#the blue and green looked so good on the moth that I used it again on this teacup!

[robinsceramics]

this sailboat teacup is my favorite cup I've made so far!

[image description: a porcelain teacup with a whimsical handle and a blue sailboat painted on a pale green background on each side.]

[deadsetobsessions]

Once more the hallucinations hit, and once more I am here writing it out.

My brain is fucking terrifying and I want out, so bad. This came to me in the form of a nightmare.

Also, please don’t take the timeline into consideration, because I have no idea what’s going on. Again, nightmares and dreams tend to not have the best coherency when it comes to plot and timelines. The reincarnation doesn’t have a name, I was too busy feeling terrified. Shit in parentheses was how I experienced the nightmare. Everything else is just me adding sprinkle sprinkle.

——

Ra’s al Ghul.

Talia al Ghul.

Two names that she had been aware of, in the peripherals of her hyper fixation. Two characters meant to enhance the story of the Dark Knight. Side characters, on a good day. Perhaps, a main antagonist on a better day.

On a bad day?

Main characters. Real, living people. Real, living, breathing assassins.

Unfortunately, they’re her new family. One she remembered coming into, bathed in a pool of blood and screams.

She was not a baby.

She is now, a baby. The first of Talia al Ghul’s children. The eldest, once Damian al Ghul was born.

Swaddled in emerald green and gold silks, she was presented to a man with silver streaked hair and a receding hairline. He too, was robed in green and golds.

“A daughter, Talia?” He rumbled, the smooth Arabic flowing out of his mouth failing to hide the acrid disappointment. The child, past the haze of confusion of suddenly being deported from her own adult body into one of a helpless child, felt a stirring of irritation. It’s good she learned the language, because now she knew exactly how Ra’s felt about her. The child grumbled a displeased sound. Not that she would have ignored the fact that her grandfather was Ra’s al Ghul. (He smelled like moth eaten fabric and blood- but I think that was because my cat accidentally scratched me.)

“My apologies, father.”

“Do not tell the young detective of this. Had it been a son, perhaps things would have been different. No, a daughter would only hinder him.”

Talia bowed, hands tightening on her daughter. “May I raise her, father?”

“A resource is still a resource. Go ahead, Talia.”

“Yes, father.” Talia took the dismissal and bowed before leaving.

On her way back to the room with the reincarnation’s crib, Talia al Ghul stroked her daughter’s head.

“I wish you were born a boy, my daughter. I am sorry my beloved will never know of you.”

The reincarnation looked at her new mother. She’s young, the woman-child realized. A teenager.

“You’ll have to be useful, my daughter. Your grandfather is not so kind as to keep the useless. I… do not wish for your death,” her mother muttered.

Great. She got new life and it’s already in danger.

——

She learned to swing a knife. Swords. She learned and devoured the teachings. She learned to be useful.

But then they asked her to take the life of a man who did her no wrong.

Her baby blues clashed with her grandfather’s Lazarus green.

She was still young. A child.

“No.”

“No?”

“He did no wrong.”

“He failed, granddaughter.” Ra’s smiled down at her, patronizing. Cruel. “Perhaps you possess your father’s heart, and you are foolishly sentimental, as women and children tend to be. But in the end, you are an al Ghul and you will obey. Plunge in your blade and I will reward you.”

The reincarnation looked at the man kneeling in front of her, resignation and a hint of pity in what little she could see of his face.

She’s already died before. What did she have to be afraid of?

“No.”

They tried to beat the weakness out of her. It didn’t work.

——

The reincarnation stared at the mirror, left alone in an opulent cage of gold and emeralds and precious stones that meant little to her now.

Her hands traced her back, small fingers finding purchase in soft skin. Her mouth opened fruitlessly, noise refusing to escape. She still felt the burning magic, the brand her own blood had carved into her skin and soul because she refused to kill. The chains her grandfather had shackled around her with magic and cruel amusement.

She had killed him, in the end. Obey, or be punished. Her body had moved without her permission, the reincarnation a prisoner in a body that refused to do as she commanded. The knife swung, a life taken, her hands dipped in red.

She learned a valuable lesson that day.

There were things worse than death.

“This is an order, granddaughter.”

The Magic had flared a searing heat at her neck, forcing her to kneel on broken legs. Ra’s loomed above, authority in his voice. She was bound to obey, regardless.

“You will never speak another word of affection, you will never speak another word to anyone unless I allow it. Perhaps this will teach you of your folly, and your place in this world.”

The loss of her freedom and the fear that came with it was a bitter and devastating lesson.

——

Ra’s al Ghul was so much worse than what little she knew of him.

She was right to be afraid for herself.

Her mother had worried, when she’d withdrawn and refused to speak to her. Even if she could, the reincarnation would not have wanted to. The reincarnation had felt furious, back then, when she thought of Talia. Her mother who refused to protect her. Her mother, who claimed she loved her but refused to see the chains Ra’s wrapped around her neck. She who plied the reincarnation with a supportive hand but forced her into the fighting pits.

But, as the reincarnation stumbled out on bruised and used legs from Ra’s al Ghul’s meeting chambers where he had allowed his business partners to partake in her, she realized that Ra’s was a monster in a human’s body and her mother was a victim of his making.

The lesson Ra’s taught her that day was that if she was not useful, if she did not kill, he would take what was left of her and make use of her.

Hate flared in her heart, and the beginning of Ra’s downfall began the day he let her go from the chambers alive. Injured, but alive. Injured and violated, but alive and furious.

——

She carved her hate and rage and helplessness and fear in the bodies of the people he bid her to kill. Her silenced screams were expressed in the way she splattered blood, the way she covered herself in it. A killing machine first, a stress reliever second, and a child… wasn’t on the list of things she was allowed to be.

His enemies were felled, one after another. He gave her his approval, something she detested.

But still, she continued, bodies racking upwards, tens turning to hundreds, hundreds edging into thousands.

The red in her ledger became ichor and guilt. Her language became violence and obedience.

“You have become a sharp tool, granddaughter.”

She was a genius, after all. And now, she could not disobey. A blade that Ra’s believed will never point towards him. She kneeled. She obeyed.

“Thank you, grandfather.” Her words were only allowed to come out- without searing, terrible pain- when she was thanking him. She tried not to do it as often as he wanted. He thought he broke her when he read the obedience she carved into her body language.

But she never bowed. Never. Not to him. Never.

——

“My weapon could learn much from your granddaughter,” David Cain sat across from Ra’s, wine in their stupid goblets. How she detested the green and blacks he’s seen fit to dress her with. She’s dressed provocatively, not of her own choice. She doesn’t have much of those- doesn’t have much in ways of choices- these days.

She was twelve, and Ra’s al Ghul deserved to die.

“Her combat is a higher form of what my daughter has achieved. How did you do it?”

When Ra’s began to reply, she slipped away.

She found the girl. She found… the cage- the black box- the child was placed in. The child flinched from her when she opened the metal box, fear only easing as the reincarnation kept her body language neutral and kind. (It was pitch black, and about the size of like, a closet. No light. Only from whatever door the box had.) (Cass’ hands hurt from banging on the walls to be let out)

David Cain’s daughter, her mind whispered, the memories of another life once more making itself known.

“Cassandra.” She whispered, regretting it immediately when pain wracked her body. She fell to her knees as the punishment for disobeying an order slammed into her.

The girl looked at her in concern, but did not move closer. The reincarnation stared at this girl and saw a reflection of herself.

David Cain would be here for a month. She will free Cassandra in those days.

——

The weapon stared at the girl in front of her, kneeling in pain.

She did not understand.

-

The girl came back. Water. Food. Kind.

The weapon felt warm. The girl was quiet. No sounds. Good. The weapon knew the girl understood. The weapon thinks that the girl is a weapon too.

-

The girl comes back, again. This time, she makes a sound. It hurt her, but she did it again. The weapon understands when the girl points at herself and repeats the sound. The sound means the girl. The girl expects something from the weapon.

The weapon makes the sound, flinching to see if the owner will come to punish it. The girl purposefully sits, relaxed but vigilant… and protective. Of the weapon?

The weapon relaxed. It repeated the sound, pointing at the girl.

The girl smiles, in pain. But approval. The weapon feels- the weapon is warm, like under the blanket. Approval.

The girl teaches her to make sounds but the weapon communicates without it. It does not like the sounds, does not need them, but the girl seems to think it’s important.

The weapon likes the girl, so the weapon learns. They still understand through no sounds, through reading each other.

-

The girl comes back, silently. Secretly. The weapon does not notify the owner. The weapon feels- does not want to.

The girl- the girl with the sound- she says a different sound. Her body tells the weapon that it’s important, this sound.

And when the girl points at herself and says her own sound, then points at the weapon and says that new sound again, the weapon begins to understand.

The girl had given the weapon her own sound.

“Cass—n- ra.”

“Cass,” the girl said, and Cassandra understood.

“Cass.” Cassandra pointed to herself.

-

The owner wanted- wanted Cassandra to end a life. Cassandra watched the owner kill and gesture to the dead thing.

Cassandra did not want to.

When Cassandra is placed back into the pitch black box, she waited for the girl.

The girl came.

“Don’t want.” Cassandra clung to her, reading the welcome and the sadness in the girl’s body. Cassandra tucked her face into the girl’s shoulder. She is cold. The girl is warm.

The girl hugged her back. The girl understood. Sadness hardened into lines of determination. Cassandra felt… light. Felt hope.

-

Cassandra slipped away from the place, water in her pack for the dessert and money to run from the country. The girl stayed behind, seeing her off. The girl tells her to never come back.

Cassandra did not want to leave the girl behind, but the girl could not go.

“Be free, Cass.” The girl had whispered through the pain. “For the both of us.”

——

Her grandfather knew. He allowed David Cain to break her, not kill because she was of use to him still, as a lesson. She found that she hated his lessons. But, she hated his attention more.

And still, she could not regret. How could she, when Cass trusted her with what fragile hope she had?

So, she lets him beat her, and provokes him with smirks and fearless eyes because the longer he’s focused on her, the more time Cass has to run.

Then, he gets too angry, and insults Ra’s, whose eyes grew cold. Her grandfather gestured and while she usually hated the command that followed that gesture, she could not feel that hatred now.

She got back up, legs broken and arms twisted once more, and attacked David Cain.

Ra’s would not follow Cass. Not when she was not his business to deal with, and not when David Carin’s fury amused him so.

David Cain would not follow Cass. Not while she still drew breath. The reincarnation stood, and threw herself at one of the best assassins of the century.

She tore his throat out with nothing but her teeth. She felt, for once, not like a monster. Not even when Ra’s nodded in approval and ordered for David Cain’s broken body to be cleaned up.

——

She’s been granted a mission in New Jersey, once her months of discipline- of torture- ended. She does not get ordered to find Cassandra. She’s fourteen now, and as silent as ever. Her mother had adjusted to her silence by then- long ago, actually, taking it as a quirk her daughter had developed. She hadn’t been a terribly vocal child, after all. Talia praised her for being useful even as a woman- the self degradation something the reincarnation had no doubt Ra’s had insidiously trained into Talia- and for being loyal to Ra’s.

Sometimes, she hates Talia for being- for-

Never mind. She couldn’t afford to hate anyone else.

She killed her targets early, determination and wistfulness urging her movements into sharp . Then, she made her way to Gotham and slipped into the city of darkness- where her father was.

She watched as he hid in the shadows almost as easily as she did. She watched as he flew and glided with the younger Robin. (He was younger than her by a year. She checked.) He was free. They were free.

She wished…

As she turned away, she saw a child tumbling from the edge of a roof. It was an instinct she’d thought Ra’s had managed to bury after the months he’d spent making sure she killed only children.

She hated him.

She caught him, swooping in and tucking him against her side as she plucked him from the air and plopped him back onto the crumbling roof of Gotham’s slums.

“Oh, thank you! So much- are you a vigilante?” The boy asked, looking at her masked face. It’s a good thing she wasn’t exactly dressed like a regular League operative.

She shook her head. Her eyes fell onto his camera, faint memories rising once more. She had an inkling-

“I’m- uh- Tim!” The boy introduced himself nervously, edging away from her silence. “Thank you for saving me…?”

She nodded. She pointed to the camera, tilting her head.

“Oh- you… want to see it?” He clutched his camera closer. Oh, he did have some sense of self preservation. She wondered why a seven year old was allowed to roam these streets… but she did worse at seven.

She held her hand up and back up. The boy hesitated, and then showed her the camera. “Uh- I took pictures of Robin and Batman!”

They sat on that roof for hours, and she let Tim Drake tell her stories about her father and his son. Ward. Son.

She could tell that Tim didn’t have anyone to listen to him.

She didn’t have long until she had to go back or risk severe punishment, but… she could make time for Tim, to listen to him.

She wondered if Cass managed to escape completely. She wondered if her sister all but in name and blood learned how to smile.

——

Tim had never had a friend before!

She listened to him! And gave him hugs the one time he was brave enough to ask! And she seemed to like Batman and Robin as much as he did! No one who didn’t like them would listen to his endless rambling otherwise, right? (Tim was super skinny, like ribs poking out skinny. He looked like a sickly Victorian child and he was kind of cold)

“And then, Robin went like this,” he pantomimed the awesome punch Dick Grayson did on a Joker goon. “And the guys got knocked out just like that!”

His new friend nodded, looking interested.

“Sorry, am I talking too much?” Tim asked anxiously. He didn’t want to make his friend hate him!

She shook her head, and gestured for him to continue.

“Are you sure?”

She nodded.

His new friend was so cool! She even taught him how to throw a punch and to fight!

——

When she had to leave, she prepared Tim for it.

“Do you have to go?”

She nodded and placed a hand on his head, ruffling his hair. Her other hand held a duffle bag with an assortment of weapons she carefully kept from him. (One of the blades still had guts on it, which, ew.)

“Try not to fall off anymore roofs, little photographer.” She said, smiling at his shocked look before leaping away.

“Wait, you can talk?!” He shouted at her back. She smiled a little wider.

——

“A son, this time.” Ra’s al Ghul’s voice echoed in his disgustingly flashy throne room. It rings of approval.

The reincarnation stood behind her mother, eyes cast downwards.

“Well done, Talia. I finally have a worthy heir.”

Damian al Ghul cooed.

The reincarnation was scared. But… she could not allow her younger brother to be trapped like she was. She’s fifteen now, a decade of slavery having worn her down and nearly broken her. But with her brother… no, she could not allow it.

She met her mother’s eyes and knew then that they agreed. Protect Damian, at all costs.

She ignored the sting of envy. So what her mother could not find it in herself to protect her daughter? So long as she protected Damian, it didn’t matter.

Maybe she didn’t matter. Maybe she wasn’t worth anything. Maybe- maybe- maybe.

She also ignored the seed of disgust she had for mother’s actions in conceiving Damian. She couldn’t do anything about it. Talia was also a victim.

A louder voice in her asked if she could really excuse that, when Talia had a choice and she chose to hurt and violate Bruce Wayne like that. She wondered if she could truly ever forgive Talia. She wondered if Bruce Wayne got therapy.

——

She stared at the tome in front of her, eyes blank. (Actually, she had no eyes. Like? Empty sockets, but then later she had eyes???)

The brand- the shackles- the chains could only be broken if Ra’s died. She wasn’t opposed to that. But if he died, so did she. She couldn’t even kill herself to get out, because the chains would be there even if she died. If she was revived- a high chance, thanks to the fucking pits- then the chains would still be there.

Perhaps… she could use the pits?

Her mind turned and turned.

——

“This is your ukht.” Her mother pointed at her. Damian stared up at her, and she melted. Her brother was too damn cute.

“Ukhti?”

She nodded as her mother smiled in joy. “Yes, habibi.”

She was better at hiding the pain, now. She was better at enduring it, too, that fucking burning feeling. She spoke more, but only to Damian.

It would not do for her brother to grow up not knowing how to receive verbal expressions of affection. Not like she did, in this life.

Still, it hurt to speak. But then, she had an idea, based on Cassandra.

She could not speak, but speaking wasn’t the only way of communication. She’ll teach Damian sign language- standard, as commanded- but also her own version. Yes, she could do it. It wouldn’t be hard.

She was a genius, after all, and creating languages wasn’t as hard as people seem to think.

——

Damian copied her, small fingers patting his hand four times.

She did it back to him. “I love you.” She tells him, with sounds and with motions.

He does it back, excitedly, because he had a secret with ukhti!

——

Sometimes, she dared not to touch Damian. She wants to ruffle his hair and give him hugs but the ichor on her hands reminds her to not get to greedy. She did not deserve it.

Not when her hands were stained with the lives of so many people.

——

Another mission.

She was twenty now, and not much closer to escaping her bonds. Though, once she hit her majority, Ra’s lost interest in her in that way. A blessing, even if she had to seduce his “business partners” into giving him better deals more often now.

She stops by Bludhaven. The Robin she watched so many years ago- six, by her count- had grown new wings and moved. She wanted to see if he could fly still.

He could. He flew as free- no, freer than his days as Robin.

She dipped away to complete her mission (nuclear weapon trading, really?) and swings back to see a spider trying to break the former Robin’s wings.

“No.” Nightwing whispered, staring upwards at the cloudy sky blankly. “Please, stop.”

She didn’t need to hear any more. She saw red, and dove feet first straight onto the spider’s head, knocking her out.

She picked up a near-catatonic Nightwing, and helped him to his apartment. She left Tarantula in the rain and felt zero guilt about it.

He changed mechanically, some kind of instinct keeping him from removing his domino, but it was a bit pointless considering she escorted him to his personal apartment.

She watched as Nightwing slipped into an exhausted sleep before leaving. She had a spider to squish, and traces to hide.

——

Dick wakes up, drained and exhausted. He… someone saved him.

He sees a scrawled note, handwriting impeccable enough to be a font, written with his pen. He picked it up from his table, and his eyes tiredly read the message.

“Don’t worry about Tarantula. Or your identity.��- A friend.

He remembered- the mask- the mask of the stranger that saved him vividly. He’d remember. And he’d thank them if they ever came back.

——

She was in charge of training assassins, these days. A year and a half later after Bludhaven, she was back in Nanda Parbat, and she’s devoured every magical tome she could get her hands on. They all say the same things.

Her assassins were trained well, and Ra’s praises her with more responsibilities as he followed the pit in his obsessions. Her mother began to splinter the group, not knowing that as Ra’s began his descent into madness, people looked towards her instead of Talia for leadership. They did not know that her unwavering presence by Ra’s side wasn’t voluntary but it is their true that she became his right hand out of pure skill. And flawless obedience, of course.

Then, someone new joins.

Someone with pit rage and empty eyes that goes rigid when she approaches.

Then again, most of the operatives freeze up when she walks towards them.

Her memories roar. A child.

He bowed, and her eyes followed the streak of white hair at the forefront of his skull.

She gestured at him to follow, and ignored the pitiful eyes the rest of the assassins gave to the kid- they act like her training was hard when she went easy on them (it was)- and led the kid towards the training rooms.

She knew who he was, even if her grandfather and mother didn’t think she knew.

Her… Bruce Wayne would probably appreciate his son being returned relatively sane.

But first, she had to beat the Pit out of him. Then, she could assign body guarding duties to him, in an attempt to protect him.

——

“Grandfather, I will take Damian’s punishment.”

“A whipping girl, granddaughter?” But he nodded anyways. He made Damian watch.

She kneeled and allowed the punishment. She couldn’t always protect him from Ra’s, but this she could do anytime. It’s not like she was unfamiliar with the torture. (The whip had barbs. Rusty. And they sprinkled salt.)

——

“I liked poetry….” Jason Todd tells her after a training session. “I think.”

“Sure. I’ll call you Grave, then.” Pain. But she was used to it.

He tilted his head, eyes going blank once more. She sighed. There went his memories again. (His eyes were blank and glazed. Like looking at someone you love and knowing they’re looking through you.)

——

“I would not trust her,” she says to the air, next to a Red Hood emerging from Talia al Ghul’s chambers. She could see it, the beginnings of Gotham’s new crime lord. But still, “Talia al Ghul is known for her lies.”

She pushed away from the wall. It was up to Grave if he listened. It was out of her hands now.

——

She’s twenty-five, and she’s helping Damian pack for his first meeting with Bruce Wayne.

“You must not tell him about me.” Because he’d come rushing here, and she had worked too hard to save Damian for her fool of a father to come and ruin all of that effort.

“I promise.” Her little brother said solemnly. Ukhti said it out loud, which meant it was important and she expected him to keep that promise.

The only other time he’d heard her speak was to tell him she loved him.

The reincarnation smiled and told him through their special sign language, to treat the current Robin with respect and to try his best to get the current Robin to pass down his title.

‘Robin is earned. They have different rules, over there. Try your best to learn those rules.’

Her brother was sheltered. She loved him, but he was spoilt and sheltered. Of course she was worried. Talia barely mothered him.

“I know. You do not have to remind me so often, ukhti.”

She smiled, and patted his head.

“Be safe,” she whispered. “I will miss you.”

Damian darted in for a hug. “Of course. Goodbye, sister. See you soon.”

She hoped not. It was hard enough to convince Ra’s that Damian would learn more under Bruce Wayne.

(She was locked in a small closet- like Cass- for about a week, because she brought up the idea first.)

——

She found it.

The answer to pit rage laid in an old, all but crumbling tome from Atlantis- answers “from a ghost.”

——

Bruce Wayne died. Months after Damian came to live with him. That- irritating- she sighed and worked with her mother to turn Ra’s al Ghul’s attention away from Gotham, lest he called Damian back in Bruce Wayne’s absence.

The little photographer caught grandfather’s attention. She stood vigil as he played chess with Ra’s. His interest in Damian wavered. Anticipation blurred in her veins.

She saved his friends. Her assassins. She let them go, telling them to wait for the little photographer’s plan. (Y’all miss girl had fucking bloody handprints on her pants like someone tried to grab it.)

The first few people who had an inking she might not be loyal to Ra’s… and it was them.

When her other assassins attacked Red Robin, she cut them down before they could touch him, helping him with a furious League of Spiders or whatever operative. She hated spiders.

“What…?”

“You’re a lot of trouble, little photographer.” She sighed. His jaw dropped.

“It’s you!”

“Go,” she cut him off. “Blow this place up. I left a surprise for you outside.”

——

“Owens?! Z?!” Tim trembled, exhaustion and shock and wonder hitting him at once.

“Heya, boss!” Z chirped. Owens helped Tim up while Z helped Tam. Pry walked around them, looking out for further threats. “The nightmare trainer let us go. She knew you, I think.”

Tim smiles, all shark teeth and zero hero. (In the background, the song zero to hero from Hercules 2, played in reverse.) “Tell me more.”

——

Damian grunted, bracing himself for the magical creature’s attack.

“Robin!” His father barked out, panicked. Damian hoped he’d survive-

Shhhlk!

He looked up and there stood his ukht. She bounded forwards, using the odd fauna of the magical plane to bolster her movements as she sliced the creatures apart with her swords, magic humming brightly as she cut through them… and the magicians attacking them.

“What- what are you doing here?” He asked. She greeted him, three fingers curled over her shoulder.

‘My question is,’ she signed. ‘Why were you here without a magical weapon.’

Damian sighed as father stepped in between them.

“Who are you.”

“Batman. Cease your excessive worry. I trust her with my life,” Damian snapped. He stepped around a shocked Batman, looked him in the eyes, and unsheathed his katana. He handed it over to his ukht, who took it with amusement.

‘See?’ His eyes seemed to say. Father tensed when his sister unsheathed her own blade and handed it to him.

‘Are you here for a specific reason?’ His sister signed to him.

“Uh, you gonna introduce us, little man?”

Damian sent the Flash a derisive look and ignored him.

“We’re looking for a magician. He set a squadron of demons loose into D.C. last night. He has a tower.” Damian added.

“Robin,” Father growled. “Who is this.” Damian shot him a look and turned back to his sister.

The reincarnation tilted her head. ‘Tower… it’ll have to be that way.’

“Could you take us there?” Damian asked. Truthfully, he could find the way himself. But he wanted more time around his ukht. She nodded and Damian straightened.

“I feel like we should be concerned that Robin’s friend just murdered a bunch of people.”

His sister glanced back and ignored them.

“Silence, incompetents. Speak another word against her, and Batman’s no killing rule will be applied creatively.” He hissed. (The fucking surroundings hissed with him y’all what the fuck)

He turned when his sister ruffled his hair (Superman muttered a super shocked “what the fuck.”) and Damian allowed it. He had missed his sister.

——

[writingoddess1125]

hello!! ⭐, I saw that your order section was open and yesterday I read your story of buggy with the Roger effect and Jessica Rabit and I loved it, and I would like to know if you could do a one shot or something shorter if you prefer showing how they met and they decided to get married I love your stories and I think that, like your buggy, he is my favorite character. If you don't like this request or you think it's not good to do it, you can just ignore it, it won't be a bad thing 😸 thank you and have a good day!! 💗✨ (pd. English is not my first language so sorry if something is not written well😔)

Deal! I love this little idea

Buggy x FemReader

Small angst + Fluff

Heart on my Sleeve

Prequel Of Roger and Jessica Rabbit Effect

Wanna Buy me a Ko-Fi ☕️

• Your village was one of the poorest villages in the East Blue, the taxes from the World Goverment crippling your home to be a starving wasteland.

• Mainly to the wealthy Governor who lived above your town.

• You owned a fabric shop but the fabrics you owned were old and starting to rot from the lack of buissness. The moths having more use put of your fabrics then you did-

• The newest pirate on the scene Buggy the Clown shows up to your village ready to pillage it, in his early 20s with a fresh faced crew. However they did not expect the village to look worse then before they arrived.

• "I thought you said this place had money?" Buggy asked as he looked at the place. Lowering his blades as it looked like this place- it was in shambles. Like it had been pillaged to time then a pirate

• You had walked out of your shop, seeing if maybe the baker had just enough flour so you could feed yourself. Turning to see the group of pirates that seemed better off then you and your people.

• Buggy stared hard at you and matched forward, seeing that you were quite pretty in his eyes as he stood before you.

• "You! Tell me what the hell is wrong with this place! We heard it was rich here!" He said angrily, clearly upset at not getting to a small village that at least had a few Berries.

• You looked up at the pirate, noting the far too big of clothes for his frame and his painted face- Not liking he was putting such an unflattering green around his watercolor eyes. His face twisting up in anger as he caught you staring at his face.

• "What are you staring at!? You looking at my nose!" He yelled angrily, his fingers going to the inner part of your coat where you assumed some weapon would be.

• "No your shirts too big for your frame and that shade of green doesn't compliment your eyes well" You said truthfully, At this point a knife or bullet being a kinder death then starving anyway-

•"U-Uh- What?" He said confused, Unsure how to answer. You reaching forward and putting your arms around his frame to pull back the shirt. Taking a pin from your pocket and pinning the shirt back so it fit properly.

• "See- Your shirt is too big. It looks better fitted like that" You pointed out, His faze looking down at the pinned back shirt. His face red at how close you got to him, or that you'd touched him at all.

• "As for money we have non. The governor has the taxes so hide no one here can even feed themselves" You said truthfully, The young clown blinking at you in surprise.

• "Er- Y-Youre making fun of me somehow right? Like my Nose" He tried to yell again grabbing the front of your dirty shirt- clearly not used to someone trying to give him kind useful advice without some sort of motive.

• "I would never make fun of your nose, it looks fine to me anyways" You snap back and slap his hand away calmly. He blinked at you surprised and released your hand- His eyes going up the hill of the village and seeing the grand governors house hidden in some trees.

• He huffed and shoved you hard, you falling into the mud as him and his crew marched past up to the Governors home.

• However what did surprise you was the next Morning the Captian and his Crew stood in the village square and announced he now owned the village. Saying he was Buggy the Clown- and that he was now in charge.

• Before starting to hand out some stolen treasure??? Giving some supplies he had 'liberated' from the Governors house.

• You also noticed how his eyes lingered on you as he did this.

• It had been a few months like this, he would stop by randomly pay for the village. He wasn't taking taxes but instead paying things- it was improving greatly, the cracks of the pavements on the streets getting repaired, new paint on the building and new businesses flourishing-

• But you noticed how he would pay extra attention to your shop- Getting all his things from you. How you got extra rolls of fabric delivered to your door or how he would pay for all these extra accessories to his costumes.

• "You seamstress I want another coat!" He yelled as he invaded your shop.

• Buggy was there again, asking for another ridiculous costume. You couldn't help but notice how often he was coming by- claiming he wanted new costumes by you and wanting to be measured everytime he came in.

• How he would blush when you measured around his chest. "You know, I noticed you always come through here and stop specifically at my shop for new outfits when you wear the same coat" You tease, watching him blush at you pointing this out.

• "So what!" He yelled out, his face as red as a cherry. You look at him and raise a brow at him, Not even having to say a word as Buggy deflated.

• "...I uh wanted to take you on a date" He grumbled, finally admitting what his plans were. You smiled at this, Setting the tape aside.

• "Now please do tell me, Why should I accept your offer for someone who not only yelled in my face but pushed me in mud-" You point out, even though you knew he most likely made up for it by him saving your village.

• "..I am sorry about that.." He forced out, you could tell he wasn't used to apologizing and was trying his hardest.

• "I forgive you, But that doesn't mean I'll forget" You say calmly. Smiling softly as you saw him looking ready to flip put at the rejection but you held a hand to him-

• "I know- So why don't we make a deal. Since I can tell you're really sorry why don't we agree to dinner and go from there? Its not a date per say but its a start" You said with a smile, his eyes lit up at hearing this at the prospect of getting to win you over.

• "Really!?" He says excitedly, Jumping up and down like a school boy as he blushed and giggled into his gloved hands like a kid. You couldn't help but find it adorable-

• For the next year Buggy would send gifts, love letters, help rebuild the village. Do everything to get in your good graces and ask for a official date every time he visited.

• Buggy would essentially own the Village at the point, 30% of his money went to the village to get it on its feet and keep it a small strip of paradise the very limited taxes he implimented later affer the village was florishing acted as a small form of secondary income. Mainly making sure people knew the place was protected by him as his reputation grew through time.

• Him even showing his unique Devil fruit abilties- Which you often abused for him to float up and grab the more expensive rolls of fabric or hang up finished cloths.

• The village also being a popular tourist destination for the friendly locals and nice scenery. So for Buggy it was worth the investment since originally put in.

• After that 'probation' year you would finally agree to officially date him and he was over the damn moon.

• While he would be secretive about you, his love language was strong. He is both physically and verbally affectionate- While he still throws his fits you know how to handle him well. Loving him both for his strengths and flaws.

• It would be 1 years of dating before Buggy would start planning how to pop the question.

- You were closing up shop for the day, humming along to a made up tune when you heard the back door of your shop being unlocked. You didn't have to look to know who it was, only one other person had the key to it.

"Hey Buggy Boo" You call out, smiling as you heard Buggy grumble and peel off his boots to leave them by the front door.

"That is still such a bad nickname" He grumbled before walking behind you and kissing your cheek and wrapping his arms around you. He smelled like the sea, clearly having just gotten off his shop to visit you. He had been taking more time out to see, wanting to get his bounty higher. Currently proud of his 5,000,000 berry bounty which for a early 20s pirate was fairly good he claimed.

"Ah you love it" You giggle which earned a adorable chuckle from the man.

"You know (Y/N)- I uh really like you and Want to spend my.."

"So I wanted us to have dinner tonight- I know you like that place down the street and want us to go there" He said, his voice very soft- Much softer then normal.

Smiling you turn around and kiss him on the lips.

"I'd love to" You say cheerfully, earning a crooked smile from him as he held you close.

As promised, that night Buggy took you to your favorite restaurant. Having gotten a private table in the back, you two spending hours just talking and sharing a meal together.

Buggy even pulling out a box of your favorite candies he had gotten out from his last adventure.

After dinner he lead you away to the more scenic parts of your Village a small meadow pass that had the most beautiful blue and white flowers, under the moonlight it looked so magical. You saw Buggy reach in his pockets and turn to face you, nervousness painted on his face as he shuffled his feet. Clearly prepared to get on one knee-

"You stole my Thunder!!" He cried in faux anger, you laughing hard as he ranted about how you knew so quickly, happy tears running down your cheeks as you smiled and his face turned deep red.

"Yes I will!" You said with a wide smile, your excitement getting the best of you as you slapped your hands over your own mouth. His jaw dropping in shock.

"I've been planning this for 4 months!!" He whined, face so red his nose was glowing as he stared at you.

"Im so sorry Baby, You just- You talk in your sleep my Love." You reveal with a smile, His face twisting up as he realized you'd known the whole time and let him try to have his moment anyway. You had just got too excited and answering too quickly-

As this sunk in he smiled widely and started to laugh, he couldn't help it! You were just too perfect for him! Despite everything you still let him have the spotlight. He kissed your lips eagerly and held you close, rocking the two of you side to side in pure joy.

"I.. I love you (Y/N)..So much- I cant wait for you to be my wife.." He said as he pressed his face into your neck- You could feel the warmth of tears hitting your skin exposed. Your arms wrapped tightly around him as you hug him close and cried against him in joy.

Pulling the both of you to the ground with a loud laugh as you two laid in the flowers- Laughs leaving you both as tears stilled from both of your eyes.

"I love you too Buggy Boo"

[lowkeyrobin]

Trevor Spengler meeting a ghost his age that is stuck as a ghost because they doesn’t remember their surname or how they died or where they used to live? Like all the ‘important info’ from their memories is gone? Headcanons or one shot? Maybe he was called to “evict” them from a residence and took them home to try to help them?

oh em gee YESSS YESYESYES I love the gbfandom cause yall r so creative ; also this sounds very familiar to frozen empire LMAO ; dw melody kinda slayed ; phoebe is definitely gay idc ; reader knows how they died but not much else, but dw it's for the plot. it's alright let me go by summerdrive is literally the final part of this lol ; also this is super long compared to my other works. I think its good though lol

TREVOR SPENGLER ; lost soul

summary ; youre a lost ghost with no way around the new way of life you'd found yourself in, and trevor is intrigued by you, and decides to try and help you out

warnings ; language, talk about car crashes/death due to car accidents

disclaimers ; set post-frozen empire, me not knowing wtf mannhattan looks like. there's a hilly kind of area near lincoln park bc I said so

word count ; 2.4k

masterlist

The day progressed as usual for Trevor. Wake up, eat, chill out, wait for someone to call, go bust ghosts, come home, eat, sleep and then repeat it all again. Currently, stage five was in progress.

He sits behind Gary in the driver's seat, Phoebe at his side, and his mom in clear view in the front passenger seat. There was no speeding or heavy fight scene, just a calm drive out to a house just outside the main city.

Someone had called in a ghost, I mean, more like a haunting in Trevor's eyes. Nothing was being destroyed, but a very, very apparent ghost had spent the past week sobbing in the attic and banging on the walls.

As he lays eyes on them, he's mesmerized. Their aura is a light blue, contrasting the dark green, brown, and black hues surrounding the attic. They were like a match in the dark. He was attracted to them like a moth to a flame.

He stands on one side of the attic entrance, them on the other. He had to basically turn around to see them on the opposite side of the attic.

He awkwardly and shyly waves, seeing them look back at him, their face contorted to one of discomfort and shock. Tears drip down their cheeks and down onto their neck, scratches and bruises covering their opaque arms, legs and face. A light flickering movement trails down their arms and onto their shoulders and neck, resembling fire.

"Who are you?" They ask, a harsh tone in their voice. Their hands are balled into fists, hanging at their sides.

"Uh, my name's Trevor" He says, showing his empty hands for you, to get some sense that he wasn't here to hurt you. "I'm a Ghostbuster, we got a call that you've been banging walls and stuff..."

They look at him up and down, still thinking this Trevor guy wasn't very trustworthy.

"I just wanna help, okay? What does it take to get you somewhere safer and away from this house?" He asks.

They shrug, unable to hold eye contact. "I don't know why I'm here. I don't know how I'm supposed to move on, I just wanna see my dad again"

Trevor's face quickly morphs into one of solem, feeling the same way as you right now. "I can try and help you move on" He suggests, "Do you know how you... died?"

"Car accident" You answer.

His eyes slightly widened for a moment before answering. "Would you like to come with me? So we can help you move on? We have a lab not to far away, we can try and help you find your way to continue on"

Phoebe, who'd been listening in from downstairs, having been holding the ladder before, speaks up. "We can help you break the fabric and space in time!"

They slightly jump back a bit, not having known that Trevor had guests.

"That's my sister!" He quickly explains, shooting a glare down the ladder towards her. "It's okay, we aren't here to hurt you."

They step forward a bit, the two separated by the hole in the attic floor. They peek down at Phoebe, who gives them a little wave and smile. They look back up at Trevor, who gives them a reassuring yet unsure look, silently urging them to come with him.

"Fine. But not to be experimented on. I just want to see my dad again, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, that's okay!"

👻🕸️☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★👻🕸️☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★👻🕸️☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★

Forty-four days that the lonely ghost had been staying at a lab where the somberly walked around, trying to remember anything other than their death. What were they meant to do?

They and Trevor had grown close, though.

He'd been working with them one-on-one nearly everyday, trying to figure out who they were, when they died, where they died. They'd grown accustomed to this talk, having it not make them grow sad or angry anymore. They became numb to it, they just wanted to move on.

Trevor made their time here worth it though. He understood them more than anyone else. They wouldn't even work with Lars or Lucky if he wasn't around. Lars would scold them and reinform that if they didn't cooperate that it would only take longer, but they didn't mind at this point. They'd like to stay and hang out with Trevor some more.

The same ripped jeans and sweatshirt they wore when they passed never grew any more deteriorated than it already was, strings and rips never mending themselves. They were still comfortable though, physically and mentally. That last day they spent with their father, they didn't know much about it, but their insides grew warm when they thought about or tried to remember it.

Hours and hours of work was rewarded with Trevor taking them out on a walk through the city and showing them the sights. They enjoyed it quite a lot, and didn't mind any stares or looks, just enjoying the time they were able to spend with the boy.

On one of these walks, Trevor brought up some good news. "I think we found your case, Y/n"

They look over at him, an eyebrow raised.

"We found the newspaper caption of the day after you died, it all matches up." He explains, pulling out his phone to show you a picture. "Car flips over gaurd rail near Lincoln Park, one dead, one in critical condition"

They nod, looking back up at Trevor. "I'm guessing I'm the one who died?"

He nods. "In the article it says your name, and your dad's" He hands the phone over to them, pointing the location as they zoom in.

"Y/n L/n" They whisper. "L/n"

He slows down the pace, seeing the look of pain in their eyes.

"What about my dad? Did he die too?"

He nervously shrugs, not having a definitive answer. They nod, handing the phone back.

"That's a great lead though, we can find out where he is. And maybe that can help us get you into the next realm, or whatever it is" Trevor speaks with reassurance. "I will get you there, I swear that on my life, okay?"

The two stand in front of each other on the empty sidewalk, surrounded by trees and cars passing by. He looks up at them, truth behind his dark eyes.

They chew at the inside of their cheek with a nod, wishing they could just hug him right now.

"Can we go visit where...." They speak softly, trying to ask a bit of a heavy question. That question should've been heavy for them, not him of all people.

He nods with a little smile, planning to go after they went out to eat, or, he did. Ghosts of their kind thankfully didn't need food, just being floating spirits trying to find their escape.

👻🕸️☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★👻🕸️☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★👻🕸️☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★

The dusk had turned to night, the sun having set not long ago, the streets lit up by lights and the moon. The walk towards the crash site was silent while Y/n looked over the newspaper pictures a few times.

2021. That wasn't that long ago, yet it seemed like an eternity.

They approach the dented gaurd rail, right where the car must've flipped. Trevor hangs back, putting his phone back in his pocket after they gave it back. They look down the hill, seeing scraps of metal and tire rubber still laying at the bottom.

Their heart sank as they saw it.

Pieces of the scrap were clearly melted or burned, same with a few trees around the area, the bark charred black from whatever fire must've occurred. That had to have explained the fire on their arms, though they never remembered a fire. They must've died on impact.

Trev stands a few feet away, keeping quiet as he sees them just stare into nothing. Maybe they were recollecting memories or maybe their death or anything else in their life was coming back to them. He didn't want to disturb.

They look at the gaurd rail, sunken down to the ground. Some blood splatters still painted the backside, a little pool of blood staining the concrete.

They, with a smooth pace, walk back to Trevor, holding back tears.

"I want to find my dad. I want to know if he lived or not" They speak, pointing down at the blood. "Please, Trevor. I can't wait around any longer."

He nods. He nearly opens his arms for a hug but stops himself, remembering that he couldn't make physical contact with him.

"I'll come down to the lab tomorrow morning and we'll get to work, okay?"

"Okay"

👻🕸️☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★👻🕸️☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★👻🕸️☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★

The sounds of clicks and keyboard taps echo through the lab. Trevor sits in front of the computer, typing all sorts of variations of their father's name and the city, date, etc into the Google search bar. Y/n stands behind him, watching with caution.

Thank God for True People Search.

F/n L/n, Age 55 - Lives in Manhattan, NY (917)-123-4567.

"Holy shit" The two whisper in unison. They both lightly smile, quickly getting back to the mission at hand.

Trevor clicks on the website, instantly greeted by a picture of Y/n's father. Underneath was his full name, age, date of birth, phone number, and city and state of current residence. Below was more info, like his current address, past and current phone numbers, email addresses, possible relatives, etcetera.

The second person below the possible relatives was a familiar name and age. Y/n L/n, age 17.

"Holy shit, that's you" Trevor states, moving the mouse towards the name. "He's- He's not dead"

They're silent now, staring down at the computer screen.

"What the fuck? I spent all these years thinking he was dead!" They say, slowly backing away from the computer and Trevor, hands on their head as they try and not freak out. "What the hell?"

Trevor quickly stands up, proposing an idea. "What if we call him, and get him to come here and see you?"

They're quiet for a moment.

"I'm scared"

"I'll be right here"

Silence.

"I think this is what will make you be able to move on, Y/n"

They're quiet again, then they nod slowly, taking a little deep breath.

👻🕸️☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★👻🕸️☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★👻🕸️☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★

Y/n sits in the chair Trevor was sitting in before, leg bouncing like crazy due to nerves. The curly haired boy, who thankfully grew out his hair some, was speaking words of reassurance to them. It was already four in the afternoon, the days passing on and blending into each other for poor Y/n.

They couldn't even remember how many days ago it was that The Possessor scared the shit out of them with a chair.

Finally, there's a knock on the door, which Trevoe quickly walks over to answer. They felt like they were going to vomit, if they even could.

"Y/n?"

They quickly look up, hearing the familiar voice calling their name. They'd never felt or heard something so familiar that it instantly warmed up their heart.

Their father stands in the doorway, Trevor in front of him as he walks toward them.

The man walks with a limp, carrying his 200 pound body down the hallway. A bushy beard covered the bottom half of his face, grey hairs peaking out between it. He wore a baseball cap, hiding whatever grey hairs he had up there as well.

Y/n quickly stands up, laying eyes on their father after all this time. They felt their whole core begin to burn as they saw him again.

"Dad?"

He smiles, opening his arms. "Y/n"

They quickly run to him, then almost through him, forgetting they were a ghost. They wrap their arms around him, knowing the couldn't make physical contact. He does the same, arms stiffly heald around each other.

"I missed you so much" They cry, looking up at him. "I thought you died"

The two pull their arms away from each other. Trevor watches a few feet away with a smile.

The older man smiles somberly, "I almost did, Y/n/n"

"Are you okay?" They quickly ask, looking at him up and down.

He sighs and shrugs, "I don't think there's been a day where I've been okay without you"

The burning only became worse, nearly hurting them. They didn't know if it was good or bad but you wanted to enjoy this.

"I love you, Dad"

"I love you too. I'm sorry I failed you" He speaks, tears falling down his cheeks. "I'm sorry for everything"

"It's okay" They lightly smile with a chuckle, the action performed by their surprise, shock and happiness of the situation. "I'm okay. Trevor has been helping me try to find you"

He looks back at Trevor who gives him a warm smile and nod, then back to them. They were beginning the process to fade away. Tiny, microscopic pieces of them began drifting away like leaves against the wind. They look down at themselves, feeling the fading and numbing sensation.

Their father nods, seeing the look of 'I need to speak to Trevor' and 'I love you' mixed in their eyes.

They quickly walk over to Trevor, wrapping their arms around him, still stiffly holding them over his shoulders.

"Thank you, so much. I can't thank you enough, Trev"

He smiles, wrapping his arms around them. "Thank you for trusting me, Y/n/n"

They can feel their body trembling, feeling themselves fade into nothing. They hear and feel Trevor crying a bit, trying to hide it.

"Hey, it's alright, I'll be okay" They chuckle, seeing the boy wipe his tears away as they're no longer halfway-hugging.

"I know" He nods, "Have fun moving on"

They lightly smile, and look back at their father. They hold onto whatever memories they had with both him and Trevor, waving goodbye to both of them as they fade into the oxygen around them.

Y/n's father wipes his tears, looking at Trevor now that they're completely gone, for good this time.

"Thank you for bringing me back to my child. Even if it was only for a moment. I can't find the words to express how much I thank you for that"

Trevor nods, "It's okay. Thank you for bringing such a kind soul into the world, Mr. L/n"

"You can call me F/n, son"

[linkemon]

Nandemonaiya (Haku x Reader)

Friendly reminder that English is not my first language. You can check my Masterlists both in English and Polish here. Consider supporting me on Ko-fi. You can also check out my commissions if you’re interested.

Other oneshots can be found here.

ɪɴ ᴏʀᴅᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴀᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴇᴍᴘʟᴇ ꜰɪɴᴀɴᴄɪᴀʟʟʏ, [ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ] ɪꜱ ᴀꜱꜱɪɢɴᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ɪɴ ��ʜᴇ ʙᴀᴛʜʜᴏᴜꜱᴇ. ꜱʜᴇ ᴅᴏᴇꜱɴ'ᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ʏᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʜᴇʀ ᴇᴍᴘʟᴏʏᴇʀ ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ᴀ ʀᴇᴀʟ ᴡɪᴛᴄʜ. ꜱʜᴇ ɪꜱ ꜱᴀᴠᴇᴅ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴀ ʙʀᴇᴀᴋᴅᴏᴡɴ ʙʏ ʜᴀᴋᴜ. ᴀ ʙᴏʏ ᴡʜᴏ ᴅᴏᴇꜱɴ'ᴛ ʀᴇᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀ ᴡʜᴏ ʜᴇ ɪꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴀɴᴛꜱ ʜᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ᴀᴠᴏɪᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴀᴍᴇ ꜰᴀᴛᴇ ᴀᴛ ᴀʟʟ ᴄᴏꜱᴛꜱ…

[Reader] casts one last glance toward the shrine. A black roof covered in moss. A red tori gate standing out against the greenery. A few sisters heading to one of the rituals. Everything was as usual, except for the man standing at the top of the stairs. He emerged from the evening mist, looking off into the distance. He stroked his long beard thoughtfully.  

The current kannushi was so old that she had only seen him a few times, at major events. He could barely handle his work. None of the young men wanted to replace him. He had no children either. He had placed all his hopes in orphans like her. But for several years now, there had not been a single boy of the right age to learn. Several had passed away before his health failed and the only one left was only three years old. The fact that the monk had come out to see her off seemed oddly suspicious to her.  

She adjusted her bag, trying to understand what had happened last night. Right after dinner, the man had called her over. He didn't say much. It was mostly Annaisha-san explaining the situation to her. [Reader] had always respected the eldest miko. But she couldn't stop the angry and frustrated words from the bottom of her heart. Why did she have to leave? And she was the only one? Everyone else would stay here in peace and do what they always did. Meanwhile, she was going to change her entire life to work at some bathhouse, for a woman she'd never heard of before. That wasn't what she meant when she said she wanted adventure.  

— How long will I stay there? — the girl asked, trailing behind Annaisha.  

—As long as will be needed — the woman replied. She didn’t turn to look at her once. — Did you pack everything I asked you to?

— Yes. — [Reader] thought back to the stinking ball in her bag. Did her employer have a moth problem? All she had been told was to smell good and throw in another one just to be on the safe side.  

The sea of ​​green gave way to a sandy path. The tiny grains were still slightly damp from the humidity. She had been in this area many times but it seemed as if she had never seen this place before. A tunnel loomed before her, from which darkness peered out. The statue of a minor god seemed to bore into her with a piercing gaze.  

— Listen. — Miko finally stopped and gently grabbed her by the shoulders. — I know it's hard for you but it's the only hope to save our home. I don't know my parents and neither do you. This place has been my haven my whole life and I believe you feel the same way, so on behalf of everyone, I'm asking you for help. When you were little, you said how much you wanted to travel. Think of this as a chance to learn something new. I'm sure your work will help us all get back on our feet and you'll be with us again soon.

[Reader] didn't know what to say. She hugged the older woman, wishing she didn't have to let go at all. The woman silently patted her on the head, then led her deeper into the tunnel.  

On the other side, she was greeted by something resembling a train station. She thought she could hear a train but she couldn't see the tracks anywhere. She hurried past dusty benches and four-coloured windows. Outside, she was greeted by the clearest sky she had ever seen. It was a bit odd, considering it was long past noon. Blue reigned over her head as she crossed the green grass. She had to admit that the place, full of flowers and crisscrossed by tiny streams, was breathtaking.  

— Is this an open-air museum? — she asked, curious, seeing a row of buildings in the distance.  

— Something like that. — Miko’s response was quiet.  

[Reader] walked past the abandoned buildings, feeling a growing unease. She looked around, trying to find anyone selling tickets or tourists but there was no sign of anyone. Maybe the place had gone out of business? But if that was the case, why did she still see steaming delicacies at one of the stalls?  

— Don't touch anything! — the woman warned her as she saw her approach the skewers. — That's why I told you to take our onigiri. — She looked anxiously in the direction they had come from. — It's getting late. Listen to me carefully. In that direction — she pointed — there's a bathhouse. It's only a few buildings from here. Wait until it gets dark. Then eat anything. Fruit, a leaf, grass, it doesn't matter. Just remember not to eat anything from the stalls. Then go inside the building right away. Look for Yubaba. She's the one who's supposed to hire you.

— Can't you take me there? — The girl felt fear creeping up on her.  

— No. It's... a tradition — Annaisha finished awkwardly. With that, she turned around and quickly began to walk back.  

[Reader], alone in the large square, looked around uncertainly. Maybe it was just her imagination but it was getting colder. The sun seemed to be setting unusually quickly as she searched for her future workplace. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to ward off some of the cold. As dusk fell, panic gripped her. The lamps were slowly turning on and she still didn't know where she was. Fortunately, a moment later she breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of a wooden plaque announcing that she had come to the right place. She leaned over one of the herbs growing from under the concrete and picked a tiny leaf. It didn't taste good, so she swallowed it quickly. However, when she raised her head, her scream died in her throat. She instinctively backed away, clinging to the brick wall. A monster was moving a few meters away from her, in the pale light. The creature was black. It seemed to be crawling over the stones. Right behind it, a whole row of something that looked like ghosts was wandering. Transparent bodies glided over the ground. They were lined up to the bathhouse she was about to enter. Terrified, she wanted to go back. But when she looked back at the place she had come from, she noticed that it was covered in water. She shook her head. She had to pinch herself. It was definitely just a dream. But no matter how many times she blinked, the image remained the same. The stairs ended in something like a wide river. In the distance, on the other side, something glowed that looked like the abandoned train station she had passed earlier. Suddenly, Annaisha's nervousness made sense. Had she known something like this would happen? Was that why she had left her alone in such a hurry?  

— What are you doing here? — The quiet but firm voice seemed genuinely surprised to see her there.  

Terrified, she wanted to scream but a hand stopped her. A boy appeared before her eyes, about her age. He was wearing work clothes. To her relief, his form was completely human. Seeing that she had calmed down, he removed his hand from her mouth. 

— You shouldn’t be here. — He looked at her closely. Her clothes told him a bit about who she was dealing with. Just to be sure, he followed the strange scent. He reached into his bag, pulling out an herbal pill. Just as he expected. — Are you from the temple? — he asked, wanting to finally confirm his suspicions.  

She nodded, afraid to speak.  

— It's not safe here. Come with me. — He stood up and held out his hand.  

He looked around the area anxiously. He paid no attention to the ghosts, though. He stared at the increasingly darkening sky.  

— What are... Who are...? — The girl didn't know how to ask about the strange creatures. However, her interlocutor understood in the blink of an eye.  

— Didn't the temple tell you where they were sending you? We have gods, spirits, demons and many others. People like you are rarely seen here.

— I'm looking for Yubaba. I heard she runs this bathhouse. — [Reader] felt like her voice sounded unfamiliar. 

— I work for her. You came to the right place but at the wrong time…  

Whatever the employee wanted to say, he didn't have time. A black silhouette passing by turned a strange head in his direction. He blew in response. The air was filled with the beautiful scent of cherry blossoms. Pink momentarily obscured the world. The mysterious stranger quickly pulled [Reader] after him and disappeared into another dark alley. The girl could swear that she had never run so fast in her life. She didn't even know she was capable of reaching such speed. It was as if she was racing against the wind.  

— I just bought us some time. No one can find you for now. Not until we get you a job. I'll cast a spell on you and you'll become invisible. The only place you need to be careful is the bridge. When you step on it, take a deep breath and don't breathe until you step off. Meet me on the other side. Is that clear?

— Can you say that aga… — She didn’t have time to ask. Another wave of tiny flowers blocked her vision.

When she opened her eyes, she was standing only a few steps away from the huge red bridge leading to the bath house. When had she even traveled that distance?  

Her guide had already stepped onto the wooden planks, weaving between the various figures. She wanted to cry but she held back her tears. She didn't have time for that now. She took a deep breath and ran after him. She didn't look back. A frog was loudly conversing with those entering. She was about to pass her when a giant loomed in front of her. Whatever he was, he was several meters tall. His rusty body resembled a shapeless mass with holes for eyes. He settled in the middle, filling the entire space. The creatures began to speak to him in strange languages ​​she didn't understand. Her lungs seemed to be burning as she tried unsuccessfully to squeeze past. She had to do something and do it quickly. She looked around frantically. There was a branch lying nearby. It must have fallen from one of the few trees. She picked it up, praying that whatever was in front of her wouldn't turn out to be a god. She didn't want to displease him. She stuck the stick into the red mass. Something gurgled and shrank as if in pain. She rushed forward, finding the black shag.

— You did it. — He whispered. — Follow me.

Contrary to appearances, they didn't go inside. He led her down a small path next door. Then they started down the stairs. In contrast to the splendor that greeted her from the front, this one was much dingier. They passed machinery. A series of pipes that probably carried water. Some of them hissed, others leaked slightly. They went outside again. This time they headed up. At one point, she stopped and looked down. It was a mistake. She hadn't realized how high up she was. She crouched on a narrow step with her head between her knees. It was too much.  

— Are you okay? — A warm hand rested on her shoulder.  

— Not really. What am I even doing here? I'm a few hundred meters above the ground. If not higher. If there's even ground down there! And we just left. How is that even possible? There are things around me that you only read about in fairy tales. You can do magic. And I was only supposed to work for a nice old lady. Everything is wrong! — Tears flowed thickly, disappearing somewhere in the strange space beneath her feet.  

— Come on, come on...— He hugged her and patted her head. — It's always hard at first. When I got here, I didn't know much either and I was alone. And you have me. — He gave her a reassuring smile.  

— But… I don’t know you — she stuttered, trying to calm down.  

— Call me... call me Haku.  

— [Reader]. — She wiped her tears with the sleeve of her robe.  

Sniffling, she followed her new acquaintance, who never once let go of her hand the rest of the way. She was grateful for that. She wasn't sure if at some point she wouldn't just start running back to the entrance, just to look back at where she had come from.  

She should have been prepared for Haku's familiarity to be just as strange as the rest of the magical world but for some reason she expected a figure similar to him. So when something like a giant spider emerged from the warm air, she hid behind the boy's back. Eight arms worked in superhuman symbiosis, feeding coal to the furnace.   

— [Reader], meet Kamajī. He'll find you a job…  

[Reader] grabbed a warm bun and stuffed it all into her mouth. She wrapped the rest carelessly in a white scarf. Her boss — a giant rat — added his latest baked good to the mix, then went on a break. He showed his not-so-clean teeth in what she assumed was a smile. He seemed pleased with her dishes today. She nodded to a few of the workers and ran downstairs. She couldn’t understand any of the cooks. They probably couldn’t understand a single word she was saying either. They were a motley crew of different species. It was hard at first but somehow they managed to work together. The longer she thought about it, the less she could tell how long they’d been together. Time seemed to flow differently here. She felt like she’d been working long hours, although the days seemed to drag on, too.

Getting the job was harder than the job itself. Just thinking about her first days in this world gave her the shivers. Meeting the head of the bathhouse was something she wanted to forget. She would never in her life displease her. Yubaba was a witch. In the literal sense of the word. A huge head and big eyes, as if staring into her soul. She didn't want to hire [Reader] for anything.  

In the old days, when she was still starting her business, she needed workers more than ever. People who were more familiar with the spirit world than others would come to her place. Some shrines or temples would deliberately send their miko there to receive payments or blessings in return. But over time, everything grew. And the owner stuck with her promise to give work to anyone who asked for it. Now, however, she did it reluctantly. So she tried to scare off interested people in every way possible.

[Reader] couldn't just leave where she came from. She didn't really have anywhere to go back to. Yubaba had said she wouldn't pay the shrine anyway, which would mean ruining her home. She also didn't want to look into the faces of the people who had placed such high hopes in her only to be disappointed. Even if she was angry at Annaisha, she still remembered the years she had taken care of her. Besides, she had prepared her as best she could, even though she had lied. She had given her bullets that would mask the scent of humans among the inhabitants of this reality. She had also prepared a wooden tablet. On it, she had carved her name in kanji. As it turned out, so important.

So she begged for her job with annoying persistence all evening. The boss's opulent office provided ample opportunities for her to show how strong she was. The witch worked her magic stubbornly to get rid of the young girl. She started by throwing a stack of papers at her face, ending with strange folding birds that wanted to peck her. Then she corrected it with a blazing fire from the fireplace and three heads that constantly jumped on the colourful, fringed carpet. Finally, irritated, she threatened to turn her into a pig. This made [Reader] turn her head toward Haku. The boy had warned her that they had to act like strangers. But she hadn't expected him to be so cold. He seemed like the complete opposite of the person she had met earlier. He didn't even blink when she screamed when she saw the pig's tail sticking out of the back of her robe. Accompanied by shrill laughter, she screamed that she needed a job. This caused Yubaba to close her powerful mouth, sighing loudly. She waved her hand and the tail disappeared. She gave up and handed her the contract with boredom, complaining about the ill-mannered youth. Help in the kitchen in exchange for room and board. She had little choice. As soon as the girl's name landed on the paper, she changed it. Several characters flew into the air, leaving her with a new identity. The boy had warned [Reader] that this would happen. That was why the tablet she had brought with her was so precious. Since then, she had written her old name in places she visited regularly. So that she could remind herself of it. The witch gained power over the employees because she stole their names. Over time, they forgot who they were, only to stay forever and work as long as they were able. Just like Haku.

— Faster than me, as always. Do you even sleep?  

— Sometimes. — Haku smiled mysteriously.  

She had never seen him sleep or doze off but he had a lot of responsibilities. His job was one of the most responsible in the entire bathhouse. He was always on his feet from the crack of dawn until dusk.  

He hid in their favourite spot, in the middle of the flower maze. The azaleas and oleanders were a mosaic of pink and orange. The rising sun coloured the white camellias, which still had dew on them. The boy was just finishing watering the plants. It wasn't part of his duties. He simply liked doing it. Ever since she learned that he was always here at this time, she had come to visit him. She leaned against the dark hedge. She closed her eyes for a moment to enjoy the cool air.  

— What’s for breakfast today? — he asked, looking into the basket.  

— For gods magic goo, for demons magic goo and for spirits…  

— Let me guess, also magic goo? — Haku finished for her. — Good thing all I see here are buns. — He bit into one as he said that.

Food for the creatures of this world almost never looked tasty. It was usually gruel or soup. They had flavours and many of them reminded [Reader] of ingredients she knew but what she put into the huge pots looked unfamiliar. Only magic could turn liquids into dishes that resembled home-cooked food. She was still learning it. It wasn't an unattainable skill but it required time and focus. Something that the kitchen lacked during meal times, when she could practice it. Haku, as Yubaba's apprentice, helped her a lot. She couldn't count on a rat boss. He showed her gestures with his paws and what the end result should look like but he couldn't explain in words what she should do.

— How are you? — She leaned against Haku's shoulder.  

— Very good. You’re getting better and better. — He reached for another piece.  

— I think I’ll be promoted soon — [Reader] mused.  

The boss liked her. Magic was getting better and better. Plus she had friends around her. When she first found herself in this world, she was terrified. Now she had her life in order.  

— I made you a new tablet — Haku said, pulling a piece of wood from his robe.

Carefully carved kanji characters. Beautiful calligraphy. So perfect. Almost too perfect.  

— Another one? I told you to drop it.

The boy kept insisting that she repeat her old name. It irritated her. It was enough that she did it once a day. And he produced such reminders and left them in various places so that she would come into contact with them as often as possible. She left the orphanage and the temple behind. In that world, she was practically a nobody. Here, she had a chance to be somebody. She really mattered to someone. She didn't need to constantly think about the past.  

— It's important. You'll get out of here someday, and then...   

She didn't let him finish. She abruptly stood up, irritated.  

— Again with this! We've been through this before. There's no escape from here. Yubaba knows everything that happens here. There's a slim chance and I'm not going to take it. I know you're hurting because you don't remember who you are but I'm not you!

A shadow of resentment crossed his warm face. Barely noticeable but still. She felt a pang of guilt but she knew she was also right. He was projecting some of his resentment onto her. He had made a decision long ago that he now regretted. He didn't know himself and for years it had been eating him up inside. Who was he? What did he like to do? Where was his home?  

— It's true. I regret becoming Yubaba's apprentice. That's why I want to save you from what I myself can never escape. What happened to your dreams? When I met you, you said you wanted to see the world. Are you going to give up? — Haku gently grabbed her by the shoulders, as if to talk some sense into her.

— Dreams change. I have a new life now. You're one of the reasons I don't want to leave here. You should be happy. — [Reader] smacked his hand away.  

— Me? — Haku's face showed shock.  

— Is it so strange that I love you? — The girl seemed to not immediately realize what she had said. But once she did, she did not intend to take her words back.  

The boy didn't answer. He simply hugged her tightly. It wasn't like he hadn't seen how their relationship had begun to go beyond friendship. It had happened a long time ago. Subtle smiles. Holding hands. Spending every free moment together. Thoughts of her that haunted him while he worked. He had put the pieces of the puzzle together a long time ago. But hearing those words from her alone seemed to finally seal what was between them. He couldn't just leave it like that...

Haku said goodbye to Yubaba with a stony face. The witch draped herself in pitch-black feathers. She looked at him longer than usual but he held her piercing gaze. Had she guessed?  

— I'm leaving the business in your hands. See to everything. — With these words she took to the air and flew out through the open window.  

He let out a long-held breath. The festival was no problem. Everything was practically ready. A wealthy client had simply fallen from the sky. Ever since he had requested a big event, the entire bathhouse had been trying to prepare one for him. Yubaba would have liked to have been rushing the workers all evening but for some unknown reason she had left the bath house in a hurry.  

Haku walked out in front of the building. The usually empty booths were still filling up with new guests. The bath attendants were just starting their shift, rushing through the line of people gathered in line. Luckily, [Reader] was already finishing up. She was standing next to the boss, nibbling on the food on display. He waved hello to them. Then, without a word, he grabbed the girl's hand and headed for the stone steps.  

— Where are we going? — She looked pleased as she munched on the magic skewer.  

— To one of my favourite places. It’s almost always flooded but today the water level was low enough. — With that, he led her through the crowd of ghosts.  

He hoped the workers would manage without him for a while. The streets were swarming with capricious gods.  

They crossed a flowery meadow. The buds closed from the lack of sunlight. Shadows seemed to thicken around the buildings without light. Haku felt a tighter grip on his hand.  

— Are you sure we can go this far? — [Reader] looked around uncertainly.  

— We'll be fine. Yubaba left and it doesn't look like she'll be back anytime soon.  

The further they walked, the further they got from the baths. She passed places that had long since faded from her memory. This was where she had walked when she first came to this land. If she looked closely, she could even make out the abandoned train station. The one she had passed through long ago.  

It was only when she saw the lights that she understood where they were headed. In the middle of the meadows was a tree surrounded by thousands of fireflies. It was huge. Its spreading branches reached high into the air. It had completely dried out. She could still see the empty riverbed that had once flowed here. The birds that had once lived here had left behind only empty nests. The sight might have seemed eerie but to her it only brought sadness.

Haku felt connected for the tree for some reason. He didn't remember it. But he felt like he had seen it in his previous life. The sight of its death filled him with sorrow, though he couldn't imagine what it might have been like in life. [Reader] didn't interrupt his story. She laid her head on his lap, as she had done for a long time and let him speculate. Stories of how he imagined himself before. What might have happened to him in the past. A cool wind with the scent of cherry blossoms carried his stories across the meadow. They flew away towards the dark sky, surrounded by the glow of fireflies.  

He would miss these moments. The peace her presence brought him. But he believed he was making the right decision. He hoped she wouldn't be mad at him. At least not mad enough to erase him from her memory entirely. Would she even remember him when she will leave this world? How wrong was it that after what he was about to do, he still selfishly wanted her to love him? 

He wanted to visit this place with her under different circumstances because in some way it was a part of him. Even if he didn't know how. It was like sharing a piece of the past. If he forgot, she would still know. He wished they had more time.

He prayed to the gods that Yubaba would not find out it was him. If she discovered the truth, he would probably say goodbye to his life. But it was a fair price for the risk. One life in exchange for another.  

— I love you [Reader] — he whispered one last time.  

[Reader]. Yeah, right. That was her real name before she came here. The words came to her slowly. She didn't even notice the moment her eyelids grew heavy. Something that was probably a kiss rested on her forehead. She felt a nice warmth. She wanted to say the same thing but she didn't have the strength. She fell asleep.  

— [Reader], [Reader], [Reader]! — Yumeka happily jumped around her. — You must see the river.

The woman adjusted her hat, smiling. She offered the little girl her hand. She was pleased with how much good she had done. This was an example of a happy child. The orphanage she had founded was doing well. Unlike the temple where she had grown up, no one forced the little ones to follow one path. She had found people who were willing to support them in choosing a career when the time came.

[Reader] wanted to repay the good fortune she had experienced. The couple who had found her in the woods a few years ago, gave her a home. The doctors had determined that she had suffered from partial amnesia as a young girl. Whenever she tried to explain to them that she had grown up in a temple, they said it was impossible. Her adoptive parents took her there so she could see that it had been abandoned. It was only after several years of work, when she had been awarded the title of a top chef, that she managed to make enough contacts to look at the guarded documents. Some of the people she had grown up with were still alive. When she asked them about her disappearance, they told her that she had simply left one day. Supposedly because they had found parents willing to adopt her. What didn’t add up, however, was how much older she seemed compared to them. She couldn’t explain it but she felt as if there had been a gap in her life. A much longer one than anyone around her suggested.

Over time, she gave up digging into the past. There was little she could do and no one knew the answers to her questions. So she set herself a new goal. She travelled the world. She cooked for many different celebrities but also for ordinary people. She was hailed as a magical cook. Guests claimed she could do magic. According to critics, the dishes she prepared seemed to have a taste of something they had never been able to taste from anyone else. When her parents began to fail, [Reader] returned to her hometown. There, she came up with the idea of ​​opening an orphanage. Only, it was better than the one she knew. Raised as a future miko, she felt no happiness. She wanted the children to choose their own paths in life. After the deaths of their mother and father, she began to visit the building more and more often. The bond that developed between her and the children was something special. They were the only ones who didn't laugh when she told stories that the adults only shook their heads at. That for years she had been dreaming of a distant land. And in it a colourful bathhouse and magical creatures. Above all a terrifying witch. More often, however, a boy with a gentle smile and green eyes. One day, however, he stopped appearing there and did not want to return for anything.

— You’re saying that out of nowhere a river started flowing here? — [Reader] looked curiously at the lazily flowing water.

— Yes. My friend Chihiro said it just showed up here one day. She came here recently with her parents and they were the first to discover this. Then the neighbours came. Everyone was surprised.  

She nodded, staring into the clear surface. It seemed familiar for some reason. Like she had seen it before but that couldn't be possible since the stream had appeared only weeks ago.  

She took off her sandals and dipped her feet into the cool current. The world seemed to stop for a moment. Silence surrounded her. The scent of cherry blossoms filled her nostrils. She stood under a blooming, spreading tree surrounded by fireflies.

— You're so stupid, Haku! — The girl clenched her fist.

She looked helplessly at the water that was now flooding the entire area. He had fenced her off. He had fenced her off from that world. He had the nerve to carry her right up to the station and disappear while she was sleeping. On the other side. When she woke up, it was already morning. All he had left behind was a letter, which she opened with a trembling hand.  

Dear [Reader],  

I know you're angry. You have every right to be. I know that what I'm about to do will hurt you deeply but I can't let you spend the rest of your life here and forget who you are like I did. In time, it will start to bother you, just like it did me. You'll start to forget about the people, places and dreams you've had. Knowing that I'm the main reason you don't want to try to escape from here is one of the worst thoughts I've ever had. If I didn't do anything, the guilt would eat me up inside. Knowing you, you're probably wondering if it's possible to wait here and go back to the bathhouse. I'll answer your question. It's impossible. You can't step into the same river twice. You only have one path and it leads home. I love you. That will never change. That's why I'm selfishly asking you for one last favour. Go through the tunnel. Don't look back. Do every single thing you've ever wanted. I hope that one day we'll be able to meet again. Even if it will be just in our dreams.

Forever yours x͕̪̙͓̟ͯ͒́̕x̵̛̯̭̒̆̿͘x̴̡̬͇̼̙͋̀̂̋ͮx̷̬̙̍̉͊́̕x̷̨̫̹͉ͤ͒̔̓͋͞x̶̫ͦ̇̽̎  

She thought she saw the kanji forming a signature but it seemed to spill and dance before her eyes. Kohaku? No… The correct one would be…  

— Nigihayami Kohakunushi. — The words seemed to escape her lips on their own.  

— [Reader], are you okay? You were completely out of it for a moment. — Yumeka waved her hand in front of her eyes. — How did you know what we named the river? You said it was the first time you’d heard of it.

— It's nothing. I got lost in my thoughts. One of the neighbours probably told me and I just remembered. — She cast a last, lingering look at the river. — Let's go for dinner. I was going to wait a bit longer but I actually came to tell you the good news. If everything goes well, I'll be able to start the adoption process soon. What do you think?

— Really?

— Really. — She smiled, grabbed her hand and together they walked away from the shore. Cherry blossoms were still dancing in the air.  

[hopepetal]

Welcome to 5llsmp, an experimental hardcore series– gets smacked

Right! Us Tumblr folk decided to get together and play some good ol' fashioned third life! Just with four lives. And a Boogeyman. But no life trade function.

The colour system is as follows.

Four lives- dark blue 💙

Three lives- green 💚

Two lives- yellow 💛

One life- red ♥️

Every time after we have a session, the players send me summaries of what happened, and I write it all up in an official statement! Some people recorded, so be on the lookout for little clips here and there! The official tag for this smp is #5llsmp, so check that out for the artwork, fanfiction, and other posts about our little game!

Well then, without further ado...

Session One

Your players:

Stiff (any) @stiffyck

Bee (she/they) @applestruda

Jay (she/they) @happy-hermit

Chem (he/they/it) @chemdisaster

Star (they/zie) @scarring-lust (18+)

Ed (he/byte/chirp/gore) @frootyloopy

Space (he/xe) @space-apples

Phil (he/zir/ghost/it) @aresonist

Wilm (he/they) @whilmsy

Melou (he/they) @melouthechalk

Zera (they/he) That’s me!

Elle (she/her) @periwinklemoonlight

Brandy (any) @brandyy0moss

5ievel (any) @5-fievel

Moth (he/him) @evenmoreevil

Admins:

Console- Wren @wren-pineapples

Playing- Zera (me again!)

The session starts off with a bang (more like a vine boom)!

Stiff runs off with Bee and Phil to gather materials before eventually running into Moth in the mountains! They decide to base together, creating the Lads of the Valley! Stiff then goes looking for water and meets Zera, and they both get distracted and go mining together.

Space and Wilm meet at spawn and decide to stick together, watching Chem take the enchanter and run off! They run off to the desert where they meet Zera at night. Space unfortunately dies to a husk, becoming the first green name of the server! Wilm then leaves Zera and goes back to spawn to find Space!

Zera immediately runs off in a random direction alone, and manages to find a village. They get an iron sword from the blacksmith! They briefly meet with Space and Wilm before mining some iron and getting everything set. They meet with Stiff and give him a diamond! They find sculk with Stiff and start mining it, but fall into lava and die. They then meet with Jay and decide to team, becoming the Boatem Birdies.

Chem is the first to mine the surface iron and run off with the enchanter! The boogeyman is chosen, and it ends up being him! He tries to make a plan for killing someone, and lies when Zera briefly passes by and asks if he’s the boogeyman. At spawn, Chem kills Wilm in what is described as the “most pathetic chase scene ever” where Wilm begs Chem not to kill him and Chem says they will cry if they don’t get the kill. Chem then goes to find a cave, names it “the pits of depression and self-loathing”, and allows Star to use the enchanter for sugar cane.

Star goes on a lone adventure, taking care to slaughter every living creature they see, with a special vendetta against the donkeys. They find a mineshaft and an enchanted book! They find Chem in a ravine and they meet up with Brandy for a bit! Star then goes on a hunt for moss and nearly dies.

Elle, staying true to her adventure loving self, basically stays in a cave all session digging clay for bricks. This is because Elle wants to build a house to fight Bee in.

5ievel and Ed stick together, calling themselves the Iron Guys. They briefly met up with Wilm, Brandy, and Elle and mined for a bit. 5ievel died to a creeper before rejoining the group briefly before going to the nether. The Iron Guys decide to base underground!

Space has died two more times, becoming the first and only red of the server.

Meanwhile, the Lads of the Valley are trying to get goat horns, spending about fifteen minutes with varying amounts of success before killing most, if not all, of the goats. Stiff dies by getting shot by a skeleton, and chats with Wilm after respawning before rejoining the Lads of the Valley.

The Boatem Birdies make a mini boatem pole with only two boats, before beginning to make a tower base. They become frenemies with the Lads of the Valley and discuss how screwed they are if one of the Lads becomes the boogey next session. Moth puts up a cobblestone wall between the Boatem Birdies and the Lads’ property, which Jay and Zera later take down. The Boatem Birdies attempt to make a peace treaty with the Lads with flowers, but Phil and Moth burn the flowers while Bee accepts.

The session has ended!

Life count:

Stiff- 3

Bee- 4

Jay- 4

Chem- 4

Star- 4

Ed- 2

Space- 1

Phil- 3

Wilm- 3

Melou- 4

Zera- 3

Elle- 4

Brandy- 3

5ievel- 3

Moth- 4

[fryingpan1234567]

That Hermitcraft hero AU list I promised

yeah. here you go (:

edit: no art for y’all lol if you saw the original post congrats, but if you happened to have aphantasia or are just not good at visualizing, sorry! no art, it doesn’t go over well lmao

happy reading!

Impulse: SV

powers: electricity + thunder

info: he’s really good with press lol he usually goes on missions with kids because they all love him- during the day, the iDimpy factory ‘bought’ the Hermit Compound and ‘converted it to a chocolate factory’ and Impulse runs it lol (dw it’s still for superheroes, the bottom couple levels were just edited a bit HE MAKES REALLY GOOD CANDY)

appearance: MR. IMPULSE AS WILLY WONKA MY BELOVED (his super suit is metal like Iron Man and has a glowing yellow i in the middle)

Zed: Worm Man

powers: sheep [: (NO HIS NAME DOESN’T MAKE SENSE IT’S FOR THE MEME)

info: fs a mad scientist- he teaches middle school science during the day XD

appearance: blond, blue eyes, ram horns that he tells his students is just a headband, lab coat + goggles even when not in the lab lol- his super suit is just. Worm Man. you know

Tango: Blaze

powers: fire + can change back and forth between super form and civilian 

info: he’s super funny lol 

appearance: yellow hair that looks like fire (it is actually on fire in super form), red eyes, sharp teeth in super form, if you’ve seen @lunarcrown ‘s Tango art that’s the fit style I’m thinking for the super suit

Keralis: Cyclopes

powers: siren Keralis my beloved

info: he loves kids but has kind of a spooky look to him- don’t worry, they warm up to him eventually and even call him Papa K!!

appearance: larger than average eyes but is otherwise basically normal lol his super fit is just like Aquaman style yk lots of scales

Bdubs: Apollo

powers: photokinesis

info: shreepy boi, moss hoodie, short (don’t tell him)

appearance: floofy brown hair held back w/ a red bandana, Latino, super fit is just a Greek chiton lol (he’s glowing bright enough you can’t even see him most of the time)

Ren: Red King

powers: werewolf

info: he can control which form and how he acts in said forms pretty much always- scary wolf hulk for bad guys and fluffy puppy for kids

appearance: in human form he has ears and a tail :DD

• Doc: 77

powers: let’s imagine a cross between the Hulk, the Winter Soldier, and a creeper

info: he is very good at fighting (: he’s cyborg and has green in super form

appearance: literally like seven feet tall

Scar: the Wizard

powers: telekinesis, magic

info: he is actually disabled, he just uses telekinesis to walk around as a super lol (HE HAS A MASSIVE MAGIC CAT THAT HE DISGUISES AS A NORMAL ONE DURING THE DAY)

appearance: covered in scars (obvi), bright green eyes, suit is Hot Guy fit

Cub: Bear

powers: Vex wings, skulk

info: he’s very friendly, but his super state is, uh… possessed. by the Deep Dark. I’m sure it’s fine

appearance: dark curly hair, galaxy eyes in super form but otherwise normal blue, super fit is just him covered in skulk- I’m thinking Venom vibes (SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS CONCEPT)

Grian: Evo

powers: BIGASS PARROT WINGS (and advanced sight)

info: pesky bird boy lmao he does the Jurassic Park claw tap thing when he’s hunting + on stealth missions

appearance: yeah he’s got bird feet lol he doesn’t leave the compound very much bc he can’t really disguise or lie about that

Pearl: Moth

powers: moth wings + antennae

info: she is in fact an alien but it’s okay she’s very nice unless she’s hunting with her dogs

appearance: again wings and antennae, brown hair with lighter streaks, purple eyes, super fit is like Storm/ Starfire

Gem: Dawn

powers: fire but in sunset yellow/ orange/ red/ purple colors lol

info: she’s actually descended from Gaelic royalty lmao

appearance: deer horns, orange hair which in super form turns to a fire ombré like Starfire, suit has pink honeycomb patterns

• Cleo: Medusa

powers: necromancy and turning people to stone (:

info: she died in Ancient Greece and rose as a zombie after Hades, who fell in love with her, granted her “life”. she is immortal 

appearance: a zombie lol (but a hot one I promise you) with orange snakes for hair

Stress: Monster

powers: flower queennn

info: she doesn’t like dark/ stealth missions as much, but she’s all for patrol whenever

appearance: always has a flower crown for some reason?? eyes glow pink when she uses her powers and the suit is like that one fanart of Isabella from Encanto as Spider-Man

Iskall: Doom

powers: lmao they’re just a cyborg

info: a very nice person, they just can’t seem to say hello correctly

appearance: brown hair, cyber eye, tol, they pretty much wear the suit everywhere and tells people it’s cosplay and they’re their own biggest fan

Etho: Kitsune

powers: snow/ ice/ illusion mist

info: he may have accidentally adopted the New York Governer lmao whoops (he hates kids except for this one)

appearance: white hair, mask to cover scars, one red eye damaged by redstone, really tall, white fox ears and nine tails in super form

xB: Crafted

powers: Black Widow style with a big white wolf (he and Jellie get along I promise)

info: we love him but he’s an antisocial dork

appearance: black hair, blue eyes, literally just. a guy. he’s a guy. he wears fins behind his ears so people think he’s more dangerous lol

Hypno: Memorizd

powers: memory wipe + telepathy

info: he’s the main one who deals with civilians lol especially if they saw something they weren’t supposed to 

appearance: aaaalways wears the black bandana over their hair, tol, emo /j- the suit is like a ninja

Wels: the Knight

powers: lmao he’s a knight idk what to tell you

info: he’s a knight with standard knight principles, but he’s chill about it. he likes theater but makes fun of the fact that he likes theater lol

appearance: blond, blue eyes, tol, he fights in a modern-looking suit of armor that keeps most of its medieval design

• Jevin: Slimer

powers: slime boi (like Frozone x Honey Lemon but slime yk)

info: he’s in the same boat as Grian- there’s really no disguising being made entirely of slime

appearance: teal slime lol (it runs in the family) supposedly he’s got a way to turn more human-looking but he hasn’t quite figured it out yet

Xisuma: Void

powers: time, space, and interdimensional portals!!

info: he and his twin are the leaders of their own groups, and they’re actually from another dimension and can’t breathe oxygen

appearance: that’s why he always wears a helmet! it’s his bones suit :DD

False

powers: superstrength, but she doesn’t use it very often

info: she’s like the Hermits’ resident suit maker that’s what she does lol

appearance: blonde choppy hair held back with welding goggles, brown eyes, covered in freckles

Mumbo

powers: none unless you count exceptional redstone skills

info: tech guy!! when someone busts something, they go straight to Mumbo

appearance: black hair, mustache (because of course), tol??, suit. always. Mumbo what

Joe

powers: none

info: the medic, because lord knows they need one

appearance: green hair lol

Beef

powers: none, but he’s really good with knives 

info: he makes the food and potions, but the Hermits keep telling him not to wear that bloodstained apron around everywhere. it’s suspicious

appearance: again with the apron, and he’s scarily buff. kids are scared of him but he’s very nice really

~~~~~

Impulse had known for a very long time that he wasn’t exactly… normal.

Which isn’t a bad thing! But, the static shock people got when they touched him while he didn’t feel a thing, storms brewing when he had less-than-ideal days, and really mostly the fact that his phone never died when he held it- the charge almost seemed to be going up- all that did not seem ordinary.

So when he was recruited for a hero team because everyone at his school had apparently reported his strangeness, he wasn’t exactly surprised. But he was definitely ready to make a difference.

~

So Zed was some kind of sheep/ human hybrid. Did that make life a lot more difficult? In some ways, yes, but mostly no.

See, he had really good hearing. And he never had to worry about riding his skateboard, because his balance was always perfect and his skull was uncrackable. Plus he can jump like five feet on solid ground, which is pretty sick.

But people still thought he was weird. They all knew he’d grow up to be a hero… or a villain. So there was always a thin line of separation from the rest of the world, like they wanted to treat him like a fragile thing that could potentially attempt to end the world in the near future.

He would never, of course. But the only place he could really find contentment was with the Hermits.

~

Tango had discovered his powers in a… less pleasant manner.

Basically all he remembered was yelling. It was scary, he was seven years old, and… something just broke.

Then there was fire.

His parents, as far from that title as they were, did not make it out. Somehow, he managed to escape unscathed. Physically, anyways.

Foster care was pretty lame, but it was better than his old home life. Still, the only people he views as family are his team.

~

Keralis had loved singing for as long as he could remember. Especially because everyone loved to listen!

His mother had come from the sea, and his father was a fisherman. Keralis liked that his parents were sort of like a fairy tale. His mother taught him how to sing when he was young, but especially to control what he sang. She said he could really hurt people, and while at the time he didn’t know what that meant, he went along with it.

Until one day at a summer camp, they had a screaming contest (they were middle schoolers, don’t question it). Every window in the camp shattered, and six kids had to go home with ruptured eardrums.

He was immediately handed over to the American Hero Monitoring compound. There, he met X and Bdubs, and they didn’t mind his voice. Plus his parents visited on weekends! The only thing he loves more than singing is being a hero.

~

Bdubs and his brother had learned early on that not everyone likes heroes.

Maybe they shouldn’t have shown people that the two of them could play catch with a ball made of actual light, because they were then immediately accused of witchcraft. Witchcraft, really? Is this the sixteenth century?

Their family was forced to move to New York, and the AHM got ahold of both boys not long after. Because they bragged once, to a bunch of classmates in a small-town school that they’d been going to their entire lives. Bdubs opted to be a hero; show people that he can be good, but Puncenge wasn’t quite ready to forgive them all. He promised he wouldn’t ever use his powers for bad, but when he broke out of the compound with X’s twin, Bdubs didn’t go with.

The rest of the Hermits would probably kill him if they found out he was still in contact with one of America’s biggest supervillains.

~

There was a famous werewolf cryptid in Britain, and a lot of people were after him.

The original Hermit Initiative Program, with only Keralis, Xisuma, Tango, and Bdubs- well, their first mission was to capture him. Luckily, it wasn’t all that difficult.

See, Ren was not a monster. Most of the time he lived in town and was just… a normal dude. On the days where he was too sore or lazy to put a hat on and hide his tail somewhere inconvenient, he just let people believe he was a furry, because he couldn’t give less of a fuck.

So tracking down a guy with literal wolf ears and a tail wasn’t difficult, especially when he wasn’t doing much to hide. Ren was more than happy to get away from the hunters and to a place where he could just live and be normal.

~

Doc was the result of several government experiments- none of them good.

When scientists had discovered a new species of what looked like furry green things that walked on three legs and looked sad all the time, they figured whatever it was should be kept hidden from the public.

Especially after one of them blew a crater in the side of a mountain and killed three people. 

A recently convicted scientist himself was selected to be, uh… tested on. It was a lot of blood and pain, but hey, that’s not a bad exchange for immortality and infinite explosive material.

~

Scar lost mobility in his legs thanks to a particularly risky mission in his rookie days- he got every civilian out, but there was definitely a cost.

It’s okay though!! His telekinesis allows him to move freely when he’s super-ing, and he has a big magical cat to keep him company at home. He was more than thrilled when there was an offer extended to him to be a Hermit, although he found it funny that it took them so long to locate him (a disabled person could never be a hero! *cough* Daredevil haters *cough*)

~

Cub was a scientist who… may have flown a little too close to the sun. See, he wanted powers, and he was successfully able to give himself wings! Unfortunately for him, he was too curious to stop there.

See, he’d found something called skulk deep, deep underground, in a buried city he and his team were excavating. Something big and very, very loud kept killing them whenever they took more than a few steps in, though, so the site was declared off-limits to everyone.

But Cub snuck in by himself, all the way to the center of the city. There was a portal there, and when he stepped through it… well, he either met God or Satan. Either way, now he’s basically Venom but with a much better color scheme, and he can no longer die! The only catch is that he’s a little bit possessed when using his powers, but the Hermits are there to look out for him.

~

Grian learned how to hunt very quickly and very suddenly, on the day superheroes were made illegal around the world.

Because, well, the best of the best were after him.

A bird boy! And a pesky one at that! Who used to be a hero! Everyone wanted to get their hands on Evo, and unfortunately, Grian was forced into hiding. Not that it was difficult- he had wings and razor sharp talons, so it wasn’t like anyone non-super could really get to him, but that didn’t stop people from trying.

He’s all for staying in the Hermit compound all day. It means he can lay out pranks while all the normal people are at work.

~

So maybe Pearl was born in Area 51. That didn’t exactly make her an alien. Maybe. Probably. 

Listen. She has wings and antennae, plus a big pretty spaceship DNA-encoded to her, but did that mean she wasn’t from Earth? Of course not! There are plenty of weird people there. Plus, her ancestors were worshiped by the people of Sanctuary. It’s like… fine.

She’s happy to be a hero, of course. When she got an in on the most prestigious hero group in America (Australia was totally dominated by some clown who looked like a gingerbread man), she was absolutely all in. Hermits are better than some lazer beam, anyways.

~

When Gem transitioned, she didn’t think it would come with fire powers. But hey, bonus.

She kept her antlers, but she actually liked that part. Her people didn’t see her as any less of a princess or priestess, if anything they loved her more for bringing that kind of power to their city, Dawn, which she took for her hero alias.

She had two groups she was a part of, actually, plus with the business of being Gaelic royalty to a group of people previously thought to be extinct, she had a full schedule. But she of course wouldn’t trade it for the world.

~

Cleo lived in Locri, Italy, way back in Ancient Greek times. She loved her patron goddess, Persephone, and didn’t actually mind Hades. She worked in the city’s mausoleum and crypt, so she got used to death pretty quick.

Well, Hades took a particular interest in her. Not that he could do anything, of course, she was a priestess of both him and his wife. But he harbored a crush of sorts all the way through her life.

She did die. She was mortal, after all. But she was so gorgeous, Hades couldn’t bear that loss, so… he granted her eternal ‘life’. She was green and missing a few pieces and was messily sewn together, plus her fiery orange hair had turned to snakes like Medusa’s, but she walked the earth again.

She never died again. She can’t, which makes her the ideal hero, although she won’t hesitate to paralyze you for a comment about her hourglass shape-

~

Honestly, Stress didn’t even want to be a hero, mostly. She owned a flower shop and she’d gotten there with the help of exactly zero men, and she didn’t have an interest in changing the world or anything.

Only problem- she had superpowers, and they were sort of hard to contain. Whenever she got antsy, cacti started to grow out of her carpet under her feet, and after getting those stupid invisible thorns stuck between her toes one too many times, she decided to get out and do things with her powers.

The Hermits were happy to have her, and she’s happy to report that she and the other girls are almost their own little team within the big group- and they’re fine-tuned to perfection.

~

Iskall’s modifications were actually their choice. There was an offer by some mysterious guy in a suit to be rich and powerful beyond belief, and since they were sick of living on the street, they took it.

So they ripped an arm and an eye out. Was it worth it? Definitely. 

No one makes fun of them anymore, for being NB or anything else, and they did pay them a lot. The only catch was singing onto a government sanctioned hero organization, and they were happy to go with their girlfriend to the Hermits. She slapped them for being an idiot and allowing themself to be experimented on, but she was happy to have them along.

~

If you don’t know what a Kitsune is, it’s a Japanese mythical creature that has two forms: fox and human (usually female). They’re kind of like sirens, and they’re absolutely stunning, but very manipulative and usually malicious.

Etho picked the name for the fact that he’s like half fox lol not that he’s evil; his ears and nine tails match the color of his hair. He is in fact immortal, but he doesn’t find that out until someone tries to off him and it just… doesn’t work. He can scar and be wounded, yeah, but death can never catch him.

~

There are a number of ways to become an assassin. Maybe you were raised since you were a kid. Maybe you were drafted by the government to cut back your sentence Suicide Squad-style. xB signed on in high school for extra credit.

Yeah, his history teacher was secretly a hitman, and students could sign a contract of silence to go on missions for extra credit. Sounds sketch, but it wasn’t terrible. He learned how to kill a man in over a hundred ways just with his hands and didn’t have to learn a thing about the Cold War through all of high school.

He decided just killing people was sort of immoral… although mostly that if he got good enough heroes would start to notice him. He figured if he couldn’t outrun them, he’d better join. And it was a good thing he did- he got his car-sized dog because of it.

~

Hypno was the most popular kid in his school for one reason: he had control over people’s memories. When someone asked him to make their teacher forget a due date, it magically happened. If an admin found out and tried to stop him, he wiped that as well.

Maybe he got a little carried away. He panicked one day and used it on his parents, only he put in too much effort in his lack of control, and… next thing he knew they were asking who he was and why he was in their house.

He hid from the AHM for as long as he could, thinking he’d be arrested. When they finally did track him down, they agreed to not throw him in a cell on one condition: join the Hermits. Honestly, not a bad deal.

~

In high school, Wels was… a huge nerd.

Yeah, he was on the varsity football team. But all his real passion went into theater and larping.

He and his twin brother, who was in the same boat, were exploring an abandoned excavation site behind their house one night, when the floor caved and they fell into the depths of what looked like an old buried building.

There were voices. The boys were knighted by ghosts and gifted unbreakable suits of armor. They left that site and had to pretend like everything was normal and fine with their lives. It came with a dope sword though, so who’s complaining?

~

Being made entirely of slime was cool because you couldn’t really be injured, but not as great because of how plain weird that made you.

Jevin and his cousin Charlie, who was also a hero, were in fact made of slime, as is their whole family. It’s just a weird gene that no one will specify on, but Jev doesn’t really mind.

The thing is, he’s resistant/ immune to pretty much everything. Extreme temperatures just sort of make him slower, and everything else goes through him or gets stuck in him. Not all that convenient, but it’s a nice perk when saving people. He doesn’t have to worry about himself.

~

Xisuma and his twin are the most powerful beings to ever exist.

Both of them can open portals through space, time, and other dimensions. They’re the only recorded people with that kind of power, ever. It makes them good leaders, but when one is constantly trying to destroy the world while the other is always trying to stop that from happening, scales balance out. If they were on the same side, there would be zero crime anywhere. Ever.

~

False started her business building little robots to make people’s lives easier, like a Roomba modified for carpet or a drone that pathfinds from your fridge to your living room to deliver drinks, and then it evolved from there. 

When it started to get a bit too big to handle, that’s when she conveniently met Mumbo.

The two of them had been working on something highly illegal- a weaponized drone in the shape of a person to be piloted around like a dummy hero- when Evo and Medusa fell right through their warehouse roof, singed around the edges and badly hurt.

Mumbo and  False’s service was so highly rated, the Hermits decided to officially adopt them into their team.

~

Joe and Beef share a kitchen/ lab, which is a good thing, because they’re kind of in the same field. Beef makes potions and food, and Joe is the healer. They’ve always been Hermits, as in assigned by the AHM always.

When various Hermits come in to steal food Beef usually throws either the nearest piece of fruit or a knife, whichever is closest to his hand. Everyone knows you don’t touch the cookies until you have express permission.

And Joe has patched up so many burns, bullet wounds, and stabs, that stitches are literally a no-brainer and he can be watching a movie in the background without a problem. It’s much more fun when heroes are made legal again so he can actually repair real damage made by supervillains.

The Hermits love them, don’t worry, no matter how many needles or knives are pointed their way.

~~~~~

so! there you go! please, PLEASE ask me to write stuff for this au, because I’m more than happy to do any hero scenario you can think of! if you want a villain list I’m sure that can be achieved, and although they’re mostly just Helsmits, it’s a fun concept.

so you know, think up a mission and send it my way. I’m so ready. what did you think?

[lumilasi]

UPDATE: I needed something to warm up before working on a new thing, and I recalled that I didn't fully like how I drew her hair; it looked like a mess rather than her having curls, so I fixed it. The top part of her hair is still a bit ehhh, but I didn't know what to do with it yet.

more info below:

Name: Marisa Marisol-Raye

Nicknames: Risa/Mari-junior/junior (her moms) firecracker/hun/Mari (Gianna)

Age: 21

Height: 155 cm

Friends: She does like occasionally hanging out with her GF's brother marco and his friends as sort of a "big sis" figure. She's also made close friends with Max Karuna, a member of a popular rock band, as Marisa has helped working on their stage shows.

Family: adoptive moms Marci Raye and Mariella Marisol

Love interest: Gianna Aquila, a young designer student in the same uni (A siren)

TREE LORE

Moth spirits are human souls reborn in new form through what is called a Hive Tree. There used to be 7 of those, but after the Ancient War only 3 are left. Each tree attracts slightly different types of souls with unfinished business:

Amethyst Wisteria:  A purple tree which reminds a massive Wisteria tree in appearance, the spirits manifested by this one are typically those who were in some way significant people in their community, dying unexpectedly. Leaders, warriors, freedom fighters, etc.

Emerald Weeping Willow: A green tree similar in likeness to Weeping Willows, only again much more massive. Souls born from this tree were those with tragic, darker sudden deaths. These souls were typically killed by someone in a non-war setting (I.E victims of crime) or they died of self-inflicted injuries caused by mental distress of some sort.

Blue Lapiz Spruce: A large tree in likeness of blue spruce. The souls that this tree attracts are typically those who died in a freak accident or natural disasters. This tree tends to birth a lot of child moth spirits, given it is more likely for a child to die of a freak accident/natural disaster than be of a level of importance/die due to crime. (Marisa naturally came from this tree)

Powers:

Moth Spirit abilities: Speedy flight, butterfly poofing like a vampire, spitting webbing, pocket dimension to store stuff in, de-manifesting her wings if needed.

Fire protection magic: She has learned spells to coat her whole body and/or her tools to prevent them from being damaged by potential fires from her work. (Her wings are naturally fireproof, but nothing else is.)

Engineering Intelligence: She is studying for an engineer for a reason; Marisa has always been good at learning new things and understanding the fundamentals of how things work, both on the magical side and the physical side.

Weaknesses:

Marisa can be a tad reckless and push the boundary of what might be the smart approach to her tinkering, resulting in explosions and unnecessary messes.

She is socially a little awkward and doesn't always know how to act in crowds, which often means she'll just tag along her girlfriend during any bigger celebratory events, unless she finds people who are more her vibe, typically those who are up to shenanigans. (Such as Max, who acts as sort of a big sis figure to her)

Marisa has a fear of the ocean and doesn't like being in large bodies of water; when younger it was even difficult to get her to bathe at first, but by now its only large bodies of water that bother her.

Personality:

Marisa is very positive and enthusiastic person with never-ending curiosity. She loves trying out new things and testing her hypothesis, whenever it is about her inventions or whenever a flavor combo for food works or not.

While you wouldn't think of it at first glance, Marisa absolutely loves fashion too and enjoys trying out all sorts of different looks and outfits, the only real rule that she follows being "colorful" pretty much.

Due to her social awkwardness, she is sometimes self conscious and wonders if she's being too much, apologizing a lot if she feels she's talking too much for example. She also tends to want to avoid big gatherings of people, unless she gets to actually work with something. Marisa also has the tendency to dwell in any awkward conversations she's had with people for days.

FUN FACTS

She was taken in by Marci, who happened to be visiting the Blue Spruce area given she is acquainted with the wife of one of the guardians of the tree. She came to stay there for a while to try and recover from a traumatic incident that led her quitting her earlier dangerous job.

At first she felt hesitant adopting the kid, but during her stay it became clear Marisa had already chosen her as her new parent, so she decided to at least try.

They met Mariella two years later, and Marisa "shipped" them from the start, as she could tell instantly the two liked each other, and Marisa liked Mariella.

Marisa was from Mexico when she was a human, and died due to drowning at sea, potentially because she accidentally fell off a boat during a storm. (had there been any foul play, she would've been born a green moth)

Her name meaning "of the sea" refers to her manner of death as is typical for Moth spirits.

She likely died somewhere in the 60:ies

Out of the other moth spirits, she's only met Yoruga personally, given she does go to the cafe sometimes with her moms that he works at.

Marisa is Bi

Because of her thick fluff around her legs, she doesn't need to wear long trousers or leg warmers during winter, still sporting shorts or skirts, just of thicker fabric.

[disco-elysium-via-polls]

"I love public art! Don't mind us, keep doing what you're doing."

CINDY THE SKULL - "Thanks. I'm sure the inspiration will come to me now that I have an official RCM stamp of approval."

EMPATHY [Medium: Success] - You've *lessened* her desire to deface the building.

3. "Do you know anything about the recent murder?"

CINDY THE SKULL - "I ain't no snitch, pigstein." She wrinkles her nose. "Go forth and forage in someone else's shit. No shortage of squealers in these parts."

KIM KITSURAGI - "Actually -- there is a shortage of people who talk to us in a normal, calm, informative manner."

CINDY THE SKULL - "We weren't put on this earth to make your life pleasant, fuck-o."

4. "So you won't talk about the murder -- but maybe you can tell me something about the murder victim's missing armour?"

CINDY THE SKULL - "What do I care about some fucking tin egg shells?"

"Isn't armour... art? Art for the, uhm, body?"

"C'mon, Cindy, just help me out here."

CINDY THE SKULL - "Ugh, alright, sad piggy. I'll give you this one -- I saw a little girl in the fishing village running around with military-grade hand-wear. Looked cute as hell."

"If you haven't been there, the village is a shithole down the coast from the main plaza." She waves her hand in a general westward direction. "Have a good time."

New task: Find the armoured gloves

"And there's a little girl wearing the gloves there?"

"Got it."

CINDY THE SKULL - "No-no. That's all the snitching Cindy the SKULL does for today. Actually, I don't even know why I told you what I just told you..."

"I have a weakness for animals. It's the animal-thing again. Damn it." She looks at you, a little sad suddenly.

KIM KITSURAGI - "Or a weakness for police officers, miss." He makes a note in his notebook. "Thank you either way."

4. "Catch you later, Cindy." [Leave.]

CINDY THE SKULL - "Watch your back, ungulate. You've got eyes on you."

By equipping the prybar, we can open this bin.

There's a coat inside.

SIGNAL-BLUE NAVAL COAT

+1 Suggestion: Aye, Captain! -1 Half-Light: Officerial poise

This classic double-breasted coat suits everyone - including you. And if you ever find yourself battling winds at the helmof a ship then the coat's heavy fabric has got your back... even if moths have left a few holes in it.

I decide not to equip it right now.

Inside, the frame of a motorcycle-in-repair and the tools used to disassemble it.

We walk past the entrance to the apartment building...

Looks like there was more construction here -- once, decades ago.

The belly of this boat shines like it was recently painted.

Docking reserved for residents of: Rue de Saint-Ghislaine 33A.

Your room in the Whirling isn't much bigger than this sloop.

This is worth more than you'll ever earn in all your life.

Shadows on the water... green plants under the calm surface.

JOYCE MESSIER - A striking woman leans against the cabin top of her sailing boat, smiling as you approach. Her green raincoat glistens with droplets, a silk scarf is tied around her throat.

"Good evening, officers, I'm Joyce." She extends her hand in greeting.

"Joyce L. Messier. I represent the board of Wild Pines -- the owners of the harbour. You gentlemen must be from the RCM..." She steps closer and holds out her hand over the railing.

"Joyce L? What does the 'L' stand for?"

"What exactly is the RCM? I remember hearing it from somewhere."

"What gave us away?"

Shake her hand.

Don't shake her hand.

JOYCE MESSIER - "Leyton, my maiden name." Her bony hand dangles from the sleeve of her oversized raincoat.

2. "What exactly is the RCM? I remember hearing it from somewhere."

JOYCE MESSIER - "Uhm..." She seems confused. "I meant *you* -- the Revachol Citizens Militia. The police."

3. "What gave us away?"

JOYCE MESSIER - "Nothing, honestly. I've said it to every drunk in town and you're the first one who's responded."

AUTHORITY [Medium: Success] - What is implied here?! That you're a *drunk*?!

4. "I'm not a drunk. I'm a police officer."

JOYCE MESSIER - "Of course you're not. It was only a joke."

[hellcatinnc]

Irresistible Mistakes Review

I have enjoyed playing all these sexy mens main story and wanted to share my thoughts on each of them. they are in order and even the ones I did not purchase I still left firs impressions of them.

Ones in pink are paid in the love365 app only that I purchased. The ones in green are for the app only that I did not purchase. The blue are the ones that come with the game on switch.

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Minoru Tsujimoto

Not gonna lie the moment this man walks into the office his charm, sex appeal and manners draw you to him like a moth to a flame. You have to watch yourself with him you will get burned playing too closely. However every word out of his mouth is so charismatic and sensual makes you want to just rip your clothes off and say take me and do anything you want to me. Like I was surprised just in the prologue alone he draws you in thats not even his story. He is a love advisor he swears he can get you with your head boss and well he had sex with you because you thought he was your boss and he went with it. He then tells you now he knows how you are in bed he can step you through how to change yourself to draw your boss in. However he gives you just enough to make you want to read his story and probably the most seductive one in the game well besides Tachibana of course.

Anyways on to his main story I found he went from this charismatic man to annoying and at some points walked on the line of harassing even. He would talk down about you but in a nice way so you weren't even sure he was bad mouthing you at the same time. Like he would say things like we had this kiss but I need to teach you how to be better its like What? Then he is blunt in other terms and is the guy who will be like will you sleep with me just plain out anywhere doesn't care. Even in all this the way he carries himself falls right back to being attractive again. Damn so many up and downs with this guy and that was already relevant by chapter 2. I wasn't sure if I wanted to rip off my clothes and sleep with him again or call HR and report him. Wasn't sure if I felt the need to kiss him or to turn him over to the police. He racked my brain for a good amount of time yet he was like a train wreck I needed to look away for my own good but I couldn't just like I can't just walk away and leave him alone.

Oh my god then he tells you he will help you get with the boss but you have to be obedient and I was floored somehow that was the hottest thing that came out of this mans mouth. I love how he is so upfront and the one thing he can't see done is lying its a no no in his book which I love. He calls himself her master at times and I'm not really into all that but damn when this man says it I'm like "yes master!!!" Then as time goes on he shows his softer sweet sides that make you want to melt. Like holding a umbrella over your head in the rain and putting his jacket around you. Then I went on to purchase the special endings because sadly they leave you hanging with his story in the main story which irritated me a bit but not his character but because unlike most you can finish their main story without buying more but I had to end up purchasing and using another 700 coins just to move on and because it was a cliffhanger I had to.

Oh lord he is a cat person he stole my heart with him always talking about you being his dog and he your master to come to find out he isn't even a dog person to begin with. As you unwind the story of how your first night was with him you find your boss was gonna put you in a can and leave you but this man this wonderful sweet man stopped in the rain when he saw you and put a umbrella over your hear to protect you. He took you to a hotel to get dry and when you wanted comforting he told you he would be this fantasy guy for you if you wanted, anything to make you happy again then he spent all the time after teaching you how to be the right kind of girl to catch your bosses attention. In all the mix of it though you fall in love with him I think even before he realizes it. The way it ends oh my I'm smitten with this man he even talks logic he tells you he wants you to stay with him and that he is in love with you and wants to tell you every second however feels whats the point of a title in a relationship when his heart belongs to you.

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Go Okuba

Oh this man I got it bad for. From the moment I saw this bartender think my heart skipped a beat. I'm not normally into alot of the blonde guys its a hit or miss for me but damn was he not hot right from the start. Then to find out he is sweet and sincere and I was sold. I couldn't stop this romance by this point and there were steamy sessions with him that melted my mind. He could sing as well and he loved to sing even behind closed doors. I was smitten by this man through most of the story.

He did have a sad past and he pushes you away for a bit before he realizes he doesn't want to go another day without you by his side. He spends the rest of the night making it up to you over and over again. I got the provocative end but after seeing the relationship up til now its not hard to see the sexual connection in the story there was no other way to end between him and you its just who he is. He used to be a ladies man until you find he was just afraid to let someone in because he was afraid they would leave like his parents and grandfather had when they all died when he was young. He is one of my favorite nice naughty boys.

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Toma Kiriya

This man comes off so cold and rude right from the start. I thought he was a tsundere and I think he might be a soft one. That being said as you start working with him little by little he lets his walls down for him to finally open up and tell you why he is the way he is. Back in college his girlfriend who he loved alot cheated on him with his best friend and hurt him so bad he never had trust in love after that. He only did hookups after that which is how he ends up in the hotel room after a one night stand. Anyways later you find out that he is love with you even before you realize your in love with him however you face alot of ups and downs. Times where it seems confusing if he even cares however there is always that point where he will say or do something that shows a little bit of that affection in.

He gets to a point he will do anything to keep you in his life and refuses to lose you to someone else. He has an aggressive side thats hot as hell, a tender side that is so sweet with putting jackets around you when your cold, holding your hand, letting you sleep on his shoulder in the car. I will admit he does hurt you in his route but its honestly his only way he knows to protect you from someone malicious who is out to hurt him and take you down with him. When he finally gets to tell you how he feels and why he did what he did he makes the sweetest statement to you. "I've been in love with you since that night" as he tells you this before making love to you again this warms my heart. Although he is not my favorite guy he still makes me happy with the outcome and how he makes you feel. The apologies for hurting you and the outright confession of love make him a really good love interest. Then again I love my tsundere's but he is definitely more dere than tsun.

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Shunichiro Tachibana

Damn this man is charming and just flows with sex appeal. He is kind and witty and even when he is in everyone else's routes he is perceptive and there to help you with a helping hand with whoever your in love with. He puts off this image of who he is and to be respected but deep down your the only one who will see the real him. He has a chance to be married to the governors daughter, to be the biggest and best guy on top and yet because he falls in love with you he will throw it all away and give it all up to spend his life with you. He comes off as a playboy who uses women but he is the farthest from that. He admits you are someone he has never met before yet you captivate him. So much so that you have his heart in your hands before you even know it. There is so much passion and depth in this man and its beautiful to see it unfold in front of you.

When he says things of how he feels even when its more sexual he can make you hear skip a beat and send shivers down your spine. He stands up for you many a times even to your own friend who makes a mockery of your relationship. I love that every time it rains it brings out this undeniable passion in him and he can't keep his hands off you. On the softer note when you go on your first date with him he is nothing like this boss you see at work. He is more carefree and enjoying things like a actual person. Even his words are more endearing and he loves to hold hands its like he would reach out to touch you some way or another all the time. I really like this guy he is definitely one of the good guys and his smile is amazing.

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Rei Kamiki

He comes into you life based off a project your put on group with however you see him with a different woman every night. He is quiet but your sure he is a male whore. However one night your cat gets out and he saves your cat getting banged and scratched up and bleeding as he does. You take him inside and clean him up and he tells you he has other scratches and removes his shirt for you to see and like damn, man give us all a heart attack. If thats not bad enough if you tell him thanks for his help he tells you that you can do something in return then tells you he wants to live with you. He talks to your cat all the time probably more than he talks to you. He also wants you to be his fake girlfriend and he wants to sleep in the bed with you no matter what. He is demanding, promiscuious, quiet and reserved yet oh so damn sexy. He is definitely a kuudere because its so hard to read his expressions most times and although he says nothing really rude he just shows no emotion unless he needs to its like he can't be bothered. He doesn't care to have relationships just one nights and boy is he hot under the sheets.

I had to end up purchasing this mans route cause it drew me in so much. Oh my though was I pleasantly surprised he is not only hot but he is so sweet even when doesn't even realize it. He is humble money means nothing to him he likes the simple things in life like looking up at the stars, and eating noodles in a cup with a beer on the side. He is so sweet to your cat they are like best friends. He is so adorable when he wants to just snuggle you and your cat in bed and your not even really a couple but he really does almost become like a pet cat for you but yet at the same time much much more. His story can be a little messy at points because of a ex/first love he had in the past but he is worth pushing through it all to be there for him because all she was a unrequited love anyways and he just needed someone to show him what it was like to be loved and give love in return. He spent his life in a orphanage and the one family he had he fell for one of his adopted brothers friends however she never loved him like that she loved his brother so he spent his life pining over her and now he finally gets to see how it feels to have it reciprocated.

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Toshiaki Kijima

I was pleasantly surprised by this man he is such a kuudere no doubt about it. I love though as you work with him you get to see little tid bits that make him a catch. He talks about not wanting a girlfriend but honestly thats only because he has been hurt. Anyways he does sweet little things like one of my favorites he gets her a can of coffee from the machine then takes the winning sticker off his can and puts it on her to let her have the prize and win. Then he comes across her on a day off and tells her he will help her shop for the office party so she doesn't have to carry all the stuff. He honestly is known as the boss from hell yet at the same time away from work he has a kind heart and when he smiles its not hard to see why anyone wouldn't fall for him. Then he pulls up with a motorcycle like omg I didn't see this coming. I mean this is the guy who looks like a nerd and yet he has a motorcycle it floored me.

He has his rough edges and when he feels like he could be the reason you get hurt since so many hate him he pushes you away. Thanks to your boss letting you in on the fact he had one love in his life and she died of cancer 5 years before. You really get to understand why he pushes people away because ever since he lost her he didn't want to hurt or let anyone in again. He is the one who eventually faces his feelings of grief with you by his side helping him. Once he lets that wall down he practically brings you to his attention that he wants to be with you. Now in the endearing happy ending he might confess he loves you but I got the provocative ending which I am happy with. You get to see not only is he the guy thats passionate but also honest with how he wants you. If he thinks he steps on boundary lines he steps back and will apologize that is some major respect points going to this man and just bought him husbando material right there. Anyways the moment you tell him to take you its a endless tender and passionate night you will never forget. I wish there was more romantic CG's with him but I look forward to more later from this guy he is one thats worth it for sure.

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Keita Mitsuura

Oh this man captured my heart not long after starting his route. Like seriously he has no issues letting you know he is excited to see you again. He admits he hasn't done this before and wants to make you his girlfriend. Like damn he is sweet, sexy, smart, playful, romantic, and perfect. As times goes on you realize he is a naughty boy but not in a bad way but a good one. Like he is the type to wake you up crack of dawn to make love to you, to grab you and pull you close when no one is looking. He is the guy who doesn't care if you let him take you with his family in the next room, he doesn't even care if they hear you moan he finds it just that much hotter. He loves to talk about his dreams and even though his relationship felt a bit rushed all of a sudden it felt comfortable and safe. It didn't feel like he was anything more than genuine however the gut feeling was waiting because he was just so damn perfect.

It happens near the end of the main story you find out it was all a lie to better his career and then he drops you. But even in that time he tries to distant himself from you he has to go to the point of leaving the company to get away from you as well as the rumors his ex spread about him. He was known soon after for sleeping with girls, leading them on while he was doing a project then dropping them after. This time wasn't so easy because as your character you have a chance to fight for him and his career he loves so much. After you become a thorn in his side and find out he lived his life growing up with out his parents and his brother always working. The first woman he loved didn't even show him what real love was. He shelters his heart from you and just tries to be cold so you will go away. However when you don't and you confess your love to him it strikes him in away that he apologizes and when your wanting to give another chance to start over he jumps on it even though he doesn't feel like he deserves it. Once you do though he can't stop telling you how he feels and how he has loved you for so long now and not sure how to handle it.

I know he wasn't the good guy all along and he is the kinda guy I usually hate in real life because he shows he is a good guy who will love you completely then you fall for him then he breaks your heart. He can be very manipulative and before you know it and all his words we a lie. However I'm a sucker for it obviously, I can only give Kei one thing that makes him different when he almost fully loses you he realizes your the best thing he has ever known and he realizes he has loved you for so long even when he wasn't sure what love really was. He is one you have to learn to forgive in time but the fact that when you wanted closure so you could move on with your life and he couldn't give you that because that would mean he was ok with fully losing you and he never was.

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Taku Hayama

This guy rubbed me wrong the moment I met him. He tries to charm you and does well with it thats how he gets you in bed the first night. Anyways he pretends to be this great guy that listens to you and hears you out then back stabs you telling you he used you from the beginning because he was from a rival company. Honestly the fact Toma didn't like him already put me on red alert with him. I was not having his shit and the comes out his mom is in the hospital and even when you try to be nice to him and sincere he still is an ass. He looks out for himself first and like by chapter 9 he is still just a ass. The MC is too gullible with him and yes I'm sorry he has a sick mom but that doesn't give him a right to betray, lie, and be hateful to people all while covering it up with charm. Don't get me wrong Kei is a manipulator but I don't know he was never that nasty with you and the one time he tries to it bout breaks him. However Taku can be straight cold and not even a sexy tsundere cold either. Like he is that guy you should watch out for he will be this nice guy and in the end he will hurt you way more than the rest. I tried to zip through his chapters as fast as I can. I was bored with the fact the mc kept going back to him it was pissing me off.

Later on you find out his mom is sick and in the hospital and of course the MC just has to be there for him even after all he has done at this point. She finds out his mom has an emergency surgery and she stays with him all night in the waiting area to make sure she pulls through out of intensive care. She does and the mc meets his mom who automatically thinks she is her sons girlfriend. I feel like his story played off that cause from that moment on after his mom telling her about his story about growing up having to work to help her out since his father left and she was sick. He had taken care of her all through high school and everything. Maybe I am just not that forgiving because if she hadn't had a good boss then she would of got fired cause of this asshole. Anyways they get found out within the company about him stealing her ideas and he gets transferred but he protects her by telling them before they can fire her that it was all him so he goes down with full blame. Before he gets transferred he comes to you to tell you how he feels then you mention you love him and he takes you back to the hotel on provocative ending and makes love to you after telling you he loves you. Ok so I'm sorry still bitter here no matter what he bored me, pissed me off, and betrayed me he is unacceptable to me.

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I did not pay for these stories on the app because after reading the demo to the main story they just didn't interest me enough. They may be good stories and too eaches on they just didn't grab my attention enough to pay for them. I'm very selective of the stories I purchase but from each demo of the guy this is my first impression opinion.

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Jun Araki

I love my tsundere men but i like a balance of the two or slightly more tsun is fine but there needs to be more dere than this man offers. He treats you horribly from the start honestly its hard to even imagine sleeping with a man like this in the first place. I would call him possessive but very angrily aggressive even from the start and trying to control what you do and say to him and others. He also makes it clear the idea of sleeping with you for one night he can't see why he would and verbally makes that clear too. At some point I might knock out his story for shits and giggles because I have nothing else to read but not my top priority in any way. Even the MC at one point calls him a hard-ass so she even gets he is a prick.

I will say though id I had to say one thing that went through my mind first time I saw him yelling and all and looked kinda sexy doing that. I will say I can see why as time goes on why he would have probably been a good sex partner because imagine all this pint up anger and aggression damn that probably made him the best lover letting it all go on you in a one night stand I could get behind that. I will say by the last of the free chapters I can say I will go back if nothing but to shoot for the provocative ending. I feel like he is one of those office romances that you hate but the hate is pint up sexual anguish that will lead to a release time and time again yet might still hate each other in the end but a good friends with benefits although in this case forget the friends part guess would be enemies with benefits lol. Honestly though he is one that should just shut up and take his clothes off cause when he talks he is too hateful.

As you continue to talk to this man it really is a confliction you think he could be hot in bed but he is so hateful like he calls you practically a whore yet he was the one to have a one night stand with you. Then he practically calls you a idiot and nuisance and he just can't be bothered to waste his breath on you. what a horrible monster yeah I will probably by his story when on sale or if I run out of content or its added to switch.

P.S. I didn't know this until after doing Rei's story since they grew up together he might not be a bad guy after all....hmm amazing how a character can change in front of you all because you see a softer side through another route. I didn't see that coming. That being said I think I will be coming back at a later time and definitely buying his route. Maybe just maybe there is some more dere in his tsundere than I thought. He does show his loyalty to Rei like a brother and willing to scratch his job to protect Rei so his loyalty would make him a good partner its getting past his hard exterior through his route is the key.

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Natsume Asaoka

I can't give much of first impression of this because in the first 3 free chapters you spend the whole time at work and talking about your boss not Natsume. Then on top of it Natsume just falls into the cliché of being too nice and so innocent that its the only story you start off from sleeping with him by accident instead you just kissed your boss and nothing else happened. For this to be irresistible mistakes I see really no mistake and I also don't see a interesting enough story to pay for. I normally like the best friend love but they had 3 chapters to pull you in with something, anything, that would make you want to see them together.

I really had high hopes for it and at some point I might pay for it but to me for now it isn't one I feel like is going to be anything more than her crying on his shoulder about a bad love life and then him admitting he is in love with her. He seems like the one who would be a good partner and maybe sometime I will give it another chance but definitely not at the top of my list with the first impression of him. I did go back and got a little tad bit of one of his later stories they are a bit more steamier however I don't want to put alot of money out just to get to that point maybe one day.....

One last thing the way he treats you in Tachibana's story pisses me off and I can't stand whether worried about you or not he is nasty and says hateful shit...

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Aki Mochizuki

His story isn't out yet but I did play his prologue and he seems like a stuck up cocky model that I will have no interest in anyways.

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Yukihisa Maki

Now in the story right off the bat thought I would like him so I tried out his demo story. Not even 5 minutes after meeting he is spewing out this bullshit about love and needs and then ends it with I want us to be friends with benefits. Its funny I guess I should have seen it coming because the moment you meet him in to prologue you see he is a bit more not going to say flirty he feels more sexual from the start. I love my flirty boys but I was looking for a love story and I feel like even if there is one in the end I just didn't feel connected to this character like I hoped to. He honestly comes off as a sleezeball. You know that guy who is over the top wanting to get in your panties this is him. There is really nothing sweet about this guy he can be vulgar and even at the office he has no problem bringing up the color of your bra he can see through your clothes. Its just rude. He has a weird obsession of mushrooms which is I don't know what to say about that but I hate mushrooms so he can keep them and love365 can keep his story for me. Worst part is when you see him in some of the other stories he isn't this ass shame on making him this way in his own route.

[dansnaturepictures]

27th May 2023-Martin Down 

Pictures in this set taken today: 1. Common Blue butterfly. 2. A dashing Cinnabar moth, it was lovely to see a few of these colourful insects. 3. My first bindweed of the year. 4. Bramble flower. 5. Ragwort. 6. One the Adonis Blues we saw here this afternoon, the main butterfly species we came to try and see which was a very welcome twenty fourth addition to my year list, and it was amazing to see them. Seeing their electric flash of blue which is evocative of tropical rainforests for me sail through the air and land is a sight I never tire of, such an extraordinarily beautiful butterfly and one of my favourites. It was so good to see them in the sunshine. 7. A butterfly orchid which I was astounded to see. A rare and precious flower that I did know was at Martin Down but had never seen myself, we rather stumbled across it and I’m glad we did as it’s such a gorgeous and alluring species. One of my flower moments of the year. 8. Stunning burnt-tip orchids, the main flower I was hoping to see today a very grand and eyecatching one which I am delighted to see the group of pop up in the same spot each year. 9. Corn Bunting. Towards the end of the walk I thought how unusually for here for us these days we’d not yet seen one today and then we saw a few with some fantastic views again, what a year I’m having for this species. 10. Yellowhammer, another quintessential bunting here which I was very happy to see. 

Other species of the moment for me Marsh Fritillary, Small Blue and Brown Argus as well as Grizzled Skipper, Dingy Skipper, Small Copper, Peacock, Painted Lady, Holly Blue, Small Heath and perhaps my last Orange Tip of the year were highlights as I saw my highest amount of butterfly species on one day so far this year with fifteen seen on a good day to look for butterflies. Bird wise getting so lucky again this year generally and here to see Grey Partridges flying, Red Kite, two Buzzards especially seen well and Kestrel in the bright blue sky, Chaffinches seen well including immersed nicely in the bubbling blossom at one point, Whitethroat, Rook, Magpie, Blackbird and possibly two Stock Doves, stunning views of Skylarks a key bird here too hearing them well as well and getting so lucky to hear a fluent and iconic Cuckoo again this year were key moments on the walk. Other flowers I enjoyed seeing were sainfoin the other side of the road on the way out in flower, varied coloured milkwort, Dame’s rocket, mignonette, speedwell, bird’s-foot trefoil, horseshoe vetch, kidney vetch, common rock-rose and sorrel. Among a few nice other insects seen I very much enjoyed views of bees and a green shield bug. House Sparrow, Goldfinch, Collared Dove and Starlings were nice to see at home today, with a donkey foal and Stonechats seen well in the New Forest on the way and way back.

[jessisnotnormalq]

Chapter 2: Lost

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Masterlist

When Jada awoke, she found herself lying in the middle of a clearing, a bed of soft grass beneath her and a clear blue sky above her. She was covered from chin to feet by what appeared to be some sort of forest-green cloak, like the kind she’d expect to see worn in a period drama, though certainly not by any member of the nobility.

            She jerked upright, the memories of her conversation with Morgo returning to her suddenly, only to find as the cloak fell away from her that she was completely naked beneath it. Grasping the fabric to her, she tried to recall just how exactly she’d gotten here—wherever ‘here’ even was. And what the hell had happened to her clothes? She remembered wearing them in the kitchen, and she was certain that she hadn’t spontaneously decided to remove them in the hallway. So that meant that either Ubi or Morgo had removed them, after she’d blacked out.

            She halted her train of thought there, too afraid of where it may lead her. Instead, she decided to focus on the present; she needed to figure out how to get out of the situation and leave how she got into it for another time, when she was safe at home.

            Looking around the clearing, her gaze fell on a small pile of material not too far from where she sat. Bunching the cloak around her, she scooted towards it to find that it was a pile of clothing, with a note left on the top. Jada,             I’m sorry this has been so hectic; I really did try to convince Morgo to let you go, but he’s just so stubborn…

            He does truly, honestly need your help though, and trust me when I say he’s not the type of man to admit to that easily. Your clothes will probably have disappeared by the time you find this (sorry about that, too), but it’s just a self-preservation method that the universe uses to try and keep its timeline in order. Can’t have people taking guns or phones back into the Stone Age, now, can we? Basically, anything that wasn’t made in this world or this time period is removed from existence. Lucky your phone was in your coat pocket, eh?

            Anyway, I’ve left you some clothes here so you don’t have to wander around the woods wearing nothing but Morgo’s old cloak. They’re probably not in the best condition, but I didn’t exactly prepare to abduct and then abandon you in the woods, so I guess you’ll have to make do.

           You should head towards Camelot, which is apparently west of where you are now. You’ll have to tell me what it’s like when you get back; I’ve never been. Morgo says Uther’d have my head quicker than I could open my mouth to say ‘Hello’. I swear he thinks I’m stupid.

            Anyway, it’s adventure time! Good luck, and remember; you have to find Merlin. The rest is pretty much up to you.

I hope you don’t hate me,

Ubi

            Setting the note aside, Jada examined the clothing that Ubi had left for her. He was right in saying they weren’t in the best condition; they looked like they’d been living in the back of his wardrobe for decades gathering dust and moths, but they would do for now, at least. Besides, it wasn’t as though she had any better options unless she wanted to get caught in a mild breeze and land herself with a hefty fine to pay, so she begrudgingly put them on.

            Still, it was hard to try and wrap her head around exactly what was going on. She’d known Ubi for more than two years now, and he’d never shown any signs of being a…whatever the hell he was. A kidnapper? A lunatic? Or just some douchebag trying to play a prank on her?

            And Morgo… Well, Jada couldn’t say she’d be above punching him in the jaw if she ever saw him again. He’d been acting creepy ever since he’d set eyes on her, and she should have gotten the hell out of there when she’d had the chance. If it hadn’t been for Ubi, if she hadn’t trusted Ubi…

            If there was one thing that she could glean from his letter of nonsense, however, it was that the two of them likely still had her phone with them. Which meant no calling anyone for help, unless she could find her way out of this forest and back to civilisation. Perhaps she could knock at someone’s door and ask them for aid.

            Jada presumed she had been dumped somewhere in the forest out the back of the house, though she certainly did not know the area well enough to determine which way she would be better off wandering. What she did know, however, was that there was no way in hell she was playing along with Ubi’s little game, so west was out of the question. She thought the house was on the south side, and though she had absolutely no desire to ever see the place again, her car should still have been there. If she could get to her car, she could get home.

            Crap, her keys! They were in her jacket pocket, which she had last seen in her hand in the hallway. All right, then, she decided. She’d have to just risk it. Grab a hefty branch on her way there and beat the sons of bitches with it. She knew Ubi; he was absolutely useless in a fight, and Morgo didn’t look too intimidating either. Grab a branch for self-defence, grab her keys, and get the fuck out of there. South it was, then.

            She’d not been walking for long when she heard the sound of hoof-beats in the distance, somewhere in the trees ahead of her. They were travelling at a quick pace, and she knew that they would soon be on her if she remained where she was. She only hoped the riders were willing to help her.

            As they drew into view, Jada noticed that each of the horses bore a man clothed in silver mail, with a cloak of deep red trailing behind them. There was only one who stood out among them, dressed all in brown as he was, though he did not look any less unusual.

            One of the men near the front of the group slowed his horse to a halt when he spotted her, signalling the others to do the same.

            “Greetings,” he called to her. “These woods are a dangerous place to walk alone; what’s your business?" He seemed to read her confusion as fear, however, and softened his voice. “I am Prince Arthur of Camelot. And you are…?”

            “Jada,” she replied curtly. She was starting to feel a little faint, and though her headache had faded earlier, it was now threatening to make a comeback.

            “Is everything all right, Jada?” ‘Arthur’ was doing a good job of seeming concerned, but now Jada knew he was just part of Morgo’s game. She needed to escape.

            “I’m fine,” she managed, doing her best to give him a smile. “I’ll just be on my way-”

            “Really?” Arthur raised his eyebrows. “Because I’m not sure you seem fine. In fact, you seem quite afraid. What is it you’re afraid of?”

            She couldn’t run; they’d be onto her in a moment with those horses. And they probably knew the land better than her, too.

            “Nothing.” She wasn’t sure she even convinced herself.

            “Maybe we should take her to Gaius,” the man in brown piped up. Though, upon closer inspection, Jada could see that he wasn’t a man—though he was certainly tall enough to pass as one, if it weren’t for the babyish face. He could only have been in his late teens, at most.

            Arthur regarded him before dismounting his horse. The boy did the same, moving around to take the other man’s reins.

            “You are in no danger here,” Arthur tried to reassure her, though she found herself taking a few quick steps back as he approached. He halted, holding up his hands. “No harm will come to you, I swear.”

            “What do you want from me?” she blurted. The whole lot of them—‘Prince Arthur’, the boy, Ubi, Morgo—they had to want something, right? They had to be screwing with her for a reason.

            “I just want to help,” Arthur tried, sincerity in his eyes. “If you’d just come back to Camelot with us, I promise to do everything in my power to help you. You will not be harmed.”

            Perhaps if she went with them, they would take her back to civilisation and she’d be able to escape. If ‘Camelot’ was anywhere near Morgo’s house, she could bolt once they arrived there, find her car, and get home. It wasn’t like she could escape on foot at this moment, anyway. It seemed her choice was already made for her.

            “All right, but you’d better keep your promise,” she warned.

            Arthur smiled, turning round to the younger boy. “Great, you can ride behind Merlin. I’m sure he won’t mind, will you, Merlin?”

            The boy gave her a kind smile. “Not at all.”

            He handed Arthur’s reins back to him, leading his own horse to stand beside Jada. Taking one look at her wide eyes, he chuckled. “You’ve not ridden before, have you?”

            Trying to regain her composure, Jada shrugged. “I’ve ridden motorbikes before. How hard can it be?”

            Merlin frowned. “What’s a motorbike?”

            “Y’know, like a bike… with an engine…”

            He shook his head, apparently still clueless. “No idea, sorry.”

            His expression cleared as he turned towards the horse, using his long, gangly limbs to pull himself up onto it. Definitely still a teenager, Jada thought.

            She had second thoughts when he offered her his hand, wondering how the hell she was supposed to pull herself up behind him. Arthur had approached behind her, however, and was kind enough to give her a boost, allowing her to swing her leg over the horse and settle against Merlin’s back. Automatically, she put her arms round his middle, and she could feel the vibrations in his chest as he chuckled again.

            “You’re not going to fall off, you know. You can relax a bit.”

            “And if I do fall?” she asked, though she loosened her grip a little.

            “I’ll catch you, don’t worry.”

            He kicked his legs and the horse began to move forwards, the movement surprising Jada enough to make her tighten her grip again. Merlin’s chuckle was a sound she was apparently going to have to get used to.

            “So, you’re Merlin, are you?” she asked, ignoring his amusement.

            “That’s right.”

            “You’re a bit… younger than I’d imagined.”

            He turned his head to the side, brows creasing. “What do you mean?”

            “Well, I thought you were supposed to be this bearded old man. Unless you’re, like, immortal, or something?”

            Arthur gave the boy a perplexed expression, which he seemed to return. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand. I think you might have me confused with someone else.”

            “Well, I figured since he’s supposed to be Prince Arthur of Camelot, that would make you Merlin the Wizard.”

            “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Merlin said quickly, at the same time as Arthur broke into laughter.

            “I think you’ve definitely made a mistake there,” the supposed prince remarked. “Merlin can hardly complete basic, ordinary tasks, never mind magical ones.”

            Merlin gave a small chuckle, though it sounded different than his earlier ones, and shook his head at the Prince. He didn’t speak to Jada for the rest of the journey.

            The first time Jada’s sense of reality was harshly shaken was when their riding party rounded a turn in the road. Before them now rose up a grand city, but it was not the skyscrapers and pylons of London that she saw from a distance, nor was it the roar of engines navigating tarmacked roads that she heard.

            As they passed through the gates, she saw more men dressed in mail, emblazoned with a golden dragon and bearing spears. Civilians milled in the streets, chattering to one another—which would have been welcomingly normal had they not all been dressed like people at a Renaissance fair. The roar of engines was replaced by the sound of a wagon being pulled over cobbles and the clatter of hooves in front of it. And in the distance, on the highest point of the city, there was a castle.

            Prince Arthur led the way towards the castle, his riders following him through the streets. Along the way, they passed wooden stalls, thatched houses, and even a tavern. Jada had to admit that Morgo had put a lot of effort into whatever he was doing. It was the only possibility she could bring herself to consider.

            They rode into the courtyard, where each of the cloaked men began to dismount. Merlin swung his leg over his horse’s neck, before dropping to the ground and offering his hands out to Jada. She tried to imitate him, swinging her own leg forwards and sliding off, but the ground seemed farther away than she had first assumed. She stumbled as she hit the ground, but was saved from falling on her face as Merlin steadied her by the shoulders.

            “Thanks,” she tried to laugh it off.

            The boy shrugged. “Told you I’d catch you,” he said, but there was little of the friendliness he’d shown only a short while ago. Instead, he seemed distant, closed off, even. It made Jada frown.

            Arthur, meanwhile, appeared not to notice. “I’ll report back to my father with news of the patrol. Merlin will take you to see Gaius, the court physician.”

            He turned to clap Merlin on the shoulder, addressing the two of them now. “Let me know how you get on.”

            “Yes, sire.” Merlin gave a small bow, before turning and leading Jada towards one of the doors into a side-wing of the castle.

            They passed up one spiralling staircase and through several winding corridors—Jada marvelling the whole time at the authenticity of the castle—before arriving at their destination. Merlin swung the old wooden door open without even bothering to knock and headed inside, Jada trailing after him in bewilderment.

            “Ah, you’re back!”

            An elderly man in a long green robe stood in the middle of a room full of so many knick-knacks and odds and ends that Jada was having trouble focusing on just one part of it. There were bookshelves full to bursting with dusty old tomes, desks covered in a menagerie of manuscripts and bubbling vials, and on the walls hung even more incomprehensible pages that made her brain swim.

            “I need you to go down to the market and- ah, and who might this be?”

            Jada’s thoughts were still lost amongst the clutter of the room, so Merlin answered for her. “This is Jada. We found her in the woods and thought that you should take a look at her.”

            “Very well,” the man nodded, turning his attention now to her. “If you would like to come and take a seat over here…” He gestured to a seat beside a bench, and Jada complied. “My name is Gaius. What seems to be troubling you, Jada?”

            “Uh-” Jada began, but her thoughts were in such a disarray after everything that had happened that her voice failed her. After reorganising her brain, she tried again. “I don’t know. I feel fine.”

            Gaius glanced at Merlin, before his attention returned to her. “No lumps, bumps, or gaping wounds?”

            She shrugged. “Not that I know of.”

            “She seemed disoriented,” Merlin chipped in, before turning directly to her. “Maybe you hit your head?”

            Jada frowned. “No, I don’t think so.” She hesitated a few moments, still trying to piece the situation together. “I think I might have been drugged, though.”

            “Drugged?” Merlin’s eyebrows shot towards his hairline.

            “By whom?” Gaius, apparently the more analytical of the two, asked.

            “A man named Morgo. Don’t suppose you know him?” she added with barely-restrained venom.

            The two shook their heads. Jada wasn’t sure whether she believed them or not.

            “Do you know why he would do such a thing?” Gaius asked.

            Jada scratched at her arm, not sure why exactly she was playing along. “He wanted me to do him a favour. I refused, and tried to leave. Then I blacked out, and woke up in the woods. He gave me some kind of liquid before, though—it was supposed to help with a headache.”

            “What kind of favour?” Merlin asked, leaning forwards and crossing his arms.

            Jada examined the boy for a moment, her feelings murky. She was certain that he was part of Morgo’s game—why else would Morgo have mentioned him by name? —and yet there was something about him that made her question that belief. Finally, she made her decision. “I don’t remember.”

            “It doesn’t matter now, at any rate,” Gaius stated. “You’re safe here. Do you know how to get back home?”

            Jada shook her head. “Not a clue.”

            “Well, where is it you live?”

            “Barnsbury.”

            Gaius frowned. Not a good sign, Jada thought. “Where is that? I don’t recall ever hearing of such a place.”

            “It’s in Islington? About two hours away?”

            The physician shook his head cluelessly. “I’m afraid I’ve no idea. Can you find your way there, at any rate?”

            Worry creased Jada’s brow. “I might be able to, but I don’t know what direction it is. It’d be easier to get back to my car first, only that’s parked outside Morgo’s.”

            “Your car?”

            “Yeah.”

            Gaius hesitated a moment, seeming confused. “Is it something important?”

            “It’s my easiest way home.”

            “And you have no idea how to find this Morgo again, otherwise?”

            She shook her head.

            “Arthur may be able to help,” Merlin suggested. “Maybe he could have the guards search for him?”

            Gaius regarded Jada, but his expression was not hopeful. “No, Uther wouldn’t see the use in declaring a mass hunt for one man, not unless he was considered a threat to Camelot.”

            “But there must be something we can do?”

            Gaius frowned in silence for several minutes, before speaking again. “I’ll go and see if Geoffrey has any record of this…Barnaby?”

            “Barnsbury,” Jada corrected. “Who’s Geoffrey?”

            “He’s the court historian. Merlin, you stay here and keep an eye on her. Come get me if there’s any change, any disorientation or the like.”

            Merlin followed the elder man to the door, nodding along with his instructions. Just as Gaius was about to depart, the boy bent his head towards the physician, murmuring something unintelligible to Jada’s ears. Gaius’ eyes slid towards her, before he too responded in a hushed voice. Jada wished that Merlin’s back wasn’t to her so that she could see his face—perhaps then she could have understood what this strange discussion was about. After some more whispers, the boy shook his head, prompting Gaius to reply with a stern expression, before turning away and shutting the door behind him.

            Merlin turned back to face her, wearing a small smile that he must have thought looked innocent. He seated himself on the opposite side of the bench, folding his long limbs underneath the table and resting his chin in his hand.

            “So, what was that about, then?” Jada asked, nodding towards where the exchange had taken place.

            Merlin looked surprised, as though he’d made a great secret of it, and opened his mouth to try and defend himself. After stuttering a few syllables, he finally settled on; “Nothing.”

            “Yeah, right,” Jada replied sarcastically, raising her eyebrows. She nudged his knee sharply with her own underneath the table. “Go on, tell me.”

            The boy chewed his lip. “I’m not supposed to.”

            “Why? Did I do something awful?” she asked teasingly. “Did I forget to put pants on?”

            She felt her thighs dramatically, as though she were really checking. “No, that’s not it. Have I got something on my face? You’d tell me if I had something on my face, right?”

            As bewildered as he looked, there was a faint smile of amusement on Merlin’s lips. “Yes, I’d tell you.”

            “So what is it then?” she nudged him again, less sharp this time. “Is it something I said? You seemed to go quiet really suddenly before.”

            Merlin’s smile vanished, the amusement in his eyes gone. Bingo.

            “That’s it, isn’t it? But what did I say?”

            “It doesn’t matter.” He stood up quickly, making a beeline for another of Gaius’ desks. He began busying himself arranging the clutter on it, keeping his back to her.

            Jada stood, following him until she was by his side. She couldn’t imagine what could be making him change so suddenly, but she tried to keep her tone jovial.

            “All right, how about this: if you tell me your secret, I’ll tell you mine.”

            Merlin simply shook his head, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.

            “I can go first, then, if you’d like?” she offered.

            He gave no response, so she shrugged, leaning against the desk. She may as well play along with Morgo’s little game while she waited for Gaius to return with some sort of answer.

            “Well, I may have missed out a detail connected to Morgo. You see, the favour I was supposed to do for him, well…”

            She frowned, but she seemed to have caught Merlin’s interest, even if he still wasn’t looking at her directly. “Well, I don’t understand most of what he was babbling on about, but there was one thing I do remember. He wanted me to come here because he said I’d find someone called Merlin, who was apparently supposed to teach me magic, or something.”

            Merlin frowned, turning now to face her. “What?”

            Jada shrugged. “That’s what he said to me. But you and Arthur both said I’d got the wrong person, so I suppose I’ve gotta go look somewhere else. You don’t look much like the guy I imagined, anyway.”

            He scoffed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

            “Well, I was picturing some elderly bloke with a big long beard and a pointy hat sort of thing. You look like you’re about sixteen.”

            The boy’s brows furrowed, and Jada had to hide her smile. “I’m eighteen, actually.”

            “Either way, you can’t be him, apparently. Although I was supposed to find him alongside a guy named Arthur. He’s supposed to do some grand and kingly things, apparently.”

            “Where did you hear all this?”

            Once again, Jada shrugged, trying to encourage him to talk. “Some things I got from Morgo, some things I know for myself.”

            Apparently stumped, Merlin leant back against the table too, regarding her with a perplexed expression. Finally, he asked, “What do you need to know magic for, anyway? Uther banned it twenty years ago.”

            Jada felt the shock appear on her face. “He banned it?”

            Merlin nodded, now even more confused. “Anyone caught practising sorcery is executed.”

            At first, Jada only frowned, trying to reconcile the versions of the Arthurian legends she’d known at school with the ones that Morgo’s team were now presenting her with. Then, realisation dawned, and she lifted her hands into the air.

            “Ohhh, that’s why!” She put her hands on her head, turning back to Merlin. “That’s why you looked so afraid, why you went so quiet. You think I might turn you in! Actually, I suppose I almost did.” She imagined if Uther was willing to murder people for magic, then his son and knights were probably of a similar mind-set. “Sorry about that. I didn’t know.”

            “I still don’t understand how you know about me, or what you want,” Merlin frowned, crossing his arms.

            Jada grinned. “So it is you, then?”

            Fear flashed into his eyes again as his tongue sought to save himself. “No, no, I-”

            “It’s all right,” Jada soothed, holding up her hands. “I’m not going to tell anyone. It’s just…”

            She was done playing along, now. It was time for the truth.

            “What?” Merlin asked, once more looking worried.

            “Well, I figured your secret out. That’s not how the game works.” She gave a little pout. “So now you have to tell me another one. I want to know how to get out of here.”

            The boy’s frown deepened. “What?”

            Jada fought the urge to roll her eyes. “Please, you know none of this is real as well as I do. It’s all very impressive, with the costumes and the castles and the characters, but I want to go home now. I need to go home. I have a daughter I need to look after, and I was already supposed to be back hours ago.”

            Of all the confused expressions Merlin had pulled during the short time Jada had known him, this one was the strongest. “What are you talking about?”

            “Look, I don’t know what the hell Morgo is paying you to do all this for him, or what you get out of it, but I’m going to get back eventually. If you help me, I won’t report you when I call the police. Everyone else can go to hell, though.”

            “Jada, I think you need to sit down…” He was trying to move away from her, to guide her back towards her seat, but Jada was having none of it.

            “I need to go home! All I need you to do is point me in the right direction. Morgo never even has to know you helped me.”

            “Jada, I’ve never met Morgo in my life. I’ve never even heard of him!”

            “What are you getting out of this? Huh? What even is the point of it all?” Her voice was louder now, but the boy was refusing to give in.

            “I don’t know what you’re talking about; I’m not getting anyth-”

            “It’s bad enough that there’s one weirdo getting some sort of kick out of this, but there’s a whole group of you! What do you want from me?” There was a hysterical note in her voice now, and Merlin was beginning to look positively terrified.

            “Nothing! I don’t want- I don’t understand!” he insisted.

            “Will you just tell me how to get home?”

            Jada hadn’t realised how close to him she had moved until she saw his wide, frightened eyes flash gold less than a foot away from her own face. Before she even had a chance to understand what was happening, she had slumped forwards, her jaw crashing painfully against his collar as he stooped to catch her. His arms jerked her shoulder up sharply while her eyelids fought against her, closing themselves against her will, and then the world vanished.

Chapter 3 ->

[thenten]

Well, he did successfully flip the tank, and that's what he was going for... though, he couldn't have anticipated what waited below.

It took the Crystalsapien moments to register the situation from the joyride he'd been on from crashing through the street to being sent sent tumbling by the wallgrinding tank, but the words being said gave it away even before he looked up to see.

Another one had been down here, Ben realizing they must've opted to get in from below while the big boss dealt with him personally.

It hadn't worked out that way for her, but this still wasn't good... even as 'one 'Soundwave' continued on with their mission, they still left behind backup for their boss... 'Megatron'. These are names he'd give to his aliens...

The metal panther that rushed him certainly looked scary, but considering who he'd just suplexed to get here, it didn't scare him in the slightest- Chromastone purposefully lifted an arm for it to latch it's jaws onto, knowing his body was hold under the bite with little issue as he wrestled with the flailing beast.

"I don't think so, pussycat." He said before swinging the arm over his head and slamming Ravage into the floor behind with a splash of equal parts sewage and smashed concrete. A decisive blow, for certain, but still too much time spent distracted- hearing the now familiar cannon-shot too late, turning around right into metal foot.

Groaning as he was kicked into the air, only for Megatron to return to her tank form and crash the barrel into him... and more worryingly, straight into the Omnitrix, eye going wide as it was triggered.

F L A S H

This time in direct view, the green light would flashbang off the sewer walls Ben was currently being pinned against, the alien drastically transforming once again; wings forcing their way from his back as crystalline body turned to an organic, blue exoskeleton.

Eye splitting into two compound ones as he looked down at himself.

"Big Chill?" The new alien whispered with a ghostly voice, confused; clearly, this transformation had been accidental, from the strike.

The interloper didn't stay confounded or worried for too long, though, the oncoming train and threat just being met with a grin that would tell the Decepticon everything she needed to know-

'I can work with this'.

In an instant, the moth-like alien would just... slip from beneath her barrel. Not to the side or over or under, no, just gliding straight through it as if it wasn't there... and leaving the path she took through it suddenly encased in frigid ice, both on the outside and inside.

"I think you'll have time to tell them yourself, Megatron." The Necrofriggian said before exhaling a cloud of icy mist that would obscure vision, ice the walls, and freeze the layer of sewage beneath the tank before he'd turn to fly directly towards the oncoming 'Astrotrain', blasting that same freezing mist the whole time.

Using it to make sure neither of them could see him disappear through a wall seconds before the train would've struck.

As much as Ben would've loved to stay and watch the collision, he instead traveled through layers of concrete and steel until he floated through the floor of the complex the Decepticons were so desperate to break into, using the chaos he'd sown to try and find whatever it was they were so interested in, and cut them off from it.

... not yet noticing that, ever since the Cybertronian's barrel had been slammed into it, the Omnitrix had been pulsing yellow.

Credit where it was due, this damnable nuisance had experience. Adaptability like this did not come from foolhardy greenhorns.

Treads dug into weak asphalt and concrete, trying to overwhelm the smaller of the two. Even with the superior mass and horsepower, the other wouldn't give any more ground without a fight. The Cybertronian had half a mind to transform again and catch him off-guard. That was, however, until there was something that brought one of her treads to an agonizingly loud wrenching halt. Spinning on a singular belt as she realized what had happened.

"Despicable fool, you'll pay f--"

She's silenced, thought, when fist slammed to metal with enough force that it indented inwards. Not quite enough to puncture the robotic 'flesh', but certainly enough to silence the warlord with a restrained grunt of pain. Only for that, of all things, to not be the end of this 'hero's assault. The tank's upper section whirred as it swiveled, trying to get the barrel pointed skyward to fire a blast to disorient Chromastone--

Too late, however, as their view was suddenly flipped upside-down before tumbling as the both of them went careening into a shockingly spacious sewage system. Metal crashing into concrete as it crumbled beneath her. Singular good tread grinding as she got a grip on the wall so the momentum could properly throw the crystal alien off of her.

"Starscream, get my cannon out this instant!" She exclaimed, though the fighter jet swooping low and turning into another 'robot' merely laughed and let out something along the lines of 'Oh, but our precious leader could never fall to a mere pest'. Something that seemed the norm, given Megatron's mere annoyance and lack of surprise.

It was not, however, Megatron, that removed the fusion cannon from her tread. No, it was another Cybertronian. Another Decepticon, if the insignia on their chest was any indication.

"Soundwave," she said, metallic arm emerging from her as the transformation began to free herself from the tank form anew. "Continue the mission, Astrotrain will be here shortly."

The other Decepticon merely replied with an affirmative, looking Chromastone's way as a hand went to press a button on their chest. A cassette tape shot out of it-- shortly followed by a panther the size of a small car barreling towards him with a robotic growl. A mere distraction as Soundwave continued down the tunnels, whilst Megatron slowly approached the crystal alien anew.

"I realize now I have failed to give you a name for the one that shall be your doom. Allow me to rectify this."

Fusion cannon was affixed into place again, though it's left unused as she barrels down the suddenly cramped-feeling tunnel. A blast of the cannon suddenly went off at her feet, rocketing her to the skies and showing how insignificant the concrete she tore through was.

"You may call your death Megatron, human." She's crashing down with a hard slam of metal foot, hoping Ravage's snarling maw and claws distracted enough to keep him distracted. Trying to kick him up into the air as she transformed anew to slam him to the sewer tunnel wall with the barrel of her tank; hoping to damage that strange device that the alien probably thought she wasn't even aware of. Grinding him along the concrete as they treaded away. Toward... a loud whistle as something was coming around the curve of the sewer. Something massive and rushing for them like a bullet. A train, at that.

"Tell her lackeys their insignificance at in-person, vermin."

[child-of-diaspora]

Tune out the noise

My brain has been on overdrive recently. Do you ever get an internal monologue going around and around in your head? I recently watched a stand-up by Drew Michael (Red Blue Green). It's not your typical stand-up that makes you laugh. He speaks about his struggles with his mental health, and it triggered my brain to go on the tirade about my own, and it's tiring.

For as long as I remember I've always felt detached. So many of the things I have endured in my life has left me feeling this way. Growing up mixed raced in Britain, living with a racist family. Intersected with a violent father during early childhood (who luckily wasn't around long), then left with a schizophrenic mother (those who have read my previous blogs will know my origin story by now).

As I've gotten older the impact of this is catching up with me, or more accurately I'm not able to block them out anymore. I really struggle with displaying my emotions. It's frustrating because I've spoken to various therapists and ex-partners and they are like, just do the thing, but I'm screaming, I can't! If I could just do the thing then surely I'd be doing it by now? It's like trying to learn a subject when the textbooks are written in another language. This has all come to a head recently when my partner of eight years (and mother to my son), decided I am no longer the right person for her.

In some ways I get it. I know my short comings. I lack empathy and don't show affection in the typical way. Shit, I don't even know if I love anyone or anything at times as I feel so destitute. I'm more comfortable when I shut myself down. My childhood left a chronic loneliness lurking over me due to the emotional abandonment. Despite having lots of people around me that care for me and let me know, I don't know if I'm absorbing it, or at least that's how my brain thinks right now. The past few years the life events I've experienced have taken their toll. I used to count on myself for stability, stubborn and defiant, but losing my grandad changed this. I've thought about suicide during these times. The only reason I'm still here is because I'm scared of the pain I might inflict on myself (yes myself, I'm not thinking of others during these moments) and that I may survive and make things worse. If there was an app I could download and press a button, I'd have done it by now.

There is tonnes of advice out there which teaches us not think about the negative and concentrate on the positive (looking at you CBT), but this just feels like I'm gaslighting myself to be happy, is that what it takes? I'm drawn to meaningful and emotional art in music, films and media, i.e. the stand-up I mentioned earlier. Like a moth to light. It's comforting yet hurtful due to the reminders of my own pain. These blogs posts sometimes feel like that. Is this helping, or am I talking myself in circles. Maybe I'm fine and I should just shut up. Is this a curated identity I've made for myself. The tortured soul.

A shared experience I think you might be able to understand which exasperates my mental health (and probably yours) is living through the internet age, where we have access to all of the information, all of the time. Current events feel like a fever dream and the media feeds us disaster after disaster until we are catatonic, unable to imagine how we can make the world a better place. Again, I am drawn to these news cycles and struggle to ignore it. The antidote piece of media to this problem would be my film of 2022, Every Everywhere All At Once. It gives a heartfelt message that we need to tune out the noise and focus on love, connection and understanding.

The main thing keeping me going at the moment is trying to be a good father to my son. Since the breakup I've become a lot closer as I don't have to worry about the failing relationship anymore. I have to break the generational trauma I've inherited. Despite the disconnect I feel with people and the world, and the difficulties I went through during the early stages of raising him, I don't doubt my bond with him. I still occasionally struggle when he is difficult or tantrums as it can throw me back into the dark place in my head I'm strenuously trying to avoid (yet another symptom of my childhood trauma). I just need to tune out the noise and remember what is important.

[evelxtus]

Hi hi hi!! So I was thinking, moth reader,,,, who paints their wings??? Like they usually grab someone they trust and ask them to paint their wings (they don't care how messy its done, they just like seeing all the colors on their usually monotone wings) bc the wings are very delicate (they can heal it with enough time and vision healing but its very uncomfortable) so them asking someone to paint their wings is kinda like them saying "I trust you a lot!" And so I think it would be adorable to ask Kaeya, Diluc, and Albedo to paint their wings? If you don't want to do this request or wanna add or take away characters thats fine! You're doing great with your writings and I hope you have a great day/night. Also remember to hydrate and eat!!!

---🐇 anon

genshin men paint your wings ! moth! reader.

pairing─ ⸝⸝ kaeya, diluc, albedo x moth!gn!reader.

note─ ⸝⸝ help this is too cute... i had to start working on it asap... tysm 🐇!! moth hybrid reader supremacy. <3

KAEYA won't admit it out loud, but as soon as you asked him to paint your wings, he melted at your pretty words and the meaning they really carried: that you trusted him a lot. Feeling trustworthy was something he values a lot, but not too many times he truly feels it in his life; he's lucky that he has you, although he often thinks if that may be bad because you're too naive. Either way, it doesn't matter, because he would NEVER hurt you. And like the good gentleman that he is, he fulfills your wishes and does his best to bring those wings of yours to life, painting a beautiful pattern of green, yellowish and various shades of blue, simulating two large peacock feathers.

“Perhaps I even have the material of a painter. What do you think? Are you satisfied with the result? From what I see, I wouldn't have any complains. You look absolutely stunning.”

Very hesitant about it. It seems to DILUC that your request is too big for him, and he has thousands of questions and insecurities even though he seems serene about it. Will I be able to do it properly, as you deserve? Maybe if I don't do it to your liking... you won't ask me again... And even if it makes him a bit nervous, he'll want to be the only one who can touch you and paint your wings. He wants you to be safe, and who better to take care of you than himself. Diluc doesn't trust anyone else to do this job as well as he does. So... he'll have to give painting your wings a chance. And you couldn't be happier about it when you see the finished work: your wings now glow red, orange and yellow, flames rising to your shoulder blades, giving you color and a warm feeling.

“Does it meet your expectations, y/n? I chose this pattern because... since you let me decide, I wanted to make something that had a special meaning for me. It's as if you now have a part of me in you... Ah... Sorry, I talked too much, forget that. I'm just glad you liked it.”

ALBEDO takes it as a way to test himself. He's used to painting on his white paper, but now that the canvas are your wings, he'll work harder to satisfy you. Also, he doesn't forget that you ask because you have great confidence in him, and that's also fuel for Albedo, motivation to make a piece of art on your wings, even if it's temporary. No matter how many times he has to paint your wings, Albedo will always give his best, because you trust him and because you are worthy of his time. He will think of different designs to make you, and he will weigh well which one can fit you better or be more useful to you in nature. Maybe a colorful leaf pattern, or perhaps with less saturation so you can go unnoticed by potential dangers? Don't worry, the final choice will be well thought out and will only be to be sure of your safety when he is not around to protect you.

“I think this has been my greatest work to date... and all because you requested me this. Perhaps I should dig deeper into things that interest me as much as you do, but in the meantime, would you allow me to continue painting your wings some other day?”

[slasherholic]

Contains: gender neutral reader, torture, forced scarification, bondage, spanking, fear play, body horror, threats of violence, mentions of drugging.

Asa Emory x Favorite!Victim Reader | One More Chance | Chapter 2

part one here

He stops in front of the elevator. Green-grey mold climbs the peeling beige wallpaper on either side of it like creeping fingers. The tarnished doors sit locked away behind a rusting barred gate. You had tried to use this exact same elevator when you almost got away from—

When you disobeyed him, interjects the part of your brain that just spared you your limbs. You had tried to use this elevator when you disobeyed him.

But he had locked it up tight from the top floors, too.

Upon realizing that, you nearly went slinking back to your room. You remember thinking that if you went back, if you crawled back inside your trunk and shut the lid, if you curled up very tight and very small, if you were good for him, when he found you, he might forgive you. There would still be a punishment for jimmying the lock; but if you showed him that you were sorry, ready to obey, ready to let him keep you without a fuss, the punishment might be bearable.

Then you had discovered a vent with a screw loose. Loose enough for you to peel back the grate.

The moment your slow descent to the lobby through the vents began, you knew forgiveness was out of the question. If he caught you before you made it out of this hotel, you would be tortured for it.

There is not a single doubt in your groggy, muddled, drugged-up mind that you are still about to be tortured for it.

He lowers your body to the grimy floor and unhooks his keychain from his belt. The keys jangle as he flips the ring once around his finger and catches it again. 

A shrill cry leaves your throat when his boot comes down on your temple.

He presses the rubber firmly into your cheek, smushing your face against the cold floor, covering your eyes. He’s not going to let you see this part. 

You hear him flipping back and forth between the keys, in no particular hurry to find the correct one.

One,

two,

three locks click open.

The pressure on your temple lifts mercifully away. You watch his boots as he slides the grated rusty door barring the elevator open. When he picks you up again, he slings you over his shoulder, his hand coming down to hold your naked thigh.

There are fifteen amber buttons on the chrome panel inside the elevator. You know your room is on the eighth floor.

Dread knots your stomach when you see the counter above the doors pass floor number eight.

He’s not taking you back to your room. 

The elevator stops on floor fourteen. He steps out, and into a part of the hotel you have never seen before. He starts down the decayed hall.

You pass one of his dolls. You don’t shut your eyes in time before you see her.

The first thing you see is the woman’s guts.

Shimmering in a slippery wet blue-purple pile on her abdomen like a tangle of worms, leaking blood down her ribs from stress-worn ruptures in the meat. The stench of her insides hits you like a kick to the face. You realize you must be smelling the chemicals of her stress and fear, cortisol, adrenaline, the pungent amalgamation of everything her panicking brain released when he did this to her.

It must have been recent; nobody could survive this for long.

She whimpers weakly at the sound of his approach. Where her eyes are meant to be, there are only bloody, glistening hollows. 

Reaching out, he grazes her IV line with his fingers, letting his hand brush her face tenderly as he walks past.

The woman’s whimpers rise into a steep pained cry that twists her features and dribbles quickly back to whimpering when she seems to realize that he has continued on walking, and isn’t going to linger to touch her more.

He takes you to the end of the hall. You hear the jingling of his key ring, the squeal of a turning handle.

The room inside is utterly unlike the rest of the hotel. Clean, tidy, well-furnished, well-lit. The cream colored wallpaper is spotless and adorned with charts boasting detailed portraits of various species of beetle and moth. All the furniture looks new.

He carries you to a long leather ottoman and starts to push it with his leg away from its resting place next to a bookshelf. In the middle of the room, he deposits you belly-down across it. Your arms fall limply to both sides. He steps out of view.

A radio crackles and sputters to life. Some melody plays faintly over it.

This is some sort of study.

You stare blankly at a locked glass case on the opposite end of the room as he moves somewhere behind you where you can’t see him. Sat upon the shelves are rows upon rows of insects preserved in jars of orange fluid.

Except some of them are very clearly not insects.

You shut your eyes, not caring to see what’s in those jars. Behind you, he opens a cabinet door, and starts to push a trolley cart with a squeaky wheel. You open your eyes when he gets too close.

There are two trays atop the cart. One white, one silver. You watch him lift a thin tool out of the silver tray, turning it over in the light, and your heart falls into your stomach.

It’s a scalpel. He’s holding a scalpel.

You launch right back into your desperate pleading frenzy.

Wait, wait, no no no, I’ll be good, I’ll be good—

The words come out as pitiful, slurred garbling. The drug has paralyzed your tongue.

His gloved hand shoots out. He seizes the underside of your jaw, cruelly. The pleading catches in your throat.

“No more of that.”

The order is stern, yet his voice remains unnervingly steady. It is the first you’ve ever heard him raise it above a whisper.

Fresh tears prick the corners of your eyes. You obey him without thought and fall silent.

From a desk in the corner, he pulls up a three-legged stool, and sits down next to you, knees level with your face. The simple proximity to him has your heart beating out of your chest. He wipes your back down with something cold and then his fingers alight to trace your shoulders gingerly. He rap-tap-taps the scalpel he’s about to use on you against the leg of the stool. 

Steadying you with a hand pressed flat on your back, he starts to work.

The bite of the scalpel is unforgiving. Your tears come fast. Before long you’re shrieking, sobbing, struggling to breathe. He doesn’t tell you to stop, doesn’t tell you to be quiet. His incisions are swift and skillful. You can feel the little flicks of his wrist as the blade sinks in and out of your back.

You see him wiping thin bloody slivers into the white tray on the rolling table, pieces of you. The sensation of the warm blood streaming down your back and shoulders turns you clammy and cold. He wipes the runny red up with a cloth from the trolley before it gets on his ottoman.

When it is over, your mind is soup.

You gape like a fish as you suck in shuddery breaths and stare blankly at his gloved hands as he sets the dripping scalpel down in its tray again, passing it through the light once more, watching it shimmer with your blood.

Your body flinches reflexively as he stands suddenly from the stool. Straddling you over the ottoman, he rearranges your legs to make room for him. His shins graze the back of your thighs as he sits. Pressing his palm flat against the small of your back, he traces your skin gingerly, examining his work. You whimper and cry. He pats your cheek.

Getting up, he goes to his desk. When he comes back you hear the click of a camera, the whirr of a picture printing. With two fingers, he slides a polaroid photo onto the ottoman, and tells you to look.

You tremble and cry. You don’t want to.

“Do I need to repeat myself?”

You obey him and look.

You start choking on your own sobs.

Butterfly wings. He’s given you butterfly wings. Wings with intricate, skillful patterns. Their graceful swooping tails reach all the way to your lower back. Bright red pools in the raw pink divots where he removed layers upon layers of your skin.

His hand closes firmly around your wrist. He cleans your fingers with a wipe. Rotating your hand behind you, he makes you feel the slippery cuts.

You whine at the sting, trembling in his strong grip. The wounds are just as deep as they look.

“It’s going to scar,” he states, matter-of-factly.

He leaves the polaroid sitting on the table next to your face as he begins to dress the wound. The cleaning hurts almost as much as the cutting, and though he’s being gentle now you think it would be more bearable if he was being cruel. His light brushes leave you trembling like a leaf.

On goes the adhesive bandaging. You watch him through shimmery tears as he gets up, goes to stand at the glass case, undoes the lock, and squats to reach the bottom shelf. He removes an empty jar and a bottle of preserving fluid.

Going back to the trolley, setting the jar down, he screws off the lid. The preserving fluid sloshes as he pours it inside. Reaching into the white tray, he carefully sets the thin pieces of what he sliced off of you into the preserving jar, one by one. You watch them flutter down and settle at the bottom. He screws the lid back on and writes something in cursive in black marker on the label. Going back to the case, he carefully moves aside a beetle specimen, and places his new collection piece on the top shelf.

He checks his watch. Peeling off his gloves, which are wet with your blood, he deposits them in a small trash can in the corner and removes a new pair from his back pocket.

He doesn’t put them on. When he walks past the ottoman he trails the gloves lightly across the nape of your neck. Your body winces and shudders. You don’t hear him shut the door as he leaves the room.

His confidence in his drug is accurate; by the time he comes back, the only movement you’re able to accomplish is a useless twitching of your fingers and toes.

You aren’t facing the right way so you can’t see the chains he’s holding in his hand but you can hear them and the sound makes a pang of dread explode inside of you. They clank and rattle as he drops them beside the ottoman. He greets you with another soft caress of your nape. His gloves are wet again, with someone else’s blood.

He peels off the dirtied second pair and doesn't bother putting on another.

He crosses your arms behind your bandaged back as you sob into the leather. Snap. The pair of thick shackles close around your wrists. The cuffs are tight and uncompromising. He measures the circumference of your neck with a measuring tape, wrapping it taut around your throat, holding it to the base of your skull with two fingers.

You make fragile broken whines as he fits a stiff steel collar around your neck. You hear the click of a padlock. His warm knuckles come down to stroke your cheek. 

His hands go under your body and he lifts you, sinking down on the ottoman in your place, splaying you across his lap. He grips the chain shackling your wrists behind your back, securing your arms tightly. In his shadow, you see him pull back his hand.

Whack.

A shattered sound rips out of you at the impact. You think for an instant that he has taken his knife out of his pocket and stabbed your backside.

With the next smack, you realize that it's his palm, and that he’s spanking you.

One more and you know he’s about to ruin your ass.

Ten seconds on and your sharp yelps are rising into screams. Thirty seconds and your cries are animal. Your cheeks are burning, blood rushing to the spanked area. His palm comes down again and again. 

You feel him switch hands. His fingers curl around the front of your throat, gripping you above your collar, hot from the friction of his slaps and your own swelling skin. He rests his palm on your bruised bottom, groping the stinging flesh.

“Count,” he orders. “Out loud.”

Whack.

You obey his order through tears, blurting out the numbers between strangled sobs.

Whack. Wham. Whack.

The slaps are brutal. He’s putting all his strength behind it. Your lips are trembling as you count your punishment. You realize you can feel his clothed erection pressing against your side and that makes you sob harder. 

At five, he stops. His hands leave your body, and you hear him fidgeting with his mask. The unlaced black fabric concaves in on itself as it falls to the floor, resting next to his boot.

You can’t look him in the face. You wouldn’t even if you could. You don’t want to see him. 

Gripping your jaw, lifting your chin, he presses his nose and mouth to your ear.

“Shh… Shh shh shh...” He shushes your whimpering quiet.

Brushing your cheek with his knuckles, he informs you that five is the number of days he’s going to feed you with nothing but the tube he’s about to shove down your throat.