#it was really weird to draw them as more human just to make them fishy

[hauntedpotat]

A quick Oc Mermay drawing before the end of the month!

The style on the second one is noticeably different if you squint (please don't). I was tired

Fish references below the cut! These are screenshotted from Google btw

👍

[hana-bobo-finch]

MORE PDBC POSTING!!! WHAT!!! I AM UNSTOPPABLE!!! HERE IS A QUICK DOODLE I DID LAST NIGHT OF SUSHI THE FISH DAUGHTER

YIPPEE so. As ive mentioned before she was a fish who was given human life! She was Gourdie’s pet fish who, at the end of its life, Gourdie took to someone to give it new life so it wouldn’t die. The result was Sushi!!! My beloved!!!

First lemme talk about her design, it’s not final but it’ll be somethin like this. In her fish life she was a banded archerfish so I tried to convey that through the black streaks in her hair and somewhat through her vitiligo (but that was mostly just because I think vitiligo is really pretty looking and I wanted to make a character with it). Also gave her arrow shaped earrings to try to convey the archer aspect of it. She also has gills as you can see, on the sides of her face, I’ll get into the biology of it later. Gave her big-ass eyes, I initially pictured her with sharper angles but she didn’t have that fishy vibe so I scrapped that. She has a long neck and weird floaty hair that’s loosely based on the shadow queen from pmttyd! (HER HAIR IS HELL TO DRAW) it’s hard to see here but she usually wears a wetsuit cause they keep in a thin layer of water and that’d be good for a fish-person right?

SO the biology aspect of things. I haven’t come up with it fully but she needs water to survive, she can sort of breath plain air but it’s not as effective. Because of this she’s usually in water and, when not, has water tanks hooked up to herself that deliver water to her gills. Sorta like the opposite of scuba diving gear I guess? She also lacks fingers! Can’t see it here but she just has weird-ass fin hands. as for other aspects of her biology, I ended up cheesing my way out of having to think about that because her boyfriend is asexual so i don’t have to question the morals of getting it on with someone who’s half fish (though I think the unanimous decision would be that you shouldn’t do that so it worked out in the end)! good for me I guess?

ANYHOO she was put in charge of the fish clan at a young age and was constantly told that her main duty is to keep the fish clan alive, so obviously she dedicated her entire life to doing so to an unhealthy extent. She did a fairly good job at keeping it afloat but just barely, as nobody wanted to join it and she was usually forgotten about when it came to the clan leaders. She has connections to the Ramsay clan though and managed to prevent them from harming the fish clan so good for her she managed to negotiate with them. Really she just did her own thing most of the time, she’s the youngest clan leader by a lot so everyone else just let her be as she did whatever she saw fit. She was given a building as her official clan headquarters that she absolutely ADORES, I don’t remember if it has a name but think of it like the woah zone from super paper mario. So I’ll just call it the woah zone before I think of something original. It’s all weird and anti-gravity and stuff. She loves it there and instead of bothering to do her job she would just hang out there swimming around and stuff. Even while slacking she was still patriotic to her clan to a fault, she could barely interact with people cause her sole mission was to get them to join the clan. She also holds resentment towards the other fish people (there are MORE) because they’re vastly more successful than her and aren’t part of the fish clan. She also hates finch with a burning passion, she would definitely kill him if given the chance! Eventually she met Wheezer (will get to him someday) and over time fell head over heels in love with him but ALAS while they were on their first date he was like. hey listen dude you’re cool and all but I’m aroace. she was DEVASTATED but they managed to work something out so they can both be happy in a relationship yippee. Around this time she founded the underground fish clan, which was essentially just the fish clan but…secret. Secret missions, different members, etc. It was located in an underwater facility, with ways of communication through pipes that you would send messages through (some pipes were connected to sewage systems so there’d occasionally be classified UFC documents popping up in toilets and people would just be like. Ok. what the fuck is that.) When the fish clan was signed away to the pumpkin clan, she, in a fit of rage believing her entire life led up to nothing, took the guy in charge of the deal to the woah zone and shot him with a flaming cannon, killing him. As I mentioned in my previous post this sparked an all out war, and sushi ended up actually feeling horrible for what she did (SHOCKING) especially as Wheezer was so disgusted with her that he broke up with her. She spent the next few months desperately trying to win him back over with scammy products that were sold as relationship fixers. During this time she also recruited new underground fish clan members, promising freedom and excitement. She rescued a hostage of the Ramsay clan, and set off with Fina (the first hybrid) to attempt to make a hybrid version of the man she killed in order to smooth things over. This…somewhat succeeded, Fina ended up going on her own little rampage but the hybrid was made (HY.K.) and (if I’m remembering correctly??) was brought to Mount Margarita and TBYTF to bring him to full life. The group went there with Deux Souris (who desperately wanted HY.K. to work as she was friends with the original version of him) but ended up getting in trouble, and they all bailed, leaving Deux Souris behind at the mercy of TBYTF. HY.K. did end up working but that’s a story for another time. Anyway. Skippinh ahead because the next part of the story is still in development, oof, she finally disbanded the fish clan and turned herself in to prison, spending a few months there while also rebuilding her relationship with Wheezer.

Once released she had Gourdie fully remove the fishiness from her to try to start her new life away from the fish clan. She bought a house (WHICH GOT BURNT DOWN BY AN EVIL SUITCASE BUT UHHH) with Wheezer and got to work on her passion project, a large system of buildings called the Snowflake. what’s the snowflake you may ask? UHHHH I DONT REMEMBER UHHHH LOOK THERE’S A YEAR’S WORTH OF LORE CUT ME SOME SLACK ANYWAY she worked a ton of miscellaneous jobs to pay for the expenses including an extremely sketchy place near Mount Margarita that PROOOOBABLY also doubled as a child fighting ring. During which she was so traumatized by the children there (being a fish person she’s never really seen human children before) and vowed to never have children ever. Which was fine with Wheezer.

ok so that was a LOT uhhh in terms of personality she takes after Gourdie quite a bit, pretty competitive, a hopeless romantic, etc. but sushi differs from her as sushi is MUCH more hyper, she pretty much will NEVER sit still. Sushi’s also extremely gullible, she falls prey to scams SO much and once almost burnt her house down because she followed a recipe that simply told her to turn on her stove and leave it on for a few days. So pretty much the opposite of Gourdie in that regard. She also is rather…petty towards people, she just doesn’t really like them that much. Holds grudges a lot, she hates forgiving people. She is a ball of barely concealed anger at all times. if you’ve ever listened to all American bitch, she’s pretty much that song. Oh yeah also she can turn into a well. Like just straight up a well. No explanation for that she can just. Bam. Become a well. So yeah. That is sushi. I love her (though actually for a time I really hated her lmao, the character she killed was one of my favorites and I hated her for weeks after that despite…me being the one writing the story. And me being the one who decided she killed him.)

anyway yeah! Sushi!

[love-takes-work]

I’ve recreated every food in Steven Universe

OKAY I THINK I FINALLY DID IT

I FINALLY RECREATED EVERY RECIPE FROM THE SHOW

Sooooo . . . what did I miss?

Now it’s your turn to help me be sure I got them all. Your mission, should you choose to accept it:

Reblog this post suggesting a food from the show (with or without screencap; just enough so I can recognize it). The weirder the better.

I will respond to you with my photo of when I made that food.

If I can’t deliver, I will like send you $10 or draw you a SU fanart or something. (We’ll negotiate.)

I will accept asks instead of reblogs if you prefer.

It’s fine if you have a fairly common or easy suggestion and you just wanna see it. ;)

I’m offering this incentive because I really want some help combing the show for foods I might have forgotten! Your help is appreciated!

Edit: Adding responses. :D 

Dog-Nut (Pilot!)

Classic Hot Dog (Intro)

Fry Bits (2 - “Laser Light Cannon” & others)

Together Breakfast (4 - “Together Breakfast”)

Popcorn for Onion (7 - “Bubble Buddies”)

Giant Strawberry (8 - “Serious Steven” & others)

Large Pizza, Extra Fishy (10 - “Steven’s Lion”)

Cereal to stop the Foot (11 - “Arcade Mania”)

Aqua Mexican Burrito (13 - “So Many Birthdays”)

Movie Snacks (17 - “Lion 2: The Movie”)

Crystal Lizards (17 - “Lion 2: The Movie”)

Hot Dogs & Hamburgers (18 - “Beach Party”)

Lars’s Lunch (20 - “Coach Steven”)

Fire Salt & Fire Salt Donuts (21 - “Joking Victim”)

Big Fat Zucchini with Linguine (22 - “Steven and the Stevens”)

Chaaaaps (23 - “Monster Buddies”)

Mi Torta (23 - “Monster Buddies”)

Durian Juice (24 - “An Indirect Kiss”)

Fish Kebabs & Giant Fish (30 - “Island Adventure”)

Cheeseball Cake (32 - “Fusion Cuisine”)

Breadsticks (32 - “Fusion Cuisine”)

Shrimp Appetizer (32 - “Fusion Cuisine”)

Onion Rings (33 - “Garnet’s Universe”)

Baby Melon (34 - “Watermelon Steven”)

Nice Spicey Pretzels (35 - “Lion 3: Straight to Video”)

Mama Sadie Lunch (35 - “Lion 3: Straight to Video”)

Garnet’s Chocolate Chip Cookies (37 - “Warp Tour”)

Mayo Sandwich (39 - “Future Vision”)

Bindle Lunches (40 - “On the Run”)

Marshmallows (42 - “Winter Forecast”)

Waffle Egg Sandwich (42 - “Winter Forecast”)

Caprese Salad (47 - “Shirt Club”)

Three-Way Sub (55 - “Say Uncle”)

Pizza Steve (55 - “Say Uncle”)

Tea and Cookies (55 - “Say Uncle”)

Pile of Food (57 - “Reformed”)

Snack Sushi (Season 2 Short - “Cooking With Lion”)

Biscuits & Jam (58 - “Sworn to the Sword”)

Smoothie & Orange Slices (58 - “Sworn to the Sword”)

Best Breakfast in the World (64 - “Keystone Motel”)

Noodles and Butter (65 - “Onion Friend”)

Potato Steven (65 - “Onion Friend”)

Lion Lickers (68 - “Nightmare Hospital”)

Amethyst’s Hoagie (79 - ��Super Watermelon Island”)

Fresh Big Donut Donuts (84 - “Steven Floats”)

Guacola (85 - “Drop Beat Dad”)

Pepe’s Burgers (86 - “Mr. Greg”)

The Finest Steak and Brie (86 - “Mr. Greg”)

Corndogs (87 - “Too Short to Ride”)

Pizza Bagel & Fantastic Fries (90 - “Restaurant Wars”)

Fancy Orange Juice (93 - “Alone at Sea”)

PROTES Protein Bars (95 - “Gem Hunt”)

Pine Needle Tea (95 - ”Gem Hunt”)

Sugar Shock Shut Down (109 - “Last One Out of Beach City”)

Apple Sidra (109 - “Last One Out of Beach City”)

Gem Harvest & Wedding Cake (111-112 “Gem Harvest”)

Korean Lunch (114 - “Steven’s Dream”)

Zoo Fruit (117 - “The Zoo”)

Pumpkin-Shaped Pumpkin Bread (126 - “The Good Lars”)

Ube Roll (126 - “The Good Lars”)

Cool Kids Potluck (126 - “The Good Lars”)

Jungle Moon Alien Carcass (140 - “Jungle Moon”)

Meal for Stranded Humans (144 - “Lars’ Head”)

Everything Pizza (148 - “What’s Your Problem”)

Together Breakfast Wedding Cake (151-152- “Reunited”)

Bixbite’s Pizzas (SUF 2 - “Guidance”)

Snow Cones (SUF 2 - “Guidance”)

Crystal Drinks (SUF 3 - “Rose Buds”)

Carrot Bean Meal (SUF 3 - “Rose Buds”)

Tomato Soup on the Go (SUF 5 - “Bluebird”)

Clams, Peanut Butter, & a side of fresh-cut grass (SUF 5 - “Bluebird”)

Bluebird’s Cake (SUF 5 - “Bluebird”)

Fried Eggs (on Amethyst’s face) (SUF 7 - “Snow Day”)

Protein Shake (SUF 7 - “Snow Day”)

Spicy Chili (SUF 11 - “In Dreams”)

Together Forever Cake (SUF 13 - “Together Forever”)

Cookie Cat Ice Cream (SUF 14 - “Growing Pains”)

Cocoa (SUF 14 - “Growing Pains”)

Ice Cream a La Pie (SUF 15 - “Mr. Universe”)

Caveats and Rules (read if participating):

It counts as a recipe for the show only if it is eaten or to be eaten by a character (onscreen or implied to have been) or otherwise prominently featured. (e.g., Together Breakfast would count even though it was not eaten, but random food sitting around incidentally in a fridge or bake case does not count as a recipe.)

Food items that are only mentioned but not pictured don’t count.

Food items that are part of the background art don’t count unless they are significant or interacted with at some point. This includes mentioned or pictured items on restaurant menus.

Note: I HAVE actually made some things that have only been mentioned or pictured on menus! So feel free to suggest them if you really want to see if I made them! But for purposes of qualifying for a reward, I can’t commit to making the entire bake case, pizza joint menu, Spacetries display, or commercial cooler full of food if they’re more scenery than snacks.

If I have made an item once and it recurs, it doesn’t count as a different recipe if it appears in a different configuration in a later episode. (e.g., if I made an ube roll for “The Good Lars,” I don’t have to make a new one for Steven Universe: The Movie.)

Non-food items eaten by animals, monsters, and Amethyst do not count as recipes. (e.g., I do not consider it a recipe when the Big Bird from “Giant Woman” ate a goat and Steven. I do not consider it a recipe when Amethyst eats wrappers or garbage. Weird food she eats is OK. As long as it is food.)

YES, I count all qualifying food in Steven Universe, Steven Universe: The Movie, Steven Universe Future, and any official shorts as fair game.

NO, I do not count food in the comics, the video games, the official or tie-in books, Ronaldo’s blog, or the Crewniverse’s celebratory food as recipes I have to make.

There is a lot of generic popcorn, chips, and soda in this show. I don’t count it as a new recipe every time someone munches one of these as an incidental snack.

Very minor variations on common snacks don’t count as new recipes. (e.g., I don’t have to make every donut or flavor of Chaaaaps anyone was ever seen eating. Including variation options in my recipe is enough.)

Random messes made with food do not have to be recreated as recipes. (e.g., Onion smearing condiments all over the kitchen is not a recipe; pizzas that get destroyed or thrown around are not new recipes; Greg and Steven scattering food leavings around their Empire City hotel is not a recipe; a seagull with a banana peel on its head carrying pizza does not count; Steven scattering the contents of his kitchen on the floor while making Together Breakfast is not a recipe, etc.)

Yes, the foods will be prepared/arranged by me. In most cases they are homemade creations but in some cases store-bought elements will be used and that is also OK. 

Food-shaped items that aren’t actually food are not recipes. (e.g., game controllers shaped like ham do not count. Crying Breakfast Friends are characters, not food.)

Things made out of food do not count unless they are eaten. (e.g., Fish Stew Pizza is required; Jenny made out out of pizza in Kiki’s dream is not.)

Vegetarian alternatives, facsimiles designed to look but not taste like certain foods, and ingredient substitutes are permissible. (e.g., vegetarian pepperoni on a pizza that was REAL pepperoni in the show is allowed; a non-fish substitute for a real dead fish is OK; dishes representing disgusting food that are secretly delicious are all right, etc.)

Thanks for your help. :)

[boba-xing]

Captivating {Chapter 7}

Fem!Reader x Werewolf!Choi Seungcheol (SVT)

Warnings: swearing, dark themes/mentions of torture

Tagged: @suhappysuho @captain-brie @seekerbabygirl @moon8894 @yippee-kay-yay @sehunnies-hunnie96 @lovinggalaxies @brokenbutchocolate @amixoferrthang @onewoowonderboy​ @hhhhwww7 @9rachacha @sksk-x @haluim17 @jelly-fishy-babie @sakura-uji @psshwa​

-

You’re sitting on Seungcheol’s bed, a glass of water in your shaking hand, barely able to speak. Your mind is flooded with a mixture of fear and wonder of what is happening downstairs. Since Seungcheol carried your frozen frame upstairs a silence has passed over the house.

Said man is currently sitting opposite you, at the end of the bed, clearly concentrating hard on what he should say. After what feels like hours of waiting he finally speaks, “You said you were interested in mythology...vampires and stuff like that.”

He’s looking at you now, analysing your fearful expression as you nod.

“Well, vampires don’t exist, of course.” he nods, “But, werewolves, well, they d-”

“You’re telling me that was a werewolf?” you breathe,

“Y-yes, yes it was.” 

“In your living room?”

“It’s more complicated than that though.” he scratches the back of his neck, “You see, it’s kind of hard to say. I’m not sure if you’re going to believe me.”

You just stare at him.

“Well, me and the boys, we’re a pack...um, a pack of werewolves. We can turn into them, it’s just, well, that really.” He bites the inside of his cheek, blinking at you,

“What?”

“We’re werewolves.” he repeats, “I’m the leader of the pack, I’m an alpha and that’s why I have such authority over the others. And the blood on the shirt you saw on the first night you came here, that was from an attack...another pack.”

You look at him for a moment, taking in everything he’s saying and trying to understand what you think.

It’s bullshit.

You slam the glass down on the bedside table before storming out of the room and down the stairs, Seungcheol following close behind you. You turn around once you’re outside the door. “I’m not taking part in your sick fantasy! What the actual fuck is wrong with you? Is this some kind of furry convention or something?”

“___, I swear to god I’m not making this stuff up! I’m being serious.” he says, clearly frustrated. 

Instead of answering him, you scurry down the driveway. You have absolutely no idea where you’re going to go considering you’re basically surrounded by woods with no transport. You pull at your hair, arm forcefully grabbed by Seungcheol to pull you back in his direction.

“For fucks sake, ___, I’m not playing. I know this is hard to believe, but don’t you feel bad for me? Even a little? I can’t help being like this. The boys can’t help being like this! This is just how we were born.” His eyes are wet with tears, “Please, just hear me out. We’re not going to hurt you, I’d never hurt you, you know that!”

“You’re crazy!” You rip your arm out of his grasp and rush away, legs carrying you as fast as you can down the driveway. You manage to pull your phone out, slowing down as you realise Seungcheol is no longer following you. You call Jihyun, your friend from work, and she kindly agrees to come pick you up.

You can feel Seungcheol's eyes on you as you wait for her to arrive and you already know he's going it'll only be a moment before he comes over.

And it is.

As he draws closer you see the tear stains on his cheek, and the determination on his face to pull himself together. "___, please listen to me. I would never lie to you. And I'm not crazy, even if I am, at least I care about you."

You look away from him.

"I know it's hard for you to understand, but I just want the best for you, I want you to be safe. I want you to be loved, and happy, and with me. I care about you, so much, please don't cut me off because you don't understand something." He begs.

Headlights drawing near catch your attention and you stand up as the car approaches, Jihyun's friendly face appearing in the window.

"Bye, Seungcheol." You say quietly as you get in the car.

---

“Please, please, let me go.” You beg, arms yanking at the handcuffs in hope you’ll somehow break free,

The dark figure in front of you just laughs, completely warped and unrecognisable.

“Please.” You cry, hot tears streaming down your cheeks as you pant, breathless, “I’ll do anything, whatever you want! What do you want from me? Please!”

“Maybe you should’ve listened to him.” the voice cackles,

“Listened to who?” You sob, letting your head fall down to face your shaking legs,

The voice doesn’t reply and instead you hear heavy footsteps drawing closer. You jump as a hand finds your neck, gripping it tight and squeezing, squeezing until all the air has left your lungs.

You wake up drenched in sweat, body shaking as you try to calm your breaths. Taking a moment to pull yourself together, you sit up and glance around the dark room. 

You don’t like the dark.

With a sigh you make you your way to the bathroom and wash your face with some reluctance. Although startling, the cold water clears your lungs and calms you down.

You draw yourself over to the kitchen, grabbing yourself a glass of water. You only take a few sips before placing it down on the counter, realising you forgot to close the curtains. A chill runs up your spine. Someone could easily be watching you right now.

You hesitantly make your way over to the window, glancing down at the street. There’s one car you recognise, and as your eyes meet the driver you realise he was already looking at you.

Slipping on a coat and shoes, you scurry down as fast as you can, rushing over to the car as soon as you’re out of the building.

“Joshua?” you ask,

“Get in.” He says after rolling down the window, “Not to go somewhere, just to talk.”

You nod, hopping in the car and shutting the door securely. “What are you doing here?”

“Watching.” he looks at you, somewhat serious, “In case anyone tries to get to you again.”

“Let me guess, Seungcheol sent you?”

“Well, yes, but I’d like to think I would’ve done it anyway.” a small smile forms on his face, “We’re friends.”

You nod, glancing down at your hands.

“Shouldn’t you be asleep?” he asks with a frown, “Not tired?”

“I slept terribly.”

“I don’t blame you, after tonight I wouldn’t sleep well either.”

You rest your head against the headrest.

“Listen.” He begins, “I know you don’t want to believe it, but the whole werewolf thing is true. And if you just gave us a chance, maybe you would realise we aren’t the man-eating monsters everyone makes us out to be.”

“Werewolves aren’t real.”

“It doesn’t matter whether you think they’re real or not, you like the fantasy, that’s why you drown yourself in fairytales and folklore. Sure, it’s not as scary, or as sweet, as it’s made out to be. But how can you run away from something you’ve dreamed of?”

“I watch horror films, that doesn’t mean I want to be in one.” You sigh,

“It’s not like a horror film.” he groans, “Sure we turn into big, dangerous wolves, but we’re still human. We’re still people.”

You look up at him.

“What is it you’re afraid of?”

“I don’t know any of you, like really know you. I’m supposed to be staying in a house with a bunch of men, who are apparently werewolves, with a...I guess...boyfriend? Who scares the living shit out of me when he gets mad and apparently knows exactly where I am all the time. It’s weird?! What part of that sounds appealing to you?” you explain, “And to add to that, I’m being stalked by some creep who drugs people close to me.”

“I know. But ___, just give us a chance, okay? Seungcheol really cares about you and he only wants you to be safe and happy. Come back home with me, and we can sort things out.” he pushes, knowing his next sentence would have him thoroughly beaten if Seungcheol knew he said it, “If you go a week and realise you don’t want to be around us, that’s fine, you can leave.”

This whole situation is crazy. You never signed up for this. You want to go back to your life before this, curled up in bed, single and eating pringles, but you know you can’t....and there’s a small spark of hope in your heart that maybe, just maybe this whole situation could work out? Maybe Seungcheol could be the one for you, and maybe this whole werewolf situation is real...but safe? You know you won’t be able live with yourself if you don’t follow this path. You need to know what happens.

“Please?”

“O-okay.” you nod, Joshua instantly beaming at you, 

“Thank you!” He laughs a little, slamming his hand down on the steering wheel,

“I’ll be back in a second, I’m gonna go and get my phone.” you say before moving swiftly out of the car.

You make it back up to your apartment, rushing to your bedroom to grab your handbag and phone before scurrying back out to Joshua’s car. Of course, you fail to notice the previously full glass of water you left on the counter is now empty, and your purse is home to a small, bitter note.

[bittybattybunny]

Bun- you ask me curiously

Why you draw babies? that is not how snatcher looks in the fic; you’ve drawn him as a younger leviathan but hes a kid here

Where are Eclipse’s markings and dog features as a child

I gently hold your face  these are another au but don’t worry it ties together i whisper as i gently go back to writing but just really wanted to draw these

also its like super weird to draw eclipse as a full human, no fangs, no scars, no facial markings and two blue eyes not her normal one

It’s no where near done but here’s part of the writing that goes with this pic (i’ve got like 8 pages typed out and it’s no where nearrrrrr what i’ve planned):

    “Are you okay?” She knelt beside the water, blue eyes wide.

    The young merman froze turning to her, tears pooling over his eyes as he struggled with the net tangled around him.

    “Do you want some help?” She asked grinning, “You’re really pretty!” She beamed reaching out. He recoiled at her hand. She tilted her head, “Sorry! I jus wanna help!” She grinned a lopsided grin.

    He shivered as tears kept pooling over his eyes, “I-It’s tight.” he finally spoke, a light voice quivering.

    “Oh you can talk.” she stood up, dusting her shorts off, black curls bouncing as she turned, “I’ll be right back!” She waved, running off.

    The red scaled merman sat there, sniffling. He couldn’t believe he’d been so dumb to get caught in a net. All he wanted to do was get away for a little bit and now. He was. He was. He began to cry louder. He was going to die in some stupid net! He tried to rub at his eyes but his arm was tangled away and he just kept crying.

    “Well color me Surprised, you really did find a Merman, my little wolfsong.” A deep gruff voice gave a sharp whistle.

    The merman stared up to the scarred face of a silver haired man, fangs peeked from his mouth as he inspected the net. He was so huge! The young boy shook as tears kept pooling. From behind the man the little girl peeked back around, Climbing up to the man’s shoulder.

    “See papa? He’s all tied up!” She frowned, “Can you get him loose? It hurts, I think. Look how much he’s crying!” She grinned, “Don’t worry mister fishy! Papa can help!” She giggled.

    “Hold still pup.” He mumbled, pulling out a small pocket knife. He began to gently cut at the ropes until the merman was freed.

    He relaxed, falling backwards laying in the sand, covering his face with his arms, “T-Thank you!” He sobbed.

    “Yeah!” The little girl hopped down sitting next to him in the sand, water licking at them, “No more being stuck!” 

    “Where's your pod?” the older man asked, looking out to the sea, “I’m surprised your elders didn’t get you out before you washed on shore.” He looked back down the red and golden scaled merman.

    “I-I..” the boy teared up more, “I ran away.” he admitted.

    “Ran away? But you can’t run.” The little girl poked his tail, running her hands down his scales, “Wow you’re really smooth like a snake!” she giggled. She stopped feeling him tense up.

    Her father sighed, “Eclipse, baby girl, please stop touching him. He’s obviously upset.” her father scooped her up. He stroked his scruffy chin, deep in thought, “I wonder if Sena would know.”

        “S-Sena?!” the merman choked on tears sitting up, “The Demon?!” He panicked, “No No Don’t tell Sena ! Why do you know Sena?!”

    The father and daughter tilted their heads, surprised by his outburst. The man began to give a loud barking laugh, “Lad, I’m a werewolf, Sena helps keep me reigned in.” 

    “Oh…” he seemed to finally stop crying. He wiped at his eyes, wincing as he got sand in them. He looked to the ocean and frowned, curling up, “I’m not going back.” he stated firmly, “Sena can’t make me.”

    “Sena can’t make you do what?” Came that litted tone as the crescent faced demon came over towards the three, floating in the air. He stared down at the merman and then to the duo and back to the merman. His eye narrowed as he heaved a sigh. He rubbed his temple, “What.” was all he got out.

    “I made a friend!” Eclipse grinned reaching out to the demon. He grabbed her holding her as he stared down at the merman who tried curling tighter.

    “Did you now?” He raised a brow looking down, “Did you make a Friend, Arulius?” he asked, shifting the child in his arms.

    “Arooo. Aroooo. Rooli..” Eclipse struggled with pronouncing his name, “Can i call you Ru?” She asked with sparkling eyes.

  �� “S-Sure?” he responded, surprised.

[fishymom-art]

How do u created hate u girl? :o

AW YEAH, TIME TO MAKE A LOOOONG POST WITH ILLUSTRATIONS!!!!

All my stories begin with me creating a main character and then building a world around them. Same with HUGirl, but it was a liiiiittle bit funnier. In the beginning Diana was just... well, me.

Thhhat right, the original design of Diana and her character herself is how I used to draw myself back in 2016, when I first started calling myself FishyMom!

I drew myself in Ford Pines’ (from Gravity Falls, yes) outfit and with gills, because I was in Undertale fandom and I was in loooove with Undyne. I used to have a group chat with my friends who also liked Undertale and at some point they started calling me FishyMom, because I was bossy, caring and had gills, apparently. 

This design, as well as the nickname, stuck with me for a long time. At some point, I decided to make a character out of this design.

I called her Ford. You know. Because of the obvious thing XD. But I didn’t have a world for her yet.

Then I had a lot of things going on. In around 2014-2015 I was going to write two books about this world called Mirror World or Mirror Side. Some kind of shadows, who were assigned to you since your birth, would lead you into this world if you were unhappy. Mirror World has everything you ever wanted to have, creates a wonderful, flawless life and... brainwashes you completely into hailing the king of this world who harvests your powers to break out of the Mirror World and conquer the other side???? aka Magical Cult Kingdom, nothing else to say. 

Ford was going to be a right-hand-man of the king and had his mark on her face which meant that he sees through her eyes. But I never finished the book (in fact, I tried rewriting it 3 times and did not succeed) and didn’t really know how to put Ford in, since I already had a hecking lot of characters who were much more important to the story than she was. But she was still kinda there in the story.

(btw, the king’s name was Gaskard, which is Alex Gaskarth’s (vocalist of All Time Low) name written wrong. I didn’t know it was his name, my classmates were joking around when they said it when I was asking for a villain’s name. I was on their concert in 2017 uwu)

I was thinking about a sequel of the book at the same moment as I was still not writing the first one XD. And now it gets interesting.

In the first book, there had to be this girl, who was one of main character’s young sister and student. The second book was going to be about her and her twin brother. Her name was Elizabeth. 

The first picture is Elizabeth with her twin-brother, Noelle and second picture is the old Elizabeth.

A lot of things later, I decided to get rid of the story and make a whole new story for a sequel. But I was still left with Elizabeth. And I made her Ford. (and I made Noelle her sister instead of brother I guess...)

At this point, I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted Ford to be a scientist. I wanted her to be a warrior. I wanted her to be the characters I was inspired by when I was creating her. And I knew the story I was going to give her.

But I still didn’t have a world. And I still didn’t have a name.

And then I did a thing

There was a blog on Tumblr before hate-u-girl that had something to do with Ford. And I posted comics there. And you could or could not have seen at least one of the stupid comics I drew calling them all under the name HUGirl, which was literally Human, but a “girl” instead of “man”. And I mean this one...

my eyes hurt from the art style and from tHE AMOUNT OF NOTES IT HAS. LIKE, LITERALLY, I JUST HAD TO SEARCH FOR IT, LAST TIME I SAW THIS ABOMINATION, IT HAD 3K NOTES, DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS MY MOST VIEWED ARTWORK??? MY LEGACY???? [heavy breathing] IS IT BECAUSE I TAGGED ZUTARA THERE??? IS THIS WHY?????

- ok, screaming aside XD

Yup! That was Ford! And there was also Huboy, who then went on to be Robert! (hoooo boi....). They were partners right from the beginning!!!!

And I finally started drawing the actual comic. THIS, everybody, is two ONLY pages that were made for the first ever try on “HUGirl” comic.

Ah, they were such babies....

The main antagonist of the comic, however, was someone fully new and someone who was also first just the way I drew myself.

Fishy Mom. Yes yes, you heard it right. Fishy Mom IS a character. That’s why at some point I asked people to call me RK (Ar-Key or, for Russians, Er-Ka), because that was a little weird. And she had to be some kind of a ruler of fully re-made Mirror World!!! 

I came up with the idea of making her a villain and a separate character after I made a cover on Die House and drew her in that dress for the first time. She evolved to an entity that can transform into your biggest fears (directly or indirectly). And Ford’s greatest fear was (and still is) water and fish.

Strange and unpolished, I left the first attempt and started drawing the second one, already including my baby Adelaide, who has a much bigger role than you think and I won’t be telling it. (Oh, and Robert’s lasagna appeared there too! Me and my friends made a lot of jokes about this lasagna XDDD)

Here are some of my favorite panels!

“big power with a tiny apartment?”

Diana and Robert were going to be a couple.

it’s a toxic haze all around

LOOK AT THIS BABY!!!

+ bonus of a badass Robert.

There had to be that other character called Complete Failure who has first appeared in this animation I made. All the characters in it are “the original cast” of HUGirl and will always be. I wanted them to be the villain for some time but quickly changed my mind and put Fishy Mom back into the role of the villain. They still remained a very important character to me who you can thank for the story HUGirl is now and will be.

Then Fishy Mom (or rather F-001 aka Fishy Good/Too Good To Be True) got a HuMan FoRm!!!! Yaaaay! Because a cartoony fish in the middle of a sci-fi post-apocalyptic drama would have been pretty weird. Btw, I have no idea at which point it turned into a post-apocalyptic comic, but I had to roll with it, because I put it as genre in WebToon and Idk if I can change it and I already came up with an excuse ahhaha.

My idea was that she put experiments and tried to create humans out of magic and science (i like that mix). This is when the “HU” in HUGirl turned into Human Urge Academy (now, Haze Unity Academy), the research academy on human life, who’s role is to create more humans because they can’t produce them the good-ol’-way anymore XD. And Diana (the “F” in the beginning of every experiment meant “Ford”, btw), alongside other characters, became a part of it and Fishy Mom became Diana’s personal nemesis, who was one of the experiments and wanted to kinda break free. It was still very weird and unpolished but I loved it. I had everything planned, from the beginning to the end and everything in the middle.

The last character I came up with was Susan Whaletaker. And she was anything but the character she is now XD. She was going to be the CEO of HUA and a pretty nice person. [turns to Susan now] NICE PERSON.

I had a lot of other thinking and writing in-between, but now I know exactly what I want to do with the story. And I have all those babes on my side uwu

It’s not a full story since it would have contained a lot of spoilers, but those are all the main events hehe, thank you very much uwu

if you have any other questions, please do ask!

[tfwhynoy]

Mtmte Megatron with a soon to be s/o who’s a newbie (?) at poetry and isn’t very confident in her works? Maybe some fluff and a confession? If not I understand, and while I’ve only read a bit of your work I believe I can say you have some writing talent!! (Sorry if it seems like I’m trying to get on your good side to do this more (?) not my intention!) (( and sorry do that was worded weird I’m rambling on text yay!!))

I’m never good at fic endings rip. I hope you like it though!

It was just poetry, some random form of art like anything else. It’s something almost ingrained in humans like song or dance. There was no such thing as a bad poem! Art isn’t something you can be ’bad’ at.

Still, as you read over your most recent haiku you couldn’t help the feeling of shame build up. It felt too short and poorly put together. Each word was stretched to fit together into a cobbled mess only the poorly read could even consider poem.

Crossing out the whole thing you tried to move on and think of something else. Most people wrote about love or sadness, right? But you had already tried that and all it came across as was some highschooler’s cheesy love poem or ‘deep’ tweet.

Hell, you didn’t even know the basic terms anyone who knows anything about poetry did. The fuck is a sonnet? Literally everyone else but you knows! How can you even think you could make something decent?

You thought about asking for some help. Magnus was a living dictionary who loved anything word related; he wrote plenty of his own and had a particular love of poetry. 

It’d be a cold day in hell before you genuinely considered that an option though. Asking him for assistance on anything had him correcting you on the right use of ‘can’ and ‘may’, let alone in when he held a day to lecture you on ‘too’ vs ‘to’ and ‘effect’ vs ‘affect’ in your reports. You go to him and he’d just belittling you for each mistake or typo. You sure as hell weren’t in the mood for more nagging about how you spoke.

You jumped out of your seat at the sound of your habsuit door opening. Quickly you set a datapad over the old notepad you had been working on. Yes ociffer, paperwork on a weekend is your faaavorite.

“You’ve been busy I see,” You turned as Megatron walked in. You hadn’t realized it was six o’clock.

As usual, he came with a small box for you to take from his fingertips, within was your dinner. He sat beside your small working platform, carefully placing the box beside where you are sitting.

You open the box and retrieve the silver ready-made tray of dinner. Some alien language you haven’t seen is scrawled across it. The writing almost forms what looks like a mutant strawberry. It’s highly unlikely but you can’t help the small bit of hope that whatever food you got may just taste like it too.

You go to move the stuff on your desk but pause. Paper was a peculiar thing to be writing on since it wasn’t exactly common in the middle of buttfuck nowhere space. You preferred the more tactile writing of a physical copy so you had been using it for your poetry. You’d rather not get Megatron questioning about it though.

“Is something the matter?” Apparently, you had taken a noticeable enough pause for him to notice.

“Na, just a little scatterbrained today,” You reply in an all too chipper tune.

You ignore his raised eyebrow and set the tray on the datapads. You’re always so careful with these things, treating them the same as the fragile tablets on Earth. You still feel odd doing this, your back is somewhat stiff as you carefully peel the silver topping off the tray.

“Are you sure nothing is wrong?” You ignore him, you’ve already opened this can of worms, now you gotta lay in ’em.

“Liaison?” His tone was firm. The particular word was abrasive as a pineapple to the face coming from him. You hated it when he called you that. Hadn’t the two of you moved passe passed all that formality after the universe jump?

“Yes?” 

“Is something the matter?” Megatron seemed genuinely concerned. How had you let some stupid poems rock you so much?

“It’s nothing.”

He looked at you from the corner of his optic for a moment. “You sure? You seem rather tense for a weekend. Is something upsetting you?”

You grimace. No point in drawing out this stupid point langer than necessary. 

“It’s just a shitty poem I wrote. Wasn’t satisfied and you didn’t exactly give me the chance to prevent it from ever reaching the light of day.”

A raised eyebrow and your immediately turning back to dinner.

“Something as small as a poem doesn’t seem big enough to upset you so much. There’s more going on isn’t there? ” The concern and care he had towards you at the moment almost pissed you off more than the fact he was right.

You had just hoped to try and write something for him. You expected something a bit cheesy but you refused to consider giving him the roses are red or some shitty haiku poems you kept making. Sadly that was all you really knew how to write.

“I just…” the smell of seafood wafted from your fork as you took a bite. If you tried hard enough you could almost believe it was just the fishy oyster smell turning your stomach to knots.

“I wanted to make something of worth. Not perfection, just something worth the half a minute it took to read it.”

“Why are you so focused on a good result?” You held back a scoff. How could you not? What would the point of writing shit be?

“I had someone in mind when writing it” you set the food on the desk with a huff, “I wrote from the heart and put all my mushy-gushy feeling into it. I tried following the rules then tried fucking them up. Everything turned out even worse than the last.”

“I’m sure it’s not that bad.” 

You snort, “You haven’t read it.”

“If you let me read it I may be able to help. I’m not the best with romance but I can try to help.” 

“Ya, no,” You take another bite.

You silently scoff at the idea of him helping, “Like I’d ask someone for help on a poem I want to give to them,” 

Fuck

A small glance at Megatron to see him almost frozen staring at you. 

“Did I say that out loud?” you squeak. 

His eyes narrowed, “Why would you stress over something for me?” Megatron seemed more suspicious than anything.  

Sinking slightly in your seat you struggled to find something for your eyes to focus on. “Uuuh…” Another glance and he was completely focused on you. A mix of suspicion and hurt was painted across his face. You couldn’t figure out why that was but you weren’t happy about it.

“I’ve just been trying to find a good way to say I love you..” you mumbled.

You don’t have to look ate Megatron to see he’s flabergasted, the loud sound of shifting metal as he lurches back. You sink furth into your chair, pushing the tray of food back. Your biggest worry about telling Megatron how you felt seems to be coming to life.

“Let’s just forget this okay. I know it’s a bad idea, sorry.”

The silence is thick in the air for a minute before Megatron speaks again. “I… Why don’t we talk about this,” a glum look at him and he’s focused on the floor while he talks, “I do love you. We don’t need to worry about Earth or anything like that now since you aren’t actually Earth’s liaison now,” he turns and you two make cautious eye contact, “If we are to have a relationship we need to sot down and have a serious discussion about this.”

You’re quite as the gears in your head start turning. “Seriously?”

He nods, “Of course.”

You take a deep breath to steady yourself, “Ya okay. I can do that.”

[kitsunebi-chan]

IDOLISH7′s ninth ichikuji, Ayakashi Kaleidoscope.

This is my first time translate such a long script like this. To be honest I have zero confident on my skill but, better try than regret it later. I love this event too much that I can’t help myself. 

English is not my main language so please feel free to tell me if you find any miss in my grammar. And it’s more that welcome for you to give your critics. Well, happy reading~

(DM me if you want the Indonesian version)

Event Part 1

[???]

‘what a small hands. Momiji, look.’

It was a nostalgic voice, that I heard somewhere long in the past. Just like being woken up by a sight of vivid crimson, and let it continuously smoldering inside my chest. Since that day, I feel like searching for something. Something I have lost, something precious. What is it that I lost, whose voice is it, was everything just a childish dream from my younger self. While still, doesn’t remember a thing…

 [Katanashu’s headquarter. In front of the reception office.]

??? (Sogo) : Hey, paper doll.

Shikigami : ----

???(Sogo) : For someone who come early, this is quite a funny way to do greetings, huh. Does attacking all of sudden then push down human into bedridden is some kind of Shikigami’s hospitality? And, why are you stand on my belly? Get down from there, right now. Laying in the hallway and watching the ceiling is not my hobby at all.

Shikigami :-----

???(Sogo) : Oi, Are you hear me? Who is the person in charge here? I have waited long enough, but there is no one come to get me.

Shikigami  -----

???(Sogo) : …. No reply….. could it be, it can’t understand my word? I think it can’t be helped then.

*-----sound of opening door*

???(Yamato) : Oh my, What are you doing laying here in the middle of hallway? Were you playing with the Shikigami? What’s more, with that look like you will draw you sword at any moment despite having such beautiful face, what dangerous combination.

???(Sogo) : A person...? Where did he….

???(Yamato) : I entered just now. From that big gate near the hallway. Did you too absorbed into your game with the Shikigami that make you lost your surrounding?

???(Sogo) : This situation is unavoiable. Because nobody seemed to come for me no matter how long I’m waiting at the reception office.

???(Yamato) :  Hmm…And then, you want to search for someone and go to the hallway but ended up in this kind of situation, huh. Do not miss any suspicious person who roaming at the office, as expected of our excellent Shikigami!

???(Sogo) : Suspicious person…? I properly carry on my duty, from imperial capital…

???(Yamato) : Hm… It just getting more fishy. You suspicious people always say the same thing.

???(Sogo) :………From the uniform and sword that attached on my waist, you can tell that I’m part of Katanashu’s group too. I don’t want to say this on our first meeting but please stop smirking when you looking at me. It’s unpleasant.

???(Yamato) : Ahah, what a scary face. Relax for a bit, will ya? Even though you are now laying upside down just like a frog that was about to dissected, quite a bossy fellow, aren’t you. I’m sorry ‘kay. Looking down at someone’s face from above was lot of fun that I cannot help myself.

???(Sogo) : You are not very popular, don’t you?

???(Yamato) : To suddenly put it like that, you are really not cute.

???(Sogo) : It’s enough. More than this will just waste of time. I will deal with this myself.

*---Klak*  (door open)

???(Nagi) : Aaaa… Wait a minute! Stop! Stop!

???(Sogo) : There is another one….

???(Nagi) : ---Captain Kasane, stop teasing him, would you please dispel the shikigami now?

Kasane ; Oh, Madoka, you came?

Madoka : I was behind you this entire time. So troublesom-…I mean, as a subordinate, at least I refrained from saying that it would be a good idea. Anyway, he is the new member who had just arrived today, isn’t he? There were talks about him will come to our second corps, right. Look at his uniform.

Kasane : Aa-… right, right, there were talks like that, I’m completely forgot.  

Madoka : even though you were the one who told me about it yesterday.

Kasane : Sorry, I just cannot remember something I don’t care with.

???(Sogo) : The second corps captain? That’s mean this man is my superior….

Kasane : --Oi.

???(Sogo) : …! The Shikigami….

Kasane : I have dispelled the shikigami, with this you can move again, right? So hurry, get up from there. Or do you want to say you need a hand to help you up now?

???(Sogo) : …….. No need. I can stand up myself. Sorry for showed you this unpleasant sight.

Madoka : Uwaa… even though a while ago he was pressed under the shikigami and turned upside down, he stand up like it was nothing.

???(Sogo) : I’m really sorry for my insolent behavior earlier. You are the second corps captain, right?  Here, my enlistment letter.

Kasane : Oh, thanks. Till your way to bow is so polite, showing such respectful attitude is more than enough.

Madoka : Uwaa… he look like a serious-type.

???(Sogo) : I the one who will assignment here from today. Katanashu’s second corps affiliation, Momiji.

Kasane : Ng? Momiji? So your name that written on the enlistment letter here is not read as ‘Kaede’ but ‘Momiji’ instead? Isn’t the way to read it a bit off?

Momiji : I wish for it myself. Because I heard when you assigned as a swordsman, you will work under a given name.  

Madoka : Beside being a serious-type, you are also a weird one……usually, the upper ups will decided for the member’s name by taking one character from their real name. Because there may be a chance for youkai* to steal your mana* if you keep your real name. It also said if you got your name stolen, your enemy can take control on you.  

Momiji ; Actually, it is still took after my name. I just change the way it read.

Kasane ;  Hmmn… you have some nice hobby there.

Momiji : …..

Kasane :  Well, nevermind. I’m Kasane. The second corps captain. I’m the boss of myself. The man with pointed nose over there is Madoka. He is our most reliable man, the shining ace. Your rank both are the same, so please get along.

Madoka : ….Thank you.

Momiji : Nice to meet you.

Kasane : Well, then. Since we finished greeting each other, it is okay for me go now, right? I will leave the task to guide the newcomer in your hand okay, ace.

Madoka : …huh?! But my duty hours will end this afternoon…

Kasane : That is a good news! That’s mean you still have some time.

Madoka : No, no, no, I really just have a little…

Kasane ; Okay, I’m counting on you Madoka~ Everything include our facilities, mission, till the meaning of become a swordsman, make sure to give him all the lecture perfectly ‘kay~

Madoka : Wa-…, captain!

Kasane ; Aa…,so busy, so busy~

*krieekkk.....blam*

Madoka ; He really gone…I’m sure it’s just an excuses….he always push all the job on me. Moreover, you, please read the mood. Momiji, right? Why you have to come before me off duty.

Momiji ; Isn’t it you own fault? If you guide me right after my arrival, it must be all over now.

Madoka : Uh.. about that… as a newcomer, to talk back at your senior like this, aren’t you being impudent?

Momiji : Even if you are the senior, we have the same rank.

Madoka ; Uwa… you are really not cute. But you really must have that kind boldness to be able to speak like that, either way you can’t do it with the fellow swordsman. *sigh*…. It’s troublesome but, since this is a superior’s order then is nothing I can do about it. I will guide you now so follow me.

Momiji ; okay…

Madoka ; We will start from the imperial capital. Since you are send to this neighborhood as a swordsman, I think you already understand about it but, as you see this place is no longer a human’s world.

Momiji : …hmm.

Madoka ; Actually, the existence of human’s world and youkai’s world are  like a bunch of mirrors that overlap one to another. To put it simply, you can say this quarter as their ‘entrance’. And, to management all the youkai living here, is the mission that has entrusted to us, the swordsman. Behind this gate is what we called Katanashu’s inner citadel. Then, I will start from the explanation of our facilities here.

Momiji : Behind this….

*krieekkk....**sfx :opening door*

Madoka ; Welcome, newcomer-kun. To the place where no human lives, to the city of light and shadow—

 ***Naration

In the past, in place that was governed by samurais, there were they that performed a mysterious power. There was he whose body covered in flame, there was one that destroy a village in shape of wind, or a god who swallow a mountain like hand of water. Beast, monster--- again those are named as youkai. They are feared, despised, respected, used, and worshiped by humans. However, together with those who leave the land of samurai, they choose to hide themselves in land of immortal on the other side of mirror, as they entrusted the ‘Gate of Daimon’ to connect with people between two world.

And now, as the time passed, it will be told in the present days, about a story that may have existed, the story from Hinomoto’s land.

___________________________________________________________

Transltor’s note :

-I use Katanashu (刀衆）to refer their group's name as I don't know anymore how I should call them :’) but I decide to keep them refer theirself as ‘swordsman’ so please forgive me for the confusing word.  :’’

*Youkai : Japanese, mythology ghost and monster.

*Mana : Human’s life force, youkai’s source of power 

[selkiestory]

It was surprisingly easy to fall asleep that night even if a stranger was sharing his bed. He made sure he planted himself firmly on the opposite side of the bed. Too bad Marcas didn’t know that Aed rolled about in his dreams, but when the redhead woke in the middle of the night - limbs sprawled and foot pressed firmly against the the other teen’s back - his guest remained sound asleep.

‘“I’m used to sleeping in the waves”’ Marcas would probably say.’

Aed pulled the covers over himself again and squinted at the bright light. He forgot to move his curtains back and the full moon shone over the ocean, but also right into his eyes.

It was quiet.

One last calm night before summer turned to fall. The redhead grunted and rolled away from the window to face the door. It was too comfortable to get up and draw the blind.

As he waited for sleep to return he studied the other’s resting profile. His companion’s long hair gave the image of spilled ink on his ridiculously pale skin. The teen admitted that the other was handsome, but it was strange for someone as fit as Marcas to be so fair. Only hard work outside could result in muscles like those. It shouldn’t have surprised him that Marcas refused to put his pyjamas on after coming back from the shower. It had taken much persistence to convince the teen to at least wear some boxers before they went to bed. The only piece of clothing Marcas seemed comfortable with was his cloak, which he now had tightly in his grip as if it were a safety blanket.

The thought made Aed snicker. He quickly grabbed a pillow and pressed it over his head to muffle the noise. What a strange day today was.

Well he might as well get more rest. The teen leaned into the darkness of the pillow and, after what seemed like hours, finally went back to sleep.

*

The next morning the teen woke to an empty bed. For a split second he considered all of yesterday to be a dream before seeing his clean room and Marcas’ discarded set of clothes. Shivering in the morning air  Aed quickly dressed - the usual collared shirt and sweater - and went downstairs.

“After all, Aed doesn’t let just anyone into his room.”

“I really appreciate this. I won’t let you down.”

‘Well that’s that.’ His parents had come to their decision rather quickly. It was embarrassing that his Mam had to mention him, though. He waited another moment before slipping into the dining room and making a beeline for the kitchen.

“There’s some left overs on the stove,” Flann patted the space next to her, “after you heat them up please come here. I have something to discuss with you.”

“I know already. Marcas is staying,” Aed flicked the stove on and waited for the oatmeal to warm, “but are you ok with me not working with Dad?”

“You know we support you no matter what.” The teen ducked his head to hide a blush.

Marcas entered the kitchen and began washing his bowl. He offered Aed a smile and waited for him before they both returned to the living room.

“I have to go to work, now, so please clean up after yourselves. Aed, I’m waiting for a form to go though. You should be starting by Friday.”

Flann leaned over and Aed gave her a one-armed hug.

“Have a good one, Mam.”

“I’m glad you’re feeling a bit better. Remember to put some water on before I come home!”

The room went quiet as Aed started on his oatmeal. It was a bit awkward with Marcas just sitting there, but at least someone was home.

“So what túath are you?”

He paused from his oatmeal and gave the teen a blank stare.

Marcas elaborated upon noticing his confusion, “Ui Fidgente? Ciarraige Luachra? Corca Duibhne?”

Oh. The old tribes.

“Don’t know. Grandparents probably told me, but forgot.”

“Hm.” Marcas seemed to be scrutinizing him.

“What? That was ages ago,” he took a gulp of milk in his defense, “...what’s your tribe?”

“Murtagh. What do humans do then now days?”

“We have regular families and surnames. For example I'm Aed Carrick.”

“So you grew apart?”

“...” He had never thought of it in that way before, “Not really...I mean, annoying as she is, I don't hate Ena. My Grandma and Grandpa come often. And everyone in the village more or less gets along.”

The younger looked perplexed, then shrugged as if he just accepted that things were different.

“I guess I’ll be meeting them soon enough.”

Deciding to cut the chatter Aed cleared his throat.

“About last night...”

To his surprise, Marcas broke eye contact, the teen suddenly finding Aed’s oatmeal very interesting. Aed narrowed his eyes.

“What did you do?” If he stole anything...

“It got really hot. But if you saw, then you saw that I kept my cloak on.”

“Oh uhh” That was not what he expected...must have happened after he fell asleep, “I wasn’t talking about that.”

“Oh.” Marcas ran a hand through his hair, “then...what?”

“My research. If you’re going to help me, you’re going to need to learn how to read... and write since you probably can’t do that either.”

He saw the younger take on a guarded look, but pressed on.

“You’ll need to jot down figures for me and note descriptions of coastlines at the very least.”

After realizing that he wasn’t being made fun of, Marcas’ expression relaxed into a lazy smile.

“Alright. When do we start?”

“Now is better than never,” he crammed the rest of the oatmeal down, his mind buzzing with plans. A big swallow and he gagged. Shit. Wrong pipe.

His glass was pressed to his lips and he took it gratefully. The younger patted his back as he choked his way through the last of his meal, too busy getting air into his lungs than to shrink away from the teen’s touch.

“Thanks…” the redhead finally managed after a few minutes.

“Anything for a friend,” Marcas replied, hand comfortably resting at the base of Aed’s lower back.

Aed quickly pushed back his chair and tidied the kitchen instructing the other to meet him in his room.

The teen was lounging on his bed when he returned.

“It’s so weird, but I can definitely get used to beds.” Marcas bounced a bit, “there were some of them on Blasket, but they were all banged up. ‘Too busy partying anyway to use em, even if they were fixed. I like em though. They’re softer than rocks.”

“What do you mean? Blasket was abandoned a while ago” Aed shuffled through his books trying to find a simple enough one begin with. Creatures of the West Atlantic, 1000 Leagues Under the Sea, Earth Encyclopedia... He didn’t have any children’s books come to think of it.

“Which is why it’s the perfect spot for us. The times when we turn human could be dangerous if actual humans see us.”

Aed threw him a look that the redhead made sure clearly conveyed his exasperation.

It was hard to ignore ridiculous claims if they were shoved into his face at every opportunity. Yesterday, only his mentally exhausted state caused him to consider the teen’s story to be real.

“You really are stubborn,” Aed bristled at Marcas’ amused tone, “I thought you would be more accepting to the otherworld considering you were able to call me.”

The teen gave up on his shelf and considered his options. He could go to the library tomorrow and borrow some kids books (and get strange looks), or he could try and nick one from the school library when he went to check on his experiment he left behind. But if he got caught that would mean more questions...

He heard Ena’s voice from downstairs and smacked his head. Of course. Ena had most of his hand-me-downs.  

Aed left the bedroom and opened the door to his parent’s room where his sister slept. He picked a thick alphabet book (the chew marks from raising two children had considerably worn down the pages) and tossed it to Marcas when he returned.

“Come to the desk. You aren’t going to learn if you lie around all day.”

“Alright, Mr. Carrick,” the younger plopped down on the single chair and smoothed out the creases in his jeans. He picked up the book and smirked at the bite marks.

“I didn’t know you guys had a dog.”

“It’s Ena’s,” Aed noted with appreciation that the book was held correctly this time. The kid seemed to be a fast learner.

Having no other option he leant against the corner of his desk and pointed at the first brightly colored letter “So there’s the alphabet, and each letter…”

---

When he woke there was an empty spot next to him. Again. For someone so chatty, Marcas could be quite stealthy when he wanted to.

A bit of cautious hope rose with him as he got out of bed and dressed. Today would be the day they both started their jobs and resumed his research. Although they hadn’t made enough progress yesterday to actually begin reading instructions, Aed had given him a test: report back on the patterns of deep sea currents during the week. Those were easy enough to remember to ask, that making tallies would suffice. Although not exactly what he wanted to look for, he had data to compare to that at least...it still felt foolish that he was going along with the teen, but it was the only way today was going to feel productive.

“Me first!”

Before he could open the bathroom door, a flash of orange ran inside.

Sometimes it’d be nice to be an only child…

While his sister hogged the bathroom he stole a few more books from her room. His Mam was already downstairs. Dressed and ate breakfast by now, too. He understood. After all, she was the one who taught them to always arrive to things 15 minutes beforehand.

*

“Look at you, so handsome on your first day. Your tie is so straight!”

“Yeah-yes. I still remember how to do it from graduation.” Aed muttered as he bent down so Flann could push back his hair. Every last bit of red in its place.

“I know you’ll be fine at any job. Just remember to smile.”

And they were in the open air. The sky was grey, and the sea smelled extremely fishy. Aed couldn’t see anyone out among the waves…

They dropped Ena off at school then walked back through town past the grocer's and the post office, past the three pubs and the bed-and-breakfast to the little white bank on the end of mainstreet. When they entered he recognized a couple of his former classmates chatting in the back, and quickly sought out work. He already started later than them, so he had to play catch up. There was no time to socialize.

After being introduced to the bank manager, Osirin, he was sent to work. Sorting mail was plain enough, but book keeping was especially dull when it wasn’t for research. At least then he could visualize the meaning behind the numbers.

When 5 o’clock came, the teen had to contain himself from sprinting out the doors.

As soon as they stepped inside, Ena charged. Flann chuckled as Aed blocked Ena, the youngest Carrick switching to cling to her Mother instead. His sister stuck out a small hand and waved a bright pink paper at Aed.

“We had free time so I drew!“

He was able to discern that the crude image depicted two people fishing...but the fat grey ovals in the water were too big to be fish.

“It’s Dad, Marcas, and Marcas’ family,” the girl proudly explained.

Aed rolled his eyes.

*

The three had finished their dinner and Aed helped Ena with homework before retreating to his room. All of the books from yesterday’s ‘reading class’ were still stacked on his desk. He gave them a long look before busying himself with changing. Research would need to be done in order to teach efficiently on the days when Marcas returned. Luckily Cárnach was small, so boats came back almost every weekend. The easiest way would be to ask Ena. She was still in primary school, so she’d remember her curriculum.

He peeked into her room. Fast asleep.

Returning to his room he flipped through the books for a few minutes before pacing to the window. The sea was vast. A contradiction of pitch-black water and shimmering light from another clear night...but he still could not see any boats in the distance.

It could have been him out there in the dark sleeping above the fish. His father must have seen something in Marcas to take him abroad within a day of meeting him. But then again, he had spoken up for Marcas and his Dad had always respected his opinion.

He was glad. Glad how quickly his family had accepted the teen. It was almost too easy how Marcas settled in. If he really was a selkie, wouldn’t he want to go back to the sea as quickly as possible? In the stories they always left. But then again in stories they were always beautiful ladies. This was different. Marcas would return.

His gut feeling nagged at him. Did he just miss another opportunity? First uni now-no. Stop that.

The other’s story was unusual, but not enough for him to believe in selkies. And if Marcas wasn't a selkie he would have to return.

But it didn’t make sense for him to make up his story, did it? So far only he and his sister knew the teen’s ‘secret.’

He tried to sleep, but his tumultuous thoughts carried him off as slowly as a feather drowning in the open sea.

---

Come the end of the week the selkie had the biggest smile on his face as he stepped into the home of the Carricks. Neil followed, both chuckling as Ena initiated a tackling hug for each. Aed’s eyebrows shot up as the teen stepped away from ruffling Ena’s hair to next approach him. Before the teen could react Marcas leaned forward and they bumped noses.

“Hey, Aed!”

“W...what are you doing?” The redhead sputtered backing away.

Given the looks on Neil and Flann’s faces, the other flushed red as well, immediately realizing his error.

“Er...where I come from, we do that when we haven’t seen each other in a long time.” The teen offered. Aed saw both his parents questioning looks, so he took another big step back turning to address his father.

“Have a good catch?”

“The best in a while! Marcas here is a natural,” Neil nodded at the shorter teen, “quite a good listener as well.”

“It was good to be back at sea, and I’ve never gone fishing on this scale. Neil’s quite a poet. I never knew!”

“Come, let’s not stand here. You two must be starving. Dinner is ready by now,” Flann gently nudged the group into the dining room.

“What was the biggest fish today?” Ena stretched her arms wider than the plate in front of her, “This big? Did you get any pink ones?”

“No pink ones today,” Neil ruffled her hair, “I’m surprised how many we got considering all the seals being ‘round the boat.”

Marcas laughed lightly.

“It was the selkies!” Ena gasped, “Can I go next time? Please, Mam, Dad?”

“It’s too dangerous.” Neil gently chided.

“But it has been a while since we all had a day out,” Flann mused, “when it’s spring next year we should go. It would be lovely to be on the boat then.”

“That sounds great,” Neil shot Aed an amused look, “the last time we were at sea was when you were just about to start high school.”

Aed remembered that summer well. The one where he tried to wear the same shirt every day to determine which bacteria would grow. Highly experimental, but not directional. He cringed.

“It’ll be a few months, but it’s better to plan ahead,” Flann decided. And they dug in.

*

“I assume you’ll want to resume lessons in the morning?”

“I could do a little now,” the selkie gave a yawn and rolled off their bed to join Aed at the single desk. The teen sat up and straightened the small stack of books, ready to put to practice the lesson plan he had produced.

He had gotten through twenty minutes when he felt a nudge at his arm and of course Marcas had nodded off. A little miffed the teen lightly shook his ‘student’ then prodded the younger off to bed.

“Thanks,” Marcas muttered sleepily as he snuggled under the covers. The younger stared at him, seemingly expecting something, but Aed had no idea.

“What?” he finally said.

“...Strange human,” the selkie let out a snort of laughter and rolled to face away. Aed huffed.

“Rest well, because we’re staying in and studying all day tomorrow.” He slid onto his own side of the bed and waited for sleep to come.

---

Previous

Next

[monte-cristo-incorrect-quotes]

"(I could also go on a rant about him)"

T H E   C O U N T

oh God he’s terrible. He’s godawful. He’s a fucking mess. Oh my God. Oh oh he’s so fucking emo and edgy and dramatic, I Am Weeping.

THE COUNT. oh Holy Shit.

Expect this one to be the longest rant? I have so many things to say about my idiot son Edmond Dantès

He’s a great character. And he’s a terrible person. 

I MEAN??? He literally owns a slave?? And yeah he does treat them right (buT DOES he????) and everything but it’s still creepy as fuck, also considering that Dumas’ own grandmother was a slave 

and he keeps traumatising people?? Stop doing that. Calm down. Chill. You’ve gotta stop doing this shit, seriously. 

And JUST??? He has so many feelings

he’s the literal epitome of “I either feel everything or nothing, there’s no in-between” 

and it just hurts so much. Because he keeps bottling his feelings up and he’s like “N O P E I won’t get attached to this boy who’s the son of my archenemy” BUT NO. HE DOES. HE CAN’T HELP IT.

Because Albert isn’t just the son of Fernand, he’s also the son of Mercédès.

AND HONESTLY. Monte-Cristo is just so incredibly human. He tries SO HARD to go off as this Man who has so Much Money and So Much Power and is therefore Untouchable B U T  NO. 

There’s no use in pretending you don’t have feelings you dumb crazy-ass man. You actually feel things much more than normal people would.

And he does so much shady shit BUT he doesn’t even try to hide it?? LIKE DUDE if I went on a Dramatic Revenge Spree I would try to keep it subtle or at least not be fishy??

BUT NO. HE DOESN’T TRY. HONESTLY if all the characters hadn’t just rolled with how weird he is and had started asking questions, they wouldn’t have ended up dead/insane/ruined/depressed

side note, I really love how the Monte-Cristo is all like ~I am mysterious and all-powerful, I don’t eat or drink and if I like you, expect to receive expensive and unnecessary presents~

(i’m not saying he is Edward Cullen, but he is Edward Cullen)

and the rest of the characters are “…you know what, okay”

(I need someone to draw me the Count going on his Philosophical Rant while Albert and the Squad stare at each other in the background like they have no idea what the fuck is going on and then just shrug their shoulders and roll with it)

But I don’t think we talk enough of how Hot the Count canonically is.

He’s got big dick energy, if I may use the popular Tumblr slang 

and oh Jesus he’s terrible. He’s done so many fucked up things?? Making Mercédès and Albert miserable when they were innocent, talking Héloïse into poisoning her whole family, letting Andrea kill Caderousse (Edmond don’t give me the whole Providence shit)??? 

and he  c a n n o t  calm down. He is SO pretentious. 

He’s not just so fucking dramatic oh no no no no no he is also the most pretentious shit that has ever existed 

FORGET DANGLARS OR EUGENIE. or even Albert.

The only four reasons why the Count does what he does are 

a) Revenge 

b) the desire to Impress people 

c) Spite and Anger

d) tears 

(which also sums up my personality)

And honestly even his name is pretentious? AND I LOVE HOW HE ACTS ALL FAMOUS LIKE HE’S A CELEBRITY DIVA 

AND THEN ALBERT IS LIKE “yeah his name is Monte-Cristo, that’s the name of a land” AND THE GUESTS ARE LIKE “I have never fucking heard of it, what the fuck”

AND MAXIMILIEN IS “yeah I know what it is, it’s this tiny shitty island in the middle of sea, it’s practically useless and nobody cares about it”

IN YOUR FACE, EDMOND.

so yeah.

I love this book.

[forestwater87]

Underrated Characters Appreciation Weeks I’m too lazy to set up....

...but I’m proud of myself for having created. So if y’all wanna adopt any of these, you can go wild (please tag me though! I wanna see them!). Otherwise, shower me with praise.

(They’re very writing-heavy and often just a list of questions, so if you borrow anything feel free to tweak as suits your inspiration; the questions/suggestions are really just to get people thinking!)

I’m gonna put them below the cut so it doesn’t get too long, but you have to look forward to:

Jasper Appreciation Week

Cameron Campbell Appreciation Week

Gwen Appreciation Week

Bonquisha Appreciation Week

Dirty Kevin Appreciation Week

QM Appreciation Week

Other Secondary Characters Appreciation Week

Elevated Extras Appreciation Week

Nerris Appreciation Week

Space Kid Appreciation Week

Ered Appreciation Week

Harrison Appreciation Week

Dolph Appreciation Week

Nikki Appreciation Week

Preston Appreciation Week

Nurf Appreciation Week

Flower Scouts Appreciation Week

Woodscouts Appreciation Week

Jasper Appreciation Week

Who doesn’t love this good good ghost boy?

Day 1: 90s Kid -- Depict Jasper doing something radical.

Day 2: Jasper’s Camp -- Show off Jasper’s time as Camp Campbell’s golden boy.

Day 3: David -- It’s the only character he has a real canon relationship with . . .

Day 4: Life After Death -- What does he do with himself on that there island all day?

Day 5: All Grown Up -- We’ve all thought about it.

Day 6: Best Friend to Campers -- Pick a non-David character and develop his relationship with them.

Day 7: Spookily Ever After -- How does Jasper’s story end? On Spooky Island forever? Leaving this realm? Becoming the camp’s new mascot? Or was he somehow alive the whole time? Let your imagination go wild!

Cameron Campbell Appreciation Week

He’s sleazy. He’s morally bankrupt. He’s everyone’s favorite non-blonde-twink villain!

Day 1: Shady Business Dealings -- What’s Campbell up to when he’s not at camp? What does he want with Camp Campbell? Was that Nazi gold in his vault? Something’s fishy here, and I’m curious what everyone thinks is going on.

Day 2: Mysterious Past -- How on earth does someone like Campbell happen, anyway? This could be stuff about his childhood, how he got into . . . whatever illegal nonsense he’s up to, how he met QM, even how he got away with not getting in trouble for what happened to Jasper.

Day 3: Spooky Island -- Seriously, what on earth was going on in that house? Focus on the coolest/creepiest thing in there and go nuts.

Day 4: Fears & Other Random Headcanons -- Basically your Free Space day.

Day 5: Boss Man -- Focusing specifically on his relationships with the counselors.

Day 6: (Relation)Ships -- Yeah, yeah, gotta have it somewhere. This one is pretty open to interpretation, and should be considered platonic or not. Just depict the most interesting/fun relationship you think Campbell has. Is that cold black heart even capable of affection, anyway? (If you think he’s a foxy grandpa, go wild today.)

Day 7: What Happens Next? -- Is he gonna ever leave that cave? Team up with Daniel? Gone for good? What’s up ahead for the most notorious criminal who’s ever run a summer camp?

Gwen Appreciation Week

I mean, come on. You knew I was gonna do it.

Day 1: Background -- There are a lot of interesting headcanons about Gwen’s backstory, cultural heritage, etc. City girl or country bumpkin, Latina or African-American or rich or poor or college dropout or whatever, pick what you think is the most interesting headcanon for Gwen (something that’s related to her time before the show, that is) and go nuts.

Day 2: Favorite Camper -- Pick one of the kiddos and have them bond with their grumpiest caregiver.

Day 3: All Dolled Up -- She’s always in that counselor uniform. What does she look like outside of camp?

Day 4: Ships -- Obviously.

Day 5: That Tragic Plot Twist -- If you have an idea what makes Gwen such a grumpy disaster of panic and unemployment -- or just want to have fun making things unnecessarily dark for such a lighthearted cartoon which I know you do; I’ve read the fanfiction -- it’s time to unleash the angst.

Day 6: Anywhere Else -- AUs! AUs in all directions! Gwen doesn’t want to be at camp, so let’s plop her into another world where she might be happier . . . or might not be.

Day 7: A Campbell Camper? Whether you think Gwen was one of the kids who grew up at Camp Campbell or not, I think we’d all agree it’d be fun to imagine.

Bonquisha Appreciation Week

Because she deserves it and will probably kill you if you don’t appreciate her enough. 

Day 1: Those Wild Shirts -- Draw her in another fantastic outfit, or speculate where her amazing fashion sense (and vanity plates) came from. She has a filthy mouth and a whole lotta confidence, and the first day of this week is to celebrate that!

Day 2: Home Sweet Trailer -- Put her in her house on 69 Dirt Rd. and think about what kinds of things a girl like Bon would call home.

Day 3: Dog -- She has one. Tell us about it!

Day 4: Work/Hometown HCs -- What does someone even do in a town that small? Whether you think she’s a waitress alongside that cute pink-haired gal, or if she lives out of town and drove up to see David, ponder a little bit of what Bonquisha does in or around Sleepy Peak and show it to us.

Day 5: Bonvid -- How did that relationship with David crash and burn so hard, anyway? And what does it look like after that episode?

Day 6: Other Relationships -- Bonquisha vs. Tabii, or Gwenquisha, or bffs with Dirty Kevin, or any sort of connection you’d like to expand upon or forge between Bon-Bon and another character in the show. Hell, draw her and Jacob if you think that’s cute; it’s canon, after all.

Day 7: Muscles to Die For -- She’s big and beautiful and could absolutely murder everyone. Let’s just spend out last day appreciating how very much of a badass Bonquisha is.

Dirty Kevin Appreciation Week

The very goodest alternative Den Mother there ever was.

Day 1: Probably a Real Brat -- What was he like as a kid or teenager?

Day 2: Drugs & More Drugs -- Show us Kevin hard at work or tell us how he got into this crazy business.

Day 3: That Red Hoodie -- It’s kind of his trademark, and this is a day to appreciate it.

Day 4: From Sleepy Peak to Mexico -- Take your favorite part from Kevin’s debut appearance and do something fun with it.

Day 5: Den Mommy -- We’ve all thought about Dirty Kevin as a Flower Scout mother, and if you haven’t, you’re lying.

Day 6: Cleaned Up -- Get him a nice facial grooming and some good clothes, and you could have a handsome gentleman right there. What on earth would that look like? 

Day 7:  Not Such a Lone Wolf -- Whether you have an OTP or just love the idea of Kevin being friends with certain characters, show us who you think he has a soft spot for.

QM Appreciation Week

Listen, we’re all a little afraid of him, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve the spotlight for a bit. Even if we know he’ll probably do unspeakable things in and to that spotlight.

Day 1: God or Just Crazy? Whether it’s his apparent inability to age or how he can magically find little woodland paradises in the middle of the camp, there’s a lot of weird going on there. Celebrate the man who may or may not be a murderer and may or may not actually be a literal deity and all his strange, often supernatural weirdness.

Day 2: Hook -- Hey, how’d he lose that hand?

Day 3: Man vs. Squirrels -- He has a blood feud with many woodland creatures.

Day 4: QM Store -- There’s a lot of wacky stuff in there. What did you like best, or what do you think was hidden in the corners that we didn’t get to see?

Day 5: Bonding -- QM’s been there for a long (long long long) time, and he’s clearly known Campbell and David at least for years. Pick a character and explore what their relationship with the Quartermaster might be like.

Day 6: Tontine -- So what on earth was going on there?

Day 7: Camp Specter -- Regardless of how you approached Day 1, the fact remains that for whatever reason, the Quartermaster is at Camp Campbell for good. You can speculate why he’s there or just show us him hard at work doing . . . whatever he does, but today I just wanna see our beloved QM lurking around the camp!

Other Secondary Characters Appreciation Week

To all those characters who hang out in the background, making the campers’ shenanigans more fun.

Day 1: Daniel -- I don’t consider him in any way under-appreciated, but he’s a pretty spectacular way to kick off Season 2, and also this week.

Day 2: Platypus -- Mother of six five four three two one lunch and terror of the camp.

Day 3: Cute Waitress -- Y’all sure do love her. Show your love!

Day 4: Jermy Fartz -- Oh yeah. I went there.

Day 5: Darla & Gregg -- How can anyone who isn’t David be that excited about camping? Were they totally secretly dating? Where are they now, and how did they get there?

Day 6: The Denizens of Sleepy Peak -- Whether your heart belongs to Lester, Fred, the old geezers, or any of the others populating the nearby town, it’s time to show them some love.

Day 7: Parents -- How else would we end this week but with some family bonding?

Elevated Extras Appreciation Week

They’re not as memorable as the secondary characters. They don’t even have lines. But they’re ours and we love them.

Day 1: Former Campbell Campers -- we see in the picture on David’s bulletin board that there were a lot of kids who used to come to the camp. Show or tell us about your favorite!

Day 2: Camp Counselor of the Year Judges -- What was up with those guys? Were they even human?

Day 3: Other Camps -- Lake Lilac is home to Teen Church Camp, Pirate Camp, and who knows how many others? Let’s enjoy them!

Day 4: Larry -- Poor, poor undeserving Larry. RIP, my fuzzy man.

Day 5: Scotty -- Visual comedy camp? Seriously?

Day 6: Chucky -- What happened to him anyway?

Day 7: Your choice! Think I forgot the most important one? Time to correct that mistake! (Listen, if you’re mad I didn’t include Jen, consider this the Jen space.)

Nerris Appreciation Week

Devoted to the real(?) magic kid.

Day 1: The Cute -- Artists, draw how cute she is! Writers, maybe think about how the nickname came about! Or do something completely different! I don’t care!

Day 2: Magic War -- Explore her relationship with Harrison.

Day 3: Elf-kin -- What does that even look like? What does it mean?

Day 4: Bonding with Mere Mortals -- The camp is full of people and animals. Pick one and play with their relationship with Nerris.

Day 5: Dice -- What do they look like? How did she get them?

Day 6: Fandom -- A girl that excited about fantasy has to be quite the fan of a lot of things. Show us her interacting with her favorite stuff.

Day 7: Her Party -- Her relationship with her slightly-clueless mother and extremely-geeky dad.

Space Kid Appreciation Week

The most obvious appreciation week in the entire world.

Day 1: Astronaut -- Whether you want to show him all grown up or as a little kid, give us a glimpse of what Neil the real-life spaceman would be like.

Day 2: Aliens -- Another type of spaceman.

Day 3: Fishbowl -- A day to just appreciate his adorable, impractical costume.

Day 4: Punching Bag -- He’s been pushed around and disregarded by Max, Nurf, Max, the counselors, various animals, and Max. This is a day dedicated to his unfortunate luck and indomitable good spirit.

Day 5: Sick -- After that trip he took across the lake to the moon, and barely surviving the flu zombies, Space Kid could probably use some patching up.

Day 6: Science Guys -- The two Neils, bonding.

Day 7: SPACE!!! -- Give us Space Kid interacting with his favorite hobby ever.

Ered Appreciation Week

A very very cool week.

Day 1: Skater -- Even on the camp’s awful cardboard halfpipe, Ered’s still a budding Tony Hawk.

Day 2: Dye -- Dedicated to her awesome -- dare we say cool? -- hair.

Day 3: Camp Kool Kidz -- Celebrate her short-lived tenure as the head of Camp Campbell.

Day 4: Extreme -- What other extreme sports does she like to get up to?

Day 5: Queen Bee -- Her relationship with one or more of the other campers.

Day 6: Wipeout -- She gets injured a lot, doesn’t she?

Day 7: Cool Gay FBI Dads -- They’re the most wholesome family that regularly gets into gunfights.

Harrison Appreciation Week

Devoted to the . . . real(?) magic kid? (Didn’t we already do this?)

Day 1: Harry’s Son -- His outfit is pure Vegas showman, his VA and accent seem to suggest Israeli descent, and he may or may not be a literal wizard. His parents are terrified of him, but his mom says he’ll grow into his looks. Give some backstory to this lovable kid and his love of illusions.

Day 2: Actual, Real, Terrifying Magic -- This kid isn’t messing around. From summoning fireballs to making both objects and living things appear and disappear, he has some serious supernatural chops.

Day 3: Apprenticeship -- He and Nikki’s relationship consists of equal parts mutual admiration and mayhem. What do the two of them get up to behind the scenes?

Day 4: Brother -- Time for theories (and angst, of course angst) about how and why he “made his brother disappear.” 

Day 5: Any Resemblance to Bill Cipher is Pure Coincidence -- . . . probably. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t fun to imagine that crossover!

Day 6: Frenemies -- Harrison has a habit of getting on people’s nerves. Pick at least one character and develop their relationship with the magic kid.

Day 7: Hufflepuff Pride -- Jordan Cwierz confirmed it! This last day is about celebrating all things yellow and black and (mostly) well-intentioned.

Dolph Appreciation Week

I know, he’s controversial. But he’s a kid with a passion for art and no understanding of history, and he could use some love as well.

Day 1: Painting -- Exactly what it says on the tin. While he is clearly skilled at lots of different types of art, this is the one he seems to like the most.

Day 2: Where’s the Yellow? He is the only one who doesn’t wear anything camp-themed. Give us a glimpse of what might’ve happened to that signature yellow clothing.

Day 3: Stage Manager -- Multiple times throughout the series Dolph is shown as Preston’s right-hand man by helping him design sets and acting in his plays; Preston even returns the favor by posing for a painting. Today is dedicated to the strange relationship of the theatre and art kids.

Day 4: Camp Counselor of the Year! Incredibly, Dolph appears to be quite the competent leader for his age, and his one day of running the camp went smoothly for the most part. Maybe he has the makings of a great counselor after all.

Day 5: The Elephant in the Room -- We all knew it was coming. Whether you find the Hitler jokes hilarious or offensive, everyone has an opinion about this particular character choice. Now’s the time to speculate what happens when he gets older, or completely retcon this aspect of his personality, or do whatever you’d like to with his . . . peculiarities.

Day 6: Father Issues -- According to the show’s wiki, “his father is an American lieutenant, who raised him on a German army base where he supposedly gained a love of art and soccer like many Europeans, much to his father's dismay.” Oof, that’s a lot to unpack. Time for backstory!

Day 7: Not Such a Bad Kid -- Despite his . . . controversial elements, Dolph as a character seems fairly sweet and oblivious, and is loved by a significant portion of the fanbase for these qualities. A free day of sorts, this is about accentuating the positive and appreciating the awkward, artistic weirdo underneath the jokes.

Nikki Appreciation Week

I was really close to not including this, because I don’t consider her an underrated character exactly, but Neil has a week and, let’s be honest, it’d be fun.

Day 1: Rough n’ Tumble -- Nikki isn’t afraid of fighting, and she’s no stranger to getting dirty or even hurt. Show the wild child doing something fun, reckless, and probably not very smart.

Day 2: Raised by Wolves -- Imagine an AU where she actually was as much a literal daughter of the forest as she wants to be.

Day 3: Just a Tiny Bit Traditional -- Despite being such a tomboy, there’s a part of Nikki that is deeply romantic and even maternal. Whether through a version of her that’s a bit older or a quiet moment at the camp, show us a little bit more of her gentle side.

Day 4: BFFs, Potential Step Siblings, Sidekicks -- A day to appreciate Neil and Nikki’s relationship, whatever you see that as.

Day 5: Flower Scout Nikki -- What was her time across the lake like?

Day 6: Parent Troubles -- She and her mom have a difficult relationship, and her dad doesn’t seem to be around that much. Show us Nikki and one or more of her guardians, and what that relationship might be like.

Day 7: Holidays! Her first and greatest love is Christmas, but there’s probably not a holiday she wouldn’t throw herself into. Give her a chance to celebrate any holiday you want!

Preston Appreciation Week

Get ready for some high-octane theatrics!

Day 1: A Flair for the Dramatic -- I don’t care what you do with this one, just give it lots of DRAMA!

Day 2: Speak Up -- Preston and his grandmother are really close, but his parents seem to be AWOL. Every Appreciation Week needs a backstory- and/or family-centric day, and that’s what this is.

Day 3: Cosplay -- What’s Preston’s favorite play? Let’s have him dress up like a character in that show.

Day 4: Stage Presence -- Give the boy a spotlight and an audience!

Day 5: The Bard -- He seems to love writing and directing even more than performing. Show him creating the next Hamilton (or more likely, Hamilton’s weird sequel involving pirates and aliens).

Day 6: Theater Nerd -- Either as a high school AU or just some time in the future, image Preston fully engrossed in that drama club life.

Day 7: Tribe -- Every weirdo has their group of friends. Either through OCs or other characters in Camp Camp, give or describe the people that make up the group in which he belongs.

Nurf Appreciation Week

Gaylord Nurfington, much like Shrek, is like an onion: smelly, surprisingly layered, and will probably make you cry.

Day 1: Big N Tough -- He’s built like a brick shithouse and mean as a bear, and that’s part of why we love him. Celebrate the fact that this guy can (and probably will) kick anyone’s ass.

Day 2: Theater Kid? -- We’ve seen Nurf involved in Preston’s productions more than once. Have some fun with his apparent interest in the performing arts.

Day 3: His Mother’s Boy -- Mother and son time!

Day 4: Surprising Depths -- Show Nurf doing something no one would ever have thought he would enjoy and/or be good at.

Day 5: A Thoughtful Bully . . . -- As the self-proclaimed most self-actualized character in the show, Nurf has proven to be remarkably cognizant of his own issues and respectful of others’. Give him a positive-ish interaction with another character.

Day 6: . . . Is Still a Bully -- But let’s be real: Nurf can be a total jerk. Let the kid be mean today!

Day 7: Knives -- Where the hell is he getting all of those, anyway? Regardless, show Nurf with his favorite toys.

Flower Scouts Appreciation Week

They’ll kill you with a smile and fantastic hair, then they’ll use their drug contacts to bury the bodies.

Day 1: Grace & Class -- No one is prettier and daintier than these angels -- and nobody knows it better than them.

Day 2: Nicer than Disneyland -- Whether you’d like to focus on their shady cookie dealings, the washed-up Miss Priss, or even invent your own Scout, give yourself a chance to explore a part of the Flower Scouts that hasn’t been given much screentime yet.

Day 3: Sasha -- A day dedicated to the quintessential Queen Bee. Manipulative, clever, and pretty damn selfish, Sasha is undoubtedly the leader of the Scouts, and you better respect it.

Day 4: Erin -- If your heart hasn’t been captured by this heterochromatic science nerd, this day is not for you. But for the rest of us, grab your pumpkin spice and head off to Fraaaaance to celebrate her!

Day 5: Tabii -- What she lacks in common sense she makes up for with being absolutely terrifying. Tabii-with-two-eyes-with-one-eye is an emotional rollercoaster, and she deserves a little bit of love today.

Day 6: Not-So Delicate Girls -- From drug empires to vats of acid, the Flower Scouts have proven that they can kick a whole lot of ass. Show off how tough these girly-girls can really be!

Day 7: Garden Mother Kevin -- Come on. You knew it was coming.

Woodscouts Appreciation Week

They might be the cartoon answer to what would happen if Stormtroopers were body-swapped with Boy Scouts, but that’s part of their charm.

Day 1: A Shadowy Organization -- No girls are allowed, they don’t appear to have a troop leader, their camp is impenetrable, there seem to be maybe 5 Scouts at most . . . Pick something cool about this creepy camp and play around with it.

Day 2: Bitter Rivalries -- Between risky bets against Camp Campbell and popcorn/cookie sales against the Flower Scouts, it seems like the WS have a problem with basically everyone. Depict one or more interaction between them and their most bitter enemies.

Day 3: A New Recruit -- How on earth does Jermy fit into the Woodscouts’ routine? How has he not accidentally (or not-so accidentally) been incapacitated yet?

Day 4: Fearless Leader -- He’s slimy in more ways than one, but he keeps Troop #818 together and has even managed to snag a few recruits. That alone is worth a day of appreciation.

Day 5: Strong & Silent -- For someone who doesn’t talk much, Petrol has a lot of good advice and personality. Let’s celebrate his bromance with Snake, his willingness to be sacrificed for the WS, or even just his stubborn refusal to try leg day even once.

Day 6: Call him Snake -- Prince Zuko Billy might not be the most dignified character on the show, but he’s certainly the most honorable and is deadly with a candy cane.

Day 7: Like Family -- I just want to see some Woodscouts bonding, with each other or a character of your choice.

[nankurunaisafukanona]

Lego Land!!!! (2/12/2022)

Ahhh!!!! So i’d gone to Lego Land Florida one more time again!!!! Although, I started the day waking up pretty late and i’d gotten pretty good dressed since yesterfay with a “outfit i’ve never put together before and put alot of clips in my hair so they can have such a good family time on my head before going out into the real world!!!! The Lego World!!!! Yes, they went to a magical land where Legos have come to life and move around!!!! Joking!!!! And, it was pretty fun!!!! Like we found out that Legos also was in the past aswell!!!! You see?!?!?! Real proof legos were a big part of our history and we just needed these drawings to prove it!!!! As you can see the two men are carrying boxes of Lego on their heads!!!!

Aswell as i’d gotten on some more rides and have liked some other rides more now and we literally just “flew in the freaking SKY!!!! And, we went and adventured in past lands!!!! We didn’t get to be ninjas this time!!!! I was a sly ninja!!!! Just don’t look at my score!!!! Lol!!!! All the best ninjas get 0!!!! Joking I wasn’t that bad!!!!” My best experience is “flying on a couch!!!!” Which basically is “Masters of Flight!!!!” And, I like the Masters of Flight, The Great Lego Race, (roller coaster like the dinorama in Disney) Merlin's Challenge, Aquazone Wave Racers, Ninjago and Lost Kingdom Adventure most in that order!!!! They’re my favorites!!!!  We saw Lego people from the past too I think we opened a portal to the “freaking past!!!!!!” I’m quite impressed Lego World can do that they’re really impressive I need to invite some people to the past everything is crazy there!!!!

Well, anywhose!!!! We after got “one of my favorite meals form Lego Land the Fish with Aioli Citrus sauce and my second favorite dish is Veggie Burger I think and then the Mac and cheese sandwich I think!!!! I love Veggie burgers most of the time if they’re on the menu most but the Aioli sauce really makes the Fishie taste too good!!!! Good little fishys in the oven!!!! Sort of!!!! Fishie(s) have a good second life!!!! Stop haunting me!!!! 

Afterwards we had some other of my favorite foods!!!! It was so freaking delicious though!!!! I ate 7 rolls I think of one of the only sushi I love thats not just “eh......” to me!!!! Its “Smoked Salmon sushi” with sweet sushi rice that mixes great with cream cheese in it!!!! And I had to make it though and “surprisingly this is the best CONE TEMAKI I’VE ever made!!!! Just “have some sense of imagination and ITS A CONE!!!! I helped your MIND A BIT!!!! Bam!!!! Its a freaking CONE NOW!!!! Looks restaurant style!!!! Somebody should completely hire me for that!!!! Then I got rid of all the smoked salmon today my family ate way less then me!!!! And, I like organic seaweed more for some reason you would think it tastes the same but it taste better and I even like it alone!!!! So weird!!!! So, I ate all of that good fish too!!!!! Fish must hate me!!!! Don’t tell them what I did!!!! They will hate me then!!!! Haha, fishies its good stop looking at me!!!! I think all that meat we eat makes humanity haunted by alot of animals from all over the world!!!! This is why people go vegan!!!! So they aren’t haunted by millions of animals all over the world!!!! Forget about feeling bad for the animals!!!! 

                                                Me and Crystal! (cousin)

And, well after that we watched “a movie” and drank some tea with some family!!!! Well, I always drink tea so that isn’t new but it always doesn’t get so late thats why I can’t even dance its 12:44am while i’m typing this sentence!!!! But, I have a large amount of typing time for tomorrow and journaling!!!! So, have fun or be bored!!!! Your LIFE decision!!!! BYE BYE!!!! BEAUTIFUL HUMANS-OR LEGO PEOPLE..... OR EVERYBODY!!!! THAT SUMS IT UP!!!!

                             Me and My auntie!!!! Titi Millie is my Auntie!!!!

[it-refused]

Title: I’ll Be Home for Gyftmas

Rating: G

Happy Gyftmas, @fleeting-phantasm!  Your prompt was:

Let's see... classic Papyrus and Undyne's friendship brings me all sorts of joy. I'll love just about anything featuring them being the coolest of buds. Preferably pacifist happy times. I'm also a huge fan of the gentlemen monsters like Grillby and dapper!Gaster--could be friends, could be shipped, could be only one character or the other. 

I tried to combine these ideas, so this story is about Papyrus and Undyne working together to figure out what Papyrus should get for his dad Gaster for Gyftmas.  They run into him and Grillby out on a date.  I hope this is something like what you were looking for!

Also, thank you to @undertalesecretsanta for putting all this together!

--

Multicolored lights glittered on the town's enormous Gyftmas tree.  Some traditions held on, even with monsters scattered all over the surface.  If there was monster from Snowdin around, when the weather turned cold, a tree would appear overnight in the center of town.

Papyrus tiptoed towards the tree.  His boots crushed loudly in the snow, but he couldn't see anyone around, so the noise didn't matter.  He drew a few boxes out of his inventory and set them in exactly the correct and most aesthetically pleasing spots beneath the boughs.  

That done, he searched for boxes with his own name on it.  "NYEH-HEH," he whispered, whenever he spotted one.  

He registered a distant rumble, almost like an earthquake.  Undyne must be getting close!  Papyrus hurried back to the house to make sure it was still neat.  Sans was home and it had been five minutes since Papyrus had left, so he could not be entirely sure.  

The rumble turned into the familiar sound of an engine.  He hadn't made it to the house yet when he heard his name shouted, with rapidly increasing volume.  

"UNDYNE!" He spun around in the driveway.  

The car screeched off the road and was headed straight towards him.  Papyrus jumped over it.  Breaks squealed behind him and he could smell burning rubber.  Undyne kicked her car door open and rolled out onto the gravel driveway.

"I AM NOT 100% CERTAIN THAT WAS SAFE!"  Papyrus said.  

"I know!  Cool, right?"  She hopped to her feet.  The car rolled to a stop. "You know what ELSE is cool?"

"HMMM...OH!  IT MUST BE ME!  PAPYRUS!"  He took out a pair of sunglasses and put them on.  Perfect!  

"Yeah," she agreed.  "But, also -"  Undyne grinned, wide.  "SNOW WRESTLING!"

"THAT ISN'T - AUGH!"  Undyne plowed into him at full speed.  His face met snow.  "I LOVE YOU TOO, UNDYNE," he said, his voice muffled.

"Gross!" She laughed.  "I missed you too, though.  I guess."

"REALLY?  OF COURSE YOU MISSED THE GREAT PAPYRUS!  EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE A WIFE AND A NEW JOB TO KEEP YOU BUSY, OF COURSE YOU FOUND YOURSELF TRAGICALLY BEREFT WITHOUT MY CONSTANT PRESENCE."   Tears started to well up in his eye sockets.  He hadn't been worried.  Of course not!  No one could ever forget about him.  

"Yup.  Alphys hates noogies."  Undyne scoffed.  

"I REALLY HATE THEM TOO."

"Let's get inside before I freeze my scales off!"  She yanked him back to his feet.  "And then you can tell me all about...whatever your problem is!"

"OH, WELL. THAT WASN'T...SOMETHING YOU NEEDED TO DRIVE ALL THE WAY DOWN HERE TO HELP WITH.  THOUGH OF COURSE I APPRECIATE THE SENTIMENT!"

She whacked him on his back.  "Of course I did!  Come on!"  She picked him back up off the ground and they went inside.  

Sans was sitting at the kitchen table, eating cereal out of the box.  "hey."

"Look who's up early!"  Undyne said.  "And it's only seven PM!"

"SANS, I DUSTED THE KITCHEN TEN MINUTES AGO, AND NOW THERE ARE CEREAL CRUMBS ON THE TABLE?"

"whoops.  jeez. a guy can tell when he isn't wanted."  Sans wiped away an imaginary tear.  "guess i'll just go."  He stayed where he was and dug further into the box.  "why'd she come over?  it seems kinda...fishy, heh, so close to the holidays."  

"Papyrus is in trouble!"

"IT IS NOT QUITE...THAT DRAMATIC."

Sans stopped chewing.  "man, what's up?  you can tell us."  He offered the box of cereal.

"NO THANK YOU. AND.  I...ALREADY DISCUSSED THIS WITH YOU, SANS.  I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO GET OUR FATHER FOR GYFTMAS!"

"i gave you a million suggestions, though."

"YOU GAVE ME ONE AND IT WAS A JOKE!  THIS IS HIS FIRST HOLIDAY BACK FROM THE COLD EMPTY VOID, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE IT IS SPECIAL!  IN THE WAY THAT ONLY THE GREAT PAPYRUS CAN!"  Remembering to ask for help when he needed it was how he always managed to stay on top.

"right."  

"What's your weird dad like to do?"  Undyne asked.  

"SPEND TIME WITH ME, PAPYRUS!  AND ALSO SANS.  RIGHT NOW HE IS OUT WITH HIS...DOT DOT DOT...FRIEND.  SO HE ALSO ENJOYS THE COMPANY OF HIS ELLIPSIS FRIEND."  

"also hangs out with his, uh, non italicized pals," Sans said.  "does more of that than talking about stuff he wants to buy.  eh, just get him like...a number one dad hat.  he'll be over the moon."  

"BUT WHAT IF HE AND GRILLBY GET MARRIED AND I SUDDENLY HAVE TWO FATHERS?  I DON'T WANT TO CAUSE A RIFT BETWEEN THEM SO EARLY IN THEIR MARRIAGE!  I WILL LOVE THEM BOTH EQUALLY!"

"it's a pickle, i guess."

"A REAL CONUNDRUM!  A PUZZLE BEFITTING EVEN THE GREAT - "  Papyrus broke off as he watched Sans draw a jar of pickles from his hoodie.  He sighed.  "UNDYNE, YOU HAVE ALREADY SUCCESSFULLY FINISHED GYFTMAS SHOPPING, SO I AM DESPERATELY TURNING TO YOU AND AWAY FROM MY BROTHER IN MY HOUR OF NEED!"  

"I don't blame you!"  Undyne said, laughing.  "Let's get the hell out of here."  She accepted a pickle and skewered it on her fangs while Papyrus rushed off to grab his shopping bag, purse, and an enormous folder filled with holiday coupons.  "SHOTGUN!" she yelled when he got back.  "I'm sick of driving!"  

"you guys better hurry up," Sans said.  "gyftmas is barely a month away.  never expected you to be such a lazybones, bro."

Papyrus slammed the door on the way out.  A minute later he peeked back in and said he probably wouldn't be back in time for dinner and that Sans should remember to eat something healthy.

--

In a small, secluded booth in the back of an aging human bar, the air was hot and still. The only sound was Grillby's gentle crackling.  The noise of him had seemed so loud when Gaster first escaped the void, but now it was just background noise, like the rumble of cars driving by outside or the quiet conversations in the other parts of the bar.

Grillby reached across the table and touched the cool white bone of Gaster's hand.  Gaster smiled, uneven, and leaned in closer.  

"........." Grillby asked him if he needed to get home soon.

Gaster shook his head.  He took back his hand so he could sign.  "[But maybe I should.]"

He could tell Grillby was disappointed from the way his flames seemed to die down slightly, even though he had to be at work himself in a few hours.  

"[Who cares if I should?]" he decided.

The early evening was clear, so they decided to take a walk down the main street.  The local human winter holiday was near the same time as Gyftmas and the stores were decorated.  They weren't the only people out window shopping.  Gaster ignored the humans staring at him and Grillby when they went into a men's clothing store.

He'd spent so long away from anything bright or colorful, he found himself charmed by a display of -  honestly - quite ugly Christmas ties.  Grillby looked from him to the ties and just shook his head.  

"[They Suit You.]"  

"......no."

There was one with an entire inside scene on it.  A beautifully decorated Gyftmas tree stood next to a roaring hearth.  Two dogs slept in front of the fire. All on one tie.  Gaster pointed to that one.

".........no."

"[It's You.]"

"...don't insult me."

Gaster cackled.  He would hate to see Grillby actually wear it, but thinking about how he'd react if he opened a box on Gyftmas Day and found the tie on it was putting him in a good mood.  

Grillby was looking at him like he knew exactly what he was thinking, and didn't approve.

A loud gasp behind them startled them.  Grillby's flames leapt up towards the ceiling and Gaster felt himself sink into a coat rack in an automatic impulse to hide.

"WHAT AN AMAZING COINCIDENCE!"  Gaster couldn't see him, but he recognized Papyrus' voice.

Embarrassed, Gaster emerged from his hiding place.  They'd lucked out this time and Grillby hadn't set off the sprinkler system.  

"Kind of ironic actually!"  Undyne was grinning.

"NO I WOULD NOT SAY IT IS IRONIC AT ALL," Papyrus said, giving her a sharp look.

"OH!  Right, yeah.  Just, a standard, every day coincidence."

"ABSOLUTELY MUNDANE!"

"I'm about to fall asleep thinking about how boring a surprise this was, to run into these guys, here, right now!"  

Grillby nodded at Papyrus, then at Undyne, and then sunk back.  Gaster wasn't sure how to convince him that Papyrus didn't have any problem with them dating, and that Sans was just pretending to disapprove to con Grillby out of free burgers.  

"I SHOULD HAVE REALIZED YOU WERE HERE WHEN I CAME IN THE BUILDING AND IT SMELLED SUSPICIOUSLY OF GREASE!"  Papyrus sounded cheerful, but no wonder Grillby didn't believe him.

"We should get the hell out of here and get something to eat," Undyne said. "You're right.  That smell is making me hungry!"  She aimed her toothy smile at Grillby.  "I want to fill a bathtub with the greasy cheese you use on your fries and just SWIM in it!"

Papyrus shuddered. "SUDDENLY MY APPETITE HAS DISAPPEARED ENTIRELY."

"[Still, as your Father, I am telling you to get something to eat.]" Gaster said. "[You are almost SKIN AND BONES.]"

Papyrus sighed. "THIS IS THE LIFE I HAVE TO LIVE NOW, UNDYNE."  

She patted him on the arm.

"I CAN BARELY STOMACH IT!"  He waved over the open spot between his shirt and his ripped holiday daisy dukes.  "NYEH HEH HEH!"  

Gaster cackled along with him.

"Quit messing around!  I need to rip into something before I pass out!  And we have work to do,"  Undyne said.  "C'mon!"  She grabbed Papyrus by the arm and started to pull him away.

Grillby waved goodbye.  Gaster looked at him and shrugged.

"...gyftmas shopping?"  Grillby guessed.

"[Oh.  That makes sense.]"  

Grillby spotted a display of holiday vests with muted colors and designs compared to the ties.  He hurried over, visibly excited.  

Gaster was too caught up in the excitement of browsing menswear to notice the odd rattling noise that followed the two of them as they walked throughout the store.  

--

Undyne pulled Papyrus out of hearing range and then yanked him down onto the floor behind a shoulder-high slacks display.  She knelt next to him.  "This is PERFECT."

"THERE ARE NUMEROUS RESTAURANTS ON MAIN STREET THAT HAVE HEALTHY AND CALCIUM-RICH MEAL CHOICES," Papyrus said, worried.  He didn't know why they were on the floor, but he assumed Undyne had a reason. She always did, even if her reasons were not, well, always good reasons.  Or, to be more diplomatic, they were not always the quality of reason that Papyrus would expect from someone who used to be head of the royal guard.  That didn't mean he wasn't going to go along with whatever she was planning, however.  

"Shhh, shut up, we aren't eating yet," Undyne said.  "And we have to quit talking about it before I really do get hungry!"

"THIS MUST BE VERY IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO BE SO RUDE."

"Sorry!  But, it is!  I hatched a plan while we were talking to your old man - like, a really DEVIOUS and CALCULATING one!  I can't wait to tell Alphys about it - she's always getting into those kinds of characters and slapping posters of their faces on our bedroom wall."

"I SEE!"  Papyrus sat up.  "I KNEW I COULD COUNT ON YOU, UNDYNE!"

"I wasn't going to let my friend down!"  She rubbed her knuckles on the top of his skull.  "See, we're going to follow them - and stay really really quiet - and watch what stuff your dad looks interested in! It's perfect, and it's guaranteed that whatever you get him will be a surprise AND he'll want it!"  

"THAT PLAN IS AMAZING!"  Papyrus said, clasping his gyftmas-tree shaped gloves together.  "IT IS EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE PLAN I WAS CONSIDERING!  AND THEN YOU SAID YOU WERE HUNGRY, SO I THOUGHT WE WERE NOT GOING TO DO IT!  BUT THEN IT JUST TURNED OUT THAT YOU WERE BEING EXTRA DEVIOUS AND TRICKING EVEN ME INTO THINKING IT WAS NOT GOING TO BE THE PLAN!"  

"Uh, right!" Undyne grinned.  "Step one is convincing them we left!"

"CHECK!"

"Step two is, uh...tracking them down in the store without letting them know we're there!"

"HM...THAT WILL BE OF CONSIDERABLE DIFFICULTY.  LIKE UNTWISTING NOODLES WITHOUT BREAKING A SINGLE STRAND, WE MUST TAKE GREAT CARE AT EVERY STEP.   EVEN ONE OVERLY-LOUD WORD WILL BETRAY US!  AND OUR MISSION!"

"Yeah!  But we can definitely do it!"

"OF COURSE!  FOR I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS!  AND YOU ARE...THE NEARLY AS GREAT FRIEND OF PAPYRUS!"

She leaned down. "Ok."  Undyne spoke in a low whisper.  "Let's quit messing around, and get this over with so we can go out and get some burgers."

"OR SOME - " Papyrus broke off and started again, in a whisper.  "OR SOMETHING HEALTHY AND NOT DISGUSTING."  His whisper was the same volume as his regular way of speaking, but he hissed while he spoke.

"Uh...why don't we practice hand signals!  And not say anything once we've started." Undyne snuck out from behind the slacks display and waved for Papyrus to follow.  

Oh!  A hand signal! Papyrus hurried after her, still partially crouched.  A hamster monster wearing a store badge hovered by the display, uneasily watching them.  

"SHH," Papyrus said.  "YOU DID NOT SEE OR HEAR US."

The monster nodded, slowly.  He started folding pants.

--

Grillby could tell they were being followed.  How could anyone miss it?  He turned and gave his incompetent tail a long look, but they seemed to decide that he was looking over their heads.

Gaster was too intent on deciding between three different hats, and didn't seem to notice.  

"......Gaster."

"[SHHHH.  NOT NOW.]"

Fine.  Grillby was more annoyed at Gaster shushing him than he was at being followed.  He decided to keep it to himself.  

"[I think this one suits you,]" Gaster said.  He took a white panama hat off the display and set it on Grillby's burning head.  

"...I don't like hats."  The irritation faded away, now that he knew Gaster was looking at something for him.  He removed it and set it back.  He wasn't going to burn it, but the people working there were uneasy about him trying things on.  He didn't want to make their day more difficult than it had to be during the holiday season.  

"[A shame.]"

Grillby glanced at Papyrus, who was peering out from inside a circular rack of coats. "...do you like any of them for yourself?"

Gaster shook his head, and then seemed to reconsider.  He tried on a few more.  

Grillby waited until Gaster was staring at himself in the mirror, and then he turned towards Papyrus and pointed at the hat on Gaster's head.  He gave a single stoic nod.  

He thought that pointing out a gift would get Papyrus to leave him and Gaster alone. He gave up on that idea after half an hour.  He caught a glimpse of some paper in Papyrus' hand.  

"[Are you bored?]"  Gaster signed.  "[Usually you enjoy this.]"

"......I feel like we're being watched."  

Gaster gave him as serious a look as his odd features could manage.  He touched Grillby on the arm. "[Do not let the humans get to you.]"

Grillby sighed. "......I won't."

"[But let's continue this when there is no crowd.]"

He nodded.

"[I wonder where my son went to eat?]"  Gaster took out his phone and started to call.

For a second, Grillby heard a ringtone, and then the sound was gone.  Grillby looked up and thought he saw something small flying through the air towards the back of the store.  

"[No answer.]"

"...if they went, they'd be done by now."

"[True.  But he always answers in two rings.]"  Gaster shook his head.  "[Except when his battery dies.]"

"...it's normal to worry, but...I'm sure he is fine."

Gaster gave him a crooked smile and nodded.  

A rack of clothes tipped over and Papyrus burst out of the mess.  "MY APOLOGIES FOR MISSING YOUR CALL, FATHER!  I THINK UNDYNE...DROPPED MY PHONE SOMEPLACE IN THIS STORE!  ...DID YOU SEE IT?"

"[How did you -]"

"I......HEARD YOU TALKING AS I WALKED BY!  THIS STORY SURE IS BELIEVABLE...IS WHAT YOU ARE THINKING RIGHT NOW!"

"I believe it!" Undyne said, popping out of the clothes on the floor.  "Hey, why don't you call his phone again, so we can see if we can track the ring tone!"

"BRILLIANT IDEA, UNDYNE!"  

Gaster shrugged. "[Let us all get something to eat after we find it.]"

"Great!  I could still eat like a thousand burgers," Undyne said.  

Grillby covered his face with his hands.  "...yes.  Let's just...leave."  

"[Grillby is shy around these humans,]" Gaster explained.  

"I WAS NOT AWARE THAT GRILLBY WAS SHY!  IT MUST BE DIFFICULT TO FULFILL SUCH A SOCIAL ROLE, AS A BARTENDER!  GRILLBY, I HAVE NEWFOUND RESPECT FOR YOU AND I AM HAPPY YOU ARE TRYING SO HARD TO OVERCOME YOUR LIMITATIONS."

"...thank you." Grillby was not used to being called "shy."  "...sometimes people are difficult."  That was true, at least.

"WHAT WAS THAT?"

"[Grillby thanked you.]"

"IT WAS THE VERY LEAST I COULD DO, BUT I AM AWARE THAT IT WAS STILL A LOT.  SINCE EVERYTHING I DO IS TINGED WITH GREATNESS."

They all went and got burgers over Papyrus' loud objections.  Papyrus ordered a salad and a milkshake and complained about the overpowering grease smell.  

After Undyne polished off her weight in hamburgers and cheese fries, she tossed some money on the table.  "I still have a billion errands to run!  Thanks for the food, though."

Papyrus looked confused.  "I THOUGHT WE WERE--"

Undyne elbowed his head.  

"--AH, YES!  I REMEMBER NOW.  THANK YOU FOR...KNOCKING MY MEMORY LOOSE FOR ME, UNDYNE."  He narrowed his eye sockets.  "AND WE SHOULD...STOP INTERRUPTING YOUR DATE!  THERE ARE MANY STEPS FROM FRIEND TO BOYFRIEND TO BECOMING THE STEP FATHER OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AND I WOULD NOT WANT TO DELAY IT EVEN FOR A MINUTE."

"Oh my god, Papyrus, let's just go!"  

"THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I'M SUGGESTING!"

Grillby watched them run out of the building.  Through the large pane glass window, he saw them hurry right back into the store they'd just left.  He looked back at Gaster, and noticed he was obliviously fussing with his phone.

"......I'm tired," Grillby said.  He still had a full night of work ahead of him.

"[Let me take you back home.]"

Grillby nodded.  He liked when they walked together, and he could make sure Gaster didn't get too cold.  He kept his arm over Gaster's shoulders.

--

Gaster was singing.

It was more like humming, with a strange high staticy buzz that almost seemed to form words when Undyne concentrated.  He signed along with his humming.

"[OH.  THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS FRIGHTFUL.]"

Grillby was next to him in a neat green sweater.  Someone (Sans) had stuck several bows to his back, and he hadn't noticed.  There was also one stuck to the side of his glasses that he had noticed, but he had left it where it was.  

"[BUT THE FIRE IS SO DELIGHTFUL.]"  

Grillby tinged blue under his glasses.  He playfully pushed Gaster away.  

Papyrus kicked open the kitchen door and burst in, carrying an enormous fruit cake on a silver platter.  "AND SINCE THERE'S NO PLACE TO GO,"  He sang.  

Sans, dozing on the couch next to Undyne, mumbled along with the last line.  "let it snow."

"LET IT SNOW!"

"[LET IT SNOW.]

That was freaking adorable.  Undyne wanted to punch the couch cushions into fluff. Gaster leaned towards Grillby and blinked at him like he was trying to bat his non-existent eyelashes.  Grillby turned even more blue and gave him a very quick smooch.  

"Alphys!"   Undyne turned away from boring Sans towards the love of her life, on her other side.

Alphys was in the middle of chugging a mug full of alcoholic cider.  She coughed and said, "Uh...Undyne!  Y-yes?"

"This place is so FULL of the holiday spirit, it feels like it's going to EXPLODE with it any minute now!  We have to open presents before it's too late!"

Alphys laughed. "It's a real emergency!"  

"I need you to see what I got you!"  Undyne sighed.  Toriel was still in the kitchen with Frisk.

"W-well...how about we give each other...a tiny present beforehand?  To, uh, release some of the pressure?  I can go first."

"WHAT YOU ARE DISCUSSING SOUNDS VERY ILLEGAL," Papyrus commented, but he didn't appear to be particularly bothered.

"Lay it on me!" Undyne said.  She held out her hand, assuming Alphys had whatever small gift it was in her inventory.

"Uh...ok. I'll...just..."  She turned red and took Undyne's hand.  Alphys' glasses fogged up in embarrassment as she gave Undyne's fingers a quick smooch.  

"HEY!" Undyne grinned.  "No fair giving me the best present first!  And I got you the same thing, too, which TOTALLY ruins the surprise!"

They kept each other distracted until it was time to open their other, easier to wrap presents.  

This was Gaster's first Gyftmas since his return, so Undyne wasn't surprised when present opening got slogged down during his turn.  She settled in.

"your turn, bro," Sans said, after Gaster had opened his poorly wrapped gag gift. 

"I WILL RETURN SHORTLY!"  Papyrus fled the room and Undyne jumped up to help.  

He had ten different boxes, and nothing was breakable, but she didn't want him flinging them around the house after she'd helped him pick them out.  They ran back and dumped the whole load of them onto Gaster's lap.  His lap wasn't large enough to hold them, so a couple rolled over to Grillby.

"man, don't sell yourself short," Sans said.  "carrying all those was a tall order."

"YES I SUPPOSE I DID RETURN TALL-Y," Papyrus allowed.  

"[What is all this?]"  Gaster asked.  He opened the first box he put his hands on and took out a soft black turtleneck.  Papyrus had written "NUMBER ONE GASTER" in glittering fabric paint on it, instead of the preferable but risky "NUMBER ONE DAD."  "[Oh.  That is very sweet.  Thank you.]"

The next box had the dapper looking hat they had watched him seriously consider. Papyrus had written "COOL DAD" on this one.  One by one, Gaster removed each of the items of clothing from their wrapping, and held them up to show off the slogans Papyrus had painted on.  Undyne couldn't tell from Gaster's face how he felt about them.  

He finally noticed the card, lost in all the boxes, taped to some now loose wrapping paper.  Gaster opened it up and seemed to read over it a few times before setting it down.  Black globular tears started to pour out of his eye sockets and Grillby shuffled away and held out a handkerchief to him at a safe distance.  "[THANK YOU, SON.]"  He sniffed and blew into the handkerchief.

They passed the card around, but Undyne didn't have to read it.  She'd sat by while Papyrus paced around trying to figure out the correct wording, and she'd giving him her reassurances that he was saying the right thing.

FATHER,

I CANNOT IMAGINE A BETTER PRESENT FOR MYSELF THAN HAVING YOU WITH US FOR GYFTMAS THIS YEAR.  I HOPE ALL THESE GIFTS ARE ENOUGH TO SHOW MY GRATITUDE.

PAPYRUS

Toriel opened her presents next, to give Gaster a little time to settle down, and Grillby shifted back over to sit right next to him.  He said something, quiet, and Gaster rested his head on Grillby's shoulder.

Undyne watched Grillby quietly set a box in Gaster's hand, and Gaster took out his own gift and handed it to Grillby.  Undyne looked away and gave them a moment of privacy to exchange their gifts.  

-

The adults had all had a little too much cider by the time the last gift was opened and properly cooed over.  Undyne crumpled up the wrapping paper into one huge ball and left to slam dunk it into the outside garbage.

Papyrus thought she was taking a little too long.  He found her in the kitchen with a mouth stuffed full of Toriel's famous snail puffs that she too-rapidly swallowed when Papyrus opened the door.  

"Hey!"  she said, voice raspy, tears leaking out the corner of her eye.

"GYFTMAS IS A VERY EMOTIONAL HOLIDAY FOR EVERYONE," Papyrus said.

"Y-yeah!" Undyne said, coughing.  "Man, I don't know what it is with booze, but I want to eat half the food in this house, and right now!"

Papyrus didn't like to hear that anyone was hungry around him, so he let her have some of the chips from one of the bags Sans always seemed to open but was always too lazy to finish.  This way, she wouldn't be eating food that was meant for later.  No one wanted to see Toriel in a bad mood.

"UNDYNE.  I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR COMING BY SO QUICKLY TO HELP ME WHEN I NEEDED IT THE MOST," Papyrus said.  "I THINK IT MUST HAVE BEEN FATE, BECAUSE I DOUBT ANY OTHER TIME WE WOULD HAVE RUN INTO THEM."

"I mean, they go into that exact store all the time.  That's why you thought you'd find something he liked there."

"YES!  THE TIDES OF FATE WERE IN OUR FAVOR, AND IT WAS WITH YOUR AID THAT I WAS ABLE TO MAKE THIS THE BEST GYFTMAS EVER.  IN QUITE LIKELY THE ENTIRE WORLD.  FOR ANYONE."

"Yeah, it was really great.  Man, Papyrus, you've been a really good friend, you know?"  She crumpled up the chip bag and tossed it.  It landed in the trash can without hitting the sides.  "And now I'm getting emotional!  What the hell!  It's gotta be the booze!  What did she put in this stuff?"

"YOU ARE FEELING EMOTIONAL BECAUSE YOU RIGHTFULLY LOVE ME VERY MUCH," Papyrus said.  "IT'S OKAY!  LET IT ALL OUT!"  He gave her a hug.

She sniffed, just once, and then hugged him back so hard he felt something crack.  "Of course I love you, you gangly nerd!"

"OH NO!  NOW THERE IS SOMETHING IN MY EYE SOCKETS!"

"Like you said!  Let it all out!"

Papyrus cried on her shoulder and loudly blew his nose hole on the wad of paper towels she handed to him.  "I NEVER IMAGINED I WOULD HAVE SO MANY GOOD FRIENDS.  WELL.  I MEAN, I IMAGINED, OF COURSE, BUT...IT IS BETTER THAN I IMAGINED!  AND YOU ARE THE BEST FRIEND OF THEM ALL.  THE GREATEST AMONGST THOSE WHO ARE GREAT ENOUGH TO BE CONSIDERED A LIFELONG COMPANION OF SOMEONE SUCH AS ME."

"Wow, Papyrus." She laughed.  "You sap!  Let's get back to the party before we start to get weird about it."

"YOU'RE THE FETTUCCINE TO MY ALFREDO," Papyrus said.

"Yeah, that's it.  I'll spaghetti your bolognese if we don't get back to the party."  

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS.  BUT IT SOUNDS NICE!"

"Well, it sure isn't!"  

There was a half-tipsy cheer when the two of them returned to the crowded living room.  

[ka-za-ri]

Galene (Prompto x FemOC)

Genre: Slice of Life Rating: SFW Pairing: Prompto x Female OC????  Wordcount: 2,113 Suggested Listening: 月に照らされ、風に揺れる華 -- Hanafugetsu Tags: @roses-and-oceans @r-e-g-a-l-i-a @sweetchocobae @rubyphilomela @thirsty-angst-lord @hypaalicious (???? Is this ok??? IDK if ppl wanted to be tagged bc lmao it’s not Ignis) Notes: Yeah, that’s right. You CAN believe your eyes. It’s not Ignis. My muse is out of control and wanted me to do a character study on Prompto. Because of that one post floating around that said he was neglected as a child. Hooo buddy, I had feels. No beta in sight, more experimental stuff. 

GALE′NE (Galênê), a personification of the calm sea, and perhaps identical with Galateia, one of the Nereides, is called by Hesiod (Theog. 244) a daughter of Nereus and Doris.

--

Prompto Argentum lived on a borrowed name and made up time. What he wished to belong to him was created for a purpose not his own. He hid this fact through a smile that was brighter than the sun and wider than the skies along with a laugh and louder than the storms. Prompto Argentum was made up of fragments and of broken promises.

As beautiful as the city was, the world beyond it seemed so dreamlike to him. What photos he could take of the jagged horizon were always too blurry, imperfect, idyllic, manufactured. He wanted many things in life, trust, friendship, acceptance, but more than anything, he wanted sleep. Tucked into the corner of the city, a commoner dressed as a Crownsguard in training, he wished for space, a place to think to hear what thoughts could be his and his alone.

Loneliness was something he was familiar with. In a gated community filled with older folks who kept more to themselves than their neighbors, he found solace in capturing moments in time through his camera when his heart skipped a beat at the beauty that surrounded him. Through the click of a shutter and a shy glance up to make sure no one was watching, he hoarded images, hoping, praying that they would live for him. Life for him was perfectly serene, and he had warm memories of trying to take pictures of the void of stars at night above the water.

Prompto found himself walking a lot. Most of the time, it was in the dead of the night when it was quietest and his thoughts almost seemed to collect correctly. Strolling the streets, he learned the corners and the quaintness of his neighborhood as the critters of the night scampered off, eventually leading him to the beach. He never needed music to listen to when his feet lead him to the water. The sound of gently lapping waves accompanied the beating of his heart and provided the booming baseline to his footsteps being the only sounds that he needed to think, to breath, to believe that he was real.

He often counted stars during those long walks, thinking them as a reflection of the freckles on his face. Each constellation he matched fell from the heavens to kiss gently at his cheeks and take a little bit of the stress he felt away from him. As the waves caressed at the corners of his consciousness, he could almost believe he was once born, and not made to be human. As the tide fell when the moon retreated, so did the tension of being and all that was left was his ability to believe.

Fondly, most fondly of all, he remembered the first night to the beach. He sat on a rock that was still holding onto the last vestiges of warmth from the sun, staring out into the darkened waters as moonlight rippled and played across the surface. It was the first night he didn't need his camera to capture the magic of the world around him. As tempting as the water seemed to be, the first nip of autumn air prevented him from dipping his toes into its inky depths. As brightly as he shone during the day, he could not let anyone know how weak he was to illness. That night, he recalls most fondly of throwing the windows to his room wide open so that he could continue to listen to the restless ocean just past his reach.

--

Six weeks of regularly walking at the beach and Prompto Argentum began to hallucinate.

There's no way she's real.

Thursday night, just past 3 AM on a routine walk, the peaceful lull of waves was interrupted by the unfamiliar sound of splashing and a voice that shone brighter in the dark night than his smile in the sun. Someone, laughed and sang during his hours of the dead when he was sure no one was awake.

Down by the pier she danced in the dark, glassy waters of the night, laughing and squealing at the fish that darted and danced by her legs. She sang loudly, off key and off tune to songs from at least three decades ago. The way she moved smelled strongly of chrysanthemums and orange blossoms in the summer. Despite the chill of autumn setting in, she flailed and swam in the darkened water as if it was the middle of summer.

Under a waxing moon which nestled between Castor and Pollux, Prompto Argentum met a goddess who was drenched in the light of the stars while moonbeams dripped heavily from her eyelids.

She didn't notice him until he was only about thirty paces from the end of the pier.

"Oh, hello! I didn't think people were up this late! What's up? Couldn't sleep?" Her first interaction reminded him of a wide-eyed curious child, naive to the world.

"I usually take a walk down by here to help me go to sleep" He replied, skeptical, and sure he was still strongly imagining everything.

"No, no. There has got to be a better reason why someone like you would be up this late, walking around here like you've never seen water before." She disappeared underneath the dark surface of the water and Prompto felt himself sigh in relief, realizing the moment was over. When she appeared again, at the edge of the pier, arms crossed on the wooden planks, hair swirling around her face in a tangled mess, he felt his heart stop. "Come on now, there's got to be a story behind all of this."

"There really isn't a story to any of this. It's just... nice and quiet here." He shrugged before coming to his senses that yes, there was someone there and yes, they were speaking to him. He couldn't help but wish that his camera was with him to catch the way the moonlight made her hair looked curled and wild.

"Quiet is the only good thing about this place, really." She scoffed.

"Well, I mean, it's better than during the day when it's all noisy."

"I guess you have a point there." She sighed and shifted her weight a bit, making the planks of wood groan slightly. "There's literally nothing to do here though. All the people are old and no one ever swims in the water during the day. I mean have you seen how much trash there is?"

"Wait, then why are you in the water now?"

"Because I want to be. But that's beside the point. You never really answered my question. Why are you here? There's no way a pretty thing like you grew up here. All the old grannies would be spoiling you rotten to the core. Did you move here recently?"

"I... I grew up here. I just, don't really go out much. But I just started coming to the beach recently. How did you figure?"

Maybe it was just the way the water lapped at her waist as she clung to the edge of the pier that made her seem like a sprite straight out of a fairy tale. Or perhaps it was the moonlight casting a glowing halo around that made her seem absolutely surreal and ethereal to him. Still, a deeply skeptical part of him truly wanted to believe he was imagining this whole scenario.

"Well, first, there are no younger people here. I'm just visiting my folks for a little bit. Been away for a while. I'm an ornithologist y'know. Most of my studies are on chocobos, but I really like to run around finding the big ones, like ruhks! So, my reasearch takes me all over the place." She let out a dreamy sigh and settled her head back down on her arms. "It's nice though, coming back for a bit and taking a dip every now and then. Secondly, if you need to take a walk around here to lull you to sleep from the city sounds, you must be one hell of a light sleeper, kid."

"I'm not a kid! I have a name. It's Prompto. And you'd best remember it. I'm training to be a Crownsguard." Prompto huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Look, it's just, nice to walk around here at night. It's like you, coming back to your parents' place."

As much as he tried not to show it, he felt a twinge of envy that she even had a place with parents to come back to. What with how often he saw his own folks, it was difficult to swallow the bitter feeling that was rising from the back of his throat. She, as carefree as the world, had the one thing that he wanted.

"No, no." She countered, shaking him out of the foul mood that was sinking through his skin. "You see, those are two different things. I'm coming back here because I have a familial obligation and it's a free room for a few days before I have to head out again. You, on the other hand willingly bring yourself to walk around in the dead of the night so you could experience 'peace and quiet.' Prompto. You may be a Crownsguard in training, but man, you're weird. Have you ever heard of earplugs? They work miracles on loud noises, and you'll get a lot more sleep that way 'cause y'know, you're not up and about in the dead of the night."

Any chance Prompto had to reply was cut short as she floated off to play with more invisible fish in the impossibly dark water. Prompto didn't really have much of an answer to her question. He could have easily found the quiet he wanted in other ways, but he chose to seek the water as if it was the only place that mattered to him. Perhaps it was that magnetic draw to it that eventually brought him to her.

How sorely he wished he had his camera to catch the stars as they flickered in the night sky while she laughed and sang songs he had only briefly heard in snippets while browsing radio stations.

The rest of the night, he sat at the edge of the pier, feet numb and dipped into the water, watching as she swam around, laughing and talking to her fishy friends. The part of him which thought it was all an illusion at first became the part of him that yearned for her to talk to him and not her silent, swimming friends.

By the time the night waned and Prompto got himself to bed, he refused to open his windows. The sound of waves that night were too loud with the sound of free will and singing fish.

~~

In the morning, at his front doorstep. His shoes and a bright pink sticky note with a message scrawled on it:

Goofball, you left your shoes at the end of the pier. At least the grannies here were nice enough to point me in the direction of your place. You're lucky I'm not your shoe size because I would have made these mine if I could.

The place her name should have been was smudged and illegible. His shoes had been spitefully filled with sand and he couldn't help but laugh at her petty nature. Six, I should have asked for her name...

The rest of his day, the whole scenario of their conversation haunted him. The scrap of paper with her written note burned in his pocket and he found himself constantly fidgeting with it. He found himself forgetting most of what he was supposed to be training for and ending up with more bruises that day than he cared to talk about. Not that there were a lot of people he could talk to about them in the first place.

By the end of his scheduled day, out of sheer frustration and impulse, the weightless note became an unbearable burden to him and he threw it in the garbage.

He destroyed the one and only memento he had from a conversation with a water goddess. Though the object itself was temporal, the memory of her moon drenched figure lived forever in Prompto's mind. And he would chase that image forever move with his camera in hand.

Prompto Argentum lived on borrowed time and makeshift memories. However, he'd now count the pictures he's taken and they would more than make up for the lost time that wasn't his.

[candy-corps]

Impressed yet?

Astra belongs to @mygardenofmuses

“I just cast a M - EXCLAMATION POINT - A - on someone.”

“So you just put a spell on someone, uh? Impressive indeed.”

“Thank you~ “

He really was getting better at these. Maybe. Dae didn’t turn into a cat for a week now, as well. There was much reason for the Anon to be in good spirits.

“When was the last time you becharmed someone? Lets say, a fish, into … a person … ”

#just giving random examples here 

“You sure have a crush on that fish, don’t you? I might start to feel jealous. This is the second time you mention that fish….” Astra teased him playfully.

“Lets say we share … “

Bun stayed on the same spot in the air for some time.

“I need that fish to be a human. I know its in your power! Why can’t you do me this one favor - I know you grant others three.”

#come on Astraaa

“Eeeeehehehe I LOVE it when people begs me for stuff. Makes me feel so powerful~!” Astra couldn’t help but giggle. Teasing Bun so much was fun, but he did have a point. Enough teasing.”

“Well, well, well… take me to the fish first. Gotta talk with him, or her. Once we talk, I’ll see if I can make true that one wish.”

“Lets do this.”

There may be a hint of annoyance -

“- ɹǝʇɐ⅂ ǝɯᴉʇǝɯoS -”

#OH THATS HOW WE DO IT#WELL THEN LETS

“Aawwww! You’ve even cuter when you get like this!” Astra gave him a hug, smiling from ear to ear. “There, there. I know I shouldn’t tease you so much, I’m sorry. You’re just so cute I can’t resist teasing you~!”

Bun couldn’t help the grey bursts of magic to emit from his form.

“A wish. Not a favor. I heard you.”

He poofed.

#relatable

#angry what me

“I know, I know… OK, let’s see what material do I have to work with.” Astra answered, poofing to follow him.

Oh fuck this. And this, and this, and this thing in particular.

Bun was in Dae’s Apartment and pushed down one thing after the other: a cup here, a plant there, a book … - where did he get a book from? - anyway. Down to the floor from one of the shelves.

There were so many cats here, he’d sure find at least one to blame it on.

Astra to come follow him though was certainly not part of the plan. After spotting her, Bun grit his teeth.

“You know, the reason for an dramatic exit is to signal you want some alone time.”

#grrrrrrrrr

“Was it? Sorry, I misunderstood.” Astra began to pick up all the things he had thrown to the floor. “Taking it out on someone else’s belongs is kind of rude though. Especially when i followed you to grant your wish…”

“Well too bad I don’t want it granted anymore.”

Astra picking up what he dropped only made Bun more angry. The floating ball that was him trembled and then, within the same moment, everything in the flat that stood on a high place dropped down all at once.

The cats were startled and were jumping right and left.

“My, my. If I had known you’d get this upset, I would have stopped myself from teasing you so much.” Astra mumbled, before she clicked her fingers. Everything returned to place, good as new. “Listen, Bun, we’re old spirits. There are better ways to fix things up than breaking havoc in someone else’s home.”

“You think.”

Bun kept floating where he was. He didn’t seem to be doing anything in particular; yet everything near him began to turn grey.

#I listen

“I do.” Without fear, Astra clicked her fingers and turned herself grey on purpose. Knowing how colors did hurt him, she wanted to avoid that. Once she was sure all colors had vanished from her body, she walked toward Bun, smiling quietly. “Bun, we’re friends. You know my teasing doesn’t come with malice. I just don’t like to use my magic if I don’t know the material, the people, or in this case, the fish. It’s nothing personal against you.”

She shouldn’t be doing that. He had power over grey things.

The magic stopped spreading for the moment at least. Bun sunk down and laid on the couch like a ball.

Astra noticed the change. She walked toward him, sat by his side, and caressed gently the top of his spheric form. “I do love you, just so you know. If I wasn’t comfortable around you, I wouldn’t tease you so much. You’re fun, and sweet. I like those good things of you.”

“I shouldn’t have pulled the wish card.”

He didn’t think she’d jump on it, but he did regret it, still. Bun made himself warm so he won’t be unpleasant to the touch.

“Yeah, you shouldn’t have done that. Now I have to do it, even if I’m not entirely aboard with the idea.” Astra was honest. She caressed gently the surface, hoping to convey her feelings. She wasn’t upset, she only wanted him to understand how she felt. “How about we we go see your fishy friend? If I talk to him, or her, sure everything will be better.”

“No you will not.”

He’d fight her. But first he let a grey hand appear and rest on her shoulder.

“I wanted a favor. You won’t do me the favor. And that’s all there is to it.”

This was getting awkward again, wasn’t it. Astra couldn’t help but worry. Making Bun upset wasn’t something he wanted to do, especially with Valentine’s day around the corner. She didn’t want to hurt him.

“Favors, wishes… Bun, you know I don’t want to offend you. I’m sorry if I did. I just want to meet the fish, or the person I have to cast magic on, otherwise I can’t do it. I came here for that. I’m not joking this time. Let’s get it done, shall we? Just… take me there, please?”

“No.”

He’d not change his mind. Bun floated up and drifted through Astras hand - no need to have a solid form except for maybe the glasses.

“Are you… angry with me…?” Astra started to feel bad. Like, really bad. She was so confused. The grey surrounding her form turned darker. She was feeling very sad now.

“I am SO sorry. I do not understand why it is so important to turn just a regular fish in a human. I don’t understand what is happening… If you could explain me… or if I could see that fish with my own eyes, maybe I could understand…”

“You’d not understand. You’re a genie and I can’t even be angry because that’s what you’re … Gah!”

It was what she was made for. She was a muse. Magic wasn’t supposed to be fun. It was a necessity to be useful and all that.  

It was out of his power.

Or …

Was it? Bun turned around and let two hands appear on his sides - framing Astra. She was grey. She was in range. All he needed was permission …

“Magic Anon. For a week - a day - you get a taste of what its like. To be a Magic Anon.”

Please please please please please please work?

#please

“Bun…?!”

Astra couldn’t help but feel a little scared. However, his touch didn’t feel angry - just sad as she was. The dark energy of her own vanished, and her body poofed.

Next thing she knew, she was a small grey ball, with some flowers on her head. A Magic Anon.

She opened her eyes like saucers, feeling suddenly drowned by a spiral of information she never thought possible. Through all that information hurricane, she could see the fish Bun was talking about, and his reasons to cast magic on her.

“Now I understand EVERYTHING… Y-you only wanted to save her…”

��Her, myself … “

Bun shifted a little. He wasn’t anyones hero.

“What’s it like to talk in headlines?”

#now this is hilarious

“I feel weird… and weak. And talking like this… is so different…”

Astra rolled on the couch. She was still very, VERY overwhelmed for what just just happened. Being an anon felt so strange. So much information, but at what price…

“Are you… still angry… with me…? Please… don’t hate me… for not understanding before…”

“Please don’t hate me for making you do.”

He came into existence like that. But jumping from muse to anon … That seemed like a handful.

But weak? That didn’t sound about a right thing to feel. He felt powerful, if anything. Bun was floating around and touched what he could to turn all to grey. Astra should feel better when there was less color around.

He let a cocktail appear next to her, filled with grey liquid. That should help, too.

“I don’t hate you…. Guess… it was necessary…”

Astra rolled a bit and began to drink the cocktail Bun had made for her. Given the drink was made of his magic, her own magic reacted to it, mingling with it. Astra’s magic was usually colourful and full of light - that was the reason why her new body and her magic weren’t compatible just yet. However, his magic did help her to feel better.

“So… we are… still friends… right?”

“You thought I’d force you to cast magic on someone. And that’s not a friend thing to do. That’s not an Anon thing to do.”

A thing she should understand now. It was about spreading fun, not force somebody to do ones bidding. Bun floated closer. Grey suit her well.

“We could be friends now? Or lovers.”

#we're the only anons I know!

“I’m sorry… I had so many people forcing things on me in the past, that… sometimes I still let myself get driven by those thoughts. It wasn’t fair to let those thoughts take over me then, you’re better than that. I’m sorry..”

After that apology, Astra rolled toward him. She could float, but rolling like a ball was just… funnier, in a way. She bumped against him and smiled quietly.

“Maybe we can be both. Though I still don’t know how to use this body, or magic in this form. Does just… thinking of it, make things happen?”

“ … Wishful thinking. And you need something to draw from. Something sad.”

With that Bun made them poof and float above the city - Astra on a little cushion, of course. He didn’t know if she could float yet and would rather know she was safe.

He wanted to do something impressive. Sunflowers? No. Burning goat … Maybe not up here. A whole city …

“Watch that.”

Bun floated higher and with a grin, watched buildings emerge from the ground and blend in with what was there. The part had narrow alleyways, was rather low, compared, but pretty. Definitely pretty. European, maybe. Bun turned to Astra while all still had to form, a large bridge connecting what was and what came.

#impressed yet?

Astra’s eyes widened under the strange sunglasses covering her face. Bun was showing her actual… God-like powers. NOW she was impressed!

“Did you just… add a whole new district to the city??”

She turned to face him, a shy smile growing in her face.

“THAT’S THE COOLEST THING I’VE EVER SEEN!”

That did sound impressed.

“You’re welcome.”

Bun dipped an inch where he floated in the air like to make a small bow at her.

“It is the second coolest thing I did.”

He looked around and watched the city finishing to form.

[emilyjanestuff]

Anime Review: From The New World Episode Three, The False Minoshiro. English Dub.

Warning: The series I am reviewing, child abduction, disappearance, murder and violence in a future totalitarian society. The show also contains relationships implicit and later explicit sexual relationships between young people. That is the trigger warning.

Leave now if you wish.

Also spoilers for the episode and the whole series. Do not read any further if you don’t want spoilers.

Recap: The episode starts off with another scene from the past. The Emperor from the last episode being assassinated. At one point rights before hand one of the assassins says ‘Lets go change history, rid the world of PK’. The scene ends with both the Emperor and the assassins dead.

Next scene we have Group One again.  They are canyoning up the river using oars and later their powers. We’ve joined them again right where we left off before. Suki and Satoru are bickering again. Shun finds some Thatchnester eggs and they spend their time looking at the scenery and the wildlife.  The sunsets however and they make camp. They gossip and talk. Around the fire Satoru begins to talk about balloon dogs, creatures he’s has heard about. Saki and Mari are rather skeptical about the whole matter. However what Satoru says next is interesting ‘The whole thing sounds just so weird and so crazy, that’s what makes it sound so fishy, I mean if you were going to make something up to scare kids wouldn’t you make it realistic?’ (That’s paraphrased). But next Satoru starts talking about a Demon Minoshiro-if you see one you die. Mamoru asks if  he means a false Minoshiro. Shun then makes the suggestion that they go looking for these creatures to see if the stories are true. Also apparently their powers will not work on the Demon Minoshiro.

Shun then suggests canyoning in the dark, they draw straws and Satoru is the one left behind to watch the cap. Something he is not happy about. Shun then tells Saki not to look at the camp fire because it  is a rule of night canyoning. Next there is a scene of Shun and Saki together in their boat alone. Shun stops them using their paddles so they can see the reflections of the stars in the water. Shun then puts his hand over Saki’s hand.

Next we get some information on the Minoshiro from adult Saki’s narration. Minoshiro are in none of the books adult Saki has read meaning they may have only recently emerged sometime over the last few centuries. However evolutionary this is not possible in such a short space of time. She goes on to say that there is a massive difference between the creatures and plants on the earth today then there was a millennium ago. As if these creatures just dropped from heaven onto earth. However there is a possible explanation-that human subconsciousness increased the speed of the evolutionary process in a way that wasn’t possible before.

Next we have the kids making breakfast and packing up camp to find the Demon Minoshiro. Saki is wearing red glasses when they dock to keep the glare out her eyes. They come across an old shrine and then they see the Minoshiro. But they are all but Saki standing still unable to more because the creature has a defense ability using it’s lights. The Minoshiro hides in a cave. In order to capture it they catch two large cows and use they to corner the Minoshiro and catch it with their claws. Once the creature is in the crab’s claws it however then starts it’s lights again. Saki’s glasses provide her with protection again and she begins to pull at the creatures tentacles.

The a high clear female starts speaking. It’s the Minoshiro stating that Saki must stop this destructive act as she is destroying public property that belongs to the library.  Saki then threatens to pull out the creatures tentacles it it does not stop with the lights. Mamoru says Saki is amazing to each Mari responds that if he is so great.

It turns out that the Minoshiro is a false Minoshiro. And the information can be read by any human.

Cuts to credits.

Analysis: This episodes is setting up what will come next, all the information that the false Minoshiro will give us. But there are other interesting tidbits here and there. The scene at the start of the assassination of the Emperor is just giving us a visual of something that will be explained in the next episode. So I’ll leave what I have to say until the next post.

What we have in this episode though is that Saki’s and Shun’s romantic feelings for each other are confirmed. In very nice scene between the pair. The boy you like holding your hand under the stars. It’s very cute and the animation is wonderful. The palette is the same as the episode before.  There is more world building and we get some explanation as to why this world is so different from our own. Also this is the episode to not kill a character we know so little about. With the exception of the Emperor guy but I’ll get back to that. We also learn that the kids powers do have some weakness-they may not work on certain things.

While this episode is good it is the next one that is the real pay off. While we are only on episode three here they’ve raised so many questions in such a short space of time. We will be getting some answers. Also the false Minoshiro’s design is well and truly alien once again showing that this is not our world. The Thatchernest design was good as well.

This episode is a must see but it is the next one that is really going to be interesting.