#Showy Toffee

[timkontheunsure]

Tilda's circus act

Blitz doesn't move on muscle here.

The episode sets up alot of parallels in the ways Millie gets Blitz, and how she's comfort him in this episode.

She the one to give him back his mum's brooch.

She tries to pass on her own Mum's advice.

And is Millie give him a hug and holds his hand when he's upset. She set up to remind him of his mum in this episode.

But looks at what she does in their first fight/ interview process 😁. All the knives and blades..

Blitz uses a very showy spin to dodge. And guides her knife into hitting the wood of the chair back.

He's extremely confident and comfortable doing this.

He uses somersaults to get more space when needed.

Like he's extremely used to putting on a show while doing so.

He uses simple disarms on Millie, the sort you sort you might have taught a child.

There's something about this imp lady throwing knives at him that's making Blitz smile through a majority of this fight.

Millie even uses Blitz as a support to do a wallwalk cartwheel out of his hold. And Blitz just lets her.

Till their both enjoying the sparring match. 😁

When she grabs the darts Blitz reaction like it's expected.

And he's really happy about it.

He uses a back spring handstand into a flip to dodge the rest of them.

When he offers his hand; and she goes for another knife, he carefully keeps his stance and doesn't blink.

Like it's a lesson that got drilled into by someone he trusts, and always wanted to help out.

It was always interesting that Blitz and Barbie can fight using their Circus skills; but Fizz can't.

He's a juggler and acrobat, but can't fight for toffee.

Barbie Wire has the same easy way for dealing with knives in a fight.

I think it's really likely that Tilda's act was knife thrower and combate demonstrator.

As Millie says there's a lot imp assassins in Wrath. Might as well find a different use for those skills you're good at, and capitalise.

We know Cash's job was Ring Master, they don't normally do anything. Just announced the acts, and hype at the crowd. (Management never really dose alot do they lol).

We don't see who the knife thrower is at the circus, but lot of time is spent on the knife they throw.

[14eliho]

testing patissier

cherry cherry/wicked berry/ showy toffee/fancy choco/bloody orange

[coffyblak]

Are you the main character or a side character?

Luz "Luzia" Lamb

The Hero

you are THE main character. i would say congrats, but if you got this result, you Knew you were the main character. you take responsibility and accept your fate. you're courageous, determined, and able to focus intently on your goals. you fight to overcome obstacles and you don't give up easily. you probably have a mean competitive streak. you have a strict moral code that you follow. you can be arrogant, obsessive, and prideful. occasionally, you pick fights. that's okay though. at the end of the day, you're the hero!!!! go u.

Toffee the Dog

The Childhood Friend

you're the childhood best friend! you're nostalgic and reminisce on the past frequently. you're easygoing and friendly, which makes you extremely approachable. you're not particularily showy or dramatic. you're wholesome and down to earth. do i think you would go to college super far from your family/friends???? probably not.

Spring "Zach" the Ocelot

The Quirky Side Character

think manic pixie dream girl (looking at you john green) but you actually have depth!!! you're eccentric, attractive, and high on life. you are a little naive and irresponsible, but you're probably cooler than me, so who am i to judge. even though you aren't a main character, the fans love you so much that you get a spin-off series.

Coffy Blak

The Anti-Hero

"i diDn't wAnt to be a HerO" too bad you are one. you're the anti-hero! a main character for sure, you're the morally gray protagonist. you're unconvential, cynical, and you like your alone time. you might be the most sarcastic person ever. you might have questionable methods, but you do the right thing in the end... usually. you dislike being pitied. you're the TEXTBOOK neutral. also very chaotic. i fear and respect you.

[thdorkmagnet]

Light of the Sun and Stars Chapter 1: The Price of Freedom

Okay sorry for the wait, I lost the original file for this chapter and had to rewrite it from scratch when I could, which was a bit frustrating. Anyways here it is. 

Summary: His whole life Marco Diaz has been raised by monsters, living under the cruel rule of their leader, Toffee. But one day Marco escapes into Mewni where he meets a magical princess and Mewman like himself, who begins teaching him all about her world. Together they will learn about life, love, and the lights within each of them, as they change their world forever.

Chapter Synopsis: 14 years have passed and now teenage Marco is longing for a life outside of Toffee’s castle. But Toffee’s hold is strong and his dream will come at a price. 

Check out my other stuff on Fanfiction! 

Disclaimer: Star vs and all its characters are owned by Daron Nefcy and Disney. All rights go to them.

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14 Year Later

The castle was quiet today. Beard Deer couldn't help but ponder this as he patrolled through the empty halls. It really shouldn't surprise him so much. After all, all the other monster's were out on a raid, probably killing Mewman scum who had wandered too close to monster territory again or perhaps pillaging a small village that had opened mocked the monster's growing strength, but regardless, most of the monsters weren't present in the castle today.

Only Toffee (who had given the monster's there mission before disappearing into his room) Lobster Claws, and Three Eyed Potato Baby were left, with Beard Deer and the latter two left in charge of protecting the castle and patrolling it regularly until the others' return. In fact, the only other living creature in the castle was...

Beard Deer stopped suddenly realizing the reason for his concern. There was one living creature whose normally enthusiastic presence had been unseen and unheard from for a while now. Beard Deer tried not to assume the worst but, his fear was slowly getting the better of him, as he quickly altered his course, practically racing to the room of the person in question.

He knocked on the small, wooden door, putting an ear to it, listening for a reply. But none came. “Marco,” Beard Deer questioned, still not hearing a response. Finally, his concern got the better of him as he flung the door open, looking into the empty room with shock. He scanned the room for any signs of life to no avail, he was long gone.

Beard Deer gulped, before saying in a frightened voice, “Master Toffee is not gonna like this.”

…

Lobster Claws and his friend, Potato Baby were currently “guarding” the castle gates, slumped over in their chairs, eyes closed, their snores matching each other in perfect synchronization. The two were in a deep, peaceful sleep, a sleep that nothing could possibly interrupt. That was until a certain monster stomped up to the two, anger flashing through his eyes, as he shouted, “Lobster Claws! Potato Baby!”

The two were startled out of their sleep, both screaming loudly, as Lobster Claws' claw struck out in pure instinct catching his unfortunate friend right in the jaw. The two jumped quickly to their feet, standing at attention, the potato-like monster rubbing his now aching jaw softly. They both spotted Beard Deer, glaring at them in anger, and they shrank under his intense gaze.

“What do you two idiots think you are doing?” Beard Deer grunted beneath clenched teeth.

Lobster Claws, doing his best to recover from the initial shock, saluted their superior officer saying, “Guarding castle gates like you requested, sir!”

“Oh really,” Beard Deer said in barely restrained anger, crossing his arms. “And nothing ever got past you two while you were 'guarding'?” He did air-quotes on the last word and the two monster shared a look.

“Not that we're aware of, sir,” Lobster Claws shouted, saluting again, his friend following his example.

“And your certain there was no other jobs I assigned to you two that you were supposed to be doing?”  Beard Deer asked slowly, his eyes narrowing with every syllable.

Now the two monster looked to one another for conformation, neither sure what job their commanding officer was talking about. They turned away from Beard Deer, whispering quietly amongst themselves.

“What other job was it we were supposed to be doing?” Lobster Claws, whispered, Potato Baby replying with a short burst of what sounding to Beard Deer (and most of the monsters) like a series of unintelligible mumblings but in reality was just a strange language few could speak and even fewer could understand.

But Lobster Claws, being one of the few who could understand it, grunted in frustration, saying to his speech-challenged friend, “No we already did that.”

Another rapid series of mumblings.

“Did that last week.”

Mumblings, followed by, “Done.”

Beard Deer tapped his foot impatiently, as the two continued their conversation, trying to follow it as best as he could considering he could only understand half of it.

The potato-like monster paused for a moment thinking, before mumbling something in a hesitant manner.

“I don't think he even asked us to do that. Wait, did you actually clean the toilets with my toothbrush?!”

Potato Baby shrugged, giving a garbled, “Mmm-mm.”

Beard Deer finally face-palmed, shouting at the two, “You were supposed to watch Marco, you idiots!”

The two jumped, staring at the monster wide-eyed, until realization dawned on their slow-moving brains. “Oh yeah, right,” Lobster Claws said, tapping a claw to his hard head. He turned to his companion. “So where is he?”

Potato Baby mumbled something, giving a shrug and Beard Deer turned to Lobster Claws to hear the response. “What do you mean, you don't know?! I thought you were watching him!”

“So let me get this straight,” Beard Deer hissed, drawing the attention of the two once again, as he rubbed the sides of his forehead with his fingertips in frustration. “You left him alone, unguarded, for hours, without any supervision. And now not only is he missing, but neither of you have any idea where he is, whatsoever?!”

“Technically, yes,” Lobster Claws said, raising a knowing claw in the air. “But in our defense, you really should have known better to leave us with such an important job.”

He playfully nudged his fellow monster, whose anger exploded as he growled in the crustacean's face, who gave a frightened squeak.

“If Toffee finds out that Marco's gone, he's gonna skin all of us, including Marco,” Beard Deer screamed.

“Uhh, maybe we can find him?” Lobster Claws weakly suggested.

“We better cause if something happens to the kid, it'll be on you,” Beard Deer said, pocking the lobster's hard shell in a threatening manner, forcing Lobster Claws to back away from the infuriated monster, as he and Potato Baby shared a guilty look, both clearly concerned for the boy's well-being. As strange as it seemed, all the monsters had developed a soft spot for Marco, (excluding Toffee, of course) treating him like one of their own. At first they had all thought Buff Frog was crazy, bringing home a Mewman boy one day and declaring he would raise it. The monsters had been very withdrawn towards the boy in the beginning, none quite knowing how to feel about their enemy living under the same roof with them, even if he did go by the last name Diaz, but over time they had been able to look past Marco's Mewman background and see him for the kind, intelligent boy he was. And eventually, Marco managed to win all of them over and they expected the boy into their ranks, much to Toffee's dismay. Now the monsters couldn't see him as anything else than Marco, his Mewman side easily overlooked amongst the close knit group of Toffee's most elite monsters.

Finally, Lobster Claws turned back to his fellow monster, saying in a reassuring voice, “Aww, come on boss, he's gotta be here somewhere. He never got past the gate so he's gotta still be in the castle. I mean, after all, where could he have gone anyways?”

…

Marco Diaz grunted with effort as he slowly inched his way across the tree branch as he was currently suspended from, ignoring the rough bark as it scraped against his skin or the green leaves that continued to cling to his messy, brown hair. He stuck his tongue out, trying his best to keep a firm grip on the branch, the backpack strapped to his back weighing him down heavily, making hanging on rather difficult. Finally, he was able to reach out and grab onto another branch beside him, hauling himself onto it, safely. He rested for a moment catching his breath, as he wiped the sweat from his brow, looking up at the progress he had made so far. He had descended a few branches already, the window he had managed to reach the tree from just a few feet above him. But as he looked down he could see he still had quite a ways to go.

He sighed, removing his backpack from off his shoulders and dropping it to the earth below with a muted thud, before continuing his descent. He was very careful as he climbed, making sure not to put too much weight on any of the fragile branches and testing each new limb first, before fully descending onto it. The going was slow, but eventually Marco reached the final branch, jumping off and landing easily on his feet.

As he went over to retrieve his backpack from the soft earth, he brushed the bothersome leaves from his hair, as he smoothed it back into the usual spiked style he enjoyed. Once his backpack was recovered, he looked himself over to make sure there were no more leaves clinging to the rest of him. He wore a simple gray t-shirt, black pants, and a pair of green sneakers, nothing showy or flashy, just the way he wanted it.

He nodded glad to see he was leaf-free as he turned his attention to the forest now stretched before him. His brown eyes shined with wonder and excitement as they scanned the wilds of monster territory, a small smile gracing his lips as the twin suns on his cheeks, reacting to his excitement, spun a full circle before freezing in their usual position. He took a deep breath in, mumbling to himself, “Calm down, Marco. You got this.” He got into a crouched position, letting the tension build within him before he took off as fast as he could, running off the jungle beyond his home.

Marco panted, loving the rush of the air blowing past him and the fast beating of his heart, thrills he was always denied at home. Toffee often wanted Marco to remain confined to his room and out of the way, never allowing him to move around too much in case he got damaged. But Marco hated being kept still and in one place, enjoying pushing his body to its limits.

Marco felt a cool breeze wash over his face, as he continued at a hard and fast pace, brushing leaves and branches aside as he continued on into the depths of the jungle, unopposed. Eventually, he spotted a small mark in a tree just ahead. It was rough and faded, looking years old, but Marco found it immediately. He ran past it, quickly looking ahead for the next marking. He spotted it just a little ways away, this one was less faded than the last, and he altered his path just slightly so he could race past it as well. Soon, he came across another marking and then another, each in better condition than the last.

As he continued to push on through the harsh vegetation, Marco could feel his legs starting to cramp from overwork but he forced himself to continue moving, finding a strange one of the marked trees, this one's scrapes looking only a few days old. A thick wall of vegetation had grown around the tree and its neighbors, making it impossible for Marco to see what lay beyond the wall of vines and ivy. Marco panted heavily, bent over, hands on knees, as he tried to get a proper amount of air flow back into his oxygen-deprived lungs. He felt hot all over, his legs were sore, and he was now a little sweaty, but Marco didn't care, it was worth it. He caught his breath before rising to full height once again. He slowly approached the marked bark. But Marco's smiling face turned to one of intense concentration, as he turned to the wall of vegetation once again, preparing himself to step into the unknown. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes and stepping forward, pushing the wall out of the way, now on the other side of the vegetated curtain.

Marco stood frozen for a moment, his whole body on alert as he waited to be devoured or attacked by some creature. But as his body remained untouched he slowly peeked open an eye, seeing no dangerous, Mewman-eating predators, just a small, muddy swamp uninterrupted from the rest of the jungle's wilds. He let out a deep sigh, allowing his body to relax once again, as the smile returned to his face. “Yes!” he screamed with an elated cheer, pumping a fist into the air. “Farthest I've ever gotten! And still alive!” Marco puffed out his chest proudly.

He spotted a small crocodile thing a little ways off, watching him suspiciously with large, bulging eyes. Marco lay down in front of the reptile as they were now to equal levels, holding up a hand. “High five!” he said, with a smile.

The crocodile didn't return his gesture however, simply going, “Bwwwaaa!” before turning around and wading out into the depth of the pond, getting a safe distance away from the unknown stranger. Marco watched the creature go in shock, hand still raised in greeting, before giving a shrug at the rejection and pulling himself into a more comfortable sitting position.

Once he was situated, he pulled the backpack off his shoulders and began digging around in it. The crocodile watched the intruder curiously. Finally, Marco found what he was looking for, pulling out a bright red apple. He held it out to the crocodile, who eyes it with hunger. “Here you go,” Marco offered, leaning forward a little. The reptiles' eyes darted from Marco the the apple then back to Marco before its hunger won out and it waded back to shore. Marco watched its approach eagerly, excited this creature had taken an interest in him. It stopped in front of the boy, and the two shared a look for a moment.

Suddenly, the crocodile lunged forward, and Marco barely had time to drop the apple and pull his hand away with a surprised squeak, before the crocodile's jaws snapped shut in the exact place his hand had been. Marco panted from the frightful experience, now watching the hungry reptile wearily. It easily swallowed the apple in one bite, now looking at Marco expectantly. For a moment, Marco was afraid all the dangers Toffee had warned him about were true and he was about to be devoured by this strange creature. But, to Marco's surprise the creature padded slowly over to him, before laying down at his side, his leathery head resting in Marco's lap.

Marco froze, surprised at the creature's friendliness, as waited for the monster to attack and snap at him again, but it didn't. It just lay in his lap, its eyes closed, its breathing soft and peaceful. Marco felt his body relaxing as he watched the resting gator, becoming mesmerized in its simple act of breathing. After a moment, he hesitantly brought a hand down and began to gently stroke the creature's head. He felt it tense up underneath his touch, but it didn't stop him, and so Marco continued, growing less and less weary with every stroke.

Though it's skin was very rough and scaly, Marco enjoyed petting the creature, a happy smile on his face, as looked out at the creature's muddy residence, finding something surprisingly beautiful about it.

“Y'know,” Marco finally said, his voice a whispered awe, speaking to the reptile curled up in his lap. “Someday I'd like to see more things like this.” The reptile said nothing, as Marco continued to pet it. “Someday, I'd like to see more of Mewni and experience things I've never experienced before. I'm hoping someday Toffee will let me go out with Buff Frog and the rest of the monsters on their 'missions' and see what it is they're always doing out there. I know he thinks I'll be in the way, but, who knows, maybe I can even help them.” Marco looked down at the reptile. “What do you think?” The crocodile remained soundless and Marco let out a sigh. “Yeah, your right, I don't think he'd go for that either.”

Marco settled back, enjoying the view in front of him in silence, taking it all in. “Maybe it is wrong for me to want to go, but I just... feel like there's more for me that I could do. I just- I just want to make a difference.” Marco went quiet and his new friend eyed him carefully, taking in the look of uncertainty and sadness on the boy's face. It studied him for a moment before it followed the boy's example, looking back at the small pond he called home.

“Bwwwaaa!” he croaked and Marco looked down at the creature fondly, giving it a quick pat.

“Thanks.”

…

Marco quietly opened the window, peeking his head in, looking for any signs of life in the darkness, but all he was greeted with an empty hallway. He let out a deep sigh, before slowly climbing in and closing the window behind him.

He sneaked quietly down the hallways, holding his backpack to his chest, afraid to alert anyone to his presence. Toffee had made it clear that Marco was supposed to remain in his room and out of the way until the others returned and Marco had no way of knowing if they were back yet or not, time having easily gotten away from him in the peace of the swamp, and though Marco had no way of knowing what punishment Toffee had in store for him, he really wished to never find out. He had rarely encountered Toffee, the lizard monster mostly keeping to himself, but Marco knew from the few experiences he had had that he was terrifying. For whatever reason beyond Marco's knowledge, Toffee extremely disliked him, a feeling the young boy wasn't use to having. Most of the monsters adored Marco, treating him well over the years, so to have not just any monster, but the boss himself hate him so much was quite strange to Marco and he usually went out of his way to stay out of Toffee's path, which didn't seem to bother the lizard any. So the last thing he wanted to do now was get caught out of his room.

“Marco!” the voice called behind him and he flinched, his hand stopping just inches from the doorknob. He turned to see Beard Deer, Potato Baby, and Lobster Claws just a short distance away giving him looks ranging from worry to anger. Marco, in a panic, quickly put his hands behind his back, shielding the backpack from their prying eyes, giving the most innocent smile he could muster.

“Hey guys,” Marco said with a small wave, hoping that the others' night vision hadn't picked up on the backpack yet. But the backpack was the last thing on any of the monsters' minds as they quickly surrounded the startled boy.

“Where have you been?” Beard Deer shouted, his voice an equal mixture of scolding and concern, grabbing Marco by his shoulders, his chiding glare digging in to his young charge. Marco shifted uncomfortably under the monster's gaze but tried to keep his face smiling.

“Oh you know... here and there,” Marco said as casually as he could, waving a hand, halfheartedly, in gesture.

“Where?” Lobster Claws asked confused, rubbing the top of his head with his claw. “Cause we've searched the castle, like, a hundred times and never saw you.”

“You must have just missed me,” Marco replied in a questioning tone, sounding more like he was trying to convince himself then the others, his eyes darting uneasily between the monsters.

Beard Deer let go of the young Mewman and crossed his arms, staring down at him with a well-trained glare, while Three Eyed Potato Baby whispered something to his crustacean friend, who nodded in agreement. “I'm not lying,” Marco said to the potato-like monster defensively, but his resistance weakened once again as the others gave him dead-panned stares, feeling guilty at lying to the creatures he considered family. “Well, I'm not,” Marco said in soft tone, turning away from the others, unable to look any of them in the eyes, as their questioning stares continued to penetrate his quickly evaporating confidence.

“Marco, you know your supposed to stay in your room,” Beard Deer scolded, no anger in his tone anymore, just genuine concern, and that hurt Marco far more than being yelled at any day.

Marco sighed, closing his eyes tight, “I know, I'm sorry,” he muttered sadly. “I just hate staying in there all day. I got bored.”

The others all felt their anger disintegrating at the sight of the disheartened young boy. They all looked at him with sympathy, feeling the need to comfort their young charge.

“Hey, it's okay, we understand,” Beard Deer said softly, putting a hand on Marco's shoulder. “But you know the rules.”

The boy nodded, head still down as a new question lingered in his mind. He looked up at the deer monster, staring him directly in the eyes.

“Your not gonna tell Toffee I snuck out, are you?” Marco asked, his eyes pleading.

Beard Deer hesitated. “Well...”

Marco felt panicked and quickly yelled, “No! You can't! He'll kill me if he finds out!”

“And us,” Lobster Claws added, his voice panicked, claws to his head. Beard Deer said nothing, the look on his face telling Marco that he was still going to hold true to his word.

“And us,” Lobster Claws added, his voice panicked, claws to his head. Beard Deer said nothing, the look on his face telling Marco that he was still going to hold true to his word.

Marco clapped his hands together, looking at him with sad, puppy-dog eyes, begging the monsters in front of him to listen. “Please don't tell him, please, please, please.”

From next to him, Lobster Claws also begged, mimicking Marco exactly, “Yeah, don't tell him, please, please, please.” While on his other side, Three Eyed Potato Baby shook his enclosed hands, garbling unintelligent cries at their temporary leader.

Beard Deer looked around at the three in front of him and felt his resolve weakening, but tried to remain strong under their begging. “Fine. But we at least need to tell Buff Frog,” he said in a voice that sounded less harsh then he intended. The others sighed, but Marco felt panic once again.

“No don't do that. He's gotta enough to worry about already. I don't want to make things harder for him,” Marco was on the brink of tears and all of them shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, finding it increasingly hard to say no.

“But...” Lobster Claws started, but the look on Marco's face was too much for him and he went silent, hanging his head in shame.

“Now Marco,” Beard Deer tried but the focused attention on him finally broke his resolve and he sighed in defeat. “All right, you win,” he muttered, not daring to look the boy in the face.

“Thank you!” Marco cried in victory, his face immediately switching to his signature smile.

“But,” Beard Deer interrupted the boy's celebration, bending down so they were now on the same level, wagging a finger in front of his face. “You have to promise not to do it again.” Beard Deer gave him a serious stare and Marco could tell he needed to give him a calm, level-headed answer.

“I promise,” he said, matching the stare with the monster in front of him. Beard Deer seemed satisfied with the answer and relaxed, raising back to his full height.

“Good,” he said ruffling Marco's hair affectionately. Lobster Claws and Three Eyed Potato Baby waited a moment, letting the peaceful moment sink in, staring back and forth between the Mewman and the monster. Until Lobster Claws' stomach rumbled, breaking the moment and drawing everyone's attention to him.

He chuckled awkwardly, putting both claws to his rumbling stomach, before asking, “Since that is all settled can we please go get something to eat? I'm starving.”

Marco chuckled and Beard Deer, raised his eyebrow at his friend. They all began heading off in the direction of the kitchen, Marco waving to the three monsters despite the fact they couldn't see him. Potato Baby mumbled something to the Lobster monster, who quickly replied, “Well I was busy looking for Marco, now wasn't I?!”

Marco sighed with relief, glad to know he hadn't really been caught. He opened the door stepping inside the dark room,, backpack still held loosely in one hand. That was when he froze, mid-step, staring open-mouthed at the sight in front of him. Toffee stood in the middle of his room, with his back to the boy, but as the door opened he turned to Marco, with the same lack of expression he normally wore and Marco felt his heart stop. The two stood just staring at one another for what felt to Marco like an eternity, Marco frozen in fear, Toffee continuing to gaze at him blankly, until finally Toffee said in a calm voice, “Close the door, Marco.”

Though Marco felt sick at the idea of being trapped alone with Toffee in this dark room, he obeyed the monster, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. Once the two were alone Toffee continued to stare the boy down, awaiting an explanation that Marco didn't have.

Marco shifted his weight from one foot to the other, feeling awkward under Toffee's intense gaze, his eyes coming to rest on the small golden ring on the middle finger of Toffee's left hand, the small green gem embedded in it glowing faintly, despite the lack of light in the room. Marco felt dizzy looking into the light of the crystal, his mind going blank for a moment, all thought coming to a screeching halt. The boy shook his head, freeing himself from the hypnotic glow of Toffee's ring before taking a step forward, saying, “Master Toffee I can explain-”

“No need,” Toffee said, his voice a cold monotone. Marco froze once again, confused at the monster's lack of aggression, he knew the lizard had built up a reputation for never showing emotion, but this felt strange even for him. Marco had at least expected some anger after he had directly disobeyed his superior. But Toffee expression never changed as he continued. “It's obvious what's going on.”

Marco felt his heart race once again, as Toffee stepped closer to him, bending down so he was now level with the young Mewman. “Your running away,” he said calmly, sadness just barely creeping out of his voice.

Marco's eyes widened in terror as he quickly screamed, “What, no!” But Toffee gave him a glare, upset at the interruption and Marco went silent once again, shrinking under Toffee's gaze. The lizard sighed, rising to full height once again, taking a few steps away from the boy. He stopped, hands behind his back, his fingers, unknowingly playing with the small golden ring, flashing a sickly, green glow across the boy's guilt-ridden face. Toffee took a moment to think of the proper response, every second just adding to the tension of the room. “After your patents died...” the monster began, making Marco flinch without the lizard's knowledge and he felt tears rising up in his eyes, trying his best to ignore the hurt, numbing feeling that weighed heavily on his chest at the mention of his parents. “I took you in when no one else wanted you. I gave you a home, kept you well-fed, provided you with every comfort you could possibly need, and sheltered you from all the dangerous of Mewni. And yet, you continue to be a disappointment.”

He turned around, his eyes narrowing to slits as they came to rest on Marco once again. “If the others were to find out you were trying to leave us, it would break their hearts. Is that what you want Marco, to break our hearts?”

“No,” Marco muttered weakly, feeling guilt and hurt flow through him like waves, keeping his eyes on anything but the lizard, who slowly stalked closer to him once again.

“But you still wish to continue with this stupid notion of leaving?” he said, now towering over the shaken form of the Mewman.

Marco shook his head, wiping the unshed tears from his eyes with the back of his hand. “I'm sorry, Master Toffee, it won't happen again, “Marco said, his voice tight and unsettled as he did his best to keep his emotions in check.

There was a pause, the room becoming deathly silent, as Toffee just glared down the sniffling boy. Finally, the lizard's voice broke the silence of the room, his voice uncharacteristically hard. “No it won't.” Before Marco could ponder what exactly Toffee meant, he felt a sharp pain shoot up his arm and he screamed, his whole body freezing up in shock. He slowly looked down at his aching arm with bleary, tear-filled eyes, noticing that his arm now had three small marks running perpendicular across it. Marco blinked back his tears as his frazzled brain finally came to the realization that they were, in fact, claw marks.

He put a shaking hand over the scar, unable to believe that Toffee had just struck him. His breathing was shallow and erratic as he tried to make sense of the pain now coursed though his body. He struck me, Marco thought, the words looping through his mind over and over again. He actually struck me. He couldn't believe it, Toffee had often scolded him or spoke harshly to him in the past, but he had never raised so much as a claw against him before. Marco looked up at Toffee with hurt-filled eyes.

“Now don't give me that look, Marco,” Toffee said, the smooth, coldness to his voice gone, a cruel hiss escaping through his calm facade. Marco shivered at the harshness of his voice, breaking eye contact with his superior, staring blankly at the floor. “You brought this on yourself, after all.”

Marco tried to process the lizard's words, as his scar throbbed beneath his grasp, his hand growing wet and sticky with his own blood. He swallowed back the lump in his throat as Toffee's words whispered softly in his head. Was he right? Had Marco done wrong? Had he really just broken one of the only rules given to him just so he could satisfy some bizarre curiosity he wasn't even sure why he had? Toffee was right, he did deserve to be punished. The other monsters would be ashamed if they knew the truth.

Marco's thoughts were silenced, however, as Toffee's claws connected with Marco's unguarded back. Marco let out a hurt grunt, clenching his teeth together to keep from crying out in pain. But the endurance was too much for his weak body to handle and he fell to his knees, panting. For a moment, Toffee just stared down at the boy in silence, as Marco tried his best to suffer through the unbearable pain that now coursed through his shaking body like fire. In Marco's weak, pain-filled mind he heard Toffee say, “When we do wrong we must be punished. And these scars are proof of your crimes.”

Marco held back the sob that threatened to release itself, as guilt consumed the young Mewman, the hurt slowly gnawing away at his stomach far more painful that the scars. But Toffee merely picked up the backpack that had been left discarded on the floor, silently exiting the room. He opened the door, before turning back to the boy laying quietly on the floor. “Marco.”

Marco turned to look at the lizard, his vision blurry with the tears he had yet to shed. “I'm doing this for your own good. We both know you'd never survive out in the real world.” With that the door closed, leaving Marco alone with his thoughts. Marco finally released the tears he had been holding back, sobbing quietly on the floor, the pain becoming too much for him to bare.

…

The monsters return home was one of triumph, with the monsters once again bringing in another victory over the Mewmans, reclaiming another corner of their stolen land. And once again, Toffee was not present for their return, more interested in whatever plans he was making in his private study to join in on the celebration. But none of the monsters really minded, none of them particularly caring for the lizard, all of them solely motivated by the fear of betraying him. There was no doubt he had made many new and great changes for the monster kind, many of them reclaiming much of the land they had lost over the years, the Butterfly Kingdom's realm slowly shrinking after every new attack, but Toffee had been shown to have a cruel side, especially amongst his main group of monsters, that had been hand selected by Buff Frog, and he in no way tolerated incompetence.

But, luckily, Toffee wasn't present at the event and so the monsters could celebrate to their hearts content, cheering on their triumph and recounting the thrilling tale of their escapades to the three monsters who hadn't been present for the event. There was no doubt that they owned most of their gratitude to Buff Frog, who had led the monsters with levelheadedness and experience that was rivaled only by Toffee himself. In everyone's eyes Buff Frog was the hero of the day.

The frog in question seemed overjoyed as well, smiled and celebrated with the rest of his fellow monsters, while on the inside he shivered, adding new and terrifying images into his subconscious, piling them on top of the growing list of frights that would surely continue to haunt his nightmares. Deep down, Buff Frog knew murdering innocent Mewmans was something he truly didn't have the stomach for, but he did what he had to do to survive and to keep Marco safe. And so he continued on with his missions, rallying the monsters into raid after raid, as the Mewman death count continued to rise, only the thought of seeing Marco again keeping him going.

And with his mind drifting to that of his adopted son, Buff Frog felt impatience to break away from the party and check on the boy, but as Toffee's right claw monster he had to keep up appearances, waiting for the right time to sneak away without drawing too much attention on himself. It took what felt to him like forever but eventually he found a lag in the party and quickly withdrew himself without being noticed.

He knew he was expected by Toffee, who was surely waiting for his report on the mission to be delivered, but he needed to see Marco first, needing to see his smiling face. He knocked on the door, waiting patiently for a reply so as to not disturb the teenager's privacy. But after a moment with no answer, Buff Frog began to worry, knocking on the door once again, putting an ear softly to the door, trying to hear any signs of life from behind the wooden frame. But once again there was no reply and the frog's worry grew. Finally, concern outweighed courtesy, and he entered into the dark room.

At first, Buff Frog thought Marco wasn't there, and he felt a deep primal fear surging through him, until he saw a shifting shadow in the darkness ahead. He sighed in relief and made his way carefully across the room, wishing he didn't lack the night vision most monsters had, his eyes never leaving the lump of shadow in front of him. His eyes quickly adjusted to the dark and he found himself standing over the curled up form of Marco, tucked tightly into a ball on his bed.

“Marco,” Buff Frog whispered softly, bending down to the boy's level. But Marco didn't turn around, keeping his heads buried in his arms. “Marco, what is wrong?” Buff Frog tried again, trying to keep his voice calm despite the worry he felt, Marco only curling up on himself even more as the amphibian spoke.

“I'm a bad person,” came the boy's only reply, his voice slightly muffled, but it still managed to make Buff Frog ache over how pain-filled it sounded. He sounded like he had been crying.

“Now, now,” Buff Frog soothed in his surprisingly calming accent, gently patting Marco's head.. “Everything is okay.”

Marco suddenly turned around to face him, his eyes red and blood-shot, dried tear marks flowing all the way down his face, his hair messier than usual. He seemed to be careful as he shifted, keeping a hand rested on his arm, as he gave the monster the most hurt look Buff Frog had ever seen on the child. He looked at the boy with sympathy, feeling his stomach twist in agony at the sight of his distressed son.

“No, it's not,” Marco cried, sobbing softly to himself, Buff Frog noticing the boy's hand tightening its hold on his arm. On closer inspection, he saw that there was blood on Marco's fingertips and he panicked ripping Marco's hand away from his arm, inspecting the freshly cut claw marks with an equal mixture of fear and confusion.

“Marco, what happened?” the monster asked, his voice shaky as he stared at the claw marks in terror.

Marco opened his mouth to answer, but instead he broke down into a sob once again, tears freely streaming down his face. Buff Frog could only stare in shock at the crying child. “T-Toffee came in earlier,” Marco explained in-between gasps of breath. “A-And he found out I've been sneaking out of the castle. And he-he...” Marco broke off, tears dripping down his face, hitting the soft covers of his bed with a muted plop.

Buff Frog watched his son in silence, his own stare of agony matching Marco's perfectly as he put a comforting hand on Marco's cheek, making Marco jump, as his eyes met his father's. “Did he so this to you?” the monster asked, anger leaking into his distressed voice.

Marco nodded and looked away, guilt gnawing away at him once again. “I'm sorry,” he whispered, his hands fidgeting with the now damp bedsheets.

“No,” Buff Frog said suddenly, making Marco look up, startled. “No apologizing. You are good boy. You do nothing wrong.” The frog's voice was soft and he gently wiped the tears off of Marco's face, giving him a loving smile.

“B-But I disobeyed orders,” Marco said putting a hand on Buff Frog's arm, pulling it away from his face, guilt evident in his glassy eyes. “I went outside and-”

“Of course you go outside,” Buff Frog said softly. “Toffee keep you trapped here. Of course, you wish to see outside world.”

Marco sniffed, his arm and back aching. “I'll never leave again,” he whispered and Buff Frog's heart broke as his adopted son lay his head against his muscular chest, seeking comfort. Buff Frog wrapped his arms around the boy, gently patting his back as he hushed the crying boy.

Buff Frog stayed with Marco for a few hours, comforting him, trying to soothe his troubled mind with no luck, until finally, Marco became too exhausted from crying and fell asleep in his father's arms, his mind finally seeming to be at peace. Buff Frog held the boy against him for a while, lost in his thoughts, gently running a hand up and down his adopted son's back. It hurt Buff Frog to no end to see Marco in so much distress and his anger boiled at the thought of Toffee harming Marco. That went against their deal. And so, as the frog monster tucked the sleeping boy in, he felt a growing determination rising within him. He rose from the bed, anger and hurt fueling him, as he stormed off for Toffee's room.

…

It was always cold in the room, because he felt stronger in the cold, enjoying watching everyone shiver when they entered the room. He often kept it dark, lighting only a few small candles here and there, his night vision filling in any problems he had at seeing in the darkness. At the moment, the room was pitch black, the only form of light seeping out from underneath his door.

This door creaked open slowly, breaking the crushing silence the room had been consumed by, as Buff Frog entered, his breath already fogging in the icy air. He stepped inside, waiting for the lizard to speak, not bothering to look for him, he had night vision, Buff Frog did not. In this room he was completely at the disadvantage. The frog waited for his eyes to adjust to the lack of light, keeping close to the door and the little light it provided, not daring to venture any farther in. Though he was cold he refused to shiver, not wanting to give Toffee the satisfaction.

“I've been expecting you, Buff Frog,” Toffee's voice called from the dark, bouncing off the walls making it impossible to pinpoint his location.

“Toffee, we need to talk,” Buff Frog began, looking straight ahead with a determined grimace.

“Well that was the plan, wasn't it?” Toffee's voice rang out once again. “You tell me the results of your mission and-”

“No!” Buff Frog yelled, his patience reaching its limit. “We talk about Marco.”

“Very well.” Buff Frog flinched at the sound of Toffee's voice directly behind him. He turned surprised to see Toffee staring at him with a bored expression, his eyes hiding a knowing, evil glint. Buff Frog felt a chill run down his spine but managed to match the lizard's stare.

“I see Marco, he is covered in cuts you give to him,” Buff Frog began, anger in his accent.

“Yes well, he disobeyed me, he needed to be punished,” Toffee replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“It is not your place to punish him!”

“As long as Marco is under my roof he will abide by my rules. Honestly, Buff Frog, we already agreed to this years ago.”

“No, you force me to make deal. And now my little Marco is hurt because of it,” Buff Frog looked hurt for a second but he quickly recovered hiding it behind his glare once again. But it had been there, that much Toffee was sure of and he allowed himself a small smile of victory.

“I am through with your deals,” Buff Frog continued after taking a moment to recover, his voice as threatening as he could make it, as he closed the distance between the two, their faces now just inches from touching. “You release Marco now.”

Toffee finally reacted, his eyes narrowing slightly at the frog monster in front of him. Though Buff Frog could tell the lizard was growing angry, he refused to back away. “No,” the lizard replied, his voice bland and emotionless as ever. “Marco is going to remain right here. Where I can keep an eye on him.”

“You mean where you can control him!”

“Marco has a mind of his own, he requires control.”

“No, he needs freedom! Something we should have given him years ago.”

Toffee smiled. “Even if we give him the choice, he will never leave. He's too afraid to. afraid he'll hurt the monsters, afraid he'll upset you... afraid he'll be punished by me.” Toffee gave the monster a confident smirk, before continuing. “Face it Buff Frog, he is under my control. As are you.”

Buff Frog's fists were shaking from clenching so hard, so he slowly said in a dark tone, “Marco is not your pawn.” He spat every syllable at the horrible monster, his eyes glaring hatred at the well-dressed reptile.

Toffee merely shrugged, walking past the monster, who froze in confusion, no longer sure what he should do. “Being blind to the truth doesn't free you from it, it makes you confined to it. You and he really are so much alike. You both are ridiculously easy to control.”

“I will not allow you to control him,” Buff Frog said, turning to glare daggers at the lizard's unguarded back.

Toffee sighed with annoyance, turning back to his minion with anger clearly displayed on his face, no longer able to hide his irritation behind his business-like demeanor. “If you try anything, Buff Frog. I will be forced to take desperate measure,” his voice was commanding, his eyes digging deep underneath the frog's skin, who did his best to keep his eyes level with the lizard's, whose eyes narrowed with a killing intent that frightened the frog far more that he was willing to admit.

“Are you threatening my son?!” Buff Frog said softly, his voice shaking with rage.

“Of course not,” Toffee replied, but his eyes held a knowing glint. “I'm just saying, Marco is a very disobedient boy, if he keeps acting up I may have to start punishing him more, much more. After all, we can't have him getting in the way of our missions. If he were to discover the truth, he would reject all of us... including you.”

Buff Frog said nothing, but his resolve had weakened, giving Toffee the advantage. “Take my word for it Buff Frog. It's better this way, for everybody.”

Buff Frog looked away from Toffee's unbroken stare, all signs of anger drained from his face, looking more hurt than anything else. Toffee smiled to himself, before walking back into the darkness of his room. “Your dismissed,” Toffee's voice called, echoing around the room once again.

The frog monster silently turned and exited the room, his face passive and compliant, all his rage now replaced with a depressed stare. At least on the outside. On the inside, Buff Frog burned with anger, frustrated at the lizard and himself for allowing this to go on for as long as it had. But no more, Buff Frog swore. He had thought he was protecting Marco by promise he had made to the boy all those years ago. The gears in his head were turning a mile a minute, as a plan slowly started developing in his mind.

…

It was late at night, when Marco was awoken from his slumber, feeling a gentle shaking on his arm. At first he believed it was just part of his dream and allowed the welcoming sanctuary of his sleep to take him over once again. But as his arm was shook the next time, Marco knew something was off, that this was not the dream he was currently consumed by. But his eyes still remained closed, not having the strength to awaken himself just yet. He was shaken a third time, this one harder than the others, his whole body shaking in rhythm to the force of the unknown source of discomfort. A voice softly whispering his name and this was enough to pull Marco's frazzled brain out of its vegetated state.

He opened his eyes softly, turning to see Buff Frog standing over him, his face more grim than he had ever seen it, instantly startling the sleep-deprived boy, making his heart rate pick up slightly.

“Buff Frog,” Marco whispered groggily, sitting up, rubbing his tired eyes absentmindedly. The monster put a finger to his lips, confusing the boy, who suddenly felt a cold twinge of fear. “What's going on?” he asked, panic in his hushed voice.

But all Buff Frog said was, “Get dressed.” Marco obeyed instantly, leaping into action, fear overpowering his tired state, his body moving into overdrive as he jumped off the bed, running to his closet. As the boy changed out of the clothes he had slept in and into a fresh pair, Buff Frog kept an eye outside the room, as if he was expecting some kind of danger to come around the corner and attack. But Marco had lived his whole life in the castle and he had never known it to be anything but safe. Marco grimaced as his gray shirt brushed uncomfortably with the stinging scar on his exposed back. Well, as safe as it could be.

Once he was dressed in his usual fashion, Buff Frog took him by the shoulder, making sure it was not the hurt one, leading the boy quietly out of the castle. The going was slow, Buff Frog's eyes in constant motion darting around looking for any sign of trouble or resistance. But he had long since memorized the path of the night guards and was able to easily avoid detection.

Marco followed behind the frog monster, studying his facial expressions as they pressed on through the quite castle with a purpose, one that was unknown to Marco. He had never seen Buff Frog so intense or fearful before and it scared him to think of what exactly it was that could turn the calm, confident leader into a hesitant ball of stress.

At one point, a shadow appeared from around a corner, its length stretching long and wide against the wall but quickly shrinking as its owner grew closer to the two, and Buff Frog pulled the boy against the wall, out of the approaching guard's path of vision, putting a protective hand in front of him, watching the shadow with a held breath. He had been sure that there was no guard on this path and his silently cursed himself for the mess-up. The shadow continued to shrink as the night guard grew closer and closer to the two, until finally it stopped at the end of the hallway, all he needed to do was walk around the corner and they would be spotted. Buff Frog dared not breathe as Marco looked at the shadow in silent confusion.

But luckily, the night guard turned on his heels walking away from the two, his shadow growing in length with every passing step, the echoing of his footsteps ringing off the castle walls. Buff Frog sighed at the close call, trying to think of another exit out of the castle. Surely the front gate would be guarded and any chance of getting past it practically impossible. And the more time they spent out here in the open, the more chance they had at getting caught. Buff Frog felt a growing sense of panic as his internal clock slowly ticked away, every second growing more and more dangerous for him and the child. It was only a matter of time before the guards checked in on Marco and the whole castle was put on high alert. The frog grimaced, knowing their window of escape was closing fast. Buff Frog froze, this last thought giving him a new idea.

He looked around for any signs of what he needed, relieved to find a window on the opposite wall, just out of sight of the night guards vision. He pulled the confused boy over to the window, opening it quietly. Cold air immediately flooded into the room, making Marco shiver.

“What's going on, Buff Frog?” Marco asked the monster, who was silently judging the distance below. “Why are we sneaking around? Why are we hiding from the other monsters?”

Buff Frog turned to the Mewman, his face the picture of hesitation as he tried to find the right words to explain their situation to his young charge. But none came to mind and so he merely sighed and said in a soft whisper, “Because we are running away.”

Marco's eyes widened in terror as his whole world began to quickly spin out of control.. “W-What?! Why?!” he said in a voice that could just barely pass for a whisper. Everything felt wrong in that moment, nothing could possibly be right. He couldn't in that moment, nothing could possibly be right. He couldn't run away! After merely sneaking out for a few hours he had been punished with scars on his arm and back. If he was caught leaving for good he had no idea what to expect to from Toffee. Not to mention how hurt and upset the other monsters would be over him going. He couldn't leave. He couldn't go. It wasn't right.

“Marco I know you are afraid, but this place is no longer safe for you. You need your freedom, you need your life.”

Marco started to back away from the monster he knew as his father, too afraid to escape, too afraid to leave behind everything he had ever known. But Buff Frog couldn't let him escape, grabbing him firmly, but softly by the wrist, pulling him in close. “We must go,” Buff Frog said, his voice hard, yet sympathetic and Marco felt confusion at the familiarity of it when everything else felt so strange and wrong. And in that moment of hesitation, Marco was swept up into the monsters arms, the boy not even having a chance to scream as the frog leapt out the window, both of them now free falling to the ground below.

Marco wrapped his arms tight around the muscular amphibian every nerve in his body on edge as the cold, night air rushed around him, the ground now hurtling toward the boy. He screamed, closing his eyes shut, as he waited for the crash that was inevitably coming.

But, to Marco's surprise and relief, they didn't crash, Buff Frog instead springing up off the ground, his animal instincts taking over as they hopped forward, now sailing over the towering treeline of the forest that bordered Toffee's castle. After clearing easily twenty feet, they began to descend once again, branches and tree limbs flying by, scratches and cuts appearing all over the two's bodies as the sharp objects make contact with their fragile skin.

As the monster and passenger came to a safe landing, Buff Frog gently set Marco back on his feet, who pulled away from the monster the second he had a chance. Buff Frog was hurt by the boy's reaction, but didn't move toward him, not wanting to frighten him anymore than he already had, just staring patiently at the boy, waiting.

Marco was taking deep, shallow breaths, fear and confusion flowing through him at once, clashing within his brain, doing nothing more than give him a headache. Marco grabbed onto his aching head, unknowingly tugging at his messy hair, feeling the world growing dimmer with each panted breath.

“Marco,” Buff Frog began and Marco froze, staring at his father, lost and confused. “You must understand. This in not life I want for you. I want you have normal life, with other Mewmans.”

“But Toffee said the other Mewmans didn't want me,” Marco said in a shaky voice.

“He lied. He always lie. He made all monsters keep secrets from you. Hide you from truth.”

“What do you mean?” Marco cried tears welling up in his eyes, his whole world shattering with every word as his frazzled brain trying to make sense of it all. “What truth? I-I don't know what your talking about.”

Buff Frog opened his mouth to respond, but then he heard a shout in the distance. He felt panic rising, knowing the monsters were quickly closing in on them. He turned to his son, closing the distance between them, as he held the boy firmly by his shoulders, looking into his frightened eyes. “Listen to me, Marco. You are going to learn many things about us, many bad, awful things. You may grow to hate us and no one blame you for it. But just know that I always love you like own son.”

Another shout was heard and Marco jumped, breaking eye contact with the monster to try and spot it, but Buff Frog never looked away from the boy as he continued. “Now go. Go out into world, my son. Learn about life, learn about world, and learn about yourself. Become person you always meant to be. Become person I always believed you to be. Go and never look back.”

Marco opened his mouth to reply, but Buff Frog pulled a pair of dimensional scissors out of his pocket, immediately cutting open a glowing portal in front of them. As Marco marveled over this new, strange sight, Buff Frog gave him a gentle shove, pushing Marco through the swirling vertex.

Marco screamed as the world around him, the world he had always known, fell away, a new world of unknown possibilities opening itself up to the boy. Buff Frog closed the portal, an emptiness settling itself inside him. But he had no time to ponder this as the monsters finally caught up with the frog, all rushing toward him quickly. He gave them all an empty stare, rushing toward him quickly. He gave them all an empty stare, before he leapt off the ground once again, sailing high over the treetops, the others only able to stare in confusion and defeat as their only hope of finding the missing boy disappeared into the cold, empty night.

[notsanguineatall]

@hoidn did this, and I’m always up for navel gazing:

Rules: list the first lines of your last ten published stories. See if there are any patterns, or have other people say what they notice. 

1. Sheldon was wearing a Flash t-shirt earlier. (Inside Jokes, The Big Bang Theory)

2. Mycroft Holmes was one of those toffee-nosed stuck-ups that Greg couldn't tolerate. (The Dictionary Begins and Ends With You, Sherlock)

3. St. James' Park is still and quiet. (*uck, Good Omens)

4. Aziraphale had never seen the point of sleeping. (To See When Shown, Good Omens)

5. Something was not right. (A Little Help, Good Omens)

6. It had been six hours since the Armageddon That Wasn't. (Ins and Outs, Good Omens)

7. It did not, as a rule, snow in the territory around Four Corners. (A Game of Truth, The Magnificent Seven TV)

8. The outlines of the livery at dusk are muted, but the sharp tang of beast and hay is in Ezra's throat. (Sign, The Magnificent Seven TV)

9. Ezra Standish makes for a fine looking woman. (Charade, The Magnificent Seven TV)

10. "Robert," Tess starts, like he's in trouble and she's his mother. (The Hard Part About Playing Chicken Is Knowing When To Flinch, Ocean’s Movies)

Observations? At least half lack punch. I think this is because they are generally prelude to a more interesting second or third line. Take, for example, the following:

Aziraphale had never seen the point of sleeping. There were so many more interesting things one could be doing. Like reading.

-or-

It did not, as a rule, snow in the territory around Four Corners. Tell that to capricious Mother Nature, Ezra thought as the first light flakes settled on the path before him. His horse snorted, perhaps as indignant as Ezra himself at the change in weather.

Both first lines lead into a paragraph that is meant to snapshot the POV character’s... er, character. Aziraphale would rather be reading. Ezra’s vocabulary is as showy as the man.

My opening paragraphs are little stepping stones to draw you in, not indicated well merely by the first line. But that assumes trust on the part of the reader that a bald first sentence will lead to something more interesting. Which is probably dangerous for a writer. So maybe I’ll work on punching up my first sentences.

[johnnyrocketeerjeweller]

So my mums side of the family are the famous Showman clan - The Blades. Her brothers came back from the Second World War and built a life and families travelling the carnival circuit of Australia. I love my “Showie” cousins and rellies. Here’s some images from back in the day when the Ekka was in full swing. That’s one of the family’s tents featuring the Legendary Ricker Johnny O’Keefe who my cousin Kay used to go-go dance for. The famous Boxing Tent is next door and Uncle Fred’s Toffee Apple/ Dagwood Dog stand is opposite. #onceuponatimeinaustralia #fairyfloss #dagwooddog #toffeeapples #boxingtent #johnnyokeefe #showmansguild #showman #showies (at Ekka) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEBW3CWB2tu/?igshid=3d3begv1k0md

[jde-kiyoshi]

Day 07: The Lizard

I got no ideas for an original character today. So instead, have a showy Toffee from Star vs the Forces of Evil!

[wingedscribe]

Apprentice Morgan (The Arcana)

Decided I’d do this questionnaire I saw floating around in order to nail down some more details about my fan apprentice for The Arcana, Morgan. For the record, they’re a grumpy nerd who exists in the same canon as @fairysealmother‘s apprentice Amalthea; Morgan’s on Asra’s route, Amalthea is on Julian’s. 

Part 1.) Characterization. Use these questions as a way to flesh out some of your character’s personality, background, likes/dislikes, etc.

Their surname?  Reid. 

Halloween costume? They’d complain the entire time about dressing up being a hassle and then show up in a pirate costume that they’ve lovingly handmade. 

Familiar/animal friend? If they had one, it would be a fox, but at the moment they don’t have one. 

Big spoon or little spoon?

Little spoon almost always. 

Religious?

Not particularly. They’d describe themselves as spiritual--as in they believe there’s something out there--but not religious per se. 

Favorite fruit?

They’re really fond of orange-flavored things. 

Idea of a nice date?

Shutting the shop for a day, going on a long walk on the beach and just talking/playing in the waves, shopping for dinner food on the way back, making and eating a nice dinner together, reading together/falling asleep together. 

Favorite season?

Fall. Morgan loves fall more than almost anything else. 

When is their Birthday?

August 21

Favorite carnival ride?

They love rollercoasters but also can only go on the scary ones once and curse the entire time. 

Favorite emoji?

(ง'̀-'́)ง

Like to do in their free time?

They usually will either be reading extensively, re-organizing the shop, or taking walks outside. 

What sports would they play?

I feel like they’d like soccer quite a bit. Wouldn’t be very good at it, though. They’d like Tae Kwon Do or a similar martial art. 

What kind of car would they drive?

Some old beat-up car they got used and very carefully take care of. But they prefer to walk. 

How do they treat their significant other when they’re feeling unusually affectionate?

Very clingy out of nowhere, going out of their way to do nice things for them/get them what they like, very flustered when confronted by any of this. 

Favorite manga?

Gotta say they’d like Boku no Hero Academia. 

Main store to shop for clothes (if they lived in our world)?

Secondhand stores where they can get used-but-not-too-used jeans, cargo pants, and t-shirts

What were they like growing up?

They were a pretty rowdy kid. Their grandmother, the prior owner of their shop, looked after them, but a lot of the time they were fending for themselves, which contributed to their prickly, abrasive attitude and defensiveness. 

What kind of drunk are they at a party?

Affectionate sappy drunk. Anyone who points this out once they’re sober will see full Flustered And Angry Morgan. 

Reaction to someone telling a dirty joke?

Depending on the level of the joke and at whose expense it is, either an eyeroll, a snicker, or righteous outrage. 

Reaction to stubbing their toe?

Loud and profuse cursing. 

Favorite color?

Purple

Favorite See’s chocolate?

Anything with toffee

Favorite poptart flavor?

S’mores

Favorite hobby?

Either going for long walks or sewing, which they picked up out of necessity and continued because it was cathartic. 

How they sing at karaoke parties?

Well, but only under great duress. Very hard to get them to the mic but they can belt pretty much any song you give them. 

Preferred social media platform?

Probably twitter

Opinion on puns?

Every time they hear one you can see them go through the five stages of grief. 

How do they typically deal with their problems?

Their usual thought process is “well time to talk to Nobody about this Ever and repress it for the rest of my life”. However, if it is one of their friends’ problems, they will do anything to fix it, usually in a rather belligerent manner. 

Spice girl nickname?

I have no idea unfortunately. 

Personal hygiene routine?

They shower every day or every other day depending on time, wash their hands often because they work with a lot of different herbs and resins in the shop and some of them aren’t good to have lingering around. They try to look put-together but not very fancy.  

Favorite alcoholic drink?

Total sucker for hard lemonade

Favorite genre of music?

Punk rock

Modern AU job/career?

Either they would do what they do in Vesuvia, which is run an apothecary, or they’d be a queer activist. Or both. 

Favorite musical?

They’ll say it’s American Idiot but in reality they’re a huge sap and love Wicked.

How would they celebrate their significant other’s birthday?

Waking up/going out early to get their favorite food for breakfast, closing the shop for the day and spending it with them instead; going out of their way to do nice things and make things easier for them. Nothing huge or dramatic or showy, but they’ll make sure that person is happy for the entire day. 

Would they rather turn into a tiny rhinoceros or a giant hamster?

Tiny rhinoceros. 

What would they do for their significant other for Valentine’s Day?

Similarly to their birthday, but given that there’s two-way spoiling on Valentine’s Day they get very flustered and blush a lot whenever they’re complimented/something is done for them .

Pros and cons to having them as a roommate?

Pros: Cleans things up quickly and well, will clean up your stuff, will go out of their way to help you if they like you, good at fixing things

Cons: Will clean your stuff sometimes when you don’t want them to; will bottle up all emotions and then end up sobbing on your shoulder at 3am. 

On a scale from 1-10 how Extra are they?

They’d say a three but instead they’re closer to a six or seven. Compared to some of the other cast, though, that’s nothing. 

Favorite meme?

Morgan is wholeheartedly a fan of “Thanks, I hate it.” 

Favorite three pokemon?

Umbreon, Blaziken, Lucario

How tall are they?

Pretty short (5′4″)

Part 2.) Scaling. Using your best judgement, where does your fan apprentice fall on these scales?

[Example: Shortest to tallest?

Portia, Asra, [MC name here], Nadia, Lucio, Julian, Muriel]

Most to least superstitious?

Portia, Julian, Nadia, Lucio, Morgan, Asra, Muriel

Most to least excited to be at a WWE event?

Portia, Lucio, Morgan, Asra, Julian, Nadia, Muriel

Worst to best at handling children?

Nadia, Lucio, Muriel, Morgan, Asra, Portia, Julian

Worst to best alcohol tolerance?

Muriel, Asra, Lucio, Julian, Morgan, Portia, Nadia

Best to worst at keeping secrets?

Asra, Muriel, Morgan, Nadia, Lucio, Portia, Julian

Best to worst dancers?

Asra, Portia, Julian, Nadia, Morgan, Lucio, Muriel

Most to least likely to slap you for stealing a mcnugget?

Nadia, Morgan, Lucio, Asra, Portia, Julian, Muriel

Least to most likely to eat something weird on a dare?

Nadia, Julian, Muriel, Lucio, Morgan, Portia, Asra

Least to most old?

Asra, Morgan, Portia, Muriel, Julian, Lucio, Nadia

Part 3.) Extra characterization tidbits (whether you want to make a description or insert a photo for these is up to you!)

MC as a:

•MCR song

I’m Not Okay (I Promise) 

•vine

The Griffin McElroy vine where he opens a closet at a vacation house to see a Minions pinata and just says “We have to leave.” 

•character in a cliche Noir film

Grumpy world-weary detective

•Tarot card

Strength

•Micheal Jackson song

Beat It

•character in the play “Cats”

I gotta say Mr Mistoffelees, but that’s just because he’s my favorite. 

•Panic! at the disco song

Memories I’m just kidding but it would be Collar Full

•cliche high school student stereotype

The grumpy kid who gets .5 hours of sleep and wears a leather jacket with many queer patches to school every day. Are they a punk or are they just exhausted the world may never know. 

•deadly sin

Wrath

•DnD class

Dragon-blood Sorcerer, possibly multiclassed into a ranger. 

•hogwarts house

Soft Slytherin. 

[writinggeisha]

Why is color in writing so important?

Pablo Picasso said that “Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions.” Picasso was an artist who evoked emotion with colorful pigments. As a writer, you can do the same with colorful words.

Note the different pictures painted by the following two paragraphs.

Ned gazed at the calypso-orange horizon. A lapis-blue speck sparkled above it in the deepening violet of a new night sky—Planet Vorton, home.

Ned gaped at the corpse-grey horizon. A mold-blue speck festered above it in the deepening black of a smoggy night sky—Planet Vorton, home.

Same number of words, different colors, with complementing adjectives and verbs. One paragraph emanates optimism, the other gloom.

Compound adjectives sometimes require hyphens.

According to The Chicago Manual of Style, if a compound adjective appears before a noun, it should be hyphenated.

Compare the following examples:

Tristan wore an eye-catching purple tie. Tristan’s purple tie was eye catching.

Wendi modeled a melon-pink dress. Wendi’s dress was melon pink.

Accent colors with adjectives.

Here’s a list over one hundred adjectives from thousands you could choose to produce more vivid descriptions of the colors in your writing.

A Accented, achromatic, ashen, ashy, atomic

B Blazing, bleached, bleak, blinding, blotchy, bold, brash, bright, brilliant, burnt

C Chromatic, classic, clean, cold, complementing, contrasting, cool, coordinating, creamy, crisp

D Dark, dayglow, dazzling, deep, delicate, digital, dim, dirty, drab, dreary, dull, dusty

E Earthy, electric, energetic, eye-catching

F Faded, faint, festive, fiery, flashy, flattering, fluorescent, frosty, full-toned

G Gaudy, glistening, glittering, glossy, glowing

H Harsh, hazy, hot

I Icy, illuminated, incandescent, intense, iridescent

K Knockout

L Lambent, light, loud, luminous, lusterless, lustrous

M Majestic, matte, medium, mellow, milky, monochromatic, muddy, murky, muted

N Natural, neon, neutral

O Opalescent, opaque

P Pale, pastel, patchy, pearly, perfect, picturesque, plain, primary, pure

R Radiant, reflective, rich, royal, ruddy, rustic

S Satiny, saturated, shaded, sheer, shining, shiny, shocking, showy, smoky, soft, solid, somber, soothing, sooty, sparkling, stained, streaked, streaky, striking, strong, subdued, subtle, sunny, swirling

T Tacky, tinged, tinted, tonal, toned, traditional, translucent, transparent

U Undiluted, uneven, uniform

V Vibrant, vivid

W Wan, warm, washed-out, waxen, wild

Enhance multicolored objects with adjectives such as these.

B Bicolor, blended, braided

C Cataclysmic-colored, checkered, compound, contrasting, crisscrossed

D Dappled, disparate, dotted, dusted

F Flecked, freckled, fused

I Intermixed, interwoven

J Jumbled

L Lined

K Kaleidoscopic

M Many-hued, marbled, mingled, mixed, motley, mottled, multicolored, multihued

P Particolored, patterned, peppered, piebald, pied, polychromatic, prismatic, psychedelic

S Salted, speckled, splotched, stippled

T Two-tone, tricolor

V Varied, variegated, veined

Nouns provide more opportunities to add color and detail.

A Accent

B Bleach, brightness, brilliance

C Chroma, clarity, CMYK, coating, color wheel, colorant, coloration, cover

D Deposit, depth, diffusion, dimension, dispersion, dye

F Film, finish, flicker, fluorescence

G Glare, glaze, gleam, glimmer, glint, glisten, glitter, glow, gradation

H Henna, highlight, hint, hue

I Incandescence, intensity, iridescence

L Lacquer, layer, lightness, lowlight, luminosity, luster

M Monotone

N Nuance

O Opacity, opalescence

P Paint, Pantone, patina, peroxide, pigment, pigmentation, polish, prism, purity

R Radiance, rainbow, RGB, residue, rinse

S Sample, saturation, seam, shade, sheen, shimmer, shine, smidgeon, sparkle, spectrum, stain, stratum, streak, stripe, suggestion, surface, swatch

T Tattoo, tester, tier, tincture, tinge, tint, tone, touch, trace, twinkle

U Undertone

V Varnish, vein, veneer

Find more writing tips in

The Writer’s Lexicon and The Writer’s Lexicon Volume II

.

Available in both digital and print editions. –

Perhaps these verbs will provide inspiration.

Colors can blend, clash, or enhance. They might revitalize, fade, or overlap. Choose carefully to provide the nuance you need in your writing.

A Accent, accentuate, appear, attract

B Balance, bathe, bespatter, blanch, blare, blaze, blench, bleach, blend, blotch, brighten, brush, burn

C Captivate, clash, color, combine, complement, conflict, contrast, coordinate, crayon

D Darken, daub, draw, decolorize, decorate, deepen, dot, draw, dye

E Embellish, emit, enhance, enliven

F Fade, flare, flash, flatter, fleck

G Glare, glaze, gleam, glimmer, glint, glisten, glow

H Harmonize, heighten, highlight

I Illuminate, infuse, intensify

J Jar

L Light, lighten

M Match, meld, merge, mingle, mix

O Outline, overlap

P Paint, permeate, pervade, plaster

R Radiate, revitalize

S Saturate, seal, shade, shine, sketch, smear, sparkle, splash, splatter, spray, spread, stain, suffuse

T Tinge, tint

V Varnish

W Wash

Invent colors.

Your ingenuity is the only limit with invented colors. Consider a few examples.

Yolanda sashayed toward me, hips swiveling in a seduction-red skirt that complemented her bad-baby-black lipstick.

Either Yolanda intends to ravish our narrator, or he hopes she’s a bad girl with seduction on her mind.

Bruise-blue eyes stared out through glasses crisscrossed with cracks. Matching lumps burgeoned from Marco’s chin and cheeks.

Readers will make the connection between bruise-blue and the lumps, imagining someone who has been beaten or injured.

Find color ideas by googling phrases such as “things that are green” or “things that look blue.”

And now, a kaleidoscope of colors.

Some of the following lists contain invented colors. Many are based on objects we encounter in our environment. You can use almost any noun to create an adjective that will resonate with readers.

For the next several years, Trump blond or Hillary blonde will produce instant mental images.

Science fiction might use deep-space black, quasar blue, or starburst yellow.

An environmentalist could choose colors such as oil-slick black, smog grey, or acid-rain yellow.

Choose or invent colors that intensify your writing.

You can use many of these words as is, or precede the color they represent to produce a compound adjective. Rather than anthracite, for example, you might prefer anthracite black.

Black Anger black, anthracite, bat black, boot black, cat black, cave black, cavity black, charcoal, coal black, crow black, deep-space black, ebony, evil black, funeral black, grease black, ink, jade black, jet, leather black, licorice, metal black, midnight, mildew black, mold black, night black, obsidian, oil-slick black, onyx, pitch black, raven, sable, shadow black, shoe-polish black, silhouette black, smoky, sooty, spider black, tar black, tire black, tuxedo black, uber black, velvet black

Blond/Blonde Although blond can be used for either males or females, I and many writers prefer blond to describe males and blonde to describe females. Likewise with gender-identified pets and animals.

Why?

Blond was adopted into English from French, and the French language uses gender-specific descriptors.

Compound adjectives in the following list are spelled with the feminine form.

Almond-crème blonde, amber, apple-cider blonde, apricot, ash blonde, banana-bread blonde, blanched, bleached, bombshell, bottle blonde, brassy, bronze, brown-sugar blonde, butter blonde, butternut, butterscotch, caramel, chamomile blonde, champagne, chardonnay blonde, corn blonde, diamond blonde, dirty blonde, dishwater blonde, electric blonde, flaxen, French-fry blonde, frosted blonde, gilded blonde, ginger, ginger-ale blonde, ginger spice, golden, goldenrod, Hillary blonde, honey blonde, honey-butter blonde, honeysuckle blonde, hot-toffee blonde, macadamia blonde, mushroom blonde, neon blonde, peroxide blonde, platinum, sand blonde, straw blonde, strawberry blonde, sunflower blonde, sun-kissed blonde, sunset blonde, tarnished-gold blonde, Trump blond/e, trumpet blonde, vanilla-malt blonde, vintage gold, wheat blonde

Blue Admiral blue, Aegean blue, agate blue, arctic blue, azure, baby blue, berry blue, blue-jay blue, blue-jeans blue, bluebell blue, blueberry blue, blueberry-juice blue, bluebird blue, blue-jay blue, brook blue, bruise blue, cadet blue, cerulean, china-blue, cobalt, cornflower blue, crystal blue, denim blue, electric blue, forget-me-not blue, galaxy glue, gunmetal blue, ice blue, indigo, ink blue, jellyfish blue, lagoon blue, lake blue, lapis blue, laser blue, lilac blue, lobelia blue, mold blue, moon blue, navy, ocean blue, quasar blue, river blue, robin-egg blue, sapphire blue, sky blue, star blue, steel-blue, swimming-pool blue, teal, toilet-water blue, toothpaste blue, ultramarine

Brown Acorn brown, almond brown, amber, auburn, autumn brown, Bambi brown, beige, brandy brown, brick brown, bronze, brunet, buckeye brown, camel brown, caramel, carob brown, cedar brown, champagne brown, chestnut, chipmunk brown, chocolate brown, cinnamon, cider brown, clay brown, coffee brown, cognac brown, cookie brown, copper, cork brown, desert sand, drab brown, dun brown, ecru, espresso brown, fawn brown, football brown, freckle brown, ginger, gingerbread brown, golden brown, hazel, hickory brown, honey brown, infrabeige, kiwi brown, lion brown, loam brown, mahogany, maroon, merlot brown, mocha, mouse brown, mud brown, muddy brown, nut brown, oak brown, orange brown, peanut brown, pecan brown, pekoe brown, penny brown, pigskin brown, pretzel brown, rosewood, russet, rust, sandstone brown, seal brown, sepia, sienna, spice brown, syrup brown, taffy, tan, taupe, tawny brown, teddy-bear brown, topaz brown, tortilla brown, tourmaline brown, umber, walnut, wheat brown, whiskey brown, wood brown

Green Apple green, army green, artichoke green, asparagus green, avocado green, barf green, basil green, blue green, bottle green, bright green, cabbage green, camouflage green, cat’s-eye green, celery green, chartreuse, clover green, crocodile green, crystal-marble green, cyan, electric green, elf green, emerald, fern green, frog green, grape green, grass green, hypergreen, jade, jasper green, jelly green, juniper, kale green, khaki green, kiwi green, leaf green, LED green, olive, leprechaun green, lettuce green, lime, lizard green, loden, mildew green, mint, moss green, neon green, ocean green, parsley green, pea green, pea-soup green, peacock green, pear green, Perrier-bottle green, pickle green, pine green, puke green, sage, sea green, seafoam green, seasick green, seaweed green, seedling green, shamrock green, snot green, spinach green, spring green, sprout green, spruce green, tea green, teal, toad green, velvet green, viridian, watermelon green, yellow green

Grey/Gray Alien grey, aluminum grey, anchor grey, ash grey, battleship grey, bottle grey, boulder grey, carbon grey, cement grey, charcoal grey, cloud grey, coin grey, corpse grey, crater grey, death grey, dove grey, elephant grey, exhaust grey, fling grey, flint grey, fog grey, fossil grey, fungus grey, ginger grey, granite grey, graphite, gravel grey, gruel grey, gum grey, gunmetal grey, hippo grey, hoary grey, ice grey, iron grey, knife grey, lead grey, mercury grey, meteor grey, mummy grey, nail grey, nickel, otter grey, pebble grey, pepper grey, pewter, pigeon grey, porpoise grey, porridge grey, rat grey, salt-and-pepper, seal grey, shadow grey, shark grey, shovel grey, silver, slate, sleet grey, slug grey, slush grey, smog grey, smoke, steel grey, stone grey, storm grey, stormy grey, stormy-sea grey, sword grey, tabby grey, tank grey, tweed grey, wax grey, wolf grey

Orange Apricot orange, burnt orange, butternut orange, calypso orange, candlelight orange, cantaloupe orange, caramelized orange, carrot orange, cayenne orange, cheddar orange, cheese-cracker orange, Chinese-lantern orange, cider orange, citrus orange, clementine orange, coral orange, crayon orange, curry orange, fire orange, flame orange, goldfish orange, mac-and-cheese orange, mango-tango orange, mandarin orange, marigold orange, marmalade orange, monarch orange, nacho orange, nasturtium orange, naval orange, papaya orange, peach orange, peach-butter orange, peach-sorbet orange, popsicle orange, pumpkin orange, safety-vest orange, salamander orange, salmon orange, sherbet orange, shrimp orange, starfish orange, sunset orange, sweet-potato orange, tangelo orange, tangerine orange, terra cotta, tiger orange, traffic orange, yam orange

Pink Amaranth, azalea pink, baby pink, ballet-slipper pink, blush, bright pink, bubblegum pink, cantaloupe pink, carnation pink, cerise, champagne pink, cherry-rose pink, coral, cotton-candy pink, crepe pink, cupid pink, cyclamen pink, damask, flamingo pink, fuchsia, geranium pink, grapefruit pink, lemonade pink, magenta, mandarin pink, mango pink, melon pink, old-rose pink, oleander pink, parfait pink, pastel pink, peach, peach-blossom pink, peony pink, piggy pink, piglet pink, pomegranate pink, prom pink, punch pink, raspberry-smoothie pink, rose, rosewood pink, rouge pink, salmon pink, seashell pink, sherbet pink, shocking pink, strawberry pink, swine pink, taffy pink, watermelon pink, Zinfandel pink

Purple Amethyst purple, amparo purple, boysenberry purple, burgundy purple, Byzantium purple, clover purple, concord purple, coneflower purple, cyclamen purple, eggplant purple, fig purple, gentian purple, gooseberry purple, grape purple, heather, heliotrope, hyacinth purple, indigo, iris purple, jam purple, kazoo purple, lavender, lilac, lollipop purple, lotus purple, magenta, mauve, mulberry purple, onion purple, opal purple, orchid purple, periwinkle purple, petunia purple, pillow purple, plum, posy purple, primrose purple, raisin purple, regalia purple, rhubarb purple, royal purple, sage-flower purple, sangria purple, sugar-plum purple, tanzanite purple, Tyrian purple, violet, wild-berry purple, wine purple, wisteria purple

Red Apple red, auburn, beet red, berry red, blaze red, blood red, blush red, brick red, burgundy red, candy red, candy-apple red, candy-cane red, carrot red, cherry red, cherry-soda red, Christmas red, cinnamon-candy red, communist red, copper red, coral red, crab-apple red, cranberry red, crimson, currant red, fire red, fire-engine red, fire-hydrant red, flame red, flaming red, garnet red, ginger red, heart red, henna, holly-berry red, jam red, ketchup red, lady-bug red, LED red, licorice red, lipstick red, lobster red, maple-leaf red, merlot red, mulberry red, neon red, pepper red, pomegranate red, poppy red, radish red, raspberry red, roan, rose, rouge, ruby, Russian red, rust, rusty, Santa-suit red, scarlet, sorrel, stoplight red, strawberry red, sunburn red, titian, tomato red, tulip red, Valentine red, wanton red, watermelon red, wine red

White Alabaster, angel white, ash white, blizzard white, bone white, bread-dough white, cake white, cameo white, chalk, chaste white, chiffon white, china white, clamshell white, cloud white, coconut white, cornstarch white, cream, crème, dumpling white, eggshell white, fizz white, foam white, fog white, frost white, gardenia white, ghost white, goose-down white, heron white, hospital white, KKK white, ivory, lace white, lather white, lily white, linen white, lotus white, milk white, mist white, moonstone white, noodle white, paper white, parchment white, pearl white, phantom white, picket white, platinum white, polar white, porcelain white, powder white, rice white, salt white, Samoyed white, sheet white, skeleton white, snowflake white, specter white, starch white, sugar white, talc white, vellum white, virgin white, wedding-veil white, winter white, wonton white

Yellow Acid-rain yellow, autumn yellow, banana yellow, bourbon yellow, bumblebee yellow, butter yellow, buttercup yellow, butterscotch yellow, cadmium, canary yellow, chick yellow, corn yellow, custard yellow, daffodil yellow, daisy yellow, dandelion yellow, Dijon yellow, duckling yellow, egg-yolk yellow, flaxen, ginger yellow, gold, goldenrod, grapefruit yellow, hardhat yellow, honey yellow, jaundice yellow, lemon, macaroni yellow, maize, mustard, omelet yellow, pencil yellow, pineapple yellow, plantain yellow, poppy yellow, rubber-ducky yellow, saffron, sawdust yellow, school-bus yellow, scrambled-egg yellow, starburst yellow, sticky-note yellow, straw yellow, sulfur yellow, sun yellow, sunflower yellow, sweetcorn yellow, tallow yellow, taxi yellow, turmeric yellow, wasp yellow, whisky yellow, yield-sign yellow

[kunoichi-ume]

Pi Day Drabble

In honor of Pi day, even if I am a little late (it is still Pi day in California, I am going to say that counts!) I wrote a little something about our favorite pie maker: Ibiki! That;s right, he isn't just a cupcake master but a professional level pastry chef. 

Also please image Ibiki as the dad in the gif above, cheering on his pies and they bake to perfection. He absolutely has those flags too (They were a gift from Anko). 

Everyone has that one holiday that speaks to them on a personal level, that one day of the year that makes the rest of the it worth dealing with. That holiday they are 100% down for, decorations, costumes, music, the whole nine yards.

Anko, for example, was probably the biggest Halloween fan in the village. She lived and breathed for the dark and macabre atmosphere of the season and usually had her costume plans for the big night thought out by May, at the very latest.

Genma was a Valentine’s Day kinda guy and not just because it was easier to hit on girls who were desperate for a date (though if questioned that would be his reason). No, he was a hopeless romantic who loved the flowers, sappy songs and any good excuse for fancy dinner dates.

But some prefer less… showy holidays. Ones that were more a community acceptance than official holiday. After all, to those in the know, everyday was national “something” day. From National Hangover Day (January 1st), to National Get Out Of The Dog House Day (the third Monday in July) to National Whiners Day (December 26th) everyday could be a holiday if you kept up with the extensive list of dates.

Ibiki was one who made it his business to always know what day it was. After all, there were so many wonderful baking opportunities to be had. January alone had National Cream Puff Day (2nd), Whipped Cream Day (5th), Shortbread Day (6th), English Toffee Day (8th), Bittersweet Chocolate Day (10th), Marzipan Day (12th), Blonde Brownie Day (22nd), Peanut Brittle Day (26th), Chocolate Cake Day (27th), and Croissant Day (30th). Ibiki’s date book was meticulously organized and each date that related to baking had the day’s title inscribed in the top right corner of the page.

Some of these days he liked more than others (December 15th - National Cupcake Day was always a big baking day for him), and some he chose not to celebrate at all (April 23rd, National Cherry Cheesecake Day he avoided due to his cherry allergy) but one of his all time favorites was March 14.

Also known as Pi Day.

There were other pie days of course, in fact the year had two National pie days on both January 23rd and December 1st. Specific pies had their 24 hours in the spotlight as well, such as Banana Cream Pie Day (March 2nd) and Pecan Pie Day (July 12th). August was host to five separate pie themed days in the course of it’s 31 days.

But Ibiki liked Pi Day best. It gave him free rein of pies to bake for the day, and was an amusing pun. (Little known fact, Ibiki could never resist a good pun.)

Ibiki smiled as he closed his date book, the smell of baking crust and caramelized apples filling the air of his bright kitchen. The window was open, letting the delicate scents mingle with the flowery fragrance that came with early spring, and cooling the three pies that he had baked earlier. Lined up on the windowsill was a perfect blackberry lattice pie, an egg custard pie with a braided crust, and a sour cream strawberry pie. The various smells laced together were positively sinful and Ibiki honestly wasn’t sure which he was the most excited to taste.

The timer sitting on the counter, a novelty item fashioned to look like a purple spotted bull mastiff (a gift from Kakashi he found on his desk not long after the masked man learned of his hobby) went off and the shrill beeping broke the quiet serenity of his home. Knocking the thing on the head to shut it up, Ibiki slipped on his oven mitts and quickly removed the pie.

He smiled as he inspected the pastry, the top crust perfectly golden brown and the Konoha Leaf he had cut into it had held it’s shape beautifully while working as a steam vent.

A quick glance at the clock showed that he had more enough time for the pies to cool before he packed them up to take into the office for a late night shift (that was assuming of course the Anbu squad was back on time with his next guest). While he was always a bit excited to share his creations with others, he couldn’t possibly eat all of these on his own after all, he could almost hear Genma’s griping about the lack of a pumpkin pie in his mind.

Ibiki turned from the window, having moved the apple pie to join the others to cool, and decided that he really didn’t want to spend the night listening to the senbon chewing ninja bitching about his need for a pumpkin spice fix. Reaching for his cookbook he mentally thanked his mother for teaching him a very important lesson about baking.

Always have extra ingredients on hand because you never know when you will need to satisfy a craving (even if it isn’t your own).

[greatdrams]

HMSS Bristol review

As the Bristolian two-thirds of The Dram Team’s co-founding trio (the third being Greg himself), we have a professional duty to keep on top of Bristol’s top spots for imbibing delicious drinks. As such, we were already rather familiar with Her Majesty’s Secret Service (aka HMSS) and their quirky and extremely well executed cocktails (and also with their modest-but-excellently-curated selection of whiskies!). So, when The Dram Team were invited (via GreatDrams.com) to try out their brand new “Travel Guide to the British Isles” cocktail menu, we jumped at the chance.

Accompanied by fellow Bristolian whisky aficionado, Rob, of www.therealdram.com, we entered HMSS in the usual way: via the iconic red phone box which acts as miniature foyer of sorts. Upon entering, we were greeted by not only the always-on it and friendly serving staff, but also by their impressive array of secret service-themed memorabilia and the funky soul grooves they play, which always form an excellent backing track for cocktail consumption. The joint oozes atmosphere, and you instantly feel at least two to three notches cooler than before you passed through the phone box.

Settling down to perch at our table, complete with monkey nuts to nibble on, and Jenga for the more adventurous (Watch out: for some reason, it gets harder the longer you stay),  we’re presented with the beautiful new cocktail menu. Printed on delightfully expensive-feeling textured vintage paper in the style of a war-era pocket travel guide, the menu is a visual delight. Each cocktail is based on a specific geographic location in the U.K., and gets a double-page spread featuring a colour illustration, an ingredients list, and an entertainingly witty and poetic blurb.

  So, could the drinks possibly live up to the menu itself? Here’s what we tippled on and what we thought of it:

  Drink: Greenhouse Project

Location: The Eden Project, Cornwall

Tester: Chris

Thoughts: As you’ll see from the photo, this was a stunningly presented drink. Possibly the best-looking thing I’ve ever laid my taste buds on! This was a sophisticated liquored version of the best homemade lemonade I’ve ever tried, more than living up to its looks. The flavour was refreshing, with a lot of lovely citrus and not too sweet at all. I even had the greenery as a chaser, as the whole lot was edible, and I do like the Eden Project quite a lot for its vegetation. As I commented at the time, while labouring wrongly under the impression that the drink was called The Garden of Eden; “If this is the forbidden fruit, then I’m an original sinner”. I stand by my enthusiasm!

  Drink: Major Oak

Location: Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire

Tester: James

Thoughts: Rich enough to put it at the top of Robin Hood’s hit list, this riff on a Brandy Manhattan oozed flavours of dark sugar, dried fruit, apple and nuts. Less showy than most, the Major Oak looked classic and tasted classy.

  Drink: Loch Ness Mobster

Location: Loch Ness, Scotland

Tester: Chris

Thoughts: This was an even more flamboyant-looking cocktail than The Eden Project, unnaturally bright green and foamy (which explained the 9g of laughing gas on the ingredients list!) and topped with edible flowers too. “Green, fluffy , monstrous” proclaims the menu, which is a very accurate synopsis. You could really taste the tequila, thought the overall palate was perhaps a little sweet for a hardened whisky drinker. Still, loads of fun, and once again I enjoyed eating the greenery.

  Drink: Green Manalishi

Location: Stonehenge, Wiltshire

Tester: James

Thoughts: This rum-based cocktail lured me in with the bizarre sounding additions of hemp orgeat and a dash of aloe vera oil. As I’d hoped, the flavours were herbal, floral and citrusy with an unusual depth that kept me sipping. The “chip of prehistoric stone”, wonderfully carved as it was, barely had time to begin melting.

  Drink: Angel of Mercy

Location: The Angel of the North, Gateshead

Tester: Chris

  Thoughts: Born in Durham and residing there until the grand old age of 1, I wanted to stay true to my Northern roots. I also wanted to stop eating salad and finish my cocktail with a lump of chocolate-coated homemade cinder toffee, which is what this cocktail was garnished with! Being a fan of both American whisky and dark “pudding” beers, this cocktail was irresistible as my third course and dessert. It was like drinking a wonderful boozy milkshake of coffee, dark beer and oaky vanilla bourbon, and the aforementioned garnish was superb – the crunchy cinder toffee forming a wonderful textural counterpoint to the creamy smooth velvety mouthfeel of the drink itself.

All in all, HMSS have gone from strength-to-strength with this new menu. The old one was fantastically imaginative and always perfectly executed, and this new one has taken that as a starting point, and elevated it to new heights with a wonderfully relatable theme (who wouldn’t enjoy picking cocktails associated with their favourite UK spots?) and even greater levels of entertaining imagination. Having a drink at HMSS is an experience in the most genuine sense of the word. So, if you’re local to Bristol, we thoroughly recommend you drop in and try it out for yourself.

(Footnote: If this review comes across as biased, we do not apologise – it is. We were not paid for this review, we just unashamedly enjoy the HMSS experience and love what they do.)

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[fashiondailymag]

not the usual cupcake, alice and peter "showy toffee" fragrance