#magic of body transformation and all of that

[thiefcatmoth]

pac: what could you try in the occult arts?

general reading. pick a pile, listening to your intuition. if nothing resonates, leave this pac behind.

pile 1

how about trying to make dreamcatchers for your loved ones? or wind chimes? these instruments are relatively simple, but when made with good intentions, with magical power embedded, they bring many positive changes to the lives of those to whom they are given, from clearing thoughts to changing the atmosphere in the room. you have the power to bring these changes to others, and the process of creating these amulets will help you better reveal your creative abilities and gain generosity of energy.

pile 2

i suspect you've never tried this, but you could try smoke or steam divination. this is a rare form of divination, similar to water or mirror divination - you look at the figures the smoke shows you, and they tell you a story about the past, present and future. try lighting your favorite candle and blowing it out, watching the smoke sway, prepare the smudging ritual and look into the clouds. or even add your favorite essential oil to hot water and watch the rising steam speak to you. just remember to protect your respiratory system and your eyes, be careful.

pile 3

manifestation. moreover, you can turn not only to well known written forms, but also try vocal manifestation. first, listen to your voice, to every word you say, and try to endow them not only with meaning, but also with power. each of your words is important and weighty, remember this, and be confident in yourself and your desires. if you do not like the sound of your speaking voice, try using other sounds or also singing. the human voice is very transformative, and this will give you many opportunities to embody your will in sound.

pile 4

try working with the moon and making moon water. the moon helps to develop intuition, look deep into yourself and explore what can never be described in words. and moon water can help you on the path to knowing others and yourself. for many, moon water is a tool for clearing the mind and energy - and you can try using it by adding it to your bath to charge yourself with the energy of the moon, revealing your potential more fully.

pile 5

have you ever tried to create talismans? these are small special objects that can look completely different. they often help to overcome adversity, they protect, provide support. talismans are created with pure intentions and are given to those for whom they are intended - these are deeply individual objects that you yourself cover with the necessary symbols, use the necessary materials and choose the colors and textures.

pile 6

try cleansing rituals with earth or salt. you may have tried this before, but there is always a new twist on old. you can write down everything you want to get rid of and bury this text at a crossroads. you can create a witch's bottle for cleansing, using salt, stones and even bones that suit your intentions. and if you don't have access to such objects but want to cleanse your own body, soul and mind, get out into nature, touch the Earth with your hands and ask it to ease your burdens.

thanks for the reading!

dividers by @strangergraphics-archive, all images are not mine

[deeplyshalllow]

Do the gale force soldiers witness Fiyero’s transformation? Or do they leave him tied up and come back for Torture part 2: For Bad in the morning/after a coffee break then panic because

a. someone’s obviously used the clothes of their mostly dead ex-captain to make a creepy scarecrow decoy, suggesting the real Fiyero has miraculously escaped in his underwear,

b. they believe they’ve forgotten where they put him, because there are so many other scarecrows (a frankly ridiculous amount!) already in that cornfield, Fiyero’s body blends right in and it takes all day to check them all and come up unnervingly empty. (Oops! All scarecrows!) Prompting the soldiers to check them all again and again “How could you forget?” “Why did you have to tie a sack over his very recognisable face?” “You told me to?!” “Stop gaslighting me!” Etc

c. free space

d. they did see the transformation and it terrified them so much they scarpered to the nearest pub and drank to forget

a.a. they assume Elphaba has taken their dead guy, wholesale, “What do you even do with a dead prince?” “Bury him I guess,” “Use his bones for evil spells,” “I would put the dead prince in an ornately crafted glass coffin in the woods, so that the Winkies and woodland Animals can pay their respects and gaze upon his beautiful face.” … “Except we beat his face up.” “Yeah we beat his face up.”

I’m suffering the thought equivalent of zoomies I’m so so sorry

Loolll Firstly I got a good chuckle out of Torture part 2: For Bad, so thank you for that!

Honestly I've always thought option D - that they did see his transformation for several reasons:

They're supposed to torture Fiyero "until he tells us where the witch went" and (despite the fact that they do know where Elphaba is by March of the Witch Hunters - I think she's beyond being subtle at that point, and she does have good defences) I just can't believe Fiyero would ever tell them, he'd die first. So I do not think they are done with the torturing when he's transformed.

You have to remember that these are Fiyero's men. Guards who have worked under Fiyero, probably considered him a friend, and all along he has been betraying them and working for the Witch. They are probably not the most pleasant people in the first place and they are angry. I don't think any of them are giving up for a coffee break until he's done what they want and is dead

I actually think she casts the spell pretty fast? Like wishing for his flesh not to be torn and to not be feeling pain when he's beaten, is going to be pretty redundant more than 10 minutes after Fiyero has been captured (like it's obviously long enough for there to be some possibility for him to be "already dead or bleeding" but there's also a chance of his survival)? I imagine she got to the nearest safe place and cast. And Elphaba doesn't even cast the spell for that long before giving up and falling into despair so yeah, I imagine the men see it

They would want the body. There's a lot of power displaying tortured Fiyero to Oz whether it be "look what the Witch did to our beloved Prince" or "look what happens to traitors" it sends a message to the Ozians. I can't imagine them going without it if they can help it (and the fact they do come back empty handed and presumably lie about what happened to Morrible, can't have impressed her much)

Why doesn't the scarecrow get caught later then? I imagine the guards still don't necessarily know he's turned into a scarecrow - I imagine they ran away the moment the freaky magic started happening (and again, lied about the success of their murder when questioned by their superiors). There's also a non zero chance that, when they were taking a stiff drink after it all, Elphaba all "no good deed will i do again" returned to the field, found no Fiyero and the guards drinking (she presumes in celebration) and just burnt them all to death.

Thanks for the question! It was fun to specuate!

[alternative-morenita]

1.2 - Mysteries Unsolved

EP. 2 - MYSTERIES UNSOLVED contents: prologue | 1.1 | 1.1.5 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 |

The boisterous crowd roars obnoxiously as their adrenaline -- and substance -- blown eyes watch the deathmatch beneath them. A tall, athletically slim man hunches over his opponent with her every step, his sharp eyes follow and when she disappears in his blind spot, his pointed dog-like ears twitch.

Face shot, slip right, double jab to left stomach. Slip left, slip right. Left upper hook. 3012

Cast in his shadow, Hyde stands unravelled and alert. Her typically covered figure dawns a simple grey bandage wrap that was buckled tight across her breast, chiselled torso was on display. Her brown skin is traced with scars, black taped hands are intact and soiled with blood. Her short hair was pulled back in a puff, rogue strands brushing against her brow bone.

The two fighters pant, exchanging punches as they fall into a dance of evenly matched hits. Whenever he punched, she slipped and whenever she kicked, he blocked. A bell rings causing them to look up, the official waves an orange flag as a refurbished street sign behind flickers: Ability Round.

Right slip, left slip. Duck under, chest shot. 4036.

With that call, the fighters transform before the crowd's eyes. Sett's hands enlarge and his digits curl inwards as pointed claws begin to grow. Hyde's eyes flash green as matching coloured lines trail down her body and under the waistband of her jeans. Sett jumps forward, right fist reeled back as he gathers all of his might.

Before he could land the hit, a thick vineyard ploughs into his chest. He soars backwards, planting a crescent into the arena's stone walls. He growls, charging at the teen as his legs pick up at preternatural speed. Hyde leans forward, slamming her hands into the stone and grassy mixed floorbed. A zig-zag of weeds sprouts from the crack of force, aiming for the Vastayan.

Left jab. Slip left. Right uppercut. Double left jab, right hook. Face shot. 7900.

One after another, they wrap around his limbs relentlessly despite his attempts at cutting them down. Blinded and winded, Sett fails to free himself when a chakram slings in an arch through the grassy tendrils. He falls to his knees, confused, and as he turns around two other chakrams sling at his shoulders. Pinned to the wall, his eyes widen as Hyde suddenly appears in front of him, the metal heel of her boot connects to his chin and it forces his head against the wall.

His body slumps without further effort. The crowd then roars impossibly louder as the official, a brown yordle that resembled that of a Chilrean, lowers himself into the ring with a bag of cogs in hand. Hyde grabs the chakrams, sheathing them as she makes her way to the yordle's side. He grabs her wrist, speaking to the audience.

Hyde - 8015. Vi - 7900. Hyde - 5390. Vi - 4092.

"And your winner, Zaun's very own," he trails dramatically, "the Champion of the People... Hyde!"

A roar bursts in a round of applause; however, Hyde's reaction was stoic and empty as she accepts her earnings.

Leaving the trenches of the Underground, the crowded party streets were absent and daunting. Three figures burst from a door on her left, two masked enforcers were beating on a random Zaunian. Her eyebrows furrow, the oppressive presence hadn't raided these streets in years.

As if they could feel her presence, the officers look over at the teen. She freezes, her jaw clenching anxiously as they inch toward her. Her earthy eyes fall onto the damp wall beside her, the hum of magic echoes in her ears.

The officers freeze as she punches at a patch of moss that engrained itself within the stone. Enforcers watch the rock and moss come to life, rippling down the wall and blasting through the street. The conjured beam of earth slams against the two, allowing her to escape on foot.

Slipping into a narrow lane, she leaps, climbing effortlessly onto the roof of a building. With the wind blowing through her hair, the child of Janna darts through the sky. Beneath her, the streets of Zaun were flooded with blue suits and fancy masks.

Her face scrunches with anguish as old memories force their way from the corner of her mind. Flashes of enforcers paroling the Underground for pure pleasure as they abuse families and taunt drunkards into fights.

The closer she reaches the Last Drop, the angrier she becomes. Flipping inside Vander's office from the roof, she makes her way downstairs where an angry mob seems to have gathered around Vander and Benzo.

Sevika plants her hand on a table, face scrunched, "we should hit them back. We've got the numbers to beat them."

"Yeah," a man echoes. "Let's teach them what it means to mess with us." The others follow, their cheering sentiments coming together.

Vander and Benzo stand against the bar, unmoved. The barman lights his pipe, inhaling the substance before glancing at the crowd.

"You sure that's what you want?" A voice calls from the back, "let's do it!"

"We've crossed that bridge once before, and we all know how that ended," he states. Hyde's nose twitches, mage marks hum with power once more.

A man shakes his head, "you're just protecting your kids." Vander glances over his shoulder, the group of children that had started the issue watch silently from the shadows.

Vander shuffles in front of them. "I'm protecting our people. I'd do the same for any one of you," he softly argues. "We look out for each other. It's the way it's always been. This will blow over. We just need to stand together."

From the shadows, Hyde shakes her head. Her face tightens with anger at every pacifist word that spews from her mentor's mouth.

Sevika speaks up, "the Vander I knew, the one who built the Underground, wouldn't be afraid to fight."

Taking a slow inhale from his pipe once more, Vander steps toward the woman, looking into her eyes. "Do I look afraid?"

She snarls, unflinching. "No. You look weak."

With a sharp whistle, she begins to walk from the bar as the crowd follows. She comes to a small pause at the door, her hazel eyes glancing at Hyde's gold ones in the dark. Sevika sends a nod at the teen before leaving out into the streets. Looking down at Vander, she hops over the railing and lands on the bar.

"So, this is it?" She questions, looking off at the quiet environment of the bar.

"Enforcers raid the Lanes tireously, abusing the old, the sick, and everyone in between and we're just supposed to what? Twiddle our thumbs and hope that everything just goes over their heads?"

He sighs, "Hyde."

She shakes her head, "no. Vander, I'm not a child anymore! I have my rage under control now, but topside still has that pretentious stick shoved up their asses. Nothing has changed in the four years we've played nice."

She points at the door of the Last Drop.

"That explosion that happened during the robbery was the aftermath of something extreme. The owner of the apartment was some rich nerd, of all people. They're going to make an example out of someone and if that means all of Zaun then they will. It's time to start fighting again."

"You know I can't," the man rubs at his bushy eyebrows, shoulders tense.

"We've both seen the consequences of what happens when we rebel. I blame myself for a lot of things, but losing your mom and then the girls' parents... that was my call and I was the only one who left standing."

Hyde shakes her head, "you're forgetting that I was there, too. You've forgotten that those days are no more. We're healthier than we've ever been. Not many of us work within in the mines, struck with Grey. We can fight and we can fight harder than ever before. My mother knew the risks and she still brought me on that bridge, she still stood at your side."

"I get that you want to protect us," she scoffs. "But playing the middle man will only get you killed, Vander. Just pick up your gauntlets and let Piltover know that Zaun simply wants their independence. It's what we deserve."

She walks for the door when Vander chimes from behind. "You're leaving your coin," he calls. She stops, looking at him from over her shoulder.

"It's a part of Ekko's inheritance," Hyde shrugs. "The rest of the stash is hidden with Benzo. Give it to him for me?" With that, she walks out of the Last Drop with a new toy and a plan.

Straddled in the center of Benzo's shop, Hyde drinks from an amethyst-coloured bottle. Her eyes stare hooded and contemplative as calloused fingers trail the electrum lines that have attached themselves to her skin like a tattoo. She hums softly to herself as she remembers the day she discovered her heritage.

"Oh, my little flower," her mother coos, leaning forward on her knees toward the small child curled in a corner. "It seems you've unlocked a sense of yourself a lot quicker than expected."

She glances over at the beanstalk rooted in their living room, just brushing the ceiling. The woman takes on a wince, glancing down at the five-year-old. "Hopefully, we can clean this before your father comes home, yeah?" She chuckles.

"You're... you're not mad at me? At all?" The young girl sniffles, large brown eyes gleaming similar to that of a baby yordle. Her mother laughs, her heart of steel softens, as she shakes her head.

"Of course not, my heart. This simply means that you're growing into a strong woman."

"You are your mother's daughter."

"Hyde?" A gasp breaks her from the flashback. The teen looks up, glazed eyes meeting Vi's sombre ones. "What are you doing here? I, Ekko's been looking for you since Vander gave him your bag of cogs."

The older teen sighs, leaning back in her chair. "I'm doing what no one else seems to be able to do, Vi."

She looks over at the pink-haired girl, a small smirk perks on her face. "Taking responsibility, such an honourable thing that those with the most loving hearts do."

Vi freezes, shaking her head. "No," she breathes.

"Hyde, please tell me you're not going to take the fall for my fuck up. You have Ekko waiting for you to return, you've gotten yourself an apartment -- a job. Why screw that up? Why leave it behind when I can admit my mistakes?"

"As you said," Hyde shrugs, "I've made my accolades. I've fought in a war, I got a job, I've created a mound of inheritance for my loved ones when I'm gone; not a lot of people down here can say they've done the same. You deserve to live that life too, shortcake."

Hyde then looks over at her, eyebrow raised. "What're you doing here?" She retaliates. "I took the capsule for a reason, so what made you come here?"

"Vander," she admits.

"After he gave me a talk about trying to go about everything with violence, we got back home and he realized that his capsule for the Sheriff was gone. I already knew it had to have been you, I heard everything you said to him after Sevika left."

She leans against the older teen's shoulder, head laying on top of the wild mass of curls. "And?" Hyde urges her to continue. The girl bends her head in shame, wide eyes adopting a puppy like pout.

"Since we've met, you have fought for us," she huffs. "This can't be the end of everything," she whispers. "What are we going to do when you're gone?"

Hyde picks her head up by the jaw, softly. "You live, make a name for yourself and live," she lands a soft peck on her forehead.

Keys jingling paired with heavy footsteps catches their attention. Eyes narrowed, Hyde stands off of the stool as she pushes Vi behind her. Her shoulders form a hunch as her fists clench. The door swings open, barely surviving on the broken hinges thanks to the blue eyed girl.

The teens relax, eyes widen with surprise. "Vander?" They question. 

In the doorway stands their father figures, their usual mugged faces had been replaced with one similar to panic.

The taller man sighs in relief as he steps in further, "we don't have much time." 

"How did you find us?" Vi wonders.

Hyde, on the other hand, shakes her head. "You can't keep trying to fix things, Vander." 

His large hands cups their shoulders. "I'm proud of you, both of you. Always have been," a soft smile takes over his bearded face.

Hyde looks off to the side while Vi shakes her head. "Tell her that she shouldn't do this, please. There has to be something else that we can do," she begs.

Dogs begin barking in the distance. Benzo looks over at them, "Vander." He glances over his shoulder before focusing his gaze onto Vi.

He cups her face close, "you've got a good heart. Don't ever lose it. No matter how the world tries to break you. Protect the family." 

His eyes take a moment to glance at Hyde before returning to Vi's wide ones. "What are you--"

Vander pushes her back, into a cellar and shuts the door forcefully, locking it. 

"Vander!" Vi calls. "Let me out. This isn't right," she begins to bang her fist against the wood.

Hyde hears the enforcers enter the shop and looks over at them. She tilts her head, "Grayson." 

The captain nods, "Hyde. Now, am I to be taking you in or that?" She nudges her head in Vander's direction.

The teen holds out her hands, "I'm sure you already know the answer." 

Grayson nods for Marcus to handcuff the teen when Vander steps in front of her. Her tense face slackens, eyeing the man in confusion.

Marcus does the same, snarling. "You going to let me make the arrest or not?"

"You'll oblige a doomed man one last smoke," he sighs and lights his pipe. "The hell he will," Hyde blurts.

Grayson steps forward, "I'm not putting you away, Vander." He shrugs, "the council needs its pound of flesh and it won't be her."

The captain looks up, "without you down here, it all falls apart." Hyde nods, frantically. "Benzo will handle things," Vander nods to the shorter man. 

"He may not have my devilish charm, but he runs a tight ship," the barman compliments. Hyde looks between the men with a glare of betrayal.

"You won't be coming back for a long time," Grayson once again tries to change his mind. 

Vander walks toward Marcus, nodding. "I know." Hyde goes after him, arm reaching for his.

"Stop, please. Vander, stop playing the fucking martyr," she hisses as her honey eyes become teary. Benzo holds her into his chest, a permanent scowl decorates his wrinkled face.

"Why?" Grayson inquiries. Vander hums, "it's the only way."

Handcuffed, he follows Marcus outside. Grayson falls into step without another word while Hyde pushes Benzo off of her. "Let me go," she growls and marches out the shop. 

"Vander--" She falls silent as Grayson and the rest of her men are confronted by a beast.

The sole survivors -- which were herself, Benzo, Vander, and Marcus -- huddle beside one another as their eyes watch every direction for the beast's next attack. 

Amongst the fog, boots click against the wet stone as a figure slowly approaches. A slender man with one blue eye and an orange eye favored on the scarred part of his face comes into light. Benzo and Vander's faces drop as Hyde gazes between the three with confusion. 

"Silco?" Benzo gasps. He growls, "you animal. Go crawl back into whatever hole you came out of." He stalks forward, stick ready.

"Benzo, stay back," Vander calls. 

Hyde panics, her breathing frantic. "Benzo, stop!"

The man, Silco, simply stares at the husky man. "You never did know when to walk away." Vander takes a step forward, "wait."

Benzo goes to swing when the beast returns, racing into the man as his blood coats the ground.

"No!" Vander cries. Hyde belts, "Benzo!"

Vander falls to his knees, eyes closed while Hyde silently cries; finding it impossible to look away.

"Hmm," Silco tilts his head. "Stubborn to the end."

Marcus steps forward, eyes wide. "What the hell have you done? This wasn't the deal!"

Silco steps forward, "deal's changed." He tosses a huge bag of cogs into his chest, walking past him. 

The beast steps closer to them, his growl vibrating through their bones. Hyde steps in front of Vander, her mage marks appearing with a daunting glow. It goes to punch at her when a green shield appears over her, absorbing the impact. Strands of green tendrils bounce off of her form, surrounding the barren alley with light. 

The beast roars, slamming against her shield with both hands. Hyde grits her teeth, her body caving under his weight as her energy begins to deplete. From behind, Vander shakes his head as tears trek down his chiseled face. The monster breaks through her magic, sending the mage stumbling back. 

He slams his fist into her side, forcing her to fall beside Benzo. As if it knew her, the beast sends a taunt-like huff at the girl before stepping to Vander. It reals back its arm as the man closes his eyes, waiting for the hit, and lands a heavy cross against his jaw.

Vander topples, the last he saw was of Silco. 

Silco quietly turns to walk away. The beast grips Vander and Hyde by their hair, dragging their bodies down the street. Hidden in the sky, Ekko stares frozen as his eyes tremble. He watches the plot of blood that circled Benzo's body to the streak of it that followed the trail his sister was dragged. He shakes his head, collapsing onto the metal roof as he watches their shadows dimen in the distance. 

[bekkarific]

Playing with Fire

Chapter Seven: Embers

Chapter Masterlist

Pairing: The Frontman/In Ho x Fem OC

Ji Ah woke to the unfamiliar sensation of silk against her skin. For a fleeting moment, she forgot where she was. As her eyes adjusted to the fluorescent light humming above, the dark green walls of her new quarters, the vanity table, and the wardrobe filled with dresses that were nothing like her usual attire—it all came rushing back.

Her stomach churned at the thought of the day ahead.

A sharp knock on the door snapped her out of her thoughts.“Number 13,” came the voice of a guard. “Get up. You’re expected to prepare yourself. The VIPs will arrive shortly.”

VIPs. The word carried a weight Ji Ah couldn’t ignore. Who were they? Did they run the games? The monsters funding this horror show? Or just the people reveling in others’ suffering? She ground her teeth as she got out of bed.

The guard didn’t wait for a response. Heavy footsteps echoed as he walked away, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

Ji Ah padded to the wardrobe, her bare feet cold against the floor. She hesitated before opening it, half-hoping the contents would have magically changed overnight.

They hadn’t.

Short black cocktail dresses in various cuts hung in neat rows, each one more revealing than the last. Ji Ah scowled, grabbing the least offensive option—a simple dress that started on her collar bone, but clung to her body like a second skin and ended mid-thigh.

She threw it onto the bed and moved to the vanity, her reflection staring back at her like a stranger. The black mask sat beside the small collection of makeup, its leaf-like edges mocking her. A mask to hide her face, but nothing to hide the shame threatening to consume her.

She grabbed a brush and started to comb her hair out of her face, thankfully the shower she had taken last night had removed the days worth of grime and sweat from her skin and hair. The toiletries provided leaving a subtle floral scent.

Hair secured in a half up half down style, she sat down at her vanity table. The makeup was sparse: a single compact, a small palette of eyeshadow, mascara, and one tube of lipstick—bright red. Ji Ah’s fingers hovered over the lipstick, the color somehow feeling like a cruel joke.

She sighed and began to apply the makeup with steady hands, her training as a detective allowing her to compartmentalize her anger - for the moment anyway. She worked methodically, painting herself into the image of what they expected her to be, a faceless object to decorate their twisted playground.

When she finally slipped on the dress, it clung to her in ways that made her feel exposed, her skin crawling as she zipped it up. The heels were no better, their shiny black surface reflecting the faint light as if mocking her discomfort.

Ji Ah glanced at the mirror one last time, her reflection a jarring mix of the person she used to be and the role she was being forced into. Her jaw clenched as she reached for the black mask, the final piece of her transformation.

As she placed it over her face, the red lipstick she’d just applied became the only splash of color, a stark contrast to the dark mask and dress. It made her feel like a character in someone else’s story, her own identity slipping further away with each passing moment.

A knock interrupted her thoughts. “It’s time,” the guard said.

Ji Ah took a deep breath, steadying herself. Hastily securing her mask at the back of her head.

Whatever lay beyond that door, she had to survive it. With one last glance at the mirror, she straightened her shoulders and stepped into the corridor, ready to face whatever twisted reality awaited her.

———————————————————-

The VIP were somehow everything and nothing like expected. From their ridiculous gold animal masks to their bathrobes, Ji Ah was unsure where to look.

She had been told to stand at the door to the grand lounge, a tray of whisky’s in her hand as greeting. She counted six. So it sparked her confusion when only five VIPs arrived.

They all took a drink, making lude comments at her in English. American’s, she deduced from their accents. Each giving her a look up and down before moving onto her four other colleagues.

She felt powerless, all she could so was smile and thank them. She had to thank those sick bastards.

Turning her attention to her colleagues, she hadn’t had a chance to meet them yet, all five of them had been posted to different parks of the room. Two male and two females from what she could see. She did note that the blonde woman was still here, she may come in useful, Ji Ah reasoned.

Then like she could sense him, he appeared. Every part the cold, calculating, intimidating man she knows. So why does her skin start to heat when he is near?

“Gentlemen welcome, allow me to introduce myself I am the Frontman. The host sends his regrets that he cannot be with you at this time, but I am here to ensure your every comfort is met.” He announced coming to stand in front of the VIPs, back straight and standing to attention.

Ji Ah is bewildered by his sudden subservience, so he wasn’t the top man like she thought he was, there are more? Taking a minute to gather her thoughts as the captain - now frontman - she supposed conversed with the VIPs.

Who was this mysterious host then? And why were they not here?

“It’s no worry” the loud Texan spoke “your girl 13 has been taking good care of us, haven’t you darling” he bolsters, eliciting cheers from the other guests. The Texan leaned forward, his eyes raking over her form in a way that made her skin crawl. “Quite the addition to the staff this year. Very elegant. Exotic, even.”

Ji Ah swallowed the retort that rose in her throat, forcing herself to lower her gaze in what she hoped was an appropriately submissive gesture. She could feel their stares, hungry and dehumanizing, stripping her of whatever dignity she had left.

“Gentleman,” came the Frontman’s voice, cutting through the murky cigar filled air like a blade. “We thank you for your compliments” he spoke, his voice growing closer,

Ji Ah’s back straightened instinctively, her pulse quickening as he came to stand beside her.

“She has a lot to learn,” the Frontman said, his words directed at the room but clearly meant for her as well. “But she’s adaptable.”

Before she could react, she felt the faintest brush of his fingers against the back of her head. Her breath hitched as he adjusted her mask, which had loosened slightly.

“Hold still,” he murmured, his voice low enough that only she could hear.

Ji Ah froze, every nerve ending in her body firing at once. His hands were gloved, yet the sensation felt almost intimate, the deliberate care he took in fixing the mask sending an involuntary shiver down her spine.

“There,” he said after a moment, his hands retreating as quickly as they had come.

But the weight of his presence lingered, his proximity making it impossible for her to breathe easily.

“Now,” he addressed the room, his tone once again sharp and authoritative. “Shall we move on to more pressing matters?”

The VIPs muttered their agreement, the tension dissipating as they returned to their drinks and chatter.

Ji Ah dared a glance at the Frontman as he stepped away, his mask giving nothing away. But something about the way he carried himself—subtle, deliberate—told her the adjustment hadn’t been necessary. It had been a reminder.

Of what, she wasn’t sure.

As the night wore on, Ji Ah remained at her post, her mind racing with questions she couldn’t afford to ask. But one thought stayed with her, clear and unnerving: The Frontman wasn’t just watching her. He was studying her.

——————————

The VIPs' boisterous laughter echoed in the room, accompanied by the clinking of glasses as they placed bets on the next game.

Tug of War, the frontman revealed, eliciting gasps of excitement from the VIP keen to watch the real thing live.

Ji Ah forced herself to remain composed, her posture rigid as she served another drink. The night stretched on, each second heavier than the last.

The Frontman moved among the VIPs with ease, his commanding presence drawing their attention. Yet Ji Ah couldn’t shake the feeling that his attention often drifted back to her. Each glance, no matter how brief, sent a ripple of heat and unease coursing through her.

She was stationed near edge of the room, drink tray in hand, when she felt his presence again—silent, like a shadow. He approached, his movements deliberate, and leaned in just enough for his words to reach her without anyone else overhearing.

“You’re holding up well,” he said softly, his tone devoid of the mockery she’d braced for.

Ji Ah didn’t dare look at him directly. “I didn’t realize I was being tested,” she replied, keeping her voice steady.

“Everything here is a test, Number 13,” he murmured, the faintest hint of amusement threading his words. “You’ll learn that soon enough.” And like that he was gone, melting back into the shadow he came from.

Ji Ah couldn’t shake the feeling of his words, nor the fire that licked up her spine.

————————————————-

The announcement of Tug of War sent a wave of anticipation rippling through the VIPs. Their laughter turned raucous, their voices tinged with sadistic glee as they speculated about the fates of the contestants.

Ji Ah’s grip on her tray tightened. She forced her features to remain neutral, though the bile rising in her throat threatened to betray her. Each time a VIP's hand brushed against her as they grabbed a drink, she felt her dignity crumble further. But it was the Frontman’s cryptic words that lingered, needling at her composure.

Everything here is a test.

Her eyes flicked to the screen dominating the far wall, displaying the setup for the next game. Two towering platforms, a single rope spanning the chasm between them, and the gaping void below. Even from the safety of the VIP lounge, the scene was suffocating.

“Frontman!” the Texan drawled, gesturing with his glass. “How about you give us a little insider scoop? Any early favorites in this round?”

The Frontman inclined his head with practiced detachment. “The games are designed to level the playing field. Strength alone will not ensure victory.”

The Texan grinned, his gold mask glinting under the lights. “Smart and mysterious. I like it.”

Ji Ah’s stomach churned as the VIPs laughed again, their focus shifting to their tablets to place bets. The contestants’ faces flashed on the screen, each one a portrait of dread and desperation.

Her chest tightened when she spotted Gi Hun among them, standing with his makeshift team. He was speaking urgently, gesturing animatedly as he tried to rally their spirits. Ji Ah couldn’t hear his words, but she recognized the determination in his eyes.

“Care to place a bet, Number 13?” The Texan asked, placing a hand on her arm.

Swallowing down her disgust “I’ll pass” she said evenly, tilting the tray to offer him a drink instead.

He didn’t take one. Turning back to his tablet

As she turned to walk away she heard “Wise. The house always wins.” The voice startled her, low and smooth, and far too close. Ji Ah turned her head slightly, finding the Frontman once again at her side.

Their gazes met briefly, his mask a barrier that only amplified the weight of his presence. Ji Ah felt her pulse quicken, a mix of defiance and unease swirling within her.

“Enjoy the show,” he added, his voice low enough that the words felt almost private. And just as before, he was gone, his attention now on the VIPs clamoring for details about the contestants.

The contestants took their places, their terror palpable even through the screen.

Ji Ah’s breath caught as the countdown began, her focus entirely on Gi Hun, part of her wondered if her presence her was a blessing or curse for him. He stood at the front of the line, his grip firm on the rope.

“Five... four...”

“Bet on the older guy,” one VIP slurred, leaning close to the screen. “He looks like he’s got a trick or two up his sleeve.”

Ji Ah clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.

“Three... two...”

The room erupted with cheers and jeers as the buzzer blared, signaling the start.

The two teams pulled with everything they had, the rope creaking under the strain. Onscreen, Ji Ah could see Gi Hun shouting instructions, his voice lost amidst the chaos but his determination unwavering.

“Ah, look at them!” the Texan crowed. “Nothing like a good old-fashioned fight for survival!”

Ji Ah wanted to scream, to tear the drink tray from her hands and hurl it across the room. Instead, she kept her mask of indifference firmly in place, her eyes locked on the screen.

As the game unfolded, the struggle intensified. Gi Hun’s team began to falter, their opponents gaining ground with brute strength. But then the other man - Cho Sang Woo she learned from the bets -barked an order, and the team shifted tactics.

“They’re running forward” one VIP exclaimed. “Clever bastards!”

Ji Ah’s chest tightened as the team regained ground, their coordination throwing the opposing side into disarray. Her heart pounded with every pull, her silent prayers echoing louder in her mind.

When the opposing team finally lost their footing, the arena fell silent for a fraction of a second before the inevitable screams began. Ji Ah turned her head away from the screen as the rope was cut, sending the losing team plummeting into the void.

The VIPs erupted into applause, their cheers a grotesque celebration of death. “Damn fine game!” the Texan bellowed, raising his glass. “Frontman, your games never disappoint!”

The Frontman inclined his head in acknowledgment, but Ji Ah caught the briefest pause in his movements.

“Bring us another round, Number 13,” the Texan called out, his grin wide and unrepentant.

Ji Ah nodded stiffly, her hands trembling as she moved to refill their drinks. She couldn’t look at the screen again, couldn’t bear to see the hollow expressions of those who had survived—or worse, the faces of those who hadn’t.

Everything here is a test.

As she handed the Texan his glass, she felt the Frontman’s gaze on her once more, unrelenting and inscrutable. And in that moment, Ji Ah wondered if she had passed.

[jacktheeldergod2]

I haven't been on my bullshit for too damn long

As you are putting on your shoes you find a coupon for a free gift from "Saul Vegera's fine finds" behind your ear. It has a small map leading to a part of your home where a secret door will lead you to the shop. Your options are:

A third eye. About as big as the average middle finger when curled,it's color is a lively red that contrasts the ill,yellowish look of the rest of it,veins popping visibly and even having a visible heartbeat at some spots. It'll be bound to you by taking a few drops of your blood and injecting it in the eye. From then on you can see spirits,magic and other supernatural phenomena through the eye,make it float around and teleport near it at a moment's notice or vice versa. If destroyed it'll transform one of your eyes into itself or appear in your empty eye socket. If in your eye socket it'll change size to accommodate your head

A worn out medical syringe,the old timey type. When filled with blood it'll become unnaturally warm and cozy to the touch. Injecting a creature with another's blood will make it live all the memories of the blood but won't harm it in any form. Doing this monthly for a year will permanently telepathically link the creatures. New creatures are all linked to this mental network

A phone booth sized metal box that has a hydraulic press on its top and bottom. Any two things crushed together will fuse together as well as the material can allow,such as making a spork. Crushing two creatures will make an optimization of the two,even unearthing lost evolution. For example 2 humans will result in a 4 armed human with a monkey tail,as tall as the fused power of the joints bones and muscles allow(usually 5 meters tall),will have fully pronounced female and male traits and have its own identity but remember the lives of both the fused people. In the culture it was created the fusing was utilized as a form of marriage

A straightjacket that looks completely normal except for a pocket in the back. First you need a piece of your biomass in the pocket,like blood,hair,nail clippings etc. from then on the jacket will start mentally adjusting those who wear it. At one hour the victim will start adopting your views. At five it'll have the same opinions as you. At 8 its intelligence will have undergone severe decrease. At 12 the person will be completely obedient and devoted,not unlike states of mind portrayed in "drone" fetish art. At 24 hours the person will be deleted and your soul will have control over their body,pretty much making you a hivemind. This is irreversible. People with multiple personalities will take longer to be deleted due to multiple souls inhabiting the body

An old military revolver that can never kill a person,thus often killing diseases or cancers when it shoots someone. It is always fully loaded no matter what. The better the wielder's aim is the more control they have over the effect of the bullets. Eventually they'll be fully able to alter people's bodies such as altering the joints,changing the shape and size of muscles and more. As they use it the wielder's hand will become fused to the pistol as they get more and more obsessed with the idea of healing others. Their bodies will gain other gun barrels and bullet chambers with them becoming more and more metallic. This process can be stopped by not constantly holding the gun. Good luck with that

3 sealed vials made of glass and copper,one with green sludge,one with pink and one with black. pouring the green one on a substance will make it bigger and other instances of the substance will "spread" on other nearby things till the sludge is put back in its vial. The black one will start devouring objects,lowering the amount of that substance in the world. If allowed to fully eat an object the substance won't be found on this solar system ever again. Pouring the pink sludge on a corpse will make the species of said corpse be born with physical blessings for the following years,not stopping until removed from the corpse. Drinking the pink vial will instead make you immortal and constantly better your body but make all others of your species gradually grow old quicker,raise the rate of birth defects and eventually stuff them out. After that you'll slowly become a pink ooze,your sludgy form fully under your control as you alone stand remaining,nothing short of a nuclear explosion or the death of the sun able to kill you

A jar with a shadow and a jar with a light. This shadow will remove all darkness in the area, spreading farther and farther until the jar is closed. The light jar does the opposite, replacing light with shadow. Drinking the contents of the shadow jar will allow you to control its abilities and be able to see in complete darkness. Drinking the light jar will give you its abilities and your eyes will be able to see the full color spectrum. Yes both can be drank by the same being. If the consumer dies the jars refill

A crown made of fool's gold and colored glass in place of gems with a discolored jester's hat whose bells don't jingle sewn on the inside of it. While wearing this hat your every word will be almost universally trusted. You'll be so charismatic the things you'll say will even surprise you. After you wear it a few days golden rings will dig into your skin,connecting the hat to your head. You'll start to lie more and more. After a few months you'll become more erratic and anxiety ridden and new bigger rings will bind the hat to your skull. After a year you'll be losing everyone's trust as you'll grow paranoid,and you'll never ever be able to not lie for the rest of your life. But hey. Maybe you'll still be able to get some mileage out of your charisma. Maybe a kind soul will take you as it's jester,at which point a jester's outfit will cover your entire body,mask glued to your face,and forever and ever you'll devote your life to being a jester,an entertainer,showman and jokester as your new body never ages. And if something kills you you'll leave no corpse behind. Only the hat will remain,a new glass gem upon it

A statue of an angel sitting down and sewing some old rags,5 meters tall. It wears nothing,no genitals,nipples or even an asscrack appearing upon its thin,frail form. Its eyes look focused and filled with love,a stoic look upon its face. Anything placed upon its lap will be fixed by the next dawn. The land around the angel will become healthier and more fertile,the air cleaner,the sun more merciful and the animals will feel safer. Its dominion will expand with time. Many eons into the future life shall sprout in other planets in the ecosystem,and as long as it stands the sun will never burst

A bronze circular bathtub. If filled with blood of children such as lambs and piglets it is able to perform a ritual. A single creature that has reached adulthood must be boiled alive in the blood. Afterwards the creature will be reborn in its desired body. Wings,claws,breasts,carapace anything the creature wants its form to be it shall be just that as long it's physically possible. Supernatural powers like floating cannot be given. The creature shall remain young for 11 years,after which it will resume aging if it doesn't redo the ritual

A door. You can summon the door wherever you want as long as you leave a bloodstain on it. Adding a new bloodstain won't change ownership unless the previous stain is removed. By walking through the door you'll be in a vast world made just for your tastes. Endless machinery that automates everything,boundless meadows, pristine gyms,brothels with the most beautiful beings you've ever laid eyes upon,lush jungles filled with amazing fruit,anything you could want,and as long as you are there your body will be healthy and you won't age a day more. But nothing from that world can ever be taken out of it,no power or object and no person can join you in your paradise. Perhaps you'll find it worthwhile to never leave

A tool box with bone grafted on it to make patterns,letters in a language you can't speak carved on skeletons of beings you've never seen. Just opening it will have it empty. By killing something while it's in the box,for example letting an animal suffocate in it or slitting a lamb's throat while its head is in the box,it'll gain a tool of your choosing. More complex things like a computer may take the life of many beings while a rat will be enough for a screwdriver. There is no limit on how many tools you can have or how many instances of the same thing,and the toolbox will always have the tools you want when you open. By pouring a wine bottle's worth of your blood in the toolbox it'll fuse with you and you'll be able to summon it or even open your chest cavity as a gateway to it. Nightmares of the killed beings hunting you may occur a few times a month

@1969chevycamaro @whereserpentswalk @everythingismadeofchaos @trashsouppossum @techiekittie @your-average-toast-enjoyer @ononpetitecroissant @polkadotsunshine @ana-isnt-dead @sentient-marshmallow-woman @doyoudreamofwater @dackychansworldofhoshino @dh-ng @decoysender @foxundermoon @frozen-antifreeze @gloriousvermin @kinkshame-puncher-666 @kirkland-brand-witch @leavesswaytoday @mmmmmmky @mun-urufu @moonsfavoritedaughter

[lagt-duck]

Day 27 of Monkey May

MAGIC!!!

Aka

When the eldritch shapeshifting god is also a silly lil monkey

As always the challenge belongs to @vorpaldoodles

[room-surprise]

I feel like people are getting hung up on the word "bit" in this comic, I don't think it's meant to imply that the entire soul isn't used... Though if it isn't, yeah an incomplete soul, not attached to anything, would probably just die. Kind of like how you can't have an arm or a leg keep on living without being attached to the rest of a person.

The following is just my opinion based on what we've been told:

Lycion was made by attaching an animal soul to a human host. This is done by killing the animal. Because of this, he can "let out" the animal soul when he wants to by using magic, and his body temporarily becomes more animal-like. Lycion's mind remains unchanged.

Izutsumi was made by attaching a human soul to an animal host. Yes, this means they killed a human child.

This means Izutsumi's true self is an animal, not a human, and she's already spent most of her life in a "mixed" form, like Lycion's wolf-man form. She can't "let out" her human soul any further than what she's currently doing... Just like Lycion can't transform into a full wolf, Izutsumi can't transform into a full human. Probably because the soul that is "attached" to them isn't strong enough to manifest a complete body and take over.

Obviously a chimera is different, but originally Chimera Falin was controlled by the dragon, because their souls were mixed, and almost all of their physical body came from the dragon. Later, when most of the dragon's body was eaten, Falin was able to take control of their shared body and become the dominant part.

For comparison, Lycion and Izutsumi don't have any physical part of their "attached soul" left. The bodies belonging to them are dead and gone (possibly absorbed? But certainly not capable of independent life), and only the soul remains... Weak, and bound to their host.

Binding a human soul to Izutusmi's animal body made her become human-like, and presumably enhanced her intelligence. Kui mentioned in an interview or a Q&A that if Izutsumi tried to do what Lycion does, she'd turn back into her animal form, and most likely be unable to change back. Kui didn't specify why, but I think it's logical to assume it's because she would lose most or all of her human-like intelligence, and thus be unable to cast the spell to turn herself back, or understand that there was something for her to "turn back" to. Her human memories would probably not make much sense to her as an animal.

(We do know that some animals can use magic, however this seems to mostly be simple or instinctive magic that happens without the animal having high intelligence.)

This suggests that transforming Izutsumi into a human-like animal was done to her when she was made, and if there's a spell for changing back, they probably didn't teach it to her, since it would just undo all of their hard work, and make Izutsumi useless as a soldier... Since she could just run away and live in the jungle any time she wanted.

So Izutsumi's lived her whole life like a human (a very abused, maltreated human)... But she is in fact an animal that has some human traits. This may be why she struggles so hard to learn some basic human behaviors - they are unnatural for a cat, and so she gets frustrated and angry when people try to force her to do things that feel "wrong" for her. This also may be part of why she's unable and/or unwilling to understand complicated things that she's told, like in the comic with Lycion, or when she has to hear from every member of the party before she realizes "sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do in order to get a result you want."

I'll also add that we don't really know if the timeline numbers Kui gives us at the start are for Izutsumi's animal self, or the human child that was killed. I'm inclined to think it's the animal, but Kui worded it vaguely on purpose to avoid spoiling Izutsumi's story.

If Izutsumi only has a 'bit' of human soul where's the rest of it? Dead and gone? She doesn't suffer for the lack of it, so it doesn't seem like people need their whole soul. Could someone even take the piece she's missing and stuff it into another monster??

Well, this is gonna be a lot of speculation and very little facts, so beware (will never forget you anon who said I posted my opinions without clarifying it was speculation)

My theory is that in dungeon meshi bodies and souls have some sort of relationship? After all Marcille used the dragon's flesh to resurrect Falin and that cause part of its soul to be mixed in with hers, and at the end to get rid of his soul so Falin could be brought back without being a chimera they ate it's flesh and ground up it's bones so plants would absorb it. So I think it's safe to say there's some relationship between body and soul, at least inside the dungeon where resurrection is possible.

If we take Izutsumi's timeline as a basis, she was a 6yo child when she was taken from her parent's and turned into a beastmen (you could argue that it was a 6yo monster but Izutsumi's ages like a tallman so I doubt only here it would be referring to the monster)

So she was a small child fused with a big monster, so maybe that in itself is why there's way more monster?

The other possibility is that only part of the child was fused with the monster, or perhaps they did take the soul out of her body to put it in the monster, maybe like how ghosts that don't have a body might posses someone that dies and is resurrected and their souls are fused??

But here she only talks about the "personality" changing not their appearance, I really think beastmen and chimera fusions where parts of each show up in the final form makes more sense if their bodies (along with the soul) is fused too? But I'm just speculating.

Anyway, two possibilities

The (whole) child was fused with a much bigger monster and that's why it's the smaller part

The child killed and then only part of her (or her soul) was fused with the monster

Very fucked up either way, about your question if there could be two izutsumis made from the soul of the same child I doubt it, if we take resurrection as an example I don't think they can "divide" the human soul in two different beings? Same as how they couldn't separate part of the dragon soul away from Falin's without before consuming it's flesh? So maybe they burned the rest of the child's body to get rid of the rest of her soul in that second possibility

The AB comic about resurrection says you can't really bring back someone from pieces even if you try to resurrect all of them, so I'd ASSUME that's true for trying to use the same soul for different beings

Anyway these are my thoughts, I love Izutsumi's backstory is so fucked up and tragic... what was done to her is horrible.

[1001aus]

Phantom is a member of JLA when everyone finds out that the Bats have contingency plans against everyone else.

While everyone else is shouting about trust and betrayal, Danny can't help but be relieved. He's seen his bad future, after all. Dan is reformed now, but that doesn't retroactively save the timeline he wiped out.

Danny only has one issue with the contingencies for him: Batman mistakenly believes that his intangibility works the same as Martian density shifting.

It doesn't. In fact, they're very different powers. Intangibility is more of a phase shift where he turns his physical form into energy.

This means that none of the contingencies in his file will work because they don't accurately account for one of his basic powers.

(The shouting actually gets derailed for a bit when he brings it up. All the scientists are a bit horrified about the implied energy conversions happening whenever he uses this "basic" power. As a halfa with an actual physical form, Danny should be giving off enough energy to blow up the planet whenever he transforms.)

[bonkalore]

Some good ol' monster transformation angst! Shockingly, I don't have a lot TF sequences done, but that's mostly bc they're hard to draw and tedious lol

Anyway, Danny boy had gradual bouts of TFs before fully getting to see what it is exactly he's turning into. Hoagie also having some PTSD having to see this go down when he also has dealt with unwilling TF bc he was human before... Fun stuff for both parties.

[tumblingxelian]

Fox Miraculous - Reimagined:

This is inspired by the fact its "illusions" cannot be seen by cameras. Rather than this being a weakness, its a reflection of the fact most users do not understand the fox.

Name: Trixx Animal: Vulpes Era: Caveasphaera Domain: Mirage and Manifestation Kindred: Horse (Action & Migration) & Butterfly (Transmission & transformation)

Mirage: The Fox is often mistaken for creating illusions, but this is not so, in truth it creates what can be described as hallucinations within a certain range, altering the perspective of those within it to match the imagined perceptions of the user.

Manifestation: The power to manifest one's innermost thoughts, an image, ideas, or more via the Fox can also be applied on others. Just as the Turtles Shield can encase the user or a foe, so two an the Fox manifest a mirage based on the perceptions of someone other than the Holder.

Some Mages Thousands of Years ago: ... and this one lets the handler place hallucinations in someone else's mind, or even externalize their targets thoughts, manifesting them as a sort of shared mirage. Useful for trickery and interrogation.

Trixx, who just got here: Yeah that sounds about right.

(Maybe) Lila/Alya thousands of years later: So what you’re saying is I can use this to make people see the world as I do. That I am essentially eroding the barrier between my perception of the world and theirs, imposing my thoughts, feelings and visions upon the target. Which could allow me to steadily warp and erode their sense of self and view of the world until its either the same as mine, or simply whatever I sculpted them into. Essentially allowing me to steadily overwrite an entire personality and perception of reality? With all it costs me being the risk of my own slower erosion of self as all those around me join together in a panopticon like hivemind?

Trixx & Some Mages Thousands of Years ago:

Note: One can try and reshape people over time, but one cannot always predict the results. So it could go really, really badly.

[witchofthesouls]

Hey, for the other!tfp trio….let's assume that the team remained on really close contact despite the distance after the war (RID 2015 who knows you? Certainly not me). I wanna see a really touching reunion between the bots and their protegees, but here's the twist:

They return to their kids, only to find out that these three are no longer kids, but young adults (maybe late teens for Raf, because our future little Dragon always will be the youngest of the trio) and are no longer humans (cause they have fully embraced their other heritage)

This time-lapse could be explained by either A) the bots spending a bit longer on Cybertron and losing the human sense of time or B) The kids deciding to make a joint trip to elsewhere/the other side after the end of the war, where time doesn't move the same as in the human plane (they went as kids, but elsewhere spit them as grow ups even though this change doesn't make sense to the bots.... because they are seeing things from a human sense of time); now, when exactly these three got lost and then reborn, that's privy to them alone.... I prefer the B) option if you ask me....

Regardless, I think that these three would remain tightly nit, as tight as possible (they could be on the other extreme of the planet or any other plane, and yet they would return to each other...eventually). Cause after all the went through, separation is not an option for them

Reactions and talks/explanations are meant to happen in response to this..... and what roles June, the Esquivels and the Nakadais families had to play in all this

Ohhh, this is interesting. I hinted or understated in some pieces that time can get weird in Elsewhere as a call to the folktales and myths of humans stepping into an otherworldly space to spend a few hours there, and then stepping back to their world to find out decades had passed.

Perhaps it's their heritage, singing in their bone marrow and igniting from the Matrix's influence, June's own presence (haunting and hungry, no matter how muted or how well she hides her own teeth), or a strange combination. Perhaps it's the experiences they shared, forged in fire and blood as Earth's own chaotic nature. But these three are bonded. Intertwined with each other, even across the world.

Distance means both little and much to them now. They ventured onto foreign, alien planets and spaceships, traveled to lands across the world in the blink of an eye, and went on the run from a manhunt.

Miko keeps the Apex Armor and takes it back to Japan. At the right moments and when the urge gets too much to bear, she steps into the sea and goes farther than any of her relatives could go, even the ones that can hold their breath for 20 minutes.

She hasn't been the most filial of daughters, but she is her parent's child. Her sea-blooded mother stole back a human that survived and thrived from Elsewhere and claimed that man as a spouse. Bloodlust and wet works are no distant strangers to her. She's inexperienced but a willing learner. She already cut her teeth on foreign flesh.

Down in the dark depths where there's no difference between going up to the sun and going towards the abyss, but where her steps tread, she meets someone with pearly, iridescent scales across a long, serpentine body and a face so much like her own (and her mother's and her grandfather's and her-) with large, dark eyes with an amber ring.

After meeting the yokai that birthed her lineage centuries ago, Miko finds her way back to the Americas. A blessing and a warning kept in her heart.

(One day, Miko will understand what her sea-blooded mother meant when she told her that her father was a 'good Man.'

Raf's deep fascination (admiration, obsession) with space exploration and technology is taken in stride among the Esquivels. He doesn't raise any suspicion among them because that's how they all are.

He absorbs whatever he can, consuming the hard-earned lessons under Ratchet's care and oft-handed commentary. The Esquivels hunger and Raf is no different as he swallows how Cybertronian theory and application and attempts to further bridge between human and alien equipment.

Raf had found his teeth and his siblings recognized it as their baby brother doesn't disappear on them nor shrink away from their more vicious arguments.

(They are a family whose flesh descended from fire tempered by earth. Raging passion and violent temptations. Wicked protection and immense wrath. Voracious, cruel, and beastly, yet so very kind and vigilant.)

Mama kissed her youngest boy (because Raf will always be her baby boy) on his head and told him to be careful, praying for his safety as he went with Jack.

That protection will save them on a summer trip when Jack retraces his steps to all the places he once called home.

Ever since his mission to Cybertron, Jack dreams of strange, wistful things. An unquenchable thirst, an itch in his bones... he feels bereft for some reason.

He misses Arcee. He misses all of them. But for some reason, Jack still dreams of the timelessness of Cybertron. There's still something that calls to him in that eerie stillness. Not the desolate ruins of alien cities, although they quietly sing between hope and despair, but it's the outskirts that wait with bated breath.

In the summer after graduation, he takes his new-used car and travels across the mainland United States. The windows are down as the radio blares, wind ruffles his hair as Raf laughs and tries to figure out maps since some locations are so off-beat that the GPS can't confirm the coordinates.

Deep in the bones of a decrepit old house he once called a home in his long-distant childhood because June and Jack moved repeatedly, hopping from place to place without rhyme or reason... there are the echoes of a wailing scream buried within it.

A living corpse for a copse of trees that guard the area.

(A mother will tell her son what exactly brews in their powerful blood and what she has done to ensure he grew up safe to make a choice.)

Elsewhere exists in so many ways, shapes, and forms. At one point, the legends and myths had once walked upon Earth and left their marks. Something happened in the unwritten, unspoken past that corralled those legends away.

The trio will venture through the many portals and gateways and have many more adventures as they realize there are far more Cybertronian relics on Earth...

Mermaid queens and Seelie emperors, dignitaries of unearthly shapes painted in enamel and precious jewels, sharp animals with sharper intelligence that speak in prose, the faint imprints in slumbering environments, and empty, the lingering remains of humanity's role among such great and terrible things.

(Humanity was (is) great and terrible themselves.)

(Miko's father is a 'good Man,' and that means something different to such beings.)

"Long ago, Man made peace with Magic." "Long ago, it was decreed that Man would stay."

Time isn't linear in Elsewhere which incorporates so much that a single or several maps would be useless. Time flows in so many directions that it's a constant battle to recognize and travel to and from their own particular section of a river.

Perhaps it's his heritage or a minor blessing from the Matrix, but Jack is more sensitive to flow and can locate the best spots for them to get back to their Earth. To the same week, month, or year they ventured away.

Miko explores her own bloodthirst and prey drive. The singing, thrumming chant in her blood and how the Apex Armor responds to it.

Raf hones his own instinct on his particular guidance to find portals and lucky happenstances. Between him and Jack's instincts for 'shiny' things, little can escape them.

In some worlds, they grow older. Aging and bulking, exploring how to reshape themselves and all sorts of careers. In others, they seem immortal compared to the rapid change around them in a species whose lifespan is a single human year.

"We could be gods here," says a man with a firestorm trapped in his bones and has become a dragon. Not a Dragon because he searches the stars for a mech he once called brother. "Are we not gods already?" The not-man made of shadows and feathers replies. He still dreams of a far-distant metal planet and realizes that it whispered to him back then. "Does it matter," laughs a woman encased in armor that's more like a second skin, tendrils sweeping upon the floor like the gentle motion of a calm tide upon the beach. Pink for her lost girlhood and passion, a warning and a sign from her many great-grandmother. Green as the metal she once called her kin.

When humans are pulled Elsewhere. Three things usually happen: they break there, they struggle or thrive, or they break at home.

"How many times have we done this?" A boy that's not really a boy, who shall become a dragon in so many lifetimes, asks his companions. (Raf keeps his sister's warning close to his heart as she once died in a foreign, strange desert and was resurrected in her own pyre to devour the city that enslaved her and so many countless others. Pilar has become a Dragon and that legacy between mortal and divine shall be her epitaph in a battlefield far sooner than later.)

Ratchet returns. Some things change, while some remain the same.

Jack tastes the grief and repressed anger upon the medic and leaves him be. Raf remembers Ratchet parked in the garbage and keeps the old medic busy between lessons and searches. Miko digs into the festering tangle of emotions, lapping into those wounds as she uses the Apex Armor on the training mats to absorb those fighting skills and grills for information about Cybertron and the rest of Team Prime.

She cares, she really does, but the boys' avoidance of Ratchet's issues won't help anyone, especially if (or when) the medic leaves the planet with no way to contact again.

Ratchet went Elsewhere twice. The first time was a rough pill to swallow as Team Prime never realized its existence. He wondered where the trio had scavenged a considerable amount of Energon crystals and the resources to guard the new base with all the newly acquired. He stiffly apologized to them because he had thrown hurtful words over their travels, calling them "superstitious" and "better than that" and "this is why you never applied yourselves" was the least of the insults. The second time, he realized just how much and fast humans age as he counted each tick on his chronometer as they ventured across new continents and strange seas. Those years and crippling injuries and strange bodies melt away from the trio as they return back to their native Earth and their baseline human form.

June visits them. Ratchet never thought to ask how she found them in Nevada when Agent Fowler would have never told a civilian about them. No one questioned how she managed to bypass all the security with her car.

He tallies all the strange, eerie signs as she leaves hints to solve their challenges, how she seems to appear when food is low and they're too busy to bring anything more substantial than a simple run to the nearest fast food joint or a quick foraging session, how all the security in the world, both Cybertron's and Earth's, cannot track her.

"I am what I need or want to be." The one called June Darby demurely answers.

The only family member of Raf's that Ratchet will officially meet is Pilar whose bones are filled to the brim with rituals, survival tips with monsters, gods, and hostile environments, and formal protocols in so many kingdoms, both dead and alive. She grieves as well. She had given up the Dragon to return home but her memories are bursting full of laughter and people and color when the crumbling ruins the new Team explores are long empty of an extinct people or a fallen kingdom.

"Sometimes I think I carved out parts of my heart and left it there. All I have left are the memories as I'm the only one that remembers the campfire songs and the lessons of all those who helped me."

Ratchet will never meet the Nakadai family face-to-face, but he gets a hint of what they are with all the messages and packages they send their only child. Izumi sends pointers on how to prepare certain sea creatures and how to differentiate the signs of an underwater portal in treacherous waters. Her husband will leave cryptid messages and strange, gold pieces. Sometimes he sends coordinates for Miko to dig up a weapons cache or an informant to cultivate.

Of course, things change when the not-quite-human trio spirit back a Primal Artifact of Quintus Prime...

[relaxtimestwo]

Dan Heng Δ Witch Hat Atelier AU ⋆｡˚ ⋆

This is part of a Witch Hat Atelier AU concept I've been cooking up.

Hear me out!

The Astral Express is a moving atelier on rails run by the two witches Himeko and Welt and its watchful eye Pom-pom. The atelier has four apprentices- Dan Heng, March 7th and the twins, Stelle and Caelus.

The pointed cap and cloak designs are based on Pom-pom's outfit in-game, and also the "Welcome" profile pictures.

Hopefully I can develop this concept more when I have time next week!

edit- changed the "armband" colour to black for better contrast (it was bothering me but I couldn't understand why lol)

( ´ ▽ ` )ｏ♡ Witch hat atelier is one of my favourite manga of all time. Shirahama Kamome's artwork is god tier and the magic system and worldbuilding in it is so interesting! I highly recommend it!

➷ "Welcome" profile pic for Dan Heng in-game

➷ rough sketch for Dan Heng's full body design

[happy10thousandyears]

I love freaky non romantic dynamics it’s crazy !!!!! When one party is a freak and the other party is normal but tolerants the first guys freakishness

[matrixdragon]

From @tumblingxelian's tags

#Hey so um.. What the fuck?

The tale of Edda Pureheart is a sad one indeed.

Around level 15 in the Main Story Quests of FFXIV, you start doing dungeons. Outside the first two of these, you'll see several groups of adventurers. One of those groups consists of Paiyo Reiyo, the Lalafell Thaumaturge you see in the video above, Liavinne Painefort, an Elezen archer, Avere Bravearm, a Hyur Gladiator, and Edda Pureheart, a Hyur Conjurer and also Averes betrothed.

Hailing from a poor village, Edda and Avere left at about sixteen years of age, hoping to make a life for themselves as adventurers. Unfortunately, luck was not on their side, and Avere made for a questionable party leader, quickly taking on jobs that were far beyond their skill level, possibly in an attempt to emulate the hero that would become known as the Warrior of Light, who had recently become a rising star in the Adventurers Guild. Their first major mission, into Sastasha, ended in humiliating failure, and Edda became the target of blame for her party, with them declaring that her healing magic wasn't up to the task. Even taking the precaution of buying extra potions was met with scorn and mockery. Their second mission, into the cultist filled Tam-Tara Deepcroft, ended in disaster, as Avere ran ahead despite Eddas warnings, drew the attention of too many enemies, and was slain.

In the aftermath, at Carline Canopy, the Adventurers Guilds base of operations in Gridania, the Warrior of Light witnessed Paiyo and Liavinne heaping all the blame for Avere's death on Edda, taking no responsibility for their own part in it, or Avere's own guilt, before abandoning her there. Edda was left alone, with nothing but Averes head, all that she'd been able to recover. Some time later, in Ul'dah, Edda would meet the Warrior and finally speak with them, speaking of how Avere had been inspired by them, and how she planned to return home to bury him, train, and resume her adventuring career.

This was the last the Warrior would hear of her for some time, taking place at level 20. Over the next 30 levels, the Warrior would grow in fame, gaining the title that everyone would know them by from then on. During that time, both the Warrior of Light and Liavenne would join the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, an order dedicated to trying to bring peace among the divided nations of Eorzea, although Liavennes time with them would be brief, the Elezen losing her life in the Imperial attack on the groups headquarters.

At level 50, the Warrior would encounter Paiyo Reiyo in Ul'dah, deeply confused and concerned. He'd received a letter from Edda, inviting him to her wedding... to Avere. And that the wedding would be in Tam-Tara Deepcroft, the place where Paiyo knows Avere died. The letter also claimed that Liavenne had already agreed to attend, and Paiyo had been hoping to find her and learn what this was all about. The Warrior revealing that Liavenne was dead, and had been for some time only increases his confusion.

They soon discover that Liavennes grave has been ransacked and her body missing, and Paiyo races off to Tam-Tara... and is intercepted by Edda, who escorts him in.

Edda had never returned home, and never buried Averes head. Having acquired an unusual tome during her brief adventuring career, she began studying it, and soon experimented with the void magics within. The girls sanity, stretched to breaking point already, quickly snapped under the strain. She summoned voidsent from the thirteenth, binding them to bodies, including Liavennes, and then Averes, whose remains transformed into a hideous winged beast, although she planned to transfer the creature she now believed to be Avere to the Warriors body, so he could be just like the adventurer he always admired.

Despite this though, the creatures were no match for the Warrior of Light, who destroyed the defiled corpses and banished the voidsent within from the realm. Confused and scared, Edda backed away, tripping over the candles around her 'wedding circle' and fell to her death, smiling all the way down.

Afterwards, Paiyo and the Warrior reflected on Eddas tragedy, and Paiyo stated his intentions to return home and retire from adventuring, feeling he'd done too much harm already... And then he saw Edda, standing a short distance away...

Eddas ghost could occasionally be seen briefly around the three hub cities, before disappearing. And for a time, it seemed that would be the last of Edda Pureheart...

The best villain from A Realm Reborn, bar none.

[thedragonagelesbian]

time magic is right there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! do something horrific with it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[consciousnessblog]

You can find me. In your consciousness.

You need to be aware when I am close. Then you will feel me. Everytime you close your eyes.

My heart. My soul. My love. It is all inside you.

And my eyes.

You are looking through.

The beauty. Of all.

Is now, you.