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birdofdawning · 2 years ago

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The Bookseller’s Eldest Daughter and the Witch’s Girl

Chapter One

There was once a bustling city, filled with merchants and shopkeepers and artisans and traders from distant lands, all working hard and shouting about their wares in the streets and making bargains in the coffee houses. The roads were well-paved and busy, and when you walked down them you might go past a row of colourful shops with a group of shop keepers all standing outside arguing together over some neighbourhood dispute, such as the mushroom farm Mrs Grimple insisted on kept in her cellar, or the annoying proliferation of goats about the city these days; or perhaps they would be gossiping about the Lady Dulcimell’s three quarrelling husbands, or the King’s son’s illness and how many ‘cures’ had been nothing of the sort. You might walk through a noisy market place and leave with a parcel of fireworks or orchid bulbs that you had been persuaded to buy. And then finally you might come to a small quiet square with a fountain or a shady tree in its centre and you could take a few minutes to rest from the stir and clamour.

Now down a tiny side street in the Antique Quarter of this vigorous, colourful city was a bookshop. It was cluttered and comfortable and smelt of old paper. The Bookseller himself was a tall, gangly man with long fingers who liked to complain about everything no matter how trivial, and I suspect that his shop would not have done quite so well as it did if it weren’t for his daughters. For the Bookseller had two daughters, both very beautiful: the eldest was solemn and studious, but the youngest was smiling and sociable and beloved by everyone in their neighbourhood.

As well as being rather bad-tempered I am afraid that the bookseller was a parsimonious man, and one day, as he sat with the printer saying 'yes' and 'no' to the new stock on offer he caught sight of the prices being scrawled down on his friend's ledger.

"Why," he said, doing some quick calculations, "what's all this? That's an extra thruppenny per book!"

The Printer shrugged. "Paper is a little more expensive at the moment," he said. "Just pass the extra on to your customers. No-one will notice."

But the Bookseller was sure that his customers would notice, and they would go elsewhere, to Ettleman's Books in the Clockmakers' Quarter, perhaps; and soon word would get around that his business was failing and then the creditors would begin hounding him. He must cut costs to make up the extra thruppenny charge... but from where?

And as he sat at supper that evening he noticed his daughters moving about with the pots and the plates, and it occurred to him how much they cost him. “Three meals every day, and new dresses, and what-not! Why, with such extravagance I will be ruined! The shop will fail and we’ll be living in the streets with the creditors after us!”

He said so aloud, and you will not be surprised to hear that his daughters objected.

“Father, we make our own clothes, and I keep the house and cook all those meals,” said the youngest daughter, “and I make sure I always get the best price in the market when I go shopping.”

“And I run the shop with you, and do the accounts, and worry the printers for new books and hunt throughout the city for old ones,” said the eldest daughter.

But it was no good. “No,” said their father as he wrung his hands, “you will each have to leave and get married. Then the shop may manage to survive.”

The eldest daughter, who did the accounts, scoffed at this because she knew that the shop was in no danger at all. But the youngest daughter said “Well, the clerk’s apprentice wants to marry me and I like him very much. But who can my sister make a match with?”

The eldest daughter frowned and said Nobody! If she could not stay and help with the shop, she could find another bookseller to work for; until, perhaps, she had saved the funds to start a bookstall of her own. But this horrified the Bookseller more than anything. “You would compete against your own family!?” he gasped. “No, no! I will not hear such things! No, you will have to marry the Inkmaker. He says he needs a wife to keep house for him, and that either one of you will do; he’s not picky.”

“But he must be sixty years old!” said the eldest daughter, aghast.

“And he’s always talking about how much he hates women!” said the youngest daughter.

But the Bookseller said that his mind was quite made up: if his eldest daughter had no other offers she would marry the Inkmaker and that’s all there was to it. And no matter how the two sisters argued, it seemed there was little they could do to convince him otherwise. And so things stood.

Now one day the bookseller was in the back room opening parcels of new books from the printer and the eldest daughter was away bargaining for old books at an estate sale, leaving the youngest daughter to mind the shop. And as she was dusting the shelves (I am afraid that she was the only member of the household who noticed when the shelves needed dusting) the door chimed and an odd-looking man walked in.

Though she didn’t work in the shop as often as the other two, the youngest daughter knew most of their regular customers, and she had never seen this man before. He was very tall and thin with grey hair, and wore well-fitting but sombre clothes. But his eyes sparkled with life, and also — though I won’t pretend the Bookseller’s youngest daughter guessed at this! — with wicked mischief.

“I had heard that you were beautiful, and I see I was not misinformed,” he said, and though the Bookseller’s youngest daughter felt rather uncomfortable at this remark she smiled, and thanked him, and asked how she could help.

The man looked around and then said “Well, I was looking for Bartleby’s Ars Nephologica: A Modern Contemplation of Clouds and Their True Meanings? Do you have that?”

“Um,” said the Bookseller’s youngest daughter looking around the cluttered shop, “I’m afraid I couldn’t tell you immediately. I’ll fetch my father, for he will know.”

“No, no, don’t worry him yet,” said the tall man quickly, “What about Grindlestone’s Catalogue of Hell and Its Adjacent Countries, Including Details of Various Denizens and their Interests in Our World?”

“Oh!” exclaimed the Bookseller’s youngest daughter, “I hope we don’t have that book! It sounds rather sinister!”

“Well, well, perhaps it does, perhaps it does,” said the tall man. “And now tell me, child, do you buy used books? For I have one here that that is positively unique!”

“Y–es,” said the Bookseller’s youngest daughter carefully, “we do buy used books. Though it would be better for you to speak with my father about that.”

“Perhaps you could have a look first,” suggested the tall man, “and see if it’s worth his trouble?”

And out of a satchel he pulled a great tome bound in yellow silk, with leather hinges and brass clasps. He turned it around to face the Bookseller’s youngest daughter and unfastened the clasps and the book fell open, just as if it was eager to be read. Despite herself, the Bookseller’s youngest daughter leaned over to look, and on the page before her she saw an awful picture. It was of a sheep’s head rising out of a boiling cauldron. And as she stared in fascinated horror the sheep’s head seemed to grown bigger and bigger, travelling out of the book until it floated right before her! She screamed once and collapsed on the ground.

With a low chuckle the tall man closed the book, carefully put it away, and left the shop.

When the Bookseller’s eldest daughter came home, she found a strange figure standing motionlessly in the middle of the shop. It wore her sister’s clothes, but instead of her sister’s pretty head an old sheep’s head grew from its shoulders!

Well, you can imagine the to-do that followed. The Bookseller was horrified. “Who will marry her now?!” he wailed as he pushed his poor youngest daughter out to the back of the shop and away from prying eyes. “She will have to live here with me forever! Unless,” he considered, stopping in his tracks, “Unless we could get her into a sanatorium! We could say she had a disease. But then,” he added, his face falling, “that would cost money.”

The Bookseller’s eldest daughter found that the creature that had been her sister was quite tractable. It would follow where it was lead, and sit where it was told, and eat what was put in front of it. But it didn’t speak and it didn’t do anything but face straight ahead with its great eyes rolling in their sockets. “Keep it in the back room,” said the Bookseller, “I won’t have the neighbours gossiping about us. And make us some dinner.”

So his eldest daughter made a poor attempt at soup — I’m afraid she was an indifferent cook — and then sat and held her unlucky sister’s hand while her father whined and moaned about how their fortunes were all ruined.

The Bookseller was a man of regular habits. Every night, as soon as the kitchen clock struck eight he would stand from his armchair by the fire, sharply tell his daughters to cover over the ashes in the stove before they slept least a spark leap out (he had a dread of fire destroying his stock) and take himself to bed. And the two girls would clean the kitchen, lock the door and go to the small bed they shared.

But this evening, once she could hear her father snoring in his room, the eldest daughter gently laid her sister out on their bed, covered her with a blanket, put on her sensible old boots, and slipped out into the night.

Now in the daily way of business the Bookseller’s eldest daughter travelled all over that city, and she heard all the rumours and gossip that fly about every place where there are people. And while she didn’t necessarily believe everything that was said, she always stored it all away in the back of her mind, just in case. So she remembered hearing that at the end of a lonely lane behind the Braziers’ Quarter was an old house where a witch lived. And people who were in real need would visit this witch to get a neighbour’s curse unspelled, or find a child that had been beguiled by efts, or drive out untethered shadows that had taken residence on a staircase.

So the Bookseller’s eldest daughter walked through the city — from the Antique Quarter into the Clockmakers’ Quarter, and from the Clockmakers’ Quarter into the Opal-sellers’ Quarter, down front streets and back streets — until she came to that lonely lane behind the Braziers’ Quarter. And, as she had been told, at the very end of that lane sat a rickety old house. There was no mistaking it — it looked like the sort of house a witch would live in. It was tall and thin, with a high attic window and a small white porch. And hanging from the porch was an elegant sign that said:

Dealer in Magic and Spells

Reasonable Rates Pls Enquire Within

And below, fiercely handwritten in what looked like mulberry ink:

Hawkers will be transmuted into livestock and sold at market without character (recollect your Homer)

She stepped up onto the porch and tapped three times on the green front door. But it was a witch’s house and she was nervous, so perhaps she tapped a little softly; at any rate no-one came to answer. So then she tried the door, and to her great surprise it was unlatched! (The Witch had rather gotten out of the habit of latching her front door, because nobody with any sense was going to trespass in her house.) Slowly slowly the Bookseller’s eldest daughter pushed the door open and peered into the shadowy hall and whispered “Hello?” And when nobody answered she stepped over the threshold and into the Witch’s house.

Beside her were stairs leading up to the first floor, but beyond them the hallway ended at a door, and standing in the doorway holding a candle and looking very surprised was a girl of about her own age. She had long black hair and was wearing a white night dress.

“Oh no,” said the Bookseller’s eldest daughter, “I was looking for the Witch, but I suppose she’s already gone to bed!”

“She was certainly on her way,” said the girl, raising her candle to peer at the visitor.

“But I need her help!” said the Bookseller’s eldest daughter. “It’s very important! Do you think she’d be awful if we woke her up?”

“Oh, I expect she’d probably turn you into a cameleopard and sell you to a travelling menagerie,” said the girl, “She’s frightfully bad-tempered and also very interested in natural history.”

The Bookseller’s eldest daughter wrung her hands. “Oh dear! And I know my father won’t let me away from the shop any earlier tomorrow evening, the business and his dinner must always come first! What am I to do?”

“I find sleeping in one’s own bed to be very efficacious in solving whatever little problem comes one’s way,” observed the girl, “perhaps you could try that?”

“But my sister is in my bed, and she has been half turned into a sheep!” said the Bookseller’s eldest daughter.

“That would seem to be somewhat of an obstacle to a restful night,” the girl admitted. “Although, not ever having found myself in that particular circumstance, I couldn’t say with any certainly.”

And at that the Bookseller’s eldest daughter had a wild idea. She eyed the girl anew. “You must be the Witch’s girl!” she decided.

The girl raised her eyebrows. “Must I?”

“Yes! And so of course you would have seen all sorts of strange things while you were in her service!”

“I suppose that’s true,” said the Witch’s girl.

“So perhaps you could help me save my sister!”

“Perhaps I could,” said the Witch’s girl thoughtfully, “But you must know that the Witch always asks a price for her help. That’s how magic works — even for a Witch’s girl. What would you give me to save your sister?”

Now the Bookseller’s eldest daughter wanted to say ‘Anything!’, just like you would have in her place. But she had read about magic and bargains made with queer folk at night, and besides she was a woman of business and knew when and how to barter. So she frowned and said “Of course I want to save my sister more than anything. But I’m afraid I may have little to offer you. What do you think you would you like?”

The Witch’s girl considered this. “Perhaps,” she suggested after a moment, “I could offer you a little bit of help in return for a very small price.”

“What sort of price?”

The Witch’s girl put her head on one side and looked consideringly at the Bookseller’s long-limbed, tangle-headed daughter. “From some people I might ask for a secret nobody knows,” she said. “And from others I might ask for a happy memory.” And then she smiled for the first time, and murmured “But from you I think I will ask for a single kiss on the lips.”

The Bookseller’s eldest daughter gave her a suspicious look and said “Why, does a kiss have magical properties that you can use for spells?”

The Witch’s girl bristled and said “No! I mean, yes, but no, I was trying to be—!” And then she looked up at the ceiling and sighed in a way that the Bookseller’s eldest daughter thought unnecessarily theatrical. “Do you want my help?”

“Yes,” said the Bookseller’s eldest daughter.

“Well then, will you risk kissing a witch’s girl? Even if she may potentially later use that kiss in sinister and occult ways?”

Then the Bookseller’s eldest daughter looked at the Witch’s dark-eyed girl for a moment, and perhaps she was thinking about her poor enchanted sister and perhaps she wasn’t, but when she answered she said “Alright.”

The Witch’s girl looked a little surprised, but she said “Come along then! And shut the door behind you. The Witch has a horror of strays.” And she turned and lead the way to the back of the house.

Now I don’t know what you think of when you imagine a witch’s kitchen, but when the Bookseller’s eldest daughter stepped into this kitchen she found it was clean and tidy and well kept, though you could still tell that it was a Witch’s kitchen because of the stuffed crocodile hanging from the ceiling and the several jars over the mantelpiece that were labelled things like ‘Unspoken Words Between Lovers’ and ‘Star — unlighted’ and ‘Forgotten Hours’ and one that was unlabelled but which the Bookseller’s eldest daughter suspected contained marmalade.

The Witch’s girl set a kettle on the stove to boil and asked how the Bookseller’s eldest daughter liked her tea, and when they each had a cup and were sitting at the table she said “I suppose you had better tell me what has happened,” and the Bookseller’s eldest daughter did. And then the Witch’s girl sipped her tea and thought.

“Well,” she said after a while, “Of course I’m only the Witch’s girl, but it seems to me that some magician or other has stolen your sister’s head. And the sheep’s head is there to keep her body (and thus her real head) alive. Have you upset any magicians lately?”

“No!�� said the Bookseller’s eldest daughter, “we don’t even know any magicians!”

“Perhaps you were recently ill-mannered to a man in a tall pointed hat, possibly covered in stars? You do seem to be rather indifferent to social propriety, so you may not even have noticed how awful you were actually being.”

The Bookseller’s eldest daughter rolled her eyes and didn’t answer.

“Well then, taking the bolder hypothesis (that is, assuming you haven’t committed some act of breathtaking insolence toward a member of the magical community) perhaps the magician wanted your sister’s head itself. Is she as pretty as you?”

“Oh, much prettier!” said the Bookseller’s eldest daughter.

The Witch’s girl sniffed and said that she didn’t approve of hyperbole. “Now your first problem,” she went on while the Bookseller’s eldest daughter tried to think that through, “is that you don’t know who this magician (or enchanter or fairy prince) is. And I think I can help you with that. Come to me tomorrow with something of your sister’s, preferably—”

But the Bookseller’s eldest daughter was already holding out a comb with a few brown hairs on it. “My sister’s comb. I am a woman of business,” she explained, “And I prefer to learn all I can about a matter before striking out on any new endeavour, even magic. William Sheldrake’s Several and Diverse Accounts of Antique Sorceries with Commentary indicated that something like this might be useful. Although I’m afraid we only have volumes one and three.”

“I see,” said the Witch’s girl, taking the comb and trying not to look impressed. “Well then, let us begin.” And with quick, clever fingers she freed the hairs and wove them into a circlet. She placed this on the table, then poured a little pool of wine within the ring... and somehow or other not a drop flowed out beyond the circlet of hair, but instead the formed a dark red mirror that reflected the two girls in the candlelight. Then the Witch’s girl blew over the puddle of wine, making waves, and when the waves cleared the Bookseller’s eldest daughter was looking into the firelit study of a wealthy man.

And here was the man himself, tall and distinguished looking, and still in his shirt and vest, though he had changed the coat we last saw him in for a sapphire-blue dressing gown (which appeared a sort of plum colour to the observers).

“Ah,” said the Witch’s girl, “Mister Prosper. A rich man and an ambitious student of magic.”

But now Mister Prosper was making several odd gestures in the air and reciting something-or-other, though no sound could be heard by the two girls bending over the image in that small kitchen. And then a Very Wonderful Person stepped through the curtains. They were tall, even taller than Mister Prosper, and wore an exquisite tail-coat of crimson. The Person’s face was not visible to the young women, but They had hair like a ruby sunset.

The two spoke for a short time, and then Mister Prosper took up a box from his desk and presented it to the Person, who opened it and then—!

“Oh!” cried the Bookseller’s eldest daughter, for inside she saw her own dear sister’s head staring fearfully about! The Person picked up the Bookseller’s youngest daughter’s head by the hair and appeared to examine it, then nodded. A bargain had been made. Putting the head back in its box, the Person turned and appeared to summon someone. A moment later a short figure with vine-leaves for hair stepped into view and went to stand before Mister Prosper, looking rather annoyed about the whole business. The Wonderful Person bowed and disappeared back through the curtains, and the waters settled down to show only the wood of the kitchen table.

“There you are,” said the Witch’s girl sitting back in quiet triumph. “Mister Prosper stole away the head of your sister to give to That Person, and in return he got a fairy servant. And no doubt he’ll be up to all sorts of carry-on now.”

“But where has my sister’s head gone?” cried the Bookseller’s eldest daughter.

“Oh, with the fairies,” said the Witch’s girl, and she handed the circlet of hair back to the Bookseller’s eldest daughter and fetched a cloth to mop up the wine. “And a few hairs aren’t enough to show her to us while she’s with them.”

“But how am I to get her back?!” cried the Bookseller’s eldest daughter.

And the Witch’s girl looked annoyed and said How should she know, she was only a Witch’s girl after all. “I said I would give you a little bit of help, and I have. Now you know what happened to your sister. What happens next is up to you.”

The Bookseller’s eldest daughter (who had read Thomas Thistle’s Multifarious Accounts of Fairy, its Nature and Customs three times) thought this through and found she had to agree. “Very well,” she said as she rose to her feet, “I suppose if I am to deal with the fairies I will need to consider that meeting carefully.”

“Very wise,” said the Witch’s girl, “I shall walk you to the door.”

But as the Bookseller’s eldest daughter was about to step outside the Witch’s girl cleared her throat meaningfully and she suddenly remembered her bargain.

“Oh yes, of course,” she said turning back. The Witch’s girl was standing right behind her and without thinking about it too much the Bookseller’s eldest daughter leaned down a little and quickly pressed her lips to the Witch’s girl’s.

Now I don’t know what you think kissing a witch’s girl would be like — maybe numbingly cold like deep water? or dried out and dusty like something old and forgotten? — but the Bookseller’s eldest daughter discovered that this Witch’s girl’s lips were warm and alive and as soft as a whisper. And what she meant to be a brisk transaction went on far longer than she had intended; and in fact it was the Witch’s girl who stepped away first.

“Our bargain is fulfilled,” she said a little gruffly, “Good night.”

And the Bookseller’s eldest daughter found herself standing all alone outside that odd house, facing a firmly closed door.

The next chapter

#The Bookseller’s Eldest Daughter and the Witch’s Girl #long fic #witching #fairies

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cataztrophi · 1 year ago

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TAZ November Celebration 6: Truth

Just a short, kind of silly one for this @taznovembercelebration ficlet! My card was "truth," so here's one about Magnus trying to lie, to the despair of actual professional liar Taako.

Taako was a champion liar. It was a skill he'd honed through years of practice and one that had saved his ass more times than he could count. He could lie unabashedly, about anything, to anyone, and he'd do it while looking them straight in the eye. He had once convinced Barold that he was both SCUBA and forklift certified.

This deception-based superpower of his had only one weakness, and that was one of his dumbass friends opening their big mouth before he could spin his web of lies. Unfortunately, this was precisely the situation he now found himself in.

He had been helping Magnus pick out an engagement ring, and doing–in his opinion anyway–an excellent job at keeping him somewhat sane. No, Julia wouldn't care if the stone was lab-grown. Yes, the whole ‘three-month salary' thing was made up by diamond sellers. No, Julia wasn't one of those penguins that courted each other by exchanging rocks, and she would probably say yes even if he proposed with something from Dollar Tree.

Everything had been going rather well, all things considered, until the shop bell rang and in walked Julia herself. Her face lit up when she saw them.

“Julia!” Magnus exclaimed, completely failing to look unsuspicious. “What are you doing here?”

“I'm picking up my dad's watch for him, he sent it here to get the band fixed. What are you doing here, hon?”

Taako opened his mouth to deliver one of his trademark bulletproof cover stories, but before he could get a word out Magnus charged ahead with his own panic-fueled explanation.

“I'm helping Taako!” he said. Not a bad start. “Pick out a gift!” Plausible, even if Magnus wasn’t too high on the list of people Taako sought jewelry advice from. “For his boyfriend!”

Ah, fuck, there it was. Rule one of crafting a believable lie: don't invent something that will invite a lot of follow-up questions. And that was exactly what Magnus had just done, as evidenced by Julia's face lighting up like a neon sign.

“You didn't tell me you were seeing anyone!” she exclaimed.

Taako jerked his head noncommittally. “Eh, you know me, I tend to keep it pretty chill.”

“But you like this one?”

“Yeah, he's pretty great.” Well, he wasn't going to have a shitty imaginary boyfriend.

Julia shifted her canvas grocery bag to a more comfortable position, signaling that she was prepared to discuss this for a while. “Well, what's his name?”

“Kravitz.” Hmm. He just sort of had that one ready to go, huh? That would warrant a little pondering later. Then, because he knew Julia wasn't going to be satisfied with just that, he added, “He's a cellist.”

“Wow, that's awesome! You'll have to introduce us sometime. In fact,” she laid a hand on Magnus’ arm. “We're having a little get-together on Saturday, just a few of us. I don’t want to push, I know meeting the friends can be weird, but I’d love it if you and Kravitz could come!”

“For sure,” Taako said, his control of this lie slipping with every second. “I mean, I'll have to check in with him about his work schedule, he's pretty busy right now.”

Julia nodded. “Well, I hope you can make it! Good luck with your gift shopping.” She gave Taako a smile and Magnus a peck on the cheek before walking over to the store clerk. As soon as her back was turned Taako glared at Magnus.

“What?” Magnus mouthed with a shrug. Taako rolled his eyes and pretended to peruse the men's rings until Julia left the shop.

“So,” Magnus said once the coast was clear, a broad grin spreading across his face. “Tell me about this Kravitz guy.”

Right, Kravitz. Taako’s hot goth neighbor Kravitz. Kravitz, who really was a professional cellist, with strong hands that Taako could imagine doing all sorts of things. Kravitz, who he saw at the farmer's market sometimes, who always asked him what mushrooms to buy or which wine went best with whatever he was making. The guy he had completely normal, neighborly feelings about.

Taako rolled his eyes. “There’s nothing to tell, my man. I had to tell her something to cover up your shitty lie.”

Magnus had the audacity to look hurt. “What was wrong with it?”

“Well, for starters, you’re making me fabricate an entire relationship in four days.”

“I mean, you could just tell her you’re busy.”

He waved this suggestion away. “No, no, I can make it work, you’re just gonna owe me for it.”

Magnus’ shit-eating grin returned, undeterred. “Okay, but you gotta let me be the best man at yours and Kravitz’s wedding.”

Taako glared at him. “That’s gonna be real hard to do from six feet under, Burnsides.”

Little though Taako felt he deserved it, he helped Magnus through the rest of the ring-choosing process. He settled on a reasonably-priced sapphire with a silver band molded into the shape of a flowering vine, and he left the store with the box clutched in one hand like he never intended to put it down. Once they climbed into his truck he stopped for a moment and turned to Taako with an uncharacteristically serious look on his face.

“Hey, I really do appreciate you doing this,” he said. “It means a lot.”

Taako shrugged. “Don’t mention it, my dude. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to find out if I’m going to have to move to a new building next month.”

He took out his phone and pulled up Kravitz’s contact information, which he had spent two weeks figuring out how to get. He had been planning to use it for a leisurely flirtation that would eventually end with him figuring out that Taako was the hottest thing since Pompeii. Instead, he pulled up their chat and prepared to send a message that would either get him blocked or into a stellar fictional relationship.

hey, so whats ur general opinion on schemes, plots, and shenanigans?

#taz november celebration #taako #magnus burnsides #julia burnsides #kravitz #taz balance

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librarycomic · 4 months ago

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Several people told me I had to visit The Vault of Midnight when I was in Ann Arbor giving a staff day keynote in October, and I'm super glad I stopped by. This is one of my favorite comic book stores -- it's right up there with Portland's Cosmic Monkey and Austin Books & Comics.

The King's Warrior by Huahua Zhu. Bulgilhan Press, 2024. 9781737130161. 74pp. https://bulgilhanpress.com/

A king sends his lionsteed warrior on a final mission, to kill an evil alchemist. The warrior's backstory is told in flashbacks inked in blue, while the current story is told in pages with bolder colors and black inks. The whole book is beautiful and it feels like a fairy tale.

I picked up this book because of the amazing cover and the fact that it was the last copy on a shelf loaded with great books; I figured if everyone else liked it, I would, too. A clerk saw me do that, and then we had a conversation during which he asked what sorts of books I was looking for. After a discussion about comics creators during which I said I was looking for graphic novels that I'd never heard of, he recommended the next two books on the list, plus gave me a list of five others the store didn't have in stock but that he was sure I would like. (So far he's been absolutely correct. As far as I'm concerned he's the best graphic novel readers advisor ever.)

Grog the Frog: The Book of Taurus written and illustrated by Alba BG and Davilorium. Silver Sprocket, 2023. 9798886200232. https://www.silversprocket.net/

The bright cover made me think of Adventure Time and I mean, come on, I'm up for reading any book about a frog wizard with a bad attitude. There's a lot going on in this book -- it's kind of a romp, and at times felt like a stoned video game. The coloring is something to behold, and the battle scenes shine.

Gnomicide: A Rust Kingdom Tale by Spugna. Hollow Press, 2018. No ISBN. www.hollow-press.net

This wordless book is full of tentacles, mushrooms, and gore. Giant fanged mollusks face the last survivors of a gnome village. As the title suggests, things do not go well for the gnomes.

I love the look of this book -- it's black and white, and it feels like Jeff Smith of Bone-fame inked a gnome-centric issue of Jordan and Strahm's Image Comics series Spread.

I immediately tried to buy a few other books by Spugna from Hollow Press. This one is sold out but it's one of the three stories in Rusted Tales by Spugna (2022, also no ISBN) which is still in print. I picked up a copy at Floating World Comics in Portland, which sells them on their website at https://floatingworldcomics.com/shop/comic-books/rusted-tales-by-spugna

#bookreview #graphicnovel #graphicnovelreview #lionsteed #frogwizard #gnomicide

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sparklingandtwinkling · 5 months ago

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Yes! Pretty Cure 5 Characters as Mobians

🦋🌹🩷❤️💛💚💙💜🦋🌹🩷❤️💛💚💙💜🦋🌹

Cures:

Nozomi Yumehara/Cure Dream - Dark Magenta Rabbit/Bright Pink Rabbit

Rin Natsuki/Cure Rouge - Yellow Cheetah (has brown hair)/Red Cheetah (has bright red hair, like flames)

Urara Kasugano/Cure Lemonade - Golden Blonde Mouse/Bright Yellow Mouse

Komachi Akimoto/Cure Mint - Dark Green Echidna

Karen Minazuki/Cure Aqua - Dark Blue Whale/Bright Blue Whale

Milk/Kurumi Mimino/Milky Rose - Pale Pink Rabbit Cure Flicky/Purple Rabbit

Faires:

Coco - Fox Cure Flicky/Brown Fox Mobian

He can transform into a human and later becomes a teacher at Nozomi's school to keep watch over her under the alias Kokoda Kouji.

Nuts - Squirrel Cure Flicky/Dirty Blonde Squirrel Mobian

He can transform into a human, acting as the clerk of a jewelry shop called Natts House, by the name Mr. Natsu.

Milk - Rabbit Cure Flicky

She can transform into a human and attends the Cures’ school as a second-year transfer student under the alias Kurumi Mimino and is in the same class as Nozomi and Rin.

Syrup - Bird Cure Flicky/Orange Bird Mobian

He has two forms he can turn into: a human and a giant bird, used as an aerial transport when necessary.

Magical Allies:

Pinkies - Spirits

Flora - Rose Deer

Is the youngest sister of Vanessa and the guardian the Cure Rose Garden, which holds the Red and Blue Cure Rose.

The boss of Eternal is interested in her.

Goddess of the Red and Blue Cure Rose.

Four Rulers:

King Doughnut - Dragon Flicky

Queen Bavarois - Phoenix Flicky

Princess Crepe - Tiger Flicky

King Montblanc - Turtle Flicky

Mailpo - Walking Pink Mailbox

Is a walking pink mailbox that works with Syrup.

She helps with sending and receiving letters.

Palmins - Flicky Spirits

A Pink Mouse with a butterfly mark on it’s head

A Blue Wolf with a six-point star mark on it’s head

A Yellow Goat with a flower mark on it’s head

A Red Bird with a sun mark on it’s head

A Green Dog with a apple mark on it’s head

Villians:

Desperaia - Crane

The leader of the Nightmares who intends to gain eternal life and to bring despair to the world.

Kawarino - Chameleon

Desparaia's secretary.

Girinma - Mantis

The first Nightmare to appear.

Gamao - Toad

The second Nightmare to appear.

Arachnea - Spider

The third Nightmare to appear.

Bunbee - Bee

The boss of Girinma, Arachnea, and Gamao.

Bunbee also worked for Eternal as a low-ranking member, often acting as comic relief.

Hadenya - Bird

She appears after Arachnea's death. She likes to take what she wants and often forces Bunbee to serve her in some way.

Bloody - Vampire Bat

Bloody is the last Nightmare to show up. He usually tries to win by persuasion and talking, only using Kowaina to help him rather than to do all of the work.

Boss - Crow

The leader of Eternal, intending to gain eternal life by finding the keys to Cure Rose Garden.

Anacondy - Purple Gorgon (Eternal)/Purple Snake (Mobius)

Anacondy acts as an administrator among Eternal

Scorp - Brown Emperor Scorpion (Eternal)/Indian Red Scorpion (Mobius)

Scorp is the first Eternal member to be shown.

Nebatakos - Octopus (Eternal)/Squid (Mobius)

Nebatakos is the third original member of Eternal to be shown.

Isohgin - Sea Anemone (Eternal)/Jellyfish (Mobius)

Isohgin is one of a duo from Eternal that are said to be the best hunters.

Yadokhan - Hermit Crab (Eternal)/Lobster (Mobius)

Yadokhan is the partner of Isohgin and the small, fat one of the two.

Shibiretta - Mice with a large Mushroom on their head

Shibiretta manipulates fairy tales to fight Pretty Cure, trapping them in fairy tale worlds with Hoshinas.

Mucardia - Orchid Mantis (Eternal)/Dragonfly (Mobius)

Mucardia is the most recent member of Eternal.

For Nightmare, In their humans forms they look like normal Mobians but in their monster forms they are still the same as their Mobian form but more like what they look like in the fandom

Family:

Tsutomu Yumehara - Brown Rabbit

Nozomi’s father.

Megumi Yumehara - Dark Purple Rabbit

Nozomi's mother.

She is a beautician and runs a beauty shop called "Espoir".

Kazuyo Natsuki - Yellow Cheetah (has brown hair)

Rin's mother.

She and her husband run a flower shop "Fleuriste Natsuki".

Ai Natsuki - Yellow Leopard (has brown hair)

Her brother Yu and she are twins and Rin's younger siblings.

Yu Natsuki - Yellow Leopard (has brown hair)

Rin's young brother and a twin with Ai.

Heizou Kasugano - Gray Mouse

Urara's grandfather, Maria's father, and Michel's father-in-law.

Maria Kasugano - Brown Mouse

Urara's late mother.

Michel Kasugano - Lion

Urara's father.

Madoka Akimoto - Dark Green Echidna

Komachi's older sister.

Minako Minazuki - Black Cicada

Karen's father.

Karen's parents are famous musicians and do a lot of concert tours.

Taro Minazuki - Dark Teal Whale

Karen's mother.

Karen's parents are famous musicians and do a lot of concert tours.

Supporting People:

Sakamoto - Harp Seal

Minazuki's butler and takes care of Karen when her parents are overseas as Famous Musicians.

Mika Masuko - Bat

Mika is the chief editor of the Cinq Lumieres News.

Otaka-san - Border Collie

The mistress of the cafeteria in the girls' school where they always eat lunch.

Secretly, she is the school headmistress.

Kouta Washio - Jackal

Urara's manager from Production Eagle.

——————————————————————————————————

Previously: 🌸🕊️🎐🌕 | Next: 🍎🪩♠️

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elizabethplaid · 2 years ago

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daily notes - overview of oct 5, 2023

omfg, I'm so tired. Like, we got home before 4pm, and I've been resting these last few hours. It was cool but humid, and I was just a sweaty mess when I got home. Hopped in the shower, then laid on my bed in front of the fan, and caught up on my web comic reading.

This will be the text overview of everything we did. When I get other posts up with images, I will edit and link to those.

First, we stopped by the local bakery I had mentioned on Monday. They probably had less-than-half of their inventory left. I got the very last blueberry-almond "scone", a couple other cookies for me, and some bits for LL-K. (K couldn't make the trip today, because she's busy with work.)

Second, we visited Rooster Brother, a store for cooks and those who love them, as they say. Lots of fun kitchen items, though they were more pricey than I'd prefer. Fun things, but nothing that screamed "must buy!". I did browse some chopsticks, though I was torn between using them as hair sticks or as chopsticks. (One was more decorative, but the other was cute enough for either use.)

There was a whole display of mushroom-themed items, too. The opposite side of that display had other woodland creatures, including deer and owls. They had the very same glass xmas ornament that @vintage-tech once sent me, several years ago - a little fawn, curled up and sleeping.

Next, we visited Riverside Cafe in Ellsworth for lunch. Very tasty, but neither of us could finish everything. (I only had fries left, but LL-J had 1-4th of her sandwich and fries leftover.) The music playlist was very good, though slightly biased towards my high school years. I can only remember 5 of the songs

Jack Johnson - "Sitting, Waiting, Wishing"

Weezer - "Island in the Sun"

Counting Crows - "Long December"

Blues Traveler - "Runaround"

Counting Crows - "Round Here" (I think? It was another CC song, at least)

It was tough to hear the music, so I'm sure there were other songs playing, and I just didn't catch them.

We walked down the road, ducking in The Dream Catcher antique shop next. Lots of pretty visuals, though the aisles were crowded and some display cases didn't show prices well. (There was such cool jewelry!) Because it was a cold and humid day, and they left the doors open, we felt very uncomfortable in that stuffy place. Both of us were tired, so we decided to call it quits when we saw there were another 2 floors to the place.

I bought 3 small dolls and a snake-shaped pendant. They're all cheaply made items, with discoloring and no easy way to remove the clothes. One is an Irish (I assume) souveneir doll, who came with a stand - $12. Then I found a dandy, dapper Rococo man. A little more digging, and I found his lady. Both have sleep eyes and painted feet/legs. They didn't have tags, so the clerk said $10 for the pair. Fine by me!

The snake pendant was $1. It's shape to curl around a marble or gem stone, and even has prongs to help hold it in place. It was empty, found in a dish of tiny pewter figures glued to flattened marbles. So so soooo tiny!

When we left, we both felt awful and tired. We visited a kids' book-and-toy store very quickly, didn't buy anything, then browsed the store windows of some other shops. The two I liked both looked very elaborate and fun. We'll hit one of those first on our next trip, when I have more energy again.

From there, we went to LL Bean's outlet store. They had a big sale on women's pants, so I grabbed a couple pairs. One's like... lounge or athletic wear? The other seemed like casual drawstring pants. I can't describe the texture. Omg, the textures for most of the pants were so bad in that section. So 60% off, I only paid about $35 after taxes for 2 pairs, yay.

Hit up Dunkin's drive-thru on the way out of town. LL-J now knows the glory of the "frozen hot chocolate" - basically a chocolate milk slushy.

We stopped by LL-K's house once we got back in town, to drop off the cookies. She gave me 2 containers of chicken stock that she had made. A couple weeks ago, she had asked where she could find chicken feet, so I helped source some from Neighbor-J and -S's chickens. (They were the couple that ran a general store for a few years. S used to sew cloth diapers as a business, too.) ----------

I hopped in the shower once I got home. Very very tired. Laid in front of the fan for a couple hours, and now I've been typing for like 20 minutes. We left at 10:15am and got home before 4pm. If the weather wasn't so clammy, I think we would've done far better. BUT I still did very good, considering how cheerful and happy this day has been.

Will work on posting photos in multiple posts next. Some stuff at the antique store is worthy of shiftythrifting, but some is not. One item is even from the "we see this too often, so don't submit it anymore" list. My first time seeing one in the wild!

#daily notes

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jacks-tracks · 1 year ago

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Birds Flowers and Butterflys

Happily healthy again, as normal as I,m going to get! Dengue laid me pretty low, actually considering "is this it? Is death near?" Felt like it.

Back on the road to health, and on the road to the mercado. Made an exploratory trip to Super Che for big boxes of juice, some cheap chicken legs, free run eggs, avocadoes , "Look, they're cheaper in the mesh bag!" Yeah,because they are so small you are buying avocado stones. Hrumph... And as always at Che it took longer to checkout than to find things." Why put on more clerks? these people will stand in line for a half hour. They have a cart full!"

Anyway, flushed with success, I went the next day uptown by combi to shop the big mercado area. Actually don't go in the mercado anymore, having found all the same goods nearby in tiny stores for better prices. A cast west from the collectivo stop and there was the shrimp shop, a regular storefront filled with chest freezers. 2 kilos of medium shrimp in a box for 360pesos, about $24 canadian. It was only when i got home that I saw these shrimp were from Nicaragua, product of mangrove clear cut grow farms. Not eco food. Damn tasty though! Next to the tortilla factory where dangerous unguarded machines press corn dough into 6 inch tortillas and cook them on hot rollers,mass production. 24 pesos a kilo($2) and I got a half kilo, which is some 15 tortillas. now tortillas only keep about 4 hours before they dry out and roll up into tire patches, but seperated by paper and plastic bagged, they freeze very well. I had enough used (washed bags from produce) to freeze a lot, packed between coffee filters as paper dividers. Ate 2 fresh with 6 boiled shrimp and mayo. Major meal!

Chocolate is a big agricultural crop in the mountains, second only to coffee(and dope). The Mayo Domo chain sells fresh ground chocolate(mixed with sugar) cheap. A kilo cost $4, still hot from the press. They also sell pure chocolate in cubes at a much higher price, used for hot chocolate drinks and Mole which is chocolate mixed with various hot peppers used as a sauce on lots of food. And the shop is AC, so I tend to linger. Stopped buying their chocomil drink, a sweet blend of choc and milk blended in an old fashioned milkshake mixer. Too much dairy!

While I had planned to hoof up the street 4 blocks to the nicer fruit stand, I caved and went into the chaotic "Cabelleros" store, a wholesaler where the public shops as well. Aisles filled with toppling bags of carrots, onions,potatoes, bins of tomatoes, red, yellow, and green peppers, avocados, bananas usually overripe, mushrooms, mandarin oranges, papayas,onions, cilantro, dried peppers, cinnamon ranging from pure powder to sacks of bark rolled into 3 foot long sticks, and all that in skinny aisles filled with aimless shoppers debating the ripeness of tomatoes et al.and a steady chain of overloaded workers packing in the full sacks off a truck conveniently double parked on the street, shouting to make way as they stream into dark back rooms or upstairs to crammed lofts. Anything a shopper at the till can't find gets brought out by calling a boy to fetch it from the caverns. Not unusual to see someone carry out 40 pound boxes of tomatoes, cabbages, cauliflowers, or onions. I think that many of the stores in the mercado across the street send runners over to replenish stock. While it seems chaotic, the stuff gets selected and rapidly sold at one of 3 tills. No half hour waits here. Electronic scales and tills that print a detailed receipt. Of course things are much cheaper here which makes it all worth wading through the discarded leaves and squished oranges, or risking an avalanche of fruit from the shaky pyramids. Cash only, always busy, it works. Got all my list, 40 pounds of stuff, shopping bags(bring your own) groaning full, stagger up to the combi corner to truck on home.

Oh yeah birds /flowers etc. Totally different experience. There's a lookout near my hotel with a clear view of the beach and the endless rolling waves. Steep bank covered in trees and a favorite place for local birds. The "pea tree" which yields a red circular pod of pea like seeds is in bloom, cascades of frothy creamy blossoms, loved by hummingbirds, and frequented by both the tiny jet black zipper,and the slower greenbacks. A bird new to me was a robin sized one with a red breast and shoulders, black throat and cape, and white and black wing bars. Sounding like a sparrow cheeping was another bird, upright posture, sparrow sized but very slim, grey with black marks. All those in one spot with a convenient bench providing an eye level tree top view.

I count it a good day when i see something special, and this week it was flowers. Bouncing along in the back of a combi pickup on the carretera(highway) we passed an African tulip tree in full scarlett trumpet flowered bloom. Next in an arroyo(gully) was a red bouganvillea, climbing a jungle tree and filling the space with a tree covering cascade of flowers. Then deeper in the arroyo was a full blooming pink blossomed tree looking just like a cherry tree but much bigger. Pretty nice to see so much beauty.

Blabbed on far too long. Just catching up after a 3 week involuntary pause. More as it happens.

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ophidianrhapsody · 2 years ago

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My contribution to the Banana Discourse is a short story from 1912 by Edna Ferber. Excerpted here to wet your whistle; link to full story below.

Just off State Street there is a fruiterer and importer who ought to be arrested for cruelty. His window is the most fascinating and the most heartless in Chicago. A line of open-mouthed, wide-eyed gazers is always to be found before it. Despair, wonder, envy, and rebellion smolder in the eyes of those gazers. No shop window show should be so diabolically set forth as to arouse such sensations in the breast of the beholder. It is a work of art, that window; a breeder of anarchism, a destroyer of contentment, a second feast of Tantalus. It boasts peaches, dewy and golden, when peaches have no right to be; plethoric, purple bunches of English hothouse grapes are there to taunt the ten-dollar-a-week clerk whose sick wife should be in the hospital; strawberries glow therein when shortcake is a last summer's memory, and forced cucumbers remind us that we are taking ours in the form of dill pickles. There is, perhaps, a choice head of cauliflower, so exquisite in its ivory and green perfection as to be fit for a bride's bouquet; there are apples so flawless that if the garden of Eden grew any as perfect it is small wonder that Eve fell for them.

There are fresh mushrooms, and jumbo cocoanuts, and green almonds; costly things in beds of cotton nestle next to strange and marvelous things in tissue, wrappings. Oh, that window is no place for the hungry, the dissatisfied, or the man out of a job. When the air is filled with snow there is that in the sight of muskmelons which incites crime.

#Edna Ferber #american literature #hunger #bananas #poverty #stories

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weirdmarioenemies · 6 years ago

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Name: Mushroom Shop Clerk

Debut: Mario Party

Ah, the early days of Mario as a franchise, where it was still working out its identity. When men were men, boys were men, dogs were men, and Toads were men. Strange, strange little men.

That’s right, Toads as a species were not ALWAYS exclusively infant-proportioned! Sometimes they took some wacky liberties that probably didn’t look TOO weird then, but are pretty dang odd now that we’re used to Toads all being babies. Even the elderly ones.

Mushroom Shop Clerk, in particular, is a tall drink of water! Tall body, tall head, tall eyes, and same stubby lower body of any other Toad. Hey Mushroom Shop Clerk, why the long face? Yuk yuk yuk! (Credit to @smallmariofindings for this image, as well as bringing this fellow to my attention in the first place!)

That’s all I have to say about this weird Toad, though. But you deserve a bit more! You deserve a weird toad!

So here is Pipa pipa, the weirdest toad I know of! As you can see, she’s got some serious flattitude. When she has eggs, she carries them under her skin, and the fully-formed baby toads later emerge and swim out of her back! Which, while quite fascinating, is also a good bit unsettling. So be careful when you’re looking up pictures of weird toads!

#mushroom shop clerk #mario party #mario #weird mario allies #mod chikako

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knebulanight · 2 years ago

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Stretched out my character design muscles by turning a bunch of my favorite* Pokémon into cute girls inspired by the original creatures.

(*Galarian Weezing and Clodsire aren't as high on the list as the rest, I just had some fun character design ideas for them, but everyone else is definitely my top 10)

Character names and short bios below the cut:

Glaceon (x2) | Firn & Mint | Duo magicians specializing in ice magic illusions and fantastic icicle displays, they're part of a band of performers.

Farigiraf | Zarifa | The curator of her own museum. She has a fondness for the old, dusty, magical, and especially cryptic.

Falinks | Hexa Semestre | Genius inventor, master of technology, immature brat, and super full of herself. Very much chaotic neutral, she's prone to nice and naughty acts alike, but it heavily depends on her mood and whoever is paying her with the tastier snacks.

Whirlipede/Scolipede | Latrielle | A high-ranking member of a secret evil organization. She specializes in taming and breeding dangerous beasts and insects with her unique charm and strange magicks.

Ribombee | Talis | A teeny tiny pollen collector and seller. Using her fairy intuition, she's able to tap into the mystical power of flower pollen, and turn them into a powerful healing substances and painting materials.

Sylveon | Pennon | An energetic acrobat who's part of the Glaceon Twins' performing troup. She also part-times as a candy shop clerk. Which candy shop, you ask? All of them.

Galarian Weezing | Madam Miasma | An eccentric perfume maker and wandering saleswoman. She shrouds herself with her own special perfumes. Her mood, methods, and prices dramatically shift with each kind of aroma.

Breloom | Boleta | An apothecary who lives by herself in the forest, studying mushrooms. She's learned the effects of many fungi breeds and their spores, and weaves them into her staff and self-defense fighting tactics.

Slither Wing | Dawn / "Daybreaker" | Professional wrestler in the evening, monster fighter in the morning. "Daybreaker" wakes up squarely at sunrise to fend off the daily influx of giant monsters that threaten her peaceful city.

Clodsire | Daisy | A simple lackadaisical young girl who's often seen prowling the marketplace, conversing with random passersby and indulging in free samples.

Wailord | Lady Duchess McGalleon | The only child, heir, and right hand to a canned plankton tycoon. While patiently waiting for her huge inheritance, she helps her father by overseeing the company's workers, always looming tall over them.

Typhlosion | Ignis Megaboom | She's always throwing herself into fights with no purpose, but her behavior is likely due to insecurities or something. The only time you'll see her exhibit patience is when she's charging up her explosive attacks.

bonus doodles & sketches, including some scrapped designs:

#pokemon gijinka #character design #art

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areumxmp · 2 years ago

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Only the best for The Best

Starter for @mpinsoo

“No dude trust me I gotchu. Your shit boutta be rockin I need you to trust me, man.” Was the overly large man on the phone? Was he talking to a person walking with him? No. No he wasn’t. What looked like he was talking to nothing, was his little backpack that sat on his belt loop, in it, Leroy’s head was sticking out. For a turtle he found in the street, the little guy had gotten surprisingly friendly and curious after the hours of floor time with Veggies Areum had spent with him. Maybe it was ridiculous that he not only decided to keep this random turtle, but he was also spending almost two grand on random shit to put in it’s enclosure.

Plants, coconut substrate, rocks, hides, little decorative mushrooms and food dishes. He had everything, the ex con looked like he had literally grabbed one of everything for his turtle. “Only the best for the best right, Leroy?” Pushing his cart, while also holding an armful of stuff, Areum made his way to the counter of Stop and Paws-- well, almost made it.

One plants led to a piece of wood then suddenly half the shit he had puzzled into his arm was trailing behind him. For a solid 10 seconds Areum just looks up at the ceiling, contemplating his whole life while also thinking about how he’s not gonna drop more or eat shit while trying to pick it all up. “My guy... You are so lucky I love you.”

All this.... while some poor shop clerk was watching. With the slowest look over ever. Areum locks eyes with the guy and hangs his head in playful shame. “I promise there’s a turtle in my bag.” He had meant to clear the idea that he wasn’t talking to the air- not this time -but quickly realized the moment the words came from his mouth, that maybe that sounds real weird too.

“My bad oh my fucking god...”

#Thread;The best #Thread;Insoo #Here you go!!!#Welcome to MP!

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cheri-translates · 4 years ago

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[CN] Gavin’s S2 R&S - Inevitable

🍒 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers from an R&S (不可抗力) which has not been released in English servers!🍒

This R&S features S2 Gavin!

It is incredibly important to read Ch 9 Part One before embarking on this!

[ Chapter One ]

At midnight, a young man makes a turn at a secluded alley, walking into a small hotel that’s still open for business.

He walks around the main hall, and straight into the innermost booth. The sound of shuffling in the night is continuous, and the dealer holds a cigarette in his mouth, drawing a card.

A hand suddenly approaches, and the muzzle of a gun covers his temple.

"How long will it take for you to finish this round?" Gavin’s voice is calm, fingers exerting more pressure on the trigger.

The others are so frightened that they rush out. With no way out, the man suddenly whips out a knife and swings it at Gavin. Gavin grabs his wrist, the other hand reaching for the handcuffs.

All of a sudden, a voice rings in his head: Don’t get hurt, and don't ignore the consequences. If he were to do this, it seems someone would be very sad. He doesn’t seem to want to make that person sad either.

In that second of distraction, the knife glinting with a cold light in the man’s hand slices the area between Gavin’s thumb and index finger. The thoughts in his mind accumulate amidst the pain. Gavin gathers some strength in his palm, a raging gale rolling up the battered tables and chairs. The man’s gaze turns frightened...

Three minutes later, the man, who was puffed up with pride earlier, is firmly handcuffed and kneeling on the ground, begging for mercy.

Gavin pushes the person out of the booth, and the colleague responsible for providing assistance steps forward, escorting the person into the police car.

In the main hall, the little girl who was clapping her hands and singing the birthday song earlier has burst into tears, shocked by the sight before her. Her mother comforts her. "Don't be afraid, darling. This is the Special Police Uncle who catches bad men and is here to protect us.

After glancing at him, the little girl cries even more fiercely.

Gavin nods to the girl’s mother apologetically, then walks towards the claw machine at the entrance of the hotel. After a short while, he returns, hugging the largest doll in his arms.

"Happy birthday.”

He hands a huge cartoon doll to the little girl, then turns and walks out the door.

An hour of interrogations is enough to leave one exhausted. Tang Chao stretches, holding a tidied statement while heading towards Gavin’s office.

It’s late at night, and the lights are still on. Tang Chao knocks thrice but receives no response. He tries pushing the door open, and is shocked to find that Gavin, who is seated behind the desk, is neither dealing with a case nor official business. Instead, he’s in a daze.

Gavin leans against the chair, his gaze fixed on the computer screen for a long time, brows furrowed deeply. Tang Chao walks over and glances at the screen - it’s a report regarding the arrest of the producer from [MC’s Company Name] not too long ago. He reaches out, waving his hand in front of Gavin. He asks, "How many fingers?”

When Gavin glares back coldly, Tang Chao feels relieved. However, seeing the scab wound on his hand, he’s confused again - what could be so important that he’d forget to tend to his wound?

He places the tidied statement on the table, then drags Gavin to the infirmary. "Even a body forged in iron can’t be compared to you.”

Fortunately, the wound isn’t deep, and can be healed in a few days. But Tang Chao’s intuition tells him that Gavin is a little different from usual. This time, the offender wasn’t considered dangerous, and could be easily subdued by Gavin’s skills. How did he get hurt this easily?

Before Tang Chao can ask a few more questions, Gavin has already vanished without a trace.

[ Chapter Two ]

At four o'clock in the morning, the clerk at the 24-hour convenience store yawns, overcome with boredom as he stares at the TV commercial on the wall to pass the time. A cheerful electronic sound rings. The automatic doors slide open, and a young man walks in.

The clerk perks himself up, and is about to say "Welcome" when he realises that the customer in front of him looks very familiar.

This man lives in an apartment in the vicinity, and visits this convenience store frequently. Sometimes, he drives past in a smart-looking motorcycle. When someone tries to hit on him occasionally, he always rejects them coldly. It’s a pity that whenever he visits, he either buys instant noodles or instant bento... looks like it’s the same this time.

When the clerk sees him heading towards the convenience food shelf, he sighs in his heart: Young people these days don’t take care of their health at all.

Gavin leans down, his gaze flitting across the neatly arranged food on the shelf, absentmindedly differentiating the expiration dates marked on the packets.

Shiitake mushroom flavoured instant noodles aren’t tasty. The stray cats at the entrance of STF prefer meat, not anchovies. Don’t get hurt, don’t get mired in danger alone, don’t leave without saying a word.

Such thoughts once again surge forth. From a certain point in time, many unfamiliar experiences have been intruding into his life. It’s as though he’s sharing another memory, these disordered fragments of memories twisting into a long, thin thread, holding onto his wrist, tugging at him secretly from time to time.

Gavin returns to his senses, subconsciously drawing back the hand that was reaching for the convenience food, and picks the brand at the side which contains more vegetables.

When checking out, Gavin notices that there are rows of potted succulents next to the cash register.

"This is a public welfare activity jointly launched by our store and the Loveland City Environmental Protection Association. For every plant sold, we will donate the same amount of funds to the environmental protection charity.”

Seeing how unresponsive the young customer in front of him is, the clerk is tactful as he continues scanning the remaining products, "Nine dollars in total.”

The receipt is printed, and the clerk hands it to him along with the bento. The young man suddenly points at the small potted plant that had just emerged from the soil.

"Add this too.”

Back home, Gavin throws his jacket into the washing machine, sets the time for washing and drying, then heads into the bathroom to take a shower.

A strong gush of water flows from the shower, and white mist quickly fills the entire space. The stinging pain from the wound sobers him up quite a lot, and he subconsciously thinks: The wound should be tended to quickly, and “she” can’t know about it.

Realising what he’s thinking, Gavin is once again stunned-

Who’s “she”?

And why is he so concerned about how that person feels?

Stepping out of the bathroom, the washing machine makes a "ding" sound. Gavin wipes his head and walks over to take a look, only to realise that he had put bleach instead of laundry detergent. He stares at the washing machine in silence for a while, then reaches out to unplug the power, retrieving the ruined jacket.

After all of this, Gavin suddenly remembers the small potted plant he just bought. The clerk said that if it is placed in a location with sufficient sunlight, there would be new shoots in a week, and that it’s very easy to grow.

Gavin places it on the balcony, then picks up the phone and begins to search "How many times must succulents be watered in a day". Whether it’s a mere illusion, that sense of deja vu once again surfaces.

"What in the world am I doing...?" He mutters to himself, tossing his phone aside a little irritatedly. He returns to the bedroom, lying on the bed and closing his eyes, waiting for sleep.

In the depths of this autumn night that no one knows about, the rain outside the window patters against the leaves gently, and there is a very, very light stirring in his heart.

Gavin opens his eyes, looking at the ceiling which is illuminated by car lights. Suddenly, an unnamed emotion surges in his heart - he feels that the memories he has never been able to grasp weren’t “forgotten”. Rather, they are “losses” which render him powerless.

[ Chapter Three ]

On a rare, idle weekend, Tang Chao calls a group of friends from the STF together for hotpot. Right after ordering the hotpot base, Lu Yi’s conscience suddenly bugs him, and he asks if he should call Captain Gavin over.

Thinking about how rarely Gavin gets to rest and how he definitely wouldn’t be willing to see this group of people, Tang Chao knowingly shakes his head. However, his mouth has a different idea. “I’ll call him then.”

On the other side, a few special police officers are comforting Xiao Zheng from the Publicity Department who was hurt emotionally. Xiao Zheng fell out of love last week, and has been feeling extremely fragile and sensitive these few days. Hearing the bitter love songs in the shop, his eyes immediately redden.

Tang Chao taps open his contacts list, silently recalling the odd behaviour of Gavin recently. He isn’t interested in being a busybody, but his instincts tell him that Gavin has something on his mind, and it’s a change obviously brought about by that girl’s appearance. But whenever Tang Chao wants to inquire about it, the words get halted by Gavin’s killer glare.

Thinking about this, Tang Chao glances at Xiao Zheng sympathetically, and comes to a definite conclusion - if Captain Gavin were to continually suppress his emotions without releasing them, it’d result in an illness.

Tang Chao asks the waiter to serve two dozen beers, then dials Gavin’s phone.

"Good evening Captain Gavin. Have you eaten?"

"I don’t mean to annoy you, but Captain Eli invited us to have butter hotpot. You coming?

"Don't be in such a hurry to refuse. I’ve got something to talk to you about. Yes, it’s happening right now... it’s of utmost urgency.” Tang Chao shoots a grin towards an astonished Eli. Then, he continues fabricating a tale. "I don’t want to run laps. There’s a genuine matter.

Half an hour later, Gavin frowns as he walks into the hotpot restaurant. Seeing this, a few young special police officers immediately set down their chopsticks and stand up straight in a row. The only thing they haven’t done is to salute at Gavin.

Tang Chao grins, asking the waiter to bring an additional pair of tableware over. “Captain Gavin, you’re here.”

Gavin glances at Tang Chao and says in a cool voice, "What’s the urgent matter?"

“Xiao Zheng fell out love, so he asked you over to console him with us.”

“...”

Xiao Zheng frantically waves his hands in surprise, stammering a retort. Tang Chao pushes him back onto his seat and signals for him not to speak.

"Don't be sad, the chances of people ending up together is always unpredictable." Tang Chao pats Xiao Zheng on the shoulder. "Besides, who doesn’t have someone in their heart? Don’t you agree, Captain Gavin?"

These words are akin to a sudden clap of thunder on a calm sea. Xiao Zheng immediately forgets to cry. Eli immediately straights up, and the others hurriedly set down their chopsticks, whipping their heads over to look at Gavin like meerkats.

Gavin remains expressionless, though the hissing sound emanating from his body is even cooler than the ice cubes in the beer.

Since they’re in public, Tang Chao knows that it wouldn’t be convenient for Gavin to give him a beating. As such, he’s incredibly composed, and continues with his questions without a fear of death. “Captain Gavin, why aren’t you saying anything?”

“Why do you think this has anything to do with her?”

“I already saw the photograph back in the training days. Is she the lady from before when you roared “Tang Chao, put your hands away”?

[Note] These are references to R&S [Tempering] and Ch 2 Part One!

"...Tang Chao!”

“I'm here, I'm here." Tang Chao fills Gavin’s glass with beer. "Captain Gavin, I actually realised that you haven't been in the best state recently, but you don't like speaking your mind. I’m showing my concern."

“It’s said that you speak the truth after drinking, and today’s beer should be enough. Whatever you want to say, whatever’s suppressed in your heart, just release them all happily. Right, Captain Eli?”

After three rounds of drinking, Tang Chao fails to get Gavin drunk, but ends up drinking too much himself. Once again, he complains about Gavin's "Death Training" back in the days of special training. In the end, Gavin foots the bill.

Eli steps forward and pats him on the shoulder, saying, "Did something happen recently?" Gavin shakes his head in resignation. "You really believed him? His mouth is like a runaway train.”

Eli looks at Gavin and sighs. "I know you don’t need anyone to worry about you.”

"But that kid Tang Chao said one thing right. If one keeps suppressing their feelings, they’ll be suppressing problems.”

[ Chapter Four ]

On the way back, Gavin sees withered leaves on the branches along the street, and only then remembers the small succulent he had bought not long ago.

Back home, the potted plant on the balcony shrinks alone in the corner. Originally thinking that the plant he had left “free range” for so many days would meet a premature end, it turned out to be alive despite having a few withered leaves. Gavin finds this a little unbelievable, and he becomes more meticulous in watering it.

The next morning, Tang Chao opens the door to Gavin’s office and apologises solemnly. "Captain Gavin, I'm sorry. I promise that I’ll never inquire about your personal life in the future, let alone make arbitrary conjectures about your feelings.”

Without looking up at Tang Chao, Gavin only tosses out a sentence. "Before next Monday, re-check all the case data in the Archive Room.”

The Archive Room is on the third basement floor. The dust is very dense and the materials are very thick. Tang Chao wails immediately, leaving dejectedly.

Gavin picks up the document Tang Chao had just placed on his desk. It is a sealed report for the seizure of "small syringe" production plants, which records in detail the batches and output of pharmaceutical companies which participated in the production.

Reaching the final part of the report, Gavin is silent for a moment. At the end of the report, there is a line of small characters - "Ten boxes of drug samples are suspected to have gone missing."

Without putting much thought into it, a face with a beaming smile locks onto his mind.

“...I won't investigate you this time." He sighs, putting the report back into the drawer.

After ferreting the mole out of STF, Gray Rhino seems to have erased all traces of the "small syringes". But Gavin knows they wouldn’t withdraw easily from competing for "CORE" - naturally, neither will Black Swan.

Gavin is clear that the current peace will not last for long. Before the girl stands against him on the opposite side, what he has to do is be one step ahead, obtaining more crucial information as soon as possible.

The phone beeps, notifying him of a new e-mail. Gavin is pulled back from his thoughts, and his eyes fall on the unknown email that popped up.

"Congratulations on your successful registration in the Hunter Game" - the sender’s address is encrypted, and there is no doubt that no information can found.

Gavin's thoughts gradually settle. His hands are clasped lightly on the table, his gaze falling on the words "Hunter Game", his gaze turning sharp and determined.

That place definitely has something they’re looking for.

[ Chapter Five ]

In the STF Intensive Care Unit, a dripping sound accompanies the plastic tube. Gavin sleeps very peacefully, and he feels like he had a lot of dreams in his dazed state. They aren’t nightmares which wake him up with a start, but dreams which make him willing to remain asleep.

However, it seems he can only remember the final dream from the long series of dreams. When he’s roused awake by the sound of footsteps in the corridor, what lingers before his eyes is a blurry yet familiar face. Gavin sits up on the hospital bed, the pain from the no-longer-effective anaesthesia making him more awake.

Despite not telling Tang Chao and Eli about his participation in the Hunter Game, they aren’t suspicious. They’ve grown accustomed to Gavin’s aloof nature, and as such, assumed that he went on a secret mission.

During his absence over the past few days, there was a new development in the Evolver assassination incident - a new victim has appeared.

Gavin is very clear that if the cases were to be allowed to ferment, the higher-ups from “that side” would intervene in the matter. They have to take immediate action.

“There’s one more tricky thing." Tang Chao sits at the edge of his desk. "For the latest assassination case, we encountered a witness with a special situation. We might have to ask an Evolver who can read memories for help."

Tang Chao blinks and asks, "But I don't know any Evolvers with this ability. Do you know any, Captain Gavin?”

According to theory, aside from work purposes, they should be keeping a distance from each other. But according to the girl, the reason why they’ve come out for an idle stroll is, for one, to relax. Two, to search for inspiration to solve the case.

The lead from the only witness to the Evolver assassination was cut short. Gavin isn’t affected much, since he knows that this matter isn’t simple. In contrast, the girl is especially bothered by it, and feels apologetic for not being able to help.

On the bustling street in the afternoon, Gavin returns to his senses, taking the oden which the girl hands over with a smile.

When walking by her side, Gavin realises that he’s barely thinking about the things that are bothering him. He naturally picks up her conversation topics, as if they had wandered aimlessly on the street side by side before.

Does she feel the same way? In his heart, Gavin shakes his head in self-mockery, wanting to forget these thoughts which confuse him.

Walking out of the food street, rain patters down. The pedestrians on the street crowd together suddenly, rushing towards the station. Gavin holds up an umbrella, planning to send her back.

The yellow wintersweet flowers exude a subtle fragrance in the rain. The smell, colour, and the scent of the person next to him seem to be magnified, forming a memory of the present moment.

Perhaps, even before he noticed it himself, while he has been deliberately neglecting the complex emotions in his heart, they have been also been growing in a place where he cannot see. When she calls his name, when she accidentally touches his hand, it’s as though some things from a very long time ago are coming back to life in his mind--

Someone had once called his name using such a tone.

Someone had once held his hand in this way.

Someone... was once his strength.

The emotions which he conceals deeply, whether they are good or bad, were once held gently.

A scorching wave of heat suddenly rushes into his chest.

The traffic lights change, and the crowd waiting at the side of the street slowly surge towards the middle of the road. The surrounding pedestrians squeeze past each other, bumping into his shoulder from time to time.

Gavin lifts his head abruptly, watching the side profile of the girl as she’s in the rain. It’s as though there’s an intriguing overlap. It’s as though a very long time ago, his heart had leapt this fiercely for her.

The girl suddenly turns around, looking in his direction and waving at him. Putting away her umbrella, she points to a mother-daughter duo hiding from the rain underneath the bus stop. She asks for his opinion through her gaze. Without much thought, Gavin removes his jacket, brisk walking towards her in the rain.

Raindrops patter down, and the water beneath his feet leave splashes in their wake. Akin to rain, they land on his body. It’s as though he gets slightly more drenched with each step. At this moment, Gavin realises that on days when memories are muddied, he has grasped a thin thread since a long time ago.

The jacket supports a narrow world, and wind and rain occasionally blow in.

If their reunion was meant to verify their directions, no matter what the future holds, what he has to do now is to run forward with her, together.

[Note] Please don’t ask me about the Hunter Game! I haven’t had the chance to read the earlier chapters in detail so I don’t know the specifics 😅

💙 More S2 content: here

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#mlqc #mlqc cn #mlqc spoilers #mlqc gavin #...T^T #please don't send me asks about the new chapter even if it's about verifying spoilers floating around!#I haven't read them and I don't wish to be spoiled HAHAHA

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