#i'm glad they gave her a new power and this was pretty inventive

[engine-of-love]

PinkRustedBreaks- The Start of It All (Part 1)

(A little late Valentine's special for y'all. Part 2 will be here very soon.)

The powerful cry of a whistle sounded as a humanoid steam train rolled down the tracks. Rusty enjoyed the breeze on his face as he continued to make his way down the line. As he gave his arms a pump, he couldn't help but take a peek at his black metal-plated forearms with bronze accents. He'd always catch himself staring at a part of himself or his reflection, as if he still couldn't believe that he was devoid of rust now and taking in his new appearance. Rusty noticed as figure in red that became more distinguishable as he got closer. "Hey! CB!" The red caboose looked up from what he was tinkering with in his hands at the sound of a familiar voice. His trademark wide smile appeared on his face as the shunter came to a stop.

"Hey Rusty." he greeted back. "You look chipper than normal." "Eh, just having a good day." Rusty said casually, through he way in a pretty good mood today. "What's that you got there?" The black and bronze steam train glanced and pointed at the item in CB's hands. "Oh, I found this little radio in some recycling bin. Thought it looked interesting and decided to fix it up." The radio in question looked like it had seen better days. The metal was scratched and worn with age, a dial was missing, and what was left of the handle was hanging uselessly on the side. Rusty smiled fondly. He admired that CB could make something seen as junk and remake it into something inventive and creative. "You wanna come and help work on it?" asked CB casually, though secretly hopeful. "It'd be great to have an assistant." Rusty snorted at the joke. "I'd be glad to. But I can't, I have a date with Pearl in a bit." The red caboose's smile dropped. His face taking on a blank, neutral expression. "...Really?"

"Yeah, it's been awhile since it's been just the two of us. I want to give her a nice time." "I see." CB replied emotionlessly. The steam train took note of the caboose's uncharacteristically blank face. "Are you ok?" "Oh!" CB quickly donned a smile, albeit a bit forced. "Yeah. I'm fine. I'll manage this old thing myself, its fine." Rusty looked apologetic. "I'm sorry CB. I would help you if I could." "Don't worry about it." reassured the red caboose. "You go on your date, have fun." The brunette steamer smiled. "Thanks Cee. I'll help you out next time, promise. I gotta go now, bye!" With that, Rusty turned and rolled down the rolled down the track. "See ya." called CB, waving goodbye. When the steam train was out sight, the smile on CB's face disappeared. His grip on the radio tightened as unpleasant feelings he tried to shove away bubbled up inside. 'Yo have no reason to feel like this. You lost your chance long ago.' CB shook his head, trying to banish the negative thoughts. He let out a deep sigh. No matter how much he tried to ignore it, those words held true. He ruined any chance he had with Rusty, and was going to have to live with it.

A lovely smile was stuck on the pink carriage's face as she held the hand of her dream train. Pearl loved the moments she shared with Rusty. The steam train in question was telling her about his day as she listened with interest. The couple were rolling down the track making their way towards the destination of their date. Rusty decided to take Pearl to this little park by the scenic route. A place to enjoy a little piece and quiet after all the hustle and bustle from work. Pearl couldn't help but take in Rusty's appearance with loving admiration. She was the one who suggested the bronze accents when Rusty got refurbished. A symbol to show that even if he looked different, it was still him. They arrived at the park and stepped off the track to enter. They rolled along the cobblestone path for a bit before stopping at a bench and setting down. The observation car sighed in happiness and relaxation. Her crystal blue eyes scanned the scenery. Neatly trimmed bushes, colorful rows of flowers in brick planters, a few trees here and there, and a nice-looking fountain some feet away.

Pearl turned to Rusty. "So beautiful. Thank you for taking me here Rusty." "No problem Pearl." Rusty replied "I'm just glad we can relax and spend some time together." He rested his hand on top of hers, the first-class girl's cheeks matched her hair soon after. The couple soon got lost in conversation, sharing tidbits from moments at work to laughing at the little jokes they would make. Both the steam train and coach loved how they could loose themselves in each-other's company. Eventually, the two decided to take a stroll around the park. Hand in hand, they rolled along the pathway taking in the cozy atmosphere. Rusty then spotted an ice cream cart parked a little ways from them. He spotted and turned to Pearl, pointing at the ice cream cart. "Hey, want some ice cream." he asked. The pink coach looked to where her boyfriend was pointing, smiled, and turned back. "Sure." she replied. "Let me guess, strawberry?" asked the brunette with an amused smile. "How'd you know?" "How could I not?" With that, Rusty made his way to the cart. Pearl giggled. She had a well-known love for all things strawberry flavored. Buffy playfully liked to call her a 'strawberry-holic'.

While she waited, the first-class coach decided to gaze at the flower bushes. She went up to a bush with light purple blooms. She gently cradled a flower in her hand, admiring its beauty. Then, something red caught Pearl's eye. She lifted her head and saw the familiar shape of a certain caboose sitting by a stream. Her eyes widened in recognition before a curious expression morphed onto her face. 'What's CB doing here?' she wondered, watching as he picked up a small stone and tossed it in the water. The pink coach was just about to call out to him when CB started to speak. "Why am I even moping about this? He's happy. He's in love and happy, with her." The caboose let out a heavy sigh. "And that's what he deserves. He...he deserves happiness!" CB gritted his teeth and rapidly blinked. It was all in vain as tears started to fill his eyes. The blond lifted his head to the sky. "Just lucky he's in my life at all. I had my shot long ago and I squandered it." The red caboose sniffed and swiped some tears away, only for more to come forward. "Coulda confessed a long time ago, but nope! I had to go stab him in the back!" A sob escaped his lips. "At least Pearl will treat him well. She...she's better for him." With that, CB buried his face in his arms, knees to his chest.

So many emotions were going through Pearl after hearing CB's heartbroken words. Shocked by what she just heard, saddened by CB's anguish, and a bit of confusion about how long the caboose had this secret crush on Rusty. CB looked satisfied by what he did to Rusty in the race as she recalled. But then again, CB was good at concealing his feelings. And what she just heard, that was pure, raw emotion. The kind of devastation one feels went they lose something. The pinkette rolled away from the flower bush and her mind began to wander. So, CB had feelings for Rusty. How long had these sorrowful thoughts plagued him? How much did he have to swallow his heartbreak when he saw them together? Did Rusty know? Now that she thought about it, whenever Rusty talked about stuff he did with or talked about CB in general, the steam train got this warm twinkle in his eye and a soft, lovestruck smile on his lips. The same twinkle and smile he got when he looked at her. And he was quick to shake it off with an almost guilty expression when turning his attention back to her. Did Rusty...also like CB that way?

"Pearl!" A voice snapped the pinkette out of her thoughts. Rusty stood before her with two ice cream cones, strawberry, and cookie dough. Her dream train looked at her concerned. "Are you ok?" Pearl quickly slipped on a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just let my mind wander a bit. Thank you for the ice cream." She took the treat and gave a couple licks, relishing the strawberry flavor. The brunette smiled. "You're welcome." The two began to continue their stroll. Pearl gave a brief at the flower bushes, luckily they were large enough to shield CB from sight. As the two continued their date, CB's heartbroken confession lingered in Pearl's mind.

When she got home, Pearl pondered over what she had heard. CB has been struggling with these feelings for a while and, with a little more thinking back, Rusty showed signs of having the same affection for the caboose. After what happened at the race and all the work CB put in to gain everyone's trust back, maybe the two felt that whatever could've happened between them could never be. Pearl knew Rusty loved her with all his heart, so he hid his feelings out of loyalty to her. She considered CB a friend and it hurt her heart to see him so upset. A sigh left the first-class carriage's mouth as she mulled over these two pieces of information and wondered what to do about it. Suddenly, an idea popped into her mind. A rather crazy really, but maybe, just maybe, it could solve a couple of problems with the right execution.

[justxaxstrayxkid]

Ranking every outfit Nora has worn

I've rated her human names and I've ranked her vessel names. Now it is time to rank all of her outfits 10 to 1. Why am I doing this? Because I'm a sucker for pretty clothes and babygirl is a fashion icon. These are just my opinions obviously so don't take them seriously. Though I am being dead serious when I say Mizuchi invented the fashion industry. What I want people to take away from this post is that we, as a society, need to respect Mizuchi's drip. No pun intended hehe

10. Childhood Kimono

No sense calling it the childhood kimono when she's always gonna be a child but idk what else to call this. I put this fit last because it's quite basic. There's not much to talk about here. I don't have any particular feelings towards it either. I do think the pink obi is cute. Mainly cuz pink is my favorite color. Also is it just me or does the kimono look way too big on her?

9. Childhood Kimono Enhanced ver.

This is the same exact fit as the last one and it only appeared in the one-shot manga bout Rabo and Yato but I want to rank it separately because of her accessory. She's just too cute with that little bow in her hair! Don't mind me fangirling over that bow like it's a national treasure. The sandals are nice new touch too.

8. Pink Kimono

This one is only shown in anime during the flashback scene where Yato massacred the ma clan. I love this kimono because it's in my favorite shade of pink. There isn't much to say about it though. It's pretty basic so I put in this spot

7. Volume 8 Kimono

This fit appeared on the cover of volume 8 of the manga. I have to admit, this fit is kinda crazy. Like the grape (??) socks, the random checkerboard pattern, the green hiyoku, the flower pattern, the flower in her hair. It all seems very random. But I actually think it goes together well! A hot mess can sometimes turn out beautiful. I like the way she looks with a flower in her hair. Mizuchi with hair accessories equals world domination. And why tf does that ayakashi doggie have a paper crane in its mouth? That's more random than the outfit lmao.

6. Fruit bowl Kimono

This one only appeared in a colored page of the manga. Can't remember what chapter or volume it was in exactly but I think it was in beginning. This kimono is very beautiful. The pattern on it reminds me of fruit bowls lol. Babygirl rlly has the best fashion sense ever. You can't change my mind on that. And she's wearing a hair accessory here! Rejoice!

5. Boysenberry Kimono

I think the color is boysenberry but I’m not sure. My eyesight isn’t that good. So this fit is from a Kami To Enishi card. The game is discontinued but I just couldn’t not add this fit in. It’s so pretty! The color of the kimono matches her eyes which is my favorite aspect of the outfit. I think the pattern on it is supposed to be temari balls. Or maybe it's supposed to be beach balls. Of course we can’t forget to mention the bow! Tbh I don’t think it matches with the rest of the fit. But hey, it matches better than the whole volume 8 ensemble. I still like the bow and I’m glad she’s wearing it!

4. Capybara Fit

First of all, how the heck do you spell capybara? I’ve seen it spelled in 5 different ways. Second of all, I LOVE THIS FIT MORE THAN MY FUTURE CHILDREN! Seriously it’s so cute! She rocked the whole world when she put this on. I screeched when I first read the chapter this was in. That's the sheer power of this outfit.

3. Yurei Fit

Next is babygirl's classic outfit, the yurei outfit! This fit is so iconic I had to put it in the top three. I have a lot to say about it. In a way, this fit is part of the reason why I got into Noragami. Like I'm an avid horror fan and I especially love any media that has to do with yurei. Yurei are Japanese ghosts for those of you who don't know. I saw a gif of Mizuchi here on tumblr and her character design caught my eye. I thought Noragami was going to be in the horror genre because of this fit. If she wasn't wearing this fit, I probably wouldn't have become interested in Noragami at all. Thank you to the yurei fit for getting me into this amazing series. I love her personal touches to it. Like the way she wears her hitaikakushi slanted, her big obi, her gauntlets, and her hiyoku. Her hiyoku had this lil flower pattern on it in the first few chapters. That was super adorable. It's a shame she never wears it again. Yurei are usually depicted just wearing a simple white kimono and with long hair. But babygirl has her own personal touches and she has a bob cut. She is rlly out here being a trendsetter for dead people in Japan. A round of applause for this fit.

2. Flower print Kimono

Excuse the poor quality pic. You've probably figured out by now that I have a thing for flower patterns lol. That's exactly the reason why this is my second favorite outfit of hers. It's one of her more simple fits. But I think it's to die for! Pun fully intended ;) If I remember correctly, in the past, she and baby Yato stole this from someone they killed. Sorry but I find that hilarious. R.i.p to whoever this kimono belonged to. You may have been killed but you didn't die in vain because a rlly cute girl has your kimono now. I wonder if babygirl would ever pull this out of her closet and wear it again. She may not even have it anymore since the flashbacks where she wore this were like centuries before Noragami takes place. This kimono might've already become tasty grub for moths :(

1. School uniform Fit

Of course, the school uniform is first. This fit literally invented the fashion industry! No one can tell me otherwise. Words can't fathom how cute babygirl looks in this. As a school girl who's been to multiple schools with uniforms, I think I'm qualified to say that Mizuchi looks better than anyone else in a school uniform. It's not just how she looks either but also the fact that Hiyori gave it to her. That really warms my heart. This fit did so much for the world. Like I've said before, it will go down in history as one of the best things to happen in fiction.

[carewyncromwell]

Okay I'm here to say, that post about Hogwarts history completely blew my mind. Can we have more Proffesor!Lane? :')

[Asking the Magical Historian to talk more about history?? Why yes, this pleases Lane very much.

Her lips spread into a crooked smile so like Jacob’s, even though her voice never reaches the levels of energy and volume that her son’s can when he’s geeking out about something.]

“(laughing softly) You’re a sweet ‘un. I’d be happy to...’give another lecture,’ so to speak.”

It’s a lot easier to give lectures through this ‘Askbox’ than presenting things in front of people. It reminds me of my one-on-one lessons with Winnie, before she went to Hogwarts.

“I know...why don’t I tell you a bit about house elf history? I wrote a whole essay presenting the research I collected for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures a few years back. That’s actually how I first got in touch with Bathilda, she sent me a letter after reading my essay...”

“Now first things first -- primary sources about elf culture are very hard to come by, as elf tradition and history has generally passed down through oral tradition. So most of the research I’ve collected is from second-hand accounts from house elves who were kind enough to lend me their insight and stories -- though I was also lucky enough to track down the journal of a wizard named Ralston Potter, who recorded the events surrounding him freeing his own family’s house elf, Frell.

“House elves are not human, and just like centaurs and goblins, they have their own kind of powerful magic and their own distinct way of seeing the world that differs greatly from our own. Most notably, elves do not use wands to channel their magic the way wizards do. There are...legal reasons for that today, of course, but there’s also history behind it. You might have noticed that underage witches and wizards can cast very powerful magic before receiving a wand. That’s because without a wand, their magic is very volatile. Magic is like fire -- if it’s not controlled, it can cause a lot of damage. And so wands are used to give our magic focus: it’s like a steering wheel that allows us to maneuver our magic wherever we want it to go. If one never receives a wand, or even uses magic without a wand too long, it can be very dangerous, not just for the people around that person, but for that person themselves. It can damage their health and body, and in extreme cases, they could even become an Obscurus.

“For elves, however, they’ve found another way to focus their magic -- not through a wand, but through permanent institutions. In the early days, elves were able to hone their extreme magical talent by focusing all of their abilities on the maintenance of a house or place of business. Their loyalty was not to the family that lived there, but to the place they cared for -- therefore, if the family was ever disrespectful to the elf or its home, the elf could take proper justice on that family. But if the family was kind to the elf, the elf would often return that kindness.

“Unfortunately, with the advent of the Statute of Secrecy at the end of the 17th century, things became much more complicated. In the old days, it didn’t matter what sort of family owned the house an elf cared for -- Muggle or magical, the elf would go on just the same. But as soon as the Wizarding World had to hide all evidence of magic from Muggles, the issue of what to do about the elves living in whatever house they wished became a real problem. The new Ministry of Magic knew it couldn’t compete with elves from a magical perspective -- elves have always been more powerful than wizards, even though their traditions and culture keep that power focused on a singular, concrete purpose like caring for a house or a family, rather than their own advancement. But at the same time, the Ministry couldn’t afford to have the existence of elves exposed to Muggles...and admittedly, many elves had become frustrated by the more rampant lack of respect shown by Muggles who had moved into the homes they occupied. So a compromise was reached -- elves would refocus their magic, not on a house that could pass from person to person, but directly onto a magical family. The magical family could then both offer protection and stability for the elf, so long as they chose to stay with them. At that time, the elf could leave whenever they wanted. This is also around the time when the idea of setting elves free with clothes originates. Although we’re not entirely sure where it came from, one theory among magical historians is that it was symbolic of the house elf’s services no longer being needed. As an example, one can point to the old Muggle fairy tale ‘The Elves and the Shoemaker,’ which, although likely not a historical account, may have been based on something true. The elves’ focus would’ve been on the family owning the shoe shop -- once the family had mastered their trade enough that they could make the elves their own clothes to thank them, the elves realized they were no longer needed, and so left with no regrets.

“Sadly, restricting elves to live only with magical families ultimately gave the elves much less choice about where they could live and what places they could use to focus their magic. If they were set free or left, it proved very difficult for them to find another home. They couldn’t just take up residence wherever they wanted anymore, either -- if they decided to stay even if a family set them free, or if they occupied a space where they weren’t wanted, the Ministry nearly always sided with the witches or wizards in question, since those magical families were now the only ones who could claim any ownership to the house. And as many magical families started to break away from the ideas of blood purity and marry Muggles and Muggle-borns, it became less popular to rely on house elf labor. So now today, elves are placed in a rather unpleasant position. They need a stable environment so as to focus their magic and not only maintain their culture but also their own livelihood...but due to lack of choice, elves have lost a lot of the equal footing they’d had with wizards in centuries past. This has therefore led many magical families to treat elves like servants or even slaves, rather than equals. But simply freeing an elf, or even all of them, wouldn’t solve the inherent problem, for they would still need something permanent that they could use to channel their powerful magic safely. Otherwise the elf’s own life and safety, as well as everyone around them, is put at risk.

“Now the idea of elves owning wands is...a thorny issue. Regardless of my own...personal views about the law forbidding house elves from owning a wand...many elves don’t want to use wands. They see it as a wizard invention exclusively. If they were to use a wand rather than focus magic on institutions or families the way their ancestors have, it would be sacrificing a piece of their culture -- and goodness knows, they’ve already been very detached from their heritage already thanks to wizard interference. But the law itself forbidding elf wand use was completely funded and propagated by wizards who felt deeply threatened by the thought of elves being treated as equals. They enjoyed having elves under their foot, and they had no interest treating them like creatures worthy of respect and an equal say in the Wizarding World and how it’s run. This is not an opinion or conjecture on my part....every single witch and wizard who supported that law -- Cantankerous Nott, Wilhelm Rosier, Josephina Flint, Odo Crouch, Aspen Greengrass -- expressed the belief that elves, if they were given wands, would be too powerful to control and that their subjugation was not only just, but also for the protection of wizardkind. They, to put it very simply, were so afraid of elves being extended the same privileges as wizards that they enshrined their second-class status into wizarding law.”

[Lane brings her hands together, interlacing the fingers solemnly.]

“Now I know a lot of this...isn’t particularly uplifting. Elves’ current position in magical society -- much like that of centaurs and goblins or even beings like werewolves, vampires and hags -- is not very ideal. But there have been some efforts to fight for elf rights, over the years. St. Mungo’s Hospital for Maladies and Injuries has been employing and housing elves for almost two decades now. There are now about a hundred wizard-owned restaurants around the world that are either completely or largely operated by elves. Helga Hufflepuff first brought house elves to Hogwarts back before the Statute of Secrecy was enacted, but when Albus Dumbledore became Headmaster, he introduced some improvements, such as adding a small, dormitory-like space next to the kitchens where the elves could sleep and keep personal belongings. And as our understanding of elf culture improves, so too can our laws and policies regarding them.”

((OOC: HEADCANONS GALORE AGAIN. For anyone who has read my fic Harry Potter and the Lack of Lamb Sauce, this is pretty much the essence of that one abbreviated history lesson Millicent Bulstrode gave Hermione in that one chapter where they discuss elf rights. XDD This also took WAY too long to write out...whew! Seriously, though, Candy love, I’m glad you enjoyed my absolute nerdiness!! *tackle-hug* <333

I’m well aware of the...problematic elements of the house elves’ depiction in the original Potter novels, and although yes, I agree the parallels one can draw are troubling, I also have to point to how goblin and centaur culture are depicted in the Potterverse being distinctly “not-human�� (i.e. goblins’ conception of “ownership” being more focused on the creator of the object rather than anyone who inherits it, or in HPHM centaurs requiring offerings in order to have a chance to earn entry into their camp). It’s not out of the realm of possibility, therefore, that elves likewise have their own distinctly “not-human” traditions and culture. And admittedly the idea of Rowling’s house elves seems very inspired by folk tales surrounding the brownie/boggart, as well. But yeah, if you don’t dig this interpretation of mine, I totally get it -- I’m not going to act like I’m any sort of authority here. I’m just a huge nerd with way too much time on her hands who prefers to find ways to make this fictional world she enjoys better rather than double-down on the things she doesn’t like. XD;

In regards to elves using a permanent institution to focus their magic on...my personal headcanon is that Dobby, as a free elf, used Hogwarts and -- once he’d reunited with him -- Harry as that permanent institution. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go cry in a corner.))

Ask Lane Cromwell!