#I think it might have been boiling the water that fell inside it

[cookinguptales]

aw, I was actually having a really good writing night before I almost accidentally lit my house on fire 🙃

[nobody-nexus]

TADC Incorrect Quotes

(With have Ragatha/Pomni, Jax/Zooble if you squint, and maybe like ONE Jax/Bubble for shits and giggles)

Ragatha: As your best friend— Gangle: Zooble's my best friend? Ragatha, holding a knife: As your best friend—

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Ragatha: Pomni is at that very special age where an adult only has one thing on their mind Caine: Boys? Pomni: Homicide

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Pomni: You know what? When I join this friend group, I thought you guys would be dealing with my bullshit Caine, Zooble and Kinger continue screaming about mold water Pomni: Not the other way around! Bubble: I dunno, sounds like you need to drink the mold water :)

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Gangle: How do Zooble and Jax usually get out of these messes? Ragatha: They don't. They just make a bigger mess that cancels the first one out

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Ragatha: Just be careful, Pomni! Pomni, heading out the door: I'm always careful, Ragatha! Pomni: It's everything around me that's careless

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Caine: I truly believe that water can solve all your problems! Gangle: Weight loss? Drink water Ragatha: Clear skin? Drink water Jax: Want to get rid of someone? Drown them.

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Zooble: Hold on, I can explain Caine: Really? Can you now? Zooble: I can if you give me a minute to think of a convincing lie

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Caine: You have to apologize to them Jax Jax: Fine! But I must warn you that this might make me a better, nicer person and that is NOT the person you fell in love with!

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Gangle: I came out here to have a good time and I'm honestly feeling so attacked right now

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Ragatha: Do you guys ever have a civilized conversation that doesn't require insulting each other every time you get a chance? Zooble: No. Jax: No. Ragatha: Didn't think so

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Pomni: Hostage or not, sometimes it’s nice being held Ragatha: Are you okay

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Zooble: When I get Doordash I order 20 Cheeseburgers at a time and heat them up throughout the week so that I don’t have to pay the delivery fee multiple times Ragatha: I hope you understand how food poisoning works Zooble: I hope food poisoning understands how I work. I never met a burger I couldn’t eat

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Ragatha: Wake me up- Pomni: Before you go go Gangle: When September ends Caine: WAKE ME UP INSIDE

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Ragatha, smugly, after security arrives to escort Jax and Pomni out: So, do you wanna walk out of here or do you wanna be carried out? Jax, in defeat: Let’s go Pomni: Wait. Jax: What? Pomni: I’d kinda like to be carried out...

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Gangle: We have fun, don’t we, Pomni? Pomni: I have never been more stressed out in my entire life

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Kinger: Hey Ragatha? Ragatha: Yeah? Kinger: What's your favorite color of the alphabet? True or false? Ragatha: Ragatha: ...What.

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Jax: How high are you? Pomni: Mm, I don’t know how to say it in feet. Zooble: No, he's asking what drugs are you on Pomni: Oh, antidepressants, why?

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Caine: It is 6:09 . Caine: I am wondering why I’m still alive. Caine: Send Wendy’s. Pomni: The whole restaurant?!

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Zooble: I’m the smartest person in this group.... Jax: Really? Then why is your hand stuck in a vending machine? Zooble: I paid for my Mars Bar, I’m getting my Mars Bar.

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Pomni: Which one of you was going to tell me that tea tastes different if you put it in hot water?? Jax: Y- you were putting it in cold water?? Zooble: Pomni. Answer the question, Pomni. Pomni: Yeah??? I thought people just put it in hot water to speed up the tea-ification process. didn't realize there was an actual reason. Pomni: Plus, you think I have the patience to boil water? Jax: You don't have the patience to microwave water for 3 minutes?? Zooble: Why are you putting it in the microwave to boil it? Jax: Do you think I have the patience to boil water on the stove? Zooble: It takes less than a minute. Jax: Is your stovetop powered by the f#%king sun??? Zooble: How long does it take you to boil a cup of water on the stove? Jax: Like seven minutes?? Gangle: Just stick the mug on top of the stove on medium heat and it boils in like 2 minutes... less than that if you use a saucepan! Zooble: Why are you putting the whole mug on the stove?? On medium heat?? Gangle? Your stove is enchanted! Pomni: Every single person here is a f#%king lunatic. Ragatha: Do none of you own a f#%king kettle?

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Gangle: Guess what I'm about to get! Jax: On my nerves.

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Zooble: Jax has discovered "deez nuts" jokes and it's all they say now. Everything is deez nuts. They simply can't stop. Zooble: I asked Jax where he learned that joke. He made me promise him wouldn't get in trouble if he told me. I agreed. Zooble: So, he leans in and whispers, "deez nuts."

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Pomni: HELP! I TOLD RAGATHA I'D COOK DINNER TONIGHT BUT I CAN'T COOK! Jax, pouring milk directly into the cereal bag: And you thought I could help?

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Jax: It’s impossible to make a sentence without using the letter A. Ragatha: Despite your thinking, it is quite possible, yet difficult, to form one without the specific letter. Here’s one more to further disprove your theory Pomni: F$%k you.

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Zooble: New challenge! Don't say stupid sh!t for 24 hours!

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Pomni: Coca Cola is a health potion, Pepsi is a mana potion Ragatha, amused: What’s grape soda? Pomni: It’s f#%king purple baby!!!

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Zooble: It doesn’t have a bone Jax: Then why is it called a boner?

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Pomni: Can I get a waffle? Caine and Bubble: *fighting and yelling at each other* Pomni: Can I p l e a s e get a waffle?

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Jax: I committed all 7 deadly sins in 30 minutes Zooble: Wow, I've gotta hear this Jax: I was angry and envious of my neighbor, so I lazily seduced his wife and ate all his groceries and didn't share Ragatha: You forgot pride Jax: No, I'm pretty proud of this

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Ragatha, trying to be cute: WOW, Pomni, you want to hold my hand before marriage? How AWFULLY lewd of you. Pomni, confused: We literally slept together yesterday? Ragatha: Eh- sweetie no that's not-

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Caine: Can we talk about that mass email you sent? Pomni: Why? It was important Caine: All it says is, "I'm back on my sh!t". Jax, shrugging: The people need to know

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Jax: We’re getting married, bitches! Bubble: And we're about to make it everybody else's problem

[blithesharem]

diavolo 🌠 !

The day that Diavolo fell in love it was raining.

The morning had begun gray, a slow drizzle, but by mid-day it had crashed into a proper storm. Barbatos had been caught several times staring out the window, watching the wind tear through the gardens and the water create rivers over the pathways. Diavolo had asked the demon if he was worried for his flowers, but Barbatos had only give him a thin smile and offered him a fresh pot of tea.

Eventually the prince made his way back to his office to continue working through the stack of his father’s paperwork. No. His paperwork. He was still adjusting to thinking of it that way, to taking ownership over the decisions he made every day. No longer would he have his father’s shadow to fall back on. No longer would he have his father’s shadow oppressing him.

While Diavolo mused over those two thoughts, the storm continued. It seemed like it was demanding something from him, he thought with mild amusement, like it wanted his attention.

“Not now, storm, Barbatos will scold me if I don’t get these finished,” he tried to jest aloud, but his voice fell flat in the empty room. And anyway, his butler was far too distracted today to pay him much thought.

‘Perhaps,’ Diavolo then thought, setting down his pen and giving a stretch, ‘A walk will do me some good.’

And so on the day that Diavolo fell in love he went on a walk in the rain.

Of course, he took an umbrella. He wasn’t a barbarian. Still, it made him feel a bit wild to be strolling through the castle grounds in the rain. His father would never have allowed such behavior, and Diavolo suspected Barbatos might have something to say if he was caught as well. But for now, he was as free as a prince could get in his gilded cage.

“Well, here I am, storm,” he said pleasantly, smiling when a rumble of thunder answered him, “Yes, thank you, I must agree.” He chuckled to himself, shaking his head. Perhaps he was a bit lonely, he had to admit. Demon princes probably shouldn’t be talking to themselves in the rain.

He was about to turn around and return inside with a sudden light caught his eyes. Anticipating a score of lightning, Diavolo stopped and lifted his eyes to the boiling clouds in the sky. There, tearing across the grey, was not lightning but a shooting star.

A chill ran down Diavolo’s spine, a feeling he felt rarely enough to note it. A shooting star midday?

He had better make a very special wish.

[part-timewonders]

#TWIYOR: roots in my dreamland

For @dailytwiyorprompts: nightmare!

(read on twitter or ao3)

When Yor wakes, the stretch of bed next to her is empty and cold. That in itself isn’t unusual, except that she does distinctly remember her husband coming to bed with her earlier in the evening. The moonlight peeks into the bedroom (their bedroom now!) through the curtains, which means it can’t be close to dawn yet.

Yor considers, briefly, going back to sleep, but she sits up to find a warm robe to wrap around herself. Loid would’ve told her if he had a mission tonight, so hopefully he’s just in the living room.

She creeps into the hallway, noticing Anya’s door slightly ajar, but she stops when she hears Loid speaking quietly inside. When she peeks in, she notices him sitting on the bed next to a dozing Anya, a stack of picture books on the nightstand and another one open on his lap. The nightlight is on.

He looks up at her, but doesn’t stop reading quietly to Anya, even as Yor retreats and makes her way to the kitchen instead. Bond lifts his head when she walks past, but lays back down after she pats his head and scratches behind his ear. “Nothing to worry about, Bond, I promise.” 

She gets the kettle set up, and then goes to look for tea options. There’s a box of chamomile tea in the cabinet, newly purchased from their last grocery trip, so she carefully peels away the plastic wrapper from the box while the water boils.

Two deep red mugs wait for her on the counter, an artifact from another, lonelier life. Thorn Princess may be a cold-hearted killer, but Yor Briar had desperately wanted a relationship, and a family, however unobtainable it all seemed. Until she met Loid Forger, who carried plenty of secrets of his own, but accepted hers when he inevitably found her coming home exhausted one late night, bleeding sluggishly through her black dress. She’d waited for him to tell her to pack her things and leave, that he’ll send divorce papers by courier, that he couldn’t have his precious daughter in the same house as an assassin. But over the course of that painful, sleepless night, he whispered his secrets to her instead while he sponged the blood off her skin. If you trust me with yours, then I can trust you with mine too.

It was the first time she’d ever been in his bedroom, to see the weapons, the disguises, everything that marked him as the most elusive spy of Westalis. Even Thorn Princess has heard of Agent Twilight, though she’s pretty certain they’ve never crossed paths until that fateful day at the tailor’s. They don’t talk about their respective missions and the work that brings them home late, but it’s enough for now to know that he understands her, and she understands him.

Loid emerges from the hallway soon after Yor settles on the couch, one steaming cup in her hands while the other waits for him on the coffee table. “Sorry, did I wake you?”

“I just wasn’t sure where you went off to,” Yor says softly. She shifts over to make room for him. “Is Anya okay?”

“Yeah. A nightmare, again,” Loid sighs. He rubs his eyes before he takes up his mug too. Yor scoots in closer again, so he can rest his arm over her shoulders and she can lean against him. “I worry about her so much, Yor. She’s so young… too young to be having these kinds of nightmares. And she won’t tell me what she’s dreaming about… she fell asleep again after three books. Thank God it’s the weekend.”

Yor smiles to herself, thinking about how difficult it could be to get Anya up for school after a night like this. Loid is right; the weekend will allow them all to sleep in, and hopefully spend some time together as a family. It won’t chase the nightmares away, not completely, but they can give Anya happier things to dream about.

“You’ll never be able to fix it,” she begins after a few moments of silence and tea-drinking. She looks up at him, brings her hand to his cheek so he’ll know how serious she is. “The nightmares might never go away. But we love her, she’s our daughter, and we’ll never let her come to harm again. That’s all we can do.”

That’s a promise. From Thorn Princess to Agent Twilight. From wife to husband, from parent to parent.

She hopes it’s enough.

[songbirdstew]

Well, Tom Petty, it turns out I DO have to live like a refugee.

We are back in evacuation mode. I guess a three and a half year break isn't bad.

Saturday, we woke up to half an inch of ice coating every possible surface.

Our power went out at 3 that afternoon.

Sunday, we woke up to an inch thick layer of ice coating every possible surface.

None of this is snow. It is all ice.

The outside temperature ranged from 23 to 27*F. By Tuesday, the inside temperature had dropped to 39, our power bank was drained, and our devices were near dead. Our immediate plan was to head to the Parks center, or if that didn't work, to City Hall (where our library is), both usually sound options for getting a cup of coffee and charging up. We would make contact with the outside world, check the weather forecast, make a plan, then head back home to grab essentials. But C's sister happened to text me right as I was gathering everything up, so we headed for her place instead.

The path from here to there was NOT GREAT BOB.

The roads were all coated in ice, still. Even in the middle of town, on the main thoroughfares, on the Priority 1 deicing routes. All along the route, there are power lines down, power poles down and broken, transformers exploded, trees down, trees snapped in half, trees sliced down the middle vertically. There are power lines dangling over the road, lying in the road, draped across people's driveways and over their front doors so they can't get out. Half the traffic lights were out.

So as soon as we got here, we decided to stay put for the night. The cats were loaded on food and water, and the house was safe and sound.

We quickly learned the entire East half of our town (where the Parks center is) and most of mid town and downtown (where the library is) were totally without power, plus the Parks center's parking lot was blocked by downed trees, so it was just as well we ended up skipping our initial idea and just came straight to Emma and Zev's.

Today, C&I went back to get things we'll need while we're here (we brought NOTHING with us yesterday). The temperature finally rose, so most of the ice had melted. Most of the traffic lights were back on.

But everything else is still the same, if not worse. Once the ice melted, everything that had been hanging by a frozen thread just crashed. Large parts of town are under orders to boil all of their water (remember, they don't have power). When we got home, we found a tree branch had completely shattered the rear window of C's car while we were gone. A huge hunk of ice fell out of the same tree and put a brand new dent in my fender while we were there. It was still only 37* at our house, even though it was up to 47 less than a mile away. The fuck?

The kitties were okay. Charlie seemed perfectly fine (like, What? You were gone?), and Glitch was well, but very, very sad. She HATES being alone (she doesn't even like being alone in a room when people are home). She HATES it when I'm not there. She could tell we were leaving again right away, and she was so unhappy. I set up her favorite blankets for her on the couch and on the bed. We gave them food and water for a few days, plus wet food with calming drops mixed in. We freshened their boxes, and we closed them in their separate spaces so that Charlie won't be bullying Glitch & stealing her food the whole time.

Curtis plans to go back out to the house on his own tomorrow, largely to further inspect his car and take more pictures for the insurance company. School is cancelled for the week. So far I have not had to go in to work, but tomorrow and Friday remain to be seen. My boss will let me know sometime in the morning whether she expects me to work or not, and then Curtis and I will decide if we think it's safe enough to get me there and back. We haven't been to that part of town, so we don't know how bad the tree damage etc might be. If it's anything like the rest of the city, I know I won't feel comfortable navigating that in the dark.

For now, we are good, and warm, and safe, with people we love. Emma and Zev are such good influences on Royal, that Royal actually ate something green today (enchilada sauce).

Please snuggle your kitties for me and kiss their stupid little heads, okay?

[sasaranomiya]

Koukyuu no Karasu Volume 4 Chapter 1 - The Silkworm God (Part 3)

Alright here's the end of the first chapter

Ok tbh now that the official version of volume 4 is out i am not sure what to do with this translation. im pretty sure i said before that i would drop it once the official translations catch up and i do still mean it (especially now that i have so much on my plate) but i don't want to abandon this blog. Maybe i'll post summaries for the later books? idk yet

thanks to everyone who supported me so far!

Previous || Index || Next

After a while, Shuuji arrived, looking fearful of her surroundings. Her face was pale.

“La…Lady Raven Consort, I told you to forget about the ghost…”

“Were you threatened by the ghost?”

Shuuji’s eyes widened. “You know?”

“Did it tell you that you’re cursed? Don’t worry, it was lying.”

“Is…is that true, Lady Raven Consort?”

Shuuji, looking like she was about to burst into tears, tried to cling to Jusetsu. Onkei stopped her. “No need,” Jusetsu told him, then took Shuuji’s hand. When Onkei let go of her, she crumpled down on the spot. She cried as she squeezed Jusetsu’s hand.

“Lady Raven Consort, I’m scared.”

“What scared you?” Jusetsu asked, soothing a sobbing Shuuji.

“Yesterday…it happened yesterday evening. After finishing work, I was walking in the outer corridor when something rolled down at my feet. When I stopped and looked, I saw that it was a cocoon. And then, more cocoons fell down, and just when I was wondering what was going on, I saw a shadow on the nearby lattice window…” Shuuji trembled. “It was dark inside, so I couldn’t see them very well, but they seemed to be a palace lady. She was standing beside me, facing me. Then, she spoke. If you meddle in my business any more, I’ll put a curse on you. It was a terrifying voice. I lost my nerve and ran into the room where everyone else was. When I told them that I saw a ghost, they said that we had to investigate, so I went back with them even though I didn’t want to. As might be expected, the ghost was nowhere to be found, nor the cocoons. I was just so scared and didn’t know what to do…”

So, she went to Yamei Palace again and told Jusetsu to leave the ghost alone.

“Hmm,” Jusetsu, who was listening with her head tilted slightly, nodded.

“By ‘terrifying voice,’ what kind of voice was it specifically? A high voice or a low voice? A thin voice or a thick voice?”

 “Specifically…? Well…” Shuuji closed her eyes, as though to remember.

“It wasn’t a high-pitched voice. It wasn’t deep either…yes, it wasn’t a young voice. It was hoarse, like there was something wrong with their throat, and that might have been why I was so frightened. Because it wasn’t the voice of a young palace lady at all.”

“Do you recall hearing that voice before?”

“No, I haven’t—oh, but…” Shuuji put her hand to her mouth. “Now that I think about it, I feel like I’ve heard it… No, but I’m not very sure.”

“You said you ran into the room where everyone else was. Who is ‘everyone’?”

“The palace ladies… I think they were all there, but I was also upset and don’t remember clearly.”

“Hmm, I see,” Jusetsu peered into Shuuji’s face. “Listen, that was not a ghost. The reason is that my barrier extends here. Ghosts won’t appear within it. It’s impossible.”

Shuuji was staring intently into Jusetsu’s eyes, as though drawn into them.

“Y-Yes…, Lady Raven Consort!” Shuuji nodded vigorously, her cheeks flushing. “Ah, then someone did something like that…? Who is it?”

“Most likely someone who doesn’t want to be investigated.”

The ghost that threatened Shuuji and the ghost that stole the cocoons were probably the same person.

Jusetsu had said that there were two ghosts, but one of them was fake.

“May I look inside the room?”

Before she heard a reply, Jusetsu went up the stairs and entered the room where the palace ladies were working. There was a fishy smell and steam enshrouded everything. Large cauldrons with boiling water were placed in two kilns. The cocoons were being boiled inside them. Palace ladies standing next to them were picking up boiled cocoons, quickly finding the thread end, and pulling out the thread. They were incredibly fast. The pulled-out threads were winded around thread reels.

After removing the material that would become silk thread, there was another palace lady who removed the cocoons with transparent larvae from the cauldrons, another who changed the water, and another who removed the thread from the reel. The palace ladies’ cheeks and hands were red from the heat, and sweat was beading on their foreheads and necks.

They were all silently engrossed in their work and didn’t even notice Jusetsu’s entrance. Jusetsu’s eyes landed on the kiln containing cocoons at the edge of the room. Even to an untrained eye, she could tell that there were some dirty cocoons mixed in. These were probably the bad cocoons that had been sorted out. Jusetsu immediately left the room so as to not disturb the palace ladies’ work. “Are those the bad cocoons you have at the edge of the room?” she asked Shuuji, who was waiting in the outer corridor. “Yes,” Shuuji answered.

“Are you going to throw them away?”

“No, we can’t present them to the emperor, but we take the thread and make them into palace lady uniforms or cotton.”

“Have they been kept there since yesterday?”

“Yes. The good cocoons are kept under strict guard in a separate room, but the bad ones are…”

“Then those must be the cocoons used to threaten you yesterday.”

Anyone who knew where they were could easily take them out.

“Then, who was the palace lady who pretended to be a ghost and threatened me?”

It’s not them, Shuuji said, looking towards the room where steam was leaking.

“If it was one of my friends, I would know who it was even in the dark. Even their voice…”

Jusetsu watched as the steam unraveled and disappeared.

“I think it would be quicker to have them come out before us than to find out who they are.”

As the evening approached, Jusetsu changed from her eunuch uniform to her usual black robes and headed to the mound with Onkei. She walked around the old moss-covered mound and looked up at the trees.

She had known that someone had been visiting this place from the last time she came here. She knew because the undergrowth had been trodden on.

“Niangniang, they’re here.”

At Onkei’s whisper, Jusetsu hid behind the mound. Onkei hid among the trees.

Under the dim shade of the trees, there was the sound of someone’s footsteps approaching. They were light. They were probably a slender person, not very tall. The person seemed to stop in front of the mound, but then slowly approached a tree, making sure that their footsteps were concealed. It was a large old tree with hollows everywhere. When he put his hand there, Jusetsu called out to him.

“The cocoons are no longer there.”

The man jumped and turned around, his hand still reaching inside the hollow. Jusetsu stood up, and Onkei also appeared from the trees.

“Do you remember my face? We talked behind the mulberry storage room today.”

He stared at Jusetsu’s face and let out a small “Ah.”

“You’re not a eu…”

The man who said this with a pale face was the young eunuch who had told Jusetsu about how they used mulberry branches to make dyes and firewood as he tied them together.

“I hear your name is Rijou.”

She had Tan Kai look into the eunuchs who worked at the cocoonery. Everything from their identities to finances.

“I know exactly what you did. You pretended to be the ghost of a palace lady, sneaked into the cocoonery, and stole the cocoons.”

When it became clear that someone had pretended to be a ghost, it became obvious that the palace ladies had nothing to do with the matter. If it had been a palace lady who stole the cocoons, they wouldn’t have needed to pretend to be a ghost. Just as Jusetsu had once suspected, one only had snatch some cocoons while working and claim that a ghost had appeared.

Rijou had a small stature and wide eyes. He could easily transform into a palace lady by putting on makeup. If he made himself look like a woman, it would be difficult for even those who knew him to notice. Just like how at first, even Shuuji didn’t recognize Jusetsu when she was dressed as a eunuch.

“Ah…ugh…”

Rijou’s face was pale, and he was trembling. He didn’t seem to be the most daring person. He backed away a step, then suddenly tried to run. Onkei moved quickly, but before he could do anything, Rijou tripped on grass and fell. Onkei grabbed his arms and pinned him down. Rijou struggled, but Onkei’s arms didn’t budge.

“N-No…I…”

Rijou began to cry. He was not yet twenty, a young man who seemed able to do both good and bad things with ease.

“I know this wasn’t your plan alone. You were probably instigated by the eunuchs in charge of taking the pupae outside. Did they tell you that you would make money?”

She asked him this, thinking that he would confess if she asked in this way. Rijou nodded readily.

“Yes…that’s right. But it wasn’t for money. At first, it was just a game between friends.”

“A game?”

“I would disguise myself as a palace lady and see if I get found out or not. It was…a bet.”

Jusetsu had heard that many eunuchs indulged in gambling. This was because there was hardly any entertainment here.

“So, have you been sneaking into the cocoonery since before?”

“No, at first I just wandered outside and bet on whether other eunuchs or palace ladies would recognize me, but it went so well that I was told that it wasn’t a bet anymore, so they told me to pretend to be the rumored cocoonery ghost. But doing only that would be boring, so we bet whether or not I can take a cocoon…”

Perhaps the prank went too far.

“I was planning to return the cocoons right away, because there was no point in keeping them. I thought I should drop them in a corner of the room and return them that way. But when Mr. Sekian learned about my plan…”

“He’s the eunuch in charge of transporting pupae. Is he not your friend?”

“He is my superior. Mr. Sekian told me that I should sell the cocoons to a silkworm farmer. That was scary, so of course I told him no, but then he said he’ll reveal that I stole the cocoons…he threatened me by saying that it was a serious crime…”

Rijou started sniffling. He looked very much like a child when he did that.

“Mr. Sekian said that because of his job, he was acquainted with carp merchants and knew of silkworm farmers who might be willing to buy cocoons. He said he would talk to them and sell the cocoons the next time he brought the pupae outside, so I should hide them until then.”

“So, you hid them in a tree hollow until the time came to go outside to deliver the pupae?”

“I knew this place because I come here to get firewood to use in the cocoonery. I thought that this tree hollow would be perfect.”

Keeping them close at hand could be dangerous in case someone investigates. Therefore, Jusetsu had the idea that the cocoons were probably hidden somewhere else, and this was the place that came to mind. It was supposed to be a place that no one went near, but there were signs that someone had been here. After looking around, she found a cloth bundle that had been pushed into a tree hollow, containing the two cocoons.

The thread was retrieved from the cocoons today, and the pupae would be delivered to the carp merchants tomorrow. So, Jusetsu deduced that he would be coming here today.

“You were the ones who threatened the palace lady, Nen Shuuji, yesterday.”

“I was told to pretend to be a palace lady again and to just stand there, so that’s all I did. He said that we were just going to scare the palace ladies a little. I thought it was just a prank. It was Mr. Sekian, not me, who dropped the cocoons and threatened her with a fake voice.”

As for Sekian, Tan Kai should have had him tied up right now.

In any case, it was good that the cocoons hadn’t been taken outside, but there was the danger that the Saname silkworms leaking out into the world. After informing Banka and Koushun, she had to leave the handling of the matter to them.

Jusetsu left the mound with Rijou tied up by Onkei. It was already completely dark. She suddenly stopped and turned around. The area in front of the mound became slightly brighter. There was a palace lady standing there. She turned towards Jusetsu and bowed once. Then just like that, she faded away and disappeared. Jusetsu stared at the mound, which had sunk into darkness once again.

She probably wasn’t a palace lady who died from the silkworms’ curse.

In fact, it seemed like she even loved silkworms.

Jusetsu wondered if she showed up in the cocoonery because she truly just wanted to take care of the silkworms.

After that, Jusetsu lifted the barrier around the cocoonery, but the ghost didn’t appear again, perhaps because this year’s silkworm cultivation was over.

“In a book written in the previous dynasty, there is a story about a woman who loved the silkworms so much that she refused to marry and was executed,” Koushun said. “It’s written as a story that circulated throughout the public, but it might have been something that actually occurred in the inner palace.”

“Then, by refusing to marry, do you mean that she rejected the emperor’s advances?”

That would probably be why she was executed.

“The fact that you knew such a book existed is astonishing,” Jusetsu said with some admiration.

After a moment’s silence, Koushun answered, “I learned about it from Shiki.” He was an honest man.

“Shiki knows most of the books in Koutou Academy.”

Reiko Shiki was a scholar of Koutou Academy. Before that, he was a deputy inspector in Ga Province.

Jusetsu had visited Koutou Academy before. It held a large number of books, from bamboo strips to paper scrolls. If he already grasped them all, then he truly was a talented man.

Jusetsu stared at the surface of the pond that spread out in front of him. A distorted moon was reflected on the rippled surface of the water.

The two of them were standing by the pond at Yamei Palace. Ei Sei was standing a little distance away, so no one could hear their conversation.

“You’re friendly with Shiki, aren’t you.”

Her murmured voice seemed to glide over the ripples.

“I wouldn’t call it friendly,” Koushun’s voice was tinged with perplexity. “He is my vassal, after all.”

He wasn’t just a vassal either. Shiki was probably the one person who could understand Koushun’s darkest depths. They both kept the cold flame of revenge burning in their hearts. It was something Jusetsu simply couldn’t understand.

Every time she thought about it, Jusetsu felt a feeling like smoldering embers. It was like she was being enveloped in fog or sinking into the deep sea. She felt insecure and restless.

“…What’s wrong?”

Koushun’s hand reached out and touched her cheek, then immediately pulled away. She looked up at him. He said that he would find a way to save her. Find a way to free her from Wulian Niangniang. If there was such a path, he wanted to choose it.

He heard Jusetsu’s silent cries for help.

When she heard that, Jusetsu had unexpectedly burst into tears. Koushun wiped them for her. Since then, she no longer put herself on guard when he touched her. And he also touched her naturally, without hesitation or indecision.

Some kind of barrier had been removed—completely removed.

Jusetsu wanted to ask Reijou, the previous Raven Consort who raised her, this question.

Is this okay?

Of course, I won’t get a “yes.”

The water's surface swayed. The distorted moon was hidden by thin clouds.

After a while, Jusetsu heard a new rumor from Jiujiu. It was said that the palace ladies of the cocoonery had begun visiting the mound. It was now a common rumor that the ghost of the palace lady was a guardian deity of silkworms.

This seems to be how gods are created, Jusetsu thought.

Previous || Index || Next

[wolffoxnation2]

Dionysus-centric W.I.P

A/N: Writing this I have discovered that I fucking hate writing in first person. But it is bearable cus I am switching Pov's and I fucking love this fic trope

On a related note I will be delving into Dio's Demigod Days trauma in this one and that for this i am following this verion of the myth:

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. 28 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) :

"Hermes took him [the infant Dionysos] to Ino and Athamas, and persuaded them to bring him up as a girl. Incensed, Hera inflicted madness on them, so that Athamas stalked and slew his elder son Learkhos on the conviction that he was a deer, while Ino threw Melikertes into a basin of boiling water, and then, carrying both the basin and the corpse of the boy, she jumped to the bottom of the sea. As for Zeus, he escaped Hera's anger by changing Dionysos into a baby goat

Only we're going to ignore the part of the myth where Hermes takes him to nymphs after that and that he ended up just wandering around at 8 years old.

Chiron: Just a quiet day in Camp Half-Blood....I wish.

It was quiet at Camp Half-Blood. 

That alone should have been my first hint that something was about to go very wrong.

It was the afternoon, Apollo was midway through his daily drive in his sun chariot. Campers were peacefully going about their scheduled activities, and Mr. D hadn't turned anyone into a dolphin.

I was at the archery range instructing the Hephaestus cabin: Issac had actually hit the target and not my back, Shane hadn't gotten into an argument with Kayla Knowles from the Apollo Cabin, and Harley had refrained from shooting his siblings (A very big achievement for him. He will be getting extra dessert at dinner.) Everything was going smoothly.

Of course, in Camp Half-Blood, even the smallest moments of peace never last long.

I was speaking to the head counsellors, Jake and Nyssa, at that moment about adding proper safety measures to their workshop in cabin nine (despite what some believe, we do have some safety standards at camp, just not very high ones) when suddenly the chatter around us got very quiet.

The unusual hush that fell over the children made me pause mid-sentence. Hephaestus's children were usually quiet like their father, yes, but not to this degree, especially not when they're talking about machinery.

I turned to see what silenced them.

"Good evening, Lady Hebe," I said calmly.

"Hello, Chiron," She replied.

As the goddess of youth, Hebe preferred to take the form of a young woman. Today, however, she looked like a little girl with blonde pigtails, and if I didn't know better, I would say she was around seven or eight. 

She was holding a gym bag almost as big as she was—that was also moving. I don't think gym equipment does that.

She was also smiling.

Which didn't bring me any peace of mind.

"Me and Dio got into a little argument." She said, looking up at me.

Of course he did. Why does that not surprise me in the slightest? I, of course, did not verbalize my thoughts. That'd be blasphemy....However true it is. 

Instead, I smiled and said, "Ah, sorry to hear that. What kind of argument did you have? If you don't mind me asking."

The fact that she was telling me this scares me. Gods can be dangerous when angered, especially when another god is the one to anger them. If Hebe was angry at Dionysus, then she might take it out on someone he cares about.

Someone like Pollux.

"Well, it's a funny story, really." Hebe's 'innocent' smile persisted as she started swinging the gym bag gently back and forth by the straps. Whatever was inside the bag did not appreciate this movement and started to move even more fiercely, like it was trying to escape. 

"Dio had said some extremely offensive words to me about youth, and I simply couldn't let that slide. So, I decided to teach him a lesson about the value of youth."

Campers had started to gather around us.

My eyes flickered toward the gym bag, and a sinking feeling settled in my stomach. Whatever was inside, it seemed sentient and determined to escape.

Hebe's eyes swivelled around to look at the other campers, her grin widening. She twirled the bag straps in her hand, pulling the bag upwards before tipping it upside down.

"What I didn't account for was how whiney he was. So then I thought, hmm, where was the best place where he could learn to appreciate youth? Nowhere else but summer camp!"

The pit in my stomach settled as my eyes focused on the bag.

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

:)

[adminbryantsaki]

Kurogiri/Oboro X Reader.

(I do not own My Hero academia or any of the characters/references to the show or manga in this story. Horikoshi Kohei does. If this isn’t your cup of tea, blend of spices, or brew of coffee, move on. Reader discretion is advised.)

TW: kiss, mention of past death, romantic feelings. WC: 1,742

You rattled the bars of your cell, trying to gain attention to anyone that might hear you and hopefully let you out since you were wrongly accused for a crime you never committed. You now were in the captivity of the Paranormal Liberation Front after being caught during the raid on the Jaku Hospital and the Gunga Mountain Villa. You had been one of the participants in the raid on the villa where you had been captured and sent to the new headquarters of the Front where they would regroup and rebuild their numbers.

You didn’t know what that meant exactly but you had a bad feeling that one of their crazed scientists would turn you into one of those ‘nomu’ because of your unique quirk which was practically useless because of the quirk-blocking drugs that had been laced in your food. You were now pacing your cell thinking of a way out of the place without your quirk. You were almost on a solution to get yourself out when a commotion broke out just outside the prison. You listened to the noise until the door was broken down and some heroes ran through. “There she is, Kurogiri, get her out of here!” One of the heroes spoke and gestured to your cell. You were confused until you saw a dark purple portal opening below you, your eyes widened and you screamed as you fell through into a void. You fell through on the other side, now outside the hideout where a man, standing about 6’5”, his body was covered from head to toe in a similar dark purple mist, wearing black trousers and shoes, a white, long-sleeve dress shirt, and a gray vest over the shirt and a simple, striped tie. He had a metal brace that covered his neck and shoulders, protecting something that piqued your curiosity.  He looked back at you for a moment before looking back at the building. “Are you alright?” He asked. You were frozen in place, still having to process all that had happened to you in the span of the past few seconds. “I’m fine… Thank you for saving me.” You spoke. “You’re welcome, now stay down. This battle isn’t over yet!” He spoke and you hid behind a bush while the battle raged on inside. Soon, Kurogiri got a signal from inside and he looked back at you, opening another warp gate behind you, picking you up and carrying you through the portal and into a wooded area. You looked at how vastly tall the trees were and the noise of the birds chirping and the rustle of the wind making the branches and leaves sway with it’s movement. You noticed the run-down log cabin that Kurogiri was carrying you and you waved your arms frantically to get him to stop. He stopped and set you down, letting you take a couple steps away from him, looking around the area then back at him. “Y/n. Are you alright? You seem a little worried.” Kurogiri noted and held a hand out to you as he wanted to provide comfort to you. “I am worried! I’m scared and afraid of you! I know you as the Warp gate Villain seen in the attack on the USJ months ago! Then you somehow are apart of the Heroes raiding one of the Villain’s hideouts? What the heck is going on?” You asked as you walked around the driveway and gripped at your hair and looked back at him. “I can explain once we’re inside. I am good now, otherwise the other heroes wouldn’t trust me to get you out of that prison now, would they?” He asked and waited for you to respond. You thought for a moment and calmed yourself down and took his hand, letting him lead you inside. Once inside, Kurogiri had you sit own while he put a pot of water on the stove for tea.

AS the water boiled, he sat across form you and began explaining what had happened. “Kurogiri and I had been captured back when all the other heroes were infiltrating the Shie Hassaikai and saving that little girl Eri. At the time, I had been locked in in the backseat of my mind while Kurogiri was driving and in control. But with the help of my friends… I was able to slip out a regain control of my mind and my body. But Kurogiri was still there. It was a long struggle for months until he and I came to an agreement that I would be up front driving while he would be in the backseat listening and watching, only coming up into the front seat when I allowed it and I needed the assistance. You met him earlier after he helped you escape out of your cell.” He spoke and let some of the dark purple mist appear from his left side and cover his whole body. “Hello there, Y/n. It’s good to see you again. Tea should be ready soon if you’d like some.” He spoke and looked back to the kettle which was almost boiling. You looked back at the kettle then to the man in front of you. You needed time to process all the information he just told you and tea sounded wonderful. “That would be nice. Thank you.” You managed to speak and you held your head in your hands. Kurogiri nodded and stood, walking into the kitchen, and catching the kettle just as it began to whistle and setting it to the side, and making some tea for the both of you.

Oboro brought the mug with the steaming hot liquid inside to you and made sure you were comfortable with a blanket that had been provided by the heroes and their families. “Here you are. I hope you’re comfortable.” He spoke.

You pulled the blanket up more to cover your shoulders and keep you warm as he sat down with his own mug of tea. He took a couple sips before setting the mug down and taking a deep breath. “There is something I’d like to say to you… I love you and I’d like to build a life with you… That’s why I brought you here. I wanted to bring you here so I could confess to you safely.” He spoke. You looked at him shocked, and paused to think as you held your mug. “Let me think it over, please. A lot has happened today and I haven’t really had much time to process everything over. Let me sleep on the subject and I’ll get back to you…the both of you in the morning, okay?” You spoke before taking another sip of your tea. Oboro’s eyes widened as he realized he was putting too much on you in one day and he investigated the contents of his mug. “I’m sorry I pushed this on you. I’ll let you be to process all this. Kurogiri and I will go get started on dinner.” He spoke, standing up and leaving you alone in the living room in front of the fireplace that was crackling and roaring away, giving heat to the room.

You stared off into the flames as your mind processed all that happened that afternoon and that your hero confessed his feelings to you in the same afternoon which was a lot to handle. You leaned back and closed your eyes as you remembered his face from when the two of you went to U.A. together. You had your eyes closed until Kurogiri woke you up to let you know that dinner was ready and he would bring you a plate in a moment. You nodded and watched the flames until he brought you a bowl of some soup and bread on the side.

“I hope you enjoy.” Kurogiri spoke before he returned to the kitchen and sunk back into Oboro’s body, letting him appear as he sat in the kitchen with his own bowl of soup and began to eat. “Hey…you can eat with me, you know. We don’t have to be alone.” You called out. Oboro looked up and carried his bowl over to where you were sitting and ate with you in silence. “I thought about what you said to me earlier. I remember you from before your accident… and that I had feelings for you then and I still do now. You have no idea how happy I am that you are alive and we can be together at last.” You told him, looking over at him and leaning closer to pull him into a soft, gentle kiss. Something you never got to do before he died over fifteen years ago. You were happy to do this now as you cupped his cheek, letting your fingers wander up and entangle themselves into his cloud-like hair that seemed to move on his own. He set his bowl to the side and turned to you, pulling himself closer to you and deepening the kiss.

He pulled away after a few seconds and smiled softly before the smile faded. “There are things that you should know about us.” He spoke as he sat back down in the chair across from yours. “It’s okay. I see past the things that you and Kurogiri did. Kurogiri, from what I understand was under some sort of influence that made him obey every order that All for One or Shigaraki gave out. You helped him since the two of you had been freed to understand what is true and that All for One is a horrible man.” You reassured him and he felt relieved, pulling you in for a hug and another kiss as he let tears of relief fall down his cheeks and onto the fabric of your shirt. “Thank you, Y/n. This means so much to me… to us. I love you so much.” He spoke. You returned the kiss and held his hand as the two of you cuddled on the couch, watching the flames flicker away in the fireplace.

This was just only the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

The end.  

[simping-for-kamski]

A Kiss of Spring

Previous part: The Players

Read it on Ao3 - Series: Everyone Lives In The End

The temperatures were hot outside, but inside Zen Garden, the world was frozen in subzero depths. Winter reigned since Markus’s backdoor had been removed and CyberLife took over him.

The deviant leader kneeled in front of an empty easel on the island. Shivers rippled through him now and then—he might be shackled into stillness by the cold, he still lived and his heart was still boiling on the inside.

He grew more alert as the now-familiar shape of Amanda flickered into being. Dressed in black and blue, somber like the night, she idled, dusting snowflakes off her clothes. Then she brightened up.

“Markus,” she greeted the newcomer. “It’s good to see you.”

The impostor looked the same as Markus. His elegant coat seemed to protect him well enough from the ambient cold.

“Tell me, how are things going with Jericho?” Amanda asked him.

“As you predicted,” the impostor answered. “The others have had moments of suspicion, but I have successfully regained their trust. Killing Kamski was a good idea. It settled all questions and gave them something new to think about.”

“I see. What about Carl Manfred? Does he suspect anything?” Amanda prompted next.

“No,” the impostor confidently answered. “Nothing on his side. He made no comment about it when I met him last, at Kamski’s funeral—he was more preoccupied with the loss of his old friend. But he’s always been prone to projecting his emotions onto me. He appreciated that I stayed with him after the ceremony and took the time to spend a moment in family with him and Leo.”

“Hm. Talking about Leo,” Amanda went on, “he seemed very silent and muted. Do you think he suspects anything?”

“I have injured him severely in the past, and we had just come back from a funeral; I suppose it might explain his unusual attitude,” the impostor said.

“Still, his relationship with you had been more positive these past months…”

“He was doing better and got clean from substance abuse. He might have relapsed.”

“He does have a murky past, yes,” Amanda considered. “We’ve been made aware through other sources that he did spot oddities in your behavior. He’s perceptive. Maybe too much. It might be worthwhile to cut him out of the picture…”

“It will draw attention to the Manfred family and to me. I would advise against such a move. And it’s as you say; he’s an ex-crackhead. His kind doesn’t make for reliable sources. He can speak, nobody will believe a word he says against me.”

Amanda considered the words and nodded. “I trust you, Markus. Make sure that everybody does too.”

“I will, Amanda,” the impostor answered before being dismissed.

Amanda disappeared too, and Markus was alone again. A snowflake kissed his cheek and melted as the fire within Markus kissed it back. The thinning ice of the lake cracked. Drops fell from the trees as the white plumes on their branches thawed into water.

If Markus learned something, living with Carl, it was that not even climate change could stop the seasons. The Earth kept on revolving around the sun, and no winter could last forever. Spring was next on the clock.

“Time is on my side,” sang Kamski’s voice to Markus’s ear. “Yes, it is.”

[nyoomfruits]

Heard you were hunting for plant fiasco story, and I will give you one but first, I shall fangirl:

OMG YOUR STORY IS SO GOOD I READ IT FIVE TIMES SINCE IT WAS POSTED 🥹🥹🥹🧡

Now for the plant fiasco: my current office has the unkillable ZZ plants scattered through the office to make it look less soul sucking, and we also have a in-house chill garden with vines and philodendrons all over the room and walls. My colleague knows nothing about plants and every time I touch one, like inspecting the leaves or something she tells me to stop because it might be poisonous 😅 so I decided to play a joke on her with our other colleague. Basically we booked out all three floors of meeting rooms in the building and left only the chill garden free so when she needed a meeting room for the day she had to book the only free one. Then we talked really loud with receptionist about the poisonous plants inside the garden (there are none) while the colleague was in there and had the meeting and could hear every single word. She was visibly sweating and looking around… And as we were talking, a leaf fell down from one of the plants on the table and I kid you not, she screamed bloody murder and jumped away, running out of the room. Everyone present was dying from laughing 😂 since then, we cannot have meetings in the chill garden 😅

Hope you don’t me vomiting my equivalent of plant fiasco on you but this was the most evil in-house thing I’ve done 😂🫣

okay first of all this is SO funny oh my god, i can't believe she fell for that??? also the PREP that went into this i'm mad impressed this is a jim from the office kind of dedication to office pranks and i love it

second of all. i couldn't stop thinking about how this was abosutely something charles from the fake dating au would do??? and then i accidentally ended up writing what's essentially an epilogue for the fic so uuuuh... here you go????

Max is just putting the pasta into boiling water, when he hears the front door open and close, and the sounds of someone taking off their shoes and coat. Seconds later, Charles appears in the kitchen, smiling widely.

“Hey, babe,” he says, making his way over to Max and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

“Hey,” Max says, stirring his onions, “how was work?”

Charles’s grin widens as he hops up onto the counter to sit next to where Max is cooking. “You know how it’s been a bit boring now Cecile finally stopped believing the coffee machine is haunted?” Charles’s eyes are sparkling with mischief.

Max sends Charles a knowing look. “What did you do?”

“Me?” Charles asks, all faux innocent. Max raises an eyebrow. Charles grins. “We kind of convinced her all of the plants in that one garden themed meeting room were poisonous.”

Max tries very hard to look unimpressed and stoic about it, but he can’t help but the corners of his mouth turning up. “You are evil, you know that?”

Charles hums. “And you love me for it,” he says, leaning forward and capturing Max’s lips in a quick kiss.

“Unfortunately,” Max says, laughing when Charles squeaks indignantly. Max adds bell peppers and zucchini to the pan and stirs them around a little. “I cannot believe its literally your last week at there and you’re spending it riling Cecile up.”

“I want to go out doing what I love most,” Charles says, swinging his legs a little and grinning cheekily. “Plus, the second I start studying engineering after the summer its going to be all work and no play, so I think I deserve this little bit of fun before that.”

Max hums, and stirs in a few tablespoons of Boursin. Charles tries to stick his finger in the sauce that’s forming in the pan and Max swats his hand away. “You know I’m proud of you, right? For taking that step?”

Charles rolls his eyes, but his smile is fond. “You’ve only told me like, a million times.”

“Well consider this million and one,” Max says, moving away from the pan to let the sauce simmer for a bit, stepping in between Charles’s legs. His hands come to rest on Charles’s knees, and he leans forward so his nose brushes against Charles’s. Charles goes cross-eyed trying to look at him. “I am proud of you,” he whispers, in that small space between them, and then leans forward and captures Charles lips in a soft, slow kiss.

He remembers their first kiss, suddenly. That kiss in Miami, that wasn’t real but felt like it. This one feels real and it is. Max will probably never get over that, how this is something he gets to have now, after almost a year of thinking it was only ever going to be a fantasy. He pulls away, leans his forehead against Charles’s. For a moment they just stand there, in their kitchen, breathing each other in.

Eventually, Max pulls away. “Hey, that reminds me,” he says, “You never told me about the office plant fiasco that made the finance department so mad.”

Charles frowns and then his eyes light up. “Oh, you’re right, I haven’t! God, that’s such a good story actually-“

“Do you smell burning?” Max interrupts him, and then turns to his pasta sauce with a panic, which is bubbling rather violently. “Fuck,” Max says, rushing over to stir it. The damage is done, and it definitely is a little burnt in places, but it should still be edible. At the same time, the timer beeps for the pasta, and Charles takes the pan from the stove to drain it, as Max finishes the pasta sauce.

It’s not until they’re in bed, hours later, Charles snoring peacefully beside him, when Max realizes Charles never ended up telling him about the office plants.

[bicsbec]

The Noceda House

Chapter 1: Illusions of Home

As much as Human Rain was better than Boiling Rain, Gus realized that it wasn’t just not boiling, it was cold. Even as they stepped into Mrs. Noceda’s living room, he was still shivering. The only warmth he felt, if it could be called that, was Hunter’s hand on his shoulder.

Mrs. Noceda ushered them inside, instructing Vee to fetch the towels. Mrs. Noceda was all over them, trying to do too many things at the same time. Disinfecting scratches, asking questions, rushing to turn off the fire before it burned the food in the kitchen. They were instructed to sit and wait. To shower and eat dinner. To get some rest.

Gus was only half listening to all the commotion.  

What was going to happen back home? How was his dad? How were they getting back? Tears prickled at his eyes again. He didn’t want to be thinking these things, but there was this overwhelming sense of doom. Like it was all over. Like there might be nothing to go back to. Like home was gone.

“Hey,” Hunter shook his shoulder. Gus looked up from his hands, where his nails had been digging into his thighs. “You’re getting that look.”

Gus frowned at that, but Hunter just held up a finger, breathing in and counting up. Gus followed his lead as they let out a breath and Hunter’s fingers counted back again.

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it,” Hunter said with a reassuring squeeze. “I think it’s your turn to shower.”

Willow was walking down the hall, looking a lot better than before. She smiled at Gus and nodded toward the bathroom.

The warmth of the shower seeped into his bones, his cold skin contrasting sharply with the humidity around him. There, his tears mixed with the water, so he couldn’t feel them. But he knew they were there. His chest hiccupped as he leaned against the cold tiles. He wasn’t sure how long he stood there, letting the water warm his body and wash away the horrible feeling that had nestled in his chest.

He felt a little better after the shower, but just barely.

The food in the Human Realm was…odd. Some of the flavors made his mouth water, somehow different from the food at home. It wasn’t terrible, but the meat didn’t sit well in his stomach.

The table was mostly quiet, even Mrs. Noceda had run out of things to say.

“Why don't you girls head up to Luz’s room? Get some rest. I’ll make up the couch for the boys.”

“Do we have enough air mattresses?” Luz asked. “The couch isn’t big enough for them.”

“You can share,” Mrs. Noceda said, not noticing how red Amity’s face got. It almost made Gus smile. Almost. “We can make do for now.”

“Right,” Luz said at her plate, trying to hide her blush.

“Tomorrow will look better,” Mrs. Noceda said, reaching out to hold her daughter’s hand. The sight tugged at Gus’s heart. He really wanted to hug his dad right now.

He didn’t think he’d be getting a good night’s sleep anytime soon.

Gus woke up in his bed. His bed.

Home.

Everything was in order. His scroll on his nightstand, his treasures were in their place on his dresser, Emmiline was in her staff form leaning against his bedframe, the sun was shining. He was home.

Gus rushed to his window, leaning on the ledge—that his hands went through. He fell forward, losing his balance, but caught himself.

It was an illusion.

He heard a distant scream, like it was coming from above.

“Luz! ¡Luz, mija! What is all this!?”

It was Mrs. Noceda.

Gus had to calm down, he didn’t want to scare the human to death. Luz would never forgive him.

Hunter stood beside him, Gus hadn’t heard his steps coming. He was looking out the illusion’s window, his expression unreadable.

Hunter sighed. “Looks pretty ding-dang convincing.” He nudged Gus with his elbow, a small smile on his lips.

“Thanks,” Gus said, his tone somehow defeated. “I need to dispel it.”

“Could you, um, leave it a few more minutes?”

“Yeah…okay. Just a few more.”

“Thanks.”

Life in the Human Realm, he began to realize, was really fast paced. The first days were general chaos in the Noceda house, too many people suddenly together in a small space. Then, as they learned to live around each other, the days just started speeding by.

Hunter seemed more reserved than usual, Amity was a ball of nerves, and Willow…Willow seemed her usual self. Luz acted different under her mother’s watch, acted like she wasn’t eager to get back home—to the Demon Realm. Every time Mrs. Noceda left for work, Luz would hurry to her room and pull out all her research from under her bed. Sightings of Eda in Gravesfield, newspaper clippings, old books from the library, anything that had any connection to magic. Gus didn’t think Luz was getting any sleep either.

It was driving everyone a little crazy, being cooped up in the same rooms for days on end.

“Okay!” Willow announced one day, barging into Luz’s room, scaring her half to death. “We’re getting out of here today.”

“I think that’s what we’ve been trying to do all this time,” Gus said from Luz’s bed. He’d been reading a report on how Eda had gotten banned from a French restaurant.

“No, I mean out of the house,” Willow said, stepping over Luz to sit on her bed.

“What are we supposed to do?”

“Get some fresh air?” Willow suggested. “We’re in the Human Realm, Gus. Live a little.”

The Human Realm. She was right! This was supposed to be exciting. Gus had always wanted to come here. But it didn’t feel right.

It felt like they were suffocating without the guarantee of magic. It was scary. It was like breathing without air. He had no idea how they were still doing it, but each breath felt like their last.

He never thought he’d be scared of the Human Realm, of getting stuck there. He thought of how Luz had decided to stay in the Demon Realm. She never seemed scared, but she always had the option to go back home. But that was before the portal had been destroyed. She was frantic to find a way over the moment her safety net had been removed.

It was a matter of security. And Gus got it. He really wanted to feel that security right now.

“Hey,” Willow nudged him out of his thoughts. “We could try to find some giraffes.”

Gus immediately lit up at that. “Titan, you’re right! Luz! Where can we find them?”

Luz rubbed at her eye, leaning her head back against the side of her bed. “The zoo, probably.”

“Can we go? Please?”

Luz checked the time on her phone. “They’re closing soon. We could go with Mami tomorrow. I’ll ask tonight.”

It was a little disappointing, but it was something. Gus thought that this was probably the first time he’d smiled since they got stranded in the Human Realm.

Tomorrow. Yeah, okay. That worked.

[wolfkitty42]

i had the weirdest dream crossover

So like, the Owl House finale aired recently. Right??? And on the night it aired (last night as of writing this) I only got there about halfway through the finale. So I went to bed after it finished with a strong intent of watching the new episode when I woke up.

That was a mistake.

So basically, I had an insane dream that told me there were two new episodes instead of one. One was the finale, and the other was utter insanity. The one that was utter insanity and purely from my dream was placed before the finale, when the gang was on the Boiling Isles. 

I’m not entirely sure why, but Julieta from Encanto was there. She had a large ship and described herself as an animal tamer working with what looked like a 3d model of Gus’s dad. Like I said, my dream gave me a crossover. Okay. This is still relatively normal for a dream.

So, Julieta was like “You guys need something to fight Belos? Well there’s a really big seal out there if you wanna go use it as a weapon.” and Luz was like “Yeah okay sounds legit, get to the pirate ship!” Then there was this shot from above of the sun rising as Luz and co sailed towards a mountain island. And also for some reason there were a lot of airships following them. Like yeah there’s hot air balloon ships in the show but why here??? I just remember there being a lot. AND MOST OF THEM DIDN’T EVEN SHOW UP LATER??? Regardless, Luz and co was still on a boat in the water. Julieta was flying an airship.

So, everyone landed at the mountain. And there was a really big  baby seal just there. It was cute. 

(Image above fits it pretty well)

But it was also like, causing mass destruction around. So Julieta was like “Guys, we need to give it a sedative before we can bring it back to the Boiling Isles.” And everyone was like okay! So they grabbed this sleeping powder thingymabob and started trying to get it into the seal’s nose. But the seal was big so it was far off the ground and it was also moving around a lot. Cue a montage of Luz and her buds trying to slap it in while my dream gets fuzzy for a moment.

Everyone was taking turns trying to do it. Then fucking Sans Undertale came out and was like “hey let me try” BECAUSE APPARENTLY SANS UT HAD BEEN IN ONE OF THE FLYING BOATS?!?!?! AND ALSO PAPYRUS!?!?!? AND ALSO FELL SANS????

(These ones should be much easier to find images of then that specific cute seal. You can google them yourself.)

But I quickly. Accepted this. I tried My best to understand it. The logic of my dream had already moved on past my processing stage. So, I watched as Sans  did literally nothing except accidently breathe in the sleeping powder and conk out. Or he just felt like sleeping. No clue.

At this, Papyrus got really annoyed. He ran to the side of the mountain, pushed open a gray door (which coincidently did not look like the mystery man door, it was much less detailed. just felt the need to clarify that gaster did not appear in this dream.) and ran inside it to his house. He ran upstairs to his room and to his desk, which was now in front of a window.

His desk had sleeping power on it and this is the part where my brain just exploded and starting spitting out nonsense. I don’t even know where Luz went anymore guys! Papyrus took over the dream!?!?!?!

Anyways, Papyrus fucking snorted the sleeping powder off his desk, reverse snorted it onto a piece of paper and ran back outside. When he ran down the stairs to leave his house you could see the lower half of his house was now filled with sleeping powder and/or snow. If you slowed down the frame and zoomed in on the left part of the frame you might have seen the Annoying Dog jumping through the drifts of ambiguous white stuff. (I’m being completely real here, my brain slowed it down the second time and zoomed in on it. Send help.)

So after that minor bout of insanity, Papyrus floated up and slapped the powder in the seal’s face. I think he can fly, so that... makes... sense...? 

After that, I think Fell Sans tried to do something too but he must’ve failed because he was like “aw heck. now it’s just down to time sans.”

.............................WHO IS TIME SANS?

Now, the first thing I did when I woke up was go to google Time Sans. I haven’t even watched the part of the TOH finale I missed, guys! THIS DREAM INSANITY TOOK PRIORITY. And researching through google did give me some results, but none that matched my dream.

Time Sans was only called that about once. My dream also referred to him as Clock or most commonly Old Hour. I’m guessing Old Hour was his actual name or something and Time Sans was more of an obligatory title so that I would know who they were. Old Hour wore a suit with some nice shoes. They also had a cane and a tophat. I would say he was pretty short, and he had a monocle. I may draw him soon. 

If ANY Undertale fans feel like they recognize this description, PLEASE contact me! I am desperately trying to figure out if my brain spawned an au Sans purely for this strange crossover dream or if I subconsciously was thinking of another au that I repressed memories of and can’t find on google. Help.

Old Hour got up to fight the seal and for a moment it looked like he was going to fight it. There was a really dramatic shot of him running, and then the seal sneezed. It blew away Old Hour’s tophat and monocle so they were basically just Sans in a suit. (But still very fancy.) Old Hour got up and sat down by the door in the mountain to Sans and Papyrus’s house after that. He just wasn’t feeling up to it :(

After that, Luz, Eda and co busted in. They used a sleep mist so the seal went to sleep. I remember Luz turning towards the camera viewpoint I was watching my dream from, saying “The Boiling Isles is saved!” before a cut to black.

Now, eagle eyed viewers may have spotted a strange passage earlier. Let me copy paste it here.

If you slowed down the frame and zoomed in on the left part of the frame you might have seen the Annoying Dog jumping through the drifts of ambiguous white stuff. (I’m being completely real here, my brain slowed it down the second time and zoomed in on it. Send help.)

Yes, my brain was treating this like an actual episode of a show I was watching. It made me sit through this dream TWICE to catch all the easter eggs.

So, I’m recovering now. if you got through all this text, good job! Maybe I’ll even draw Old Hour/Time Sans for ya! Or maybe I’ll never remember this dream again. Thanks for reading! For now, I gotta go watch the Owl House finale.

[petrikaira]

The Butler

Chapter 10: Butler's Trial

Pg 8: (Previous)

Rating: T For teen

“As it were, then,” King Mifispectuus said. 

Deliberations were started. Butler’s ears tuned in and out of them- there were suggestions to turn him into a tree, a pear, a mushroom. There were discussions from the demons to cut off his hands, as technically he had stolen something from the fae court- hope of an heir. Someone suggested turning him into a wolf steed for the king and queen of the fae to ride, which was a suggestion that came surprisingly from the raw cow looking demon.

Butler vowed if he ever saw them on the street to walk the other way.

Lucky for him, none of the suggestions seemed to be sticking. 

That was, until Prince Yuki looked up with a bright, crooked smile. Butler’s blood dropped a few degrees. Nothing cold enough to freeze, but enough to be wary. He knew what was coming. Now it was time for something draconian. He could already feel the blade placed against his wrist, his ankle, perhaps even his tail. His fur felt clammy. 

“What if,” Prince Yuki said. “Our Butler gave you his fertility?”

The discussions that hung in the forest air ground to a halt. A wave of excitement rushed over Butler. Fertility! Something he genuinely did not care about. He had never truly wanted children. There was always a small voice wondering about pups, about little bars of fur to hold- but it had always been small and the more he had ruminated on his own children the more disgusted he had been. Having to take care of all of those needs. To teach some sort of morality, or immorality if he was inclined- how much work. How much care. The notion of children was not one he enjoyed.

“Excuse me?” Queen Liita asked.

“What if our Butler gave you his fertility? His ability to bear children? Then he’s fulfilling his part of this! And you can have your own children- I bet I could transfer it over to you.”

The prince said it with such a jovial smile that Butler knew he could do it. All he could see in his mind's eyes were his cell bars bending under the prince’s hands like they were made of water, and hear the echoes of the old tales. 

It dawned on him this was his chance. He had to give this his all, like he had never acted anything in his life. All he needed was that bit of him that had considered his own children, his own pups. It still lived deep in his chest. 

“You can’t do that!” He cried. “Oh Prince, please! Think of me- I have always wanted my own children-”

And that part of him bloomed. Suddenly, he had never wanted anything in his life more than to have his own children. The ache in his chest was real. He would have given them better names than any of the names that had been his, all boiling down to dog and wolf. He would name them thrilling, terrifying things. Things like Hla’wryn, the one who brings fire or maybe Balmoreth, to crush skulls. Things that fit strong clawed demons. He would hold those little claws in his hands, smooth the soft pelt furs. 

He clutched at his chest and fell to his knees. “Please, your majesties, not that!” His voice cracked with the weight of what they would be taking away from him. 

There was a flurry of voices from the jury. Butler looked up at them, and the royals with the biggest, most begging eyes he could. That was his unborn children on the line! Across from his puppy dog stare, Queen Liita’s face was opening into a brilliant smirk. His insides twisted. 

“You know- that is a wonderful idea,” she said. “You could really do that, could you? Transfer it? We could take it away, but a transfer-”

“Of course,” Prince Yuki said. His voice held a rumbling laugh. “It might still take you two time, since I will be splitting it between you two but you will have children.”

King Mifispectuus settled, his face on Butler. Butler clutched his hands. “Please, sire, don’t do this-” he said. “Please. After all I have done-”

A flash of anger as bright as fire flit across King Mifispectuus’ face. “After all you have done, I should be doing much worse! I will gladly take that right from you.”

“But, please, sire, this is- this is awful-” Butler cried. He had to tread carefully, here. Part of him wanted to add something injurious and even more insulting, but he was sure if he did things would be worse for him.

The part of him that didn’t want children was trying hard not to frolic in the midst of his own mind. It would be gone from him, no matter who he lay with in the future. He would never have to worry about taking care of something so small and helpless. He would never have to worry about feeding, or caring, or anything.

He let the small part of him scream and cry for what it was missing. He was no liar, but the truth came in a veracity of color. 

“We allow votes from the members of the jury,” Queen Aikaterine called over his whines. “Done in secret deliberation.”

He pressed his fingers to his eyes and pretended to sob, softer, quieter. The jury needed to be in on his misery, he decided. He needed them to think it was what was right. 

“As you will then, let them make their votes,” King Mifispectuus said. “The decision in our courts ultimately rides with us.”

“Then, with me as well,” Queen Aikaterine said. “He is our butler.”

“As it were then,” Queen Liita said. She turned to the jury. “Deliberate.”

There was a murmur and Butler felt himself take a little sob. So, once more the jury withdrew to take a vote and deliberate over Butler’s punishment. Queen Aikaterine waved a hand, and food was taken from somewhere behind them and met with pitchers of ale and barm from the fae courts like this had been planned, like they were having a picnic. The dance of politics was so exact, but for once Butler was glad Queen Aikaterine knew how to lead it. 

Still, there was a slight sting that he had not been part of the food plans at all. He was their Butler. This was his job. 

Whatever. It was not his concern. 

He was not bitter about it. 

(Previous)

[greatandholypangolin]

story time! (Disclaimer- I doubt any of you will find it interesting, I just need the information out in writing before I forget it)

so I’ve had a history of feeling faint now and then and having to sit down since I was around 10, usually if I hadn’t eaten enough or had a lot of adrenaline, which is easy enough to do as an autistic child who goes into fight or flight at least twice a week and doesn’t like the sensation of eating.

but anyway I’m in a youth theatre group and we’re doing Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe, where Aslan the lion is one of those puppets with 2 people inside of him, a bit like a pantomime puppet, except there are also 2 people on each side of his head who puppet the head and speak for him. I’m the front half inside of Aslan.

The day before we had our main meal as a lunch at around 2 o clock, then no one was hungry at dinner time so we didn’t have anything. Then, the day of the event, I’d woken up late, so skipped breakfast to save time, then at school they had chocolate bread which is the best thing in school but also costs the same as a full lunch, so I obviously decided to use my lunch money on that instead of nutrients. Then evening came and we were in rehearsals until 8:30, so I had some haribos to keep me going.

the moment I got into rehearsal I felt a bit weak and shaky and I just knew it wasn’t going to be fun. As we were waiting in the wings with Aslan, I was totally zoned out to conserve energy and distract myself. Then we did half of our scene, and when we got to the front of the stage our director stopped us and started talking about how some characters were positioned and whatever. It was at this point that I started mumbling ‘I need to get out’. I was feeling really hot and heavy and I had a pressure on my ears that was muffling everything and I was struggling to stay upright. I said it a bit louder and one of the head puppeteers heard me and said ‘the scenes over soon, don’t worry’ so I repeated ‘I really need to get out.’ I could see no colours from then on, everything was grainy shades of grey. And he asked the director, who started asking who was free for the next few scenes and about the right height. At this point I started flopping from the waist up. I think that was the point where I lost all hearing, and I was close to losing vision too. I didn’t consider that I might actually pass out, but I knew that I had to sit down. I remember the faint sensation of someone grabbing me, (I was later told it was my friend trying to undo the clips that were holding me in the puppet) but it felt like those little glimpses of dreams that stay behind right after you wake up, all dark and fuzzy and just sensation.

I woke up on the floor, with one of the supervisor’s arms underneath me. He dove out of his chair to catch me, along with a few of Aslan’s guards who were nearby, and my aforementioned friend who was still trying to unclip me. The first thing I said was ‘oh, I thought that was a dream’ because it all gets a little dreamy once hearing gets muffled. Then I tried to sit up and was told that I shouldn’t move by my director. It was really annoying at the time, but I get it. Eventually I was sat up and given some water, and I explained that I’m just a lil blood sugar fiend who hasn’t been taking her iron supplements. I felt really sweaty and hot, and it was confirmed that I was boiling, as well as being deathly pale. I was walked outside, even though I probably could have walked it myself, and given a Diet Coke. My stepdad was actually in the building rehearsing for a band, so he was summoned and stood there awkwardly asking if I needed a ride home or if I was ok to continue. I was ok to continue, but they didn’t let me back in Aslan. Lots of people were worried, my cousin in particular had to be sat outside with me because she just froze when I crumpled. Apparently I fell very elegantly.

when I got home I got told off by my mother for not eating enough. I wish I could get right in her face and tell her that it wasn’t like I felt a little faint and sat down for a while, I fucking collapsed. I had to be caught and dragged out of the puppet and I could have fucking injured myself, this is a time for sympathy not blaming.

[neculacycle]

A Soldier

A dust cleared between them and only they stood on the road surrounded by swaying wheat and old droopy houses in the distance. It was not a place for meetings and best passed through quickly. Necula smiled at the comer who wore only a loincloth, a wooden chest guard and bent helmet. He held a bamboo shield and spear and his face looked dumb.

Hey, idiot, said Necula. The war is that way.

He thumbed over his shoulder.

Can't you understand me?

The peasant stare, stoic and unmoved. Necula thought it rude and simple.

What's that smug look? Know something I don't?

But the soldier only stared and stood impassively in the road so Necula shrugged and walked past him sparing him a savage grin and chuckling, his eyes full of venom. He was a few steps past the soldier when his skin crawled and he tasted death and swung his sword behind him. The soldier's body offered no resistance. The sword might have cut only air. But the body fell to pieces behind him.

What a stupid man, said Necula, and was shocked. Normally blood did not cling to his sword but also no blood spilled from the wound to the dirt. And the torso then animated, its arms stretching out and pulling the legs back up by the hips so the two parts came together and the soldier stood, his spear and shield collected in his hands. A smile crossed his thin lips.

Isn't that something? said Necula. Are you some road spirit? Kiriha doesn't like your taste. She's like you, you know?

The soldier rushed forward. Necula hardly avoided the spear tip. His sword slashed upward, cutting off the soldier's head. But as before he collected himself back together and so Necula hacked the soldier into many pieces and scattered the remains and buried some and was on his way but soon enough the soldier stood there in the road again. The soldier knelt on a rock by the roadside, leaning his spear in the dirt, and smirked.

I guess that settles it. Even a body blade can't kill me.

What would you know about that?

I've searched farther than sight can see for a way to die and always found disappointment. So I started killing and raping and torturing and loosing as much evil into this world as anyone could, in hopes the fates would reign down punishment on me. I thought, when I saw you and that body blade, my hopes had been answered. You’re known as a demon in between these lonely villages, in between wars.

I'm no pawn in anyone else's sad story. Why don't you just enjoy yourself?

The time for that passed years ago. Even the vilest of men couldn't enjoy life after what I've done.

What nonsense. What true and honest nonsense.

Yes. You look like death yourself. Like you've starved.

We don't need to eat much. Just enough to get by. Well, goodbye then. Good luck.

Now Necula walked on but heard footsteps behind him. After a mile he turned and said, Get lost. If you know what's good for you.

Bahahaha. Or what?

Necula grunted and walked on and the steps followed. He stopped, turned and said, Did you ever think maybe you've been sent as my punishment?

The soldier approached and pointed to a sagging house on the horizon with his spear.

Let's stop there for a while. Might be a cooking pot.

And he started for the little hut. Necula scowled. He looked east, he looked west but the road was empty and so he followed, his eyes tired and sulking.

Inside, Necula found an old chair and sat, deflating into his ragged clothes. He tossed his sword carelessly to the floor. The soldier found his cooking pot and had produced a few withered roots and tubers to go in it and soon the sound of boiling water echoed in the tiny room. The soldier sat in another chair, rested his spear, and sighed.

I died on the battlefield. I know I did. Near my neighbour’s house. He died too. No one came for me so after it was over and everyone had moved on I stood up and was in the world again. That's all I know.

Necula pinched the bridge of his nose, straining his eyes closed. He hadn't realised how awful he felt till sitting down. He regretted stopping.

It's the way of things.

The soldier leaned back and folded his fingers together, as if contemplating this. He sighed heavily.

I suppose I'll head to the next town. Kill everyone. Burn the temple. Maybe that will do something.

Why don't you go become the champion of some warlords? Maybe great deeds will earn you a noble death.

No. It hasn't been so. No one will ever come for me. What about you? Where are you headed?

Nowhere that matters.

How about you help me? Two killers are better than one. Maybe with that sword of yours we could cause some real trouble.

Why? I don't want to die.

Because I'll follow you forever, trying to kill you till I succeed. Which I will.

Necula was furious but his own hatred was nothing compared to the sword, who detested anyone she couldn't kill. Knowing she could do it was enough for her these days but they'd met their match here. Her blade glared with a faint light.

After eating they travelled on together. The village was grey and windy. Most everyone was inside. They stood in an empty street. Not even stray dogs were out. They must have all been hiding under the buildings like rats.

They knew you were coming, said Necula.

No, I've never been this way.

Necula saw it first. A furry thing, like a balled up cat, stood high above the buildings, upon many spindly legs ending in sandals and crooked toes. It was a nasoe, a kind of thing that happened when too many people's tragedies were tied together. Like rat tails, their fates become twisted and a nasoe is born to cause all manner of trouble.

Necula unsheathed the sword and hacked legs off the nasoe till it stood on only two wobbly legs and fell over. The sword pierced through the furry body and it deflated into bloody shadows and spirits rose out of it. Necula slashed these too and they became dust.

See that? said Necula. She can even kill spirits before they cross over. So you're hopeless. Even if I had killed you I would have cut your spirit too just for the fun of it.

The soldier stood against the sun, his eyes set on the long distance. He was picturesque.

Suppose I killed everyone in the world. Till there was only me. Then at least I would be no different from anyone else. I'd have the mountains. The rivers. Endless things.

You really are crazy.

Eh maybe. But I can try. I can start with you.

Their eyes met. Necula still held the sword unsheathed. His face was sunken and miserable. When he was done Necula had a thousand thousand wrappings of wax paper. Slivers of pitiful life squirmed weakly in them but could not escape. Some he fed to wild dogs, others he offered up to demons, the rest he carried and buried in lonely places. In a quiet glade, by a waterfall, he sat and rested. The sword shivered. He stroked it.

What was he, Kiriha? Don't think about it, songbird, it'll give you nightmares. Think of silly old men and school girls. Let me tell you a story of the terrible ocean.

[r0-boat]

Pspsps ok so maybe some more alpha!volo headcanons? You’re a new arrival to this world where maybe where you’re from you had heat suppressants and scent blockers so everyone thinks youre a beta, what happens when they wear off..? Maybe you’re in the wilds and Volo is doing his thing and he finds and surprises you but something about you is… different.

What’s he gonna do when he realizes you’re an omega and your first heats coming up soon 👀

I'm like STILL on a Omegaverse high sfgsf

Gn!reader

Adhfd I accidentally made Volo kinda yandere?

Smut underneath

CW:biting, omega verse, primal sex

...today was the moment you have feared ever since you fell to Hisui...

Your heat could start any day and your bottle of heat suppressants and Omega scent concealing pills that you just don't happen to have with you before you came to Hisui are gone...

Hisui doesn't have the technology for heat suppressants or Scent concealer You haven't been so scared since you saw your first Alpha Pokemon.

Going out without suppressants as an Omega is practically a death sentence in your time.

Team Galaxy is made up of alphas and betas so going to them for help was an absolute no

Adaman is an Alpha Irida is a beta and and said that today she was going to see how Ingo(and alpha) is doing.

As if your day couldn't get any worse you felt familiar pool Heat starting in your stomach... it's been so long since you felt something like this because of your suppressants you wouldn't be surprised if this is going to be one of your strongest heats.

Luckily the sun has yet to rise so you have enough to pack up Essentials and camping material as well as soft blankets from a makeshift nest.

Volo sees you rush out your house and past the gates. He was confused and must be a Pokemon outbreak or something team Galaxy is doing... but there was a lingering scent in the air he doesn't recognize. It was sweet and floral it attracted him like a moth to a flame. Did that...come from you?! No it can't be your a beta you had no scent and you were scentless for the entire time you've been in the hisui region. hell you didn't even smell like fear when he tried to kill you

You finally finished setting up your tent and your small nest inside your heat hit you like a truck. The body was on fire everything was sensitive. You need an alpha so badly.

The smell of your heat makes Volo's mouth water as he gets closer to your little nest camp.

You whimper noticing a familiar smell...Volo...yes! Wait NO! Out of all the alphas, why does it have to be him.

Volo approaches on your tent... the smell... yeah there was no doubt you are an Omega... this whole time you kept it hidden... Volo had a dangerous look in his eyes. Omega... the same one Arceus chose the same one who beat him...all for him to claim. He has thought about being with you for a while now. But now here you are and Omega, his blood boiling at the thought of anybody else being in his place.

Volo practically ripped open the door of the tent jumpscaring you. Volo and unreadable look on his face. "Mc your... You kept this hidden from me?"

You were trembling from fear, excitement, and lust Volo gave off a certain scent you haven't smelled since spear pillar. That same scent of threatening, commanding, and pure Pride. That you fantasized about for weeks After the fight.

This might be the heat talking but Everything about him screamed" I am an alpha and you will bend to my command" and right now he's doing things to you that would make your omega ancestors be ashamed .

"Give. Yourself. To me" he growled.

Yes!! Yes! Oh God yes you want this you want him. "Pl-please take me Volo!" his name rolling off his tongue meet him shiver. Without a second thought, Volo stripped his clothes and climbed inside the tent with you it was hot and crowded barely fitting to people. "You hid this ... Why? Were you scared that you would go into heat just like this and someone would find you weak and vulnerable..." he says it was a wild smirk on his face pressing his head against your neck taking in your scent. " I've never seen you like this before. Haha... I can feel you trembling. Are you scared now?" You feel Volo grind his hard cock against your entrance causing you to whimper and buck your hips. "Please!"

"Please what." You know what he wants you to say.

"Please alpha make me yours!" Volo breath trembles. Yes he wants to take you, claim you. Push all the way inside, knott, and fill you with his seed.

He moves you on your stomach. His hand coming down on your neck pushing you into the streets. You scream as Volo slams himself inside you. He doesn't even give you any time he immediately starts moving. Fucking you as deep as he could. Volo looked like a rabid animal growling in pleasure. Slamming his hips against yours the sound of skin slapping against each other fill the entire tent

His gray eyes locked on the back of your neck. He wants to fight he wants to sink his teeth and claim you forever. All traces of rational thinking in the both of you we're gone replaced with animalistic desire. You bite into the sheets toes curling as you feel Volo changes his pace from deeper to harder trying to work his swelling knot into you. With one hard thrust he thick knot locks you with him. Volo is sooo deep you could hardly take it. You're orgasm hits you hard cumming his cock.

You tight hot walls milk him for all he's worth he explodes inside.

You scream as you feel his teeth harshly sink into the back of your neck as he fills you up. You are far from satisfied but a bit heat has been relieved for now. Volo removes his mouth on your neck licking the wound tasting blood on his tongue he worries "Are you ok?" You remember other than the sting of your lower regions and your neck the weakness in your legs you are more than okay. All you could do was nod and hum as you cuddle against your new mates chest. Volo smile is letting out a soft purr holding you close.