#WHOO BOY

[dumb-ghost-child]

Humans are weird: lifespan

Clara had known the mission was a bad idea. That guess was reinforced when the ship crashed. The other members of her little crew had died on impact, but she’d only been injured. From her guess it was just a few broken or otherwise messed up bones- annoying, yes, but not irreparable. She’d tried communicating with her crew, sending out transmissions and mentally screaming for Indigo, but nothing came to her rescue.

By some miracle, the air was breathable. The climate was on the warmer side, reminding her of the Caribbeans. It was quite nice, and if it weren’t for the three moons, binary star system, and the lavender sky, she would’ve been able to believe this was in a familiar system.

She stumbled out of the ship, swearing to herself when she saw what a wreck it was; there was no way she’d be getting back into the air with that.

Instead, she looked around. It appeared that she’d landed in a field of sorts- on the horizon she saw what appeared to be a civilization, maybe a town, and around her were tall trees that had pear-like fruits on them. A quick scan said they were edible, so she grabbed one. It was perfectly at her shoulder level, which she appreciated. The fruit was tasty, reminding her of earth’s apples or the kalrin-fruits Indigo had introduced to her.

It took a few minutes, but soon Clara had made herself a splint for her broken arm and gathered what she could from the ship’s remains.

She was about to make her way towards the town when she heard a strange chittering noise behind her. The translator didn’t pick it up, which either meant this was an undiscovered language or it was broken- it was really a 50/50 chance. Turning around, she saw a small creature, maybe reaching up to her knees, chittering at her. It seemed to be a bit scared, but still interested. It gestured for her to follow it, which she did, being led to another small town. All around her were the little creatures, rushing about, some coming up to her. They were cute, in a way, with mint-green skin, four arms, fur down their backs, six large eyes- well, she assumed they were eyes- and a bipedal walking pattern. They led her to a building with what appeared to be a collapsed roof, which only reached up to her head. Easily enough she fixed it, and the creatures seemed happy, surrounding her and making those same chittering noises, much more happy-sounding this time.

The Chiri, as Clara called them, were a fascinating civilization. They had a complex language of clicks, chirps, and assorted chittering sounds that took Clara a while to learn properly. Their planet was far faster than earth, one of earth’s weeks was the equivalent of a month for them, and an earth month was the equivalent of a year. Most Chiri only lived for a few of their years, but their lives were filled with celebration. It felt like every week Clara got invited to a new celebration- either a wedding, a coming of age, a new harvest, or even a funeral. Even though Clara took only around six months to fully recover, by that point she had become known as a Chiri guardian. She’d been on the planet for a number of their years, becoming a guardian figure. Where her ship had crashed was turned into a shrine of sorts, new towns being built around it. In exchange, Clara protected them, guided them, and shared her knowledge with them. She’d even learned their language to the point where it was as fluent as any other, even without her translator, which she was fairly certain had broken.

The Chiri had given Clara a new name that they called her, Xi-Rai’du. Most of the children knew her as Xixi.

Clara trusted her friends, they’d taken her in and healed her. They felt like family just as much as her crew on the ship did. Despite their short lives, the Chiri were a people who valued learning. They passed down stories from generation to generation, and Clara would help to remember them as well. She taught them to write, transcribing their stories.

One of the young rushed towards Clara, a little girl who had only recently become old enough to talk. “Xixi! Xixi! There you are!” The little one, her name Si’ra, reached out her four arms for Clara to lift her up, making a high-pitched noise that was roughly the same as a laugh. “The celebration was about to start without you, come! Dari and Lixai want you there!”

Clara nodded, smiling. Dari and Lixai were getting married, and Clara didn’t want to miss out. Still carrying Si’ra, Clara made her way towards the town.

All around the town were banners decorated in vibrant colors, flowers in every windowsill and a clear trail of petals leading to where the wedding would take place. Clara had always loved the Chiri’s celebrations, they were all filled with laugher, music, dancing and festivities that could go for days. As soon as Clara showed up, she was surrounded by lively music, cheers from the Chiri who’d arrived for the celebration, and the greeting of Dari and Lixai, both wearing gorgeous formal attire. Clara bowed to them, smiling as she let Si’ra down, watching her rush towards the other children to join in there game.

“Lady Xi-Rai’du, welcome.” Lixai spoke first, joy clear in all six of her eyes.

Clara shook her head, “Today isn’t a day for celebrating me, it’s for you two.” She gestured to the crowd, “They’re all here for you- so go, celebrate! You’ve earned it.”

Lixai and Dari smiled, taking Clara’s hand and leading her into the crowd.

The wedding was a joyous one, and Clara couldn’t help but feel incredibly proud of Lixai and Dari. Weddings were a major event for both humans and chiri, although the chiri certainly had a more lively celebration all the way through.

The next day, Clara went to the cave where the Chiri kept murals of all their major events. She smiled as she looked, seeing paintings of herself defending the town from wild beasts, celebrating amongst them, and even when she’d first arrived, now over a year ago.

Deep down though, she knew couldn’t stay. Her crew still needed her, and she knew the Chiri had to grow into a full civilization on their own. She was torn out of her mind though when she heard what sounded like screams outside. Sa’ri rushed in, panicked. “Xixi! Help! There are- there’s something outside!”

Clara, admittedly, panicked. She picked Sa’ri up again, letting the girl lead her out. As soon as she left she saw the cause of the panic. In the sky above was a ship. Her ship.

As soon as it landed, Clara put herself between the ship and the Chiri. She faced the panicked crowd, trying to keep order. “All of you! Please, calm down. These newcomers mean no harm.”

The Chiri trusted her, more or less calming down. Clara sighed in relief, facing the ship as the bridge lowered. What she saw surprised her- another human.

It took a moment for Clara to realize they were speaking English- she’d become so used to hearing the chiri’s language of chirps and squeaks- but when she registered what they were saying she almost laughed. It was a declaration of peace, saying they were only doing a recovery mission. Apparently they’d finally gotten the distress signal Clara had sent when she first was crashing, tracing it back to her.

Clara approached the ship, Sa’ri in her arms, and faced the stranger.

“If you’re looking for the recon group that was sent out here a little over a year ago..” she sighed, “I’m all that’s left. I’ve been living on this planet for the past year, and the civilization you see have helped me. They nursed me back to health, gave me a place to stay, and trusted me.” Behind her were the people who she’d protected for what were generations to them. “My name is Clara.. but it is also Xi-Rai’du, and these are the chiri.”

The human seemed shocked, but they didn’t do anything agressive.

“The crew thought you’d died..” they muttered, “they hired me as a replacement. How are you even alive?!”

She couldn’t help but laugh, “I told you. The chiri took me in, and the planet’s atmosphere is breathable.” she put Sa’ri down, and she hugged my leg before running back to her family, as though sensing that this would be the last time she saw her. “I assume you’re here to bring me back now that you know I’m alive?”

They nodded, gesturing for Clara to follow them.

“Just give me a second,” Clara turned to face the Chiri, bowing to them and switching back to their language. “Thank you, all of you. Now I must leave.. but I will return. Reach for the stars, and perhaps we will meet in the cosmos one day.”

The chiri seemed to understand, solemnly accepting that their guardian was leaving.

“Xixi!” Sa’ri called up from the crowd, “I’ll find you again, I promise!”

She turned, nodding to the fellow human. “Bring me back onto the ship.”

Maybe, just maybe, part of the reason she’d turned was because she wanted to hide the tears forming in the corners of her eyes. But when she returned onto the ship, Clara was reminded of where she belonged, amongst her family in the stars. The chiri had been kind, but she had to go. Besides, when Indigo saw her again, xir expression just about made all of the time away worth it.

[hatkuu]

currently thinking that if pc had a pet cat, they'd most likely DETEST kylar.

you know how animals have a certain sense for danger? your pet gets that with kylar. always nipping and hissing and scratching - never sweetening up like they usually do. you'll plead to kylar that they're not normally this rude! it must just be taking them a while to warm up to him!

your pet never accepts kylar, and always manages to crawl into the empty space on your lap when he visits. staring at him with a glare so harsh kylar can only sit beside you and sweat, rubbing his sweaty palms against one another.

your fuzzy little friend's aggression reaches it's peak in the dead of night - yowling at your bedroom window, hackles raised with claws digging into the fuzz of your bedroom carpet. it's a struggle to coax them back to bed, cooing and petting the stiff fur on their back. their eyes never leave the window, no matter how you hold them and shush their panicked meows. it's concerning, given that you know animals have far keener senses than people do.

however, despite all of the blatant red flags, when kylar visits the next day with an array of deep, red-crusted scratches up his forearms - you're none the wiser.

[notdysfunk]

YOU THOUGHT YOUR RUIN AU WAS SAD??? Ha! Think again ... ,.. .. .. *starts sobbing*

Tilaa - @kh0well Accimer - @end3rf0x Myrtus - @ilsole Callisto - Me! (Your here!) Pluto - @muffinsmadhouse Snack - cryptwave Beepo - @threateningwatercress ======== vv More down there vv

This is the most ambitious thing I've made so far, AND ITS ONLY 35 SECONDS LOL Took me about two days probably 12 hours total give or take All 103 frames were drawn in Medibang Paint Edited in Capcut and a dream Ty @muffinsmadhouse @end3rf0x @ilsole for hyping me up the whole time <33

[kiwisandpearls]

my gender identity is really weird and complicated for me and I kinda hate that I still don’t have a definitive idea of it.

i can’t find myself fully identifying with any of the more bigger well known gender identities.

I know for a fact I’m not cis, but I also doubt that I’m trans, I’ve never experienced gender dysphoria other than simple discomfort over some gendered labels and titles I’ve been referred by, but I also don’t think nonbinary as a label fits me, but I also can’t see myself as being genderfluid nor multigender but I also doubt that I’m gender nonconforming.

“Ok, then just say you don’t wanna label yourself?”

maybe that’s an easy answer for some people but for me personally I want to have that tiny little box of other people to fit in with. And the fact I’m having such a hard time finding that box makes me feel pathetic.

irl, most people just perceive me as being cis and use the pronouns that were assigned to me at birth. I’m terrified of telling people how I actually feel and it’s just easier to keep my mouth shut about it. Heck most people irl don’t even know I’m aromantic and I’m sure they’d have a field day if they found out about that.

And thankfully not saying anything about my gender identity is easier for me (for me PERSONALLY not everyone, please do not apply my own personal experiences to others) because I’m just apathetic to it. But I know that I’m not totally happy being perceived that way because the one time one person offhandedly referred to me as with they/them pronouns irl, I felt euphoric on the inside.

I just don’t have a clear idea of what I even want to identify as and it just makes me feel shitty all around

[rockpaperscissuhs]

unfinished business (2051 words) by peachwisteria After the death of an estranged family member, Joe Liebgott grudgingly travels to New York City to put their affairs in order. Then things start to get weird…

for day 4 of @webgottweek

[emmyrosee]

guys….

i think im in love with eren………….

[luminescentchimera]

every year my horrible dsmp phase crawls out of the recesses of my mind begging me to reread tcfsv and by god it's happening again

[haveihitanerve]

GREGOR THE OVERLANDER IS AN ADORABLE BEAN BUT ALSO THE SASSIEST MF EVER AND IT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED

Bro was literally just attacked by an enemy rat and when he discovers that that rat is in fact not an enemy, his first words are ‘get off me man’ as he tries to push said rat away

He cracks his bubblegum a second time solely to see ripred flinch

(I just realized a shit ton of these are gonna be with ripred because, duh, hes only allowed to be a kid around the rat and his sass only comes out when he doesn't have to protect boots or someone)

‘I know someone else who’s in trouble’ gregor please. You just woke up after fainting because a squid pulled your arm. Please save the witty remarks for another time

‘I guess shes smarter’ like damn son

‘Sorry to bug you- i mean bother you’ i know it wasn't intentional but thats just hilarious

‘Ill tell him you said hi. You know, if hes still alive’ okay i know this was way out of line, but it made me laugh so hard. I honestly am not that huge of a fan of hamnet (don't come after me its my opinion) and so this made me smile

When he does his sprint in the first book and ‘faked them out’ making the bats lose formation and riders struggle to stay on

'he felt around desperatley for a weapon. what did he have? diapers? cookies?" its technically him because its narrated from his pov so that hilarious

"said Vikus, as if that explained it all"-again, said from gregors pov so him being sassy. in his head at least

"The mighty warrior excused himself and changed a diaper.”

"Who was Simon? He had no idea.”

“The place did kind of resemble a locker room if locker rooms were gorgeous and smelled good.”-dude. this kid is my frickin hero

Also some honorary ares mentions because as bonds they are the same person-

In the labyrinth, come to a point where they can go three ways “lets go left” (these aren't the exact words but im too lazy to go look it up) that path circles back around to where they started “on further reflection i favor the right” that circles back round. Only one tunnel left “why don't you chose?” o.m.f.g ares. I love you sm

Also- delivering the bane to ripred: please don't tell me you've become attached to ol twitchtip. Ares: as far as rats go, she is among our favorite. O.M.F.G ARES! I don't think he ever exchanges another word with ripred. The only time he ever talks to the rat is to confirm that she is their favorite rat. Not him. Like- i love him sm

And when theyre training for the army in the last book and gregor asks, ‘have a good nap?’ and ares just responds, ‘all twenty minutes of it’ ashdfgsfhgenhvengh!!!!! I love this dork sm. 

‘You learn fast’ like ma boi-! But its so cute because it distracts gregor from his fear of being a rager and gets him to laugh and its the first time they act like bonds and its super cute

“Aurora and I go with our bonds,” muttered Ares- he could just say it- but no. he mutters. i adore this bat

Ares flew straight for the rat.- its not sass but like- yes

"get off my chest what?'' get it ares. teach gregor mannors haha

yeah thats all i could think of off the top of my head

[bornetoblood]

The Findings of Des Hallows- A Creature Journal.

Grim Flies: Grim Flies are by far the most common insect an explorer might encounter. They are generally harmless, if irritating. Their distictive elongaged front legs may look intimidating but they're predominantly for show. They produce a black honey to feed their spawn- both of which is kept within the Hives.

Grim Fly Hives: Despite its humanoid appearence, Grive Fly Hives (or, colloquially, Hearthomes) have no relation to us. They often stand facing corners or walls, cooing, (does it harbor affection for the insects?) until they are disturbed. When threatened it will bend backwards and attack any percived assailants. They appear to have evolved to support a symbiotic relationship with the Grim Fly- which nest in its chest. The chest in elder Grim Fly Hives is often convex due to an excess of honey. When the Grim Flies are removed from the Hive it looses all movement, going slack until they are returned.

Rusted Debutantes: These metal women are generally pleasant but one shouldn't let their guard down. I've seen her snap at the drop of a hat and tear strong men limb from limb. As lonely as this line of work can be, it is best to politly decline a liaison with her. All the Rusted Debutantes seem to be fasioned off the same woman, with slight differences in her outfits. There is a folktale of an Edwardian Steelworker, grief stricken over her beloved's marriage, turning to the construction of metal replicas that would outlive them both- but this is mear hearsay.

[mister-eames]

In A/E, who cooks the most delicious meals and who is the most efficient cook? those can be mutually inclusive but more often, they are not so, thoughts?

I think Arthur is really good at four (4) meals. But like, REALLY good - you know those dishes you always pester your mum/dad/parent to make because it's so good every time and it makes you Feel Something and its probably the first thing(s) you learn to cook because it's SO GOOD. That's Arthur. Except he disdains the process of cooking and would rather avoid it. He would--and has--eaten crackers for dinner if he was eating alone. Eames pesters him to cook any of those four (4) meals but he doesn't often do it. Cooking seems like such a waste of time, you know? But he gives in when he's got the time, because it makes Eames happy. And him too.

Eames cooks lots of delish meals. Effortlessly. Loves a recipe book/blog/channel. He also cooks his fair share of bad ones. I say he has a 70-30 ratio of amazing to awful meals. Can whip up the most amazing curry or stew with just his intuition to guide him one day, and then make the most god-awful casserole the next with the most fucked up flavours and horrifying textures. He has two modes: turning water into wine and burning water. Arthur doesn't mind, it's part of Eames charm - he doesn't mind regularly replacing charred pans, as long as he's not the one cooking.

[thecomfortable]

Sleepover [Part 1]

A TMNT 2012 fanfic

Word Count: 3453

Warnings: Brief descriptions of blood/wounds

Ships: Leo x April

(Part 2 is now available!)

“A sleepover? Guys, that’s all we’ve been having since my dad was captured that one time.” April chuckled, typing away at her laptop. This was the third time they had asked her to stay over since Shredder had been defeated. Casey was adamant and said that his family needed his support. April, on the other hand, just wasn’t bothered half the time. “Besides I’ve got stuff to do.”

“Stuff we could easily help with.” Donatello interjected, smiling down at the girl. “If it’s homework I can provide assistance.” 

“If you can stand the voice of a dweeb longer than an hour.” Raph snickered before Donnie smacked the back of his head, and the two began to bicker.

“I dunno…” April looked away from her laptop to glance around the group, her gaze landing on Leo. “What do you think?” Leo, taken fairly off-guard by this, chuckled sheepishly.

“Well, I wasn’t really invested in this plan to begin with. You’ve got stuff to do and we’ve got stuff to do. But…" Leo looked away from both April and his brothers. “If you haven’t got anything next weekend… I wouldn’t mind if you stayed over, you don’t have to of course—”

“Alright,” April responded. The group stared at her in surprise. “Well, what the leader says, goes. Isn’t that the saying?” Leo shrugged, grinning a bit. Raph threw his hands up in the air.

“That’s all it took? Leo’s blessing?” Raph said in exasperation, to which April raised a brow in response.

“Better than yours. I’d be worried for my safety if you gave me any type of blessing.” April retorted, a slight smirk on her face.

“Touché.”

---

“Wow, you guys went all out, huh?” April stared wide-eyed at the dojo. Futons were covering the floor, with Mikey already lying on one and playing games on his T-Phone. “You didn’t have to.”

“Oh, we know that,” Raph grumbled, squeezing past her as he went to sit down on his futon. “It was Mikey’s idea.” Mikey’s giggles could be heard quietly in the background. April heaved her bag over to the futon next to Mikey and plopped it down. She only vaguely registered that Leo’s comics were neatly stacked on the futon beside hers.

“Oh good, you’re here!” Donnie chimed, walking into the dojo and grinning at the redhead. “Sorry, I was busy in my lab. Did you bring your homework?” April nodded, removing her laptop from its case and opening it. The lanky turtle sat beside her, and they began chatting.

Leo entered the dojo a short time later. He gave April a warm smile - which she happily returned - and sat down on her other side before picking up one of the comics and quietly reading. Time passed as usual, with Raph and Mikey leaving to watch the Slugman Marathon. At the same time, Donnie and - at some points - Leo stayed to help April with her homework.

“Pizza time~!” Mikey called out from the lair’s entrance, to which both Donnie and Leo looked up and furrowed their brows. “I also paid for it!” They relaxed, looking back over April’s shoulders to see her screen.

“Did you guys discuss what pizzas you were getting with Mikey or—”

“He probably bought one of each.” April looked mortified, and Donnie quickly rephrased his sentence. “What I mean is— He probably bought the basic pizzas. Marguerite, meat-lovers, pineapple… that sort of thing.” The girl nodded, still slightly concerned with the decision to leave Mikey in control of ordering dinner. Seeing her expression, Donnie stood up and grinned at the pair still on the ground. “Don’t worry. I’ll see if he bought too much.”

Feeling reassured, Leo and April watched the other leave before once again resuming April’s studies. There was brief silence until April scooched closer to Leo to make it easier for him to see. Only this move completely derailed the turtle’s train of thought. They’d been close before, but not like this. The fuzzy feeling made him worry. There was space around them to sit, but April chose to sit there.

April, who, for the most part, had been entirely focused on the Russian Revolution, sensed a change in Leo’s emotional state. She glanced around the room for a reason to which she found none. She soon found herself staring up at the turtle, who seemed not to notice as he was too busy staring at his feet.

“Leo.” The turtle jolted harshly and hastily looked over at April. 

“I-I’m here! What’s up? Need help with something?” He asked, noticing that April had leaned even closer to inspect him. “Is it something to do with the Russian Oligarchy?”

“If that’s what you’re so stressed about then sure. Let’s talk about the Russian Oligarchy.” April responded flatly. Leo began staring at his feet again. The girl leaned forward, determined to meet his eye. Leo turned his head. “Hey, don’t think you can avoid talking to someone sitting right next to you.” 

Donnie walked back into the room; he looked slightly abashed. “Mikey ordered all the basic— What are you two doing?” He had cocked his head to one side and stared at his older brother and then at April. April shrugged; she also wanted to know what was up with Leo but had gotten no helpful answers. Standing up, the girl slid her laptop back into its case and followed Donnie out of the dojo.

Leo put a hand to his cheek and grimaced.

---

“What are you doing, Mikey!” Raph yelled in exasperation as he watched his younger brother dump jelly beans on his slice of pizza. Mikey just grinned before shoving the piece into his mouth. 

Everyone disliked that. 

Regardless, the group had sat down in front of the small - somewhat busted TV - and discussed what to watch before Mikey had decided to gross everyone out. April, Leo and Raph were sitting on the steps (in that order), and the two younger turtles were sitting at their feet.

Donnie decided to get the conversation back on track. “We could watch a horror movie—” 

“Our life is a horror movie.” Raph grumbled, watching Mikey as he crammed another slice into his mouth. Leo chuckled and gave Raph a slight nod in agreement. “And I don’t need to be reminded.” April perked up.

“We could watch The Babadook. Apparently, that one’s quite good.” April suggested. The two older turtles looked curiously over at the girl. Mikey happily gave April a thumbs up - his mouth was full of jelly bean pizza which Raph was oh so aware of. “How ’bout it, guys?”

Leo shrugged. He had no idea what the movie was about, but the name sounded funky. 

“Sounds better than what the nerd had picked.” Raph snickered, flipping the page of his comic. Donnie shot him a glare. He had suggested they watch 2001: A Space Odyssey, which Mikey and Raph immediately shot down. 

“Eh why not.” Donnie sighed. “I’ll set up the hard drive.” 

The group watched as Donnie sauntered over to the TV to mess around with its wiring before focusing on Mikey’s pizza.

“How can you eat that without gagging?” April asked, genuinely curious - though inherently disgusted. 

“I ask that question everyday.” Raph said flatly. “Never gotten a sane response.” 

“That’s because there isn’t one.” Leo mused, peering at the comic over Raph’s shoulder, who quickly moved it out of view. “What– Oh, I get it. You’re reading something embarrassing aren’t you?”

“My bet is on a romance manga.” Mikey grinned, nudging Raph’s knee with his elbow. The red-clad ninja looked slightly offended and kicked his brother’s arm away.

“I thought Donnie was into those?” April gave the turtle hunched by the TV a smirk. 

“Says the girl who played a dating sim when she was supposed to be studying.” Donnie retorted, shooting a grin at April, who flinched and looked away. Suddenly she was the central focus of the group. Mikey looked utterly shocked; Leo and Raph were mildly surprised. But they were all staring… except Donnie, who had gone back to rewiring the TV.

“A dating sim?” Leo said, trying and failing to hold back his laughter. April pouted and glanced at the three sitting alongside her. They were all giggling now, much to April’s embarrassment.

“It was one time!” She insisted, to which Donnie barked out a harsh laugh. 

“Uh-huh, is that what you told Kirby when you failed Trig?” He chimed, connecting the little wifi device to the back of the TV.

“I’ll have you know that I didn’t fail!” April snapped.

“Really? Was Senpai proud of you?” At that comment, the girl flushed pink and angrily crossed her arms. He stood up and strode back to the group to sit by April’s legs. “Bet he said something really cute too.”

“What’s her type?” Raph asked, looking up from his comic to smile vaguely across at April. “Bet it’s the ‘bad boy’ who’s also a complete idiot.”

“Hm, from what I gathered she was always smiling when the ‘School Prefect’ had any dialogue.” Donnie explained. “Y’know, the teacher’s pet archetype-...” Suddenly all eyes were on Leo- or his brother’s eyes, at least. Now it was the leader’s turn to look away with a slightly irritated expression in his case.

“Knock it off, Donnie.” That was all Leo said, though his brothers started grinning maliciously. “Aren’t we going to watch the movie April picked out?”

“I dunno Leo, this is also pretty fun to watch.” Mikey snickered, turning his head to watch April, who was currently hiding her face. A well-aimed kick to the younger’s side put a stop to the embarrassing situation.

“My movie’s still on the table.” A well-aimed glare from two unimpressed siblings also put a stop to Donnie’s suggestion. “Alright! Alright… Good thing we’re sleeping in the same room I guess. Mikey won’t need to wake anyone up.”

“I don’t do that anymore!” Mikey snapped, looking extremely offended. 

“Yeah, cause we haven’t watched a Horror movie in over a month, moron. You don’t have a reason to.” Raph put down his comic and grabbed the controller out of Donnie’s hands. “Now, let’s see what this movie’s about.”

---

April had quite enjoyed the movie for a few reasons: The story was well-written, the characters were authentic, the scares had great timing, and she could sense exactly what her friends were feeling during the movie. Good thing, too; knowing that your friends are somewhat more scared than you is a pretty pleasant feeling.

Mikey had gone into a fear-induced trance and was currently stuffing his face with ice cream. Raph had remained marginally calm throughout the movie and therefore wasn’t too bothered after it had ended, whilst both Donnie and Leo were still slightly on edge. 

Deciding to have fun with this situation, April tapped Leo’s shoulder and watched him jolt. Then she tapped Donnie’s. Same reaction. Ooh, this might be fun.

“What? Is something up, April?” Donnie asked, peering up at the girl. She grinned and raised a brow. “What are you-... Oh haha, I jumped. So funny.” Raph was laughing alongside April, who had begun giggling herself.

Leo frowned at her before turning to Raph and glaring. “You’re rubbing off on her.” He said, shoving Raph’s shoulder. The younger turtle grinned. He had nothing to feel guilty about when they were both so ‘jumpy’. Why wouldn’t April want to mess around with them? Leo went to further scold the other when he felt something breathe on his neck. 

He yelped. Loudly.

April, Donnie and Raph burst out into loud cackles. They sounded akin to a pack of hyenas; even Mikey was laughing despite his prior state of uncontrolled fear. April had been the one to blow air on the back of his neck, and she looked so smug, despite the fact she was laughing hysterically. 

“Why would you do that!” Leo snapped, his face a brilliant shade of red that clashed horribly with his green scales. April was vividly reminded of Christmas at her Aunt’s house. She also thought it was rather cute. Ignoring the second thought, she pressed a finger into Leo’s chest.

“Because,” she grinned, face full of malicious pride. “It was funny.”

Leo pushed her hand away, still marginally red in the face. She looked really confident and sounded even more so. The fuzzy feeling was back.

Then their eyes locked, and April’s grin faltered. He looked adorable. The fuzzy feeling in her chest made her worry.

It made them both worry.

---

“Dudes, do we have to sleep in the dark?” Mikey complained as Donnie turned off the lights in the dojo. There came a resounding ‘yes’ from the rest of the group in response, and Mikey groaned dramatically. “You won’t even know if I’m gone!”

After a few rounds of Monopoly - all of which were won by Donnie, who was then hunted down by Raph and Mikey and tickled mercilessly in the middle of the dojo - the group finally decided to go to bed. And by ‘go to bed’, that meant getting comfortable just in case anyone passed out. No one wanted to wake up with cramps.

Currently, only Raph, Leo and Mikey were lying on their futons. Donnie was busy clearing up around the doorway so that no one tripped over in the dark while April was getting dressed in another room.

“We can tell when you get a midnight snack, Mikey.” Donnie said incredulously. “I think we’ll notice if something bad is happening to you.”

“That’s what you think!”

“I told you he wouldn’t sleep.” Raph grumbled to Leo, who nodded vaguely, too focused on his comics to fully register the conversation. Just then, April walked into the dojo wearing a nice pair of pyjamas. For once, Leo lost focus on his comics in favour of something else.

This reaction didn’t go unnoticed. Donnie had done a sweeping glance of the room to find any trip hazards and had gotten a good look at his brother’s flushed face. He looked at where Leo was staring, noticed it was April, and then stared at Raph.

His eyes were wide. 

Raph had the distinct feeling that someone was staring at him. He glanced around and quickly noticed Donnie’s wide eyes, which looked incredibly unnerving when dimly illuminated by some sparsely lit candles. Cringing, he shot Donnie a questioning expression. The lanky turtle nodded towards Leo, to which Raph turned his attention.

Leo was currently watching April as she discussed sleeping methods with Mikey. Raph’s eyes widened, and he mouthed the words ‘he’s blushing’ to Donnie, who mouthed the words ‘I know’ back at him. 

Raph tapped his brother’s shoulder, who snapped out of his affectionate gaze to look questioningly at the other. “What’s with you?” He asked, noticing Leo’s face had gone slightly redder due to his nerves.

“What do you mean?” Leo whispered, and Raph started explaining himself, only for April to laugh at something Mikey said. Her laugh temporarily transfixed the leader, and Donnie had to clear his throat. The leader hunched his shoulders, bracing for a bombardment of insults after ignoring Raph’s answer. But nothing came; Donnie repeated what he had been too distracted to hear.

“You like her. Don’t you?”

Leo froze. The statement threw him so severely that he remained dead silent, staring at Donnie with his brows raised.

He swallowed. 

The fuzzy feeling was back from before, but it was so much worse this time. Leo had started imagining what people did when they were in love. Then he imagined himself and April in those situations, and it was like someone lit his face on fire.

Leo decided not to answer, and Donnie chose not to pry. Surprisingly, Raph didn’t attempt to pry either though that didn’t stop him from smirking broadly at the blue-clad leader.

Again April felt a change in Leo’s emotional state. She turned and saw that he was gazing at her with a slightly guilty expression. Their eyes met. Even at this moment - when the fuzzy feeling was so prominent April could practically feel it emanating off the turtle next to her - all she noticed was his guilt. A quick glance around the room. Raph was busy reading Leo’s comics, Donnie was still checking for hazards, and Mikey was complaining about the lights.

April stood up.

“I’m going to get some water.” She said before glancing at the leader. “Wanna come with me?” The two gazed awkwardly at each other for a brief moment.

“Sure.” 

---

Oh god, this was awkward. The tap slowly filled up the glass April had retrieved from the cupboard. The pair stood in silence. Tense silence. She turned the tap off and took a large swig of water. Leo watched her. Their eyes met for the third time. 

“Are you alright Leo?” 

The question broke through the empty silence, and Leo shuffled his feet. Eye contact now broken, he stared fixedly at the glass clutched in April’s hand and gave her a nod.

“I can tell when you’re lying, y’know.” April commented loftily. “How many times have you used me as a lie detector now? Like 8– maybe 9 times?” Leo’s face was flushed, and he was now staring intently at the floor. “Leo…?”

“It’s nothing.” He insisted, making the trek back over to the dojo. April quickly followed suit, although she latched onto his sash and pulled him back. “April—” but something stopped him. April was close to his face, examining his expression in the darkened lair. “H-Hey–!”

“You’re red again.”

“D-Do you not realise how close you are to my face?”

April stared into his eyes for a moment, then let go of his sash. “I need to wash the glass. Meet you back in the—”

“I’m coming back with you.” Leo said abruptly, now making the trek back over to the sink. April looked dumbfounded.

“But you were the one who—” Leo waved a hand. 

The tap was back on again, as was the silence between the pair, though the tension was slightly different. The glass kept slipping out of April’s hands whenever she looked at the turtle, whilst Leo’s breath quickened when he did the same. Both teens were somewhat flushed. 

What was happening? 

“Listen—” They said in unison. Then stared at each other in surprise. April dropped the glass again. 

“You go first.” April insisted, picking up the glass to towel dry it. Leo hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck before sucking in a deep breath of air.

“I think I like you.” 

Smash

The glass shattered as it hit the floor. April moved back in reflex but slipped on the excess water. Lunging forward, the leader caught her before she could hit the back of her head on the table. This, unfortunately, led to a shard of glass getting embedded into the bottom of Leo’s foot. 

“Quick! Move away from where it smashed!” April looked frankly shocked at almost everything that had just occurred. Leo gingerly fell down beside the table and hissed with pain. “Gosh, I’m sorry Leo I-I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s fine April, I was the one who caused thaAAH!” April had carefully lifted the turtle’s foot to examine the wound when she had accidentally pressed into the shard, causing Leo to yelp in pain. Again, April apologised profusely. “Nono, I’m alright.” The girl quickly turned on her phone’s flashlight and made her way over to the light switch. 

“Oh god.” April breathed, staring down at the blood-stained floor. Leo felt slightly unwell as he stared at his foot. It looked like a deep wound. “H-Hold on, I’ll get Donnie.”

Leo watched her run back to the dojo with a grim expression. He was too forward. Way too forward. 

“What?” The lanky turtle rushed out of the dojo, followed closely by April and his brothers. Leo cringed at Donnie’s look of utter exasperation and opted to examine his injury further. “I heard a smash, but I didn’t expect you—”

“Nice going Chief.” Raph mused though he was clearly concerned.

“It looks like a scene from a horror movie!” Mikey commented loudly, excitement overpowering his concern. Raph smacked his shoulder. “Sorry, it’s just– look at all that blood!” 

“You don’t need to point it out, Mikey.” Leo mumbled, actively paling at the sight. It was pooling around his foot at this point. Gross. Donnie rushed over to Leo’s side and gave him a shoulder to lean on as he stood up. The minute he turned Leo away from the shards of glass, the leader came face-to-face with a worried girl.

He went red.

“Come on bro.” Donnie sighed, “Mikey, I trust you and Raph can handle the mess—”

“I’ll handle it.” April insisted, “It’s my mess. It’s the least I can do.”

[susivoi]

Artfight is a go!

I have started this artfight strong and plan to keep going stronger! I'm on team stardust and have a batch of attacks to share.

First Attack:

This character is owned by @friendlyneighborhoodgaymer (Team Stardust)! https://artfight.net/character/4924435.the-friend-scugsona

Second Attack:

This abomination is owned by @flightdrawz (Team Seafoam).

https://artfight.net/character/4346168.chugjug-slugcat-oc

Third Attack:

This character is owned by @/stalecornflakes (Team Seafoam)

https://artfight.net/character/4690332.the-viper

Fourth Attack:

This character is owned by @/Epileptic_moon (Team Stardust)

https://artfight.net/character/4316508.the-dreamcatcher-rain-world

-

That's the batch! If you wish to find me on AF then here is my profile link: https://artfight.net/~Susivoi

I am focusing on rainworld ocs and wobbledogs this year but if there is a character that catches my eye, I'll probably draw them.

[1dont-really-know]

Unfortunately, I had to split the childhood chapter in half since it's getting to be way too long and I have to focus on the finals week that's starting next Monday, so I won't be able to write much if at all. I'll start writing again once it ends, but I'll probably save the second half of the chapter for a memory/flashback chapter.

Without further ado, here's the first half of Malva's childhood! 4422 words long! Enjoy ✨

~~

Malva remembers the day she was allowed to finally meet 'Leanor's friends.

She remembers how close of an eye her guards had on her, watching her every move as if afraid she was going to bolt into the forest the moment she had the chance. That was the main reason she was not allowed to go outside unsupervised, after all. She ran away and into the lush green paradise far too many times for Mother’s liking.

She remembers waiting anxiously near the entrance to the palace gardens, counting and and re-counting the numbers of petals of each flower growing from the bush next to her. What if they don't like me? She had asked herself, what if 'Leanor decides that she doesn't want to play with me anymore because her friends don't want to?

Looking back on it, she doesn't quite understand her thought process anymore. It had seemed so straightforward back then, so obvious that Maleanor would no longer want to spend time with her in favor of her friends.

Malva remembers how her fears were quieted.

She remembers 'Leanor's grinning face as she raced towards her, pulling her into a hug before she introduced her to her friends.

Levan, ‘Leanor had said his name was, a boy who seemed to be around 'Leanor's age, was the first of the two strangers to greet her. Malva remembers his gentle smile and calm disposition, and she remembers wondering how in the world someone like him would befriend her sister.

But then she saw the way 'Leanor had looked at him, and she understood that it was not a simple friendship that tied Levan and Maleanor together.

The second boy looked younger than both Levan and 'Leanor. He greeted Malva awkwardly, as if not quite sure how to address her. She remembers his eyes first and foremost; a pair of shining red that looked like sunrise over a raging sea, the hues shifting like the waves, magenta one second, then back to red, then to a mix of those two colors. His eyes were mesmerizing to watch, but Malva tears her gaze away from them before things turn awkward.

Malva had known of the boy with sunrise eyes before this, of course. The boy had been an orphan her mother had taken in, but she had yet to meet him prior to this.

What was his name again?

Ah, but she supposed she should introduce herself first.

"I am Malva Draconia," she had said, dropping into a curtsy once she remembered her lessons about manners, "second princess of Briar Kingdom, younger sister of Maleanor."

‘Leanor had scoffed at that, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest. “You need not be so formal with them,” she had told Malva, nudging her towards the two boys, “they are my friends. I have told them of you.”

For some reason she, herself did not understand to this day, Malva had not thought that ‘Leanor would have talked about her to her friends.

Still, Malva smiles, “It’s nice to meet you regardless,” she had said.

The boy with sunrise eyes nods stiffly, while Levan just reassures Malva that it was fine.

What was the other boy’s name again? Malva can’t seem to remember, though she’s sure he had already introduced himself.

“It’s nice to meet you as well,” Levan’s eyes are kind. Malva had decided that Levan would be a wonderful partner for ‘Leanor right then and there.

°•°•°•°

In truth, the forest usually was not Malva's destination. It was just where they usually find her.

Looking at her reflection on the river’s surface, she adjusts her cloak, making sure no one could see her horns. Thankfully, with her technically being a hatchling, her horns weren't that hard to hide. Her tail had been bunched up to resemble a backpack under her cloak, hiding it from view. It is only once she's confident that she looks like any other fae and not a princess that she finally sets off.

Was this dangerous? Sure.

Will she get scolded if she was caught? Of course.

Would she care? Ehhh…

Her destination this time was a town not too far from the palace. The bustling streets would have overwhelmed her had it not been that she had been taught to be used to crowds at revels. He was here somewhere. She just needed to look for him.

A head of sunflower blond hair, far shorter than the rest of the humans, and ears too pointed to be those of a human.

There.

Altair, a half-human she had met during a revel.

Malva's friend.

Not an acquaintance, not a mere ally.

Her friend.

She grins brightly, weaving through the mass of people to get to him as quickly as possible. “Altair!” She greets, excited to see him.

“Finally got away from those guards, huh?” Altair grins back at her, giving her a pat on the shoulder before turning to the library. He raised his hand, trying to get hold of the door handle, but was much too short to reach it.

Malva snickers at his failed attempt, “same goes to you. Did your parents finally let you leave the cabin again?” she didn't have any right to laugh, however, as she herself was also too short to reach the handle. She was older than him, sure, but with his human heritage he was a bit taller than her and looked older than her as well.

They ended up having to wait for an adult to open the door for them.

°•°•°•°

“When do you think you’ll finally accept ‘Leanor’s proposals?”

Malva had invited Levan to tea not long after she had met him and his and Maleanor's other friend. This was a very important subject, after all, and first (or in this case, second) impressions were important. Levan needed to know that Malva is and always will be on Maleanor’s side.

The sudden question makes Levan choke on the tea he had been drinking. Malva just watches him, waiting for him to stop coughing and answer her question. “So? What’s your answer?”

Finally, after he has his breathing back under control, Levan looks at Malva, his jaw open in bafflement, “are you proposing to me in Maleanor’s stead? For Maleanor?”

Malva shrugs, taking another sip of her own cup of tea, “you seem to have a problem with answering Maleanor when she asks you to marry her, so I’m going to ask you to marry her,” a pause, then she looks him right in the eyes, her gaze blazing, “marry ‘Leanor, Levan. I know you like her.”

Levan is at a loss for words. He opens his mouth, about to say something, before he thinks better of it and sighs instead. He looked at her, resigned, before speaking, “tell me why you’re doing this again?”

“Well for starters,” a little bit more of Levan’s will to live fades from his eyes, “you like ‘Leanor. That much is easy to see from the way you look at her. And you know ‘Leanor is fond of you as well, since she’s always looking for a reason to spend alone time with you. Furthermore-”

This is going to take a while.

°•°•°•°

“-Finally, you have rivals, dear brother-in-law. Others who yearn for my sister’s attention and affections. She could have anyone in the kingdom, but she chose yo-” Malva’s eye twitches in annoyance and she pokes Levan roughly on his ribs when she notices his vacant stare, “are you even listening?” she frowns. She can tell how much Levan means to ‘Leanor. She wants nothing more than for their happiness, but if Levan doesn't make a move soon, she fears what ‘Leanor would think.

Levan, who had been zoned out for the better part of an entire hour of her explanation, winces in pain, his hand over the rib Malva had poked. “I was listening,” he grumbles. His thoughts seem to be elsewhere, however.

Malva sighs. She needs another approach, something that could worm into Levan’s mind and conscience and will refuse to let go until he tells ‘Leanor how he feels. Maybe…

“Y’know, Lilia is exceptionally close to ‘Leanor,” Levan’s ears perk up at her words. Perfect. She has him right where she wants him, “It’s not hard to see why, truly. Lilia is… something. He’s hardheaded and rather brash, like ‘Leanor is, but he also always makes sure she’s alright. In fact,” now this is a risk, but it’s a risk she’s willing to take, “I’d say, in a way, he’s in love with her as well.”

Lilia was a friend to both ‘Leanor and Levan, and though Malva felt a little guilty for using his name for her schemes, she assures herself that she'll apologize to him for it once she finally gets to meet him.

In all honesty she doesn't even know if Lilia actually likes ‘Leanor in that way or not, but regardless.

Levan was quiet, seemingly thinking through his options. He looks away from her, looking off into the distance, “you know what? You're right. Perhaps Lilia is better suited for Maleanor after all.”

Wait, what?

No! This wasn't how it was supposed to go!

“I'm not saying you should give up on wooing her!” Malva hissed, standing up and trying to get him to look her in the eyes, all while Levan looks away from her, his shoulders slumped in defeat, “‘Leanor doesn't love Lilia! She loves you! All you need to do is court her and all is well!”

Levan was supposed to use that as inspiration for him to pursue Maleanor more overtly. Lilia was just supposed to be an imaginary obstacle. He wasn’t supposed to matter in the equation!

… Malva feels guilty just thinking about it. She should really find Lilia and apologize for using his name like that.

Malva shakes her head quickly to clear her mind. No, that didn't matter for now. What matters is that Levan is giving u-

His shoulders are shaking. There's… there's amusement in Levan's eyes.

He's laughing at her.

Not only that, he's laughing at her in such a way that someone would have thought he was crying!

The heat of embarrassment rises up to Malva's cheeks, and with an indignant huff and a puff of fire, Malva smacks Levan on the shoulder as hard as her little hands can. “Stop laughing!” she all but cries, her voice cracking, “it's not funny at all! I'm trying to get my sister a husband here!”

Levan just kept laughing, but at least he stopped pretending to cry, clutching his sides as he almost fell off of his chair, “s-sorry, I- pfft- haha! It's just adorable how insistent you are in this.”

This just makes Malva even more indignant. How dare he? Sure, he was a noble, but he was still just a noble. Not yet a prince; not yet ‘Leanor’s husband. “I'm the Second Princess of Briar Kingdom. I know how to control my fire breath. I know how to fly. I am feared. I am powerful. I am not adorable.”

Levan is still laughing.

“I'm telling ‘Leanor you were being mean to me!”

“W-wait, no-”

°•°•°•°

Look left? Check.

Look right? Check.

Perfect. Nobody is watching her. It's time for her to-

“Moonlight? What in the world are you doing?”

“Ack-”

Malva whirls around, almost tripping over a root in her haste, only to see Maleanor standing behind her. Her mind scrambles for an excuse as to why she was slowly inching to the edge of the forest while the ball was commencing, any reason that would not end in her being scolded, but Maleanor narrows her eyes at her before she could respond.

“Yet again you try to run away from an event,” Maleanor sighs, shaking her head. Malva shrinks into herself, shame bubbling up in her stomach though she feels like she hasn't done anything wrong. Without a warning, Maleanor grabs her by the arm and drags her back into the center of the celebrations.

Planting her feet on the ground in vain, the younger of the two sisters squirms wildly, trying to free herself from the older one’s grasp, “I have plans, ‘Leanor. Plans that do not involve nobles sucking up to me in hopes of me giving them something,” she huffs, looking around the palace grounds for someone that could help her or at least be a distraction, “besides, it's not as if anyone here actually likes each other anyways. It's all one big ploy for each of them to get more power.”

“That’s just how politics are, Moonlight,” wait, it looks like they're going away from the center now- oh great, she's dragging her towards Levan and that sunrise-eyed boy. What fun. “You must learn to live with that.”

Maybe if she'd just use a little gravity magic- no, it didn't work. “That's not how I want it to be. What's life without genuine friendship? Without genuine love?” Maybe she could grow some vines from the ground to anchor her- aaaand Maleanor ripped out the vines.

“You've been talking to that half-human boy, haven't you?” They're getting incredibly close to Maleanor's friends, the chance for escape is slipping through Malva's fingers like sand. Maleanor didn't seem to care, “I've told you before and I'll tell you again, sister, those fantasy books are just that, fantasy. It's not how the world works.”

Escape is nigh impossible now. They're right in front of Maleanor's friends, which means if Malva did escape, it'll make her look bad. But does that mean that she'll back down? No. Malva is far too prideful for that. “Well you genuinely love Levan, don't you?” She snaps at Maleanor, her tail swishing in agitation. Still, she inwardly grins at the way both Levan and Maleanor's cheeks redden at her proclamation, “that means that genuine love and care does exist, even in politics, and it should exist more.”

Maleanor grabs Malva by the face, squishing her cheeks in a tight grip, “I told you not to say that in front of him!” She hissed, “have I not already told you I do not need your help to court him?!”

“Now now, let's both calm down, alright?” Levan tries to soothe, placing a hand over Maleanor's in an attempt to make her let go of Malva's face, “there's no need for this, hmm?” Unfortunately, Maleanor still doesn't let go, her eyes locked with Malva’s defiantly. Levan sighs, “Lilia, help me a little, will you?”

Ah. So he's Lilia. Malva really messed up by using his name to try to make Levan confess to Maleanor, then. Her current “featherdragon” project needs a new sacrifice.

Lilia looks at her, then at Maleanor, then at Levan. Then, he sighs, “Maleanor, your sister’s still a kid. She doesn't know any better.”

Oh? Oh!

Throwing Lilia a ‘thank you’ glance, Malva mentally notes to give him a gift later to show him her appreciation. Also as an apology, even if she'll never tell him what the apology is for. Taking a deep breath, Malva then turns her attention to Maleanor.

She imagines someone yawning, making her have the urge to yawn as well, but she keeps her mouth shut. Her eyes still water, though, and by holding back the yawn, it makes it look as though she's holding back tears. Look at me, she tries to hold back her giggling as she thinks the words, making herself look as sad as possible, how could you be so mean to me? Aren't I your baby sister? I'm not even a century old yet and you're already being so cruel…

She makes her bottom lip quiver, just for good measure.

The steeliness of Maleanor's eyes waver for a moment, her grip loosening, and Malva takes the opportunity to make a mad dash away from all three of them.

Success!

°•°•°•°

Sitting by the stream, Altair watches as fish of many colors swim by. The cool autumn wind tousled his hair, bringing with it a sense of calmness.

“Sunflower!”

From behind him, Malva emerges from the forest and sits down beside him. She grins widely, opening up her palm and making a magical fire in her hand to light up the area around them. “Pretty great, huh? I've been practicing.”

Altair rolls his eyes, setting down the book he had brought and moving closer to take a better look at the green flame. Much to his surprise, the flame isn't hot even when he puts his hand right next to it, “you didn't need to, you know. I'm a half-fae, not a human.” He can still see perfectly well in the darkness, and he can still see the amusement in Malva's eyes.

Malva, for her part, snaps her fingers and summons a book, placing it down next to his.

“You're just jealous you don't know how to cast this spell,” she nudges him with her shoulder playfully. For someone of such high social standing as her, she’s remarkably friendly in his eyes. Her eyes, however, lock onto the book he brought, and she turns it over so she can read the title, “what's this?”

Plucking the book from Malva's hand, Altair opens the book to where he last left off, Malva reading from over his shoulder. “It's my mother's herbarium.”

“A book about herbs?”

Altair nods, tilting the book towards her so she could see the pages better, “yeah, and it has the uses for the plants here too. See, here's yarrow, and here's a list of its uses, like slowing down bleeding…”

Malva listens intently to Altair's every word, her eyes locked on the pages of the book as he points out every interesting detail he could find. He suddenly remembers the thing she said about having been given a garden by her mother, (garden-hoard, she had said Princess Maleanor had called it) and its many plants. To find out that they have uses is something he would bet she had not thought she would be learning today.

But hearing that the herbarium used to belong to Altair's mother seemed to have reminded her of something.

“Didn't you say that your mother is a healer?”

Altair is taken aback for a moment by the sudden question, “Hm? Oh, yes, she is. Why do you ask?”

That's… odd. He could have sworn he saw something flash in her eyes. Something akin to glee.

“How exactly does someone become a healer?”

Suspicion creeps up Altair's spine. He answers, though hesitantly, ���well, you have to learn about medicine on your own, then find a healer willing to be your mentor, then if you're good at it, you have to go to a special academy…” wait- why was he telling her this? Why did she want to know this anyway? “What are you planning?”

The surprised expression on Malva's face is too exaggerated to be genuine. “What? Am I not allowed to be curious about these things?”

The half-fae just stares at her, deadpan. He looks her up and down, slightly narrowing his eyes.

“Okay, yes, I want to be a healer. But that's because–”

“I don't think just wanting to add to your botanical collection is a good enough reason to become a healer.”

“I don't like seeing when people get hurt either!”

°•°•°•°

By the time Malva gets back to the castle, she finds that most of the guests have left, with only a few people hanging around the drinks table and Maleanor and her friends talking near the gates. She would have thought they’d all gone home by now, but she supposes that they have something to discuss. Walking towards them, she starts to be able to hear bits and pieces of their conversation.

“Aww! You were paying attention to her!”

“She's your sister! Of course I pay attention to her!”

“Even I didn't notice the book she was holding~”

“Stop trying to hide the obvious, Lilia.”

“Levan! Not you too!”

“What's going on here?” It's likely because of how immersed in their conversation they were, but none of them seemed to have noticed Malva standing beside Maleanor. And they seemed to have forgotten what she had said about Maleanor’s feelings for Levan, which is good.

Maleanor turns around and grins at her, catching her before she could run and squishing her cheeks again– much gentler, this time. “There you are, my dearest sister!”

“I don't like where this is going.”

“Yes, regardless,” much to Malva's annoyance, Maleanor waves away her words like they were nothing. She points to Lilia, who looks like he would much rather be anywhere but here, “this boy, right here,” Maleanor starts, her eyes positively gleaming with mischief, “has eyes for you, Moonlight.”

“What.”

“For the last time, I don't!” Lilia was seething, very clearly embarrassed by the whole situation. Malva, on the other hand, was too confused to really react.

“Don't lie, you were watching her enough to notice that the reason she was trying to flee the party has something to do with the book!”

Book? Oh, Altair's book.

Maybe this isn't the time to tell them?

Who was she trying to fool, this was the perfect time. She owed Lilia for her escape earlier anyway, so the least she could do is distract Maleanor and Levan from his embarrassment.

“Aside from accusations about ‘having eyes’ or whatever you three were talking about, I have an announcement.” Malva said, before anyone could interrupt her.

This seemed to have piqued their interest, as Maleanor released her hold on Malva and let go of her cheeks. Good. They were getting sore from being squished so much.

It was Levan who first spoke up again, “so, what was this about an announcement?”

This was it. A reason for her to distance herself from politics and add to her hoard in the process. Finally. This way Mother will stop pestering her about hoarding “real” treasures. Finally she can be of use to the kingdom.

“I'm going to become a healer.”

��

An awkward silence envelops them.

“That's it?”

“What do you mean ‘that's it’?” Malva's tail twitches in annoyance, “I just told you I'm going to be a healer.”

Is that not a big thing? To decide your own path in life so soon?

“Are you sure about it?” Lilia asked, “I mean, you're still only, what, seventy years old? Are you sure you're not going to change your mind halfway?”

She had distracted the other two from pestering him and this is how he repays her? How rude.

“You're a princess first and foremost,” Maleanor chimes in, “if you want to run around in your free time messing with plants, then you can. But being a healer is a whole other thing.”

Are they even listening to her? With an exaggerated sigh, Malva turns away from them, starting to walk back to the palace. “You know what? Fine. I'll just prove to you that this is the path I'll take regardless.”

Malva felt like a sulking hatchling. Which, to be fair, she was.

But she wasn't seventy years old; she was seventy nine.

°•°•°•°

“Has anyone seen my sister?”

The servant bows his head respectfully, taking a step back from the confused princess, “no, Princess Maleanor. None of us have seen Princess Malva today.”

Maleanor's brows furrow. Where was she? She hadn't seen Malva since the younger dragon fae said she was going to become a healer. Was she really that upset that Maleanor had pointed out the obvious?

With a sigh, Maleanor forces herself to nod. If Malva was anywhere nearby, she didn't want her to accidentally get hit by her lightning. “Alright. Keep an eye out. I need to have a talk with her.”

This just keeps on happening. No matter where she searched– how many servants she questioned, Malva was nowhere to be seen.

That was, until she got to the palace library.

She found Malva there, hunched over a table, a pile of books about medicine and herbs and plants scattered around her as she slept.

Huh…

She was serious about wanting to be a healer, then.

°•°•°•°

The moonlight is as gorgeous as always.

But something was wrong.

Looking around, Malva sees that she’s on a balcony. There’s some sort of celebration going on in the main building, a crowd of people dancing and chatting as music croons through the walls. A sense of danger crawls on her skin. Why was she here? What celebration was this? When…

The full moon shines overhead, lighting both the balcony and the grounds under her enough for her to study her surroundings decently.

Oh. Levan's here as well. He's talking to another noble that she hasn't bothered to learn the name of not far from where she's standing.

But where was Maleanor and Lilia? Those three are usually inseparable, so just seeing one of them and not the other two is uncanny to her. Well, unless it's Maleanor who's alone. She has her royal duties to attend to, after all.

Now that Malva thought about it, she doesn't see anyone she knows but Levan nearby. She has never liked being alone during these sorts of revels, so she makes her way to him quickly.

But that other noble… she feels like she knew him from somewhere.

“Levan!”

He didn't seem to hear her, still talking to the other noble calmly. The other noble, however, seemed to slowly lose his patience.

“You're too much of a coward to court her properly anyway, so why don't you stand back and let me court her instead?” The other noble said, his voice dark and threatening.

So that's where she remembers him from. He had been one of the many bachelors that had asked for Maleanor's hand in marriage a few decades ago.

Levan remains steadfast, his gaze and voice steady as he responds, “because she isn't interested in you. Dragon faes such as Maleanor cannot have children with those they do not love anyways, so even if you did end up marrying her, there would be no heir to speak of.”

“Is there a problem here?” Malva steps closer, hesitantly looking from the noble's face to Levan's, then back again. Something feels wrong. Something feels very wrong.

Before any of them could react, the noble pulls out a dagger and stabs Levan on the side.

Malva's heart felt like it had stopped beating.

Then, she wakes up.

She was in her chambers, her breathing panicked and afraid and she felt like she could faint.

What… What was that?

Didn't she fall asleep in the library?

~~

Word count : 4422 words (a nice number :D)

Tags : @kitwasnothere

[childoftheriver]

The original non-touched up photo.

[jackienautism]

no. no look at me. look at me. you dont understand. you DONT understand how much i was obsessed w/ the mean girls musical. you just don’t. you don’t understand how much this silly musical means to me. you don’t. like. you think my fixation on until dawn / the quarry is bad? i saw the show several times, both on and off its tour. i made art for the cast to sign at stage door. i stayed home from school to finish said art one time. i literally made janis’ jean jacket and went as her for halloween. i made some of the character’s outfits in animal crossing new horizons. i would belt out the songs playing from our google home whenever i was home alone. my ex friend and i would come over my house and listen to the album like every time she visited. i included mean girls in several assignments for school. i made my GRADUATION CAP mean girls themed. i went to broadway con and broadway flea market mainly to see the cast. i would save the cast’s behind the scenes instagram stories to my computer every single day. i made soooo much fanart for it, i also wrote a ton of very bad fanfic / ideas for it. i went to a few of their special little zoom calls when covid hit hard. i would check the tag on tumblr (despite not having an account) every single day after school. i bought the score and would play the songs on my trumpet like every day during the bad covid times. i planned to recreate the songs w/ kazoos, which i ended up buying but never used. i had so many silly and dumb aus and crossovers for it. i wore one of my socks w/ pink on it every single wednesday and i STILL do it til this day. i wore my mean girls related clothing on october 3. i became SEVERELY depressed when it closed. basically i was 16 living in paradise with the lions and birds and stuff and i was LOVING IT

i could go on and on i think but this is the bulk of it. and it’s just. this was one of the things i was THE most autistic about before i knew i was autistic. it means so much to me. i went on a walk at 7:30 at night and listened to the whole cast album

[wrinklemcdinkle]

just watched episode 90… uhm.. it was surely an episode. take this attempt at:

SPOILERS WITH ZERO CONTEXT