#also i bet he fucking fished with his bare hands on that mountain

[aqvarius]

okay serious question. why did jackal’s hair not grow during the mountain training? did he seriously find time and energy and a razor to shave it every day?? 

[axwalker]

Wacky Drabble #41: Now and Then 2

This will be a mini-series , and I’ll be using the weekly prompts of the lovely        @emceesynonymroll   WACKY DRABBLES.

This week is prompt  #41: Can you move? It will appear in bold in the text.

I’m also participating in the May Challenge hosted by  @kinda-iconic​  Today’s prompt is #9 Truth. 

Synopsis:   The story of Alexis’s and Drake’s friendship since they met when they were 10 years old until they become roommates after college. (AU)

MASTERLIST

Warning: No one under 18 should read my stories. Angst, Mention of a character’s death (Jackson).  

Pairing: Drake x ?, Alexis x ?

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Pixelberry

Word count: 1596

Thank you to @pedudley​ who beta read this!  I LOVE you 💕💕

Permatag list: @mskaneko @pedudley @burnsoslow @ac27dj @twinkle-320

@kimmiedoo5 @marshmallowsandfire @loveellamae @lauzales @pug-bitch @debramcg1106 @ravenpuff02​

Wacky drabbles: @dcbbw @texaskitten30 @bebepac @pedudley @bbrandy2002 @katedrakeohd @sirbeepsalot  @bobasheebaby @loveellamae @flutistbyday2020 @soheila-1996 @kingliam-rys​

2007  

 Lexis tried not to make any noise when she left her room; if her mother caught her, she’d be dead. She went to the kitchen and filled her backpack with Drake’s favorites: Doritos Nacho Cheese, Reese’s pieces, and a bottle of Mountain Dew.

 She took her bike to Drake’s house. Getting into his room was no problem, he had taught her how to climb the trees in his garden to access through his window. Lexie saw Drake staring at the ceiling with the same sad expression he had in his eyes since his father had died one week ago.

 She stood at the foot of the bed, looking at him. “Come on, Drake! Let’s go,” she said as she looked for his sweatshirt.

 Drake furrowed. “Where?”

 “To the beach. You haven’t been to school or out of this house all week.”

 Drake was torn; he wanted to go out, but he felt too numb to make an effort. “It’s almost 9:00, and It’s like one hour from here!”

 She raised her hands. “So? We’ve done it tons of times before.”

 He stood up and put on the sweatshirt. There was no persuading Lexie when she got an idea into her head.

 When they arrived at the beach, they laid down on the blanket Lexie had brought; She plugged her earphones on her mother’s IPod and gave one of them to Drake.

 For a while, they laid next to each other in silence, looking at the stars Jackson loved so much and listening to The Beach Boys, his favorite band.

 God Only Knows started to play. She raised the volume. “Your dad loved this one, he always repeated it two or three times when we went camping.”

Drake nodded as his eyes watered at the memory of his dad singing out of tune with the Beach Boys.

 After a few songs, Drake finally spoke. “It’s so weird. This morning I was waiting for him to knock at my door and tell me breakfast was ready, and then I remembered that he’s not here anymore because he had to protect that duke!” He seethed. “He cared more about his job than he cared about me.”

 Lexie took his hand and squeezed it.

 “You know that’s not true, Drake. He was always there for you. He took us camping, he taught you how to fish, he coached our team on weekends. He loved his job but not as much as he loved you.”

Drake shrugged. He would never admit it to her, but Lexie always knew how to make him feel better. His stomach growled.

 “Hungry?” Lexie asked.

 “I didn’t eat dinner. Bas put chorizo in the pizza.” Drake grimaced. “Plus, he wants me to talk about dad all the time.”

 She gave him a conspiratorial smile and grabbed her backpack. “Don’t worry, Walker. I got you.”

 They ate their snacks quietly for a while.

 “My mom is coming tomorrow with Savvie. For the… funeral,” he said, gloomily.

 Her stomach dropped. She had heard her mom and her abuelita talking about it, the previous night. They were sure that Bianca was going to take Drake with her to Texas.

Lexie couldn’t imagine her life without her best friend. They did everything together. They shared their deepest secrets. She was the only one that knew about his crush on that stupid Jenny Stone; He was the only one that knew about her secret dream of finding her dad.

 “Are you going to Texas with her?” Lexie asked, scared of the answer.

 He wasn’t sure about anything. “I think so, Bastien says that I’ll like Texas, though. He says my mom’s new husband has a stable with a lot of horses and I’ll be able to live with Savvie again.”

 Lexie nodded, she knew how much Drake missed his mom and sister, so she tried to be supportive. “I’ll miss you a lot Drake, but we can Skype all the time. Maybe I can be friends with Savvie too.”

 Drake wanted to live with his mom and his sister again, but the idea of leaving his football team, his school and Lexie terrified him.

 He stood up and picked some stones. He threw one on the ocean’s still water. It skipped five times. He turned at her smirking. Her record was three. 

 “Please, Walker. That was pure luck” She stood up and took a stone from his hand. She threw it but it only skipped twice. She snorted, frustrated.

 He chuckled. “You’re such a sore loser.” He took another stone. “Look, I show you. When you throw, flick your wrist at the end and let go of the rock. It will spin and make it bounce,” he said as he threw one at the water. It skipped five times again. He turned with a smug look in his face.

 She rolled her eyes. “Show-off.”

 He sat on the blanket again, quietly playing with the sand for a few minutes before he asked, “how do you think heaven is like?”

 Lexie sat next to him, cross-legged. “I think it’s a place where you’re always happy. Abuelita is convinced she’ll see grandpa Ramiro again. I guess you can do whatever you want, and you’re never scared or angry. I bet Jackson fishes all day while he drinks his beers and listens to The Beach Boys,” she said.

 Drake chuckled, “Do you think there’s beer in heaven?”

 Lexie answered, confidently, “Sure! Why not?”

 After another stone-skipping contest, Drake checked the time in his luminous watch. “It’s almost midnight, Lex. Let’s go back or your mom will kill us.”

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

Three days later they were all in the O’Brien house for the luncheon after the funeral.

 Bianca had arrived that morning with Savannah and, Larry, her new husband. Elena had disliked the woman since she had set foot in the funeral home. It wasn’t anything she did in particular, but her whole attitude seemed off.

 Maybe it was because she was playing the part of the perfect mother around her new husband, after she had abandoned Drake when he was barely eight years old. Jackson was a good man and tried to justify Bianca, but Elena never understood. She wouldn’t abandon Lexie for anything in the world. But for the boy’s sake she was going to try to be nice to her. Elena hoped that Bianca would allow Drake to spend the summer in Cordonia.

 Elena was worried about Lexie, her little girl was going to be crushed after his departure. She and Drake were thick as thieves. Lexie was trying to act all grown-up and supportive, but Elena knew how much she was going to suffer.

She worried about Drake even more. In the last two years, Elena had learnt to love him as a son. He was incredibly smart and mature for his age and had a heart of gold. Her own heart tugged, thinking about how terrified Drake must be feeling. He was barely twelve years old, had lost his dad and was about to leave the country with a woman he had seen once in four years.

 Elena went to check the table where she had set the food and saw that almost all the pie was gone. She went to grab another one in the kitchen, where she saw Bastien and Bianca arguing.

 “He is your son! He’s expecting you to take care of him. Fuck Bianca, you haven’t changed at all!” Bastien yelled.  

 Bianca answered, calmly, “I just got married and Larry doesn’t want kids for now. Leona will take Savvie but she doesn’t want a boy doing pranks around her property.” She smiled, obsequiously “Plus, it’s only for a while.  When Larry gets use to the idea, I’ll come back for him. You can take care of him until then, Bas. I know Jackson left the kids his cabin. Can you move there with Drake?”  

 Elena couldn’t believe her ears. She was cutting the pie so angrily that she almost cut the table in half.

 Bianca snapped at her, “I’m sorry, dear, but this is a private conversation.”

 Elena placed the knife on the table to avoid accidentally – or not so accidentally- stabbing Bianca. “It’s me who’s sorry, dear, pero esta es mi casa (but this is my house), so I go wherever I want to. And you need to hear the truth, so I’ll tell you. First, I’m still in shock that you weren’t here the second Jackson died, Drake needed you. And most of all, I’m disgusted that you’re seriously planning to abandon that sweet boy again, because, in theory, a boy his age needs his mother.” Bianca was about to reply, but Elena raised her hand not giving her the chance to interrupt her. “But honestly, you’re doing him a favor. You’re clearly incapable of seeing what a great boy he is, how smart and compassionate. I’m sure you don’t even know anything about him. Did you know that he is on top of his class? That he loves animals? Which is his favorite football team? Anything at all?” Bianca couldn’t answer any of those questions, so Elena added, “you don’t deserve him, and sure as hell, you don’t deserve to be called a mother.” Elena turned to Bastien. “Don’t worry, we’ll be here to help you out with him, but do Drake a favor and keep him as far away as possible from this… woman.”

 Bianca’s lips formed a thin line. She crossed her arms over her chest, before replying, “I love my son, but I have a right to have a life too when I’m still young.”

 Elena shook her head as she spoke. “You didn’t hear a word I said.”

 Bianca left with Larry and Savanah the next morning, Drake didn’t see her again for another six years.

[same-snake-different-skin]

this is not my idea btw xD how would the bois react to us being a mythical creature headcannons?(Illy is gonna go feral i can tell omg)

I hope you've realised that you've released the beast.

And it wasn't your idea? That is a first ansnsnknh, also each boi will just have a specific one bc I'm lazy and incoherent and ill so yeet

Dark

At first he's just like "what the actual fuck?" but as he figures it out he's like "oh, so you're a mythical creature? Well, you're not so mythical now."

You met when he decided to go out on a walk once, and he saw a light and went towards it.

You were there, obviously, perched in the branch of a tree, and you both freeze upon seeing each other.

Next thing Dark knows, there's a talon around his torso and he's up in the air.

He takes a moment to figure out what you are, but when he does, he freaks out slightly, because oh fuck, he's midair, and probably about to fall to his death.

Not that it hasn't happened before.

When you realise that he's not even struggling, you stop, midair, and just hover there, staring at him in confusion.

He's not even scared?

You decide to fly down and just put him back down, and when you do, he's immediately circling you, curious.

"You're absolutely stunning."

And then you reveal to him that you're human, too.

He's taken aback, but not too much.

Consider him hooked.

For now, let just assume that you're a Phoenix, reborn from the ashes of those once lost.

He would understand that.

Dark would know what it's like to die and then come back again, right? Of course he would.

He finds comfort in knowing that he's not the only one who had to suffer something like that.

So. Much. Respect.

Seriously this boy has so much respect for you, and not just because you could incinerate him within seconds.

His body is kinda cold all the time, for reasons, and you're literally a loving heater so he probably cuddles you more often than not. Don't tell the others that, though.

He. Loves. Your. Wings.

If it weren't for the fact that they were too hot to touch, he'd run his hands through the feathers.

On the occasion that you do just decide to go full Phoenix, he's in awe.

Literally, you're a giant flaming bird, you're immortal, and you could set fire to anything at any given moment, if you wanted too.

He's even a little bit scared, though he knows you wouldn't hurt him.

He hopes.

Yancy

He'd always wondered why there was a giant block of the prison that nobody but Murderslaughter was allowed in.

So, one night he snuck in, only to be met by a torrent of water.

He dives behind a pillar, and then pokes his head out, to see two glowing eyes, burning blue, peering out at him from the dark.

And then he panics, because WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?

Help him.

When he calms down, he looks out again, and slowly steps from behind the pillar, and forwards, into...water?

The following growl would scare the living daylights out of him, because he can't see a thing but the eyes, which are following his every movement.

He fumbles around for a light switch and finally finds one and turns it one.

The space illuminates, and yep, there you are. An absolutely furious Sea Serpent of some type, absolutely furious. Not to mention you're chained up.

Yancy freezes, and then you realise that oh shit he's not gonna hurt me

And so you calm down, and instead of growling, make a noise that sounds like soft clicking.

He sees the chains, and frowns, obviously confused, and sets to work on picking the locks that hold them in place.

You calmly watch him while he works, admittedly admiring him.

He's very cute

When the chains are finally loose, you shake them off, and curl around Yancy, looking into his eyes. He looks a bit scared, but then you're suddenly human, with your arms around him.

He's shook.

Help him.

He helps sneak you out of the prison, and then you come back every third Sunday for visitation.

He's in love. Help him.

The poor baby is absolutely smitten with you.

Please just kiss him.

And so you do.

You're both instantly deemed cutest couple by all the inmates.

You may or may not have decided to get arrested just so you could be with him all the time oops

He's honoured that such an amazing being like you would want to stay with him.

Sometimes you'll both sneak out of prison and you'll take him down to the nearest body of water, which is a very large and secluded lake.

He loves to just admire you while you play about in the water, chirping happily.

Let. Him. Stroke. Your. Scales.

It'll make him happy.

Illinois

He's on an adventure, the usual, but this time he'd ventured into a mountain range and he'd found a 'temple' type place.

Illy, being the idiot he is, went in, taking now notice of the scorch marks on the walls and floor.

Then he sees the diamond on a pedestal. He can't help but dive forwards to get it, and then a cage drops down on him, and a h u g e shadow covers the ground.

He can hear wing beats, but he's a little too scared to look.

Then there's a thump, as something hits the ground. Then the cage is being lifted. And then there's a hot gust of air around him, and he finally peeks, finding himself eye to eye with a dragon.

Well, fuck.

He kinda just stares, and you stare back.

Staring contest to assert dominance? Yup.

You win, obviously, and he hold the diamond out, admittedly too scared to try and keep it.

However, you're much more mesmerized by the guy in front of you.

Illy can't help but notice that your hide is littered with scars, and he assumes that other people have found you before, and obviously knew about you.

He scowls slightly at that, and risks moving closer. You jerk backwards, roaring, and he's on the ground, having stumbled backwards.

He's not one to give up though, and your eyes are way too human for you to just be a dragon. He tries again, this time mumbling that he won't hurt you, and you let him, watching his every move, barbed tail at the ready, and a blast of fire gathered, which is given away by the smoke leaking from the your bared teeth.

He keeps his word, though, and just looks at the scars, amazed.

Then he notices the skeleton in the corner of the room

No comment

He decides to hang about for a while and when you finally trust him enough, you let it be shown that, hey, he was right, you are too human just to be a dragon.

He's shocked, but instantly amazed.

"You are much more interesting than that diamond, Love."

Ah, he's flirting already.

It may be working.

Anyways, time skip.

You two are feral.

He's also pretty feral for you but that's for another time.

You've got sharp teeth and he loves that but shhh

He treats you like royalty, and you treat him like the most precious thing you've ever seen.

Which he is.

That may be the Dragon Instincts™ talking, though.

You. Go. On. Adventures. Together.

You can also fucking demolish anyone who tries to hurt you two on adventures too, so there's that.

In conclusion? Power duo.

Actor Mark

He kinda just...finds you on the manor grounds one day.

He knows a lot about mythology so he instantly figures out what you are.

What, exactly, are you?

A griffin.

The second you see him, you've got him pinned against the ground, sharp beak ready to tear him to shreds if need be.

The idiot isn't afraid, though, and he just reaches up and gently pets your feathers

You instantly just melt, and start cawing softly, which he finds adorable.

The caretaker comes across you two, and is a little bewildered to find that the resident Griffin is actually just a giant cat that craves attention.

Welp

You can bet that when h realises that you're strong enough to carry his weight, he'll want a ride.

Not. Like. That.

He just wants to see the world from above.

Seriously why would anyone say no?

He's absolutely ecstatic when he finds that you're human as well.

Cue him giving you all sorts of gifts.

You name it, he'll get it.

He knows that Griffins have a thing for hoarding things and he's all to happy to cater to that.

Even though you tell him not too.

He does it anyway.

Expect a lot of pampering.

He. Loves. You.

Love him, please.

First kiss? Probably after he gave you something a little too valuable.

At first you were a little annoyed but eventually you just gave in and kissed him senseless.

Gosh, I would do the same, if I could.

Wilford

I am running out of creatures ok.

He's just casually hopping dimensions, cause he can, and then he finds you.

At first he's like "is that a fucking fish??"

No, it's you! And you're a Siren, not a fish.

Well, half fish, half human, who can blame him.

You're sleeping and he's very lucky because if you aren't he might be dead by now.

And then the dumbass wakes you up.

Good going, Wil.

Your tail is quickly no longer a tail, and you've got him underwater before he can realise what's actually going on.

Cue Wilford pulling out his gun.

You shriek, and swim down before he can fire it.

Wil. You scared them.

You come back up soon enough, having decided that he's not worth the risk.

He's sat at the edge of the lake, and he sees you come up a few metres away

He waves, and you wave back to entertain him.

T i m e S k i p ?

You're now inseparable. Wilford literally forced the other egos to help him install a giant pool, as lake-like as possible, for you.

Obviously you're glad.

The others are a bit confused as to why Wil decided to just...date a Siren.

Singing him to sleep? Yes. Please.

Oh, the possibilities.

Damien

At this point I've run out of creatures so kaboom you're a Peryton, a Deer with the wings of a Bird

He's just walking out in the woods one night when he sees a deer, with two blobs on it's back.

He decides to go closer to check the deer out, and upon seeing you properly, he gasps.

This causes you to look at him, and freeze like a deer in headlights (ha!)

He edges closer, slowly, making soft clicking noises as he goes.

You continue to watch, sensing that he's got no malice about him, and let him come close enough.

He's got no idea what you are, but he's amazed anyways.

He reaches out and gently begins to pet your wings.

It's very nice.

Eventually he has to leave, but you don't want him too so bam, human time.

He's. Shook.

He doesn't know how to respond.

Congrats, you've broken him.

He decides to let you stay the night at his, though.

It takes him a while to get used to you but when he does, he becomes a bean.

Absolutely adorable, Damien is.

If he ever cooks food for you both, remind him that you physically cannot eat meat.

Please, he's trying his best.

God he's so soft.

[kisskissbanggang]

Didn’t Keep Away

[~10Min Read, 3.5kWords – Jaehyun x Female Reader – NSFW Angst/Smut – Dubious consent, office hookups, toxic relationships, fellatio, ethical grey areas.] 

Masterlist | Feedback

“You’ll never guess who I saw at the bar last night,” one of the assistants in the office nudged you in the copy room. He barely even waited a moment before he eagerly continued. “That junior pain in the ass from Price a few years ago! What was his name?”

Jaehyun.

“Jung?” The assistant prattled on, “Jae, something-or-other? God, what a prick. I wonder what he’s doing back in town.”

What was Jaehyun doing back in town? How come he hadn’t made his usual point of making you painfully aware of it?

Why were you so concerned about it?

It had been months since that night Jaehyun spooked Mark out of your apartment and made sure you hadn’t forgotten about him. You excused yourself from your babbling co-worker and drifted back to your desk with your finished copies, your mind awash with Jaehyun’s mysterious return to town. He was sure to show up at any minute now. You seated yourself at your desk, pulling open a drawer to fish out some sticky notes to flag your copies with when you spied it: a creased business card from Price Law with Jaehyun’s name on it, his cell number penned on the back.

Jaehyun had been so deceivingly charming years ago, handing you that card when you were just a receptionist and he was just an assistant at Price, trying for an interview at your firm for a position way out of his league. That was just like Jae — always swinging for the fences. He was going to be graduating soon and taking the bar exam not long after that, and he’d insisted on still trying for the associate position, even if just to get his name out there.

“I’m gonna be a big deal, you know,” he’d grinned dashingly at you, even coming off a sizzling rejection upstairs, “you’re going to be fielding calls from my office left and right in a few years. Maybe if you get to know me you can be the one making them.”

That was exactly how you remembered him: endlessly naive, endlessly cocky. You’d smiled like you knew better and took his business card, tossing it into your drawer without a glance. It then proceeded to get tossed into subsequent boxes as you moved from your reception desk, up the stairs to your assistant desk in your shared cubicle, to your paralegal desk in your personal cubicle. Just like the person attached to the card, you could never bring yourself to throw it out.

You barely got any work done over the next few hours until it was time to go home. Your mind swam with questions, mostly revolving around why Jae hadn’t come around yet and why you even cared. Nothing you came up with made sense nor satisfied you. Thankfully, you spied John, the assistant whose gossip was now torturing you. You trotted up to him, catching up just in time to grab the same elevator.

“Hey!” You wheezed, catching your breath as you tried to appear casual. “So you saw that Jaehyun prick at the bar?”

“Him?” John scoffed, “Absolutely. How could I miss him? He was catching up with those dicks at Price and buying everybody drinks.”

“Ugh,” you pretended to share his disgust, “what a tool. I bet he took some random girl back to his after.”

“Nah,” John shook his head, “he actually called it an early night. Went back to Parkway, if I overheard him right.”

“Huh. Weird,” you pondered out loud, snapping out of it as the elevator chimed for the parking garage. You spat out a quick send-off to the assistant before scurrying off to your car.

You took a moment to think as you got into the driver’s seat. Jaehyun never turned in early. What was he up to? Obviously, poking around the bar at the Parkway wouldn’t hurt. The luxurious hotel was central downtown, attracting plenty of local professionals to its bar and restaurant on its first floor after the work day was over.

In fact, the first time you’d seen Jaehyun after meeting had been at the Parkway, months later. You’d come with almost the whole office to celebrate the end of a years-long case, the senior partner leading the charge finally landing a settlement that managed to upgrade all the office’s computers when the fees were collected. Jaehyun caught your attention, just as you’d caught his across the bar floor. His eyes were glued to you the whole night, electrifying you with his attention. Something about the way he looked at you was almost sweet. He never approached, though. He’d seemed perfectly content to look at you, to watch you celebrate with your co-workers. It wasn’t until you were leaving that he made his move, catching you as you teetered off your barstool. He helped you slip back on your blazer and coat, and he even called you a cab. That had been it. No funny business.

Presently, the same corner he’d observed you from all those years ago was empty. Really, the whole bar was pretty empty, not many people in the mood to party on this particular weeknight. So where was Jaehyun? You ran through your list of options. If anything, you wanted to make sure Jae was the one not forgetting you tonight. You needed to shake him once and for all so you never had to waste time thinking about him ever again.

You approached the front desk, doing your best to look frantic. “Excuse me,” you greeted the clerk with a precise quiver in your voice, “I’m so sorry, but can you please get me a spare for Mr. Jung’s room?” The old clerk gave you a sympathetic look, but you quickly began again with a pout before he could refuse. “It’s our anniversary but he got called to a meeting, so I figured I could at least go out and get a surprise ready for him, but I forgot my key in our room and now I can’t get it ready before he returns and my plans are ruined.” The clerk sighed, taking enough pity on you for your plan to work.

It had been so easy it almost felt wrong, tapping your newly acquired keycard against the lock of Jaehyun’s room. You regarded the empty room, tentatively stepping into the dark as if he would jump out and surprise you at any moment. Sure that nothing would happen for now, you slipped your purse off your arm and helped yourself to a glass from the half-full bottle of wine on the coffee table. You kicked off your work shoes and made yourself at home on the small couch in the room. Now all you had to do was wait.

Which was easier said than done. Your mind still buzzed, wondering just where Jaehyun ever got the gall to ruin you like this. Surely, you looked like a crazy person now, waiting to spring some last ‘gotcha’ on him before finally leaving him behind. Really, you reassured yourself, he had this coming. He’d been like this since the beginning. You’d both been like this from the beginning.

The next time you had met after that night at the Parkway had been at his own office. He’d been surprised as you followed one of the partners into the conference room. Not only were you helping keep documents in order and taking notes, but you had also been the assistant doing most of the correspondence with the opposing counsel. Even though he was just a junior attorney, Jaehyun was quickly finding his footing, and fell right in line with Price’s reputation. With Price, It’s Always Right was the slogan on their hideous website, and your co-workers always shouted “It’s always extortion” over their stupid ads on the radio when clients weren’t around. Jaehyun was rapidly becoming one of their bulldogs, his assistants always badgering you with far-off deadlines and offering frankly offensive settlements.

The first time you witnessed this transformation, he’d been surprised as you entered the conference room behind one of your senior partners. Jaehyun was covering for one of the more seasoned attorneys out on maternity leave, and now he had to deal with you supplying document after document and mountains of notes to your boss for him to counter with. He stared you down, a look that you couldn’t distinguish between intrigue and frustration. Seeing him so conflicted lit the oddest fire inside you, something you wanted to savor and reject at the same time. The conference had taken two grueling hours by the time a conclusion was reached, but a trial was avoided so you were feeling pretty content. Having taken no breaks, you had quickly excused yourself to the restroom, only to be ambushed on your way back to gather your things. A hand lurched from the copy room and Jaehyun wrestled you inside. Once you saw that it was him, you had quit your thrashing and warily regarded each other. As if a fuse had been lit in each of you at the same time, you both snapped, grabbing onto each other and sharing a heated kiss.

“Holy shit you’re a pain in the ass,” he’d growled against your lips as he locked the door, “I thought you were just a receptionist.”

“I got promoted,” you smirked coyly, “just so I could fuck with you.”

“Anything else you want to fuck with?” He asked gruffly, surprised and biting down his shock as you shoved him back against the copier.

“No,” you smiled sweetly against him, “but I do want to make you weak in the knees. Maybe wipe that smug look off your face for a month or two.”

“Fucking try me,” he challenged. Jaehyun’s eyes narrowed and quickly widened as you dropped to your knees in the copy room, digging out his hard cock and your lips wrapping around his length before he could stop you. His fingers tangled into your hair as he grunted out a quiet moan, not wanting to give you the immediate satisfaction of knowing how amazing this had felt. Sure enough, his legs trembled where you held onto him, working him over much too fast. You realized his cock felt almost perfect in your mouth, your tongue caressing a particularly sensitive spot under the head. At this point, he’d have no dignity left with how rapidly you were getting him there. “You better slow down,” he warned, betrayed by his shaky voice, “don’t you fucking dare.”

You paused for just a moment, locking eyes with him as you persistently slid him back into your throat. All he could do was watch, helpless as you hungrily gagged on his length. He reached his breaking point. One hand clutching onto the copier, the other gripping your hair, Jaehyun had held you in place with his cock in your throat as his cum spurted into your mouth. He admired you for a second in the afterglow before yanking you back up to your feet. “Nobody treats me like that,” he huffed, almost impressed.

“I do.”

Jaehyun had scoffed at your response. “Then you’ll be calling me, at the very least.”

“Unlikely, Mr. Big Deal,” you winked before kissing his cheek, “but I’m sure we’ll see each other again. Remember to put your dick away before you go back out there.”

You had been so confident with Jaehyun then. Where did that go? There had been something so precious in the way he looked at you, like he could see an entire future for the two of you from just the sight of you. You sipped at the wine in your hands, lost in thought when the door clicked open. Jaehyun stared at you.

“Hi,” he stiffly greeted, looking back over his shoulder and back at you as if this couldn’t possibly be his room.

“Hey, Jae,” you smiled, raising your glass to him.

He stood confronted and stalled in the doorway. “I was going to call you.”

“Yeah? Not just show up like you have been?”

“Yeah,” he nodded meekly. For a second there, the boy was back, the junior pain-in-the-ass from Price. “There’s important things I wanted to talk to you about.”

You rose from the couch, purposefully striding over to him and taking his coat. You placed your glass of wine in his hands and he sipped it carefully, eyeing you over the rim as you hung the coat up in the front closet for him. His eyes shook for a second when you turned back to regard him. “Come on, then,” you coaxed, “tell me.”

“I’m getting married.”

The air evaporated from your lungs. You were bracing yourself from some reaction, but what reaction was it exactly? Everything hit you at once. “To who?” You finally asked.

“A girl. You don’t know her. I haven’t asked her yet, but she’s meeting me here at the end of my business trip and I have it all planned.”

Jaehyun almost looked sorry.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly.

Yeah, right.

“I’m sure, Jae,” you nodded curtly. This was such a horrid turn of events. You turned heel and slipped your shoes back on. Before he could convince you otherwise, you’d already grabbed your bag and marched out the door.

The elevator carried you back to the ground floor at an agonizing pace and you walked right back into the bar. Married, you pondered, astounded as you distractedly sipped at your drink, Jae’s getting married.

Why did this feel so bad? It’d been ages since you thought about marriage, that girl killed and long gone, rotting in the mausoleum that was your relationship with Jaehyun. Now you were suddenly sore, blindsided that he finally put his torch down. He’d seemed so reserved upstairs, more mature and more patient than you’d ever witnessed him. Maybe that was this girl’s doing.

You hadn’t been as lucky the next time you encountered Jaehyun all that time ago, but you never considered yourself unlucky before. It was another day, another deal hashed out over the conference table, and Jae had just kept staring at you. He wasn’t entirely free from blame in landing a miserable settlement for their side, somehow paying almost 30% more than they’d originally offered. The look on Jaehyun’s face amused you. You couldn’t tell if he wanted to fuck you or eat you.

The answer came as no surprise as you returned from the bathroom after the conference, a repeat of his last maneuver still managing to get you alone in the copy room. The only difference this time was that you put up no fight, gladly accepting as he had pressed you up against the supply counter.

“I can’t seem to get you out of my system,” he’d growled in your ear, groaning as you brazenly slipped his belt open and groped the hardening length in his slacks.

“You don't even know me,” you grinned, holding back from reacting to his fingers methodically picking open the buttons of your blouse, no matter how nice his strong hands felt on you. You loosened his tie as his lips caressed your neck.

“I know you plenty,” Jaehyun had smirked, “you think you’re stringing me along but I see right through you.”

“You don’t even know my name,” you countered, having a hard time keeping your guard up.

“Of course I do. Your name is Tease and you think you have me wrapped around your finger, but that’s where you’re mistaken.”

You had gasped as Jaehyun spun you around, his hands still firmly roaming your body. “Nice try, you insufferable prick,” you sneered, trying hard to look confident as Jaehyun was quickly unraveling you.

“Oh, you’re right, my mistake,” Jaehyun had agreed seriously, “your name is Slut, and you’re more easily bought than you put on.”

A string of curses escaped you as Jaehyun swiftly slipped your skirt up over your hips. Before you knew it, Jaehyun had held you down as he freed his cock. Your panties were pulled to the side, and Jaehyun was inside you, carefully stretching you open around him. You let out a pathetic whimper as Jae rolled his sleeves up. He had held you close, firmly thrusting into your soaked depths and groaning in your ear. Despite how intense this was, you couldn’t help but be impressed. Jaehyun was bold, confident and eager in a way you’d never encountered. His fingers deftly manipulated you, one hand in your opened blouse, the other between your legs. The way he rubbed and caressed you was unprecedented.

“Jaehyun,” you’d gasped, “harder.”

“See?” He let out a breathless chuckle behind you, “You barely even put up a fight. I thought you were feistier than this.”

“Make me,” you’d fired back, voice thick with pettiness. Jaehyun had huffed, biting into your neck as he fucked you harder. You let out a hushed cry at his quickened pace, almost adoring how rough he could be. His hand slipped out of your shirt and into your hair, gripping you tight at the root. Your climax was in sight, only accelerated by how well Jaehyun had been stimulating your sensitive clit.

“Look how cooperative you’re being,” he condescended, “such a good sport.”

“Jae,” you’d whimpered, almost surprised, “you’re gonna make me cum.”

“Of course I am,” he’d smiled, the shake in his voice and his serious grip on you exposing how close he was getting as well, “now show me.”

The hand in your hair had loosened, now manhandling you into starved kiss as Jaehyun roughly fucked an orgasm out of you. His kiss quieted your strangled moan. Your legs spasmed, your nerves fizzling like firecrackers and your quivering pussy choking down on Jaehyun’s hard cock. In all the excitement, you’d hardly noticed Jaehyun uncontrollable groans as he came with you. You’d shared a moment in the stillness and quiet as you both came down, breathing hard and now looking into each other’s eyes.

“You’re pretty amazing,” Jaehyun had marveled, breathless. His eyes shone with admiration.

“So are you,” you admitted, unable to hold back your small smile, “nobody treats me like that.”

Jaehyun had gently pulled out of you and carefully readjusted your clothes, even helping button your blouse and petting your hair back into place. He appeared to actually be weighing options for once, and not just charging forward. “I do,” he’d finally said, “and now I’m asking you out. Go out with me. You won’t regret it.”

You won’t regret it.

But then you did. And now you missed him. It almost felt as if you were mourning and, in a way, you were. You and Jaehyun had started so beautifully before everything turned so ugly. You felt so alive before Jae, during Jae, but not anymore. Now you were drifting, detached, feeling weaker for craving the days before everything turned bad.

“I’m sorry.”

What?

“I said I’m sorry.”

You turned to finally notice Jaehyun seated on the barstool next to yours. A heavy sigh fell from your lips. “And why are you sorry?”

“I know how awful I’ve been to you.”

“Jae,” you shook your head, “don’t waste time on this. The bullshit that happened between you and I is passed. You tore me down and I picked myself back up, and for some reason I thought that meant burning this bridge instead of just walking away.”

Jaehyun turned away from your hard gaze. “I tore you down?”

“Jaehyun,” you sighed, “do you remember when you first told me you love me?”

“Sure,” he nodded solemnly, “of course. You dropped a bottle of wine in my kitchen and you were practically crying and I still thought you looked so pretty, and I told you I love you.”

“Right. And you said you’d always pick me back up when I was down. Jaehyun, when you stopped picking me up, I just felt left behind. Like I was abandoned and alone in my own relationship.”

Jaehyun stared at the bar, strong shoulders drooping. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly.

“I know you are,” you placated. Your eyes drifted down to his hands gathered in his lap when a glint of silver caught your eye.

Your chain.

Oh, Jae.

Even without the charm on it, you recognized it. Jaehyun had your chain wrapped around his wrist a few times, the delicate silver making a handsome bracelet.

“So you’re getting married,” you nudged him.

Jaehyun shrugged. “It sure looks that way. Our dads know each other. She’s really nice, and Dad will be able to expand the company.”

“But you like her?” You asked curiously.

“Enough,” he shrugged again, “I guess I feel like I need to hurry up. You know all my brothers are already married.”

“Who cares? I never thought of you as the marrying type anyhow.”

He finally looked at you again, eyebrows raised in surprise. “Yeah?”

“Of course. You’re too free to be tied down. That’s part of why we didn’t work out, looking back.”

“Yeah,” Jaehyun agreed with an enthusiastic nod. “I guess I have plenty of time to think about it before she gets here.”

You both smiled softly, looking down at your respective drinks before, finally, you gently laid a reassuring hand on his own. Your fingers toyed with the dainty chain around his wrist.

“I missed you.” Jaehyun admitted, almost shy.

“I missed you, too,” you agreed. It was true. You missed laughing together. You missed sharing silence. You missed experiencing life with him.

Jaehyun paused a beat, almost in concentrated consideration. “Want to stay for another drink?”

And you did.

Because you always would.

[oldmishmesh]

Headcannon: Filipino! Kageyama

Title: what the hell is a ‘halo halo’??

Prompt: Kageyama is a half filipino, combine that with a few lessons on world history involvine the Philippines, a few filipino delicacies, and some memes while you’re at it turns out to be a chaotic mess

Kageyama is a half japanese, half filipino. His mother being a filipina, and his father being the other.

Kageyama’s lunch has always been rice and ulam or also known as the main dish. His lunch always has rice. You can’t forget the rice.

Hinata, Yamaguchi, Tanaka, Nishinoya, Yachi, and Sugawara came to his house to study because of the dumb four needs help to pass their exams. When Hinata was hungry, he opened the fridge’s freezer and took the tub of ice cream.

“KAGEYAMA!! I’M TAKING YOUR ICE CREAM TUB!” Hinata says. “Oooh! I want ice cream too!” Yachi stood up and went to Hinata, “EHHH? ME TOO!” Tanaka jumped up, Nishinoya soon followed. Kageyama froze. “..But we don’t have any ice cream.” Kageyama mutters, to which only Yamaguchi and Sugawara heard. “What do you mean you don’t?” Yamaguchi looked at the obvious ice cream tub.

Hinata grabbed a spoon and opened the tub, and ate the contents of it.

He fucking ate raw fish.

“bWeeeRghHhhhh” “OH SHI-“ “WHY DOES THE TUB HAVE RAW FISH?!” “HINATA THE TRASH CAN IS OVER HERE!

He puked.

Heck, he didn’t even looked at the tub before he ate the spoonful of raw fish!

“I-I think I’m good without having any ice cream!” Yachi backed off lmao. “KAGEYAMA!! Why is there fish in the ice cream tub?!” He said, whining. “Well, my mom usually reuses the containers to put other food inside of them. She says it’d be a waste to not use them.” Kageyama said. “A-Ah. So that’s why..” Yamaguchi sweatdropped.

Sugawara, being the mom he is immediately took action and took care of his child, giving him water.

Dumb Hinata

“Ah, gomenasai! I’ll get you all something as an apology!” Kageyama’s mom says.

And that’s how the group got themselves some Halo Halo.

“Finally! Proper ice cream!” “That’s technically not ice cream.” “Blehh, better than raw fish!”

After a while, the vbc had a camping event in the mountain on the weekend for team building

They all hiked up the mountain, played volleyball, and do the things you’d normally do at camping

The managers were preparing a barbecue, so when it was time to eat, a realization had dawned on them

They had no plates or utensils prepared.

“Uhh, didn’t we bring any plates with us?” Kiyoko asked, Ukai tensed. “Fuck..” He facepalmed.

But don’t worry!! Kageyama is here!

Kageyama went into the forest and grabbed himself a large banana leaf

“Can anybody tell me why Kageyama is washing and cleaning a leaf??” Daichi sweatdropped. “Just wait.” Kageyama said.

He placed the leaf over the table and there, lo and behold! A makeshift large paper leaf plate was introduced to the server

One more problem was left

“Okay, but how do we eat though? We didn’t bring untensils or chopsticks..” “Hands.” “What?” “We’ll eat with our hands.”

The team was distaught, they were supposed to eat with their hands??? What??????

Kageyama began eating the food with his bare hands.

Everybody just awkwardly followed

On that night the team had educated themselves about filipino’s boodle fight taught by Kageyama.

One time on cooking class, their teacher was making them cook something from a different country

Kageyama’s group were supposed to make Adobo.

Kageyama just whispered something under his breath.

“Ngayon magluluto tayo ng adawbang manowk..” “Excuse me, what??”

This continued on when he saw the chicken.

“Manok na pula.. Mukhang matapang-..” “I’m not even going to ask anymore.”

Kageyama often calls Hinata ‘Bobo’ as well

Hinata thought he was complimenting him

Poor, poor Hinata.

“Bobo, Hinata!!” “Huh? What does that mean?” “It means you did great.” (sarcasm)

Hinata didn’t pick up on the sarcasm

And genuinely thought that bobo means you did great.

This leads to him calling other players bobo too.

“BOBO, HOSHIUMI!!” “BOBO, KENMAAA!” “BOBO KAGEYAMA!!!”

Sakusa was also called Bobo by Hinata

But he knew what it truly meant, as he had few filipino relatives of his own.

“Uhh.. Hinata, so you know what bobo means??” Sakusa asked. “Mhmm! Kageyama told me it meant ‘You did great!’” Hinata replied. Sakusa sighed. “..Hinata, bobo means stupid..” “E-EHH?!”

Lets just say that Hinata only called Kageyama that from now on.

EXTRA NOTES:

Halo-Halo - also spelled haluhalo, is a popular Filipino cold dessert which is a concoction of crushed ice, evaporated milk and various ingredients including, among others, ube, ice cream, sweetened beans, coconut strips, and more!

Adobo - is a popular Filipino dish and cooking process in Philippine cuisine that involves meat, seafood, or vegetables marinated in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and black peppercorns, which is browned in oil, and simmered in the marinade.

Boodle Fight - it is a filipino activity, where people would use a large clean banana leaves as a subsitute for platers and use their hands to eat instead of spoons and forks

“Ngayon magluluto tayo ng adobong manok.” - is a filipino meme, in english it translates to ‘Now, we are going to cook adobong chicken.”

“Manok na pula, mukhang matapang.” - is another filipino meme, in english it translates to ‘Red chicken looks tough’. This line comes from a filipino song which is about betting on chickens.

Hihi! Ize is here! This is my first post! So please don’t come at me soon aha, and yes! I’m a filipino! I love the philippines and want to show the world our culture, but the philippine’s government is corrupt. Can someone just please put the president out of position?? Anyways! This was really fun for me to write! Though it got frustrating as I had accdientally deleted all of the content and had to rewrite it all again, anyways. That’s all! SAYONARA!

[sparkie96]

Chreon for 1. Do not give me that look and 5. Kidnapping them was the only way I was going to get them here.

It had started out as a moderately peaceful day off for Leon. He woke up, went to the bathroom, ate a light breakfast, took a morning jog, and then came back to his apartment to shower. He was about to maybe take a short nap or something while watching television on the couch and sit with Munchie when someone had put a blanket over his head. They somehow managed to wrestle and trap him in it before scooping him up and taking him to who the hell knew where. There were too many voices whispering all around him, so he couldn’t exactly tell who had him. He did know that they had a big or tall guy with them and a couple of females before he was thrown into a truck. He also didn’t know what the fuck was so god damn funny, because he heard a lot of laughter and giggling. 

“What…the everloving FUCK?!” Leon exclaimed, managing to sit upright and find an opening in the blanket, looking around the truck. He was surrounded by bags and other shit in the fucking trunk part of a very large assault looking vehicle.

“Morning, Sleeping Beauty!” A familiar voice called through the divider. 

“…Claire?!” Leon asked, “What the fuck is going on? Where am I? Why am I in the trunk? Why the fuck did you kidnap me from my apartment?” 

“We would have invited you out the normal way,” another voice, another female, called back, “But you probably would have just said no. That and you’re a surprise for someone else.” 

Leon furrowed his brows at the voice, not sure exactly who it was that had been talking, “…who the hell was that?” 

“Jill.” Claire and yet another voice replied. Who the hell was that?!

“Who all is in the truck and where the hell are we going?” Leon asked, very confused as to why Jill Valentine was here and what Claire was doing. 

Claire laughed, explaining that it was her, Sherry, Jake, and Jill as well as Jill’s friend Parker Luciani. He was the big guy that grabbed Leon and Jill grabbed and held on to Leon’s legs. They were going up to the mountains to meet with the Burtons at their house in the . Sherry and Claire reassured Leon that they packed a bag for him and Helena was going to look after Munchie for the week. 

“I’m sorry, what’s happening?” Leon asked with an incredulous look, “Did you say week? And how the hell did I not notice any of you in my apartment?!” 

“Hunnigan thought you put in for a week of time off instead of just the weekend,” Sherry explained, “So, you had a week off instead of just the weekend.” 

“Also, you’re really oblivious.” Claire chuckled, “You didn’t even notice me hand you your sweatshirt when you were in the closet and you somehow didn’t hear Sherry sneeze under your bed.” 

“I was hiding in your pantry.” Jill chimed in, “…you’re out of Goldfish by the way.” 

While Leon was sitting on the couch, Parker and Jill crept in and grabbed him while Claire and Sherry packed him a week’s worth of stuff for a mini vacation. There was a “Family Like Gathering” happening up at the Burtons and thought he should have been up there with him, but knowing his past track record, he would have tried to bail on them prematurely or at the last minute. 

“Which is why kidnapping you was the only way to get you to come…” She pulled the divider down, looking at a very annoyed looking brunette, “…don’t look at me like that.” 

Leon grumbled before removing his sweatshirt and rolling it up into a ball, “Well…in that case, wake me up when we get there.” He grumbled, lying on his makeshift pillow and rolling up into his blanket before dozing off. 

The occupants of the truck chuckled or breathed a sigh of relief. Claire and Sherry had expected Leon to blow up or get angry, Jill and Parker expected a bit more of a physical fight and Jake had been betting on “All of the Above”. So, when they had gotten little to no protest with mild freaking out, Claire was the one who had been admittedly worried. She knew he was trying to get better, but he was still a bit worse for wear. Jill said his fridge was mostly alcohol and little food, and his big pantry had little to nothing except for snacks. 

His apartment was also still a tad messy as well. The only thing stocked up was stuff for his cat and booze, though Sherry insisted that maybe Leon hadn’t gone to the store yet this week for himself. Or maybe he planned on cleaning up during his day off. Claire wasn’t one-hundred percent convinced, but she felt a bit better thinking like Sherry. 

But still…what if someone had actually ambushed him? Or he had slipped again? They had all been through hell over the years…but Leon was the only one who was not actively seeking help and wouldn’t give up his drinking problem. It was hard to tell what was going on with him, but she and the others hoped that a week around friends and family would help keep him on the right path. 

And hopefully he would be happy to see her brother, who was certainly going to be surprised to see him. 

______________________________________

After dropping Parker off at his own home, they drove a couple of hours until they were in the mountains. They made one rest stop for drinks and a bathroom and gas break. Leon stayed asleep for pretty much the whole ride up, except for when Claire woke him to ask if he wanted a snack or needed to go to the bathroom or something. Surprisingly, he asked for a bag of Goldfish and a cherry coke, but he didn’t touch either of them yet, choosing to roll over and go back to sleep. 

When they arrived, Chris was there to meet them along with Barry, Claire putting up the divider before she and Jill climbed out to greet them. Jake got out and went to the trunk while Sherry climbed out to stretch her legs. Barry went to help Jake, but Claire insisted that Jake and Chris had it, Jill taking Barry by the arm and asking him how he and Kathy were doing. Jill gave Claire a wink as Claire led Chris over to the trunk. 

“It’s been a while.” Claire said with a smile. 

“Claire, we had lunch together not even last week.” Chris chuckled, “And we had our annual sibling fishing trip the weekend before that.” 

“I know, but still!” The red-head protested, “It’s just…nowadays you never know, y’know?” 

Chris raised a brow at that, going over to the trunk and greeting Jake briefly, shaking the younger man’s hand, “Never know, what?” he asked, “You’re acting weird.” 

Claire and Sherry exchanged knowing looks before Claire turned back to her brother. She explained that with their fields of work, one never knows when they’ll see someone for the last time, so it was nice to spend as much time with the people they cared about as possible. Chris wasn’t sure what to say at first, making a comment about how dark that was yet, kind of sweet at the same time. He reassured her that none of them would be going anywhere anytime soon. 

“Well, that’s good that you think that way.” Claire said with a smile, “Cause we also brought you a surprise.”

“…Really?” Chris asked, brow raised once more as he opened the trunk, “And what would that…” the man turned his attention back to the trunk, cheeks dusted a light pink as he saw just who was in the trunk, “…Leon?!” 

The brunette was just waking up, sitting up and letting out a yawn before stretching out his aching limbs. The blanket fell, baring his chest briefly before Leon slipped his hoodie back on over his head. After rubbing the sleep from his eyes, blue eyes focused on who had said his name, blinking a couple of times before widening in surprise, a blush on his own cheeks. 

Leon looked between the Redfields, “Uh…hi…” He said in a quiet voice, “It’s, uh, been a while.” 

“Yeah…” Chris said with a nod, utterly speechless. 

Claire, Sherry and Jake looked between them, Sherry and Claire wearing matching smiles. They had both known about Leon and Chris’s feelings for one another for a while, but neither had the time or faintest idea on how to court the other. 

Chris had been doing a lot better after the whole incident overseas and then after New York, having actually sought out a therapist through the BSAA and actually thinking about looking into retirement or becoming an instructor for the BSAA Recruitment Camp. He was even thinking about moving into a house near the mountain house. Though he still had a “family” that consisted of Claire, Jill and Carlos, and the Burtons, Chris had never really looked for “The One” and was still smitten by someone he thought he could never have. He hadn’t really confided in anyone about all this until recently when he met up with Claire for their annual sibling fishing trip. 

When Claire had met up with and told Sherry all of this, Sherry revealed that the same thing might have been happening with Leon, saying that the agent also had feelings for Chris but the years of chasing Ada made him think that, like Ada, he could never have Chris due to their lifestyles. 

So, they plotted this for a while and decided that this week would be the perfect time to get them together. There was nothing but friends and family surrounding them and work couldn’t bother the two. 

“Surprise!” Claire and Sherry said, Sherry to Leon and Claire to Chris. 

Leon and Chris were flustered, neither saying anything to the other. Or rather, they were at a loss for words and didn’t know what to say. They hadn’t seen each other since New York. It had been a shame because, despite their spat before they had beaten Arias, they ended up getting along and going out for drinks. They even promised to see each other again some time and then never did…until now. 

Chris was the first one to break the pregnant pause between them, smiling down at the younger man as he held out his arms toward him, “Long time no see, Le. Need help?” 

Leon smiled too, chuckling as he accepted, giving the man a sort of hug as Chris lifted him out of the trunk. Once he was out and upright, Chris gave him a proper hug, the two embracing tightly. 

“So,” Leon started off after they pulled away, “How have things been in the last couple of months?” 

“Pretty good,” Chris admitted, looking down with furrowed brows and noticing that Leon didn’t have shoes, “…Where are your shoes?” 

Leon looked to Sherry and Claire, Jake already starting to take bags up to the house, “I didn’t know I would be leaving the apartment today.” Leon revealed.

Chris laughed at that, “Oh? So you got tricked into coming up and staying up here too?” he asked in amusement, him and Leon grabbing some bags and going up to the house. 

(to be continued in a future project. Consider it a sneak peek >_o) 

[dapper-ships-herself]

Should you fight my f/os?

Tagged by @megane-shipping @rose-wine-selfships @firebird-inkheart

I have many f/os, so this isn't all of them but I still did a fair number of 'em.

Also the rating system confused me but I did my best.

Dazai: He looks pretty scrawny, and while he is a pretty good fighter fighter through skill he isn't the physically strongest opponent, but you still wouldn't be able to beat him. He'd come up with some sort of plan where you'd probably think you'd won but then you turn around and oop no Dazai won. How does that work? Who fucking knows.

No fighting Dazai. 2/10

Erza Scarlet: She will kick your ass with the power of friendship and her eighteen thousand swords. Are you kidding me? She's queen of the fairies, no way. Beating her up only inspires her to win for the sake of her guild.

No fighting Erza. 1/10

Shinobu Kocho: She will poison you with a smile on her face. Unless your name is Douma, I would not recommend (ouch).

No fighting Shinobu. 4/10

Chuuya Nakahara: if you're looking to get crushed by a manlet in a fancy hat, then go for it. He's quite possibly one of the strongest ability users out there, but tell him Dazai called him a nerd or whatever and he'll fly into a rage that you can either use to your advantage or will result in you being crushed faster.

No fighting Chu-tan. 1/10

Yosano Akiko: Holy shit what? You're going to fight her? She will hack you to pieces, put you back together, and then repeat, repeat, repeat until she has to go and catch a sale.

No fighting Yosano. 4/10

Howard Phillips Lovecraft: You have a chance so long as he continues to give into his tiredness, he may simply lay there while you beat the shit out of him. Make sure you keep him from going all eldritch monstrocity on your ass though.

Not advised to fight Lovecraft. 3/10

Edgar Allen Poe: He's baby, why would you fight him? I know his best friend is a raccoon and he looks like he hadn't been outside since he was a baby, but what would you accomplish by fighting him?

To remain a decent person no fighting Poe. 5/10

Mark Twain: He's allergic to wearing shirts properly and thinks he's all buff and stuff, but you can punch him in the eye and knock him the fuck out. His little doll friends ain't gonna do shit. So long as you get too close for him to snipe you, you've got this.

Fight Mark. 7/10

Margaret Mitchell: I would really rather you not, she's napping. If you did, though, be ready to get caught in your own personal tornado while she rants about restoring her families honor. Unless your name is Akutagawa, be careful.

Not advised to fight Margaret. 5/10

Higuchi Ichiyo: She's certainly not the most formidable opponent, but she would gladly cut a thousand bitches for the sake of getting senpai to notice her.

You could fight Higuchi but it's not advised. 6/10

Gin Akutagawa: You wouldn't even hear her coming. The thought of fighting her would be brand new and then whoops, you've got a knife to the throat. She's not a leader of the black lizards for no reason.

Not advised to fight Gin. 4/10

Beelzebub: There is a chance that he would literally eat you, but for the most part while he is a big, beefy demon, he's also a teddy bear; he'd probably let you punch him over and over with a straight face. Stay away from his food and you should be fine.

Maybe fight Beelzebub. 6/10

Mammon: On one hand, he is the second most powerful of his brothers, he could easily destroy you. On the other hand, boy gets beat up verbally and physically by his brothers every damn day and has a mountain of insecurities, poke at those and you could probably win. Or make him even more mad. It's a gamble with the avatar of greed, my guy.

Maybe fight Mammon but not advised. 5/10

Jae-ha: He's a quick fellow, and his aim with those daggers is pretty spot on, it'd be very difficult and your best chance would be to try and ground him so he can't use his dragon leg. Although, he's a pervert and would probably like getting beat up, so you could win simply by that

Not advised to fight Jae-ha unless he's feeling especially nasty: 5/10

Chain Sumeragi: She can literally make herself completely undetectable and then stick her hand through you to play with your insides, unless you can get past that somehow, you're fucked.

No fighting Chain. 3/10

Steven Alan Starphase: He will Esmeralda Blood Freeze you before you can even blink and the shatter you into ice cubes for his drink. He ain't afraid to get his hands dirty.

No fighting Steven. 3/10

The Happy Huntresses: They're an experienced team of top of their class huntresses; four badasses trained not only to fight people but also giant evil monsters.

No fighting the happy huntresses. 4.5/10

Meis and Gueira: I mean they look decently tough with those bikes and the armor and the fire, but everytime we see them in a fight they get their asses handed to them in like two seconds. Best to be equiped with a fire extinguisher or like some ice cubes to chuck at 'em.

Maybe fight them. 6/10

Aizawa Shouta: Your best bet is to catch him in the middle of a nap, but please be so careful not to wake him up, he's most likely be so cranky that he'd forget he's a hero and snap your neck.

Not advised to fight Aizawa. 5/10

Idia Shroud: His scrawny ass barely ever leaves his room, he hasn't lifted anything heavier than his phone ever, he's a flaming stick basically.

You could fight Idia. 7/10

Sesshomaru: He has very little mercy to spare and has killed a great deal of people and demons.

No fighting Sesshomaru. 2/10

Annie January: She is capable of blinding and throwing you across the room with a beam of light from her hands and can lift like thirty two times her bodyweight. Unless you also have superpowers, would not recommend.

Not advised to fight Annie. 5/10

Byleth: She's a skilled fighter on her own, but she also has an army of feral students ready to beat the shit out of anyone who messes with their proffessor.

No fighting Byleth. 4/10

Shatina: Her greatest joy is beating people up and watching them bleed, she steps on and torments even her closest allies on a near daily basis. She would crush you and the go right back to drinking.

No fighting Shatina. 4/10

Maeve: I'm actually not sure what kind of fighting ability she has, but why would you want to hurt a goddess?

No fighting Maeve. 5/10

Ban: He's a member of one of the strongest groups of fighters in the land, and he's able to almost immediately regenerate after any and all damage. Also, he's like 10 feet tall, what are you going to do? Chew on his ankles until they snap off? They grow right back.

No fighting Ban. 4/10

Joxter: Fucking feral cat man, too lazy to fight back. Kick his ass.

Fight Joxter. 8/10

Shigure Sohma: Please fight Shigure, please. I will put my bet on you and watch.

Please fight Shigure. 9/10

Vodka: She's used to fighting giant fallen angels, she'd have no trouble kicking your ass and looking good while doing it. Also, she could simply send her hawk Andre to peck out your eyes before she even has to do any work.

Not advised to fight Vodka. 5.5/10

Jordan 'JD' Davies: They're the Jersey Devil. Literally, the Jersey Devil. They'd burn you to a crisp with their fire powers. But, your chances of victory aren't zero if you could find a way to deal with that. They're strong, but you could find a way with a fist fight. Fuck knows they deserve to be fought.

You probably shouldn't but fight JD anyways. 7/10

Zoro: You're going to fight a guy who wields three swords? One of which he sticks in his mouth? He's clearly crazy. Also I'm pretty sure he cuts a mountain in half at some point or something like that? So there's that to take into consideration. You're best bet would be to also be amazing with swords.

No fighting Zoro. 3/10

Nami: She's not the most powerful out of all of all of her crew, but if you beat her you will leave afterwards and notice that your wallet and all your valuables that you had on you are missing and she's already sailing away.

You could fight Nami but you will be poor afterwards. 7/10

Mollymauk Tealeaf: Hasn't he been through enough?

No fighting Molly please. 5/10

Zora: She will turn you into a literal baby, how do you plan on beating her up as an infant with your chubby lil baby hands?

No fighting Zora: 4/10

And I wanted to include some familial too

Yukichi Fukuzawa: Have you seen him fight with a sword? You won't even see him draw it.

No fighting Fukuzawa. 2/10

Ogai Mori: He will trick you into thinking he's merely a simple, friendly neighborhood physician, and then the moment your back is turned there will be a scalpel buried deep in it. Also, he has a demon baby at his command.

No fighting Ogai. 2/10

Kouyou Ozaki: You might think you're sneaking up on her, but her Golden Demon will cut you down without her even needing to look away from admiring the flowers and sipping her tea.

No fighting Kouyou. 2/10

Oda Sakunosuke: HASN'T HE BEEN THROUGH ENOUGH.

No fighting Oda PLEASE. 4/10

Ranpo Edogawa: While he has eaten nothing but processed sugar since the day he was born, he will eviscerate you with his words and leave you too mentally beaten to lift a finger. Stuff your ears with some cotton and kick his scrawny ass. The rest of the detective agency will come after you, though.

Not advised but go ahead and fight Ranpo. 5/10

Yumeno Kyusaku: So much as look at this child wrong, much less lay a finger on them, and I will be the one fighting you.

NO FIGHTING YUMENO. 0/10

Lio Fotia: I know he looks like a dandy who was abandoned and raised by a biker gang, but he is also the strongest known burnish. The only thing saving you is his code against killing.

Not advised to fight Lio. 4/10

Laxus Dreyar: He's an asshole, and I completely understand wanting to fight him, but he is jacked as shit with the power of lightning at his finger tips.

It's not smart but I would like to watch you do it anyways. 2/10

Noctis Lucis Caelum: He'd rather fish than fight you, but he is capable of taking down giant monsters and mini armies with the ability to teleport. Tell him Hot Topic is going out of business and he'll crumble.

Not advised to fight Noctis but eh maybe you could. 4/10

Pretty sure all the people I would've tagged have already done it? So do this if you want to.

[illegiblewords]

Recent Shadowbringers story has me speculating a bit on Convocation of the Fourteen relative to mythology and I think I got stuff.

Heads up this spoils like crazy.

IIRC it got confirmed that the Convocation members got Greek names, although I don’t remember if they were all named for the pantheon or not.

But since Hades gets referred to using abilities known as Titanomachy in particular I’m gonna lean hard toward YES.

Who is which god though? What’s even happening? I have a few ideas and in order to explore ‘em a bit will list the names and details that strike me as particularly important. A point of note though, Hades is not an Olympian within mythology. One of the original gods born of Rhea and Cronos yes, but he literally drew the short stick that said “congrats you get to live alone among the dead have fun”.

Zeus: Youngest of six siblings born to Rhea and Cronos. Drew lots with Poseidon and Hades, wound up getting dominion over the sky as king of the gods. Had loads and loads of sex. Strongly affiliated with lightning.

Hera: Hands down has the title of pissiest of the gods, which is fuckin’ saying something. This is like 98% because she’s the goddess of marriage, childbirth, women, family, and fidelity while being married to Zeus the fuckhead. Youngest daughter of the six siblings born to Rhea and Cronos. Associated with the peacock. Commonly transformed her husband’s lovers into animals and IIRC had some ties to storms but I might be misremembering. Also notable for having given birth to Ares with Zeus legitimately (who no one likes except Aphrodite) and Hephaestus alone. She threw Hephaestus down the side of a mountain because he came out ugly iirc.

Poseidon: God of the seas, water, storms, earthquakes, and horses. Middle son of the six siblings born to Rhea and Cronos, when he drew straws with Zeus and Hades he got dominion over the oceans.

Demeter: Goddess of the harvest, fertility, motherhood, agriculture, nature, and the seasons. Middle daughter of the six siblings born to Rhea and Cronos. Hades abducted and married her daughter Persephone and she got next level pissed about it, made the world cold and barren (winter) until Persephone was returned.

Athena: Born from Zeus and Metis, confirmed more powerful than Zeus. Metis had a prophecy where any child she bore would be more powerful than the father, so of course Zeus had to stick his dick in that. Later became filled with regret and fear when it turned out Metis was pregnant, turned her into a fly and ate her. Fast forward a bit and Metis gives birth to Athena inside of Zeus, and Athena explodes fully formed and adult complete with armor out of Zeus’ head. Athena has some duality with Ares as they’re both war gods and both technically born from Zeus. Athena is goddess of wisdom, handicraft (like weaving), and strategic warfare. Virgin goddess.

Apollo: God of the sun/light and the arts, also certain kinds of performance including music, poetry, philosophy. Notable in that his golden arrows were not nearly so painful as the silver ones favored by Artemis. Twins with Artemis. Also majorly known for being associated with both plague and healing as well as prophecy. Prophecy comes up in particular through the Oracle of Delphi. Notably the reason to Dionysus’ madness in some philosophy.

Artemis: Goddess of the hunt, twins with Apollo, uses silver arrows that hurt like a motherfucker compared to the golden ones her brother favors. A virgin goddess associated with the moon, wilderness, childbirth, protection, and plague. Worth noting she could be super super pissy and did in fact turn a man into a deer to be mauled to death and eaten by his own hounds because he accidentally caught her bathing.

Ares: God of war as in slaughter and bloodlust, also of violence and “manly virtues” as in his dick r big. Has weird sibling energy with Athena because they represent dramatically different aspects of war. Only loved by Aphrodite, literally no one else likes him.

Aphrodite: Goddess of love and beauty and fucking, top tier manipulator, also affiliated with pleasure, passion, fertility, and desire. Married to Hephaestus but not at all happy about it, has a pretty open affair with Ares. Sometimes she’s a daughter of Zeus but usually she was born from the universe’s castrated dick being thrown into the ocean and making a ton of sea foam which became her.

Hephaestus: Smith of the gods, master craftsman and god of the forge. Also associated with invention, fire, and volcanos. Didn’t really cheat on Aphrodite despite her cheating on him hard. Was rejected by his mother Hera for being too ugly and was literally crippled by her.

Hermes: Messenger of the gods, a trickster, god of travelers and athletes, guide to the dead, has fucking WILD cults dedicated to him to this day including fucktons of alchemists and just Hermeticism as a whole. In other words also the god of new age and magicK. Not magic, emphasis on the k because that’s what the modern magicians in their funny hats do when they’re feeling edgy.

Hestia: Eldest of six siblings born to Rhea and Cronos. Goddess of the hearth, being fire and the home. Has probably the least amount of drama out of all the gods ever, and while that isn’t necessarily saying a lot she seriously had no drama. Possibly relinquished her seat among the Olympians to Dionysus in some stories. Was notably a virgin and had a major following of priestesses in Rome consisting of the Vestal Virgins.

Dionysus: If there is a god of chaos and insanity besides Eris it is him. God of drunks and performance and opulence/excess/parties, notably has a philosophical contrast with Apollo as the madness to his reason. Top hedonist. Has a group of violently crazy women who worship him called the Bacchantes. Do not understate violently crazy bit they have torn people to shred with their bare hands.

Hades: We know this is Emet-Selch already and have more lore on how he visualizes souls/the Lifestream (interesting term given rivers of the dead in Greek myth, though not exclusive concept to Greek myth)/the Underworld. Eldest son of the six siblings born to Rhea and Cronos, though he is younger than Hestia.

Another point of note--there are, classically, TWELVE Olympian gods and then Hades. Why then one extra and how suspicious is that with our Convocation of 14?

Normally, like I mentioned Hestia is an original member who essentially gives her seat up for Dionysus. But she’s also a much quieter goddess within mythological stories, so while she could be included it’s also possible that another god or goddess is being used to reach fourteen.

First, I’m gonna go on a limb here and say I think Lahabrea is either Apollo or Ares, but leaning heavily toward Apollo. The orator thing fits, his role within being crazy good/productive in creating concepts makes some sense (I mentioned possibly Ares because he has an affinity for certain weapons too which makes me squint), and with how much the Ascians have referenced things being foretold or prophesized at least one of them is required to have ties with that ability. Additionally, Apollo being tied to plague when there the Terminus event going on and people are speculating that creation magics had something to do with the cause has me unbelievably suspicious.

I am also going to say that I think it’s possible Elidibus is Hermes. Emissary-->Messenger as well as having a pattern of being a trickster or liar makes a lot of sense. Also interesting in that one of his other functions is as psychopomp, or escort of the dead. I wouldn’t be shocked if he was the one responsible for raising new sundered Ascians.

I also think that if Lahabrea is Apollo, Igeyorhm might really be Artemis for that twin thing + their Ascian Prime misadventure. The impulsivity makes a bit of sense for her too, as does the fact that she fucked up the entire thirteenth shard while being tied to plague. If I thought Lahabrea was Hermes I’d have pitched Igeyorhm as Aphrodite purely because it’s myth canon they made a hermaphroditic child together one time, but I don’t think that makes as much sense.

I don’t think the game is putting as much emphasis on the three kings setup for Ascians with Zeus/Poseidon/Hades because Lahabrea and Elidibus don’t really fit into the roles of Zeus or Poseidon either of them. FFXIV associates lightning with judgment in a cool way but it gets stressed really hard that Elidibus is just supposed to be an Emissary and Lahabrea has other gods he fits with better. I honestly think the ones who remained unsundered just happened to be the ones who got missed rather than that particular trio.

On WoL, there are plenty of fans having fun speculating that WoL is Persephone in the name of shipping lol. It’s maaaaaaaaybe possible because she’s goddess of spring, renewal, rebirth, nature, and the underworld. And she also goes back and forth between spending time with Hades and spending time with her mother. So that whole MIA thing might work.

Halmarut being all about plants I’ll bet 100% is Demeter. No one else makes sense.

Nabriales if he does use lightning like I remember might be Zeus, which explains his attempted sleaziness a bit and his inferiority complex being one of the sundered. But I’m a bit doubtful because he seems like he has too big of an ego to have potentially been in charge of Amaurot at any point ever. His personality and eagerness to fight remind me more of Ares. Also no one likes him lol. Dionysus strikes me as most likely overall because it would explain him being pissed at being under Lahabrea as well as his whole attitude.

Mitron is Poseidon. Cannot be anyone else, he is all about oceans and fishes. Strongest case for Elidibus and Lahabrea not being tied to the other two kings--Mitron literally cannot be anyone but Poseidon.

Who is WoL though?

Currently my big guesses are Dionysus if Nabriales isn’t (as a foil to Lahabrea-Apollo), Zeus (mightiest of the gods, lightning of judgment and huge badass), Persephone (the creation and underworld thing is neat and who even knows), maaaaaaaaaaybe Hestia because of the primordial light/fire bit, being oldest, and just not being about the drama.

I know basically nothing about Altima besides her being there but would be more inclined to figure her for Athena than any other goddess purely because SE seems to be going with matching gender stuff and with a name like Altima I’m doubtful about other goddesses fitting better. Hera is the only one beside Athena who could maybe own that.

If anyone else has knowledge/notes on Ascians and can chime in on what seems fitting feel free!

[gromvillage]

all odd numbers. do it coward

jesus fucking christ i love you

1. Who was the last person you held hands with?

probably one of my friends when we went to the mall the day before homecoming?? it was a while ago

3. Who are you looking forward to seeing?

i can’t wait to see my cousin again but i also have this one really cool uncle that i’d like to see again. actually i’d like to see a lot of my family cause they live far away but i don’t know when i’ll see them next

5. If you were drunk would the person you like take care of you?

i never want to be drunk but i think they definitely would 

7. Do you think you’ll be in a relationship two months from now?

i’d like to say yes because i’m a thirsty bitch but the answer is prolly no

9. Does talking about sex make you uncomfortable?

negative ghostrider, my friends are tired of hearing me talk about me being thirsty

11. What does the most recent text that you sent say? 

me yelling at my friends about how i want to be on bear grylls’ show, cause i think him and i would have a great time hanging out

13. Do you like it when people play with your hair?

oh hell yeah, my friends got acrylics a couple months ago and i was literally begging them to play with my hair and scratch my head

15. What good thing happened this summer?

lots of good things happened this summer! i went to scout camp, went to washington/canada with some friends, and went to europe for the first time!!   

17. Do you think there is life on other planets?

i’d like to think so! but also,,,,i think it’s probably not like little green dudes sadly, prolly just like microscopic shit that happens to be alive

19. Do you like bubble baths?

i haven’t taken a bath since i was really young, the idea of sitting in your own water is gross

21. What are you bad habits?

oh lots...picking the skin around my nails, i can be really lazy, not tidying up my room as often as i should which then makes me feel weird, the list can go on and on

23. Do you have trust issues?

oh you bet baby, i don’t really have reason to cause no one has done anything absolutely horrible to me (yet) but i am constantly questioning the intents of the people i’m close to

25. What part of your body are you most uncomfortable with?

my face but also the fact i have no thighs and my arms are super scrawny 

27. Do you wish your skin was lighter or darker?

darker, i have such a hard time tanning and i’m high key pale

29. Have any of your ex’s told you they regret breaking up?

h a h a have to have been in a relationship to have has an ex 

31. If your hair long enough for a pony tail?

yeah one tiny one on the top of my head

33. Spell your name with your chin.

paigved

35. Would you rather live without TV or music?

ohhh tough...probably tv though cause i stay listening to music all the time

37. What do you say during awkward silences?

hi welcome to chili’s

39. What are your favorite stores to shop in?

rei or any outdoor store really, small independent stationary shops, target kinda slaps, really any little shop that’s along the main street of a smaller town

41. Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance?

negative ghostrider

43. Do you smile at strangers?

not really, i’m super self conscious about my teeth and also think i look kinda creepy when i do it

45. What makes you get out of bed in the morning?

the fact i have to go to school sadly but my goal is to one day get out of bed and be excited to do a job i love

47. Have you ever been high?

negative ghostrider, that kinda shit freaks me out

49. Have you done anything recently that you hope nobody finds out about?

yeah there’s a couple things

51. Ever wished you were someone else?

all the time, i stay wishing i was an olympic skier or pro mountain athlete or literally anyone more interesting than me

53. Favourite makeup brand?

i don’t wear makeup!

55. Favourite blog?

@friendlydinosaur of course but also big fan of @perpetualpatchwork and a bunch of bon appetit blogs

57. Favourite food?

bread/pasta/sweets

59. First thing you ate this morning?

really lame breakfast sandwich thing on a piece of toast with cream cheese and lunch meat cause i’m lazy

61. Been suspended/expelled? For what?

no but i kinda wish, i have too much of a fear of authority/my parents

63. Ever been in love?

not yet

65. Are you hungry right now?

not super hungry but i could go for some ice cream

67. Facebook or Twitter?

twitter, i’m not a 40 year old lady jesus christ

69. Are you watching tv right now?

nope

71. Craving something? What?

someone to hold me but also really wanna go skiing or on an adventure in general

73. Do you sleep with stuffed animals?

that’s gonna be a no

75. Favourite animal?

ohhh i stay being a closet horse girl but also think elk are pretty cool! also just generally love dogs

77. Chocolate or Vanilla?

chocolate (but vanilla if it’s the really good shit)

79. What colour shirt are you wearing?

maroon! i stay wearing this color all the time

81. Favourite tv show?

i still haven’t finished turn but i do like it a lot! also i just think i finished watching something on netflix but i can’t remember what?? but i feel like i liked it?? thinking is hard

83. Mean Girls or Mean Girls 2?

never seen either sadly

85. Favourite character from Mean Girls?

see above

87. First person you talked to today?

my mom

89. Name a person you hate?

there are a couple but i’m not bouta drag em on tumblr

91. Is there anyone you want to punch in the face right now? 

oh i could come up with a few people....

93. How many sweatpants do you have?

sadly only two pairs but i want more

95. Last movie you watched?

part of ratatouille with this girl that’s kinda like a little cousin to me

97. Favourite actor?

i don’t really have a favorite but i’m big on timothee chalamet at the moment

99. Have any pets?

a sickly beta fish i inherited from my brother when he moved

101. Do you type fast?

i’d like to think so

103. Can you spell well?

oh hell no

105. Ever been to a bonfire party?

a couple, though none recently sadly 

107. Have you ever been on a horse?

a few times!! again, closet horse girl

109. Is something irritating you right now?

the fact i’ve left some major work till the last minute, this one really painful pimple on my face, the way i stay wasting my time

111. Do you have trust issues?

this is a repeat from 23?? but the answer is still yes

113. What was your childhood nickname?

paigey, but a lot of people still use it! also foo foo the snoo was something my mom called me as kind of an inside joke rhyme thing

115. Do you play the Wii?

not anymore, though i was big on wii sports resort and the wipeout game when i was younger. oh also the lego harry potter, cause i liked to collect all the coins while my brother did the Actual Gaming for the levels

117. Do you like chicken noodle soup?

not really, the noodles are always super mushy and i just don’t really like the flavor

119. Favourite book?

i sadly haven’t been reading a ton lately and have forgotten literally every book i’ve ever read but i really enjoyed on jon krakauer’s  eiger dreams that i read this summer

121. Are you mean?

sometimes, yeah

123. Can you keep white shoes clean?

i kept a pair of white slip on vans pretty clean for a while! the trick is to use scotch guard

125. Do you believe in true love?

i haven’t thought about it a lot but i guess? 

127. What makes you happy?

oh lots of things! nice weather, spending time outdoors, good food, time with good friends, ice cream, exploring, creating things

129. What your zodiac sign?

sagittarius (almost my birthday!!)

131. Your bestfriend of the opposite sex likes you, what do you do?

now that i think about it i don’t think i have a best guy friend?? but if i did i guess if i didn’t like them i’d try and be nice about it cause i’ve had a crush on close friends and know it sucks when they don’t feel the same way

133. Favourite lyrics right now?

“but if i get my shit together this year maybe i’ll be a ten” -10/10 by rex orange county

135. Dumbest lie you ever told?

oh i’m sure i told some dumb lies when i was a kid but i can’t remember any right now

137. How tall are you?

barely 5′1″

139. Brunette or Blonde?

brunette

141. Night or Day?

depends on the mood

143. Are you a vegetarian?

i really should be for the earth but meat bruh

145. Tea or Coffee?

i don’t drink either!

147. Mars or Snickers?

snickers

149. Do you believe in ghosts?

not really but the other night i woke up to my waterbottle falling off my nightstand and that was some freaky shit

love you dude, i really needed this tonight

[isis-witch]

The Wendigo's Hunger - Part 4

[Black Goat Of The Woods - Black Moutain Transmitter]

"Okay, Mike, calm down. We can explain to you..."

"Oh, I bet you can. Sit down! Hands up!"

The Fiddlers kneeled on the cold floor, in silence. [Y/N] seemed worrier than her brother, who once again, glanced at Jessica's wound, which was bleeding even more. Mike shivered as he watched the other man licking his lips as if he was starving. He pointed more precisely the gun he was holding in his hand at Lucas's chest.

"What do you think you're going to do with me?" Lucas said in a mysterious voice.

"Shut up!"

"Come on, Mike...Have a try... DO IT!"

Mike pulled the trigger and closed his eyes. The scene wasn't probably very beautiful. However, the laugh of the "victim" raised in the room... He realized he hadn't killed Lucas, neither hurt him. His shirt was torn, but his skin had just a small bruise, where the bullet should have penetrate its target. No blood, no flesh, no hole, nothing at all. Lucas stood up and snatched the gun out of Mike's hands and threw it away. Then he walked towards him, but his gait became more threatening and animalistic.

Jessica joined Mike and grabbed him by the arm. Lucas stopped abruptly when the woman entered his field of vision. The two friends observed teeth growing and sharpening from the man's mouth. His eyes turned almost white and more sensitive to the faintest movement. He gently grabbed Mike by his shoulder, who noticed the claws length of Lucas.

"Y-You'd better cover this up. I'm hungry. Don't play with my hunger." He whispered in their ears. His voice sounded huskier.

Behind his back, [Y/N] was approaching furtively, a burning match in her hand. She made a sign with her index on her mouth, to mean they had to stay quiet and natural. The half-monster was sniffing Jessica's hair and lifting Mike above the floor, grabbing him by his shirt. His sister took this opportunity to seize his arm and set fire to his elbow crook. The creature loudly grunted and shrieked when it felt a needle inserting into the same burned place, deep in its veins. Lucas pushed her violently and held his arm in pain. He groaned and whined as his teeth and nails were retracting. It lasted for about five minutes, until [Y/N]'s brother came back to his normal state.

"Thanks [Y/N]... I thought it was the last time Mike and I could talk together."

"Can someone tell me the fuck just happened?" Chris complained.

[Lights Out - Cities Last Broadcast]

It was a summer sunny day when Lucas and his mother got stuck into the mines. They were walking innocently, like a normal family. He was twenty at that time. His father and little sister were fishing at the lake, on the other side of the mountain. If only they could have predicted this crumbling. The first days consisted in seeking food and a way to get out of here. They found birds, raccoons, mice, and rats... then insects... then nothing. The police had been investing for weeks but never found them. They lost themselves in their desperate attempt to reach an exit. Until this evening, when a policeman has been attacked and killed by a human-looking beast. It was fast and strong. It was starving. "Food... Eat... Food...More..." other officers could hear echoing against the walls. The murmurs guided them to a young man, of whom the members and skin had stretched at an incredible point. "Is it your son, Jack?" asked the agent. Mister Fiddler gasped when he saw Lucas's face. He kneeled in front of his son, who seemed to have recognized his father and didn't tear his head off. "Where is your mother, Lucas? Answer me, please.", asked the man. "... Sorry..." the creature replied in a growl. His father brushed his arm, a hot tear rolling on his cheek. "I'm sorry too, son.". A giant flame enlighted the tunnel and lit the half-wendigo's arm. Several years after, the fire was gone, but the pain was still there. And his heart... it burnt... burnt...burnt.

"That's all I can remember. [Y/N] always told me that they captured me and did a ritual, before injecting an antidote into my scald."

He rolled up his right sleeve and showed his arm, deformed and covered in scars.

[Goëtia - Peter Gundry]

"And what's this ritual?" Ashley kindly asked.

"It can only be transmitted from mother to daughter in Cree's tribes. We promised to the ones who taught us to keep the traditions safe.", answered [Y/N].

"Oh come on, really? After everything we lived?" Emily took offense.

"I made a promise. I won't break it."

They heard a scream outside that made them shiver. Lucas suggested to go, they already had lost enough time and energy. While they were visiting once more the different rooms of the sanatorium, he remembered his detention in those cages, reeled in a straitjacket and enduring more or less orthodox treatments, imagined by psychiatric doctors and his father. The pain ... The physical pain, yes, but also mental pain. The pain to see his little sister scared of him, the pain to realize he was now a monster. He tried to commit suicide, but his wendigo instinct always got the upper hand. He was the prisoner of his own jail: life. The thing is that he never really healed. He only learned how to control his instincts, his urges, his hunger... To see blood or rotted human flesh could wake up the wendigo spirit in him. This double had affected his personality. He was easily angered, solitary, aloof, and coarse. He deeply hoped this would not happen to Josh. They had to find him, quick. His sister needed him.

She has been traumatized by his disappearance. He was the loveliest man in the world, who took care of her, and who accepted her mental issues. Sometimes [Y/N] had blackouts where she believed she was a little girl of eight years old. Josh knew how to handle her outbreaks, he didn't mind the constraints it implied. He alternated between lover and baby-sitter, but always in happiness and good intentions. He protected her, cherished her, gave her presents, cooked for her, listened and talked to her, walked in nature with her. The forest was her therapy, she could reconnect to her adult woman side and leave the child in her at home. The most annoying thing he had to face was the possibility that she had a crisis when they had a very intimate moment together. Fortunately, it never happened.

They were finally in the mines! Lucas and [Y/N] lit several torches. These could save their lives if needed. Different noises in the galleries were making hard the perception of potential wendigo's shriek. Water drops falling on stone, rats, wind... It's useless to say there was definitely a creepy atmosphere. Lucas explained to the group that his senses were increased thanks to his double nature, so the parasitic sounds wouldn't be a problem. He could recognize a wendigo in a radius of 6 miles. If Josh was here, he would know for sure.

"Okay sooo... How are we supposed to find Josh?" Chris asked.

"Don't worry, he will come to us, thanks to Jess. Human blood is very efficient to attract wendigos."

"Wait a minute, we're not certain that he has become a wendigo. Maybe he's still alive and... a human."

"It's impossible. The only sources of food are curious visitors and hikers. Or he's dead, or he's cursed."

"What about the hunt? Deers, birds, and... I don't know."

"Would you try to fight a deer with bare hands?"

Chris couldn't reply anything. Lucas was right: Josh was probably dead if he hadn't eaten a cadaver. His best friend... a monster... He couldn't imagine him as the terrifying beast he saw last year. It was worse than his most horrible nightmares. Josh was unstable, yes, he was mentally disturbed but it wasn't his fault. His sisters' death was a trauma for him, how could he blame him? Yes, his prank was not the best idea he had in his life, however, Chris just couldn't still be angry at him. Josh needed help. That's all.

He was pretty surprised that his best pal never talked about [Y/N], who had obviously a place in his heart. Did Josh know about Lucas's past? Is [Y/N] ill too? So many questions, and not many answers.

Chris unexpectedly banged against the others' backs. He heard Lucas sniffing something and staring at the tunnel in front of them. They were not alone.

"Don't move.", he whispered.

A creature exited the shadow and approached the group. It was searching for something, probably food. Of course, it smelled Jessica's blood on her bandage and [Y/N] 's clothes. It let out an animal scream and threw [Y/N] to the ground, to tower over her and opened his huge jaws to bite her neck. But something pushed the wendigo against the wall and ripped its head as if it was a vulgar sheet of paper.

Lucas helped his sister to get up and pointed his flamethrower at the beast who saved her. In the dark, they only were able to see a white ball glowing. The whole group was brandishing their torches in protection. The creature seemed to be afraid and grunted to impress them. But they quickly noticed it was not a wendigo, or at least not a monster like the one who attacked them earlier. Sam put her torch on the ground and approached herself of the thing that avoided [Y/N] a certain death.

"Joshua?"

[sowk-fic-archive]

SOWK ch.6/35

Summary:

Matthew struggles to understand exactly how glouglous like to express themselves…

Chapter 6 : bricolage

“Muuuuum.” “Dominic, no protests, you are wearing this.” “But I match Nancy!” “Nicky, we’re twins; Mum has every right to make our outifts match.” Dominic groaned, smoothing out the creases in his shirt. He hated wearing shirts. More importantly, he hated wearing a striped shirt that matched the striped blouse his twin sister was wearing. Staring himself down in the mirror, he tried to remember the last time he wore a shirt. At first, he couldn’t. He later decided it was for his grandmother’s funeral three years ago. The rest of his grandparents had died before his birth - it wasn’t uncommon for glouglous to have short life expectancies. Pushing the morbid thoughts from his mind, he finished buttoning the cuffs of his shirt as Nancy came back into their bedroom, nudging him aside with her hip and complaining about him hogging the mirror. “God, Nicky, with the amount of time you spend in front of a mirror someone would think you’re gay!” “Oi, watch it Nancy. I’m sure the whole throng of girls I’ve dated will tell you otherwise,” Dominic said with a shrug. “Who, Rory? And, there was another… ah, yes, Rory! Then Rory, and then…” “There was Lisa!” Nancy tilted her head slightly, giving him a look that would turn any man to stone. “You were four years old, Nicky. That’s not what I’d call everlasting love.” “Alright, calm down. Sorry that I don’t have old men clamouring over me each night. That’s not what I’d call everlasting love either.” Dominic knew he hit a nerve when he heard Nancy drop her hairbrush onto the wooden floor. “What. Did you. Just say?” she spat through gritted teeth. Turning away, Dominic smiled to himself. He always, always tried his hardest to wind up Nancy. The results were priceless, and he knew she’d get her comeuppance eventually. “You heard me. I can’t help it that my partners like me for my personality and not for my tits.” Nancy glared at him for three seconds, then laughed. “Shut the fuck up, Nicky,” she said, lightly punching him on the arm. She shook her chest in his direction, grinning. “You’re just jealous.” “Nancy! Did I hear you swearing?” their mother shrieked from just outside the door. “Yes, mother!” Dominic yelled, layering false shock into his tones. “I couldn’t bear it! Swearing all over the place, every other word! It was scandalous.” Annie made her way back into the room, her arms folded across her chest. “You can shut up, Dominic. Worse things have come out of your mouth.” She reached over to flatten down a tuft of unruly hair. “Put your leather jacket on. Come on, we’re going to be late.” “Bet Dad’s not wearing a shirt,” Dom muttered sourly as he grabbed his jacket. “No, that’s right, he’s not. He’s going in his birthday suit.” His mother countered with a wry smile. “Nancy, stop pouting at yourself in the mirror - you’re worse than your brother.” “I do not pout at myself in the mirror!” Dom snapped angrily. “You make a sort of fish face,” Nancy said slowly as she let her hair tumble over her shoulders in soft waves. “You suck your cheeks in and stick your lips out. It’s quite amusing, really.” Dominic bristled. He thought for a moment as they were walking downstairs, not content with letting Nancy win their petty argument. “Hey, Nancy, are you still going with that Ben bloke from down the street?” “Yes, Dominic, I am.” “I thought you were saving yourself for that Lysander guy.” His mother stopped at the landing of the stairs, and despite the fact that Nancy seemed to take the remark in her stride, Annie thought differently. Nancy disappeared to find her father, and Dominic stood just in front of his mother, unable to move as she had grabbed his wrist and was holding him back. “If you dare say anything like that again, young man, I will send you straight back to your room.” Dominic neglected to mention that being sent straight back to his room was a much better prospect than attempting to socialise at a party for Matthew Bellamy’s birthday. He hung his head, nodding. “Yes, Mum.” “I know you don’t care about this party, but that man will hurt your sister at the first chance he gets and you will not get away with joking about it. He is a sick, twisted man and if it was up to me, we wouldn’t have to talk to him at all,” his mother whispered vehemently. “If you even think about joking about our situation - which, if you’ll remember, we got into because of what you did - I will tell your father.” Dominic chewed on his bottom lip. She didn’t have to tell his father for him to understand that he had crossed a line. “I’m sorry, Mum, I really am,” he said. “I know, sweetheart,” Annie sighed, patting down his hair again. “Does this ever stay in place?” He could see that she was willing to let the subject go, and so he simply shook his head and grinned. “Not really. Never has.” “I suppose not.” Annie looked over his shoulder, a smile breaking out over her face as Dominic’s father arrived in their midst. “You look wonderful, darling.” Fleck was smartly dressed in a white shirt and black trousers, a tie neatly pushed up to his top button and his shoes shined as best they could be. Annie left Dominic to link arms with her husband, looking resplendent in a knee-length red and white polka dot dress. With her free hand, she picked up a pie that she had baked earlier. Patting his son on the back as he passed, Fleck ushered them all out into the weak sunshine, shutting the door behind them. It was barely dinner time and the rare streetlamp in this part of St Pierre was only just beginning to flicker to life. Over the sound of other families leaving their homes to head to the nearby party, Dominic could hear what sounded like jazz music floating over the rooftops. Sans vocals, of course. “Dom!” a voice shouted, the man in question spinning around to the familiar sound. His closest friend (aside from his sister; this fact he would only admit very rarely) Scrap was jogging up the road behind his family, waving a hand frantically in the air. Annie smiled, a random memory of the boys playing in the street as children coming to mind. “Dom, we’ll head on down to the party. Don’t be too late getting there, alright?” she said, reaching up to pinch his cheek before turning away. Scrap grinned at him, before bumping his fist with him. Scrap was taller than Dom, with unruly brown hair and dark brown eyes. He was twice as broad as his friend, and could easily knock down a brick wall, Dom reckoned. “She still treating you like a baby?” he asked with a wicked glint in his eye and a smirk on his lips. “Yup. You wouldn’t think I’m twenty, would you?” the blond said, shaking his head. “I don’t know, you’re as thin as a stick,” Scrap quipped, Dom throwing his head back and laughing loudly. He didn’t spend enough time with his friend nowadays. “Seriously, though, are you eating alright? Mam says she can fix you up a plate if you want…” “We’re alright, Scrap, thanks for asking. We’re coping,” Dominic said, kicking at a stone under his feet as they walked down the hill towards the party. “We’re not eating as well as we used to and I’m wearing the same clothes over and over but–” “Dom, mate, I know,” Scrap said, patting his friend on the back reassuringly. “My mam got fired from the Bellamy kitchens before, remember? Just for looking that head bloke–” “Agostino,” Dominic spat. “Yeah, him. Right in the eye, and she got fired. Can you remember that?” Dominic nodded; he could. He also seemed to remember that Scrap’s younger sister ended up selling her body to help them pay the rent, but he didn’t mention that. Finally, they reached the party. A long table covered in a light blue tablecloth - the colour of St Pierre - ran for what seemed like miles in both directions along the main street. People were everywhere; putting food down on the table, chatting to their friends, or dancing to the upbeat jazz music. Scrap sighed, sliding his hands into his pockets. “This is going to be fun,” he said numbly. “Oh, look, they have those little sausage things on sticks! This is going to be fun!” Dom rolled his eyes as Scrap rushed off to the aforementioned treats, while he stood and searched for his family. His friend arrived by his side moments later, a paper plate filled with a mound of sausages and topped with a single cheese cube. “Scrap, are you really gonna eat all of those?” “Don’t be stupid. I got this cheese cube for you.” Dom grinned and plucked the cheese cube from the mountain of sausages. He ate it slowly, umming and ahhing as he went. “The most beautiful cheese cube I have ever eaten,” he declared. “Thank you, Scrap, for enriching my life.” “Your sarcasm is profound but witless,” Scrap replied through a mouthful of sausages. “Your sister is looking fine tonight, by the way.” “Well, you’ll have to stare at her from afar, because she’s here with Ben tonight,” Dom replied, plucking a sausage from Scrap’s plate and eating it. “How unfortunate for you.” Scrap scowled, shifting the plate away from Dom. “That Ben kid - what’s he done recently? Other than be stupid.” “So offensive, Scrap,” Dom said with a short laugh, patting his friend on the back. “I’m gonna get–” “Dom, sweetheart,” his mother called from a way down the table. She had a plate stacked high and was barely visible in the darkness of twilight. “Come and get something to eat.” “I’m getting something, Mum,” he called back, walking towards the table and picking up a plate. He was just reaching for a sandwich when the music suddenly cut out, and the conversation increased in volume tenfold. He looked up to see people separating to create a path to the opposite side of the table, and he held his breath as he wondered just who had caused such an impact. “No way,” gasped Scrap from beside him, his mouth stuffed full of sausages. Agostino Bellamy was walking through the crowds, dressed smartly in a navy suit, his blond hair slicked back behind his head. Dom’s mouth fell open in shock, then snapped shut as he gritted his teeth in anger at seeing the man. As if it wasn’t enough to have Agostino there, the Voix stepped aside to reveal a scowling Matthew, who quickly changed his expression to a simpering smile. It looked to Dominic as if he was suffering through a particularly painful bout of constipation. Or he simply wasn’t enjoying the party either. “Happy birthday, Master Bellamy!” a woman beside him said, and he turned to her with that awkward smile and shook her hand. Dominic turned away as the conversation and the music resumed, a sour expression on his face. Scrap had disappeared from beside him - presumably raiding the table for more sausages - and he had lost the rest of his family in the crowds. He sighed, chewing morosely on a sandwich and resorting to glare pointedly in the younger Bellamy’s direction. Dominic scratched at his neck, slipping the top button of his shirt open and sighing. Bellamy was under-dressed for his own birthday party, to say the least. With his tight-fitting black jeans and his tight-fitting black shirt and his tight-fitting face, he looked as if he had stepped out to put the rubbish in the bin - but of course he didn’t do that. He was Matthew Bellamy, and he was staring directly at Dominic 815231184. The next Unique managed to squeeze his way out of a circle of fawning young girls and stalked over to Dominic, his odd smile already replaced with the familiar scowl. “You,” he said venomously. “Me,” Dom replied with a nod. “Yes, you got that one right. Score one for Master Bellamy.” He didn’t have a clue why he was being so rude - and to Matthew Bellamy, of all the Voix under the sun - but it seemed to have had an effect. The Voix in question spluttered incoherently for a few moments, before he summed himself up to his greatest height (which, Dom noted, wasn’t all that great - he was shorter than the glouglou) and hissed, “Who do you think you are?” in what Dom presumed was his most threatening voice. “Dominic. Hello.” Dom raised his hand in a wave, putting his empty plate down on a nearby table. “Happy birthday. How old are you now, ten?” Bellamy bristled, eyes narrowing to slits. Dominic tried not to grin; he could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins, and he felt so good, to have one of the most famous Voix of his time trapped under his thumb. He’d seen the man throw many a diva fit before, but right this second, he wasn’t arguing back. It was like Bellamy didn’t want to stand up to him. He couldn’t stand up to him, for whatever reason. “At least I wasn’t the one,” Bellamy finally muttered, “who intentionally spilled coffee all over a Voix!” “Hey, neither was I. How about that?” Dom snapped back by way of reply, the other man’s sour attitude towards the misunderstanding grating on him. “And I’m twenty years old today, for your information,” Bellamy added, lifting his nose into the air and crossing his arms in front of his chest. Dominic blinked. It was strange to hear from Matthew Bellamy’s own mouth that he and the Voix were the same age. It was as if they operated on a different timescale, and suddenly having it confirmed that they did, in fact, live on the same planet under the same rules, sent his head reeling. He was momentarily stunned by this fact and, as such, didn’t notice the music changing tone, from upbeat jazz to a slower, more sensual song. He didn’t notice the lanterns being lit, and he most certainly didn’t notice couples moving together and preparing to dance. Bellamy was looking around, probably trying to find his father, when the frontman of the instrumental band called, “Find your partners, everyone. Let’s take it down a little with a smooth tango.” Bellamy’s nostrils flared. “What kind of ridiculous ritual is this?” he hissed. “Do you glouglous do this often? Just sporadically break out into a dance?” Dominic didn’t reply. He couldn’t. Because he knew, in that moment, what was about to happen. He should have moved, but something kept him rooted to the spot. The frontman called out suddenly, “Ah! The birthday boy has found his partner! Clear the area, people.” “What?” Bellamy was beginning to panic, and Dominic couldn’t help but silently agree with his question. “You’re not serious, are you? This is not happening.” “I think we have to dance,” Dominic said numbly. “We don’t have to do anything!” Bellamy said shrilly. “Fine, if you don’t want to,” Dom shrugged, making to walk away. “You’re only scared that I’ll be a better dancer than you.” He had only walked two steps when he felt a cool hand close around his wrist, spinning him until he and Bellamy were inches away from each other. The Voix’s chin jutted out as his other hand dropped to Dominic’s waist. “You are a glouglou,” Bellamy whispered by Dominic’s ear. “You are not better than me.” “Wanna bet?” Dom replied with a smirk, his free hand landing between Matthew’s sharp shoulder blades. He could feel Matthew’s bright blond hair tickling his cheekbone as they looked towards their outstretched hands, finally beginning to move to the music. Dominic led, at first. He pulled Matthew across the ground, then the smaller man wrenched them back around and towards the band. The Voix’s grip on Dominic’s wrist was tight but slowly relaxing, the hand on his hip less of a claw and more of a caress. Dominic was beginning to feel comfortable, and at this thought he started breathing harder. Other couples joined them on the small area of road designated as a dance floor, accidentally knocking into the pair and forcing them closer towards each other. Matthew huffed as their chests were pressed close together, swallowing hard and feeling Dominic’s hand apply more pressure against his back. “I told you I was a good dancer,” Dominic whispered lowly into Matthew’s ear, the two men looking over each other’s shoulders. Although they didn’t voice it, they both knew they’d rather die than tango properly, looking into each other’s eyes throughout the song. “Filthy cassé,” Matthew hissed, the corner of his mouth catching the shell of Dominic’s ear and causing the glouglou to shudder. At this proximity, Matthew felt it too and he swallowed dryly once again, his leg brushing against Dominic’s as the street became more crowded and the music got deeper, bassier. “But you like it, though,” Dominic whispered back. He didn’t know what he was doing, or the size of the grave he was digging, but it felt good. “Squeaky clean lives need a bit of filth from time to time.” Matthew pulled back slightly to look Dominic in the eyes. The grey eyes reminded him a little of the pale blue of Adora’s, but Dominic’s were stormy and dark; they were compelling. Controlling. “You have a lot of nerve to speak to me like that,” Matthew said, trying to keep calm. “I can’t decide if I should have you killed for it, or if I should respect you for it.” Dominic remained silent. The men continued to stare at each other, locked in their rather intimate embrace and unable to look away, because neither wanted to back down. “Excuse me, gentlemen, but I’m afraid the song finished about two minutes ago,” said a rather chirpy voice, and with mirrored movements, they turned quickly to see Nancy grinning at them with her hands on her hips. “Happy birthday, Master Bellamy,” she added politely. “Thank you,” the Voix said distractedly, looking between Dominic and Nancy with a frown. “Are you two related? Because–” “Yes, we are. He’s my twin brother. Unfortunately,” Nancy said, rolling her eyes. She smiled sweetly. “Now, if you’ll excuse my brother, I have to talk to him.” Dominic wasn’t listening. There was a lump in his throat that he couldn’t swallow down, no matter how hard he tried, and his ears were ringing slightly. The sweet smell of lavender tinged with sweat was emanating from Matthew’s pores, and combined, the scent was making him feel lightheaded. He stepped away from the Voix, shaking his head and stalking away. He ignored Nancy’s calls behind him, replying to her urgent, “Dom, where are you going?” with a hasty “piss off.” He had escaped from the crowds now, and the cooler air was calming him down a little. He took in deep breaths, walking until the flicker of the lanterns was far in the distance and he could no longer hear the music that kept trying to creep under his sweaty skin. He licked his lips, stopping by a high brick wall and sinking to the ground. The back of his head dropped to rest against the wall as his hand drifted across his stomach, absentmindedly scratching at the fabric of his shirt. He didn’t know how he felt, but at the same time he did. He knew exactly how he felt, and the last time he felt this flustered was when Rory had… Dominic shook his head, clearing it of those thoughts as his hand drifted lower, playing with his belt buckle. He felt drunk; he could barely focus on one single thing apart from how his skin was burning, how he kept blinking and seeing blue, how his trousers were so unbearably tight… “No! Don’t!” And then he felt totally sober.

[kheprrison-arts]

Mianite Wilderness

Fandom: Mianite

Chapter: 3

Summary: After being left by Dianite, the storm passes and the heroes find themselves on another trek.

Haven’t read the other chapters?

Story Index

Syndicate

Jordan peeked out of the pit from under the pelt when the storm let down a bit. Dianite hadn’t come back yet since before the blizzard started. “Anything?” I asked when Jordan sat back down.

“No,” he said, “Its been a long while, too, so he might’ve dug himself a hole to stay in during the storm.”

“Or he abandoned us,” Tucker said, his legs crossed and his back hunched a bit. We were all getting tired and who knows how long we’ve been up– none of us could sleep because of the storm and I knew no one would sleep in case something happened.

“He wouldn’t do that,” Sonja said, “you know he said something about wanting to actually help us.”

“Help us if we agree to save this place.”

“Honestly I feel like we have no choice,” I said, “I mean if we want to go back home.”

“That’s a good point,” Jordan agreed, “I have a feeling Dianite knows more about this than we think he does, especially if he knows that we aren’t from this world.”

We all talked to keep ourselves busy, but most of the conversation was about Dianite and whether or not he’d come back. Sooner or later I must’ve fallen asleep. I don’t even remember closing my eyes for a long time, I thought I blinked. Like I blinked and all of a sudden it’s the next day.

I had a feeling I fell asleep because I had jolted when a noise erupted from outside of the camp, like growling and hissing. A fight was going on outside between two animals. Two animals that don’t exactly sound friendly. I looked around and saw that everyone else was frozen in place, their faces plastered with fear while we fell silent and listened.

The more I listener the more I realized that not only It was literally right outside our camp but both animals are big and cat-like. The hissing and growling sounding almost like some mountain lion. I wouldn’t be surprised because we’re pretty close to the mountain itself, but too far for a mountain lion to actually try and hunt us. Let alone two of them. One of them sounded much larger and deadlier than the other, it’s growling and hissing almost like that of a much bigger lion but this one had a reptilian rumble to it almost like an alligator.

I quickly scrambled over to look out from under the tarp when it clicked on what was going on. I looked past the rubbish and saw something terrifying. I was correct about the mountain lion but what was scary was when I saw Dianite. He was crouched down on all fours, almost imitating the mountain lion as it swiped at him. What scared me about him was that he had almost completely changed. He looked larger. A lot larger. His eyes completely white like Mianite’s eyes back home and his bottom canines elongated and curled upwards like a bore’s. His shoulders more broad and the hair on his head sticking up on end like long needles and the plates on his back sticking up and ruffling like I had thought they would before. When they ruffled they made an annoying shuttering noise. I also noticed that indeed they made him look larger.

He stood up on his legs, seemingly tired of the mountain lion, breathed in and roared at it and shuttered his plates. The road is loud, ear piercing yet deep. The shuttering is also loud and annoying, this time in a more high pitch tone than before. My ears rang when he let up and I saw the big cat cower away. I noticed the way Dianite stood resembled that of a bear, he’s slightly squatted and his arms hanging to his sides.

“Dianite?” Tucker nearly shouted after peeking out from next to me.

I knew it had to be Dianite because of his red scales, his one beige horn, his dark burgundy hair, and the animal skins covering his body. He twisted around and I could see all the muscle movement in his body. I tried not to imagine what he could do to someone with just a hand. He dropped to his fours and stalked over to us, not at all sinking for his weight. He sniffed the air in front of us and huffed out before speaking, “You didn’t eat all the food, did you?”

I snorted and moved out of his way, Tucker had already sat back in his spot. And Jordan moved out of the way to make room for Dianite when he just slid in head first and took up most of the space between us. Tucker yelled when Dianite took the pot the stew was in and held it over him as he tipped his head and just drawn whatever was left. And there was still over half the pot left in there. We all just watched him as he drank the whole thing then set it down away from the fire.

“Sorry,” he grumbled tiredly, “hadn’t ate in a few days.”

“How long ago did the storm start?” Jordan asked, his voice mimicking the look of disbelief on his face.

“Two days ago,” he said. He sounded like he was questioning himself but then he spoke again, “the storm’s eye just passed over us, and if we leave now we can get to my camp. It’s more safe there.”

“We’re leaving this place, ” Tucker asked, “why?”

“Well for one it’s my camp and all my shit is there,” he shrugged, “and two it’s more safe– like I had said. It’s closer to the mountain and for some reason a lot of the storms pass the mountain with no problem. Plus the shelter I made is under some boulders and an uprooted tree, so that makes it even more safe.”

“We should pack up now then if it’s as safe as it sounds,” Sonja said, “we might be able to get there before the storm comes back.”

“The eye is most likely going to pass by come tomorrow evening,” Dianite said, “it certainly smells it.” None of us questioned how he could smell the storm because we knew he was just going to give us a look and some sarcastic answer, so we all shut up and packed up the camp. I gave Sparklez’s jacket back and Dianite let me use the pelt as another coat. He even promised me that he’d stitch me a nice, warm coat if he got the time.

So we headed off. Awkwardly shuffling through the forest that had been pelted with tons of snow in (apparently) two days. We followed Dianite who stayed in his big… I guess monster form. He stayed on his fours and trudged along, stalking like a tiger or bear. Every once in a while we would stop to check and reset traps he must’ve set up before the storm. Some of his traps were buried in two feet of snow, some of those that were buried happen to have frozen rabbits.

“So what will be doing after the storm?” Jordan asked when we started to walk again after Dianite reset the trap and put the rabbit in the bag around his waist.

“If you would like,” he said slowly, “you can cut open the tree bark in these pines and grab some fish bait for me. Because my camp is near a river and I’d like to grab more fish before they migrate again. Other than that, uh… I’m not sure.” He looked over his shoulder and at Jordan, “maybe we can share about each other’s worlds if you really are from another,” he turned his head back to look ahead of him again, “I don’t really have much to share, though.”

“How come?” I asked, I walked next to him and he was still so much taller than us and he was on his fours and not sinking In the snow. I just barely came up to his shoulder in height.

His ear twitched. “I have amnesia,” he answered simply. “I don’t entirely remember my childhood. I don’t even think I’m actually 518, I think I’m older than that. I don’t remember my family, my friends. Honestly–” he stopped walking– “honestly the only person I actually know is Mianite.”

“Really?” Tucker asked, stopping next to me.

“It might be because of my seething hatred for him.”

Dianite had walked over to one of the pines and showed Jordan what he had meant. He threw his fist at the frozen tree, breaking off the ice, then peeled off some of the tree bark and revealed… “worms?”

“Yes,” he said, “good fish bait.” He grabbed one of the small jars hung around his waist and opened it. He continued to pick some of the worms out of the tree and dropped them inside where they wriggled and writhed with the others that were in there already. He then handed the jar to Jordan. “That is your job. Don’t lose the jar or I’ll lose you.”

“Yessir,” he bowed his head and we continued to walk. I had chuckled at Dianite’s threat because honestly it seems like a light hearted threat but we all knew he would abandon us in this forest to die alone if we fuck something up. Maybe that wasn’t something to laugh at.

We made it out of the forest, Jordan catching up to us quickly and handing the jar to Dianite who took it and thanked him, then he wrapped it in the string around his waist and stood straight. “We seemed to have went a bit off trail,” he said while he looked around, “but in general we went the right way.”

“How can you tell,” Tucker asked, “because everything looks the same.”

“For one,” Dianite snorted, huffing through his nose a few times, “I can smell my camp over east. And two… I believe I mentioned that my camp is right at the bottom of the mountain–” he pointed at the mountain ahead– “that mountain.”

“Oh,” was all Tucker said before Dianite sulked ahead. His ears were raised in alert, worrying some of us. “What’s, uh, what’s up?”

“Shut up,” he snarled, “stay here, stay low I’ll be right back.” He then took of, definitely running like a bear through the snow.

“And here we go again, abandoned in the middle of nowhere,” Tucker sneered. “I bet the storm is going to come back before he does.”

“Don’t say that,” Sonja said, “he’s probably just checking the perimeter or something for that mountain lion from earlier.”

“Yeah, well…” Jordan said, looking at the sky, “i think we’re losing daylight.”

“Yeah, we are,” Tucker said. “I’m going ahead.”

“Whoa wait no,” I stopped him before he could go anywhere, “we were told specifically to stay here and if Dianite figures out you left he’ll literally hunt you down and tear you to shreds,” I warned.

“I’m sure I’d die of hypothermia before he has the guts to tear me apart.”

“Tucker, don’t go anywhere,” Sonja said softly, “you don’t know what’s out there. You can’t go without Dianite or you’ll die.”

“That’s why I’m going. I’m going up the mountain to see if he’s telling the truth,” he explained, “I’ll come back if I find anything.” He turned and ran before any of us could grab him.

“Tucker!” Sonja shouted and tried to follow him, only fall over in the snow. Jordan and I ran over to her to help her up. “We have to go after him,” she said.

Jordan and I exchanged glances. “I’m sorry, Sonja, we can’t risk having Dianite’s fist half way up our asses,” he said. I resisted a smile from his comment and nodded to show I agreed with him.

[tsaritsa]

The Possession of Isra Wright

this fic can also be found on ao3 or ff.net

NEXT CHAPTER

The rebuilding Ishvallan community is rocked by the uncovering of an exorcism gone horribly wrong, resulting in the death of a young woman at the hands of her own family. General Roy Mustang and his team suddenly find themselves embroiled at the centre of a military scandal that threatens to not only undo their three years of hard work, but also the military itself.

This story came about as I was researching into desert inhabitations, much like Ishval would’ve been before the civil war and what basically started as ponderings about the sorts of festivals they would celebrate and how Ishvalla was intertwined into their lives ended up as this.

The Possession of Isra Wright draws from my own understandings of a minority group that has suffered what is fundamentally both a literal and cultural genocide and then their forced integration into the ‘mainstream society’, rather than on the concept of possession itself. It is not my intention to try and glorify what are sometimes extremely sacred or harrowing experiences for many belief systems (or, in some cases, misunderstood mental illnesses), but rather use it as a catalyst to explore and understand other underlying issues in Amestris and Ishval. If you’ve seen the The Exorcism of Emily Rose, you’ll notice I’ve drawn a lot of my inspiration from there.

This is a story about dealing with the aftermath – but first I’ve got to introduce you to my version of Ishval. Have fun kiddies!

Warnings: language, sexual situations and violence.

CHAPTER ONE, Malkhā River Bank. Late summer, 1918.

There was hardly a breeze today – the heat was almost stifling, oppressive, but so so so dry. Drought season in Ishval was as harsh as ever.

However, Captain Riza Hawkeye noted, this was not without its benefits. Like today, for example. It was Lāeshembha today, the last day of the drought. Rain was imminent – the ahsa flowers had suddenly began to sprout, and the yālahe herons had been spotted by Sakhesā – the decimated, but altogether still holy mountain. A sandstorm was on the horizon too, Riza noted a little uneasily – a true harbinger of the desperately-needed rain, but it could be devastating to the only half-completed buildings in the Kanān district. Colonel Miles had assured her that the rest of the preparations would be completed before the proper celebrations were in full swing but she knew as soon at the goat’s horn sounded to begin the celebrations, preparations would be the last thing on anybody’s mind. She would need to talk to the General about that – too often now corners were being cut or mistakes were being made in light of new achievements and accomplishments.

However, possibly the best benefit to Lāeshembha was the fact that the General was also participating in it today – it was traditionally a manly thing to do, after all, but everyone had been invited to participate if they wanted to. It was not like he had any choice in the matter, however – everybody (jokingly) loved to point out how they could do his job much better than he could, and Lāeshembha was one of the few times the man could prove himself on the Ishvallan’s terms.

It also helped that the General was a practical man – though there were a few young men milling around the edge of the Malkhā river-turned-lake with loose shirts on, but most, including the General had opted to simply wear loose cotton pants, sans shirt. This year would most likely be their biggest yet – there were at least a thousand people, mostly men, milling around the edges of the artificial lake, each holding their own wooden net. The excitement in the air was palpable – with each successive year that Lāeshembha was held, the competition increased to catch the fish – and with it, the honour that one earned because of it.

Yes, Riza was more than comfortable perched up on the bank of the Malkhā, watching the almost-chaos below her, well-shaded from the brutal heat of the afternoon sun by the enormous ironwood’s that dotted the length of the restored river-turned-temporary-lake.

“Y’know, I would say that you’re going red because of the heat, but we’d both know I’d be lying, right?” Rebecca Catalina snarked as she sat down next to Riza on the sparse ground, handing her a bottle of water. “You have a terrible poker face when it comes to your beloved commanding officer.”

Riza accepted the bottle, and sighed deeply. “My poker face is fine, thank you very much,” she shot back. “At least I’m trying to be subtle about it-”

Rebecca elbowed her in the side. “Oi! I am totally subtle, Miss I’m-Wet-For-Sparkypants-”

“You are the worst-”

“I bet you two are gonna be all sneaky later too, finding some shady corner where you shove your hand down his-”

Riza tackled the woman down onto the ground, desperately trying to cover her mouth to no avail. Rebecca simply laughed, fighting off the attack with the experience of someone who had done this many times before.

“-and then all we’ll hear is oh Riza, yes, do it aga-”

“SHUT UP REBECCA!” Riza shrieked, scandalised, trying to stifle her own laughter as they rolled around on the bank. “I swear on the ground I stand on that I will kill you if you don’t shut-”

Rebecca threw her head back onto the ground, laughing far too much to fight back anymore. “You two are adorable,” she managed between gasps, tears sliding down her face. “And Havoc said that this trip would be boring.”

Riza frowned, flicking her harshly on the shoulder. “It’s not funny,” she hissed, glancing around to see who had noticed the commotion – barely anybody. Everyone seemed too distracted to notice the two of them, high up on the bank. The crowd at the edges of the Malkhā was the main focus – a sea of white hair dotted with blondes, reds, browns and blacks.

Rebecca sighed as she sat up, wiping her tears away. “Yeah, you’re right. It’s not funny – it’s fucking hilarious how you two inch around each other like something out of a Walter and Black book.”

“Remind me why I invited you again?”

Rebecca grinned wolfishly, pulling her dark curls into a low bun. “Because there are tons of half-naked men here and you need to be distracted or you’ll make terrible decisions tonight? Not that it’ll stop you though. So just the half-naked men, really.”

Riza rolled her eyes, taking a drink of water from the bottle that Rebecca had given her. “You are incorrigible,” she muttered, scanning the horizon with unease once more. “Are you taking the train back today or will you stay the night?”

Rebecca hummed. “I don’t know. What’s the weather looking like?”

“Not good. Clean up tomorrow is going to be a bitch. Even if you left tonight I’m not sure you’d outrun it.”

“Then I’ll stay,” Rebecca said, standing up and stretching her arms out wide. “You’re going to need all the help you can get, and technically I’m off work until next week anyway.” She winked at Riza. “Besides, there’s plenty of strapping young men that will be desperate for fresh meat tonight – if you don’t get lucky, at least you can live vicariously through me.”

Riza grinned, crossing her legs and shifting the janhe on her shoulders. Though the military uniforms were only required during work hours (and nobody was stupid enough to wear them a second longer) and even though the ones for the Ishvallan summer were made of a lighter wool blend, they were still suffocating at the best of times. Casual Ishvallan wear had become the norm for almost all the long-time serving military branch – Riza included. Heatstroke was the most common ailment in Aledia – alongside dehydration. At this point in the summer, water wasn’t enough to keep a person healthy; they also had to rely on drinks with added electrolytes and minerals. The traditional Ishvallan diet didn’t do a bad job itself – but many of the soldiers found the heat of the food too much. Contests over how much chāna they could eat without feeling ill were common – and a practice that caused both her and Roy a lot of consternation.

At least it was a friendly competition, Riza thought as she adjusted her legs, wincing a little at the sudden pins and needles spreading through her calves. By her estimates, today’s high would be at least thirty-four degrees – not the worst she had endured, but undoubtedly some people would feel the effects of the blazing sun tomorrow. Taking a quick swig of water, Riza looked out to the still waters of the Malkhā. The incoming rains would carve a new path for the river, and provide relief to the region that was starting to show signs of strain. The population of Aledia was growing every month, and with them, straining what few resources they had. At least the rain would lower the temperature for a while as well. Too many people were growing irritable with the relentless heat – Riza was a little ashamed to count herself amongst them.

Growing up in the East had taught her to deal with heat, of course, but she had grown up with humid, muggy heat. Ishvallan summers were as dry as a bone, sunburn was a constant stress and worry (and naturally, Riza was not a person to develop a tan of any sort – freckles, there were plenty, but her gaining a tan was like Edward gaining a foot in height). Roy, the lucky bastard, took to summer like a fish did to water. Of course he was a fine specimen to ogle anytime of the year (not that she’d tell Rebecca any more than the tidbits she’d let slip already – that woman was learning far too much, far too quickly from Madame Christmas) but the summer was a particularly wonderful time to do so – and there were opportunities upon opportunities to do so.

It was during this reflection on how to improve her ‘Rebecca filter’ that she caught his eyes down on the bank. Rebecca would pin it down to them being ‘star-crossed lovers’, but in reality there was often very little times where one would not be checking on the other – even more so after the events of the Promised Day. More than once that day they had been so close to losing one another – and as the saying went, hindsight truly was twenty-twenty. Riza remembered only too clearly the abject terror she felt as the nurses had pulled her away from Roy to do proper surgery on her wounds. She still had nightmares about that moment.

She knew Roy did too.

However, restoring Ishval took up more than enough head space between the two of them. Having control over an entire district of the country was wonderful, Riza was humble enough to admit that, but it came with its own set of dangers. How they ran Ishval could only be done because Führer Grumman had such trust in the General’s vision – and with it, their own culture had developed on how rules and policies were enforced.

There were many open secrets in Ishval. Military regulations fell to the side in favour of other, more unorthodox methods of dealing with rule-breakers and breaches of confidence. The Ishval unit was almost a separate faction to the Amestrian – much like how Briggs was to their icy commander. Riza suspected this was a deliberate choice – a group bound together by mutual experiences and a common goal were much easier to inspire loyalty than soldiers who were shifted around to suit numbers more than actually do any legitimate work.

It was this type of loyalty and hand-selection of troops that enabled so many…indiscretions of a personal nature to float under the radar – only when the person’s involved became ridiculously overt would they be separated and questioned duly – and never before.

The rumour mill never bothered with her and Roy. There was no need to. Rebecca had snidely called her the ‘Queen Bee’ of Ishval more than once – and it was true, to an extent. Her relationship with him was not at all professional on far too many levels to count – but they were professional when it came to their jobs. Their district wouldn’t allow it otherwise. One misstep, one conflict not attended to would tear down all they had worked hard to gain – and that was the constant fear plaguing the back of their minds.

However, on days like these, decorum from the Ishval unit went out the window – and so did the rules. This was why Riza was sitting on the top of a river-cum-lake bank, wearing a sundress and a patterned janhe and unabashedly staring at her superior officer’s abs – who, as it happened, was staring back at her, a smile blooming on his face and eyes promising that he’d catch at least one fish: or die of mortification otherwise.

“Are you finished having weird eye sex yet?” Rebecca asked, plopping herself back down, stifling a snigger. Riza glanced at her. “Have you finished being a bitch that won’t get any mekhlo at this rate?” she shot back.

Rebecca held up her hands in apology. “Yes, okay, calm down already. I think the High Cleric dude is gonna blow the magic goat horn.”

Riza threw Rebecca a disproving look, before sitting up a little straighter. The people milling by the waterside had stopped talking to one another – all were looking to the water, muscles tense, wooden nets held high. High Cleric Basir had walked out onto a rock, carrying the ceremonial goat horn that had been found buried in the rubble remains of an Ahmanhe, the traditional places of worship for Ishvalla. All that could be heard were the lapping of the water on the stones and a lone yālahe circling above, occasionally calling out in a mournful cry at being ousted from its water source temporarily.

Basir took a deep breath and then placed the horn against his mouth, and a low, solemn tone came out – and all hell broke loose on the edges of the water. A roar rose from the crowd gathered as they all began running into the water as fast as they could manage – in a matter of seconds the lake was flooded with a frantic frenzy of limbs and voices and nets and splashing water – Riza immediately lost track of where the General was in the chaos. It was a few minutes of this before the first men began to emerge victorious from the crowd in the lake, hands and mouths full of fish, some still wriggling around. It didn’t take long for Roy to emerge out of the crowd either holding up his fish-grasping hands in success.

“ARE YOU PROUD OF ME NOW CAPTAIN?” He hollered up to her, looking far too pleased with himself. “TURNS OUT I CAN FEND FOR MYSELF WHEN THE NEED ARISES!” The crowd around him laughed, looking up to where she and Rebecca were sitting, Rebecca cackling madly. “Hell of a catch, wouldn’t you say?” she said between laughs. Riza snorted, trying to ignore the curling warmth low in her gut.

“That is an awful pun, Rebecca,” she replied, a smile growing on her face as Roy made his way up the bank where they were sitting. “Go find Havoc and see if he’ll spare you a fish.”

Rebecca harrumphed at that, before standing up slowly. “General!” she called out. “Your treasured Captain is telling me you won’t have any fish for me. How could you break my heart in such a cruel way?”

“My reputation obviously precedes me,” he called back, making his way through the crowds that were beginning to emerge as more and more people came out of the lake – some successful, many not.

“Cad!” she retorted, pouting and putting her hands on her hips. “Did Havoc fare any better?”

“I think he got four, if the crowd surrounding him is any indication,” he replied, glancing back at the growing horde surrounding the young man down at the banks of the Malkhā. “You better run quickly if you want some fish from him.”

A look of determination stole across Rebecca’s face. “I’ll see you two at the party!” she yelled back, quickly jogging down to the large gathering by the now empty lake.

Roy turned back to where Riza was sitting. “Where do I put my hard-earned labours?” he asked, sitting down on the towel next to her, sending water droplets flying as he shook his head vigorously.

“I’ve got an ice box here – did you kill them already?” Riza asked, dragging the wooden box from where she had been keeping it in the shade.

“Nah, not yet. You got a knife?”

She passed him one as well as chopping board – some people liked to bash the heads against the rocks by the river’s edge but that was far too cruel in her opinion. Worse were the ones already skewering them, ready for the waiting campfires at the town square. Roy made quick work of gutting and filleting the fish.

“Where’re the dogs? I was going to give them the guts.”

“It’s too hot for them out here – you know that as well as I do – and Eliza was giving me that look that you give me when you’re going to stir shit up. She takes after you a worrying amount.”

“So she should,” he replied primly, placing the filleted fish into the ice box and making a small alcove in the corner of the ice for the guts to keep. “She’s a wonderful dog who perfectly emulates what it means to be a Mustang-”

“Meaning she sleeps all over the furniture and constantly eats food she knows isn’t for her?” Riza interrupted, taking the ice box from him and began to wrap it back up in cloth. “You indulge her.”

“She is a wonderful and loyal friend and I will not let you insult her-”

“She is a dog, Roy, I’m sure she won’t kill her to have a bit more training than ‘piss here please, if you will’-”

“General.”

Their bickering stopped as Samir stood before them, in his customary robes and ceremonial sash. The man was still as intimidating as ever, even with the faded scar, Riza thought, before standing alongside Roy to greet the man properly.

“Samir! I didn’t see you in the group – you didn’t participate this year?” Roy asked, offering his hand. They shook hands, briefly, before Samir replied.

“Unfortunately not. I was given the task of watching over the mekhlo barrels this year – not an entirely terrible job to be given during Lāeshembha. I suppose you were successful once more?” He asked, humour in his tone.

“Naturally,” Roy replied, a proud smirk growing on his face. “Not as good as Havoc or Karir – but I just need to catch at least one fish so you all don’t lose hope in me.”

Samir snorted. “Best not let others know you were being easy on them. They may wish to challenge you properly next year.” He turned to Riza. “Colonel Miles instructed me to tell you that the preparations in the Kanān district have been done. The storm tonight will not ruin the progress we have made this week.”

Riza smiled warmly. “Thank you, Samir. Will you and Colonel Miles be joining us at the Ahmanhe tonight for the dinner?”

Samir nodded. “As soon as we shift the mekhlo to the cellars we will join you. Hopefully the young ones will give up this year in their quest to get drunk.”

She laughed, as did Roy. “Unlikely,” he replied, “but there’s hope yet. We better go now, anyway,” he continued, nodding to Samir. “There are two dogs at home that are going to be very disappointed if we don’t bring them the fruits of my labour.”

Samir laughed. “They’re more demanding than most of the ammonla around here.”

“You’re probably right there,” Roy replied. “But I imagine that the ishmonla will be acting far worse tonight.”

Samir nodded sagely. “I hope not to count you two amongst them,” he said. “I will let you go now. Ishvalla dhāmo.”

“Ishvalla dhāmo,” they replied in unison, watching as the hordes of people crowded around him, all jabbering away in various fluencies and cadences of Ishvallan.

Lāeshembha – fishing festival that occurs at the end of the drought season

Ahsa – a vine-like plant that grows in the cracks of buildings and the ground. The white flowers begin to blossom when the humidity reaches a certain level in the summer.

Yālahe – species of heron that migrate to the south to breed.

Sakhesā – a small mountain that is sacred to Ishvallan’s. It is said to be the place that Ishvalla once stood.

Kanān – a prophet of Ishvalla, born approx. 1240.

Malkhā – the main river that runs from the mountain ranges that separate modern-day Ishval from Amestris.

Janhe – a traditional shawl for Ishvallan women, which covers the shoulders and upper arms. Comes in a variety of fabrics and patterns, typically made of cotton.

Mekhlo – a type of fermented alcohol, made with the bark of the nekhlo tree, spices and the aloe vera plant. Prepared in the height of summer, it is both delicious before and after fermentation.

Aledia – name of the village being rebuilt in the Ishvallan district. Comes from the Ishvallan word aledhā, meaning moon.

Chāna – traditional Ishvallan stew, made with goat and root vegetables. Typically a spicy dish.

Ahmanhe – place of worship for Ishvalla.

Ammonla – informal way to talk about a child or children.

Ishmonla – informal way to talk about an adult or adults.

Ishvalla dhāmo – (trans. Ishvalla guides [you]) a formal way to say goodbye.

[pretty-rage-machine]

The Young Wolves in Springtime: director’s commentary

Good friend @transversely​ requested I do a commentary on my Blade of the Immortal fic “The Young Wolves in Springtime” a long time ago.  I’m FINALLY around to it!  You can read the original fic here.

Before all the fights. Before years so steeped in blood. Before all that killing, so many people. They were just skinny kids. Magatsu had the muscle, Kagehisa the grace. Magatsu's first night. He felt homesick. Anotsu had watched him with fish-flat eyes all night and barely said a word. Grandpa Anotsu slept the next room over. The thin door was pulled closed, with a little gap left open. Kagehisa still watched with the same deadpan stare, sitting up with his sleeping robe fallen open to show his shoulders. There was little light except for the silver fall of moonshine. Kagehisa's eyes bored flatly into Magatsu. “Well, let's see,” his voice hardly a breath coming in the still air.   “What?” “They think you're good. Let's see.” What a weirdo. Magatsu sat up. He didn't feel like getting pushed around for however long by this kid whose ass he could probably kick with one hand tied behind his back.

Who the fuck makes friends like this? Only Kagehisa, that’s who. Let’s all be honest: he’s kind of a hyper-focused weirdo (I say this with love) even as an adult; as an awkward tween, he would have been far worse. I also imagine that Grandpa Anotsu is so horrendous to live with himself, and so unconcerned about Kagehisa having friends his own age, that Kagehisa’s social skills are bottom-tier no matter how good at fighting he is.

Magatsu, on the other hand, had a relatively normal upbringing. He seems to have cared a lot for his sister, so I presume his family loved both of them. He probably has friends. Now the only person around in his age bracket is Kagehisa, who is a complete freak, but the only peer Magatsu has.

Yikes.

Magatsu pulled his robe open, his right arm out of its sleeve, held it in front of him. He clenched his hand into a fist, curled up his hand to tense. It wasn't bad, he thought – he'd won fights. His growing muscle stood up like a burl from a tree. His skin prickled in the cold of night air. Kagehisa looked right back into his eyes. Did the same with his robe, his sleeve, his hand cocked up the same. The same muscle stood up. He was leaner than Magatsu, built different. The muscle the same, not the same, distributed different. Magatsu had been chopping wood for a good part of his life. He had some of the bulk for it, not all of it yet. But this kid was supposed to be good. Magatsu glared at him. Kagehisa smiled a weird smile. It looked like it kind of had a hard time on his face. Magatsu would bet for sure that he'd never got beat on by the big-kid coalition in town, when his dad took him in to help keep an eye on what they were selling.  “Not bad.” Kagehisa put his arm back and Magatsu did too, glad of it. It felt like he'd had a long life. He wanted to snuggle under the covers and crash into sleep. But Kagehisa watched with a curious face like a cat's. That was why it was so unnerving. “Welcome to the Itto-ryu. You'll get to try.”

Kagehisa is sincerely trying to be friendly here, which I think makes it all the worse/much more awkward/much funnier.

I’m a huge sucker for characters who don’t really understand how to be nice trying very hard to be nice, and kind of missing the mark.

“What the hell,” Magatsu said. This kid was his sempai now. What the hell. “I'm supposed to lead it.” Kagehisa didn't sound too sure at all. “Congratulations. You'll be part of an effort to revolutionize the country.” “What the hell.” No one Magatsu had met talked like that, ever. “We're going to reawaken the true spirit of swordsmanship in Nippon. It's fallen into decadent worship of techniques that are practically speaking useless.” The kid watched him. The words were fervent, the tone went over them sort of by rote. Still, Kagehisa head was tilted, keen and curious. “If they didn't tell you that, why are you here?”

Imagine, if you will, that this is said in a perfect robot voice. You’ll-be-part-of-an-effort-to-revolutionize-the-country-bleep-bloop-I-am-a-human.

“I just really hate samurai.” It came out in a quiet rush. Magatsu didn't know what he expected, but Kagehisa's face went still with thought. “Oh,” the kid said after a moment, without judgment in his tone. “I hate them too.”

They are off to an awkward start, but here’s the first moment of actual connection and having something in common. Kagehisa’s miserable life is sort of a byproduct of the system that makes and breaks samurai, so he doesn’t have quite the direct experience with samurai Magatsu has - Magatsu has lost someone he loved to samurai - but it doesn’t matter so much when the end results are the same.

Scene change!

There wasn't much money around the place, which Magatsu was used to. There were a lot of creepy guys that stayed around and about, which he wasn't. “Allies,” Grandpa Anotsu said, when asked. “Aren't you supposed to be chopping wood, you little brat?” There was no mellowness to his tone nor gentleness to his hands to soften the words.

I think it was probably healthy for Kagehisa to have Magatsu around. I feel like Anotsu probably never knew what it was like to have a warm and loving family who thought of him as if he were a child in need of protection. He was expected to perform like an adult from a very early age. Magatsu can’t change their living situation, but he is like a breath of normalcy who at least gives Kagehisa some hints that all is not well with his home life.

Kagehisa joined Magatsu as acting woodcutter. It was apparently not a chore he'd had before. He was intense, the kind of kid who's chop til his hands bled and then chop a little more. Lucky he already had plenty of calluses. Magatsu got the clear idea without ever being told that Kagehisa didn't spend a lot of time with kids. But they talked, between beating up on each other and the old codger beating up on Kagehisa.

I recall Manji (or maybe Shira?) telling Rin that one way to build practical muscle (which you obviously need for sword work) was by chopping wood, and in general doing hard labor like that. Grandpa Anotsu is apparently a follower of the same philosophy. I imagine Kagehisa and Magatsu do plenty of other drills and exercises, but a lot of their spare time is spent doing backbreaking chores for the cause and FOR THE MUSCLE.

One day they'd just got done splitting wood. It was early fall, and they'd chopped a lot of kindling. Enough Magatsu felt like they were sitting pretty for an entire winter, just like he'd felt when they chopped every other day. “We're selling it, of course,” Kagehisa said when he asked. The ax dropped to the ground. The handle was stained dark from the oils of their hands and Kagehisa's old blood. He'd had calluses but the handle of an ax was different than the handle of a sword. The pressures different. “I figured. Man, it's shit that we get landed with the whole damn job.” “Don't let grandfather hear you saying that.” Kagehisa turned his way with the same smile as usual, glib and dry as a lizard. “Let's let him know we're done.” “Let's not,” Magatsu suggested, on impulse. Then went on with haste when Kagehisa stared at him. “He's had us at this shit all day. He's just gonna give us another job. Let's do something else?” “What stunning diversion would you suggest?” Kagehisa said, by which Magatsu knew he had him. “Let's walk. Hey, let's explore. We can take our swords. We'll tell him we decided to practice together.” “That's hardly a diversion at all. I expected better from you.” “Yeah, well,” Magatsu said, deadpan back, “I'll work with what I've got.”

Another incidence of Magatsu being the breath of normalcy in the situation. By himself, Kagehisa wouldn’t rebel against his grandfather even in this small way. I’m sure he kind of hated Grandpa Anotsu, but he wouldn’t have risked getting beaten up or otherwise abused just to skive off work for a couple hours.

Magatsu puts them both at risk, but he also opens Kagehisa’s eyes to a different way of doing things, also occasionally doing things “just for fun” and not to serve some ultimate purpose.

Again, it’s Magatsu’s ‘normal’ background showing up again. He did plenty of work with his peasant family but also had time to relax, play, and enjoy himself. Kagehisa might not take the lead with such things and its influence might be hard to see, but it’s good for him to have someone so different from his grandfather and his minions.

They got their swords. It wasn't that hard. It wasn't hard to sneak off either, gramps off somewhere, probably ruminating bitterly about all he'd lost and how he could make their lives harder to make up for it or something. Besides his being a good swordsman Magatsu was not impressed with him as a sensei.

Ok I know Kagehisa is a revolutionary who wants to burn the system to the ground BUT I think especially as a kid he would buy into authority and be inclined to follow the rules, and if he broke rules he’d probably try to rules lawyer his way out of trouble. Magatsu, on the other hand, has a healthy distrust of anyone who aspires to be in charge of him. If I were writing a high school au he totally would have been a baby anarchist.

“I've explored everything already,” Kagehisa told him, once they were out of earshot of their little house. “There's not a whole lot around here, anyway. We might as well fight and then go back.” “Dude, I've never been. Don't make me sorry I invited you.” “Sorry to put a damper on your little outing.” Kagehisa shrugged, his sword resting on his shoulder bobbing with the motion. They were climbing up a gentle hill now, precursor to a larger mountain. Magatsu didn't feel like a hike, so he led them left and Kagehisa at least didn't complain about that part, just went on: “There's nothing exciting or dangerous to do. Tell me, do you even like being a swordsman?” “I like it but this training is shitty. No bandits or dogs or anything?” “Well, there were dogs.” Kagehisa's face still like the surface of a morning pond. “But not anymore.”

/IMPLIED MAKIE

I really love fics that are not just… about a duo. I like fics where characters have more than their ship partner or just one friend, even if it’s just implied. Makie does not appear in this story, but she’s very much on Kagehisa’s mind, just as she will be 10 years later.

Also again, Magatsu, the earnest anarchist, who just wants to explore and maybe chill a little and possibly have a normal friend moment or two with his weird lizard of a peer. Magatsu tries so hard.

Kagehisa and Magatsu aren’t naturally friends in this fic. If they weren’t sorta forced together by circumstance, they probably wouldn’t have become close. As it is, they don’t really have a choice.

It could have been a pretty walk. What leaves were left colored in red and yellow, branches scratched like ink strokes against the blue sky. The chill in the air even enlivened his skin like the scrape of a blade but Magatsu felt more aware of a hard winter to come and shivered with premonition. Besides that he kept an eye on Kagehisa. A furtive one. The kid walked with this weird look of still remove. He was always coming across glazed over, or several hundred ri away; a little slow sometimes, maybe. Except with a sword, where he was guaranteed on the ball. “I guess you know around here, huh?” Magatsu said it out a weird impulse to break the silence. “When did the dogs get lost?” “You talk so much,” Kagehisa said. Then, at a glimpse of Magatsu's offended place. “Not like that. Calm yourself.” “I do not,” Magatsu said, and sealed his lips up in preparation to maintain a manly silence for the rest of their jaunt. Kagehisa sighed. “Be an adult. If you have a question, why don't you ask it?” “I am an adult, and you are a real asshole.”

THEY’RE TWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENS

I’m still proud of this little exchange at the end, and Magatsu’s determination to keep his ‘manly silence.’ I imagine before his sister died, he was a sweet, chatty, affectionate kid; I can’t see him as a comedian type (he’d love to do silly things but get flustered when people actually laughed. I have had students like this and I know the type) but he probably would have been quite open and pure in a way.

Unfortunately, circumstances nipped a lot of that inherent sweetness in the bud. It’s similar to what happened to Rin, who had to become a harder, more calculating person over the course of the series, just so she’d survive. Still, Magatsu has empathy for others, some sweetness, and an inherent interest in people, and it peeks out now and again, even when the audience is Kagehisa.

“Speaking as an adult,” Kagehisa said with a smirk, “A kindly demeanor doesn't get you far in the real world.” “Shut up.” “Why are you angry?” Kagehisa's tone tended steadily more clipped. “When you're fighting seriously a temper is a liability.” Magatsu knew that. The assumption that he didn't stung. He uncinched his lips to mutter. “We're not fighting seriously.” “You're taking it seriously.” Kagehisa shrugged and glanced away. Magatsu thought he'd get ignored until Kagehisa spoke again. “The dogs got killed years ago.” “Some kinda training rite from the old man?” “Well, he tried.” Magatsu could always recognize now when Kagehisa's smiles weren't real ones. “It didn't go so well.” They walked over hill upon hill. Zigzag branches diced up the sky. Up close, black bark shone rich brown or gleamed with blue highlights in the autumn sun. “It's nearby,” Kagehisa said eventually, “If you want to see the place.” It was a plateau that opened out into a clearing. “The dogs scavenged from town and came here to bed down at night,” Kagehisa said. “But they never found enough. They were always hungry. Sometimes they tried to steal from us. Grandfather finally got tired of it.” “So he helped you fight him.” Already, Magatsu could guess that wasn't how it had gone. “No, he sent me...” There was one tree in the middle of the clearing. Kagehisa went to it and touched it. The touch of an old man, Magatsu thought, or someone blind, reaching to understand... “There was a girl,” Kagehisa said. “Oh.” “Not like that, would you stop,” but Kagehisa's smile lost some of its lines of unfortunate strain there.

Tbh it’s a travesty we never saw Makie and Magatsu interact more in the series itself. I like to imagine they’re friends; they’re very different people, but have a lot of interests in common. I think they’d have compassion for each other. Someday maybe I’ll try and write a friendship fic with them.

Also, Kagehisa and Anotsu are definitely at the age where they’d notice girls, if there were girls around to notice.

A moment came. A precipice. Teetered on, and then fallen past. Two old men fought and then only one of them had his blood decorating the ground. That was how it was, that was how it had to be. Magatsu went to help Abayama. It seemed to have taken it out of the guy, killing Grandpa Anotsu. Magatsu helped him sit. Abayama didn't let go of his sword. Anotsu was still looking at the wreckage of his grandfather with his back to them both. His black ponytail fell limply over his tightly squared shoulders. Magatsu wondered if Abayama would have to kill him next.  Kagehisa turned and his face was wet, white and staring. Tight and confused, horrible with its tears. He stared at both Magatsu and Abayama as if surprised to find them there looking back at him. “I hated him,” Kagehisa said. “Take it easy, now,” Abayama said. “Family's family.” Men got crazy over less, Magatsu thought. Kagehisa stepped towards them. His eyes were still raw and staring, never having quite let out their tears. That was the moment that turned them both out into a new life.

Abayama definitely gave Kagehisa a hug after this scene change, Magatsu probably did too even though he was super embarrassed.

This series is haunted by Grandpa Anotsu’s ghost. He’s the one who was thrown out of the Asano dojo, and in a big way he’s responsible for setting Anotsu on his path. And he was a horrendously abusive guardian. Kagehisa is justified in hating him.

From that day they came a long way. It seemed like they were charmed with an easy work, or it was pleasant, as smooth as anyone could have wished. School after school, budding kenshi who’d never have blossomed anyway stamped out, the potentates gathered up. It became a blood-steeped story with more exposed entrails in it than Magatsu really thought there would be. The dead never went away. Not the new crowd, not his old tail. His sister was always at his heels, the flutter of her pink robes grabbing his eye from time to time. He could go a while without thinking of her and then circle back around and contemplate her existence for hours. Back around to her and Kagehisa and O-ren. Winter nights with their horrendous bite, summer nights slowing the world to a trickle, lulled in deep heat. Or the bitch-slap wind of spring. It came to a spring night with a nervous feel to it like a young horse taming to the saddle. A night at another brothel, one more upon an immeasurable number of flophouses and cheap inns. And nicer places. But the one night in particular: a brothel with a muddy yard, with a budding plum tree at the corner. A little sake for both of them. Half a bowl each. Magatsu had seen Kagehisa imbibe but they were past things like that. At least now was not the opportune moment for an alcoholic blowout. He who holds earth can conquer heaven but he who is too drunk to stand can’t even aim his dick to piss right. Magatsu would hesitate to say life was good, but it wasn’t horrible. And Kagehisa was filled with nervous, fever-bright energy.

I wish we’d learned Magatsu’s sister’s name in canon.

I like the imagery in these first paragraphs! Balancing dialogue, action and imagery is still a challenge for me. I can navel gaze with poetic images for paragraph upon paragraph, and it bothers me in my old work, but I don’t think I overdid it here.

Anyway, something that always bothers me in fiction is when characters so easily forget their dead. Magatsu is not perpetually sad about his sister, but I wanted to indicate that he never forgot her either, and always felt a bit haunted by her. He wants justice for her, not something that’s easy to find in the world of BotI.

He’s also not exactly a soft guy, but he is kind of sensitive to the awful things the Itto-ryu is doing.

It was hard to tell with him but they’d known each other for a long time. Kagehisa could always be controlled but his excitement gleamed in his eyes, the movement of his fingers on the ax-handle, his fixed smile. A warm spring night wouldn’t sway him. They drank together squatting in the yard. “Man, would you cool it?” Magatsu asked him finally. “You’re wigging me out.” “You talk so much.” “Yeah, well, try it sometime, maybe you’d scare off fewer women.” That made Kagehisa laugh. He could’ve pounded his hand bloody on a pulpit somewhere if he’d been raised to talk. Magatsu knew that much. Kagehisa had just been raised for something else. That was their high-water mark if Magatsu only knew it at the time. Kagehisa gazing up over the wall as the first stars wiped off their faces, Magatsu checking the Turk over, making sure it all fit quick, smooth and easy. They were on a trajectory towards greatness. They had so much to lose but it felt like anything lost would mean nothing. Would only be a move or two away from being won back. It wasn’t the first time Magatsu had heard the name Asano but it was the first time it stuck.

I imagine that Magatsu is one of the few Itto-ryu who’ll ever zing Anotsu, and probably one of the only ones (minus Makie) who could be called Kagehisa’s friend. They were kids together. Magatsu is one of the few people who remembers Kagehisa ever being vulnerable.

“They’re not a remarkable school,” Kagehisa told him, blasé and easy as always. “You know, it’s the one that threw grandfather out. The master has expressed some disrespect towards us now and, well…” His smile ironic: “You could say I’m putting grandfather’s soul to rest at last.” “Don’t go there, man. He was fucked in the head in the first place.” “Take care how you talk about the dead,” Kagehisa said with remarkable mildness, “They always might hear you. The master has a lovely wife and a young daughter, I believe. Almost fourteen. Somewhere thereabouts.” Magatsu thinks about that and then doesn’t. Almost fourteen, not much like his own sister at all. She’d be old enough to be wed by now, even. Maybe. Maybe with a child. “That shit’s not important. If they stand in front of us, roll ‘em over. But don’t do it because of your old man’s old man.” “I’ll do it for the Itto-ryu and the future of the country, not for him.” Kagehisa could do a cool snap withdrawal when it suited him. Like now. Magatsu looked sideways at him and Kagehisa looked back, steady. Family was always family. And, well – it was Magatsu’s ugly story too, there. But not all his. Magatsu likes little girls. In the healthy way, thanks, and he’s got the wherewithal to slice anyone who intimated anything nasty about his liking for them in half. He doesn’t show it much. It doesn’t have much place in the business. Just, he likes little girls, and bigger ones, watching them in the dusty streets, watching them shout at their brothers imperiously. Even the big girls. What his sister could’ve been. “That family must be put down,” Kagehisa says. He has a good capacity for casual cruelty. More than Magatsu’s got, enough like a leader needs. “Dude, kill who you want. I’m not attached.”

Of course this is a prelude to the incident with Rin. I would say the first cracks in Magatsu’s allegiance to the Itto-ryu showed there.

Gramps is dead, but Anotsu is still damaged by him. Honestly I don’t think he ever got over that damage. BotI was not a series that went easy on its characters, and frankly the Anotsu family line was not wrong that there was plenty wrong with the world they were living in. Magatsu is right to be uncomfortable with this though. Even as a kid he was always the more objective one regarding Grandpa Anotsu and his dream. Anotsu is going to do some terrible things in the name of avenging his grandfather and Magatsu can feel it even if he doesn’t know the exact details.

Abayama killed Grandpa when it became necessary but as they say you can’t kill an idea. Anotsu has carried the idea forward himself.

“We could spare the girl, if you like.” Kagehisa watches him. The offer sounds like it’s given without a care. His eyes have got no shine in them sometimes. He’s not paranoid but he’s always watching, and sometimes – Magatsu hasn’t got a hard-on for him. But sometimes it’s a look that’s vulnerable. “It doesn’t matter,” Magatsu returns, keeping the eye contact up, breaking it casually to turn back to the Turk. He would follow Kagehisa anyway. It was still the high-water mark. Before he watched his comrades rape a woman and walked away from it. Still there was no telling the future. What came ahead could be as important as anything that came behind. “I’ll keep that in mind,” Kagehisa says.  If Magatsu knew what was all to come. If Magatsu knew his life, and the tempestuous years ahead. The whole business, when he stopped doing it to mend sandals or work fields he remembered why he hated it, and then remembered again why he didn’t have a taste for the simple life. There was no place for a good man to rest easy.  Thinking like that he’d been on the run for all the part of his life that mattered. On the run, and putting his feet in Kagehisa’s footsteps. As terrible as the things they did were, as awkward and bizarre as Kagehisa was, it was just so familiar to be at his back. Magatsu felt sometimes at parting the squeeze of a bitter, fire-forged affection that would never rest easy between them. It had been more fair than he liked to say it didn’t matter what Kagehisa chose to do to the woman, to the girl. What Kagehisa chose to let others do to those women. Magatsu’d come much too far with him to cut it off easy right there, or not to go on with him for longer. They were brothers-in-arms by now.

I made myself emotional with my own fic, help

Anyway. The feeling at the end should definitely be that it’s maybe not a GOOD thing that these two are as close as they are. I would say Magatsu loves Kagehisa, I don’t make any distinction tbh if it’s friendship or a romantic ship; Kagehisa in all his weirdness and intensity is simply the most important person in Magatsu’s life at this time. And yet, he won’t be able to follow Kagehisa everywhere; he doesn’t always agree with Kagehisa.

The thing about Magatsu that makes him interesting is he basically is… too sensitive to comfortably live in the world of BotI as it is (which is why his ending of happily working in the fields was pretty terrible).

Kagehisa was never WRONG that the system he lived within was massively unjust and kind of broken and in need of huge restructuring. But the things he did to achieve that were absolutely wrong, and terrible. I believe he grew a lot over the course of the series (imagine end-series Anotsu redoing the scene with Rin’s parents; I think he might still have killed her dad, but things with her mom would NOT have gone the same way)... but no matter how much he grew I think he couldn’t do what would have been necessary to “escape” the system.  At least, by the time he wanted to escape the system in that way, so much had happened and so many bridges were burned that it was impossible.

Honestly, as I say that, I’m not even sure what “escaping” the system would have looked like, other than leaving for China, which in the canon’s case was not an escape but a sign of just how broken and defeated Kagehisa was in those moments.

Anyway, I think the fact that Kagehisa had genuine desires to create a better system, but he didn’t think through what worst-case scenario consequences would be for people like Rin. And Magatsu, in the meantime, couldn’t escape what worst-case scenario consequences would be for people like Rin. He was too empathetic to ignore those things, and too sensitive to injustice to be as ruthless as Kagehisa when it came to changing things.

What it meant was that even though Magatsu loved Kagehisa, their friendship would eventually break apart, as it does on and off in canon until the very end where Magatsu doesn’t meet up with Anotsu to go to China. And I think even when they’re not friends, they still love each other; that’s what’s tragic about them. They’ll always be unique people to each other, and irreplaceable. But… the cost of one of them following the other would always be too high.