#what happened in the circus? no idea your guest is good as mine

[oh-no-a-new-hiperfocus-hit-me]

I DID IT GUYYYSSS IK LITERALLY NO ONE CARES BUT I FINALLY FINISHED THE DRAFT FOR CHAPTER THREE!!!

It's 2,5k long and wow I'm so proud of me. Ik people write multichapters way longer but I can never finish mine. I've written one shots 5k long but multichapters ?? My kriptonate. I'm so happy djsnsndnndbdbdbd

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Dabi first heard about the war while changing clothes in the back of an old wagon. She was changing clothes, in the second day of their trip to the east side of the kingdom. They were traveling with more or less fifty people, each with their own affairs to deal with. Most people were riding horses, unicorns, chimeras or other animals, which they were going to do too if it wasn't for Mr Compress pulling a couple favors to get them on one of the wagons.

The guys who were driving it had been talking non-stop ever since they left. Dabi was really, really close to ripping one of their heads off and driving the damn thing herself. She was just finishing putting on a new pair of pants when she heard one of the man mention Chikara.

Chikara was the kingdom next to Akarui. They were insanely powerful and known conquerors. Their king was nameless. Well, probably not fucking nameless. Dabi did think everyone had to have a name. If there was a way to get rid of your name, she'd have found out by now.

In any case, no one knew Chikaras kings name. He was only known as All For One, because of how many soldiers had died fighting his battles. It was whispered in the night, that he had special knights, super strong, enormous and undefeatable. They were called the Order of Doom.

When the woman heard one of the man mention Chikara, she kneeled next to a sleeping Toga and came closer to listen. Though ignoring Tomuras snooring was hard, she still managed to hear the conversation.

"-and she said she was going there!"

" To Chikara ? To fight ?!"

"Yes! I told her it was a terrible idea but she wouldn't listen..."

"I'm sorry pal. I really am."

"It's ok. Me and my wife are working through it. But our eldest daughter ? A spy for the the king ? I mean who would've imagined it!"

"Not me, definitely not me, pal."

"Anyways, that was a couple years ago as you can imagine and her last letter arrived in the beginning of the year. It's been three months since..." He looked back, but everyone was apparently asleep. "Since she told us to run because a war would eclode soon."

"A war ?"

"We are going to Midori to scape... Yes, a war!"

They went back and forth on simpler subjects after that. Partners, kids, food. But the word war kept repeating in Dabis mind for the rest of the night. The temperature seemed to have dropped and the cold wind that came from a hole in the wagons 'ceiling' messed her hair.

War.

▪︎▪︎▪︎

"No! Absolutely not." He pronounced every letter throughly, pinching his eyebrows and twisting his mouth.

"Pleeaaasseee. It's for a friend!" Toga jumped and flapped her hands in the air, and Dabi could see she was mere seconds from taking Shugarakis shoulders and shaking him with all her strength.

"Hey, what's happening here ?" Dabi sat by Shigarakis side, bumling his shoulder. She'd decided it was better to intervine now than to have to deal with a headache later on.

"This dumb blonde bitch-"

"Hey!"

"Call her that again and I'll rip your legs off."

"Sorry. This little bratty asshole-

"Hey!."

"This one's true, thou, Toga. Carry on." Toga made a sour face but didn't protest. Tomura smiled.

"She wants to play at a circus! She thinks she joined a motherfucking clown cult!"

"Hum."

" This is a respectable band! We are musicians! Good ones!" Shigaraki continued, waving his hands as he spoke.

"A friend of mine will be there! The knights in training are going to be special guests. And I heard..." She put one hand on her chin, the other covering half her mouth "I heard the youngest prince is gonna be there." She whispered dramatically.

Dabis heart started beating faster and faster. Her eyes widened, but she forced her normal expression when she realized it. Her hand tightened around the edges of the log they were sitting at. Her other hand dig it's nails into the first one, and soon enough, her skin was soaking with blood and chipped wood.

"Dabi ? You ok ?" Shigaraki looked at her concerned. Toga had apparently seen a butterfly and gotten distracted chasing it.

"Im alright." She knew it wasn't true and she knew he knew it. Her voice was cracking. "We are going to play at the circus."

"What ?!" He jumped in surprise, almost spitting at her.

"Shut up and do it. Don't be a whiney bitch." Shigaraki was probably still chocked given he didn't try to stop Dabi when she got up to leave.

Fuck. Shoto was gonna be there and she'd just agreed to go. No, she demanded to go. What was wrong with her ? Fuck.

▪︎▪︎▪︎

The circus thing wasn't happening for another couple days but she didn't get any rest. First of because they had a couple of presentations already planned. Second because she was thinking of her brother.

Natsuos letters had stopped arriving.

In the first two weeks, she barely noticed it. She was used to letters arriving late, after all she was constantly changing location and although she always gave a list of the places she was going to and the dates to him ahead of time, the mail deliver wasn't exactly precise in Akarui.

But it had been a month and a half. A month and a half since the day the bird left Natsuos last letter in Dabis hand, just after they played in that crowded bar. The mail system might not be precise, but she was pretty sure Natsuo sent his letter through special agente who had pegasus or something like that (she was never that interested in Royal family bulshit ).

  In any case, the thing was that the letter was suppose to be here already. And it wasn't. Something must've happened. Dabi thought of the conversation she'd heard. She thought of the war. Could that be it? Could her brothers and sister – her mom — be in danger? Wouldn't he protect them?

  Wouldn't the king protect what was left of his family ?

  At least, at the very very least, she knew she could keep an eye on Shoto while he was there. Her baby brother. Her responsibility. She hadn't seen him in ten years.  How much had the kid grown ? He was certainly not the little boy she had known anymore.

  Usually Dabi thought being a pessimist was good, only good things cane when her expectations were worse than reality. But at that moment she wished she could hope for something good. If the worse happened... If the worse happened she'd have to get Shoto, her friends and run.

  Oh fuck. Holy. Fuck. She'd forgotten.

  She hadn't told Shoto she was alive. You see, running away from your father was really hard when he was the king. She'd spent months planning it, to scape from hell. She'd planned to take Natsuo and maybe even Fuyumi with her, then  come back to get Shoto and her mom. After that, with the stolen riches she'd set aside, they could have a new life. And who knows? Maybe one day Shoto or Fuyumi could come back to reclaim the throne. When their father was long gone. Not that Dabi would mind taking matter into her own hands if it was for the sake of her siblings...

  In any way, her plans went to shit when The Accident happened. The accident that got her scars, the one she couldn't bare to think about. After it she had to completely change her plans and run off by herself. She scaped in the middle of the night, and met Natsuo in those dark halls to say goodbye.

  He was her best friend, and at the time, she thought that was goodbye forever.

  But despite her pessimistic beliefs, his first letter arrived six months after she ran, when she got her very first job. Since then, they'd been talking regularly ( or as much regularly as one could have conversations through mail). She told Natsuo to not tell anyone she was alive and well, but deep down, she knew Fuyumi had to know. She was the polar opposite of her sister, who was always the perfect elegant, kind, polite princess. Still, they shared a bond Dabi could not explain, a bond of caretakers and of women whose blood was the same.

  Plus there was the fact Natsuo sucked tremendously at keeping secrets.

  Dabi was not sure if Shoto knew, though she thought he probably did; Fuyumi had always been soft for him. Still, he wouldn't recognize her. He probably had faint memories of a face she no longer had. The thoughts of her siblings haunted her during those few days, often making her laugh. She laughed because she couldn't cry anymore, because it was all too absurd, because maybe her life was just a fucking joke to the universe.

  The others soon enough realized she was behaving strangely. For a couple days Dabi was able to hide her ever growing mess of feelings, but they knew her too well. Compress would ask what was wrong when he thought no one else was listening. Toga would braid her hair ( she hated it, and would immediately unmake the braids once Himiko was done.) Spinner liked to invite her to his games to distract her. Magne and Twice were always trying to hug her and get her to open up (which she hated much, much more than the braids, but the intention was sort of nice).

  And Shigaraki... Shigaraki was being distant, and she didn't know why.

  Nevertheless, with suspecting of war to investigate and money to earn, the days passed by quickly enough, much for Dabis happiness.

  "Oh my God, look! The circus is so big! The colors are so, so very pretty too!" Himiko jumped as Spinner tried — and failed — to held her back. "I can't believe I'm going to met Ochaco-chan again! She's the prettiest fairy to ever exist, and also the bravest and strongest knight! Her blood must be so sweet..." She rambled and moved her hands around in the air, spinning in her yellow dress.

  They were all dressed in their fanciest clothes, which included from flowery dresses like Togas to dark suits like the one Twice was wearing. Dabi wore the only thing she had from her old life : the clothes she had scaped the castle with. It was a purple suit with a white shirt underneath, and plain black pants. The suit was adornated in gold, and had the Kingdoms coat of arms in it, because it was for Dabi to use in formal occasions back in the castle. She had covered the coat of arms with a piece of dark fabric, which looked kind of out of place but really, who cared ?

   As they approached the circus, more and more people started looking at them. It was a fancy part of town, not the kind of place they usually played at. When they got there, Compress chatted with the man who was producing the show. Apparently he'd heard them play before, and was looking forward to having them there. Dabi suspected it wasn't true, maybe Toga had threatened someone or bribed them to see the knights in training. She immediately felt bad. Himiko wouldn't bribe anyone. Threatening, maybe, though.

  The inside of the circus was huge, even bigger than it looked from the outside. There were bailarinas and gymnasts in black suits, a man caressing a lion next to them. A beautiful woman with a long beard went over the presentation with the dancers. Clowns ran around, playing with each other, and...

  And an enormous dragon slept in a cage. It was so big the cage could barely fit its wings, and it's deep blue and yellow scales shined in the light. It looked comfortable, at ease, almost like it was safe. But it wasn't possible, dragons had never lived peacefully with humans.

  Dabi must have looked more amused than scared, because the showman, who was chatting with one of the gymnasts, walked towards her eith a smile on his face.

  "Isn't she beatiful ? She's going to be our main attraction tonight." He cackled. Dabi got ready to fight. There was no fucking way she was going to leave someone to be trapped by shitty people, a mere attraction in their shown.

  "She's my wife, you know. She's been resting all afternoon, to have energy to perform tonight. Can you believe she like to sleep in the elephants cage? Haha." As the man laughed Dabi saw that the cage was open, blankets scattered on the floor. The dragon yawned.

  "She sleeps better in her dragon form?" The woman didn't mean to ask, but she was so shocked from the conversation she couldn't help turning thoughts into words.

  "Yes, actually! I find it to be fascinating. Saori says when she's transformed her rest is far better." He looked at her for the first time, staring at her scars. "Do you know any dragons? Perhaps, family?"

  "Yes" she said, and allowed her shoulders to deconstract, her breath to calm down. "I am a dragon." The man widened his eyes even more."It runs in the family." She turned and left.

  ▪︎▪︎▪︎

  The instruments were old, but had clearly been taken good care of. There was a violin for Compress and a piano for Toga, and even guitars for Shigaraki and Spinner. Tomura wasn't happy, he  loved his own guitar, and Toga was usually the only one who relied on other people's instruments. It's not like they could transport a piano, so she only played when there was one in the place they were going to play at already.

  When they were all set, the showman asked them to rehearse with the dancers. Those people were very skilled, jumping and spinning endlessly like it was nothing. Dabi spotted some metaforms among them, which brought her back to the dragon in the cage, Saori.

  Was it really possible for people like her to have something like that? Something alike acceptance? She shut her eyes tight. No. Hope was a damn waste of time. People would just throw her aside again.

  When the spectacle finally started, she was relieved. As soon as it was over they could leave. They could pretend nothing happened.

  Dabi should've thought something like 'relief' would not last long for her. When the showman started announcing the first number, Toga pulled her sleeve and, smile as wide as ever, pointed to the right side of the bleachers. Waiting for her, was a young boy, hair split down the middle. But he was looking the other way, chatting with his colleagues. No, he wasn't looking; but someone sure was. The knights in training hadn't come alone. Dabi found she knew their companion, and almost tripped as golden eyes stared into hers.

@arson-n-barf if you could tell me if there's anything weird here, that'd be awesome! I don't want to be rude as you've already happened me a lot, I'm just happy you're liking the story so no pressure. :)

[kurtty-drabbles]

Swan au (intimidation)

N/A: The animals are very bitter at Kitty, she´s clearly Evil Wizard Kurt´s favourite. As for their relationship baby steps.

@djinmer4 @dannybagpipesarecalling @discordsworld

The sound of children gushing at the circus´s attraction is actually the only sound to be heard if someone really pays attention, as parents indulge in their kids' imagination. A nice woman with curly hair and a kind smile(and a graceful way of speaking and move resembling the most beautiful swan) captivate the hearts and minds of everyone who enters in the circus.

"Lady, Lady," one of the kids asked free from their parent´s supervision "you´re very pretty, like a swan" the kids replied in unison.

"Oh, that´s cute, would you said I´m the most beautiful swan ?" the kids' nods and the woman identified herself as Kitty smiles pleased and gave two tickets, for free, to the kids, but make them swear to not spread this little fact to anyone else.

She can´t give free tickets. That´s not the job of a ticket office. The kids' solemn swear. Happily to being able to see more of the circus.

Once the kids are out of her view, lost in the crow of people gushing and talking excitedly about the attraction of the moment, so much, that no one seems to noticed a blue fur little creature bamfing next to her. Playing with her free lock of hair absently to the world.

"Hello, little one, " Kitty replied using her middle finger to caress his fur and chubby belly. "Does Kurt has all he needs?" the creature nods affirming her question and Kitty let a lazy smile reaches her face, her job is done now, "So, if your part of the job is over, do want to come with me to the city? I want to buy more milk and ...I´ve seen enough of the main attraction, what do you say?" the little creature readily agrees to jump in her shoulder. As Kitty is leaving the circus she can hear the screamings. _____________________________ Kitty returns later with milk and the bamf as Kurt explains, in such tender and soft way, what really happened. Kitty nods and pipes a few questions here and there as Kurt does answers honestly. A pair of eyes look at the scene with anything but fondness for this new guest.

Their names hardly matter now, but, they go for what they used to be. A wolf, a snake, an owl and a possum. All caught Kurt´s attention in a way or another and they must all obey and live with their consequences.

Yet, Kitty is treated so gently and kind. Offering free tickets? She can do it with no repercussion. Kitty can take as many days offs she pleased, she can win presents too.

The snake remembers oh so vividly the time Kitty´s feet were burned because of the inane creature didn´t comprehend that some places have an amount of heat which can burn the skin of her feet. Kurt was tender and kinder with HER. The snake did have to improve once she experiments with the burning sensation.

Wolf, Snake, Owl and possum know Kitty is a Swan, never was a secret from the circus, but, is a secret why Kurt cares so much for this little Swan. A free Swan chooses to be here.

"Who does she think she is?" Snake replied letting her tongue be the only indication she is not fully human. Wolf eyes the Swan as now she is walking side by side with Kurt and his minions.

"A swan needs to know this is not a place for her kind" the word was spoken with utter disdain as his cup is being filled by the possum.  The owl decides to throw her two cents as well.

"If the master favour her, then, it would be best to let it go, if he gets tired of her...she´ll get the same fate as the others, for the time being, let us not make any hasty decision as this will backfire for us" the owl lift her cup as possum pour more beverage for the owl. The group as an odd dynamic, Possum is more of a servant than a true member of the group, yet, they still let the creature roams in their territory and sometimes offer protection. The keyword here: sometimes.

"You´re a symbol of wisdom, Owl, how come you ended up in this situation?" mock the snake lifting her cup to the possum to fill again, "I said ...it won´t hurt to just introduce ourselves to the new girl" the snake now drinks her beverage pleased with herself.

Wolf take the lead role as speaks with a final tone in his voice "yes, Snake is right, let´s have a chat with the Swan"

Possum is the only one who didn´t contribute to the conversation.

_____________________________ One day, Kurt informs Kitty he needs to go to the city to gather more supplies for the living a few materials for his....plans. Kitty nods and bides him farewell, she spends part of her time helping the human(a small percentage on the circus) and gets to know them a little better.

Once their chore is over. Kitty is walking by the tents used for the attractions. Her elegant fingers touch the fabric of the tent, the red with yellow lines, gingerly. The fabric seems so soft but at the same time, it feels impossible to rip.

Of course, Kitty realized that she´s not alone as a pair of eyes make itself know in the darkest corner of the tent. Wolf, Snake and Owl all show up ready to have a small chat with the Swan.

"Hello, little Swan" Wolf shows his canines in his small talk and Kitty let go of the fabric to gaze at his eyes "we see you walking around, thinking you own this place and we don´t like this"

"Oh, really?" Kitty crosses her arms " I don´t think I ever walk as if I own this place, if I do, I would employ wolfs and snakes that love to get drunk each night, I would fire you if I was the owner...but, of course, Kurt is and if you have complains go after Kurt, not me"

She makes a motion to walk away but the wolf hurls and groans as his kin did when asserting dominance. His fangs are visible and Kitty has the flashback of her encounter with the Fox. Her reaction was noticed by the Wolf who primes himself as being the leader of the pack and continues.

Steady steps. He wants to teach her a lesson. A swan needs to know who is in charge, where she is in the hierarchy.

"I´d think I dislike you, but, as a kind leader of this pack, I can help you. First" wolf is getting closer and closer of Kitty, "I think you need to learn, humility and the first step for that is ...." Wolf jump to bite Kitty or to hurt her or even scared the poor Swan. That was the plan, however, the reality was not kind with the wolf as Kitty take from her pocket a knife and stuck on his right eye hard. The knife practically enters from his eyeball in such a way that the knife is stuck there.

Wolf scream with anger, fear and pain. Kitty takes the Wolf and throws at the Snake. By the sound of "crek," something was broke to Snake or Wolf. Kitty takes another knife, from her other pocket, and aim to the owl who is too fearful to move.

Owl was sure the Swan would either run away or someone would come to her rescue.

"Owl! we´re birds here, right? So, let´s be friends, Owl...because I don´t have to hurt another bird, but I´ll if that happened again, got it?" Kitty replied with the knife in hands. Owl nods and Kitty leaves the other animal behind.

Later, when Kurt is back, the only questioned made was why she is cleaning bloody knives.

"...Kurt? your wolf has an accident and now lost an eye, will that be a problem?" she asked now facing him. Kurt shurgs mentioned he could either heal him or get a new Wolf.

"Am I replaceable to you? There´s many birds and women out there....if you want ...There´s a peacock" she speaks but trails off in her sentence and Kurt takes her face, tenderly, as his golden eyes gaze into her brown eyes. "I know you´re evil...so if you want to replace me"

"Who said I want to replace you? I can get any wolf without a problem, but you? Is a rarity that I want to keep to myself, so, don´t think I can get another you like you. That´s impossible and never gone to happen"

"Good to hear that"

"Katzchen, are you the reason for my wolf have an accident with his eye?"

"Yes"

"Ok, just checking"

___________________ In Xarxon, the new king regent is named Proteus. In a short period of 6 months, Xarxon morphed into a new place, get a new social-economic status and get an upgrade in their political affairs.  Good news for the people of Xarxon that does not want to see the old king not even painted in gold. Another good news is that princess Illyana Rasputin is finally back.

They may hate Piotr, however, they love the princess and her presence back makes be akin to a white pigeon of peace.

Illyana is currently in her room. The First Born princess of Genosha is visiting Proteus, a royal courtesy as Xarxon is a neighbour of Genosha. Princess Lorna, the middle child and second princess(Pietro and Wanda are twins) have the task of making a polite talk with the beloved princess, Illyana Rasputin.

Illyana is with her faithful friend, Rhane Sinclair, getting dressed to talk with the princess. No, in fact, they already are ready. Yana just wants to make a few points clears before going to the meeting.

"Are you sure?" Rhane asked for the last time. "I mean, Genosha has some flaws, I think we all know what I´m talking about"

"I know, but, they are best as allies than enemies" Yana assured her friend "Proteus is a student from the necromancer...you can be sure my brother´s insanity was caused by him...well, my brother was never sane or a nice person...But his sudden case of wanting to marry a swan or hurt a swan and then Proteus being the regent...has his finger" Yana respond putting her royal crown " I know that our mines produce gems and the Necromancer, that son of a bitch" Rhane speaks about language " Is getting a fair share of gems for free. Sure as payment"

"But you won´t do anything against Proteus ....?"

"No, because he´s useful to me ...for now" Yana´s tone is sombre and in moments like this Rhane remembers she was raised by Belasco and his wife.

"Well, you sure won´t do this alone, me and the New Mutants are here to help, you can count on us" Rhane declares fierce

"Thank you" her tone is soft now "I´ll need all the allies I can, I send letters to Dani, Sam and Paige, Roberto and Amara and Doug"now she ponders for a moment "he´s with Excalibur now and I think I would like to meet them, if they are trustworthy maybe they can help"

Rhane nods and opens the door for the princess to go. Both girls are now ready to face Princess of Genosha, Lorna Dane.

Lorna Dane heard many tales about Princess Illyana from Wanda. The girl is sharp like a sword, don´t cross her or you won´t have a second chance.  Wanda is one of most powerful witches Lorna knows(not being biased here) so, if Wanda is speaking highly of Yana...then Lorna is expecting great things from this Princess.

Except, the fearsome Illyana is still a child. Still has baby fat on her features. Lorna can´t believe this is the deadly witch from hell Wanda speaks so highly. She is just a child.

Then again, Lorna was just a child when she killed for the first time.

"Princess Illyana Rasputin is an honour to finally meet you" Lorna make the right measures and bows to this occasion. The other Princess laughs amused and dismissed the formalities "I´m here to express my sorry for the condition of your brother and to offer a friendly hand to Xarxon"

"Are you sure?" Illyana speaks calmly and amused at the same time " Because Genosha never offered a friendly hand to Xarxon before" she speaks and walks like a prey seizing his victims and Lorna is impressed and terrified that this girl can´t act like her age.

Actually, Lorna never could act like her age.

"Yes, we never offer a hand before, that was because of old politicians and rules, now, we have a new start ahead of us, new possibilities" Lorna replied politely.

"Yes, the possibility of an alliance to help dethrone Magneto" Rhane answers and Yana calms Lorna´s spirits telling they are inside a magical barrier of her. No one can hear their conversation.

"In that case, yes, there´s this possibility as well" Lorna speaks now understanding why Wanda is often praising Yana. "I suppose that if you didn´t kill me now or snitch me...you want to enter in the rebellion?"

"Is very convenient for the first Princess to talk with the king regent, instead of Yana, no one will suspect our talk" Rhane explained joining the conversation " Proteus is a former student or still is a student from the Necromancer and the payment to be able to sit in the throne is a good share of gems...half of what the mines produce goes to the necromancer" Rhane finishes and Lorna now can understand where this is going.

"Help Genosha may open doors to me as well, I want a few favours in return, we all deal with the Necromancer in a way or another. Our sister made a terrible....lack of judgment many years ago and now, Genosha has a tie with him...I want to explore this tie. I want to get rid of any trace of the Necromancer"

"You´re extremely powerful. Powerful enough to defeat him?"

Yana looks at Rhane then at the ceiling. The image of the founders of this kingdom seems a copy-paste to Yana. She remembers Belasco, she remembers her time in Limbo, the New Hell.

"Yes, I´m"

[elenamegan14]

Twisted Wonderland: Headcanons for Dorm Haunted Houses Pt.4 - Savannaclaw

MASTERLIST

Part 3

TW: Themes of Cannibalism and Gore in Haunted House. 

THE ATTRACTION:

Savannaclaw’s haunted house is centered on the Elephant Graveyard’s theme. Only darker and gorier.

It’s a “Cannibal” Rave Party where the menu on the house is… YOU!

Guests entered a large gate out of a giant mammoth skeleton amongst the rocky hills. Green lights and fogs shrouded them everywhere. Graphic animal carcasses and skeletons littered on every single step that the guests took around their haunted house. Dark Tribal and Progressive House music echoes all across the hills. 

As they climbed on top of the rocky hills, they saw a rave party being celebrated amongst the whooping Savannaclaw students, dancing amongst the strobe lights with a DJ on top of the hill. As they beckoned guests to come closer, they can see limbs, heads and organs splattered across the banquet table. Everyone is sporting a bloodied mouth, tribal tattoos and a nasty smirk as they tried to grab the guests by force. It was primal - many guests are quite spooked. 

Ruggie is the second-in-command of all the ‘predators’ and the saboteur of the team. His role is to sabotage the participants during the obstacle course as well as instructing the ‘predators’ to hunt as many participants as they can. He was wearing a hyena-themed like rave tribal outfit along with a mask made out of antelope skull. He accessorized himself with pieces of teeth and bones. 

After going through the mini haunted house, participants and guests were then escorted to the start lines where they were given each towel and water bottles to refresh themselves.  

It may not look like it, but Leona did put a bit of an effort to the dorm’s haunted house, only because it’s a chance for him to unleash his beastly side upon the poor guests and first-years. 

Their dorm’s haunted house is the most athletic one out of the dorms. Think of the Zombie Run or The Walking Dead Obstacle Course marathons, only this one has hungry predators chasing the hell after you. 

Of course, guests who are willing to be a little sporty tonight are allowed to participate in this interactive obstacle course, but while they went on a normal route, the students who took on the charm challenge are instead given a more difficult course. 

They’re selling the usual merchandise: t-shirts, flags, water bottles, and sports bands are quite popular but the most fast-selling items are their unique necklaces. And pictures of Leona. Rook and Vil hunted him down to pose per Ruggie’s request. The Crafts Club took this as a chance to show off their skills at making tribal accessories and keychains.

Leona’s costume evoked a sense of raw power - ripped off tribal-like punk-like leather with his black tribal tattoos and makeup. His teeth are bleached with red dye, to make it seem that he already ate up his ‘preys’ before and his stomach had room for seconds. 

Strangely, most of the female guests are willing to be captured by ‘Leona’ when they have to go through the ‘Predator’s Cove’, perhaps it was their strange kinks but who he is to deny when he plays along as their ‘king’. 

Actually, most ‘predators’ who already got romantic partners took this as an opportunity to play ‘predator and prey’ kink to a whole new level. They were responsible for the massive loss of participants because the participants themselves were willing to be ‘captured’ by the ‘predators’ to be ‘eaten’. Get it? -winks-

THE MISSION: 

Their mission for this haunted dorm is the same as the guests - they enter an obstacle course marathon challenge where they have to evade, survive and go through all the traps on this challenge. They will encounter ‘hungry predators’ along the way, so they have to make sure that the predators won’t mark them by smearing ‘blood’ on their shirt. 

They were warned that the predators would also ‘bite’ as well, which is a NO-NO in MC’s group case. 

Of course, the host is also considerate to tell that, since this is an athletic event, they have to carry a water bottle at all times to rehydrate themselves. Epel and Jack already brought more than ten bottles to reserve their stamina, and share it along with everyone on the team.

And of course, they were allowed to use their MagicPens to blast some magic limited only to this event to ward off the Savannahclaw “predators”. 

...well, they can try. Those ‘predators’ are fast as heck. 

MC’s group and the poor students run like the wind when the predators are unleashed. Only 55% of the participants remained. 

ANGRY RAVE MUSIC PLAYS ON THE BACKGROUND. 

Did I mention this is also an obstacle course as well? 

They got sticky floors, nets to go through, falling boulders, hidden pits, climbing the cliffs, tightropes, and...

“WHOSE IDEA IS IT TO PUT A CIRCUS FIRE RING IN THE OBSTACLE?! This is so randomly dangerous!” Ace yelled while putting out the fire on his butt. In Jack’s defense, he has no idea that they’re going to use HIS suggestion.

Epel went through the obstacles smoothly, even down to kicking a few Savannaclaw students. 

Ruggie got Grimm by his arms and he prepared to mark the poor flying feline, but Grimm being Grimm, decided to bite Ruggie’s hand instead. He dropped Grimm with a yowl, nursing his hand as he watched Grimm with vengeance on his eyes. 

But MC? Poor MC might be slow or their stamina is not as strong as the others, so they’re having quite difficulty in keeping up with the others. While they’re not looking, one student jerk enough to cheat tripped MC’s feet, causing the charm they got from Heartsyabul’s challenge to fly out. 

THAT DAMN STUDENT GOT THE CHARM. 

MC watched helplessly as his other friend held you back, laughing as they held the charm to defend themselves against the attacking Savannaclaw ‘predators’ as they left you at the mercy of the ‘predators’. 

Luckily, Grimm and Deuce came to your rescue by hauling your butt up as they blasted the predators back from ‘harming’ you. 

Ruggie’s sabotage team went nuts. They’re a hindrance to the students, like making them slipped on oil floor and banana peels, Ruggie using his magic to redirect some students to the wrong courses (or walls if he was feeling sadistic), putting low-level mines on their path that explodes (students blasting off like Team Rocket), trapping legs on bear-trap-like clamps and caused some students to get zapped by some electronic shocks to buy time for the predators to catch up to them.

Ace saw a familiar glint of the charm on one of the students. One look at it and he gets the gist of what happened. Ace gave that poor student a karma by tricking him to look down ("Hey! Your fly is open!”), causing that said student to panic out of embaressment and run into a wall of sticky web. Ace saunters back with a whistle, stealing the charm back and gleefully as that student is pounced by Ruggie and the ‘predators’. 

In the end, almost everyone made it. Still, no one complained and is happy that they’re still in one piece. 

Their last obstacle mission is quite simple: inside the den of predators, there’s a charm tucked right next to Leona. The students must creep amongst the sleeping predators WITHOUT waking them up. 

That sleeping part is Leona’s idea. 

Easy huh? Do you think that’s easy? It turns out that Savannaclaw had set up traps that guaranteed to make the poor students scream out of their wits. Five students found out the hard way when they stepped on a klaxon, got toy spiders rained down on them, and gas released on the nape of their necks. 

Finally, they decided to use a straw lot to determine which student should go down like a man to retrieve the charm. 

Spoiler alert: MC got it. Their group protested. 

BUT THEY DECIDED TO TAKE IT FOR THE SAKE OF FREEDOM. Touching tears were shed. 

Grimm decided to follow MC to make up for abandoning them in the first place - he will be the one who warned MC about possible traps. As they went in, they did not realize Ace was biting his nails and Jack gripped a boulder so hard that it cracked from the intense suspense. 

MC tried their best to endure everything - the cool jelly floating down their face, the spiders, the gas and even tickling feathers. They were screaming internally. 

When they finally reached the location, they found out that Leona is hiding the charm inside the jar that he holds. 

MC tries to lull him into a deep slumber by singing ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’. It actually works. No seriously. 

MC’s group also secretly joins it from outside. They make a good acapella. 

In the middle of the song, Leona unconsciously grabbed a hold of MC and put them on a tight hold hug as if MC is a dakimakura. Still, MC is got the guts to finish the song and escaped from Leona’s hold, holding the jar carefully on their chest. 

It all went well until Grimm and Ruggie happened. 

...hey, yeah. Remember the Emperor’s New Groove? The part where Kuzco pisses off a squirrel so the cute squirrel decided to get even with Kuzco by tricking him to wake the entire jaguars using balloons? Well, Grimm’s the Kuzco and Ruggie, being the little shit, IS the squirrel. Guess what happened next. 

“ROAAAAAAAAARRRRRR!!!”

“THAT DAMN RACCOON HAD WOKEN UP THE PREDATORS! RUN, YOU ASSHOLES!” 

They all run. MC seems to run the fastest. The students had no chance against the speed, power, and agility of the Savannaclaw students - they got “eaten” one by one. Most of them are Leona’s victims. 

“AAAAAAAAHHH! DON’T COME ANY CLOSER!” One of the students screamed as he tried to shoot Leona several times using his MagiPen, but failed due to Leona’s unbelievable speed. He got his “throat” ripped out.  

While they were running, another student body checks MC so hard that they lose their charm, prompting that students to roughly grab it before they do. 

“Thanks for the charm, loser!” That was his last words before Ruggie pounced on him from above, Epel hurriedly grabbed the charm before anyone could steal it back. When another student tried to fight Epel for it, he was rewarded with a serious eye poke from Epel, followed by a knuckle sandwich from Deuce that escalated into an actual scuffle. IT WAS WILD. 

Meanwhile, MC, is seriously cornered down by Leona who took this opportunity while they were down. “Nowhere to run, herbivore.” Leona gave MC a frightful smirk as he leaned down towards their doom. So MC was left with no choice but to do… THIS. 

They got down on one knee and reluctantly cringed as they said these words: “Please, Leona-senpai! I’m just a small, insignificant herbivore who wants to live! Therefore… Leona Kingscholar, will you do the honor of… -gulps- MARRYING ME?”

The shock that came from the participants and the ‘predators’ is enough to momentarily stop the chaos. 

“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHH???!!!” Jack, Ace, Deuce, Epel, and Grimm simultaneously yelled. 

Leona just stood there dumbfounded. 

MC took the opportunity to book it before Leona could realize what’s going on. Once he does, he shrugged… AND CHASE THEM LIKE HELL. 

They barely made it to the exit gate. Leona snapped at them, but he couldn't do anything as the survivors celebrated their victory along with the other participants that escaped from the predators. 

MC apologized to Leona about the proposal. They were just scared at that time - any rationality that they had at time flew out when Leona almost got them, Leona-senpai is truly terrifying out there. Leona ate up the complement and seemingly forgives MC...

...but not before he licked MC’s neck as a warning. MC is left flushed - please do NOT do this, senpai! 

Some girls wanted Leona to lick them too. XD

The rest of MC’s group watched blank-faced. Jack had to slide you away from Leona’s gaze - there are people watching sir, please be reasonable. GOSH. 

They were tired, their breaths almost depleted, but they enjoyed it. It was fantastic - they feel reinvigorated, Savannaclaw may put their participants at risk, but it was the best fun they ever had. After resting for quite a while, they went on to their next dorm.

The scent of the sea and motor oil greets them in the first place. It’s time to enter the den of Octinanivelle’s haunted dorm...

TO BE CONTINUED...

Part 5

[s-horne]

In his defence, Tony was tired. He never slept well when Steve was away and Steve had been away for nearly a week. Sleep hadn’t been easy and Tony had been surviving on coffee and coffee alone.

With his ears still ringing from the loud music he’d had blasting in the workshop, he headed up to the kitchen slowly. He didn’t like to be in their house knowing that Steve wouldn’t be heading home at the end of the day and, with the mission as unsure as it was, no one had known when Steve would be finished.

Tony wasn’t expecting Steve to be home. He wasn’t expecting anyone to be home, which is why having an unexpected woman in his kitchen made him jump so high. Tony was a superhero. He had an iron suit of armour that he flew around the world to fight literal aliens. He shouldn’t have jumped so much at a single intruder.

Whilst a woman in his kitchen might have been low on someone else’s danger list, Tony could feel the last of his caffeine high wearing off. He also knew not to underestimate people; he’d made that dangerous mistake before.

They stood in silence for a long moment, the intruder standing at the other end of the kitchen, her palms flat on the counter between them. Tony blinked once, twice, keeping them closed for a second longer each time.

Every time he opened his eyes, she was still there.

“J?” he called out, keeping his wary gaze on the woman. “J, we have a guest.”

“Indeed, Sir.”

Tony only resisted rolling his eyes so that he didn’t have to take his gaze from his intruder. “And you didn’t alert me?”

The first thing that Tony had noticed was that her hair was long. It was well past her chest, a striking, dusty blonde that curled down to the very ends. The second thing was that she looked familiar, but Tony couldn’t place her.

It was no secret that Tony was attracted to women. Tony was pretty much attracted to every gender. But he was also an extremely happily married man and his eyes hadn’t strayed since he and Steve had gotten married. Since they’d gotten together. Even with that in mind, Tony couldn’t deny that the woman in his house was gorgeous.

It was in the eyes, he thought. The colour of them stood out even from so far away, bold and bright.

“I didn’t think it necessary, Sir,” JARVIS answered calmly, pulling Tony’s attention away from falling any deeper into the woman’s eyes, “given that Captain Rogers lives here.”

Tony’s eyes went wide. “Steve?”

The woman cracked a smile. “Hey, sweetheart.”

*

“Okay.” Tony dropped his empty mug back onto the table and smacked his lips. “Right. Let’s talk.”

Steve, or the female version of Steve, chuckled. The noise was higher than it ever had been before, musical in a much different way than Tony was used to. Tony knew Steve’s laugh. He knew Steve’s laugh in every way. Knew what it sounded like in his ear, knew what it felt like in his chest.

“Okay,” Steve echoed and Tony tried his hardest not to flinch. As gorgeous as the voice was, it wasn’t Steve’s. “I’m fine, by the way.”

A small smile tugged at the corner of Tony’s mouth. “Good. I couldn’t see any bandages, but that means nothing with you.”

Another laugh. “Not this time, darlin’. Promise. Just… well. This.”

Steve gestured down at his, her, body and Tony grimaced. Right. He needed more coffee.

“What happened?”

“I don’t know.”

“Bullshit.”

Steve jumped at Tony’s snapped answer. “What?”

“Bullshit. Steve always knows. He has an answer for everything.”

“I don’t,” Steve said softly, calmly. “I don’t have an answer for this.”

“My husband is in… I don’t know where he is, exactly, but he’s away. On a mission. He’s not in my kitchen and he’s not a woman.”

“Tony. Please, sweetheart. You know it’s me.” Steve reached a hand out and Tony’s gaze fell at the band around her finger. It was only a simple one, but Tony would recognise it anywhere. He let out a weird sort of snorted laugh when it clicked. It was a foreign noise, one that sounded like it had come from a different part of the room. From a different person, even. It wasn’t him… just like Steve wasn’t Steve.

“Nice ring.”

“Yeah,” Steve said, a smile clear in her voice. “Thanks. I kinda love it.”

They fell quiet again. Without looking up to Steve’s face, Tony called to JARVIS. “You ran everything, J?”

“I did, Sir. All reports sent to your StarkPad. I can conclude without a doubt that this is, in fact, Captain Rogers.”

The fact that the woman wasn’t fighting Tony or trying to protest her version of events added to the evidence in her favour and tipped the scales towards the fact that she was telling the truth. Steve knew that Tony couldn’t just be told something and instantly believe it. He needed facts and figures, needed cold, hard evidence in his hands.

He flicked through the reports that JARVIS had exported quickly, his eyes flickering up to the woman sitting opposite him every so often. Steve was sitting there calmly, hands curled around a mug of steaming coffee, ring clinking against the ceramic as Steve tapped absentmindedly.

“It’s you, isn’t it? Like, really you.”

Steve met Tony’s gaze. “Yeah. It really is.” Her tongue darted out to wet her lips and Tony couldn’t help but follow the movement. Steve’s lips had never been thin, but, as a woman, they were thicker than ever. A deep, dark pink that Tony wanted to bite at, make them a bold red instead. “We were close to finishing the mission when something went awry. Someone got wind of what we were doing or tipped off another group, I don’t know.”

Her hand reached up to sweep through her hair, but Steve had obviously forgotten about its new length and her fingers got tangled in the thick curls. The betrayed look on her face made Tony let out a startled laugh.

“Ouch. Well, anyway, someone must have– shit.” Steve tugged her hand again but all it served to do was yank on the roots.

Rising from his chair, Tony rounded the table wordlessly and lifted his hands to Steve’s hair. It felt the same, his mind noticed as he worked the strands quickly to untangle the curls and free Steve’s hand. When it was hanging loose down Steve’s back again, he stepped away and rooted quickly through a few of the drawers under the counter.

“Thank you,” Steve said, shaking her arm to dislodge a few casualties in the form of pulled-out hairs. “So, anyway, we think one of the groups that were told about our mission dabble in magic, or some form of it.”

Tony hummed before his fingers closed around what he’d been looking for and he let out a triumphant cry. “So you got hit by magic? A curse, maybe?”

“Pretty sure. None of us can be exactly certain because we didn’t see anything, but we didn’t eat or drink anything that wasn’t our SHIELD rations or made by one of us.” Steve’s speech ended in a soft gasp as Tony started working his hand through her thick curls.

“Sounds like it, then,” Tony said, fingers working quickly to plait Steve’s hair. “You know, your hair’s long. Like really long.”

Steve turned her head to lift an eyebrow in a perfect arch. Tony’s eyes were drawn to it, the reprimand for moving dying on the tip of his tongue. It was just another reminder that everything about Steve had changed. Even her eyebrows were thinner, a completely different shape to what they had been before. Tony swallowed and gently turned her head again so that she was looking away from him.

“Shut up,” he said, catching a few curls that had tried to break free, “it’s a big change. I’m not used to you having so much hair for me to grab.” He stopped himself as he realised how that sounded and did his best to push the dirty images that shot into his mind away. It was so not the time for that. “So, if you trust everyone on your team –”

“Which I do,” Steve cut in quickly.

“–then yes, it sounds as though it was magic. I don’t know of a serum or even a lab that’s working on this sort of thing, so it can’t be scientific. Who else knows what happened?”

“Probably most of SHIELD by now.” Steve sighed and her fingers danced around the rim of her discarded mug. “We had to abandon the mission, obviously, so we had to send in a report. I snuck away to come here, but they’ll need me soon. I’ll be summoned to a lab, I’m sure.”

Tony took a moment to collect his thoughts. He could admit that he wasn’t thrilled with the idea of his husband (wife?) being carted away like a circus attraction and poked and prodded by all manner of scientists.

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen,” he said. Pulling one hair band off his wrist, Tony tied the end of the plait before twisting it up into a bun. Or, at the very least, into a vague bun shape. He had done his best with the two, stretched-out hair bands that he’d remembered he’d had shoved in a drawer. He was often finding them after late-night business meals with Pepper, the ones where they cracked open a few bottles of wine to pour over new contracts. More often than not, they ended up with YouTube tutorials playing and Pepper’s hair tied in all manner of styles. “No partner of mine is going to SHEILD’s labs.”

With a hand raised to feel her new hair-do, Steve spun on her chair and treated Tony to a soft smile. “Gonna trap me in your own lab, huh, darlin’?”

“You know me.” God, she was beautiful. Her face was a lot softer than Steve’s was as a male, her cheekbones a little higher and a little less pronounced. Though Tony tried not to feel guilty for noticing her looks, he couldn’t quite push away the feeling that it wasn’t Steve.

“I do.” Steve reached out and took Tony’s hand, interlocking their fingers. For once, her hand was smaller than Tony’s. The callouses were there the same as ever, as were Steve’s nails bitten right down to the fingertips. They’d been working on that habit, but Tony didn’t think Steve would ever break it.

Tony wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to feel. This was still his partner, but it wasn’t at the same time. Who knew how long it was going to last? Would he ever have his Steve back or would he be with the female version forever?

It was a lot to process and far too much to deal with on the amount of sleep he’d been surviving on. He wanted a nap.

Pulling his hand from Steve’s, Tony turned to the counter. “Right. Let’s move this somewhere a little more comfortable.”

 *

 Steve’s body looked so much smaller when she was curled up in her favourite armchair.

The night before he’d left for his mission, Steve had sat in that same chair as he’d laughed along with some reruns of an old sitcom they’d found on an obscure channel after flicking through a few hundred. Neither of them had paid all that much attention to it after Tony had crawled into his lap and connected their lips in a deep kiss.

Now, with her legs folded under her body and covered by a thick blanket, Steve seemed to be swallowed by the huge cushions. Still as fearless and as strong as ever, Tony could tell that by one glance, but smaller.

“Do I call you… Steve?” Tony squinted, head titled to his side as he looked at his partner. “No. Stephanie? Steph?”

He was rewarded with raised eyebrows and complete derision over Steve’s face. “That’s your main concern?”

“No! Of course it’s not,” Tony said before pausing. “Yes, actually. Maybe it is. I don’t know. Christ, you can’t just drop this on me. It’s a lot to process.”

He threw his head back and stared at the ceiling. It was so much to get his head around. Too much.

“I think I’ll stick with Steve,” he said eventually and he got a soft laugh in return.

“Okay. Works for me.”

“Even now? You don’t mind it?”

“Course not, sweetheart. It’s my name, isn’t it? It’s what you’ve always called me. I’m never going to not want to hear that from you.”

That helped a little, but Tony still felt like he was on uneven ground. Who knew how long it was going to last? Would Steve ever change back? It wasn’t the person that Tony had married, physically at least.

Though it wasn’t exactly unnerving, it wasn’t normal. Well, it wasn’t even not normal. That wasn’t what Tony meant.

Actually, he had no clue what he meant. All he knew for certain was that his head hurt and thinking about the situation so deeply wasn’t helping.

“Can we go to bed yet?”

The concern was clear in Steve’s voice when she spoke. “Are you okay?”

Tony sighed, letting his head drop forward again. “Fine. Of course I’m fine. I’m always fine.”

“You haven’t been sleeping, have you?”

Of course Steve knew that. It seemed that whatever body Steve was in, Steve still knew Tony inside and out.

“You have no proof of that. But no, I haven’t been.” Tony grinned at Steve’s sigh, but his head was still pounding. “I’m going to bed.”

“Wow,” Steve said softly, brow furrowed and eyes staring straight at Tony. Her eyes were still the same. They still sparkled like they always had, still looked at Tony with the same mix of fondness and clear exasperation. “The world really has been knocked off its axis, if you’re willingly heading to bed.”

Tony huffed a weak laugh. Sleep sounded good to him. Sleeping for a week and waking up with Steve still away on his mission sounded even better.

Standing from his chair, he hid a yawn in the inside of his elbow and headed for the door.

Just before he crossed the threshold, he turned and held out a hand. “Coming?”

 *

 “Tony?”

Tony rolled onto his side to see Steve standing at the edge of the bed, hovering a little anxiously. She was wearing an old sweatshirt of Tony’s, which hung down past her hips and was falling off one shoulder. For the first time in their relationship, it seemed as though Tony’s clothes would actually fit Steve. That thought alone made something squirm in Tony’s stomach, a spark suddenly lit that threatened to ignite into a raging fire.

“Hi,” he said stupidly, voice a little breathier than he’d have liked. “Coming in?”

“You’re on my side.”

Tony snorted. Right. Same old Steve. “Sorry.” He shuffled backwards until there was enough room for Steve to crawl under the sheets. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” Steve’s tongue darted out to wet her lips, the spit glistening in the low glow from the beside lamp. “Just thinking about what to do next.”

Tony reached out and rested his hand across Steve’s eyes. “Sleep. Sleep is next.”

“We need to find out what–”

“We can do that tomorrow,” Tony said, words slurring a little as Steve playfully batted his hand away. Sleep was catching up to Tony, washing over him so easily with Steve back in their bed. It was just one more point in Steve’s favour; Tony felt so peaceful with her there, Steve’s mere presence enough to let Tony relax enough to sleep. “What we need to do now is sleep.”

There was a beat of silence. “You’re okay with me being in here?”

Tony forced himself to open his eyes again, battling to stay awake long enough to assemble his thoughts.

They were lying close in the bed, close enough to touch. When Steve rolled onto her side at the extended silence, Tony could feel her breath on his nose.

“I love you,” Tony said, the words rolling off his tongue as easily as they had on their wedding day. “I loved you in pictures from before the war. I’ve loved you as both Steve Rogers and Captain America, and I love you now. It’s you and me. No matter what.”

Steve smiled softly and they fell into a comfortable silence, Steve finally relaxing into the pillow. Just as Steve’s eyes closed and her breathing evened out, a thought struck Tony.

“Oh, God,” he said in horror, “I’m going to have to top again.”

***

(prompt from the Put on the Suit discord)

[beomgyushighlights]

Circus {H.K}

Day 1 (XII)

"all eyes on me in the center of the ring just like a circus"

in which the first words Nari's soulmate says to her are "free britney"

or

in which two idols find their soulmates in each other after thirteen days of little comments without knowing who the other was

-a short story soulmate au-

©beomgyushighlights 2021

do not translate or repost without permission

(can also be found on wattpad and ao3 under the same username)

master list

As the choreographer allows a break, the members of the band sit and cool down while the arguably most chaotic member sings Circus by Britney Spears quite loudly. The sound of footsteps running in the hall catches the attention of the band as someone yells, "FREE BRITNEY!" before they continue running down the hall.

   Confused, Chang Nari looks around the room, her band mates equally confused before she realizes that those are the first words her soulmate says to her. She rushes to look outside the door into the hallway, unfortunately too late to see the culprit. Sighing, she walks back to her band mates and takes a sip of her water.

   "What was that?" Eun asks. "My soulmate." She shrugs. Osamu spits his water out in shock. "What!?" All four members ask at the same time. "Free Britney." She says showing them her wrist. "H.K, 18, XII." Hyejin reads.

   "Okay, your soulmate is eighteen, good you won't catch a case. Twelve months? Days? Minutes?" Yejun says. "Unless you keep track it's hard to tell. Mine said twelve and then the next minute it said eleven so that's how I kept track and found my soulmate twelve minutes after our concert." Osamu says.

   "Duri is so amazing." Hyejin gushes over Osamu's soulmate. "Well it's been a minute and it hasn't changed so it's not minutes." Nari says. "Okay, back to practice." The choreographer says. Practice goes well and soon the band is going back to their dorm.

   The bands dorm is five bedrooms so each member has their own and that proves convenient for when someone wants a guest over. Opening the door, Hyejin hears a loud meow and a hello. "Duri!" Eun yells, running to the kitchen where Duri is cooking for the band. "Nabi!" Nari yells, picking up the small kitten that ran to her.

   Petting the four month old cat, Nari walks to the kitchen were everyone has gathered. "Hi, Duri!" She smiles at the older female. "Hi, Nari. Nabi was very talkative today." She smiles back. "She seems to get more and more talkative every day." Yejun says.

   "She also gets more energetic each day." Hyejin says. "She's only a kitten, of course she's energetic." Nari defends. A knock on the door pulls their attention and Nari goes to open it as she's the closest. She looks out the peephole before she opens it. "Hello?" She says. "Hello, are you one of the members of H.O.N.E.Y?" He asks her.

   "Yes, how can I help?" She asks. "I'm Kang Taehyun of Tomorrow x Together, we wanted to know if you guys have any time that we can meet and ask for advice? BTS recommended asking you guys for more advice if we need it." He says. "One moment." She smiles turning to face the kitchen.

   "CAN SOMEONE BRING ME THE PLANNER AND A PEN AND ALSO GRAB NABI FROM ME!?" She yells. "YEAH." Eun yells back. Eun brings the planner and a pen and grabs Nabi from Nari's arms. "Okay, so, we are really busy training this week but we are available two Tuesdays from now, that's in twelve days." She says. Taehyun pulls out his phone and checks his calendar.

   "We're free then, where do you want to meet?" He asks. "Just bring your band here, as long as no ones allergic to cats." She says. "None of us are, So two Tuesdays from now, here, what time?" He asks. "Two in the afternoon?" She asks. "That works, thank you." He says with a bow. "It's no problem." She smiles.

   She closes the door an shoes back to the kitchen. "WE MADE IT!" She yells. "What!?" Yejun asks. "BTS recommended a newer band to us for advice." She smiles. "Ooh, what band?" Hyejin asks. "Tomorrow x Together." She answers, grabbing the pencil from next to the calendar. She finds the Tuesday that's planned and writes 'txt at 2pm'.

   "Oh, oh, uhh, they have that song with morse code at the beginning that they debuted with, right?" Yejun asks Osamu. "Yeah, Crown." Osamu confirms. "They also have anti-romantic, which has a tiktok dance." Eun says. "I like Nap of a star." Hyejin says. "Two Tuesdays from now at 2pm?" Eun asks. "Yes, it's on the planner and the calendar, just like always." Nari confirms.

   "Taehyun came to the door and introduced himself. He said that BTS recommended us if they needed more advice." She gushes. "You look up to them so much it's hilarious." Eun laughs. "They have over 47 million followers on instagram and they have like over 35 million monthly listeners on spotify. They have fans in probably every country, they have worked with Halsey and others, they have broken so many barriers in the Kpop world, and they have won countless awards. Why wouldn't I look up to them?" She asks.

"Your fan girl is showing, Nari." Duri laughs. "Oh well, it's not a secret I'm an army." She shrugs. Duri finishes cooking dinner and plates it for everyone before they sit and eat together. They share light conversation, just bonding as they usually do. "I'm thinking about getting a puppy." Nari says randomly after a few moments of silence.

   "No you aren't." Eun says. "Yeah, I'm not. It's like that one time I said I was going to cut my hair short, I don't mean it I just said it because I thought about it." I shrug. "Do you wanna dye your hair tonight? I have leftover pink and with your black roots it'll look really good, we can just put it over the bleached part." Hyejin says. "Yes, as soon as we finish dinner that way I have time to shower and be well rested for tomorrow." She says.

After dinner, Osamu and Yejun do the dishes while Hyejin and Nari go to the bathroom and Eun goes and sits in the living room with Duri. Nari sets up her phone to do a live while Hyejin works on her hair. "Hello, hello." She waves as people start joining. "How's my day? My days been very good, we did a lot of practicing dances and then we came home and ate a nice dinner and now Hyejin is dying my hair." She says.

"What color? Pink." She answers. "I got an idea, you trust me right?" Hyejin asks her. "Yes, do whatever you want to my hair." She replies. "Favorite english word? Ricochet or maybe bodacious. I like to say words like ethereal and surreal as well though." She says.

   "Something exciting that happened today? Well, today I had a fellow idol ask if their band could meet with our band and ask some advice because BTS recommended us for if they needed more advice. I was very honored." She answers.

   "My bias in BTS? Not available because they're all kinda like older brothers to me." She says. "Favorite Kpop group? I like Twice and Red Velvet and Stray Kids and BTS and Blackpink and more." She answers. "What are the full names, pronouns, and ages of everyone in the band? Well, fun fact if you're ever struggling to remember one of our names just remember H.O.N.E.Y is our initials. In honey order it's Hyejin, Osamu, Nari, Eun, and Yejun. Age order it's Yejun, Osamu, Eun, Hyejin, Nari. Last names are Kim Yejun, Jeong Osamu, Lee Eun, Yun Hyejin, and Chang Nari." She answers.

   "Oh I forgot to say ages and pronouns, Yejun is 25, Osamu is 25, Eun is 23, Hyejin is 20, and I'm 18. Yejun is non-binary so they/them, Osamu uses he/him, Eun is she/they, Hyejin is gender fluid so any pronouns, and I use she/her." She adds. "What ethnicity is Osamu? Half Korean half Japanese. His mom is from Japan and she moved here and met his dad." She answers.

"How many of us have found our soulmates? Just Osamu, however I believe I almost met my soulmate today because we were taking a water break and I was singing Circus by Britney Spears and someone ran past and said 'free Britney' which are the words on my wrist." She smiles. "Favorite Britney song? Probably Circus because it's really catchy." She answers.

   "How was my english so good at our debut when I was only thirteen? My moms Australian and so that entire half of my family speaks English and from a young age she would make sure I could understand it. Also, my dad was moved to America for work when I was four and so we moved and lived there for eight years then we came back to South Korea when they moved him back and I became a trainee and we debuted a year later when Yejun and Osamu finished their military service." She answers.

   "Are we ever going to take a break? We don't plan to, that's why BigHit had Yejun and Osamu complete their military service pre-debut." She answers. "Do I listen to the neighborhood? Yes, I like Cry Baby, Daddy Issues, and Sweater Weather." She says. "What are my soulmates initials? H.K. and we assume it's not the english way so it's surname, given name." She says.

   "Why am I the main vocalist when I prefer rapping? I'm the main vocalist because I have the largest vocal range." She says. "Song that gets stuck in my head easily? A lot of them but Choke by I Dont Know How But They Found Me is stuck in my head right now." She answers. "Which band did BTS recommend us to? That's a secret but I can tell you that there's a K initial." She says.

   "My soulmate? No, the K is his surname, not first." She smiles. "A question for Hyejin, soulmates initials and age?" Nari asks. "M.L. and 24." She answers. "Favorite Melanie Martinez song? High School Sweethearts." She answers. "Okay, you're hair is done. Let the dye sit for an hour and a half then wash it out." Hyejin tells her.

   "Okay, hour and a half left on live. It's going to be in english now because I saw my moms in the chat and she said she likes the slight American accent I have." She says. "What collections do I have? I have a manga collection, Kpop album collection, Funko Pop collection, and a vinyl collection." She answers. "Favorite color? I like pastel purples, like lavender." She answers.

   "Favorite Harry Styles song? From the Dining Table." She answers. She spends the rest of the time answering questions until her timer goes off. "Okay, I have to go shower and then I'll be going to bed so that I'm well rested for practice tomorrow. I love you all, bye!" She waves, ending the live.

[iamthelostsundrop]

Apologize

ALRIGHT FUCKERS IM GONNA WARN YOU RIGHT HERE THIS PROBABLY WILL BE TRIGGERING TO SOME!!! Avoid if you are triggered by anything related o Abusive Relationships, Abuse, Trauma involving being harmed by someone else, Domestic Abuse, Domestic Violence or ANYTHING RELATED YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!! THIS DOES NOT HAVE A HAPPY ENDING

This was a cola with my very best friend who does not have a tumblr, we will call her Lady Of Slytherin. Thank you Lady Sly for helping me relate this twisted masterpiece.

Dabi X Reader 2400+ words enjoy our filth

🔥☄️🔥☄️🔥☄️🔥☄️🔥☄️🔥☄️🔥☄️🔥☄️🔥☄️🔥☄️🔥☄️🔥☄️🔥☄️🔥☄️🔥

You’d been through so much together. Every time he fucked up, you gave him another chance. You fell for the puppy dog eyes. Those blue eyes that you got lost in every time. You couldn’t say no to him. But this time, Dabi had gone too far, and you didn’t think you could come back from this.

You met him at a bar of all places. A skeevy bar your best friend Himiko convinced you was the best place to meet guys after your last break up.

“I promise, (Y/N), this place is awesome and I promise you’ll find someone.”

You rolled your eyes at her but continued to let yourself be dragged towards the alleyway and the sign lighting up the dark with neon letters that spelled BAR. “Yeah. Right”

The place was creepy to say the least; no more than five people in the whole place. Of course this would be the place your friend dragged you to. She was always finding these backwoods, out of the way places to go.

You instantly went up to the bartender and ordered a strong drink. You sensed you were going to need it. Toga was already off in the corner talking to some guy with blue hair whose face you couldn’t see. He seemed agitated and kept gesturing back to you. You hurried your head in your drink and quickly ordered another. You weren’t getting a very good feeling, but you still took the moment to look around at the other patrons. There was Himiko and the blue haired young man in the corner. A tall man in a top hat and tailcoat like he was going to perform at the circus later. One man seemed to have some sort of animal like quirk, his body resembled a lizard. The bartender himself seemed to be made of blue black swirling mist. Finally the last patron was a young man, about your age, with patchwork skin. You looked over at him with interest, he was cute for sure. Maybe this bar wasn’t such a bad idea.

Toga skipped back over to you with a mixed look on her face. “So. I may have gotten into a little trouble for bringing you here but that’s okay. Boss said you could stay since you’re quirkless.”

You gave her a perturbed look, but before you could speak she grabbed your arm and dragged you to each bar patron and introduced you. They all seemed friendly enough, Spinner and Mr. Compress anyway. Tomura didn’t seem too excited about you being there, like you’d intruded on some secret boys club. He kept his face hidden from you, but you didn’t mind so much. You were a guest in their bar, you’d be respectful of their wishes. Toga had explained this was the meeting place of their secret club. You were fine with that. When she pulled you back to the bar, you noticed the handsome man again. “Whose that?”

Toga looked over to the man and rolled her eyes. “That’s Dabi. Tall, dark and brooding.” A dark and excited look passed her face “Just your type” Before you could speak, she had you by the arm and dragged you over to him. “Dabi. Meet my very bestest friend ever, (Y/N)” she said, unceremoniously pushing you into the chair next to him.

You stared daggers into your best friend, who of course ignored you. “Sorry. Toga is a bit much” The young man gave you a curt smirk, looking you up and down with those piercing turquoise eyes. “Don’t, worry about it. I’m used to her brand of fun. Nice to meet you.” He gave you a dashing smile, and you melted. “Kuroguri, why don’t you get the lady another drink”

From that moment on, Dabi had you eating out of the palm of his hand. You became a regular at the bar the League inhabited. They all knew you by name, and even Shiggy got used to you being around. Once he and the others knew you wouldn’t turn them in to the heroes they all relaxed a little bit.

Toga was over the moon when you started hanging around more, and she teased you endlessly after that first night when you let Dabi escort you home. “I know you would like him! I am the best matchmaker in the whole world.”

You didn’t want to admit it, but she was right. You and Dabi got along swimmingly, which you would have never expected given his bad boy persona. You had always been the goody goody girl. Straight A’s, Perfect attendance, all of that. That changed when you started seeing him. He'd show up at your window while you were getting ready for class, comment on your schoolgirl skirt and inevitably sweet talk you into bed and convince you to spend the day with him. When he couldn’t convince you, you spent your day in class daydreaming about the night before. You spent all of your free time at the bar with the league. You’d even gone so far as to help them out with menial tasks such as fetching specific things they needed for their plans Ana’s even doing a little bit of spying on the UA kids.

You tried your best to please him and keep Dabi happy, but it wasn’t always easy. He was moody sometimes and you didn’t do what he wanted quick enough and he got annoyed and cranky. If he was having a particularly bad day, he’d take it out on you. Depending on how bad it was, he would yell, push you around, squeeze your arm or wrist so hard that you bruised or got a sprain. It always seemed worse whenever you were watching TV together and Endeavor appeared. A severely sprained and bruised wrist taught you very quickly not to ask Dabi why the sight of the No. 2 hero made him so mad and you never brought up the man around him either.

Despite all this, Dabi had never seriously hurt you. After every incident, he had always apologized and it led to fantastic makeup sex. You didn’t mind, you loved him. He made you feel so very much alive. He made you feel like the most beautiful creature on earth whenever he’d talk to you in that sweet little way that he only reserved for you, kiss you until your knees buckled in bliss. You would do anything for him, set the whole world on fire and bring him Endevor’s head to see that smile that Dabi would give only you; you weren’t stupid enough to take on the flaming bastard, you knew very well that it would end badly for you and lead the heroes back to the League. Even if you were caught and tortured, you’d never betray the man you loved and your new friends.

But then came that day that changed everything forever. It had been an honest mistake. Just because you were helping the League, didn’t mean you were completely heartless. So when you saw a man in a wheelchair at the nearby market struggling to reach some things, you immediately went over to help. He was very good looking, but had nothing on Dabi of course. This guy had the wholesome good guy act going on, so it wasn’t a turn on for you

He thanked you profusely, looking rather sheepish over the fact that he needed help with doing some basic tasks. He admitted that while the accident that put him in the wheelchair had happened some time ago, he was still trying to adjust to doing things differently.

You smiled, amused by his bashful expression and offered to help him around the store. He agreed and you two were off. As you helped him shop, you learned he had a brother in high school and you could hear the pride in his voice as he talked about his little brother taking up the family mantle. It made you wish your own family had talked about you that way. Once finished, you helped him secure his bags and walked him out of the store, bidding him farewell as he wheeled away.

But little did you know that someone had seen the entire interaction as teal eyes ablaze with fury watched you from the alley as you walked towards the bar. After everything he had done for you, after sticking up for you, after convincing the others to let you stay, after all the love he had given you, this was how you repaid him? Forget about the League punishing you for this serious transgression, he’d punish you himself and he’d make sure you wouldn’t forget it.

He hit you when you least expected it. You had said goodbye to the man in the chair and made your way to the bar, taking a shortcut you knew would get you to your boyfriend quicker when you were hit from behind, hard. You were knocked off your feet and you skidded on the unforgiving ground a few feet away from where you’d been standing. Head pounding, you turned to see your attacker, surprise in your eyes slowly turning to terror. You’d never seen Dabi this angry before. His eyes seemed to glow with fury.

“Babe, what-“ He cut you off with a blow of cold fire directly to your left, destroying a trash bin.

“Don’t you babe me you treacherous slut” he seethed as he walked closer to you.

You scooted away from him, purse forgotten on the ground. You were so confused. What was he talking about?

“You think you can just go around flirting with heroes whenever you want?”

What? Flirting? Wait.

“You mean me helping that man back there? He was in a wheelchair and he was struggling with his things. I’m not a hero but I’m not heartless, Dabi. I wasn’t going to stand by and wat-“ The ground next to you exploded in blue flames as he cut you off again.

“You’re not listening here babe,” The patchwork villain kneeled down and put his face next to yours and a tight hand on your upper arm. “You’re my girl. That means,” the cold heat creeped up to your shoulder and down to your fingertips as he ignited your arm. Before you could scream, his free hand covered your mouth. “That you’re mine. You do as I say. You go where I tell you to go. You talk to who I say you can talk to. No one else. Listen babe. You don't have friends anymore. Just me. You’d have nothing without me. I took such good care of you, loved you when no one else would. And then you go and throw it all back in my face by acting like a worthless whore for some paralyzed ex hero who probably can’t even get it up anymore. Got anything to say in your defense, fucking whore?”

You were speechless. What the hell was he talking about? You stumbled over your words before you finally said something.

“I’m sorry. I didn't know. I thought I was being nice. It won't happen again. I promise!” Tears were pouring down your face as you silently begged for him to let you go, to turn back into the man you knew and loved, not this terrifying stranger before you.

“You’re damn fucking right it won’t happen again, bitch. Because I’m going to give you a little reminder of just who you belong to, one you won’t ever forget. Then no one but me will ever want you!” An evil grin overtook his face, distorting his face, the flames making him look like a demon from hell sent to torment you.

Searing pain laced through your arm as the scent of burning flesh filled the air, the sound of sizzling flesh was drowned out by your blood curdling screams of agony. You writhed and wordlessly begged for release, but Dabi refused to let go, squeezing his hand even tighter until you felt your arm snap and the flames delve deeper than your skin, searing the muscle and tissues beneath.

When he finally let go, you fell back against the ground, hardly registering anything else but the overwhelming pain that flared with every breath she took. She dared to look at her arm and what she saw made her nearly vomit. Her arm had been burnt nearly black, blistering blood oozed from the handprint on her arm. He had branded her, like she was some sort of cattle. If infection didn’t kill her first, she’d possibly have to remove her arm, as he had basically reduced part of her arm to nothing more than a charred piece of meat. She couldn’t even feel anything below her arm anymore. She stared up at him in disbelief through her tears. This wasn’t her Dabi, she didn’t know this animal that had hurt her so badly. She let out a broken sob, attempting to scramble away.

That one pitiful sound seemed to snap Dabi from his fit of madness as he stared down at you with wide eyes. He saw what he had done and felt sick. He had always sworn to never be like Endeavor and yet, he was no better than the flaming bastard. He reached a hand towards you, trying to pull you into his arms. “Y/n… I’m so sorry… I… I didn’t mean it… I didn’t mean to hurt you like that…. Come on, we’ll go inside and get you fixed up, everything will be alright. I’m so sorry… I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

You stared at him in a haze of pain. Forgive him? Did he honestly think that you were going to forgive him for this? He burned your fucking arm! You’d probably have to get your arm amputated if you even wanted to survive this. He swore to you so many times that he would never hurt you again. You should leave, get as far away as humanly possible. But… As you stared into his remorseful and terrified face, you began to doubt yourself. Could you really leave him now? Now after everything he had done for you? He loved you right? You loved him still, it was just an accident. Unable to speak, you merely nodded, giving him your silent forgiveness. You whimpered in pain as Dabi carefully scooped you up and carried you back to the bar. The pain was worth it, he was worth it.

Why? Because you loved him.

[chronicbatfictioner]

Exchanges and Compromises - Chapter 8

The Birds of Prey's Lair

The 'Birds of Prey' was actually Dinah's idea for a name, once they recruited another costumed vigilante called Starling. Tim had initially thought that Selina - Catwoman - would object for obvious reasons. She didn't.

"The best covert, isn't it? Who'da thunk a  Cat -woman would be associated with  birds ?" she had remarked. "Or a Huntress." she went on to turn and glare at the Huntress - a.k.a. Helena Bertinelli - whom Barbara had just recruited as well.

She had a point, Tim thought. And now they even have a 'Lair'. Not a 'nest', because that would've associated them with the Court of Owls, and that wouldn't have been nice.

Tim knew better than to take the Talon guy to the Birds' actual Lair, and thus brought him to Oracle's special site - the very one she had used to trap him, a long, long time ago. The very one where she and Tim had made a deal.

"Oracle," Tim called. "I've brought a guest - another... Bird of Prey, I think." he cringed inwardly at the cheesiness of his own words.

"Touché," Oracle commented. "Both washers and dryers are working fine, Stray. Help yourself and wash off. I can smell you from here."

Tim scowled at the camera. Barbara would have been all the way away in Burnley, safely out of smelling range of the safehouse. "Fiiine, but..." he looked at the Talon; the man he knew to be Dick Grayson. "I'm not sure anything of mine would fit him."

"You're not the only one of the male persuasion who'd been there, you know," Oracle quipped. "Talon, There are some adult male clothes behind the third panel. Help yourself. They're new."

"Barbara..?" Talon suddenly said.

Tim nearly tripped on air as he was starting to walk away.

Talon took off his mask and glared right to where the CCTV camera was hidden - and not toward the Oracle head projection on the opposite end of the camera. "This kid.. he called me by my name. I'm... I was wondering if... I was a kid, too, back then. You were there with your cop dad, and I was saying I wanted to be a cop if this whole thing didn't work out. I was... you had red hair tied in a ponytail with a short green ribbon and I thought you were... I'm Dick Grayson." he sputtered.

Oracle was silent, only the projection of the digital head on the screen indicated that Barbara has not disconnected. "Dick Grayson," she remarked after a few tense moments. "My god... in the flesh. I knew you were alive. I saw those flowers at the Graysons' graves..."

A drop of tear slid down Dick's cheek. "Every year. I couldn't... I have to put them there. I have to remember, Barbara. You made me remember..." Oracle was silent again as Dick spoke. He then pulled out something from his belt, in a move that nearly made Tim leap a few yards away. Hey, it could've been a bomb or something!

But he immediately recognized the small cylindrical item he had on the palm of his hand. "He did this... I took it from him."

"That's a film canister - an old-school photography film," Tim commented.

"Yes, Stray, I'm aware. Take it, please, and treat it as evidence." Barbara instructed. "You killed the Red Helmet guy," she added her conclusion.

"No, I didn't! He was alive when I left him! I took the camera and the film, but I didn't kill him!" Dick protested, yet didn't object when Tim took the film canister out of his hand. "I swear, on my mother's grave, that I was not the one who sliced his neck. We... there are a lot of us. I don't know who did it."

Barbara was quiet again for a good long time. "I shall check the evidence. In the meantime, while Stray is convinced you don't need to be contained, I would appreciate it if you don't get out from there."

"Yes," Dick replied. Docilely.

Tim glared.

This was  The  Talon of the Court of Owls - feared by wrongdoings and underworld of Gotham for his swift and quick retaliation. A face-to-face with him could mean only one thing: you've screwed up nine ways to Monday - sideways. The Talon heeded no man, no money, no vices; to achieve his objective. And his objective would mostly be eliminating most heinous criminals using means that are... incredulously just as heinous. Tim has heard of The Talon castrating a rapist right outside the window of the victim; disemboweling robbers until they got acquainted with their intestines; and the 'best' of all: garroting a perpetrator while said perp was hanging upside down.

He belonged to the Court of Owls, the  enforcer  of the Court's law. And Court's law mandated him to be beyond law enforcement. The Court of Owls itself, thought to be a mere legend, has shown itself in the past few years as a formidable force of Gotham. It boasted its membership as 'those who built Gotham' and was not referring to Gotham's rich folks. Even Barbara was still not sure if they were on the side of the law or otherwise.

Yet his denial when he said he didn't kill the Red-Helmet guy was...  seemed  sincere - at least to Tim. Also, there's the thing about taking an oath over one's mother... Tim's own mother might have been less than perfect, compared to the description of a 'standard' nuclear-family mom; but he took her presence and existence seriously and reverently. If she hadn't existed,  he  wouldn't exist. Taking an oath over her grave would imply that said oath held even more importance than she did.

Still hesitating, Tim lead Dick to the washing machine - a special washing machine that would be able to wash armors. "You can... line up your armor in there and it'll wash it for you," he told Dick. "I'm keeping my goggles on me for now, I hope you don't mind."

"You already know my name," Dick smiled ruefully at him as he started to shed his armor, dumping the weapons on the floor. "Thank you... I guess. For remembering."

"I was there..." Tim finally said, after both their costumes lined up in the washer. "Showers' this way." he prompted.

"You were there, what?" Dick asked once they both started their respective showers. In separate stalls, really, because Barbara is an over-preparer and realized that once she has more than one team member, she would have to give a damn about this thing called  privacy . Even if the shower area actually a wide-open chamber filled with stalls and is not gender-designated.

"I was there... the day your parents were... killed," Tim replied. "I... we-- my parents and I - took a photo with your family. But we couldn't go in for the show because my dad had forgotten his wallet. But you showed me your quadruple somersaults from the ground..." he knew he was rambling, and might be revealing his identity a bit too much. Yet his logic said that as the star of the circus, Dick Grayson and his parents would have had numerous families with little kids wanting to take a photo with them. "I saw you... years later. I didn't see what you were doing, but I saw the quadruple somersaults... I realized that it was you because of what your dad said back then; that no one but the Graysons has mastered the quadruple somersaults." he added carefully, skipping the fact that he had actually - accidentally or by providence, assuming that there was a god that actually liked Tim - videotaped  the somersaults.

"Oh, that's... a little less dramatic than I expected." Dick chuckled as his shower stopped. "Your name was Tim, isn't it? You were the youngest of the ones who converged to watch me, I think. I've only shown the somersaults once outside the Big Top. I even remembered your dad - Jack, wasn't it? - when he tapped his pockets and realized he didn't have his wallet. Your  really  disappointed face was why I did it."

Tim wanted the earth to open up and swallow him right there and then. He cringed and quickly dried himself off, and as he stepped out of the stall with the towels around his waist, he found Dick was waiting outside in a similar fashion. "You remembered..." he remarked, trying to steer his eyes away from the visible scars crisscrossing Dick's torso.

"Oh yeah. I remember everything that happened that day. I remember my dad whispered to my mom if he should just let you and your parents go in without a ticket, but she said we all needed the money. I remember thinking your dad was really mean for taking his kid to a circus only to walk around... That was why I did the jump." he said, accepting the clothes Tim handed him. "Besides, it would've been a good promo - there was quite a crowd around us, remember?"

Tim smiled sheepishly. "No, I don't remember that. I was looking at you."

"You have an eidetic memory, don't you?"

Tim shrugged and took off his goggles. "Not really. I just... kind of remember things of no significance and forget things that are actually important. Like my social security, you know?" he grinned.

Dick snorted. "I don't know if I still have social security or not..." he trailed off, followed by a fairly long awkward silence.

"What happened, Dick?" Tim asked carefully. "Why are you a soldier in an organization that kills people?"

Dick's eyes looked sad, and Tim realized that in spite of them being blue, Dick's eyes were of a different shade of blue than his own. "It's a long story, Timmy," he replied. "I hope dear Oracle allowed you to bring pizza into here."

[cizymfo]

Traslated interview with Tobias Forge in Spain

So The Metal Circus posted an interview with Tobias on the 10th of July, I just read it today and since it’s interesting, I decided to translated it for you guys. Please have in mind that my English is not that good so I apologize beforehand for any mistakes.

The man behind Ghost

We had an exclusive interview in Spain with Tobias Forge, the undisputed leader and mastermind of Ghost.

“I can exclusively tell you that, when we go to Madrid, we’ll do it with white robes”. A Nameless Ghoul, that was obviously Tobias Forge, was explaining that to us in 2012 a few weeks before they participated in the Sonisphere festival in Gefate along Metallica, Soundgarden, Slayer and many others.

In just seven years since that interview, Ghost has become a band of big venues preparing their definitive assault to the big audiences in the United States and Europe. But it’ll be “on the next album cycle”. In two years, at least, according to Forge. With “Prequelle” they’ve reached levels of success that were already glimpsed with "Meliora" and especially with the EP “Popestar", where the single "Square Hamer" made them cross into the mainstream in a place as complicated for rock as the United States.

Now they are comfortably installed in venues of 4,000 to 6,000 of capacity but already entering the macro places of 15,000 of capacity. All thanks to a tireless persecution of the vocalist and leader for an excellent production that honors his rock idols: Rolling Stones, Kiss, Mötley Crüe, Metallica. It’s precisely as a guest of the latter that the group visits Barcelona again, two years after the last time.

The venue is the Estadi Olimpic Lluís Companys of the mountain of Montjuic and Ghost play for an hour focusing on the best of their repertoire: far away are the concessions to their first and less refined work "Opus Eponymous". Hardly sounds "Ritual" of that time. Much of the set circulates around "Meliora" and "Prequelle", the two albums that marked Ghost's rise to fame. With the Sabbath-like riff of "Cirice" they dazzle 42,000 people in a stadium who are not even Ghost fans. They confuse them with "Miasma" and its excessiveness. They make them sing with the pyrotechnic "Absolution". Cardinal Copia a.k.a. Tobias Forge has the audience eating from the palm of his hand. And, I repeat, they are not even his fans.

That was at 7:30 p.m. But at 6:15 p.m., a completely unmasked Tobias Forge received this journalist in the interiors of a clean and well-cared for tour bus with which he is crossing the old continent - and will continue to do so until the end of August, when the tour with Metallica ends. This is nothing like those infernal tour buses with 30 people, smell of feet and drunken Scandinavians. Forge is alone - his tour manager appears from time to time to remind us that, well, it's getting late and the Cardinal doesn’t get ready in five minutes - and he looks at you while offering the most elaborate and loquacious answers that a modern rock musician can give.

Ahead, the imminent confirmation of a European tour that will arrive in Spain at the end of the year. And an everlasting warning via e-mail a few days before: "No photo, no video". The legal dispute with his former bandmates may have finally revealed that Forge is the man behind Ghost, but mysticism is still mysticism. Even in the age of social media.

One year after "Prequelle", what is your assessment of what Ghost has achieved during this time? Have you reached the point you wanted?

I think so. One of the main goals I had with this album cycle and tour was to get to play in arenas or, at least, to be in a situation where we can play arena scale shows. Now we’re facing the end of the tour cycle and we know how we are going to finish. If nothing drastic happens, at the end of the cycle we’ll have achieved that goal. After this tour with Metallica we’re going to the United States to make another tour and they all are going to be arenas.

After that, we’re going to do a European tour at the end of the year and we’re returning to Spain, I can confirm it. Although the size of the spaces in which we play can vary from sports palaces to large venues. My goal is not to play in front of a certain number of people but rather that the show can be developed in a concrete way and under optimal conditions. I want to be able to bring the full production on stage and I can’t do that in Razzmatazz, for example. But if I go to Club Sant Jordi in Barcelona, where 4,600 people can fit, I can do it.

Anyway, we were lucky the last time we were here on tour. I think we came on tour just in Easter, which was a small suicide (laughs). We had no idea. If we managed to come to the Sant Jordi Club this time, I am confident that the next time, with the next album, we’ll make it to the big venue, the Palau Sant Jordi. I hope.

Do you usually plan each of these steps consciously and precisely?

Absolutely. I think many of my goals, many of the things I wanted to achieve in my life and in my career, were planned a long time ago. I was clear about what I wanted to do. Another thing would be knowing if all this was going to happen with Ghost and not with other projects or bands.

I'll give you an example: when I was 8 or 9 years old, I was a big fan of the Rolling Stones. I'm still a fan but that was the highest point. The Rolling Stones were my favorite band, I knew everything about them, I saw everything that could be seen, I listened to everything that could be listened to. In 1990 there were not many things to see, certainly, although they were one of the first bands to make a documentary about their own career, something especially remarkable. It was titled "25x5". As I said, there was not much to see but, in the summer of 1990, there was a great concert that was broadcast live across Europe and it was the one they did at the Estadi Olimpic in Barcelona during the "Urban Jungle" tour.

It must be a dream come true to play here today.

God, I’ve seen that concert so many times. It was the tour for the album 'Steel Wheels' and since then I've wanted to play at the Estadi Olimpic in Barcelona. Now I'm here, I'm playing tonight. It wasn’t the way I could imagine back then but I’ve been able to cross off the list one of my goals. I imagined this moment thirty years ago and it’s happening now.

The undeniable influence of Metallica

Metallica was one of the bands that supported Ghost the most on the early years. You have the same agent, John Jackson of K2, and you’ve been on tours like those of Sonisphere in 2012 and 2013, which served to position Ghost strongly in the European market. What role have Metallica played in helping to put Ghost on the scene?

A huge influence. We wouldn’t be where we are if it weren’t for them - not just geographically, but at this level of popularity. They were the first great artists who promoted the band and showed their support publicly. They were a great influence and if it had not been for them ... well, I could’ve had the influence of the Rolling Stones, of course, but Metallica had a huge impact on my youth because I discovered them after the Stones.

I listened to Metallica at that time but not as much as I would later. When they released their films, "A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica 1 & 2", they had a great impact on me and my way of seeing a band. When the Stones talked about how they came to be big in their documentary, it seemed like a distant speech, realistic but distant. In the case of Metallica, we’re talking about a more contemporary band, closer in time for me at that time.

I come from a metal background. My first idols were not Muddy Waters. I didn’t aspire to do something derived from blues. I wanted to be a rock star. The Stones began when the rock stars were something embryonic that didn’t even exist, while Metallica and I are closer in the sense of having developed from the same musical approach.

I’m not ashamed to say that Metallica, directly or indirectly, have influenced me to become everything I am today and that they’ve been instrumental in achieving many of the things I wanted. This tour is a good example of this. They were the ones who asked us to accompany them on this European stadium tour. It was their initiative.

Would you say that "Prequelle" is Ghost's 'Black Album'? It’s the album that has brought the haters but also a more mainstream audience. Would it be a valid comparison?

No. I think if we can compare it with something it would be with "... And Justice For All" regarding Metallica's career. It's a therapeutic album and it's not the best record I can make, but it was a necessary record.

Do you see “Prequelle” as a transitional record?

I could say that. If you want me to make an analogy with Metallica, I can point several factors with which there is similarity with respect to their fourth album. It’s a record they made in response to a tragedy. Obviously, theirs was a real tragedy, the death of Cliff Burton. Mine was a concatenation of legal problems, a severe bombing. I had the wind against me and a lot to prove. "... And Justice For All" took Metallica from one point to another, elevated them to large arenas and turned them into a much more autonomous band. In that sense, "Prequelle" has done the same for Ghost.

Now, with several years of career behind me, I’ve learned what I want and how to get there. Therefore, our next album could potentially be the equivalent of a 'Black Album', so to speak (laughs). I don’t know, it's hard to imagine. I don’t like to make those comparisons because the "Black Album" was released in another time, in another era and went down in history as one of the greatest and best-selling heavy metal albums of all time.

There is a thin line between love and hate 

I remember reading how you explained that the character of Cardinal Copia caused you a certain displeasure, that he was an impertinent character even for yourself. A few months ago, it came to light that an alleged friend had 'ceded' the character of Papa Emeritus and that there was some legal dispute about your use within Ghost. Is Cardinal Copia a way to put aside Papa Emeritus and to overcome some legal impediment?

Not at all. To be totally honest, that person never gave me the character, but the name: "Papa Emeritus".

You said that everything that happened last year was like “a bombing”. Behind the character is the person. How has Tobias Forge lived the harassment and demolition to which he was subjected? Did you consider leaving all of this?

I never thought about quitting, to be honest. It’s not even on the table to do something like that. I think that, analyzing what happened and paying attention to small specific facts, it was inevitable. Socially I was within a group of people – I’m not talking about the band, but socially. I have many friends but in a specific group of them it happens that we were all the same. We all had a similar income, a similar educational level, etc. Within social circles like these it becomes very problematic that one of its members grows more than the rest. In my head I was still the same person. When I returned home, I tried to hang out with them and for me things were going as usual, but I wasn’t the same person for them.

Another problem is that within that social group, which was not the band itself although there were some members of my band, I was the only one who had children. When I returned home after six weeks of touring, I wouldn’t go to the bar with them, but I would go home. That means time was passing, even years. It seemed to them that I was changing, that I was disengaging. Of course I was, because I was working hard and when I came home I wanted to be with my family. But then, five years later, I gave them an excuse to be angry at me.

When all of that happened, I couldn’t believe that the ones I thought were my friends were doing all this to me. Some were very nice to me and gave me all the support, but others stabbed me in the back with no hesitation. They didn’t call me to tell me anything and try to know my side of the story. No. They went on social media and wrote posts saying 'oh, he used to be my friend but now he changed'. I didn’t even know what changed! We didn’t even talk to each other for three years. Then I stopped to think about what the problem was, and I understood that the problem is that I hadn’t had time to be close to them and to maintain friendly relationships afloat.

What happened to me is not original. It’s a classic and it’s inevitable. That's why I look at it with some distance, because it seems inevitable to me. Had it not been that incident, it would have been another. It was inevitable. I couldn’t have done anything to prevent it. I was more worried about the people in that circle than about the band. There was only one of my friends in that social group that I refer to. The members of the band that were denouncing me last year were not even my close friends. What hurts is that people you trust, people you’re close to, come to have a big problem with you that comes from afar and that they never told me anything. Being in the middle of all that is very confusing.

When you are reaching a certain age, time goes by very quickly. People like you or me see how one year, two years, five years ... fly by. When time goes by, you meet people you may not have seen in two years and you think it was yesterday. In my case, having been around doing 'funny things', I was like a traitor to them. I had preferred to do 'my things' rather than foster those personal relationships. But it is what it is. I can’t do anything to change it.

What’s the next step for Ghost?

Now I’m going to be with Metallica all summer, and in the fall we’re going to do the American and European tour. This summer is a little relaxed because the shows are outdoors and we play only one hour, even at festivals. At the end of the year, when we have finished the European tour, I’m going start recording the next album. In January of 2020 I’ll start to work progressively on it and 2021 would be a good approximation regarding the release date.

[surveysonfleek]

1485.

On Saturdays, I like to… hang out with my dad then go out at night.

Where would you like to be a missionary to? probably the philippines.

What’s better — toilet paper rolled over top or underneath? over the top.

Which Scooby-Doo character are you most like (Scooby, Shaggy, Daphne, Fred, Velma, the monster, Scrappy?) velma haha.

If you had to endure one natural disaster (i.e. hurricane, tornado, etc), what would you pick and why? a hurricane i think. they’re bad but i think i’d still be safer than withstanding a bad earthquake or tornado.

What movie or TV show do you take guilty pleasure in watching? the bachelor.

If you had to describe your day as a traffic sign, what would it be? green.

What traditional stereotype would you classify yourself as? none. i never really fit into one.

What “group” did you belong to in high school? the group that was friends with everyone.

If you wrote a book about yourself…what would it be about? my life.

If your house were burning down, what would you take and why? my laptop and my perfumes.

Describe your favorite pair of PJ’s. all of mine are quite comfortable. loose tees and sweats.

How many handbags do you own? one main handbag then a couple of small clutches for going out.

If this were your last day alive, what would you say to your friends? i’d tell them i love them and share our best memories together.

What is your very favorite part of your day? going home from work.

What is your best scar? Tell the story of how you got it. best? haha i only have one main one, it’s on my left hand after i got bitten by my grandparents’ guard dog. i was only 2.

You win a million dollars, but you have to give half to a charity. Which charity do you pick, and what do you do with the rest of the money? not sure tbh. i would have to do a ton of research before i choose the right charity. with the rest i’d give some to my family, save, invest.

Describe your dream wedding where money is no option. i’m not super fussy but if there wasn’t a budget i’d go all out. i’d make sure there were a fireworks show specifically done for us too.

What kind of deodorant do you use? dove.

If you were a spy what would your alias be? no idea lol.

Do you have a birth mark? Where? Does it look like anything? yes, on the side of my waist. not really, it’s just a small line.

You are planning the most awesome dinner party of your life. Which 3 celebrities/historical figures (past or present) would you add to your guest list to keep the dinner talk interesting? beyonce, frida kahlo and kobe bryant lol.

What is your favorite sport, and which team of that sport do you cheer for? basketball. i’ve been a lakers fan since i was a kid. can’t say i love their team too much these days but i’ll always support them.

Which would you rather have a kiss or a hug? Why? hug.

If you could be a pair of jeans what style would you be?  Why? black skinny jeans. idk i just prefer them over the others.

You have multiple personalities, describe some of them. i don’t.

What is the best thing you have done in your life? travel.

If you were blind for the rest of your life… what would you miss seeing the most? my family and friend’s faces. colour in general.

What household chore do you hate the most? vacuuming.

What is your most disappointing moment in life? losing friends in stupid ways.

When have you laughed the hardest? Cried? i always laugh at everything. not sure about the crying part.

If you had a “theme song” that played whenever you walk into a room full of people, what would it be? idk.

What is the first thing you notice about the opposite sex? face.

What time period from the past would you most have liked to live in and why? i’m happy to be born in the 90s and seeing how much the world has changed since then.

What is the best reward anyone can give you? loyalty.

If you had a band what would you name it? no idea.

Do you like fruit? Vegetables? both!

What can someone do to encourage you? just talk me through things.

If you could be one for just 24 hours, what cereal box cartoon character would you be? Why? toucan sam lol. 

What was the best thing that happened to you this weekend? i went to an african restaurant for the first time. the food was so good!

What is your favorite animal? List three adjectives to explain your choice. panda. black, white, cute.

What is your favorite color? List three adjectives to explain your choice. turquoise. cool, bright, pretty.

It’s a very hot and muggy day. You desperately want something very cool and refreshing to quench your thirst and revitalize your body. What would you drink — either make your own or store-bought. ice cold water.

You discover that the person you’re head-over-heels interested in loves a good homemade & handmade dessert. What will you concoct when you have this person over? brownies.

What would you leave in your will for the person you care about the most? all my personal belongings.

What do you consider to the most valuable thing you own: when you were a child/teenager/now? my cabbage patch doll, phone and phone lol.

What’s the kindest act you have ever seen done? just people giving back. being selfless.

If you could have any job in the world, which one would you want? travel vlogger.

What are your best/worst subjects in school and what subjects would you want to learn now? best was visual arts and worst was maths. i’d learn history now tbh.

What are you most talented at? idk lol.

What is your worst nightmare today? today is overrrr.

How often do you clean between your toes? every time i shower.

What is your favorite way to waste time at work without getting caught? just sitting there pretending to do shit when i just travel plan.

If you could have had the starring role in one film already made, which movie would you pick? mean girls.

If you were to perform in the circus, what would you do? nothing haha.

If you could eliminate one thing you do each day in the bathroom so that you never had to do it again, what would it be? if it didn’t affect my health, pooping.

You were just given a yacht. What would you name it? sky.

If you could have been told one thing that you weren’t told when you were a teenager, what would you like to have heard? don’t get a credit card.

You’ve just been hired to a promotions position at Kellog Co. What would you put in a new breakfast cereal box as a gimmick? gold flakes.

Just like “Everybody Wang Chung tonight!”, what action would your name be if it were a verb? idk.

Name your favorite song. i have way too many.

[a-ghoulette-named-wave]

Metallion Magazine n°112

I bought this magazine solely because I saw Devin Townsend name on the cover. And I spent an hour translating from French to English his little interview about his newest album: Empath.

@atchela, I think you could be interested!

                                            Devin Townsend

                                                  Live Free

 Devin Townsend has for most of his time worked in total independance, in order to never restrain his inspiration. It was wondering when he would kick in the anthill again and fire his pals of the Devin Townsend Project. Well, it’s done, after ten years of loyal service ! Now, here comes Empath, one of the craziest albums of the maestro!

 How would you introduce Empath ?

 It depicts my midlife crisis. It summarizes perfectly all the styles I approached during my career. It is extremely diversified and emotional, going from rock to extreme metal through jazz and musicals, it reflects a whole load of colours. I hope it will warm the hearts of the fans because it’s an anti-depression album. I needed to compose in this way, having been victim of severe depressions myself.

 Can it be compared to Infinity (1998) ?

 When I composed Infinity, I was far younger. The album was made in pain. I was litteraly obsessed by the writing, and psychologically, I was not doing well. At the time, I was sure that music came from my “inner self”. With Empath, the diversity is similar, but the spirit is different because the music does not really come from me. It is inspired by the nature of my environment.

 Empath is also the beginning of a new era since the members of the Devin Townsend Project have not been invited. Do you think this opus wouldn’t have been possible with them?

 Yes, I think so. If I had kept the same line-up, I wouldn’t have could fully express myself. Devin Townsend Project was a band of progressive hard rock, which limited me... Empath was clearly not compatible with the idea of the band. After years spent with those guys, the relations have evolved. They became my friends. At first, I thought I could afford to be guiding and say them: “You must play it that way!”. But towards the end, I saw clearly that I could not impose my vision of music to them, I had to extract myself from here.

 Was the moment of separation sad?

 Yes, very sad! You know, the problem was not only artistic, it was also financial. For the band to function, we had to produce between fifteen thousands and twenty thousands of dollars by month.

My music is selling well but it is not so much. In order to maintain the salary of everyone, I had to release two discs a year and spend my life on the roads, far from mines. In the end, I was trapped in a gear preventing me from doing any pause. The pressure was immense! I ended up giving up everything, not without giving to each member of the band three months worth of salary so they could have time to flip.

Once the split was official, it was not question of making compromises anymore. Things had to be done in the best way.

If I wanted an orchestra, a choir or I don’t know what, it had to be this way.

 You still kept Anneke from this period. She seems like you right-hand woman, participating to most of your projects...

 She was not a member of the Devin Townsend Project, or at least not a salarian. She was there as a guest, always having the kindness to help me when I needed. It may be why our collaboration goes on.

 Do you remember the first time you heard her sing?

 Oh yes! I was in a friend’s car and we were listening to Mandylion (1995) by The Gathering. I was instantly spellbound, but our meeting happened only twenty years later.

 You have another famous guest on the album, Steve Vai. How did you end up collaborating with him once again?

 Steve made a solo on the final part of the track “Singularity”. I must admit that at first, I had thought of Vernon Reid from Living Colour, who is one of my friends, but he did not have time to help me.

So Vernon contacted Steve, who called me and said: “If you want a solo, you will have it!”.

 A few years ago, you expressed some bitterness towards Terry Bozzio who participated like you to the album Sex and Religion (1993) from Steve Vai. Terry did not like you and took you for a novice. With time, did you try reconnect with him?

 No! And I must admit that I have been too critical with him. Maybe I should not have...

Indeed, he was not particularly friendly, but I think I overreacted. I only have good things to say about his battery skills. That being said, I don’t really want to see him again.

 Will Empath be playable on stage?

 It will have to be. I intend to play all of it by 2020. To build this project, I already know I will have to call the three drummers who played on the album, Morgan Agren (for the free jazz ambiances and improvisations), Anup Sastry (for the progressive parts) and Samus Paulicelli for everything metal. To this will be added the choir, the orchestra, two keyboarders, three guitarists, a bassist and a percussionist, but it will take time.

For the moment, I am starting a tour alone with my accoustic guitar.

 Your project seems to be on the same level as The Retinal Circus (2013)...

 It is far more ambitious! From a financial point of view, I will only be able to set up this king of show in a few cities. I will have to think of a less ambitious formula with “lighter” rearrangements, probably one metal oriented show and another one more prog’.

 “Detox” seems to be the only title from Strapping Young Lad that you accept, playing it during The Retinal Circus. Do you still reject the band?

 During the last ten years, I admit I did everything to expulse Strapping Young Lad from my mind. But Empath changed my relation with metal, that I learned to reappreciate, I am not afraid or ashamed anymore to confess that metal is full well a part of my personnality.

 In “Detox”, you scream this phrase on loop: “Hey you Mo’!”. What does that mean?

 “Mo” is the abreviation of Moron, a typical Canadian expression meaning: idiot, silly, retarded.

And to avoid people misunderstanding, it’s me that I qualify of imbecile in this track! (Smiles)

[cyb-by-lang]

it must be a thursday (3/?)

Kei has more friends than just Isobu, and it’s high time she ran into one.

Chapter Three: Path of the Seeker

Gustav surprised me with a gift on the morning we got to the first big stop I’d be around to see.

“You can’t make it anywhere in the Empire without papers,” Gustav said with a grin. In his ink-stained hands, he held a sheaf of papers and dropped them in her hands. “I didn’t know if you’d want a last name, so I just picked something that sort of sounded right. Just make sure to memorize it so the Crownsguard don’t catch you in a lie, all right?”

Given that I was not, in fact, named “Caretta Schiavoni” and probably didn’t look the part, I had to wonder where Gustav had gotten the idea. Aside from Molly, Desmond, and Gustav, I hadn’t exactly heard anybody else make much use of last names.

Ah, well. I’d been lying since I got here.

“Thank you very much, Gustav.” I bowed deeply over the glorified passport. “You’ve been very kind to me.”

“It’s all right. One good turn deserves another, and you’ve been a model guest.”

“Can you two please hurry that up? The station’s just around the bend,” said Desmond, and Gustav took his place at the head of the caravan with a spring in his spindly step.

Is that like your ninja registration number?

A little. As I checked on Isobu to make sure he was still locked in a costume trunk in the back of my wagon—driven by Ornna—I replied, In hindsight, I probably should have asked about official documentation before. I’ve just never been in a contiguous empire long enough to think about it.

We have been skating laws with wild abandon. Doing so is more fun. Isobu sent me the image of the inside view of the trunk to confirm he was still there, then added, Have you told any of them your plans?

Not yet. Once we get safely into town.

Isobu hummed a sad little note. Then, I hate this.

I didn’t have to ask what he meant.

Even putting aside how much freedom Isobu won for himself over the years, being slammed back down into a shape he didn’t ask for had to be a major setback. The freedom to move in the world didn’t feel complete when he couldn’t be sure he’d keep it. I didn’t know enough about this world to be sure if Isobu’s appearance would let him really wander freely, like he had when we were out in the Grand Line. Every day he had to spend like this, he was kicked in the face with reminders of his relative powerlessness. Worse yet, I’d heard him calling for his siblings late at night on my watch. There was never any response.

We’ll make it back to them, I assured him. Maybe not today, or tomorrow, but we’ll go home.

Isobu grunted something indecipherable and ignored me. Fair enough.

Honestly, letting that conversation lie was as much for his benefit as it was mine. I didn’t really want to talk homesickness.

I did, however, want to talk about my job with the circus. Gustav’s passport thing said my work specialty was “sword juggling.” Being asked to prove that sounded like a terrible idea for everybody.

“Ornna,” I began quietly, “once we reach town and Molly and Yasha start their rounds, can I spend a little time on my own instead?”

Ornna snorted. “Do whatever you want. You’re a grown woman.”

No snide comment about how I’m not a member of the circus anyway? She must like me. “Thank you, Ornna. I’ll make sure tell Gustav.”

And to be honest, well, I might’ve just wandered around street corners and explored the town. New places with German names were definitely outside of my experience as either a jōnin or an adopted pirate, and I’d heard weird things about Oktoberfest in a lifetime or two. Even if this was just any fishing town, I at least wanted a chance to take a damn bath. I’d been listening intently to the carnival crew for any indication of what civilized life was like compared to the life of a roadie, though, since I hadn’t asked questions, I only knew that Molly was magnetically attracted to bathhouses. Road dust and road sweat and no internal plumbing made for a very grumpy Kei, gotta say.

But I started picking out little flickers of something as we entered Trostenwald.

I’d known for years that people with chakra suppression skills could slip by me if they were good enough, especially because my range was a fifty kilometer radius. The best of the best, like Orochimaru, tended to be the types who could waltz right up to me and do jazz hands behind my head without me noticing. ANBU weren’t quite as good, and most shinobi far less stealthy than that.

Rin wasn’t even trying.

I stuck around long enough to help set up the big top tent and the performers’ common areas. Yasha ended up not needing my help at all, so all I had to do after that was make sure no one else wanted an extra pair of hands in the mix. But after Ornna and Toya both shrugged off any assistance with makeup, because they’d done shows without my amateur ass before and intended to continue, I let Gustav know I’d be taking a day off and disappeared into the city.

I probably didn’t read half the signs, honestly. I skipped checking out breweries and apothecaries, didn’t get anywhere near Crownsguard strongholds or the seat of any government, and doubled down on my earlier resolution to avoid people.

This somehow put me on the opposite side of the entire city from the circus, still chasing the sensation of an autumn afternoon. Subtly, of course. (Or under a transformation technique to make myself look human again.) Even if I hadn’t seen anyone spit at Molly or Bo while on the road, I knew enough to guess a country with established racial slurs for my current appearance probably had an attitude behind it. The power to punch people out on a whim was more useful in lawless backcountry when the only people around wanted to use your bones as soup stock. In an established city? Hah, no.

The chakra jumped from one alleyway to the next in my mind’s eye. While perhaps not my best plan, I sent a pulse of my chakra outward as I passed in front of the second row of buildings. Rin wasn’t much of a sensor unless in the middle of an exam, but hopefully she’d pick up something about me she recognized.

It didn’t take that long.

As soon as I spotted a familiar figure, I was already heading right for her. “Is that really you?”

Rin, though short and slight compared to a lot of the local humans, probably would have stood out for other reasons. I hadn’t seen a single Asian-adjacent person in the week I’d been hanging with the circus. Logically, I knew small towns didn’t tend to be the most diverse places, but I’d met or seen at least twenty nonhumans. The only one with Asian features had been my reflection. Rin’s long, dark hair was bound up in a braid and she wasn’t wearing skirt and blouses she preferred in Konoha—due to transformation chicanery—but she was still recognizable.  

Not exactly the same as my situation.

“It’d be hard for me to be anyone else.” Rin ducked her head a little and looked up at me through her bangs. “So. How was your week?”

Her normally-dark eyes were entirely different, reflecting light like a cat’s and her irises were streaked with blue, green, and purple. Her smile wobbled uncertainly. Rin’s hair caught the light strangely, reflecting red and violet in turn. Her chakra felt different, with an edge I couldn’t fully identify. Most of the chakra signatures I was used to were half-sensory data generally incongruous with people. I could compare them to shadows, or cheerful little fires, or lightning strikes.

I’d never run into a variation that felt like singing.

It felt like the damned mission objective from before this clusterfuck started.

Ugh, thought for later. I replied instead, “Not even a week. It’s…been interesting. Sorry I didn’t come find you sooner.”

“I mean, it wasn’t so bad. Not the worst survival training I’ve had!” Then she hugged me hard enough to make me think of crying uncle, if I hadn’t been doing the same right back. Dammit, I’d missed Rin. “But we’re both safe. That’s something. ”

“I went straight into survival mode,” I admitted after we pulled apart a bit. She still had one of my hands in hers, and was performing a medical scan even as I spoke. “There were some travelers who dragged me out of a river. I came in with them just this morning.”

“That’s…a little more adventurous than what I’ve been doing,” Rin said. She peered up at me, curiosity alight in her eyes. “Kei, you’re not using Isobu’s chakra, are you? It doesn’t quite feel like that, but your biology is very different right now. What happened?”

“Well…” I dropped the pretense of still looking human. “I got a makeover.”

Rin paused with her mouth dropping open in shock. Now that she knew where my horns were, she hesitated for a second with a fingertip a little above the central one. Even as she touched it, her expression was briefly unreadable even as her chakra started to jump up and down in excitement.

“Been thinking of filing that one down,” I mumbled.

“You look a little like an oni,” Rin breathed, a smile slowly spreading across her face. There was no way I was getting away from her now, and I’d never been happier to be on the recieving end of Rin’s fantastic gush sessions. “This is why your scan was so strange! Do those horns weigh you down? And the tail—that’s Isobu-san’s tail with fewer plates, isn’t it? Did someone modify pants for you? Are you feeling strange any other way?

“Um… So about...” I made a sweeping motion to encompass everything that had changed about my body.

“So I’m glad you’re here. You’re still Kei, even if you’re different-looking now.” Rin nodded firmly. “Aside from the obvious, nothing really changed! So, what else is different? You were vague about the week.”

“I… I’m pretty sure I joined a circus.”

Rin said nothing for a second.

I raised an eyebrow. “That’s what throws you off?”

“I really can’t imagine you wearing makeup and performing for the public.” Rin was obviously biting down a laugh. “You don’t even put on foundation during ceremonies back home!”

I rolled my eyes. “With one exception. And when you’re doing all the work for me.”

“Exactly!”

Still, we were making our way out of the alleyways and back toward the rest of town. I didn’t particularly care about being seen as a tiefling once I wasn’t alone. Some things invited a fight. A pair of foreign tourists would probably invite scams first, provided no one decided to ask for papers I was sure Rini didn’t have. It was Rin’s first time in a world where she wasn’t aligned with the legal authority anywhere. Konoha backed us. Nobody here would.

“I’m going to need to get Isobu to translate for you when I can’t,” I said while we walked. “The main language here is the same one those star people spoke. Sorry.”

To answer me, Rin sighed, “That explains a lot.” Rin’s focus stayed mostly on me as we walked through town, though I could see her glancing around at the various buildings that didn’t look at all like home. Hadn’t seen any steeple roofs yet, though.

I am about as happy with this as she is. The circus does not know I can talk.

Rin was adaptable, though. She got along well with Isobu in at least a theoretical sense, because to my knowledge they almost never directly interacted. Rin’s focus was on medicine, so she had a fantastic time quizzing me and other experts about how Tailed Beasts lived and could function as chakra given form. I’d never met a Tailed Beast I didn’t think Rin would gush over, because her fascination overrode what most people could consider healthy fear.

It was kind of the opposite of how Isobu interacted with most of the circus. Isobu had a lot more fun messing with them that he ever would with Rin.

“How’s this town been to you?” I asked instead.

“Not super great.” Rin put a finger to her lips as she thought. “I mean, I didn’t get anything like the negative reaction I’ve seen directed at other people, but I can’t talk to anyone here. I’ve been stealing a lot.” She paused for a second as we ducked past a pair of halflings hawking fish, sizing them up before continuing her thought. “Things feel tense here. It’s not just about me. You can feel it too, right?”

The humans are mobilizing.

I repeated this remark for Rin’s benefit, and her brow furrowed.

While maps were in short supply in the era before printing presses—which was a fact I hated for several reasons—I knew enough about the local geography to figure rural Trostenwald and the villages I’d passed were in the southern end of a massive empire. I couldn’t recall offhand what the other towns were called without a way to check my spelling, but I’d been listening to town criers. Such as there were, in such tiny communities.

Somebody up to the north and east was trying to start shit.

“That said,” I added once I’d explained my limited information, “I wanted to mention the whole ‘human’ thing we keep using as shorthand.”

“I know neither of us are fully human anymore, but I don’t want to call anyone ‘yōkai’ when it doesn’t fit.” Rin eyed the street again, and between the two of us we picked out at least half a dozen different races without a problem. A fifth of the town’s population seemed to be halflings, while humans made up a decent chunk of the other eighty percent. That said, there were also half-orcs besides Bo, a single humanoid white dragon without wings, and half-elves here and there. “It’s disrespectful even if no one else understands me. But do you know what everyone would be called?”

“I’d have to ask a few specific questions, but yes. Mostly.” I pointed at my face, at my flat yellow eyes and otherwise quite eye-catching palette. “I’m a tiefling, for example.” Or I looked the part, at least. “There’s another one in the circus, but he looks different. Ten to one Isobu’s influence is the reason I look specifically like this.”

I heard that.

“Interesting. That must mean there’s an established population, right? Or more than one. The horns are probably…genetic?” Rin looked thoughtful again. “Hm… Outside of Curse Seal transformations, I’ve never seen humans with tails or horns. That said, transformations outside of surface-level techniques are definitely possible. I’d only have to look at the Inuzuka clan know that.” She thought that over. “Any idea how this happened?”

“Not a damn clue,” I admitted. “I just—maybe that mission…” If only I could remember clearly what the hell had happened.

“Could be,” Rin agreed softly.

But the rest of that conversation was put on hold by a quick hand signal as I spotted a familiar duo winding their way through the streets. They hadn’t seen us yet, but frankly? If anybody could miss a pair like Molly, the walking kaleidoscope, and Yasha, death metal incarnate, as they passed out fliers with smarmy charm and a solid dash of silent intimidation, I hadn’t met them yet.

Rin followed my gaze in the brief second I gave myself away. “Circus?”

“Circus,” I confirmed. As we changed our path from aimless wandering to an intercept course, I added, “And they think my name’s ‘Caretta’ right now. In case it comes up.”

“I don’t speak their language, remember?” Rin reminded me mildly. When I looked, she had her hands clasped demurely and amusement sparked faintly through her. “I’m sure they’ll be looking to you first.”

Bleh. “We really need to get Isobu on this translating thing.”

Ugh.

Rin fell entirely silent as we sized up the Nestled Nook Inn, which was two stories tall and probably only large enough to have half a dozen rooms. Not impressive, but my standards were fucked and the circus probably had an established circuit even in these small towns.

Molly and Yasha wouldn’t stay long, because the shock of a walking rainbow headbutting his way into an unrelated conversation only worked so many times with witnesses. Which was why Yasha was there. Molly might’ve been taller than either Rin or Kei were, but Yasha could pick up two grown men and bash them together until they stopped causing trouble. Being a bouncer must’ve been interesting. No one would cause trouble this early in the morning, right?

With that middle finger firmly directed toward whatever patron of luck I’d already pissed off by existing, I headed inside anyway.

Rin followed, though she stayed back to keep any eye on the entire room from a spot beside the door. She was enthusiastic and bright when everyone around could understand her comments, but she wasn’t nearly as imposing as anybody in this roughneck place. She was happier keeping in the background unless she had to watch over genin. Or the civilians that genin inevitably ran roughshod over while trying to help.

Funny how Yasha was doing the same thing, just on the opposite side of the doorway. I didn’t make it past either of them.

“—It’s just five copper. A steal. At five silver, it would be a steal, at five gold?” Molly rattled off, his spiel landing two table’s worth of fish. I picked out two humans, a blue tiefling—who looked a lot more like Molly than she did like me—a half-orc and a tiny figure who might’ve been a halfling. There was a tiny part of my brain that said “adventurers!” before it went quiet under Isobu’s laughter. “Worth every penny. But if you’ve got the five copper to spend, we would happily have you all.”

The blue tiefling was starry-eyed already. “Do you perform?”

Molly hardly missed a beat. He did look like a sword-juggler or something, after all. I sure didn’t. “Ah. I’m less of a performer and more of an intermediary for these parts. I do on occasion perform. I can read fortunes—”

“I was going to ask if you read fortunes! Can you do one now?” the blue tiefling asked, almost bouncing in her seat.

Molly grinned. Hook, line, sinker. “I knew you were going to ask that.”

“Oh my gosh, you’re so smart. Look at this guy, he knows everything!” And with that, she made a space for him at her group’s table without a second’s pause.

“Yasha,” I said in an undertone, because there was no way I was throwing Molly off a roll like that.

Yasha did fix both odd-colored eyes on me, just for a bit, and Rin stood tall as she realized I’d called someone out by name. Especially a name she’d easily be able to pronounce. Yasha’s gaze flicked to Rin, widened a bit, but there was a nervous edge there. She wouldn’t want to talk about it.

“Is everything going well?” I asked.

“I think so,” Yasha said, already turning her attention back to Molly’s audience with an air of trying really hard to avoid a conversation. I didn’t know what that was about. “Um, excuse me.”

“Yasha’s quiet,” I told Rin once she was embroiled in that little scene. “You’ll like her.”

“Have we seen what we need to?” Rini asked, though she couldn’t quite hide the tiny spark of curiosity. It wasn’t as though this town was swimming in doctors or biological standouts other than the obvious. Her interests were pretty well self-contained.

“Yeah, mainly. I could try to catch them on the way out, but it seems like they’re busy.” A thought occurred to me. “You know, we kind of match?”

“Hm?”

“Brightly colored tiefling and someone with slightly less obvious nonhuman features. It’s kind of neat.”

Rin smiled, her long braid waving behind her as she swayed from side to side. “To Isobu?”

“Sure.”

In a town where the only famous export seemed to be three kinds of beer, ale, or whatever it was this week, people drinking in the streets probably wouldn’t have put most people off. But since Rin disliked the smell and taste of alcohol, we cut past the crowds wherever possible. In no time at all, we were in the circus staging area well ahead of the impending night crowd.

I managed to make introductions to the group without stumbling too badly over myself, or maybe Ornna was just taking pity on me for once. The line was pretty thin with her, and despite the language barrier Rin busted out the mission diplomat skill-set like it’d never gathered dust in the first place. It mostly consisted of bowing with perfect poise and prompting me with observations to translate when I couldn’t think of anything worth saying, but overall I think we made a decent impression. Rin even got to keep her real name, because Rin didn’t give a shit about nicknames.

Which she would get, and in spades, once the rest of the group got back. Probably.

Rin went to retrieve Isobu—who was apparently stalking Kylre to a degree that was genuinely worrying poor Toya—Gustav pulled me aside for a second.

“How can I help?” I asked automatically.

“I hate to ask,” Gustav said as I wrung my hands, “but do you mind just sticking around for the show tonight?”

“I—huh? I mean…” I blinked. It wasn’t like I was that familiar with this town. And even if I was, comfort zones were a thing. I was, by however narrow a margin, much more inclined to follow the circus around than I was to rent a room in Trostenwald with the money I didn’t have. “I mean, I don’t…”

I’d just introduced Rin to them., so I kind of wanted the afternoon off. And the evening. An afternoon of catching up was not making up for the week I’d avoided thinking about my situation for fear of triggering my homesickness like a rising tide. And Rin needed help getting around, too. I wanted to sit her down with a local encyclopedia so we could pool our ignorance and start figuring out how to get out of here.

“Not as an attendee,” Gustav clarified quickly, and suddenly his hesitance made more sense. Slightly. “Could you help out around the grounds for a few hours? I know we haven’t paid you, but it seems like Molly and Yasha are going to be drawing quite a crowd. We could use just a little help.”

Because I was a pushover, I said, “Just let me know where you need me.”

“And your…” Gustav paused, grasping at a word before settling in, “Partner? Well, she can hang around. And you can both attend the show for free if you like. I know Ornna will complain, but you’ve earned a ticket for anyone you can name. Just one, though, or Ornna actually will have me by the ears this time.”

I couldn’t decide if Isobu was going to be offended more over not being invited or not counting as a person.

Both.

You’ll be a closed-captioning device. It gives you an excuse to talk the entire time!

I thought you said people who talked in the theater went to hell.

Like that’s a deterrent for you.

True.

“I’ll be there, Gustav,” I said, and that was about the point when Rin and Isobu came back. I did my best to surreptitiously point them out to Gustav. “But I’ll be in the city instead of attending if I can have the evening off. I hope you understand.”

Gustav’s eyebrows rose. “Oh, I think I do.”

Isobu had wrapped both of his outside tails around Rin’s waist, with his hands gripping the shoulder pads of what only looked like a plain, long coat. His little spiked head poked out from behind Rin’s thick braid of faintly iridescent hair, and his eye glared balefully at me for having asked him to submit to such an indignity. As though he didn’t like riding on people’s shoulders and ordering them around.

Pff.

“Oh, hey Gustav?” I said, before the ringmaster could amble away.

“Hm?”

“Watch this.” I cleared my throat and, with a wicked little smile hidden deep down, I said, “Isobu, speak.”

Isobu glared at me harder. “I am not some pet performing tricks! I demand compensation for this flagrant abuse of my talents.” Silently, while Gustav looked between the demonic turtle and Rin—who was looking as innocent as a possible ventriloquist could—Isobu added, Did I do that right?

Perfectly.

Even with her charming smile I had to admit Rin was a likely culprit, and Gustav zeroed in on her immediately. “Nice trick.”

Rin shrugged, once she’d heard Isobu’s quiet translation. “I can’t tell him what to do.”

“Damn right.”

Isobu and Rin ended up spending most of the afternoon trailing me around. While they did get to have lunch with me and the circus crew—though Isobu didn’t eat—most of their day consisted of training. I worked to help set up the evening’s show, as biddable as any roadie, though sometimes Ornna would pop by and tell me to tie knots differently or else something would tip over. Sometimes I’d overhear Isobu and Rin’s bursts of Japanese as the pair talked, with Isobu acting sort of as a guide where I couldn’t.

“That is Kylre, who smells as much like sulfur as fish. Kei told me he is a lizardfolk, and he is very close with Toya.” Isobu said while they walked past the “dressing room,” which Kylre was about a half a meter too large on each side to fit into. Luckily, his Devil Toad act didn’t really require anything.

Rin didn’t hold her as they passed, but it was clearly a close thing. “You can smell that too?”

“No, but Kei did.” Isobu swung so his weight was mostly on Rin’s right shoulder, allowing him to peer over the left better. “Toya is their singer, and she sings almost as well as me.”

“I find that hard to believe,” Rin told him, clearly humoring my anti-conscience.

“Caretta, I need you over by the stage to help Bo!” Gustav called.

“Got it!” I responded, and left them to their work.

(“Not to make a judgement, but doesn’t Kylre feel…strange somehow? He reminds me of you, but only now that I can see him properly.”

“I noticed that, too. No one else seems to want to make a fuss. Or they are oblivious.”

“I see.”)

Eventually, the sun started setting. On my chore route, I’d passed Molly’s fortune-telling station and waved to him, though he’d been busy with a pretty clueless customer and I’d been carrying ten kilos of rope and another coil of safety lines. He winked back, and I was already on my way to the tent to help sort out whatever needed sorting. I wouldn’t get to see the show, but there’d be other nights. I liked Gustav’s crew well enough, but I’d been to the Ringling Brothers show once. I had some idea what everyone was in for.

Only there wouldn’t be any motorcycles.

“Time to go,” I said, once I had passed my last coil of rope off to Bo. The half-orc waved me off, wishing me a peaceful evening, and I joined Rin and Isobu before we all disappeared into the night.

See, my only real plan was to find a used bookstore and introduce Rin to local literature, solely because she had to be dying of boredom in a country where she couldn’t speak the primary language. Maybe we could have sparred a bit to make sure neither of us had lost our edge despite the changes my body had gone through. Hell, we could have watched moonrise just to enjoy having someone else around who understood our situation.

I heard, the next morning, that the carnival’s show that night turned into a horror movie.

So did mine.

[oracleofapollo]

Questions about me

So today is my birthday. 26 and officially over a quarter century. So I thought I’d post questions often asked about myself and how I came to be Hellenic and all. Seems very befitting with my “question” post being what really kick started everything for me. So here we go!

“How old were you when you decided Hellenic Poly was your path?”

A: 14. I had been searching for what religion, if any, fit me since I was 6 and had many run ins with it, such as I found Thanatos when I was 12, but it wasn’t until I was 14 that I really thought of it as a path and wanted to take it.

“Did you ever think you didn’t want to be Hellenic?”

A: Yes. In middle school when I was still searching my world history class went over Greek Mythology but was very... well distorted on the myths and made me legitimately feel “I don’t want anything to do with that craziness”. That changed quickly when I started my own research. Now don’t get me wrong. Even at this time I adored Thanatos and felt very close to many of Hephaestus’s stories but at the same time my teacher did a shit poor job of telling correct versions of the stories and often confused roman stories with Greek stories. When corrected she’d say “same circus” and just continued on. Which made it hard to really get to understand either well.

“When did you first notice your gift as an oracle?”

A: Before I was Hellenic and didn’t realize til after. To clarify. When I was in elementary school I often talked about a woman name Aurora who I said was goddess over light “or something” and a man named Arion, who I said was an ocean god. My mom and a few of my childhood friends remembered me doing this often, but hey every kid has invisible friends, so no thoughts were put into it until I retold the stories to an adult friend and all. We laughed and said it’d be funny if Aurora was the Roman goddess and Eos’s counterpart, but had no idea about any god named Arion. Doing some research we found two results. An Horse gifted with speech who was believed to be a child of Poseidon and Demeter and may or may not have had a human like form, and a myth about Arion and the Dolphins. Looking at it now with the knowledge I have I believe these “imaginary” friends were my first draw to gods outside of what I was raised to know.

“What are you wanting to do as an oracle?”

A: My only real goal with being an oracle is to do what I’m already doing. Helping others connect to the gods and find themselves within their journey through this path, whether it’s for life or only a short period. 

“Do you believe in all the myths?”

A: Eh? See these myths have been told for centuries and translated and passed down through word of mouth, which we all know is a game of telephone. So yes and no. There’s no myth that I’ll be like “this has never happened! How dare you think it did!” I don’t know. I wasn’t there for it. But at the same time I wasn’t there so for all I know someone decided to tell a story one drunken night and it was spread like truth. I believe we should take the myths with a grain of salt. No matter what they are amazing stories about the gods that I love dearly and it shows many sides of them. Which is simply amazing to me. If they happened or not they provide a glimpse at history and the lives my beloved gods may have lived. For that I love all the myths dearly. Believe them fully without doubt? I can’t say yes, but I do believe that at least pieces of the stories hold truths. 

“How did you family react to your choice?”

A: So i was born and raised Catholic. I was baptized and had a holy communion and the whole nine yards. However neither my mom or dad really cared when I announced I didn’t want to be catholic or when I announced I believed in the Greek gods. My dad was a realist and told me point blank it was probably best not to bring it up in conversation with some family members and my mom “cheered” me on. She kind of doesn’t understand it and often asked me to “ask my goddesses for prayers” when something happens. Like if someone is in the hospital and my grandma starts a prayer line in her church. My mom thinks it works the same way with my gods and I often have to explain that my gods don’t really “answer prayers”. then she gets confused and its a whole explaining that offerings need to be made and they may or may not take interest and that really I doubt a catholic family member wants me asking my “barbarian” gods helping them. Outside of my immediate family I got mixed reactions. My very Catholic, church going grandmother supported me. She understood that everyone thinks differently and let me explain to her the bare minimal just to assure her it has nothing to do with “satan” or “devil worship” and has told me many times she is proud of what I do. My uncle isn’t too keen on it He still loves me and has been the most active family member in my life, but that’s only because when I was 16 me and him were stuck in a care for 3 hours driving to my dad’s and we had nothing but to talk things through to do. I explained where I was coming from, why I believed in my gods, and that in no way does this mean I don’t respect his beliefs or believe my gods are the only gods. He did try to convert me back, but quickly realized I made this choice with knowledge on my side and let it go. Everyone else either doesn’t care or has never cared for me enough to actually ask about my life. 

“What was the deciding factor for you”

A: A lot of you who are still on the fence ask me this. What made me go “yes this is my path”. The answer? Well to be honest it had nothing to do with the gods. I love my gods and they helped me find the religion and are helping me through it. But what was the final factor was the morals and beliefs lined up with mine. The belief that the world changes and we need to keep our minds open and allow for philosophy and science to explain things. The belief that we all play a host-guest relationship at all times and should respect it at all times. The belief that yes we have gods and they will always be better than any mortal, but they still have flaws. They still make mistakes and learn and grow. They aren’t all knowing or all powerful. One single god can not rule all by himself. There is always balance. Always multiple powers playing in to make our world and our gods grow. That’s just so amazing and beautiful and made me reveal in the fact that this is the path for me. this is where I fit. In a religion that is equal parts pure belief and cold hard science. In a religion that has something for everyone. Where no one isn’t good enough. Where no life choice or way of being is faulted or looked at as not good enough for our gods. In a religion where you can be a strong minded woman, a proud gay, stunning gender fluid, black, white, yellow, male, female, trans, confident, shy, mentally stable, or fighting an unseen battle. It doesn’t matter because there is a god or goddess who will love you for who you are and there are others who are like you or who are your exact opposite and still adore you and see you as someone deserving of the gods and their love and acceptance. That beauty right there is what made the final choice easy.

[muggycuphead]

weird flex but ok i guess pt.2

1

War… Hold up, do we really need a warning for this one? Dunno, but however, watch out for slightly disturbing and kinda…disgusting imagery, trypophobic patterns, as well as ‘necrotic’ designs I made while having funky fever bc o h  m y  g o d do I get a little crazier  every new quarantine day (and at this point it’s coming to be an usual thing for me, big sad). However, most are made no other than for the sole sake of satire, so y’know, no need to get your underwear in a twist

Friday Night Funkin’ BoyFriend’s Hood – AU fanconcept sketches [II]

EDIT 09/06/2023: Updated the traditional drawing with a rescanned, more clean version

1.-BFH FC 1 – Grawlbert

[Cutscene-styled script for partial storytell / character introduction sake –andbcwhynot-]

Scenario: Things happening in the zombie place past the dark alley; BF confronting Grawlbert face-to-face

Grawlbert

(#Been a while since last time we saw lil BF on da hood, yo)

(#City life really did wonders with you, dog)

(#Real shame your comeback had to be on these circumstances, tho…)

BoyFriend

(*Truth be told, these are the main reason I’m here)

(*Gotta do what must be done to help the hood, am I right?)

Grawlbert

(#Hmph, remaining as noble as when being small B, yo)

(#I know a way that’ll go well with ya, bro)

(#But ya gotta show off how much you can stand to have it, y’know)

BoyFriend

(*Try me!)

Grawlbert

(#Aight then. Brunze, get it going!)

------------

Remember the zombie dude I mentioned before? Yeah it is him, say hi to the internet bert-

I’ll confess something though, before this one, I did another design specifically for a side project of mine that also has some FNF/NG references to it (andiwontdenyitbcihaverespectforthecreatorsthatcamefromthereilya) and then based myself off of it to make this guy, but trying to keep the similarities at range

Basically, I ripped myself off…unless we consider it as a AlterChar case (plus this isn’t canon anyway so i can fiddle with it if I want to heehee-)

Though, to be one of my ‘first’ zombie designs, it looks neat even if I say so myself

Trying new art tropes and styles is really fun, ngl

2.-BF’s cracked microphone

Aw man, you broke my mic-

For this one I initially though it to be during the oof moment with the eye snek and stuff, but I reimagined it to be in the later later

I won’t say why it’s cracked yet, though you can figure out things of it, won’t mind

3.- BFH FC 2 – StyX

[Cutscene-styled script for partial storytell / character introduction sake –andbcwhynot-]

**Side note: This event is kinda ‘unchained’ by the time I write it up (ergo, no idea what happened before hand in concrete sense), so I’ll only focus on the encounter alone for now.

Scenario: Inside what we’d consider to be a freak circus’ ‘warehouse’ (or something of that sort) that has been made a mess of, an anthropomorphic hyena is sitting on the corner on its own, facing backwards and having passive-aggresive physical spasms every so and then and in different parts of its body, tail included.

As BF comes by, the hyena’s ears twitch up, as it starts sniffing the surroundings until spots the human behind them.

Quick transition (camera goes off and on)

Insert average battle stage layout w/ GF here

Styx

WhyY, lOoh -Oohkie thErre!

WEe gOt sOome NeEw guests Overr tOo thEe pAarrTYy!

aAnd One Of thEem’s aA rrEeAl trrEeAt tOo thEe EeYeE!

HeRr smEell’s nOt tHaAt chAarrmIing, thOougghh…

GirlFriend

Repulsion. Don’t you dare come near me or else, you mange bag

Styx

WhAat?? YoOuu AfRrAaid Of cloOwnss??

GirlFriend

No, I fear you’ll give me awful zombie rabies by a touch alone

BoyFriend

(*Aight, cut it out now)

(Hey Mr. McCooties, is it here where the power source of this place’s at? Y’know, cuz of the blackout thing and stuff)

Styx

YEeS!

AanDd AeE guEsSs yOou’re thEe One whOo wIll sOo “ffIxX” Eet, wOn’t yOUu, lIttLe mUusiCkAll bOYy?

WeEell thEen, lEet’s gEet thE shOoOw goOing, mYy dUude!

Frowns with a wider smile. …and yOu bEtter mAke yOur pArt gOod.

Lightly savage. I’m dOing sOme bIg Efforts hEre to kEep mYself from STRAIGHT UP tEaring yOu Open lIke mY cAge’s bEd pIllow

BoyFriend

Normal+‘Ough’ face. Ah…

------

Speaking of old OCs making their comeback…also furries (I’m having pico’s school love conquers all flashbacks now help me-)

And OOPS I accidentally drew him on BF’s position, sorry sorry will fix later pinkie promise

Yes this boi was an old OC of mine that used to be a low-key clown and used to wear an orange-ish handkerchief round his neck

Now he’s a lame excuse for a Joker wannabe that plays a fool out of himself for mere cash…oh and he’s also quite the aggressive type when he’s bothered, reason why he wears a shock collar as you can see there

But since there is no electricity it’s no longer an issue for him so he can do what pleases him…rap included

And about how he is able to breathe…he’s kind of an undead too so sdfghj-

4.- Eye-nimals…?

Got a little carried away with the eye morph idea, oopsie

I’d say, despite how unsettling they might look, I think they’re kind of cute...spookute (?)

5.-BFH FC 3 – Madame le Momst

[Cutscene-styled script for partial storytell / character introduction sake –andbcwhynot-]

**Side note: This event is kinda ‘unchained’ by the time I write it up (ergo, no idea what happened before hand in concrete sense), so I’ll only focus on the encounter alone for now. (2)

Scenario: Momst’s boutique(?).

Madame le Momst

Oh my feathers, hello there, little darlings!

Come in, come in, I’m all for visits tonight~

Pigeon Pit

HELLO!

Crook Crow

…hey

BoyFriend

(*S’up)

GirlFriend

Hi there              

Madame le Momst

It’s been so long since I had someone coming to my boutique…

Lowered smile. …Since the blackout not only took my beloved music away, but also my fashion motivation

Sad. I’ve been trying to make new confections, but I just can’t come up with anything, as I so used to do before…

Cuckoo glance…and by just hearing that, you might tell it kinda has gotten me a little…too out of my head lately, to say the least

GirlFriend

You don’t say, dear.

BoyFriend

(*Well, I can help you out on that if you like)

Madame le Momst

Oh, you would do that for me?

BoyFriend

(*Sure! Why else do you think I came over here anyway?)

Madame le Momst

Oh, so kind of you!~

Defying. …Still, you better make that kindness stand up enough towards my expectations

Sinister. And if you not, well…let’s just say your little girlfriend will have to compensate the loss

Cuckoo-er glance. I’ve heard demon eyes are quite the prettiest of jewels in this kind of industry after all

GirlFriend

Heh, not even a chance, honey

Crook Crow

Sharp stares. Don’t underestimate me, woman

GirlFriend

Sharp stares back. …

-----

I’ll express my feelings towards this character through a meme:

Therapist

-Female half-naked birb with tits doesn’t exist, she can’t hurt you

Female half-naked birb with tits

-Staring deep into my soul

I’m as lost as you might be, but this was out of a little memory of mine where my good ol’ friend Algid and I were talking about VB’s Ink Amalgam and I suddenly brought the idea of it looking like Momo

And well, here I am

You can tell I didn’t have much to think about and just went with the flow on this one, it was kind of fun still so whateva

Also really clever of me covering her crotch but not her tits

Pft-

Sweet Jesus woman cover those nips of yours, no one needed to see them that closely t h a n k    y o u

6.-BFH FC 4 – Sarco Daddy/Mummy Daddy

[Cutscene-styled script for partial storytell / character introduction sake –andbcwhynot-]

Scenario: Mummy Club’s interior; MumDaddy’s ‘office’ specifically

BF enters past the ‘stringdoor‘ alongside GF; they’re dressed with the same fashion of the ‘staff’

BoyFriend

(*Good evening ladies and gents, I’m looking for the owner of this place)

Mummu Ka

Oh, you wanna see the master, cutey?

Zuu Xha

Jhe’ll be jhere in a zecondd, don’t worry

MumDaddy enters the room from a different stringdoor

Mummy Daddy

What’s going on here?

Mummu Ka

Someone’s here to see you, master

Quick transition (camera goes off and on)

Mummy Daddy

So, you said you know how to fix our power leak over here, did you?

BoyFriend

(*Yeah)

Mummu Ka

Concern. I have a feeling we shouldn’t really trust this little boy, master

Zuu Xha

Yea, thiz girl jhe brought jhaz zomething zuspixiouz…

Slightly sharp stares with tongue out. I can zense it from jhere

GirlFriend

Bruh face. That’s because I’m literally next to you, sis.

Zuu Xha

Suspecting. Ztill…

Mummy Daddy

Don’t worry dears, she doesn’t seem to call for trouble here

…Yet

As for you, I’ll give you a chance to try do the magic with our stuff here.

Frown. But if things don’t work out in the end, you’ll get a free sadomasochist session by me personally

And trust me, it’ll be more painful than the human type of play.

---------

Mummies are really classy to be a part of the undead category, aren’t they?

Yes, this is adult nightclub naughty things confirmed

Don’t worry though, fanonically here BF is an adult already so y’know (?) (I keep him as a shortie bc I’m lazy…and also bc he cute like that)

7.-BFH FC 5 – The Bone-Oilers Leader (Formerly known as ‘Motorbones’)

I changed his ‘name’, yes

It sounded really generic so yeah

He still gangsta tho

8.-Pit and Crowk (Madame Le Momst’s pets/little assistants)

Mommy’s little babies…wicked babies

9.-BFH FC 6 – Grave-nan

[Cutscene-styled script for partial storytell / character introduction sake –andbcwhynot-]

**Event skipped: BF’s quick discharge and final check-up (protocol purposes)**

Scenario: The Hood’s Graffee Streets

GF walking by and looking around carefully

GirlFriend (on though)

They said this was the place I had to go to ask

Hope it wasn’t a scam…

GF accidentally hits a paint can with her shoe

GirlFriend

Ah!

Someone steps in, a freakystein holding another paint can on his hand

Grave-nan

(¬Woah! Watch it!)

GirlFriend

Oh my, sorry

Grave-nan

(¬Say, what’s a pretty lady like you doing around here all alone?)

GirlFriend

Looking for someone that can help me and my BF on this whole blackout mess, that’s for sure.

Grave-nan

(¬So, you got the memo about it, huh?)

(¬Well then, if that’s the case, then I’m the man you’re looking for!)

(Name’s Grave-nan, or Grave for short)

(¬And –wait, did you say BF?)

GirlFriend

Uhm yeah, that’s my partner’s name for short

Grave-nan

(¬Hold up, you mean THE BF? AKA Lil BoyFriend?)

GirlFriend

Blue hair, short height, long brows

That’s my boy if you wanna know

Grave-nan

(¬Frost damn, now you got my attention!)

GirlFriend

My goodness, you guys are really fond with him, aren’t you?

Grave-nan

(¬Heh, yeah!)

(¬…Though, people don’t have the same view of you on this side of the street after what happened during last Friday)

GirlFriend

Crossed arms …

Grave-nan

(¬Yeah, rumors do spread like disease ‘round here)

(¬But in all honesty, for a demon relative, you don’t seem like a threat to me)

GirlFriend

If that’s the case, then we should take that zombie dude who hurt my BF with his snake thing as the main topic

Now that’s what I’d consider to be an actual threat, no bias thoughts at all

Grave-nan

(¬Wait, Unk Grawlbert did that?!)

(¬Darn, now things are twisting to the worse with this outage!)

(¬Still, that wouldn’t have happened if he had a reason other than just…)

(¬…well, bare spitefulness)

(¬Say, did BF encounter with something ‘weird’ going on while he was there?)

(¬…just in case he actually told you, of course)

GirlFriend

Now that you say it, he kind of did

During his stay at the hospital, he did mention something about ‘strange arrow patterns’

Translating his words, ‘instead of a 90 degree angle, they looked as if they were on a 45 one’

Grave-nan claps his hands in realization.

Grave-nan

(¬Now that’s what’s going on)

(¬He expected him to use the ‘diagonal mechanic’!)

(¬…but he didn’t have anything to activate it, I’ll guess)

(¬You multiply that frustration and unconsciousness with the no longer contained zombie instinct)

(¬Then add the idea of BF betraying the hood because he plus you equals nope according to him and most of the old-school zombeeps and zomboops around here)

(¬And BOOM, total mayhem breaks into the party )

(¬Quick maths!)

GirlFriend

Wait, diagonal…what?

Grave-nan

(¬Diagonal mechanic, dear)

(¬It’s a new way of power generation, especially for this kind of situations)

GirlFriend

How does that work?

Grave-nan

(¬Well, it basically turns singing into electricity)

(¬Sound frequency particles being transformed into energy, this that)

(¬Science things, y’know)

(¬And all the magic can be done with the help of this little guy over here)

Grave-nan puts his hand inside his pocket, takes it out, and shows GF a small device as he opens his fist (the little device is slightly on due to his own body’s electricity)

GirlFriend

Oh, pretty cute.

Grave-nan takes GF’s hand softly and puts the device on its palm, closing it afterwards.

Grave-nan

(¬Just connect it to the mic, and then you’ll be ready to go)

GirlFriend

What? So it’s as simple as that?

Grave-nan nods

Grave-nan

(¬Yup!)

(¬…Though it doesn’t do much when us undeads try to use ‘em, hehe)

(¬I mean, if it was to my will, you bet I’d give my all to help da hood, yo!)

(¬But uhm, you see…)

GirlFriend

Freakysteins can’t touch active electronics, or else they’ll shock

I know, I work with plenty of them until the sun settles down.

Grave-nan

(¬Oh, cool!)

(¬And good you know)

(¬So…Want me to give you a little lesson about how to use it correctly?)

GirlFriend

Sure, why not?

Grave-nan lends his arms towards the alley

Grave-nan

(¬Awesome! Come over here, we’ll have more space to practice)

GF walks past him to where he’s pointing.

Grave-nan

…

Grave-nan (on thought)

(¬Oh brother, I’m real pimpin’!)

(¬I’m about to do something for da hood man himself, the one and only…Wow!)

(¬Might be just a small help, but it’s still nice to be somewhat helpful)

(¬…nonetheless, remember Grave, don’t grow too attached)

(¬you know how it is…)

Grave-nan takes a deep breath, regains his composure and goes with GF

[T.B.C.]

------------

That one NG-themed char I did for C4:C‘R’ but instead it’s a freaky-steined iteration of him

…yes I said freaky-steined -and yes my dude zombeeps and zomboops are how they call zombies around here, zombeeps for fems and zomboops for men)

He doesn’t join any parties though, but he knows things as you can see here

3

[starspatter]

Heroes and Thieves, Ch. 6

Title: Heroes and Thieves Fandom/Universe: BTAS, pre/post-RotJ flashback

Summary: A story about second chances, healing, and having hope.

Rating: PG-13, for references to character death, child psychological torture and trauma.

Genre: Romance/Family/Friendship/Hurt/Comfort

Word Count: 3,791 Previous Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Also on ff.net and AO3. In which Dick is surprisingly racist towards clones.

Two birds on a wire One says "come on" and the other says "I'm tired" The sky is overcast and I'm sorry One more or one less Nobody's worried

-Regina Spektor, "Two Birds"

Then.

Once their guest had left, Tim turned to Dick with a wounded air.

“How about giving me some warning next time before someone shows up, huh?  A little heads-up would’ve been nice.”

Dick’s smile didn’t falter.

“What, did she catch you doing something embarrassing?”

Tim skewered him a look of disgust.

“Do you have to make everything sound dirty?”

“Sorry, sorry.  …I’m surprised you’re still doing ‘that’ after all these years though.”

Tim shrugged with a heavy sigh.  “Was just testing to see if I still could, I guess.  I messed up on the landing anyway.”

“You probably just need to work on your form some more.  It has been a while since I last saw you brush up on any techniques, they’re bound to get a bit rusty.  If you want, I can still coach you…”

Tim’s lips tightened.

“Forget it.  It’s not worth it.”

“Are you sure?  That girl seemed pretty impressed by it. She’s the one you were talking about earlier, right?”  Dick nodded in sage observation.  “She’s cute; nice face, decent rack- ow!”  He rubbed his arm as it was abruptly met with an annoyed punch.  “Hey, it was a compliment.”

“…Didn’t sound like one.”

“Would you prefer I said she has a mighty fine ass?”  He waggled his brows and grinned provocatively, despite wincing from the pain.  Kid could still hit pretty hard when he wanted to. “Not as fine as mine though.”

“Shut up before I shove a dumbbell up there.”

Dick clutched his behind in mock dread at the threat.

“Seriously though, she’s obviously into you.”

Tim rolled his eyes. “The way I see it, from where I’m standing, she’s more into you.”

“Oh ho, do I detect a note of jealousy?”

“No,” Tim denied hotly, though his cheeks told a different story.  “It’s just that you’re being super-gross about it.  You know you’re acting like Bruce by coming onto every giddy schoolgirl and her mom who walks in through the door.”

Dick’s smirk jerked slightly.

“Wow, okay dude, we’re really going there.”  It was his turn to be hurt by insensitivity.  “You didn’t need to go that far.  I’ll have you know this and that are completely different.”

“How so?”

“I approach these things from a sole marketing perspective.  Purely professional.  It’s called ‘show business’, bro.”

“Uh-huh.  This coming from the guy who just lied about his scars to make himself look good.  I suppose ‘that’s’ also part of your advertising strategy?”

“Hey, it’s not like it was a total lie.  That really did happen, you know – minus the ‘falling debris’ part.  …Besides, what else would you have me say?”

Tim shook his head, keeping his voice low.  “…I don’t know.”

Dick seized on the telling silence.  “You are attracted to her, aren’t you?”

“I am not.”

“It’s okay, I can see why. It’s all right to admit these things, you know.  You don’t have to hide it.”

“I’m not hiding anything.”

The firm, yet flustered defiance only further confirmed Dick’s suspicion.

“Heh heh, little Timmy’s got a crush~”

He tousled Tim’s hair teasingly, to which the boy scowled.

“I do not.”  He pushed the invading hand away in indignation.  “Will you cut that out already?  I’m not a kid anymore.”

Dick lowered his limb in disappointment.

“Okay, okay.  Sorry.”  Despite insistence otherwise, it delighted Dick that Tim was finally exhibiting some of the youthful desire – if not exuberance – he’d missed out on through his teenage years.  “Trust me though, I have no interest in someone her age.  She’s all yours.”

“Look, will you just drop it?” Tim snapped bluntly.  “It’s none of your freakin’ business.”

Dick exhaled, clicking his tongue.  If only Tim could be more honest with his feelings, true to himself – though he was painfully aware of how excruciatingly difficult that must be, what with everything the boy had been through.  To be fair, he had his own troubles genuinely opening his heart to others, after all the times it had been broken and betrayed before.  …He could only imagine how terrifying it must be for Tim, to allow someone else – a complete and total stranger – to get close by entering into his currently (semi-)stable and secure – if supremely secluded life, experience that kind of risky emotion again. Breach the many walls and defensive barriers he had set up around himself, upset the plainly precarious balance that was still a struggle to barely maintain.  So as much as he wanted to continue coaxing and clowning – kidding around, he agreed to leave it alone for now, raising both palms in admitted defeat.

“Okay, I get it.  I won’t bother you about it anymore.”

The subject successfully dismissed, Tim attuned towards the boxes in the back.

“So did you want me to help with moving this stuff or what?”

“Yeah, I needed to clear out some old things to make space for new equipment.  Trying to tidy up the place more, getting rid of useless junk and whatnot.  …Although most of it’s probably going up to the storeroom in the attic anyway.  Sorry to bother you for this; I’d do all the lifting myself, but with my back…”

“Don’t mention it, it’s the least I can do to repay you.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it.”

Tim knelt by one of the cartons as Dick set to work sifting and sorting, organizing according to some arbitrary system that ostensibly only made sense to him.

“Christ, how much crap do you have here?  Seriously, what even is half this junk?  I knew you had all kinds of odd ends lying around, but I didn’t realize it amounted to this much.  Do you ever throw anything away?”

Dick shrugged.

“What can I say, I’m a hoarder by nature.  Keeping keepsakes is my hobby.   …Well, more like a habit, I guess.  Why do you think we had a trophy room in the basement?  It wasn’t originally Bruce’s idea, I can tell you that.”

Tim remained quiet as he poked through a large collection of CDs, containing a few recognizable but mostly random titles by various indie bands and artists he’d never heard of.

“Man, you’ve got weird taste in music.”

“Hey, don’t knock the classics.  Those are precious goods, be careful with those.”

In spite of his scoffing, Tim picked up one of the discs that appealed to him, and was almost about to subconsciously slip the item under his oversized hoodie – an old, old habit of his own – before remembering he didn’t have to resort to sneaking or stealing when he could just ask.

“Can I borrow this?”

Dick didn’t even twist to look, implicitly trusting in his little brother’s judgment.  “Yeah sure, go ahead.”

Tim breathed out in relief as he pocketed the prize with permission.  That was a close call.  Borderline kleptomaniac compulsions hadn’t surfaced like that in a long time, but then, it was only another minor checkbox on the extensive, exhaustive list of psychotic symptoms he was suffering from today.

There was another entry that caught his eye, different from the others.  It had no hard case or album cover; just a plain, simple jacket labeled with marker:

For Babs.

Tim wondered if it was a mix tape – surely Dick wouldn’t have tried to record something himself? He couldn’t tell whether it was a gift Dick planned to give but never worked up the courage to – or something Barbara sent back after (one of numerous) breakup(s).

…Maybe Joker was right. Being in love with someone seemed like way more hassle than it was worth.  Hell, just watching those two go back and forth between affection and anger even back then was tiring.  Aggravating.

At any rate, he left burning curiosity alone, not wanting to intrude too much on Dick’s privacy (years ago he would’ve taunted his brother with the juicy bit of exposing bait himself, but that was then, when he was less mature and still found amusement in such things), and moved on to another container.  As soon as he saw the contents inside, he balked a bit, heartbeat spiking.  Aching.  It was a family photo album, full of fond memories from the Flying Graysons’ circus days. His hands trembled as he flipped tentatively through the pages, unable to tear away even though it made him uncomfortable for a number of reasons.  Paranoid of polaroids.  Anything involving camerawork tended to make him queasy, though he could typically tolerate homages to others at least.  These were different from the blown-up, polished posters on the wall though; the images portrayed within were more intimate, unscripted.  Candid, captured moments of a close-knit clan, happy as a clam – treasured remnants of childhood innocence and bliss combined with parental pampering.

“This must have been such a cool place to grow up.”

“…It was.”

Glancing back at the receptacle, buried at the bottom was another set of snapshots: a framed photograph of Dick and Barbara together (him smiling smugly straight at her in puppy-like adoration while she beamed brightly at the viewer instead), and a worn print of the former in graduation garb next to Bruce, who had his paw wrapped proudly on the other’s shoulder.  Scrawled on the top left-hand corner in Bruce’s surprisingly haphazard handwriting was a short congratulatory message:

Good luck at college, Dick.

Tim recalled how Dick told him the story of Bruce missing his graduation from Gotham State University, shortly before the two split up as Batman and Robin.  (…The old man never even bothered to come to his own high school ceremony – not that Tim was expecting him to – although Dick and Barbara both did attend at least, albeit sitting at opposite ends of the auditorium.)

“It was building for a long time.  I realize that now.  …It was never really right.  I mean, this isn’t exactly a normal childhood.”

He hadn’t really comprehended the notion then, but Tim understood now what those words meant – unfortunately all too well.

Tim sensed a shadow behind him, and for a brief instant, he half-envisioned it being Bruce from the way it loomed – but of course when he revolved around it was only Dick instead.

“Yo, you all right? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”  Tim looked down at the scrapbook in his lap, a wistful mist in his eyes.  “I was just… thinking I don’t really have any pictures of my folks.  At least none where we’re all together.”  Or that isn’t a mugshot, he thought sullenly to himself.  “I never saw my dad keep any mementos of Mom after she died.  To be honest, I’m not sure I even still remember what she looks like.”

Dick plopped down on the ground next to him, resting a hand on the boy’s sagged shoulder.

“Listen, I hope you know: No matter what, you can always think of the two of us as family at least. I know I haven’t exactly been that much of a great guardian myself, that I could never replace what you lost either… But you are still a brother to me. Hell, I consider you the closest thing to a real relative I’ve had since then.”

Tim simply nodded, swallowing a lump in his gorge.  Dick patted his back with a thump.

“Us guys, we gotta stick together, right?  Through thick and thin.”

“Yeah.”  Tim ducked his neck towards his collar, surreptitiously drying ducts on his sweatshirt.  “…Thanks, you know, for letting me stay here so long.  Roy and Conner too.”

“Hey, what are friends for?” A pause.  “…How’s Conner doing by the way?”

Tim snorted, the caution in the other’s tone not escaping his notice.  “What do you care?  You never liked him anyway.”

“That’s not true. It’s just… The whole idea of cloning someone kinda wigs me out, okay?  I dunno, imagining there being a duplicate copy of you running around is freaky enough, but one of Superman?  It still doesn’t sit well with me to leave him loose like that, after all the underhanded crap Cadmus has pulled.  Something about it just doesn’t seem right.  Who’s to say he doesn’t have some secret kill switch that’ll make him go rogue like Supergirl’s doppelganger?  Gotham may be full of crazies and creeps, but at least we never really had to deal with stuff of metahuman caliber aside from Ivy and Clayface, or Kirk when he took the serum.”  Dick intentionally didn’t include Killer Croc on the atypical rogues roster; guy was too dumb a criminal to count.  “We’re on the high end of the ‘weird’ scale, sure, but not even Batman’s equipped to take down a serious superpowered menace alone.”

Tim glared at him in disbelief.

“Is that you talking, or the old man?”

“…Maybe a bit of both,” Dick willingly conceded.  “Look, I’m just worried, that’s all.”

“Yeah well, don’t be. I’ve got Mr. Kent on speed-dial, and Kon gave me his full consent to use the Kryptonite at my discretion as part of our ‘roommate agreement’.  If anything happens, he told me himself he wants me to hit him with it as hard as I can.” …Even if it meant killing him – although Tim knew he could never go through with that. Not again. “Besides, it’s not him you’re actually worried about, is it?”

“Tim…”

“No, you know what this is?” Tim clenched his fist, drawing away from contact again.  “You look at him with the same way you do me – like some ticking time bomb about to explode. I’m getting real sick and tired of it.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Sure it isn’t.  Look, for your information, Conner’s doing fine. Hell, he pretty much behaves just like you; he’s probably getting wasted and chasing after chicks at some mixer right now.  …That’s what you call a ‘normal college life’, isn’t it?”

Dick cleared his throat, aversely acknowledging hypocrisy.

“…What about you?  How is school going?  Do you like it there?”

Tim shrugged.

“It’s okay.”

“You know you didn’t have to just stick locally around here.  If you wanted to go someplace else I would’ve sponsored you.  I mean, I chose to stay close to Gotham because of that… ‘part-time job’ stuff, but you’re smart, you could’ve gone anywhere better.”

“I told you, I’m fine with this.”

“What about taking that girl’s suggestion at least?  Life doesn’t just have to be about books and studying for tests all the time either, you know.  Look at it this way: You’ve got the time and opportunity now to be a part of after-class club activities that I never had.  Why not take advantage of it, get out there and socialize.  Enjoy the excitement of your youth and all that.”

Tim stared, trying unsuccessfully to read the other’s expression.  He couldn’t deduce whether the dude was just being humorously sarcastic, or genuinely envious and attempting to live vicariously through him.  Either way, he wasn’t falling for it.

“I said forget it.”                                                          

Dick kept pressing despite disengagement, earnest in his endeavor to tempt Tim to pursue what used to fill the boy with fervent passion, desperately hoping to rekindle some kind of joyful spark.

“Come on, I’m sure it’ll be fun.  I bet I could even still teach you to do a quadruple somersault if you’re interested.”

“Why?  I suck at it.”

“You just need more practice.  …Besides, it’d be kind of a shame to let a legacy die out without passing it on to at least one person.”

Tim wavered at the sincere, if somewhat scheming statement.

“I don’t know…”

“Trust me, it’s easy once you get the hang of it.”

“Maybe for you.”  He bitterly bit his tongue under his breath.  “I’d like to see you try to concentrate on keeping your balance with the Joker as a peanut gallery.”

“What was that?”

“…Nothing.”

Dick held his gaze for a second.

“Tim, I didn’t want to bring this up, but… Conner called me the other day.  He told me, about the lab incident.  He says you haven’t been sleeping or eating much either.”

Tim grit his jaw, feeling like a dagger had just been thrust in his gut.  He couldn’t believe his best (perhaps only) bud in the world would betray him like that.

“Damnit, Kon.”

“Don’t blame him, he’s just worried about you too.  I told you: You don’t need to keep hiding things from us.  We’re here to help if you need anything.  Babs too.  If something’s troubling you, you can talk to us.”

“It’s fine, I’m handling it.”

Dick wouldn’t desist, determined to get the truth out of him.

“Tim, I heard you yelling earlier.  …He’s back again, isn’t he?”

The boy sighed in surrender, eyes slanting stage right.  “…To your left, making faces.”

His partner fixed him with stern concern.

“Are you off your meds again?”

“They don’t work.  Not as well as they used to.”

“That doesn’t mean you should just stop taking them.”

“For what?  So I can only experience the side effects?”

“So talk to Leslie.  Ask her to adjust the dosage.”

Tim made a hollow noise.  “I’m already on the highest strength that’s considered ‘safe’ for human consumption.”

Dick pulled out his phone anyway and began dialing her number.

“I’m contacting her.  There must be at least something else we can try.”

“Not Dr. Thompkins,” Tim whined, as if a toddler throwing a tantrum.

“Look, either you call to make an appointment, or I will.”

Tim seethed, grinding his teeth.  “All right, fine.  Jeeze. God, you and Barbara still both treat me like a fucking child.”

“Yeah well, maybe if you stop acting like one.”

“Whatever.  Just hand me the phone.  I’ll talk to her.”

Dick extended the cell towards Tim, who took it with all the enthusiasm of accepting a dirty sock.

“It’s ringing.”

He listened closely in on the conversation to confirm a meeting time was set up, before Tim returned the receiver.

“Here.  She wants to talk to you.”

Dick lifted the mobile to his ear.

“Hey, doc.”

“Hello, Richard.  It’s good to hear from you boys.  How’s the back treating you?”

“Fine.”  He didn’t want to dwell too much on his own health status, so he moved on to the matter at hand.  “Is there anything we can do to help Tim?”

“In such a rare and unusual case as this, it’s hard to say.  It’d be beneficial to start by identifying the root of his relapse.  Once we pinpoint that, it’ll be easier to formulate a treatment plan.   It’s possible it could just be due to the stress of moving to a new environment.  It’s good that you’ve been able to help support him through high school, but now that he’s becoming independent it may be triggering a stronger separation anxiety response in him.  Even if consciously he rejects it, the Joker ingrained himself as a parental figure in Tim’s mind.  Essentially, he equates that kind of attention with the nurturing love and protection he never properly received growing up.  It’s common for child victims of abuse to form a disorganized attachment to the caregiver, especially when the caregiver behaves in an inconsistent manner.  The conflict of the caregiver being both a source of comfort and distress can cause the child to display contradictory patterns when faced with a stressful situation; instinct tells him to simultaneously avoid and approach the one who is mistreating him.   In the absence of a familiar atmosphere he’s accustomed to, he’s likely seeking alternate methods of coping as a survival mechanism.  Has he been under any kind of particular pressure lately?”

Dick relayed the events leading up to the fainting spell, with little input from Tim beyond affirmative nods.

“I see.  It’s certainly a sign of progress that he’s trying to face his fears, but a heads-on approach might not be the best tactic.”

“I tried to tell him that.  He won’t listen.”

“I’ll have a chat with him about it when I see him, hopefully we can find a way for him to succeed in his studies without compromising his sense of safety.  One more question, this is important: Has he tried to harm himself?”

“I… don’t think so.  I’ll check, and let you know.”

“Please do.”

As Dick temporarily terminated the exchange, he rotated to see Tim had stood up and was headed towards the door.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Out for a smoke – walk – whatever.  Just text me when you need me.”

“Hold it.”  The harsh bark arrested the boy before he was halfway to the exit.  “Wrists.”

Tim swiveled with a sour countenance.

“Seriously?  Do we really have to do this?”

“Show me.”

He hissed, but obediently rolled up his sleeves, revealing bare but apparently unmarked skin.

“Satisfied?”

Dick advanced and examined him all over anyway, before nodding.

“All right.  Now empty your pockets.”

Tim tsked, feeling as violated as when the staff at the detention center frisked him on admittance for any concealed contraband.  He dug through his possessions, retrieving objects one by one: phone, wallet, CD player, lighter, cigarettes, and finally – under Dick’s demanding eye – the hidden pocketblade.

“Give me the knife.”

He hesitated.

“Don’t make me wrestle it from you.”

Relinquishing, he slapped the weapon into Dick’s grip without a word.

“Thank you.  You can go, but try to keep near.”

“Sure thing, Mom.”

Dick deliberately chose to ignore the sardonic retort, used to receiving attitude by now.  (For a fleeting moment, he mused if he ever gave Bruce this much frustration, although no doubt Alfred would certainly attest to it.)

After Tim left, Dick hit redial to reassuringly inform Leslie on the observed lack of self-inflicted damage to the patient’s physical condition at least – and preemptive confiscation of means just to be safe – before bidding goodbye with a final beep.  He sighed as he rubbed his neck, hoping his “tough love” hadn’t come off as too deterring. He really wasn’t good with this whole “parenting” thing, considering the primary role model he had for nearly half of his life after early adolescence.

As he picked up the memoir from the floor, he caressed his fingers feather-light over the cover, brushing off collected dust and disenchantment before delicately placing it on a shelf for easy viewing access.  The rest he unceremoniously dumped in the “to toss” pile, purposefully cramming as much trash as he could on top.  …After a few minutes though he fished them out again, rescuing from the base of the rubbish heap with ambivalent reluctance, restoring to the original package and sealing tightly with tape.  They could remain upstairs for now at least – like his ruined Nightwing costume – evidence of old wounds and shattered bonds shuttered behind closed panel; tucked away in the dark recesses of his conscience, lurking and lingering deep in the shadows off-screen.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Two birds of a feather Say that they're always gonna stay together But one's never going to let go of that wire He says that he will But he's just a liar

[elephantinparis]

Sometimes two wrongs make a twisted right

                                                Short author’s note

In no way am I a real writer, it’s just something I dabble in for fun sometimes, so don’t judge harshly lol I just had this  modern rosvolio AU idea so yeah...happy reading :)

Rosaline Capulet could not believe it!! Her cousin wouldn't be so foolish as to get married straight out of college and to a Montague no less.  There had been a long lasting feud between the Capulets and Montagues for as long as both families could remember. To hate a Capulet or a Montague was like the rite of passage to both families, so imagine Juliet's mother's reaction when on their weekly Saturday dinner Juliet announced she was engaged. At first the whole clan couldn't have been happier for their dear Juliet, but things changed the moment Rosaline's cousin revealed the lucky man's name: Romeo Montague. Let's just say the evening went downhill from there. But Rosaline had to hand it to her cousin, Juliet was nothing if not determined when she wanted something there was no way of stopping her. No matter how much both Juliet and Romeo's families tried to ''talk some sense'' into the young couple nothing seemed to work. The disasterous feud their families have been apart of had  no significance to the two lovebirds. As much as Rosaline tried to intervene with her common sense and logic it seemed Juliet was already a lost cause.

''Please, cousin, do not be foolish, it's a short lived affection and nothing more. He is a Montague after all''. Rosaline's tongue curled in deep disgust at the mention of her family's rivals.

''Ah, Rose so you know the deepest parts of my heart, do you now? Maybe someone who hasn't had a date in two years shouldn't be giving love advice''. Juliet's not so subtle jab didn't go unnoticed as Rosaline rolled her eyes at her cousin's comment.

''You very well know that's a choice! Men are overrated anyways''. Juliet couldn't help, but laugh from her friend.

To a hopeless romantic like Juliet love was the main thing that kept the world spinning, but Rosaline? She was quite more practical and lived in the  ''real world'' as she put it. She was never one to get sentimental easily, when girls at high school were pining over boys Rosaline looked the other way. Rosaline figured she would know when she met someone she clicked with and never really thought about it again. The clicking part had yet to happen, but if it never did Rosaline wasn't one of those girls whose life would be ruined if she didn't have a boyfriend to prance around with.

''You need to give Romeo a chance, Rose! You'll see he will fit right in''. A sneaky smile appeared on Juliet's face, a smile she wore when she was up to something.

''I sure hope so. I mean I feel for the poor lad already, he will have to survive your mother's wrath and hey on the bright side if he does not you won't have a groom to marry''. The only response Rosaline got from Juliet was a pillow to her head.

''Hey! Don't shoot the messanger dear cousin. I mean I wholeheartedly think that you're crazy, but I expect to be a maid of honor and nothing less will suffice''.

Juliet knew that it was Rosaline's way of giving her blessing and a thankful smile appeared on her pale lips. They rarely agreed on anything, but they were family and Juliet needed all the support she could get.

''Of course, how could you not? Oh, and wait till you meet the best man! Very easy on the eyes...I think you two would be a perfect match''. Juliet sent a flirty wink Rosaline's way.

''Okay, cupid I think you should concentrate on your own relationship, not mine''. With a pointed look Rosaline rose from the bed.

''You will like Ben, you'll see''.

''Ben?? as in Benvolio Montague??!''. Usually composed Rosaline in a blink of an eye turned into a mad woman the second she heard his name.

''You know of him?''. Juliet wore a puzzled expression.

''You can say that...'' A low growl left Rosaline's lips and if looks could kill...well, poor Juliet would be dead already.

''Doesn't seem like you two were on friendly terms''. Juliet stated trying to avoid Rosaline's gleaming eyes.

''Of course we weren't! What Montague and Capulet are? Oh, well apart from you and Romeo. That bastard was the bane of my existence in college. I swear if I see him ever again I'll poke his eyes out with a fork and hang the rest of his remains on a pole''.

''Wow there's major pent up frustration from your side, Rose. What did he do to you?''. Juliet asked quite intrigued. It was weird to see her as ever composed cousin so disheveled just from hearing Benvolio's name.

''What didn't he do to me? I swear that man is the most annoying, self centered, playboy there is! If that's the company Romeo keeps I doubt he's any good for you''. Rosaline was already on one of her long rants and Juliet knew better than to interupt her now. That didn't mean she was listening to a single thing though...No the young Juliet was planning a scheme. She wouldn't have her wedding ruined just because of a little squabble between these two hotheads. In Juliet's romanticized dream world she even believed that Rosaline and Benvolio could be still star crossed lovers...

5 months later

''Oh, excuse me they need some more drinks over there. Thank you!''. Rosaline pointed to the gazebo which was a few feet away letting the waiter go before making sure he did as he was told.

Rosaline Capulet wasn't called control freak by her sister Livia and Juliet for nothing. The moment Juliet's wedding planner flaked on her, the Capulet cousin came to the rescue. Today was the day, well not the day, but close enough. Juliet and Romeo were celebrating their upcoming nuptials with a little formal family gathering. You could cut the tension with a knife in the dimly lit garden as both family's members were conversing uncomfortably. They were making small talk basically, but Rosaline knew things could be much worse, so she wasn't worried. Juliet on the other hand wasn't happy about it, but Rosaline didn't understand what she expected. Rosaline was just making sure everything was  done perfectly and in it's place before the actual gathering began, not all guests had arrived yet and she was glad for having a spare minute to be by herself before that Montague idiot was all over her. As much as both Romeo and Juliet tried Benvolio and Rosaline weren't having any of it. The moment they laid eyes on each other all hell broke lose. Sometimes they were even worse than their respective elders. Rosaline seemed to go on a crazy mode whenever Benvolio was around and he seemed quite pleased with himself as if riling Rosaline up was the highlight of his day.

''Hey, Rose do you know where Juliet is?''. Livia's voice pulled Rosaline out of her thoughts.

''Oh, she's upstairs getting ready. So what do you think? I'm awesome at this aren't I?''. A rare moment when Rosaline let herself be smug about something was upon her because she couldn't contain her excitement. Everything truly was beautiful, she made sure nothing was spared to please her dear cousin..and her future husband of course. Romeo turned out to be quite the charmer and a hopeless romantic like her cousin, so Rosaline quickly understood why they fell in love. They were like two parts of a perfect puzzle and Rosaline was happy for her friend.

''That you are, sweet sister, that you are''. A murmur escaped Livia's lips as she looked over Rosaline's shoulder with a sly smirk.

''What?''.

''Benvolio Montague at twelve o'clock''. Livia whispered with a snicker.

''Hmm?''. Rosaline mumbled as she checked another thing off of her to do list before turning around to see Benvolio and Mercutio heading their way. ''Damn''. She cursed silently. He looked good in a suit. She wasnt afraid to admit Benvolio was a handsome guy, but that's all he was, his annoying personality ruined the rest. Benvolio should be thankful the big guy up there gave him good looks because whenever he opens up his mouth it goes downhill from there  Rosaline thought sarcastically. She saw a slow grin spread on Benvolio's face the moment their eyes met. She wasn't sure why she quickly turned around and muttered a weak "I'll go check on Juliet'' to her sister before almost sprinting to get off the lawn. Her only explanation was that she didn't want to be in his presence any longer than necessary.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------''Wow, Benvolio, I have never seen you tank with a girl before. It's almost art''. Mercutio's mocking laugh rang in Benvolio's ears as he watched Juliet's cousin run into the house as if the lawn was on fire.

''Shut up. The Capulet girl doesn't want me anymore than I want her''. Benvolio rolled his eyes as his friend was wearing a mocking smile.

''Fine, fine. Come on let's find Romeo before this whole circus begins''.

''You go, I'll catch up. I need to find a damn bowtie before uncle sees me and starts complaining I don't know the proper etiquette''. Benvolio replied sarcastically before going straight for the house.

The young Montague decided to check out upstairs, he was sure his cousin had a spare bowtie somewhere. He tried a few rooms, but all of them were locked. He heard noises coming from a nearby room and opened the door to find Romeo with his fiance, but the first thing his eyes cought  was Rosaline.She looked mesmerizing as always there was no denying that. She was wearing a new dress that clung perfectly to her body, but it's not like he cared Benvolio told himself. He quickly banished thoughts that were inappropriate where The Capulet was concerned, trying to mask the weird feeling in his stomach.

''And like that she became a swan''. Benvolio managed to say with a lazy grin on his face.

''So I used to be an ugly duckling then?''. Came Rosaline's short response followed by a roll of her beautiful dark eyes.

''Someone needs to learn how to take a compliment''. Benvolio pointed out with a sigh before asking Romeo for a spare tie.

''Romeo, let's go greet the guests. Let's leave these two to get finished''. Juliet said with a strange glint in her eyes before almost dragging Benvolio's cousin out of the room.

Benvolio went straight to the mirror and tried to put the damn thing on, but it appeared to be quite more difficult than he hoped. It's not like he wore this thing everyday.

Rosaline was putting on the last of her make up in silence as her gaze crept to the mirror only to discover the Montague trying and failing to properly put on a bowtie. She could clearly see he wasn't used to doing this because he just kept fumbling the bowtie with his fingers.That got a small snicker out of her and Benvolio was quick to send a glare her way.

''What?''.

''It's a shoelace''. Came Rosaline's simple response.

''Uh, it's a bowtie, Capulet''. The Montague replied with an incredulous look.

''No, it's a shoelace knot''. Rosaline rolled her eyes before releasing a sigh and whispering ''come here''.

Benvolio was taken by surprise so it took a few seconds for him to reach Rosaline's side. That was probably the closest they have ever been to each other. He could feel their shoes touching. He silently watched as Rosaline worked on the tie, the damn bowtie held her attention and concentration and for some weird reason Benvolio for one moment wished she would look up so he could investigate her eyes from this small distance. He didn't know what it was about her eyes...they were just really beautiful.

''Didn't think you'd be the kind of girl who knew how to tie a bowtie, Capulet''. Benvolio broke the silence before it became unbearable for both of them.

''And here I was thinking you'd be the kind of boy who would''. She whispered with a small smile before looking up. Benvolio got far more than he bargained for when her dark, chocolate eyes met his own, but the moment ended as quickly as it began.

''All done''. Rosaline stepped away and cleared her throat, avoiding Benvolio's gaze.

''So what do you think? License to kill?''. He joked before inspecting Rosaline's handiwork in the mirror.

''More like be killed, Montague''. Rosaline whispered before turning around and shutting the door on her way out, but not before he could catch a glimpse of a smile on her delicate lips. He didn't know why he was grinning from ear to ear, but truthfully he didn't really care to find out.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Romeo and Juliet were quite pleased with themselves as they watched Benvolio and Rosaline's interaction. To an untrained eye it seemed like the two were trying to bite each other's heads of, verbally of course, but these two romantics looked a little deeper than that. Even though their cousins were arguing like crazy the soon to be groom and bride noticed little things: smiles they both tried to hide,body language, even their insults weren't as sharp as before.

''Well, you did it again my love''. Romeo whispered in Juliet's ear before planting a soft kiss on her lips.

''That's all them, darling. But what can I say? Sometimes two wrongs make a twisted right''. Juliet replied with a satisfied smirk.

''Indeed they do''.

[taylorfennersbookishworld]

Hey Bookdragons! Today I'm part of Wednesday Books's Where Dreams Descend Blog Tour. Where Dreams Descend was one of my most anticipated releases of 2020 but more on that later. First, a little bit about the book...In a city covered in ice and ruin, a group of magicians face off in a daring game of magical feats to find the next headliner of the Conquering Circus, only to find themselves under the threat of an unseen danger striking behind the scenes. As each act becomes more and more risky and the number of missing magicians piles up, three are forced to reckon with their secrets before the darkness comes for them next. The Star: Kallia, a powerful showgirl out to prove she’s the best no matter the cost The Master: Jack, the enigmatic keeper of the club, and more than one lie told The Magician: Demarco, the brooding judge with a dark past he can no longer hide Where Dreams Descend is the startling and romantic first book in Janella Angeles’ debut Kingdom of Cards fantasy duology where magic is both celebrated and feared, and no heart is left unscathed.Buy Your CopyEarly Praise"Janella Angeles steals the 2020 show with her fiercely imagined debut starring larger than life characters, a dangerous world alive with magic, and a dizzying dose of grab-a-fainting-couch-and-swoon-away romance!" - Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Gilded Wolves "Where Dreams Descend is a glamorous dark gem of a tale, sparkling with romance, magic, and intrigue. Readers will be captivated by prima donna Kallia as the mystery is slowly unmasked. Bravissima!" - Julie C. Dao, author of Forest of a Thousand Lanterns “Lavish and opulent in a way that feels warmly familiar yet demands your attention. There are secrets upon secrets, a girl who’s boldly ambitious, and truly riveting stage magic. I didn’t want the show to stop.” - Emily A. Duncan, New York Times bestselling author of Wicked Saints "Vibrant imagery, jaw-dropping set pieces, sizzling romantic tension, and unstoppable heroine Kallia bring this ambitious debut novel to spectacular life. Fans of Caraval and The Night Circus will be delighted!" - Claire Legrand, New York Times bestselling author of Furyborn  "[A] spellbinding melody of a book, and the true magic is how Angeles puts all the best parts of an enrapturing theatrical performance onto paper and ink. From the gripping twists in the first pages all the way to the final, heartbreaking crescendo, Where Dreams Descend will surge you to your feet in a standing ovation.” – Sara Raasch, New York Times bestselling author of the Snow Like Ashes trilogyEXCERPT:Never come to Hellfire House without wearing a mask. It was one of the rare rules in a joint without any. The only rule the master of the club did not mind following. He blended in with the sea of suits and white masks that arrived every other night, switching appearances from crowd to crowd. A bartender one moment, a dealer at the card tables the next. Only his face remained the same, half-masked and haunting. Like a prince who relished the bloody crown on his head, and the ghosts that came with it. A face almost hardened by beauty, though glints of youth ran deep beneath soft black eyes. It always shocked new guests, to see him. The master of the House was rumored to be a dragon of a man. A monster. A magician who had no mercy for fools. Only those who dared slur the word boy in his face understood how true those rumors were. To the rest, he played the devil on all shoulders, leading patrons to his bar and game tables, guiding them toward his enchanted smoke lounge to drown in curated memories. The warmth of first love, the heady rush of triumph, the immense joy of dreams come true. The master kept a selection of sensations, and one hit of the pipes delivered magic the people came crawling to his house to taste. They had no idea the show that was in store for them. The master of the House sipped his short glass of scarlet whiskey in peace, tapping along the wide black strip over his brass knuckles. He’d long since manipulated his attire, sitting casually at a card table and savoring the mayhem. Raucous cheers erupted from the next table as dice rolled out across the surface. Smiling Hellfire girls in black blazers and masks of lace denied patrons begging for a dance. Loudest of all, the dealer’s crisp shuffling of the black cards with teeth-white numbers before she doled out hands to players at the table. “No, no more,” one moaned. “I can’t.” “Sure you can, chap.” A young man in a white thorn-edged mask cheerfully pressed him back in his seat. “We can’t leave. Haven’t even finished your drink, yet.” His drunken friend’s mouth puckered under another gulp. “Think it’s true, the drink? Magician’s Blood, the menu said.” “Think you have power, now?” Thorn Mask laughed, leaning back to appraise the club. “Here, you take your magic where you can get it. You wear a mask. You flip a card, smoke a memory. Or you look up . . . at her.” The master’s fingers tightened around his glass, just as the lights dimmed. Dancers cleared the floor under the hush of music, shifting from smooth, steady beats to a racing rhythm loud as thunderous applause. Right on cue. The band’s worth of instruments he’d charmed for the night started up a wild entry tune of drums, the thick trill of trumpets. Chatter ceased and backs straightened as a beam of light speared toward the ceiling. A panel slid open over the dance floor. And the chandelier descended. Strings of crystals dangled along tiered rims of rose gold, cutting sharply into a jewel-set swing where a masked showgirl sat. A throne of glittering jewels, casting luminous lace across the walls and the ground and the audience taking her in. Her brown skin glowed against her corset, red as her gem-studded mask. Arms stretched out, she crossed and extended her legs in smooth lines all the way down, until her heels touched the lacquered black dancefloor. With the hint of a smile, she rose from her throne and stalked forward, thrusting a hand up with a snap. Darkness engulfed the room. Hoots and hollers rang at the drop of the beat, before a glimmer of her form reappeared in the shadows. The room pulsed at her command, matching the spike of heartbeats the master sensed throughout the club. The smirk on his lips matched the girl’s as she arched her back to the raw stretch of the melody. She thrived under the attention, like a wildflower under the sun. A star finding the night. His star. “I’ll be damned.” The drunk at the card table breathed in awe, as the girl’s palms began brightening with a molten glow. “Nothing like an academy girl.” “Worth the trip, right?” His friend clapped a hand on his shoulder. “I didn’t know they could be magicians like . . . this.” The master smothered a dark scoff under a sip of whiskey. The girl showed off good tricks—improvised and bettered from his basic crowd-pleasers. Treating the ceiling like a sky and showering comets from it, casting an elaborate shadow show of dancing shades over the floor, shifting every candlelight in the room to different colors to the beat of the music. But always the performer, she preferred to be front and center. Teasing her power just enough to make the audience want more of her magic, more of her. He wet his lips as flames shot from her hands, arcing over her head and around her body. The fire’s melody bent to her every movement, and she gave everything to it. If she wasn’t careful, she’d overexert herself like she did most nights, never knowing when to stop. How to pull back. Careful never was her strongest suit. Sparks fell before her, sizzling on the ground. Unafraid, she sauntered down her stage of flames with slow swaying hips and a firelit smile. “Magicians like this are best kept a secret,” Thorn Mask went on. “And besides, the work is far too scandalous for a lady. Only clubs will take them.” “What a shame. Imagine going up against the likes of her at the competition.” The master paused, drawing his gaze back to his glass. “Not this again. That flyer was nothing but a joke.” Thorn Mask slapped the table with a groaning laugh. “A prank.” The drunk sloppily patted around his coat, pulling from his breast pocket a dirty, scrunched ball of paper. “It’s real. They’re all over the academies, in Deque and New Crown and—” “A prank,” repeated Thorn Mask, unfolding the flyer anyway. “It has to be. No one’s been to that city in ages, it would never open itself to such games.” “That makes it all the more interesting, don’t you think?” As another roar of cheers erupted around them, the friend sipped his drink smugly. “Imagine if she entered, the city might implode.” “Right. As if that would ever happen.” Thorn Mask leered. “Competition would eat a creature like her alive.” “Because she’s . . . ?” With an impish lift of his brow, the man in the thorny mask flicked the flyer off the table and returned to his forgotten spread of cards. “Let’s get on with the game, shall we?” Before he could gesture at the dealer, the master suddenly appeared at their table, snatching the young man’s wrist in a biting grip. The man yelped as the force knocked over his drink, and sent a stream of hidden cards spilling out from his sleeves. “What’s this?” The master bent toward the ground and picked up a couple, entirely too calm. “Cheating in my house?” The man froze, recognition dawning at the brass knuckles alone. “Where did you—I-I mean,” he sputtered, patting frantically at his sleeve. “That’s impossible. Those aren’t mine, I swear.” “Then where did they come from?” Sweat dripped from his temple, his face paler than the white of his mask. “I emptied my pockets at the door. Honest.” Honest. That was the best he could do? The master almost laughed. “You want to know the price cheaters pay in my joint?” His question offered no mercy. Only deliverance, served on ice. “Memories.” “No, please!” The man’s lip trembled. “I didn’t, I-I’ll do whatever you want!” “This is what I want.” The master rose from the table with the jerk of his wrist. The cheat flew to the ground in a gasp as he gripped at the invisible chain-like weight around his neck. Sharp, staccato breaths followed the master as he dragged his prisoner toward the smoke dens. The man screamed, but no one heard him. No one saw, no one cared. All eyes fell on the star of the show as she searched for a dance partner to join her. The drunken friend, noticing nothing amiss, raised his half-full glass of Magician’s Blood to his lips before waving his hand high like the others. The man thrashed harder, only to feel his cries smothered and deeper in his throat. His form, invisible at the sweep of the master’s hand. With a disdainful glance, the master chuckled. “You’re only making this more difficult for yourself. One memory won’t kill you.” At once, he paused. The lights blinked around them, the air grown still. Dim and hazy, as though locked in a dream. He thought nothing of it until he caught the movements of the patrons—their arms raised and waving slowly, increment by increment. Their cheers dulled and stretched into low, gravelly roars, as if the sound were wading through heavier air. Against time itself. “Where do you think you’re going?” The sound of her voice slithered around him, stopping the master in his tracks. The man quieted. Sweat soaked his pale face, his chest heaving. The showgirl stood in their path, every stare in the room still locked on the spotlit floor where she’d been. As though she’d never left. Impressive. Her red corset glinted as she cocked her hip and pointed at the man on the floor. “I choose him.” She could never let things be easy. “Kallia,” he growled, warning. She smiled. “Jack.” “Pick another. He’s a cheater.” Her lips pursed into a dubious line. “Then let me teach him a lesson. He’ll no doubt prefer it more.” She swung a leg over the man’s prone form so she stood directly above him. Invitation dripped from the crook of her fingers. “The music calls, darling. Let’s have ourselves a grand time.” The man’s terror turned swiftly into awe, and he looked at her as if ready to kiss the ground she walked on. As soon as he took her beckoning hand, the room resumed its lively rhythm—a song snapped back in full swing. The cheers and hollers returned to their normal speed, exploding in delight as patrons found their lovely entertainer in their midst, her chosen dance partner in tow. She bypassed the master, pressing a casual hand on his chest to move him. It lingered, he noticed. Unafraid, unlike most. Their gazes locked for a moment, their masked faces inches apart. No one ever dared to get this close. To him, to her. Only each other. At the next round of cheers and whistles, she pushed him away, smug as a cat. Tugging the man close behind her, she sent fires onto the ground that illuminated her path and warded others from trying to follow them to the stage. Never once looking back at the master, even as he watched on after her. His fist tightened, full of the cards from his earlier trick. They disappeared into mist, having served their purpose. Along with the flyer he managed to grab. He didn’t even bother giving it a read. It died in the fire caged by his palm. Tendrils of smoke rose between his brass knuckles, and when he opened his fingers, nothing but ash fell to the ground.My Review:The thing I liked most about this book was the world-building. The atmosphere of Hellfire House intrigues the reader right away, unfolding in the mind and tempting you to explore further.That being said, this book dragged for me. I actually tried three times to get into it unsuccessfully over a period of months that I've had this book sitting on my shelf. As I mentioned above, this was one of my most anticipated releases of 2020 and the intro to the book did grab me but after that? I just couldn't keep my attention on the page. So I did what any frustrated reader would do - I read ahead. And it does pick up. At the end. It's like all the exciting stuff is jammed in at the last 1/3 of the book. When the description of this book was put on Goodreads calling it "Moulin Rouge meets Phantom of the Opera and The Night Circus" I was so ready for this book. But I didn't get that at all reading it other than maybe Kallia was supposed to be like Nicole Kidman's character in Moulin Rouge? I don't know, maybe I didn't give this book enough of a chance --- but I mean, three attempts? --- and maybe someone will enjoy it more than I did. I honestly think I've been reading too much fantasy and it could be burnout. Overall, it was okay in spots but not enough to encourage me to pick up the next book.My Rating:🌟🌟2 of 5 stars!About the Author:JANELLA ANGELES is a Filipino-American author who got her start in writing through consuming glorious amounts of fanfiction at a young age—which eventually led to penning a few of her own, and later on, creating original stories from her imagination. A lifelong lover of books, she's lucky enough to be working in the business of publishing them on top of writing them. She currently resides in Massachusetts, where she's most likely to be found listening to musicals on repeat and daydreaming too much for her own good. Where Dreams Descend is her first book.Twitter | Instagram

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