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sergeantsporks · 1 year

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Gilded Family

Rating: Teen and Up, Gen

Ch 29/?: Infection

Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 5, Ch 6 , Ch 7, Ch 8, Ch 9, Ch 10, Ch 11, Ch 12, Ch 13, Ch 14, Ch 15, Ch 16, Ch 17, Ch 18, Ch 19, Ch 20, Ch 21, Ch 22, Ch 23, Ch 24, Ch 25, Ch 26, Ch 27, Ch 28

In which none of the previous golden guards or wittebro died, actually, they're all fine and living happily together as one big dysfunctional family

Ao3

“Sa-am,” Evelyn sang, sweeping into the lab. Phoenix followed in her wake, ducking behind her to stay out of Petro’s glare radius.

Sam set down a rat with a glyph attached to it that scampered away immediately. “Hello, Mother Dearest. What is it that you need?”

“I didn’t say that I needed something.”

“You get musical when you’re going to ask me for something. What is it?”

“Mm. Yes.” Evelyn nodded a couple of times. “Now that you mention it. I could use a transportation glyph, please and thank you. Also perhaps you could come with us so that we can get back, and because my magic is a wee bit depleted from the barrier?”

“Ah. Just give me a—” Sam reached down, patted the table where the rat had been, and cursed. “Never mind. Give me a now. May I ask where it is that we’re headed?”

Evelyn glanced at Petro. “Not in front of him.”

“Who am I going to tell, Mummy Beloved?” Petro sighed, tilting his chair back on its legs, “I am to be left alone, without a single soul to talk t—” His chair tilted back too far and he crashed backwards. “Hm.”

“Good,” Evelyn said sharply, “It’ll give you time alone to think about what you’ve done.”

She stalked back out, Sam scurrying behind her. Phoenix turned to go, but Petro cleared his throat. “Little bird, I’ve got a favor to ask. I know you don’t trust me, and you have no reason to, but this is very important to me, so please at least consider my request.”

Despite every warning bell ringing in his head, Phoenix stayed. “What?”

Petro’s face split into a grin. “Bring me back a souvenir?”

Phoenix sighed, and he picked up Petro’s chair, setting him upright and checking to make sure his bonds hadn’t been loosened in the fall. “You know, when I was in your memories, I heard someone singing a lullaby. I don’t know who they were, but do you think they’d be proud of who you are now?”

Petro’s eyebrows went down in an angry v, and all the spiteful humor on his face gave way to rage. He lunged forward against his bonds, snapping his teeth at Phoenix, who jumped backwards to dodge the attack.

“That’s none of your business,” he snarled, “You don’t know what you’re talking about, so just shut up!”

Phoenix backed out of the room, shutting the door on a growling, slavering Petro. He thought he’d seen the worst of Petro, but the hot hate in Petro’s eyes had been far deeper than before, even worse than when Petro had tried to kill him. Whoever could make Petro snap like that would have to wait, though. Evelyn and Sam were already outside, drawing in the dirt.

Before Phoenix could reach the door, Mole slid in front, crossing his arms. He held out a leaf to Phoenix, stained with green mud he must have found on the garden fence.

Phoenix hissed in. “It’s—I’m going to tell them Mole, I just…”

Mole shook his head, taking Phoenix’s arm and tugging him back further into the house.

Phoenix gingerly extracted himself from Mole’s grip. “I can’t. I can’t make them stop to deal with this, not when we’re so close. It’ll take too much time.”

Mole sighed, chewing on his lip and looking at the door, and Evelyn, and then back to Phoenix.

Phoenix crouched slightly so that he was on Mole’s eye level. “I’ll tell them when we get back. I’ll play it safe. No unnecessary risks. I promise.”

Mole threw his hands up in the air and stormed away, shutting his room door harder than necessary, but not hard enough for it to slam. Phoenix sighed.

I guess I’d be pretty mad at him if he was sick and wouldn’t tell anyone.

At least he could be sure that Mole wouldn’t tell anyone.

Phoenix joined the others outside just as Evelyn snatched the arm of a passing adult. “Marcus. I’m going out. You’re in charge of the barrier while I’m gone. It should just be a few hours, then I’ll take over again. If you think your magic is starting to fade, ask Aurelia to use hers.”

Marcus nodded, and the glow around the fence took on a different hue; still blue, but a more greenish blue than Evelyn’s magic.

Sam finished his glyph and dusted his hands off. “All set! Where is it we’re off to?”

“The head.”

Sam coughed. “The head. You mean where the Collector is? You mean that place that’s crawling with their spies? That place Phoenix barely got out of alive? That head?”

“That’s the one. I know it’s not exactly a vacation, but that’s where the last Grimwalker is, so that’s where we need to go.”

“Oh boy. Does Dad know?”

Evelyn glowered. “I don’t need your father’s permission.”

Sam held his hands up in surrender. “I didn’t say you did! It just seems like. Maybe. Perhaps. Going on a very dangerous rescue mission to a very dangerous place. Might be the sort of thing we discuss with the whole family? Instead of rushing off half-baked? At the very least, we should have Auric on standby?”

Evelyn paced back and forth. “We don’t have time for a lengthy family debate over the risks! Every second they spend up there is another second that the Collector might find them, or worse, kill them without realizing!”

“Okay, okay!” Sam hissed in. “Sorry, one last thing… no offense, Phoenix, but are you sure you’re up for this?”

Phoenix shoved his hands back in his pockets. “I’ll be fine. The situation’s not ideal, but it’s never going to be.”

“Sam,” Evelyn pleaded, “I’d do this on my own, but my magic is shot. Phoenix is the one who figured out where they are, so we need him there to guide us. We need to get in and out quickly, and only you can help us do that. Are you going to take us there?”

Sam’s mouth set in a firm line. “Well. I’ve already got the glyph drawn. Why not? All aboard that are coming aboard.”

Sam and Evelyn stepped into the circle, and Sam tapped the glyph. Golden light rushed around Phoenix, and when it faded, he faced a familiar archway, glowing eerily in the light cast by the Archive House hovering thousands of feet over them.

Phoenix’s heart pounded in his chest, and he gingerly touched the shattered remains of the portal door.

Are you there, Jason?

Are you still safe?

Evelyn opened her bag, passing out concealment stones. Phoenix saw potion bottles hidden deep in her bag, clinking gently together with her movement, but she quickly buckled the bag back up, hiding them from sight. Phoenix slipped the concealment stone over his head, and the magic drew lines around his joints. His clothes popped in the darkness, now more colorful and flowy, like a puppet’s.

“Where next, Phoenix?”

Phoenix peered out of the decimated lab, and immediately stepped back, head spinning. Outside, the ground gave way to a straight drop into unending darkness, the bridge long gone. “Down there.”

“Eugh.” Sam pulled out a notepad, drawing three new glyphs. “Feather-fall,” he explained, handing them out, “I don’t think taking the stairs is an option anymore.”

Evelyn immediately jumped over the edge of the precipice. Sam grabbed Phoenix’s arm. “Hey.”

“Hey?”

Sam nodded towards the edge. “Mom’s… not in the most logical headspace right now. Make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid?”

“Me?”

“Yeah, you. Once we find wherever he kept us stored, I’m going to hang back and start the return glyph.” Sam glanced up at the sky. “Being this close to the archive house gives me the creeps. I want to get out of here as soon as possible.”

Phoenix shuffled closer to the edge of the drop, but didn’t jump. “You’re not hanging back to try and catch a puppet, are you?”

“Well, I wasn’t, but I’m thinking about it now.” Sam gave him a little push. “Just help me keep her safe. Go!”

Phoenix took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and jumped before he could think too hard about it. He clutched the feather-fall glyph close to his chest, opening his eyes and activating it just before hitting the ground. He staggered forward, and Evelyn gripped his forearms to keep him steady.

“Easy, Phoenix. You’re alright.”

Sam tapped down gently next to them, landing as gracefully as a fairy. He held a small light glyph in one hand, gently illuminating the skull around them. “Oog. I did not miss this place.” His voice echoed in the cavern, and he kicked at something glimmering on the ground. “He never cleaned up down here, did he?”

Phoenix recognized the object Sam had kicked, and his stomach churned. Golden masks littered the ground, some accompanied by bloodstained scraps of white fabric, others by a spaulder or a torn-up breastplate.

Evelyn’s hold on Phoenix tightened. “We were this close the whole time?!”

“What is this place?” Phoenix asked. He could guess, and something pressed at the corners of his mind, a sense of familiarity, but the others seemed much more familiar with it.

“Uncle Pip’s dumping ground,” Sam grumbled “He dropped a lot of us down here once he was done with us.”

“It was always the first place Caleb and I checked,” Evelyn whispered, picking up the mask Sam had kicked. “We’d try to catch you before you hit the bottom—like poor Alex did. Not everyone ended up here, but…” She turned the mask over in her hands. “This is where we found you, Phoenix.”

Memories of both being dragged across the bridge and dragging bodies himself warred for dominance in Phoenix’s mind—not that he’d ever thought about or remembered this place before today. The memory of Belos pushing his lifeless body over the edge was faint, barely more than a feeling of déjà vu overshadowed by the pain of his injuries, but watching himself fall, while clearer… didn’t even feel important or worth thinking about.

Which was almost worse.

Evelyn shook her head, tucking the mask into her bag. “If where he made you is really just a few feet away… that’s just twisted.”

“Not to mention ridiculous,” Sam added, “What did he think happened to the bodies when he came down here to get a new kid? Did he think Grimwalker bodies just disintegrate? Okay, wait, actually, if Dad rescued all of us, then he never had a corpse for long. He probably did think that. Fascinating, he had a completely warped understanding of decomposition because of us. I would love to pick apart his brain if he were still alive.”

“Yes, incredibly interesting,” Evelyn agreed impatiently, “Phoenix?”

Phoenix took a deep breath. Okay. Which way?

He started to walk, letting his feet pick the direction without any thought. He passed a few more masks, gleaming dully in the dim light from Sam’s light glyph. Finally, a cave yawned out at them from the darkness, and Phoenix stopped.

“There,” he whispered.

Evelyn’s hand found his in the darkness. “Let’s bring them home,” she whispered.

Sam drew more light glyphs, wafting them into the room. Phoenix stared at three vats filled to the brim with dirt, the fingers on his free hand twitching and clawing as if he were buried and needed to dig his way out. Tubes fed into the dirt, and Phoenix knew in the back of his head that they should be filled with glowing green liquid. But the whole room felt… lopsided, somehow, and whatever the tubes had been hooked to before, they now lay disconnected on the ground.

A small hand stuck out of one stone vat, and Phoenix pointed with a squeak. Evelyn pulled him to it, but neither of them made any move to dig it up.

“Are they still alive?” Phoenix gingerly reached out—the hand wouldn’t even be the length of his pinkie finger when stretched out.

The moment his finger brushed the tiny fingers, they twitched and tightened, curling around his index finger. Evelyn gasped and immediately started to dig, shoveling away great handfuls of dirt. Phoenix joined her, his free hand digging around the grimwalker’s arm with practiced movements, as if he’d been doing this his whole life, even though some part of him said that he’d only ever watched, and another part of him whispered that he’d only ever dug from the opposite side.

A small face started to appear in the soil, chubby with baby fat and smeared with dirt. Evelyn seized a heavy white cloak hanging on a peg, wrapping the little grimwalker up. They weren’t quite an infant—if Phoenix had to guess, they were a year or two old.

Evelyn gently brushed dirt off of the sleeping grimwalker’s face. “Hey, little guy,” she said softly, “I know a bunch of people who are going to be so happy to meet you. And we’re going to take good care of you.” She gently kissed the top of the grimwalker’s head, then handed them to Phoenix. “Here—can you hold them for a moment? Mind their head, I think they’re big enough that it shouldn’t be too floppy but it’s been… a while.”

“Ack—” Phoenix held the baby like it might explode, cradling their head in one hand. “Um—Evelyn, I don’t know if I should—I’ve never held a—what if I drop—”

“You’ll be fine,” she said briskly, “You won’t hurt them.” She reached into her bag, pulling out potion bottles and holding them between her fingers. “Go wait outside with Sam.”

“Why? What are those? What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to burn this miserable hole down to the ground so that no one can ever use it again,” Evelyn growled, “Go.”

Her magic gently pushed Phoenix out of the cave, and she threw the first potion, destroying one of the stone vats with an almighty boom and a crack of splitting stone.

“Yep,” Sam said in a resigned voice, “That’s what I was afraid of. Well! As long as she’s being safe about it! We’re far enough down that the Collector won’t notice. I think.”

The grimwalker in Phoenix’s arms squirmed, reaching up towards his face and batting at his nose. “Mrgh?” they gurgled.

“Ohhhhhhhhh boy—” Phoenix bounced the baby up and down the way he’d seen caretakers at the orphanage do. “Okay, go back to sleep, go back to—”

Another boom, and this time, the machine in the corner exploded, sending shards outwards. Phoenix’s arms started to ache, and although the flickering of the explosions made every rock and shadow seem strange and eerie, he could clearly see that the blackish green veins had reached his fingertips and were starting to web outwards, turning his nails black.

Crack

Phoenix shook his head back and forth as if that would dislodge the feeling of something slithering under his skin, making his arms itch and crawl and… bubble.

“Phoenix?” Sam asked, “Are you okay?”

“She needs to stop,” Phoenix whispered, “She needs to stop destroying it, she needs to—” He deposited the grimwalker baby in Sam’s arms before he could drop them, his arms trembling uncontrollably. The baby frowned, reaching towards Phoenix with little grabby hands.

“It took so long, she can’t…” Phoenix pressed his arms against his stomach, doubling over. “Stop it. Stop it, stop it—”

“Mooooooooooooom? We need to leave!” Sam yelled somewhere in the distance, “Something’s wrong with Phoenix—”

“Just a little bit more,” Evelyn called back, “I’m almost done—”

“Stop,” Phoenix rasped. His arms didn’t just itch anymore, they burned, shifting and tearing and breaking and reforming over and over and over.

“Mom!” Sam yelped, “Forget the cave! You’ve done enough! We need to go now!

Golden light rushed around Phoenix, and something inside of him whispered to take it, to consume it, to dig his claws (what claws, he’d never had claws) into the light and seize it for his own.

The light faded on its own, turning to red trees, and Phoenix’s legs wobbled.

Evelyn reached out to catch his arms, but yanked her hands away at the last second, her mouth dropping open in horror. Phoenix fell to his knees, too sluggish to break his fall with his hands, and crashed forward on his forearms. His arms showed no sign of flesh or skin, just oozing, pulsing mud that shifted and swirled, revealing white bone and covering it up just as quickly.

“What—is—happening—” Phoenix groaned.

Evelyn grabbed Sam’s collar, hauling him and the baby grimwalker backwards away from Phoenix and shoving him towards the house. “Get your father. Now.”

Sam scrambled away, calling for help. Evelyn approached Phoenix slowly, holding her hands up. “Hey—stick with me. When did it start getting worse?”

Phoenix touched his forehead to the ground as the mud ate at his upper arm, slinking towards his shoulders. “Hnnnngh—”

“Okay, okay, let me just—” Her hand touched his shoulder lightly, then flicked down to the mud. She immediately drew back with a yelp, shaking her hand, and eyed his arms with a mixture of horror, worry, and… disgust. “It’s like…”

“Belos,” Phoenix grated out. He pushed up to his feet, blinking back stars from his vision. “It’s like Belos, it’s—”

His curse

The attacks

Is that going to happen to me?!

“Phoenix—” Evelyn started, but Phoenix was already backing away from her.

“Stay back—I don’t want to hurt you.”

She faltered, her face heartbroken. But she didn’t chase him when he ran, stumbling through the forest. He had to get as far away from the house as he could before this lashed out—it had already hurt Evelyn, he couldn’t let it attack anyone else.

Phoenix’s arm brushed against a tree, and a jolt of pain rushed up his spine as a low branch pushed right through the mud, touching bone. He stumbled to the side with a howl, clutching his arms close to his chest.

A solitary raindrop dripped from the sky, tracing down his cheek.

Rain had never bothered Phoenix before. It had never scalded him the way it did normal witches. But now the boiling water hissed into his arms, dragging tracks in his arms and dripping muddy water from his fingertips.

And it burned.

Phoenix ran, this time looking for shelter from the rain, any shelter. He tripped, skidding down a sharp bank, and finally crawled under a fallen tree that created a small hollow. He curled into a ball, pressing his arms tightly against himself to keep them from exploding outwards. The mud had stopped trying to crawl further up his arms, leaving burns behind. It didn’t… settle, exactly. It just swirled more sluggishly, crawling and migrating around his lower arms.

Phoenix scooted further back into his hollow to stay away from the rain. At least Caleb and Evelyn couldn’t come looking for him in this weather—and he doubted they’d ask a grimwalker to find him when he looked like their worst nightmare.

“What am I supposed to do?” he whispered out loud. Every memory he had of Belos lashing out (and a few that he didn’t remember himself) with his curse played through his mind. He’d always consumed a palisman’s magic right after, but the thought made Phoenix sick to his stomach. He couldn’t do that. Not knowing how Hunter felt about his palisman, not knowing what loyal creatures they were.

What had he been expecting with this infection? That it would just make his arms ache? That his wounds would just keep spitting out cursed mud forever? That he could see some of Belos’ memories when it was convenient and not face any other consequences? Of course there was a price. There was always a price, always some exchange for any information or benefit when it came to Belos.

The rain slowed, but didn’t stop, still trickling down and making the air into a steamy fog. Phoenix’s stomach rumbled. Right. He hadn’t actually stopped to have breakfast this morning, and it was probably well past noon by now.

Had Belos ever eaten anything? Could he? Would Phoenix be able to stomach food now? Or would he be forced to eat a palisman or starve at some point?

A branch snapped, and Phoenix’s head snapped up, his ears twitching to locate the sound. He didn’t call out—anything that could be out in a rainstorm was bound to be a predator looking for its next meal.

Maybe it would be better for something to just eat me now before this gets worse and I hurt someone, he thought bleakly. Tears of exhaustion and pain blurred Phoenix’s vision, but he blinked them back, not letting them fall. I’m sorry, Darius. Jason. Hunter. I can’t…

“Phoenix?” Caleb’s voice called, “Phoooooooooeeeeeeeeeeeeeeniiiiiiiiiiiiiiix! Are you out here?”

The ortet emerged from the steam, holding an umbrella over his head. Even with the barrier between him and the rain, tiny pockmark burns dotted his arms and face, and his clothing steamed. A pang of guilt tore at Phoenix—he’d come looking, even in the rain, and he’d gotten hurt.

“Go away,” Phoenix choked, “Just… go home.”

“Are you coming with me?”

Was he crazy?! “I can’t.”

Caleb shrugged. “Then I’m not going home either.”

He took another step closer, and Phoenix curled further into the hollow. “Stay back!”

Caleb halted in his tracks, holding his hands up as best he could while still gripping the umbrella. “Hey—it’s okay,” he shushed, edging closer, “I’m not gonna hurt you, it’s okay.”

“No—stay away—I don’t want to hurt you!”

“Then don’t,” Caleb said simply, taking another slow, steady step towards him.

Phoenix shook his head. How could he not understand?! He’d seen Belos, he’d fought Belos; why was he still coming closer, knowing what might happen?! “I don’t want to—but the curse, Belos’ attacks—”

“Oh,” Caleb sighed, “I see.” He reached the hollow, ducking inside and kneeling next to Phoenix. Phoenix’s heart thudded in his chest, and he pulled his arms even closer to himself, keeping them away from Caleb.

“You should run before… before…”

Caleb cupped Phoenix’s face in his hands, his thumb wiping away a streak of dirt. “Hey. Listen to me. Phillip didn’t hurt people because of the curse.” He shook his head. “Phillip hurt people because he wanted to. And Phoenix…” Caleb smiled gently, brushing Phoenix’s hair out of his face. “I’m not scared of you.”

A sob burst out of Phoenix’s throat, and he fell forward, burying his face in Caleb’s shoulder. Caleb wrapped his arms around Phoenix without hesitation, one hand cradling his head and the other resting on his back. Phoenix clutched him like a lifeline—his hands had turned to claws, so he stretched his fingers out flat to keep from tearing Caleb’s skin.

“I don’t—want to end up—like him—” he cried, tears still pouring from his eyes, “I don’t want to—” Every lie and trick, every harsh word, everything he’d done wrong in the last month pounded against his head, screaming that it was already too late, and this was just his body finally showing what he really was.

“You won’t,” Caleb said fiercely, “I won’t let that happen. I promise, you won’t turn into him. I promise, I promise, I promise.”

“It’s already started,” Phoenix stammered, “I’m sorry, I should have told you. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have hidden it, but I’m seeing his memories, and—and getting upset over things he’d get upset over that I shouldn’t be getting upset over. And I lied to you and Evelyn about my arms, and I lied to the Collector to trick him into letting us go, and I lied to King to get him to come with me, and… and now my arms-!”

The mud started to move again, dripping away from him, and Phoenix hid his face in Caleb’s shoulder rather than see the white bone and the oozing, burning mud. He heaved in a shaky breath. You’re acting like a child, a voice in his head scolded, but Caleb felt warm and solid, and he didn’t want to let go.

“Okay. Okay.” Caleb rubbed a slow circle on his back. “Okay. Hey—hey, I don’t know why this is happening, or you’re seeing his memories. I don’t. But they don’t make you him, not any more than Hunter is Belos because he went into Belos’ mind and saw his memories.”

“But the Collector. And King. The way I lied and tricked them…” Phoenix shuddered, his clawed hands clenching into fists and opening over and over. “I knew it was like him, I knew it was exactly something Belos would do. And I knew that the Collector had been tricked before. But I still… I still…”

“You were scared,” Caleb said gently, “You were facing something much more powerful than you, and the only way out was to use your head. Lying isn’t always the wrong thing to do, Phoenix. Sometimes you have to lie, to protect yourself and the people you love.”

“And how do you know Belos wasn’t just scared?” Phoenix challenged, “Maybe he thought he had to lie, too.”

Caleb heaved a deep sigh and slowly sat back on his heels, ending the hug. “Phillip was scared,” he admitted, “Phillip was scared of a lot of things. He was scared of dying. He was scared of losing me. But most of all, Phillip was scared of what he didn’t understand.”

“Then how?” Phoenix asked, his voice cracking, “If he lied because he was scared too, then how is it any different?”

Caleb went very still and stayed a little bit too quiet for just a little bit too long. Outside, the rain came to a stop, leaving just lingering wisps of steam. “I think,” Caleb said slowly, “that Phillip let his fear of what he didn’t understand turn into hatred.” He closed his eyes, shaking his head slightly like he was admitting something to himself. “I encouraged him to turn it into hatred.” Caleb opened his eyes again, his shoulders hunching just ever-so-slightly, as if he were scared Phoenix would be angry at him. “I thought it was the right thing at the time, but…” he sighed. “That’s besides the point. Fear can help keep us safe. But not everything we don’t understand is out to get us. And that is something Phillip never learned. Something he didn’t want to learn.”

Phoenix tucked his arms in close again. “I… don’t understand.”

“Phillip chose to hate the things he didn’t understand instead of trying to find out more about them. And he went out of his way to keep doing so and to keep lying, and he kept on hating the unknown so badly that when the time came… he ended up causing one of his worst fears to come to pass rather than letting go of the fear that turned into hate.”

Caleb twisted his hands around each other. “I can’t say for sure where the line lies,” he said finally, “But I think perhaps Phillip crossed it when he sought out the unknown in order to destroy it, rather than just protecting himself when something harmful came his way. And most of all, I think he crossed that line when he was given obvious signs that he was hurting innocent people, and doing the wrong thing, and he chose to ignore them and keep going instead of changing.”

“How do you know I’m not doing the same thing?”

“Phoenix, would you lie to… King? Yes, King. Would you lie to King again?”

Phoenix shook his head dully. Even without knowing how King had reacted when he’d found out—he should have told him the whole truth from the beginning. Let him make his own decisions.

“And the Collector—”

“They’re not what everyone thinks,” Phoenix said in a rush, “They’re just a kid who wanted friends, and I was so desperate to get home that I ruined any chance I had, but if I hadn’t lied to him and tried to run, if I’d tried something else, anything else, I think I could have—I could have—” he stopped, eying Caleb. The ortet wore a small, knowing smile on his face. “What? Why are you smiling like that?”

“You took time to understand the Collector,” Caleb said gently.

“He’s still terrifying. Even more now that they probably hate me.”

“But…?”

“But not bad,” Phoenix admitted, “I don’t want to hurt them. And I don’t think I have to lie to them—I shouldn’t lie to him.”

“There you go. Still think you’re just like Belos?”

Phoenix held up his dripping arms. “But if I do start to…what if I start to act like him, and I don’t even realize?”

“You have me. And you have Evelyn. And you have all your siblings.” Caleb gave him a crooked grin. “I think we’re kind of experts on what Belos acts like. If you’re really worried… just trust us. We’re not perfect. And we make mistakes. But we’ll help you the best we can.”

He stood up, offering Phoenix a hand. “They’re all worried about you. Let’s go home?”

Phoenix reached up to take his hand, but before he did, he heard a rustle and a snap, and the hiss of magic. A glowing net shot out of the bushes, slamming into Phoenix.

“Got it!” a voice cheered from the bush. Two familiar masks and white cloaks popped up, dirty and dented, but still undeniably coven scouts. “Urgh, what is that thing?! I’ve never seen anything like it!”

Phoenix tore at the net, his throat closing up and his breath seizing in his chest. “Get it off—get it off, get it—”

“Stay calm—” Caleb knelt down next to the net, flicking out a knife and sawing at the magical ropes. “I’ve got you, Phoenix, you’re going to be o—”

One of the scouts yanked Caleb back, throwing him to the side. “Back off! Our kill!”

Phoenix strained and kicked to get away, but the net held, and the more he struggled, the tighter the net got, digging into his skin. His arms started to shift again, the cursed mud sliding in and out of the holes in the net, bubbling and squirming to burst free.

Caleb surged to his feet, cannoning into one of the scouts and wrestling them away from Phoenix. “No!” he yelled, “He’s not—a monster! Leave—him—alone!”

“Get off!”

The scout drew a spell circle, and a flesh-eating plant tore out of the ground, snapping Caleb up in its jaws. The human yelled in pain, and a sound like a roar burst out of Phoenix’s throat. A surge of energy shot through his limbs, and he tore the net apart.

“Titan—”

“Watch out, there it—”

Without thinking, Phoenix threw one hand out, and the cursed mud responded, shooting forward and slamming into one scout’s chest, throwing him backwards into a tree. The other scout threw a fireball at him, and he raised his other arm to shield himself. The magic slammed into his arm, but it didn’t seem to burn, just sort of… splattered against the mud uselessly. Phoenix tossed the scout into the branches of another tree effortlessly, turning to face the plant.

The cursed mud stretched out so far that he could see most of his arm’s bones, and some of his fingers as well. Phoenix faltered, exhaustion sweeping up from the tips of his fingers and through his whole body, like the mud was sapping all the energy he had left.

Caleb cried out as the plant tightened its grip, and Phoenix’s vision blurred. He felt himself moving, felt trees rushing past him, felt something heavy in his arms, but it was all automatic, his feet stumbling along the way until familiar lights blinked at him. He heard a yell for someone to help, and something tugged at the weight in his arms—Caleb, he realized, someone was trying to pull Caleb away. A snarl rasped out of his throat, and he pulled Caleb closer. Shadowy people moved in his eyesight, their faces blurred and indistinct, but all of them keeping a wary distance. He felt big, and detached, like some clumsy beast that had stumbled into a domesticated town.

Something wrapped around his waist, something solid and warm. Phoenix started to pull away, but the thing just clung tighter. It didn’t make any move to take Caleb, or tug him anywhere, or knock him over, it just… held on.

Hugged, he realized, and some small part of Phoenix started to settle back down, enough that he saw and recognized the dirty, freckled face that pressed against him, eyes squeezed shut. He recognized the scar stretching from his left eyebrow to just under his right eye, and the calloused hands, rough from hours spent in the garden.

“Mole?” he whispered.

Evelyn hovered in front of them, her hands fluttering like she wasn’t quite sure whether or not it was safe to touch him. Finally, she stepped forward, sliding one arm around a half-conscious Caleb. Phoenix let her help him down, wrapping his arms around Mole instead.

Mole squeezed so tightly Phoenix’s bruised ribs ached, but he didn’t pull away. “I’m sorry,” Phoenix whispered, “I’m sorry, you were right. I should have asked for help.”

Mole sniffed and nodded, stepping back and holding one fist to his chest, rubbing it in a circle.

“He also says sorry,” Evelyn supplied, “For… being angry?” she guessed.

Mole nodded and hugged Phoenix again. Phoenix wrapped one half-melting arm around him, which quickly turned to one arm around his shoulders while Mole helped him into the house, Phoenix’s legs folding and stumbling like a newborn snake-horse’s. Cherry paced back and forth in the kitchen, but his attention was mostly taken up by the baby grimwalker in his arms, who kept trying to tug on his hair.

“They found you.” Cherry leaned against the table for balance, his distraction allowing the little grimwalker to grasp his flyaway hair strand firmly. “I thought—it got worse, and I didn’t say any—” He held the baby grimwalker tightly, as if they were the only thing keeping him tethered to the world. “But you’re—not okay. But you’re here—titan.”

“I’m sorry,” Phoenix croaked. Guilt bubbled up in his stomach again—Cherry had been in a bad enough state when he’d left. And Phoenix had added the stress of hiding how badly he was doing on top of that. “Cherry, I…”

Grimwalkers gathered in a murmuring circle around Phoenix, staring at his arms.

“Did he…” Meleager asked quietly, gesturing to Caleb.

“No,” Caleb protested weakly, “He—”

A loud retch split the air, and the crowd parted around one grimwalker with a blotchy scar marring their right cheek. Everything else about them was pale—their platinum blonde half-up hair, the magenta of their eyes that fell closer to light pink, and the color of their skin, so pale it was almost translucent. They held one hand to their mouth, staring at Phoenix’s arms.

“Ash—” Evelyn started, but they backed away, gagging again, then turned and ran.

“On it,” Matt promised, chasing after them.

At the edge of the circle, Sam glanced at Cherry, who’d started pacing again, at Evelyn, who was still supporting Caleb, and at Phoenix and Mole. His spine straightened, and he gave the grimwalker next to him a slight push.

“Okay!” he announced briskly, shooing grimwalkers out of the kitchen, “Quit gawking! Big whoop! You people are acting like you’ve never seen a guy’s arms drip off his bones before! Give them space! Go do your chores! Isn’t it time for a patrol? Get on it!”

The crowd slowly dispersed, still murmuring.

“They’ll get used to it, assuming you can’t get rid of it,” Sam announced, “We all will.” He gave Evelyn a pointed look at that, then flounced off, following the grimwalkers to the hallway.

Evelyn lugged Caleb towards the temporary medical center. Phoenix started to follow, but fell at his first step, every muscle completely drained of energy. Mole half-carried him to Cherry’s room, pushing him into bed.

“What about—” Phoenix started in a whisper, but Mole just shook his head with a sigh, throwing a blanket over him. He patted Phoenix’s shoulder, as if to say leave it to me, and went outside, closing the lights and the door behind him. Phoenix sighed, pulling his arms close to himself under the blanket.

If I go to sleep now, will I wake up? Or will it take over?

Despite the worry twisting in his stomach, Phoenix’s eyes started to droop shut, heavy with exhaustion.

Just… for a moment.

#toh #the owl house #toh fanfiction #my writing #gilded family au #golden guard oc #caleb wittebane #evelyn clawthorne #evelyn wittebane #caleb clawthorne

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modkatisbacc · 2 months

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ModKat Re-reacts to Ninjago: Episode 9

Now you may be wondering "Where are the other episodes?" Well my friends, they were on my old account by the same name. "Why did you delete your old account?" Because *Gestures at all the other weird things I do* its kinda what I do best. i started doing episode 9 before I deleted the Blog but a lot of things have HAPPENED in the show since then.

WARNING: There WILL be spoilers for up to Ninjago: Dragons Rising S2 P1.

Also, sorry for the picture quality, it was actually better on my phone but now im using my laptop.

What were they going to do if he Didn't Survive all this because he had plot armor? Did THEY know he had plot armor? I mean they know he's the Grandson of the FSM, so maybe they did. But then again I take my Ninjago Canon into account and I SHOULDNT-

Lloyd has been through so much,,, look at u go u funky little guy.

Still crying that Clutch was name dropped like... like he was never even supposed to be in the series. I still haven't watched his movie... one day..

I wonder how much Lou knows about Elemental Masters. In like... all of my AUs, Lilly always dragged him along and he experienced things first hand. But,,, what does he know in CANON?

And, as of the Merge, people just Live Here.

Garmadon,,, Voice,, Handsome.

Use. The Bell. Son. I dont know why but that is the funniest delivery ever, and its also funny when a parent and child duo are voiced by the same person, thank you, Kirby.

And WHO decided that one of the fangs of the devourer would be used as a TROPHY? What if someone with ill intent found this out Long Before!

Also as someone who has suffered many twisted ankles, what... what are you doing sit down. Your pain tolerance must be crazy, sure, but it aint gonna heal with you jumping around like that- (Edit: 7/26/24: I... I twisted my ankle yesterday, but got lucky it doesnt hurt that baad LMAO Also what do u mean half the episode has been in my drafts for several weeks no it hasn't)

Dang Scales thinks they're good. I mean three out of the four never learned how to dance or anything and they're much better than me SO.

(Insert Dragons Rising Questions Here) But also... Where is it? The Administration is *here* right? What happened to this portal when the merge happened? Is that why they're able to send people back to other realms? They found a way to like use that source to teleport to other realms? How Does It Work. Also I know its guarded, but if its daytime the Craglings wouldnt be an issue, so... Its not guarded during the day. Why not.

He literally only does this to be an annoying brother. Just a little push shove, dramatic entrance. Wu here looks so shocked by the vortex, My man you've seen crazier.

They got these suits and promptly only used them for an hour tops. Maybe less.

My headcanon is that this man right Here Knows A lot more than he ever let on here. Like There Is A REASON he was so adamant. Can we at least get a confirmation that the parents are okay. We don't even need to see them just a lil thumbs up.

*Points* You had a bad word on your paper mister, I remember the Post. The funniest thing I've never noticed.

And those specific butterflies can stay away since they seem to be nearby when someone is either about to die or be in big trouble.

(At Zane's funeral, landed on the bike in s7, if I remember correctly, The butterfly in Tick Tock)

LETS DO THE WHIP

Its time For you to do this again in DR Cole.

Man really was straight up willing to kill Lou for a distraction. Also he ran under there before he potential kicked in, so he can deal with a lot of stuff Falling on him. Interesting to know.

True Potential Shots pretty... Very Pretty...

Can I just say that... These four mean so Much,,,, to me... Look how happy they are.

Ninjago Episode 9 Rewatch Done! I should be uploading these at least three times a week? Maybe more if I... Feel Up To It. I love doing these, and I am sorry that the others are lost. but we Are Back! These wont be going anywhere!

#ninjago #ninjago rewatch #cole ninjago #kai ninjago #jay ninjago #zane ninjago #just tagging the boys since it was really just them #\

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fyreiswriting · 1 year

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Welcome to my writing tumblr!

Find updates for my current/future WIPs here.

My current stories on AO3 as of 7/31/24:

Fanfics

Baldur's Gate 3

Future, Past Present: Rated T, main pairing Gale/Named Tav. In Progress.

Summary:

Nyrra wakes up in a pod with a tadpole in her head. She seeks a cure, finds companions, saves some lives, falls in love. She fights. She fails. She dies. ———————————— Nyrra wakes up in a pod with a tadpole in her head. This time, she vows, she will not fail. (Or, a storm sorceress wakes at the start of her journey with all her memories and powers intact. The only problem— she’s the only one who remembers.)

Coral Island

What Lies Below: Rated T, main pairing pre-relationship Female Farmer/Semeru. Complete.

Summary:

Something from the depths is stalking the Merfolk Kingdom. Patrols report the feeling of being watched as they swim through the reef; the Solar Orbs the land-dweller farmer Imogene is activating begin turning up deactivated. After an ‘accident’ that nearly kills Princess Miranjani and severely injures Imogene, it finally becomes clear that whatever it is, it wants the Merfolk Kingdom drowned in the corruption that has been plaguing their lands. As Captain of the Guard, Semeru tasks himself with finding out what it is and putting a stop to its machinations – alone. … though not if Imogene herself has anything to say about that.

Five Dockside Rendezvous: Rated G, main pairing pre-relationship Female Farmer/Semeru. Complete.

Summary:

If pressed, Imogene would swear she isn’t *trying* to meet up with Semeru at the end of the dock after each festival; the first time during the New Year’s firework show was a complete accident, after all. The second time after the Tree Planting Festival was, too. And the third after the Beach Cleanup. Beyond that? Well, she’ll plead the 5th if anyone bothers to ask. Meanwhile, Semeru decides he’s fine with seeing the strange land-dweller Chosen in more neutral territory when work doesn’t strictly demand their interactions. He’s just not sure what to do with how he’s found himself looking forward to these little meetings – or how his heart starts pounding every time he sees Imogene’s smile.

To Swim, Perchance, To Dream: Rated G, main pairing pre-relationship Female Farmer/Semeru. Complete.

Summary:

A mysterious visit to Cho Oyu; a hasty exit from the Kingdom; a days-long disappearance. Semeru isn't sure what's going on, but Imogene is certainly excited about something - and that feels concerning for the status quo he's gotten used to. Meanwhile above the water, Imogene tries to stay patient while collecting a variety of items that could change her life forever. Or: what does it take to turn a land-dweller half-Merfolk? [This story contains MAJOR spoilers for the Merfolk questline.]

Rock and a Hard Place: Rated T, main pairing Female Farmer/Semeru. Complete.

Summary:

Imogene has gone on dives hundreds of times before; there’s no sign that this time should be harder than usual. After she leaves early one morning to collect kelp from the depths of Lima Pulu, though, an earthquake shakes the reef and Kingdom alike. When the resulting rockfall destroys any hope of her escaping from the cave by herself, all she can do is wait and hope someone in the Kingdom will remember she’s gone, let alone bother to come help her. … perhaps she hasn’t noticed just how beloved she is in the Kingdom – beyond one Merfolk captain in particular.

Better Nature: Rated T, main pairing Female Farmer/Semeru. Complete.

Summary:

Just because Imogene has healed the reef doesn’t mean all danger has passed. Unfortunately, if anything, it’s invited old ones not seen for years back to the table. After a Merling girl goes missing late one night, Imogene and Semeru must hunt down leads, follow trails, and track down both where she’s gone and the reason for her disappearance — even if it takes them far from the safety of the Kingdom and reef.

Resident Evil

part time soulmate, full time problem: Rated T, main pairing Female OC/Leon Kennedy. Complete.

Summary:

Two years ago for River, Raccoon City did its level best to kill both herself and Leon. They made it out alive – barely – but were separated in the chaotic aftermath. Now, their paths have finally crossed again in a small village in Spain, as Leon investigates a lead on the President’s kidnapped daughter and River simply wanders to offer help where she’s needed. He wants her to leave, insistent she’s in over her head; she isn’t going anywhere, equally insistent she can handle herself. As they navigate a living nightmare in search of Ashley Graham, three things they’ve tried to hide from each other slowly reveal themselves, despite both their best efforts to keep them concealed: One, River knows more of the situation at hand than she should. Two, she’s capable of things no other human is capable of. And three, those old feelings for her Leon pressed down in Raccoon City haven’t actually gone anywhere.

going neon in the nighttime: Rated T, main pairing one-sided Female OC/Leon Kennedy. Prequel to part time soulmate, full time problem. In Progress.

Summary:

River had dealt with zombies before; when she ended up killing one within a minute of arriving in Raccoon City, she figured she knew how the night was going to go. Her assumptions went out the window within another half an hour, though – after she met both Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield, encountered far too many monstrous, mutated creatures, and had more than a few close calls with her own mortality. As the night wears on, it becomes clear there’s way more at stake here, and the simple zombie-killing exploration she was counting on is a fight for not just her life – but the lives of those around her.

Stardew Valley

New Americana: Rated T, no romantic pairings. Complete.

Summary:

Rae Carriker finally managed to expand her farmhouse after nearly three season in Pelican Town. The roommate she acquired immediately afterward was a surprise, but it doesn't end there. The saying everyone knows is "blood is thicker than water" - but it's the expanded version, "the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb", that proves true in Rae's case. After all, she'll need all the help she can get to save the valley from a corporate takeover. A found-family fic of the bachelors and bachelorettes in Pelican Town finding friendship and family in each other, and the young woman who brings them together.

more than a drop in the sea: Rated T, main pairing Female Farmer/Elliott. Complete.

Summary:

Elliott has spent a year in the Valley already -- a year of frustration, crumbled pages, and desolate hours spent staring at the crashing ocean waves. The advent of the new year brings changes and a fresh chance, and he's determined to take it with both hands. He didn’t anticipate the appearance of a new farmer would turn his world and life alike upside down. Over the course of the new year as the seasons change, so too does their relationship -- one smile, one conversation, one chance encounter at a time.

infinite tonight: Rated T, main pairing Female Farmer/Elliott. Sequel to more than a drop in the sea. Complete.

Summary:

After a full year of pining and uncertainty, dancing around each other and trying to play it safe, Elliott and Katrionel have finally decided to take their first steps forward together. New relationships take time and energy, though, and each bring their own baggage and goals to the table: Katrionel recalls the pain of an old relationship and fears stagnation — for both her and her farm. Meanwhile, Elliott is consumed by the worry he’s not good enough for her and distracted by the completion of his debut novel, with all its challenges and triumphs. It's the start of a brand new year, which brings both new opportunities and endless possibilities -- but will their newfound status as a couple survive?

Original Works

The Valiantgarde Chronicles, Book 1, Chapter 1: The first chapter of my original novel from 2019. Outdated but still available. Complete.

Summary:

An odd dream sets Ravara Zaluanes on a path she never expected - that of an adventurer, thrown together with four other odd characters. What at first seems to be a straightforward single mission quickly spirals into a complicated web of mystery and intrigue - and through it all, she struggles to determine who the strange woman she keeps seeing in her dreams is.

#coral island #writing #resident evil #stardew valley #ao3 #fanfic #intro post #baldur's gate 3 #bg3

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caffeinatedcursedcutie · 1 year

Text

The Fangs that Bite the Hand Part 3

Damien rolled over groggily, slapping his hand around the bed for the phone that was annoyingly ringing. Finally, he managed to get his hand around it and squint at the blurry, bright screen. 2:23 AM. Call from The Office. He swiped his finger across the screen and shoved it against his face, mumbling “H’lo?”

“Agent, we need you to come in. We’re sorry to bother you so early, but this is an emergency.” The tinny man’s voice came through, and at the moment he was so sleep-addled he couldn’t place who it was. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, tossing grey sheets off from where they had been entangling his legs. He sniffed loudly, blinking. “Uh. Okay, what emergency?" His limbs felt uncooperative as he reached for the shoes next to his bed, putting them on before realizing that he probably needed to put on pants before his shoes, and that the other agent on the line had said something. "Okay, wait, what?"

"The Carmilla case you took three weeks ago?" He said again, somewhat impatiently. A Carmilla was the vampire version of a Jane Doe, somewhat of a twisted joke in the department. "You've got to pick her up. The Reformation Facility can't keep her. She can't handle the constantly rotating staff and other vampires."

"Undead Beings." Damien cut in.

"She managed to really bloody another patient. She is a danger to staff, other patients, and herself."

"And why the hell am I being called for this?"

"You know how you picked her up and walked out with her the first day? No one else can do that. The complaint says she screams every time someone tries, and she's made no progress there."

"I'm not exactly qualified to care for-"

"There's a huge bonus in it, a move to remote work until she is settled, and another agent will be on call 24/7 if you have to go anywhere. The higher ups will bend over backwards if you do this, they have got to keep the contract with the Reformation Clinic or we lose an entire wing of our services. That contract includes honoring removal of any patient that they see fit."

Damien sucked in a breath through his teeth. That same uncomfortable feeling, a sickness churning his stomach at the thought of what happened to her ultimately is what made him stand up off the bed.

"Okay. I'll be there. Send me the address."

-----------

The pitch blackness of the roads caused him to miss the entrance to the facility twice, a large building that reminded him of a State Hospital placed on the very outskirts of the city. The signs showed him he was in the right place, it had lights shining on it to show "Medical Center for Undead Treatment" to passing cars. He flashed his badge at the gated checkpoint, driving his car up to the curb of the entrance. Killing the engine, he glanced at the woman through his windshield, dressed in scrubs and a headband, standing nervously on the sidewalk with a clipboard in her hands. The light coming from the double doors backlit her and made it hard to make out her features, he unbuckled his seatbelt and climbed out of the low car, his jacket hanging over his arm. “Agent Mathews, here for a pickup.”

As the nurse led him to an elevator, he blinked rapidly and tried to stave off the tiredness creeping into his eyes as they ascended. It was more worrying that the nurse wasn’t prattling off information, just kept glancing at him with that slightly afraid, awkward look. She must be new, probably wouldn’t last the year. After what seemed like far too long the elevator cheerfully announced the end of the ride with a ding. The two of them stepped out, and Damien noted a few things about the place. No windows, the lights were much softer and dimmer than a normal hospital, with the nurses' stations having reading lights clipped onto the sides of their computers. Security guards seemed to be around every corner, walking around with cups of coffee or looking imposing. The darker colors painted on the walls and the tiles of the floor were so much more inviting than a normal hospital. His mind soured at the thought of what task lay before him. To her, it was still a hospital, still a sterile environment that was threatening to rip her apart, starve her, and shove metal objects into her flesh.

He shook that thought off, then realized they were standing in front of a door with three security guards around it, and the nurse was talking.

"We can see you from this window, and we'll tranquilize her and pull you out if things get…messy." She swallowed.

"No." Damien said. If it wasn't three in the morning, he might have had more tact. "Is that how you've been dealing with her every time she has a problem? Because, quite frankly ma'am, that's why you're not getting anywhere with her. I'm almost certain you had access to the lab files, at the very least the cursory ones that only described day to day and not the experiments themselves, but that's the same thing they did every time she so much as hissed at someone." He rolled his neck, cracking the joints to fill the silence as they looked at him. "She's scared, and being knocked out and waking up not knowing where she is over and over isn't helping."

Damien ignored her babbling as she tried to explain it away, gesturing for the security guard to unlock the door. He walked into the room, and it was closed and locked behind him.

He winced as he looked at the undead. At the very least, the room wasn't stark white, with walls and floor in the same dull shade of grey. Blood contrasted the floor, splattered in a trail leading to a corner, and that's where she sat, hissing and cowering behind her own arms. Red stained her fingertips, flesh bunched up under her nails. And based on those scratches across her arms, it was her own blood. As she shifted her arms, looking up at him with a strange look, he could see the gaps in her teeth, and the same red color was smeared across her mouth.

She looked tiny still, the feeding tube in her nose had helped when it was in, but she still had a long way to go. The hospital gown covering her form seemed to swamp her, covering thin hips and legs. Cowering in the corner, terrified and not understanding why they were doing this to her, it broke Damien's heart.

With a groan at his stiff muscles, he sat on the floor across from her. "Hi honey. Remember me?" He asked gently, not surprised when he didn't really get a reaction. "Well, I remember you, that's for certain. Hard to forget. Y'know, I bet you're really scared right now. People you don't know, doing things that reminds you of the other place. But I promise, it isn't the same. Well, it isn't supposed to be. Now, they tell me you're refusing to eat, is that right kiddo?"

For the next ten minutes, he just talked to her, not even sure if she could really understand what he was saying, or if she just liked the tone of his voice. Slowly, very slowly, her arms unwrapped from herself and she was less tense. Tentatively, she started to crawl on all fours to him, one step at a time. He never once changed his reaction, never stopped talking or acknowledged the fact that she was now less than a foot away from him.

The only time he paused was when she carefully reached out, patting at the jacket he had left on the floor between them. "Oh? You remember that? Yeah, it is nice and comfy. I've had this thing since college, it's a very good jacket."

Keeping his hands up where she could see them, Damien picked up the jacket by the shoulders. "You want it on again? I'm glad you like it so much." She hissed at him sharply when he lifted it closer to her, for a moment it looked like she was going to dart away. He stopped, just holding it in the air. To his surprise, she reached up and took it from his hands, pulling it into her lap as she sat back on her knees.

------------------------------

Damien shut the door, glancing back to the team from the medical center looking at him in awe. The undead looked up at him through the passenger window, slightly rocking in place from nerves of him being outside the car. Quickly, he walked around the car, keeping as close to it to stay in her line of sight, her medical papers tucked under his arm. He climbed into the car, resisting the urge to flip the medical center off as he threw the car in reverse.

"Alright, sugar, we're going to get home. And then I'm sleeping. Lucky for you, I had a friend who could pick up stuff for you while we were gone. If I have to stay awake much longer, I'm going to be crabby tomorrow." He spoke as they drove, the radio turned all the way down. She ignored his ramblings, her red eyes wide and somewhat startled as she watched the trees and buildings fall away. Her hands were firmly grasped around the jacket, keeping it tight to her tiny chest. She yanked on the seatbelt once or twice, but then left it alone seemingly after deciding it wasn't moving. As they pulled into the apartment parking lot, he noted that she seemed to like the car ride. A thought for a future day.

As he parked and shut off the car, he couldn't help but sigh in relief at the thought of being able to walk in the door and go to bed. The undead in the passenger seat squirmed, a high pitch whining coming from her throat. "C'mon kiddo, it's not that bad of a place. I made it pretty cozy." He climbed out of the car, the same routine as at the center but backwards. Stick close to the car so she wouldn't freak out, open the door, unbuckle her, and haul her into his arms. He didn't quite trust her not to bolt yet, so it was easier to haul her near non-existent weight around.

He shifted her to one hand while he struggled to find the right one, they jangled mockingly. Damn all the keys he had to keep for work. Finally, he found the right one and unlocked the door.

The kitchen light he had left on was a welcome change from the dim outside environment. She started to wiggle and squirm in his hands, and he quickly dropped down to set her on the ground, nudging the door shut with his foot. She sat there in a heap, and he turned to lock the door. No taking a chance there, she's running off of pure instinct and could take off at any second. Her supernatural nature would make it near impossible to catch her again.

He ignored her as he walked into the kitchen, taking his wallet and keys out of his pants pockets and set it on the countertop. Almost robotically, he went through the motions of making the coffee pot for the next morning.

"Hey honey. Let's get my bed set up for you, I'll take the couch. I think you deserve it after-" As he turned around, he paused. Panic filled his chest. She wasn't there. "Kiddo?" He set down the bag of coffee grounds, stepping out into the living room. A quick look around the room yielded no answers, and he picked up his pace to the open bathroom. He yanked the shower curtain across the bar, the rings clanking loudly at him. The shower was empty, and he almost tripped over the rug trying to leave the bathroom in a rush. He scrambled down the hall to his bedroom, eyes quickly bouncing from corner to corner. Finally, a noise gave him pause. That same, high pitched whining. He breathed a heavy sigh of relief, feeling as if his chest had gotten lighter. “Honey? Where are you hiding?” Damein took inventory of the room, and finally noticed something off. The slim closet that he hardly ever used was cracked open. He sank to his knees, gently wedging his fingers into the open gap and swinging the door open. Still in the hospital gown and his hoodie, she sat on top of a pile of old sheets that he didn’t even remember having, cross legged and leaning against the wall. “Oh. You wanna stay there tonight?” She didn’t give any answer, her wide eyed stare giving away no indication. “Okay. At least let me get you a pillow. We’re going to get you into actual clothes. Tomorrow.” She tilted her head in response, and Damien idly wondered how much she understood of any of his ramblings. Either way, it seemed to help, so ramble he would. He stood up with a groan, his back feeling the weight of being awake so early and having done this a few times now. From his bed, he took the pillow on the left side, which was significantly more fluffy than the one he used every night. Fully opening the closet door, he left the pillow just outside of it. It was up to her if she wanted it or not.

And with that, he found his fingers fumbling over his pants button. Finally, he slid the jeans over his hips and untangled the fabric from his feet, letting them drop to the floor as he crawled into bed. He slipped into the bliss of sleep, unaware that shining red eyes watched…

#Whump #Vampire #whump writing #Whumpee #Caretaker #vampire whump

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bluecandysaysstuff · 2 years

Text

Okay so I’m a dabloon traveler! And I’d like to share my interactions the past 3 days (yet and so far)

My Dabloon journey

Dabloons🪙: 1104

Current possessions:

• A big guard dog

• A gun x2

• A special triangular rock with a hole in the middle with rainbows around it.

• Indestructible diamond armor

• Magical dabloon pouch

• Green bag with strawberry pattern, holds 10 items!

• Healing potion x2

• A map to a cabin

• An intimidating guard dog

• A small guard dog

• A lantern

• Bouquet of flowers

• A fjällräven backpack

Day 1

⁃ I don’t really know what this dabloon thing is yet… but I got 1000 dabloons but I decided to decline and moved on

⁃ Someone told me what is going on… I’m starting my travel’s tomorrow!

Day 2

⁃ I stumbled upon a pet shop… unfortunately couldn’t get anything but they offered me 4 dabloons so I accepted and carried on with my travels

⁃ I was gifted a guard dog to guard my dabloons! Also got 10 dabloons, this is awesome, I now have a dog and 14 dabloons!

⁃ The next video offered me 2 dabloons for the road!

⁃ I just got 4 dabloons and a gun from “Harry Styles” and he told me to shoot the ones offering me more than 100 dabloons… and to eat the rich. The gun will probably come in handy later.. I think?

⁃ I met a dabloon character, they gave me 4 dabloons for my time meeting him, and he called me friend! So I think I have a friend now, and I now have 24 dabloons!

⁃ A fellow shop owner gave me a dabloon! They sell potions, the love potion was interesting, but I continued my journeys!

⁃ Saw another fellow dabloon-sona, I got 4 dabloons from them! And a strange rock… it is triangular with a hole in the middle and there’s 2 rainbow-circles surrounding it? I’ll keep this safe during my travels

⁃ A cat helped me as I got lost in the woods, they lead me to their cottage and gave me some hot chocolate and soup for free! They also had a shop! And they told me that they would show me around town tomorrow, I must say that was very kind of them. But I said I’d rather travel by myself and thanked them for their very kind gesture!

⁃ Found a food shop, I might have gotten a bit hungry, and they gave me 2 dabloons! Shops are really super generous around here!

⁃ I stumbled across a little lottery, I won 2 dabloons.. tbh very disappointing, I don’t think lotteries are for me :(

⁃ IMMEDIATELY ran into another dabloon lottery, it said I won 100,000 dabloons! This is scary, I’m just going to take 100 and leave, I don’t think I could carry that many dabloons anyways 😅

⁃ Someone I met along the way told me about their travels, they gave me 7 dabloons for luck, I thanked this kind stranger and moved along

⁃ I got to hear some news, inflation is apparently really bad rn, I haven’t noticed because seemingly I’m off the grid, but I got told that nothing can be sold for over 130 dabloons, food and water: 10, beds, pillows ect: 25, saftey animals: 50

⁃ There was a shop that sold armor.. I think I might need the diamond armor because it keeps me safe from the cold and from thieves, but it seems uncomfortable. The shop owner offered me some soup tho:) I asked them if it was comfortable, and they told me that the better it was at protecting the more comfortable it was, so I decided to get the diamond armor (that is indestructible) for 25 dabloons

⁃ I walked back to the shop after leaving, and the owner gave me a dabloon and sent me on my way? Thanks kind shop owner:)

⁃ I met Harry styles again, he gave me 4 dabloons and yet another gun and told me to kill anyone giving out counterfeit dabloons

⁃ Someone told me about their fascination of dabloons and gave me one, thank you kind traveler:)

⁃ I was gifted a magical pouch to store my dabloons and they protect them from robbery! I feel like I’m a very protected traveler.

⁃ Someone that looked like a thief tried to offer me an outlaw dabloon, I ran away

⁃ It’s now very late, and apparently I got lost again… I’m not very good at finding my way around apparently but I keep meeting new people! Someone helped me and took me to their cottage, I got some homemade cake and a little bag to carry my items in! It could fit 10 items! I also got 50 dabloons, that was very generous of them!

⁃ I left looking for a place to sleep tonight, and someone dragged me to their cabin, showed me their shop, which actually had very cool things, but I declined but they gave me 4 dabloons.. now I’m gonna go sleep in my very comfortable armor somewhere… since I don’t have a bed, or a house for that matter.

⁃ While trying to fall asleep, another dabloon-sona stumbled across, I got a healing potion for free! I am really protected now!

Day 3

⁃ Good morning! I actually slept very well for not having a bed, my armor kept me comfy and my dog kept me warm and safe. I woke up to some news today. You can only accept 100 dabloons at a time, you can only gain 1000 dabloons from quests and 1999 from witches and fairies… I wonder what witches do? I kinda want to become one…

⁃ Started todays travels and quickly ran into a shop, they gave me some quests to do! Eat food 5 db, Drink water 4 db, brush my teeth 5db, so now I’ve gained 14 dabloons! Very nice self care quests

⁃ Found some people talking, they have applied to a witch academy! I really would like that, someone else around gave me 100 dabloons!

⁃ I found a cowboy! They invited me in and gave me tea and fresh pancakes for breakfast! They showed me all their horses. They were apparently for sale. I’m good on foot for now tho

⁃ I got lost again, this time it was dark and scary, and I got saved by a 3 eyed cat, they gave me a map to their cabin and said I could have it if I found it

⁃ I got 40 dabloons just for talking to someone! I’m feeling the luck rn 🍀

⁃ I found a pond! I was given 5 dabloons! But they also had a shop and they sold spell books…. So I bought one for 7 dabloons.

⁃ I met a police that gave me 100 dabloons! But there was 500 extra dabloons if I found the secret message! And there’s apparently a revolution going on? That’s cool

⁃ I won 25 dabloons from a small lottery/guessing game. I thanked them and carried on with my travels, I’m also reading my spell book on the way, i don’t quite understand it but it is interesting

⁃ I walked straight into another person, they had a lot of dogs, they gave me 2 guard dogs! Now I have THREE(!!) guard dogs, my life is great:’)

⁃ I seem to have walked in a circle and met them again! I got 7 dabloons, a lantern and some flowers:)

⁃ I met a witch! I was sooo happy! They gave me a backpack for free! So now I can carry my things easier! They also handed me 50 dabloons. They also had food, I took some to feed my dogs

⁃ Someone took me to their cottage and gave me some really good soup! I have some to my dogs as well since I wasn’t that hungry, they also gave me 50 dabloons. People are getting richer and richer now I realize

⁃ HOW THE HECK DID I END UP IN IKEA? I was given 50 dabloons, but i really need to get back to the woods, this isn’t my kind of vibe

And that’s all that has happened so far, I’m just getting lost and having wholesome interactions in the woods.. please don’t make me go over to civilization… it’s scary

#tiktok dabloons #dabloontok #dabloon economy #dabloon story

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stellar-waves · 1 year

Text

staring down the sun [2]

⏯ chapter index

⚠ warnings: mentions of death and grief/mourning

. . .

memories are just where you laid them

. . .

“What do you want, Connor?”

Elena’s voice echoes in his head as he lies in bed. He stares at the ceiling, half expecting to see her green eyes staring back at him, slowly digging into his mind. The realization that he is starting to let his guard down with the therapist sits heavy on his chest.

“Connor?”

He exhales quickly as Murphy hovers over him, breaking the view of the thick white paint chipping above him. The dark-haired twin looks down at Connor with a mixture of confusion and concern. “Ye straight, bro?”

Connor blinks hard, sitting up and shifting to lean his back against the wall. “Aye, I’m good.”

Murphy narrows his familial blue eyes at his brother. “That therapist finally got to ye, yeah?”

Connor glares at Murphy, shaking his head. “Absolutely not.” He’s lied to Murphy before, usually to save face and avoid constant teasing, and he knows his brother does the same. But Elena was right; it’s hard to keep anything from each other when you’ve been together essentially 24/7 for over three decades.

Murphy smiles, clearly seeing through the lie. He plops down on the bed next to Connor, bringing his knees up like they’re little kids sitting on the roof of their mother’s house again. Murphy switches to Irish, his voice still teasing. “Alright, out with it. What did she say?”

Connor laughs, placing his hand over his eyes and replying in the same language. “She speaks other languages. Including Irish.”

He looks to see Murphy’s reaction, and as his brother’s jaw drops, Connor laughs harder.

“Fuck.”

“I can imagine the shit ye probably said to her, not realizing she understood it the whole fucking time,” Connor says through his giggles. So much for keeping Elena’s secret, but he had to tell his twin.

“Same shit ye said, I’m sure.” Murphy’s jaw is still slack as more curse words fall out of his mouth.

Connor catches his breath, grinning at the new information. “Just when we think we have the upper hand, she’s been slow-playing the game with an ace up her sleeve. It’s fucking savage, really.”

A smirk crawls across Murphy’s face, but it fades quickly as he raises his eyebrows, thinking more about their situation. “Do ye think we can trust her?”

Any other day, Connor would say no. He’d say that they could only trust each other. But ever since they killed those two Russian mobsters in self-defense, hell, even since they returned from Ireland, a handful of people have proven him wrong.

“I think so,” he tells his brother in Irish. “I hope so.”

“But we can’t tell her everything.”

“No.” Connor runs a hand through his hair. No way can they tell Elena about breaking out of prison. Their luck, she’d get them to tell her without them realizing it. Not that there’s much to tell her.

They’re stuck in limbo with their escape plan. Per the cryptic message they got from their detective allies, Connor and Murphy have to wait for someone to come in and set the plan in motion. Who, they have no clue. A little bird, Duffy had written in code on the back of a postcard. “What the fuck does that mean?” Murphy asked in Irish as his brother examined the postcard. Connor shrugged and said they would just have to wait and see.

Murphy leans his head back against the wall, closing his eyes and letting out a deep sigh. “I wish Romeo was still here.”

Connor raises his knees to mirror his brother. “I know. Me too.”

He grimaces at the thought that they must be putting a curse on anyone who joins them. First Rocco, then Greenly, then Da (although he would argue the boys were joining him), and then Romeo. A fucking pulmonary embolism. When the doctors broke the news, Murphy was quick to accuse them of negligence, that they didn’t care to save him. The truth was that they were actually prepping Romeo for surgery again when his scans flagged the complication. But it happened so fast, there was nothing they could do. The boys cried themselves to sleep in their cell that night. And it felt like a bit of revenge on Romeo’s part, that he was finally getting back at them for laughing every time he’d shed a tear.

“It’s gotta be just me and you, brother,” Murphy quietly pleads.

Just me and you, brother. Connor closes his eyes, and he can almost taste the cold, damp Irish air again. The boys had just turned 21, and while it was not necessarily a significant milestone in Ireland, it meant they could move to America. Ma knew they had been itching to go all through their teenage years, but she made them promise to wait until they were ‘American legal.’ Citizenship and visa paperwork weren’t the issue since they were born in Boston, it was simply because 21 was the mark of an adult in the land of the free.

On their last night in Ireland, they sat on the roof of their childhood home like little boys, still wearing those ridiculous patriotic skimmer hats adorned with stars and stripes Ma forced on them for their going away party. Connor’s hat sat further back on his head, allowing his golden brown tresses to stick out like always, while Murphy’s hat rested low on his forehead, pressing his dark chocolate hair flat across his brow. They sat there, drinking whiskey and smoking cigarettes as they stared out into the darkness dotted with twinkling lights from the town up the road. The sound of their extended family drunkenly singing along to “Born in the USA” by Bruce Springsteen vibrated throughout the house. Murphy laughed as he dumped a slosh of whiskey down his throat, an indelible sense of pride bubbling up in his voice. “Just me and you, brother. In America.”

Land of the free, home of the brave. Only half of that promise remains true now.

Connor opens his eyes halfway. The stale industrial smell of metal mixed with cheap laundry detergent fills his nose as he takes a deep, long breath.

“Just me and you,” Murphy repeats, his voice softer yet full of fear. “We can’t put anyone else in danger like that again.”

Connor pulls his lips inward, looking up at the ceiling again. “Aye.”

. . .

⏮ [1]

[3] ⏭

#boondock saints fanfic #connor macmanus x oc #the boondock saints #boondock saints #connor macmanus #murphy macmanus #fanfic #staring down the sun #waves of stories

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reilliane · 2 years

Note

so we’re sending in vigil angst eh? i’ll join in too :) (sorry kazuha for adding to your trauma)

Vigil, but kazuha gets hit instead of mc:

Kazuha manages to make it in time to his sister (with the speed of venti’s wine and drunkness, and the wind, i guess), shoving her to the side and taking the hit. mc starts to scream and shout for help, using the sword in his weak grip to cut off apart of her garments and tightly wrap it around his wound. She’s had to treat many of his, or her(mainly kazuha’s. he and tomo could get a little rough during their training) injuries before in the past.

Grabbing her water from her bag, she pours it on the cut. The guards are knocked out, because who said mc couldn’t fight? Well, she doesn’t kill or cause major damage to anyone or anything, just hitting them until they blackout or runaway scared like little wimps. She knows Kazuha must have a boat all prepared down by the dock, so she ditches everything and runs to their mote of transport.

Carefully, she lays her weak brother on the boat, she takes his sword and stretches— it’s been awhile since she’s ever held a weapon.

-🦧 nvm, not angst, i just want secretly (ig not secretly strong. She never hid it, no one asked and she had amazing patience and stayed calm 24/7 )strong mc who gave up her training for the house and basically raising a child. Kazuha’s never seen his sister harm a fly, sure, he’s seen her train with a variety of different weapons before in his childhood, but he never could remember if she was any good at them— the maids always ended up finding him and brought him baxk to his room. Oh and, mc didn’t kill the guards no no. She just used the dull side of her brother’s sword and smacked them really hard in the head.

This is but one of your many brainrots, 🦧 dear. I finally have the time to sit down and start responding-

Now. (inhales) This is going to get long :D

Though it's been said in that one headcanon that MC has never been much of a fighter, I can say that she does have picked up the sword back in the days.

Aha, and thus the birth of another headcanon:

She definitely learned how to handle a sword because of Ayato. The guy implanted the "We must learn the ways of the blade to protect our little siblings!"

(jokesonyoubrother, ayakaandkazustilllearnedhowtofight)

Vigil!MC definitely did a, "Oh, you're right! (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧" because of this lmaooooo

But she did not last long with it.

Other than being a peacemaker in nature (seen in how she's compliant and fine with Kazuha's lack of care towards her in Vigil in fear of rousing arguments and straining their relationship further), violence just does not appeal to her.

Her forte's already been mentioned by you, 🦧 dear- though I think it was in another ask? (aha you sent so many adhasdas)

Vigil!MC specializes a lot in political affairs. Remember that despite being a girl, she's the firstborn :') Other than lessons, she also does eavesdrop whenever her parents speak with some other commissioner.

What I like to imagine again, regarding why MC stopped handling the sword other than not liking violence and preferring to cut people down with words (eeeee scary) is because of:

Aha, I always wanted to do this— brute strength.

For some reason, she may appear lithe, but she packs a punch lmaoooo I like to envision someone so ladylike but has a strength comparable to Itto/Noelle. It's just- HDhsahdkHDSAHDKASHDA

Perhaps one day she's just trying to spar with Ayato who said "don't hold back, now. give it everything you got, no matter what!" and she was about to lose because her sword flew off-

As Ayato was 'going in for the kill' she just did the unthinkable-

SUCKER PUNCH ‾͟͟͞(((ꎤˋ⁻̫ˊ)—̳͟͞͞o

Yeah, Ayato was knocked out cold. Thus that is how it was concluded, MC never chose violence again-

AT LEAST UNTIL THIS LOVELY ANGSTY PROMPT THAT WAS GIVEN MMMMM~ I can see it happening.

Characters can be taken out of their natural 'personality' when imbued with strong emotion. Anger, anguish, and desperation, to name a few.

So even if MC is a peacemaker at heart, seeing her darling little brother get hurt in her stead is enough as a trigger. Aha, it's always the peaceful ones who are scary when mad.

Anyway, MC probably would've sent those guys flying lmao.

Strength! MC strong ᕙ(`▽´)ᕗ !

She certainly also would've managed to snag some bandages so she can care for Kazu as they're fleeing. It will be difficult to get to the Resistance Camp since she's not attuned to the wind like her brother, but she stronk! ୧(ಠ⌣ಠ)୨

Row, row, row the boat- all that adrenaline definitely going to aid her in her quest to get to safety.

#moonlitchat #🦧 anon #m-vigil #BRUTE FORCE USE ITTTT #punch kick hiyah

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drxwsyni · 4 years

Text

HC’s - Yandere Childe

anonymous asked: “Hii, may I ask for Yandere Childe headcannons pls? Thanks” a/n: i got a little carried away, and ended up doing a few drabbles with some of the hc’s. but ty for the request nonnie! warnings: general yandere themes

• Depending on how you meet, Childe would attempt, at least for a while, to keep his identity as a Harbinger concealed from you. Mostly for convenience’s sake - it allows him to gather information on you. Despite you being new to this world, the Fatui are such a threat to most that it’d be hard not to know about them. And so if you were aware that Childe was so closely associated with them, you’d surely try to keep him at a distance.

• He has no problem omitting the truth, even lying outright if he must - the chance to be with you in your natural element is very important to him. While he wouldn’t say that the thought of making you his the hard way doesn’t get him excited, there will always be time for that later. For now, a peaceful, ‘normal’ if you will, relationship is what he’ll go for. It’s much easier for him to get close to you that way. Should you somehow become suspicious of him, it won’t last for long. Childe is nothing if not manipulative during these times, so as long as the damage is minimal, tricking you to having him back in your good graces shouldn’t be hard.

• Using his power as a Harbinger, he’ll be sure to keep a handful of Fatui reserved for monitoring you. Not that he wouldn’t kill to watch over you himself, but he’s an extremely busy man. When he’s not around, handpicked guards will watch you from the shadows. It’s a 24/7 arrangement - Childe knows no limits when you’re involved.

• He finds a strange amount of joy in observing your little quirks. Whether it be from afar or up close, you’ll often miss how his eyes remained trained on your form. It’s because of that he can so easily tell what you’re thinking, and how you’re feeling - even when you don’t tell him yourself. Subsequently, it becomes impossible to lie to Childe. Before long he’s got all of your micro expressions filed away in his mind. You might say one thing, but he’ll always know if you mean another. Of course, he doesn’t want you to know that.

“Now then, what’s my beloved darling doing out this late at night, hmm?”

Despite your blood running cold, the sound of Childe’s voice behind you when you thought you’d avoided him, you had to steel yourself. He wasn’t supposed to be here, having been told by the man himself he’d be out tending to business until tomorrow afternoon. Turning, you met his self-satisfied, smug looking face. “Just out for a walk, why don’t you join me.”

He drew closer, and while your earnest smile and warm eyes told one story; your rigid stance, how he could tell your nails were digging crescent moons into your palms - it told a much, much different one. Childe already knew you were planning on going out to gather supplies tonight, stocking up to travel across Liyue in search of the truth, of how to get yourself home - but you didn’t know he knew that.

Looking down at you, he responded, thwarting your plans for the night. “While that does sound nice, you really shouldn’t be out at this hour. It’s far too dangerous for someone like you - let me take you home.”

• At any point should he give up the innocent act, it’s like night and day. You practically get whiplash at how he so easily becomes violent, or says the crudest of things. Yet he still does it all with a smile on his face, only now it’s much more unhinged. All the while Childe soaks up the look of horror you show him, proving to be equally as captivating as all of the other reactions you give him. Mostly, he’s glad that he can show you his strength in full. Physically, emotionally, especially his status as a Harbinger - none of it needs to be hidden.

“While I’ve enjoyed these little games of pretend, it’s high time I show you what I’m really capable of. Oh, but don’t worry, I’d never hurt you. It’s others who I’ll be demonstrating on, enjoy the show~”

• Throughout it all, Childe is wildly possessive. When you’re with him, it’s expected to have him touching you in some form, and if not then you’re certainly not anywhere with prying eyes. Anyone who he finds getting to close to you will be dealt with personally, a prime opportunity for a good fight as far as Childe is concerned.

His gloves are cold to the touch, something detached in them as he rests a hand on the small of your back while you walk through the streets of Liyue together. You don’t quite register the way it drifts so that it’s resting on your hip while you talk to a local vendor. So engrossed with the products on display, you also don’t notice the chilling stare Childe has on the man explaining his wares. The Harbinger’s now tight lipped, friendly smile remains plastered on his face. As such, the vendor needs no words to tell him to keep conversation professional and minimal.

• Childe is a fan of flaunting his wealth. Buying you the finest jewels and clothing, adorning you in things he’s bought. Seeing you in those necklaces and fine fabrics satiates him. You might wear the countless things he’s gifted you, but they were, and still technically are his. He owns it all, and so in a way, he owns you.

• Something that will never change, no matter if you like the man or not, is the endless teasing Childe puts you through. He never stops until you give him a reaction - bashfulness, irritation, just the slight increase in your heart rate that’s evident in how your breathing becomes heavier. He lives for it, nothing more entertaining than the effect he has on you.

Catching your wrist in his gloved hand as you try and push him away, Childe only brings you closer. An arm wraps around your waist, pinning you to his chest. “Ah - I’m not done with you yet,” punctuating the remark with a kiss pressed lightly against your inner wrist.

#yandere genshin impact #yandere genshin #yandere childe #yandere childe x reader #genshin impact x reader

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dialovers-translations · 3 years

Text

DIABOLIK LOVERS MORE,BLOOD Vol.10 Sakamaki Reiji [Track 3+4]

Original title: 鞭 & お仕置き

Source: Diabolik Lovers More, Blood Vol. 10: Sakamaki Reiji [CD not owned by me]

Audio: Here

Seiyuu: Katsuyuki Konishi

Translator’s note: Things are getting a little dangerous for the MC, but once again, this CD feels a lot more tame than the other ones. Reiji is pretty much just ‘threatening’ to punish her for now, but hasn’t done too much to actually harm her. As someone who isn’t into the super extreme stuff, this is definitely a nice change of pace. :p

Track 1+2 ll Track 3+4 ll Track 5+6 ll Track 7+8 ll Track 9+10

→ LIKE MY TRANSLATIONS? SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI!

TRACK 3: WHIP

*Rustle rustle*

“I told you to keep still, did I not? Do you wish to be whipped by me? I will gladly do so if that is your wish.”

*Rustle rustle*

“I happen to have one on hand at the moment. ...Fufu, if you do not wish to be hit by this, you better keep still. Understood?”

You flinch and keep still.

[00:31] “Hmー At first glance, nothing seems to be off.”

*Rustle rustle*

“There’s nothing left behind on your earlobe...your throat...or your nape. ...Hm? What seems to be the matter? You are quivering? Did you perhaps think I would suck your blood?”

You avert your gaze.

[01:05] “Please do not underestimate me. Unlike my foolish brothers, I personally would never resort to barbaric practices such as latching on right away. Even when it comes to sucking blood, there are certain rules one must adhere to. Try and think of table manners, for example. You must follow a certain order, starting from the aperitif, then the soup (1). There is simply nothing more wasteful than having a meal without following the proper etiquette. Unfortunately, my siblings do not seem to understand even such a simple thing. I wonder if those imbeciles are simply incapable of understanding why Father has us organize those dinner banquets in the first place? Of course, I am sure that part of him hopes for us brothers to have an enjoyable time together.”

You tilt your head to the side.

[02:06] “After all, human food is not something our bodies originally require. We are still Vampires in the end. Now if you were to ask me why we consume it despite that, I personally think it connects to attaining a deeper understanding of human customs. While you humans are prey in our eyes, we are protecting our own home by taming humans and blending in with them in their world. After all, if we are speaking in terms of overall numbers, we are largely outnumbered by livestock such as yourself in this world.”

[02:52] Although we do have a temporary advantage by installing fear in the hearts of humans, threatening them with the possibility of capture, in the long run, we would most likely face our demise. Because we are the minority, we have no other choice but to use our heads. Well, I’m somewhat worried you might use this against us, so let me repeat it just in case ーー Killing you is no difficult matter. “

He leans in close.

[03:36] “You value your life, do you not? ...It must not be easy for mortals such as yourself.”

Your eyes widen in fear.

TRACK 4: PUNISHMENT

“Well then, I’ve loosened the ribbon above your chest. Now, show me the base of your neck. Those who enjoy being in the spotlight will most definitely leave their own mark somewhere. Especially when they choose to remain anonymous...I am sure you understand as well, do you not? Fufu…”

*Rustle rustle*

[00:31] “That being said, it has proven to be quite the challenge to find any marks. There are none on your neck, nor your collarbone. I was convinced I would at least find one or two disgusting marks, however.”

You tell him he is overanalyzing.

“What did you just say? You mean to imply that I am wrong? Are you trying to mock me, perhaps? I can pick up a strong scent of a non-human being from you. I am investigating to find out where it is coming from.”

You protest.

[01:21] “Haah...This is infuriating. You truly are so very stubborn, failing to listen to what I am trying to say. I feel like it might be best to give you a taste of this whip at least once.”

He reaches for his whip.

“Hmph! Is it not that strange for an owner to punish its dog for misbehaving, is it? I am holding myself back right now. You should remember that very well.”

*Rustle rustle*

[01:59] “Well then, if there are none here...While it is a chore, I suppose I have no other choice but to remove your clothes. Or perhaps, they are on your legs…?”

*Rustle rustle*

“I do not see any marks at first glance.”

You flush bright red.

[02:24] “Why do you seem so flustered? I feel absolutely nothing from looking at your legs. However, just as I predicted...I have found one. Take a look at this mark on your thigh. Just as I thought, a Vampire is behind this. Hah. A modest mark like this one could not possibly be left behind by one of my silly brothers. I wonder which family they belong to…? Oh well.”

*Rustle*

“Either way...I now understand that you are the biggest trap.”

*Rustle rustle*

[03:13] “For starters, I do not like the idea that we are being watched. If this is their territory, then by remaining here, I would simply be dancing to their tune. Let us leave. It might not be easy, but I am sure we should be able to find a way to open the door. Come on, you should make haste too.”

You frown.

[03:38] “Eh? You cannot stand because you have lost the strength in your legs? Good grief...Not only did you let down your guard and let another man have his way with you (2), but you are even attempting to have me dote on you. How impudent. You will be punished once we return to the manor.”

Reiji leans down to pick you up.

“Be prepared, understood?”

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

Translation notes

(1) ぜんざい or’ zenzai’ is a soup made from adzuki or red beans, usually served at the beginning of a meal. However, since this is a traditional Japanese dish, I translated it as just ‘soup’ so it would work for a larger audience. Coincidentally, having soup before the meal is rather common in the West as well.

(2) 抱く or ‘daku’ can mean both ‘to embrace’ or ‘to have sex with’ soーー I’ll leave the personal interpretation up to you guys. :p

#diabolik lovers #dialovers #reiji sakamaki #diabolik lovers more blood #diabolik lovers translation #diabolik lovers drama cd #drama cd

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merci-bitch · 4 years

Text

Her Lover

Alma LeFay Peregrine x fem!reader

Warnings: abuse, swearing, death, fluff, angst

Words: 5k

A/N: it’s been a while, hasn’t it. Lol. I’ve been having my exams and shit and I’ve been working on this for the longest time so I’m really sorry if there’s a word that’s not supposed to be there, I don’t really proof read. But hopefully more stuff shall be coming soon. Ta ta! Xx

Jake was surprised, it was all real. What his grandfather had told him, all those stories. They were real. It was unbelievable. At first, when he saw the boomed children's home he didn't really believe it. As that man said at the pub. 3 September 1943. No one survived, but then how come Miss Peregrine's letter had only come 2 years before to his grandfather. How was that even possible?

When we first entered the loop, he of course ran away and nearly got himself killed. Thankfully his new friends saved him from those angry Walsh people. The house looked so different from those ruins he saw. It was actually a very beautiful house. Big and tall and all those flowers growing up on the sides. Completely different.

Miss Peregrine wasn't anything like he'd expected. Not at all, despite from all the stories he'd got from his grandfather. Apparently she was the bird flying above him and his father when they first arrived to Cairnholm. Ever since Jake arrived, he'd notice that on the bird's right hand, her ring finger. There was a small ring with a single diamond. Jake knew it wasn't probably wasn't his thing to ask, but he didn't see anyone else then the people he'd already seen. His grandfather had never really mentioned anything or anyone else then the ones he'd already talked about.

He had helped Emma with the baby squirrel, it was a bit awkward wrapping the rope around her waist. He'd noticed Miss Peregrine's glare, it was uneasy. As if she felt some sort of jealousy? But that was ridiculous. Absurd. Jake had agreed to join them for supper. Emma was helping him in his grandfather's old room. He just couldn't but ask.

"Emma, could I ask you a question?"

"Jake, I told you that there are questions I can't answer." Emma said as she tied his tie.

"I know, but it's just. Does Miss Peregrine love you? Like, that way?"

Emma stilled. Almost uncomfortably.

"Jake. What's got you to even think of such disgusting things?!"

"I'm sorry! It's just, I saw her glare." Jake held his hands up in defeat.

Emma let out a sigh. Looked down before looking up again. "You must understand. Miss Peregrine, well all of us lost someone dear. It's taking her long time to actually get back to who she is. So please, stop asking questions." As she finished speaking the bell rang. They both walked down together and Jake almost sat down on Millard.

"Millard. Go and put some clothes on. Polite persons do not take their supper in the nude."

Jake almost felt sorry for him, he didn't mean to take his place really. He couldn't see him, obviously. He was, well he is invisible. During dinner, he couldn't help but stare at Miss Peregrine's right hand with that ring. Her long slim fingers with those long nails. The ring was silver. The small diamond was pretty. And shiny.

"Claire, why aren't you eating?" Miss Peregrine asked, looking with worry to Claire. Chewing on the piece of food.

"She's embarrassed in front of Jake." Hugh said, leaning over to Claire.

Jake shook his head. "Don't be. Please."

Claire looked over at Miss Peregrine with a small smile and Miss Peregrine sent Claire a wink before turning back to her own food. Claire grabbed the chicken leg and put it behind her head and a few seconds later she put the clean bone back on her plate.

"So Jake, what's your peculiarity?" Horace asked. Leaning over the table a bit to see Jake as he asked.

"Oh, I'm not peculiar." Jake stammered.

Enoch put down his fork and knife and said, "And that, my friends, is why he will not be staying with us. No matter how hard we try to persuade him."

Miss Peregrine spoke up again. Her voice light but firm. "We've spoken about this. Jake is just visiting."

Hugh opened his mouth, "He might want to say."

"Don't you want to stay, Jake?" Olive asked.

"Tonight? Or..-" Jake didn't get a chance to finish of his sentence before Claire irrupted him.

"Forever! You should stay forever." Her smile big.

"Why would he, if he doesn't have to? He can live out there, grow older, have a good time instead." Enoch said. Trying to make a clear point of why he didn't want Jake in the house. Jake could feel Emma slightly lift from her seat despite being strapped down. She was getting uncomfortable.

"He'll leave, just like his grandfather did." With that, Enoch started eating again and Emma got up and practically ran out of the room despite her heavy shoes. Miss Peregrine's call for Emma didn't stop her. As Emma left, a clothed Millard came into the room. Excusing himself. Sitting down and starting to eat his own food.

"Deep breathes Alma, you know how dear Enoch gets with new company."

Miss Peregrine closed her eyes at the voice inside her head. She was right. She slowly got up as the telephone rang. "I think you should all get ready for movie time while I answer that."

"But you always let us stay for it." Claire begged. Miss Peregrine turned around and gave the children a glare that almost scared Jake. She was a strange woman, yes she was. Miss Peregrine stepped out to the hallway, to the ringing telephone. This time, she nearly didn't answer it. Wishing the voice inside her head would come back. Missing the touch of that person with the voice nearly threw her off guard. She nearly kicked herself from going off schedule. Shaking her head, she answered the telephone and went on with the schedule.

The time went on, again. Horace's projected his dreams. One particular dream made Alma tense up. She couldn't watch it. She turned on the lights and heard all the groans from the children. It was almost re-set time. Olive asked Jake to stay and see the re-set. Enoch clearly didn't want him to. Alma felt herself chuckle softly. The arguments between Enoch and re-set. Alma stepped out in her raincoat and put on her gas mask after putting on the music. Run Rabbit Run. She would always sing along to the song-Alma kicked herself mentally again. She stopped her clock, she turned it 24 times to represent the 24 hours of the loop. She took of the gas mask and smiled towards her children.

She said her goodnight to the other children as Emma and Jake made their way out the door. Her smile faded as they disappeared from her view. She closed the door, knowing Emma would lock it. She slowly made her way up the stairs, to the end of the hallway, to her bedroom. She opened the door and walked in and closed the door again and locked it. Leaning against the door and closing her eyes.

"You know me better then I do. Can't seem to keep nothing from you. How you touch my soul from the outside. I still love you even though I'm scared. Learning to be grateful of myself. I wish I could love me like you did, how I wish I could trust myself like you did."

She moved from the door and towards her desk and sat down and started unpinning her hair. Brushing through her hair slowly. That black-blue hair. The little curls. She got undressed and dressed in her lacy nightgown and brushed her teeth and took off the makeup she'd been carrying during the day. She laid down in the cold bed, shivering slightly. Falling asleep after a few minutes.

***

"Clarice! Clarice come on. We have to get back. We can't stay in La Pari forever. We've been gone 7 years too long!" Claire let out a groan and stopped walking. "But Y/N! I love Paris!" Y/N shook her head. Her little sister was definitely a number. "Well, you wrote to Alma we'd be home, so let's go." Clarice didn't move. "I? I didn't write. She's your wife." Y/N felt herself tense up. Oh no. Y/N had forgotten to write, and she'd hopped her darling sister had written.

"When was the last time You wrote back home Clarice." Y/N looking over at her sister, with a glare almost identical to Alma's. Clarice bit her bottom lip. "5 years ago." Y/N felt her head spinning. She sat down and rubbed her forehead. Clarice started laughing. "What's so funny?!" Clarice threw her head back in laughter.

"Oh lord, the handful you will get when you get back. I mean Abe will definitely be in her side." Clarice said while patting her older sister's shoulder. "God. She'd kill me. I swear, I didn't mean to forget and I thought you'd been writing." Clarice shook her head. "But you're right. Let's go home."

***

"Jake, you're back. How wonderful." Miss Peregrine said as she held the Ymbryne tight to her.

"How's it doing?" Jake asked. "Emma said it was an Ymbryne."

"She. Not 'it'. Ymbrynes are always female." Miss Peregrine said as she looked up at Jake. "And Emma was quite correct. This is Miss Avocet." Miss Peregrine continued to give Miss Avocet the medicine.

"Her loop's in Blackpool, England." Jake said. Miss Peregrine slowly turned her head up towards him and saw him holding a piece of paper. "That was a private letter, Jake." She said as she put down the medication.

"Who is Mr. Barron?" Jake asked, slightly raising his voice.

Miss Peregrine's face expression turned blank and her right hand came almost protectively over Miss Avocet.

"Miss Peregrine, if my grandpa was involved with dangerous people. I need to tell the police." Miss Peregrine looked up at Jake again, her brows knitted with confusion.

"Police? Are you implying Abe died an unnatural death?" Her voice going quiet.

"I found him in the woods, with his eyes missing. I'd say that was pretty unnatural." Jake said as he watched Miss Peregrine raise from her chair. Miss Peregrine looked at Jake in disappointment, snatching the letter out of his hands.

"Unless essential, I don't discuss unpleasant matters. An Ymbryne's duty is to protect children, Jake." With that, she left the room, almost in a hurry.

"I'm not a child! He wanted you to tell me everything!" Jake shouted after her. Jake let out a sigh of frustration and walked down the hallway and was stopped when both Enoch and Olive came into his view.

"Oh. How frustrating for you. Between Miss Peregrine's rules and my housemates' little pact not to scare you off, it's like no one's telling you anything." Enoch was sarcastic. Olive stood quietly behind him. Jake leaned forward.

"Why don't you, then? It's not like you want me here."

This time, Olive spoke up.

"Enoch, you can't. You promised." Enoch looked back at Olive before answering.

"Olive's right. I do know someone who can get away with breaking rules though. Want to meet him?" Jake looked a bit uneasy at Enoch before following him up the stairs. Olive behind them.

"Enoch, don't do this. Please!" She grabbed his arm, begging him not to do whatever he was going to do.

"You want to spend time with me and Jake, we can all play together. That's what you said." Enoch said as they reached a door at the end of the hallway. Olive stood in front of them. Not letting them pass through the door.

"Well, here we all are." Enoch said. Olive looked up at him with a bit ready expression. "Move Olive."

"If you're going to be like that, then I don't want to be your friend." With that, Olive left. Sobbing quietly to herself while walking down the hallway.

"Enoch, leave Victor alone. It really upsets Bronwyn." Fiona said as she walked up to Enoch and Jake. Enoch put both his hands on Fiona's shoulders, "Stop fussing, Fiona. Don't you think Jake should meet everybody?" He said while looking over at Jake.

"He's trying to frighten you away, Jake. He's always jealous of Abe. And now he's jealous of you. Come and play with us instead."

Enoch crossed his arms and looked at Jake, waiting for an answer. Jake didn't really know what to say.

"I'd quite like to meet Victor." Jake said after some time. Enoch smiled and ruffed Fiona's hair. Enoch opened the door, letting Jake walk in. "After you."

In the middle of the room there was a bed, covered in thin layers of fabric, and Jake saw Victor, lying there. He slowly walked in, moving with small steps towards the bed.

"Hello, Victor. I'm Jake. I'm sorry to disturb.." Jake looked down at Victor. His eyes were missing.

"Yeah, he can't hear you." Enoch said. Enoch got on his knees and opened Victor's shirt and put the heart he held down into Victor's chest. Jake saw how Victor's chest started to heavy. Almost like a jump scare in movies, Victor sat up and looked over at Jake.

"Hello, Jake. I'm Victor. Do you want to know what killed me?" Almost like a puppet he was. It scared Jake and he ran out of the room, downstairs where Miss Peregrine and the rest of the children were waiting.

"Ah, there you are. Is Enoch with you? It'd time for our daily walk." Miss Peregrine said.

***

Alma walked into the room where Victor lay. Sighing once seeing Victor's covers down. She pulled them up, making sure they covered him and slowly sat down. Noticing the tear falling down his cheek. Softly wiping it away and pulling him up and held him against her chest.

One of the most disappointing things she'd ever done. How she couldn't be able to save Victor, how she'd let her poor child die. She never meant for him to die, she never meant for Bronwyn to lose her brother. Alma felt herself tear up.

"It's alright Alma, you did what you could and for that, Victor will forever be grateful."

She really wanted to believe those words. Oh, how hard life could be. She couldn't let herself to cry. She'd always say it was alright to cry, but Alma just couldn't. She slowly put Victor back in his place and looked at her watch. She had a few minutes before the children would be back, but she had to keep schedule.

Alma walked out of the room, closing the door. Walking down the hallway to the right and then further down that hallway and then into her own bedroom. Closing the door behind her, locking it. Just in case. She quickly walked over to the dressed against the wall, opened a drawer and pulled out a shirt that didn't belong to her.

Sticking her nose deep into the fabric, closing her eyes and breathing in the familiar sent. Holding onto the shirt tightly. Alma felt her eyes sting.

Why did life have to be so cruel? Why couldn't just one person live a life and be happy. Is it only fairytales that get their happy endings and not people in the real world? Was the 'perfect' life all just a big lie that you were told on the television outisde loops? Why couldn't you just live yourself in your dreams? Wouldn't life be so much better if you could? It would save all troubles from people.

Alma slowly sat down on the bed. Still holding the shirt tightly to her. Breathing in the sent again. Letting her eyes roll back for just a second. Accidentally losing herself in the sent. Letting a soft moan escape her mouth which caused her to blush. Hand covering her mouth as she blushed even more.

"My shirt hm?"

Alma turned around with a gasp. No one was there, she let out a sigh. Alma got up again, checked her clock and put the shirt back in the drawer and walked downstairs. Waiting for the children to arrive back home.

***

"Clarice, where was the loop again?"

"You can't be serious. We lived with Alma for years, you're married to her for gods sake!" Clarice sat down in the damp grass, crossing her arms. Letting out a huff.

"Awh, stop acting like a bloody kid! Maybe help me instead of acting like such a bloody moron!" Y/N answered to her sister.

She let out a huff and sat down on a rock. Y/N felt bad. She'd been gone 7 years too long and Alma probably thought she was dead. Just because her little sister didn't write as she used to. Y/N reaches into her pocket and pulled out a few photos. Photos she took, before she left.

Most were of Alma. It was one of the only times she'd let her time be taken from her. She missed the bird.

"Could you stop sobbing and perhaps do something to help? You cant stare at th-hey. Y/N. Was that Abe?"

Y/N looked up and saw nothing. She turned to her sister and hit the back of her head.

"Very funny."

***

The children were packing after they're realisation that they couldn't stay. As Alma had finally gotten the suitcase to close, thanks to the twins, the doorbell rang. How odd. She hadn't expected anyone. Alma walked up towards the door and opened the door and felt her whole body tense.

"Miss Peregrine, what a pleasure to meet you at last!"

Mr. Barron was holding his hand shaped knife against Jake's neck. Alma felt her breathing stop for only a second. What on earth was happening?!

"May we come in?"

Alma took a few steps back, letting him inside the house. Her children standing on the stairs.

"Children! Would you make your way down the stairs, please?" Mr. Barron shouted.

Alma raised her voice. "I give the orders in this house, Mr. Barron." Looking at him sternly.

"Not today. You should know that Jake has served his purpose. If you value his life, I suggest everyone does as they're told. Children!"

Alma raised her finger and shushed him. "No one tells my children what to do!" Alma turned around, a split of disgust in her expression. "Children, come down here, please." Her voice was strong but soft.

The children made their way slowly down the stairs.

"Miss Peregrine-"

"I thought I told you to be quiet." Alma snapped back at him. Giving him one of her famous death glares. She slowly made her way around again to look at her beautiful children. Knowing she might never see them again.

"Children, for Jake's safety, we're going to do what Mr. Barron asks. He wishes to take me with him to his rendezvous in Blackpool. So, for his protection, he'd like me to assume bird form, preferably caged. And he'd like you to make your way into a lockable room, such as the parlour." Alma turned her frame towards the parlour then back to her children before turning around to look at Mr. Barron.

"As he won't release Jake if he fears an attack could be mounted upon him once he loses his leverage. Correct, Mr. Barron?" Alma raised her chin, showing how she awfully despised him. Mr. Barron was at loss of words.

"You're sacrificing yourself and all of us, for Jake?"

Came behind her, Alma turned around and looked at Enoch.

"Me. Barrons travels with a Hollow, Enoch. Once it arrives here, we're all dead." She could almost feels Mr. Barron's wicked grin behind her. Alma saw Horace lean in to whisper something to Enoch but didn't bother to listen. It took everything not to shed a tear. She'd lost everything now. The woman she loved the most, her dear children. Everything.

She moved towards the parlours door and said her goodbye to each child that passed her, ending with a hug from Emma and the twins which made her she'd a tear. Once every child was inside the parlour, she grabbed the door handle to each door and took a deep breath and looked over her children.

"It's been my privilege, to care for you all. Goodbye my children."

Alma closed the doors and turned the lock and turned to face Barron, showing her anger through her tear stained cheeks. Taking steps forward.

"Now let him go."

"Oh, but the fun's just begun Alma." Barron let out a low chuckle.

"How dare you speak my name, filthy bastard." Alma tightened her tone. Growing more impatient by each second that passed.

Barron let out another chuckle, this time of surprise.

"My my, what words those pretty lips let out. Tell me, how's dear old Y/N doing?"

Alma clenched her jaw. Feeling as she might explode.

"How dare you speak her name?! How dare you come here, act like you own everything I have. You took her from me! How dare you mention anything of her's. I know what you did to her family, how her parents practically coward before you. On their knees begging to not die. Letting their dear children's lives pay their depth."

As Alma continued, Barron only chuckled. Jake was confused. Who was Y/N? What did this woman mean to Miss Peregrine?

"Technically I wasn't the one who sold her, her mother was. Her dear parents are still loyal to me as ever. I'd never gotten a chance to meet dear Y/N. So tell me, where is she?"

This time, it was Alma's time to be confused.

"What do you mean by that. No tricks Mr. Barron. I want the honest truth."

As he let Jake go, letting out a groan. "Listen, lady. I'd never meet her. If I had, do you think I'd be asking you? So come now Miss Peregrine. Where is she. Her mommy and daddy just wanna say hello."

Alma felt herself start to tremble. Y/N hadn't been in Barron's possession.

She'd spoken to Jake. Begging him to care of her children before turning into bird form. Flying into the cage. Leaving with Mr. Barron. If her dearest was really alive, she'd never see her again. Nor her beloved children.

***

"Emma, I have a question. Look-I know you don't answer them but it's about something Miss Peregrine said before she turned into a bird. Who's Y/N?"

Emma went quiet for a moment, not really wanting to speak. Jake let out a sigh and continued to talk.

"Mr. Barron said he'd never meet Y/N before. What does this mean-who is she?" Jake looked t Emma who's eyes looked at his. A slight tone of happiness appearing on her face.

"So, that means she could still possibly be alive." Emma's smile got bigger.

"Who is she? Is she another peculiar?" Jake was growing impatient.

Emma sighed. "Alright, if I tell you. Will you stop asking?"

Jake nodded his head and sat down and waited for Emma to speak.

"Y/N came to our home years ago, before Miss Peregrine had made the loop. She came with her sister Clarice. When they came they were both pretty young. I think Clarice was 15 and Y/N perhaps 20. I heard Miss Peregrine talk with them about what had happened to them. It wasn't really, nice."

Emma sat down herself and took a deep breath.

"Mr. Barron came to their house, in the middle of the night and killed their brother, well took his eyes. He was around 8. She talked about how their parents had sold them to Barron for their own safety. But before Barron could touch them they'd ran away. They'd taken the boat and arrived here."

Jake listened as she explained more about Y/Nk's past. But there was just one question bothering him.

"What about the ring on Miss Peregrine's finger?" Jake asked.

"Y/N and Miss Peregrine kinda fell for each other. A few years after the loop was created, they got married. Then again a few years later, perhaps 7 years ago. Both of them left, Y/N and her sister. But after two years they stopped writing back home. We heard nothing from them and since Barron wanted to recreate the experiment Miss Peregrine told you about.”

Jake nodded, shocked. He had nothing against the LGBT community but he’d never thought Miss Peregrine was a lesbian. Perhaps she wasn’t, maybe just fell for the one person she trusted most.

They went on, the plan to save Miss Peregrine.

***

“Clarice, fix it. Please. Something has happened.”

Y/N was panicking. The loop was gone, not a child in sight. Alma wasn’t here either. Clarice had the peculiarity of restoring time, she restored the loop. Made everything go back to normal. The house looked itself again but no child was there. What the hell happened. How long has the house been like this? Clarice was too busy walking to her room.

Y/N looked around, saw suitcases. Were they leaving? But why, and where? It felt strange being back in the house, but with everyone gone. Y/N walked around, touching the walls and everything. Y/N walked upstairs and into the bedroom she once shared with Alma and closed the door behind her. Alma’s perfume hitting her like a smack in the face. The scent of smoke, flowers.

She pulled open the drawer and pulled out one of the dark blue lacy nightgowns and spelled. Alma. Y/N looked out the window. It was dark and it was raining. Y/N loved the rain. She walked over to the window and sat down by the window and opened it to listen to the rain and felt herself drift off into sleep.

***

Alma opened the door and walked in. How in the hell was the house still standing? She hadn’t reset the loop. She was wet and she was tired and drained. She quickly walked into the bathroom connected to her room and took a warm, long and hot shower. She wrapped the towel around herself and stepped out. Looking in the drawer for her nightgown but it wasn’t there. Alma turned her head to the figure she saw sitting by the window and nearly had a heart attack.

She grabbed her pillow and hit Y/N with it multiple times.

“You reckless little-“

“Alma, hey! Stop hitting me!”

“I have every right to be angry at you! I thought you were dead. For 7 years you’ve been gone and then you stop writing?!”

Y/N could see Alma’s cheeks turning red from anger. She stepped forward, grabbing the pillow out of Alma’s hands and kissed her knuckles. Which made Alma shut up.

“Why’d you do that to me, to the children.” Alma’s voice was on breaking point.

Y/N looked up, into those blue eyes. “I never meant to. I forgot to write-“ Alma cut her off with a snort.

“Of course you did.” Alma took the nightgown from Y/N and dropped her towel and put it on. Feeling Y/N’s eyes on her. It made her shiver. Then she felt arms wrapped around her waist and a soft kiss on her right shoulder. “I’ve missed you. Please don’t leave again.” She felt Y/N shake her head and turned around in her arms and kissed her lover on the lips softly. Nearly losing herself in her lover’s lips. Laughing softly after feeling Y/N’s hands tickle her sides.

“I hate you.”

“You love me birdy.”

#alma peregrine x reader #alma peregrine #mphfpc

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bokunoragami · 3 years

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List of my favorite BKDK fics

This is going to be a masterlist of all my favorite bakudeku fics and I’ll be updating it along the way c:

Always You by KingHugin Rate: E | 30/30

“Just another villain Deku AU no one asked for. Katsuki had always been one of the best heroes of his time - or so he thought. That is until he runs into an old rival who he would rather kill then try to save, unfortunately it does not go the way Katsuki planned. Now trapped in enemy territory Katsuki must learn what it is to be a hero when all the odds are stacked against him. Maybe he could even save someone along the way.”

One of my favorites tbh, if you’re looking for villain deku I highly recommend.

Random line I highlighted: "You're so tense Kacchan" Deku whispered, voice a low purr against Katsuki's cheek. AND I OOP-

Much Ado About Guard Dogs by tumbleweedchaser Rate: E | 15/15

"Pro hero Ground Zero's apartment has just been crushed flat by Mt. Lady, but his boss, Fat Gum, sets him up with a sweet body guard gig that comes with free housing, food, and 24/7 access to the world's foremost genius of support gear. The only problem? Said scientist is being targeted by the League of Villains. Oh, and it's Midoriya Izuku--the kid he hasn't seen since telling the boy to take a swan dive off the roof of their middle school"

Also a good fic, genius inventor deku and pro hero bkg, angst ...(tbh I vaguely remember the fics I read but I most likely enjoyed these ones cos I have so many notes and I marked them with hearts)

Random line I highlighted: "Stop pretending like you give a shit about me," Midoriya spat out.

To Win You Again (with trembling hands) by DoesItSaySassOnMyUniform Rate: E | 2/2

"Every night he feels it - hands that are warm caress his skin, and lips that are too soft drag down his throat. At night, Bakugou can pretend that Deku is someone he can love. And then wakes up."

pining bkg is best bkg in my opinion, i just love that peppering of angst that comes with it

Random line I highlighted: "You're an idiot Izuku," He says, before his eyes slip shut against his will.

Here here, my friends and me (You are my familia) by Jeka Rate: T+ | 12/12

"Bakugou Katsuki has made a great job of ignoring the fact that he is tragically in love with Deku, someone who could never love him like that and let's face it, he doesn't deserve. Now that he can't ignore it anymore, he has to find a way to keep his childhood friend and move on for his own sake. Or so he had thought, maybe he can have Deku, after all. Izuku has everything he always wanted in life. But suddenly he has to navigate the most important relationship in his life through different eyes. This is a story about Deku and Ground Zero as a hero duo and their shenanigans while they fall in love."

Jealous izuku is the kind of air i breathe to survive okay like, it just hits different. I love this fic so much okay like you don't understand I liked it

Random line I highlighted: "Are you asking if I'm strategically placing one of my grenades in a delicate spot?" He winked at Deku and mimicked the pose.

The Devil Ships ZeKu by xairylle (incomplete) Rate: E | 29/?

"Midoriya Izuku knew what fanfiction was. He just didn't think there was something like THIS out there. About him and Kacchan no less."

This fic was an absolute chatoic mess and I loved every second of it

Random line I highlighted: Oh? Oh. Had his childhood friend always been this beautiful?

#bkdk #bkdk fics #fic recc #bakudeku #masterlist #bkdk masterlist #bkdk fic masterlist #ship

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tamhrayis · 4 years

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This person doesn’t deserve forgiveness

We are reaching the conclusion. AoT is ending in 2 chapters. But still...People are fighting on social media and debating that X character should die, because she/he did X thing. Fans are eating each other’s throats to prove that, for example, AnR (Akatsuki no Requiem, season 3 ED) is how the story will end or that Mikasa will kill Eren.

I am not against healthy debates (I love them tho), because people have rights to express their opinions and views (ofc, if it’s in a friendly way without humiliating the other party). However, saying that X character is bad, because she/he killed my favorite character and Isayama must kill her/him off...Are we really reading the same story? Is it a thing that Isayama wants to teach us?

Attack on Titan is one the of the greatest stories that I have ever read (not even a(n) anime/manga, but as a piece of literature). I love how Isayama used a simple idea (revenge), and turned into such a mesmerizing and complex story. However, behind this complex plot, unexpected plot twists, hot characters and gorgeous art, there’s a theme that some fans really miss.

The whole theme of Attack on Titan is not about choosing the best way to get revenge on someone or act upon your feelings. It’s about how perspective can twist things. Perspective can change a whole perception on the situation.

One of the best examples is the story of Ymir Fritz. She was a slave girl, who accidentally acquired titan powers, used by king to expand Eldian empire, bore king’s children and eventually died from a speare. From Eldians’ perspective she was a goddess, her blood was saint and her descendants became royal bloods. But from Marleyans’ view she was a demon, an evil creature, who oppressed everyone.

In reality, she just was an unhappy young girl, who had no freedom on her own and was exploited in the worst ways possible. She wasn’t a goddess. She wasn’t a demon. She was just a person, who faced certain circumstances and died in pain.

Another a very trendy example is Gabi Braun. I know, I know, you may disagree with me, but if Isayama has started a story from Marley’s side, we would actually hate Sasha for killing guards and be happy for her death. But since the story has started from Eldia’s side, many people hated Gabi for her arrogant attitude. They even hated her more than any other character in the story, because she killed Sasha. It’s understandable, but don’t forget the fact that Sasha also killed Marleyan guards that were close to Gabi. SC, in general, killed/were a cause (why) many officers and people, who were dear to Gabi’s heart.

Yes, Gabi acted upon her emotions and anger controlled her actions. But let’s be honest, Sasha (and SC) was guilty too. Gabi had a reason to do what she did. But did the narrative justified the murder? No. Gabi (and Falco) was beated by grown men and faced many difficulties. Kaya almost killed her. But did Gabi change? Yes, she accepted the fact that she was wrong. She understood that Sasha was precious to her friends and apologized.

The story presents many other examples on how views affect us and how we see certain things. But sadly, not everyone can understand that AoT is more than killing titans (or rumbling in the most recent case), Eren’s 24/7 angry state or who will do what.

If your favorite characters can forgive the character you hate, why can’t you at least understand that person’s perspective? Why to fall into conclusion so easily?

At this point, we could hate every character in the story solely based on their intentions, words and actions. But do we? No. Do we hate Connie for almost feeding Falco to his mother? No. Do we hate Erwin for intentionally sacrificing so many soldiers, who dedicated their hearts and truly believed him? No. Do we hate Armin for stealing everything (even his crush) from Bertholdt? No. Do we hate Eren for hurting Mikasa and beating Armin? Probably, but I, personally, don’t.

Attack on Titan has never justified certain actions, but it teaches us this:

“Hate the action, not the person”

#idk why I wrote this #but hello #I just wanted to express my thoughts 🙃#eren jaeger #mikasa ackerman #armin arlert #connie springer #sasha blouse #levi ackerman #erwin smith #reiner braun #bertholdt hoover #falco grice #gabi braun #shingeki no kyoujin #attack on titan

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nyxxhexx · 4 years

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🔮Mars in Gemini Shufflemancy Readings🔮

Read for your Sun, Moon, Rising, and Mars 🌌

Aries

Fences by Paramore

People might not understand the decisions you'll make this transit, but that's okay as long as you yourself know what you want. Others may try to make an example of you, but what's the point in keeping those people around you if it's killing you every day? You deserve the chance to fight for what you really want. You deserve the chance to love the life you live! So do something crazy and unexpected. Go after what you want. This transit is your chance, so don't let anything hold you back.

Taurus

Daydreaming by Paramore

You want to get out and make your own way in the world - so get out. It's not that simple, and yet it is. Make your dreams a reality. You are allowed to define your own meaning for what home means; you don't have to believe what someone else has told you it must be. You have the power to form your own reality around you rather than letting reality shape you. Make the changes bit by bit - they don't have to be major or all at once, but if you have the ability, you should leap. Your daydreams exist for a reason; bring them to life.

Gemini

Freeze Your Brain by Ryan McCartan and Barrett Wilbert Weed

This transit is a big one for you (for obvious reasons), so don't feel like you have to be present in it all 24/7. If you try to live in the moment nonstop, you'll start to overload yourself. Pull back when you need to; it's okay to take a break from it all. Find distractions, but don't let them take over your life. Know when it's time to return to the real world, or you could get stuck there. Coping mechanisms are a normal part of life so long as they're healthy, so analyze yours: Do they hurt you more than they help you? If so, this transit is a good time to find new ones.

Cancer

Be Alone by Paramore

Are you comfortable with being by yourself? Sit for a second and really ask yourself. Does silence make you uncomfortable, or does it make you feel like you've done something wrong? Like people have trouble being around you? This transit, it's time to rewire that part of your brain. There's nothing wrong with being alone! It doesn't mean you've upset anyone, and it doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you - sometimes people are just busy, and it's time to spend some time with yourself. It can be an important part of self-care, so find the wonderful parts of being by yourself and embrace them! Changing your mindset on the subject will make coping with it so much easier, so put some real work towards it while Mars is in Gemini!

Leo

I HATE EVERYBODY by Halsey

No, you don't, Leo. But during this transit it might feel like it sometimes. You may think it's easier to pretend like your feelings are locked behind glass than to let yourself be vulnerable around people you love, but is the pain you cause yourself in the process worth it? You don't need that person's love to feel worth something, but that doesn't mean you don't deserve love. Let your guard down. Be vulnerable with people. Open yourself up to something new. This insistence on creating your own future is biting back this time, so stop trying to force things and surrender to the universe. Go with the flow for now; you won't find what you're looking for if you keep yourself cut off from your feelings. You won't find self-love in anyone but yourself.

Virgo

The (Shipped) Gold Standard by Fall Out Boy

Why are you holding yourself back? Why are you so afraid of what others think of you? You're in your own way, and it's time to get out of that pattern this transit. You are responsible for what happens in your own life to a certain extent. Not everything can be blamed on the world when so much is shaped by the way you react to it. Either resist the urge to run and face things head on, or ghost the situation completely - which one can you stomach more?

Libra

Glow in the Dark by Skylar Grey

You've spent so long trying to keep the peace and make everyone happy, but now it's time to stand out and be your true self. Embrace the aesthetic you've always dreamt of this transit and be who you are without fear of anyone else. It'll be scary at first, and of course you need to stay safe at all costs, but you can't keep putting off being who you need to be forever. Make yourself heard, and don't let anybody minimize you or your worth in any way. You are deserving of every bit of love as your true self, not just as who people want you to be.

Scorpio

Safety Net by Framing Hanley

Rely on other people this transit. It can be just one trusted person if you need, but three is really best. You don't have to deal with everything on your own, so why do you try to? When you're struggling through something, you don't have to do it alone. You are allowed to ask for help, but you'll have to open up to other people to do that. Trust that the pros outweigh the cons - after all, you can still remain mysterious, even if you ask for help. Fall back on others when you need to, then get right back up and keep going. You aren't any weaker just because you let others catch you. On the contrary, vulnerability takes strength; it requires trust that others won't use your weak moments against you. If you don't have it already, this transit will help you start developing it. It might be a shock to your perfectly honed system, but trust that this new evolution in your tactics is for the best. You'll come out the other side stronger, so bear with it for now; you'll be appreciative when it's all over - and you'll be that much closer with the people you can trust.

Sagittarius

Save Myself from Me by New Years Day

You need to get out of your own head before it tears you apart. As this transit opposes your natal placement, the Mars energy will start to become more and more apparent in your life. You're used to freedom, but as we approach a full year in quarantine, it's hard not to feel stifled, like things will never get back to normal. You need to change your perspective and find little ways to get out of your own head each and every day. Find freedom in new (safe) ways, even if it's just driving for a while. You're your own worst enemy as long as you're trapped inside. I promise there's a way out; you just have to find it.

Capricorn

Dancing's Not a Crime by Panic! at the Disco

This transit will be better with a partner in crime - after all, Gemini is the sign of twins. Don't be afraid to assert yourself to make friends! Just make sure you're not too aggressive about it. It's okay to express your interest in people in a straightforward way. You do everything else that way, so what's the difference? If they don't feel the same way about you, friendship, romance, or otherwise, then just move on. It's no skin off your back, and at least now you know! Let yourself feel the passion of this transit, and more than anything else, let yourself enjoy it.

63 notes · View notes

snowdice · 3 years

Text

Big Bang (Sort of) Editing Story [Day 63]

I started writing this fic while editing my Big Bang story, but am going to continue doing it for other things now that Kill Dear is out. I will write and publish 100 words of the story every time I finish doing whatever task I’m doing. If you’d like to block these proceedings, please feel free to block the tag proofread stories. I will reblog this post with the parts of the story I do today. Edited chapters are linked; everything else I’ve done so far is under the cut.

My Master Post Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27 Part 28 Part 29

Let’s do some of this tonight.

Chapter 29

Virgil finished eating the breakfast Patton’s mom had sent for him. It had been going on a week since they’d discussed making menus for him him. She sent up little cards with each meal and he was supposed to rate each thing she sent on a scale from 1-5. Logan would read it to him before he ate, and Virgil would mark the little box on the card corresponding to his opinion. Usually, he would put a 4 for everything (he had tried to do 5, but Logan had told him 5 was reserved for things like chicken alfredo). Three was for things that he was neutral on, 2 was for things he didn’t like but could tolerate, and 1 was for things he didn’t like. So far, the only 3 was the unseasoned porridge she’d sent one day. Yet, putting toppings on it like cinnamon and sugar and different fruits had increased its rating easily.

“Finished?” Logan asked.

“Yeah,” Virgil said.

“What would you like to do today?” Logan asked. “Patton is busy until after lunch, and then we thought you might like to go back to the garden again. It’s supposed to drop in temperature over the next few days, so it will be the last good day for it.”

“Sounds good,” Virgil said. “I don’t care what we do today though. What do you want to do?”

Logan made an expression, and Virgil titled his head. “I don’t have anything in particular I want to do,” he said.

“You’re lying,” Virgil said immediately.

“You would not be interested in the activity I wish to partake in,” Logan said.

Virgil squinted at him. “I’d be interested in laying on the ground and staring at the ceiling.”

Logan chuckled. “No, truly. The activity I would do if you were not present would involve reading.”

“You can read to me,” Virgil suggested.

“…In Sanskrit.”

Virgil frowned at him. “Isn’t that, like, some sort of dead language?”

“It is,” Logan said. “I taught the language to myself in order to read a specific book called the Pragilium Text. It’s an encoded book that leads to a magical location that I have been trying to decode for years.”

“That’s fine,” Virgil said. “You can do that.”

“It would be in the library,” Logan said.

“Okay.”

“But…” Logan said. “It would in no way be interesting to you.”

Virgil shrugged. “Like I said. I’m content to lie on the floor for a few hours.”

Logan frowned. “I can’t make you do that.”

“You wouldn’t be making me,” Virgil said. “I want to go. Maybe you can find me an easy book I could try to read?”

“Are you certain?” he asked.

Virgil nodded, decisively.

“Very well, get dressed and I will show you the library.”

Virgil stood to do so and a few minutes later, Logan was leading him out of the royal wing.

Both of the guards greeted him kindly, and Virgil hunched his shoulders in a bit, but said a soft “hi.”

The library didn’t end up being too far away. It was through the small dining hall and to the left where the staircase to the kitchen was to the right.

“This is not the main library,” Logan said when they entered. “It is just a smaller one. The royal librarian comes here only about once a week to organize. Some other castle residents might come in too, but it is usually mostly empty.”

Virgil could tell just by listening closely for a few seconds that the place was likely empty (unless someone was lying in wait).

“I’ll look and see if there is something simple for you in case you’d like to read. You can explore a bit if you’d like,” Logan said.

Virgil nodded and stalked off into the shelves to secure the area. There were many books, not that he could quite read any of the spines. The bookcases were mostly cramped into the space. There was the open area where they’d come in with a few comfy chairs and Virgil found a desk near one of the windows. It had stacks of books including one pretty large and old one. He looked at it curiously.

Virgil heard Logan’s footsteps approach from down an aisle. “That’s the Pragilium text,” he said.

“It’s pretty,” Virgil said, looking at the design etched into the cover.

“Yes,” Logan agreed. He reached forward to touch it and opened it carefully. The print was small and didn’t look like the letters Logan had taught him so far. There was a small map on the side that Virgil could at least guess at the meaning of.

“You can read that?” Virgil asked.

“I can,” Logan said. “Very few people can though.”

“Wow, you’re really smart.”

“Thank you,” Logan said with a smile. “Now, I found you a book. I apologize as its subject matter is for younger children, but it has many pictures that can help give you context when you don’t know something. You don’t have to read it if you do not wish to, especially as we haven’t gotten very far in our lessons, but I thought you might like the challenge.

He handed him the book and Virgil took it with a smile. “I’ll try to read it,” he said.

“Well, you have free reign of the library. Feel free to continue to explore and to interrupt me if you need to.”

Virgil nodded and took the book before deciding to finish his sweep of the library. It turned out that appearances were not deceiving, and the library truly was empty. Once he was certain about that, he looked around for a comfortable place to settle down and try to read the book Logan had handed him. He found a sturdy looking bookshelf near where Logan was reading at his desk. He scaled it quickly. It was a little bit dusty at the top, but it wasn’t a bad place. It was close to the ceiling and kept him hidden pretty well, but still gave him enough room to pop up onto his elbows. If he looked left, he could see Logan down below with his eyes trained on the book, but if he looked right, he could see the entrance to the library.

He pulled the book in front of him and looked at the cover. It was covered in drawings of different colored flowers. One simple white flower was in the center and there were three words on the cover. He squinted at it and silently tried to sound it out based on what Logan had taught him so far. He could guess that the larger word was ‘flowers’ based on context. So, he was pretty sure it read How Flowers Grow.

He flipped open the book. Logan was right, there were many hand drawn beautiful pictures. He could pretty much understand what was happening just from them even if he couldn’t read all of the words.

It was an interesting book even if he couldn’t read it and it was obviously made for small children. Judging by the pictures, it seemed to be detailing how plants, or at least, flowers grew through some kid planting and caring for a flower over the course of some amount of time.

Virgil had, of course, known flowers grew from seeds, but it was interesting to see things about how the stem would pop out of the seed in the ground and things about the roots growing.

He more looked through the pictures than read it the first time but had flipped back to the front to try to read the words when he heard the library door open.

Virgil perked up in awareness, but then settled when he recognized Patton’s footsteps. Virgil tilted his head to watch as he walked directly to Logan’s hideaway.

“Hi,” he said, gaining Logan’s attention.

“Hello, Patton,” Logan replied. He glanced at the window and must have seen that time had passed because he closed his book and shuffled his papers.

“The guards said you came here,” Patton said, glancing around. “Where’s Virgil?”

Instead of letting Logan answer that question, Virgil pulled himself forward, with the book in one hand and slid off the bookshelf to land lightly on his feet next to Patton.

Patton screamed briefly before slapping a hand over his mouth.

Logan had placed his hand over his heart. “Where on Earth did you come from?” he asked.

Virgil blinked at him and then pointed to the bookshelf he’d been on top of.

“How long were you up there?” Logan asked.

“Pretty much the whole time,” Virgil answered.

“I…” Logan said. “I didn’t even know.”

Virgil squinted at him. “You need to learn to look up.”

Patton giggled.

Virgil turned on him. “You need to learn to case the area.”

“Oh honey, your shirt is all covered in dust,” Patton said instead of responding to his very valid criticism. Virgil frowned. “Let’s get you changed and then go grab some lunch.”

“Lunch?” Virgil asked.

Patton chuckled and grabbed his hand. “Yes, sweetie, lunch. Then garden.”

“Fine,” Virgil said. “But you do need to learn to be more observant.

“Yes, yes, whatever you say,” Patton said.

Logan just rolled his eyes.

Chapter 30

After lunch, Patton and Logan took Virgil out into the garden to walk around. They let Virgil lead them around wherever he wanted to in the garden. A bunch more flowers had died since the last time they’d been out here, and Patton felt sad despite having never felt very sad about that sort of thing before. But, Virgil seemed to really like the flower he’d found last time, so Patton thought he was probably sad on the boy’s behalf.

Of course, Patton thought, perking up, eventually it would be spring, and Virgil could get to not only see flowers but see all of the flowers grow. Patton couldn’t wait to see him amongst the garden then.

Virgil took them wandering through the orchard for a while, but most of the trees had been stripped of their fruits. They ended up in the food garden after a bit, and Virgil finally seemed to decide on the direction instead of just ambling about.

A few seconds after Patton noticed Virgil seemingly decide on a destination, Patton noticed Mr. Deknis kneeling on the ground a few feet away. Had… had Virgil been looking for him? Patton wondered. That was adorable.

Mr. Deknis looked up as they approached and smiled at them.

“Hello, Mr. Deknis,” Patton said as they came closer.

“Hello you three,” Mr. Deknis said. “Getting into trouble?”

“No,” Virgil said, shaking his head.

Mr. Deknis gave him a flash of a smile. “I know, I’m joking,” he said. “Especially since there isn’t much left in my gardens for certain princes to destroy with experiments.”

“Oh, okay,” Virgil said. He tilted his head. “What are you doing?”

“I’m getting the last of the acorn squash out,” Mr. Deknis replied. “It’s the last crop to get finished. Good thing too, it’s supposed to start snowing soon.”

Virgil looked down curiously at the dark green squash.

“Would you like to help me pick a couple?” Mr. Deknis asked.

“Sure,” Virgil said, sounding interested. Mr. Deknis patted the ground beside him and Virgil knelt down to watch him.

“They’re not too difficult to harvest,” he said. “You just cut the fruit off the stem. You want to leave about a hand’s width of the stem left over which will help preserve moisture. The earlier harvests, I left in the field to cure in the sun for a couple weeks, but the frost’ll ruin them so we’ll take them inside the green house and let them sit in the sun for a bit there. We also want to keep the leaves. You’ll probably be eating those for dinner tonight since they have to be cooked up within about 24 hours after they’re picked. Patton’s mom makes a good side dish with them and she’ll be making some curry tomorrow, probably. Maybe some stew if there are some leftover.”

“Put the squash in this wheelbarrow and the leaves into this pile, okay?” Virgil nodded and Mr. Deknis handed him the extra pair of gloves and shears he carried with him in case one set broke. “These might be a bit big on your, but they should work for now.”

Mr. Deknis looked up at Patton and Logan. “Would the two of you like to help?” he asked. “I can get some more equipment.”

“I can help out if you want, but you don’t need to stop and get more equipment just for me,” Patton said.

“The same for me,” Logan said.

“Well, if you’d like to help still, you can sort the leave. Give your mother a head start.”

“Sure,” Patton said. He and Logan went to do that while Mr. Deknis and Virgil worked on cutting the squashes from the vine.

“What do you do during the winter?” Virgil asked curiously. “If this is your last crop.”

“Well, at the beginning, I mostly will be working on making sure things are stored correctly along with some of the kitchen staff. There’s some drying to do and some canning. After that’s done, I’ll spend some time organizing and planning. Then, before the spring comes, I’ll start preparing seedlings in the green house.”

“Seedlings?” he asked.

“I let seeds start to grow in the greenhouse that I replant once it gets warm enough.”

“Why don’t you just plant them where they’re going?”

“I do for some,” he said, “but giving some a head start is good for them.”

Patton watched as Virgil continued to ask questions about gardening while working on harvesting the squash. Mr. Deknis continued to answer them in a calm, soft tone that Patton didn’t think he’d ever heard from the often gruff man before.

Patton wasn’t surprised when, after finishing getting most of the squash off of the vine, Mr. Deknis asked if Virgil wanted to help him with canning some pears in a couple of days. Virgil immediately looked over at Logan and Patton as though asking permission.

“Say yes if you want to Virgil,” Logan said.

“Yes,” Virgil said as soon as he was given permission. Mr. Deknis smiled at him softly and started loading the last of the squash into the wheelbarrow. Patton offered to run the squash leaves to the kitchen while Logan and Virgil helped Mr. Deknis take the actual squash to the green house.

He dropped the leaves off to a kitchen worker since Mama was busy and headed back out to the garden. By the time he returned, Logan was already back from the green house and sitting by one of the more decorative trees near the castle.

“He’s exploring,” Logan said, nodding at the large patch of bushes.

Patton chuckled. “I see.” He sat next to Logan. Every so often he’d hear the bushes rustle, but he couldn’t tell if it was actually Virgil or an animal.

“He’s adorable,” Patton commented, keeping an ear out.

Logan hummed.

“I’m glad we kept him.”

“He isn’t a pet, Patton.”

Patton rolled his eyes. “I know, but I’m still glad. I’m glad he’s making friends with Mr. Deknis. Once he knows how to read better, we should get him a book about gardening. He seems interested.”

Logan nodded. “Having a hobby would be good for him. Clearly he has a fascination with the garden.” He nodded to the blur of dark hair that could be seen through the bushes. It seemed Virgil had stopped his exploration and was now laying down in the bushes a few feet away.

“I’m going to go see what he’s doing,” Patton said. “I’ll be right back.”

Logan nodded and Patton got to his feet. The bushes were part of a small maze that was filled with flowers during the spring and summer months but were mostly just green and brown bushes for now. Despite the fact that Patton had been able to see him only a few feet away, it took him a while to wind through the path to where he was. When he finally turned the last corner and he came into view, Patton gasped softly.

“Ghost kitty!” he said, making sure to make his voice as quiet as possible.

Despite how soft he made his voice, two pairs of eyes shot over to him. The completely black kitten was perched on Virgil’s lap like she belonged there. Ghost Kitty hissed slightly, but Virgil reached forward to pet her head gently.

“This is Ghost Kitty?” Virgil asked. “I thought you said she was hard to pet.”

“She is,” Patton said. He lowered himself onto the ground from a few feet away from them. “How did you get her to come to you?”

Virgil glanced down at the cat and shrugged, scratching one of her ears. “She just came over to me and let me pet her.”

“Wow,” Patton said softly. He looked at the cat. “Could I pet you sweetie?” he asked, holding out a hand in her direction. She hissed again.

Virgil frowned down at her. “It’s Patton,” he said as though he expected to understand his words and the exasperation in the tone he said them in.

He pet the cat’s head to soothe her and then reached over to grab Patton’s hand. He pulled and Patton carefully leaned a bit closer until his hand was within sniffing distance. Ghost Kitty sniffed his fingers contemplatively and then bumped her head against it. He barely restrained a squeal, knowing that probably wouldn’t be taken well.

He carefully turned his hand over so he could stroke the top of her head. He gently scratched her ear, not daring to go for under her chin yet since she didn’t know him well. “Hi,” he said softly. After a moment, she started to purr softly. Virgil reached over and scratched under her chin and she purred louder. “Oh, you’re a good girl,” Patton breathed, letting a hand trail gently down her back once and then again. Patton settled himself carefully into a seating position continuing to pet her. After a few more moments of soft petting, she hesitantly stepped her front paws onto Patton’s thigh so she was sitting in both of their laps. Patton laughed softly. “Hi sweetie.” He glanced over at Virgil who had a wide smile on his face as he pet the cat. This. This was adorable. They continued to pet the cat for a very long time.

Chapter 31

Logan waited for a while after Patton left to check on Virgil, but the two never resurfaced. It was odd, Patton would usually remember to come back and get Logan or at least tell them where they were. With a sigh, Logan climbed to his feet to go find them. It took him a while to weave his way through the maze of bushes to them especially because they were suspiciously quiet (Well, suspicious for Patton. Virgil was often unnervingly quiet when alone.) Luckily, he knew the bushes enough after all of these years not to get lost and managed to find the two after a few minutes.

“Ah,” he said, immediately identifying the reason for Patton disappearing.

“Logan!” Patton said, his voice excited, but also quieter than normal. “We found a kitty!”

“I can see that,” Logan responded, taking a step closer. The cat hissed at him in response. The hissing was so intense and wild that he’d suspect the thing was feral if it wasn’t happily on Virgil’s lap having had it’s head in Patton’s lap before Logan had approached.

“No,” Virgil told the animal as though it could understand words. “That’s Logan. Be nice.”

The cat still glared at him and swished it’s tail back and forth threateningly. Virgil pet the top of it’s head and it broke eye contact with Logan to purr.

Patton seemed delighted by the purring, reaching to stroke under the thing’s chin carefully. “We should give her a name!” Patton said.

Virgil frowned. “I thought her name was Ghost Kitty.”

“That is ‘Ghost Kitty’?” Logan asked skeptically. From what Patton had said about that cat, it was terrified of people and no one could ever get near it, even him. Now it was in Virgil’s lap?

“But that was a temporary name,” Patton said, “for before we officially met her. Now we have to give her a real name.”

“Do not give it a name,” Logan said. “You will get attached.”

“How do you name a cat?” Virgil asked.

“Do not name it,” Logan said.

“You give them names based on their personalities, how they look, or even just because it’s a cute name,” Patton explained. “Like, remember Mittens? I named her Mittens because she has white fur and black paws!”

Virgil looked at the cat. “She’s completely black,” he said.

Patton hummed. “So, we could give her a name based on that like Midnight or Shadow.”

“Those are fine,” Virgil said.

“No, no,” Patton said. “I’m just giving you examples. You get to name her yourself.”

“This is a bad idea,” Logan said.

“Just throw out some names,” Patton said. “Anything you can think of.”

“Uh,” Virgil said. “Knife.”

“…Just Knife?” Patton asked.

“Nightmare.” Virgil seemed to think about it. “No, that’s mean.”

“How about things you like?” Patton suggested.

“Alfredo?”

Oh no, Logan thought, he was worse than Patton at cat naming.

“Good start,” Patton said. “Logan, do you have any suggestions.”

“Cat,” Logan said.

“Real suggestions,” Patton scolded.

Logan sighed and thought for a moment. “Aphrodite.”

“Catphrodite!”

Logan glared at him. “Helena.”

“Helenpaw.”

“Claudia.”

“Clawdia.”

“Persephone.”

Patton smiled at him, cheerfully.

“…Damnit!”

Patton turned to Virgil again. “Like that! They don’t even have to be serious. Like, uh, you could name her Madam Fluffywuffykins the Great!”

“Do not name her that,” Logan said, scrunching up his nose.

Logan sat on the ground, the cat eyeing him, but no longer hissing. Logan gently guided them towards more sensible names despite Patton trying his hardest to drag them into stupidity.

Virgil still didn’t quite get it. He mostly tried to name it after foodstuff, and often not even appropriate foodstuff such as “Corn” and “Acorn Squash” and “Sandwich” and occasionally would drop in semi violent ones such as “Razor,” “Nightshade” and “Void.” Patton suggested names like “Fluffers,” “Bobette” and “Darling” as well as some that were puns. Logan tried to direct them towards more sensible ones like “Salem” and even went so low as to suggest the contrary “Snowball.”

It quickly seemed to become less about actually naming the cat and more of a game. Patton had taught Virgil about playing with cats and had even gotten out a ball of yarn he cared around for his crafts. Both Virgil and the cat seemed to find endless entertainment with that. Logan hoped Patton had another ball of yarn that color because, he was never going to get that ball back.

The barrage of names fizzled out into naming things around them like “Leaf” and “Bush” until they stopped suggesting names altogether. Patton and Logan sat back and watched Virgil play with the cat.

Logan watched as they stopped playing suddenly and Virgil and the cat squinted at each other. “Marisol,” Virgil said, pulling the name out of nowhere. “That’s her name.” He said it with a certainty that was surprising considering how he’d treated the naming process with confusion and caution earlier. If Logan did not know better, his tone of voice would indicate that the cat, or Marisol he guessed, had gotten bored of them coming up with stupid names and decided to tell him her actual name herself.

The cat made a sound and batted at Virgil’s face without claws to grab back his attention.

He turned back to it and bopped its face with a finger in kind. It attacked his finger, but in a clearly playful matter as it still did not extend it’s claws and its teeth did not draw blood.

“That’s a great name, Virgil,” Patton said.

“Much more pleasant than any that Patton suggested all afternoon,” Logan said. He received an elbow to the side for his quip.

“A pretty name for a pretty kitty,” Patton said, scooting over to where Virgil was sat and attempting to pet Marisol’s head. Marisol, however, was too keyed up and batted at the hand.

“I love you too!” Patton said.

Logan rolled his eyes, but he had long since resigned himself to watching the two of them play with and coo over the cat for the rest of the day.

Eventually, though, it started to get darker. Even after Logan pointed this out, it still took over an hour for them to relent and leave the bush maze to go to the door. The problem was of course, that the cat had managed to grow very attached to Virgil in the last few hours and she followed them all the way to the door with manipulatively heart breaking mews.

“You’ve got to stay out here,” Virgil said, when they got to the castle door. He pet her ear softly and she shoved her head into his hand. “I’m sorry. I don’t have anywhere to put you.” He sounded horribly sad about that fact and Logan felt himself shift uncomfortably. “I basically live in a closet and Logan doesn’t like cats in his room anyway.”

Logan immediately felt unreasonably guilty, probably more so because Logan did not think Virgil was trying to make him feel guilty. “…Bring the dammed thing inside.”

Virgil blinked up at him. “What?”

“It will get cold soon anyway,” Logan said.

He frowned at Logan from where he was crouched. “But you don’t like fur in your room…”

“I will have to find a potion that works,” he said with a sigh, “and we’ll have to say it’s mine to the guards and Father since it will be staying in my room, but it is yours in every other way. That means you are going to feed it, clean it, and clean up after it.”

Virgil nodded immediately and swooped Marisol up in his arms. The cat went without complaint. “Thank you!” he said. “I love her.”

“I know you do,” Logan said, already regretting it already. Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to even consider recanting the offer considering how happy Virgil seemed to be. They had a cat now, he guessed.

Chapter 32

“What are you doing?” Helen asked a few minutes after her son walked into the kitchen and started looking around as though he were trying to find something. It was a few hours into the afternoon, and she and a few workers were already prepping for dinner.

“Uh,” Patton said. “Have you seen Virgil?”

“No,” Helen said. “Why.”

“Er… Logan and I sorta, lost him,” Patton said. He was wringing his hands anxiously. Helen put down the knife in her hand.

“What do you mean you lost him?” she asked.

“Well, see, we were trying to teach him how to play hide and seek, um, but then we didn’t think to tell him that he eventually had to come out if we didn’t find him, and now we haven’t seen him since breakfast.”

“He didn’t know what tag is?” she asked. That was just one more thing to add to the list of why Helen worried about Virgil and where he came from. Every morsel of information she’d managed to wring from Patton despite his evasions made her lists of concerns grow larger, even little things like him not knowing about simple childhood games. Actually, thinking of concerning things having to do with Virgil. “Wait, so he hasn’t eaten lunch.”

“Um, we don’t know that,” Patton’s mouth said while his eyes said ‘no.’

“He needs to be on a consistent diet, especially when he’s still taking the malnutrition potion,” she scolded.

“I know, Mama, I know,” Patton said. “I’m trying to find him. I’d kinda hoped he’d gotten hungry and snuck down here. He probably wouldn’t want to risk being caught stealing food though.”

Helen grimaced. Yet another concerning thing.

“Wait! I have an idea, I’ll be right back.” Patton turned and ran out of the room. Helen frowned at the space he’d been and finished chopping the carrot on the cutting board in front of her. If it had been any other person in the castle missing, Helen wouldn’t have worried, but she had literally never seen Virgil without Patton and/or Logan by his side. Even when he’d gone to help Jeff can some fruit, Logan had reportedly hung around to read a book.

Considering that Logan had never exactly been clingy even with Patton, she imagined that either Virgil asked, or Logan thought he should stay with him for his comfort. So, she was surprised that he was apparently hidden away somewhere in the castle where neither of the other kids could find him.

Still thinking about this, she walked over to the entrance to the cellar below the kitchen where they stored most of the vegetables, planning to grab some more carrots. She was confused for a moment when she heard movement from deeper in the pantry. She reached over and touched the panel near the door that controlled the magic lights.

The newly illuminated figure startled as the lights came on, whipping around to stare at her with wide eyes.

“Virgil?” she asked.

“Sorry,” he said immediately, taking a step back.

“It’s fine,” she said immediately, “but what are you doing here?”

He considered her for a long moment, but apparently, she passed some sort of mental test, because he relaxed, at least as much as he’d ever relaxed in her presence. “Where are we?” he asked.

Her brow knit together. “The cellar under the kitchen,” she said, “You don’t know that?”

He shook his head.

“The only entrance is from the kitchen.” Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t seen him go through the kitchen at any point.

“No, it’s not,” Virgil said. “There’s a tunnel.”

“A-a tunnel?” she asked. Actually, taking a closer look at him, he seemed a bit grimy. He had dust all over his front and dirt on his nose. She thought he might even have a couple of cobwebs in his hair.

“Yep,” he said.

“Where’s the tunnel?” she asked.

“It’s right over here,” he said. He took a couple of steps and pointed to the ground. There was an open square hole there that clearly had been made a long time ago but which she had never noticed in all of her time working here.

“How did you find this?” she asked.

“We were playing hide and seek,” Virgil explained. “Logan said I could hide anywhere inside the castle. I hid on top of a dresser upstairs in some unused sitting room. There was a hole in the wall above it, so I climbed into it. Then, I crawled a little bit and it let out into a hidden passage in the walls. I wandered around in it until I found another hole in one of the walls. I thought it was a way out, so I squeezed into it, but it took me to a different hallway where I found an old room. There was a different hole in that room that had probably been covered by something because it was in the floor but whatever it was had rotted away. I crawled though it into a tunnel and came out here.”

She couldn’t help but laugh a bit at his explanation. “Well, it sounds like you went on an adventure,” she said, “but Patton and Logan have been trying to find you. You missed lunch.”

He tilted his head at her. “I know. I was supposed to hide.”

“Yes,” she explained, “but you are supposed to come out at some point if they can’t find you for things like food.”

“Oh,” he said.

“They probably should have explained,” she said. “For now, why don’t we get you something to eat? You must be hungry.”

Virgil frowned. “But I missed lunch.”

“You can still eat even though it’s not in normal hours,” she said. “You could even if you had made it to lunch.”

“Really?” he asked, he looked tragically confused by this offer.

“Of course, sweetie,” she said. “In fact, I insist you get something good to eat right now. How about I made you a grilled ham and cheese sandwich? Maybe some cookies too!”

Virgil titled his head. “You are Patton’s mother,” he stated.

Helen laughed softly. “He gets its all from me,” she said. “We should probably go find him and tell him you’re okay. He was worried.”

“I didn’t mean to worry him,” Virgil said with a frown.

“I know,” Helen said. “It’s okay. He’ll probably laugh when he figures out where you’ve been, and Logan will interrogate you all about the secret passageways.” He seemed happy about the prospect of seeing his friends. “Come on, let’s go upstairs for a bit,” she said.

Chapter 33

Patton’s mom had already made Virgil sit down at the small table in the corner of the kitchen and had handed him a sandwich by the time Patton barreled into the kitchen, Logan coming after him at a more sedate pace.

“Virgil!” he said, sounding surprised and relieved.

“Patton,” Patton’s mom scolded. “No cats in the kitchen.” Patton had brought Marisol in with him and had let her go as soon as he’d seen Virgil. She immediately plodded over to him and hoped onto the table to sniff at his face in greeting.

“But she’s the princess!” Patton argued.

“No,” Logan said.

“Yes, she is!” Patton said.

“The stupid cat is not a princess.”

“Don’t be mean to your little sister, Logan.”

“I regret every life decision that has led me to this point.”

While Logan and Patton were distracted squabbling and Patton’s mom was distracted watching them squabble, Virgil tore off a bit of the ham in his sandwich and offered it to Marisol. Marisol gracefully took it from his grip and ate it.

“So, this is Logan’s new cat I’ve been hearing about?” Patton’s mom asked.

“Indeed,” Logan said, his lips thinned. He and Marisol were mostly amicable when alone with just them and Virgil, but Patton had a habit of cooing over the kitten and needling Logan into being irritated.

“Mmm, yeah,” Patton’s mom said. She glanced over at Virgil right as Marisol basically slammed her face into his chin in a bid to get pets. “Your cat.” She shook her head. “But Princess Kitten or not, I do not want fur in dinner,” she said.

“Sorry,” Patton said, honestly not sounding sorry at all. Virgil was always a bit surprised when the insolent shrug garnered nothing more that a scowl that did not reach Patton’s mom’s eyes. “I thought she could help me find Virgil, but you already found him.” He turned to Virgil. “Where have you been all day?”

“Found a tunnel,” Virgil said. He had to use one hand to hold Marisol back from his sandwich as he took another bite, but then gave her a bite of cheese.

“You found what?” Logan asked.

“There’s a tunnel under the cellar,” Virgil said. “It goes to an old closed up room and also to a set of secret passageways.” It was a bit of a security risk honestly, though clearly no one had used it in years by how dirty it was. He did plan to go back into it and make sure the sprawling tunnels didn’t go to anywhere more dangerous like the royal wing.

“A closed-up room?” Logan said. He could see a bit of curiosity already building in his eyes.

“Yeah,” Virgil said. “Where the door used to be seemed like it had been bricked over.”

“Really? Can you show me.”

“Sure,” Virgil answered.

“Ah, perhaps we should be a bit more cautious about climbing through random tunnels we don’t know the stability of,” Patton’s mom said.

Logan’s frown edged on a pout.

“Talk to your father,” she said. “I’m sure he can get someone who understands these things so you can safely investigate.”

“It was safe enough for Virgil,” Logan pointed out.

“No, Logan.”

He sighed but seemed to concede. That was another strange thing about living here. By all rights Logan didn’t have to obey anyone except the king, but he often listened to those around him, not just the adults but Patton as well. It was interesting though it sometimes made the hierarchy hard to figure out. Virgil did sometimes stress out about the hypothetical situation where he got conflicting orders from two people, and he wouldn’t know which one to obey. So far it hadn’t been a problem luckily. They always seemed to work it out amongst themselves in some give and take social interaction that was a bit too complex for him to understand.

Patton walked over to where Virgil was sitting. “I’m glad your safe,” he said. “We should probably put a time limit on hide and seek in the future, so you know when to come out.”

“Did I win?” Virgil asked. He’d honestly forgotten they’d been playing a game until Patton’s mom had asked how he’d found his way into the cellar.

Patton laughed. “I’d say so, yeah,” he replied. He leaned over to kiss Virgil’s forehead, but drew back immediately with a pinched expression. “You are… very dirty,” he said, rubbing his mouth.

Virgil nodded. “Your mom made me sit on a tablecloth,” he said gesturing to the fabric she’d laid over the chair.

Patton snorted out a laugh. “We’ll get you into the bath when you’re done eating and you can tell us all about your little adventure.”

“I would also like to hear about your discoveries,” Logan said. “Though you are not allowed to sit on the bed until you do not have spider webs in your hair.”

Patton’s eyes widened and he jumped away from Virgil, startling both Virgil and Marisol. The latter hopped from the table onto Virgil’s lap. “Spiders?!”

Virgil tilted his head at him in confusion.

“He isn’t a fan of spiders,” Logan informed him, his voice amused at Patton’s reaction.

Apparently deciding that she was no longer startled, but more confused by the noises Patton had just made, Marisol jumped out of Virgil’s lap to investigate, wrapping her way around Patton’s legs. He bent down to pat her back, though he still looked a bit startled.

“Your cat, huh?” Patton’s mom asked Logan once again. Virgil studied her. She had apparently missed Logan mentioning that he allowed Virgil on the bed. Or perhaps Logan was correct in his insistence that it wasn’t actually that big of a deal here. Virgil would rather not test that assumption, however, so was glad that it had been distracted from by Patton’s outburst.

“Creepy, crawly death dealers,” Patton mumbled into Marisol’s fur, having picked her back up. Virgil made a note to not inform Patton of all of the different types of spiders he’d seen skittering around in the castle walls today. Maybe he’d talk about them with Logan once Patton left. He’d probably be interested. Virgil had seen some he’d never seen before! Logan probably could even help him figure out what their names were. “You’ll protect me, won’t you kitty?” Patton asked Marisol.

She made a little ‘burrrr’ sound in response, which Patton seemed to take a confirmation.

“Aw thank you, baby! Such a good baby.”

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Virgil popped the rest of the sandwich into his mouth. Patton’s mom turned away and grabbed a plate stacked with cookies. She handed it to Logan. “Take these, and please get the health hazards out of my kitchen,” she requested.

Logan took them without complaint. “Come on, Virgil,” he said. “Let’s go get you clean.”

“We’re going to need so much soap,” Patton said.

Virgil looked down at himself. “I can go outside and get most of it off if you get me a bucket of water,” he offered.

“Virgil, it’s below freezing,” Logan said as though that had a baring on what he’d just said. Logan sighed. “No. Bathtub.” Virgil shrugged. “Honestly,” Logan said. He turned with the plate of cookies in his hand, clearly expecting to be followed. “You’re not going to catch your death pouring a bucket of water over yourself in the cold when there are literally over a hundred perfectly good bathtubs in this castle. For goodness sakes.” And well, Virgil wasn’t going to complain.

Chapter 34

Patton, to be completely honest, was not all that interested in the room that Virgil had found. Beyond just the fact that it would definitely have creepy crawly death dealers in it, he really did not understand the intrigue. If it had just been him, he probably would have just let a castle worker deal with it, but it was not just him. Logan was ecstatic with the prospect of investigating a secret in the castle. People who didn’t know him well may not believe it considering he spent most of his time with his nose in a book, but he was an adventurer at heart.

Thomas had been easily swayed into finding someone to help tear down part of the wall into the secret tunnel near the room (so no one would have to crawl through the kitchen cellar like Virgil). It had taken a few days, however, and Logan was practically bouncing off the walls waiting. Virgil, despite having already seen the room before, also seemed excited, though if that was because of his own curiosity or because he was just excited that Logan seemed so exited remained to be seen.

“They are silly, aren’t they,” Patton asked Princess Marisol. He was laying on his stomach on Logan’s bed and Princess Marisol had just put her little paw on his nose.

“Yes, I agree,” he said. “Don’t they know that we’re literally going to be 2 feet away from the normal hallway?”

“It is not silly,” Logan defended himself. “Any number of things could go wrong.” He sounded far too excited about the prospect of something going terribly wrong. “The tunnels could cave in and block off the exit or there could be some unknown pathogen in the air.”

Patton did not ruin his fun by mentioning that Logan’s dad had definitely basically baby proofed the tunnels for them ahead of time. Instead, he just said, “Don’t let Virgil hear you say that sort of thing. It will just stress him out.”

“Yes, yes, of course,” he said, waving off Patton’s concerns as he mulled over two different weird green planty things (potion ingredients, Patton assumed) before setting one aside and sticking the other in his bag.

“So silly,” Patton cooed at the cat. Logan let out a huff but did not choose to say anything about it this time.

Speaking of silly, Virgil came back from Logan’s bathroom then, and Patton tried not to giggle. “Is this right?” Virgil asked, sounding and looking confused. Logan, in his overexcitement about adventure had commissioned Virgil an outfit that actually fit. Said outfit, however, very much made it look more like Virgil was going on a safari instead of a two-foot detour from the normal castle hallway.

“Almost,” Logan said, “Here, let me.” Logan started straightening everything out and flattening the collar, reminding Patton of an overbearing parent on picture day. Virgil accepted the fussing without protest. It was adorable. Well, the outfit was ridiculous, but still, adorable. “There,” Logan said. “I think we’re ready to go now.”

It was about time. Patton was sure people were already waiting for them downstairs. Patton got up and patted Princess Marisol on the head. She looked up at them with interest.

“You can stay here, sweetie,” Patton told here. She seemed to consider it and then hopped down from the bed to go rub up against Virgil.

Patton guessed she was coming. It didn’t matter too much since Logan had given her a magical collar that allowed her to open most doors in the castle and everyone knew she was the royal cat now, so if she decided she wanted to come back to the room and nap, she could. (She was very aware of the power she held.)

She pranced happily by Virgil’s side all the way down the steps to the first floor of the castle. She was such a good kitty.

Well, she did hiss angrily at everyone who came too close to them, but still, a very good kitty.

Patton did lean down and pick her up so they could actually talk to the man waiting for them at the large hole in the wall. Logan went to talk to the castle worker while Virgil half hid behind Patton. He was clearly listening very intently to the conversation however, at least more intently than Patton was. Patton was busy shaking his head fondly.

“Yes, yes, Princess,” he said to the cat. “I know we do not trust the strangers, but I promise this stranger is perfectly safe.”

“How do you know?” Virgil asked.

“His name is Chester and I’ve known him since I was 9.”

This seemed to slightly alleviate Virgil’s suspicion, but Princess Marisol still seemed antsy. Patton really needed to start slowly introducing the both of them to more people.

Logan finished talking with Chester after a few moments and it was time to climb through the hole in the wall. He wished he saw in the tunnel whatever Logan with his excited eyes and bounce to his step obviously saw. Or even that was more comfortable in the dark closed in space as Virgil obviously was. As it was, Patton’s nose scrunched up at the thought off all of the spiders that could be living everywhere in the secret tunnel, but he pushed through.

The entrance to the tunnel had been made only a little bit from the room Virgil had mentioned and Chester had led them through it after only a couple of seconds. As Patton had suspected, the room was already lit up and probably cleaned a little bit by the people who had cut into the wall, not that he was complaining.

Virgil was still clinging a bit to Patton’s shirt, though it seemed to be less out of anxiety at this point and more out of a desire to stick close. He was peering around curiously at the lit-up space. He probably hadn’t seen much of it in the dark when he’d been here before.

Yet, his curiosity was nothing compared to how excited Logan seemed to be. Now Patton may have not been interested in the room itself, but he was entertained by how interested Logan was and was happy to encourage that.

“What do you think this place is?” he asked Logan.

Logan hummed contemplatively, eyes looking around. “Well,” he said. “It’s a bedroom clearly, and old. Considering the location it is in in the castle, the size, the decorations, and it’s likely age, I’d imagine it was a bedroom of a royal family member. This used to be the royal wing three royal lines ago.”

“Bearing that in mind, there are a couple of likely possibilities for the origin of the room as well as the reason it was sealed up, but we will need to investigate more in order to come to an actual conclusion.” He had already placed the bag he’d brought on the ground and was going through it, pulling out things that Patton did not recognize. He also got a piece of paper and sat on the floor to start to sketch.

“What are you doing?” Virgil asked.

“I’m sketching the floorplan of the room,” Logan said. “I will then put a grid on it so we can investigate while being sure that we aren’t missing anything.”

Virgil seemed uninterested in this part of the adventure, instead electing to go poking around by himself. Princess Marisol squirmed out of Patton’s arms to go follow him. Patton swore that he only looked away from those two for 5 seconds, but the next thing he knew he heard metal clicking against metal.

“Oh,” Patton said, eyes wide when he saw what Virgil was fiddling with. “Honey, you probably shouldn’t touch…”

The old but fancy looking chest that had been at the end of the remains of the bed creaked open. Virgil sneezed as a cloud of dust puffed out of it. “Huh,” he said studying the contents. “There’s a skull in here.”

“Oh, I don’t like this adventure anymore,” Patton commented.

Logan was on his feet within moments. “Let me see,” he said eagerly.

“What if it’s cursed?” Patton pointed out.

“Then I’ll just break the curse,” Logan waved him off. “Oh, it’s just a horse skull,” Logan said, sounding disappointed. “And also what seemed to be potion ingredients. Though they seem very fresh considering the state of the room.”

“Maybe we should get someone else to…”

Logan already had both arms inside the chest and was pulling things out of it. “This chest must have some sort of stasis effect to it.”

He started pulling things out to look at them before setting them on the floor with no caution. “Well,” he said, “that answers the question of what this room is.”

“It does?” Patton asked.

“Ah, yes, between the horse skull and the potion ingredients, this is obviously the bedroom of Princess Marianne Elicia. She was the third child of King Simon IV and was quite the fan of horses.”

“…So she kept a horse skull in a stasis chest in her bedroom?” Patton asked.

“Of course,” Logan said. “Back when her family was in power, magic was outlawed and had quite the stigma against it, but she ended up learning magic and become quite proficient.”

“It’s debated what exactly happened when her father found out about her activities. Some sources say that she was executed silently by her father, but others say she managed to escape with the head of the stables but not before putting a curse on the country of Prijaznia. That is until she or one of her bloodline sits on the throne, every royal line will end in madness and blood by the 5th seated monarch before an heir is born.”

“Isn’t that something you should be worried about?” Virgil asked.

Logan shrugged. “It’s just a myth,” he said. “Besides I’m 6th in the line, so there really isn’t any concern.”

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“There are a lot of interesting things in here,” Logan said, still focused on the chest. “Not to mention the books. We’ll have to be careful with those though since they don’t appear to be in stasis.”

Logan pulled the horse skull out and set it on the floor making Patton wince.

“Marisol no!” he said as Princess Marisol immediately went to go sniff at it. He swooped her up in his arms. “How long are we staying in this creepy room?” Patton asked.

“Patton, we just got here,” Logan said.

“We just got here and already found a skull!”

“Yes! Exactly!”

Patton groaned into Princess Marisol’s fur even as she tried wiggle away to go back and investigate the skull. This was going to be a long day.

Chapter 35

Logan was surprised when he woke up alone in bed. He’d grown to anticipate waking to a smaller body unrelentingly clinging to his in the past couple of weeks. Confused he sat up and peered around his bedroom. He wouldn’t have seen Virgil with the way he melted into the darkness if it he hadn’t heard the sound of purring coming from near the window. He could just barely make out a dark blob shifting up and down at the cat kneaded at a different blob sitting mostly hidden behind the thick curtain.

“Virgil?” Logan questioned. “What are you doing?”

“It’s snowing,” was the answer.

“That is not an answer,” Logan grumbled at the ceiling. With a sigh, he pulled himself out of bed. It was a bit chilly in here, he thought. The temperature must have dipped suddenly and intensely enough that the runes keeping the castle at a warm enough temperature hadn’t caught up yet. He pulled one of the blankets off of the top of his bed to wrap around his shoulders as he approached the window. There wasn’t much light outside, the stars and moon covered by clouds, but there were some lanterns lit for the night guard who patrolled the outside. “Oh,” he said in surprise. “It’s really snowing.”

It had been colder but not quite cold enough for snow to stick the day before, so it came as a surprise when he saw snow was piling up quite high to the point where familiar paths outside his window had disappeared.

“I don’t like it,” Virgil informed him.

“Why not?” Logan asked.

“It’s cold,” Virgil answered. It was clear in his tone that in Virgil’s opinion ‘cold’ was a horrible insult to the concept of snow. Logan quirked a half smile and his attention was drawn to the fact that it was quite cold right here close to the window.

#proofread stories #not writing

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