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chronic-writes · 9 months ago

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A New Side To Hexside: Episode 1 - The Beginning

Notes: Very long.

Content Warnings: 🍁🪵

Ashlyn slid into the cafeteria, her orange, side cut hair whipping her rosy-pale face as she did. The school bell screamed as she doubled over, panting. Titan, She thought, straightening her spine. I've been here for… what? Two weeks? And I still can't make it to lunch on time. She opened her sapphire blue eyes, taking in the layout of the cafeteria once again. There was a nice empty table near the center of the room. That looks fine enough.

Ashlyn got her food and sat down, pulling out a pair of headphones and a book. She put the headphones on and started reading, but she barely got to the end of the page before someone tapped her on the shoulder.

Ashlyn looked up to see a short, curvy girl, her brunette hair partially tied up into a bun. Her hazel eyes looked like bronzite under the semi-natural lighting of the cafeteria, and her natural complexion was practically glowing. The colors of her uniform signified that she was part of the healing and oracle tracks, with purple sleeves and blue pants. Around her neck she had a choker necklace, a little pearl embedded into the center.

The thing that Ashlyn liked the most about her - although she didn't even know the girl's name - was her smile. It was bright and happy and sincere, but with a little hint of sadness to it.

"Hi!" The girl said, her voice reflecting her smile. "I'm River. You're new here, right?" Ashlyn nodded. Normally, she would immediately be turned off by someone talking like that, all happy and chipper, but something about River drew her in.

"I'm Ashlyn." She answered quietly.

"Nice to meet you, Ashlyn. I just came over to see if you'd like to come and sit with me and my friend, Griffin." She gestured to a table not too far away, with a boy who had short, deep brown hair, a natural tan, and three scars on the lower left side of his face, sitting there. Ashlyn put together that he was probably Griffin.

"Sure." Ashlyn smiled. As they made their way over, River decided to break the ice.

"So, um, I noticed that you always sit alone." She said, probably trying to get a better insight on Ashlyn. As they sat down, Ashlyn waved politely to Griffin, who in turn smiled, his dark brown eyes bright.

"Yeah, I never really fit in at Glandus, so I decided it was probably best to keep my distance for a while until I felt like I could socialize appropriately." Ashlyn sighed.

Griffin spoke up at that point, his voice as bright as his eyes. “Yeah, I get that. Were people rude to you?” He asked innocently.

At that, it was as if a floodgate opened, and the memories of Glandus started shoving themselves to the forefront of Ashlyn’s thoughts. The triggering, the name-calling, the endless stream of hurtful comments. Heck, there were even a few attempts of violence that no one did anything about.

It hurt to think about it all, and Ashlyn didn’t realize that she was hyperventilating until she felt a hand on her shoulder. Without thinking, she flinched and swatted at the hand forcefully. When she registered what she did, she looked up and saw River's face. She looked hurt, emotionally, her face twisted into a worried expression. Ashlyn got up from the table and ran. She ran and ran until she got to the bathroom, where she bashed into a stall and slammed the door shut.

What the heck was that for, Ashlyn?! She said to herself, panicking as she ran her fingers through her hair repeatedly. River didn't do anything! She didn't deserve that! A soft knock sounded from the other side of the door.

“Ashlyn?” River’s already familiar voice called from the other side. “Are you okay?”

“N-n-no.” Ashlyn forced out, barely thinking straight.

“Will you open the door?” River said it with such a calm and understanding voice, that Ashlyn felt like it would be disrespectful not to open it. “I know that we literally just met like… two minutes ago, but will you tell me what’s going on?” Ashlyn couldn’t tell her. Not yet. She needed to get to know River better, understand her motives and her overall demeanor.

“M-maybe later.” Ashlyn said with a guilty expression on her face. “I- I r-really didn’t m-mean to do that, th-though, I- it just k-kinda hurts t-to…” Titan. It was so hard to speak when she was stressed.

“No, no, it’s not your fault. I probably should’ve been more careful with the topics I brought up,” River apologized.

“N-no! You c-couldn’t have known…” Ashlyn deflected, aiming blame back at herself. “S-so it’s not your fault!”

River smiled at that. “Agree to forgive and forget?”

Normally, Ashlyn hated that phrase, but right now she just nodded. She wanted to start fresh with River.

“Yeah. I’ll be okay.”

The two exited the bathroom, Griffin waiting outside the door with a worried expression. He’s a good friend, Ashlyn thought. He just wants to make sure River’s all right.

“You guys good?” Griffin asked sympathetically. It took a second for Ashlyn to realize that he was also addressing her.

“Yeah,” River started, looking over her shoulder to make sure Ashlyn agreed. “We’re good.”

“Sorry for bringing up Glandus, Ashlyn…” Griffin apologized, his fingers fiddling with each other anxiously.

“It’s okay,” Ashlyn forgave with a small smile. She had a good feeling about this group.

Just then, a loud boom sounded from around the corner. A few students ran past screaming.

"W-wait!" Ashlyn stopped one of the students by grabbing their arm. "What’s happening?"

"The manticore broke free from the Beast-keeping homeroom!" The student yelled, wrenching their arm out of Ashlyn’s grip and bolting down the hallway again.

Ashlyn’s face filled with horror as she realized what this meant. There were a lot of dangerous creatures on the Isles, but the manticore was definitely one of the most dangerous. If you were to touch anything on its body, you would be dead in a second. It had been caught by one of the greatest beast-keeping witches the Isles had ever seen, and it had since been confined to an impenetrable cell stored in Hexside. For it to get out meant that someone of immense power had to let it out. However, there was no time to figure that out. A low growl sounded from around the corner.

“Hide! Now!” Ashlyn yelped, pushing Griffin and River into the girl’s bathroom.

“Wait! That’s the girl’s bathroom!” Griffin protested. “I can’t go in there!”

“Do the rules really matter right now if your life is at stake? Just hide!” Ashlyn pleaded, shoving them both in and starting to close the door.

“Wait!” River blocked the door and held it open against Ashlyn’s pushing. “We’re not gonna leave you by yourself with that thing prowling around!”

“I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me.” Ashlyn said in a reassuring tone. She closed the door before River could respond.

After Ashlyn had closed the door, her mind was flooded with mixed thoughts and feelings.

Wait, what the heck am I even going to do? I can’t go up against a manticore! Ugh, shut up brain! Why am I even doing this in the first place? Come on, you got this. Why am I doing this? Shut up!! You can do this!! How, though? I don’t know! I’ll just come up with something on the fly, I guess. Okokokokokokokokokokokokokokokok… Where the heck is the manticore?

A loud, deep rumble sounded behind her. She turned around slowly, her eyes meeting the gaze of six blood-red, pupil-less eyes. Ah. Ok. The manticore roared loudly, rearing up on its hind legs, four golden legs now raised and ready to strike. Ashlyn quickly drew a tan spell circle, summoning a barrier to protect her from the deadly claws. After the manticore bounced off the barrier, Ashlyn ran a little ways down the hall to create some distance between her and the creature. The manticore paced left and right, its hackles raised menacingly, fire seemingly dripping from its fangs.

Ashlyn finally took in the figure that stood before her. It had the body of an Earth lion, and the tail of an Earth scorpion. Its wings were comparable to those of Earth bats, and two sharp horns twisted from the top of its head. It had two extra legs coming from its torso, and an extra pair of eyes sat above and below where the “normal” pair of eyes would go on Earth animals. To be honest, it didn’t seem as threatening as Ashlyn had originally thought. It roared again, lashing out a thick, forked tongue. Ashlyn summoned her staff, her palisman, Ignis, perched neatly on top.

“Come and get me, Six Eyes!” Ashlyn shouted, a wave of confidence surging through her. As the manticore charged, Ashlyn drew a large spell circle beneath her with one leg, then stood in the center in a fighting stance. The manticore drew nearer. Ashlyn raised her staff, ready to blow this thing to kingdom come. As the manticore stepped on the edge of the spell circle, Ashlyn slammed the bottom of her staff into the floor. As she did, a massive burst of magic energy shot out from where the staff had landed.

Ashlyn struggled to hold the spell, but she knew that she had to. To protect herself, to protect the school, to protect her potential new friends.

She could feel her illusion spell wearing off, but she didn’t care. It was all going to be worth it. Worth it to prove that she’s not a failure. Worth it to prove she can be trusted. Worth it to prove that she is capable. Worth it to shove it in—

The manticore slashed through Ashlyn’s cowl and shirt, straight through her skin.

There were no thoughts in those few moments.

There was no sound.

Just the feeling of the wind against the back of Ashlyn’s head.

The floor came up to hold her steady, although gravity felt like it had shifted.

Ashlyn could feel her ears and tail moving in their subconscious manner, but her eyes stayed glued to the ceiling that was so far above.

Suddenly, things started fading back into existence. Ashlyn could hear people yelling, and spells being cast. She could feel someone lifting her up and putting her in a half-sitting-up pose. She saw someone holding a wall that was shaking, like something was on the other side and trying to break through.

Then, everything came back.

Ashlyn realized that River was holding her up with fear in her eyes as she tended to Ashlyn’s wounds with a dark blue spell circle. Griffin had summoned a wall from the ground with his construction magic and was holding the manticore back with it. Then, a thought popped up in Ashlyn’s mind.

Wait, why am I not dead?

Slowly, the pieces started coming together.

It’s an illusion. A tangible illusion.

“River.” Ashlyn managed to mumble. River had her eyes shut tight, tears starting to form. “River!” Ashlyn said louder. River’s eyes snapped open, and she looked at Ashlyn.

“Oh, thank the Titan you’re alright!” River exclaimed, hugging Ashlyn tight. “I did not want you to die!”

“Thanks?” Ashlyn said questioningly.

“Oh, s-sorry.” River stuttered, loosening her grip. “It’s just- I connect with people easily, and the more you connect with someone, the harder it is to let them go, you know?”

“Wow, did I really make that big of a first impression?” Ashlyn said half-jokingly.

“Well, you did do something crazy dangerous to protect me and Griffin while barely knowing us so…” River paused. “Yeah, that’s a pretty good first impression.” She smiled. Then her face filled with realization. “Wait, how are you not dead?”

“Because it’s not an actual manticore,” Ashlyn started to get up. “It’s a tangible illusion.”

“What?!” River exclaimed, obviously shocked. “You mean that the actual manticore that we have here is still locked up? But why was everybody else screaming? Wouldn’t they have seen the spell being cast? I can’t imagine that the spell circle was all that tiny…” She rambled.

“Illusionists are sneaky. A spell can be cast from the knee and appear in the skull.” Ashlyn explained. “But seeing as how this is a tangible illusion, it had to have taken a lot of power. So the caster has to be somewhere in the school.”

“So we find the caster and make them stop!” River suggested enthusiastically.

“Glad you guys are coming up with a solution, but could you maybe put it into action sooner?!” Griffin yelled from his position down the hall. “I’m not sure why, but this thing is dead set on ending us.” The wall that Griffin had made was starting to crumble, as were the spell circles that floated in front of Griffin’s hands.

“Don’t worry, Griffin!” River yelled with determination. “We’ve got this!” She took Ashlyn by the hand and led her down the opposite way of the hallway. “Where’s the Beast-keeping homeroom?!” River yelled behind her as they ran. Ashlyn caught River’s pace and ran side-by-side to her.

“Why the Beast-keeping homeroom?” Ashlyn asked, curious to see where River’s head was at.

“That illusion started in the Beast-keeping homeroom, right?” River explained eagerly. “So the caster might be somewhere close to there!”

“Oh. I didn’t even think of that!” Ashlyn exclaimed. “That’s really smart! But, uh…”

“Why don’t I use my Oracle magic to see where they are?” River finished for Ashlyn, chuckling a little bit. “Oracle magic is a little more complicated than the other types of magic, despite what you might see at Conventions or at the market. That’s just a lot of scams and showboating.”

Ashlyn thought about this for a moment. She had thought that some of the stands around Coventions or the market were a little shady, but she’d just brushed it off as Oracle magic is weird.

“Huh. That’s interesting.” Ashlyn said, her mind drifting somewhere else. “Come on, the Beast-keeping homeroom is this way!” She yelled, taking the lead and turning the next corner. They stopped at a door in the middle of the hallway, a little sign next to it reading:

Beast-keeping, Homeroom

“Brace yourself.” Ashlyn whispered to River, crouching beneath the door window. “If the trouble-maker really is in here, I don’t think they’re gonna be out in the open. And they’re probably not going down without a fight.” Ashlyn summoned a small little whistle and blew into it, the sound being unhearable to anyone but her and Ignis. A few seconds later, a small, red little dragon with scars over her eyes came flying down the hall. She landed in front of Ashlyn, making happy little chirping noises.

“I’m happy to see you too, ya lil’ goober.” Ashlyn cooed, giving Ignis some chin scratches.

“Aw, your palisman is so cute!” River gushed from beside Ashlyn. “What’s her name?”

“Oh! This is Ignis!” Ashlyn explained happily. She loved talking about her palisman, since Ignis was her only friend for a long while.

“Aw, hi Ignis!” River raved, summoning her staff. “This is Jade.” The palisman that sat atop the staff was a small, white bunny with big, floppy ears. Jade opened her jade-colored eyes and gave a few happy squeaks.

“Aw, she’s adorable!” Ashlyn exclaimed, then quickly snapped back to business. “Ok. Bonding time later. Griffin is holding his own out there, and we need to stop whoever’s making the manticore illusion.” Right on cue, Ignis morphed into Ashlyn’s instrument: a small ukulele, with Ignis’s head forming the headstock.

“You play the ukulele?” River asked. “That’s not what pops into my head when I think of you.”

“Is that supposed to be a compliment?” Ashlyn laughed. “But, you’re right. The ukulele is just the instrument I use when I play on the go. My true heart and soul belongs to the harpsichord.” Ashlyn said the last part in an overly-dramatic fashion, resulting in a laugh from River. “But that’s too heavy to carry around, so ukulele is for traveling.”

Ashlyn stood up, peeking through the door window. “Alright, now to show that prankster what for.” She smiled determinately at River, who in turn nodded with a likewise smile.

Ashlyn inched open the door, checking the room out for anything suspicious. The cage that held the actual manticore seemed fine, so the illusion that made it seem like the manticore had broken out must have been lowered. There didn’t seem to be anything else wrong with the room, though.

“I know that you’re in here, illusion-maker. It takes one to know one.” Ashlyn growled, drawing a spell circle that caused her eyes to glow light blue. With the spell cast, she looked around the room again, this time spotting a small kid with short, wavy, gray hair and a topaz complexion with a green and teal uniform holding a large, mint-green spell circle in front of him. His face wore a pained expression, as if he were in the middle of a nightmare. Ashlyn blinked, and the spell wore off. She walked towards where the boy had been a second before and reached out. Her hand landed on his shoulder, and his invisibility spell fell.

He blinked his navy blue eyes open. As he saw what he was doing, he gasped and lowered the spell circle. He brought his hands to his chest, breathing shakily. Tears started to form at the corners of his eyes.

“Hey.” Ashlyn said calmly, shaking him gently. “Are you okay?” She asked, concerned. The boy didn’t answer, seemingly lost in his head. Ashlyn crouched in front of him, putting her ukulele down and putting her left hand on his other shoulder.

“I said, are you okay?” She asked again, this time a bit more pressingly. The boy shook his head wordlessly, obviously still scared.

“What’s your name?” She questioned.

“...Evan…” The boy whispered, staring at the floor.

“Okay, Evan.” Ashlyn spoke sympathetically. “I’m gonna need you to tell me what happened.”

Evan shook his head vigorously, shutting his eyes tight.

“It’s okay, Evan!” Ashlyn yelped quickly, trying to calm him down. “You’re okay!”

“No…nonono…nonononononono…” Evan started to fold over himself, repeating “no” over and over again.

Ashlyn and River could do nothing but watch. Neither of them really knew what to do in this situation, when the person you’re trying to talk to won’t talk and is instead curled up crying on the floor.

—

Ashlyn and River had taken Evan to the nurse, who said he just needed some time to rest. They met back up with Griffin, who was visibly relieved at their well-being. They all decided to take a break.

As they sat against the lockers, everything that happened that day finally settled in.

“Hey, um…” River started. “I meant to tell you sooner, but… I like your tail.” She offered a small, polite smile. Ashlyn realized that in the chaos of the day, the illusion that she set over herself every day to hide her tail and extra ears had worn off. As it came back into her mind, she buried her face in her hands, embarrassed.

“Hey! It’s okay!” River said, empathetically. “I don’t mind. But…” River leaned back a bit. “Is there something you need to talk about?”

Ashlyn thought for a minute, lifting her head and resting it against the lockers, staring up at the ceiling. “Maybe later.”

“Okay.”

—

When Ashlyn got home that day, she knew her dad would have some choice words about her appearance, but she was so tired that she wasn’t up for casting her cloaking illusion again just for him.

Just say what makes him happy.

Ashlyn walked up to the front door and opened it, her dad standing in the way.

“What did we talk about, young lady?” He asked in an accusatory manner.

“Sorry, dad.” Ashlyn apologized sheepishly.

“Nobody better’ve seen you like that.”

“It wore off in the front yard.”

“In the front yard?!” Ashlyn’s father yelled. Ashlyn knew what was coming next. “Do you know how many people could have seen you?!”

“Yes, dad.”

“And yet you let it wear off anyways?!”

“Sorry.”

“It’s always a ‘sorry’ with you! When are you going to stop being so stupid?!”

Ashlyn stayed silent.

Her dad groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Go to your room.”

Ashlyn trudged up the stairs, staring at her feet. She finally made it to her bed, on which she plopped down and pulled out her scroll.

2 new friend requests

She opened the requests to see that both River and Griffin had sent them.

She smiled to herself, realizing that she had finally made some new friends, despite what she looked like.

A/N: Thank you so much for reading to the end. This has been in the works for a very long time now, and I'm nervous yet very excited to finally share it. Episode 2 is still very in development, but I'll let you know when it's done!

#ansth #a new side to hexside #chronic writing #my writing

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chronic-writes · 9 months ago

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Monster Onboard - Chapter 1

Notes: uuuuuh... enjoy, I guess? I'll probably get more used to putting notes as I continue posting

The sapphire waves crashing into the boat, a fine mist blowing away into the salty air. The creaking of the large wooden ship echoing through the lower decks, easing the minds that have heard it far too often. Heavy boots pounding against old and splintered wood, voices shouting, singing, laughing. The captain barking out orders, the large sails unfurling with a single command.

Standing near the bow, I took a deep breath, the cool sea air stinging my nose. My favorite shirt billowed around my arms, cinched around my small waist and tucked underneath my black leather pants. The brown boots I wore barely reached my knees, keeping my chestnut colored legs insulated from the biting salt. My short brown hair attempted to stab my seafoam eyes, but I didn’t mind.

This is my life, and it always will be.

“Oi! Mira!” A thick aussie voice called to me from behind. I carefully turned to see Archer standing next to the foremast, his burly, hairy arms crossed against his large chest. His red velvet vest shimmered in the noontime sun, and his thick waist was adorned with a golden yellow sash that hid his sword’s sheath. Archer wore the same black leather pants and brown boots that I did, albeit several sizes larger in order to fit him. His white undershirt was yellowed from being worn so often, and its long sleeves were rolled up, exposing his tanned skin. His square face was framed with a heavy stubble, and his short hair was hidden by a yellow bandana that matched his sash. Hung around Archer’s neck was his locket; a small circular pendant that fell into the middle of his collarbone. His sharp carob eyes squinted against the blinding light of the sun, causing his face to look slightly unpleasant.

“You planning on standing up there all day, girl?!” Archer laughed, his mouth twisting into a golden and pearly smile.

“Sorry, Archer!” I called back as I jumped down from the base of the bow to the wooden deck, the old wood molding from the water that found its way aboard. "The deck's gonna have to be replaced soon." I told Archer, staring down at the muddy green, bubbly substance that was eating away at the floor as I walked over to him.

"Aye." Archer sighed, resting his left arm upon the hilt of his sword, placing his right on his hip. "Good thing we're only a few days away from gettin' back to the mainland." He smiled as I came up beside him. I was one of the shortest members of the crew, and standing next to Archer helped me remember that. I barely reached his bulky shoulders, and I practically had to crane my neck just to look him in the eye.

Just then, the door to the captain’s quarters creaked open on its rusty old hinges, and out stepped Captain Bastian, a somewhat sour expression plastered on his scarred face. He wore the same kind of vest as Archer, as it was the technical uniform of our ship, The Red Crow. A black leather coat was draped across the captain’s broad shoulders, and his wide boots clacked against the deteriorating wood as he strided up to Archer. Captain Bastian was one of the most intimidating men I had ever seen, but granted, I hadn’t met many people other than the crew of the ship. He had lost sight in his left eye after it was apparently cut by a rival pirate’s sword, and instead of hiding it behind an eyepatch, he flaunted his scar proudly.

“Archer. Mira.” Captain Bastian greeted us stoically, hands folded behind his back. His gravelly Irish voice was so deep that it seemed to shake the sky, and it always brought me a bit of calm. “I need to talk to you in my quarters, Archer. Need your help plannin’ our next course.”

“Of course, Cap’n.” Archer nodded, and Captain Bastian turned on his heel to walk back to his quarters. Archer turned to me before he left. “Tonight, singin’ an’ dancin’ to celebrate!”

“Celebrate what?” I asked, though I knew the answer already.

“Why, your 15th birthday, of course!” He scooped me up and hugged me tight, spinning me around as I laughed.

“Archer!” Captain Bastian called unhurriedly.

“Comin’!” Archer shouted back, placing me on the floor. He winked at me and followed the captain into his quarters.

I knew their talks were supposed to be private, only to be heard between captain and first mate, but I always wanted to know where we were going. So I made a habit of grabbing a spare rope and rappelling down the side of the ship to where Captain Bastian’s window was, which he kept open most of the time. I would stay above it and listen in.

I decided to do it once again, but the window was closed. I shimmied my way over to be beside the window, hoping to hear at least something.

"Captain, we can't go there!" I heard Archer plead. "The ship needs repairs and the food is running low."

"The Red Crow can take it, she's handled worse." The captain answered calmly. "Besides, it's only about a day's journey."

"Captain, it's a suicide mission. Nothing on The Titan’s Isle is worth going there.” Archer argued, his voice followed by a thud, most likely his fist hitting the captain’s desk.

The Titan’s Isle? I asked myself. For fourteen years I’ve looked over every inch of the map, and I’ve never seen an island called The Titan’s Isle…

“Nothing…” The captain continued, “except for this.” A soft thunk landed on the wood, followed by a quiet click. I heard Archer let out a small gasp.

“Captain!” Archer yelled angrily, nearly making me let go of the rope. “We both know that no ship has ever survived one of those! What in sea salt’s name makes you think this will be any different?!”

“Archer Beckett!” The captain shouted, making the air itself stand still. “This is our only chance…” He continued softly.

“Our only chance for what, captain?” Archer asked.

“If we don’t do this,” the captain explained quietly, “we might not have enough to pay for repairs.”

A long silence followed.

Not enough for repairs? I thought. What are we doing for more money? And what the heck is The Titan’s Isle?

Archer sighed. “All right. But if I die to some bloody sea monster I’m gonna haunt ya ‘till the end of your days.”

“Nobody’s dying on my watch.” Captain Bastian replied calmly. At that, there was a series of footsteps, followed by the telltale creak of the captain’s door. I scrambled back up the rope and managed to plant myself on the stairs to the quarterdeck before Archer noticed me. He looked worried, and Captain Bastian gave him a pat on the shoulder before calling to the quarterdeck.

“Mary Jane!” He yelled towards the helmswoman, Mary Jane Crawford, who was gripping the handles of the wheel with weathered, feathery hands. There were plenty of humanoids on The Red Crow, but Mary Jane was the only aarakocra on board. Two soft ebony wings protruded from her shoulder blades, two careful holes cut into her vest in order to not obstruct them. Her round face was covered in the same type of feathers as her wings, and both were sprinkled with daisy white feathers. The back of Mary Jane’s head and neck exploded with bright yellow feathers, and a long, sharp beak extended from her face. A somewhat short tail spread outward from the back of her pelvis, shaking in the salty wind. Her taloned feet clawed and scratched at the soft wood, leaving deep grooves behind the wheel.

“Aye, cap’n!” Mary Jane shouted back with her enigmatic cockney accent.

“Set a course for north north east!” The captain ordered.

“Any specific destination, cap’n?” Mary Jane asked, turning the wheel.

“I’ll tell ya when we get close, Mary Jane!” Captain Bastian smiled as the ship below us tilted and swayed with the turn of the rudder and the force of the waves. Archer crossed his arms, a worried expression still plastered on his face. I walked over to him with what I hope looked like innocence.

“What’s going on, Archer?” I asked, trying my best to sound oblivious and praying that my eye didn’t twitch with my nervousness.

“Nothing you should have to worry about right now, Mira.” Archer reassured me, tousling my hair. As I shoved his hand off, he continued. “For now, we ‘oughta start preparin’!”

Thank you for reading this!

This has been one of my passion projects for a long while now, and I'm happy to finally post it somewhere, even if it doesn't get a lot of attention.

Chapter 2 is still in the works, and it might be a while until I post again.

Until then, please make sure to like and/or reblog so that maybe more people can enjoy my work!

#monster onboard #m-ob #chapter 1 #my writing #chronic writing #pirates

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