#one to two year plan
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2high4thissouthernenby · 2 years ago
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New nearer future plans. But a nice little storage shed for outside to start going through my stuff and organizing things to sell, donate, or trash. After that, I want to get one of those free standing metal car ports. If one of us backs in, my partner and I won't have to get out in the rain or snow immediately. That way we can situate keys and bags.
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akanemnon · 3 months ago
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I don't like this place. It's turning everyone edgy and sad.
FIRST - PREVIOUS - NEXT
MASTERPOST (for the full series / FAQ / reference sheets)
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dizzybizz · 1 year ago
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KAEYA BIRTHDAY ??? ?? i love you mr alberich sir i love you oh so so so much.
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uh dialogue for this one but more legible under the cut (and a messy ragbros page)
Klee: Kaeya! Come down here! Kaeya: Oh? heh. What is it, Spark Knight?
Klee: Happy Birthday! It is today? Right? I even double-checked with Albedo and everything but I don't know... Klee: It's a Calla Lily! You like those, right? Kaeya: I certainly do! Thank y- Klee: Oh. Klee: OK OK OK- Kaeya: Hm? Klee: Kaeya you have to promise to not tell Master Jean about this one! Kaeya: You can count on me to keep my lips sealed.
Klee: OK! Close your eyes- eye- and hold out your hands! Kaeya: Mhm! Klee: OK! You can open them! TA-DA~!
Klee: I made a bomb for you! It even has an eyepatch! He can look after you when I'm somewhere else. Take good care of him! Oh yeah- He explodes if you- Kaeya?
Kaeya: Thank you Klee! Thank you very much! Klee: You're VERY welcome Kaeya!
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a lil ragbros too.... kaeya and his red siblings amirite (bursts into tears).. also i am so obsessed with chibi diluc saying "bring em in..."
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pangur-and-grim · 1 year ago
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he is magnetically attracted to blankets and pillows
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moeblob · 3 months ago
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I love them! So much!
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skeletoninthemelonland · 1 year ago
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a glimpse of what their early dynamic looks like
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politicalprocrastinator · 1 year ago
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Also to everyone saying what's the doctor doing at the club I need you to understand that the FIRST doctor literally met his companion at the club
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reineydraws · 7 months ago
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i have this fic series i'm still working on where mihawk sort of becomes rayleigh's kid and spends ages 11-17ish on the oro jackson.
shanks and buggy imprint on him (bugs considers him a sort of older brother figure/sparring inspiration and shanks has a crush that eventually turns into full-blown love) and this is how i imagine they're like on the day mihawk sets off on his own haha.
#fic recs#dracule mihawk#akataka#mishanks#buggy#buggy the clown#shanks#akagami no shanks#red haired shanks#one piece#one piece fanart#op fanart#clearly my workaround to 'i should be working on my deadlines instead of doodling mishanks' is to finger-draw on my phone instead#on the plus side i'll never be tempted to go and fully render what was supposed to be a sketch#on the minus side i'm wondering if drawing with my finger takes up the same amount of time anyways.........#smh#anyways in this au i have this part planned where after shankd and buggy get into a fight over the chop chop#shanks comes crying to mihawk all devastated and annoyed and mihawk who is 16 and absolutely doesnt want to deal with a crying 12 year old#decides to fix things himself by showing buggy the pros of his devil fruit via forceful and incredibly harrowing sparring session LOL.#makes him see right away how much of a boon it is to never be able to get cut by a blade. it turns into an actually fun sesh#'cuz mihawk starts enjoying the challenge and the creativity and control and buggy starts wielding his knives in flying hands.#ends with mihawk berating him on how he treats his brother and how mihawk never wants to have to deal with shanks like that again#and also lowkey encouraging buggy by saying he's a resourceful kid and he's got people if he cant do things himself.#at this point in time shanks kind of wants mihawk to be his knight in shining armour so he's happy to hear what mihawk did#but mihawk is Fully Over bunking with two 12 year olds. ray please can he just set out on his own now. he's done it before. come on.#he is not a babysitter!!!!!!#tho these fics will focus mostly on hawk & ray jsyk#i digress
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transingthoseformers · 2 months ago
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One of those aus where Starscream defects from the decepticons to the autobots in order to play spy— but the more he stays here the more he realizes he might actually prefer being an autobot
Does he get a redemption arc? A little bit
A little bit not though :)
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holocene-sims · 16 days ago
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🍂 local man pictured in cool outfit 🍂
alternate caption: slapped a silly lil bow tie on the new trench coat mesh today
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cerubean · 7 months ago
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playing around w/ the landgraabs
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snekdood · 1 year ago
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so uh
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for 1. most people are gonna take advantage of black friday and wont see your specific niche tumblr post, I hate to say it
2. the us isnt running out of money for war any time soon, so...
3. this is just antisemitism???????? all we need is some (((echoes))) around the us and israel and then I'd have no reason to suspect otherwise from op...............
#why in tf do you think they care that much about getting your money rn and not before in any other war?#does it. mayhaps. have something to do w jewish people being involved now?#our tax dollars go to the govt regardless and has been for years and we already have an obscene amount of funding for military shit#preeetty sure they're not concerned about getting a couple hundred tumblr users money...#and also pretty sure one could only believe that if they're paranoid about jewish ppl.................#hard not to put two and two together and figure out op is prolly antisemitic and hopefully they just dont realize it#i say hopefully they dont realize it bc thats better than someone who knows and is pretending to be a leftist still.#if anything this pause happened bc its thanksgiving and biden doesnt wanna think about it over the holidays. thats p much it.#thats the only amount of conspiracy theory im willing to believe in this situation lmao.#but that ^ still assumes that biden has some sort of control over this that he really doesnt#and i dont think netanyahu cares that much about thanksgiving tbr...#it sounds more like to me that op is seeing this from a very american centric pov and assumes everyone celebrates thanksgiving#or cares enough about it to remember the dates.... i dont think this is as planned as op is making it out to be and any insinuation#that it IS planned sounds like conspiracy theory talk to me personally. i dont think biden is hittin netanyahu up and going#'hey thursday is thanksgiving and would be the perfect time to pause so we can (((get peoples money))) out of them#asiftheUSdoesnthaveplentyalready' like i just really dont think that convo is happening lmao.
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greatgoddyke · 10 days ago
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time to make your choice only you can be the one
#undescribed#bonk.png#ggg#great god grove#great god grove spoilers#ggg spoilers#<- bc of king n hand gesturing stuff for the au this one gets the spoiler tag#caption is a line from legend of everfree from eg movie of the same name bc its now linked to ggg for me bc of brainrot#first au stuff i dont like have anything really planned out n also dont really plan on doing anything with this beyond doodles#settled on inspekta being a horse bc i want him capochin patty n king to all be earth ponies bc of like permanent having it ingrained from#being an mlp fan as a kid that earth ponies are seen as less special bc they cant use magic or fly n that fits for story similarities#bc inspekta n capochin hating on patty for projection reasons AND inspekta's replacement anxiety n envy of king who in the au#is the only other earth pony lined up to become an alicorn (bc again being specifically an fim fan since i was a kid ingrained in with fanon#that ponies that become alicorns are almost exclusively pegasus or unicorn bc of earth ponies not having as clear of a connection to magic)#in my mind patty is the main character like the bizzyboys are also main characters but its like how the mane six are the main six but#twilight is the MAIN main character its like that n then godpoke is her sidekick (like spike ig but like mysterious stranger style <- idk#what i mean by this) she gets to be the protag bc the type of character godpoke is in the game n how im fitting them to be in the au doesnt#really work for a protag role while patty can be more readily slotted into mlp protag shes the only bizzyboy who cares about solving in the#game (as shown in hobbyhoo) n i like her so she gets to be the protag v-v inspekta is still doing the whole like shit from the game just in#a different way bc of mlp related restrictions n tone differences. the episode where luna goes to nightmare night after being freshly reform#ed walked so milldread section could run however cobigail's deal does run closer to that episode that to the game counterpart but like witho#ut cob having been banished for a thousand years theres no rift in the au bc its. mlp so sort of vague direction is related to the tree of#harmony n like maybe thats how inspekta powers up for the two parter transformation. a thought i had for a workaround for how inspekta keeps#king isolated was maybe turning king to stone n hiding her in plain sight but while that would slide in mlp (they turn a child to stone in t#he series finale apparently??) it leaves a bad taste in my mouth from the ggg angle so probably gonna do something else#art comments both inspekta n cobigail's pony names are taken from ponies i already had inspekta's comes from a different mlpied thing#n cobigail's comes from a fankid (spelled like kandi corn tho bc fankid's a rave girlie) the rest of the gods get to keep their names aside#from maybe bauhauzzo (whos role is undecided) huzzle n click clack arent ponies bc i felt it suited them more huzzle gets to be discordesc#bc i think its fun if like this versions god of chaos wasnt evil BUT that angle is used as slander against huzzle by inspekta#n click clack's a breezy bc small n bratty (we will be ignoring that breezies are mortal if i remember right bc thats not relevant)
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animc · 2 months ago
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how the haikyuu characters fall out of love — part 1
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kageyama tobio falls out of love like a sand castle being washed away by the sea. every move is calculated as he salvages what's left of the plans you two have made, deft fingers trying to keep the remains in tact while the water seeps in every crevice of the land. the heat of the sand underneath his knees is scorching his skin, making him wince and tear up until he is forced to stand—and he realizes that sand is sand, and it only takes but one wave to have everything crashing down.
tsukishima kei falls out of love like watching a rerun of a drama for the nth time. in his eyes, you're just the same as he remembers, and he can recount the way your story unfolded without much thought. scene one is when he catches your gaze in the crowded room, and scene six is when he tells you he loves you too. he smiles when he recalls you and everything the two of you shared, but even then, there are no butterflies in his stomach and heat no longer rushes to his face. his heart is but an empty shell full of memories... so he hits "stop" on the remote before trying something new—this time, maybe an episode without you.
kita shinsuke falls out of love like a flower wilting in a well-kept garden, where the sun still shines, and the soil remains rich, but something within the stem begins to fade. the petals, once vibrant, lose their blush, not from neglect but from the slow, inevitable retreat of life itself. his hands tend with care, yet even they cannot coax back what quietly slips away. love, like nature, does not always answer to devotion. it can wane despite the tenderness, leaving only the trace of beauty that once was, a memory of bloom now cradled in the air.
miya atsumu falls out of love like water boiling in a pot. everything is fiery, and he feels his body burn as it aches for your touch. your skin is fire that rages through his veins, and oh, does he wish to bathe in this heat forever—but passion can only keep him going for so long. there's warmth, there's heat, but beneath it all, the quiet transformation has begun. what was once steady becomes restless, bubbling with an urgency that feels almost inevitable. the steam escapes, carrying with it something unseen yet felt, something that cannot be held back. and when it reaches its peak, all that remains is the emptiness beneath the lid, a quiet vessel that was once so full, now cooled, and still.
miya osamu falls out of love like a phone call ongoing. voices drifting through static, familiar yet distant. at first, there’s conversation—full of meaning, rich with connection—but soon, the pauses between words stretch longer, the silence heavier. what once flowed effortlessly now stumbles, tangled in misunderstandings and words left unsaid. the connection weakens, the signal fades, until the sound of breathing on the other side is all that remains. he hesitates, fingers hovering, knowing what comes next. then, with quiet resolve, he clicks “end" then the line beeps. it's over.
kuroo tetsurou falls out of love like the rain pouring in the dead of the night—quiet, relentless, and unnoticed by the world. it begins softly, almost imperceptibly, a fine mist that settles in the air. but over time, the drops grow heavier, more insistent, until they beat against the window like a confession no one asked to hear. there's no storm, no thunder to announce its coming, just the steady rhythm of something slipping away, drop by drop. and as the night wears on, the rain becomes a lullaby for something ending, a quiet release into the darkness where no one is watching, and no one will know it was ever there.
kozume kenma falls out of love like wearing a jacket on a hot summer day—heavy, suffocating, and no longer fitting the moment. at first, it feels like protection, a familiar comfort wrapped around his shoulders, but soon the warmth becomes unbearable. the weight of it presses down, stifling, as if love has turned from shelter into burden. he tugs at the sleeves, loosening his grip on something that once made sense but now feels misplaced. eventually, he shrugs it off, letting the fabric fall away, leaving him bare to the heat of the day, exposed but finally free to breathe again.
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inhuman-obey-me · 2 months ago
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Collab pair piece for Diavolo's birthday 2024!
Art by Mod Cosmos
Writing by Mod Chaos
His First Halloween
Can also be read on AO3 here Word count: 5.3k Description: Every year, the Demon King has always held those stuffy parties to honor the prince's birth. The nobility always come around to kiss up and pay due respects to their royals. It's a huge bore, and a chore of the noble class. But, every year too, just outside the walls of the Demon Lord's Castle, Diavolo can see a whole festival out in town! And it looks fun. It looks really, really fun. So maybe, just once...he could sneak out to see what it's like out there?
Diavolo's tiny fingers tangle nervously at the edges of his shirt as he prepares to ask. It should be alright, shouldn't it? It's his birthday, after all. And he's never asked for much on his birthdays, not really, always behaved himself well at those stuffy birthday parties that were held really more for the nobles' benefit than for his, year after year, so maybe, just maybe, this one time...
He waits for his father to turn around, anxiously deciding how to phrase his request. Careful not to sound too pitiful, or he'll get scolded for not having more dignity. Nor too proud, lest he be reminded of his place. Perhaps he could mention how well his tutors had said he'd been doing in his studies lately...?
"Diavolo." He startles out of his thoughts as his father's voice booms overhead, the Demon King's intimidating figure having turned toward him while he'd been distracted. "Why aren't you dressed yet?"
In an instant, his mind goes blank of all his considerations, and he blurts out, "Father, please, could I go out to the festival in town today?"
The silence he gets in response, however momentary in reality, feels like it lasts an eternity. Diavolo braces himself and darts his eyes down, afraid to meet his father's eyes, before slowly glancing up again to chance a peek at the other's expression.
But there's no change on the king's face. Not surprise, nor gentleness, nor even annoyance. Nothing at all, exactly as stone-faced as he'd been before asking. As if Diavolo hadn't said anything at all.
Well, it's not an outright no. That has to count for something...doesn't it?
Nervously optimistic, he decides to steel forward. "I-I saw them from my window this morning, while they were setting up, and...and it seemed really fun!" His voice picks up speed as he speaks, scrambling to make his plea before he might be cut off.
Still nothing. Not a single reaction from the imposing king, looking down upon his child.
"I-I know I'm not usually allowed to attend such events beyond the palace, but...just this once, for my birthday, could I go out to see it? Please...?"
At last, his father's disinterested expression is broken by a small, unamused scoff. "If you know you are not allowed to attend such things, why would you waste my time with such a ridiculous request?"
"But, father--"
"Absolutely not. The festival is for those on the outside. It is not your place to go gallivanting amongst the commoners on such an occasion. Now go and get dressed. The nobles will be arriving any minute for your party."
Diavolo's entire posture deflates. "Yes, father."
He leaves quietly after that, shooting one last wistful glance out of the hallway window. The colorful flags and tents wave back at him, beckoning him out -- but he can see himself as well, reflected in the glass, trapped on the wrong side of it.
It's just not meant to be, he supposes. Maybe next year. Or the year after? Or at least, whenever his father finally decides he's old enough? Yes, someday. Someday, he'll be able to go. Won't he?
--
"Young Master, have you made preparations for this evening's party?"
Diavolo nods, reassuring his butler that everything is ready and that he need not stress too much about the night's event. Yes, he remembers the evening's schedule. Yes, the nobles have all given their responses -- not that they need to really, none of them would ever turn down a personal invitation to the demon prince's official birthday celebration, though he almost rather wishes they would for once. Yes, he knows what he's going to say when he's inevitably asked for a speech. This is, after all, the first birthday since his father departed to the bottom of the Devildom to sleep, leaving the young prince in charge. They will want to hear his platitudes and reassurance. They will want to know that nothing will change.
But between each answer, it certainly doesn't escape Barbatos's notice how the prince's sullen gaze keeps drifting back towards the balcony.
"Is something the matter, My Lord?"
A pleading look crosses Diavolo's face, not unlike the spoiled puppy eyes he often gave the butler in the past when begging to hear stories about life outside the castle walls. "Have you ever been out there, Barbatos? To that festival in town?"
"Yes, of course. The annual three-day Halloween Celebration, honoring the day you were born, correct? Yes, I have attended a number of times in the past."
"Yes! Yes, it's quite a large event, isn't it?"
"Well, this is the capital, after all. It's only natural that the home of the royal family would be host to the largest Halloween celebration in the Devildom."
"Oh, of course! Right, the...largest." It's an oddly crestfallen tone, from the one who usually perks right up with excitement whenever Barbatos even hints at a grand tale waiting to be spun. But in this case, the reminder of its scale only makes him long to attend for himself all the more, making his disappointment at not being allowed to weigh all the heavier in his chest.
Then again, his father isn't actually around this year...
In an instant, his mind is made up. He nods resolutely to himself, golden eyes gleaming. "Clear my schedule for the afternoon, Barbatos."
A flurry of expressions crosses the butler's face -- alarm, confusion, concern. "Young Master?"
"They are celebrating my birthday, aren't they? I wish to attend."
"Lord Diavolo, you mustn't," Barbatos answers sternly. "We haven't made the appropriate security arrangements, nor have you gone into town enough thus far to know your way around. And there is too much work for you to complete besides. You cannot possibly shirk your duties now. The nobles have their eyes on you, and several of them will be on high alert for any sign of weakness. You must ensure that you are fully prepared for tonight."
Diavolo groans, sitting back down. Even though Barbatos was a bit less strict on him than his father, he should have known he would still not be allowed to go. "I see your point. I suppose you're right, there's a lot still to prepare. Very well then."
"Good. I'm glad you understand," his butler smiles peacefully, despite how menacing his voice sounds. "Then, please come to breakfast, and I have the latest documents ready for you to look over afterwards. You will find the rest of the day's agenda on your desk." His voice turns soft for a moment as he adds, "And, My Lord?"
"Yes, Barbatos?"
"I do wish you a happy birthday today. May it be a good one."
--
The demon prince plays listlessly with his pen, trying to force himself to read through yet another official document awaiting his signature. At his side sits a tray with a plate of perfectly rounded devilberry cookies, along with a fresh cup of tea, its steaming tendrils teasing his nose as they drift past him towards an open window. Barbatos had stopped by earlier to drop off the treats, and to see how he was doing with his work -- though, to the butler's chagrin, Diavolo had hardly made a dent in the pile.
It has been three hours since his earnest declaration of wanting to attend the festival, and hardly a minute of that time has passed by without some daydream of the festivities beyond. He's never attended a festival before -- at least not amongst the crowds, only from afar as he accompanied his father in making appearances for some official purpose or another. They'd always seemed so lively to him as he passed through in their royal processions, with games and music filling the air with sound, and every direction smelling of delicious food.
He looks down at the paper in his hand, trying again to make it through the page at least, but as his eyes glaze over, he surrenders to the boredom and picks up a cookie instead. It's about time for a break, surely? And the window in here does have such a grand view of the town, where he can look out at the realm that is now his responsibility.
But he's too restless. His head bobs around in the window, eyes drawn to every attraction at once. The main entrance to the festival isn't far off, but it really is one of the biggest events of the Devildom. Booths and tents stretch through whole neighborhoods, with a massive stage right at the center, where he can see brightly costumed demons dancing around. Balloons and flags are all over, and the crowds are larger than any he's seen before. Oh, how desperately, he longs to be there. And it's his birthday! Shouldn't a demon normally have fun on their birthday?
That's it, he can't take it anymore. There's half an hour before Barbatos returns to retrieve the tray of treats. That means a good half hour before the butler will notice he's gone.
--
Diavolo pulls the cloak tighter over his shoulders as he peers around the corner of the alleyway he's snuck in through. It was a last-second attempt at some kind of disguise, pulled from a random storage closet along with the overly large mask presently adorning his face, the ornate details of which now serve to obscure his horns -- and the edges of his view.
But as soon as he sets his golden eyes upon the sight beyond the small alley's opening, any concern over his poorly improvised outfit flies right out of his mind. He lets out a small gasp at the splendor of the town's decorations -- not in the wealthy, refined way he was used to, but an earnest, splashy kind of splendor, a scene designed not to boast superiority but to unite.
A row of magnificent tents stretches down the street in every direction, each one punctuated by a collection of colorful balloons. Merchants dressed in their best suits cheerfully call out to passersby, chatting up any potential customer whose attention they can get, while demons of all shapes and sizes stroll around, dressed in all kinds of outrageous ways. Several of them sport little plastic crowns or bizarrely shaped hats between their horns, while others laugh with their companions under colorful masquerade style masks, and others still wear fake dragon wings or tails upon their backs.
And the smells! The rich spice of grilled meats fills the air, permeated occasionally by the heavy aroma of frying oil that sweeps by him in tendrils. Both are interrupted in bursts by the sickly sweetness of syrupy pastries and freshly swirled cotton candy carried by passing crowds walking past his hiding place.
Before Diavolo even realizes, he's stepped out from the shadows into the crowd, hand outstretched towards a demon holding one particularly tantalizing treat, a string of rainbow candy bubbles magically suspended to dance in mesmerizing swirls in between bites. The demon in question, a lanky demon reminiscent of an olive tree, steps back slightly in surprise at the sudden appearance of Diavolo's burly form at their side, snapping him abruptly out of his reverie.
"Ah, pardon me," the demon prince says, straightening out his composure on instinct to more properly greet the demon and their two companions, a pair of plum-haired imps. "May I ask where you found that delightful confection? I would very much like to try one myself!"
The demon's head flicks upwards in mild confusion at the formality of his speech, and finds their eyes meeting deep, unmistakably golden ones in return. And it clicks to them then, though Diavolo doesn't realize it. "Uh, s-sir, yes! It's, uh, from a big yellow tent down that way! I think the shop was called Hellion Bonbons..."
"Oh, wonderful! Thank you, I will head that way immediately!" Diavolo laughs cheerily. And so he does, without hearing the frantic hushed whispers of the group as he leaves, amazed at their encounter with the actual heir to the throne, the prince of the Devildom himself.
As Diavolo makes his way through the crowd to seek out the vendor of the colorful bubble candy, he comes across quite a few other stalls that catch his interest. Several of them sell various types of jewelry and accessories, many of them highlighting wares with different arrangements of the royal colors, and others carry the same fake dragon wings he'd seen around earlier. From another, he picks up a stick of cotton candy shaped like his head, and he roars with delight at the sight of more than one stall selling various sized dolls of him as a baby. Souvenir stands dot the path at the corners where streets split off down new avenues.
"Step right up, try your hand at the Devilish Ball Catch!"
Diavolo perks up at the barker's call, turning excitedly to look at the game he's advertising. The game stall is shaped like a small room, wooden cherry walls enclosing each side except the entrance, which is blocked by a wide table where a pleasant-looking gremlin woman waves cheerfully out to the crowd. Inside, a festival attendee in a glittering orange mask is hopping around, dodging obstacles as enchanted balls shaped like horned demon heads whiz by at all sizes and speeds.
Quickly latching onto the slightest sign of interest, the fast-talking barker speeds over to him. "Well, hello there, sir, you look like a fine sort, don't you! Feel like a challenge, friend?"
To the staffer's surprise, Diavolo nods eagerly back at him without hesitation. "Oh, yes, do tell me more, please! What sort of game do you have here?"
"Why, it's the Devilish Ball Catch -- a game of diabolically wild enjoyment! Simple enough, simple, I swear! Here ya go, this is my dear associate, Tzitzimime, she'll tell you all about it!"
The gremlin at the table nods at him, and proceeds to explain. The game is simple, as promised, at least in rules if not in practice. The whizzing demon-headed balls would fly around the room, and a player has 3 minutes to try to catch as many of them as they can. Trickily, however, the balls had been enchanted with different spells, though certain counter-spells from players would also be permitted. Once caught, each one would drop into a bin on its own at the center of the room, and the score would be tallied at the end based on the sizes and enchantments of the balls caught, with smaller targets or balls with trickier enchantments being worth more. And the grand prize, worth too many points to have yet been won by any challenger -- a giant plushie of the prince himself, in full demon form, complete with a brilliant real ruby stitched into the royal dragon curled at its center.
Diavolo doesn't hesitate, swept up as he is in the excitement of the festival. "Absolutely, I would love to join a game!" he enthuses merrily, quickly passing over the grimm needed. He doesn't catch the suspicious look from Tzitzimime as she sees the all-too-familiar curve of his horn as he passes her - one she's been seeing all night already on a particular stuffed toy - nor the whispers between her, the barker demon, and numerous nearby spectators as he plays.
No, the prince of the Devildom is wholly consumed by the glee of the game as the buzzer beeps the start of the round. Demon heads speed by him from all directions, though he dexterously manages to catch most of the ones that cross his path right away. Some smaller ones slip past him, as do a few that teleport away just as his fingers begin to close around them. With about half the time left, he then turns his attention to the ones zipping around in the corners of the room, taking advantage of one of the permitted counter-spells to blast them still, a somewhat difficult type of magic normally but trivial to the demon prince's raw power. In no time, he's captured all but the smallest of the balls, which continue to whoosh around, their mouths splitting open into teasing cackles as the timer ticks ever close to the end.
In his excitement, however, he doesn't notice as his disguise gradually falls away, and with it, his relative anonymity. The hood of his cloak, already only able to stretch so far forward around his horns, has dropped entirely, revealing his deep red hair underneath, and peeks of his dragon wings begin to poke out from underneath, their golden tips catching the light as he bounds around the small room. So too do the golden marks adorning his wrist, as he swings his muscular arms to grab at the targets, gleaming beneath the sleeves of the cloak with every movement.
When the buzzer rings at the end of the game, he's floating on a rush of adrenaline, hardly even thinking anymore about the responsibilities of being prince awaiting him at home. Nor does it then especially register as strange in his mind as Tzitzimime remarks, "Truly an incredible showing, My Lord," while she hands the grand prize plush over to him with a slight bow. He's too excited over the fun and the thrill of the play, and the ecstasy of having won the elusive grand prize.
His mirthful laugh only ceases when he notices a young demon, hardly older than a toddler, staring up at him from the front of the table. "Ah, little one, you like this, do you?" he asks, crouching down to meet their gaze and waving the plush at them. "Here, you may have it."
The parent holding the child's hand rushes to refuse the gift, though he insistently gives it to them anyway. But the young demon's gaze remains unbroken, mouth agape with wonder. Diavolo tilts his head inquisitively, beckoning for an explanation. "Is there something else, little one?"
At this prompting, the young child jumps up eagerly, reaching tiny fingers out towards the prince's face. "Mister, mister, your mask is so cool! I've never seen anything like it!"
At that, Diavolo laughs again, delighted at the child's wonder. "Yes, it's very special. I'm glad you like it!"
"So, are you going to join the masked parade?!" The young demon's eyes shine up at him expectantly. "My papa said they're starting soon, from the...the...umm....ah! Right, from the...southern stage, he said! You're going to join, aren't you?"
The prince is taken aback, not having heard much about the parade, but he's jubilant at the idea. "Yes, certainly! That sounds like great fun!"
"Okay! We'll keep an eye out for you then!" the child squeals with joy. "It's going to look amazing with everyone else's masks around you, too. But I think yours is the best!!"
With a pat on the young one's head, Diavolo cheerfully waves them off before making his way to the southern stage as instructed.
--
When he arrives to join the throngs of other masked festival goers at the parade's starting point, even his elation at the experience so far isn't enough to distract him from the whispers that seem to surround him. He doesn't catch distinct words - the surrounding demons at least take care not to announce their notice of his presence too loudly - but there's certainly a buzz about him.
He's about to approach one of them to ask what's going on when a voice rings out from the gates where the parade is set to march from. "Attention, all participants for the masked parade. We will now be starting the route through the festival. Please make sure to stay behind this float at the front at all times, which will be opening the path for us to walk through. Again, we will now be starting the route through the festival. Please make sure to stay behind this float, and let's have a wonderful Halloween parade, everyone!"
On cue, Diavolo finds himself quickly swept into the crowd before he can ask anyone, and turns his attention towards jovially waving to the audience as he passes. The cheers in return seem to call out especially loudly around him, though it's hard to actually tell from where he is in the line. He makes sure to cheer back, amazed to see the full extent of how many demons have gathered here in town on this day to celebrate Halloween, the holiday marking the date of his birth so many centuries ago. It's truly incredible to see the many costumes around him, and humbling as well to recognize how many are looking to his future as the new reigning leader of the realm.
And then, it happens in just an instant -- another demon in the parade bumps up against the edges of his oversized mask, knocking it off one side of his face. Before he can even register the change, excited shouting emerges from the crowd around them, and he's suddenly surrounded by yells of "It's the prince!" and "Prince Diavolo!"
Immediately, he finds himself mobbed by frenzied audience members pushing forth to greet him. The parade grinds to a halt behind him, unable to get around the throngs, and he too is unable to move forward at all, engulfed in the horde of celebrating demons excited to get as close as they can to the prince himself.
Well, of course they would. After all this time famously hidden away in the castle for most of his life so far, except for a handful of official appearances and tightly secured royal events, it's no wonder they're shocked and elated at the chance to get within arm's reach of the royal heir himself. He himself is shocked and elated to see it -- proof before his own eyes of his beloved status among the people.
None of that, however, changes the fact of the current matter -- that Diavolo has been surrounded by a mob, and is unable to proceed past them, and therefore neither can the rest of the parade. Graciously, he smiles at them all, shaking as many of the hands thrust out towards him as he can, and thanking each and every demon for coming out to celebrate his birthday.
But gradually, his arms grow tired and his voice begins to fade, without any sign of the crowd thinning out. If anything, it seems only to grow further and further out, as word of the actual demon prince's appearance spreads throughout the festival grounds. He's faltering, and he knows it. And there's no end in sight.
Just then, he finds himself plucked abruptly from the crowd by one of the outstretched hands. The clamor of the crowd still rings in his ears, only a few feet from where he just was, but he finds himself led down into a dingy alleyway. He tries to get a look at his abductor - savior? - but, like the prince himself, his face is obscured by mask and shadows.
Scenarios flash through his mind. He'd like to believe this isn't a bad thing -- he was in a tough situation, and he's been pulled out of it now. But for who he is and all he signifies to the realm, is that realistic? But, would someone be so brazen as to kidnap the crown prince and acting leader of the realm right out of a giant crowd in the middle of a celebration for his own birthday?
Well, it's not beyond the realm of possibility. In the Devildom, vicious brazenness was the way of life until relatively recently. There are certainly those who would like to return it that way. And if it's one of those demons, then what do they intend to do with him? A ransom? Blackmail? Worse?
But he's too exhausted from the earlier mob. With reservations swirling in his mind, he allows the stranger to pull him through an unlit door at the end of the alley.
--
"And those floating candies, why -- they looked magnificent! What a disappointment that I didn't get a chance to sample them for myself. I wonder if Barbatos could make such a creation for me," Diavolo gushes excitedly, before taking another hearty bite of his burger.
They're sitting in a back corner of the kitchen, a few feet from the door which he'd been pulled through just an hour or so ago. It's a bit shabby in this room; the tiles of the floor and walls, though well-kept in cleanliness, certainly show signs of wear. So too do the counters, with small knicks and scratches across the tops. From farther in, staff work busily at their cooking stations, fulfilling orders at a shocking pace.
"You sit yourself down right there now," the abducting demon had instructed when they'd entered, pulling off his mask to reveal a surprisingly warm smile. He was visibly older, though not quite elderly, with mild creases of age showing beside a roguishly toothy grin -- or maybe those were just his demonic fangs flashing with mischief in the light. Either way, he introduced himself as the owner of the place, and it soon became apparent that he meant the prince no harm after all. Not long after, he'd presented the young royal with the delectably greasy sandwich, telling him, "Here, eat up. It'll make you feel better, after all that bustle earlier."
Thus Diavolo finds himself trying a common cheeseburger for the first time, and after his first taste, happily munches away at it, answering a few questions along the way about how he'd ended up in his earlier situation, as well as chatting about the wondrous other things he'd seen while he was out at the festival.
"Glad to see your spirits refreshed, Your Highness," the proprietor chuckles.
"Ah, yes! Yes, I'm feeling far better now. Thank you so much for your generosity, and for helping me out back at the parade," Diavolo beams. "Truthfully, I'm not sure I could have lasted much longer in that crowd. Perhaps I may have underestimated the risks of sneaking out on my own after all. Though, I thought that as long as I disguised myself...but I suppose a disguise is no use if my mask falls off."
"Disguise...?" An exuberant laugh escapes from the older demon, and he gives the prince a heavier-than-gentle pat on the shoulder. "My lord, calling what you had a disguise would be, ah, rather generous at best. Your wingtips are poking out from your cloak even now, you know. And that mask, well now...suffice it to say, it's a tad beyond anything I could afford." With a smirk, he adds teasingly, "Besides, this is a celebration of Halloween, the day of your birth, after all, Your Highness. Any demon worth their horns better be able to recognize the glow of the royal family's golden eyes when they're damn near surrounded by it."
"Oh! Oh, that's right, isn't it? Ah...that explains a lot about why people were so formal with me all day." Diavolo sighs deeply as the realization, which feels so obvious now but hadn't even occurred to him in the excitement of things, settles in. "I had thought it'd be nice to experience the festival from an everyday demon's perspective. But perhaps that's simply not possible after all. It seems it's not as easy to blend in with everyone as I'd hoped."
The owner goes quiet for a moment, pondering the dilemma. It's surprising to hear a member of the royal family lament being unable to experience the realm like a commoner, and for that, Diavolo certainly has his respect. But between his large frame, his distinctive aura, and his immediately identifiable hair and eyes marking him as royalty, it's hard to hide his identity even on a day like this, when masks and costumes are expected. On any other day, it'd be nearly impossible, at least without a very strong spell. Then again...
"Maybe you don't need to blend in," he says at last. "You just want to come to town once in a while and hear how things are going, right? Everyone's excited about you here today, but that's because it's hardly ever happened before. But if you were able to come down more often, maybe it'd become normal. The townsfolk wouldn't be afraid that this is their one chance to see you out here with them."
The prince's eyes widen at the suggestion, and he nods along excitedly. "I see! I see, that's a wonderful idea. Then, I'll simply need a way to get them used to my presence in town so they can get used to me."
Sensing an opportunity, the owner grins widely at him. "Well, I know what you can do. You're welcome back here to my restaurant any time, Your Highness -- Hell's Kitchen. I'll talk to my staff, make sure they know not to let anyone bother you while you're here."
It's shamelessly transparent self-promotion, of course, but Diavolo smiles and agrees anyway. Giving his newfound friend a small boost to business here and there is hardly much of an ask, considering how the demon had helped him today, and, well, the burger he's eating now certainly is delicious, in any case. It's a far cry from what he normally gets to eat at the castle, what with Barbatos nagging at him each dinner to finish his vegetables.
As if on cue to his thoughts, the butler in question bursts into the kitchen right at that moment, marching past all the staff directly towards them. "Young Master! Are you alright?!"
It's a relief to see his loyal companion, though Diavolo grimaces nonetheless, bracing himself for the inevitable scolding he's surely about to receive. "Hello, Barbatos. You've found me."
To his surprise, however, Barbatos's expression softens, and he doesn't remark about the prince's little escapade out of the castle. "Yes, Young Master. I have come to bring you home. I heard about what happened at the parade. I'm glad to see you are unharmed."
"Oh, yes, I have this gentleman here to thank for that!" Diavolo answers, perking up and gesturing towards the owner with the burger still in hand. "He helped me out of the crowd and brought me here to rest. We will have to prepare something to repay him when I return."
The restaurant owner tips his head in a bow with exaggerated modesty. "Oh, no need for all that, Your Highness. All I ask is that you grace us with your presence again sometime."
The butler's eyes narrow at the greasy wrapper, and he clicks his tongue lightly in disapproval, though not loudly enough for the others to hear. Junk food. They certainly do owe the demon for helping the young prince, but he'd rather Diavolo not eat such foods again. He is, however, proper enough not to let his disapproval show in his voice, answering smoothly, "No, I do believe you are owed a great debt for helping His Highness. We must reward you for it, I insist. I shall take care of it, Young Master."
With a curt bow, he adds, "We should be going now, however. If you'll excuse us."
"Ah, wait just a second, before you go," the owner answers. "I have something to give you, so wait just one moment please." He disappears out to the front of the restaurant and returns almost immediately with a small bag, which he hands to Diavolo. "Here, for you. A birthday present."
Diavolo gives him an inquisitive look, but Barbatos gives him a warning smile and reminds him of the time, ushering him out as quickly as possible.
"Come, let us hurry to get you ready before the party tonight. What did he give you, by the way?" the butler asks, as they make their way back.
Diavolo reaches inside and pulls out a souvenir plush of him in a purple mask, much less extravagant than his actual one and decorated with the words "Hell's Kitchen Halloween" stitched across the top.
And, hidden underneath, he can see a similar mask in life size peeking out, with a note: "For the next time you want to sneak out on your birthday. Come visit us common folk again soon. Happy Birthday, Your Highness."
A sly smile splits across Diavolo's face. "A birthday present. Just as he said."
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daredevils-advocate · 2 months ago
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I think Sleep Token should come with a warning about how much these sad British men will completely consume your life.
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