#Monster March Day 13

[katyvern]

Day Thirteen of Monster March with the Punching Wyvern, Brachydios

[thecandywrites]

Monster March Day 13- Succubus/Incubus/Concubus

The Lotus House

Well, after a spectacularly awful week and what is sure to be just...how things are going to be and how to go from now on. So. I know I'm four days late. But, my hand slipped and then this came out and I actually really like how it turned out. It was really fun to explore it and if you've read any of my other moura works, you've noticed The Lotus House referenced before. Well, thanks to this prompt, I got to really dig into it and really explore this as a whole and really add to my own alternate universe and expound on it, which I had a lot of fun doing.

Now, on with the shameless self indulgence.

Monster March 2023 Day 13- Succubus/Incubus/Concubus

The Lotus House

“Ok, class, welcome to your first class session here at The Lotus House, as always, congratulations for graduating primary school and thank you for continuing your education here, because here at The Lotus House, is where all of you are now at the age and point of maturity where your education can progress to include one more crucial, but pleasurable subject. Sex.” The professor, Dr. Zellora, who was a succubus, so therefore, a natural master at the art of sex, from a female’s perspective- said as she had all the female students in their special Lotus House Student Uniform get into their seats at their desks with their instruction manuals as well as their worksheets for the day already placed on the desks that she had already assigned to her newest class of students. She could only smile at the collective squeals and clapping of her students as all of them practically bounced in excitement in their seats as they eagerly looked over their new instruction manuals and especially at the pictures and diagrams inside.

The Lotus House was an entire school dedicated to Sex Education to educate the general populace of Dorrierra as a whole.  

“Now, here at The Lotus House you will not only learn the basic mechanics of sex in general, but how each species likes to give and receive sexual advances as well. Including the mechanics of each species’ procreation and mating habits and rituals. And as you can tell, each class has at least one, if not several students of each species here in Dorierra so that everyone has a working knowledge of themselves as well as everyone else, no matter their species or hybrids from the various species intermingling. And that means that all the other classes that this class will interact with will also have that variety. The classes are of course very carefully organized to make sure no one student will have to interact with another student who is in the same family. So no kissing cousins or any kind of incenst.” She reassured her students as she could still hear the other teachers instruct their classes in the same manor down the halls and across the halls for that matter. 

The male students got the incubus teachers and the students who didn’t wish to be either classified or distinguished by their sex or gender, got to have the concubus’ as their teachers, and technically got both curriculums. 

However, attendance at The Lotus House was far from mandatory, and some could choose to refuse attendance and learning the curriculum and simply take ‘an entrance and exit exam’. This option was made specifically for the potential student was repulsed by sex, or even romance and intimacy of that nature and was therefore asexual and or aromantic. 

Because the cardinal rule of The Lotus House was that every student accepted into the sexual educational program provided here at The Lotus House- had to be at a state of maturity in both mind and body, willing and happily consenting individual first and foremost.

And for those students who were not naturally inclined to be willing and who did not wish to give their informed consent- even if they had reached maturity in mind in body- could take a very abbreviated course to take the simple textbook test like any other test from primary school. They basically got to learn the bare minimum as far as basic mechanics so that they would not be ignorant or ill informed- so that they could stay at a state of informed refusal of consent to the rest of the classes and courses at The Lotus House but still have “a well rounded” education by Dorierran standards and of course those classes were conducted by other individuals who were of the same disposition so that the students felt comfortable with learning the basic material but would trust that nothing would be asked of them that would put themselves in any state of discomfort, or repulsion. And so if a student was choosing to give informed refusal of consent, they of course would never be asked to engage in any of the activities that were parts of the tests for the curriculum here at The Lotus House. And honestly, it was a very easy course to simply test out of, if the student was not willing or was repulsed by the act or even the very idea themselves being in that kind of physical, or romantic intimacy with anyone else. 

But for the rest of the student population, they of course, had a very rigorous testing to make sure they were physically, mentally, emotionally and especially psychologically mature enough to enter the courses here at The Lotus House and go through the curriculum and testing themselves. 

Dorierra as a whole, prided itself on having The Bride Program that was a system second to none in the whole of the Supersphere. Each bride was capable of being a Queen, Czarina, Empress, Sultana, etc. And the system of educating them- involved more than just how to run a country, as well as how to run a palace or even down to a general household. But how to seduce and keep their ruling husband happy in all respects. Especially in the bedroom because the point was that these future brides would be fertile and produce heirs for their prospective mates, no matter what kind of kingdom he ruled over. From Lord all the way up to King or its equivalent. But that was The Bride Program in a nutshell. But in order to enter the Bride Program these young ladies first needed to finish and round out this portion of their education here at The Lotus House. 

And this aspect of that education was so much more than the art of seduction, the art of sex, the art of either conception or contraception or even the use of sex as a political tool. It allowed a safe environment for education, exploration, information and practice with oversight from the best of the best as far as instructors went. 

But before they could ever get to any of that, these young women especially needed to know how to please themselves first. And the first lesson was always masturbation. Because even if they didn’t have a partner who knew how to please them, they could at the very least please themselves in addition to everything else they could offer in their repertoire. 

The male members of Dorierran society got this education at The Lotus House as well because the Dorierran women who did not either apply or get selected in the Bride Program or simply aged out of it- could then be courted and married by the native Dorierran males and have families of themselves and the point of the male Dorierrans to participate in the classes were first- to offer themselves as test subjects for the young women and two- become very loving, and accommodating and pleasurable partners. And while the women would “miss out” on co-ruling a nation, would still be a loyal life partner and would be coparent to the children and an equal member of the family and care for the household in general. 

So the males, in addition to their own basic education and their courses at The Lotus House, could then continue their own education in any other field or skill for employment in making goods and providing services for the nation of Dorierra as a whole. Even when everything, even things mundane like plumbing and infrastructure were always elevated into artforms since Dorierrans were, if anything, extremely creative. So that everything was a beautiful blend of functionality and gorgeous aesthetic. 

Now there was the traditional primary schooling of course where they learned the basics of language, arithmetic, geography, economics, infrastructure, music, the arts, geology, carpentry, home economics, engineering, and of course, all and every form of government and politics possible. 

Granted the girls’ school was much more intense and equal to that of any other king or professors and were prized for their individual talents and intelligence. However, if a male had a desire to enter into the Bride Program, he got admitted into a subcategory of it-but in order to get there-he needed to graduate from primary school and go into a school, simply known as 3C’s. 

It stood for The School of Courtesans, Concubines and Companions and was seen as just as precious and just as valuable as any "Traditional Bride". 3'C's specifically worked with the LGBTQA+ students who royals who were not attracted to the opposite sex in the “traditional” sense could still have their own pool of every species and gender on any and every spectrum they desired and still have a life partner who would be just as precious as any other. These students usually specifically got the concubus teachers. Where they learned both curriculums and even extra things to use when they were deployed in the 3’C’s category of the Bride Program, if they so wished to- since the Bride Program wasn’t mandatory for citizens of Dorierra, but was a major part of it’s culture and the country’s top export. 

However it was highly encouraged because the Bride Price each bride could ask for-from a potential groom to be his bride was always a premium. There was of course, the entrance income for even applying for the Program. And of course once accepted, a bride could therefore, accept fees just for meeting potential grooms, which there was always a base price per appointment. But the more wealthy the groom, the more he could add on to the meeting fee so that the potential bride would consider him more carefully. And the more desirable the bride, the higher those prices could be. It was all considered income and a large part of any family’s income in addition to the bride herself as an individual. The Bride Program not just financed the country, but specifically the family as well. And it was instrumental in adding to a family’s honor, prestige and social standing. So that while sons were a joy and of course necessary for the country to be practically self sustaining. Every girl was a point of pride, joy and elation. And the more daughters a mother could bear, the greater the family’s chance at succession, wealth and prominence in it’s quarter and district. And this was one of the ways that some students could excel if they lacked in any other area of their education. 

“Now, first, we are going to go over the anatomy of the female sex of every species here in Dorierra…” Dr. Zellora began before she showed the class diagrams of every female sex of every species within Dorierra and out of it, from species who were eager to be accepted within the Dorierran Alliance- so that all the girls could be aware of themselves and each other, and in addition to a traditional test, to pass this first lesson, they needed to go into their private “booths” to actually masturbate using any media they wanted in assistance and had a variety of buttons to press if they needed more one on one help learning themselves, if they hadn’t already begun to experiment with it themselves at home. 

Dr. Zellora simply grinned when she could already see the lights in the boys’ side of the classroom that shared a wall to one side- light up to show they had completed and “passed” this first test which was to successfully masturbate to the point of orgasm- within mere minutes to show they were done. It was a silent light that flashed for only a mere moment before the student left, gathered their other supplies, put them into the special backpack along with their other special Lotus House supplies. 

But while this first lesson, the boys usually got through quicker than the girls did. It was going to be the later lessons where they would practice on each other, where the boys would then have much greater difficulty and the girls would once again, gain quite a considerable lead and then easily excel and be much quicker to master the art of all avenues of sex in general. 

But she knew that while girls usually took a bit longer, that their orgasms tended to be bigger and lasted much longer than the boys’ did. She simply looked over her next lesson and “homework” she would be assigning for the day which was to see if the girls could masturbate both quietly and loudly and something in between at home and in private. 

Then she smiled happily when she sensed then heard the tell tale signs of her students succeeding in giving themselves orgasms before they lit the light that they had finished and then collected themselves, got redressed and regained their composure and left their individual booths that had their names on them and began to gather up their own materials. 

But they couldn’t leave just yet, they still had to wait to go up to her desk, give her a brief description of what they had done and how that orgasm was achieved and then got constructive criticisms on how to make it better for themselves as well as their homework for the night before they were excused from class for the day. 

But that wasn’t to say that the girls still would slowly slip through the school, curiously look in on the other classes and giggle and gossip about which classes they were going to be ‘pairing up’ with. Because each student in each class was assigned a companion class from both the concubus’ and the incubus’ teachers as the students from 3’C’s were also here among them as well. So that everyone got to experience everything on the spectrum in a safe, consensual, educational and if anything, a very fun way. Of course, the larger bodied students would be disqualified from pairing with the smallest and most petite of the other students because they didn’t want any harm to come from any attempts that would put the physical nature of the student at risk. 

However, there was just one more- cardinal rule- no committed, monogamous romantic entanglements and relationships with the other students in the class you were paired in were tolerated and such things were nearly impossible to hide. Because in essence, of the classes that were paired up, and even between classes in the whole of the school- all the students could and, in most cases, would, fuck each other, they just couldn’t do so exclusively with one favorite partner and run the risk of falling love and either have to break off the relationship or risk being disqualified from The Bride Program, if not expulsion from The Lotus House in general. 

Contraceptives of course were given to all students to keep pregnancy at bay and for the young women who graduated The Lotus House, got to go through a “purification” ritual where they would be turned back into physical virgins for the most pious of grooms. But just because they were technically virgins, meant no penile/vaginal intercourse. Oral sex, anal sex and handjobs were of course always allowed and encouraged as more of a “work around” after the purification ritual, which, in times of heated passion could always be re-performed. 

And once a student graduated from the course, they could always come back to The Lotus House to get those needs met until such a time as they either aged out, or were selected as a bride if they chose to go into the Bride Program. And graduates were always encouraged to come back to “practice” with students to help them along in the course and of course give more detailed advice and constructive criticism that they wouldn’t necessarily receive from their partners who were still new and still learning all of this themselves. 

And from where Dr. Zellora sat, she could already tell who her top students were going to be. And which ones would really come into their own and really blossom and bloom beautifully with the program. And which ones, with just a bit more guidance and one on one training could be just as successful and just as prized as the “naturally gifted” already were. 

Because if Dr. Zellora knew anything, it was that even the most “plain” looking student, no matter their gender or identity, could be the most prolific and most gifted student and be at the top of their class because sometimes the most keen intellect hid behind a veil of “plainness”. Because here, students learned how to use and enhance their natural beauty and other gifts and talents, but most of all- how to use and enhance the most precious asset any student had- their mind. 

She looked up and saw the first call light, letting know that a student needed her assistance and was up on her feet and quickly making her way to the student’s “cubical”. 

“This just feels…weird.” Her student Senora murmured as she had her blanket covering over her otherwise naked body while her uniform hung up neatly on the hanger in the small closet and her books and other materials were on the desk next to the bed. And one of the bottles of sex oil next to her while her cheeks were flushed but confusion and irritation and frustration clearly on her otherwise gorgeous features. 

“I know, it usually does feel weird- the first few times here especially.” Dr. Zellora offered as she sat on the small stool in the private booth for her that was tucked underneath a small desk. 

“So have you ever done this before?” Dr. Zellora asked calmly and professionally. 

“Yes, I did it last night! Twice! Plus I know I’ve cum in my dreams before, I’ve had dreams about sex and being intimate with partners in my dreams but…just…doing it now, in a class of all places, it just…I can’t relax and focus.” Senora confessed. 

“And that’s half the battle and one that every student fights to gain ground on, for some it’s a bunny hill, others it feels like a mountain and it differs from individual to individual and all of it is ok and perfectly normal.” Dr. Zellora reassured her. 

“Ok. So we are going to do a grounding and a focusing exercise ok?” Dr. Zellora urged her before Senora nodded in agreement and understanding. 

“Now, relax. Take a breath, we are going to do the 4 count breath first. So in four counts take one full, deep breath in, then we are going to hold it for four counts, then exhale that breath in four counts and keep it out for 4 counts and repeat as many times it takes to relax and calm down ok? You can even close your eyes if you want to.” Dr. Zellora explained. 

“Ok, deep breath in- 1, 2, 3, 4. Keep it in- 1, 2, 3, 4. Good, Now, exhale- 1, 2, 3, 4.” Dr. Zellora counted with her as she did her best to sync her breath with Senora’s and then they did the breath together several times as Dr. Zellora kept her keen eye on Senora’s features as her pinched brows lessoned and the muscles of her brow relaxed, then it was her jaw relaxing, then the shoulder drop and soon Senora had succeeded in fully relaxing her body as she kept her eyes serenely closed as she mentally did the count while trying to relax. 

“Good job. Ok, now keep your eyes closed, in your dreams where you were having sex, was it with anyone in particular or simply someone you saw on the street and don’t know?” Dr. Zellora asked. 

“It’s someone that I don’t know in real life, but I keep seeing him in my dreams. And I’ve dreamed of him over and over again for..at least a year now.” Senora admitted. 

“Describe him.” Dr. Zellora invited. 

“He’s..tall…he’s a tiefling. He’s this beautiful slate gray color, practically silver.” Senora began before a fond smile bloomed on her features and Dr. Zellora could see Senora’s own tail wagging and wriggling under the blanket past her own feet. 

“What else?” Dr. Zellora gently prodded. 

“He has this…gold tattoo on his neck and his chest. It’s from the oriental in style. His long, inky black hair hangs in his face and covers up his otherwise, gorgeous angular face. His handsome horns start out a dark, stormy gray, almost black and gradually get lighter towards the tips and are ribbed and ringed, and start at the back of his head and like a halo come up and around his head.” She continued as she pulled her hands up to illustrate with her own hands. 

“They’re perfect to hold onto when he goes down on me. And he is just..his tongue, you wouldn’t think it was as thick yet deliciously long as it is, but it is. Oh gods, is it magnificent.” Senora praised as Dr. Zellora saw Senora’s legs start to part under the blankets while her tail wiggled even faster and practically buzzed against the soft blanket.  

“So do you ever see his eyes?” Dr. Zellora asked. 

“Yes. They’re this gorgeous slate, steel blue. It compliments the gold of his tattoo and they almost glow when he looks up at me from between my legs and just as he gets me to my first peak, he climbs up and mounts me like the stud he is. Gods, he just, he is naturally lithe but he works so hard to build good and strong muscle on his frame and while it’s not terribly bulky, it’s more than enough to give him the heft and like a ship with an anchor in a storm, it’s like he anchors me and holds me and keeps me safe and warm and my horns fit so perfectly between his. And it’s like we’re two puzzle pieces fitting together.” Senora continued as Dr. Zellora could prod mentally enough that she too could see him, plain as day, almost as if he was right there in the room with them. 

“Good, now keep that in mind, and let your body follow the fantasy.” Dr. Zellora instructed before she slipped out of the cubical to let Senora pick up where she left off and wasn’t even all the way to her desk before she heard Senora whimper a keen of pleasured release. 

But the moment she had left the cubicle and slipped the door close with her exit- she suddenly realized something was very, very wrong. Another cubi was interfering with her brand new student. She could still sense the telepathic connection. It was another cubi feeding her newest student this fantasy and engaging in it with her right in the moment! Which she was certain she herself had put into the rulebook was not allowed because the boy was not from the paired class next door. Or even the 3’C’s class across the hall. It was from another classroom beyond and she could follow the connection all the way to…she got him! Oh and in Dr. Sozzo’s class of all things. She telepathically alerted Dr. Sozzo of the situation and he mentally let her lead her to the link so that he too could trace it from the source to the target. And Dr. Sozzo telepathically assured her that he would handle it. And that he would keep this student after class so that they could deal with him together. Which she was grateful for, and encouraged Dr. Sozzo to look through the rulebook and look for this kind of situation in particular. To see if this was covered and if it wasn’t. It needed to be added and amended because this was the greatest threat to The Bride Program, much less The Lotus House. Because of all the species in Dorierra, cubi, whetter they be succubi, incubi or concubi- becuase of their telpathic ability and even their other naturally self shifting ability to could easily become their target’s fantasy to get them to orgasm easiest. Which such a gift and talent was allowed for the species. Especially when they were partnered with the more introverted and shy students. But this was not that. Not even close.  

Dr. Zellora then shifted her focus to the other students who had already taken seats in such a way so that they could each have their turn to give feedback and get their homework before they got dismissed as Senora was one of the last of her students to do so. But Dr. Zellora was the most proud of Senora’s ability to push through and overcome her obstacles with a proud smile on her face and once the last of her students had finished, and dismissed, her professional and proud smile for her students vanished in an instant as she didn’t hesitate to take care of this matter personally. 

She didn’t even bother to pack up before she left the classroom and walked determinedly down the hall to where another incubi teacher, Dr. Sozzo was holding the particular student behind in his class so that she could speak with the student in question. 

The moment she came into the classroom, the student in question simply ducked his head in embarrassment as his cheeks flushed while his tail wrapped itself around his own leg and the leg of the chair. 

“Dr. Zellora, may I introduce my student, Mr. Volron Korronos.” Dr. Sozzo said as he gestured to the student in question as he was still flipping through the rulebook to aid Dr. Zellora before she pulled out another chair and put it in front of the student so that only his desk separated them as Dr. Sozzo got up and leaned against a desk, perpendicular to them with the rulebook still in hand. 

“So? Do you know why I’m here?” Dr. Zellora asked the student. 

“I didn’t break any rules.” Volron insisted. 

“Really? That’s the story you’re going to claim and stick to?” She questioned as she raised her eyebrow and fixed him with a look that practically bored through him. 

“I didn’t!” Volron insisted. 

“Dr. Sozzo?” Dr. Zellora asked as she noticed Dr. Sozzo still was thumbing through The Lotus House rulebook to make sure that there wasn’t any technicality either way. 

“So far, no he has not. But I’m only half way through it.” Dr. Sozzo placated.  

“Volron, look at me, look into my eyes and really look at me, not at the desk, not at the ceiling, nothing else, look at me.” Dr. Zellora insisted before Volron did so. 

“First off, I felt your connection that you had established with Miss Senora. Don’t deny that you made one, because it’s been there for at least a year. Right at the same time you and Miss Senora’s older brother got into this school and in this class together. And because I have telepathic abilities myself I saw how you managed to give yourself certain features that would keep Miss Senora from recognizing you in the waking world. But having a crush on your best friend’s little sister is one thing. What you have done, is sabotage Miss Senora just as she is starting in the program and now cannot get a sexual release without you or her fantasy that you’ve turned yourself into in her head. Now while she is still none the wiser and probably won’t know what you’ve done, you are incubi. And being incubi, yourself, you should know better and be better.” She insisted, her tone, sharp and biting as her features showed just how upset and downright angry she was about this incident because of her own motherly instinct to both educate and protect each of her students, especially the ones who were brand new to The Lotus House before Dr. Sozzo’s tail simply wrapped around hers out of Volron’s view as a way to keep her from going outside of her own professional lines and boundaries, but also let her know that he agreed with her points, but that she needed to handle this situation with care all the same, both physically and telepathically.  

“But it’s not fair that all of us cubi’s are held to this super high perfect standard.” Volron practically pouted. 

“Dr. Sozzo? Has Mr. Volron had any difficulties in class or his assignments?” She asked as she turned to Dr. Sozzo. 

“Nope, so far, he’s gotten practically perfect scores except for the last few weeks, his feedback has been that he’s nervous, anxious and disingenuous.” Dr. Sozzo answered as he continued to look through the rulebook. 

“And how was his performance today?” She asked Dr. Sozzo. 

“He’s been quite distracted and inattentive.” He answered honestly.  

“So your crush is already starting to bite you in the ass.” She surmised to Volron who only flushed harder and looked away guiltily. 

“It’s a crush, she’ll learn to get over it.” He murmured quietly. 

“But I can sense that you feel that you won’t.” Dr. Sozzo noted calmly and surprisingly gently all the same. 

“As can I.” Dr. Zellora readily agreed. 

“I just…I need time. Ok? It’s a stupid little crush and it’ll be over soon, practically any time now.” Volron insisted. 

“Except when she gets released into the clinical studies. Where she can practice on other students from all the other classes and even other graduates! When she gets to practice on more people than just the students in the classes paired with hers. If this is still going on by then and you two happen to meet in clinics. She will know and she will be mortified, if not gutted, and feel her privacy is and was being invaded. And she will be hurt and betrayed and she may even drop out of the program here at The Lotus House, if not the Bride Program beyond that- altogether. So you need to sever this connection and stop this immediately. The fact that you’ve had this under the radar so to speak for the last year, is frankly, astonishing and a bit of an oversight.” Dr. Zellora said with a meaningful look at Dr. Sozzo who simply nodded in agreement but kept his gaze on the rulebook he was continuing to go through. 

“Yes, that was an oversight on my part. I will make sure I’m much more careful and aware of my students so that I may hold them accountable, especially in this very sensitive area.” Dr. Sozzo reassured Dr. Zellora. 

“You don’t think I’ve tried?! I’ve tried to cut it off! I’ve tried to quit it, but by the time I knew I had started I was already in the middle and when she reaches out to me and for me, it’s stronger than any other siren’s call ok? I have tried, so hard to resist answering and keeping the connection cut off, and then today…” Volron began to justify before he trailed off as his brain couldn’t decide which words to use to describe his feelings before he took a calming breath. 

“I didn’t think having her so close would cause problems. I didn’t think that she’d be here and look as gorgeous as she is in the uniform, something I’ve fantasized for the last year and then when I felt her struggling, I just couldn’t let her fail or make her feel broken because it was her first day and she felt like she was already starting behind everyone else.” Volron confessed as he ran his fingers through his shaggy hair to scratch around where his own horns grew out of his head. 

“But you’ve made yourself an unattainable illusion for you both. And you’ve set both of yourselves up for failure.” Dr. Sozzo reminded his student with a soft but still firm look and tone all the same. 

“I know. I know. Believe me, now I know that, all too well.” Volron readily admitted before he dragged his hands down his face. 

“So what is going to happen, when she meets any number of other students who actually do fit the description you have given yourself in the fantasy that you two share? Don’t you think she is going to have a greater than average transference to them? And won’t their own rejection of her over-enthusiasm hurt her worse than simply failing a simple task in school?” Dr. Zellora asked Volron. 

“It will.” Volron readily agreed as she and Dr. Sozzo could see his guilt begin to eat away at him. 

“Volron, you are not alone. All of us cubi have both a gift so great it can be a curse. We find a person who we find is our object of desire and affection and immediately want to be that person’s vision of perfection. No matter how we have to twist and contort and distort ourselves to do it. If Miss Senora was another cubi herself. I’m sure she would have figured it out by now. But she’s teifling, which I know are very close in species to us, in fact, besides other cubi, teifling cubi and moura crosses is literally who founded and built The Lotus House to begin with. And I know it’s a daunting task to come to the very place our own ancestors built. And easily excel to the point that we are our own gold standards. And it sucks dead air when we find we’re still imperfect, and we still make mistakes and we still screw up just like everyone else. And sometimes the harder we try, the worse we make it for ourselves.” Dr. Sozzo comforted his student as he closed the book once he reached the end and gave Dr. Zellora a subtle shake of his head that he couldn’t find any technicality in the rulebook that applied to this specific situation, and simply set it down on the desk behind. 

“While it is true that there isn’t technically a rule that has been broken, because your class isn’t paired and won’t be paired with Miss Senora’s class, you have still broken the spirit of many of them anyway. Because as you know, in the clinic, that is where all the students of the school will interact with all the other students in the school and because there is no blood relation between you and Miss Senora, there wouldn’t be any rule keeping you two from having sessions together when Miss Senora’s class would be released into the clinic. But what I can do, is still flag you for this incident so that when she does get released into the clinic, she will have the option of taking anyone else but you and those in her own family in the clinic sessions.” Dr. Sozzo leveled before Volron’s eyes got extra large in fear as the panic that gripped his chest was palpable even for Dr. Sozzo and Dr. Zellora. 

“Wow. That was quite the reaction.” Dr. Zellora noted as she seemed to swallow down the feeling of instant nausea from anxiety and shake her head to distance herself from the feelings of the student she had been probing only moments before. 

“Dr. Zellora, Miss Senora is your student. And she, of course, should get difference in this situation and other situations like this in the future, And considering what has already transpired and what could potentially transpire in the future, I will leave it to you to decide because Miss Senora’s safety, her autonomy, privacy and her own modesty should be the priority in this situation.” Dr. Sozzo put to Dr. Zellora.  

“I agree. But I still wish to give Miss Senora the best possible start, while not hindering Mr. Volron’s progress either. So, the way I see it, there are three options. The first, is that today will be the last interference between Mr. Volron and Miss Senora and we simply put a note that should it happen again, it can be flagged in the future. That’s option one. Option two, if you feel you are past the point of keeping yourself from repeating this behavior, we will need to flag you and you will meet with Miss Senora and you will come clean. Because she will need to know what she is also being flagged for something she is innocent of.” Dr. Zellora held up a first and then second finger. 

“And option three?” Volron winced. 

“The Exit Exam from the Lotus House and expulsion from using it while her class is in the clinic on the off chance that you two would continue to seek each other out. Because she has the potential to be a great and fantastic candidate for the Bride Program if she so wishes to be. But I will not have you ruining her chances and success both here at The Lotus House and the greater Bride Program as a whole over- as you put it “a silly little crush”.” Dr. Zellora stated. 

“Option 1 please.” Volron requested. 

“It could be worse.” Dr. Sozzo offered. 

“Ok. Dr. Sozzo, please put a note in Mr. Volron’s file to keep an eye on this particular situation to be sure that this no longer escalates. And I of course keep my eye and senses on Miss Senora as well. And should we need to revisit this topic, more serious measures will be used and implemented. Up to and including expulsion.” Dr. Zellora dictated before she sat up smoothed out her outfit and gave Dr. Sozzo a nod and a gentle squeeze of his arm as she passed him before she left which Dr. Sozzo simply let out a small breath of relief once she did exit. 

“Shit.” Volron slumped in his seat once Dr. Zellora left and held his head in his hands while Dr. Sozza put the book itself back on the shelf it usually sat on as Dr. Sozza smiled bittersweetly to himself. 

“How? She could already know and figured it out and her family would hate me and mine over this?” Volron asked. 

“Well, that, and you could have done what I did when I was in your shoes when I was your age.” Dr. Sozza muttered before he walked back towards his desk to begin to pack up which perked up Volron’s ears and head to hear it. 

“What happened?” Volron asked as he picked up his head and leaned towards his instructor to consider his instructor curiously, because Dr. Sozzo was just as respected and renowned of a professional as Dr. Zellora was. 

“I did everything I could to get paired up with my wife in the clinic. Because I was like you, she was the little sister of my best friend. And I went as far as changing myself into the illusion I made myself into- in her dreams because I wanted that ‘I’ve waited for you my whole life, you’re my soul mate and one true love, man of my dreams’ thing. And I got caught red handed. The Principal was my teacher. And he only gave me the second or third option. So, in front of her, I had to show her the real me. And she was mortified, gutted, she felt betrayed but most of all, she was pissed. And I did get expelled.” Dr. Sozzo recounted.  

“So..how did you get to be a teacher here then?” Volron asked and that’s when Dr. Sozzo’s smile grew wider, and prouder. 

“Once my wife got a chance to take a step back, cool off, and rethink the situation as well as the consequences and the impact of the actions that were made, she came to me and we talked it out and she gave me the chance to come really come clean about everything. And we came to an understanding. And then she made a case for me and fought it - both for and with me to get me back into the school and back into class. And so I could come back and actually get a chance to graduate. Instead of being dropped out and dishonorably discharged and never welcome back on school grounds again. Because by then, she understood how and why I did it. And she was fighting the illusion because she was falling for the real me anyway and when she saw the illusion, her heart and stomach sank and she felt torn and conflicted and she was relieved to see the real me. And relieved that the illusion she was afraid to believe was real, and the real person she had fallen in love with were the same person. She didn’t want the Bride Program and had already made that sentiment known from the start. Because she knew even in primary school that she wanted and was going to be a teacher here, like most cubi in Dorierra are and usually end up being. She used the rulebook and practically rewrote it and then revised it to what we currently have right now. She fought and she won but she literally wrote the rules and chapter about relationships between students and it interfering in the program here at The Lotus House and The Bride Program as a whole because had she been anything other than a cubi herself with her career goals already set that had nothing to do with the Bride Program, it could have been a disaster. Now though, I think she’ll add one because you’re not the first nor will you be the last to go through this. But she saved me and she made it possible for me to redeem myself and re-earn her trust and respect and re-earn everyone else’s trust and respect too. And honestly, in the long run, she also saved my chance to pursue my career. All by loving me and all my flaws and accepting me as I was. And she could still see potential in me and she could see the great potential I had and didn’t feel that all that potential should be lost and wasted because of a mistake. And she didn’t want me throwing away my future just to follow my own desire and love for her. So she made it so that we both won.” Dr. Sozzo praised proudly. 

“She must have been one hell of a woman.” Volron mused. 

“She always has been and still is and always will be, at least in my book. So, don’t lose hope, kid. If it ends up being more than a crush, the best thing you can do for yourself and for her is to just be honest and upfront about it and not just some of it, but all of it and be as transparent about it. And don’t lose yourself in your own illusion either. Let dreams be dreams, both literal and figurative. But don’t let those get in the way of your reality. And your own future.” Dr. Sozzo sagely advised as he finished packing up. 

“Gonna head out?” Dr. Sozzo said as he nodded towards the door. 

“Oh! Yeah, sorry. Thanks, for everything. And I’m really happy it worked out for you. I hope you’re both really happy together.” Volron offered. 

“Thanks, we are, at least, that’s what she keeps telling me.” Dr. Sozzo grinned as he and Volron left the class before Dr. Sozzo locked up the classroom. 

“Who is she by the way? Is she still teaching here? Could I meet her and ask her about it?” Volron asked. 

“Yeah, she’s still teaching and she’s still here. But you’ve already met her and kind of talked about it with her. At least officially anyway. Who do you think was just in here with us?” Dr. Sozzo asked as he started to walk towards his wife’s, Dr. Zallora’s classroom as she was just finishing up packing up for the day too. 

“Dr. Zallora?!” Volron balked. 

“Yeah. So when she was telling you how Miss Senora might feel? She was telling you that from experience. From her experience with me and other experiences we’ve both had as students and teachers ever since. So she’s been in Miss Senora’s shoes too. We’ve been married 54 years this summer. Don’t worry, she never stops fighting for what’s right and still fights for the safety of her students. And trust me, all of us cubi’s no matter the kind, all of us go through this. Some of us just sooner than others.” Dr. Sozzo consoled. 

“But if you really, honestly care for Miss Senora, then be honest and come clean anyway, whether you’re told to or not. You might be pleasantly surprised at the outcome because rejection is not the end of the world or the worst thing that can happen. It’s still early and there’s still time to make this right and move on and move forward from here. You’re nowhere near the point of no return.There have been times where this has played out in much worse ways. It’s just that we have to be extra cautious, especially here.” Dr. Sozzo added. 

“But just because I sympathize and empathize with you kid, doesn’t mean I’m gonna turn a blind eye. If anything, I get to keeper a closer eye on you than usual. But it’ll be ok, you’ll get through this. It’s a growing pain everyone, especially us cubi’s get to go through. This too can and will pass. Don’t lose heart or courage now. If anything. Fight to stay and actually play by the rules, both by the letter and in the spirit of them too. And don’t try to look for any more loopholes to try to slide and sneak through or corners to cut. Because as you can see, it will all come back to bite you in the ass, both literally and most of all figuratively. The rules are here for a reason. And they’re to protect us. If not from others, especially from ourselves sometimes because ‘young and stupid’ usually does the most damage. You’ll be ok. Go home, think it over, get a good night’s sleep and tomorrow is a new and hopefully better day than today was.” Dr. Sozzo encouraged before he continued on to meet his wife who was just now gathering her stuff and leaving and locking her own classroom before they left hand in hand, each carrying their bags in their other hands, their tails wrapped around the other as their steps soon synced up as Volron simply looked on, sorrowfully wishing he could have the same happiness someday. 

He went to leave the building only to see Senora there with her brother, Sullamore, who was chatting up the other girls from the other classes while Senora was still sitting there, going over her new textbook, specifically about cubi’s which made Volron’s gut drop and clench. 

“Hey Ron, hey I have a question, do you know of any other gray teiflings in your class that have gold tattoos?” She asked curiously. 

“Nope.” Volron shook his head as he ducked his head lower and hoped his shaggy hair hid his burning cheeks. 

“Do you know of any student in the school who does? Cause you’re in the clinic right? Is there anyone on the 3’C’s side like that? Or maybe royalty? I wonder if it’s a thing royal tieflings do. I should go to the library.” She insisted as she got up and dusted off her uniform and told her brother she needed to go to the library. 

“I’ll walk you there.” Volron volunteered. 

“Cool, thanks Bruh.” Amore thanked him. 

“No problem.” Volron nodded as he walked back into the school and towards the library with Senora. 

“So can I talk to you about school or would that be too weird?” She asked. 

“Talk away.” Volron invited. 

“You know how you get the same dream over and over again and you can swear it’s real or maybe a premonition or something? Like there are the usual dreams and even nightmares and then there are those other dreams where it’s like ‘this week on this chapter of the saga’ kind of thing?” She asked. 

“Yup.” Volon nodded and bit his lips to keep himself from saying much more about it. 

“Well I’ve been having one of those dreams that it’s like I’m sharing them with someone else, like they’re so real and everything is so intense and it’s somehow surreal yet, real? Does that make sense? No that doesn’t make any sense. Um…” She chattered as she tried to find the right words. 

“No, I get what you mean.” He reassured her. 

“Thanks, it seems like you’re the only one who really does. Probably cause you’re incubi huh?” She asked with a fond smile. 

“I don’t have to use my cubi stuff to get or understand or know what you’re talking about Nora. Anyone with half a wit or half a brain could keep up. Not that you’re stupid, but it’s…you’re fine. It’s ok, you’re good.” He insisted and before he knew it, his steps had unconsciously synched with hers and his tail was fighting not to twist around hers. 

“I know what you mean Ronnie.” She reassured him as she slipped her arm around his as he led the way to the library and suddenly Volron couldn’t take it. He needed to come clean, he thought he could keep up the charade, he really did, but after this afternoon, and after the talk he just had, he knew he was in over his head and like a bandaid, he just needed to rip it off and come clean. Because Nora deserved to know. She was owed that much, from him at least. But by the time he had made up his mind, they were in the library and she left him holding her bag so she could peruse the aisles looking for the royal teifling section and was already pulling books out left and right before she had a whole stack of them in her arms and was carrying them to a table and the last thing Volron wanted was for her to waste hours of her time looking for something that wasn’t there. 

“Nora, Nora, Senora!” He finally called to her as she had gone back to the shelves to look for more and pull even more out. 

“What?” She asked as she looked at him in a bit of confusion and bewilderment as to why he was suddenly using her full name to get her full attention. He never did that unless he was about to tell her something very serious. 

“Don’t…don’t waste your time. I can already tell you that you could read this whole section and you won’t find what you’re looking for.” He told her as he stopped her from getting any more books off the shelves. 

“Why? Because you’ve already read all of these?” She asked. 

“No, because I already know what you’re looking for, you’re looking for this right?” He asked her as he mentally put the illusion into her head before her face scrunched up in weary confusion. 

“That’s not fair. How’d you get in my head to see that like that? Like I didn’t even feel…” She began before she watched as he slowly started to change his physical appearance to mimic the illusion and she dropped her stack of books and her hands went to her face as she gasped as tears came to her eyes. 

“Oh gods…you? It’s been you? This whole time? It’s been you putting that in my head?” Senora asked. 

“Yeah, I’m sorry. I fucked up. I’m sorry. I’ve really, really, really liked you and had the biggest crush on you and then at the end of primary school when Amore and I moved on from Primary to here and I missed you so much and I learned how to do it and then turned my own fantasy into your fantasy and then before I knew it, we were already in the middle and I’m sorry, I’m so so sorry, I thought it was just going to be a quick crush and we’d both get over it and move on and then once that link was made and the more you used it to reach out to me and hte more I answered your call, the stronger it was and then today, today…” His voice cut off from getting thick with emotion. 

“You got caught. I…in class, I called to you and you answered me and helped me and got caught.” She realized as her eyes soon began to suck up the tears before they could really fall. 

“Yeah, so…that’s why I had to stay behind in class. Because I had to have a talk and get the third degree from my teacher and especially yours.” He admitted. 

“So…so what do we do? What can we do?” She asked. 

“I got off with a warning but only with the understanding that I sever it for good. And I don’t use it and find a way to keep you from using it too. And that way we can still stay in the classes and get to clinic but now I’m under the microscope. Because I’m cubi so, of course we’re always under the microscope while also being put on a pedestal and expect to be perfect and…” He started to say before she stepped over the books and just hugged him and he couldn’t help but hug her back. 

“So why did you choose that illusion?” She asked, her words muffled by his own uniform. 

“Because you said Muran Grayson was cute.” He admitted before she snickered a laugh. 

“He is, he knows it too, he’s full of himself and has an ego the size of the whole damn Lotus House.” She murmured. 

“Why’d you choose that tattoo?” She asked. 

“Cause you said you liked the oriental Cisoras cause the food is always awesome and it’s a sea of red and gold.” He answered. 

“So you literally just took all my favorite things and tried to make what you thought my picture perfect illusion of the perfect tiefling would be?” She guessed as she lifted her head from his chest and peered up at him curiously, noticing he still had the same gorgeous blue eyes that she had always loved and before she could stop herself, she pushed up to tip toe and met his lips with hers and while her horns still scraped against hers and didn’t as perfectly as they could when in the illusion, it didn’t matter. 

She liked him back! She liked him back enough that she initiated it and the link was back and instead of going through the illusion, it was like it was a fog and it got lifted and only got clearer and stronger and now with their close proximity, it was damn near magnetic. 

And before they either knew it, he had lifted her up, as she had moved the wrap to her dress like uniform to reveal her sex while he had done the same to join his flesh with hers as he pinned her up to the bookshelf as he seated himself fully into her as she bit his lip hard enough to break skin as his cock has broken her maidenhood for the blood for blood exchange to be equal and while both had hurt, the pleasure such actions caused eclipsed the pain. It was only when she pulled back to suddenly pull in a gasp of air that his mouth finally left hers to trail scorching kisses, licks and nips down the column of her neck only to move her uniform over to reveal her collarbone to leave another bite, equal to the one she had left on his lip that his saliva was already stinging but healing all the same. But the moaning keen he had already becoming addicted to in his dreams was better than it ever was in the dream world because it was real. It was a real sound that she made with her own throat and in response to his minstrations and the pleasure they were giving each other was better than any drug, any candy, any spice, any liquor. Nothing compared to this. 

And as much as Volron wanted and needed to hold her up and bulk up and gain strength, he found, his will was finding a way to push his body through this. Because as much as he gave and took from her, the least he felt he could give her, was this. Even if this had to be the one and only and even if this had to be a first and last, it would be worth it. 

“Stop thinking like that Ronnie. Just stay with me. Just stay.” Nora murmured into his ear before she playfully nipped at the tip which only caused his hips to jerk and stutter. Because while he had just been released into the clinic and had already paired with everyone else in his own paired classes, it was like this was his first time all over again. 

“Get down, before your legs give out.” She cooed and he tried, gods he tried to set them down gently. But his legs practically folded under them and they practically fell in a heap onto each other right there in the hall of the library. Senora snorted a laugh but moved them so he could sit back on the floor against the books himself before she climbed into his lap and picked up right where they had left off as they both appreciated the fact that even while in full uniform, it was made in such a way so that when worn, it would preserve modesty, but with a few key adjustments it could be rearranged to allow easy access to their own and each other’s bodies. 

Volron was doing everything in his power to hold on and not cum immediately. He was doing everything he could to give as much pleasure, and love and affection felt like he was practically pouring all of himself into her. Which for cubi, was part of the process, you give to heighten the other’s arousal and intensity- only to pull it back after. But he would not be pulling back any of it. He would simply give, and never take, not from her. 

Because of their shared connection, when Senora orgasmed, it was as if this intensely colorful bliss, combined with an explosion of pleasure, like watching a firework explode in the sky before you heard and felt the boom of it in your chest and even then the rest of your body. It was the greatest orgasm yet. Better and greater than any and all they had shared in the dream world, practically combined. And for a small eternity, they simply got to bask in the afterglow as their bodies tensed before they both relaxed against the other’s. As Senora was careful that she laid her head on the part of his upper chest that her horns wouldn’t poke at him but wrapped her arms around his bare chest so that their hearts could beat together while she held onto the mental connection like a lifeline and just as strongly as she was continuing to hold onto him and frankly, just as hard as he was holding onto her. 

“Nora, I was told that we can’t do..what we just did, anymore. That if we do. We both would get flagged in the clinic, or if push came to shove, I could get kicked out entirely.” Volron softly murmured. 

“Are we breaking any of the rules now?” She asked before she lifted her head to consider him curiously. 

“No. while technically we’re not breaking any, we’re breaking the spirit of a lot of them.” 

“Because you’re cubi and I’m a moura teifling and moura cubi hybrid and there’s rules about cubi and cubi hybrids.” She finished. 

“Yeah, and the fact that this has been going on for as long as it has and it’s affecting us here.” He stated. 

“Ah. And let me guess, Dr. Zellora didn’t want my future in The Bride Program compromised.” Senora concluded. 

“Yeah.” 

“Well it won’t.” Senora insisted with a reassuring smile. 

“Please don’t tell me you’re gonna drop out of it just because of me, most families bank on it.” Volron pleaded. 

“Nope. Don’t worry about it. And don’t worry about me or my future in the Bride Program or breaking any rules or anything like that ok? If we have to keep it quiet at school then we will. Don’t let me hold you back or get you expelled ok? There’s no rules about who we get to do our homework out of school with, right?” She asked with a scheming smile. 

“But I want to play by the rules, both by the letter and the spirit and I don’t want this to bite us in the ass like it did to me today.” Volron urged her. 

“It won’t. We can be careful. Do I need to bite it myself to help it feel better? Which cheek did they get you in?” She licentiously teased. 

“Gods you’re too perfect. You’re going to be the death of me.” Volron said. 

“Maybe, the year is just starting for me. And while you only have two more. And I have three, this is just the beginning. We’ll see where and how it takes us. Wherever that may be. But we’ll have fun along the way. I know we will.” She reassured him before she gave him one last sweet kiss before they got untangled and regrouped before he helped her put the books back into their proper places before they left the library and he walked her home. 

“Hey, did you guys find what you were looking for?” Amore asked. 

“Yup. I had some homework in future classes I wanted to get a head start on. So Ronnie offered to help me with my homework, since he’s the pro right?” Senora smiled happily. 

“Cool, cool.” Amore nodded before he put a hand on his friends shoulder. 

“Homework is one thing and school work is another. And I know you’ve always liked her, but you break her heart, I break your tail off.” Amore threatened in his ear but because of the connection, Senora’s body stood straight before her ears laid back angrily before she turned on her heel and got in your brother’s face. 

“You break his tail, I cut your dick off. He may be your friend- but he’s my friend too. He agreed to be my study partner when I asked. The rules state that older students are allowed to assist younger students when the younger students reach out to them. Which I did. I’m allowed to have those and choose the person I’m most comfortable with and for me and for right now and the near future- that’s Volron. I know you’re my big brother but if you can have sex and fuck into oblivion all of my friends at The Lotus House. So can I, right? Because it’s The Lotus House, the rules are different there and we are still going to follow and respect the rules. I graduated out of primary school and got cleared and accepted into The Lotus House School of Sexual Education- the same as you. I may be a year behind because of our natural age gap. But this is perfectly fine, acceptable and reasonable. And I would think you of all people would be happy and relieved I asked Volron and not just anyone else right? I could have asked Xorrax.” She put to her elder brother defiantly as Volron was pleasantly surprised to see and feel how protective she was over him and of their relationship and connection. 

“Woah, woah, woah.” Both Volran and Amore began to argue because Xorrax practically lived at The Lotus House’s clinic and had graduated two years ago but was basically the resident incubus in the clinic and always loved to fuck his way through every new girl who got released in the clinic. 

The next morning, Senora got into class early and discussed with Dr. Zellora about the situation and her feelings as well as her goals and aspirations of not being in the Bride Program. But actually wanting to be a teacher here, just like Dr. Zellora was. Specifically a counselor just for the growing tiefling and cubi hybrids. And that she knew about the connection she had with Volron and didn’t realize that it was breaking the spirit of any of the rules nor any other rule in the rulebook. And understood why Dr. Zellora was of course- weary and protective of her since Senora was still her student. But that such a thing should not cause any problems or concerns for either her or Volron in the future and if they needed to abstain from using their special relationship and special connection while at school, they could and would, for the sake of the others both in the school and the program and curriculum, and especially the staff. And that while Senora had been excited and eager to join The Lotus House, she was also anxious and it was Volran who assured her and reassured her that she would be ok and that that was when they set up the link, more for her anxiety than anything else and it had helped and then of course grew naturally and encompassed more from there. But that it was her reaching out and using it, and he had simply sympathized. But she did not mean to get him in trouble and did not mean to break either any specific rule or any spirit of the rules and agreed that they were there for protection, and to keep the students safe. And that she felt perfectly safe and protected and trusted Volron not to use or abuse such a relationship or trust. And that she had followed the rule of seeking him out, since he was a senior class member, and that he was definitely not preying on her or any other younger class member for that matter. And that since she was a tiefling and cubi hybrid herself, even though she physically leaned more to the tiefling side than the cubi side, her mind was closer to cubi and that’s why that link was there and so strong. 

Dr. Zellora could sense her sincerity and her earnestness to both be clear, yet keep herself and Volron out of trouble and on the good side of the rulebook. 

“We’ll I just didn’t want you to feel that your privacy was invaded or that you were being taken advantage of.” Dr. Zellora offered. 

“No, never.” Senora offered. 

“Then I’ll have the note removed and not have either of you flagged once you gain entrance into the clinic.” Dr. Zellora smiled with a nod. 

“Thank you. And while I won’t be pursuing the Bride Program. I still wouldn’t want to jeapordize any career either of us could have outside of it.” Senora offered. 

“No, of course not. And I completely understand and empathize and sympathize.” Dr. Zellora offered. 

“I know you do. And it helps. It really does. I think the next three years are going to be the best years of my education yet.” Senora beamed happily. 

“I’m sure they will be. I can’t wait to see how you continue to grow, blossom and grow.” Dr. Zellora encouraged. 

“Me either.” Senora smiled happily before the other students started to file in for the class that day.

[monster-every-day]

day 73 - 3/13/24 - forgettablob

similar to forgettingman in that you won't remember an encounter with one, but this time it's not because of some magical property or anything it's just forgettable

[wonijinjin]

SEVENTEEN: THE WEEKND SERIES (MASTERPOST)

this is the masterpost to my new series, in which each seventeen member will have a drabble (approx. 0.5k words) dedicated to them, inspired by the weeknd songs.

each drabble has its own unique setting and trope, these are listed next to the titles, as well as the release dates for them (every wednesday and sunday). warnings will be listed at the top of the works as usual, please check them out before you read them. they can contain dark themes, so i kindly ask minors to dni with the posts listed as such.

cannot wait for you guys to see what i have been working on for the past few weeks!:) as we are slowly reaching the 500 followers milestone i wanted to bring something new to the blog as a form of thanking you for still reading my work and liking it, hope you will like it!

thank you if you read this post, have a great day, take care!:)

THE WORKS IN THE SERIES:

choi seungcheol - call out my name [apocalypse setting, strangers to something more, dark themes, feb 14.]

yoon jeonghan - reminder [actors setting, toxic relationship, dark themes, feb 18.]

joshua hong - after hours [casual life setting, friends with benefits, dark themes, feb 21.]

wen junhui - moth to a flame [casual life setting, breakup, feb 25.]

kwon soonyoung - starboy [celebrities setting, fake dating, feb 28.]

jeon wonwoo - earned it [royalcore setting, strangers to lovers, march 3.]

lee jihoon - often [band members setting, brother’s best friend, march 6.]

lee seokmin - die for you [vampire setting, soulmates, dark themes, march 10.]

kim mingyu - party monster [college setting, schoolmates to something more, march 13.]

xu minghao - heartless [007 setting, forbidden love, dark themes, march 17.]

boo seungkwan - save your tears [casual life setting, best friends to something more/lovers, march 20.]

vernon hansol chwe - can’t feel my face [idol setting, established relationship, march 24.]

lee chan - is there someone else [casual life setting, established relationship to a new level, march 27.]

all rights reserved, @wonijinjin 2024.

[digimonarchive]

Digimon in all animated media - Anime, Movies and OVA

1st pic = Digimon Adventure anime (Japan: March 7, 1999 - March 26, 2000; USA: August 14, 1999 - June 24, 2000)

2nd pic = Digimon Adenture 02 anime (Japan: April 2, 2000 - March 25, 2001; USA: August 19, 2000 - May 19, 2001)

3rd pic = Digimon Tamers anime (Japan: April 1, 2001 - March 31, 2002; USA: September 1, 2001 - June 8, 2002)

4th pic = Digimon Frontier anime (Japan: April 7, 2002 - March 30, 2003; USA: September 9, 2002 - July 14, 2003)

5th pic = Digimon Savers / Data Squad anime (Japan: April 2, 2006 – March 25, 2007; USA: October 1, 2007 - November 2, 2008)

6th pic = Digimon Xros Wars / Fusion anime (Japan: July 6, 2010 - March 25, 2012; USA: September 7, 2013 - August 16, 2015)

7th pic = Digimon Xros Wars: The Evil Death Generals and the Seven Kingdoms anime (a.k.a Digimon Xros Wars part 2) (Japan: April 3, 2011 - September 25, 2011; USA: March 8, 2015 - August 16, 2015) **

8th pic = Digimon Xros Wars: The Young Hunters Who Leapt Through Time anime (a.k.a Digimon Xros Wars Hunters or Digimon Xros Wars part 3) (Japan: October 2, 2011 - March 25, 2012) ***

9th pic = Digimon Adventure Tri OVA (Japan: November 21, 2015 - May 5, 2018; USA: September 15, 2016 - September 20, 2018)

10th pic = Digimon Universe Appli Monsters anime (a.k.a Appmon) (Japan: October 1, 2016 - September 30, 2017)

11th pic = Digimon Adventure: (a.k.a Digimon Adventure 2020 or Digimon Adventure reboot) (Japan: April 5, 2020 - September 26, 2021; USA: November 19, 2022 - April 13, 2023)

12th pic = Digimon Ghost Game (Japan: October 3, 2021 - March 26, 2023)

13th pic = Digimon Adventure (Movie) short film (Japan: March 6, 1999; USA: October 6, 2000 as the first segment part of Digimon The Movie)

14th pic = Digimon Adventure: Our War Game! movie (Japan: March 4, 2000; USA: October 6 2000 as the second segment part of Digimon The Movie)

15th pic = Digimon Adventure 02: Vol. 1: Digimon Hurricane Landing!/Vol. 2: Transcendent Evolution! The Golden Digimentals movie (a.k.a Digimon Adventure 02 Vol 1 and 2) (Japan: July 8, 2000; USA: October 6, 2000 as the third segment part of Digimon The Movie) ****

16th pic = Digimon Adventure 02: Diablomon Strikes Back / Digimon: Revenge of Diaboromon movie (Japan: March 3, 2001; USA: August 5, 2005)

17th pic = Digimon Tamers: The Adventurers' Battle / Digimon: Battle of Adventurers movie (Japan: July 14, 2001; USA: October 16, 2005)

18th pic = Digimon Tamers: The Runaway Digimon Express / Digimon: Runaway Locomon movie (Japan: March 2, 2002; USA: October 2, 2005)

19th pic = Digimon Frontier: Revival of the Ancient Digimon!! / Digimon: Island of Lost Digimon movie (Japan: July 20, 2002; USA: October 23, 2005)

20th pic = Digital Monster X-evolution movie (Japan: January 3, 2005; USA: August 1, 2020)

21st pic = Digimon Savers The Movie: Ultimate Power! Activate Burst Mode!! movie (Japan: December 9, 2006)

22nd pic = Digimon Adventure 3D: Digimon Grandprix! short film OVA (Japan: July 20, 2000)

23rd pic = Digimon Savers 3D: The Digital World in Imminent Danger! short film OVA (Japan: July 8, 2006)

24th pic = Digimon Adventure 20th Anniversary Memorial Story Project OVA short films (Japan: November 22 2019 - December 25, 2020)

25th pic = Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna movie (Japan: February 21, 2020; USA: September 29, 2020)

26th pic = Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning movie (Japan: October 5, 2023; USA: November 8, 2023)

** This is the 2nd part of Digimon Xros Wars saga with Taiki, Kiriha and Nene on their adventure while Akari and Zenjirou are left out.

*** This is the 3rd part of Digimon Xros Wars saga with Tagiru, Yuu and Taiki as the protagonists. This 3rd part has the overly long title so we fans prefer to call it 'Digimon Xros Wars: Hunters' or 'Digimon Young Hunters'.

**** Yes, this movie has an overly long title. I had a hard time deciding whether to highlight it in bold or not.

Happy Digimon Day!

[ladykailitha]

Never Hold Back Your Step... Part 13

This really is getting down to the end here. I'm already at the Mind Flayer in the spot where I'm at in the story so...yeah. Then it would just one chapter after that. Maybe. I don't know. But it's sad to see this one go, too.

Of course as with "Can Anybody See Me?" once this is done, I will begin work on the final story which will take us all the way to the end of the fourth season. Which I hope to get done before season 5. Ideally.

It will have a line from a song in a musical just like the last two (1776 and The Scarlet Pimpernel respectively) so you have any songs you think will fit the theme of the third book (which will be Steve and Eddie clashing over nerds vs sports until that fateful day in March) let me know in the comments or tags or even a DM or ask. It took me months to come up with the title for this one, so any help would be great.

Here we have the dipshit detectives trying to figure out the message and the "secret tunnel".

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12

~

Once they explained everything to Robin, she told them about what the message said. And no given the context of the message coming from the mall it suddenly made too sense.

“The clock tower, the shoe shop and the Chinese place,” she crowed. “It’s got to be.”

“You sure you translated it correctly?” Steve asked. “Because what the fuck does blue meeting yellow have anything to do with the clock tower?”

Robin rolled her eyes and huffed out a deep sigh. “The hour and minute hands are blue and yellow and meeting in the west would be 9:45!”

Eddie tilted his head to the side. “AM or PM?”

Robin stared at him for a moment in shock. “Oh. I don’t know. Could be either I guess.”

Eddie looked at his watch and cursed. “As thrilling as all this has been, I have to get to band practice.” He gave Steve’s shoulder a squeeze. “Be careful, Stevie. Okay?”

Steve nodded and squeezed Eddie’s shoulder back. God, he just want to kiss him goodbye, because it might be his last opportunity to do so. But Dustin and Robin were watching and probably half of the mall too. “As careful as I can be.”

“How can you be so super chill about this?” Robin asked after he left. “Like Russians are running around our mall and Eddie acts like this is a normal Tuesday for you?”

Dustin and Steve shared a glance.

But Steve just scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Like I’ve had the worst year. My girlfriend broke up with me, I got my head bashed in by Hargrove, I got harassed by the basketball team, I nearly got water dumped on my head because I won the part fair and square, then the same asshole tried to scramble my brains further, I didn’t get into the right colleges and was forced to work here instead of the rec center pool like have for the last three years, and a fuck ton of other things. Now Russians have set up shop in my home town? This is just the cherry on top of a very shit filled cake.”

Robin and Dustin winced. Dustin knew that Steve’s year was actually way worse than the truncated version he gave Robin, but they couldn’t tell her about the tunnels, El, monsters, and secret labs. Hence, fuck ton of things.

“Okay,” Robin conceded, “it does sound like your average Tuesday.” She looked up at the clock. “You’re supposed to be off, anyway. So shoo and take the genius child with you.”

Dustin beamed up Steve smugly, but Steve just knocked his hat off on his way to clock out.

“Hey!” Dustin shouted after him. He turned to Robin. “Can you believe this guy?”

Robin just shrugged. “You’re the one who’s friends with him, not me.”

Steve walked out moments later, twirling the hat on his finger. He walked past Dustin to the mall food court. He stopped and turned around.

“Are you coming or are you going to keep harassing workers?” he huffed, putting a hand on his hip.

Robin burst out laughing as Dustin hurried to catch up, scooping his hat off the floor in haste.

Steve shook his head as they walked through the mall. “Hey if we grab my binoculars, I bet we could stake out the mall and look for Russians.”

Steve looked at his watch and sighed. Eddie wouldn’t get done with band practice until much later tonight and he didn’t want to go back to his large empty house, because of course his parents fucked off to the Caribbean for the summer. His father had forced him to give up a job he loved for the most humiliating retail job imaginable and then fucked off to some place pleasant, leaving him to rot.

“Yeah, okay.”

Dustin let out a whoop and jumped up and down. “You won’t regret this!”

Steve buried his head in his hands. “I already do.”

~

Steve and Dustin were hiding behind a large potted plant with Dustin’s binoculars watching people go by.

“What are we supposed to looking for, anyway?” Steve asked, scanning the crowds.

“Russians.”

Steve tore himself away from the binoculars to glare at him. “Thank you for that unhelpful assessment. I know I’m supposed to be looking for Russians, but what do Russians look like?”

“I don’t know,” Dustin huffed. “Tall, blond, scary looking dudes, I guess.”

Steve rolled his eyes and kept looking. He spotted Anna Jacobi flirting with Mark Lewinsky and huffed out a a noise of disgust.

“You have got to be kidding me,” he said with a sigh. “Anna can do way better than swamp ass Lewinsky.”

Dustin smacked his shoulder. “Can you please take this seriously? You’re supposed to be looking for Russians, not your next date. Besides you already have the perfect girl right there!”

Steve rolled his eyes and went back to looking through the binoculars. “Don’t say Robin.”

“Robin.” Was the immediate response.

“No, man,” Steve said as Dustin grabbed the binoculars from him, “she’s not my type. She’s not even in the ballpark of my type.” Considering that she had boobies and not a dick, pretty much sealed the box on any chances of that romantic relationship going anywhere.

Dustin looked over at him and sneered. “And what’s your type again? Not awesome?”

Fuck you. But Steve sneered and stuck his tongue out. “Thank you.”

Dustin grinned back at him with a little hum.

“Look,” Steve said, “for your information, she’s still in school. And she’s weird. But not like Eddie weird. Weird, weird. And she’s hyper. Like worse than Eddie. At least if you put a book in his hand, he’ll settle down. She’ll tap her fingers and twirl her gum. She was also one of those kids in drama who didn’t think I deserved the role of Thomson. That’s a bad look. And she’s in band? But not a rock band like Eddie, a fucking trumpet.” He twisted his lips in disgust. “No.”

Dustin turned to face him. “Now that you’re out of school, that means you’re an adult. And don’t you think you should move past primitive social constructs like popularity?”

Steve looked at him as if he was joking. “Popularity? Are you fucking with me right now? Did you forget I wasn’t popular for the last four months of high school? Primitive constructs, I tell you. Where the hell did you learn that shit? Camp Know Nothing?”

“Camp Know Where, actually,” Dustin huffed, “And no, it’s shit I learned from life. Instead of dating someone you think will make you cool again, why not date someone you enjoy being around for a change? Like me and Suzie.” He smiled broadly. He turned back to watching the through the binoculars.

Steve was soo close to just telling the little shit that he was dating someone he enjoyed being around, someone who did make him look cooler, someone who loved him for him and not in spite of him. But instead he took a deep breath and said, “Oh Suzie. Yeah, you mean hotter than Phoebe Cates. That Suzie. And let’s think about how exactly you scored a girlfriend?”

He scratched his head, appearing to think about it, then he snapped his fingers. “Oh yeah, with my advice. Because that’s how this works, Henderson. I give the advice and you follow through. Not the other way around, all right?”

Dustin sighed. “I just think you could really benefit from being with someone like her, you know?”

Steve rubbed the top of the kid’s head. “I’m doing better than you think I am. Better then everyone thinks I am.”

Dustin stared at him skeptically, but left it alone. Steve knew that there was no way he was going to leave it alone. He just knew that it was going to come back and bite him in the ass in the worst way and at the worst time. He could feel it.

~

“There is a secret room under the mall,” Steve said slowly, not quite wanting to believe this. “And we can get there through the air vents in the break room?”

Robin nodded emphatically. “Yeah, isn’t that cool?”

He had no idea how to tell her how uncool that actually was, because Jesus fuck, the deeper they got into this, the more over his head he felt.

“Let’s go see your secret tunnel,” he said with a sigh, rubbing his face, just suddenly exhausted by the whole thing.

He followed them to the back and looked up at the vent in utter despair. Sighing, he got a ladder and set it up, then hunted around for a screwdriver. Once he found one, he tucked it between his teeth and started climbing. He reached the vent and unscrewed the screws holding the vent in place.

“Oi!” he called out to Dustin. “Hold these!” He held out the screws for him to take. “Don’t lose them, otherwise people are going to ask why there is a great big gaping hole in the wall.”

Dustin rolled his eyes, but did as he was told. Steve put the screwdriver back between his teeth and took off the vent cover.

“It’s a tight space,” he murmured. “Hey, Robin you think you could fit? You’re pretty thin.”

Robin put her hands on her hips and glared up at him. “While I appreciate you thinking I’m skinny enough to fit, I question your sanity if you think I’m going down the creepy tunnel.”

“Vent!” Dustin huffed. “You’ve both called it a tunnel. It’s not a tunnel, it’s a vent. And none of us are small enough to fit.”

DING! DING! “Hey!” someone called out from the front of the store. “Is anyone here?”

Steve who had been climbing down the ladder, stopped and shared a look with Dustin. A slow smile took over their faces.

“Erica!” they said together with glee.

They ran out to the front with Robin fast on their heels. They skidded to a stop and their smiles grew to actual grins when they saw that she was alone and not with her many friends.

“Erica...hey,” Steve said smoothly, leaning against the counter. “What can I get you?”

She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. “Why are you suddenly being so nice?”

Just then Dustin and Robin burst out of the back room and stumbled into front and Erica was even more suspicious than she was before.

So Steve bundled her over to one of the booths and tried plying her with all the ice cream a little girl could conceivably eat, while Dustin filled both Robin and Erica about the messages and all their clues and how they put it all together. It was a hard but impressive sell.

“So will you do it for America?” Dustin asked.

“Well, you can’t spell America without Erica,” she said smugly. “A life time supply of Scoops Ice Cream and you’ve got a deal.”

Robin and Steve shared a glance. Then Steve reached across the table to shake Erica’s hand.

“Deal.”

~

Part 14 Part 15 Part 16

And if you remember something else there from WIP Wednesday... yeah. It wasn't fitting with the rest of the story and had to be cut. Sadness.

Tag List: FIVE SLOTS REMAINING

1- @mira-jadeamethyst @rozzieroos @itsall-taken @redfreckledwolf @zerokrox-blog

2- @gregre369 ​@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @messrs-weasley @kultiras

3- @maya-custodios-dionach @goodolefashionedloverboi @val-from-lawrence @carlyv @wonderland-girl143-blog

4- @justforthedead89 @irregular-child @bookbinderbitch @bookworm0690 @blondie1006

5- @anne-bennett-cosplayer @yikes-a-bee @awkwardgravity1 @littlewildflowerkitten @genderless-spoon

6- @dragonmama76 @ellietheasexylibrarian @thedragonsaunt @useless-nb-bisexual @angels-of-hades

7- @mugloversonly @y4r3luv @greeniebean911 @birbsauce @acingthecounts

8- @cryptid-system @counting-dollars-counting-stars @ravenfrog @dreamercec @sadisticaltarts

9- @clockworkballerina @bluelightsinthevoid @blcksh33p1987 @i-go-pink-in-the-night @mamafaithful

[which-qsmp-egg-would]

Time for the March Summary!

First of, the egg that haunts my dreams,

Richarlyson

For the 3rd month in a row, with 13/62 polls won last month, Richas has been voted most likely to:

Eat a random nut/berry/bug he found outside

Aim for the head during dodgeball

Intentionally cough/sneeze on someone while sick

Pick up something gross and chase his siblings around with it

Play computer games in class instead of doing his school work

Play football indoors and accidentally break a family relic

Play Julius Ceasar in a recreation of the Ides of March

Love a cursed food combination

Hunt down islanders that aren't wearing green on St. Patrick's Day

Pretend to be possessed to scare a sibling/parent

Refuse to wear shoes, even in the woods

Be the Rico (Penguins of Madagascar) of the island

Be covered in band-aids all the time

I do not know how he managed to win this many without me noticing. I think he's stealing trophies from me when I'm not looking.

Dapper

Wait, what? Even I wasn't expecting our favorite literal-demon child to win 2nd! With 11/62 polls won, Dapper has been voted most likely to:

Read Wikipedia articles for fun

Berate adults for coughing into their hand

Be a "Home Alone" protagonist

Love "Doctor Who"

Read Homestuck

Make a recreation of the Ides of March

Actually catch a leprechaun on Saint Patrick's Day

NOT have to sing the alphabet song to remember what order the letters are in

Love the Sherlock Holmes books

Know everything about demon folklore and scare everyone with their knowledge of it

Be determined to find every single easter egg at the island-wide easter egg hunt

She's a nerd, what else is there to say?

Chayanne & Pepito

Tied for 3rd, with 6/62 polls won each! Chayanne has been voted most likely to:

Love Hockey

Hyperfixate on the Percy Jackson series

Be a try-hard in P.E. class

Start a game of King Of The Hill everytime the school replaces the woodchips at recess

Fight with a teacher over a test grade

Sleep through fasting all day

Only look for the difficult to find eggs so their younger siblings can have fun at the Easter egg hunt

And Pepito has been voted most likely to:

Lose every round of Hide N' Seek because Pepito can't stop giggling

Believe in the Tooth Fairy

Chase Pepito's own tail

Still not know how to swim

Actually break a leg during a school play on accident

Eat paper because Pepito thinks it tastes good

One of the oldest eggs tying with one of the youngest. It's perfect.

Sunny

With 5/62 polls won, I'm sure Sunny is a little miffed that she's ended up in 4th. But it's okay, you all are sure to put her in 1st place one of these months. Sunny has been voted most likely to:

Secretly paint their closet an obnoxious color

Have a fashion show using her parents' clothes

Sleep with all of their stuffed animals so they don't get lonely

Treat the masjid shoe racks as their own personal shoe store

Have an imaginary friend

Tallulah, Ramón, & Pomme

Tying for 5th, with 4/62 polls won each, I'm very happy to see Pomme winning her first ever polls! And a total of 4 of them, no less! Tallulah has been voted most likely to:

Try and dye her own hair (making a huge mess)

Fit the main character role in "Coraline"

Perform Tarot card readings

Catch bees to pet them

Ramón has been voted most likely to:

Be obsessed with cowboys and the Wild West

Race to recalibrate the SmartBoard at school

Set up an elaborate rube goldberg machine to suprise a parent for their birthday

Have a space hyperfixation and want to be an astronaut

And Pomme has been voted most likely to:

Be a monster at PaintBall

Hyperfixate on Splatoon

Be very meticulous while coloring in a coloring book

Write a book

I think there's a pattern with that last one.

Leonarda

With 3/62 polls won, Leonarda has been voted most likely to:

Be obsessed with Power Rangers

Be into ice skating

Read every single Warrior cats books

I don't have anything funny to say here, It's hard to pay attention while listening to Ze Frank talk about coral kkkkkkkk

Empanada

With 2/62 polls won, Empanada has been voted most likely to:

Spend recess burying herself in woodchips and sleeping

Have Batik as a hobby

Oh hey, it's the first time Empanada's gone a full month without winning a poll about sweets!

Chunsik

Finally, our youngest has won a poll! With 1/62 polls won, Chunsik has been voted most likely to:

Be exempt from a Federation experiment because he politely declines it

What a polite kid!

...

...

That's it, right? That's all the eggs. All 11 eggs, all 62 polls for the month of March

...

Why does my clipboard say I'm missing two polls.....

...

Oh! Yes!

Juanaflippa & Bobby

In an absolutely unprecedented event, Juanaflippa AND Bobby have become our first ever dead eggs to win a canonical poll, with 1/62 win each! Juanaflippa has been voted most likely to:

Have a million allergies during the spring

And Bobby has been voted most likely to:

Get BANNED from playing Bulldog

It's still insane to me that you all managed to get these two a win. Bobby was going up against RICHARLYSON for void's sake. You all were fighting against the current on that one.

See you all soon!

[eggobuggo]

A piece for all of March.

All days and what parts of the picture they are under the cut.

White numbers will indicate each day. If it is hard to find a day list is below.

1. Rivulet is within Moon’s chest around her rarefaction cell.

2. Moon’s body is also submerged.

3. Chimney canopy is to the left of Pebbles.

4. Within the tower to the right of Moon, Saint wields a fire spear.

5. On Pebbles’ lower leg Gourmand holds a fire egg.

6. In the left corner Monk sits with a lizard.

7. Gourmand is crafting on Pebbles’ leg.

8. Saint is within the tower right of Moon.

9. The red pipe down in the left corner.

10. Worm grass Down by the first tram cart on the bottom layer.

11. A scavenger holds a lantern under Pebbles’ lifted leg.

12. There are many glow weed bulbs littered around Moon’s body.

13. Pebbles is slightly left from the middle of the work. His entire body is counted.

14. A leviathan is swimming slightly to the left of Moon.

15. There is a small collection of spiders on Pebbles’ right arm.

16. The symbol for the monk is painted to the far left of the piece. Monk is not far from it.

17. Utop Pebbles’ right antenna Artificer faces off with scavenger chieftain with bombs.

18. Below Moon in a pipe a monster kelp fights spears.

19. In chimney canopy and the line closet to Pebbles, Hunter is befriending squidcadas with the saint symbol behind them.

20. Down below Pebbles just before the tram way two scavengers walk. One holds a beehive.

21. Chieftain scavenger fights artificer with only spears. Survivor on Moon’s knee also wields a spear.

22. Hanging from Pebbles’ lifted knee, lantern mice scamper and stare.

23. There is a pearl in the shoreline tower, right at the top. Survivor also holds a pearl.

24. A grand long legs climbs out of the garbage wastes tucked close to the right of Pebbles.

25. There is a 3rd karma symbol with the pair of scavengers, their communication can also be seen as the 3rd karma.

26. in the Pipes beneath Moon. Spearmaster is creating spears as they fight the monster kelp.

27. Up in chimney canopy under the king vulture, Nightcat or the watcher is backflipping to stab a blue lizard.

28. The entire image is technically an anniversary picture.

29. Nightcat or the Watcher is up in chimney canopy fighting a blue lizard.

30. There are three overseers spread out in the picture one observing monk, this is Moon’s overseer. One observing Hunter in chimney canopy, this is NSH’s overseer. One is on the shoreline tower looking towards Moon, this is Pebbles’ overseer.

31. On Pebbles’ waist to the right, rot surrounds a chamber indicating unfortunate development.

[borealwrites]

It’s better late than never, amiright?

Nobody asked for it, but here it is anyway. The prompt list for 2024’s Monster March!

The collection for Monster March can be found here! There aren’t many rules, but please give them a look over. The collection will be open starting today, but works won’t be accepted until March 1st. I’m so excited to see what everyone will do!

Plaintext list under the cut

1. Robot/Android/Cyborg/Automaton

2. Dragon

3. Extradimensional Being

4. Humanoid Animal (i.e. Tabaxi, Kenku, Dragonborn)

5. Taurs (i.e. Cervitaur, Centaur)

6. Doppelgänger

7. Succubus/Incubus/Concubus

8. Undead (i.e. Lich, Frankenstein’s Monster)

9. Pixie/Fairy

10. Fae

11. Angel

12. Naga/Lamia

13. Vampire

14. Minotaur

15. Slimeperson

16. Djinn/elemental spirit

17. Ghost/Spirit

18. Merperson

19. Demon

20. Alien

21. Shapeshifter

22. Alraune

23. Werewolf

24. Satyr

25. Harpy

26. Drider

27. Giant

28. Cryptid

29. Sphinx

30. Forest Spirit

31. Free Day

[wydownaspiider]

Monster High March day 13: Meeeow!

when i found out garfunkel and oates were purrsephone and meowlody i knew i had to draw them in little catholic schoolgirl uniforms

[wearethekat]

Anticipated New Releases of 2024

**As anticipated by Me. Mostly SFF. Links are to goodreads because that's what I use, sorry. Anything marked "new to me" I haven't read anything by that author before and therefore can't vouch for the quality. I just think the premise is neat.**

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands, Heather Fawcett (16 January)

Sequel to the charming novel about the fairy anthropologist.

Exordia, Seth Dickinson (23 January)

Well, it isn't a new Baru Cormorant, but this modern SF about first contact may be the next best thing.

City of Stardust, Georgia Summers (30 January)

New to me. A young woman descends into the underworld in order to break her family's fatal curse.

The Tainted Cup, Robert Jackson Bennett (6 February)

New to me. A sherlock holmes flavored duo solves the mystery of the murder of an imperial official in a labyrinthine fantasy realm.

What Feasts at Night, T Kingfisher (13 February)

The sequel to the mushroom horror book What Moves the Dead.

The Warm Hands of Ghosts, Katherine Arden (13 February)

A ghost story set in WW1 about a woman searching for her missing brother.

The Fox Wife, Yangsze Choo (13 February)

New to me. A detective in 1908 Manchuria investigates a young woman's death in an area full of mythical foxes.

Redsight, Meredith Mooring (27 February)

New to me. Unpowered priestess and Imperial pawn is set on a collision path with a pirate with a grudge for the Imperium (Gay romance).

Sunbringer, Hannah Kaner (12 March)

Sequel about the professional godkiller Kissen.

Jumpnauts, Hao Jingfang (12 March)

New to me. A SF novel in translation from Chinese, with three scientists joining forces to deal peacefully with a first contact situation.

The Woods All Black, Lee Mandelo (19 March)

I liked Mandelo's debut novel very much so I'm excited to read this queer horror novella set in 1920s Appalachia.

Floating Hotel, Grace Curtis (19 March)

New to me. A series of cozy character vignettes on a space cruise ship after a murder has occurred. One of the four (!) space hotel murder crimes books coming out this year.

The Emperor and the Endless Palace, Justinian Huang (26 March)

New to me. Reincarnation gay romance set in 4 BCE China, the 1740s, and modern-day LA.

Alien Clay, Adrian Tchaikovsky (28 March)

Far future space xenoarchaeology by a man trapped on a prison planet.

Someone You Can Build a Nest In, John Wiswell (2 April)

New to me. Bizarre lesbian cannibalism monster romance from the point of view of the monster.

The Familiar, Leigh Bardugo (9 April)

Glad to see Bardugo writing more adult fantasy, and this one is especially exciting because it's a fantasy set in early modern Spain with a Jewish main character. Fun to see a more original historical period.

A Sweet Sting of Salt, Rose Sutherland (9 April)

New to me. Lesbian selkie romance.

Death in the Spires, KJ Charles (11 April)

Charles branching out from romance into historical Oxford murder mystery about a group of friends with dark secrets.

Audrey Lane Stirs The Pot, Alexis Hall (22 April)

The new Hall thinly veiled british baking show romcom. Libby says it's releasing in April but I've heard nothing from the author so I think it may be Alecto'd (shifted to next year)

Necrobane, Daniel M Ford (23 April)

Sequel to the dungeons and dragons-esque low fantasy lesbian necromancy book.

A Letter to the Luminous Deep, Sylvie Cathrall (25 April)

New to me. Sweet underwater epistolary academic romance.

How To Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, Django Wexler (21 May)

New to me. A young hero caught in a fantasy time loop gives up and tries being the villain in an attempt to escape.

Goddess of the River, Vaishnavi Patel (21 May)

Another woman-centered retelling of Hindu mythology, this time based on the river goddess Ganga.

Escape Velocity, Victor Manibo (21 May)

New to me. Evil and toxic private school alumni jockey for position in a space hotel event in an attempt to escape a dying Earth.

The Fireborne Blade, Charlotte Bond (28 May)

New to me. Gay dragon slaying knight novella.

Evocation, ST Gibson (28 May)

New to me but looks very cool. Attorney and medium David attempts to escape his deal with the devil with the help of his ex boyfriend and his ex boyfriend's wife (Poly romance).

Service Model, Adrian Tchaikovsky (4 June)

In an SF future, a robot kills its human owners and ventures out into a world where human supremacy is beginning to crumble.

Lady Eve's Last Con, Rebecca Fraimow (4 June)

New to me. A con artist seeks revenge on the man who hurt her sister, who's coincidentally also on a space cruise ship (Sapphic romance subplot).

Triple Sec, TJ Alexander (4 June)

An actual mainstream published poly romance (!!) by trans author Alexander.

Running Close to the Wind, Alexandra Rowland (11 June)

Gay! Pirates! Scheming! Alt fantasy world! Monks! I liked Taste of Gold and Iron a lot and I'm very excited for this one.

The Knife and the Serpent, Tim Pratt (11 June)

New to me. Space opera about an interdimensional organization. Also, there's a sentient starship.

The Witchstone, Henry Neff (18 June)

A childhood favorite of mine's adult debut, featuring a demon who suddenly has to shape up at his curse keeper job after eight hundred years of slacking.

Rakesfall, Vajra Chandrasekera (18 June)

VERY excited to read more weird queer sff from this author after a fantastic debut. Looks weird. I'm in.

Foul Days, Genoveva Dimova (25 June)

New to me. A witch in a Slavic fantasy inspired world flees her evil ex, the Tsar of Monsters. There's also a plague and a detective.

Saints of Storm and Sorrow, Gabriella Buba (25 June)

New to me. Filipino inspired anticolonialist fantasy novel about a nun who is secretly practicing the religion of her goddess.

The Duke at Hazard, KJ Charles (18 July)

A queer regency with an incognito duke by one of my particular favorite romance authors.

Long Live Evil, Sarah Rees Brennan (30 July)

!!! Very excited to see a new adult fantasy by Brennan. A reader is dragged into a fictional world and finds herself the villain.

A Sorceress Comes to Call, T Kingfisher (20 August)

A retelling of The Goose Girl from reliably good fairy tale stalwart Kingfisher.

Buried Deep and Other Stories, Naomi Novik (17 September)

Collection of Novik's short stories.

Swordcrossed, Freya Marske (8 October)

VERY excited to see a new book by talented writer Marske. A man falls in love with the duelist hired for his arranged wedding. MEANWHILE. details of the fantasy world wool industry.

Feast While You Can, Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta (29 October)

New to me. Small town queer cave horror.

The Last Hour Between Worlds, Melissa Caruso (19 November)

Multiple reality murder mystery spy vs spy type antics, with lesbians.

[svt-rosalie]

. . . ♡ FAMILY ! ? 🌷 MEMBERS ★ ﾟ๑

ׁ ׅ ୨ ❪ relationships! ❫ ୧ ⊹ ࣪

© 2023 , svt-rosalie rosalie masterlist!

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ NAME — aurore dumont

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ AGE — 49 ❪ march 15, 1974 ❫

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ STATUS — alive

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ FAMILIAL TIES — mother & daughter

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ DESCRIPTION — to say jihye is a mommy’s girl, is an understatement. jihye is her mothers mini me. as a little girl, rosie would take her mothers makeup and dress up in her moms clothes (even though they were a bit too big for her 8 year old frame) and walk down the hall to their living room giving a little runway show, to which her mother would always be her biggest fan and cheer her on.

“oh so gorgeous!” “i have the prettiest daughter in the world!”

as rosalie grew older, her mother became her anchor for teenage years. especially when she became a trainee and was away from her mother for a while (rosalie began living with her grandparents for about a year whilst her parents found a decent house and building for the bakery). there was many late night calls that would lead the poor girl to tears, crying out that she misses her mom. aurore was able to life up her daughter on her dark days and laugh with her daughter on the bright ones and that’s all that rosalie needs.

nothing is more important than the love a mother gives.

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ NAME — park hyeonju

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ AGE — 52 ❪ october 18, 1971 ❫

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ STATUS — alive

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ FAMILIAL TIES — father & daughter

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ DESCRIPTION — hyeonju is a father and everything in between, a best friend, a hype man, and a body guard. now valentine is the biggest daddy’s girl but that doesn’t mean rosalie isn’t next in line in wanting all of her appa’s attention. she loves when her dad ask her to join in on activities he knows she doesn’t enjoy, like going to the hardware store or making renovations to the house, but just wants to spend quality time with her one way or another — and he always goes to the nail salon to get their toes done together after wards. you gotta pamper yourself after all that hard work as rosalie says.

hyeonju always attended everyone of rosalie’s daddy daughter school events and made sure she was the most spoiled girl without making her a brat. she’s his first daughter/child so of course he’s going to make sure she knows she is loved both emotionally and physically. anytime the park family is out on a errands or just to spend family time together, rosalie is always holding her fathers hand or his arm (or on the special occasion he’s giving rosalie a piggy back ride).

rosalie couldn’t ask for a better father, he’s the one there to fight off all the monsters hiding in her closet and hold her close when the nightmares hit too close to home.

“it’s okay my rosebud, flowers can’t bloom without a little rain huh? appa’s here, it’s okay.”

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ NAME — park jiyeong, valentine dumont

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ AGE — 13 ❪ february 14, 2010 ❫

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ STATUS — dead ❪ february 12, 2022 ❫

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ FAMILIAL TIES — little sister & older sister

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ DESCRIPTION — valentine is rosalie’s entire heart, literally. when valentine was born all bets were off — rosalie was obsessed with her and wouldn’t let her out of her sight. she told all her friends and teachers at school that she has a new little sister and that she’s the best thing ever even though she’s stinky sometimes.

valentine grew up basically shadowing everything rosalie did. rosalie went for extra lessons for english, valentine would too even though she liked her french classes more; rosalie would put a little bit of lip gloss on and valentine would always pucker up her lips for some as well saying she wants to be just as pretty as her big sister! everything they did was for each other and with each other, you’d think they were twins.

when rosalie became a trainee, valentine bragged to everyone saying she was going to have the bestest singing sister in the world, mind you valentine was around 3 at this time so all she knew was the videos rosalie would play of girls generation and shinee, so she thought rosalie was going to be the coolest person in the world. she was right.

as valentine grew up and rosalie began to get busier with being an idol, nothing in their relationship changed. rosalie still called every night to her mom and dad and asked for valentine within 5 minutes.

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ NAME — sabrina

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ AGE — 5 years old ❪ 2018 ❫

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ BREED — ragdoll cat, female

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ STATUS — alive

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ DESCRIPTION — sabrina is and always has been jihye’s number one girl. she received sabby as a gift when she was 18 as a birthday gift from her appa after she had been begging for years for a cat. sadly her mama is allergic so her parents had to wait till their oldest was out of the house to allow such a big purchase and why not when she becomes an “adult”!

sabrina only likes rosalie and pixie. anybody that tries to pet her she will hide and slap your hand away (claws not out, she’s not that mean). she’s a sweet girl though, to rosalie, and loves to cuddle and make biscuits. she’ll sleep all night surprisingly and be the most active kitty you’ve ever seen during the day time.

rosalie knows she’ll be heartbroken when sabrina gets older but right now sabrina is still just a little baby who loves to be carried around and played dress up with!

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ NAME — pixie

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ AGE — 2 years old ❪ 2021 ❫

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ BREED — black cocker spaniel, female

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ STATUS — alive

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ DESCRIPTION — pixie is just a little baby. she has no thoughts in her head expect her best friend sabrina the ragdoll, her owner rosalie and treats. she’s such a sweetheart but is genuinely just so coocoo.

she doesn’t go crazy like sabrina will but she’s just dumb. . . to put it mildly. pixie will be walking and is only looking up at rosalie instead of straight ahead of her and bump into a wall, she’ll bark at the floor because she thought she saw another being that wasn’t suppose to be there but it was actually just her own shadow coming from the sun shining in the window.

rosalie has a little like baby walker that she puts pixie in for walks and sometimes sabrina as well. when rosie bought that a lot of people thought she was pregnant. . . nope just for her fur babies. pixie is rosalie’s best friend and often goes with her to practices and oversea events when the group is going to be there for a while (sabrina doesn’t do well on planes so she stays with wonwoo’s family).

taglist — @angie-x3 @alixnsuperstxr @allthings-fandoms @peachyaeger @sakufilms @aysxldea @swagcandyfun @wonwooz1 @s4nsmoon

click here to join the taglist!

[thecandywrites]

Monster March 2024- Day 13- Vampire- Adjacent with a Twist- The Golden Path

So, I've actually had this idea for years that I had partially written and stored away and now, it is coming to my aid. And while this is Adjacent with a Twist- it's still pretty close to the spirit of the prompt. lol.

As always, thanks to @borealwrites for their amazing Monster March 2024 Prompt List. Enjoy.

Monster March 2024 Day 13-  Vampire Adjacent with Twist - 

The Golden Path

“Dowager Empress, Momo Xiu is here to initiate the Dragon Hosting Tradition.” Eunuch Li urged the newly appointed Dowager Empress the day after enthronement ceremony once all the other traditions and ceremonies were observed, save for one. 

“Please, come Momo Xiu.” The Dowager Empress invited before she came and bowed ceremoniously before she presented an ornate box, that looked like it was covered- in dragon scales, that caught the Dowager Empress’ eyes and curiosity. 

“First, I must congratulate you for becoming Dowager Empress. And now that you are fully enthroned, you have one more duty to our Empire to fulfill and that is to open this.” She invited before the Dowager Empress’s hand maiden got the box and then presented it to the Dowager Empress who took it and carefully opened it to see a special note- sealed by the last Dowager Empress, that she carefully broke the seal before she read the special edict inside. 

‘Dowager Empress, congratulations on becoming the most powerful woman in the nation. However, one more traditional ceremony must be observed. On the first night of the next full moon- you will receive Lady Dragon, who will come in the middle of the night during the full moon. She will come for all of your former competitors- for the concubines of the previous Emperor who remained childless and all the occupants of the cold palace. She will offer tribute in exchange for them. It’s these tributes that will set up the reign of the new Emperor and clear out room and space for the new Emperor’s harem. You will host her all night, the more generous and lavish the feast, the more generous and lavish her tributes will be.' The edict stated.

'It is now to think of how much gold, silver, iron, steel, silk, satin, spices and precious stones you wish in exchange for them. The more trouble they made for you- the more they will be worth, in a very literal sense. Prepare a list of all persons and prepare a list of what you want as well as what your new Emperor will need to solidify his reign. Enclosed in this letter is a painting of Lady Dragon so that you will know it is her. She will come a first time to meet with you in the middle of the night, the second time she comes, she will bring her own carriages to first unload all of the goods agreed upon, and then, once it’s unloaded and they meet with your approval, then the concubines of the former emperor will be loaded onto those same carriages and will leave out of the back gate. And will never be seen or heard from again. Your duty- is to copy this letter in your own hand as instructions for the next Dowager Empress. Include the picture of Lady Dragon and return the new letter to this box, and let the Momo return this box to the extraordinary secret treasure room.’ The letter read as she seemed to blink and then read it again before she seemed to take a few minutes to gather her thoughts.

She made up her mind and immediately got up and she did just as the letter dictated as she got up and went to her desk to write the letter down, word for word before she opened the portrait and committed it to memory before she gave the official order for the ceremony and returned the box into the hands of the Momo that had given it to her. 

It was a very anxious few weeks of careful preparations but finally the night came and the Dowager Empress felt like she wanted to pace the entire Forbidden City while she tried to remain patient for Lady Dragon’s arrival. 

But suddenly there, was a slight growl, not necessarily heard- but felt- in her bones and the bones of her servants as it seemed Lady Dragon’s presence was felt as it roved the entire Forbidden City, and then the Entire Forbidden Palace- taking it’s time to inspect the inner city and inspect the Six Eastern Palaces and the Six Western Palaces before coming to hers, and appearing as a woman, dressed in blue glowing garments and wearing special dragon scale armor as the Dowager Queen got up and got ready to receive her guest formerly. 

“Lady Dragon?” The Head Eunuch asked as he came over to her as she seemed to be appreciating the flowers of the garden. 

“Yes?” She answered as she turned and he did his best not to fall down when two glowing dragon eyes came to look at him before he tried to invite her in. 

“The Dowager Empress would like the pleasure of receiving you.” He offered before she nodded and followed him as he watched as soon as the light of the candles illuminated her, the more “human” she looked so that the only thing to slightly glow was the iris’ of her eyes and the gleaming glint in her armor as she came and approached the Dowager Empress and knelt and did obeisance at her feet, as was customary for all other concubines. 

“I Lady Dragon, do bow in respect and honor of you- Empress Dowager.” She said. 

“Please rise- Lady Dragon, I feel it is I who should be bowing to you.” The Dowager Empress noted as she got up to her feet. 

“Nonsense, you are the most powerful woman in the world. You have conquered all but one enemy. The final enemy- that is death itself. You have my respect for that. And you have my gratitude for hosting me.” Lady Dragon pleasantly offered. 

“Please, I have a feast prepared for us to enjoy.” She invited as she stood and led the way to the feast in the next room.  

“May I make you some rejuvenating tea?” Lady Dragon asked the Dowager Empress.  

“Oh, of course.” She said before the very same Momo came with a tea set, already ready for a tea service as Lady Dragon took out a small box that had the tea leaves in it and a small set of tongs to select the long tea leaves and began to put them into the special teapot, that looked like it was made out of a blue jade as the water had just been boiled to be poured into the teapot itself. 

“Thank you for preparing this for me again.” Lady Dragon thanked the Momo as she took the special tongs to pick up the tea leaves and put each scrolling tendril of the leaf into the teapot before gently picking up the pot and letting them swirl around as the most tantalizing aroma began to fill the air. It smelled so floral for also smelling so sweet and fruity, but a fruit no one could quite put their finger on to identify. 

“It smells…exquisite.” The Dowager Empress praised before Lady Dragon and the Momo shared a meaningful smile. 

“I would hope so. It’s glowing moonflower tea. Glowing moonflower only grows in a few very special places around the whole world. And glowing moonflower is known as a -cure all- to just about everything. And is capable of restoring the drinker to full health. And even decrease aging to a degree. And then fortify you for decades to come.” Lady Dragon offered before she handed the Momo a special container that held another batch of tea. 

“May I present this to you. It’s another special blend of tea. It’s meant to give you a peaceful death when you reach the age when you no longer wish to live in this world. It will make death painless for you so that you can pass over seamlessly. All you need to do- is request for Momo here. And she will come and give it to you when the auspicious time will come.” Lady Dragon offered as she handed it over. 

“Do you know when the auspicious moment for me will come?” The Empress Dowager asked curiously, not able to help herself. 

“I do. But it is still a very long way off. You have many more decades of happy days and very happy and prosperous years ahead of you to your own satisfaction.” Lady Dragon reassured her as the Momo took it and slipped it into a pocket before the tea seemed to have steeped long enough and Lady Dragon poured out three cups of it. One for the Dowager Empress, one for the Momo and one for herself. As the tea seemed to swirl and dance in the cup, looking like flecks of blue pearls floated in the sapphire blue liquid, that still seemed to glow from the cup.

“Please Momo, please taste this for us to assure all that it is not poisonous or dangerous.” Lady Dragon invited before the Momo drank it and then slowly, then all at once, she transformed from a very aged Momo- to a young woman once more. 

“It’s perfect.” She smiled. 

“It’s wonderful to see you so young again my friend.” Lady Dragon grinned as she took another cup and held it up to the Dowager Empress ceremoniously as the  Dowager Empress took it but waited to drink it as Lady Dragon got her cup last before the Momo took her cup to toast to whatever Lady Dragon would toast. 

“I toast to you and your success in both guiding the Emperor to the throne, as well as yourself to your own, long may you reign.” She toasted before she began to drink as the Dowager Empress did the same and welcomed the feeling of her own health being restored as she felt 30 to 40 years younger and looked at least 20 years younger too. 

“Wow.” The Dowager Empress marveled as she looked at her now, much younger hands as even the gray in her hair started to wash away and back to an inky black and shine as it did in her youth.

“Please, won’t you have Momo stay and join us for this feast? I also wish for her to be our recorder and record the negotiations for the Late Emperor’s concubines as well as the occupants of the cold palace.” Lady Dragon requested politely. 

“Of course. Please join us Momo.” The Dowager insisted before another chair was brought before the three ladies started to enjoy the most lavish feast The Dowager Empresses was sure to ever be had for her reign. 

It was like that tea was half rejuvenating tea, and half wine! Soon everyone’s heart was merry as Lady Dragon relished in the retelling of exactly what the Dowager Empress had to do, and the intrigues both suffered, endured and planned and executed so that she could place her Prince as on the Dragon Throne and as The Emperor, while candidly discussing her true thoughts about who her son was thinking about enthroning as his Empress. It was like they could eat and talk and gossip and laugh the entire night away and it wasn’t until the Dowager Empress yawned that it soon was contagious. 

“Oh dear, it’s only an hour before sunrise. Here, for the sake of time. I have already compiled a list of what I feel is fair for the remaining concubines.” Lady Dragon offered as she pulled a list out of her pocket and handed it over to the Dowager Empress who took it and read it over.

“Ah, indeed, very generous, too generous perhaps, make it a single tael of silver instead of gold for those in the Cold Palace.” The Dowager Empress offered, impressed at the almost embarrassingly generous terms offered for every single one of her surviving compatriots in the Imperial Harem.

“Fine, two taels of gold, 100 yards of silk and this, for the ladies of the Cold Palace.” She offered before she pulled out of her other pocket a box and inside it, a hair pin, made out of vibrant blue jade and inlaid with gold and even enamel. 

“Oh, you drive such a hard bargain.” The Dowager Empress waived off as she smiled happily at the hairpin, knowing she would look most regal and exquisite wearing it as she seemed to recall, the late Dowager Empress, wore something similar to this and was even buried with a hairpin like this in her white hair when she had died.

“I do. Do you accept?” Lady Dragon asked. 

“I do.” The Dowager Empress nodded. 

“Then please sign your name next to mine.” Lady Dragon offered before she did as Lady Dragon added the items for those in the Cold Palace and gave it back to the Dowager Empress. 

“Keep this and make preparations to receive the goods indicated. I will be back in one month. At sunrise, on the morning of the next full moon. I will come with everything that is specified in this agreement. Please have all those detailed in the agreement ready to depart. Only personal servants are allowed with the concubines. All other staff of the palace must remain with the palace.” Lady Dragon dictated. 

“It will be done and they will be ready. Thank you so much for blessing me with your presence, and the glowing moonflower tea.” The Dowager Empress thanked her as they all stood from their seats as Lady Dragon bowed respectfully as the Dowager Empress also bowed respectfully in turn. 

“I’ll will see you in a month. As always, it’s a pleasure to see you again Momo Xiu. I look forward to catching up with you in a month.” Lady Dragon said before she left and vanished into the dark night before a growling wind was soon felt as she departed, like a phantom in the night. 

The Dowager Empress turned to Momo Xiu and paused before she would go to bed. 

“How long have you been with us?” She asked her.

“Since the first emperor of the Great Qing dynasty.. Lady Dragon keeps a Lady in every harem around the world and only changes them out with new dynasties. I am the one for this dynasty.” Momo Xiu answered before she bowed and departed and left to go to her special space within the Forbidden Palace. 

True to her word within one month exactly, Lady Dragon was back, only this time, dressed in bright blue silk clothing, looking quite human. And could almost pass as a Momo of the Harem. 

And at the southern gate only a few moments before sunrise. Suddenly the largest and longest train of carriages and carts were there, ready to be received. 

The guards nearly fainted when they looked out one moment to see nothing, then suddenly a vast train was suddenly approaching, just as the sun rose over the horizon. 

“I am Lady Dragon, here with the agreed upon tributes for the Dowager Empress and the rest of the Imperial Harem.” She announced before they immediately opened the doors for her to walk in as she led the way as the guards just stared, slack jawed at all the covered carts and carriages. It was the largest tribute they had ever seen and it continued until she reached the Dowager Empress’ palace. 

Even she was near speechless to see it all. 

“Now, if you will be so kind as to have the palace servants unload it and count it, to make sure it is what we agreed upon?” Lady Dragon asked before all the eunuchs and maids all unloaded it all, having to fill up every store house in the Forbidden Palace as even some was immediately gifted to the very palaces that these concubines were leaving from as the concubines could only stare in resentment. That all their years of fruitless waiting, that what they were seeing was what they were worth and it embittered them. But no sooner had the carts been unloaded as the tally for what was given was taken and then given to the Dowager Empress. All while Lady Dragon and Momo Xiu seemed to speak in another language entirely the whole time, like two friends catching up as they sat on a bench together while the Empress sat in her favorite seat in the gardens, under a cabana to keep the sun off of her.

“Lady Dragon, you have given me too much! I thought we agreed on only one hundred yards of silk for those the Cold Palace. Not one thousand, one hundred!” The Dowager Empress flushed as she stood at her feet and looked at the long tally and compared them to the agreed upon list that had been given to her by Lady Dragon a month prior.

“It’s not a mistake. You never dictated what you were worth in the harem before you became the Dowager Empress. You are the most precious of all. You left that blank. So I filled it in for you. A thousand yards of brocade silk in every color in the rainbow. A thousand taels of gold and a thousand tales of silver and a thousand bricks of jade, and a treasure trove of other goods. See?” She asked as she pulled out her own copy of the agreement to see where she had written all of that in herself as the Dowager Empress wanted to both laugh and cry at the same time.

“My Lady, I’m indebted…” The Dowager Empress tried to bow but Lady Dragon stopped her and instead took her hands into her own. 

“You are not indebted. You have finally been paid for your own sacrifices for the harem and the nation. You earned it with every tear you shed in pain, in every heart break, in every heartache, in every disappointment, in every sadness, loss and woe. Do you really think the Heavens themselves were not keeping track of such things from the very stars you look upon at night?” Lady Dragon asked as she then let go to put her hand to the Empress’ cheek to wipe a tear that was falling from her eye as she gave the Empress Dowager the most comforting, reassuring look as the Empress' lip trembled as she fought to stay in control of her emotions and not lose her composure. 

“Do you remember how, when you were first chosen for the Late Emperor, you felt ordinary, and plain. And unworthy?” Lady Dragon prompted with a comforting smile as the Dowager Empress nodded as she tried to regain her composure. 

“Let this be proof, that you were always worthy of the Grace of Heaven. Let this be known and felt by you- your Highness. Heaven itself approves of you and gives you its grace, its peace and its tranquility.” Lady Dragon offered before the Dowager Empress felt such things wash over her as she found her composure and began to heal her own hurts from her own past. 

"Thank you." Dowager Empress offered.

“You are more than welcome. Now, you can lead the Emperor as the Son of Heaven he is to the glorious future that is surely before him. He still needs you and your guidance. Continue to do so with all success. For even he will live a long and happy life. And your decendants will become like the grains of sand in the sea.” Lady Dragon smiled as she withdrew to a more “proper” distance. 

“May we depart in peace.” Lady Dragon offered with one last deep bow before she gave the order and those who had been driving the carts, invited the ladies and their households into the now, almost magically transformed carriages. 

“Depart in Peace.” The Dowager Empress said to Lady Dragon’s retreating form as she nodded and then left the way she came in, the same carriages now taking up the same order they came in- in- to leave and pass through the three gates and out of the back entrance.

However, once the party seemed to go up a mountain pass, soon, the whole train of carriages was magically transported to a special restaurant in a mountain valley, overlooking the Forbidden City. 

“Please, come in, eat and rest.” Lady Dragon invited all of them to do as they all came in and sat down to a banquet that was already set out and still steaming hot as she urged them all to start eating as soon as they would find whatever seat they wanted at any table they wished. 

The concubines felt like this might as well be their last meal and slowly began to eat before the flavors of the food soon enticed their appetites to eat, And the more they ate, the less resentful and spiteful they felt as they all did as they drank the heavenly tasting blue tea that practically glowed in their cups as they didn’t seem to notice right away, how many were regaining youth and health and soundness of mind and body as they did. And grew more contented and peaceful in mind, body and spirit. 

“Now, has everyone eaten and drank to satisfaction?” Lady Dragon asked once they all seemed to stop eating and simply sipped on their tea as they, for once, enjoyed genuine conversation with others from the harem, as if, in the trip leaving the palace, and in the course of eating this one meal and drinking their cups of tea, all the hurtful past they had with each other was washed from their memories, and only the good and fond memories remained as they felt like they simply renewed friendships with each other. All bitter rivalries were even forgotten. As those who were once in the Cold Palace, had they lost their sanity, regained it. As the life they had once lead, seemed like a distant memory as even the servants were invited to sit beside them and eat, as all were welcomed equally.

“Yes.” They all answered. 

“Now, all of you have a choice to make as an individual. Usually for ladies in your positions, you usually only have two choices. One, become nuns and devote yourselves to whichever deity you want to. Or, go back home to your families, but usually there is a taboo for returned concubines who do not devote themselves as nuns. However, I have a third option for you.” Lady Dragon began. Her voice, while being heard by everyone in the room, was never so loud that she was shouting but was heard as if she was in front of each one of them. 

“The third option, is The Golden Path. You see, I live on an island. With incredibly rich resources, known as Taloa. Taloa has an overabundance of food, clothing and shelter and treasures beyond imagination and understanding. It’s practically a paradise. The tea that you’ve been drinking, is glowing moonflower tea. Glowing moonflower grows like wild weeds there and even in the dead of night, glows just as brightly as the moon in the sky, lighting all paths in and around everything. The people are very pleasant and respectful. However, there is no master, and no slave there. There is no class system. No hierarchy. There is of course law and order, but there is no crime, nor punishments. No violence, no war. Only peace and prosperity. However there is just one thing that is lacking in Taloa.” Lady Dragon explained as nearly everyone was leaning forward to hear her, half entranced, half in disbelief.  

“No daughter has been born on Taloa soil for the last 300 years. It's why I must leave and go to every harem I can to find women worthy of Taloa. The last harem who came- came 31 years ago. And 30 years ago, just like the last three hundred years- the generation was only male. It is not a curse per-say, it is a result of a mineral in the soil that we can not remove. It makes everything that grows there and that can be found there, better in quality than anywhere else in the world. And it gives until there is no more want, except for a daughter. Every family has nothing but sons. Sons who are now of marriageable age who are all eager to have a wife. Every single one of them would worship any wife like she is a goddess. And treat her like the treasure she is. Dignify her, respect her, adore her, treasure her, dote on her, love her in every way imaginable and clothe her in splendor." Lady Dragon explained.

"Every woman can make her own home her own palace. As large as she can manage it on her own and with the help of her sons. Every man has a job in trade and in art. Making the very goods that were just traded for you. And to those of us on Taloa, what we gave for each and every single one of you, is like a film of dust on a scale and in all honesty- is practically charity that we give to the other harems in the world." She continued.

"Because the truth- is that it is you- each and every single one of you young ladies- who are the real treasures here. What I am offering you on The Golden Path, is a husband who will only want one wife. Who will think of his wife as the most beautiful woman in the world, who will be completely, perfectly devoted to her and her happiness. Along with in-laws who are grateful and delighted to have any of you as a daughter in law and will treasure you. And never make your life hard, but instead, ask how they can make it better. Each one will love you as the individual you are. And not for any status, or any other connections you had, put purely for your gifts and talents and personality." She revealed.

"But, it has to be your choice to make and every journey has to start with you making the first steps of your own initiative and for yourself and yourself alone. Either the Golden Path, the nunneries at any temple of your choosing, or back to your homes, to live out the rest of your life in solitude because of the unfortunate taboo of the culture you were brought up in. That is why I came to the Emperor’s harem. That’s why I go to every Emperor’s harem all over the world, asking, begging and pleading for any who will answer this call. Because without me bringing more women for Taloa’n men to marry, we will die out once they grow old and gray without wives to mother the next generation. And until we find the solution for the phenomenon, this is the best that we can do to keep our own civilization alive and prosperous.” Lady Dragon explained as she held out her hands in a pleading gesture as she entreated them. 

“You have until you are out of tea to decide. Those who choose the temples. Go towards that exit, marked “Temple”. And the carriages will take you to any temple you wish to go to. If you still wish to return home. Please, exit this building marked “Home”. And the carriages will take you to your individual homes. But if you choose to go make Taloa your new home and walk The Golden Path of Paradise itself, please, pass through this exit behind me.” She offered as she gestured to the large doorway with the letters of name- made out of gold, with gold pillars and golden tiles on the very floor under the sign that led out of the main dining room as she then thanked them for listening to her plea and left them to make their minds up as she left and walked down the golden tiles and out of the door outside as those who were inside to murmur to themselves as they all seemed to take a moment to think it over. 

“I don’t need that long to decide. A husband who really loves me? And give me more than just lipservice? I volunteer!” One of them exclaimed as she chugged what tea was left in her cup and got up and hastily followed Lady Dragon while others seemed to come to the same conclusion and soon, many had chosen to follow her and soon practically flooded the Golden Path exit as they were all eagerly choosing the same as even those who glanced reluctantly at the other two options before they soon took one last, sip of their cups and then chose for themselves. 

Those who chose the temples, chose them. Those who chose to go home, even with the stigma, even with the taboo, did. And within only a moment, were magically transported there before they were dropped off and the carriages disappearing the moment they were out of sight. But all memories of Lady Dragon and the journey forgotten the moment they stepped into the carriages to go to the various temples or to go home. 

The ladies who chose the Golden Path watched in amazement as the carriages formed on a road, that led from the banquet house, but led to a cliff. 

“Let’s go home.” Lady Dragon offered before she did a motion with her arms and suddenly, a huge portal opened and indeed, there was a paradise on the other side where the golden path of bricks continued on the other side as they all soon followed the gold bricked path and passed through the portal, as they watched as they all practically passed from mountain side, to hill side where the winding road snaked through the hills and fields as others were along the side of the road, cheering, and throwing flower petals at them, and welcoming them as they passed through a large, stately complex of large houses, practically mansions, peppered with restaurants, markets, theaters, and other amusements once the carriages stopped they were all invited to stay with Lady Dragon while they acclimated and that once they would find a husband of their own, they would make his house her home by joining him in it- if he and his home and family would court her heart there.

And once here, that's when they saw that each area was it's own 'district' that catered to the tastes and styles of each kind of imperium and many others they had yet to hear or learn about as it seemed there were peoples of all kinds here, all intermingled, and all speaking purely their language but also- a second that was a blend of all the other kinds of languages together.

It was only Lady Dragon who seemed to have servants. All of them aged quite a bit older than her. Like they would be Lady Dragon’s grandmother’s age. 

“Where is your mother?” A few curious ones asked her.  

“She passed away not that long ago. I was the last girl born on the island. But the Blue- Gold Dragon's spirit that is with me- that allows me to travel the world with just a few flaps of my wings- will only go to a daughter of Taloa. And so far, I am the last. So the responsibility to keep Taloa going- rests with me. But, once a daughter is born of Taloa, then she will inherit the Blue- Gold Dragon to save others from the harems around the world. And she, will inherit this estate. Because I have tried to lay with every man on the island. And none can impregnate me. And I have born, neither son, nor daughter. And now, I am unfortunately, way past childbearing age. The glowing moonflower tea is the only thing keeping me alive, and looking this young. No matter how old I actually am. I stopped keeping track after my 300th birthday. So now, the entire nation knows that any woman who can come here and bear a daughter, will take on my palace, and my servants and the mantle of Lady Dragon and will be the true ruler of this nation.” She explained as she lead the way as the golden path soon narrowed until it was simply a walking path, leading up to the front door of the largest building on the island, The Dragon Palace. It is where the Golden Path ended as those at the base, noticed that the way the palace was set up and built, when contrasted with the rest of the island behind it, it almost looked like a coiled dragon, sleeping peacefully on a hill, from the way the tiles, rocks and stones were laid on the outside walls of the palace and noticed that up here, it looked out all around the island as a whole as there were golden paths leaving the palace in every direction, that led from the palace to the 8- directions. Like north, north-east, east, south-east, south, south-west, west and north west.

Once inside, they were all shown their own sleeping quarters, each it's own bedroom- along with new stacks of clothing to wear, of the finest silks and satins as something of a dowry was laid out around the room. Each one taking whichever bedroom down the wing that struck her fancy the most.

However, that first night, some of them got sick, like a small percentage of the overall.

“I thought no one got sick?” The new young women asked in the morning as they watched as the sick were moved to a different wing of the house as they watched on as Lady Dragon’s servants wore masks and other clothing to keep any sickness from spreading as they were directed to have breakfast with Lady Dragon.

"Lady Dragon? I thought no one ever got sick here?" Djedje asked.  

“Ladies, there is only ever 1 thing that can appear to be a sickness, but it is not a true sickness. However, it does happen to a small portion of newcomers can be suseptable to. It's an allergic reaction to glowing moonflower pollen. I have a wing in my house where those who show such an allergy are kept separated and the air is filtered and purified to keep the pollen out of the air. And everything is washed so as to remove as much glowing moonflower contamination as possible. But it only shows the morning after the first exposure. When you all drank it at the restaurant last night. The others who stayed behind, will only get something of flu like symptoms for only a day because they only had the one exposure. But living here, you are constantly being exposed to it. But if you are not sick yet, you will never get sick. But those who did start to get sick last night, have deteriorated as badly as they have. Which is why the flu like symptoms appear to be so bad. Getting them quarantined is the best thing we can do for them- and then- slowly we will help them build up a tolerance if at all possible. But that is only if we can get the symptoms under control. It only affects a few from each group brought in. For the vast majority- glowing moonflower boosts health. It’s only a few that it poses a threat to. And if you are not affected yet, you will never be affected and the glowing moonflower will nourish you the same way it has nourished me. The same way it has nourished everything and everyone else here.” Lady Dragon soothed them as she sat at the head of the long table while eating breakfast with them. 

“After breakfast, I strongly encourage you to go out into the various markets and get what you want. You should all have coin purses and special paper money. It should be more than enough to buy whatever your hearts would desire. And with them- is a paper that explains what each bill and what each coin is worth and the money and change system here. And tomorrow, your purses will be refilled. You can spend every coin and bill you have today and be given a full refill tomorrow if you wish and another the day after that and the day after that and so on- until you find a husband, for as short or as long as that would take. Everyone in Taloa is a soverign citizen and earns a yearly allowance that is paid out daily to them to spend how they wish and any goods they produce, or any art they make is only to add on to their basic income that coveres everyone's wants and needs. You can be as generous or as stingy as you would like with it. But know that the more generous you are in the market and with others, the more generous the natives will be with you." She revealed.

"My only caution is to be mindful of potential mother in laws, eager to practically sell their sons to you as husbands. Those would most likely be the most pushy of sales ladies in the markets.” Lady Dragon gently teased with a giggle which got them to giggle in turn. 

“Like how pushy?” Huan asked. 

“While they will not take your hand and lead you down any alleys and shove their sons into your faces, they will tell you all about them and show you pictures of them and praise their sons talents. Since every man in Taloa is a tradesman and an artisan and is in the trade he finds the most joy, delight and satisfaction in. Many will happily feed you lunch and then invite you to come for dinner to meet their sons in person- when their sons would be done with work for the day. And know that every son here- comes with a very handsome dowry along with dowries for their sons future wives as well. All of these sons have spent their entire childhoods and early adulthood- creating extraordinary gifts for their future brides. Like any bird building a nest for it’s prospective mate. Like any peacock, they will want to show you their fancy plumage and their fancy dances. Most are even musically gifted and will compose songs and poetry for you- right in the street. Like I said, you are all practically walking goddesses to them, and they are all eager to find one to give exclusive devotion to.” Lady Dragon explained with a bright happy smile as she sipped on her morning tea with juice mixed in. 

“When you said no daughter is born and Taloa, would that affect the animals?” Shen asked curiously. 

“No, the animals are unaffected and will birth both girls and boys so the food sources are always protected. However, some here have devoted their lives to farming. Every house has it’s own garden and any surplus is traded for any deficiency, if there is ever any deficiency. But the quality of your food should be better than even the Imperium could ever provide you.” Lady Dragon offered before an attendant came and informed her that all those affected by the allergy were now quarantined and showing some signs of improvement already which gave her relief and relief to the others at the table.

“Oh good. Now, if you’ll excuse me. I have to see to the sick now and check in with my palace doctors to make sure their care is ensured. Please, take all the time you need and eat to your satisfaction before enjoying the day.” She invited before she got up and went with her servants to the quarantined area that was guarded so that only she and her servants would access the sick before the others took her invitation and ate to their satisfaction and then left the table, returning to their rooms to get their money and learn the money system before they went out and found the markets just as Lady Dragon predicted. 

Lady Dragon found each patient in bed as the glass surrounding them was closed off and frosted on the sides so that they had some privacy from each other. 

“They are each cued up. You will need to harvest at the bare minimum- 10 this time , but 15 would be better. But as you have always desired, I have only marked up the worst offending ones for harvesting. But you would be better off getting at least 15, if not 20. Twenty five would be ideal- so that we can all last until the next harem is available.” Khamo urged Lady Dragon. 

“And it’s going to be a few decades before the next one is available.” Lady Dragon sighed as she looked at her patients and saw the list of offenses they had incurred in their past life in the Imperial Harem and agreed that these were the worst of the worst, often harming the imperial heirs and others. Which Lady Dragon did not tolerate any harm to ever come to an innocent, especially a child who had no fault but be born a prince or a princess. 

“She’s first, prepare the tea.” Lady Dragon pointed to the first name clipboard before she dressed in a special gown and put on a special face mask to enter the room as Khamo prepared the death tea. 

“I’m so sorry this is happening to you. And I’m sorry I didn’t warn you that some could be allergic to the glowing moonflower, of the hundreds that came over the portal bridge, I’m sorry that it was you who got sick the most.” Lady Dragon cooed as she sat on this concubines bedside and gently got her hand in her own and started to softly, gently stroke it to soothe her. 

“Am I going to die?” Mei asked with tears in her eyes. 

“Yes, I’m sorry. But you are unfortunately past the point of healing. But I have a tea, it has milk of poppy in it. And it will take your pain and discomfort from you. And allow you to pass as peacefully as possible. In as much comfort as I can afford for you." Lady Dragon answered with a sorrowful frown and nod to her head.

“It’s ok. I knew I had sinned too much and too many times against others to ever be worthy to live in this paradise.” Mei tried to soothe herself as Lady Dragon’s touch was a great comfort. 

“Don’t say such nonsense. You were desperate in your old life. You were the hand and tools of others in their various plots of intrigue. I know, that you- were only retaliating in kind to the intrigues set against you. It’s ok, you’re forgiven.” Lady Dragon soothed before Khamo came in with a single teacup. 

“Here, sit up, drink this, it will ease your pain.” Lady Dragon invited as she pulled another pillow from under the bed frame to help Mei sit up then lay back at an incline that was much more comfortable to drink from before Lady Dragon took the teacup off the tray and handed it to Mei before Mei took it took the lid off and took a tentative sip. 

“It is sweet, like…sweet fruit and honey. It’s floral- like fruit blossoms. It’s delicious.” Mei praised as she began to drink more and more of the tea, finding it was practically addictive before she drank it all and Lady Dragon took the teacup and its lid back from her and put it back onto the tray to be washed thoroughly and prepared for it’s next use before Lady Dragon took her hand again in her own. 

“Just relax and close your eyes. You’re not alone. I’m right here with you. You’re safe, you’re warm, you’re happy and you’re content.” Lady Dragon offered as Mei’s breathing began to slow as her eyelids got heavier and heavier. 

“Just fall into it, like it’s sleep.” Lady Dragon murmured in a soft whisper before Mei fell first into sleep, but not to a dream before Lady Dragon pulled the life from Mei through her face mask as she breathed in Mei's last dying breath, breathing in her life force as the face mask caught it and it glowed as the glow in Lady Dragon's eyes grew brighter before the glow faded from the mask. Lady Dragon also pulled the remaining life in her body through her hold on her and even pulled everything she could from Mei’s body as Lady Dragon took another big, breath in, the glow traveling from Mei's body, through her arm and into her hand in it's hold in Lady Dragons hand before her body practically turned to dust once all life and usefulness was leeched, her own life source becoming renewed and refilled from Mei’s life until all that was left, was her body’s dust on the bed before Lady Dragon wiped it off on a cloth as she got up.

“One down, 39 to go. Just in case.” Lady Dragon grinned with a wink to Khomo who smiled as Lady Dragon touched Khomo on the shoulder before Khomo regained a portion of her own youth and stood up straighter. Since a life force could be harvested by Lady Dragon and shared with all of her servants before she repeated the process with all the others. Each of her servants taking turns in the room with her to receive their portion of the life force to sustain them as well as they then began to de-age to look more closer to Lady Dragon’s parent age, than a grandparent.

The glass around the medical bay was unfrosted and the glass panels were slid and folded back to be a gorgeous piece of art- etched onto different the layers of glass that you could only see and appreciate once all the glass panels were on top of each other.

The ashen dust like remains were collected and swept into a special hexagonal cylinder with their names written on the cap before they were sealed and then placed in the Hall of the Living Dead in the basement as Lady Dragon simply sat and watched as the latest “batch” were added to her comb as she walked along the walls, and touched them, remembering taking the lives of each of them as she walked along all the other imperial concubines she had ever harvested from. She couldn't help but feel a sense of pride that she got justice for the departed and brought even the aggressor, a measure of peace too so that justice was tempered with mercy.

She even walked to the previous comb from the previous dynasties before she walked all the way back, through the rows and rows of comb. Each comb filled with hundreds of thousands of cylinders like cells of honey in a bee hive before she went back to where the Blue Dragon’s corpse was still waiting as she put as much life force that her servants did not take a measure of and poured it into him, keeping only the bare minimum for herself and smiled when there was soon muscle underneath his scales. But still, he would not breathe, and he would not live. Only rest until she harvested enough life to resurrect him fully.

“Soon My Love. Hopefully it will only take less than a dozen more harems to reawaken you.” She began to cry as she pressed a kiss to the dragon’s forehead before petting it affectionately.

Then she laid against his head, the crook of his neck and shoulder, the same place she had been in- at his death so many hundreds of years before as she pet his pretty blue scales with the gold outline and holographic sheen. 

“Soon My Love. I’m sorry it can’t be sooner. Every time there is another harem, I can only take so few. I have to sustain myself and our household. If I take too many, the others will become suspicious. The Ming at least kept thousands in their harem at a time and we were able to take the same percentage. But this Qing is adverse to taking too many concubines so I can only get away with a couple dozen and I’m only able to give you a third of what I take. We can’t afford to have another uprising like the kind- you and I lead against the first Lady Dragon who took all she wanted indiscriminately. I have made a promise to you and myself- to only take the most wicked. And those that were guilty of the most harm, especially those that harmed children, both born and unborn. And especially those who would never be repentant and showed no remorse, unlike the first Lady Dragon who only took the youngest because they could offer her the most life. But you’ve been sleeping and resting and waiting so patiently. Just a little more My Love. But our island nation is growing! Our island is still sustaining life. Once we break the curse and can sustain ourselves with daughters, then we will be ok. Then I will be able to consume entire harems and I will be able to wake you then. But until that day comes- like the adage- 'slow and steady wins the race' right?” She offered as tears formed in her eyes as she pet his head as if he was really just sleeping before she hugged him as best as her body would allow before she fell asleep against her dearest love in the world. Determined to wait patiently for this cycle to continue until the curse would be broken and lifted to be reunited with him once again.

[ducktoonsfanart]

Donald Duck and Super Mario - Daisy Duck with Princesses Peach and Daisy - Crossover - Duck comics (Duckverse) and video games (Super Mario - Nintendo)

Happy Mario Day and sorry for late! "It takes place on March 10 each year because the date, written as "MAR10," resembles "MARIO" in all caps. The holiday could be celebrated by dressing up as Mario, having a Super Mario-themed party, or simply playing Super Mario games, among others." (quotes from Wikipedia) I drew this two months ago, but for some reason I didn't post it until now. There will certainly be more surprises related to Super Mario and other crossovers related to my favorite ducks. By the way, who can't resist Super Mario Bros games made by Nintendo and we all played it in our childhood. So I drew two of my childhood nostalgias into one. 

Super Mario was created by Shigeru Miyamoto and artists Yoichi Kotaba and Shigehisa Nakau published by the Nintendo company of Japan and that game started on September 13, 1985 and that video game (which is in the form of Tetris at the beginning and then it will be real video game) will be one of the most popular video games in the world. Of course, Super Mario Bros. came out in various variants in video games and cartoons and comics. It's about plumber Mario who lives in a fictional mushroom kingdom and lives with his brother Luigi and they both go on adventures to save Princess Peach and Princess Daisy from the monster Bowser and his minions. Yes, Mario is named after Mario Segale, a real estate developer. They live with mushroom inhabitants as well as turtles and dinosaurs. Mario and Luigi were played by Charles Martinet until they were replaced by Kevin Afghani after Charles retired. And yes, last year there was a Super Mario movie by Illumination.

For the first drawing, I drew the usual Mario and Luigi in my own style, as well as Yoshi and along with Donald Duck, Gyro Gearloose and Fethry Duck who are also plumbers but in their own ways. Yes, if Super Mario was Donald's world, Donald and Fethry would be like Mario and Luigi, with Gyro as their sidekick. And Little Helper.

Yes, for the second drawing, I drew Daisy Duck as a princess and queen similar to what she looks like in Kingdom Hearts, in my own style, along with the mushroom kingdom princesses, Princess Peach and Princess Daisy. Yes, it is interesting that Princess Daisy and Daisy Duck have the same names. And I drew the two of them together since their personalities are similar to each other, although there are differences. Yes, I drew this two months ago, although I didn't post it until now due to some problems. I hope you like this drawing and this idea, and there will be more Duckverse crossovers (Donald Duck and his world) with other franchises.

Yes, this is a gift for my friend, for @gamingstar26 who happens to be a fan of Super Mario and Donald Duck, so I combined them into one. I hope you like it! Yes, there will be more drawings related to this crossover. I hope you like these drawings and this idea and this crossover.

If you like this crossover and these drawings, feel free to like and reblog this, just please don't copy these same ideas and my drawings, without mentioning me and without my permission. Thank you! Once again, Happy Belated Easter, Happy Belated Super Mario Day, and Happy Belated April Fool's Day!

[happilyfeatherafter]

Dean’s VOs in The Winchesters (season one!)

(LISTEN ALONG WITH AUDIO HERE)

Dean episode 1: 

( Ten Years After's "I'd Love to Change the World" ) ♪ ♪ 

March 23, 1972. The day Dad came home from the war, and the day he met Mom. Now I know this story might sound familiar, but I'm gonna put the pieces together in a way that just might surprise you. And in order to do that, I have to start all the way at the beginning. 

[END OF EPISODE]

What they didn't know is that the Akrida weren't just a threat to Earth, but to all of existence. Now, like I told you, there's gonna be some surprises. Hell, I'm still trying to find all the puzzle pieces myself. But I'll explain everything. And until then, I'll keep picking the music. 

♪ ♪ Spread them wide ♪ ♪ Rich or poor ♪ ♪ Them and us ♪ ♪ Stop the war ♪ 

Dean episode 2: 

( punchy, percussive music ) ♪ ♪  The ties that bind a family together can be complicated. Parents raise you, teach you what's right and wrong, and in some instances, how to kill monsters. But no matter who you are, there comes a time when you have to break from them and make your own way. And if you're not careful, things can get pretty ugly. 

Dean episode 3: 

( dramatic music ) ♪ ♪ ( screams ) ( sizzling ) ( growling )  There's no map to being a hunter. No playbook. You gotta follow your gut. But that can only take you so far. Truth is, you can't do it all on your own. You need other people to help guide the way... Your friends, your family. Otherwise you just end up lost. 

Dean episode 4: 

( eerie music ) ♪ ♪  Fighting the battle between good and evil isn't easy, especially when the first monster you have to face is the one inside yourself. ( soft dramatic music ) 

Dean episode 5: 

( dramatic music ) ♪ ♪ Spending a lifetime of hunting monsters takes its toll. There comes the time when you gotta let out that pain inside you. If you don't, it'll eat you alive. 

Dean episode 6: 

(Lata) I am centered. I am at peace. I create my own path, and I walk in it fearlessly. (end Lata)

Hunting has a way of changing a person. After a while, right, wrong, good, evil, they all start to look the same. And then it makes you start to wonder, "Who's really the monster here--them or me?" 

[END OF EPISODE]

Hunting's not for everyone. You have to be strong, stay sharp, make tough decisions, and it's not easy, But then again, the righteous things never are. 

Dean episode 7: 

( birds chirping ) Comes a time in every hunt when the fightin' starts. And the difference between winning and losing isn't whether you have the holy water, the wooden stake, or the silver bullet. It's whether you've got the grit to get the job done. (Mary on radio)

Dean episode 8:

(John Moran’s “Rebel”) ♪ ♪ Being a hunter, it means living a life of sacrifice-- not a lot of room for dreams. But you open your heart and get a little lucky, you'll find you gain more than you lose. ♪ ♪

Dean episode 9:

( mellow bluesy music ) ♪ ♪ This isn't how I saw things going when I pushed over that first domino. Thing is, I've had more than a few dances with free will and fate, but as my dad used to say, "Fate is what you make it."

Dean episode 10:

Hunting and happy endings don't usually mix, so when you get your chance, you got to ask yourself, "How far will I go to get it?"

Dean episode 11:

Being a Hunter means always being on the move, No matter how hard you plan, no matter how hard you work, at a certain point, we all run out of road. It's what we do with those crossroads that defines us.

Dean episode 12:

♪ ♪ ( carnival music resumes ) ♪ ♪ ( giggling manically ) ♪ ♪ ( shrill giggling ) ( whispering voices ) ( strange sounds ) 🤡🤡🤡

Hunting's a dishonest business. You gotta lie all the time about who you are and what you do. But the hardest lies aren't the ones you tell other people. They're the ones you tell yourself.

(Mary to John) Another day looking for this mystery man and still nothing. It's like this guy's a ghost. (End Mary to John).

Dean episode 13:

*RECORD SCRATCH* HE’S HERE!!!!! We’re going in universe baby.

(Opening scene, dramatic music ) ♪ ♪ 

Dean: John Winchester. 

John: Sir, can I help you? 

Dean: This is for you. 

John: Where did you get this? Who are--  [...] One ticket for Lawrence, Kansas. 

Ticket lady: Okay.

BOBBY, IT’S FREAKIN’ BOBBY!!!: We're not supposed to meddle with things, ya idjit!

Dean: You always said if I was gonna be stupid, I might as well be smart about it. 

Bobby: Yeah, that does sound about like me. We're not even supposed to be here. 

Dean: Come on, the letter was meant for him. I just, uh, you know, gave it a nudge. 

Bobby: You keep an eye on things here. I'm gonna get the damn cavalry. 

Dean: How you gonna do that? 

Bobby: I got no freaking idea. One last hunt, huh? 

Dean: One last hunt. ♪ ♪

[Insert finale including lots of chat about the ‘ruggedly handsome' mystery man here. For Akrida!Queen exposition science: You're here to talk about the man with no name...he was digging around in things that should have stayed buried. ... The Akrida. You see, our mysterious friend isn't from around here. There's only so much he could do. His hands were tied. Credit where it's due... he did manage to stay ahead of me for a while, but... I can assure you that he's not going to be a problem anymore. ... Well, there's this portal. You see--I'm sure you've heard of it. It's not quite up to code yet, but I managed to pry it open just enough to toss a certain someone and his car into it. No human can survive that gateway, so his body will be torn to shreds for centuries. Anyway, this, um... this old journal... it's all that's left of him.]

Back to the end of the show:

( electricity crackling ) ( engine revving ) ( engine revving ) ( dramatic music )  ♪ ♪ 

John: Mary! ... How did you guys survive? 

Dean (gestures at Baby): She kept Mary safe... me too. Of course, there's not a lot that can tear me apart. I'm already dead. I was stuck in the world between worlds, so I stayed close to that portal, and as soon as I saw baby come through, I hopped in and grabbed the wheel. 

Samuel: So who are you? 

Dean: I'm a Hunter, just like you. But I'm not from this Earth. 

Ada: And how did you get here? 

Dean: When I died, I made it to heaven. And she was waiting for me. So I went for a drive, and then I took a little detour. 

Latika: Through the multiverse. (Dean points ‘bingo’.)

Carlos: S-so what were you looking for? 

Dean: That's a good question, Carlos. I was looking for my family. See, I come from a long line of Hunters. I guess I was hoping that somewhere out there was an Earth that had a version where my family had a shot at a happy ending. When I was driving, I caught wind of the Akrida. Turns out that they were one of Chuck's last creations. 

Millie: Who's Chuck? 

Dean: God. It's a long story, but, uh... basically, he's a real dick. He left the Akrida behind to wipe out all of existence in case he failed. Well... he failed. Eventually the Akrida were going to make their way to my world, and I got family there, so I couldn't let that happen. 

John: T-the letter, why did you-- 

Dean: I took my little detour. The rules were simple. Don't mess with anything. Well... I gave it a little nudge. Thought it might need a little help. Looks like it worked out pretty well. So now that the Akrida are gone, you all can choose your own destiny. You can write your own story. 

Jack: And you can get back to yours. 

Dean: It's all right. It's all right. They're--they're with me. This is Bobby. That's Jack. They're family. Excuse me. You okay? 

Bobby: I told you I'd figure it out. Didn't say I wouldn't get us in more trouble. Look at 'em. Man, this is all kinds of weird... seeing Samuel with a full head of hair. 

Dean: Right? ( chuckles )

Jack (~~or is he?~~): Dean. 

Dean: Yeah. No, I know. I know, Jack. 

Jack: When I restored things, I wanted mankind to make their own fate. That meant no interference from on high, anywhere... no exceptions. 

Dean: I couldn't let our world get destroyed. Sam's still down there, okay? He deserves a good, long life. Hell, they all do. ( indistinct chatter ) So, if you want to cast me out of heaven... so be it. 

Bobby: If we're taking a vote, I'd say you give the guy another chance. 

Jack: There's always another case with you Hunters... even in death. Well... if you're going to meddle in things, finish what you started. After this... it's time to get around to the... "there'll be peace when you are done"... part of the song.

Dean to John: Listen, um... b-before I go... I want to give you two something. My dad... he, uh... Kept a Hunter's journal, looked just like this. I lived my whole life by that damn thing. Well, this is my Hunter's journal. So if you're gonna stay in this game... This will help guide you through it. 

John: Thank you. 

Dean to Mary: I know you're thinking about quitting Hunting. Believe me, I understand. But you need to do me one favor. Keep an eye out for a yellow-eyed demon. And if you even catch a hint of that son of a bitch... I need you to use this. 

Mary: Your family... did you ever find a version where they had a shot of a happy ending? 

Dean: I think I did. 

John: You never told us your name. 

Dean: Hetfield... James Hetfield. (Hetfield is the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, co-founder, and a primary songwriter of heavy metal band Metallica.)

( Nick Drake's "One of These Things First" ) ♪ ♪ (Dean, Bobby and Jack vanish with baby). 

Transcripts from: https://tvshowtranscripts.ourboard.org/viewforum.php?f=1550

[corazondebeskar-reads]

march fic madness rec list

TYSM to @the-blind-assassin-12 for this absolutely awesome idea of reccing 63 fics over 31 days as a "march madness" for fic engagement!

based on these challenge guidelines, I'll update this list with my recs as the month goes on.

dividers by @saradika-graphics

key:

💀 dead dove | 🏴 dark | ⛓ bdsm | 💕 fluff

note: these are in order that I read and reblogged; the number is not a ranking of any other sort

"a kindness you can't afford" by @joelscruff 🏴 (dark!Joel Miller x f!reader)

summary: there are no limits to how or when joel plays with his special girl.

2. "sweet days of summer" by @ozarkthedog (Joel Miller x f!reader)

summary: you and joel sneak away for a quick fuck during a family outing.

3. the gift of your grave by @gasolinerainbowpuddles (Dave York x Frankie Morales)

summary: Max has elbowed his way into a prestigious, high paying corporate career, and he enjoys the luxuries it offers – primarily, doing what he wants, getting what he wants, and never wavering from making himself the top priority. Enter Frankie, the contracted corporate pilot who’s on the upswing after a long line of struggles and mistakes. When his recovery is compromised, will Max give in to the desire to put someone else first? Will Frankie allow himself to believe he’s worthy of being put first?

4. "between two lungs" by @ozarkthedog (Joel Miller x f!reader x Tess Servopolous)

summary: you join Joel and Tess mid fuck.

5. "Swelter" by @notjustjavierpena (Joel Miller x f!reader)

summary: You have a crush on Sarah’s father. It is summer, it is hot, and you just want a cold drink.

6. "you wanted this" series (ongoing) by @alwaysmicado (Joel Miller x f!reader)

summary: Joel and you have a fun dynamic going. You provoke him, he punishes you - you both get off. When you meet him after you’ve fucked someone else, he decides to show you who you belong to. It’s all fun and games, right?

7. "smother" series (ongoing) by @beardedjoel 🏴⛓(dark!Joel Miller x f!reader)

summary: can you hold a man as both your savior to be worshipped and the monster that he is?

8. the dress series (complete) by @janaispunk ⛓ (Dave York x f!reader)

summary: You’re having an affair with Dave York. When he takes you on a week-long vacation, you realize that you have deeper feelings for him than you should.

9. "Enjoy the Silence" by @strang3lov3 (Joel Miller x f!reader)

summary: You trespass into Joel’s house in search of some peace and quiet so you can get yourself off. Joel catches you in his bed in a compromising position.

10. "glory o" by @milla-frenchy (Javi P. x f!reader x Steve Murphy)

summary: you work in a brothel, and two guys want to try something new

11. "fine art" by @lincolndjarin 🏴(dark!Javi G. x f!reader)

summary : you were an up and coming actress, javi is your biggest fan, he’d do anything to have meet you.

12. "the end of the world" by @studioghibelli (Joel Miller x f!reader)

summary: you had a strict relationship with joel that stuck to the rules. fuck, leave, repeat. it was only a matter of time until feelings were dragged into the mix. when joel leaves at the first sign of love, you’re left wondering what you had done wrong. 

13. "run rabbit" by @mermaidgirl30 🏴⛓(Joel Miller x f!reader)

summary: At the beginning of every month, you meet Joel to play a little game of hide and seek at the abandoned mansion near Jackson. It’s not just any game of hide and seek though. It’s dark and it’s twisted. If he catches you, he gets to do whatever he wants with you.

14. "All The Fear and The Fire of The End of The World" by @criticallyacclaimedstranger (Joel Miller x f!reader)

summary: Joel has told Ellie about what happened in Salt Lake City, and she is livid with him. Seeking comfort with you, Joel however finds you in the grips of a nasty flu, and has to put his own needs aside to nurse you.

15. "men like me" series (ongoing?) by @lokischocolatefountain 🏴⛓ (Joel Miller x f!reader)

summary: Joel’s warnings about what men like him would do to girls like you only makes you want him more

16. "seasons of you (year 1 - spring)" by @kedsandtubesocks (Joel Miller x f!reader)

summary: it’s your very first spring living in the valley & you’re very sure Joel Miller already wants you leave

17. dress up joel series (ongoing) by @covetyou (Joel Miller x f!reader)

summary: when a mysterious stranger breaks into your house, and keeps breaking into your house, he gives you the fright, and the ride, of your life. Welcome to your seasonal encounters with one Mr. Joel Miller.

18. "savior" by @ozarkthedog (Joel Miller x f!reader)

summary: joel saves you from a crooked qz guard and you want to thank him properly aka joel fucks you in an alley.

19. "sweet release" by @cavillscurls ⛓ (Joel Miller x f!reader)

summary: the aftermath of finishing without joel’s permission.

20. "over the edge" by @ilovepedro ⛓ (Joel Miller x f!reader)

summary: Joel agonizingly taunts you before pushing you over the edge.

21. "confines" by @gutsby 🏴⛓ (dark!Joel Miller x f!reader)

summary: dark!Joel explaining to you how reader-proofed the bunker, because you're his now and he's never ever letting you go.

22. "sir" by @honeyedmiller (Joel Miller x f!reader)

summary: ceo!joel miller x f!reader drabble

23. "touch" by @morallyinept (Joel Miller x f!reader)

summary: Inspired by that GIF. You know the one. Yeah. Nuff’ said.