#he’s just stating facts shadow milk

[primspace]

Oh, I'm sure that Shadow Milk Cookie, in order to protect his daughter, is ready to go against other Beast Cookies if they pose a danger not only to other cookies, but to Blueberry Ice Cream Cookie herself :>

I’m not sure about other cookies just yet, reformation is a long road. But he’d definitely stand up for the ones he care about. In a 4 v 1 between Beasts, he is definitely getting jumped, but the intention and effort is still there.

also have a related mini comic

[thebiscuitlabryinth]

[prev]

"...I really don't think this is necessary, Plain Yogurt. My hair is neat enough." Healer Cookie tries to protest to Shadow Milk, who sits behind him with his legs stretched out beside each hip, trying to comb his hair icing with his fingers.

Healer Cookie. Bleugh.

It's such a generic name, it's hardly a name at all. Shadow Milk knows Pure Vanilla doesn't remember his actual name, but that doesn't make him hate that stupid placeholder any less. As a matter of fact, Shadow Milk actively refuses to call him something so bland, so he doesn't.

"But it could be so much neater! Just let me do this for you, my dear." He insists, gritting his teeth as he fights with a stubborn clump in his hair. This would be way easier if he had his claws out, but 'Plain Yogurt' isn't meant to have claws and Pure Vanilla would probably notice the scratch of them against his scalp. "You don't have any patients to worry after right now, anyway. You can relax a little."

Pure Vanilla winces slightly at the tug of the clump coming undone, but he doesn't complain, finally giving up his protests as his body goes lax. He sighs, a faint smile flickering over his face. "Alright, alright. Just this once."

They lapse into a comfortable silence as Shadow Milk continues to painstakingly smooth Pure Vanilla's neglected hair out. Pure Vanilla sits docile as he does, like a doll being dressed up, and Shadow Milk grins to himself, enjoying the thought. That's what he is, after all.

There's a delicious irony in this situation, and Shadow Milk never fails to savour it. He had known about this amnesiac spell before he had escaped the Silver Tree, but he had kind of been assuming it would have resolved itself by the time he got his opportunity for freedom. It was an inevitability that one would arise, with the two halves of that torn White Lily Cookie both locked in stasis. It encouraged her Seal to weaken faster, and Shadow Milk jumped out at the first chance he got.

Only his spirit could slip through the crack, but that was fine, that was fine, since his original body was stale and practically useless after several millennia without use. All he had to do was steal the body of a Cookie on the edge of crumbling entirely – a traveller fallen victim to a monster attack with their soul already fleeing their body in fright – and maintain its endangered state with his own magic so he could throw himself at Pure Vanilla's doorstep, the picture perfect image of a miserable Cookie in need. It just so happened that the doorstep was a dusty, ignorant one.

Well, whatever. Pure Vanilla's current state is both convenient and inconvenient for Shadow Milk. The Soul Jam is currently dormant, but it still seems to be stubbornly connected to Pure Vanilla, because it didn't react to Shadow Milk's presence or his remaining half of the Soul Jam. With it in hiding like that, it makes it legitimately impossible for him to quickly steal it back, because there is nothing to steal.

That means Shadow Milk has to use more convoluted methods. That's fine; those are his favourite kinds of methods, anyway. Slipping into the village like a wolf in sheep's clothing, carving an undeniable space for himself at Pure Vanilla's side and waiting, waiting, waiting.

When Pure Vanilla finally resonates with the Soul Jam again, he will certainly regain his memories and buckle under that unaddressed storm of grief, regret and self-loathing. Taking the Soul Jam back then will be the easiest thing in the world. Who knows, maybe Pure Vanilla will hand it over himself in a fit of grief-stricken anguish! Wouldn't that be fun?

It doesn't seem like that will happen anytime soon, though. Funnily enough, Pure Vanilla seems to be avoiding the Light of Truth to the absolute best of his ability, wrapped tight in those bandages of his and unwilling to shed them. It makes Shadow Milk laugh if he thinks about it for too long.

Denial is the first step towards Deceit, after all. First, you refuse to look Truth, harsh and bitter, in the face. Then, when you inevitably have to confront it, you turn to the veil of Deceit to make the world less unbearable to look at. And Pure Vanilla has already managed to get himself one foot on the staircase, without Shadow Milk interfering in the slightest.

It gives Shadow Milk an inkling of an idea. He could get Pure Vanilla there, surely. All he has to do is swoop in as he suffers through his returned memories and... twist the knife a little. Or a lot.

Whatever the case, he has to be there for that. The wait is sluggish, but Shadow Milk doesn't bother speeding things along himself. He could, and he definitely will if he starts getting too bored, but for now, the novelty of playing pretend with a physical body for the first time in far too long hasn't quite worn off yet.

"You're being awfully quiet." Pure Vanilla teases quietly, breaching the silence that has nestled around them. "You're usually much more talkative than this. Perhaps I overlooked a patient in need?"

He's not being serious, and his curled lips make that glaringly obvious. Shadow Milk scoffs out a laugh. "Oh, please, I've never been crispier! I just have my work cut out for me with your hair, so I have to focus."

Pure Vanilla's smile falters into a small frown. "...Is it really that bad?"

Yes, Shadow Milk wants to hiss. He's used to Pure Vanilla's visage being delicately graceful, holding the air of a king, his pale blonde hair framing his face in immaculate curves. Now it is ruffled and unkempt, the ends dirtied with the grime that floats around the village, and though some of it is removed with each pass of Shadow Milk's fingers, it is far too saturated to get rid of it entirely like that.

It annoys Shadow Milk, teetering on the edge of anger, and so does Pure Vanilla's outfit. The rags he wears as robes, haphazardly and poorly stitched together. They don't suit him at all, and Shadow Milk's director's eye, attuned to aesthetics, chafes at the sight of his doll like that.

He could dress him in much, much better things than that. Sweeping robes of black and gold, because gold has always been flattering with his complexion, made of the finest sugar coat fabric. Or blue and gold, like a night star. And if - when - Pure Vanilla lays his eyes on the Truth once more and chooses to continue hiding from it, then Shadow Milk will provide. He can give him a blindfold of silk, embroided with honey floss, far softer on the eyelids than some old bandages.

Pure Vanilla just needs to properly reconnect with his Soul Jam first. Draw it out into the open.

So, yes, Shadow Milk really does think his hair is that bad, but he won't tell him that. He's not above upsetting Pure Vanilla, but there is nothing to gain from it in this tiny instance. It wouldn't even be that funny, really.

"I'm exaggerating, I'm exaggerating." Shadow Milk reassures lightheartedly, at least satisfied with the silkiness returning to Pure Vanilla's hair under his meticulous ministrations. "I'm fixing it up now, anyway. Why, do we have to talk all the time?"

"No, of course not." Pure Vanilla's hands idly twist together in his lap. "But you usually hum when we don't talk, so..."

Shadow Milk usually hums on purpose, to make sure Pure Vanilla is always aware of his presence. It has to be a conscious decision, because Shadow Milk is naturally silent otherwise, in the same way his footsteps tend to drift along the ground if he isn't trying to make them heard. It is the instincts of a predator stalking its prey.

But Pure Vanilla doesn't need to know that, because that doesn't apply to Plain Yogurt. So, instead, Shadow Milk says, "You don't like the silence?"

"No, the silence is fine, but I like hearing your voice." Pure Vanilla admits, with that small, content smile of his creeping onto his face, at odds with his bedraggled appearance. "It's lovely."

Shadow Milk's fingers stall in his hair. His incorporeal eyes blink and squint in the shadows around the village, exactly where he has left them. Then, he slowly lowers his hands down to Pure Vanilla's shoulders, leaning forward to speak gently into his ear, a taunt and a fact, "Of course it is. It's mine."

Shadow Milk watches as the barest hint of colour rises to Pure Vanilla's cheeks. He wonders if he knows that he does that, whenever Shadow Milk gets close enough for his breath to brush his dough– no, he doubts it. Pure Vanilla knows very little, the way he is now.

"I hope I'm not interrupting something."

Black Raisin's voice is sharp and intrusive from the tent flaps, respect for Pure Vanilla muddied by a marked unhappiness. Pure Vanilla obviously can't see the withering warning glare she shoots Shadow Milk then, but Shadow Milk does, and he relishes in it. He leans the slightest bit closer to Pure Vanilla and gives Black Raisin a mocking grin past his shoulder, showing the slightest flash of his fangs before dulling them back down to Plain Yogurt's average Cookie teeth. Just a little trick of the light.

Black Raisin's expression darkens, her fist tightening at her side. Shadow Milk knows very well that she has not liked him from the beginning, and he has been gleefully pushing her headfirst towards hatred ever since. Things like this are always more fun with a little antagonism, and he gets a thrill whenever Pure Vanilla kindly sides with him instead.

"Oh, no, Plain Yogurt was just combing my hair. He insisted." Pure Vanilla chuckles, a little sheepishly and a little fondly, mostly unaware of the lethal staring competition happening over his head. He runs a hand over his own hair, as if to check what Shadow Milk has done, and Shadow Milk finally leans back out of his space. Black Raisin calms, and looks towards Pure Vanilla, who turns to her with a more serious expression. "Did you need me for something? Did someone get hurt?"

Black Raisin softens entirely like chocolate in the sun. "No, Healer, nothing like that, thankfully. I just wanted to let you know a group of us are heading out to patrol."

Pure Vanilla's face loosens into a relieved smile. "Ah, alright then. Stay safe, all of you."

"We will." Black Raisin turns to leave, hesitates, before turning back. "Oh, and the others just finished a batch of raisin buns. Feel free to help yourself."

Pure Vanilla hums in acknowledgement, but very pointedly does not answer. Shadow Milk knows why he doesn't. His eating habits were already abysmal to begin with, but living in poverty in a village with limited supplies made it even worse. He never seeks food out himself, and when it is given to him, he has a tendency to try and squirrel it away to give to some patient later, as a pick-me-up. Unfortunately for him, Shadow Milk tends to notice these things.

Once Black Raisin has left, Shadow Milk scoots back from Pure Vanilla, pulling his legs back from where they were stretched out to finally stand up. "So, should we go and help ourselves?" He challenges Pure Vanilla, daring him to refuse.

Pure Vanilla tilts his head this way and that, clearly reluctant, before tackling the dare head-on. "You can go ahead without me. I'm not hungry at the moment."

It's not a lie, but it dances on the edge of one. Shadow Milk sighs, ignoring his own budding amusement in favour of the scene. "But I don't want to eat on my own. You don't have to be hungry to eat, do you?"

Pure Vanilla hesitates for a few seconds, before reaching for where he had laid his staff, picking it up and steadying it against the ground. "...No, I suppose I don't. And I certainly wouldn't want you to be lonely."

He says it playfully, but Shadow Milk's eyes narrow at the words, his face falling blank. He doesn't respond immediately, circling Pure Vanilla with silent footsteps, not bothering to make himself heard.

The tense moment lengthens, and Pure Vanilla's expression falters with uncertainty, his head turning left and right. He had spoken playfully, so he must have expected a similar quip back, and found the silence he got instead unnerving.

"...Plain Yogurt?" He calls, with the slightest shiver of nervousness in the name. Shadow Milk comes to a stop in front of him, silently tapping his heels together with a sense of satisfaction.

"I'm here, my dear. Let's go, shall we?" He smiles, holding a hand out towards Pure Vanilla with a little snap of his fingers so he knows where his hand is. Pure Vanilla eases.

Yes, it'll take some time to get the Soul Jam if he continues to let things run its natural course, but Shadow Milk has time to spare. Even this little play in a rundown village is far better than the thousands of years he has spent stagnant, doing nothing, practically non-existent in the eyes of the world. Here, his presence makes an impact. Here, he can pick Pure Vanilla apart thread by thread and Pure Vanilla will let him, with a smile on his face.

That's all there is to it, really.

Shadow Milk hums as Pure Vanilla slips his hand easily into his palm, like he trusts him with his whole life.

"Just follow me!"

(Sweet fool.)

[next]

[rollingeevee]

What does Eevee see attracting the Beast Bites AU Beasts the most?

I had this idea sitting in my head for a bit and decided to finally make it! As stated before, a cookie has to catch a Beast’s attention first and then hold that attention as the Beast continues to observe them as well as pass all their “challenges” that they set in place to test a potential darling. But what traits grab a Beast’s attention enough for them to scope out a cookie as a potential darling? Let’s get into it, shall we~?

Shadow Milk I see finding intelligence as his most desired trait for his darling. The way you question the world around you, the way you verify facts for yourself, the way you never take his words at face value. Ah~! What a smart lil mouse you are~! A challenge~ That’s just what he likes~

The Beast of Deceit’s tests primarily consist of seeing how you deal with the lies he spreads. How eager are you to figure things out for yourself? Yes, he eventually wants his darling to drown in Deceit with him, but if you fell for his tricks so easily, you wouldn’t be as fun~! He also likes to test your cleverness and wits. How sharp tongued are you? How well do you respond to witty banter? Hopefully in kind~ He loves a good game~

Once Shadow Milk Cookie has come to the conclusion that, yes~! You are exactly what he’s looking for in a darling~! he wastes no time. He draws you in, isolates you, and corners you. Likely kicking and screaming, he drags you into the shadows, placing a swift bite whilst you’re still in a panic. All mine now, lil mousey dear~

Mystic Flour finds herself drawn to cookies who are determined, independent and hard working. She granted wishes constantly when she was still viewed as a great hero, it was all cookies ever came to see her for. They would stand in line for days to ask something of her, and again, and again, and she grew oh so tired of it. So seeing a cookie who is determined to work hard for everything they want, rather than taking short cuts? It interests her, to say the least.

The Beast of Apathy’s tests primarily test one’s determination. How far are you willing to go to get what you desire. How hard are you willing to work? If she offers you an easy way out, will you take it? This also plays out in her favor as she is the least affectionate of the Beasts. She is also comfortable with her darling being able to rely on themselves. She’s also fine with a cookie she’s scoping out working smarter, not harder. It’s the lack of lazy shortcuts that she cares for.

Mystic Flour Cookie’s final test is offering you a wish. She will grant you anything you desire, one thing you do not have to work for. You’re unfortunately stuck either way. If you say yes, she will likely become upset at overestimating you and reduce you to flour, even though she offered. But if you say no, that’s when she takes you, deep into the depths of the Ivory Pagoda. Hers at last, little rabbit…

Burning Spice loves ferocity! The fiercer, the better! He himself has stated that he likes his prey to have a little fight in them. And that’s just what you are. His prey.

The easiest way to catch Burning Spice Cookie’s attention is to stand up to him. Face him head on! Tell him off! Whether you’re afraid or not, having the courage to stand before him without backing down is something he finds impressive. He’ll be a bit taken aback by your boldness, but in a delighted way. Ah, yes~! Feisty~! Just what he’s looking for~! That is the moment you turn from opponent to prey.

It’s after that that the Great Destroyer starts watching you. Testing you. He observes his prey, desiring to see how they rise to the challenges he presents them. Even if you’re not physically strong, if you make up for it with stubbornness and courage, that works just as well. And when you stand your ground once more when he finally appears before you again, he gives you the biggest smirk before taking you down and pulling you away, back to his temple, where he quickly places his claim on you through his bite, all the while you’re screaming obscenities at him. Ah, there’s that fire he adores~ He knew he picked right~ And now he’s sealed the deal… You’re not going anywhere, little kitten~

Eternal Sugar would love a darling who’s gentle and compliant. Someone who loves lounging around and sleeping, just like her, but who also is happy to serve their lover. A homebody. Housewife/househusband material. Someone who enjoys to cook and clean. She’s not necessarily messy or anything, but she is… well, slothful.

The Beast of Sloth, unlike her comrades, doesn’t really do tests. She primarily just observes. The occasional “test” she does is seeing how a potential darling might take care of gifts she leaves them. Do you treasure them? Make sure they’re well taken care of?

Once Eternal Sugar Cookie’s interest is solidified, she’ll swoop down from her clouds and snatch you up. Oh, no need to be scared! She’s not gonna hurt you! Come~ Partake in some sweets~ Rest with her~ Relax and enjoy yourself~ Once your guard is let down and you’re asleep, the claim is placed. So why don’t you just stay forever, darling lamb~

Silent Salt I can see liking someone who is tender and reserved. They are a knight, and the position of knight is one meant to serve and protect. I can see them desiring a kind darling with little strength. Someone they can protect. Someone to adore and dote on them in thanks for their diligent protection. Having someone helpless for a darling also forces them to rely on their Beast for safety, and makes it less likely that they’ll run.

Perhaps the way you first catch the Beast of Silence’s attention is when they see you sitting by yourself, quietly reading with a look of wonder on your face. A fantasy story of monsters, royalty, and courageous knights. You look so peaceful in your serene quiet, and that draws them in.

Silent Salt Cookie’s tests likely mostly consist of testing your reactions to danger. Do you run or freeze? Cling to your allies for protection? Or do you fight them off on your own? They tend to lose interest if they find you possess a hidden strength. But if you continue to act helpless and rely on others, they do something most of the others don’t think to. They swoop in to become your savior. Through this, they form a sorta bond with you, which allows them to more easily lure you into their embrace. You realize too late that you’re trapped. But no need to fret. Your darling knight will keep you safe, sweet dove…

[crystallinecardinal]

“The strings are wrapped around you,” or, a discussion about Truthless Recluse, Pure Vanilla, and an idea of an awakening

One of the things I’ve been hung up on ever since finishing A Game of Truth and Deceit’s story is the fact that the things Truthless Recluse says does not feel exactly in character for Pure Vanilla. I’m sure this is the point. You’re supposed to get that feeling out of hearing him, Gingerbrave even directly points it out.

So, other than the corruption, why the so sudden change? Why is he suddenly turning against everyone? And most importantly, how is he supposed to get out of it?

Or, a CRK analysis/theory of sorts regarding Beast-Yeast episode 7, as well as how episode 8 might go, split into sections below the cut.

1 - An Introduction

I will start off by saying that before this update came out, I was one of the people adamant that Pure Vanilla was not going to end up corrupted. Not because I didn’t want anything bad to happen to him, but because I couldn’t see a reason why.

For as much as Shadow Milk could break him, dig into his biggest fears and insecurities and make them appear real, there wasn’t a reason to me for him to suddenly turn against everyone on his own— not when those around him had consistently helped him, bringing him out of what might have been the worst dips of his bad mental state. Not unless Shadow Milk was able to really manipulate him into it.

Then again, I knew what Shadow Milk could do. I knew he could control the will of other cookies (seen with the faerie cookies), and disguise himself in another form (see: every time he impersonates the Light of Truth). I also knew Pure Vanilla would be vulnerable to him, both with the bad mental state, and by the fact that the first time they encountered each other, he was already struggling. The right strings being pulled could just make him snap.

And then, I saw Truthless Recluse. And I lost my mind.

So, the point of all this. I had been TERRIFIED before this update how Pure Vanilla would fall. I thought he’d have his sense of self broken, all his emotions toyed with, sure, but I wasn’t ready for a FULL CORRUPTION. Then I got to thinking: it’s been a pattern this happens, right? In the Ancient vs Beast chapters, they encounter each other, fight in some way, and the Ancient somehow loses their connection to their respective Light. They only awaken after, picking themself back up from the brink of defeat. And we already know Awakened Pure Vanilla exists, so that leaves the question: how do you help him? How does he come back from where he is now? How does he awaken if he’s already been “defeated?”

That’s what I’m here to discuss.

2 - The Spider-Man meme problem

So! Fortune Teller. That guy.

Almost everyone I saw took one look at him in the trailers and KNEW he was Pure Vanilla. Had to be. The voice was the same, appearance the same, motifs the same, the character design was a pretty big giveaway. If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, yknow. It’s probably a duck.

And that presumption was right! Fortune Teller is Truthless Recluse, and by extension, Pure Vanilla.

How can that happen, though? If Pure Vanilla talks directly to Fortune Teller, how can they be the same? Luckily, the game decides to answer this question on its own!

So, if this is a space the future of the past (the present) and the future of the present (just the future) can both exist… that means Fortune Teller, and by extension, Truthless Recluse, are likely from the future. Not only because we’ve seen PV walking around in the present, but because we KNOW how TR talks about PV like he’s dead, as well as because of a fun little quote from Shadow Milk!

“In the end, you will become me.”

This is what I’m going to be building the rest of this off of. Stick with me here.

3 - What’s that, puppet boy??

Lies. Manipulation. Deceit.

These are the things Shadow Milk lives for. But any good snake, any good spider weaving a web, knows that the best lies have a hint of truth to them. This is what I intend to dissect.

It feels... a bit strange to think that Pure Vanilla could become someone like Shadow Milk. And yet, the signs are already there. He isn't honest with himself, tells white lies in the hopes that it may make someone feel better rather than the cruel truth, and his mental state is already in a horrid place. Of course, none of these are particularly bad things, they're human, and I can't blame him for any of it. But they're also all undeniably things that could lead him to snapping. What's the point doubt is all that's left? What's the point that he delves into the comfort of the lie of fantasy? What's the point that reality is too much agony to bear? Is that not how the Fount of Knowledge became the Master of Deceit, finding that cookies enjoyed the sweet lie more than the cruel truth?

“In the end, you will become me.”

And so, he just might.

So, consider. If present and future can both at once in Shadow Milk's domain, if Fortune Teller is not merely an illusion, then who's to say Truthless Recluse isn't who Pure Vanilla is destined to become?

The best lies have a shred of truth. This is our (hypothetical) truth. If nothing changes, if Pure Vanilla falls to Shadow Milk's games, lets himself be broken, plays the role he's had laid out for him ever since he was young (once again, if we choose to take that as truth and not an illusion), then his fate is sealed.

"Despair follows in your footsteps... A river lies on your path. Cross it, and you will face unfathomable dread. Turn back... Turn back before it is too late. Turn back before the cold flames of doubt swallow you whole."

That river is fast approaching, if it hasn’t already.

4 - Finding truth, breaking strings

Let's circle back to one of my first points.

"Then I got to thinking: it’s been a pattern this happens, right? In the Ancient vs Beast chapters, they encounter each other, fight in some way, and the Ancient somehow loses their connection to their respective Light. They only awaken after, picking themself back up from the brink of defeat. And we already know Awakened Pure Vanilla exists, so that leaves the question: how do you help him? How does he come back from where he is now? How does he awaken if he’s already been ‘defeated?’"

Is episode seven not still following the same formula, yet iterating on it in its own unique way? Pure Vanilla comes directly into contact with Shadow Milk, and tries to defend himself the most he can. However, he's a lot more vulnerable than the others this time around— after all, lies and truth cannot exist without the other. They're not entirely opposites. After having his sense of self shattered, Pure Vanilla falls from the Spire. Somewhere, he loses his connection to his Light of Truth. Enter: Truthless Recluse.

We know Pure Vanilla will eventually be awakened (see: dev commentary), so how does he leave the state he's in? How do you come back from falling so far?

This is where our "Truthless Recluse is a future version of Pure Vanilla" idea comes in handy! To put it simply: he hasn't become him yet. Not in reality. The present Pure Vanilla has fallen somewhere deep, deep down, into the darkest abyss... And has yet to come back. It sets a perfect scene to trick those closest to Pure Vanilla to believe the lie wrapped in truth of his ‘death,’ doesn't it?

It also solves our characterization problem from the very beginning of this post. I never said he immediately becomes Truthless Recluse. Given that in this interpretation, TR is what PV will eventually become, it provides a reason for Truthless Recluse to say the things he does, and act the way he does. Maybe Pure Vanilla wouldn’t have said or done those things, but to Truthless Recluse, that part of himself has long been dead.

So. Where does Pure Vanilla find his truth?

It could be a lot of things. However, one of the main things I've seen reiterated is just how much Shadow Milk toys with the mind. Right now, Pure Vanilla likely believes his entire life is a lie. Not once has he had free will. Since birth, he has been a marionette on strings, a plaything for a being beyond everything he ever knew. Every action, every decision, it was just part of an Oscar-worthy performance. Everything he may have once defined as himself is null.

And even worse: there's no one to drag him out of it this time. White Lily is gone, off on her own mission. Gingerbrave and his friends have Truthless Recluse to deal with. The Light of Truth is silent. Everyone, everything he may have depended on isn't there. It's just him, the Other-Realm, and eyes that have been watching for his entire lifetime.

To get out, he has to break the strings. Just as he once awoke from his prison when he needed to confront his past, he can do it again. But this time, it isn't going to be while he hides under another identity, it isn’t going to be while telling himself a lie. Outsmart the snake, remember, remember, remember. Hold onto the love, the care, the things that are true. No amount of deceit can change how he once felt. They say the heart is true. Maybe that's the key out.

To put it more simply: no matter what it ends up being that causes it, he needs to realize himself that he is in charge of his own destiny. The truth of the question "who am I" is "whoever you want to be." It isn't an question that can be answered by someone else. You only become fully truthless, only fully wall yourself away from everyone if you choose to do so. It isn't fate.

And so, in the end, I think Pure Vanilla will awaken. By proxy, if my entire idea here were to be true, Truthless Recluse would cease to exist. Paradoxes are funny that way. There's no way for that ending to exist if it's no longer the future that lies ahead.

5 - A conclusion

I have absolutely no clue what's coming in episode eight. I'll say that upfront. I have no clue, and it terrifies me. I love Pure Vanilla, I want him to make it out of this, but I know he won't make it out unscathed. The tragedy could stay, it could just be for this episode, it's unclear. We just have to wait until episode eight goes live.

Regardless, I want him to struggle. I don't think it makes sense for him to get out of this easily. Not when he considers himself pathetic, not when he can't trust the voice of the Light of Truth, not when he's been questioning himself. Let that doubt sink into him. Let him rebuild himself, piece by shattered piece. It makes for an emotional story, and makes me like Pure Vanilla even more as a character. Maybe that's just the Omori fan in me, but I love delves into characters' minds like that.

It may not be anything like what I've discussed here, but I'm very excited to see what Devsisters does. This is all I'm going to be thinking about until then.

[zarvasace]

Okay okay that shatterproof modern au is so much fun I'm gonna mark down what everyone does here because I didn't want to let the authors notes get too long and I couldn't include every detail in the fic itself—

Time and Malon run Lon Lon Ranch, which is mostly a cattle ranch with some horses. They're working on getting everything set up to do some fostering (for humans, to be clear) in the future. The ranch is a successful business and exports mostly milk products to local stores, though they also have an orchard and do apples and pumpkins in the fall! Lullaby is a local politician, think state-level congress.

Hyrule lives on the ranch while going to school to become a physician. He's not related to them, but he is related to Malon's cousin's friend or something like that. He isn't allowed to help with the dishes due to Incidents in the past. He likes taking walks around the ranch and talking to the cows while he studies. He spends a lot of time with Legend, whose family is actually sponsoring Hyrule in school. Dawn is in a lot of his classes, and Aurora is her sister in a business program. The three or four of them hang out at the university a lot.

Wild also lives on the ranch, not currently going to school. He works there, and also does a lot of volunteering at the local food bank. He's learned to cook a lot of authentic food from all around the world from rubbing shoulders with people there. He doesn't talk a lot about his past, but Time and Malon know that Wild's parents sucked and that he's pretty much no-contact with them. He's rebuilding his savings after draining it all (plus more) on medical bills for his heart condition. He's pretty happy where he is, and looks forward to the day when Time and Malon get a foster kid or two. Flora's a childhood friend, doing a second PhD of her own right now.

Twilight works at the ranch with the animals, and takes a shift at a vet office every so often. He helps Hyrule study, since he finished out his degree in veterinary science a while ago. He's torn between getting a more serious veterinary job, going into medical research, and staying at the ranch full-time. He's accidentally made some really good connections in Midna and Dusk, who are both in high society (though Midna doesn't always act like it!)

Four is Twilight's younger brother (Twi was adopted as a young kid, so he remembers Four being a baby), and the two of them rent out a wheelchair-accessible apartment. Their hometown is a few hours away, but they always find time to go for important holidays. Four works at a garage in town and ends up servicing a lot of heavy machinery. He wants to get into doing some more craftsman-type work, but is having a hard time finding a place to experiment with it. He's working on saving up for some art/sculpture classes at a university, but has been really distracted with his job recently. He met Dot and Shadow through a trauma survivor's group, and right now they all go out for lunch every so often.

Warriors actually has a hard time with jobs and such. His steadiest gig right now is helping out at a large local martial arts studio, where he helps to train and spar against the advanced students. He wouldn't mind helping out the kids, but the fact that most of them don't know sign language is a barrier. He's drifted around several office jobs, but he's really just not one to sit down and do one thing all day. He keeps advancing at the summer camp they all go to, however, and that takes up more and more of his time, so he's not really all that worried about getting a more "normal" job. Impa runs the martial arts studio and Artemis is one of the head instructors, and he's good friends with both of them.

Wind is Warriors's younger brother, and the two of them live in the same apartment building as Twilight and Four. He's doing the college thing, at the same location as Hyrule, but Wind prefers online classes. He's part of the swim team, though, and likes going out to the lake when he can. (Tetra is another member of the swim team!) Wind has changed his major like six times, and works part-time at a smoothie shop. He likes playing video games.

Legend has also done a ridiculous variety of things, but right now he works at a very fancy restaurant doing mixed drinks, and actually managed to find a competition for it that he won some awards for. In conversation, he'll often reference other jobs or roles he's had but nobody knows the whole list. (He's referenced delivery driving, movie sets, an engineering firm, an insurance broker, a high-end jewelry store, a cruise ship, and several other things.) He comes from a rather wealthy family but his parents passed and he doesn't have a lot of contact with extended family. He writes out money to a lot of people under the guise of various organizations his family technically owns, and that includes helping Hyrule through medical school. Fable is his sister and way more involved in high society stuff, but she forces him to come to some of it sometimes.

Sky lives with his girlfriend in an apartment in the city. He spends most of his time doing translation work for the government, things like driver's license forms and ballot instructions (he works well with several different written languages). He does interpreting too when he needs to, and has another small job on the side at a natural history museum leading sign language tours.

And all of them go to camp! Sky and Warriors are both assistant directors, Time drives the supply truck, Wind does the sailing and swimming instruction, Hyrule the first aid guy, and most of the rest of them are part-time or full-time counselors during the summer. It's fun. :)

[stories4eve]

i have a very important thing to ask. what is your idea of angst for your crk fankids.

also hihiihihii i hope youre doing good !!

Okay OKAY BUCKLE UP.

(I am doing very well, thank you!)

Minus all the hate they get from being the ex beasts children (because they are redeemed by the time they have kids) here are their main points of angst!

Only for the eldest, the younger ones I'll still have to think about.

Ill start off with the Shadowvanilla's kid,

For most of Frozen Yogurts life, it was.. good, as good as it can be with the whole state of Vanillas kingdom and Shadow being his other dad. I would like to think that his bluntness and overall lack of being able to communicate his emotions without sounding so harsh can cause isolation, because no one wants to hear the truth, especially if it hurts. That isolation will play back on feeling that same emptiness and whatnot that Shadow Milk felt. Wether he turns to the darkness or not; I have yet to decide!

That's just the mental aspect. With power issues , he does struggle.

Since he is born from two Souljam holders who wield two halves of one, he gets a very unstable one at birth. He has learned how to control his powers, which consist mainly of magic similar to dark moon magic - and obviously, that can not mean any good - but when he was a kid? Oh, that was a headache and a half to deal with. His emotions would flare up, and suddenly, the cause of his despair has a shadow tendril constricting it in a second. This is why he tends to keep a calmer personality and be more 'apathetic,' as his aunt likes to say. He also has this monstrous shadow form, which just looks like a sheep-demon eye thing.. do with that what you will!

Next, Mysticacao!

With Choco-Oat's duties as princess and future priestess, she's got alot on her platter already. Forced to be proper, and uphold herself, she has to be the very best for her kingdom otherwise? She is nothing. Nothing. She's a huge perfectionist and control freak, and her relationship with Cacao is a little distant. She loves her father, and her father loves her too, but sometimes they'll butt heads over her overworking too much because Cacao has been there too, he sees the burden on her shoulders and he wants to help desperately, but she refuses insiting that she's fine because she's just as stubborn and straightforward as he is. Cacao cannot take that, he cannot afford to loose another child; so it seems they will fight over it for awhile, until someone snaps and its a whole messy thing. Her relationship with Choco is good though, and she was the one who convinced Cacao and Flour to allow him to be the heir of the kingdom once again, so yayy! Daddy Daughter angst core.

Powerwise? Most of her angst comes from the fact that her power is more like her mothers, when she was a child and first experimented with her powers, she would kill or drain life force of everything she came into contact with. She was terrified of herself afterwards, and ever since then, she repressed her powers-- (think Elsa from Frozen) and has yet to learn how to control it well.

And then there's Silent Lily's child.

Nodding Lily is a very empathetic and kind girl with a mind so broad and creative. She has her mothers curiosity and has her drive as well. She creates things to help people, to aid them in their hardships and what not, but sometimes people use her ability to create, her ability to give to take advantage of her. Most of the people who asks her for things are just there for the material aspect of it all and don't value her real self. But Nodding Lily cannot see it, or chooses to ignore and silence herself about it. Naivety for someone so curious, how ironic, right?

Powerwise-- her major issue with it ties into the mental aspect of her power. Whenever she creates, it drains her energy and will leave her weary and whatnot. Sometimes, the damage is so great that it's permanent. Exhausting herself to death is always a risk, like a flower wilting, and whether she will live as long as her parents have.. is always something she doubts, because little by little, she's wilting.

OH? And last but not least for now, the Burningcheese child.

Pepperjack is just about as firey and showy as both of his parents. Learning to be confident from a very young age, you would think he's sure of himself! Sure of everything he does and says, but there's always a little doubt behind his words. He doesn't wanna end up like his father, going down the path of destruction is something both him and Spice fear, but also he does not wish to preserve and become fixated on preserving things of the past and not being able to move on just like his mother. Self doubting, basically, he is confident-- but he will always question wether or not what he's doing is right and will make a sure and just impact his life.

As for his powers? He has geokenesis and a little of Pyrokensis. It's a little destructive at first, but he finds balance soon, his powers are by far one of the most destructive both to himself and to the rest of the world. His fire can very much burn him in the same way. His own rocks etc, can crush him as well, so he's very, VERY careful. His mother and father do help him when he needs it, but because he is kind of an independent child, he'll often insist that he's fine and.. that doesn't usually end well. However, he's not nearly as stubborn as Choco-Oat, so he'll listen if Golden Cheese nags him enough.

[moonsfantasyworld]

The following contains spoilers for beast yeast ep8, do not read if you have yet to finish the chapter

this is your last warning!

dont read this if u havent finished it yet!!! OK SO im starting with what i liked and then i'll get to the things that i have a bit of issues with

I genuinly enjoyed the chapter a lot!!! the dynamic between black sapphire and candy apple is very interesting and silly (the siblings fr), and the situation between PV and SM its very interesting, complex and fun to anilyse.

I LOVED seeing sm being desperate and in complete denial of his situation, that he is lonely, i really wanted to see him in such a vulnerable state and i got what i wanted and it was wonderful

The way SM noticed fast how the soul jam was full on connected to its owner was, as well, something very interesting to me. Me personally it came off as a mad scientists toying around with his lab rat, trying to see how much he could push him, its complex and it can be interpreted in different ways

Finally getting the full blown confirmation SM did not stalk PV as a kid was also refreshing. It had been alwasy clear to me it was all just a lie and sm toying with pv's mind completly, but a lot of you, AND I MEAN A LOT OF YOU, lack basic reading comprehension and knowing how to read a room

we are in the kingdom of lies

deceit

we cannot complelty trust shadow milk on his words or what he does, he is NOT a reliable source, ever

i liked that we didnt get to actually see past SM, its an interesting choice since we sort of saw the ones of the previous ones (mystic talked about her past and has statues and we saw burning spice the moment he broke)

Also the whole update feels like SM is having a lot of personal beef with the world, specially the witches. They were brought up like, twice and he always mentions it with so much loathing. I cant wait to see whats to come and to see their past

bUT this points being said

First off, i am kinda disssapointed PV isnt more angry towards SM, it would of been interesting to see the two fight and THEN Pv tries to offer him a helping hand, an opportunity to fix his issues, im at least glad sm didnt instantly get redeemed tho and part of me hopes he doesnt

The ending felt a bit rushed, but this seems to just be a recurring issue in beast yeast apparently :/, like, its not BAD bad, but it leaves you with a small feeling of ''that's it?''' and a small slap to the face, the pacing was good until a bit near the end

Speaking of the ending i was surprised we didnt get any extra scenes like we usually get. I really would have wanted to see the group arriving back at the kingdom, or pv thinking about what he saw in sm's memories, HELL IT WOULD HAVE BEEN AN INTERESTING CHANGE TO SEE SHADOW MILK'S THOUGHT AFTER IT ALL

Im also increidbly dissapointed fandom wise. The amount of posts i've seen of people not tagging things properly or tagging and then reblogging something that isnt tagged is dissapointing and kinda pissing me off a lot

now, im putting this near the end bcs its a PERSONAL NIT PICK

i am not against shadowvanilla, never was, never will. The artists are extremly creative and often create very beautiful pieces of art and i admire them a lot for this, along side the fact I GET WHY THEY LIKE IT, WHY ITS POPULAR, IS A FUN, INTERESTING SHP DYNAMIC THAT EVEN I HAVE ENJOYED IN THE PAST. im stating this cause im worried what i will say will come off as me hating the ship

The update hadnt come across to me as shippy up until the very last few levels with Pv saying they were meant to be together, and how he paused for a moment before saying friends a bit (altough this can also be interpreted as him heasitating to offer this as well)

i honestly like a lot the interpretation of them being teacher and student, i like shadow milk being pv's mentor and that's how the update had felt TO ME, if you know me i have an au were pv is sm's adopted son in an universe were he didnt corrupt completly and gave up his duties as an ancient hero, this being said

I dont like how the fandom instantly is taking the word submisive as something sexual, i dispise how sexualised the word has become and how it cannot be used in other ways often, and i wish some of the wording could be taken as something more than potential ''love obessision''

i kinda wish we could explore dynamics like this without needing it to be shipping, to me it didnt feel like there was necesarrly any romantic feelings of any sort, obbsesive? absolutly, but to me this is all SM trying to push pv to become like him bcs he is LONELY, at that point you dont care if its romantic or platonic, you just want SOMEONE so you arent alone

something something, this is something i wish it was in general, this isnt just about this ship in specific but many others in many different fandoms

seeing so much shipping has honestly made me struggle a bit sometimes to understand the differences between platonic and romantic DX but that's something me and myself alone has to work on on my own, no one is responsible and im just ranting at this point about personal nit picks

perhaps im just being in denial rn about it and being addmitedly kind of a pissy baby, im still processing the update after all.

again i dont have anything against shadowvanilla shippers, at least i dont think i do and i hope it does not come across compleltly as such

maybe some of my thoughts might change with time, maybe they wont and i'll just stay stubborn who knows

that being said this is the one and only time i will bring this up regarding shipping as i do not want to stir the pot till it boils and be dumb about HEADCANONS

TLDR: some nitpicks about headcanons but in general i think the update was really good in general, love the new sprites. 8.5/10 (kinda want to make it a 9 but im on the fence about that jksdbgfk)

[lazilybeinglassie]

Mark Of The Baked

One Shot by LazilyBeingLassie

Inspired by @/sunseed-fandump "The Devil's Encore"

Characters: Gingerbrave, Strawberry Cookie, Wizard Cookie, Shadow Milk Cookie

Summary: Shadow Milk creates a dream where he can talk to the three cookies. Offering a proposal and a piece of information.

Notes: I had a headcanon, that I know isn't real, but for the sake of character expansion I'm running with it!

The sun was bright and hot, giving everyone the brightest smiles and determination to work hard. Cookies running around, accomplishing tasks that were needed to be done. Baking, farming, building. And when cookies weren't working, they were mingling, playing, or just enjoying the fresh air.

Gingerbrave was making his rounds on the kingdom, seeing if he was needed anywhere. More and more cookies were finding their way to this place, which meant jobs were getting filled up more and more. Sure it meant he had less to do, but that didn't bother him all too much as it gave him time to travel and see his friends from across Earthbread.

Like . . . Pure Vanilla Cookie . . . Why was that the first name that came to his head? In fact, hadn't he just been talking with him not too-

His thoughts were interrupted at the sound of distress further into the center of town. No one seemed to be reacting to it, so the brave cookie decided to check it out himself. He could hear the sounds of cake hounds not too far from him as Gingerbrave stumbled upon a merchant cookie who was fighting them off with a broom. The cookie was blue and dressed in a sweater and jeans, defending a cart full of cabbages that were ripe and ready to sell. If they made it to the stand that was.

"Go away! These aren't for you!" The cookie wacked away, but they were not giving up so easily.

"Hey," shouted Gingerbrave, "scram! All of you!" With his candy cane, he smacked them back, giving some distance between the two.

The little pooches however seemed more and more angry as they crawled closer and closer to them. It was gonna be a big fight for sure. Nothing he couldn't handle of course. Then suddenly . . .

CRACK! BOOM!

Lightening struck in front of the cakes, scaring them back to the forests where they came from. Both of the cookies were a bit shocked at first as they looked up to see there were no clouds in the sky. Not a storm in sight. That could only mean one thing.

"Gingerbrave," shouted Wizard Cookie, running over to the two with Strawberry Cookie following, "I didn't accidentally hit you, did I? I was estimating my shot, but-"

"No no! We're both fine! Thanks for spooking them, Wizard Cookie," Gingerbrave thanked.

The pink hoodie cookie smiled as she clutched her lollypop in hand. "We heard the noise and hurried while we could. I wonder how cake hounds got inside the kingdom?"

"Doesn't matter now," stated the ice cream cookie, "the danger is gone."

The merchant cookie smiled warmly as he approached them. "Thank you so much for protecting my goods! I thought I was a goner for sure."

"No problem," Gingerbrave said, "don't think we've met. What's your name?"

"Call me Blueberry Milk Cookie. I was just simply passing by as those monsters came after me."

"Huh. I would have thought someone would have noticed."

Looking back at the other cookies, they all seemed so caught up in what they were doing, it felt like they didn't even notice that a skirmish occurred. Not even when Wizard Cookie's spell was cast.

Strawberry walked up to her friend. "Should we be worried no one's talking to us?"

"I said hi to about three cookies on the way here. None of them answered back," Wizard added.

Gingerbrave hummed. "Guys? Is it weird that I feel like we're not suppose to be here?"

The three felt their dough shiver as they looked at each other. Something was very wrong. And they were piecing it together slowly.

"Hehehehehe!"

A giggle echoed around them as Gingerbrave, Wizard and Strawberry turned to face Blueberry Milk Cookie. Or at least, who use to be. The cookie that stood in place turned to static as it reshaped itself into the trickster himself.

Shadow Milk Cookie.

"And here I thought we could keep this up for about eight more minutes," said the jester, "oh well!"

Quickly, the trio backed up as they wielded their weapons defensively. Gingerbrave and Wizard in front with Strawberry behind them. Someone as unpredictable as him was every reason why their senses sharpened and focused.

"What are you doing here in Crispia," yelled Gingerbrave, "White Lily sealed you back in the Silver Tree!"

"Now now, little cookies-" The jester smirked knowing that Wizard was looking extra irritated at that phrasing. "-you should know a professional always has a plan b in case of . . . interferences. Though I honestly want to see if you can guess where we really are? Go on!"

His comment got them thinking for a bit as they looked around again. Now the cookies around them were frozen still. Petrified in whatever position they were in at the moment. It felt so freaky. But as they pondered it for a moment, an answer came to them.

"Is this . . . not real," Strawberry asked aloud.

"An illusion? No, a dream perhaps," Wizard theorized.

Sounds of an applause came to their hearing. "Ring ding ding! Looks like we do have some smart cookies here! Yes, while I cannot do anything in reality, reaching your minds is nothing more than a simple feat. The only real cookies here are me and you three. A perfect moment for us to chat." There was a small growl that laced his sentences as the trickster walked on air, circling them delightfully.

Gingerbrave pointed his cane at the villain. "Whatever you wanna say, forget it! No way are we trusting a liar like you!"

"Aw, don't be so rude, Ginger~! I have no intention of harming a single crumb on either of you," sung Shadow Milk as he appeared next to the brave cookie to pinch his cheek.

"Lies," Wizard snapped, "we all remember what you did back at the Faerie Kingdom! What you did to Pure Vanilla Cookie! To White Lily Cookie! To Elder Faerie!"

The blue cookie leaned in close to the magic cookie, causing him to back up in fear. "That old fool crumbled on his own terms, mind you! Still, I guess I could take the credit if you're offering it. Ehehehe!"

"Just get out of our dreams! . . . Er, dream . . . since this counts as just one dream-"

Gingerbrave took a chance to hit him with his candy cane, only for it to pass through Shadow Milk like he was a ghost. The beast walked away from them slowly as he rambled on. "In due time, little cookies. For now, I do believe we have something to discuss about that very much will be in your interest!"

"If it means you leave us alone after that, then get it over with," GIngerbrave demanded.

As the jester sat down on the edge of the fountain, he reached for his neck ruff and snapped it open as it hung over his shoulders. It looked weird to see the actual neck of this cookie for a moment. Then he stretched his leotard collar to reveal something underneath.

Something that got the trio's attention for sure.

It was faint, worn overtime, but they could see it clearly. On his chest was a marking of some sort. A thinly lined circle with a three pronged fork in the center. Shadow Milk grinned at their reactions of utter silence and shock. "I'm certain you know what this is. Just like how I know you each have one like this as well."

They flinched. Gingerbrave and Wizard tensing up, and Strawberry reaching for her shoulder as she whimpered.

Shadow Milk snapped his ruff back together as he chuckled. "It's very rare for baked cookies to be wandering around Earthbread these days. But I never thought the first things I would see after waking up would be three very freshly baked cookies! Which only means those idiots are still kicking and making more!" He floats in the air as he hovers closer to them with wide eyes. "Tell me, where exactly is their hut, by chance?"

"W-Why would you ask us that," Wizard stuttered.

"Come now, surely you would remember the way back to your own creators!"

"We don't!" Gingerbrave stepped forward in defense. "We'd rather never go back there, ever!"

"OOOOOoooooh! Rebellious! Mrehehehehe! So I guess that means you're going against your master's wishes then! I must say, I approve!" Shadow Milk playfully leaned back midair as if he were sitting in a recliner.

"Wh . . . What do you mean by that," Strawberry asked while clutching her weapon close to her chest.

In that moment, the jester's smile dropped, exchanging for an expression of confusion. Sitting up he looked at the pink cookie in curiosity. She didn't like that he was. And neither did the others as they stood in front of her.

"Wait . . . do any of you know why you were made?" Silence. Shadow Milk for a moment seemed quite literally clueless for a moment. "Well that's new. Usually cookies aren't baked unless they had a task to accomplish or . . . oh . . . OH! EhehehehahahahaHAHAHAHA!" The beast howled in laughter as he pieced it together. "No way! You were made as snack cookies, weren't you!? And you ran out of there like your life depended on it! OH this is just too perfect! Well, more sad for you, but still."

Each of the young cookies shrunk a little. Memories of the witch's hut were never pleasant. Yet the one thing they never could pin down was why the witches would make them with a consciousness if all they were made to do was be eaten. Even if they tried to not think about it, there would always be times where those questions would come back to haunt them again.

In the end, what they were really was what Shadow Milk said they were. Snacks that were just lucky to be alive by a fluke. In a sense, it made them feel empty inside. Lost? Alone? Sometimes. But more like they had little value to themselves. Just cookies. Nothing more.

The jester could see their dismay as he smiled widely. Landing on his feet, he walked slowly towards them. "I assume you've not met another cookie who was baked like you were? Or at least, another one that escaped fate like you have? I also must assume none of you have told anyone, have you?" They suddenly looked at him in fear as he approached Gingerbrave, patting his head. "Now now, don't you worry. Your little secret origin is safe with me. I should understand after all, what it is like to be a creation of the witches." He wanders behind Strawberry, placing his hands on her shoulders. "In a sense, I suppose that would make us siblings of some sort. Much like me and my comrades are." Finally he moves to Wizard, shifting his hat to fit his head more properly. "Guess that makes me big brother Shadow Milk Cookie, huh? I like the sound of that!"

Wizard stepped back as he fixed his hat and glared at the beast. "As if! Being baked by witches doesn't make us family!"

"Ehe! Why not? It's the closest thing you might get to one."

Gingerbrave gripped his candy cane. "You're wrong! We have friends that already care for us back home! The first time we met, you corrupted an entire kingdom and killed its king! Who also was our friend!"

"A friend who served the witches? The very creatures you defied for survival," the jester clarified, "you do know how to pick them then. Hehehe!"

Getting angry, the brave cookie swung his cane. As he did, Shadow Milk turned into a cloud as he faded away, reappearing at a distance from them. Wizard tried to attempt using lightening magic on him, only for the beast to take it and stand there, unphased by it. They were mad, scared, and wanted out of this dream.

"The point I'm trying to get across here is that your goal to survive the witches is one the cookies of Earthbread will never understand. They consider them to be gods! Deities! Even the St. Pastry Order believes them to be holy beings that only ever have good intentions for them! And yet you trust these cookies with your lives. Though, not enough to let them in on your little secrets."

"And what reason do you have for us to trust you," demanded Wizard.

The grin didn't fail to widen as he spread his arms. "Because we are the only ones powerful enough to accomplish what Dark Enchantress could never accomplish! To kill the witches once and for all!"

The trio gasped in surprise. Could it be done? Should it be done? The witches, erased from the world?

"Tempting, isn't it? A world where there is no need to be afraid of being eaten. A world where we have no fear of anything! One where we can choose to shape it as we wish!"

" . . . You mean destroy," Strawberry uttered, the sounds of irritation bubbling in her tone.

"Ahahahaha! Well, destruction is an important part of making that new world! But in it's place will be one of, well I consider to be never ending fun! And each of you can have a place in that." He holds his hand out graciously. "You are owed at least that for what the witches have done."

In that moment, they all looked at each other. Thoughts crossed their minds, some good intentioned, others slightly selfish. But there truly was no other conclusion for such a decision.

"Maybe that's what you want," Gingerbrave started, "and maybe some of that is something we wanted as well. But to help you accomplish that so you can do whatever you want is something we don't want. Not when it can hurt cookies we care about."

Strawberry, feeling braver, stepped forward as she held out her lollypop. "Our kingdom in Crispia has become a home for us. Not just our friends. One that we vow to protect from the witches and those who would destroy it for their own selfish gains. There are cookies on Earthbread who are kind and gentle. Brave and strong. Ones we know that want the same thing as we do! To have a home and place here!"

"Right!" Wizard stomped his staff on the ground and spoke aloud. "We've found our place in this world! And we plan to fight for it just like everyone else is! So don't you dare think that we'll turn our backs on it for anything less than that!"

They awaited for the jester to speak. Shadow Milk's smile by now had faded to a frown. His glare at them was intimidating and hollow. Though once a moment had passed, he smiled again, smaller this time. "I see. So you've chosen your side then. Alright."

Wizard spat for a bit. "Wha-That's it!? Nothing?! I would have thought you had another speech in there to curveball this whole conversation!"

"No need! Yours was already convincing enough. Very well done. I highly doubt anything I have to offer would be as tantalizing as what I've already given you. Such a shame." Then his eyes widen as well as his grin. "Guess you'll just crumble like the rest of them."

The kingdom caught fire as flames surrounded the trio. Engulfing buildings and cookies within them as they panicked. The intensity of the heat frightened them, almost feeling like it was real. As they looked for an escape, silhouettes of the five beasts rise in the air, glaring them down with bright eyes. Shadow Milk swiftly zooming in close to their faces as he grew large in size and chuckled.

"Just remember. You chose this."

The last thing they heard was his wicked laughter as they were consumed by the fire.

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

Gingerbrave, Wizard and Strawberry screamed as they woke up that morning. What an awful nightmare that was. They each took a moment to breathe and calm down, grounding themselves in the facts. The Silver Tree was still standing, and the beasts were locked up. They couldn't hurt them . . . for now.

The scream did alert Pure Vanilla, White Lily, as well as some of the faerie cookies. Silverbell and Mercurial Knight had ran in to check on them once they heard the cries, only for the cookies to dismiss the panic as a bad dream. To which they were gentle and comforting about it.

Gingerbrave was wanting to speak up about it, tell them what happened, but was stopped by Wizard and Strawberry who wanted to keep it a secret for now. Too shaken by the incident to really openly talk about it to others. Especially since there was some personal stuff involved in it. He protested, but caved in favor of making them feel more comfortable.

As the day went on, the trio were keeping close to each other, with Strawberry clinging the most to whoever was closest to her. Their nerves were on edge, and feared that they would see Shadow Milk appear in the corner of their sight. Or worse, hear his cackle in the distance.

Pure Vanilla had attempted a few times to try and talk to them, but they kept a lid on things as best as they could. Which felt wrong, but at the same time, it was just how the beast assumed. They never really went into their past with the Ancients. Nor did they plan to.

By the end of the day, the trio were back in their room, dreading the night's sleep. Rightfully so though. Unless Shadow Milk had nothing else to discuss with them that was.

Gingerbrave looked to his hand. At the palm was a mark. Much like Shadow Milk, it had a circle, but the image inside instead was a smiling face. One that looked joyful.

Strawberry once more reached for her shoulder. Even under her hoodie, she could feel the engraving of it as clear as day. Within the circle was an image of a strawberry.

Wizard noticed a reflective surface as he turned to it. Lifting his hat slightly, he shifted his ice cream hair, revealing his own mark, which had a star at the center of it.

Baked by the witches. Meant to be consumed, and ceased to be. What more could there really be to them than that?

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

I had a lot of fun thinking about this one shot. I love these guys so much, I just wanted some angst. I hope you guys like it too!

[darkmaga-returns]

This time it dealt with the revelation surrounding Biden’s “diminished” mental capacity, long known to all those around him, and how he was essentially ventriloquized, shielded, and stage managed into an acceptable simulacrum of a ‘president’. Of course, as usual the admissions are made long after the fact, with the damage long done and the MSM shills feeling they can now provocatively milk the revelation when the chance for any accountability has been dissipated and America’s attention redirected elsewhere.

More significantly the article indirectly sheds light on the structure and contours of the deep state and just how the powers that be work behind the scenes to control policy by taking advantage of crises to foment ideal circumstances that can be used to steer events and people in power.

In this case, the article makes direct mention of how Biden’s staff ‘took advantage’ of the Covid era protocols which insulated the president from excessive meetings and contact, stretching the new normal out indefinitely to the present in a way that evoked few real protests yet kept Biden under the thumb of a small claque of inner staff.

And that word—insulated—is an operative one: it’s used in various forms nearly ten separate times in the article, including as title of a subheading, with the very theme consequently being Biden’s total insulation from the outside world, which included members of Congress and Cabinet.

Instead of Biden directing follow up, Manchin noticed that Biden’s staff played a much bigger role driving his agenda than he had experienced in other administrations. Manchin referred to them as the “eager beavers”—a group that included then-White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain. “They were going, ‘I’ll take care of that,’ ” Manchin said.

The above implicates the White House Chief of Staff as being amongst the most powerful of these shadow handlers. We know Klain was replaced with Jeff Zients, who was called “the second most powerful man in DC” in the infamous Project Veritas video I covered before.

[imhereforscm]

(my Vasilopita post. That's where Partheno's comment is from)

But yeah. Here it is!!!! @pyxianox 😚💕💕💕

(P.S. Monopoly is my ALL TIME favourite board game. So if I was the MC, murder is not avoidable. We WILL play monopoly!!!)

Leon

Buys EVERYTHING.

Everyone lands on his properties.

Now he's swimming in cash.

He wins almost every time.

He uses his monopoly wins to brag during Department meetings. Change my mind.☕☕☕

*cue maniacal laughter, because Zyglavis just landed on his property*

Scorpio

The one who flips the board in a fit of rage.

Spends all his time in jail.

Tf kind of luck is that, baby girl???😭😭😭😭

He's either in jail or always paying taxes and stuff💀💀💀

I would advise exorcism.

*inhuman (he's not human actually) screeching*

Teorus

Doesn't know math.

So Ichthys and Partheno constantly steal stuff from him.

EVERYONE (even Dui!!!) has stolen cash from him, while he's refilling his glass with milk and he never found out.

Maybe Ichthys brought it up during a fight. Like- "You wanna know something?!? I stole two blues from you when we played monopoly last Saturday!!"

100% ends up crying

Sense of direction so bad, he accidentally moved his pawn the wrong direction.

Dui

He thought it would be like a general knowledge quiz about guessing the countries from the flags.............

Spoiler alert: he was, in fact, wrong.

Shadow Dui came out at some point and now Ichthys has a black eye.

The only thing he likes about this game is the cute dog pawn.

Monopoly overwhelms him so much, bro😭😭😭 He doesn't like that game!! Everyone is yelling!!!😭😭😭😭

Huedhaut

Hue noticed Teorus' pawn moving backwards, but didn't say anything.

Actually gives Leon a run for his money.

Chooses the hat pawn, cause that's classy.

Actually plays strategically.

Let's not lie to ourselves. He takes monopoly a little too seriously and uses genuine war strategies from history books.

*carefully pulls a green hotel out of his wine, after Scorpio flipped the board and sent everything flying.

Ichthys

I fucking swear—

He's so BROKE😭😭😭

He tried to steal Dui's cash, but he got a black eye from Shadow Dui and now he sticks to only stealing from Teorus.

Pleads for the others to lend him money, because he cannot pay ANOTHER 8601 for Leon's 3 hotels. Ichthys, that's not how the game is played.

He has to sell all of his properties.

Accidentally swallowed two green houses.

Ichthys stole the "you can skip jail time" card from the board game and will now use it every time Scorpio or Zyglavis try to give him extra paperwork as punishment.

Also, now he wants a Finding Nemo edition of monopoly.

Karno

He's a friendly player.

Normal amount of paying and receiving money.

He's the one managing the bank, because he's the ONLY one trustworthy enough for the task.

Zyglavis

The one who insists on reading the rules flier for the third time.

^ Yes. Leon pissed him off.

His hand is fucking TREMBLING whenever he has to pay Leon ANYTHING.

A piece of him literally dies.

Micromanaging the bank also, despite Leon telling him to shut the fuck up and let Karno handle it. (Zyglavis just offended Leon's wifey. Of course.)

Aigonorus

Accidentally got stepped on, when Scorpio tried to grab and strangle Leon.

That's the only thing that saved Leon that night. He slowed Scorpio down.

They wake him up whenever he has to roll the dice again.

Doesn't buy anything.

Doesn't pay anything. Y'all can choke.

Doesn't give a shit.

The only two people with a good emotional state after the game are Leon and him. Leon, because he won and, he, because he didn't even want to play so he doesn't care.

Ichthys was placing houses on his sleeping corpse body, as a joke.

Krioff

He thinks HE has to pay the BANK 200 every time he crosses the "start", instead of the other way around 😭😭

"Krioff, those are yours....... Have you been doing this for the last 4 rounds???"

He's broke very soon.

He's a buff clumsy baby, so he probably accidentally knocked his houses over.

Sat on his property cards and couldn't find them, so he thought he had no properties and no god ever paid for landing in them.

Doesn't understand the concept of jail time.

"I'm in jail??? Why??? Because I stole two purples from Teorus???" "You did WHAT—"

Tauxolouve

He likes to read the cards for the gods out loud. It makes him feel special.

He calls the gods owning the properties beside his, his "neighbours".😭🥺🌹

He's too sweet for such a violent game.

The peacemaker, because Dui is having a panic attack in the corner and Karno has given up on his children and husband (Leon).

Partheno

Has stolen.

Cheated.

Escaped jail while no one is looking.

Stole money from the bank.

AND the other gods.

Stole one of Leon's hotels.

Stole one of Zyglavis' property cards and since he hadn't put a house, he never noticed.

Basically: 60% here for the drama and the violence and 40% committing crimes.

................................................................................................................................................................................................ I want them to play Jenga now

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

[bonsiii-art]

I have a thing or set of mind thinking: if this character has a sad past then there's a chance for a redemption arc.

Do you think shadow milk cookie has a chance? After all, pv stated he wants to be his friend! I won't be surprise - ok, kinda a lie i WILL be surprised - if shadow milk cookie and some beasts joined the ancient to take down dark enchantress cookie after she successfully build the "Ultimate cookie" (i believe this's their name?)

In fact, this gives me a great thought that when we see the "ultimate cookie" (stated in wind archer's story event) we get to have dragond - including longon - and maybe JUST MAYBE... The beasts on our side up against dark enchantress cookie

I think, so far, Shadow Milk has the biggest chance to ever be redeemed. The two other beasts, Mystic and Burning Spice, were pretty set in their ways from start to finish in their respective chapters. So, if any beast were to switch sides, it be Shmilk which is insane when you remember he's like the ringleader for the beasts. But with him gone, that'd be a great opportunity for Dark Enchantress to assume further control. 👀 I reeeally wanna know what's going with the "Ultimate Cookie" bc it feels like they really just drop a huge plot point on our laps and then moved right back to the Beast Chapters without any explanation. X,D TBH, I just want the Cookies of Darkness to have focus again asdfghj I love the dragons, but COD needs love bad!!

[shdo-xplosion]

PART ONE: STOCK

☼masterlist☼

warnings: captivity, restraints, briefly mentioned medical procedure (no detail), reader sees kendou in a scary situation, mentioned milking, mentioned forced pregnancy. 1.4k

notes: hiii! (◍•ᴗ•◍) was originally going to try to make all the parts really long and have less of them, but i changed my mind. i would rather have shorter chapters more often. hopefully it works out and everyone likes it ( ﾉ^ω^)ﾉﾟ(also I promise bkg shows up in the next part!!!!)

tags: @ssplague @makepastanotwar13

let me know if you would like to be tagged, but you must have your age somewhere visible on your blog!

Pain. All you feel is pain when you begin to wake. It’s in your head, in your chest, in your arms and legs, your guts.

Everything is blurry when you blink your eyes open, like some kind of film is covering them. Shadows move over you, but you aren’t able to make any of them out. Your foggy brain whispers to you, not safe, but when you try to move, you can’t, arms and legs locked in place.

It smells like something is burning, and you hope to whatever divine being exists that it isn’t you, but the prayer doesn’t last long as one of the figures looms closer, giving you the chance to see 2 red eyes before it raises a hand and expels some sort of powdery agent in your face.

Your world disappears again.

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

Coming to is a process. You doze in and out of a purgatory-like state for what could be anywhere from minutes to millennia, but once you’re fully awake, you are awake.

Your brain starts moving incredibly fast as you glance around. Unfamiliar surroundings, strange lighting. You can move your head and most of your upper body, but your hands are loosely restrained and your legs are firmly held in place by some kind of contraption. Off of the ground, some kind of table. You can feel the smooth surface on your bare back, like some type of metal, but it isn’t cold. In fact, the whole area is rather warm, one notch from uncomfortable.

There are various mechanisms attached to you, possibly monitors. A band around your head, something collar-esque around your neck, and you think you feel a mass in your ear.

Stretched across your chest is… you can’t tell if it’s another device or if it’s a garment. It might be both, especially considering how it’s perfectly fitted to your tits. The more you focus on it the more you can feel movement, little balls on little tracks that travel over your flesh in a strange sort of massage, gently but obviously kneading the plump tissue of your breasts. You go cross eyed staring down at it, eyebrows pinched in confusion as you try to examine the two tubes that sit right over your nipples.

You start growing faint as things click into place one by one. The creatures of this planet weren’t trying to kill you when they put you in that room. They just wanted to incapacitate you so they could get you in this position, and this position…

Arms by your side, legs held open… one word crosses your mind: breed.

They brought you here to breed you.

“K-Kendou!” Your voice is a hoarse whisper when you try to scream for your captain. You know there’s no point. You don’t see her anywhere in the room, but it’s all you can do for yourself.

What happened to her? To the rest of the crew? Did they take her hands? Did they rip Shinsou’s mask from his face? If they did, he would have had to be asleep for it. You’ve known the linguist for several years and never once have you seen him without the mod that covers his lower face. They would have taken all of Monoma’s weapons and Tetsu’s armor.

What have they taken from you so far? What have they already done to you? You vaguely remember a… surgery? Yes, a surgery. The burning smell. Nausea swirls in your stomach again. What did they take out of you? Or worse, what did they put in you?

“Kendou!” you try again. “Shinsou!”

Your voice dies in your own ears. All you can do is weep and tremble as you imagine all the horrible things that await you.

You’ve left your home planet. Said goodbye to your closest loved ones. Traveled into deep space. But you have never known fear like this before. You’re used to the fear that makes your mouth go dry and shoots you full of adrenaline, fear that gets your heart racing.

This fear isn’t like that. It weighs you down and fills the hollows of your bones. This fear makes you want to give up before even trying to fight.

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

The alien you remember as the leader is the first you see. It glides into the room, sparing you a single glance and ignoring the way you begin to thrash against your restraints.

“Motherfucker, let me out! Let me out!”

It doesn’t seem fazed by your shrieking, just goes about checking a few things around the room, standing in one of your many blind spots. Odd sounds ring out behind you, clicking and hissing and distorted beeping. You wonder if there’s more machinery you can’t see, question answered when the confines around your wrists tighten without any touch from the alien. There must be some kind of control panel behind you, buttons and screens that control your fate.

“Kendou! Where is Kendou?” you shout.

Pacing back into your line of vision, the alien tilts its head. The hair-like strands that frame its face are long and dark, a little unkempt, and it looks to be missing its right eye, a thick, ghastly scar in its place.

Reaching up, the creature touches its ear then motions at you with its huge hand, almost like it… wants you to speak again?

“K-Kendou?” you try. “My captain. The other female.”

You’re probably deluding yourself into thinking it understands, but then you hear a faint crackle in your ear, and the mass you noticed earlier suddenly makes sense as the alien begins speaking and you actually comprehend what it’s saying.

The words you hear don’t match up with its mouth, and you can still make out the harsh grunts of its native tongue. Very guttural and heavy on what you know as consonants, but whatever device that’s been placed in your ear translates it all for you.

Alive. In another pod. Would you like to see her?

“Yes!”

Your stupid little pea brain hoped that meant being freed and allowed to find her. Ridiculous. Instead the alien raises an arm, a holographic image popping up over it. You squint at it despite the picture being perfectly clear and see Kendou in a predicament much like your own except… worse.

As you assumed, her bionic parts are nowhere to be seen, her natural hands limp and weak and shriveled as they always have been. She’s locked onto the same table as you, tied at the arms, legs spread, chest covered. The difference is that she is in use.

Longer tubes are connected to her chest, spiraling out of view, but what you can see of them are white save for the occasional air bubble that travels along.

“Jesus Fucking…” your stomach churns dangerously. She’s being milked.

Even worse than that is the thing between her legs. You have no earthly idea what it is, a jointed pole with something on the end that’s level with her pelvis, and you can only see so much of it because the rest is inside of her, almost as if it’s plugging her up.

And, it just might be because she is unnaturally, disgustingly full. Tears roll down your cheeks as you stare at how swollen her stomach is.

How long have you been here now? How long were you unconscious? It looks like she’s several months pregnant already, though not with a human child. There’s something else inside of her, some kind of parasite that they put there, and it could be growing very, very fast.

“m’gonna throw up,” you blurt, shoulders beginning to roll as you heave.

It’s too much. This is too much. You’re nothing more than cattle to these creatures. And for what? Why would they want to blend species?

Saliva pools in your mouth, and you feel the muscles in your stomach contracting—your stomach that will soon be bulging with a monster’s spawn—but before you can actually purge, the alien above you places a hand on your belly and all of the nausea disappears.

You have no idea what these aliens are capable of, how much power they have, but from what you’ve seen you already know that you don’t stand a chance.

2023©️shidou-x. please do not plagiarize or report my work to any other platforms.

[themunflower]

Choking Hazard (Rock Sugar Disease AU One-Shot)

Soooo, I started wondering how the two special infected would react to each other. This led to me somehow writing a whole-ass one shot involving two different kinds of crazy colliding in a weirdly wholesome little trainwreck.

Hoy, just a few notes before you read: Content Warnings for choking (foreign body in throat, not strangulation), vomiting, blood/jam being coughed up.

"Great. He's coughing again."

Matcha Cookie rolled her eyes at the sound of the one other special infected in the room next to hers. He, like she, was stuck at one phase, unable to progress. Unlike Matcha (Stuck in a perpetual state of stage one infection), Shadow Milk Cookie was stuck in stage 3, but somehow still lucid. This was the reason for the coughing. Some of the melting and hardening was internal. While she knew he couldn't help it, the melting and hardening phases the malady known as Rock Sugar Disease inflicted upon its victims always seemed to strike when she was trying to sleep.

She jammed her pillow over the sides of her head.

"Hrrrrm, noisy Beast! Cough it all out so I can sleep!" She shouted at the wall, before slumping face down onto her mattress.

Shadow Milk was always bothering her. He got bored way too easily, and whenever he got bored, he kept pestering everyone. But especially her. So annoying.

Matcha raised her head, pillow tumbling onto her back. The coughing had stopped. But it was replaced with another noise.

*Ghk! Ghh...*

That sound sent a chill up her spine... That didn't sound like a noise that should come out of a cookie...

Matcha pushed herself up into a sitting position and slid off the bed. Grabbing her staff on the way out, she made her way next door.

Matcha did not bother to knock, and upon entering, it became clear that it would have been futile.

His covers were half-off of his bed, in that way where you can tell someone was trying to get up in a hurry. It looked like he'd pulled the nightstand away in his struggle, as it was currently about two feet away from his bed and at an awkward diagonal position from the wall. The water glass that had been on it had spilled on the floor. small shards of the infected sugar stalactites that now coated the bottom halves of his arms and legs as well as a good chunk of his face littered the room, having been chipped off.

Shadow Milk Cookie was bent over on his hands and knees. Well, one hand and his knees. The other infection-marred hand was clutching his throat. He was going through the motions of trying to cough, but no cough was coming out. Shadow Milk did not acknowledge Matcha when she came in. His eyes were wide open, fixed straight ahead, and unblinking. He looked TERRIFIED.

Oh. OH, FUCK.

Instinct kicked in, and without even thinking, Matcha had her arms around the scrawny cookie, catching him completely by surprise AND pulling him all the way up on his knees due to the height difference between the two, as the shorter cookie began sharply pulling both of her tiny fists upwards and inwards into the very top of Shadow Milk Cookie's stomach. Almost to his lungs, in fact.

It took her a dozen tries, each time she failed to get results pushing her adrenaline levels higher, until...

*HRRRGGKKKH!*

There was an awful half-coughing, half-choking sound as a chunk of crystallized sugar the size of his fist came shooting out of Shadow Milk Cookie's mouth, along with a stream of jam that left a disgusting, viscous trail across his bedroom floor ALL the way to the wall where the chunk had hit and shattered. This was followed by what sounded like the longest, sharpest breath ever taken by anyone, ever; before Shadow Milk Cookie again collapsed to his hands and knees.

He panted hard, breaths coming in deep, shuddery gasps that made it painfully obvious he was trying not to cry from how much it hurt. Tiny rivulets of jam leaked from his mouth and off his chin, making tiny puddles that slowly grew and melded into a larger one. Matcha found herself sinking to the floor, legs folded, unable to speak or move. She was stuck in that stun-locked state where one repeatedly tries and fails to process far more than they can handle.

No words were exchanged. Not for a long while. Eventually, It was Shadow Milk Cookie who broke the silence.

"Matcha Cookie...?" He said hoarsely. A rare use of her actual name instead of the annoying little nickname, "Leafy."

No answer. She still stared straight ahead and said nothing.

"... Matcha Cookie... ?"

Shadow Milk now turned to look at her, but she still did not move or speak.

"... Matcha Cookie!?"

This time he crawled the short distance to her, grabbing her shoulders as best as he could with those stalactites of infected sugar covering his hands. He actually sounded genuinely worried about her.

Finally, she looked up at him, and-

-----

Avocado Cookie had come to check on Matcha. The smaller cookie and she had gotten close ever since Avocado had found her and brought her back to their stronghold, so Avocado would often just stop by at night to make sure Matcha's fever hadn't spiked while she was sleeping again like it sometimes did.

She had her fist up, about to knock on Matcha Cookie's door, when a sound from next door made her snap her head to look at Shadow Milk Cookie's door.

*HEURRRRGH*

"OH, SWEET FUCKING WITCHES IN AN OVEN, IT'S EVERYWHERE!"

"...Avocado slowly lowered her fist, and went next door to figure out what the HELL was going on, and help deal with what Shadow Milk's reaction indicated was a defcon 1 level vomit mess.

-----

Well, she wasn't in shock anymore, that was an improvement.

Unfortunately, Matcha still felt a bit overwhelmed. She was currently sitting in the hall with Avocado. A glass of water in her hand, and a bucket in her lap. Her shaking form was hunched over said bucket just in case.

"It's okay. He'll be fine, they just need to take a look at him." Avocado said, rubbing Matcha Cookie's back.

Matcha nodded, swallowing hard before she took another sip of water. She had never stress-vomited before in her life. She was pretty sure she never wanted to again if it felt this bad. She still felt nauseous...

"When you feel like you can talk, tell me what happened." Avocado said gently, while continuing to rub Matcha's back.

This seemed to help, as Matcha soon stopped feeling like she was about to lose her lunch all over again whenever she opened her mouth.

"Sh... Shadow Milk Cookie... He was coughing... Phh... "

"Go on."

"He... started making a weird sound... Mheh... I went to see... "

Avocado nodded, curious about where this was going.

"He was choking. So I... did that thing. The thing where you wrap your arms around someone and squeeze... really hard."

"Oh, the Heimlich!"

"Yeah... That. Sugar came out. And a lot of jam."

"Wait, he was choking on coughed-up sugar?" Avocado said in disbelief.

"He-He was. And it was a big one... about... the size of his hand... "

Avocado cringed at the thought of having to cough up something that big and that rough. "Crumbs, no wonder he sounded so hoarse back there..."

She leaned into Matcha Cookie, wrapping her arms around her.

"A... Avocado Cookie...?"

"You did the right thing. I know he probably wouldn't have died from that, but that HAD to hurt him."

Matcha wasn't sure what to say.

"I know you don't like Shadow Milk Cookie, so it was a noble thing to do!"

She smiled, lifting her own arms up to return the hug. Which made Avocado notice how shaky they were.

"When your stomach calms down all the way, I can get you some saltines. From the looks of Shadow Milk Cookie's floor, there's probably none of your dinner left in there." Avocado joked while lightly poking Matcha's belly.

This actually got a chuckle out of Matcha Cookie.

Speaking of Shadow Milk Cookie's room, Blackberry Cookie leaned out of the door to address the two. She was covered from head to toe in protective gear, given Shadow Milk's status as a stage 3 infected making anything less a huge infection risk for anyone who had to clean his room.

"I'm almost done in here. Can you tell the infirmary to get ready to send Shadow Milk Cookie back?"

Avocado gave a nod.

"Just let me get Matcha back to her room, first."

Matcha started to ask, but Avocado answered before she could.

"I'll nab those crackers after I tell the medics his room's almost clean."

Matcha smiled, replying with a nod of her own.

"Come on, I'll help ya up!"

-----

Finally having calmed down all the way, Matcha was enjoying those crackers. A bit bland, they were, save the salt. But on a stomach as empty as hers, even that was satisfying.

*knock knock knock*

... Did Avocado come back?

Matcha Cookie stood, making her way to the door with a confused expression on her face.

"... You?"

That confusion on her face was multiplied tenfold when instead of the kind blacksmith, it was Shadow Milk Cookie standing at her door.

He was looking at the floor, standing stiffly as if he were uncomfortable. He was wearing a borrowed night shirt from the infirmary, as Shadow Milk had been unlucky enough to be directly in the line of fire when Matcha's stomach decided to violently empty itself. So his regular outfit was most definitely in the wash, as it was a biohazard in its current state.

Had this situation not been so surreal for Matcha Cookie, it would have been funny. Shadow Milk really did look like a grumpy kid being forced to apologize right now.

"... ... ... Thank you."

He said it in a low mumble. Too low for Matcha to actually hear clearly. You could tell he wasn't enjoying this at ALL. Apologizing to a normal cookie like a groveling worm...

"... What?"

"Thank you."

This time it was slightly louder, but still not loud enough.

"Mhh, I can't hear..."

Shadow Milk looked up, annoyed.

"I said thank you! Do you want me to shout it loud enough for EVERYONE to hear!?"

Matcha Cookie raised an eyebrow, incredulous.

"No? Why would I?"

"Because it would humiliate me?"

"Why would I wanna do that?"

As much as she didn't like him due to his pranks and pestering of her when he was bored, Shadow Milk Cookie had never really done anything to make Matcha Cookie feel worthless like her old cohorts in the Cookies of Darkness had. So unlike what she'd wanted to do to Dark Enchantress Cookie back in the day, she had no desire to wound Shadow Milk Cookie's pride.

Now it was Shadow Milk's turn to look incredulous.

"What's your angle? Why did you help me? You've gotta have a reason."

Matcha folded her arms over her chest, annoyed. It was so obvious to her. She wasn't sure if Shadow Milk was playing dumb to mess with her, or actually needed it spelled out for him.

"You needed help. I helped. Nothing else." She said bluntly.

"But... Why?"

Matcha Cookie huffed in a frustrated way.

"YOU. WERE. CHOKING. Don't you remember that?!"

The look Shadow Milk Cookie had craned upon Matcha Cookie was better suited to the look one gives a really difficult math equation. He was clearly trying to figure out this strange cookie, but actually having some difficulty. Still, he got the feeling he was close. In a hesitant tone, he asked a question unexpected even by himself.

"... What about me do you not like, exactly?"

Matcha did NOT hesitate to oblige him.

"Hmph. Lots of things! You're loud, you think you're better than everyone, you play too many tricks, your tricks are annoying, you're whiny when you don't feel well and it happens a lot because you're even sicker than I am, you're a picky eater and you STEAL MY TEA because it's one of the only things here you like, and your outfit is stupid!"

For a moment, Shadow Milk just stood there in shocked silence.

One moment turned into two.

Those two moments turned into several.

"... Pff... Ha... BWAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Matcha flinched and recoiled slightly when he started to laugh. This wasn't his usual mocking laughter... Luckily, it wasn't the "insane-with-rage" laughter, either. This actually sounded... genuine? Like for some reason, Matcha roasting the crumbs out of him was the funniest thing he'd heard in his life.

"Oh, Witches... You... You REALLY don't give a crumb, do you, Leafy?" Shadow Milk Cookie said as he wiped a tear from one disease-scarred eye.

Matcha tilted her head, too confused to be annoyed over the return of that much-maligned nickname.

"What?"

"You just..." He cut himself off with a snort of laughter. "I'm sorry, it's just I've never seen anyone else in this entire Kingdom do what you just did. You just tell people what you REALLY think with no sugarcoating it. It's weirdly refreshing!"

For once, he was being 100% truthful. He was a Beast. She was just a regular cookie, albeit one of unusual origin. If Shadow Milk had wanted to, he could have crumbled her where she stood for saying that to his face. They both knew this. And yet she did it anyway.

He got it now. Matcha Cookie was honest with people, but... it wasn't like with Pure Vanilla. Matcha didn't hold honesty as a virtue. It was just instinctive for her to call it like she saw it. Even when calling it like she saw it meant calling attention to the emperor having no clothes, so to speak. Or in Matcha's opinion, stupid ones.

Something about how quick and brutal she was about her answer fascinated him... It hurt, but for some reason he enjoyed it. But why? He needed to know... He needed to see what made this odd cookie tick.

Matcha glared grumpily at the Beast. "Are you... making fun of me?" She growled. She sounded ready to fight him if he said yes. And he almost did out of curiosity to see if she would, but decided to be honest with her. After all, she'd been absolutely brutally honest with him. It was only polite to return a favor, wasn't it?

"No, I'm actually being serious! I really should have talked to you sooner. I think I would actually enjoy hanging out with you for reasons that DON'T involve messing with you!"

Matcha was not sure how to feel about that... It must have showed in her expression, because Shadow Milk gave her a bemused smirk.

"Oh, come on, Leafy. You at least owe me a little favor after you threw up on me."

He had her there. Matcha did feel kind of bad about that.

"I mean some of that got in my-"

"OKAY! We can! Just don't tell me where it got in!" Matcha screamed while covering her ears.

She had JUST finished her crackers when he'd gotten here. She did not want to lose those. She especially didn't want to lose them on Shadow Milk and owe him a second favor. He seemed like the type who'd ask her to help hide a body. Probably in everyone else's dinner.

"GOOD CHOICE!"

He paused, before getting THAT look in his eyes again, and waiting for Matcha to uncover her ears before he continued.

"It got in my mouth, by the way."

"YOU'RE AN ASS!" She shouted, standing on tiptoes JUST to look him in the eye.

Shadow Milk Cookie bent over to make eye contact even easier, and grinned in response.

"I can already tell this is gonna be fun..."

-----

After-notes, now that you've read it:

-No, I don't ship them. Matcha's actually taken in this AU, for starters. What can I say? I'm AvoMatcha trash :P

-As for why Shadow Milk's interested in hanging with her? Matcha's complete disinterest in putting on a mask to be accepted is not something he's encountered often, and never to this extent. The best way I can put it is he sees that blunt, brutal honesty as kind of a "dark" version of truth/honesty, and something about that has his curiosity piqued. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Wait and see... >:D

[apteryxparvus]

Seeds of Love — Oikawa Tooru / Reader

Pairing — Oikawa Tooru / Reader

Word count — 2,606

Content warning — none

Summary — You and Tooru’s teammates have a running gag that any plant named after someone in your life is cursed to suffer a terrible fate under your boyfriend's notorious black thumb. And, no matter how much you try to save them, your boyfriend always manages to transform them from thriving greens to shriveled-up twigs faster than you can say 'photosynthesis'.

“No way,” you state bluntly. “You’ll kill it. Again.”

As you hold the tiny pot that vaguely resembles Bulbasaur — albeit a bit misshapen and a completely wrong color, — you squint your eyes in concentration, trying to assess if it would match with any of the succulent cuttings scattered around the apartment. Out of the corner of your eye, you catch Tooru jutting out his lower lip like a sulky child. His doe-like eyes wander around, anxiously shifting between you and the fluffy plant he's clinging onto for dear life.

His voice takes on a high-pitched, pleading tone. “Pleaseee, I'll love it and care for it like it's my own child,” he whines, wrapping his arm around your shoulders and shoving the wooly plant in your face. The fuzzy oval-shaped leaves tickle your nose, and your face scrunches up as you try to hold back a sneeze.

You really want to say yes — the plant is certainly cute, adorable even. In fact, you're already envisioning the perfect spot for the Kalanchoe, nestled snugly on the shelves between the cotton-scented candles and the graduation photos from high school and university.

But deep down, you know that no matter how much Tooru insists he'll take care of the plant, it'll end up like all the others: drowned or parched, a mere shadow of its former self. You can almost hear the poor thing gasping for air, crying out for a drop of water or a ray of sunlight to save it from Tooru's notorious black thumb. You've lost count of the number of succulents and cacti that have met their untimely demise under his care.

(It's like he has a special talent for killing plants, despite his best intentions.)

Tooru pleads with you once more, "Please, this time I'll let you name him."

You give him a skeptical look. "Tooru, darling, I can't handle giving it a proper name and then watching you unintentionally murder it a month later. My heart just can't take it."

He lets out a pitiful sigh, slowly moving the fuzzy plant away from your face. You look back and see him holding it like a baby, cooing. His lean fingers are trailing gently along the oval-shaped leaves.

He looks so content, his eyes shining under the unforgiving fluorescent lights.

"Alright," you finally give in, avoiding his handsome, sun-kissed face. But you can see his expression lighting up with excitement from the corner of your eye. "But remember, I get to name it like you promised. No take backs."

The thing is, you adore giving your plant babies human names. The silly tradition began, along with your soul-crushing, debt-inducing plant addiction, when, for your four-year anniversary with Tooru, one of his Argentinian teammates gifted you a large Lacy Tree Philodendron that took over a third of the apartment's tiny hallway space.

But you knew your dear boyfriend had a talent for plant homicide. Back in your high school days, you'd find yourself helping his mother tend to their modest garden while he stayed inside, sulking when she would scold him for killing yet another perennial.

So, despite being grateful for the generous gift, you couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy about the fate of the plant under Tooru's care. After all, you still had the sad remains of an African Milk Tree cactus barely standing on the balcony, a victim of his infamous killer touch.

Somehow, against all odds, the philodendron managed to stay alive. A few months later, during a celebratory dinner with Tooru's closest teammates at the start of the league season, you found yourself a bit tipsy and brought up his plant-killing tendencies. You recounted the time when he had fallen on the Tree Philodendron, exhausted from training, and accidentally snapped off two three leaves, leaving the poor plant struggling to recover. Everyone at the table laughed, and Tooru defended himself, claiming that he had simply been giving the plant a haircut.

Carlos, the gift bearer, had laughed, explaining that, coincidentally, that was around the time he got a broken arm after an unfortunate skiing accident in the Andes, near Cerro Chapelco. After another full glass of plump and smoky Malbec wine later (all thanks to Leon and his vineyard), and more apparent coincidences, the precious Philodendron got its official name — Carlinhos.

From that point on, it became a sacred ritual and an inside joke between you and Tooru's teammates to name each new plant after someone in your life and eagerly wait for any coincidences between the plant and its namesake. 

(Such as the unfortunate IKEA-bought Cascade Palm named Lola after Dolores, the evil fifth-floor neighbor who tended to throw her garbage out the window onto the street. A week and a half after Tooru had accidentally overwatered the palm, Dolores had to move out, never to be seen again.

Or the pink succulent cutting, lovingly nicknamed after Leon’s pinky finger. Both the succulent and Leon's pinky had suffered minor injuries, coincidentally, just days apart.)

"Come on, plant hoarder, let's bounce before you bankrupt us," Tooru teases, as you add the fuzzy succulent to the overflowing shopping basket filled with an eclectic mix of trinkets. Your boyfriend grins, his eyes crinkling in amusement, and your heart flutters at the sight.

Despite his notorious black thumb, he's just as enamored with the plants as you are. In fact, he's the one who constantly brings home new green babies, filling every nook and cranny with vibrant colors and sweet fragrances. You often catch him reading plant care books or watching videos on plant propagation, determined to learn more and improve his skills.

At the cash register, Tooru places the last plant on the conveyor belt and shoots you a wink, his lips stretched into a cheeky grin. His infectious energy never fails to lift the spirits of those around him, and even the two elderly ladies standing a few meters behind you can't resist commenting on how happy you two look together. They start gushing in rapid Spanish, and though you can't catch everything they're saying, you hear enough to know they're describing the two of you as a picture-perfect couple.

Your cheeks flush in embarrassment. Back in Japan, you were always the shy one, avoiding any public displays of affection, no matter how small. The old ladies in your neighborhood were always on the lookout for any potential gossip fodder, and anything from a simple kiss on the cheek to sneaking out at midnight for a game of volleyball would set off the gossip mill.

The cashier finally rings up the last item from your cart, and you start shoving the items inside your bags. Most of the trinkets fit snugly inside Tooru's backpack and the extra shopping bag you brought, except for the three large plants you ended up buying.

(Which you will proudly hug and carry to the car.)

Tooru effortlessly lifts the bags, and you both exit the store, elated by your successful shopping spree. As you walk towards the car, you steal glances at him, and your heart swells with affection. Even after all these years, it still feels surreal that he is your partner, your closest confidant, and the only one for you.

Inside the car, the larger plants are carefully secured in the backseat with seatbelts, but the tiny kalanchoe stays in your lap. Its velvety leaves tickle your fingers, and you can't resist the urge to caress them throughout the ride.

When the car rolls to a stop at a red light, Tooru glances at the furry plant and asks, "What should we name this little dude?"

“We’ll find out soon enough, when inspiration strikes me.” You stick your tongue out, and your boyfriend answers by softly flicking your forehead.

That evening, you and Tooru make a simple dinner and enjoy it with a couple of glasses of cheap store-bought wine. As the evening progresses and the alcohol takes effect, your playful mood only grows, and you can't wait to catch up with the rest of the Seijoh Four during your monthly meetup. Eager to see your friends, you log onto Discord earlier than planned and head over to Tahakiro's gaming server. To your surprise, he's already there, his camera on, displaying his strawberry blond hair and cheeky grin.

Tooru bursts into the channel and greets your pink-haired friend with a boisterous "Makki!"

You give him a playful jab as he turns on his laptop's camera and takes over the screen, giving a cheerful wave to your best friend. The three of you immediately launch into a lively gossip session about life, and within a few minutes, Hajime joins in the chat, his face a bit fuzzy due to his old camera.

As Iwaizumi’s pixelated face pops up on the screen, you can't help but tease him.

"Hey Iwa-chan, are you broadcasting from a potato?" Tooru jokes. Despite the poor video quality, you can clearly make out Iwaizumi's raised middle finger.

Moments later, the final member of your little Seijoh alumni group joins. Issei's tired-looking face appears on the screen, bathed in the neon glow of his gaming setup.

“What's the plan for this lovely morning slash evening? Are we gonna kick some butt in CS:GO or run for our lives in Dead by Daylight?" he asks, his voice slightly hoarse. 

You pause for a moment, considering your options. "Hmm, I'm feeling a bit too exhausted for that. How about some peaceful farming in Stardew Valley?"

Takahiro is quick to agree, jumping in with a condition, "Stardew is fine, but only if we play the Wilderness map. And just to be clear, I am not sharing my resources with Tooru this time."

Your boyfriend bristles and pouts as he turns to face you, expecting you to side with him.

You interject, "Tooru, darling, let's be real here. Choosing Joja Mart over the Community Center is a rookie mistake."

"But I wanted the achievement!" he whines.

You and Tooru quickly load up the game on his laptop, creating your shared character and setting up the farm. You send out invites to the others, and they set off to work the moment they join. Issei takes charge of plowing the land, while Makki becomes the farming guru and heads to Pierre's shop for extra supplies. Meanwhile, Tooru, still pouting like a grumpy toddler, watches as you and Hajime break the rocks and chop down the trees.

You spend the majority of your playtime being a love-struck fool, showering your favorite character with gifts and compliments, much to the annoyance of your boyfriend. You can practically feel his eyes rolling every time you let out a high-pitched squeal after leveling up your friendship with your in-game partner. Whenever you switch, you’re stuck watching him gift your in-game partner with soggy newspaper pieces and driftwood. He ends up getting himself killed in the mines, and you're quick to fall behind on money.

“Yes,” you let out a squeal of excitement as you exit the cabin and a cutscene starts to play. You watch as your character receives a pet from Marnie. “Guys, guys, what should I name him?”

“Nomi.” Issei suggests, earning an eye roll from you.

“Issei, I am not naming him ‘flea’.”

“Cream puff.”

“Assikawa,” Hajime pipes, and Tooru gasps.

"Iwa-chan, why do you have to hurt me like this?" he exclaims dramatically, collapsing onto the couch with a hand over his heart.

You laugh and type in the name "Assikawa," ignoring your boyfriend's failed attempts at keyboard mashing. As the cutscene ends, Makki and Mattsun cheer and gather around the adorable creature, giving it as many pats as possible.

A while later, Makki reluctantly leaves the game, but stays in the voice call, and starts ranting about his mind-numbing recent job at a local konbini. Issei, unfazed by his friend's usual complaints, barely spares him a glance as he delves deeper into the mines, his pickaxe ready to strike at any glimmer of gold ore. But you're intrigued — you haven't gossiped with your friend in a while — and you’re curious to hear more about this job, despite knowing of his job-hopping tendencies.

“---the old hag keeps trying to give me double shifts, even though I’ve told her a million times I have another part-time job,” the strawberry blond continues his spiel. "She must hate me or something," he gripes. "I swear, I've worked more night shifts than there are days in the week!"

"What's her name?" you ask, a mischievous smile spreading across your face. Makki looks at you with confusion as you continue, "Tooru, what if we name our new plant baby after her?"

“No,” your boyfriend deadpans. You pout, making your best puppy eyes at him, but he doesn’t budge. You try to win him over by moving closer and giving him a quick peck on the lips, but it only earns you a chorus of exaggerated retching sounds from Maki and Issei.

You sulk. “Fine then. Our baby’s name will be Assikawa then.”

Tooru's eyes widen in disbelief. "You wouldn't dare," he says, a hint of panic creeping into his voice.

"Oh, I absolutely would."

Tooru looks at you for a moment, considering his options. “Not even if I kiss you like this?” He leans in, his lips brushing softly against yours.

More loud retches come from the laptop's speakers, and you and Tooru pull away, embarrassed.

"Uh, well, see you guys next week," you say, trying to conceal your mortification. "And good luck at work, Makki."

Hajime rolls his eyes, but there's a small smile on his face. Issei just laughs, clearly amused by the whole situation.

You do end up naming the innocent plant Assikawa. This leads to your boyfriend becoming overly protective of it, treating the innocent plant like a delicate newborn and fearing the wrath of the Plant Gods (and you, mainly you) if anything were to happen to it.

And it’s all fine for the first two-three weeks.

Each morning before heading to training, he would plant a gentle kiss on your forehead as you lay half-asleep in bed. After that, he would proceed with his typical morning routine, taking a quick shower before packing a light meal for you, followed by preparing his own nutritious breakfast and savoring a cup of black coffee. Just before leaving the apartment, he would give a tender pat to the fluffy plant, using it as a good luck charm.

That is until one morning, after a night of heavy drinking with some of his teammates, he staggers out of the bedroom, his head throbbing with pain. He makes his way towards the bathroom, his vision blurry and his mouth feeling like cotton. His lips are dry and chapped, and he stumbles, reaching out to grab something to steady himself.

You are abruptly awakened by a noise that isn't the birds chirping outside. You jolt awake, startled, heart rapidly beating. And when you leave the confines of your bedroom, your own head pounding, you're greeted by the sight of Tooru lying on the floor, shielding his face with his arms. The second-hand wooden shelf is barely holding up, one of its legs broken. Wet soil clumps are scattered on the soft carpet, and crumpled magazines are scattered around.

The fuzzy plant is barely visible, hidden under your boyfriend's large frame.

“Tooru!” you shout, rushing to his side and frantically checking for any injuries. “Tooru, are you alright?”

He groans in pain as you help him sit up and brush the dirt off him. “My butt hurts,” he complains, massaging his behind. “This is all your fault, Assikawa, for cursing me.”

Author's note: first time writing and posting a fanfic; i know there's absolutely no plot in here, but hey, i had to somehow indulge in my love for plants & writing xd

Thanks for reading 💚

[astro-b-o-y-d]

Might be taking a risk here, but since it was stated in the recent update that Shadow Milk's claim of having watched Pure Vanilla as far back as when he was a kid was in fact a big fat lie, are we like. Cool on shipping them now? Are we good? Or did I misunderstand that part?

I don't care one way or the other, but I do remember people getting uncomfy with the ship due to that implication (fair), so it if turned out to NOT be the case I'm just like Hmm 🤔

[moonsfantasyworld]

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐤 𝐡𝐜

🥺

I had this thing on my inbox for like, two months, but it's TIMEEE

🎭- this one is already known if u follow me, but to me he IS handsome, it's not just something he calls himself, he is actually handsome and has used this to his advantage before

🎭-very cartoon like body movements most of the time, we are talking becomes a pancake but is alive when hit with a comically large hammer kind of cartoon shit

🎭- speaking of body movements, he is always Exaggerating his poses, going all out and big on how he moves

🎭-as a performer, he happens to know many different types of dance, one of this being ballet

🎭- speaking of ballet- I like to think part of his outfit isn't just inspired on jesters and that sort of thing, but to me he also has some elements of the outfits ballerins wear, something something, he has either half points and or points built into his outfit, helps with the feeling of looking longer

🎭- in human height he'd be taller than average, idk which numbers in specific, but he is pretty tall

🎭- can imitate voices, change in size at will, and travel through shadows

🎭- it's stubborn, and won't rest to get his goal at any cost, he has all the time of the world after all!

🎭- even to this day he has a soft spot for kids, in a twisted way, he isn't far from lying and manipulating them or influencing him on things, but will be quick to jump to make sure none is harmed on his watch

🎭- he needs glasses, he used to wear some before corruption but after, to be more in character, he decided to stop wearing them and instead uses contacts and magic to still see. Wears the glasses in private to rest his sight

🎭- clingy to his loved ones, specially his partner, this man is, in fact, touch starved

🎭- even if you are someone important to him, he will still tease you and mock you, but in a more friendly and loving way than mocking hateful way

🎭- can be kinda possesive, but will respect boundaries

🎭- I think we all know this on my part but I'm team he wears two hats, I know it's probably his hair but meh

🎭- good yet very messy cook, kitchen is always a disaster after, at least the food is five stars tho!

🎭- will bring breakfast in bed to his partner if he sees the chance

🎭- really cuddly, a bit touchy, always holding his partner's hand if he can

🎭- loves biting in a loving way

🎭-part of him regrets all the things he has done to this day, but sees it worthless to go back to the past, won't catch him saying any of that tho! Unless he's really drunk that is

🎭- the black and eyes on his hair are side effects of his corruption

🎭- he can see through the extra eyes, but not always

🎭- is the reason why cookies have access/gained access to dark moon magic

🎭-dark moon magic may or may not be the reason he corrupted for me...

🎭- founder of the blueberry yogurt academy, has no clue the state it's in (he would get really mad, he was very proud of it)

🎭- og name is blueberry milk cookie!

That'd be most for now, can't remember the rest, will add once I remember

Thanks for reading!!