#lord shen had the tail feathers

[cowsaresushi-coral]

thinking about lord shen

also that dreamworks for some reason tend to peak on their second movie. like i dont think a lot of movies need sequels but they really make the 1st movie a movie to set concept and then BANG out a second movie that goes CRAZY

(kung fu panda, shrek, puss in boots. i mean its not a lot but weird to happen a couple of times when it really shouldnt in any right BE SO PHENOMENAL)

[moociaoafterdark]

Primarchs and the birds I think they would be able transform into (and why)

1) Lion - Golden Eagle. Just like lions are called "Kings of Jungle", golden eagles are sometimes called "Kings of Birds". Aside from the naming, I think Lion would love such a magnificent, pompous bird.

2) Fulgrim - Albino/White Peacock. Do I even need to say anything here? Lord Shen looking bastard. Flaunts his gorgeous tail feathers to everyone. Will start screaming at you very loudly if you don't pay him enough attention. That is especially the case if you are one of his brothers. Especially if you are Ferrus. Sorry Ferrus. Surprisingly, though, Fulgrim doesn't turn into a bird very often. Some speculate he regrets choosing the peacock as his transformation. Others believe he loves his human form way more.

3) Perturabo - Red Tailed Hawk. Just like the Heresy is named after Horus, despite Perturabo being the sole reason it got this bad for the Imperium in the first place, red tailed hawk's screech is attributed to a completely different bird. Perturabo will feel a spiritual connection with this bird species, which is why he is able to transform into it in the first place. He does wish the bird was bigger.

4) Jaghatai Khan - Peregrine. Peregrine falcons are the world's fastest birds, and one of the fastest animals on Earth. There's literally no better bird for Jaghatai than this falcon. Probably yells "falcon punch" when he dives in (The Emperor told him to do that to "intimidate his enemies")

5) Leman Russ - Pigeons. Now, fun fact - crows/ravens have a symbiotic relationship with wolves, as they often hunt together and share the spoils. As you probably guessed by now, the ravens/crows are kinda already taken by another primarch (in canon even), so I had to improvise. Enter pigeons. Just like wolves, pigeons got domesticated by humanity and have been our companions for many centuries. Pigeons, just like crows and ravens, are social birds, meaning they live in one big flock and help take care of each other. This is as close as one gets to a wolf pack dynamic in the bird world, so there we have it! Leman does use his transformation mostly for pranks or "party tricks". Never in battle. If you propose him to do that for a surprise attack, you can spot a little bit of a blush, before he angrily tells you off.

6) Rogal Dorn - Arctic Tern. I think Rogal would find the fact that those birds have the longest migration distance (48,700 km to 70,900 km) REALLY fascinating. He surprisingly takes this form very often and for a reason. Up above in the sky he gets a good look at both his own defences as well as those of the Imperium's enemies. Though he doesn't like admitting it, he simply just really likes flying and letting the wind carry him.

6) Konrad Curze - Bearded Vulture. Those fuckers EAT BONES and look like fucking dinosaurs. Konrad would LOVE to terrorize people as this bird. He'll take off the skin and meaty bits in his human form, then transform into a bird to finish the job. By the time he is done - NOTHING will be left of you... GOD I love bearded vultures. FUCKING LOOK AT THEM!!!

7) Sanguinius - Swan. Graceful. Beautiful. A symbol of love. Will break human bones with a flap of the wings (or at the very least make you bleed). Nuff said, even if the choice is a little basic. If you can't find him anywhere, chances are, he is chilling in the garden, swimming in the pond. Make sure to bring bread with you, the good one. You know, the one that's all fresh and soft. If you're still unsure, just call Warmaster Horus, he knows what bread his brother likes.

(Yes, this how swans are rescued. In Sanguinius' case, this is how he is restrained when he is being a tiny bit of a nuisance)

8) Ferrus Manus - Hummingbird. Similar to Rogal and the Arctic Tern, Ferrus would find hummingbirds fascinating by how strong and fast their wings are (and how they're the only birds able to fly backwards). Despite the birds being smaller than some insects, they have caught the attention of one of the biggest primarchs... Which is why it's hilarious when Ferrus, this gruff giant of a man, able to move mountains and wrestle wyrms, transforms into a tiiiiiny bird mid-fight. Well, it's hilarious until you are his opponent and realize you just completely lost sight of Ferrus, until he transforms back into his human form but, by then, it's too late. On the more lighter note, Ferrus loves resting while, in his bird form, nestled somewhere in Fulgrim's hair. Warm, soft AND he can be sure he wouldn't be bothered.

9) Angron - Roosters. Hoo boy. So, roosters kinda have a reputation for being aggressive, easily provoked AND also having a history of being used in bloodsports. However, roosters are very valuable if you intend to keep chickens, as they take care of the hens, protect them and, if raised properly, can actually be great pets. So, over all, we have a loving, protective and loyal bird, who is unfortunately often mistreated and misunderstood, as well as used in bloodsports even to this day, which often leaves the birds aggressive and traumatized... Sounds familiar?

God, I hate thinking about Angron, because the more I think about him, the more I want to cry. I'm actually kinda teary eyed as I'm typing this, haha.

Anyway, to lighten the mood, Angron, with nails or without them, is a local alarm clock. It doesn't matter where you are, you WILL hear his crowing and you WILL get your ass up.

10) Roboute Guilliman - Harpy Eagle. The only bird I don't have explanation for other than it looks cool. And I'm not even a huge Rowboat Girlyman fan. Would love to hear your opinion on why this does or doesn't work. And if it doesn't, I'm eager to hear your alternatives.

11) Mortarion - The Marabou Stork. If you know anything about those birds - you know they were handcrafted by Satan himself. Or, Nurgle, I guess. Morty would love them.

(Above is an attached photo of a very private meeting of the Death Guard Legion. Lord Mortarion is on the white pedestal.)

12) Magnus The Red - The Scarlet Macaw. I swear, Magnus' daemon form is supposed to resemble the scarlet macaw. The resemblance is uncanny. Perhaps he was always meant to be the Emperor's "parrot on the shoulder", instead of, what, powering the Golden Throne instead of the Emperor? Yes, he sits on his dad's shoulder and makes snarky remarks to everyone. Malcador once threw a shoe at him for that.

13) Horus Lupercal - Bald Eagle. Actually NOT bald, just like Horus isn't actually naturally bald, because he SHAVES. The fandom lied to me, this whole time I thought Horus was jealous of his father's and some of his brothers' hair, when in reality he CHOSE to be bald!

... Anyway, high key Horus (before the heresy) is the Imperium's poster boy, so it's only logical to give him the bird that is essentialy a US mascot. He loves perching very high and enjoying the winds stroke his feathers. Also, if you kiss him on his forehead, while he is in the eagle form, he will get all giddy and happy. Horus also takes his bird form to play with Sanguinius, trying to race with him in the skies. Goofs.

14) Lorgar Aurelian - The Mourning Dove. In Christianity, the mourning dove is used to represent the Holy Spirit. It's generally a bird that is associated with spirituality, being a symbol of peace, love and faith. It would be a crime for me not to assign this bird to Lorgar. In the early hours of the morning, Lorgar would take this form to coo prayers in the language no one will ever understand, making it somewhat safe for him.

15) Vulkan - Crested Auklet. These birds are mostly found nesting on volcanic islands, such as Kuril Islands and Sakhalin island. They also live in huge colonies and can form strong bonds with each other. I think this bird would remind Vulkan less of himself and more of Nocturne... Which is exactly why he would choose this bird for transformation. He is very cuddly in the bird form and smells like tangerines too. Just... Don't hold him for too long. Vulkan, even as a bird, is still a living furnace.

16) Corvus Corax - Common Raven.

... Do I need to say anything?

17) Alpharius and Omegon - Emus. What better birds for the local "Just according to plan" guys than the ones that literally won a war against humans. Seriously, what the fuck, Australia?

And as a little bonus:

The Emperor of Mankind - Cassowary. You thought it would be another eagle? Or, perhaps, the emperor penguin with the "penguins of Madagascar" joke thrown somewhere in there? Nah. He gets the bird that is literally THE tired single father of the birds. On the other hand, though, the Emperor gets to harass people in the cassowary form. Imagine having the honor of being invited to the Imperial Palace itself and as you explore you get approached by a huge, dangerous looking cassowary. You manage to befriend it, even fed it some food you had on you, before you hear panicked Custodes running in your direction, screaming for the Emperor to stop harassing the guests. The cassowary then proceeds to book it, screaming back in the very human voice that he can do whatever he wants. And now you have an idea of what a normal Monday in the Imperial Palace looks like to the Custodes.

[nyoomerr]

I hope you have a nice week of vacation!!!

For a prompt request perhaps something with a more monstrous or demonic Binghe? Potentially dealing with self hatred/insecurity or dysphoria because of this but with a shen Yuan being VERY into monstrous features actually.

(only if that strikes your fancy though. Have a good one either way!)

combining these two prompts together to present you both with some cursed dragon!binghe and a sqq that has very little issues with what that means for him, lmao.

---

Admittedly, when a disciple had burst into the lecture hall to very frantically inform Shen Qingqiu that something was wrong with Luo Binghe, Shen Qingqiu hadn’t thought much of it.

On Cang Qiong, ‘something wrong with Luo Binghe’ could be anything from Luo Binghe outright attacking Liu Qingge to something as small as Luo Binghe having disturbed the dirt beneath his feet as he walked. Luo Binghe’s very presence here was something that even occasionally was reported to Shen Qingqiu as ‘something wrong,’ because Shen Qingqiu still hadn’t quite managed to strike down the rule barring Luo Binghe from entry to the sect.

So Shen Qingqiu had sighed, given the interrupting disciple his most withering ‘don’t you know better than to barge in like that!’ glare, and exited the classroom with very little urgency. 

It was only on the walk back to the bamboo house that some of Shen Qingqiu’s irritation began to be replaced with concern. 

Disciples and hall masters from Qing Jing and Qian Cao alike were running about like chickens that had lost their heads - most of them looking as if they’re just running around to be a part of the action and gossip rather than to actually be useful, but running around nonetheless. The Qian Cao disciples in particular seem to be very dedicated to scouring the ground for what appear to be crystalized… feathers? Scales? Whatever they are, they glint a deep red in the sun despite looking near black in the shade.

Alarmingly, many of them seem to be quite bloody.

Shen Qingqiu picks up the pace a bit. Then, when he gets near enough the bamboo house that he can hear the commotion of fighting and the wretched sound of a beast in pain, he abandons his pride and starts running.

“Liu-Shidi!” Shen Qingqiu calls as he approaches, watching with horror as Liu Qingge stabs Cheng Luan through a window to poke at something in the bamboo house. “What on earth is going on?!”

Liu Qingge looks up at the sound of his name, and then promptly gets thrown across the clearing that the bamboo house sits in when a thick tail whips out of the window to knock into him.

Shen Qingqiu looks at Liu Qingge - already standing back up, although looking significantly more irritated - and then back at the bamboo house. He does some quick mental math. 

“...Binghe?” He calls tentatively. 

The awful noises from inside the bamboo house stop. The creature’s tail freezes where it had been slowly slithering back in through the window that it had whacked Liu Qingge through. 

“Oh, Binghe,” Shen Qingqiu sighs, taking that as all the confirmation he needs. “What did you get yourself into this time?”

“Back off,” Liu Qingge grunts, sliding between Shen Qingqiu and the house. “If that’s really your disciple in there, he has even less sense than usual.”

“Nonsense,” Shen Qingqiu says. Hadn’t he clearly displayed a sense of shame just now, when Shen Qingqiu had caught him throwing Liu Qingge about? Actually, isn’t the fact that he attacked Liu Qingge in such a way proof in itself that it’s still his troublesome disciple in there?

“He sent three of your disciples to Qian Cao before I got here,” Liu Qingge says, and Shen Qingqiu winces.

Luo Binghe may not try very hard to maintain good relations with Shen Qingqiu’s fellow peak lords, but he does try to be civil with everyone on Qing Jing. 

Well. Everyone except Ming Fan, usually. Poor Ming Fan.

Still, Shen Qingqiu is quite convinced that the beast inside his house is Luo Binghe. He’d been away for the last week quelling a rebellion in the southern demon lands, fighting against a race of demons known for their particularly potent curses.

The mental math Shen Qingqiu had done adds up: it’s been nearly a full month since the last wife plot he’d had to fend off with his husband. Naturally, the beast inside his home must be a Luo Binghe that’s been cursed in some awful way that will require a truly heinous amount of freaky papapa!

Shen Qingqiu takes a determined step towards the bamboo house. 

Liu Qingge mirrors the step, remaining firmly in the away. 

“...Liu-Shidi, if you don’t mind,” Shen Qingqiu says, pointedly taking another step to try and get around him.

Liu Qingge mirrors the step once more. “He’s attacking indiscriminately,” he says, scowling. “That beast has hurt you enough as it is, no need to -”

Whatever Liu Qingge had been about to say, it’s cut off by the sound of Luo Binghe making another wretched noise, followed by something shattering inside the bamboo house, and then complete silence once more.

Shen Qingqiu sighs. Of all the casualties of this world’s nonsense, the sheer number of fine tea sets that he’s lost to plotlines deciding that something shattering would add some good drama is truly the worst!!

“Try to stay still for now, Binghe,” he calls over Liu Qingge’s shoulder. “This master will help you get untangled once I get in there.”

“Don’t let him out,” Liu Qingge says, blocking Shen Qingqiu’s way with Cheng Luan. 

Shen Qingqiu eyes him distrustfully. “Shidi was the one who locked him in my house?”

Liu Qingge sends a pointed glare around the clearing. The clearing which, in all fairness, is quite a bit messier than it usually is: whole swaths of bamboo have been trampled, and deep claw marks dig ugly rows in the ground everywhere Shen Qingqiu looks. The little garden that Luo Binghe has been tending recently is completely lost; Shen Qingqiu tuts as he thinks about how irritated Luo Binghe will be to have lost his favorite source of fresh vegetables. 

“He’s out of control,” Liu Qingge says. “Containing him in a small space was the most immediate method of getting your disciples out of danger.”

Shen Qingqiu sighs, bringing a hand up to rub at his temples.

“Just to be clear,” he says, “Liu -Shidi heard reports of a beast on a violent rampage on Qing Jing, showed up and saw a creature wreaking havoc, and decided that the best course of action was to corral the beast into my house?”

“...” Liu Qingge says.

“Thanking Liu-Shidi for his assistance,” Shen Qingqiu says with very little real gratitude. “Now shoo; go scare the Qian Cao disciples off my peak if you’re not done playing guard dog. They’re trying to collect Binghe’s blood again, I think.”

Liu Qingge’s expression twists. If Shen Qingqiu feels disturbed watching little baby medics trying to scrape Luo Binghe’s blood up off the ground to research, Liu Qingge undoubtedly detests the idea of their righteous sect collecting that “dirty” blood even more.

Eventually, Liu Qingge huffs, sheathing Cheng Luan and turning away from Shen Qingqiu in one movement.

“Fine,” he grunts. “But when he lashes out at you, too -”

“He won’t,” Shen Qingqiu interrupts, and finally manages to push past Liu Qingge and into the bamboo house.

Although, once he’s inside, he realizes very quickly that there’s very little room for him to go from there. 

Luo Binghe’s current form takes up most of the entire main room of the bamboo house, even with his body curled up tight in one spot to try and avoid knocking into the walls. Every breath Luo Binghe takes seems to move the whole space for how powerful it feels, and Shen Qingqiu can barely make out the crushed remains of the table beneath one massive paw.

A western dragon, Shen Qingqiu thinks, taking in the sight with no small amount of awe. 

Of course, he makes sure to feel an appropriate amount of irritation towards Shang Qinghua about it too.

Still though, Luo Binghe as he is now is truly a sight to behold. A handsome and proud snout with giant curving fangs peeking out from his mouth sits below a pair of reptilian eyes that shine with the same pretty shade of red that Luo Binghe’s eyes normally do when he gets irritated. Large red horns sprout from the sides of his head and curve and twist in front of his forehead in an approximation of his demonic huadian. His whole body ripples in the light, covered in those beautiful crystalline scales - though Shen Qingqiu notes with some regret that he can quite clearly see the bloodied patches where some of those scales have been ripped out. 

He doesn’t seem to have wings, but Shen Qingqiu easily spots the long tail that had knocked into Liu Qingge - as Shen Qingqiu examines Luo Binghe, the tail starts to thump rhythmically against the ground, like a dog sheepishly wagging its tail. Ah, that’s really… really too cute!!

“Welcome back, Binghe,” Shen Qingqiu greets. The rhythmic thumping of Luo Binghe’s tail gets a bit quicker. “Can you speak like this?”

Luo Binghe’s tail stills, and Shen Qingqiu instantly feels some regret at the loss. Still, he supposes that answers that, then.

“That’s fine,” Shen Qingqiu says. “Just - ah, make some sort of noise if I do anything that hurts. I’m just going to examine you real quick, alright?”

Slowly, Shen Qingqiu approaches, ducking under Luo Binghe’s massive head to reach his flank. This close, he can get a better idea of what hurt Luo Binghe.

…He almost wishes he hadn’t looked. The bloodied areas missing scales look very much like they’d been inflicted with a giant mouth rather than a sword glare.

“Binghe,” Shen Qingqiu sighs. “One tail wag for ‘yes,’ two for ‘no’: did you rip some of these scales out yourself?”

Luo Binghe stubbornly keeps his tail perfectly still. Frustrated, Shen Qingqiu reaches out to rap his knuckles across an undamaged part of Luo Binghe’s flank in scolding. 

“Your healing abilities may be beyond anything a cultivator could imagine, but you can not heal a curse by trying to rip apart the cursed bits and hope they heal properly, you foolish disciple!”

Luo Binghe’s tail thumps twice against the ground defiantly. Shen Qingqiu can practically hear the retort: It worked the time with the Frost Bees, Shizun!

“The Frost Bees do not count,” Shen Qingqiu sniffs. “Nor does the time with the Crowned Pit Viper Clan: they used cursed objects, which spread the curse from the object to the wearer. Lopping off your arm worked because it stopped the spread from the bracelets, not because you were tearing off an affected piece and letting it heal back to an uncursed state.”

Luo Binghe already knows this, of course. Shen Qingqiu had scolded him quite enough at the times it had happened. Regardless of the fact that it worked, there are better ways to do these things!!

Shen Qingqiu sighs again, suddenly feeling very exhausted, and leans his weight on Luo Binghe’s flank. It’s very warm. Luo Binghe bends the long length of his neck to snuffle worriedly at Shen Qingqiu, and Shen Qingqiu pets at his giant snout reassuringly. 

Slowly, he starts to feed Luo Binghe some of his qi, directing it to the spots that were damaged. They’ve already healed, of course - despite Luo Binghe’s continued reckless abandon for his own wellbeing, he has stopped trying to keep his injuries around for Shen Qingqiu to dote on after realizing just how much it distressed Shen Qingqiu - but Shen Qingqiu offers his healing qi all the same.

It gives him something to focus on, to distract him from just how much he does not want to have this conversation.

“This master… it isn’t a bother to help resolve any curses that may be inflicted upon you.”

That is - if it’s to help out Luo Binghe, it isn’t a bother to cure things in the way traditional to Proud Immortal Demon Way. Er, that is - 

Well, of course Shen Qingqiu is referring to papapa!

Luo Binghe is still for a moment, and then noses at Shen Qingqiu insistently. Shen Qingqiu huffs.

“Well, if you don’t like not being able to be a part of this conversation, maybe you shouldn’t have done anything foolish to prompt it!” He scolds. “If you’d just come to get me normally, instead of tearing at your scales and scaring the disciples and somehow getting Liu-Shidi involved -!”

Luo Binghe noses at him some more. 

“Yes, yes, it’s fine, I sent him away. Honestly, though, I don’t know why you didn’t just come get me! We could have had this all sorted by now, no Liu-Shidi needed to begin with!”

Luo Binghe makes a pathetic noise, shoving his snout into Shen Qingqiu hard enough it knocks the breath out of him.

“Aiya, I get it, I get it, no mentioning other people when we’re about to -” Shen Qingqiu breaks off, clearing his throat awkwardly. 

Luo Binghe does not stop his ugly sounding whines. Finally, Shen Qingqiu is forced to realize that Luo Binghe’s concerns may be different than he’d been assuming.

“...Is there a reason you didn’t come get me, then? Outside of your pride?” 

Luo Binghe only stares at Shen Qingqiu unblinkingly. If Shen Qingqiu were to assign a human emotion to the reptilian face, he’d say it was one of disbelief. 

Slowly, Luo Binghe looks down at his massive paws, and the deadly claws on the ends of them. Shen Qingqiu notes with interest that the shape of them is more like a cat’s than a lizard’s, and he wonders idly if the claws extend and retract in the same way that a cat’s does. How much force would he have to use to push Luo Binghe’s claws into their extended state? Are his toes webbed like a cat’s, as well?

Then Shen Qingqiu blinks, remembering that he was trying to have a cross-species conversation here, not that this input from Luo Binghe makes any sense in the current conversation.

“The house is already a mess,” Shen Qingqiu dismisses. “The bed will surely not be any more damaged by your claws now than it already has been.”

Luo Binghe blinks slowly at Shen Qingqiu; one - two pairs of eyelids! Fascinating! Then he turns once more, this dipping his head to look down and back at -

Ah. Belatedly, Shen Qingqiu understands, and then feels a rush of embarrassment at the fact that he had to be directed to look at Luo Binghe’s transformed heavenly pillar - pillars? There’s two of them down there?!! - to get it at all. Right. Of course Luo Binghe would assume that dual cultivation may not be an option in this form. 

…For being the former protagonist of a stallion novel, Luo Binghe is really, painfully vanilla at times! 

Shen Qingqiu coughs, his face warming.

“That - that’s also not an issue. For me.”

There’s a twitch at the bottom half of Luo Binghe’s body. 

…There really are two of them down there, ah!!

Shen Qingqiu flushes darker.

“It’s really no problem,” he says again. “It’s this master’s job to help when you need it. And -”

Shen Qingqiu cuts off, clears his throat, then clears it again.

“Well,” he eventually says. “Binghe was gone a long time.”

Slowly, Luo Binghe’s tail starts to wag again. 

“...It was far longer than three days,” Shen Qingqiu says, speaking mostly to the ground. “So, mathematically, it makes sense if perhaps what is done tonight is done in ‘double’ than usual, to make up for double the time -”

Gingerly, Luo Binghe catches the back of Shen Qingqiu’s robes between his teeth, picks up up, and carries him back to the bedroom.

[pussinbootsandbountyhunter]

Meets the Guardians of the True Dark Forest

My dearest Disneyfriend made this! Here’s what they said;

💙Frostbite, Guardian of Winter was actually based on Tai Lung from Kung Fu Panda (pretty cool, huh), but also from also from a sabertooth tiger from Lego Legends of Chima, it's a good thing that season 3 had a theme of Fire and Ice. As you can see aside from snowflakes, they covered him with ice to giving him a cool look, he's practically chilling like a villain. (They couldn’t resist the reference for song from Descendants 2, of course)

💚Wildlife, Guardian of Nature was also based on Lord Shen from Kung Fu Panda 2 and Golden Winged Peng from Lego Monkie Kid, they also gave him aside flowers and they gave thorns to make him look natural yet deadly, and his feathers on top are slightly white to resemble a flower, like I did said from lighter to darker green, while his beak and claws are greenish golden yellow to see his peacock appearance with winged hands that they took inspiration from all cartoons bird characters like Boris from Balto and tail feathers looking like big leaves with flower markings instead of typical eyes you see in peacocks.

💛And now the leader Justice, Guardian of War and Protector of Lives (‘pfft, yeah right’ that Disneyfriend did said) they took the inspiration from The Lion King and Lego Legends of Chima (Laval in season 3 with fiery look), but mainly their great inspiration was Azure Lion from Lego Monkie Kid (they kinda thanked me for this continuation of Journey to the West), they also gave his armor and robe a tint of red to gave him a fiery look, they did just hope that they didn't overdid with gold but really, it’s so cool!

Hope you all like it!

[alaskasmonsters]

class 1-A with reader who has a peacock quirk

– class 1-A

requested by anon: Class A with a reader that has a peacock quirk, so they have the wings and tail feathers of a peacock. They can use their feathers to confuse and stun people. They are very witty, cunning and a bit of a sadist (not sexually). They use their intellect often because they can’t rely too much on brute force in battle. They fight and have weapons like Lord Shen from Kung Fu Panda. (They can also scream like a peacock when extremely distressed- they are a bit embarrassed by it).

a.n: i hope you liked this!!!! i tried to put as much as what you’ve mentioned into this and hope it’s kinda how you imagined it :3

reader is gender neutral

with your quirk being as flashy as it was you were one of the more noticeable students in your class

and that although class 1-A had quite the set of individuals with flashy quirks

speaking of mutant quirks, too

there was mina and tokoyami after all

still, with your wings and tail feathers, both in the true manner of a peacock you did attract quite a few glances

you did find your feathers very beautiful so you did not mind a lot

especially your tail feathers, those were just beautiful

and useful, very useful

when you had first joined the class midoriya was one of the first people to talk to you

he buttered you up, fawning over your wings and how useful they’d be and the advantage you had when you could fly 

you couldn’t fly very high or long so that was a mislead

but the boy didn’t seem all too surprised when you told him that

mumbled something under his breath about it making sense, since peacock weren’t much trained flyers either

he did mumble a lot actually

the boy didn’t leave you alone until you told him about the functionality of your feathers

let’s say he was quite impressed when you told him how you used them in a fight

still leaving the answer as ambiguous as possible because you wanted the class to see you in action first

everyone was so impressed, especially midoriya of course

he showered you with praise after seeing you fight, saying how impressed he was with the functionality of your feathers

because you could stun people with them???? dope

but tokoyami complimented you, too!

the boy was quiet and seemed reasonable so you were quite honored by it

especially because you were both birds of a feather

kirishima talked you up, too

he was quite the sweetheart, telling you how manly that quirk of yours was

although he did not seem all too eager when you jokingly referred to you as such

but using your feathers wasn’t everything you could do

you did like your quirk but it wasn’t quite flashy enough to leave as much of an impression on actual villains like say todoroki’s quirk

so you also used weapons

and could you just say you you were absolutely skilled at weaponary

you had a whole set of blades which you could throw with quite the percision

uraraka was so impressed by this she begged you to show her some of your tricks

you did make a deal with her

you showed her some tricks in the throwing blades apartment if she showed you a few tricks in hand to hand combat

you’d seen her fight and you didn’t like passing up opportunities

you also used a lance, which you had the most practice probably

it was quite usfeul in close range combat and an unexpectant weapon to use

villains usually wouldn’t expect it

it was like an ace up your sleeve

you had also some metal talons, which were a personal favorite of yours to be honest

they just looked absolutely badass on you

despite your skills with weapons and your quirk you still didn’t enjoy taking the brute force route all too often

you did have a brain, a quite skilled one might you add

ALSO it was a lot more satisfying to you to trick your enemy some way or another

winning with the help of your wits…there was nothing better to you truly! 

that was probably why you got along so well with momo

she was quite the smart girl although her insecurities did get in the way of that

teaming up with her….you two were a power duo truly

and you didn try to make her realize how absolutely amazing she was

but there was another part of your quirk you didn’t like…at all

you had not planned to let anyone know about this, but it was inevitable 

it happened during one of your rescue trainings

you got caught up in the mission and ended up trapped in one of the collapsing buildings on the side

the panic and stress did it and you couldn’t really stop it from happening

you screamed

not just screamed, no you SCREAMED

the same way peacocks scream when in distress

it was a bad habit you couldn’t get rid of if you tried

more like an primitive instinct if you thought about it

it always made you feel like an animal, which you were not!!!

your friends found you rather quickly after that

you were extremely embarrassed although you tried to play it down

the class was surprised by the „secret“ but super supportive

uraraka told you excitedly about how useful the peacock scream was to call for help or support

momo agreed and told you how useful it was in rescue situations

even todoroki, who was usually more quiet around you made it a point to tell you about the usefulness of it

it cheered you up, you were not going to lie

you still didn’t really like it a lot, but you weren’t as opposed to using the scream in lethal situations…

having feathers that need to be taken care of was quite the hustle, too

because you do shed once a year, your molting time, and that was just a rollercoaster in itself

it was a time were you were both extremely sensitive and extremely excited

you did lose all your beautiful colorful feathers and were stuck with boring ones for a few weeks, but you also regrow a new set

that would also be even stronger and prettier than the precious one

you still had to walk around looking like a plucked chicken and without your loved tail feathers

denki was quite the insensitive jerk sometimes so he liked to tease you about it

(though he was the first to defend you in front of class 1-A hater monoma)

while tokoyami was the one defending you in front of denki, saying how the molting process was quite natural

all in all the class was understanding

mina, uraraka and tsu even helped you take care of your regrowing feathers

mina was about to all kinds of products into your wings, that’s how excited she was

thankfully momo stopped her

you did not even want to think about what damage mina would have caused ro your beautiful feathers

and yes you knew she meant it well

but that didn’t make that much of a difference to you

but with such a wonderful class as 1-A the few weeks passed quickly and you finally had a new set of regrown and stronger feathers than before

Taglist: @crystal-lilac @duf3h6237 @hufflefluffslytherin @chucky-26o1 @crapimahuman

[the-13th-rose]

Kiss From a Rose - Chapter 3 ~ A Warm Welcome

Rose awakens to her first full day in the Dream World and meets the guests. Some don’t get along as well as she’d hoped, and Kurogiri may be hiding something from her...

This fic contains sexual references (no explicit depiction), strong language, and alcohol use. It also features strong themes of unreality and scattered moments of horror throughout.

Characters in this chapter: Rose (s/i), Rattlesnake Jake (Rango), Lord Shen (Kung Fu Panda 2), Asmodeus (Helluva Boss), Kurogiri (My Hero Academia), Mint Choco Cookie (Cookie Run), Yorktown (Azur Lane), Asajj Ventress and General Grievous (Star Wars: The Clone Wars), Green Mage (Everhood), Millennial Tree Cookie (Cookie Run), The Beast (Over the Garden Wall), Striker (Helluva Boss)

(for the sake of not tagging literally all of my f/os I only list the ones who have spoken lines or make a significant appearance in the chapter)

Word count: 7,404 (approximate, I spaced some letters out for style and those might’ve been counted as extra words)

Reblogs support my work better than likes!

6 days until Christmas.

6 days until...whatever Future was trying to warn me about arrives.

Can I do anything about it? If I do something differently, or act differently, will anything change?

Scrooge had it easy. All he had to do was be nicer to people. What am I supposed to do to change my future?

Birds are chirping outside. I sit up in bed and look out of my window. There’s a brilliantly red cardinal perched on a birch branch. It flutters its wings and eyes me with quizzical black eyes.

“I THOUGHT I TOLD YA TO GET LOST!”

That’s Jake’s voice, and man, does he sound cross. 

“This is as much of my home as it is yours! You have no right to keep me out!” The opposing voice sounds just as outraged. I think I recognize it. Admittedly, I was kind of hoping he wouldn’t be here. He’s one of the only ones I’m not exactly happy with myself for loving.

“I’LL DO AS I LIKE, and unless you want a taste of my lead, or my venom, you’ll SHUT yer damn beak and SCRAM!”

The sound of a peafowl crowing is accompanied by sounds of a struggle, and exclamations from both. I jump out of bed and rush out of my room to get to the living room, not sparing a moment to think about my appearance. 

A ghostly white peacock is wrestling with a rattlesnake, one taloned foot pinning the tail to the ground, the other prying the mouth open while a wing pulls on a fang.

“Stop!” I cry, racing down the stairs and towards the fight. The peacock wrenches his wing back, and Jake recoils and yells out, wriggling free of the bird’s grasp. “AH, YOU DAMN--!” He hisses sharply at the peacock and rattles his tail furiously. 

I shoot the peacock a glare, then turn my attention towards Jake. “Let me see.” I reach for his head, but he ducks away and continues rattling. “I don’t need your help, woman!” He hisses back. Blood’s starting to drip from his mouth.

“Y-you’re bleeding!” I kneel down to his level. “Did he--just let me look at it, okay?” 

With clear reluctance, he opens his mouth and reveals a bleeding hole where one of his fangs should be. 

“Shen!” I snap at the peacock, seeing that he’s holding the missing fang in his wing. “What the hell?!”

“Oh, please, he started it!” Shen snaps back. “Don’t be fooled by his attempts to get sympathy from you.”

“I hope you stick yerself with that,” Jake hisses to Shen. “See how proud you are with them pretty feathers all rotted!”

“You have no idea how lucky you are that Rose is standing in the way,” Shen sneers. “If I had everything to my will, you would be an ugly skin pinned to the wall by now!”

I gently stroke Jake’s scales as he hisses at Shen once again. “Don’t react, it’s what he wants.” I say softly. “Come on, that’s bleeding a lot. Let’s get you some tissues or something.” He doesn’t resist when I scoop him into my arms and lift him from the floor. I catch him glaring daggers at Shen, then nestling into my grasp as I walk away.

“For the record, I don’t care who started it.” I call back to Shen. “I don’t want you two or anyone else here hurting each other. Got it?” I growl to myself as I walk away and towards the other side of the lodge.

- - -

“Does it hurt?” I ask him as I grab a few fistfuls of tissues and bring them over to the table he’s settled on.

“‘Course...but I don’t need you to fawn over me, I can take care of myself.” He spits to the side, blood spattering the wood. “It’ll grow back, anyhow.”

“That’s not the point...” I reply, folding up the tissue until it’s small enough to fit in his mouth. “I’m asking because I care about you. That’s what people do. And you getting a nasty bleed from having a tooth ripped out isn’t going to make me think any lesser of you. You’re still the rugged, dashing outlaw of my dreams, even if you get a little roughed up at times.”

He opens his mouth and I place the tissue under the wound, so it’ll put pressure onto it as long as he keeps his mouth shut. It makes his mouth a little lopsided, which makes me smile a bit. “Well ain’t you just a regular ol’ vet.” He remarks with a grin.

“I used to want to be one,” I reply, wiping up the rest of the blood. “I guess I was just too squeamish around needles to really go for it. Plus I hated math and sucked at chemistry. But when it was just me and my stuffed animals...that was a great feeling. Now I just satisfy that caretaking urge with my writing.”

“Well, I’d prefer you as my nurse over Kurogiri,” he replies. “You’re warmer.”

“Right, warmer...you seemed really tired last night. Does cold weather just do that to you?” 

He nods. “It’s a reptile thing. We get all tired n’ sluggish to conserve energy.” He explains. “Warmer in here today, though. Hopin’ it stays that way.”

“When it gets cold...you always have me, y’know...”

He smiles. “Heh...might have to take ya’ up on that offer...” He suddenly straightens up a bit, flicking his tongue out. “...Why’s the air smell like whiskey all of a sudden?”

“Whiskey?” I take a sniff as well. “Weird...I smell cotton candy. And those two scents aren’t even remotely similar.”

Turning around, I notice a swirl of blue smoke coming up from the floor and forming a spiraling cloud. When it clears, a tall, broad-chested monster is standing before me, three smiling faces meeting mine.

“Rose! Where have you been, doll?” he greets me, leaning down towards me and placing a hand beneath my chin. 

“Ozzie!” I smile back, leaning into the touch. His hand is soft and warm, and that sweet smell is still there. “You’re here, too?”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” he replies, still smiling. “How you like the new fragrance? Beelzebub’s idea. It’s supposed to manifest as the most enticing scent to whoever smells it.”

“It’s nice,” I respond honestly. “Really nice. But you don’t have to try and impress me--”

“Oh, believe me, I know,” he responds. “You’ve got it bad enough already. But I like seein’ that cute little smile of yours.”

“Where’s your clown, Oz?” Jake interrupts. “The lady’n I were in the middle of somethin’.”

“Aw, you gettin’ jealous, little guy?” Ozzie teases. “Don’t worry, you’ll get your turn with her. Anyway, Fizzy’s chatting with that zombie girl, Saki. Last I heard, they were discussing setting something on fire.” 

“Nothing important, I hope,” Kurogiri’s voice echoes in the mostly-empty dining room beside us. He emerges from a dark misty portal and takes shape. He seems to narrow his eyes a bit at Ozzie. “Asmodeus.”

Ozzie returns the look. “’Giri. Hey.” He makes an effort to ignore the newcomer and leans back in closer to me. “I’m sure ‘Giri took you around the place already, so I just wanted to let you know that my door’s always open.” He gives me a sultry sort of look, though that’s kind of hard to distinguish from his normal expression.

I stammer a bit, intrigued by the offer yet sort of unsure of myself. “Well...um, thanks, I’ll remember that.”

“Quite bold of you, talking of that sort of thing with me standing directly beside you,” Kurogiri buts in. “Rose, don’t hesitate to tell me if any of our guests start to bother you.”

“You trying to imply the girl can’t make that kind of choice for herself?” Ozzie replies, folding his arms over his chest. “She’s 21.”

“I’m merely suggesting that you might be acting too forward with this sort of thing,” Kurogiri replies calmly. 

“She didn’t seem uncomfortable to me until you started making a big deal out of it...” He scoffs. “Whatever.” Then he vanishes in another cloud of smoke, leaving just Jake, Kurogiri and I.

Kurogiri turns back to face me, but before he can say anything, he looks past me towards Jake. “...Has there been a fight?”

“A little one,” I tell him. “I broke it up before it got any worse, but Shen still yanked out one of Jake’s fangs.”

“A fight between Shen and Jake is far from surprising,” Kurogiri replies. “But all guests are under a strict rule not to harm one another, so I’ll be having a talk with him. As for Jake--”

“Don’t give me that!” Jake snaps. “I was defendin’ myself. That damn chicken started it!”

“Is this true, Rose?” Kurogiri turns to me.

“That’s how I heard it,” I reply. For a moment, I think to add that Jake had threatened Shen verbally first, but something makes me keep quiet about that part. Maybe favoritism.

“Very well, then.” Kurogiri nods. “Feel free to meet with the other guests in the meantime, Rose. Please return by sunset, though, I have dinner planned for tonight. And wear your coat if you go outside.”

“Alright, will do,” I reply. “Thanks.”

He warps away from the room, likely to wherever Shen went, I figure. I’m glad I won’t have to see him try to discipline that bird.

I feel a cold, slightly rough-scaled thing crawling up my arm, and I look down just in time to see Jake coiling around my neck. “Thanks for backin’ me up, there,” he says. “I ain’t got nothin’ else going on today, so why don’t you take me around with ya?”

I smile, and start making my way towards the other side of the lodge to get my coat. Just before we reach the stairs on the other side of the bedroom hallway, however, I catch the sound of Kurogiri speaking with Shen. I slowly creep back until I’m somewhat hidden from the sight of anyone in the living room, and wait.

“You don’t honestly believe that uncivilized serpent, do you?” Shen snaps.

Jake starts rattling his tail, so I quietly get his attention and make a “shh” gesture with one finger in front of my lips. He quiets down, still glaring at the peacock from his perch.

“Shen, I saw you with the fang you took,” Kurogiri replies, his voice firm. “Hand it over.”

“Oh, what for?” the peacock scoffs. “He can’t use it now.”

“No, but I won’t let you make a trophy out of it,” Kurogiri insists. “We had a deal, remember?”

“Tell that to him! He keeps trying to scare me off!”

“I will deal with conflicts as they arise. Do not fight with other guests. You know well what happens. Need I remind you that the forest is cold this time of year, and there is still room in the basement.”

“Oh, please, you wouldn’t throw me down there with that old thing. What would dear Rose think?”

“She won’t find out. Now, behave yourself. That’s final.”

Shen scoffs, and I hear the sound of Kurogiri warping away. I take that as my cue to walk out onto the stairs, trying to act natural.

“...What the hell was that about?” I finally mutter to Jake, after looking around to make sure no one else is here. “What basement? And what thing in the basement?”

“Beats me,” Jake mutters back. “Sounds like a good place for that bird, though.”

“Jake, this is serious,” I reply. “Kurogiri’s hiding something from me. From the sounds of it, it could be pretty bad. Maybe...maybe that’s whatever Future was trying to warn me about.”

“Future’s that ghost that shows up at midnight?”

“Yeah, that’s it,” I reply. “Last night it showed me a vision of a cabin with--well, it was symbolic. But it looked almost like...you guys were all going to turn on me.”

“What?!” Jake looks at me in disbelief. “No, I wouldn’t--! That ghost’s messin’ with ya.”

“...I hope you’re right,” I mutter back, taking my coat from the coat rack and heading out the front door. “But I still need to find out what he’s hiding.”

Jake grimaces at the cold outside air and burrows into the lining of my coat’s hood. “Fuck this,” he hisses. “Why would it ever need to be this cold, anyhow?!”

I let out a short little chuckle, and walk out onto the porch, where I begin to hear the sounds of someone playing a violin. Pretty close by, in fact. Almost like...

I turn my head to the side and see a somewhat-warmer-dressed Mint Choco Cookie, his mint green hair making himself stand out right away despite his different threads.

He looks up from his instrument and perks up a bit upon spotting me, and he smiles. “Rose, good morning,” he greets me with a small performer’s bow. “I hope you slept well.”

“I did, thanks,” I reply, smiling as well. “I hope you did, too. What are you doing out here practicing in the cold, though?”

“It’s not so bad today,” he replies. “I like a little chill, it makes me feel inspired. A few of the guests and I are planning a performance later in the week, and I want to make sure I can play for you at my best.”

“Oh...that actually sounds really interesting,” I reply. “Will you let me know when you’re ready? I don’t want to miss something like that.”

“Of course,” Mint Choco replies, then he looks at my hood and laughs a bit. “Hello in there, Jake.”

“’Hello’ yourself, pretty boy,” Jake replies. “Freezin’ your ass off out here.”

Mint Choco laughs again, and I wave to him as I leave the porch and walk around to the back of the lodge.

“I don’t think he knows anything about the basement,” I remark, half to myself and half to Jake. “And if he does, he’d probably tell Kurogiri I asked. He’s too nice to break any rules.”

“Look, if I don’t know anything about the basement, somebody as new to the Rose club as him sure ain’t gonna know,” Jake replies. “But lucky for you, you’re almost exclusively attracted to rule-breakers.”

“...Okay you’re right, but I feel attacked.”

He laughs.

I walk around the lodge to the backyard, finding a small path that leads to a large lake. “Man...that’s gonna be great when it warms up,” I think aloud to myself as I approach the lake. 

Sitting by the shore is a woman with long white hair. Standing by the treeline nearby are a pale woman with a shaved head and a tall cyborg with a skeletal appearance. Those two seem to be having a conversation. Not wanting to interrupt, I approach the white-haired woman instead. “Hey, Yorktown,” I greet her. “How’s it going?”

She looks up at me from her seat on the grass and smiles warmly. Her blue-violet eyes are gorgeous. “Good morning, Rose,” she replies pleasantly. “It’s good to see you up and about. Isn’t the water beautiful today?”

“Yeah...” I muse, watching the small ripples upon the surface. “Would be great to kayak on. Shame it’s way too cold right now, though. I’d probably turn into a popsicle if I fell in.”

“Oh, yes, of course,” Yorktown replies, a little concerned. “We don’t want that. Please be careful.”

“You’re the woman with the...eagle...ain’t ya?” Jake speaks up, warily watching the skies. “...Where is that thing?”

Yorktown smiles. “It’s alright, Little Eagle is well-fed. He has more of a taste for fish than snakes, anyway,” she tries to reassure him. “You must be Rattlesnake Jake. You’re cuter than I expected.”

“Cute?!”

“I’m sure she doesn’t mean any offense by it,” I speak up, wanting to defuse the situation as quickly as possible. “Actually, Yorktown, I wanted to ask you something.”

She raises an eyebrow, curious. “About what?”

“...Do you know anything about a basement here?”

She shakes her head. “No, I’m sorry, I don’t think I know anything about a basement in that building. Wouldn’t it be better to ask Kurogiri about that?”

“Uh...well, I already asked and he wouldn’t tell me anything.” I bluff.

“Strange...I could ask him for you--”

“No!” Okay, real subtle, me. “Uh, sorry, I just, don’t want you to do that. I’ve got it.”

“...Well, if you’re sure.” she replies. “Maybe they might know?” She points to the couple by the trees.

“Thanks, York,” I reply, waving to her as I approach them instead.

“Of course, I can’t kiss you while we’re out here,” I hear the pale woman say to her partner in a low voice as I approach. “Your faceplate’s made of metal, so with how cold it is today, my lips would get stuck.”

I find myself giggling a bit at this, calling their shared attention over to me. “Well, if it isn’t our little star~” the woman coos with a wry smirk. “And here I was beginning to worry you’d be too frightened of us.”

“Me? Why would I be scared of you two?” I ask in return. “No one here’s going to hurt me.”

“Of course not,” the cyborg next to her replies in a gruff, metallic voice. “Forgive Asajj, she’s...being her usual self.” The pale woman gives him an irritated glance. “It’s a pleasure to finally see you in person, Rose.”

“Definitely,” I reply, smiling. “Especially considering I’ve known you two for so long. And I’m happy to see you two are still together.”

“That’s right, we have you to thank for that, don’t we?” the woman, Asajj Ventress, remarks. “I admit, I thought you were crazy at first. But you’ve got better taste than I gave you credit for.”

“Thanks.” I change my tone then, about to ask them my question. “There’s something about this place that’s been on my mind lately. Have either of you heard about a basement in the lodge?”

The pair exchange a confused look, and both shake their heads. “I didn’t even know there was a basement. Kurogiri never mentioned one, and I haven’t seen one, either.” Asajj answers.

The cyborg, Grievous, narrows his eyes for a moment. “...I have no knowledge of a basement, but...at times, long after the sun has set, I’ve heard scratching from beneath the floorboards in the living room. I thought to ask about it once, the master of the household claimed it was vermin.”

“Vermin?” Asajj raises a brow. “You never mentioned that to me. But that seems...strange, doesn’t it? Why would a perfect dream world have pests underneath the floorboards? ...Something isn’t adding up.”

“...You really heard something like that?” I ask, now a little unsettled. “...He’s definitely hiding something from me, if what you’re saying is true, Grievous. But...why? Why would Kurogiri need to hide anything from me?”

“I’m not sure,” Asajj replies. “But for your own sake, I don’t think you should let him know you’re curious about it until you have enough information to confront him. Let us know when that happens. Qymaen and I will be more than ready to back you up.” Grievous gives a nod of agreement.

“Thanks,” I reply. “Both of you. It’s good to know I can trust you.” I bid farewell to both of them and after catching sight of a trail through the woods, I start heading over in that direction.

“Vermin, huh?” Jake speaks up. I’d almost forgotten he’s there. “That woman’s right. That story don’t hold water. If there were rats under them floorboards, I’d’ve smelled ‘em. I ain’t never caught no scent from down there. Whatever’s scratchin’ them floorboards, it ain’t no animal.”

“Yeah...” I reply, a little shaken by the images my imagination’s conjuring up from that. “Just wish knowing that made me feel less nervous instead of more.”

Walking into the woods along the trail, I’m distracted from my nervous thoughts by the sparkling snow along the ground and the shining icicles hanging from the branches. This place really is beautiful...I just wish there wasn’t anything to ruin that beauty.

“Hey...person who just crunched the snow over there. Is it too much to ask you to find my eye for me?” A slightly higher-pitched voice calls out from just beside the trail up ahead.

“That sounds like--” I walk forward until I can see what looks like a pile of dark green robes topped with a wizard’s hat of the same color lying on the snow. Two purple hands are poking out from the sleeves. “Green Mage!”

The pile of robes perks up a bit at the sound of my voice. “Hey, you’re--Rose! That’s got to be your voice. Even better than one of the other guests! You’ll definitely help me, right?”

“Of course,” I reply, kneeling down in the snow to meet their level. “You yeeted your eye again, didn’t you?” I try to keep myself from laughing, not wanting to seem like I’m not concerned.

Green sighs. “Yeah...I was just so bored! You know I’ve got horrible impulse control.” 

I smile. “I’ll find it. Remember this next time, though, okay? You can’t keep doing this to yourself.” I gently pat their shoulder, and then stand up to search the woods.

“How in the hell did they toss their eye into the damn woods?” Jake mutters to me while I search. 

“It’s not really an eye,” I explain. “It’s a gemstone. They’re magic, so they can see through it. I don’t think it hurts them to take it out.”

Eventually going off the path, I see a tall figure standing by a small, frozen pond. He’s sporting large branch-like antlers decorated with vines and leaves. He turns to face me as I approach, his fawn-like ears perking up at the sound of crunching snow. His face painted with dapples of white smiles warmly. “A ‘Rose’ has bloomed from the snow,” he remarks, amused. “Have you come in search of something that was lost?”

“...Yeah, actually. Good intuition, Millie,” I reply. “We’re looking for Green Mage’s eye. They got bored and tossed it into the woods again.”

Millennial Tree Cookie chuckles. “Such an amusing name you’ve chosen for me. And ‘we’, you say? Ah, yes, I see you come to me with a lover wrapped ‘round your neck. Greetings, Jake. Though the Forest is not your home, all manner of creatures large and small are welcome here.” 

I can practically feel Jake roll his eyes at that.

“As fate would have it, I have discovered the Mage’s eye,” Millennial Tree Cookie continues, turning to face me and holding out a round white crystal. “It is undamaged, but perhaps they should be more careful with it.”

“Yeah, I already told them,” I reply, closing the distance between us to retrieve the eye from his hands. “Thanks, Millie.”

He nods slowly, still smiling. “It pleases me to know that this lonely thing will be returned to its owner. I must return to the lodge for now. Kurogiri is preparing a wonderful feast for all of us. I look forward to seeing you there.”

“Oh, right,” I reply, the mention of a feast reminding me that I am actually getting a bit hungry. “Actually, would you take the eye back to Green, then? They’re near the start of the trail.”

He cocks his head to one side like a puzzled animal. “Will you not be joining us?”

“No, I will be. I just...want to see where this trail leads.”

He smiles and nods, taking the eye back into his gentle hands and walking back towards the trail with a measured, graceful gait. “Take care, young Rose--” he calls back. “Not all who roam the Forest are as gentle as I.”

I nod as I watch him leave. “Everybody’s just being ominous today, huh?” I remark.

“You could take it as a sign to get the hell back inside--” Jake mutters. “‘Fore we both freeze to death.”

“Yeah...” I reply, pulling my hood shut tighter at an unpleasantly cold gust of wind. “You kinda have a point. I’m curious, but it feels like it’s getting even colder now, and I probably shouldn’t wander too far from the lodge when it’s like this.”

I’m about to turn around and walk back the way I came, but now the wind is carrying the sound of distant song to me as it blows. I think I recognize that voice. It’s a low, operatic sort that sounds simultaneously haunting and inviting. And it’s quickly getting closer.

Jake stays quiet, but he coils tighter around my neck and burrows further into my hood...and I don’t think it’s just because of the cold. I catch him glaring at me confusedly, perhaps wondering why I’m not full on booking it back to the lodge.

“Lead through the mist, by the milk-light of moon...”

“All that was lost, is revealed...”

“Our long bygone burdens, mere echoes of the spring...”

“But where have we come? And where shall we end?”

“If dreams can’t come true, then why not...pretend~?” 

I feel compelled to join him in song. The words leave my lips softly at first, then grow louder as I recall the song.

“How~ the gentle wind...beckons through the leaves~ as autumn~ colors~ fall~...”

“You do remember,” the haunting voice of the Beast sounds from just behind me. “And I’d thought you would forget.”

I turn around and am met with the sight of a tall shadowy figure, great branches growing from the sides of his head like antlers. His piercing eyes of light appear almost soft. “I can’t forget that song,” I reply softly. “It’s so beautiful...”

“Beautiful enough to stand out here in the cold with me?” he asks amusedly, placing a wooden hand upon my cheek. His gaze becomes softer still when I sigh contentedly and lean into the touch. In the next moment, he spots the scaly body of Jake wrapped around my throat, tight enough to secure himself and assert his claim over me, but loose enough to avoid restricting my breath. “You did not come alone...” Beast observes. He doesn’t sound angry or betrayed, quite calm, in fact.

“He’s just trying to stay warm,” I explain. “He wanted to stay with me while I walked.”

“How romantic of him,” Beast muses. “A beast can love just the same as a man, can it not, Jacob?” He appears amused for a moment. “Do you fear me, little serpent? There is no need. We are kindred spirits, born from darkness. I dare not harm you.”

“I ain’t...scared, alright, I just...” he trails off, and falls silent again. Beast chuckles at this.

“Are you coming to dinner tonight?” I think to ask Beast, only realizing after I’ve said it how silly it sounds. Can he even eat?

Beast shakes his head slowly. “I can’t eat in the same way that you can,” he replies. “The head of the household would not be pleased to see me under his roof, either. At the least, he keeps my soul well-supplied with wood. It’s not edelwood oil, but it suffices well enough that I don’t starve.”

A thought occurs to me. “Wait, the fire in the fireplace...that’s your soul?”

“Ah, how clever of you~...” he muses, petting my hair. “Perhaps you might think it cruel for him to keep me away from it?”

“...Why does he do that?” I ask him.

“I fear your dear Shirakumo doesn’t trust me enough,” he replies. “And I am not the only one he is wary of.”

“...I’ve been wondering if I should try and talk to him about that.” I begin. “There was something I found weird today...he mentioned there being ‘room in the basement’ while scolding Shen...and Shen addressed something already being down there. When I brought it up to Grievous, he said he’d noticed scratching under the floorboards in the living room.”

Beast seems intrigued. “Well, Rose...what do you believe?”

I think for a moment. “...I think Kurogiri’s keeping someone or something sealed away in a hidden basement. Am I right?”

“Indeed,” he replies, catching me off guard. “I would know. I sing to it at night. He gets dreadfully lonely down there, you see.”

“...Wh--” I stammer, awestruck. “Who is he?”

“I’m afraid I haven’t been able to figure that out yet,” Beast replies. “The walls are thick and the basement has no windows. I suspect he’s lost his voice as well. He only responds to me with taps and scratches.”

“...How do you know he’s a ‘he’ if you can’t hear him?”

“I thought to ask him one night. One tap for ‘he’, two for ‘she’, three for ‘it’ or ‘they’.” He’s talking about this like it’s the most ordinary thing in the world, communicating with someone trapped in a hidden basement. “I will try to ask for his name tonight. Perhaps I can make a system for letters...”

“I can’t believe he would do something like this...I thought I could trust him.”

“He undoubtedly thinks this man is a threat to you and the other guests,” Beast replies. “He isn’t the type to punish without first having a good reason. Or at least, one he can tell himself is good.”

“...One more thing. I had a weird dream last night, and then Future showed me the same thing in a vision. I think it might have meant that the guests are going to turn against me. Do you know what it might have--”

“The Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come is as much a mystery to me, as it is to you,” he replies. “The future is beyond even my knowledge. But such behavior would not be against our natures. You forget, that despite our love, you stand before a devourer of souls, with a venomous serpent around your neck.”

“...” I don’t really have a response.

“Seek out the castle gardens tomorrow,” he tells me with one hand upon my shoulder. “A friend of mine may be able to help.”

Before I can ask him anything more, he’s vanished into the shadows of the coming evening. “...I think I should get back to the lodge.” I say to myself.

“‘Bout damn time!” Jake hisses in reply.

. . .

Kurogiri manifests before me as I step into the lodge and hang up my coat, making me jump a little. I don’t like not feeling like I can trust him. He hasn’t been with me long, but he’s one I connected with very strongly and one who always felt safe to me.

Maybe I don’t know him as well as I thought I did.

“Rose, there you are,” he says calmly. “You’ve arrived late to your own welcoming. Is something wrong?”

Yeah, something’s very wrong. Who are you keeping locked up in the basement that you never told me about? And why is he down there?

But I don’t say this. I’m not sure of how to bring it up to him yet, or if I even should. “I got distracted. I was checking out the forest. Talking to the other guests.” Beast had mentioned Kurogiri not trusting him, so I also don’t want to let him know I was talking to him.

Kurogiri seems to accept this, and simply motions towards the other part of the lodge. “I see. If you are ready for dinner, please follow me to the dining room.” He turns and heads back towards the other side of the lodge, and I follow him. There’s not much else to say about that.

In the dining room, the massive table is lined end to end with the various colorful guests staying at the lodge. There’s an ambient cloud of indistinct chatter as they all converse with one another. 

“Hold on for a second,” I speak up, making Kurogiri halt and turn around to face me. “I want to check on Jake’s missing fang.” 

He nods and stands off to the side as I kneel down and Jake slithers off my neck and onto the floor. I carefully remove the tissue from his mouth and notice that the hole has stopped bleeding.

“All clear?” he asks, and I nod.

“All clear.” I smile as I lean towards him and give him a gentle kiss upon his little mouth. A sudden puff of smoke blinds me, startling me into falling back onto my rear. “Wh--huh?” is all I can think to say.

“I was wondering when you’d discover that feature,” Kurogiri muses from behind me. “Your more beastly companions have been granted an alternate, more humanoid form for various sorts of convenience.”

Jake shakes himself off as the smoke clears. “So that’s what you were talkin’ about,” he says. His lower half is still that of a snake’s, albeit larger now to accommodate the new humanoid torso. Above the waist, he’s the spitting image of a dashing outlaw. A gunslinger’s attire, sharp features, long dark hair spilling over his shoulders. A thin dark mustache lines his upper lip, his skin a light, warm brown. If it weren’t for the hellfire serpent’s eyes and the sharp teeth, he’d look fully human from the waist up. He looks down at his hands, regarding them with confusion. “These thing’s’ll take some gettin’ used to,” he mutters, then flashing me a fanged grin. “So...what’s the lady think?���

“...You want my honest opinion?” I reply, a little shaken, a little unsure of myself.

“Sure. Hell, I can take it.”

“...Very...very handsome.”

He laughs as he slips past me and towards the table. “Hell, I’ll take it.” 

“So...that’s how I do it?” I ask Kurogiri, who watches as I stand back up. “I kiss them? That’s so cute! It’s like reverse Fruits Basket...wait, no, that’d be hugging. Well, it’s like The Princess and the Frog, then.”

Once I get to the bottom of the stairs, the guests all look over at me and there’s a chorus of scattered greetings. I sheepishly smile and give a “Hey, guys,” back, a little overwhelmed by the attention but not quite uncomfortable with it.

As I take my seat, Ozzie addresses Jake over his new form. “Hey, not bad, cowboy,” he remarks with a sultry smirk. “Maybe Eve had the right idea about snakes...”

“You’re gonna have to try harder’n that, Oz,” Jake replies slyly. “If you wanna convince me to get a taste of the other kind...”

“Oh, I’m countin’ on it...” Ozzie replies, chuckling.

Kurogiri clears his throat, and the prince of lust scowls a bit before sinking back into his seat. I think he mutters something to the effect of “cock-blocking son of a--” Fizzarolli, seated beside him, scowls at the mist-cloaked man as well.

“If we could have peace at the table, please,” Kurogiri declares. “Now that Rose is here, we can eat.”

Perhaps showing off, perhaps merely using the most convenient method available to him, Kurogiri warps our plates onto the table all at once, each settling right before their intended recipients. Then the warp gates close and the mist vanishes. It doesn’t seem to have been one specific dish that we all received. Everyone’s got something different on their plate, and in their glass. On Jake’s plate, in particular, I notice are...dead mice. Snakes, I think to myself.

On my own plate is a dish my mother first presented to me about a year ago--angel hair pasta with sauteed mushrooms and thinly sliced ham. I feel myself smile at the sight of it.

I notice the Horned King at the end of the table, seemingly paying no mind to anyone else around him. He doesn’t look exactly comfortable with the crowd. Maybe he only showed up to greet me. 

Demongo is seated across from him. I wouldn’t have been able to see him behind the other people next to me if it weren’t for the flame atop his head. I can’t read his face from here, but knowing how he is with crowds, he’s probably at the end so he doesn’t feel boxed in.

Seated directly beside me is Saki Nikaido, her long blonde ponytail cluing me into her identity right away. She’s telling the guests closest to her a story about her bandmates, and most of them seem pretty amused. 

Yet as I look around and work on the meal Kurogiri’s prepared (it’s really good, by the way), I notice a few faces are absent from the table. Of course Beast isn’t there, he’d told me himself he wouldn’t be. But there also isn’t any sign of Charlie, Grievous, Valtiel, or Future. ...Granted, I don’t think those guys need to or can eat, so I’m not really upset that they aren’t here.

. . .

After dinner is over, some of the guests go on their way after passing a greeting to me. Others stick around and we start discussing watching a movie together. After some discussion, we settle on one where none of the guests actually die, and it’s Jake who wins the honor of having us watch the movie he comes from. 

The viewing party comes down to Anubis, Asajj, Christine, Demongo, Fizz & Ozzie, Mint Choco, Jake, Saki, Scorpion Cookie, Striker, and of course me. We all huddle around the fireplace in the living room and enjoy Rango.

There's plenty of laughter, and the party seems pretty invested in the story by around the 15 minute mark. I catch Jake leaning closer to me when the hawk appears, and laughing triumphantly when the hawk is killed. A number of the viewers, namely the villains and the ones with a flair for the dramatic, cheer at Jake's first appearance. He grins, soaking up the admiration.

Mint Choco praises the score, Scorpion and Demongo laugh with delight over the combat. There's surprised and excited cheers when Rango confronts Jake, and while the credits roll, everyone seems to have really enjoyed themselves.

While a few of the guests go their separate ways, Jake surprises me by wrapping his coils around me and leans in close, chuckling to himself. "Feels damn good to see ya cheerin' for me like that," he says with a sharp-toothed smile. "Not like I need ya to...but it reminds me of why I took a likin' to ya in the first place. You still my girl, Rose?"

My cheeks flushed, I smile. "You can count on it," I reply.

He chuckles again, and leans in even closer. "That's what I like to hear..."

Before I can kiss him, Striker's voice sounds out. "Hate to interrupt you two lovebirds, but--Jake, I oughta prove myself to these folks. Seems they're all riled up over you, and I just can't take that lyin' down." The demon stands poised with his hands on the sides of his belt, the tip of his forked tail rattling. "We better settle this sometime, right? Outlaw?"

Jake scoffs at him. "You ain't got what it takes, ya wannabe. Y'know Rose only likes you on account of how ya remind her of me."

Striker hisses. "Maybe...but I aim to change her mind."

"Um..." I butt in sheepishly. "N-not that you two fighting over me isn't...really hot, but--can we not do this? I don't want you two getting hurt."

Jake smirks. "You heard the lady, little man. Wouldn't wanna get hurt, now, would ya?"

"How you plan on pleasin' her without legs, Jake?" Striker taunts.

"Oh, you don't need 'em," Jake sneers. "If ya know what you're doin'..."

"Ohhh my god..." I whisper breathlessly, my legs unsteady, unable to keep the smile from my face.

"You two are gonna kill her, talking like that," Ozzie speaks up, now standing over the two bickering snakes. "Look at her, she's like a Victorian seein' bare ankle!"

I feel called out and start trying to hide my flushed face. The prince just laughs at this and picks me up, out from Jake's coils, setting me on the floor beside him. "You two got skill, but you gotta use some restraint around doe-eyed virgins. Can't have her overdosing on lust on her first day."

"Heh...sorry, little lady," Striker replies, briefly scowling at Ozzie, though I don't think he noticed. "Sure would be a shame if I was too much for ya, though."

Jake laughs mockingly in response. "Oh, please..." He slithers over to me and nuzzles my forehead for a short moment. "'Night, darlin'," he says quietly, before heading off up the stairs.

Striker just gives me a look, winks, and slinks off in the other direction.

"...Thanks for breaking that up," I mutter to Ozzie once the other two have left. "I...just wish everybody got along."

"Look, Rose, you learn a lotta things as the prince of lust. One of those things is that some people just don't mix, no matter how much you might want to see 'em bang--" he mutters the last bit. "Anyway, I wouldn't mind keepin' you company as long as you're staying up. You want to stay up a little, or just go to bed?"

"I think I'll just go to bed," I reply. "I want to do some exploring tomorrow, anyway."

"Alright," he replies, scooping me up into his palm before I can really react and putting me down at the top of the stairs. He's shifted to his larger form, just tall enough for his heads to poke over the railing. "Lean over the rail a bit."

A little confused, I approach the railing and lean my head over it a little. He responds with three simultaneous kisses, one for my lips and one for each cheek. He then chuckles a bit at my charmed reaction, his side faces smiling contentedly. "Yeah, Fizzy thought you might like that."

. . .

Scratch scratch scratch...

There’s a sound of claws scraping across wood coming from below me. I look down, and see inky blackness start to seep out from the floorboards. It rises into the air, swirling around the room and transforming the place into a ruined, abandoned place. It looks like how the lodge looked when I first found it.

The scratching continues. It moves around the room, but no source is visible. I look over to the crumbling brick of the fireplace, and see a message being scrawled into it.

R  E  M  E  M  B  E  R      M  E

“‘Remember me?’ But who are you?!” I call out to the source, whatever and whoever it might be. “I don’t--I don’t know who I’m supposed to remember!”

The message appears again on the wall closest to me. “REMEMBER ME”.

“Why is Kurogiri keeping you in the basement?” I continue to ask. “Where is the basement?! I want to help you, but you might be the only one who knows how!”

This time, the message was different.

I ‘ M   I N   T H E   W A L L S

I gasp, sudden realization washing over me. “The Warp Gate Quirk! The entrance to the basement isn’t a door! I need to warp through the walls to find you!”

L E T   M E   O U T

The new message is scrawled into the wall at lightning speed. There’s a solid thud from behind the wall bearing the message. Then another. And another. They keep getting louder and louder, and I feel as though any second the wall will burst open and reveal the missing guest. I’m both eager and afraid of that possibility.

. . .

I awake with a start, lying in my bed. The room’s pretty dark, only barely illuminated by the moonlight streaming in through the window. It’s only once the haze of sleepiness fades that I realize I’m being held by someone.

A somewhat heavy serpentine body is draped overtop of mine, positioned diagonally. The humanoid upper half lies beside me. When I look over, I see a pair of fiery orange eyes looking back at me.

“Easy, now,” he says with an uncharacteristic softness to his voice. “It’s just me. I ain’t gonna hurt ya.”

“Jake? What are you doing in here?”

“Got too cold again,” he replies. “Y’know how it is. Now, what’s got’cha all riled up?”

“I...I think I know how to get into the basement.”

He blinks, confused. “Wha--?”

“There’s no door. I have to use Kurogiri’s powers to get there.”

“...And how are you gonna get him to let you in?”

“...I don’t know.”

“Well,” he remarks. “Way I see it, now might be one of them times where violence is the answer.”

[motleystitches]

Guardian 鎮魂 translation: Chapter 86 (excerpt), 87 (full)

...featuring a small history between a young Ghoul King and a gentle God of Mountains. 

Previous translations (a little revised since posting as I think of better words):

Chapter 10 excerpt: like a peacock with his feathers spread out, using this time to display a pheromonal and patterned tail (all Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan bits)

Chapter 49: with love the living may die and the dead can live. only when love is not enough, the living cannot be with the dead and dead cannot live. 

Chapter 66: I’m taking you home

Chapter 86 excerpt and Chapter 87 ghouls are not alive, but in that instant, it was as if he heard his own non-existent heartbeat

In the next moment, time reversed, and a bewildered Zhao Yunlan was returned to a past not from too long ago. In that instant, overwhelmed by the disturbances in the timeline, he couldn’t distinguish whether he was Lord Kunlun or a man from five thousand years later.

He thought he had been guarding the pitch dark Great Seal everyday, sitting with his back against the rock, and when bored, staring dumbly at the Tree of Virtues, oftentimes for an entire day.

Then later, at some unknown point in time, a handsome but odd youth would be next to him all day, like a little tail, following him everywhere. 

At first Lord Kunlun ignored him, then finally he couldn’t help asking, “We’re now in your territory, why still follow me?”

The youth said, astonished, “I like you.”

Lord Kunlun had been called absurd and rude, finally he had an opportunity to say it to someone else, so he took the chance and rather ungently “scolded” him. “Rude.”

The young ghoul king looked at him, confused, uncertain how he was rude.

Lord Kunlun had been guarding that seal for innumerable years, he was bored, so he continued to ask. “What do you like about me?”

The young ghoul king was like a blank sheet of paper, unreserved about his own desires. He said plainly, “Good looking. Want to hug you.”

Kunlord couldn’t help taking another look at this bold young ghoul king. He wasn’t offended and thought it interesting. “Not even a bit of pursuit. I despise you,” he teased. 

Though the young ghoul king wasn’t sure why he was despised, he thought everything Kunlun said had reason, so he lowered his head in shame.

Lord Kunlun waved him over. “Come, let me get some education into your backward little head.”

Chapter 87:

Once the primordial order had been established, the Elder God Shennong-Shi came to earth, tasted every kind of flora to save humanity, and transformed himself into an old herbalist, proselytizing and enlightening men. Lord Kunlun had heard those lectures a few times as one of the crowd and was basically following the same syllabus for the young ghoul king. He was not thorough about the actual contents but it was a way to pass the time. However, it did confuse the young ghoul king. He didn’t miss a single word and considered whatever rubbish Kunlun spouted some sort of prescription.

With time, even in that land of purgation and in front of the bleak entrance, a kind of affinity grew between them. 

The young ghoul king’s feelings toward Lord Kunlun remain unchanged, but he naturally knew shame. He had listened to Kunlun and knew that it wasn’t right to keep insisting on them, so he stopped, and tried a new thing every day to please him. 

It was a pity no matter what he thought of, there was a limit to what he could do. There was nothing fun in the Profane Place. No grass grew on the thousand miles of scorched earth. The normal pass time was to take two low level hell-creatures and watch them fight until one eats the other.

But the young ghoul king didn’t like this, and of course Lord Kunlun would like it even less.

So the ghoul king assiduously collected the incisors from thirty-six hell-creatures, thinking they symbolized Mt. Kunlun’s magnificent thirty-six valleys. He twined a few of his hair into a rope, threaded everything together into a challenging but unique necklace, and gave it to Lord Kunlun.

But the expression from Lord Kunlun when he received the thirty-six incisors was strange, stranger than the necklace itself, as if he had a toothache but was forcing his features into bizarre smile, and he said his thanks through gritted teeth.

The young ghoul king came to a conclusion, He thought perhaps Kunlun didn’t like it-- anyways Lord Kunlun never wore it, and every time it was mentioned, he would always go onto another topic.

But he couldn’t think of anything else. One day the youth sat on a raised root of the Tree of Virtues and unwittingly remembered the flash of the world he saw outside and said suddenly, “There’s a kind of flower that’s shaped like a bell, it comes in all colors, when you smell it up close, there’s a very faint scent.”

Lord Kunlun tilted his head to look at him. “And?”

The hesitant youth looked longing. “It’s so pretty. If they are made into a necklace, then you’ll like it, right?” 

Lord Kunlun remained silent for a moment, then said, half-smiling, “So that’s why you want to be nice to me. Just so you can get out?”

The young ghoul king seemed surprised and quickly shook his head. 

Lord Kunlun teased him on purpose. “They why? I’m guarding this, it’s for not letting you all out. Not even single one.”

for....the young ghoul king looked at him evenly, meeting Lord Kunlun’s amused glance. He wanted to say something but didn’t know what to say, the urge was wrecking havoc in his chest, but he couldn’t find a way to say it.

He thought those honest words would seem too vulgar and even being vulgar wouldn’t necessarily communicate what he felt. 

The ghoul king couldn’t speak and couldn’t help extending sharp claws from his nails, anxiously showing an ominous and rather aggressive expression.

Legend has it that for those born in the world, other than destiny being unchangeable, most suffering comes form thinking too much and not reading enough. Saints had left behind those books, but those ancient saints, most of them born in chaos where there were no books to read, no one to solve their perplexities, they could only carry their questions about the earth and sky and walk stumblingly along the road. It must’ve been extremely distressing and painful.....so that even for saying heartfelt sentiment to a beloved, there were no suitable words. 

Finally Lord Kunlun laughed. He hooked him gently by the jaw and tenderly kissed the youth’s perfectly smooth forehead before flying on top of a branch.

The young ghoul king sat dumbly for a moment, unaware all the poisonous needles on his body had retracted. He was flushed from cheek to chin. After a moment, he stood up, oblivious to all, as if he was drunk, even his steps were unsteady, and somehow fell off from the giant root of the Tree of Virtues.

The youth belonged to the Tribe of Ghouls-- though somehow he had grown into an oddity of the ghouls-- what he saw around him everyday were only the combinations of low level ghouls driven by desire. He never knew what a kiss was but his first encounter felt like warm steam surrounded him. He felt so light it was like he was flying.

Not even the River Wongchuang could let him feel so relaxed and buoyant.

The young ghoul suddenly turned and ran head-along into the Seal that couldn’t bind him into the Profane Place; he wasn’t seen for an entire decade.

Then next time he appeared in front of Lord Kunlun, he seemed to have grown up some; he had grown taller, almost as tall as Lord Kunlun. The soft lines of youth had hardened but he was still fair as ever. 

He carefully presented a ball of gold scintillating fire in front of Kunlun.

“This is...”

“This is the soul-fire from your left shoulder. It was scattered everywhere inside the Seal. It took me fifty years to collect it.” The ghoul king carefully huddled that ball of warm flame and lingeringly rubbed against the side of his face before saying, “Returning it.”

The smile at the corner of Lord Kunlun’s mouth gradually disappeared. After a while, he looked at the other and asked, “And what do you want from me?”

“That...” The ghoul king’s was stuck for a bit, as if he didn’t know what to say. After a long while, he shyly pointed at his own forehead. “That....can you do it again?” 

Lord Kunlun considered him a long time. So long that the youth became restless and anxious, but Lord Kunlun suddenly reached out and held his jaw. This time, he tenderly kissed the youth’s lips and gently held the ghoul king’s hand, letting his shapely fingers clench tight that ever shining soul fire. 

Lord Kunlun seemed to be distracted, but also deeply contemplative. After a while, he sighed and said, “I have all the great mountains and lakes of the world, but now I think about it, it’s just a bunch of crumbled stones and wild waters. In all I have about me, probably only my heart’s affection is worth something. You want it? Take it.”

The young ghoul king had a revelation. Now he knew what he deeply desired but couldn’t articulate was called “heart’s affection”. Just two words, but they were enough to devastate a life. 

Ghouls are not alive, but in that flash of time, it was as if he heard his own non-existent heartbeat.　　

“And this. If you like it, then keep it.” Lord Kunlun patted the back of his hand. “My blood has become its filament, my body its base, only my soul’s spirit remains guard here and there’s no point in having it back. That sinew I gave you last time. Do you still have it?”　

The youth nodded quickly.

“Take it out and let me see,” Kunlun said mildly.

The ghoul king ripped opened his wildman’s clothes and took the sinew out from somewhere close to him. 

“I emerged of the Kunlun mountain. And at an earlier age, could be traced to Pangu’s Axe.” Lord Kunlun gently touched the body part he had ripped from himself, as if he had forgotten that kind of excruciating pain. He said evenly, “My body is connected with the earth’s pulse through Heavenly Pillar of Kunlun. A single tremor and the world turns upside down.”

In speaking, he suddenly made a series of complicated signs with his hand and the sinew transformed into a beam of bright light that followed his finger and entered the ghoul king’s forehead. At that moment, the youth felt he heard the sounds of the world transforming as ten thousand mountains rose into the sky.

It was as if he had reached an indescribable summit with a view of everything below. He could clearly see every mountain stream, flowing continuously, glorious and turbulent.

Lord Kunlun’s voice was within them, neither loud nor forceful, but penetrating all. “From now on the ten thousand mountains heed your command. Though you cannot be rift of your ghoulish heritage, you are now at least half divine and half ghoul. From now you are free to travel through all three realms. I no longer care.”

The youth interrupted, “I’m not going!” After a moment, he added, hesitant, “You’re here. I don’t want to go anywhere else.”

“I can’t be here long,” Kunlun said, turning his head, looking up at the endless towering waterfall of Wongchuang. “I’m just one part of the whole being. I can’t leave and I couldn’t have stayed long. Lately, I feel my days are coming to a close.”

The youthful ghoul king asked worriedly, “What days? Where are you going?”

“Not going anywhere. I’m going to die,” Kunlun said peacefully.

“That’s impossible. How can a god die?”

“Even gods die. Pangu, Fushi, Nuwa, Shennong, aren’t they all dead?” Kunlun said. “Now it’s my turn.”

Hearing this, the youthful ghoul king was struck dumb for a moment, then his expression quickly turned terrible. “If there’s no Great Seal, if you hadn’t sealed the Four Hallows for Nuwa, if you hadn’t turned into the Lamp of Souls’ Guard, does that mean you don’t have to die? Then I’ll chop down this tree and break through this damned Seal!”

Sometimes the young king was like a rolly-polly wolf pup with fluffy fur that looked like a puppy and seemed to share the same habits. Pet him and he would obediently roll on the floor and expose his belly, but he still had sharp teeth in his jaws. A bit of carelessness and his bite would draw blood. 

Lord Kunlun was already used to it and didn’t mind. He lifted his hand and put it on his head, saying in a low voice, “Not die? To live forever...child, even though a hollow rock will not decay, it’s still a rock. Do you understand? Shennong had said that there’s no divinity without death and destruction. I always thought he was speaking nonsense. It’s not until now I understand a little.”

The ghoul king slapped away his hand, unwilling to understand what he understood. “Don’t you dare!”

Lord Kunlun opened his hand. His hand suddenly seemed a little transparent. Then enraged youth, shocked, grabbed and squeezed that hand, nervously turning it over in his palm as if this was the only way to be sure that he was still here. He insisted, “What if I chopped down the Tree of Virtues?”

Lord Kunlun chuckled. “You’ve inherited the sovereign rights of the god of the mountains, you can even cut down the sacred wood in the Profane Place where the gods avoid, what’s the Tree of Virtues compared to that?”　

The ghoul king continued, “Then I can cleave open the Great Seal, split the rotten rock that woman left behind.”

Kunlun smiled wryly. ”You can, but I will probably die sooner.”

“I can even,” Ghoul King’s paused, then continued malevolently, “I can even kill everyone in the world. I can slaughter every living thing, so the mountains will never turn green, waters never flow, corpses cover the earth, and no man lives for a thousand miles.”

Lord Kunlun lifted an eyebrow, nonplussed. “Oh really, so powerful?”

The ghoul king squeezed his hand. “Don’t you dare die. I can do anything. I will do anything!”

“Shennong-Shi was also right about one thing,” Lord Kunlun became stern, looking at him coldly. ”I should’ve killed you long ago to prevent a catastrophe.”

The youth stubbornly pursed his lips and glared at him.

But suddenly Lord Kunlun smiled, as gentle as the passing of winter, the first breaking of the ice, reflecting green flowing water. “Since Shennong-Shi borrowed the soul fire from my shoulder...No, since the war between Gods and Monsters, Nuwa’s making of man, even since Pangu opened the sky, these things have been destined. It is destined that I, at this moment, in this place, die. Even if you re-close earth and sky, it will just mean my death will be meaningless, but it won’t stop anything.”

“You don’t understand.” The handsome god of the mountains used a rare patient and gentle voice. “What is called fate is not what the gods mutter as the doom of all. Actually there’s nothing secretly binding you. It’s that at a certain moment, though you know there are innumerable choices, the sky and the world before you, you’ll always choose one particular path....I didn’t know these things when I was young either. But perhaps you’ll understand when you grow up more.”

Finally the youthful ghoul king had no answer. For the first time he realised his own helplessness. All his powers are to kill, destroy, and to devour. He could really cut through everything in the world, the living, the dead; his birth had been a miracle, an unleashed terror for both ghouls and gods, but what’s the use？

He still couldn’t make the one he liked most stay. 　

Lord Kunlun saw the murderous youth in front of him become more and more depressed. Since he had not yet learned how to hide or repress his emotions, after a moment appearing dazed, he suddenly wailed aloud and started crying. 

Lord Quinlun looked at him almost pityingly and rued he wouldn’t be able to see a young beauty become a great beauty.

Then five thousand years passed in the flash of an eye, seasons turned and things and people changed. 

Zhao Yunlan released the rock of the Great Seal as if he had been shocked, suddenly there was someone behind him. That person chuckled. Before Zhao Yunlan turned, he had already the Whip of Souls’ Guard in hand. He took two steps backward. With his back against the rock of the Great Seal he watched warily Ghoulmien ten steps away.

Ghoulmien considered him, shook his head slightly. His fake ghoulish mien showed a smile. “I hear all of Nuwa’s memory is inside. What did you end up seeing?”

Zhao Yunlan laughed coldly, not quite emotionally recovered. “Why the f*ck would I tell you?” he asked harshly.

Ghoulmien sauntered in front of him and mimicked him to reach out and touch the Great Seal Stone. “Five thousand years ago, we were twin-born ghoul-kings, but it was him who earned your liking, Lord Kunlun. Five thousand years later, one of us is inside, one’s outside, one sits in jail, the other is the jailer.”

The corner of Ghoulmien’s uplifted mouth dropped. Then he turned, lowered his voice, and said each word deliberately, “But the Great Seal is no more, that’s why I can enter and leave at will-- at the end, everything dies. You, Lord Kunlun, if not if my foolish brother ambushed you and imprisoned your soul’s spirit and forced you into cycle of reincarnations as a a mere mortal, you would’ve have disappeared like the other elder gods. Was Shennong a fool? Everything that’s forced in the world cannot last. Whatever lasts can only die.”

In saying, he extended a cold finger and lightly touched Zhao Yunlan’s cheek, then sighed as if he was groaning. “But Death itself had been lit by your soul fire and created us..things..neither living nor dead. Isn’t this cosmic irony?”

Zhao Yunlan frowned and bent his head slightly, avoiding the touch. What did happen with his soul fire? So far he had heard quite a number of versions. It’s impossible to know which’s real. 

So he asked. “Didn’t Shennong borrow my soul fire? Why would it appear in the Profane Place. And why do you say Death itself was set alight by me?”

Ghoulmien started, his fake mask was momentarily blank, as if he couldn’t understand what Zhao Yunlan was asking. Suddenly, he roared in laughter. “Hahahaha. I thought he was so innocent, acting the saint, and yet...”

His words stopped abruptly because the Wraith-cleaving blade was cutting down, the wind from the motion lethal enough to cut him in half. Ghoulmien flew aside to avoid it and even Zhao Yulan had to take a step back.

Zhao Yunlan: “Shen Wei?”

Shen Wei reached out to catch him. “You must be crazy to come here alone!”

But before he reached Zhao Yunlun, Ghoulmien suddenly appeared and caught Shen Wei’s elbow, transformed into a mass of black smoke, and crashed hard into Zhao Yunlan which immobilized the long whip in his hand.

Then Ghoulmien transformed into countless furls of black smoke, wrapping Zhao Yunlun from head to foot, all the while laughing loudly.

But in the next moment, his laughter suddenly stopped. The black smoke cleared and resolved into Ghoulmien. There was no one else. 

Ghoulmien paused, seemingly also confused. He growled, “Who took him?Who?”

-=-=

Notes:

I actually read “No-Place” in my head for literal translation “Land of Disrespect” but thought that was taking too much obscure liberty with the translation, so the Profane Place it is, as an opposition to respect/sacred things. “Land of the Profane” is too much. “Land of Profanity” is too hilarious. 

Literal for 真心: “true heart” or “true-hearted” for sincerity of affection. Perhaps “heart’s truth” would work as well....I’m kind of torn. I have “heart’s affection” because it’s usually used directed toward someone else. 

It’s Lord Kunlun or Kunlun depending on whether original text kept the honorific. I didn’t capitalize the ghoul king because I want to keep the idea that the text seems to refer to the ghoul king as a “type* rather than an individual, hence all the “young” when he was a child “youthful” when he’s grown up, directly translating from the text.

Lamp of Souls’ Guard and Whip of Souls’ Guard is chosen because of “Guardian” and also because it’s more euphonic than some other choices.

Ghoulmien (Ghoul-mien) actually transliterates almost perfectly into 鬼面 in both sound and meaning. Linguistic coincidences :DDD

That flashback lollipop scene is actually probably more NSFW than this time travel flashback. Kudos to Everyone. 

[infini-tree]

FANFIC: Bùkěsīyì - Part 11

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Summary: In which the past catches up.

A/N: School’s finally out, meaning that I have time to write.

Alright, we’re going to detour a bit before the training montage ‘finishes’. I needed to address a plot point I brought up in the first act.

As of what I’m planning right now, Parts 10 - 13 are events that are happening really close to each other. After this, a lot of the events (save for some) are going to be a departure from the source material and while it’s a little overwhelming to think about, I hope it’ll be as interesting for you as it is for me!

Mei looked out the window and smoothed her fur out with one hand. The other hand was busy clutching at a now-crumpled note written in Shen’s hand– still impeccably tidy looking despite the smudges she made from holding it for so long.

I’m going to the Bridge.

The first wave of evacuations rumbled in slowly through the countryside. Those who didn’t turn tail and run after the Valley-wide reading were scrambling their belongings and their family together. The Masters, along with some volunteers, ushered the rest onto a clear path– one that was headed to Jiayin, sister city to the Valley and home to Li Dai Academy.

Just leave without me.

It was hard to avoid from the hustle and bustle of panicking people– they were just everywhere. It was even worse when some stopped to stare, like she brought this upon them just by saying it. The goat yanked the curtain close as a kit locked eyes with her.

She had enough of wallowing in self-pity to last her a lifetime, now was the time for another attempt.

Mei slammed the door open, looking out towards the untended fields and to the wilting garden beside her– a silent reminder that she needed to get two people back. With a sigh on her lips, she walked towards the direction of the crowds, ignoring the people and their gazes.

All of them might as well have been dark shapes at the edges of her vision.

The first to notice her was Master Viper, who had a parasol in tail and was brandishing it like a pointing stick. “Valley Soothsayer? What are you doing here?”

“I live here.”

The serpent looked around the farmlands in quiet incredulity. Before she could get a word in Mei interjected coolly, “Yes, I know– ‘what’s a soothsayer doing living out in the outskirts of the Valley?’– I’ve heard it all before, but that’s not why I’m out here.”

She looked around the passing crowd urgently.

“Where’s Oogway? Is he helping people evacuate? I really need to talk to him.”

“He’s training–”

“Then bring him here!”

“…Up at the Wu Dan mountains.”

“Of course he is!” The goat’s usual tone of nonchalance was waning, giving in to tiredness. “…Of course he is.”

Viper twirled the parasol in uncertainty. “Are you alright?”

While Mei was nodding, the way her shoulders sagged suggested otherwise. “Sorry– it’s just–” she clutched the side of her head. “Someone… important– he– Shen, he– he ran away.”

“What?”

“To the Thousand Step Bridge.”

“That’s where the army was last spotted!”

The goat nodded hurriedly. “I’m aware, just please– I– I need help.”

“We have one of our students going there right now– their paths could meet,” the master said, an attempt to assuage the other’s doubt.

Mei stayed silent for a moment, instead opting to clasp her hands together out of uncertainty.

“Pardon my apprehension, but it’s been a long…” Mei trailed off. “Well, it’s a difficult time.”

The serpent frowned as the coils that held her parasol in place tightened its grip. She tilted her head, clearly confused by the other’s reaction. The Valley Soothsayer was known for many things, but tepiditywas not one of them.

A voice rang out from above. “Viper!”

The named master looked up for a moment to see the silhouette of Crane soaring above everyone. “Well, I suppose I should get going now.” She began to turn back towards the rest of the villagers. “Valley Soothsayer, please don’t worry– if Shifu doesn’t find him, then he’ll be caught up in the flow of evacuation on the way there and go to a safe town.”

And with that, Viper slithered off into the crowds with parasol in coil, leaving Mei alone with her thoughts.

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

Another day, another attempt– or rather, anxiously waiting for him to come back. The rural areas was slowly getting cleared out in waves, and she can only wait for so long until the masters caught wind of it, or something worse–

As Mei trudged back to her home, the houses were eerily quiet. The sun had begun to set, casting long shadows over crops now waterlogged from lack of maintenance. During this time, there should be farmers ending their daily chores. There should be people making their way from the main hub of town, tired from the sun beating down on them as they sold their wares.

She looked over to her home, slowly coming into view. At this point, Oogway would tend to the small garden in front. Shen would be complaining about the lack of food so loudly, she’d hear it from there.

A loud clatter rang out from nearby. Mei’s fur bristled. The rabbit family that lived there… they just left yesterday.

Mei snuck over to the house, peering into the window with a morbid curiosity.

A dark shape loomed in the far end of the house, loomed in shadows. It was making a mess of the kitchen, throwing the bowls every which way and snapping up whatever food he could find in its jaws. Sharp teeth glinted in the fading light, as did its claws.

Mei stepped back abruptly, causing her to trip over the small garden plot in front of the house. In the moment of impact, there was silence. She brought herself up quickly to run off to a safe place.

She stopped short of the main hub of the town before a dark shape darted forward to block her path.

The wolf in the crowds.

“It’s you,” he rasped out.

Mei stepped back, looking towards the nearby houses in the hopes that there was someone there. Someone that, at the very least could be an eyewitness and assuade him.

The wolf’s hunched form clearly expressed disappointment, as well as hunger considering their emancipated state. Wide eyes flashed with hunger, then to recognition, and finally furrowed down to anger. “If you know what’s best for you, keep quiet,” he murmured.

Mei stood her ground, but everything was telling her to leave and get far, far away. This wasn’t happening– this shouldn’t be happening–

His smile became sharp and jagged, emphasized by the snap of his jaws a moment later. “Or would you like to suffer the same fate as your traitorous parents?”

Her fur bristled. Her hands trembled. The sound echoed in her ears.

Snap.

This was all so achingly familiar. Her fortune, this outcome.

She remembered something– something she had pushed back for all these years. Loud, angry caws akin to the screeching of metal. Comforting words. Hoofed hands on her cheek before they were torn away. The howling and snapping.

Amidst all that, a feathered hand grabbed her by the shoulder to snap her out of it. There was a voice screaming at her to hurry up and run far, far away from the tower, past the courtyard, far beyond the city she knew all her life.

Snap.

“W– why are you doing this?” Mei’s voice did not sound like her own. Her mind was reeling, as if this entire thing was a vision. But it was the exact opposite.

The past was crashing down on her this time, and she was ill-equipped for it.

“For the glory of Gongmen.”

Snap.

Her stomach lurched at those words. She had no one to help her now– not Shen, not her parents, not anyone. She could practically hear the sounds of drums over and over again, beating hard against her ears and making it difficult to think.

She had nothing but her words now. Same as it had always been.

“No, that’s what the lord and lady told you to do.” Mei fumbled with her sleeves, her shaking quelled somewhat. Her words were terse, bravado wavering into uncertainty.

No answers came. A growl rumbled in the other’s throat. His steps faltered for a moment as he swayed.

Exhaustion , Mei managed to extrapolate. “…Has the situation gotten so bad back there that this is justified? Why–”

Before she could even react, she was suddenly lifted up by the collar and was slammed against the nearest wall. Letting out a wheeze out of pain and sudden disorientation, she stared at the wolf wide-eyed.

A caw rang in the distance.

“I know what you did all those years ago.” The wolf’s ears pinned down in anger. “Your little ‘fortune’ sent them into madness–!”

“Can’t send anyone anywhere if they were already there in the first place,” she snapped back. “They’ve always been like that– stuck in the past, paranoid–”

He snarled. “Don’t you dare speak of–”

Mei struggled to free herself from his grasp, eyeing at his form and how rail-thin he was. “Look at yourself– they claim to care for their subjects, yet leave all of you like this?!”

The wolf’s brows furrowed, almost as if considering her words as his grip loosened.

Mei swung her head back before headbutting him in the snout. As the wolf reeled back with a whine, she ran past him and to the main hub of the town. It just as quiet and empty as the rural area. Looking up to the peak where the Jade Palace resided, she sprinted her way past the empty houses and stalls towards the steps.

The masters, or at the very least servants should be tending to it now–

The world was shifting around her at a dizzying pace, but she can’t stop– not now .

She barely managed to clamber up the first three steps before she felt clawed hands grab her leg. As she lost her footing, she fell straight onto the stairs. Mei let out a yell, clutching her side while trying to pull away from his grip.

“You’re going to wish you hadn’t done that!”

The goat let out a noise between a bleat and a yell as she tried to kick him off with her free leg, eyes shut tight in both pain and fear that gripped her. Each hit was blocked off by his armor-clad free arm. The next kick was off-beat, taking a moment too long to reel back.

He took the opportunity to pull a warhammer from the strap on his back. Long and thin, the head glinted in the dying sunlight before it came down in her direction.

And never connected.

A scaled coil had managed to pull the hammer back and managed to bring the struggle to a standstill– at least for a moment. Master Viper pulled against the other’s grip, the hammer waving about somewhat as the both of them struggle to take control.

And suddenly she was pushed– pulled?– and everything blurred.

There was a wingbeat, the sounds of metal clattering far away, and old weathered hands trying to shake her into a semblance of lucidity. Mei struggled to sit up for a moment, but even that was too much– before she knew it, the rest of the world melded into black.

The last thing she saw before blacking out was the wolf retreating from the masters, running to the mountains.

Mei woke up with a start. From the amount of light that was in her room, the most she could assume was that at least a day passed. Her hands gripped an unfamiliar blanket with floral patterns. A dull panic settled into her as she took in her surroundings. She was surrounded by unfamiliar ricepaper walls making up the perimeter of the sparsely decorated room. Save for the dresser by her feet and the unlit candle that was perched on top of it, there wasn’t much to look at.

Mei propped herself up on the headboard, and pain flared across her stomach. She instinctively clutched it, letting in a sharp intake of air as she did so.

“Miss Soothsayer, you gotta be careful!”

She looked around, her eyes falling on the now-open door. A goose with a ricehat dangling behind his back awkwardly had waddled in with some soup in a platter.

“Where is– where am I?”

He jumped back, confused eyes meeting her wild and frightened ones. “You’re in the Jade Palace,” he explained as he offered the tray. “The rest of the masters brought you up here since– uh, all the doctors kind of all evacuated. They’re still super busy, though, so that’s why they’re not here.”

Hesitantly, she took it from him, eyeing the soup with a tired gaze. As recognition dawned on Mei, she looked over the goose and squinted– what was the grandmaster’s son still doing here?

“…What?”

“Shouldn’t you be in Jiayin by now?” she pointed out. “I thought you’d be the first one out.”

Ping bristled. “I could say the same to you.”

Mei sighed. He’s got her there, she thought as she took in a quick sip of the soup. She wasn’t sure what had happened up here in the past few days, but the lack of any mention of the grandmaster was alarming to say the least.

His feathered brows knitted in deep thought. “So, why are you still here?” he ventured. “Are you worried about Oogway?”

Her movements faltered for a moment, hesitance creeping onto her features before realizing that the tortoise probably told them some things about himself and his homestead. “I’m worried about a lot of things,” she muttered. “And a lot of people. Including him.”

“Ah.”

“I just need to know for sure if they’re going to be alright.” Mei took in a deep breath, the smell of homemade soup filling her up and giving her a quiet sort of comfort. “I need to see with my own eyes that they’re going to be alright.”

The goose’s feathered fingers started to fiddle with the ties of the old ricehat anxiously. There was a moment of silence, one part awkward and another part mutual understanding. Mei should have realized sooner that he stayed for the same reason she did– worry, and a desire to not leave such a safe homestead.

Mei took the opportunity to eat the rest of the soup in silence. She wasn’t sure what kind of soup it was, the only discernable things she could identify in the broth was some noodles and radishes, but the spices knocked her into a more lucid state. Made everything feel a bit more real.

In the corner of her eye, she saw Ping nodding stiffly a few times, unsure of how to continue the conversation. “If it makes you feel better, he’s with Tigress. He’s completely safe up in Wu Dan!”

Mei eased back into the headboard with a sigh, into a semblance of calm… up until yet another realization dawned on her. She jerked upwards with a start and almost knocked over the platter and its contents. “No he isn’t!–”

“What?” The goose pulled the platter and the soup from her lap and set it near the dresser, perplexed by the sudden outburst.

Mei winced at the sudden bout of pain as she clutched her side yet again. “The wolf– the wolf is going up to Wu Dan!”