#And in order to keep the rat in my head entertained I have to do new things

[hahaheart1]

I've filled my inventory full of Black Wings Absinthe for funzies, simply because you can't get it easily anywhere else. I'm up to 69 (nice) now, and on my way to 111 (goal)

I was sorely tempted to, yknow, get 777 bottles, but I do like having actions to spend on other, non wine stealing things

But stealing from the somelier may be locked out forever if I progress my ambition...

I mean I could still go to 111, so I can drink till I get 77.

Yet. Sorely tempted to steal till I get a worthy collection. May even go a little over, to 800, so I can chug or gift a few till 777. Hrm...

Decisions decisions.

(Some chatter/my own tags under the cut. For sortin reasons)

[antinousletmehit]

˚₊‧꒰ა Chapter 25 ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

⋆˚࿔ Book 2 𝜗𝜚˚⋆

୨୧┇pairing: Telemachus x reader

୨୧┇druses screentime

���───୨ৎ──── ────୨ৎ──── ───

With that, he hauled her out of the tent, ignoring their grumbling as he made his way through the ruined camp. The warprize stayed silent, her expression carefully blank, but Acrisios could feel the tension in her body. She was waiting for an opportunity to run. He tightened his grip. Not happening. When they finally reached Telemachus’ tent, Acrisios shoved her inside.

Telemachus sat at a makeshift war table, fingers pressed against his temple. He looked up, his eyes tired, his face gaunt from stress and sleepless nights. He barely spared the woman a glance before sighing. “Tell me you have good news,” he muttered.

“Oh, better than good,” Acrisios said, smirking as he pushed the warprize forward. “Our little captive here just confessed that she let herself get kidnapped so she could rat us out.” Telemachus’ expression darkened. His gaze flickered to the woman, who swallowed but held firm.

He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “We’ve lost more than half our men because of that ambush.” His voice was low, simmering with restrained anger. “We’re outnumbered, our supplies are running low, and now we’ve lost Florus—the only person who could actually keep us fed and stitched together.” The warprize flinched but didn’t say a word.

Acrisios tilted his head. “So, what are we doing with her?” Telemachus was silent for a long moment. Then, slowly, his expression shifted—his lips curling into something that almost looked like amusement.

“We’re using her plan,” he said simply.

Acrisios blinked. “Come again?”

Telemachus finally looked up at him, his blue eyes gleaming with something dangerous. “She snuck in under the guise of a warprize. We’re going to do the same thing.”

Acrisios’ brow furrowed. “You seriously think one of us can pass as a warprize?”

Telemachus smirked. “Not just anyone.” He leaned forward. “Druses.”

There was a beat of silence.

Then Acrisios snorted.

Telemachus raised a brow. “Something funny?”

Acrisios wheezed, pressing a hand over his mouth to stifle his laughter. “You—you want Druses, Druses, the guy who literally tore through soldiers like a rabid dog, to dress up as a Greek warprize and sneak into the Skiaphian camps?”

Telemachus leaned back, entirely unbothered. “He has the most feminine features of all of us.”

Acrisios was dying, barely holding back his laughter. “Oh my gods, you’re serious.”

Telemachus’ smirk widened. “Deadly.”

Acrisios lost it, doubling over, his laughter shaking his entire frame. “You better pray Enyo doesn’t smite you for this—she’s gonna be pissed when she sees her favorite little bloodhound dressed like a woman.”

Telemachus rolled his eyes but couldn’t help the amused twitch of his lips. “Druses will manage. And if he gets caught, well…” His smirk turned sharp. “Let’s just say they won’t be keeping him in chains for long.”

Acrisios was still wiping tears from his eyes when Telemachus stood. “Go find Druses,” he ordered. “Tell him we have a new mission.”

“Oh, I cannot wait to see his face,” Acrisios said, grinning as he turned toward the exit. This war was hell. But at least, for now, there was some entertainment.

——

The sun had barely crested the horizon when the entire camp was jolted awake by the sound of furious yelling.

“ABSOLUTELY NOT!”

Druses’ voice boomed through the camp, loud enough to rattle the sparse equipment still scattered across the ruins. Soldiers peeked out of their tents, bleary eyed and confused, as Druses stormed through the center of camp, his long black hair wild, his purple eyes blazing with outrage. “This is insulting,” he raged, gesturing wildly with a bundle of fabric clutched in one hand. “You think I’m going to—what—paint my face and prance around like some delicate little maiden?”

Cassander, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, leaned against a post with a bemused grin. “I mean, you’ve already got the hair for it.”

Druses whipped around, pointing a threatening finger at him. “Say that again, Cassander. I dare you.”

Eurymachus was struggling to keep a straight face. “Come on, Druses,” he teased, arms crossed. “You’ve got those long lashes, soft skin—really, you’ll make a beautiful warprize.”

“Fuck you,” Druses spat, throwing the bundle of clothes onto the ground. “This is undignified! Insulting! I am not dressing up like some trophy just because—”

Acrisios, barely suppressing his laughter, stepped forward, clapping a hand on Druses’ shoulder. “It’s not about the looks, Druses,” he said, though his eyes sparkled with mischief. “It’s about strategy.”

“Strategy?” Druses echoed, eyes narrowing. “You mean humiliation.” He shoved Acrisios’ hand off, glaring daggers at anyone who dared to snicker. “I’m a warrior—a killer. Not some—some—bait.”

Telemachus, leaning casually against a stack of crates, finally spoke up. “We need someone who can infiltrate their camp without raising suspicion. You’re the best fighter we have—and the only one who could realistically pass as…” He trailed off, lips twitching. “A warprize.”

Druses’ glare could have set the whole camp ablaze. “You can’t be serious,” he seethed. “You want me to doll up, chain myself, and parade into the Skiaphian camp like some helpless captive?”

Acrisios, failing to hide his grin, shrugged. “Think of it as—uh—method acting.”

Druses growled, his fists clenching at his sides. “I swear, if any of you so much as comment on this, I’ll slit your throats in your sleep.”

Cassander leaned toward Eurymachus, whispering loudly enough for everyone to hear, “Do you think he’ll wear lipstick?” Druses lunged, nearly knocking Cassander over before Acrisios pulled him back, laughing.

“Relax, Druses,” Acrisios said, grinning wide. “Just imagine the looks on their faces when you break free and start tearing through their ranks.”

Druses huffed, crossing his arms. “This better work,” he muttered darkly. “Because if it doesn’t, I’m taking all of you down with me.”

Telemachus smirked, arms crossed over his chest. “Oh, it’ll work. You’ll make sure of it.” Druses glared, but there was no denying the dark excitement that flickered behind his eyes. This was humiliating, yes—but if it got him closer to the enemy, closer to vengeance, closer to tearing them apart from the inside…

Maybe he’d wear the damn dress after all.

——

Druses was seething.

Standing in his dimly lit tent, he yanked the delicate fabric over his head with all the aggression of a soldier sharpening a blade. The sheer material brushed against his skin like an insult, and the metal cuffs around his wrists—meant to mimic the restraints of a proper warprize—felt wrong.

“If any of them say a single word,” he muttered under his breath, violently fastening a golden sash around his waist, “I’m gutting them.”

He was just about to pull his long black hair into something remotely presentable when a chill ran down his spine. A presence—familiar, electric, chaotic, swept through the tent like a rush of battle drums.

Druses froze.

A low, delighted chuckle echoed through the space.

“Well, well, well.”

His entire body tensed. Slowly, he turned his head. There, lounging casually on his cot, was Enyo. The war goddess herself,, her piercing eyes gleaming with amusement as she took in the sight before her.

And then—

She cackled.

Druses’ eye twitched. “Oh, this is rich,” Enyo wheezed, clutching her stomach as she rocked back in laughter. “My champion, my ruthless, bloodthirsty little war dog—dressed up like a fragile maiden, guess I’d have to call you Enyo’s damsel!”

Druses clenched his fists, his face burning hotter than a battlefield at noon. “Shut up.”

Enyo only laughed harder. “Look at you!” she gasped between fits of mirth. “All dolled up like a proper damsel. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were preparing for a wedding instead of war.”

Druses gritted his teeth. “It’s a disguise.”

“A disguise?” Enyo wiped at her eyes, still grinning. “Druses, you look like you’re about to be gifted to some warlord.”

Druses’ entire body stiffened. “That’s the point.”

Enyo smirked, resting her chin in her palm. “So you’re telling me,” she purred, “that you’re willingly walking into an enemy camp, dressed like that, pretending to be some helpless little warprize?”

Druses swallowed down the urge to strangle something. “Yes.”

Enyo let out a long, exaggerated sigh, shaking her head. “What a fall from grace,” she said dramatically. “One moment, you’re slaughtering men by the dozens. The next, you’re playing dress-up.”

Druses glared. “Do you have a point?”

Enyo’s smirk widened. “I just came to check on you, darling. But this?” She gestured at him—the flowing fabric, the painted lips, the utter humiliation draped across his face. “This is the best entertainment I’ve had in centuries.”

Druses exhaled sharply through his nose. “I hate you.”

Enyo beamed. “Oh, I love you, my little princess butcher.” She leaned in, voice dripping with amusement. “Now, go out there and make me proud, won’t you, damsel?”

Druses’ grip on his belt nearly snapped the fabric in half. By the time Enyo disappeared, still chuckling to herself, Druses was left standing in the middle of his tent, fists clenched, face burning, and very much considering throwing himself into the nearest fire.

This was humiliating.

And worst of all?

She wasn’t wrong.

—— Antinous strode through the camp with his usual air of confidence, stretching his sore shoulders after the morning’s brutal training session. The place was still in shambles from the ambush, but that didn’t mean there weren’t sights to appreciate amidst the chaos.

That’s when he saw her.

Or at least, he thought it was a her.

Standing a few paces away, a figure draped in soft, flowing fabric stood near one of the tents, their long, wavy black hair cascading down their back in a way that caught the dimming sunlight just right. Their form—small-waisted, hips accentuated by the golden sash tied snugly around them—looked enticingly feminine.

Antinous smirked to himself. “Damn,” he muttered under his breath, his usual cocky attitude kicking in. Without a second thought, he sauntered up behind them, let out a sharp whistle, and brought his palm down in a playful, solid smack against their ass.

The moment his hand made contact, he knew something was wrong. The muscles under his palm were too firm. The reaction—too fast. Because instead of a surprised giggle or a scandalized gasp, the figure went rigid. And then, very slowly, they turned around.

Antinous’ smirk froze.

Druses’ face was a picture of murderous rage. His striking purple eyes burned with the fury of a thousand battlefields, his jaw clenched so tight it looked like he was seconds away from biting something clean off. The delicate makeup dusted across his features only served to make his expression look even more terrifying.

Antinous blinked. Then blinked again.

“Oh, shit.”

Druses’ nostrils flared, his entire body shaking with barely contained wrath. Antinous, to his credit, only took a step back—not because he was scared, but because he was trying very hard not to burst out laughing. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he finally said, grinning ear to ear. “Druses?”

“I am going to gut you like a fucking pig,” Druses snarled, fists tightening at his sides. Antinous, instead of apologizing like a normal person, laughed.

A deep, genuine laugh. “Oh, this is too good,” he wheezed, leaning against a tent post for support. “No wonder they picked you for the job.”

Druses took a threatening step forward, and Antinous put his hands up in mock surrender. “Hey, hey—no need for violence, princess.” Druses lunged.

Antinous barely dodged the punch that came hurtling toward his face, still laughing as he backed away. “Alright, alright! I’ll stop!” Druses didn’t stop. Because he was out for blood.

@procrastination20 @jackiepackiee @barrythestrawberry041 @blessedbyahuntress

@f3r4|frOgg3r @permanently-nothere

@eyuunho @jackintheboxs-world @simpingmyassoff @sunshinewhosketches

@sugarlillycookie @kaguraaaa@doodle-with-rhy

@0anodite0 @cocosparkel @tati-the-fangirl

@dazedemery @tsmaruchan @xo-cuteplosion-xo

@galaxygurIll @pjopinkk @h0ne4bee

@minteaspoon @zendoesstuff @yuvany @i-liketoast

[tiredfox64]

Since my identity as an anon have been exposed for that fic I did request,,,,

Can you make Pipsqueak pt. 2,,,,

*looks at u with my big eyes*

(I need to know the stupid shenanigans,,,,)

(Sorry got gay)

Little Bitty Pretty One

Yip notes: in my best Italian accent Don't say I neva did anything for ya. You are in debt to me.

Pairing: Bi-Han x Gn reader

Warnings ‼️: Haha you still small!

It seems when you need Liu Kang the most he is not there to answer. He could at least leave a message.

Well, you’re still small, unfortunately. Or maybe you like this situation. You’ve been stuck this way for two days now. Just as Bi-Han thought, you are incapable of doing many things. You’ve been depending on him for everything. You truly had no choice but to obey your grandmaster. Cause when you are the size of a Norway rat but lack the abilities of one your survivability is at a low possibility. So do him a favor and act good.

══💤══╡°˖��🦊✧˖°╞══💤══

Bi-Han tries his best not to wake you up in the morning. He’s been keeping you in his room so he can keep an eye on you and prevent you from getting hurt. He has to tiptoe around or else he will wake you up. Little does he know you’ve been waking up when he does because he always groans when he wakes up. What a loudmouth. You stir in your makeshift bed made of soft cloth material and a sponge before pretending to still be asleep. He doesn’t know that you like to peek at him when he is getting ready for the day. He doesn’t sleep with a shirt on…need I say more? It’s enjoyable to watch him tie his hair into a bun, he looks so pretty. But you can’t watch him change fully he puts a bowl over you to prevent you from seeing. No worries there are holes at the top to allow you to breathe. Alright, now he will wake you up.

He pokes your back viciously but not enough to possibly break your spine. You smack his finger which does nothing, go figures. Then he scolds you lightly for hitting your grandmaster. Again, he can’t yell or else he will risk bursting your eardrums.

Breakfast time! What do you want? Trick question, you have no choice. Whatever Bi-Han gives you is what you get. He purposely leaves some of the food big to make it seem like you are a rat nibbling on it. As he eats his breakfast he’ll occasionally look to his side to see you nibbling on a slice of carrot, your teeth leaving little marks. Now you’re whining, saying you need much more than that.

“You are acting very greedy. Have I not done enough for you already?” Bi-Han asked but you know he is being petty. When is he not.

Fine, he gave you a proper meal. Though the slice of cucumber he provided was still too big for you so you had to munch on it for a bit. He found it entertaining to see you stuff my cheeks full of food like a hamster. You did look silly that way. Especially with that glare you gave him.

Time for practice! Not for you, you’re too tiny for that. You’re gonna be staying in the palm of Bi-Han’s hand where he will proceed to pet your back with his finger. He starts from the top of your head before sliding down to your lower back. For some reason, you immediately relax when he does that. You fight a little because you know he likes finding people’s weak spots and exploiting them. But you stood little chance since even when you were big you still couldn’t fight him off. So you are forced to partake in this wonderful torment where he slowly watches you melt in his hands.

Bi-Han was so distracted by tormenting you he forgot to give orders to the rest of his clan. They waited with confused expressions. Kuai Liang had to tap on his brother to get his attention, only to be glared at by him as he quickly cupped you in his hands. He thought someone was trying to snatch you away from him. He can’t have that happening.

“What do you want, Kuai Liang?” he asked in annoyance.

Kuai Liang craned his neck in the direction of the clan to show that they were waiting. Bi-Han groaned as usual and gave them an order. Something mundane because he couldn’t care less in that moment. He was more preoccupied with you which you were trying to squeeze out of his hands again because you didn’t appreciate him leaving you in darkness.

Your little hands were trying to scratch their way between his fingers before he realized what you were doing. He uncapped his hands and you looked up at him like he just committed the ultimate betrayal.

“Don’t give me that face.”

He had you sit on his hand while looking out to the clan so you could watch them. His pointer finger and thumb were constantly squishing your face or rubbing below your chin. At this point anything he is doing to you is subconscious. He doesn’t know that he is doing it but it feels right to do, like twirling a pen while writing. It is necessary to squish something so small and fragile. You’re not having it. You’re out of here! Plan your escape!

You started walking on his arm, occasionally having to grab onto his arm guards to prevent yourself from plummeting to the ground. He sees your efforts and he does not like it. He tried to grab you but you kept swerving out of the way. Soon enough you were at his clothes and used them as a way to get down. You heard him saying words such as ��stop’, ‘no’, and the occasional ‘obey your grandmaster’. You’re your own person, you can handle yourself! You can survive without your grandmaster’s assistance.

Never mind there was a giant golden orb weaver on the ground. It’s a female unfortunately so it’s humongous. You are not ready to handle that.

Bi-Han!!!

He froze the weaver in a matter of seconds before shattering it into millions of pieces. You were hugging his boot with your eyes closed, wondering if he demolished the arachnid. He picked you up by your uniform and you screamed thinking it was the spider before realizing it was Bi-Han.

“Will you listen to me now?” he asked with his usual grumpy tone.

“Yes, grandmaster.” You replied with your head lowered.

You obeyed him for the rest of the time, thank the elder gods. I would say that it made everything easier but you were still left being poked, petted, and squished by Bi-Han. At least when dinner time rolled around you were able to breathe. You got to munch on a nice, fat dumpling. Took a while before you got to the filling but it was so worth it when you did. That dinner could have knocked you out immediately after. You almost did but you were startled when Bi-Han picked you up and brought you to his office.

Escape plan part two!

Forget it, he already knew what you were planning. You tried to run around on his deck but he quickly pulled you back before placing you at one end of a hand towel. In one fell swoop he rolled you up like sushi. There, now you will stay in one place.

“Hey! You can’t do this! I’m a human being!” You yelled in a shrilled voice.

“A human being who drank a potion when I told you not to.” He got you there.

You could be angry all you want but you did get yourself into this mess. So just lay there and take your medicine.

You were forced to lay there silently as Bi-Han worked for about half an hour before the door opened. Finally, Liu Kang is here to help you. But for some reason, Bi-Han didn’t seem to be thrilled about this.

“I have been informed that there was a little incident,” Pun intended, “Let me assist in making things righ—oh.”

Liu Kang saw you wrapped in the hand towel with your eyebrows furrowed in anger. He gave a questioning look towards Bi-Han but at the same time, he could understand if your grandmaster had a hard time keeping you under control. Liu Kang had to hold himself back from chuckling as he reached towards you. He was going to unravel you to help get you back to normal but Bi-Han snatched you away. It nearly gave you whiplash.

“Bi-Han, I need them to get them back to normal.” Liu Kang informed him but Bi-Han walked out of the room with you in hand.

You were shouting at him and asking what he was doing and saying that this was what he wanted. You may think this whole situation was a hassle for Bi-Han. You would be slightly wrong. He finds this situation very entertaining and even, though he would never admit, adorable. It’s like having his own personal pet. A pet that has to depend on him because they don’t have any animal-like skills.

He will have you return back to normal one of these days. But this day won’t be it. Liu Kang was trying to get an answer from him but he wouldn’t say a word. He walked right into his bedroom, made a wall of ice to prevent anyone from getting in, and sat right on his bed.

He unraveled you before carefully placing you in your makeshift bed. He didn’t want you asking any more questions so he started to pet your back again. It’s too easy. With the food in your belly, the tight wrap from the towel, and the feeling of Bi-Han petting and rubbing your back you were out like a light. You were even drooling a little.

Bi-Han hasn’t felt this much joy from something in a long, long time. He wasn’t even allowed to have a pet when he was young. So let him enjoy this for a little longer then he will bring you back to normal.

But when you are back to normal you better not drink another strange potion he swears to the elder gods!

Now he can get ready for bed. He needs to mentally prepare himself for the next day. Who knows what you could do then.

Are you peeking at him taking his shirt off again? Turn your head! Damn rodent…

Yap notes: Last time I wrote for you that spine-eating goofball payed me a visit. He better not come around again just cause I did this for you. Also I hope you are feeling better I saw that you said you were sick get some Vic’s vaporub, ginger ale, and an egg to cleanse yourself. Adiós!

[esther-lu-writes]

Neither the Time nor Place

Inspired by a prompt! Quick little writing exercise below the cut (w/tks... of course!) 💜

“You idiots… this is neither the time nor the place!” 

Vince Moretti glared at his two hulking bodyguards. He was rushing to get ready. His meeting with Don Vitale was in a few hours and he needed to finish getting his suit altered. The tailor had gone to fetch the jacket, leaving him alone in the large fitting room with his men.

Mickey gripped his face with his meaty hand, searching for the right words. He wasn’t used to confronting his captain. “But you ain’t allowed to talk to my mom like that, boss! It ain’t polite.”

Sal folded his hulking arms, “He’s right, boss. That’s his mom… you should show some respect.”

Vince fumed at the two giants blocking his view to the three-way mirror. “I don’t give a rat’s ass whose mom she is! Get outta my way, I need to check the hem of these pants”

The pair didn’t budge and continued to stare down their volatile captain. Mickey held up an accusing finger, “We ain’t moving until you apologize.”

Vince felt like he was going to explode, “Morons! I’m not apologizing! Get outta my way, it’s freezing in here… where’s that stupid tailor with my jacket?!”

The crime boss shivered slightly as the air conditioning kicked back in. He was barefoot and dressed only in his suit pants and undershirt. 

Mickey was willing to take all kinds of abuse from his boss but insulting his dear mother was crossing the line. His Neanderthal-shaped brow furled as he jabbed an indignant finger into Vince’s chest, “You gotta say sorry about what you said!”

Vince angrily smacked the thug’s beefy hand away. “Have ya’ lost yer minds? Keep yer greasy paws off me!”

Sal, who was even taller than Mickey, loomed forward. “Dats right… the boss don’t like being touched.”

Mickey narrowed his eyes. The large guard continued to jab at his short boss, articulating every word with a stab of his finger. “I’ll touch him all I want ‘til he says ‘sorry’.” 

Vince was several things. He was a hot head, a bully, a wanted criminal and extremely adverse to being touched. Every jab made him hunch forward more and more. He clenched his teeth as he wrapped his arms defensively around his torso. “Argh, stop… doing that… eeeep! That's an order!!”

A slow, dumb grin spread across Mickey’s face as he realized what was happening. “Hey Sal, grab the boss’s arms.”

Sal wasn’t used to manhandling his superior but Vince had gone too far this time. The crime lord snarled as Sal wrestled him into a nelson hold, pulling the angry man’s arms into an awkward position above his head. “Just say you’re sorry, boss. Then Mickey won’t mess wit’ you no more.”

“Screw both of ya!” Vince pitched his body, trying fruitlessly to escape.

Mickey came in a bit closer, holding up his two large pointer fingers. “The boss don’t wanna apologize. He wants more pokes.”

The gigantics man’s fat fingers started jabbing randomly at Vince’s ribs. With his arms raised and wearing nothing but a thin undershirt, the crime lord twinged helplessly as he clenched his jaw tightly. “N-no!! ARRGHH… t-t-traitors!! S-S-STOOOP!!!”

Mickey could see his boss was fighting desperately not to break down into helpless laughter. “Hey Sal… I think someone might be ticklish!”

Sal looked down at Vince, who was shaking his head furiously at the suggestion. “Is dat true boss? I thought you was supposed to be a tough guy.”

Vince knew if he just apologized, the two cretins would let him go. But his pride refused to let him entertain such an idea. He was a tough guy! He just needed to knuckle down and hold out.

Mickey could see the man was reaching his breaking point. He raised his massive hands in front of Vince's face, wiggling each of his gigantic fingers. “Last chance, boss.”

Vince screwed his eyes shut. He could do this… he was Vince Moretti! “You can both go to hell… along with your ugly mother!!”

Sal shrugged, “I guess he wants you to tickle him?”

Mickey nodded, “Sounds like it to me!”

The bulky guard dove in, deftly poking and prodding the helpless man’s ribs. Vince, one of the most feared criminals on the East coast, howled and snarled. He screamed and shouted… and finally, he broke down into a torrent of ridiculously high-pitched giggles. His bodyguards couldn’t have been more thrilled. 

“Awww… lookit the boss laugh! I’ve never seen him do that!”

“He’s so loud! Tickle, tickle, boss…!”

Vince screeched as the massive fingers wandered too close to his armpits, “AHHAAAAHA… N-N-NOT THEEEREEEE!!!”

Sal looked at Mickey, “He said not there… so you should maybe do it there.”

Mickey agreed, “Yeah, boss is gonna get it right there!”

Vince howled as the big ape ransacked his underarms, pawing at his most sensitive spot. He whooped and hollered as both goons chanted in unison, “Right there! Right there! Right there!”

In all the commotion, the three of them didn’t notice as the confused tailor entered the dressing room with Vince’s suit jacket. “Ummmm, can I help you gentlemen?”

Mickey and Sal looked at each other as Vince wheezed, still strung up in his goon’s arms.

“Sure,” said Mickey. “Can you grab his feet?”

[fandom-lover2]

Deep In The Woods, Something Lingers In The Trees

Chapter Twelve - Time To Wake Up

Chapter Eleven - How To Fight An Army Alone

Chapter Thirteen- Where'd You Find A Key

A lot of people underestimate the power of music.

Not only did it provide background noise to help mundane tasks seem more exciting, but it also passed time quickly. You got so lost in the song you didn’t realize 3 minutes had passed at a time.

I bobbed my head along to Burr as he sang about how he felt so wronged by Hamilton as I moved across the room, sweeping sawdust and shit across the cement floors.

Plans changed, a visitor coming today, so the apes were being kept in their cages so the chosen ape could be called to the isolation cage in Rodney’s clinic during visitor’s hours.

Using the end of the broom, I did a spin and pulled the end of the stick to me like a microphone, singing the last few lines of the song aloud.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Buck watching me with an expression I can only describe as exasperation. I could imagine him thinking I was such a stupid human.

But I was finding some way to keep my spirits up in this hell hole.

I began to hum along to the next song, my playlist on shuffle so now an Irish shanty filled my headphones.

I glanced up, catching the eye of some apes watching me as they pressed against their cages, me being their only source of entertainment at the moment.

Only, instead of expecting to meet a set of hazel eyes, my heart felt like it dropped to my feet.  

I dropped the broom and sprinted for all I had to the exit and bolting to the office.

Caesar wasn’t there, Dodge walking away from the metal box and making his way to the clinic.

Was he hurt? Sick? Were they taking him?

A million thoughts, none forming fully in my mind, forced me to weave through the dark halls faster, my heart hammering in my chest.

I shoved the door to the clinic open just in time to see Will slam Dodge against the wall.

That had me skidding to a halt so fast my upper half didn’t obey my legs and I stumbled, almost eating concrete.

Dodge shoved Will off. “Get off me!”

“What’s the problem here?” Across from me, John stormed into the room.

Will started across the room, heading to the wall and unhooking the key. “I’m taking him out of here. Right now.”

John took three steps forward, snatching the key from Will. “Not without a court order you’re not.” He tossed the key to Dodge, who caught it while still glaring at Will. “He’s not yours anymore.”

“You-”

“Will!” I interrupted, calling his attention to me. “An ape did that.”

Will turned to me, watching me for a moment as if deciding whether I was on his side or against it when Caroline confirmed it was a bite.

She was cleaning his wound, knelt before the cage and tending to him through the barred slot.

So he trusts her to touch him but won’t talk to me? Asshole.

Will made up his mind, turning back to John. “I promise, if I find out he’s been mistreated in any way, I’ll have this place shut down.”

I glanced to Dodge, and he was looking at me, waiting for me to rat him out.

I didn’t.

To get him out, I needed Caesar close and needed to figure out a plan of escape in a place I knew well. I couldn’t do that if he was shipped off to a zoo halfway across the country.

Will spun back around, pulled by Caesar to look back at him.

John turned to look at us and then gestured for his son to leave the room with a soft but stern “Go on!”

I knew he intended for me to leave to, but I stayed rooted to my spot, turning to watch Will and Caroline with Caesar.

“Am I going home now?” Caesar signed, huffing excitedly as he looked between his mother and father.

Caroline raised her hand, resting it against Will’s shoulder as he dropped his head in shame.

“No. We’re not going home right now.”

Caesar went still, eyes jumping to me before he stopped smiling and dropping his head and sniffing in agitation.

“I’m gonna get you out of here. I promise.” Will continued.

John moved, opening the door to the main lobby. It was a clear message.

Will took Caesar’s injured hand into his and squeezed. “Trust me.”

Caesar’s eyes filled with tears, him trying to pull his hand back as he began to get more angry.

“Caesar. You have to trust me.”

Caesar wasn’t listening. He was mad, and hurt, and needed time. Will was just pissing him off and making a delicate situation tenser.

Caesar briefly bared his fangs, shaking his head unsteadily, and I was reminded why he was here, what had happened.

I took a step back, then another and my back was against the wall. It was going to happen again. Oh god he was going to snap again.

“I think this visit it over.”

I had never been more grateful to John being an asshole.

Will whispered something to Caesar as he began to pull away, both him and Caroline giving his hand a final squeeze before both stood and walked out the room.

Caesar called after them, pressing his face right against the bars and hooting for them to come back.

Will stormed out the room with a glare at John, Caroline grabbing my arm and forcing me to look at her. “Talk to us.”

It wasn’t a question.

I turned to Caesar, his cries loud in the echoing room and I rushed out after them, my hands shaking and my chest tight.

We rushed through the lobby and marched out the building, Will reaching up fist his hair and he stepped into the sun. “Did you know?”

“’Course I did. That’s why I asked you to come. Why I’ve been begging you to get him out.”

I took a deep breath, folding my arms across my chest to try hide my trembling hands. The air was fresh, the first days of fall making themselves known in the early afternoon.

“You didn’t tell me it was this bad!”

“The hand was another ape, Rocket. But Dodge does use the taser on them. All of them. That’s why we need to get them out.”

“Caesar. Caesar out. The rest we can’t do anything for.” Caroline spoke up, moving to stop Will’s pacing and taking his hands into her own.

Of course they wouldn’t agree. They didn’t understand. They hadn’t seen.

I looked Will in the eyes. I had told myself last night that I would no longer rely on him to help me, and I wasn’t about to fold back on that just because he had come to visit.

He was doing it for his own guilt, not because he actually cared.

“You should finish your trails for your dad. I’ve got this place taken care of.”

“Alina!”

I turned on my heels, not looking back. I locked the door behind me when I stepped back into the lobby, making sure they stayed out.

I didn’t need him. Not anymore. Caesar and I would make a plan. I would get him home. I would keep him alive until we got a court date and fight like hell to get him out, or I’d break him out and take my mother’s car and we’d just drive and drive for the rest of your lives.

I slipped into the back, making my way to the break room and dropping onto the beaten-up couch, raising my hands and scrubbing my hands down my face.

I still had my gloves on, the yellow material full of poop and straw. My headphones hung around my neck, Anna and Elsa singing about gates opening for the first time.

If only it was as easy as a song and dance.

“I’ve seen woman howling about them being her children.” John spoke so suddenly I jumped, almost falling off the couch. “Men bawling like babies as they dragged him off, saying the ape liked the way he’d treated it. I’ve seen it all…”

He moved across the room, pouring a cup of coffee and turning to me. “I’ve never seen someone talk to one of them as though it could understand you.”

I held the eye contact, keeping myself silent.

It wouldn’t take a genius to see how we had acted with Caesar, or how Caesar had used sign so fluently it was as though he was on a human’s level of intelligence. He knew something was up, but his eyes waited for me to reveal something, anything so it would make sense to him.

I kept my lips shut, holding his gaze a few more moments before standing and walking out the room, slipping through the empty clinic and down into the main floor.

I didn’t trust this man to not abuse his position. If he found out exactly how special Caesar, he would place calls and sell Caesar to the highest buyer. I had to try salvage what I could, and right now keeping silent would buy me a few more days.

I stopped before Caesar’s cage, watching as he frantically used his shredded shirt to wipe away the drawing he’d done of his window.

When it was somewhat erased, he pressed his face against the wall, breathing heavily.

I opened my mouth, wanting to say something, anything. But I had nothing to say.

There was nothing I could do, nothing Will could do. He was finally understanding how truly trapped he was. How alone he was. How these four walls would be his home now, his prison.

His breathing slowed, settled, and he sagged further into the wall.

The buzzer sounded, signaling to the apes it was time to move to the free space for exercise.

“Come on. Move it. Let’s go.” Dodge called to them, making his way down the cages and rousing the other chimps and Maurice to get moving so we could begin cleaning their cages.

“Caesar.” I called, wincing when he jolted. I had thought he knew I was there.

He moved his head, just looking at me over his shoulder.

“I can’t get you out of here alone. I need help.”

He continued to look at me, his expression tight and emotionless.

He didn’t trust me. Or at least didn’t believe me.

“Hey! Wake up!” Dodge slammed against someone’s cage, making his way towards us.

I turned back to Caesar’s cage and he was gone, already in the catwalks and making his way to the free space.

Stubborn jerk.

I began to spin, intending on beginning to walk to get the hose when I almost slammed into Dodge standing right next to me.

“God!” I yelped, jumping back. “What?” I demanded.

He glowered down at me, but didn’t say anything for a good few seconds before stepping around me and continuing.

Was that a threat to keep quiet? A warning for what was coming? Or was it just him feeling fragile after getting his ass handed to him and him needing to feel like the bigger man?

Whatever his little tantrum was, I pushed it to the back of my mind and headed to the storeroom and beginning on working to give these apes a clean place to sleep tonight.

For the next two hours, I worked hard and fast. And every time I glanced into the free space, Caesar was somewhere new.

He couldn’t sit still, moving around and then spending some time looking around, then moving again. He was inspecting every inch of the space, sitting in the highest branch of the tree and watching Buck, looking out the skylight to the city in the distance.

To most it would seem like he was just going stir crazy, or perhaps loosing his mind and now as wild as the others. But I could see it in his posture, in the way his eyes slid across the room, he was making a plan.

I could almost see the ideas form and break apart in his eyes. Those beautiful green and gold eyes.

He was desperate and no longer willing to sit around and wait in this hell hole.

I finished cleaning, dished out dinner and my treats and added a nice pile of sawdust to every cage before beginning the night-time routine.

The apes were called back to their cages and I did one final check of all my end of day chores before heading to Caesar’s cage for an evening chat, and to see if he had ideas yet.

I tried to talk to him, but he faced the wall and ignored me again.

“This is getting old, Caes. I’m just trying to help and you aren’t letting me in. I need you. Why are you being so damn difficult?”

After a minute of waiting for a response, I threw my hands in the air and marched off, not bothering to say anymore.

I had an early morning ahead and wasn’t in the mood for his teenage sulking.

Maybe after a night of cooling off I’d be able to get through to him.

[bhnsby]

🔥 jo

I LOVE JO OH GOD thinking of a hot take will be hard uhh

Cough. I think her and lightning are a bit overrated of a duo.

Don’t get me wrong I think they’re really funny together in the mine episode and they do have some great moments (the “Lightning don’t judge” is peak tdi) but I don’t really care for them nearly as much as I care about her interactions with a lot of other characters.

The two big Jo interactions that get a lot of focus by the fandom are Brick and Jo and Lightning and Jo and to me Brick and Jo are LEAGUES more entertaining than Lightning and jo (maybe because I think brick didn’t really have any other notable interactions cough that’s another hot take for you). I don’t really care for either as a shit but Brock? Jock? Idk what the ship name is makes heaps more sense to me than Joning (? I’ve never heard a ship name for these).

I think Jo typically shines with the mutant maggots a lot more, once again most notably with Brick and Anne Maria, so when they where both planned to be voted off the same episode, it makes a lot of sense why they switched her team with scott, as to have one last bit of Jo and Brick interaction and to properly set up the Jo and Lightning dynamic (that didn’t even really last that long), but ultimately I think her best episodes are Ice Ice Baby and Finders Creepers, both episodes where she mainly interacts with Anne Maria, Brick and Cameron (her three best dynamics; in that exact order but you didn’t hear that from me). Overall she just lacks a lot when moved to the Toxic Rats, as Brick just kind of does his own thing.

I don’t even think lightning is her most interesting dynamic on the toxic rats and I much prefer the potential of a different cross team duo I think should’ve been explored more; Jo and Scott.

Starting right away both already have the common ground of being the seasons antagonists and having that potential to not necessarily make a friendship, but more somewhat of an alliance. I can imagine they’d both have respect somewhat for what the other is doing, with both screwing with their teams but in different ways (scott trying to sabotage his team, and jo trying to lead them to victory) and Jo being the only one to really explicitly know that Scott is doing this without him getting her voted off. I can imagine for the first few times Jo appreciating this as it gives her team, and in result her an easy win, but it would’ve been even more interesting to have somewhat of an internal conflict with her, as while she keeps winning she isn’t really,, earning it? It’s shown multiple times over she’s basically the leader of her team by far pushing everyone around and giving instructions and just being Jo, and she takes pride in this and her ability to lead a team to win, but is she even winning if someone’s on the opposite team sabotaging it all? She probably would also know that if Scott was to get voted, potentially leading her team to loose, she’d easily be a top pick to get voted, only being beaten by Anne Maria if zoey was in a particularly hateful mood that day. Idk I think this would be a fun thing to explore

UH BACK ONTO MY HOT TAKE I GOT CARRIED AWAY. But to use this to expand upon my hot take of Jo and Lightning not being the peak tdi duo, I also think a lot of her interactions and relationships where underused and mishandled. I think her and Anne Maria as well as her and brick PLUS her and Cam was all handled very well, but there’s so much more I wish we’d have gotten. Another I wish we saw more of was Zoey and Jo, as they are two very opposite characters (arguably even more than Jo and Anne Maria), having Zoey being a more girly girl, nerdy, awkward and overall being very kind and a bit of a push over, with Jo being a tomboyish girl, sporty, and a hard headed leader with the strongest back bone known to man, but with these two interacting we could’ve seen some of their flaws the other brings out, as well as some new strengths the other is able to find (maybe having commando zoey be hinted at a bit earlier).

Got really side tracked here and a last minute hot take I guess Jomaria is the best Jo interaction to me, brick and jo is a close second but the lesbians are plaguing my mind

UH TL;DR Jo and Lightning aren’t the best Jo duo not even Top three and I wish that Jo had some new and maybe even better interactions explored with different characters

But overall I don’t actually have that many hot takes with her at all, and the portion of the fandom that sucks don’t really care for her and the strong Jo fans and defenders all seem to characterise her pretty well from what I’ve seen.

[rouxkalamay]

Scamper: Corrupted Rat Kwami of Disease and Hunger. Pt.2

Hey y'all, here's part two of Scamper where we finally get to the bits where everything goes downhill and he inadvertently infects China with the Black Death and screws over all of Europe.

For those following the Corrupted and Cursed Miraculous AU so far, thank you so much for the support as I put a lot of effort into it as I make it as historically accurate as possible. They also take freaking hours to make too so please leave a like because it motivates me. XD

So my AU takes place before the present day and is a lot of worldbuilding up to the events of Ladybug and Chat Noir. As of right now, it doesn't affect anything canon BUT I'm starting on an entire narrative soon which will star the Miraculous' of Guilt and Death as well as a certain snowy cat that I WANT to bring back. I will basically be like I'm writing my own freaking season of MLB that's like a spin off. Don't worry though, I ain't going to do anything weird with it. It's just going to have much better villains and concepts that are entertaining but good to think about. XD

Anyway, I take requests on new Kwami and their concepts completely for free, as this is mostly just a way to procrastinate while I work on my book.

Down here is the original lore and the first part of Scamper's lore. If y'all want to see more, I've got a few Kwamis in my profile so if you want to see a lion Kwami sobbing over the death of Julius Caesar before biting another Kwami in retaliation, I'd highly recommend Maxima. XD

Sorry for not updating sooner, it's finals week and I have college classes to finish up. XD

WARNING: This story includes violence, the Black Death, Blood, and ... Rat cannibalism. Sooo yeah 👍

...

"Aravt."

...

"Aravt! Wake up. We have arrived."

Scamper groggily opened his eyes, still a slight green tint from all the events that had changed his life, "Where...? Nergui?"

Nergui nodded softly, already applying a fresh and much cleaner wrapping for his ear, "Yes yes, I'm here. You've been asleep for three days. I was tempted to wake you but... I decided to let you rest. I shall build your endurance within time."

Scamper sat up from his curled up position to still find himself in a mongol pouch. The horse that was riding them out to the unknown was going at a gentle trot now, a far cry from the violent gallops to get away from the raining arrows of the mages.

Scamper's face fell, thinking about the other Kwamis. What were they saying about him...? Now that he had thrown his loyalty in with a group of people who didn't have good intentions at all?

He spoke softly, but it was no longer shaky like it had been back at the temple, "Did I make the right choice? The Order was all I've ever known and... I'm scared."

"Good."

"What?"

"If you are not scared, then you are a fool. This is a big change for you, little Aravt. You may be scared, but you must not be afraid. Scared keeps you fast." Nergui smiled, finishing the bandage as she sat back.

Scamper smiled back, "Your a very wise Kwami, Nergui... where did you learn this?"

Nergui laughed, sounding like a soft neigh mixed in with her Mongolian accent, "Wise? Not yet I'm afraid. I'm actually rather young for a Kwami. I'm only about 100 years old at the moment. As for my wisdom, I got that from my mentor.'

"Genghis Khan said that?"

Nergui shook her head, "I'm afraid not. Although I got much wisdom and strategy from him, that small tidbit was from another. No, Aravt, I got that from Maxima. She was... the most respected Kwami I have ever had the privilege to know. Like me, she helped an entire empire grow. And fall, unfortunately."

Scamper thought for a moment, "You... You keep calling me Aravt. Well, you called me Bek at first but... You switched once I joined you, why?"

She laughed once again, "Ah... Yes. Bek means noble and Aravt is a unit of ten soldiers. I think you may be worth much more someday."

Nergui straightened up and started to float, giving Scamper a smile, "Come come! Let me show you Zhongdu! It's our capital and your new home."

As Scamper poked his head out of the satchel to see an absolutely beautiful capital city. It's architecture was actually not so different from the Chinese he was originally used to. The smell of spices danced all around him as thousands of Silk Road travelers were selling goods from all over Asia. Scamper smiled, actually had a huge smile on his face as he spoke giddily, "Oh good gods! Look at all the food! It's beautiful! I can smell nutmeg and pepper and OH MY GODS! IS THAT CINNAMON!?"

Scamper started excitedly rambling on about things he could try and cook while Nergui sighed, full of nostalgia, "Yes... I have greatly missed my city. I remember the day me and Genghis laid siege to this beautiful city during the Yin Dynasty... Look how it has grown to be the new capital of the Yuan."

Nergui, usually alert, allowed herself a moment to relax as she looked at the little rat Kwami starting to wiz about the stalls with cheerful fever, "Such a sweet little Övülün... I will take great pride in training him."

Scamper continued to speed around laughing, stealing bites from different cuisine and having the time of his life. He had completely forgotten about the chunk in his ear that was already starting to heal with his happiness. Little did he know, Nergui was starting to see him in a different light now... Not as a treasure or tool or a soldier, but as something far more fond.

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

As the weeks went by, Nergui taught Scamper about all that was hidden from him, the history of Kwami, all the losses suffered, and even her own losses in time. In turn, Scamper became much more confident in himself.

Scamper even started learning much more food and started cooking for the Mongolian army. One fateful day, Nergui came into the palace kitchen, making sure she knocked on the side of the door to alert him of her presence, "Good morning. Did you sleep well? Yesterday was a very productive day."

Scamper grinned, "Good morning, Nergui! I'm making some congee for the army. And yes, I slept wonderfully last night and I'm brimming with new ideas thanks to all the trade they have here! The temple was so isolated!"

Nergui smiled softly, completely letting her guard down, "That's good. I have a surprise for you. I've been talking to Khagan and we have forged a medium for you to give power."

Scamper dropped the spoon he was holding in shock. He sputtered excitedly, "R-really!? I- Show me! Show me! Show me!"

Scamper sped around in circles around Nergui as she laughed, taking him into her arms to spin with him, "Calm down, my Amydral! Save the energy for later! Go ahead, eat up! I shall be in the courtyard."

Scamper sped to his bowl of rice porridge and ate greedily, scarfing it down within moments before he zoomed to the courtyard, "I'm coming! Wait for me!"

In the courtyard, Nergui was floating there next to her holder, Temür Khan. The Order of Guardians didn't like him due to purest beliefs, but Scamper still respected him for taking him in like one of his own.

Following Mongolian customs, Scamper held his tiny arms out as Temür did the same, only with his fingers. Scamper put his tiny paws underneath his fingers as he mowed his head respectfully. The custom was called Zolgokh, and although he couldn't put his arms under the arms of his elder, he was doing his best, "Greetings, Khagan. You look wonderful this morning."

Temür nodded and bowed lightly in return, "Greetings, Noyan. My finest mages have constructed a medium for you to transform into." Temür pulled out a specially made necklace. Although Scamper could put it in any form he wanted, the craftsmanship still held great sentimental value.

"You... you made it into a Chinese zodiac..." Scamper spoke full of emotion but tried to suck it up for his emperor, " Thank you. This is... The best gift I have ever gotten."

Nergui nodded, also wanting to keep up a stern appearance, "Yes. I thought it best of we don't deny your roots. You can change it to suit you fit, but to us, my people, my Khagan, and this city, you will always be our good luck charm."

Scamper held the large necklace to chest, nuzzling it slightly with his fur, "No no no... this is perfect. I couldn't possibly ask for anything better... I'd give you a hug, but I don't think that would be professional."

Nergui let a tiny proud smile slip through as Temür stepped forward, "Your first wearer shall be my one and only son. My heir, Deshou. I have Nergui but my son needs to continue my ancestors legacy. We will unite China once again, as my grandfather did as the first mongol emperor of China."

Scamper nodded before Nergui floated over, "Now... What shall your command word be to use your power?"

"I... I hadn't thought of that. I've been wanting this for so long, I didn't think it could happen... But... I think I want it to be... 'Steal from the Heavens!' You know, kinda like that legend about rats stealing rice for man!"

"And for the cancellation?"

"Hmm... 'Down into the Earth...' that sounds sensible. Right?" Scamper gave a little smile as the necklace centerpiece started to glow slightly green from the eyes.

Temür nodded seriously, walking away with his back straight in an authoritative manner, "I shall get my son... Nergui, train him as you have these past few weeks."

Once the emperor was gone, Nergui floated to Scamper to hug him, "I am so proud of you... I have a few notes, but that can wait for now. Tonight, we celebrate and feast!"

Scamper hugged her back, grinning from ear to torn ear, "I love the sound of that! I'll help do all the cooking. It's more rewarding that way."

That night, as a celebration commenced in a cheerful fever, Scamper's ear bandage fell off his ear. Nobody noticed however, they were all having a great time. They also failed to notice a single drop of oozing green blood dripping from his ear and onto the floor below...

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

Over the next few years, Scamper and his first holder Deshou, helped keep the peace in the Yuan Empire. With magical imbued Mongolian armor with tints of rat fur and other features, Scamper was proud to be recognized as a true Kwami and miraculous. Although he wasn't fighting villains, he was greatly fighting political unrest that strangely continued to grow and grow over the years.

All the while, Nergui was by his side using the emperor as a holder. She was greatly busy over the years, but she always made sure to train him not only on strategy and war but also making sure to always tell him that he may have to fight on his own one day, to become his own person. Scamper greatly appreciated this, even started taking solo missions. There was times he screwed up, but he always took responsibility for it. Any blame he could possibly pin without absolute proof was immediately shut down by Nergui.

The ultimate ability he acquired was called, 'Summon the Horde!' which strengthened and summoned all nearby rats in an area. One rat was fine, but thousands of them charging full force in a crowd of rioters and criminals was absolutely terrifying. Scamper just thought it was absolutely amazing, thinking that he was simply summoning his brothers and sisters to come help him out.

His holder, Deshou absolutely loved these new powers and fighting along with his father. He thought of it as perfect training for when he would get Nergui as part of his father's inheritance. Approval became a very big thing to get from his father, so just like Scamper, he started pushing himself harder and harder. It became an addiction, almost like becoming one of the gods once he shouted the command word.

Everything was fine... until Deshou woke up sick in the year 3006.

It was a sickness like no other, he was coughing up blood, boils the size of chickens eggs were all over his body, and he was sporting so many other symptoms from fever to full on delirium. Along with these symptoms, Deshou now had rat fur in patches on his body and his teeth had now misshapen. He looked almost feral with glowing green eyes as he was constantly hungry.

Some of the other soldiers started to have this strange illness but didn't show the strange rat features Deshou had. Immediately, Temür put Scamper's miraculous out of commission temporarily so his soothsayers could find out what was going on.

Nergui made her way to the barracks to see Scamper sobbing, stuffing his face with some rice portage he had made that morning. Nergui took him into her arms and spoke softly, "Shh... None of that now ... This isn't your fault. Not this time... Deshou shouldn't have used your powers so much. The illness however... It's definitely worrying."

Scamper sniffled slightly, clinging to the war horse Kwami tightly, "Your ... Your not mad? But I did this- I..."

She put a hoove on his mouth and spoke sternly, "This wasn't your fault. You are cursed... Just as I am, but that's ok. It just means we have to be more careful... Humans are very very fragile..."

Scamper's voice was muffled as he nuzzled close, "Cursed... what's the difference then? Between cursed and corrupted...? How do I fix it?"

Nergui held him tighter, speaking words only for him to hear, "The cursed come to be how they are... I was made for war, always. And you... You may be made for something more sinister."

She pulled back only to grasp his furred shoulders tightly, "Listen to me, I don't know what you are, but there is a chance that we can still turn this into an opportunity. Khagan is consulting the soothsayers right now, we will find a way to-"

A sudden explosion shook the Earth, coming from the east wall. Several more started in a loud relentless fever as all sides of Zhongdu started to crumble under the force of enemy fire, far too powerful to be from normal gunpowder.

Nergui cursed in Mongolian under her breath, her grip only tightening on him, "The Order... Novsh! I didn't think they would strike so soon."

Scamper's eyes widened as he started to stutter, just like he did all those years ago, "W-what!? But why? T-they thought I w-was useless all those years ago! Why do they want me back!?"

Sounds of chaos and the screams of civilians started to grow quickly before Nergui grabbed Scamper's paw and started to float quickly, "It doesn't matter, what matters is that you need to... You need to escape."

"What?"

Nergui turned around and held his shoulders tightly, "Listen close, for these may be the last words you will hear from me in a long time. The Order is after you, for what for, I don't know, but you must run. I WILL not let you be subjected to the same treatment under their care as... as I was..."

Nergui looked away for a moment, looking like she was about to cry before she looked sternly into his eyes, "You must follow the Silk Road, make your way to Europe. The Order are isolationists, they will not follow you there. I... I shall buy you some time."

Scamper froze slightly as he floated closer, his eyes glowing green, "Wait, your staying? Nergui, you can't! The Order, they will ... They will raze the city! You said to never retreat, never surrender! The Mongols, the Yuan, everything will be-"

Nergui was already gripping her Mongolian sword with a determined look in her eyes, looking at Scamper with a face that had known fighting for too long, "Yes, but my goal is to keep you safe. The Empire.... It's already gone. Ever since Genghis died, I knew it was going to happen. But unlike Maxima, I intend to fall with my home, rather than prolong it endlessly in a cycle of death and tyranny. I regret nothing. My legacy is sealed, even if everyone is going to forget this day because of the little bug ..."

"Forget? What do you mean forget?"

Nergui chuckled, putting on a brave face for him, "Lucky Charm doesn't just clean up destruction... it eliminates memories. Memories of mistakes... loss... destruction. I'm afraid all these terrified people will never know what truly happened this day."

Another explosion, much closer to the main camp now, rang out. Nergui looked around for a moment before her face hardened slightly. She floated quickly to Scamper and hugged him, "Follow the Silk Road, get to Europe. I'll be fine... I will find you, you have my word." She pulled back as a single tear went down her unblind eye, "I will always love you... Not as a friend... But as a mother. No matter what you become, who you fight, or what becomes of you, you will always be my миний өв. My legacy, my son."

Scamper started to cry as well, "Mother... I-"

An explosion rocked the roof, causing debris to rain down on them both. Nergui yelled and ordered him, "Run! Run now! Follow the Silk Road! I shall be ok!"

Scamper gave a shaky nod before speeding off as fast as he could. Nergui's strong face faded as she let out a small sob, "Goodbye my son..."

Nergui cleared her throat and straightened up, speeding to the frey of battle. With a red glow of her undamaged eye, she took over the body of a Mongolian soldier. This hero form was filled with armor and a ponytail for the soldiers hair. Marching forward with her holder, she brandished her sword into the heart of the chaos.

She was suddenly confronted by two warriors, one spotted in Chinese armor while the other sported armor black as midnight with ears of a cat. The

Nergui spoke sternly with some amusement, "Do you mind letting your Kwami's speak for a moment? I believe they have some... choice words for me."

There was some slight hesitation as the heros looked at eachother before they nodded, their eyes closing and opening again with glowing eyes. The spotted warrior spoke with Tikki's voice, "Where is Scamper? All this will end once we have him. It's important Nergui. Please. We don't have to do this..."

"Oh but we do! You blew up these beautiful walls only to fix what your masters tell you to. Your a hypocrite, little bug. You could have done so much good in this world but you are so small!"

Plagg spoke through his holder, slightly angry, "We don't have time for this! We need Scamper, it's for the good of the world!"

"And why would I tell you? He's fighting in the front lines right now against your pathetic Order. He is my greatest achievement. He is more valued here than he ever was in that damned temple! He was struck by the person he valued approval most!"

Tikki spoke sternly and quickly, "The master is dead! He got... he got an illness shortly after you took Scamper! People all over China are getting sick and Lucky Charm can't fix it! The temple, we've had to go into lockdown!"

"Good. It will be easier to begin my empire once again." Nergui chuckled coldly getting into a battle stance, "What was it you said last time we spoke... You said that I was cursed, that I would never be able to help any human with my powers. Well I helped create an empire, one that will be remembered for all ages! I'm not the same little foal I was back then. Unlike my... Ugh... Little sister."

Plagg crossed his holder's arms as he spoke defensively, "Oh come on! Kaalki is a wonderful kwami! You don't need to blame this on her!"

"Ha! She is a spoiled, pompous pony! Not a steed... All she can do correctly is make means for you to travel, nothing more." Nergui laughed before her one eye glowed bright red. She raised her sword and shouted, "Uukhai! For Khan! For the empire!!!!"

The ground started to shake as red spectral Mongolian warriors stormed through the broken walls on strong horses. Nergui summoned her own horse as she charged forward, "TO ARMS!"

The glow in the two heros eyes faded before they both sprung into action. Tikki's holder used her yoyo to yank the spectral weapons out of the warriors hands and back at them, making them vanish with the wind. Plagg's holder was busy with Nergui, using his baton to block her fast and brutal attacks. In the end, Plagg's holder used his Cataclysm to turn the warrior Nergui was possessing to dust. Nergui, in her Kwami form, was quickly thrown back onto the ground as all the spectral soldiers were gone. Tikki and Plagg's holder's deactivated themselves to go and join the rest of the Order of Guardians in their search for Scamper.

Nergui coughed as crawled to her sword. She looked up to Plagg and spoke with an almost pleading voice, "Please... Brother... Your being wasted... You are just like us..." Using her sword to help herself up like a crutch, she spoke softly, "Please..."

Plagg shook his head, "I'm nothing like you! I may stink like cheese sometimes, but I help people the best I can."

Plagg zoomed forward to hold her down with his small claws, but he was still gentle. He smiled, looking back at Tikki, "What should we do with her, sugar cube?"

Tikki rolled her eyes at him flirting, "Ugh just, help me create the cage."

Plagg nodded as he and Tikki closed their eyes, concentrating and with a flash of purple light, a very dark purple box with small bars that seemed to shift with every second. Inside there was a small opening, enough for a Kwami... And their miraculous. A dark circle surrounded the area, preventing escape from it's intended target.

Nergui chuckled darkly, "Locking away Kwamis now...? Was that for the little bek?"

Tikki glared, "It was. The Order is making a vault, one that will house dangers to humanity. We don't want to do this but if you can just tell us where he is, we can put an end to all this."

Nergui smiled coldly, "Heh... you will never find him. He is long gone. I have trained him to be on his own, and I have given him all he needs to stay away from your corrupt Order. Go ahead. Use that contraption on me, just know that my legacy, my honor, is absolute. I will die with this city."

Tikki sighed deeply, "... Very well. Plagg?"

Plagg sighed as well, his eyes glowing a bright green as he and Tikki pushed the midnight box to Nergui. Purple chains snapped forward, binding the Kwami's limbs in a violent action, tugging her forward. Nergui hissed and thrashed against the chains, her initial coolness about her imprisonment fading away. The chains burned wherever they touched and they were not gentle at all. As the box snapped her in place, Nergui looked straight in Plagg's eyes as she felt her consciousness fade away, "You are just like us..."

Nergui shut her eyes before stone overtook her body, leaving silence in the air. With a blinding purple flash, a jagged lock appeared on the box holding her symbol on it. The stone in her eyes glowed a steady red, almost conscious... A dream state.

The entire air around them seemed to shift with pure fear. They had trapped an immortal and great being that helped build the Mongolian Empire. And now she was gone.

Tikki sighed and spoke sternly, "We have to find Scamper. My guess is that he's going to Europe."

Plagg spoke very concerned, "We... we just did that. It was so much more... violent than I expected."

Tikki spoke sternly, taking his paws in her hands, "Plagg, we can talk about this later. We NEED to find Scamper. Nergui was a kwami who helped make a empire of warmongers. She... she deserved this." Tikki sounded like she was trying no convince herself as well before she cleared her throat, "We need to go. Now."

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Scamper was already a far distance from the burning ruins of Zhongdu, panting slightly as he had been in a constant float for so long. Looking back, Scamper saw the fire and the chaos below from the cold bitter mountain he was on. Suddenly, a flash of purple light lit up the sky and then.... Nothing. Scamper knew better though. Nergui knew today would be her last. Something had happened. She traded his fate for her own.

Scamper then saw a horde of ladybugs, glowing their usual red and black. The sight usually comforted those who saw it but Scamper was scared. Unnerved by the sight of the walls being repaired like nothing had happened. He knew that the memories of those who had lost someone during the attack would be gone. It was an insult. All that loss, all that fighting... And for what?

Scamper grinded his teeth, feeling cold anger for the first time since he abandoned the temple. The Order once again had taken everything from him. His normalcy, his happiness... But they hadn't taken his strength away, not this time.

His eyes glowed a violent green as he pushed on, growling under his breath, "Follow the Silk Road... Get to Europe. I've got to make my own path now. For her, for mother."

The horde of ladybugs suddenly charged to him, trying to erase his memory when they stopped. Scamper held his breath slightly as he let out a hiss at the ladybugs experimentally. The ladybugs immediately shied away and flew off, like they were scared of him.

Scamper glared at their retreating form, "Serves you right. I've always hated bugs."

Weeks past as Scamper continued to travel with nothing on his back but his miraculous. Starving, he resulted in hunting small animals such as mice. Sometimes, he imagined he was tearing into Mullo before he shook the thought away. That wasn't who he wanted to become. Even as he feasted however, he was still unbearably hungry in a way he had never been.

This hunger grew more once he reached the border of what once was the Mongolian empire. The Siberian Mountains.

Winter had started to set in, making them extremely cold and unforgiving. Finding something to eat became even more hard and the hunger he always felt clawed at his stomach. He realized he was very privileged before everything went wrong... Cooking for others with unlimited resources... He had nothing here.

Scamper was absolutely shivering as he tried to make a fire over and over again for some kinda warmth. Nothing seemed to be working, causing him to yell out in frustration, "Gah! Just light you stupid stupid sticks! I need to cook, even though I don't have ANY food!"

Scamper suddenly heard a dark chuckle from somewhere in the snow, "Hahaha... Krysa, those little sticks and logs will never light as they are wet from the snow. Do you need some help?"

Scamper whipped around, trying to find the source of the voice. It had a thick accent, similar to Nergui but... It was far deeper. Masculine. Scamper floated upwards, speaking sternly, "Who's there? If your from the Order, I don't want any part of your strange purple light nonsense!"

"Purple light...?" The voice spoke under their breath slightly before clearing their throat, "I have no idea of what you speak of but the Order? Yes, I know them. I've been tracking you for three days. Nobody goes this deep into the mountains, lest they be eaten."

Scamper spoke defensively, "Well you should know that I probably taste terrible! I've been eating nothing but mice..." Scamper trailed off as his stomach rumbled once again, more painful this time.

The voice seemed to smile as it shifted in another direction, "Hush hush, not so loud Krysa. Otherwise you will get eaten. But not by me. I'm full from several sheep from yesterday. I'll be full for the next few days. But here's the thing, your running from the Order. Your from the Yuan Empire aren't you? Following the Silk Road? Well, your very lost. You've been going far north when you should be going west."

Scamper sighed, crossing his arms slightly, "Yes, I am running. The Order attacked Zhongdu but no one can remember it because of ... Because of..."

"The little bug?"

"Yeah... I'm cold and hungry and... Ugh... I think I'm depressed."

The voice chuckled softly, "Well, I can fix two of those guaranteed."

A snowy figure then floated in front of him. It was another Kwami like him, but he was clearly a cat Kwami with white fur and spots. He had a slight scar on his maw as he smiled at Scamper. He completely blended in with the dark snow behind him while he kept closer, his pale green eyes catching the moonlight like twin pools of mint.

Sitting down on a rock beside Scamper, the Kwami gestured to the bottom of the trees, "Your wood has currently been touched by the snow, so it's going to be wet. If you gather the branches that aren't touching the ground at the base of the tree, you will have better luck starting a fire."

Scamper hesitated for a moment before he nodded, doing as the snowy cat Kwami asked. Sure enough, Scamper finally had a fire roar to life with lots of care and patience. Scamper smiled, "Thank you. Your very kind."

"Heh. I'm just keeping you around because I find you amusing. Tell you what, you give me information, and I give you the way out of the mountains. I want to know about this... Purple light you spoke of."

Scamper tilted his head slightly, "Why do you want to know? Is the Order after you too?"

The snow leopard Kwami chuckled lowly, putting a nearby mouse carcass on a stick before he started to try and get a head start on roasting it, "My name is Irbis and I'm the Kwami of Isolation and Snow. Information is the best way I can keep both my many tribes and my own privacy safe."

Scamper smiled and laughed a bit, "Yeah, I suppose that makes sense. I'm Scamper, the Kwami of... Well... I don't know yet. I thought I knew what I was but... My home is gone. And I think so is mothe- Nergui."

Irbis immediately paused, his eyes widening, "Wait a damn- Nergui? Kwami of War and Strategy? How is she gone? You can't kill a Kwami!"

Scamper shook his head, "I thought so too but... As I was fleeing Zhongdu, I saw this strange phenomenon. A purple light that seemed to shift the sky for a moment before.... Nothing. The birds stopped chirping, no gurgles of the water streams, nothing. It was like something was ripped out from the normalcy of the area..."

Irbis growled, leaning back against the rock, "They actually did it... I knew the Order were isolationists and absolutely furious to learn that they were weren't the only nation to make miraculous but... I never thought they would go this far with their values. Making a weapon, bah. Their sect leader has gotten bolder."

Scamper nodded again as he looked into the flames of the fire, remembering the screams of innocents, the walls of Zhongdu falling down as he made his escape. And everything got fixed. It was so... Insulting. All those people who lost someone would have never knew what really happened that day. Or worse, their memories were completely rewritten.

Irbis growled again, looking deep in the woods for any sign of intruders, "This is bad... very bad. It means that our brothers and sisters going to have to disappear. I have the mountains... But the others aren't so lucky. They don't have any idea of what the Order of Guardians has done."

Irbis suddenly flew off before coming back with a small sack, filled with rations and supplies, "This is all I can offer you. You must go warn the others. Some of us do have our reservations about eachother, but if the Order wants to become the superior power, then we all need to disappear."

Scamper smiled, taking the sack into his paws, "Thank you. For the Kwami of Isolation, your pretty kind."

Irbis smiled, about to stalk off into the woods before he spoke once again, "I wish you luck. Oh, and I left a lantern in the sack. It's copper lined, so you can put embers and hot coals in it. Hot coals are very important for heat."

Irbis then disappeared into the snowy night, almost like he was never there.

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Months past as Scamper traveled the Silk Road, sneaking onto caravans and stealing food from unsuspecting humans. Along the way, he warned all kwamis he encountered about the Order and how they were most certainly following him. Across Eurasia, the purple light Scamper had spoke of soon had a name: The Soul Binder's Beacon.

All the while, Scamper's hunger only got worse and worse, especially once he started to hear reports of the same sickness back in Asia had followed him all the way to Europe. This hunger soon turned to great pain when he arrived in England via a ship from Spain. This constant painful hunger and guilt at what he had done started to chip away at his sanity.

Scamper soon decided to take over the form of a scared orphan boy on the streets of England. At first, Scamper was only trying to help the dying boy who had obtained the illness, but Scamper's powers soon became the only thing keeping the boy alive. Scamper's very consciousness melded with the boy's throughout the years until there was nothing left. Scamper took this form and actually never left it, as he found it easier to store food within the stomach of the boy who had aged into a young man.

Scamper couldn't exactly remember what he looked like in his Kwami form anymore. His human now matches him. He was now a young man with short ragged black hair and glowing green eyes. His skin was pale, most likely from the plague infection that had never truly spread completely in the man's body. With sharp nails and rat ears replacing the human one's, Scamper had completely taken over the poor human. Scamper became almost a legend in the streets of London, apart of the filth in the open sewers and the rats among it.

Due to his insatiable hunger, Scamper resulted in eating rats raw from the back alleys of London. Our of fear of getting caught by a guard or soldier, he would sometimes abandon the carcasses. The rats soon found this to be a new food source, spreading the infection through fleas and their own selves. The rats themselves died from the Plague once infected, leading to a terrible cycle of the fleas finding new hosts to lead to the hardest years of the plague.

In the year 1348, the Black Death hit England harder than ever. People were dying in the streets, the king at the time ordered the streets to be cleaned up and for priests to parade the streets, thinking this was a divine punishment of some sorts. Scamper on the other hand, he hid from these parades, thinking he was far from the divine.

As Scamper ran to hide in the darkness, he suddenly saw something strange. Two figures standing on the rooftops near him. They had dark plague masks on with cloaks of black raven and crow feathers. One man, one woman. It was undeniable, they were miraculous user's, but strangely, none of the people nearby seemed to notice his presence. Scamper watched as the figures jumped down from their perch straight to him. He held his hands up, seeing the scythes they both welded before the two figures suddenly passed through him like ghosts.

Scamper turned around to see a mother and her toddler sitting together, clearing in deep pain and infection with swollen lymph nodes all over their bodies. These people seemed to recognize and see the miraculous user's. The mother clutched a cross to them, yelling as she held her child protectively, "Stay back! Leave my child alone!" Her yelling dissolved into a coughing fit, her grip very weak as her daughter was. They were dying.

The male user let out a small mischievous laugh, running away to find some other unfortunate souls. The female however, she gently brushed the cross away, clearly not getting burned, "It's alright. I'm here to take you and your child away to somewhere better... Somewhere safe. I'm a doctor, well, I was before I took this job. I'm afraid drawing out humors from cuts won't be enough to help anyone. People are already fleeing the city."

The woman held her child close as she spoke shakily, "Are you... death?"

The female user smiled softly, "Not exactly, I'm a messenger, but I promise, my method of doing things is much more... Gentle compared to my brother. It won't hurt at all, I promise."

The woman shook her head, trying to yell again before she started to cough, "Your- your no angel! Get away from me!"

The raven woman sighed softly, reaching out to take the woman's and her child's hands in her own. She gave a patient smile, "I'm not trying to be. I'm just here to help. You two seem like good people of God. I have a good feeling about where you will end up in the next life." Her grip tightened gently on their hands, "Please, let's go. There are others that need my patience."

The sick woman was very scared, as was her child, but the fight soon drained from her as she was too sick and too tired to protest, "Ok... whatever you are, please be gentle... my babe, he's only 4..."

The raven smiled from under her plague mask, "Of course, I'm always gentle. All I'm going to do is hold your souls close to me... I will then guide you two to what's next. If you believe in it, you may even get reincarnated together as son and mother once again."

Still holding their hands, the raven pulled very gently back as the son and the mother closed their eyes. Very slowly, a ghostly pale outline of them both came out of their body's, looking completely not sick. The two at peace outlines turned into small swirly orbs of light, each with a different color but so bright. The child's light was much cleaner and brighter, but they were both good souls regardless of the comparison.

A nearby raven flew to the miraculous user, perching on her shoulder. The miraculous user chuckled under her mask, feeding the raven some meat, "Here, payment for taking these souls back to mother."

The raven cawed, swallowing the meat quickly before snatching the two souls in its talons and off into the distance. A small dark purple rift opened up in the sky as the bird joined so many other ravens with souls of so many different colors and lights, going through the rift and into the unknown. The rift sealed shut before the raven miraculous user sat down on a barrel. Her eyes met Scamper's, causing her to tilt her head in confusion, "You can see me...?"

Scamper jumped and hissed defensively, running off to who knows where into the dark of the London streets. In his state mind, he was terrified at the thought of the Order finding him. Somewhere deep down however, a tiny voice of his old self was screaming at him to stop this madness, that this wasn't what Nergui had in mind when he had to flee.

A few weeks later, he had to flee London's main streets as the priests found him and tried to kill him and the human he as possessing. In the poor outskirts of London, long abandoned due to people being scared, he started eating many of the rats there. His miraculous even fully changed into something far darker than the zodiac from before...

As he was chewing on a infected rat who's blood had been turned a sickly green, a soft voice spoke out, clearly very disturbed and horrified, "Scamper? Is... Is that you?"

Scamper turned around, his eyes glinting with a green manic light as he discarded the rat he was holding. He saw Tikki and Plagg, not with a holder, but in a form he had never seen before. Their true forms. They were both beautiful and terrifying to behold as they were powerful. He was once told that they only took these forms in cases of absolute emergency. Tikki spoke, her soft but powerful in the air, "Scamper... What has happened to you...? Your in a human form... You stole it."

Scamper sat up, grinning with sickly green blood on his mouth, "So you've finally found me... after years and years of running. And for what, to set an example to anyone that's not apart of your precious guardians. It's almost as pathetic as I once was. Always so scared of the dark but then I realized I was scared of the light-"

Plagg interrupted him with a glare, "Oh cut the crap! Scamper, Eurasia is dying! A third of it is already dead! We are very sorry about what happened to you but we need to lock you away, for everyone's safety. If we do that, this Black Death can stop. Your kind Scamper, you've always wanted to help. But this time, let us help you..."

Scamper spoke, his breath a hiss on the foul wind, "You want to help me now? After everything that happened!? I was abused in the temple, I was hit, neglected, and all the blame was placed on me and not that FUCKING frolicsome mouse! And what did you do...?"

Tikki tried to speak, "There was nothing we could-"

"Nothing! YOU ALL DID NOTHING!" Scamper screamed against the wind, his green eyes a violent color. Once a pretty shade of spring was now a glowing sickly jade that cut into the ruins of the poor outskirts of London, "That day when Nergui took me was the best day of my life! I spent years, Tikki, YEARS being helpful to the Mongols! I was happy! Nergui became my m-mother! And you!"

He pointed at Tikki with one of his clawed fingers, "You took that away by destroying Zhongdu! My home!"

Tikki spoke again, trying to reason, "But I fixed it, you can go back! Sure, Nergui isn't here anymore but-"

"Where is she...? What did you do to my mother...?" His gaze darkened greatly as he took a step forward. This was the one chance Tikki and Plagg had at making him surrender... And they screwed it all up so many years ago.

They both looked at eachother and just winced with realization. Plagg spoke first, "Well... At Zhongdu, we fought her. She was super strong, one of the funest battles I have ever had. She wasn't a match for us though... We needed to find you because our master... The one that... You know... He got sick and died."

Tikki spoke softly, "The temple has gone on complete lockdown. We needed to find you so we could limit the damage that you were inadvertently causing. This was your fault, but we know you didn't mean it... We should have done more... We should have cared for you the way you deserved."

Scamper paused for a moment, gritting his teeth slightly as he was still so so hungry. The anger, all he lost, it completely overcame his sorrow and loss. He hissed slightly, taking another step, "You didn't answer my question. What did you do to her?"

Tikki hesitated before she looked down slightly, "We made... a cage of some sort. With me and Plagg's powers, we can make a sort of... statis for Kwami's. Just so they can rest and- well, not hurt anyone. We were going to have you be the first but... She wouldn't tell us anything about where you were. Calling you her greatest achievement and everything... In a way... I guess you'll be reunited with her."

"First." Scamper spat the word out as he brandished his daggers, "So your going to do this more!?"

Plagg yelled at him urgently, "Again, you've killed a third of Eurasia! It's a precaution, even though it is a bit of a... Painful process."

Scamper yelled back, "No! It's my turn! I will avenge my mother, just as she would have wanted."

Standing up straight, he suddenly let out an inhuman shriek, black spines with green tips bursting from the human he was possessing's back. He took one last step forward as he laughed manically, "No, it's my turn to show you just what this meek little rat can do! LET'S STEAL FROM THE HEAVENS!"

The ground started to shake violently like an earthquake was happening. Scamper's ultimate ability was scary in the Yuan Empire, but in the most rat infested part of the known world when a plague was on... It was absolutely terrifying. Scamper continued to laugh as the rats didn't swam Plagg and Tikki, but started to climb on top of his human form. His laughed deepened into an Eldritch tone with the rats manifesting themselves into one giant amalgamation of rats. All the rats squirmed and squeaked as Scamper took control of all of them, one consciousness.

Tikki and Plagg launched themselves forward with Plagg blasting cataclysm at the center of the amalgamation. When rats turned to stone, others took there like a giant shield for Scamper. Tikki yelled at Scamper, summoning a giant Trident to propel at him to get rid of more rats, "Scamper! Stop! There is no point in this!"

Scamper was beyond reason now, shrieking and completely wrecking the deserted streets and toppling down buildings. No matter how hard they both tried, more rats just replaced eachother once they died. Plagg yelled out completely panicked, "Why are there so many rats!? It's like they are multiplying before our eyes!"

Tikki spoke, summoning cannons to try and blast the waves and waves of rats attacking them, "One female rat can make at least 60 babies a year! Imagine that but with all the filth around London, it's the perfect breeding ground. He basically has an infinite supply!"

Tikki dodged another wave of biting rats by flying with her wings, "Lucky Charm!!!"

Tikki soon ended up with a fork in her small hand. She was almost tempted to laugh at the absurdity, "A fork!? What the heck am I going to do with a fork!?"

As she dodged again, her vision lit up, causing her to see the fork, Plagg, Scamper's Miraculous, and Scamper, who wasn't in the heart of the amalgamation of the rat, but in the head. The brain of the beast. Tikki's eyes lit up as she grabbed the fork and called out to Plagg, "Plagg, throw this at it's head! Right between the eyes as hard as you can and embed it with cataclysm! Trust me!" Tikki quickly threw the fork at Plagg, who grabbed it quickly. Without question, he threw the fork right where Tikki told him, using all his Kwami strength to make it a deadly adversary.

Instead of hitting Scamper, the fork caught on his necklace. He yelped as he was yanked back slightly before his miraculous came loose, the fork stabbing the floor nearby, "No! No no no!"

The rats immediately stopped their assault and started to flee. Scamper felt the platform of rats beneath him give way completely. Rats started to fall around him and although they would be fine with such a height difference, Scamper was in a human body. A body not protected by a miraculous.

So he fell. He fell and fell until finally, he hit the ground. Most of his body was fine, but he hit the ground at a terrible angle which snapped his neck and in turn, his spinal cord.

The last of the rats had fled leaving dust in the air. When it cleared, Scamper was a kwami for the first time in years. On his knees, his mind felt clear of hunger and... he just broke down sobbing, "I'm... I'm sorry... I'm so... So sorry. All I wanted... All I wanted to do was help... I'm so- so so-"

His words dissolved into more sobs as he buried his face into his paws. Tikki and Plagg went back into their smaller forms before they floated to him. Tikki spoke softly, "We have to end this... You can still fix this..."

Scamper sniffled, "Will... will it hurt?"

Plagg looked away slightly, "It did with Nergui but... it could be different with everyone."

Scamper clenched his paws, feeling his hunger trying to cloud his mind again already. Shaking his head with tears in his eyes, he left his body go slack, "Can you... cam you sing to me...? Mother used to do it sometimes when I was scared..."

Plagg and Tikki looked at eachother before they both nodded softly. Circling him, they started to sing softly as they summoned the guilded cage, this one glowing a green color.

"Hush now... don't you cry...

For you gave grain from the sky...

For you are scared but don't you be...

For we are here to help set you free...

Rest your tired eyes, you've been gone so long...

And fade away with a lost song..."

Scamper felt green jade chains pull him slowly to the box but he didn't struggle. There was no burning, for he was far too tired. He struggled a little bit as he tried to keep his eyes open, "Please... Keep singing till you know I'm gone..."

They continued to sing softly to him, circling him gently in the cage,

"We are sorry you had to go...

Lost and yearning in the snow...

You weren't the first, so maybe you can be last...

And let all this pain... fade in the past..."

Scamper finally relaxed, letting the stone overtake him as he spoke softly to no one in particular, "I'm so sorry but... thank you..."

Just as with Nergui, Scamper turned completely to stone inside the rectangular box with his eyes glowing a steady green within. A pulsing green light light shot up into the sky and made it green for only a moment, before... Nothing. This time however, the world seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as the birds started chirping softly.

Tikki slumped in exertion, taking deep breaths with Plagg while she leaned against him for support. Tears stung in her eyes as she took another breath, "Dang it... He actually cared... He cared... Why is this job so hard...?"

Plagg held her close as he was just as shaken, "Hey hey hey... at least we did it gently this time. We should use this as a template, yeah? We should always try and be gentle."

Tikki cleared her throat, still trying not to cry, throwing the fork up into the air to turn it into a swarm of ladybugs. Although they couldn't cure the sick, they did repair the damage Scamper and his horde of rats had done. Tikki looked around the still abandoned streets before she spoke softly, "We need to help people rebuild before we go back to China... They were right, we can't be isolationists anymore. Some Kwami are good, some are bad, and some need to be locked away regardless... We need to help them. We need to choose heroes for all of humanity, not just China."

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Scamper opened his eyes slowly, expecting to see Tikki and Plagg in front of him. Instead, he saw a beautiful landscape of blue and purple sand. The moon was in the sky along with the most beautiful patterns of starlight he had never even put the name to. Floating forward, he realized something else, he wasn't hungry at all. Some tiny pains here and there but... His mind was clear.

Suddenly, a gigantic figure appeared out of the sand, one with four beautiful black wings with eyes all over them, seeing everything and nothing all at once. Retreating her wings, the dark haired woman smiled at him with the softness of a mother, "Oh hello, little one. I haven't seen you before..."

Scamper barely had time to react before he was scooped up by the woman's large hands. Her eyes, though completely without pupils, showed great warmth, "Oh... your going to the Vault aren't you...? Your mind is clearer though... you are genuinely sorry for everything you've done."

Scamper gulped, speaking softly, "I... yes. All I wanted was to help people and..." Scamper felt the tears well up in his eyes again. Once they started to fall, the woman smiled softly and cooed at him. Brushing away the tears as quickly as she could, she spoke gently, "Shhhh... Dry those tears, little one... I have a proposal for you. One that will greatly help humanity without you needing to hurt anyone."

Scamper sniffled slightly, looking at her full of hope, "R-really... thats... that all I've ever wanted."

Death smiled, placing a white rose beside his scared ear, "Good. Because the vault will be full one day of Kwamis that are too tempting and dangerous for humanity to use... And one day, someone will try and open it. Your job, little one, will be to warn them. It will open one day, and you may not be able to stop it, but you are the perfect one for the job."

She smiled more, leaning closer as her eyes glowed a little brighter, "So... do we have a deal, little one?"

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HOLY MOLY WE ARE DONE! Y'all have absolutely no idea how long this took. On the brightside, I can finally work on the two commissions by a subscriber of mine. Anyway, I hope y'all greatly enjoyed this because this was crazy. I had to research Mongolian and Middle ages history to make everything make sense, and I also realized Nergui is a bit too much like Maxima so I realized, "Oh! Let's make her values and needs different!" And it worked.

Have a wonderful day everyone!

[mr-aftons-rotting-pussy]

my god.... yeah..... okayyyyyy........ like. implying that youre the robot too???????? girl what r they doing w this one tho im just wondering this sounds kind of stupid............. 😭 to me like why.......... it would be more cobesive but alo like..... stakes the stakes.......if your human. like why do i care if the mimic is ripping me apart if im an automoaton be real. im just wondering. is this what theyre saying?????.? "get youre repsirs in order before arriving" but also the closeup of the fucking😭😭😭 mushroom robot........ r we. a mushroom..... im gonna cry this is silly whatttt,,,,,,

like who fucking is this???????????????.?

^but like also this is our hands ig so?? are we people???????? like it just seems better to me to have you be like....... Some Guy/Guys human protag like ..... five nights at freddys .... you know. lol

look at this thing again sorry the fuck is that.

anways but also fazbear ent. hired muscle keeps repeating in my head and it makes me laugh. Fazbear Entertainments hired goons are REAL and theyre gonna repossess your shitty animatronic bro 😭...........

"Back to work!"

okay this guy is cool tho ill admit.... like i think itd be cool to have some robot..... workers..... like esp in Murrays Warehouse specifically like we know he was developing the mimic whos to say Mr Touys didnt also have a couple other robot dudes doing small tasks around the place since his company went down the shitter 🤷 but again fazbear having robot workers bro......... makes... like its wrong in multiple ways but also obv what does this mean. like in univers the holes man the holes. ANYWAYS GRAHHH i cant get hung up on this. Edwin Murrays robots r gonna steal your fucking job !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

^^^^My Touys r going to beat you to death. that fucking mouse rat toy tho is REALLY FUNNY like maybe its a distraction???? but the way the person throws it right after wonding it up in the video makes it look like a grenade i dont think it explodes but?????? im significantly more worried for game!David that book!David rn did the Murrays live here like in the book?? fascinating to me........

also look at this bro......... retro terminal helpy H.E.L.P.E.R.......... 😭😭😭 we r not making it out of the warehouse man its over 😢,,,,,,

[see-arcane]

“You know,” Dracula hums by the fireplace, the flames a shade dimmer than his own eyes. “I do believe I am becoming paranoid in my old age. Yet I keep my things in such precarious order, all things where they must be.” A log pops. His eyes flash. “Where they should be. And so I have noticed that my own bedroom was disturbed during the day.”

“Oh?” Voice level, Jonathan. Voice steady, Jonathan. Surprise. Concern. “How so? I was under the impression the door was locked.”

“So it was. And yet, I can tell something was...” His nails drum on the mantel, the click of claws, “...different. Meddled with somehow.”

Something between foolishness, sleeplessness, and a smoldering kernel of ire sparks in Jonathan’s chest. Its embers travel up to his tongue.

“Nothing was stolen, I hope. I admit I had a mild scare some time ago, when I realized I couldn’t find certain things in my luggage. Only it occurred to me that your servants must have already taken them away to clean and hold aside for my departure.” A smile so easy it borders on suicidal curls on his face. It feels like a rictus. Maybe it will see him dead right then. “The people here are the most discreet I’ve ever encountered.”

Dracula raises a snowy brow.

“That they are. As discreet as spiders minding their web.” Then, a sudden swerve out of the growing cloud. He oozes mirth. “Have you seen any here, my friend? Spiders?”

“None.” He hadn’t. Dust, motheaten holes, but no spiders.

“That is because of my people as well. More, it is the work of local aid.” His grin has too many teeth. “The bats quite love them. Whenever I or my servants come across a spider indoors, we save it for them. All those that would dare to come crawling along the outer walls?” He snaps his fingers. “They are eaten before they can spin their first thread. It is a most lucrative exchange.”

Jonathan fights not to swallow, not to acknowledge the cold twisting in his stomach.

“I’m certain.”

“A hypothetical question for you. Which would you rather be, my friend? Of the two, I mean.” Dracula’s hand is on him again, itself a titanic white spider. Cold and immovable from his shoulder. It squeezes just short of bruising. “A spider or a bat?”

“I wouldn’t know, Count. Neither is the best choice."

“No?”

The hand is tighter.

“No.” Under the table, Jonathan crosses his fingers. “The best choice is a cat.”

The grip lightens and amusement sketches a change in the Count’s expression.

“Why a cat?”

“They can get away with much more,” Jonathan’s traitor tongue flies. He bites it. “If only for the fact of their comparative harmlessness as they serve their masters as they entertain and accompany. This, while it provides a more handy service in hunting pests of all sorts, be it spider and bat or beetle and rat. In exchange for doing the dual work of tending to the home and being pleasant and defenseless, the more powerful keeper ensures they’re housed and,” he gulps down glass, hot coals, acid, “and loved. A cat can only do so much, but it does just enough.”

Dracula shakes his head.

“Enough to get themselves in trouble, perhaps. No, my friend, if we must leave the smaller creatures behind, I must say a wolf is the better choice. He eats all in his path and has no master at all.” The cold hand gives another squeeze, the nails dimpling cloth and skin...then relaxes. Strokes. “But cats have their place as well. If kept in their proper place...”

The night goes on in this way for endless hours. And still Jonathan’s fingers are crossed out of sight. He has a fondness for cats. Even for spiders. He appreciates all creatures who take it upon themselves to hunt and cull those things that infest or take lives by little bites. But more than either, he has always had a fondness and fealty to dogs.

As the moon drags itself slowly across the sky, he imagines he hears their barking and baying meeting the wild cry of the wolves, and shepherd teeth sinking deep into bloodthirsty throats.

[persnicketypomelo]

Yooo!!! Your writing is so wonderful!!! If u don't mind, little old me would like to ask...... For a headcanon or scenario of a yandere L from Death Note??? No pressure, of course! Keep being amazing!!! ~☁️

He is my favorite character in that whole show! I would love to write for him--thank you for suggesting; I honestly wouldn't have thought to do that by myself ❤️

Thank you for reading and being sweet!

I suppose I should be listing the dark themes I include before the work, so I guess I will do that now

kidnap, obsession

Yandere L x Reader

It is nearly impossible to know what goes on inside the strange, black-haired man's head

Incredibly smart and observant, but retaining a childish craving for sweets and hatred of footwear

Perhaps he meets you as a detective trying to unravel the massive dilemma of Kira, or perhaps just a civilian with more observational abilities than is good for you

Whatever the situation, I think he would taken with you more so if you're able to reflect his witty and spontaneous intelligence to some degree

His methods might seem extreme to some, but he does what he must in order to unravel the truth

L does care about those on the force, though demonstrated more through his actions than his words

I think this is how would you know he has taken interest in you

Ryuzaki would indulge in his growing obsession with you by testing you

Your reactions, instincts, and problem-solving abilities fascinate him

Although it may seem unusual, kidnapping you may not be too far out of his realm of possibilities

Even if he doesn't, you will have to get used to being constantly surveyed by him

That is, if you are even aware of it

Watching you is a source of light entertainment to him, like watching junk televison

L wouldn't intentionally be a creep, though that doesn't make his obsessive behavior any better

He feels he can be closer to you only by learning everything about you

For that reason, you might end up feeling like a lab rat

If he ends up kidnapping you, he will test your capabilities of escaping the confines he has set up for you

He knows you can't escape him, but it fascinates him to see you try, to see you improving and earning from your previous each attempts, to try to peer in on your thoughts...

You would only know how truly and terribly obsessed he is when he calmly and unpassionately explains to you his feelings

Or by the fact you are locked up

He is not someone who is keen on verbal or physical affection, but he likes holding you

Hearing your breathing and heartbeat make him feel at ease

L knows his feelings for you are illogical and morally unsavory, but he does not all that much care

Perhaps in the pursuit of justice, a few immoral actions can be overlooked along the way

[alexmercer2424]

Howdy! Could I request some friendship headcanons with pyramid head and nemesis? Like, this small skittish human just wandering around silent hill/raccoon city and these monsters of men are just like, “You’re my friend now c:”. Reader is just startled/confused as to what’s happening, but at least they got a new body guard!

Nemesis & Pyramid Head w/ a Smol Friend

Nemesis

You weren’t STARS and you weren’t infected so he didn’t bother with killing you

Why you kept following him, he didn’t exactly know

At first he ignored it, continued on with his duties to eliminate his targets, make sure nothing got in his way

(Which you weren’t, you usually stayed behind him or to his side, he never felt that got in the way of his work)

It wasn’t until you got in trouble by one of the infected did he react

For some odd reason he saved you, which surprised the both of you no doubt

But from then on he made sure to keep a closer eye on you

Usually when things got too dangerous you’d run and hide some place, some place he used to not know since he didn’t care

But now he may offer aid in helping you hide in a secure location

Or depending on what the danger is, may put you on his shoulder/back to walk through

When there isn’t any issue, the streets long abandoned by now by those alive and the dead wandering wherever to amass

Nemesis tends to get a little more confused on what to do with you

Sometimes you wander and he just waits, has no idea what you’re doing but he assumes it’s for your own survival

Sometimes you don’t go far and he ends up staring at you because he assumes you need to do something

He’s not exactly meant as something to take care of another living being he’s the opposite so he doesn’t exactly know how to provide you with what even if you expressed it

If you ever need his help with things like moving barricades, breaking down doors, opening locked storages he can help

But with the whole eating thing an apple and a rat are the same thing to him, both are biodegradable and safe for consumption… to a degree…

He watches you drink water but sometimes fails to understand the water gathered in locations from rain isn’t always the safest be it infected with blood or just dirty from infrastructure

So when you run off to get those things for yourself since he’s not the greatest at it

Nemesis does enjoy watching you

Thinks you skittering about is entertaining, so careful, so cautious

It’s like having a small pet

Just one he can’t accidentally kill unless you somehow get under his feet

Pyramid Head

He had no interest in you

He was busy with other things, keeping order in Silent Hill, to pass judgement

And you had nothing for him to judge

You weren’t part of the cult church, ostracizing the other locals just for not being a part of their cult

You were someone meant to come here to face their past selves, face the decisions they made and the results of it

Really, he had no idea why you were here or how you ended up here (he doesn’t understand the concept of lost tourists lol)

You stayed away from him for a long while, tho he did notice you especially when night came and he did his routes

Watched you panic as you tried to hide from all the other monsters of Silent Hill

And for the longest time that wasn’t his problem

Until one day, if you reminded him of Alessa, that girl bullied by the terrible people of this town

Or maybe you reminded him of Vatiel, his leader and who he responds to

Whatever it was, one night as you scattered, he slowly made his way after you

He wasn’t trying to be menacing, just walking, but you still ran at first

But you got cornered and he caught up, watching as you screamed and ran back towards him from the monsters actually looking to harm you

You never did get far tho as he caught you instead, carrying you awkwardly by the waist under his arm as he worked to swing his knife with one arm

When your threat was gone he had grabbed you by the shirt, lifting you in front of his face for him to finally observe you closely

Without a word or threatening body language, he sat you back on the ground and petted your head

From then on you followed him and he went back to ignoring your presence

The only time he acknowledged you was if you were in danger or if you tried to wander too far

No building was to be entered without him and you weren’t allowed to go ahead of him and round corners

You may be new to Silent Hill but he’s not

And the dangers that linger in the shadows can be more dangerous than himself, especially if there’s many

So tho he may ignore you for the most part, he has to admit it’s nice having you around

Something less murderous and something much less sinful

[thedelusionreaderbitch]

Silco x gn! Reader - Observant

A/n: I know I'm late to the party on writing for this fandom but really when am I ever on time?

Summary: You're a bartender at the last drop that's really just is good at listening and observing, it's a skill that unbeknownst to you hasn't gone unnoticed

Warnings: Drugs, swearing, a bar, I think that's? You have been warned!

Pronouns used: No pronouns

You knew Silco wasn't necessarily a good person, hell he was the reason most of the people in the undercity were addicts to the famous simmer. Yet that didn't stop you from working for him, he was the most powerful man in Zaun so being at least somewhere in his good graces wouldn't be a bad idea.

You were just a simple bartender doing their work to survive, getting a job at the last drop just seemed like it was a default choice at the time, why wouldn't you? It paid better then most places in the undercity did, it offered some tiny bit of protection, and you could listen in on conversations.

That's what you were good at - observing, being the eyes and ears. You could eavesdrop on any conversation easily enough, you had learned how to read peoples body language, and over the years you had taught yourself how to read lips. Being a bartender at the last drop just seemed like it could keep you out of trouble if you knew the right people to listen in too.

"What would you like?" You question the man that had angrily stomped over to the bar stool and nearly knocked the chair over when he sat on it. The guy was surely furious, meaning information with a couple of drinks and the right words would flow out of him without a hitch. Perfect entertainment for the night.

He grumbles out his order and you make sure to raise your eyebrow at him when you pass his drink to him.

"Tough night?"

The man takes a sip of his drink and groans and the cold ice of anger is finally broken, meaning you could at last get him to start talking.

"I'm just in trouble with my job."

You shake your head and just laugh at this man, if he was over in this side of the undercity it probably meant that his job had some sort of connection with the big man upstairs, and this was Silco's bar after all.

"Do tell; I have nothing better left to do." You shrug your shoulders while preparing him another drink noticing that he was nearly done his first.

In reality you could probably be making more money around here and tips so you could get paid more but like you said before free entertainment. Most of the time, you can't put a price on that.

"I shouldn't really say anything-" He glances over to some of the "higher ups" and throws everything away when you send the next drink over. He doesn't think they're looking, he's wrong there's always at least one eye looking and listening to everything.

He just landed on the doorstep.

"Ah fuck it, it's not like you care."

That was the best thing this guy had said all night, poetic really because you didn't care, not enough for this to even matter. This was just a game you liked to play, and he had fallen into your trap.

"I sold separately some of the shimmer shipments that I was supposed to give to some important people." The man slams his hands down onto the tables, "There I said it!"

Lord, this guy really is an idiot.

"The ultimate street rat you are aren't you? Stealing some of the boogeyman's shares? That's a power move let me tell you that, lots of girls would hit you up for it too. Well... depending on these so called "important" people you were supposed to give the packages too." You wink before getting him his third drink.

He bites his lip before shaking his head and downing the rest of his drink.

"Just another councilor."

You freeze, your hand hovering over the cup your about to handover to him. This wasn't supposed to get serious, what was this guy thinking really? Like he's in some deep shitty waters but he might as well have been pulling you down with him. What happens if someone finds out that you knew? But how would you tell someone that would believe you enough to tell it to the boss?

In a split second you're smiling at the man again and handing him his drink.

"Damn man, that's tuff as hell."

The man goes to open his big mouth to respond but he's stopped by who you've gotten know as Sevika, Silco's right-hand women.

"L/n, the boss wants to see you."

Usually she looked bored out of her mind when she took people away to go see the famous kingpin but this time she looked confused. She had no idea why he wanted to see you, the funny thing is neither did you - not really anyways. Unless he had just heard your conversation with the man of course and thought you were in on it somehow.

That would really suck.

But this was the undercity you weren't going to show that you were scared and trying to find the answers before you got there, weakness here wasn't tolerated very well. Indifference though? Oh, that was perfect.

So you just nodded your head and went with her, what else could you do?

_______________________

His office you found wasn't extremely big, but it was still bigger then most apartments in Zaun. Although you could feel the death and danger that raided from this room, or maybe it was from a certain individual.

"So what did you find out?" He spun around in his velvet chair to look at you.

You're dumbfound, the industrialist of Zaun is smirking at you as if you were old friends, or something more. As of he knew exactly what you did every time you came to the last drop. You haven't even met the zaunite in your life but both his eyes were nearly calm and friendly. Moreover they held... Respect.

You realized that you were staring at the attractive man in front of you for far too long once he raised his eyebrows in response to your dumbfound silence.

You blinked your eyes a couple of times to make sure what you're seeing is real before you nervously clear your throat.

"I'm sorry sir... But what the fuck?"

You had expected him to stop looking at you like he has been since you've come into the room, or for him to remind you that you can't talk like that to him but he doesn't he simply repeats his question or demand...

"What did the scum tell you?"

"How did you-" You start with your eyes wide knowing that you could get into some trouble for this if you weren't careful.

He chuckles and looks at you and you know you're looking straight into the eye of Zaun. The irises was burning and the black sclera devouring everything in it's path, getting anything it wanted.

You could see it's intent know, it wanted you.

"You shouldn't think so little of me Y/n, I see you. I'm surprised you haven't seen me watching with you being so observant, you basically see everything."

He gives you an animalistic smile and he stands up places his hands on his desk abruptly causing you to flinch.

"Making you useful."

You shiver as he looks you up and down, his eyes peeling off your clothes with just a couple of looks.

"Come here." He motions his hands to his chair and you hesitantly go to sit in the (surprisingly) comfy chair.

He traps you beneath him griping both the arms rests making it impossible to look anywhere but him.

"You're an important asset you me Y/n, I'll need you coming to the last drop more often and at the end of your shift every night you must report back to me."

Then he brushed a strand of hair away from your face and your breath caught in your throat, and in that moment you knew that you wouldn't deny this man anything ever.

"Yes," You breathed out. "I'll do it, whatever you want."

He practically purrs as he pulls your face closer to his.

"Perfect, now tell me everything you know."

[eldritch-spouse]

Hey its hoodie anon

If you don't mind writing some angst-comfort stuff, would you mind writing for some of your guys helping their s/on out during a difficult mental health time?

October used to be my favorite month, it has my favorite holiday, but it's been really hard for me for the past couple of years for ✨reasons✨. So if you'd be willing to write for this, I would deeply, deeply appreciate it.

[I'll never pry, but I hope you're able to enjoy October again, especially Halloween. These types of asks are almost painful for me to do, comfort fluff is not my thing at all, I suck at it.]

Ugh, honestly anon, these assholes can barely keep themselves together, you expect them to be able to help you through mental health lapses? Goodness, you couldn't have chosen a worst possible bunch.

Trying to cheer you up when you're having a bad time

Breg just doesn't know what to do and he's upset at himself for not really having an answer. Sometimes he's fucked up about things he went through, and his answer to that is just to spend time with you. So, maybe, you just need his company? A cuddle? Do you want to go outside? Do something? You might as well tell him, he's going to be in distress the entire time.

Fasma and shitty mental health go hand in hand together. He's not going to ask questions and he won't force you to talk. He's handing you a bottle and sitting next to you. Maybe even holding your hand. You'll get over it, you have no choice. No one does.

Gallon is also one to offer drinks, but unlike Fasma, the slime is an avid chatter. He will definitely pry. Come on, he can keep a secret, talk to him. Is there something he can get you for you to stop being such a downer? Aw, cheer up now! To say he lacks empathy is an understatement.

Morell's dragging you to a chair until you tell him what's wrong. And don't play stupid, he doesn't have all day. Out with it. You're not leaving without a decent meal either. Hey, you want to go hunting with him later? Having something to concentrate on might do you some good. He can teach you to make basic traps.

Patches hesitates. He'll try to start a talk, but he's not good at that, so if you express discomfort he's more likely to just give you something interesting to look at. Wanna see this fucked up plant The Clergy made yesterday? He can call one of the bobbles to entertain you if you want. He's likely to show up later as his nighttime self and take you on a wildride, doing stupid things for the sake of it. A night of adrenaline is bound to get your mood up.

Vinnel, just like with most sorrows in his life, is all about comedy and violence. So that's what he's going to offer you- Tricks, jokes, silly faces, games, and front row seats to his shows. Hey, you ever seen a shark woman tear someone's legs off? Okay wait, what if he lets you throw the knife during the spinning wheel segment? You might not get the head, but that just means you can try again! He doesn't take serious conversations all that well, so he's kind of quiet and awkward, but he mulls on it later.

Santi knows what it's like to doubt yourself, whether that stems from internal or external factors is irrelevant. You're having a day off with him to do things you like and enjoy the finer things in life. You're hot stuff and you should feel like it, so come on now, get your things ready, turn your notifications off, you're heading out. The incubus won't press you into conversation, but he's ready to hear you and he's sensible enough to comfort you.

Grimbly is an impulsive, greedy little monster. When he's down, he usually gets two tubs of ice cream, eats until he's sick and orders 300 items online which Santi will clearly feel the sting of in his wallet. He's not saying you should do the same, but being a mall rat with him will probably cheer you up, right mommy/daddy?

Mervin, who is as sensible as a cinder block, will call you a sniveling sod of a person. He picks you up like a sac of potatoes and takes you to a nice restaurant and then you're going to see a movie with him. Ugh, smile already, you look like shit when you frown. You should tell him what has you like that, it's some loser, isn't it? Honestly, you're such a bleeding heart.

Obie gifts you his coping mechanisms- Good food and good music. And shitty video games, but y'know, mainly the first two. You don't have to talk, you don't even have to knock honestly, just let yourself in and he'll lay on you like a lazy blanket that offers you snacks every now and then. He might push you to drone on about something that he knows you like talking about, anything to distract you.

Ludwig is taking you to one of those rooms you can rent, where the whole goal is to fuck shit up and break everything (look it up, it exists). Now, he's not telling you to kill anything, but blowing off steam violently can still help you out. If that doesn't work, then he'll just invite you to take a nap with him and have oddly deep conversations about life. What to live for, how to be, things of that sort.

Nebul is just straight up going to ask to eat those feelings off you. Or at least a part of it. You need to grow emotionally, and he can help you through that journey, but he can also alleviate you immediately if he finds those sentiments to be extremely harmful to you. In the end, he's going to give you a small chemical imbalance where you're entirely high, when you crash from it, the wraith will already have a plan for how to process those emotions.

Belo is so fucking lost. He doesn't know what to do unless he's given direct orders most of the time. So just tell him??? What do you want him to do? Anything? Do you want worship? Meals? Do you want him to lead you somewhere calm? Please just say something, he's so lost and he can clearly tell you're upset. I think he'd just mush your face in his fluffed up chest and stay there forever if you don't give him any command.

Sybastian will play with you. It starts with odd nudges and bonks, then licks. He'll pick you up and toss you in the air like a child, maybe even try to get you to run so he can chase you around and roughouse for a bit. That might make you feel better. Or not. If you lash out, ultimately he offers you distance or just holds you. Conversations are not his strong suit, but the mimic can listen.

Fank-e is placing way too many stickers on you. And bracelets. And wow, look at this cute shirt he found online. He's ordering stuff on mass without you even knowing it. He's asking if you want to make bead jewelry with him or go to a concert somewhere. If you dump heavy topics onto the robot, he will fumble and offer very short responses, ultimately still trying to steer you towards activities he deems fun and productive.

Krulu's mental health is affected by yours, so chances are that he's already picking at what's making you sullen before you even bring it up. More often than not, he thinks the matter is trivial, but he's forcing you to talk to him about it anyway. With a deadpan and a surprising amount of cool rationale, he's going to deconstruct the way you think about whatever's making you upset and reassure you that said sadness is most likely pointless when faced with your role. There are few things you should care about now that you're by his side, and as such, some emotions have to be shed when dealing with irrelevant elements.

[augustinescruelsummer]

coruscant culture | the mandalorian

pairing: the mandalorian x f!reader

synopsis: the mandalorian has to drop off a bounty at a bar in Coruscant, and takes Grogu’s mother with him. little to his knowledge, she knows a thing or two about how to deal with the scumbags of the Coruscant streets.

wc: 2.1k

an: currently in my star wars era, but trust me this won’t be a regular thing. i’ll be back writing for hangman tomorrow! i just wanted to write a lil star wars thing for my fav tin can and character of the franchise.

The hefty Mandalorian grunted a string of curses under his breath as he dragged the knocked out bounty into the Razor Crest. He knew the heavy bounty could wake up soon, so it was imperative that he was frozen in carbonite as soon as possible. Mando knew that if he woke up it would be easy to subdue him again, but he didn’t want you to have to see that. 

The bounty melted easily into the carbonite and Mando sighed as he closed the doors to the freezing chamber, and his thoughts turned over to you instantly. What had you been doing without him? Were you able to entertain yourself? Was the kid sad when he was gone? The Mandalorian knew the kid was far from sad when he was gone, because you somehow managed to keep him happy almost always. Mando was not excited to make the journey into the downtown district of Coruscant with you on his arm, but he knew it was more risky to leave you unattended in the ship at night here. Fortunately, he would rather you be eye candy for street rats than turn up dead in a burglary. Quite a romantic, he is. He made his way into the kitchen of the ship, finding a note saying you had gone to the market with the Child. Mando tried to shake his feelings of anxiousness away, knowing you were plenty capable of keeping your own self and the kid safe. While he waited for your return, he chose to take a quick shower in the fresher and attempt to clear his cloudy head.

It was odd to come to a planet like this for a bounty hut, but where money was Mando came. He personally was a big fan of the planet and the flashing lights were a nice change to the usual deserted feel of his hunts. He had read a multitude of stories about the days when Coruscant housed the senate and the Jedi Temple, and a piece of him wished he could have been present during that era. A big piece. The culture of Coruscant had changed rapidly when the Jedi Order fell and the wrath of Darth Vader clouded the sun of the galaxy. Nonetheless, the beauty of the planet was unchanging, but the people within it were the pollution.

It had been a simple hunt, someone who ‘forgot’ to pay their debt. The poor soul would be coming in warm, but Mando was still awaiting your arrival before he could officially begin the turn in process Usually, he would never take you to the drop offs, but he also wasn’t a fool. You were safer with him. He crumpled your note up in his gloved hands, tossing it in the waste bin with a harshness. The Coruscant market during the day was filled with watchful guards, so he was trying to be optimistic. Mando knew you wouldn’t have ventured out unless it was completely necessary, but he still couldn’t help but feel angry. You knew how nervous it made him when you went out on your own.

He sat and stewed in his anger until you got home. When you arrived, he was getting all his affairs in order for tonight’s drop off. “Hi, Mando!” Your soft voice greeted him, an instant contrast to the tin can’s glum body language. You dropped your market bag on the table, and Mando’s face softened when he saw you. He could never stay mad at you. Grogu was perched on your hip, decked in his own dark brown robe you had personally made him for cold winters. His ears poked through the holes you had made in the hood, and the Child extended his hands towards his father. The Mandalorian melted on the spot, instantly taking the green fellow into his cool hands.

“Are you sure you would like me to go tonight?” You asked Mando, a certain edge in your voice. The man recognized it as fear, but yet he didn’t know why you were scared. He would keep you safe. He would always keep you safe. He put the last of his negotiation papers on the stack and met your gaze. Your hair was pulled into a simple side braid, little hairs unintentionally falling out onto your face. You wore a light tan robe with the hood pulled down, and Mando tried not to get caught staring. His face heated up when you snapped your fingers in front of his face, snapping him out of his trance. He stuttered before reassuring you that, of course, he wanted you there.

“I’m going to make the baby dinner before we leave, and if need be he can eat on the way.” You told Mando before trotting off into the kitchen to begin preparing the kid’s meal. The Mandalorian watched in awe as you cooked all of them dinner, and tried not to let his oglign be too obvious. You and the Child had an instant connection when you met the pair, and even Ahsoka had confirmed the strong bond. It was an odd thing to find, but ever since then you had taken on the kid’s motherly role. Ahsoka had informed the Mandalorian that it was probably due to your strong presence with the Force she had sensed.

–

THREE MONTHS AGO

“Is that a rare thing?” Mando asked, trying to sound disinterested. In reality, he was bubbling with the fact that the kid was going to have a hot mom. Ahsoka pondered for a moment, walking with Mando along the pond. She turned back and locked her gaze on you, watching as you fed the Child soup and told him about all the things in nature. Grogu managed to pick up a rock with the Force during Ahsoka’s thinking, and you squealed in pure delight. “Mando!” You cried with pure joy on your face as you pointed at the kid. “Look at your baby!”

Mando began to laugh, the sound filling Ahsoka’s ears. It was a sound she never thought she would hear. The bounty hunter was always cold and precise with his words and actions, never breaking his facade. She considered making a comment on your relationship, but eventually decided to let it be. A smile overtook her own face as she watched you encourage Grogu to keep trying after the rock flopped onto the soil. “If she was older, she would have been a Jedi. I sense it,” Ahsoka said while taking a deep breath. “Grogu needs her. He needs to have someone to connect to the Force with him until you find Luke.” Mando winced at the thought of giving his kid up, but let the Jedi continue.

“Perhaps,” Ahsoka began before stopping herself. She cast a glance at the tin man, who was still watching the green furball and its parent. She began her thought over. “Perhaps Luke would want her to stay.” Mando instantly wheeled on Ahsoka, a flare of uncontrollable jealousy appearing in his chest. “It would make the most sense,” she continued, not even attempting to be defensive. The cunning woman completely ignored the glareful stare Mando was shooting, and began walking back towards you. “Maybe he could train her as well.” The Mandalorian did not respond, instead falling into step. His heart constricted at the idea of having to give you and the kid up to some hotshot Jedi.

“Alas,” Ahsoka started after a moment of silence, a cheeky grin on her face. “I can sense you aren’t keen on the idea of losing your lover, no?” Mando stopped in his tracks, and Ahsoka could sense the eyeroll he was doing under the helmet. She kept walking, not even daring to look back at her friend. “Just an observation,” she smirked before pulling the hood on her robe back as she approached you. The kid had since fallen asleep in your warm arms, and you were packing his things up. “Don’t let the kid make you cut your conversation short,” you told the pair, more addressing Ahsoka than Mando. “This little guy just gets tired after the Force takes hold of him.” You lifted the kid into your arms as you stood onto your feet, wiping the dirt from your knees. It was quiet between the three of you, but the sounds of birds chirping in the distance filled the void.

“Well,” the Togruta smiled while clasping her hands together. “I think you know what you need to do, Mandalorian. I wish you the best.” She turned her attention to the Child’s caretaker fully and grinned, “And, may the force be with you.” You swallowed at the intensity of the comment, knowing she probably sensed your presence with the force. You nodded your head and began walking back towards the Crest without waiting for your Mandalorian. He soon fell into step with you, but if he noticed a change in you he didn’t inquire.

–

The Child snacked on some to-go food you had prepared while you made your way through the streets of Coruscant. It had gone downhill since you had last been here, and you could tell even Mando was beginning to regret his choice on bringing you and the Child. He had stayed strikingly close to you the whole journey, even placing a hand on the small of your back when he deemed you strayed too far. Mando stopped in front of a large neon-lit bar and nodded his head. “This is it,” he said, trying to sound as confident as he could. He noticed your expression change at the location, and you were suddenly turning pale. “Are you ok, mesh’la?” He asked, concern filling his voice. You ignored his question, instead choosing to begin walking into the bar.

The entrance of the infamous Mandalorian made heads turn. Mando walked with a bold sense of cockiness, instilling fear on those who even glanced at him for a second longer than he deemed necessary. And the people who dared to even stare at you for more than a moment’s notice? They would cower when he glared at them from the helmet. He kept his hand on his blaster holster, the other limp by his side. The sound of his heavy boots clunked through the bar, which didn’t help in being discreet. You walked silently beside him, taking notice of the familiarity of the bar. Grogu twitched in your arms, before mewling and settling into your shoulder. Mando pulled back the curtain of one of the back rooms and a group of mismatched species sat in the booth. Women were draped over each of the four men, except for the Rodian sitting in the center.

“My Mandalorian has arrived,” The Rodian announced to the table with a gleaming sense of arrogance in his voice. Mando didn’t speak, instead pulling up a hologram image of the bounty being placed at the group’s warehouse. “My payment?” He inquired after the Rodian silently hummed at the image before him. You could sense the fear in the man, even though he was heavily attempting to cover it with arrogance. He was doing a good job. He waved his hand around in the air, almost dismissing the idea of Mando getting his payment. You cringed at the action, knowing that was more than enough to get the Mandalorian riled up. You were correct, as his dominant hand instantly began to reach for his spear.

The Rodian's eyes widened and he quickly shouted, “No!” It was a meek sound, and you could tell his fear had caught the rest of the group off guard. He then melted back into his facade and made a longshot to try and restore his arrogance and dignity. “How much for the woman?” He asked charmingly, a group of snickers arising from the comment. Your face ran hot as the Rodians shot you a wave, flipping an Imperial credit up into the air. “Come on, Mando,” he faked exasperation, “Let me take her off your hands. I don’t need the kid.” You could feel Mando’s anger from here, but the last thing you wanted was for him to start a fight in this bar with you here. You ran a hand up his arm in an attempt to comfort him, and smiled when he relaxed under your touch.

“Ah, I see,” the Rodian sneered as he watched the contact between the two of you. “You want to keep the whore for yourself, eh?” The comment was a low blow and even you knew the wretched man was doing it just to see how far he could push the Mandalorian before he broke. You didn’t want Mando to break, because it would expose his weakness. The kid and you. In a swift motion, the long and threatening beskar spear was pulled from its position on his back. It was lodged against the Rodian's throat before you could even blink, and you watched as the rest of the group cowered in horror. You glanced down at the child, and when seeing the fear in his eyes, you reached out to Mando. “Your child is here,” you remind him calmly as he pushed the spear farther against the throat of the man. Mando softened at your words and pulled the spear back, not daring to glance at you and Grogu.

“All of you give me all the credits you have, now!” Mando barked at the group, the spear still sitting menacingly in his large hands. They all scrambled to empty their pockets, and the Rodian made a show of pouring them out messily. He glared at you as he did it, the action not going unnoticed by your Mandalorian. “Leave my lady alone,” he snapped, and grabbed the Rodian's wrist. He snapped it and a cry of pain left the group’s leader. “Mando!” You chastised instantly, knowing he forgot the presence of the child. Deciding that you didn’t want to take anymore unnecessary shit from the creepy Rodian, you made a show of using the force to drag one of the circular credits into your hands. You smirked as you handed it to the child to play with before pulling your hood back. “I believe we are done here,” you told the Mandalorian, knowing his expression was flabbergasted under the beskar. You began to walk out of the back room, not waiting for your Mandalorian. You knew he would follow wherever you came.

“So, you know a thing or two about Coruscant culture apparently?” he asked, a teasing tone to his voice as you guys made your way back to the Crest.

“Something like that,” you responded, shifting Grogu in your arms adoringly.

[shadow27]

CONTROVERSIAL: One of today's hottest topics, if we are to believe the press that's being given ~ in our industry, is the subject of comic book violence, comic book sex, and comic book suitability for children. Letters have appeared in trade papers claiming that we are "supposed" to be afraid of an "imminent crackdown" on comics, fostered by the Meese Commission of the 700 Club or some other quasi-official arbiter of taste. Full Text under cut:

Fans are in a ferment, comics creators are crying about the coming of censorship, retailers are predicting police raids, distributors are demanding blander books while re-ordering heavily on the ones they'd explore as "excessively graphic," and publishers don't know whether to run and hide or buy a new wardrobe to wear tot hat congressional hearing they've been told to expect. I myself have received a lot of phone calls, asking what i'm going to do about the"censorship crisis" and "the coming witchhunt." Well, like the man said, all i know is what little i read in the papers. And what i read in the papers, folks, is all about illegal Iranian Israeli arms deals, Nicaraguan and Afghan Swiss bank accounts, a national hero"being fired and taking the Fifth, the head oft he CJ.A. having seizures, Pentagon graft scandals, the Secretary of State admitting that one of his own ambassadors went behind his back to perform unlawful acts, the President being called a liar by his owner-employees, and a special prosecutor being called in to see whose offenses are indictable and who will get immunity for ratting on whom. I doubt that Mr. Meese, the man who is supposed to be about to launch a full-scale attack on comic books, has time to worry about our little four-colour world right now.I imagine he is up to his ankles in something stinky, and shoveling as fast as he can to avoid sinking in it. In fact, I would say that a good part of the old "war on drugs" and "war on pornography"campaigns were a bread-and-circuses attempt to keep the public entertained while millions of their bucks were being siphoned off to high-bid military suppliers, illicit arms dealers, and fake"minority-owned" cartels like the one Mr. Meese himself owned a large block of stock in. Yes, yes, yes, there are a lot of dustkittens under those fancy Washington beds, and i suspect that while they are being swept out into the light of day, nobody is gonna come knocking on my door and ask me to testify about how my comic books are corrupting the youth of this fair nation. I mean, if the Congress gets a chance to impeach the President, they won't waste time on a poor small fish like me! Actually, nobody is after any of us, and, aside from the usual, occasional "parental outrage" story on some local television show, nothing at all is happening to lead me to believe that comics are due for any special form of attack. I can listen to theLarry King radio show any night of the week and hear a dozen callers rave about how "the Jews" are responsible for every evil act in the history of the world, but I never hear anyone blame comic books for destroying the morality of the nation. If this supposed "witch hunt" were really happening, we'd be hearing about it on radio talk shows, believe me. That's where the pulse of the nation beats, and right now it's beating hot and heavy about illegal arms deals and the Super Bowl. Comic books aren't even on the agenda. But still we have this industry paranoia, and still we have long, worried editorials on the subject of "censoring ourselves before someone imposes censorship upon us." Has it ever occurred to you that there might be people in our own industry who want to see censorship imposed and who have decided to "cry wolf" to frighten us into bowing to their desires? I am reminded of a great, a classic poem which contains these lines: Phone's tapped, anyway Maggie says that many say they must bust in early May, orders from the D.A.And in these supposedly troubled, but not so hard times, i take comfort from the moral conclusion drawn in that same poem.You remember the words, don't you? That's right ... Don't follow leaders Watch your parking meters! Yes, people, if everyone only watched their own parking meters, instead of trying to watch the other guy's for him, there'd be a lot less dead soldiers in far away countries, and a lot more happiness right here at home. Catherine Yronwode

Catherine Yronwode, editor-in-chief of Eclipse Comics discussing criminal Republicans attacking comics and pop-culture to distract from their own corruption, lies, and crimes. While she wrote this in 1987, with only minor edits, it could be run today. That said, I can't imagine Marvel or DC comics running a piece like this, today.

(The Poem she quotes at the end is "Subterranean Homesick Blues"  by Bob Dylan)

[helloblobbyblobfish]

The clock

Chapter 3: Seduction? Party?

Alonzo rubs his eyes and barely refrains from yawing. I'm a bit concerned. "Are you sure you're okay?"

He blushes. Wait. I stare intently at his cheeks. It does look redder. But, why is he calling me dumb dumb if he likes me? Must be the hypnosis. Or alcohol.

I try to put my hand on his shoulder to support him, but he grabs my fingers and pushes it against his pecs.

"I'm sure you would enjoy that part of my body more, dummy." He shows some teeth. I'm a bit distracted. 

He takes advantage to grab me from behind and shove my head between his pectorals. He smells like sex. I think. It might be his sweat. I can't tell.

I lightly push him. He still has an arm around my shoulders, but he doesn't seem to be forceful. He asks: "Liked the smell?". I'm definitely blushing. Okay. He likes to dominate. Great. Should change that.

Suddenly, we hear some shouting and wolf whistles coming from upstairs. Me and Alonzo look at one another and we run to see. He runs two by two steps, so when he gets surprised looking at what's happening, I have to look from behind him.

I'm quite shocked.

Pascal is doing a strip-tease in the middle of the room.

Alonzo and I stand here, baffled. I mean, Pascal always had a very open sexuality and an active sex life, but I didn't take him to be the kind who put his ass on the chest of a random guy and move it while catcalling himself.

"Here, touch my slutty hole. Come on, let's see how many fingers I can take!"

I rapidly tape on Alonzo's shoulder. "Hum, maybe we should do something about it?"

He scoffs. “Well, duh. I mean, you’re hot, but that’s Pascal. No way am I leaving him to act like a shameless slut.”

He shoves without mercy a girl that my best friend started to kiss. The sudden absence makes Pascal lose his balance. His muscular friend takes advantage to grab him and try to take him out of the room. Sadly, Alonzo overestimated his strength, and he is struggling to move Pascal, who’s struggling hard.

I move to help, but I realize the room is moving to pill up on the dude trying to take away “their” entertainment.. A fight starts when a guy, I think his name is Josh, punches the gym rat in the face. Fuck! It gets messy really quickly, as people start to hit one another for a variety of reasons.

Crap, I need to find a way to calm everyone down very quickly! But how the hell can I make them listen. Wait, the speakers! I  take advantage that nobody is focused on me as a threat to move close to the walls in the direction of the DJ’s “station”. I see my bud Pascal, completely uncaring about what’s going on around him, is twerking in front of two girls. How did that happen? Did I unintentionally give him orders? Did Alonzo did? I’m too worried right now to focus on that.

I almost get slammed by Josh being thrown in my direction, but I make a sprint. Hearing someone getting close to me, I push the shocked guy in charge of the music and turn off the music. That does have the effect of making most people, including Pascal, stop what they are doing to turn towards me.

I panic. Again. I am not good at that “planning” thing, apparently. Great moment to figure it out. Out of option, I click on the watch and put the speakers at maximum strength. I get a bit dizzy, but I keep the ticking noise at the most intrusive level possible for now. Everyone is trying to block it. The DJ tries to move, but I kick him away from the controls. He stops covering his ears, and stays on the floor staring numbly ahead.

I take a quick look at the room and see almost everyone stopped fighting the sound of the clock. There are still a few guys and girls not fully under, but I still turn down the sound a bit so that I can hear myself and feel less dizzy.

@mathhypnostories​