#she sometimes go out on the felid

[dead-girl-tells-stories]

DC x DP Prompt

To the delight of Gotham's citizens, and the dismay of her criminal underbelly, the GCPD has a new specialized unit that ACTUALLY apprehends criminals and brings them to justice!

It's a relatively small squad of mostly young adults, who looked fresh out of their teens. But age didn't matter once they got the work done. And they did, as they've already got criminals like Penguin, Riddler, and Bane behind bars for what looks to be 'for good'.

No one besides Commissioner Gordan knows anything about the squad as they operate as a mostly separate entity from GCPD. It was rare to see any of them, and any photos taken were unusually blurry. They are also extremely secretive; if you exclude their social media which are usually just shit posts, memes, and thirst edits of the Wayne family.

They were a total mystery. Almost as mysterious as Batman.

But those who have seen/worked with the squad before all had the same thing to say about them. They were cool. They had an unusually effective method. And their leader is a menace. With his sharp teeth and pointed smile. And bright blue eyes that spoke to your soul. It was a pleasure to see/ work with him, it really was. But they weren't planning on doing so again for a long time.

That being said, Gotham had been quiet for a while. A bit too quiet if you ask anyone, especially the Bats. Strangely, it didn't feel like the usual calm before the shit storm. The instinctual pit in their guts that usually formed just wasn't there. This was different. This wasn't the calm before the storm. This was the ocean receding. But no one seemed to realize it yet.

Not until the tsunami came crashing down on them.

The GCPD special unit accounts that had been inactive for the last three months suddenly pinged to life. Everyone who followed them clicked the notification almost immediately. With this unnerving calm surrounding them, who the hell didn't want to see what batshit crazy statement they would make after three months of radio silence.

What they didn't expect, was to see a crystal-clear picture of justice finally being served.

The picture was a selfie, taken in an abandoned warehouse. In the middle of the dirty floor was the Joker. He was tied up and his head hung low. You could see how beaten he was, his clothes torn and bloody. His face paint was also coming off, revealing pale blotchy skin. Reminding everyone that, he was still human, just like the rest of them.

Behind him, all lined up with smiles on their faces, was Team Phantom. They were a bit bloody and bruised as well but overall in much better condition. They weren't wearing the normal GCPD navy blue uniform, but black and white ones. All stylized to fit the wearers taste. They all looked so young, but their eyes looked like old tired eyes, finally getting some relief.

From in the corner was their leader. Only part of his face was in the picture. One glowing blue eye, and part of his Cheshire smile. His hand making a peace sign next to the Joker. Even with only part of his being shown, everyone could tell he was relived as well.

And while the picture itself was shocking, the caption was what really got them. The top was what you would usually expect from the team. A big bold 'GOT EM' ' at the top. But at the bottom in small, almost unnoticeable text was:

"He will face his punishment. We will get our retribution. May we finally rest in peace."

[vex-bittys]

After receiving her matchup, the wood elf steps into the shop, gripping the bag that she had brought with her, packed with goodies to woo the lamias: a box of nuggets with ketchup, a silly pun written on top of the box (for a full-sized Corny), knitting needles with yarn (for a full-sized Papython), the first chapter of her WIP fantasy novel (for a miniature King), and an mp3 with a mix of her favorite songs, from folk to soundtracks to even EDM (for a miniature Honey Bo). She might have been a smidge over-prepared, but she wanted to make a good first impression since her awkwardness sometimes put that slightly in the negative. She stands by the entrance, fidgeting with her hoodie string and looking lost, too nervous about approaching anyone.

(I got your request about them all being full-sized! Sorry for the delay!)

*You’re actually in luck when you enter the Lamia (and Felid) Bittybones Adoption Center. It is cleaning day for the Corny nests, and they’re all snoozing out in the open as the Papython’s bodily move them from their used blankets to fresh clean ones. At first you worry that it might be weird to only offer McNuggets to one Corny, but you see that Vex is setting out the Cleaning Day Feast, so the non-adopted Cornies won’t be left out.

*Sidling up to the Papythons, you ask the full-sized ones if any of them like to knit. All of them turn and point at one Papython who is currently wearing a very handsomely knit scarf. He keeps rolling a Corny off of an old blanket, but every time the Corny gets to the end, he just rolls himself back up in it. Chuckling, you approach them, bribing the Corny off of the blanket with the McNuggs (and ketchup!) and offering the Papython the new knitting needles and soft yarn. The Papython’s eyes sparkle in joy, and you hear the Corny giggling at the pun you wrote on the McNugget box.

*Lamias acquired! Now to search out aKing. You intended to follow the signs to the King nesting area, but you spot something through the open door to the meet and greet room that makes you pause. It’s a full-sized King with a pair of reading glasses taped to the side of his skull, and he’s browsing a selection of books on a bookshelf. You approach him and ask if he’d like to read your work in progress. He nods excitedly, then launches into his display, showing you his impressive height, superior strength and ability to somehow flex without muscles. You whistle in admiration as he flares his hood, and he bows. This is definitely the King for you.

*You’re about to go look for the Honey Bo nests when you nearly stumble over one of the full-sized Honey Bos relaxing near the door of the meet and greet room. You peek down at him and notice he’s got an MP3 player in his hands and headphones on. The song on the display is one of the ones from your playlist! Excitedly you wave to get his attention and hold out the MP3 player that you brought. The Honey Bo hands you his, and you both take a moment to peruse the playlists. It turns out that you have similar taste! The Honey Bo plugs his headphones into the player you brought and gestures for you to do the same. He bobs his head happily to the tunes you picked as you lead the four lamias to the front desk for paperwork.

[satanic-assistant]

Story's Glaring prologue & pt 1

 RestKit was born in the territory and brought into the snuggery of a newer glare. Story’s Glaring. Sired by PounceStar and brought to mecca the day of their birth along with their siblings VineKit and CoatiKit. But RestKit was not found and taken to the safety of the snuggery before both of their eyes were clawed by an unknown beast-kin. 

As the newest editions to the mecca slumbered away on milk-drunk dreams, the snuggery was shaken. New scents, strange scents hit RestKit’s nostrils. Unknown to them and their limited knowledge, a warrior, BrushFlare, and their kits RippleKit and SoftKit were brought into the Glaring, and not long after an herb feline named Ringo Starr joined as well.

While RestKit was exploring around the snuggery she came across SoftKit and FlowerKit fighting over a ball of moss. RestKit couldn’t understand why they would fight over something so simple and demanded they stopped acting like small-earheads. 

—--------------------------------------------------------------------------

RestKit and her siblings were snuggled close to PounceStar when he said he needed to tell them something. 

“Sometimes-” He began, grief in his weary meow. “Sometimes other beast-kins do things that can… they can hurt felids. Hurt felids bad.” The kits looked up at PounceStar confused. What is he mewing about? 

“Sometimes, a feline can get so hurt that they… they join the Star Colony early- Earlier than expected.” The kit’s all ears shot up. Why would they do that! Each of them cried in whiny unison mews.

PounceStar just shook his head sadly. “I don’t know. They believe we are toys, or prey.” he mewed defeatedly. 

“But we’re not prey! They know that, don't they? It’s so dumb that they think that!” CoatiKit cried. 

Their father waited for their confused and scared mews to die down before restarting. 

“Sometimes, felids join the Star Colony because they make silly choices, or choices without thinking of what could happen first-”

“Well I’ll never do that!” CoatiKit said in their know-it-all tone “Be quiet he’s not done!” hissed RestKit. 

PounceStar blinked slowly and purred weakly at his kit’s innocence, thinking of what to say next.

“Sometimes, felids go missing. Either they die and are eaten, or twolegs take them away in large monsters with shiny coats. Those monsters are fast and dangerous. I want to show you all something so come with me.”  

PounceStar brought the kits out of the snuggery and into the herb felids den. He sat them infront of a beautiful gray-black she-feline with marbled fur. 

“This is StormDazzle. Look at her leg.” he told them. They looked at the leg, bound in cobwebs and herbs, swollen and bent slightly at an odd angle. StormDazzle looked at the kits softly.

“That will happen if you aren’t careful around twolegs.” she said quietly. PounceStar’s whiskers stood straight out seriously.

 “That or they could take you away, you could go missing and never see the Glaring again.” all three kits ears shot up they and huddled together, fur bristled out like it would happen there and then.

“That’ll never happen to us, right PounceStar?! You won’t ever let it happen to us!” VineKit meowed.

PounceStar escorted the kits back to the snuggery and settled them down to sleep, promising to protect them from all he could.

[captainbetonit]

To shoot an arrow

“How did you get so good?” Craig asks one day, kinda out of the blue. 

“Good at what?” Green poncho(or Omar as he later told him), asked. He had an idea but it was fun hearing him. 

“Archery! How did you get so good at it?” Craig sat up, stars in his eyes. 

Omar shrugged, hands going to one of his many arrows. “It took a while if I’m being honest.” He leaned against the overpass rail and looked over at the creek. “Why do you ask?”

Craig shrugged, joining his friend. “I don’t know, you just make it look so easy and it’s amazing when you fire them!” He had a grin on his face just thinking about the archer next to him. 

“Really? Well if you want I could teach you.” Omar handed one of the arrows, it was one with a suction cup as the tip, to his friend. “That is, if you want?” He half smiled. 

Craig looked at the arrow before breaking into the largest smile the other has ever seen. “I would love to learn!” He stood up, eyes gleaming and bouncing.  

Omar smiled, it was nice to see his friend so excited to learn. “Alright, but another day, it’s almost dinnertime and it’ll take awhile to learn.” 

Craig frowned for a second before smiling once more, “That’s ok! We can start first thing tomorrow, i’ll ask if Kelsey and JP if they can watch the overpass for you!” 

“Speaking of your friends, where are they?” Omar really looked around now, something he should always be doing(cute map makers be damned) and saw they were nowhere to be found. 

“They went to the trading tree to get us some drinks, Kelsey did say it was going to take a while.” Craig looked past the overpass, hoping to see the blue raft they used. “Although it shouldn’t take this long.” 

“Call them, maybe they ran out.” Omar kept an eye for the blue raft while Craig took out his phone to call them. 

“Maybe, it is summer.” Craig dialed Kelsey’s number, and put it on speaker, and waited. 

The line ringed for a little, before the call got declined. Strange. 

“She didn’t pick up, but Kelsey always picks up.” Craig looked worried before his phone rang loudly. 

“CRAIG!” As soon as Craig picked up Kelsey yelled, “YOU HAVE TO GET HERE, THE 10 SPEEDS AND SCOOTER GIRL ARE FIGHTING RIGHT NOW!” 

“IT’S CRAZY!” JP yelled from somewhere off screen. 

“Wow!” Craig frowned again, “I don’t know, i’m still here with green poncho.” 

“It’s ok, go. Tomorrow we can start learning.” Omar tilted his head slightly to the side and smiled. “Just tell me how it goes alright?” 

“Are you sure?” He frowned, like the idea of leaving Omar alone was upsetting. 

“Yeah, besides we’ll have all day tomorrow. That is if you still want to learn?” Suddenly self consist. Wait-what? 

“Hm, alright. But i’ll be back tomorrow! See ya!” Craig climbed down the railing to the other raft that they brought. 

Hm, Omar couldn’t wait. 

~.~ 

Chat: A knight, Truck and Map maker

Members: The bravest knight

Truck boy

Craigy boy 

Tuesday 5:39 pm

Craigy boy: hey guys can you do me a favor?? 

The bravest knight: yeah sure

Truck boy: depends, when 

Craigy boy: tomorrow can you guys watch the over pass for GP? 

The bravest knight: yeah sure, why tho? 

Craigy boy: he offered to teach me archery! 

Truck boy: oh wow! So you gonna be the new green poncho or what 

Craigy boy: no, i just wanna learn 

The bravest knight: a valuable skill 

Truck boy: alright we’ll watch the bridge 

~.~ 

Omar was at the overpass, where he often was during the day. Ever sense summer began he was there longer, which wasn’t great at times because of his poncho. 

But ever sense he made friends with Craig, JP, and Kelsey the days are better and honestly, it was nice. Omar never really thought he would friends, especially after Maya and Xavier. But they where in the past. 

His eyes caught sight of the blue raft he was accustomed to seeing. They were right on time. 

“If you catch anything can i have it?” JP asks Craig, as the three row down the creek. 

“I don’t think i’ll catch anything.” Craig replies looking around for his friend. Then he looked up, He, wasn’t there? 

“You’re on time.” Omar landed on the raft, startling the other three. “Didn’t think you’d be here till later.” 

Craig recovered quickly, placing his fists on his hips. “Well i’m here and ready to learn!” 

“Make our dear friend a worthy archer good sir.” Kelsey then stood in front of her friend, staring down the boy clad in green. 

“We’ll see.” Omar half smiles before jumping off of the raft, “I’ll wait here.” 

He watches as the raft continues to float until it reaches under the overpass and waits till Craig runs up to him. 

“So how are we are going to start? Have me shoot an arrow across a felid? Watch you and take notes?” Craig asks question after question while the two walk in the creek. 

“Is there a place in the creek where no one would bother us?” Omar asks as the trees get somewhat thinner and noises get louder. 

“Hm,” Craig pulled out his map, checking the surrounding area and pointing, “well there’s the junk yard but Junk lord doesn’t like people there and he would keep anything we forgot.” 

He pointed to a different direction, “The 10 speeds are always there so that’s out of the question, and the horse girls don’t really like it when non horse kids are there.” Craig continued to point to areas where they could potentially work until he pointed slightly ahead. “That’s where the stump is, me Kelsey and JP hang out there, it’s like our hideout!” 

“Do other kids go there?” Omar asks, looking over Craig’s shoulder to see his map. 

“Not really, sometimes Kelsey’s friend Wildnessa comes by but she doesn’t come by often. And then there’s Bobby but he’s not a threat.” 

“Then lets go to your stump, lead the way.” Omar smiled, letting Craig lead the way.(That and he knew this side better than the archer). 

“Have you’ve mapped this whole place?” Omar asks, feeling somewhat relaxed on this side of the creek. 

“Most of it, the sewers are harder to map out but it’s coming together!” Craig exclaimed, finally getting to dry land. 

“Huh, no one did that before?” They had stopped for a minuet so Craig could put on his regular shoes. 

“Some kids tried to but, they never finished it.” They were back to walking, the trees becoming thin enghe to see anyone clearly. 

They stayed quiet till a clearing showed up, there were odds and ends scattered around and there stood the stump. “Here it is! So can we get started?” 

Omar looked around before nodding, “Find a tree and put a target on it.” 

Craig nodded before going to a tree with steps on it’s trunk. “What next?” 

“Come back,” Craig jogged back, “Ok this part is going to be hard but don’t worry if you don’t get it on the first try.” 

“Ok!” Omar handed him the bow and had Craig stand in front of him. 

“Take an arrow and try to balance it on the string part of the bow.” Omar guides his friends hands, “Take aim, preferably on the target.” 

Craig follows his instructions, trying to keep the arrow pointed at the target. 

“Even when you let go you have to keep it steady,” Omar advised, “You’ve seen me keep it in one place, even when the arrow is away from the bow, it’s like that.” 

“Don’t you have a rope attached to them though?” 

“...That’s not point.”  Guiding the map makers hand to pull the bow back. “Ok here’s a slightly tricky part, don’t pull so lightly but not to hard.” 

“That doesn’t make sense.” Craig frowned before trying, “Is it like a balance thing?” 

Omar shrugged, “Yeah it kinda is.” 

Craig nodded before doing what he was told. “Now what?” 

“Take a deep, aim and fire.” Omar took a small step back, observing the young map maker. 

Craig was silent, before he let the arrow lose. The two watched with bated breath as the arrow flew through the short distance and landed in the center of the target. 

Wait-center of the target?! 

“Did I hit that?!” Craig asked bewildered. 

“You just hit that!” Omar confirmed excited. 

“I can’t believe I just hit that!” Craig yelled, smile over taking his face. 

Omar was smiling, more than he has in a while. “And it’s your first time too, you're a natural!” 

Then  Craig did something that neither expected(but it was nice), he dropped the bow and hugged the archer, “I can’t believe it!

Omar hugged back, and the two shared a moment. Then Craig tensed for a second, before pulling away. Omar didn’t want him too.

“I-i’m sorry, i don’t know if you have a thing about touching or personal space. I-I-I am so sorry Omar-.”

“Craig-.” 

“I just got so excited and you are an amazing teacher-.” 

“Craig.” 

“I’m sorry if i made you uncomfortable or anything-” 

“Craig!” Omar put his hands on Craig’s shoulder, and looked him in the eye. “You don’t have to apologized, i didn’t mind.” 

“Really?” Craig still looked worried. 

“Really.” Omar smiled and hugged the map maker, (he will admit that he was very happy) who in turn hugged back. 

“Wanna get back to the lesson?” Finally letting go and picking up the abandoned bow. 

“Yes!” Craig took it from the bow from the archer, and ran to the target. 

~.~ 

After about two hours of teaching Craig, who was pretty good at archery and got two arrows stuck in a tree, they stopped for a snack. 

“Wanna go to the trading tree? Kit has a lot of snacks!” 

“What’s the trading tree?” Omar jumped down from the branch.(He got one of the arrows down) 

“Well we bring things like golf balls or something to trade for snacks and drinks!” Craig had gone into the stump(which Omar wanted to know how they hollowed out a tree stump) and came back with a small bucket and some sand molds. 

“Really? No ranks or anything?” Omar grabbed his bow and slung it over his shoulder. 

“Nope, snacks should a given.” Craig put the molds in the bucket and closed the hatch for the stump. 

“Come on, if we hurry Kit might have some good things left.” Craig lead the way once again through the creek, talking to the archer about the odd places of his side of the creek, like a place called Elder rock where three teenagers play bored games. 

They got to the trading tree where a girl in braids and glasses gave Craig his snacks, and tried to get Omar to trade away his bow and arrows. That definitely didn’t happen. 

“That’s enough practice for today, we can do some more tomorrow.” Omar mentioned as he and Craig started to inflate the extra raft. 

“Ok, same time tomorrow?” Craig asked as they started floating down the creek. 

“Hm, how about two days from now? Give you and your friends a day together?” Omar offered, as he rowed the raft. 

“Yeah, that’s fair. Here.” Craig handed him a Choco roll with a smile. 

Omar gently took it and smiled, “Thanks, i don’t eat these often.” 

“No problem.” They made their way to the overpass in comfortable silence, Craig drawing something while Omar steered them. 

“We’re almost there,” Omar announced as the trees got thicker and broken fencing started to become clear. 

“Cool,” Craig focused on his drawing, not really paying attention. 

“Whatcha drawing?” The other asked, trying to see the paper. 

“A thing.” 

“What kind of thing?” He asked. 

“A thing i’ll show you when i’m done.” Craig answered, smiling. 

“Alright, i believe you.” Omar shrugged, looking around. 

“Good because we’re here.” The two looked up as the overpass loomed over them. 

“Hey guys!” JP greeted while Kelsey held up her sword. 

“Hey!” Craig waved as the paper fell. 

“I’m taking over, you guys have a good day.” Omar said as Craig jumped to the other raft. They said their goodbyes as the three floated away. 

Omar looked down at the paper, folded now with his name quickly written on it. He picked it up and unfolded it, it was a drawing of him and Craig, with a thank you for teaching him. 

Omar smiled, he couldn’t wait till next time.

[shadowywinnerdonut-blog1]

Interesting information about cats

Cats can hear sounds too faint or too high in frequency for human ears, such as those made by mice. They can also see in near darkness.

Cats have relatively few taste buds compared to humans. Domestic and wild cats share a gene mutation that leaves them with no ability to taste sweetness.

To aid with navigation and sensation, cats have dozens of movable whiskers over their body, especially their face. These provide information on the width of gaps and on the location of objects in the dark, both by touching objects directly and by sensing air currents.

The average life expectancy for male indoor cats at birth is around 12 to 14 years. However, there have been reports of cats reaching into their 30s, with the oldest known cat, Creme Puff, dying at a verified age of 38.

Cats usually sleep 12-16 hours a day, although some cats can sleep as much as 20 hours in a 24-hour period. The term "cat nap" for a short rest refers to the cat's tendency to fall asleep (lightly) for a brief period. While asleep, cats experience short periods of rapid eye movement sleep often accompanied by muscle twitches, which suggests that they are dreaming.

Domestic cats use many vocalisations for communication, including purring, trilling, hissing, growling/snarling, grunting, and several different forms of meowing. By contrast, feral cats are generally silent.

Types of body language, including position of ears and tail, relaxation of whole body, and kneading of paws, are all indicators of mood. The tail and ears are particularly important social signal mechanisms in cats e.g. with a raised tail acting as a friendly greeting, and flattened ears indicating hostility.

It has been theorised that the high-pitched sounds house cats make to solicit food may mimic the cries of a hungry human infant, making them particularly hard for humans to ignore.

Cats are known for their cleanliness, spending many hours licking their coats. If you have ever been licked by a cat, you have probably noticed that their tongues feel like sandpaper. Cats use their tongue to brush their fur and keep it smooth.

Owing to the close similarity between play and hunting, cats prefer to play with objects that resemble prey, such as small furry toys that move rapidly, but rapidly lose interest (they become habituated) in a toy they have played with before. Cats also tend to play with toys more when they are hungry.

The mechanism by which cats purr is elusive. The cat has no unique anatomical feature that is clearly responsible for the sound. However, felids of the Panthera genus (tiger, lion, jaguar and leopard) also produce sounds similar to purring, but only when exhaling.

Kittens purr to let their mother's know that everything is ok. Adult cats purr when they feel safe and happy. Cats can purr for a long period of time without stopping.

Cats have 4 four different meanings for "'meow'". If you listen carefully, you can hear that each meow is different: 1). I'm hungry!, 2). I want to go out!, 3). Help! and 4.) I want attention!

Cats will sometimes roll over on their backs when they see you. This is probably the friendliest thing a cat can do. It's his/her way of saying 'I trust you'.

Cats often press against you with their paws. Kittens get milk by nursing from their mother. They press against their mother with one paw and then the other. This is called "kneading". Kneading helps the mother cat give milk to the kittens. When adult cats knead with their paws, it reminds them of their mother when they were a kitten.

Do cats always land on their feet? Not always, but they have better balance than most animals. When cats spread out their back and front legs they fall more slowly, because their bodies act as a parachute. The tail can also help balance a cat.

Cats rub up against your leg to make you smell like a cat. The more you smell like them the more they like being around you. Also, they are letting other cats know that you are their own special friend. They are depositing their scent, or marking their territory, on you. A cat will rub its head or the side of its chin against you, the furniture, or any object. Cats have glands on their forehead, mouth and chin that produce pheromones and they transfer these onto objects.

Cats sometimes make mad dashes around the house. This is because they have pent-up energy that needs to be released. Instincts also make them want to hunt and run.

Catnip is a plant that cats love to smell. It is often stuffed in many cat toys and can be sprayed on their toys too. Why does catnip make cats act crazy? It is a response to the herb's chemical. Catnip produces feelings of ecstasy through the odour, not the taste.

Can you train a cat to do tricks? Cats are not like dogs, but they can understand many human words and commands. Many common tricks that cats can learn are retrieving a ball, ring the doorbell, or turn on a tap.

Are cats smart? In the animal kingdom, the cat's IQ is surpassed only by monkeys and chimps. Cats think and adapt to changing circumstances and learn by observation, imitation, and trial and error. Interestingly, cats seem to learn more quickly from their own mothers than from examples set by unrelated cats, but imitate humans. They have been shown to exhibit greater problem solving abilities than dogs. Tests conducted by the University of Michigan and the Department of Animal Behavior at the American Museum of Natural History have concluded that while canine memory lasts no more than 5 minutes, a cat's recall can last as long as 16 hours, exceeding even that of monkeys and orangutans.

Why do cats wag their tails from side to side? The tail moving from side to side in a gentle manner means contentment. If the cat is sitting quietly, she might be focused on something. Fast, whipping back and forth could be anger or annoyance. Tail wagging in between these descriptions could mean he or she's feeling indecisive.

Why do cats love boxes so much? When cats explore, one thing they are looking for is a potential hiding space. The experience of jumping and sliding into a box resonates with their instinct to find protected spaces out in the wild where they are able to see their environment without being seen.

[iridissent-m]

another schnee dust shipment had been successfully liberated from the train, taken from the moving carriages without any guards taking note. for a second, the feline stood there watching it move, knowing that jumping back on would take her somewhere far, far away from here. she almost loses focus, daydreaming of escaping this hell she calls the fang, that ilia's voice sounded far away, unable to discern that she was being addressed. she shook her head as her eyes regained focus. " sorry, ilia. "

unprompted @ephmrele.

          IT’S SO REPETITIVE, THE SAME MISSIONS OVER AND OVER.   freeing dust cargo, taking out those who oppress their kind.  sometimes ilia doesn’t remember how the missions go, or how they were even finished — just that the job got done, &&. nothing else mattered.  she used to be focused &&. driven, but now stands fatigued.  at the end of her emotional line, with weeks on weeks of dropping hints to belladonna with no response, no recognition in the slightest.  some days she paid more attention than others, &&. on the bad ones … amitola didn’t bother, couldn’t stand the thought of being another burden on the back of blake carrying the faunus world on her shoulders ( young felid atlas, when will her arms shatter ? ).  “ hey, blake ? ”  she starts, worried eyes scanning her partner’s for any sign of response.  she looks lost.  is she okay ?  “ do you want to explore some ? ”  the question’s answered with silence, the distant gaze of feline lost in a dreamt - up heaven, but ilia doesn’t register the feline’s lack of focus, just notices that yellowed irises are prettier against deepened sapphire skies than the moon is.  “ we don’t have much else to do tonight, &&. adam’s still looking over next week’s plans, so i thought … ”  she’s cut off, slowly, by the ‘ sorry ilia, ’ as blake regains focus.  ouch.

         “ — oh.  i … see. ”  reptilian’s scales glow blue in matching the nighttime sky, cool wind blowing against her skin &&. on maroon silk hair.  her jaw locks as she realizes blake’s been zoned out the whole time, not heard a thing she’s said.  for having four ears, she doesn’t listen to me much.  panic catches in her throat, like she’s permanently invisible to the one she wishes most to see her ( she wants to scream but she’s frozen in the all - too - real nightmare ).  the navy hue spreads from scales all throughout skin, &&. jade tints her irises ( anxiety’s reign on ilia is such an ugly color ), but she acts as though not a thing is wrong.  for all the time she spent thinking about their hearts beating together, for all the bubbling courage that went into that one simple proposition ( that would’ve been easy before he showed up ) … ilia finds herself too emotionally drained of her confidence to ask again.  she wouldn’t want to anyways.  “ me too … let’s just get back to camp. ” 

[purewhitewolf]

Process of my Designs + Inspirations 01

Character(s) of the day:

The High Priestess (Juu) and Kimiko

race: Ushi-Oni

Relation: Blood-Siblings, sisters

--- FURTHER INFO --

Juu

Titles - “Blind Priest/Grand Judge.High Priestess”

Is an alternate Kaitlyn

Profession: Judge of Fate-Breaking Kaitlyns and Leader of Sealing Rituals\

Age: 6.5 millenniums

Younger wiser sister

Temper: Normal

{Despite being referred as Blind Priestess, she actually can see through her blindfold}

Kimiko

Overly naive, childish, has a one-sided crush on Kaitlyn/Zero, was a creepy obsessed stalker, and is almost as dumb as the blonde stereotype(only slightly smarter by two IQ points lol).

Is considered nobility- not that it means anything really, especially not to alternate Kaitlyns in The Void.

Simply referred to as “Juu’s sister” or “Naive child”

Not an alt Kaitlyn

Profession: None

Age: 7 millenniums

Older sister

Temper: Docile

Initial design of Juu

Physical design inspired by Keine Kamishirasawa who is a were-Hakutaku

Hakutaku / Bai Ze

[Credit: Matthew Meyer]

[Credit: Art by chasmosaur]

Basically a lion-ox

The common Japanese image generally depicts the hakutaku as a bovine or monstrous felid creature with nine eyes and six horns, arranged in sets of three and two on both its flanks and its man-like face. It is also commonly depicted as having the body of a lion and eight eyes, known for having a horn or multiple horns on their heads. The extra eyes actually varies on interpretation, and sometimes the creature is pictured with only one in the center of its head.

Initial Design of Kimiko is her Final Design above

Kimiko’s design was based on a more common portrayal of ushi-oni (Ox-demon) Ushi-oni comes in various depictions such as a spider or crab body and ox head, Minotaur-like, three-eyes demon with large horns and tusks, or a ox with large tusks and serpent like body.

[Credit: Matthew Meyer]

[ ....x...... ]

[.....x.....]

Other Notes

I wanted Juu and Kimiko to differ in appearance to display different variations of Ushi-Oni (as long as there is some ounce of bovine and demon it counts!)

Also because Juu being an alternate version of Kaitlyn she should look more like her than Kimiko

They also possibly have two different dads (not decided yet if I want to go that route or just make it that the demon part changes offspring appearances drastically)

Kimiko’s hair is dyed blonde actually. Her natural hair is a light greyish brown like her sisters.

I chose the name Kimiko {(貴 (ki) "valuable" with 美 (mi) "beautiful" or 君 (kimi) "lord, noble" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child")} to reflect the childish nature of the elder more beautiful sister. And the fact she is classified as a noble.

I chose the name Juu / jū ( じゅう[gun], 十[ten],  獣 [kemono = beast/brute]) for the High Priestess simply to reflect her beastly features and more serious side when handing out somewhat cruel punishments

Despite usually being serious and intimidating during trials, Juu is actually rather sweet and is seen as a mother or grandmother figure for most other Kaitlyn alternates.

Anyway, just wanted to share where I get ideas for designs. May do other characters in the near future.

[ghostoftheyear]

@lindira tagged me on this, and I had no idea what character to go with! But I decided on Tigreer, since she's featured in the comic I'm writing/drawing. I’ll tag, hm. @zombiearmor and anyone else who feels like doing this.

1. What is your name?

My name's Tigreer.

2. What is your real name?

Well, my parents called me Greer Wilson when I was born. I chose Tigreer for myself when I became aware of the fact that there were other Felids in the world and that my mission in life seemed to be finding and caring for them.

3. Do you know why you were called that?

I believe Greer was my grandmother's name? I could be mistaken. I didn't want to lose that part of me entirely when I chose the name I go by now, which is why I integrated it into my chosen name.

4. Are you single or taken?

I am married. Twice.

5. Have any abilities or powers?

At some point in time I learned I could tell if people were lying to me. It's like a dull headache or something when I'm not hearing the truth. Though sometimes it's so obvious I don't even need that much.

6. Stop being a Mary Sue.

And what the fuck is wrong with being a Mary Sue, anyway? 

7. What's your eye color?

My eyes are golden-orange. The pupils are slit like cat's eyes, because that's what they are.

8. How about your hair color?

It's naturally white along the top and back, with orange and black stripes growing out basically from behind my ears. Goes with the rest of my coloration.

9. Have you any family members?

My parents, Ted and Anna, still live in Iowa, where I was born. They're farmers. I have two husbands and three children -- Tyger Moon-Eyes, Shade, and Cantau; not long ago, I found out that a couple of remote cousins are also Felids, and they've since come to Sanctuary as well (they go by Tigris and Tir'gra, respectively). I also sort of consider all of Sanctuary my extended family, since I've invited so many of them here for safety.

10. Oh? What about pets?

I never really had pets growing up. There were barn cats, which were sweet, but they never came into the house. The family dog, who was a big Doberman named Duke, did not like me at all and we kept our distance from each other. I still don't know if it was because of my Felid aspect or if he was just mad that my parents had had a child and displaced him in the order of things.

11. That's cool I guess, now tell me about something you don't like.

The needless cruelty in the world. It costs people nothing to mind their own business, yet they seem intent on ruining others' lives daily, as a habit.

12. Do you have any hobbies/activities you like doing?

Reading is one of my favorite things. Though it may seem odd (as I do have fur!), I love to swim. Also, my husbands tell me I'm tedious and boring, but keeping up on Sanctuary's day-to-day operations is incredibly important to me. I suppose I'm a bit of a workaholic.

13. Ever hurt anyone before?

I have, but I've done my best to never take a life. Though I have been occasionally tempted.

14. Ever... killed anyone before?

As far as I know, I have not.

15. What kind of animal are you?

I mean, I'm a Felid? Homo felidae, if you want to get technical. Sort of a cross between humans and cats, but I consider myself far closer to the human race than to the feline one. I do have feline aspects, such as the eyes and fur, not to mention larger ears and a tail, but I lack any bestial impulses.

16. Name your worst habits.

Being a workaholic is a problem. I did ease up a little on that once Moon-Eyes was born, but it still gets the best of me sometimes. I bite my nails excessively. (No, I don't have claws, retractable or otherwise.) I probably spend more time online than I should.

17. Do you look up to anyone at all?

My parents, without a doubt. They were dealt a frightening hand and they accepted it and played it out. I know of many Felids who were forced from their homes at early ages, others who were abused, and I've heard rumors of some who were simply disposed of at birth. Beyond that, I find inspiration in the people who have come to live in Sanctuary. They're all amazing.

18. Gay, straight, or bisexual?

Straight.

19. Do you go to school?

I went to the local elementary school for a time, but after a year or so of being bullied to the point where I cried and tried to hide instead of going to school, my mother decided to homeschool me instead. I went through high school that way, and then attended Columbia University in New York City, which is where I met Marx. The bullying was still pretty bad, but by then I'd also learned some self-defense mechanisms and managed to deal with it for a couple of years, at least.

20. Do you ever want to marry and have kids one day?

Done and done.

21. Do you have any fanboys/fangirls?

I can't imagine I do? I'd be genuinely surprised. I try to stay unknown among the general human population.

22. What are you most afraid of?

Something happening to Sanctuary. Something happening to my children.

23. What do you usually wear?

Just everyday clothes. I usually have on jeans or something similar; in the summer I wear shorts and capris, and I'll add a nice blouse if I'm planning on working in the office. Otherwise, a t-shirt will do. Fashion isn't my thing.

24. Do you love someone?

I love several people.

25. When was the last time you wet yourself?

When I was a child? I honestly don't remember. What kind of question is this, anyway?

26. Well, it's not over yet!

*sighs*

27. What class are you? (High class, middle class, low class)

We've tried not to encourage a class system in Sanctuary, simply because (a) there aren't that many of us and (b) there isn't a job system in the traditional sense. Many of our goods are made in-house, so to speak, and we do our best to share what we have. It's not a perfect system, but it works. Before that, being a farmer's daughter meant I never could afford very much, so I guess we were lower class? We lived below the poverty line, but I don't remember ever really wanting for anything, either.

28. How many friends do you have?

I have a few, but Marx and Daman are my closest friends. D'chirico is also lovely to talk to when I need to sort out my thoughts, and I've gotten drunk with Siam often enough that we both wince when we see each other now.

29. What are your thoughts on pie?

Mmm. Pie. Leyne, the resident chef, makes some incredible pastries. I'm happy with a simple apple streusel, though.

30. Favourite drink?

Well, I probably drink coffee more than anything, but I also enjoy a good beer from time to time, and ice wine if I'm feeling fancy.

31. What’s your favourite place?

The gardens. I have a place there that's sort of hidden by hedges, and I can just curl up on the bench and breathe in the air and feel so peaceful. Until another crisis pops up.

32. Are you interested in someone?

Well, you know. My husbands.

33. What's your bra cup size and/or how big is your willy?

That's none of anyone's concern.

34. Would you rather swim in the lake or the ocean?

Lakes are easier; usually I'll take a pool, though.

35. What's your type?

My husbands.

36. Any fetishes?

Nothing that you need to be concerned with.

37. Seme or uke? Top or Bottom? Dominant or Submissive?

See the previous answer.

38. Camping or indoors?

Er, indoors? I've never really been camping.

39. Are you wanting the interview to end?

At this point, very much so.

40. Now it's over!

Thank God.

[zedecksiew]

The God Auw

AUW THE SUITOR

In his twenty-first story, Auw is god of the valley. He is cruel, treating his people as playthings: to kill or abuse as he pleases.

In that time there is carver called Diya: long of hair, with dancing fingers. As soon as he sees her, Auw is besotted. “Offer yourself to me, girl,” Auw says. “Else I’ll take you by force.”

Diya replies: “O great god Auw! I am nobody, next to my friend. She is a very great beauty. Also, she is your biggest fan!”

Auw is flattered. “Bring her to me, then,” says he.

Clever Diya works through the night. Ketok, ketok, ketok! From a log she sculpts a tigress: long of tail, with shining flanks. She presents her tigress to Auw the next day.

Auw is besotted. Immediately he bites the tigress’s neck and mounts it. But Diya has laid a trap – her wooden tigress is a size too small! Auw, engorged by desire, finds himself hopelessly caught.

“O great god Auw!” Diya says. “Now I have snared you. You must grant me my wish! I wish that you stop being cruel. Stop abusing us as you please!”

Auw hurriedly nods, agreeing, in too much pain to resist.

+

CATS OF KRACHING

They are either primeval nature spirits, or wood carvings come alive. Or maybe just cats. Or maybe all three.

Tiger or leopard, fishing or bay, dusty-faced or cow-spotted – the one rubbing its side against you has:

1: A stub tail, like a furry fish hook. 2: One eye almond-white and blind. 3: A permanent limp in a back leg. 4: All its canines gone – except one. 5: A face-shape sharp and fox-like. 6: No fur. Skin wrinkly, greasy, bare.

And the innate ability to:

1: Hear thoughts actively hostile to it, and determine their source. 2: Projectile-vomit balls of flesh-eating acid. If it heaves, watch out! 3: Change its coat colour to match surroundings. Like a chameleon. 4: Raise a human corpse it rubs against as a zombie, slave to its will. 5: Climb any tree or wooden structure, defying the laws of gravity. 6: Heal open wounds and surface injuries by licking, licking, licking.

All cats are magic, and may learn the same sorceries a human might – provided they have the discipline for study. Most do not.

+

CRAFT GOODS OF KRACHING

Anything from the forest is touched by its spirits. That scent never really rubs off, no matter how far you go.

~

HOLY ROSEWOOD

Priests from up and down the coast come to Kraching, sometimes, to commission their gods in gore-red rosewood.

This is not only about beauty. The wood itself is blessed. Acts blasphemous to the idol are impossible, in its presence.

~

HAUNTED MAHOGANY

Some trees are easily bored. These call out to woodcutters. “Take me away!” they say. They get turned into masks.

They get into theatre. Many have illustrious careers. Who hasn’t heard of Tusked Hazan, the comic genius, the toast of Yaw Ming?

~

MYSTERY BAUBLE

Cats might bring you a critter you cannot identify. Boil it up; scrimshaw the bone, dye the skin; hang it from a string.

Indeterminate providence gives it power. Wear it and you always know who you are. No mind-bending magics will work on you.

~

CAT PILL

Several varieties. Most popular is the kind made from cat fur. Swallow two, three times a day. You can talk to animals.

Rarest is an effervescent tablet, distilled from feline faeces. Drop it into tea. Whoever drinks it falls in love with you.

~

CAT TOY

Ultimately they are wild things, never fully tame. This can be an issue, in Kraching, where tigers pad about town.

An ensorcelled wand, ball, or chew toy. Speak its command word and it becomes totally irresistible to all felids.

~

SHROOMWOOD

The touch of fungus-men kills trees. It transforms timber into a substance the smell and consistency of peanut brittle.

Burnt as incense, it is a powerful psychedelic. Anything you imagine materialises – and stays materialised – in its smoke.

+

( Art by Mun Kao. We made some zines together. They aren’t generally available. But we are hoping to make more. )

[athyrabunlord]

Tryst at Twilight

A/N: well this came out of nowhere at midnight. A lil writing exercise bliplet for the 2223 AU, just to sorta show the general sense of the setting and characters. Words: 1,352 Ships: Kanadia, some cameos at the end

She burst out from deep within the lake, sending rippling waves across its surface. Growling, she revelled in the sensation of countless beads of water trickling down her skin, leaving trails of biting cold as they met with the night’s air.

Dark violet eyes snapped open, the round pupils narrowing slightly at the sight of the full Moon bearing down upon her form with authority but gentleness as well.

Kanan grinned.

It was at times like this that she understood why the Wolves from the distant Forest loved howling to the Moon. What better way to proclaim their exultation, to sing their praises for the world to hear?

She breathed deeply, the Moon’s ancient power rendering her both vulnerable yet invincible with its intimate embrace, much like how a lover would.

“Even knowing water is one of your affinities, it still amazes me to see a Felid frolicking in the water.”

The speaker’s rich voice carried a hint of amusement. Ears perked, Kanan tilted her head and deliberately used her tail to flick water in the shore’s direction. “How you wound me, Milady, that you would compare my actions to that of a wee Cub. Diving is the preferable term.”

“A wee Cub, is that not what you are?” An elegant eyebrow rose in jest while delectable lips quirked as Kanan splashed more water at her. “You just proved my point.”

“I’m more than happy to prove you otherwise, my queen.” Chuckling, Kanan nimbly leaped ashore, a predatory growl rumbling in her chest now. Her gaze roamed hungrily over the Phoenix’s nude form, allured by the deliberate placement of wings that drove her imagination wild in spite of knowing just what lied beneath the beautiful scarlet.

Likewise, Dia’s jewel-like emerald eyes seemed to be caressing her muscular figure, the appreciative way they flickered from her striped arms and traced each and every single one of her scars. Contrary to popular belief, Kanan was not proud or her scars, but she wasn’t ashamed either. She simply didn’t care. She didn’t care about much, really, as long as things happened at her pace and stayed within her control.

If not, well, she’d just make it so.

She was just an illegitimate spawn of the King’s many affairs, a body guard to keep the true successor safe. Chika was her main reason in life, though she genuinely felt this way and not because of their father’s decree. She would do anything for her half-sister, anything within her ability to do so. The King was old, and there was only so much he could do to rein in her rebellious nature.

But ah, this rendezvous, this delicious liaison, has been spiraling out of her control since day one. She hated to relinquish control yet the sweetness of this forbidden fruit kept her instincts sated, to just submit to her desires for the lovely Avian heiress. The world would not look kindly upon their union, not just due to their respective stations but of their kind. The thrill of having to hide their relationship made her blood boil, again and again.

It was fucking addictive.

“Had enough ogling, silly cat?” Dia shifted to stretch, her nakedness revealed further as her wings unfurled around her lithe form.

Usually the Phoenix was stubborn to the extreme about proper decorum, that every single gesture had its consequence. However, under the privacy of twilight and Kanan’s gaze, she didn’t feel the need to maintain that facade. It wasn’t as if Dia wasn’t abashed, but rather it was more because she did not see the reason to feel so.

After all, they belonged to each other. What was more to hide, to be embarrassed about?

Kanan languidly licked her fang. “Why, you enjoy what you see too, don’t you?”

“Perhaps.”  

Grinning, the Tigress proceeded to shake herself dry. Dia rolled her eyes, an automatic heat barrier instantly evaporating the water that flew at her direction.

“Are you a dog or a cat?”

“I’m whatever you wish me to be, Milady.”

Dia coolly swept a strand of hair behind her neck, and Kanan couldn’t help the throaty croons escaping her mouth at the beguiling gesture. Sometimes she wondered if her lover was even aware of her own actions.

“Is my heat too much for you, that you had to resort to cooling down in the lake, in the middle of the night?”

Kanan chuckled huskily. “You do more than make me hot, my queen.” She got down on one knee and leaned so close until their noses were mere centimeters apart, her eyes blazing with lust. “You burn me.”

Dia held her gaze, her voice flat. “You are mine.”

It was a statement, a claim, a fact.

Grinning toothily again, Kanan nuzzled the bite mark on her lover’s neck, crooning. “As are you, all of you.”

Her back hit the grass a moment later, its rough texture and Dia’s soft and supple skin creating a pleasant sensation that made her itch for something wild. The coolness from the dive had long dissipated, scorched away by the exquisite woman straddling her.

Dia was far from docile. Oh no, this Phoenix truly is the queen, the Ruler of Fire and Conqueror of Sky.

Kanan smirked. How she almost enjoyed being thoroughly conquered. Almost.

“You are mine,” Dia repeated, a hint of smile tugging at the corner of her lips as she whimsically brushed her fingers over the contours of the Tigress’ abdominal muscles. Upon Kanan’s hitched snarl, Dia grinded against her and pressed her down before she could try to sit up.

“Bad kitty.”

Kanan’s eyes glazed over in desire as she gripped Dia’s thighs hard, and growled gutturally upon seeing Dia in the same state. Their lips met in a violent crash and soon a familiar fiery darkness consumed her thoughts.

To taste.

To bury herself within her lover’s warmth.

To thoroughly claim this queen inside and out.

The sun has yet risen.

Their night was far from over.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

“Stop shivering, it’s not that bad.”

In spite of her gruff demeanor, the black Unicorn took off her heavy coat and draped it gently around the wine-haired woman. Alas, due to their affinity, the clothes only made the unfortunate Faery even colder.

Frowning, Riko flicked her finger at Yoshiko’s direction, conjuring a pink petal to flutter across the black Unicorn’s nose. The resulting sneeze promptly froze the petal and caused it to shatter upon her sandals.

“Hey! I was trying to be nice!”

The white Unicorn laughed at their banter, only to choke a moment later when another petal slapped across her open mouth.

“You two are incorrigible.”

At this, the Unicorn twosome smirked and each slung an arm around the Faery’s shoulder, making her shudder in annoyance. “What can we say? We’re what we are, and this is simply…” They leaned close and whispered playfully into her ear.

“Ji ♡ Mo ♡ Ai ♡ ”

They giggled even more at Riko’s unimpressed glare.

“Stop messing around.”

You smiled, power spiraling around her arm until a frozen sculpture of flower formed in her palm. “We’re not messing around, right, partner?”

Yoshiko folded her arms, tossing her head back with flair. “We’re always serious. You need to lighten up more, Lily.”

The Faery sighed, a hint of concern in her exasperated tone. “You two haven’t forgotten why we’re traveling through the Great Plains, have you?”

The Unicorns shared a look, the humor gone from their expression. “Don’t worry, Riko-chan, we’ve promised to help you locate your two sisters,” You said coolly, “it’s the other mission that I do not look forward to.”

Yoshiko scoffed. “Yeah, those geezers from the Council, must be going senile. Why would a diplomatic trip benefit our Tribe? We’ve never gotten along with the Avians or those barbaric Felids. Although, I’ve heard things about the lil’ Phoenix princess.”

At her partner’s grin, You found herself grinning too. “And I’m intrigued by the sheltered successor for the Tigers. I wonder what she’s like.”

Riko sighed again as the pair randomly began to sing a cheesy song about summer and whatnot.

Could this trip get any longer?

[vex-bittys]

I'm glad to see you back and doing well. Quite a while back, I had submitted a request to be matched with a Felid bitty (I'm pretty scared of snakes, is there another room to meet kitties?). I would most like a friend that I can lean on for emotional support, not coddling but just listening and being there for pets and movies and cooking. I'm generally easygoing but do get anxious sometimes, and want a pal (maybe two?) that will make life a little brighter. Maybe someone who likes being brushed?

*If you come to the back entrance of the shop, you can go straight up to the Felid area without seeing any lamias, especially if you call ahead. If the lamias know that you’re scared of snakes, they’ll stay out of sight until you’ve gotten upstairs. The Felids have their own large area that is for Felids only.

My recommendations for you are:

Russyne (UT!Undyne x Russian Blue): Russyne is very sensitive to her adopter’s emotions, and will always be there if you need a pick-me-up. Russynes are energetic without being overwhelming, and they actually enjoy cooking. Russyne also makes a very loud and boisterous cheerleader.

Alphkin (UT!Alphys x Munchkin): Alphkin is the smallest of the Felids, and she can be a bit shy. Alphkin is the most cuddly of the bunch and enjoys relaxing and spending time with a trusted person who makes her feel safe. She understands anxiety and will do her best to help you through any anxiety you’re having.

Alphora (UF!Alphys x Turkish Angora): Alphora loves to be brushes. Her fur is long and silky and brushing keeps it looking gorgeous. Alphora is all about watching, so watching TV or watching you cook are fine with her. Knowing that you get anxious means that Alphora will learn everything she can about techniques to alleviate anxiety for you.

*Let me know if you’d like an adoption!

[caepaecaesurae]

> Trickster Anon

caepaecaesurae Hey chief, howv are you! caepaecaesurae Say, I wvas wvondering about tricksters.   Do you think someone being a trickster makes them all that much more dangeorus than they wvere before? geminidoomed u2ually, for the 2ame rea2on people who are maniic are more dangerou2, iit2 nearly the 2ame thiing

caepaecaesurae But I mean, it's not that big a deal if the person is trustwvorthy to start wvith, right? Easy enough to compensate for. geminidoomed iit really ju2t depend2 on how they're handliing iit, liike, a lot of troll2 who go triick2ter get really viiolent, or at lea2t faiil two under2tand the con2equence2 of viiolence but liike, madhur and pzii are both great guy2 caepaecaesurae Eesh.. geminidoomed 2ome people are perfectly chiill though liike II know beiing a triick2ter doe2nt affect 2triider2 much caepaecaesurae WVell, alright I notice your examples are all Captors or human though. geminidoomed II havent 2een that many triick2ter2 hone2tly and one of the captor2 II 2o go triick2ter let another triick2ter eat hii2 eye2 2o liike that2 a thiing geminidoomed 2aw* caepaecaesurae Yikes? Yikes! That's not fine. Did he heal or wvas he just insane? geminidoomed he did not heal, he ended up bliind caepaecaesurae Oh good job him. > You know what you're NOT doing!!  And also you are coincidentally not taking off your bracers while this is happening. Yikes. Say, do you think Ringleader wvill havwe any problems wvith being just a little trickster?  He's a bit impulsivwe but I think that's ust him honestly. geminidoomed not really, he 2eem2 a liittle more iimpul2iive now, but not 2o much that iit would be con2iidered abnormal, and hii2 haiir ii2 fuckiing cool caepaecaesurae WVell ah Promise not to be mad, but see, there's an anon geminidoomed oh no caepaecaesurae It's not that bad!! geminidoomed are you okay? caepaecaesurae I'm fine!  I'm completely fine. And so is everyone else. And I decided to tell you first. And my bracers are back, and on. geminidoomed try not two liike, kii22 anyone okay?2ometiime2 that 2hiit ii2 communiicable through kii22e2 good about the bracer2 caepaecaesurae Oh gods damn it, but I like kisses. I am literally nevwer going to remember that. geminidoomed kii22e2 are one of the be2t thiing2 iin liife you 2eem pretty calm II wiill make you go 2tay wiith a friiend iif you turn half the planet iintwo triick2ter2 caepaecaesurae I'm fine~!  I'm just, you knowv, ovweranalyzing evwerything, forevwer, all the time, like I alwvays do geminidoomed yeah yeah caepaecaesurae Chief, I wvon't, if anyone turned it wvould be Kankri and I can't imagine him kissing someone wvithout wvarning. caepaecaesurae And also he'll probably be good about dodging and reminding me if I slip up. I should tell Kankri. I'm a little bit hiding in the bathroom, wvhich is fine, that's a thing I do geminidoomed good deal, yeah tell kankrii he can keep you out of trouble when II'm maniic II u2ually 2tay wiith one of my brother2 or twoblade caepaecaesurae So, I mean, there's no MAJOR problems, right?  Evwerything is fine, I can handle this? geminidoomed ye2 probably e2pecially iif you 2tay near kankrii caepaecaesurae WVithout kissing him. geminidoomed preferably caepaecaesurae It's the late single digits all ovwer again.. geminidoomed eheheh caepaecaesurae I'm.  Alright, evwerything is fine, no more panicking.  Thanks chief! It, oh.  It said a fewv days. geminidoomed that2 not two bad remember two 2tay away from 2alt caepaecaesurae Oh god damn it. I'm going to need to ask Tyfora so many things.. Do you remember if wvater is fine off the top of your head? ... Fucking gills, I might go crimson for the duration. geminidoomed tyfora ii2 a 2ea dweller caepaecaesurae I mean, don't fuck gills. geminidoomed al2o II know that pzii take2 2hower2 caepaecaesurae Thanks, you're a life savwer, BRB. geminidoomed okay caepaecaesurae Do you havwe any idea wvhere I might get a small hat around a handspan long that I might be able to use to covwer up the soul swveet geminidoomed carapaciian2 love hat2 II bet you can get one from one of theiir hat 2hop2 caepaecaesurae Perfect, I can covwer it wvith a scarf till then. Mostly This isn't wvorking as wvell as I'd hoped. geminidoomed tiie iit liike a bandana caepaecaesurae The smoke part keeps phasing through it. geminidoomed ..what ii2 your 2oul 2weet? caepaecaesurae I'm not entirely sure I wvant to specify, but I wvill if you promise not to tell anyone else. geminidoomed II promii2e geminidoomed oh my god caepaecaesurae That rez method has a fewv odd flawvs. May wvant to learn a different one. geminidoomed we *really* need two get you 2orted out by a heart player dude. iit wa2nt my method, everyone el2e ii2 fiine geminidoomed you know what you diid caepaecaesurae Look, wvhat else does one do wvith alcohol and cigarettes. And the smoke wvas vwery handy. And also maybe wve do, but howv many heart players are there on tumblr? I mean Meulin exists, but I don't knowv howv much magic she remembers... geminidoomed there2 a bunch of diirk2 and fiiliide of cour2e, who II know work2 wiill 2oul 2tuff except 2pelled riight II have a liittle heart magiic iin my 2oul liike liiterally II miight be able two fiigure 2omethiing out caepaecaesurae I might ask Felide wvhen she's less busy sometime...  Or you. Or, someone. caepaecaesurae I mean, it's fine, I'm just going to get a hat. geminidoomed riight but iit2 2ymptomatiic of 2tuff beiing wrong though caepaecaesurae I'm not evwen sure wvhat symptoms this wvould havwe entirely. Aside from apparently wvearing my heart on my sleevwe. Or codpiece on my damn head. geminidoomed II'm 2urprii2ed iit wa2nt ju2t a bottle caepaecaesurae WVell it's not normally in a bottle, it's in the codpiece. I think the bottle wvas transformed and is stuck. geminidoomed that2 hiilariiou2 caepaecaesurae Not incredibly! caepaecaesurae Although it's nevwerending, so at least that's nice. geminidoomed you probably 2houldnt driink that caepaecaesurae I try not to. Surely it's not more soul, though. Possibly. I mean. UGH, I hate this. I'll figure it out! geminidoomed iif nothiing el2e your concentratiion ii2 pretty good riight now II thiink iit2 all the practiice beiing drunk caepaecaesurae Concentration? Oh.  Attention span? geminidoomed ye2 caepaecaesurae I suppose I do havwe a far amount of practice being impaired.  Albeit nevwer like This. geminidoomed never diid upper2? caepaecaesurae Nevwer really felt the need.  I wvas alwvays high strung enough. All it evwer did wvas make me more impatient. geminidoomed upper2 are dangerou2 for me, that2 why II 2tiick two caffeiine when II'm down, II'm afraiid two go 2tronger caepaecaesurae Some can be fun, but I alwvays got a bit irritable. Cheers to those wvho can manage it, but it's certainly not me. geminidoomed how are thiing2 goiing wiith kankrii? caepaecaesurae He doesn't havwe experience wvith tricksters, but he does wvith the manic, so wve're optimistic.  I'm mentioning anything I knowv about tricksters as it occurs to me, but wve'll see howv it goes. geminidoomed good luck! caepaecaesurae Do you think anyone wvill be upset if I admit this is going on publicly? I probably ought to otherwvise I'll stick my leg up my jawv and they'll blame me geminidoomed probably not II don't thiink caepaecaesurae Are there any side effects or dowvnsides to licking a trickster Does that count as lip contact geminidoomed II have no iidea a2k the iinternet Active in the last hour

[ladyanaconda]

Aku vs. his Daughters

Inspired on memime’s post about the season 5 equivalent of paladin au, particularly the part where Paladin has to kill 6 of his daughters to save a village, but decides to spare Ashi. Enjoy!

By the time he recovered enough energy to regain consciousness, he realized he was completely lost. He didn’t really mind it, but a sharp burning sensation on his side reminded him there was no time to go sightseeing. Aku grit his teeth and tried to press his hand against his side, only to quickly retreat it when the burning multiplied tenfold. With great effort, he managed to sit up, and when his vision got adjusted to the light, he realized the river had carried him downstream, faraway from that temple… or rather, its ruins, if his idea had worked.

Curiously, deep down he hoped it hadn’t worked. He couldn’t bear the idea of taking the lives of his own daughters, even if they had nearly taken his. Those glowing white weapons they wielded were undoubtedly crafted with the Samurai’s magic, coated and blessed in white magic, which explained why they could deal this damage to him.  

He couldn’t stay here. It wasn’t safe, he was in no condition to fight his daughters again, and he didn’t have the heart to. Despite everything, they were his children, made from his essence, his blood ran through their veins, and he didn’t want the same thing with…. Kuni to repeat all over.

He wondered what she would have said if she had seen him in this state, injured and running from his offspring.

Aku pushed these thoughts aside for the time being as he went back to his feet, this time pressing his hand against the wound to keep his black blood inside his body, where it belonged, lest he unknowingly made more kids indirectly. He had to look for someplace to hide while the wound healed, but it would take longer both because he had little energy left, and the wounds inflicted by blessed weapons took longer to heal.

Every step was an agony as he made his way through the woods, trying to make as little noise as possible, just in case his daughters were around. After all, he wouldn’t be surprised if they got his keen senses.

Finally, he spotted a cave a few steps away. Aku slowly made his way into it, not even minding not having night vision at that moment, all he wanted was someplace to hide, and the darkness would blend in with his dark coloration. When he was certain he was deep enough, he collapsed on his rear, panting heavily at the pain in his side. He took his cape and pressed it against the wound, again wincing at the burning sensation. If he were human, he would have certainly died in the river.

Damn it.

Aku closed his eyes shut, listening to his own breath as he tried to relax and let his body and healing capability do their job. And while he was on it, he might as well think on how to get away from his daughters.

He hated to admit, but the… Samurai had trained them well. They were quick, skilled, and deadly, cunning strategists and coordinated fighters. They managed to keep up with him and find him in the dark temple despite his shape shifting and superior powers. He wondered if they had inherited his abilities, they were apparently made from his essence, after all, he wouldn’t surprised if they did. If they did, it seemed they weren’t aware of it if they hadn’t used them against him.

He was grateful for this. If they could leave him in this state with their combat abilities alone, he didn’t want to imagine the outcome had they used any powers they had gotten from him.

A sound coming from the outside startled him, but the pain from his side prevented him from jumping to his feet. He initially thought his daughters had found him, but upon a much more close examination, he noted these footsteps were much slower and not as heavy as the Daughters’. A dark quadruped beast soon walked into the cave, limping, and its black fur stained with its own crimson blood. Aku sniffed the air, and the scent of the animal’s blood gave him away.

A jaguar.

The giant feline’s acidic green eyes set on him.

“Hello there.” Aku greeted it, though he wasn’t sure if it understood. “You ran into some… unpleasant people too, didn’t you? Welcome to the club.”

The jaguar said nothing, as expected, it just continued to stare at him with those green eyes.

Aku felt his eyelids heavy, the adrenaline from the encounter with the Daughters disappearing, and giving in to his exhaustion over the blessed effect of their blades and the loss of blood.

Before he drifted into sleeping, he saw the jaguar’s figure becoming a blurry spot…

When he finally regained consciousness, the pain on his side had lessened considerably, but his energy was still drained. He guessed he’d have to eat something soon to regain his strength. As he opened his eyes, he noticed the jaguar was a few feet away from him. He locked his gaze with the beast. The blood was gone, but the wounds it had spilled out of were still there. The Jaguar was holding a dead goose in its jaws, and muck to Aku’s surprise it placed the bird just in front of him, then it glanced up at him and let out a purr-like sound.

“Well… Thank you.” Aku said awkwardly as he grabbed the bird, but seeing the jaguar’s condition… It needed the energy as much as him, and it had bothered to go hunt despite its condition. The demon sliced the goose in two and gave the other half to the feline. It seemed surprised, but then it started to avidly eat its share.

Aku was so hungry he didn’t bother to pluck the feathers from the bird or cook it; he bit into the meat and took a big chunk of meat into his mouth. Ah, sweet meat! Much to his surprise, the jaguar finished its half before him, and it went back to its side of the cave, curling up around something much smaller.

Aku shrugged and spat a bunch of feathers before continuing with his meal.

By the next day, the wound had healed completely, and the hours of sleeping and eating soon made him regain his lost energy. However, for some reason he didn’t want to leave until he was sure the Jaguar had healed enough to go back into the wild. Still, he felt so lonely he would start one-sided chats with the felid.

“…And now I just go by, helping humans around whenever I can.” He finished that morning’s chat, sighing sadly. “So technically, I don’t have a home.”

The Jaguar ignored him, it continued staring at the thing it was curled up around. Aku’s curiosity was getting the better of him, he wondered what this animal could be attached to so badly. Warily, he crawled closer to the Jaguar, narrowing his eyes to get his night vision working. It was a much more smaller version of the Jaguar, but it lied still, he sensed no heartbeat or breathing motion coming from it.

The Jaguar noticed its companion had gotten to close and bared its teeth, growling.

“Okay, okay, no touching! I got it!” Aku said, going back to his side of the cave before getting on the Jaguar’s bad side.

He watched with a certain sadness as the Jaguar continued to lick at its dead offspring, as if hoping it would awake at any moment. His chest started to ache again, remembering when he held Kuni’s lifeless form in his arms as if she would wake up and look up at him with those little black eyes he had come to long for.

By the next day, the Jaguar had gotten accustomed enough to him to let Aku get close to the dead cub. Though there was apparently no emotion on the Jaguar’s furry expression, Aku could see the sadness in its eyes and sense its sorrow.

“Excuse me, my furry friend, but that cub will turn into a handful of flies, bacteria and worms in a few hours.”

The Jaguar growled at him.

“What? Just saying I could lend you a hand,… or paw, in giving it a proper funerary service, lest you want an angry ghost after you for the rest of your life. And believe me, being haunted it’s not nice.” He wasn’t haunted by Kuni’s ghost, but sometimes he felt like he was.

He warily reached out for the cub, the Jaguar gave a small growl, and carefully picked it up in one hand. It was slightly bigger than a normal cat, yet it weighted little. He went back to his feet and warily walked outside, followed by the Jaguar. Aku had to momentarily close his eyes when the sunlight rained down unto him from being in the dark for so long.

When his vision got used to the illumination, he started digging a small hole on the ground, then placed the dead cub in it, before covering it in dirt once again. As a finishing touch, he made a little pink flower grow on it. The Jaguar lay down its head on top of the small ‘grave’, giving a sad purr. Aku couldn’t help but feel sorry for it.

By the next day, the Jaguar had healed enough to go back on its way. Aku felt partly saddened that his companion was leaving, but it would be for the best. The feline glanced at him with its acidic green eyes one more time, before it stalked off into the woods, not glancing back at the small grave. Maybe it didn’t want to linger on painful experiences, just like him.

Aku waited a few minutes before getting back on his feet and going back on his way. The wound had healed completely, though he couldn’t say the same for his pride. He had no idea of where he would go next, as long as it was far away from his brainwashed offspring, he didn’t care. The day was pretty, the sun was shining, the birds were chirping, smoke was rising from the horizon…

Wait, what?

Aku stopped in his tracks when he saw the column of smoke rising up into the sky. He listened intently, and soon he heard people screaming, blades slicing through objects, and he faintly felt his own scent…

Oh, no…

No!

Nonono!

Aku sprouted wings and took off, heading to the direction of the smoke as fast as he could, the screams and the scent of blood becoming stronger the nearer he got. The bright sky changed into a grayish hue due to the smoke, the chirping birds replaced with cries for help and pleads of mercy.

He landed in the woods in front of the burning village in time to see one of his Daughters impale a man with her glowing white Katana.

Aku froze when he saw the scene. This was the village he had stopped by a few days ago, these people had kindly-and excitedly, he might add-helped him with food, a place to spend the night and some directions. He had fondly watched those kids play, watched those humans go with their daily lives, gotten a laugh at the expense of somebody’s mild bad luck… And his own offspring were eradicating it.

“DEMON!” one of them-the one with the kusarigama-yelled to the heavens. “THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE THAT OPPOSE LORD ZINTARIS’S TEACHINGS! IF YOU WOULD SPARE YOUR HENCHMEN THIS FATE, THEN COME OUT AND FACE YOUR DESTINY, COWARD!”

As he watched the fires rising and heard the people screaming, memories returned to him. Memories of a time before the Samurai, memories of an ancient city in fire, of long-lone people screaming in despair and fear at the destruction of their home, of a large demon laughing in ecstasy and delight at the destruction he caused…

Aku saw himself repeating the atrocity at that very moment, divided in seven, wielding blessed weapons and clad in masks of angry demonic grimaces and white bodies.

His own flesh and blood were an extension of him, if he didn’t do anything he’d be as guilty as them for this. But they would heed no words from him, as he learned the hard way the first time he encountered him.

Aku clenched his fists, but he wasn’t certain of what he was feeling. It was similar to anger, but this one made his chest hurt. Feeling talk later.

If he had to kill them to stop them-and himself-then so be it.

He stepped out of the woods, his non-existent heart hardening as he approached, his cape flowing with the heat of the fires around him, his pupils turned into slits. One of the villagers who had miraculously not perished by the hand of the Daughters caught a glimpse of the black demon approaching.

“It’s Aku!” he cried out with a glimmer of hope in his blood-stained face.

Soon, the villagers who were either fleeing or in hiding peeked out their heads at the mention of the demon’s name to see if he was really there, or if the smoke was playing with their minds, rejoicing when it was the former option.

“He’s here!”

“Aku! We’re saved!”

“He’s going to kick their asses!”

Aku would normally feel flattered, but now he only focused on his Daughters as they gathered in the main road. He sensed their fury at the words of praise being directed at him and not the Samurai, he skipped the opportunity to make a comment about it. He had to focus.

“I am here.” He said, his expression stoic. “Now leave the humans be.”

“These are traitors who chose to serve the side of evil!” one of his Daughters snapped. “They do not deserve Lord Zintaris’ mercy!”

“Why are they traitors? Just because they helped a lone traveller? Or because that traveller was me?” he retorted calmly. “As far as I know, humans helping others out is not an ‘evil’ thing, it’s a good thing.”

“Your manipulating lies will not blind us from the truth, demon!” another growled. “You may have deceived these traitors, but not us! We fight for Lord Zintaris and his dream of achieving peace!”

“Peace?” Aku repeated in disbelief. “In case you can’t properly see through those masks of yours, you killed men, women and children.” Aku hissed at the last word, his blood boiling at the thought of kids suffering such a violent death. “How is that peace?”

“Enough talk, demon! Prepare to die!” one of the Daughters roared as she was the first to run towards Aku, her glowing white katana aiming right as his chest.

She wasn’t prepared for the long spear Aku had quickly materialized from his own essence and then thrown right at her stomach. Her white ‘suit’ turned red in the area around the stomach, and the Daughter fell to the ground, never to wake up again as the discarded katana disappeared.

Six left.

The moment the spear had cleanly gone through his Daughter’s abdomen, Aku felt a sharp pain in his own, feeling as if the spear had gone through him too. He guessed it was a side effect of them being born from his very essence, but he did his best not to show it. Even if it broke him emotionally and physically, he had to put and end to his Daughters if he wanted to stop more massacres like this.

Aku sensed the shock coming from his six remaining Daughters, they were not expecting this reaction from him, mostly because he had hidden and ran from them the first time, but it was because he hadn’t wanted to harm them. The tables had turned, he would not hold back, he had to see them as dangerous adversaries, not his daughters. Not anymore.

“Who’s next?” he asked casually, as if he didn’t give this death any importance.

This was seemingly the last straw. The Daughters rushed at him, their weapons aiming at him, but in a fraction of second he disappeared, and the weapons struck the empty spot, scattering dust around.

“Show yourself, you coward!” the Daughter with the kanabo roared at the burning buildings, sending the surviving villagers into hiding.

“As you wish.”

A cawing sound caught the attention of another Daughter, and she threw one of her sai at a small black blur. The glowing weapon went through the feathered shape, but a second later Aku emerged from the flames in the form of a mountain goat and charged at the Daughter with the kusarigama. She jumped aside, but realized too late she wasn’t the objective when Aku tackled one of her sisters, sending her flying into one of the flames, and was consumed by it almost instantly.

Five left.

Despite the agonizing sensation on fire in all of his body, Aku changed into his original form and ran. Not for his life, but he had to lead his remaining Daughters away from the villagers; much to his luck, they came right after him without bothering to look at the villagers. He led them through the ablaze settlement, and disappeared at the last moment among the fire once again.

He waited until one of the Daughters was on top of a wooden beam, probably to look for him in higher terrain, then he fired his laser beam at it, obliterating it and plummeting the Daughter into the inferno below.

Four.

Again, the pain of the burning sensation nearly overcame him, almost feeling as if he were on fire. Not to mention he had given away his position to the other Daughters, who were running towards him with their weapons in hand. Aku knew materializing swords from his own essence would be useless against their blessed weapons, so instead he opted for picking up two blades from the ground.

They attacked.

Aku had to give the Samurai credit, they had pretty good skills. He blocked and dodged attacks from his four remaining Daughters, all the while sensing their blinding fury at him having taking the lives of three of their sisters, but there wasn’t really any sort of pain or sadness. Guess they didn’t have any time for sisterly bonding.

Finally he was cornered against one of the walls from the burning buildings, changing into a snake to more easily dodge one Daughter’s kusarigama, and another’s naginata, but as the third was about to give him a good smack with the kanabo, Aku changed back into his original form and gave her a good hit in the chin with his knee-and felt the pain on his own chin.

He barely dodged the fourth Daughter’s swipes with the butterfly swords, but he sent her flying backwards with a loud sonic scream on his part, causing her to drop her swords. He kickly grabbed the nearest and threw it, aiming directly at her stomach. It sliced right through her and got her body stuck against a wooden beam. Aku had to clutch his stomach at the sensation of metal going through it, but it disappeared as soon as the Daughter’s limbs went limp, signaling her life was gone.

Only three left.

“Is that all you’ve got?” Aku said, laughing even though it hurt him to kill his own flesh and blood. “If that’s the case, I can slow down so you can keep up.”

Apparently the comment struck a nerve, since he felt the aura of fury escalating. One of the sisters took the butterfly sword from the dead sister’s stomach unceremoniously. The three remaining sisters positioned one behind another, each extending out their arms with their respective weapon. It reminded Aku of Rama. A mortal, feminine, white-clad and much more psychotic version of Rama (with no offense to Rama, of course).

Aku was caught off guard by this form of attack, barely having time to sprout an extra pair of arms as the Daughters attacked, the three pairs of arms attacking together in unison and barely giving him time to block the blessed weapons, receiving cuts in some parts of his body.

One of the ends of the kusarigama wrapped around his leg, burning him at contact, and the first Daughter pulled it with an incredible amount of strength that sent Aku flying, but he turned into a dragon and grabbed the chain with his claws despite the pain, pulling it to bring the Daughters closer and then separating the three with a thwack from his tail. He landed back on the ground still in this form, and much to his surprise the three Daughters landed on their feet a few meters away.  

Damn it, they didn’t know when to give up.

Well, they weren’t the only ones who could use combinations.

The demon took a deep breath and then exhaled a long stream of fire, then he fired his laser beams right at it, creating a beam of cackling electricity which he aimed at the Daughters. They ran as he flew after them, but the Daughter with the naginata jumped on top of the highest building around and jumped towards him, giving him a thwack in the head with one end of the spear and interrupting his attack. But before she could run the blade through him, Aku’s tail impaled through her chest from behind, and the threw her lifeless body into a nearby fire-and was quick to regret the action when he felt the pain of his own tail impaling him.

Two left.

Changing back into his original form, he landed on his feet, his cape flowing behind him in an almost epic way, but now was not the moment. He saw the two remaining sisters, and silently made a taunting gesture with his right hand, narrowing his eyes when the daughter with the butterfly swords ran towards him. This time he would make it quick, to spare both the sister and himself more painful sensations.

When his daughter was close enough, Aku avoided one swipe from the blades and punched her in the face with such strength that her mask cracked. Taking advantage that she was stunned, he quickly grabbed her head and reluctantly broke her neck with a snap, before letting her fall to the ground.

“Ouch!” he said, rubbing the back of his neck casually afterwards. “Well, that hurt! I’m going to need a good massage in the neck when this is over!”

There was only one left.

“Look here, young lady, given the circumstances, you can surrender and I will consider not sending you to the corner for all this trouble-“ he wasn’t even done talking when she charged and whipped one end of the kusarigama aimed at his feet, which he managed to dodge at the last moment. Aku narrowed his eyes. “Fine. You asked for it.”

The next time she whipped the kusarigama, he caught it in his hand, ignoring the burning sensation as he ran towards his last remaining daughter. He pulled it to bring her closer, and she tried to take advantage of it to give the demon a fatal blow with her blade, but she was unprepared for the kick he aimed at her face, sending her flying backwards and knocking the mask off her face. Before she could touch the ground, Aku whipped the kusarigama towards her like a lasso, having it wrap around her arms and rendering her unarmed and immobile as she touched the ground, momentarily stunned

As he got closer, he took a moment to examine her without her mask on. Narrow eyes, red lips and dark hair combed up to a single point. For one moment he wondered how such a… beautiful creature could have been born from a dark creature such as he.

The adrenaline that ran through him during the combat started to disappear, and soon he was overwhelmed with exhaustion, forcing him to fall to his knees, panting heavily. But the aching in his chest was even worse.

Aku closed his eyes shut. He had done it. He had killed his daughters, and even though it had to be done to save these innocent people, it didn’t mean it didn’t hurt him. They were, after all, his flesh and blood. However, as he opened his eyes again to look at his last remaining daughter, suddenly he couldn’t bring himself to kill her, maybe because she was the only one he had seen without that mask…

Before he could continue to examine her, suddenly she jolted awake and struggled violently to get free of the chains, screaming at him with hate in her voice.

“YOU EVIL DEMON! I WILL KILL YOU! YOU CANNOT ESCAPE FROM LORD ZINTARIS’S JUSTICE! YOU WILL DIE! YOU WILL DIE A HORRIBLE DEATH, AND THEN LORD ZINTARIS CAN BRING PEACE TO THE WORLD THAT YOU WANT TO DESTROY! DIE, DEMON! DIE, DIE, DIE-!” she would have continued id Aku had not picked her up and knocked her out with one touch on the shoulder.

“You and I are having a little chat later, young lady.” Aku simply said, hanging the unconscious woman on his back like a backpack.

By then most of the fire had, or was in the process of dying down, and all the surviving villagers came out of hiding, all approaching their savior with grateful looks.

“He did it! He killed them!”

“He was cool!”

“Thank you, great Aku!”

“Yeah, yeah, it was nothing, really.” He simply said, shrugging. He did like the praise, but he was not in the mood at that moment. He had just killed six of his children. “I’m sorry these…. Ladies destroyed your home.”

“If you hadn’t arrived, maybe we wouldn’t have lived to see another day.” One of the surviving elders said. “If there’s something we could do to repay you…”

“Oh, no, that’s not necessary, old man. You’ve done enough for me, and that’s what started this mess in the first place. But thank you. I will make sure this…” he glanced back at his unconscious daughter. “…Lady will not bother you again.” He looked at the villagers once more. “You should gather whatever wasn’t destroyed by the fire and leave. The Samurai will surely send his troops to see if those assassins did their job.”

With those parting words, Aku turned around and walked away from the praising and grateful villagers, who hurried to do as he had suggested. As he walked through the woods, still carrying his unconscious daughter, he wondered what he’d do with her. She was pretty much brainwashed by the Samurai’s lies and propaganda, she would not listen to him, in fact, she might as well murder him in his sleep.

But that didn’t lessen the fact that she was his child, and he was her father. Fathers were supposed to educate, protect and look after their kids, no matter what. He had lost Kuni, and now six of his kids by his own hand and the circumstances, he couldn’t lose this one too… He was so desperate by his loneliness and guilt… Surely he could get to her, couldn’t he? It would take him a while and he’d have to watch his back, but maybe he could eventually convince her of the truth. How hard could it be? All he had to do was to show her all the Samurai had done, and convince her he was not the evil creature (well, he used to be, but that was in the past) the Samurai inculcated into her.

But first, he’d have to find somewhere to take a long nap.

[ephmrele]

weiss jumped up from her seat where she was reading, her ocean blues glimmered. how had she forgotten ? " blake, today is the sale at my favorite store in vale ! let's go. i'll treat you to something. " she waved her father's platinum card in front of her. " it's on father after all. " pushing out her lower tier, her lips formed a frown. " it'll be fun. i know you like dressing up. " visage changed to a smile as she blinked her long white lashes at her friend.

‘   i don’t know when that was established.   ’   regular monotone betrays a note of amusement,   as does bright sparkling gold from behind the pages of a novel.   she couldn’t deny it without lying however.   blake tended to keep her life in hand luggage.   the felid took more to a nomadic existence than any kind of personal dwelling,   and so didn’t have a large wardrobe.   although her like for beautiful clothing wasn’t often one shared or noted by other individuals.   despite that,   she slid her bookmark into the open pages and eased off the bunk beds to tug on her boots.   ‘   are you sure   ?   ’   she replied to the offer,   voice pleasant but still unsure.   ‘   weiss,   some of the socks you own are worth more than all of our textbooks combined. i’m pretty sure   “   sale   ”   at that store still means   “   unaffordable   ”   to most.   ’   she was still ready to accompany her friend,   if only for idle chatter and as an excuse to spend sometime outside of the dorm.   it did make her wonder why weiss didn’t bring along someone else more versed with fashion   ;   like coco.   @mosaickd

[amourete-blog1]

(( [flickers rock candy light] welcome to hell welcome to hell welcome t

tagging: @sugaryexcess @wwickedspirits @hereticalsym69ls

as w most things with sugary, this log gets a bit sketchy. beware of: talk of keeping trolls as pets, threatening harm to them, general threats and fear and intimidation, mentions of severe injury (blood loss). there’s a brief mention in narration at the beginning of possible harm coming to children but it never happens.

the necessary background is as follows: sugary has been reverted to her mindset from a handful of years ago, when she was Super Not Good, and currently is keeping Xanthe and Val on her ship as “pets”. up until recently she had also been keeping Bodencus, for the unusual color of his blood, but then decided to send him home - not without draining most of his blood. after being alerted to this, feli went to go help him, since they’re quadmates, and this conversation with xanthe happened. (edit: fixed link)

begin log:

Felide - Yesterday at 10:50 PM Your objective is simple: Get Bo's kids, get them into a room, protect that room and stand guard. It should have been simple. It would have kept you out of the way of that candy-colored menaces, to boot.

Unfortunately, fate did not have that in store for you, because shortly after you leave the room where Bodencus was, you come face-to-face with Sweets Herself.

"Oh! I - Condy! Hi!" Oh god you're stuttering, oh god, oh god,

Sugary - Yesterday at 10:57 PM ! You weren't expecting to see her! You'd begrudgingly come to Bo's ship on Xanthe's instruction, in fact, the last straw was him saying that Felide would be upset if Bo died. And here she is, to witness your good deed! It's providence. Your smile widens. "Hello, my darling! I wasn't expecting you."

Felide - Yesterday at 11:13 PM Your heart is beating a lot faster than you'd like, and you... carefully move to the side to allow her to pass. Please let her pass. Your hand presses flat to the wooden wall behind you. "And I wasn't expecting you either! I mean I was, kind of, but not so soon? Xanthe messaged me just a short time ago saying you were coming over and I..."

You were what? "... I was going to go get a wet wash cloth! For a compress."

Sugary - Today at 1:28 AM You cock your head, curious. "Xanthe mentioned you. Are you... you're not his Disciple, darling, are you?" You've only been vaguely reading your dash. They seem weird and close in that gross rebel way, but maybe you're reading too much into it. You're completely ignoring all the obvious signs that she doesn't want you here, or maybe you don't see them.

Felide - Today at 1:31 AM You're going to break your teeth with how tight your jaw gets at that name. "Sorry - his...?" You're acting like you don't understand the word. "Disciple?" Maybe you can also get out of her a sign of how much Xanthe's already told her. God, you hope it's not much.

Sugary - Today at 2:40 AM "His Disciple. The olive one who followed him around and listened to him and wrote stuff down or waterver." Your smile widens just a touch. "The one who loved him." It's hard to tell how much you know, your facial expressions are weird and not indicative of your emotions. You're very smiley.

Felide - Today at 2:43 AM That slight expression change feels a lot like "You're going to die if you lie to me right now," so you opt for the truth. "Oh. Yeah. Yeah, that's me!" Wow, is it uncomfortable in here or is it just you? Compose yourself, Felide. "Yes, I think 'Disciple' is what I'm called now. It's just been a while since anyone's called me that. Could... I ask why it's of interest? If you'd be so kind."(edited)

Sugary - Today at 2:52 AM Well, most of your expressions have undertones of that, so that's not incorrect. "Becod you were so~ sweet to me online! Most rebels wouldn't be... Were you part of the plan to lie to me, or did it just come naturally, or...?" You don't think it's uncomfortable in here at all! It's fine.

Felide - Today at 2:56 AM HEY, XANTHE DIDN'T TELL YOU SHE KNEW THIS PART, YOU'D LIKE TO PHONE A FRIEND. "I wasn't part of any plan," you say, dancing around the fact that you did, in fact, know there was a plan to begin with. "And with all due respect, madame, I would still be sweet to you if you weren't interrograting me. I like to think I've put my past behind me." What that "past" means is anyone's guess. "I believe in peace and order, and sometimes peace and order comes through respecting authority. Is this not so?"

Sugary - Today at 3:33 AM Something... Unwinds. Some tension in you releases, and you relax, noticably. Your next smile might look a little more natural, but maybe not. All your smiles are odd. "Yes, dear, that makes perfect sense. I'm sorry, I'm a little on edge... All these people who know me that I don't know... It's weird." You reach in to stroke her cheek, you know, as people do in normal interactions with strangers. "You've been a delight with me, sweetness, and I appreciate it."

Felide - Today at 3:37 AM Oh, yes, this is completely normal. You put all your faculties towards not jumping when she touches you, and even giving a sweet little purr to go with your smile. Yes, you can play the part of "adorable kitten" when you want to. Look at that face. "I wouldn't know what it's like," you say modestly, trying to fall back in rhythm without assuming too much. "But it does seem as if it would be jarring. I hope you're able to relax soon? I'm sorry you had to come all the way out here when you're so wound up, but Bo will be grateful, I think - and I am too, very much."

Sugary - Today at 3:42 AM Gods, that's so sweet. She's so cute. A feral kitten that you got to love you!!! It'd be cool if you took her back with you. "Xanthe's gonna visit his people tomorrow, I assume you're one of them? You can stop by any time, you know, grubby. It just be scary, having that buoy out of sight. We both know he gets into all kinds of trouble!" You grin, and the sightly bared teeth and twinkle in your eye show that you're very much aware that you're the trouble, this time. He's in danger because of you.

Felide - Today at 3:52 AM You shrink a little under that kind of expression. Oh god. "It is scary," you admit, which is probably the truest thing you've said all day. You can't politely refuse an invitation like that. You know how the upper class is. "I might visit sometime, if it's alright with you? That's such a generous offer, thank you very much..."(edited)

Sugary - Today at 10:31 AM You see her shrink back, and it's adorable, and you love it. Not enough people you've interacted with are scared of you. You guess future you being so weak made them immune to your presence? Whatever it is, it sucks and this is nice. "It's more than alright. In fact, I insist. No hurry, though! He'll be with me for a while. And you're welcome, darling!"

Felide - Today at 10:37 AM Haaahahahaha you feel Really Fucking Scared. "I'll make time in my schedule!" You'll delay it as much as you possibly can and hope you can wait out this storm. You pair your next statement with a curtsy: "If you'll excuse me, madame, Bo's sent me on an errand. I don't think I'll be here when you leave, but your audience is most appurrreciated." Please God let that be enough.

Sugary - Today at 11:15 AM It's enough. For now. You nod, then brush past her to fix Bo. Hopefully he didn't bleed out when you were talking. "Be seeing you, kitten."

Felide - Today at 11:16 AM Ugh.

[xensilverquill]

Under the Desert Sun: A Voltron Fic

Slow-burn moments in the budding romance between a Galra emperor and an Altean alchemist. 

A little oneshot inspired by the new season. I love these two as a pair so much, and I wanted to explore their relationship leading up to their courtship/marriage. Hope you enjoyed! c:

Few things in the known universe were half so terrifying or bemusing as a Galra's passion.

Or so Alfor had once explained to him, only half-joking. The emperor had simply brushed it aside as an outsider's perspective. It was in the nature of his people to throw themselves wholly and completely into everything they did. Neither word was spoken nor act performed without the utmost conviction. Their clerics spoke of how Zaal, the fierce Mother-Goddess, had created the first tribes by ripping Her own body asunder, down to bare bone and marrow until Daibazaal itself turned rust-red with her blood. To survive and to battle and to conquer -- these were the war cries that had sung in their blood since the most ancient days of his race. It was hardly his concern if other races were put-off by the natural disposition of his people. He would oversee the personal affairs of his own kind. Alfor and the others could do the same, dear friends though they were. For what Altean had ever been born that could understand the fire of a Galra, much less match it?

On the fateful day he met her, Zarkon could not shake the feeling that some god or another had taken that as a challenge.

Alfor had mentioned the Galra in general could be a bit stiff when it came to the mingling of castes. Honerva had always assumed that was an exaggeration on her king's part. Her own brief interactions with them, however, were beginning to prove otherwise.

Their emperor, for instance, would never deign to hold a casual conversation with her for more than a minute. In her regard, he was a veritable master at the art carrying a metal rod up his back-end. That certainly seemed to be the case when it come to discussing anything outside of her work in the lab. She could not figure whether he had a personal dislike for her or if it was the general disdain he had for all people he considered of a lower class. (The latter of which seemed to include, well, everyone.)

"-- and if I am to continue investigating further, I am going to need at least twice the energy input. With your permission, of course, your majesty." Only silence followed in the wake of her request. She glanced up from her readings to stare expectantly at the Galra emperor. "Sir?"

"... Hm? Erm, yes," he grunted articulately, shifting his posture so that he was leaning away from her. "Permission granted."

Looking at him, Honerva was reminded of their first meeting. He had the same distant, thoughtful expression that quickly snapped to one of surprise and alarm. (Or what she assumed was surprise and alarm. It was difficult at times to read any Galra's face, and Zarkon's doubly so.) And then as now, he seemed just as keen on quitting her presence.

"As I said," he continued woodenly and turning his gaze pointedly away from her, "I will provide any support you require. Now if you will excuse me..."

At least no one can ever accuse him of being chatty, she thought dryly as she stared after his quickly retreating form. Or having a single friendly bone in his whole quiznacking body...

The training yard echoed with the pounding of his fists on the training mannequins. Sweat beaded between the plates of his crest. Zarkon huffed as he lashed out with a left hook here, a disemboweling kick to the abdomen there. Still, even as he ran through the traditional forms and stances, his mind could not help but wander.

A Galra's instinct and temper were quick to pounce; their head was sometimes slower on the uptake. It was little wonder then he could not pinpoint the exact cause of his fixation when it came to the little Altean alchemist.

Walking into the same room as her made him feel like he was about to face down a charging, rabid klanmüirl. Except the beasts never set all three of his hearts pounding like the tattoo of a war-drum. They certainly never struck him speechless as she did, as if he were a kit again and his mentors were scolding him.

She was all he could seem to think of lately. The way her golden eyes would flash when she pushed past some block in her research; the way no movement of her body, however minute, was wasted as she flitted about her lab; the way she carried herself with all the self-assurance and nobility of a Galra warrior...

"Rah!" His last kick sent a mannequin flying to hit and shatter against the far wall of the armory building. By the five freezing hells, that was the sixth one today, and his skull was still buzzing with thoughts of her! Huffing and legs trembling slightly, he fairly bellowed to his attendant, "Bring me another!"

"Kova!"

Her voice echoed through the apparently deserted halls of the facility. Honerva heaved a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose between her fingers. It figured that there were always forty-seven androids and servants within shouting distance, but the moment she actually _needed_ their assistance they all disappeared into the ether.

"Kova!" she shouted again. "Kova, please? Mama's sorry she's been so caught up in her work lately!" Only further silence answered her. Altean felids were somewhat notorious for throwing tantrums if neglected for so much as a tick, but this was ridiculous!

"Mama's got a treat for you! Bovyn milk and spiced flarkl fillet: your favorite! Now come ba-- Huh?"

As she rounded the corner, a curious sight stopped the scientist in her tracks. Well, she had found Kova -- and he was not alone. The felid sat perched on the arm of a chair, and directly across from him crouched the Galra emperor. Kova's tail twitched back and forth as he gazed unblinkingly at Zarkon. The monarch stared back with an equal intensity as they engaged in what appeared to be a life-or-death staring contest. Neither so much as blinked or twitched.

Nor did they seem to noticed Honerva as she knelt beside them. She waited one, two, three dobashes for either of them to acknowledge her. When it appeared that man and beast intended to continue until the heat death of the universe, she coughed loudly in the back of her throat to rouse their attention.

"Ah!" Zarkon yelped and stumbled backwards in a distinctly undignified fashion for the ruler of the Galra empire. Eyes darting back and forth, it was a moment or two before his gaze settled on Honerva. "Ah, it... it is only you."

"So it would seem," the Altean replied wryly, diplomatically keeping her lips from twitching up in an amused smile. Kova took his customary perch on her shoulder as she stood, primly licking his paw and grooming at his mane. She extended a hand to the still-prone emperor. "Need help?"

He did not answer her directly so much as he chuffed and took a sudden interest in a speck on the adjacent wall. All the same his claws came up to almost-delicately clasp her forearm as Honerva helped to haul him to his feet.

"Would it be too forward of me to ask what Your Majesty was doing with Kova just now?" she asked lightly, trying to bring a bit of levity to the incident.

"Yes-- I mean, no, it is a reasonable question." He crossed his arms and brought himself up to his full height, still resolutely refusing to meet her gaze. "I had business with my soldiers in this sector, and I happened to find your--" He gestured vaguely at the felid as he appeared to search for the appropriate word in his mind.

"-- your companion-beast. I meant to have a servant return it to you immediately, but it seems that it will obey none but its mistress. I was attempting to... impress my will upon it when you arrived..."

The more he spoke, the more hard-pressed she was to repress a chuckle. She hid her smile behind her hand as her body shook a bit. Years of diplomatic training chose to forsake her in just that moment, however. A peal of laughter escaped the scientist, and it only became louder when he turned to her with an incredulous raising of his brows and tightening of his jaw.

"Forgive me, sir," she amended breathlessly, sides aching a bit now. "I mean no offense. It is only, erm, that I wished I could have saved you a bit of time and grief. I might have told you: felids are not the sort one can simply 'impress their will upon,' as it were. Kova simply does as he wishes; I am more his caretaker than his 'mistress.'

"Though I am... flattered that you would consider me the latter." She tried to better compose herself as it dawned on her that she had been laughing at the quiznacking leader of the entire Galra race. " And it is certainly a valiant effort on your part to make him obey for my sake."

"... Yes, of course." She was not sure whether to be worried or relieved as he pulled back into himself again. After a long silence, he turned his head to glance at her out of the corner of his eyes. "You have done a great deal for the Galra in your short time here. My only wish-- My _people's_ only wish, is to honor our alliance with Altea and her most esteemed alchemist."

The tatyn beneath her eyes pulsed with a sudden warmth, and it was her turn to at a loss for words for a few moments. Before Zarkon could attempt to excuse himself again, she reached out. His ears, smaller than that of most of his kind, flicked with a metallic _ping_ against his helm.

"Please," she said as she lightly placed a hand on his vambrace, a tentative smile on her lips, "call me Honerva."

In the vargas that followed, one could often find him walking the halls of the lab above the fissure more and more. Many of the more the observant aides noted the emperor always timed his visits when their lead scientist was on the premises.

"Just imagine it!" the alchemist piped, eyes alight and fingers dancing across the control panel. "Self-sustaining energy sources! Generators that can run tirelessly and endlessly! Starships that never have to stop and refuel! And that's to say nothing of the possibilities of the ore Alfor extracted from the comet! For instance, we have reason to believe that the metallic bonds on the molecular level here--"

"Hm." He nodded for her to continue.

Zarkon leaned over the console, one hand propped on paneling and the other against his side. He nodded every now again as she explained the readings scrolling in endless lines across the holoscreen. As the briefing drew on, though, his attention kept drifting in her direction. So distracted was he that it took him several moments to register a light tapping on his arm and to realize Honerva was addressing him again.

"-- Sir. Sir?"

"Yes?" His brows furrowed a bit at the gleam in her eye, at the small smile curling on her lips.

"Nothing," she replied, turning back to the screen with that same smile. "Just wanted to make sure I hadn't bored you into a doze. Shall I continue?"

"As you will," he rumbled, eyes shifting back to the task at hand.

To himself, he added, And I doubt you could ever bore me.

"And here I thought you Alteans were a diplomatic sort by nature," he mused conversationally, as if he had not just thrown half a dozen punches at her on the same breath.

"Well, diplomatic work can get dodgy sometimes," she countered, feinting a kick to his abdomen before catching him lightly on the shoulder. Sweat dripped in a fine sheen down the back of her neck, turning her found hair a darker gray."We are diplomats, Your Majesty, not pacifists. I'd have thought spending any amount with Alfor might have made that clear."

"An alarming tendency to land oneself in trouble should not be confused for the mark of a fighter." A smirk flashed across his fangs as he dodged a sharp blow to the chin. "I mean no offense to your king, of course."

"None taken, and I suppose you have a point." Her lighter body enabled her to step lightly out of the way of his next blow, but she was not quite fast enough to avoid the clawed hand that pinned her against the wall of the sparring room. "Oof! I thank you again for giving me a worthy sparring partner. I am liable to lose my edge if I stay cooped up in that lab too long."

"If it facilitates your ability to lead the project, then it is a service I gladly render," he replied, chuffing lightly and send loose tendrils of her hair flying. "That is three out of five rounds in my favor. Do you yield?"

Giving a quick shove against his chest, she chuckled, "Never."

"No, m'fine..." He watched with no small degree of amusement as she squinted her eyes at the screen in order to focus on some bit of data. The alchemist's fingers fumbled with the keys, and she jerked her head up as it began to droop. "Jus' a few more... minutes..."

Weary and overworked as she was, it took little effort to pull her away from the console. To her credit she attempted to stumble ahead on her own for a few steps as he pushed lightly at her back. When she walked face-first into a wall, however, he took it upon himself to intervene on her behalf.

"This is the third night in row you have gone without sleep, Honerva," he chided, though not unkindly. Zarkon hooked one arm under her knees and the other behind her shoulders. She was light in his hold as he brought her up against his chest. "I am no expert on Altean biology, but even I know you will become ill at this rate."

"Close... to another... break... through... Can't stop... now..."

Her words came muffled as she turned her face against his cuirass. The faint maroon light of her _tatyn_ reflected off his armor. The Galra's hearts stuttered more than a little in his chest as she sleepily pushed her head under his chin. Clearing his throat, he pulled her body closer against him. The light draft in the hallway pulled his mantle more snugly around them both.

"You can, and you will," he rumbled as she nodded off. After a quick glance around them, he leaned down to lightly bump his temple against hers. "Emperor's orders..."

Though she would sooner go alone into the belly of a weblum than admit it aloud (no sense in further feeding the Nalquodian's ego), Blaytz arranged the _best_ parties. The great hall of the palace was practically bursting with guests and and the buzzing of their chatter. The food was second-to-none, and the music was lively enough to even have the more-reserved Galra nobles swaying to the beat. Not to mention the rather strong drink Gyrgan had imported from his own home planet that was fast mellowing the whole crowd, their hosts included.

Which, she supposed, was how she and Zarkon had ended up out here on the dance floor.

"I see you are familiar with the Dance of Swords," the emperor remarked with a raising of his brows as they shifted together to the fast tempo. "Impressive, for one not raised in the courts of the Galra High Imperium."

"Well, when on Daibazaal, do as the Galra do," she quipped back with a small smile.

Raising her arm right, he did the same as they brought their wrists together. They spun in a tight formation with one another, the dark violet silks of her attire and the dusty red of his whispering beneath the beat of the drums and the hum of the strings. They were nearly a blur to the others in the hall, so swiftly did they move.

The Dance of Swords was fast-paced, chaotic, just a hair's breadth from choreographic anarchy by Altean standards. They moved less like refined dancers and more like a pair of seasoned warriors testing one another. It turned out their regular sparring sessions served them well in this regard. "You seem to make it a point to learn much about my people," he mused as they went through another tight spin. "Moreso than I would expect from a foreigner, even for the sake of that Altean diplomacy of yours." The slight shifting of his fangs and the gentle narrowing of his eyes are telltale signs that he was teasing her, something he seemed to do more and more lately. "One might think you were trying to get a bit closer to my people than propriety would allow. Should I be worried?"

"For your people? No." She laughed as the next step brought them chest to chest. "For Your Majesty's own sake, though? I would keep a wary eye yet."

Companionable silence spread between them as they continued. By now most of the party-goers were staring at the Galra and Altaen as the dance floor cleared for them. Or at least what she thought was companionable until he spoke again.

"... Why do really do it, Honerva?"

"I'm sorry?" she murmured, tilting her head to one side when he glanced away. When he turned to meet her gaze again, his expression was drawn tight, thoughtful, almost in pain.

"I mean, why learn the ways of the Galra at all? Tomorrow, the varga after that, or even in a deca-phoebe, your research on the rift could be completed. That is the only true obligation that ties you here. And when that is gone..." Even as they moved into another spin, his digits held hers tightly. "What is there to keep you from returning home? Why become so familiar with the customs of my people if this is only temporary? Is it only out of politeness, or..."

Her two anterior hearts felt as if they would leap into her throat. She gulped as her mouth suddenly went dry.

"... Or what, Your Majesty?"

"... Can I dare to hope it might be for another reason?" The music faded around them, and the room fell quiet. His question hung between them in the silence, and she could not help feeling something like a desperate hope hung there as well.

"Perhaps..." Honerva's gaze dropped a moment. She pulled one hand away from his grip briefly, only to bring it up stroke lightly along his the exposed part of his jaw beneath his helm. When she found her nerve again, she tilted her head steadily up. "Perhaps it is because I simply wish to become to closer to your people. Or rather -- one among them in particular.

"You have honored me, time and time again, since I arrived on your planet. What can I do but respond in kind?"

The widening of his eyes was his only response for a moment. In the yawning quiet she thought she could hear his hear his three hearts racing right along with her own five. Then, with an aching slowness, he brought his forehead down to press against hers. Several Galra in the room gasped audibly; understandable, as the gesture was the equivalent of a kiss among their kind.

"Honor is as honor does, and none moreso than you," he rumbled so that only she could hear. He covered her hand with his own, holding it to his face. With the other, he brushed her cheek, gently pushing her hair out of her eyes. "Honerva of Altea... Will you allow me to court you?"

A smile flashed on her lips, and she could only laugh as Zarkon answered with one of his own, rare but just as bright.

"I was beginning to wonder when you would ask, Your Majesty." She pressed herself against him, arms wrapping around the Galra. "Yes, you may."