#creatures deep from the forest being curious about the new forest magic user?

[reallyghostlypost]

[Fic] The dangers of camping in the valley's forests

You know what Stardew Valley needs? More cryptids and unknown creatures. Also more fics with Jadu and Gill.

Jadu wrapped his cloak tighter around him. He actually liked whenever Camilla was sending him to visit Marlon, listening to him and Gill share stories and gossip around the campfire was always a delight, but he really couldn't get used with the weather in the Valley. Autumn nights here were always bitter cold for him, used with either the desert heat or the dry cold nights of the Badlands, not these humid winds that seem to seep into your bones. He took another gulp of hot mulled wine and looked up at the mountains.

The nature surrounding them was already shrouded in darkness despite the sky still having a greyish orange tint from the setting sun. The vegetation was too thick to see even a foot forward and to someone trained to fight in open terrain of the corrupted desert it felt really claustrophobic. Shadow brutes, or any monster really, could be just a few steps away from him and he wouldn't be any wiser.

Jadu moved closer to the fire, feeling his teeth start to clatter. Really, he wasn't a child any longer to get scared by creepy stories told around the fire. But he couldn't help but feel that the shadows between the trees were unnaturally dark. He realized that Marlon stopped speaking a while ago and that made him tense suddenly. What was happening?

Looking up he noticed both Marlon and Gill staring at the same spot... tree? Jadu tried to see whatever got their attention but there didn't seem to be anything there. A sound then came from the darkness, like a stream of water running over rocks. Were they this close to the river? But listening closer he could also hear whispers, like a group of people were close by speaking silently with each other. Jadu gripped the wand stashed in his robes.

He was started to feel dizzy. This odd noise of water and whispers reminded him when he was training with Camilla by the river. He still didn't know what potion she gave him that time, but it was supposed to help him communicate with the elementals. The river then started to speak with him in a similar way, to call him with whispers hidden beneath the clear sound of running water, awfully familiar, and Jadu knew that he would be able to understand what it was telling him if only he could get a little closer. He could feel his mouth numb, a weird sweet taste on his tongue. He was so close to the water now, only a step forward and he could fall in the river to join the whispers, when a hand shot up to stop him from drowning himself.

Jadu jumped violently pulling the wand from his robes only to point it at Gill. "Sorry lad, but you looked really out of it." Gill apologized before removing his hand from his shoulder. Jadu was still panting trying to figure out what was happening. He could feel sweat on his back despite the cold air surrounding them.

"That owl is back." Marlon said in a tired voice. Jadu looked at the scarred adventurer then back at the same tree Marlon has been watching before, but he still couldn't see anything. Gill patted his shoulder without a word and pointed at a branch higher up in the tree and that's when Jadu noticed it. It was a small white owlet with black spots all over its feathers, small enough that could fit in the palm of his hand, but it was... wrong. Its almond shaped eyes were pitch black, with no pupils or irises, and was that a third eye on its forehead or just another black spot?

As soon as he laid eyes on the small owl his head cleared and most of the cold and dread was gone. Were they caused by the critter? Now that he was less confused Jadu could definitely recognize it as a dark elemental, inhuman spirit birthed from the darkness of the forests covering so much of the southern part of the Ferngill Republic.

The owlet opened its small black beak and the same weird water sounds mixed with whispers came out from it. Jadu could feel his ears getting stuffy, and the same coldness was starting to encroach him again. Marlon picked a rock and threw it at the bird who flew off with a horrible scream, like dozens of bats screeching at the same time. Just as it disappeared into the brown dry foliage Jadu noticed that it had a second identical face on the back of its head, it's second pair of eyes staring straight at him, making the hair at the back of his head stand up.

"Don't worry." Marlon reassured him as he poured more hot wine in his mug and urging him to drink. The heat of the wine felt good. "You'll get used with its magic soon enough and it won't affect you this badly."

"It hid into a crack of our roof for a while and we couldn't understand why we kept having nightmares or hallucinated in the middle of the day." Gill chuckled. "It wasn't pleasant, but the owl seems otherwise harmless. It keeps following us around and tries to get back into that crack before we chase it away, so we got used with it by now."

"More and more spirits like that have started to appear. Magnus has been working overtime trying to keep the dangerous ones from getting close to the town so he doesn't have time to chase away the smaller elementals from mingling with humans. We considered requesting a meeting with Camilla but things are under control for now and we don't want to take more of her time."

"Weird." Jadu managed to say before starting to cough. His throat felt weird and dry which made him scowl. Why was he so affected that small spirit?

Marlon gave him a sympathetic look. "Don't beat yourself up lad. You're trained to deal with desert spirits not forest ones. Spend more time here and you'll recognize their magic before they can charm you."

"Yeah." Gill remarked dryly. "Like we did last week when we started accusing each other of whispering in the middle of the night." Marlon huffed amused at that before taking a sip from his own mug.

"I'll speak with Camilla about this, maybe she can think of some solution without the need of a whole council meeting." Jadu picked a dry fish from the pile of food placed between them. "When did it start to happen?"

Marlon and Gill looked at each other for a second before Gill cleared his throat. "When spring came around and the new farmer moved in the valley."

"Farmer?" Jadu was confused. What did a farmer had to do with spirits and elementals acting weird?

"Oh, kid." Marlon sighted. "You have no idea what a long history that cursed farm has."

[talesofsonicasura]

Stand Needed

Snatcher and Moonjumper contract a nasty undead illness. Luckily, Hat Kid knows someone who could help in exchange for a price. Too bad it's another weirdo on a whole other level.

Every creature can get sick. Dogs can contract illnesses, cats can get sick, rats can carry sickness and humans get sick from small colds or deadly diseases. Though no one ever thought the undead could contract an illness but it is possible especially for soul-devouring species.

There is an illness that can disturb the magic energy of powerful spirits, particularly those whose power grew greatly by consuming the life force of innocence more than the damned or vice versa. This causes their magic to malfunction, spells to fail or backfire, and if not treated in time that spirit in question will become stone.

The Subcon Forest, a dark and mysterious biological creature born from the ghostly energy that soaks deep in the soil. A fallen kingdom that's entire population was devastated in a single day by deadly frost and then revitalized into this maze of trees by powerful ghostly fire. Magic flows throughout the forest, haunted noose that come alive to snatch their victims, cherries that became crystalized then exploded when introduced to ghostly energies, swamps that drag treaders into the deep abyss and even bells that affect the spiritual plane.

Two types of inhabitants make this dead land their home under the laws of their ruler. Dwellers, spirits that are tied to the world by the masks they wear and capable of revealing the spiritual plane to others. And then there are the Subconites, dwellers whose spirits are given physical form through puppet bodies so they can interact with the world.

Both under the rule of the Snatcher, a powerful ghost that haunted the land. Trespassers he caught are forced to sign magical contracts with their souls as the price. All but one had made it out with their soul not getting devoured and bodies dumped like garbage. Another spirit did dwell within this ghostly forest and commanded the Dwellers that didn't want to be involved with the ghostly ruler.

This spirit known as Moonjumper also was a soul stealing entity that was at odds with the Snatcher. Clashes between both spirits were given and often depleted their magic to the point souls were required to replenish them. Snatcher fed on ones that belonged mostly to the innocent since they trespassed on his land more often and Moonjumper took those who were destined for hell as they fled to his part of the forest after performing dastardly deeds.

And this is where their problem all started. In a large tree lined with giant mushrooms and carved into with a jack o lantern was the dwelling for a particular specter. The Snatcher, a ghost around 20 ft long in size with a body similar to a serpent but covered completely in a mane of dark purple fur, a thick curly tip mane followed by glowing yellow eyes and mouth often found on a child's jack o' lantern with two fangs and spindly arms with two clawed fingers.

The spirit had a book in hand that's cover read 'Ghostly Magic and Illnesses' with eyes narrowed in annoyance and frowning in distaste. His powers had been acting finicky as late as last night. His warping magic left him in the wrong location than what he wanted, hands burst into flame without reason but the biggest sign was one of his contracts. The paper looked dead than it's pristine yellow cut.

Thus he delayed any new contracts and halted his duties to immediately find what was going on with his powers. A magical sickness wasn't what he expected. Especially as one as deadly to him like this. The Chaos Petrification, a sickness that manifests in soul eating entity's who had too much of innocent or damned energy in their appetite.

"...The only cure is the energy from a being with an immense fighting spirit. A soul whose willpower is so powerful that they can bring their inner being to life. By consuming some of this energy, the sick spirit's powers will return to proper balance. These souls are very rare and the illness will take four days to permanently petrify the spirit. What the peck?!" He shut the book with a huff.

"How the peck am I supposed to find a soul with an immense fighting spirit? What does that even mean by willpower that can come to life?!" He exclaimed with his animalistic rough growl mixed alongside the mischievous jovial balanced tone of his voice echoing through the forest. This wasn't something that needed to happen. You can't rule over a forest if you are a stone statue.

"Guess I'm not the only in this same predicament." A much softer male voice with an echo made the Snatcher's frown turn into an annoyed snarl. Turning around to bore holes into the head of the corpse possessing spirit at his home's doorway. The spirit was much smaller than him, around the size of a human man if he was missing his legs.

Their head was a pale blue moon shaped mask flipped on its back, red stripes going down the bottom side of the mouth, two eyes of slightly different sizes with red stripes or star spots in them, the fangs making the mask bear an aura of madness, his spindly body covered in torn remains of a prince attire consisting of a white ascot and red coat but manacles with broken chains around his wrists.

"Moonjumper, how did you get here? Have you forgotten you are banned from this part of my forest?" Snatcher growled whilst looking at this intruder with aggravation. "Trust me, I wouldn't have impeded on your land if it wasn't for good reason. I believe Chaos Petrification being both our problems." Those words were enough for the violet ghost to drop the book an instant.

"You have it too? This is really bad. Magic is the only thing keeping that witch's frost from eating the whole forest. And I really don't want her anywhere near that pecking border." The spirit shivered upon the thought of the ice witch that dwelled in a small section of the forest. All three of them were at odds but neither of the two males hated the other more than the female demon by their borders.

"As much as you hate me, neither of us wants our land to become frozen over with ghostly ice. We need each other to keep her at bay. From what I overheard is that the cure is the energy of a soul with a powerful inner will?" Moonjumper said, picking up the dropped book and opened it back to the page the other specter had it on.

The page in question held a person shaped hieroglyph and multiple wisps around them with a giant wisp at the center. Underneath the image was a scrap of text that seemed unreadable. With a flick of his fingers, red string manifested on that tiny part of the page. It covered the area before they vanished upon burrowing into the pages as restored text that read 'Stand User' in its place.

"Stand User? A bizarre name but much better than nothing. Though it's the first I heard of it." Moonjumper hummed looking at those two words that were the key to their salvation. "Maybe the kid might know. She may be a weirdo but she's a weirdo from space so the Hat Brat might have a clue." As if on signal by the violet ghost, a soft thump was heard by his tree alongside a childish girl saying Tada.

Then walked in a little girl who seemed to be around 8 years old in age, hair a chocolate brown ponytail and bright blue eyes wearing a purple top hat with a gold ribbon, a purple Victorian looking shirt, white pants, black shoes and a violet umbrella decorated in stickers. "Hey Snatcher! And Moonjumper you here too?! Bowie was wondering where you were!" The child who was known as Hat Kid said with honest surprise.

Both ghosts decided to inform the young child about their current predicament. The girl may be young but her actions in the past showed she was a force to be reckoned and a good source of help. After all, no one had ever bested Snatcher in a fight or escaped the manor of the Subcon's Ice Queen alive.

"A Stand User? Don't know what that is but I think my new friend might know!" That caught the attention of the two specters. Hat Kid has a habit of making friends with very interesting individuals. These very people were often useful to Snatcher in particular considering his special contacts known as Death Wishes.

"Really? Who's this new friend of yours and where are they now?" Snatcher questioned nearly getting into the kid's face. "Her name is Jodie Joestar and I met her in Mafia Town! She looked extremely lost and said something about a Stand thingy that took her from her friends! In fact she's waiting on my ship right now since I said you guys might know a way for her to get back!" Hat Kid exclaimed, both ghosts were quite pleased to hear this.

It shouldn't be so hard to ask the woman about it. Though even if the Snatcher wouldn't think or much less admit it, Moonjumper was quite curious on what kind of person was this Jodie Joestar. A question he was glad to ask Hat Kid about on their way to her ship.

"What kind of person Jodie is like? She's quite cool and very nice! Her hair is blue and the surprising thing is that it's completely natural! Jodie also knows some cool tricks I could do with my hat and apparently loves to sing. I plan on asking her if she wants to hang out later and show me these special comics she has called Manga! Oh and she has a lot of siblings, like 7 brothers and one sister! One of her brothers is her twin too!"

Snatcher could only do a small dry cackle in his head. This Jodie sounded like another weirdo. They had to be crazy to stand the little purple hat wearing alien girl known as Hat Kid. Plus having 8 siblings was guaranteed to drive someone up the wall with madness. Then again, might be another soul that could be a new contractor. His forest did need some maintenance that didn't involve the kid.

Hat Kid's spaceship could be described as very colorful and imaginative to anyone who goes inside. Various rooms with bright color carpets, different setups being connected by various sized tunnels which most were crawlspaces to any adult guests, displays with the subjects of each one floating in midair or the massive pile of pillows that could be found in the bedroom.

Each room contains a telescope, a type of transporter that took others to certain parts of the planet that it was locked on to. Funnily, the telescope in her room leads straight to Subcon Forest which was also the same place the trio arrived in. Though they weren't exactly counting on the sound of music above them.

This music sounded very strange. It was like a flute with a higher pitch mixed with the tone of a harmonica and light notes found in an ocarina. The song itself was very soothing despite it's somber tune and all three of them had different thoughts upon it. To Hat Kid, it sounded like something that could be heard from a fairytale. There was this sort of magic to it that you would only find from unexplained wonders.

For Moonjumper, it was very calming to him. It reminded him of whenever he was stargazing, his inner turmoils were quelled and he could feel himself at peace despite his cursed afterlife. And for Snatcher, the tune reminded him of home. Before Subcon had become the haunted forest it was now. Where children were playing, the sun was shining and everything was filled with peaceful life. The time he was truly happy and had a better honest outlook of the world.

They all looked to see the source of that melody on top of the pillow mountain. It was a young woman with slightly long curly blue hair and the music was coming from a leaf she had pressed to her mouth. She appeared to be around 5'10 in height with light peach skin and her body completely covered in a peculiar style of clothing.

It consisted of a black long sleeve kimono to the point that it completely swallowed her arms and legs, a torn sleeveless white long coat with seagreen bottom starting from halfway, a long blue sash like harness around her waist and brown hiking boots. This had to be the girl that Hat Kid was talking about, Jodie Joestar.

From her closed eyes and no reaction to their arrival, it was clear she didn't notice them yet. 'She's quite talented if she can create such music with a simple leaf. And cute…' Moonjumper immediately shoved that last thought in the back of his mind. No ogling a human girl especially one you don't know nothing about.

Jodie opened her eyes and immediately spotted the little girl alongside the two ghostly guests. She then placed the small plant piece in her pocket before sliding down the pillow mountain. "Welcome back Hattie-san! I see you brought guests too! Konnichiwa!" Her voice was light, peppy and had a soft energy to it as she bowed to the two ghosts much to their surprise.

"Konnichi-what? Sorry girlie but I don't speak alien or bow to random strangers." Snatcher snarked but the young woman didn't let it bother her much. "Sorry about that. Konnichiwa means Hello in Japanese and bowing to someone you first meet is a sign of respect from Japan as well." Jodie explained, her voice riddled with modest honesty.

"Quite an interesting custom. Sorry for not introducing ourselves. I am Moonjumper and the large fellow beside me is Snatcher. You must be Jodie Joestar?" The chained ghost's question was met with a small nod. "Correct. Hattie-san said you could be of assistance with my particular situation." That's right, Hat Kid did say she was stranded but how bad could it be?

"It depends on how bad it is and what you can give in return, kiddo. Nothing in this world is free." Snatcher had slithered around her side before his face got up close and personal to the woman with a finger to her face. She merely moved his finger aside much to the specter's surprise. "It's rude to put your fingers in someone's face Snatcher. You wouldn't want someone to do the same to you." And then she booped him on the area where his nose would be if the ghost had one.

Hat Kid giggled and Moonjumper had put his own down seeing the flustered face of Snatcher as Jodie walked over to Hat's bed and sat at the end. He clearly was having trouble processing the fact that some random stranger booped him, Snatcher the Ruler of Subcon, on his face in pure nonchalance. The sound of the kid's laughter and Moonjumper's amused look had him push it to the side as he glared at the two then Jodie.

The bluenette wasn't even a bit fazed as she spoke once more. "To put it simply, this isn't my world. I was sent here by the power of an enemy Stand, I believe he called it 'When They Come For Me'. Stands are the manifestation of a person's fighting spirit and each one is different from the other. They come in many shapes, types and forms. Some are named after the tarot deck and lately music or songs."

It had to be another world. He had to jinx himself. Moonjumper had to resist facepalming for that one. "Stand Users have a habit of attracting other Stand Users and some aren't really nice learning that." The violet ghost decided to butt in. "I guess that means you're a Stand User too since 'Stand Users have a habit of attracting other Stand Users.'" Jodie ignored his snarky interruption with a placid face.

Snatcher really was trying to aggravate her but he wasn't going to be easily satisfied. "Very astute. I am a Stand User but lucky for you is that I'm one of the friendlier and more rational ones. If you would've asked someone else that then they would attack or in a worse case scenario kill you in very gruesome ways. Trust me when I say you don't want to make an enemy of someone who could erase you from existence or turn you into a living bomb with a single touch."

And the peaceful ambient mood immediately shriveled up and died from Jodie's words. 'Erase someone from existence? That peck neck kid could've got us destroyed in an instant if she brought some fool capable of that on board! I may be powerful but I'm not stupid. Though I had to applaud her for killing the mood so quickly.' Snatcher had to reluctantly admit that last bit in his head.

Jodie then continued. "Don't worry though if there are any other nasty Stand Users then I can easily handle them. It's sort of my job to keep the bad nuts under control with my Stand: What's Up Danger!" Almost on cue something large and white had appeared in front of the bluenette causing the two ghosts and child to jump back in surprise.

Standing proudly before then was a white lion/dog hybrid beast with a ragged green and red bowtie on their chest around a good 12 ft in size, a seagreen underbelly alongside horn like ears and sharp bladed claws of that same color, a mouth of oversized monstrous fangs and tusks that looked like something from a horror movie, two eye sockets filled with various colored eyes than just one, dark blue bladed spikes on each side of the back, and a blue tail ending with a plush viper head that had blue bunny ears alongside a stitched mouth.

"That is a big freakish cat. And seriously 'What's Up Danger?' At least some fool knows what they're getting into once that comes out." The beast or What's Up Danger rolled their eyes at the violet specter's snark. "Kitty!" Then Hat Kid just pounced on the large feline with a big hug much to everyone's surprise. Jodie immediately became as flustered as her Stand who clearly was not used to random hugs.

"Hattie-san, you are one of a kind because no one has ever called Danger a kitty and hugged her." The woman couldn't help but chuckle as the feline plucked the child off her leg and settled the little girl on her back with her tail. Moonjumper merely looked at the peculiar creature with a curious gaze. It's not everyday a ghostly demonic feline jumps out of someone.

He then noticed Jodie giving the two ghosts a look that clearly read: 'You can get closer if you want.' Moonjumper came closer with no issue while Snatcher held back a groan and settled with a skeptical look before begrudgingly coming over. Danger merely sat down and watched them making it clear she had no problem with what they did. Especially since Hat Kid was petting her much to the feline's pleasure.

"So you said you were looking for my assistance but for what?" Filling her in on the situation was apparently easier than they expected. "Turning to stone sounds really awful. If you need some of my Stand Energy then take what you need. Danger and I have no problem with it. Right, girl?" A soft mew confirmed the feline's answer to her partner.

"Thank you very much Jodie. You are a 'lifesaver' I believe what people say these days. Please hold out your hand or paw." The duo followed Moonjumper's instruction and pulled out their respective left limb. Snatcher had cautiously taken Jodie's while Moonjumper took Danger's. he vast difference in size was made clear as the violet ghost and feline practically overshadowed their respective partner's hand.

Both females felt a large prick at the center of their being that vanished as fast it came, a flu shot being the closest to compare the feeling. The reactions of the two ghosts were instant once they let go. A large burst of blue flame ignited from Snatcher's hand before manifesting as a pristine gold contract paper with a large bright smile and strings whipped from Moonjumper's in an elegant controlled fashion.

"I'm back in business! Maybe even better than ever since my contracts never had such a perfect pristine look to them." The specter couldn't help but admire the elegant masterful craftsmanship of the calligraphy and detailed fabric/paper of the very item in his claws. "My magic feels much better as well. It has been some time to be able to manipulate my strings like this after escaping the Horizon. You have an incredible spirit Miss Joestar."

Jodie and Danger couldn't help the big smile on their beaming faces at the Moonjumper's praise and the sorta gratitude from Snatcher. "Now to get you home! You know the telescopes on my ship, the ones that I use to travel on different parts of the planet." Hat Kid's inquiry earned a round of nods from the room's occupants.

"I was thinking that we can power up one of the telescopes so it can send you back! And the best ones for the job was Snatcher and Moonjumper." That didn't sound like a bad idea. All of them had seen how the strange objects worked, most of them even used it, they were very accurate on where they warped to and from.

"Doesn't sound too hard considering we got a sample of the kiddo's soul. It'll act like a guide to her planet and last location before ending up in that stupidity infested town. The telescope used for my forest will boost our chances since it's linked to the realm of yours truly." A larger smug smile grew on the specter's face that earned him an eye roll from the other ghost.

With a simple spell, the telescope to Subcon had undergone a significant change. It was now larger with the brown cover replaced with a deep violet marked by red spirals, a second notch by the lenses marked with a J, and a mechanism that changed the lense for a bright sea green one. "There we go. Now the telescope can warp to your world and not just Subcon Forest with a turn of the notch." Moonjumper didn't expect the sudden hug from the woman and Snatcher didn't expect her to hug him next. Hat Kid's hug wasn't a surprise.

What's Up Danger vanished as Jodie recalled the being back into her own soul. "Thank you guys! I hope we can meet again in the future someday but for now this is goodbye. My family is probably worried or on a crusade for that Stand User so best to put out the flaming torches and put down any Stand Rushes quickly as possible. Sayonara and Arigato." With a smile on her face, the girl vanished in the light of the telescope.

Snatcher and Moonjumper stared at the object a bit longer before instinctively looking at Hat Kid. She had a very familiar disaster impending smile on her face. "You're going to follow her, aren't you?" The chained specter was answered by the smug look in the child's eyes. "At least give her three days. I want to see what kind of face she makes when we pop up. Plus there's a book of spells that might come in handy."

An impossible thing to knock about Snatcher and Hat Kid. When you grab their interest expect to follow you with every chance they get. And prepare for the impending mayhem to follow. Ghosts and children always tend to cause mischievous mishaps after all.

This is another Hat in Time crossover but instead I used Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. Hat Kid here is a bit more chatty because I want to practice all sorts of interactions especially with two diverse sets of characters from two different franchises.

While Unappreciated Hunter was exploration in its style, this is more of how these very unique series interact with another when you take into consideration how vastly different they are. Kind of like a melting pot as characters handle brand new situations and the oddities provided.

This is all my first attempt at writing Moonjumper so I hope I did good. Until next time folks!

This is Jodie Joestar and her Stand What's Up Danger! Alongside the song that her name comes from.

[rainbhrts94writes]

Tephra 01

Okay, so I’ve been thinking way too much this quarantine and BTS has just been giving us ALL THE CONTENT. My mind may have wandered a little too far. Here’s to hoping you enjoy this new brain child of mine!

POV: Kim Namjoon Warnings: None this chapter, mostly intro stuff Word Count: 3.5K Rating: PG

Master Post

Enjoy honeybees!

I mean, honestly, how had Namjoon thought this was going to be a good idea? It was one thing to travel outside of town with some non-magic users from class, but he knew better than to go out with his younger brother and try to keep up with Taehyung and his group of friends. Especially in the rain, why had he thought hiking in the deep woods would be a good idea in the rain?  

"You alright back there?" One of the guys called back to him.

"Yea, I'm fine. Totally fine." He struggled as his brother, Taehyung, offered him a hand.

"You sure? We can slow down if you need us to, Namjoon." 

"No, no, totally fine." He found himself reassuring Tae, trying to keep his breathing under control as he pulled himself up and over a fallen tree. 

He was required to serve in the army upon his return from the Academy, and the last thing he needed was to be deemed useless by his younger brother and a group of soon to be cadets who would eventually serve under the Kim’s. Nothing like disgracing your family’s name. With the shake of his head, Namjoon shelved the thoughts and soldered onward. Granted, he should be happy; the adventures he went on with Taehyung were always better than those he had gone on with his older brother Seokjin. 

Jin was expected to take the crown from their father someday; thus, their exploring always went one of two ways. It was either boring and heavily supervised, or they were lost in a cave fighting off some sort of unidentified bat creature before they ran for their lives. At least with Taehyung, it was somewhere in the middle. Not too dull, but the trouble they tended to find was mild enough to keep his tactical skills sharp. 

That was his goal, after all. The past three years at the Academy, Namjoon had dedicated all of his studies to become a top-notch tactician. It was the least he could do since he was the only one in his family line that couldn't use magic. He refused to be the royal family's biggest disappointment. 

"Hey, Joon!" Taehyung called from up ahead. "We've got trouble."

Trouble? Cautiously, Namjoon hurried forward only to meet with the group running back towards him.

"What's going on?" Namjoon asked as he was dragged back down the path they had just traveled by Tae.

"Landslide!" One of the other group members, Lucas, yelled from up ahead. 

"Not that I don't trust you but are you sure? I don't hear or see anything indicative of a landslide?" Namjoon wondered as he let Taehyung pull him forward. 

 "Mark can feel it," Taehyung responded matter of factly. "I need you to use that big brain of yours to figure out how to keep it from reaching the town."

A plan, he could come up with a plan; that's what he was good at after all. Finally, for the first time all afternoon, he felt like he had a chance to shine!

"I need to know the full scope of the slide. Mark, how big it is, how fast is it moving, what direction is it coming from?" Namjoon shot off way too many questions, but he needed those answers. 

"Coming from the west, moving fast, I don't know how to describe the size aside from saying it's big." Mark rescinded, panic evident in his eyes. 

This was not how he had expected to end his hike, but it was better than that time Jin opened a sinkhole in the middle of campus trying to help Najoon impress a girl his freshman year. Anything was wildly better than that. As they made their way back to town, Joon worked on a plan. 

"Lucas and I are going to separate once we get into town; we need to evacuate everyone on the outskirts just in case this doesn't work." 

"Got it!" Lucas affirmed as he took off from the group using his earth magic to propel him quickly towards the town. 

"Everyone else needs to start working on a trench, dig it out a mile or two into the forest so we can try and catch a good portion of the slide before it gets out of hand!" Namjoon shouted out his orders before running off in the opposite direction Lucas had gone. 

Finally, Namjoon made it into town only to find everything already abandoned. Had Lucas already passed by here? "This is so weird." Namjoon worried aloud as he made his way to yet another empty shop. 

Concerned he had gone the wrong way, Namjoon continued to the east until he saw a small group of five dressed in Academy uniforms running right to where Taehyung and his friends were building their trench. 

"Wait! Don't go that way!" Namjoon called after them, "There's a landslide."

"We know!" The girl who appeared to be leading the group responded as she looked him over. Recognition flashing in her eyes when she noticed his uniform. "Are you gonna come help us or not?"

Namjoon was shocked at first, frozen in place, and a little unsure of how to answer. How did they know about the landslide? Had they somehow run into Lucas? If that was the case, he needed to keep moving further east.

"Well? We don't have all day, you know?" She sighed as the rest of her group continued ahead without her. 

"Helping, I'm helping!" Namjoon stuttered as she got closer to him. "I'm a non-magic student though, so the most I can do is warn people."

"Selling yourself a little short, there aren't you?" She smirked, and when she tilted her head, she revealed earrings made in the Adyian Empire. What was a group of students from the Tiger's class going to be able to do to help stop a landslide? 

"Maybe? How would you suggest I help then?" He asked, curious to see what her answer would be.

"Ever heard of a shovel?" 

Namjoon blinked, surely she couldn't be serious?

"Judging by the look on your face, they don't teach you about those sorts of things, do they your princeliness?" The girl teased as she walked over and grabbed a shovel that was conveniently lying around. "This is a shovel. You use it to dig."

"I know what a shovel is!" Namjoon bit back as he swiped the ; what the hell was this girl's problem? "That'll take forever, though, I didn't think you were serious."

"I'm always serious." She laughed. "Let's get going, then yea? Or are you not helping after all? I already cleared out this part of town."

Without arguing any further, he followed her through the thankfully empty streets of town back towards where the rest of his group was supposed to be. 

"YN!" One of the unidentified girls in his new companion's group called out as they approached the newly forming trench. "Get your ass over here and help."

"So, you do have a name?" Namjoon teased as YN started walking towards her friends. 

"Did you think I didn't?" YN asked, and he felt himself getting flustered again. 

"No, it would be ridiculous for you not to have a name." He could have wacked himself for that, what kind of comeback was that supposed to be? "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You didn't ask your Princeliness." That snide smirk on YN's face was infuriating but oddly charming.

"Stop calling me that, my name is Namjoon." He corrected her. 

"I know." There was that smirk again. 

Before he could comment on any of their conversation, including how she had known his name, she ran off and surprised him once again. She blew a hole in the ground and began extending the trench to the east with the young woman who had called out to her when they arrived. 

Earth magic? From someone from Adyia? This day just kept getting weirder and weirder.

---

He felt the landslide before he saw it. What started as a slow, low rumble quickly morphed into a mixture of cracking trees, crumbling rock, and the flood of soot and soil towards them. Namjoon could only sit and hope that the trench was far enough away from the village and that the mages that had gathered were enough to contain it. 

As the landslide roared down the hill, everyone took their proper stances, preparing to intercept the mixture as best they could. Namjoon looked at everyone in front of him; it was an odd mix. Lined along the trench were children of some of the most affluent earth mages Atlas had to offer standing next to people either directly affiliated with the Academy's guard or were unsorted students.

School technically didn't start until tomorrow; if they were incoming first years, it wasn't unreasonable for them not to be sorted and wearing their class badges. If they made it out of this unscathed, he'd have to ask YN about it later. 

Namjoon's spinning thoughts were cut short by a shout and a midsized boulder being smashed to smithereens just before it had the chance to take him out. 

"Pay attention, Space Case!" YN shouted before turning her attention to the rapidly filling trenches. "I've got way too much to worry about already."

"Sorry," Namjoon replied sheepishly. Honestly, he wasn't sure why he hadn't left to seek better cover as Taehyung and Mark had suggested earlier. It's not like he could help redirect any of the landslides; he was just in the way. Always in the way. Something in his gut told him to stick it out, though, that something important was going to happen. 

It wasn't until the trenches began to overrun, and the mages on all sides were increasingly overwhelmed that Namjoon realized why he felt he had needed to stay. As if out of nowhere, YN and the young woman who Namjoon had come to understand was named Tessa blew open the trenches across their entire length, deepening them and giving them nearly two more meters of space. 

While YN and Tessa worked to deepen the trenches, the other three people from YN's party jumped into action. From the looks of it, the young man, Koren, was an air mage. Even stranger, the girl who introduced herself as his twin sister, could control and shape fire.  Which also brought into question the rest of YN's friends. It hadn't been explicitly stated, but Tessa and Nik looked nearly identical; the only actual physical difference was their height and the length of their hair. Still, Tessa commanded earth with as much confidence as some of the top mages from his father's court. In contrast, Nik seemed to be working with her by pulling the water out of the sludgy mix to stop the landslide's rapid flow.

Who were these people?

Right as the chaos slowed to a stop, and Namjoon felt confident enough to find an answer, his group was approached by recently arrived guards from the Academy. Easily identifiable by the silver insignia they wore over their hearts, insignia's that YN's and her friends did not appear to have.

"Your highness. Thank goodness you are unharmed." A guard bowed deeply to him as others swarmed his brother's group.

"Is anyone injured?" Joon heard someone ask.

"I don't think so? I haven't checked yet though." He responded, not having stopped to think if he or any of his companions had made it out unscathed. He was by far the most removed from the situation, which didn't sit well with him. Was everyone else okay? 

Quickly, Taehyung, Namjoon, and the rest of their group found themselves being ushered back towards the Academy grounds. Though there was a swarm of guards surrounding the boys, it didn't stop him from turning around to catch another glimpse of the mystery group of mages. Just as he hopped into the carriage, Namjoon looked back in time to see YN with a carefree smile on her face speaking with Professor Imogen while Tessa and Nik began separating more water from the newly fallen earth.  

---

Namjoon couldn't sleep for days after that. His mind was turning, wondering who they were and where they had come from. He was technically indebted to YN for that near-miss with the bolder, and while he was sure she wasn't keeping a tab, it was the only excuse he could come up with to try and speak with her again. 

A week of classes came and went, and YN never surfaced, he had figured that a talented earth mage would at the very least show up in some of his brother's classes, but Taehyung only ever reported the same thing. 

"Sorry, Hyung, no sign of her." 

At this point, Taehyung appeared just as confused as he did. It was clear she was a mage, so why wasn't she in the classes designated for the earth mages? Was he mistaken? Was YN part of the Academy guard? Had he missed her insignia somewhere in the heat of it all? No, he was much more observant than that; he would have noticed something like that, Namjoon was sure of it. 

After nearly a month of failed searches, Namjoon turned to the library. If he couldn't find her in any of his or his brother's classes, maybe he'd see her studying, or at the very least, find some information about earth mages in the Adyian empire. Too bad, there was no material of the sort. The Adyian Empire had a deep history of fire mages. The family lines were so pure it was safe to assume that anyone who could control the element could almost entirely trace their family back to powerful mages in the Empire's upper and middle classes. 

The more research he did, the more confused he was. Even the librarians were beginning to feel bad for him, always with the same sad expression and shake of the head when they saw him walk in. It's not like he blamed them, though. Something more was going on here, and people weren't supposed to know about it. The Academy’s collection of books made sure of that. 

"Any specific reason you're sighing like that all the time? Or do we need to call in a nurse for that breathing problem of yours?" Namjoon heard from across his table. 

"Ah, Min Yoongi." He bowed for posterity. "I apologize for interrupting your studies."

"Not studying, napping, much worse an offense if you ask me." Yoongi shrugged as he began to make himself comfortable again. 

"Is there a problem with your room?" Namjoon asked the heir to the Adyian Empire, wondering why he would ever want to sleep in between the stacks over his own room.

"Not the room, the roommate." Yoongi rolled his eyes. "What about you? We're only a month and a half into class, and you've already stumped the poor librarians."

"I met someone-"

"I'm going to stop you right there. The library is the last place you should be looking for advice on girls." Yoongi appeared exasperated and looked Namjoon over. 

"No, no, not like that. She showed up to help with the landslide that happened before the start of classes. Her name was YN, and she was an earth mage, but I haven't been able to find her in any classes at the Academy." Namjoon explained. "She also doesn't appear to be sorted into any of the four houses."

"Five." Yoongi corrected him.

"Five? There aren't five houses. Since you're not taking this conversation seriously, I'll be getting back to my studies." Namjoon turned his nose into his book. "I apologize for disturbing you."

There was the creaking of wood followed by a subtle shuffle; before Namjoon could wonder what it was, Yoongi appeared in the chair across from him. 

"The House of Tigers, associated with the Adyian Empire. Exclusively for those hailing from my territory." He held up one finger.

"The House of Elephants, your house. For those students from Atlas and any of its many territories." Yoongi put up a second finger.

"The House of Wrens. An odd house for anyone who’s decided to travel here from the Airabellain Alliance." A third finger now popped up, keeping count.

"The House of Dolphins. For those who made it here from the Kingdom of Cordellia." Yoongi continued to count, now his fourth finger up.

"See four. That's four." Namjoon pointed out, not curious enough anymore to play Yoongi's game. "If you're done messing with me, I'll happily take my leave."

"The House of the Serpent. The fifth house. A house for any soul unfortunate enough to not call any of the other territories home." Yoongi wiggles his open hand as if to prove a point, smugly waving in Namjoon's direction, since he had already started towards the door.

"My best guess is that you're looking in the right places for this girl. Just not at the right times." Yoongi shrugged as if he hadn't just unloaded a significant piece of intel.

"How do you even know about this house? I didn't think the refugees were supposed to be able to attend the Academy?" Namjoon asked, wondering if all of this was true, and if it was, what it could mean. 

"What are you offering me for this information?" Yoongi quirked an eyebrow, knowing he had Namjoon right where he wanted him. 

"Secrecy." Namjoon offered, standing his ground.

"And?" Yoongi asked him.

"And what? I don't know what else I could possibly offer you." Namjoon admitted, exasperated. "At least I don't know what to offer that you don't already have."

"Hmmm, I'll take secrecy," Yoongi paused, rubbing at his chin feigning thought. "I'll also take your alliance. Always good to have a friend in high places."

"My alliance? What does that even mean?" Namjoon puzzled aloud.

"You know what it means." Yoongi didn't blink, continuing to hold eye contact until Namjoon broke his gaze. He had almost forgotten about the conflict.

"Fine." He stuck out his hand abruptly. "Secrecy and my alliance are all yours. Now can you help me or not?"

"Impatient. I thought the people from my country were supposed to be the impulsive ones."

"I'm not a mage, I'll act as I please." Namjoon bit back, his tone souring.

"But you were raised like one, weren't you?" Yoongi asked.

"I thought I was the one getting answers here?" Namjoon actively attempted to change the subject and get the conversation back on course. 

"Fine. See, my Grandpa was a bit of a hardass. All 'the family lines must be pure' and what-not." Yoongi shrugged as if he couldn't be bothered to tell the story. "Mom told me her sister didn't like that very much since she was seeing someone from the Airablellian Alliance at school."

"Oh? How did that play out for your aunt? I'm sure she's happily married now, though, and happy for your grandfather's rules?" Namjoon wondered aloud.

"Ha, hot-headed and impulsive, remember? She relinquished her title the moment she graduated and ran off with the air mage." Yoongi chuckled aloud. "Once my grandfather passed, and my mom took the throne, she asked my aunt if she and her husband wanted to come back to Adyia. Offered to reinstate all her titles and make my uncle part of the court and everything."

"Ah, so you know because your family had previous experience with it." Namjoon nodded his head in sudden realization.

"No, my family has current experience with it. My aunt declined, said she was happy here in Spiros. I've got two cousins who I see often." Yoongi leaned in and whispered the next bit of his confession. "Here."

"Wait!" Namjoon shouted, disturbing everyone in the hallway. 

"You need to learn to be quieter." Yoongi sighed, his gaze harsher than his tone.

"I apologize. I must know, though, is one a fire mage and the other an air?" Namjoon couldn't help himself, the group of five mages he couldn’t get out of his thoughts, danced around the curiosity in his head.

"I want to ask how you know that, but if you're looking for who I think you are, I already know the answer," Yoongi stated as he began to walk a little faster. 

"I'll tell you how to find them." Yoongi gave Namjoon a harsh stare.

"But? I'm sensing a but-" Namjoon asked cautiously.

"If I find out you told anyone you shouldn't have, I'll light you and anyone else who tries to hurt them on fire." Yoongi turned swiftly and headed out of the main building towards the training grounds.

"I did just swear secrecy, though, it seems you've already forgotten." Namjoon balked

"You swore secrecy for information about the fifth house, not where to find them." Yoongi gave Namjoon one final look before turning back towards the hallway. "Follow me."

"I was going to do that anyway," Namjoon admitted.

"I am serious, though, if I find out anything bad has happened to them and it was your fault, I will light you on fire." Yoongi threatened again.

"Is that a promise?" Namjoon's smile was coy as he responded. 

Yoongi, in return, responded with a middle finger as the bell’s signaling the evening curfew was about to start rang through the open air. 

[preyed-llama]

The Prince’s lessons

Word count: 1910 words

Genre: Fluff

Ship: None, platonic LAMP

summary: The lands were harsh and uncaring, Prince Roman discovered the beauty in the different.

Warnings: mentions of injury, mentions of death, mentions of food

----------

It would be no secret that every part of the earth had inhuman creatures hiding in them. The forest with their woodland faes, the dark castles in deep forests with their mages, the oceans with their sirens and mermaids. That was only a few, but luckily enough, those are the four people who changed the young prince for the better.

Prince Roman was on horseback. One of his ships was rumoured to have crashed on the far coast. He and his men wasted no time rushing out there. They had arrived at quite an unusual sight. A merman was pulling man after man from the water, almost beaching himself in the process. He had the prettiest light blue scales he had ever seen. His hair hugged his head as his blue eyes like the sky caught his. The merman quickly pulled himself into the water again. The prince called out to him, but he received no response. The merman resurfaced sometime later with another human and a deep wound in his tail.

The prince ordered the men to move the sailors from the water’s edge as he approached the merman. He was a lone merman with the brightest smile and the kindest spirit. He had cut himself as he was trying to pull the man from the wreck. Roman ordered them to fix him up. They tried their best with the limited supplies they had brought, many wondering why such a creature was being helped by them and not killed.

Kingdoms had rules after all, the seas around here all belonged to the king and any being with the consciousness to comprehend that would be killed if found there. What was in front of him would be described as a monster, maybe they would call his webbed hands freakish and his sharp teeth horrifying, but Roman was entranced. He had met Patton, and on that day, he had discovered compassion and empathy, traits humans believed they were the only ones to possess.

He was sad to see the merman leave, but he happily sat by the sea at sunset to see the sweet creature appear again. Occasionally he would have a shell or trinket for Roman, sometimes he just had stories. Roman brought him things from his own world, books that he would read to him, songs and instruments. Patton listened happily, he loved the horses, although he could never get close enough to touch it.

The second creature he found was a woodland fae. He was curious and feeding some animals. Roman had been separated from his men and would no doubt remain lost in that forest without assistance. The woodland fae smiled softly and played with magic. Roman found himself stepping closer to have a better look. The fae was startled by his presence, immediately turning hostile. The animals scurried away as he raised his hands demanding to know who was there.

Roman revealed himself, his iron blade gripped behind his back. They had come into this place to find them. It was believed they were hurting the towns children. Roman watched him carefully, it was a battle, the first to move would be the first to die.

He was about to lunge when he heard a cry, the creature turned and ran. Roman followed, he wasn’t about to lose his prey. The men surrounded him as he tried to protect the injured animal in the centre. Everyone involved was aware that no one would get out unscathed. He could already see the creature aching from the protection.

He couldn’t help but feel sympathy for the creature. That was until he attacked. Lights blinded them as they fought. Attacks from all directions came. In the end it was just Roman and the creature again, both panting and injured. He turned and healed the animal, as if Roman wasn’t a threat in the slightest.

Roman looked around at the damage, he swallowed his pride and asked the creature why he didn’t kill him. The creature shot a smirk which was mischievous and so attractive all in one go. He finally got a chance to properly look at the man in front of him. He was lean and cocky, all sharp angles and power. It was everything he wanted in all the wrong place. For the briefest moment he considered the reason these creatures were feared.

‘You aren’t a threat.’ The creature had responded. He turned back to the animal as Roman thought over what had just happened. He wouldn’t have guessed it, but the creature became one of the driving forces in his future. It wasn’t a quick change, they both bumped into each other when Roman entered the forest. It was different from him and Patton, this creature- this being- Virgil was so infuriating but enticing. He stumbled in one day after a rough day and challenged Virgil. That had been the start of their training sessions, which usually ended with them red face, sweaty, but laughing and oblivious to the world around them.

Roman adored those days. He continued to hear the stories, but Patton and Virgil weren’t bad, the fear seemed to come of those we couldn’t control. He had been fooled into believing it, he wanted to fix it, he would be king soon enough and this lie would die with his father. He would open up a new path.

He stopped relying on guards. He followed Virgil one day, he wanted to see what the forest had to offer. Virgil agreed, although not before a lot of complaining. He discovered a castle deep in the centre. He had asked Virgil about it but the fae said he didn’t know much about it, only monsters would come out of it and hurt the forest. Roman vowed to take the evil mastermind inside as long as Virgil came with him. Every hero needs a healer after all, it had nothing to do with the cold and horrifying atmosphere.

It had been crowded with echoing footsteps that didn’t belong to them. Virgil left lights in their path so they could find their way out of the horrible maze. They never did become necessary though. They bumped into the sorcerer of the castle, quite literally. He was hurrying down the halls with a handful of books.

They were caught in place, staring at each other. Roman was waiting for anything and the other man appeared to be thinking and calculating. Virgil leaned against the wall behind Roman as he played with his magic. He was eyeing the sorcerer from the corner of his eye.

Roman rubbed his thumb over the leather of his sword. The sorcerer moved his hand and shouted something and soon the books were flying up to his hand. He disregarded Roman, instead turning to Virgil. He asked about the forest. Roman would be offended (maybe he was slightly), but the forest did technically belong to Virgil, and as such he was of a higher status than Roman.

Virgil didn’t seem to respond until the man had fallen silent. He asked about the monsters and magic harming the forest. Roman watched as he moved off the wall, his hands hovering at his sides as magic danced around them. That wasn’t what shocked him though, he had seen that trick many times. He understood by now that is was a warning, fae had no need to manifest their magic in a way others could see. No, what did surprise him was the man apologised.

He simply apologised and told them he was trying to remove the curses on the castle. Virgil seemed to relax to that response, but Roman couldn’t help but feel bewildered about the entire situation. The sorcerer, who had introduced himself as Logan, had offered them some food. Roman was suspicious until Virgil started to eat. It was comforting to have an early warning system for ill intended magic.

After the food Logan teleported them away with the offer for more if they dropped by again, although with proper advanced warning. Virgil had walked Roman back to the edge of the forest, because god knows the Prince was awful with directions.

When his father died a few years later to a sickness plaguing the city, Roman ran to the forest. He gathered his friends from there, begging them to help save his kingdom. Both seemed hesitant but agreed to try in the end. Their entrance was not the warmest. Those few healthy peasants insulted the magic users, cursing them for what they brought to the kingdom, several turned their nose up at Roman, muttering about how he was ruining his fathers legacy.

It had taken a lot of work but they managed to find a cure. Neither of them could bring back the dead though. Roman worked to get the laws removed. He demanded everyone be allowed into the kingdom, not just the humans. Logan had taken over as his royal sorcerer, a job they hadn’t had in thousands of years. Virgil got to grow his own garden in the castle, he tended to the plants and stood by the throne, a protector of the crown.

He finally managed to find some way to allow Patton on solid land. The merman had a spell cast on him by Logan. He had been overjoyed and would frequently switch from staying in the ocean to staying in the kingdom. He tended to the castle horses and helped anyway he could.

The kingdom had been more alive and cheerful than he’d ever seen it. Performers laced the streets with their magic and dancing. New shops arrived selling everything from the tooth of a dragon to a love potion, which were highly frowned upon.

Roman loved his new kingdom, he adored his friends who would come and go as they pleased. Each of them had influenced the future of the kingdom. Each of them made it better, made him better.

He stood on the balcony, the cool night air ruffling his hair. He watched the stars as the city slept beneath them. He wasn’t even slightly startled when a familiar voice rang out from next to him. “You really shouldn’t be risking losing some of that beauty sleep.” Virgil had said, walking over to join him.

Roman laughed, “Like you’re one to talk.” He shot back. They stood there in silence for a while before Patton came up and joined them. His legs hung off the balcony as they sat between the bars. He smiled cheerfully, the cookies he had brought with him sitting on the table.

“Roman, I believe we should worry about the north they are-.” Logan was murmuring something as he slammed open the door. Virgil cast a spell, closing them behind Logan. He looked at to see the group and frowned. “I see this is an importuned moment. I shall be off.”

The prince laughed, turning to face him. “Come join us magic master. Relax a little.” Logan hesitated before he joined them on the balcony. Virgil was gazing up at the stars, his eyes tracing the constellations, Patton’s eyes were scanning the town below. The magic lights illuminating the streets. Logan settled for reading the book in his hand, standing beside them. Roman let his gaze trace all of his friends, before he settled on watching the horizon. He had chosen the right path. There was a lot he regretted, but nothing that lead to this point could be anything but right.

[din-skywalker]

Black Magic

(Hahahahaha this is the evil!Marvin AU I was teasing you about @magic-marvin-protection-patrol if ya like how it's looking tell me and I'll continue writing it ;):

There was one man many feared out in the woods, many stories and warnings being told of this man they call a “witch” or “demon”. They warn to not stray too far into his woods, for they are his territory and he enjoys capturing the unsuspecting and using them in his spells. They call Marvin the Malicious, a man who sins with the darkness of black magic. Not many have seen him, but those who have return screaming after laying their eyes upon him. If, of course, they can escape him. Though, in all honesty, while many fear him, Marvin has no idea what he's doing. Now, Marvin, is currently in his hut in the center of his woods, preparing a spell to raise an undead servant. The book tells that this undead servant will do his bidding and kill relentlessly. He's always wanted this- he could use it as the first of many guards for his forest to keep any unwanted wanderers. He closes and sets down the ancient book on a nearby table and claps his hands together, gathering magic from the air around him. The symbol he'd drawn out on the floor before him is a light shade of purple with a few candles on its edges. He begins to mutter the words in the mostly forgotten language as the book had instructed. He'd spent years learning and deciphering the accent language. It was forgotten but all people aside from the small amount of black magic users including himself. Though, the rest hadn't been so… keen on sharing their knowledge. A red light forms on his fingertips and spreads to the rest of his hands, warming the skin even through the gloves he wears. He then crouches down and places his now red glowing hands in the center of the circle, finishing the spell off with the last of the ancient incarnation. He steps back just as there is a large and blinding burst of light from the symbol and he has to shade his eyes from the intensity. It envelopes his entire room and lasts for minutes until finally it begins to dull. He slowly and hesitantly lowers his hand to peer down at the symbol just as a very human like hand bursts from the earth and lands on the ground, scraping at the dirt. Marvin can hardly contain his excitement when he sees this happening, letting out a quiet squeal. Ugh. Why would he squeal at a moment like this? He's summoning an evil and undead monster servant to use to kill hundreds if not thousands of innocents. He can't help but squeal again. Another hand breaks free of the earth that is followed by a head covered with scraggly and purple hair, bright and milky white eyes barely seen on ashy grey skin. The face of the creature is ugly(but not too ugly)- some of its cheek is missing, revealing a row of teeth and muscle. It's glowing eyes are sunken and obviously blind and it's missing a complete ear. It slowly pulls the rest of its body from the ground, revealing a torn shirt and pants as well as many pieces of its flesh missing from its arms and legs. It stands up fully once completely free, staring almost curiously at Marvin.

And… Marvin is kind of disappointed. This isn't what the book had promised when it said something about a “monster killing machine”. This is just a rotting human being with a similar face to his that's not snarling or anything- it's just staring at him almost like a curious kitten would. But.. hey… don't judge a book by its cover? “Hello..?” Marvin began, not really knowing how to greet the creature. The zombie lifts its head a little at the word and grunts in return, a small smile pulling at what remains of its lips. “So um… you're my undead minion?” The zombie.. shrugs. It shrugs! It tilts its head as if in thought and shrugs again! “I mean… I guesssss,” it replied and it's voice is deep and gravelly and okay that's an actually terrifying aspect of it. “Thatssss probably… why I'm not… dead anymorrre…” “Yes! Exactly!” Marvin exclaimed, deciding he could try and use that as a path to using it. He points a finger at it and raises his voice. “I have raised you as from the dead! Because of this, I am your new master and you must do as I command!” The zombie shrugs… again. “Yeah… I guessss,” it hissed and Marvin doesn't know what to do because it doesn't seem enthusiastic, mad or sad. It doesn't seem to have any emotion, actually. It just seems so… passive. “I like you…. you seem nicccer… than my lasssst…. masssster….” “Wait, I'm not your first master?” Marvin asked and then hears the second part and his eye twitches. “And I'm not nice! I'm a terrifying and cruel witch many people fear!”

There's a moment of silence. “Whyyy?” The zombie asked and Marvin is starting to get angry. “You look…. like a cat!” The zombie chuckles at what it said. Marvin frowns because this is not what he had been expecting at all. He pinches the bridge of his nose and lets out a frustrated sigh. “Just… just answer the first question,” he orders instead of arguing with the undead creature. Doesn't seem worth it. “Of… coursssse… you're not my… firsssst massster,” the zombie said and Marvin only grows more confused from this statement. “Doessssnt… the book… mention how�� sssstrong I am??” The witch glances over his shoulder back at the book and then to the zombie again. “Well yes of course,” he said and then gestures with a hand, “I had just been expecting something-” “More… impresssssive looking? More…. terrifyingly ugly?” It finishes his statement for him. He purses his lips and shifts on his feet and nods. “Well… yes,” he said. “The book promised a terrifying creature of great power. You don't really.. appear to fit that description.” The zombie chuckles and the sound sends chills down Marvin’s spine because of how it sounds. “Oh… trussssst me…” it hissed and its teeth clamp together as it speaks, grinding against one another. Marvin flinches at the sight. “If you… weren't my… masssster…. you'd.. already be dead…” now Marvin is better liking the sound of this zombie until it finishes speaking: “Well…. if I wanted to…. kill you… anyway…” “What do you mean by that?” Marvin asked and he hopes this isn't a lazy zombie. “Wellllll,” the zombie hummed and sways on his feet for a second or two. “I don't… nessssssiccccccaarilyy…. like to�� kill or…. hurt people. I wasssss jussssst brought back… to… for… ssssome… reassssson…” “Great! I got an undead minion that doesn't even like to hurt people!” Marvin said in frustration, turning quickly from the zombie. “But… why do you… want that?” The zombie asked. “Because why wouldn't i?” Marvin demanded, turning back around to face the demon. “Because no one cares about me and has always pushed me to the ground, why shouldn't I return the favor twice fold?!”

The zombie is silent before shaking it head, letting out a small sigh. “Every… one of you… are the sssssame..” it mutters and that angers Marvin further. “‘The world… hurt me.!... they… never cared!....’ Of course they never… fucking cared!” The zombie’s tone had suddenly turned from nonchalant and uncaring to angry and bitter, strands of saliva hanging from his jaws as he basically yells. “The world…. doesssssnt care… about you… it never… doessss. Sssso fucking what?” Marvin’s eye twitches because he is deeply not appreciating this scolding from this undead creature. “As if you know what the world has done to me!” Marvin shouted in return and rests a hand on his cat like mask. “I can never show my face again because of them…” The zombie makes a noise like he's mocking “boo-hoo”. Marvin grits his teeth. “Look at… what the world did to me!” The zombie roared and Marvin actually takes a step back out of fear. “I wassss… killed! And then I wassss…. sssselffiissshy brought back…. sssso sssomeone didn't have to get their handssss dirty…. I haven't gotten the resssst I deserve becusssee of you sssspell casssterssss. Yet, even if I could…. I wouldn't kill you…” Marvin is now taken aback and doesn't know what to say. He shifts on his feet once more and lowers his eyes to the ground. “I don't have to take this,” he growled out finally. “I can just send you back into death’s embrace and try again!” “Go ahead… then… I'm tired….” the zombie hissed, lowering his head. Marvin looks to the book for how to send the zombie back but… the spell is gone. “No no no! It's gone! I can't send you back!” He exclaimed, looking to the zombie for help. The zombie merely grins and reaches up a mostly rotted hand, as though waiting for a handshake. “Well, since I'm stuck here…. letsssss make the mosssst of thissss….” he said and continues to wait for the returned hand. “I'm Robbie… and I love to hug….”

(Just... yea....)