#shan’s musings

[quillsmora]

i regret to inform everyone that issue #1 of the new guardians of the galaxy run is in fact terrible. cannot believe i have to deal with this writing for gamora for the foreseeable future.

[itsthatlake]

Shen Yuan transmigrated as a Spirit Cat AU (part 2)

First chapter.

---

The rest of the examination, all dutifully narrated by Mu Qingfang, passed in something of a blur comprised mostly of internal screaming and a great deal of cursing, and he only came back to reality when he was picked up by a pair of warm hands.

Shen Yuan flinched and looked up at the man who could only be Liu Qingge, the War God of Bai Zhan and older brother of Best Wife, Liu Mingyan. Living proof that this was a time before the protagonist joined Qing Jing Peak.

Liu Qingge died by Shen Qingqiu’s hand sometime around then, after all.

“Come on,” he said, easily settling Shen Yuan on the crook of his arm and starting to walk like this was an established routine of many years instead of something that had happened twice so far and once under duress.

Distracted as he was, Shen Yuan didn’t bother to question it until they were already flying on— on Cheng Luan again. This sword was as cool as he had imagined, now that he looked at it properly. He smacked Liu Qingge’s arm with his paw until he got his attention, then meowed in question.

Liu Qingge stared for a second before seemingly realizing what he was asking.

“We’re going to see the sect leader, Yue Qingyuan,” he explained. “I need to give him my mission report. And inform him of your presence on the mountain.”

“Meow?”

“Cang Qiong has a rule about bringing in any Spirit Cats that we find. For protection,” Liu Qingge clarified, giving him an unreadable look. “There aren’t many left, so Spirit Cats sell high in many circles. None that our sect supports, of course.”

Huh. Shen Yuan hadn’t known that, even after jogging his memory post realizing which world this is.

He remembered Colored Claw Spirit Cats being mentioned in one of the later chapters of PIDW, something about how they had all gone extinct because of human greed and whatnot. He thinks it might have been wife #629 who complained about how tragic it was to Luo Binghe before the protagonist comforted her with his tried-and-true heavenly pillar. In hindsight, that was probably the last bit of actual worldbuilding Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky had given them before deciding to write terrible papapa and needlessly convoluted harem shenanigans for the next sixty or so chapters before the end of the novel.

What Shen Yuan hadn’t known, however, was that Cang Qiong Mountain Sect actively rescued and protected Spirit Cats. Of course, with the sect long since destroyed and most of the Peak Lords dead or integrated into the harem and promptly abandoned, there was no reason whatsoever for that to come up at that point in the novel.

Regardless, it was an interesting detail of this world, as well as an incredibly convenient fact for him now.

“Liu Qingge,” Liu Qingge said abruptly. Shen Yuan blinked at him, watching the red slowly creep up his ears with slight fascination. Woah. He even blushed prettily, how unfair. “My name. It’s Liu Qingge. I realized I didn’t introduce myself earlier.”

Oh, that was very polite of him. Which was a little strange coming from the guy who chased him through a village for almost four hours earlier that day and who he just saw kick his shidi’s office door in for no real reason. Shen Yuan huffed, then rubbed his face on the man’s arm, purring pleasantly.

“Hmm. Do you have a name?”

“Meow!”

“I see.”

What do you see? Shen Yuan wanted to ask, genuinely confused as to what Liu Qingge thought he understood. Alas, for lack of the vocal cords necessary for human speech, he just settled back down instead and decided to enjoy the ride.

Flying was kind of fun, he was learning.

---

Yue Qingyuan met Shen Yuan’s sudden presence on his mountain with a not inconsiderable amount of polite confusion.

Then, after Liu Qingge explained the situation, including the results of Mu Qingfang’s examination that Shen Yuan had missed almost entirely and was thus glad to hear summarized now, the sect leader just rolled with it with as much grace as his character in the novel took anything unrelated to Shen Qingqiu.

So far, Shen Yuan’s first impression of the sect leader was very much in line with what he already knew from PIDW.

Afterwards, Yue Qingyuan helpfully elaborated on Cang Qiong’s policy on Spirit Cats that Liu Qingge had mentioned earlier. Apparently, the claws of adult Spirit Cats sold very high among a significant number of cultivator circles because of their special properties, and the declawed creatures were usually sold as ‘exotic pets’ to nobles, where they would inevitably die from either improper care or health issues brought on by the loss of their claws. If caught by the wrong people, young Spirit Cats like himself would most likely be caged and tortured to quicken the awakening of their special abilities.

Because of this massive traffic that was both somehow legal and absolutely horrid to think about, the number of Spirit Cats left had been on the decline for many decades now, and none had reached a point in their cultivation where they could take a human form in over three centuries, as far as anyone was aware.

Cang Qiong Mountain Sect, as well as a number of other sects, strictly forbade the abuse of Spirit Cats and the use of their claws to further their cultivation, as well as offered sanctuary for any that they found in the wild or rescued.

“It has been many years since the last time a Spirit Cat resided in Cang Qiong,” Yue Qingyuan said regretfully, tone somber. “When this lord was still head disciple, he had the privilege to meet with one. Master Zhou’s meridians had unfortunately been crippled before he came to our sect, so he never managed to cultivate to a human form despite achieving immortality. This one was told that he was the youngest of a trio of siblings who were rescued together, but that his older sisters had already been declawed and thus did not manage to survive long even in our care. Lan Qingyi, the current Lord of the Shan Shou Peak, was the one who took care of Master Zhou during his final years.”

Listening to Yue Qingyuan’s recounting felt like a bucket of cold water had been dropped on him. All the terrible, horrible things that had made PIDW’s worldbuilding engaging were now real. It was his reality, and that of the people who were here now and had been here before him. The reality of Master Zhou who in the end was unable to reach Ascension, of his sisters who suffered so much and died long before their time. It caused Shen Yuan’s fur to stand on end as he listened to the sect leader speak.

However.

It also felt a little bit like hope. Because, see, for every trafficker out there, for every cruel bastard out to get his kind, there was also a person willing to protect them. Willing to give Spirit Cats a place where they could grow and live peacefully. 

And those people were here, in Cang Qiong Mountain Sect, offering him that help now as well.

Huan Hua Palace, on the other hand, was perfectly fine with capturing Spirit Cats and using them as they saw fit. There were even rumors that the Old Palace Master had kept one or two declawed Spirit Cats as pets not so long ago.

Needless to say, Shen Yuan had dodged a massive bullet there. It was nothing short of a miracle that Liu Qingge was the one the villagers asked for help and not a cultivator from Huan Hua Palace, seeing as it was literally their territory.

Shen Yuan had seen Huan Hua Palace disciples flying around, for fuck’s sake.

Liu Qingge’s other hand had come up to rest lightly on top of him at some point during the story and Shen Yuan silently leaned into it, rubbing his cheek against his palm in an instinctual, soothing motion as he tried to burrow his body deeper into the crook of his arm.

“This conversation has taken a dark turn, my apologies,” said Yue Qingyuan softly, when the silent became too heavy. “I’m afraid that this topic is not one that can be avoided for long and it is better to be aware of the dangers sooner rather than later. This master would like to formally extend Cang Qiong Mountain Sect’s protection to the esteemed spirit, as well as an invitation to stay here for however long he wishes.”

Shen Yuan meowed quietly in agreement, and watched as the sect leader smiled gently at him. Then the man nodded, reaching for a brush and some paper.

“We’ll need to record your arrival and arrange everything for your stay,” he informed them. Even if the heavy thoughts lingered in his mind, for now the dark atmosphere seemed to have lifted as they moved onto another topic, for which Shen Yuan was grateful.

Yue Qingyuan paused, as if only now remembering something, and looked up at them curiously.

“Ah. We require a name for the paperwork. Since it was Liu-shidi who found and brought him to the sect, perhaps he could name the esteemed spirit as well?”

Without a moment of hesitation, Liu Qingge shook his head.

“He already has a name,” he informed solemnly.

“Oh?” Yue Qingyuan raised his eyebrows, looking expectantly at him. Shen Yuan also stared, wondering what he would answer. He obviously never told him his name and he was certain that the War God couldn’t read minds.

(Well. Mostly certain, anyway. Great Master Airplane was hardly reliable when it came to developing characters who weren’t wives or Luo Binghe past a certain point in the novel, or any characters at all past another point just slightly ahead in the novel, and Shen Yuan wouldn’t be surprised if he’d somehow forgotten to mention such an important aspect of this awesome character that he’d killed off-screen.

Would he be angry? Of course. Disappointed by the wasted potential? Most definitely. But surprised? After reading that whole godawful story? Ha! As if. Shen Yuan knew exactly what he was in for when he paid for each chapter.)

“He did not tell me what it is,” said the man who, as expected, could not read minds.

Liu Qingge! Shen Yuan cried in his mind, a little exasperated.

“Ah. Of course,” said the sect leader, smiling politely at both of them. He looked like he wanted to sigh but was too polite to do so and had instead defaulted to smiling. “However, I still need a name for the report. Until he can tell us his name, how does the esteemed spirit feel about having a nickname?”

Liu Qingge frowned at the same time that Shen Yuan perked up.

“A nickname?”

“Yes. Something simple and easy to remember that we can use in the meantime.”

Shen Yuan meowed pointedly, tapping Liu Qingge in the arm. The man just stared back silently, clearly deep in thought, before he nodded.

“The children at the village called him Xiao Maomi,” he declared.

“Xiao Maomi?” Yue Qingyuan repeated, looking at Shen Yuan for confirmation.

Shen Yuan considered it. It was very on the nose for a nickname, likely because it was a bunch of little kids who thought of it in the first place, but ‘little kitty’ wasn’t too terrible all things considered. He could have gotten stuck with a name like Doudou or Danhuang. Now that would have been embarrassing.

Therefore, he meowed positively. It was only temporary anyways so he didn’t care much.

Yue Qingyuan smiled politely, reaching for a brush. “Very well. We’ll put ‘Xiao Maomi’ down in the paperwork for now. It can always be changed at a later date.”

While Yue Qingyuan wrote, Shen Yuan looked up at Liu Qingge, considering. Then he wiggled out from under Liu Qingge’s hand, earning himself a curious look that he ignored, and used his claws to quickly climb up his arm and settle on the man’s shoulder, head resting on the collar of his robes.

The reason why the children of the village had taken to calling him ‘little kitty,’ as opposed to only ‘kitty,’ was immediately obvious to anybody with working eyes. This body of his was quite small even for an average cat’s, even a kitten’s, which had worked in his favor while he was sneaking around the village and against him during fights.

Shen Yuan had originally attributed this to a lack of proper nutrition coupled with a young age, but even after months of stealing food he remained around the same size. Now he wondered if maybe it had something to do with him being a Colored Claw Spirit Cat. He made a mental note to find more information on them later.

Right now, however, his small body meant that he was the perfect size to lay down on Liu Qingge’s shoulders and not have to worry about falling, something he intended to take full advantage of.

Liu Qingge huffed quietly, but made no moves to stop Shen Yuan.

Eventually, the sect leader set down his brush and looked back at them with a considering expression.

“In regards to Maomi-xiansheng’s new living arrangements,” he began lightly. “Normally, all Spirit Cats would be sent to the Shan Shou Peak where they’d be able to settle down and live their lives comfortably. However, Peak Lord Lan is currently in seclusion, and this master is uncertain whether any of her disciples are equipped to house and care for Maomi-xiansheng, as they are all quite young and inexperienced still.”

Ah, Shan Shou Peak, the Beast Taming Peak. One of many places that only got one or two lines when Luo Binghe joined and later destroyed Cang Qiong in PIDW. Shen Yuan had always been curious about this particular peak and all the (obviously wasted) potential it held, something he had ranted about on many occasions in the comment section. Infuriatingly, that hack author had once replied to one of his comments with, “okay okay chill dude, I’ll describe more of the sect in the next chapter,” and then spent six whole paragraphs describing Xian Shu Peak’s bathhouse and all the shijies in it.

Shen Yuan had never genuinely considered murder in his past life, but by god did he get close that day. He was sure his comment, written in a fugue state of pure rage, had reflected that.

“Doesn’t Lan Qingyi have Hall Masters on her peak?” Liu Qingge said, and though Shen Yuan couldn’t exactly see his expression from his position, he got the impression that the man was scowling as he said that.

“I believe they are occupied caring for all the creatures already in-house and teaching the disciples during Lan-shimei’s absence,” Yue Qingyuan answered, tone as close to exasperated as possible while still remaining polite. “Lan-shimei’s approach to her duties as Peak Lord is very different to Liu-shidi’s, after all.”

Shen Yuan had no idea what that was about, but he could almost feel the self-restraint it took Liu Qingge not to huff. The sect leader continued before he could question it.

“Nonetheless, with Shan Shou Peak not being an option, Maomi-xiansheng will need another place to stay, at least until Lan-shimei is back. Since it was Liu-shidi who brought him here, perhaps he wouldn’t mind housing Maomi-xiansheng until then?”

“En,” Liu Qingge nodded, after a moment of thought. “I do not mind.”

Yue Qingyuan smiled in response.

“Thanking shidi.”

And thus, Shen Yuan moved in with Liu Qingge.

[archivedolon]

gripping all of the jhins and ahris and lillias to write shan hai scrolls with me in one hand and using the other to grab everyone else to write verses for it

[ashton-ryder]

the bucket list

A list of things written haphazardly with the papers of the notebook smelling like alcohol, with echoed wisps of laughter, done over good company, fantasizing beautiful what ifs, and then somewhere along the way, it was later completed alone, nothing but faint tear stains for company and forever tucked away indefinitely, not a list to be revisited unless he wanted to wallow in the impossibles.

crack the code and solve the mystery to dark matter & dark energy

work on the ISS

graduate from my PhD

survive long enough to witness astroid apophis and comet 15p/finlay

win a shooting match against Oscar (definitively)

backpack around the world

go deep sea diving

be less tone deaf - Sher help

visit Belize again with Linds, but for a holiday this time

finally have a bumble match (Ria wrote this and won't let me remove it)

3D-print something cool (or stupid) with Mal

drag Eric into an ice bath with me

learn to paint a painting to paint a gift back to Ruth

have an ice hockey match, one last time

or just ice skate, one last time

successfully make Val's shotgun sling

go on a planetarium date

properly learn and memorize by heart to make mom's blueberry crumble pie (ps: ask Charlie to reteach me, recipe is with her)

play one of Zach's games

learn astrophotography again from Ziggy

have Thanksgiving/Christmas dinner with mom and the Roses, like good old times.

play catch with Dawn

make Ivy soap

grow and have watermelons with Beau . . .

create a detailed log of the happenings in New York since Day 0 for historical purposes.

fall in love_ ..fall in love *words crossed out, scribbled over, rewrote, and hesitantly crossed out again being continuing* stop being scared of love

tell Jer, and let him decide

fix that friendship if it gets ruined

tell mom I love her. and thank you

visit and clean dad's grave at least one last time - bring his favorite flowers and beer

re-ink my tattoo

open up the marines box for the first time, face the past

survive long enough to witness the next day

just one more day. into the next. don't give up on us just yet, please.

don't die, remember that some people will get sad

tell the people i love, i love you and i'm sorry

and make sure to keep them alive, no matter what

not lose anyone else

die with purpose.

[disturbnot]

i missed yesterday's dash chatter about muns going AWOL or dropping muses — suffice it to say, whether i'm on tumblr or discord, or even if i somehow wind up back on gaia, ash will be with me. me dropping the muse is not a prospect worth fearing. me being bogged down by the 9-5 grind and having to uselessly wade through the mires of executive dysfunction, though? oh yes. fear it fear it.

[sohn-der-felder]

tag dump

[nerditudes]

anyone wanna meet a

young adult vampire prince who is

in love/hate with his childhood bestie who became

a vampire hunter just to track him down

he's also got an old ginger vamp whom he apprenticed under

his old master now has to call him 'my prince'

he is absolutely a little shit about it

mentally he's in his 20s. vampric aging led to vampire puberty

now he's hot twunk phase

weak for strong women who can kick his ass

weak for anyone who can kick his as tbh

doomed to be the harbinger of the end of humanity

[chaoticstrata]

I can 100% see Theron, Lana, and the Commander being in a loving poly relationship. Very tempted to do that with Aketho's story (Agent), but I'm not completely sure. Maybe a fic with Zaberial (Smuggler)...hmmm...

[dragontamer05]

/ some of my best enrage and anguished Tim images I got

[quillsmora]

just remembered the only long term source of gamora content left is the god awful new guardians run

[serenofroses]

idk why my brain insist on Yuthura Ban's design for Bastila.

also my brain: what if.... Yuthura and Bastila are same person.

Yuthura is very pretty and I loved her design (one of the best one for twi'lek in kotor imo).

I don't understand why Bioware doesn't give us purple twi'lek option. I would have considered that for Eleena and her Jedi Master mom.

[alexa-yukiyu]

The apprentice’s apprentice (Roger pirates x reader)

Lesson 2: Monsters can be good

Prologue, Chp 1

A/N: totally din’t have this chapter in my drafts for three days ready to be edited and published but was to lazy to do it

Dividers by @/firefly-graphics

Reader here is replaced by Dokucha which stands for reader in japanese for the enjoyment of both reader and oc character readers

They let out a happy huff, taking hold of a small dandelion that stood in the path, blowing out it's seeds and watching them fly off in awe

"Dokucha, don't lag behind!" Rayleigh called, looking back at the small child.

"I'm coming!" they yelled. Running towards the pirated, hugging his leg tightly as he took notice of a fast-approaching foe.

"Should we nip this right in the bud, Rayleigh?" Gaban called out as he pulled out his dual axes, an excited look on his face as he looked up at the blond.

"I think so." Rayleigh agreed, mirroring Gaban's actions as he, too, pulled out his weapon. But before he could call Dokucha to step back so he could engage with the Samurai, a call of his name caught his attention.

"Gaban! Rayleigh, Leave this one to me! I wouldn't want either of you to get hurt!" Roger cackled, running off to meet up with Oden himself.

"Capi is happy again!" Dokucha cheered, looking up at the sound of Rayleigh shedding his sword

"I swear he is more of a child than you are," Rayleigh called with a roll of his eyes. Glancing at his crewmate as he grabbed the child putting them on his hip.

"Get 'em! Capi!" Dokcuha hollered, clapping joyfully as the Captain quickly sent the man back with a single sword slash.

"Scoopah, Scoopah look! It's a monkey! A huge Monkey," They point out, pulling at the axe user's clothes and pointing at a fast-approaching figure, jumping from tree-top to tree-top until he met swords with Roger.

"Looks like it's starting," Rayleigh mused

"So it seems," Gaban grinned, putting the child down and crouching in front of them

"Dokucha, I need you to step away from the battlefield for a while; things are about to get dangerous around here; we'll come get you when things calm down."

"But I want to see Shans and Buggie! And I want to see Capi fight the monkey!"

"I promise you will get to see the two once we are done with this; as for the fight, you can't be too close, or you'll be caught up in it."

"But...

"No more buts, lass, or are you going to stay with me and away from those two for a week?" Rayleigh scolded

"No!" They cried

"Then go, you can find a high vantage point to watch the fight, alright? But not from here."

"Okey..."

-

Dokucha frowned as they watched the scene below them draped over Rayleigh's crossed legs, their body lying down on the ground face down as they kicked their legs, their head lying down on their crossed hands that laid on his thighs.

"Umm, Ayeigh?" they called as they rolled their body, straightening their arms slightly to hold themselves up so they could stare up at the man

"Hm?"

"I thought you said they were, umm, pilagin."

"Pillaging," he corrected, a similar frown growing on his face as he scouted the people below him

"They were supposed to, but it seems it has turned into a gift exchange instead," he mused

"Gifts are good, right, so we're friends!?" they beamed

"It's a little bit more complicated than that kid, but it is good, yes."

“Ne, Ray, can I umm can I go?” they mumbled, lifting themselves up completely, opting to sit in front of the man instead

“Go? You want to explore the place?” he questions, looking at the fidgeting child in front of them as they nod their head vigorously. He glanced at the exchange, once again measuring the risks the child could be exposed to.

“Pleasee!”

“Fine, but stay away from the exchange area, alright? We are on a ceasefire, but I still don’t trust these lads to measure their strength around you; I see you around them, and you’ll be done. Is that clear?”

“Aye, aye, sir!” they laughed as they attempted a sloppy salute, much to his amusement. As he wave them off, watching them disappear with a trail of laughs behind them

They followed a trail of lush foliage, observing every small plant that rose above the vegetation. Every now and then, they gracelessly grabbed some of the greenery and placed it on their satchel, only to repeat the process until they reached a small clearing devoid of any special or particular flora, with everyday grass covering the field. However, the disappointment at the absence of vegetation was quickly forgotten as Dokucha spotted something that could replace this loss: other children.

Dokucha grinned, watching as another child considerably older than themselves cradled a baby in his arms. The boy in question seemed to wear a particular piece of clothing that quickly caught their attention; it looked comfortable, allowing the boy plenty of flexibility as he threw the baby in the air over and over to get various laughs from the latter. Slowly, Dokucha dared to step closer to the couple, easily gaining the attention of the boy who hugged the baby close to him and ran off out of their eyesight, promoting the three-year-old to run after them only to stop in terror at what they found at the first turn.

In front of them stood a green-haired woman with a determined look as she pointed a sword towards them. However, it seems that a little child was not what the woman was expecting because as soon as she took Dokucha in, her eyes widened, and she fumbled to sheath her sword.

“I apologize! Young one! Momonosuke had said that he spotted someone, and I feared it would be an opposing pirate unaware of the cease-fire!” she hurriedly sputtered out

“Where do you come from? Where are your parents?” she questioned as she fussed over them, assessing them for any injuries

“I don’t have a mommy and daddy! My brothers and uncles take care of me!” they exclaimed proudly

“I see, and I suppose they are on the Roger pirates, yes?”

“Yeah!”

“Well, you are welcome to stay with us until they finish they’re pillaging! These are my kids.”

“It’s a baby!” they beamed, trying to take a peek at the little bundle in the boy’s arms, who leaned down slightly to allow them a view of the infant.

“Yes! That is Hiyori, and this is my boy, Momonosuke.”

“Awe, tiny baby!” they grinned fumblingly, carrying the infant.

“Toki?” A voice cut in, gaining the attention of the four, with the Kouzuki’s brightening at the stranger's voice.

“Oden! Over here!” called the woman, grinning as the daimyo entered the clearing. His face softened as he spotted his wife and children, pausing when they spotted the strange new addition to their little group.

“Huh? Who are you?” he questioned, looking down at Dokucha

“Dokusha”

“Dokusha?” he parroted, confused, leaning down as his wife approached him, talking to him in hushed tones, realization dawning on him; at the same time his grin returned to his face

“Bwahahaha, so it’s like that, is it?! If you don’t have any parents, why don’t you join our crew?! I am sure white-kishi will be more than ecstatic to have you!” he boomed

“Get away from them, you bastard!” a voice cut in with Oden easily avoiding a small dagger sent his way.

“Up, Up,” a voice muttered as hands enveloped them, gently lifting them into the familiar embrace of their brother, making haste as he made his way out of the clearing and back to their previous post.

“Shans!” they exclaimed, looking up at the red-head, waving at the clown who followed close behind them, frowning at the red hue that covered the young boy’s face, a confused pout growing on their face as upon being placed down, they promptly noticed the similar expression now present on the swordsman

“I’m sorry, Shans,” they cried

The two had sat down with the child and explained that they had simply been worried, as nobody seemed to have seen them upon questioning the others about their whereabouts. Once they spotted them about to be ‘kidnapped’ by the opposing crew, as they called it, they simply lost it and let their anger speak for them as they attacked Oden on sight. However, the two were smart enough to retreat. Once they were sure Dokusha was saved, it was clear that it was only because the samurai understood their plight that the situation had not escalated.

“It’s okay, Dokucha!” he chuckled, bouncing his legs to calm down the toddler

“We were just worried. I’m glad you’re okay, but you can’t just sneak off like that, alright?” he admonished them

“But I told Ayleigh!”

“You told them you were going to explore, not that you were going into the enemy’s side!” Buggy yelled, freaked out

“Oops?”

“Oops?!” Buggy parroted his face, blanched out as he realized how dangerous his actions had been and how close to being killed he was had the man not been as carefree as he was.

“Dahahha, come on, Buggy, I thought you wanted to teach the whitebeards a Lesson?!”

“Not like that, you idiot?! Did you see the size of that guy?! Not to mention, he’s actually walking after receiving a hit from the Captain! He must be a monster!” he cried

“Mr. Anvil is a Monster?!” they wailed

“Ah! Buggy, you idiot! You made them cry!” Shanks exclaimed as he grabbed Dokucha, turning them around on their lap to soothe them

“W-Wait Dokucha! It’s okay! They are no match for our Captain o-or Rayleigh! You need bigger monsters to beat a monster after all!” the clown stated proudly, only for his fussing to begin again as he noticed that his words had only worsened.

“Ayleigh and Capi are monsters?!”

“Alright, Dokucha, you can hang around here while we finish our lookout, or you can go find Rayleigh,” Shanks called as he lowered the child into a small rock that lay behind them

“No! I stay with Shans and Buggy!” They called as they ran to their legs, hugging them tightly

“Alright, Alright,” he sighed

Dokucha grinned, happy that they got to stay with them after having been separated for the three days the fight had gone on

“Buggie, who’s that?” they asked, staring at the men adjacent to the trio, who stood in a manner similar to the two boys'.

“Oh…they are from the Whitebeard pirates. Those are their apprentices, but that reminds me! Shanks, do you see the one with the hat?!”

“Yeah”

“I heard he didn’t sleep a wink during the cease-fire last night or the night before that!”

“Huh? Why not?”

“They say he’s never slept in his life!”

“What?! Is that even possible? Lucky guy”

“No sleep? He gets to have so much fun!” Dokucha calls with a smile

“I bet he gets to have twice the fun!” shanks added

“Twice the fun he says, what is wrong with you?! And don’t teach Dokucha that that’s not normal!”

“But he doesn’t have to sleep, Buggie! He gets to play and train all that time! I bet he’s real strong!” Dokucha piped up

“You’re spending too much time with this idiot Dokucha!” Buggy admonished with an incredulous look on his face

“You’re wrong, Buggie!”

“Alright, you two cut it out,” Shanks called as he picked up the child, who by now had raised tiny fists to engage Buggy

“Buggie started it!

“Did not!” he growled

“Stop!”

“Sorrey” They called as the boy gave them a small bonk on the head.

“Ne Shans, who’s that?” Dokucha called, pointing to the other side; following their finger, Shanks found a young man sitting on a rock, seemingly resting.

“Hmm? You mean Marco the Phoenix?”

“Phoenix?”

“It’s a type of bird, a mythical one,” he clarified

“A bird?!”

“Don’t think about it! You’re not going near him!” Buggy scowled, recognizing the glitter in the younger one’s eyes.

“Oey”

“Regardless, I forgot to get it to you earlier, but here, Dokucha,” Shanks called as he pulled a small wrapper from his pocket and extended it to the child, watching as they slowly wrapped their arms around it and pulled to them, a gleeful squeal, leaving them as they open the wrapper and set eyes on the chocolate inside

“I promised you a reward, right? You did great finding those Marines,” he praised, a gentle smile on his face as he rubbed their head, teasingly adding more force than needed, snickering as it slightly pushed the child around

“Hahaha! Thank you, Shans!” they grinned, taking a chump out of the rare treat

Yippe!!

Taglist:

@Imaginarydreams

@amethystviolin

@h0n3y-l3m0n05

@hannahbarberra162

@epochal-oracle

[witch-hazels-musings]

hi hazel!!!!!!!!! could i get a divination ritual for xiao with lavender, lepidolite, evergreen, and jasmine ? ty and belated congrats on your book!!!!!!!! i am sure it is an amazing read <333

Lavender (comfort, calm), Lepidolite (regulation), Evergreen (the unexpected), Jasmin (love, sensuality) Xiao x gn reader | Divination Ritual warning: fluff, the reader plays the guzheng (plucked string instrument)

The water felt cool against your legs. The gentle, lapping waves caressed your skin as the afternoon breeze ran across the crystal lake. This was one of your favorite places to be, and the perfect backdrop to the sounds of plucked strings.

The guzheng rested comfortably on your lap while you drew the picks over the strings in slow, steady movements. Each note was captured by the wind and floating petals as it drifted across the scene.

The song drifted from your memory as if it were a part of you. its rise and fall coming as easily as breathing and, with it, came a familiar spark in the air. You smiled and continued on even as strings of black and green smoke fluttered in and out of your vision.

"I wondered if you'd come," you hummed into the air, the mist of the Adeptus drifting around you and mixing with the warm waters. Your comment received no answer but you didn't mind. You knew who it was by the way their presence prickled the back of your neck, by the way, their aura lifted the corners of your lips.

You began to hum with the music until it all faded away leaving nothing but the natural cadence of Liyeu in its wake.

"It's been a few days, are you well?" You asked as you looked behind you to the figure standing guard at your back.

Xiao.

The lonely Adeptus who hated humans but found an exception with you.

He hardly seemed to register you but that wasn't abnormal. Xiao's stare was always miles away, lost and focused on something you could never see.

"Will you sit with me?" you asked and he finally looked your way. The gold of his eyes reflected in the sun. "I'll play you a song."

The strings awakened again, singing as they did every time you played them. It drew in the mystical - that's what your parents always said. Their odd child that knew how to call forth the spirits. So when you first saw Xiao you weren't surprised - what was surprising was how close he got to you. Though he said little, his actions were always kind, gentle, and patient, so you made sure to play songs that matched him.

Something pushed against your back. Cool mist and the smell of river reeds. You turned your head and breathed in Xiao's hair as he rested on your shoulder.

You smiled and bumped your forehead against him. "I missed you too, Xiao," you said, music in your voice as you spoke. "Do you have any requests?"

"No," he replied in his familiar gravel. There was a pause. "I like Gao Shan Liu Shui."

A song of friendship and love.

You poised your fingers over the strings and the melody danced on the breeze, shades of rich viridian and the setting sun melting into the sound of your voice as you sang to the spirits of the mountain and they listened.

The Lost Adeptus and the soul who kept him.

Thaumaturgy Anthology (October 11-13, 2024)

This event is based on spells and rituals. Inspiration does not equal understanding; liberties have been taken. All content is owned by Witch Hazels Musings, theft of these images and stories will result in immediate action.

[nepholog]

A list of all the interactive fiction WIPs I loved/unreleased WIPs I'm hyped for so I could keep track of them:

Released Demos:

Apartment 502 (Dashington) by @/apt502-if

Our Life: Now and Forever (Steam, itch.io) by @/gb-patch

Infamous (Dashington) by @/infamous-if

Chop Shop (Twine) by @/losergames

Eyes of Shan (Dashington) by @/eyesofshan-if

Checkmate in 3 Moves (Dashington) by @/checkmatein3moves

Honor Amongst Thieves (Dashington) by @/leoneliterary

Court of the Guilded Roses (Dashington) by @/crazerk

Summer of Love (Twine) by @/summeroflove-if

Body Count (Twine) by @/bodycountgame

Seven Days in Purgatory (Dashington) by @/sevendaysinpurgatory-if

The Night Market Book 2 (Twine) by @/night-market-if

Gods and Villains (Dashington) by @/godsandvillains-if

Vendetta (Dashington) by @/vendetta-if

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - An affair of the heart (Dashington) by @/doriana-gray-games

Fields of Asphodel (Steam) by @/chrysanthemumgames

Breach: Chicago War Zone (Dashington) by @/breachverse

SLAUGHTER SQUAD (Twine) by @/harlequinoccult

The Haunting Shadows (Twine) by @/thehauntingshadows-if

Drink Your Villain Juice (Dashington) by @/drinkyourvillainjuice

Press Play (Dashington) by @/pressplay-if (@/girlfromthecrypt)

Unreleased Demos:

Stardoomed by @/stardoomed-if

Riptide by @/riptide-if

Death Looks Good On You by @/deathlooksgoodonyou-if

Zombie Kombi by @/zombiekombi-if

The Muse by @/themuse-if

Alistar: Ascendance by @/alistarascendance

Elysium Circus by @/elysiumcircusif

[aeternxm]

mains call!

i can't do fancy graphics so this is the best you guys get. this is exactly what it looks like! if you like this then uh, we get to be mains? how exciting, wowie! i hear you asking though, what the hell does that mean shan? great question! if we're mains then your canon characters are the only ones that i'll interact with c: in terms of oc's - same thing applies in terms of faceclaims. being mains means that i'll prioritize our stuff and try and make an effort to be a general menace ic and ooc. it's a given that i'll make a playlist for our muses ( if i haven't already ) and might even try my hand and making other stuff bc why not? your muses will, in some way, become canon to my muses verses ( depending what verse it's in ) so like, if someone were to interact with eito then he might bring up lily, or his uncle keres and uncle siius. it also means that i may, in fact, without prompting, spam you with asks at any given moment, tag you in shit, throw random starters at you and so on and so forth. UHHHHHHHHHHH, that's all i got. there's probably a lot more that i'm forgetting but i'll probably add to this but hi hello -3-

[pxtitxrosx]

🙌💕

shan, my love, my heart, the sweetest of sweet. How I love you and Ashton let me count the ways. He's a soft bean so layered he makes ogres seem basic, okay? He's so genuine and nuanced that he might as well be a real person, you know what I mean?

I love the way you've seen connections with every. Single. Muse in the group. You're the glue that holds us together, and I gotta say I'll never not be so thankful you joined us.

🥰🥰🥰