#the beasts in the shadows

[loosesodamarble]

The Beasts in the Shadows Chapter 1: Those Forsaken by the Land

Summary: We get a glimpse of a peasant family in the Forsaken Realm. Meanwhile, Josele looks back on a part of her life and begins having questions. Genre: general Word count: ~3000 Next Chapter

..........

Horto. A village located near the furthest edge of the Forsaken Realm. The nearest neighboring settlement was Hage.

Where Hage was a farming town, Horto specialized in the production of lumber. The village was built on the outskirts of a forest, dense in its foliage thanks to the nutrient rich soil and various streams which ran through the area. It was natural for the people of Horto to make their living off lumber with so many trees around.

Another business was also present in Horto, that of hunting wild beasts for meat. And the ones who hunted were the Yverns. Their home was a cabin built between the town’s edge and the beginning of the woodlands. It was where they lived, stored their equipment, and even butchered the animals they hunted.

A middle-aged woman—Dehlila Yvern—with a muscular build and unruly, red hair returned home late in the night. She stepped inside and was greeted by the sight of her husband, Braun, tending to a dying fireplace. He turned his head to the door and smiled at Dehlila.

“Welcome home, Delly,” he said with a soft voice.

“Yup, I’m back,” Dehlila answered. She placed her set of weapons by the threshold of the cabin and slid off her boots. As she made her way over to the fireplace, she whispered, “The wilderness is growing more aggressive by the day.”

“Dangerous hunt?” Braun asked, to which Dehlila nodded. He then coaxed her into sitting at the hearth. “Everyone is at least safe, yeah?”

“Mhm. No severe injuries,” Dehlila replied plainly. “But I can’t help but feel unsettled.” Her attention turned to a window and she gazed at the night sky, obscured by clouds. “I wonder if the Qliphoth ritual unleashed negative mana that’s become a part of the land and… tainted it, I guess?”

“You think it’s connected?” Braun crossed his arms and tapped his heel against the floor. “Well I dunno much about devils so it could be.”

“Haah…” Dehlila buried her face in her hands. “Or maybe I’m going crazy.”

Braun reached over and touched Dehlila’s shoulder.

“You’re not, dear. Trust me.”

The couple grinned at each other, feeling more at ease thanks to each other.

“So how were things while I was away?” Dehlila questioned, straight and to the point. “With a whole week, something must’ve happened right?”

“Yeah. Plenty happened,” Braun muttered. “We finally heard back from the Southern Enclave about the albaachs. The herd moved on quietly.” As he explained, Dehlila silently listened. “The Eastern Enclave is on high alert for the waters. As for us, Ross and Bianco went scouting with Erwin and found a den just four miles into the woods. They cleared it out already though.”

“Four miles? That’s too close for comfort…”

“Really is. We ought to push back before the beasts’ territory encroaches on the town.” Braun paused to scoop cold ashes over the fire and smother the last of the flames. “And we received the replacements for the damaged equipment from the encounter with that Letum.”

Dehlila let out a relieved exhale. “About time. It’s been nearly two months and only now do we get new tools?” She shook her head and with it, her annoyance dissipated. Then she asked, “And how’s Cassandra’s training?”

“Ah… That.” Braun patted his knees for a moment as he seemed to collect himself. “Sibyl says that the little one’s got a good grasp of her powers already. Cass can use her magic when she wants to, but it still acts up on its own sometimes.”

Dehlila listened, humming and nodding along to Braun’s explanation.

“I suppose I can’t expect more than that. She’s still only five,” Dehlila muttered. “Still, I’ll test her tomorrow to see just how well she’s doing.”

Perhaps it was demanding for the Yverns to have Cassandra training her magic in earnest at such a young age. But as peasants, they had to work hard to simply survive. Dehlila, Braun, and their other kids had gone through similar training from a young age as well. It felt necessary to teach Cassandra how to use magic early in preparation for the future in a world where magic was everything. Especially with the nature of the child’s magic.

After making sure the fire was completely put out, Dehlila and Braun went upstairs, led by candlelight. They passed by the two bedrooms that were split between the sons and daughters of the family. The couple reached their room and when they entered, there was already someone on the bed.

A little girl with messy red hair that was so disheveled that it almost covered her mismatched eyes, one blue and one gray.

“Cass?” Dehlila went over to the bed and climbed onto it. “What’re you doing here?”

“Mommy got home,” Cassandra replied. “I wanted to see you.”

“Oh baby.” Laughing, Dehlila patted her daughter on the head. “You could’ve seen me in the morning.”

“But I wanted to see you no—ahhhhh…” Cassandra muttered before a yawn rose from her throat.

Braun, now sitting with his wife and daughter, chuckled, “Look what you get for sneaking around at night.” He scooped up Cassandra and bounced her in his arms. “All tuckered out.”

“Can I sleep with Mommy and Daddy tonight?” Cassandra asked while rubbing her eyes. “Helen’s all kicky tonight. And I get kicked from bed a lots…”

“Alrighty then. Sleep with Mommy and Daddy tonight,” Dehlila whispered. She brushed Cassandra’s bangs a bit, causing a shimmer of silver to be seen from within the locks, then kissed the girl’s forehead.

The parents changed into their night clothes then joined Cassandra under the blankets.

“Lullaby?”

“Which one, Cass?” Dehlila asked.

“My favorite. Pretty please?”

“Okay then…” Dehlila took a breath before she began to sing a low, slow song.

“Under the sunset, at day's end… Come nearer, child, and grasp my hand tight. The wind grows cold. Shadows grow deep. But I'm here to guard you, and be your light.”

Cassandra hummed, pleased by the sound of her mother’s singing voice.

Dehlila smiled at the sight of her child, so young and innocent, drifting into sleep for pleasant dreams. She continued to sing.

“When your heart fills with dread… The smallest things will leave you dead…

In the glow of twilight, it's time to rest. Lay yourself down and let your eyes close…”

…..

Miles away, the same song was carried by another voice.

“Still and quiet…” Josele muttered to herself as she scrubbed the floor of the common area. “The air feels like death…”

Spurred on by the lack of anything else to do, the Black Bulls were doing a deep clean of their base. The squad was spread throughout the base. Clearing out dust, washing everything to a shine, and reorganizing their cupboards and cabinets. While some were having fun with their teammates in doing the work, Josele was absorbed in her own world.

“What peril looms beyond…” The words came to Josele from the past, from memories that she hadn’t considered for years. “No one knows…”

“What’s with the creepy tune, Jo?”

“Huh?” Suddenly pulled from her thoughts, Josele perked up and turned to face Yami who was behind her. “Sorry, say that again?”

“I was asking about the song,” Yami said bluntly. “What’s got you singing something so weird?”

Josele blinked a couple of times before letting out a half-hearted sigh.

“I don’t know actually,” she answered and shrugged. “I was just remembering this old lullaby that my dad used to sing.”

“A lullaby? Sounded like some dark ritual chant to me,” Yami replied with a chuckle. He clapped Josele on the back before walking off to resume his share of the cleaning.

Left alone, Josele sat in silence for a bit. The lullaby had never come off as particularly unsettling to her. Then again, she grew up with Thomas singing her the song every so often. He never sang as often as Gwenith did, but Josele’s memory of her dad included him singing that tune to her. He shared that lullaby with Josele for as long as she could remember and only stopped after—

Josele’s hand, gripping a sponge, paused over her bucket of soap water.

When did he stop singing the lullaby? she wondered. I guess I just outgrew lullabies like every other kid. Josele plunged the sponge into the bucket. She had to finish scrubbing the floor.

…..

The Black Bulls gathered for breakfast in their freshly cleaned mess hall the following morning.

Despite everyone working themselves to the bone during cleaning yesterday, the squad was as animated as ever. Perhaps more so as the refreshed environment made the people feel renewed themselves.

Vanessa, Acylla, and Mallory had a lively chat about a Girls’ Day Out. Grey and Finral helped Charmy bring out various plates of breakfast dishes to be shared. Henry waved a book in the air as he chatted with Gordon. Nacht and Yami were respectively holding Gauche and Asta back from each other, both looking quite irritated. Unsurprising for Gauche but a shock coming from Asta. The rest of the squad who wasn’t absorbed in another conversation was having a laugh at the site.

“Just look at him!” Asta raised his hands as best he could to show off Liebe, looking none too pleased with his position, in his miniaturized form. “Is he not adorable?”

“Hell no! Fancy pastries and girls like Noelle and Marie are adorable. But he’s a devil!”

Josele smiled at the sight of the Black Bulls, being themselves as always. She glanced past the argument to see an open spot at the table next to Magna. But first, Josele walked up to Nacht.

“Morning, handsome,” she whispered before kissing his cheek.

The greeting made Nacht smile and his whole body relaxed. Gauche used that opportunity to break free and lunge at Asta.

“GRAAAAAHHHH!”

“YAAAAA! WATCH IT!”

Josele slipped by and sat down next to Magna.

“Mornin’, Miss Josele,” Magna cackled as he acknowledged her. “Nice work there!”

“Wasn’t my plan but—” Josele glanced over at Gauche and Asta.

“Look here, Asta! I’ll concede on ‘cute’ but ‘precious’ and ‘adorable’ are out of the question!”

“No fair! You don’t get to keep me from using words!”

“Say Magna…” Josele lowered her voice. “Can I ask you something?”

“Go for it!”

“Do you recall your parents ever singing a particular lullaby to you?”

“Hm? My ma sang a bit.” Magna’s brow creased as he answered. “Not sure if I remember much.” He shook his head and clenched his hand. “But go and tell me that song!”

“Right then. The first verse goes like this. ‘Under the sunset, at day's end… Come nearer, child, and grasp my hand tight…’” Josele didn’t bother to sing the exact tune, only relay the words. “‘The wind grows cold. Shadows grow deep… But I'm here to guard you, and be your light…’”

Josele stopped and let the words hang in the air. Magna crossed his arms and his face twisted up in thought. It was clear on his face that he was searching his memories for recognition. But after a few seconds, he groaned.

“I got nothing,” muttered Magna as he gave a shrug. “Maybe the song was specific to the area you lived in?”

“Weird…” Josele’s gaze fell. “My dad said it was a song shared by peasants.”

“I’m a peasant and I know for sure I never heard that song.” Magna patted Josele on the shoulder. “But hey, there’s still others ya’ can ask. Heeey! Asta! Zora!”

At the sound of their names, Asta and Zora turned to Magna. In fact, the whole squad glanced at him and Josele though most returned to their own conversations. It didn’t take long for Zora and Asta to go over to where Magna and Josele sat.

“What’s up?” asked Asta.

“Better have a good reason for shouting us over.” Zora didn’t bother hiding his irritation.

“I wanna check if you two recognize a song that I know,” Josele answered.

“So not a good reason at all.” Zora rolled his eyes.

Brushing aside the remark, Josele again recited the first verse of the song and even shared the second verse but her voice trailed off as she started the third as none of the boys had any reaction other than confusion.

“And you’re sure we ought to know a creepy song like that?” Zora pressed as his lip curled back in annoyance.

“What’s so creepy about it?” Josele asked with a raised brow.

The guys around Josele were silent for a beat.

“Uh, did you miss the mentions of death and doom in the lyrics?” Zora spat back.

“I dunno if Sister Lily would’ve ever sung that song for the kids…”

Magna muttered, “Maybe your old man made up the song?”

“Ngh… Doubt it…” Josele whispered.

Thomas hadn’t been the creative type. Sure he would carve wood into little animal figures but songwriting was something else entirely. Her mother was more likely to try writing a poem but that wasn’t a full song.

“It could be something your dad got from his parents,” Zora offered with a gentle tone. “Like my dad’s stew recipe. It’s a family thing rather than a peasant thing.”

Josele closed her eyes and hummed. That was the only other thing that made sense.

“Sorry to ask such a weird question.”

“Hey don’t worry about it.” Asta waved his hand through the air. “And sorry I couldn’t help.”

Josele patted Asta on the head to reassure him before the young man left to sit elsewhere. Magna nudged Josele’s arm with his elbow, a sign of good faith. Zora rolled his eyes again but that didn’t stop him from smiling as he went to sit elsewhere. Josele nodded to herself before getting up to sit next to Nacht.

But the topic of the conversation, her dad’s lullaby, stuck with Josele the rest of the day. The lyrics and melody came to mind with perfect clarity. Thomas’s words when he shared it with her, “This is a special song for peasants like us,” echoed too. In her remembrance, there also came questions.

Why was it that none of the peasant-born squad members knew of the song despite what Thomas claimed?

Was it really such a creepy song?

Who taught Thomas the song? And where did that person learn it from?

Where did the song come from in the first place?

What was the story behind the lullaby?

“Am I overthinking this?” Josele asked as she and Nacht prepared to sleep that night.

A lean but strong arm wrapped around Josele’s middle and pulled her back to sit on the bed. A cold kiss was pressed to her shoulder.

“I don’t think so, darling,” Nacht muttered as he put his other arm around Josele. “It’s only natural to question what we know to be true when we hear something that contradicts that truth.. And that lullaby is something personal to you, so you’re going to think about it even more.”

“Guess you’re right about that…” Josele let out a sigh. She scooted and lowered herself into laying down, which Nacht followed. “Nacht…”

“Hm?”

“Did you ever do that? Question what you thought was true, I mean…”

“Yes.” Nacht’s arms tightened around Josele. His whole body curled into hers. “Many times, in fact.”

Silence fell over the couple. Josele turned in Nacht’s arms and hugged him back. Her lips parted for a moment, but they closed without sharing the sentiment she had in mind. Not that she had to speak it aloud.

…..

Everything will look blurry. Like when it rains and the raindrops fall in her eyes, only it doesn’t feel like there’s going to be rain.

Moving will feel bumpy. Only she won’t be running on her own. Instead, she feels like someone will carry her away as she watches what she will be carried away from.

There will be two people, the backs of which will be turned to her.

The first of them will be a woman with a special knife just like Mommy and Daddy’s and eyes that look at her gently.

The second of them will be a man who has horns on his head like a beast and a kind smile despite his gloomy presence.

She will look past them and see what is coming after them. The form will look unclear because of the water in her eyes but the colors alone will make her stomach churn, thinking of poison and sickness.

The urge to beg them not to go will come to her. But she won’t be able to say it, knowing that they’ll have to fight what will chase them.

…..

Cassandra blinked awake. She sat up in her own bed that night.

She frowned and tilted her head, realizing that she didn’t recognize the people in her dream.

Feeling restless, Cassandra crawled out of bed to go to the window. The night was partially cloudy so the moon and stars were still visible to her. Thinking about her dream, she realized that it looked like there were stars in the woman’s hair. And the man’s face was pale like the moon.

“Weird…”

Her gaze lowered so she could see the wall of trees that indicated the beginning of the forest.

Her family was in and out of those woods daily. Sometimes bringing out dead animals, like rabbits and birds with the same name as all the people in the Forsaken Realm were called. Sometimes, they went into the woods only to come out covered in blood and carrying broken weapons. The family’s weapons broke often.

Except the daggers and swords made from “Silva Steel.” Cassandra wondered how her family had weapons from the royal Silvas. Or maybe they just called the metal that because it was silvery like the Silva name?

Cassandra shook her head and refocused on the trees. And when she did, she saw someone walking out of the woods and towards the cabin. She leaned out the window and squinted to get a better look.

Then, she gasped. The person’s colors made her feel sick, like the colors from her dream.

[zer0sh00]

Did I do it right....Master...?

[cuppajj]

why is the clown demigod advertising. why is he using posters

(from the official teaser)

[sugaryinjection]

something for Christmas with the beasts before the corruption

[sallufix]

FAMILIARITY

Oughh parallels... I'm ill.....

[thegreatlock]

Dance , Dance , Dance , Da ... Ow ?

[moxferrer]

waiting for the moment when devs will show how his own epic cookie follower looks like... if he has any, of course

upd: candy apple cookie is here!!!

[monstermonger]

I was honestly shocked how many people stumbled across my Elden Ring sketchpages so far, ty! :")

I decided to make prints available if anyone was interested c:

[brittle-doughie]

Since we had that story of Y/N Cookie wanting to keep the Ancients from going out and getting themselves killed up against Dark Enchantress Cookie, how about something similar with the Beasts?

>The Beasts get corrupted

>Y/N Cookie, not corrupted, tries to fight them, and fails

>cue them starting to die

>Beasts start panicking, completely overestimating how much Y/N Cookie could take

>Y/N Cookie, in their last moments, wishes they could’ve done more to help the Beasts not get corrupted before finally going

>Witch(es) stumble upon this scene, seeing their greatest cookie having been crumbled, along with whatever other carnage is around

>cue literally everything else

Being sealed away with the guilt of spilling jam from the cookie you all loved the most fresh on your mind? They are NOT gonna be doing so hot in there.

The Tale of the Forced Hand (The Five Beasts)

Witch’s Castle witches are pretty neat.

“The story begins when this very Silver Tree was only a small sapling…When the World of Desserts was at its infancy.”

“The Witches baked six Cookies to help them in their creation of the world.”

“..harness the radiance bestowed upon you for the betterment of this world…”

“And the six Cookies imbued with absolute powers walked Earthbread as almighty envoys of the Great Creators.”

“Knowledge, Volition, Compassion, Happiness, Change, and Solidarity.”

“The Dessert World bound by these Five Virtues was nothing short of paradise.”

Gingerbrave and Wizard Cookie chimed in with their responses.

“So those six Cookies were the original owners of the Soul Jam?”

“Huh…Those “Six Virtues” are different from those of the Soul Jams. There’s six of them, yet only five today…”

“The Virtue of Compassion is what held the other Virtues so closely together, cherishing each of them equally as much.”

“Alas, for they and the perfect age were short-lived. Absolute power begets nothing but arrogance. It inevitably corrupts its wielder, bringing them to the most tragic of ends…A fate even the Witches were unable to foresee.”

“One by one, the Five, once regarded as saviors of the Cookie World, gradually turned to Darkness. And thus, the Five Virtues, too, became distorted, twisted…reduced to Deceit, Apathy, Sloth, Destruction, and Silence….”

Strawberry Cookie shuddered in worry at the mere mention of the fallen virtues.

“Deceit, Apathy, Sloth, Destruction, and Silence..that sounds really scary…

“Wait, what about the Virtue of Compassion? They weren’t evil too, were they?”

“The Virtue of Compassion was able to prevail against their descent into Darkness with their Soul Jam, whereas now the Five Beasts, the apostles of evil, began their dark crusade…”

“The Witches asked of Compassion to protect the Cookie World from the Beast Cookies, lending them what strength they could give.”

“Compassion fought bravely against the Beasts, blocking each of their blows and resisting their sickly whispers…But it was only a matter of time before Compassion slowly began to whittle…”

———————————————————————

“Come on, snap out of you all! This isn’t what you guys once were!”

“What’s the big deal, silly willy~ There isn’t anything wrong with dabbling yourself in a little bit of Darkness, you should try it with us!”

“No! This isn’t you! You were all my best friends! Come to your senses! Now!”

“It pains me to see you still cling onto false hope that you’re different than the rest of us, darling~ Can you just let go and become who you really are? For me~?”

“I can’t…I cannot forsake my oath to protect the Cookie World. You all know that! Cookies that want happy lives, don’t you want that?”

“They will all meet the same fate in the end, reduced to nothing…the futility of all this should be clear to you…”

“As if! It isn’t pointless to live life the way you want it to! It’s how you spend it and make the most of it!”

“They will all crumble in the end, so why not give them a little push! You’re starting to really aggravate me now, Y/N Cookie!”

“I won’t let you hurt them and I don’t want to hurt you all any more then I have to! Please, don’t do this…”

“……”

“Your silence says everything I need to hear from you. I tried…but I will put a stop you no matter if I’m reduced to bits!”

———————————————————————

“Woah….What happened to them?”

“The Virtue of Compassion fought for as long as they were able, their dough slowly whittling away with every blow that dealt to them. The Beasts have overestimated just how durable their former friend was…and they perished right in the middle of the circle….”

———————————————————————

“Ok, ya silly goose! You can stand right back up now! You put on a great show, let us give you a round of applause!”

“Darling, we know we haven’t hit you too hard. You can join us and we can all be together once more as Beasts…”

“Hmm…they don’t seem to be responding to us…”

“Hey, Y/N Cookie. Quit being soft and get up already, you’re..starting to worry me a bit here, you know.”

Silent Salt Cookie knelt down and placed their thumb on your wrist…jumping back when they feel nothing…

“Ahaha! Okay! This isn’t funny anymore, you softie! You win! Stand up on your two feet now! I’ll make you if you don’t!”

“D-Darling? P-Please get up. Look, I’m sorry for what I said earlier, I-WE just really wanted you to join us…”

“Burning Spice Cookie, just how hard were your strikes to their dough?

“D-Don’t put any type of blame on me! All of you were just as rough with them as I was!”

“….!”

The Beast Cookies rushed to their fallen friend in the center, clearly distraught on their faces…

“Y/N Cookie, if you don’t stop playing jokes with me right now, I’ll never forgive you!”

“Darling! Wake up! I-I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have hit you so hard! Please wake up! You have to! Don’t leave me alone!”

“It was pointless to try and stop us, Y/N Cookie. Yet…my heart cries and aches, why did you have to resist….please, wake up…”

“God DAMN IT. I-I went too far, I shouldn’t have been so brutal with my swings and now look at you, your dough..damaged and ruined….because of me….”

“….Hmph….”

Silent Salt just lowered their head to look at the ground, feeling nothing but shame and remorse for what they had done…for what they all had done….

“I wish…I could’ve done more for you all…I wished…that I had loved all of you more…to not…end up like this...”

“…..I’m sorry…..”

———————————————————————

“The Witches couldn’t bear to see what fate had befallen their creations, made even more distraught at the loss of their greatest creation among them all…they punished the Beasts by sealing them away deep within this land…”

“And planted the seed of the Silver Tree to ensure their evil power never sees the light of day again. Right where the Virtue of Compassion was laid to rest, so that at least a part of them can live on….From then on, this land where the Beasts were put to sleep, was called Beast Yeast.”

“The Witches then gathered the last vestiges of power bestowed upon the Beasts, untouched by their corruption. They further cleansed, purified it, and in the end…Soul Jam was created. The purest Soul Jam was meant to be earned by Cookies who had proven themselves worthy.”

“All, but Compassion. For their purity simply could not be remade again. The Witch who personally baked Compassion had locked herself away in grief after the loss of her cookie and took the knowledge of the recipe and baking of Compassion with her…”

“So, there can never be another cookie like Compassion?”

“It’s what they say, but all life powder returns to the earth. It isn’t out of the realm of possibility that the Virtue of Compassion may return in some form, someday…”

Everyone’s eyes turned to Y/N Cookie, who was casually eating some food offered to them by the Faeries.

“…..What?”

[saber-neon]

They're not beast now🚶‍♀️they're tiny yeast

[miraenith]

god not this fuckass clown again

anyway second iteration of my design of him!!! decided to add some gold mhehehe

whore /affectionate

i’m so normal about him… my shayla..

oh and an extra doodle! him as a frame from the song Monitoring - deco27

i think the lyrics have his energy (especially if you think about it as like some shadowvanilla toxic yaoi dynamic) also it’s a banger

mwah!!!!!

[loosesodamarble]

The Beasts in the Shadows Chapter 3: Precocious and Observant

Summary: A remnant of Josele's past come to mind. Morning comes and Josele gets a proper introduction to Cassandra, her new ward. Genre: general Word count: ~4000 Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

..........

It was another summer day, bright and hot due to the sun beaming down on Clover Kingdom without a single cloud blocking its rays. Thankfully though, the forest that surrounded the outskirts of Raquey was densely packed with trees, enough so that barely a speck of light broke through the layers of leaves. Despite Raquey’s generally high temperatures and the season, the woods were relatively cool. And taking advantage of the shaded woodland were Josele, Nacht, and Morgen.

After a morning of tutored lessons for the boys and helping with chores for the girl, the three had the afternoon and the forest to themselves.

“Guys, check this out!” Nacht called as he crouched by the base of a tree. “I bet you’ve never seen anything like what I found!”

“What is it?” Morgen asked while approaching.

Josele was right behind Morgen. “Maybe he found a badger den!” As she got closer to where Nacht crouched, her nose wrinkled and she sneered. “Nachty…”

“Check it!” Nacht stood up and stepped back to reveal his find. “Real animal shit! I think there’s even bones in it!”

“EEUUUGH!” Morgen recoiled so hastily that he jumped back a ways. “Nacht, that’s disgusting!”

“You say that like you don’t also poop,” snickered Nacht and rolled his eyes. His pale blue gaze then landed on Josele. “What do you think, Josie?”

“I really thought you found something I’d never seen before.” Josele pouted and even puffed out her cheeks.

Nacht stepped over to Josele and poked her puffed cheek, immediately breaking her expression. After a beat, all three children let out a laugh.

“Now let’s try to find something a bit more appealing than feces,” Morgen said, shooting a scolding look to Nacht who only snickered, before the trio split off from one another.

Josele hopped over exposed roots and swept her hand over rough trunks. Traversing the woods came naturally to her after going on so many hunts with her dad and learning from him. She came to a stop when she came across a fallen tree. It was rotting; its leaves were discolored, there were holes in the wood, and fungus grew in patches on the log. When Josele looked closer, she saw insects eating away at the wood. It was better than animal droppings, but it still wasn’t a very interesting sight.

Feeling discouraged, Josele was ready to hand her head in defeat and return to the twins. She turned to start the walk back. But then she stopped.

On the ground, skittering closer to where Josele stood, was a small creature. And Josele could only call it a creature because she’d never seen any animal like it before. It had a body like a rabbit’s, small and rounded in proportions. However, its ears, which were folded against its head, were too short. Behind it, a long and fluffy tail, reminding Josele of a warm winter scarf, swished back and forth. Its coloring was odd: mostly brown like the earth with black and green speckling that would’ve let the creature blend in well with shadows and underbrush. The creature’s short snout was pressed to the ground, likely sniffing for food.

Josele blinked.

“What are you?” She didn’t mean to say it out loud, but when she did, the creature’s ears twitched and it raised its head.

Black, glossy eyes like jewels blinked at Josele. And seeing its face made Josele realize how cute it was.

Without giving it another thought. Josele dashed forward at the animal. Her motion made it startle. It didn’t get a chance to scamper off, though, as Josele had already closed the distance and scooped it into her arms.

The creature squeaked and made a whining sound as it wriggled in Josele’s hold.

“Don’t worry, little one,” Josele said calmly. “I just wanna show you to my friends.”

Josele tried to pet the creature’s head to soothe it. She’d done the same before with wild rabbits, deer, and even foxes when she saw them injured and needed to calm them to tend to their wounds. Even wild animals would be as tame as a pet if they were assured that they weren’t in danger. This animal, however, refused to settle. Its tail flicked around and its snout scrunched in irritation.

“There, there.” Josele did her best to sound gentle as she continued to walk.

The further along she walked, Josele felt her head fill with fog and her chest squeeze tight. It reminded her of how it felt when she’d caught the flu. She was dizzy, disoriented. Her foot slipped, and she stumbled off the root she had been standing on. However, as quickly as the feeling came, it left her and she was able to catch herself before she completely fell over.

Josele shook her head to make sure the sensation was truly gone.

“Strange…” Josele whispered. Then her eyes landed on the creature. “You okay?” Her magic picked up a sensation of fear from the creature. But also… Confusion? “Sorry I almost dropped you.”

The creature let out another, smaller whine. Its wriggling began to lessen as well.

Josele continued her walk. However, each step she took was shakier, as if someone was trying to knock her over. She was alone though. And there was no strong wind either. Her clumsy steps stopped after a bit.

Suddenly, like a branch had snapped into place, Josele was struck in the forehead—

.....

And she woke up on the floor.

It wasn’t a dream, Josele realized as she blinked awake. Definitely a memory. She rubbed her forehead, to soothe the dull pain as well as clear her thoughts. My head’s really been in the past lately…

“Are you okay?”

Josele, only then, became aware of Nacht crouching beside her. One hand held hers and the other caressed her back.

“Uh, yeah…”

“That’s good to hear.” Nacht’s smile ghosted across his face in the moment it took for him to help Josele to her feet. He turned his head to glare at Yami who stood on the other side of the bed. “How is that a gentle wake up call?” One of his eyes visibly twitched from restrained anger.

“It was gentle for me,” Yami flatly answered.

“Hm. So why’d you need to wake me?” Josele asked.

“When we came back last night, Finral said you had something to discuss but we found you sound asleep already,” Nacht explained with little fanfare. “So we decided to wait until morning to wake you.” He gestured to the small window letting in trickles of morning light.

Yami rolled his eyes. “But Nacht here thought giving you a little nudge was going to wake you.”

“You flicked her on the forehead and knocked her off the bed,” Nacht snapped. Yami only shrugged at the statement. “That’s beside the point now.” Nacht looked Josele in the eyes. “What was it you wanted to discuss?”

The question snapped Josele to attention. She cringed knowing that the memory-dream had thrown her off that morning. Pushing it aside, though, she quickly relayed what happened the previous night with Erwin Halloak and Cassandra. Nacht listened without a word while Yami hummed and ah-ed every now and then.

When Josele finished explaining, Yami gave a small grunt as he nodded. Then, “Where’s the kid now?”

“I put her in my room,” Josele said. She started walking and the men followed after her. “Did you guys not see her there?”

“No, we came here first when looking for you,” answered Nacht. “It felt like the obvious choice.” Ever so faint, there was a teasing glint in his eyes.

“Right.” Josele grinned sheepishly and nodded her head.

“Are you really gonna take in a kid that some shifty guy handed to you?”

“I won’t turn my back on a child.” As Josele said this, Cassandra’s tired but peaceful face crossed her mind. She was certain. She would do this for the child, not for the man who claimed to be her late father’s friend.

“Sounds like your style, Jo.”

Josele nodded gratefully at the remark.

“We’ll have to get a room set up for her at home,” she said to Nacht. “Make her feel comfortable while she’s with us.”

“Yes, I see.”

Yami let out a soft snort and smirked at Nacht. “Better not scare the kid with that creepy smile of yours, ya hear?”

“Between us, you’re more likely to scare her than I am,” Nacht scoffed and rolled his eyes.

The trio fell silent as they stopped in front of Josele’s room. Josele tapped her knuckles on the door a few times. A pitched squeak came from the other side.

“Hello? May I come in?”

A pause filled by the sound of rustling fabric.

Then a voice.

“Uh huh!”

Josele glanced to Nacht and Yami. The men nodded and stepped away from the door. Then, Josele opened the door enough for her to slip in and closed it behind her once inside.

Atop Josele’s bed was a blanket-cloaked lump. A small opening at the peak of the lump revealed Cassandra’s tiny face, partially obscured by strands of red. Still, Josele could make out that her eyes were different colors. Her right eye was a deep blue, like Zora’s eyes. Her left eye was an ashen grey, like Yami’s. The colors stuck out from the warm, crimson color of her hair.

“Hi there.” Josele smiled from her spot right in front of the door. “I’m glad you’re awake.”

“Hi.” Cassandra whispered from her makeshift cocoon.

“I’m Josele Faust. Nice to meet you,” she greeted, still not venturing closer.

“Hi Josele.” Cassandra pulled the blanket tighter around herself and sniffled.

Silence filled the room.

Josele watched as Cassandra took her in, mismatched eyes moving up and down to see everything. She was understandably on guard. There was an intention to the way Cassandra looked at her though. Rather than a nervous, shifty gaze that Josele saw in most children meeting strangers for the first time, Cassandra’s gaze was intensely focused. It reminded Josele of her father whenever he trained her and was looking for any fault in her technique. That or it was like an opponent sizing her up. In either case, Cassandra gave off the impression that she was keenly aware of what was in front of her. Something else Josele took note of was Cassandra’s unusually calm demeanor. Most kids would be in tears or at least their lips would quiver in worry. Cassandra, though, had a composed look to her. Josele had never met a child so skilled at keeping their face free of obvious expression. The biggest tell on Cassandra’s face was the slight furrowing of her brows. But her being curled up and the blanket over her body twitching every few seconds showed that she wasn’t entirely put together.

It was also likely Cassandra was shivering from being cold. She was carried through the rain at night without even a thin blanket.

A hot bath for the girl was in order once Josele could help her feel comfortable.

“So… According to Mr. Halloak, you’re Cassandra.” When Josele said that, Cassandra blinked widely and her tension eased. “Do I have that right? Cassandra?”

The child nodded. “Mhm. But, uh, you can say Cass too.”

“Cass. Okay then.” Josele took a step forward and paused. The girl gave no adverse reaction. “Well, you’ve been asleep a while. How do you feel?” She slowly closed the gap as she talked.

Cassandra didn’t say anything, only chewed on her lower lip for a second before shrugging. The blanket started to sag and slip down.

“If you’re scared or nervous, it’s okay.” Josele stopped next to her nightstand and crouched down to Cassandra’s level.

“Oh.” Cassandra hummed. Her eyes shifted away for a second before she spoke again, “Um, where is here?”

“You’re inside of a Magic Knight Squad’s base. This is the Black Bulls.” Josele touched her shoulder cloak where the squad’s emblem was. “See this? It proves I’m a Magic Knight.”

“Magic Knights…” Cassandra whispered. Again, she sniffled. After a second, a look of realization crossed her face. “…Is Mr. Halloak’s not here now? I remember him carrying me.”

“I’m sorry, Cass, but he had to leave after bringing you here,” Josele explained straight. “He did say he would come back later though.”

“Mommy and Daddy won’t come get me?”

Josele swallowed, remembering what Erwin told her about Cassandra’s circumstances. Right that moment was not the time to tell a child such a harsh truth. There was no lying though. Even if Cassandra didn’t know how bad of a liar Josele was, her usual tell was too obvious, not to mention weird, to ignore. The girl seemed keen and would press the topic.

“Mr. Halloak said that he would return for you,” Josele answered. It was the truth. Even if it was an answer that evaded the actual question. She watched Cassandra blink, probably letting the answer sink in. “Are you not happy about that, Cass?”

“I ‘unno,” Cassandra muttered. Her neutral answer was betrayed by an obviously upset frown. “He’s Daddy’s friend but he’s not very fun.”

“That’s too bad,” Josele stated. She let a few seconds pass in silence so all the information so far could sink in for Cassandra. Then she started talking again. “In that case, I’ll try to be someone you can have fun with. You know why?”

Cassandra blinked at Josele then responded, “You and your husband are gonna babysit me?”

“Yea—” Wait a second. Josele quickly composed herself. “Uh-huh! I’ll make sure my husband is nice to you, too, so we all can have fun.” The photo of me and Morgen is right next to the bed so maybe she figured I was married based on that. Can kids her age think logically like that?

Cassandra smiled for the first time since Josele entered the room. Dimples highlighted the corners of her smile, making her expression all the more precious.

Maybe she’s just at an age where she thinks all grown ups get married, Josele reasoned. I’d been like that myself. “Let’s get along, ‘kay?”

“Mhm. Th-thank you, Missus, uh, Fah—” Cassandra’s brows pinched in a concentrated look and her face took on a faint shade of pink. “Fh. Ffffhh. Fuh— Um.”

“Faust.” Josele grinned at Cassandra as the girl nodded in understanding.

“Thank you, Mrs. Faust,” Cassandra meekly squeaked.

Cassandra looked at Josele before she pulled down the part of the blanket that acted as a hood and wrapped it closer to her neck. Her hair, now dried after a long night, was on full display. It was a deep, warm shade of red and at present, a tangled mess. With the light more easily hitting her face, a shimmer of silver from beneath Cassandra’s bangs caught Josele’s eye. But with Cassandra gazing at her intently, Josele pushed that observation aside.

“So, uh, are all your Magic Knight friends gonna babysit me?” Cassandra asked and scooted from the center of the bed closer to where Josele was. “Is that a job Magic Knights do?”

The questions made Josele smile wider and laugh out loud.

“Babysitting isn’t something Magic Knights normally do, but I think a lot of us could,” she stated confidently. “But my husband and I will be in charge. Would you like to meet my husband now?”

It was as good a time as any to bring it up.

“Okay.”

Josele opened the door and beckoned in Nacht and Yami.

“Guys, this is Cassandra, or Cass for short,” Josele said, gesturing to Cassandra who was still mostly curled up on the bed. “Cass, this is Yami Sukehiro, the captain of the Black Bulls.”

“Yo.” Yami waved his hand next to his head, making it look like a casual salute.

“And this is Nacht, my husband and the vice captain of the Black Bulls.” Nacht tipped his head in Cassandra’s direction when Josele introduced him.

Cassandra whispered a quick “hi” to each man then looked at Nacht more intently.

“Hm? Is something the matter?” Nacht questioned.

“I like your necklace, Mr. Faust,” Cassandra blurted out. “Are they hunting troh-fees?”

Nacht glanced at the necklace of devil relics he wore before putting on a smiling mask.

“Why yes.” The fib fell from Nacht’s lips all too easily.

Even after so many years, Josele didn’t know if she was more jealous or concerned by the ease at which Nacht lied. It was a part of him, though, and regardless of other thoughts, Josele knew she already loved every part of her husband.

“How did you guess such a thing?”

“Mommy and Daddy have some too. They hunt.”

“So did my dad!” Josele said and touched a hand to her chest. “Would you look at that, we already have something in common.”

“Whadya know,” Yami murmured from behind Josele. “I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship.”

Cassandra’s face brightened for a smile before “Achoo!” She sniffled and even brought her hand up to her nose.

“Oh dear.” Without thinking, Josele went over and stroked the top of Cassandra’s head. “Looks like you need a hot bath now.”

“Bathes can be hot?” Cassandra echoed as she looked up at Josele through her tangled bangs.

Josele felt her heart squeeze in her chest hearing that. She had a feeling Cassandra’s family were peasants, given that they knew her father but she’d never encountered any “Yverns” while growing up, but Cassandra’s confusion at the mention of a warm bath confirmed it.

“Yeah. Our base is fancy enough to have hot water all the time,” Josele said. “How about it?”

“Y-yes plea—choo!”

Yami chuckled then said, “You take care of the kid. Nacht and I will make sure there’s breakfast left for you two.”

“Thanks. Oh, is there any kind of food you really like, Cass? Any breakfast food?”

“I like jam and toast,” Cassandra answered as she climbed down from Josele’s bed.

“Then we’ll save some for you,” Nacht said. “You have a nice bath in the meantime.” He smiled at Josele. “I’ll see you later, darling.”

As Nacht left the room, Cassandra murmured, “I thought your name was Josele, not Darling.”

“That’s just a nickname, sort of. Almost like how your name can be shortened to ‘Cass,’” Josele laughed. She stepped over to her dresser and sifted through the clothes kept there until she found a short-sleeved smock that would fit Cassandra like a dress with some adjustments made to it. “He calls me that since I’m his wife.”

Cassandra hummed in response.

After a short walk to the bathing room and a wait for the tub to fill, Cassandra was finally able to enjoy the luxury of a warm bath. 

“Do you want me to help you wash up?” Josele asked while grabbing shampoo, conditioner, and soap from the stock shelf next to the tub.

“But aren’t you sewing the shirt?”

Cassandra pointed to a stool and the smock draped over it. While they had been waiting for the tub to fill, Josele had started work on adjusting the smock for Cassandra. Pins stuck out in places and a threaded needle poked out from the neckline.

“I am. But I can finish it later,” Josele assured the girl, shrugging as she did. “I want to help you first.”

“Well…” Cassandra grabbed the bottle of shampoo Josele had set out. “I don’t know what this is. Is it fancy soap for nobles?”

“Oh no! Shampoo isn’t just for nobles!” Josele exclaimed as she crouched down and extended her hand to take the bottle. Cassandra handed over the shampoo without fuss. “It’s a special soap for hair.”

“That exists? Mommy only used water to wash my hair.”

“I’m not surprised.” Josele gestured for Cassandra to face away from her. “One of my squad mates grew up in Hage and he was also surprised to learn about this special hair soap.”

“Ooohhh. Hage is really close to Horto. That means we’re kinda sorta maybe like neighbors.”

“I guess so.”

“What’s his name? The one from Hage?”

“Asta. Does he sound familiar?”

“Uh… No.”

As Josele worked the shampoo into Cassandra’s hair, the conversation trailed off and Josele had a moment to think to herself.

Mom and Dad were pretty frugal about hygiene stuff. Dad had to wash up daily ‘cause of his job but he only used soap every other time he washed. Mom only used shampoo once a week. I hadn’t even heard of conditioner before I met the twins. It’s become more commonplace since I was a kid, but I guess for a village that’s nearer to Hage, shampoo and conditioner probably do seem like luxury things.

Josele took a glance at Cassandra’s face and smiled in amusement seeing the little girl holding her palms to her forehead to stop the suds from falling into her eyes.

What a cutie. And such a lovely color for her hair. Reminds me of Mallory and Zora, especially with her blue eye too.

Josele started to give Cassandra’s scalp a gentle massage as she made sure shampoo got on every strand of hair. Her fingers worked their way down from the crown of Cassandra’s head towards her temples.

“U-um, Mrs. Faust—”

Josele reached the spots right above Cassandra’s ears and stopped. She felt a number of things with her hands. The fluffy shampoo lather. The soaked and tangled locks of Cassandra’s hair.

And thin lines of something cold and firm.

Metal? I didn’t see her wearing any hair pins or barrettes. Where’d that—?

Splash!

While Josele’s thoughts were spinning, Cassandra’s head had fallen under the water’s surface.

“Ack!” Josele reached into the water and hoisted Cassandra back up. “Are you okay? You’re okay, right?”

Cassandra’s damp hair hung over her head like a thick curtain. She spat up a bit of water before she answered, “I’m okay. I did that ‘cause I wanted to.” She shook her soaked hair. “My head felt funny. Does shampoo do that?”

There wasn’t confusion behind the question. Instead, the ki that Josele observed in Cassandra gave off the impression of anxiety and fear.

“It’s not,” Josele answered after a pause. “I guess I was taking too long to shampoo your hair.”

“M-maybe…”

Josele pulled her hands away, regretting that she upset Cassandra. But at the same time, she sensed regret from the girl too.

For a moment, the only sound in the room was the slow dripping of water from Cassandra’s hair back into the bathtub.

“Did you need help rinsing your hair? You didn’t get all the suds out.”

“Nuh-uh. I can do it.”

“Will you need help with the soap for your body?”

“I can do that too.” Cassandra put a hand underneath her hanging locks and lifted them up enough for Josele to see her mouth. She smiled, her dimples showing. “Thank you for helping me.”

Even if Cassandra couldn’t see through her hair, Josele smiled back.

“You’re welcome.”

In silence, Josele returned to the stool where the smock was still waiting to be finished.

Josele did her best to adjust the smock for Cassandra and watch the child as she washed up. Her pace was slow, as every time she made a new stitch, she glanced up to make sure Cassandra was safe. Sure, it was only a bathtub not even two feet deep and Cassandra showed moments of competency, but she was still a five-year-old girl. If the job was for Josele to take care of Cassandra, then she would be as careful as a watcher as she could be. She wanted to be vigilant even if it was unnecessary.

While Josele sewed and watched, Cassandra cleaned herself with the soap. She kept sniffing the bubbles, seemingly taken in by the sweet aroma of the soap. She must’ve been used to plain, unscented soap. Even after she washed herself, the child lingered in the water. She waded around in the water and muttered about it being like an indoor pond.

Eventually, Cassandra called out to Josele.

“The water isn’t warm anymore.”

“Alright then. Time for you to dry off. And perfect timing too!”

Josele held up the smock which had been transformed into a little romper fit for a girl Cassandra’s size. Cassandra lit up with another smile at the sight of it.

It was a relief to see that even if Cassandra was unusually put together, she was still a kid who got excited at the prospect of something new.

[devil-acid]

beast cookies doodle!! (because im learning how to draw them) + mystic flour winning coty because she won while I was drawing them

[duhaerith]

shadow milk cookie dump!!!!!!!!! I NEED HIM SO BADDDDDD he doesn't want to come home 😭😭😭 wish me luck guys

[koidump]

beauty and the beast

[sallufix]

SLIGHT DISAGREEMENT

I REALLY LOVE THEIR WEIRD ASS FRIEND GROUP!!! PLANNING TO DRAW MORE OF EM