#do NOT understand the need for a mod that grows grass | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

saikagerights · 4 years ago

Text

Lay Me Down to Rest - Entry for Day of MirSan 2021

Hello there! And welcome to my first Inuyasha fanfiction, as apart of the @dayofmirsan event.

I initially was planning to be an observer of the event, but sudden inspiration struck at 1am during my nightly routine of falling asleep to Inuyasha. Rewatching the Monkey Sprite episode is interesting for many reasons. For one, there was an unhealthy amount of filler added into the anime adaptation of this story-line, which gave hit-or-miss comedy. But the most important thing is that Miroku and Sango are mostly unaccounted for in this story-line, which gives shippers like me an opportunity to write some “off-screen development” for them. And though the anime does give us an idea, I’m afraid that Miroku’s indifference and frustrated edge in the scene feels a bit off, so I decided to add a bit of a bit of context. Consider this a bit of a fusion between the anime in manga, though the scene is based off of the anime. Also I was very liberal with my use of English/Japanese dub terminology. I watched the anime in English, but switched over to the manga to replace the Final Act, so it’s a bit inconsistent.

I’ve been observing this fandom from afar ever since I started getting into Inuyasha back in December, and though I wanted to try and engage with it, it seemed very daunting given this fandom’s age and organization. But I’m very grateful that I was given the chance to participate in this event, and lucky that inspiration struck me at the right time. I’ve really been looking forward to seeing the works that come out of this event, and I hope you enjoy my contribution.

And thanks for the mods for allowing me to share my work with you fellow fans

InuYasha and it’s properties are owned by creator Rumiko Takahashi and Sunrise

Read on AO3

Sango tailed the monk as he led their investigation. The villagers they had asked so far had no knowledge of the wicked demon, only of the pestering monkeys that were ravaging their fields. Her companion simply nodded, thanking them for their time and promising that the Inugami would save their village. They soon found themselves at the outskirts of the village on an empty patch of land outside the forest, save for one tall tree. Sango found his behavior during their search to be strange, especially as he now paused at the tree, leaving his Shakujo leaning against its trunk.

Was he just as stumped as she was? Would this reprieve be a chance for them to rethink their approach?

“Why have we stopped here, Miroku?” She questioned. “Aren’t we supposed to search for Naraku’s whereabouts?”

Her befuddlement heightened as he laid his body to rest in the grass underneath the shade of the tree with a sigh, both hands pillowing his head. His intentions then became clear at the sight of his eyelids slipping shut.

“How might we do that when we have neither Inuyasha’s nose or Kagome’s detection?” His tone reflected his relaxed poise. “I merely said that so that Inuyasha would be more inclined to help those villagers.”

Her head tilted downward towards the monk’s resting face. “I understand wanting to help, but do you honestly think that Inuyasha dealing with those monkeys will get us any closer to finding him?

“Not particularly.” He punctuated the off-handed remark with a yawn, overstating his disinterest. “But enough of that... Why don’t you join me here?”

She stood awestruck at his bold request. He lays there while their friends were helping this poor village and now he asks her to do the same? If Inuyahsa were to find out, he’d surely have more pressing things to worry about than the food security of the village.

“I don’t think it would be wise, considering your flippant lies.”

The man remained still, no sign of concern disrupting his posture.

“If you changed back into your battle attire before our return, they’d never suspect a thing.” He ignored her statement, a peaceful smile casually appearing on his face. She instantly recognized this move. He was fully convinced he would get his way, the sleazy crook. “Besides, I’m sure sleep has been as kind to you as it has been to me as of late.”

Although it was usually hard to detect amongst his manner of speaking, the monk’s sarcasm was not missed by the slayer. She knew very well that Naraku’s sudden disappearance had their whole group on edge, including herself. And while sleep had become its own battle, the desperate investigations of their enemy have left her distracted from everything else. Sleep meant the rest needed to fight again, but it also meant time alone with one’s most intimate thoughts. What always plagued her mind nowadays were things she’d rather not willingly engage. Finding Naraku should be her biggest concern now, but she indulged her companion despite what she would consider was her better judgement.

The monk had a particular talent for steering her away from rationality.

“Knowing your pervy ways, I’m sure you’d try and sneak a peek at me”

The monk could’ve never noticed the sneer on her face behind his still-closed eyes. The same smile was plastered on his face as well, despite her accusation. He really did enjoy giving her grief, didn’t he...

“Trust me, my dear. I have no intention of moving from this spot for a while. Or at least until Inuyasha comes for my head.”

“Then I guess you wouldn’t mind if I left Kilala here to guard this spot until I returned.”

He chuckled at that. “I don’t mind at all. I’m sure she’d love to watch me lie here, right Kilala?”

Sango looked to the nekomata, who merely chuffed in response. She was wary of Kilala’s strange trust in the monk at times, but she was sure that the demon would keep an eye on him in case he tried something funny.

Miroku took this as the perfect time to reveal his indigo eyes to her.

“Please, my intentions are more honorable than what they seem, believe me.”

There it was, that gentle voice of his used to convince her of his authenticity. The same breathy tones that sent her heart racing and her stomach in somersaults. She knew Miroku was confident in his charms, but she also liked to think that he was fully aware of this game they played. She only came to grips with it recently, but there was something going on.

They’d fight, they’d talk it through, and just when she thought he would try to make a move, that damn hand of his would find the wrong place to caress. Or it would be when she found herself grieving once more, and he could comfort her with his words alone. How did he always know what to say that made everything clear and could heal every fiber of her being, but also had a hand that never failed to do the exact opposite? He was a truly frustrating man, but he was the only one she ever considered more than just that.

But did he really know? That was a puzzle Sango couldn’t solve. It wasn’t as if anything meaningful resulted from these escapades. Afterwards, they would act as if nothing happened, and he would return to his typical flirtatious ways with any woman that entered his line of sight. So Sango liked to think that Miroku fully knew that he was toying with her feelings. That way it made it easier to lower her expectations and resent them despite Kagome’s not-so-subtle prodding.

When she became abruptly aware that her eyes had been locked on him for too long, she made her hasty retreat, hoping he didn’t catch her bright red flush in the shade of the tree.

“This man will be the death of me,” she softly cursed herself as soon as she knew she left his earshot.

_______________________________________________________________

Upon her return to their little “spot,” she was greeted by an alert Miroku. His body was now fully upright and turned towards her approaching form.

“You’ve accepted my invitation, I see”

“I thought you were trying to sleep”

“I still am, but I’d figured it would help if I got a quick glimpse of your beauty before-hand.”

She rolled her eyes at his shameless attempt. “You really are troublesome, you know that?”

“You wound me, dear Sango!” He unceremoniously flopped back into his previous position, his left hand patting the spot next to him. “You are free to lie beside me if you wish.”

Without the need for consideration, she silently opted to sit against Kilala’s curled form, stretching her legs in front of her. He managed to convince her to relax alongside him, but she had no intention of allowing herself to get too comfortable around him in the likely case the monk’s wandering hands wandered once more. He sighed audibly at her decision, but allowed his eyes to close again without any further word. He could act like a child all he wanted, but she would not budge.

She watched the man for a while, observing his state of rest. She could tell as much that he hadn’t fallen asleep just yet by all of his idle noises and the way he kept trying to steal a glance in her direction.

“Can’t sleep?”

She hadn’t even tried to close her eyes just yet, as she was still trying to grasp their current situation. Why was he so insistent on sleeping if he was just going to try and stare at her the entire afternoon? Why did he lie to Inuyasha in the first place if this was how they would spend their time? With all these questions moving around in her head, she might as well ask for the most basic of them.

“Miroku? Why do you lie and steal as casually as you do? I always thought that monks were pure-hearted.”

“What a wonderful question!” He exclaimed. With such enthusiasm, she was almost afraid of the answer she would soon receive from him. “I’ve been traveling on my own for so long, and it’s quite difficult to acquire wealth in such unfortunate times. I wish to give aid to those in need, but I also believe that it never hurts to help yourself as well.” He settled for an even tone and let his eyes slip open once more.

“And you are right, It is true that holy-people such as myself are meant to be free of sin. But, I was born tainted by the hole that resides in my hand.” His voice tapered off at his pause, the newfound silence growing thick with each passing moment. His sound returned to him, soft and low, as if it were only meant for his ears alone.

“It doesn’t matter how much I devote myself to my faith to any idol or deity. My curse is hell-bent on deciding my fate....”

But we are trying to stop Naraku! To free you from the Kazaana. You can always change your path after that! She immediately contested, perhaps a little too loudly, but she didn’t care. How dare he speak so little of himself and avoid her gaze as he did it?! She refused to accept his belittling statements.

“It is very hard for me to see a future for myself at this time, I’m afraid…” He brought his head up to look at her. A flash of fear ran through his eyes before he looked down once more. “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t speak like that.”

He’s afraid…

And he had every right to be.

“Please don’t apologize.”

He never showed it in front of their group, but behind that calm and smooth exterior remained a man trembling under the weight of his own mortality. He was a man after all, and men were never to show what made them most vulnerable. But with how much he gives to help others, it feels unfair for him to just allow himself to suffer inside as he did.

If they understood each other as well as he liked to claim, then she knew he hated the restless feeling they had knowing nothing of where their wicked nemesis resided, surely plotting something to exploit the fears he caused within their hearts. Knowing that her poor brother remained in that demon’s grasp sickened her to her core, and sitting around with no leads made it hard to lay dormant as they did now.

“I get it. I am just as frustrated as you… About Kohaku-”

“-You don’t need to go any further” He interrupted her thoughts, I didn’t mean to remind you of your pain like that.”

“Miroku-”

“-Please,” he sharply cut in once more, hoarseness settling into his throat. He must’ve noticed it as well, as he cleared his throat soon after. “let’s just try to find rest while we still can.”

He squeezed his eyes shut, clearly trying to force unconsciousness upon himself. Sango relented, trying to relax her body, idly stroking Kilala as she watched the man slowly succumb to rest. It was surreal to see him struggle like this when it seemed like meditation was second nature to him. She decided on trying for sleep once his breathing evened out and all the remaining tension left his face.

________________________________________________________________

Miroku wasn’t sure how long he had been asleep, but he could tell from the shadows before him had grown considerably when his eyes peered open. He turned his head to see Sango now curled up against Kilala, her face all but buried in her demon companion’s fur. He slowly rose to his feet, slightly stretching as he made an intake of his surroundings. It looked as if the sun would soon begin it’s retreat from the sky. The monk knew the rest was necessary, but he definitely didn’t look forward to another predictively sleepless night.

One more glance at Sango’s sleeping form was enough to convince him to approach her, neglecting his Shakujo to silence his movements. He knew, probably better than anybody, of the threat imposed by the slayer’s attuned senses. He also knew the danger of being caught if she awoke to his gawking. Unfortunately it was a risk he was willing for one small fleeting moment to stare at her.

What an idiot he had been for making her sympathize with his life. Even worse that it reminded her of her own grief. He was happy to indulge her curiosity, but when he looked up at her, he turned cowardly at what he saw. It wasn’t fear, or sadness over his grim fate. It was the very same fire that lit behind her eyes in battle.

She was prepared to fight for him, it seemed…

He dare not think that she would go any farther for that. He was not worth her death. In fact, nothing was worth her death. The honor of her clan was at stake, and her life was essential in carrying on their legacy. One measly itinerant monk with a fated death should be worthless in her eyes, even if he wanted nothing more than to keep her alive.

Even if he wanted more than anything to see a future with her.

He turned away from her, returning to his spot in a now seated position. The monk had half a mind to wake the woman, but decided against it. Every waking moment for her was its own battle, after all. She needed all the rest she could get. And he’d gladly wait for her until that battle resumed, and fight with her at every step.

And if dying for her now meant he could spend the next life by her side, then he would welcome death with open arms.

“I hope this woman is the death of me,” he softly wished before all else melted away to his own meditation.

______________________________________________________________

Yeah I realized I took some liberties here with how Miroku and Sango’s relationship was at this point. This episode takes place after the Temptress of the Mist and Demon-Head castle, but far behind Mt. Hakurei, so what was going on with them hadn’t really become a “pattern” just yet. And Miroku had just comforted her in her grieving state for the first time right before that. Sango wasn’t deep enough to say he was her reason for living, so that’s why I kept her on the fence and didn’t have her feel too disappointed, because that’s what came after Mt Hakurei.

I’m a sucker for long winded perspective changes, especially here with all the parallels I draw between them. Some of my best lines were written here, especially the ending line. My GOD. I swear, I wrote that and everything made sense. I said “yes” over and over again, it was so good.

Also can you tell whose voice I’m talking about when describing Miroku’s? The answer is Koji Tsujitani. I always knew about Tsujitani’s delivery that makes Miroku sound truly “fake” but I noticed rather recently how he would add so much breath, especially in serious scenes. On the other hand, Kirby Morrow played the character down and deep in his throat, which isn’t bad when talking about his overall performance, but I decided to favor Tsujitani’s performance in this instance.

(I’m a classically trained singer and a music education major, so I’m a nut for analyzing voice acting. I have respect for both of these men may they rest in peace.)

Thanks again for the opportunity, and I hope to write more for this series.

-Saikage

#inuyasha #mirsan #mirsan day #dayofmirsan2021 #Miroku #Sango

36 notes · View notes

forbidding-souda · 4 years ago

Note

I really really loved the request you did for hajime and shuichi (you write them so well!!) so if its not too much to ask i was wondering if i could request 45 and/or 46 from the prompt list for them again? preferably with the same pronouns ówò tysm!! have a good day

45/46: “I know you love me. I know you too well.” Hajime Hinata & Shuichi Saihara (masc S/O)

Omg!!! Thank you for saying I write them well!! I worked on that fic for like a solid 24h it was so fun! I try my best :D

OKAY BUT LIKE WAIT CONSIDER WHAT I WROTE FOR THE HAJIME ONE BECAUSE - BECAUSE I KNOW IT’S TECHINICALLY NOT LIKE HAJIME??? BUT IT IS?? LIKE IT’S NOT IZURU IT’S THE HYBRID ONE - BUT LIKE DOESN’T THAT SOUND LIKE SOMETHING POST-KILLING GAME HAJIME WOULD SAYDSKDJBKDF

-Mod Souda

Hajime Hinata

He closes his eyes, letting himself take a breath.

You sit down, and he remains standing, ignoring your presence.

All you can do is continue to doodle with a pen you stole from Togami.

You had the command to watch over him, so now you are stuck with him in the same room, the lights not a yellow tint but instead red, helping the atmosphere.

You know Hajime wouldn’t hurt you.

But does he know that?

Irritation laces his brow at the confinement. Something irks his mind. That’s a common feeling for him. But something about this feels different.

“I know you, don’t I?”

You ears perk up at the sound of his voice. When you look up, you find yourself caught off guard by something you thought you got used to, a golden eye and a red eye glaring down at you.

“I’m your kohai.” You say with a smile, to which he stays unemotional.

So you change your response, “I’m the class below you, Hajime.”

Something about the way you say his name provoked a feeling inside of him. He doesn’t exactly understand it. So he looks away and tries to blink away the warm feeling in his chest.

You eye him for a little longer, but his face is turned away from you, so you end up just returning to your sketches.

That doesn’t last very long, however, because you are quickly distracted by him pulling up a chair to sit next to you.

This easily brings warmth to your cheeks. Warmth you don’t want to be there.

“And you haven’t seen me for awhile.” He suggests, obviously still stuck on the topic.

“A very long while, Hajime.”

The use of his name again. He pauses. A long pause. But you don’t dare break eye contact with him.

“We went to school together.” He adds on. It’s hardly a question.

“Hope’s Peak Academy.”

Anticipation drips into his eyes, for just a moment, before he quickly throws it away. He wanted you to say more. But he’s already put everything together in his head the moment you repeated his name. It’s just a matter of if he can get you to say it.

“How did we meet?”

You smile, the memory seeming like ions ago.

“You slammed a door against me. It was on accident, of course, and you wouldn’t stop apologizing.”

He watches your cheeks burn and the way you calmly set down your pen.

“When was the last time you saw me?”

Instead of a sad look, as he expected, your smile just grew.

“Well,” you start with a flirty tone, “no, nevermind.”

That just made his eyebrows furrow. So it’s true.

He eyes you up and down, taking in the figure he must have seen every inch of. Interesting, he says in his head, he is surely different.

You had no shame even giving him that hint, as well. You were laughing about it.

“I think it’s time to go,” you say through your laughs, which now come off as a result of timidness instead of joy.

No, his head commands.

You stand, pushing in your chair and putting the pen behind your ear before walking past him.

A gust of air passes your figure. You don’t even notice is at first until a hand is in front of you, blocking your path, and slammed against the wall.

You exclaim, “What’s your deal?”

His hair is cut short like Hajime’s, one of his eyes remains a familiar shade of gold, and he dresses like Hajime would dress. But Hajime was not an impulsive person.

He speaks breathlessly, forcing out the words.

“I know you love me. I know you too well.”

It was a battle with his mind. His emotions got in the way, they corrupted his way of thinking. He shouldn’t have done that. It was rude, on one hand, but it did give him the answer he wanted from you.

You put one hand on his cheek, stroking the sensitive skin. He shudders at the touch.

“And I know you love me, too. You always have.”

What should he do? His mind is is shambles. He can’t even think. What would the old Hajime do?

His hand falls, but not to his side. It lands on your hips. But gentle. He’s kind to you.

The invisible line that connects you to shortens while he leans in. You can’t even believe that your words affected him. You still thought he was still emotionless, unhopeful.

Maybe he still is. But that doesn’t stop him from kissing you.

Shuichi Saihara

Liar. The word runs through your head. Shuichi can lie? Isn’t he supposed to be on the side of truth?

Maybe Ouma is starting to get to him.

You stand behind your podium calmly, hands resting on the metal while your eyes move left and forth between the people arguing.

As long as time is being wasted, it doesn’t matter to you.

“Come on, Shuichi, it’s soooo fucking obvious!” Iruma calls out again. “But because he gives you a huuugggeee boner doesn’t mean he’s innocent!”

He glances at you, and so do the other 13 students.

“S/O would never do anything like that!”

Ouma pitches in, “Come ooonnn, Shuichi, what happened to addressing every possibility?”

A blush forms on his cheeks. He’s not flustered though, it’s the anger and embarrassment he feels when trying to protect you, especially when you aren’t responding back to him.

“It’s because he loves me.”

Shuichi freezes to the sound of your voice, one of his hands gripping onto his heart. It’s not true, he tries to soothe himself, it’s not true.

“Wh-What?” His voice still shakes and his heart quickens. A million of thoughts run through his head.

“I know you love me. I know you too well.” The words come smoothly from your lips. You say it casually - too casually.

His mouth goes dry. He thinks about the last week and all the times he spent with you. Whether it was going through the newly found rooms or escaping at night to talk underneath the stars. How sensitive he was and how softly you held him all came together to make one thing clear.

It was true.

You sigh, leaning your face into your hand. “So he’s not going to lay it all out.”

Maki rolls her eyes. “So you’re admitting to it?”

“No way!” The words slip from your tongue before you could catch them. So you continue on with your useless defenses. “There’s no reason for me to even kill them!”

But there was.

And that was the problem.

They came at you first, which is the truth, so you smashed their head open and left. No part of you wishes to share this. Instead, you’re going to become the villain. The evil antagonist for him to defeat. You know if he knows the truth - how helpless you were - he would try to fight for your life.

But you need to die. To save everyone else. And you accepted your death the moment you walked out of that room.

Everytime you look at Shuichi you see the time you two spent at night, laying on the grass and looking up. You told him how beautiful he was, and how soft his hands felt when you held them, and how much you wished time to be back to normal.

All of that just looks like a lie as you stand behind your podium, defending your faux innocence like the antagonist should.

You wonder how Shuichi will grow from this one.

#danganronpa #super danganronpa goodbye despair #hajime hinata #hajime hinata x reader #shuichi saihara #shuichi saihara x reader

114 notes · View notes

toukenramblings · 4 years ago

Note

hiya mod! thank you for the letter! it was super sweet 💖 i hope you're doing well- eating water, drinking food, and taking meds responsibly and resting when possible! i also really liked your child saniwa headcanons, so can i request akita, gokotai, and kenshin interactions (platonic of course!) with a child saniwa? - 🎂non

CAKEY IM SO GLAD YOU LOVED THE LETTER I GOT SO SCARED HUOGHUGFHD BUT IM DOING OKAY, I HOPE UR DOING OKAY TOOO BUT THANK YOU FOR ALL OF UR SUPPORT. HERE’S SOME HEADCANONS I HOPE THEY OK

Warnings: nOTHING BUT BABIES

Akita Toushirou

“My name is Akita, I’m so excited to-” “....” “....new sibling”

This Saniwa is adopted into Akita’s family now. Akita took one look at this kid and immediately claimed them. Ichi-nii eat your heart out, Akita is gonna do his best to be the bEST BIG BROTHER-

And then Akita and the saniwa take a nap together while bird watching and Ichi-nii is found cRYING

Akita is a sweetheart no doubt and while he doesn’t partake in war much as a blade, damn right he’s going to be protective as hell of this saniwa. As said before, Akita is going to try to be a good big brother since he’s like...several hundred years old by now? Catch him always holding hands with the saniwa, leading them around the citadel, excitedly enjoying the day with them!

His favorite thing to do with them (regardless of age) is just well, bird watching or cloud watching! He’ll pick a sunny patch of grass or help them climb up into a tree and just...look up at the sky with them! Stargazing counts too. Then they gotta scream for someone to help them get down. PlEASE HJELP

Hell yeah Akita will fucking stumble into the kid’s room to stay up late. They’ll probably conk the hell out while playing ANimal Crossing or something. He tries his best to stay up though! It’s not super healthy but like...he just wants to spend more time with his new sibling!

Akita can kinda cook? He more or less bakes with the rest of his siblings, expect him to always feed the lil saniwa first though. He cares for them a lot!

Akita also attempts to get stronger in order to protect them. He’s mostly a protective sword for nobles and being close to this new lil master like this makes him happy to be of use, no matter how much he can do!

Akita also looooves going out for a walk! He’ll always hold the Saniwa’s hand as they run around a forest or a mall and get lost beyond belief. Akita will try not to cry though, even though he’s scared as fUCK. He just loves having new adventures with them!

Can and will try to give them a piggy back ride.

Akita Toushirou is a sweet little kid, and having a saniwa that is a child will honestly help him feel at ease. He’ll do his best to be a good big brother, even if he and the saniwa are mentally rather young. He just wants to do his best and see the world along side them!

Gokotai

“I-I-I’m Gokotai...I’m so sorr-”

*Mew~!*

“....I-I think they like you...?”

Gokotai isn’t even a true Toushirou place, an artificial and yet part of the Toushirou family. Despite the rest of his brothers saying that they love him nonetheless, he still feels like he doesn’t belong. So when he meets this little master, a part of him is terrified that they will not like him. Gokotai already has pretty crippling self esteem so being around someone who has a similar mentality to him does help ease him a lil bit???? But his tigers like him and animals can tell shit like that.

So when his tigers trust the lil saniwa, Gokotai’s shoulders slump a little, letting out some breath he had not realized he was holding. He’s rather shy and quiet, hesitant to talk to the master and will just prefer sitting there in silence with them. Most likely reading a book together or chilling with the tigers.

Speaking of books, Gokotai adores picture books - stores with animals being his favorites. Momotaro is an example as it’s about a young boy who goes on a brave adventure with animal friends - but like in the Hanamaru anime, another book he loves is The Blue Bird of Happiness. He and the lil saniwa will just read it over and over, and then probably have a permanent like lil corner of this one library or bookstore they always visit. The people working there know their damn names by now and probs have snacks for them.

When it comes to the little tigers, I think Gokotai will adore it when the saniwa comes to visit - his tigers will run to them, and beg for their attention. They groom them together, pet them, play with them, honestly it’s so fucking cute. Please hug my lil son for me. Cuddle him and give him a foREHEADD KISSY

Gokotai will slowly become protective of the Saniwa as he becomes closer to them. Taking in the idea of Kiwame!Gokotai, when he comes back with the sole tiger, he promises to protect them better!

To quote Gokotai, “Master always looks straight into my eyes.” and those are the window to his soul. He shies away at first but as he and the lil saniwa become closer, he feels comforted by the fact they always look at him in the eyes, a sign of trust and that they care for him? I don’t know how to explain it but it’s kind of a zen state when you lock eyes with someone you trust and just...wordlessly pass on thoughts to each other.

It warms the heart of the Toushirou fam to see Gokotai open up like this. He is one of the more timid of the bunch because of his...ya know, general disposition and past. This saniwa now has the entire Awataguchi fam at their beck and call now, find them being carried by Ichi-nii

GOkotai’s tigers will love them~! Always pouncing on them to wake them up, big ol cuddles. Oh cuddling with Gokotai will be angelic, just...so much floofiness and warmth.

This leads to the fact the tigers will straight up do anything for them. Are they crying? Suddenly there’s 15 stolen blankets and several other Awataguchi family members at the door to ask what’s wrong. Are they hungry? KAsen is found screaming at the mess the tigers made as they bring a whole (half eaten) turkey to the saniwa. Gokotai ad the lil saniwa are watching a scary movie and it terrifies them? Well now they gotta buy a new tv because the tigers attacked it to defend them.

Seeing, the lil saniwa being best friends with Gokotai is like getting a new sibling plus 5 new lil pets. It’s just one big ol happy family man.

Kenshin Kagemitsu

“I’m Kenshin Kagemitsu! I do not wish to be taken li-”

“.....”

“I am big brother now”

See, Kenshin will jump at the chance to prove that he can grow up and be a wonderful mature adult. So when he first meets this lil saniwa, he’s oh so giddy! He almost jumps for joy! Of course he stills himself, clearing his throat and properly introducing himself to them, wanting to come ass as mature as possible. It’s obvious in his eyes that he’s excited to get to know them though!

The first thing Kenshin tries to do is almost be like Azuki and Hasebe rolled into one. He’ll try to learn how to cook and clean and even though he has a miniature habit if sleeping in late and Azuki is most often waking him up in the end but Kenshin always wants to try and emulate him. He’ll be found bringing a big ol tray of breakfast of the saniwa and waking them up, yawning while he’s talking to them and denying that he’s tired.

Kenshin is allowed to be a kid rather often, and if Azuki is fond of them too, he’ll spoil them both~! It’s like having a bro and father combo!

This lil kid is always ready to learn new things, and is often found with some kinda new book that he will share with this new Saniwa. He will often be found reading together with them, learning new things! He may be trying to look tough and adult-like, but to do that you need to learn new things!

Kenshin almost tries a little too hard to help the saniwa. He’ll try to stay up a little too late to help them, or to ensure that they go to bed on time. It’s fine to be a kid sometimes, Kenshin! Thus, the lil saniwa sometimes drags him to cuddle, it’s cute as hell, Azuki found taking all of the pictures.

He’ll try to not be swayed by sweets and is often giving his snacks to the lil saniwa. Yes he’ll be envious and puff out his cheeks, claiming he doesn’t want them, but they always share the snacks anyway. No worries.

Going back to the idea that Kenshin tries a little too hard to help the Saniwa, he’ll go to Hasebe or Azuki for help at times, wanting to learn how to do paperwork for the saniwa. Honey, no, not until you understand the words and wtf is happening. THe government is a ho anyway.

Despite all of this, Kenshin is still very much mentally young. He is nervous at times and especially so when going into battle. He does his best and ultimately he comes home with the rest of the swords - running into the arms of the lil saniwa and asking them to praise him - but he won’t lie that he sometimes feels like he isn’t enough for them? More so along the lines he wants to become better and be a better sword for them, I suppose?

Kenshin is actually very easily scared. So whenever there’s thunderstorms or something, he says he isn’t terrified but with the way he’s clinging on to the saniwa or Azuki tells volumes.

Kenshin is just trying his best when it comes to this saniwa. They’re around the same age (mentally?) and Kenshin will automatically want to try to be their elder, to show that he can be depended on too!

11 notes · View notes

imagineclaireandjamie · 5 years ago

Note

Hello, I love your tagalong series. I always get so exited when you update it. I can’t wait for the next Chapter. Thanks, K

Your timing is perfect, @foreverawanderingkat, as I was just finishing up the next chapter. ~ Mod Lenny

The Tagalong - Part Seventeen

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight, Part Nine, Part Ten, Part Eleven, Part Twelve, Part Thirteen, Part Fourteen, Part Fifteen, Part Sixteen

*******************************************************

Claire went cold when the lights from Reverend Wakefield’s car shone through the trees and reflected off the stones. Brianna had managed to fall asleep in the Reverend’s arms while he sat on a fallen log, staring at the dark horizon. He didn’t even stir as Mrs. Graham slowed the car to bring it off the paved road and onto the dirt path the climbed partway up the hill.

There was still no sign of Fergus or Roger.

“Right,” she said, exiting the car and retrieving a sack from the passenger seat. She flipped a torch on and shone it on the path to help her keep her feet. “I take it from the silence that the lads are’na returned?”

“No,” Claire replied flatly, crossing to meet Mrs. Graham and take the sack from her.

“I found what ye asked after and let a few friends know what was happening.” At Claire’s wary expression, Mrs. Graham smiled soothingly. “They’re the others who come one feast days to perform the ceremonies. Ye’re the first traveler as we’ve had through in some time, but ye’re no the first the circle has seen, and I dinna think ye’ll be the last.”

Reverend Wakefield stood brought Brianna over to her mother. “How long d’ye think it will take?”

Claire held the sack open and checked over its contents while Mrs. Graham held the light. A few sets of clothes for her, Brianna, and the boys, all of them worn and shapeless—suitable enough to help them pass in whatever year they found themselves, at least long enough to find an appropriate substitute. There were provisions for at least two days, even split four ways. The knife was wrapped and the matches as well. Mrs. Graham had found Claire’s small emergency medical kit—thankfully, Claire kept hers in a durable wooden box with a latch and handle—and decided to include it. A drawstring purse bulged like it held the full contents of Claire’s jewelry box.

“How long should we wait for ye?” Reverend Wakefield asked, more insistently, his rising voice causing Brianna to stir.

Claire reached and took Brianna from him, slinging the sack awkwardly over her shoulder. Brianna settled down again and Claire took a deep breath, steadying her nerves for what she was about to do.

“We’ll stay until dawn,” Mrs. Graham decided, resting a hand on Reverend Wakefield’s shoulder. “I’ll set up a rotation with the others to come and check regularly for ye. It might take her a while to find them, after all. Ye needna worry for Roger. He’ll be safe wi’ Claire when she finds him. Whatever happens, he’ll no be on his own.”

The look Mrs. Graham gave Claire then told her the older woman believed this would be a final goodbye. Perhaps for that reason, they both refused to say it.

Instead, Claire turned to the stones and swallowed as she shifted Brianna to a more comfortable and secure position in her arms. She would find a way to make do without the pack if need be, but she would not let go of her daughter.

“Tell him I ken he didna mean to cause a fuss,” Reverend Wakefield called to Claire, just as she stood before the stone. “It doesna matter to me how long… Tell him I love him and I’ll be waitin’ and prayin’ to see him again. He’ll no be in trouble, however long it takes.”

Thinking of Roger—of how scared he must be, and confused—Claire reached out a hand and pressed it to the face of the stone.

*******************************************************

Brianna was crying and wriggling on top of Claire when she came to, her ears ringing and her back sore. She’d fallen backwards on the pack from Mrs. Graham.

But Brianna was crying and wriggling which meant that Brianna had made it through with her so, none of the aches and pains or nausea mattered. She clutched Brianna to her chest and pushed herself to a sitting position.

If Roger and Fergus were anywhere nearby, they would surely hear Brianna’s crying and come to investigate.

But she didn’t know where—or rather, when—she was, so perhaps calming the siren in her arms would be better than just letting her scream.

Claire struggled to her feet, shushing Brianna quietly as she tried to rub her back. Once they were upright and Claire had moved out of the circle of stones and trees, Brianna began to quiet, grumbling her displeasure and discomfort into Claire’s neck while one hand held tight to her mother’s curls and she gnawed on the first two fingers of the other hand.

It was just beginning to grow light—dawn must be less than an hour off. She didn’t know what time it had been when Mrs. Graham returned, but it couldn’t have been midnight… or maybe it had been…?

She fought to keep her footing as she made her way down the hill and the sight stopped her in her tracks.

A road. Not the dusty or trodden path through the grass that horses or people on foot left, overgrown from infrequent use. But a paved road.

Claire looked back and forth. No cars, no sign of Mrs. Graham or Reverend Wakefield. They would have stayed at least this long to be sure she wasn’t coming back… and if she hadn’t gone anywhere at all, they’d have been right there when she woke. So she had traveled…

Her steps were slow and wary as she looked back and forth along the road again. Which way to go to search for the boys?

Fergus would have headed back through the stones if he’d found Roger anywhere nearby. And Roger would likely have wanted to head somewhere familiar… which meant back to Inverness… But Fergus would have known that and found him sooner if he’d actually headed that direction, which meant Roger probably got turned around in his fear and confusion…

Claire turned down the road continuing to head away from Inverness.

It was apparently too early for there to be many—or any—cars about. With the weight of Brianna and the pack, it was slow going. How far could the boys have gotten before they grew too tired and stopped somewhere to rest? Where would they have gone to see such rest? They wouldn’t have stayed too close to the road—Fergus would have made sure they were safely hidden… if Fergus had reached Roger. Fergus wouldn’t stop until he had found Roger and Roger… fear could go either way in such a situation. Finding himself alone, he might have wandered a short way before giving up… or it might be carrying him further and further in the wrong direction.

Or maybe she was headed in the wrong direction.

She slowed further and began scanning the horizon in all directions looking for a place where frightened children might hide or seek comfort.

Brianna snuffled against her. “Mama, down,” Brianna murmured.

Claire moved to put her down but Brianna continued clinging to her. So Claire found a spot where they could sit down together. She pulled the pack around and found a bit of cheese for Brianna to chew on. The food appeared to lift her spirits.

“Mama, home?” Brianna asked.

“I know, love,” Claire said apologetically. “I want to go home too. But we need to find Fergus and Roger first. We can’t go home or anywhere else until we find them.”

“Gus go?” she responded, confused. Brianna looked around and pressed her palm to her forehead, squinting though there was no sunlight to shade her eyes from and the hand wouldn’t have blocked any of the sun’s rays in any case.

“Fergus is looking for Roger,” Claire explained, though she knew Brianna probably didn’t understand. Speaking it aloud was helping to reassure them both, however, so she continued. “And we’re looking for Fergus. If we find Fergus, we find Roger.”

“Find Roger, Gus,” Brianna summarized with a nod before taking another bite of her cheese. “Him cheese?” she asked, holding out the two bites she had squished together in her fist.

“When we find them, you can ask if they want cheese.”

“Go find,” Brianna said, gobbling the last of the cheese and then standing to toddle down the road.

Claire scrambled to catch her but a low hum stopped both of them and sent Brianna crying back to Claire, her hands over her ears.

Claire pulled Brianna further off the side of the road and into some brush. She knew that sound and her muscle memory had taken over.

When you heard planes overhead, you took cover and prayed they didn’t drop anything. She still knew how to tell the number from the drone, how to distinguish where one plane’s noise bumped against another and crossed it. Looking to the pink sky, she spotted them against the clouds and pointed them out to Brianna who took her fingers out of her mouth and stopped crying long enough to point and gape.

There were four, flying in tight formation. She couldn’t distinguish much beyond their coloring and size. She was fairly certain they weren’t German. They reminded her of the planes she saw the Allied troops flying in France, bringing supplies for the hospitals before their holds were refilled with more dangerous cargo to deliver across enemy lines.

They hadn’t gone back far enough. It must only be a few years into the past, the war still being fought and the countryside quiet behind their blackout curtains until the new day made it safe—safer—to come out.

Tears of frustration and despair pricked at Claire’s eyes. The thought of going back to the hill without either boy, of trying to pass through the stones not one but two more times…

She rested her head against Brianna’s. How could she put Brianna through that again—take that risk a second time with her?

The planes passed and the hum faded.

When it had been quiet for a few minutes, Claire began to loosen her hold on Brianna so they could fight their way free of the bushes that had concealed them.

“Mrs. Claire?” a frightened voice asked with disbelief.

“Find Roger,” Brianna declared, pointing to the dust-covered boy.

“Roger?!” Claire cried, rushing forward and leaving Brianna to toddle after her as she knelt beside him to conduct a cursory examination. His clothes were torn in a few places and covered with dirt and stains from the plants. It was clear he’d cried at some point, the tears leaving his cheeks streaked and his eyes a little red and puffy.

“Where’s my da?” Roger asked, his voice thick and his breathing threatening to catch in his throat at the slightest provocation.

“He told me to tell you that you’re not in any trouble,” Claire remembered, the message steadying her. “He said he loves you, and it doesn’t matter how long it takes for you to get home, he just wants you safe.”

“Did ye no bring a car?” Roger whimpered. “I wanna go home.”

Claire pulled him to her and rubbed his back as she’d done with Brianna earlier. The toddler had caught up to them and tucked herself into Claire’s side, refusing to be left out of the comforting embrace.

“Where’s Fergus?” Claire asked, pulling back and brushing Roger’s hair straight with her fingers. “He didn’t leave you behind while he went for help, did he?”

“I’ve no seen Fergus,” Roger said.

#foreverawanderingkat #;mod lenny #The tagalong #fergus through the stones #featuring: bree #featuring: roger #featuring: reverend wakefield #featuring: mrs. graham

146 notes · View notes

roccoroks · 6 years ago

Text

PEOPLE I DEAL WITH AT WORK

It should come as no surprise that, I, Like many others have a job. Yes the dreaded 3 letter word that signifies that a large chunk of my life is dedicated to exchanging time and effort for cold, hard, taxed money. As many others do, I work with the public. YES that group of lovable assholes, and with them comes the normal issues of dealing with humans in customer service. But what I had no clue would happen to me is just how nit-fucking-picky I would become in doing so. Things that used to not bother me at all now piss me off, like legit piss me off long after that have left the building. I now completely understand those Russian dashcam videos. When you are pushed past your limit abruptly, you act out abruptly. but when you are needled and taxed and slowly driven insane by someone who insists on making mouth noises to fill the vocal void... You tend to grow an irrational hatred for them in every possible way. Things that were common place in life become life and death struggles to abstain from crime of passion or just straight up premeditated murder. Crazy? Maybe, retail can do that to a healthy person. Insane? hardly at all. Basically what it boils down to is having your time wasted or robbed from you by someone else. Time you were using to relax a bit before your next task in life, time that could be used to do your damn job. Here is an example... You are at work, say a vape shop, and you are asshole deep in customers. It’s Friday and you have another 4 hours before you can leave for the day. you have 3 people looking to quit smoking, 2 more sampling product, 2 more just looking at random crap in the store and you are flying solo for the evening. Someone walks in with an issue that could have been easily solved with a short google search or, god forbid, they had read the god damn manual. The person interrupts your best sales pitch to tell you “Hey, can I get some service!?” and talks over customers and yourself, despite telling them that you would be right with them. They then proceed to say “Hey, YOU sold me this and it does not work! i want my money back!”. You then gently inform them that you would like to inspect the device first to insure that it is truly broken and not a case of customer retardation. They become hostile and accuse you and accusing them of being an idiot. You then take the device, press the firing button 5 times and the device turns on and operates as normal. This further enrages them as they say “it wouldn’t do that earlier! This is broken!” You then ask them to leave the device with you so you can give it a through testing prior to refunding their money. At this point the ‘let me see your manager’ hair is in full comb over mod. They are filled with rage and stupidity. they usually will say something like “Look buddy, I just want a refund, is that too hard for you, or do you need to get your manager?” in the most condescending tone possible. You then inform them that your return policy does not cover remorse and that it only covers factory defected merchandise that has been thoroughly tested by a tech... also that the manager has fucked off for the day. By this point, I, being as cautious as possible, become more and more of a dick. There will be a back and forth while you argue your case that it was only far that if they breach contract as a buyer that you explore every possible avenue to insure that your ass will not be grass if the device is fine. But they don’t care, they only care about themselves and when the next football game will be on. They can’t wait to go and brag about how they screwed the place over and got their money back. Personally, I see this as a challenge and refuse them the satisfaction. By the point that they figure out that they can not get anywhere with you, they will confide themselves to repeating themselves over and over again until they get really pissed. “So, no refund? No service? I will never shop here again.” My usual response to that comment is and always will be “No sir, no refunds on devices that are in perfect working order. I feel that I have served you more that well enough to suffice your issue, but I agree with you, I wouldn’t shop here again either. Feel free to do business else where.” Now let me tell you what I really mean... “Fuck you, fuck you, fuck off.” But never the less, they will stand before you, look around the shop and repeat “ok” several times before finally sucking their teeth. Now... up until that point, that fucking teeth sucking point, this human had failed to in the slightest piss me off. I have worked cs for years, I have vaped and studied it for about 8 years now. I know more than I know more than I should tbh. People rarely get to me directly, if at all. But ‘time wasters’ as I like to call them, ruin me. Sucking teeth, pointless talking, mouth noises, lip smacking, finger tapping ect... Things like that I feel are social pause buttons to think. They feel as though they are meant to fill a void that is not there and does not need to be filled. I feel like they are thing people do because they are insecure about a situation or don’t know what to do in a given situation. I pride myself on efficiency in nearly everything I do. When I walk in a store, i already know what I want, and usually get it with few words exchanged. Meanwhile, half the assholes I deal with are the ‘just looking’ type that I have to forcibly engage in conversation. It burns my ass soooo damn bad. If you can’t tell, this was a vent blog. I needed a moment.

1 note · View note

transgenderteensurvivalguide · 7 years ago

Note

do you know any good resources for detransition? (I looked at your FAQ but couldn't find anything)

Lee says:

None of the mods have personal experience with this, so we don’t have any resources to link to about it. Detransition statistics are closer to 3-5% of people after they make any sort of irreversible changes (here are two studies with similar numbers) which means that detransitioners are a minority within a minority, so it’s hard to find resources in it (that aren’t transphobic) since most trans people don’t detransition.

Detransitioning isn’t the same thing as going back into the closet at home for safety reasons, it’s stopping your transition and reversing it everywhere in your life. Being trans isn’t easy, but denying that you’re trans to yourself can sometimes be worse.

If you are not using the trans label anymore but it’s because of peer pressure or fear that you won’t find anyone who accepts you, you may actually still be trans but not able to handle being out of the closet for now. It’s okay to go back in the closet if you don’t want to be out, but if you are trans but don’t want to be because you weren’t accepted, detransitioning won’t help with some of your dysphoria- only self-acceptance and transitioning can.

You can also look into whether you’re actually non-binary if you were formerly identifying as a male or female. It’s possible you could still fall somewhere under the trans umbrella if you want to, but it’s also your choice if you no longer feel comfortable identifying as trans at all.

genders / more genders / neurogenders / questioning

All that being said, sometimes you just aren’t trans after all! And that’s okay. You may want to explore the gender nonconforming label if you don’t feel you’re trans.

You also should try to figure out what caused you to identify as trans in the first place, and what you need to do to be comfortable in your detransition if you have decided that you aren’t trans. Investigating what compelled you to identify as trans might provide some clarity in what you want to do as you move away from the trans community. There’s often a lot of stigma around being trans, so people who choose to identify as trans and come out as such usually don’t do it on a whim. Were you uncomfortable with the gender roles you were assumed to have to fit? Was it physical/body dysphoria, and if so, how do you plan to cope with it as you detransition?

Also consider why you aren’t identifying as trans anymore. Were you comfortable with the trans label but unprepared for the discrimination/rejection that you experienced as a result of identifying as trans? Did you expect that your dysphoria would improve when you transitioned but it didn’t?

No matter how far you transitioned, you should look into Therapists and therapy to help you cope with the process you have ahead of you.

“Knowing where to go starts with knowing oneself. Whether going to a male role, a female one, somewhere in-between, or genderless, the choice of action has to be done with even more certainty then was done the first time around. Waiting to decide may look like not being able to, but in the end it will be out of a more informed decision when it comes to ones unique identity, and not based off emotion and/or misguided ideas. A stable identity and expression must come from within, and not be fueled by the opinions of others.

If the basis of transitioning was simply because the belief one isn’t “X” and therefore must be “Y”, (grass is greener theory) then attempting to understand the reasoning behind the thinking is an introspection option. The reasoning behind that theory could be anything from confusing gender expression with identity, to disbelief in non-binary gender as it relates to the facets of identity and role. Separating preferred gender expression, gender identity, gender role, and sexuality will allow for easier understanding of the influences that make up the core self, and if one or more is based off external validation of a false belief.” (Source)

If you’ve socially transitioned: you could try to use the Coming out page to re-come out as your axab, and consider what you want to change as you detransition. Do you want to keep dressing masculine/feminine, or do you want to experiment with old clothing? Do you want to keep the same style as before your transition, or try something new? Do you want to go back to your birthname, continue with your chosen name, or find a new name? Change pronouns? Make a list of the goals you want to accomplish on paper- writing things out makes it seem more real. Writing things out and keeping a diary or a journal can help.

If you’ve medically transitioned: If you’re afab you could look at the Transfeminine resources to see info on what surgical options are available and such, like breast augmentation if you had your chest removed or electrolysis if you’ve grown facial hair. If you’re amab you could look at the Transmasculine resources and start to research getting any breast implants removed, or top surgery to get rid of any chest growth from estrogen, etc. Either axab you can talk to your hormone provider about stopping hrt, and what to expect as you stop it, and if you’ll need to take estrogen/testosterone to restore your system to balance or not.

The trans community is often silent on detransitioning, as the vast majority of trans people don’t detransition and yet it’s kinda the bogeyman of the community because when people hear about someone detransitioning they think “oh no, what if I’m making a mistake too?” and so they don’t like to acknowledge it.

Despite that, there’s nothing wrong with exploring your identity- it’s okay if you thought you were one thing and it turns out you’re another. You’ve just learned more about yourself, and now you know that the trans label isn’t for you.

If someone explores their gender identity, it doesn’t mean they were “faking.” Some people feel a certain way for a certain amount of time, and later their identity shifts- not everyone has a static unchanging gender for all of their lives. That doesn’t mean you were faking or were lying about it when you identified as trans.

You can look into connecting with other detransitoners to help provide you with support as you’re all going through a similar experience, but watch out for TERFs/radfems who may disguise their transphobia and transmisogyny as being “gender critical”.

One important thing to remember: While you may not be trans, other people’s identities are still valid. Some detranstioners will start to believe that because they weren’t trans, nobody is trans- and that’s not true.

You may not have belonged in the trans community but the community is an important and helpful place for other people, and it shouldn’t be vilified as coercing/forcing people into identifying as trans because that sends the message that trans people aren’t actually trans and they’re just being tricked into it, which is really invalidating.

There are issues with every community of course, and the trans community is no exception, but it’s possible to address that without invalidating other people’s identities.

All in all, I wish you the best on your journey, and I hope you find an identity and method of coping that makes you the most comfortable and happy.

Followers, any good resources for anon?

Followers say:

randomtranshiker said: I know 1 person who detransitionrd after a year of transitioning and living as mtf, on facebook they said ‘Over the past year of living as a women I have learned a lot more about myself and have learned to embrace some more feminine aspects of myself, but I have decided that being a female isn’t quite right for me so for now I will be going back to he/him pronouns. I appreciate all the support and I hope you will all support me in the future as I learn more about myself’ and I thought it was put really well. So it might be helpful for other people looking into detransitioning

questioningsideblog said: It is important to remember the reasons you transitioned in the first place. Even if you do not stick with it forever, there was a legitimate pain or feeling behind why you made those choices.

ishcadore said: Anon you have to understand that people who condemn trans people as “transtrenders” or claim its just a phase somehow compartmentalize the act of questioning yourself (and growing to understand yourself) as ‘not part of your life’ as if phases do not make up who we are and how we change as people. Looking for your identity does not put you at fault, just as any other part of life doesn’t. Those who do not try to find their own path and figure out who they are in the same way don’t…

kaykitty said: even if nobody ever detransitioned transphobes would use the possibility as an excuse for bigotry. by reidentifying you won’t “become” evidence for anybody’s agenda. don’t let anyone else’s hatefulness stop you from doing what you need to do. i know it’s really confusing and embarrassing but in my experience everyone has either been very accepting, if a little confused, or just as quietly baffled as they were when i started transitioning in the first place lol

#Lee says #detransition #terf m #trans #transgender

168 notes · View notes

ddaddsprompts · 7 years ago

Text

The Dads’ reaction to you owning a pet fox

Somehow, xkit glitched and I accidentally deleted the ask. I’m sorry about that! I feel like I should also mention that, no matter how cool it may sound, even “domesticated” foxes are still wild animals and are illegal to own in many states. They’re not meant to be indoor pets, so please, don’t get one. - Mod Mare

🥃 “You… own a fox.” Your gaze wanders from Robert to Fire, your pet fox. You look back at Robert and, with the most deadpan voice and expression you can muster, say, “No, I don’t.” Robert scowls at you. “Pretty sure that’s a fox right there.” You shake your head. “No, that’s a dog. I think you need glasses.” Robert shoots you a dirty look and crosses his arms in front of his chest. “What’s the dog’s name?” “Fire.” Robert blinks. “Please don’t tell me you named it after-“ That’s the moment you break. Giggling, you bend down and run your fingers through Fire’s plush coat. She yips and rolls on her back, presenting her belly to you. From where Robert is standing comes a surprised noise of delight, which you wisely do not tease him about. “The web browser. Yes, yes I did. And Fire is a she.” Robert sighs. “You’re such a nerd.” He pauses. “Can I pet her?” You give Fire an assessing look. She bites your hand, barely hard enough to even leave marks, but you resume your petting and she releases you again. “Not right away. Foxes don’t really like meeting new people. Give it some time and bring her some socks.” Robert acknowledges what you said with a grunt and leans against the wall. You can tell he’s thinking about something, but let him bring it up in his own time, which he does after a few minutes. “Is she leash-trained?” You look up and narrow your eyes at him. Fire gets on her paws and runs off. “I’m not taking Fire on cryptid hunts.” “But they’re cunning and clever!” There’s a loud crash. You and Robert run to the kitchen, where you find Fire with her head stuck in a box crashing into various objects in blind panic. You give Robert a pointed look. “Are you sure about that?”

🍸 The first time Joseph came to your house, the very day you and Amanda moved in, the fox hadn’t marked her territory yet, so The Smell wasn’t bad. Maybe you should have mentioned what kind of pet you owned before he dropped by the second time in general, and the first time as your boyfriend, but it slipped your mind. Both you and Amanda are used to The Smell, which you’d personally describe as skunk mixed with ammonia. You don’t even notice it anymore. Joseph evidently does. The moment you open your door to let him in, he recoils and coughs. “Ships and sailors, Y/N! What’s this…?” He turns his head away and pulls a face. “Smell?” You rub the back of your head and wince. “I’m so sorry, I totally forgot. Give me like, ten minutes, and it should be better.” Joseph watches you in confusion as you steam clean the carpets, light candles, empty two litter boxes and open all windows. His nose is still scrunched up when he enters, but at least he comes in at all, so you hope it’s not as bad anymore. “Better?” He hesitates, but nods and sinks down on your couch. “Did… did a skunk break in?” Laughing nervously, you shake your head. “No, it’s Fire. She’s my… she’s my pet. Want to meet her? Fire!” You whistle and a ‘bark’ answers you, followed by the scratch of claws on the ground. A second later, Fire appears and yips, waggling her tail happily. Joseph screams. “Th-that’s a fox!” You lean down and scratch Fire behind the ears; she makes a pleased noise and puts her front paws on your knees. “Yup. I rescued her from a fur factory and she’s too domesticated to be released into the wild, so I kept her. The Smell, capital letters, is part of the package. Isn’t she cute?” Joseph looks at you as if you lost your mind, but, being the polite person he was, nods and offers his hand for Fire to sniff at. “V-very cute.” He flinches when Fire licks his hand and only relaxes again when she disappears back to her nest.

☕ Going to the Coffee Spoon had become part of your daily routine. The increased coffee intake probably didn’t do your body well, but it meant getting to see Mat every day, which beat the health concerns, in your opinion. “Hey baby,” you greet and the bells above the door jingle as you enter the shop. Mat waves at you, then continues serving the customers in line. It doesn’t take long until it’s your turn. He leans over the counter to kiss your cheek. “Hey, baby, your usual?” You nod and stand back to watch him work his magic. Despite knowing he won’t accept it, you get out some money to pay for the drink and hold it out to him. He glances up from the coffee machine for a moment and gives you a look. “How often do I have to…” You frown when he trails off and cock your head at him. Mat is staring at your hand, but not the money in it. “Baby, what are those cuts?” He gently takes your hand in his and trails the scratches and bite wounds Fire left after you two roughhoused. “You’re not… you know, right?” “What do you…” Realisation dawns on you. “Gosh, no, Mat, I didn’t hurt myself. I promise.” He visibly deflates and lets out a long breath. “Where are they from?” You shrug. “Fire.” Seeing his uncomprehending, somewhat confused, expression, you can’t help but laugh. “I can’t believe I keep forgetting to tell people about her. She’s my pet fox.” Mat’s eyes go wide. “You have a fox? Is she dangerous?” He gestures to the wounds. “She’s sassy. And she likes to chew on things, including me. And my socks. I don’t think I own a single pair without holes in them.” Mat blinks before breaking into a grin and winking at you. “Can’t wait to meet little Miss Sass-Fire in person then. Just remind me to keep my limbs close to my body and my socks away from her teeth.”

🌹 “Y/N!” It takes you a second to recognise the voice, but when you do, you turn around and smile at Damien. “Hey, Damien, what brings you here?” Maple Bay’s resident goth, currently dressed in his work-clothes, gestures to his trolley, which is filled with various kinds of dog, cat, rodent and bird food. “Shopping for the animal shelter. I didn’t know you had a pet. Or are you planning to finally get Amanda a dog?” You laugh. “Gods, no, she would try to smuggle it into her college dorm and that would only end in chaos. No, I’m shopping for Fire. She’s my pet.” Damien peers into your shopping cart and frowns at the dog kibble. “What kind of animal is Fire, if I may ask?” Instead of answering, you take out your phone and quickly scroll through the dozens of photos you have of her, searching for the best. You finally settle on a cute photo you’d taken of her with Amanda and show it to Damien. His reaction makes you wish you had a camera to record it; his eyes go wide and he snatches the phone from you. After you give him the go-ahead, he swipes his thumb and looks at some more photos, all the while he is cooing. “Why didn’t you tell me you own a pet fox? I have always longed to see one from up close, their behaviour is quite dog-like, from what I know, yet I would never have bought one. How did you acquire her?” “We rescued her from a factory that produces fur. She’s from a line of domestic fur-bearing foxes and through breeding, lost many of her natural instincts, so she’s non-releasable.” Damien sighs and smiles at you. “I’m so glad to hear you didn’t merely acquire her as a pet.” He hands you back your phone and takes a hold of your arm. “Would you be terribly opposed to me accompanying you, dear Y/N? I would love to learn more about Fire.” You smile and wrap an arm around his waist. “I wouldn’t be opposed to that at all.”

🎣 When Brian learned you have a pet (that’s not a cat), he all but demanded you introduce her to Maxwell, despite your protests. You’ve never had Fire interact with dogs before, so you’re understandably nervous as you wait for Brian to arrive. Fire is her usual energetic self, running around her back-door enclosure and digging to her heart’s content, so you hope – pray – she’s in too good in a mood for lashing out on Maxwell. You doubt your relationship to Brian would take well to that. There’s a knock on the front door, which you left unlocked. Brian enters, leading Maxwell by the leash. The corgi stiffens at the smell of the house and cautiously follows his owner to the backyard. “Hello Y/N! Ready to—“ The moment Brian sees the fox in the backyard, he freezes. Maxwell circles his legs and sniffs the air. “That’s… that’s a fox.” You put your hands on your hips and grin. “Yup. Her name’s Fire. You know, because of Firefox. No? Okay. It’s a wordplay. I think you better leave Maxwell on the leash, just in case. I’ve never introduced Fire to dogs before, so I don’t know how she’ll react.” Brian does one better and picks his dog up. Then he sits down in the grass and keeps Maxwell in his lap. You join him and lean against his burly frame. And you wait. Fire stopped digging and is staring at Maxwell intently, her tail swishing back and forth. Without noticing, you’re holding your breath. Then, suddenly, Maxwell wiggles free and runs up to the fox, yipping and bouncing around her. You hold onto Brian’s arm. Fire crouches. Were she a cat, she would probably wiggle with her butt, getting ready to pounce. Which she does a second later, opening her mouth and—Nips Maxwell’s ear. The dog barks and chases after her. You sigh in relief and slump against Brian, who wraps an arm around you and laughs. “See, you needn’t have worried!” He pauses. “I should have unclipped Maxwell’s leash. We’re tied up.”

👟 “Dude, is that… is that a fox?” Craig pulls out one of his earbuds and takes a tentative step closer. You keep a firm grip on Fire’s leash, in case she decides she doesn’t like the new human, but she’s more interested in the flowers that grow in front of your house than Craig. “Remember that organisation I volunteered for in college?” Craig taps his chin, like he always does when he’s thinking hard. Then he grins. “Right! Is-“ “She, her name’s Fire.“ “-Fire, huh? Cool name, bro! Is Fire a rescue animal?” You nod and lean down to scratch Fire’s head. She makes a happy noise. “She can’t be released into the wild, so I took her in. It’s like having a dog and a cat at the same time, but she’s still a wild animal.” Craig gets down and reaches out to touch Fire, but she shies away from the touch, ears flat against her head. Craig immediately backs off and chuckles. “She coming with us on the run?” As if she understood the word, Fire starts getting antsy, pulling on the leash and barking at you. Craig takes this as his cue to start jogging and you and Fire follow him. He goes slow, allowing you to keep up with him. “Might as well combine the two things,” you explain. “She has the whole backyard to herself, ‘s why I bought the smallest house, because it has the biggest garden, but she still needs to run every now and then.” Craig grins at you. “So you should have got more than enough training in the years owning her. Means I don’t have to go easy on you. Come on, bro, let’s go faster!” Without a warning, he picks up the speed, getting ahead of you by a few feet like it’s nothing. Much to your joy, Fire starts going faster too, which means you have to, too, or you risk Fire breaking free, or dragging you to your feet. You groan, which only makes Craig laugh. Sadistic bastard.

📖 “I’m going to the stores, do you want me to get anything?” Without looking up from the newspaper, you answer, “Can you get me some kibble for Fire? I’m almost out and won’t be able to buy some today.” There’s a long pause. “Pardon?” You finally lower the paper. “Huh?” Hugo sits down and looks at you intently, with that intense, unblinking stare that makes students quiver. “Who or what is Fire and why do they need kibble?” The wheels turn in your head. “Oh! Have I never mentioned her before?” Hugo wordlessly shakes his head. “I’m sorry. I have a pet fox, her name is Fire, and she likes having kibble as a snack. It’s not her main diet, of course, she needs Taurine and lots of calcium, so I mostly feed her a raw diet, such as—“ Hugo interrupts you by holding up his hand and you wonder when exactly he trained you to react to his hand signals so well. “Forgive me if I misunderstood you there, Y/N. You said you… own a… pet fox.” He pauses long enough for you to nod. “I hope you have a license, or I’m going to report you to the authorities. That is nothing against you personally, but foxes aren’t meant to be pets, even the ones that were bred to be tame, and—“ Now it’s your turn to hold up your hand and you’re delighted to see he reacts to that as well. “I have a license, Hugo. If you want me to, I can run over to my place real quick and get it?” Hugo shakes his head. “I trust your word, Y/N. How did you end up owning a fox?” “She was rescued from a factory.” Hugo smiles at you and nods, apparently pleased. “Good. It would have irked me, had you bought her for the sole purpose of owning a fox.” He pushes up his glasses and gets that inquisitive, fiery expression you know so well by now. “Now, tell me everything. Start with her dietary restrictions.”

#dream daddy #dream daddy: a dad dating simulator #dream daddy a dad dating simulator #ddadds #ddadds imagine #pet fox

140 notes · View notes

aroacehogwarts · 7 years ago

Text

Of Hearts

“Tell me again how the swooping move is supposed to surprise the other team,” Luna requested, enjoying the echoing quality of her voice with her head on top of Ginny’s chest, listening to her steady heartbeat.

Ginny stroked surprisingly gentle fingers through Luna’s long locks. “Well, you see, the dive is called a feint and seekers only attempt it if they are very good and very confident in their skills. You feint when you see the snitch, but you dive in a direction that the snitch is not in. It’s a very tricky move because the seeker has to divert all their attention away from the snitch in order to trick the other team’s seeker. Seekers usually react on instinct. If one starts diving, the other is likely to follow just to ensure they don’t miss a chance to try catching the snitch. Once the seeker who is feinting is sure the other seeker has bought their fake, they then swiftly change directions back towards where the snitch was. The hope is that all this happens quickly enough that the seeker doesn’t loose the snitch. However, if that can’t happen, the other use of the feint is when the other seeker is closer to the snitch than you are and you just want to draw them away from the snitch until it’s too late for them to catch it.”

One of Ginny’s favorite things was quidditch, so one of Luna’s favorite things was watching her qpp play and listening to her talk about quidditch.

Harry looked haggard and worn. The lines on his face were more pronounced than usual, the bags under his eyes bigger, and there was a good tangle of wrackspurts circling him.

Luna immediately got to work on a cuppa. Harry preferred firewhiskey, but Luna didn’t like to overindulge when it came to alcohol. Besides, tea was more calming.

“I know you don’t like to, but it helps to talk about it,” she said gently.

Harry rubbed a hand over his eye, then dragged it down his face. “Just. I just don’t understand how anyone can continue to sympathize with Death Eaters,” he said.

Luna added extra honey to his tea and sat it in front of him. “Harry, I know you don’t want to hear it, but there are other ways of helping than being an auror. You’re very good at it, but it’s not the only thing you’d be good at. And another job would be nicer to you.”

Harry ignored his tea. He groaned and lowered his head into folded arms. “Not you, too, Luna. Please.”

“Okay,” she replied simply, scooting her chair closer to rub gentle circles on Harry’s back. Too much fighting this week. He wasn’t ready for this fight. She’d sit back and just let her best friend talk and do things his own way.

Luna started humming, an old lullaby her mother used to sing to her.

“Oh! And I think you’d like this one,” Neville chattered on, more animated than usual. He led her to a pale purple plant with large, round leaves that waved gently with the air currents. “Sedatis ut folium, better known as the Tranquiliseed. I was awarded one to help bring them back from the brink of extinction. Using its essential oils or brewing it is supposed to result in an immediate calm for any who smell its sweet fragrance, but some are calmed just by watching its dance.”

Luna reached out a hand over the plant but didn’t touch it. She felt mesmerized. “It’s beautiful, Neville. And you were trusted to help bring it back from extinction. Oh, Neville - congratulations.”

Neville placed a friendly hand on her shoulder, warm and comforting. These walk throughs of Neville’s growing greenhouses were a regularly scheduled event for Luna and Neville. Luna loved how confident and happy Neville was around his plants, and she knew her bestie really needed someone to talk about his work to. Luna was happy to volunteer.

Luna and her datemate, a wonderful nonbinary muggle whom she’d met while hanging out in a coffeeshop to escape the magical world, laid curled up together, a blanket between them and the grass as they watched the stars above.

“I believe that one’s supposed to be a lynx, but it’s always looked more like a thestral to me.”

“What’s a thestral again?”

“They’re beings of death. Skeletal winged horses. Very sweet, family-oriented, and hard workers.”

“Hm. I dunno. Looks more like a leaping kangaroo to me.”

Luna giggled. “Maybe it’s all three. Maybe it’s endless possibilities.”

Her datemate squeezed her hand and pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek. “I like that,” xe whispered. Luna nuzzled into xyr neck. This was always the best way to end her day.

Because Luna is asexual, but that hasn’t made her capacity for love any less than anybody else’s.

Asexual Awareness Week HP Fandom Challenge

Day 1: Post about your favorite/long-held ace/spec HP character headcanons.

~Hufflepuff Mod

46 notes · View notes

sherlolo-land · 7 years ago

Text

PSA from the Mod

We’ve been receiving some comments from anti-Johnlockers, and while some of them are well written and thought out without any name calling (thank you), there have been the select few that have been incredibly insulting and then demanded to be blocked if we didn’t agree with them. Well, we granted their wish, and went on our way. Ta, darlings.

First of all, sure, you won’t like our posts, our analyses, our fix-its. And yes, of course, posts that are entertaining to US, they are not made for you, and if you don’t like it, then that’s not our problem. We need to vent and laugh every now again, too. Everyone in this fandom knows we can’t all agree with each other, and to expect one of us to agree with you over your opinion of Molly and Sherlock, Sherlock and Jim, etc, etc - has the same probability rate of the sun growing grass on its surface. It’s not that we don’t care about your reblogs from this blog, it’s that we don’t agree. And to fight us to see your view isn’t going to help. Like I said, we made this blog to point out the lies, the misunderstandings, and the deliberate nasty stuff that goes on in circles of groups that sincerely hate Johnlockers because we simply ship two men. Are all Sherlollies homophobic? No. There of some of you who are sweet and respectful and just want to ship their favorite characters together and we respect that. But we report on the posts that either imply to be, or are directly homophobic, and if you reblog from one such post that we make on that matter and declare that you’re not homophobic, then, my dear, that post wasn’t for you. The Mods on this blog know the nasty shippers of that ship, and we’re more likely to keep an eye out for them and others that are determined to follow in their teeny, tiny, insignificant shadows.

We have a rule not to reblog from anyone, save for a post made by a fellow Johnlocker - but that’s very rare, and only if we see that it’s worth discussing.

Yes, it’s true that some Johnlockers have done some foolish things in the past, but from what I myself, and the other Mods have seen while skimming through posts made by antis, the majority of Johnlockers have not replied with harassment or explicit insults - like we have seen from other people. This is not a blog made for pointing out bad behavior in fellow Johnlockers, this is a blog made by us - FOR us - that points out bad behavior in people who HATE Johnlock and its shippers. The number of new Johnlockers not following etiquette has plummeted over past year and a half. From what we all have noticed, personal harassment and nasty behavior has remained as its always been from other ships, dipping and rising, yet staying the same. Perhaps the reason why anti-Johnlocker blogs don’t exist these days is because apparently derogatory posts made by Johnlockers are no where to be found.

So my point is, reblog if you like, if you want us to see your opinion of Sherlock/Molly, Sherlock/Jim, John/Mary, etc. But if you expect us to agree with what you believe is wrong with Johnlock, with your belief that Sherlock trusts Molly more than he trusts anyone else, that John and Mary were truly happier with each other more than anyone else, good luck. Sherlollies don’t get along with Johnlockers, and Johnlockers don’t get along with Sherlollies. That’s it. That’s what expected of everyone in this fandom. This isn’t a blog where both parties try to come together and reach a conclusion and fight each other to see which one is right. Hell, you have the whole godforsaken Tumblr to do that. But for those who are non-Johnlockers and have reblogged from us peacefully, thank you, we respect you. But we’re sticking with what we believe is true, because we do our research without a bias opinion. Imagine that.

Of course, I write this post well aware that there will be a few anti-Johnlockers who will mock this post and call me a hypocrite. Whatever. I just gave you my point two paragraphs ago. Go read it again.

You don’t like what we post about, then use the Block button. No harm, we don’t get offended, we understand.

P.S. Still waiting for those receipts that reportedly said all Johnlockers enjoyed the scene where John is beating Sherlock to a pulp.

#no wank here #PSA #keep your nastiness out of it and just read #thank you #sherlock

4 notes · View notes

ocbungou · 7 years ago

Photo

Thank you, Marsha, for submitting your application! Two mods have gone over it and accepted it for approval into the ring. Please have your blog ready by December 26th.

COUNTRY. Laos! (OC)

NAME. Vatsana Boumnevong / PREFERRED NAME. Vatsana or Sana

PRONOUNS. She/her

AGE. 21

ALIGNMENT. The Rats

APPEARANCE. There are visible faded gashes and contusions that glide over Vatsana’s body like a second skin. She considers herself a plain Jane in terms of height and outer appearance, but others say otherwise; with her ever-present ghost of a smile and gossamer limbs. And with her bodice and face always being ailed with the mucky-dried splotches of grime to dirt from God knows where. Standing at just 5'5", hitting just right under the mark of being underweight and baring little to no fat to focal parts of her body, which adds to her molt of a thinly cherubic appearance. Her complexion is notably tan, only to have gotten tanner from her adolescent years of working herself down in the pith of dirty holes and thickets of brittled-yellow wheats and grass-fields. She has grey-blue eyes and sleek yet unruly black hair that nips just the end of her tailbone. Her posture usually slugs, comparably in tune with her initial attitude. Although it appears her only redeeming quality would be her beauty marks that grace on her cheek and neck, and her full lashes, which she’s fully aware of so she tries her best to not pluck or mess with them.

PERSONALITY. Vatsana is definitely a natural born leader and bares all the raw barebones of the qualities. She is observant beyond compare and is particularly sensitive to smell and touch. But seldom does she use these to her advantages. Despite her initial sluggish and dopey outward appearance, she’s very excitable. She switches from one topic to the next and could be giving directions to a tourist to some mock-speakeasy around town to canting about the differences of apples oxidizing and apples truly rotting. Constantly striving for independence and believes all they have in life are the connections they make.

Truly and and unbearably hedonistic and only willing to follow her own code of morality; considerably straight-laced to a certain extent, but only when it suits her. She has no qualms of using deception or morally grey notions for the greater good or for herself. Vatsana is immensely facetious, which her peers in her life either learn to cope with or to shortly play along with. Often, she has an issue of misplaced empathy or compassion and can be painted as someone with no particular social grace. Vatsana will either feel a heavy sense of dread or humility for others or feel a vastly underwhelming amount of sorts. Which is the only thing Vatsana is secretly insecure about, despite of all her more evident flaws in her comportment. She is most insecure about her ability and her incompetence when it comes to it.

STRENGTHS: - Her unyielding allegiance ; once Vatsana is glued to an ensemble, she'l lstick. Which is unpredicted of her because of her nomadic-like mentality. - Her genuine affability ; she can be seen as not so favorable company by some others because of her rugged physique with a matching sneer and facetious attitude but if anything she’s wholeheartedly a good time. - Emotional support ; in spite of her unable to display the appropriate gestures or feelings at the appropriate time, she grins and bears it and offers solace which a lot of people surprisingly take her up on.

WEAKNESSES: - Grudges ; Vatsana has little to no grip on herself when upholding grudges and lets this get in the way of things incessantly. In order for one of her grudges to take root, you would have to be a repeated offender of something. From borrowing her clothes to taking her food, she will immediately drop ties with you just because she refuses to associate with people who take advantage of her and knowingly does it. She won’t ever do a damn thing for you ever again until you come back groveling on your knees and publically humiliate yourself. - Social cues ; while this speaks for itself, Vatsana does understand social cues now but she can never go through with them. As she matured, she made an attempt every day to improve herself on this and put her heart in it– but it just never ends up falling through for her. - Proneness to gullibility ; Vatsana is much too trusting and once she has befriended someone, she instantly gives them a morsel of herself and latches onto them. Either in a timeless pendulum of mutual comradery or blissfully unaware of an impending doom.

ABILITY. “ALL IS BORN AGAIN” — Based off the short poem written by the author, Sylvia Plath, ‘Mad Girl’s Love Song’. Reminiscent of the line: “I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead; I lift my lids and all is born again.” She retains the ability to summon a any amounts of rotters beyond the grave, ranging from one sole loner to a legion of rotters in that instant. They are neither initially malicious nor benign. But do tend to abide by Vatsana’s wishes– if she just closes her eyes. This ability used to work best in closed quarters as originally posited by her, since Vatsana once lacked the capability to round them up properly since they are so unpredictable and can organically think for themselves. However, she’s improved and found that if she keeps her eyes closed, their minds will sync with her’s. In spite of her eyes being closed, she can still manuveur and see properly. Once ‘All is Born Again’ is employed and her eyes are closed; Vatsana can see an exact layout of what’s happening around her behind her closed eyes. Every road and every bump. There are multiple drawbacks, however. If in too much of a large and open space, she will lose touch with their psyche and they’ll gradually march on forward without her. Their aptitude and ail-ness will also match with Vatsana’s. So if she falls wounded, that will take a toll on their psyche. If she obtains a sickness, the rotters will as well and their movements will be slower and won’t engender as much impact. Pertaining to its usage, she will become forgetful of the moment leading up to it, the moment it’s happening, the moment afterwards, and the perpetrators she used it on when she opens her eyes, which will cause all the rotters to suddenly vanish leaving outsiders and the offenders into thinking it was a mirage. If she keeps her eyes open the entire time, the Rotters’ psyche won’t link up with her’s. So she will just be another breathing being to them and not their Guidance so she has just as equal amounts of probability of getting harmed as the offenders do. Though this is not information Vatsana is aware of.

BACKGROUND. A purebred from the heart of Laos, the ever lovely Vientiane! Vatsana was raised graciously with her single loner of a mother who had metaphorically beaten and whipped her within an inch of her metaphorical life the standing moral code of their family. The expectation implemented on her were high; she was expected to marry young, she was expected to make constant, streaming bank by then, and she was expected to carry her then frail and old mother on her back for the rest of her life. The expectations were never ending and enforced onto her, possibly ever since she popped out. And when Vatsana turned out the exact opposite, her mother’s anger surprisingly did not come to fruition. Instead, she welcomed this unforeseen version of her dearest daughter with open arms– trashing away her memorable dream-scape version of her and not bothering to indulge in them. The Vatsana that was summoned was nothing short of.. a pain. But overwhelmingly friendly. She was considerably grabby and took nothing serious and she kept it along even when she grew out of her adolescent years. Snarky, impish, socially naive, everything her mother was scared of handling. But luckily for her mother, she holds back her ripostes and fends off all the attributes that worries her mother and holds a soft spot for her. Just as her mother does for her. But the one fence that they could not walk around or hop over, was school. Vatsana never cared for school, all the way from elementary to a palpable scenario of high school if she hadn’t been tacitly urged to drop out. Wreaking havoc was all she did, done, and does. From pouring paint on the ground to betting 3 kids she could persuade them to lick it, her ambiance either fended off the other kids or they felt strangely drawn to her. But they never stuck around her unless she was making a big commotion, so she never actually had any friends. Her ability took fruition one day during class, when she encountered a male staff was getting scarily violent with her Arts teacher. She winced from behind the closed doors and shut her eyes until she heard muffled crooning and saw that a spoiled mess of a humanoid being was parrying off the male, choking him until his arms molted off. Until she had physically opened her eyes and it disappeared, like some apparition. He was still gasping for air and had prominent contusions on his neck, but the female teacher had long since ran out the back exit. This had spurred on her eventual, growing discomfort around men, also with the lack of male figures in her life from girlhood to concurrently. Unexpectedly, she was a quiet child. But she was still just as excruciatingly unbearable as a loudmouthed problem child was and the teachers could never obtain the iron grip they needed to handle her and continuous meetings between the school and her mother were as fruitless from the start. Although, the kids all admired her spontaneity and how eccentric she was and she loved them all too. But she was ruled as a bad influence and was forced to move into another school until she eventually became home-schooled by her auntie, since her mother never had a strong foundation of education either and worked 3 jobs to uphold their middle-average class. When the time came for Vatsana to properly build a core foundation for herself, they were all reluctant and saddened to see her go. She packed up her bags, took a plane to some unknown pit-stop, and backpacked all the way until her arrival at Port City where she managed to do street magic with the thanks of her ability and reached a summit of absolute beaucoup money. She figured, she had overstayed her welcome, until a stranger had witnessed and saw through her operation of combined charismatic parlance, and her Ability.

SAMPLE WRITING. A woman, too thinly and too shadily snoops herself into a maroon apartment complex accented with a white plaster. Winter-tide presses against her cheeks, nipping at them until a shade too rosy that clashes with her tanned complexion. A stark contract that collides too brashly in a sea of ashen fields. She’s worn down from the eventful day and feels as if she could cough out nothing but dust all night long like an exhaust pipe. She does all but ceremoniously plop down onto her sofa, instantly comforted by the plush cushions that has since then lost its old buoyancy since the last time Vatsana’s mother would bounce her on her knobby knees when she was just a wee baby. But not all girls stay complete and not all sanctuaries are kept from being slaughtered. But sleep could not do nothing to appease her but solely lick at her wounds with salt on its tongue. She’s every lost definition of dreary / weary / and wary. Which is the very opposite of her very essence. She finds that she misses home. Her mom. The frangible wheat-fields she sought solace in and every hole, big and small, that she would sculpt herself into because she feels homely and undeniably connected to some unearthly beings. ( Rotters? The Rotters? Her Rotters? ) She’s stuck in a core crux of this pendulum– wanting to enjoy her ability but not being able to. It’s cool, in theory. And it’s useful, she’s told. But she never remembers the fine grains of it and she’s irrationally afraid she’ll soon never remember she even can concoct this ability up because it always feels like months to years since she’s used them. She could never– can never remember. She finally sleeps. She hopes that she never remembers this night and these worries.

!! Animated FC: - Yukino Yukinoshita

#accepted

1 note · View note

branblessed-blog · 7 years ago

Text

anyway here’s a really quick mockup for a DARKEST DUNGEON VERSE that i’ve had bouncing around in my head for a while but will probably never use

DAVID STRIDER -- LEGENDARY LEPER

“This man understands that existence and adversity are one and the same.”

RESOLVE LEVEL 6

STATS

MAX HP: 57 DODGE: 26 PROT: 0% SPD: 4 ACC MOD: +0 CRIT: 4.5% DMG: 13-26

RESISTANCES

STUN: 120% BLIGHT: 100% DISEASE: 20% DEATHBLOW: 77% MOVE: 145% BLEED: 70% DEBUFF: 100% TRAP: 70%

COMBAT SKILLS

Chop (Level 5)

Damage 13-26 Accuracy 95 Crit Mod 4%

Purge (Level 5)

Damage 1-3 Accuracy 105 Crit Mod 2%

Solemnity (Level 5)

Heal Self 12

Intimidate (Level 5)

Damage 2-3 Accuracy 115

CAMPING SKILLS

Reflection - “My sword, my trusted ally, unshaded by my aspect.”

-20 stress on self +10 ACC (4 battles) +5 CRIT (4 battles)

Encourage - “The sun always rises. Evil cannot even stall it.”

-15 stress on one companion

Wound Care - “You will survive. I can see it in your eyes.”

Heal 15% on one companion Removes companion’s BLEED Removes companion’s BLIGHT

POSITIVE QUIRKS:

Eldritch Slayer

+15% Damage vs Eldritch -15% Stress vs Eldritch

Corvid’s Grace

+6 DODGE +25 Move Resist

Irrepressible

+5% Virtue chance

Second Wind

+10% DMG when Health is below 50%

Unyielding

+10% Death Blow resist

NEGATIVE QUIRKS:

Phangophobia

+20% Stress when Torch is above 75

Light Sensitive

-10% DMG when Torch is above 75

Nocturnal

-2 SPD when Torch is above 75

Ruminator

-10% Stress Healing received

Fragile

-10% Max Health

COMMON AFFLICTIONS:

HOPELESS

“Even steel may shatter in the cold.” MAX HP -10% DODGE -5 SPEED -3 ACC -5 STUN -15% BLIGHT -15% DISEASE -15% MOVE -15% BLEED -15% DEBUFF -15% TRAP DISARM -15%

COMMON VIRTUES:

COURAGEOUS

“Wounds do not disturb me. Let me wash them.” -20% Stress Damage taken 25% chance to relieve party of 4 Stress each turn STUN +20% BLIGHT +20% DISEASE +20% MOVE +20% BLEED +20% DEBUFF +20%

BARKS

IN BATTLE:

CRITICAL HIT: Fog before sunrise. AT DEATH’S DOOR: An end to my torment, at last?

FEARFUL: All must come to ruin. There is no escape.

STRESSING PARTY: Take me quickly. I have suffered overlong. MOVING TO BACK: At the press of twilight, the sun flees. PASSING TURN: I may be doomed, but I’m not suicidal. CAMPING STRESS: We should keep moving. The enemy is close... GETTING HIT: How I have longed to die... And yet now I long to survive. ENEMY MISSED SELF: Bloody cretin has my scent! COMPANION MISSES: Vultures know our names. They have staked us out... COMPANION GETS HIT: One step too far...one step and it’s all over... ENEMY MISSES COMPANION: Good news is, it’ll be a quick end. REFUSING TO MOVE: Nay. My firm stance is all I have left. REFUSING TO PERFORM CAMPING SKILLS: A white star, alone in the night-strong void.

PARANOID: We are not alone here.

STRESSING PARTY: There must be more of them...stay watchful. MOVING TO BACK: The smell of my sickness attracted them. This is my fault. PASSING TURN: No. I must be ready to defend the flanks. RANDOM ACTION: The owl hunts alone. CAMPING STRESS: ...They know I am ill. They will try to trick me... ATTACKING PARTY MEMBER: There are few things so dangerous as a trusted ally. REFUSING TO RETREAT: You’ve wanted us to fail all along. I saw it in your eyes. GETTING HIT: You wait. More will come. ENEMY MISSED SELF: I am blood in the water... COMPANION MISSES: Are you hiding booze? You must be drunk to miss like that! ENEMY HITS COMPANION: The death-bell tolls for us... Soon now. ENEMY MISSES COMPANION: I think our ally is keeping secrets from us... REFUSING TO MOVE: The chain is only so strong as its weakest link... REFUSING TO USE ITEM: You seek to extend my suffering? How cruel. REFUSING TO BE HEALED: You seek to prolong my life? What cruelty is this? REFUSING TO BE BUFFED: No. Willpower alone will carry me through. REFUSING TO PERFORM CAMPING SKILLS: They have us. It is only a matter of time. REFUSING TO BE TARGET OF CAMPING SKILLS: I don’t need your pity. Nor anyone’s. REFUSING TO EAT: There’s no need to hasten my demise. I’ll go soon enough.

MASOCHISTIC: Carve away the numb flesh and expose the man within.

STRESSING PARTY: I was a soldier. I’ve a long acquaintance with pain. MOVING TO FRONT: I have a few lives left to burn. RANDOM ACTION: Please... I grow weary of hope. CAMPING STRESS: Fire... Fire might burn away the pain... MARKING SELF: Come join my dance -- I and the Reaper. DAMAGING SELF: That tendon was doing me little good anyway. REFUSING TO RETREAT: Though it burns the eyes, is the sun not beautiful? GETTING HIT: Yes. Relieve me of this life. Do it. ENEMY MISSED SELF: The fire takes the grass, but spares the rotting elm. ENEMY HITS COMPANION: No mercy for the cripple, I see. SIGH. REFUSING TO MOVE: Begone. I depart soon, and I have chosen this spot. REFUSING TO USE ITEM: No thank you, I barely feel it. REFUSING TO BE HEALED: No. I’d be nothing without the pain. REFUSING TO BE BUFFED: You have not learned... I LONG to die in battle! REFUSING TO PERFORM CAMPING SKILLS: You seek to forestall the inevitable. And I sympathize. REFUSING TO BE TARGET OF CAMPING SKILLS: No. I must keep my head clear of distractions. REFUSING TO EAT: Yearning begets yearning. And I yearn for victory.

ABUSIVE: You fight death like a child fights aging.

STRESSING PARTY: You worm. Crawl from the mud and die in the rain! RANDOM ACTION: ...You know, I could recommend a good war college. CAMPING STRESS: Huh. They let anyone carry a weapon these days. ATTACKING PARTY MEMBER: Another fool for the Reaper. COMPANION HITS ENEMY: Hmm. With training, you might prove competent. COMPANION MISSES: When we’re done here, I’ll teach you how to fight properly. ENEMY HITS COMPANION: As wheat from the chaff... REFUSING TO MOVE: Only a coward requires perfection. REFUSING TO PERFORM CAMPING SKILLS: ...You do have military training, yes? ...Oh my. REFUSING TO BE TARGET OF CAMPING SKILLS: Just sit down. I do not need your nursemaiding.

SELFISH: Alms for the sick?

STRESSING PARTY: They gave me the reins. But where is my warhorse? MOVING TO FRONT: I will die here. Move aside. MOVING TO BACK: It is not my time. Soon, though. PASSING TURN: A poor tactic. Let me think of a better one... RANDOM ACTION: I have dispensed with captains. For now I go alone. CAMPING STRESS: Now... I must rest. Please keep quiet. GETTING HIT: I have limited blood. Let us spend it wisely. COMPANION HITS: You fight well. Handle things while I take a rest. COMPANION MISSES ENEMY: You should leave this one to the soldiers. REFUSING TO PERFORM CAMPING SKILLS: I have done enough. It is soon time to rest.

HOPELESS: The blade is broken.

STRESSING PARTY: No sparrow lives that cannot fly. MOVING TO FRONT: My last ounce of bravery. It spills out, bloody. MOVING TO BACK: The sun sets e’er the gloom of night... PASSING TURN: I will not. Blame me if you like. I am expendable. RANDOM ACTION: Our plans have failed. My fate is mine alone. CAMPING STRESS: I feel it...tomorrow shall be my last. MARKING SELF: There is no glory. But there is death! COME, VILLAINS! DAMAGING SELF: I delude myself, that there is honor in suffering. REFUSING TO RETREAT: No. My end has come and passed a hundred times. REFUSING TO USE ITEM: There’s no point in easing my pain. REFUSING TO BE HEALED: You pretend to value my company. But I see the truth. REFUSING TO BE BUFFED: You have no pity. Just let me go. REFUSING TO PERFORM CAMPING SKILLS: Why tempt the inevitable? It will come in time. REFUSING TO BE TARGET OF CAMPING SKILLS: Tend the dying tree all you like. It still goes to seed. REFUSING TO EAT: No. I must go to my end in a pure state.

IRRATIONAL: Where what blade throne calls under winter.

STRESSING PARTY: Iron sleeps in sunshine. Grey. Redemptive. SWITCHING POSITION: Rage in the armory. Sell-swords bargain. Inheritance. PASSING TURN: Twilight culture. Smell it. Orchids have meat. RANDOM ACTION: Gather winds nighttime journey. Ration wheat. CAMPING STRESS: Hinterland prison death-march. Blanket all the land. MARKING SELF: Blade rakes and tines. Field the war-children. ATTACKING PARTY MEMBER: Passage for buttercups. Slip into dream-state. Worship. DAMAGING SELF: Cherry blossom axe heads. Raking the dead. Fielding fire. REFUSING TO RETREAT: Grander long time, rage and sorrow. Seven is right. Now! GETTING HIT: Bleak lands fall seaside, and mares despair of time. ENEMY MISSED SELF: Blackened balustrades. The foxes hunt the dogs. COMPANION HITS ENEMY: Wool pepper drives the whirling sou’wester. Mmm. Yes. COMPANION MISSES ENEMY: Helen is beholden, barrow-ward. Call to her. Say “liar.” ENEMY HITS COMPANION: Threading the weave, flounder cold in the yellowing. ENEMY MISSES COMPANION: Hinder maypole’s cinder blossom. Break aside for galleons. REFUSING TO MOVE: Feel cold temple stone, wooden and rifled. Blade awakens. REFUSING TO USE ITEM: Dust and wind and paradise beyond the gate. REFUSING TO BE HEALED: Under the mountain passes the fold. Lovely. Lovely. REFUSING TO BE BUFFED: Elaborate scripture. The enormity of calligraphy. REFUSING TO PERFORM CAMPING SKILLS: Call down rage on glory. Betwixt the haze and teatime. REFUSING TO EAT: Cold cathedral wanders reservoir. Light ripple deeps.

STALWART: A glorious end is upon us.

REDUCING OWN STRESS: The sun is brightest after darkest night.

COURAGEOUS: We have become as steel.

REDUCING PARTY STRESS: Wounds do not disturb me. Let me wash them.

FOCUSED: The storm infuriates the sea...

BUFFING COMPANION: Your warrior soul blooms. A wildflower after a fire.

POWERFUL: Nothing stands in the path of an avalanche.

BUFFING PARTY: Power is the gift of fearlessness. It is always so.

VIGOROUS: The Reaper is well known to me. I do not fear him.

HEALING SELF: I suppose I must be grateful, to go on surviving.

#ooc #( DARKEST DUNGEON ) LET ME SHARE WITH YOU THE TERRIBLE WONDERS I HAVE COME TO KNOW.

2 notes · View notes

fearofaherobrine · 7 years ago

Text

Roleplay Server Log #252

“Lie’s Memories, Soda Bay”

[Crim] - scuttles down another fight of stairs, heading toward the sounds of voices. He's covered in dirt and coal dust, leaving footprints.

[Crim] - closing in on the sounds, he stops to sniff, then lick the wall. - Not right.

[Crim] - snorting a puff of smoke, he scuttles away, finally entering the kitchen.

[Yaunfen] - Crim! Crim!

[Crim] - spotting Yaunfen, he prances over, then promptly sneezes.

[Yaunfen] Coughs a little at the smoke- What Crim doing?

[Buff] Frowns- smoking is bad for you

[Doc] Thats a bit smelly Crim, what are you doing? Too many snacks giving you an upset tummy?

[Crim] - frown and shakes himself, making a small dust cloud. - No, looking for thing.

[Yaunfen] - I help!

[Crim] - Maybe, maybe, but not know where look.

[Yaunfen] - What look for?

[Deer] Is just watching, amused-

[Crim] - frown and wrings his front paws - Not know! Red rock! Taste different!

[Deer] - Netherrack?

[Crim] - blinks and shrugs. - Not know! Only know taste.

[Deer] - Hmm, Love? Can we get some items from creative?

[Doc] Sure! - Xe's just happy for a simple problem- how about redstone? Or netherwort? -sets them on the table.

[Liz] -Leans head over to nibble on some redstone-

[Crim] - comes over to sniff the redstone and sneezes. Pokes the netherwort with a claw, not wanting to sneeze more. - No, smells wrong, wrong.

[Yaunfen] Points at magma blocks which form the next room- What about those?

[Crim] - looks over to the blocks. Scuttles over and sniffs. - Smell better. - Then licks the magma block.

[Yaunfen] - Hot! Hot!

[Crim] - licks the block again, then scrapes several sets of claws across the top.

[Liz] -Eating redstone and watching Crim eat a magma block- Nice.

[Crim] - finally manages to break the block, then takes a sizable bite out of it. He purs, but looks around. - Better, better. But not red rock.

[Doc] What else is even red? - pulls out red wool, red clay and even red cement powder.

[Liz] Fire rock? Have fire rock!

[Crim] - sighs, crunching the last of the magma. Scuttles over to sniff all the things Doc is tossing out.

[Doc] All that's left is poppies , red bedsheets and... Lava.

[Crim] - sighs, shaking his head. - No. Me go hunt more. - Stands and darts out of the kitchen.

[Yaunfen] - Bye!

[Doc] I really hope what he needs isn't confined to the modded seed he came from...

[Buff] I get giving snacks while babysitting, but junk food for breakfast Yaunfen?

[Liz] Iss what Yaun eats!

[Liz] -Proceeds to gnaw on a fire shard since shi mentioned it earlier-

[Doc] Liz is right, they're whole seed is like that. The dirt is cake and the trees drop candy apples and ice cream cones, the water is fizzy soda and the grass is made of fruit Popsicles.

[Buff] Long stare- I think I gained several pounds and got a cavity just thinking about that.

[Yaunfen] Holds a lollipop out for Buff-

[Doc] Pats Liz- how are you doing kiddo?

[Buff] I think I'll pass, thank you though. I like to stick with the basics. Plenty of roughage! -Takes a bite out of a raw potato

[Doc] Okay, even I think that's weird

[Deer] - You wouldn't think so if I did it

[Liz] 'M good! Skee says when I get even bigger he might take me for a trip to where I came from! *cronch

[Doc] Fair enough, but there's a furnace right there. Raw carrots yes, but potatoes?

[Yaunfen] - Mada all done!

[Liz] Dunno how I can get even bigger, I'm already bigger! Do we get even bigger? Like the big big dark one?

[Deer] - Hopefully you will

[Liz] Me too!

[Liz] Weird to think of, but cool too?

[Deer] Very much so!

[Sky] -snoring, head on table-

[Doc] Good on you, finished all your food like a big kid. I've noticed the sneaking out to sleep with me and Deerheart is still at a steady level. Do you need anything for your room? To make it more yours?

[Yaunfen] Shakes head- No, just like being with Mada and Mama

[Doc] Oh okay- Xe gives the little dragon a kiss on their head- I guess i should be glad you don't think mama and mada are totally uncool and want to change your room walls to black wool.

[Yaunfen] Tilts head- Whi I do that?

[Doc] it's a thing that happens to human kids sometimes. They get to a certain age and try to assert their individuality by being as different from their parents as possible.

-cronch-

[Yaunfen] - Oh, can we go play in now?

[Doc] Yes, anything. What do you want to do?

[Yaunfen] Shrugs-

[Doc] I did have something I was saving if you wanted to go fishing... -sly look-

[Yaunfen] - Fishing?

[Doc] Yep. It's a nice day out.

[Buff] Giving Doc a suspicious look - I like fishing, but you're up to something Herobrine.

[Yaunfen] - Let's go! Let's go!

[Doc] Takes something out of a trunk and puts it quickly away - Coming Deerheart?

[Deer] - I'll join you in a bit, I'm going to clean up in here first

[Doc] Ah, okay. We'll be above you so you'll get a good view at least.

[Buff] Above? Oh! The bay!

[Deer] - Have fun!

[Doc] Leads them up and outside. - I have to make some adjustments first, just in case. - Xe takes a strong stance and raises a wall of dirt up from the floor of the bay where is connects to the sea, so it's blocked off into a pond.

[Buff] Just in case of what?

[Doc] Contamination... Deerheart would kick my butt otherwise.

[Buff] Oh. WHAT?

[Doc] Winks- trust me. - Xe throws a few sponges into the new pond and dries it out.

[Yaunfen] - Fish! Fish! Sponge?

[Doc] Now we shore things up a bit just in case. - Xe makes the wall taller so the dry hole is safely isolated and begins pouring it full again with a slightly bubbly blue liquid.

[Buff] What in the world?!

[Yaunfen] - Soda?

[Doc] It's water from your seed sweetheart.

[Yaunfen] Jumps around a little-

[Deer] Is giving suspicious looks from below-

[Doc] Waves at her cheerfully while there's still a minimum of liquid.

[Deer] Starts making her way up-

[Buff] Is that bubbly stuff hot?!

[Doc] Nope! Now for the really fun part.

[Yaunfen] Has shifted back to their dragon form and is jumping around excitedly-

[Doc] Pulls out a very gaudy spawn egg - Here's the fish! - Xe taps it a few times and red, yellow and green fish pop out and swim madly away from the shore- Go get em!

[Yaunfen] Leaps into the water-

[Deer] - Love? What is this?

[Doc] A present for our child. A little bit of their home seed. Soda water and sweet gummy fish.

[Buff] Sounds a bit too sweet for me....

[Deer] - At what about the lobsters that were at the bottom of the bay?

[Doc] Ummm.... - sheepish look- I didn't see anything when I dried it out?

[Yaunfen] Races through the water, snapping at the fish-

[Deer] Sighs-

[Doc] Scuffs a boot in the sand - Sorry....

[Buff] I think I'll fish on the other side of the divider.

[Deer] - I love you, but sometimes your excitement gets a bit ahead of you. But it's understandable after how stressful yesterday was

[Doc] Wilts a bit - This whole week has been stressful... and I'd been saving that for a while. I just want Yaunfen to be happy. And it's a good way to keep a food source close for them.

[Deer] - So the bay will just be perpetual soda now?

[Doc] I can clean it up and move it elsewhere if it bothers you...

[Yaunfen] With a mouth full of red fish- MADA LOOK!

[Deer] - It's fine for the time being- Kisses Doc's cheek

[Doc] Blushes under her kiss-

[Buff] Leans over from his seat on the shore to eyebrow waggle at Doc.

[Doc] Can I have one of those Yaunfen? I want your mom to try it.

[Yaunfen] Swims over with it-

[Doc] Kisses Yaunfen's nose - Thank you. - Xe takes the bright red fish and offers it to Deerheart. It's soft and slightly translucent.

[Deer] Takes it and turns it around in her hands before tasting it- That's... Odd...

[Doc] Just bite anywhere. There aren't any bones.

[Deer] Bites and makes a face- That's... Not natural...

[Doc] Nope. It's mostly sugar and gelatin and fake strawberry stuff.

[Deer] Hands it to Doc- I think it has to do with the texture

[Doc] Pokes it gleefully. - Well Yaunfen likes it, and that's the important thing.

[Deer] And what exactly is this gelatin?

[Doc] Hmm? I read up on it online. It's cow hoof.

[Deer] Turns a bit green- No

[Doc] Takes a big bite. - Hehe. Okay love. - Turns to watch Yaunfen play- Try to catch a yellow one! They're sort of sweet and sour. Deerheart, you should join me next time I go over to our little one's seed.

[Deer] - Perhaps, but for now I'm going to go sterilize my mouth with alcohol

[Doc] Awww. Is it better then the gold cheese at least? - Big grin.

[Deer] Narrows eyes- No more kisses for a week

[Doc] Sad pouty face- Not even if I kiss you down in the bushes?

[Deer] - ... Maybe

[CP] Takes to flight and darts in, grabbing his wife out of the middle of all the thorns and carries her a distance before setting her down-

[Lie] - What... What happened?

[CP] - That would be your defense

[TLOT] From a distance- Not cool Cp!

[CP] - I don't care TLOT!

[Herabrine] Is walking to town for totally not suspicious reasons and stops - Hey Lie! Wow. Your hair looks nice! Did you figure out how to grow it like your plants? - grins.

-[Lie] - Ummm... I'm sorry?

[Herabrine] Your hair, it's way longer. And did Cp steal your outfit again? That looks like Alex gear.

[Lie] - Ummm...

[CP] - TLOT it's your turn to explain!

[TLOT] still from a distance- Bite me.

[CP] Growls-

[Herabrine] Explain what?

[CP] - Lie has... Amnesia

[Herabrine] Is silent for a long moment, just floating a little bit off the ground and then suddenly decks Cp right in the face -

[CP] - THE FUCK WAS THAT FOR!?

[Herabrine] BECAUSE I'M BETTING YOU HAD SOME PART IN IT!

[CP] - I DID NOT!

[Lie] Is looking between the two of them very confused-

[Herabrine] SAYS THE GUY WHO CAN GET INTO PEOPLE'S DREAMS?!

[CP] - LIE... Lie made a mistake...

[Herabrine] YOU BASTARD! - she leaps at him, transforming in the air into her guardian form and squashing him against the ground before flopping and jumping on him -

[CP] Teleports out from under her- YOU BITCH!

[Lie] Yelps in surprise and takes a few steps back-

[Herabrine] Aims a scalding jet of hot water at him.

[Mb] Sneaks up behind Lie - Is this a private party or can anyone play?

[Lie] Sets up another barrier of thorns in surprise-

[CP] - OH FOR FUCKS SAKE!- He counters the water with fire

[Herabrine] Casts mining sickness on him-

[Mb] Leaps backward in alarm- Fuck that noise!

[Celine] No fight! No fight!

[CP] - YOU BITCH HOW ABOUT YOU FIGHT WITHOUT YOUR AIR BALLOON OF A BODY!

[Herabrine] Suddenly tps into his face and hits him with the flat of her tail-

[CP] Stands there unimpressed-

[Herabrine] Douses him with hot water again-

[Lie] - Please... Please stop...

[Herabrine] Huh?

[Celine] No fight!!!

[Mb] You guys are no fun...

[Lie] Is shaking a little- Please?

[CP] - Lie...

[Herabrine] Goes back to her human shape. -Only because you asked me Lie.

[Celine] Rubs on Lie purring-

[CP] Quietly- She was deleted

[Herabrine] WHO DID IT?! I'LL KILL THEM!!!!

[CP] - My NOTCH

[Herabrine] Snarls in fury -

[Mb] Wait, Lie got deleted? I fucking hate NOTCHs.

[CP] - If Doc and Flux hadn't gotten there in time...

[Herabrine] Hugs Lie as much as she can reach- Lie....

[Lie] - Ah, I'm sorry, but who are you?

[Herabrine] Freezes - Lie....? I'm your best friend...? Herabrine... Oh gods...

[Lie] - I'm sorry, but I don't remember... I only recall my name...

[CP] - Doc says her memories are still compiling, but they should eventually return

[Herabrine] Is obviously just stunned and sad - I... Lie.... Anything you need to recover... it's yours. Just ask me.

[Lie] - Alright?

[Mb] At Cp - Someone here can FIX deletions?!

[CP] Flies back over and lifts her out of the vines again- Doc can make it impossible for someone to be deleted, Flux managed to grab Lie's code as it was unraveling so they were able to bring my wife back

[Herabrine] But she has no memories...? What went wrong?

[CP] - Doc believes that the physical repairs took priority over they memories, so until she is physically back to normal, she won't remember anything

[Herabrine] Looks her over. - There are some little things missing. Wait, so this is whole new skin? Can you still be little floof?

[Lie] - Little floof?

[Herabrine] Slides Lie a copy of the thin book before Cp can react.

[Celine] Sees the book and cocks her head sideways - FLOOF!

[Lie] - Oh, a cat form? I accidentally went into one earlier...

[CP] - WHY DO YOU HAVE THAT!?

[Herabrine] Why wouldn't I? I like to play with kids sometimes.

[CP] Groans-

[Lie] - Why is this book apparently about me?

[Herabrine] Because Doc and Deerheart wrote it. It's a dumbed down version of how you two met....

[Lie] - How we met...- She begins flipping through the pages

[Herabrine] Has the biggest shit eating grin-

[Mb] Floats a bit to look over Lie's shoulder-

[Celine] Jumps around squeaking - FLOOF! FLOOF!

[Lie] - Does your little one want to read it?

[Mb] She's seen it before, but go ahead if you want.

[CP] - ACTUALLY, we were heading somewhere...

[Celine] BOOKBOOKBOOK!

[Lie] Hands the book to MB- Here, I think she might enjoy it more if you read it

[Celine] Scrabbles at Lie - FLOOF READ!

[Lie] Yelps at the scrabbles- Um... Okay?- Carefully she sits down and motions for the dragon to join her. Once Celine is settled she begins reading

[Celine] is utterly captivated.

[Mb] is trying to make it look like he's smiling because Cp is annoyed, not because Celine is happy

[CP] Is getting more and more angered-

[Lie] Finishes the book- And that's the end

[Celine] Yay! - Jumps up and down and thumps her tail knob in the dirt, it hits Cps foot on the last thump

[CP] String of curses-

[Lie] - Are you okay?

[CP] - Fucking hard ass tail...

[Celine] Sowwy...

[Mb] Hey! Don't apologize!

[Lie] - No, apologizing is a good thing... I think...

[CP] Purely to annoy MB- Yeah, it's a good thing

[Celine] Scurries over to Mb- Ma! Ma! (said like meh meh) I do good!

[CP] Snickers-

[Mb] Shut the fuck up! She can't say Master yet!!!

[Lie] - Why would she say Master?

[mb] because it's my fucking name?!

[Lie] - Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know...

[Mb] Snorts-

[Notch] is walking down the path on his phone- will you shut up about the damn computer? I've told you a million times: I'm not your tech supper!

[Notch] Does a double-take and embraces Lie wildly- you're back!!!

[Jeb] still talking on the phone that's no longer by his ear- are you going to comment publicly on the big update at least?! Rumors are flying since you vanished!

[Notch] My daughter in law almost died! And you want to talk about the update?!

[Jeb] Wait? A girl?! Fucking hell! I saw the logs! Did your group fuck up Harvestman?!

[Notch] Stops hugging Lie to yell into the phone - they're people damn it! Delete that monster!!!

[Lie] Is looking at Notch very confused- Um...

[CP] Is groaning-

[Lie] - You... You're Notch, right? We met yesterday...

[Notch] oh..... Still no memories?

[Jeb] what do you mean no memories? What the heck is going on?

[CP] - Precisely... Can I go punch that moron in the face no?

[Notch] Waves at Cp to please be quiet for a minute- yeah, it's none of your business Jeb. Now finish what you were saying, I have other things to take care of. [Jeb] lots of hurried words- [Notch] is Minecraft what?? Oh for the love of...

[Notch] Yes, yes, I'll tweet about it! Yes, soon! If only to piss off the homophobes! Fuck sake...- closes his phone and scowls at it-

[Lie] -Who was that you were speaking to?

[Notch] that's Jeb, he had a hand in creating everything you see around you. He's just not good with squishy human relations.

[Lie] Oh, I see

[CP] - Lie we should get going...

[Notch] No, you need to hear this too, it's ridiculous! I'm being asked to make an in the record comment as to whether Minecraft is gay or not!

[CP] - An I care why?

[Lie] - Is it?

[TLOT and Steve] walking up-

[Notch] Yes!- gestures at TLOT and Steve-

[TLOT] What?

[CP] - Oh for fucks sake- He's getting more and more fidgety trying to control his temper

[Notch] We released our most colorful update during pride month, with a rainbow parade announcement on the front page! How much more obvious did it need to be?

[CP] Gives off a burst of fire- WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU DO THAT YOU ABSOLUTE FUCKER!

[Lie] Jumps a little and almost bumps into Hera. Lie glances at the other female brine- Is he... Is he always this short tempered?

[Notch] Because it was my intention all along! Why do you think players don't pick a gender when they join? And why the animals and basic humans don't spawn with any natural sexual dimorphism?! Minecraft is open to everyone! Gay, lesbian, bi, queer, ace, pan, poly, everybody!

[TLOT] ... That's actually really cool Markus.

[Notch] Thank you!

[Mb] so my home game is officially gay. Greeeeaat.

[Herabrine] Yeah usually, you're the one who keeps him calm.

[CP] - YOU SHIT HEAD! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH CRAP I'M GONNA GET FOR THIS FROM THE OTHER PASTAS!?

[Lie] - ... Is it an arranged marriage?

[Herabrine] Only in the sense that Herobrines are drawn to someone who is perfectly compatible and then lose the ability to hurt that person. They're generally okay with murdering anyone else.

[Notch] It's not always about you Cp! I wanted to make an inclusive game since way before you were ever spawned!

[Lie] Looks unsure- How am I the one compatible for him? I can't see it...

[CP] Flips Notch off-

[TLOT] You can't see it because you're not seeing how he was when we first brought you in. Here.... let me give you a taste. - He opens her mind and lets a trickle of memories flow into her's of Cp's behavior, it's from his perspective though.

[Lie] Pales a little, a small tremble going through her-

[TLOT] quietly - Doc helped, but you've made a world of difference.

[Notch] Slides over to Cp - You, know considering that she has no memories. You're making a really bad impression on her....

[CP] Freezes a little and glances over at her, seeing her expression and trembles-

[Herabrine] Gives him an expectant look and gestures to her minutely-

[TLOT] Mentally to Cp- Don't lose your chance...

[CP] - Lie...- He's not actually sure what to do

[Herabrine] He's an idiot Lie, but he does love you. That fucker would happily throw the rest of us to the wolves if it was a choice between all of us or you.

[Lie] - Are you sure?

[TLOT] She's correct. Irritating as it is. Doc has shed a lot of tears because xe overestimated how important xe is as his 'friend'.

[Lie] - I'm not sure I understand...

[Steve] quietly - You're his everything. Herobrine's are very choosy about their mates. Once they fall in love, that's it. They can die if they're rejected. It's the only thing that checks their godly powers.

[CP] - Lie, come on, you said you wanted to see where we live...

[Notch] Pats Cp's shoulder to show he's not mad.

[Lie] - O... Okay...- She's a bit hesitant to follow CP at the moment, but she's trusting what the others are telling her

[Mb] Love is for weenies.

[Celine] Jumps on him and almost knocks him down - Ma!

[Notch] Pfft!

[Herabrine] Follows Lie and Cp-

[CP] Is annoyed that Hera is following them. They are passing Stevie's house and the Milotic is sunning itself in the shallows below the house-

[Herabrine] Waves at the Milotic and makes some odd noises at it in greeting-

[Milotic] Raises its head in makes noises in return-

[Herabrine] Chuckles happily. - Nice to have other sea critters around. Except for Basil, it's an asshole.

[Lie] - Basil?

[Herabrine] A massive black sea monster that likes to eat bad vibes. Stand Cp on the shore and poke him with a stick. He throws off enough negative energy to get you a good sighting if your curiousity gets the better of you.

[Lie] - Maybe not...

[CP] - We're here- Ahead of them Lie's house come into view, the small horse pen in front holding it's usual occupants and barking can be heard from the dog pen

[Herabrine] Home sweet home. With all your pets. That stir any memories in the old noggin?

[Lie] Shakes her head- No, but it certainly is a lovely place

[CP] - You built almost the entire place

[Herabrine] Yeah, you had a bit of help. TLOT built Endrea's room on the top and I heard Doc helped decorate the treehouse part and set up the swings.

[Lie] - Who's Endrea?

[CP] - I suppose you could say that she's our dragon

[Herabrine] She's a massive black and purple dragon with three adorable baby dragons. You and Cp raised her from an egg.

[Lie] - Raised her? How did we get her?

[CP] - She was originally just my dragon, but she has a rebirth cycle, so when she dies she becomes an egg again. She also made a contract to serve you

[Herabrine] She's pretty cool. And she can look humanoid, hence the normal sized room. Raising baby dragons is like a local hobby around here.

[Lie] - Oh

[CP] Opens the door to the house and immediately Hope runs out and starts rubbing against Lie-

[Lie] -Awww, what a cute kitty

[Herabrine] That's Hope... Your kitten.

[Lie] - She's mine?

[CP] - She's absurdly attached to you

[Herabrine] She thought little Floof was her mama, now you sort of are.

[Lie] - You mean my cat form?

[Herabrine] Yep. One and the same.

[Lie] Reaches down and picks up Hope who snuggles into her arms-

[CP] - The Vulpix's will probably bombard you with affection too...

[Lie] - Vulpix's?

[CP] - You'll see- He holds the door open for Lie and motions her inside.

[Lie] Walks in and looks at her surroundings, they entered via the side door to the workshop and so the barking from the dogs is much louder since they are just on the other side of the window. Her fingers brush over the books which surround her enchanting table and she stops and looks at the pumpkin by the back door with confusion- Butts?

[Herabrine] Yeah... No clue. It's been there as long as the house has though.

[Lie] Softly grunts but heads for the window- Wow... There's so many animals outside... I really take care of them all?

[CP] - You get help rather often

[Herabrine] Yeah... you're good at making friends Lie... really good.

[Lie] - Well I suppose that's a good thing!- Her hand twitches towards her chest

[CP] - Lie?

[Herabrine] Gives her a hopeful stare -Lie?

[Lie] - It's nothing, just some twitches...

[CP] There's a faint glow coming from his chest-

[Herabrine] Are you sure? Should I call Doc?

[Lie] - I... I don't know...'

[Herabrine] They can do an x-ray just by looking, I'll call. - Is typing-

[CP] - Lie, do you need to sit down? I can always take you up to the bedroom...

[Doc] knocks on the door and then comes in anyway- Is something happening?!

[Herabrine] Points at Cp's chest-

[Doc] What? OH!

[CP] - Why are you pointing at me?

[Doc] look down-

[CP] Glances down at his chest- Oh...

[Lie] - What's happening?

[Doc] I think one of your missing organs is reforming. And Cp has the other part of it, so his is reacting to it.

[Lie] - What are you talking about?- A particularly strong pulse goes through her and her hand comes up to clutch at her chest

[Doc] Can you pull your shirt down a bit, please?

[Lie] - Um, okay- She tugs the top of the shirt down. There's a very faint flicker of red light

[Doc] Ah. That's some very important progress. - Xe puts down a wool block and motions for her to sit-

[Lie] Shakily sits- Is there anything I need to do?

[Doc] No, just relax. See, I gave you some of my recursive code just like I did for Cp, and you're rebuilding what you lost from the inside out. I don't think you'll get as much use out of it as Cp and I since you don't like to fight, but it's a good insurance policy.

[Lie] - I'm feeling so weird right now... Like some sort of connection...

[CP] Is watching worriedly-

[Doc] It is a connection. It was was a wedding gift. Two identical hearts made from one block and exchanged between you. They let you and him share your dreams when you sleep together.

[Lie] - Share dreams? Wait...- She looks at Hera- Didn't you mention something about my husband having command over dreams earlier?

[Herabrine] Yeah, he's the nightmare king. He can drop someone into a stress dream and hold them there. Even kill them in their dream and they'll die for real. They can't even wake up unless he lets them.

[Lie] - I don't like the sound of that...

[CP] - Hey! I only used it on you a couple of times very early on...

[Doc] Yeeeaaah.... that was rough. It's handy if we need to subdue someone who won't stop trying to fight everyone though, or... - Xe flashes back to the time Cp used it on hir and the hopelessness and fear they felt sets hir shivering all over again.

[Lie] Is about to ask another question when another wave of pain passes through her and she curls in on herself- Why does this hurt so much?- The glow is much more distinct now

[CP] - Calm down Lie, it won't be long before the pain is gone. And you weren't in any danger Doc...

[Herabrine] Should I get a potion or something?!

[Doc] quietly to Cp- It still hurt my hearts.

[Lie] - Do you think a potion would help?

[CP] Moves so he's behind Lie- Hey, just focus on me, it will be okay

[Doc] No idea... This isn't sickness anyway. Just growing pains.

[Lie] Shifts back towards CP instinctually-

[Doc] Mind if I have a look?

[Lie] - Go ahead...

[Doc] Stands in front of her and makes a hand sized portal edged with statick in the air to look into her chest.

-The heart is nearly formed, it's pulsating a bit wildly, trying to find it's other half's rhythm to match it-

[Doc] Watches, more then a bit entranced.

[Herabrine] peeks over - not quite done yet. But getting there.

[Doc] It's beautiful...

[Lie] - I feel out of breath...

[CP] Touches her shoulders, trying to be reassuring and her red stone heart reacts-

[Doc] Just stay calm. This is what's supposed to happen

[Lie] Her heart gives a spurt of growth, reaching it's full size, but it still can't find it's rhythm-

[Doc] Cp... try squeezing her hand in tempo with your beats. Show it the way.

[CP] - What makes you think I can feel the tempo of mine?- He does however reach for Lie's hand

[Doc] You're psychic and you can't take your own pulse Cp?

[Herabrine] Ha!

[CP] - Never had a reason to!

[Doc] Fine. But this is going to hurt. Sorry Lie. - Xe slides close to them both

[Lie] Watches a bit nervously-

[Doc] Puts hir hand on Cp's chest and feels the stone heart to take it's beats, with hir other hand xe reaches through the little hole and holds Lie's new heart tightly for only a moment to stop it and then releases it so it falls in line with Cp's as it resumes.

[Lie] Jerks in surprise at the contact-

[CP] Wraps his arms around Lie to hold her close-

[Doc] Picks up the hole like a plate and looks through it again. - That's better.

[Lie] - I'm... I'm tired now...

[Doc] Maybe that's for the best. A bit of bedrest won't hurt you any.

[CP] Reaches down and scoops Lie up- Our bed is just upstairs-

[Doc] Oookay. I'm staying close by though.

[Herabrine] Sleep well my friend.

[CP] - Sure, close as in back at your castle

[CN] Is sitting in one of the arches of the bridge-

[Doc] I'll be outside.

[CN] - Lie!

[CP] - Not now, she's tired

[CN] - Where did you take her? What's going on? Why is your dad watching me?

[CP] - CN, shut up...

[Doc] Walked outside and transformed under the room before lifting hir head up to peek into the window arch across from them-

[CN] - Tell me what's going on!

[CP] Kicks open the bedroom door-

[Lie] Glances around the room- This is...

[CP] - Our bedrrom

[CN] - Why are you having to explain that! Of course she knows where she sleeps you big meanie!

[CP] Is very close to kicking CN's ass-

[Doc] Cn.... I'll tell you if you calm down.

[CN] Is frustrated as CP closes the door on him- What's going on!

[Doc] Cn, stop. Lie went out on her own and got badly hurt.

[CN] - No! Why didn't she take me? I could have protected her! That's my job!

[Doc] You would have been deleted. I was almost deleted myself.

[CN] - What... What could do that...?

[Doc] The same NOTCH that took it upon himself to kill Cp's father, turn his brother against him, deleted his mobs for fun, and was the cause of Cp's recent almost death.

[CN] - A NOTCH? But... But what would drive one of my kind to do that?

[Doc] We don't know. I don't know why the one that hounded TLOT almost to his death did it either.

[CN] - I don't understand... Why... Why does this happen

[Doc] I don't know. I'm just grateful that it seems like the programming parameters have been recently changed.

[CN] - Changed? Does that mean I'll change?

[Doc] No, you're already generated. Unless you're manually deleted, you'll stay the same. Or... if you want me to adjust your form. - Shakes hir mane a bit for emphasis.

[CN] Shakes his head- I don't know... But I'm scared...

[Doc] What are you scared of?

[CN] - My lack of strength... The fact that I only seem to screw things up... I can't do anything... And if I were to change, then maybe I'd end up bad...

[Doc] You're young, and you're still learning. It's okay to make mistakes. And being strong doesn't change who you are. Deciding to be an asshole is a concious decision, not a feature creep.

[CN] - Are you sure?

[Doc] Do you really think I wouldn't call someone out if I didn't like their behavior?

[CN] Shakes head-

[Doc] Well there you go. Did you have something specific in mind? Or were you just planning on training until you get some muscles?

[CN] - I don't know...

[Doc] You know... I suspect your child form might be permenant. If you ever want to grow up, I know TLOT could make it happen easily.

[CN] - Grow up?

[Doc] You know, be full size, like Markus. Two blocks high.

[CN] - You mean he wasn't always that size?

[Doc] No, he was a kid once. Like the human children in the village. Before that, he was a baby like Hyrule.

[CN] - Hyrule?

[Doc] Oh, You know BEN right? Dresses in green, with a sockcap? Black and red eyes? He has a son. You should ask to see him next time him or Aven is around.

[CN] - Oh... But all the other kids are going to get bigger? But... I won't?

[Doc] Yes. I'm pretty sure. And I'm pretty sure you being small is what keeps Cp from stomping on you when you make him mad. He'll kill an adult happily, but he has a very hard time even being slightly mean to children.

[CN] Looks down- Is that all I am then? Just a child meant to be an annoyance?

[Doc] No, you're a green NOTCH. Your progress was retarded somewhat by spawing out in the void, it's okay to not know where you fit just yet. At least Lie likes you. It would be worse if you and her were sworn enemies.

[CN] - But she doesn't need me...

[Doc] You don't know that. NOTCH AI's often have some kind of special powers so they aren't just slain by their brines. We just don't know what yours might be. Just take your time. You might be suprised later on.

[CN] - Okay...

[Doc] Rests hir chin on the sill - Is there anything I can do to cheer you up?

[CN] Shakes head-

[Doc] Hey.... I have an idea. There's a new critter in the update that might be to your liking. - fusses around in the creative menu

[CN] Watches curiously-

[Doc] You'll need these - tosses out some seeds-

[CN] Gathers them in his hands-

[Doc] Here we go! - xe taps a colorful spawn egg and a white and yellow parrot pops out and hops on the floor - Just tap it with the seeds.

[CN] Fumbles a little but does manage it and soon hearts appear around the parrot- What did I do?

[Doc] You tamed a parrot. They're yours now.

[CN] - So do I take it's feathers now?

[Doc] No! It's a living thing. Be nice to it. Pulling it's feathers out would hurt it!

[CN] - But isn't it for my collection?

[Doc] Yes. Because a friendly bird with feathers still attached is better then a clump of feathers on a string.

[CN] Isn't sure-

[Doc] If you're nice to it, it will fly after you and ride your shoulder. It'll also repeat the sounds it hears.

[CN] - Really?

[Doc] Try it. Talk to the bird.

[CN] - Like what?

[Doc] Anything. Make some animal noises, that would be funny.

[CN] Tries barking like a dog-

[CP] Sticks head out of the bedroom door- Will you two shut up?

[Parrot] Makes a barking noise-

[Chomp] Hears the barking and starts barking as well which sets off all the wolves-

[CP] Is already ready to fire ball the bird-

[Doc] Puts hir head between Cp and the bird/Cn - we're just playing. Cool your heels Cp.

[CP] - Well go do it elsewhere- He shuts the door again

[Doc] Flaps hir jaw in imitation of Cp once the door is shut, strictly to make Cn laugh.

[Parrot] elsewhere! elsewhere!

[CN] Giggles a little-

[Doc] See? It's a cute bird. Promise me your won't pluck it.

[CN] - Okay

[Doc] There you go. And if you're patient, parrots shed feathers periodically anyway. Just set up something in your room for it to perch on.

[CN] - Like what?

[Doc] Armor stand maybe?

[CN] Shrugs-

[Doc] You'll think of something.

[CN] - Okay- Turns and goes into his room

[CP] Teleports out onto the bridge and shoves Doc's head off- Fuck off!

[Doc] Is thrown off balance a bit and almost stumbles into the water. Xe shakes a wet paw in annoyance and huffs before curling up under the room-

[CP] Is watching Lie sleep, her sleep is once again not good, as she tosses and turns in her sleep. After a short while he crawls over onto the bed and pulls Lie into his arms which calms her sleeping down. He brushes some hair out of her face as he watches her- Please... Just come back to me, I don't know what to do without you...

[Doc] Hears the quiet words and sighs. - Having the honesty blossoms near the bedroom once again proves a good idea.

[CP] Hears Doc and growls a little but keeps his wife close- Shut up Doc

[Doc] Settles down and sets out hir personal command block, with a few claw taps xe starts listening to a podcast at the lowest volume. The smooth voice speaks of forbidden dog parks, angels and drifting glow clouds. Before long Doc is dozing to the soothing sounds and the sky turns red and gold as the sun slips under the horizon.

[Lie] She stirs awake once morning comes around and she's a bit surprised to find herself in CP's arms again. CP glances down at her-

[CP] - Hey, sleep okay?

[Lie] - Yeah, sorry about falling asleep with you again...- She's a bit flushed

[CP] - There's no problem, you seem to be sleeping better if I'm holding you anyways

[Lie] - I'm sorry, it must be an inconvenience to you...

[CP] - Never, besides, you're comfort is more important

[Lie] - And you're really okay with this?

[CP] - Absolutely

-Outside there's a bit of fumbling around as Steffan goes around tending to Lie's animals-

[Lie] - I think yesterday was a bit overwhelming...

[CP] - How so?

[Lie] - There was just so much going on, so many new faces and names...

[CP] - If you start to feel overwhelmed let me know, I'll take you away to someplace quiet

[Lie] - Thank you

[Steffan] Notices Doc and sneaks over. - Any news?

[Doc] No... her special heart grew back but she still has no memories.

[Steffan] Bummer...

[CP] Motions towards one of the trunks in the room- If you want to change into some clothes that are actually yours...

[Lie] - Thank you

[CP] Slips out of the room to give Lie her space-

[Doc] quietly- good morning Cp.

[Steffan] Morning big guy!

[CP] Flips Doc off as he leans against the wall of the bridge-

[Steffan] I'll just go... feed the pigs then...

[Doc] Palms a few emeralds and passes them to him.

[Steffan] Thanks dude.

[Lie] Steps out onto the bridge wearing the end stone shirt and dark pants that Doc made her- So what now?

[Doc] I don't know. I guess it's just a matter of time. It's up to you.

[Lie] I see, would you... Would you mind if I stayed here for awhile? I think I'd like to explore my home a bit more

[Doc] I don't mind. I'm just trying to stay close in case I'm needed.

[CP] - You're not

[Doc] When you can work on peoples physical ailments at the same level I do, then you can say that to me Cp. For now you're just being rude.

[CP] Growls a little as Lie walks past him to do some more exploring-

[Doc] And I'm not bothering you. I'm just laying here.

[CP] - You're here, that's reason enough

[Doc] Glares at him- What's your problem anyway? It's not like any of this is my fault.

[CP] Says nothing, but he's on edge. He just wants his wife back to normal and it's driving him nuts not having her so-

[Doc] I think I have one of her calming blossoms here someplace if you want it.

[CP] Motions towards the greenhouse-

[Doc] No need to pluck her blooms if I already have one. Ah, here- Xe holds the flower lightly in hir teeth by the stem and sets it on the windowsill

[CP] Is really tempted to just knock it off like a cat-

5 notes · View notes

jrazillashadowworks · 8 years ago

Text

Mod Mission: Insurgency

Hey! My first actual post on my new writing blog! Exciting. Well this was supposed to be a short.....>,,> In the end it ended up growing to 6329 words. So, not a short but who cares. xD Warning, violence and death. Enjoy! This was a lot of fun to write. ^,,^

The capital was abuzz with the rumor of a forest town near Udde being overrun by a faction of insurgents. Everyone from street urchins to the nobles discussed the horrible news. It wasn’t until an urgent letter sent to the Queen by Mayor Malin herself that the rumor was validated. Minx glared at the parchment written by an emotional hand much unlike that of Malin, although it could be no other. Immediately, the Queen presented the task to the Mayor of the capital.

Calling Gabbi to the castle in due haste, she explained to her the situation, her expression stern. “Our best decision is to send the entirety of the Mods to handle this…small insurrection.”

“Of course,” Gabbi agreed immediately, a bead of sweat forming on her brow. “But why not send the royal army?”

The Queen laced her fingers before her shadowed face, brows knitting over glittering brown eyes. “I feel this is the best way to contain the situation without it getting out of hand. With the help of the shadow mage, they can go in and quickly crush them.”

Gabbi nodded dutifully. “Of course my Queen.” Even though she trusted the capabilities of her Mods, the worry of something happening to them always weighed heavy on her heart.

Upon returning to the Mayor HQ, all mods were assembled at the entrance, night having descended. Gabbi was short on words, her voice cracking and nervous. “They must be handled…The Queen has assigned the task to you and only you.”

“Would it not be prudent to let Raz scout the area first?” Asa asked, bumping her shoulder to his.

“There is no time,” Raz replied stalely, understanding how dire the situation was just by the Mayor’s subtle yet erratic movements and mannerisms. “We are to handle this promptly.”

Without any other objections, the Mods ran off to gather their weapons for battle and returned within seconds. As they reappeared, the darkness in a corner of the main hall quivered, expanding, darkened fingers clawing up the walls. Blood curdling screams erupted from the void as the gates of shadows wrenched open, releasing an odious scent of death and petrification. Felice was ducked under the main desk, clenching his ears shut, whimpering.

Gripping their weapons tightly in hand, they gave one last glance at one another then at the Mayor. Gabbi’s eyes welled up with hot tears as if this was the last time she would see them even though she knew the thought utterly ridiculous. Asa was the first to run into the shadows, swallowed up as soon as she passed over. The others followed, only Panda, hands joined with Arc hesitated before being pulled in after.

Raz walked after them, stopping by the Mayor. Outstretching his hand, he clasped her shoulder lightly and gave a quick, affirming nod before following after with not a word uttered between them. Entering the shadows, a simple wave of the hand, closed the darkness behind him, leaving Gabbi desperately watching after him.

There was no such thing as light in this horrid, dark expanse. The voices of the damned cried out for mercy, wailing for release, ripping at the ears of the Mods as they traversed the nightmare scape. Their hearts weighed them down, plummeting, all senses assaulted and abused. In seconds their movements became sluggish, minds addled by the pure misery that surrounded them.

“Raz,” Jo cried out in broken sobs. “End it!”

“Grab hold of one another,” Raz uttered, his voice reaching each and every one of them as if he was speaking to them through their minds, words coming out pristine amidst the mournful howls.

Reaching out, they grasped one another wherever they could for they could see nothing at all. Asa, leading the group put her hand out, feeling something unearthly take hold, sending a wash of goosebumps over her skin. Then she was jerked, violently, along with the others after her. They whipped through the dark, clenching tight as to not lose hold of one another. One of the Mods screamed although it was impossible to discern who.

A glimmer of flickering light seeped into the blackness, and finally the group was tossed out. Landing abruptly, they lay out on a patchwork of dry grass, gasping roughly. Reorienting themselves, they were welcome to a hellish scene unlike anything they were prepared for. Their faces were alight by the luminance of a sea of flame, glazing their eyes, flaying their skin.

Blinking wildly, they stared mortified at the town swathed in a towering inferno. Buildings, trees, carts, everything was burning. Blazing embers rode the desolate wind, sparking out in front of them. Rivers of blood seeped between the cobblestones of the town and countless mangled and scorched bodies lined the streets.

Standing to her feet, Jo hunched over, quivering. “We are too late?”

The others wanted to object, to reassure her, but the evidence was stacked against them. Asa planted herself before them. “We need to do a sweep of the town and look for any survivors,” she stated firmly, her hazel eyes were steeled.

“I suggest we fan out in groups of two,” Mishy added. “From our vantage, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of enemy activity. Two Mods together should be able to handle small skirmishes with the enemy should we run into them.”

“If we should find survivors,” Panda jumped in, unconfident. “Should we just bring them back here?”

“We should have Raz...Where is Raz?”

Each Mod turned this way and that, Asa shaking her head with a scoff. “Shouldn’t be surprised. He’s probably already on the move. Alright as for team compositions.”

“I’ll go with Arc,” Panda piped, hoisting his shield.

Asa rolled her eyes. “Of course.”

Arc who had remained rather silent, staring ahead at the village nodded, distracted. “I mean, someone has to make sure he doesn’t get killed.”

“I’m the one with the shield!” He protested.

The small mod pulled away, mimicked her partner before nudging him in the side with her elbow. He pouted in response. “We will see who protects who.”

“I can go with Jo,” Mishy said, ignoring the little lovers spat.

Jo wiped away her tears, exhaling softly. “I’m all for that…But what about you Asa?”

The wind Mod chuckled lightly. “I’m better going it alone. Plus I’m going to keep an eye out for our elusive friend who just ditched us. Now let’s get to it!”

All in agreement, they broke off, heading in different directions, entering the town from multiple angles, Panda and Arc taking the west entrance, Jo and Mishy the east and Asa from the south. If worse comes to worse they should meet in the center.

The town was rather large, a once beautiful hamlet within the great expanse of emerald trees. However now it was but a blazing ruin, engulfed by fire and veiled in dense, black smoke that blanketed everything below its haze. There were no cries of survivors, only the crackling of wood being gnawed at by the devouring flames.

Each group ran about as fast as they could, checking every nook and cranny of the town not destroyed by the inferno. Frantic, they called out for anyone that could hear them, be they friend or foe. However, their voices fell on the deaf ears of the dead, not a single reply coming back. Desolation was all that was left.

Jo’s gait had slowed to a crawl as her sullen eyes surveyed the many broken corpses of men, women, and even children that lay crumpled on the ground. Sweat slid down her cheeks, mixing with the tears that now flowed freely down her cheeks. She wanted so bad to be strong like her compatriots who seemed to be able to always keep a straight face in times of adversity, but for her, it was impossible. The fact that these victims did nothing to deserve such a horrid fate weighed heavily on her mind. For a moment, she contemplated just giving up.

“Are you okay?” Mishy asked, muffled, keeping a cloth handkerchief tight pressed over her mouth and nose, coming up alongside her.

“What kind of monsters could do this sort of thing?” Jo asked, a slip of rage tinging her voice.

“Not monsters,” Mishy muttered softly, a sheen glossing over her glasses. “Humans.”

“I sure hope we find them.” Jo sniffed, face contorting in anger. Her gauntleted fists bawled up.

“Speaking of, it seems whoever did this has already passed through. There is no sign of them anywhere. It’s very unnerving.”

On the other side of the town’s western side, Panda and Arc waded through what looked to be a shopping district, or the remnants of one. Windows were smashed open, teeth of jagged glass, gaping mouths of hell, fire devouring all within. Once beautiful, elaborate and decorated shops were now smoldering husks, commercial tombstones licked clean. Their search had proven as futile as the others. Arc’s fear of fire had been creeping up on her and the closer she was the more stark the feeling. Even though it was blisteringly hot, a cold chill ran throughout her small body, hair standing on end. She did her best to keep as far away from the flames as possible.

Though the two usually bantered about on their missions together, the solemn air robbed them of any inclination of doing so. They simply searched in complete silence, hands trained on their weapons, ready for anything that may attack them. Their soft footsteps slapped against puddles of blood, pooled from the countless bodies strewn about. Arc bent down upon glancing at an open wound, assessing the dead. Panda simply watched at her back, uneasy and unable to comprehend how she could do such a thing, but kept his thoughts to himself, letting her focus.

Arc moved the corpses delicately, examining them for anything other than burns. Determined, her fingertips ran over three, deep, distinct gashes that clawed up the throats, and arteries. Whoever did this was skilled and extremely precise. After a few more checks, she realized, it was the exact same for all the others. Following the line of bodies, and their general positions, it was clear that they had all tried to escape only to be cut down. She relayed this to Panda in almost a whisper.

“Wonder if it’s the same for the others…”

Asa alone rode in from the south on a burst of wind. Dusting above the ground, she quickly blew about the main road, cleaving through the plumes of dense, black smoke, orange bangs dancing wildly before her stern face. Huffing out the clutching fumes, she grimaced as she surveyed the onslaught left in their enemies wake. There was no doubt now, not a single survivor remained.

Brushing past the snaking alleyways and residential areas laid to waste, the street opened up into a massive square. Structures taller and more embellished than any other within the village created a blackened silhouette to a backdrop of flame. No doubt these were the designated governmental buildings, but it wasn’t that, that drew her attention.

From her peripherals, she noticed a human shape upright unlike all the others. Wondering if it was Raz, she released control of the wind, letting her feet skid to an abrupt by expert stop, wind hissing as it billowed everything around her. Spinning on her heel, she realized her suspicion was wrong. Though a dank haze quickly hovered over her vision, she could still make out the person she noticed now knelt alone in between a group of desecrated bodies, morphed into a despicably perfect, gory circle around them.

Glaring, the Mod took a few steps closer, chest tightening. The closer she got, the more she could make out. What looked like a rather thinly athletic young man in his twenties, remained motionless at her careful approach. They were perfectly proportioned, skin russet and smooth, folding around well cut muscles. Strange eloquent markings of brilliant crimson snaked over his exposed shoulders and chest. Their hands remained folded, one on top of the other, polished nails painted in many colors adorned fingers that had looked to have been dipped in a myriad of colored pastel powders. Their head hung slightly, silky, umber colored hair brushed forward obscuring his countenance, and the back tied up much like hers were pinned by two large hawk feathers. Within a few feet, Asa then caught whiff of a sickly sweet scent that practically emanated from the young man. Blending with the horrid stench of blood, it took all of her self-control not to gag, a lump of thick mucus forming in her throat.

“Are you the one who did this?” Asa queried, forcing out the words to the best of her ability.

“Shh, shh, shhh,” they replied softly yet quickly, thrusting up a single finger before flicking it side to side. “One must meditate in the after-glow.”

A pin of irritation struck the Mod immediately, her lips curling defiantly. “So you did do this.”

“Of course I did,” they shouted proudly, in a much higher octave, their voice almost musical. Their head jerked upwards, revealing a strikingly handsome face decorated in painted shapes and an unfathomably manic expression of pure insanity. The sudden movement caused Asa to recoil a step as the strange ones vermillion powdered lips stretched creepily from one ear to the other. Elegantly long eyelashes fluttered over flashing brown eyes, almost as scorching as the flames that danced around them.

“What debonair connoisseur other than I could create such utter carnage of such exquisite beauty? None that’s who!” He snapped, along with his fingers.

Asa simply stared incredulously at this strange person, already reaching back for her unextended staff fitted in her belt. This did not escape the notice of the murderer whose thin brows perked up at her offensive gesture. Then a whimsical, mock pout reminiscent of a clown adorned their features. “Are you saying you aren’t appreciative of my art?”

“Got a fucked up notion of art,” the Mod whipped back. “Ever thought about just using paint and brushes?”

“Pah,” they exclaimed, shaking their head, and making outrageous hand gestures as if they had been insulted. “How trite! Those tools do not interest me. Humans provide all the supplies I need for my masterpieces. Everything I do is the result of combined effort.” Their hands motioned to the dead. “Now that they have helped create such artistry, such magnanimous beauty, these humble souls now rest an untroubled, well deserved rest, leaving behind an eternal image for all.”

Asa had to swallow, for the more they ranted and raved, the more bile felt as if was rushing up her throat. Knuckles bled white as she clenched the grip of her weapon, prepared to wrench it free in a seconds notice and bash his head into a pulverized mess of so called ‘art’.

“Aha! You seem intent on adding your own varnish to my glorious piece. I shall not turn you away for it would indeed be nice to reveal my technique to one such as you. I feel as if we have shared a connection however brief this encounter lasts.”

With a single, fluid movement, the so called artist swiveled upward. Not that it was of any importance, but Asa observed that the only clothing they wore were skin tight multi colored, satin leggings that wrapped under their bare feet, painted toes tapping against the cobblestones. The Mod however was drawn to the pair of razor sharp clawed, golden gauntlets hanging from behind them. Attached to their belt, a metal cylinder was clasped to the leather. A gleam ran across thin wires that attached the gauntlets to the cylinder. Thick, crimson droplets rolled down the steel, splashing below them.

Asa scoffed, jerking her weapon free and with a single motion, the staff extending with the smooth scraping of metal. Spinning the weapon into a blistering whirlwind between her knowing hands, she rested it over her shoulder, the weight light. Although it would be prudent to call the others Mods, the likeliness of one hearing it seemed improbable where the flames deafened.

Swaying their hips, a hiss of chords punctuated the air as the gauntlets released and fell to the ground with a sharp clank. Confused, Asa awaited for them to pick the claws up, however, they gave no incentive of doing so, only cocking their head to the side, smiling grossly. Taking a prancing step toward the Mod, the light steel of the gauntlets dragged behind. Metal scratched against the stone, sparking.

Advancing, Asa spun the staff above her head like a pinwheel, wind kicking up. Controlling her breathing, feeling the rising air abate the relentless heat, she readied to strike. Condensing her power, she visualized the invisible blades swirling around in her element and struck out. Imperceptible chakrams blasted forthwith, snaking to attack from every angle to a symphony of shredding hisses.

Her opponent’s body became that of a serpent, slithering and maneuvering about the assault. They moved in ways no human should be able to, as if not a single bone was housed within their flesh. It was almost a beautiful sight albeit eerie as they flipped about, dancing and avoiding each attack with ease. Their weapons sliced the ground, shooting up billowing sparks. All wind blades crashed into the distance, cleaving through buildings and cracking wood and stone, though not a single cut lashed across the enemy’s skin. With a final, fluid pirouette, they gave a low bow to the Mod.

“What a nice breeze,” they chimed, smirking at Asa before blowing a strand of hair from their eyes. They seemed in utter delight from the Mod’s attempt at killing them. Asa however felt heated rage boil under her skin. Propelling herself forward in a mad dash, she swung her staff at them in great circular arcs that blurred with each passing attack. However, they simply bobbed and weaved, dancing expertly between the tiniest breaks in her assault, chastising her with that same devilish grin. Although she was not sure of it, her own curses mixing in with her swings, she thought she could hear him chuckle.

Breathing through clenched teeth, she tried to cast out waves of wind but the results were the same, she was only tiring herself out faster. With one final curve of the staff, she broke off from the engagement, retracting some teen feet. Trying her best to not show her fatigue, heart throbbing in her chest, she hunched ever so slightly. “Why don’t you fight back?” She exhaled.

“It’s always much more fun to see what your opponent is capable of before showing your own hand,” they giggled. “You are a very energetic little hurricane.”

“Fuck off,” she spat.

“Not one for compliments I see. Fine. How about this?” Wiggling his fingers, small embers sparked to life, melting together into a strange sphere as his hands flowed all around it.

“So you are as I expected.”

Suddenly, from their coddled hands, a burning avian head peered at the Mod, flickering eyes blinking. Tossing the orb up into the air, blazing wings unfurled, a bird taking flight. Guiding it with delicate gestures, the flaming bird swirled and soared about majestically. Asa couldn’t help but watch the spectacle, astonished. She wanted to make a comment about showing off but drew blanks, simply positioning herself in defense, looking between the two.

The avian flew over the flames that surrounded, feeding off of them, growing in size until a monstrous phoenix hovered above the entire square, wispy wings beating boiling heat from above. An ominous, red glow cast over everything below. The fire magi’s arms spread as wide as possible and they smiled maniacally, eyes alight. “Expecting me to say something dramatic aren’t you?!” And with that his arms slashed inward.

Mimicking the enemy’s arm’s, the colossal wings of the flying demon thrashed, sending a barrage of flaming feathers darting speedily towards the ground, all trained to litter the earth in a sea of fire. Kicking up from the ground, Asa controlled the wind under her feet just in time to dodge one on coming feather that upon connecting to the ground became a rising pillar of burning hell, striking up to the blackened sky, blinding her with feverish light and peeling her skin with sweltering heat. Inhaling sharply, accompanied by wind, she scurried through the ground rupturing pillars, evading incineration left and right. Embers splashed out of the thick geysers, trickling onto her arms and legs, instantaneously searing into her flesh. Spinning wildly, she snuffed out the latching flames and backtracked, the burning sting melting into her limbs. All around her, buildings were simply evaporated, deafening explosions sounding on all sides.

Up above, the bird continued to unleash more blasts, letting loose ear piercing shrieks as its fury descended. With each attack, it reduced in size and within thirty seconds of non-stop barrages, it was no more, disintegrating into a massive form of swirling smoke. In the maelstrom of hellfire, Asa had survived, weaving madly through, blowing countless embers from clutching onto her skin. For their little power show, the Mod counted only seven burns, though it was hard to be sure. Luckily for her still, spiking adrenaline kept the pain to little more than a throbbing irritation. She was in store for much more hellish pain later.

Leaning on her staff, she huffed haggardly, heart bounding her chest and ears. Countless self-burning pyres now veiled her sight from the enemy. She had lost track of them in the catastrophe. However, they had to be just as exhausted after such an insane display. Suddenly, she was reminded of the other Mods which she had been much too busy to remember until now. A pick of ice cold horror struck up her spine, locking her joints into place. What if they had been destroyed from those blasts?

“Beautiful wasn’t it?”

At the sudden sound of the luscious voice that was way too close for comfort, Asa nearly jumped out of her skin, turning this way and that, forgetting all thought. Nothing but walls of flame lined her sight, dancing as if cheering on the battle. Though she wanted to expunge the walls with wind, her energy was nearly spent. She would need to rest. No way could she fight through another offense like that. It was in that moment of clarity that she noticed the chalky ashes clinging to her throat, drying out her mouth and wind pipe. Fighting back coughs, she focused her gaze, sweat sliding down her face in thick beads. Pressing her left forearm to her mouth to fend off any more smoke from filling her lungs, she struggled to stay upright.

“I was going to say before,” she sighed, muffled. “You really are a fucking show off.”

“I’ve only just begun!”

From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a shadow within the fire and before she could turn, the enemy burst through as a blur, bicycle kicking towards her. The claws attached to his waist slashed in full moon arcs around them, sundering both earth and air. Time slowed to a crawl in that second as if the world had slowly stopped turning, and the Mod could only watch as the claws sliced right into view. Haphazardly raising her staff, she was only able to guard against the first strike, keeping it inches from her. However, the second claw whizzed past her right shoulder, slashing against her skin. Biting her tongue, Asa sucked her teeth roughly, as a sharp heat cut and melted into her flesh, sundering her skin like it was butter. Swinging her weapon in a sloppy counterattack, she hit nothing as they continued kicking away, lost and engulfed in the other side of the wall. She had only caused more pain for herself. Hot blood lashed against her uniform, and the area around her.

Before she could collect herself, they appeared again, from yet another completely unanticipated angle. This time, it was her back that received the brunt of the attack, three daggers swiping diagonally. She was nothing but a sitting duck, waiting to be picked off now, agony snapping at her senses.

‘Fuck it.’ With the very last bit of her energy, she slammed her staff against the ground. Though not expecting anything to happen, her last ditch effort sent a powerful torrent of wind outward, waves of air shoving the flames back violently. Revealed suddenly, the fire magi simply gawked at Asa for a second before laughing loudly, nearly jumping up and down. “You still could pull off such a-“

Their voice was cut off as a glint flashed into their sight. Fluidly, they flipped on the spot, returning upright with leg extended high. Asa now kneeling, stared through sweat soaked lashes. Impossibly caught between the maniac’s toes was a wooden arrow. She immediately recognized it. Though she waited for the familiar voice belonging to the owner of the arrow to say something, it was not the one she was expecting. “Asa are you alright?!”

It was Jo. Absolutely horrified from the sight of her comrade’s beaten state, the youngest Mod couldn’t help but run up to her, quickly skidding alongside. “You are hurt bad!”

Asa wanted to feel elation at the arrival of her fellow Mods or make a clever quip, but the crushing fatigue was overpowering. It was enough for her to even nod at Jo. At their back, a good thirty paces, Mishy stood, another arrow already knocked and aimed precisely at the villain’s head with murderous intent, not uttering a word.

Snapping the wooden shaft between his colorful toes, the villain flicked the broken arrow to the ground and rolled their shoulders. “I’m meeting so many new people today!” Completely ignoring the furious tension rising from the three, they thrust their hip out. “Ready for round two? I don’t mind this handicap.”

“How about this for a handicap?!” Another voice roared, joining the fray from the left.

Suddenly from the side, a large, charging, silver shield seeped into view. With a sturdy approach, the new arrival ran at the fire Mage who in turn, elegantly stepped back, thrusting their foot forward as if it was some sort of dance move. Hidden behind the shield, Panda had little time to notice before tripping over them, flopping into the air before crashing down with a heavy thud. Air knocked out of him, Panda simply wheezed, trying his best to recover after the blunder. Hobbling to his feet, he tried to appear menacingly but after making a fool of himself, found it hard to retain eye contact.

“I’d give that entrance a two out of ten,” the fire mage teased, chuckling behind the back of their hand. “Got to work on your agility and general notice of your surroundings.”

Gawking, taken aback by the assessment, Panda felt his face scrunch up. “What the hell is up with this guy?”

“Don’t take him lightly,” Asa seethed. “He’s the one who caused this whole thing.”

“Well we saw the fire bird thing but we couldn’t fathom that it was just one person…”

While they talked amongst themselves, the enemy was simply examining their nails and flicking out any dirt from underneath them. “You might want to have your friend checked out,” they interrupted. “She’s not doing so…hot.”

Each Mod stared at him incredulously, emotions ranging from annoyance to utter confusion. “Go ahead and take your time. I’d prefer to take you all on. It would be more fun for us all! And perhaps, more fair.”

Jo hesitated but seeing the truth of the matter, helped Asa up and lending her shoulder, took her to Mishy who still aimed the enemy down. Panda took up position before them defensively, feet planted firmly. He would not make the same mistake again…he hoped.

Once Asa was brought to Mishy, the lighting Mod quickly put down her bow and focused on her control of green spirits. Though the amount of emerald spirits were sparingly in the desolation of this burning graveyard, she did her best to use all within her power. Asa leaned back and sighed softly as the warm flow of healing washed over her body, tingling like thousands of tiny currents. Scorched skin paled, and cuts seeped shut, fused closed by the spirits. With Mishy’s immense training and skill in healing magic, it took less than five minutes before the few wounds Asa sustained were healed to the best of her ability. It wasn’t perfect, but it was more than enough under the current circumstances.

“Thank you,” Asa said gratefully, the pain no longer plaguing her. With more focus returned to her, she looked to Panda’s back. “Where is Arc?”

Panda tensed at the query, it was easily apparent to all. “She couldn’t handle it,” he replied solemnly, keeping his voice down so their enemy could not hear. “The fire was too much for her. She had to retreat.”

Jo gulped. “Is she alright?”

“She just needed to get out of here.”

“Alright, that’s fine,” Asa said. Feeling her energy slowly returning, she regained her footing and normal relaxed countenance. “We should be able to handle this guy without her.”

Jo though uneasy gave a slight nod along with Mishy who was already reading her bow yet again. Across the way, the enemy indeed kept their word and let them each take a position against them. Blinking, they shifted. “Are you guys done preparing? I’m getting antsy.”

The complete lack of animosity or anger in their voice made it plainly apparent that they had no worries. Were they underestimating them? It was the only reasonable assumption that made any sense. Then again, reading this strange person was nigh impossible. “We are ready,” Mishy said darkly.

“You must pay for what you have done,” Jo added bleakly, trying to bring the same fury she had felt before in her tone, although the blood had long drained from her face, leaving her appearing pale and meek.

“Alright! Let’s do, oh wait, wait!” Reaching back to the cylinder on his back, he fiddled with an unseen switch that made no apparent difference to their weapon. Picking up the claws, he finally donned them over his hands. “Now, let’s have a fun fight!”

Panda, gritting his teeth was the first to jump to attack. Rushing for a shield bash, he closed the distance in a couple of seconds. Thrusting the thick bulwark forward, he was poised to make a clear hit. However, through all his might, the enemy simply flipped over him with acrobatic skills second to none. Panda continued to charge until he turned on his heel, skidding to a halt.

As the enemy coiled through the air, Mishy let an arrow fly, ripping through the air with a piercing whistle, ready to pin their mark. With a flick of the wrist, the arrow was diced just as the fiend landed. It was Jo to strike next. Just as the enemies feet connected to the ground, her fists became a barrage of blurs, powerful blows trained to pound whatever stood in their way. Smiling, the fire mage majestically twisted and wriggled, her fists destroying not but wind. Catching her last attack, her gauntlet clanking off his, he spun, back handing her a foot back.

Hisses sounded the next attack as blades of wind struck out at him. Again they expertly dodged them with unfathomable expertise. Asa continued to send as many as she could form, until they simply redirected them off by curving their claws in a constant moving barrier. Sparks lashed from the collisions, pushing him back but not causing any harm. Panda again tried to ram them, but missed, kicked in the back, and sent sliding on his very weapon, yelling.

The fiend bobbed in weaved each and every attack, dancing between the Mods with strikes and slashes of their own. In the onslaught of clangs and shredding metal, their insane laugh peaked above all. Two Mods, Jo and Panda running at him, the enemy suddenly threw their claws either way, whizzing towards both at an impossible speed. Guarded, they reflected them into the air simultaneously. However as the claws soared upwards, the chord attached to both hissed, pulling the blades instantaneously back to their owner.

Their battle raged on, the enemy using their strange weapons to reduce the handicap into obscurity, whip like claws lashing against them all. With no trouble at all, they contained each and every attack the Mods threw at them, whipping one claw at one while slashing at another. Magic yielded as little to no result as well against them, simply rebuffed by his own bizarre fire magic. Mishy had even tested a few strikes of lightning, nothing coming of it but beautiful blue streaks of light that nearly clapped into her comrades during the chaotic farce of a battle. Panda tried throwing his shield, using the wind to control its movement but just ended up losing it and nearly burned to a crisp multiple time trying to retrieve it. A combined tornado between the two wind mods was evolved into a flaming vortex that they ended up controlling against them. Unfortunately for Jo, she had not stocked up on casks of water, having no way of using her magic. In the end, hitting this person was all but a fools dream.

Before long, each Mod was battered to exhaustion, each of them retaining scrapes and wounds while the enemy remained entirely unscathed. Finally, the Mods made up a defensive line a few feet back, haggardly breathing side by side, nearly leaning on one another. Across from them, the fire mage danced. “You guys are so much fun! And none of you have been killed yet! Despite me going at…” They trailed off looking to the blanketed sky. “Twenty five percent? No, no, more like fifteen!”

Each Mod glared back, plainly unamused at their revelation. More than a couple imagined decapitating the cocky fire mage. “Who the hell even are you?” Asa spat, nose wrinkling in anger.

“Ah! It does make sense that you would want to know your betters name! Forgive my lack of manners! My name is Jakul! Pleasure!”

Asa couldn’t help but snort but nobody understood why.

“It would be a pleasure to bash your fucking skull in,” Panda shot, grasping the bleeding slash at his flank.

“I don’t really care to know your names,” they rebuffed, neglecting Panda’s remark, wagging their head. “Should I just kill you all now?” They were talking more to themselves at this point, pacing from side to side. “You did provide quite the bit of entertainment. Plus, if we were to meet again at a later junction, you may provide more of a challenge. That is if you train more. Would do you all good.” Clanging the claws together they nodded furiously. “It’s decided! I’ll let you live this time! Consider it pity or what have you! Bring you’re A game next time, should we meet again!” The last line sounded much more like a warning, his voice suddenly as sharp as a dagger digging at ones throat. “Do enjoy your evening alive, courteous of me!”

Reeling around, they waved, sauntering towards the towering walls of flame that continued to burn incessantly, form sinking into the blazing sea before completely melting away from sight. Jo, hands on her knees coughed, fighting back stinging tears. “We couldn’t do anything…”

“The damage was already done,” Mishy said. “They would have killed us. Not in one moment did they seem distressed in the slightest at our combined skill. No good would have come of us dying too.”

Though it was a slightly rough way of putting it, she was indeed correct. Each of them was defeated. With no more reason to loiter, the dense air and burning stink clawing to drive them mad, they finally decided to leave. As a group, they exited the remnants of the town back to where they arrived from.

Sitting on the grassy knoll, bawled up, Arc clutched both hands over her head. At the sound of their footsteps, she shuddered. “I’m so sorry! The fire was too much for me!”

“The fire was too much for us all,” Asa sighed, completely hollowed.

Freezing, Arc finally looked up at her battered friends and stared behind her mask. “Was there many?”

“Just one,” Panda replied, toneless. “They beat us back completely without a single scratch.”

“It’s my fault,” Arc rasped.

“No,” Asa butted in. “Even with you I feel the results would have been the same.”

“Raz would have been useful,” Panda grumbled. “Seriously where is he?”

“How the hell should we know?” Asa exclaimed, throwing up her arms and immediately regretting it, body sore.

“What’s more important right now is getting to Mayor Malin to deliver the news,” Mishy said tiredly. “Does anyone know how to get there? We sort of lost our means of fast travel.”

Digging out a compass, they looked as a group. Considering this was a borderland village, heading east should lead them directly to Udde. Exhaustion and defeat plaguing their steps, they left the smoldering city at their backs, the lost souls wafting into the ashen wind, a horrible scene none of these Mods would ever forget along with the fire devil that caused it.

Twas during the village search and disastrous battle between the Mods and the fiery fiend that the lone shadow appeared a couple miles off. He stood motionless within an all-encompassing woodland. Crickets chirped their nightly songs, filling the fresh, cool air with a constant, peaceful drone. Hardly discernable, other voices joined with the sounds of nature, jovial and celebratory. Between thick oaks, sparks of light filtered through. An ominous glow cast over the visor of the shadow’s helmet, staring through the trees. Gripped tightly in his gloved hand, the black serrated blade that had ended countless lives, glinted a deep purple in the lively flickers.

glevid��O��

#Victubia #writing #fan fiction #Mod Team #my writing

31 notes · View notes