#however all the Ghosties thought this was about him and Foolish

[trappedinacomputer]

Bad: "ya know i knew of two people who fought all the time and they focused too much on the differences but when they put that aside they saw how similar they were to each other and actually became really good friend. ... It can be difficult when two divas are involved"

[weirdcat1213]

ok i guess this is it

the end of the road

i may do an actual post about it later but fellas, its been an honor suffer read with all of you :3 the meta, memes and reactions? priceless

thank you @revenantghost for bringing us together for the best group activity ever: suffering and crying in a corner :D

lets go one more time

vol 14 thoughts

chap 1:

-THIS ONLY HAS 8 CHAPTERS WTF

-longer than he has been alive? oh thats adorable

-"that is how...i lived my life" why do i feel so sad all of a sudden

-OH YIKES WHAT

-ok damn i get that now, legato is really fast damn

-again, when did vash's coat turn black

-oh shit chronica no

-pls leave vash alone legato

-for some reason vash feel really quiet right now. thinking back to other fights, those didnt feel as quiet as this one, i wonder why

-yeah,,,,sadly i dont think he can control his body either...

-oh ok i didnt notice that the 1st time but thats so interesting. spoilers for 98 but in that one vash's decision is quick, a decision he made against the ropes. he thought about ways to avoid it and then gave up at the last second. here however, he has been thinking about it the moment he started to fight legato i think. like only one man could survive that encounter. he knew from the start it was either the plan (cuz cmon he doesnt care about whether he lives or dies) or legato. at least in 98 the decision was in a quiet setting, imagine giving up your values (and with them a huge part of what you think is your heart) while you are fighting to the death

-HE DOESNT WANT TO DO THIS BRO LEAVE HIM ALONE

-GEESUS oh god no. is he even there or is it vash's imagination

-oh nvm he is here, hi livio

-"dreaming saint" may be one of the saddest nicknames he's ever gotten :c thats kind of what he is and that makes me sad

-and...there he is. not even a word, just him

-:c

chap 2:

-"overkill" huh? maybe

-you did that to choose :c you did what you could. god, he needs to hear more how him trying is enough.

-oh god hes spiraling, this is not the time :c i get it tho

-"you always give up hope so easily" and thats what he did when he chose

-its too early for me to cry, tears go back in

-wait chronica was in the nomad right? is she...yknow...

-i love that panel with meryl picking up vashs head a little bit cuz it gives me the feeling finally someone can protect him from everything, let my man rest pls

-oh shit bro you good?

-oh :c.... oh

-oh god ok its time for the cable

-oh god not the fucking feathers

-if i keep reading today im gonna start crying

chap 3:

-oh my god its the beginning

-he IS a clever bastard ill give you that

-the feathers :c

-oh my, things are happening (aka my cue to cry)

-its time knives, youre gonna fall and hit your stupid head so hard

-YES MERYL YES YOU ARE SO RIGHT MERYL

-NOT THE SCHOOL TRIPS OMG THATS ADORABLE

-...ok i get why *hes* saying that. the conflic, i think, pretty doesnt exist anymore for him but for knives is very real and really present. he may be a little stupid to understand balance and how wrong he is, but at the same time there was a reason for all of this. he committed the same mistakes humans did doing his stupid little crusade but you cant tell little knives, the one who hoped to connect with humans, that he is foolish and reigniting a conflict. its just 2 really different perspectives

chap 4:

-knives is a bastard, and an asshole and he hurt vash so much but damn it. i cant hate him, not after processing trimax for the 2nd time.

-anyway

-oh god not the cable

-VASH OMG MY SON MY MAN MY LITTLE MAN

-GET TFO LEGATO PLS, CANT A MAN BE UNSCOSNCIOUS IN PEACE???

-WOLFWOOD PLEASE TAKE THIS BASTARD AWAY AND TELL VASH HOW MUCH YOU LOVE HIM

-IT HAPPENED AGAIN, WHY DOES MY BODY REACT SO VIOLENTLY WHEN I SEE REM. ALSO WHY DID IT HAPPEN AGAIN

-also im always gonna say this is vash's mind and not ghosts cuz...idk....it doesnt feel like it. the ghosty presence feels more real in stampede but thats just me

-HIS LITTLE EYES AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

-THATS WHAT I MEAN, THATS TOO MEAN FOR A GHOST

-ALSO :C

-hes so tired, hes so fucking tired

-oh wait oh shit

-im granting you nothing you bitch

-oh god knives are you good

-oh yeah hes still there

-oh ok so thats why that plan doesnt work. ok continue

-oh he looks so weird and majestic...you really have to wonder what was nightow thinking when he designed this

-they are so positive, can i have some of that? a gram should do it

-you can easily replace "because i stand with vash the stampede" with jeesus but vash the stampede is cooler im sorry

-also kudos to them for never having a "yknow what im sick of you, i never needed you" kind of arc. thanks nightow. they are married from the beginning til the end

-im...not really sure about where did vash come from but at this point it doesnt matter, im glad hes here <3

chap 5:

-vash in a fucked up mind palace, i win

-"ticket to the future" oh no

-I DIDNT NOTICE HIS ARM IS MISSING???? FUCK???

-HES UP! REJOICE

-FEATHER

-"what a cruel joke" :c

-ONE LAST TIME BABY CMON

-FUCK OK THAT WAS SCARY

-OKOKOK WOWOWOW THAT SO INTERESTING. stampede knives was like "hey this place seems nice for plants, me and my bro. lets keep it" but trimax knives want to literally yeet everything humans have touched. in his mind he can live with other plants idk, in like the middle of space? thats so interesting...

-"what is that noise" YOUR MF SIBLINGS BITCH

-....cmon man. cmon

-were you united by hatred tho? i believe some plants hated humans but not all of them

-leave your own brother alone ahhhhhhhhhhhhh

-"this is insane" it is insane, so you better fucking appreciate what hes doing rn

-AH GEESUS NO HERE IT COMES, THE FUCKING CABLE

-LEAVE HIM ALONE YO

-HURRY VASH HURRY

-"dont touch me" not even us....just him

-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh :c

-i fucking love those panels where nightow puts a lot of details and dark lines only to make the next page the softest traces seen by man

-FUCK HIS BODY NOOOOOOOOOO

-OH I FUCKING LOVE THAT PANEL. GIVES ME "ANGEL WHO JUST FUCKING FELL FROM HEAVEN" VIBES

-ALSO KNIVES SHUT UP

-[sidenote: emptiness from the signalis ost just started playing and now i want to bite someone]

-TICKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET :C

chap 6:

-THATS MY FUCKING GIRL

-shut up vash, pls shut up

-oh vash...if it was that easy. but i guess thats the point. its not easy, it will never be easy to communicate, but we have to try. more people should remember that

-"what matters, is that you communicate. that you understand the person next to you is breathing and existing" fucking beautiful nightow

-"i wonder if he'll laugh again. if he'll follow his ideals again" im so...

-oh knives hey buddy

-i hate it, i fucking do but he looks so fucking sad when the plants let him go. when they decide if he wants to keep going down the path of hate he'll have to do it alone. and in his mind i dont think he has ever being alone. it makes me sad im sorry

-using the feather is so smart actually

-oh hes here

-ITS THE SCENE FUCK HERE WE GO NO

-FINAL BATTLE TIME MFSSSSS

-YO KNIVES YOU GOOD CUZ WOW

chap 7:

-OH ON THIS ONE YOU DIDNT EVEN GET TO HEAR HER FINAL WORDS? THATS MESSED UP

-THIS IS IT HERE WE FUCKING GO

-YES PLS KNIVES CMON

-honey...no...pls. let it go, theres literally nothing left to do.

-THINGS WILL NEVER BE THE SAME BUT STILL CMON VASH

-DONT BE A LEGATO RN KNIVES

-oh?

-OH SHIT

-[the promise is playing. the fucking promise is playing]

-YOU "WERE"???? WELL SHIT ON MY FEELINGS NIGHTOW SURE????

-KNIVES???? YO????

-WELL FUCK ME NONONONONON PLS GIVE ME REM BACK PLS PH GOD OH FUCK

-OH SHIT TF IS THAT

-SHIT

-YES PLS RUN, THATS LITERALLY WHAT YOU GUYS COULD HAVE BEEN DOING ALL THIS TIME. YOU COULD HAVE RUN AWAY TOGETHER (IN A FRATERNAL WAY)

-he is sadly a stupid idiot but HES MY STUPID IDIOT

-LIVIOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO THE FUCKING MVP

-NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO PLS GIVE ME BACK WOLFWOOD PLS, I NEED HIM BACK. WHY CANT HIS GHOST TALK TO VASH HUH?????

-ah fuck...them flying away together it looks so beautiful

chap 8:

-HERE WE ARE HERE I AM FUCK ME

-its is a never ending song isnt it

-my man deserved to rest more than 6 months

-hey knives honey why are you saying "hes crucial for you"? is it because you have internalized that humans will keep you around if you seem to be valuable for them? do you think that if vash is crucial they wont kill him? in the many years you have lived you dont know any other ways to ask for help than guaranteeing there will be something to be gained? huh?

-that kid has to live with one of The Traumas ever huh?

-IM GONNA CHOOSE TO BELIEVE HE LIVES IN THE FUCKING TREE CUZ HIM JUST DISSAPEARING IN THE AIR? TOO SAD. TOO FUCKING SAD. I WANT HIM BACK AS WELL

-YES YOUVE DONE MORE THAN ENOUGHHHH, HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO YELL THIS *looks at publication date* right

-i dont remember your name doc but damn, you are everything.

-ALSO 1ST AN OLD LADY WITH HER GRANDDAUGHTER SAVE VASH AND THEN A DOC WITH HIS KID SAVE VASH??? SOMETHING SOMETHING ABOUT FAMILIES AND MAKING A SPACE FOR VAHS WHO LOST HIS FAMILY

-you are so fucking stupid and i love you

-also where did he get...yknow...everything

-you should do that...im begging you to do that pls. get all of that, just live peacefully pls

-MY GIRLS ARE HERE :'D

-YOU SHOULD FEEL ASHAMED, LEAVING MY GIRL MERYL LIKE THAT

-stooooop :'c my heart, this is too many ":D"

-THEIR FACE GOD I LOVE THEM SM PLS DONT LEAVE ME HERE

-GIRLS WHERE ARE YOUR GUNS LMAO XD

-the dumbest little song ever, god i could eat this man

-LINAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA MY BABYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

-LIVIOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

-ah fuck...i ended up crying again and i still dont know why :'D

what a fucking, FUCKING TRIP. this is literally one of the best things the internet has ever done. i want to hug everyone who participated on this. we did it. we fucking did it

[takuyakistall]

summary: a mountain deity meets a suspicious eel.

length: 5k+

taku’s notes: ah, I finally posted this. It was meant to be posted for a previous milestone but it was delayed, but here it is now jbhjfb I may have gotten carried away with this when I first thought of the AU;;; also !! special thanks to ghostie and rui for helping me with this. If you see this, ily !! this also a three way collab with sven and @xxunrxvelingxx !! please check out their fics when they post it hehe~ they’ll be making separate fics that will go along with our agreed theme which is legends and myths from our home countries. In my case, this was inspired by the story of Maria Makiling!

 "I have provided you everything the mountain has to offer and yet you greedy humans still want more?“ The thunder boomed, matching your footsteps as you made your way to sit on a log stool. Crossing your legs, you said, “I’ve had enough of you humans trying to steal my valuables.” Rain suddenly started to pour down, soaking the four men standing in front of the mountain deity. 

They were shaking in fear as they saw the look you were giving them, they heard that you were usually a gentle and kind person who had never laid a hand on the village folk who lived on the mountain. They scrambled to their feet, with pitiful expressions on their faces as they desperately tried to run away. You made no effort to chase them as you already knew  there was no way they would make it back alive. This mountain is your domain, surely they would get lost  and stay trapped here forever. 

You were usually a kind being but you would spare no mercy for those who enter the mountain with malicious intentions. The locals knew better than to do that but — unfortunately, those men who tried to steal from you were foreigners.

           Your rage didn’t go away instead, it had gotten stronger. The rain was getting heavier, a flood was ready to form and an earthquake was about to start. There was no room for the village folk inside your head, your rage had overruled every moral you once upheld. It was cruel of you to bring these disasters to  innocent people — however, nobody would dare to cross you ever again. They knew that  angering a deity was never a bright idea, especially if they still had plans to live.

“Hah… Foolish humans..! Always scurrying around, striving to attack me and rob me of my riches. In the end, they’ll just meet their doom.”

There was something off about the man who entered the mountain. It seemed like he was struggling to walk. The rage you felt days ago has now disappeared and you felt the need to help the struggling man. You jumped off a tree branch you were sitting on to get a better look on his face — heterochromic eyes, it was unusual to see those  around here, especially when you had isolated yourself in the mountains. He had teal hair with a darker and longer strand framing the left side of his face. He was beautiful, your breath was taken away the moment you laid your eyes upon him.

Then you finally decide to appear in front of him. His senses did not pick up your presence since he was too busy trying to regain his balance. When he finally looked ahead and saw you, his eyes  widened and  slipped.

“Ah-!” He was about to fall. He still wasn’t used to being able to walk on land, his balance was still sloppy and the way he walked was unnatural. Ever since his tail turned into human legs, he’s been walking aimlessly on land with nothing but a dirty tunic on. He had nobody to teach him about how land folks act or lived, he quickly became an outcast among the villagers by the mountain, which sparked your curiosity. 

“..! Be more careful!” You grabbed his hand before he could fall, pulling him up to safety. He finally got a proper look at his saviour and the sight took his breath away. Were you the mountain deity they talked about back in the village? He kept a straight face while trying to connect the dots in his head. Weren’t you the reason he tried to climb the mountain? The blue haired man couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle, “Forgive me, it seems that I’m still not accustomed to my newly acquired legs.” He spoke in a gentlemanly manner which surprises you. Maybe it was because of his dirty tunic that you thought  he was going to be a bit more rough around the edges. You knew it was bad to judge a book by its cover and yet you still couldn’t help but do it anyway.

           “What’s your name?” The cold tone in your voice sent shivers to the man’s spine, surely you had the aura of a deity! He heard the rumours about the gentle and kind lady up in the mountains, but it seemed like you were still kind of ticked off by the last incident he heard about. The man put his hand by his chest and introduced himself with a smile, “I go by Jade, Jade Leech. Would the lovely lady also do  the honor of giving me her name?” It was faint but you noticed it — he was dangerous. 

It didn’t take long for you to become attached to Jade, he charmed you the moment  you met. Your first meeting consisted of you asking Jade a few questions about himself while walking through the woods. You discovered that Jade originally had no legs, thus his lack of ability to be able to walk properly. You offered him help and thankfully, he was a fast learner when provided with guidance. In less than a day, he had already mastered how to walk with his own two legs. 

You were bound to the mountain, you could never leave because you are its guardian. Shall you ever try to leave, your body would run out of oxygen and pass. It seems like Jade was a little fond of your company as he went back up in the mountains the following day.

He was still wearing the dirty tunic when he came to visit you today, you had seen this coming so you had a nearby pixie fetch you some clothes for the tall man. When you handed the clothes to him, he couldn’t help but let out a small laugh, he was intimidated by your cold demeanor yesterday but today it seemed like you were finally fitting the positive rumours surrounding you. A kind and gentle lady who would often go to the village to give your blessings. “Thank you,” Jade hummed out, straying far from you to change into the clothes you gave him. You felt your cheeks flare up a bit when he gave you a smile. You couldn’t help but wonder how this blooming friendship of yours would end. After all, he’s just a mortal, isn’t he? 

28 days remain.

“Oya, a new mushroom to add my collection.” Jade was delighted as he crouched down to examine the newly found mushrooms on the ground. You mentally compare the current Jade you know to the Jade you first met — it seemed like he was an entirely different person. He picks up land dwellers’ qualities and habits fast and now you wouldn’t even dare think about how this man didn’t know how to walk properly just a week ago!

You tried to introduce him to a lot of things the mountain has to offer and yet somehow, he found himself climbing up the mountain on a daily basis just to see you. The village folk were a bit skeptical due to his odd behavior and at his sudden transformation, but they soon dropped the gossip when someone told them the both of you were lovers. It was a ridiculous thought but you never said anything when you saw how they had treated Jade better. 

The more time you spent with him, the more you felt these complicated feelings, like your heart was tied to a knot. The way he smiled at you made it feel like your heart was being squeezed, and the way his eyes sparkled when he talked about mushrooms was simply too adorable! You noticed all the little things about Jade and it made you wonder about how you were going to label these feelings you have for him. You liked to believe that you know everything about the world, but the world loves proving you wrong. You were still naive, even if you are a deity.

21 days remain.

“You’ve gotten better at acting like a land dweller.” Your cold tone made it clear to Jade that something definitely happened to piss you off while he was away. Perhaps it was another human trying to rob you of your riches? Or to take your head as a trophy? No. Jade shook his head at the thought of someone trying to harm you. After all, it is impossible to do so. 

For the past few weeks, he has somehow grown accustomed to your sudden coldness and harsh tones. The people that heard of the mountain deity’s treasures have increased and were bold enough to challenge themselves against you. They gathered into groups and shouted out insults directed at you. You had neither time nor patience to deal with every pest that was bold enough to threaten you, so you had the mountain itself deal with them. If they entered the mountain, they would surely get lost and never be seen again due to natural reasons. 

The only reason why Jade and a few villagers were able to enter the mountain and get back unharmed is because you let them. The moment you sense malicious intent directed at you — they would be disposed of. You were merciless when it came to matters regarding your life and the state of the mountain. Jade knew that, both of you spent enough time together for him to know these kinds of things. With slow steps, Jade approached you, his usual smile was absent and this surprised you a bit. His expression was serious while cupping your cheek with his bare hands, it was warm. You found yourself rub your cheek against his comforting touch, he knew exactly what you were feeling and this reassured you. Jade pulled back his hand and placed it on your head instead, ruffling your hair a bit, “Have you been resting well?”

Truth be told, you haven’t gotten a wink of sleep ever since the attacks increased. Your guard was always up and a chance to sleep never came. However, when Jade ruffled your hair, every muscle in your body relaxed, you fought the urge to close your eyes. Jade didn’t fail to notice your tired state and sat beside you on the log stool that was big enough to hold the two of you. He made you lean against his broad shoulder while stroking your head, his comforting touch making you go closer and closer to your desired rest. You closed your eyes and drifted into sleep, not hearing Jade’s endearing words “Sleep well, My beloved.”

14 days remain.

“Have you done it yet?” Jade entered his temporary lodging to see a beautiful young woman with long black hair sitting on his bed. Jade’s warm eyes turned cold as he glared at the woman who intruded his home. Jade didn’t bother to put up the gentlemanly act anymore. He lunged forward towards the woman and wrapped his fingers around her neck, lifting her smaller figure up in the air as Jade squeezed her neck. The woman was letting out choked noises as Jade continued to give her a cold glare. “W-Wait!” She managed to let out a word, Jade stopped for a moment. “You still need me, you can’t kill me.” The panicked and pained expression on the woman’s face brought immense pleasure to Jade. Oh how he loathed this woman! Jade was ready to snap her neck, staring coldly into her eyes as he squeezed her neck a bit more before suddenly letting go. The woman fell to the ground, hacking out coughs as she tried to regain oxygen in her system. Jade’s unusual rage has calmed down a bit after thinking rationally, he went into his kitchen and brought out some teacups, “Would you like some tea?”

The sweet aroma filled the cozy house as Jade delicately poured tea into the teacups. The woman sitting across him had a suspicious look, staring at the teacup. “Oh, please go ahead. Don’t be shy.” Jade insisted, an eerily calm smile decorating his face, as though the earlier events hadn’t happened at all. “It’s not poisoned, is it? I know how badly you want me dead but,” the woman pushed away the teacup, crossing her legs and arms as a confident look suddenly decorated her face. “If you still want your precious twin brother to live, I suggest you shouldn’t kill me.” Jade’s gentlemanly smile curled up into a big smirk as he set down his teacup, “And what made you think that I still needed you to do so? You’re basically useless.“ 

For a moment, the woman shot Jade a terrified look. She knew that Jade was capable of killing her at any given time, she had to think of an excuse to stay alive. “You won’t be able to use the deity’s heart to cure Floyd without me.” It was true. Even if Jade has gotten the deity’s heart right in his palms, he wouldn’t be able to use it to treat Floyd’s condition. Jade frowned upon hearing the words ‘deity’s heart’. It was the only reason why Jade approached you, he was skillful in deceiving others and masking his true intentions. Though it seemed like his mask was slowly breaking the more time he spent with you. It was true that he was fond of you — very fond but Jade wouldn’t allow himself to admit the feelings he held for you. 

If he ever admitted to himself that he fell in love with you, it would just pain him more thinking about the cruel acts he was about to commit. “I’m close to obtaining her heart. Once I get my hands on it, we’re going back to the Coral Sea immediately.” His monotonous voice scared the woman a bit, how could he be so calm when he’s about to betray a deity? “Got it, witch?” Jade coldly asked the woman. The said woman snapped out of her daze and refuted, “Don’t call me that, I told you, my name is-" 

"Do I look like I care?”

7 days remain.

“Dancing? When did you learn how to dance, Jade?” Jade only let out a mere chuckle as you gave him a curious glance. You looked better than before — the color of your face was slowly coming back thanks to Jade. His presence soothed you and you couldn’t help but let your guard down — you trust him. It has only been a month since the two of you met but you would already trust him with your life. What is this feeling…? What did humans call it again? Attachment..? Or was it fondness…or love? You didn’t know the answer. The moonlight shined upon both of your figures sitting down on the grass. “Do you underestimate me that much?” A teasing smirk appeared on his face, you panicked for a moment because deep down, you actually did underestimate him a bit. You looked away from him, a light hue of pink dusting your cheeks. Shame rising up from the pit of your stomach.

“Oh my, it seems like I’ve gotten my answer. It’d be a lie if I said I wasn’t disappointed.” Jade faked tears, wiping them away dramatically as you giggled at his actions. Jade stood up from the grass, his polite smile never disappearing from his face. Even though he gave everyone that smile, you couldn’t help but feel like there was an underlying tone of feelings and affection he held for you. Yet, you brushed it off like it was nothing — still denying the fact that you were indeed falling in love with him. Jade outstretched his hand towards you, trying to help you up. At that moment, you couldn’t help but think that you were becoming so helpless around him. 

Hesitantly, you took his hand as he helped you up to your feet. You stumbled forward a bit and lost your footing, almost falling had it not been for Jade who catched you before you fell. “Careful!” He warned you, wrapping his arms around your figure as you steadied your balance. You could feel his heart beating, you closed your eyes and allowed your head to lean into his chest — listening to nothing but the beat of his heart. Is this what it means to fall in love? Jade was taken aback for a moment, he didn’t expect you to suddenly rest your head against his chest while standing up. He let out a sigh as he wrapped his arms tighter around you, his gaze filled with an unexplainable fondness. Oh how he wished this moment lasted forever. 

3 days remain

It was dangerous and weak of you to allow yourself to be comforted by the presence of a mere mortal, even the forest pixies told you this themselves. It was a huge mess in the mountains when Jade wasn’t here. You suddenly felt sad at the thought of the earlier events.

“Lady (Y/N)! Forgive our insolence but we are begging you to cut ties with that mortal.” the pixies bowed down, they didn’t dare to look into your eyes — fear evident in their expressions. The pixie who talked to you, Daphne, was the wisest of the bunch — she had stayed in the mountain for far longer than you have. It was safe to say that she was wiser than you but the one who holds the most power was you — the mountain deity. Daphne didn’t have a single hint of fear on her face as she held her head up high, her blue locks tucked behind her pointed ear as she stared at you. 

Rage coursed through every part of your body as your harmless gaze at them suddenly turned hostile. The gravity suddenly weighed down on all of them, forcing them onto their knees except Daphne. Had it not been for her power she accumulated during the years she had lived, she would be most likely on her knees as well. “What did you just say, Daphne?” Your mind wasn’t in its best state due to the responsibilities you had to fulfill doubled, every living being in the mountain knew that and they could see how stressed you were through the mountain’s state. They noticed how the mountain would flourish a little whenever a certain teal haired mortal decided to visit you, they knew that he was a double edged sword to their deity. Though they knew that he was a potential threat to you, when they saw how happy you looked when you’re with him, they couldn’t help but let the both of you be. 

“That mortal man named Jade- He’s not what you think he is.” Daphne calmly responded, she’d been suspicious of him from the very beginning. Those words made the raging flames in your heart burn stronger. You knew deep inside that she was right. You knew he held ill intent from the moment you first met yet you just- You just blindly ignored it like the fool you were. Yet you were reminded of the way he called you his beloved when he thought you were fast asleep, it was one of your sweetest memories with him. You can’t allow yourself to believe that the gentle fondness in his voice that night was all fake.

“He’s after your heart.” 

Those words pierced you right through the heart, uncontrollable tears suddenly forming at the corner of your eyes. You wanted to tell them that he was a good man, that he loved you. Your gaze dropped down to the ground, unable to say anything. The mountain spoke for you. The flowers were withering at a lightning fast speed and so did the trees. The wild animals, some died and some were dying. The waters were drying up, and the ground was ready to collapse any time soon. You wanted to cry. Memories of last night came flooding back. The way he held you so close to him, when you listened to his heartbeat? It was all an act to get your heart?

Daphne wasn’t telling her the whole story, she just wanted Jade gone. She left out the part about Jade’s brother because she knew that being the lovesick fool you were — you would gladly give up your heart to him. She decided to fan the flames, “I… also saw a black haired woman in his house.” Daphne cringed at herself, she couldn’t believe what she was about to say. She glanced at your forlorn expression before continuing, “I think she might be his lover.” Everything seemed to stop at that very moment. You stopped wasting your tears, the thunder clapped. Daphne knew she messed up when she saw your expression — filled with burning rage. 

“It’s for his dying brother.” A small pixie speaked out, receiving a harsh glare from Daphne when she did.

“Flora! You…!” 

Everything stopped for a moment, you held a confused expression on your face as you signalled the small pixie named Flora to inch closer to you. You had hope that everything wasn’t a lie. There was nothing more you’ve ever wanted. You desperately wanted to believe that Jade wasn’t a cold blooded jerk that only approached you for your heart. “Tell me about his brother.” Your weak commanding tone made Flora’s heart shatter into pieces, she could tell how much pain you were in. Meekly, Flora started to explain to you the things she saw and heard when she went to follow Jade to the village; the black haired woman who was waiting for him at his home, the way how Jade choked her, the hateful expression on his face, the things they discussed over tea, and how Jade needed your heart to cure his poisoned twin brother. Flora didn’t leave out the fact that the woman with Jade was actually the one who poisoned his brother and how there were only a few days left before Jade goes back to his hometown.

You were oddly happy. Happy by the fact that everything might not turn out to be a lie and that the Jade you were so fond of was real. Though you were laughable, you were an idiot in love. Love…? Is this what they call this feeling? You loved Jade to the point that you forgave him. Even if he didn’t confess himself, you were willing to forgive him over and over again. You were a fool. The biggest fool in the whole damn mountain. Though if it was for Jade, the man who taught you love and the first man you ever loved, you didn’t mind being called a lovesick fool who ruined her own life.  

2 days left

Jade was running out of time, he could feel his lungs having difficulty trying to breathe as he climbed the mountain. The potion was wearing off and he needed to get your heart and return to the sea now — but he didn’t want to leave, he didn’t want his time with you to end just yet. He wanted more time with you. However,  his brother comes first before anything else, including you. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he just abandoned Floyd just like that — it would be unacceptable. Jade’s heart was in deep turmoil as he took a step after the other, why didn’t he.. want to leave you? He stopped in his tracks, his hand clutching his chest tightly as he felt like his heart was being squeezed. He didn’t want to admit it — he would never. If he did, he would never be able to go back to the sea. He continued walking towards your usual meeting area. 

The frown on his face immediately lightened up into a small smile when he saw your figure fiddling with a bunch of leaves. As he went closer, he could notice that you were crying. He kneeled down next to you and asked, “…Are you okay?” gently, Jade tried to place his hand on your shoulder as a form of comfort. You flinched, moving back a bit from his touch and accidentally hitting your head against a tree branch in the process. Jade quickly tried to pull you close to him to inspect what might be a wound on your head. Yet you- you desperately tried to avoid any form of contact with him, your lips sealed shut as you walked away from him to sit on a stone stool. Jade’s heart broke a little. 

You were still trying to compose yourself, tomorrow was your last day with him. You could already see him getting paler and weaker, his withdrawals were getting worse. You needed to think of something, anything. You were going to let him go today, he can have more time to go back to the sea. So he can live. Yet a huge part of you is screaming ‘Don’t!’ You felt weak and afraid, you didn’t know what choice to make but deep down you knew what was the right decision. Mustering up enough courage, your breath shaky, you spoke up. “Jade." 

Jade had never heard you sound so helpless, your voice was shaking, eyes brimming with tears. What happened to you? It was a bit of a shock, for you to call out his voice with such a painfully sad expression on your face. He wanted to know how he could make you feel better, he was about to wrap his arms around you again but he quickly retracted his arm when he remembered how you reacted earlier. So he kept his distance. "Yes…?” He anticipated your next words, hands shaking — his body was slowly turning back. He needed water but he forced himself to stay still and endure the painful withdrawal that came with it. 

You clasped your hands together, muttering a short chant under your breath as something in between your hands started to glow. A single shard of what seemed to be like a gemstone — a piece of jade. It was your heart, clearly influenced by your undeniable feelings for this man you met less than a month ago. Your jaded heart, it was what Jade was after all this time. Once it was in your hands, you clasped it tightly one more time before facing Jade. Tears blurring your vision, “Just… take it.”

Jade’s blood went cold, how…? Did you finally figure out his true intentions? Are you mad? Countless questions popped up inside his mind and his heart rate going faster by the second as he tried to make sense of the situation. Will he lie one more time? Or will he grab the golden opportunity in front of him? Before he could make a decision, he abandoned all sense of reason and pulled you into a passionate kiss. You were caught off guard, yet you kissed him back without any hint of hesitation at all. Your faces so close — your tears started to mix and you didn’t want to let go of him. Neither did he. After pulling away from your heated kiss, he finally managed to mutter out the words he was so afraid of saying. 

“I love you.”

1 day remains

The cool breeze caressed Jade’s cheek as he ran through the forest, your heart grasped tightly in his hand as he desperately gasped for air. He needed to get back, now. The black haired woman from the other day was already ahead of him, looking back occasionally at Jade to make sure he wasn’t dead from the withdrawal symptoms. Memories of last night weighed so much in Jade’s mind, he felt like he was choking as he ran — his legs heavy as he started to sweat more than usual. Yet he didn’t stop running, you gave him this chance to let him and his brother live and he was not about to let it go to waste. He ran and ran and ran until he could finally see the sea. 

Jade immediately jumped into the water, taking in the familiar feeling of being submerged in water once again — not once did his grip loosen around your heart. He allowed himself to breathe for a moment, letting the transformation take its place as his legs turned into a tail. He was slowly letting himself sink to the bottom of the sea, nobody could tell that he was crying from the wet environment of the sea. 

One look at Jade and you can immediately tell that he was empty, void of emotion as he stared at your heart — placing a gentle kiss on it as he muttered under his breath, “Perhaps in another life, we could be lovers once again." 

This is a story about how a foolish mountain deity sacrificed her heart, the very core of her being, to a mere mortal. A story about how cruel fate can be, and how it ruined them. The ending? The mountain deity fell into an eternal slumber after giving her heart up to her lover, unable to wake up after hundreds of years. The mortal man cured his brother and lived a somewhat happy life, longing to see his beloved deity once again on land and was killed after multiple attempts of going to land. 

Perhaps things would’ve been different if they made different choices, perhaps they’d be happily living as a couple now but fate is not so nice, no? There is no happy ending for this disastrous pair, only ruin awaits them if they were to ever meet again in their next lives. They were both fools in the end. 

"Eh~? Jade, Jade~! Did you hear about the transfer student coming today?” Floyd made grabby hands at Jade, excitement bubbling up from the pit of his stomach, will he find another person to squeeze? Jade let out a sigh, seemingly uninterested in the topic but decided to entertain Floyd. “Yes, it does make me feel a bit excited, fufu~”

The class silenced down so quickly, your footsteps towards the class stage could be heard.

“Hello everyone, my name is (Y/N) (L/N)! Nice to meet you all!" 

Jade’s eyes gleamed with growing intrigue, why did you seem familiar to him in some way? He didn’t dwell on that for long though, he just decided that if fate decided to make you a part of his life, then so be it. 

And it begins all over again.

[pinkyhaert]

Nutcracker month 2020 by @artsynoova

Day 10: { Benjamin &.... Yuri!? } (ft. Ghostwire.)

{ Here have a flipping story because my brain just WENT with it when I wrote this; Scroll down for the art ;3c }

~ Hollyberry entered the next world as he did the others, unaware of the particularly dastardly surprise awaiting him. The world had a similar set up to that of Auran’s World. Especially the big theater looming in the background. Hollyberry was half expecting to have to dance the ballet again.. something he wasn’t exactly looking forward too.. ah well. At least he’s had the practice for it.

Inside the Theater, everything was worn out and old looking, not to mention practically pitch Black. The poor little Brave could barely see his Servo in front of his Optics! It was times like these he wished he still had his headlights.. as strange as that may sound. As he Went deeper into the Dreary looking theatre.. He couldn’t help but get the feeling he was being watched...

Two Glowing magenta Eyes Watched from shadows of the curtains.. waiting patiently for the unsuspecting nutcracker to set off his delightful trap he had set for him. This Plan will surely put a stop to Holly’s Meddling in his grand scheme.

As if on cue, The Lights of the theater turned on and shone on The Brave in the center stage. In the next instance by making a Dramatic entrance in a puff of purple smoke- A Phantom Appeared before the Brave in all its Mysterious and spooky splendor. ~

Phantom: “ FOOLISH WOODEN DOLL!! YOU’VE FALLEN RIGHT INTO MY GRASP!!”

Hollyberry, Slowly raising his Servo up to correct them: “ um.. Actually I’m made of metal-”

Phantom: “ I Care Not of any Detail you suggest Commoner’ ”

Hollyberry: “ Ah.”

Phantom: “ All the Intrests Me is What You have to Offer the Great and Powerful Phantom”

Hollyberry; raising an eyebrow in an Unamused manner: “ Oh? and what Might that be?”

Phantom: “ The Core that keeps you running and fighting and despite all odds against you, your ‘Soul’ If you will. Give it to me.”

Hollyberry; Blatantly: “ No.”

Phantom: “ I thought You’d say that you stubborn little Bratt. So I’m willing to make you an offer you can’t refuse.”

~ With the snap of their fingers, two Chambers that looked like miniature stages came down from the ceiling. At once they opened, revealing two of the missing nutcrackers Dressed to impress awaiting inside. It was the nutcracker of this world, Benjamin! and... Yuri!? What’s he doing here And so far away from his home!? Either way he had to help them!

But before Hollyberry could react, The two jumped down and surrounded him. Something was clearly Wrong- And the Masks on their faces proved it. Without warning they tried to subdue him, barely giving him a chance to dodge their attacks. He could tell they didn’t what to attack him however, with the look in their eyes betraying their true emotions on the matter.. but they were powerless to resist the Phantom’s Control.

With another snap of the Phantom’s fingers they obediently returned to his side in their mini stage chambers. Hollyberry whipped around with a Growl as he glared at the phantom with furry in his optics. If there was one thing Holly hated, it was the thought of being controlled to hurt others- especially with your consciousness still intact. ~

Hollyberry: “ RELEASE THEM; NOW!!”

Phantom: “ Only if you win a little wager~”

~ The Seats in the audience suddenly were filled with different shadowy beings and creatures Holly couldn’t make out as they cheered for the phantom and boooed at him. ~

Phantom: “ If you can put on a better performance then both me and my ‘bodyguards’ and survive~ I’ll release your friends. If I win the crowds cheers however, well.. you know how the play goes. So little nutcracker; We got a Deal?”

~ Before holly even had the chance to speak A New Figure burst from the rafters and Landed onto center stage, Causing the crowd to let out a Gasp of surprise. Hollyberry couldn’t believe his optics as he stared at the newcomer who glared down the Phantom before speaking without hesitation. ~

Ghostwire: “ Your Gonna regret you EVER Crossed Our Path you pathetic excuse for a Specter! Bring it On!”

Hollyberry; Astounded: “Rairakkurōzu!! What are you doing here?”

Ghostwire: “ You really think I’m gonna let some random Punk Bully my lil bro? I’d snap All his limbs in half if he even TRIED-”

Phantom: 0_0 💧

Hollyberry: “ Happy to see you too.” ^-^

Ghostwire; Cracking her knuckles while giving death glares to the phantom: “ Let’s show this phony phantom what makes You and me ‘Unique’ to the nutcracker Clan”

Hollyberry: “Alright!”

*music begins to play*

Phantom: “ W..Wait a moment.. That’s not Christmas Music-”

Both Hollyberry & Ghostwire: “ Nope :)”

——————

———-

The song: ( Again, not sang by me- )

———-

Hollyberry; Holding Ghostwire back: “ Wait- WAIT Ghosty it’s Okay They’re Back to normal Now” 💦

Ghostwire; About to YEET a Table: “ You sure? Pretty sure I still saw some evil left.”

Hollyberry: “ I’m sure..put the table down.”

Ghostwire: “ Fine..”

Benjamin & Yuri: /// Scary.../// 💧

Hollyberry: “ Um.. anyways, Are you two alright?”

Benjamin: “ Much better now that we aren’t under that Phantoms control and can move freely, thanks for the help Holly.”

Hollyberry: “ That’s good.. these monsters are getting a little harder to fight as time goes on..”

Yuri: “ But where did those things keep coming from?”

Hollyberry: “ I Have a General idea.. But you both shouldn’t be worrying about that. You should be focused on helping your worlds.”

Ghostwire: “ And Don’t worry about Deckerd-”

Hollyberry: “ Holly.”

Ghostwire: “-Holly. Me and a few others will keep an eye out for him. Speaking of which, I gotta go and find Flow and Fedelis now- who knows what shenanigans they’ve gotten themselves Into.”

Hollyberry: “ Haha understandable, Good luck Rairakkurōzu.”

Benjamin: “ If you need any help on Your journey, Just give us a call-”

Yuri: “-And we’ll come lend you a hand for a change!”

Hollyberry: “ Thanks, I appreciate it.” ^_^

———-

{ Just a friendly note to the beans included:

To Nova: I’ve been having such a fun time coming up with this storyline for the nutcracker month this year and I feel honored to be included in the list! So I wanted to do something special like last year, but with a storyline twist cause’ your special ^_^

To AJ: I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to make it to yuri this year so I wanted to do him a bit eailer than expected~ Surprise!!

To Ghosty: Y’all didn’t think I’d make it this far in an epic adventure and not include The Buff Goth ‘Clara’ of Holly’s Storyline, Did you? Big sister Ghosty is here to take names and claim souls for anyone who messes with her lil’ bro. }

———

Benjamin belongs to @artsynoova

Yuri belongs to @ahjones94

Ghostwire belongs to @cyberghost-scout

Hollyberry & Fudge belong to me :3c