#buffalo school spirit

[grannyandgrandpascreations]

Forever Bison Buffalo School Spirit Hanky

Show your unwavering school spirit with our "Forever Bison" hanky! Featuring a creative design where the buffalo head proudly replaces the "O" in "Bison," this hanky is perfect for students, alumni, and fans. Made with soft, durable fabric, it's a versatile accessory for cheering on your team, displaying school pride, or gifting to a fellow supporter. Celebrate your love for the Bison with this unique keepsake.

This is a 16 × 16 square, lightweight, soft, and stitched at the edges for a durable, polished finish. Perfect for cheering on your team, displaying your pride, or gifting to a fellow supporter.

We recommend not to wash, but to spot clean and air dry.

#ForeverBison #SchoolSpirit #TeamPride #BuffaloDesign #LightweightHanky #CottonHandkerchief #SupportYourTeam #GrannyAndGrandpasCreations

Cheer on your team with the "Forever Bison" Hanky, crafted from lightweight, soft cotton with a bold buffalo head design. Perfect for school spirit! Discover Granny and Grandpa's Custom Creations, a family-owned small business dedicated to crafting unique and personalized treasures. Shop online or visit us in-store to explore boutique clothing for all ages, custom t-shirts, and personalized gifts.

[waywardxwords]

I Always Have

Summary: Dean reluctantly agrees to visit a haunted house with you.

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Female Reader

Word Count: ~2.1k

Warnings: Slight language, small mention of claustrophobia, fluff!

A/N: Day 3 of the #flufftober2023 (@flufftober) prompt challenge! The prompt is: "Wait, you love me?" - "I always have." Side note: if you are on my tag list, I am planning/attempting to post once a day during the month of October. I know that’s a lot of tags and mentions, so if you’d like to be removed you can do so through the Tag List linked in my bio.

Enjoy!

Haunted Houses weren’t really Dean’s thing…well, of course real haunted houses were. But this was different. This wasn’t haunted by real spirits or monsters; mostly just local high school and college students who needed extra money in the fall so they dressed up like ghosts and ghouls. 

Dean had always hated the idea of actually visiting a haunted house. “You’re gonna pay money to go into an old building and have idiot kids try to scare you? Seriously? That’s the dumbest shit I’ve ever heard.” 

“It’s not just a haunted house, Deanie,” you had egged him on with the nickname he didn’t seem to appreciate. “It’s the pumpkins, and the apple cider, and that fun feeling of experiencing fall and Halloween as a kid.” He had just rolled his eyes. You loved getting under his skin, and as much as you would tell Sam you didn’t know why, you knew (and Sam knew, for that matter).

“Would you two just kiss already?” Sam had teased you from the kitchen of the bunker one night after you had poked and pushed on Dean so hard he had given up and retreated to his bedroom. 

“Ew,” you had forced yourself to shudder at the thought. “Don’t make me puke.”

He laughed so hard he tossed his head back as he did it. “Yeah, okay. The tension between you two is about to make me puke, so do me a favor and just keep it outta the main living areas, got it?” He wasn’t able to dodge the sponge you had been washing dishes with as you tossed it right at his head. 

So here you stood on this October night in the bunker looking at Dean blankly. You blinked twice. 

“You comin’ or not?” He drawled with mock frustration as he pulled his army green jacket over his red and black buffalo plaid flannel. He grabbed the keys off of the counter top and looked at you expectantly. 

“You’re taking me to the haunted house?” You still didn’t believe him. 

“I was plannin’ on it, but you better hurry the hell up before I change my mind,” he grumbled but couldn’t hide the tug at the corner of his lips as you practically squealed and ran by him to get your jacket. 

“Dude,” Sam eyed his brother as soon as you were out of ear shot. 

“I don’t want to hear it,” Dean held up his hand and went to wait for you in the Impala. 

“What made you change your mind?” You finally asked as Dean pulled the Impala into a parking spot in the dirt field. There were tons of other cars—this wasn’t just a haunted house, but a haunted trail as well and you could hardly hide your excitement. 

“I was tired of hearin’ you bitch and moan,” he shot you a cheesy, over exaggerated smile with his eyes squinted. You rolled your eyes and flung the door open. “Hey, careful with my Baby!” He chirped, his face suddenly morphed into a small scowl. 

“I’m not gonna hurt your precious car, Deanie,” you teased as you met him by the front of the Impala. Each step you took almost had a skip to it, and you couldn’t help yourself as you slipped your arm through his and linked it just at his elbow. 

You weren’t sure if you imagined it, but you felt like his demeanor softened. The two of you walked like that as your boots crunched against the gravel and dirt. There were quite a few others there and a line had formed. The trail was dark but lit by yellow glowing lanterns strung from trees and solar path lights on the ground. 

“Fifteen dollars per person,” there was a teenaged boy at the front of the line with a cash box. Dean’s scowl returned. “Cash only.” He added on at the end. 

“Seriously? Fifteen bucks?” He looked at the kid who just pointed to the sign taped to the front of the table he was at. It read in printed font, ‘$15 per adult’. “Great,” Dean fumbled in his back pocket for his wallet. 

“I got it, Dean. You brought me here and I know it’s not your thing,” you reached for your cross body bag to fish out the money. 

“I got it,” Dean huffed as he retrieved a $20 and a $10 from his leather wallet. “Here.” He handed it to the kid. The kid nodded you both into the event. “What first? Trail or house?” 

“Hmm,” you pondered, your excitement had returned. “Let’s do the trail first.” Your eyes wandered for a second and a squeal left your lips again before you could reign it back in as your gaze noticed a booth just ahead. 

“Jesus Christ,” Dean mumbled, but there was a slight chuckle tucked behind it. 

“Apple cider!” You practically pulled him towards the stand. There was no line, so you were under the lights of the vendor almost immediately. “Two apple ciders, please.” This time, you were sure to pull out your wallet first. 

“That’ll be six dollars,” the woman returned with two cups of cider. You handed her the cash and handed a cup to Dean. 

“Cheers!” You beamed as you clinked your paper cup against his. You noticed a small eye roll from him, but he obliged and took a sip. 

He made a sour face. “Why do you love this stuff?” He rubbed his lips together to get the sweet sticky substance off. 

“I think the real question is, how do you not love this kinda stuff,” you threw back at him as you looped your arm back through his and slowly walked towards the trail. “Halloween is so magical, Dean! It’s literally the best time of year. I think they’ve even polled people on that and determined it is actually the majority's favorite time of the year.”

“Yeah, well, they forgot to poll me on that one,” he grumbled. “We fight this stuff every day. Not this stuff, because it’s fake. But the real deal—the kinda stuff that could kill us. How are you not jaded by that?”

You took a moment before you answered. Your feet stopped moving, so Dean’s stopped too. He turned to look at you as your arm fell out of his. 

“When I was a kid, my Dad loved Halloween. I swear, his whole mood changed when fall rolled around. He built a wooden casket and rigged it with fishing wire to open when our front door opened. We scared every kid that came to our house. And kids would literally come from all over to get spooked,” the memory brought a smile to your lips. “I didn’t even want to trick-or-treat half the time. I just wanted to be at home with my Dad scaring the local middle schoolers. My Dad could be difficult,” your smile fell for a moment as other memories tried to make their way through—memories that Dean was well versed in at this point in your friendship. “But when Halloween came around? Man, those were the best days.”

Dean was silent as his eyes watched your face. He saw the emotions ebb and flow as you spoke. He nodded once. “Okay, then,” he said simply. “Let’s go get spooked.” This time, he held his arm out for you to link yours through, causing you to smile. 

The trail ended up being more hilarious than terrifying. But you and Dean had thoroughly enjoyed watching others jump and yell as they made their way through. 

Next up, the haunted house. This was a little bit different than the trail, as the hallways were so tightly constructed, only one person could walk ahead at a time. You shuddered slightly as you waited, but it was enough for Dean to notice.

“Oh, come on,” he teased as he glanced over his shoulder at you. “You’re not scared, are you?”

Your face scrunched at him as you gave him a slight nudge. “Not scared,” you emphasized. “Just jumpy…” sounds of other haunted house goers ahead of you erupted from just inside the corridor–it made you excited all over again. 

It was your turn to enter the main hallway next. They paused between groups to give everyone the full experience. Dean led the way with you closely behind. The house was even darker than outside, if possible, so it took your eyes a second or two to adjust. 

There were fake cobwebs and a strobe light tucked away somewhere that sent flashes of light in the hall. Screams filled your ears, and you weren’t sure if they were from other patrons or if there was an audio playing in the background—probably the latter. Your eyes danced around in sensory overload as you tried to take it all in. As Dean rounded the first corner, you missed the memo that there were holes cut out in the wall, so when the first pair of hands reached out followed by someone growling behind the plywood, you couldn’t help the way your body jumped or the scream that followed. 

Dean tossed his head back in laughter and turned briefly to look at you. Your heart beat pretty hard against your chest, but you still reached out to swat at him. He surprised you by catching your wrist with his large palm and carefully pulled your arms so they were around his middle. He held them there, and you realized he was giving you something to hold onto. 

“Alright, Kat Harvey,” he referenced your favorite Casper-loving character from the classic ghost movie. “You’re alright.” The hum of his voice vibrated through the layers of clothing on his back. Even though you didn’t feel scared anymore, you couldn’t pull your arms away. 

You inched behind Dean throughout the rest of the haunted house, laughter erupted from both of you as teenagers tried to scare you. It was refreshing to see Dean laugh—truly laugh—and it made you smile. 

As you exited the house, he released your hands he had clutched against his middle and cleared his throat. “That was…”

“I know, I know,” you rolled your eyes as you shook off the empty feeling you felt without his touch. “It was lame, you can say it.”

He hesitated for a moment as he looked back to the house and then shrugged towards you. “Nah, I was gonna say it was actually kinda fun.” A smile tugged at his lips. 

“Oh…” you grinned back. “Yeah, it was fun. Thanks for bringing me here, Dean.” You tucked a fallen strand of hair behind your ear and turned to head back to the parking lot. 

“Where are you going?” He asked. When you turned back, you noticed he hadn’t moved from his spot. 

“Uh…back to the car? That was all you had signed up for…heck, you kinda threw me a bone agreeing to do both the trail and the haunted house.”

“Nuh uh,” he shook his head. “I spent thirty bucks to get us in here. There’s a pumpkin carving booth over there. You said ‘pumpkins, apple cider and haunted houses’. We’re doin’ all three, dammit,” he said firmly but followed it up with a smile. 

Your eyes beamed at at him and you bit your bottom lip gently before striding back over to him, “God, I love you.” Your breath caught in your throat after the last word and you froze. With widened eyes, you refused to meet his gaze. 

There was a long pause that felt much longer than it probably was. But very quietly you heard his voice, “Wait, you love me?”

You paused again, but put on your big girl panties and turned to him slowly. “I always have.”

His eyes watched you closely for a moment, and then he moved to you so smoothly. His lips brushed against yours for a moment before he pulled away, but went in for another. 

“I love you, too,” he murmured gently just as your lips parted. Butterflies fluttered in your stomach before he held his arm out for you once more. “Let’s go carve some pumpkins.” He smiled at you, and this time you knew it was different. It was a smile of contentment. Like everything he had needed, had come to fruition in that moment. 

“Let’s,” you beamed back at him as you tucked your arm through his. He leaned towards you for one more kiss before you made your way to the pumpkin carving station. While you weren’t sure what this meant or how your life was about to change, it didn’t matter at that moment. You had pumpkins, apple cider, haunted houses and Dean Winchester at your fingertips. And with that, you couldn’t think of a more perfect autumn evening.

Thanks for reading!

Tag List: @jackles010378 @ladysparkles78 @hallecarey1 @zepskies @lyarr24

[sweet-and-sour-bites]

Hello, hope you’re doing well!

Is it ok if you do romance with an NPC? Basically the Scovillia Headmaster with a Reader who used to go to school with him. The Reader used to be a pretty wild student but as they grew up, they became decently calmer read: sorta..

And then they meet each other again when the reader goes to work at Scovillia!

Headcannons or a story is fine, whichever you prefer, thanks you very much in advance!

☁️Scovillia Headmaster x Professor Gn!Reader

*So before we begin, since the Scovillia Headmaster doesn't have a canon name, I don't think he does, though correct me if I'm wrong, I'm gonna call him Spicey Buffalo Cookie.*

------------------------------------------------------------

The academy halls of the ever hot Scovillia leave you feeling nostalgic. You used to walk these halls as a student, right alongside your best friends, but now you walk them as a teacher. Not much has changed about them either; still adorned with hues of red, orange, and black.

You make your way to the courtyard and sit down on a bench. You breathe in, and the smell of burning wood fills your senses. It's a nice scent. Calming and familiar. "Welcome back, (Y/n) Cookie."

You jump a little, startled by the gruff voice. Looking behind you, you see the headmaster himself walking over to you. He takes a seat beside you, and the two of you sit in silence for a little. "It's been a while since we've seen one another, no?"

"It certainly has. Three, no, four years?"

"Six years, actually." You pause, hardly believing it's been that long since you've seen your dear old friend.

"I'm so sorry."

"What ever for?" The headmaster looks over at you in surprise. You have your head hanging low as you look at the cobbled path below.

"We were so close during our time here as students. We laughed and cried together, fought, and made up; it seemed like nothing could pull us apart. After graduating, though, we hardly spoke to each other until we just stopped altogether. I feel, have felt, guilty about it." You feel a few tears fall from your eyes. Reminiscing about your time together really makes you sappy.

A warm hand is placed on your cheek, tilting your head to the side. The headmaster and yourself have gotten closer, you note, as he wipes away your tears. "Don't fret over the past, as the blame is not entirely on you. We both were so wrapped up in our own lives that we let the bond that held us together fade. I regret such a thing dearly."

"As do I." The two of you sit in silence, basking in the others presence.

"(Y/n) Cookie, there is something I must confess." Your focus is now only on him. "I have regretted not telling you sooner, but I....I am in love with you." Your eyes widen, and your jaw drops. "Back then, you were a wild spitfire. Always running around, causing chaos wherever you went. You stole my heart the first time I saw you deck another student who was bullying a junior." He chuckles as he remembers that moment.

"As we grew, I tried to keep an eye on you, worried how your fighting spirit would guide you. I am glad to know that, while still wild at times, you've become calmer. It is a different side of you that has made me fall in love with you all over again." Removing his hand from you, he reaches up to his helmet and pulls it off. Underneath the headgear is a cookie whose hair seems to be made of flames and eyes of amber. His red horns shine brightly underneath the sun.

He looks back over at you with baited breath, hoping he hears you return his affection.

And you do.

Grabbing his hands, you gently squeeze them. "Oh, Buffalo Cookie, I'm so happy you feel the same." Your words send a wave of relief and love all throughout him. "I admit, I've also been in love with you since we fist met. You radiated such a fiery passion, how could I not fall for you. You've always had my back and were always the one I needed to calm down. I've loved you since then and still do."

His heart feels as if though it's doing back flips. He laughs and picks you up with his strong arms, spinning you around. You join in on his contagious laughter. Setting you down, he looks at you with love in his eyes. The two of you share a single look before meeting the other for a sweet kiss. For a moment, it feels as if though the two of you are the only ones I'm the world, though that's proven incorrect by the sound of cheering.

Pulling apart the two of you, see a bunch of Scovillia students cheering at the doors to the courtyard and above in the open corridors. Front and center is Capsaicin Cookie cheering loudly. "Alright! Way to go, Headmaster and Professor!" The two for you look at each other before bursting out laughing. He picks his helmet up and puts it back on before taking your hand and walking back to he school.

"Seems like the others were just waiting for us to confess. Do you think they had a bet going?"

"I wouldn't be surprised, hun, not at all."

"Haha, you might be right, my dear."

[yallthemwitches]

The Seat with the Clearest View: Part 1

Lily and the marauders were his constant, like two separate stars orbiting his universe. But year after year stars get older. Their orbits start to move closer. It is only a matter of time before they collide.

A two (maybe three) part of Jily through the years in Remus POV Very Remus/Lily friendship heavy. Rated T

Ao3 Link Here!

First Year

By midnight, he convinced Mme Pomfrey he was healthy enough to sleep in his own bed. The situation with the full moon at Hogwarts was taking some time to get used to, but overall he had no right to complain. Mme Pomfrey was cordial if not doting after his transformations, something he hadn’t expected, and he hadn’t been run out of the school by an angry mob yet so that was something of a win. 

He trudged through the portrait hole, looking down at the rips that were already soiling his robes, wondering how long he could wait before he contacted his mum for a replacement . A faint sound of a needle hitting plastic echoed through the hall, then a twang of folk guitar drifted from the common room. 

 He found the fireplace still blazing. On the ground in front of it was a girl he recognized in most of his classes. She was always easy to spot due to the bright auburn hair that fell down her back. She leaned over a ratty looking book, fringe clouding her eyes and tapping her finger on the table to the music. If she had noticed the peaky looking boy in the doorway, she was not giving any mind.

“Buffalo Springfield?” The girl’s head snapped up and her eyes zeroed in on him. He hadn’t really taken stock of them before, but now under their laser focus, he felt a bit stunned by the glittering green of her irises. 

“When did you get here?” She demanded, looking to either side as though expecting some sort of apparition to appear as easily as he did.

“Just got in actually—I er...was sick.” For a moment he feared that he was giving himself away, but her shoulders relaxed and her eyes lost a bit of their sharpness. 

“Oh weird—-uhm, yeah! It is Buffalo Springfield,” she motioned to the turntable in the corner of the room, “d’you know them? I thought only muggle—” 

“Mum’s a muggle,” Remus said flatly. “We have this album at home—she loves the whole Laurel Canyon music scene.”

Lily’s eyes widened and Remus couldn’t help but think that she looked like a child. It was a stark contrast from just moments ago when her demeanor felt almost matronly.

“I’m sorry, can I sit? Would it bother you? Don’t think I can sleep yet.” Remus nodded towards the couch and Lily shut her book in response. 

“No–not at all. Hey—do you know you have a rip in your robes– just there,” she pointed at the gash of fabric he had been taking stock of earlier. He hoped she didn’t notice the stain of crimson lining the threads.

“Eh, yeah—I’m a bit clumsy.” Lily blinked at him a few times but said nothing. 

“I’m Remus by the way. Remus Lupin.” He slumped onto the couch. Lily moved to the record player that was now skipping and flipped it over. 

“Lily Evans—-hey, it's really nice to meet a fellow muggleborn.” Her voice was light and full. He could tell she really meant it. 

“Er—half-blood, but same difference.” Lily giggled. 

“It doesn’t really matter to me.”

~~~

When James Potter and Sirius Black asked him to sit with them at lunch, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity. They met during Defense Against the Dark Arts. All three of them had been assigned together to practice the Knockback jinx, but very quickly in, Sirius proposed a sort of game to make things interesting. 

“Whoever can throw the other farthest wins,” Sirius explained.

“What do we win?” James retorted. Remus could tell he was trying to sound uninterested, but at the idea of a competition, James’ body all but sprung to attention. 

Sirius tapped his chin for a minute. “Hm, If you win…we have to trade you one of our chocolate frog cards.” Remus could tell the prize was just a formality, both boys were now buzzing with competitive spirit. 

“Ok–deal. Remus, you in?” The boys looked at him expectantly. He had never made a bet before, much less been involved with a group of boys to make such bets. 

“Yeah, definitely.” The two boys whooped in unison, making Professor Slothrop turn to size the group up. 

The boys went at it, relentlessly throwing each other back until their loud guffaws caused the professor to break up the activity entirely. 

“Not to brag,” Sirius started in at lunch, “but I think I won.”

“No way!” James screamed, shaking his spoon at Sirius. “I totally threw you farther than Vance’s desk, and besides I think Remus here got us both beat. He practically knocked me out the window on that last one.”

Remus felt blood rush to his cheeks. James wasn’t wrong. Breathless from laughter and the continual sensation of hitting the ground, he mustered up all he had left and sent James flying midair, hitting the classroom wall with a thunk. Once on the ground, James laughed so hard he rolled on the floor, causing most of the class to burst into a fit themselves. 

“Yeah, good point. Good one, Remus! After lunch we can go back up to the dorms and you can see what cards we got.” 

Remus felt his cheeks burning and realized he was smiling. He couldn’t remember the last time he had laughed so hard in his life or if he had ever done so before. He sat back and ate his lunch with gusto, wondering if this was what it felt like to actually be normal for once. 

On the other side of the great hall, he noticed the girl from the other night enter alongside a boy in Slytherin he didn’t recognize. They were walking closely, Lily speaking in fast, animated gestures while the boy looked just giddy to be by her side. Lily gestured towards the Gryffindor table for them to sit, but the boy made a shifty glance and started walking the other way. She caught Remus' stare and even from a distance he could see her eyes light up. She gave him a warm wave and Remus awkwardly lifted his arm to return the gesture. He watched her say something to the boy, now pointing in his direction, but the boy’s eyes turned to slits and he pulled Lily closer to him to whisper something in her ear. Lily’s eyes widened, and she made one last glance at Remus and his new friends before following the boy over to the other table. 

“Hello? Remus? Who are you waving at?” Remus snapped his attention back to the table where both Sirius and James had turned their heads to follow his gaze. 

“Ah, it's nothing. I just met that girl the other night.” Remus looked down at his food and pushed his mash a bit with a spoon. He wondered what that boy had said to make Lily not want to come over.

“Lily Evans?” James’ face went a little pink and his shoulders straightened. “She sits in front of me in Potions—-she smells nice.” 

Sirius made a snorting sound. “Why are you smelling people, mate? Disgusting!” 

“Dude! Totally not what I meant! Remus, tell Sirius that I’m not smelling people for fun!”

The boys started a bit of a shoving match before settling back down.

“Besides,” James continued, still looking perky and flushed, “She’s hanging around Snivellus, so no wonder she smells good–she has to shower off his stench every few hours..”

Sirius guffawed and almost knocked himself off the bench. Remus said nothing but looked back over to where Lily and this so-called Snivellus were sitting. He knew that James was being mean, but there did seem to be a discrepancy between the pair.

“Oi, Lupin! You coming?” Sirius and James had resolved their tussle and were now standing to leave. 

“You should think about asking Polmer to switch dorm rooms with you—we’ve been needing a third for exploding snap…”

Second Year

“2001, A Space Odyssey.”

“Seen it.”

“The Wicker Man?”

“Hell yeah. Definitely, of course.”

“Werewolves on Wheels?”

Remus stopped chewing his licorice wand. Him and Lily finished their charms essay an hour ago and had delved into the finer topics of muggle cinema. Since the end of first year, Lily had sidled up to him as a means to “talk muggle “( her words) and he was usually happy to play along, but this line of questioning was starting to overstay its welcome. 

“Er–no.” He said flatly. She squinted at him and chewed at the end of a sugar quill. 

“Hm, so, not too big on monster of the week films then—judging by the way you became so icy.” 

Remus could feel his face flush, but Lily just let out a laugh. 

“Ah, cheer up Remus, I’m just messing with you. Honestly, I’m not a huge fan of them either but every once in a while they’re a good laugh.”

Remus felt his head nod, but his body felt completely sunken into the ground. It was still new that James ( and subsequently Sirius) had found out about his condition. Honestly, he couldn’t have asked for better: both boys kept to their word and remained discreet all while remaining his friend. If he could get over the complete terror of it all, perhaps he would find that it was a bit relieving for someone to know. 

James and Sirius ran through the library doors, ignoring Mme. Pince’s hiss in their direction. They sauntered over to the table and James slowed to a halt, eyes locked on Lily while shifting his weight. 

“Oi, Remus!” Sirius panted, “We just put a dung bomb in the girls bathroom on the third floor. Come sit with us while we wait for it to blow over,” he glanced over at Lily before adding, “Oh hey Evans.”

“Hi—Evans,” James echoed from behind his mate. It was clear his face was flushed from something other than running. 

Lily crossed her arms and turned her head away from the two. Remus bounced his gaze between Lily and the boys for a second before making a split decision. 

“I’ll be there in a bit—I was just finishing some work with Lily.” 

Sirius looked between him and Lily then snatched up a licorice wand for himself.

“Alrighty then,” he said smoothly, “Take your time.” He walked away and James followed after him, turning and gazing back multiple times before they turned the corner. Once they were gone Lily let out a huff.

“Honestly, Remus,” she started, “of all the idiots in this entire castle to spend time with…”

Third Year

Remus didn’t care much for Cokeworth, but he did like to visit Lily. Despite the identical brick houses, neighbors tried to spruce up the street with flowers and various mementos of summertime. They walked down the path towards the old creek at the edge of town, Lily’s arm hanging loosely from his as she talked. 

“I don’t get it, Tuney and I used to be really good friends.” 

Remus nodded. He had learned long ago that when Lily needed to vent about her sister, he just needed to be quiet and sympathetic. 

“Now, she hardly looks at me–I mean you just saw! She had no reason to treat you like she did just now. Honestly, I can’t believe her.” Lily’s arm tightened on his and he gave her a reassuring pat. 

On the other end of the lane, something darted out onto the sidewalk and started towards them. Severus Snape was now in his normal clothes, a rather oversized black shirt and jeans too baggy for his skinny legs. He stopped just paces away from them, his eyes wide and his hands curled into balls at his waist. 

“Sev!” Lily waved her free arm and made a little bounce on the balls of her feet. She might have been happy to see him, but Remus could feel Snape’s gaze burning into him and more specifically where his and Lily’s arms were linked. 

“I was just coming to see you.” His voice was just above a whisper. 

“Oh, bugger! Remus came to visit and I was going to show him the creek—care to join?”

If Lily recognized that the two boys were having a conversation with their eyes, then she was ignoring it. 

“No. It's fine.” Snape spit out. Lily dropped Remus’ arm and took a step forward towards her friend. Her eyebrows were stitched into a frown. 

“Sev? Hey, What’s wrong—did your mum…?”

Snape’s eyes widened and he took a step away from them. 

“I said I’m fine—I’ll see you later.” Snape pushed past Lily and Remus, stomping back towards town. 

“Well.” Lily scoffed. “I guess everyone in Cokeworth has decided to be a right git today.”

She reached out for Remus’ arm which he gladly accepted. 

Fourth Year

“I’m sorry you’re poorly again.” Lily kicked into the darkness of the corridor. They had both been rewarded as prefects over the summer and Lily had practically begged for them to be patrolling mates. The only issue with having somewhere to be on a weekly basis was that it was now easier to track exactly how “sick” he was every month. 

“Are you sure there isn’t any sort of potion we can make? Something to make it…easier?” She teetered off. 

“Nah, don’t worry about it Lils. I just got back luck.” Lily stayed silent as they walked. He knew what must be running through her mind—he wasn’t a fool. Since last year, Snape had been trying his hardest to find out what he and the boys were up to. With his prying he was bound to start to catch on, and no doubt tell Lily about it…

“Hey, can I ask you something?” Lily didn’t look up at him, rather sliding her arm in his like she had gotten used to. Remus could feel his heart pound. No no no no. not here. He wasn’t prepared to lose a friend like this: in the middle of a bloody corridor on patrols. 

“Well, I heard that James Potter saved Sev the other night.” She continued, “---why did he do that? I mean, they hate each other.” Her voice sounded small. He could tell something was battling in her mind, and she felt conflicted on how to proceed. 

“Er, yeah. I dunno. James hasn’t said much—” He was lying through his teeth. Of course he knew what had happened, but it wasn’t like he was going to offer that information up to her. What would he even say? Yes Lily, you see I’m actually a werewolf and your pal Sev tried to out me.

“Well—I dunno. He’s your mate. I just—it was nice of him.” Lily finally stammered out. Remus glanced over to find that Lily’s cheeks were slightly red and she was averting her eyes to some invisible point beyond them. 

A warm relief ran over him. Crisis averted.

“I mean, James is a good bloke—I know he’s a little rough around the edges,” Lily made a snorting sound, “But he’s a good guy—really Lily. He is.” Remus finished. 

Lily went silent again and listened to their footsteps echo down the halls. After a few minutes, she suddenly halted, causing him to also stop.

“Hey Remus?” She turned to him and before he could even respond her lips were on his. The kiss lasted seconds, maybe less. He couldn’t deny that her mouth was soft and James was right to say she smelled good all the way back in first year. But something was missing. In his dreams, he always imagined his first kiss to be like being suspended in midair—a revelation to crack open his world. Instead, he was still firmly on the ground in the corridor, feeling underwhelmed and anxious. 

Lily pulled away and burst out laughing. She keeled over and crossed her arms over her stomach to hold back her loud cackles. Remus stood frozen, feeling a complete sense of whiplash. Had she gone mad?

“Oh christ, I’m so sorry,” she choked out. She righted herself, letting the last of her laughter trickle out of her. Once fully composed and started again. 

“So, how was that then–I mean for you?” 

Remus just stared at her. She must have gone mad. What other explanation would he have for her acting like this?

“Uh. I dunno? —you kissed me I guess.” 

“Ok, yes. And did you like it?”

“What’d mean?” He was still completely lost. 

“Like would you want to do it again?” 

Now it was his turn to stare at nothing in particular. On one hand, Lily was a nice girl. Fit, smart—everything he would want. But on the other hand, he couldn’t deny that he was feeling nothing, perhaps next to nothing besides the glaring alarms going off in his brain about how James would feel about this interaction. 

“Look–” he began. He hadn’t expected to be turning his best lady mate down in his lifetime, nor really knew how. Thankfully he didn’t have to do much. 

“Ah save it,” Lily gave his cheek a little pinch. “I can tell you didn’t feel it either.”

Remus shook his head. “Uh–what?”

“We didn’t feel it. That thing. You know the thing that makes you want to date someone?”

Remus blinked a few times. Ok, so she was either emotionally brilliant beyond her years or mad— or both. 

“Honestly, I’m glad for it—sorry to make it awkward. But at least now we know and can remain friends knowing that there’s nothing under the surface, yeah?”

She locked her arms back with him again and pulled him back into a slow walk. By the time they made it back to the portrait hole, all of the shock had melted and Remus started to come back to his senses. 

He had kissed Lily. Kissed Lily. The bird that James quite literally talked in his sleep about. The girl that had been his friend since first year. Kissed. It didn’t matter if they both felt nothing—that Lily had used the kiss as just a tool for understanding their relationship. They had kissed. 

“Look—you can’t tell James.” He blurted it out without thinking. Lily turned to him, eyes as slits and arms crossing over her chest. 

“Is that right? Why? Because he has some sort of dibs on me and it would hurt his arrogant ego to hear that we kissed–even if it was nothing.”

“I mean—yeah actually. Exactly that. Well, not the dibs part but, you get it.” 

Lily continued to stare pointedly at Remus. 

“Lily please. He’s my best mate.”

“I’m not his property.”

“Yeah but I’m his best mate.”

Lily closed her eyes and made a deep sigh, clearly folding. 

“Fine. Fine. I guess it wasn’t like I was going to offer up the information anyways,” she conceded. 

“Thank you, really.” Lily rolled her eyes. 

“You boys are so fucking weird.” Without turning back, she swung open the portrait hole and entered before he could respond. 

Fifth Year

“I can’t believe him. That stupid git. Did you know, he was playing a Beatles song on repeat at three in the morning the other night?”

“Yeah, we sleep in the same tower, Lily.”

“And how he keeps running his hands through his hair. I wish I could just hex his hand off.”

“Right.”

“And did you see him snogging Jessica Clarebow after the game yesterday? God, what a disgusting display–”

“Ok now, I would hardly call that a snog–she kissed him, that’s all.”

“Well it was revolting whatever you want to call it and–”

“And maybe you are jealous?”

Remus stopped in his tracks. It was the wrong thing to say. The worst thing to have said. If he wasn’t feeling so peaky on the approaching full moon maybe he would’ve thought before he spoke, but it had been hours of listening to her prattle off about James—there’s only so much a bloke could handle. 

Lily’s emotional temperature dropped from frigid to blazing hot with fury in a matter of seconds. She whipped her head around to face him, pointing her illuminated wand in his face, causing the man in the portrait behind him to grumble.

“I’m sorry. So sorry.” Remus knew a lost battle when he saw one. The only thing left to do was to plead for his life. 

“You think I’m jealous? Jealous of Potter?” She clenched her teeth.

“Er, I guess in this case you would be jealous of Jessica—” Lily’s eyes erupted anew and Remus shrunk back away from her wand. 

Lily stared for a beat then made a big vocal sigh, dropping her wand. Her face was tinged red and Remus honestly couldn’t tell if it was from anger or from embarrassment of being caught in her feelings. 

“Did I mention I’m sorry?” He offered again. 

Lily had fully deflated her anger and stepped away, somewhat sheepish. She chewed the inside of her cheek and ran a finger through the ends of her hair. 

“No, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have jumped you like that—I just—Potter gets to me sometimes you know.”

Oh fuck, do I know. “I think he gets to all of us sometimes—in a whole spectrum of ways.”

Lily walked a couple short steps towards the end of the corridor and flopped herself onto a stone bench. 

“I just keep thinking that if he hadn’t done that thing to Sev…”

She was talking about last week at the lake. Remus had already expressed his remorse for not stopping his mates many times since the incident, but Lily’s mind seemed stuck in a never ending loop of that day. 

“Lily, I think even if James hadn’t been a prick, you and Snape would have had to call it quits.”

Lily pulled a knee up to her chest and leaned her chin on it. In the wand light, he could see that tears were threatening to fall. 

“Did I tell you he tried to apologize to me—Sev I mean—that night? Bloody came to the tower threatening to sleep there.”

This was news to Remus. She had rehashed that day many times but had conveniently left out this development. All this time he had been under the impression that Snape now wanted nothing to do with her.

“---I told him I couldn’t be his friend. I did that. I don’t know how to feel—what if could have changed–”

“Lily,” Remus had sat down next to her now and took her hand. She was shaking underneath him.

“You can’t play that game. He chose his path…and–” Remus tried to choose his words carefully,” –and unfortunately that path means actively working against you.”

“Then why would he have begged me to forgive him?” Lily sniffled. Clearly this evening’s theme was denial. 

“Well–I think because he fancies you.” He didn’t mean for it to come out so blunt but it did. 

Lily’s eyebrows raised under her fringe. She dropped his hand.

“Come off it.”

“Lily.”

“You’re having a laugh.”

“Lily.”

“Oh god.”

She buried her face into her hands, now cradling both legs against her chest. Remus awkwardly stroked her back, not sure how to comfort in this scenario. 

“Is that why he and James hate each other so much?” She squeaked out from behind her fingers.

“Prolly doesn’t help.” 

“Oh GOD.”

Remus let her curl herself further into a ball, while keeping his hand brushing up and down her back in attempted consolation. 

“Maybe I should just give it all up, live in the woods alone like some creepy fairytale witch. Convince everyone I eat babies or something.”

“Ah, I think you are too pretty for that. Sorry to ruin your dreams.”

 Lily squinted at him up over her hands. He could tell he made her smile, if only for a moment. 

“At least you’re a good bloke. Though, you have questionable choices in best mates.”

“I’ll take it.” She uncoiled herself, leaning a head on his shoulder. He briefly reflected that if James ever saw them like this, he would probably shit himself. It's fine. He needs to feel the sting of any emotion other than pride once and a while.

“Hey Lily.”

“Hmm.” 

“I think you’re really great. Fuck Snape…and fuck James too—though that last bit comes with a long footnote about how I only mean “fuck James” when he’s being a prick and not generally because he can actually be pretty great if you let him.”

Lily snorted against his shoulder. 

“Wow, congrats on making the first verbal footnote.”

“Someone had to do it.”

Sixth Year

“Remus! I asked Rosmerta and she said we could use the–”

“No.”

“You didn’t even let me finish my thought!” Sirius whined.

“Don’t have to.”

“Mate, I don’t understand why your birthday has to be a struggle every year,” James piped in. 

“It doesn’t—you lot are the ones struggling.”

There was a swift noise of feet running, then Remus' vision went black behind two vaguely feminine feeling hands. 

“Woah Evans, don’t know if you are aware, but that’s not how you greet normal humans–”

“Fuck off Black,” Lily hissed, “Remus you are gonna wig out. I got you the best birthday present.”

She removed her hands and moved to stand in front of him. She was bouncing on the balls of her feet, taking on a childlike energy. 

“Close your eyes and hold out your hands.” 

“Lily—you didn’t have to–”

“C’mon don’t fight it please, I don’t have the heart for it today—some space Black? Potter?” Despite her demand, neither boy backed away, rather pressing in out of curiosity. Remus could see that James was avoiding everyone’s gaze, looking rather red under the rim of his glasses. 

Remus complied. Lily took one of his hands and faced it palm up in front of his chest, then laid what felt like cardstock into it. 

Remus opened his eyes. They were tickets. Not just any tickets. David Bowie tickets.

“Oh great! You got him scraps of paper!” Sirius chided but Lily ignored him. 

The breath went out of Remus' lungs. The feeling of floating, the feeling of arriving on a different planet entirely where every source of joy was abundant and good and just. Dear sweet Jesus David Bowie tickets.

“Lily, I can't accept this. It must have cost a fortune—I heard it was nearly impossible ....”

“Shut up and accept them, besides you are the only person I’d ever want to see him with anyways.” 

“Hey, HEY. I wanna go!” Realizing now what exactly the present was, Sirius began rushing at Remus’ still outstretched hand. As quick as possible, he shut his palm and pulled the tickets away before Sirius could make a swipe at them. 

“No way Black! This is for Remus and me only.” At the words, James’ face became even more red. He moved to run a hand through his hair, but opted for stuffing them into his pockets. 

Sirius recovered from his disappointment quickly, now dawning a mischievous grin. 

“Alright then Evans. But then how do you expect to see this aforementioned concert if it is on a school day?” It was a good question, but Lily was unfazed. 

“What, like you lot have never snuck out of school before? Him and I will just do whatever the fuck you all do whenever you go off to have your little foursome snogs at night.”

Remus snorted at the audacity of her cheekiness. Sirius also found it amusing, but James stayed stock still. 

“You are welcome to make our foursome snogs a fivesome if you ever–”

Lily shot daggers at Sirius, who promptly abandoned his thought. She turned back to Remus and made a little squeal. “See you around 8? Make sure to wear something fab!” 

***********

“James nothing happened.”

“Sure.”

“C’mon mate, you know me. I don’t fancy Lily. It was an honest mistake.”

“It’s none of my business who you fancy Moony, you are welcome to do what you like.”

“Ah, fuck off with that.”

Remus had fucked up. He had fucked up bad. It was bad enough that James had dodged him ever since Lily had given him the tickets. Then, when Lily showed up at eight wearing an outfit that plunged down to her stomach and hugged every point in her body, James sulked in the corner of the common room, pretending to polish his broom while stealing glances as they walked out the portrait hole together. 

But then he somehow made it worse. Way worse. Irreversibly, friendship destroyingly so. 

The concert was not Lily's only gift. She had also gotten drugs. The muggle kind, that changed your brain chemistry on science alone. Feeling in a rather “it's my birthday and I’ll probably never be out past curfew with a girl dressed like this, seeing an artist I would gladly become a slave for for the rest of eternity” mood, he took them with her.

Perhaps the biggest insult to injury of this whole mess was that, in her brain warped, giddy state, Lily had actually confessed that she was into James after the concert. Even admitted to hoping he would see her in the dress to make him sweat or jealous or a nice combination of the two. He had been happy for her, and they had giggled their way down the back streets of London talking about how much James was gonna flip when he eventually, maybe, found out about it—if she ever got the courage to do so. 

When they made it back to the common room, they had all the intention of eating some chocolate, playing a few records, then going to bed. What they hadn’t planned on was to fall asleep, leaning on each other in front of the fireplace where Miles Tambor would find them early morning on his way to Quidditch practice. Remus thanked all the gods above it wasn’t James, but the damage was done all the same and the rumor made it around the school by lunch. 

“You can ask her…fuck, I’ll make up a truth serum if you want—we fell asleep. I’m so bloody stupid. I need you to forgive me.”

“Like I said, it's none of my business. I’m glad it was a good birthday—now, I need to get to class so if you don’t mind…” James walked past him, shoving his hands into his pockets. Thin red blotches rimmed the underpart of his eyes. Clearly he had been crying. 

James was not at the dinner table when Remus arrived in the Great Hall. Sirius and Peter were leaning over the table, talking to Marlene and Mary in low tones, stopping the conversation as he approached. 

“Go on. No need to stop on my account.” He threw himself on the bench beside Peter and aggressively started to butter a roll. 

“Mate—you need to tell it to us straight. Did you and Evans…”

“NO,” he had raised his voice too high and he knew it. The rest of the tables turned to watch them, whispers erupting around the room. 

“I feel like a bloody idiot. We fell asleep. I tried to tell James but he—”

James entered the Great Hall. His face was flushed and as eyes turned to watch him make his way over to the table, he ran a hand through his hair to dispel anxiety. 

Without any greeting, he plopped himself down next to Sirius and started piling some mash on his plate. 

Sirius sat with his hands frozen in midair, eyebrows so high up they disappeared under his hair. 

“Alright, so am I actually gonna have to be the adult here? Because that’s not really my style.”

James took a sip of pumpkin juice with a deliberate gulp. 

“No worries mate. It’s fine.”

Sirius’ eyebrows somehow found a higher spot on his face.

“Like how fine? Fine like “it's all good” or fine like a Black family reunion where everyone acts all proper for .5 seconds before a bloodbath begins and all the sudden you have no home or family?”

“The first one—though maybe you should talk to someone about that second definition.” James took a bite of a roll, still not making eye contact. His cheeks had not lost their hues of pink and red. 

“James—” Remus ventured.

“I’m being serious. It’s really fine. I had a chat with Evans. She cleared up everything.”

Now it was Remus’ eyebrows turn to disappear on his face. 

“You actually asked her?”

“Mhm.”

“And what did she say?”

James shrugged. For the first time in the evening he looked at Remus. The sadness was gone, but something else was rumbling underneath the surface he could not really pinpoint. It wasn’t anger, but it seemed just as profound.

“She said nothing happened. You both fell asleep.”

“And you believe her.”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Because you wouldn’t believe me. Your best mate.”

James shrugged and went back to his meal. It was clear that he wanted to drop it. He started talking to Peter about astrology notes while Sirius made shifty glances but otherwise relaxed. After dinner, things went back to normal. A very tenuous, charged version of it at least. 

That night at patrols, Remus intercepted her on the way down to the dungeons. 

“Lily, I wanted to apologize again.”

“Remus, it's fine. I’m sorry. I should have woken us up to get our arses to bed. I think the worst of the rumor mill is over at least so we can breathe easy.”

Remus shifted his weight, not knowing how to proceed. 

“Er, James told me he talked to you.” A flash of red cropped up on Lily’s face. She averted her eyes. 

“Uh, yeah. We spoke.”

“Not to pry, but what did you—”

Lily cut him off. Her voice sounded higher, anxious. “I told him what I’ve told everybody. The truth. Besides, It’s none of his business.”

Remus’ brow furrowed. There was something familiar about the way her eyes were looking, like a rumbling of something. An over pouring of emotion not quite her usual fiery disgust, but something else. 

“I gotta go Remus. Talk later.” She gave him a peck on the cheek as she had always done, but this time it felt charged. Like it left a stain on his face. 

“Right. See you.”

[whilereadingandwalking]

I read while walking too!!!! 😂 I read on the bike trail where I walk 3-5 miles and I like walking over the Mario cuomo bridge which is 7 miles! Do you walk in NY? What are your favorite places to walk while reading? I find I have very strong peripheral vision. I’ve never known anyone else to read this way!

Yay! You've found a kindred spirit here!

Yes, it's all about peripheral vision! When I was a teenager, I had way too much on my plate between school and all my extracurriculars, so one of my only times to read was on my brief walk home from the bus to my house. And in college, it was on the way to and from class, or between campus and my apartment. And as a young adult, it was on my 25 minute walk to and from work!

Now I work from home, but I still read and walk for pleasure. My favorite place to read and walk is the lakefront trail here. I need to start pushing myself to walk more—recently my fibromyalgia has kept me from pushing my limits too hard, but I love my long walks, and should start them up again.

I'm from New Jersey originally, and love to read and walk in a closed loop at my local park. And when I'm up visiting family in Buffalo, I walk around the park there as well. Just like your trail, the best places are paved, lovely bike trails, or quiet neighborhoods with good sidewalks.

The only times I've run into things, they ran into me—a biker almost hit me coming around a corner a million miles an hour on the sidewalk, and a woman once swerved to bump into me on purpose to prove some kind of point lol. I hurt myself reading and walking only once—my only enemy is an uneven sidewalk! A broken sidewalk got me. I got wiped out.

[thegaangneedstherapy]

Zukka fic list part 2

On ice we fall (in love)

Zuko and Sokka rivals to friends to lovers slowburn competitive figure skating AU.

Foolsong

Zuko is an idiot trying to get over a breakup, Sokka is a hockey boy, and online dating isn't really that awful.

Blue

Iroh insists they create a new life and identity in Ba Sing Se. Zuko wants nothing more than to bide his time until his next opportunity to return home, until he realizes ‘Lee’ can get away with things Zuko never could.

Zuko dons the mantle of the Blue Spirit again only to los e his focus when the Avatar comes to the city. This time, however, his attention is drawn to the annoying Southern Tribe warrior.

winter solstice: an addendum

Zuko gets imprisoned with Sokka and Katara during the winter solstice, and some very unfortunate things come to light. Alternatively: the gaang kidnaps adopts Zuko in book one after discovering just how awful his father is.

I'll Come Back Someday (For You)

“We’ll be together someday. I won’t stop looking until I find you again.”

Those words, Sokka thought, were a blessing.

After living through several lives without Zuko, they now feel like a curse.

They were the last words Sokka muttered to the Fire Lord on his death bed after saving Avatar Korra from an attempted kidnapping, and while he meant them, he didn't know that they would come true.

Yet, he tried, tried, tried again, and after cycling into his fourth life, he's starting to give up hope.

All until he walks into the Jasmine Dragon right next to Republic City University's campus.

(i'm sorry but) i'm just thinking of the right words to say

Zuko is the last person Sokka expects to end up as his roommate when he starts college. Sokka is the last person Zuko expects to befriend when he starts his whole life over. And no one who knows a thing about their shared past expects them to end up together. Except, maybe, Toph.

There's Bound To Be A Ghost At The Back Of Your Closet

Zuko needs a new dad, and Hakoda volunteers. A story spanning Zuko's old life, new life, and beyond

running right back to you

the air conditioning stops working at the Jasmine Dragon, and it's miserable until a cute stranger makes it a bit more bearable

Sorry, I Have to Move to Alaska!

Following a lengthy legal battle with Ozai, Iroh has full custody of his niece and nephew. Desperate to get Zuko and Azula away from Ozai (just in case) Iroh buys a tea shop in Anchorage, Alaska.

Sokka has been living in Anchorage since birth and nothing interesting ever happens in this city. Except less than a month into this school year, the mysterious new kid with a facial scar beats up a well-known student in first period.

purrfect for each other

because sometimes, it takes going to a cat café four times to realize you're in love with your best friend

The World We Dream About

A HS Theatre Kid AU where the gaang is in Hadestown, featuring all our favorite high school nostalgia moments and way too many tropes

when i'm set alight

“I’m going to go practice some firebending forms,” Zuko says stiffly, running a hand through the tangles in his hair. “Tell Aang to join me if he wants to once he wakes up.” Gold eyes dart up to where Aang had strung up a makeshift hammock and was still sleeping soundly, snoring like a buffalo yak.

“Alright,” Sokka says, watching as he walks out without another word, evidently having reverted back into his usual brooding self. “Have fun!” He calls after Zuko loudly, which he means to be sarcastic, but comes out painfully, embarrassingly sincere. His face burns, and as soon as Zuko passes out of sight into the the temple, Katara turns to him, leveling him with a Look.

“You like him.” She says, and it’s not a question.

Born Lucky

Zuko knew this would happen one day.

He really should've prepared better.

Of course, he'd imagined something like this many times. He'd see him-- or anyone from high school, really-- and he wouldn't even be recognized. They'd be immediately enamored with him and wouldn't even pause to think he looked like that one girl from high school.

Instead, he has a 24-year-old Sokka cradling a swollen wrist and smiling awkwardly up at Zuko.

like we're made of starlight

When former High Imperial Prince and Sith Acolyte Zuko defects to the rebellion Commander Sokka is tasked to keep an eye on him and bring him into the fold.

[herrenxenoberg]

Fandorm Showcase #19 - Home On The Range

A Disney movie that I recall so deeply from childhood, because of the iconic villain song from Alameda Slim.

Introducing the next dorm, inspired by the old western atmosphere of Home On The Range...

Cattlewest!

Combines the words, cattle and west (two obvious glossary words relating to the theme).

This dorm focuses on honesty and individuality, prioritizing truth and respect over prejudice. Given that most of the members in this dorm are from the west side of Twisted Wonderland, they have an affinity and flair in musical prowess, able to sing, play the banjo and even yodel as a form of art. (And you will call it yodeling and nothing else)

"A dorm founded on the flashy Cattle Rustler's spirit of honesty. Students in this dorm all speak the honest truth but also have a knack for western-style musical talent."

Requirements and Traits:

Musically talented in singing, playing instruments or yodeling

Honest and truthful

Have the western charm

Literally one of my favorite troupes in media is western themes, so this one definitely is one of my favorites to make.

Now comes the dorm uniform design:

I took some inspirations from Alameda Slim's design for the housewarden fit, and it turned out amazing than I expected.

Character Roster:

(Yes, I specifically made templates of the vignette-esque selection UI for six or seven members, the templates will be shared later if anyone wants one too.)

Say howdy to the most flashy cowboy of NRC...

Anton O'ddel (Twisted off Alameda Slim)

Anton always likes a great time, as a pure-blooded western folk and third-year housewarden of Cattlewest who tends to yodel when he's in a happy mood, a yodel so enchanting even nearby cattle gets entranced by his yodeling. He occasionally plays banjo to accompany his yodels as his greatest musical talent. He has always been an honest boy to everyone he trusts dearly, never telling a single lie in his life...or so you think. Having to run a cattle ranch with his family, their source of income isn't enough to support both themselves and the herd of cattle they raised, so they had to resort to selling off their cattle to local folks to make due with the income problem. But a greedy city corporate wanted to buy off his family ranch in order to put it up for auction for potential buyers. (and that they insulted his folk for being "noisy with their weird singing"), which angered Anton to the very core...

Notable Members:

Wade Cattler (Vice Housewarden, Sophomore) - Cattlewest's vice housewarden and a stickler for time management, he doesn't like his time wasted so he does his tasks as efficient and swift as possible. (Twisted off Mr.Wesley)

Dennis Prance (Junior) - A quiet and distant horse beastman who doesn't do much, but when Anton gives the word, he will take on the task no matter what. (Twisted off Rico and Buck)

Garrott Byson (Junior) - A brutish buffalo beastman who would use his burly strength to bully those who are weak, but secretly he's soft-hearted and wanted people to like him as a friend. (Twisted off Junior the Buffalo)

Dynamo Pyr (Freshman) - One of the Pyr Triplets, known to have a knack for crafting old-school explosives using gunpowder and coal and is a bit of a thrill-seeker. (Twisted off Phil Willie)

Nitro Pyr (Freshman) - The middle brother of the Pyr Triplets, known to craft more advanced explosives with the use of potions and magic, but can be a bit clueless about everything. (Twisted off Gill Willie)

Trinitro Pyr (Freshman) - The third brother of the Pyr Triplets, known to craft highly-advanced and more dangerous explosives using chemicals, but he is not allowed to use that knowledge currently, he's a bit dim-witted more than his other two brothers. (Twisted off Bill Willie)

Synopsis:

There is never a peaceful moment in NRC, as they were suddenly invaded by...raging cattle herds? The cattle destroys anything they stampeded through without ever stopping, leaving the school in utter disrepair. Crowley woes in despair over the high costs of repairs until a man going by the name "Mr. Yesman" offering him a service to help repair the damages caused by the wild cattle herd, and it would cost him a lot for such repairs. However, something about Mr. Yesman seemed suspicious, to be showing up at the exact time the cattles would appear and destroy everything, it seems too much of a coincidence...

(P.S. Mr. Yesman is the Yancy O'Dell of this story)

Next Up: The Rescuers

[marioandsonicfangirl793-art]

SMB AU: The Spirit Animal Kingdom Ancestors

NEW MARIO OCS OVERLOAD… 😭

And yass, they are mentioned from my description of my OC Alice the sorceress! And if you don’t know, they are the parents of King Marcos, and also the grandparents of Sheila! ⭐️

From left to right: Wolf Queen Nerissa is Marcos’s mother, and Cape Buffalo King Valentino is Marcos’s father! 👑

HEADCANONS:

Valentino is a Spirit Cape Buffalo who lives in a rogue homeland far from the Spirit Animal Kingdom. Nerissa— as a young princess— is the heir to the throne of the Spirit Animal Kingdom since her family are royal ancestors after the true ones who turn out to be mythical creatures such as a Spirit Dragon and a Spirit Winged Unicorn— who make the kingdom a better place to be and also have all animals treat equal and fair.

Princess Nerissa’s real family died from an unknown war, so she is being raised by a dragon king named King Firedrake and a unicorn queen named Queen Sparkle— the former ancestors of the kingdom, who happen to be at their elder ages. They were her adoptive parents.

Nerissa likes to cast spells and perform magic. Valentino just likes to explore around the kingdom for some experience.

Valentino and Nerissa met as kids and they were getting along. As they grew up, they had their first date after showing a thing for each other. Nerissa’s family gave her an arranged marriage with Valentino, and they were married.

Years passed, and Nerissa gave birth to a wolf prince, but Valentino was confused by its looks, but he’s perfectly blessed to have a heir like him. He and Nerissa named him Marcos.

Both Valentino and Nerissa saw that their son had met Alice— at the time they were kids— and got along with her as best friends. The two rulers started making friends with Alice’s family.

Valentino and Nerissa attempted to take Marcos to school, but it takes time for him to get used to it. They assure him that his friends will be there.

They stopped Marcos from going to school at the time he became a high schooler with Alice and their new friend Zoey, because they knew that Marcos was a heir to the throne. They continued on with training him to be king.

Valentino and Nerissa hired a ram to be the administrator until the time Marcos takes the throne. The administrator was Luna the Ram. She met Marcos on the day of he will be king.

At the time Marcos, Alice, and Zoey reached their adulthood, the day starts of Marcos’s coronation, that he will be crowned as king. Valentino and Nerissa invited his friends Alice and Zoey so that they can search for Marcos’s future queen.

Alice and Zoey were the options of being Marcos’s wife. Valentino and Nerissa were thinking on which will be the best option. However, Valentino ended with a result of Zoey being chosen as the new queen, much to Alice’s jealousy.

Alice’s emotions bottled up after not being selected as queen, causing her to take out a sharp weapon from one of the display tables and even commit an attempted attack by tossing it.

The sharp object tossed flies through the air and suddenly pierced a painful wound through Valentino. He cries out wildly in a painful animal language, so much that the wound has taken over his body. Valentino felt a seizure and a stroke at the same time because of the impact on his body that he fell to the ground, bleeding to death.

Marcos, his family, and Zoey are all shocked after seeing what Alice did to Valentino. Nerissa felt her emotions bottle up with pure sadness and anger and she was more furious at Alice.

All of the Spirit Animals overheard that Alice had killed the king, and they exposed her, saying mean things to her and calling out to get her out of the kingdom.

Nerissa blames Alice for what she’s done, and then signifies that she is banished from the Spirit Animal Kingdom forever. Alice curses out to her and the Spirit Animals that she will have revenge some day or another.

After Alice left the kingdom, Nerissa goes back inside the castle, cuddles against Valentino’s lifeless figure and cries her heart out in echo. Marcos was very sad because of what happened to his father, but Zoey was the one to comfort him as Luna comforts Nerissa.

Few days went by as everyone held a funeral for King Valentino. Nerissa was devastated, but she got all the comfort from Marcos. All the Spirit Animals paid respect to their king.

A month passed after King Valentino’s death, and Queen Nerissa had to be strong for him. She was indeed, though.

Nerissa sees how close Marcos and Zoey were after getting over Alice’s banishment, and she thought of them being together after remembering that Valentino selected Zoey to be Marcos’s queen. Nerissa was happiest after seeing Marcos propose to Zoey who accepts it.

Nerissa was in so much happy tears after seeing Marcos and Zoey get married and they became the new king and queen of the Spirit Animal Kingdom.

Time goes by as Zoey was pregnant with a heir to the throne. She was happy to be a mother; Marcos was happy to be a father; and Nerissa was happy to be a grandmother. She really hoped that Valentino would be there too and also happy to be a grandfather.

Marcos and Zoey’s daughter, Princess Sheila, was born! Nerissa started her life as a grandparent, and was really blessed to have a granddaughter.

Sadly, after 5 months, Nerissa got sick with an illness. She was in the hospital with her son, his wife, Luna, and her granddaughter who was 5 months old. Nerissa asks Luna to take care of her son, Marcos to take care of Sheila and Zoey too, and to remember how much she loves him as a mother. They were her last moments she had with Marcos and her family.

Nerissa died due to the complications of a heart stroke as an old, aged, and kindhearted ruler, now joining with the Spirit Animal ancestors led by Spirit Dragons and Spirit Winged Unicorns, and most importantly, her beloved King Valentino in heaven.

Dang, SO MANY HEADCANONS I wrote! 😳

And like I said, they are King Marcos’s parents! <3

I hope you like it! 

⚜️❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜🩷💖💝⚜️

Art/OC’s ©️ Me. 

⚠️ Please don’t use, repost, trace, or copy my art without my permission.

[yatescountyhistorycenter]

The curious case of the short-lived Combination Vender Company

By Jonathan Monfiletto

From furniture for stores and schools to carriages and buses to metal fixtures and more, the Penn Yan area has been the site of various industrial endeavors creating a variety of interesting products. One such venture was the Combination Vender Company, which was at one point located on Water Street in the building that is now the site of Water Street Wines & Spirits.

Though it seems to have begun with promise, the Combination Vender Company also seems to have come in like lion – putting out a roaring good product for the Yates County area and beyond – and seems to have gone out like a lion too, with a ferocious argument between the company’s founders. The Yates County Chronicle of August 31, 1904 features the first reference to the Combination Vender Company in a Yates County newspaper, though it is unclear when the company started. That edition of the Chronicle notes Combination Vender recently moved from the Commercial Iron Works, located on Commercial Avenue in the Lake Street corridor after the 1872 Jacob Street fire, to a building on Water Street owned by C.H. Conklin.

A few months later, on February 8, 1905, the Chronicle carried an article titled “Penn Yan’s New Industry” and subtitled “Davis Brothers and F.B. Townsend Doing a Rushing Business on Water Street.” The article describes Combination Vender as a new industry that opened on Water Street after beginning in Beebe’s carriage factory the summer before. The Water Street building had previously been occupied by the Penn Yan Wine Company but now was the home of a firm managed by brothers Jacob and Lewis Davis and Frank Townsend, who invented the machine the company patented on October 25, 1904 and produced in its factory.

Though newspaper accounts call the machine a slot machine, it wasn’t something you would see in a casino even though in practice it might work that way. In essence, the machine was – as the company’s name suggests – a vending machine. According to the Chronicle, the vending machines had four compartments to carry four different commodities, such as candies and peanuts and more. Items cost one cent each, so a person put in their penny and chose the item they wanted. The machine received the penny and carried it back to the drawer and retained it. Then, the desired item fell through the opening into the hand of the person.

Interestingly, the machine also had a magnet that attracted steel or iron or tin and thus prevented fraudulent coins from being used to obtain items. Since a penny is made from brass and not magnetic, it moved through the machine as intended.

At the time of the 1905 article, the company employed 13 people and and had 1,000 machines ready for shipment, with a total of 3,000 or more orders. The Chronicle detailed the company’s process for making the machines on Water Street: On the first floor, oak woodwork for the machines was cut to the right size by circular saws and into the right shape by a machine carrying different knives. Then, the wood was smoothed and polished by a revolving wheel. On the second floor, the iron and brass were prepared, with the iron cut into shape by metal dies. On the third floor, the machines were put together, varnished, and prepared for sale. At that point, every part of the machines was made on Water Street except for the enameled iron front – made by the Lisk works in Canandaigua – and one little casting made in Buffalo.

Combination Vender had moved to Water Street in 1904 to “largely increase its capacity,” according to the Chronicle, and indeed by the end 1905 the company was reported to employ “fifteen or sixteen men” and its machine was touted as “one of the best on the market and … finding a ready sale in all parts of the United States.” The company incorporated in early 1906 with a capital stock of $100,000, with the Davis brothers and Townsend among the directors. “These gentlemen have an excellent invention, a money maker, and are to be congratulated,” the Chronicle said.

In December 1908, the Combination Vender building was the victim of an apparent arsonist in the Penn Yan business district. The engine room, where the fire ignited, and another small building were significantly damaged, and the building sustained water damage. However, a little more than a year later, in the first Chronicle edition of 1910, an article headlined “Prospering Industries” highlighted Combination Vender along with other industries and interests throughout Penn Yan and Yates County. the sub-headlines boasted, “Penn Yan’s Factories and Mills Show Marked Progress During 1909,” “Railroads Show Increase Over 1908,” and “Northern Central Business for November and December Gains $14,200. Factories Nearly all Busy. Outlook for 1910 Very Promising in all Industries.”

For the article, Combination Vender reported an increase in business from 1908 to 1909 and had “every reason to be assured of a prosperous year in 1910,” with no decrease in its workforce during the winter despite such a cut being the rule in similar factories. “This firm has a great deal of competition to meet, but its machines are satisfactory and increased business naturally follows,” the article states.

However prosperous 1910 may been for Combination Vender, 1911 appeared to usher in the downfall of the company. On May 31, the Chronicle reported the factory was shut down and the employees put on vacation because of strained relations between Townsend, the company secretary, and Jacob Davis, the company treasurer. Davis had apparently fired Townsend, giving the secretary “a notice that his services were no longer required,” but Townsend refused to stop working. Davis delivered Townsend another notice, this time accompanied by a witness, yet Townsend still refused to quit. Townsend stated his firing by the treasurer required the consent of the board of directors.

Davis called a meeting of the board of directors, which voted to discharge Townsend. The secretary still refused to step down, claiming the notice of the meeting must specify its purpose. With the factory slated to reopen the following week, Townsend said he would be there while Davis said Townsend would not be allowed to work and the factory would be closed again if needed. It was noted Davis held the majority of shares in the company, while Townsend was a stockholder and was also superintendent of the factory for some time.

The Penn Yan Democrat of June 9, 1911 sheds more light on Townsend’s side of the argument, stating the secretary had asked the treasurer for a sworn statement of the condition of the company but Davis failed to do so. While Townsend said he made the request in writing that March, Davis said he had no recollection of it other than presenting a statement to the board and giving it to Townsend to examine. However, at that meeting, Townsend said he asked Davis to swear to the statement, but Davis would swear only to part of it. This argument apparently led to Davis seeking to fire Townsend.

According to the Democrat, Townsend sought a penalty for Davis for his violating a law that requires the treasurer of a company or corporation to render a sworn statement under certain conditions. Townsend also sought back payment for his prior work for the company. Indeed, Townsend filed a lawsuit against Davis for the violation of corporation law. The presiding judge dismissed the action, however, stating Townsend, as a director of the company, had “every opportunity to acquaint himself with the financial standing of the company,” the Chronicle stated on December 13, 1911.

As reported by the Chronicle on June 4, 1913, the Appellate Division ordered a retrial, with this time the jury deciding the case in favor of Townsend and the presiding judge awarding $680 (equivalent to $21,298 in 2023 dollars) to Townsend as a penalty to Davis. This verdict appeared to ring the death knell for Combination Vendor.

On January 9, 1914, the Democrat reported a man was looking for a suitable building to manufacture gas fixtures, and one place under consideration was “the brick building on Water Street until recently occupied by the Combination Vender Company, this company having moved into the adjoining wooden building,” formerly occupied by Sanderson’s coal office. A year later, on January 15, 1915, the Democrat reported a fire destroyed the three floors of the Combination Vender building. Baldwin’s Bank owned the building and had it insured for $3,000, while Davis had the machinery and company stock insured for $8,000.

The last mention of the Combination Vender Company in Yates County newspapers came on December 3,1924, when the Chronicle reported a fire at Clumm’s Accessory Store – apparently located in the wooden building once the home of Combination Vender – in which 500 of Combination Vender’s machines were destroyed. Davis, then living on Rochester, stored the machines there until they could be distributed in nearby areas, and some of the machines were recently purchased by a Rochester man. Instead, “all of these, charred by the fire and soaked with water, were dumped down through the two stories to the ground floor,” the Chronicle wrote.

[grannyandgrandpascreations]

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[andre8398]

Like Lightning

-Yoyogi Academy

"Hey Ryugo, the coach wanted to let you know that Mineaki gave the all clear for you to help with the Wrestling and the American Football clubs again?"

"What about the Boxing Club?"

Ryugo and his classmate continue their conversation as they walk down the hallway. From afar Buffalo Transient stares at the two and begins to approach at full speed.

The buffalo is named Wakan Tanka, a Transient from the Land of the Great Spirits. He is a warm and joyful person who shows love to all equally and is very popular amongst his peers. Yet….

"HELLO MY RYUGO!" Wakan greets as he rams Ryugo with a hug. Ryugo reels from the pain of the impact as the classmate looks in disbelief.

……. He has no sense of personal space or common sense in general. This tends to cause some issues for the American Football Team Captain, especially with the cold and stone faced Ryugo.

"Wakan." Ryugo says even more coldly than normal.

"Y-yes My Ryugo, you look quite handsome today. D-did you always have horns or scales, they look g-great, you kinda look like an oni." Wakan says with a nervous smile.

"What have I told you?"

“Faltering will get me nowhere”

“Oh good so you do remember.” Ryugo's right arm glows lightly as he emits a dark yet strong aura causing Wakan to start sweating nervously.

A couple minutes pass as Ryugo and his classmate have returned to talk.

"I see. Thank you for informing me." Ryugo says and bows. "And apologizes for what you just saw."

"It's ok, oh one last thing from all the coaches “Stop risking yourself, you reckless idiot”. Ryugo looks a bit sad but not enougn to change his expression.

“Anyways see you at practice and you too Captain." The classmate waves goodbye and sprints to his next class.

Ryugo then turns to a kneeling Wakan nursing a large bump on his head.

"So what did you need Captain Tanka?" Ryugo asks while cracking his knuckles.

"Yea! Coach wanted you to help check who needs to improve their tackles. So we need you at our next practice, My Ryugo."

"So, what my classmate just finished telling me just now. (Who the hell does this coach think I am God?!)"

"Yes."

Ryugo's glasses crack at Wakan's response as he begins to give a gentle smile causing chills to run down Wakan's back.

"Alright I'll be there. (WHY DID I SAY YES?!) Thank you for trying to inform me." Ryugo clenches his fists as he starts to walk away as Wakan gets up.

Wakan tries to say something, but Ryugo cuts him off as he only slightly turns his head so that Wakan hears what he says.

"You should start heading to your next class, it's your favorite, isn't it? You wouldn't want to be late." Wakan was taken by surprise by Ryugo's comment.

(How did My Ryugo know that was my favorite class?) Wakan thinks shocked as the two 3rd year students share an awkward silence as Ryugo starts to walk away.

Wakan tries to find the words to respond to Ryugo and tries to call for Ryugo once more, to see if he wants to join him after class but before he could utter a word Ryugo was gone.

Sadly, this has become a cycle for both of these students. Wakan tries to understand Ryugo. Ryugo, finding out how Wakan acts, actively ignores Wakan when he gives his love.

This bothers Wakan as he doesn't understand why his love can't reach his fellow 3rd year and why said 3rd year acts so coldly towards him. It bothers him yet he can't help the sense of familiarity, Deja vu he once heard a classmate say, like this has happened before.

Later That Day-

Wakan ran out of the school in full force as he sprinted to catch up to his friends. As he reaches the front doors of the academy, he sees Kyuma and Daisuke chatting while they wait for their Buffalo companion.

"Hello My Daisuke, My Kyuma hope you haven't been waiting long." Wakan says as he reaches the two.

"No, we just got here a couple minutes ago, Senpai." Kyuma responds.

"Good, then let us be off." Wakan exclaims.

"Aren't you forgetting someone Wakan? Someone who's name starts with an R." Daisuke says as Wakan stops in his tracks.

"H-he." Wakan tries to come up with an excuse, but Daisuke sighs and cuts him off, then hands some money over to Kyuma.

“Man, I can't believe I lost. I was sure that out of us 3rd year students Wakan would be able to get that guy to open up.” Daisuke says defeated.

“Yea it's a bit odd that Wakan-senpai wasn't able to befriend Ryugo-Senpai yet. They seem a bit similar, well similar enough to get along; they're both beloved by the 2nd and 1st year students after all. Though he has a stone-cold expression on his face he tends to show nothing but kindness and understanding to everyone, even going as far as to risk his own wellbeing to make sure his underclassmen are safe.” Kyuma says as Wakan starts to look a bit gloomy.

(Why couldn't I get close to That guy? I gave him all my love and affection but it–) Wakan's gloomy thoughts were interrupted as Wakan felt an arm on his shoulder. He turns to see Daisuke smiling at him.

“Stop looking so down, some people just aren't that easy to befriend, I'm sure youll be friends eventually. NOW LET'S HEAD OUT!” Daisuke exclaims as he tries to cheer up his friend.

“YEA!” Both Kyuma and Wakan agree as the three start to head to Kabukicho.

“... …….” Someone sees the 3 students head out as they begin to follow the group.

Kabukicho sometime later-

Daisuke's group reached Kabukicho without much issue having reached a shady looking Cafe.

“Daisuke-senpai is this the right spot? It looks a bit shady.” Kyuma says as he looks at the flier then at the building.

“Yea Tatsuya told me about it. He said a guy called Tetsuya took him here and that it looked shady but the food was amazing.”

“Come now My Kyuma. Have more trust in My Tatsuya and My Daisuke. Now let's go in-”

“OI DIDN'T YOU PUNKS READ THE SIGN OUTSIDE! NO ONE FROM OUTSIDE KABUKICHO IS ALLOWED TO DINE!” A strong looking man from the otherside of the counter yells.

“Oh Sorry Sir. It's just a buddy of ours called Tatsuya who told us about this place and said he'd vouch for us.” Daisuke says quickly trying to defuse the situation.

“Hmhp that twerp I told him to spread the word around town when he hangs out with Tetsuya not to tell his buddies. Regardless unless he is with or you have someone with you to vouch you cant-”

“GOD DAMIT OLD MAN! Yawn Why are you being so loud? Do you finally have customers?” A familiar large Transient wearing a tattered school uniform and his face covered by a bandana and a pair of sunglasses only exposing his tiny horns at the top of his forehead, emerges from the kitchen interrupting the man.

“Ah good Dracos you're awake, help me kick these punks out. There are outsiders to Kabukicho and don't have someone to vouch for them.” The man points at Daisuke’s group.

“Hey Senpai maybe we should go-” Kyuma tries to say but before he could finish Dracos was in front of him.

“No, you 3 are alright.”Dracos says as he ruffles Kyuma's hair like a parent to a child.

“DRACOS?!”

“It's alright I'll vouch for these 3. Hell I'll even serve them myself so stop making such a fuss.” Dracos tells the man who is now both infuriated and confused.

“FINE! But don't overdo it. I got money riding on tonight's match.”

“Well do. Now you 3 go sit down. I'll get your orders in a minute.

The 3 students do as there told, while Dracos heads back to the kitchen to warm the stoves.

“Hey My Daisuke, is it me or does My Dracos look like My Ryugo and My Summoner.” Wakan says as the trio look through the menu.

“Yea they do look similar but it's kinda rude to compare. Plus we don't know much about either one's past.” Daisuke says, wondering why he doesn't know much about Ryugo. “All we have are rumors about our classmat-”

“Actually My Daisuke, I've learned quite a bit about him.”

“I learned quite a bit about him from Tatsuya and Dr. Mineaki too Senpai.”

“W-what? I'm the only one in the dark?!” Daisuke yells as he feels defeated.

“WOW you 3 are loud.” Dracos says, scaring the trio. “Sorry for scaring ya, are you ready to order.

After a brief moment to regain their composure the 3 order.

“Alright I'll get those out as fast as I can.”

“Thank you.” Daisuke says.

“Hey Mr. Dracos, can I ask you something?” Kyuma asks as Dracos starts to walk away.

“Sure, I don't mind.”

“Why did you vouch for us?”

“Well, it's cus-”

Before Dracos could answer, the door to the Cafe opens and 2 policeman men walk in. As Dracos looks at them, he visibly tenses up.

“YO OLD MAN! YOU GOT CUSTOMERS.” The strong man emerges from the back of the Cafe with a tray of tea and welcomes the officers while serving them tea.

“Master Hogen Officer Tajikarao, please take a seat. I'll be with you in a bit. Yo twerp finish up with those punks and take the nice officer's orders will ya.” The old man says as Tajikarao and Dracos lock eyes. Dracos expression darkens as he begins to respond in a deeper and colder voice.

“Ya, no. You're fully capable of handling 2 officers. You won't get any help from me.” The man grew furious but knew he couldn't do much to convince Dracos to do as he was told.

“Grrrrr…. huffs FINE BUT YOU'RE STILL DOING THE COOKING!” The man says before beginning to take the officers orders. As Dracos sighs and looks back to the table where the Yoyogi trio sit and looks at Kyuma with a friendly expression.

“Sorry for him anyways, to answer your question a buddy asked that if I saw anyone from Yoyogi I'd help them out, so it's just a favor.” Dracos then walk back to the kitchen.

After an awkward silence the 3 students resume their previous conversation.

“So Kyuma, Wakan, what do you 2 know about Ryugo.” Daisuke asks his schoolmates, this question piques the officers interest as well.

“Well I'm not sure I should be talking about this without Ryugo-Senpai's permission, but from what he told me he has some sort of memory loss due to his summoning, but from what he can remember he came from a Tokyo like ours but different.” This causes the policeman and students to pay close attention as Dracos continues to prepare the orders.

“In his world there were no transients, no gates and the day that a gate did open his Tokyo was destroyed and that the last thing he remembers before waking up in a place where giants live or so he called it was that his younger sibling jumped into the gate to escape and that he heard there voice right before being summoned in the Yoyogi Academy sports field.” Kyuma looks down.

“I wonder if it hurts him connecting to others.” Dracos stops and was about to answer Kyuma's curiosity, yet before he could, Daisuke intersects.

“I see so that's why he seems so distant, he has been through a lot. Hmm… What do you know, Wakan?”

“Hmmm from what I've seen from following Ryugo from the shadows-” Dracos flinches and tries not puck realizing that the stalker he was trying to off was Wakan while Hogan chokes on his tea as they hear this as the other students look at Wakan in shock.

“Wakan-senpai, that's called stalking. You should be doing that!”

“Yea Kyuma is right but please continue.” Kyuma is conflicted by Daisuke's statement but stays silent yet looks a bit disgusted on the inside.

“Well My Ryugo always stays in top physical condition by training in the mountains with the largest and heaviest objects as weights. My Ryugo also can use the summons app despite being a Transient, and can still see app battles happening.”

“Wakan just called Ryugo “he” please for our sake.”

“Ok My Daisuke! He doesn't need to be at the academy at all since he has already finished the work for all his classes. All the teachers were amazed that he finished it all in 3 days. He has been hanging around Kabukicho trying to earn money and to get his watch fixed by the Crafters of Kamata. He avoids the police out of what appears to be fear constantly as well as My Summoner.” The officers frown at the mention of his avoidance of them almost feeling a bit ashamed.

“Yet he helps anyone in need even if it gets him in trouble or hurt. He smiles when others cry. He becomes serious when others are happy, he cries- ………” Wakan starts to look gloomy as tries to muster the words to say almost as what he wants to say brings him pain.

“He reminds me of someone I knew long ago but unlike that person My Ryugo does it for different reasons. He smiles his defiant smile to restore the hope of those who have lost theirs. He keeps focus and keeps recognizing the true gravity of a situation where others might not. He would give himself away bit by bit in order to save those he can…… kinda like me.” Wakan smiles slightly as he starts to feel something warm in his chest as he describes Ryugo.

Meanwhile Hogan tries to hold back the tears of pride caused by Wakan's description of Ryugo, Dracos is quivering trying to hold back tears as he brings everyone their food and Tajikarao's curiosity about the dragonborn transient only grows.

“OH RIGHT FOODS READY!” Dracos says as he serves the students and officers the meals.

“Hope you all enjoy the food.” Dracos says as everyone's mouths began to water. In unison everyone exclaimed.

“THANK YOU FOR THE MEAL!”

The rest of the day was uneventful for the students as they continue the chat over there meal.

Later That Day Ryugo smiles genuinely for the first time since arriving in this Tokyo as he remembers the words said by his friends as crowds cheer in the background.

Then a DING as Ryugo looks at his phone

Tetsuya: You owe me for keeping those 3 safe

Ryugo: yea yea what do you want a kiss on the cheek 🙄

Tetsuya: I want a quickie

Ryugo: You couldn't afford a fcking quickie from me even if i did agree, try something else

Tetsuya: Fine asshole😤 I need you to tutor the king of night for a an exam he has coming up

Tetsuya: Come to the arc tomorrow I'll wait for you around 18:00

Ryugo: 👍

He smirks as puts on a bandana over his face as he begins to head to the ring. As he gets into the arena the announcer calls out.

“THE KING OF OUR ARENA HAS ARRIVED!! NOW INTRODUCING OUR DRAGON KING DRACOS!

A couple days later, After School-

Ryugo is on his knees with a black eye on his face and many bruises.

The American football coach yells and rants at him for not being careful again, while Wakan is forced to watch from the side, a bit worried.

“My Coach, I think he has had enough plus we still need to do our practice match drills and get ready for our game tomorrow.” The coach wants to protest but he knows that the captain of his team is right.

“Fine, Everyone Get in Your Positions!”

Whistle sounds

Every member of the team did as they were told as they began their schermege. Both sides ran different placements and plays constantly as the sky started to get cloudy. The Buffalo and Dragon tackled each other ruthlessly, yet they both smirked as they gave it their all, not holding back an inch.

Suddenly as the schermage was coming to an end.

CRASH

Lightning strikes the ground close to the field causing the ground to rumble.

Announcing the arrival of a thunderstorm at the field ending club practice. This storm felt off but there was no time to question it as both Ryugo and Wakan tried to get his clubmates to safety.

CRACK

“AHHHH!”

A lightning bolt strikes in front of a club mate causing him to pass out.

“SHIT!”

Ryugo runs into the field, trying to redirect the strikes.

CRACK

The lightning strikes down on Ryugo.

The team that is still on the field try to help him but he roars out.

“GET, ANYONE THAT'S PASSED OUT ON THE FIELD AND GET THEM TO SAFETY, NOW!”

The team nods at Ryugos declaration and rushes those that they can to safety.

CRASH!

“AHHH!”

CATHUM!

The team watches in shock as Ryugo tanks every bolt that strikes him, marks appearing on his arm glowing brighter with every strike. Some of the other 3rd year students try running back to help Ryugo, yet with a thundering voice Ryugo declares.

"STAY BACK! GET OFF THE FIELD NOW AND STAY OFF!" With this shout the team stops their advance back onto the field. Finally after what felt like an eternity to the team, everyone is off the field and out of harm's way. Wakan is frozen as Ryugo is struck time after time by lightning. Each strike causes him to recoil slightly as it reminds him of how he struck down the exile of his world

Wakan started to break down at the sight. A voice booms.

“OI TANKA, AFTER I’M DONE I'LL PASS OUT….. CAN YOU TAKE ME TO THE INFIRMARY AFTER?” Ryugo shouts, snapping Wakan out of his downward spiral.

“Ry-”

“Hear my plea and lend me your strength…. If you accept my cry then shine!” As Ryugo finishes talking a belt made of yellow light surrounds his waist and the lightning starts to become focus in Ryugo’s fist. As a final lightning bolt begins to descend, Ryugo cries out as he throws his fist in an uppercut motion.

“STRIKE GEANT BASHER!”

In a flash the lightning is shot to the ground, the back upwards colliding with the other bolt creating a gigantic shockwave in the sky dissipating the clouds that concealed the sunsetting sky.

BOOOOOOOM!!!!!!

Turning back to the remaining members of the team that decided to watch the entire affair giving them a thumbs up as an all clear followed by Ryugo begins to puff out steam from his mouth as he collapses.

“Ryu-”

(Huh, was someone calling me? It's almost like back then.)

In the darkness of his unconscious mind suddenly appears a flash as a memory plays.

A familiar muscular young man comes up to Ryugo, Ryugo can't remember his face, only the smile of joy and pride that he had.

“Onii-San! I did it! I got the spot of Captain of the football team. Coach even said that if I keep working hard I could even go pro in the NFL in America.” Ryugo ruffles his younger brothers hair with a genuine smile.

“Great Work Bro! Maybe one day I'll see you on the TV at home! So tell then you keep up the great work as Captain and I'll make sure to keep the streets clean as a police Captain. You got that!”

“Yea! Just like Onii-san said!” The 4 other high school students catch both captains off guard and proceed to hug them both. The captains look at there 4 siblings and then to each other and smile.

The memory begins to fade as Ryugo starts to open his eyes.

Later in the infirmary-

Ryugo wakes up looking around with his eyes, and suddenly he feels .

“ZZZZZZ”

Ryugo looks down to see Wakan by his side. Ryugo brings the sleeping Wakan closer into a hug.

“Thanks Wakan.”Ryugo says as he starts to feel the sharp side of a scalpel against his throat.

“My My looks like our little hero has gotten in trouble again. Maybe since you have so little regard for your own life I should just end you myself?” Ryugo looks up in terror as he sees Mineaki giving him a murderous smile.

“However on the other hand your quick thinking did help most of the students get to safety with no major injuries. Those that did get struck are in no danger thanks to them being able to be given attention fast enough. So Thank You for that.” Mineaki takes the scalpel away from Ryugo's neck.

“You got lucky Ryugo, you were only severely dehydrated, it could have been much worse. You should be fine by tomorrow, you're gonna be really sore though. Here eat some of this too.” Mineaki gives a cup of watermelon pieces to Ryugo. “Eat that and get some rest.”

Mineaki walks away as Ryugo eats. After a while Ryugo returns to sleep now holding Wakan close in a cuddle…………….

_________________________________________

Tatsuya (mentioned) belongs to my friend @shinjukuspiritcommittee go check out his work ^_^

[purlty23]

hi!

i saw your post asking about perceptions of satan-

i was baptized and raised roman catholic but i knew from the get go that never felt right to me. the fear aspect of it all and the idea of “god’s plan” never sat right. over a decade later i’ve come to realize that i don’t resonate with any sort of organized religion

as of now i consider myself a witch, though i don’t follow or worship any specific deities. i don’t really believe in deities, they’re more representations of energy. when i practice (and because of my aversion to anything resembling organized religion i practice alone) i call on the cardinal directions and the elements rather than any gods, with the exception of hecate but she’s more of a guiding energy than a god in my head. as for satan, that’s where things are a little different- i do believe in demons/demonic beings but i wouldn’t say i necessarily believe in satan as a deity. i like the ideology in satanism, what little i’ve interacted with, especially the atheistic side of it. so i suppose i believe in devils but not “the devil”, although the symbology of having a devil is interesting. personally i feel most drawn to baphomet, who is not related to satan in my understanding/beliefs though often conflated (i know the church of satan or satanic temple adopted the baphomet as an idol/visual), because i prefer the idea of balance- of good and evil, light and dark, the duality and wholeness of baphomet is appealing

I feel like that makes a lot of sense, that way of believing in ‘devils’ rather than ‘The Devil’. There’s been so many different ideas, interpretations and lore surrounding demons and spirits, from the Greek underworld to modern Ghost Hunters. Now that major religions aren’t as… punishing when people don’t follow their dogma, it opens a lot of different beliefs that don’t align with traditional ideas of what demons are. Technically speaking, Satan has existed as a concept of evil since before the popularity of the story of the fall of Lucifer. Christianity co-opted the name Satan and now they’re used interchangeably. The language and ideas change throughout history!

The mention of cardinal directions really peaked my interest. Back in high school and university I had a very vested interest in Canadian Native American beliefs. I’m from Treaty 6 territory, my family used to live very close to Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump. It’s something that’s always been really important to me and I think it’s important for anyone in a colonized area to learn these things. I mention it because a lot of their beliefs held the cardinal directions, and seasons sacred. They used them as tools to understand the phases of life and what it means to live on the earth (super, SUPER simple explanation, I’d recommend looking into it if you’re interested.)

As someone who also practices alone, I feel for your emotions regarding organized religion. I hope your own practices serve you well, and thank you so much for sending this! 💖

[fiercestpurpose]

According to Guyora Binder, of the University at Buffalo School of Law, the modern felony-murder doctrine is best understood as “a distinctly American innovation.” Although it was first applied early in the nineteenth century, use of the charge surged in the nineteen-seventies, when the era of mass incarceration began. Fifty years later, Binder contends, no country relies on the doctrine more. In Tulsa, two men attempted to steal some copper wire from a radio tower and accidentally electrocuted themselves. One of them died and the other was charged with first-degree murder while recovering from his burns in the hospital; the girlfriend of the deceased was also charged with murder, for having driven them to the tower. In Topeka, a twenty-two-year-old made the mistake of hiding his gun atop his girlfriend’s refrigerator; he was charged with first-degree murder several days later, when a child inadvertently fired it at a thirteen-year-old girl. In Minneapolis, a sixteen-year-old girl who sat in the car while two older men killed someone in a robbery was charged with felony murder. Deemed too young to enter the adult prison population after her conviction, she was placed in solitary confinement for months, purportedly for her own safety. In Somerville, Tennessee, last May, three teen-age girls overdosed on fentanyl in their high school’s parking lot before a graduation ceremony. Two of them died, and the surviving girl was charged with murder. For prosecutors, the felony-murder rule offers an efficient path to conviction: winning a case is much easier if you don’t need to prove a person’s mens rea—“guilty mind”—or even, in some cases, to establish that the accused was at the scene of the crime. Forty-eight states now have some version of the statute. Charlie Smith, the president of the National District Attorneys Association, told me that the tool is particularly useful in cases with vulnerable victims, such as an elderly woman in a wheelchair who gets assaulted in a purse-snatching incident and dies. “The community would feel it’s not reasonable if the old lady’s death was just a simple misdemeanor assault,” he said. Prosecutors often employ felony murder when a death results from an armed robbery—a category of crime that Smith contends, in the spirit of Hawkins, carries death as a foreseeable outcome. Another benefit to prosecutors is that the steep penalties often attached to felony murder—including life sentences—compel defendants to plead guilty to a lesser charge. “We shouldn’t underestimate how many plea bargains occur in the shadow of felony-murder charges across the country,” Ekow Yankah, a law professor at the University of Michigan, told me. “It is one of those quiet drivers of mass incarceration we never acknowledge.”

...

Another subset of felony-murder cases we examined involved shootings by people in law enforcement. In many states, when an officer fires a lethal gunshot at a crime scene, individuals who were with the victim may be charged with the killing. (The rationale is that, without the instigating felony, police wouldn’t have been on the scene in the first place.) We compiled twenty cases in which an officer pulled the trigger and someone else assumed the charge; the best known of these cases is that of LaKeith Smith. In 2015, when he was fifteen, LaKeith and four friends broke into two unoccupied homes in Millbrook, Alabama, to steal Xbox games and other electronics. A neighbor called the police, who appeared, guns drawn. LaKeith ran into the woods, and one of the officers shot and killed his friend, sixteen-year-old A’Donte Washington, who they said had a gun. The prosecution alleged that one of the older teen-agers had fired a shot, and a grand jury found that the officer’s use of force was “justified.” LaKeith was charged as an adult with murder, for the killing at the officer’s hand.

...

But, as some states pull back from the concept, others are expanding it. In Arkansas, legislators have considered a bill allowing district attorneys to charge women who obtain unauthorized abortions, and anyone who aids them, with felony murder. (In the Dobbs decision, Justice Samuel Alito wrote that abortion offered America its “proto-felony-murder rule”; in the colonies, if a doctor gave a pregnant woman a “potion” to aid in an abortion and she died, he could be charged with murder.) In the wake of Dobbs, other states have proposed legislation similar to the Arkansas bill. Some legislators are also pushing felony murder’s expansion into another fraught terrain: overdoses tied to the opioid epidemic. “These cartel bosses, who have taken advantage of the weakness of the Biden Administration, must be held accountable for the millions of lives they have destroyed with this horrific drug,” Senator Ted Cruz said recently, in support of a bill to make the lethal distribution of fentanyl punishable with federal felony-murder charges. A mere two milligrams of the synthetic opioid, which is cheaper than heroin and is often used as a filler by underground drug producers, can be a lethal dose. As deaths of unsuspecting users soar, red-state politicians have rallied around this cause. Some defenders and prosecutors argue that this hard line will lead to more deaths, as fellow-users hesitate to dial 911 when they witness an overdose. But proponents underline a payoff: that felony-murder prosecutions will bring down drug kingpins and major suppliers.

...

Could former President Trump be prosecuted for felony murder for urging on the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol, which led to a number of deaths? Could fossil-fuel-company executives be held liable for murder for criminally deceiving the public about carbon emissions that killed people? If we take the felony-murder doctrine’s core premise seriously, it’s easy to imagine a radically different justice system. But, after two years of closely reviewing cases, I can state with confidence that the doctrine is rarely levelled against people of influence. It is used instead to impose some of our society’s harshest punishments on low-income defendants, young people, and defendants of color.

[goredollanganger]

Lore Olympus fans,

I heard Lore Olympus is ending soon! And Y'all may want more Greek mythos in modern day! I got yah!

I'm writing a book about the Greek theoi set in modern day Greece, except no civilization ever fell due to colonization, so things like Rome, modern Europe, or the modern Americas don't exist.

I introduce g_ds and spirits from other civilizations who also now live in a modern world with modern laws. You meet Jesus, Al-lat (Allah's g_ddess daughter from the indigenous Arabic religion), Allah, Ogun, Sosondowah, Gendewitha, White Buffalo Woman, Loki, Thor, Benten, Shiva, and others!

I discuss topics about Ancient Greece. I talk about pederasty, the sexism women faces, slavery, the shame men who were the bottom in a male relationship are made to feel, lesphobia.

I have spent years studying to write this book. I've been planning this book since middle school.

I don't water down the fact they are all related, I have the Greek theoi talk about the trauma of being written to sleep your parent. I don't make the Greek religion into a fairy tale. I recognize the Greeks worshiped their theoi as g_ds. I recognize that every deity you meet (either be a theoi, a g_d, a spirit, a force of nature, etc) is a higher being and that people worship them in their own ways.

See yah soon!

Gore <3

[betterbooktitles]

My wife and I got married in the Hamptons of Cleveland, a small gated community an hour south of Buffalo called the Chautauqua Institution. A year later, steps from where we had danced to a Beatles cover band, someone stabbed Salman Rushdie. 

I worry Chautauqua will be known for that attack someday. When I tell a friend where we were married, will I see their face change in subtle recognition? Will it become like saying you went to Columbine High School but graduated years before the shooting?

Probably not. The Chautauqua lore is so rich that it’s unlikely to be known for any single event. It’s been praised by the New York Times for being a spiritually and intellectually satisfying retreat, and bashed in the New York Times for its Boys’ and Girls’ Club, the oldest children’s day camp in the country, one that still separates the sexes. 

“Chautauquas,” according to the first few pages of Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance once littered the United States. Intellectuals toured the country giving lectures during the Lyceum Movement, an experiment in adult education for the masses. Chautauqua, New York was the flagship community and is also one of the few Chautauquas that has survived.

An entire page of my sophomore American History textbook was devoted to Chautauqua. Writers, politicians, comedians, and essayists all traveled on the lyceum circuit to get their message out to the world. William Jennings Bryan was likely the most exciting speaker, a man who I first heard about in the play Our Town where the Stage Manager excitedly tells the audience that “Bryan once made a speech from these very steps here.” Thanks to my family’s yearly vacations in Chautauqua, I too had seen some steps where Bryan had once made a speech. Exciting stuff. I was walking through a page of my history textbook every summer.

Though I knew the place was somewhat famous, Chautauqua’s history often seemed embellished. Once, a nice white-haired lady walking past me on the road, unprompted, pointed at a patch of grass beyond the institution’s fence and said “You know, Amelia Earhart landed her plane on that golf course once.” Sure she did, lady. Then a few days later, I’d found myself in the Chautauqua library staring at a giant black-and-white photo of Amelia Earhart standing on the Chautauqua golf course. It’s near a few photos of FDR in front of the Chautauqua Opera House. 

It’s difficult to describe Chautauqua to the uninitiated. I happily let my wife describe it for others whenever the subject comes up: “It’s the set of Dirty Dancing.” Aside from the fact that it’s not in the Catskills and the spirit of the place is a little more centered on intellectual/spiritual edification, it is exactly like the set of Dirty Dancing, complete with a treelined lake, an enormous hotel, and a house full of actors and dancers at one end of the grounds who let loose, partying every night to the wee hours (10 PM) when everything in the Institution closes and strict quiet hours are enforced. Women can even take Ballroom Dance classes with young men, though I get the sense that both parties are a little more puritanical than Swayze and his students. Unfortunately, also like the movie, thanks to a few speakers from the Heritage Foundation, there are also several Chautauquans who like Ayn Rand.

For the kids who grew up going to Chautauqua every summer, it was a giant playground. We went during Week Five of the season consistently and became fast friends with anyone our age. Boys’ and Girls’ Club hours went from 9 AM to noon, and from 2 PM to 4 PM so parents could attend talks or a pottery class while the kids were playing dodgeball and rehearsing for Air Band (a lip-syncing competition for all club attendees). Because the Institution is safe compared to nearly every place people visit from, the kids roam free. They have carte blanche to do whatever they please during daylight hours. We biked, ate mountains of ice cream, or played ping pong for hours when we weren’t at club playing GaGa Ball, a game where you hunched over and used your hands to hit your opponents’ ankles with a volleyball.

Read more here.

[mamaito]

[Housamo] Chapter 13 - 4

[Heavy mentions of the dungeon quests, especially Ryota's.]

-- Tokyo's gate is tied to the twenty-three worlds, and one of those world's is called the [Great Spirit].

No matter where you look, it's extending itself into the open fields of this current world. Every lifeform are of equal to one another in it's society.

Over there, [equality] is a wide known belief. -- And so that world is inviting it to [give way].

If you have no use for the crops you have then release it on to the others.

Hence that is why the person must give way, as it is what maintain's the [Great Spirit]'s authority--

-- The individual acting as the [Great Spirit]'s successor is none other than Wakan Tanka for he is the representation of this belief.

There is nothing out there that I cannot do, granting everything in my own power till there is no more that'll be left in my existence.

In accordance to the vessel, Wakan Tanka, there are things that he simply cannot do in this body, at least in terms of it's concept. Either that or it is just simply a natural law for each person to obey.

From stone to grass, every being that has existed and lived inside this planet, is loved.

From whence life reared it's head out, there'd be rain coming to greet them, taking the roaring thunderbolts along with it. It is Wakan Tanka's very nature to give onto others.

This personification of faith that goes by the name Wakan Tanka was incomparable and was of equal footing out of everything else that has existed.

And so, the moment he then began to stand on his own two feet in the world by himself was only then did he intrude on others.

No matter who it was, and no matter who was invading this world--

Wakan Tanka would intrude and simultaneously submerge himself to them.

As a result, Wakan Tanka would face loneliness. For he is always high up among the clouds by himself as he overseers at the open field.

However, he has since released all the love that he could offer within each living being and has pertained that way since.

As there were traditional songs in regards to a white buffalo taking form in the flesh… Numerous sightings within Tokyo state that this creature resides here.

[Durga] "-- Hold up! There was an emergency warning back at home near the school district, you know!"

[Ashigara] "Where did that bastard Wakan ran off to!?"

[Kyuma] "I looked behind the school building but senior Wakan was nowhere to be found!"

[Gunzo] "… Guh, that guy! Just when we needed to go and seek shelter!"

[Yasuyori] "…"

Yasuyori understood the predicament they were in since he was also part of said [three big guilds], in that corner were the warmongers.

But, this was no mere evacuation announcement. The timing of it was too on the nose.

And so it was understandable that the very balance of Tokyo as a whole is crumbling at this moment.

[Yasuyori] "… That idiot, this was not the time to be doing this in this predicament. You can only depend on yourself in times like this, we need to get everyone to safety--!"

[Cowboy Transient?] "…"

[Yasuyori] "… Hm? A child? A Yoyogi elementary student perhaps."

"This here's place is dangerous for you. It is too early to be coming out when there is a big problem--"

Yasuyori gave out a soft voice as much as he could to the young boy, but he seemed to impose a maturity uncharacteristic of a young one, glimmering within his eyes.

[Cowboy Transient?] ".. Wakan Tanka is never going back. That's what I've been told through legends."

[Yasuyori] "… Huh? Just now, did you--"

At that moment, Yasuyori's phone rang and he took it out of his breast pocket.

[Yasuyori] "Hm, there's an incoming call. -- Yes?"

Yasuyori was interrupted by a loud noise and turned around to look for it-- As he did so, he notices the young boy is no longer around.

[Yasuyori] "… What you just said--"

[Tanetomo] "… I am speaking to Yasuyori, am I not? I'm talking about the situation you're in, I wanted to discuss it."

"The [Three big Guilds]'s southern section, the Invaders, has gone all out."

"The rain has spread out through the entire area of Tokyo, and they could only be the prime suspect for rousing such behavior."

"But how odd, they've never acted something like this prior to the previous loops before, certainly not where most could see it--"

"Would you like to work together with me? Regardless of any reasons you may have."

[Yasuyori] "Counselor.. No, sir Tanetomo. I'd like to apologize, I'm already--"

[Tanetomo] "I understand, you'd rather be with everyone from Yoyogi academy and prioritize their safety more, isn't that right?"

"You're the type of guy who makes his own judgement based on your surroundings, but don't worry as I'll be able to provide a evacuation shelter for them."

[Yasuyori] "…"

[Tanetomo] "But I can't guarantee their safety at all times, if something were to happen then I'll act just as fast."

"You'd go the extra mile for these school mates of yours, but I would also like that you'd transfer these chances of success in aiding me also, how about it?"

[Yasuyori] "B-but, I'm--"

[Tanetomo] "… Right now the [Three Big Guilds] are on their way towards Yoyogi Academy, to where your homes are. This isn't just something unrelated to you."

[Yasuyori] "… What?"

[Tanetomo] "Among the Yoyogi academy's three senior students, Wakan Tanka, is the Invader's [World Representative] and is on the move."

[Yasuyori] "Wha--!?"

[Tanetomo] "… Truth be told, I, too, was surprised. The past loops never mentioned this information before."

"What I heard-- No, I wish for you to give me permission to investigate the scope of this information."

"Well, I did made a path for myself in manipulating enemies this far."

[Yasuyori] "Sir Tanetomo… In what way are you different."

[Tanetomo] "You're right, Yasuyori… I am a bad friend and influence, after all."

[Yasuyori] "… Very well, Sir Tanetomo. Then how do you expect me to move from here henceforth?"

[Tanetomo] "I'm going to explain this current situation we're going through. The person acting as their world representative plans to remove the trophy from this place."

"For reasons that the world representatives themselves have disclosed this recent information of incarnations."

"As of now, the west is moving rather sluggish on the side.. The east and the south on the other hand are picking it's pace."

"This time, with the info we have of the three, we can counter the world representatives using this to lead them into the natural disaster."

"Though, I fear that Shinjuku during this time will turn into a huge brawl if our opportunity to succeed fails."

"Nonetheless, I want you, Yasuyori, to go fight the world representatives."

"The south and the east's world representatives are concerned about their reliability so let's go and take care of the west's representative."

"Based on the data from multiples loops, we can use one as an example where a world representative is confronting another world representative."

"The [Three Big Guilds] have companions who are enemies themselves but the situation in regards to it I have yet to know. But they're united under one common goal and keep each other in check, apart from that--"

"… I am particularly paying close attention to the west, where the invaders are. There is a hakkenshi amongst them that's marching ahead."

"Just the other day, One of my.. Err, a friend rather who had information before getting dragged into the mess."

"This friend was barely able to get the info out from that place but according to him there was one person who he heard say the following:"

"[This cruel plan is the way to reformation, in order to save everyone we must have a sacrifice, this last remaining clan member--]"

[Yasuyori] "A sacrifice to an end…"

[Tanetomo] "Those were the words of the messenger that I interpreted, [This will be the last loop] as it was stated."

"How can I be so confident in it, you ask? Surely you don't think that I understood why they gave me this information, do you?"

"As you can see, I did not acquire this bit of info on my own, I told that person to go look for something-- And they didn't even pull out of there."

"That comrade of mine let themselves be charmed by the green. In that case there is a similar hakkenshi fitting for the role, and it is no one other than you Yasuyori."*

*(It means that spy of his was swayed by the ideals aka green pastures of what grand ideology Masanori was spouting on about.)

-- The Hakkenshi belongs to the Minamoto's branching family, the Satomi clan. It is there where their eight orbs were each named correspondingly.

The outcasts consisted mostly of nobles that were casted off from their family and during one of their meetings, Tanetomo was present also. The outcasts decided they were to serve a world representative.

[Tanetomo] "… Still, you and I would never be able to meet if it weren't for this latest Tokyo's green pasture as one would say."*

*(Again, he said the color green. Same meaning as the one above only this time he means the latest or new tokyo loop they're in.)

"That's why the end is coming because-- Somehow, the south is inflicting harm singlehandedly, wouldn't you say?"

[Yasuyori] ".. I wholeheartedly agree with the notion, sir Tanetomo!"

Tanetomo earns Yasuyori's approval by the sound of his voice through the phone, and a faint chuckle was given in response.

[Tanetomo] "Though the attacks will only get bigger if we do it again and again. It'll be too late to ask for any first hand experience--"

"The past loops of the [Three Big Guild]'s battles and it's limited practicality."

"Back in the Warmongers, I'm sure you recall the [Self Recollection Method] they did that would restrict someone's will--"

"The Invader's would be bestowed with [Memories of past selves], one that would invade each one's personality especially for long periods of time."

"Right now, while there's a rain outbreak, we should spread it in every spot of the south with [Memories of past selves] and sweep off our deeds by deeming it as mere conjectures."

"If not yet then the [Three Big Guilds] time in which the agreement they've married themselves to will seal the deed--"

The pact has already been violated. As tokyo is engulfed in this, whatever is going to happen is veiled in utter mystery.

[Tanetomo] "Furthermore, the others are being intruded-- The boundary of one's self are being lost and is fusing with one another."

"… It has been raining over and over and it never stops, it just keeps getting bigger. So let's join forces together, alright, Yasuyori?"

[Shiro] "Kh.. Khh..! Guuuh!?"

[Kengo] "Hah, something's coming..! Something, something's inside me--"

Within the skies of Shinjuku were raining excessively on two individuals as if the heaven's heard their calls. It kept downpouring.

The rain's nature seems to be associating itself with someone's memories as Shiro and Kengo's bodies are being soaked continuously.

["Could this be the south's own authority?"] ["Kch, even I'm getting woozy--"] [(Get out of the roofs satefy and rush out to them.)]

[Both] "Stop!!"

[Shiro] "H-how would you feel when you're the one being continuously attacked? We're fine, okay, we won't lose to this rain!"

[Kengo] "Kh, Shiro's right, the big brain's in charge here. Any idea what this rain wants?"

"I might be able to sketch us a way out so come at me with one of your brainy ideas!"

Kengo reaches out to Shiro and tries to cover him, acting as a shield from the rain as he yells out with as much as he could muster against it.

[Shiro] "Kengo… The rain. That's right! Ito, do you remember about getting in somewhere?"

"Ryouta was supposed to form a cooperation with the Aoyama guild, Aoyama has a underground place within the cemetary. I'm sure at that time I've heard of talks about looking for it.--"

["Conversations about the Aoyama underground hideaway within the cemetary?"] ["That's right, I remember--!"]

[Shiro] "Within the old building of the Shinjuku academy's basement was the [Exception handling] of Yog-sothoth--"

"In Kengo's case, the underground of Ikebukuro was handling a sacred artifact of the exception named Thor in order to learn and find a way to use it."

"During the Aoyama collaboration was Ryouta's encounter with [Exception handling] that was carried out."

"And so Aoyama's underground hideaway within the cemetary lies a exception named King Fisher."

"Ryouta's sacred artifact is the holy grail, has an ability to draw one's ability out via request."

"Wherein the memories of someone's past self in the other loops, the edge is presented before their very eyes."

"I remember during that time, all Ryouta did was talk and talk about that particular subject."

[Shiro] "Once the truth of the ending to the game is revealed, at that moment, the last judgement will present itself and an angel will appear."

"As the world ends, the angel with then wash this world's tears in accordance to the rain's belief and then return back to earth."

"At that moment, that person will then grieve for their sins, retributing for what he's done as they are then washed away by the rain's judgement."

"Those who have been soaked by the rain, will have their pasts exposed--"

[Shiro] "Surely, it is without a doubt Israfil… The name of that angel from the world of Eden."

"His ability alongside the rain must have some sort connection with one another that we haven't yet know of…"

"The [Exception handlement] of King Fisher's sacred artifact should have a more well documented information in regards to the memories that was pulled out of it…"

"Ito, go get in contact with Ryouta…"

"Gh, guuh, aaAAhh!?"

[Kengo] "S-something slippery is crawling under me.. Uwaaaahhh!!"

[Shiro] "Wha.. Wha- What'd you say!? Like when Yog-Sothoth that time--"

Filled by the brim with warmth, something strange began to intrude upon the two and shrieking were let out.

["Shiro, Kengo!"] ["I should call Ryouta right away… Hm?"] ["Something, something's approaching--!?"]

[Spirit Boy?] "…"

A young boy with a large leaf of a butterbur came strolling in akin to holding it like an umbrella as the rain keeps downpouring on it, bypassing the rain's ability.

["Hey you.. Who are you!"] [(Ready your sword.)]

[Korpokkur] "This tokyo is different from my world. I am the world representative of Kamuy Kotan, Korpokkur."

Ito could sense the intent to kill laid bare as the young lad named Korpokkur introduces himself.

["Hmph, t-that's some bloodlust you got there..!"] ["Why, why would you suddenly..!?"]

[Remember what Smokey God told you.]

[Smokey God] "… The subject in which the length of the game that's been delaying far too long, there wasn't a festival of free will before."

"This dome's trophy, for as long as the others give value to it, the harder it is to overturn it."

"No, it must be said properly. We used to think that this line of thinking that [We, the representatives are the ones who put value on this person] hasn't been possible."

"This world's regard to value has already been overturned. As we speak, [that] has become this world's enemy."*

*(He's referring to you, the player.)

[Korpokkur] "…. Go ahead and ask for help. Pon Yaunpe-- [The hero of the small]."

"Before you became such a filthy adult, you used to be raised by this leaf of the butterbur."

"It was I who wished for all of the children to be protected. I gave everyone their assigned roles, but--"

"By then, you were already sullied. That's why you and I--"

"-- I won't let my home world be polluted by the likes of you, I won't let you forsake it."

"Come and hurry along, children. Only they can take shelter underneath, otherwise they might freeze from it-- [Sharp Icicle Detachment]!"

As his ability activates, your surroundings started to wrap itself with snow. Despite just being one individual around, the leaf of the butterbur starts to conceal Korpokkur."

["I- I can't use my strength..?"] ["Just as what you'd expect from a world representative."] ["I gotta warn those two to get out..!"]

[Korpokkur] "Ahahah! Cold, isn't it? That's right, this world is just as cold."

"Come, children. Just like that, go and move about--"

"-- Wha?"

"Kuh--!"

An abrupt gunshot was let loose in the background and Korpokkur barely glazed the shell with his reaction.

[Cowboy Transient?] "… Yo, Korpokkur."

This cattle beast sudden turn towards the light reveals a young boy that's completely drenched as he walks in the middle of the heavy pour.

[Korpokkur] "… Babe Bunyan! Why you--"

["This is.. Who?"] ["Babe Bunyan…?"] ["This rain doesn't affect you?"]

[Korpokkur] "… There are two kinds of people who can tolerate the rain. Someone like me who hides from it's domain ability, and--"

"-- Long ago, the rain drenched something it wasn't supposed to. You are among one of those, and the other is… Babe Bunyan?"

Like a close friend, his entire being changes completely. Upon observing Korpokkur closer, he seems to be in a turmoil.

[Babe Bunyan] "Yee-haw!"

[Korpokkur] "…!"

["Are you competing with the world representative?"] ["No different from any other world representative, wait just a sec..!"] ["What's with this atmosphere…!?"]

[Babe Bunyan] "Stay put, alright, Ito?" Otherwise I might hurt you and we wouldn't want that now, do we?"

"I'm Babe Bunyan. The Great Spirits' [reincarnation] is--"

["Why are you by yourself assisting me?"] ["Just who are you, really? What are you scheming?"] ["The Great Spirits' what..?"]

[Babe Bunyan] "Looks like this place needs a trimming, watch and learn. I'll teach you all about it, Ito."

"Now, see for yourself the world set I'm about to do--!"

-- Out of the twenty-three worlds connected to tokyo, there is one that's called Kamuy Kotan where nothing but the menacing snow plagues the land.

As the rules dictated by it's nature, the kinds of people that are deemed accept are those who have just came to into the world while those who are showing signs of developmental growth were unforgivable.

This world representative was the young boy named Korpokkur! Hailing from the Kamuy Kotan world.

Naturally, their unusual tradition was held in utter strictness. Those especially who are children that are turning up as adults by the time they are supervised by the giant leaf of the butterbur.

It was considered a blessing to the people that there is a higher limitation established in their society, to prevent the greed of things like excessive fishing, and so on. It was to avoid them from baring their fangs at others.

He was the embodiment of [Mother Nature's blessing] versus the personification of [Mother Nature's strictness]--

This world's loop in which he is the world representative of the game, is where he decided that he'll protect the children there instead no matter what.

And so this led to him becoming famous around the northern district of the Ojibo Academy as his territory. A forementioned guild base was then controlled.

This world representative, Korpokkur learned to love the children and protect their very existence.

Mixed with his worship for the children of this tokyo and being Kamuy Kotan's representative--

Korpokkur belonged to the eastern part of tokyo, the rulemakers.

Amongst all, he had a classmate who was boarding alongside him in school named Babe Bunyan, who he then considered a friend.

[Babe Bunyan] "Yee-haw! Yo, Korpokkur! How'd the physical check up go? How about you and I have a few stretches?"

This beastlike calf named Babe Bunyan was one of the Great Spirits' reincarnation.

And as a cowboy himself, he yearns and loves baseball, the young lad preferred the taste for barbecue rather than the good ol' natural milk that's aplently.

Korpokkur loved this boy despite his prolonged selfishness in constant murmurs wanting to hurry and grow up.

The school was strict in it's discipline to those who want to act independently and are expected to behave. Naturally, it was important for them to remain innocent, or so that's what was believed to be more important--

[Babe Bunyan] "Yeehaw!"

[Korpokkur] "-- [Sharp Icicle Detachment]!"

The old practice of the Kamuy Kotan was resurfacing once more as the mention of the civilization's progress comes to a sudden halt with no one preventing it.

Nevertheless, Ito in comparison to the younger two held each other up as masters of their perspective field, as they're clearly going easy on one another and with no hesitation, were able to grasp their situation just as quick.

However, the authority carried with the role proved restraining at times. This child that Korpokkur had come to love and wanted to protect--

Korpokkur has been limiting himself from givng away too much of his real self till now, not realizing the other's rule.

The babe prevented the blizzard from reaching Ito and Babe Bunyan once again fired his rule out.

[Babe Bunyan] "-- [Falling Wetlands]!"* *(拓酪(Takuraku) - It means to fall down, lose the way to get ahead in life, fall into despair. It can be translated to [Falling into the Wetlands].

This reincarnated Babe Bunyan's sacred artifact was a horseshoe that's under his foot, representing the unexplored civilization that has yet to be pioneered.

Then, the rain quietly enters one of the water canal's, guiding itself to creep behind on Korpokkur, swooping down to attack him.

[Korpokkur] "..!"

Korpokkur manages to stop the rain from reaching him by horizontally positioning his umbrella-like leaf onto it's direction.

Just as some time ago during that same blizzard, in those prior moments, he was also taken by surprise.

["The blizzard is being interrupted..!"] ["I-- I see a pathway!!"]

[Babe Bunyan] "Hold it, stop right there, Ito. Leave it to me… Yeehaw!"

"There, jackpot! Yahoo!!"

Tossing it around a pipe, it manages to coil itself around Korpokkur's arm and prevented it from moving any further.

[Babe Bunyan] "Well now, I sure caught you."

[Korpokkur] "Let.. Let go of me, Babe Bunyan! What if someone comes out to stain your innocence, for you to be doing something like.. Kh!"

"I get it, it was his doing, isnt it? This events, this could only be the Great Spirit's world representative's--!"

At that moment, Babe Bunyan closed the distance between him and the struggling Korpokkur and whispered into his ear.

[Babe Bunyan] "-- See ya. My- Not yet- Korpokkur."

[Korpokkur] "… Kh!"

[".. What, what did you guys were whispering about?"] ["I'm going to pretend I didn't hear any bad intention just now…"] ["Korpokkur stopped moving."]

[Babe Bunyan] "… Hey, you were in a hurry to get out of this joint and Ito wasn't your main mark, right?"

"Everyone was, I happen to remember something because of this rain and you happen to know how to stop it, don't you?"

"You don't really get me at all, my very nature. You just want me to remain as a kid, right?"

"… Let me tell ya something, Korpokkur, since we're friends and all."

"Right now, the timing of the heavy rain that's pouring on tokyo isn't just simply aiming for our homes."

"You've joined forces with that angel guy, Michael… The rain you guys have sent out will bite you all in the asses."

[Korpokkur] "…!"

[Babe Bunyan] "This here's rain is caused by the angel of Eden, Israfil. It is said that if you call out that guy's name, you'll see him."

"You understand it now, Korpokkur? Don't see how it's like oil?"

"Don't you see how this rain is spreading so strangely? From the east position, to the northern district even."

"You're not the only one here, there are kids out there… Alright?"

After the conversation between Babe Bunyan and Korpokkur, he eventually lets his arm go.

[Korpokkur] "…"

Korpokkur once again looks up at the sky, then conceals himself with his umbrella leaf.

["Waah, another storm blizzard!?"] ["Run, Babe Bunyan!"] [(Station your sword to guard yourself.)]

[Babe Bunyan] "… I was worried for a moment there, Ito. Who knows where that guy could've gone to, Yeehaw!"

["T-thank you, Babe Bunyan."] [".. By the way, why do you know my name?"] ["During that conversation just now, don't tell me you--"]

As Ito says those words to Babe Bunyan, there is only but an adult-esque smile that was answered back.

[Babe Bunyan] "I'm Babe Bunyan. I was sent by the Invaders and ran all the way here."

He reattaches the horseshoe back to his foot, creating a clanging sound while doing so. Outright wearing the cowboy persona just as he proclaimed.

[Babe Bunyan] "According to what I've been given by someone, there's something waiting for you on the other side of the roppongi bridge."

"Don't worry though, I've already told an important friend of mine there to look after you, they won't hurt you though. Yeehaw!"

["… Look after me?"] ["You mean.. The Invaders!?"] [(Look around for the signs of where Shiro and Kengo went.)]

Ito looked behind her as to where Shiro and Kengo were supposed to be.

However, the two that should've been seen collapsed after protecting one another, now, there's no one else there.

["… Babe Bunyan!"] ["Where did those two go..!?"]

Then, as you were about to turn to face Babe Bunyan, his own figure too, is nowhere to be found.

At that moment, the clouds above you were beginning to crack open and only then did the surrounding rain cease to stop.

Likely the doing of Babe Bunyan as this was his own self made domain against the unnatural rain.

[".. Tell me where to go next."] ["Before that, I need to get in contact with Ryouta."] [(Call your members on the phone.)]

["No one's picking up their phones…"] ["Fine, I'll do it on my own!"] [(Head to Roppongi Bridge.)]

[Sanat Kumara] "… I have always wanted to soar through the skies and watch humans go on about their lives."

Crows that are soaring through the skies follow within their line of sight was the figure of Sanat Kumara flying alongside them.

[Sanat Kumara] "This is the confrontation that's been spoken of in regards to humanities ether constitution, one that will mutually fuse the spiritual and evolutional progression in the end."

"The dreams of that child to cross over his limitations. One such individual who's wisdom was too great for all."

"… I must make sure for everyone's sake that in eternity, we're all living equally in this time we have left."

"That's why I'm not different from those living in a [singular existence], the dream that those Invaders have shown me through their plan of fusion has my utmost support--"

"-- I've betrayed my friends, Leannany and the others from the Creators."

It it understood by the game masters that [Players should by no means be supported in finding the game's neutral position.

[Sanat Kumara] "… That putrid Daikoku, no, Okuninushi fellow. To think he was involved in the cooperation of the west's guild."

"Still, he didn't want to miss out on the opportunity to collaborate with the west and disguised himself in midst of it, throwing away any chance of the Invaders winning by changing his loyalty elsewhere and have him depend somewhere else."

Okuninushi has managed to form a collaboration all on his own. An act that would breech Akihabara's Game Masters.

[Sanat Kumara] "Even so, this is no time for hesitations, for even I have a will of my own, at least, that is what I would like believe.. But."

"… Bastard, who and what are you? You, who have the exact same shadow as me."

Before he can realize it, the entire neighborhood becomes clear and his silhouette reveals that there more than just one person here with him.

[Sanat Kumara] "You've been monitoring me all this time. Tell me, what're your intentions in wearing the outlines as me, you bastard?"

"You've been imitating me for far too long.. Just what are you?"

[Sanat Kumara?] "…"

The shadow does not speak. And yet, Sanat Kumara still continues to stare at the motionless figure.

[Sanat Kumara] "… Very well, how about we join forces. Whichever imitation you take, whichever the real you--"

"I-- I have decided that we join together… Come, let us go!"

Sanat Kumara looks up to the heavens and offered up a prayer--

Now, the resolution in his visage was more than just one person but theirs, and together they flew away.

-- In tokyo, there was a rainbow coming into view near the bridge. From Minato district to Shinagawa, it was connecting towards Roppongi's Odaiba.* *(Odaiba- Artificial Island in Tokyo Bay.)

["… I'm right here, Invaders!"] [(I wonder where Shiro and Kengo went..?)] [(Observe the state of your surroundings.)]

[Wakan Tanka∞] "…"

["Are you the Invaders' boss?"] ["Aren't you.. You're that guy!"] ["No way.. There's no way--!?"]

[Wakan Tanka∞] ".. Over and over, and over, the repeats in which you're returned back to me by this world. I've boxed my entire being of existence just for us to meet, funny."

"Never would I imagine that you and I would ever meet. Never in a thousand nor ten thousand years.. For one person."

["Not even in those repeats..?"] [(Recall the prisoon school incident.)] [(Recall the scene which Jacob showed you back then.)]

--

That day, during the prison school campaign, as Jacob was swinging his fists, a pillar of light could be seen by countless others--

From that light, Ito's heart was recollecting something akin to calling back to her.

And yet, the infinite's assistance could not be returned back, no matter how much he wants to meet with one another, laugh with one another, and cry with one another, and so turning into the color of green.--*

*(Envy, jealousy.)

[Wakan Tanka∞] "I am Wakan Tanka.. Infinite, the only one of the Invaders world representative who has shown up."

"Yes, that's right, I am Wakan Tanka.. The end to infinite, and soon everything will be thrown away."

".. Come, it is time for you to understand the concept of give way. Right now, I am holding the love I possess for others that I was going to give and dedicate to."

["Gh-Gaaahh--?!"] ["Wh-what the hell.. What the hell!"] ["Isn't this.. Isn't this assault!?"]

[Wakan Tanka∞] "-- I remembered, the tokyo that you have forgotten, the reality of the memories of those joyous, mundane days."

"It is why I took those distressing memories out of you. Anyone could get hurt and see the power you possess."

"There is no need for you to fight anymore. It's alright to be afraid-- You should only be feeling joy from now on."

A flash of light covers Ito's field of vision-- And your own thoughts were then filled to the brim--