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quarterlifekitty · 5 months ago
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In honor of Lunar New Year, I decided to get freaky!
Please enjoy this celebration of the each animal zodiac with some Hybrid!AU scenarios. Lots of size kink, breeding kink, feral behavior, and more. I'm really on my nerd shit here. Really playing with my dolls rn. This is so utterly distant from the source material it's unreal. You've been warned. [part 1 of 2]
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Barn Cat!Nikto x Rat!Reader
Nikto is a dutiful, prideful creature. A stray who domesticated himself to a farm, hunting their vermin in exchange for a place to call his own when he pleased. He’s caught a thousand little krysy like you, but you give him pause when he bears down on you. Something about the quiver to your tail, the nervous clench of your legs… It’s not how rats ought to act when under the paw of a cat. He’s inclined to keep you– curious about what else fear might make you do.
Chianina!Ghost x Vechur!Reader
You’re in adjacent pens, having travelled a long way– you’re show animals, the most exemplary in your breed. True to form, he’s gigantic and has a brilliant white coloring to his fur, and you’re, well… little. Constantly crowded around for onlookers to take pictures, the ox beside you flaring his nostrils when he sees you being overwhelmed and anxious, stamping to scare off the spectators. You’re almost infuriatingly diminutive to him. He doesn’t know how it’s possible, and if the abundance of ribbons on your gate is anything to go by– you’ll probably be paired up to somehow make an even smaller little calf. Maybe he’ll just have to take some steps to make sure he can see it for himself.
Flemish Giant!König x Netherlands Dwarf!Reader
You’re unceremoniously pushed onto the back lawn of the house. Your owner and his are good friends– and have recently become obsessed with the idea of having little baby bunnies to cuddle. Boy meets girl– can I make it any more obvious? You can, because they neglect to take into account your difference in breed. You’re terrified when you encounter him, and he doesn’t help matters when he catches you by the ankle as you try to dive under the porch to hide. But he doesn’t do anything bad when he’s caught you. Just holds you a little too tight, nuzzling, like you’re little more than a toy to him. Unfortunately for you, your owners consider it a successful playdate, keen to set more up regularly until the right season rolls around.
Tiger!Horangi x Housecat!Reader
You live on a plantation bordering forest, climbing in and out of the window by your favorite basking spot to explore. Being raised among humans, your survival instincts are a bit dull– you can’t tell that you’re being watched by a tiger. He’s never seen a little creature like you. You’re like him, but small. But you still very much smell like a female, so he’s more than content to stalk after you. He doesn’t really understand why your back bristles up when he roars. He’s used to females growling and swiping at him when they’re not interested, but you run off back to your window, shaking as you watch him from the walls of your little palace. He’ll try again tomorrow.
Dragon!Price x Fish Scale Gecko!Reader
There aren’t many dragons left in the world. Price, for one, hasn’t seen another since he was very young. He hasn’t seen much of anything in the past hundred years or so– hasn’t come down from on high. No reason to. The forest begins to return to the mountainside– having been leveled by his flame decades ago. With the trees come more creatures, including you. Scales and tail not unlike a dragon– though your size and tree-dwelling habits are decidedly un-dragonlike. With his mating season on the horizon, beggars can’t be choosers, but when he tries to grab you by the tail, he’s left holding a fistful of scales. It gets his blood running hot– he’s forgotten what a thrill it is to hunt. He might just be in love.
Reticulated Python Naga!Nikolai x Brahminy Blind Snake Naga!Reader
You have no idea as to the extent of Nikolai’s tail, as you can’t see it. All you know are the shadows he makes against the sunlight. You know that he eats strange things, things that don’t sound like eggs or larvae (what he’s eating are your predators, hoping to take advantage of a tiny, blind, defenseless thing out in the open). When he ponders about how he’s going to stretch you to fit his cock, to take his eggs– you can’t even begin to imagine what he’s talking about. Your mother made all of her eggs on her own, and so did your sisters– what does he need you for?
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mysticmindsartisticlives · 1 year ago
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New 19 Days Chapter:
He Tian's insecurity is going off the charts the longer they stay at Buzzcut's place 😂 I don't think he was basking in Buzzcut's older sister's attention, but he was surely hoping her flirtation would drive Momo to possessiveness.
It's always entertaining watching He Tian mope around, but it's just as interesting when OX presents scenarios that display the difference between Mo and Tian's personalities. Momo's not someone who believes in laying claim over another person (he got enough of that from She Li). If that’s the attention He Tian likes, then it is what it is. Not to say Guan Shan doesn't get jealous, but he also knows he can't control what other people do.
Instead of being unafraid to claim what's his, Mo stews in silence with hurt feelings. And you know what? I don't want him to change. If I notice my partner becomes uncomfortable with someone flirting with me, I don't expect them to step forward. I either set a boundary in place to shut down the flirt or approach my partner to reassure them that I'm paying the flirt no mind - like He Tian did this chapter! Great job, Tian 🥰 I'm sure Mo appreciated it, after the initial embarrassment lol
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weird-felt-hat · 2 months ago
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Annual Occasions and Perennial Frustrations
Ship: Shirou/Osceola
CW/TW: Graphic Depictions of Illness, Choking, Grief/Mourning, Past Child Loss, Chronic Illness
The mattress dipped and groaned. Osceola cracked open an eye to see Shirou sprawled out on the bed next to him.
“Hey handsome. How are you feeling?”
“I’ve been better,” Osceola admitted. Speaking irritated the quickly growing seedlings competing for space with the air in his lungs, and he turned to cough into his fist.
“Yeah, well you look like shit. Sound like it too.”
“Shirou!” Osceola huffed.
His partner only shook his head in amusement and leaned closer. Osceola felt a pair of chapped lips press against his forehead and leaned into the kiss.
Shirou’s lips lingered longer against his forehead than strictly necessary for checking his temperature, and Osceola leaned in closer, basking in Shirou’s gentle affection.
With a second, quicker, peck to his forehead, Shirou pulled back, and Osceola stared up adoringly at his partner.
Very few people would ever be lucky enough to see past Shirou’s bite and bluster to witness his compassion, awkward and stunted and stunning. Osceola thought he must be the luckiest man in the world.
“What are you staring at?” Shirou teased, waggling his eyebrows.
Osceola laughed as Shirou bent down and pulled back his lips to check his gums.
“How’s my color?” he asked, pushing himself up against the pillows. “I hope you washed your hands when you got home.”
“Of course I washed them,” Shirou huffed. “I’m not a heathen.” He reached over to dig around in the nightstand. “We’re doing your pulse ox. Have you done a holy water treatment yet today?”
“I haven’t needed it. It’s just a flare up. I can manage.” Osceola hated the way the holy water inhalers seemed to freeze all the air in his lungs, leaving him chilled to the bone. Shirou shot him a disapproving look, and Osceola obediently held out his hand for the pulse oximeter.
Shirou shook his head as he slipped the clip onto Osceola’s finger, and bent down to mockingly kiss the back of Osceola’s hand.
“Shirou!” Osceola scolded as butterflies stirred awake in his chest, “you’re going to skew the reading!”
“Really?” Shirou raised an eyebrow. “Well it’s good to know I still make your heart flutter.”
“Of course you do,” Osceola smiled as he leaned back against the pillows, quickly resetting the pulse oximeter.
The pulse oximeter beeped and Shirou hurriedly stole it from his finger, reading over the numbers with a frown. “I don’t like how low your blood oxygen is. Where did you leave the tanks?”
“They’re in the back of the closet.” Osceola swung his legs off the bed and bent down to rifle through his dresser for his oxygen tube. Shirou turned around holding a tank of oxygen and glared.
“What are you doing out of bed?”
“I’m fine!” Osceola protested.
“Just get back in bed,” Shirou glowered.
Osceola sat back down, maneuvering the tubing in place over his ears. It was routine at this point, although he would need Shirou’s help getting the tape right.
Shirou wheeled the oxygen tank over and quickly connected the tubing, concern and guilt warring on his face. As he stood to grab the medical tape from the drawer, Osceola leaned over the edge of the bed and cupped his partner’s cheek in his palm. With his free hand, he smoothed out the wrinkles between Shirou’s brows.
“I’ll be alright,” Osceola said softly. “This happens every year. The meds do their job well.”
Osceola knew Shirou still blamed himself for infecting him, no matter how many times he argued otherwise. They had both been on the frontlines when the Parasitic Floral Pulmonary Obstruction pandemic had swept through the ranks of the Order. It was easy for Shirou to point a finger at himself due to their proximity, but the truth was that infection had been inevitable. Who and how didn’t matter.
Shirou refused to meet Osceola’s eyes. “That’s not the point,” he grumbled, fidgeting with the tape in his hands. “I wish you would take more time off. Everyone knows how rough this time of year is for you. You could at least get two weeks off.”
“We both know I’d go crazy with that much free time on my hands,” Osceola sighed. The weeks leading up to the anniversary of Tina’s death were a special kind of torture. The guilt and the grief was already suffocating in and of itself- if Osceola let himself dwell on the would have, should have, could have been- he would drive himself to an early grave.
“Besides, I’ve been monitoring my spore count carefully,” Osceola continued. “It’s been practically undetectable before today. I’ve been taking all the proper precautions.”
“I know,” Shirou smiled, squeezing Osceola’s hand before ducking out of his palm to tape the cannula properly in place. “It’s yourself you’re not taking care of.”
Osceola sighed. He couldn’t argue with the truth. “You took tomorrow off?”
Osceola had given up trying to convince Shirou he would be fine on his own years ago. Truthfully, he appreciated the company. He wasn’t sure how he had managed so many years on his own.
“You’re not getting rid of me,” Shirou agreed, as he hopped up onto the bed and slipped himself under Osceola’s arm. “Maybe this year you’ll cough up something I’m not allergic to.”
“It’s been daisies for the past five years,” Osceola grumbled, choking on his sigh. The tissue box landed in his lap, and Osceola squeezed Shirou’s arm gratefully.
He didn’t bother looking at whatever bit of greenery he had spat up, handing the tissue to Shirou to toss in the trash while he swallowed back the bitter taste filling his mouth.
“It’s going to be daisies again. I can feel it.”
“Well then, I guess we’ll both just be miserable,” Shirou set his glasses down on the nightstand. “I’m going to grab you a glass of water. Want anything else?”
“I don’t have much of an appetite,” Osceola admitted.
“Maruta made brownies earlier. I’ll grab you one.” Shirou balanced on his knees to kiss Osceola on the cheek before hopping off the bed. “You just sit there and look pretty. I’ll be right back.”
Osceola didn’t have time to scold Shirou about the potential crumbs he would be bringing into their bed before his partner was out the door.
He sank back into the pillows with a smile as he watched Shirou’s retreating silhouette.
He must have nodded off at some point, because when he opened his eyes again, Shirou was perched on the edge of the bed, a somewhat smushed brownie wrapped in a paper towel in one hand. The chocolate did smell delicious.
“We’re going to get ants,” Osceola warned Shirou, even as he reached for the brownie.
“We’ll be changing the sheets anyways,” Shirou shrugged.
“It’s still warm,” Osceola marveled as he held the brownie in his palm.
“Maruta was keeping them warm in the oven until you woke up. You’re always spoiling us, so it’s only fair.”
Osceola smiled around his mouthful of chocolate. He was touched by the priest’s kind actions. “Are you going to spoil me too?” he teased, reaching for the glass of water on the nightstand.
“Whatever you want,” Shirou cupped Osceola’s face in his hands, leaning upwards to leave a trail of kisses down the bridge of Osceola’s nose.
“Will my husband get in his pajamas early and join me in bed?” Osceola raised an eyebrow.
“Sure thing. Let me just get out of this old thing.” Shirou stepped back from the bed and shook his ass as he lifted up the hem of his cassock. It was a ridiculous sight- the cassock, while built for a certain amount of flexibility in the field, was precisely tailored and heavy, and the material hardly lended itself to draping in any way that looked remotely sexy.
Osceola gave up on trying to stifle his laughter. As he leaned forward, something gave way in his chest, lodging itself firmly in his windpipe. The taste of phlegm and bitter greens filled his mouth as his chest spasmed, and he fought desperately for air. Shirou’s hand came to rest on his back and a tissue was held up to his mouth. Osceola groped blindly for Shirou’s other hand as he exhaled forcefully, spitting up the clot with a final violent cough.
“Don’t make me laugh again.”
“Sorry about that,” Shirou smiled sadly. “I guess I’ll have to save the strip tease for later.”
“You should add some stockings next time,” Osceola teased.
“Now that’s an idea,” Shirou grinned. “I think I’ll just go for boxers and a t-shirt tonight.”
Osceola sunk back into the pillows with a hum, watching shamelessly as his partner changed.
“You should sleep.” Shirou clambered into the bed, pulling the blankets up around them.
“I slept most of the day,” Osceola admitted. “I haven’t seen you all day.”
Shirou propped himself up on his side. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ll still be here tomorrow.”
Osceola stared down at the sea of blankets covering the bed, the wrinkles where the blankets folded to conform to the shape of their bodies creating miniature breaks and swells. Tomorrow felt like a ten ton weight on his chest.
“Have you talked to either of the twins today?” Osceola asked.
The twins were both staying in the dorms at True Cross, Yukio on an academic scholarship and Rin attending as a lottery student. A lottery that had a lot less to do with luck than with blood, Osceola suspected, but it doesn’t change the fact that he couldn’t be prouder of both of them. Still, this would be the first year both of the twins will be gone on the anniversary of Tina’s death. Part of Osceola was glad that they wouldn't be home to watch him struggle, but the house already felt too empty.
“They’re both doing fine,” Shirou nodded. “Although Rin and Moriyama missed your class today.”
Osceola smiled. His son and Shiemi Moriyama were his best students. His only students, technically, since his class at the Cram School was elective, but it didn’t undermine the fact that they were both brilliant students. Rin had a bit of a headstart over Moriyama, given that he had been working in the kitchen with Osceola since Shirou would let him hold a knife, but she was catching up quickly. Shirou had corroborated that her knowledge of medicinal plants and herbs was unmatched amongst the Cram School students, and although her use of said herbs in the kitchen could be somewhat unorthodox at times, Osceola was confident he could steer her in a more culinarily acceptable direction.
“I doubt they’ll be missing me as much tomorrow,” Shirou huffed. “You know the kids would come home if you asked. They worry about you too.”
“I don’t want to worry them,” Osceola sighed. “They should focus on their studies. I wouldn’t want them to fall behind because of me.” He hated the idea of being a burden to his sons. “We’ll all see each other this weekend. I’ll be fine.”
“Well, if you want them to focus, at least send them both a text to know you haven’t kicked the bucket. Just don’t send them a selfie.”
“Do I really look that bad?” Osceola certainly felt like death warmed over, and he didn’t imagine his swollen eyes and messy, sweaty hair did anything to help his appearance.
“I hate to break it to you babe, but oxygen tubes just really aren’t your look.” Shirou reached up to tug on Osceola’s sleeve. “Lay down already, I want to cuddle my husband.”
“You’re not going to tell me about your day?” Osceola teased as he shifted to get comfortable. He felt Shirou’s arms wrap around his chest.
“Not unless you want to hear me complain about Tsubaki leaving his class unattended for his booty calls again,” Shirou murmured into Osceola’s shoulder blades.
“I think you can leave out the details this time.” Osceola wrapped Shirou’s hands in his own, pulling their bodies closer together, till he could feel Shirou’s heartbeat, nearly in sync with his own.
“Good.” Shirou trailed a line of kisses up the back of Osceola’s neck, leaving Osceola’s hair standing on end. “No more work talk.”
“No more work talk,” Osceola agreed, sinking into the pillows, secure in Shirou’s embrace.
Keep reading:
https://archiveofourown.org/works/65627623
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gingiesworld · 2 years ago
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Lizzie Olsen x GN! Reader (Platonic)
Warnings. Death. Sad fic
Word Count: 6.9k+
Taglist : @natashamaximoff-69 @canvascoloredin @wizardofstories @louxbloom @wandanats-goodgirl @the-ox-fan20 @ladyqueenxoxo @aemilia19 @wandaromamoff69 @mfd-101 @dorabledewdroop @marvelogic
18+ MINORS DNI
One is all it takes for multiple disasters. It only takes one brick to bring down a house. It only takes one ingredient to ruin a recipe. It only takes one decision to implicate the lives of others. It only takes one to break another's heart. And it only takes one punch to end someone's life.
Lizzie was walking through the halls that she used to walk down when she was a teen with Y/N beside her. They were the one who made her day better. Just being in their presence was enough.
She stood before the faculty board and her eyes instantly found Y/N's eyes and their goofy smile. They were a huge supporter of her dreams.
Y/N and Lizzie both sat beside the lake as they basked in the sun. Lizzie had been having doubts about being a good enough actress to not be associated with her sisters. She loves her sisters, she just wants to achieve her dreams without their help.
"Are you sure I can be good enough?" She asked them. They gave her a bright smile to reassure her.
"Of course. I know you will be bigger than the twins." They spoke with such passion. "You are amazingly talented. Not just with your acting Lizzie. You have multiple and the one thing I love the most about you is despite your anxiety and panic attacks. You are determined to succeed and I know you will."
"What about you?" She asked them. "What will you do?"
"I don't know. It's hard being a kid in the system." They thought hard. "Maybe I want to be someone for those kids who have no one. Someone to listen to them when no one else will. Someone to encourage them to follow their dreams."
Lizzie could only smile at their big kind heart. They would choose a job with a poor salary and help the children who needed it most.
Lizzie soon found her way to their classroom. It was full of flowers and candles. The classroom was as full as it could be. She walked in and saw there were posters of her projects along with pictures of the two whenever they visited each other. She felt a single tear slip past the barrier and down her cheek.
Y/N was talking to the kids about ambitions and dreams. They were speaking emcouraging words to each of the teens before their eyes zoned in on the board with them an Lizzie.
"This woman right here had her doubts when we were 17." They told them as they pointed to Lizzie's picture. "She wasn't sure if she would make her own name without being associated with her sisters. But she did it. She got that far all on her own. She went to college. Worked endless hours in rehearsels and auditions until she got her first off broadway show." The teens listened to them intently. "She made it. She got that far all on her own without help from her name or her sister's fame." Y/N walked back to sit on their desk. "You can all do that too. Be who you want to be. Break the mold set by your families."
Lizzie soon saw how much their students loved them. She was only there today to see the school where she and her best friend went and where they went on to teach. She was proud of them. They had become the person they wanted to be. They became a light that guided the students to reach their full potential.
When her eyes caught sight of a bookend that she had bought them when they got their first teaching gig. She couldn't stop the tears from falling. She sobbed for her best friend.
"Miss Olsen?" Someone spoke, causing her to wipe her eyes before turning around to the student who called out to her. "We're sorry for your loss." She smiled at the kids as they all sat in their seats.
"You do realise their lessons were canceled?" She asked them all.
"We just didn't feel right to not be here." One of the students spoke.
"They believed in us. All of us." All of them agreed with the statement. Lizzie pulled up an empty chair and sat in front of the desk. She didn't feel right sitting at Y/N's desk.
"They were the best person I ever knew." Lizzie whispered as the students listened. "If you want to share some of the stories with them I am not going anywhere."
She listened intently as each student told her a different memory with Y/N. She felt her heart swell with how much of an impact Y/N had had on each of them. Just like they had an impact on her.
She was only supposed to be visiting the school to see where Y/N most of their days. She never dreamed that she would be back here without them. The one person who she could count on in moments like this. Now she didn't know who to turn too in times like this so she found comfort in their classroom and hearing the stories.
It was hard being back here. She saw all of their friends. All of the people that they had impacted their lives. Even their last foster parents too. She never thought she would meet all of these people like this. Not when her best friend was laying cold at the funeral directors.
"Why did this happen?" She asked her mum who was sitting beside her.
"I don't know sweetie." Jarnette spoke softly. "I just know they were extremely proud of you. Of everything you have achieved."
"It's just so hard mama." She cried as her mother wrapped her in her arms. She wanted nothing more than to comfort her daughter.
Lizzie was distraught. After hearing the news, she flew out straight away. She tried to make it back in time but she was too late.
The night that Y/N was taken, it only took one drunken punch to set the scales off balance. With that punch came a reaction that would change lives forever.
Y/N was walking arm in arm with a colleague who just wanted to have a nice meal with a friend after going through a break up. What neither expected was her ex to approach in a drunken stupor.
"Come on Jack, give me a chance." Steve slurred as he tried to grab his exes arm.
"No." She spoke shakily. She had seen him drunk before but not like this. He had some glint in his eyes.
"It's you isn't it?" He pointed his finger at Y/N. "You stole her from me."
"No. You cheated on her." They stated as they held Jack behind them. "You ruined what you had and I am being a good friend."
"Whatever. You just want to fuck her." He yelled as he pushed them back. Y/N stood their ground. They knew not to provoke him any further but they didn't expect him to throw a punch. A punch to the nose which caused the cartilage to puncture the membrane and cause a bleed rendering them unconcious.
She wanted to know what had happened. She knew that the person responsible was arrested. But she wanted to know why. Why did her best friend have to die?
Lizzie decided to go and see Y/N. She felt her eyes sting. This is going to be the last time she sees her best friend. Cold and gray. Eyes closed and a peaceful look on their face. She saw the ring that she got Y/N. She wore the other on her right ring finger.
Lizzie decided to surprise Y/N on their winter break. The two walked to their usual spot by the lake. Enjoying the silence in each other's company.
"I have something for you." She spoke nervously. She played with the velvet box in her pocket.
"You being here is enough Liz." They told her honestly. They could see the nervousness in her eyes.
"I wanted to get this for you as a thank you for always supporting me. Always being the one to push me to achieve." She told them as she pulled the velvet box out.
"You know I already agreed to marry you one day." They spoke seriously causing Lizzie to blush. "I'm joking." They chuckled.
"This is more of a representation of our friendship Y/N. One that I will carry with me for the rest of our lives." She told them as she opened the box with two matching rings. She placed Y/N's on their finger then hers on her own.
"I love it Lizzie." They whispered as they turned to give her a hug. She smiled as she enjoyed the comfort of her best friend's arms.
She played with the ring on her finger. The one that hadn't been hadn't been taken off in a decade.
"You know this wasn't supposed to be how the next meeting should go." She whispered as she looked at Y/N's resting features. "We were supposed to hang out. You were going to meet Robbie and grill him. Ask him all those uncomfortable questions." She chuckled as she wiped a tear from her eye. "It wasn't supposed to go like this." She whispered shakily. She hated that she was unable to hear their voice again. Listen to their laugh or see their smile. "I just really miss you and I never got to say goodbye."
She kissed their forehead before she left the room. She walked out of the building sobbing. She didn't care for the paparazzi catching these pictures of her. They were the last thoughts on her mind.
She just started to wonder how she would be able to go on without her best friend. The one person who she could always count on to cheer her up after a hard day. The one person she found safety and comfort in.
Lizzie was sat in her dark living room. Everyone else was getting the preparations in order for the funeral. They had to accommodate the amount of people who were going to be there.
She jumped at the sound of her door opening and closing. She turned around to see Robbie walking towards her. He engulfed her in his arms as she cried.
"I'm here for you." He whispered as she clutched his shirt. She just sobbed until she fell asleep in his arms. He had obligations with Milo Greene but he canceled them so he could be with his better half knowing she needs him now more than anything.
He lay back on the sofa and just let her sleep, slowly falling asleep himself.
Lizzie and Y/N were both dancing around the kitchen. Lizzie had convinced Y/N to join ballet with her which they did reluctantly but they just wanted to make her smile.
"I think we should check the cookies." Y/N spoke as they twirled Lizzie back to them.
"I think they will be fine." She smirked as she enjoyed dancing with them. "Would you be there to dance with me at my wedding?" She asked them.
"Of course." They responded softly. "Will you?"
"Definitely." Before they could dance some more, the smoke alarm went off.
"I thought you could bake." They teased her as she just lightly slapped their arm.
"Aww. They're ruined." She whined.
"That is what the smoke machine signals." They stated earning a glare off of the green eyed girl.
Lizzie woke with a headache, feeling an unusual warmth. When her eyes found the source she lay her head back down on Robbie's chest. His hand rubbed up and down her back soothingly.
"Why are you here?" Lizzie asked him confused.
"Because you need me." He told her softly. "I would rather be here with you. Supporting you. Comforting you. Being everything that Y/N was for you if you'd let me." He told her. She started to cry again as she nuzzled her head into his neck.
"They would have loved you." She whispered as she stayed in her position.
"I'm sure they would still attack me with those questions." He said with a smile. She remembers all of the times they did the same thing with her previous boyfriends.
"They would have." She lifted her head from its spot. She gave him a watery smile before she got up. He frowned as he watched her skulk to the kitchen. She started to get the ingredients out for Y/N's favourite cookies.
"What are you making?" He asked her.
"Y/N's favourite cookies." She stated as she started to weigh the ingredients.
"Do you want any help?" He asked her.
"No." She said as she got working. "Y/N usually helps." She let a tear slip and wiped it away harshly. He felt helpless. He didn't know how to make her feel better other than being there for her.
"Why don't you tell me something about them." He suggested as she started to make the dough.
Lizzie and Y/N were at their usual spot. Lizzie was lying there just sunbathing as Y/N stood admiring the lake. They looked over at her and smirked when they noticed her eyes were closed.
They slowly crept up to her and snatched her up into their arms and ran to the lake, jumping in with her in their arms.
"You twat!" Lizzie squealed as she moved her wet golden locks from her face as Y/N just chuckled.
"It was too good of an opportunity to pass up." They laughed as she splashed them. The pair ended up splashing each other in the sun, laughing with each other.
"Wow. They sound really fun." He observed as she nodded in agreement.
"They were the best. My mum used to say we were soulmates. Platonic soulmates. Whenever either of us needed the other, we were there in an instant." She said softly. He smiled as she spoke about them until she started to throw the utensils. "But now they won't be here anymore because they're dead."
He moved forward to hold her and stop her from harming herself. She fought against his hold. She tried everything but he just held her.
"He killed them." She kept repeating in sobs as he calmed her down. He held in his own tears from seeing her so broken. Like she had lost a piece of herself.
In that moment he became the one to be there whenever she needed. He may not be Y/N but he will become her One constant comfort for however long she needs.
Robbie was adamant to stay by her side through it all. He knows that she tends to push people away but he wasn't going to give up. No matter how harsh and venomous her words can be. He was going to stay for her.
The funeral was approaching and she wasn't ready for this at all. She wasn't ready for one final goodbye. It wasn't something that she ever thought she would have to do so soon.
Robbie brought in two cups of coffee as she was watching some old videos on her phone.
"Who's going to be the biggest star?" Y/N spoke as they pointed the camera at a shy teen Lizzie.
"Y/N. Stop." She whined as she tried to push the camera away.
"I will stop when you agree." They stated. "So who's going to be the biggest star?"
"Me!! The other Olsen!" She squealed.
"The better Olsen." Y/N cheered.
He watched as she smiled tearily at the phone as a young Lizzie and Y/N played through the phone. She thanked Robbie for the drink before she looked at him.
"The school wants me to do a speech after their funeral." She whispered as he rubbed her back soothingly. "I don't know what I'm going to say."
"Just say what's in your heart." He told her tenderly. She nodded as she moved on to the next video.
Y/N was dancing and singing along to Blink 182 All The Small Things.
"All the small things. True care. Truth brings." Lizzie laughed in the background as Y/N fell off the bed.
"Oh my god. Are you ok?" She asked once she had calmed down.
Lizzie laughed at the video with Robbie.
"They seem fun." He pointed out as she smiled.
"They were." She spoke softly. "They actually broke their arm when they fell." She laughed. Robbie smiled as she laughed which soon turned into uncontrollable sobs. He was quick to hold her in his arms.
"It's gonna be ok." Robbie whispered as he kissed her head as she cried into his chest shaking her head as she pushed herself away from him.
"No it's not." She raised her voice as she stood up. "Nothing is ever going to be ok again. Ever. They are gone. My best friend is gone. The." She took a shaky breath before continuing. "The one person who could always pull me back from from from this is gone and they're never coming back."
"I know that Lizzie." He said as he approached her slowly.
"NO YOU DON'T." She shouted. "THEY PROMISED ME. THEY PROMISED THEY WOULD ALWAYS BE HERE. THEY PROMISED!"
Robbie was lost on how he could help her. He wanted to help her but he didn't know what she needed. He just stood there and watched as she left the house leaving her phone.
Lizzie walked aimlessly with her arms around her chest. Hugging herself. Trying to feel some comfort. She soon found herself at the lake where they would spend most of their time together.
She stood and watched as wind blew through the trees and the grass. Everything looked as though someone hadn't just faded into nothingness. The ripples of the wind on the lake moving graciously.
"WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME?!!" She screamed. She wanted to get everything out. All of her anger and emotions.
"I didn't." She heard a voice in her mind. She recognised the voice. She knew exactly who it was.
"No. No. No." She shook her head with her eyes closed. "You're dead. You're not real." She muttered.
"Obviously."
She shook her head vigorously to get the voice from her head.
"You might want to scream."
She sighed as she felt the tears fall down her face. She looked over the lake and she knew she was alone. No one was here. This was Y/N's and her place. Their little part of LA that they could escape every trouble they had faced. But this bit of trouble was following her around.
She took a deep breath and screamed as loud as she could. She could feel her lungs and throat burning. She felt it all. The pain. The sadness. The anger. The denial. Everything she had felt since she got that phone call from her mother.
Lizzie was sitting in her New York apartment after she had just done a photoshoot. She had a glass of wine in her hand waiting for Y/N to call. Their daily call and conversation always made Lizzie feel better after a hard day.
She quickly picked up her phone when it rang. She sighed when she saw her mum's caller ID.
"Hey mum." She greeted her.
"Are you sitting down?" Her mother asked.
"Wow. Not even how you are." Lizzie teased as her mum just sighed.
"I need to know you are sitting down." She told her daughter.
"Yes. I'm sitting down." She told her mother. "Why what happened?"
"It's Y/N." She told her. Lizzie could feel the room getting smaller.
"What happened?" She asked her shakily.
"They uh. They're in surgery right now." She told her daughter. Lizzie instantly got on her computer and booked the next flight. "It's bad, baby."
"I'm on my way." Was all Lizzie said. She made sure she had everything she needed as she rushed out of the apartment to a cab and raced to the airport.
Lizzie found herself on her knees. Breathing deeply after she screamed holy murder.
"Feels better."
"No." She whispered into the silence. "Because you're not here. You're not real."
"I am just the memory you have."
"I miss you." She cried out. She knew that this whole conversation was in her head. She knows that.
"I'll always be with you."
She knew that she would have to accept that there is no miracle to bring them back. They won't dance with her at her wedding. They won't go with her to get her first award. They were gone. Gone for good.
Lizzie returned home late that night. When she walked in her home, Robbie engulfed her in a hug. He was worried for her. He had no idea how to know if she was safe or not.
"I'm sorry." She whispered as she wrapped her arms around him.
"It's ok." He replied as he squeezed her. "I'm just happy you're safe." He told her as he pulled back and cupped her face.
"Thank you." She whispered tiredly. "I'm just going to go to bed." She told him as he just nodded. He understands that she needs time and space right now. She knows that Y/N is not going to be coming back. She knows that she has to live her life without her best friend.
Y/N and Lizzie raced through the airport to meet halfway. When they did, Y/N wrapped their arms around her, lifting her up in the air and spinning her around.
"I missed you superstar." Y/N said as they set her back on her two feet.
"I missed you too." She smiled as they took her luggage from her and held their arm out for her to hold. The two walked out of the airport and towards Y/N's car. "So, anything happen while I've been away. Have you met someone?" She asked them, wiggling her eyebrows.
"Well there is someone." They spoke nervously. "Her name's Elle. She is really sweet. She's a medical intern."
"Wow. Smart and beautiful." She smirked at them.
"Yes she is." They said as they kept their eyes on the road. "What about you? I heard that there may be someone."
"There may be someone." She replied. "He worked on my latest project with me."
"Is he a good man?" They asked her.
"He is." She smiled thinking about Boyd.
"I guess I may need to have a little chat with this guy." They smirked as Lizzie just laughed. That is what Y/N is like. They are protective of her and she is just as protective of them.
Robbie watched as Lizzie slept. It seemed like she hadn't slept in a while. He hated seeing her like this and there was not anything that he could do to help her.
He was soon broken out of his thoughts when there was a knock on her door.
"Hi?" Robbie asked the unknown man who knocked late in the evening.
"Hi, I'm Boyd." He introduced himself. "I heard about Y/N and I wanted to see if Lizzie was ok."
"She is finally getting some sleep." Robbie told him as he nodded.
"Please can you give these to her." He asked Robbie as he handed her a card and another envelope.
"I will." Robbie replied. Boyd gave a thankful smile before he started to walk away.
"Lizzie deserves the best." Boyd spoke as he turned back. "Y/N always made sure of that. They knew that it wasn't me. I wasn't the best for her but you may be. You might be the one who truly helps her through this."
Lizzie was sitting on the stairs from waking up after hearing the door go. Robbie smiled at him before bidding goodbye. He smiled softly as he saw Lizzie's figure sat upon the stairs.
"That was Boyd." Robbie told her.
"I heard." She spoke bluntly. "What's that?" She asked, referring to the envelope.
"He said that these were for you." He told her. She took them from him and walked to the kitchen. She opened the card and huffed reading those words over and over again.
Sorry for your loss
My deepest condolences
All of them are just meaningless words. No one truly means them. They only say them in hopes to make themselves feel better. That's all.
Lizzie then opened the envelope. It was a scrapbook of old polaroids she and Y/N had taken while she still lived with Boyd. She must have forgotten about these.
The smiles on both of their faces in every one. The dates all signed on them too.
She also saw a note from Y/N on one of the two.
Y/N was sitting in Lizzie's living room with Boyd as Lizzie was in the shower. They had the pen in their hand as they wrote something on the back of one.
'We all think that happiness comes without reason.
Truthfully it is formed from the people we surround ourselves with.
The people who care enough to do anything to make you smile.
So please never stop smiling Lizzie.
The world would become a dark place if you did.'
Boyd watched Y/N intently as they wrote.
"You really care about her don't you." He asked them as they looked at him.
"I do. I would do anything for her." They told him. "That includes beating your ass if you ever break her heart."
"Why didn't you and her ever end up together?" He asked them.
"We never saw each other like that." They told him honestly. "Yeah we love each other and want the other to be happy. But she is destined for this life and I am happy where I am."
"You're a teacher." He pointed out curiously.
"I am. I enjoy helping kids realise their dreams and help them on the right path to follow them." They told him. "I never had anyone in my life to help guide me like that. I am a child from the system. Sent to different families until they decide they're sick of my existence." Boyd felt bad for them not realising just how deep it went. "I never want a child to feel the way that I did. Feeling alone like you have no one to guide you. Then Lizzie and I became friends in Freshman year and we have been best friends ever since."
Lizzie smiled at the little poem in Y/N's handwriting. His card may not have spoken any words of comfort but this gesture spoke paragraphs. To have something that even she had forgotten about was something special. To see all of those memories again made her smile. Smiling at the memory of her best friend.
Today was a day that Lizzie wasn't ready for. She stood in her mirror putting on some make up, getting ready for her final goodbye. Robbie was dressed in his best clothes, even though he didn't know them. He didn't want Lizzie to be alone. Y/N wouldn't want her to be alone either.
Lizzie sighed as she pinned her hair up. She wasn't ready to say goodbye. But in truth no one really is. No one is ever ready for it. To watch as the one person who has supported you through everything. The one person who you turned to whenever you needed someone.
"Are you ready?" Robbie asked her. She just shook her head with her eyes closed.
"No." She whispered shakily. Not trusting her own voice. "I don't think I'll ever be ready." They both made their way downstairs to see her mum and the twins stood there waiting. They all gave her a hug, letting her know that she isn't alone. She will never be alone.
"It's time sweetie." Jarnette spoke as she wrapped her arm around her. Lizzie just nodded and followed them all out to the car.
The drive behind the hearse was quiet. They never realised how many people they had helped. How many people they had pushed to achieve their dreams. Y/N was the light that shone in many lives. The guidance that helped many to achieve greatness.
Lizzie was asked to do the eulogy for them today. She has it in her pocket written out. She has it but she can't bring herself to stand at that podium. Looking at all of the faces who had been a part in Y/N's life. Whether it be a fleeting moment or a few years. So one of their students had taken Lizzie's place.
"Y/N was a well respected teacher. The coolest." They said sadly. "They were the one to push you to be the best you can be. They helped us through the hard times too." They took a deep breath before continuing. "They always told us about Lizzie. How they had been best friends since they started to walk the halls at school. They were extremely proud of her. Of everything she had achieved. When we asked them what they wanted to be when they were a kid they would say, 'I'm living my dream. I am helping make a difference in your lives. Pushing you to believe in yourself. That was my dream.'" They sniffled lightly before they continued. "They were the most selfless person I had ever met. They had the purest soul and I know that everyone who had ever had the pleasure of even having a conversation with them will miss their witty ways."
Lizzie couldn't help the tears that fell down her face. Her mum rubbed her back soothingly as Robbie held her hand. Her eyes never left the picture of Y/N that stood beside their coffin. The smile on their face was one she always loved to see. It used to bring her hope and comfort. But all it does now is bring her pain. The realisation that she is never going to see their smile again other than in pictures. Never hear them laugh again or tell one of their bad jokes.
Y/N and Lizzie decided to sneak a blunt down by the lake at their spot. The two were laying on the grass side by side looking up at the sky.
"Do you ever wonder what it would be like to fly?" They said, causing her to look at them.
"What?" She asked them, confused.
"You know, like that scene out of Matilda. The kid with the braids." They said as they snapped their fingers. "I would look awesome with braids." Lizzie laughed at their goofiness before turning her head to the sky.
"I think it would feel free." Lizzie spoke as she watched the clouds move slightly. "Not being defined by the laws of physics."
"Wow. High Lizzie is very philofosis. Philospica." Lizzie laughed at them, sounding out the word they wanted to say. "Philosophical! BOOM! I finally got it."
Lizzie just laughed at them as they celebrated in their mellow state of mind.
Lizzie stood there and watched as they lowered the coffin into the ground. She felt like at that moment time had frozen. She was stuck in this pit of grief and sadness. She had no idea how she was going to get out of this pit.
Robbie watched as she just stood there even when everyone else had left. She stood in the sun as Y/N lay in the ground. Ready to be covered in soil. Buried and to never see the light of day again.
"Come on Liz." He spoke softly as he reached for her hand.
"They used to call me that." She whispered.
"I'm sorry." He said quickly. She shook her head waving off his apology.
"It's ok." She whispered. "This isn't how I wanted the two of you to meet." She told him
"I know." He replied. "But I am here now. I am not going anywhere." He told her softly as he pulled her into him. "I am going to be here whenever you need me." He kissed the top of her head and held her as she cried. In that moment, he made both Lizzie and Y/N a promise. He was going to protect her heart. Help her whenever she needs to. Be a shoulder for her to lean on. Just be everything she needs him to be.
As the weeks went by, Lizzie closed herself off again. Everyone tried to reach out to her. But no one was successful. She was sat in her living room going through all of the things that she had from Y/N's.
She found a shirt of theirs and brought it to her nose, taking in their scent. She couldn't stop the tears from coming at the familiar scent. The scent that she will never smell on them again. She also had a letter from the school. Inviting her to speak with the student body.
Robbie brought in some food that he knows she probably won't touch but he will keep doing it until she eats. He will be her safety net. He will be the one to catch her.
"Do you know how many hits it can take to end a life?" She asked him. "One." She answered before he could speak. "All it took was one hit to take Y/N away from me. From everyone." She turned to face him and all he could see was pain. "I have hit and banged my head multiple times and nothing. Nothing fucking happens to me. But one punch was the end of them. How is that fair? How is it fair?" She started to cry as Robbie just wrapped his arms around her. He was just there for her. That was all he needed to be.
Over the next few days leading up to Lizzie's appearance at the school. She had been distant. But as much as she doesn't want to do it. She wants to make Y/N proud. She knows that in a time like this, there are a lot of people affected by losing Y/N.
She found her way to the cemetery on the day of the assembly. She stood before the temporary marker and the mound of soil which was still fresh. She hated that this was where Y/N now was. Completely alone and in the cold.
"You know I want to hate you for leaving me. I really do but I just can't." She took a deep breath. "I just miss you so much. The only person that could help me through this is laying in the ground. You are gone Y/N/N and I am still here." She wiped the tears that started to fall. "I am still here without you. We were a package deal. It was supposed to be the two of use against the world. You and I til the end." She just looked at the pathetic marker that only read their name and the plot number. Nothing else. Nothing with meaning. It broke her heart to see it like it. "It isn't fair Y/N. It isn't fair."
She turned to look at the sky, watching as the clouds floated by. Not caring that this month has been hard on everyone.
"Well I best get going Y/N." She looked back at the grave. "I uh I have a speech to give at the school." She sighed before looking at the grave one more time. "I miss you so damn much Y/N. So damn much." She whispered before finally making her way to her car where Robbie was waiting for her.
"Are you ready?" He asked her as she just nodded. She watched as the streets went by as he drove. Most of the peopoe they had passed had probably passed by Y/N without knowing them. Not knowing what an amazing person they were.
When they had arrived at the school, Lizzie just looked at the building before her. It was heartbreaking to walk through a building that was special to Y/N. It was the place where the two met. The place where they both changed each other's lives. The place where Y/N changed many lives.
"I'm ready." She whispered as he smiled at her. He held her hand as they walked through the halls towards the gym. They sat on one of the chairs provided at the end of the bleachers. There was a multiple videos of Y/N with their students.
There was one where Y/N was using a skateboard in the school yard. She smiled at the memory of them trying to perform a new trick they learned.
Lizzie lay there on the grass watching Y/N skate. She was amazed at how talented they were. They even tried to teach her but she gave up before even letting go of Y/N's hands.
"Be careful Y/N." She called out when they carelessly jumped and grinded on the bench. Before they knew it, they had hit a nut that was sticking out and flew and banged their head into the next bench.
"I guess I know how to fly." They chuckled as Lizzie glared at them.
"I told you to be careful Y/N." She scolded them. "That is going to leave a scar." She said as she observed the wound on their cheek.
"Hey, it can be my way to get chicks." They told her with a smirk. "Chicks dig scars." Lizzie just laughed at them before carefully helping them up.
Lizzie could tell by the hour long video of Y/N and their students, they were loved by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing them. When she was called up to give her speech, her nerves were starting to get the better of her. But she only had to look at the picture of Y/N on the screen to give her the confidence to do this for them. She took a deep breath before she looked up at the student body.
"You know, I was supposed to give them a eulogy at their funeral but I couldn't. I couldn't bring myself to read the words that I had written. The memories I wanted to share." She took a deep breath as Robbie gave her a comforting smile. "What all this has really taught me is that One is an important number. It has so much value to it. It took one person to change many lives for the better. Y/N touched so many lives. They pushed them to reach their dreams. Their.full potential. They pushed me to follow my own." She sighed as she glanced at the picture behind her. "They knew that I would make it. They knew I could do it my way. Without the connections through my sisters." She smiled at the students who listened to her intently. "They were the most amazing person I had ever known. I had ever met. They were mine. My protector and my number one fan."
She looked towards Robbie who just smiled proudly at her.
"I know that they have lived their dream. Their dream was helping you. Being someone to listen to you when you need it most. To push you to achieve your goals in life." She told them all. "Y/N Y/L/N is our guardian angel. They were our angel when they were alive, and they still are." She turned back to the picture of Y/N. "We will continue to live for our dreams Y/N. I love you." The whole school stood up and clapped for her as she walked away. She walked back through the halls towards the car.
She was ready to move forward. Move forward with Y/N in her heart. Live for Y/N.
7 Years Later
Robbie and Lizzie were now finally married with a four year old child. Y/N Riley Olsen-Arnett. She wanted to keep Y/N's name alive and her first born was special to her. Robbie knew how much it meant to her to name them Y/N so he agreed.
"Why am I called Y/N mama?" They asked her as Lizzie picked them up into her arms.
"Well my best friend is called Y/N." She told them with a smile.
"I thought it was Clay." They said confused, causing her to giggle.
"He is my best friend but I had another one." She told them. "They died 7 years ago."
"Will you tell me about them?' They asked her.
"Someday." She smiled as she tucked them in their bed. She kissed their head before leaving the room quietly.
The first thing you forget after losing someone is the sound of their voice, their laugh. It can be heartbreaking if that One voice was always the voice of comfort or reason. The one who would help you out of so many problems. Then without the pictures, you would surely soon forget the different features like freckles or scars. The colours of their eyes. They soon drift to become a distant memory. One that you hold dearly. One that you would cherish until you meet again.
All it takes is One to either break down a wall or strengthen it. Just like it takes One person to influence a simple or a difficult decision. All it takes is One action to completely change someone's life. For better or for worse.
One is the primary factor of the universe. It can be both dangerous and safe. It's how we perceive that One that counts.
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nekohime19 · 1 year ago
Text
Okay so I had this idea for a shadowpeach fanfic and I found myself writing the first chap. I'm not sure if I'll continue it but, hey, I never know 🤷.
Basically, it's a "what if Wukong stayed a bimawen" story. Wukong never truly rebelled against Heaven and stayed as bimawen and Macaque is captured and ends up being Wukong assistant.
It's the monkeys being stableboys! 🐎
Also I want it to be more JTTW faithful, so Wukong character and appearance is more faithful to JTTW, same with Macaque where he doesn't exactly have the same character or appearance than in LMK.
I think I'll call it the Bimawen Au.
The sun was piercing the last remainders of the night, chasing away the darkness in the earth's corners. The birds were singing outside of the wooden shack, perching on the trees highest branches, they celebrated the dawn in joy. Jing liked to see them. He found beauty in the way they ruffle their feathers, in the way their wings unfolded and cut the air around them. He wondered what it would feel like to fly, to taste the winds roaming the world and go wherever he wished. To live with his whims, never shackled by his earthly flesh. He liked to imagine himself as a god. How free must it be to live above others? To parade in the Region Above? But he never voiced those desires, keeping them in the confine of his heart, for fear of being punished by the gods, the spirits and the constellations living above him. Jing sighed and left the edge of his window, he ruffled his hair in a vain attempt of brushing them and took his white tunic. He put it on, the ragged linen robe falling right above his tights, on his loose linen pants. He settled his slash properly and left his room bare-feated.
To his surprise, his grandmother was awake. She was dandling in the kitchen, cutting peaches with great care, her work lightened by one single wavering candle. She looked odd in the dim-light of the dawn, there was something in her eyes that Jing had never seen before, something akin to fear. But what could she be afraid of? She spent most of her days with them, resting until her final breath, basking in peace. She was the eldest of their poor village. She was so old, in fact, that most people believed she already saw Ox-Head and Bull-Head and was intimate with them. Rumors, of course. Jing didn't partake in such baseless whispers. His grandmother was a good woman. She served their family dutifully and was simply awaiting for her fated end.
“Why do you look so tense, grandmother ?” Asked Jing as he approached her. She flinched, something unusual for her, and turned towards him with a tense smile. The expression was odd. As if it didn't belong on her wrinkled face. For a second Jing saw something overlapping with his grandmother's face, a wavering image of another, quickly brushed away by the candle flickering flame. Jing shook his head, perhaps he was still a bit drowsy, his mind was playing tricks on him.
“Why are you up so early?” Asked his grandmother, she eyed the peaches she cut for a bit, before finally taking one. Another oddness, his grandmother hated peaches, she found them too sweet. “You should be sleeping.”
Jing raised an eyebrow, something felt wrong, something was wrong. He hesitated a little, her bead-like eyes boring into his skin like an iron rod, before deciding that, mayhaps, he should return to his room. He eyed the way her teeth sinked into the juicy flesh, how sharp her teeth's edges were, almost like fangs, and gulped.
“I'm just… I heard a noise… I'll go back.” Mumbled Jing as he took a step back, sweat glistening on his forehead. His grandmother eyed him up and down, accessing something within her mind before shrugging and returning to her peaches.
“Yes, you should.”
Jing returned to his room with a nervous twitch in his fingers, he closed his door and went to his bed, eyes lost in the void. He flinched when he heard the sound of their house's main door opening, the old wood cracking in the silence. He closed his eyes when he heard the sky rumbling with thunder, shouts echoing outside of their house. He trembled at the sound of barking. When he dared to glance outside of his window, he saw a black-furred monkey wearing his grandmother's clothes being dragged in the sky by a man with three eyes.
Jing stayed paralyzed for an hour, eyes widened.
Later on that day, he and his family found their grandmother muzzled, sleeping peacefully in the attic. The very same attic his supposed grandmother decided to seal three months ago.
***
He was in prison.
Not that it was new, he often found himself in prison. Thrown in crass-covered floors, pushed behind cold wooden walls, left in the darkness. He was quite certain that, at this point, he visited every prison in China. He was a connoisseur of prisonnery art, if you could call him like that. He was intimate with the cangues, long time friends of the carved days on the wooden walls, and ally with the fleeting roaches stumbling inside of his cage. He knew it all by heart, the wooden cage almost more familiar than the outside world. Yet what he knew most about prisons was how to escape them. He was an artist in escapery, his claws sharpened specifically to pick on locks, his words carved to entice and lure the wandering wardens, his fur blackened to merge with the shadows and escape the nearby eyes. He was a monkey of many talents, and escapery was one of his best. What aided him the most in his escapery was his numerous ears. Six, three on each side of his head, able to hear from 600 li around him if he focused enough. It was particularly helpful to know warden' rounds and when to plot his escape, it was also great to blackmail the wardens, taunting them with their dirtiest secrets. After all, he could so easily let the fact that one slept with another wife fall out of his mouth.
Perhaps it was because he knew so much of prisons that he realized, the second he was thrown in this one, that he wouldn't be able to escape. It looked like any other prison with wooden walls, wetted floor and the rather pitiful sight of a slaughtered mat hidden in one corner. It was familiar. At least, he thought it was, until he tried to hear and was suffocated by silence. That never happened before, silence was unknown to him, something he never experienced in his whole life, until now. It was terrifying. To not be able to know what was going on outside of the cage, to hear nothing but his frantic heart and the blood flowing inside of his veins, he felt utterly alone. He was used to hearing everything, to hear the breaths of the ones besides him, to hear the numerous hearts of man's and animals, even the rush of water inside of plants. He was used to noise.
The black-furre monkey leaned on one of the walls and sat, his ears fluttering like the wings of a hummingbird, trying to catch even one speck of noise outside of his cage. He must be quite the sight. A monkey coated in his own blood, a red swelling bite mark on his torso, with ears vibrating like crazy.
A pitiful sight at most.
“Heaven's prisons are something else.” He chuckled as he looked up, the symbol of Heaven mocking him, carved on the ceiling like a brand of ownership. The symbol, like a lot of Chinese letters, made him think of rivers. One long stream separated at the foot in two different ways, cut at the middle by one short stroke, and at the top by another. It was almost sickening to see their pride as the great one. He had never thought much of the gods, not one to mess with the Region Above, not when he knew of their ruthlessness. He thought they would never act. They had never been one to mingle with the mortal realm. Perhaps, he took it too far… Or Heaven had plans for him. In any case, he had been captured and thrown here, that's all that mattered now.
He could only wait for his fate.
The black-furred monkey curled on himself, his long tail coiling at his feet, encircling him in a pitiful attempt of comfort. He buried his head in his knees and waited, ears still fluttering, in the mad hope of catching a whisper of his fate. The floor was cold, icing his butt so much he was sure the flesh was reddening. He had been stripped of his clothes after being captured, perhaps they had been afraid he hid something on himself. He was glad to have fur on his shoulders. From the look of the frost-covered bones besides the ragged mat, furless beings didn't last long here.
He exhaled, his breath cutting his lips, coming out in white puffs. He controlled his breathing, in and out, trying to reign in his feelings. He closed his eyes, letting darkness fall upon him, not that the wavering rays of light passing through the covered windows in front of his cage offered much to begin with.
The cangue which trapped his neck and wrists was not made of wood, like he was used to, but of cold metal. He was sure that if he wore it for too long, the fur under will disappear and leave in its wake only bruised skin. The metal was ice-cold, perhaps more than the floor, the coldness spread to his hands and head, enough to almost paralyzed them. He feared that he wouldn't feel them anymore if he stayed there any longer. He needed to move.
The prisoner looked up and glared at the front wall, he sensed that something was wrong with it, yet he wondered if he should still try and go against his keen instinct. He rose, his bones cracking each at a time, and walked towards the wall. The moment he tried to graze it with his tail, he was struck by a sudden pain and recoiled, as if burned. He looked at his tail and scowled when he saw his flesh reddening, it wasn't a feeling, he had been burned.
The one who thought of Heaven's prisons was a madman, internally cursed the black-furred monkey as he returned to his corner. He approached the ragged mat after a while and sniffed it, seeking warmth. He recoiled at the smell of disease and the sight of moths and stayed on the floor despite not feeling his butt anymore.
He waited patiently, hoping that he could trick the wandering wardens with enough luck. He waited but none came, none even bothered to bring him food. He was starved for four days, the fat on his body rapidly melting, leaving behind only a bag of fur and bones. He was feeling weaker and weaker with every passing hour. He relented and drank the water coming from the ceiling, despite it smelling rotten, and slept on the mat despite the filth. He ate the moths, trying to fill his body with something other than dry saliva. It was in the middle of the fourth day that someone finally came to him, someone he would rather avoid.
The macaque looked up from his ragged mat and narrowed his eyes at the newcomer, he was expressionless, armor catching the rare ray of light and absorbing them. Erlang looked good, despite being maimed four days ago, distantly the black-furred monkey had hoped the marks he left on the god's flesh would have lasted longer.
“Are you here to mock me?” Growled the prisoner, bead-like eyes glinting with murderous intent.
“You brought this on yourself, Six-eared Macaque.” Replied Erlang with an expressionless face. He opened his cell and walked towards him, steps echoing in the silence.
“Your lapdog isn't with you? What happened to it?” Sneered the macaque as the god got closer, Erlang glared at him with something akin to rage in his eyes. The macaque was genuinely glad Erlang's oversized dog wasn't here, the last time he crossed eyes with the beast, it had bitten him so hard its fangs broke almost every bone in his body.
“This doesn't concern you.” Spat Erlang as he crouched down before the prisoner. If the macaque wasn't tired and starved, he would bolt out of the cell. As it was, the black-furred monkey was weak and discouraged. Where would he even hide? He was in Heaven, in the Region Above, an entire different realm. Even if he escaped, he wouldn't be able to come down, he wouldn't know how. And even if he somehow managed to return to the mortal realm, Heaven would hunt him down for the remainder of his life. Perhaps the best course of action was to let them decide his fate. Erlang pulled on the chain tied to his cangue, the prisoner stumbled forward, forced out of his mat. He bared his fangs at the god in a weak attempt of intimidation but Erlang shrugged it off and pulled him out of the prison. They passed by other cages, each prisoner more pitiful than the last, before leaving the dungeons.
***
Heaven was a bright place. He didn't see much when he was dragged by the scarf of his neck and thrown in prison, too busy trying to bite and claw at Erlang. He couldn't see much this time either, his vision wavering because of his lack of proper food. But he did manage to notice the numerous palaces and terraces of the different Constellations and Stars Spirits.
Heaven was also loud. Now that he could finally properly hear, he was overwhelmed by waves upon waves of sounds. He didn't have time to regain his senses, he was already dragged around by the god. The black-furred monkey couldn't properly see where they were going, he was still railing with sensory overload, he only felt the pull of the chain becoming harsher and tighter if he dared to slow down even for a second. He at least noticed that they entered a lavish decorated palace called the Golden-gated Cloud Palace, the name carved on top of the front door. He was pulled inside, stumbling in the white corridors until they reached the Treasure Hall of Divine Mists, a white lavish room decorated with fiery red pillars and filled with Constellations and Stars Spirits. He was brought to his knees before a throne, heads pressed on the white stone-cold floor, still nude, bruised and imprisoned inside of the cangue.
“So this is the Six-eared Macaque?” The voice was deep, it resonated like thunder yet it held neither hatred nor anger. It was sharp, like the edge of a blade, but devoid of any pronounced feeling. The black-furred monkey tried to look up but he was still pushed down by Erlang. From under his sweat-covered lashes, he could only glimpse at the foot of the throne, a seat of gold and jade, carved with dragons. The feet of the Jade Emperor were lavish, at least the prisoner assumed it was the Jade Emperor. Who else could dare sit on this throne if not the Emperor of the gods? The hem of his robe was of the purest of gold, sawn by pearl-white threads, his shoes resembled the most intricate of woodwork, carved by the finest artisan. He distantly realized that the tip of the Emperor's foot was worth more than his entire life. The Constellations and Stars Spirits dispatched in the room, all perfectly aligned on each side of the throne, eyed him with warriness. Each one of his thrills made them flinch, the black-furred monkey didn't dare fathom why they seemed to fear him, what were they seeing instead of him? He never attacked Heaven nor showed his strength. He wasn't weak but he never abused his power, yet they looked at him as if they knew his nature. “Let the trial begin.” Those simple words made him shiver. A trial. They brought him to the feet of the Jade Emperor to judge him. Weren't they already aware of his crimes? Why would they bother with a trial? Mayhaps, it was a show of power, of humiliation, to put him in his place. It was the only reason that made sense in his opinion.
The prisoner was still not allowed to straighten, he heard someone walk towards him, their steps heavily resolved. The person stopped at his right. From the corners of his eyes the black-furred monkey recognized a pair of lavish feet and the low sweep of a lizard tail. They reeked of water, salted water to be more precise, the pure pearls sawn at the tip of the foot made him believe this was a Dragon King, those kinds of lavish ornaments weren't for anybody. He hoped it wasn't Aoquin, Dragon King of the South, but with his rotten luck and considering this was his trial, it was probably him.
“This wretched ape took my life for one year!” Accused the Dragon King, definitely Aoquin considering his lower tone and the way his voice echoed like the shrill scream of a hyena. The prisoner remembered when he disguised himself as Aoquin, it took him days to master his voice, finding the perfect pitch between a screeching cat and crays scratching a board. He did find it eventually and had in his search gained new respect for Aoquin, keeping such a voice was taxing on the throat. One of the Dragon King's feet was stomping on the snow-white floor, the black-furred monkey wanted to bite it, but he managed himself, he didn't want to aggravate his case.
“Do you have proof?” Asked the Jade Emperor, like always an example of true neutrality. The prisoner liked that about him, contrary to many mortal sovereigns that found themselves inflated by their position and used such occasions to showcase their power, the Jade Emperor cared about the result, there was a search for justice in the way he handled things. Mayhaps because he didn't get to the throne by birthright but by ongoing numerous tribulations, he didn't use his position to abuse others, especially during trials. It didn't mean he didn't have a sense of pride, the black-furred monkey heard enough tales to know that the Jade Emperor could be quick to anger if provoked.
The prisoner couldn't see, still pushed to the ground by Erlang, but he heard the familiar rustling of clothes (it sounded like silk, so perhaps Aoquin) and something being brought in the hall. He was rather curious. He wondered what the Dragon King brought to incriminate him. He probably prepared an entire speech devoted to putting him down, it was flattering in a way to be the object of such an intense obsession. If he wasn't a coward he'd mock the dragon by thanking him. As it was, the Six-eared Macaque was rather afraid of powerful beings such as the Jade Emperor, so he decided to stay still and obedient while he was under his gaze, hoping his fate would be kinder if he did.
“You see, it happened two years ago, in the middle of spring!” Began Aoquin, his voice softened by sorrow. The prisoner was certain it happened in the middle of winter but he let the dragon have his fun, what good were his words anyway? “I was relaxing in my crystal palace when this wretched ape came to my doors and asked for housing. I was surprised to see an ape in the middle of the water but I took pity on him and invited him in. He spent one week with me before departing. I thought we were friends! But the next day after his departure he secretly came to my room and knocked me out with some sleeping spell! He then tied me up and hid me under my own bed and took my appearances. He paraded as me for one year! Nobody even noticed the differences!! He messed with my domain, my finances, my harvests!! When he finally got sick of my life he left and my servants discovered me under the bed! My kingdom is in shambles because of him!” There were some inaccuracies here and there but for the most part it was true. It's not as if he wanted to leave Aoquin's kingdom in shambles, but it would have been idiotic to take over his life and not have fun with it. The whole point of taking another appearance is for pleasure. Either for luxury, glory or indulgences.
“What does the macaque have to say for his defense?” At the Jade Emperor's words, he was relieved of the crushing weight pushing him down and allowed to straighten. His back cried in pain as he slowly rose, his eyes roamed over the room, taking in the hall. They were more people than he thought, now that he narrowed his eyes he could also spot Constellations and Stars Spirits that lived in the Region Bellow. Was his trial so entertaining that even the far southward spirits came to witness it? He even spotted the bodhisattva Mansjuri among the rows of gods, his wheat colored face gleaming with this serene shine characteristic of buddhists disciples close to nirvana. The black-furred monkey gulped and turned towards the Jade Emperor, his face was of marbre, black beard shining like a river of ink, eyes boring into his skin. At the Emperor's side stood his prized advisor, the Gold Star of Venus, he was entirely dressed in white, his long hair and beard flowing on his shoulders like streams of snow.
“It is mostly true.” Muttered the prisoner, for what could he do but speak the truth? If he dared lie in this place his fate would worsen! The Emperor's face straightened at that, expression darkening.
“Erlang Shen, you were the one to capture the macaque, what do you have to say about his crimes?” Asked the Emperor, Erlang straightened, his arms tightly clasped behind his back in a very formal poise.
“I hunted the macaque for several days, he was posing as a common grandmother. He was rather… difficult to deal with… I had to borrow the wisdom of wind spirits to escape his hearing and Laozi diamond cutter to catch him. From my own investigation and the numerous rumors, he is known in the Region Below as the face-stealer, he had been captured numerous times by mortals but had always managed to escape one way or another.” Erlang Shen report was truthful and succinct, it held a hint of sharpness, perhaps the god still felt bitter about their strife. The black-furred monkey flinched when he felt the Emperor gaze pin him down, he knew what awaited him, but he at least hoped for some sort of mercy.
“Then he is found guilty. He should be executed for his crimes!” The sentence echoed in the room like thunder, the different gods all nodded eagerly, agreeing with the Emperor's verdict. The Gold Star of Venus frowned but he held his tongue, only gazing at the macaque with something akin to pity, more of the pity in losing a valuable asset than compassion itself. The prisoner shoulders lowered in defeat, he had hoped for mercy but as he expected Heaven was ruthless with criminals. It's not as if he wanted to make others suffer or spread misery, the only thing brewing inside of him was envy, it has always been nothing but envious acts. But when it comes down to it he did mess with people's lives, perhaps this was karmic retribution.
“Wait!” The cry pierced the hall, rumbling in the midst of whispers. The Emperor turned towards the one who dared to speak and frowned when he caught sight of the bodhisattva Guanyin. The prisoner turned towards her, surprised by her sudden outburst. She was graceful, her milk-white skin almost translucent, her movements weightless and her eyes filled with compassion. “How old are you?” She asked the macaque, her voice soothing like the kind swell of the sea.
“300 years old.” Carefully replied the black-furred monkey, he was immediately surprised by the gasps and whispers slithering in the room. Some dared to call him “a babe” and he had to bite his lips to restrain his growling. He wasn't an infant, far from it, he lived more than any other monkey in the mortal realm, perhaps because he wasn't exactly normal like any other. Celestials had an odd conception of time.
“Emperor, he's still very young, he has time to learn new ways. Perhaps, we should offer him a chance at redemption.” Proposed Guanyin. The prisoner perked up at the mention of redemption, he wasn't really convinced of mending his ways but the premise of escaping death was alluring all the same.
“How would you even try to change the ape? He's wretched.” Spat Aoquin, his arms crossed in anger. He averted his eyes when Guanyin turned towards him, even him wasn't presumptuous enough to glare at a bodhisattva.
“We could put him under the tutelage of the bimawen.” Guanyin's words silenced the hall, all gods and spirits stared at her with widening eyes. Even the Jade Emperor tensed in surprise. Aoquin almost choked on his own tongue, he then turned towards the prisoner with something akin to pity in his eyes. The black-furred monkey remembered hearing of this peculiar title, the spirits of the mortal realm whispered it with terror and reverence, but he never took the time to delve into the matter. Mayhaps he should have.
“Bodhisattva Guanyin, do you remember who the bimawen is?” Carefully asked the Emperor, there was something haunted in his eyes, as if he remembered a particularly challenging time.
“Precisely. It's because I remember that I am proposing this. Didn't the bimawen mend his ways? Perhaps, he would be able to guide the Six-eared Macaque.” Her words divided the hall, some found themselves agreeing with her logic while others thought it was terrible (they whispered about how putting two powerful beasts together could endanger the realms, but the black-furred monkey didn't pay attention, he was focused on the Emperor and his decision). The Gold Star of Venus leaned in the Emperor's ears and whispered. The prisoner opened his ears to catch his words. “Emperor” he began “The bimawen had been pestering us for attendants for a while, perhaps this could be an occasion. Moreover the Six-eared Macaque gift could be of great use to us.” The Jade Emperor frowned at those words, he turned towards the macaque and eyed him up and down, his gaze piercing every inch of the black-furred monkey. The prisoner remained still, trying to look as harmless as he could. “Who shall be the one to warn the bimawen of this?” Asked the Jade Emperor, silence prevailed in the room, every gods and spirits averted their eyes, hoping to not be chosen.
“I will.” Sighed Guanyin. “I will take care of this matter and present the Six-eared Macaque to the bimawen.” The Jade Emperor seemed greatly satisfied by her answer, he closed the trial with one flick of wrist and settled on his throne eased. The prisoner was pulled forward by Erlang Shen, the god gripped his chain and gazed at him with narrowed eyes. From this close, he could see the third eye resting on the god's forehead, the fiery pupil boring into him. Erlang then proceeded to pull him towards Guanyin, his chains creating noise in the silence. Erlang stopped before the bodhisattva and nodded respectfully, the black-furred monkey gulped once her shadow was cast on his small body. As a monkey he was less than four chi tall, everyone constantly towered above him no matter what he tried to do. Only children were of his height.
“Do you want me to accompany you in case this ape causes you some problems, bodhisattva Guanyin?”
“No need, Erlang Shen.” Replied Guanyin with serenity. “The Six-eared Macaque will be well in my hands.” Erlang, though reluctant, nodded and let the macaque go. He threw one last warning gaze at him before turning around and leaving, his footsteps heavy in the halls.
“Follow me, Six-eared Macaque.” The prisoner rushed to follow after her retreating figure, chasing after the hem of her pearl-white robe. At her side walked Hui'an, one of her loyal disciples, and Mansjuri, one of her Buddhist brothers. The black-furred monkey didn't even dare to lift his head once they left the Treasure Hall of Divine Mists, he was still nude and stuck inside of his cangue, he did not dare to do anything in this state.
***
Guanyin summoned her cloud bathed in auspicious lights and settled on it gracefully. Hui’an sat beside her and Mansjuri mounted his blue-furred lion. The prisoner hesitated before slowly stepping on the bodhisattva's cloud, the texture was soft yet firm, like bouncing water. He quietly sat behind Guanyin, his long tail curled around his naked butt as he tried to shield himself from the breeze of Heaven. As the cloud soared above the Region, he kept his head low, not wanting to cross eyes with any wandering gods.
Guanyin stepped out of her cloud before a smaller palace colored like jade and pearl, above the pearl-white doors were inscribed : Palace of Compassion. The prisoner awkwardly followed the goddess as the doors of the Palace opened. Contrary to the Jade Emperor palace, this one was less filled, some attendants were cleaning the corners of the humble corridors but not that many. Guanyin stopped walking before a carmin door and ordered her disciple with a single gesture. “Clean and clothe him, we will find the bimawen tomorrow morning.” The black-furred monkey watched until he couldn't see her robe flowing on the cleaned tiles, her Buddhist brother at her side. He was pulled inside of the room by Hui’an and some nearby attendants. They prepared a bucket filled with mid-warm clear water and pushed him to the corner of the room, where the floor was made of wood. They plunged a white cloth in the water and slowly began to clean him, passing the cloth on his bruised skin. He flinched, not used to the contact, and instinctively tried to recoil.
“Do not fret, we will not harm you.” Mumbled Hui’an, his sleeve raised to his elbows, hands wetted by the water. It was odd to be tented by him, if he recalled right, Hui'an was the second son of Devaraja Li, also known as Prince Moksa. He was far from being a nobody, yet he followed the bodhisattva, embracing his Buddhist name, Hui'an, wholeheartedly, tending to him, a monster monkey. The black-furred monkey couldn't help but flinch each time Hui'an touched him. The disciple sighed once he saw his reaction, compassion on his lips, very much like his master. He couldn't understand why they showed him so much kindness. He wasn't a good person by all means. Yet it did make his heart shiver pleasantly, he shoved the feeling deep down in his psyche before it could blossom in something more.
“We have to bandage his wound and… do something about this cangue.” Called one attendant, she was carefully washing his back, her round eyes narrowing now and then every time she stumbled upon one of his scars.
“Bring medical supplies and someone goes to the prison, asks for the key to his cangue!” Ordered Hui'an, the attendants nodded and rushed out of the room. The black-furred monkey narrowed his eyes at the mention of the key to his cangue, but he dared not to speak. His fate was in those people's hands, he might as well let them do as they pleased. Nonetheless, Hui'an noticed his discomfort, he put one of his hands on the prisoner's shoulders and squeezed it, a meaningless gesture of consolation, the black-furred monkey found it more uncomfortable than anything. He curled on himself, back pressed to the wall, and waited patiently for this to end. Hui'an looked at him with pity, again, and took the bucket, now filled with filthy water. He walked to the end of the room and opened the door leading to the inner garden of the palace, he hesitated after taking one step out, gaze lingering on the prisoner.
“I'm not gonna flee.” Sighed the black-furred monkey with furrowed eyebrows. Hui'an averted his eyes, almost ashamed, and stepped outside to empty the bucket. He was left alone for a few minutes, he observed the room, noticing how it wasn't much filled. Perhaps Guanyin wasn't one for fancy decorations. He wondered what his life would be like now. Was he fated to cater the whims of this so-called bimawen for the reminder of his existence? Who was even this guy? He heard of a lot of things in his life but he wasn't powerful enough to eavesdrop on the Region Above, everything that happened in Heaven was unattainable for his ears. As such, he truly had no idea about this strange title that seemed to scare spirits and gods alike. By thoughts alone, it should have something to do with horses. If bi meant avoiding, if ma meant horse, and if wen meant plague, then by pure logic it meant : To avoid the horse plague. Was it a title meant for some sort of horse doctor ? He mulled over the subject for a bit and frowned at some of his thoughts. Did they push him on this so-called bimawen to mock him? He knew some of the mortals' beliefs. He ought to after living among them for so long. As such he knew putting a female monkey in stables was considered a sign of good luck for the horses’ health. Somehow, they believed the blood shed by female monkeys’ on their menstruation circle infused the hay with some sort of healing property. The macaque couldn't really understand this belief, blood was blood, no matter the species, but mortals, in particular humans, tended to have the strangest minds. Were they mocking him by putting him under the bimawen orders? He frowned at the thought, even if he was quite the coward, he loathed to be made fun of the most.
Hui'an returned shortly after his musing, bucket filled anew with clear water, the attendants arrived a few minutes after him with arms entirely full. They put the clothes aside, and began to carefully put a shooting balm on his bruised skin, and then bandage his wounds. The most prominent was the bite swelling on his chest and the traces of the cutter on his back, it marred his skin with red, becoming white at the edges due to his poor hygiene. Once again, he endured the touches without liking it, bearing every graze with bitten lips. They sometimes wetted the bandages with water, but it did nothing to appease him. Once he was more or less healed, one attendant approached with a charcoal-black key in her hands. Hui'an took it carefully and slowly removed his cangue. He shivered once the cold metal hit the soft floor of the room, its sight unnatural within the light colors of the palace. As he expected, the skin under the cangue was marred by red and progressively swelling, his luscious black fur dried and abused by the metal. One attendant dutifully cleaned his neck and wrists with a cloth drenched in clear water, then Hui'an applied the soothing balm. Once he was deemed healed they helped him put on the hanfu they prepared for him. He wasn't used to the softness of the tissue, nor the pale green of it, it shone brightly against his midnight fur. It felt good to not be nude anymore, he hadn’t realized how vulnerable he had felt without any clothes on his shoulders before being properly dressed.
Hui'an nodded to the attendants in thanks before gesturing for the macaque to follow him outside of the room. The black-furred monkey wanted to stay and curl in one corner, let the darkness cover him, but he pushed past those urges and followed Guanyin's disciple outside. They wandered in the palace humble corridors in silence, their steps echoing on the wooden walls.
“I didn't know that the bodhisattva Guanyin had a palace in Heaven.” Mumbled the prisoner, he needed something to fill the silence, the lack of noises reminded him of the four days he spent locked in the silent prison.
“She doesn't reside here. The Jade Emperor offered it to her, but she spent most of her time on Potalaka Mountain.” The prisoner nodded at that, some deep part of himself whined a little at the thought of not seeing her anymore (not a lot of people stuck out their neck for him in his lifetime) but he quickly shook his head to brush away the thought, attachment was dangerous, he shouldn't indulge this part of himself. Sometimes, he loathed the part of himself that required company, for he knew enough by now to understand that bonds were weaknesses. “We should feast, and then I'll guide you to your bed. We will head to the bimawen tomorrow morning.” The prisoner nodded, the idea of food immediately raising his spirits. Hui'an guided him to a larger room, one with a wide wooden table. Guanyin and her Buddhist brother Mansjuri were already sitting before the table, strangely enough they did not touch the food. Hui'an bowed the second he spotted them, the black-furred monkey awkwardly followed his lead and bowed despite his injuries crying in pain. They settled before the two bodhisattvas and quietly ate the vegetarian dishes. The prisoner eyed Hui'an from the corner of his eyes and followed his leads when it came to table manners, he had no idea on what was the custom in the Region Above and he refused to make a fool of himself by eating like he always did. He used the spoon when Hui'an used it, the fork when he used it, the glass when he used it, and ate the same amount as him.
Vegetarian dishes tasted blend, he was not used to the lightness of it. He preferred the heaviness of meat most of the time, not caring if his cannibalism tendencies spoiled his breath. But he was very much aware that he couldn't practice this sort of diet in Heaven, as such he gulped the dishes despite wanting to vomit at the taste of them. He noticed rather quickly that the bodhisattvas weren't touching any dishes, he wondered if their buddhists teaching really stripped them of any earthly desires, even one as instinctual as hunger, it was an odd existence to consider.
“Are you not curious about why you are here?” The macaque flinched at the voice, he lifted his head and crossed eyes with Mansjuri, his gaze, like any bodhisattva, held nothing but endless patience and closeness to true peace. He was leaning over the table, his amber skin gleaming under the room's dim light, one of his hands rested lazily over the hilt of his sword.
“Brother, I do not think he is aware of his ability.” Quietly replied Guanyin.
“Mayhaps it has not manifested yet. I thought you were all-hearing.” Softly mumbled Mansjuri, his voice serene like the blossom of peaches dancing in the spring breeze.
“How are you both aware of my abilities?” Spoke the macaque, contrary to what they seemed to believe, he wasn't all-hearing, not in the least. But they spoke as if his nature had no secrets. Perhaps, as bodhisattvas they did have the possibility to peek at the secrets veiled by the universe, but even then, it was rather suspicious.
“When the Dragon King, Aoquin, sent a formal complaint about you, Heaven learned of your existence for the very first time. Based on tumultuous past experiences with monkeys, they seeked knowledge about you. Buddha Tathagata was the one to reveal your nature… and it worried Heaven.” Replied Hui'an as he laid down his dish. It explained a few things, as expected, if he hadn't bothered Aoquin, none of this would have even happened.
“What did the Buddha say?” Asked the prisoner, curious about his own nature.
“He qualifies you as a macaque with a sensitive ear, a discernment of fundamentals principles, a knowledge of past and future and a comprehension of all things.” the black-furred monkey cheeks burned at Mansjuri words. He wasn't presumptuous enough to question Buddha's words, but still he wasn't as great as what he was described as. He could glimpse in the past and the future, but it never lasted long. Perhaps, his abilities would grow with him, and one day he would embody Tathagata words. For now, he was nothing but a less-than-four-chi macaque with multiple pairs of ears. The rest of the feast was spent in silence, Hui'an guided him to a bed after this and left him in peace.
The prisoner collapsed on the wooden bed, his body still aching. He did not take the time to change, uncaring of this sort of thing, and closed his eyes. He didn't really know what to think anymore. If it was up to him, he'd spend his whole life indulging in pleasure, uncaring of others. But he had to think of his survival here. If there was one thing that could push him to let go of his ways, it was the fear of dying. He raised his spirits by telling himself that the bimawen could be kinder than most thought. It was his last silver if hope in this unfamiliar place, surrounded by people he did not trust. He curled in the sheet, relishing in the softness, it was almost painful with how unfamiliar it was. He laid his head on the wooden pillow and sighed. He didn't sleep much, a few hours at best, and stayed in his bed until Hui'an went to wake him up. Guanyin's disciple winced at his state, probably because the macaque didn't take the time to change before going to bed. He offered him a carmin hanfu in the guise of clothing and helped him change. Once he was properly dressed they headed to eat some breakfast, the black-furred monkey forced himself to swallow some dishes, perhaps vegetarian food will be easier to digest the more he tried.
Guanyin and Mansjuri looked the same as yesterday, perfect and serene in the way they held themselves. It was unsettling to not see one wrinkle on their skin, nor one sign of exhaustion. They looked anything but humans. But yet it would have been weirder if they did. They were above, close to reaching enlightenment, but deciding to stop in their own path to buddhahood to guide mortals. He couldn't understand this show of compassion, he couldn't understand the need to help others. All his life, the only thing that has ever mattered for him was himself. He never felt anything for others, and even if he did try, in the first years of his existence, it became fruitless. He lived for himself, basking in his own selfishness. He never thought of others nor of the consequences of his actions.
“Why do you help me?” Asked the prisoner once they finished their breakfast, unable to help himself after musing for so long on the uselessness of compassion. Both bodhisattva looked at him with softened eyes. He didn't like it. He loathed that look. He wanted to claw at their faces. Ruin their perfect skin, white as the moon for her, tan like the sun for him. He hated it. Why were they so impeccable? He wanted to make them bend, he was tired of looking up at everyone coming his way.
He wanted to spoil them, like he was spoiled, yet he restrained himself, for he was afraid of punishment.
“Because you need it.” Replied Mansjuri, his voice soft as always, yet firm, each word said with his utmost belief.
“Everyone can change.” Added Guanyin with a smile fresh as the first peaches of the spring harvest.
The macaque lips tightened, growls on the tip of his tongue. It didn't make any sense. They didn't make any sense. How could such selfless beings even exist? Perhaps, that was the divide between mere mortals and bodhisattvas, their intentions unfathomable for the likes of him. His eyebrow twitched angrily at the thought. He loathed to be looked down upon. He tightened his fists and hid it inside of his sleeves.
He needed to control himself.
***
Both bodhisattvas left the Palace of Compassion soon after breakfast, the macaque followed the hem of their robes, running after them, like the hound chasing the prize. Like always, Hui'an was at Guanyin's side, walking alongside her with ease. They summoned their clouds and Manocalmed for his lion, the black-furred monkey once again settled in the back of Guanyin's. If he was bolder, he would settle on the front, feel the wind in his fur, admire Heaven from above, but as it was he didn't want to anger them. The travel was incredibly short, the clouds fast enough to reach all corners of Heaven in a matter of minutes. Bodhisattvas and disciples stopped before a lavish mansion, it looked like it was made of stones but polished until it shone brighter than any jewels. The macaque wondered if the one living in this place wanted to capture all the rays of the sun, because each time light fell on the stone it became trapped within the smooth surface, making it shine even brighter. The roof was made of striking red tiles decorated with statues of monkeys. All monkeys were carved with joy on their faces, sculpted to be playing on the edge of the roof, running across the tiles with laughter. Plants and flowers bloomed at the foot of the door, completely untamed, creating a path of lush grass. Twenty four lances with banners screaming BIMAWEN were planted in front of the gates. Hui'an took the golden hoop resting on the stone gates and knocked, the sound echoing in the peaceful silence.
The prisoner suddenly heard whispers blooming behind the door, surprisingly enough they all sounded the same, as if a hoard of twins lived in this place. After a few minutes, the doors bursted open, violently slammed by a blonde-furred monkey dressed in red. The lavish round-neck robe looked ruffled, as if he slept with it, and his soft-winged futou was falling on one side of his head, unable to contain his knotted mane. His face was ball-like round and incredibly hairy, he had the beak of a thunder god and forked ears pointing towards the sky. His cheeks along with his body were sunken, almost as if someone dug into his very flesh. His fur was lush, abondant, so much that the macaque felt like he could drown in it. The monkey nodded at the two bodhisattvas (but unlike any other he did not bow) and smiled broadly at them, his upward fangs glinting under Heaven's halo.
“Bimawen.” Respectfully greeted Guanyin. “You weren't at the Jade Emperor audience yesterday.”
“The Jade Emperor does those things too early, it's never of great importance for me anyway.” Shrugged the blonde-furred monkey, seemingly unfearful of Heaven's wrath.
“This one would have. The Jade Emperor decided to heed your request and give you an attendant.” Added Mansjuri as he softly gestured towards the macaque. The bimawen brightened considerably, his eyes quickly falling upon the prisoner’s figure. The macaque felt uncomfortable under the intense scrutiny, he averted his eyes and bit his lips.
“That's good! It was time! Why is he so ugly though?” the black-furred monkey furiously perked up at the insult. Yes, he was perhaps not at his best, not after being starved for four days, but still it was incredibly rude. He glared at the blonde monkey, his eyes narrowed in slits.
“You're the ugly one.” He spat, fangs bared. The bimawen's good-natured expression immediately darkened, he glared at the macaque, his own fangs bared. The macaque flinched and ran behind Guanyin, hiding behind her white robe.
He messed up.
+ some notes to understand
Region Above : Heaven
Ox-Head and Bull-Head : The two servants of Yama who bring the dead souls in the underworld. There are several stories of people coming back to life and claiming to have seen those two monsters.
Cangue : wooden pillory used to shackle the wrists and neck
Li : Ancient Chinese measurement, 1 li = 576 meters
Bodhisattva : Buddhist sage who is very close to buddhahood but decided to stop to guide the others.
Chi : Ancient Chinese measurement 1 chi = 31,8cm (12,3in); 10 chi = 1 zhang ; 1 zhang = 3,18m (10,43ft) ; 1m = 3 chi. Here, less than four chi = less than 1,3m.
Next
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the-whispers-of-death · 1 year ago
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One-Sided Love (Or Is It?)
Kali, who yearns to sleep side by side with Stone. There's a body-shaped dent in his mattress that can only be filled by Stone.
Stone, who turns his head to the side every time he's outside and looking at the stars. He craves to see Kali sitting beside him, star-gazing with him.
Kali, who finds himself jotting down songs from Bollywood movies. He knows the songs that Stone likes and tries to get the vinyl records of the albums he thinks Stone would love.
Stone, who uses his military computer to ship Kali books about wolves. He knows they're Kali's favorite animal and he know they'll bring a smile to his face.
Kali, who looks out at the night sky and smiles. He can see Stone basking in the moonlight, the way Stone's brown eyes sparkle would rival the stars.
Stone, who sighs wistfully whenever he's outside and it's a hot day. He can see Kali's body relax underneath the sun's rays, hear the way Kali laughs at everyone's complaints about the heat.
Kali, who remembers how his parents had loved Stone. He had brought the other man to his parents' ranch and Stone had fit into their little family so well.
Stone, who calls Kali his family when he knows the other man's not around. He listed Kali as his emergency contact, trusting him with his affairs when he's not around to make the decisions himself.
Kali and Stone, who take time out of their day to write a letter to each other. Kali struggles with not overwhelming Stone with his feelings and Stone, who is not a talker by any means, becomes a poet when writing to Kali.
"Ox, I almost strangled another captain because he thought he could insult my squad member. I thought about how you'd brush it off so easily while also ensuring his behavior stops. It's stressful here without you, but I hope you're doing well. You're in my thoughts always, I know you have had your share of pain. I wish to ease the ache in your heart."
"Mufasa, I stand underneath the sun and think of you. It's hot here, all the time, and I can't help but think you'd love it. Not a day passes by without me thinking about you. I hope you're doing well too, you've had your share of pain as well. Your shoulders are heavy with burden and I wish to take some of the load."
Stone, who rereads Kali's letters every night. He sits in his bed in his barracks and memorizes the words so he dreams of Kali.
Kali, who keeps Stone's letters tucked in his vest. He keeps them there, tucked right against his heart so Stone keep his heart beating.
Reblogs are welcomed & appreciated! Asks are open, feel free to pop in and talk or request something! (SFW requests only, please and thank you)
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astrxlfinale · 2 months ago
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"While I can't say that you on your own is something that I consider extraordinary or even exhilarating in terms of somewhat intelligent life," Anaxa would pause with a slight examination of the younger.
Indeed, he had used the words somewhat intelligent life as he knew all too well that this creature was something - someone - of an interest strong enough to tamper with some of the gods lurking in this horrid world. That on its own, even in the eyes of a disbeliever, was something worth acknowledging. But what, truly, could be so enticing within this thing that the gods trembled and resonated with his presence?
The scholar drew closer, inviting himself into circles around Caelus, hands strapped this back as he'd deduct him. Somewhat tall, somewhat okay looking - he had seen worse, and certainly seen better - yes, perhaps a little on the skinny side compared to Phainon and the likes of Mydeimos who both seemed to hold some sort of ox genetic to them. Certainly not as cunning as that wicked woman from the baths, but... with a squint of his eye there he came in front of Caelus, Anaxagoras invited himself close enough to stare right down at Caelus' chest.
"Life."
There was something unpleasant about the way he said. Not resentment, but a morbid curiosity that only someone of his caliber would call upon and then a sharp adjustment of his head so a singular eye could stare directly into Caelus' own.
"That was why the Gods are interested in your frail little self. There is life inside you, like a flame acting on its own -" crackling, beating, existing. Oh, Anaxagoras couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he'd certainly slap a hand against that poor hero's chest; " - what, indeed, slumbers within the fearless hero from the beyond? A man, a a monster - or something e l s e ? Humor me, God's least favorite."
Here he was, settled under a particular scale of scrutiny as 'allies' situated in the Flame Chase. A raw honesty, a gaze that feels more like a blade compared to any heated weight of the cowardly who bask in platitudes and more political games. It allowed a more particular edge to be honed by the Nameless, allowing his eyes to follow the timed steps that hadn't swept to the opposing end of the 'circle.'
Invasive? That didn't feel like the right word. Rather, it was a gaze that found itself going beyond. In truth, Caelus hadn't felt this way since the day a Intelliron photographer had witnessed the delicate dance of Paths finding Harmony within him.
At the pause of the Teacher, their eyes locked once more, a brief instance before that studious gaze honed directly upon the domain of his beating heart. It was a movement brash enough to lead countless to stuttering back, bafflement or discomfort at the charge in a more frantic demand of why he made such an up close look. This would not be the case for the soul who forged his life out of soldiering through calamities.
It was the proof that this World found itself falling under the definition of that very word.
It all begins with that particular phase.
In truth? It fell into Caelus's realm of expectations, as this is the Demised Scholar, the one who discovered a central truth of Amphoreus despite being locked entirely in its confines. A secret of the Coreflames, how Divinity itself was merely a torch passed from the very Ex-humans that embraced the fate of Titanhood. Yet, there was no denying the instinctive darkening of Caelus's eyes in this moment, an acceptance to the very forthright style that Anaxagoras exercised.
Amidst the dance of questions as that firm hand slapped at his chest, daring the power to react, for an instant it led the Trailblazer's eyes to widen. Now brandishing the title of God's Least Favorite, it'd be in this moment where a grin of sharpened teeth would dawn. A gloved hand would find itself situated upon the top of the Scholar's. "Endings." He'd finalize, briefly releasing his more contained hold upon the Paths, instead, drawing upon the calamitous star and those gilded chains for a split moment in time.
It'd all start with how it looked as if the very skies began to dim around them, almost as if there was a preparation to bow as brief flicks of static danced in the air. In a way, Caelus couldn't resist the pull of curiosity, what would the man discover from a more forward hint?
Hints of golden flame began to thrive seething and pulse from his chest. It'd danced over their hands, allowing the alien but familiar power to seethe along their skin.
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"Nothing will be left the same wherever I step. To the days that are promised nothing but grim futures, it'd be this very part of me that hungers for them to bring its best attempts, Professor." It was etched in the very ways of Destruction itself. It was a scintillating, grim hatred that frothed and bubbled within his chest and in the golden flames. As this sole heir of the Stellaron may have torn from the collective screams for change, that desire hadn't left Caelus, merely finding itself recontextualized into his very definition.
What hidden truths would Anaxagoras be able to discover? As the power dims, so does the Nameless's grip release from their hand, offering full clearance to do whatever he pleases. The connection has been cast, and in a way, there was a growing confidence that maybe, just maybe this man could unravel truths about the Stellaron from a perspective outside of a wielder.
Something he could use all the same.
For this Star of Change would transform creation itself in the name of a horrific, challenging price.
@avaere
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dansnaturepictures · 2 years ago
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10/10/2023-Lakeside and home
Photos taken in this set are of: 1. View out the back with some nice yellow leaves coming. 2 and 3. A gorgeous Red Admiral I was thrilled to see on the exuberant and shining buddleia still in flower nicely out the front. A powerful moment watching this supreme butterfly, seeing a few at Lakeside too this star of the year is out in numbers again. 4. Some lovely ox tongue enjoyed again today a key flower this week so far. 5. A view at Lakeside, making the most of a bit of meadow still long taking me back to serene summer days, with mowing going on. 6. Bright red rose hips. 7. Beautiful creeping thistle by the lake still looking great. 8. An august Carrion Crow, one of two I got top close views of basking in the glorious autumnal sunlight, it picked at the ground and had a beak full of bird seed at one point. 9. Beautiful oxeye daisy beside the steam railway track. 10. A Collared Dove, frequent in the garden today.
Some avian excitement came late on in my lunch time walk with a close view of a Cormorant overhead walking along the northern path, and a rousing distant view of a circling Buzzard which was nice after hearing one there yesterday. Great views of Jackdaw including a fluffy slightly white one, Magpie, Robin again, young Herring Gull, Mallard, Moorhen and Great Crested Grebes stood out too with Long-tailed Tit heard, with Starlings and Blue Tit heard enjoyed at home. Speckled Wood, I believe a Brimstone seen quickly, fine views of Migrant Hawker and joined post-mating Common Darter and a hoverfly on the ox tongue were nice insect moments at Lakeside. Other key plants seen were hedge bindweed, sweet little hedgerow crane's-bill a nice one for this time of year, broad-leaved clover, yarrow, dock, hawthorn berries and apples. Alongside ox tongue carrot seed heads looked nice in the precious meadow scene. Long-bodied Cellar spider was good to see at home today too. Another rich autumnal day.
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braskide · 2 years ago
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❝  he has the strength of an ox. and sadly the grace of an ox as well.  ❞ (from Dona)
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𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝; what tenderness has to be had when a spiral of death leaves trails of anger? yuna has few memories of true happiness throughout the years — once her mantle of naïveté came undone amidst pain and anguish, she promised herself she would not let the world crumble in sadness. today, she resides over what yevon would never allow in the halls of old bevelle: pure joy with intricated hands with friends, family and loved ones. a ball of some sort had become the event of the moment, one high summoner yuna would be the host of. she's careful with pushing boundries within the new bevelle, and yet something calls her heart for vindication of all the time spent believing falsehood. so she allows herself this moment of peace, of joy — and she personally sent for dona to attend, the new lead of kilika.
and how pleasant it has been, for them to eye one another across the sacred halls as more influent people swarmed the place — with a nod of her head directed at dona, and a tug of her lips, as she then returned to conversation with other figures that demanded the high summoner's attention now that she had allowed herself out of her work ridden chambers.
it is not much after yuna allows herself rest and respite, finally free of the hold of any new small conversation. she is always content to see familiar faces and ones that chant of her incredible dedication, but she realizes as of late how lonely sitting atop bevelle truly feels. she adheres to the side of the halls, chalice in hand as she hides her lips, and her eyes beam with surprise and joy when the familiar figure she had been happy to see joins her side, quietly and shuffling at her side. the high summoner is quick to offer her a similar cup found behind them with a polite nod, words coming from her lips as she accepts her offer.
❝ he has the strength of an ox. and sadly the grace of an ox as well. ❞
yuna's eyes point towards where dona's gaze rests, finding the figure of barthello left unattended at the center of the grand hall, curious of the subject in question. her hands retract to herself, cup laying against her arm, laughter erupting silently and filling her lungs — though it is short lived, as her lips turn to rest into a straight line, yet still upholding in curvers at the corner as barthello insists on performing traditional kilika dance moves that yuna almost fails to recognize. a calm silence follows, one yuna basks in for a moment long. ❝ i wish sir auron was here to see him. ❞ the flower of nostalgia blossoms deep within her chest, eyes at times misty with memories — thus yuna inches closer to dona, her arm shamelessly interliking with hers, now forced in proximity as she does so, yet unable to look at her, truly look at her, for too much must unravel if she allows herself to look into the dark pools of her eyes, and thus her gaze continues to wander off where dona's companion entertains the crowd. ❝ he would have thought the same as you, i'm sure. ❞
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postanagramgenerator · 2 years ago
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what kind of fucked up and evil dish can i make without buying too many ingredients?
what kind of fucked up and evil dish can i make without buying too many ingredients?
->
this day and minute? go put kiwi in the microwave and see a gunky kind of bitch unfold
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quartings · 4 months ago
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Animals that aren't Pokemon yet (Mar 2025 Gen 9 Edition)
I noticed the original 2019 version of this post was still getting notes even though it's a bit outdated, so I've made an updated version here as we close off Gen 9 and get ready for Gen 10!
Invertebrates:
Anemone
Assassin Bug
Black Widow Spider
Bobbit Worm
Bombardier Beetle
Christmas Tree Worm
Colossal Squid
Cone Snail
Cuttlefish
Decorator Crab
Doorhead Ant
Dumbo Octopus
Earwig
Flea
Fly
Giant Tube Worm
Glaucus
Glow Worm
Honeypot Ant
Hummingbird Moth
Leaf Bug
Leech
Lobster
Man O War
Mayfly
Mimic Octopus
Proper Cockroach
Proper Mosquito
Sea Pig
Spider Crab
Stalk-eyed Fly
Stick Insect
Tarantula Hawk Wasp
Tardigrade
Termite
Thorn Bug
Water Boatman
Fish:
Archerfish
Barreleye Fish
Basking Shark
Blobfish
Both genders of Anglerfish
Chimera
Clownfish
Cookiecutter Shark
Cowfish
Flashlight Fish
Flying Fish
Frilled Shark
Frogfish
Gar
Goblin Shark
Hammerhead Shark
Icefish
Lionfish
Mahi-Mahi
Megamouth Shark
Moray Eel
Oarfish
Parrotfish
Ribbon Eel
Snakehead
Stingray
Stonefish
Sturgeon
Swordfish
Thresher Shark
Tripod Fish
Whale Shark
Wobbegong
Wolf Fish
Amphibians:
Caecillian
Cane Toad
Flying Frog
Midwife Toad
Olm
Reptiles:
Anole
Armadillo Lizard
Blue Tongued Skink
Flying Snake
Gila Monster
Iguana
Jackson’s Chameleon
Komodo Dragon
Marine Iguana
Sea Snake
Snake-Necked Turtle
Thorny Devil
Tuatara
Birds:
Albatross
Blue Jay
Bowerbird
Burrowing Owl
Canary
Cassowary (Teraleak)
Cockatoo
Cock of the Rock
Condor
Crane
Emu
Goose
Guineafowl
Hoatzin
Hoopoe
Hornbill
Hummingbird
Jacana
Kakapo
Kea
Kingfisher
Kiwi
Kookaburra
Lyrebird
Oilbird
Potoo
Puffin
Sage Grouse
Secretary Bird
Shoebill
Snowy Owl
Turkey
Umbrellabird
Mammals:
Aardvark
Armadillo
Babirusa
Baiji
Beluga Whale
Bilby
Capybara
Cheetah
Chinese Water Deer
Coati
Colugo
Dalmatian/Chihuahua/Husky
Dingo
Fossa
Gazella
Golden Mole
Highland Cow
Hyrax
Irrawaddy Dolphin
Jerboa
Lemming
Llama
Manatee
Mandrill
Moose
Musk Ox
Naked Mole Rat
Narwhal
Okapi
Platypus
Porcupine
Possum
Proboscis Monkey
Proper Kangaroo
Proper Rhino
Quokka
Ram
Saiga
Slow Loris
Solenodon
Sperm Whale
Star-nosed Mole
Tarsier
Warthog
Wolverine
Wombat
Extinct:
Dodo
Thylacine
Quagga
Giant Auk
Megaloceros
Megatherium
Glyptodon
Wooly Rhino
Terror Bird
Basilosaurus
Argentavis
Spinosaurus
Ankylosaurus
Parasaurolophus
Azdarchid
Koolasuchus
Triceratops
Shunosaurus
Iguanodon
Pliosaur
Elasmosaurus
Icthyosaur
Therezinosaur
Utahraptor
YiQi
Tapejara
Ornithocheirus
Stegosaur
Dimetrodon
Heliocoprion
Stethacanthus
Orthocone
Pterygotus
Mythical/Cryptid:
Beast of Bodmin
Beast of Dartmoor
Bigfoot
Boitata
Cerberus
Chupacabra
Cockatrice
Flatwoods Monster
Fresno Nightcrawler
Gargoyle
Griffin
Ice Wyrm
Jackalope
Jersey Devil
Mandrake
Minotaur
Mongolian Death Worm
Mothman
Nessie
Ningen
Owlman
Pegasus
Quetzalcoatl
Ropen
Sleipnir
Wolpertinger
Animals from the previous March 2019 list that now have Pokemon equivalents:
Grasshopper/Locust (Nymble and Lokix)
Poodle Moth (Frosmoth)
Scarab (Rellor and Rabsca)
Sea Urchin (Pincurchin)
Worm (Orthworm)
Bubblehead Goldfish (Chi-Yu to an extent)
Garden Eel (Wigglet and Wugtrio)
Draco (Inteleon)
Cormorant (Cramorant)
Flamingo (Flamigo)
Frigatebird (Kilowattrel)
Peacock (Quaquaval to an extent)
Roadrunner (Galarian Zapdos)
Stork (Bombirdier)
Aye-Aye (Grafaiai)
Bottlenose Dolphin (Finizen and Palafin)
Corgi (Yamper)
Dachshund (Dachsbun)
Greyhound (Boltund)
Gorilla (Rillaboom)
Snow Leopard (Chien Pao)
Tenrec (Shroodle)
Smilodon (Chien Pao and Raikou to an extent)
Dunkleosteus (Vish. The other Galar fossils only partially count)
Diplocaulus (Dreepy, Drakloak, Dragapult)
Chimera (Type Null and Silvally- should have already been noted)
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ancientpathwayswitchcraft · 2 years ago
Link
Discover the ancient wisdom of tarot illuminated through the eyes of the divine Hera. This unique reading delves deep into the messages of The Sun, II of Pentacles (reversed), and V of Pentacles, guiding seekers on a journey of enlightenment and introspection.
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esradurmaz · 2 months ago
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For the first time in recent memory, the silence between them felt palpable. No random calls, no one-off texts meant to disrupt Esra's day for his own amusement. Until the night of the yacht party she might've even enjoyed the break from Troy and his antics, basking in one less annoyance on her docket during a focused week of smearing the LAPD in every headline she could manage. Instead, being iced out only served to water the strange hollowness which stemmed from being siloed into her work. Up all night strategizing, catching naps during the day between meetings or calls, and idly wondering in the rare, quiet moments if she'd pissed him off that badly.
Grudges are Esra's specialty, with the fortitude of an ox and enough harrowing life experience to build her walls a thousand meters high, she can outlast nearly anyone. Which makes it all the more bewildering when she finds herself standing in the foyer of his home, the first to make an effort and extend the tiniest sliver of an olive branch. Chalk it up to needing the professional connection, or perhaps the way she'd frowned when receiving an unregistered voicemail and not hearing his familiar bass on the other end of the recording.
A plucky assistant offers to go fetch him, or at least proclaim her arrival like he's in a damn throne room, but Esra lifts her hand to bring them up short. "It's fine, he's expecting me. I'll just go in." He most certainly is not, however fairness dictates that she can't be the only person temporarily out of their element today. Without giving herself time to pause or take a breath beforehand, one palm carefully pushes open the door just wide enough to reveal her leaning one shoulder against its frame.
"I know." Having it dry-cleaned was also an intentional courtesy; she was chock full of good deeds today. Stepping further into the room, Esra softly closed the door to avoid prying ears. "Since when do you wear glasses?"
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CLOSED FOR: @esradurmaz
LOCATION: Troy's home office
It had just happened one day: the house in Bel Air that he had once called his home turning into the very same place that he would have off the record meeting with the most dangerous people in town. Make no mistake, Troy still slept under that same roof, still lived under it. But when it really mattered, the house hadn't been a home in so long that by now, despite how perfectly decorated it was, sometimes it felt as if it was staged for his clients to see rather than a real home.
Troy had been working non-stop, never being one to struggle with his workload, but realizing that he needed to put in extra time to stay on top of everything. His double life couldn't be affected in any way, shape or form, no matter what he was going through. Somehow, with everything going on, a name kept popping up in his head though. Annoyingly reminding him of the night of the yacht party.
By now, the sudden reaction that came with Esra's words that night had dulled but the Attorney General had yet to contact her; a rare move from him, who tended to find ways to text her over non-issues. He always thought it was due to the nature of their partnership, how easy it was to annoy her. It seemed like a little game they played but the fact that Troy was having what felt like withdrawals over the lack of contact recently should've been a warning for him.
One that he was fully ignoring, obviously.
His second assistant normally announced whoever arrived to see him, but there was no warning this time as the half opened door to his office was pushed open all the way and Troy looked up only to find Esra stepping in, a reminder that she could have a pull with literally anyone. Even Troy's employee. Surprise was written all over his face, but Troy tried to act like he wasn't a deer caught in headlights by removed his reading glasses and giving himself time to come up with words that made sense, his tone still slightly clipped but lacking any real bite as he noticed what she was carrying. "You could have mailed that, you know? Saved you the LA traffic."
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exhausted-archivist · 2 years ago
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Bestiary of Thedas
From bird to insect, fish to land animal. Every creature mentioned in Dragon Age, blighted and non-blighted, spirits and demon, created and possessed creatures alike are listed along with their breeds, subspecies, or variations.
If you want a more specific list, check out the post for Real World Animals in Thedas
Updated: 2023/11
Amphibian
Frog
Salamander
Toad
Horned Toad
Poison Toad
Birds
Albatross
Black-capped Songbird
Bluebird
Budgerigar
Bunting
Buzzard
Canary
Crow
Dove
Duck
Mallard Duck
Eagle
Falcon
Finch
Goose
Grouse
Gull
Hawk
Kingfisher
Lark
Magpie
Merlin
Mockingbird
Nightingale
Owl
Parakeet
Parrot
Partridge
Peafowl
Pheasant
Pigeon
Ptarmigan
Quail
Raven
Robin
Rock Darter - Native to the Anderfels, an insect eating bird.
Seagull
Simir - A bird hunted in Tevinter for the magical properties in their feathers.
Sparrow
Swan
Swift
Turkey
Vulture
Bald-necked Vulture
Fish and Marine Creatures
Blind Tetrava
Bluefin
Carp
Cetus
Cod
Eel
Lamprey Eel
Jellyfish
Krone
Mackerel
Octopus
Raytooth
River Herring
Shark
Squid
Giant Squid
Trout
Whale
Bony Whale-Shark
Pilot Whale
Whitebait
Crustaceans and Shellfish
Clam
Crab
Giant Swamp Crab
Crayfish
Cuttlefish
Lobster
Mussel
Oyster
Prawns
Shrimp
Insects
Bee
Bumblebee
Honeybee
Beetle
Cave Beetle
Death Watch Beetle
Dung Beetle
Glow Worm
Roof Beetle
Wood-burrowing Beetle
Butterfly
Cricket
Dragonfly
Firefly
Flea
Fly
Blue Flies
Giant Spider
Giant Poisonous Spider
Giant Spiderling
Poison Spider
Gnat
Hornet
Ladybug
Leeches
Locust
Maggot
Scorpion
Silkworms
Slugs
Snail
Spider
Wasp
Worm
Earthworm
Poison Worm
Tapeworm
Mammals
Badger
Honey Badger
Bat
Giant Bats
Bear
Black Bear
Brown Bear
Cavern Bear
Great Bear
Large Bear
Boar
Bogfisher
Bronto
Cat
Cattle
Bull
Cow
Ox
Qalab
Chicken
Cockerel
Cretahl
Dathrasi
Deer
Red Deer
Stag
Dog
Coursing Hound
Ferelden Shepard
Hunting Dog
Mabari
Pug
Rat Terrier
Sheepdog
Wild Dog
Wofun Hound
Donkey
Druffalo
Elephant
Elk
Ermine
Fennec
Ferret
Fox
Gazelle
Ghast
Giant
Goat
Ayesleigh gulabi goats
Mountain Goat
Griffon
Gurn
Halla
Hamster
Hare
Hart
Bercilian Sure-Foot
Greater Frostback Elk
Pride of Arlathan
Red Hart
Royal Sixteen
Tirashan Swiftwind
White Hart
Wild Hart
Horse
Amaranthine Charger
Anderfel
Anderfel Courser
Asaarash
Avvar Mixed Draft
Dalish All-Bred
Fereldan Forder
Free Marches Ranger
Frostback Mountain Horse
Green Dales Feral
Imperial Warmblood
Inquisition Barded Charger
Oath-Bound Steed
Orlesian Courser
Taslin Strider
Hyena
Jackal
Jackrabbit
Lion
Great Lion
Red Lion
Lynx
Marmot
Marten
Mole
Monkey
Moose
Mountain Lion
Mouse
Chip Mouse
Mule
Nug
Nuggalope
Avvar War Nug
Battle Nug
Greater Nuggalope
Greater Mountain Nuggalope
Gwaren Land-Hammer
Knuckled Thunderer
Tiddles Majoris
Otter
Pig
Rabbit
Raccoon
Ram
August Ram
Rat
Giant Rat
Sheep
Snoufleur
Spotted Cat
Spotted Hunting Cat
Squirrel
Tiger
Tusket
Voles
Weasel
Wolf
Black Wolf
Crag Wolf
Great Wolf
Wolverine
Reptiles
Adder
Death Adder
Basilisks
Cobra
Crocodile
Deepstalker
Deepstalker Matriarch - largest deepstalker
Deepstalker Leader - always male, second largest deepstalker
Deepstalker Runner
Dracolisk
Abyssal Hang-Tooth
Basking Longma
Blue River Bane
Desert Lightning
Hunter Shade Dracolisk
Mountain Dracolisk
Primal-Trained Longma
Sharp-Tail
Dragon
Abyssal High Dragon
Fereldan Frostback
Gamordan
Stormrider
Greater Minstral
Guardian of Mythal
Highland Ravager
Hivernal
Hunterhorn Shrikes
Kaltenzahn
Northern Hunter
Sandy Howler
Stonejaw
Vinsomer
Dragonling
Drake
Great Dragon
Guardian Serpent
Gurgut
Lurker
Phoenix
Quillback
Sand Stalker - a small vermin-like creature similar to deepstalkers
Sand Stalker Spitter
Sand Stalker Leader - larger than common sand stalkers
Varghest
Viper
Wyvern
Snowy Wyvern
Created Creatures
Golem
Varterral
Blighted Creatures
Bereskarn
Blight Owl
Blight Wolf
Blighted Werewolf
Bloodcrow
Corrupted Spider
Corrupted Spider Queen
Darkspawn
Archdemon
Broodmothers
Children
Emissary
Genlock
Hurlock
Ogre
Shriek
Darkspawn Magisters (Named and known)
The Architect
Corypheus
Dragon Thrall
Ghoul
Created Creatures
Golem
Varterral
Demons and Spirits
Spirits
Choice
Command
Compassion
Faith
Hope
Justice
Knowledge
Perseverance
Valor
Wisdom
Memory
Wisp
Wraith
Demons
Desire
Despair
Envy
Fear
Hunger
Pride
Rage
Remorse
Shade
Sloth
Terror
Vengeance
Possessed/Magical Creatures
Abomination
Arcane Horror
Ash Wraith
Corpse
Devouring Corpse
Devouring Skeleton
Enraged Corpse
Fanged Skeleton
Shambling Corpse
Shambling Skeleton
Skeleton
Skeleton Archer
Skeleton Mage
Walking Corpse
Dryads
Harvester
Revenant
Rock Wraith
Ancient Rock Wraith
Sylvans
Vampire
Werewolf
Wood Nymphs
Undefined
Glowing Slime
Firesprite
Wandering Hills
Sources
Dragon Age Origins + DLCs Dragon Age Awakening Dragon Age 2 + DLC Dragon Age Inquisition + DLC Dragon Age Inquisition Multiplayer Dragon Age: Last Court Dragon Age: Official Cookbook: Tastes of Thedas Dragon Age Tabletop Core Rulebook Dragon Age Tabletop Blood of Ferelden World of Thedas Vol 1 World of Thedas Vol 2 Dragon Age: Asunder Dragon Age: Masked Empire Dragon Age: Last Flight Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights Short Story: The Riddle of Truth Short Story: Varric Dragon Age Origins Armor: Clamshell Armor Armor: Dalish Gloves Codex: The Bow of the Golden Sun Codex: Bronto Codex: Deepstalker Codex: The Frostback Mountains Codex: Meditations and Odes to Bees Codex: Nug Codex: Rat Codex: The Vaterral Item: Fox's Pendant Item: Golden Mirror Item: Lamb Bone Item: Micah/s Lucky Deer Foot Item: Ox Bone Item: Rat Poison Item: Uncrushable Pigeon Weapon: Cat Lady's Hobble-Stick Dragon Age 2 Armor: Rat-Nibbled Gloves Codex: Broken Dowsing Rods - No Refunds Codex: Carta Bronto Codex: Pride and Rider Junk: Stuffed Parrot Quest: Redblossom Special Weapon: The Tiger's Tail Last Court The Acerbic Dowager The Applewoods The Arrival of the Divine The Boastful Neighbor The Cheery Baron Choose your quarry The Dowager Steps Forward Enlightenment Glass Glassblowers' Anger Graffiti A Life of Toil A Meeting with the Outlaw A Plea for Sanctuary River Herring The Sealed Chantry A Swift Stream Sylvian Raid An Unofficial Meeting The Well-Read Pig-Farmer You have cornered the bear You have the hind in view Dragon Age Inquisition Items and Codex Codex: August Ram Codex: Andruil's Messenger Codex: Bear (Inquisition) Codex: Constellation Tenebrium Codex: Correspondence Interruptus Codex: Crate of the Live Death Watch Beetles Codex: Cretahl Codex: Dirthamen: Keeper of Secrets Codex: The Folly of General Not-Shertan Codex: Ghilan'nain: Mother of the Halla Codex: Hard in Hightown Chapter 15 Codex: A Horsemaster's Notes on Mounts Codex: The Hunt of the Fell Wolf Codex: Journal of Gurd Harofsen Codex: The Lion of Orlais Codex: Moldy Journal Codex: A Nutty Affair Codex: On Avvar Cuisine Codex: The Perendale War Codex: Ram Codex: Scout Lace Harding Codex: Surviving the Western Approach Landmark: Crestwood: The Guide of Falon'Din Note: Charred Note Note: Sera's Cabinet of Wonder Whose it Was Valuable: Carved Cricket Charm Valuable: Cut Crystal Lion Valuable: Eagle Feather Charm Valuable: Falcon Crest Valuable: Glass Fox Valuable: Golden Ladybug Charm Valuable: Grouse Feather Charm Valuable: Raven Totem Valuable: Silver Dragonfly Charm Valuable: Vulture Feather Charm Valuable: Wooden Mabari Figurine Wartable Mission: A Present for Bianca Wartable Mission: Smash
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dansnaturepictures · 2 years ago
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26/09/23-Thursley
Flora and fauna photos in this set are of: 1. A majestic Hobby it was a true joy to see gliding through the blue sky early on in the amazing time we spent here today. A quintessential bird of this habitat teeming with their famous prey dragonflies, I felt so honoured to get such fine and spectacular views of this beautiful bird I adore as I watched it swoop and noticed from this photo I was pleased to get of it that it has prey in its talons. 2. A Common Lizard, I believe the first of any I'd seen this year there were loads basking in the sun on the boardwalk today, big and small, it was enthralling to see these sparkling reptiles. 3. One of a few Red Kites it was great to see today too, seeing one circle overhead closely and fly over the bright blue water. 4. A stunning Black Darter, I am so pleased that we saw these today as it was the main thing I wanted to see here. It's a special sighting as my first of the year and first of the species I'd seen for two years as it takes my dragonfly and damselfly year list to 21 making it my highest ever. That means in 2023 all five of the year lists I keep (this one, birds, butterflies, moths and mammals) are my highest ever which is something I'm so thrilled about and underlines the incredible year I'm having for watching wildlife with so much seen. This has always been the main place for us for this species and today you couldn't move for them in parts of the board walk, it was amazing to see so many and get striking intimate views of them with some staying put long enough for a photo with my macro lens unusually for dragonflies. 5. Some bog asphodel I enjoyed seeing. 6. Some smashing round-leaved sundew it was a treat to see. 7. Emerald Damselfly, a star damselfly of my day, week and year. 8. Common Darter another seen so well today again this year, it was lovely to see these and the Black Darters mating and egg laying. 9. One of a few Stonechats it was nice to see. 10. Harvestman spider.
In a raptor fest other great birds of prey seen were Kestrel and Buzzard, and sensational views of singing Woodlarks including in the air and Dartford Warbler seen were two more Thursley specialties we enjoyed seeing. Jay, a few Carrion Crows, Jackdaw, Magpie, Pied Wagtail, a fair few House Martins, flocks of Meadow Pipits and Goldfinches, Siskin, Linnet, Mallard, a great pair of Little Grebes and Green Woodpecker heard were other bird highlights today. Red Admiral, Small Copper, Common Blue Damselfly, Migrant and Southern Hawker, grasshopper probable Meadow Grasshopper, Box Tree moth, hornet, a red ant and beautiful Fox moth caterpillars were other notable insects seen today. Other standout plants seen were of course heather with some still looking nice and purple I believe we saw bell and common heather and cross-leaved heath, gorse, rosebay willowherb, tormentil, devil's-bit scabious, cotton grass and hawksbeard/ox tongue.
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aspiringtrashpanda · 3 years ago
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💚ZORO x ROBIN💜
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This is for my spontaneous event, which you can find here!  Always happy to write ZoRobin for my darling @hiraethwrites​ 💕
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“Hey love, look!”
Zoro’s hand tightened around hers, his thick palms squeezing her fingers and prompting a giggle to fall from her lips.  He tugged her to the next stall, ignoring her place in the queue of their current stop, eyes dead set on something up ahead.  
Robin’s anticipation grew.  It had to be something good for Zoro to drop everything and fixate.  
It had been Zoro’s choice to go to the mall to purchase a new pair of boots for the oncoming rainy season – something he had been avoiding due to his general distaste for crowded spaces and the majority of the population – though, it had been Robin’s choice to visit the department store that specialized in antiques.  
After an hour of milling about the various stalls, laughing at disturbing dolls attempting to portray children (though the result screamed don’t get it wet, don’t feed it past midnight), and marveling at the durability of ancient salt and pepper shakers, Zoro was getting antsy.  Robin couldn’t blame him.  Though she found endless entertainment in retro TV stands and loose Coca-Cola signs, Zoro could only look at so many blown glass vases before he considered himself officially bored.  
The plastic bag containing his new boots swung perilously close to a china tea set as he plowed on ahead, Robin swatting the bag away before it could get them banned.  She scurried after him, curiosity prickling the edges of her brain, her eyes searching their path ahead for what could have interested her boyfriend.  
Entering an area of the store dedicated more so to things considered retro, and not antique, Zoro beelined towards a boxy rectangle hoisted up on four rickety legs.  It flashed invitingly against one of the flimsy dividers that separated the vendors, prompting Zoro’s jaw to hit the ground.
Robin’s jaw hit the ground when she saw the absurd priced fixed to its side.  Her disappointment subsided, though, when she saw the enthusiasm in Zoro’s wild beam, the way his steely eyes light up, reflecting the flashing yellow lights that beckoned him to play.
“YO!” His large hands shook the pinball machine as he rested his palms on either side of the glass, the window that revealed the intricate maze of walls and lights and holes within shuddering under his strength.  “I haven’t seen one of these in ages!”
Robin hummed in amusement, watching in interest as Zoro pulled back a lever, releasing a small metal ball into the... court?  Playing field?  Was there even a sports term to associate with pinball?
“How about a little competition?” She tapped at the glass as the ball fell through the flippers closest to Zoro, signaling the end of the round.  
“What stakes we talkin’, here?” Zoro grinned, his fingers toggling buttons lining the side of the game, as if in practice.  
It was Robin’s turn to grin, leaning over the glass to examine the maze carefully.  She was taking it all in – which bumpers would send her further into the course, which combos would give her the greatest number of points.  Once satisfied, she rocked back on her heels and mused, “Loser buys milkshakes.”
“I don’t even like milkshakes.”
“Then, I suppose you better win,” Robin giggled, her laugh prompting Zoro’s eyes to temporarily lose their competitive edge, for soft affection to touch his features as he reveled in the sound of her happiness.  
Robin was so in love with this brilliant man.  This brilliant man who made her laugh, who challenged her, who kept her mind sharp and busy.  This brilliant man with the strength of an ox, the ferocity of a tiger, the playfulness of a puppy, and the devotion of a lovebird. This brilliant man who had stood by her side through thick and thin, who basked and preened in the light of her smile, as if her joy was the one thing that mattered most to him.  
This brilliant man, who managed to bounce the metal ball back and forth between approximately 6 bumpers before losing the ball to the trough.  
“Ah, shit,” He grumbled, stepping aside to give Robin her turn.  
She pulled the lever and started her match, her fingers flying over buttons as she impressed even herself with her ability to keep up with the ball as it flew across the course.  She paid no mind to the jarring squawks of horns or the obnoxious ringing of bells, refused to be distracted by the flashing bulbs lining the box.  
She beat his score in 15 seconds.  
She beat the top score in 5 minutes.  
“I love you,” Zoro whispered in her ear as he held her close.
“I can feel you trying to play pinball behind my back,” Robin replied.  
They compromised on bubbletea, wandering hand in hand throughout the mall, Robin happily slurping her espresso-based milkshake with tapioca balls.  Zoro had chosen a basic taro milk tea.
He forewent the tapioca, muttering something about them resembling pinballs.  
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