#Cottages & Cerberus

[escapismsworld]

Hercules and Cerberus

📍Vienna, Austria 🇦🇹

[rpgsandbox]

We find peace together in a small cottage within a village, nestled inside a forest filled with monsters. Only by working together will we survive.

Welcome to Cottages & Cerberus.

'Cottages and Cerberus' is a new cottagecore monster-hunting TTRPG system.   Inspired by games such as Animal Crossing, Harvest Moon, and Monster Hunter, you and your group of friends will live out your lives day to day in a cottage in a fantasy realm. You will hunt vicious monsters to gain materials and improve your cottage. The Core Rulebook includes 50+ monsters to hunt and slay, and each monster  comes with a hunt that is taken before the true fight can begin.

As part of this campaign we are offering special bestiaries for Pathfinder 2E and the D&D 5E. These bestiaries will be available as both PDFs and as a softcover book. Both are available individually in their own tier and also as add-ons.

Download the Preview HERE!!! 

CHARACTER SHEET HERE

Pick up and Play

Cottages & Cerberus is a cottagecore monster-slaying tabletop RPG. The game is simple to pick up but hard to put down. The base rules can be learned in minutes, and since each monster has a hunt— a mini adventure that leads up to the boss fight– you can pick one and start running within minutes. Quickstart characters found in the back of the book reduce the friction of having too many character choices, so players can just choose one and go. But, for those who want to nerd out creating your character and load out, you can spend hours picking the perfect abilities for your character. The rules are easy enough to learn quickly, but varied enough to support a vast array of complex and unique characters.

The core of the system involves making checks. When attempting a check, characters roll a number of six-sided dice based on their attributes and circumstances. The GM will then set a target number, determining how difficult the check is. Players will count the number of dice that rolled the target number or higher and then consult the chart below.

Spoons 

Spoons are the key resource system in C&C. They are an abstraction of a character's physical and mental capacity. The spoon resource system was inspired by the Spoon Theory, an abstract model created by Christine Miserandino that attempts to explain the energy cost of certain actions for people with chronic pain/illness and mental health conditions. Failing checks and being attacked by monsters cost players spoons, as do some abilities.

Cozy Mode 

While in Cozy Mode, you can make checks to do things such as fishing, gardening, crafting, and more. Success grants you Cozy Points. Gain enough Cozy Points and Miss Luna, the goddess of the Moon, will increase your Cottage Rank. In addition, the book presents an optional PC+NPC romance subsystem that is explicitly meant to emulate romance elements found in farming/life sim games.

Character creation in C&C is very simple but rich.  Character creation consists of 4 steps: assign your CALM, chose 3 ABILITIES, pick a VIBE and chose either a MAGIC ITEM or a PET

CALM

CALM refers to your attributes. These 4 scores (CHARM, ALCHEMY, LORE, and MUSCLE) range from 1 to 4 at character creation. Whenever you make a check, you roll a number of dice equal to one of these attributes. 

Abilities 

Next you chose 3 abilities from the over 200 abilities in the book. ABILITIES can have several tags. Abilities with labels like <ACTION> or <REACTION> are powerful combat-focused skills, while tags like <PASSIVE> or <POWER> denote abilities that offer creative, character-focused uses in and out of combat.

Vibes 

VIBES are the general energy your character gives off. Each vibe offers a way to restore spoons.

Pet or Magic item 

Magic Items can grant various benefits. Pets are fully loyal creatures that are controlled by the player. They have a miniature stat block and can be used both in and out of combat.

Start playing quickly 

If all of these character options feel overwhelming, don't worry! The book offers  options that can help you build your character. The back of the book also contains several quick start characters. 

Cozy Calling 

The book also presents an optional system called Cozy Callings. Each Cozy Calling includes a bit of lore and questions to help you write your backstory. They also include recommended abilities, and abilities written specially for that Calling (but available to all characters). Cozy Callings are optional, you can take several Callings or take none. A Cozy Calling is merely a starting point for creating your character. Cozy Callings in the book include concepts such as the Cheerleader and the Spell Knight.

Hunting mode is the a core part of the game loop in Cottages & Cerberus. After defeating a monster, players gain new materials that they can use to craft items for their cottage. There are over 50 monsters to slay in Cottages & Cerberus. Each monsters contains an hunt, a miniature adventure consisting of anywhere from 1 to 5+ scenes and minor challenges that must be completed in order to face the fearsome beast.

Quick and Brutual Boss Fights 

Fights in C&C are meant to be brutal, intense, but quick. These monster fights are explicitly meant to be BOSS fights, and the rules for combat are built to emulate intense battles. The monster starts each fight with an OPENER before its first real turn. Afterwards, it's the players turn. Players decide among themselves what order they want to take their actions. After all players have gone, the monster activates CLOSER abilities that auto-target based on which character(s) meets  certain conditions.  (As an example, one monster might have an ability that deals damage to the character with the most spoons).

Each monster also has challenges. Challenges come in two varieties. Hook Challenges offer plot hooks related to the monster. Variation Challenges represent subspecies of the monster that alter its ecology, lore and abilities.

Kickstarter campaign ends: Sat, October 7 2023 2:03 AM BST

Website: [twitter]

[aradhalia]

We did so much art this year!! Thank you to everyone who worked with me and trusted my abilities to create these fun and cute lil pieces <3 <3

[chronivore]

Cottages & Cerberus - free quickstart on Kickstarter page

[frogsprince]

yet another hades brainrot but my god the parallels between zag and mel are so strong

zag's room is messy, we see that as the player, and it's frequently mentioned dusa cleans his room; mel on the other hand can't STAND mess and is so organized she frequently scolds dora for moving her stuff around

where zag goes out to find his mother, on the surface in a happy little cottage with a garden, alone in her grief, mel finds her father deep in tartarus, nearly alone in his chains (cerberus keeping him company just as bouldy once did sisyphus in that very chamber, some irony?)

both growing up with an adoptive mother, with nyx taking zag as her own and lying to him, while hecate does not even allow mentions about being a second mother, deeming herself unworthy

zag's escape attempts were of his own free will yet had no real purpose to begin with, but mel was practically raised with just one purpose with all her choices revolving around it

and yet they're deeply compassionate and stubborn all the same, same resolve burning within

i'll probably implode when they finally interact ngl

[astaroth1357]

The Brothers are Damsels in Distress!!

I was flicking through my feed, saw something and went: "But what if Rapunzel??"

Content: Hints of Fairytale AU, but on crack

Scenario: One morning, through utterly inexplicable means, a portal opens up and drops one of the brothers into a cottage-style tower straight out of a fairy tale. The whole room is enchanted so they can't break out on their own. Their only means of communication are their phones and a crystal ball they can use to see what the MC and others are doing.

How are they taking this?

~♡♡♡~

Lucifer

This man is livid. Fuming. Almost apoplectic.

He has no idea what being has decided to put him in this position, but he's already planning on making them Cerberus' next chewtoy the moment he finds his freedom.

After establishing that he can't teleport out, break the walls, jump out the window, tunnel through the floorboards, or just blow up the room out of spite... he finally accepts his fate.

Lucifer... is miserable. He's doing his best to conserve his phone battery so he can still coordinate with his brothers from a distance, but watching them stumble around cluelessly through the crystal ball is honestly painful. He quite frequently shouts at the feed like a football dad screaming at a TV.

He puts all his hopes in MC and Dia coming up with something because everyone else is mostly useless... There were multiple instances where he just holds his head in his hands, resigning to the idea of being stuck there until he's just a dried out skeleton.

Even if they finally get to him, he won't be happy. He'll be humiliated by the whole affair and trying to anything in his power to save face and get out on his own as much as possible. Anyone who values their lives will forget that it ever happened in the future.

Bonus:

MC: *standing under the tower*

MC: Lucifer! Lucifer!! Let down your-gah!!

*they rub their head and feel something wet hit their fingers*

MC: Was... was that a tomato?!

MC: You know what, fuck you man!! Go help yourself!! 🤬

Mammon

He's flipping out.

An extrovert like Mammon trapped in a room like that all alone?? He'll go stir crazy in three days tops!

It took twenty minutes and 3 selfies for anyone besides the MC to believe that he was trapped in there. ... Then MC raking his brothers over the coals for them to actually start treating it like a priority. He really didn't do it to himself this time, dammit!!

Mammon's ADHD brain is already going mad after a few hours of nothing to do. MC gets piles upon piles of texts ranging from, "Are ya any closer yet??" to "MC, if ya can't get me out of here, take care of Goldie for me... my car too."

They have to reassure him multiple times that he would not, in fact, die in there if they could help it. Though after his phone goes dead from the constant spam, they do start to worry...

If there was any bright side to the situation, Mammon gets to watch his treasured MC absolutely tear his brothers a new one if any one of them so much as think about giving up or postponing the search. Their anger is truly frightening... so good thing he isn't there! Ha!!

When they finally find him, he's never lept for the MC so fast... Literally. He literally jumps. He wants out of there FAST.

Bonus:

MC: *standing under the tower*

MC: Mammon! Mammon!! Let down your-

Mammon: *leaps from the tower, knowing they'll find some way to catch him*

Mammon: FREEDOM!!!

MC: Oh dear God, don't just jump!!! 😫

Leviathan

Panicking like crazy and running around in circles. Can you even comprehend how many premieres he's going to miss like this?? The spoilers!!!

After the MC gets a hold of him through the phone and they tell him to hang tight and if he figures out where he is to let them know.

So uh... He had intends to keep his phone usage down to a minimum so he could conserve the battery life. However, he figures he could at least do his mobile game check-ins and the next thing he knows his phone dies during a weekly dungeon....

Honestly? His soul might have died along with it.

He spends a lot of time staring at the crystal ball, hoping in vain that one of his brothers will watch TV or something, anything that could give him something to do.

That was his only way of communicating with the others and, more importantly, the only source of entertainment an otaku like him could have in a room like this! Does he look like a cottagecore enthusiast?? No!!!

If anyone is in his bedroom, he'll try to zoom in on Henry's fishbowl and talk to him to decompress... He already feels like such an idiot for wasting his battery life. Henry, why is he so stupid...?

Yeah, he's going to be bored and moping until somebody comes to find him. But at least he won't mind the isolation as much so they're not too worried about him going crazy in there. He'll be fine... right?

Bouns:

MC: *standing under the tower*

MC: Leviathan! Leviathan!! Let down your-

Levi: *scrambles to the window* MC, DID YOU BRING A CHARGER?!?

MC: PRIORITIES, LEVI!!!

Satan

He is naturally furious, but also weirdly intrigued. Is this like one of those escape rooms MC sometimes talks to him about...?

Much like Lucifer, he quickly finds that trying to break through stuff wouldn't get him anywhere... as the heavy countertop he smashed into smithereens again the wall shows him.

Tantrum out of his system, Satan is probably the most rational the seven. He does his best to communicate to the others where the tower is based on the landmarks he can see, but he also uses his phone sparingly to conserve the battery.

While they all work to track him down, he keeps himself busy by listening to their plans through the crystal ball or searching for any weak points on his own, because what good would just sitting around do him?

He's surprisingly flexible. If the group plans to look for him from above, he sets out cushions on the floor just in case of any falls. If they want to look for him on foot, he makes sure to light as many candles as possible to give them a makeshift beacon to guide them.

By the time that they actually find him, he's already figured out a couple ways to help get him out depending on the possible exit points and has prepared accordingly.

Bonus:

MC: *standing under the tower*

MC: Satan! Satan!! Let down your-eh?

*they watch as a looong chain of tied together sheets, tablecloths, and towels gets tossed from the window, followed by Satan using it to calmly rappel down*

MC: U-uh.... Never mind! I guess you got this. 😅

Asmodeus

Asmo would be living his best life if only anyone could actually see him up there!

Asmo is all down for playing the role of the helpless, beautiful victim in need of rescuing but how is he supposed to pull that off if he's trapped all alone?? There's no attention! No pageantry!!

After getting the situation across to his brothers, he also kills his phone battery by posting selfies and livestreaming the situation to his adoring public. They're so scared for him, but he's not worried. MC will come find him, after all!

By the time they actually arrive to come get him, Asmo has already dolled himself up to play his newfound role perfectly.

After his phone dies, he keeps himself busy in small ways... Like practicing his relieved expression in a mirror for a few hours. Or using the curtains and his sewing skills to make himself just the cutest gown!

MC: *stand under the tower*

MC: Asmodeus! Asmodeus!! Let down your... hair...?

Asmo: ✨️COMING~!!✨️

*the MC watches as yards and yards of beautiful strawberry blonde trusses indeed gets thrown from the window above, all connected to a very hammy Asmo standing on the window sill*

MC: ... It's only been two days, how did you even grow all that?!?

Beelzebub

Very confused, upset, and hungry. Somebody please help him!!

The minute that Beel sends the message that he is trapped somewhere, it was really all hands on deck. MC and Belphie were freaking out of course, but all of his other brothers were just as worried as well. This is Beel here! He's going to be so hungry out there!!

And hungry he is. He went through an entire two weeks worth of rations stored in the room within an hour. By the end of the day, he's so mindlessly hungry that he starts taking bites out of the tables, chairs, and even his phone...

Since he can't use half of a phone, Beel has to watch his brothers work through the crystal ball while he gnats on the drapery, feeling guilty about making them all so worried...

At least this time his brothers don't argue nor fight with each other at all. Everyone understands what the priorities are and they follow whatever roles they are to the letter. They want to find him ASAP and they even take turns comforting Belphie with MC while they search.

By the time they find him, the whole family is willing to bust through the walls with pickaxes if that's what it takes to get to him. He would feel really touched by all of their efforts, but he's just so hungry... need... food.....

Bonus:

MC: *standing under the tower*

MC: Beel! BEEL!! I BROUGHT BURGERS!!!

Beel: MC... s-so hungry.... 😓

MC: You stay right there, don't move a muscle! I'm coming to you!! 😫

Belphegor

... Deja vu, right?

So this isn’t Belphie's first rodeo. He's practically a "stuffed up somewhere he can't escape from" veteran now. Though this place was more... cozy than the attic.

Call it the cow in him, but he's always had a soft spot for cottagecore. It's so homey and comforting, just perfect for lazy naps under fruit trees! The atmosphere is so relaxing...

So he naps. A LOT.

He ends up communicating a lot more sporadically with everyone than the others. Largely due to the long periods of unconsciousness. But like, could you blame him? What was he even supposed to do in there? MC would figure something out again.

Whenever he goes over to check the progress, he shoots out sarcastic texts about his brothers' dumb ideas to pass the time. It's very apparent how unconcerned he is about this from the get-go...

Does he know when they are on their way to get him? Surprisingly yes. Does he manage to stay awake until they show up? Unsurprisingly no. Go figure...

Bonus:

MC: *standing under the tower*

MC: Belphegor! Belphegor!! Let down your hair!

Belphegor: .....

MC: ... Belphie?

Belphegor: .....

MC: Bitch, are you seriously asleep?!

Belphegor: ....zzzZZzzz....

MC: ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!

[waltwhitmansbeard]

"I'm sorry... I didn't even realize" for the "why are you avoiding me" prompt list, anyone of your choice <3

"i'm sorry...i didn't even realize" tw: depression

Essek doesn't like to think he's particularly needy. For so long now, he's danced on this tightrope solo, entirely responsible for his own survival in these war games he started. It's instilled in him a comfort in being alone, something he's been more often than not as he's been forced to stay on the run from the various entities who'd like to bring him to his knees.

Which is why it's so very strange, this grumbling in his chest, when for the third day in a row, his sending has gone unanswered. He's been in this derelict cabin in the Copia Wildwood for two weeks now, languishing and bored, and all he wants to do is be somewhere else. He doesn't think it's asking too much to reach out to Caleb for distraction—Tell me what you're working on, Caleb Widogast. Surely it is more interesting than the crumbling walls of this shack.—and yet his entreaties are answered with silence, and it's driving Essek mad.

Maybe he's done something. It's true that it's been longer than usual since he's visited the little cottage in Rexxentrum that is the closest thing he knows to home—perhaps Caleb has taken offense to his prolonged absence. Or maybe it's the question itself; is Essek prying where he ought not be prying?

(There is, of course, the horrifying possibility that Caleb is unable to reply to Essek's sendings, that something has happened to him, that in his desperate instinct for his own survival, Essek has left the most important person in his world vulnerable and alone. No. Caleb is capable. This is a possibility Essek cannot entertain, even for a moment. Not if he is to stop himself from going mad in this Light-blasted cabin.)

Three more days of silence, and Essek is ready to pull his hair out. He doesn't care that it's risky, doesn't care that Beau warned him of increased interest in his whereabouts in the chatter overheard from the Cerberus Assembly. He throws his meager belongings into his pack and quickly erases all traces of himself from the cabin. He takes out the thick wool gloves that Caleb gave him for their many sojourns to Aeor and uses them to focus his teleport. The familiar push and pull is almost a comfort as he disappears and reappears in the foyer of Caleb's cottage.

The place is a mess. The cats have clearly taken over, meowing in chorus and digging through the already-ransacked pantry. The smell is atrocious, and the worry Essek's been holding at bay rises in him like a tidal wave.

He doesn't call out, in case there are others in the house. He glides silently toward the closed bedroom door, almost too afraid to know what's on the other side of it.

What he finds is Caleb's bedroom, much as he remembers it, but far less bright and airy. The curtains have all been drawn, and there is debris and detritus from half-eaten meals everywhere. There is a large lump beneath the duvet, which Essek approaches slowly. "Light, is that you?" The lump shifts, and Essek floats to sit on the edge of the mattress just beside it. He pulls the duvet back to reveal the most disheveled, unkempt Caleb Widogast he has ever seen in his life.

"Oh dear." There is a haunted look in Caleb's eyes, eyes which seem to stare straight through Essek as if he isn't even there. His beard, normally shiny and well-shaped, is scraggly and rough, and the hair Essek loves to card his fingers through is oily and matted.

"Essek?" Caleb croaks. Essek wonders how long it's been since he's spoken, since he's had water. "You...are here."

"I'm here, my Light. You had me very worried." When Caleb's brow furrows in confusion, he says, "You haven't been answering my messages."

The confusion doesn't go away. "Oh. I'm sorry...I didn't even realize...I don't remember hearing them."

Essek doesn't even know where to begin. "It's been nearly a week since we last spoke. What happened?"

The glassiness has returned to Caleb's eyes, and Essek wants to climb inside of him and claw him back from wherever he is retreating within himself. "A week. I did not notice that either."

"How about we forget the whys, yes? First, a bath, and I will clean the cottage." He quickly casts prestidigitation on the few plates and bowls piled up on Caleb's nightstand in demonstration. "And then some proper food, I think, for you and the cats, and when you're ready, you can tell me what has been keeping you from me this past week."

Caleb nods, and Essek leans down to kiss his sweaty forehead. As he gets up to go run the water for Caleb's bath, his mind is swirling and buzzing with the possibilities of what has so thoroughly reduced the strongest person he knows to shambles, but he knows that he would face down the Dwendalian and Xhorasian armies together if it meant being here to help him piece himself back together.

[telekinetictrait]

i'm batty for you!!!!!

see originally i just made her because i wanted an excuse to use @vintagesimstress's 1896 twilight costume because i am in love with it. but then i also fell in love with the sim model. so, meet desdemona belocrist!!!

guys.... she's so cute.

as usual, cc links and creator tags under the cut!! if any wants her, shoot me an ask and i'll upload her (the first formal outfit and first party outfit would be whats uploaded) and list what you need to download separately!!

see my resources page for genetics not listed here!

non-genetics cas things for screenshots : p00dle's vyxated reflection recolor / vyxated's frontglo v2 rim cas lighting / samsstudio fangtastic model poses / willeekmer's model poses #7 (tsr download)

other genetics : ratboysims' eclipse skintones / gerbithats' nostrils and tip v1 bat nose / gerbithats' bat ears v4 / plantainboat's death flower brows / yooniesim's baby monster quartet teeth / cerberus-cc's vampirica eyes

hair : zombietrait's connor hair / horse ranch hair

makeup : myshunodistrict's basic eyeshadow and eyeliner / stretchskeleton's natural lipstick / needleworkreve's theda bara eyeshadow / realm of magic lipstick

accessories : shandir's bat necklace / bloodmooncc's immortal earrings / feyona's bat velvet choker (tsr download) / deathpoke1qa's nancy rosary / vampires gloves / base game gloves / nv-games' nails in gloves / feyona's little bat hoop earrings (tsr download) / base game tights / bluecravingcc's goth is rock garter tights / myfawnwysimblr's ts3 layered choker conversion / vintagesimstress's 1896 twilight headpiece and gloves / blahberry-pancake's night sky choker and earrings / base game sun hat / giulettasims' rimless bat glasses / oranostr's bat earrings (tsr download) / feyona's bat drop earrings

clothes : sforzcc's thistle dress / sifix's nyx gown (tsr download) / sandrinifeierabend's flavia dress / cookiemonsterssims' bat bra / base game pants / bramblefinch's bat sweater / pigeonhome's boxers / dissia's bat dress / vintagesimstress' 1896 twilight gown / saruin's batty lingerie / sforzcc's 1901 tee / realm of magic shorts / realm of magic set

shoes : dallasgirl79's ea mosh boots / simtone's oxford heels / cottage living lace-ups / kamiiri's peggy sneakers / jellypawss's bat slippers / vampires heeled boots / cottage living lace ups / dissia's bat slippers / pandelabs' bat wing boots / shakeproductions oh my goth! high heel boots

thank you to @p00dle @vyxated @willeekmer @samsstudio @ratboysims @gerbithats @plantainboat @yooniesim @cerberus-cc @tricoufamily @myshunodistrict @stretchskeleton @needleworkreve @shandir @bloodmooncc @feyona @deathpoke1qa @nv-games @bluecravingcc @myfawnwysimblr @vintagesimstress @blahberry-pancake @oranos @sforzcc @sifix @sandrinifeierabend @cookiemonsterrsims @bramblefinch @pigeonhome @dissiasims @saruin @dallasgirl79 @simtone @kamiiri @jellypawss @pandelabs and everyone not on tumblr!!!

[ravendruid]

Food, Friendship and Comfort

This fic is part of the @critter-genfic-events Bingo to fulfill the Comfort and Cooking slots. [Check my bingo card and other works here.] Set post-Campaign 2 and Mighty Nein Reunited. Read on AO3

Beauregard Lionett’s days as a Cobalt Soul Expositor are either dreary and dull with endless paperwork or exhausting with back-and-forth trips to Rexxentrum to track the Cerberus Assembly. Today is one of the latter days where she trades a warm, sunny Zadash for a gloomy and cold Rexxentrum. 

Beauregard scheduled to meet her friend Caleb for breakfast this morning, so as soon as she steps out of the teleportation circle connecting the Rexxentrum and Zadash archives, she speeds past the guardians and archivists without a word and exits the dimly lit library onto the bustling street of the capital of the Dwendalian Empire. The feeling is immediate as the cold hits her uncovered skin and makes her curse between her teeth. Beau doesn’t have time to linger, so she follows the familiar cobblestone streets, ignoring the people rushing to and from work, the colorful buildings, and the heavy presence of crown guards in the more seedy areas.

The cottage that appears when Beauregard turns on another crossroad is a sight that makes the corners of her lips curl and her skin tingle in anticipation of warmth. She should have known better by now and brought a warm jacket along. The two small planter boxes out front are still full of tall, green plants, possibly kept alive in the cold by some arcane means from the owner of the cottage, and as Beau approaches, she notices that it either has recently been harvested or is yet to produce green beans. 

Beau knocks at the rustic door, and where the motion would usually be followed by the sound of a chair scraping the wooden floor, it is now followed by silence. Weird. Caleb knew she was coming. Even if he is still in his arcane tower, he would have certainly set up alarms that would have triggered by now. Beau knocks again, louder this time, but still, no answer comes from the other side. She tries to peek in the side window through the small gap in the curtain but can’t see anything out of the ordinary. The house is intact, with no signs of a struggle (or worse, an attack). Beauregard doesn’t want to expend the single use of her sending stone yet, lest it be needed later. However, the cold is bothering her right now, so she does what any good friend would do if they suspected their friend might be up to something or in a difficult situation: she picks Caleb’s lock. What are the chances that he has arcane wards against thieves? Highly, Beau tells herself as the lockpick clicks. Too late now. However, the door opens with a creak, but nothing explodes in her face. Beau sighs in relief as she steps into the musty interior and relocks the door behind her.

“Caleb?” She calls out to the empty house. It’s cold inside. The hearth is full of ash, and there is a layer of dust on every surface as if someone hasn’t cleaned in weeks. Beau inspects every room, each darker and emptier than the one before until she finally reaches the back room where she knows Caleb often tutors children who didn’t get accepted to the academy. This room, too, is empty and dark. Dust covers the desks and chairs, a few pieces of old parchment are spread out, and empty and dry bottles of ink sit forgotten. At first glance, this would be an average room. Messy, yes, but ordinary. But Beauregard knows better. She knows what to look for and finds it in a corner, slightly obscured by a tall bookshelf, a shimmering door that leads into Caleb’s tower. 

Beau is welcomed by a lit fireplace in the study, a spectral Bengal cat rubbing at her legs, and a mess of Caleb lying on the soft, plush couch by the fire, reading a book about Dunemancy. He is alive but looks almost as bad as he did when they first met. Caleb’s shiny red hair is full of knots, although still in a ponytail, his beard is shaggy and unkempt, his clothes are wrinkly, and there are a few coffee stains on his shirt. Caleb is indeed a mess, which can only mean one thing.

“How long?” Beauregard asks in a harsh tone that means she will take no bullshit. Caleb lifts an eye from his book, finally acknowledging his friend’s presence, but he doesn’t reply. “Caleb, how long has it been?” Beau presses on. She strides confidently to where the man lies on the couch and effortlessly removes the book from his hold, closing it with a thud. Caleb stares at her for a moment, then finally greets her with the hoarse voice of someone who hasn’t spoken in days, “Hello to you too, Beauregard.”

Beau does quick math in her head. It hasn’t been that long since they last saw each other, perhaps two months, not even that long. She remembers Caleb saying then that he was waiting for a visit from Essek, but those were usually short and never resulted in a depressive mood like this. Something must have happened during their Xorhasian friend’s stay, and if the empty look in Caleb’s eyes is any indication of it, then Beau is determined to help and comfort him in any way she can.

“Clean up before I message Jester to tell her you smell and look like a hobo again. Just when she was starting to let it go away…” Beau threatens, scrunching her nose at him. Caleb nods and rises from his nest of pillows and blankets with the groan of someone whose joints are stiff from being in the same position for a long time. Beau shakes her head in displeasure and stares at the back of the man’s head as he lifts through the arcane elevator and disappears above the central iris.

Caleb meets Beauregard an hour later, freshly clean and bear-trimmed, in the dining room, where they plan their day over eggs, pancakes, and pocket bacon. Caleb doesn’t mention Essek, and Beau doesn’t ask questions about the state she found her Empire friend, so the only names said aloud are those of the Cerberus Assembly, particularly Ludinus Da’leth, who is up to no good. Caleb shares with Beau the detailed information he gathered since their last time together, information that cannot fit the 25 words of the sending spell they use for their daily reports. Beau is glad he took the official position at the Soltryce Academy, not for his proximity to the Assembly members, but for how much happier Caleb has been since he was allowed to teach and shape young minds.

When they separate hours later at the gates that lead up to the school, Caleb’s shoulders are lighter, and his smile brighter. Beau knows whatever happened is still lurking in the shadows, but she won’t pull unless he wants to push. So, before she turns her back to him and returns to the archives to fill out report after report, Beau throws her friend an invitation, “Why don’t you stop by later to have dinner with Yasha and me? She would love to see you.” 

“I’ll think about it,” Caleb says, but from the look in his eyes, Beau knows he will knock at her door with a bottle of wine and apple tarts. So be it. She waves him goodbye and leaves.

—   

Caleb is happy to find that Zadash isn’t as cold tonight as Rexxentrum. The smaller city’s lights are already sparkling against the dusky sky, and the aromas of food and burning wood fill the residential area around him. He knows he could have teleported directly to Beauregard and Yasha’s house, but he would hate to intrude on them, so Caleb teleported into a narrow alleyway not far from the center of town and strolled to their friends’ abode. The house is just as he remembers it. Not large, but cozy. The garden that Caduceus has been teaching Yasha how to care for is dormant as the first signs of winter approach, but the ivy growing up the front of the house is still there, larger and taller than the last time Caleb saw it. He stops at the iron gate, peering through the open curtains to see Yasha stirring a pot on the stove. He knows she has been learning how to cook from a neighbor, not always successful, according to Beau’s reviews in the few words they share about their day. Meanwhile, the tall Aasimar’s wife is just finishing setting the table for three people. How Beau knew Caleb would show up, he doesn’t know. Maybe she hoped? Perhaps she just… knew. Either way, Caleb is here now, crossing the iron gate, walking down the pebbled path towards the ivy-framed door, and knocking twice.

Beauregard opens the door with a smirk. She is wearing different clothes than Caleb saw her wear in the morning—more casual, comfortable clothes—her hair is still up in her signature bun, and she is still wearing some of her golden jewelry. The woman in front of him is not an Expositor of the Cobalt Soul anymore, but his friend from adventures that have been almost forgotten in time.

“Hello, Beauregard,” Caleb greets her sheepishly. Beau’s smirk gives room to a bright grin as she greets him back and steps away to let him in the house.

It’s a cozy, lived-in house (although a bit too messy for Caleb’s tastes) that smells of stew and sweets, where a small fireplace crackles in front of a comfy couch and a shaggy rug. The walls are adorned with art, paintings done by their tiefling friend of the Mighty Nein and their allies. Caleb’s favorite piece is definitely the large painting above the mantelpiece of their group of misfits, one that includes Mollymauk at one end, Kingsley at the other, and Essek smiling next to Caleb. Caleb has the same painting in his office in his small cottage (Jester painted one for everyone so they wouldn’t forget about them. So they could look upon it and smile, remember the memories of what they have been through, and soothe the sorrow of missing their friends).

“I’m glad you could join us, Caleb,” Yasha greets him, bending to give the man a bear hug. Beauregard must have told her wife the situation she found him in that morning because he sees compassion and comfort in Yasha’s eyes. Caleb merely nods and drapes his coat over the back of the couch. He produces a bottle of wine and a plate of apple tarts—not homemade today, though—that he kept in his private pocket dimension and hands it to Beau, who tuts at the wine label reprovingly but promptly uncorks it nonetheless. 

Dinner doesn’t take long to be served, and it’s not half-bad (a vegetable stew with harvests from Beau and Yasha’s garden with a side of rustic bread also made by the latter). The conversation flows nicely between the three, sometimes pausing to sip on wine or to change the subject. Caleb listens attentively to Yasha’s tales about their neighbor, Martina, who has been teaching her new recipes to use their produce (she was, apparently, the one who taught Yasha the stew recipe they are eating). The conversation changes again to Beau and Caleb’s work tracking the Assembly, and the three discuss and share theories about Ludinus’s plans. Through it all, no one mentions the name of their drow friend, the war criminal who has been running from both the Empire and the Dynasty, which makes Caleb relax. 

Essek doesn’t get the opportunity to visit often, and when he does, it’s in disguise, so Caleb has learned to cherish those fleeting moments. However, things seemed to have calmed down for a while, and Essek’s stay was extended to over a fortnight before chatter began, and the man departed again under the light of the moon. He hasn’t heard from his Xorhasian friend in weeks, which is not uncommon, but this separation has taken a harder hit on him. Beau clearly saw it that morning. She guessed from the state she found Caleb’s house in but didn’t ask, and neither did Yasha. Caleb knows the women will wait until he’s ready to share, and he’s thankful for that. He makes sure to give them a smile to convey his gratitude, and, in response, he is offered a place to stay overnight so he doesn’t have to return to his empty house and empty cold bed. Here, surrounded by two of his dearest friends, chatting happily about vegetables, fertilizer, and power-hungry mages, Caleb is still far from healed but on the mend, and the dark loneliness in his starts to vanish.

[happyk44]

Feral!Jason and the underworld crew:

Menoetes hates him. He chases the chickens, bullies the other dogs, bites him all the time and doesn't listen. He can hold his own against Jason and usually manages to wrestle him into submission long enough to kick him out of the designated cattle area and back to Pluto but always comes out of it bruised, bitten and burned.

Pluto thinks he's a dog. He's the only person who doesn't bother treating Jason like a person. Jason doesn't care. Jason will camp out with him in his office, curled into a tight ball at his feet. He will get a little bit to excited at the idea of going on a walk. He will chase and demolish the tennis ball Pluto throws. He will throw his upper body onto Pluto's lap and growl loudly until he's given pets.

Mors likes to use him to corral spirits that refuse to be collected. For Jason, it reminds him of when he was used for quests. Except this time there's no muzzle, no leash. He's given more freedom with the underworld crew and he loves chasing down rogue spirits trying to avoid the afterlife. He has to wear clunky shadowy gloves in order to catch them and he can't really bite or tear at them like he would with his other prizes but Mors always hands him a bone as a reward and will let Jason gnaw on it as long as he wants before they head out to the next soul. He will talk to Jason like a person during these moments - explaining what he knows about the soul's history, or talking about how his siblings annoy him.

Proserpina understands Jason's limits. She's the one who starts teaching him to be more personable. She understands that he never really will be a person, but that he has the capability to learn - just as any creature does. She gives him treats and helps tame his raging force. When he's feeling destructive, she directs him to his own spot in her garden, where he can destroy flowers, rip at the ground, break down trees, and murder the punished who've been revived just for this moment. She finds his wild nature similiar to her own. He, in turn, adores her - although not as much as he adores Pluto. Adoration works differently with him - not quite human, not quite dog-like. But he listens to her, is quick to snarl when someone upsets her. Sometimes she takes him up to her cottage so he can enjoy the sun like he did when he was young.

Cerberus also thinks Jason is a dog. A weirdly shaped dog but a dog. They playfight a lot. He's the only dog that Jason can't bully.

Somnus finds Jason's presence tense. Jason has a lot of difficult thoughts, his mind a whirlwind of trauma and pain and his dreams even more so. Jason does not appreciate his mind being poked out and avoid Somnus, avoids his children and his wife. If he feels they're getting to close to his dreams, he'll wake up, hunt them down, and bite them until someone pulls him off and puts him in the time-out cage.

The Furies like Jason. Sometimes they'll pull him along into the Fields of Punishment and let him loose on unsuspecting souls. Alecto always sneaks him treats while Megaera likes to fistfight with him, which thrills him, being able to go head to head with someone who can finally hold their own against him and isn't just trying to drag him away from the chickens. Tisiphone is actually the one who suggests they start teaching him sign language so he could try to communicate with everyone else. If only to get his needs across - after all not everyone can stare into his living soul and see what he wants. He finds them similiar to him - not quite monsters but not quite people either.

Charon doesn't really interact with Jason much from the other side of the river but he does greet Reyna when she comes down to visit. Sometimes he'll bring Jason over to the lobby area so he doesn't have to cart Reyna across the Styx, and he'll throw him a couple scraps from his plate at dinner but otherwise they don't do much together. For this, Jason tolerates him but would never listen to him.

Mercury likes Jason too. He's adamant that if their father asks, he will have to tell him where Jason is but since Jupiter could care less about Jason and doesn't know that Mercury even knows who Jason is, the likelihood seems low. Like Mors, he talks to Jason like a person, regaling him about his day or what he got up to at his other job. Jason likes to bite him, for no other reason than he looks biteable. Everyone makes jokes about dogs and mailmen that Jason doesn't understand and that annoy Mercury, because fuck your stereotypes. Jason was actually very reticent to trust Mercury in the beginning, choosing to nurse his wounds himself but after a few bandaged arms he began to appreciate him (as much as his battered mind can really allow).

[shadowlord23]

✨What I wish my life was like✨

If I could I run away to some cottage in the middle of the woods, be a hobbit, and read and grow my flower garden, and get some dogs. They would be a Doberman and a Rottweiler. One would be named Cerberus, and the other Whistler. 🥰🥺

[kingworm]

got to ask: what is the story for the zagreus persphone au??

ah thanks! obviously it’s a bit self indulgent and not really canon compliant or whatnot, but here is the run down of my scattered thoughts:

persephone still runs away after zag is confirmed still born, only once nyx revives him she bundles him up & sends him off with charon (babey zag on the boat) once the boat reaches the surface persephone assumes she’s been caught — but then sees her baby! alive and well :)

i was interested in the ‘hades doesn’t have an heir’ thing, so i thought maybe persephone picking up a baby zag and declaring ‘you will be my heir’ imbues something into him. like the declaration of that allows him to survive on the surface of her cottage without dying. he gets more of a human-tan to his skin, his eyes are that little bit more human-like, and he catches on that his blood is actually amazing plant fertiliser lol (how he found out? he is still just, incredibly accident prone)

the catch is that he still can’t move further than her cottage without dying, which inevitably has him frustrated and restless about the origins of his birth. i thought maybe he somehow encounters thanatos on the surface, which sparks curiosity for both himself and than. i feel like persephone would tell zag bits and pieces, but not much, definitely mentioning cerberus (affectionate) and briefly hades (degrogatory)

my add-on is that one day he wonders out of the cottage, prepared to die once again, but realises it hasn’t happened yet (the closer he gets to hades the less likely he is to die) he eventually stumbles upon the gates and can’t help but go up to it. i feel like he’d try to open the doors, maybe knock, and then as a final last attempt (remembering his mother briefly mentioning cerberus guarded the gate) he calls for cerberus, mentioning that he is ‘zagreus, son of persephone’, the door opens and he’s tackled down by a giant and excitable three headed dog who has missed him plenty :)

[crocwork-clockodile]

Don't Look Back

This is a creative writing piece I did for a class this semester. I'm pleased with it, and with my other two pieces, so I thought I'd post them here! Here's The Tale of Sir Gylbard and Chosen's Choice.

Dividers by @plum98

They’ve never bitten us before, Eurydice thought distantly as she took stock of the grand, dark hall she found herself in. Not in our own forest. Not when we’re dancing. She blamed that fool “folk hero” Aristaeus. If he hadn’t crashed the party, she and her sisters would not have had to run, and then she wouldn’t have spooked that viper.

Thinking back on the moment, first there was fear, then pain, worse than she’d ever felt before, then quiet. All the while, she thought of Orpheus, her love. Wishing he could save her, wishing to see him, begging whatever gods might hear her to keep him safe. Then Lord Hermes, looking harried but sympathetic, was ushering her down to the ferry (“Don’t worry, hon, extenuating circumstances, you ride free. Extended family discount”) and before she really understood what was happening, here she stood, before Lord Hades. She had never seen him before, but he couldn’t be anyone else. Holding his scepter, he sat upon a dark stone throne in a great hall. He was imposing, sombre, but his eyes were not unkind. He briefly welcomed her to this new home and passed her off again to an attendant spirit. She barely had time to acknowledge the famed beast Cerberus standing patiently at the gates she had entered through. He seemed like a sweet fellow, and Orpheus always liked dogs –

“Though your timing is sad, Miss, I do think you’ll come to like it here,” her guide said. Eurydice walked in step with them through hazy, dark corridors, keeping her eyes forward. This couldn’t be real, she thought, I haven’t had a chance to be a wife yet. A single tear trailed down her cheek. By the grace of the gods, her guide didn’t let on if they noticed. She had to wait for a moment alone before she could let herself cry properly. Her guide spoke up again, valiantly attempting to fill the silence. “You’re a Nymph, yes? How fortunate! That means you’ve got a place in Elysium! It’s lovely there, even this time of year.” When Eurydice didn’t respond, their guide paused again, piping up after a moment, “You know, since the Lady’s Topside, things tend to get a bit dreary down here, but it’s not so bad where you’re going. It did, at the beginning, but you’d never believe the complaints we got! I mean, I guess the divinities would be used to a certain standard of living, but you’d think we’d personally insulted Diomedes’ mother when the temperature fell a little below – oh! Here we are!”

Before them was the most beautiful plain Eurydice had ever seen. The boughs of nearly every tree were heavy with fruit, the grass grew ankle-high and was softer than any she’d ever felt beneath her bare feet. Above her appeared to be a sky, but was too hazy and bright to be the same sky she had lived under before. The air felt pleasantly cool on her arms and face, and a breeze tugged playfully at her hair. It was nothing like her home before with Lord Pan and the other Nymphs, nothing like the home she had just started to build with her love. Perhaps one day she could learn to love this place, but now all she could think of was everything she had left behind.

“Thank you,” she said to her guide, her voice trembling and eyes blurring with tears. “This is perfect. I get to stay here?”

“You do, Miss. And it’ll only get better, since the Lady’s due back any day now. You’re free to wander around here as you please, but if you’d prefer to set up a little corner of your own, there should be a nice house for you.” As if summoned by their voice, Eurydice noticed for the first time a modest stone cottage nestled comfortably under the largest pomegranate tree she had ever seen.

“Thank you,” she said again. Taking this as their cue to leave, her guide bowed to her, assuring that if she needed anything, just to ask and someone would be happy to help her out. Eurydice walked slowly to the cottage. It was everything she could do not to rush in to hide and cry herself sick. She had only just become a wife, only just started building a life and a home with the only person she could ever want to do that with. Would she have to start again? How long would she have to wait for her love? She scolded herself for wishing he were here, she would never want anything for him but a long, fruitful life. But how long would she have to wait for him? What if he moved on, married someone else once the grieving was done? Would he even still want her when he finally arrived in Elysium? Settling down on a chair in her new home – too soft, too deep, how could she possibly think of comfort now? – she became dimly aware of the dull roar of water from outside. The ocean? A river? It was comforting to hear, anyway. Birdsong gave a melody to its deep undertone, and as she finally allowed herself to cry, the only thought she had was Orpheus is going to love it when he gets here.

~*~*~

Time was difficult to track down here, but eventually Eurydice met some of the other residents of Elysium. They were generally friendly, though of course, an unaccompanied woman had little to talk about with people like Hector or Patroclus. That didn’t bother her too badly, but she did notice that she was starting to feel lonely. She wondered often how her Orpheus and sisters were faring ‘Topside,’ as the residents called the world of the living. She knew Orpheus would love to meet some of these people, especially Lord Hypnos, who was so dear to his mother and aunts, the Muses. It was purely a stroke of luck when one day, while out exploring, she stumbled upon a party of very serious-looking ladies out for a stroll.

There were six of them. Their clothes flowed in a phantom breeze, and there was an air of authority about them. The three women on the outside of the group looked around vigilantly, as though guarding the three in the centre. They held themselves with the confidence that Eurydice had only ever seen in warriors. These were not just ladies, she realized, but Ladies.

“Hello,” Eurydice called to them, excited to meet some new women in this place. They stopped at once and fixed her with looks that varied from inquisitive to “knife-like.” Under their scrutiny, Eurydice nearly balked. She tossed away the remains of the pomegranate she had been eating and prayed she didn’t have seeds or juice on her face. I don’t want to be alone here. I need to make friends if it’s the last thing I do here. Mustering her courage and reinforcing her friendliest smile, she approached the party and spoke up again, “I’m Eurydice, a Nymph. I… arrived here a short time ago. May I ask who you Ladies are? I don’t believe we’ve met.”

The three guarded ones, standing close together, moved in unison: a slow smile slid across their faces, sharp, approving. They appeared to be mirror images of one another, or perhaps the same woman at different stages of life. Each had midnight hair, fair skin, and a curious silver crown of crescent moons. Then, as one, they spoke:

“Greetings, Lady Eurydice. I am Lady Hecate. These,” the women gestured together to the others in the party, “are known as the Furies. It is true that we have not met many of the women who reside in this part of Lord Hades and Lady Persephone’s domain. We would happily welcome you for our evening meal tonight, so we might get to know each other better.”

This was better than Eurydice had even dared hope for. She eagerly accepted the Ladies’ offer, and over time (how much had passed since her arrival in Elysium?) she developed a routine. Sometimes she and the Furies would visit Lady Hecate for a meal, sometimes they would come to her. She still thought of her Orpheus often, but as time flowed vaguely on, she felt less lonely and unhappy to be apart from him. After all, it was temporary, right? He would join her eventually, and in the meantime, maybe establishing a new home here in Elysium wouldn’t be so hard. She wouldn’t be lonely with her new friends, and the beautiful landscape of the divine afterlife was starting to grow on her. The fruits here were delicious.

~*~*~

It was not to last, however. Eventually, she heard a rumor from a spirit who worked in Lord Hades’ palace that a man had entered his Hall begging for an audience with the Lord and Lady of the Underworld. “And I heard,” the spirit said, leaning in more urgently, “he’s still alive.”

Still alive? Impossible. Nobody could do that, how would anyone have even gotten here from Topside by themselves? And how could they have gotten past the ever-vigilant guardian dog? It was probably just a slow day in the palace; the spirits had to entertain themselves somehow. Deciding it wasn’t worth dwelling on much more, except to tell her friends the next time they shared a meal, Eurydice moved along. She hummed a tune that Orpheus had once composed for her as she picked pomegranates from her tree.

LADY EURIDICE.

She screamed, dropping her pomegranates. Where had that voice come from?

YOUR PRESENCE IS REQUESTED IN THE HALL OF LORD HADES AND LADY PERSEPHONE.

What? But she had never been summoned to the Hall before, had never been inside since her arrival, which felt like years ago now. What could possibly be wrong? Unless –

Orpheus is here.

He’d joined her! He was finally here! Of course, it was terribly sad that he’d died, but now he was here, and as a son of Lord Apollo he was obviously going to join her in Elysium, and she could introduce him to everyone, and…

Her mind buzzed with all the things they could do now that her beloved was here. The songs he could write! The people she could introduce him to! The fun they would have, now that they could finally be together forever! Again, she seemed to float as she made her way through the metaphysical haze to the Lord and Lady’s Hall. And when she finally got there, her heart skipped a beat.

There he was, her beloved. Just as beautiful as she –

Wait. Not quite as beautiful as she remembered. His eyes were bloodshot and dark, his face ruddy, as if from crying. His frame appeared to sag, as though under the weight of Atlas’ burden. And… why did he look so strange?

The inhabitants of the Underworld looked much like they did Topside, but there was a subtle lightness to them, a fuzziness to their edges. Orpheus looked… too hard, too solid for this place. That rumor… could it be?

As though hearing her enter, Orpheus’ head whipped to find Eurydice. When his eyes fell on her, it was as though the heartiest feast had been laid before a starving man. He moved to approach her, but the voice of Lord Hades stopped him.

“Hold it, pup. You may have won over my wife and the Ladies of my domain, but you still need to abide by some rules.” It was now that Eurydice noticed the Hall’s other occupants. Lady Persephone sat beside her husband, trying to compose herself behind a handkerchief. She had been crying. Across the room, she saw her friends, the Furies, weeping into each other’s shoulders. Orpheus barely tore his gaze away from her to acknowledge Lord Hades again, then turned back.

“You may not touch her here, pup,” Lord Hades’ voice was clear over the sound of weeping. Even Eurydice felt hot tears blur her vision, and blinked them away furiously, refusing to let anything obscure the sight of her longed-for love. “I will let you bring her home, but get a good look at her now. After you leave this Hall, until you both reach the threshold of the world above, you may not look at her. She is to walk behind you until you exit. If you should fail, and turn to look, she will return to her place in Elysium forever more. You get no second chances, boy. Are you sure about this?”

“Yes,” Orpheus said, and despite being slightly raspy from singing and sobbing, that single syllable was still the most perfect sound Eurydice had heard since before she died. “I’m here, Eury,” he rasped, “I’m here, and I’m gonna bring you home now. I’m sorry it took me so long.”

Home? But Elysium had everything they needed. It was so wonderful there, Orphe, she knew he was going to love it there, and they would still be together forever – Eurydice tried to say something, but found she had no voice. She could only nod.

“The dead may not speak to the living,” Lady Persephone said apologetically. “Follow him, dearheart.”

“Thank you, gracious Lord and Lady.” Orpheus bowed deeply to the gods and grasped his lyre to his chest. With one last look at Eurydice, he turned and walked out of the Hall. Bowing uneasily to Lord Hades and Lady Persephone, Eurydice followed silently. Curiously, her footsteps made no sound, either. Had they been like this when she arrived here? Nevertheless, she pushed forward.

Why was she so uneasy? Wasn’t this what she wanted? To be reunited with her beloved? But this felt wrong. She would have to endure winter Topside. There were snakes and wolves and storms Topside. If only he could understand that it only got better, that she was happy down there, and if he’d been a little patient, he could’ve been happy with her too.

Well. Perhaps this was the best way to do it. Now she had something to look forward to returning to. And be Orpheus’ wife Topside, like she was supposed to be. Best not to look back, just keep going forward. This was a new leg of her journey.

Don’t look back, that was the key.

Don’t look back.

“Eurydice? You’re still there, right?”

Don’t look back.

“Lord Hades wouldn’t have lied to me, right? You followed me?”

Yes, I’m here, and I’ll travel any road with you, my love. Our adventure’s just beginning.

“Eurydice, I can’t hear your steps…”

Don’t look back.

Orpheus, don’t look back!

“Eury? Are you there? I can see the exit.”

I can see it too, Orphe! We’re so close!

“Eury, please let me know you’re back there…”

I’m here! Don’t look back! Keep going forward!

~*~*~

He would join her, one day. Later, much later, Orpheus would make his way back to Lord Hades’ Hall the conventional way. And his Lady Eurydice, having returned to the home she had worked to build in Elysium, was eager to finally welcome him.

Thank you for reading! Please feel free to let me know if you like this story, and reblog, if you like! Please don't repost, though, I worked very hard on this piece.

I'm submitting this and the next few pieces of creative writing I'm posting to my creative writing prof as part of my portfolio, but I thought it'd be a shame not to share the stories I was so proud of with anyone else. <3

[nonbayanary]

ok but like. hirusena AU where hiruma’s a demon goatman living on a bridge, and sena’s the depressed guy who lives nearby.

hiruma’s constantly patting himself on the back for his brilliant idea: haunting a bridge in a forest. he prefers living in the human realm bcs acquiring living spaces in hell is hella (pun intended) expensive. demons are at each other’s throats all the time just to secure territory. but the human realm is basically free real estate.

and because demons increase their power by feeding off of the emotions of humans, then there’s an additional bonus: living quarters with no rent AND a constant supply of energy. 

hiruma targets the people crossing his bridge. example: some happy person walks onto the bridge. when they walk off it, their happiness is seeped away. another person is excited when they step onto the bridge. when they step off the bridge, the excitement fades, replaced by a cold sort of numbness.

the phenomenon becomes so common, that the humans living nearby stop using the bridge, or move away from the area. 

except for kobayakawa sena.

sena lives in a cottage, on the outskirts of the closest village. he crosses the same bridge everyday when he walks to the village for food and supplies. it always mildly confuses him when his ex-neighbors say the bridge is haunted. 

well sure, sena does feel like he’s being watched whenever he’s crossing the bridge. and sure, it does have this strange vibe to it. 

but sena has a different experience. 

whenever he crosses the bridge, it always takes some of his sadness away. sometimes, his thoughts are in a downward spiral when he’s walking home. and yet, after crossing that bridge on the way to his cottage, his spirits lift. 

in a strange way, sena has a fondness for that bridge. he’s almost always occupied by melancholy, despair, and even intrusive thoughts which oscillate between self-destruction and self-loathing. 

he’s been subjected to trauma at different points of his life. and only after moving in the cottage a few months ago has he finally start healing. the problem is: it’s hard to heal, especially when he’s alone, and he doesn’t entirely know where to start. 

hiruma starts recognizing sena as the “local sadboi.” every other human who crosses hiruma’s bridge has a range of emotions he sucks away. he rarely gets the same emotion from the same person. 

but with sena, it’s always, always sadness. 

as time passes, hiruma gets lonely. sure, sometimes his fellow demon bros kurita, cerberus, and musashi come to visit. but as kurita’s busy helping out his own father manage a demonic cult, and musashi’s busy helping out his own father construct new living spaces for demons in hell, it leaves hiruma on his own, more often than not. cerberus is busy guarding the gates of hell, so he’s the busiest of them all.

it doesn’t help that most humans, due to a mix of classical conditioning and a healthy fear of haunted places, have now grown to avoid hiruma’s bridge altogether. 

all except one human. the local sadboi, kobayakawa sena.

in a strange turn of events, hiruma starts looking forward to those tiny pockets of time when the sad human crosses the bridge. 

hiruma tells himself, “it’s definitely because i crave power. this chibi’s emotions provide me a strong source of energy.”

“and no,” hiruma berates himself, “it definitely isn’t because the fucker’s face always lights up in a tiny smile, whenever he steps off the bridge. ABSOLUTELY NOT.” hiruma knows local sadboi can only smile bcs the sadness is taken away from him, if only momentarily.

but hiruma knows this too: he is in denial.

the truth is this: he looks forward to sadboi’s smiles.

(cue, KISS KISS FALL IN LOVE)

hiruma: motherfucker, i cannot emphasize this enough: i am LITERALLY feeding off of ur fucking emotions

sena, shrugging: dont need therapy when someone starts eating The Sad(TM) away

hiruma, whispering: what the FUCK

(based on memes & vines)

sena, singing:  when i think about my worries and i think about my strife, here is what i simply sayyyyy: AAAAAAAAAAAA

hiruma, in an internal squidward voice: oh no, he’s HOT!

yes, this is based on the demon goatman bridge episode in “buzzfeed unsolved.” and yes, y’all can definitely use this prompt!!!  /gen

[the-arkham-librarian]

@possessedchain | The worst part -- by far -- of adjusting 2023 had been mastering technology. And to call it mastering would be a stretch, because despite having managed to locate and respond to the ad which brought them to their present location, Elliot struggled to dredge up the individual's contact information once again.

WANTED: A loving new home for one award-worthy rose bush (red). Will provide fertilizer. Yards preferred, planters accepted.

Something felt vaguely familiar about the little cottage which had to be their destination. Driving a rental, they pulled into the driveway and rued their inability to telephone their contact.

Tugging their driving gloves off one finger at a time, surveying their surroundings with suspicious wonder, they knocked against the front door with bare knuckles.

So familiar... Why could that be?

It was a shame she had to give up one of her precious roses. But some of them had become too big and there was no room to propagate them. The biggest one was the one she found all those years ago, languishing by the side of a road. This was the one that the cutting had come from.

Gently she had put it in a pot for transport and waited for the buyer to arrive.

The sound of crunching from the dirt road alerts her to their arrival. Hearing the knock at the door, she smooths her skirt and signals for Cerberus to lay down so he doesn't tackle their guest. With a smile she opens the door.

Eliza falters for a moment, something about her guest is familiar but she can't quite place it.

"Hi, I'm Elizabeth. You're here for the rose bush correct?"

[annikavelde]

{.712.}

.:ANATOMY:. Head: LeLutka - Ceylon Body: Ebody - Reborn Hair: Yomi - Soleil *NEW* @ Anthem Face Scar: Hollow - War Devil - Healed Horns: AH - Cursed Horns Squish Arms:  MAZE - Soft Arms

.:CLOTHING:. Arm Ribbons: MAZE - Ribbons for Soft Arms Top/Skirt: Aloe - Yin Set *NEW* @ Anthem Nip Chopsticks: Aloe - Yin Chopsticks *NEW* @ Mainstore Harness: NANAO - Gigi Harness *NEW* @ Whore Couture Fair Leg Ribbons: Aloe - Yin Geta *NEW* @ Anthem

.:SCENE:. Background: Trompe Loeil - Emiko Courtyard Cottage Hanging Lanterns: Anc - Camellia Lanterns - Dark Red past gacha Floor Lantern: Cerberus Xing - Bon Chouchin - Red Pattern Skull Fox: Maru Kado - Skull Head Fox 2 Folding Screen: RH - Folding Screen - Red Curtains: RH - Yuukaku - Noren - Flower past gacha Table: Cerberus Xing - Opium Table past gacha Pose: K&S - Oksana