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ladydarklord · 4 years ago

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The Mighty Boosh on the business of being silly

The Times, November 15 2008

What began as a cult cocktail of daft poems, surreal characters and fantastical storylines has turned into the comedy juggernaut that is the Mighty Boosh. Janice Turner hangs out with creators Noel Fielding, Julian Barratt and the extended Boosh family to discuss the serious business of being silly

In the thin drizzle of a Monday night in Sheffield, a crowd of young women are waiting for the Mighty Boosh or, more precisely, one half of it. Big-boned Yorkshire lasses, jacketless and unshivering despite the autumn nip, they look ready to devour the object of their desire, the fey, androgynous Noel Fielding, if he puts a lamé boot outside the stage door. “Ooh, I do love a man in eyeliner,” sighs Natalie from Rotherham. She’ll be throwing sickies at work to see the Boosh show 13 times on their tour, plus attend the Boosh after-show parties and Boosh book signings. “My life is dead dull without them,” she says.

Nearby, mobiles primed, a pair of sixth-formers trade favourite Boosh lines. “What is your name?” asks Jessica. “I go by many names, sir,” Victoria replies portentously. A prison warden called Davena survives long days with high-security villains intoning, “It’s an outrage!” in the gravelly voice of Boosh character Tony Harrison, a being whose head is a testicle.

Apart from Fielding, what they all love most about the Boosh is that half their mates don’t get it. They see a bloke in a gorilla suit, a shaman called Naboo, silly rhymes about soup, stories involving shipwrecked men seducing coconuts “and they’re like, ‘This is bloody rubbish,’” says Jessica. “So you feel special because you do get it. You’re part of a club.”

Except the Mighty Boosh club is now more like a movement. What began as an Edinburgh fringe show starring Fielding and his partner Julian Barratt and later became an obscure BBC3 series has grown into a box-set flogging, mega-merchandising, 80-date touring Boosh inc. There was a Boosh festival last summer, now talk of a Boosh movie and Boosh in America. An impasse seems to have been reached: either the Boosh will expand globally or, like other mass comedy cults before it – Vic and Bob, Newman and Baddiel – slowly begin to deflate.

But for the moment, the fans still wait in the rain for heroes who’ve already left the building. I find the Boosh gang gathered in their hotel bar, high on post-gig adrenalin. Barratt, blokishly handsome with his ring-master moustache, if a tad paunchy these days, blends in with the crew. But Fielding is never truly “off”. All day he has been channelling A Clockwork Orange in thick black eyeliner (now smudged into panda rings) and a bowler hat, which he wears with polka-dot leggings, gold boots and a long, neon-green fur-collared PVC trenchcoat. He has, as those women outside put it, “something about him”: a carefully-wrought rock-god danger mixed with an amiable sweetness. Sexy yet approachable. Which is why, perched on a barstool, is a great slab of security called Danny.

“He stops people getting in our faces,” says Fielding. “He does massive stars like P. Diddy and Madonna and he says that considering how we’re viewed in the media as a cult phenomenon, we get much more attention in the street than, say, Girls Aloud. Danny says we’re on the same level as Russell Brand, who can’t walk from the door to the car without ten people speaking to him.”

This barometer of fame appears to fascinate and thrill Fielding. Although he complains he can’t eat dinner with his girlfriend (Dee Plume from the band Robots in Disguise) unmolested, he parties hard and publicly with paparazzi-magnets like Courtney Love and Amy Winehouse. He claims he’s tried wearing a baseball cap but fans still recognise him. Hearing this, Julian Barratt smiles wryly: “Noel is never going to dress down.”

It is clear on meeting them that their Boosh characters Vince Noir (Fielding), the narcissistic extrovert, and Howard Moon (Barratt), the serious, socially awkward jazz obsessive, are comic exaggerations of their own personalities. At the afternoon photo shoot, Fielding breaks free of the hair and make-up lady, sprays most of a can of Elnett on to his Bolan feather-cut and teases it to his satisfaction. Very Vince. “It is an art-life crossover,” says Barratt.

At 40, five years older than Fielding, Barratt exhibits the profound weariness of a man trying to balance a five-month national tour with new-fatherhood. After every Saturday night show he returns home to his 18-month-old twins, Arthur and Walter, and his partner Julia Davis (the creator-star of Nighty Night) and today he was up at 5am pushing a pram on Hampstead Heath before taking the train north to rejoin the Boosh. “I go back so the boys remember who I am. But it’s harder to leave them every time,” he says. “It is totally schizophrenic, totally opposite mental states: all this self-obsession and then them.”

About two nights a week on tour, Fielding doesn’t go to bed, parties through the night and performs the next evening having not slept at all. Barratt often retreats to his room to plough through box sets of The Wire. “It’s a bit gritty, but that is in itself an escape, because what we do is so fantastical.”

But mostly it is hard to resist the instant party provided by a large cast, crew and band. Indeed, drinking with them, it appears Fielding and Barratt are but the most famous members of a close collective of artists, musicians and old mates. Fielding’s brother Michael, who previously worked in a bowling alley, plays Naboo the shaman. “He is late every single day,” complains Noel. “He’s mad and useless, but I’m quite protective of him, quite parental.” Michael is always arguing with Bollo the gorilla, aka Fielding’s best mate, Dave Brown, a graphic artist relieved to remove his costume – “It’s so hot in there I fear I may never father children” – to design the Boosh book. One of the lighting crew worked as male nanny to Barratt’s twins and was in Michael’s class at school: “The first time I met you,” he says to Noel, “you gave me a dead arm.” “You were 9,” Fielding replies. “And you were messing with my stuff.”

This gang aren’t hangers-on but the wellspring of the Boosh’s originality and its strange, homespun, degree-show aesthetic: a character called Mr Susan is made out of chamois leathers, the Hitcher has a giant Polo Mint for an eye. When they need a tour poster they ignore the promoter’s suggestions and call in their old mate, Nige.

Fielding and Barratt met ten years ago at a comedy night in a North London pub. The former had just left Croydon Art College, the latter had dropped out of an American Studies degree at Reading to try stand-up, although he was so terrified at his first gig that he ran off stage and had to be dragged back by the compere.

While superficially different, their childhoods have a common theme: both had artistic, bohemian parents who exercised benign neglect. Fielding’s folks were only 17 when he was born: “They were just kids really. Hippies. Though more into Black Sabbath and Led Zep. There were lots of parties and crazy times. They loved dressing up. And there was a big gap between me and my brother – about nine years – so I was an only child for a long time, hanging out with them, lots of weird stuff going on.

“The great thing about my mum and dad is they let me do anything I wanted as a kid as long as I wasn’t misbehaving. I could eat and go to bed when I liked. I used to spend a lot of time drawing and painting and reading. In my own world, I guess.”

Growing up in Mitcham, South London, his father was a postmaster, while his mother now works for the Home Office. Work was merely the means to fund a good time. “When your dad is into David Bowie, how do you rebel against that? You can’t really. They come to all the gigs. They’ve been in America for the past three weeks. I’m ringing my mum really excited because we’re hanging out with Jim Sheridan, who directed In the Name of the Father, and the Edge from U2, and she said, ‘We’re hanging with Jack White,’ whom they met through a friend of mine. Trumped again!”

Barratt’s father was a Leeds art teacher, his mother an artist later turned businesswoman. “Dad was a bit more strict and academic. Mum would let me do anything I wanted, didn’t mind whether I went to school.” Through his father he became obsessed with Monty Python, went to jazz and Spike Milligan gigs, learnt about sex from his dad’s leatherbound volumes of Penthouse.

Barratt joined bands and assumed he would become a musician (he does all the Boosh’s musical arrangements); Fielding hoped to become an artist (he designed the Boosh book cover and throughout our interview sketches obsessively). Instead they threw their talents into comedy. Barratt: “It is a great means of getting your ideas over instantly.” Fielding: “Yes, it is quite punk in that way.”

Their 1998 Edinburgh Fringe show called The Mighty Boosh was named, obscurely, after a friend’s description of Michael Fielding’s huge childhood Afro: “A mighty bush.” While their double-act banter has an old-fashioned dynamic, redolent of Morecambe and Wise, the show threw in weird characters and a fantasy storyline in which they played a pair of zookeepers. They are very serious about their influences. “Magritte, Rousseau...” says Fielding. “I like Rousseau’s made-up worlds: his jungle has all the things you’d want in a jungle, even though he’d never been in one so it was an imaginary place.”

Eclectic, weird and, crucially, unprepared to compromise their aesthetic sensibilities, it was 2004 before, championed by Steve Coogan’s Baby Cow production company, their first series aired on BBC3. Through repeats and DVD sales the second series, in which the pair have left the zoo and are living above Naboo’s shop, found a bigger audience. Last year the first episode of series three had one million viewers. But perhaps the Boosh’s true breakthrough into mainstream came in June when George Bush visited Belfast and a child presented him with a plant labelled “The Mighty Bush”. Assuming it was a tribute to his greatness, the president proudly displayed it for the cameras, while the rest of Britain tittered.

A Boosh audience these days is quite a mix. In Sheffield the front row is rammed with teenage indie girls, heavy on the eyeliner, who fancy Fielding. But there are children, too: my own sons can recite whole “crimps” (the Boosh’s silly, very English version of rap) word for word. And there are older, respectable types who, when I interview them, all apologise for having such boring jobs. They’re accountants, IT workers, human resources officers and civil servants. But probe deeper and you find ten years ago they excelled at art A level or played in a band, and now puzzle how their lives turned out so square. For them, the Boosh embody their former dreams. And their DIY comedy, shambolic air, the slightly crap costumes, the melding of fantasy with the everyday, feels like something they could still knock up at home.

Indeed, many fans come to gigs in costume. At the Mighty Boosh Festival 15,000 people came dressed up to watch bands and absurdity in a Kent field. And in Sheffield I meet a father-and-son combo dressed as Howard Moon and Bob Fossil – general manager of the zoo – plus a gang of thirty-something parents elaborately attired as Crack Fox, Spirit of Jazz, a granny called Nanageddon, and Amy Housemouse. “I love the Boosh because it’s total escapism,” says Laura Hargreaves, an employment manager dressed as an Electro Fairy. “It’s not all perfect and people these days worry too much that things aren’t perfect. It’s just pure fun.”

But how to retain that appealingly amateur art-school quality now that the Boosh is a mega comedy brand? Noel Fielding is adamant that they haven’t grown cynical, that The Mighty Book of Boosh was a long-term project, not a money-spinner chucked out for Christmas: “There is a lot of heart in what we do,” he says. Barratt adds: “It’s been hard this year to do everything we’ve wanted, to a standard we’re proud of... Which is why we’re worn to shreds.”

Comedy is most powerful in intimate spaces, but the Boosh show, with its huge set, requires major venues. “We’ve lost money every day on the tour,” says Fielding. “The crew and the props and what it costs to take them on the road – it’s ridiculous. Small gigs would lose millions of pounds.”

The live show is a kind of Mighty Boosh panto, with old favourites – Bob Fossil, Bollo, Tony Harrison, etc – coming on to cheers of recognition. But it lacks the escapism to the perfectly conceived world of the TV show. They have told the BBC they don’t want a fourth series: they want a movie. They would also, as with Little Britain USA, like a crack at the States, where they run on BBC America. Clearly the Boosh needs to keep evolving or it will die.

Already other artists are telling Fielding and Barratt to make their money now: “They say this is our time, which is quite frightening.” I recall Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer, who dominated the Nineties with Big Night Out and Shooting Stars. “Yes, they were massive,” says Fielding. “A number one record...” And now Reeves presents Brainiac. “If you have longer-term goals, it’s not scary,” says Barratt. “To me, I’m heading somewhere else – to direct, make films, write stuff – and at the moment it’s all gone mental. I’m sort of enjoying this as an outsider. It was Noel who had this desire to reach more people.”

Indeed, the old cliché that comedy is the new rock’n’roll is closest to being realised in Noel Fielding. Watching him perform the thrash metal numbers in the Boosh live show, he is half ironic comic performer, half frustrated rock god. His heroes weren’t comics but androgynous musicians: Jagger, Bowie, Syd Barrett. (Although he liked Peter Cook’s style and looks.)

“I like clothes and make-up, I like the transformation,” he says. Does it puzzle him that women find this so sexually attractive? “I was reading a book the other day about the New York Dolls and David Johansen was saying that none of them were gay or even bisexual, and that when they started dressing in stilettos and leather pants, women got it straight away with no explanation. But a lot of men had problems. It’s one of those strange things. A man will go, ‘You f***ing queer.’ And you just think, ‘Well, your girlfriend fancies me.’”

The Boosh stopped signing autographs outside stage doors when it started taking two hours a night. At recent book signings up to 1,500 people have shown up, some sleeping overnight in the queue. And on this tour, the Boosh took control of the after-show parties, once run as money-spinners by the promoters, and now show up in person to do DJ slots. I ask if they like to meet their fans, and they laugh nervously.

Fielding: “We have to be behind a fence.”

Barratt: “They try to rip your clothes off your body.”

Fielding: “The other day my girlfriend gave me this ring. And, doing the rock numbers at the end, I held out my hands and the crowd just ripped it off.”

Barratt: “I see it as a thing which is going to go away. A moment when people are really excited about you. And it can’t last.”

He recalls a man in York grabbing him for a photo, saying, “I’d love to be you, it must be so amazing.” And Barratt says he thought, “Yes, it is. But all the while I was trying to duck into this doorway to avoid the next person.” He’s trying to enjoy the Boosh’s moment, knows it will pass, but all the same?

In the hotel bar, a young woman fan has dodged past Danny and comes brazenly over to Fielding. Head cocked attentively like a glossy bird, he chats, signs various items, submits to photos, speaks to her mate on her phone. The rest of the Boosh crew eye her steelily. They know how it will end. “You have five minutes then you go,” hisses one. “I feel really stupid now,” says the girl. It is hard not to squirm at the awful obeisance of fandom. But still she milks the encounter, demands Fielding come outside to meet her friend. When he demurs she is outraged, and Danny intercedes. Fielding returns to his seat slightly unsettled. “What more does she want?” he mutters, reaching for his wine glass. “A skin sample?”

#I hadn't seen this one before so I thought I'd share #noel will never dress down #ah yes the patient boyfriend Julian Barratt

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blackcloverdatabase · 5 years ago

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English Translation of Novel 3: Chapter 2 – The Man Known as Julius (Part 1 of 2)

Here’s the first half of the last untranslated chapter from Book of Yuno! This one features Julius, Yuno, and Bell taking care of an orphaned baby boar. It’s adorable and also a little heartbreaking! Charlotte and Jack also get to meet the lil’ guy!

Also, aside from a few tweaks at the beginning, this translation is appended to the translation of the first few pages that the Black Clover discord was kind enough to supply to me. I didn’t see any translation errors when I scanned through it and I liked the writing style of whoever did those first few pages, so a part of this translation also comes from the generous soul who had started this translation before me.

--- The Man Known as Julius (Part 1) ---

Julius Novachrono.

He is a man who needs no introduction, reigning over the Order of Magic Knights as the Wizard King. The entire Order moves at his command, protecting the peace of Clover Kingdom both day and night.

He himself possesses no small degree of combat ability, stationed at the top of the Order as he is, and he has led his troops to victory through countless battles. Even after ascending to his current position as the Wizard King, he continues to find his way to the battlefield, demonstrating impressive skills in all areas.

He is the hero of the Clover Kingdom, a source of inspiration for all Magic Knights – No, for all the Kingdom’s citizens.

That's just the sort of person Julius is.

And yet, despite all of that......

"All right, all right!! Sorry I'm late~ I brought plenty of feed for you!"

At this very moment, that inspirational figurehead to all the Kingdom was – Julius was…..

"C'mon, you gotta eat up! I got lotsa food for you! A ha ha! Now now, no shoving! Take your time!"

......grinning from ear to ear and speaking in baby-talk with a soft, sweet tone......

"Oh gosh, you're TOO cute! Seriously, you're way too cute, Graham! I feel like when I'm talking to you, my manner of speaking just becomes shamefully bad...... Well, whatever! Not like there's anyone else around to hear, huh?"

…….to a baby boar as he delivered its feed.

Staying hidden as he watched, Yuno managed to keep a straight face on the outside, but internally, he was shaking. Bell, clearly shaken as well, was thinking exactly the same thing as him: They weren’t quite sure what they were looking at, but they knew they had just witnessed something pretty damn crazy.

How did they stumble across such a crazy sight? Fret not, it won't take long to explain.

That day, Yuno and Bell had been on patrol near the outskirts of Tonan, a town in the Common Realm. A group of bandits had been staging raids in the area as of late, and it was rumored that one of the bandits possessed an "Original Sin" grimoire. Thus, Magic Knights were being sent out in pairs to patrol the area in shifts.

Yuno and Bell found themselves on duty that day, and after finishing up their patrol with a Knight from another squad, they traded off with the pair who had come to relieve them and slipped away into a forest just a short walk from the town's borders.

They were here to train in preparation for the Royal Knights Selection Exam, which would be held a few days from now.

After the "hot springs training camp" put on by Mereoleona Vermillion (which was one heck of a euphemism for forced mountain climbing and attempted murder), Yuno had mastered "Mana Skin", the technique wherein the user continuously channels a fixed amount of magical energy and uses it to protect their body or increase their physical ability.

However, if he wanted to pass the Selection Exam, if he wanted to demonstrate his skill over Asta, he needed to take his abilities up another notch... no, another two notches if he could manage it.

And so, at every opportunity he could find between missions, Yuno slipped away in search of a secluded little enclave to train.

On this particular day, while on the hunt for a bit of privacy, he came across a hut standing beside a small pond. From the outside, it looked like a long-abandoned cabin, but the footprints he found near the entrance were fresh. Was this the bandits' hideout......? Only one way to find out. Taking care not to be noticed, Yuno silently approached the cabin.

However, it was then that he noticed a young boar with its body and legs wrapped in gauze. This, he found quite suspicious, but before he could move any closer to inspect, he caught sight of someone heading straight for the cabin using Flight Magic.

Panicking, Yuno dove into the bushes to hide, peeking out to see just who had arrived…...

"Gra~~~ham~~~ Were you a good little boy? Were you? Were you??"

Speaking in the most babyish voice Yuno had ever heard, it was none other than Julius Novachrono who came descending from the heavens. Upon landing, he approached the cabin, bearing feed for the boar, and removed his dirty bandages while stroking him gently......

Which brings us back to the present.

"Theeeeere there there! Now, let's get your bandages changed!"

Tearing their gazes from the sight of Julius letting loose with even more heinous baby talk, Yuno and Bell glanced at one another. Evidently, Julius was out here taking care of this boar. That much was obvious, but......

Bell dropped her voice, whispering softly to Yuno,

"…...Wh-what do we do, Yuno?"

"There's nothing for us to do," he returned shortly. "Because we didn't see anything, got it? Let's just head back."

That was best for all parties involved. Yuno had absolutely no desire to see Julius acting like that, and Julius probably wouldn't have wanted anyone to spot him out here either. Thankfully, Julius didn't seem to have noticed he was being watched, probably as much to do with the fact that Yuno had disguised their presence as the fact that Julius was absolutely enthralled with playing with the little boar and was paying little attention to his surroundings.

If he was going to make a break for it, it needed to be now. However, Bell leered with squinted eyes,

"...But, you know, that poor little thing really doesn't seem like he's enjoying the attention..."

This much Yuno could see. Actually, it was impossible not to notice. The little boar was squirming and squealing up a storm as Julius attempted to change his bandages, desperately attempting to flee. There was no mistaking that attitude as one of a fond pet.

"…...Neither one of us knows what's going on here. It's not our place to say anything."

"Yeah, I guess you're right…..."

"Plus......"

Yuno glanced back to Julius, who, despite the boar's fierce attempts to escape, was doing his best to see to its needs, and even looked happy doing so. Julius looked like he was having the time of his life, eyes bright with elation - just as he seemed to when he was talking about magic or chatting with the squad Captains he trusted so much. It was true that Yuno didn't want to get involved in whatever was going on here, but he also didn’t want to interrupt Julius when he was so utterly enthralled.

"Plus what?"

"Forget it. Let's go." With that, Yuno was about to stand up, but then......

"SQUEEEEEEAAAAAL!!"

The boar let out a particularly shrill scream, and Julius instantly drew back just as the boar released a huge burst of flame.

"W-what the heck is THAT?!"

"That boar...it must be a Flame Boar! They're a special breed that can use Fire Magic!"

A normal boar was one thing, but keeping an animal of this nature as a pet was forbidden…… though, that hardly mattered right now.

Yuno leapt from the bush, rushing to Julius's side. "Your Majesty! Are you all right?"

In retrospect, that had been rather stupid of him. After all, what could a Flame Boar possibly do that could in any way harm the Wizard King? It was patently clear he didn’t have a single scratch on him, no burns of any sort, and even the cabin itself remained safe from any flying sparks.

"......Yu-Yuno-kun........!?"

Julius's face was so red, he could have started spitting fire himself.

"H-h-how...how long--how long h-h-have you...been w-watching...me...?"

"I didn't see anything I didn't hear anything PLEASE EXCUSE ME, SIR!"

Yuno sputtered before promptly turning on his heel and darting off. It was a rather forcible retreat, admittedly, but he was convinced it was the best course of action. What had just transpired would only reflect badly on the both of them, so pretending it had never happened at all was for the best.

“W-wait! P-please hear me out!”

However, Julius chased after him, his expression desperate.

"W-wait! Please wait! There's something I'd like your help with!"

……And when the Wizard King said that to you...well, you really had to stop, didn't you?

“……So, this little one’s parents died, which is why you decided to take care of it here for the time being?”

After all that, Yuno and Bell were invited to sit on the bench in front of the cabin as Julius served them some tea and snacks. Both the tea and snacks looked rather extravagant, so Yuno couldn’t help but wonder if they were meant to bribe him to keep quiet. At the same time, Julius explained his circumstances to them.

“Yes. Well, in short, that is correct.”

As he watched Graham run around chasing butterflies, Julius continued,

“Not too long ago, I was passing by this area when I found two flame boars being attacked by bandits. Those were Graham’s parents.”

Bell grabbed a macaroon with both hands and stuffed it into her mouth as she asked Julius,

“Why did those bandits attack them? Were they hungry or something?”

“Flame boar fur has excellent heat resistance, so it’s sometimes used to make magic tools and the like. Because of that, it can be sold for a high price. Of course, that doesn’t make it right to kill them indiscriminately, so I rushed in to save them. I managed to capture the bandits, but…… it was already too late for Graham’s parents.”

On the outside, Yuno was expressionless as he nodded in agreement, but on the inside, he felt bitter. This was not an uncommon occurrence in areas that have been plagued by bandits. They indiscriminately kill, eat, and sell any animals unfortunate enough to live in their territory.

“Although he was injured, I at least managed to save Graham. However, I couldn’t just leave him, so I was going to drop him off at an animal shelter…... but no matter which shelter I tried, they all refused to take him.”

“Because it’s forbidden to keep a dangerous animal like a flame boar as a pet.”

Technically, if he made full use of his authority as the Wizard King, he would be able to force any facility to keep Graham. However, that would surely cause trouble for the breeders and the other animals they kept at the facility. As Yuno knew, Julius was not the sort of man who would do that. Julius shrugged lightly before replying,

“Right. That’s why I started taking care of him in secret. I’d like to keep him until he recovers from his injuries, at least.”

Julius replied as if to substantiate the explanation that Yuno reached.

“I see…...”

Yuno said as he nodded. Although Yuno came to agree with him, Julius felt a small pang of guilt. His story wasn’t a lie, but it was not the whole truth, either. That’s because if Julius had used his time magic, he could have cured Graham’s injuries in an instant. However, if he did that, then Graham would grow up with the mistaken assumption that injuries can be cured easily. Julius wanted to avoid clouding Graham’s worldview for the convenience of humans any more than it already has.

Coming back from that tangent, Julius continued,

“That’s why I was wondering if you could keep this a secret for me? If it became known that the leader of the Magic Knights broke the rules, there would be a lot of trouble.”

Particularly from Marx. If Marx found out, there was no telling what Marx might say to him. It was easy to imagine what awaited in his future……

“You were raising an unusual pet, huh……? That’s the kind of thing an extravagant bachelor with too much time and money on his hands would do! Stop playing around and get back to work!”

……And he would continue on and on like that.

Yuno lightly tilted his head, completely unaware of Julius’s troubles.

“Of course. It was never my intention to tell anyone, but…… wouldn’t it be better to take care of Graham somewhere else? Bandits might go after him again, and Magic Knights take turns coming here almost every day, so you might get spotted again.”

“……That’s true, but……”

Julius pointed to a large rock a short distance from the cabin. Placed in front of that rock were two bouquets of flowers. Sometimes, Graham would sit at that rock and squeal in a very particular way. Yuno has heard these squeals before. It was the sound flame boars make when they are trying to get their parents’ attention. In other words, that was where……

Julius saw that Yuno understood and nodded.

“That was where Graham’s parents were killed. I think that’s why…... Graham refuses to leave this place.”

For the second time that day, Yuno felt a bitterness in his heart.

“…...I was raised in a village, so I’ve seen animals like that before. Some baby animals won’t leave their parents’ side, even after their parents have died. That’s probably happening here, too.”

Even if you pull that baby animal away from its parents’ bodies by force, it will likely return. In the end, it will probably die, either from being targeted by other animals or from illness caused by being near a corpse. If Julius wasn’t protecting him, that’s probably what would have happened to Graham.

“I thought about using magic to move his parents’ corpses, but…… it would be a problem if Graham thought I was playing with them. In the end, I decided to bury them here.”

“……I see.”

Bell said, looking sorrowfully at Graham. She then clenched her hand into a little fist and said,

“Wizard King! You’re really something! It’s really cool that you’re willing to go so far for a single wild boar!”

“……Hey, Bell. You’re being rude.”

“Ha ha, I don’t mind, Yuno-kun. Miss Wind Spirit, I’m happy to hear you say that. By the way, can I try mixing your magic with mine? Just for a bit?”

“I’m Yuno’s, so no way! However, I kinda like you, so you’re allowed to call me Bell!”

Bell was being incredibly impertinent as she said this, but Julius’s response was simply to smile gently and say,

“That’s too bad. Well, I’m happy that I can call you by your name!”

He possesses great power, he shows tolerance toward anyone, and he holds compassion even for animals. That’s the kind of person Julius is. The kind of person Yuno - and Asta - were aiming to become was as grand as ever. Moreover, Yuno was only looking at a small part of the Wizard King. Despite this, he understood that the Wizard King was a grand existence. If he could see everything, just how grand would he be……? Even trying to imagine it made him feel overwhelmed.

‘Even so, someday I’ll…..!’

As such thoughts reignited in Yuno’s chest, Julius cleared his throat as if to move on to a new subject.

“This brings me to what I wanted to ask you…… Just as you said, this is not a good place to be raising an animal, and I’m also too busy to take care of Graham by myself……”

He appeared rather uncomfortable as he looked at Yuno and Bell.

“That is…… I know this is a selfish request, but you seem like you wouldn’t spill a secret, so…… could you maybe…… help me take care of Graham?”

‘I knew this was coming……,’ Yuno thought as he weighed his options. For Julius, it would make things quicker and easier if Yuno and Bell cooperate now that they’ve seen this place. However, keeping it a secret from the Order of Magic Knights was definitely going to be troublesome.

“Of course, I’m not asking you this as the Wizard King. I’m asking you as a person, so there’s nothing wrong with saying no. You’ll end up breaking the rules, too…… it would be troublesome for you if you get discovered, and you could run into trouble here, too.”

That’s right. If something were to happen here, he wouldn’t be able to get here in time to help Yuno. This was not a task one should carelessly take on.

“Of course. If you’re alright with us helping you, we would love to.”

“Right, of course you’d say no…… the Royal Knights Selection Exam is coming up and you have your own duties to…... WAIT, REALLY!?”

Julius had crestfallenly lowered his head, but then he raised his head back up in surprise and sputtered,

“Huh, a-are you sure!? You’re going to take on this task, just like that……?”

“Yes. I can do my duties as a Magic Knight here…... Plus, if I let a thought like “something bad might happen” stop me, then I’d never get anything done.”

The second half of what he said came from his own experiences as a child. In life, if you don’t do anything, then nothing will happen. He didn’t want that. If you find yourself unable to move because of all your negative thoughts, it’s sometimes necessary to just try doing whatever you want before thinking about what you should do. This was something he learned from watching that guy live his life. He wasn’t sure if this was one of those times, but, at the very least…...

“Also, you said that I would be breaking the rules, but I’m just helping you because I think that’s the right thing to do. I think that for most people, doing what they think is right would be the correct thing to do.”

……Yuno knew that he liked what Julius was doing. That’s why he was going to help him without worrying about problems that may or may not happen later. Wanting to support that idea, Bell whirled around Julius and said,

“That’s right! That’s absolutely right! Actually, it’s weird that you’re doing something so cool so sneakily by yourself! At the very least, you should let us help you!”

“You guys……”

Julius appeared a little surprised as he said this, but then,

“……I see. William truly is blessed with some good kids.”

He nodded as if he came to understand something before calmly smiling once more.

“Thank you, really! Well then, I’ll be counting on you two!”

Yuno bowed his head with a smile before looking around at his surroundings.

“Even so, it really is dangerous to be raising an animal here. If we don’t take measures soon, then……”

“Y-yeah…… You really are a good kid. You’re able to look at things pragmatically so quickly……”

Julius wanted to bask in the warm, snug atmosphere they just created for a little longer, but…… now wasn’t really the time for that. Julius grabbed a large sack that was left at a corner of the cabin and brought it to Yuno and Bell.

“I’ve already done something about that. I bought all sorts of magic tools for dealing with bandits or other Magic Knights.”

Julius pulled out one expensive-looking magic tool after another from the bag.

“Umm, this one is a jewel that keeps evil away. I’m pretty sure this one is a collar that seals away magical power. And this one is a magic tool that keeps others from being able to sense your mana, even if they use mana perception. Also, this one is…...”

As he pulled each tool out, he explained in detail what each one of them did with a huge grin on his face. Yuno and Bell, who felt nothing but respect for Julius just moments ago, started to think ‘This guy is kind of scary…….’. Just how much money and effort is he sinking into one wild boar? Bell whispered into Yuno’s ear,

“……Hey, Yuno. Is he one of those? He gave us all those reasons earlier, but…... maybe he’s just an old guy who wants to secretly raise a pet……?”

“Please don’t say that……. Just don’t.”

He may have sounded a little unconfident in his reply, but that’s not because he was starting to think the same thing Bell was thinking. Absolutely not.

“I read this in a book once, but unmarried bachelors in their 40’s tend to have a lot of money, and they want something to spend their money on, so they buy a pet. Then, that causes their paternal instincts to explode forth, so they end up spending even more money on it.”

“You’re talking about a normal unmarried bachelor in his 40’s. This man is the Wizard King. Don’t lump them together.”

“Hm? Yuno-kun, did you say something?”

“Nothing.”

And so, despite all his doubts and unease, his days taking care of Graham with Julius began.

----- The following morning -----

“Oh, Yuno-kun! Bell-kun! Thank you for taking care of him so early in the morning~”

Julius swooped down from the sky toward Yuno and Bell, who were training near the lake.

“Good morning. You’re up early too, your highness.”

“Yeah, I have a meeting to attend just before noon today, so I figured I’d stay here until then. What about you?”

“We have the day off today, so I’ve been training my magic by reinforcing the cabin and changing Graham’s bedding. Also, I think he’s still fine for now, but I was thinking that we should make a fence in preparation for when Graham becomes independent from his parents. It would be troublesome if he accidently wandered into one of the villages.

“……Y-yeah. You sure work fast. Adaptable, too.”

Julius said in surprise. From the start, Yuno was meticulous and diligent. He wanted to do as much as he could while he was here.

“Look, Graham! Your Daddy’s here!”

Bell said as she flew toward Graham, who was eating his feed in front of the hut. Julius had a questioning, but also happy expression on his face as he asked,

“……D-daddy?”

“Bell. Don’t call him weird names. It’s rude.”

“It’s fine, right? He’s practically acting like a surrogate dad!”

“Even so, calling him ‘Daddy’ is a little…...”

As Yuno and Bell continued, Julius’s face steadily became redder until he cleared his throat and interrupted,

“W-well, it’s fine, isn’t it? It feels a little uncomfortable to be called that, but it might be good for Graham. I’m not sure how I feel about it, though…..”

“Oh, well then I won’t call you that. I’m not going to force you to-

“Ah, no! Never mind! Let’s go with that!”

Julius interrupted before crouching down in front of Graham.

“Even so, you two are amazing for being able to feed Graham already. It took a lot of struggling on my part to get him to trust me enough to do that……”

Julius sounded a bit woeful as he said this. Yuno responded as he walked toward the hut,

“I’m not sure why, but animals have always liked me. Also, Bell is a wind spirit, so it might be easier for Graham to trust her over a human being. Actually……”

Yuno glanced at the tombstone for Graham’s parents as he continued,

“You began taking care of Graham right after his parents were killed. That would be the time when Graham would hate humans the most. The fact you managed to feed him and tend to his wounds despite that makes you even more amazing.”

It looked like Graham was putting up a lot of resistance yesterday when the Wizard King was changing his bandages, but that was probably just because his wounds still hurt. It’s not like Graham hasn’t opened his heart to him.

“The reason we’re able to get along with Graham right now is because of you, your highness. Isn’t the fact that Graham knows that not all humans are bad because you poured so much love into him?”

“Y-you think so? That would make me very happy, but……”

Julius sounded embarrassed as he replied before extending his hand toward Graham’s head.

“Graham~ It’s……. It’s Daddy. Daddy’s he-

“SQEEEA, SQEAAAL!”

CRUNCH

With full force, Graham chomped down on Julius’s fingers.

“……………”

A terribly awkward atmosphere arose between Julius and Yuno. In the meantime, Bell, who is incabable of reading the mood, tried her best to open Graham’s mouth as she reprimanded him.

“Hey, Graham! Stop that! You wouldn’t do that to me or Yuno, right!? It’s almost as if you don’t trust the Wizard King after all!”

Yuno went pale when he heard Bell utter the worst thing she could have possibly said, but Julius chided Bell with a stiff smile on his face.

“Ah, Ah ha ha! It’s fine, Bell-kun! I’m sure Graham’s just hungry!”

“What are you talking about!? Graham literally just ate!”

“Then, he’s probably just trying to play! Yeah! I’m sure he just wants to play with me!”

“Even so, he looks serious! It’s like he’s trying to bite your fingers off!”

“Bell! BELL! Just stop talking! Just stop!”

Unusually for him, Yuno raised his voice as he interrupted Bell, stopping her from uttering another word and gently pulling Julius’s fingers away from Graham. After that, Graham trotted away toward the lake to drink some water. Those hellish couple of seconds were finally over, but tears started to pool in Julius’s eyes.

‘Should I say something…..?’ Yuno thought, maybe about how Bell has a tendency to air-headedly stab people in the heart…… No, it was too late to say anything about that now, so he decided to change the subject as quickly as he could.

“……Could you explain to me what all the magic tools you bought do again?”

Yuno truly did want to hear his explanation again. Julius explained everything so quickly yesterday that he didn’t get all the details.

“S-sure…… There’s a lot of them, but I think this one’s the most important one.”

Julius said, returning back to his usual self as he led Yuno inside the cabin. There, a sparkling red jewel was hidden under Graham’s bedding.

“This is a high-grade magic tool that wards away evil. It creates a barrier with this jewel at the center, and people with evil souls can’t cross through its barrier. That’s the only thing I bought the first day I decided to raise Graham, and I’ve kept this tool active this whole time.”

Bell, who returned to Yuno’s shoulder, gasped in admiration as she looked at the jewel and said,

“That’s a high-grade magic tool for ya! It would be great if every household…… or at least every village had one of these!”

“Ha ha, if we could do that, it would make our jobs as Magic Knights a lot easier. However, this jewel’s range is not very large, and this isn’t widely distributed. Moreover, one strong attack is enough to break this jewel’s barrier, so it’s not so omnipotent as one might think.”

“However, it’s more than enough to protect Graham from those bandits, right?”

Julius nodded at Yuno’s words and turned toward Graham, who was currently bathing in the lake. Around Graham’s neck was a collar with a nameplate attached.

“The next important tool is the collar I bought yesterday. That collar seals away magic. As long as he wears that, Graham won’t be able to use magic, so even if another Magic Knight finds us, they would think that he’s just an ordinary boar.”

Julius’s expression stiffened a bit before continuing.

“Well, not being found at all would be the best outcome, and hardly anyone would have any reason to come here, but…... just like you did, it’s possible that somebody could wander here by chance.”

After the three of them reflected on the “major accident” that happened yesterday, Yuno swiftly returned to the main subject and asked,

“……I see. What about the other tools?”

Following Yuno’s train of thought, Julius quickly began to explain the other tools.

“The other ones are magic tools which conceal our presence, make our mana less perceptible, and other things of that nature. Well, I’ll go ahead and explain what they all do in detail, and…… hm?”

Before he could finish talking, his expression suddenly became grim, and his gaze sharpened as he looked toward the direction of the village. Yuno looked in the same direction.

“……Somebody’s coming.”

“Yeah. I feel two sources of mana heading towards us. For now, let’s hide in the cabin.”

The two swiftly moved toward the cabin, but Bell looked at Graham and exclaimed,

“Wait! Is it alright to leave Graham like this!? We should all hide together!”

“No. We wouldn’t be able to make it in time. For the time being, let’s observe the situation. If something happens, we’ll all leave.”

Julius countered as they slipped into the cabin. Before long, two figures emerged from the forest……

“Kah kah! Look~ There’s nothing here. There’s nobody!”

The Captain of the Green Mantis, Jack the Ripper……

“How strange. I definitely felt powerful mana coming from here earlier……”

……And the Captain of the Blue Roses, Charlotte Roselei.

Two Magic Knights…... two Magic Knight Captains, no less, set foot on the lake shore. Judging by what they were saying, they must have sensed either Yuno’s or Julius’s presence. They probably noticed Julius’s mana when he flew here.

‘To think two bigshots like these would show up,’ Yuno thought, cold sweat dripping from his forehead.

“Why are Captains doing a mundane task like patrolling……?”

“…….Because the Royal Knights Selection Exam will be held soon. Even if it only helps a bit, Captains and Vice-Captains have been handling some of the routine tasks so that their squad members can focus on training for it.”

Julius explained calmly, but internally, his heart was pounding. It would be bad if they were found out by ordinary Magic Knights, but there was no mistaking that being found out by a Captain would be even worse. They nervously held their breaths in the cabin as they heard Charlotte say in a commanding tone of voice,

“Just in case, let’s split up and search the area.”

“Are you kidding me~ Damn, I was planning to get wasted at a bar until our shift ended.”

After that brief exchange, Charlotte began to trace the perimeter of the lake while Jack began investigating inside the forest, appearing very bored as he did so. Seeing this, Yuno frowned as he turned toward Julius.

“……What should we do? At this rate, we’ll be found any moment now.”

“We’re okay. Like I was saying earlier, I have a magic tool running that dulls other people’s mana perception abilities, so they won’t be able to sense our mana. I also have another tool running right now that inhibits other people’s ability to notice our presence. In other words, right now, they won’t be able to sense our presence nor our mana.”

‘If you have that much money to spend on magic tools, maybe you should put some of that money toward the Magic Knights,’ Yuno thought. In any case, if that’s all true, then their presence probably won’t be discovered. The problem was……

“……Hm? What’s this? A baby boar? What is it doing in a place like this……?”

Just as Yuno feared, Charlotte spotted Graham, and began to slowly make her way toward him. Surprised by her presence, Graham froze stiff. While he remained frozen, Charlotte crouched down to meet Graham at eye level.

“……So, you’re getting your wounds treated? You have a collar, too. Is someone feeding you here…..?”

She said as she extended her hand toward Graham’s collar.

‘Please don’t take his collar off…….!’ all three of them prayed as they watched her from inside the cabin.

“……..Graham? That’s what is carved here…… I see. So, your name is Graham?”

She muttered before looking around at her surroundings. It looked like she made particular note of whether Jack was still deep in the forest. After confirming that nobody else was around, she turned toward Graham once more, and……

“……Graham, come here. I won’t hurt you, so go ahead and sit on my lap~”

With great difficulty, but also great tenderness, she raised Graham up and placed him on her lap. Then with an innocent smile, much like the smile of a young girl, she hugged Graham’s body.

“Wow…… this is amazing. I though boar fur would be rough and scratchy, but it’s actually really fluffy. I wonder if it’s because you’re a baby. Tee hee, this feels nice. You’re so cute……”

“…………”

“You’re so small. Are you eating properly? I know, I’ll find something good for you to eat! What would you like to eat? Hm? I’ll buy anything you want~”

“…………”

The three inside the cabin continued to watch Charlotte dote on Graham, stiffly turning their heads toward each other. It was a different outcome then what they were expecting, but it was a crazy sight indeed.

“H-hey…… Yuno-kun……?”

This wasn’t the time to be asking this, but Julius couldn’t help but ask.

“……D-did I…… look like that when you found me……?”

“Quiet, your highness. It looks like Captain Jack has returned.”

Yuno brushed off Julius’s question and turned his gaze toward the forest. There, Jack was lumbering his way back. Charlotte noticed his presence, putting Graham down and standing back up on her feet. Her face was a bit red, so she tried to hide this with her hand as she asked him,

“……H-how was it, Jack? Did you find anyone?”

“Nope~ Not a single soul. Kah kah. It must’ve been your imagination.”

“……Maybe. It’s possible that Grah……. No, it’s possible that this injured boar’s owner came to check on him, and then headed home soon after.”

Charlotte left it at that and promptly started back toward the village.

“Anyway, we now know that no one else is here. Let’s return to the village and buy some feed…… no, let’s just go back to the village.”

“Huh? Ah, hey!”

She didn’t respond to Jack’s voice, opting instead to hurry into the forest as if she had some great mission to fulfill.

“Damn, what’s with her……? Anyway, I feel tired just being here. I feel like my physical strength and magical power is withering away. I wonder if some weird magic was cast here.”

Hearing Jack talk to himself, Yuno tilted his head in confusion.

‘What is he talking about? At the very least, I don’t feel any symptoms like that…...”

He turned toward Julius, searching for an answer from him. Julius’s reply was a little awkward as he explained,

“It’s probably the jewel that repels people with evil souls. Maybe that’s what happens when it only affects you halfway……?”

‘……I see. That Magic Knights Captain is recognized as a “halfway evil soul” by the jewel.’

Not knowing that this was the cause, Jack looked around as he muttered,

“Come to think of it, she mentioned there was a boar, but I don’t see it…… Ah, there it is.”

His eyes sharpened with a glint as they lowered toward Graham. Graham jumped in surprise as the three in the cabin watched the situation closely, feeling very different from when they were watching Charlotte. They were pretty sure that Jack wouldn’t get violent with Graham, but he might treat him roughly. That would be unpardonable. If it came to that, they would have no choice but to come out of hiding and stop him. They tensely watched over the situation to see which way it would go, but…...

“……What is he doing? Neither of them have moved an inch……”

Just as Yuno said, Jack was looking Graham in the eye with what seemed like no intention to move whatsoever. Because he was afraid, Graham also didn’t move, so it looked as if time had stopped for them both.

Bell hummed as she pretended to push up imaginary glasses,

“…...It’s just like when a bad wolf happens upon an abandoned puppy and the two come to a mutual understanding. Like, “So, you’re on your own, too…..?”, or something.”

“But he’s not on his own. He has a collar and bandages, so that much should be obvious.”

Yuno’s rebuttal was immediate, but Bell continued to dub over the other two with a hushed voice.

“I could save you, take you in as my henchman, but that would be too easy. If I do that, you’re gonna think that life is easy for as long as you live. It ain’t easy. Life is…… never easy.”

“That’s the kind of conversation two human beings would have. Also, don’t you think your image of Captain Jack is a little off?”

Yuno shot Bell down again, but then Jack headed toward the shoals of the lake and caught a fish using his Slash Magic. After that, he threw it next to Graham. Without skipping a beat, Bell continued,

“Whoops, my mistake…… I accidentally caught too many fish. Throwing them away would surely anger the gods, so I’ll give some to you. Now, young lad…… live, and grow up to be strong…….”

“Okay, that whole “gods” thing is really out of character for him. Just stop……”

“Well, I don’t know if he’d say it quite like that, but it looks like she more or less got it right…... At the very least, it appears that he won’t get rough with Graham.”

While the three of them were talking, Jack left the vicinity. After watching Jack’s figure disappear into the forest, Julius let out a huge sigh of relief.

“Whew, that scared me….. From now on, we should use magic tools that hide our magic power when we come here.”

“……You’re right. Actually, if you could find a magic tool that makes us invisible, that would be great.”

‘If we had that, we would’ve been able to escape before seeing all that,’ Yuno thought to himself as he came out of the hut with Julius.

“Are you okay, Graham? You must’ve been so scared!”

Bell said as he flew toward Graham. Graham squealed happily and started skipping about. Watching Graham behave so cheerfully, Julius had a wry smile on his face.

“Ah ha ha. I thought he’d be afraid, but he’s surprisingly okay. Have you gotten used to being around humans?”

“He might be able to relax around people who seem to hold good intentions.”

……Of course, those two seemed a little too interested in Graham, so there was another problem they had to worry about – the possibility that they may return. However, there was nothing for them to do about that other than take appropriate measures when the time comes. As Yuno came to this conclusion, Julius squatted in front of Graham and extended his hand toward the fish Jack caught.

“Isn’t this great, Graham? You have a fish! Daddy will cut it into pieces to make it easier for you to-

“SQUEAL! SQUEAAAL!”

CRUNCH!

At that moment, Graham chomped down on Julius’s fingers with all his might.

“………….”

— To be continued in Part 2 —

Julius is such a softie and I love every minute of it. Spoil that baby boar!

Charlotte’s reaction was expected (and perfectly understandable as I would love to hug Graham too), but I can’t say I saw Jack’s coming. It was…... interesting. It’s funny that his soul is considered half-evil, though.

I’m glad to be back to translating Book of Yuno again. The Black Bulls are fun, but there’s something refreshing about having the focus on a character outside of their group. Maybe it’s because he’s so introverted, but Yuno feels very natural as a book protagonist. It’s also funny to see how often the novel essentially says “he had a neutral expression on the outside, but inside he felt *insert intense emotion here*”.

#Black Clover #Yuno #julius novachrono #Charlotte Roselei #jack the ripper #Book of Yuno #My translations

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stylishanachronism · 4 years ago

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Okay so we’re going to open with the fact that while Obsidian has at least one person on staff who understands armor, literally nobody understands clothing, especially historical clothing, and though they stumbled into something... acceptable in two and a half cases(1), literally everything else they’ve produced on the subject is garbage.

So what’s the most garbage cultural garb in Eora? I’m going to shock you, despite my complaining on the affront that is the Dyrwood, it’s actually the Vailians. They’re supposedly primarily metalsmiths and textile traders, (iirc Obsidian called Venice and the Phoenicians as the major guiding influences), with really strong textual aesthetic sensibilities, and yet they’re all wearing drab closefitting garments with neither wild shaping nor excess fabric, mostly in deeply boring greys. It’s like... bad period piece Renaissance Venetians, but make it 90s haute couture. It is *painfully* bad. Deadfire improves, a little bit, but these are supposedly the most baroque bitches around, I should be seeing vivid colors (especially in reds and blues and purples), rich blacks, and enough spare fabric to drown a medium sized child. Also lace. A famous vineyard’s worth of lace. At least blackwork, come on Obsidian they look cheap.

Based on Pallegina’s armor, I should also be seeing a ‘pigeon breast’ silhouette on literally everyone, or alternatively low, square cut bodices to show off extremely fancy underwear (and don’t worry, we’ll get to the underwear), and I should be seeing split hose, not pants, if I am seeing hose at all. I will accept pants for exactly two cultures and no more. and the Republics do not apply.(2) Deadfire did them a good turn by introducing brocades but where is the velvet. The silk. The weird hats. The dagged, slashed sleeves to show off the fact you’re rich enough to wear an overdress, an underdress, and then your underwear’s fancy as hell too. Everybody on the south-eastern half of the Eastern reach is wearing, at minimum, a chemise, hose, and if you’ve got boobs some sort of stays to keep said boobs put, and pockets, before you even get to their outerwear.and just like today, everybody wants pretty underwear. Embroidered cuffs and collars, clocked hose, lace on everything, if you’re rich, blackwork if you aren’t, extremely beautiful pockets, the works. The Republics, being the rich people with all the fabric, have canonically raised fashion to an art form, so they should be dripping with extra details, and they should not only be the only people with flat patterning, they should be reveling in that fact. They are not doing any of these things.

The second most garbage cultural garb is, of course, the Dyrwood. Again, I should be seeing lots of color, not necessarily saturated but given their climate and stated food products I can make an educated guess about what dye plants are around, so lots of greens and yellows and rusty-orange reds and (maybe) pale blues, and a billion extremely rich shades of brown and almost-black, mostly plainweave for themselves (they’re shipping out their brocades for the most part), but lots of embroidery again. They can keep the bracers, they’re the only canon-given detail I actually liked (and it plays into a different headcanon re: where the fuck did you get the standing army), but they don’t even get split hose, much less pants. Skirts for everybody! Again, these people are producing all the fabric, and it’s cold(ish), so multiple layers are a thing, as is excess cloth, and if you’re going to do that, you’ll dye your underdress a fun color to contrast with your overdress (which very well might be quartered, too), at the very least. There’s probably a lot of plain trimming, and guards, and they’re coming out of Aedyran fashion so there’s not a lot of shaping but stripes and plaids are probably a thing, and certainly no flat patterning. Think bilaut over later kirtles, with side lacing and belting around the waist for various purposes (like making your boobs stay put, depending on if you’ve got stays or not, or holding up said skirt when you’re working in the fields, to get it out of the way.)(3)

Based on the leather armor you pick up, I should also be seeing the beginnings of a more conical style, moving away from clothes you just drop over your head into separate skirts and bodices (for everybody, not just women), which still probably lace up the front or (more commonly) the sides. (There’s an argument to be made that kilts are a thing, coming out of Eir Glanfath, but it’s probably more of a western than an eastern thing, and frankly I’m not sold, get back to me on this.) Also, going back to my dearly cherished ring lace headcanon, pretty much everyone wears extremely beautiful knit lace shawls (but not trim, and not non-knit), because even if you’re selling all the really nice stuff you’ve still got piles and piles of little apprentices practicing their trade, and somebody’s got to wear it.

Unfortunately I just don’t have enough information about Glanfathians to say anything other than what they’re wearing is also probably garbage, and fashion is probably a hugely tribe-specific thing. More nomadic tribes probably don’t wear many wovens, probably saving what cloth they make or trade for for things like belts and blankets and carrying bags, but again, it should all be extremely colorful. You’ll see more shaping and piecework here, because leather does not appear in neat rectangles the way cloth does, and if you’ve already got that curve you might as well use it, lots of fur, mostly for warmth but also as decoration, and we might see Dyrwodian fashion influences with the more eastern tribes, depending on the mystery of what’s going down politically at that border and whether or not those tribes are more or less nomadic.

Ixmitl gets an honorable mention for having the most color and also horses, and so the pants are acceptable, but I’d like to see more color and more embellishment. And also more information. Rauatai gets an honorable mention for having actually reasonable rectangular construction on everything (clearly an accident but I’ll take it) and again, some color. Aedyr gets an honorable mention for having some logic put into it’s creation, even if that logic isn’t extended out to its colonies like it should be, and even if what we see in game makes it clear Obsidian doesn’t actually understand how things like chitons work.

Engwith gets all the honorable mentions for somehow being the most internally consistent culture as far as art and fashion go, despite 90% of that art and fashion being extremely hard to see frescoes, and the rest of it being Thaos. Yeah it’s basically a straight copy off Sumer but you know what? That just means it works.

At some point in the distant future I may update this with illustrations of canon v. what we reasonably should be seeing, but right now is not that time.

1: Whoever Obsidian picked up for Tyranny clearly stayed on (Tyranny’s clothing was uniformly pretty great, even if it had the same bra problem), and they’re the only person with half a clue, which is why the Huana look as good as they do. Pillars gets half a point for Aedyr, Iximtl, and hilariously enough Engwith, for having reasonable starting points, and Deadfire should get another half point for Rautai, but that picture of Maia exists and it is such an affront they lost it again.

2: Ixmitl and the various groups of the White that Wends can have pants, the first because they’re canonically horse people, and that’s what pants are for. The White doesn’t actually get pants, per se, they’re fairly clearly inspired variously by the Inuit and the Vikings, so they have separate undergarments we would call pants in order to help keep warm, but it counts for this. Nobody else gets pants.

3: Just for the record, this is also where Raedceras should be, fashion-wise, but we have huge amounts of nothing when it comes to non-priest everyday wear so I can’t really talk about. My logic still stands, plus they’re even less likely to know about flat patterning, but, y’know.

#pillars of eternity #pillars of eternity meta #this is a mess I'm sorry #there will be a sister post covering the fiddly technical bits if you're confused #but I don't want to derail this more than it already is.#please drop me a line if you need a technical definition I have no sense of what people do or do not casually know on the topic #look I wrote my not-dissertation on tracing trade through fashion in art this is one of the few times I actually 100% know what I'm about #obsidian started out with the completely stupid assumption that everybody's wearing a bra and it just went downhill from there #nobody is wearing a bra #nobody is wearing pants #NOBODY IS WEARING BORING SHIT BROWN EITHER #I did not build all those fucking restoration shirts by hand for nothing #look my art history advisor had her focus in South American and Polynesian art and I loved her so much I took all her classes #so I've got two years of that plus a couple of months on Maori art from her Nonwestern overview #which is exactly enough to say 'that looks reasonable' but if I wanted to get into it I'd need to make so many phone calls #and probably write an actual thing because I would rather die than admit to this nonsense to my academic circle okay #if somebody with a better background/contacts wants to come talk about it please come hang out with me #look the cover of the game features Maia wearing a dress that wraps one way above the belt and the other way under it #and that's illegal #please mentally erase eder's pants and replace them with either a long shirt or a kilt if you like #he is not wearing pants #you can make a kilt argument #but not pants #I guess everybody in the living lands goes naked because I have absolutely no idea what they're wearing over there #or where over there is for that matter #obsidian show me your atlas please and thanks

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plus-size-reader · 5 years ago

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The Dealer

Thomas Shelby x Plus size!reader

Word Count: 1,293 words

Warnings: none

Summary: Reader is an arms dealer in Birmingham and a huge shock to everyone because she's a gorgeous woman, unlike what they are always expecting.

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There had been conversation are you all over Birmingham. Very few people had actually met you face-to-face and because of that, rumors began to spread.

For one, you went only by your initials, which made it rather hard to distinguish you by your gender…

Something that you had done on purpose.

The underground crime ring was run almost entirely by men. It was a simple fact but for a woman, it was a curse.

You had been raised in the delicate business of arms dealing. The underground, unregulated theft and distribution of firearms. As your father's one and only child, he had no other choice but to pass his trade onto you.

Your uncles had thrown quite a fit, due to you being a girl, but your papa wasn’t having it.

And you couldn’t have been happier.

You looked at your work as an art form, a misunderstood, often chastised art form.

Anyhow, when your father died, he left you his entire empire. Every soldier, supplier, and buyer he’d ever acquired in his long lifetime, were at your disposal.

All of the men on his payroll and all of his contacts...who all grew to respect you in time.

After all, the country was coming down from a war and with all that PTSD and paranoia running rampant, you were on top of the world.

You started your day like any other, sitting at your desk with a gin and tonic and a few submission slips. It was the most organized way you’d found to get the goods to whoever ordered…

It was all very civil, for an illegal conveyor belt of weapons.

However, before you could actually look at what the gentleman from last night had requested, there was a knock at your door. Your door which remained closed until you said that it should be opened.

“Boss? There’s someone here to see you” Louis allowed.

Louis was a bit of a dope but as far as a right hand man went, he was as loyal as they came. The two of you were second cousins, family, and when no one else would hire him, you did what you had to do.

Even so, he seemed extra nervous today...much more nervous than usual.

Perhaps it was because he knew you didn’t like visitors or maybe he’d had a bit too much fun with the whisky cabinet.

“And who would that be?” you wondered, finding a real inconvenience in this whole thing. You had things to do this morning. You didn’t have time to listen to someone babble on all morning.

However, whoever it was, they had to be pretty important to be here.

Not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry could get an audience with you. They’d be sent away at the door. “I believe it’s Thomas Shelby, Boss” he informed, his voice shaking at this point.

You knew the name, of course you did.

The Shelby family had just enough power to rival your own in Birmingham. In fact, it almost shocked you that you’d yet to meet him by this point.

“Should I send him in?” Louis asked finally, interrupting your thinking. He only answered to you but that didn’t mean that he wanted to keep Thomas Shelby and his men waiting.

That wouldn’t end up well.

“Go ahead Louis, let him in” you decided. Usually, you were more careful with who you let into your compound.

However, for Thomas Shelby, you could make an exception.

After all, it wasn’t every day that you got a chance to meet someone as powerful as you.

It was quite the opportunity.

Now, Thomas needed weapons. Anyone who was anyone knew that you were the kingpin when it came to arms dealing.

He needed some of the assets that you possessed.

The only thing he was worried about was the fact that he knew nothing about you. Thomas was a clever man and he didn’t like entering a negotiation without the upper hand...as a general rule.

Something told him that he wouldn’t mind giving up a little bit of control when it came to you. Not that you’d give him much of a choice in the matter.

“Hello Mr.Shelby” you smiled, standing from your chair to offer the man a hand. He was dressed nicely, and carried himself with much more grace than most of the men than you were used to.

Hell, he had a suit on.

Most of the men you did business with hardly had slacks without holes in them.

You had never seen him in person but you weren’t shocked by his appearance.

Not in the same way that he was with yours.

From all he knew about you, never would Thomas have thought that you were a woman. It just wasn’t something he ever would have thought.

Someone surrounded by crime, and death and weaponry ought to be a man, right? Women didn’t have the stomach for that kind of work.

Though as he looked at you, he decided that he was wrong. Apparently that wasn’t the case in the slightest.

“Hello” he started, not doing a very good job of covering up his shock. He just hadn’t been prepared for this.

You couldn’t help but laugh. “Are you okay, Mr.Shelby?” you asked, a teasing tone in your voice. You had dealt with this reaction from every man you’d ever met with.

It was a bit of a shock and you understood that. For you, it was just so much fun to mess with their minds.

Some men could be so stuck in their ways and their reaction to you helped you decide if you should do business with them in the first place. You weren’t going to hand over weaponry to a man who didn’t respect you.

You wanted it to be very clear that you had all the power in your deals.

“Yes, I do apologize” he allowed, clearing his throat as he took a seat.

Clever man.

“No need, I understand” you assured, and you did. However, the reason for Thomas’ shock was more over your stunning beauty than the simple fact that you were a woman.

You were just so polarizing.

Perhaps the most confusing thing about you was the way you chose to dress.

Rather than a dress and furs, like the other women, you had a perfectly tailored suit and a button up vest to match...something Thomas had never seen.

Not that it didn’t work for you.

“I’m sorry Y/N, would you allow me to take you for a drink?” he asked finally, after having worked up the courage to actually do so.

The two of you had been talking for hours about a deal that would arm all of his men.

In the back of his mind, Thomas had been trying his hardest to build up the nerve to ask you to the Garrison. It wasn’t professional in any way, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.

You were unlike any woman that Thomas Shelby had ever met and more than anything, he wanted to know you.

He wanted to get to know the real you.

“Thomas, do you think that’s a good idea?” you wondered, just shocked that he would even bother to even ask.

Most men were challenged by you, and threatened by your power.

Never had you had a prospective client as you for your company, not in the way that Thomas was attempting.

You almost wanted to refuse just on principle but you didn’t really want to.

After all, what could it hurt?

No one on the street knew who you were anyway.

Besides, it could be fun.

“Alright Mr.Shelby...One drink” you hummed, giving him a slight smile that very few men had ever seen before today.

#thomas shelby #thomas shelby x plus size reader #thomas shelby x ps reader #Peaky Blinders #peaky blinders x plus size reader #peaky blinders x ps reader #peaky blinders imagine

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drax-is-inthefandom · 4 years ago

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Defying fate - Chapter 1

Sharing the first chapter here because I FORGET TUMBLR HATES OUTSIDER LINKS. Sucker

Summary: The Trollhunter's son? The Elder's daughter? Titles that come with honor, responsability, and a whole lot of stress. They have great people to make proud, they have the whole world seeing them, waiting for them to reach out to their glory. Or to fail miserably. But this is their story, not their parent's. They forge their own destiny, they defy fate. How this will result? There is only one way to find out

Chapter 1: Friends for years

Link of the AO3 in the reblogs

The sound of moving machinery pierced his ears, the vibration in the ground held him close to reality, the weight of his sword guided his movements.

His father, the Trollhunter, had gone out on a mission again, one in which he was not invited to help, so The Forge was completely at his mercy to train as he saw fit, it was not as if there was someone to guide him and instruct him to train in a different way.

In his mind, the obstacles and weapons presented by The Forge were not programmed mechanisms, in his mind he saw enemy trolls whom he most defeat or kill, and the sword in his hands was not just any sword he had borrowed from the armory, in his mind, what he wielded was Daylight herself. The sword of the Trollhunter.

For years he knew it, he felt it to the core of himself.

He was the son of Kanjigar, the courageous, if someone was to take on the role of his father as Trollhunter after his fall, it should be him, Draal, the deadly.

It was his duty to learn how to use a sword in an honorable way to be ready for the day when Daylight would be under his command.

His mind was ready to deal with the dangling axes and the shifting ground in The Forge.

He wasn't ready to come face to face with the antlers of a moose as soon as he turned around, maybe an axe, but not a moose.

"Deya’s grace!" Such was his surprise to find such an animal in the middle of his training, in the middle of The Forge, that his reflex action was to raise his sword to strike a withering blow at the beast before it wreaked havoc on the place.

"Wait, wait, it's me!" Nor was he prepared to have to stop the sword inches from striking the creature, because under it, the culprit that the body of such a beast was in front of him peeked out. His surprised face changed to one of annoyance, with slight evidence of embarrassment, as he saw the guilty troll for his reaction.

"Imah! What the hell are you doing?"

"I just got back from my hunt, I wanted you to be the first to see my prey. Can you put down your sword, please?" The embarrassment hidden in his annoyance increased when he realized that the sword in his hands was still suspended over the troll and the moose’s body. He snorted and lowered the weapon, earning a grateful smile from the peach troll.

"Magnificent beast, don't you think? Well rationed, it will last about a week, the antlers are in such a state that I can assure you, many will want to compete to keep it, I am sure there would be some good tools with the material, or a good appetizer. Are you interested?"

Imah the Inventive, one of the most reputable hunters in Trollmarket, if not the most reputable, a Pion troll who always returned from her hunts with one or several large prey, enough to provide herself and trade with these in the food and raw material market of different types.

Also, an old friend of his.

"I have no use for an antler right now, but thanks for the offer."

“If you change your mind, just say so. To compensate you for interrupting you in the middle of training, what if I invite you some glug? "

The talk could seem to be nothing out of the ordinary for anyone who might witness it, but she knew him, he knew her.

The interruption was not caused by the simple intention of wanting to display a hunting trophy.

Draal sighed, already getting the idea of what was waiting for him.

"Get ahead while I end up here"

At the bar, he would ask who it was who told her that Kanjigar had put him aside. Again.

"At your service, Sir Draal"

A table on the periphery of the bar, far enough away to preserve privacy but central enough to learn of any possible problems that could need to be addressed.

Imah was waiting for him there when he arrived at the bar, after all, it was the table they have been using for a couple of centuries now.

"I was already beginning to think that you had fallen unconscious because of a hit or something, you were taking your time" A welcoming joke to accompany the jar of glug that was waiting for him, typical of her.

"If someone is usually unconscious in The Forge, it is you, all that fur around your head and not even so you cushion the hundreds of blows you usually receive" And obviously he was not going to be intimidated by the taunts without a fight.

Imah's indignant gasp made him smile, point to him.

“Oh excuse me, Mr. Huge Horns. In the first place, I do not receive even half of all the blows, that a certain bighead here in my eyes, receives, and secondly, my mane is an excellent cushion! For both protection and comfort, it is so fluffy that even you have used it to recharge yourself. And don't you dare deny it! I have witnesses” Both of them laughed, happy with how that fight of sassy comments of them started.

The elephant in the room was obvious to both of them, at some point either of them would point it out, but neither was in a rush to do it. But when you've known someone since you were a kid, you know when it's best to joke around, relax, and share a few jars of glug before pointing out a present problem.

They were already on their fourth jar when, to the Imah's surprise, it was Draal who brought up the subject.

"Who was it that told you that father again refused to let me accompany him?"

"Ah, hadn't I told you? I have been hiding from you for years that I am an oracle, I see and know everything.” Imah's teasing smile collided with Draal's annoyed gaze. She giggled.

“The atmosphere in Trollmarket changes when Kanjigar leaves, especially when going on a mission outside of Arcadia, I quickly peeked into the Gyre on my way home and the smell of the Trollhunter, Aaarrrgghh and Blinky was obvious and fresh. I added two plus two and I went to find you at The Forge, because whenever Kanjigar has a mission so far away as to use the Gyre, you try to convince him to let you accompany him, and you always end up training at The Forge at an alarming intensity where you normally end up hurt because of your recklessness." With the explanation he received, he would have preferred the option that his friend was truly an oracle to accepting that his relationship and reactions with his father already had such a predictable pattern. At least for her.

He must have let out a growl that reflected his frustration, for when he looked up, Imah's smile was a combination of mischief and sympathy that only she knew how to combine and reflect.

"Your frustration is not unknown to me, Draal ... And I am sure that the speech that I usually give you every time I find out about situations like this is not unknown to you either" A snort with enough force to move his nose ring was his answer, Imah showed him the tongue.

"And that's why I don't think it's necessary for me to give it to you again" And that was something that surprised Draal to hear.

"I know that you will continue to seek approval from Kanjigar, you are his son, it is something natural ..." Imah spoke while running his finger along the edge of his jar "And I know you deserve it, as much as I know that Kanjigar is just as stubborn as you, after all, you inherited it from him.” She laughed when she saw the look Draal gave her, especially because he didn't say anything to her, because he knew it was true and couldn't deny it.

"And, well, I have already told you many times, you have the strength, ability and bearing to receive all the recognition in the world, I know it" She got up and went to sit next to him, smiling sweetly and placing her hand over his shoulder.

“Also, I think I have told you since those distant years when we were expectant of who would be the first chosen one of Merlin's Amulet, it does not matter if you are not Merlin's champion, or the Trollmarket champion. You will always be my champion"

A silence remained between them. A silence, not awkward, but reflective, in which they both seemed to be digesting the words spoken, processing them in their own minds.

Draal turned to see Imah, who still had her hand on his shoulder, and smiled at her.

"Don't make it weird." And her smile changed to a grimace of pure annoyance in just a blink, a direct punch to the shoulder was what Draal earned.

“One here wanting to make you feel better and you come out with your stupid comments! I can't deal with you, you are unbelievable! This is the last time I get sentimental with you, ungrateful troll.” Another punch to the shoulder and Imah rose to return to her seat in an indignant snort to take her glug in one gulp.

Draal couldn't stop laughing as he watched her, even if his shoulder was sore from the punches.

When you've been friends with someone for so many years, it's natural for you to escape cheesy moments with a laugh, a friendly annoyance that both of you would remember with grace in the future.

It was his way of thanking the words received without exposing his sensitive side.

And they both knew it.

Draal is not someone to speak out of his feelings. He never has been.

#trollhunters oc #tales of arcadia #draal the deadly #imah the determined #imah the inventive #drax writes #defying fate fic

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nah-she-didnt · 4 years ago

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Spirits And Bones Chapter 2: New Wounds

Okay, so I am definitely learning on the job here. This story is going to require a lot more world-building than I'm used to, so please be patient with me! Thank you all for your kind reviews so far, and enjoy chapter 2!

Read on AO3!

It soon became clear that Lily was a hopeless cook. She never had to cook for herself at her father’s house. Even after he had lost his money they still had at least one servant to cook for the family. Plus, her mother certainly never taught her how to fry an egg or bake bread. She never wasted her time on such domestic duties. So, after Lily burned yet another roast in the kitchen’s large iron oven, Severus decided to procure a maid.

She came to them during Lily’s first week at the new house. Lily recognized the small girl from the day of her engagement at Tobias Snape’s house. She introduced herself as Mary Macdonald, a local girl from the village down the road.

Severus also hired a local boy as a farmhand for the property’s sprawling fields. His name was Remus, and to Lily’s dismay, he slept in the barn loft a hundred paces from the house.

“Surely he’ll freeze out there,” she had pleaded with Severus when the boy came to work for them.

Severus smirked. “Nonsense. He’s just a poor boy from the village, I should think he’d be used to such conditions. Won’t you, boy?”

Remus nodded curtly, not meeting Severus’ eyes. Lily surveyed the boy curiously. He looked lean but strong, with sandy brown hair and a large scar that sliced his right cheek She wondered how a poor farm boy had come to have such a prominent mark.

“Anyway,” Severus continued, turning back to Lily, “I hired him in part to guard my affairs when I am away from my home, but I do not think it would be proper for him to sleep here in the same house as my wife. Although look at him, it’s not as if he’s much of a threat.” He smirked again. His dull teeth looked yellow against his pale skin. “You don’t seem like much of a ladies’ man, boy.”

Remus shook his head once. Lily frowned. “I don’t think there’s any need for talk like that.”

Severus jerked his head around to face her, surprise and anger etched into his face. “I don’t believe my talk is any of your concern, wife.”

Lily said nothing but did not break Severus’ gaze. He often spoke to her like this, reminding her of her place as his wife, not his partner. But she had not yet found Severus to be a cruel man. He even showed her a few kindnesses. One evening he even brought her a new cloak from his father’s inventory. The cloak was fine quality and kept the heat from her body close to her skin as she traipsed through the snowy forest.

However, Severus was also sullen and mirthless. He rarely laughed, and when he did it was a humorless sound. He smirked when she did not know the name of some lord he had visited that day for work or sneered when he heard that a rival trader had died of old age.

Fortunately, Lily did not have to speak with her husband often. She spent her days exploring the land, weaving in between the trees and tracing paths along the stream that ran through the forest. Soon she was able to map the land in her head. She knew what short cuts would get her to the forest the quickest and that the stream flowed in the opposite direction of her house.

Severus still spent most of his days at his father’s house learning his trade and Lily was free to roam the forest just as she had the day she found the hawthorn.

Weeks had passed and she had not been able to find the tree again. She tried to retrace the magic in the earth but the ground grew frozen and dead once more. When she removed her shoes and placed her feet upon the snow it was bitterly cold and burned the soft skin under her toes. Still, she walked for as long as she could stand barefoot, hoping to feel the snow grow warm beneath her once more.

One day, as she walked through the forest barefoot, she cut her foot open on a large jagged rock. “Shit,” she muttered and shuffled across the path to a tree stump. There she sat and examined the damage.

The cut was long, but not deep. A thin trail of blood snaked down her heel and dropped into tiny pinpricks of crimson against the snow. Nothing she couldn’t manage.

Lily closed her eyes, trying to block out all sound, thoughts, or emotions surrounding her. When she felt her mind clear and her body vibrate with energy, she pressed her palm against the bloody cut. She held her hand there for a few moments, then pulled away to examine her work. The skin began to knit itself back together slowly. Soon there was no sign of the cut at all.

She glanced around quickly but saw no one. The woods were always deserted, but she still felt better knowing for sure that no one had seen her heal. The villagers did not trust magic, and she was sure that her husband would be livid if he witnessed what she had just done.

Lily sighed and began to lace her feet back into her boots. She knew that she must begin her long walk back to the house. It was nearly dark, and Severus often grew suspicious when she returned late. She stood up and smoothed her long cloak, disappointed that she had been unable to locate the hawthorn yet again.

The walk back to the house was slow work. She often had to stop and wrestle her cloak back from the thistles that grew between the large oak trees. The sun began to dip below the horizon just as she reached the edge of the woods. She stood panting for a moment, pulling a twig from her long braid, and gazed towards the cottage. She saw smoke rising from the chimney and silently thanked Mary for the warm fire that she must have built. Suddenly, Lily heard rustling leaves behind her and whirled around.

The stag stood across a clearing from her and was partially obscured behind a thick tree trunk. His eyes always startled her a bit. They were huge, deep brown, and vaguely familiar.

Lily let out a deep breath and fixed the stag with a bemused expression. “You again,” she called out to him across the clearing, “I’m never quite able to get rid of you, am I?”

The stag cocked his head to the side in response. She often found herself wondering if the animal could understand her speech. This was the fourth time she had run into the beast in the forest. The second time she had still been afraid of his powerful form and sharp antlers. The third time she had stroked the soft fur on his face once more. This time, she was not afraid in the slightest. If the stag wanted to hurt her he would have done so already.

The next afternoon found Lily sitting by the fireside attempting to embroider a scrap of fabric. She’d picked up this new hobby out of sheer boredom. Outside the snow fell so thickly that she couldn’t quite bring herself to leave the comfort of the fireside to explore the woods today. She paused her needle and examined her work so far. Her first attempt at art was a bright yellow daisy, except it looked more like a bright yellow worm.

Lily threw down the embroidery hoop and stretched, frustrated at how cooped up she felt. As she stretched she glanced out the window. A hooded figure walked down the lane in front of the house. She wore thick woolen mittens and carried a basket of what looked like holly branches.

At that moment, Mary entered the sitting room. She shuffled over to the fire and placed another log on top of the dying flames.

“Mary, I wish you would let me do that,” Lily called to her, “I’m perfectly capable.”

Mary smiled sweetly at her. “Master Severus would not like it, ma’am. I’m to make sure you are well taken care of while he’s away.”

Lily gestured around the room. “Look at me. I’m warm, I’m fed, I’m content. I’d say your job is done.”

Mary looked as if she didn’t know what to say to that. Lily sighed. She hadn’t quite been able to break through Mary’s sweet exterior to see who lay beneath, but perhaps she would with time.

“Mary,” she called before the girl could leave the room, “do you see that woman outside?”

Mary glanced out the window. She blanched when her gaze fell upon the old woman.

“Oh, you’d best keep your distance, ma’am. ‘Tis a witch.”

“A witch?” Lily glanced back at the woman. The woman looked perfectly ordinary. “What makes you say she is a witch?”

Mary shrugged. “It’s known in the village, ma’am. She gathers herbs and plants in the forest and uses them to curse all who cross her.”

Lily laughed. “Herbs and plants aren’t dangerous, they’re useful. Perhaps this woman uses her concoctions to help people.”

This was the wrong thing to say. Mary sniffed and smoothed out her skirts. “Is that all, ma’am?”

“Yes,” Lily smiled sadly, “of course. Thank you, Mary. You may take for the rest of the afternoon for yourself.” Mary curtsied, looking confused, and backed out of the room.

Lily eyed her needlework. Her craftsmanship was pathetic, but there was nothing else to do, so she resumed her work. An hour later her fingertips were red raw and covered in small spots of blood where she had pricked herself.

The kitchen door, visible to Lily from her spot in the sitting room, banged open, letting in a thick cloud of snowflakes. Remus did his best to stamp his boots on the landing before trudging into the house, but he still tracked large snowy footprints across the floor. Another man carrying firewood trailed behind. He had shoulder-length black hair that was flecked with snow and he wore a coat made of shaggy, black animal fur. He was also laughing.

“Blimey,” he chuckled, “that master of yours, he’s a riot. Did you see him trip over that snowbank out back? What a tosser.”

Remus cleared his throat loudly. “This is my mistress, Lady Lily. M’lady, please excuse the interruption. My master hired these men for labor and told us to replenish your firewood.”

“Thank you, Remus, but you are interrupting nothing.” Lily faced the newcomer, “welcome, sir. What is your name?”

The man grinned broadly. He was quite handsome. “Sirius, m’lady. I’m sorry that I spoke freely about your husband. He is a… fine man.”

Lily hid her smile. “I think you’ll find that you may speak freely in front of me, Sirius. Please, have a seat, warm yourself.”

Sirius’ face broke into a wide smile. “Much obliged,” he said, collapsing onto the couch across from Lily and put his feet up on the sitting-room table. Remus paled.

“My lady,” he said, his voice pleading, “I do not think Master Severus would approve-”

“Nonsense,” Lily smiled, “he said himself that I have run of the house while he is gone. Besides, I’ve been bored all day, and a new face is a rare treat. Please, Remus, sit if you wish.”

Remus looked unsure. He compromised by standing awkwardly between Sirius and Lily, his hands outstretched to warm in the fire’s glow.

“So, Sirius,” Lily turned to face her guest, “tell me about yourself. Do you live in the village?”

Sirius laughed. “No, lady, I do not. I live in the forest.”

“The forest?” she frowned slightly. She’d never seen another soul in the forest during her many daytime walks.

“Yes, I live there with my brother. We often hunt and forage for food, but some necessities require common money, so we take odd jobs to make ends meet. That is how I came to your house today. I was just telling Ja-”

The door banged open once more. Severus’ gaze fell upon the scene, Remus warming himself by the fire and Sirius sitting on the couch with his feet up. Anger sparked in his face.

“Black,” he hissed dangerously, “what do you think you are doing?”

Sirius quickly swung his feet off the table and to the floor. “Apologies, Severus, your wife invited me to sit with her.”

Severus’ eyes narrowed. “That’s ‘Master Severus,’ boy. Know your place. How dare you sit in my home in your filthy pelts, how dare you speak to my wife.”

“Severus,” Lily said angrily, “I hardly think that’s neces-”

“Quiet,” Severus snapped at her. Lily opened her mouth to retaliate but instead gasped.

Another man entered the house behind her husband. He had untidy black hair, dark skin, and deep brown eyes. It was his eyes that startled her. She was sure she’d seen them before.

Lily stared at the new man, and the man stared back at her nervously. “Erm,” he stuttered, blinking rapidly, “Hello, I’m James, er, m’lady.”

Lily realized too late that she was staring at James. Severus’ eyes had grown dark with malice as he watched his wife. He glanced between Lily and the new man, recognition dawning in his face. Then, he spun around to face Sirius again.

“You,” he spat, “get out of my house. You and your brother have exactly one minute to get as far away from this property as possible, is that clear? There will be no payment for you, either of you, today.”

Sirius stood from the couch. He was shorter than Severus by a few inches, but his gaze was still threatening enough to make her husband tremble slightly. “Look mate, fire us if you want, but at least pay us for our work as an honest man would.”

Severus took a step back from Sirius and pointed toward the door. “Go. Take him,” Severus pointed at the man with the deep brown eyes, “with you. Never darken my doorstep again if you know what’s good for you.”

Sirius chuckled mirthlessly. “Is that a threat, ‘my lord’?”

“Sirius,” James crossed the room and grabbed Sirius by the upper arm, “come on, it’s not worth it.”

“I disagree,” Sirius smirked Severus.

“Sirius,” James said, his voice low and dangerous, “now.”

Sirius relented and made to leave with James. Then, as though he suddenly changed his mind, he turned back and spat on the floor at Severus’ feet. “We will remember this.”

Severus looked ashen. He watched the men leave, his chest heaving as though he had run a long distance. Sirius walked out the door but James looked back once, smiled at Lily, then followed his brother out into the winter storm.

Severus strode across the room and grabbed Lily by the arm. “Do you know that man?”

Lily struggled but his grip tightened vice-like on her elbow. “No, Severus, I swear I do not!”

“Do not lie to me!” he roared, eyes wild with rage, “You’ve seen him before, I know it. Does he come here when I am away?”

“No!” Lily yanked her arm out of his grip, “I’ve never seen that man in my life. Control yourself.”

Severus looked livid. He raised his hand as if to strike. Lily closed her eyes and raised her arms to cover herself.

Suddenly, a burst of energy seemed to shoot from her fingertips. Lily startled and dropped her arms as Severus cried out in pain. A long scratch had appeared along the hand he had raised against her. She stared at the new wound, shocked. Surely she could not have caused the cut, could she?

He looked at her wildly. “What did you do to me, woman?” He hissed, clutching his bleeding hand.

“N-nothing,” she stammered, still flexing her fingers where the energy had been a minute before, “it must have happened before, perhaps when you carried the firewood.”

Severus stood still, breathing heavily. His eyes whipped wildly from Lily to Remus, to the back door, then back to Lily. After a moment of silence, he seemed to calm down. He spun on his heel and stormed to the kitchen.

“Come,” he barked over his shoulder, “help me bandage this hand.”

Lily’s hand curled into a fist behind her back. “I’m sorry, my lord,” she called after him, “you should ask Mary. I’m afraid I have no skills for healing.”

He strode out of the room without another word. Remus, who still stood next to the fireplace, leapt out of Severus’ warpath. He gaped at Lily.

“What did you just do?” he whispered. Lily unclenched her fist and rubbed her eyes.

“Nothing he didn’t deserve. But Remus,” she fixed him with an intense gaze, “you must never tell. Anyone. Please, Remus.”

Remus placed his hand over his heart. “You have my word, lady.”

She laughed weakly and lowered herself back into her seat next to the fire. “Call me Lily, please.”

He smiled slightly. “We’ll see about that.” Then he turned from the room and left her alone.

Lily sank further into the chair’s cushions. Her thoughts were still fixed on that man, James. She was sure she knew him, sure she had spoken to him before. His eyes were as familiar to her as if she had stared into them all her life.

#spirits and bones #multichapter #jily #nina writes #jily fairytale au #chapter 2: new wounds

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anxietymymiddlename · 5 years ago

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His and hers circumstances

Pairing: Jumin Han x MC4

Summary: Jeahee is going out with Zen? The surprising news leave her with a broken heart, still she can not find the courage to confess her feelings to her afraid that she will not accept her. Trying to confront her confusing emotions, Jumin enters her every day life like a storm while dealing with his own issues. A little bit more than friends, but with their emotions not sorted out yet, what will happen when they will end up under the same roof?

Author's note

Hello and thanks for reading. I hope that you will enjoy the first chapter. Just a simple note; as I was writing down this story, I realized that it just felt a bit awkward to refer to the main character as MC, so I decided it to name her since Creritz lets you name her anyway. I choose the name Min-Seo because it does sound a bit like MC (and also because I'm bad at naming characters). I do hope it will not weird you out. Your thoughts are always very much appreciated.

[Chapter 1: A sip of love, bitter than coffee]

“I thought… me and you together, surrounded by the smell of coffee, in our cozy cafe and your smile… was everything I ever needed. Because I felt at ease by your side, more than I ever was. But I was so dither, I could not ask you to be mine and ultimately, you never were.”

The luxurious, black car stopped in front of the familiar coffee shop. His eyes glanced at the sign and he blinked as its sight snapped him out of his thoughts. “Rêver”. What a pretentious choice for name and in French in addition to that; was what he told them when they first revealed it. The storefront was neatly decorated or Christmas, he had expected nothing less from Jaehee. Driver Kim announced that they had reached their destination in a cold, monotonous voice per usual to keep the formality. He checked the time on his watch slipping his sleeve down with a smooth, professional move and took a big breath. Almost punctual, he wished they had stuck in traffic a bit more. It would give him the perfect excuse to be a bit late to the occasion.

His hand grabbed the deluxe package of the expensive wine. He had meticulously picked it himself, so he could guarantee its taste. He also didn’t have any doubts that a bottle of wine was a great present to gift; not very personal but you could attune your pick to the receiver’s taste. Plus, you could easily enjoy it alone or with company, how perfect was that? It was evidently a choice that suited his character, unlike the one he had in his pocket. For something that was meant for a present exchange, it was too personal and that fact troubled him so much he had ended up not going to the Christmas party. Since he had already avoided them once using a lame excuse, he’d feel guilty to avoid Jaehee’s birthday as well and it would also be unfair to her. Maybe him being there would help him sort out his thoughts or at least help him understand why he wouldn’t stop carrying that present on him; he tried to think positively.

Straightening up his suit, he opened the door drawing the attention of the groups sitting on the tables nearby. A huge Christmas tree was hulking at the back. Couples and groups of friends were dominating the place chatting merrily while soft jazz music was playing in the background. Christmas day had already passed, but with New Years Day just around the corner the cheesy atmosphere had not fainted. He could not avoid it even during business hours, since his assistant could not miss a chance to talk about how he had spent Christmas day with his family until he got fed up with it and made it clear to him that he was not interested to know the details.

His gray eyes scanned the room and stopped at a familiar back. Her hair, just like Jaehee’s had grown with years, now covering her back. She was standing by the table, chatting cheerfully with the odd trio. The redhead was the first one to notice him and waved enthusiastically gesturing at him to join them. That drew her attention to him and she smiled softly as usual when she was welcoming him to their shop. Her uniform, simple as it was, suited her perfectly. Black pants and a white shirt which was complimenting her darker complexion. They had switched to a green apron for Christmas, unlike the black one they were usually wearing.

“Good evening,” he greeted taking off his jacket. “Oh, the CEO finally granted us with his presence!” Saeyoung teased and stood up, bowing comically to him. “What an honor!” “Come on, you know he wouldn’t miss Jaehee’s birthday,” she said. “Well, he shouldn’t miss our Christmas party either,” Zen frowned. “Everyone was waiting for him. Canceling at the last moment and not even saying sorry…” “Maybe the three ghosts paid him a sudden visit,” Saeyoung commented. “So he couldn’t come.” “Of course I would not deny an invitation from assistant Kang,” he explained ignoring Saeyoung’s reference. “Since she is a person I respect, despite the events that led to the establishment of this place.” “It’s been over two years, why are you still hang up on that?” she sighed. “I feel this place was built upon my baby’s body and oil,” Saeyoung sniffed. “Don’t put it like that, it sounds weird,” Yoosung grimaced. “I am not,” he looked down at her. “Yet, you still bring it up whenever you have the chance,” Zen noted. “Get over it already.” “Not to mention that Jaehee does not like it when you call her assistant Kang,” she added. “You shall be remembered,” Saeyoung swept his eyes with the table cloth. “My poor baby.” “Stop it,” Yoosung slapped his hand. “It’s out of habit, I don’t mean to offend her.” “I know that, I just wish you could fix hat habit,” she pouted. “Well, you are one of the reasons she is not my assistant anymore,” he said taking a seat. “...So I don’t want to hear that from you.”

She blinked for a moment and cupped her chin chuckling.

“Well, you do have a point.” “Dude, you are the sole reason she left!” Zen frowned. “Min-Seo, you know you should get a bit mad at him when he talks to you like that,” he advised. “It’s fine,” she laughed.

Her fingers run through her dark brown hair before she places them behind her ear. She was in a better mood that usual but that did not surprise him. Whatever had to do with Jaehee was always bringing a smile to her face. Just a simple mention of his ex-assistant’s name and her whole face would light up. He knew, he watched it happening so many times already. He looked away, feeling bothered by the thought and placed the box he was carrying on the table.

“I brought a present,” he said in an awkward attempt to chance the subject. “Oh, wine again, what a surprise,” Zen could not hold back his sarcasm. “Expensive wine,” he corrected confidently. “Thank you, Jumin,” she interfered before Zen’s retort. “You picked a good one. I’m sure Jaehee will like it.” “Jumin brought a present but he missed our present exchange during the Christmas party,” Saeyoung shook his head dismissively. “Maybe he got a bit stingy?” “Like he’d miss a chance to show off… But like you’re the one to talk… Who brings Honey Buddha Chips as a gift for an exchange? I felt sorry for Min-Seo,” Zen scolded him. “Well, Yoosung was happy to trade though,” she smiled. “You brought the BD of your last drama, so what makes your present better that mine?” Saeyoung looked offended. “And Yoosung brought a gift card for LOLOL, clearly picking something only he’d like to get. At least mine was edible!” “You and Min-Seo also play LOLOL occasionally, so I picked it considering the odds one of you two might getting it,” Yoosung defended his choice teary. “I put a lot of thought to it!” “Jaehee also enjoyed the BD we exchanged,” Min-Seo comforted him. “So I was glad you accepted the trade.” “Well, I do prefer Honey Buddha Chips to it, so...” “Heard that? He just admitted my that present was beer,” Saeyoung patted Yoosung on the back excited, Zen raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t mean that! I’m just not into police dramas and Zen didn’t have a major role anyway,” he tried to justify his choice. “What do you mean?” Zen placed his hands on the table looking a bit insulted. “It was not a major part but I had a key role in it. I played the host the victim was in relationship with before she gets murdered. I was one of the main suspects and I also provided important evidence.” “Sounds lame” Jumin added fuel to the fire. “Will not watch.” “You never watch my works anyway!” “Well, I don’t have the time. Also, when I do, I spent it with Elizabeth the 3rd, it’s more productive.” “How is spending time with the fur ball considered more productive than watching art?” “Now, calling it art is a bit…” “Jeahee was touched when it was revealed that your character truly loved the victim but he didn’t want to drag her into his world or sully her name, since she was a married woman, thus he denied that he knew anything about her at first,” she commented. “Right?” Zen looked happy. “I’m glad you understand.” “Jo Won’s role as Detective Park was really captivating! I liked how he dealt with the loss of his own daughter and the struggles within his family while he was working on the case. His emotional portrayal of the character was definitely the best part!” “So she says,” Jumin said. “Oh, but Zen was also great! I can’t wait to see you play in another detective drama. Whether it’d be a detective or a villain, I bet you could portray it perfectly,” she did her best to sound supportive seeing him depressed. “Too late to say that now… Though I know that I can’t compare to seasoned tv actors.” “What about playing Policeman B, you could definitely pull that off and it’s within your reach,” Jumin said and Saeyoung snickered challenging Zen’s temper. “Jumin, that was mean...” she gave him a scolding look. “Well, I’m trying my best, so I don’t care what you think! And you didn’t even have the right to butt in the conversation… You didn’t even bring a present!”

He unconsciously touched the box in his pocket; not loosing eye contact with the furious actor. Zen had jumped on his feet, with the hands on the table supporting his body while looking at him challengingly. Yoosung was munching a biscuit watching them anxiously while Saeyoung didn’t even try to hide that he was enjoying himself. He closed his eyes feeling tired already, why did he have to deal with this? He was hoping they would not bring it up in the first place, but the conversation ended back at it even though it had deviated a bit.

“I had bought one, but I returned it to the shop since I could not make it to the party. No point keeping it since I could not attend,” he folded his arms irritated that he had to explain himself to him and because he felt the need to lie no less. “Zen got lucky, he ended up with Jaehee’s hand-knitted scarf,” Min-Seo tried to light up the conversations. “It really suited you, Zen.” “Of course,” he scratched his nose feeling flattered. “With a face and body like mine, it’s hard for something not to suit me.” “What about your gift?”

The question came naturally to him, he wanted to know and somehow he was regretting that he had not joined them… just a bit. Maybe he was over-thinking things, everyone had brought gifts they personally liked or something only one or two out of six of them would like. Was it wrong for him to pick something with her on his mind? But on the other hand, his choice was obviously the worst, of course a guy would have no need for a hair ornament and the group was consisted by four of them, so the more he was thinking of it, it was needless to say that it was suited for a direct exchange. Did he sound too eager for an answer? She looked surprised by his question.

“Got curious?” she finally smiled brightly. “I made a panda keychain. I was a bit hesitant since I thought it’d be too cute for a guy, so I was glad that Saeyoung did not mind.” “I like it,” he said and waved a cute panda holding a read heart hanging from his keys. “It’s cute.” “Isn’t it? Jaehee suggested we should make something handmade for the occasion and I found the instructions while I browsing the net looking for something easy to make. I thought it’d be something I could manage to make. It proved harder than I thought and the first attempts were a failure,” she revealed hers taking it out of her pocket, it was similar but it was not holding a heart. “But it was addictive and though I threw out a dozen of them, it started taking shape.” “Oh, so now we match!” Saeyoung adjusted his glassed.

She chuckled at his comment.

“Well, it’s nice that you liked it, I regretted not being able to learn how to make another pattern before Christmas. I’m sorry.” “Panda’s are cute, I like them! No need to apologize.” “Thank you,” she smiled again. “I’m honestly glad you didn’t mind.” “I wouldn’t mind either,” he blurted out with a straight face.

They were taken aback by his words, unsure if they had heard him correctly or if it was an attempt to crack a joke. The truth was that he was surprised himself, but Saeyoung’s comment annoyed him a bit, he almost wanted to snatch the keychain away.

“You wouldn’t?” Zen hesitantly asked in order to confirm it. “I wouldn’t. Pandas are almost as charming as cats. Well, nothing is cutter than Elizabeth the 3rd though.” “Still, I could not picture him holding this keychain,” Zen murmured. “Would a CEO go around carrying a keychain like this? What would your executives think?” Yoosung asked “Hm? I don’t really care about that. It’s not like I go around showing them my keychain anyway.” “Are you serious?” Zen asked in disbelief. “Well, I can picture it,” she laughed. “Jumin not caring about what the rest of the world thinks is one of his best merits sometimes.”

His heart skipped a bit again; he did not like this feeling.

“You are exaggerating, but yes.” “Maybe I should make one for you too then.”

That startled him.

“Don’t make it the same as Seven’s.” “Dude, she just offered to make one for you for free on her free time, just be thankful instead of making requests.” “It’s ok, maybe I should add a different colored heart, thought since it’s handmade and I’ve not completely gotten the hand of it, it’ll look a bit different anyway.” “Then, make it purple.” “Just how selfish can you get?” Zen asked. “Yeah… Mr. CEO,” Saeyoung leaned in and whispered by his ear. “You penthouse is card locked, so why do you even need a keychain anyway?” “Sorry to interrupt but what about Jaehee? When are we going to see her?” Yoosung asked. “It’s supposed to be her birthday.”

Yoosung had a godly timing asking that, it distracted the ex-hacker’s attention and gave him an excuse to avoid his stare. It made him anxious that he could not answer his question, what was the feeling that made him ask for one too, he could not tell.

“Oh, she is busy with her cake,” Min-Seo explained. “She said she wanted to decorate it herself. I’ll go fetch her and bring you re-fills. Jumin didn’t even get a drink yet, I’m sorry.” “No need, the customer service is always awful here after all,” he said. “Hey!” Zen was about to argue with him again. “You say that but you always come back,” she grinned. “Really?” Saeyoung asked. “Yeah, he drops by for coffee pretty often.” “I’m just supporting an ex-employee… and it’s not too far from my office so it’s convinient.” “It’s not too close either,” Saeyoung narrowed his eyes. “Well, thanks for your support anyway. Be right back.” “Gosh, Jumin, be a bit more honest,” Yoosung sighed. “The place is really friendly and I really like their cakes and their coffee.” “Hm? But I was? They often neglect me if I drop by in rush hours just because I’m their acquaintance. They think that offering me free cake and then chat with be for a bit can make up for it but it’s not very professional.” “A rich guy… whining for free cake,” Zen was done with him; he didn’t even have the energy to argue.

Even though he complained, he couldn’t help but to recognize the progress the place had made over the two years it was open. Jaehee not only had picked a nice location but also created an efficient campaign targeting working young adults. The décor was tasteful, the prices affordable and the service very friendly, so it gained quite a few faithful customers in a short time who were visiting during their breaks or after their work. That helped them spread their name mouth to mouth too and after just one year they had to hire a few employees as the demand grew higher. His ex-assistant was indeed a capable woman and one who would explore her options and keep studying on the field she had chosen after her resignation. No wonder it was hard to replace her after she left. As a businessman he could not help but admire her efforts as she was striving for a healthy business within a withering local market, he wouldn’t even hesitate to invest in acquiring the brand name if it meant having her as a partner.

At first he did not want to visit the place and he could not deny that his first visits where not very pleasant as, displeased as he was by her resignation, he ensured to note every single flaw he could find. But even as he did that, Min-Seo, who was in charge of the customer service, always smiled and nodded at him and by the next time he visited the place it was fixed. However, after a while he was not sure why he kept visiting even though he had recognized their will, nor he could explain the fuzzy feeling inside of him every time she took the time to chat with him. After a while, he had even managed to fix his visits to her schedule almost perfectly. He could not understand his actions completely but he knew that he was thinking of her a lot and that he was missing her smile when he could not see her for days.

Troubled over his thoughts, he was barely paying attention to the other guys; Yoosung was complaining about being single, nothing new there. It was unlikely he’d find a girlfriend before New Year’s Eve, so hearing him making a big deal out of it seemed like a waste of his time. Zen’s advice to him were obviously useless too and clearly based on his experience, but since their personalities were completely different, Yoosung would hardly put any of them into practice unless he’d magically gain unfathomable confidence. It seemed that it was clear to Saeyoung as it was to him, because he did not let the chance to tease the poor, blond boy pass by. The bespectacled man was always perspective, to the point it was scary sometimes. As for him, he had plans to spend that day with his beloved cat, so he didn’t even feel the need to get involved in their conversation.

“Finally, the birthday girl is here!” Saeyoug stood up and everyone followed his example.

Jaehee was smiling shyly. Her hair were long now, she was dressed more feminine. A beautiful, mature woman. His decision to force a dress code on her while he was working under him was on point; just thinking that there was even a small chance his father would get into her and make a move made him sick, thus he did not regret it. She greeted everyone whole-heartily, thanking them for their presence there and their gifts. Even though he greeted her back properly wishing her happy birthday as they shook hands, he could not focus on her. His attention was anchored on Min-Seo instead; her smile looked so fake -unlike a few minutes ago- and her eyes which were shining brightly now looked empty, almost like she was detached from reality, it made him feel uneasy.

Up went his eyebrows, ignoring the others who were complimenting the cake’s decoration. What had happened in the span of a few minutes? He glanced sideways feeling that Yoosung of all people had sensed that he was staring at her too much. His uneasiness grew by the minute but he tried to bury his desire to approach her. Soon enough, everyone was singing happy birthday. He knew that she would normally sing louder and happier and louder than everyone else, but she just mumbled the song, clapping along with the others without much enthusiasm as long as it finished. The customers joined them congratulating Jaehee on her birthday, those who frequented the place even approached her to shake hands.

She was standing by her side, as Jaehee was busy thanking them, staring into space. He could not tell if she had sensed him staring at some point, but her eyes finally locked with his. That seemed to bring her back to reality as her plastered smile vanished for a moment. She looked away sadly and kind of embarrassed and then offered him an awkward smile. He squinted his eyes, but she avoided his gaze again. He could not stand seeing such a lonely expression on her face, he felt like something her grabbed his heart squeezing it hard.

“I want to thank everyone for coming here today,” Jaehee smiled slyly when the customers finally went back to their tables. “Today is a special day, not only because I am getting a year older,” she joked. “…Or because everyone is celebrating with me in this special place for me… But also because I… Actually… we’d like to make an announcement,” she flushed and her fingers softly touched Zen’s hand. He accepted them, lacing his between them and smiled at her encouragingly. “We decided that we’d like to try… start living together.” “Eh? Where did this come from? Aren’t you roommates with Min-Seo already anyway? “ Yoosung innocently asked eating his cake. “You guys were dating? Since when?” Saeyoung asked more quick on the uptake but still shocked at the news. “What?” Yoosung choked. “Just how oblivious can you be?” Jumin offered him his glass of water. “Well, we wanted to be sure it’ll work out first, considering it might affect RFA if it wouldn’t. We didn’t mean to keep it a secret this long, but we somehow lost the timing to reveal it,” Zen explained it. “So it does seem sudden, but we’ve properly dated for a while now.” “Did you practice your lines before saying this?” Saeyoung asked raising an eyebrow. “I didn’t!” “We also had to consider Zen’s career…” Jaehee added.

Everything was clear to him after that. The source of that painful expression was laid before him, but why was his heart aching too? It was not supposed to be like this; he didn’t want to see her trying so hard to conceal it in front of everyone, but if he had to be honest to himself, he was hurting more over something he was suspecting for a while now.

“Assistant Kang…” “Yes, Mr. Han,” she replied as a reflex and immediately covered her mouth realizing her blunder. “Are you sure about this decision?” “What are you even asking her?” Zen stood up confused. “I am,” Jaehee answered without even a hint of hesitation in her voice. “Then I will support you, since I trust your judgment… So I will not hold back too.” “What the hell?” the young actor cried. “Since when did you like her?” “The drama!” Saeyoung raised this spoon and took a bite of his cake while watching them. “How did you even get that idea?” Jumin replied coldly. “But… you just said.” “Kang’s taste is questionable, but her boldness is inspiring. It’s nothing more than that.” “Thank you,” she looked at him puzzled. “I think we should bring wine to celebrate. Right, Min-Seo?” “Eh?” she turned to him. “Ah! Right… Wine,” she put up a smile. “I think red wine would suit the happy occasion. I’ll go bring it.” “Then, I should also-” Jaehee was ready to stand up. “The couple should stay together,” he stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder.

The truth was that, even though he applauded their decision to take their life and their relationship to the next step, no matter how cold that’d sound, he couldn’t care less about it at that moment. Trying to stay collected, he followed her calmly to the kitchen, trying to avoid raising any suspicion. He opened the door and walked into a perfectly clean and organized kitchen to the surprise of a couple of the kitchen stuff. She was standing in front of their cellar with her hand lingering over a bottle of wine like she was frozen in time, lost in her thoughts, her other hand gripping her apron. The shoulders tensed the moment he touched them and he turned to him in daze. Her hair brushed against his hand and for a moment he could not help but to twixt a strand between his fingers.

“I can choose one for you,” he said and picked one before she manages to stop him. “Christmas time is a busy period; it looks like fatigue already got to you. We are also busy during these days, so I can understand the toll it can cause to your body and mind. Why don’t you take a short break? I’ll tell the others.” “I don’t-“ he flinched her forehead. “Don’t let the customers see you like this. It’s unprofessional,” he turned his back to her taking the bottle with him. “You’ll also worry her…”

“Jumin…”

He stopped on the spot with the door half-closed and glanced at her over his shoulder. In reality he was taking more about himself and not Jaehee; it was hard seeing her in this state. She was trying to find her words but gave up soon and smiled softly.

“Thank you,” she simply said.

He nodded. He couldn’t tell her that he didn’t want to see her wearing this expression, that he felt happy seeing her smile and his heart raced every time he called his name. But he understood that her heart was not beating for him at that moment. So he just left…

#jumin x mc4 #jumin han #mystic messenger mc #zen x jaehee #mystic messenger jumin #mystic messenger fanfic #jumin #mysme hyun ryu #mysme jaehee #jumin x mc

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umbrahighpriestofgiratina · 5 years ago

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Umbra Plays Pokemon Shield Bonus 3: Shield Snippets

Here’s all the ficlets I did for Umbra Plays Pokemon Shield in one place! Plus a small bonus one because @taggthewanderer asked for at least one postgame bonus

Shield Snippets

Funky, Heinwald, Mantle, and Duke were idling around the Gym lobby as Siegbert got them registered.

"Doesn't all this seem... Funny to you?" said Heinwald.

"In a cosmic sort of way, yes," said Funky, shrugging his shoulders.

"No, no no," said Heinwald. "I mean... Suspicious."

"What's suspicious about this?" said Mantle. "We get to enter a big tournament! See lots of humans and Pokemon! It'll be incredible!"

"I shall truly be able to show my might!" said Duke, flexing his muscles.

"Yes, I know we all are excited-"

"I'm dreadfully bored," said Funky.

"...Most of us are excited, but some things aren't adding up. The legend of the Darkest Day. The mysterious Pokemon Funky mentioned he encountered in the woods. The infuriating boy collecting Wishing Stars. Something is going on here and I will be the one to find out what."

"Hey! Seigbert is done registering us!" said Mantle.

"It is time!" said Duke.

"Finally..." said Funky.

The three went over to the counter as Heinwald shook his head and sighed.

"I almost wish I had a proper partner right now..."

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

Mantle was the happiest he'd been in his entire life.

He'd started out as this lowly Bug-type crawling around in Route 3, catching easy prey and hoping stronger Rookidee didn't notice him. But then Seigbert found him and recruited him for this fancy-ass Gym Challenge and now there was a screaming crowd all around him in a huge stadium cheering for him! Yes him!

(The notion they were cheering for his Trainer crossed his mind, but he dismissed it as ridiculous.)

And now all that stood in his way was Milo's Gossifleur.

"You think you're a bigshot, being a Gym Leader's Pokemon? Take this!"

He curled in a ball and barreled at the Gossifleur with a Flame Wheel, bouncing off him and sending him skidding back. In response the Gossifleur started... Singing, using Round.

"What the hell are you trying to pull?" said Mantle.

He used Flame Wheel again, and whatever the Gossifleur was trying to pull was cut off as he was knocked out. Milo promply boasted a few things Mantle wasn't really listening to and sent out an Eldegoss.

"More of the same?" said Mantle. "This'll be ca-"

Several things happened at once.

The Eldegoss was recalled into his ball. The ball ballooned and the Eldegoss was sent back out, now titanic in size. Mantle was about to object about how it wasn't fair when the same promply happened to him.

He couldn't belive it. He was huge! There was so much power flowing through him. No tiny bug anymore, he towered over all these humans. He was the apex predator now.

The Eldegoss slammed into him with a Max Strike, shaking the stadium. He didn't care. He fired a Max Flare, a massive gout of flame that made the sunlight harsher via its mere presence. They traded blows again. Both were weaker. Mantle shook away fear in his mind so he-

His trainer ran over to his massive form and sprayed him with a Super Potion. What was he planning?!

Then the Eldegoss caused a mass of plant growth to sprout beneath his massive form, which did... Almost nothing to his fiery, chitinous body. Then, the two Pokemon shrank back down to normal size.

It was then that Mantle realized what his Trainer was trying to do. Outlast them.

"So much for that, huh?" said Mantle, ignoring a Leafage and slamming into the Edelgoss with another Flame Wheel. This time, he went down.

The crowd cheered. His Trainer cheered. Mantle cheered. He'd done it. He'd made it to the big leagues. Mantle realized his Trainer was a big help here.

...But he still deserved most of the credit.

-----------

Funky really wished he weren't here right now.

He could be looking at the beautiful Galarian scenery, or cities, or even other Pokemon, for inspiration for a painting. Instead... He was facing down a Goldeen. A measly Goldeen.

"Let's get this over with," he said, rolling his eyes.

He swirled one of his paintbrushes in the air, sending a flurry of Razor Leaves at the fish. The Goldeen air-swam out of the way and rammed a Horn Attack into Funky's side, but a second, up-close flurry finished her off. An Arrokuda was sent out in her place, but the second fish suffered a similar fate.

"Is this a joke?" said Funky.

Nessa sent out her Dreadnaw. Both the Drednaw and Funky ballooned to kaiju size via Dynamax power. Funky admitted it felt good. Inspirational even.

His thoughts were interrupted by a G-Max Darkness directly at his massive knees, causing his enormous body to stumble dangerously close to the crowd - not that this interrupted their frenzied cheering. Funky gritted his teeth and caused a massive burst of plant life to erupt beneath the Drednaw in a G-Max Overgrowth. The Dreadnaw let out a mighty roar of pain as the plants penetrated her shell. There was an explosion, and the Drednaw shrank back down to size, KOed. Funky shrank back down to size as well, smirking.

"Like I said. A joke."

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

The crowd cheered, the music blared, the lights shone down on the battlefield... and HeInwald didn't really care. He was looking for traces of how this place allowed the Dynamax phenomenon, and was so engrossed in doing so he barely noticed the Ninetales in front of him.

"You going to fight me or not?" she said.

"Hm? Oh. My apologies."

He lunged forward with a Night Slash. The attack barely cut into the Ninetales' fur as she spat a Will-o-Wisp at him, burning him.

"Concerning," he said. He let out a Snarl, dampening her retaliatory Ember. And again to her Fire Spin. And again to her Quick Attack. A second Quick Attack eventually took him down.

Mantle was sent out in his place. He was excited! He was in his element! Literally! Quickly he Coiled in on himself to sheild himself from the Ninetales' Quick Attack. A Fire Spin was sucked into his body via Flash Fire. Finally he used Bite, biting down hard on one of the Ninetales' legs.This was too much, and the pain caused her to promply fall to the ground, fainted.

An Arcanine was sent out in her place. "Stay, puppy!" said Mantle as he lunged and Bit the much larger Pokemon. The Arcanine Bit back, and the two Pokemon kept wrestling and Biting one another until Mantle proved victorious.

"Alright, who's next? I'm ready to take on any-"

He was promptly recalled and replaced with Lir.

Lir promptly panicked. There were so many lights, so many noises. And a very powerful-looking Centiskorch right in front of him. He wanted to go back in the ball. The ball did not judge. It only hated.

It got worse when the Centicorch grew and stretched into a much more intimidating form, and Lir grew and stretched in turn. The massive centipede hit him with an overwhelming blast of heat that turned the temperature in the arena up by several degrees, and in turn Lir hurriedly dropped a pillar of rock on the Gigantimax Centiskorch. Weak Armor causing bits of his body to fall away, he promptly yelled and dropped another pillar of rock on his opponent. When the G-Max Rockfall crumbled away, the Centiscorch was normal sized and unconscious.

Lir couldn't believe his eyes. He'd done it! He'd defeated a scarier foe! He could get used to this kaiju thi-

He shrunk back down to normal. He was small and vulnerable again. Where was the ball when you needed it?

---------

Heinwald had a soft spot for Ghost types, as paranormal as they were. He felt it was his obligation to inspect them. But no, his trainer wanted him to fight this one, this Galarian Yamask in front of him. Ah well.

"Hold still a bit will you?" said Heinwald.

He lunged at the Yamask with a Night Slash, only for a twofold tingling feeling to creep up on him. It didn't take him long to deduce that not only had the Yamask stolen his Ability with Wandering Spirit, he'd also Disabled his Night Slash. His Trainer concluded the same, recalling him.

Upon entering the battlefield Uk was hit with a Brutal Swing. Uk did not care, it barely scratched him. What did phase Uk was all the lights and noise and worse of all PEOPLE. Uk wasn't used to this kind of attention - normally Uk fed on negative emotions, not the screaming frenzy of an excited crowd. But Uk wanted to make his Trainer happy, so...

"Uk no let you win!" he said as he slammed the Yamask with a Sucker Punch, taking him down. The crowd cheered, and Uk did as well... only to be recalled.

Duke was sent out next. Finally. He had been honing his blade-claws long enough, and he would finally be able to prove his worth in a gym battle. A Mimikyu was sent out to face him, and he scoffed.

"Glorified Pikachu-shaped eldritch sack of oats! You think you can face ME?!"

As the Mimikyu Honed its Claws Duke slashed at him with Metal Claw to break his disguise. Duke barely flinched at the following Shadow Sneak as he barreled through and struck the Mimikyu with an Iron Head, taking it down.

"Ha! Is that all you've got! I need stronger opponents! Give me more! MORE!"

His request for more was ignored as he was swapped for Uk, and the Mimikyu was swapped for Cursola.

"Hey!" said Uk. "Enemy look like Lir! Maybe I should go easy on her... NOT!"

He jabbed the Cursola with a False Surrender. The Cursola attempted to Curse him in response... Only to KO itself from the effort. Uk scratched its head.

"Uk confused."

He was promptly recalled and replaced with Heinwald, who found himself facing down a Gengar.

"I suppose this is the part where things... Escalate," said Heinwald.

Indeed Heinwald grew to massive size as the opposing Gengar transformed into a massive, gaping maw. Heinwald sent coils of G-Max Darkness at the Gigantimax Gengar while the Gengar spat a wave of G-Max ooze that would have smothered the crowd if not for the protective barriers in place. Heinwald was hurt, but also mostly annoyed. He sent another Max Darkness that shook the stadium, doing the Gengar in. The crowd cheered. Heinwald shrank back down to size and smirked.

Guess fighting Ghosts was ALSO worth his time.

----------

The pastel colors of the arena almost blinded Duke, but he didn't let it get to him. This was his finest hour. Members of the Galaian Meowth line were raised to be warriors, and now he would be a warrior on the grand stage.

Also this Galarian Weezing was looking at him funny and that would not stand.

"You dare cross the great Duke, slayer of Champions? I'll END you!"

The Weezing sneezed a Fairy Wind in his face, further incensing Duke to deliver an Iron Head to her floating form. The Weezing collapsed to the floor and was recalled.

"Ahaha! Come at me! I will end you all!"

A Mawile was sent out. This one gave him pause... Those jaws... He missed an exchange between his Trainer and Opal but he felt something cause his abilities to falter further.

"Warrior's retreat!"

He was swapped out for Mantle.

"Some warrior you are..." said Mantle.

He Coiled in response to the Mawile's Iron Defense, also guarding against her Crunch. A Flame Wheel straight into the Mawile's Iron Defense position caused the Mawile to skid back, Mantle was confident when -

"What do you mean pink isn't your favorite color?"

This outburst from his trainer made him realize he was far more vulnerable, and he Coiled again, the Mawile attempting to shake him around with Crunch. Finally he yanked the Mawile's jaws into another Flame Wheel, taking her out. Opal sent out a Togekiss in her place.

"Heh... Guess you are tough..." Mantle said. "But you aren't tough eno-"

There was an Ancientpower and he went down. Duke was sent back out, and was torn. On one hand, one of his comrades had gone down. On the other, he felt invigorated.

"DIE WEIRD BIRD"

He slammed an Iron Head into the Togekiss' face, ignoring the Air Slash in reply. The Togekiss fell out of the sky as the crowd cheered. An Alcreamie was sent out, but Duke felt invigorated and felt more so after Obal said something about liking his trainer's "answer." He felt strong.

And he felt stronger as he grew and stretched and his foe grew and stretched to gargantuan sizes. Now it was a battle of titans. Bright bursts of light that reverberated through the stadium hit Duke, and it only increased his bloodlust. Steel spikes ran from him to the Gigantimax Alcremie, impaling it, breaking its massive form and causing it to shrink down, unconscious.

Duke shrank down and gave a roar befitting a much larger cat mon. He had conquered this puny Fairy gym and all had seen it.

Meanwhile his Trainer scratched his head. "Can't believe the quiz was in the gym battle too..."

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

Mantle felt a little insecure. He could kind of feel he was falling behind a bit. No. No he wouldn't let such thoughts get to him. Especially not against this damn Frosmoth.

"I know you're all head but heads up!"

He used Flame Wheel, rolling through the Hail the Frosmoth cast and slamming into it for an instant KO. The crowd cheered. A Darmanitan was sent out in its place.

"You really think you can clear this gym with moves like that?" said the Darmanitan with a Taunt.

"Oh I sure can!" said Mantle, ramming into her with another Flame Wheel. It was then the Darmanitan's form shifted - to a bouncing, hopping mad firey snowman.

"Woah, you seem mad... Good!"

The Darmanitan attempted to clamp down on Mantle with a Fire Fang, only for Mantle's Flash Fire to absorb it and Mantle to wrap her up in a Flame Wheel, tossing her across the arena and knocking her out. Next came... a Eiscue.

"And what are you supposed to be?" Mantle said.

He rolled into her with another Flame Wheel, only to merely shatter the ice around her face as she spat an Icy Wind at him. Mantle spat in annoyance as as the Escue tried to hit him with a Freeze Dry before he coiled into another Flame Wheel and KOed her.

"Aw yeah, I'm on top!" said Mantle.

He was promptly recalled and replaced by Funky as the opposition sent out a Lapras.

Funky cocked an eyebrow at the creature. How did it move around on land?

The question remained unanswered as the two embiggened to massive sizes that towered over the crowd. Funky waved his paintbrushes in the Gigantimax Lapras' direction to summon a G-Max Overgrowth, thinking it would end it quickly. Instead the Lapras responded with a song, a chilling song that clutched at Funky's heart like ice.

The pain The song. He thought back to his old troop. How they all were supposed to be musicians, it was in their blood. But he didn't want to be a musician, he wanted to paint amnd draw, but they forced him to do what they wanted, scolded him, until he finally ran away. But this icy song ate at him, damaged him both physically and psychologically untill he finally cried out, his booming voice aweing the crowd and echoing beyond the stadium.

"NO! ENOUGH MUSIC! I AM A PAINTER!"

Another Max Overgrowth. The Lapras collapsed, shrunk, was recalled. Funky shrank as well, panting heavily, even as the crowd cheered. He felt... Relieved.

Maybe this Gym challenge was an even better inspiration for his art than he thought.

----------

Heinwald didn't like the look of this place. And this Gym leader was totally copying his hairstyle. But what was more concerning was this Scrafty. He was Intimidating, and Heinwald knew one good Fighting move would take him down.

"Uk, don't let me down."

The two swapped places, Uk coming out straight into a Brick Break.

"Ow! You break brick? Uk break spirit!"

He lashed out with a hair-whip in a Spirit Break, sending the Scrafty flying and knocking him unconscious.

Before Uk could celebrate Heinwald was sent back out, and found himself facing another Obstagoon.

"...I forgot the rest of my kind were this crude."

He hit the other Obstagoon with a Brick Break, only to be grabbed and slammed with a Counter that took him down instantly. Funky was sent out in his place.

"Of course I'm on cleanup duty..."

Funky's Brick Break did the job this time, nailing the Obstagoon in the head. Funky was then swapped out for Mantle as Piers sent out a Malamar.

"Alright you overgrown piece of calamari time to get yours!"

He clawed at the Malamar with X-Scissor, ignoring his Foul Play, causing the Malamar to screech and keel over.

"Alright who's nex-"

He was swapped for Duke, who was now facing a Skuntank.

"Your stench offends the way of the warrior! You will be defeated!"

A Sucker Punch glanced off Duke's migty beard as he burrowed beneath the Skuntank and attacked from below, and a second Sucker Punch didn't dissuade him from doing it again, taking the Skuntank down. Duke roared a victory cry before glancing around in confusion.

"No Dynamax this time? I wanted to be a GIANT warrior..."

--------

Galadriel looked at the Flygon and Gigalith before her as a sandstorm raged. Then at her partner, Uk.

"Fascinating... You're my partner again then?"

Uk nodded. "Uk happy to share limelight with team!"

"It is settled then."

She lunged at the Gigalith with a Smart Strike as Uk attacked the Gigalith with a False Surrender. Galadriel dodged a Steel Wing from the Flygon as the Gigalith threw up a Stealth Rock.

"Hey! Trainer say Stealth Rock cheating!" said Uk.

"Refocus on the Flygon!" said Galadriel.

The Flygon slammed her with a Steel Wing as it tried to swoop out of the way, but a Spirit Break and Dazzling Gleam did it in. The Gigalith hung on, and Body Pressed Uk to little effect. A Sandaconda was sent out in the Flygon's place.

"What we do now?" said Uk.

"Get rid of the Gigalith!" said Galadriel.

A Dazzling Gleam from her took him out and heavily tore into the Sandaconda, which failed to do much of an impression with its Glare. A Spirit Break tore into it further, but the Sandaconda hissed in defiance as a Duraldon was sent out.

"Uk, now's your chance!"

"What Gal mea-"

Before Uk knew it, he was a giant! He couldn't believe it! All the humans in the audience looked so tiny and cute! He wanted to pet the-

Uh-oh. The Duraldon looked like a building now.

Galadriel sent out another burst of Dazzling gleam, taking out the Sandaconda and cutting into the massive Duraldon. The Duraldon, however, sent out a Max Steelspike, causing Uk to keel over and shake the stadium before shrinking down and being recalled.

"Uk! No!" said Galadriel. "You will be avenged..."

"And I'll do the avenging!" said Duke, being sent out. "Aye, glorified high-rise! You don't hurt my friends."

"I'll hold him off!" said Galadriel. "You get the jump on him."

Galadriel bombarded the Duraldon with another Dazzling Gleam. The Duraldon's massive fist crushed Duke with a Max Knuckle, but by the time the fist lifted Duke had buried underground. Galadriel fired one last Dazzling Gleam before a Max Steelspike left her prone.

"Duke... I leave this to you..."

Suddenly, the earth beneath the Duraldon shook as Duke burst from it, clawing at the Duraldon's underside. The Duraldon gave an unearthly creak and moan before toppling over into the protective barrier around the crowd, then shrinking and being recalled into his ball. The crowd went wild.

Duke cheered! His and Galadriel's plan worked! He was the friend-avenger! His name would be legend for ages to come!

...Also he'd hopefully get skritches and treats from his Trainer.

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

Galadriel peered around this city of Wyndon; it was so very different from the forest Seigbert had found her in. She wasn't sure she was so fond of the pollution and the noise but the bustling Auras of the people and Pokemon there... They were fascinating.

Almost took her mind off the looming threat.

Heinwald had told her everything. The conspiracy to hide the true nature of the Sword And Shield and the dual heroes, the strange boy on a mission from the chairman... and she had seen some of it herself. The resurgence of rouge Dynamax Pokemon, the state of Spikemuth, the tremors, all of which they refused to let her handle...

She turned her horn from Wyndon back in the direction of Hammerlocke. She could still feel the immense power radiating from its spire, and how... unstable it was. She feared the worst. She hoped that Heinwald wasn't right.

That the Darkest Day wasn't coming back.

In the Glimwood Tangle, they told stories about that event. About the rampages as the astral projections known as Dynamax and Gigantimax went out of control. About... it.

She knew a resurgence would be devastating. But at the very least she had hope.

Her Team. Her Trainer.

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

The crowd was extra-wild today. Why wouldn't they be? It was rising star Seigbert vs. long-standing Champion Leon. Funky understood this and yet he did not care. All he was concerned about was getting rid of the Aegislash in front of him.

"Don't blink that one eye of yours."

Funky slapped the Aegislash with a Knock Off only to take a Shadow Ball to the face. With an annoyed grunt, Funky slapped the Aegislash to the ground with another Knock Off, knocking him out.

"Hmph. Thought so."

He was recalled and replaced with Mantle, as Leon sent out a Cinderace.

"Hey, Funky told me about you!" said Mantle.

He Coiled in on himself, only to be sent flying by an Acrobatics. He was quickly swapped for Duke, who ate a Quick Attack with little effort only to be sent flying himself by a Pyro Ball. Uk was sent out and delivered a couple Sucker Punches before he too was felled by a Pyro Ball.

Galadriel was sent out. Pyro Ball tore into her even as she dodged an Acrobatics. Seigbert switched back to Mantle, but as soon as the Cinderace let loose another Acrobatics Heinwald was switched in in his place.

"You may have been able to fell my friends... But not me!" said Heinwald.

He slammed into the Cinderace with a Double Edge, smacking him into the side of the stadium, KOed.

Heinwald was then switched for Funky as a Sesmitoad was sent out. Funky smirked.

"Cake."

He let loose a Drum Beating, knocking out the Seismitoad easily. Leon sent out a Dragapult to replace it. While his Trainer was fumbling around in his bag for Max Revives, however, a jet of flame left Funky unconsious, and Mantle was sent back out. Mantle tanked a few Shadow Balls and lashed out with a Crunch.

"Man this guy is tough!"

He was swapped out again, for Uk. Uk withstood another Shadow Ball and Sucker Punched the Dragapult to metaphorical death. A Haxorus was sent out in its place, and slammed Uk with an Iron Tail, KOing him again. Mantle was sent out only to fall to an Outrage. Finally, it was Galadriel's turn.

"Your rage only makes me stronger!"

She absorbed the Outrage without the scratch, and then, in the Haxorus' subsequent confusion, took him out with a Dazzling Gleam. Then... came Charizard. It grew and stretched into Gigantimax Charizard, dropping a pillar of rock on Galadriel. She fell, and Heinwald was sent out.

"This ends now."

He grew and stretched to Gigantimax form. The Charizard buffeted him with a Max Aircurrent before Heinwald dropped Max Lightning on him... And the Charizard shrank back to normal. He grinned.

"Too bad."

He charged his foot with Max Lightning and stepped on the Charizard. When he lifted his foot the Charizard was unconscious.

Heinwald shrank down to normal. The crowd went nuts. His Trainer went nuts.

Heinwald, ever so subtly, allowed himself a small fist pump.

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

Zacian stared into Galadriel's eyes as she steeled her resolve.

"If I must face you this way... So be it."

Zamazenta's Iron Defense did not stop a barrage of Dazzling Gleams, but a Behemoth Bash did. Mantle slithered into the battlefeild.

"We're fighting a Legendary AGAIN?"

He was sent skidding back by a Behemoth Bash, but retaliated with a Fire Lash, striking Zamazenta's hide. Zamazenta bit down with a Crunch, only to have her jaws singed by a second Fire Lash.

"Sigbert, NOW!" said Mantle.

A Luxury Ball was thrown, but torn asunder. Zamazenta bit down again, knocking Mantle out. Funky came out next, eyeing the situation warily.

"You might want to bring out the big guns."

At this, a Master Ball was thrown. It sucked Zamazenta in, wobbled three times, than clicked. Funky grinned.

"Something something unstoppable force meets immovable object."

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

And that's all of them! There might be another bonus down the line but that depends on if an in-game thing can stop kicking my ass.

#umbra plays pokemon shield #pokemon sword and shield

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queenofmoons67 · 5 years ago

Text

AkaYona Ladies Week 2019: Hunter(s): A Werewolf AU

@akayonaladiesweek

Summary: It is not the death of her father that sends Yona running from the castle, but her first full moon.

Word Count: 1437

What can I say, I love my AUs.

Like the figure skating AU, I didn’t write this with AkaYona Ladies Week in mind, so much as I wrote it with the goal to completely rewrite canon.

SPOILERS: I cover everything that the anime does, plus Zeno’s backstory.

WARNINGS: For minor character death

I do not own Akatsuki no Yona.

King Il is still very much alive when Yona flees the castle during her first full moon, her father’s hunters hot on her tail believing that she killed Princess Yona

Hak, believing the same and out for revenge, finds her first. She hasn’t even de-transformed yet, still wild and feral, but then she backs into the moonlight. He takes one look at her russet fur and unnatural purple eyes and takes up watch nearby. She snarls and tried to edge around him, but his heavy glaive and her not being used to four legs works in his favor. When she wakes in the morning, it’s to Hak’s cloak covering her, Hak himself still standing guard a meter away

With Princess Yona officially declared dead, and General Hak believed to have been killed by the same beast, Kouka—and Soo-won—descends into grief

All treasonous plots have been put on hold

While Yona would love to return home and reveal that she’s still alive, she believes that she can’t do so until she has complete control over her wolf self at all times. She’s able to transform at will, but even with the sun high in the sky, her wolf makes control difficult

Hak, ever Yona’s bodyguard, best friend, and confidant, stays by her side. He doesn’t even tell Mundok they’re both alive: They don’t know how Kouka will react to werewolves, let alone a princess who turns feral and murderous every full moon, and a single slip up could result in Yona’s execution

For a multitude of reasons—nowhere to call home; the necessity of hiding, but needing jobs—they travel from town to town. As they do, two things change: Yona begins to know her kingdom, and their tiny pack starts growing

They meet Yoon first. They managed to stay one step ahead of the hunters throughout their travels, but doing so required going a bit off the trail. On an occasion when they went a bit farther than necessary, Yona’s now-sensitive werewolf nose sniffs out a scent that raises the hair on the back on her neck even in human form: Another werewolf’s boundary. While arguing about whether or not to investigate—Yona against, all her instincts saying to avoid someone else’s territory; Hak for, saying it was the worth the risk if they found a friendly, experienced wolf—they find Yoon

Or rather, Yoon finds them. “You were arguing loud enough to raise the dead!”

While Yoon was born a werewolf, he lost his entire first pack. After living on his own for a bit, he was taken in by Ik-soo. Yona is the first werewolf they’ve seen since, and so Ik-soo encourages Yoon to go with them and learn about being a werewolf even while teaching Yona

Yoon’s fur is a nice tan-gold-brown mix. And while he isn’t really tiny, he is more leg than anything else because of his youth

Yona isn’t quite as leggy as Yoon, being a year older, but her body is more wiry than muscular

Kija is next. Like Yoon, he’s a born werewolf, but his pack has lived in the same place for millennia, keeping their existence secret in order to protect themselves. No one is allowed to leave. Frustrated and craving adventure and some kind of meaning to his life, Kija tells only his grandmother he’s leaving and sneaks away with Yona

Kija isn’t huge, but because of his older age and more muscular body type, he does appear to be quite larger than Yoon and Yona. His fur is mostly white, but he has some tan, black, and brown mixed in

They find Shin-ah on the next full moon

Yona still lacks any control during that time, and so Hak keeps her corralled while Kija and Yoon go hunting. Yona is cunning, though, and has grown used to Hak’s guard. Combined with the pull of her pack running free, she manages to escape—but before she reaches Kija and Yoon, she hears the low howl of a lonely wolf. The emotion within the howl raises her curiosity, and her humanity breaks through just a bit. Instead of running on, Yona investigates. She finds a small, barred cave, with a too-small werewolf and angry squirrel. With enough of her humanity still leaning through, her wolf’s natural instincts, and the squirrel egging them on, her and the strange wolf manage to team up and break him out

The next time Yona runs under the moonlight, it is with a blue-gray wolf at her side, squirrel perched between his ears

Kija and Yoon are surprised to see Yona returning with not one but two new pack members, though they’re more than happy to welcome them, especially after they show them the cave Shin-ah was in. Hak is just happy Yona doesn’t seem to have killed anyone, but “come on, no we can’t nap here, no, WHITE SNAKE GET YOUR ASS OUT OF THAT MOONLIGHT FILLED CLEARING RIGHT NOW, SOMEONE LOCKED THIS WOLF UP AND WE ARE LEAVING NOW BEFORE THEY DO THE SAME TO US, WE CAN MAKE A PUPPY PILE WHEN I SAY SO AND NO SOONER”

When they transform back they all sleep, but when they wake again Shin-ah tells them how he was always sickly and isolated as a kid, until a few years ago when a passing stranger bit him to save his life. A local werewolf was blamed and executed for the act, and Shin-ah was left in the cage Yona found him in, his only company being Ao II

They put as much distance between them and Shin-ah’s old village as fast as possible, and soon they find themselves in Awa. Low on supplies, they decide to stay a few days. They don’t expect to collide with four other parties, all at the same time

The human traffickers are a surprise, but good practice for fighting

Jae-ha, an older, giant, muscular brown and dyed-green-haired wolf part of a pirate pack, is a nicer surprise

The king’s hunters catching up with them now that they’re staying put are not. Before anything else, they are the king’s men. They listen to the local government—and when that government tells them that pirates have been plaguing their waters and stopping their trade, they naturally offer a hand

They are the best hunters in Kouka. They hunt. They kill. When the group of fishermen pirates unexpectedly find themselves confronted by both Kum-ji’s men and the hunters, they die

Soo-won

With both of his best friends dead, Soo-won has found himself consumed in his grief and new duties

With no queen and no heir, King Il had found himself rather unhappily forced into naming Soo-won prince, which, unbeknownst to him, also saved his life

Under the guise of accomplishing princely things, Soo-won set out to both distract himself from grief and to accomplish what he planned to do as king. He certainly never expected to run into Yona, alive and well with her clothes coated in wolf fur and her face in tears

Yona’s pack runs from Awa with Jae-ha by their side, the last of his pirate pack left alive

Soo-won chases after them, leaving only a letter for Joo-doh that explains he’s gone hunting and is still alive. Letting Kouka think they’d lost another heir would be disastrous, but so would be telling everyone Yona is alive without finding out why she ran in the first place. Soo-won is nothing if not loyal

In this life

And only to Yona and Hak, Joo-doh is pissed; the letter explains nothing and now he has to go tell his king he lost his prince

In the middle of running, Yona’s pack runs right into Zeno

The wolf is tan, red, and golden haired, with some muscle like Kija and Jae-ha but mostly leg like Yoon and Yona

(He is one of the first four werewolves to ever exist, but they will not know this till much later. He has been watching them, judging whether they will truly come together as a pack, and they will not know this for just as long)

(Werewolves do not age the same as everyone else. Kija and Jae-ha know this. But they do not know the extent to which this applied to the first werewolves. They do not know that Zeno’s first pack was immortal, if only when it came to aging. They do not know that Zeno watched them die anyway)

(They do not know that sometimes, not even a werewolf bite is enough to save someone. They do not know how thankful Zeno is that it worked on Shin-ah)

Thank you for reading! I hope you all enjoyed, and please let me know what you think!

#akayona ladies week #anylw #Yona #akatsuki no yona #yona of the dawn #son hak #hak #Yoon #Hakuryuu Kija #Shin-ah #ryokuryuu jaeha #Ouryuu Zeno #ao the squirrel #akayona #Akayona fic #fanfic #mine #my fic

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