely starts out with a kick of citrus and floral but then dies dries down to a lovely sandalwood, cedar base!

Golden Wood - another more citrusy wood, but it leans more into fruity (imo) than the above.

Desired Earth - if you want something herby and fresh, but with some cedar vibes, this is for you. You may like this because it's got similar clean vibes as Pine-sol

Anyway, I hope this helped. I had SO much fun putting these together. It forced me to catalog my collection and revisit some favorites. If you find that you're changing your mind or want to try something else, please let me know. Happy fragrance hunting!

[thelostrainbowthenovel]

🔥 Winx Club AU: Soleil, former Witch of Firestorms 🔥

================================================

Now in my usual kingdom-order lol. But here we have Soleil, with the witch form she had before she lost all her magic and became a non-powered warrior instead! I'm not sure exactly what witch form she would have had(or what it's name is), but I imagined she had a higher-level one that is more elegant in style. I wanted to do that with both the queens who are witches, since I did it with the fairy princesses(mainly giving their fairy forms a little more jewelry and details to fit that they are royalty). For these two it basically means longer dresses, heels, capes, crowns, and just generally a little more of a fancy witch vibe. Hopefully that all makes sense, and I hope you enjoy!

Some extra notes about her witch form:

Her dress does not have the cut-out but instead has a deep-sweetheart neckline, with the slit being shorter and coming to her mid-thigh, and the edges of the dress has a subtle flame-look to them in shape. The detailing on her heels would be a metallic-dark red and shaped like flames. Sheer, black opera-length gloves to match the cape. Her second set of lobes would be black crystal studs.

Her hair is worn in an elegant updo with some strands of hair down to frame her face. Her makeup consists of dark red, smokey eyeshadow with sharp black eyeliner, dark red lipstick, and long, black stiletto nails with flame designs.