#And look at all of the nicknames my villagers have given me

[writingoddess1125]

Darling I am SO SORRY for adding yet another request to the already enormous pile but OH MY GOD your buggy family saga keeps me thinking! The way buggy wants to have daughters! The way the twins have regular noses but CONSIDER!!!! him and his lady having a baby girl and AHHHH she got his nose!!! Little cherry baby! At first he's so afraid because of his own I security and then he's DETERMINED that his baby girl will never feel that shame or I security neverrr

Cherry Babies 🍒

- Support me on Ko-fi please, For Ramen 🍜

- Old Man Series

• Buggy is head over heels in Love with his Daughters. Ari and Ali- has shown them off to everyone and holds them constantly.

• "Look at my daughters! They are so beautiful! Makes your baby look ugly!" He laughs at a random villager-

• You having to apologize and just explain he's excited-

• Calls them a host of Nicknames like with the Twins. The boys he always calls Peanuts or Double trouble.

• For the girls he has adopted Cherries or Bubble & Squeak. Mainly due to Ari Seeming to always be blowing spit bubbles which he has to clean and Ali being the more vocal of twin and making a host of random noises.

• He trains Dee and Bee more- Wanting them to learn how to protect their sisters and guard them.

• Speaking of the boys, They love their sisters. At first they were jealous assuming that the babies would steal all of the attention, That was till they returned from the ship after your labor and found that you would be in deep recovery from the birth. So Buggy was dealing with the girls mostly- thats when the boys decided to help their father till you were better and fell in love with them just like Buggy did.

• The twins had become massive helps to You and Buggy. Often without even needing to be asked-

• A few weeks after the birth Buggy walked into the nursery to check on the girls and found Dee asleep leaned next to the crib were the girls were and Bee asleep on the floor.

• Buggy had never felt such a strong swell of pride before and picked up the boys and tucked them into their proper beds that night. A smile on his face the whole time

• If anyone mentions their noses- GOES APE SHIT

• A nurse was the first one to be on the end of this treatment- It was there one month check up and the Doctor had given the clear the girls were happy and healthy. He had brought his assistant a young male nurse with him to help with things like weighing both twins and documenting results.

• Buggy caught his eye staring at thier noses and his eyes narrowed dangerously. The nurse fucked up though when he said 'Do we check the noses?.. was that normal?"

• The Doctor and you knowing that there was no stopping Buggy as he screamed in the Nurses face and proceeded to beat him to death-

• He will constantly be paranoid something Is wrong with the girls.

• "(Y/N) Why is she crying like this?" He panics as he holds Ari who is crying hard. You walk over calmly to see the man on the verse of tears as you do a quick check over and touch her rounded stomach which immediately leads to a dart and her quieting down.

• "She just has gas-" Buggy stares "Oh-"

• When the twins open their eyes and start to look around Buggy is overjoyed. Especially when he sees they have his eyes, Is immediately swooned.

• AKA HE THROWS A PARTY

• Buggy of course had thrown another party, Like he did with all his kids it seemed. Dee figuring out how to read the maps- Party. Bee making his first Bomb- Party so now that the girls had opened their eyes- PARTY

• It's a massive event with his entire crew involved. Food, Music, Drinks, the works.

• You catch him buzzed off his ass swaying to some music while holding the twins against his chest. You go to protest and scold him- But notice he is actually levitating by his ankles to keep from tripping as well as using the baby scarf to hold them up.

• It was oddly cute? Here was this pirate, high bounty and nasty reputation red in the face singing along to the music while holding his daughters.

• Ari is wide awake looking around at all the new things while Ali is peacefully asleep cuddled into Buggys chest.

• When he turns you see Bee asleep on his back, like a piggyback ride.

• You of course snap the picture of Buggy holding three kids at once.

• Will want to set back to sea by the Girls 3rd month and has the ship ready by then. He knows its difficult but feels safer on the sea then on land ironically as well as He has been on this island for a year and doesn't want to lose his reputation.

[snzhrchy]

You know that scene where kohaku and senku fake a kiss. What if instead

*it's the reader instead of kohaku

*senku and the reader like each other but they don't know of the others feelings

*it's a real kiss not a fake one close to the lips

faux.

senku ishigami x fem!reader

synopsis; a fake display of affection to keep yourselves safe... was it really fake, though? taglist; lmk if u wanna be on it <3 warnings; spoilers for ch 108 of dr stone notes; ong vix return era ?!?!

who would've expected a simple scouting trip in the treasure island would take such a drastic turn?

if anything, you would've expected your group to run into trouble not the entire ship but now, as you looked at the petrified statues of whom you once called your companians, you realised you were in more danger than you previousely thought.

looking at the scene in-front of you, yet again, you felt that familiar feeling of anger rise up in your body. with the way the village's prime minister would simply discard the statues made you sick; after all, those were once real people.

being too wrapped up in your anger caused you loose your balance on the cliff--the one in which you were hiding behind. the high heels that amaryllis had given you further increased your chances of falling below. however, before you could end up ruining the entire plan due to your loss of balance, senku managed to hold onto your hand and prevent you from toppling all over.

'be careful, y/n!' he whisper-shouted, trying not to grab the attention of any of the island dwellers. no matter how light-weight he may have been, he managed to keep a firm grip on you.

unfortunately, this ended up making quite a ruckus as this action did not go unnoticed by the one of the strongest people from this island--kirisame, was that her name? apparently, the sounds of leaves and the movement of high heels on such unstable surfaces alerted her to your whereabouts.

'what are you doing here?' she began, 'what could a villager be doing here in a place like this?'

you thought this was it. that your cover would be blown and you would be petrified--unable to save anyone.

'we were on a date. i wanted to say good-bye to my lover before the harem selection. isn't that right, my love?' senku spoke with such calmness and with a small smile on his face.

you were surprised by his quick thinking and how calmly he lied in-front of kirisame's face.

the nickname senku called you made you feel uneasy in a positive manner, as if you'd melt right into the floor beneath you. but you had to remind yourself that this was all merely a lie--something senku did to free himself of trouble and unneccessary fighting.

one of his arms reached out and grabbed a hold of your waist; he brought you in for a kiss by bringing his face closer to yours and closing the gap between you two.

as surprised as you were, you had to remind yourself that this was merely a mission and you had to make your relationship with senku seem as believeable as possible so reluctantly, you kissed him back.

senku's grip on your waist tightened and his hand travelled to your hair while your arms were simply resting on his shoulders.

'just go home already-! don't go on a date here ever again!' kirisame shouted as she fled the scene, obviousely disturbed by the public display of affection.

it was only after kirisame's departure did senku finally break apart the kiss. he left you breathless and your face flushed in a deep shade of crimson. how grateful you were for the darkness hiding your flustered state.

'my, my senku! who would've thought you're such a good actor? even had me fooled for a second there,' gen laughed as he and the others removed themselves from hiding.

'yeah whatever, anyways we have work to do,' senku rolled his eyes as he began looking at the ship with telescope once again.

however, no matter how non-chalant he appeared, and no matter how many times he tried to convince himself, you had an effect on him and that was evident with the way his body reacted towards you as he, just like you, was left a blushing mess after that display.

throughout the night, his eyes would occassionally glance over to you, wondering if you'd ever reciprocate his feelings. if not, he'd just protect you from this world in whatever way he can.

[chimielie]

i had the time of my life / fighting dragons with you

summary: Iwaizumi Hajime x f!Reader. No one in history has even come close to touching a night fury. Iwaizumi should be lauding himself as the greatest warrior of all time; well past Oikawa as the greatest of your generation, even. And instead he’s trying to turn it into a cat.

word count: 1.7k

cw: incredibly minor blood, unserious death threats, one minor mention of parental death. overuse of italics and “brat” as a nickname.

a/n: how to train your dragon au, iwaizumi is not really similar to hiccup but he LOVES big lizard!!! anyway i’ve been on a bus since 6:45 am with intermittent sightseeing stops and my phone was also dead for five hours so i have no idea how or when i wrote this <3 love you

“i think,” iwaizumi starts, “i’ve made a discovery.”

“what?” you look up from the whetstone you’re sharpening your sword against, passing the blade through your hands again and again with the practiced ease of years of study. “don’t tell me you’ve pissed over the ale or something stupid.”

his fine nose wrinkles.

“i don’t do things like that,” he says your name, irritated. the mocking lift to your lips drops and your eyebrows soften. he nearly never uses your given name. instead, it’s been lady or bug or brat since you were youths.

lady, most often, used always around your family and anyone who wasn’t a friend. it was your default title, said with iwaizumi’s plain sincerity and never the mocking twist that some of the other village boys used.

bug, generally when he wanted to goad you into breaking the rules. it had begun when you were still children and he had been the largest of you all: oikawa, matsukawa, hanamaki. things hadn’t stayed that way, but the nickname remained and never failed to incense you until you were slinging your weapon over your back and striding ahead of them all.

brat, used without any pattern identifiable to you. it was often accompanied by an exasperated but affectionate puff of breath and an accommodation to a demand, but not always. sometimes he would lean to the side as you entered the dining hall and mutter something like “you have a tear in the back of your skirt,” and before you ever found your tongue in the red rage that descended upon you that he hadn’t said anything sooner, follow with “lucky for you, brat, no one’ll notice when they’re blind with your beauty.”

the last one almost always nonplussed you so much you had no answer but to kick him in the back of the knee, and it never pissed him off as much as it should.

so you know whatever he wants to talk about is serious.

“i know,” you say, lifting your sword and inspecting it. “what have you done, then?”

“i have to show you,” he says, and your brows nearly shoot into your hairline. it’s not something he’s made, then; something bulky, sturdy iwaizumi can’t carry home to you.

his face is carefully neutral, but his eyes betray him. something lively and hopeful is dancing in the depths of his green eyes, something you rarely see in his chronically serious face.

you pick up your two-hander, sliding it into its just-oiled scabbard.

“take me to it, sir,” you say, and his face splits into a beaming smile you’re not sure you can recall seeing in years.

“this isn’t a discovery,” you say blandly as he pushes aside branches so you can duck under them without tangling leaves in your hair. “this is what we called the secret garden as children, hajime. don’t tell me you’re so old you’re losing your memories already?”

“you’re not funny,” iwaizumi says with a chuckle, and pride glows in your chest. “it’s not the glade, brat, it’s—”

“a fucking night fury?” you shriek, scrambling back as soon as you pass through the branches, hitting iwaizumi’s firm chest as an obstacle. “whatever you wanted to show me has been eaten and burned by now, i hope you know! or the other way around!”

you reach for your sword, but he pulls it out of its sheath before you can.

“have you lost your damn mind?” you shout, watching him put himself between you and the most fearsome creature you can imagine and holding the sword towards you. like you’re going to hurt it.

“hey, hey,” he says, tossing your weapon to the side, and the thing snuggles into him, growling. no, not growling—purring. “don’t worry, she’s not gonna hurt you.”

you dive for your sword and come up kneeling, watching your oldest friend, one of the greatest warriors of your generation, scratching the head of a fucking night fury; the same dragon, or its kin, that killed his father five years ago.

“no worries that it’ll, i don’t know, maim and kill me,” you say. “or yourself, for that matter. for the love of life, hajime, what are you trying to do, tame it?

“i’m not trying to tame him,” iwaizumi says, looking up at you with stupid, glimmering, hopeful eyes. “he’s—i injured him, a few months ago.”

no one in history has even come close to touching a night fury. iwaizumi should be lauding himself as the greatest warrior of all time; well past oikawa as the greatest of your generation, even. and instead he’s trying to turn it into a cat.

“why didn’t you finish the job?” you say warily, lowering your guard ever so slightly. it’s a beautiful creature, you have to admit, with black scales that seem to absorb the light and green eyes remarkably like the shade of—

“we—i don’t know,” iwaizumi’s tone turns reverent, affectionate. “we came to an understanding.”

“an understanding,” you echo, cocking your head and sizing up the fury. its build is lithe, more suited to its nighttime bursts of violence than some of the dragons you’ve slain in your day. you circle the two of them, giving a wide berth as the dragon swivels its head to look at you, and there it is.

mattsun’s handiwork if you’ve ever seen it, a beautiful leather-and-metal fin fitted to the dragon’s tail, replacing where iwaizumi’s blade had torn it. you wonder if he’d known. if you were the last of your cohort to know.

“it’s a beautiful piece,” you murmur, reaching out to touch it almost inexorably. it stiffens, hissing at you, and you flinch back.

“go on,” hajime says softly. the dragon looks at you with those alarmingly familiar eyes, sizing you up just as you had it. against all your better judgment, you drop your sword, kicking it to the side. it steps toward you, gaze flicking back and forth between you, the weapon, and iwaizumi. you don’t move, barely breathing as it bumps its head into your side just as it had iwaizumi.

you’re not braced for it, buckling a little under the force of the headbutt, but after a few more moments of caution, you dare to lift a hand and pat it on the head, once.

“hello, scourge of the skies,” you say softly to it. “please don’t burn, eat, or kill me.”

“i won’t let him hurt you,” iwaizumi’s voice is low and raspy, blending with the rush of wind through the grass. “‘sides, he’s well fed, huh?” he gives the dragon an affectionate pat on the rump.

“i don’t even want to know what you’ve been stealing to feed a night fury.”

“not stealing,” iwaizumi says, but he doesn’t elaborate, to your relief. “do you want to see something else?”

“if it’s another dragon…” you warn fruitlessly.

“not another dragon,” he says reassuringly, and instead produces a mass of leather tangled in itself so you can’t determine what exactly it is. the dragon seems to recognize it, though, and bows its—his—head to help iwaizumi through the process of getting it on.

“oh, hajime,” you say with dawning horror. “you’re not going to try and ride it, are you? if you die in such a stupid way, i’m going to be incredibly pissed off.”

“i’m not going to die, bug,” iwaizumi promises, tightening a final strap on the saddle. “and neither are you.”

“what the fuck does that mean?” you say, and he’s already lifting you up, one arm supporting your back and the other your knees like it’s not already humiliating enough, he has to put you in some kind of princess carry to finish you off entirely. “hajime. hajime! you can’t do this—”

your words are cut off by a scream and a second attempt of the day to crawl back into the strong cage of iwaizumi’s arms. the dragon’s wings beat beneath you, a steady rhythm not unlike the gallop of a horse, but you still dig your legs in tightly and squeeze your eyes shut.

eventually, you must reach some kind of acceptable elevation as the dragon’s flight evens out, transitioning from actively beating against the wind to riding it. you open one eye tentatively, your breath stolen from you as the sea of your people stretches out into the horizon.

“are you alright?” iwaizumi inquires in your ear, and you settle a little more comfortably against him.

“i’m going to kill you if i survive this,” you say. he chuckles low in your ear and tugs the reins sharply, steering the dragon in a wide arc.

“you sound practically relaxed.” the ocean’s waves are visible even from this height, and the white line of the crash against the cliffs almost reminds you of bridal lace. “relaxed enough to stop digging your claws into my arms?”

you hadn’t even been aware that you were gripping onto him so tightly. when you withdraw, little pink half-moons are left, some bubbling with red droplets.

“i’d be sorry,” you say, “but you kidnapped me with a dragon, so i think we’re only even now.”

abruptly, iwaizumi’s knee moves, nudging the belly of the dragon, and all three of you plummet, dropping in a neat line toward the blue, blue sea. your stomach drops beautifully as a strong pull of the reins brings you back up, just barely skimming the water’s surface, and there’s spray on your face and sun in your eyes and iwaizumi’s laugh, wild and carefree, carrying you away on the wind.

“thanks for sharing this with me,” he says when you both have your breath again. his night fury coasts on the breeze, the sun low on the horizon, turning the light golden and the sea shining like precious metal in every direction. “even if you were a brat about it.”

you think, maybe, everything makes sense now; a realization as sharp and sudden as freefall feels. you lean back into his chest and raise your hands in the air. a language without words; a name that means beloved.

the sun drops below your eye’s limits, and the beat of the night fury’s wings is steady beneath the two of you.

[universaln0b0dy]

I'm not special (Rengoku Kyojuro x fem! Reader)

《Summary 》: You were known for being shy and akward, but polite nonetheless and being a village simpleton. Not incredibly pretty, nor talented at anything, so how come you snagged a Hashira?

《Note》: So the reader is insecure. (Cringe nicknames Ig)

Rengoku Kyojuro:

It was a wonder to say the least. Your parents had already given up the thought of ever seeing you married, but the man with the colourful hair saved them that sadness.

You had met him a few times, the first time was when he saved the village and a few times after, though you weren't sure if that was enough to consider you a possible bride.

But since you liked him there was a marriage and you swore by god, you were the happiest girl alive. Kyojuro really did love you you sometimes couldn't help but wonder why?

Your food was not the best not the worst and you knew that he in general enjoyed every bite of food, so it wasn't that. It wasn't your art, most definitely not, it wasn't like you were horrible at it, but you also weren't good and everytime you passed a mirror you were reminded why it also couldn't be your appearance.

You dropped the knife you were holding with a long sigh. You made dinner like always and waited for your husband to return, he had been on a mission for a few days now and you were starting to get worried. You decide to stop cooking for a minute and just stare at the wooden wall in front of you.

"Come here my love! It is raining! I don't want you to catch a cold."

You had decided to eat outside with him that day and it just began pouring. Your husband had just laughed using his white Cape(?) to shield you from the rain. Both of you had sprinted back to the house, accidentally forgetting the food outside.

It was one of many, many happy memories you shared with him, but all of it was tinted grey at the moment you realised he probably only married you out of pity. He never made you feel that way, but there was no better explanation to why he would take you as his bride.

Tears start dropping out of your eyes and a sob escaped your mouth. You turned towards the window, only to realise you also looked ugly when you were crying.

You didn't know how long you just sat there, staring at the table, watching your tears fall onto the wooden surface, as the door suddenly opens. You knew who it was without even having to see him, immediately you stand up ready to greet him. "[NAME]?" His loud voice boomed through the whole house.

You were about to call out to him until you remembered you had cried and still where. You didn't want him to see you like this, you didn't want him to worry about you, or even worse pity you.

You decide to continue cutting vegetables for dinner.

"[Name]? Are you alright?" Kyojuro walks into the kitchen. He couldn't see your face, which was good, but you were also scared of talking. What if your voice gave away you had been crying.

"My love, are you mad at me?" He mutters (loudly), hugging you from behind. You didn't want him to think that. "No..l- no, I'm not angry."

Your voice sounded horrible, just as you had expected. "[Name], have you been crying?" He slowly uses his hand to turn your face towards him.

This was the first time you saw him worried. Usually he was a smiling little ray of sunshine, but now? He looked so sad. "Dear, who made my special wife cry?"

He said special. Normally this wording would have made you laugh, but now the only thing you could say was: "I'm not special."

The silence was deafening, your husband just looked at you as if you were crazy. "What do you mean my love?" You didn't want him to look at you with that reaction, you wanted him to tell you that you were right and that he would leave, but the flame haired man didn't. He clasped your dominant hand and you sigh, wiping your face with the other.

"How I say it... I can't cook, draw, paint or sing. I'm not strong, I don't have any defined personality traits-" You can't continue as you loudly sob, shoulders shaking as you breath in heavily.

Kyojuro doesn't say anything else, pulling you into a hug. "My love, have I ever told you why I married you?" You shake your head slightly. "Than I will know. You might not remember, but after my fight I was terribly injured. Most of the people in your village didn't trust me, so they didn't come closer, but you ignored everything you were doing and rushed towards me, yelling at the people to help me. They listened to you."

He softly runs a hand through your hair/ over your head. "You have the ability to make people trust you, no matter how you act, people will listen to you. You help others and you are willing to use every bit of knowledge you have to make sure someone else is also safe."

You had never noticed that about yourself. Maybe you were too blinded by what you weren't, to see that. He pulls you even closer. "I asked to meet you out of curiosity and as a thank you, I expected you to be humble and quiet but once I asked you about your intrests you rambled about it, you were blooming in what you knew. That was the first time I realised I loved you."

You look up at him. "The first time?" Kyojuro grins his typicall bright smile. "There were a bunch of other times, for example the first time I heard you laugh, or when you accidentally burnt the food, or...."

You couldn't believe it, all those things he pointed out where things you saw as flaws. You look at your husband, how proudly he talked about you. You had fallen in love with him before, but now you were head over heels in a sink hole.

You grab Kyojuros face, he is still talking his eyes closed. You softly pull him closer to you, giving him him a kiss, which he immediately answers by also pulling you closer to him.

You slowly pull away. "I love you, my special husband."

"I love you too, my special husband."

[chaosquetzal-archive]

Chapter 2: Acceptance

Rika stared down the street from the Guild’s front door. She had given in to temptation after being downwind of the grilling meat for so long. Draco had offered to go grab a pair of kebabs for them, and Rika had obliged. However, Rika was hesitant at first.

All Rika had was questions. How could she not? Draco, a Dragonewt she met mere minutes ago, claimed to be the Devil Dragon. With a smile, no less! The Devil Dragon is a monster from a 2000 year old story. It was supposed to be dead. This clearly is a lie.

Rika was worried that if he said that to the guild members they wouldn't take it as lightly. There had been kidnappings recently, leaving many townsfolk on edge. Some wanted to postpone the festival, but knew that if they did thousands of attendees would be discouraged. Zvi Village is one of the only cities in western Arcfell to allow Demi-human residents.

Still, almost no one in this city is a fan of Dragonewts. Zvi Mountain Range was the last place the Devil Dragon was sighted. Monsters poured out of the mountains, destroying this place when it was just a fledgling town. Bandits pillaged all their valuables in the chaos.

Soon after, Devildra Cultists, worshippers of the Devil Dragon, came and tried to take over the village. They claimed it as sacred ground. Zvi Village had been laid to ruin because of the Devil Dragon. Anyone who claimed to be the Devil Dragon would surely be driven out of here, if not showcased for execution.

Dragonewts were also banned from entry until 200 years ago. Even still, many had come and gone, causing trouble wherever they went.

It would be an uphill battle for acceptance to be sure. Still, if Draco joined with Zvi Adventurer’s Guild, he could have a better chance.

Rika closed her eyes. She was also still upset that Draco had called her “Red”. It’s not that she had not heard that nickname before. Only one person had ever been brave enough to mention Rika’s hair color as quickly. That person was killed when she was little.

Supposedly they were sacrificed by Devildra Cultists. Burned to where not even bones remained. The worshippers were captured and executed, so they received justice.

“Hey Red! I got you a kebab!” trailed a voice from above.

Rika opened her eyes skyward. Draco flew down with a single skewer in hand. It still seemed piping hot, so he must have rushed over after getting it.

“Wait, I thought you were getting me one too? And what took so long?” Rika inquired.

“There was a massive crowd in front of the booth. I helped the grillers get everyone organized. They sold out quicker than expected, so there is no meat left,” Draco replied, giving her the skewer.

Rika grabbed it, and began delighting in the flavors. Each chunk of meat had a different taste that complimented every other. While finishing up, she looked over at Draco and noticed he wasn’t eating anything.

“Did you eat yours on the way here?” Rika said through the food.

“No. Like I said, there was no meat left. That was their last skewer for today.”

Rika stopped. She did not know what to make of it. Draco went off to get a skewer too. Yet he gave her the last one instead?

“I’m sorry, I… didn’t realize. I’ll get you one tomorrow as thanks. I promise.”

“Don’t worry, I got asked to get more for them. It would be a good way to earn my keep with the town!” Draco proclaimed, “For now, let’s get me registered with your guild, Red.”

“Don-... Yes, let’s.”

The pair walked into the Zvi Adventurer’s Guild Hall.  ______________________________________________________________

Draco was astonished at the interior of this building. He hadn’t been anywhere as interesting in a long time.

Looking around, he saw humans, elves, beastkin, lizardmen, and featherkin. They all seemed to be having fun talking about the festival.

Rika led Draco up to the front desk to where he saw a Deerkin woman. Her small stature was unassuming at first, but Draco could feel an overwhelming amount of magic from this person. Draco and Rika walked up to the desk. The Deerkin ducked behind as soon as she saw the pair.

“S-sir, a-a-are you going to just k-keep staring at me? R-R-R-Rika, who is this? And why are their eyes slitted?” the Deerkin peeped from under the desk.

Draco was not aware his eyes were slitted. That only happens when he is on alert. Draco blinked as his eyes returned to normal.

“Cinnamon, this is Draco. He wanted to join our guild.” Rika introduced.

Cinnamon got up from under the desk slowly. Draco could now see that she is clearly skittish. As far as he was aware, Dragonewts still rarely leave their villages. Seeing one is a rare sight.

Draco approached, “I understand you’re scared Miss Cinnamon. I am letting you know there is no need to be. I am friendly enough not to bite your head off.”

Cinnamon immediately flew back under the desk. From under there, some papers were placed on the counter.

Her voice echoed, “P-p-p-p-p-please fill these out. We will have to conduct a combat test after the festival. H-however, we can get you registered now. G-go have a seat and I’ll come grab the papers after you leave.”

“Thank you? I will do it at this close table.” Draco said, not understanding what went wrong.

Rika said she had to let the guildmaster know about the caterpillars, then she could go hunt some boars with him. As Draco sat down to fill out his forms, some of the others got up and walked over.

“Hey you. You said you wanted to join this guild?” asked the front member.

Draco got up to face them, replying cheerfully, “Yeah, I wanted to join a guild but none ever felt right! After all, some aren’t as accep-”

“Get out.”

[nakachuchu]

CHAPTER FOUR: THE KING

Salvation Series

SYNOPSIS: In a time when you had no one, you befriended a boy.

WORDS: 1k

WRITTEN: 03/27/2023

NOTE: Comment to be added to the taglist.

Your brother, who was only five, was loved by your parents. He was doted on and given everything you never had. You envied him, yet you hated him at the same time. He was your brother, and you felt guilty for thinking such thoughts.

You thought him to be adorable whenever you saw him waddling as a mere child down the halls of your family household. His little face would light up when your mother would call him her precious little lamb.

You never received such a beautiful nickname. You were only called worthless, an abomination. You were never referred to as a darling or a precious little anything.

You were a burden to them, and they wanted you gone. It was why they built you your own wing with your own room. They kept you sequestered from the rest of the family. You did not even have any maids. Your parents did not trust anyone with you.

You were the only one who could take care of you, and you knew it. That is why you took the responsibility of raising yourself.

At the age of nine, you met a dirty boy in the forest where you often found solace away from your village.

You did not know what it was about him, but you felt an immediate connection. He was not like the others. He was different.

He was not much older than you, but he acted like he was a grown man — sometimes.

"You're ugly," he bluntly said while picking his ear.

Those two words alone didn't strike sadness in you. It created anger, making you grab a fistful of mud to throw at the dirty boy.

You did not regret it one bit. You were proud of yourself for standing up for yourself. You were not going to let anyone make you feel bad about yourself. He deserved it. He was dirty, smelly, and stank. You could tell he was a troublemaker from the moment you met him and you were right.

Little did you know, he was the cause of many of the problems in his village. His mischief was well-known.

It started a mud war, where the two of you got incredibly sticky and dirty with brown mud. The boy was victorious in that battle. He won because he was much dirtier than you.

"This is my forest. This is my home. You are not welcome here," he spat out in heavy breaths.

You had to bite down on your tongue to not talk. If your parents knew you used your curse on someone, they would lock you away and whip you.

"What, you're not gonna say anything? That's what I thought, you're just a stupid girl — "

"You're dirtier than me!" you shouted.

You immediately gasped and covered your mouth with both hands as a wave of mud splashed against the boy, covering his head to toe in mud.

You couldn't even see a single spot of his skin. The mud clung to his body, sticking to his clothes, and even his hair. He looked like a living statue.

He was so filthy, you could hardly tell if he had any hair at all. You immediately felt nauseous, and was worried and terrified he would run into your village and call you a witch.

The boy sat back on his butt, laughing. "You're a witch!"

You flinched.

"This is great! I've never met a witch before! What else can you do?" he asked as he swiped mud away from his eyes. You felt your cheeks become hot. You could feel your ears becoming red. No one had ever talked to you, let alone call you a witch positively.

You shook your eye and made a gesture of locking your mouth and throwing away the lock.

He frowned. "Why not?"

You shook your head.

"It's your words, isn't it? That's handy. Can you turn me into a frog or summon lightning?" His eyes gleamed evilly as he questioned you.

You swallowed hard. You did not want to engage in a battle of wits with this boy.

You could see the wheels turning in his head as he tried to figure out how to best use his words against you.

He hummed before lunging forward to grab your hand and pull you down, smearing mud all over you.

"Hey!" you shouted.

He grinned. "I knew you'd talk again. Wanna be my servant?"

You blinked in awe.

"I'm going to the king of this world," he said proudly. "I'm going to make sure I never have to suffer in this godforsaken world ever again."

"No."

"What? Then, I'm gonna kill you first," he said.

"You cannot!" you shouted, sending a vibration of cursed energy to him.

His body hardened for a second before he narrowed his eyes at you. "You just used it on me."

"I did not mean to," you said quietly.

He stared at you for a moment before letting out a 'hmph.' "I've decided not to kill you anyways. You should be thankful."

You blinked. What? How could you be thankful for something like that? You had just met this dirty boy and he had already laughed with you and threatened to kill you, then spare you.

He was an extremely odd person and you couldn't make heads or tails of it. And yet, he was the first person to be nice to you.

It was a strange thing.

"Thank you," you said with a small smile.

It felt strange to be thanked by someone who wanted to kill you. But, you were used to it by now. People were strange in this world.

"Hmph. What's your name, ugly?"

You glared at him.

He was close enough you could smell his foul breath. He was trying to intimidate you, but it was not going to work.

"Y/N."

He stared at you, racking his brain to see if the name fit you or not. Finally, he gave up and muttered the first thing that came to mind.

"I'm Sukuna."

NEXT CHAPTER: THE BIRTH OF INUMAKI TOGE

TAGLIST: @phoenix666stuff

[silentcrowsilentravens]

An alternative version to Mirander's section of this post with a happier ending.

Mother Miranda’s s/o surviving a near-death experience. 

(Gender neutral).

Warnings: blood and referenced violence.

Masterlists here!

The quiet in the village is unsettling. It beckons you towards a welcoming grave, but you refuse to acknowledge its call. You continue to cling to consciousness with every ounce of strength you have left. 

Red is blossoming across your top.

Your ears are still ringing from the gunshot. 

The culprit has run off with your Lei, which you had given him when he demanded it!

Moving hurts. 

Breathing hurts. 

There isn’t much you can do aside from weakly call out, hoping someone will wander close enough to hear you. 

Miranda is struggling to focus. She stares at the papers in front of her, their words not sticking and her thoughts drowned out by the ticking of the damned clock. 

…You’ve been gone for a while now. It never takes you this long to finish a single errand.

More minutes pass by. 

Did something happen to you?

The cold bite of the snow has long since rendered the backs of your legs numb. You haven't got a clue how long you've been sitting against this wall. You've been too busy drifting in and out of consciousness to keep track of time.

"Can …ou… ear… me?" 

Barely. Just barely, your ears pick up a voice. You can't make out a word. Can’t place it. Can’t process it. 

A shadow falls over you.

"...ry to sa… om… ing?" 

What?

"...an y… hea… me?"

You try to speak, but you can't. All that comes out is a groan. 

Are you being moved? The pain is somehow getting worse.

"Mother Miranda?"

Not now. She doesn't have time for this. 

"Mother Miranda!" A man rushes over, dropping to his knees and practically kissing the ground, "I apologize for bothering you, but it's urgent! I have brought a dying person into my home!" 

Miranda pauses. 

"I don't know what to do… Please, could you be so gracious as to help?"

"This individual," she says, "what are they wearing?"

The man blinks at her, then hastily describes the exact outfit you left in.

Without another word, without wasting another second, Miranda enters the man's house.

"In the den!" he says, trailing behind her. "To the right!"

You're laid across a battered couch. There's been a clear attempt to staunch your bleeding. You seem practically lifeless.

Not again. 

Not again. 

Not again. 

Miranda scoops you up and gets you back home, where you can be properly treated. 

She works as fast as she can to save you. 

She can't lose you too. She can't.

Things aren't looking good.

Not again.

Not again.

…

Cool fingers brush against your cheek.

“...Darling?”

The dim room seems far too bright. Your eyes struggle to focus.

Your surroundings are familiar. 

The figure hovering over you is even more so. 

Pale blonde hair.

Light eyes. 

Full lips, ever so slightly downturned. 

“Hi, pretty bird…” you greet hoarsely. 

Miranda lets out a sigh, somewhere between relieved and half-heartedly annoyed at the nickname. 

"M'sorry. Never ended up getting what you asked me to."

"Forget about that." Miranda did. She was too busy worrying about you. "Tell me who did this."

"I don't know his name."

"Then give me a description so that I can find him and make him regret ever laying a finger on you."

Your Miranda…

She is hardly ever one to let things go. Even if you fail to provide an answer, you don’t doubt that she’ll find a way to track him down anyway. Might as well not draw out the process. You give her as many details as you can.

She hums, then leans down to press a kiss upon your forehead. "Rest. I shall be back soon."

[gggoldfinch]

What *is* the predator in AVP? I know nothing

Anon I’m kissing you rn THANK YOU FOR INDULGING ME !!!!!!!! I should mention I had to consult the Xenopedia for a few minor bits of info, like exact numbers, but the rest of this is safely stored within my rancid little brain… which should speak to my level of boundless avp brainrot… (also this post is enormous sorry !!!!!)

Quick rundown of AVP itself for those uninitiated: AVP is the crossover of the Alien and Predator franchises. Although the 2004 and 2007 movies aren’t technically canon to the movie timeline, the crossover is canon to the franchises (along with the Blade Runner universe, believe it or not!) which can be seen in various books, comics, and even easter eggs in the 1981 Predator 2 movie. Basically, the Predators (yautja) hunt the Aliens (xenomorphs) for sport/ as a rite of passage to become adults.

Now onto the Predators!

Culture:

“Predators” are nicknamed that by humans who encounter them, but their species is called “yautja.” They come from the planet Yautja Prime and are a highly advanced/intelligent species, arguably more so than humans. They come from tribe-like communities and value strength and resilience above all else. Their society is matriarchal, and female yautja are significantly larger/ more powerful than the males. It’s widely accepted in-fandom that yautja hunters take trophies (usually skulls) from their prey specifically to present to potential mates, to make themselves appear more desirable and worthy of attention. They’re somewhat mammalian despite their appearance, and participate in village-raising of their young (which are born live). Female yautja have yet to be seen on-screen, but they are featured in a lot of the literature as hunters.

Due to significantly longer lifespans than humans, they reach adulthood/ maturity at around 50-60 years old. Their status of responsibility/ worthiness/ adulthood is basically determined by their ability to successfully hunt and kill xenomorphs (called “kiande amedha” or “hard meat”). Killing a xeno means they are “blooded” (marked) as warriors, and are therefore worthy to hunt as an adult.

Scar (AVP) marking his bio-mask with acidic xenomorph (facehugger) blood after becoming a Blooded warrior:

Physicality:

The yautja actually have a lot of physical variation which I think is really cool. Generally they’re between 7-8 ft tall (roughly 500~ lbs), and very muscular. They can have different skin patterns (i.e. green, red, blackish, etc) and freckles/mottling on their reptilian-like skin.

City Hunter (Predator 2) (left) with red patterning, and Scar (AVP) (right) with freckles!:

There is even genetic variation seen, like with Feral (Prey) and Beserker (Predators 2010), whose facial structures looks vastly different than “regular” yautja. These guys are thought to be subspecies.

Example of Wolf (AVP2) next to Feral (Prey) from the Xenopedia. Feral lacks a substantial forehead crest, facial markings/patterning, and has substantially thinned tresses:

Some have quills along spots where humans grow body hair (eyebrows, abdomen), and all have long fleshy tendrils (usually called tresses or dreads) that grow from the bony crests of their skull. These tresses are sensory organs and bleed when cut. It’s generally thought in-fandom that the tresses are highly sensitive and somewhat equivalent to erogenous zones/ are intended to attract mates. They can vary in length from short (usually no shorter than neck length) to very long (which is seen as more desirable… and yeah I have to agree). They are often decorated with rings and bones.

Scar (AVP) and his gorgeous long tresses:

Additionally, Yautja Prime is a hot-climate planet, and yautja canonically don’t do well in cold weather (as seen in the AVP novel where Scar gets windburn from the Antarctic cold). Their thick hide makes them very impervious to damage, but not unkillable; they are also very hard to outsmart given their high intelligence and advanced technology. However, they seem to have somewhat impaired vision without the use of the infrared lenses of their bio-masks (as well as other light-spectrum filters), which has caused problems for hunters dealing with quick-witted humans before.

Some examples of how the yautja see: regular vision (left), thermal bio-mask vision (middle), ultraviolet bio-mask vision (right):

Hunting & relationship with humans:

They have their own language and writing system. While they communicate predominately with clicks, roars, and growls, and don’t have any lips to really form words, they are capable of replicating human language on occasion. They also use their bio-masks to repeat and string together recorded pieces of human language. Generally, interactions with humans are violent, with humans the ones being hunted, but on occasion humans and yautja have teamed up. The only humans who have canonically been Blooded by yautja have been women, which is awesome.

Yautja have an honor code while hunting that basically goes as follows: only hunt worthy prey, and don’t break the code. There’s lots of interesting facets to the honor code, so I suggest followed that link if you’re actually interested. The yautja who break this honor code are excommunicated, labeled “Bad Blood(s)”, and hunted. It’s not necessarily canon, but they also seem to follow a sort of debt of gratitude code; if a human saves or otherwise helps a yautja, chances are they’ll return the favor of protection— or in the case of Alexa Woods, for saving Scar and killing a xeno, becoming Blooded.

While usually humans fall into the category of “worthy prey” there have been instances of yautja respecting them, and even treating them as equals.

I am incredibly invested in yautja lore and love talking about it. If you’re still curious I could continue talking forever lol

[genshin-impact-writings]

The Abyss Prince:Ch.4

(Kaeya x gn!KOF!reader)

Synopsis: Kaeya and you have been dating for a while now and you both honestly couldn't be happier with each other - until Jean sends you on a mission that reveals Kaeya's deepest secret. And you learn that a dark past and your unwavering sense of duty could be enough to destroy a relationship that has always been too good to be true.

Chapter summary: Kaeya and you finally get closer to solving the riddle behind the merchants’ disappearance. Neither of you is aware that the upcoming events might change your lives and your future forever. (Title taken from: Metalite - In the middle of the night)

Word count: ~ 3.8k

The masterlist for the series can be found in the navigation post on my blog.

Ch.4: One lost soul in forgotten lands

When Kaeya and you arrived at Springvale, you were surprised to see Eula there, followed suit by two other members of the company. You had no idea she would be here too, given the fact that Jean had specifically assigned this investigation to you and the Cavalry Captain but then again, it probably wouldn’t hurt to confer with Eula. After all, nobody knew who was behind all of this, and there was still a possibility that things were a lot more serious than you expected them to be. 

“Excuse me, could you please step aside,” you said as you carefully shoved past the curious bystanders, briefly wondering why the Knights hadn’t ordered them to return back to their houses yet. Judging by the expression on Kaeya’s face, he was wondering the same thing. But you trusted Eula – she surely had a reason to keep the people around, maybe because she wasn’t done with questioning them about the incident. It was very well possible that one of the villagers had seen something or someone, and since you were pretty much still in the dark about what happened to the missing merchants, eye-witnesses could be worth a mint.

Just the thought alone was enough to make you feel strangely excited. Perhaps today, you would get one step closer to solving this mystery. (And a part of you still hoped that you would find the merchants alive and well, although you were aware how naïve it was to believe that those who kidnapped them actually spared their lives.)

“Come on,” you said and darted a glance at Kaeya, “we should talk to Eula and ask her if she found anything that could be of use for our investigation.”

A brief smile flashed over Kaeya’s face. Your enthusiasm was almost infectious. “After you, love.”

Almost immediately, you felt heat rising to your cheeks. On the one hand, you always basked in the soft tone of his voice whenever he called you something like this, but on the other hand, you were on duty and it probably would be deemed highly inappropriate to let your private life bleed into your everyday work. But you didn’t have it in you to scold Kaeya for the loving nickname – not when he looked at you like you were the most previous thing on this earth. Still, you weakly protested, “We’re at work, Kaeya.”

“So what? Am I supposed to switch off my feelings for you when we’re on duty?”

“Of course not.”

“Good. Because I couldn’t, even if I tried.”

“Oh, shut up, will you,” you said, not quite able to hold back the smile that played around the corners of your mouth. Sometimes, he really was too sweet to handle.

In the meantime, Eula had spotted you, effectively putting an end to your playful bickering. “Ah, you’re here,” she said, “Jean informed me earlier that you two are responsible for this investigation and would come here to help.”

“Captain Eula,” you greeted her respectfully. Despite working together for such a long time and being second in command after her, the Spindrift Knight was still your superior and with all these people around, you didn’t want to seem unprofessional. “My apologies for keeping you waiting.”

The young woman shook her head, casting your apology aside with a wave of her hand. “Nonsense. We are currently interrogating the eyewitnesses and so far, their statements are corresponding to each other. However… I doubt any of this will be helpful.”

Kaeya frowned. “Why’s that?”

“Because it appears that this person here left voluntarily,” Eula explained. “Contrary to our current presumptions, they apparently weren’t kidnapped.”

“But that makes no sense. Why would they just leave?”

The Spindrift Knight shrugged. “I don’t know. But you’re welcome to talk to the eyewitnesses yourselves.”

“Then we will do that,” you decided, and Eula nodded. “There are other issues I have to take care of, so you’re on your own for this investigation. But please report back to Jean and me as soon as you make any progress.”

“Of course.”

“Good. Then I will leave this matter to you.”

* * * *

Interrogating the eyewitnesses eventuated in two major insights: One, the person that had disappeared this time had indeed left Springvale voluntarily and not because they were kidnapped. And two, all three eyewitnesses were absolutely sure that the merchant had been in some kind of trance when he had wandered off into the wilderness.

“It was such a strange sight, really,” an elderly woman had told you, “one moment, he’s busy with rearranging the goods on his cart, and the next, he’s turning around and leaving. I’m sure something – or someone – put a spell on him. No sane man would leave his goods behind like that.”

It was her statement that you kept repeating in your head over and over again while Kaeya and you followed the elemental traces the merchant had left behind. Everyone, including you, had wrongly assumed that all of these people had been kidnapped because someone wanted to get rich on the expense of others. But as it seemed, there was far more to these incidents than you had first expected. Unfortunately, that meant you had to start all over again. 

“Let’s go over this again,” you said. “Someone is apparently putting the merchants in a trance to lure them to who-knows-where. But I just don’t understand why someone would do this. Who even has the power to do that?”

The Abyss Order, Kaeya thought to himself but he didn’t say it. Even with this new information, there was no reason to believe that they were behind this mess, although he couldn’t deny that the situation started to make him feel deeply anxious. Like disaster was lurking around the corner, waiting for the right moment to strike. 

“Kaeya? Are you listening to me?” Your voice brought him back to reality, and he quickly put on a smile that felt horribly fake. “I’m sure we will get an answer to all of these questions once we figure out where the elemental traces lead to.”

“To Falcon Coast, it seems.”

“Well, that would make sense. Whoever is behind the disappearance of the merchants has lots of possibilities to hide themselves there. I’m sure there are tons of caves the Guild hasn’t discovered yet.”

“That still doesn’t explain their reason to kidnap merchants.”

“Except that they haven’t been kidnapped,” Kaeya reminded you. But he had to admit that this circumstance only raised more questions – and it frustrated him that neither of you could answer even one of them. He sighed. “I hope we can solve this mystery soon.”

“Yup.”

Silence settled in as you continued to follow the elemental traces. Hydro and Electro, if you weren’t mistaken. It probably didn’t matter but you had always been very precise when it came to your work – after all, even a seemingly minor detail like this could turn out to be important in the end.

If you had only paid a bit more attention to your surroundings, maybe you would have noticed that curious eyes were already watching your every move.

* * * *

The elemental traces did indeed lead you to Falcon Coast – however, instead of a simple cave, like you had initially expected, you found a barrier, a barely visible veil of elemental energy, that blocked the path leading deeper into the cavern. For someone without a vision, it probably would have been an invisible obstacle but for Kaeya, it was nothing but a nuisance. He pressed his palm against the barrier, focusing on the elemental resonance that kept it stable and summoning Cryo energy into his hand to disrupt the molecules of the other elements. When the barrier disappeared, it revealed a small entrance.

Kaeya and you exchanged a glance. “We don’t know what we’ll find in there, so we have to be careful” he said, the tone of his voice unusually serious, “if things get too dangerous or suspicious we leave immediately and report back to Jean.”

You hummed in response. While you were determined to figure out what all of this was about, you had no interest in risking your own life to solve the case, so it made sense to wait for further orders from the Acting Grand Master in the event that something went wrong. 

“Ready?” Kaeya asked, and you reached out to squeeze his hand. “Ready when you are.”

Neither of you spoke as you followed the narrow path. It seemed to lead downhill, deeper into the mountain, and it was so dark that you could barely see where you were going. All you could do was to trust your other senses while you stumbled through the darkness. Then, after what could have been an eternity, the ground beneath your shoes changed. Slippery cobbles turned into something more solid, and when you reached out to touch the cave wall you realized that it was no longer the natural rock formation of a mountain you were touching. No, this felt more like… a building.

And not too far in front of you, you could see a glimmer of light, like a flame flickering in a breeze. You stopped in your tracks. “What kind of place is this?” you whispered, your voice barely louder than a whisper but still echoing back from the walls in a way that sent a cold shiver down your spine. You couldn’t say exactly why but something about this place made you nervous and uneasy, and you wished you could just turn around and leave without investigating further. But of course, that wasn’t possible. So far, you had no reason to believe that it was too dangerous to go on. And if there even was the slightest chance to finally figure out what happened to all of these merchants, you couldn’t just give up now.

“I don’t know,” Kaeya replied in a low voice, “but we should be very careful if we decide to go further. There could be traps and defensive mechanisms everywhere, and I don’t want you to get hurt. 

There was no point in denying that he was right about that. Ancient ruins like this were never safe to investigate – anything could lurk in the darkness and the labyrinthine corridors. Monsters often used this kind of place as a camp too, you knew that from experience.

You let out a shaky breath, summoning your polearm. The weight of your trusty weapon felt oddly comforting, as well as the elemental energy that radiated from your vision. Calm down, you told yourself, there’s no need to be afraid. You know how to defend yourself. Everything will be fine.

But still, you couldn’t shake off the bad feeling that had crept up on you as soon as you had entered these ruins.

“Hey,” Kaeya said, softly, almost as if he could sense your growing anxiety, “this place makes me uncomfortable too but you don’t have to be afraid. I’m here, and I won’t let anything happen to you. Okay?”

You nodded, taking a deep breath and tightening the grip around your polearm. “Let’s go.”

Aside from your footsteps, no sound could be heard as you proceeded further into the ruins. The light source turned out to be some kind of artificial fire, placed in small lanterns that adorned the hallway, illuminating the place just enough to help you orientate. The walls were covered in moss and ivy, the leaves dry and crumply, and occasionally, you noticed strange patterns decorating the stone walls. Silver and golden swirls and stars that were skillfully combined into intricate patterns you had never seen before. Back in the days, when the building had actually been in use it surely had looked beautiful but now, the fading colors only reinforced the eerie atmosphere of this place.

After a while, the hallway got wider again, revealing an impressive hall that was decorated with statues of people you didn’t recognize, slowly crumbling away in this forgotten place. Pillars, equally on the verge of decay and covered in vines, supported the high ceiling, and there was even some kind of altar on a high platform. 

For a few moments, all you could do was stand still and stare. You had never known that a place like this existed in the mountains of Mondstadt. 

Next to you, Kaeya seemed to be equally fascinating. But it wasn’t the architecture that caught his attention. No, it was the portal in the back of the hall that captivated him. Even with the lack of light, its surface glistened and glimmered in a way that could only be describe as magical. It almost looked like dozens of stars were dancing on the waves of the ocean. 

“Is this…” You didn’t finish your sentence. Apparently, you had spotted it, too.

Kaeya took a deep breath. “A portal, yes.”

“This is the point where we should head back to Mondstadt, right?”

“Portals aren’t necessarily dangerous, and as far as I know, there’s a possibility that it won’t even work anymore,” Kaeya replied, “I once read that they lose their powers over time. And since this place is so old, I assume the portal has been here for an equally long time. It should be safe to investigate.”

Oh, how incredibly stupid he had been. He should have known that it was a bad idea to go near the portal. But he only realized his mistake when it lit up, darker shades of purple and green flashing over the surface, and the next thing Kaeya knew was that he was pulled into a seemingly endless void of blue.

* * * *

When he woke up, the first thing he noticed was the sky above him. A sky without any stars or a moon, a sky that was too dark to be real, so this had to be some kind of domain. The portal, he remembered, it must have brought me here.

The next second, he jumped to his feet, his heart beating uncomfortably fast in his chest, only to almost skip a beat when he saw you lying on the floor only a few meters away from him, slowly regaining your consciousness. “Ouch,” you mumbled. “I think I hit my head.”

Oh, thank the Archons, Kaeya thought, relieved. You were alright. 

But the relief didn’t last long. Now that he wasn’t on the floor anymore, Kaeya easily recognized where exactly the portal had brought the two of you. Though he had never been here before, this whole domain was eerily familiar, and it didn’t take him long to realize that this was the place he had seen countless times in his nightmares. And there, right in the middle of the room, was the blood-filled basin. 

An ice-cold shiver ran down his spine. “We should leave,” he said, “now.”

You sat up, confusion written all over your face. “Why?”

“It’s not safe here. We should have never gone near that damn portal.” Kaeya helped you stand up, quickly examining your body for any visible injuries. You frowned. “Kaeya, what’s wrong? There’s no one here.”

“Wrong.” 

At the sound of the high-pitched, all too familiar voice, the two of you froze. You had never expected to find one of them here, not when everyone had assumed that the Abyss Order wasn’t involved at all. But with an Abyss Mage staring right back at you, floating above a pile of bags and clothes, it was obvious that you had been wrong about that all along.

It was only then that you realized that the creature wasn’t floating above bags and clothes. Because you were pretty sure that bags didn’t have hands or arms… or faces. A wave of pure fear washed over you, even more so when your gaze fell on the basin, although your brain refused to accept the fact that it was filled with something that looked like blood. 

“By the Archons,” you whispered, your voice shaking. Up until now, you had been convinced that the merchants were alive, and it was unbelievably hard to realize that they had been killed in some sort of ritual. That it was way too late to save them.

The Mage followed your gaze and with a giggle that made the whole scene even more horrifying, it explained, “A blood sacrifice.”

“For what?”

“Foolish child. Some kinds of magic require a sacrifice to work.” It wasn’t the Mage’s voice that had answered your question. No, this voice was deeper, raspier, and it sent an unpleasant shiver down your spine. When you turned around to see who had spoken, a tall creature emerged from the shadows. 

An Abyss Herald, you realized.

Thousand questions flashed through your mind, and yet, you couldn’t open your mouth to ask a single one of them. Your thoughts were racing as you tried to comprehend the situation. The Abyss Order had killed the merchants – but why? What kind of magic was the Herald talking about? What was going on here?

“You killed innocent people,” was everything you eventually managed to say. “Why?”

“Ah, I could tell you,” the Herald said and made a noise that vaguely resembled a human sigh, “but you would not be able to conceive it. All of this is well beyond your limited understanding. Everything the Abyss Order does is for the greater good.”

“The greater good?” Behind you, Kaeya huffed. “Please, enlighten me – how can cold-blooded murder be for the greater good?”

The Abyss Herald yanked his head around at the sound of his voice. And then, much to Kaeya’s horror, he fell to his knees and bowed low. “Mylord,” he said, the tone of his raspy voice sounding almost submissive now, “it is an honor to finally meet you.”

No. 

No, no, no.

Kaeya stumbled backwards, his eye widened in shock as he stared at the creature in front of him that had recognized him so easily and was about to spill one of his biggest secrets. “I’m sure you’re mistaking me for someone else. I have no idea what you are talking about,” Kaeya said but his voice was shaking way too much to sound convincing. But he at least needed to try, right? He couldn’t possibly allow anyone to destroy the life he had built for himself over the years, could he?

“I would not dare, Mylord,” the Abyss Lector replied, head still bowed low. “We were always told that one day our prince would return to lead his kingdom back to glory. The prophecies spoke of a young man with star-shaped pupils who hides among ordinary mortals until the day comes to step forward and claim what is rightfully his. It is believed that only he can activate the portal and find this place – and that you are here now can only mean one thing. You are the one we all have been waiting for.”

Yes, Kaeya was painfully aware of that. For years, he had feared this moment, had hoped and prayed that it would never come – and for what? Only to end up running blindly to his doom? And of course, all of this had to happen while you were with him.

Fate truly was such a cruel thing.

“I… I’m not who you believe I am,” he finally managed to get out. “I’m not your prince.”

Yes, you are, a quiet voice in the back of his mind replied, no matter how much you try to deny it, you are your father’s son, and this is where you belong.

“The portal’s judgement is infallible, Mylord,” the Abyss Herald insisted, though it clearly made him uncomfortable to disagree with Kaeya, “you are the one who is destined to destroy those who wronged us all.”

It was only then that you turned around to face him, confusion written all over your face. “Kaeya… what is he talking about? What is going on here?”

Kaeya knew that there was no point in lying. He knew it the moment he looked into your eyes. “What do you know about Khaenri’ah, (Y/N)?”

You frowned. “It was destroyed five hundred years ago. No one escaped.”

“A few members of the royal family did,” Kaeya said quietly. “My ancestors, to be more precise.”

“Is this the reason… why your father left you at Mondstadt? Because he wanted you to find this place?”

You connected the dots alarmingly quick. And his silence was probably the only answer you needed in that moment. 

His gaze was focused on the floor as if he had spotted something particularly interesting and wasn’t just staring at the broken and moss-covered stone tiles. He knew he should look at you instead – but he had always been a coward when it came to facing the consequences to his own actions, and he was so afraid of the things he would see in your eyes after finding out the truth about him.

He was afraid you would look at him the same way Diluc had all these years ago. Eyes filled with distrust and a burning anger that had soon turned into despair and hatred, even. No, Kaeya couldn’t bear seeing all these things in your eyes, too. 

So instead, he kept staring at the floor, at the tiles that were just as broken as himself, waiting for you to say something. 

When you finally spoke again, you sounded strangely composed. Kaeya had expected you to be angry or disappointed, at the very least, but instead, the tone of your voice was almost emotionless as you said, “You lied to me.”

You weren’t asking, you were stating a fact. So, Kaeya nodded.

“And did you ever want to tell me the truth?”

Kaeya shook his head. He felt almost paralyzed, in a sense that he couldn’t even come up with a single excuse why he had been lying to you, though he usually never had a problem with talking his way out of a situation like this. But now, all he could think about was the giant mess that was his life and the way all of his dreams had shattered into a million pieces in just a matter of seconds.

“I see.” 

Why were you still so composed? Why weren’t you yelling at him, cursing him for betraying you like that? He wanted to ask you that and more, he wanted to apologize and tell you that all of this didn’t matter to him, that he didn’t care about Khaenri’ah anymore but somehow, he couldn’t. 

Perhaps because deep down, he knew that this would have been a lie, too.

Thank you so much for reading! If you enjoyed it please consider giving me some feedback and/or reblogging this chapter. I'd really appreciate the support!

Taglist: @kaeyas-beloved @ajaxstar @the-gayest-sky-kid @justrandomselfships @caesars-bubbles @the-fifteen @quixoticmirror @kaoyamamegami ((If you want to be added to the taglist send me an ask. Same if you want to be removed. <3)

[floralcavern]

Continuing the adventures of my sapphic dnd characters

Lox wrapped around her long braid into a braided bun before flipping her hood up. 

“Ready to get going, Princess?” Titania asked, flicking her pocket knife in and out as she leaned against the willow tree they’ve been camping out near for about a week. 

They had been on a constant move for a matter of months, never staying in one place for too long. 

Lox rolled her eyes. She’s given up on getting Titania to stop with the nicknames. 

“Ya, I’m ready.”

Titania smiled and put her pocket knife into the holster on her leg before pulling her mask up. “Wonderful!~”

“You’re mask makes us look like bandits..” Lox said, exasperated. 

“I am a bandit!”

“I- Well, I’m not! And people may associate me with you!”

Titania giggled and reached up to poke Lox’s cheek. “People already do, princess~”

“I mean..! In our civilian forms!” She said, her pale face a strange shade of red. “People will think we’re suspicious and that we’re going to rob them!”

“Oh, calm down. We’ll be fiiiiine!”

Lox pouted and Titania shrugged before running ahead and flying into the trees, jumping branch from branch. 

“Ughhh!!” Lox hated when she did this. It made it harder to keep up with her. “I get it! You’re talented in gymnastics!” She yelled, chasing after her. 

She was panting as she tried to keep up with Titania. Wherever she got this much stamina was a mystery to Lox. Most likely her wings giving her an extra boost of wind. 

She reached the end of the forest and into the clearing that led to the local village. “Titania?” Lox called, not seeing her anywhere. “Where are you?!”

Titania poked her head out from the tall grass, yelling “Boo!” and scaring the bageezus out of Lox. Another annoying thing about Titania. Being a fairy, she was able to hide easily because of her height and scare the hell out of Lox. She was grateful that Titania was only half fairy, otherwise she’d be even smaller. 

She karate chopped her head in a panic. “OW! Shit, Loxxie!”

“Sorry, instinct!”

“Ugh. Whatever. Cmon, let’s go get our groceries.”

The two waded through the crops and tall grass on the outskirts of the village, passing by farmers who gave them anxious looks. 

“A whole village of Tabaxi!” Lox said in wonder. “Based on the farmers we’ve seen, I thought only a few of the people living here were.. but.. wow!”

“Hey, quit staring.” Titania bopped the back of her head. “They’re not a circus. Just people.”

“R-right!” She said, her face flushing from embarrassment. She quickly turned away from the villagers. She knew what it was like to be ogled at. But she still found herself being that way to other’s. Tabaxi are thought of as exotic. She’s always been disgusted by the stereotype, but still found herself being fascinated with them. 

“All right. What’s on our grocery list?”

“Nothing specific. It really depends on what they’re selling..”

She looked at the vendors and mainly looked at the fruit. “Ohh! They have dragonfruit!”

The man selling the fruit chuckled. “Yes, I bought them from a Dragonborn.. friend of mine..” he brushed his claws through his dark gray fur. 

“Hmm.. let’s see..” she picked out a couple of apples, dragonfruit, and bananas. 

“How much?” Lox asked. 

The vendor thought for a moment. “30 pieces of silver. 

Titania slammed her fist onto the counter. “You serious?! For some fruit?!”

“Hey, sorry, but this stuff is hard to come by,” he said. He didn’t seem sorry though. There was this mischievous flint in his green eyes. 

“Well then, surely if the guy supplying you your fruit is your friend, he’ll understand why you had to sell some stuff for cheaper. Maybe a couple of bandits came in and.. caused some trouble..” she said, reaching for the knife on her leg. 

“Titania, don’t!” Lox said, grabbing her arm. 

The people in the market place turned to look at them curiously. Lox blushed brightly and pulled down her hood in embarrassment. “We’re sorry, sir. We’ll be in our way.”

The vendor watched as they left, a smirk of curiosity on his face. 

They reached a secluded alleyway. 

“What were you thinking?!” Lox yelled at her. “Threatening him?! How idiotic do you have to be?!”

“Oh, I’m sorry, princess! But we’re outta food, and that guy was trying to scam us!”

“Who CARES?! We can just go to the next village and see if they have cheaper prices there!”

“The next village isn’t for miles! We wouldn’t make it!”

“Hunting is always an option!”

“W-well, ya, but-!” She blushed angrily. “I figured you’ve gotten tired of eating the same thing for months! You got so excited by the market, I-! UGH! Forget it!”

Lox stared at her, wanting to know what she meant by that, but she didn’t get the chance to when a bunch of curious Tabaxi  came over when they heard the shouting. 

They quickly sped walked away from them, avoiding eye contact. Two farmers, seeming to be brothers based on their matching tabby pelts and ginger fur, were holding two pieces of paper and looking at Lox and Titania, squinting their eyes at them before they jumped. 

“STOP THEM!” One of the brothers shouted. They lifted the papers, revealing Lox and Titania’s wanted posters. 

Everyone gasped. Some ran to protect themselves or their families. Some looked around for weapons. 

“Run?” Lox recommended. 

“Run,” Titania said in agreement. 

The two turned and dashed, Titania being much lighter on her feet and faster, as usual. 

A mob of angry farmers chased them, waving pitchforks. They turned, trying to escape into the grassy fields of their farmlands. But it was hard to escape them, with their sharp sense of smell. 

One came up close to them, one of the ginger tabby brothers. 

He was about to jump at Titania, but Lox pulled out her sword, which she had hidden behind her cloak. 

The sword was pure white with gold veins running through it. The hilt was silver and gold. There was a symbol on the hilt. Three ruby studded 4-pointed stars, the symbol of the royal court. 

She slashed her sword, intentionally missing, allowing for him to stagger back. She planted her sword into the ground, a large, golden bubble surrounding her and Titania. She let go of her sword, letting it stay in the ground. 

“The shield won’t last for long,” Lox said. “We gotta think of a plan to get out of her. Any ideas? No bad ideas!”

“I got nothing! I’m a bandit of the NIGHT. In the night, I can easily escape!”

Lox was panting and looking around desperately, trying to think of something. “We’re gonna die..” she whispered. 

“Not if you actually fight. Cmon, Loxxie! I know you can beat all of them with one strike of your sword!”

“I’m not going to hurt a bunch of innocent villagers!”

“Innocent?! They’re trying to capture us!”

“Still not gonna hurt them!”

“UGHH!”

She hesitated. “You run for the forest. I’ll keep them distracted.”

“WHAT?!”

“You’re way faster than I am. Or you can just fly away.”

“You think I’m just LEAVING you?!”

“We have no other option!”

“But I won’t! I won’t!!”

“Titania, I’m not messing around here!”

The bubble began to flicker, revealing a group of farmers trying to stab through it with their pitchforks. The spell was about to wear out. Titania grabbed her hand. “Loxxie, I can distract them and you run!”

“We both know I won’t survive out in the wild without you!”

“But-!”

“My, my~” said a voice, echoing. The voice didn’t sound physical. Almost like it echoed in their heads. 

“Who’s there?!” Titania yelled. 

The voice giggled. Outside of the bubble, they could hear a loud “BOOM!” And then a light chime. 

Lox immediately knew it was magic. She could feel the aura of the spell through her bubble. Magic stronger than her own. Her sword jutted out of the ground before flying into the sky, the bubble disappearing. Lox caught her sword by the hilt as it fell back to the earth. 

All the farmers seemed to have been knocked out. 

“What happened..?” Titania said, lightly kicking one of the farmers. 

“I have no idea..” she said, sheathing her sword back in her back. 

There was a light wind coming from the tall grass, and out stepped a prowling Tabaxi. His grey and black striped tail swayed and his ears pricked from under his hood. 

“You..” Lox said. “YOU’RE THAT VENDOR!”

He smiled and laughed. “Yes I am~ I’m Wilting Willow. But I’m ok with just Wilt.”

“How did you..” Lox murmured, looking at the sleeping guards. 

“Oh, simple sleep spell. Not too much work.”

His tail swayed back and forth. “I had a feeling you two were the ones on those wanted posters.” He laughed lightly. “Cmon. Come with me to my hideout. You can eat there.”

The two exchanged looks. “I don’t trust him..” Titania murmured. 

“I do..”

“You trust everyone.”

“Cmon. He saved us.”

“Ugh.. fine..”

The two followed him to a cave near the village. 

“So you don’t, like.. have a house?” Titania asked. 

“Oh, no. I don’t live in that village. Just come by to sell my goods. Villages and society really aren’t my thing.”

“I feel that,” Titania said, nodding her head. 

The cave was cozy. A bookshelf in the corner with a lectern holding a thick book with mysterious runes and symbols. A couple of sturdy shelves that allowed Wilt a way to get to the bed hanging from the ceiling. 

A fire was blazing in the center of the cave with a pot hanging over, cooking a vegetable stew. 

“Welcome to my humble abode,” he purred. 

“Cozy..” Titania commented. 

“Thank you!~” he said happily, standing next to the fire, soaking in the warmth. He stroked his grey fur and let out a relaxed sigh. 

He walked over to a box sitting on an empty shelf. He tossed them both a dragonfruit. “Here, ladies. Apologies for the price earlier. Man has to make a business. And I promised my.. supplier.. that I’d get a lot of money for him with those dragonfruit.”

“It’s.. no problem..” Titania murmured. 

Lox was about to bite into it, but stopped when Wilt started laughing. “Don’t eat it like that! You cut into it. And save it for later. I’ll give you girls more supplies later. Just sit down. Dinner is almost ready!”

They hesitated, but Lox plopped down next to the fire. 

He grabbed a bowl and spun the spoon around in the stew. “My supplier gets me only the best vegetables!”

“Your supplier must be a cool guy, getting you all this stuff.”

He giggled mischievously. “I suppose you could say that.”

There was stomping near the cave entrance. “Oh! There he is now!”

There was a Dragonborn standing at the entrance. His jade green scales shimmered and his yellow eyes glowed. 

“Lecid!” Wilt said happily. He rubbed himself against the Dragonborn, Lecid, purring happily. 

“Wilt,” he said, standing still and not acknowledging the affection Wilt was displaying. He dropped a bag full of apples to the ground. “This week’s supply.”

“Oh, thank you! Say, why don’t you stay for dinner! I have guests!”

Lecid looked at the girls with a blank expression before grunting a greeting and sitting next to them. 

“Wow..” Titania murmured. “He is hot!”

“Titania!” Lox said. 

“What?!”

Lox pouted. She didn’t know why she was so mad. “It’s rude to just say that to a stranger!”

“It’s a compliment!”

“Enough fighting!” Wilt said. He sighed and handed a bowl of stew to everyone before sitting next to Lecid, staring up at him with a smile. Lecid ignored him and stared ahead as he ate. 

“So..” Lox murmured. “That spell that you performed earlier.. how did you..?”

He smiled, tilting his head. “A simple spell.”

“Are you.. a wizard?”

He laughed. “What did you think I was! Silly, silly Paladin.”

She jolted up. “Don’t you insult me like that!”

“Who said I was insulting you?”

“I-it was insinuated!”

He laughed again and finished up his stew before jumping onto one of his shelves, then the next, then the next, before jumping into his bed. It swung back and forth for a moment before he settled. “You girls make yourselves at home. Oh, Lecid! If you want, you can join m-“

“I’ll be leaving now,” Lecid said before standing up. 

“Aww.. w-well, thank you for the apples!”

“Mm.”

Lecid turned to leave, flowers seeming to bloom from behind him as he left. 

“Cold..” Lox said. 

Titania shook her head. “I’m guessing he’s a Druid. Look at the flowers. He’s into him. Just repressing it. But his feelings are coming out through the flowers.”

“How do you know?”

“I’ve dated a Druid or two.”

“Of course you did..”

The two curled up next to each other. They were used to this. Titania ran her fingers through Lox’s hair and they breathed out a sigh. It’s been a while since they’ve had a proper meal. 

“Night, Titania..”

“Night, Princess.”

“Night, girlies!” Wilt said from his bed. 

“Um..” Lox murmured. “Night, Wilt.”

[another-white-void]

Please info dump me about Tuan Tangyuan? I need to know EVERYTHING about this catboy.

...shit, I'm so sorry. I remember thinking "I should make some more lore first" and then... ...and then here we are

Ekhem. This gonna be a long one.

✨TUAN TANGYUAN✨ 团浮 tuán fú - his main name, 团 means dumpling and 浮 means to float or superficial (both according to two online dictionaries I use, to be clear), more on 浮 in the second 汤圆 tāng​yuán - kind of a nickname he gave himself, it's type of gluttonous rice balls eaten on festivals

His life begun on a really boring they when I decided to create cat-boy, but a fluffy one. That's how this sketch was created.

He was alone in his void - it took me quite a while before I created him some friends and found a pre-existing story and universe he'd fit in. And finally I did, he was placed in a fantasy world which is a wild mixture of Polish demonology, a bit of Chinese mythology and philosophy and a lot of my own random ideas, a story of a goddess who fell in love with a ghost. But that's not what we're talking about.

However, it's a good place to mention some lore. Tuan Tangyuan is a cat demon - a cat that was born with two hearts. He was powerful enough to gain a second life, a human life. He can freely switch between his cat and human form, and everything in between. This also means that he has to be killed twice to die, has an extraordinary long lifespan, his ears and nose are keener than humans', is faster and stronger than a typical person.

Downside is that he never had a family. He was took in by several families but they all ended up cursing him so he had to learn how to live by himself on the road early on in his life. This is where 浮 comes from - when the word about a wandering cat demon spread in the villages, people started calling him many names, but 浮 was the one that stuck. It stuck so much that Tuan Tangyuan started to use it as his given name. He came up with 汤圆 much, much later.

Even though he met so many people, lived in so many houses, he was always very gullible. To push away people looking for an unpaid worker, he started to present himself as a centre of the universe. He acts like an aristocrat while trying to ask you to let him sleep in your stables. On top of that, he loves to be chased and wanted, in any way - by lovers or by law. There's no difference for him.

He was rarely wanted by law though. In fact, he's so scared of hurting others that he became vegetarian. He simply can't look at meat. At all. Unless he's already attached to you - to make you happy, he'd kill the chick, prepare it and eat it, trying to smile all the time. Don't worry, he'd done worse for his "friends" and "lovers". Owners if you will.

So he doesn't like meat - what does he like? Presents of course. He never got many of them so he's keeping them all on himself at all times. He likes to lay in the sun. He likes to go on morning walks to experience the perfect silence of a sleeping city.

I'm gonna stop right there, on a bit more cheerful note. Tuan Tangyuan is a poor little meow meow who's best days are still ahead.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask! I'll be more than happy to answer!!

[therealjammy]

✍🏼!!

Ambi! You (and now my followers lol) get to read a little bit about one of my recent OCs from a fantasy story that has yet to be written down: Finney Lightheart

She's very much inspired by 1990s grimdark fantasy, especially in looks (and her haircut slightly resembles a mullet with bangs/fringe); she's often called a 'Faechild' because she appears otherworldly. She's an orphan, raised by her village's master swordsmith, Trond, whom she sees as her father. (She also isn't originally from this village; I haven't figured out where yet!) She's having a love affair with the Mayor's daughter (who has yet to be named) and said Mayor's daughter wants to marry Finney but Finney doesn't feel similarly; there's a little itch that she's destined for greater things, a greater love than a village mayor's daughter.

Now I've listed her surname as Lightheart but it isn't really a surname, it's a nickname, given to her by Trond when she was young and he realised Finney was the quiet and serious type; eventually the whole village caught on and the name stuck.

She's a swordsmith's apprentice, and is a very fine craftsman in that regard as well; eventually she and Trond are chosen to forge and deliver their finest sword to a faraway queendom and princess, Princess Oriana, as a token of both fealty and peace; being a grimdark fantasy, of course things go immediately southward... and that's pretty much all this story and this character have told me!

[littlemisspascal]

Crisp Apple

Part of The Fox, The Mage, and The Cupboard

Pairing: Javi x Female Reader

Word Count: 1900+

Summary: You closed The Cupboard this week except for emergencies, plus Santi doesn’t live anywhere in the nearby vicinity, so his presence in your kitchen makes zero sense except to annoy you.

Warnings: Magic AU with mages and familiars, Reader has a backstory but no name, worldbuilding, Santi being nosy, language, Bruja as an affectionate nickname, Javi doesn’t make an actual appearance in this one sorry y’all

Author Note: Had this idea and it wouldn’t leave me alone, plus I missed this little universe. Takes place at some point after Pomegranate Noir. Thank you everybody for the kind words of support 💜💜💜

Crisp Apple – Village Candle

This classic fragrance is loved for so many reasons. Offering the perfect balance of fruity florals and rich woods, this fragrance creates a world of familiar and forever loved scents, merged into one. With the clean crispness of apple, the petal soft prettiness of pear blossoms and the allure of applewood. Effortlessly perfect and uplifting.

~~~

The annual meteor shower in Eldergrove is always a beautiful and extremely stressful event. The whole week, actually, is a hectic rush as the village residents prepare for the occasion with massive amounts of food and decorations galore. 

You love this time of year, love the buzz of excitement in the air, the way the night sky transforms into a stunning celestial spectacle. There’s nothing else quite like it.

Javi resembles a hyperactive puppy once he finds out what’s going on, talking incessantly throughout the days leading up to the shower about everything he wanted to see and experience.

Usually you’d spend the meteor shower amongst friends, such as Ginger and the Triple Frontier boys, stuffing yourselves full of yummy food and finding a spot in the market square with the best view. Sometimes Benny would bring along a bottle of ‘the good stuff’ from Whiskey’s, insisting it was necessary for the celebration. You’d only have a sip or two, wanting to actually remember the silver streaks lighting up the night come morning.

With this year being Javi’s first, you want it to be as close to perfect as possible. Which means devoting all your free time to planning. 

It’s Wednesday morning, two days before the shower, and you’re at your kitchen table looking over the schedule Anita Moreno put together announcing this year's events. (The village would be a total wreck without her leadership and organizational skills, you swear.) There’s a three-legged race, face painting, a pie judging contest—activities for all ages to have fun doing. You underline certain ones as you read, intending to talk to your familiar about them when he gets back from his run.

So distracted, you nearly choke on your drink when Santi drops into the chair across from you.

“Bruja,” the former-assassin-turned-folksinger says as though he didn’t just appear out of thin air, running a hand through his dark curls. There are strands of gray visible when the sunlight hits just right, making him look like a distinguished professor of literature or something equally pretentious.

You’ve long given up trying to get him to quit calling you a witch, so instead you look around your home, then back at Santi who stares back unperturbed.

“Pope,” you reply, taking great pleasure in watching his eyebrows twitch with irritation at the old military nickname the other boys bestowed upon him. “I’d say it’s nice to see you, but considering you broke into my house forgive me for being hesitant.” 

You closed The Cupboard this week except for emergencies, plus Santi doesn’t live anywhere in the nearby vicinity, so his presence in your kitchen makes zero sense except to annoy you.

“Really feeling the love today, sunshine,” Santi deadpans, snatching a shiny green apple from the bowl in the center of the table. He takes an obnoxiously large bite, adding around his mouthful, “And for the record, I didn’t break in, thank you very much. I mean, I totally could’ve, it would have been a piece of cake getting around those security enchantments. But since I’m your friend and a gentleman, I used your emergency key.”

You’re friends with all the Triple Frontier boys, it’s true, but some are closer than others. You’ve known Benny the longest since you were in school together, and Frankie takes you out to lunch every other Tuesday, but you’d trust any of the four with your life if it came down to it. Santi’s no exception even though he can be a bit of an asshole from time to time.

“How are things?” Santi asks, still munching on his stolen apple. It amazes you during moments like this how totally oblivious he can be to other peoples’ discomfort. And he doesn’t do it on purpose, he doesn’t thrive off misfortune, he genuinely isn’t aware of when he’s not wanted around.

“Fine,” you answer. Your eyes narrow suspiciously. “What brings you here exactly?”

“Eh,” he shrugs, “I was around.”

Around? The only thing around The Cupboard is Ivers Forest and no way Santiago ‘I fell from an eight-story building once or twice and had to get my knee completely replaced’ Garcia would go for a hike before 9am. 

“Bullshit.”

His mouth drops, offended. “It could be true.”

“But it’s not.”

“Yeah, but it could be—”

“Santiago.”

He rolls his eyes like you’re the one being ridiculous, then begrudgingly admits, “Okay, fine. I came because I want to talk to you about two things.”

You raise an eyebrow full of judgment. “And they were important enough for you to use my emergency key?”

“Extremely.”

Your eyebrow remains lifted high when he doesn’t elaborate, the beat of ensuing silence stretching past the thirty second mark. Part of you is curious to see how long it will last, if crickets will start chiming in, but your planning can’t wait forever for Santi’s silence to break.

“If you expect me to guess, I’m not going to,” you tell him bluntly. “I’m busy, Santi, so please get on with it already.”

“The night of the meteor shower, there’s going to be a little get-together at the Miller house.”

“Does Joel know about this party?” The older cousin of the Miller brothers has a notoriously well-known dislike of social gatherings. Since their return to Eldergrove, Will and Benny’s birthdays have all been celebrated at Whiskey’s, so you actually can’t remember the last time you went to their house. 

“It will be in the backyard so he doesn’t care as long as nobody steps on his garden.” Santi grins then, pointing a finger at your face. “You’ll be in attendance.”

And now there are two eyebrows of judgment aimed directly at Santi. 

“No, I don’t think so,” you say. Hanging out in the main square is one thing where it’s a public space, but the boys get extra rowdy at parties. Especially parties they plan themselves.

“Tough luck, bruja. You’re going,” Santi answers, wiggling his finger for extra emphasis.

You’re tempted to smack his hand, feeling a bit like a cornered animal. Something in your expression must give you away because he lowers the offending limb and offers a small, encouraging grin instead.

“Look, I know you’re not a fan of crowds. I get it. But the meteor shower only happens once a year and we’d all love it if you came.”

“And if I say no?”

Santi’s grin turns sharp. “Then we’ll throw the party here instead.”

Your heart goes still. Oh no. No, no, no. Once a few years back you’d made the mistake of offering your home as the setting for Frankie’s birthday, it had been absolute unbridled chaos. You still shudder when thinking about all the stains you’d had to clean up in the aftermath. 

Santi finishes his apple, throwing the core in the trash can with perfect aim. “So what’ll be?”

It’s your turn to roll your eyes. He knows exactly what your choice will be. Asshole.

“What about Javi? I can’t leave him alone on his first meteor shower,” you tell him, one last stubborn attempt at escaping Santi’s party plans.

Santi waves away your concern. “Javi won’t be alone. He already agreed to come along wherever we have the party.”

You sit up straighter, the first time you’ve heard of this. “When did he say that?”

“This morning. I passed him while he was out running.”

Sinking back down in your chair, your lips twist into a frown. Figures your social butterfly of a familiar would love to go out with the boys. Traitor.

“Funny you should bring up Javi,” Santi starts, crossing his legs and settling his hands on his knee far too casually to be believable, “he’s actually the other thing I wanted to talk to you about. Specifically, those feelings for him you’re absolutely shit at hiding.”

Instead of stopping this time, your heart kicks into overdrive, a wave of embarrassing warmth washing over you from head to toe. You clear your throat, masking your internal alarm with a cool expression of disinterest. Feelings for Javi? How crazy. How foolish. You definitely didn’t think about him all the time, or wish you could have his laugh recorded to play on loop, or a picture of his smile to carry around. Not one bit. Nope.

“What, uh,” you clear your throat again, finding it suddenly dry, “what are you talking about?”

Santi levels you with a look and then adds extra salt in the wound by snorting derisively. “Dios mío. I did say absolutely shit at hiding, didn’t I? Because you’ve seriously got the worst poker face I’ve ever seen.”

“Whether or not I have feelings—which I don’t—is none of your business, Santi,” you say, irritation making you sound snappish. You never bother the man about his love life, it isn’t fair for him to suddenly get involved with yours. 

Santi bites the inside of his cheek and ducks his head, seeming abashed. “I know, I know. I just…want you to be happy, bruja.”

The thing is, yes Santi’s an asshole, but he’s also got a soft heart deep, deep down. Everyone loves him. The Triple Frontier boys would follow him anywhere. And although his approach definitely needs some improvement, it’s kind of oddly sweet he’s trying to help things between you and Javi move along. But you don’t want the status quo to change. You like your relationship with Javi exactly as it is—nice and comfortable. 

“I am happy,” you say, much gentler than before. “Javi’s the best familiar I could have ever hoped for.”

Santi’s brow creases, and you can practically hear the gears in his head turning. “You really don't wish you two could be more than simply mage and familiar?”

“This is the meteor shower, Santi, not the Dandelion Wishfest,” you remind him, resisting the urge to rub at your forehead. You’re growing increasingly tired of this conversation. “And you and I both know wishes don’t work like that. A person’s feelings can’t be manipulated.”

“Manipulation? Are you kidding me? That fox adores you more than anyone in the world,” Santi argues, placing a fist down on the table, rattling your cup of tea. “He’s as bad as you are at hiding his heart eyes.”

His insistence is really starting to rub you the wrong way. You take a deep breath, forcing back down the thorny irritation stabbing you in the chest. “Things are good just the way they are. Please stop sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong.”

Santi hmphs, arms crossing over his chest, but he does finally let the topic die. A few seconds pass in peaceful morning quiet before he sniffs, drawing random designs on the tabletop with his index finger, and asks, almost petulantly, “You’re coming to the party, right?”

“Oh my gosh, yes, fine, you jerk,” you say with an eye roll, but it’s more theatrical than real. 

Even though you’re not fond of loud noises and big crowds, you know you’ll end up having a good time hanging out with your friends like you always do. Plus, Javi will be there to help with the worst of your anxiety, and the last thing you want to miss is seeing his face when the meteors start shooting across the sky.

“Great,” Santi says with a satisfied smile, then he stands up and waves your emergency key in his hand, produced from who knows where. “See you around, bruja. I’ll put this back where I found it, don’t worry. And also, I’ll be rooting for you and your fox to do us all a favor and kiss already!”

The asshole dodges the apples you throw at his fleeing backside with cackling laughter.

[demonslayedher]

Daki's Other Flower Motif?

This is going to be a little roundabout, grab an umbrella and come with me. I need to start by saying that my biggest grievance with Ufotable's adaptation of the Entertainment District Arc is that they gave it such a late autumn aesthetic. It was beautiful details, yes, yes, of course!! But those are details that should had been saved for the Swordsmith Village Arc, when matsutake mushrooms would still barely be in season, and Mitsuri was looking forward to those mushrooms so much that I will be heartbroken on her behalf if she doesn't make it to the village in time for them. But, in order to do that, they'd have to make Tanjiro skip out on his big nap. What a problem!

But also, I really, really liked that it made sense for the Entertainment District Arc to take place in the muggy rainy season. A big piece of evidence for this is in the background art of the manga, ajisai/hydrangea are in full bloom.

Taking place in the rainy season means: 1. These are some of the shortest nights of the year. Put all together without slowing anything down for Tanjiro to think, the actual events of the fight with Upper Moon Six were very fast-paced. It goes to show dramatically a fight with demons can change everything so suddenly. 2. I know it would be her name all year round, but it makes the "natsu" in "Koinatsu" more on-point (though there's is a difference between tsuyu/rainy season and natsu/summer). 3, my biggest reason: The boys in makeup and kimono would had been doubly miserable in muggy summer, and that's funny.

I'm reminded of this now that it is rainy season and mentally shaking my fist at Ufotable all over again. So with that fresh on the brain, earlier today I was drawing a pink ajisai for unrelated reasons and thought, doesn't this look familiar?

There are a lot of ways to draw ajisai, and the petals can be shaped in a variety of ways, so this perhaps doesn't immediately strike anyone as being an ajisai motif. Even staring at it now and wanting to find meaning in it I only find it vaguely ajisai-like, especially since they're associated more with four-point petals. That said, they can come in a variety of petal arrangements and shapes, but they are noted most for how their vibrant colors will change depending on the pH of the soil. While Daki is more associated with vibrant pink, there are touches of bold blue throughout her design as well.

I was sort of willing to toss this motif idea out because the shape is vague and because she's blatantly associated with plum blossoms, with Ume having been her previous name. She's not named in honor of the flowers (bitterly named instead for her mother's disease instead), though she was indeed associated with them, being nicknamed for white plum blossoms (Shiraume-chan) by the locals when she was child, and by the samurai giving her a red plum blossom hair piece. If we take the plum blossom motif at face value in Flower Language (Hanakotoba), it doesn't make reference to an awful disease, but is instead regarded for meanings like "elegance" and "sophistication," "patience" which are kinda... hmm. Well, if we stretch for it's "beguiling, bewitchingly beautiful," "a strict sort of beauty," and "faithful/loyal," that starts to fit her better.

But you know why I came back to the ajisai idea? Because Gyutaro only sees her given name as cruel and unfortunate. He describes his sister as "easily dyed."

Which, you know, is like the #1 attribute most people associate with ajisai, aside from the fact that you see them in the rainy season. In fact, it's due to their striking color changes that they have Hanakotoba like "fickle," "a cheater," "betrayal," like how she was a two-faced Oiran, and especially when an ajisai is blue, it can also stand for meanings like "arrogance" and "you're beautiful but heartless."

However, it can also have positive meanings, like pink ones can allude to an energetic girl, or when it's a sort of white-ish green it can symbolize "a strong, enduring love."

Thanks for coming to my TaD* Talk. *Tsuyu and Daki

[west-tokyo-incidents]

The Wanderer

Mostly just me info dumping about my wanderer character and his whole deal, nothing structured so it gets rambly, spoilers for Neglected Space so if you don't wanna know what's coming; don't read

-roughly mid-to-late 40s, necromancer, minion/golem based, uses a two-handed Sparr scythe(pictures outdated)

-has both tattoos and scarification but that's not an option on Diablo

-TALL BOY. Probably about a foot and a half taller than Lorath, almost certainly has some fairly recent Nephalem blood in his family(or the inbreeding messed shit up), but they're all dead now except him.

-swings between stoic and emotional very quickly (likely has some mental disorder, but this is Sanctuary not Earth so he's just cursed) and is especially prone to snaps of anger. Mephisto is VERY keen on getting him under his thumb/paw.

-because of his past, his relationship with death isn't as peaceful as most necromancers' and he still struggles to see death as a change and not an end(end-game he comes to terms with this better)

-former member of the Death Song cult, a group of isolated necromancers on an island that often preyed upon mainland villages as tests of strength and to get materials for their craft. Death Song was not what they called themselves, simply referring to themselves as one of The Whole, One of Many, and believed themselves to be truly balanced, despite the disproportionate amount of murder that occurred. (They were called Death Song because of how they whistled like bird song before and after killing, haunting death whistle tropes and all that.)

-born albino, due to inbreeding among cult members, and was regarded as a bad omen. His pale eyes were eventually taken over with black sclera and blue teal because of his proficiency in his craft. They glow.

-trained often alone and very harshly, he became crafty to avoid punishment and came to resent the rest of his cult, aside from his granduncle.

-when it came time to summon his first minion, it's tradition for them to kill an elder close to them so that they may protect their charge and continue the cycle. His granduncle volunteered and even tried to comfort the wanderer through the process. (His granduncle's skeleton is still one of his current servants.)

-A name was given to him after he successfully raised his granduncle's skeleton, but soon after losing the only person keeping him grounded, he snapped, turning on his 'family' and promptly massacred the vast majority of the cult. His mentor, who named him, angrily proclaimed that she stripped him of his name and cursed him to an unmarked grave.

-he does not care about ever getting a name. names don't have the same meaning to him as most people, he's comfortable being called a wanderer, stranger, friend. that said, he doesn't mind nicknames from people close to him (aka Donan, Lorath, and Neyrelle)

-he absolutely fell in love-at-first-sight with Rathma when he saw one of the echoes of him in the sanctum, but it was obviously immediately smashed up on seeing him, well, dead. He struggles with this love because of his past but mostly dives into finding as much info about Rathma as he can and trying to learn what he was really like.

-Rathma, not interested in actively interfering with the prophecy, maintains a distance for the majority of the game plot. in hindsight, he ultimately regrets doing so.

-he's practically adopted Neyrelle and actively looks after her and checks in during parts of the game where she's not an active part of the gameplay.

-Donan easily becomes one of his best friends, especially after Yorin's death. they often comfort one another for their griefs. Donan's death hit him hard, especially because he's partially at fault if not entirely at fault for it. (And yes, I changed Donan's death in Neglected Space, fuck that pillar. Tbh the whole end game gets changed but ends with the same result.)

-at some point, Mephisto manages to get the wanderer to follow him and the trio are left alone for the majority of the assault on hell arc while the wanderer is being used as a tool by Mephisto. He does come back around, but it takes a significant price.

-after the confrontation with Lilith, the wanderer is scarred with Mephisto's symbol carved into his head. he later has the symbol altered with a ritual scarification from another necromancer.

-the wanderer mostly spends his time in Hawezar and Fractured Peaks during the 'end game' period, trying to find a way to get back into the sanctum without a divine blessing since he's kind of wanted dead by the Church, additional lore of expansions tbd

-Rathma's ghost makes a habit of regularly checking in with him after he returned from hell and assists in helping find loopholes to the ritual, but unfortunately the very experienced Ancient was also extremely not interested in visitors so the ritual was hard on purpose to get around.

-i would eventually like the end game to be the wanderer secluding himself in the sanctum and giving Rathma a more proper final resting place, as well as bonding more with the ghost of said necromancer, continuing his work and making sure everything is actually properly recorded before his own inevitable death (which comes far sooner than Rathma's). BUT... Everything could change depending on what happens in expansion packs and new seasons in the game.

[runewriter-norko]

,,Hmm.. Who should I play.. Why yes, a troll. I like trolls. Better keep it simple though...."

Me, creating a new DnD character for an upcoming campaign:

,,Heh. How funny would that be if I played as a troll warrior who wears a stereotypical - and quite frankly inauthentical - horned viking helmet except the horns aren't actually on the helmet but growing from his head? Ha haa, brilliant.. And I'll also make him a mere peasant who worked the fields until.. until.... That's it! Until the simple, small settlement he'll have lived in by that point will receive an invitation to the knight tournament where all the PCs are meant to meet. And he will be elected as the best candidate because there are no capable warriors by trade in the village. So all of the inhabitants put every 'noble-looking' piece of armoury and such together and-"

Me - an amateur historian, anthropologist and linguist - creating JUST the said DnD character AND NOTHING ELSE for the upcoming campaign:

,,So his name will be Grœnbjǫrn Erðason - which should simply mean 'Green-bear son of Œrði in Old Norse - or just 'Grenn' for my co-players, the DM and so for some other characters. But he'll be specifically told by the village's elders, the brothers Hárolfr and Hrœhyrn, to use the more noble name of 'Roþgeirr Rauðareiðr Rauðaskjaldarson' they made up for him since Rauðaskjǫldr is a famous hero of Northwest or 'Norðvestrœnn' lands known even in their little town of Sauðsskítstaðr. That reminds me.. Do I have the names of the people who lent Grenn their heirlooms?"

Me - an amateur historian, anthropologist and linguist PERFECTIONIST - creating JUST the said DnD character AND NOTHING ELSE for the upcoming campaign:

,,Let's see....

So we have the great axe of Knustafr Ulvarsson - who had fought side by side with Rauðaskjǫldr, yes - with a runic inscription that confirms the past ownership that Grenn receives from Hrœhyrn - Knustafr's son - as his main weapon (check), a silvery shining sax covered in sea motifs from the wide, ginger and freckled fisherman with just as wide, ginger and feckled family, Jǫrm Jǫrmsson (check), a case for the fishy knife decorated with golden scenes of wild hog hunts from the twins Svenn and Svína whose father - the boars-befriending Svínabani, disgrace of his swines-slaying family - had been gutted by one in his naive attempt of reckless pacifism (check), a big sword sheet covered in crude images of exotic and highly stylised horned figures from Dreiða or 'Trütta', a robust troll originally foreign to the village and girlfriend of the smaller but still strong Bróga who's the one to lend the nigh ancient shortsword that her father Øski received through his marriage to.. to.. Hm.

Eh, this is more than enough for now. From Bróga shall too be the iron helm modified by the smithy Ægnir (triple check). His round, red shield then would be the work of the whole Sauðsskítstaðr as everyone would try to help out with the recreation of Rauðaskjǫldr's legendary namegiver - and especially the children (check) - his ornamented clothes will be mostly bought or fresh sawn (check), and the chainmail.. together with many other trinkets it would be from Hoddr 'Samnandi' - the Collector' (check). Wellp.. Guess, I'm all set now.

Wait.

What if Grenn.. had a wife.."

Me - an amateur historian, anthropologist and linguist PERFECTIONIST - creating JUST the said DnD character AND NOTHING ELSE for the upcoming campaign - a masochist:

,,HOW THE BLOODY HELL DOES THE BYZANTINE GREEK NAMING SYSTEM FOCKEN WORK!? HRNNNNN, ok, ok, there we go, it's just a simple matter of family names and patronymic names acompanied by occasional nicknames, everything's fine. So the proper name of Grenn's second wife therefore is Eugenía (Εὐγενῐ́ᾱ) Prasinoarktos (Πράσῐνοᾰρκτος) born Hierologína (Ίερολογίνα) but the folks will still call her either Augéni (as a sort of adaptation of her original given name into their language) or 'Valfríðr' in the sense of 'Foreign beauty' but Grenn's first wife Særsýn does try to call her Eugenía as to make her feel more at home because SHE is the one who persuaded her into staying after she escaped from the norse pirates - being almost sold into slavery - and somehow got to Sauðsskístaðr where they (Grenn and Sær) took her under their wings. And aye, there is a lot of sparks and chemistry between the two of them even though Eugenía is an actual human while Sær is a notably tall troll with long, luscious locks of pure gingerness, face covered with freckles and YES SHE'S PART OF THE JǪRMKYN FAMILY. Because those bastards - AND ESPECIALLY THE FIRSTBORN JǪRMS (except maybe for Jǫrm son of Jǫrm Feiti and we'll see about his own son Jǫrm Gulli) - breed like damn rabbits. No wonder they practically own the docks! But aye, Grenn was quite lucky - the way his peers see it at least - that Œrði was one of Fat Jǫrm's best mates otherwise he'd promise Sær to someone completely different. AND DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON-

A campaign? What focken campaign?"