#that little teal-furred menace

[kiwiplaetzchen]

hi!!! ok call me silly but I found this interaction so funny and the image stuck in my head… so here’s nosy asserting dominance hope you enjoy <333

The room was quiet, save for the scratching sound of Sebastian's quill as he worked through a stack of letters. Meanwhile, his little Niffler sat proudly on his fluffy bum atop the desk as he munched away on a biscuit. Crumbs tumbled down onto the desk, scattering across the wizard's letters, but the little Niffler paid them no mind. It was just another day of being the Teal King - until Sebastian paused, opening one particular envelope, and a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

"This seems to be for you," he said with a proud smirk, turning to Nosy while holding out the piece of parchment. "You teal-furred menace."

Nosy froze mid-bite, his little beak still latched onto the biscuit as a dribble of drool escaped down the side. His eyes darted to the letter fluttering temptingly before his snout. A letter? For him? Nosy's eyes widened, but only for a second. Quickly, he shook his head, as if snapping out of a daze, as if remembering himself. Well, of course it was a letter for him! Obviously! Who else could it be for?

Tossing the remainder of the biscuit over his shoulder, he sent more crumbs raining down onto Sebastian's papers. Without hesitation, he snatched the letter out of the hand of his companion and examined it closely, turning it over in his little paws. The annoying envelope had to go, and Nosy wasted no time tearing it open with his sharp, tiny claws.

The Niffler's eyes grew as round as galleons. It was him! Magnificent, superior him! There he was, in all his glory, standing victorious over the fallen pumpkin menace! Nosy let out an excited squeak, his tail wagging furiously. The detail was impeccable - his glorious teal fur, his intimidating pea shooter, even the defeated look on that stupid gourd's face! It was perfect - flawless, even!

Nosy looked back and forth between the drawing and Sebastian, practically vibrating with excitement. He waddled closer, pointing furiously between himself and the paper, and squeaking insistently as if to say, Look! Look! This is ME! He held the paper high above his head, admiring the heroic portrayal, before pulling it into a tight hug.

Without another second of delay, Nosy stuffed the precious masterpiece into his belly pouch with utmost care and took a small leap onto Sebastian's lap, sliding down his trouser leg with ease, and waddled straight to his little nest in the wardrobe.

One thick lick to the back of the drawing later, Nosy stuck it proudly on the back panel of the wardrobe. Perfect. Now, every time he curled up in his nest, he could be reminded of his greatness!

[ask-felix-aberg]

You hear another student jotting down notes on a piece of parchment, mumbling, "So niffler milk is too difficult to get these days, but what about goat..." His eyes slowly slide over to you, pauses for a second, before he keeps walking, shaking his head.

It took Felix a moment to register what he'd just overheard, the quill in his hand hovering uselessly above his parchment as the soft murmur of the student's voice caught his attention. Niffler milk? His brow furrowed. Goat milk? He glanced up, just in time to see the other student eye him warily, hesitate, and then shake his head as he shuffled off down the corridor.

The Ravenclaw blinked, bemused but also a bit perplexed. Niffler milk? Was that even a thing? He imagined Sebastian's little teal-furred menace with a tiny bucket, glaring at him in affront at the mere suggestion.

But then the mention of goat milk lingered. It had been ages since Felix had tasted a proper glass of it. He'd rather liked the slightly tangy, creamy taste as a child. Perhaps it was time to seek some out again. He could practically taste it. Would Monty be interested in some? Felix mused, tapping the edge of his quill thoughtfully against his lip. Perhaps he would bring it up at lunch.

[ask-elland-n-will]

Nosy, drenched from the rain outside and with muddy paws, chirped happily, pleased with himself. It was time for a little mischief.

Spotting the Prefect walking in the corridor, the Niffler started waddling towards him with a determined glint in his eyes, his little feet leaving a trail of wet paw prints on the floor. He stopped right in front of of the red-head and stared up at him with a smug look, his face beaming with cheeky intent.

Without a second's pause, the little menace began to wildly shake his soaked fur, sending water droplets flying all over Will’s clothes. A perfect spray pattern, if Nosy did say so himself.

But Nosy wasn’t done yet, oh no. He pranced around with his muddy paws, leaving prints all over William's once-pristine shoes. The Teal King acted dumbfounded, honking as if to say, "Oh no! Was that Nosy? Nosy is so, so sorry."

To add a final touch, Nosy, still wet and muddy, started to hug the Prefect's leg, smearing dirt all over his pants. Nosy snickered to himself before looking up at William with the most innocent, wide-eyed look he could muster. "You are not angry at little old me, right?"

"No."

Those were the first words that left the prefect's mouth, and he instantly knew that he done goofed. It was a mistake, telling this particular niffler a "No". Will was the one who required further training on how not to keep the teal waves from crashing down on him. And oh, he felt a tsunami coming, judging from the cheeky squint of Nosy's eyes.

"Bath first, NOW!"

Another crucial mistake, born out of panic. Partially from the content of the command, and partially because his voice treacherously cracked at the last word. Can nifflers sense fear? Merlin, please let the answer be negative.

Hands busy with books, William couldn't even get his wand out for a quick "Protego" when the downpour began. And if that wasn't enough, he watched in dejected confusion as Nosy stepped on Will's shoe. Once. Twice. Oh, it was not an accident, was it?

"Having fun?" Will said, reproachfully, but deep inside found it amusing as well. Not that he would show it. For educational purposes. But he already had dirt on the lower part of his uniform, Nosy can't make it dirtier than that with his little paws.

"Good noble nifflers do all that before entering the house. They shake off the water and dirt."

Will did as he said, shaking his head, making a mess of his hairstyle. He had to blow the hair off his face, accompanying it with a nudge of his head as his hands were busy.

"They step on the little carper at the entrance to clear their paws."

And Will illustrated that with one of his free feet, "wiping" his shoe on the carpet rather comically.

"Then they wait patiently until their human friends take them to clean up. Don't you want to be like a good niffler, Nosy? Model niffler?" Will cooed, hoping at least some of it is understood. "Bath for you, for sure. If you—"

He didn't get to finish as he watched Nosy ready himself for a hug, and Will twisted on the spot as if avoiding the bludger on the pitch. Carefully still: he'd never want to step on Nosy's shoes in return.

"No hugs before a bath, mister! Tsk, tsk."

Whether he succeded in making it to the nearest table to put the books down and levitate Nosy to the bathroom or not, Will was ready to gamble. This was as good of an opportunity for learning as any. As for the dirt on his own uniform — there's nothing a spell could not fix.

[ask-andrew-montrose]

You meet the little, teal-furred menace on the grand staircase. In fact, you stand eye to eye with the clearly superior Niffler!

Nosy doesn't hesitate to give you the stink eye once again as soon as he recognises the blond dork. The Niffler snorts at the Ravenclaw with the stupid handsome face and lifts his little paw, as if he wanted the lad to wait just a moment.

Nosy takes a cinnamon bun out of his belly pouch and throws it in his direction.

What the blond dork (whose hair would never be as glorious as Sebastian's) didn't know was that the cinnamon bun was oversalted. The little menace smirked a truly wicked grin and waited for the young man to take a bite.

"We meet again."

Montrose's tone is entirely flat as he finds himself face to face with the niffler who was starting to give him MORE problems than Sebastian.

Montrose fights to hold the niffler's stink eye, scoffing in attempts to hide his fear of whatever was hiding in that mysterious niffler pouch. Luckily no sign of another gingerbread army...this time.

His brows raise in interest at the cinnamon bun, and not one to risk the niffler's wrath once more he purses his lips as he considers the sinfully sweet treat. Then the corners of his lips tug upwards.

His tongue takes a long full lick through the middle of the bun, letting himself take a generous helping of the icing. A pleased hum slips out at the taste of the salt on his tongue... he can't help himself. His tongue runs along the edges of the cinnamon bun, turning it in his mouth to get every last lick, as he eyes the niffler again.

He tosses him back the icingless bun, licking the remnants off of his fingers.

"Thanks for breakfast."

[theodoradevlin]

It was dinner time when Nosy finally spotted Theodora enjoying her meal on the Hufflepuff table, his tail wiggling at the sight of her. With a nimble leap, Nosy jumped down from Sebastian's shoulder and started waddling towards her.

In a truly athletic display, Nosy leaped from student to student, landing on their robes and backs with graceful ease, causing a few startled yelps along the way, until he finally landed on the table of the badgers. He dashed through the bountiful spread, pushing over a few drinking glasses, bowls, and plates here and there, until he stopped right before the girl.

Nosy rummaged through his belly pouch at high speed and pulled out a small, heart-shaped potato. Nosy was waiting quite a while to give this to her! One whole day! (A very long time, in Nosy's eyes.)

The Niffler rolled the earthapple towards Theo with a proud squeak and a cheeky grin as if he wanted to say, “That’s right, marvel your gaze upon THIS little treasure! It's just for you!"

Nosy wanted to swagger a bit longer, but that was until he spotted a certain lad sitting next to the Hufflepuff Lady from the corners of his eyes. Ah, if it wasn’t the Chump-Gentleman! ( @ask-elland-n-will )

Nosy squinted at the fiery-haired boy. Nosy had not forgotten about the belly rubs Elland gave him that day. The Niffler was still salty about how vulnerable and exposed he felt that day. How did Elland know about the Teal King’s weakness? It was time for a little payback.

Puffing out his chest, Nosy let out a loud, demanding honk. The little Niffler strutted over, his tail wiggling with confidence. "Oi, you!" his eyes seemed to say as he stopped right before Elland. "Remember me, mate?"

With a quick snatch, Nosy grabbed some peas from Elland's plate and started throwing them at him. He wished he had his pea shooter, but sadly, the pretty Prefect had confiscated it earlier. Wasn't Elland just a lucky guy? BUT NOT LUCKY ENOUGH!

The little menace dashed forward and snatched Elland's Pumpkin Pasty. With a triumphant honk and the pasty in his snout, Nosy climbed up on Theodora and nestled on top of her head, snuggling into her hair. He smirked at Elland, curious to see what the Hufflepuff might do now.

Theo had chanced a look over towards the Slytherin table, not that she looked over in the direction that often or anything, but as she did she couldn't help but smile at the happy tail wiggles as Nosy spotted her from Sebastian's mess of hair.

As Nosy jumped from @ask-sebastian's shoulders, Theo had no doubt the teal fur ball was coming her way. She gave Sebastian a helpless shrug as if to admit that: yes, your niffler could probably do whatever his little chaotic heart desired, and neither of you would ever do anything to stop it.

You knew it. Sebastian knew it. And Nosy definitely knew it.

...And that included just letting the absolute trail of unapologetic messes happen as Nosy made his way over to her. She watched, half wincing, but mostly impressed. She'd have to reward his efforts with some treats!

"Hello my friend, I hope you're being good, but not too good, today." She smiled warmly at him, giving him a light scratch as he excitedly rummaged for something in his pocket. Upon seeing the magnificent potato, she couldn't contain the excitement on her face. In fact, she was almost as excited as the niffler himself.

She held it in her hands gingerly, softening at the heart felt gesture. Not only was it a potato (the most versatile of starch's) it was also A HEART SHAPED POTATO?

She gasped, bending down to Nosy's eye level, giving him a loving head pat as she vowed stoically, "It's beautiful, thank you Nosy. This treasure is going to stay with me forever, you sweet wee devil."

She almost turned to show it off to Elland, but could see that Nosy was desperately trying to tell @ask-elland-n-will something. The honk seemed quite imperative. She watched curiously - was he excited? Angry? Oooh- nope. There were those peas again.

She'd only seen Nosy threaten Andrew with them, so Theo knew the peas meant business. Merlin save Elland for whatever it was that the poor boy did.

She watched apologetically as the little paws snatched the pastry from Elland's plate after the pea assault. Nosy was quick as he scrambled to her hair to seek shelter. Or gloat.

By the look on Elland's face it was probably the latter.

"Now Nosy, you know gloating it isn't nice." She reached up to give him another little scratch before looking at Elland, "I guess only a few of us are the chosen ones today - what on earth did you do to have him stealing your pastries?!"

[adallegra]

Nestled beneath the cushy fortress of the common room's sofa, Nosy lay in wait. His eyes twinkling with mischief as he waited for the dark-haired beauty with the pretty green eyes, plotting his next move.

Minutes stretched into eternity as the little menace bided his time. The anticipation was almost unbearable for his little Niffler self. And yet Nosy couldn't help but snicker softly to himself, the thrill of the impending prank sending shivers of excitement down his spine.

Finally, the pretty lady made her grand entrance, standing mere inches from his secret lair, unaware of the little Niffler lurking beneath. This was going to be fun!

Rubbing his little grabdaddlers together, Nosy launched into action, his tiny paws reaching out for her ankles and giving her a good tickle!

With potential doxies and deranged magical beast maniacs on the loose, it was not surprising that Allegra had been more alert than usual while roaming the castle.

She also had an unusually heightened awareness of movement, a quirk developed due to her irrational fear of rodents. She found that if her subconscious spotted those long-tailed pests first, she could at least mentally prepare herself for when one scurried into her line of sight.

That talent, however, did not account for creatures who plotted and planned and laid in wait under common room furniture. As soon as Nosy’s paws found her ankles, Allegra gasped in horror and her feet leapt back on their own accord. She pressed a hand to her hammering heart and released a grateful exhale when, in place of a rat or mouse, she found a familiar teal-furred niffler pawing at her feet.

“Nosy!” In her relief, the light chastisement she tried to adopt failed to make it to her voice, and a surprised laugh spilt forth instead. “I could have stepped on you, you silly thing.”

The niffler seemed adamant about swats at her ankles though, so she feigned a soft dramatic gasp, “Oh! You got me!” before tumbling down onto the sofa, but not before bending down to sweep Nosy up with her.

No sooner had they hit the plush cushions than Allegra fell onto her furry victim, attacking Nosy with scratches and gentle squishes on all sides as he let out a series of delighted squeaks and honks.

She paused, pressed a finger to Nosy’s beak and looked around in a hushed, conspiratorial whisper, “Shh. You never know where that niffler fanatic is lurking.” Allegra smiled at the little angel, huffed another breathy laugh, and tickled Nosy's belly affectionately with her mind on a similar memory late at night in the Slytherin common room.

[ask-alsius-vafer]

Alsius was too engrossed in his own thoughts to notice the mischievous plot unfolding before him. Little did he know that a teal-furred troublemaker had set his glimmering eyes on him.

With the grace of a chonky cat, Nosy launched himself into the air, aiming for the unsuspecting healer's neckwear. In a daring display of Niffler agility, he snatched his stethoscope away, leaving Alsius dumbfounded.

Oh, how proud Nosy was! With a glint in his eye and a wink that screamed "I'm the king," the little menace bid farewell to the bewildered Ravenclaw and waddled away, the stethoscope triumphantly clutched in his tiny paws.

Before Alsius knew what happened, Nosy collided with his chest. He let out a sharp cry of surprise when furry little arms wrapped around his neck. The swing in the niffler's weight as he scrabbled at his robes sent Alsius off balance. He landed with a hard thud on his back and was far too stunned to register when nimble and greedy paws swiped his shiny, new equipment.

"Nosy!" he finally shouted after the thief when he came to, but the niffler was already gone. Alsius groaned hoarsely and winced as he sat up; his mind already raced with the harshly-worded owl he would pen shortly after he addressed the fresh ache in his spine.

If Sebastian wanted Alsius's continued help patching him up after his jaunts in the forbidden forest, then he would find and return his stethoscope without delay.

[fluffs-palace]

can I get a summary of the mcs so I know what kind of questions to ask about which ones 👀

(I am so bad at summaries but I'm gonna try lol and now im so late 😖 im sorry this took me foreverrrr)

MC Summaries

Lyari

Generally Lyari's sort of a sleepy version of Asra, his LI. They're rather calm and laid back. He'd rather take life slow and one step at a time.

They're agender and use any pronouns. Anything you can think of she's fine with.

Physically, he's an inch taller than Asra — 5'9". Their hair is a cool tone white in contrast of their partner's warm toned white. Its straighter while having the staple jellyfish cut. Sometime the tendrils are put into braids or bubble braids. She presents more masc in her fashion sense.

She enjoys sewing and carries a pair of shears with her everywhere.

They don't have a familiar yet. (Im honestly undecided but it works perfectly for his character so it sticks around for now lol)

Marsom

He's just a big happy dude. Might be a lil vain of him, but he loves the sound of his own voice. Mars will talk nonstop. His LI, Muriel, can absolutely be as silent as he wants; Marsom will talk more than enough for the both of them. He is also the biggest extrovert you will ever meet. A hugger too. He will give you a crushing bear hug every time you see him.

For his pronouns its just he/him! As for his physical appearance, his height doesn't go unnoticed. Not as tall as his love, but he still stands at a good 6'5". He has a boft build with tan skin and short blond hair. Here's art of him!

Archery is a passion of his. Along with that, he enjoys cooking a lot. Mars loves to drag Muri into the kitchen to cook with him or just cook something for him in general.

His familiar is a menace of a lil raccoon, Voroot. He loveeeeess "stealing" food from Mars. Its not really stealing since his mage will always whip him something up begrudgingly. They have a pretty sassy relationship.

(Possibly my favorite mc out of all them i love him so much)

Osanna

Osanna's a gentle woman. Her voice is soft and kind. Don't let her timid nature fool you, though; she's got a ton of energy. Being a massive bookworm, Osanna loves trying to bring her books to life by taking adventures with her LI, Nadia, wherever she can.

Her design isn't set in stone yet, but she does love pink. She often wears more cottage core themed type clothing. She loves a good maxi skirt that will twirl with her or catch the wind while she rides. She's missing her right leg, half way down her thigh. She does indeed have a prosthetic very technically similar to Lucio's— much prettier though, in her opinion.

Along with her books, she loves the horses at the palace stables. She looks a little silly riding her mount as she's a rather small woman (5'3"). It can only be expected a Clydesdale would seem a little out of place. Nadia always finds it amusing when they bring out the ladder for her.

Lastly, her familiar is a chunky little mouse named Eeka! She has a curly coat and adorably large ears. She's often found snacking on the horses' feed. Oats especially. Her furs a warm soft grey.

Samuel

Quick with dry wit, Samuel's a lovely contrast to his theaterical partner, Julian. To most, he can sound cold or untoward, but those close to him know he's just a little monotoned. His half lidded, sour resting expression doesn't often help that misconception either.

Samuel loves a bright color, especially purple. Paired with a lovely teal and fine copper jewelry is his go to. He can't stand tight clothing, though, except in his midrif. It's weirdly the only place where he feels the need for it. Oh, and shoes! He will never be caught dead in shoes— unless he's in the palace. First impressions, right?

His hair falls at his shoulder blades with a waviness to it. It is absolutely so fluffy. He'll often get random people sticking their hands in it. His eyes are a piercing light blue that compliments his teals wonderfully. Barely hitting Julian's shoulders, he is 5'7". Here's art of him as well!

Ever since getting dragged to Nevivon— don't let his antics fool you, he loved it and begs to back— he loves tinkering with different recipes. Whether it be baking or just plain cooking, he'll gladly give it a shot. Might even imbue it with some magical qualities. Bonus points if he's having to cook while adventuring with Julian. The challenge is the best part!

Samuel has more than one familiar; four actually! All siblings who found themselves at Portia's sanctuary. He's got an affinity for bunnies, so she knew they would be in good hands. It was just lucky there was that knowing click when he laid eyes on them! Their names are Clubs, Art, Spades, and Dia (the only girl).

Seli

Seli's a bit of a wild card. While her personality is decided, I haven't finished Portia route yet. Because of that I'm hesitant to give her a blurb like the other characters listed. I can give you what I have now more informally though!

She was also the only MC I decided to develop with a tarot pull. The cards I pulled, what their associations/questions were, and what I interpreted from them will be in this post! It's a lot to try to fit in this small part dedicated to her.

I don't have a design for her, but I know I want to incorporate warm colors like reds, oranges, and yellows. I honestly keep invisioning something close to Nahara, but I don't want to like rip her design. It's something I still really struggle with.

She has burn scars from before her death! They're in pretty obvious places, so they're still there after the ritual. Some, though, that weren't ever on display miraculously aren't there anymore. The phantom pains still stick around, however.

She has a bearded dragon familiar named Nuru! Little trivia fact for you, Seli's last name, Vega, and her familiar's name, Nuru, are old characters of mine. Nuru and Vega were each from open species when I first learned those were a thing.

Tai

Very big TBD to be honest with you. They're my Valerius mc so I don't have a route to back it up with. Because of that I've been a little slower in their development. I'm hoping the asks could help me fast track that process some :))

The few facts I do have are:

Intersex with they/them pronouns

Segmental acrofacial vitiligo

4'11"

Redish purple eyes and hair like wine

Specializes in gardening and related magicks

Vaura

They're rather bull headed. They know what they want and they will take it. Confidence is definitely not something they lack. While stubborn, they're also very maternal. They have to deal with Lucio after all. Neither of them mind, though. A match made in hell 😌❤️

They're a non-binary person with they/them pronouns. They're often dressed in dark colors, mainly greens and reds, with pops of gold. Lots of gold, actually. Life's short, they want to be fancy while it lasts. Their green hair is usually pulled into an updo with a cresent moon shaped bun on the back of their head. They also have bangs. Their art!

Lucio might whine about it but there's no getting over the fact that they're naturally taller than him at 5'11". Only added to when they're wearing their favorite heeled boots.

A ring of keys jingle on their hip. They don't go to anything but they think they're neat. They have a large collection of really cool keys.

Marion is the name of their familiar. He's a mink with a blondish gold silky coat. He has some vision impairment— he's lost most of his eyesight, but reacts most to light.

[ask-richard-jackdaw]

*It was getting late in the evening, and you were leisurely floating through the Transfiguration Courtyard when you heard something rustling and honking in one of the bushes. Curiosity got the better of you, and just as you were about to float closer, a teal-furred rascal jumped out of the bush—Nosy!

The little Niffler didn't pay any attention to you at first. He was too busy chasing after an insect in vibrant sapphire blue colours. The little bug was so shiny—Nosy just had to catch it! The little menace jumped up and down, constantly trying to catch the flying sapphire, and on the seventh jump Nosy finally seemed to have succeeded and caught the little bug with his paws! But the little insect was not like any other. It was a Billywig, and it definitely had other plans than Nosy. The Niffler let out a short yelp and immediately let go of the Billywig.

It seemed like Nosy had been stung! Nosy first looked at his stung paw and then slowly glanced over at you. His big, round eyes were slowly beginning to fill up with a few tears. He looked back at his paw, began to whimper, and licked his wound. But after just a few seconds, the whining turned into a cheerful squeak. If you didn't know any better, you would almost say that Nosy was giggling. Each new squeak of the teal-furred rascal sounded louder and more playful. And suddenly, out of nowhere, Nosy slowly started to float. Still squeaking and honking, Nosy floated higher and higher. He was now almost at eye level with you! Nosy honked at you with a happy face.*

Richard's curiosity takes the better of him: he starts following the little teal niffler around, inconspicuously humming a little tune not to spook the creature in case it's not aware of his ghostly presence. He has seen this particular niffler before — Nosy, was it? Back at Solomon's? Richard wonders if the little one ever returned Solomon's pocketwatch back as it seems to be really important to Mr. Sallow.

The ghost (rather used to being ignored over the years to the point of irnoring the ignoring) observes the little creature jumping around trying to get to something blue and shiny beelining through the air. Richard's brow furrows as he makes his way closer trying to figure out what it is that has got Nosy so excited. His eyes go wide in recognition. "Oh no, you reeealy don't want this one to—" he hurriedly starts saying to the niffler a moment before the cute little attempts at catching the bug succeed.

"Ouch," Richard visibly winces at the niffler's cry of pain, feeling bad for him. This is not good. "I'm sorry, little buddy, there's nothing I can do for you," the ghost says, implying not only the sting which undoubtedly hurts but also what happens a moment later: a jumping niffler turns into a flying niffler.

Nosy's excitement is rather contagious and Richard is glad his young little friend forgot about the tragic wound he received while on a hunt. Oh, the pray might have escaped, but the gift it left? It's spectacular! The ghost laughs at the niffler's happy noises, flying up with him, trying to manipulate the air around the creature to make him spin a little. That might show Nosy what fun he can have!

On the inside Richard is panicking a little. How long will the levitation last? What if when it wears off Nosy gets stuck on a tower and falls down? Or above the lake and couldn't swim back? Should he tell teachers? Call for the niffler's owner? The ghost isn't letting the niffler see any of that worry on his face, instead, he laughs excitedly. A flying niffler!

Prepare for trouble! thinks Richard honking back at the niffler as well.

[cottoncandy-swabs]

Content Warnings! Read these before clicking read more!

Kidnapping, experimentation on a person, heavy gore, mutilation from the victim's perspective, disection of a person, dehumanization, flesh being replaced with robot parts, implied animal death, torture, and a character being blinded but with very little description.

Enjoy!

The Forest Edge Village is a small but lovely community. They do normal things that villagers do, like farm chores, gardening, hunting, cooking, all those things. The only thing that could be considered odd was the bioroboticist that lived at the edge of town towards the Rock Desert where the god fanatics tended to practice. They were quite odd, but they provided medicine and robots that assisted with daily tasks! And the day they captured The Gray Menace and discovered it couldn't be killed? They were happy to take it and lock it up.

Yes, the Forest Edge Village is a lovely community indeed. And based on the ease of hunting, they would have LOTS of preserved meat for winter.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ace woke up in a place cold as ice that smelled like bleach, lying on a large metal table. Their limbs were arranged in an X shape, and their wings were stretched out on display. They could move their head and tail, but the rest of their body felt like it was trapped under a freezing weighted blanket.

They could hear footsteps, and then a tall figure came around the corner. It was an anthro racoon with black and green hair, a clean white lab coat, shiny black shoes, and round glasses. Ace bristled. "Well, so you're the so-called Gray Menace! You're adorable!~"

"Don't call me adorable!" they hissed, annoyed and afraid. The racoon grinned, tugging on Ace's paw.

"You'll be even cuter when you're bleeding!~" And with that, they grabbed their paw, and ripped it off in one surprisingly easy motion. The room was quickly filled with screams of agony, and the racoon giggled before taking the paw into a different room. They come back with a metal replica painted the same gray as their fur. Blood was pouring from their leg, their body producing more all the while. The racoon was retrieving more robot parts and painting them gray and purple and teal, even fishing their cracked core from their cloak pocket to fit into the body over where their heart would be. "There~ Now I can get to business!~"

The scientist got up, headed over to Ace while they whimpered and struggled to move, ripping off their other leg, leaving the other leg with a paw-stump. Once again, high pitched wails of agony echoed off the walls as they fitted a metal leg in place of the old one. It was cold against burning pain, and then there was searing pain and more screaming, more screaming, more screaming-

They can't pass out. There will be no mercy, they can't die, the pain keeps changing, it hurts so bad-

"There we go! This leg fits just right! Hm, the joints do at least. The hip parts are wider than your current ones, but the thighs and calves will adjust to your magic reserves soon enough!"

Why could they still hear their voice so clearly?! Why were they grabbing their ear, why were they pulling on their ear-

"NOOOOOO!!!! NONONONONO STOP PLEASE, PLEASE, I'LL MOVE FORESTS STOP, PL- GHK-"

Claws in their mouth, claws in their mouth, claws- PAIN PAIN PAIN CAN'T HEAR, COLD, BURN, OW-

,,, wow. Now the other side sounded like the side that was deaf. Just as their mind started to wander away, they felt those claws dig into their side. Their eyes widened-

Their torturer hummed, squeezing their side and making them giggle despite their pain. "Hm, I'll need to take out the wet bits first." They were released as the scientist went to grab something. Whatever it was, it sounded sharp and metal. The side of it was patted on their stomach. It was cold, like everything else in this slice of hell. They were finally starting to feel lightheaded. The cold was moving, it went in, then it started to go d-

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!" THEY WERE BEING CUT OPEN!!!! THEIR BODY IS OPEN AND THE DOCTOR PERSON IS TOUCHING THEIR INSIDES IT HURTS THEY HATE IT MAKE IT STOP-

The screaming seems to be music to the racoon's ears, and the squelching noises their insides made when they grabbed them and pulled them out didn't bother them at all. They wiped their working area clean of blood and rebuilt the organs inside from the metal parts: a small flexible container for egg incubation just in case, a fluid pump, a chemical sac attached to the throat, oxygen pumps, the works. Now all that's left is to replace the rest of the limbs, the bones, and the outer casing. Oh, and the rest of the head, but they're saving that for last. 

The pain,,, stopped? Or faded. It was cold. They put something else in their body that made their insides warm for a bit, but they turned it off again. Ace whined pathetically, wiggling best they could. 

The doctor laughed at them. "Oh, you're just like the rest of the animals I work with. Though, they usually pass out after a few minutes,,, hm, whatever. You're just an animal anyway."

They would retort, but that moment was when their remaining leg was ripped off, and their breath was wasted on screaming. The now semi-familiar pain-freeze-burn pattern blocked out their senses until they felt their hip dislocate get torn away, then the other, then they felt the same process. "Hah! Your hips look huge. Don't worry, it'll be just fine when I replace your spine and stuff. Speaking of, while you're open, I should make sure how your magic is taking,,,"

The doctor pulled out their soul. Oh, Hopeful, poor Hopeful, they hoped he couldn't feel this,,, "Hm! Half a soul. And a stunted one. No good. I'll just fix that right up!" The racoon pulled something from their pocket and they felt a sharp pain that lasted for about 2 seconds before transforming into what felt like buzzy growing pains. The pump thing started to work shortly after. Everything felt slightly less cold.

The doctor was taking notes. They showed their "patient" their soul, which was half green and half a pale purple. "Hehehe. You have access to your entire magic reserve now! Unfortunately, yours was absolutely huge, so now you have the opposite of your previous issue!"

"W-why would you do th- aaaAAAAAAH-!" Their arm was torn off before they could finish, then the other. Then their cloak was ripped away and the sharp thing from before was slicing open their back. The doctor was replacing their spine, each part colder and colder than the last, and then their arms. Then their ribs. Then their skin and what little flesh they had left. The pump was making everything less cold, and it was slow, and the doctor was keeping their soul away from them and was seemingly planning something with the core slot. They doctor also attached a fake tail made of surprisingly soft synthetic fur to the metal spine before going up to pull off their remaining ear. The pain-cold-burn was so quick this time, and their head was spinning. 

"Oh, I only have one of each eye I wanted to use. Oh well. I do have a chip for your memories and stuff. Three actually. Very high quality, can hold 10 terabytes each. You've been alive for a very long time, can't be too careful." The scientist moved their hair. "Oh good, your eyes never matched anyway! Great!"

Their braid was flipped to the back of their head, and those claws reached towards their face,,, they couldn't take it. They couldn't take it anymore. Their fake lungs and stuff weren't activated, they couldn't even scream. Their face was warm, but it was cooling. It felt sticky. Something wiped the sticky stuff up. Cold. Pain. Cold. Burn. Their head was surprisingly light for a moment, then a bit heavier as two cold things pressed into their face. They couldn't think either for a while. They couldn't tell how long. It didn't seem to matter. Heavier. Click click click,,, oh. They can think. And see. And the same less-cold was filling their head too.

The doctor-creator(?) was pressing some buttons on a remote. It made them blink, and breathe. It made them grab and lift things, and walk. Then finally, they were warm. The racoon grabbed their core, which had been emptied and patched with sealant, their soul inside instead. Then the doctor left, sitting the remote on Ace's lap. 

"O-ow,,, I gotta g-get out of here,," They stood up, taking the remote and their cloak, not sparing a glance at the piles of flesh and bone and blood on the floor. Their wings were replaced too. They almost didn't notice, they were attached to the normal spots on their shoulder blades. They didn't stop to think about it. They ran, and ran, and ran, out of the frozen hell lab, out of the cozy house at the edge of town, out of the village, past the hunters, into the woods, deep into the Forest, until they reached the Hollow. The plants reacted like normal. The animals reacted like normal. But nothing was normal. It never would be. Never again. Shutdown initiated.

[inamindfarfaraway]

My Original Pokémon Generation (Iran-Inspired) Part Two: New Pokémon

Part One.

Grass starter: Pescub (from the Iranian ‘peste’ meaning pistachio), Pawstachio and Bruinut (from ‘bruin’, a word for bear in fables) based on pistachios and the endangered Syrian brown bear found in Iran. Pure Grass-type Pescub is a chubby little cub with light brown fur, green eyes, a, well, pistachio green underbelly, and creamy tan pistachio shells over its paws, shoulders, hips, and ears. Tiny green shoots sprout from its body. It is shy and docile. Pawstachio has darker fur, more shells, appearing almost scaly in patches, blunt nutlike claws and pink flowers blooming from the shoots. It’s still fat, but visibly muscular too. It is more assured and inquisitive than its previous evolution, though still not naturally good in groups. Bruinut gains the secondary Steel typing thanks to green shell plate armour as durable as metal with a curved vertical umbel crest on its ‘helmet’ and a stiff pink flower shield growing from its front leg. Its claws are razor sharp. The leg, rear, neck and head fur that is visible is shaggy and a richer, autumnal brown. Despite its menacing appearance, it is solitary, peaceful, and intelligent, the armour and shield mainly serving to defend itself and its cubs and intimidate potential foes to avoid violence.

Fire starter: Flamelly, Tuskraze and Elephantom, based on Ancient Persian war elephants, which were of the extinct Syrian elephant species. Pure Fire-type Flamelly is an adorable red calf with gold eyes, a purple hair ‘blanket’ on its back, matching the tuft at the tip of its tail, and black tusks seemingly made of volcanic rock that are hot to the touch. It’s playful and energetic, and keeps warm by bathing in lava and using its trunk to shower itself with embers. Its evolution Tuskraze is bulkier and bolder. It can shoot fireballs from its trunk and its tusks are now streaked with glowing orange lines that flare up when it’s angry. The back hair blanket is longer with an orange border and four black tusklike spines around it at the corners of a square. Wild Tuskraze carry food and younger siblings inside them. The size of the tusks and spines help determine that Pokémon’s status in their herd. The majestic Fire/Ghost Elephantom is huge with ears shaped like coffins and almost completely molten tusks. The blanket has gold flame symbols within the border and there is a domed, ruby-encrusted golden roof capping the poles. It also has a flop of purple hair on its brow. This line was domesticated during the Naperian Empire as army and royal steeds and cargo transporters.

Water starter: Wadling, Skuattack and Flyrate, based on kleptoparasitic skuas. Wadling is a Water/Flying teal seabird chick with coral eyes, a bright blue hooked beak and legs, a white underside, fluffy white feathers forming ‘shorts’ around its legs, and a black top half of its head like a wrapped bandana with a tuft at the side like the knot. It is cocky and mischievous and loves to flaunt its adeptness in the water and air, but will act guileless the moment it gets in trouble. Skuattack has larger webbed talons and the black head feathers form a horizontal crest and are flared on either side to resemble a bicorn hat. Its plumage is darker teal with black wingtips and stripes on the longer leg feathers. It is a cruel, brazen bully who enjoys playing harmful pranks, including on its trainer. Water/Dark Flyrate doesn’t even bother hunting for its own food any longer, preferring to craftily steal it from other Pokémon. It leads flocks of Skuattack on raids of their nests. It ‘wears’ a black tricorn hat with a simple, stylized skull and crossbones symbol on the front. Its wings have thick black streaks, its beak and legs are navy blue and its eyes are blood red.

Volibal and Voletial (pronounced “volatile”) a feisty, territorial Normal-type line based ostensibly on Persian voles, basically fat, round mishmashes of brown rodents that want to be taken seriously and feared. But much to their chagrin, their small size prevents their best efforts doing more than inconveniencing humans, and their cuteness and abundance of personality make them popular household pets. They have white volleyball stripes on their back, underbelly and forehead.

Hatchol (from ‘gol’ and/or ‘bolbol’, Iranian for rose and nightingale respectively, famously paired in romantic imagery), Muscinia (from the nightingale’s genus, luscinia) and Notingale are a Fairy/Flying line based on the nightingale, the national bird of Iran. They have a history of association with the royal family and their delightful song has endeared them to the whole region. It is literally enchanting; hearing it amplifies your positive emotions and relaxes you. Members of this line frequently ride on Karkrash’s back. Their pastel beige, pink and purple plumage has an increasing number of rose designs and gets fancier with each evolution.

Silverm, Bundlyx (from the silk moth genus name bombyx) and Gossamoth, a Bug-type line based on the domestic silk moth. Silverms were brought to Naper from another region through a trade route and quickly became a staple of the region’s prosperous textile industry. They are silvery white larvae with black eyes and faint yellow bands between their segments. They happily spin silk and will let anyone handle it, sometimes trailing a strand behind them since they struggle to control it. Bundlyx is wrapped in a thick silk cocoon with just its round fuzzy head visible through a hole. Metamorphosis strips them of what control over their silk they had and forces them to produce it manically to envelop their vulnerable bodies, syphoning away most of their energy and slowing their movements. Touching the silk causes them to recoil and removing it will kill them. Gossamoth has finally mastered its silk production. Its silver wings are actually silk sails, the remnants of its cocoon, and it cannot fly. It has lilac antennae and legs and downy white fur.

Kitune and Cheesert, a Ground-type line based on first the sand cat and then the Persian cheetah. The skittish Kitune skilfully digs dens in desert sand dunes. It dislikes people. In contrast, its evolution Cheesert is a daredevil and showoff that can run fast enough to whip up sandstorms to hide and hunt in.

Anarock (from the Iranian for pomegranate ‘anar’), Pomode and Granitum, a Grass-type line based on the pomegranate. Anarock appears to be a round, greenish grey geode creature with stubby limbs, outer shell cracked in places to expose a white underside covered in pink jewels. In fact, the jewels are actually edible seeds and the white inside is the soft, spongy mesocarp of a fruit. It pretends to be a Rock-type to deter predators. Pomode is essentially a bigger, bright red Anarock with longer limbs darkening to brown. Its husk is much more cracked from the number of ruby red seeds inside. Despite it being uncomfortable for the Pokémon, it deliberately pokes the seeds up and shapes them into a gemstone cluster disguise. Giving it a Leaf Stone evolves it into Granitum. It has a deep purplish red pomegranate head with a calyx crown atop a thickset, quadrupedal brown shrub body with green leaves and smaller unripe fruit hanging down from branchlike arms. These eventually detach and become new Anarock. When a herbivore approaches, it secretes a hard, shiny resin over its bark, hides its head in its foliage, stands stock still and intimates a crystalline rock formation draped with lithophytic plants. Why does the line go to such lengths to hide their nature? Because their sharply flavoured seeds are delicious. They’re a staple of Naperian cuisine and the line is commonly owned by cooks who have harmless techniques to remove them.

Jerbolt, a nocturnal, burrowing, extraordinarily speedy Electric/Ground-type rodent based on the Iranian jerboa. It is sandy yellow with maroon feet and ears and purple eyes and pouches. Electricity is stored in circular pouches on its cheeks, but also in ovular pouches on the back of its knees. This second set of pouches charge its long hind legs with electricity to boost its hops, generating enough voltage to turn sand to glass, and it uses this to create underground tunnel networks in the desert and, if male, to impress females in mating rituals. The glass structures these sexually and literally charged contests leave behind are common tourist attractions. It is social and easy to handle.

Dollulent, a Normal-type cat Pokemon based on the original doll face Persian cat (not the unhealthy flat-faced variant). It has a cobby build and gorgeous thick, fluffy fur coat that’s practically spherical, which comes in an array of colours and patterns from pure white, black, brown, ginger or grey to tuxedo to tabby to tortoiseshell. Its eye colour differs depending on the coat. This is explained by Dollulent being a prized show Pokémon and cherished pet worldwide and professionally bred to a greater extent than other Pokémon, leading to more cosmetic variety. It is happy, docile, relaxed and physically affectionate.

Hoverug, a magic Persian carpet Pokémon that is primarily Flying-type with a cloudy sky pattern and feather tassels but its ability Woven Type lets it gain a different secondary typing via a new item called the Elemental Loom. Looms from mountains give it the Ice type, snowflake patterns and stiff icicle tassels; from cities they give it the Steel type, clockwork patterns and copper wire tassels; from near a river or sea they give it the Water type, wave and seashell patterns and lacy sea foam trim; and from forested or grassy areas the Grass type, floral patterns and floppy leaf tassels. Hoverug inspired Naper’s globally famous traditional carpet designs and has the highest ownership rate in the fabric industry. It is a ride Pokémon.

Wightswitch, Ilumirit and Djinpulse, a Ghost/Electric-type line based on genies in lamps, with the twist they’re bound to a lightbulb, a modern electric lamp with a cable, and a system of futuristic floating lanterns in each evolution. Apparently they were originally pure Ghost-type, but behaved so badly Arceus trapped them in light sources. They have their lights’ fully or partially insulated metal wires ensnaring them like chains and shackles, except Djinpulse, who has the broken remains of them floating around him and can weaponize them. The reason for this is that Djinpulse evolves through maximum friendship during the night. Genuine love for its trainer redeemed it and set it free!

Scalet, Seapent and Tsunamaw, a Dragon/Water-type pseudo-Legendary line based on the Persian azdaha race of dragons. Scalet is basically an aquatic snake and evolves to be steadily more monstrous and draconic, drastically enlarging in the process. Human misunderstanding and vilification of the line was widespread in the past, prompting many to be killed by folk heroes. Their numbers are few and they are endemic to the Naper region, because not only would heroes routinely slay them, they were later hunted for the strengthening properties and delicious taste of their hearts. Now they are a protected species. Some elders still distrust them and believe they are servants of Divile.

Karkrash, a stocky Fighting/Fairy-type unicorn Pokémon based on army horses and the karkadann, a ferocious Persian mythical beast akin to a rhinoceros. It was once a valued ride Pokémon until its horn was discovered to have miraculous healing powers and humans turned on them to steal them, killing vast numbers. Poachers remain a problem after the prohibition of Karkrash hunting. It is a ride Pokémon again, but has developed a tough, aggressive attitude and wariness of humans, so is less popular. It can be calmed by the lullaby of the Notingale line. It is a relative of the Ponyta and Rhydon lines.

An Ice/Ground-type Naperian Camperupt line based on Persian yakchals, domed coolers that collect ice in the winter and store it in the summer. Years of artificial selection by farmers in the swelteringly hot parts of the region has caused them to store ice rather than lava in their humps. Numel is even slower than its regular form due to being physically and mentally numbed by its internal cold. It has a light blue body, angular ridges on its hump mimicking the steps of a yakchal and the green parts of a normal Numel are white. Camerupt’s humps resemble snowy peaks and it has a trio of white snowflake markings on the sides of its richer blue fur coat. Its temper is cooled compared to its Hoennian form.

A Steel-type Naperian Cinccino line. Minccino’s fur couldn’t stay groomed, clean, or conserve heat well enough in the snowy mountains, and trying to sweep the harsh environment just made its tail wet and cold. So now it has a wire wool pad for a tail and tough metal bristles covering its formerly soft coat. It uses its tail to polish itself to a gleam. Evolved via a Shiny Stone, Cinccino’s bristles slant down on its body to resemble a cloak and point up on its head to resemble a crown. The long white strands of fur have been replaced with shiny stainless steel chains. It is more hostile, fierce, strict, suspicious and less approachable than its Unovan counterpart.

Legendary one: Shahgacia (‘shah’/‘shahbanu’, Persian for king or queen and sagacity/sagacious), an avian Flying/Psychic-type based on the Simorgh, a mystical giant bird with dazzling feathers, and her relation to Divile mirrors the duality of benevolent supreme god Ahura Mazda and his destructive counterpart Ahriman in Zoroastrianism. Legend says she has survived the end of the world five times and mentored and protected the budding human civilization each time, according to the purpose given to her by Arceus, to nurture mankind. Specifically, she was affiliated with Naper’s ancient kings and helped their empire rise. Imagery of her is common in older or important buildings. The truth is she helped all major civilizations of that period rise, rivals and enemies included. She tries not to pick favourites in favour of seeing the bigger picture, and knows humanity will best succeed through collaboration. Divile is her eternal nemesis. She is considered the embodiment of wisdom and enlightenment. Her appearance borrows traits from birds of prey and peacocks, with iridescent white feathers, a gold crest, beak, and talons, vivid forest green eyes, a long train and broad wings shining every colour of the rainbow in an eye/paisley pattern, echoed in faint sunrise pink on her forehead and breast, the wings wrapping around her iridescent white body like an elegant gown. She nests atop the summit of Mount Skyspear. She is the mascot of Pokémon Rise.

Legendary two: Divile (‘div’, Persian for demon and vile and a twisted version of ‘divine’, also sounds like ‘defile’ fitting how he makes things worse), a serpentine Dark/Psychic-type based on Zahhak, variously a human tyrant cursed to sprout snake heads out of his shoulders and a demonic monster, plus Ahriman and the association of snakes and temptation. He was given the same purpose as Shahgacia, but rejected it and strives to do the exact opposite. In the past he is believed to have sown the seeds of degeneracy in the rulers that led to the empire’s downfall, and is Shahgacia’s sworn adversary. Significantly and unlike Ahriman, he is not technically evil in intentions. The truth is he does care about humans; but having witnessed their selfishness, greed and complacency when they prosper, is convinced negative reinforcement and struggling against integrity-building, cooperation-fostering adversity is the only way they’ll ever permanently improve. The idea of misery building character on a societal scale. He inhabits an underground cavern below Mount Skyspear. His black, purple, red and yellow coat is coarse and spiny, and in reference to the spider-tailed horned viper native to Iran, curved scales at the end of his tail form a beautiful red flower. He has three heads. The left one has yellow eyes, the right purple and the central one‘s are blood red. He is the mascot of Pokémon Fall.

Part Three.

Part Four.

[kiwiplaetzchen]

It was late at night, and the corridors of Hogwarts were eerily quiet, save for the occasional creak of old wood and the whisper of distant footsteps. Almost everyone had gone to bed, except for the occasional pair of students hidden in dark corners, seemingly engaged in some kind of mating ritual. Nosy, however, had no interest in flicking nonsense for tonight. No, the little Niffler had a far more important mission.

Navigating the colossal castle was no small feat for someone as small as Nosy. The towering walls and endless staircases presented a challenge even for a Niffler as brilliant as him. But determination was one of Nosy's greatest qualities - well, that and his impeccable taste in shiny objects and other things. Hours of searching through hallways, past common rooms, and even a quick sniff at the kitchens had finally paid off.

There it was, standing proud and majestic: The Christmas tree he had been searching for! The lights sparkled like stars, the ornaments gleamed like treasure, and Nosy's eyes shone just as brightly as the display before him.

The Niffler had overheard a juicy piece of gossip earlier, his sharp ears tuned in on a group of Prefects chatting lazily in the corner. Apparently, they couldn't be bothered to cast protection charms on all the Christmas trees this year. Tz tz. Lazy gits, Nosy thought, clicking his beak in disdain. They clearly had nothing on Mama William, whose attention to detail was unmatched. Still, what was a loss for them was undoubtedly a massive win for Nosy.

With a squeak of excitement, Nosy hopped towards the tree. It was beautiful! The twinkling lights! The shimmering ornaments! The GLITTER! THE LIGHTS!!! It was like a dream come true for the little menace. His heart raced as if it was trying to keep up with the dazzling twinkles.

Nosy paused for just a moment, standing on his hind legs to inspect a particularly large, golden ornament hanging from one of the lowest branches. With a gentle boop, his paw made contact, and it swung lightly on its hook. He let out a squeak of pure joy, giggling at the delightful wobble it made. He could touch it! This was it - this was the jackpot!!

The little Niffler took a step back, sizing up the towering tree in all its glory, before letting out a honk of pure, unbridled joy. This was his tree now. Without further hesitation, Nosy began climbing, his paws grabbing at the lower branches as his belly pouch greedily devoured ornaments of every shape and size. Sparkling stars, glittering baubles, tiny bells - all disappeared into his pouch, his tail wiggling with glee at every piece.

And the lights! Oh, the shiny lights! Nosy couldn't resist wrapping himself in the glowing strands, his fur glowing like a festive beacon in the dark. This was, without a doubt, the best-est day ever! Perched high in the tree, surrounded by all the treasures he'd claimed, Nosy let out a loud, victorious honk that echoed through the empty halls. The Christmas tree didn’t stand a chance.

[theseturquoisewishes]

Protective Chain

A canon for Turk story about a heart-to-heart moment shared between him and @spottedwings-psychicdreams‘s Mhairi, who gets to be the first to see Turkesa at his lowest. (This story is very Angsty, just letting you know)

Mhairi found herself unable to focus after the events of a few weeks ago; concentration was something that was hard to come by for most. The Otto clone that almost blew everyone up, the uneasiness of the other members, and how everyone was uncomfortable around each other as a result. Now it was not anything too bad, within a few more days time, everything should go back to normal, but that still didn’t settle the alien bird’s nerves.

Mhairi flinched as she accidentally agitated one of her injuries, looking at her bandaged forearm with disdain; it sure made it hard for her to work without really having it take up her mind. The archeologist sighed as the source of her few cuts and bruises rose in her mind; those Formless sure put up a fight, she was just glad everyone made it out relatively okay.

Well... Everyone except a certain pair of monkeys.

Poor Otto, she had thought, the cheerful and joyful monkey didn’t deserve what happened to him. It was cruel, monstrous, even appalling that such a horrible event would happen to one of their most positive and supporting members, even though he seemed to have recovered quickly; Mhairi was sure what had transpired would still linger in his mind for a little while longer.

Then there was Turkesa

To be honest, Mhairi couldn’t see anything wrong with him, emotionally anyway; he seemed so quiet and happy to have his second father-figure back. He talked to the other members as he normally did, and it honestly surprised the Grypharian when Gibson had told her of the monkey’s behavior during the mission. Now, Mhairi had never really seen a genuine angry Turkesa, nor has she really paid attention to how he fights; but ruthless? Cold and intimidating even to Gibson? Now the recklessness she expected, but what had been described to her? That seemed to be the almost exact opposite of how Turkesa behaved, she stopped to dwell on the thought a little longer.

...

Nope, she couldn’t see the Turkesa that was described and the Turkesa she sees being the same monkey. But then again, he did seem oddly too quiet, and now that she thought about it; he did seem to be avoiding Otto a little...

*Thum thum*

The quiet noise yanked Mhairi from her thoughts so suddenly she visibly jumped in reality, her eyes flicking over to the door on the other side of the room. Sighing to calm her nerves, the archeologist began heading over to greet her visitor.

“Coming! I was busy working on-” Her sentence couldn’t find its way out her throat at the sight of the turquoise monkey in front of her. The turquoise monkey who’s leg was strait stiff with the right and left eye lenses in his helmet cracked horrendously –she briefly wondered how he could see–, and his right arm lightly holding his stomach.

Overall, not as bad as Otto, but still looking like he was hit by a truck.

“Turkesa! You shouldn’t be up you dolt, go back to the medical room and get some sleep.” Mhairi scolded, immediately feeling her protective senses kick in. Turkesa made eye contact with the shorter member before feeling a smirk building on his face.

“Couldn’t sleep.” He simply answered before leaning against the wall with the smallest of groans, “Besides, I need a favor.. As you can see the lenses in my helmet are cracked...”

“That’s why Gibson’s here, I only know basic stuff remember? I thought we established this a few months ago that...” There it was, “that...” Ugh, she hatted admitting when she wasn’t good at something, especially when it was in comparison to a certain scientist she absolutely loathed,” admittedly I’m not as skilled as him in this field.”

Turkesa noticed how that last sentence clawed its way out Mhairi’s mouth, and felt a tiny grin grow on his face grow as he watched her. She was so utterly adorable when it came to Gibson, not to mention childish, it was definitely something he found endearing.

But now back to the topic.

“Gibson’s still tending to d-... To Otto, I don’t want to be in the way... besides I remembered you have an extra pair of lenses in here so... Why not? Can I come in?”

Mhairi frowned inwardly, she was right before, something is off about the psychokinetic standing before her; considering her options, the Grypharian let the simian inside.

“Take off your helmet, I’ll only be a few seconds.” Turkesa nodded as he watched the archeologist before looking at his hands and pausing. Why was he pausing, he thought, why the hesitation? Mhairi had seen him underneath his armor and helmet, so he should be comfortable right?... Right?

It was then Turkesa figured he would never get used to anyone seeing him like this.

The click and hiss of the Helmet as it detached from the rest of his armor cut through the short silence. Turkesa letting out a deep breath as his head was free from the protective metal, shaking slightly as the excess fur on his head frizzed out a little. Looking around the room, the monkey decided to sit at a chair while waiting.

---

Mhairi paused as she heard a sudden yelp of pain, whipping her attention to the source, she felt the worry fill her thoughts as she saw Turkesa sitting in the chair clenching the spot on his armor that covered his stomach tightly. Sighing, the female found the spare lenses she had before making her way over to the healing monkey.

“Give, it here.” She says softly, Turkesa looking at her curiously, the bright blinding glow that originated from his in-organic left eye causing the archeologist to blink and tilt her head as to see her friend.

“Whoops, sorry forgot- uh... here..” The turquoise monkey looked away with red cheeks –which Mhairi noticed were way easier to notice since he wasn’t wearing his helmet– and handed out the gear that covered his eyes and protected his brain. Taking it semi-cautiously, The archeologist got to work replacing the lenses, glancing at the psychokinetic as this was only really the second time she’s seen his real face. Big green eye, another lighter shade of teal she didn’t know he had, overall, Turkesa didn’t look half-bad... if it weren’t for his robotic left eye giving him a very menacing appearance even if he didn’t want to look intimidating.

A part of her wanted to ask if he could remember what happened, only to keep it to herself as she remembered that well... Turkesa couldn’t recall what exactly happened to him.

Speaking of keeping things to oneself, Mhairi’s mind then to Turkesa’s slightly odd behavior; he seemed too calm, too passive and polite. Normally by now the two would be sending semi-mean quips back and forward, or would be talking about something... Anything, even if it’s just him teasing her about her crush.

A sudden rush of red went to Mhairi’s cheeks as she remembered their last conversation regarding her crush on Gibson, she honestly wasn’t expecting the hug, or the compliments sent her way. Turk had helped her self confidence with the subject quite a bit that day even though she didn’t want to even think about it...

It seemed only fair for her to at least do the same for him.

“So um-... What’s wrong?” Damn it, she didn’t mean for it to come out that awkward.

“Hmm?” Turkesa looked at her curiously.

“I didn’t noticed before, but I do now, you’ve been odd... What’s wrong?”

“Nothing just- you know...”

“Turkesa, you may be good at hiding your thoughts, but you certainly are not good at controlling your tail.”

Turkesa’s face lit up like Christmas, the male looking down to see his tail curled around his body in a very closed and defensive manner. He always had trouble keeping it from telegraphing his emotions, and it was at this moment that he resented Mhairi’s archeologist knack for noticing small details.

---

Mhairi kept focus as she finished locking the lenses into place, giving the helmet a once over before gently setting it down. The room was still quiet, the bird sighed as she figured it was time to bring the nice curtains down-

“It hurts...”

Eyes widening, the Grypharian looked over to see Turkesa looking down at the floor, a somber expression detailing his face as he went quiet for a moment longer, before finally speaking again.

“My heart hurts... Every time I look at Otto, every time I think of him.... I don’t want it to... I hate that it does... But it does.... Every. Single. Time. I look at him, and I don’t see the green monkey who makes me laugh and whom of which I called dad, I keep seeing the clone. I keep getting angry, I keep-....” Turkesa let out a sharp grunt as his left eye malfunctioned, the teal monkey’s eyes tearing up as he finally looked at Mhairi.

“A part of me still wants to tear the clone apart, even though I already did and the thing I’d be tearing apart is Otto... I can’t get it out of my head, that damn cackle, that damn sneer, that damn look in his- its eyes as it tried to-.” Mhairi watched as Turkesa’s eyes widened; the simian seeming to realize what he was saying, before he let out a shaky sigh.

“...I can’t call him dad anymore...” The voice cracked, and the tears finally began falling, along with another sharp grunt in pain.

Mhairi watched with wide eyes filled with pity and sadness, her friend really felt this way? For this long? Looking from an objective standpoint, Turkesa seemed to be a little dramatic.

But then she remembered Gibson telling her how empathetic, how open, how emotional Turkesa was during that time he was a child, and while he was way older now; it just clicked that maybe, under all that calm control he seemed to have, Turkesa was still just as emotional, still just as open.

Still just as vulnerable.

“Turkesa.” She began softly.

“It’s not just Otto though; Antauri, Chiro, Sparx, Zoltoy, Gibson- all of them, including you. I-.. I have to stop calling you guys my brothers, sisters, uncles... Fathers...” That was enough, rising to her feet, Mhairi stared down at the sad injured monkey before her.

“Now stop this Turkesa, you sound ridiculous! This isn’t some drama or-”

“This has nothing to do with the clone! Nothing to do with anything that’s happened so far!” Silence suddenly captured the room, Mhairi staring down Turkesa who only stared back with a mixture of anger, anguish, and hatred.

Hatred of which, Mhairi realized to her surprise, was now directed at himself.

“It has everything to do with me, ever since I’ve got here; I’ve opened so much. I started calling Gibson dad within the week, and Otto my dad after a few months, and everyone else followed after that!” Turkesa’s left eye malfunctioned once again, but whether or not Turkesa felt the pain was unknown to the archeologist as he continued his rant.

“I keep giving these tittles of relatives away like I don’t have anyone else when I still have my own family! Whom of which, is still out there, god knows where! And- and I’m here calling you guys my family as if- as if they don’t exist! as if they’re not even alive! and I don’t want that!“ Turkesa placed a hand to his face and took a shaky breath, trying to calm his emotions and his left eye, only to look at Mhairi with just as much emotion as before.

“I can’t... I can’t keep calling you guys what I do, and now cause of the clone I can’t even look at Otto without wanting to tear something apart. And- and imagine, just-imagine what must feel like for him!” Mhairi just noticed how much his voice was cracking, “He sees me as his son, and even he knows the murderous desire I get every time I so much glance at him. And then! and then for me to-”

Mhairi paused once she heard the lack of sound, looking over, she could see Turkesa silently clutching at his left eye, which seemed to be sparking in a fury, before the psychokinetic let out a scream in pain. Jumping at the sound, Mhairi was at his side in an instant, trying to figure out what exactly was wrong.

“Turkesa! How- how do I help?” She asked in an almost frantic state of mind. It seemed luck was on her side, as Turkesa’s pain suddenly subsided enough for him to lay panting and holding his inorganic eye.

“My... My helmet... Give me my-” Another scream released from Turkesa resulted in Mhairi jumping into action. The archeologist quickly grabbing the gear and fastening it on, the head piece reattaching itself to it’s owner; who eventually calmed to simply laying there and panting, hand placed over his left eye lens as the pain finally dulled to a bearable level.

“P-pain suppressant... in the helmet... Apparently it’s... a-always been there...” Was the answer to the question the alien bird yet to ask.

---

Mhairi stared at Turkesa speechless; she had never seen him like this... So, down, so low and vulnerable. This monkey that laid before her was just about a completely different person compared to the happy-go-lucky and sassy monkey that she had come to know.

Sitting up, Turkesa stared off into the distance, rubbing his tears away before he finally made eye contact with Mhairi, his eyes sad and relenting.

“I’ll still call you guys my family... That won’t change... But... No more titles... At least not from me... You’re all just friends I call family...” Silence then reigned for several moments before Turkesa spoke once again, Mhairi keeping silent as she wanted him to finish.

“Mhairi... I need you to do me a favor...” The archeologist tilted her head ever so slightly. Blushing a just a bit, Turkesa turned away with the faintest red on his cheeks, his eyes still sad as he stared at the door that led outside.

“I.. I’m an open person... Overly open person... I am overly empathetic, and I care too much.... I make attachments too quickly, and I invest too much in those attachments...I... I understand if you decline... But I’d like you to be my chain, to keep me from getting too close, from investing too much...” Turkesa turned to Mhairi, the latter staring at the former with slightly wide eyes; while the teal monkey stared back with a somber, heart-wrenching expression. His lips curving into a smile that all too well told how much he was emotionally hurting himself.

“It’s asking a bit much, but I’m asking you as family... Can you help me?”

~fin~

[ask-elland-n-will]

As our all-favourite prefect slowly awakened from his slumber, he was greeted by a certain teal-furred menace perched on his lap, pulling out one shiny Christmas tree ornament after another from his pouch, all while maintaining an intense stare-down with the Slytherin.

"Nosy... It's not even morning yet, go back to Papa... Er, I mean to Seb..." Will mumbles groggily: his sleep was interrupted by somebody sitting on him, and he doesn't even have to open his eyes to know who his guest is. The prefect waves his hand in the air abstractly and tries to doze off, back to his sweet dreams of a care-free fox.

But the weight on his body does not wish to disappear at his dismissal. With a heavy heart and a small tired whine, Will opens up his eyes a little. As expected, Nosy is still there. And something in his niffler pouch is glowing.

Will watches, bewildered and lost, as his teal protege pulls out one Christmas ornament after another, the pool of gently glowing decorations ocumulating on the prefect's blanket. He is too sleepy for this. Why is Nosy looking at him like that? Wait...

"Those are... the decoration I spent hours charming and placing all over the Slytherin Commons, aren't they..."

He is very tempted to pretend that nothing has happened. There is no niffler, there are no Christmas decorations, and it sure as hell isn't the middle of the night. William closes his eyes but can still sense the lights through his eyelids. He blindly reaches out to pet the child on his soft teal head.

"Nosy, sweetie, this is all really pretty. Mama Niffler approves. Why don't you go place those around your Papa now? I am sure he would love to be a pretty fairy, surrounded by pretty decorations. Pretty decorations for pretty Papa Niffler..."

Aaand he is asleep again.

[naamahdarling]

Who was the first character you remember creating?

Oh gosh oh wow, umm, there were several who were kind of all created together.  They were all anthro cat people.  (None of my current OCs are anthro animals, but I have like four werewolves; I have the soul of a furry.)

Arren Shadowchaser was my “Mary Sue”.  Like 95% of OC creation at that age is purely aesthetic, so I did a lot of fooling with her Look.  She was a gray-brown snow-leopard-ish woman with long brown/black hair that she kept in a half-pony and two braids.  I want to say her eyes were teal or purple?  I think she went through a phase where her fur, like her entire body, all of her fur, was a truly impressive shade of peacock blue-green, which was unnatural and 100% inspired by this hideous leotard thing I had that made me feel like a superhero, so it’s NOT CANON YOU GUYS it’s too embarrassing to be canon.

Arren could use magic and had elemental powers, I think either air or earth?  She was also a ferocious warrior who used a longbow and also a magic sword, and later on she was chief of a clan, the Renegades, who lived in the woods and did a kind of Robin-Hood thing, only I never made up any actual oppressive rich assholes for her to fight so there wasn’t much for them to do besides ride around on their hella-rad telepathic super-smart 1,000-pound lions.

Arren had a little brother, Aro, who was kind of a skinny twerp but in a lovable way. I don’t remember what he was good at except getting menaced cinematically and IIRC dying a couple of times to motivate our heroine.  He was brown and black with a white tummy and chin, and shortish black hair he kept in a kind of humiliating cat mullet.  He wore a sleeveless vest with peacock feathers over the nipples, and leather pants.  In retrospect, I think Aro was probably very, very gay.

Srisin … Flame?catcher???? was Arren’s love interest.  He was an orange tiger with flame powers and he wore a lot of black leather. He had a brother named Orin who was a white tiger and I think he had ice powers because water powers are stupid. (That’s what I thought at the time. Pre-teen me had yet to meet and crush on Aqualad from Young Justice.)  Orin wore a lot of blue and I think he had his heart ripped out at least once.  I was really into heart-ripping.  (Still am!)  Anyway, they were in a poly triad with Arren.  She loved them both, but Srisin was the bad boy so he got a lot more play.  But Orin was the wise and mystical one so you kind of wanted him around in case anyone needed to, like, read a fuckin’ book.

When I was 11, I wrote a 99-page (wide-rule notebook paper) book about Arren, Aro, Orin, and Srisin.  It cribbed from everything from Elfquest to Dungeons and Dragons to Dragonlance to Tailchaser’s Song to Thundercats to The Belgariad because no 11-year-old is particularly original.

They go on some sort of chosen-four-representatives-of-the-elements quest thing to return the sacred orb/s to their gods, fight a bunch of really fucked up demons, there’s a lot of blood and gore and some excruciating torture of sexy cat boys, they all learn that they have magic powers, their warcats learn to fly, and they totally earn the favor of their deities and are made into elemental demigods.  Sweet.

This horrifically gross and violent and no doubt borderline incoherent bit of juvenalia is still out there, probably at my parents’ house, and when I find it I promise to transcribe and post some of it.

I had another character named Kala’an Firerunner, and he might have predated Arren, I’m not sure at this point.  Kala’an and Srisin kind of run together.  I honestly am having trouble remembering because this was 30 years ago and I’ve had many naps, some emotional trauma, and a more-than-reasonable-amount of teenage-rebellion-era LSD since then.  I’m honestly doing well to remember my own middle name.

Anyway, Kala was from a whole separate milieu.  I think there was both magic and genetic engineering/far-future/postapoc shit going on in his backstory, like he escaped from a mutant farm or something, he was an ex-experimental subject who got pyrokinesis from being exposed to some artifact or relic or whatever.  I think he was the result of that whole persecution fantasy thing, where you create this fantasy world where you’re exceptional but imprisoned by people who only want to exploit you while denying that you have any value at all.  Sort of a metaphor for my whole school experience and not at ALL something I carry a massive chip on my shoulder about to this day.  Hahaha.  *wipes sweat*

Anyway, those were my first OCs.

GOD the shitty Elfquest/Thundercats vibe is incredible, I just want to pay someone to D R A W  T H E M  A L L.

Oh god everyone please like this post my eleven year old self would be so happy for people to care about the things she imagined.

[theodoradevlin]

The teal-furred menace crawled onto Theodora's lap and poked her cheek with a sticky candy cane. With a fire in his eyes, Nosy slowly pulled out one candy cane after another from his belly pouch, all while maintaining unbroken eye contact with the Hufflepuff.

With the insistent candy cane poke, Theo’s attention turns toward the niffler with a knowing smile. She was always happy to see her little bean of chaotic fluff.

“And what have you managed to get your sticky paws on this time?” She smiles as she gives Nosy small head pats, but the smile slowly turns into an unsure expression as the niffler’s fiery victory burns into Theo’s eyes as all the additional candy canes are presented.

Before she knows it, her lap is covered in candy canes. Her eyes dart between the growing pile of pilfered candy and the little menace’s determined gaze.

"Do I want to know why you have so many candy canes in there?! Actually. You know what. I don't need to know."

She teasingly tickles the niffler's belly before gratefully takes one of the pouch candy canes and popping it in her mouth.