#and then the babies grow up surrounded by humans and not other monkeys and they have no idea how to communicate with their own kind

[orbiting-star]

god can people please stop taking pictures with wildlife please for the love of god just fucking stop taking pictures with wild animals i am going to scream

all those people (with maybe 1 or 2 exceptions) with "rescues" in the US on tiktok are fucking awful people and they're directly contributing to the exotic pet trade

[semisolidmind]

What if after Peaches has her 8 kids she gets killed by the celestial realm or something, and there's nothing the Sun family can do but wait for their mother/wife to be reincarnated, which leads to the whole 'Monkey King meeting his Peaches again after hundreds of years due to MK' situation? How would that situation change with the babies being around, desperate to see their mama?

Sorry for the multiple asks! Feel free to ignore them if it's too much or uninteresting.

oh man. that'd be an awkward family reunion, considering she won't remember any of them.

also the destruction wukong would cause to the celestial realm after they murk his wife? astronomical. and his first three kids are old enough by then to join in, and they do so eagerly.

so to start, the sun kids are all basically grown by the time wukong finds mk, with seventh and eighth being around ten years old in demon age. the siblings more or less welcome the new addition with open arms, though some more than others.

mk grows up surrounded by siblings, and oddly enough, is better adjusted socially because of it? while the influence of some of them may be questionable (cough second third fifth cough), for the most part his family is his safe place. he'd probably be a smidgen less dependent on his friends because of it. he's also less defensive and scared than the version of him without siblings.

however, the subject of their mama is one that mk is woefully left out of. he never got to meet the original reader, and his siblings (except hua and chāo, who were a bit too small to remember her clearly) don't talk about her much. mk has gotten jūn and zíhào to talk about her a little bit, but da xia just gets defensive and refuses to entertain the subject. xīnyi also deflects whenever reader comes up. the only ones willing to give mk any sort of backstory are jiāo hui and xuě fēng. those two, along with hua and chāo, are his closest friends.

in the case of mk going to the human world, i imagine wukong being slightly less reluctant to let mk go, if only because he knows that jūn, jiao hui, and xuě fēng hang around the city as well, so mk would have support. wukong would still make mandatory home visits though, since he knows his kids might not be telling him the whole truth when they report on their baby brother.

as for the event of meeting reader; wukong almost cries, seeing her again. his first interaction with her new incarnation is...softer, more subdued. reader feels a little bad for him. he seems so withdrawn, he must miss his son. she's less suspicious of him because of his attitude.

wukong doesn't know what to tell his children. their mother is reborn, but she isn't their mother anymore. she won't know any of them. he doesn't want to put them through the pain of seeing her if she can't greet each of them knowing who they are.

however.

there might be a way to reawaken his wife and mother of his children. she still exists in the soul inhabiting this new body, he just needs to bring her back to the forefront of their consciousness. he'll tear apart heaven and earth looking for a way.

cue angst and fear, and a fun time for mk trying to keep reader a secret from his more volatile siblings. zíhào, da xia, and xīnyi would likely just kidnap reader for their father if they knew, thinking, similarly to him, that they can bring back the spirit of their mother.

also, macaque has been freed by now (it may or may not have been jūn and xuě fēng who removed the seal on his mountain), and is close friends with reader. in this case, jūn warns macaque of his father's plan to try and bring back the previous reader, so he has more time to plan on how he's gonna save her.

macaque has missed the smile on reader's face, her jokes, her sass...she's much like she was when they were on the journey together. he doesn't want her new, free incarnation to have to live as a prisoner to the monkey king's sick idea of love.

he failed her all those centuries ago. he won't fail her again.

....

(also, the reason none of the other kids can weild a magic staff, but mk can; half humanity. at least that's what wukong figures it is. his kids are all almost as strong as him, so that can't be why they can't lift it. must be magical bullshit, he thinks.)

[weaverpop]

LMK Mini Fic — Lionsword

(Tw minor swearing and mentions of implied intimacy)

“You know, kitten is just the Cat term for baby. So Azure is literally calling you babe.”

Mei is a menace, is the conclusion that Jing comes to. It’s after the battle against The Nine Tailed Vixon (aka Jin and Yin’s mom)

-and honestly, Li Jing wished he’d just gone home. But the Monkie kid had insisted they all share an after battle victory lunch. Jing didn’t have the heart to say no, especially when he noticed the way Nezha’s eyes brightened. He was trying to be better, so he had reluctantly agreed. Now he was very much regretting it.

“And this is relevant to me, because…?”

Mei grinned, and happily sat down next to him at the bar. “Sooooo, what do you call him?”

That caught some attention, and a certain six-eared snitch leaned over across from where nezha was seated at Jing’s right.

“Yes Jing, what do you call Azure?”

Jing gave another sigh, and set his chopsticks on his now empty bowl. The food was good, and Nezha was looking at him both wearily and curiously, so maybe he could humor them just a little.

“For your information, I call him by his name.”

They both rolled their eyes, and Wukong casually popped up behind him. Wait- oh no, he’s surrounded. He shouldn’t have entertained this!

“Come ooooon Jing’s! Surely you got a cute nickname for your pretty lion!”

“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint.”

Mei hummed, and then grinned. “Well, then we’ll help you come up with one!”

Fuck.

“That won’t be necessary. Azure and I are fine.”

“Nope!”

“Oh this is gonna be good.”

Jing just sighed, and watched Nezha out the corner of his eye. The prince was currently engaged in conversation with the monkey boy, who was behind the counter. Jing allowed him to take his empty bowl, Nezha doing the same. At least one of them was having fun.

“Oh! I know!” Jing suppressed a groan, and turned to look at Mei with a single brow raised. “How about… whiskers!”

A beat of silence followed, before Jing have a small chuckle. “He doesn’t have whiskers.”

“What?! Come on what cat doesn’t have whiskers-!”

“Ok, my turn.” The dark monkeys smirk did not inspire confidence, and Jing did not trust him in the slightest. He was the one who told everyone in the first place, so who knows what kind of history he’d put into—

“How about Eggless?” A moment of silence again. The others looked confused, but Jing just gave Macaque his best unimpressed look. It didn’t work, by the way Macaques grin free. It seemed to click for Wukong, and he started outright laughing. The others still seemed confused.

“Why??” Came MKs confused question. Did they not- oh heavens Jing wanted to just melt into the floor and die. He did not meet Nezha’s curious gaze, nor Mei’s prodding. Macaque, the bastard, just cackled.

“Let’s just say there’s a reason Jing likely never got pregnant.”

Jing, Mk and Mei turned to Macaque, their eyes wide and baffled. Nezha himself just cringed, realizing what direction the topic was going towards.

“Wait- but- he’s a guy??” Macaque patting MK’s head with a smile, ruffling his hair.

“Celestials and demons work differently than human mortals. Yes, he absolutely could have.”

There was a long silence, and Jing just stared at Macaque with growing horror. Macaque seemed to sense it, and he actually looked concerned now, as did Wukong.

“Wait, Jing, you are aware of that little tidbit, right?”

“I- I was born human though-“

“But now you’re a celestial, it changed your biology…. Jing, you knew pregnancy was a possibility right?”

Jings silence said it all. Mei tried to break the tensions with an akward laugh, putting an arm around him casually. “Well, now at least we know azure can’t do it…. Right?”

“I’ve heard of people who get suprise babies even after vasectomies, so it’s not unheard of.”A certain chef walked by, sharing that little tidbit before yelling at mk to get back to work. As everyone sorta scatter, Jing was left with his thoughts. And Nezha. He just stared at the table, realizing now the absolute disaster he likely avoided all this time.

“Father?” Nezha managed to get Jing attention, and he looked concerned. “Even if it was possible, you took precautions right?”

“Nezha-“ Jing tried to quickly hush him, but it was too late.

“You did use protection right?” Nezha’s face was red just by action, but he seemed determined to get an answer. Unfortunately for poor Nezha, the way Jing hid his face in his hands said otherwise.

“Father!”

[kaynanarie]

JourneyTober! Day 12 - Underworld (Stone)

            Things were not going the way Monkey had planned. Arriving at Black Wind Mountain had been challenging, an expectation for the journey ahead. Then everything got complicated when the human showed up.

            The human Tudigong had tasked him with protecting. The human that chattered nonstop in words he couldn’t understand. The human that started following him around like a baby duck with just as much survival instincts. The human that he now watched struggle to even light a basic campfire.

            Whatever flame conjuring twigs she had used the previous nights were now gone. Rubbing sticks together had been her first attempt, quickly growing frustrated and tired in her efforts. Next had been rocks which she smashed together in a poor attempt at fire-starting.

            After nearly an hour, she shouted in frustration and hurled one of the rocks at a nearby tree, pieces scattering as it hit the trunk. Even with limited strength behind the throw, her aim was mildly impressive. She let the other stone fall to the ground before curling up in a ball, arms hugging her legs and face tucked into her knees. The quiet sniffing that followed immediately put Monkey on edge.

            Their first night traveling together she had cried, her quiet sobs nearly masked by the crackling of the fire and the hum of the surrounding forest. Monkey could only listen, unsure what to do, until exhaustion finally pulled her into a fretful sleep. The next morning, she was cheerful and talkative as ever but the shadows under her eyes were testament to her hidden stress. It had taken days but she had reached her breaking point again and this time, Monkey was compelled to do something about it.

            He jumped down from the tree he had been perched in, the human not even reacting to the noise. Shuffling around camp, Monkey scanned the ground, brushing leaves aside and overturning rocks until he found what he was searching for.

            The human was still huddling in on herself when he crouched down beside her, nudging her shoulder till she lifted her head. Her face was red and wet with tears, eyes overflowing as they looked at him curiously. Monkey pried one of her hands loose and placed a stone in it.

            She stared at him, then the stone, then back at him blankly. He huffed, pointing to the kindling and back at the rock. When the human glanced the unlit fire, her tears returned. Equally frustrated and slightly panicked, Monkey took the stone back and grabbed the folding knife she kept in her strange bag. He waved a hand to regain her attention and demonstrated the stone hitting metal before handing both to her.

            Still confused, she took the items and copied his motions, gasping when a tiny spark leapt from the impact. Realization lit up her face and the tiny smile that followed lifted a heaviness from Monkey’s chest. He readjusted her grip, her hands tiny and delicate in his grasp, before aiming the sparks into the nest of kindling. The instant they started to smolder, he blew on them, directing her to do the same and soon, a tiny flame appeared. Small twigs were slowly added and the fire grew, bringing light to the camp just as the sun began to set.

            As they sat side by side, the human muttered something, hands fiddling with the flint stone. Monkey still couldn’t decipher her words but they sounded grateful. He nodded in response, enjoying the warmth that warded off the uncertain darkness and brought the two of them together in comforting peace.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------(Another replacement prompt and another one close to catching up. This one takes place pretty early in the overall narrative. Thanks to anyone that bothers to read. I'm still trying to make these despite not being very good.)

[quitealotofsodapop]

The only reason the Stalwarts weren't with Wukong back when he had MK was because with the mass migration of monkeys and establishment of the new village, as well as their own aging bodies, they Sim p lh couldn't be there for him. They'd pleaded and begged him to come with them to the village, even threatened to drag him there themselves, but Wukong would always refuse. Liu once spent an entire year trying to force Wukong to the village only for Wukong to consistently disguise himself and waste precious magic trying to hide. By the time MK had come around they'd all given up and decided to let Wukong approach on his own terms, unknowingly leaving Wukong to make one of his biggest regrets because the stubborn monkey never even considered asking his siblings for help with a toddler

Somewhat, and because Wukong tried his damn best to hide that MK existed - even from his most trusted. In Wukong's mind, if his Egg could drain the dao of it's surroundings and of others; then what was stopping his Egg from consuming the life force of this new baby monkey and his closest troop members?

(the answer sadly; is that it wouldn't have been fatal for any party involved. But Wukong simply did not know for certain and wasn't taking the chance.)

The Stalwarts know it's a fool's errand to try and force their little brother into doing anything he doesn't want to. So trying to force him to live in the new monkey village full-time would just stress the King out.

One day the Stalwarts notice that Wukong is acting very secretive. There's a smell of new milk and new baby in the air. For a moment the four older monkeys wondered if Wukong's Egg had finally arrived. But it hadn't

Throughout the visit, at least one Stalwart slips away to try and investigate what the smell could be.

The sight of a newborn stone monkey - not born of their little brother - sends the four siblings into an uproar!

Why didn't Wukong trust them to know this?!

Wukong can only weakly explain through tears while holding the baby close to his chest; that the baby had not been "born" He can been created. Shaped with clay by the goddess Nüwa herself. A Harbinger of future Havoc to come.

The Stalwarts help their little brother through the toughest decision of his life. They all have a flash of anger at the fact that Wukong decided to give up the baby to the reincarnations of his Pilgrim brothers - but they are distracted by his sheer grief. Wukong wanted to keep his the baby, his Little Heaven, but after over a year of trying, he had become so weak and tired. At least with Pigsy and Tang, the holy magic of his former Master would shield the little one from harm.

The Stalwarts would have taken the baby into their own arms had Wukong asked. But they know that he wouldn't have wanted the baby Xiaotian growing up as a Prince. He wanted them to be raised as "normal" a child as he could before fate caught up to him.

The Stalwarts occasionally follow the odd scent of the new stone monkey when they visit the city. In the markets and shops, they see a glamoured human-cub clinging onto the backs of a pig demon and/or a human scholar. Little Heaven, now nicknamed "MK" would always look at the four monkey demons with fascination. And familiarity.

One time MK had a tantrum while shopping with his adoptive fathers. Within seconds a Stalwart (Ba, who has many children and grand-children of her own) appeared and soothed the toddler with soft hoo-ing noises, explaining to the grateful Pigsy that the sound of the supermarket speakers was hurting his sensitive ears. And Pigsy never denies the wisdom of an experienced grandmother.

In the modern day, MK takes one look at the Four Stalwart Generals and gasps at the familiarity he already has with them! Ba, The kind grandma at the shops. Ma, The cheeky martial arts instructor at his primary school. Liu, The aloof man who always ordered tofu noodles on Friday. Beng, The owner of the village market stall where Pigsy buys his mushrooms.

The Monkey King wasn't the only one who had kept an eye on MK throughout his life.

[platinumrosetail]

Yandere shadowpeach dbk freenoodles sliktea Lbd and spider Queen traffic light trio x Godzilla fem child reader

Like she is Godzilla baby and some how get egg is knocked into LMK world and her egg is found by the chouple and the most responsible ( definitely not sun )

Find it and take it home and keep it warm or something and basically never leave it side and when we hatch or like a little humanoid baby Godzilla and when we sneeze and did our first war we spit out certain color flames ( like for sun golden flame or purple green for dbk that kind of thing and black and pink for shadowpeach)

And they take care of us and also making

Another Godzilla character? Alright! Though I’ll need to do some research for Godzilla like how I did with the x mothra!reader. Probably should of done it when I was making that one but I figured that I would forget by the time I get done with it and move on to this one.

Warning: noob author, female child reader, platonic yandere characters, dark theme, and others.

Characters: shadowpeach, dbk family, FreeNoodles, waterspider/silktea, lbd, spider queen, traffic light trio (redson, mei, and mk).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shadowpeach:

Macaque is the one who had found you though it was almost difficult since your egg was in the shadow and considering how your egg shell was dark and could blend in shaded areas it was hard to find it if he was in human form but good thing he had his senses to tell where you’re at.

There was a thunderstorm yesterday and he was scouting the area for possible injured monkeys but found you in a shade surrounded by debris; the monkeys were fine but it was kinda odd to see a egg laying around and no possible signs of either living or dead parent figures, so he decided to take care of you for the time being and see if he can’t find your parents.

When sun first saw the egg, he at first thought it was a rock that was going to be used for something or some kind of geode and macaque would use the crystals to make matching jewelry for the two; though he was shocked to be told that it was an egg that macaque had found when he was making his rounds to see if every monkey was alright and no one was injured, which no one was injured thankfully.

They soon took care of you while you were still in your egg; reminded sun about how he was born from a rock, they made sure to get the necessities to take care of you when you hatched and the things to keep you nice and warm while still in the egg.

When you hatched it was through another thunderstorm, not as bad as the one you arrived and was found after but still bad enough to cause lightning to strike near them and vibrate through the earth’s wall maybe even carrying voltage directly to your egg none of them knowing that the storm was caused by you being ready to hatch.

(I don’t think this is how Godzilla or any of his possible offspring was born but it’s something right? And I guess you could say that I took some of the reference from the dragon prince when zym was born too.)

When you hatched they noticed how you sparked small bursts of lightning every so often which shocks and make their hair frizz up like if you would rubbing a balloon on your hair creating static reaction with it. They each make sure you don’t get to cranky or sad unless they want lightning going everywhere; they also notice on how you seem to have small bib like spikes that will grow as you do along with a spiky, but not as spiky now than it will be in the future, tail.

Dbk family:

You had appear in a portal literally made from lighting while still in your egg at the dinning table when they were eating they food that dbk made for dinner for his family. They didn’t know what you would be after you hatched but decided to keep you to find out what you are than to give you away and never figure out what you are and plus there curiosity and need for a new member to the family.

Redson mostly took care of you as he knows more about the biology of eggs from the animals that do lay eggs; and so he can be the first you see when you hatch, he also wanted to figure out what your species could be by taking samples from parts of the egg dna and go from there.

Pif didn’t really know what to do as she never took care of anything that was from an egg so she along with her son study those books about it together, she even went and got her old parental books from when she was having redson.

Dbk as well didn’t know what to do but stay near you in case something happened like kidnapping or possibly you hatching or even getting a crack in your egg by any bull clones who watches you while they go about finishing their work so they can spend more time with you.

They somehow had a epic black out and made them check on you first thing after making sure all three of them were alright; apparently you were what caused the black out with how you hatched from your egg and had created a lighting surge that malfunctioned the electricity in their home and around it.

They soon found out that you were a human like amphibian that can walk on both two legs and four legs and like with how you both appeared and hatched you seem you have electricity abilities that makes you go rouge and do what usually is Called nowadays zoomies.

(I tried seeing if I could find what species Godzilla was to use as reference but all I got was prehistoric monster so I just based it off from how Godzilla looks with how it looks like a lizard/dragon.)

You mostly eat meat but dbk somehow hidden those vegetables in your meat as to make sure you be healthy but when you found out about that you became skeptical of the things he put on your plate but still ate anyway since you become hungry just by looking at the food.

Freenoodles:

Tang was the one to have found you, he had found you when it was raining and storming outside on his way home from the grocery store after getting ingredients for his husband shop.

Pigsy was both shocked and weird out with how big the egg is and was worried on how big it’s going to be when it’s hatches.

They buy things to keep the egg warm and for when you do finally hatch out of the egg, though they may have gone overboard but that’s because they didn’t know what size you would be for the clothes and diapers; I mean, you could be small and was born into a big egg, or be medium, or big like the egg, so they decided to go the precaution route and get as much sizes of the stuff they can; not at the same time but at different times when they know they can spend that money for it, after all your a new family member and they want you to be as comfortable as possible.

Tang is the one mostly checking on you since he has a good bit of free time but on occasions pigsy and mk is able to get off work early and take care of you with him, sometimes mk would bring the others to spend time with you as well.

When you did hatch you apparently shocked and frizz up everyone’s hair as electricity surrounded the egg you’re in before it cracked open revealing you; a small lizard amphibian like human with your eyes closed napping on the multiple cushions and blankets that surrounds your egg.

Tang educates you on knowledge while Pigsy educates you on culinary knowledge. Those classes made you smarter and skillful in many genres as you grew to learn about them.

You mostly don’t go out much as you get the same feeling you get when you’re hungry and ready for food, which is another good excuse to keep you close with them.

Waterspider/silktea:

He found you when your egg had fallen into the sky and into the ocean water near his boat, he soon went after you as to save you from drowning even before you hatched.

He got you onto his boat and quickly warped anything that could keep you warm and cozy so you could hatch and not die from the cold waters of the ocean. Later he showed huntsman and that escalated to them adopting you and since he somewhat cared for the other egg minions of the late spiderqueen before he knows a good thing or two to make sure the egg is healthy.

His cats sniff your egg out of curiosity (lol) before getting used to you being there and snuggling up to your egg shell also keeping you warm.

The cats are the first ones to sense that you’re about to hatch plus with the fact that some cracks that had appeared glowing blue before your egg shells burst in a small distance and few electrical current carry out in the inside of the boat and made all the cats fur puff up.

You would eat everything he and huntsman get and make for you, one time you almost ate a cat if it weren’t for Mo stopping you and scolding you that you can’t and shouldn’t do that anymore.

When you learned to swim that’s basically all you wanted to do when you don’t have anything to do other than sun bathing and that gets boring in no time so swimming it is.

Sandy is glad that you’ll be able to tire yourself out by doing that and would join you as well; huntsman really get into the water that much with y’all unless the two of you pester him enough and even then he’ll only use a float to stay on some sort of land and just puts his hand in the water to feel the water and to stir the float.

Lbd:

(This is a new one.)

The not mayor had found you and brought to his lady to see what they should do with it since it’s not like any egg he has seen; maybe his lady would know what animal could lay and hatch this egg.

When lbd see her servant showing her the egg he had found she was quite interested and at first would keep it to use to build her world and destroy the current one that is thriving now.

But that would change soon as she soon liked caring for the egg and not even let mayor take care of it only guarding the egg and make sure it was protected.

When you had finally hatched it was before she made herself fully known to mk and his group, along with sun wukong. You had the egg surrounded by lighting and so she wasn’t able to get close as it seem your lighting had sticked and hurt her so much even if she’s a demon.

She would make sure that this world would be perfect for you to be raised in and if anyone goes against her or get to you to use against her she would severely make sure they never do it again and get the most horrific consequences.

The mayor made sure to take care of you and protected you from harm plus stealing some snack food for you to eat on if asked cause he’s the mayor! But would bring you with him or leave you with his lady just to make sure your curiosity don’t get to you and you run off.

Lbd makes sure that you were never seen when she began tricking the spider group and was satisfied when they were dealt with. She was also glad that she had sun wukong under control when that happened and made sure that both mayor and sun was guarding you when she couldn’t be with you and guard you in her own way.

Spiderqueen:

At first she thought you were some type of spider that she didn’t know of when her minions brought the egg you were in to her; she didn’t really care about species you were but was glad that they had brought you to her so she can have a heir for her to guide and raise.

She had syntax and huntsman take care of you since they most likely know how to make sure you’re healthy and would be able to hatch safely with know accidents while strong spider guard you when the others and her couldn’t at the moment.

She would knit you clothes from her web and make sure it’s just a blanket at the moment as she doesn’t know what you could be but do get carried away and make other clothing for you even if you wouldn’t be able to fit it.

You had created a lot of electricity when you decided it was time to hatch; destroying some of syntax computers and some of the minion eggs that spiderqueen has around the lair.

This made her even more overprotective considering how powerful you would grow up to be by just witnessing your hatching creating so much damage to her lair.

She would spend all her time with you, wether it’s to spend time with her new daughter and heir or to talk about strategy to through off this ‘sun wukong’ you don’t know of, and even if she explains what strategy she would use you still wouldn’t get it but love how you’re included and get to spend time with you mama.

With the others you mostly nip at them; strong spider mostly since he can take the amount of strength you have in your jaws at the moment, but he knows that he soon wouldn’t as you grown into a bigger and stronger being. Syntax takes care of you and make sure you have the education you need to properly rule next to your mother but doesn’t like how close you always seem to get with chewing the wires to his stuff. Huntsman will make sure that you’re fed and clean along with other stuff when spiderqueen and the others aren’t available to help take care of you, he even took you to his boyfriend for you to meet, which lead to you almost eating one of Sandy’s cats, which you apologized in your own little way with the help of huntsman who also apologized as well for the trouble.

Nezha:

When he found it was when he was able to finally take a break from guarding the map; which isn’t that much of a long break but he does cherish it and make sure to use it wisely, he found you in one of the gardens that he visits usually when he does take a break, this time with a surprise for him.

He was at a lost to see what appears to be a dragon egg almost and decided to go to the jade emperor.

That didn’t help much as the jade emperor had only said ask around if any dragon had lost a egg by accident and if no one did and it’s not claim then to either take care of it himself or bring it to the human realm and let one of the mortals take care of it.

When you did hatch it was while he was guarding the map which he was glad that it has a protective spell around it because it seem that electricity surrounds you and make you float in the air making the current of electricity go below where you had been laying before this happened.

The first thing you see when you hatched was a female with pink aesthetic and now declared her as your mama. When you were able to speak you started to call him mama which made him scold you saying that he wasn’t your mother or father but you kept on insisting that he ended up caving in just to keep you from making a fuss.

He tries to make sure you don’t cause to much trouble for anybody, or even leave his sight cause when you go missing disaster usually strikes; quite literally with how you have electricity abilities, and the fact that you get into all sorts of trouble when he isn’t looking sort of remind him on a certain monkey king.

He makes sure to educate you on the things you need to know and make sure to train you on your abilities while keeping you close to him as to not get kidnapped and used for the powers you have been birth with and to make sure you don’t cause as much chaos as you would have if he didn’t keep his eye on you.

Traffic light trio:

Redson is the one who had found you and was showing the egg to his significant others; mk and mei. He was wondering if maybe one of them could tell him what you could be because when he researched nothing came up.

When mk and mei saw what their mboyfriend had they grew both worried and happy; worried for what happened to the parents and happy to possibly found a new species before anyone else than the three and to make a new friend that they would take care of.

They made sure to keep the egg warm and cozy along with making sure you stay safe; they decided to use redson’s home as a base to take care of you since he has and can build all the things you might need. Mei made sure to get the comfortable and cozy blanket for you to use while you’re in the egg and for when you hatched. Mk loves to talk to you and tell you all the exciting things that the four of you would do when you hatch even if you can’t hear him yet.

When you hatched it didn’t really fazed them as much as it would when they would be before defeating lbd but they were amazed at the light show and stayed at a safe distance while eating popcorn with sunglasses, mk and mei mostly than redson.

They noticed how you are lizard like with some human features as well; and how you’re able to spark out lighting at such a young age with how you just hatched moments before, how they know is because you accidentally sparked redson which resulted in his hair frizz out and have bits of electricity weaving through his hair.

Mei would get you toys while redson would help with your health and education as you grow older, mk would spend time with you when the other two couldn’t and when they other two want special time with you and mk.

You like anything really but have to eat your vegetables which is hard for them unless they hide it cause you like your meat, though you sometimes catch bugs and eat them when they either go out to the city or to the garden mei and redson have which lead to a check up to make sure you’re alright and won’t get sick; you apparently have the capability to eat bugs like a lizard which is a good thing to know but also weirded out a little when you do decide to eat bugs, but quickly got over it.

(A/n: I hoped y’all liked it!! This has a bit more characters than I’m used to but I’m glad I was able to do it! Anyway like I said in the beginning hope y’all like it and have a wonderful day/evening/night!!😁)

(I had to quickly add the traffic light trio when I posted this as I had forgotten 😅😂🤣)

[evilminji]

Okay they've haunted me enough. I've gotta share um or I'll go insane.

✨️HUMAN SUMMONS.✨️

Because Homosapiens(prob spelled wrong) are animals too! And you CAN NOT tell me.. CAN NOT, I SAY! That the MONKEY'S have a Contract but there would be not consequent HUMAN Summon!

Now, this does not mean they are still ALIVE. But I'll get back to this in a second.

First? What ARE the Summons?? What purpose do the SERVE? I theorize they serve as Minor Gods. No real or great power, Cosmicly, but meant to regulate and allow the circulation of Chakra through... well, EVERYTHING.

It was a great and all encompassing delegation. Sheep focus of the Chakra of sheep. Oak trees focus of the Chakra of Oak trees. And Humans focus on the Chakra of Humans. Who, at the time, could not ACCESS it, but lived off it none the less.

A closed and arguably balanced system.

Then? Hey? What's that in the sk- OH FUCK PARASITE TREE!

A HUMAN eating parasite tree from fuckin space starting EATING the planet. Everyone's freaking out. Summons are pulling back. Trying to FIGHT back. Dying.

The Human summons? We return to what happened to them. The fuckin TREE happened. They get sick. Get consumed. Try to rally their children against the abomination. Their Chakra, the Chakra of HUMANITY, gets tied up in the tree.

The Sage happens.

Trust them with "their own lives".

He's left holding Humanity's very life force with no where to put it. The people literally MADE to watch it are... gone. There really is only one alternative.

Much like OTHER animals who no longer have gaurdians. New ones will form though, surely, The Sage must think. It's temporary. But a good chance for the world to grow. Like acorns sprouting after a terrible fire.

Except? Babies can't happen from Nobody Left and the Human Summons STAY extinct.

But!!! Is there truly NOTHING that can be done? I here you ask?

Weeeeeeell....

I mean...................

You COULD try and rob the Hokage?

Your dumbfounded silence is both expected and entirely justified. Yes. THAT Hokage. The Professor. Old as BALLS and surround by stab happy, mask wearing, psychopaths.

Now I hear you ask, questioning my sanity, "Why the fuck would I do that?"

Never SAID you would succeed! Now did I? Of course you won't! That's not the objective here! No, see, the Hokage has a Summons contract. Specifically, for the Monkey King. VERY handy that...

Useless to us though.

Close but incorrect. Made on the right paper with the right ink, it doesn't even contractually bind the summoned monkey to hear you out. They can just immediately leave. And that's on TOP of it summoning "A Sapien". Quite literally ANY saipan.

However! A LOT of people want it. Including many of his relatives. And you would not BELIEVE the number of people willing to go to truly suicidal lengths to get that scroll! Utter madness. And utterly useless, seeing as it's stored IN the Monkey's realm.

But! To keep people from tearing his public facing office apart looking for a scroll that doesn't exsist? From targeting his children, his GRANDchildren? Attacking his home? Well... He had Enma make a dummy Scroll.

At least... that was the THEORY.

No one would be DUMB enough to USE it though. And ANBU would never let anyone get far enough to TRY. Honestly, it was just as likely the scroll would simply explode. Improper fuinjutsu is no joke.

Buuuuuuuuut? If you WERE skilled enough? And say, everyone was distracted enough? By someone stealing a small child from the Hyuuga? Then for the glory of Kumo you could TOTALLY do it!

Get caught.

Then chased half way across the village.

Maybe panic. Remember you supposedly have a Powerful New Summons and sign your suspiciously blank scroll in blood. Be laughed at by the anbu chasing you.

Baffle the Anbu chasing you when you go to summon something and it works.

And there is-!?

Some Lady! In her sleep shirt. With a toothbrush still in her mouth because you literally JUST kidnapped her from her bathroom. (O. O ) mmmph?! She says. Stumbles back from the nearest Anbu, (who, to his credit DOES try to catch her) falls OFF the roof, hits a window ledge on the ways down... HARD... and~ *POOF* A Summons has been sent back?

Kumo dude books it.

That contract will be causing PROBLEMS.

For you see~ Reincarnation is a very much CONFIRNED fact in this reality! But where do Summons go, when they die? They surely can't be allowed to STAY! They held FAR too much power amongst their species. The risk they run of becoming corrupted by it is too great. The need the nice, balancing effect of being Just Some Dude.

So? You move they sideways! Pick um up, turn towards a neighbor, and swap minor-god souls. That way you won't be tempted to favor them or intervene. Gotta let them grow on their own. That's the POINT.

Exceeept? If someone were to make a Contract. That effectively called for THEM SPECIFICALLY. But... they are dead. Gone. Except of course they're not. That's their soul right over there! Who are you trying to fool? The list of Human Summons says that's one of the souls you can call upon. And since NO ONE HAS UPDATED IT?

Because everyone was dead?

Yoink!

Confused office worker! Sitting in the ruins of the Human Summons Realm and NOT their apartment. Wondering if this is divine punishment for their pre-teen weeb phase. Then some OTHER guy just... *POOF*s in. Then a third. A forth.

And they're all trapped. In what looks like the overgrown, half sunk ruins of a giant futuristic city. Except for the parts that aren't? As they look around its like every culture and age of humanity was smushed together and drowned. They have endless resources. Literally. Since the city keeps slowly shifting and changing around them, piles of junk endlessly refilling.

But... They're trapped. And just as they finally think they are getting a little settlement up and running? The PROTAGONIST *Poofs!* in and nearly lands in the cooking fire. Scares them all half to death. That?! That is a whole ass child! Small! Tiny small baby child! Why is he HERE!? Why is he hurt!? AaaaaAAAA-*everyone panics*

Naruto? Having a GRAND time. He has no idea where he is, but everyone here like him. Feeds him and listens to him. And wants to be his friends! That "poof a friend" jutsu was the BEST just he EVER copied! He's GLAD he stole it!

Back home? Konoha is losing its shit. Kakashi is 👌THIS close to snapping like a twig in a typhoon. The Uchiha are literally shaking people upside-down from roof tops demanding answers. The Nara are actually AWAKE. No ones happy and many things are on fire.

Ultimately, Naruto refuses to leave without signing a contract (good GOING Andrew! He's supposed to sign with the TOADS!) and no amount of begging or bargaining would work. They... they were threatened with tears, man. It was like looking at the saddest kicked puppy in the universe. So NOW?

Now Naruto is on the SACRED mission... of Find The Asshole With That Contract That Brought Us Here. Then Burn It. With the SUB mission of get them a meeting with the Monkey King so they can yell at him and/or kick him in the balls. Either or. Both work. In return?

All of human progress that they can scrounge up. Let's see if Zetsu can survive industrial plant killer. Fuck those guys who won't sell to you baby, save your money, here's a crate of FANCY Ramens. Have a solid gold brick. We literally have no use for it. We were using it as a shiny paperweight.

And so, with the power of "I Know A Guy" and "let me check the trash pile"! The day is.... made more interesting! Saved maybe!

And yes, these summons are free to as many good writing homes as want um! Just tell me so I can read.

[fvrxdrm]

I Like the Way - NSFW (Jesse McCree x Reader) {Part 2}

Pairing: Jesse McCree x F!Reader

Warning(s): NSFW

Setting: Post-fall, a bit closer to the recall

*****

Jesse McCree kissing you out of nowhere was one thing that got you feeling so giddy, but having to kiss him with so much anticipation dripping was something you only got to experience in your fantasies.

It was a late summer night when you agreed to have a bit of a shut-eye and pulled over to the side of a road that wasn’t popular amongst the townsfolks. You were fagged out as fuck. But even though you felt like you would just pass out out of nowhere while driving through the empty roadways, you couldn’t fall asleep for some reason. It was like adrenaline was pumpin’ inside you and refused to give you a rest. Something’s bound to happen, you thought. If your body wouldn’t shut the fuck up then something had to happen. And so, there you laid, on the back of your pickup truck with McCree’s flesh and blood arm wrapped around your shoulders and your head resting on his chest.

Well, that was five minutes ago…

I would’ve said the same had you not been making out and literally tearing clothes off.

Jesse had you bare beneath him, vulnerable and quivering at the nip of the biting air. A bright shade of red crept across your cheeks and you couldn’t but smile coyly at the intense stare McCree didn’t even make an effort to hide. “Yer so fuckin’ gorgeous, darlin’,” he candidly whispered, his accent appearing more blatant. Your cheeks burned a bit too much.

You stuttered out, “y-you don’t look so bad yourself.” McCree chuckled at your response but stopped when he felt a cool gush of wind kissing his thick ass cheeks.

“Well,” he grunted, “I ain’t lettin’ that cute li’l butt of yers freeze over.” You chortled at his words as you watched him bury you both in a thick blanket you had stolen from a motel a few towns away from where you were.

“Mmm…you can always warm me up, cowboy,” you said with what you hoped was a seductive and sultry voice – which seemed to work since you saw him turn into a tomato himself - and winked. Jesse shook his head to bring himself out of his daze and cleared his throat before he spoke, his voice dropping a few octaves lower.

“Oh, pumpkin, I ain’t passin’ up on such opportunity,” and without any other words, he began planting kisses on your cheek, lips slithering down your jawline and neck where he pinned a tiny patch of your skin between pearly-white teeth and began nibbling and sucking on it as he got your breathy moans and needy hands by heart. He caught a small bead of perspiration with his tongue and licked it clean while his devil eyes held yours, tempting you with your own emotions.

“Fuck, you really know how to get a woman going, huh?”

“Only for you, sweetheart.”

Jesse locked his lips with yours, not even hesitating to greet you with his tongue and letting your wet muscles dance in a smooth tango while the flesh surrounding them closed every now and then. All the while, his hands went on a journey of discovering parts of your body he wouldn’t even dare touch (unless you're really fucking drunk???), though tempting, when he still had no knowledge of what you exactly felt; whether it was merely romantic and fluffy or you had pitched in a spice of lust and ardor. He was a hungry man, packed to the gunnels with needs and wants, and he would like to take in as much of you as possible to stuff his head with such intimate moment until you pull up on the next stop.

You felt McCree’s cock glide deliciously against your sleek pussy, the tip prodding your clit. And before you could stop yourself, you broke away from the kiss and threw your head back with a high-pitched moan, your fingers grasping his biceps tightly as his name escaped your lips.

“You like that, huh?” His hips ground against yours again and you bit your lip to muffle out the sounds that protruded out of your mouth. “C’mon, baby girl, lemme hear those moans. God, you’re already so fuckin’ wet.” He repeated his actions a few more times before whispers of pleas invaded his right ear.

“Please, Jesse, show me…show me how you really feel about me.” Jesse raised his head from where it was nuzzled against your neck, looked down at you with the inner tips of his eyebrows tipped upwards for a moment, and leaned into your touch when your palm rested itself on his cheek and your thumb wiped a single tear that streamed down his face.

He felt like a child all of a sudden. He felt exposed. Nobody in his life had ever considered how he felt and asked him to be open about it, except for you. He was always known as this cocky, smug, and derpy cowboy who knew nothing but flirt around with his head held up high. He was known as this gunslinger who really knew his way around his revolver like how he knew every detail of the back of his hand and a somebody who liked to smoke a lot as a vice to keep himself occupied whenever he did nothing but stand around.

He was in Deadlock a certain amount of percentage of his life and hell, what do you expect from them? Blackwatch? That was just another gang, just with more rules. Faces there were always stoic and everybody barely had interactions unless they were talks about a mission or a job well-done or sometimes even the opposite of that. You and McCree seemed to be the only ones with the softest hearts and you instantly became as thick as thieves the moment you started talking about bad movies.

And though it may seem like it was smallest thing to cry about, his heart swelled with emotions and he silently thanked the gods for having you watch his back, and he yours.

“You’re only human, Jesse. You feel emotions just like me and I want you to show them. Show me how you really feel.” His eyelids pressed together like crumpled paper and he took a moment to press his forehead against yours and take everything you said in, his metal hand finding yours and holding on tightly as if it was the last thing he’ll ever grasp until the world ends. “I love you, McCree.” His breath shuddered.

He knew his words weren’t enough to express himself to you so he made a decision to just show it to you like how those cliché rom-coms always taught him. With his body pressed to yours with such intimate desire, he led his right hand towards his hardened dick and stroked himself a few times before he slowly pushed into you, the prosthetic that grasp your flesh pinning your hand beside your head.

“Jesse!”

You both groaned in the night, the stretch between your thighs sending electricity through your nerves and the velvety walls that surrounded McCree’s cock sending white noises to his brain. He laid on top of you for a moment to steady his breath intake before his hips started moving in a steady pace.

It was unusual for McCree to be that slow with his pacing. He was more of the pin-you-down-and-fuck-you-relentlessly-until-you-come-and-scream-his-name type (you’d already experienced this one time when you two got pissed out of your mind, though you couldn’t really remember it) and sometimes he would legit leave marks all over his partner’s skin to remind them of who fucked them like a god, but tonight, this didn’t seem to be his aim. His aim was different, so different, and it seemed like it was a result of something stirring inside of him. He silently begged to be closer to his partner, you, and he hadn’t done this before. He whispered so many sweet nothings in your ear and he looked as though he enjoyed your warmth. He was telling something, something beautiful and rare to him.

Jesse McCree was making love to you.

His thrusts weren’t as frantic as how they usually were but they were firm and you loved it. The thought of him opening up to you just like how you told him to made you arch your back and dig your nails on his skin, responding to his zephyr-like words with a few of your own until you felt a coil twisting in a gratifying discomfort. You bucked your hips up with the same manner as his own up to the time of the  knot in your stomach snapping and your eyes being blinded with something white. The way your walls stuttered around him made him groan and he suddenly grew obsessed with you. And with a last vigorous snap of his hips, he came, growing limp on top of you and pressing a kiss on your sweaty skin.

“I love you, Jesse.”

“I love you, Y/N.”

Jesse took a minute to retrieve all air that came out of his lungs and was about to get off of you when your phone suddenly started ringing. You looked at each other, puzzled as to who could’ve gotten your number and called you at such a late hour. You grabbed the buzzing device from the pocket of your shorts and took a glance at the screen to see an unknown number.

“Hello?” You carefully spoke after answering the phone and putting it on speaker. The air you didn’t realize you were holding in mended with its cooler counterpart once you heard the voice of a familiar friend.

“Hey, Y/N! It’s Winston!”

“Hey, monkey!” The cowboy yelled to your phone.

“Oh, hey, McCree. Good to hear you two have been going around together.”

“Yeah, well, it’s better to go around the world with your friend than alone, right?” You smiled.

“Correct. Anyway, I’m just gonna make this quick, I know it’s late there, but um… We’re reforming Overwatch again!” Your eyes widened in surprise and you looked at McCree to see his bulging out too. Overwatch? Starting over?

“Really?”

“Uhuh. Can’t wait to see you two! Oh, and don’t forget to remind me to walk Y/N down the aisle once you two got married. Bye!”

“Wait-“ You exclaimed but the sound of the call ending cut you off. You both were dead silent for a split second until Jesse started laughing out of nowhere.

“Well, we’re gettin’ the band back together.”

“Mhm, and we’re going back together too!”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way, darlin’.”

[nolistra]

One big difference between the five giants is how and where they grew up!

For example- We know that Sun Wukong was born on Flower Fruit Mountain and was surrounded by many other monkeys. Even worshipped by them later as handsome Monkey King. Thus he is a very loud, brutish and extroverted boy at heard!

The ACTUAL first born giant, Raizha Wong on the other hand was born in a deep crevice between two large valleys. He was born by himself and wandered about by himself for a long while as well. He craves attention and touch more than anything!

The third born, Junai Shun, was born amongst demons, fire and flame. He grew up fighting, devouring and growing up amongst demons. Thus he craved power and strength from day one! Which heaven did not look down on fondly snrk

The fourth born, Liu er Mihou was born near a human settlement. He shyed away from the loud humans due to his sensitive hearing and thus grew to be rather reclusive. Only later coming upon Flower Fruit mountain and becoming Wukongs best friend.

Lastly we have Guang zhi yu, this chipper baby was born with a giggle and immediatly taken in by the surrounding lemurs. He grew up a family loving lad. Though often stealing from humans and the like to have a giggle. But yeah- family is most important to him!

[ofstarsandfireflies]

We’re almost a week into 2021! How are you all? Ready for another movie?

I wanted to try something different tonight, hope you all enjoy!

Kubo and the two strings

A young boy with one eye goes on a magical adventure, seeking three pieces of armour to protect himself from his grandfather, who wants to steal his other eye.

Peter was just a baby when Dormammu, Stephen’s father, ripped out one of his eyes.

Tony told Stepen to flee, to protect their son and that only his magic could keep him safe.

And that’s what Stephen does, managing to protect Peter from one last bolt of dark magic that was intended for his son, falling through the portal as blood drips down his face.

But that doesn’t stop him from crawling to the bundle wrapped in his cloak and crying.

Finding sanctuary in an old village, Stephen raises the boy as best he can, keeping him away from the thousand eye gaze of the night sky and telling him stories about his father and the incredible armour he wore and used to protect them.

About Thor and his axe and the Captain and his shield, and how the three combined vanquished many foes.

As Peter grows over the years, he starts displaying magical powers of his own, and Stephen tries to help him harness it, but there is only so much he can do.

Peter takes his abilities into the town they live outside of, telling people the stories he was raised on by using his powers to magically fold origami to move and fight and dance, creating the armoured man he calls Tony, the hero of his stories.

As his story reaches its climax, the bell tolls, and Peter knows he’s not meant to be out after dark.

He hurries back home, just as his father wakes up from his almost comatose state, a horrible side effect of the dark magic used on him that has slowly been eating away at his memory over the years.

He spends the night telling Peter another story about Tony and the Avengers, but can’t remember how it ends.

It’s gone.

Much like most of his memories.

But he does remember to warn Peter about never staying out late, to always year the cloak of levitation even though it can’t levitate anymore, and to always carry around the small monkey charm for protection.

Peter goes back to the town the next day, watching the celebrations for a festival the people have to honour their dead loved ones and is told they can even speak to them.

Maybe Peter could contact Tony?

He tries following what he sees other people doing, hoping Tony will answer his call for help, but as the sun sets and Stephen wakes alone, Peter gets angry with being ignored by Tony’s spirit.

He needs help to save his father from the magic that is causing him to slip further away, he wants Tony’s help to save him but all he gets is silence.

And then Peter hears his name being called as he realises just how dark it is.

Two figures dressed in black tell him who they are.

They are his uncles.

And they have come for his other eye after years and years of searching for him, seeming how Dormammu admires the first one.

Peter tries to get away but he isn’t fast enough.

As the two men come closer, they are suddenly thrown back by Stephen’s magic.

With little time to say goodbye, Stephen tells Peter he needs to find the armour, axe and shield. Only then will he be safe.

Then he gives Peter the amulet around his neck, touches the cloak which springs to life, and watches as the cloak takes off with Peter before he rushes into the fight with his brothers.

Peter wakes up, far away from the place he called home with a large monkey watching over him.

A large, talking, monkey.

It tells him his father is gone, having used the last of his magic to bring him to life to protect him.

Peter is alone and powerless with no one but this mean monkey for company.

But during the night as they rest, Peter’s powers seem to grow stronger, folding the paper still in his pack into the miniature Tony he used for his stories.

Tony is pointing them in a certain direction and, having little else to go on, they follow its direction, Peter believing this is his father answering him and wanting to guide him.

None of them notice they are being followed.

Not until Peter is snatched up by their next party member.

A man in full body armour making him look more machine than human who wasn’t after Peter, but Tony, stating that he thinks he knew Tony. That Tony was his leader.

He can remember that, but he can’t remember his name, or anything from his past.

Monkey is very skeptical of this Armour who wants to go with Peter on their quest and Peter isn’t helping matters by telling Armour Tony is his father.

They can’t trust anything this man says because he can’t trust anything he says, the two of them almost coming to blows before Peter steps in and stops them.

And that is when they realise the paper Tony is still pointing them in the direction they need to go.

Following him to a cave, they see a large axe resting in a larger hand.

Monkey thinks it could be a trap, his suspicions becoming true when Armour grabs the axe and the hand lifts up, revealing a Celestial of all things.

Monkey take the axe and attacks it, the axe shattering on impact.

It’s not the right axe.

The Celestial grabs Monkey as Armour fires blasts from his hands up at it and Peter uses his magic to distract it from killing him, all of them seeing more axes sticking out of the helmet covering its head.

Armour and Peter are trying to keep the Celestial distracted until it begins moving toward Peter.

Racing forward with no regard for his own safety, Armour manages to grab him, his suit powering up and flying them up out of harm’s way before he is grabbed too, managing to throw Peter on the Celestial’s head as he is.

One after the other, the axes break on impact, and slowly the Celestial is squeezing the life out of his companions.

Finally, Peter finds the right axe just in time and the Celestial vanishes, Armour snagging up Monkey and Peter and flying them out of there as the cave collapses in on itself.

Finally out in the fresh air, their path ends where the water begins, and Monkey and Armour decide now is a good time for another argument about how they’re going to get to their next destination.

Monkey wants to walk around.

Armour wants to go through.

As Peter walks off, playing with the amulet his father had given him and wondering why it looks like half of it is missing, he notices how the leaves follow his command much like his paper does.

He weaves them into a ship to sail on the water, creating a solution to their problem.

On board, however, he starts to face a new problem.

Instead of arguing, Monkey and Armour are being...nice to one another.

Really nice.

So nice it’s kinda weirding Peter out.

And then they see Tony pointing to the water.

As if something is down there.

Armour is ready to dive in, he knows he can stay underwater for a long time with his suit’s capabilities, but Peter stops him.

His father had told him about what lies underneath these waves.

An old power that contains knowledge it shouldn’t know, couldn’t know, but does, and shares its wisdom with you to keep you down there.

Armour is sure he’ll be fine, throwing Monkey a wink before diving into the water.

And as a storm surrounds them, Peter knows Armour is in trouble.

Monkey won’t go in after him, so Peter takes it upon himself to dive in.

Monkey is about to follow when he’s pulled back by a magical rope, one of Peter’s uncles floating above him.

He pulls Thor’s axe from his back and readies to fight, lightning illuminating the axe head.

Peter finds the next item, Cap’s shield, floating before him. He grabs it just as a huge green eye opens before him, showing him the truth about Monkey.

Monkey is actually what remains of his father, Stephen.

And it’s this knowledge that is the last thing to flicker through Peter’s mind before he passes out.

Armour finds him not a moment later and sends a blast at the eye, making it snap shut.

He quickly pulls Peter up to the surface where Monkey is waiting for them, injured but alive.

Peter comes to and calls Monkey “Father.”

Stephen holds him close.

They make it to shore and Stephen is gathering wood for their fire as Armour and Peter just stare at him.

They want to hear his story.

So Stephen agrees.

The night Stephen met Tony, he’d been instructed to kill him by his father.

He tells his listeners how Tony was considered a threat because of how powerful he’d made his suit, how it could survive almost anything, anywhere.

And how only his father, Dormammu, should be the one to wear such a piece.

He tells them how he waited for Tony alone.

How they fought.

And how that fight was what started Stephen’s rebellion. All for Tony.

And then for Peter.

When Dormammu found them, he was enraged by Stephen’s betrayal, and Tony, along with the rest of the Avengers, gave their lives so Stephen could escape with Peter.

And Peter wants to know why his Grandfather hates him.

But Stephen corrects him.

He doesn’t hate Peter.

He wants to make Peter just like him.

Blind to Humanity.

As Peter sleeps, Armour asks Stephen why he didn’t tell him the truth sooner.

Stephen knows the magic keeping him here is fading, and had been hoping to get through this quest without having to tell Peter the truth.

He didn’t want him to lose his father all over again.

He didn’t want him to be alone.

Armour promises to keep Peter safe, and Stephen is grateful for putting his mind at ease.

The next morning, Peter is going on about seeing the final piece, the suit his father wore, being kept in the Sanctum where Tony and Stephen had built their army of Avengers and Sorcerers to keep their family safe while he packs away origami Tony, not needing him anymore.

So they travel to the Sanctum, finding it abandoned and almost falling apart.

There’s old suits much like Armour’s laying around all over the place, some still with what remains of their wearers inside them.

But it’s all a trap.

With Stephen and Armour caught in a magic bind, the second brother descends on them and mocks the two of them for not realising they had been together this entire time.

For not realising the truth.

That Armour was actually Tony all along.

Peter’s magic is what finally unbinds them, Stephen using Thor’s axe while Tony fires at their attacker, all fighting Stephen’s brother as a family, but it’s not enough.

Stephen’s injury from his first fight is festering and his brother makes the wound his target for all his attacks, Stephen’s fading magic making him even more weak.

It’s the blast from Tony that ends them.

And Tony and Stephen are finally reunited. He knows Peter is his son now and can protect him.

And he would have been able to, if Dormammu hadn’t decided to end their family reunion, killing Tony.

The armour around his body shakes and slides into the strange device on his chest and hits the ground.

Peter can only stare at it as Stephen tries to protect him from his father, pushing him out of the way as he is killed next.

Peter is shaking, crying, staring at where his parents lay and at the device that was on his father’s chest sitting on the ground before him.

Dormammu steps toward him.

Then he takes another step.

And another.

And Peter doesn’t want to move.

Can’t.

He doesn’t have the strength.

He stares at the device and slowly realises the design looks familiar.

It looks like it belongs to the amulet around his neck.

Grabbing it, he presses it into the amulet, the green stone connecting to the blue.

The armour that had been covering his father slowly slides out over his body, the amulet burning with a bright cyan light from the chest where its burned into the metal.

With the shield in one hand and the axe in the other, Peter is prepared for anything Dormammu can throw at him.

Dormammu knows the power of the stone Peter holds, and he knows Peter can’t use it.

He tells Peter to give it to him. That only he should have that kind of power.

Peter looks down at the glowing amulet.

Each half representing his fathers.

And refuses.

He’s not going to give up their memory, even if that’s all he’ll ever have if them.

He not going to stop fighting, because that’s what they did in order to protect him.

Dormammu tries to attack Peter but can’t.

The armour is too powerful against his magic, bouncing off of the shield, being destroyed by the powers in the axe, hitting the plates of metal and not leaving a dent.

And it just angers him further.

All of his sons are dead because of this armour.

And he’s not even the one wearing it from their sacrifice.

Peter hasn’t even lifted a finger to attack him back, he’s just standing there.

But it’s when Dormammu tries one final time, that Peter decides to move.

And with him, everything moves as well.

Power encases the entity he calls his grandfather before him, sucking his magic from him and leaving him as a powerless human being.

It’s kind of ironic he wakes with no memory, but Peter can’t find it in himself to kill him.

After all, he’s still family.

The only family Peter has left.

He looks down at the amulet on his chest and smiles.

No.

That’s not true at all.

Quotes -

“Hanzo was filled with rage. His soul tormented by the grief of a family stolen from him!”

Peter telling the story of his father.

“No, what was he really like? When he wasn’t fighting, when he was with us.”

“He was just like you.”

“Like me?”

“Yes. Strong, and clever, and funny and, oh, so handsome.”

Peter being curious about the father who died to protect him and Stephen knowing everything.

“Magic is not meant to be easy. You need to learn control. Concentrate on what you’re doing and always remember, don’t mess with the monkey.”

Monkey is good at advice. And scaring kids. But good advice mostly.

“It never fails to amaze me how the creatures down here fight so hard to die another day.”

“Down here, there are days worth fighting for.”

“There is nothing down here worth anything! It’s pathetic what happened to my sister. I looked up to her. She was so strong. And love made her weak.”

“No. It made me stronger!”

Stephen while he is fighting his brother and lands the killing blow.

Heart of time, Heart of mine

Peter is being hunted by Dormammu, and with his parents gone, he needs new friends.

How little he realises how old they really are.

Missed a day? Catch up here!

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5

[marisasgirl]

Cold Little Heart

Now complete - (read chapters 1 and 2 on AO3)    

- spoilers for s2e7 -

Chapter 3: Losing You (One Day at a Time)

Moonlight flooded the room where Mrs. Coulter and her daughter sat, illuminating the young girl’s pale face against the surrounding darkness. Her large, dark eyes stared into nothing, as war raged just beneath the veil. The mother caressed her child’s skin with more care than even the white light reflecting off the moon of Cittàgazze. “What did the alethiometer tell you? What did you ask?” Her voice was as sweet and melodic as one might use to soothe an infant, coax them into listening, to obey.

Mrs. Coulter watched Lyra unblinkingly, staring at the girl as though she might disappear at any moment. The child swallowed heavily, faintly audible in the stillness of an abandoned city, and shook her head. “I asked it if you mean to hurt me. The alethiometer said no. You don’t want to hurt me.” The beautiful, wide smile that brightened the child’s expression sent a shockwave straight through to Marisa’s heart so forcibly that she refused to question the authenticity of it, nor acknowledge the fear she recognised only from gazing into the mirror as a child herself.

“That’s right.” As her chest danced with a feeling so rare to a woman who found hiding her humanity as easy as breathing, she cupped her daughter’s cheeks as gently as she would her most valuable possession. Her smile reached her eyes, which twinkled whilst she gazed upon the girl’s sweet face. “It’s just as I told you. I only want to protect you.”

“I know…”

Was that a twinge of sadness hidden within the child’s tone? Again, overlooked. Discarded. For the first time since she knew of their relation, Marisa’s child was smiling at her. Nothing else mattered. “Good.”

For a long, peaceful moment, the mother lost herself in her daughter's eyes, petting her hair, her face, adjusting the blanket draped around the girl’s shoulders and rubbing her hands up and down because wasn’t that what mothers did? Did they not ensure their child’s absolute comfort?

“Mother?”

“Yes?” Was she dreaming? The Golden Monkey cooed gently and approached Pantalaimon, moving behind Mrs. Coulter and Lyra to the foot of the bed. His human-like hand reached out to trace a feather-light stroke down the ermine’s nose, a rusty show of affection that he seemed quite unsure about.

“Why didn’t you tell me the truth when I asked you who my mother was?” Lyra’s question was delivered as bluntly as ever, whilst her hands came to rest over her mother’s larger, slender ones, pulling them away from her face as her expression settled into a serious, sorrowful stare.

As though Lyra's skin was made of flames, Mrs. Coulter broke the connection briskly, ripping her hands free from Lyra’s grip and placing them, folded in her lap. All too formally for an evening with her young daughter, her back straightened, rigid. She opened her mouth to speak, however, sucked in a sharp breath, which burned within her lungs. With a half-shake of her head, she scoffed. “What does that matter? You know now.”

“It matters to me! I wanna know why you didn’t tell me. Were you ashamed of me? ‘Cause I came from your affair?”

“What? No!” Bending down towards the child, Marisa’s fingers wrapped around her shoulder bone, squeezing firmly. “Of course not! Lyra, you are very important to me.” As she looked deep into the brown orbs that had once, many years ago gazed so innocently up at her and had been filled with the unconditional love and trust of a newborn baby, she felt the weight of all she had missed, all she had irreversibly broken. “Lyra, I know I have failed you in the past, but I promise you, never again. Never again.” Gritting her teeth once the whispered words, difficult for the pride-filled woman to speak, had flown free, she leant closer. Unsure quite how to express the motherly affection she felt, that she had underestimated the strength of, she placed what she hoped was a loving kiss upon Lyra’s smooth forehead. Relaxing her jaw into a hopeful smile, she pulled back, rubbing tender circles into the apple of her daughter’s cheek. It was then that she noticed fat tears welling in the corners of the girl’s eyes. Before she could brush away fresh tear tracks with the pad of her thumb, Lyra launched at her, not to attack but to fall into her arms, leaving her breathless. Astonished. Within a second, Marisa could see nothing, for her eyes were overflowing with moisture, droplets rolling down dry cheeks. “Lyra,” she breathed shakily, arms wrapping around her child, her lifeline.

The Golden Monkey whimpered as Pan sniffed cautiously at his open paw before pressing his whole furry face against it, allowing the other daemon to pet him. Mrs. Coulter’s chest was bursting with warmth, and she wondered whether her child could feel the love she held for her. If only she knew how she would voice it aloud for her to hear. Though, Lyra was not one for believing her words. Instead, she tightened her hold and pressed a lingering kiss against her daughter’s hairline, breathing in her scent.

All too soon, she felt the girl stir in her arms. Hiding her disappointment, she forced herself to loosen her grip, expecting Lyra to slip from her grasp as she had time and time again. To her amazement, the child simply shifted, resting her temple against her mother’s chest as Pan settled against the prickling fur of The Golden Monkey. Was this part of another ploy to deceive her? Bring her to her most vulnerable before sticking the knife in? Mrs. Coulter wanted nothing more than to believe Lyra had forgiven her, that she truly trusted her, that she would stay willingly after all her doubts, without pushing her towards more drastic actions. A low growl sounded from her mute daemon’s throat and she peered at him over the fly-away mess of hair on top of her child’s head. They met each other’s hard stares. Marisa’s throat tightened, her breathing growing laboured as she reined in her frustration. Yes, she and Lyra had made their way around an unsteady board, each rolling their own dice twice when the other had their head turned. A game of two skilful liars who dodged rules. However, resting in the moonlight with her beloved child curled, half in her lap, half out of it, she wanted nothing more than to believe in Lyra, to trust in her devious daughter. Her monkey disagreed, snarling silently at her, bearing sharp teeth that would bite, had bitten many times when out of sight of others, just as she would quite readily have sent her boot into his stomach had Lyra not been an obstacle to that urge.

Deciding to enjoy the moment she had craved for months, slim fingers ran through the dark mop of her child’s shoulder-length hair, untangling, smoothing, twirling a strand around her finger. She began to wonder whether Lyra would suit a neat braid and made a mental note to try it on her the following morning. It had been a lost fantasy of hers, the ability to style her daughter’s hair. Her hair had grown, as had she in height, blossoming into a beautiful young woman. Marisa oozed with barely-contained pride, temporarily free from thoughts of sin and dust and focusing only on what truly mattered; her child.

“Mother…?”

The newly-appointed title sounded much sweeter to her ears when her daughter was speaking it freely, out of any danger. “Yes, darling?” she brushed the greasy hair from the girl’s face as Lyra tilted her head upwards.

“I’m tired. I think I’ll go wash for bed. We’ve got a standing-up-bath here. My hair is filthy. I’ll take the clothes you found me to change? And … you can stay here. You can stay with me until I fall asleep if you wanna?”

“I would like that very much.” Marisa allowed for her child to slide from her arms, The Golden Monkey’s fingers closing around thin air as Pantalaimon scurried after her. With this simple action, she handed Lyra the one thing she had promised herself she would not; her genuine trust. Leaning back against the wall, a long, contented sigh was drawn out through her parted lips, which were lifted in a dream-like smile. Closing her eyes, the woman felt her daemon press his warm body against her lap, right where Lyra had sat moments ago, in an attempt to fill the void that the child had left.

It was quiet, too quiet; a silence without the rush of water from the standing-up-bath that Marisa had attempted to figure out that morning as her head pounded from the many bottles of wine she had consumed the night before.

The Golden Monkey sensed it first, through his innate ability to track down betrayal and deceit where Marisa was presently blinded by love for her child.

Since when had Lyra valued personal hygiene?

Continue reading on AO3

[themangledsans0508]

From the Inside Looking Out

Read on Ao3

This was for her daughter, everything was for her daughter. This whole experiment, it was for her daughter. Her daughter’s future, her daughter’s success, her daughter’s potential. Under the guise of humanity, it was just for her child.

Which was why she was okay with the sacrifice, Emelia’s anger, losing everything. What she was not okay with was losing control.

Sinking through an orange liquid, up to her waist while being watched by the Mega Monkey. Unable to decide how she acted and having to fight to stay in control.

Then the fume hit them, and she was thrown onto her hands and knees. The monkey stood at attention and she could see the outside. She could see Emelia, she could hear her.

“Oh, Song. You didn’t think this through.”

Yes, she did. She put over a year of thought into it, she put at least a decade of science education she had to work, she put everything into it. She tried to reach out and grab her, but she couldn’t move. She couldn’t do anything. She could only watch from the monkey’s view.

“We should leave this pile of rubble, take me for a walk, Song.”

She tried to run away at every opportunity, but Emelia always found her. Sometimes she escaped for weeks, sometimes months, once even a whole year, but she would track her down one way or another. Someone who was once her best friend was now her capture.

Sometimes she’d say things to her that she thought would never grace the world again.

“Do you remember when Liam was killed?” Emelia asked one day. She didn’t respond, she missed Liam. He was someone who had daydreamed with her about a safe surface, then he was taken away from them all so suddenly. Emelia took her silence as a yes.

“Well, he had actually managed to befriend some mutes. Rats that drove a van. He was always too charismatic for his own good,” she chuckled darkly. “He wanted to tell everyone about how nice they were, how they liked him and even were going to welcome humans into their park. But that was against our goal.” She grinned at her.

“I couldn’t let him do that. So, do you know what I did Song? I shot him. I shot him right then and there.” The laugh disturbed her deeply and if she could have backed away any further from her in the cave she was trapped in she would have. She would have run as fast as her legs could carry her. Instead, she just trembled. Emelia stepped closer to her.

“The end justifies the means. Come on, I think there’s another burrow nearby.”

Another time after an encounter with Scarlemange, Emelia had her blocked in again.

“He was like your son, right? How did he end up like that? I guess insanity is inherited. I’d assume it was from your side, but Lio spent more time with him. And somehow, Lio disappeared from our burrow, with your monstrosity, and left him behind. I guess he was disappointed in him just like Father was disappointed in Liam.” Emelia tapped her fingers against her chin.

“Liam, Liam. He was never the smartest. Nor was he very strong. But I have to say, he was very dedicated. Too bad it was to the wrong cause. If he had listened more he would be alive. Father told us the truth, how Mother died was directly caused by mutes. Yet Liam always bought into what the Overseer told us. I told you too, Song. But you didn’t believe me.” She slammed her fist into the dirt, and she had the strong urge to do the same to her body. Her hand was stiff although in her reality it twitched.

“You all let yourselves be occupied with basic science. We never moved forward until I was in charge. I can’t believe it was ever a debate whether you or I should lead. If you lead, we’d all be like you.” Even the wave of her hand she had to obey, no matter how hard she fought.

The last time Emelia controlled her, Song will never forget.

“You haven’t seen your daughter in a long time, she’s turning thirteen soon, right? I bet you’d love to see her again. And you’re in luck because I need that monster right now.”

She wanted to kill her, she tried. She lunged and swung and kicked and bit but in reality, she was frozen. She could do nothing.

Then she didn’t see Emelia, but her husband.

“This isn’t you.”

This wasn’t her. This was Emelia. The collar felt like molten lava on her fur. This was the man she loved.

Then it released another wave of pheromones.

Next, it was her daughter. Pesky axes that did nothing but annoy her, faces she didn’t recognize, snakes that only felt like small pinpricks. The music was unmistakable. After random strokes over the strings and shouting she charged but then her daughter started singing.

“We may not have sunshine, or starlight, or weather. But, we have each other, and that’s even better.”

That was their song, but that wasn’t Lio. And no one else could know it but…

Kipo.

She slowed down until she was only sliding and then standing still. Her eyes were fixed on her daughter. The girl she never got to raise. The girl she hadn’t seen in over a decade. She let her finish singing and kept her gaze on her.

Did she eat humans? No. Did she take them? No. Did they get away? Yes.

The glow on Kipo’s face would have spread to hers if she didn’t have fur. She reached a finger out to touch her and drew it back when Kipo jerked back before trying again. To touch her baby after so long made her indescribably happy.

Then she asked why she broke into the burrow and her collar started beeping.

She tried to signal what was happening, but Kipo couldn’t understand. When it released the pheromones, she used her last few seconds of control to run away. With no humans in her hands, she had no orders and she would not grab her daughter.

The next time she saw a human, it was again Kipo. This time, with a jaguar paw. She was growing up, and she was missing it. Her girl helped her, she cut through her collar. But she still couldn’t understand her, no matter how hard she tried to sign that she was her mom. Kipo misunderstood as her wanting to go with her, which wasn’t wrong but was not what she was trying to say. Before Kipo left, she did attach a bracelet to the fur on her arm.

She spent a long time staring at it.

Then it was Emelia again, but she wasn’t alone.

She was frozen in fear as Emelia spoke, she wasn’t hearing anything she said. Then she saw the collar and heard a sentence that registered.

“Put it on the monkey.”

She ran, her legs carrying her faster than Emelia and her goons could keep up.

Then not much later her son.

He chased her around Las Vistas, able to move well enough around the buildings that he didn’t crash as his followers did. He talked to her normally, before preaching of a future for mutes, and she ran. That was not the mandrill she had raised.

Then she was tied to a tree with silk, and she awoke to a small human climbing her. She looked down to see Kipo scaling her.

“Hi, mom.” She never thought she’d hear those words. She cooed at her and she was offered a canteen. “You must be thirsty.” Yes, she was. “Let me get you out of here.”

She raised a paw to strike and was grabbed by a flamingo’s talon. She howled in panic but she couldn’t do anything. Her hands were tied.

Her surroundings suddenly changing into a cave was shocking, even more so when a tardigrade started talking to her. Her daughter befriended a water bear, somehow she was not incredibly surprised. What she was surprised by was that she was now immune to pheromones. She could protect her family now, and she could convey a message.

“Could you tell Kipo mom loves her?”

The coronation was terrifying for her, and she could have easily escaped. For Kipo, however, she’d jump into an active volcano. So she did take the golden top off a building and help a thousand humans escape. So when she saw Kipo take charge as a jaguar and try to knock the tree down she joined. Even after her hand got gilded, she stood by her daughter.

When she howled in pain after she realised she was stuck, she howled with her. She understood. She wrapped her arms around her for the first time in twelve years and held her as she cried. She didn’t let go until Kipo had turned back and she could not be prouder of and happier for her daughter.

“Don’t worry mom, we’ll get you back.”

Working alongside Kipo every day was a blessing, even under threat. Getting to see her every day, getting to see her husband every day. Even if they could only hug her finger, she was content.

Then her family was under stress and she had to practically tackle her daughter to keep her from running into a trap. Afterwards, all she could do was pace back and forth. She knew how to beat Emelia at her own game, however, she didn’t know how to communicate.

“Hey! Song! Song!” She looked down at Scarlemange, the frustration painted on his face making her feel guilty. “These are my only hours of peace and quiet, and I can’t enjoy them if you’re shaking the whole forest!” She tried to sign to him, but he didn’t understand either. She picked his cage up and started cooing at him.

“You know I can’t understand you, right?” he stated and she groaned in frustration and pressed her palm to her forehead. “Wait, I’ll make you a deal.” She shook her head and the cage, eliciting a shout. “It’s not letting me out! Don’t worry. But I need you to do a favour for me and I’ll do a favour for you. Deal?” She nodded, and Scarlemange let out a shout. “Nod with your head, not your whole body!” She corrected herself and he smiled. “Good.”

It took them a long, long, time. Trying to use motions, then blocks, then motions again. He couldn’t understand her signals, her fingers were too big to use the blocks, and he couldn’t understand her noises.

She started signalling very quickly out of habit, and was surprised when one of the kittens pointed at her and said; “That means no!”

She nodded and Scarlemange tapped a finger to his chin. He climbed up next to the kids and sat with them. It was like playing charades, more like a game than a translation. Granted, it took them ages, they did eventually get her message down.

They delivered it, and she had to watch her daughter go and hope she’d be okay.

When she did come back with her friends, she let out a sigh of relief. She watched them talk and leaned down to be level with Kipo when she approached her.

“Let’s get you back, mom.” Her finger was pricked with something, and everything felt like she was on fire. She flailed briefly, and then her vision went black.

She got it back quickly, and she pushed herself up with two hands. She looked at her body and she wasn’t a monkey anymore, and she only had two hands. She pulled herself out of the crater she had made and her eyes landed on her daughter. The moment she got on her feet, she ran towards her and grabbed her in a hug.

[tights-orno-deal]

BASIC QUESTIONS

First name? Danielle

Surname? Dennison

Middle names? Olivia

Nicknames? Dani

Date of birth? July 15

Age? 18

PHYSICAL / APPEARANCE

Height? 5’2

Make up? Nothing crazy. She     usually keeps it fairly natural.

Tattoos? A secret star on her     thigh that only she knows about.

Type of clothes? A lot of black     and pink and soft goth aesthetics.

How do they wear their clothes?     She wants them to be comfortable and able to be moved around in.

Are they in good health? She’s     in relatively good health, yes, but mostly thanks to age. She doesn’t work     at it.

PERSONALITY

What words or phrases do they     overuse? She probably says “like” too often for not being a valley girl.

Do they have a catchphrase? Not     that I’ve noticed.

Are they more optimistic or     pessimistic? Optimist, 100%.

Are they introverted or     extroverted? Extroverted, 100%.

Do they ever put on airs? Nah,     what’s the use? Everyone makes mistakes, everyone looks dumb. You should own     it and own those things that make you human.

What bad habits do they have?     She has a real problem with not listening when people give her good     advice.

What makes them laugh out loud?     Most everything. She’s easy to get laughing.

How do they display affection?     Soft touches, shutting up to listen to you.

How do they want to be seen by     others? A badass bitch who takes no shit, lol. Really, just someone worth     being around.

How do they see themselves? She     likes who she is for the most part. She had always believed she was     courageous, but the witches have flipped her view, unsure about what her pervasive     fear of them means.

How are they seen by others? I     think people see her as fun, wholesome, cute… she hates 2 out of 3 of     those descriptors though, because she feels like people don’t take her     seriously because of them.

Strongest character trait?     Courage

Weakest character trait? Selfish

How competitive are they? Not     really all that competitive

Do they make snap judgements or     take time to consider? Depends on the day.

How do they react to praise? She     has some sort of goofy response and a compliment back, shift the attention     off her.

How do they react to criticism?     It takes a moment, she doesn’t just accept it instantly, but she can     eventually come around to it.

What is their greatest fear?     Being unable to stop when something puts her family or Binx in danger.

What are their biggest secrets?     I don’t really think she has secrets. She usually is fairly open about     things. There are things she has yet to tell herself… but mostly she says what     she thinks and feels.

What is their philosophy of     life? The beauty of life is in the people you share it with. Choose wisely     and be a person that can make their life beautiful as well.

When was the last time they     cried? Probably at multiple points while Binx was missing.

What haunts them? She said, ‘idk     ghosts?’

What will they stand up for? You,     your dog, your dog’s cousin… she is willing to fight when someone needs     it.

Who do they quote? Celebrities     probably.

What is their sinful little     habit? ‘It should be a sin to be this awesome’

What sense do they most rely     on? Hearing

How do they treat people better     than them? She likes to think that she treats everyone the same, but she     is easily awed by people she thinks are great.

How do they treat people worse     than them? Unless you move against her, she tries to treat you with     respect.

What quality do they most value     in a friend? Just love her.

What do they consider an overrated     virtue? Obeying rules.

If they could change one thing     about themselves, what would it be? She would be less afraid of the     witches.

What is their obsession? All     things witches. She thinks about witches, dreams about witches, reads     about witches. She is unsure where the lines between terror, fascination,     and envy are.

What are their pet peeves? When     people don’t listen to her, especially her brother.

FRIENDS AND FAMILY

Is their family big or small?     Who does it consist of? Just her, her mom and dad, and brother.

What is their perception of     family? She loves her family and depends on them, but she firmly believes     that that same kind of family can be found in other places. It’s not all about     blood.

Describe their best friend.     Binx is certainly the yin to her yang sometimes. He’s deep and contemplative,     made up by centuries of experiences and layers that she really is only     starting to peel back. She feels their connection goes deeper than that of     friends, though. This is her person, her soul mate in life. Her other     bestie is Fran. Their immortality has allowed her to create a friend in them     that you normally might not see with their vast age difference.

Describe their other friends.     Dani’s type is apparently immortal hot men, and she is not complaining.     She surrounds herself with them. Outside of that, when it comes to friends     her own age, it’s more of a mix of personalities. She’s sweet, but mischievous,     which allows her to be friends with people like Logan and Aurora and     remain completely herself. She likes having a friend for all occasions.

Describe their acquaintances.     Dani probably has acquaintances, but she’s quick to call you her friend,     regardless of how the other person might see it.

Do they have any pets? She     needs a new cat, preferably a regular one this time.

PAST AND FUTURE

What was your character like as     a baby? As a child? I think her personality has been fairly steady     throughout her life. She’s always been relatively upbeat and a     troublemaker.

Did they grow up rich or poor?     Middle class.

Did they grow up nurtured or     neglected? Nurtured.

What is their greatest     achievement? I don’t know if she has one yet. In writing her, I like to     take the mentality that until the moment the witches were released, her     life was very ordinary. She wasn’t rich, or poor, or had anything big and     dramatic happen to her. All her greatest achievements as well are yet to     come.

What was their first kiss like?     It was fine. Nothing to write home about.

What are their ambitions? She     currently is really into learning about magic and really getting to a     place of understanding of it. Partly she thinks it will help her fight     against the witches, but beneath that, she hopes understanding magic will     make it less frightening.

What advice would they give     their younger self? “It’s going to be scary but it’s going to be worth it.     Just be brave.”

What smells remind them of     their childhood? Salt air

What was their childhood     ambition? To be Doctor Dolittle

Did they have an imaginary     childhood friend? Oh, for sure. His name was also Max, like her brother,     was the same age, but was always there to play with her.

When was the last time they     were crushed with disappointment? When she thought Binx had left her.

What past act are they most     ashamed of? Unleashing the witches onto the world. She wouldn’t take it     back, because it brought so much to her life, but she is aware of the     danger of it. It’s a complicated feeling that she struggles to navigate.

LOVE

Do they believe in love at     first sight? I think she does in the way that most young people have an     impractical idea of what love is, but she would say that she doesn’t     believe in love at first sight though.

Are they in a relationship? Not     at the moment.

How do they behave in a     relationship? She’s all about the fun aspects of relationships. She loves     just goofing off with the person, is constantly looking for excuses to be     around them, trying to make them laugh and have fun with her.

When did you character last     have sex? A couple years ago.

What sort of sex do they have? The     inexperienced kind.

Has your character ever been in     love? Nope

Have they ever had their heart     broken? … probably, but only in like, having a deep crush on a guy who     doesn’t like her back and how that feels really serious and     earth-shattering in that moment when you’re young.

CONFLICT

How do they respond to a     threat? She tells her army of hot immortal men… lol, she actually can get     a little mouthy when she’s in danger. It’s her defense mechanism.

Are they most likely to fight     with their fists or their tongue? Tongue, but she’s not unwilling to fight     with her fists. She never has, but she could.

What is your character’s     kryptonite? If someone she loves is in danger, she would probably give the     person whatever they wanted.

If your character could only     save one thing from their burning house, what would it be? Her cat.

How do they perceive strangers?     She used to be very open with strangers, and to an extent, she still is.     She’ll tell you her life story if you get her going. It doesn’t mean she     is as willing to trust people as she used to be with the important things.

What is their choice of weapon?     Flamethrower, if she’s being given the option. Who would pick anything     else?

What living person do they most     despise? The witches.

Have they ever been bullied or     teased? Nothing serious, I doubt.

Where do they go when they’re     angry? Dani is very much a pillow screamer. Her pillow, your pillow, if     she gets pissed, no pillow is safe from being screamed into.

Who are their enemies and why?     The witches. They might give a damn about Dani but she feels its her duty     to keep people safe from them. She doesn’t know how to do that yet, but     she’s learning. She’s ready to make them give a damn.

WORK, EDUCATION AND HOBBIES

What is their current job? Student.

What are some of their past     jobs? She once wore an awful hat and sold corndogs on a pier before they     moved here.

What are their hobbies? She     loves a good adventure as much as she loves digging into Howl’s collection     of magic materials.

Educational background?     Standard public education.

Intelligence level? Average.

Do they play a sport? Are they     any good? She played soccer through high school and was decent enough at     it to make the All-State team.

What is their socioeconomic     status? Middle class.

FAVORITES

What is their favorite animal?     Cat.

Which animal do they dislike     the most? Monkeys because one pulled her hair once on vacation.

What place would they most like     to visit? Egypt

What is the most beautiful     thing they’ve ever seen? The rare and elusive Binx smile

What is their favorite song?     Whistle by Blackpink

Music, art, reading preferred?     Music

What is their favorite color?     Black

What is their password? Dani101was101here101

Favorite food: Pizza

What is their favorite work of     art? She is not that discerning.

Who is their favorite artist?     She only knows the biggies. That Michelangelo seemed to know what he was     doing.

What is their favorite day of     the week? Friday

POSSESSIONS

What is in their fridge?     Leftover pizza, bottles of water, a thing of whiskey hidden behind some Cokes.

What is on their bedside table?     Alarm clock, phone charger, lamp

What is in their car? Phone charger,     some takeout trash in a garbage bag

What is in their purse or     wallet? Wallet, phone, some treats for when Binx is in cat form, and also     candy for both of them when he isn’t

What is in their pockets? Keys

SPIRITUALITY

Do they believe in the     afterlife? She would have said no before now, but she’s at this point     where she really doesn’t know what to believe about anything. She’s     searching for the answers to these questions that will help the world make     sense to her again.

What are their religious views?     Searching.

What do they think heaven is?     If there is a heaven, it is probably pretty close to the Christian version     – but she would also tell you she really doesn’t know what other people     believe besides so she might not be the best to ask.

What do they think hell is?     Fire.

Are they superstitious? I think     she’s probably fairly superstitious at this point in her life. If magic is     real, then all bets are off on what else is or is not.

What would they like to be     reincarnated as? Something cool, like a falcon.

How would they like to die? Quick     and painless, please.

What is your character’s spirit     animal? Probably a chipmunk or something along those lines.

What is their zodiac sign?     Cancer

VALUES

What do they think is the worst     thing that can be done to a person? Abandonment

What is their view of     ‘freedom’? I highly doubt she’s given this much thought. Just being free to     do what you want.

When did they last lie? Maybe a     couple days ago… little white lies, nothing serious.

What’s their view of lying? If     something is serious, it is best not to.

When did they last make a     promise? Earlier today? She throws promises around like softballs.

Did they keep or break their     last promise? Keep. She always tries to keep them.

DAILY LIFE

What are their eating habits? I     mean, probably not great. She’s a college student, so a lot of Ramen and     pizza.

Describe their home. Just an     average middle class home. Her own room that’s done up with posters and     black and purple.

Are they minimalist or a     clutter hoarder? Clutter hoarder.

What do they do first thing on     a weekday morning? Coffee.

What do they do on a Sunday     afternoon? Lay around in her room with Binx or at Howl’s shop.

What do they do on a Friday     night? She loves a good party.

What is the soft drink of     choice? Dr. Pepper

What is their alcoholic drink     of choice? Whiskey and coke (see: what’s in her fridge)

MISCELLANEOUS

What or who would your     character dress up as for Halloween? She loves Halloween and a great     monster costume.

Are they comfortable with     technology? I would say she has the average teen grasp of technology.

If they could save one person,     who would it be? Binx or a member of her family

If they could call one person     for help, who would it be? Howl seems the most capable

What is their perception of     redemption? Everyone is capable of redemption, but she’s aware that giving     people that second chance is easier said than done.

What would they do if they won     the lottery? Put it all in a room and then roll around in it.

What is their favourite     fairytale? Jack and the Beanstalk

What fairytale do they hate?     Snow White

Do they believe in happy     endings? She believes some people get them and hopes that she’s one of the     lucky ones that does.

What is their idea of perfect     happiness? She’s sitting in a room, surrounded by the people she loves,     all laughing, all talking, all enjoying each other.

What would they ask a fortune     teller? She would be completely unable to narrow that down. She’d just be     like, tell me everything you see!!

If your character could travel     through time, where would they go? Dinosaurs, baby!

What sport do they excel at?     Soccer

What sport do they suck at?     Basketball

If they could have a     superpower, what would they choose? Invisibility

[fandom-trash-xl]

One-Shot: The Small and the Shiny

Timeline Placement: Age 784 (The 28th World Martial Arts Tournament!)

______

"Now, don't get into too much trouble, you two."

Today was the day of the twenty-eighth World Martial Arts Tournament and the two Saiyans, Goku and Vegeta, weren't the only ones who were ecstatic. 

Five-year-old Pan, granddaughter of Goku, was finally ready to participate in her first tournament. Due to her Saiyan genetics, she was a combat prodigy, allowing her to easily hold her own amongst adults. She had even flown around the planet in the span of minutes just that morning.

However, it would be a while before the main event would begin and Pan was dead set on perusing the various activities around the area with her grandpa.

"We won't, dad!" Pan assured her father.

"Hey, don't sweat it, Gohan! She's in good hands." Goku gave a reassuring smile.

"With you, that's debatable." Chi-Chi sighed.

“Ah, come on, Chi-Chi...” The Saiyan looked back at his wife almost pleadingly. “You’re always saying how I should bond with her, and I promise we’ll only buy a few sweets...”

She only sighed, a small smile forming across her lips, still ever amused by her husband after all of the years of worry. “Just go.”    

On that note, Goku and Pan soon took to the heart of the lanes of vendors, looking to find at least something to occupy the time before they were called back for their matches.

"Where do you want to go first, Pan?"

"Ice cream!" Pan cheered, pointing to a nearby stand.

"Great choice! I was thinking that too." Goku entered a running stance. "I'll race you!"

"You're on, grandpa!"

After a brief count of three, the pair began to rush towards the ice cream vendor. However, it didn't take long for Pan to lose her pace.

She saw something. A tail from around a corner, lazily batting about in curlicues.

"Hey, why'd you slow down, Pan?"

"Look over there!"

Pan pointed to the tail around the corner. It was rather small, a dusty rose color and striped. Dangling from it was what appeared to be a small pendant keychain with a circular charm.

"It's a puppy tail, grandpa! There's a puppy over there!"

"Well, I think that's kind of a weird color for a puppy..." Goku tried to explain, but Pan had already bolted.

"PUPPY!" She squealed as she ran towards the tail. 

"Pan, wait!" Goku tried to chase after his granddaughter, but she was already prepared to pounce on the tail. When Goku could finally see around the corner and realize that the tail's owner was in fact not a dog, Pan had already jumped and grabbed on.

"Gotcha!"

The tailed creature appeared to be a bipedal reptilian. The jewel that made up his skull was a brownish maroon shade and resembled a chestnut. The creature's species was familiar to Goku, but he couldn't place it in this rushed instance. He was clearly upset that his tail was grabbed and tears were forming.

The reptilian stumbled back as he freed his tail from Pan's eager grasp, not noticing the pendant dropping from it.  He started to bolt in the other direction, mumbling something panicked and incoherent. He didn't get very far before tripping. He picked himself up and continued to run, this time holding his tail to stop it from dragging on the ground. He finally managed to cry out a word that was understandable: a wailing cry of "Papa!"

"Pan, that wasn't very nice of you to pull on that little lizard boy's tail." Goku looked at his granddaughter with disappointment. 

"But, grandpa, I didn't know!" Pan whined.

Goku sighed. "Well, we should try to find him, so you can apologize." Noticing the fallen keychain, he retrieved it from the ground. “And we should probably return this to him too.” He grabbed Pan's hand and led her through the crowd. "Come on." 

______

Several minutes had passed and the two had no luck with finding the lizard boy. It was rather unusual. How hard was it to find a boy with a tail in a place like this?

Pan was scanning among the legs of passing people to try to spot the boy with no luck. 

Goku turned to look in the direction that Pan was searching while continuing to walk. “You see ‘im yet, Pan?” He inquired.

“No, not yet, grandpa, but...”

“What is it?”

“I think you should be paying more attention to the path!”

“Pan, it’s fine.” Goku assured his granddaughter. “I’ll be fine, I’m not going to bump into anyone!”

Just at that moment, as if jinxed by his words, Goku immediately bumped into someone. He jolted back, almost letting Pan’s hand slip out of his.

“Woah, sorry, sir. Didn’t see you there!” He apologized.

“You’d better be sorry, monkey.” A snarky and sarcastic voice responded.

The sound of the voice resonated with Goku. Only one person he knew had that certain flourish to his voice and that same person was the only one who called him by that name.

Goku’s eyes turned downward to see a familiar reptilian figure with white scales and violet jewels. Unlike the lizard’s usual attire choice, he wore a loose-fitting button-up shirt, dark enough violet to pass for black, and Force-standard spandex shorts, as well as a pair of sunglasses- somewhat feminine in design, likely not something he picked out himself- that his ruby red eyes peeked over, giving the Saiyan his signature glare of condescension. This clothing was probably to help him blend in with the surrounding crowds and avoid suspicion, but Goku felt that his tail was somewhat of a dead giveaway. 

“Frieza?” Goku looked in confusion. “I didn’t expect you to be at the tournament!”

“Well, I didn’t expect myself to be here either.” The Arcosian removed his sunglasses and folded them. “But, Vegeta’s woman insisted since it’s been almost five years since I helped you save the universe, or whatever sappy excuse she used.” He rolled his eyes. “And apparently there are no admission returns, so...”

“Yeah, Bulma’s quite the master of persuasion, isn’t she?”

“I wouldn’t call it persuasion. More like coercion.”

Meanwhile, Pan slowly glanced around her grandfather’s leg to get a better look at the figure before her. Frieza’s tail swished back and forth, almost pattern-like, but the young girl noticed something else. Flicking almost in sync with the white tail was another tail of a familiar dusty rose color. Could it be that lizard boy?

Pan eagerly tugged on the leg of Goku’s gi. “Grandpa, grandpa!”

“What is it, Pan?” Goku asked.

“This guy’s got a tail!”

“Yes, he does, Pan.” The Saiyan explained. “Mr. Frieza’s from space, so he has some body parts that humans don’t have.”

"Oh?" Frieza seemed curious about the small girl. "Who is this? Another one of your hellspawn I presume?"

"Actually, Pan's my granddaughter. She was at that post-tournament party we had, remember? She was just a baby then."

"You do remember I left before all of these festivities, right?" Frieza's eyes narrowed. "I could barely stand being on your team for forty-eight minutes, so I definitely couldn't stomach a full-out party."

“Oh, right!” Goku remembered and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. “Almost forgot you’re not a party person.”

Frieza gave a displeased sigh at the Saiyan’s ignorance. His tail flicked about faster and the second tail behind him seemed to be having difficulty matching the speed. This attracted Pan’s attention yet again, prompting her to give another tug.

"Grandpa, grandpa!"

"I'm afraid you'll have to advise her that this is hardly the time or place for me to explain my entire anatomy..." The Arcosian rolled his eyes.

"Pan, Mr. Frieza's right. Maybe another time-"

Pan interjected. "But, he's got two tails!"

Goku looked shocked. "He has what?!"

Frieza's eyes practically flew open. "I-I can explain, don't get too over-excited now-"

But, Goku had already started rambling. "I didn't know you could grow another tail! Can you grow three tails? Do you think Saiyans can do it too? Can-"

"Silence!" Frieza barked, ending the rant. His own tail stiffened and the second one seemed to fidget, uncertain of how to mirror the other. He sighed. "The second tail isn't mine."

"So, you ripped it off another guy and surgically attached it to yourself?"

The Arcosian was starting to lose patience more rapidly. "No, I mean that there's someone behind me, you imbecile!" He pinned his folded sunglasses to his shirt collar. "Just give me a second." Frieza turned around and bent down. His voice seemed to mellow as he near silently spoke to the small being behind him. “Come on, Kuri. Don’t be scared...”  After a brief hesitation, the pint-sized figure flinched forward into Frieza's embrace, allowing him to scoop up the tailed creature. "There we go..."

When he faced them again, he was holding a smaller lizard being. Their form seemed to be similar to Frieza's first form, but it was missing horns. Their jewel skull resembled a maroon chestnut. They donned Frieza Force-regulated battle gear. The armor seemed to be of a model similar to Vegeta's, as it lacked the shoulder pads present on Frieza's usual armor. A black silk scarf, somewhat large on them, was tied at their collar and draping along their shoulders.

"It seems that some introductions are in order." Frieza finally managed a smile for once. "This is my son, Kuriza. Born two years after my revival." 

Kuriza, clearly bewildered, briefly glanced over to Goku, then to Pan. After his analysis, he quickly averted his gaze and attempted to retreat back behind his father, who quickly stopped him. He must have been rather shy.

"Wow, never thought you had it in you, Frieza!"

Frieza hesitated for a moment. "What are you implying here, Goku...?” His eye twitched angrily. 

“Well, um... It’s just... You’re Frieza and all, and I didn’t really think you were interested in-”

Pan interjected with her own question to spare her grandfather from Frieza’s wrath. “Who’s the mum, then?”

Frieza stammered as a red color spread across his face. He refused to look either of them in the eye. “That is... none of your concern, child...”

Goku laughed a little. “Same stubborn Frieza! But, anyways, it’s nice to meet you, little guy!” He held out his hand for Kuriza to shake or, at least, grab onto. To the Saiyan’s surprise, the young lizard’s already frightened expression seemed to further sour, shortly afterward attempting to snap his small fangs at Goku’s hand.

“Kuri! Manners!” The older Arcosian scolded him through gritted teeth.  

“Woah! What the heck was that for? Did you set this up?”

Frieza seemed shocked as well. “I swear, I didn’t. I know that vengeance has been in the cards for quite some time now, but I’ve never trained him to attack you specifically.” He let out a small chuckle. “I guess it’s only natural for him to attack what he considers a threat. Just my luck that you automatically fit the bill~” 

Emerging from the brief silence, Kuriza suddenly started to mumble something. It was hard to decipher at first, but even Goku was able to deduce what he said. “He’s... with... her.” He seemed to be referring to Pan and was clearing speaking about her with fear in his tone.

“This is because of Pan?” Goku looked surprised before the emotion was quickly overshadowed by fear. Frieza was glaring at him. 

“Alright, monkey,” The Arcosian growled. “I don’t know what your little spawn did that traumatized my son, but you’d better explain... now.” 

Goku started to sweat as he tried to once again hide Pan behind his leg. “I-I honestly... don’t know what happened...”

“Sh-she...” The young lizard stuttered. He eventually gave up on trying to work out the words and grabbed the end of his dusty rose tail. He made a tugging motion lightly enough to not cause himself discomfort. Goku’s eyes widened with realization. Kuriza was the lizard boy from before!

Frieza looked to his son with a gaze of concern. “Kuri, did that girl pull your tail?” Kuriza simply nodded. “She did?” His eyes turned back to Goku and his concerned look turned to an infuriated scowl.

“Um, Frieza, I can explain!”

“What is there to explain here? This little mutt pulled on my son’s tail because she doesn’t know how to keep her paws to herself...”

“She didn’t really pull though, she was only grabbing on for a few seconds-”

“Well, the tail is very sensitive! She could have hurt him!”

“Frieza, I’m honestly very sorry for all of thi-”

Goku’s defense of his granddaughter was cut off by Pan herself stepping up, her voice reduced to whimpering. “I didn’t wanna hurt him! I thought it was a puppy tail because I like to grab puppy tails, I didn’t know. I won’t do it again, don’t hurt me, Mr. Frieza!” She was almost diminished to an emotional puddle faced with the angered emperor. 

Thankfully for the trembling quarter-Saiyan, Frieza’s temper cooled with a sigh. “I guess if you promise never to do it again, I can let it slide. Fortunately for you both, Vegeta’s woman also forced me into a ‘no violence’ agreement, so I, unfortunately, can not destroy you if the mood strikes me.”

Despite the positive news, Goku’s shoulders seemed to slump in disappointment. “Aww... So, does that mean you won’t be fightin’ in the tournament today?”

“Violence clauses or no, I am much too powerful to safely fight the normal Earthling combatants. I could quite literally tear up the competition while holding back.” The Arcosian’s expression turned into a cocky smirk. “Besides, I can’t trust any of your questionable companions to watch my darling Kuri.” At mention of his son, his scarlet eyes darted over to Kuriza, who was further attempting to bury his face by snuggling into his father's embrace, the gesture met by a brief cheek nuzzle.

"Speaking of watching over and such," Goku added with mild confusion. "How come the little guy was out and about without you? I figured you'd be watching him like a hawk with how protective you are."

Frieza sighed. “I try to stop him from wandering off, but he keeps trying to scavenge anyway. The boy has a mind of his own some days.”

“Scavenge?”

“Yes, for coins- and, before you try to give me any money, we’re fine on that front. He simply adores shiny objects like that... I even had to buy him a shiny little trinket in the hopes it would keep him occupied for a spell, but it seemed it didn’t work that well. It’s this little medallion charm from a little vendor back there.” He turned to Kuriza, who finally peeked back out of his reserved hiding. “Show them your little charm, Kuri.”

The smaller lizard looked back to his tail, only to find no such object dangling from it, letting out a small gasp. Frieza’s eyes narrowed. “Where did your charm go, Kuriza?” He was met with a mumbling response that Goku couldn’t make out but Frieza somehow could. “I told you not to put it on your tail, you know that’s how things get lost.”

“What’s the matter?” Goku inquired.

The lizard emperor sighed yet again. “It seems that Kuriza lost his little trinket while he was out scavenging. It must have slipped off his tail while he was up and about, it could be anywhere in this place. Such a shame that-”

"Shiny..." A small sad whimper came from Kuriza. He depressedly tried to slide down out of his father's arm, only for him to be scooped back up.

"Aww... Poor guy... Are you going to go look for it now?" Pan asked from behind Goku's leg.

"I'm afraid that will not be an easy thing to accomplish, little- Gkk!" Frieza was cut off by a sudden pain: a small kick from Kuriza, right in the upper ribs. The little lizard's mood had greatly soured and he was now resorting to kicking to fuel his agenda.

"Goku!" Frieza interjected, still being given small jabs in the ribs from his son's silent tantrum.

"Yes?" Goku perked up. Frieza had no snarky nickname for him, so he knew he was serious.

"By any chance, do you know someplace private I could go for a minute or so?" He spoke through pained grunts. "Preferably one nearby?"

"Wait, why?"

"Well, you know how he likes shiny things? Seeing my Golden Form helps calm him down and I don't want to attract any undue attention. So, if you would-" A single harder kick made Frieza's eyes widen mid-explanation to near the size of saucers. "Please..." He turned Kuriza around in his carrying, getting his legs to face outward and redirecting his frustrated kicks, unfortunately trying to find ways to swing backward.

"Ahh... Gotcha..." The Saiyan nodded understandingly before briefly shooting him a casual finger gun. "I think there should be bathrooms off around the outskirts- Maybe around the konpeito booth?"

"Much appreciated..." Frieza grunted through his teeth as he turned in his tracks off towards the other direction, redirecting his attention and softening his tone towards his son. "It's okay, Kuri... Papa will do the pretty shiny thing for you soon..."

However, before he could get too far, Pan suddenly chipped in, her voice still somewhat stuttering in fear of potentially upsetting the short fused emperor. "Wait... Umm, Mister Frieza?"

One iris darted back to look at the petite partial Saiyan, Frieza's default look appearing like a glare. "Yes? What do you need, little mutt?"

"Well, umm..." She hesitated. "If you tell us what it looks like, we could try to find the little charm for him..." After her initial nerves, she perked up, confidently cocky like her grandpa. "I'm good at finding things!"

The emperor was resistant to accept the offer, especially one from a five year old, but he eventually let out a begrudging sigh. "Very well, but don't get your hopes up about finding it. It's a small circle shaped pendant- Two sides to it. One has a picture of the sun, the other has a crescent of your planet's moon- and it's very shiny as you could presume." He rolled his eyes as he turned back around. "Now, if you don't mind..." He trailed off, grumbling.

Not long after Frieza had only taken a few steps ahead, all while trying to reign in the silently fussing little lizard in his arms, a thought caused Goku's shoulders to lurch up, like a jolt coursed through him to turn on the metaphorical lightbulb. He turned to Pan, fetching something from his belt as he did- the small keychain that had been dropped from earlier. Of course, it appeared a touch less shiny than hoped due to the dirt on it. "Hey... Pan, do you think this might be it?"

"Yeah!" The young quarter-Saiyan piped up. "After all, we did find it when the little guy ran off."

"Well, Mister Frieza's not too far, so do you think you could-"

Goku was barely allowed a chance to finish before his granddaughter yelped out to cross the few feet gap between her and the father-son pair of lizards. "Hey! Mister Frieza! We have it!"

The lizard emperor flinched in his tracks from the volume of her voice, pivoting back around on a dime and returning back to the two Saiyans. "What?! How the hell did you find that so fast?"

Pan briefly flinched as well, sensing hostility in his tone, but quickly recomposing herself. "Well, we think he lost it when I pulled his tail. It was on the ground where he was, so..." She held out the keychain, Frieza's eyes nearly lighting up in relief, only for his expression to remain the same typical disgruntled.

"It's all dirty, monkey..." His glare shot up to Goku, who quickly understood what Frieza meant by it, letting out a brief "oh!" before taking the keychain from Pan, hastily wiping it clean with the edge of his top, then handing it back. "That's better."

Upon seeing its glimmering beauty reflecting the light of the sunshine, the once stubborn little Kuriza's expression seemed to melt into stunned wonder, a matching glitter in his eyes. "Shiny..." He let out an awestruck whisper, his tiny hand now attempting to reach out toward it, only to be limited by the length of his arm and the hold his father, who was smiling for once, kept on him.

"Yes, yes, I see it, my little chestnut." The emperor sighed. He knelt down to a shorter level, closer to Pan's, as he set Kuriza back onto his two feet and quickly snatched the charm from the Saiyan child's hands. "Now, so you don't lose this again..." He untied the knot of the boy's scarf before quickly retying it again, this time making the knot around the looped end of the keychain. "We'll tie it here."

Kuriza almost immediately looked back down to admire it, fumbling with it in his tiny hands and flipping it between sun and moon, continuing to do so even as his father scooped him back up and rose to his feet. The smile remained on the older lizard's face even as he shot a glaring look with his eyes at Pan. "Don't expect any sort of 'thank you', mutt. You were part of the problem, after all."

"Well, she was part of the solution, to be fair."

Frieza simply scoffed. "Water under the bridge, monkey..." He shifted his son in his arms, transferring him to his backside and, no sooner after the small being had securely latched himself into his new position, his eyes progressively lowered, already tired. It was interesting to see how Frieza seemed to mellow around his son- was it parental hormones or did he actually have a sweet side?- yet his characteristic cold nature seemed to remain beneath.

"Now, if you have nothing further to contribute... I'll continue perusing this overly sappy human carnival until the main event starts." As the lizard turned around, precious cargo slumbering on his back, it wasn't long before his route forward was cut short by another voice calling out toward him, this one feminine, but not belonging to Pan.

"Hey! There you are, Frieza!" He looked with a cold glare to find that the approaching voice was tied to the woman who had roped him into this mess herself- Bulma, waving towards the group ahead on the path. Of course, she was not alone, having her clearly disgruntled Saiyan husband dragged along with her, as well as an unfamiliar pint-size presence, her hair distinctly matching Bulma's in color.

"Great... The woman..."

Alerted by this commotion, Kuriza's attempted nap was instantly halted with an alarmed squeak. His panic amplified upon seeing the approaching Briefs family and, not wishing to confront even more people, released his hold on Frieza's back, dropping to the ground and preparing to bolt away in the opposite direction. However, a stark white tail pushed him back. "No running off again!" Having no other escape option, he defensively kept a firm hug-like grip around his father's legs.

While Frieza remained aloofly looking away, Goku was all smiles to see the group approaching, waving towards Vegeta in particular. "Hey, 'Geets!" His greeting was met by the other Saiyan letting out a small grunt and simply addressing him as "Kakarot".

The emperor only rolled his eyes at this overly sappy "buddy-buddy" display, not finding any interest in whatever sort of bonding ritual the two Saiyans had to share, nor any of the human ones Bulma would force onto him. However, before he could make his discreet exit from the situation, the woman's eyes locked with him. "I thought I saw you around. Thankfully nothing in utter chaos." The smile on her lips was hesitant, even though dragging him here was her idea, and Vegeta held her back with a defensive arm, as if he were a zoo exhibit.

"Your lack of faith in me to 'behave', as you put it, is insulting, Bulma." Frieza scoffed, half-humoring her. "Anyway, thank you for the... human disguise you loaned me." He motioned to the collar of the button-up shirt, speaking of it like it was a burden forced upon him. "And, if you don't mind, I was just about to continue my rounds until you appeared." As he turned around, he unpinned the sunglasses from his shirt and covered his glaring red eyes back up with them. "Without further interruption, I must bid you ta-ta, woman~"

The lizard dismissed the group that had formed around him with a flick of a wave, but, when he tried to continue his trail through the grounds, he was halted, as his legs didn't seem to want to move. Looking down to see what was the matter, he noticed that Kuriza was still stubbornly grabbing him by the legs in defensive attachment, his grip keeping the two legs squeezed together. "Gkk! Kuri- please-"

Of course, it didn't take Bulma long to notice. "Aww... Who's that little fella you've got there?" Once the woman drew attention to the little lizard, his father let out a disgruntled sigh, his shades slightly falling and once again revealing a peek of unamused red irises.

"Oh, didn't you guys know?" Goku started answering on Frieza's behalf. "Frieza had a kiddo of his own the whole time!"

"Ah, that explains why you were asking about child admission when I got in touch with you! I just thought you were trying to pass one of your short minions off as one to get a discount or something."

Vegeta added a begrudging "Him procreating? Tch..."

The emperor continued through gritted teeth. "Yes, his name is Kuriza and he doesn't like new people, so could we just move on-"

Before he could finish, Bulma's curiosity had already overtaken her, passing Vegeta's arm barrier to her husband's dismay. She had already made her way uncomfortably close to the lizard, kneeling down to reach the further fearful Kuriza, his grip tightening and his face becoming more obscured. "That's okay. He just hasn't come out of his shell yet." Her voice became a coo. "It's okay, little guy... Miss Bulma won't hurt you!"

"Woman, please back off. He doesn't want your company." Frieza, raising his sunglasses up to his forehead, urged her, not being heard.

"Aww... Poor guy... Don't be scared!" She reached forward, further triggering the boy's fight or flight, and carefully examined the little charm tied to his scarf, flipping the token in her fingertips. "That's a cute little charm you have there, Kuriza~ Did your dad get that for you?"

"You may not want to touch that-"

"I'm not going to take it away from him, I'm just looking at it."

"Bulma!" Frieza, at the end of his rope, finally used her real name. "I really wouldn't. He-!"

He looked back down too late as the human woman let out a panicked yelp. "Oww! He bit me!" Sure enough, little Kuriza's fangs were clamped onto Bulma's finger, the other four fearfully releasing his pendant. The small creature, frightenedly unsure of how to react, was between moods, letting out a soft growl and tearing up at the same time.

"As I was trying to explain..." Frieza grumbled. "He bites when he feels threatened- and you were being quite threatening in his mind." He reached down and planted a reassuring hand on top of his son's head. "It's okay, Kuri~ Let her go now." While the younger lizard hesitated briefly, he acquiesced and allowed Bulma to withdraw her hand, shortly after transferring his hug hold by springing up onto his father's arm.

"Well, that's a lesson for later... Heh..." With a forced smile, Bulma tried to brush off the incident, rubbing at her sore finger. "I guess I'll leave you two to your business! We'll see you later at the main event!"

While both lizards were relieved in their own ways that the Briefs group was leaving, another voice, finally piping up, was not quite enthused. "Aww... But, I wanted to play with the lizard boy!" The tiny source was the small girl by Vegeta's legs, the color of her hair, tied up in a ponytail, a mix of purple and robin's egg strands.

"I know you did, Bulla, honey, but little Kuriza's not quite in the mood to play right now." While Bulma rationally explained the situation, Vegeta was taking the more protective route, trying to prod Bulla away. Perhaps it was fear of her being bitten too, or of her being 'contaminated' by an evil emperor's son.

"Okay..." Bulla disappointedly whimpered. As she was urged ahead on her way by her stubborn Saiyan father, she raised her hand to wave goodbye. "Bye-bye, then!" Her hand waving overenthusiastically at the same time rattled a small bracelet around her wrist, a few gemstone-like beads making it up- hopefully play-pretend plastic, unless they trusted a four-year-old that much. However, no matter what material it was, what mattered was its surfaces caught glimmers of light in their motions-

As well as Kuriza's attention.

The Saiyans, partial and full, and Bulma parted to one direction, while the solitary emperor and his boy went to the other. However, Kuriza, now reclaiming his prior position playing piggyback, couldn't help but look behind him as the others headed off- though the people themselves were of less interest to him than the real treasure. The bracelet continued to jangle around on its little girl owner's wrist, further tempting him with its glittering allure. "Shiny..." He near silently whispered. His movements were quiet and stealthy, taking some time before Frieza even noticed him dropping down from his back.

Bulla, past her initial disappointment of not having a new playmate, was now busily chatting with Pan, walking to the side of her. Her braceleted hand was held behind her back while her father protectively held the other one. The surrounding footsteps that formed the ambience of the tournament ground made her miss the tiny and quickly approaching patters- that was until she felt the wrist behind her being suddenly grabbed.

"Oh!" She turned around to see Kuriza attempting to take a hold on her bracelet and suddenly frozen in his tracks, realizing he had to deal with the person attached. "Hey, it's you! Hi!" The lizard wanted to draw back, but also refused to leave his prize.

Kuriza hesitated. "...Hi...?"

"It's okay. You like my bracelet, don't you?" He nodded daintily in response, just as his father worriedly approached.

"Kuri, what did I tell you about scampering off again?! That shiny thing already has a home..." The young Arcosian's attention was still diverted, continuing to be subjected to Bulla's small talk.

"My mum got me this for my birthday. It's my favorite, but I really like your little shiny thing too!" Surprisingly, Kuriza did not grow defensive of his trinket when she pointed at it, his more important goal being the new object before him. "Oh! I just remembered! You don't know my name. My name's Bulla, nice to meet'cha!"

Since the lizard's hand was already joined to her, Bulla simply grabbed his wrist in exchange to complete the handshake, causing him to slightly flinch. He knew he couldn't run away now- especially since the treasure was in close range.

Stammering, he suddenly spoke up again, his murmur making him harder to understand. "I- 'm... K-Ku-reeza... Nice to... mmm..." He mumbled, failing on the last word and looking up at his father for guidance, who simply sighed.

"Don't hurt yourself... It's an earth thing... Just say 'meet you'."

"Oh... Meet you! Nice to meet you..." He finished, suddenly triumphant but still hushed.

"Very good, Kuriza. Now come along please. This little one has other places to be- as do we." Frieza bent down to his knees to reach the young boy's level again, attempting to gently disconnect his hand from the girl's wrist. Though he was resistant to do so, Kuriza submitted to his father's grab and returned to his embrace.

"Aww, so soon...?" It wasn't the young girl who was whining, but rather her mother. "The little fella was just coming out of his shell. Didn't you see it, Frieza?"

"I did." Frieza glared. "And it was probably only because of her bracelet, so don't read too deep into it." He rose to his feet, Kuriza in tow, preparing to continue turning the other way- a simple task that he would have completed minutes ago but, with more pestering from Bulma, it became increasingly difficult.

"That's because you're not giving it a chance! Why don't you just come with us then? You'll still be able to see the grounds and the little guys can have their time together. Sounds like a win-win!"

The older lizard looked back with skepticism. "I'm not sure if he'd be... comfortable..." His vision then turned to the boy, who was trying to return to burying his face.

"It's okay!" Bulla responded with her mother's chipper and boundless enthusiasm, the arm with her bracelet raising at the same time and jangling the beads. "I'm lots of fun! I'll be his friend!"

Once shy Kuriza almost instantly popped out of his reclusion upon hearing the little beads clatter and, again captivated like a magpie to its shininess, leaned forward to get a closer look, dropping himself out of Frieza's arms in the process. He skittered over to Bulla and latched onto her braceleted wrist yet again like a magnet. "I see someone agrees!" Bulma, noticing the action, smiled.

This further hardened Frieza's glare, the action proving his argument in favor of this being the bracelet's fault and nothing else. Kuriza appeared happy, probably only because he was faced with a new shiny trinket to eye up. As he was about to make his rebuttal, surprisingly, someone else had an objection.

"Bulma, what are you trying to do?!" Vegeta's brow furrowed, trying to tug Bulla back to his side by her other hand. "Why are you setting up my-" He corrected himself. "Our princess with this little... tyrant?!"

"Vegeta, you're being ridiculous." Bulma's look equally soured. "I know he's Frieza's kid, you had some bad blood, but he's three at most." She looked down to where the children were standing, Bulla figuring out that her bracelet was like a laser pointer and moving her arm around to see if Kuriza's eyes followed- sure enough they did and his tail waggled gently. "He's not going to blow her up or anything."

"No, all I'm saying is-" The Saiyan attempted to protest further, only to be silenced by a quick peck to the cheek by Bulma, the love behind it covered by frustration.

"Just trust me, okay...?" She muttered under her breath before readopting her excitement. "Now that that's settled, shall we be on our way?" Bulma shot Frieza another sickeningly sweet smile, the lizard only folding his arms and sighing disgruntled as he followed them- skepticism in ever step.

Young Bulla seemed to be leading Kuriza along by her bracelet, making her own side of the conversation, all rather earthen topics, some of her favorite things and where to find the best snacks in the city, while he, probably not understanding most of it and playing along to remain tied to the shiny thing, let out occasional nods and mumbles of agreement. His father continued to watch the two closely to make sure they didn't get into any mischief, glaring at the girl with an air of distrust whenever she looked back up at him.

Hopefully, he wouldn't have to keep up this act for long. Soon enough, this charade would end with the passing of the tournament and he wouldn't need to set foot on this dirtball again, unless he made plans to claim its Dragon Balls- and that was a note he could relax a bit on.

Unfortunately, for him, what he didn't realize was that unfolding before him was the beginning of a long friendship that would persist for years to come.

So much for that idea...

[mojowriterblog]

Afterlife Kahlua

Kevin died suddenly.

It took him a while to realize it, because he thought he was dreaming. Walking along in wintry downtown Chicago, his feet crunching in the snow, there was a few minutes of discontinuity and then suddenly he realized he was floating. Several feet below him was a prone figure surrounded by what looked like a spilled strawberry Slushie. A large icicle had broken off the side of the looming skyscraper and buried itself like a dagger into the top of the poor bastard’s head. Oddly, the poor bastard wore a coat identical to Kevin’s … and shoes, too.

And pants.

The uh-oh moment came when Kevin recognized the grinning monkey’s head tattoo right where a normal person’s wristwatch would be. What were the odds someone else would have that? None, he finally admitted to himself.

It wasn’t long before the beautiful white light showed up, and a guy in a black hooded cloak holding some sort of antique farm implement urged him to float into it. Beyond, he knew, would be a land of pearly gates and puffy clouds, and thinking what a trip that would be, he went for it. The light itself seemed to have a kind of gravity, pulling at him, so after he got too close to the event horizon he couldn’t change his mind even if he’d wanted too. It sucked him in like a Kleenex into a Hoover.

There was music on the other side, but not the angelic choir Kevin had expected. It was a muted and low fidelity jazz, sounding a lot like he were listening to it underwater.

As the glow from the beautiful light faded, Kevin began to make out details. At first he saw what he thought were the pearly gates, but as the edges sharpened Kevin had to finally admit to himself it was shelving.

On the shelves were bottles.

Rows and rows of bottles.

Liquor bottles.

He was in a liquor store. It was even one he recognized — it was the Binny’s in the South Loop. And not only was he in a liquor store, Kevin was sitting on one of the shelves, next to the bottles.

He was a bottle. He was inside the bottle.

“Hey, hi there, excuse me,” said the bottle next to him. “Did you just wake up?”

“What?” Kevin said, surprised that he could talk.

“Ah, yes, you are awake. Good! Could you tell me, perchance, what brand I am?”

“What?” Kevin said again.

“Can you read my label? Could you tell me if I’m Baileys or Carolinas?”

Kevin had to fight the rising tide of panic that threatened to overwhelm him. “You’re a Baileys,” he said.

“You’re sure? You can see my label?”

“Yes, plain as day.” He wondered how he could do that, being that he no longer had eyes.

“I’m a Baileys,” the bottle said. “Thank God.”

“Why?”

“Why? Because it means I’m top shelf — like you.”

“What am I?

“You? You don’t know?”

Kevin went to shake his head, but didn’t have one. “I just got here.”

“Oh, well, you really did just wake up,” said the Baileys. “You’re a genuine Kahlua.”

“Kahlua?”

“Did you just die or something? Went into the light? Found yourself here?”

“Yes!”

“Think you’re dreaming?”

“Yes!”

“Well you’re not. Welcome to the afterlife, Kahlua.”

“I’m … this … I’m not—”

“Better get used to it.”

“This can’t be the afterlife! It can’t be. And my name isn’t Kahlua! It’s … my name, it’s … um.” He couldn’t remember.

“Your name is Kahlua,” said Baileys.

After a few moments Kahlua remembered he was feeling panicky about something, but couldn’t remember what. “Why am I here?” he asked finally. “Why aren’t I in heaven?”

“You think you’re not? You’re a top shelf spirit sitting in a world class liquor store!”

“But what am I doing here?”

“You’re waiting to be reincarnated. We all are.”

Kahlua, who used to be Kevin, could feel his previous life slipping from his mind like the details of a dream upon waking. He grasped at it desperately. “I don’t get it,” he said to Baileys, “I just don’t get it. Why did I turn into a liquor? What does it have to do with being reincarnated?”

“This is how I understand it,” Baileys told him. “We’re spirits, right?”

“Yes, but…”

“We’re spirits. Alcohol is called ‘spirits’ for a reason — this is why. So we wait here until someone comes and buys us, drinks us, and under our influence have unprotected sex after which we are implanted as a soul in the newly conceived child.”

That made sense, but yet it didn’t make sense. “But,” he told Baileys, “not all children are conceived while their parents are drunk. Are you saying they’re born soulless?”

“No Kahlua, think of it this way … human population is constantly growing. There’s always more babies being born than souls to occupy them … so those are new souls. It takes inebriated parents to conceive a child with a more experienced soul. And if you look around you, this explains a lot.”

Kahlua could no longer remember enough of his previous life to judge if this was true. It seemed to make sense. As he sat there pondering it, a beautifully dressed young couple came walking by and the woman said, “Oh!” and reached out to snatch Kahlua off the shelf.

Baileys called out, “Not fair! Not freaking fair! You haven’t been here fifteen freaking minutes! I’ve been sitting here for weeks!”

If Kevin/Kahlua had shoulders he would have shrugged them. It was just a case that he — and this young couple — were about to get lucky.

[witharsenicsauce]

Chosen Stories From the War #27: The House That Death Forgot, Part 3

(Content warning: this chapter contains descriptions of blood/gore, death, and mentions of suicide)

The night never seemed to come. It was like the sun hung over the hills in a perpetual state of anxiety, never settling, never closing it’s glaring eye. The Chosen and their human compatriots sat in the office, a feeling of morose trepidation overtaking them: time passed, on and on, and yet seemed to sit so very still.

Zhang was flipping through the books on the shelves and the papers on the desk, on a hunt for something, perhaps something to tell him there was a way out of this nightmare. Malinalli was, once again, tending to Kon-Mai’s injured leg, despite the Shrinemaiden insisting it was unnecessary. It seemed her brothers were meditating, and even though the Darkstrider had never been one to proactive his psionics before, this time he had joined his brother, perhaps in the hope that it would get them an answer. Any answer.

Kon-Mai looked up at Zhang as he angrily closed the book he held, tossing it on the desk. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sat beside her, hesitating a bit to calm himself enough to hold a conversation “...How is your leg?” He finally asked.

“I feel no pain from it.” She assured him. “Though our medic insists I do not walk on it, anyhow.”

“Just because it doesn’t hurt doesn’t mean you aren't damaging it!” Malinalli snapped. She had  been irritable since returning from her conversation with Ya’uq, and everyone had been keeping to her instructions to avoid incurring the wrath of this 5’5 force of nature.

“I know.” Kon-Mai looked Zhang up and down, leaning closer to whisper. “That girl...”

Zhang sighed, absently thumbing through the pages of the old book in his hand. “That girl?”

“The one who attacked my brother and I.” She said. “You knew her before?”

Zhang had retold them the story he had told Annette and Bryni, his eyes sorrowful as he did. There had not been much to say at the time, but they had all been left with questions they did not know how to ask. “Yes.” He sighed. “The year was 1959. We kept the children with us through December, and returned her and her siblings at the beginning of 1960. What a way to start the decade.”

Something else was weighing on Kon-Mai’s mind though. “...Then you are incredibly old, Colonel Zhang.”

He looked up at her with an almost blank expression. “...And?”

“And yet you fight like a man in his prime.” She shifted so her good leg was under her like a cushion. “Impressive for someone who is at least…” She did the math in her head. “At least 97.”

“99.” He grumbled. “...I am very old, I know.”

“How?” She asked.

“The Grace of the Elder’s Gifts.” He turned to look at her. “You hardly age either, Kon-Mai: they had to test that process somewhere.”

Kon-Mai didn’t know what to say to that, but thankfully, she didn’t need to think long. Annette stood up, a book in hand. “Chilong, you can read Tagalog, you said?”

“I speak better than I read.” He got to his feet. “But I can read it alright.”

She handed the book to him; a spiral bound notebook with a blue butterfly pattern on the front. “The dates are labeled between the years of 1960-62.”

“Frilly notebook.” Gur-Rai opened his eyes and got to his feet. “I don’t want to needlessly gender, but do you think-”

“It could be Bulan’s?” Annette nodded. “If Chilong can translate, we’ll find that out.”

Zhang looked away, and Kon-Mai could see there were tears in his eyes. “I don’t know if I can.” He said, and they knew that it had nothing to do with the language.

“Colonel, I know ya feel bad.” Bryni said. “But if that girl’s as old as ya say, maybe she knew what was happenin’. People don’t just stay young n’ pretty forever for no reason.”

“We still need to get out of here.” Gur-Rai said. “It sucks that she died, but it’s going to suck a lot more if we all die with her.”

Annette flipped open the first page, and pushed the book toward Zhang, who reluctantly took a seat on the floor and cleared his throat.

.

.

She closed the door to the attic quietly. She had not had to remain so silent in a long time, but now she could feel him, and he could feel her.

Or had it always been so? She had felt reprieve when he was locked away in the cellar. Behind the thick stone walls it was hard for him to invade her mind, but because of that reprieve, she had become sloppy. When Bulan closed her eyes, she was there with him, looking through his purple gaze. She could feel him pressing against her eye sockets, looking through her eyes into her world. Coming. She heard  his thoughts. I am coming. I am here for you.

What do you want?

Not want.

Bulan had tried to imagine death once before, and what consumed his mind felt just like that, so empty and horrifying, nothing and everything, blackness surrounding them.

Death. Death. 

.

.

“January 27th, 1960.” Zhang read aloud. “Father has built another gate around our property. He’s thinking of sealing up the secret entrance, but the cook uses it to bring in deliveries. He still doesn’t know I like to sneak out into the garden at night.”

“Pretty mundane so far.” Annette said. “Like a...normal girl.”

“Mother said the new baby is going to be a girl.” Zhang continued. “I’m already tired from the other little ones, I wish she would practice some restraint. She just told me when I get married, I’ll understand.” He turned the page. “February 3rd, 1960.”

“Kon-Mai’s birthday!” Gur-Rai winked.

Zhang shot him a look. “School rules apply here, no talking while I’m talking.”

Gur-Rai crossed his arms.

“Father’s been in a lot of meeting’s recently. He won’t tell us the subject matter like he used to. It doesn’t make his activities any less illegal if he stops talking about them. It just makes it so we live in darkness. February 14th, 1960. I spent time in the garden with Ali and Isanagi. My brothers have a talent for making flowers grow and Isanagi in particular has palms that are very green.”

“Palms that are green?” Malinalli chimed in.

“I believe you’d know it as having a green thumb.” Zhang clarified, and then kept on reading. “March-”

“Why don’t you just skip until you find something interesting?” Gur-Rai cut in once again.

Zhang glared at him. “This is interesting to me.”

“Yes, but does it help us?” Even so, he leaned his elbow on his knee as though to get comfortable.

Zhang ignored him, but even so he flipped though a good amount of pages. “March 2nd, 1962. There have been amazing meteor showers all this month. Mother said we aren’t allowed to stay up late, but last night I snuck the little ones outside to watch it. I am glad I did so, because last night was particularly beautiful, and the meteors that fell were the size of stars themselves. I even felt one hit the earth. The very ground trembled.”

Kon-Mai scooted closer. “A meteor shower is never so common on Earth.”

“...March 5th, 1962. The gardener saw something...strange. A creature, he said. It must have been a monkey of some kind, because it was as small as a child but walked upright on two legs. Mother thinks it may be an orphan from the nearby city coming to rummage in our scraps. When we told my father, he panicked and locked up the entire house, said no one goes in or out. We tried to tell him he is paranoid but he says he will not risk his family again. We are so privileged he would ignore a starving child? I’m going to go out tonight with some food. There is no doubt I can help.”

Zhang hesitated, and turned the book so the others could see what was written next. The entry was scrawled hastily, as though in a panic.

“Not a child. Not a child. It’s not even human. It’s skin is grey and it’s eyes, it’s eyes...” He trailed off. “That’s where that one ends.”

“A creature the size of a child, with grey skin…” Kon-Mai looked between Annette and Zhang, who were nodding. 

“Sectoids. Or at least, that was what they used to look like.” Annette looked deeply troubled. “But this is from 1962. The invasion happened in 2015.”

“Our invasion happened in 2015.” Gur-Rai clarified. He did not elaborate, but they could all tell what he was implying.

Zhang kept on reading. “March 6th. I told Mother and Father about what I saw, and Father has confined me to my room for the rest of the week. Mother believes what I saw was a mangalo. Father has been on the phone with the company who installed our gates, he thinks it’s someone else who has come to steal us away again. I don’t know what I think it was. I don’t know what I’d rather it be.

March 15th. Mother and Father are fighting more and more often. Mother wants to rehire some of the old security guards but Father refuses, says they’ll sell us out just like last time. He keeps the doors locked and the windows covered. I can hear the creatures outside, skittering in the bushes. Last night I heard tapping on my window as I slept. I didn’t look, I was too scared.”

Kon-Mai sighed. “That poor child.”

“April 8th. Father has taken to staying up all night. He walks the halls like a ghost, shining his flashlight out the windows at the slightest shadow. I can feel a heaviness in the air. The days have been dark. When I looked out the crack in my window, there was something glowing purple outside.

April 23rd. Marikit is ill, she came down with a fever last night. No other symptoms, her nose is not stuffy but she is wheezing. I have noticed I have had slight trouble breathing as well. Father is up day and night; he says there’s a tall man outside, waiting to snatch us away. Mother is pleading with him to let us out, if only just to take the baby to a doctor, but he yells at her: he says the evil men have returned to kill us, and he isn’t going to let that happen.

May 1st. No one has gone in or out in months. The phones don’t work anymore, and Father is insistent that that means they cut the lines. Marikit keeps getting worse and worse, and now Laarni and Ali are sick as well. Mother has locked the door to the bedroom and won’t open it, I can hear her crying day and night. Tonight I looked out the window and I saw him. The tall man.”

“I’m gonna guess the tall man is our wrinkly friend.” Gur-Rai added.

“I reckon.” Bryni nodded in agreement. Her voice was soft and sad.

“...May 7th, 1962. Father took his gun and went to kill the tall man. He said he wouldn't let anyone hurt us ever again. I begged him not to.” Zhang paused, scanning over the journal’s blank lines. “May 8th. I found Father’s shotgun on the front porch. The door was wide open. My head is heavy and my throat is burning. Mother won’t open the door. All the little ones are sick…” He stopped, his face twisting into a look of horror.

“Zhang?” Annette reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. “What is it?’

“...May 8th. I’m sorry little ones. I hope we meet again…” He ran his hand along the lines of text. “...May 9th. I put the shotgun in my mouth and pulled the trigger. I felt my skull being ripped apart. I felt myself fading. And then I awoke again.”

There was a collective gasp from the room, and everyone held that shock for just a moment. Zhang continued.

“I tried again, this time pointing at my heart. My chest exploded and I couldn’t breathe, and then I could once again.”

Kon-Mai got to her feet, her face pale. “She has already died once before.”

“I am in Hell.” Zhang’s voice shook as he read. “Damned to live in suffering and agony for all eternity, trapped within this house that death forgot.”

.

.

Maybe they could have helped, Bulan thought.

It was a stupid thought. They were just as trapped as her. Most of them even stank of the same psionic power that Ya’uq smelled of. They reeked of the sulfur and metal that filled her senses when she tried to take her own life. Even if they stood a chance to hurt him, and she knew for a fact they couldn’t, no one could. Except for her. 

She picked up her shotgun and closed her eyes. I know you can hear me.

She speaks. Ya’uq seemed to chuckle, tickling the deep regions of her mind. You speak to me, child.

I sealed you away once before. I can do it again.

No. No more hiding. No more rotting away. Like the moon steals the sun’s light, your life is already mine.

.

.

Silence hung in the air for a moment. Then, Zhang dropped the book and let out a noise, somewhat between a laugh and a cry.

“She can’t die.” He whispered, his head in his hands. “She can’t die.”

“Then she’s still in this house somewhere.” Annette sounded afraid and was already reaching for her pistol.

Zhang stood. “No. No, not again. We have to help her this time, if she has been trapped here since 1962…” He clenched his fists. “Taymallat, I did this to her.”

“Zhang, don’t be ridiculous.” Annette insisted. “You didn’t send the Elder here. You didn’t trap her.”

“No, but I was the reason her father locked them away, why he didn’t hire armed guards that could, maybe, have helped them. Instead he tried to fight what was essentially God with a shotgun.”

“Hey, a shotgun can do wonders on the right god.” Gur-Rai winked. “I should know.”

“Well it wasn’t enough.” Zhang snapped. “She’s all alone in here, I destroyed her life once. I have to save her.”

“And in doing so, perhaps we will save ourselves.” Kon-Mai added. “We must locate the girl. She is the secret to unlocking this cursed place.”

“Yeah.” Gur-Rai jabbed at the door. “But to do that we gotta risk running into old wrinkly out there.”

“Perhaps...” Dhar-Mon finally spoke up, taking a deep breath as he broke his trance. The flecks of purple psionic energy that rained around him spun and disappeared like petals in the wind. “Or perhaps we can call her to us.”

“You think she’ll listen?” Bryni asked.

“It needs to be someone she’d trust.” Annette said. “Chilong, she knows you.”

“She hates me.” He crossed his arms. “No trust there.”

Malinalli folded her arms. “I could give it a shot.” She said. “I have the psionics.”

“You’re not even from the same country.” Annette said. “And I don’t suppose you speak Tagalog?”

Malinalli looked away, seeming to blush in humiliation. There was a collective silence all around.

“I’ll do it.” Bryni finally chirped.

“You? She doesn’t know you at all!”

“Yeah, but I ain’t got no glowy power, and I’m 100% home grown.” She gave them a small, two fingered salute. “Human to human, woman to woman? I betcha I can get her to talk.”

Annette and Zhang exchanged glances, and Kon-Mai nodded. “It is our best option, considering.”

“Righty-ho.” Bryni plopped down beside Dhar-Mon. “What do I do, Big Guy.”

Dhar-Mon rolled his eyes and held out his hands. “Do not do anything. Completely clear your mind, and let me guide you.”

“That won’t be hard.” Bryni giggled and tapped her head. “There ain’t much up there ta begin with.”

.

.

To Bryni, this felt kind of like her first time flying. She had no control over where she went, hurdling over the dips and bobs in the air, incapable of managing the way her body reacted to the sheer excitement. Except her body wasn’t even there, which was pretty good because she would have spewed the remains of her last lunch.

Her vision was a swirl of purple light and deep, cold darkness, a void so encompassing that if she looked too close, it threatened to swallow her. She rode the waves, keeping her mind blank like Dhar-Mon had told her to, until suddenly it felt as though she were being squeezed, like the walls were pressing in around her. She took a gasping breath of air, and suddenly-

She was in another room, at the end of a long, dark hallway. At the other end, she recognized the young woman from before, her long black hair coving the bloodstains on her once white blouse. Her back was to Bryni as she peeked around another corner.

“Um…” Bryni cleared her throat. “Howdy!”

Bulan jumped, pointing her gun at Bryni. She wasn’t sure if a bullet would hurt her in this form, but she put her hands up nonetheless.

“Woah there!” She tried to speak calmly. “Settle down, girl. I ain’t here to hurt ya.”

“Ikaw ang babae.” Bulan said. “Sa pangunahing bulwagan.”

“Um…” Bryni was already running into a problem. “I...don’t speak Tagalog.”

Bulan looked irritated, but instead of firing, she bit the inside of her lip and lowered her gun. She seemed to be thinking.

“You...don’t speak English?”

Bulan knew enough to shake her head to that.

“Psionics can’t do the translating, can they?” Bryni half-heartedly chuckled. “...Guess not.”

Bulan took a step towards her. “...Paano...hay...del español?”

“You know Spanish?” Bryni perked up. “No, wait, not me, my...um...mi amiga!” Bryni said excitedly. “Oh god, I had about a year of this and it was in elementary school.” She waved her hands wildly. “Mi amiga speak español!”

Bulan couldn’t help but giggle at that, especially when Bryni made a talking motion with her hand. “Um...dónde?”

“We’re...uh…” Bryni looked around. “...We’re in an office.”

Bulan shook her head. Even if she knew what Bryni meant, she had no idea which room she was referring to. Bryni tried to chew her thumbnail before remembering she was essentially a projection at the moment. Hmm...

“C’mere.” Bryni gestured for her to come closer. “I wanna show ya.”

Bulan looked hesitant.

“Por favor?”

The girl hesitated, then took a few steps toward Bryni, close enough so that the pilot could reach out and put one finger against Bulan’s forehead.

She imagined herself walking through the halls, from the room they thought Bulan had died in, to the maze off halls. Left, another left, right, through a door…

Bulan pulled away, but when Bryni looked up at her, her face was glowing with a smile. “Ang silid ng pagguhit!” She picked up her shotgun. “Alam ko ang lugar na iyon! Kikitain kita!”

“Hold up!” Bryni called after her as Bulan took off down the hall. “Uh...I’ll see you there?” She looked up as though she were talking to God. “Okay Big Man. Pull me out.”

Same rush, same feeling of bobbing up and down, and suddenly she felt solid again, the floor underneath her and people around her.

Bryni opened her eyes and gave a thumbs up. “Looks like she’s headed our way.”

“Hopefully she isn’t stopped by that demon outside.” Dhar-Mon got to his feet. “What did she say?”

“Nothin’ I could understand.” Bryni shrugged. “But-”

There was a thud, then a rabid banging noise against the door, and the group looked around warily.

“That oughta be her.” Bryni said.

In any case, Gur-Rai and Annette still cocked their guns as Kon-Mai walked over, put one hand against the door, and pulled it open.

.

.

He wondered why even after all these years, he had never managed to free himself of this mortal coil. He had never shed this dying body and finally ascended.

Ya’uq felt his old, old body breaking down around him. Even as his psionics held everything in place, even as he slowed time to an agonizing crawl, he could feel milliseconds slipping through his fingers. Milliseconds of precious consciousness that he could not afford to lose.

Do not go gently into that dark night. He would rage against the dying of the light.

.

.

Bulan Kepa pushed past her and stepped inside, looking around, sneering at Zhang. She looked around warily at the others before her eyes settled on Bryni. “Kaibigan mo?”

Bryni gestured to Malinalli, who waved hesitantly, looking very confused. “Um…?”

“She said she speaks a little Spanish!” Bryni cut in. “So I said to talk to ya.”

“Oh!” Malinalli looked pleased. “Oh, yeah, I can definitely translate!”

Zhang crossed his arms and said nothing.

Bulan stepped forward, still unsure about the people surrounding her. “Tu...la amiga?”

“Sí, también soy la oficial médica.” Malinalli had to physically stop herself from speaking so fast, as the poor girl didn’t seem to have a good handle on the language. “Si tiene alguna herida, puedo tratarla.”

“Oficial...médica?” Bulan’s face seemed to light up. “Maaari kang makatulong? Puede...usted ayudar?”

Malinalli nodded and began to reach for her tools, but Bulan stopped her.

“Hindi ako, hindi ako. No *me ayudas.” She was practically bouncing as she began pulling Malinalli towards the door.

“No.” Dhar-Mon stepped in front of her. “Where are you taking her?”

“Ilipat, por favor!” Bulan seemed to be shaking. “Ang mga maliliit!”

“The little ones.” Zhang said, finally fed up with the guessing and the shaking and the state of confusion everyone was in. “She has four siblings, Malinalli, and I assume she wants you to see them.”

Malinalli looked at Bulan. “Tus hermanos?”

Bulan nodded, pointing out the door. “Por favor.” She cried. “Please.”

.

.

They could hear Ya’uq still dragging himself along the halls. As they passed the second floor balcony, now partially destroyed, they heard him muttering to himself down in the foyer and saw hints of his sporadic purple glow. Kon-Mai reached for her brothers’ hands, either for her own protection or theirs.

Zhang hesitated before they lost sight of him, and for a moment he could tell Ya’uq sensed him. The Elder reached out with his mind, and while Zhang blocked his advance, the demon pried one thing from the black depths.

Gone. Ya’uq reeled back. The others are gone.

Zhang turned and followed the group back up to the attic.

The door was the only thing at the top of a flight of stairs, isolated from the main house yet still accessible enough to be a logical place for children to sleep. Bulan led the way, turning to Malinalli, who looked confused.

“...Realmente puedes...ayuda?” Bulan asked.

Malinalli hesitated, unsure if she should give the answer she usually did. Nothing was certain on the battlefield and in here it was even less so. But Bulan still had her gun.

She nodded.

Bulan opened the door, and right away they were hit with the smell of rot. Most of them cringed, and Gur-Rai actually had to turn away, covering his face as though he would vomit if he could.

Malinalli, unfazed by the smell, stepped inside. She had seen the worst of the worst in bootcamp, but as she saw what was causing this stench, even this made her gasp.

The first thing she saw was the baby: practically an infant, still in her crib. Or, rather, it appeared to be what remained of an infant, her skeletal body only barely keeping hold of her dry skin. She looked around, the beds growing in size, each one holding a child more emaciated than the last, all of them nearly dead…

“What happened?!” She cried, before she took a breath, putting her profession face back on. “Qué les pasó a las niños?”

“Nagkasakit sila nang lumitaw ang manglo.” She answered in Tagalog, pausing for a moment.

“She says they fell ill when the mangalo...the Sectoids first arrived.” Zhang translated for her.

Bulan pointed her gun at him, and he held up his hands. Dhar-Mon stepped between the two. “There is no need for that. We are not your enemy.”

Bulan seemed shaken, her eyes still trapped on Zhang’s face. “...Matanda ka.” Lowering her gun, she took a fistful of her own, black hair, staring at it. “......Ano ang itsura ko?”

“How old do you look? Young.” Zhang answered in English at first, not thinking. “You look young. Ang parehong edad noong nakilala kita.”

She lowered her rifle as Malinalli turned back to her. “These children are…” She began. “They should be dead...ellos deberían estar muertos.”

Bulan shook her head. “No...Ellos viven. Ellos respiran.”

“Yes but…” She put a hand on her chest. “My chest...my body is filled with moisture. Mi cuerpo esta lleno de humedad.” She knelt down beside the bed where the second eldest, Diwata, lay, and put a hand on her chest. “Her blood pressure is zero. Su presión arterial es cero. No hay sangre para bombear. No hay vida.”

Bulan shook her head once again. “No!”

“Bulan.” Zhang said. “When Ya’uq came here, what did he do to you? Ano ang ginawa sa iyo ni Ya'uq?”

She refused to answer, power walking over to her siblings once again. “Mentirosa!” She spat at Malinalli. “Salvarlos a todos!”

“I’m trying!” Malinalli cried.

“Bulan, we must know what Ya’uq’s part in this is.” Dhar-Mon stepped forward. “If he is behind the state of your siblings, then we must know.”

“Hindi ko alam kung paano niya ito ginagawa!” Bulan let out a sob.

“She doesn’t know how…” Zhang raised a brow. “...But you know it’s him? Ya’uq?”

Bulan nodded.

“Then we remove him.” Kon-Mai reached for her sword. “If we eliminate the demon, then he shall release the children’s souls.”

“Hindi mo siya papatayin.” Bulan looked up with purple fire glowing in her eyes.

“She says we can’t kill him.” Zhang said. “Bakit?”

“Dahil pinipigilan niya ang oras na lumipat.” She said.

“He keeps time from passing…?” Zhang’s eyes grew wide. “Kon-Mai.”

“Yes?”

“Your leg still doesn’t hurt, does it.?”

“No…” She blinked. “...And it should, by now.”

“He has done something to affect the flow of time.” Dhar-Mon exclaimed. “I did not know psionics could. But why…?”

“He’s doing something to them.” Zhang spat. “He’s feeding off of them, draining their life force, but at the end of all of it he slows down time, so much it’s practically stopped.”

“To keep them from actually dying.” Annette whispered. “This way, the family never dies.” 

Zhang looked at Bulan once again, his eyes harsher than they had been. “You look fine. Better than fine. Kaya bakit hindi ka sakit?”

Her eyes glowing purple still, Bulan turned her back on him refusing to answer what sounded like an accusation. She turned back to Malinalli, leaning on her gun carelessly. “Quiero...mis hermanos sanados.”

Malinalli took a breath. “I can’t…” She shook her head. “No puedo curarlas. Even if we went back to the Avenger, they’d surely die in transport-”

Bulan cocked her gun at her and pulled the trigger. The bullet whizzed past Malinalli’s face, and Dhar-Mon pulled her into his arms and held up his hand: purple energy, rivaling Bulan’s, glowing in his palm.

“We are trying to HELP YOU!” He spat. “If you harm her, you will face the wrath of TWO DEMONS TONIGHT!”

“Brother, stop!” Kon-Mai cried.

“Sige at subukan! Hindi mo siya papatayin!” She bared her teeth.

“There must be a way to kill him, Bulan.” Zhang stepped forward, his hands up.

She let out the breath she seemed to be holding, letting her gun arm drop, and nodded. “Nasaktan ko si Ya'uq. Sa harap.”

“You hurt him?” Zhang gasped.

She nodded, then let down her gun for a moment. She hesitated, reaching back to undo the ribbon cinching her shirt at her waist.

The crew gathered in closer, curious as to what she was about to reveal. She let drop the ribbon, turned and lifted her shirt to reveal a gaping hole, pulsating and empty, nearly revealing her spine. There was no blood, but they could easily see the meat within.

“That looks like it hurts!” Bryni cried.

“One can...grow accustomed to pain.” Kon-Mai said quietly. “Vox Ya’uq did this?”

“No.” She said, her voice sounding almost sad. “Nang ikinulong ko siya, binaril ko siya sa likuran…”

“...And your wound comes from a shotgun...” Zhang said softly. “Your wounds appear on him. And his on you.”

“But that means y’all can hurt each other!” Bryni cried. “Y’all can die! Maybe if you...” She trailed off, realizing what that meant.

“Anong taon?” Bulan’s question cut her off. “Que año es? Ahora?”

Zhang bit his lip, swallowing. “...The year?” He sighed. “2040.”

Bulan let out a soft chuckle, stepping slowly into the middle of the room. “Kung gayon. Ano ang punto?” She sat down, cross legged, on the floor of the bedroom. “Everything I love...dead...or here.”

.

.

Gur-Rai looked up as he heard someone approaching from the stairs. His position of leaning against the wall was slightly uncomfortable, but he didn’t want to sit, in case he had to spring back up into action again.

He saw his sister coming down the stairs, limping slightly on her broken leg, and he took that chance, jumping up and going to help her. “So?”

She sighed. “There is much to consider.”

“Oh really?”

She nodded, settling on the last stair and letting her leg rest. “Vox Ya’uq can be killed.”

“...And?” He raised a brow. “That’s a good thing, yet you sound like you’re disappointed.”

“He can only be killed by Bulan herself.” She elaborated. “My striking off his hand slowed him down, but according to Malinalli he has already regrown the limb. And Bulan has survived a shot to the neck…”

Gur-Rai pursed his lips. “So I’m guessing that’s why she can’t die either.”

“The two are…” She sighed. “It is a more powerful psionic link than I’ve ever seen. They are effectively immortal. The only wounds that remain are those that are dealt at the hand of the other.”

“So why doesn’t she just kill him?” He asked. “And he’s been wandering this place for ages, why hasn’t he killed her?”

“His presence is what is keeping her dying siblings alive…” Kon-Mai’s voice cracked a bit and she cleared her throat.

“Alive? I can smell the mold from down here.” He shuddered.

“That is the children.”

“Great.” Gur-Rai hugged himself. “And she doesn’t see how keeping them alive is cruel and unusual?”

Kon-Mai hesitated at that. “...I would like to walk for a bit.”

“Your leg-”

“Is in no more danger of breaking than before.” She said as she stood. “I need to get away from that place. It’s making me ill.”

They made their way down the empty hall, watching for the Elder. They could feel him, his aura similar to the elders they knew and “loved”, but it felt much older. It faded in and out like a receding tide.

The hallway felt like it was endless, and the silence felt like it was crushing. Kon-Mai stopped short and Gur-Rai looked up at the door they had just stopped in front of. That same smell of rot was coming from behind it, and he swore he heard whispering.

“...Didn’t that diary say her mom locked herself in her room?”

Kon-Mai nodded. The two exchanged nervous glances and stepped forward, reaching for each other first, then the handle of the door.

.

.

Negotiating was useless.

They had all piled out into the hall when it became clear that Bulan was no longer listening to their attempts at bargaining. She had effectively shut down at this point, refusing to respond to anyone unless it was in relation to one of the dying children. 

“We can’t leave.” Annette repeated for the tenth time. “That...thing, he’s keeping us here.”

“...Do you think we’ll end up like them?” Malinalli asked. “If the children began wasting away when Ya’uq arrived, who’s to say this isn’t his plan? Trap people in here, suck them dry, leave them like that for all eternity.”

“The Elders…” Dhar-Mon’s voice was unusually quiet. “The Elders were always talking about the great void beyond death, how it was a demise to be feared. Who is to say Ya’uq is not also seeking some sort of eternal life?”

“Well that’s right comforting.” Bryni put a hand on her hip, playing with her gun. “Look, the Elders ain’t immortal, and Little Miss Death comes for everybody. I say we take our guns and go at the fucker with everything we got.”

They all turned and stared at Bryni like she had finally snapped. “That’s a terrible idea.” Annette deadpanned.

“It’s the only idea.” Bryni retorted. “Unless you wanna go back in there and convince Bulan to die for us.”

“They have to kill each other.” Dhar-Mon rubbed his temples. “And when one dies…”

“Yep.” Bryni looked away. “Ain’t that how it goes?”

Gur-Rai and Kon-Mai came jogging back down the hall, their faces pale-or as pale as they could seem with already blue skin.

“Are you two alright?!” Dhar-Mon cried, pushing past the group and running to his younger siblings. “Do not run off where I cannot see you! You could get hurt!”

“We’re not children, Brother.” Kon-Mai grumbled, leaning against the wall. “We must prepare some kind of strike against Ya’uq. We cannot stay here.”

“We were just discussing that.” Malinalli said. “I agree we should at least try...better than sitting here to rot.”

There was collective silence all around. And then…

Annette sighed. “Let’s try and get some rest first. Then, we fight God.”

“I’d say he’s the Devil.” Gur-Rai shrugged. “But let the theologians debate that.”

.

.

Even the night had a strange brightness hanging over it, the sun refusing to fully, properly descend into the horizon. The group had settled in a nearby room, the remains of what looked like was one of the children's bedrooms. 

Crammed into the tight space, the Chosen cuddled up to each other. Kon-Mai lay in the center of both of her brothers’ embraces, while Dhar-Mon wrapped his large body as best he could around the both of his siblings. Gur-Rai slept with his head on his sister’s stomach, using her like a pillow, his only sense sense of comfort in this terrifying place.

The only one not asleep was Zhang. Quietly, he slipped from the room and into the hallway, up the stairs, and to the door that was now locked. Bulan had all but barricaded herself inside, but he could feel her.

“Bulan.” He whispered, his voice scratchy.

At first she didn’t answer, but he heard her shift.

“You don’t have to speak.” He said in Tagalog. “Just listen. I know this was all because of me. The Triad should never have brought you or your siblings into what was your father’s business, and in doing so we all but ruined your chance at a normal life.” He took a breath. “I’m so sorry.”

Silence. Then, movement. He felt the door shift just a bit.

“If anyone deserves to be trapped here, it is me.” Zhang continued. “You should be the one who goes free.”

He heard her whimper.

“But please.” He hissed. “I know you love your siblings. You must know that this isn't fair to them. It’s not fair to keep them trapped like this-”

“You kept us trapped.” She growled. “You kept us like this for months. We got to see the sun once a day. I thought you were going to sell my sisters and I into slavery!”

Zhang stood in silence, tears burning his eyes.

“You have no right to tell me what they deserve, old man.” She growled. “You’re just as bad as Ya’uq.”

“...You’re right.” He said quietly. “In that case, the people here cannot leave unless you help them. If not for your siblings-”

Bulan let out a yelping laugh. “Them?! I don’t know any of them!” She spat. “Why should I die for them?!”

“They’re good people!”

“Like you?” She hissed. “There are no good people. There are only those who survive and those who don’t. And we are still alive.” she sounded hesitant for just a moment. “...Please go. If you stay, fine. But don’t expect mercy from me.”

Zhang pulled away from the door, his heart heavy. There would be no winning this battle. They could not even die.

.

.

The sun was still not up by the time they woke, but it hung on the horizon and cast a shadow over what remained of the day. It felt as though no time had passed at all.

The Hieromonk woke first, a chilling feeling in his bones as his siblings stirred beside him. They would have to hunt tonight, and he knew this as he shook his brother gently: this was what he was born for after all.

Gur-Rai vaguely swatted at him. “Mmmmn go away.”

“No, Brother. We must wake up.” He shook Kon-Mai at the same time, whispering to her. “How is your leg?”

“Fine.” She said quietly. “Is it time?”

“It’s as good a time as any.” Annette said as she got to her feet, clearly having been awake for hours. “So what now? How do we plan to lure him out?”

“I shall take care of that.” Zhang said.

“Do you want to die very rapidly?” Annette raised a brow. “Because if so that’s clearly the best tactical decision.”

“Nobody can die in this house.” Zhang assured her.

“That doesn't help.” Annette insisted. “Please don’t get hurt.”

He nodded, but the look on his face was empty and sad.

The rest of the party began to stir, Malinalli sitting up against the wall. Her curly hair was a matted, tangled mess, falling out of what remained of her braid, and her eyes looked tired and haunted. She began opening up some rations they brought, but no one took any. No one felt like eating, either from the magic, or the intense feeling of dread.

They went out into the foyer, minding the broken bits of wood, and pushed open the heavy door. Kon-Mai was looking around, her ears picking up every single sound. Gur-Rai was facing behind them, his eagle eyes scanning the room. Dhar-Mon pulled his hammer from his back and stepped forward, out into the garden.

They shifted into the open space of the yard, the glowing flowers reaching out from their stems towards them. They heard a quiet noise behind them, akin to static, and smelled sulfur and rot.

Zhang took a deep breath in and let it out, his eyes glowing. “He is upon us.”

.

.

Bulan stared at the window as she saw Ya’uq’s distinct purple glow begin to move through the house towards them. They were doomed. Even if death never came to this place, he would beat them within an inch of their lives and drain them dry. They had no chance to do him any harm.

She looked to her siblings, still confined to their beds. Diwata looked lucid this morning, and she was staring at Bulan, her eyes expectant. As though she were waiting. She always had been the smart one.

Bulan scoffed and shook her head. Even if she helped them, they would still lose. And her family, her happiness, hinged on staying right here. Avoiding Diwata’s piercing eyes, she turned on her heel, leaving the attic and stepping into the dark, musty hallway. The door at the end was open, just a crack. Barely enough to tell someone had gone inside but just enough to know…

“Nanay?” She called out to her mother, and heard a soft sound of movement. Bulan jogged, that jog turned into a sprint as she raced down the hall, eagerly awaiting the warm embrace of her…

She did not scream at the sight of her mother. She could not muster a scream, the sound was stuck in her throat at the shock that awaited her. She could only gaze blankly at the sight of her mother hanging by her neck, from the ceiling that should have rotted years ago but didn’t. 

The woman moved, the rotting frames creaking as the rope swung just a bit, and Bulan’s poor mother reached out, her wrinkled hand longing for her daughter’s touch.

Instead of going to her, Bulan looked down at the gun in her hand, and thought of how desperately she wanted to end this suffering. She sank to her knees, the floor underneath her covered in dust that seemed to cover her like a blanket.

This was not fair. Not to them. Not to her. Not to the people trapped here. Not to the little ones. Not to her mother.

.

.

The battle did not begin in their favor. 

Ya’uq emerged from the darkness of the front door, dragging himself out with his gnarled hands. The group scattered, Kon-Mai drawing her sword and cloaking herself, disappearing into the wind. Dhar-Mon held his hammer but also conjured up his own psionic energy. Gur-Rai grappled to a nearby tree, Malinalli dove for cover, and the rest drew their guns.

They were not here to play games. Zhang gave the order. “Shoot to kill!”

Ya’uq rose up to his full height, raised his arms, and made a sound that suddenly cut across the minds of everyone listening. It felt like a needle piercing the brain. Kon-Mai involuntarily dropped her cloak, and Gur-Rai collapsed from the tree branch he had stood on.

“Live. Live. You all live.” Ya’uq whispered desperately. “I see the void. I cannot die. Don’t let me die.”

Dhar-Mon, recovering from the psionic blow the quickest, tried to rush Ya’uq and did, in fact, manage to swing and slam his hammer into the creature’s hip. For a moment, it seemed as though the wound would stay.

Then with a crunch, Ya’uq’s hip righted itself. The Elder gazed down at Dhar-Mon, purple eyes glowing, and as he raised his arms, Dhar-Mon felt the same stinging pain in his head he’d felt when Bhandasura had nearly killed him. He tried to duck away but collapsed, blood dripping from his nose.

Malinalli screamed and rushed over, throwing herself over the much larger man and right into the path of the Elder. Zhang called out for her, and Annette broke formation and rushed Ya’uq. What her plan was, no one would know, because Ya’uq swatted her aside like she weighed nothing. She across the yard, her back hitting the greenhouse and cracking the glass, nearly shattering it. 

Kon-Mai rushed forward toward the beast, but though her leg did work it was still a sore point, and it slowed her down enough that Ya’uq got the jump on her. She swung and, like always, the blade hit it’s target, but Ya’uq seemed to not even notice it, and instead he grabbed the Chosen woman by her braids and slammed her head into the ground, leaving her dazed.

Zhang fired, again and again, but if he was hitting this creature (and he honestly wasn’t sure if he was), then his bullets were doing less than nothing. The Chosen themselves couldn’t bring this thing down. There really was no winning…

Then he heard it. The footsteps.

Bulan stepped from the house, practically glowing in the low light. Ya’uq turned his gaze on her, his eyes wide.

Their eyes met, as though they were having an entire conversation without speaking. For a moment, it looked as though they had known each other their entire lives. This was the reunion of old friends.

Bulan said nothing as she pointed her shotgun forward, and Ya’uq roared and charged her, trying to stop her. 

As the first hit tore into Ya’uq, splitting the Elder’s chest open in a shower of purple ichor, so too did a stain of red splatter on Bulan’s shirt. She cried out, stopping briefly, long enough for Ya’uq to sweep her away with his hand, causing her to drop her gun as she fell to the side. She got back to her feet, holding her now very injured chest and struggling to breathe. He would never deal the killing blow, but she saw him grab for her again and slid out of the way, only just missing his grabbing hands.

Ya’uq let out a roar that shook the very foundations of the house, bringing down some of the intricate baroque stonework. Those who were standing fell to their knees, and those already on the ground tried to cover their heads. Bulan frantically searched for her shotgun but it had disappeared into the aether.

“Hey.” A gravely voice hissed, and Gur-Rai tapped the ground near her. He was laying in the bushes under the tree, and she looked over, their eyes meeting. With a toothy grin, he pulled his machete from his belt and tossed it to her. “Use that.”

She looked down at the machete, smiled, and nodded at him. Getting back to her feet, she took a breath and charged, not daring to waste a second.

The first swipe cut so deep into Ya’uq’s hip it sent him tumbling to the ground on his knees. Bulan too faltered, but she miraculously kept her footing despite the blinding pain. Unyielding, she did not think, she simply swung at him, cutting across his eyes. Her scream was almost as loud as his, but she was undeterred, even though her vision was quite literally nothing but red.

Ya’uq reached out for her one last time, and it looked almost like he was begging. One last word. Please.

One fell swoop. As he bent over, Bulan shoved the blade into Ya’uq’s skull, cracking it wide open. He screamed, the air around him turning to static and pain. Purple light flashed from him for only a moment before his body curled in on itself, limbs bending like a dead spider as he spasmed, then with one last whimper, fell still

Bulan stood tall and triumphant for just a moment, as the darkness in the sky began to lift away. The sun hit her face, the warmth and the light…

Then she fell backwards into the dust. Zhang ran to where Bulan was collapsed, the darkness surrounding them lessening with every step. As he reached her, he saw her chest rising and falling, but his relief was short lived when he saw the blood trickling down her face, and the gaping, bloody wound in her own skull.

“Shaojie…” She hissed, but it was not malicious.

“Nandito ako.” He knelt beside her. “I am so, so sorry. You should not have had to do this.”

She whimpered, closing her bloody eyes as best she could. “The little ones. Are they okay?”

Zhang looked around at his team, each of them beginning to clamber to their feet. Gur-Rai, no doubt coming over to get his sword back, knelt down a foot or so from Bulan, his face grave. Kon-Mai was still curled on the ground, wheezing from pain, but Malinalli and Dhar-Mon were already up and attending to her.

Zhang nodded, sinking to his knees as Annette ran over to them. “They’re okay now, Bulan.”

She closed her eyes, tears mixing with the blood. She clasped her hands over the wound in her chest, and he saw her trembling.

“It’s okay…” He said quietly, and Annette stepped closer to her and knelt at the girl’s head, wiping the tears and blood from her face.

“Nanay…” Bulan sniffled. “Nasaan ang nanay ko?” Her eyes were flickering.

Annette took hold of one of her hands, Zhang the other, and in her last breaths, Bulan began to sing.

“Ili-ili tulog anay,

Wala diri imong nanay…”

Her voice faltered, once, and the last lyrics were said in what was barely a whisper. “Kadto tienda bakal papay.

Ili-ili tulog anay.”

.

.

They laid Bulan in one of the attic beds, alongside her siblings, her eyes closed peacefully as though she were asleep. The blankets pulled up around her made it seem so: she was simply sleeping, and at the end of this nightmare, she would wake up.

Maybe one day she would, Zhang thought as he closed the door for the last time. He descended the stairs, the empty mansion whispering to him as he did. He felt lighter somehow, as though being here had lifted an old weight he still suffered with.

Kon-Mai’s leg was throbbing so much just thinking made her want to scream, so Dhar-Mon was charged with carrying her back to the Skyranger. He had been worried for Gur-Rai after his fall, but his brother insisted that all he had were a few scratches. “Nothing like what our poor sister went through.”

“And nothing like that poor girl…” Kon-Mai retorted, her voice weak and tired. “We should create a memorial for her in the Avenger.”

“Her and her siblings.” Dhar-Mon sighed. “She fulfilled her duty to her family. She saved them.”

“What duty, Brother?” Gur-Rai raised a brow.

“The eldest sibling must protect the younger.” He said. “It is why I protect you.”

“Hey now.” Gur-Rai gently punched him in the arm. “Don’t go imprisoning an ancient god to keep me alive, you hear me?”

“Brother.” Kon-Mai insisted. “I would never wish for you to suffer that fate. We all protect each other.” She smiled. “If one of us falls, would the others not be lost?” 

The rest of the exhausted party followed them back down the dirt path, through the trees to the very dusty and slightly sunbleached Skyranger. Bryni kicked open the cockpit and lowered the ramp. “WHOOEE! Poor baby ain’t been cleaned in days!” She laughed. “Well come on everyone! Don’t dilly dally!”

“I must confess, even if it led to this, I’m happy you sent that distress signal.” Zhang admitted to Annette when they entered.

“I suppose I am glad to be out of that wretched place.” Annette nodded. “Thank you, for me and for Bulan.”

“I am thankful we could help her.” Zhang sighed. “...If we truly did.”

“She and her siblings are resting now.” Annette assured him. “We did what we could.”

“I know.” He looked up, watching the Darkstrider cleaning his blade. “And thank you, Darkstrider.”

“Hm?” He looked up. “Hey, Bulan did the hard work. I just lent her the machete.” He twirled it in his hand. “Funny, it doesn’t seem right just calling it that.”

“It doesn’t have a name?” Annette raised a brow.

Zhang buckled his seatbelt. “You know. Bulan’s name...it means moon.” He said quietly. “A symbol of change, and of the passage of time.”

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Inside the house, so quiet and still, as the dust began to settle and the light finally began to fade, a door closed upstairs.

The figure of a girl moved through the house, slowly at first, then with the enthusiasm of a child, sprinting freely though the halls. Abandoning her ripped blue skirt, she had donned a pair of slacks from her own father’s closet, and one of her mother’s fine blouses.

She ran out into the garden, sunlight and wind and air, real fresh air, washing over her face. For only a moment she stopped, not wasting a second. She stooped and picked up that old shotgun, her Ol’ Reliable.

She knew he was still out there, but now she knew she could win, and if push came to shove, well, Shaojie did owe her a favor~

In the year 2040, at the young, bright age of 97, Bulan Kepa threw open the gates, and stepped out into the world.

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Summary: The party, confined to their hiding spot, begins searching through the papers on the desk for more information about Bulan and her family. Zhang, frustrated, takes a break to talk with Kon-Mai; as it turns out, Zhang is 99 years old thanks to the Elders’ gifts. Later, Annette finds Bulan’s diary from 1962, and it is revealed there was a Sectoid invasion around their home, made worse by her father’s paranoia. It is also revealed that although Bulan attempted suicide, she is unable to die. Using Dhar-Mon’s power, Bryni finds and converses with Bulan, and gets her to agree to meet with them. Upon meeting Malinalli, Bulan takes them to the room her sick siblings are resting in, and asks if Malinalli can fix them. However, the children are so far gone, Malinalli cannot treat them, and it is discovered Ya’uq has been draining them of energy to keep himself alive. Bulan refuses to fight Ya’uq, despite being the only one who can wound him, as doing so would kill her in the process. The group attempts to confront Ya’uq themselves, but he quickly overpowers them, and they are unable to wound him in the slightest. When all seems lost, Bulan realizes her family is suffering and joins the battle, at first being struck down by Ya’uq, but upon acquiring Gur-Rai’s machete, she is able to land a decisive blow, killing him. Zhang runs to her, apologizing to Bulan as she dies, but she simply asks him if her siblings are safe. After assuring her they are, Bulan dies with a lullaby on her lips. The gang returns to the Skyranger, where Zhang reflects on the fact that Bulan’s name symbolizes change and the passage of time.

(And so concludes the spooky saga. I think this one was hard to write because I so desperately wanted it to come out good, and just didn’t believe I was able to do it. I think, however, this did come out pretty decently, and wrapping this up, tying in the lore especially, was extremely fun!

Edit: You may notice there is an afterward that wasn’t there before. Yes! I was sitting on it all day and  something felt very...wrong about Bulan’s death at the end, especially with things being how they are. So, I’ve added this epilogue per se. You’ll be seeing her again.)

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