#and finding eggs in my animal crossing village

[cubic-watermelon]

My Shining Pearl Artlocke Nuzlocke challenge

I did this when the games came out. I was trying to make the game hard because I already knew it was going to be too easy.

Here are my rules:

-Catch only the first Pokémon in each area; -Name them; (naming theme - villagers from animal crossing) -draw them; -fainting = death; -draw how they died; -no items in battle; -no legendaries; -level cap = to next leader’s ace; -game mode = set; -no in-game trades; -dupes clause, for the sake of variety.

Starter: Turtwig Name: Flora Nature: Rash Ability: Overgrow

Route 201: Starly Name: Apollo Nature: Naughty Ability: Keen eye

Route 202: nothing... a kricketot fainted to a crit by Apollo.

Route 204: Bidoof Name: Chip Nature: Gentle Ability: Simple

Route 218: Magikarp Name: Hopkins Nature: Gentle Ability: Swift swim

Route 203: Kricketot Name: Piper Nature: Hasty Ability: Shed skin

First Death: Chip I was grinding near Oreburgh Gate. Chip as already in the red and I wanted to go back to heal. ran into a starly and it didn't let me run. I was looking forward to using Chip more. His abiliti was good NGL. RIP

Oreburgh gate: Zubat Name: Celeste Nature: Sassy Ability: Inner focus

Route 207: Geodude Name: Renée Nature: Sassy Ability: Rock head

Oreburgh mine: Onix Name: Spike Nature: Quiet Ability: Sturdy

Piper evolved into DELELELEWOOOOOOOOP. Her ability is now Swarm.

going into the first Gym, this is my team. I have a flawless strategy, don't worry. (spam the "do grass damage" button)

I ended up just using Piper. She’s holding a metronome so I just spammed rock smash for an easy win.

Apollo Evolved and gained the ability intimidate.

Valley Windworks: Buizel Name: Marina Nature: Bold Ability: Swift Swim

Flora evolved.

Route 205: Pachirisu Name: Tasha Nature: Lax Ability: Pickup

This is my team for the grass Gym. I didn't catch anything on route 211 because Celeste decided to kill a meditite encounter, so, no new mon and no fire type...

Celeste and Piper had a little trouble with Roserade but we did it with my BIG BRAIN tactics! who needs fire types? then Celeste evolved... and a level later she evolved again! Now that I have a Crobat I can safely say this run is in the bag!

Hopkins evolved and now I have a killing machine with intimidate!

btw, I didn't catch anything on route 211 and 206 because Celeste likes crits.

Wayward cave: Bronzor (Gible spawns here btw...) Name: Clay Nature: Naughty Ability: Levitate

Renée evolved and I'm very surprised, I never used geodude before, she's quite good.

then, I remembered the old Chateau and went back to get me a mon.

Old Chateau: Gastly Name: Lucky Nature: Adamant Ability: Levitate

Mount Coronet: Meditite Name: Poncho Nature: Serious Ability: Pure power

route 208 - Psyduck died to a crit. route 209 - didn't find a new mon yes. Dupes Clause.

Route 210: Ponyta Name: Victoria Nature: Careful Ability: Flash fire

I went into the 3rd gym with this team but a bit weaker. Beat it with Apollo, Hopkins and Celeste but it wasn’t easy.

death 2 - Lucky. He died to a Mime Jr. of all things... I was leveling him up and I thought he could take on a shitty Mime Jr. RIP

A guy gave an egg to me in hearthome, it hatched:

Hearthome city: Happiny Name: Merengue Nature: Quirky Ability: Serene grace

Route 209: Bonsly Name: Coco Nature: Careful Ability: Rock head

Finally found a fossil undergrownd: Oreburg City: Shieldon Name: Rhonda Nature: Timid Ability: Sturdy

Happiny shoved a rock into her cooch and evolved.

And that's the end of part one! To be continued!

Part 2: https://www.tumblr.com/cubic-watermelon/724830775856513024/my-trash-dump

[sinivalkoista]

promt for merthur, merlin schedules a hunting trip but it's really a miny vacation in a farm house where they play pretend and relax from all the responsabilities

I forgot to clarify that I don't really write slash, sorry!

I hope you still like it what I did with the prompt, though : )

AO3

“You kidnapped me.”

Between whatever Merlin had slipped into his wine and the jostling of the farmer’s cart Merlin had probably stolen, Arthur was finding it very hard to think, but he was awake enough to know that this was not the hunting trip he had been on the previous evening.

Merlin was a blasted traitor.

“It’s for your own good,” Merlin said. “You need a break.”

“You kidnapped me. I’m the king. I just can’t leave Camelot!” There were missives to have Merlin write, speeches for Merlin to edit, and chores for Merlin to do.

“I asked Gwen. She said she would take care of running things until we got back. In fact, she’d probably do a better job at it.”

“Excuse me?”

Merlin lightly snapped the reins, and the horse picked up its pace. “We’ll be there in a few hours. Just try to relax until then.”

“I resent this entire operation.”

“You’ll get over it,” Merlin told him cheerfully as though that made everything better. 

Arthur crossed his arms. He would not get over it. He wasn’t going to speak a word until Merlin took him back to Camelot. And then he wasn’t going to speak to Gwen for apparently being in on this entire coup.

Traitors, the lot of them.

…

They did not arrive at their destination a few hours later because Merlin got lost. Instead, they arrived in the middle of the night.

Somewhere off in the distance, Arthur heard a cow mooing, but it was probably just his imagination.

He hoped.

It appeared to be a worn cabin with grass in place of a proper roof. In the corner was an old iron stove in which Merlin lit a fire and tried to cook something that was probably originally meant to be a cake but ended up looking like…

Well, Arthur wasn’t going to go there.

It tasted fine, though, but he also wasn’t going to admit that to Merlin. “This is the most disgusting thing I’ve ever had,” he informed his manservant as he tore off a piece with his fingers.

“Oh, really? I wouldn’t know. It was all gone before I could get to it.” 

“I saved you from a horrible fate.”

Merlin snorted.

After his last slice, Arthur was feeling rather tired. While Merlin went back outside to retrieve a blanket from the farmer’s cart, he found a cot in the corner and collapsed into it. Despite having been traveling all day, he was exhausted. 

Briefly, he was aware of Merlin gently draping a blanket over him before he dropped off.

…

The next morning, Arthur woke to a demonic noise in his ear.

Wildly confused, he shot up and looked around.

This was not his castle.

Everything - the cart ride, the cake, Merlin’s insubordination - came flooding back to him.

“Good morning!” Merlin removed a pot from the stove. “The coffee is all ready.”

“What was that?” Arthur demanded. “Are we under attack?”

“Nope. That was Uther the rooster.”

“You named a rooster after my father?”

“Why not?”

Arthur thought about it, couldn’t think of a good enough reason not to name such a hellish beast after his father, and got up to get a mug of coffee. “Where are we, anyway?” he asked as he took a seat at the sole table in the room. “It was too dark last night.”

“My mother’s farm in Ealdor. She wanted to visit a friend in another village for a week, so I told her we would take care of the animals until she came back.”

That was a very uncomfortable we. Horses and dogs, Arthur could deal with - other animals (if they were dead) sometimes, too.

Whatever was on the other side of the cabin wall, however…

He’d rather not think about it.

“I already milked the cows,” Merlin said. “They get upset if you don’t do it at the same time every day. But you can help me get the eggs from the chickens.”

Arthur coughed.

If this was Merlin’s idea of a vacation, he was sorely mistaken.

Arthur wasn’t setting foot near that chicken coop.

…

“She pecked me!” 

“What did you expect? You’re stealing her eggs.”

“That’s what you told me to do! Why don’t you do this?” Arthur yelled.

“You want to switch places and hold Uther back yourself?”

At his name, the rooster tried to flap his wings and murder Merlin at the same time, sending feathers flying across the coop.

By the time they were finished gathering the eggs, Arthur’s arm was covered in red wells from furious chickens, and somehow it hurt worse than if he had been stabbed by a barbarian.

“I hate them,” he seethed. “I hate their beady little eyes and their talons-”

“Here.” Merlin plunked a pail down in front of him.

Arthur eyed it suspiciously. “What’s this for? You don’t have chickens hiding somewhere else, do you?”

“No. We’re going hunting.”

At the word hunting, Arthur perked up. He knew how to hunt. And he was infinitely more skilled at it than collecting eggs.

“Berry hunting,” Merlin clarified at the expression on his face. “There’s a good berry patch about a mile south of the fields.”

Arthur frowned. “I’ve…I’ve never been hunting for…berries.” Naturally, he could tell the difference between poisonous and edible ones, but it was usually in a survival situation. Not purposefully trapezing around looking for them.

“Don’t worry,” Merlin said. “This is going to be fun.”

…

Five hours later, Arthur collapsed in one of the chairs back at the cabin.

He couldn’t tell if his fingers were stained from blood from thorns or berry juice. 

If anything, he was more tired than when he had first arrived at Hunith’s farm, but it was the same lassitude he felt after a long day of training with the knights or a hard-won quest.

Perhaps farming wasn’t as bad as it initially seemed. He could see himself as a farmer, growing plants instead of diplomatic relations, fighting chickens instead of Saxons, and picking berries instead of picking battles with the nobles.

It wasn’t a bad life at all.

Merlin had been rather thoughtful to drag him out there with him when he simply could have taken a few days off.

Contented, Arthur leaned back in his chair and sighed.

Not a bad life at all. 

…

By the two, two buckets of berries sat.

Despite the humongous number of berries that had been picked that afternoon, neither were full.

[angel-deux-writes]

Honor Compels Me

When Brienne is sent to Riverrun to speak with the Blackfish, she finds herself with another Stark to protect. For the oaths she swore to his mother, she will see Robb Stark safely home. Even if it means standing against Jaime Lannister to do it.

Cersei III

You know, sometimes in life we face adversity with a strength of spirit and an iron will, and sometimes in life we receive a few mean comments, crawl into a hole for a month, decide to panic-post five chapters a day to finish this story faster, play Animal Crossing for 5 hours instead of editing said chapters, and then decide to post a single chapter because it’s better than nothing.

[skenpiel]

i wish animal crossing had just wooden signs with entered text that you inspect and read like in minecraft

[justoneacatperson]

Naga Mate

Alpha! Katsuki Bakugou x Omega! Male! Naga! Reader

This is reupload from my old blog!

request by @delightfulcupquakequeen

tw: naga reader; a/b/o; pregnancy; mpreg; eggpreg; egg lying; labor

word count: 6k+

Hidden between the high mountains and forests was a village. Small houses made of wood and stone. There were also food stalls, clothing stores, smithies and ect. The roads were always full of people, carts, guard dogs and cattle.

High in the most gigantic mountain, which towered over the whole village, a huge stone fortress was built. To reach it, you had to cross a long stone bridge that ran over a wide, deep river that separated the mountain from the village. At the top of the fortress was a huge terrace from where the rulers could see their own lands and those far away.

Bakugou was now sitting on the stone edge of the terrace, leaning against one of the columns on the terrace, looking disinterestedly at the village and what the residents were doing. He could see at one end of the village, where the animal farm was, a man picking up cows from the river, where the part was shallow and the cattle could drink water, in their fenced meadows.

The blond alpha groaned under his breath, muttering about boredom until he heard a growl over him. He looked up at the mountain, above the roof of his castle, where was a huge cave. There was another grunt until a red head slipped out, showing itself in the light.

-“Oi, did you finally wake up?” Katsuki asked with a slight growl, meeting the dragon’s golden eyes with his scarlet reds. -“You sleep all day.” he received a slight growl in return.

-“Won’t you transform in your human form?” the dragon shook his head and lay on his stomach, raising his head above the blond, thanks to his long neck. -“Tch, well, Kirishima, do you want to fly?”

This obviously aroused the interest of the red dragon, letting a contented purr in agreement. Katsuki smiled slyly as he stood on the terrace, grabbed one of Kirishima’s horns, and pushed himself off the ground with his feet to climb onto the reptile’s neck. He waited patiently while his rider settled comfortably on his back.

-“Fly.” Bakugou said.

Eijiro stepped up slightly and jumped out of his cave. He spread his wings wide and in one swoop flew high into the sky. The Alpha always liked flying, the wind blowing through his hair and cloak always made him feel free.

They flew over the woods, looking around. As everything went smoothly, they both heard a loud scream that startled them and brought shivers down their spine.

-“Oi, what was that !?” he shouted as his gaze wandered with incredible speed, trying to find the creature that betrayed that scream.

Apparently the dragon sensed where the cry was coming from, thanks to his sharper senses, and descended headlong over several tall coniferous trees that obscured the view from the other side.

Bakugou’s eyes widened as he saw what was happening below. There was a long body of a snake on the ground, entangled in a large hunting net, and people with weapons in their hands could be seen around it. Naga, he thought.

Naga was no ordinary creature to walk in his lands, which amazed him what you was doing here. It was clear that you felt threatened. You tried to get your body out of the net, but it got more tangled. You couldn’t help yourself with your hands because they had tied your upper body in a way that wouldn’t allow you to use your hands.

The hunters began to shout, frightening you, making you shrink to the ground, hoping that some miracle would save you. Just as one of the people came dangerously close to you with a spear in his hand, ready to end your life, a piercing roar was heard.

All eyes, including yours, looked up to see a giant dragon swiftly flying towards you. The hunters were startled, some of them took their bows, aiming arrows at the dragon. They fired at him, but their arrows broke in two when they touched the dragon’s skin, showing how hard his scales were. Some of them fled far away, others aimed their weapons at the reptile, ready to fight it. When Kirishima approached the ground, scaring the hunters, Bakugou jumped off his back, landing on one of the hunters, knocking them to the ground.

Hunters could not help but recognize the blond hair of spikes and red eyes, the leader of the mountain tribe. They knew whose lands they were in, but they did not believe they would meet the leader and his dragon.

Katsuki lunged at the other hunters, throwing the weapons from their hands and knocking them to the ground. He met his gaze with one of them, who was wearing a variety of clothes from all of them, the one who also had a spear in his hand to stab the naga, also by the scent he could say that he was the only alpha in the group. The boss, the blond thought to himself, jumping up to him, knocking him on his back.

-“You…” he called, placing his foot on the chest of the man struggling to stand up, but Bakugou’s weight wouldn’t let him. -“Do you want me to stab you the same way you wanted to stab that creature?” he laughed in his face. The alpha beneath him prayed for mercy. -“That’s right, pray for your miserable life.”

You lay pressing to the ground, staring wide-eyed at the blond man who shot down all the hunters who tried to take your life. You let out a frightened whimper as he hit his head on the other alpha’s, knocking him unconscious. This obviously caught Bakugou’s attention when he turned to you. He let the hunter fall to the ground with a thud, not caring if he hurt him, and walked towards you. You hissed at him, warning him not to come near you, but you fell silent when his dragon landed next to him, looking at you. You flatten your sharp big ears to your head.

-“Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you, I came to set you free.” Katsuki replied, squatting beside you to untie the ropes around your arms. You could smell his spicy and a little caramel scent. Strange combination, but you didn’t complain.

You let out a pleasant sigh after feeling your top released. The Alpha went to your tail, pulling a sharp little sword from his belt, which made you hiss at him. He turned to you.

-“Oi, oi, calm down really. How do you expect me to get that off you when you’re tangled like a cat in yarn?” his eyes narrowed even more, to the few arrows stuck in your tail and one broken stuck in your rib. Apparently you tried to get it out, but it broke and got stuck. -“We also need to get the arrows out of you.”

With that, Katsuki began to cut the net, releasing your tail little by little. Finally free, you moved it a little pleased that you are no longer net, but immediately let out a little whining.

-“Yes, now the arrows.” he murmured, handing over his little sword. You stared at him confused as to why he was giving you a weapon. -“Bite the wooden handle, it will certainly hurt, and I don’t want you to attract other hunters or animals with your screams who would like us for an afternoon snack.”

Bakugou grabbed the arrow that was lowest on your tail, where he thought it would hurt you the least. He gripped his hands tightly to it and counted to three before snatching it from you. You let out a whimper, but it was muffled by the handle of the knife that was in your mouth. For one reason or another, the blonde alpha’s heart sank, not knowing why. It felt bad, bad for you to have to go through that pain. He rejected those thoughts as much as he could and went on with his work. He took out the last arrow, which was the one in your rib.

-“Um, you did well.” Bakugou told you, trying to make you feel better, but he wasn’t a good with the words, so he didn’t know what was right to tell you. You just nodded to reassure him that he hadn’t said anything wrong. Why is he suddenly worried that he said something wrong? He straightened his voice, drawing your attention to him. -“What is your name?” you looked at him with your (e/c), eyes, your black snake pupils were narrowed towards him.

-“(Y/n).” you replied, wrapping one arm under your chest on your injured rib. Your voice surprised him, you spoke for the first time, not hissing or whining.

-“Katsuki Bakugo.” the blond said to you. -“You can call me Katsuki.” you dilated your pupils, returning them to their normal shape, a visible sign that you have begun to relax in his company. Also, your body was relaxed, your ears were no longer flattened to your head, and your scent was no longer sour, and the alpha could smell your scent of roses and honey. Omega.

He examined your wounds, noting how deep they were. He didn’t think you could handle such severe injuries. Should he take you with him? Would you agree? He decided it was good to try.

-“Hey, you know, do you want to come home with me? I can take care of your wounds.” the alpha said in a monotone voice. You looked at him skeptically with wary eyes.

-“Why do you want to help me? Can I trust you?” you asked, looking from him to the dragon and the dragon to him. Apparently this made something click in Katsuki’s head, as suddenly his expression changed.

-“Look, I don’t know why I want to help you, I’m usually an asshole, but for one reason or another I want to help you. And I was the one who came to save you, to set you free, to take out your arrows and to offer you to heal your wounds, so I don’t know what else you want to I prove to you that you can trust me!” his expression was scary (like the one he showed at the UA festival when he won it).

You looked at him with wide eyes. He’s painfully honest, you thought. You watched him for a few seconds, processing the situation. As much as you wanted to be independent and take care of yourself, you knew deep down that your wounds were very bad and you needed medical help. You felt that your adrenaline was starting to drop since you were rescued, which means that you will soon feel unbearable pain and you will hardly be able to move and would become prey to any wolves.

-“I will come with you.” you answered quietly, to which Bakugou gave you a little nod and motioned for you to follow him.

»»————　➴　————««

You have arrived at Katsuki Fortress. It was a little scary to fly on a dragon, you always sliding on the ground, which did not go unnoticed by the blonde alpha and he motioned for the dragon to fly slower so is not to stress for you, which you appreciated. You were in his rooms, in his den. It felt strange for your omega to be invited to the den of an alpha he had known for so short a time. It was warm inside, which your cold-blooded body liked. Bakugou left you to examine until he went to take medicine for your wounds. Finally, he returned to you with a basket full of medicines.

-“You can lie on the couch there.” he pointed, the huge couch a few feet in front of his king-size bed. -“It will be comfortable for me to deal with your wounds.”

-“Okay, Katsuki.” his name coming out of your mouth brought a pleasant shiver down his back and a bright blush on his cheeks.

Lying on the couch as you painfully climbed your snake body on the couch. Already lying comfortably, you could feel the soft sofa below you. It was dark red, with many pillows and blankets lined with yellow, baby blue, and black. Your nose inhaled his scent, which brought you into a slight trance and soothed your pain. You had the feeling that you would fall asleep.

-“Oi, oi, don’t fall asleep until I bandage your wounds.” the blond shouted at you, squatted in front of you.

Now Katsuki, while treating you, paid more attention to your appearance. Your frame was smaller than his and less muscular, but that was to be expected. Even male and female alphas have a smaller and weaker frame, as you are not the kind that needs to train your upper body. You have (e/c) eyes with thin irises like a snake. Your hair is (h/c) and tousled. He could see that you had a few small braids. Your ears are longer and sharper, not like a person, in a short time he realized that they are very sensitive and express your emotions.You had a forked tongue and hissed a little when you spoke. You also had quite long sharp fingernails. You had pale blue scales on your shoulders and on the backs of your arms. Your tail stood out from most nagas, as your color was something between pale gray, bluish, purple. Beautiful.

-“Better?” Bakugou asked, bandaging your chest. You had a slight blush on your face when he touched your upper body, which was always exposed.

-“Y-Yeah.” you replied.

-“Okay, are you hungry?” this question was answered by your own intestines, which grunted. This obviously brought a sly smile to the blonde alpha. -“So let’s go downstairs, pretty boy?” he laughed and stood up as he walked to the door of his room.

You looked surprised. Is ‘Pretty boy’ his nickname for me? You distracted yourself from it, not wanting to pay much attention to it, and left after the barbarian. Thanks to him, you could easily slide on the floor, sometimes you could feel some pain if you lay down a part of your body that has an injury, but generally you moved calmly.

You looked at the corridors of the castle, which were built inside the mountain, and the only source of light was the torches hanging on the walls. You slid across the red carpet, looking at the huge paintings on the wall. Most of them were important historical moments. Make an impression on how many paintings there are of Bakugou’s family. There were many paintings with his dragon Kirishima, who you understood his name during your trip to the village. Once you realize that he is a dragon-human, reassure you that you are not the only hybrid here and you did not feel so much as an intruder.

You put your hand on your still flat stomach, lightly rubbing the skin. You certainly won’t tell him that you are expecting. That you got pregnant brought you a lot of trouble, but you wouldn’t regret your future babies, just your ex-mate was an idiot, and you an even bigger idiot that you were so blind to this person. and you expected to share your life with him.

-“Oi, don’t delay, you’ll get lost.” his voice brought you back to reality and you followed him faster.

You went down to one of the lower floors, which was a huge dining room. You would be the first to enter the hall until you saw two strangers at the table, which made you want to hide. The blonde alpha put a hand on your shoulder, signaling that everything was fine. He was the first to enter the hall, attracting the attention of strangers.

-“Oh, Katsuki you finally here, you’re late.” said a blond woman who looked one-to-one with the alpha. By the scent of the two people, you could tell it was his parents. You did not go unnoticed. -“Who is this?”

-“This is (Y/n) he was captured by hunters and Kirishima and I rescued him, now he will stay until he heals his wounds.” Bakugou replied, looking for you to come.

You both sat next to each other at the table. Your ears were slightly flattened to your head, and your tail curled at the end, indicating that you were a little nervous.

-“Hey, Pretty boy, do you like roast chicken?” the blond asked you, connecting his red eyes with yours (e/c).

-“Yes, I really like chicken, Katsuki.” you replied, playing with your fingers.

The woman in front of you looked at you curious.

-“Hello, my boy, I see you get along with my son.” the blond woman said. -“My name is Mitsuki, and this is my husband Masaru.” her husband smiled warmly at you, erasing any anxiety in your head. You could tell she is an alpha and her husband an omega.

-“Yes, he’s nice.” you replied, smiling a little.

-“It’s amazing because my son is a little shit with new people.” she said, making your eyes wide. This obviously teased Katsuki.

-“Shut up, old hag…” he muttered, hiding his gaze from you. This obviously amused the female alpha.

Your food came and your eyes widened for a moment from the incredible smell of roast chicken. You immediately started eating, not noticing the slightly surprised look that Bakugou’s parents had on you, because you eat with your hands, not with a knife and fork. This also surprised the blonde alpha, but he immediately brushed it off as he began to eat his chicken with his hands as well. Your species doesn’t use cutlery, you don’t see the point, so you use your hands, which was no problem for Katsuki.

You were very hungry after not eating for how long? One, almost two days? After you left your ex-mate who kicked you out of your shared home? You haven’t eaten since. Also, your hunger was greater, as you now have to take in more nutrients because you are pregnant, certainly more than one egg.

-“(Y/n), why have you been in the mountains, as far as I know your species does not like to live in such places.” Masaru called, eating a baked potato. This question made you shudder a little, which was only noticed by Bakugou.

-“Oh, I… I went hunting for food, but I became someone else’s catch.” you replied, continuing to eat, hiding your gaze. -“As I "ran” to escape I came here.“ the other omega realized and just nodded, continuing with his food for your happiness.

»»————　➴　————««

The rest of your days continued at Bakugou Katsuki’s home. He took good care of you and your wounds. He will always remind you to be careful with your injuries. He will check them by changing your bandages. You had nothing to complain about, you like living here. You had your own room with a big bed on which you made your nest. You didn’t know why, but your inner omega felt strangely lonely because it wasn’t in the blonde alpha’s den. You threw away those feelings, apologizing that it was because of your mate who threw you out and that you were in danger and now you are attached to the person who gives you safety.

Bakugou also couldn’t explain why his inner alpha felt that way about you. He would never take another person into his home and take care of him. Don’t get him wrong, he’s not hardhearted or anything, but he could always leave you in a house in the village and hire someone else to take care of you.

You two quickly became close. Now Katsuki didn’t feel bored. You two will cook together, which was a surprise to you that the Alpha loves to cook and is very good at it. There is always something you to say about the fact that you are both from different lands with different cultures. Bakugou is a confident alpha who loves attention, so he would take you outside, shooting with a bow, ax, spear at targets, hitting them and expecting praise from you for his strength. At least that’s what he thought would happen until you grabbed a spear and hit the wooden disk that was farthest away. He was impressed by your ability to throw a spear away and hit. He had to guess that the main weapon for you nagas is a spear, with which you are very good. This way you will both start to wonder who will be better.

Over time, you became closer and allowed the alpha to sit on your tail when you wound your tail as spring. Oh, boiiiii, this is the best bed he’s slept on. He allows you to enter his den whenever you wish. You will lie on his couch, stretching your whole body, absorbing the scent of spicy and caramel.

-"Why do you like being here so much?” Bakugou asked, sitting on the terrace ledge, looking at you. The sofa was about two or three meters from the stone pillars that separated the balcony from his room. You opened one (e/c) eye, squeezing your pupil towards it.

-“I like it here, your scent calms me down.” you replied, hugging a pillow to your chest. Pink blush spread across the alpha’s cheeks, all the way to his ears.

-“Don’t you like your own room?” he asked another question, turning his face away from you so you wouldn’t notice the blush on his face.

-“I like it, but it doesn’t smell like you.” do you understand what you say? he wondered, watching as you curled up on the couch.

-“Do you want to move here to sleep? You can make your nest here.” your eyes widened, looking at Bakugou.

-“Really?” you got a little nod. You let out a contented purr that caressed his soul.

As the days went by, you became more closer, especially since you built your nest in his lair. You will spend every moment of your day together - walking around the village, cooking together, hunting together, flying together on Kirishima (who was often in his human form around you and will strike up conversations with you), and when the sun goes down you will climb on the ledge of the terrace, watching the sun hide behind the woods. You will lean on Katsuki casually, talking about random topics. It didn’t take long for Bakugou to fall for you.

»»————　➴　————««

Bakugou returned to his kingdom, being greeted by the guards at the door. He entered the huge hall where his throne was. He took off his cloak, which had become wet from the rain outside, leaving it on the throne.

-“Katsuki?” a familiar voice called from behind him. He turned to meet his mother’s gaze. -“Where does you go in the rain?”

-“Kirishima and I were looking for a gemstone - an emerald. (Y/n) once mentioned that he likes them very much and I decided to take the dragon and find emeralds to surprise him.”

-“Oh, boy, you’re very much in love with this snake.” his mother smiled cheerfully, bringing a dark blush to his face.

-“Why do you think that, old hag !? He’s just another person to me!” he shouted at the female alpha, who didn’t seem affected in any way by his words.

-“Is that right, Katsuki? It’s the first time I’ve seen you let a man call you by your first name, especially a stranger. You literally took him home, with the excuse of healing his wounds that healed three weeks ago. Let him in your den, giving him your clothes, and now taken your time to find his favorite gem, and you’ve known him for about 8 weeks.” her son squinted at her.

-“And what? I’m just doing what my inner alpha thinks is right.” he admitted, not understanding why his mother cared so much about how he treated you.

-“Oh, Katsuki, don’t you understand?” Mitsuki asked, scratching the back of his head as if the answer was obvious. -“Your inner Alpha wants to court (Y/n) and it does. He does not reject your gifts and offers, which gives more confidence to your alpha to continue to court him.”

Bakugou’s mouth opened slightly, his eyes widened, and finally received the enlightenment he had been seeking for weeks with you. Now he understood why he felt that way, when you look at him, you talk to him. Bakugou was in love with you, madly in love with you.

»»————　➴　————««

The alpha entered his den, finding you rearranging your nest. You’ve been wearing a baggy sweater for three weeks now, which surprised him? He knew you were coldblooded, but were you that cold? He made a mental note to light the fireplace. He didn’t think you were really hiding a bulge at all.

-“Oi, pretty boi, I’m bringing you the fruit you want.” Bakugou called, leaving a plate full of sliced apples and pears on the table. You immediately went to the small table, immediately grabbing the apples. The Alpha stared at you for a while before speaking again. -“Are you better?” you swallowed roughly at his sudden question. - “Are you still sick?”

-“No, thank you for your concern, Katsuki, but I assure you I’m fine.” you replied, wrapping your tail around your body.

-“Are you sure? Your scent has changed, too.” this surprised you, making your eyes open wide. -“It’s sweeter than usual. Maybe of two or three weeks is like that.”

-“Maybe I ate something or the climate affects my scent.” you explained, letting out a slight nervous laugh and continued to eat your fruit.

Bakugou decided not to continue the subject and slowly walked over to you, squatting on the ground. His hand went up, placing it on part of your tail. Apparently his action didn’t bother you. -“(Y/n)?” the blond called you, attracting your attention. -“I’ve been thinking… about you for a long time.” he said at last, now attracting your full attention and stopping your eating. -“I don’t know how to explain it, but since I met you I feel weird.” there was a storm of thoughts in your head, trying to figure out what he meant. -“Every time I look at you I have the feeling that my heart starts beating faster, the sense of your scent always excites me, when you talk to me I have the feeling that I have butterflies in my stomach.”

You felt a strange knot low in your stomach from his words. Bakugou looked at you with his scarlet red eyes, you could see that his posture was stiff.

-“I like you, (Y/n), I would like you to be my mate.” and that’s it. That was the end for you. Your ears flattened toward your head, your tail curled more toward your body. You pulled the human part of the body back from Katsuki to give yourself a few feet away. Your inner omega wanted to tweet and purr with happiness, but you silenced it. Your reaction worried the alpha. -“(Y/n)…”

-“Please give me time to think about what you said.” with that, you quickly got out of his den, going to your previous room.

-“Damn…” Katsuki said through gritted teeth. I fucked everything up, he thought.

»»————　➴　————««

At the end of the day, you spent locked in your room, hiding under the heavy animal blankets in your bed. Your mind felt empty, tormented to think what to do now. You love Katsuki, you fell in love with the blonde alpha, but you knew you couldn’t be with him, not by carrying children foreign to him. It would be like your ex-mate. Surely you could no longer suppress your emotions from weeks ago about your ex-mate - Akihiko.

The two met a year ago. In your lands, which were a huge jungle, you had gone for a walk to the river to refresh yourself. Unlike humans, you weren’t creatures who liked to be in groups, not that you didn’t like each other or something, but you were quite independent of each other. You met him in the river. Huge male alpha naga. His tail was green with shades of yellow and dark spots, golden eyes and black hair. You would be lying if you didn’t fall in love with him right away.

You both got along great, Akihiko was a wonderful alpha for you. Together you went to your own home, which was a cave. You and your alpha were very close, you will always be together, take care of each other, have fun and spend your cycles together. It was like that for a few months until you revealed that you were expecting. Your inner omega was very happy to have children from a person who loves, so were you. You had great happiness written on your face when you shared Akihiko’s news, but you didn’t get the happy expression you expected from him. He got angry. He didn’t want children, he wasn’t ready to be a father, and he kicked you out of your home.

You didn’t expect Bakugou to react differently than your ex-partner. Everything seems to be going well, but telling him the news will drive you away the same way. Rarely would alphas accept foreign children, their own father reject them, what is left for someone who is not of their blood. Tears formed in your eyes, running down your cheeks. You put your hand under your sweater, placing it on your little bulge, rubbing gentle circles in the center.

I can’t stay here, you thought. You couldn’t stay here anymore, despite the whining of your inner omega that wanted you to stay here. You kept rubbing your bulge.

-“Don’t worry, puppies, Daddy is here and he won’t let you get hurt.”

»»————　➴　————««

You had slipped out the window that night. Thanks to your snake body, you were able to descend the rocky mountain, away from the castle. You had found a cave on the other side of the mountain that was hidden by many trees. There was no way they could find you. You made a nest of sticks, branches, moss, leaves, other plants and straw taken from the stables. On top of everything you put a blanket that you had taken from the castle and it smelled like Katsuki. That’s how you spent the rest of the night.

You knew Bakugou would be furious if he found out you had run away and would go looking for you, but you didn’t expect him to order his guards to look for you. You could smell the different scents of dozens of barbarians looking for you in the village and the forest. You heard the flapping of wings in the sky, telling you that Kirishima and Katsuki were looking for you from the sky. It was a stressful day for you not to be caught, but your little cave was well covered with trees, bushes, grass and moss, so that everyone who passed by you did not smell or see the cave.

The days went by and the blond kept looking for you. You could not go out during the day because of the guards who was looking for you, so you could not go for food and water. You had to change your regime and become a night bird. The night was your time. You gathered fruits and vegetables, hunted animals for food. Fortunately, there were rivers around you from where you could fish and drink water.

You would like to find a new home to live in, but you knew that it is not safe for a pregnant omega naga to wander for a long time looking for a home. At least you knew here that there were no dangerous animals to hurt you, most of them were your prey.

Days became weeks, weeks became months. Your bumb was already huge in the 5th month. You might have expected two or three eggs, but you had no way of knowing before you laid them. The sweater could no longer cover you. Your flat breasts are now swollen, preparing milk for breastfeeding your puppies… your snakes.

Katsuki didn’t stop looking for you to your surprise. You thought he would give up in a few days, but he’s been looking for you for months. Why is he working so hard for me? you wondered as you rubbed the sides of your stomach. His cries for you made your heart break and your inner omega whimper, but you knew it was better that way.

»»————　➴　————««

You already looked like a bubble about to burst. You expected to give birth every day. You felt heavy and clumsy, even with your strong tail you still felt useless.

It was day, the sun was shining, and you were in your temporary home. You eat fruit that you had picked from the trees. Your day would be boring as usual, with low back and chest pain.

At least you were grateful for some unknown power that you were a creature that lays eggs and has babies with snake tails so you don’t feel kicks in your ribs or bladder.

Everything went as usual as every day, until in the middle of the day, when you were repairing your nest, you felt water flowing from your waist.

Say you’re kidding me, you prayed as you looked at your lower body from where it splashed clear liquid. You felt a painful contraction in your abdomen, which confirmed your worst thoughts. You would lay. You let out a shrill cry from the top of your lungs when you felt a painful contraction. Little did you know that there was a person around you who heard you.

You entered your nest, lying on your side, wrapping your tail in a circle, giving yourself the privacy and comfort to start laying your eggs. Everything was under control before anyone entered your cave. Your adrenaline rose, standing up and hissing immediately at the offender, baring your sharp long snake teeth. Your eyes widened when you realized that no one else had come to you, namely Katsuki Bakugou.

-“(Y / n)…"he muttered with wide scarlet eyes open to you. His gaze never left yours, no one said anything until another contraction came, which made you shrink. Bakugou growled unconsciously, running to your side to wrap his arms around you. His mouth opened wide in shock when he saw your hands pressing into your huge bulge. His brain turned on, processing the information. -"You are pregnant !?"he shouted at you as he pulled you into his lap.

You let out a heartbreaking whimper of pain. Tears streamed from your eyes and your body stiffened from the contraction. Your scent was sour and bitter, saddening Katsuki’s inner alpha. He hated to see you suffer. He embraced your hand in his, giving you some support.

-"K-Katsuki!” you whimpered, banging your head on the alpha’s chest.

-“Hey, hey, I’m here, it’s all right.” Bakugou spoke softly, releasing his pheromones to soothe your pain at least a little and make your birth easier.

-“H-hurts…” you said through tears as your tail tightened, folded and relaxed from pain and discomfort.

-“I know, I know, but you’ll manage and see your puppies.”

You felt one of the eggs descend from your womb to the cervix of your canal. You whimpered as the big shell tried to enter through the small entrance. Over the months, your canal and neck had been dilated by hormones to allow the eggs to pass, but you knew the first egg would be the hardest to pass.

You felt one of the eggs descend from your womb to the cervix of your canal. You whimpered as the big shell tried to enter through the small entrance. Over the months, your canal and neck had been dilated by hormones to allow the eggs to go through, but you knew the first egg would be the hardest to go through.

You gritted your teeth as you pressed, trying to push the egg. You felt it move inside you and your neck open wider. You took a tired breath after you stopped pushing, leaning on Katsuki, who whispers encouraging words in your ear. This calmed your inner omega and you did not feel the birth as stressful as in the beginning.

-“Go on, you’re doing well.”

You pressed again, leading your first child through the canal. You let out a whimper when it entered the canal. Bakugou was pulling your sweaty (h/c) hair back. His warmth and scent helps you a lot with the pain. You counted to 3 before you started pressing again, pushing the egg down. The alpha’s hand went to the opening below your waist on the belly of your tail, where the egg would come out. He pressed lightly with two fingers, feeling something both soft and hard - a shell.

-“I feel… a shell? Yes, I feel egg.” Bakugou’s realization that you lay rather than give birth has just come. -“You have a little more left.”

You pressed again, shaking his hand for a precious life. You whimpered when you felt the egg come out and roll into your nest. You took a few breaths before you felt this pressure on your cervix again, signaling that the other egg was ready to come out. You started pressing again, now the other egg came faster and easier than the previous one. You were grateful to Katsuki, who was by your side and encouraged you all the time. You have one more egg left that you pushed out, the easiest of the other two.

-“Done…” you said breathlessly, leaning completely in the hands of the alpha. He wrapped his arms around your torso, pressing you to his bare chest. He put his chin on your shoulder and rubbed his cheek into yours.

-“Do great, Omega.” he said, kissing the bare skin on your shoulder. You tweeted contentedly at your alpha’s praise.

»»————　➴　————««

-“Why didn’t you tell me (Y/n)?” Bakugou asked as he watched you scent and caress the eggs.

The three eggs were white and oval, with pale colored spots on them - the first one you laid had bluish-gray spots, like the scales on your tail; the second egg had bluish gray and dark green spots on it, and the last had green spots. He watched you wrap your tail around them, using your body as a heater. The blond took off his cloak and held it out to you. You looked at him in surprise, and he just nodded. You took his cloak and wrapped the part that was fur to the eggs.

-“I was scared, Katsuki.” you finally replied.

-“From what?”

-“That you will reject me once you realize that I am pregnant.” you replied, looking at him with your (e/c) eyes. -“My ex-mate reject me after I told him we were going to have babies. I was very excited, he was a good alpha, I thought we would live our lives together, but apparently some people are not ready to take responsibility for children.”

-“Did you think I would reject you if I found out?” he asked quietly.

-“Yes. I thought it was too good to be true.”

Bakugou moved closer to you, wrapping his arms around you and pressing you to his chest. You froze, surprised by his actions, but quickly relaxed in his chest. His fingers went into your tousled hair, which had grown well under your shoulders in the months he hadn’t seen you.

-“Idiot.” the alpha muttered, pushing you harder. -“I would never throw you out for that and you had a shitty alpha.” you laughed roughly in his chest for his nickname to Akihiko. -“I love you, (Y/n) and I would like you to be my mate.” it took you a few seconds before wrapping your arms around his torso.

-“I love you too, Katsu.” you replied, rubbing your cheek against his chest. You couldn’t see, but the blond had a smile on his face.

[austenpoppy]

30 Favourite underrated Hermione moments

Here is a list of passages in the books that are genuinely some of my favourite Hermione moments in the series, ones that maybe don't hold much significance for the naked eye but mean the world to me. Many of them embody what I love most about Hermione, the reason she's my third favourite character of the series after Ron and Ginny. I am deliberately not including moments that I've seen mentioned too much (and to be honest many of them do not explain why I love Hermione).

Perhaps this will endear Hermione again to some people who can't stand her anymore. And people will also see that I while I may be very critical of Hermione on certain things, I still love that girl.

1. "Hagrid, you live in a wooden house."

"Won it," said Hagrid. "Las' night. I was down in the village havin' a few drinks an' got into a game o' cards with a stranger. Think he was quite glad ter get rid of it, ter be honest." "But what are you going to do with it when it's hatched?" said Hermione. "Well, I've bin doin' some readin' , said Hagrid, pulling a large book from under his pillow. "Got this outta the library - Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit - it's a bit outta date, o' course, but it's all in here. Keep the egg in the fire, 'cause their mothers breathe on I em, see, an' when it hatches, feed it on a bucket o' brandy mixed with chicken blood every half hour. An' see here -- how ter recognize diff'rent eggs - what I got there's a Norwegian Ridgeback. They're rare, them." He looked very pleased with himself, but Hermione didn't. "Hagrid, you live in a wooden house," she said.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, J.K.Rowling

There's something about the matter-of-fact way in which Hermione is delivering this line to remind Hagrid of the obvious - that is that having a dragon when you live in a wooden house isn't the best idea - that gets me every time.

2. She crossed all her fingers for good luck and she wasn't going to uncross them under any circumstances

Ron didn't answer; Snape had just awarded Hufflepuff a penalty because George Weasley had hit a Bludger at him. Hermione, who had all her fingers crossed in her lap, was squinting fixedly at Harry, who was circling the game like a hawk, looking for the Snitch.

[...]

Harry had suddenly gone into a spectacular dive, which drew gasps and cheers from the crowd. Hermione stood up, her crossed fingers in her mouth, as Harry streaked toward the ground like a bullet.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, J.K.Rowling

The two elements that really make me smile here is that one, she literally crossed all her fingers (which isn't that easy), as if it'd give Harry better luck; and second, she instinctively didn't uncross the fingers when she put her hand to her mouth, despite her anguish for her best friend - as if doing so would put Harry in bad luck.

3. Victory dance

"Detention!" she shouted. "And twenty points from Slytherin! Wandering around in the middle of the night, how dare you -" "You don't understand, Professor. Harry Potter's coming - he's got a dragon!" "What utter rubbish! How dare you tell such lies! Come on - I shall see Professor Snape about you, Malfoy!" The steep spiral staircase up to the top of the tower seemed the easiest thing in the world after that. Not until they'd stepped out into the cold night air did they throw off the cloak, glad to be able to breathe properly again. Hermione did a sort of jig. "Malfoy's got detention! I could sing!"

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, J.K.Rowling

You can see that Hermione is still very much a child there, considering the very innocent and slightly puerile way she's reacting. Some Disney princesses burst into songs when they find the love of their lives or when they start talking to animals. Hermione, however, would rather have done a Broadway number at the news that her enemies are being punished.

4. She's a thirteen year-old girl, your Honour

"What've we got this afternoon?" said Harry, hastily changing the subject.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts," said Hermione at once.

"Why," demanded Ron, seizing her schedule, "have you outlined all Lockhart's lessons in little hearts?"

Hermione snatched the schedule back, blushing furiously.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, J.K.Rowling

Imagining Hermione lovingly taking the time to outline Lockhart's lessons in little hearts, probably with a smile on her face, is very endearing.

5. Encouraging Ron all the way as she and Harry helped him walk towards Hagrid's cabin

He and Hermione supported Ron out of the stadium and across the grounds toward the edge of the forest. "Nearly there, Ron," said Hermione as the gamekeeper's cabin came into view. "You'll be all right in a minute - almost there -"

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, J.K.Rowling

Hermione, despite her lack of social skills (especially at that point in time), is a very caring person. Here, she encouraged Ron and told him he'd soon get better as they walked towards Hagrid's cabin, and it probably gave Ron strength to go on. She didn't stop doing it all the way to the cabin, despite Ron's obvious lack of answer, and I think this is great.

6. She slept with the cringiest get-well card under her pillow

"What's that?" asked Harry, pointing to something gold sticking out from under Hermione's pillow. "Just a get well card," said Hermione hastily, trying to poke it out of sight, but Ron was too quick for her. He pulled it out, flicked it open, and read aloud: "To Miss Granger, wishing you a speedy recovery, from your concerned teacher, Professor Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most- Charming-Smile Award." Ron looked up at Hermione, disgusted. "You sleep with this under your pillow?" But Hermione was spared answering by Madam Pomfrey sweeping over with her evening dose of medicine.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, J.K.Rowling

Lockhart's get-well card is lame because most of it is filled with Lockhart's accomplishments and titles, yet Hermione was so giddy at the idea that he had thought about her that she literally slept with it under her pillow - frankly one of the biggest fan girls of the series was actually Hermione.

7. Ginny is not the only one people can blackmail over shameful St. Valentine's cards

"Happy Valentine's Day!" Lockhart shouted. "And may I thank the forty-six people who have so far sent me cards! Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all - and it doesn't end here!"

[...]

"Please, Hermione, tell me you weren't one of the forty-six,” said Ron as they left the Great Hall for their first lesson. Hermione suddenly became very interested in searching her bag for her schedule and didn't answer.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, J.K.Rowling

I really wonder what she wrote on that card, if she had dreams of growing up and getting married to Lockhart one day, if she talked about his smile or his forget-me-not blue eyes, if she was disappointed to learn that she was not the only one who had thought about sending him a card.

8. Their complicity and innocence is adorable

"If Snape's teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts again, I'm skiving off," said Ron as they headed toward Lupin's classroom after lunch. "Check who's in there, Hermione." Hermione peered around the classroom door. "It's okay!"

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, J.K.Rowling

It's definitely one of my favourite Romione moments (one of the reasons I love them so much together is that they have amazing chemistry and complicity, contrary to popular belief their jealousy over one another's potential romantic interests isn't what got me into shipping them).

There's something adorable in the innocence they're displaying there, with on the one hand Ron telling the other two that he's going to skip class if Snape's the one teaching and asking Hermione to check for him, and on the other Hermione privately allowing Ron to indeed skip class if Snape is the one teaching, checking for Ron and telling him that "it's okay", he doesn't have to do it.

9. She decorated Crookshanks for Christmas

"What're you two laughing about?" Hermione had just come in, wearing her dressing gown and carrying Crookshanks, who was looking very grumpy, with a string of tinsel tied around his neck.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, J.K.Rowling

This is one of my favourite Hermione moments in all the series. You have to imagine Hermione happily cutting a bit of tinsel, crouching down in front of Crookshanks, trying the tie the string of tinsel around his neck, and telling her cat that he looks beautiful despite his grumpy face to understand what I mean.

10. Hermione seeing through Professor Trelawney's bullshit

"I have decided to introduce the crystal ball a little earlier than I had planned," said Professor Trelawney, sitting with her back to the fire and gazing around. "The fates have informed me that your examination in June will concern the Orb, and I am anxious to give you sufficient practice." Hermione snorted. "Well, honestly… 'the fates have informed her' who sets the exam? She does! What an amazing prediction!" she said, not troubling to keep her voice low. Harry and Ron choked back laughs.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, J.K.Rowling

It's not the insolence by itself that makes me snort (I'm one of the only people who wasn't that impressed by Harry's "There's no need to call me sir"...yeah I know, it's heresy, but insolence for the sake of insolence isn't that enjoyable for me). However, the fact that Hermione wasn't deceived by Trelawney's cryptic tone and presentation, and understood that Trelawney behaved like she was in contact with otherworldly beings while she was, in fact, a regular being and a fraud most of the time, is what makes this funny.

11. Telling her she's some sort of thug is actually one of the best compliments you could give her

"If we only had the Invisibility Cloak…." "Where is it?" said Hermione. Harry told her about leaving it in the passageway under the one-eyed witch. "… if Snape sees me anywhere near there again, I'm in serious trouble," he finished. "That's true," said Hermione, getting to her feet. "If he sees you… How do you open the witch's hump again?" "You - you tap it and say, 'Dissendium,'" said Harry. "But -" Hermione didn't wait for the rest of his sentence; she strode across the room, pushed open the Fat Lady's portrait and vanished from sight. "She hasn't gone to get it?" Ron said, staring after her. She had. Hermione returned a quarter of an hour later with the silvery cloak folded carefully under her robes. "Hermione, I don't know what's gotten into you lately!" said Ron, astounded. "First you hit Malfoy, then you walk out on Professor Trelawney -" Hermione looked rather flattered.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, J.K.Rowling

That's the Hermione Ron fell in love with. She's anxious, she cares about rules and wishes so bad she could be a perfect, responsible pupil, but under all of that there is a passion and spirit very few people can match - and there's a part of Hermione, the one that was most influenced by Ron, that secretly loves the idea of rebellion and freedom from rules. The discrepancy between Hermione's usual behaviour and her positive reaction when Ron tells her she's out of control is hilarious and adorable.

12. She didn't want Hagrid to see her cry

"We'll stay with you too, Hagrid," she began, but Hagrid shook his shaggy head. "Yeh're ter go back up ter the castle. I told yeh, I don' wan' yeh watchin'. An' yeh shouldn' be down here anyway… If Fudge an' Dumbledore catch yeh out without permission, Harry, yeh'll be in big trouble." Silent tears were now streaming down Hermione's face, but she hid them from Hagrid, bustling around making tea. Then, as she picked up the milk bottle to pour some into the jug, she let out a shriek.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, J.K.Rowling

Hermione is a very emotional person, but she still knew that she was there to comfort Hagrid and not to get comforted, so she turned around and hid her tears from him, all to let Hagrid express himself.

13. She still needs to sort out her priorities

Harry looked around. Both Ron and Hermione had tried to disarm Snape at exactly the same moment. Snape's wand soared in a high arc and landed on the bed next to Crookshanks. "You shouldn't have done that," said Black, looking at Harry. "You should have left him to me…" Harry avoided Black's eyes. He wasn't sure, even now, that he'd done the right thing. "We attacked a teacher… We attacked a teacher…" Hermione whimpered, staring at the lifeless Snape with frightened eyes. "Oh, we're going to be in so much trouble -"

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, J.K.Rowling

She was stuck with a potential mass murderer and her possibly dangerous werewolf teacher and she was still very worried about detentions and being expelled (not that I would have been different, I think; I burst into tears the day one of my middle school teachers put a note into my parent-teacher contact book because I'd forgotten my English textbook).

14. She was polite to a potential mass murderer

"Er - Mr. Black - Sirius?" said Hermione. Black jumped at being addressed like this and stared at Hermione as though he had never seen anything quite like her.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, J.K.Rowling

There was honestly no need for her to be polite or considerate to him, especially when you consider that, at that point, she still thought there were great chances he was in fact guilty of the crime he had been convicted of. Yet she still treated him with decency, and that says a lot about the way she sees human beings and their inherent dignity.

15. She taught her future father-in-law how to light a match

Mr. Weasley was having no success at all in lighting the fire, but it wasn't for lack of trying. Splintered matches littered the ground around him, but he looked as though he was having the time of his life. "Oops!" he said as he managed to light a match and promptly dropped it in surprise. "Come here, Mr. Weasley," said Hermione kindly, taking the box from him, and showing him how to do it properly.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K.Rowling

Frankly I am always a bit amazed to think Hermione had any kind of practical skills, and it's also a bit strange to see that scene when you remember that Hermione went camping with her parents sometimes. But having Hermione teaching Mr. Weasley how to navigate Muggle culture is awesome.

16. Hermione is extra, and she drags you along whether you want it or not

"Not spew," said Hermione impatiently. "It's S-P-E-W. Stands for the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare." "Never heard of it," said Ron. "Well, of course you haven't," said Hermione briskly, "I've only just started it." "Yeah?" said Ron in mild surprise. "How many members have you got?" "Well - if you two join - three," said Hermione. "And you think we want to walk around wearing badges saying 'spew,' do you?" said Ron. "S-P-E-W!" said Hermione hotly. "I was going to put Stop the Outrageous Abuse of Our Fellow Magical Creatures and Campaign for a Change in Their Legal Status - but it wouldn't fit. So that's the heading of our manifesto." She brandished the sheaf of parchment at them. "I've been researching it thoroughly in the library. Elf enslavement goes back centuries. I can't believe no one's done anything about it before now." "Hermione - open your ears," said Ron loudly. "They. Like. It. They like being enslaved!" "Our short-term aims," said Hermione, speaking even more loudly than Ron, and acting as though she hadn't heard a word, "are to secure house-elves fair wages and working conditions. Our long-term aims include changing the law about non-wand use, and trying to get an elf into the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, because they're shockingly underrepresented." "And how do we do all this?" Harry asked. "We start by recruiting members," said Hermione happily. "I thought two Sickles to join - that buys a badge - and the proceeds can fund our leaflet campaign. You're treasurer, Ron - I've got you a collecting tin upstairs - and Harry, you're secretary, so you might want to write down everything I'm saying now, as a record of our first meeting." There was a pause in which Hermione beamed at the pair of them, and Harry sat, torn between exasperation at Hermione and amusement at the look on Ron's face.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K.Rowling

You'll be hard-pressed to find someone who is as critical of Hermione's S.P.E.W. as I am, considering I pretty much agree with Hagrid that "freeing" the house-elves is doing them a disservice and that Hermione's charity was completely tone-deaf and frankly patronizing. Nonetheless, there's something deeply endearing about this passage, from the outrageously long and complicated name that she wanted to give to her charity and that she only gave up because she couldn't fit it on badges, to the fact that she completely ignored Ron's objections when he was talking and appointed him treasurer without even asking him (nor did she ask Harry whether he wanted to be secretary). Even better, she "beamed" at them when she finished her speech, expecting them to be happy about it. Bonus points for the awful name she gave to her charity instead of the outrageously long one, and for the fact that she wrote a manifesto.

17. They're idiots, but they're her idiots

"It's okay," he said, before Ron could get the words out. "Forget it." "No," said Ron, "I shouldn't've -" "Forget it," Harry said. Ron grinned nervously at him, and Harry grinned back Hermione burst into tears. "There's nothing to cry about!" Harry told her, bewildered. "You two are so stupid!" she shouted, stamping her foot on the ground, tears splashing down her front. Then, before either of them could stop her, she had given both of them a hug and dashed away, now positively howling.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K.Rowling

This is genuinely one of my top 5 Hermione moments (and quite frankly right now I can't think of a moment when I loved Hermione more than this one). I get emotional every time I read this passage. Hermione being so happy and so relieved about Harry and Ron reconciling that she burst into tears (with tears literally "splashing down her front") warms my heart. In particular, the way she left the scene, berating the both of them before immediately hugging them and running away "positively howling" embodies what I love most about Hermione.

18. She dropped to her knees to be at Winky's level

At this, Winky flung herself forward off her stool and lay face-down on the flagged stone floor, beating her tiny fists upon it and positively screaming with misery. Hermione hastily dropped down to her knees beside her and tried to comfort her, but nothing she said made the slightest difference.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K.Rowling

Again, I think Hermione didn't understand house-elves and didn't know how to interact with them (Harry and Ron were much better at this than she was), but she still put herself at their level and that means a lot.

19. How dare you fail her, library ?

"There must be something," Hermione muttered, moving a candle closer to her. Her eyes were so tired she was poring over the tiny print of Olde and Forgotten Bewitchments and Charms with her nose about an inch from the page. "They'd never have set a task that was undoable." "They have," said Ron. "Harry, just go down to the lake tomorrow, right, stick your head in, yell at the merpeople to give back whatever they've nicked, and see if they chuck it out. Best you can do, mate." "There's a way of doing it!" Hermione said crossly. "There Just has to be!" She seemed to be taking the library's lack of useful information on the subject as a personal insult; it had never failed her before.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K.Rowling

There's something about Hermione being personally offended by the library's lack of useful information, and the fact that she expressed that anger out loud ("There has to be"...as if it was unfathomable for her to imagine the library might not have the answer to everything), that's just gold.

20. This girl didn't care and she wasn't going to let bullies bother her

"If that's the best Rita can do, she's losing her touch," said Hermione, still giggling, as she threw Witch Weekly onto the empty chair beside her. "What a pile of old rubbish." She looked over at the Slytherins, who were all watching her and Harry closely across the room to see if they had been upset by the article. Hermione gave them a sarcastic smile and a wave, and she, Harry, and Ron started unpacking the ingredients they would need for their Wit-Sharpening Potion.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K.Rowling

She waved back with a sarcastic smile to the group of girls who wanted to upset her, and that's very cool.

21. She was confident Harry was going to be cleared, but she was still so anxious that she had to put a shaking hand over her eyes

'I knew it!' yelled Ron, punching the air. 'You always get away with stuff!' 'They were bound to clear you,' said Hermione, who had looked positively faint with anxiety when Harry had entered the kitchen and was now holding a shaking hand over her eyes, 'there was no case against you, none at all.'

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J.K.Rowling

It's actually a recurring trait of Hermione: whenever she's scared, she tends to put her hand on her eyes or mouth. But the fact that she was trying to say confidently that there was no reason for Harry to get convicted while she was still so anxious is lovely indeed.

Also, Ron's "you always get away with stuff" is hilarious and it makes me laugh every time.

22. "There was some important stuff hidden in the waffle"

'Yes, it certainly was illuminating,' said Hermione in a low voice. 'You're not telling me you enjoyed it?' Ron said quietly, turning a glazed face towards Hermione. That was about the dullest speech I've ever heard, and I grew up with Percy.' 'I said illuminating, not enjoyable,' said Hermione. 'It explained a lot.' 'Did it?' said Harry in surprise. 'Sounded like a load of waffle to me.' There was some important stuff hidden in the waffle,' said Hermione grimly.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J.K.Rowling

The very serious way she used the world "waffle" to describe "grimly" the implications hidden in Umbridge's speech creates a disconnect that makes me snicker every time I see the sentence in the book.

23. War lord Hermione

With a whoosh and a clatter, hundreds of owls came soaring in through the upper windows. They descended all over the Hall, bringing letters and packages to their owners and showering the breakfasters with droplets of water; it was clearly raining hard outside. Hedwig was nowhere to be seen, but Harry was hardly surprised; his only correspondent was Sirius, and he doubted Sirius would have anything new to tell him after only twenty-four hours apart. Hermione, however, had to move her orange juice aside quickly to make way for a large damp barn owl bearing a sodden Daily Prophet in its beak. "What are you still getting that for?' said Harry irritably, thinking of Seamus as Hermione placed a Knut in the leather pouch on the owl's leg and it took off again. 'I'm not bothering... load of rubbish.' 'It's best to know what the enemy is saying,' said Hermione darkly, and she unfurled the newspaper and disappeared behind it, not emerging until Harry and Ron had finished eating.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J.K.Rowling

I don't necessarily see Hermione as a fearless leader (that's Harry's role), especially in regard to the fact that Hermione's a very anxious person who tends to panic in stressful situations, but I think we can still all agree that having Hermione branding you as her "enemy" is very scary and that you'd better go into hiding. It's also very funny.

24. She asked Hagrid whether he had learned something about his mother when he was visiting the giants

'Hagrid?' said Hermione quietly after a while. 'Mmm?' 'Did you... was there any sign of... did you hear anything about your... your... mother while you were there?' Hagrid's unobscured eye rested upon her and Hermione looked rather scared. 'I'm sorry... I... forget it — ' 'Dead,' Hagrid grunted. 'Died years ago. They told me.' 'Oh... I'm... I'm really sorry,' said Hermione in a very small voice.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J.K.Rowling

It's just the fact that she thought about it in the first place. Her hesitation, and her "very small voice" when she said she was sorry to learn his mother was dead, makes this even better.

25. Sick burn

Rita Skeeter looked as though the taste of Stinksap was strong in her mouth again as she rounded on Hermione. 'I'm supposed to do this for free?' 'Well, yes,' said Hermione calmly, taking a sip of her drink. 'Otherwise, as you very well know, I will inform the authorities that you are an unregistered Animagus. Of course, the Prophet might give you rather a lot for an insider's account of life in Azkaban.'

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J.K.Rowling

It's not the scheme itself that makes me smile but the fact that she blackmailed Rita into writing the article for free, and the sass with which she did it.

26. She's chilling

'OK, Harry?' said Hermione, turning to him. 'Ready to tell the public the truth?' 'I suppose,' said Harry, watching Rita balancing the Quick-Quotes Quill at the ready on the parchment between them. 'Fire away, then, Rita,' said Hermione serenely, fishing a cherry out from the bottom of her glass.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J.K.Rowling

This "serenely" is everything. She was so unbothered she was just sipping her drink calmly as she bossed Rita Skeeter around.

27. This is me and I don't like it

"Hermione, will you shut up, you're not the only one who's nervous!" barked Ron. "And when you've got your eleven 'Outstanding OWLs…’" "Don't, don't, don't!" said Hermione, flapping her hands hysterically. "I know I've failed everything!" "What happens if we fail?" Harry asked the room at large, but it was again Hermione who answered. "We discuss our options with our Head of House, I asked Professor McGonagall at the end of last term." Harry's stomach squirmed. He wished he had eaten less breakfast. "At Beauxbâtons," said Fleur complacently, "we 'ad a different way of doing things. I think eet was better. We sat our examinations after six years of study, not five, and then…" Fleur's words were drowned in a scream. Hermione was pointing through the kitchen window. Three black specks were clearly visible in the sky, growing larger all the time. "They're definitely owls," said Ron hoarsely, jumping up to join Hermione at the window. "And there are three of them," said Harry, hastening to her other side. "One for each of us," said Hermione in a terrified whisper. "Oh no… oh no… oh no…" She gripped both Harry and Ron tightly around the elbows. The owls were flying directly at the Burrow, three handsome tawnies, each of which, it became clear as they flew lower over the path leading up to the house, was carrying a large square envelope. "Oh no!" squealed Hermione. Mrs. Weasley squeezed past them and opened the kitchen window. One, two, three, the owls soared through it and landed on the table in a neat line. All three of them lifted their right legs. Harry moved forward. The letter addressed to him was tied to the leg of the owl in the middle. He untied it with fumbling fingers. To his left, Ron was trying to detach his own results; to his right, Hermione's hands were shaking so much she was making her whole owl tremble. Nobody in the kitchen spoke. At last, Harry managed to detach the envelope. He slit it open quickly and unfolded the parchment inside. [...] He looked around. Hermione had her back to him and her head bent, but Ron was looking delighted.

[...] "Hermione?" said Ginny tentatively, for Hermione still hadn't turned around. "How did you do?" "I-not bad," said Hermione in a small voice. "Oh, come off it," said Ron, striding over to her and whipping her results out of her hand. "Yep… ten 'Outstandings' and one 'Exceeds Expectations' at Defense Against the Dark Arts." He looked down at her, half-amused, half-exasperated. "You're actually disappointed, aren't you?" Hermione shook her head, but Harry laughed.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K.Rowling

This is the kind of things that made me relate to Hermione. I did this several times during my school career. At one point, I moaned to one of my friend that I was going to fail our mock history exam, but I got one of the best results in the class...and was still disappointed in myself for not having a perfect grade. I wish I could have had a Ron back then, and I'm so sorry for my friend. Sorry, E, I must have been so annoying.

28. Yes, sir, absolutely, Draco Malfoy is my friend and I want to give him a gift for his birthday, and I absolutely never slapped him, no sir

"You two stay here," whispered Hermione. "What are you… ?" But Hermione had already ducked out from under the cloak. She checked her hair in the reflection in the glass, then marched into the shop, setting the bell tinkling again. Ron hastily fed the Extendable Ears back under the door and passed one of the strings to Harry. "Hello, horrible morning, isn't it?" Hermione said brightly to Borgin, who did not answer, but cast her a suspicious look. Humming cheerily, Hermione strolled through the jumble of objects on display. "Is this necklace for sale?" she asked, pausing beside a glass-fronted case. "If you've got one and a half thousand Galleons," said Mr. Borgin coldly. "Oh… er… no, I haven't got quite that much," said Hermione, walking on. "And… what about this lovely… um… skull?" "Sixteen Galleons." "So it's for sale, then? It isn't being… kept for anyone?" Mr. Borgin squinted at her. Harry had the nasty feeling he knew exactly what Hermione was up to. Apparently Hermione felt she had been rumbled too because she suddenly threw caution to the winds. "The thing is, that… er… boy who was in here just now, Draco Malfoy, well, he's a friend of mine, and I want to get him a birthday present, but if he's already reserved anything, I obviously don't want to get him the same thing, so… um…"

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K.Rowling

The irony of Hermione saying Draco Malfoy was her friend and that she wanted to purchase a birthday gift for him, minutes after he called her a "Mudblood" for the umpteenth time, is hilarious.

29. This girl took every opportunity she could have to grip Ron's arm (and I approve)

"What did Scrimgeour want?' Hermione whispered. 'Same as he wanted at Christmas,' shrugged Harry. 'Wanted me to give him inside information on Dumbledore and be the Ministry's new poster boy.' Ron seemed to struggle with himself for a moment, then he said loudly to Hermione, 'Look, let me go back and hit Percy!' 'No,' she said firmly, grabbing his arm.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K.Rowling

I know that Hermione's a very physical person, but in the series she mostly "gripped" people's arms out of fear, as a way to support them, or as a way to prevent them from doing something reckless. Yet here she didn't really have a reason to grip Ron's arm: he wasn't really going to hit Percy, and she knows it. Ron's indignant, but the way his vocal outrage is phrased shows that his goal is to distract Harry, to lighten up the situation and make Harry and Hermione feel better. The fact that he asked Hermione for permission to hit Percy is adorable and says a lot about their complicity, but also shows he had no real intention of hitting Percy...thus Hermione had also no real reason to grab Ron's arm, and she just used Ron's words as an excuse to do so.

30. "I'm hoping to do some good in the world!"

“Are you planning to follow a career in Magical Law, Miss Granger?” asked Scrimgeour.

“No, I’m not,” retorted Hermione. “I’m hoping to do some good in the world!”

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K.Rowling

She sassed the authoritarian Minister of Magic and basically implied that you couldn't do anything good while working for him. Need I say more ?

[crafty-business4130]

so to expand upon this lets go in some ideas on what helscraft is like

i like to think that helscraft is a weird glitched copy of the overworld and the nether mixed together. for the cannon of my hermit duplicate’s AU (of which i will be referring to within this post) the dimension of helscraft isnt really a full dimension that always appears in every world like the end and nether. it only spawns into a world after a year or so of players putting all of their love and care into the world. the world builds up enough of all that good energy and then causes a opposite opposing Force to form. thus helscraft spawns into existence. in a way you could say the whole dimension of helscraft is a duplicate as well.

now one thing that kinda throws a a wrench in the works of this idea is that every year or so the hermits move into a new world, though since its normally has been roughly the same amount of players in each season we can go with the hermitcraft dimension of hels is carried over with each world jump. the world of hels change to match the new overworld but its still the same helshermits. though for the hermits that leave the server their hels counterpart disappears.  this may also work in reverse as well. only have one example so far so who know :) cOUGHCOughNHOcOUGh

with the the hows and whys on helscraft existence out-of-the-way let's get into some worldbuilding!

as ive already mentioned, helscraft is somewhat of a glitchy mix of the overworld and nether. what i havent mentioned is that a good bit of the April Fools updates and removed features for the overworld ended up floating over to helscraft but unlike the overworld in which these features disappear pretty quickly they ended up sticking around in helscraft, for better or worst. 

heres a list of examples of this, of which i then expanded upon them to make them more fleshed-out. 

the list got really long so the rest of the post is under the cut! :D

Pig and cow sized horses, if fed too much will cause the animal to grow dangerous mutations that can not only kill the animal but make its remains toxic and unedible. You can make a green book via using toxic leather (the crafting book)

A common spell is to summon flame that then can be used for new crafting recipes. one such recipe is flaming barrels, if someone walks too close it will explode, another is chainmail armor

if you put too much fuel into a furnace it will explode.

torches burn out an hour or two after being lit

chickens are deadly, do not provoke them. it is extremely rare but the is a very small chance spawn in a blue chicken. only able to spawn via throwing eggs. it drops lapis and diamonds instead of eggs. beware tho, all chickens in the immediate vicinity will protect the blue one with their lives and will attack anything that gets too close.

eating or feeding an animal a god apple will cause it to float upwards for five minutes before slowly descending back to the ground. 

Wheat if not chopped after fully grown will go bad and die, same thing with other crops. though you can make Iron infused melon and pumpkins, it insures that the stem won't die over time after its first produce

Powered Redstone causes redstone bugs to spawn, it can be stopped by combining lapis and redstone dust together to make bluestone dust. asifhfsssdhv only a noob uses redstone.

Redstone wire, another alternative of redstone made with redstone dust surrounded by cobwebs. it insulates the redstone and stops bugs from spawning. pretty much the same thing function wise but is a pretty cool thing to use to flex on others

Villagers are instead piglins, not the tanned ones added into the nether update but rather pink skinned ones.

Glowing obsidian, a glowing red version of obsidian. Only found in trades with piglins

In helscraft there are lava oceans instead of water, water can only be found deep underground. Lava instead of water is infinite, water is no longer infinite. 

The world of hels first looked like the indev world theme of hell, with following updates to the overworld helscraft changed and evolved as well. There is no sun nor moon, just a forever floating layer of lava that acts to light up the dimension. 

Frostwalker is instead, Magmawalker, turning lava into magma blocks shortly before melting back into lava

Boss fights arent the same in helscraft as in the normal overworld and its closely neighboring tied in dimensions of the end and nether. Not found in helscraft are Guardians, the ender dragon, and technically the Wither as well. Instead you can find Giants, the red dragon, the four horse men(much more difficult to defeat)

Giants unlike the ai less ones you can spawn using commands are living and breathing monsters that roam the land. During their travels any ghasts they cross will join them on their wandering

Ghasts can be somewhat tamed in helscraft. If you can successfully capture a baby ghast from its parents and raise it yourself the ghast will be malleable enough, somewhat like foxes but just a bit more wild. If you happen to accidentally harm them it will turn on you and fight you to the death, be it your’s or theirs.

It's a very very rare find but huge brick pyramids can spawn into the world. in season 7 helscraft’s cubfan took up residence within one that spawned in Incredibly Close to spawn

There are alot of different nonsensical potions that can be brewed for interesting drinks. some have a use, most dont tho. all of em have amazingly different tastes and smells

instead of honeycomb there is crystallized honey, it functions as pretty much the exact same thing. has its block too, call the wax block.

Killer bunnies spawn in more often than normal bunnies

Og stonecutter, can cut blocks into half. Not only used for stone. can cut doors, beds, and much more into halfs

Nether reactor core, could be the key on how to jump between the hermitcraft and helscraft. will need to think on this idea some more though

Petrified Forest, a biome within helscraft that has wood as hard as stone and a texture reminiscent of a mix of acacia and crimson planks color wise.

unsure as of yet on what to call it but the volcanic biome the Rempirer had Rendog make is a biome within helscraft as well!(the Rempirer is ren’s helscraft counterpart... he wasnt always evil as he is now) 

the mobs that lost the vote found their way into helscraft, not just the moobloom all of them. the three mystery mobs from the 2017 and the ice illager. (i voted for the glow squid and while i do still stand by my decision it is truely a shame we might not see any of them all in the game ever )

Studded armor and plate armor, alternatives to leather and chainmail. studded armor is made with leather and stone and plate armor is made with smooth stone slabs

stained glass looks a bit like this

and colored wool like this!

and thats everything for now. ill probly be working out some more ideas since theres a surprisingly large amount of features that have been added to minecraft either hidden away in the background or removed.

 also if anyone wants a some links to where i found these old and mostly forgotten facts ill post em in the notes when i get the time to do so. theres a lot of them tho so i might forget a few

hey also if you like these you might also like my Discord! i made it for this au and i tend to share my ideas a bit more over there than over here. theres a lot to see :DD

[rainyday-deer]

I’ve been playing Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town and I have..... Thoughts™

Some light spoilers.

I can’t call it a bad game, I’m having fun, but it’s not.... Good, either.

The character customization is FANTASTIC, imo. I really like a lot of the options, and the ability to change the color of your individual eyes is pretty neat! I’ve really enjoyed the addition of being able to customize the MC in the newer games, and I’m glad it’s something they’ve kept around (even if the default MCs are rly cute too)

The addition of a moped is neat, though I’ll admit it seems... Superfluous. The horse in previous games was primarily used as a way to get around faster. I understand you have to unlock your moped, but the same goes for the horse, and with the way the game mechanics work, I have my moped back before I have the stable rebuilt, which kind of...Renders the horse moot. Why would I bother to build the stable now and waste fodder/stamina on an animal when I have a moped again?

In terms of the villagers, I can’t say I’m very attached to any of them. I’ve got a small handful that I guess I like but I’m just generally not invested in any of them or their lives.The dialogue is all very samey, and I feel like there’s little variation in what they say to me-- Which is generally a problem in most of the games, but it seems more noticeable here, and almost makes me ache for Save the Homeland’s dialogue style instead.

The voice clips are a nice touch, remind me vaguely of Magical Melody, and I’ll admit it’s a nice little touch. To be frank, the lack of visible talksprites and heart meters being hidden in notes VERY much reminds me of StH or MM, and isn’t necessarily something that bothers me (even if the camera angles get a lil wonky.)

As for how the farm works... I absolutely hate that the makers can only make one item at a time. I hate hate hate that I have several of these damn things lined up on my farm, taking up space, just so I can have the materials I need, and even then I only get ONE AT A TIME! And I need SEVERAL of these items to do anything from upgrading my tools, to expanding my house, to making clothes. In previous games, YES, you had to have certain items to do these things as well, but you (usually) didn’t need to turn ores into ingots first. Lumber was straight up logs that you cut down, and stones were actually useful. But here? HERE?

Cut the tree down. Save the logs. Put 3 logs into a maker. Get one (1) piece of lumber. Repeat ad nauseam.

By the way, there’s at least 5 different types of lumber. And grass. And you need them all for different things! And you need a lot of them for the different things!

There’s 3 mines, which are, frankly, kind of disappointing. The 3rd and largest mine is only 50 floors, and while the addition of the moles make for an... Interesting angle (and fighting off enemies isn’t new at all in certain games) it’s just... Boring. Part of the reason I enjoyed the mines so much in previous games was part of the challenge! It zapped your stamina so easily, and the further down you got, the more exciting it was! But it (personally) feels like there’s no challenge to these mines, and their low variety makes them boring. In reality, you’re only down there to get ores to shove into the ingot makers, so you can progress. (Because remember, these take more than one ore, to make just one (1) ingot!)

Your farm also has various trees and grasses growing over its 3 levels, which is all well and good. However, they crop up and grow VERY fast, including in places you don’t want them to. You have to cover spaces with flooring to stop them from popping up somewhere inconvenient, and even then, they’ll appear where you weren’t ALLOWED to place the flooring. You can’t just sickle the saplings, either. You have to mash those down with a hammer.

Your sickle is ONLY used for cutting the grass, which makes it almost useless in terms of upgrading. You cannot use it on crops, weeds, etc. Just the grass.

There’s also these blue stepping stones across your farm in various places. To my knowledge they cannot be moved or broken, and you cannot till them away, or place anything over them, resulting in wasted space, frankly.

As for the animals, it’s very... Strange? In my opinion. I’m unsure if it’s because of the mode I selected, but the livestock does not NEED to be brushed every day. Rather, when you go to take care of them, the animal will have a small speech bubble over them, indicating what they want at the moment. Your cows and goats will often have a milk icon over their head most days, and only OCCASIONALLY (in my experience) will they want to be brushed. Strangely, you don’t need to buy any tools to do so, either. You interact, they’re milked. You interact, they’re brushed. It’s all very quick, as well.

Also strangely, you have to purchase the ability to breed your chickens, rather than just putting an egg into the incubator.

As for the animal variety... I like it! The goats and the rabbits are very fun additions! And simply finding your animals (and the new varieties) randomly on your farm and then ‘taming’ them is kind of fun, but it does feel like you don’t particularly get a say in if you want to have the new animals in the first place, even if you CAN release animals via the Earth Sprites.

Which, by the way, make me miss the Harvest Sprites, very much. They’re sort of cute, I guess, but ultimately a little boring, if not helpful. Even the Spirit is... Interesting, and beautiful as she is, she’s so. Bland. You can’t really befriend her, just sort of talk to her, but it doesn’t really seem to do much.

I miss you, Harvest Goddess.........

There’s an added museum feature, very similar to animal crossing, but save for the small statues being built of animals you take photos of, it’s just another way to pad out the game, and is very unimpressive to look at.

Crop, meanwhile, are very... Eh, to me. Crops that previously used to be able to be harvested from all season, last 1-3 harvests before disappearing, and then need to be replanted--Including things like tea bushes. Thankfully, the seed makers are a maker that give you 2 seeds out of 1 item-- Though the seed bags only cover 1 tilled square, rather than 9, like in a few previous games.

Your rucksack is also limited in space-- Once again, nothing new, but very frustrating for a game that requires you to have a variety of materials on hold to make XYZ thing. The shipping bin ALSO only holds so many items, and to my knowledge cannot be upgraded. Got 25 items to ship? Sorry! You can only ship 24! Guess you have to wait until tomorrow :)

There’s also only 2 festivals per season, one of which is a mini game, while the other... Is not. It’s kind of a bummer, actually, and I don’t find myself looking forward to them at all.

It’s not all bad, though!

I do enjoy the ability to build sprinklers and let THOSE water your crops for you. It’s very time and stamina saving, and I thoroughly enjoy it.

The variety of crops and wild flowers is nice as well! You can get some crops grown wild, pop those into a seed maker, and then BOOM! You just got strawberries, or melons, or pineapples for free! Nice!

I DO like that your farm has 3 different levels, and unlocking them by fixing bridges is pretty cool, and genuinely feels like it’s been earned when you DO save up enough money (or materials) to unlock them.

The character models look pretty nice, if not a little strange at times. I feel like they can move stiffly in cutscenes, and they have very limited expressions, but they’re still nice to look at. I thoroughly enjoy the happy dance villagers do when you give them a gift they particularly like.

But...

I won’t lie to you guys, but EVERY time I pick up to play (which I’ll admit is a lot, despite my complaints), I find myself wanting to play the older games instead. Now I’ll admit a lot of the newer games could be lacking in particular areas, but there was ALWAYS a lot of enjoyment for me while playing them, so to have this absolute ACHE to dig out my ps2 or my gamecube to play Save the Homeland or Magical Melody INSTEAD is.... Kind of astounding to me.

It’s a fun game to turn your brain off and play, but I don’t think it’s deserving of the price tag-- Even with the new downloadable content on the way (that also costs money, even if you can save some with the expansion pass.). It feels oddly hollow and very... Mobile-game like to me, and while it’s not the WORST game I’ve ever played, it feels like it’s missing a lot of the charm that previous titles have had.

[thebountyfucker]

Kyuzo/Phatrong Headcanon Masterpost

I created a post similar to this on my main blog @kyuzan-queen years ago and wanted to give it a refresh!

Included in this post:

Kyuzan biology (does include NSFW elements) Culture: Clothing, Music/Art, Religion, Familial culture, Politics, and life of Phatrong

Kyuzoni biology:

The Kyuzo are an omnivorous (carnivorous-leaning) reptilian species. They sport a mouthful of sharp fangs and a long tongue. While they are reptilian, they are warm blooded and do not lay eggs. Because of Phatrong's inconsistent weather, Kyuzo evolved to be able to maintain and regulate their own body temperatures. Their bodies can accept a shift in temperature of about 20 degrees Fahrenheit before it starts to affect them. They, like cold-blooded reptiles, do enjoy sunning/basking. It's good for their mental health and other bodily processes!

Kyuzos also evolved to carry pregnancies and give live births, also because of the weather. The process of Kyuzan pregnancy is awkward and painful, though, and mortality rates for mothers are quite high.

Kyuzo skin is rough, but not scaly like Trandoshans. Skin colors can range anywhere from green, to yellow, to blue and in between. However, those who are purely yellow or blue have a common pigmentation disorder. Their health is not negatively affected because of this, although people might treat them differently depending on where they live.

All Phatrongi Kyuzo are born with honeycomb eyes, that can be any color. Their eyes tend to glow in the dark, and they can see in the dark better than most humanoids.

Other than having slightly wider hips, cis females are very similar to cis males. Cis females do not have breasts or any noticeable secondary sex traits. While cis males tend to be a bit taller and wider framed, its not uncommon for cis females to have those traits, and vice versa. Intersex Kyuzo are common. Gender is very fluid among the Kyuzo, as parents tend to raise their children without a defined gender; when the child is of age, they get to decided what their gender is. Thus, being trans or nonbinary is prevalent.

The Kyuzo can be up to 7′6″ tall, with most falling in the 6′ to 6′6″ range. They tend to have larger frames than humans but are considerably more agile.

The weakest part of the Kyuzo is their lungs; if there is too much moisture in the air, they can easily contract pneumonia. Too little oxygen in the air and they’ll suffocate. Thus the reason they wear masks off planet.  

Kyuzo, beyond that, are an incredibly hearty species that can live upward of three hundred years. After reaching sexual maturity at around young adulthood, their aging slows down. Whatever kills them before old age is usually attributed to their lungs or more physical means. They can contract other diseases, but they are usually nonfatal. Usually.

They have an amazing amount of stamina and can run at speeds that are hard for most humanoids to attain. They, unfortunately, have high pain tolerances and a hard time receiving fatigue messages to the brain, and this generally spells out problems. Kyuzos have been known to run themselves to death - literally. It’s not uncommon for families to find the bodies of missing members hundreds of miles away from where they were last seen. They have to make a very conscious effort to stop, or they won’t.

Kyuzo are much stronger than other humanoids, and can jump higher. Most outsiders confuse them as force sensitives for this reason. Kyuzos can be Force-sensitive, but it's rare to find Kyuzo Jedi.

Kyuzan cocks are long, with a tapered head. Most cocks have ridges or nodes on the top that would expand when inside a Kyuzan pussy. These nodes would help to anchor the cock inside. However, when fucking a near-human, these nodes/ridges tend to only work as extra sensation against the g-spot and a-spot.

Culture:

Clothing:

Most feminine presenting Kyuzo wear headwraps/headdresses. Other than displaying wealth and covering cold heads, there isn’t much of a reason that they wear the headdresses. It’s not required, but most feminine presenting people wear them because they grew up seeing other feminine presenting people wearing them. If one is wealthy, their headdresses will tend to be large and elaborate; it’s not uncommon for one to wear a headdress that is pounds upon pounds of metals, jewels, and cloth. Poorer feminine presenting people generally just wear cloth, or nothing at all.

Kyuzoni clothing is colorful and flowy; people wear very similar clothing, no matter what gender they are. Dresses and skirts are very common, and people will generally go topless. While most colors are okay to use, there are certain colors that are not used in everyday clothing, such as purple, light blue, gold, and white; the Kyuzo place sacred meaning in some colors, so they are only supposed to be used for special events.

Phatrong’s army/police force wear loose, non-restricting clothing with a leather-like armor covering their chests. Their family’s crest is painted upon the armor, in case that the warrior is killed in action. Their clothing is trimmed in gold, which represents bravery and wisdom.

Light blue cloth, specifically headwraps or shirts, signify that a wedding is approaching. Purple is a wedding color, as it signifies prosperity and commitment; wedding clothes are trimmed with silver. White is only used for funerals or births, as it signifies both death and the innocence of new life.

Music/Art:

Music on Phatrong generally revolves around stringed instruments and percussion instruments; they don’t generally listen to music for leisure. Music is only played at festivals, and generally tells the stories of ancient heroes and gods. The Kyuzo also create dances to these story-songs, to make things more dramatic.

Art varies around Phatrong. By the oceans, it’s mostly glass-work like beads and giant stained glass windows. Those Kyuzo that live by the rivers create pottery. Richer families will paint large murals that will cover the walls of their homes. These murals tell tales of their gods, but more often than not they are used almost like photographs that capture small moments in the lives of the family. Jewelry making is also common.

Religion:

The Kyuzo believe in a polytheistic system; the most prominent goddess is Vohaoya (Vo-ha-oy-ah), the mother of the gods and creator of worlds. She represents women, fertility, life, and nature; she is described as having a mostly Kyuzoni appearance, with three eyes and four arms. Often, she is shown in art or statues sitting cross-legged, cradling Phatrong in her lap; her arms are either pointing toward the sky, or she is making gestures with her hands. Her bottom arms are often portrayed as laying flat against her legs with palms upturned - this relays openness. Her left top arm is often resting on the planet, which portrays her protective nature. And her right top arm is often pointed upward, her pointer finger curling in toward her palm while the rest of her fingers are outstretched; this is a symbol of love for the Kyuzo. Her statues are mostly made out of gold, but are painted with the likeness of galaxies; some people swear that the stars shift in the right light.

Other more minor deities include Ixpi, the goddess of peace, and her brother Echting, the god of war. Because the Kyuzo like to believe that they are a peaceful race, Echting is often described as a villain. Ixpi is described as a small, rainbow-colored being that floats rather than walks; besides being the goddess of peace, she is also a patron of happiness, sunrise, and the LGBT community on Phatrong. Echting is also the god of destruction, mayhem, and storms; he is often described as a fiery being too bright to look at. He is surrounded by lightning and is easily angered.

There are temples, wherein these gods can be worshipped. The temples are all large and ornate, made usually of marble or wood. The temples for Vohaoya and Ixpi are run exclusively by priestesses, and though men can worship there, men cannot serve the goddesses. Men can work at the temples of Echting, but not many do, given the god's bad reputation.

Legend has it that Vohaoya created the Warriors of old to protect the gods from those that wished to harm them. They were created from the rich soil, and they were considered divine beings. In the modern era of Phatrong, it is still considered one of the highest honors to be a Warrior.

Life on Phatrong:

The Kyuzo tend to live in large villages or the few small cities around the planet; those who are born into the more obscure villages often never leave the villages.

Villages are generally comprised of thousands of people, all of which are extended family members. Separate families can have more than twenty-five members, all living in one house. Villagers take turns tending to the communal farm, which produces most of their food and fibers for clothing; to supplement the farm, they also forage, hunt, and fish.

Village born Kyuzo are very secluded, only working with neighboring villages to marry off their children. Because of their seclusion, they are the more suspicious and less educated than their city counterparts. Knowledge is passed down through the generations as those born in the villages don’t have access to teachers. At most, they know Kyuzoni and basic math: they are instead taught more practical skills, like sewing, cooking, cleaning, and animal husbandry.

There are two ‘real’ cities on Phatrong, Shutalo and Shouji; Shutalo (Shoo-tah-loh) is the capital city, to the north. Shouji (Show-zhee) is a large industrial city in the southern hemisphere. Any outside trade is limited to these two areas.

Kyuzo that live in the city tend to have smaller families, with about six members at the most. The Kyuzo in the cities have actual jobs, but they don’t make money; they are given items of use instead. (Think of bartering, almost. If they work at a textile store, they are given cloth, which can then be traded for food, etc.) Villages that have produced too much food or are in need of other items will sell food to the city folk.

City Kyuzo have better access to education, although it’s still not the best in the galaxy. Most city Kyuzo learn things like writing, higher levels of math, and an objective look on the planet’s history. Kyuzo that wish to learn beyond that must travel off planet.

It’s extremely difficult for Kyuzos to speak Basic, just because Kyuzoni and Basic are so different. It can take years and years just to get the verbal language down, and that doesn’t count how long it takes for them to learn to read Aurebesh. If the Kyuzo do manage to figure out how to speak Basic, they have thick accents that are often hard to understand, thus making them vulnerable to mockery.

Politics:

Politics on Phatrong are strange as the government actually doesn’t do much. The senate, located in Shutalo, is a group of Kyuzo (and a few Kataline) from various villages and cities that are there to set basic laws so that they can have a seat in the Council of Neutral Systems. Really, the various villages will set their own rules, and as long as it doesn’t interfere with the senate, they’re generally alright with it. (A law would include: Murder is punishable by death. But their definition of murder is loose and up to interpretation.)

Kyuzo children (generally young men but it’s not limited to males) learn to fight from the moment they can understand. The Kyuzo, although a generally ‘peaceful’ race, train their children to become a quasi-army/police force. The most promising fighters are then shipped off to various academies around Phatrong to train with masters to hone their skills. Many children, as a result of poor quality of life at the academies and dangerous fighting practices, end up dying. It is rare that the academies are punished. The children that make it then must complete a three-year stint as an active warrior; those who passed but are not necessarily promising are sent to protect sacred temples. Those who show a certain level of finesse can continue to climb the ranks until they are high-ranking military officials. They act more like a police force than a military, but they have the training just in case.

Marriage and Family Life:

Kyuzo children are often promised to each other at birth; throughout their childhoods, they get to meet and connect with their betrothed. They generally marry at eighteen, with a week-long festival preceding it. Certain wives -ones that are ordained from birth by priestesses- are considered sacred embodiments of the Goddess Vohaoya, and are limited to bearing five children; superstition says that having too many children will thin out the wife’s existence. Daughters are vitally important to carry on their mother’s bloodline.

Because Kyuzo value large family, a husband will take a wetzandi as well; a wetzandi, or birth maid, is a younger woman who births the rest of a man’s children. A wetzandi is someone who is generally caught bedding out of wedlock, or has committed some other small crime against the goddesses. Unfortunately, they are not valued by most, and are treated as little more than breeding stock.

[digitalworldbound]

day five: alternate universe

a studio ghibli au where hikari is an only child and her mother has passed. luckily, the neighborhood boys offer to help find her.

The floorboards creaked under her socked feet, soot covering the once pristine cotton. Hikari didn’t care if her clothes got dirty, but she didn’t want to give her father another reason to fret over her.

Cardboard boxes littered the hallway. Despite moving in a week prior, neither her or her father had the motivation or strength to pry open memories. Instead, Hikari stacked the boxes in a makeshift castle. One day, she hoped that their Queen would find her way home.

But she had been there to see her mother’s coffin lower in the ground; she had held her father as he wept.

A bookbag hung mockingly in the kitchen. The first day of school, once the happiest day of Hikari’s life, now served as a reminder of yet another first her mother would miss. Her father slouched over the stove. Hikari couldn’t help but to feel responsible for the bags under his eyes. In between finalizing the funeral arrangements and moving across the country, he had little energy to spare for Hikari, much less himself.

A whiff of burnt eggs did little to calm her anxieties, but she stomached her breakfast like a dutiful daughter.

“See you later, dad.”

He gave a half-hearted wave as Hikari slipped out of the front door. For a moment, she considered staying home for another day. She could unpack her room and make sure that her father ate a decent lunch, but her silent wishes disappeared as a herd of boys clamoured down the dirt road. Their feet pounded the ground, a race in progress. Six bookbags struggled to maintain their grasps on little shoulders as the group ran down the road.

A raven-haired boy took the lead, navigating the rocks and potholes with a practiced ease.

From the end of her driveway, Hikari watched him draw nearer. Too focused on his impending victory, the boy failed to notice her as he stopped beside her.

“See, ‘Keru? I told you I could win!”

A head of sweaty, blond hair followed close behind. Once he caught his breath, he pushed his friend’s side. The victor erupted into giggles as he continued to antagonize his friend.

With a huff, the blond crossed his arms. His cheeks were still rosy from the wind, blue eyes bright with mirth. “That’s not fair, Ken! You got a head start!”

Before Ken was able to muster up a response, a second redhead stepped forward.

“Who are you?” An accusing finger hung in front of Hikari’s face. Six pairs of eyes, colored in surprised, focused on her. A flush crawled up her neck, her breath caught in her throat.

Her mother had taught her about the importance of a first impression, but any confidence Hikari had dissipated into the morning air. Her fingers had gone numb, palms clammy. A toe dug into the dirt, her eyes focusing on the path to school. They looked at her expectantly, eyes narrowed. Silence crackled like static, interrupted by impatience.

“She’s weird. Let’s go, Daisuke.” Ken pulled his mirror image along with him, scurrying away like frightened animals.

The others didn’t bother to stick around, chasing each other the rest of the way to school.

Hikari waited for their dust trail to settle before walking down the path. Anxiety welled into her stomach; her mother would be disappointed in her. A gentle gust of wind ruffled her bangs in reassurance.

Her feet carried her onward, further away from the comforts of her new house. The school building emerged from the meadow, a field of flowers surrounding it on either side. It reminded Hikari of the story books her father used to read to her before bedtime, back when his smile reached his eyes and her mother was there .

Throngs of children gathered like dandelion seeds on a breeze, rosy cheeks and kind smiles adorning most faces. The strange group of boys stood off to one side. Huddled in a circle, their eyes trailed her suspiciously as Hikari made her way into the building.

Her little hands clutched the straps of her bookbag, as if pulling it closer to her body would quench her worries.

Living amongst rice farmers and livestock had been her father’s choice. Hikari’s mother had been raised in the countryside, escaping into the city for her first taste of freedom. It was strange to think that her mother, headstrong and accomplished, had sat in this same room; studied at these same desks.

The room was large, accommodating for all of the children in the village. With the older kids staking their claim in the back, Hikari rushed to the last empty space.

A pair of large blue eyes gazed at her, fear puckering at their eyebrow. It was the blond boy from earlier, his cheeks still flushed from his loss. Hikari squirmed under his gaze.

His fear must have dissipated quickly. It was the only explanation Hikari had for the fingers that poked into her side between lessons.

“Psst. Psst, girl.”

Her pencil continued to scratch at her paper, dodging dirty looks from the other students. His fingers continued to dig into her sensitive side. Thin lips pursed as Hikari swallowed down the giggle that bubbled in her throat. It would be disrespectful to laugh while her teacher was talking, and she figured that disappointing her mother once already was enough.

Still, the corners of her mouth couldn’t help but to tilt upwards. Chocolate eyes danced around his cerulean ones, and his fingers stilled.

“My name’s Takeru. What’s yours?” Whispering came naturally to some while a sense of quiet evaded others. Hikari assumed that Takeru was a part of the latter, his voice bouncing off the walls.

Some luck must have been on her side. Their teacher had been distracted with the younger students, too encaptured in their homesick tears to hear the blond’s outburst.

“You need to be quiet or we’ll get in trouble,” she chastised. A crestfallen shadow danced across his features before the light returned to his eyes.

“But you never answered my question.” Takeru’s voice was more hushed than before - he was trying. A toothy grin was plastered on his cheeks, his eyes aglow with childish anticipation.

She slipped her given name through her teeth, turning her full attention towards the chalkboard.

Later, the late summer sun kissed her cheeks as school children began their trek home. Takeru rushed out behind her, looking more like a mother duck with five boys in tow than an elementary student.

“So, Hikari, since when did you live here?” Glasses glinting in the sunlight, it was difficult to see what the dark-haired boy was thinking. Several paces ahead, Hikari wracked her brain for his name. As soon as school ended, Takeru had wasted no time in introducing her to everyone. Their names swam around in her head, none of them sticking.

“My father and I moved here a few weeks ago.” She didn’t turn to them, nor did she offer any other explanation.

One of the boys scoffed. “Why’d you have to move here?” It must have been Ken, the one with angry eyebrows. Hikari stopped, turning to face him. “Well, it’s not like I had a choice. My dad just wanted a change of scenery ever since my mom went away.”

Iori’s sugary smile wilted, looking up towards the tallest of their group. “That’s sad. Right, Koushiro?”

He nodded while the others let silence wash over them. Pebbles crunched underneath them as they continued on. Wind whistled through the treetops, a babbling brook accompanying the group on their journey. Crickets chimed in harmony, the background music to a most auspicious moment.

“I know!” Takeru propelled himself beside her, arms flailing in excitement. “We can help you find your Mama!” Grabbing her wrist, he broke into a sprint. The air was warm as it ran through her short hair.

He guided them to the edge of woods. Trees stretched to the sky, their arms caressing the clouds. Hikari pulled herself out of Takeru’s grasp as the group followed him further into the forest. “Wait! Where are you going?”

Hikari could see her house just over the hill, her stomach twisting at the thought of going back to her boxed up home. The boys disappeared into the underbrush, their twinkling laughter chasing after them. Impulsively, she started after them, branches scratching at her cheeks. A stray root caught Hikari’s ankle. A pair of spindly arms caught her, Daisuke’s disgruntled expression greeting her.

“You should be more careful. I don’t want cooties.” He stuck his tongue out, weaving through the trees. It seemed as if the dust bunnies from her house had followed her here, dancing around the feet of her young companions. Cheerfully, the soot sprites lead them deeper.

The trees gave way to a clearing. Lush, green grass was bordered by wildflowers, the occasional bumble bee flitting around.

“This is exactly where a Momma would wait for her baby!” Takeru declared, a triumphant grin spread across his cheeks as if he had already won. The others seemed to agree, their chatter flowing freely amidst the tree trunks.

Boisterous plants sprouted at the meadow’s edge.With leaves as big as Iori himself, he found it no trouble to crawl underneath them. Using the hem of his shirt to wipe the sweat off his glasses, Jou peered over the tops of the bushes. “Is she under there, Iori?”

Poking his head out from between the leaves, Iori shook his head. “It’s too dark under here for a grown lady,” he paused for a moment, brown eyes glistening, “And it’s too dark for six-year-old boys.” His voice wavered, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. In an attempt to avoid the inevitable, Jou tugged Iori out of the brush.

Little soot sprites tangled themselves in his hair, chittering at the commotion. “C’mon, you know it’s rude to ask for a free ride.” Not even enchanted dust bunnies could argue with Jou’s logic. They cascaded down to the ground, tittering as their host swatted at his hair.

Daisuke couldn’t help but to laugh from the treeline, legs dangling off Koushiro’s shoulers. Being the tallest in the group came with a price, one that he happily paid anytime his friends needed him.

From this new vantage point, Daisuke scanned the branches for something. “Hey, Hikari!”

Koushiro’s grip tightened on his knees as the pair turned towards her.

Alone, in the middle of the lush grass, she looked like a fairy. If fairies wore ill-fitting Pokemon theme shirts, that is. She turned towards them, a question dancing in her eyes.

“Does your mom like climbing trees? Maybe she got stuck!” Daisuke almost gave himself a pat on the back; he was so smart!

With the leaves ruffling his cheeks, Daisuke’s attention was easily diverted. He signaled for Koushiro to take him deeper into the woods, much to Hikari’s relief. She didn’t have the heart to say it out loud.

Not too far from her, Ken sat amongst the wild blackberry bushes. His cheeks were swollen with fruit, lips stained purple. Hikari plopped herself down beside him. With his mouth full, he was less likely to ask questions she didn’t want to answer.

Ken’s attempt at speaking was obscured by the berries, a few stray escaping past his lips. Hikari couldn’t stop her laughter, a relief from the turmoil that bubbled in her stomach. Picking a few fresh from the vine, Ken offered his sticky palm, blackberries glistening on top.

“Thank you,” she said, tossing a few in her mouth. Takeru plopped himself between the two, taking two of Ken’s berries for his own. “Wow, these are good!”

True to his boisterous nature, Takeru’s voice reverberated through the meadow. Four curious heads turned before they, too, joined the impromptu picnic.

“Hikari, do you ever think you’ll find your momma?”

She wasn’t sure who asked the question. Cicadas carried on their twilight lullaby as the sun kissed the horizon in passing.

Fireflies began to twinkle at the treeline. Hikari looked up into six pairs of softened eyes. Though their curiosity rolled off of them like waves, none of them said anything else.

The grass was soft underneath her, the breeze caressing her cheek. “I’m sure I will, someday. But, for now, at least you guys keep me company.”

[marilynsweet]

WITCH AU: Red

Part 2/3,the first part is “The Witch’s House.”

General warning for PG-13 esque stuff, I don’t wanna spoil too much;;

The gentle glow of the sunrise glimmered through the curtains. The window, closed, kept out the freezing air. The icy chill of late autumn had begun to set in, though there was warmth in the room. Scents of fresh greenery permeated the air.

Asriel’s eyes opened, finding himself staring up at the ceiling. His arms rested above his head.

After taking a few moments to stir himself from slumber, he sat up, rubbing his eyes.

He’d been here for about two months. The lack of such a busy lifestyle had made this place seem like paradise; he’d grown used to the quiet chirping of the birds in the woods, the sound of wind rustling through the tree’s branches, and the sounds of the goats and chickens outside each morning. His injuries had healed to the point where the only thing that irritated them was sudden quick movement. Frostbite trusted him on his own, now, to not hurt himself trying to do too much.

After a quick change of clothes, Asriel made his way out of his room and into the kitchen. The wood stove contained the soft embers of the previous night’s fire. Though it was still warm, a chill had spread through the house. Asriel took it upon himself to add another log and some twigs to reignite it.

His attention was grabbed by the sound of a THWACK! outside. Curious, Asriel took his boots from the mat by the door, laced them, and headed outside.

His breath fogged before him, and icy frost decorated the outside world in white crystals. The grass crunched beneath his feet, and sunlight sparkled through the few remaining leaves upon the trees. Two black goats trotted across the yard, along with a small flock of chickens. The thwack interrupted the air again, and Asriel followed the sound around to the side of the house.

There, he found Frostbite. She had laid her cloak across a stack of cut logs, and her arms had slipped out of her wide-necked shirt, the sleeves tied neatly behind her to keep it in place. In her hands, she held a woodcutter’s axe, and she stood in front of a pile of uncut logs. She had taken one log, and placed it upon the trunk of a long-dead tree.

He noticed black markings and symbols decorating her arms. Her arms themselves were toned by years of hard work and turmoil. She swung the axe, Asriel noticing the outline of her muscles in the movement, and slicing the log before her in two with another thwack!

He shook himself out of his staring, suddenly aware of the heat in his face. He took a deep breath, turning away from the scene to watch the goats, trying to purge the pink in his cheeks.

“You still can’t sneak as well as you think you can!”

Asriel perked, turning back to the scene to see Frostbite facing him, running a hand through her hair. Her breath fogged up quickly, sending clouds into the frosty air as she caught her breath. She swung the axe into the trunk, where she let it rest.

“Just came to see what you were doing!” Asriel replied, watching her retrieve her cloak and untie her sleeves. She slipped her arms into them, and then clipped her cloak back around her shoulders.

“Yeah? Wanna help me feed the goats?” Frostbite asked when she approached, offering him a smile. Her cheeks were flushed from her previous efforts, and she again ran a hand through her hair.

“Sure!”

She walked across the yard towards a small shed. Asriel had helped her build it about a month ago, to store the animals’ feed somewhere other than her bedroom. Following, Asriel watched her drag out a heavy canvas bag, pulling it open.

“Need help?” He asked, and she shook her head.

“I got it,” she replied, heaving it into her arms to get a better grip on it. “I’ll carry, you dispense.”

They made their way over to the wooden trough, worn through years of usage. There, Asriel helped Frostbite lay out a batch of alfalfa, and the two goats came trotting over.

“I’ll have to get more of that,” she murmured, closing up the bag. “They seem to love it.”

They returned the bag to the shed. Their footsteps left prints in the frost, and the sun was beginning to rise further against the tall trees. Beautiful reds and oranges and pinks decorated the sky, along with shadowed clouds.

“I fed the chickens earlier,” Frostbite stated, tossing her hair to move it back in place over her right eye. Her hair was smooth, shining in the gentle morning light. Her amber eyes glowed with that same shimmer. She took the heavy board hanging on the shed and swung it forward over the door to keep it shut tightly.

Asriel shook himself again, blinking as if awakened from a trance.

“You alright? You keep spacing out,” Frostbite asked, though she walked back towards the house. She motioned towards it with her head, indicating he should follow.

“Yeah— Yeah! I’m alright, I… I think I had a weird dream last night. I just… don’t remember anything about it,” Asriel replied, walking after her. “I think it threw me off.”

The kitchen had been warmed in their absence as the log caught fire in the stove. The chilled air was left behind when the front door closed.

“How long have you been awake?” Asriel asked as Frostbite sunk into one of the chairs at the table, stretching her arms above her head. She seemed tired.

“A few hours,” she murmured with a yawn. “That wood wasn’t going to cut itself, it has to be done before the snow comes.”

“I could’ve helped—!”

“No. I want to be sure your neck isn’t going to act up again before I let you exhort that much energy,” Frostbite replied quickly, before he could retort. “I’m not taking the risk of you hurting yourself again.”

Asriel couldn’t think of a retort to that.

“I’m going to gather eggs for breakfast in a bit, then I’ll make something. Bread should still be fresh.”

“I can make breakfast, if you need a break! I know how to make eggs!” Asriel replied, perked and eager to help.

A small smile crossed her face as she leaned back into her chair, running a hand through her hair. She took a deep breath before letting it out.

“Fine,” she murmured, sitting back up to look over at him. “But don’t hurt yourself!”

“I won’t!” Asriel replied, and before she could get up or retort, he had already headed outside.

When Asriel returned, Frostbite wasn’t at the table.

“Frostbite?” He called out, setting the eggs into the designated basket on the wooden counter.

No reply, but he could smell the faint whiff of a freshly lit candle.

Curiosity sparked in him as he looked over to the stairs. In his time here, he had never been upstairs. Frostbite had moved her things from his room to hers once she had made room for them, but he hadn’t been able to help because of his injury. Now, he was curious.

Tentatively, he took hold of the railing and began to climb the stairs.

When he reached the top, he was taken aback by the room. Two walls were entirely covered by bookshelves, upon which rested more than books. Crystals, jars, plants, and small chests. A bed lay on top of a rug on the wooden floor, above which was hung a wooden ring, decorated with feathers and strung with pink blossoms he hadn’t seen anywhere in the village. Above that, a hand-carved moon cycle was hung in an arch. Candles were placed upon the bedside tables, as well as on empty shelves. To his left, a wardrobe was pushed against the wall, in a hollowed out area of the shelved wall. Plants hung in hangers around the ceiling, in strange balls with what looked to be small trees and ivies sprouting from them. To the right, Asriel found Frostbite.

She was sitting on a cushion next to a low table. The table was set against the wall, with an open ornate box sitting upon it. There was a statue of a woman holding a staff, a closed book, a wooden cup, a variety of crystals set into an arch, and a rainbow of colored candles upon the table. Asriel noticed that only the red and pink ones were lit.

Frostbite sat cross-legged, with her hands in her lap. Upon approaching, Asriel noticed her eyes were closed.

“You should really knock before entering someone’s room,” she said without moving. “I could hear you.”

“What are you..?”

“Meditating,” Frostbite replied, again not moving. “I’ll be down soon.”

Asriel chose not to comment, only staying for a few more moments before heading back downstairs.

The room was quiet, but Asriel quickly set to work preparing breakfast. About halfway through, he heard the padding of footsteps on wood.

“Surprised you went to find me,” Frostbite said, and Asriel heard her moving a chair.

“I could smell the candles — wanted to make sure you were alright.”

“...I assure you, I can handle myself, don’t worry,” she replied, and Asriel could almost sense the smile on her face. “Breakfast smells wonderful.”

“I picked up on a few things from my mother,” Asriel replied, taking two plates from the cabinet. “She taught me how to cook.”

“Impressed, I am. Not many seem to know how, aside from the women in the village.”

“Eh, mother thought I should know, and I enjoyed it.”

Asriel was done quickly - eggs didn’t take too long to cook, nor did slicing bread - and returned to the table. He set a plate before Frostbite, and then himself, before sitting across from her at the table.

“How’s your neck?” Frostbite asked, watching him eat for a few moments.

“It’s fine, better than it was. It only hurts now if I do something like jerk it to the side too quickly.”

She nodded, before divulging in her own food. Asriel took notice of how her ears pricked at the first bite.

“You did very good,” she said, causing a smile to cross Asriel’s face and pink to flush his cheeks.

“Thank you! It’s, ah… it’s been a while,” he said a bit sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I might just keep you around!” Frostbite said with a small giggle, and Asriel perked upon hearing her laughter.

“I’d hope so! I do like it here!” He said, returning to his own food. “I figure I should at least try to do something.”

“You can help me bring water back to the house and stack the logs, how’s that sound, hm?” Frostbite said, shooting him a smile. “You can do that.”

“Of course! But you need to finish eating! Gives energy for hard work.”

Frostbite rolled her eyes, snorting.

“I wouldn’t let such a good meal go to waste,” she joked with a small smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll finish it.”

The rest of the day was busy. Asriel helped Frostbite with the wood, with her cutting the logs and him stacking them up against the side of the house in a way that would keep them the driest. Asriel was in awe of her strength and efficiency, and more than once Frostbite had to remind him that the logs wouldn’t stack themselves. By the time the afternoon came, the final log had been split, and they had a sizable stack against the house.

After the wood, Frostbite took him into the forest, along a well-beaten path she had traveled many times. She carried with her two sturdy buckets, as well as some jars. From the house, she led him deep into the woods, where Asriel was able to take in the fresh breezes and chirping of the birds. Clouds drifted across the bright blue sky, visible through the branches above. Winter was coming - the clouds were gathered in larger and larger clumps.

Deep in the woods, they stopped at a creek. The water was clear and fresh. Occasionally, a fish would swim by. The pebbles were visible in the bottom, along with tall grasses along the banks and stepping stones that peeked out of the water. Frostbite took the buckets and walked out onto the stepping stones, again leaving her cloak behind, draped over a dry rock on the bank. She rolled up her sleeves, crouched upon the rock whilst balancing on her toes, and dunked the bucket under the water. Asriel assumed that to be the deepest part of the creek.

She did this with both buckets, Asriel helping by filling up the jars. Their breath fogged in the chilled air, the cold nipping at their wet hands and making them shiver. After filling their containers, they made the hike back to the house. Frostbite carried the buckets, Asriel asking many times if she needed help, to which she simply shook her head.

At the house, Frostbite dumped the water into an airtight barrel, kept in a cabinet under the stairs, so well-hidden Asriel hadn’t known it was there until she had first shown it to him. Many hikes and many hours later, they eventually had filled four barrels, stashed safely in the cubby.

Night seemed to come quickly with the hard work of the day, the darkness spreading over the woods. An occasional star would dot the sky through the gathering clouds, and the cold sunk deeper into the air.

After a hot meal and a change of clothes, Asriel sat on the floor next to Frostbite’s bed. Frostbite had lit her red candles again, though he didn’t ask why. A few rose petals lie upon her table by the wall.

She had a hand on either side of his head, gently tilting it either way to gauge the healing process. The rope burns had long scarred over, but the internals had taken much longer to heal.

“This doesn’t hurt, does it?” She asked softly, and Asriel shook his head.

“Feels better and better every day,” he said, feeling her lean his head back.

“You’ve got a leaf,” she murmured, and he felt her pick something from his hair.

“Thanks.”

Frostbite didn’t reply, though she did shift her hands to his neck, and her touch was soft. One of her hands was roughened by age-old burn scars, and the other soft and smooth. He guessed that was because of the glove she wore to protect it.

There was a mild discomfort when she pressed against the back of his neck to feel the bone, but nothing he couldn’t bear.

“You’ve healed well,” he heard her murmur, though her hands let go of him after a few moments.

“That’s good to hear — means I’m not going to be unable to do anything forever!” Asriel said with a soft chuckle, lifting his head to look up at Frostbite. His head was about level with her knees, from where she sat cross-legged on the bed.

He noticed her shifting her hands in her lap,

“Frostbite?”

She wasn’t looking at him, seeming deep in thought. He didn’t like the look of reluctance on her face.

Before he could ask again, she slid off the bed and walked over to her table by the wall. Confused, Asriel stood up, following after her.

“Hey— Frostbite, what’s wrong?”

She didn’t answer, taking one of the rose petals in her palms.

“...You’re going to want to leave,” she murmured after a long silence. “You’re going to want to go back. You’ve healed - why stay?”

Asriel felt his heart sink at the heartbreak in her voice.

He hadn’t considered that. Yes, he had missed home, but he hadn’t been thinking of the day that he’d leave. Maybe every now and then, he’d consider it, but the thought never came to him that it would come to pass.

He felt a tug on his heartstrings. Frostbite was refusing to look at him, running a thumb along the delicate rose petal in her hand.

“...I won’t make you stay,” she muttered. “I’m not going to keep you hostage, force you to live here. I know your beliefs conflict with mine. I know you have family elsewhere. I know you miss home. I just…”

Asriel noticed her hands shaking as she tightened her grip upon the petal, crushing it in her palm. He was lost for words. What could he say that wouldn’t make it worse? However, it was the next words that took his breath from his chest.

“...I love you.”

His cheeks flushed with heat. Before he knew it, she had grabbed the front of his shirt, pulled him down, and kissed him.

Asriel was taken aback. Unable to think, to move, for a long moment. His eyes were wide, and he felt stiff all over, frozen in shock. However, he didn’t push her off of him.

She was soft and gentle, the grip on his shirt loosening.

Frostbite let go of him after a long while, slowly, almost seeming shocked by her actions. Silence fell, once more, broken only by the chirping of crickets outside and the hooting of owls in the distance. The moonlight shimmered through the curtains, illuminating the room in a soft glow.

There was a fluttering in his chest he hadn’t felt before. Butterflies filled his stomach in a swarm. He raised a hand, and touched his lips.

Had that just happened?

Frostbite stood in silence, not looking at him, but at a spot past him, seeming to consider her next words very carefully. She bit her lip, trying to find the words.

After a few moments, she began to speak.

“...I’m sor—“

However, before she could finish, Asriel had taken her face in his hands and returned her kiss. Though the butterflies swarmed, though his heart raced, his mind told him one thing, and one thing only:

I love you, too.

Though his eyes closed, he could feel her run her hands along his shoulders, pulling him closer. One of her hands trailed into the hair on the back of his head, the other moving to wrap her arm around his neck.

Though he had to let go of her face to do so, his hands moved to her waist, holding her close as the kiss broke apart. He instead moved to press slow kisses against her cheek, then jaw, neck, collarbone, and then exposed shoulder. She leaned her head back, giving him more room. Every new kiss against her skin prompted her to grip him tighter, hold him closer.

I need you.

Her touch was gentle against him. In turn, her skin was soft against his hands. Burn scars be damned, the feel of soft flesh wasn’t only foreign to him, but it was addictive. He hadn’t felt anything like it. A lover’s caress, a kiss, holding and being held. The way she held him tight, the way her hands traveled across him, the way they seemed to just… fit together. The way her hands ran through his hair, holding him closer, longing for his touch, his kiss. The shivers down her spine when he buried himself into her neck, the feeling of his touch, the need for him.

It was intoxicating. They needed more.

The night had never felt so long, but not empty. Far from it. In the heat of the moment, in the desire, the need, they didn’t want it to end.

However, it did.

In the dead of night, when silence fell and the night grew cold, sleep came quick from exhaustion. The bed felt unusually comfortable, the blankets warmer than normal, the pillows softer.

The room fell into silence, the red candles on the table finally flickering out.

-

Frostbite woke that morning to the sun’s beams peering through the curtains. Birds outside sang their familiar melody, and it took her a few moments to register the morning.

Though, from her position, she didn’t want to get up just yet. It was warm… warm and comfortable. She trailed a hand behind her, feeling the sheets.

“Asriel?” She murmured, rubbing her eyes and turning over.

He wasn’t there.

She shrugged, yawning and stretching in her bed. He’d probably woken early.

It took her a long time to get out of her comfortable bed, though upon doing so, she wished she hadn’t. The air was icy and cold, especially against bare skin.

Odd… He would have thrown a log into the stove. Did he forget?

She picked up her clothes off the floor, with a wince, before walking over to her wardrobe. Everything felt sore from the previous day. It hurt to lift her arms, and her calves hurt from the trekking to the creek.

She pulled open the doors, tossing the previous night’s clothes into a hand-woven basket at the bottom. In the back of the wardrobe, a tall mirror hung, allowing her to take in her reflection.

Her neck and shoulders were covered in small bruises, and her hair was a tousled mess. She tidied it with her hand, tucking strands back into place and combing through it with her fingers. She then quickly dressed herself, hurried by the cold air nipping at her skin.

“Asriel?” She called out again, a bit louder this time, making her way down the stairs after closing up her wardrobe. On the way down, she clipped her cloak around her shoulders.

Upon reaching the kitchen, she noticed that the stove was cold and ashy, no embers glowing inside. The front door was slightly ajar, and Asriel’s room remained silent.

Eyebrows creased, she walked over to the door and shut it. Something was wrong.

Had he gone to the creek, perhaps, and forgotten to start the fire? Why would he leave the door open?

Looking around the room for clues prompted her to spot a torn sheet of paper on the table. She approached the table and took the scrap into her hands.

Her heart sank into her stomach.

Upon reading its contents, tears began to quickly flow from her eyes and down her cheeks. Her hands began to shake, then the rest of her, and it wasn’t from the cold. Her grip tightened on the paper, threatening to tear it.

On the paper, written in hasty, messy handwriting, was one sentence:

God forgive me, for I have sinned.

[chronicallylatetotheparty]

Watching (the Adventures of) Merlin season one on Netflix

Episode One: The Dragon's Call

. . . I feel like going to the capital of the kingdom indiscriminately slaughtering magic users wasn't the best idea.

Why? Well, that guy did just get executed.

And now his mom is mad. You tell that sorry excuse for a king, witch lady.

I don't like Uther, in case it was unclear.

Wait... if you could teleport why not just grab your son and ditch before he loses his head? Literally.

Oh, wow. Arthur is a dick.

Morgana. We have no choice but to stan tbh.

Dragon, you're really rubbing me the wrong way.

That's right Merlin! We need more than Because Destiny Says So!

Where did the spiderwebs come from? That sleeping spell gives me Sleeping Beauty vibes.

Ah, yes. The old drop-the- chandelier-on-the-villain trick. :(

If she went after Uther instead of Arthur I would have no complaints.

Manservant? You call that a reward for saving your son?

Episode Two: Valiant

Snake!Shield

Oh, he's gonna- Yup, dead. That's what happens when you deal with knights who cheat.

Where did that guy even get a magic shield in the first place?

Is there a thriving magic black market or something?

I love Guin.

. . . I feel like Sir Valiant didn't think this through. If bite marks are visible.

Ugh, you're the worst Uther.

It's only the second episode! Did you forget who saved your son already?

Stop being a jerk Arthur.

Lol. Merlin bringing a dog statue to life in order to practice for the Snake!Shield.

Bye Valiant!

Episode Three: The Mark of Nimueh

Whatcha up to with that egg, new witch lady?

You gonna poison the water of all of Camelot? Seems like a jerk move.

Dang that's a lot of dead bodies...

No, I like Guin's dad!

Yes! Cure him Merlin!

No! Stop arresting Guin, Uther!

You tell him, Morgana!

That plague monster that hatched from witch lady's egg is creepy.

Dead monster!

Arthur is kinda oblivious to Merlin's magic ngl.

Yay! Guin's free!

What do you know about witch lady Nimueh, Uther? Hmm? Why she want you dead? Besides the obvious reasons.

Episode Four: The Poisoned Chalice

Wow, Nimueh really doesn't like Merlin saving the day.

Wow, Nimueh really orchestrated an entire diplomatic incident in order to kill Merlin while also ensuring Camelot is destroyed by its neighbor. Impressive.

I really like Merlin and Guin's friendship.

Dang. Merlin really drank poison in order to save Arthur.

Merlin saved Arthur's life, Uther! Let him return the favor!

Oh, wow. Arthur really disobeyed his father in order to save Merlin's life.

I didn't know Merlin could cast spells while deathly delirious. And several miles away from him too.

Uther you b****! The antidote is right there! Let Arthur save his friend!

Putting your own son in a cell is such a jerk move.

At least Arthur and Guin manage to sneak the antidote to Merlin.

Quick aside: Internet spoilers say Uther needs to die for Arthur to complete his himbofication- I mean character development. So, if you could get on with that? Thanks!

Episode Five: Lancelot

Wow, that's a very CGI griffin.

Lancelot is so precious- Uh, I mean effective! Saving Merlin and all.

I know, Guin. I know.

Always thought it was a stupid rule to only let nobles be knights.

You're really going to commit magical forgery for someone you just met, Merlin?

I mean, Lancelot is earnest, hardworking, modest, kind despite his tragic backstory and it's his childhood dream to be a knight...

Yeah, I'd commit magical forgery too.

Lol, knocked you on your ass didn't he Arthur? (The second time at least)

I don't remember griffins being man-eaters!

Uther stop arresting people! Ugh, you're such a classist.

Let Lancelot help fight the griffin, Arthur! You need all the help you can get!

Well okay letting him go was nice of you.

Lancelot-Merlin tag team!

Wow. Lancelot really strode in with Camelot's singular braincell by figuring out Merlin has magic.

(The bar is low, okay.)

No, don't take away the braincell! Stay! The griffin was a team effort!

Okay, Lancelot's lawful good tendencies are a little annoying but, hey, nobody's perfect.

Episode Six: A Remedy to Cure All Ills

Edwin, no. Leave Morgana alone.

Oh, beetles! Curse beetles! That's not creepy at all.

Gaius how do you know Edwin?

What diabolical plot are you hatching Edwin? Oh, you're replacing Gaius in the royal court. That's kinda rude.

Merlin's so happy meeting another magic user that isn't trying to kill him (yet).

Le gasp! Uther's purge killed Edwin's parents? WhO cOuLd HaVe fOreSeEn tHis!?

But seriously. No wonder Edwin wants Uther dead.

I know Edwin blackmailed Gaius with exposing Merlin but he also wants to kill Uther!

That gives him a pass in my book.

Gaius no. Let Uther die.

Edwin stop trying to kill Gaius! You're going to-

Yup, here comes Merlin and-

Edwin's dead :(

Well he was trying to overthrow the kingdom. That's... bad... I guess.

Episode Seven: The Gates of Avalon

That title is misleading. It's more of a natural portal/magic lake type thing.

Arthur saves a father and daughter from bandits (Which they hired but shhh)

And they immediately try to put a love spell on Arthur

For human sacrifice purposes of course

Idk why the Sidhe want a human prince's soul -look at him, you don't know where he's been- but that's the price for readmission

I wonder how the dad killed one of his own kind? Was it an accident or...?

Exiling the daughter too makes me suspicious of Avalon's justice system

Evil laugh is a bit out of place for someone who is trying to restore his daughter's immortality

(They are so whiny about being mortal. Hey, we put up with it all the time!)

The fairy-like Sidhe moving in accelerated time so they just look like tiny orbs of light was an interesting touch. The blue faces and razor sharp teeth is not a good look for them, lol

They make Arthur ask to be married ('cause it takes a while for the love spell to go into full blown mind control or something)

Prompting Uther to threaten to kill both of them

(I feel like they didn't think this through)

Morgana admonishes Uther for being the worst

He replies that first love rarely lasts and that Arthur is inexperienced in such things. Plus that Arthur only met the girl yesterday

... I can't believe Uther is the voice of reason this episode

He doesn't get any points though. Due to the whole "threatening to execution his son's 'crush' " thing

The daughter is having second thoughts about using Arthur as a human sacrifice

Dear old dad puts those to rest and they try drowning Arthur in the lake that is/is the portal to, Avalon

Merlin's really leaning into the whole "Cool motive. Still murder.", thing huh?

Like, he did NOT hesitate to blow up both of them

Episode Eight: The Beginning of the End

Why do magic users keep going to Camelot!? The king is trying to KILL YOU!

Wow, this grown ass man is threatened by a literal child... I hate Uther so much

Morgana is the MVP of this episode. I love her

Protect that druid kid!

I feel like you're being paranoid Uther

You tell him Morgana!

Dragon, no. Stop prophesying death and destruction.

Wow, this grown ass dragon is threatened by a literal child...

Aaaand Morgana got caught sneaking the kid out of the city :(

Uther she is your adopted daughter! Stop putting people in cells!

Arthur is gonna sneak him out now?

While Morgana distracts the king?

Yes, excellent. What could possibly-

Merlin stop listening to that destiny dragon! Hearing his voice in your head is no basis for trust!

Cutting it close... Yay! They made it!

Mordred!? MORDRED!?

THAT little boy is Mordred!?

... Okay, I'm more inclined to believe the destiny dragon now

Still think letting him die would be a dick move

Episode Nine: Excalibur

What're you up to with that tomb Nimueh?

Oh! It's some kind of undead knight. Yes.

Throwing down the gauntlet. Pfft! Always thought that was a stupid idea.

Also: that Black Knight literally crashed your party!

Ugh, knights.

Nimueh if you can just teleport into the heart of Camelot while Uther is alone why don't you just stab him? Grab one of those pointy things he likes so much and stab him in the back. Easy peasy!

Stealing this joke but Don't do evil magic kids. It fries your brain cells.

Wait, the Black Knight is Uther's brother-in-law!?

Arthur's mother died in childbirth!?

Uther asked Nimueh to use her magic so he could have Arthur!?

Equivalent Exchange!?

Uther went on a genocidal rampage because he didn't bother with the instruction manual of ancient and powerful magic!?

Actually, that last one is not surprising at all.

I can't believe they're using the Wife in the Fridge trope. That appliance hasn't even been invented yet!

Ooh, Merlin's going to use his magic to destroy the Black Knight so Arthur doesn't have to fight him

As he's killed two knights already

Aaaaand, yup, he's still there. His cloak didn't even catch fire...

Arthur stop being a bastard. It doesn't suit you

Dragon forged sword! DRAGON FORGED SWORD!

Only Arthur can wield it. Yup, got it. How could this possibly go wrong?

Uther drugged Arthur and took his place in the fight... I have mixed feelings about this.

Wait, the dragon was very specific about only Arthur using that super special sword! Oh, snap.

Well at least the Black Knight is dead. Again.

Oh, dragon is not happy.

I know the dragon said "where no mortal soul could find it" but are you sure you wanna throw it into Avalon, Merlin?

Those people were gonna suck Arthur's soul out of his body

Episode Ten: The Moment of Truth

The way this episode title just lies to your face like that...

Oh, you're Merlin's mother! Thought we had an anime protagonists type thing going on

I... would like to say Uther is being unreasonable when he decides not to cross borders to get rid of some bandits. But I can totally see everyone hating him so that's a no go.

Lady, you were in a whole different kingdom. Why for the love of Merlin did you send him to Camelot!?

We're off to save the village! Morgana and Guin are coming too!

A wild Arthur appears!

Morgana better at swordplay than Arthur confirmed!

Merlin! I didn't know you had friends!

Granted he's a bit rough around the edges but

Okay. If it were literally anyone else besides Arthur. I'd say he was right about lords and knights being useless snobs.

Actually. He's right about lords and knights being useless snobs. Ah, that felt great.

Wow, the homosexual subtext is strong with this one.

The girls can tell Arthur came for Merlin.

But get your foot out of his face! I don't care how royal it is!

Look at Guin over here calling out Arthur for being a dick

And talking him into letting the women fight. She's on a roll

Aw, Merlin's friend died. :(

And he took credit for Merlin's tornado (so Arthur wouldn't find out about Merlin's magic)

Episode Eleven: The Labyrinth of Gedref

Lol, that unicorn could use a haircut.

No, Arthur. I said a haircut not an arrow to the chest!

Bad things? What kind of bad things Gaius?

Uther what's the point of having an expert in magical lore if you're not going to listen to him!

And all the crops are dead. Fantastic.

I know it's a magic thing but stating outright that the blight only targets edible plants is still really unsettling.

And the water's turned to sand. Great.

Who're you and how come Merlin is the only magic user that can't teleport?

What kind of tests mister Keeper of the Unicorns, sir?

Arthur I know you don't want to believe it's your fault... But it's totally your fault.

Uther no. People are starving.

You tell him Arthur.

Oh, the "theif" was a test!

Aaaaand he failed the second one. :(

Merlin's got a lot of faith in Arthur.

It's interesting how the Keeper can only direct the curse caused by the unicorn's death. Or rather the trials surrounding the curse, but can't break it himself.

Unicorns have some powerful magic.

The Labyrinth was barely on screen for five minutes! Surely something with Unicorn in the title would be more appropriate?

Arthur drinking a poisoned cup so Merlin could live?

That's some strong parallels right there.

The Keeper of the Unicorns is such a troll! Sleeping potion, hah!

The day is saved, Arthur lies to Uther's face about killing the Keeper and the unicorn resurrects itself.

Still needs a haircut though.

Episode Twelve: To Kill the King

Whatcha up to Guin's dad?

Oh that guy isn't suspicious at all.

You didn't think it was shady when he asked to meet in the middle of the night!?

Philosopher's Stone!?

Wow, the guards found him quickly.

What- No! Don't arrest Guin's dad!

Uther, he's a blacksmith! Stop being paranoid!

Will you stop executing people!? That inn keeper didn't know that guy was a dangerous sorcerer!

No, nononononono! He surrendered! Why did you do that!? Guin's father was important to Morgana!

That's why she gave him the key!

Dragon has his priorities straight.

Shut up, Merlin. You literally blew up a father and daughter for trying to kill one(1) person. (No really, you could see their hands flying off.)

Morgana deserves a little murder. As a treat.

Yes! Get him! Kill the bastard!

No! Why would you make GUIN say that!? Who are you and what have you done with Guin!?🔪🔪

UGH, he literally committed genocide!

The "that would make me as bad as he is" DOES NOT APPLY!

What- Oh, he still has the fairy's staff.

No. Stop it! Let Uther die!

Oh, God, Uther is such an abusive piece of GARBAGE!

Stop! Don't fall for it Morgana!

*sees dagger being pushed closer to Uther's "heart"* Yes! Yes! YES!

*Morgana saves him* NO!

NO!

NOOOOOO!

*inarticulate ranting in the background*

Episode Thirteen:

Okay, the cgi might be getting a little better 'cause the Questing Beast is freaky

Old religion? What is that? And how come it's conveniently absent from the previous episodes?

Dang, they really here just casually gaslighting Morgana like that 😡

Merlin you know Morgana has visions! You couldn't have been a little more careful? She warned you. Now look at Arthur, he's got the heroic death disease

Granted that thing does seem like a handful

Why do you only act like a father when it's a matter of life and death? Why can't you be a father literally any other time!?

"The old religion is the magic of the Earth itself."

Well that sounds fascinating, dragon. Are you going to elaborate? No? Later then?

Soooooo, is the old religion actually a religion or is it a magic? It's really unclear...

"You will be a better king than your father could ever hope to be." Guin, you're back!

I expected a place called the Isle of the Blessed to be less... creepy

Nimueh! Whatcha up to girl? Plotting the demise of a kingdom? Not today it seems

Oh there some Equivalent Exchange type nonsense going on is there?

Arthur you were supposed to be in a coma not listening to Guin!

Oh. Oh, no.

Merlin saying goodbye as he prepares to trade his life for his mother's is 😢😭

Wow, that dragon really knew Nimueh would give Merlin's mother the curse and didn't say anything. The little b*****!

No wonder Merlin's mad at him. Stop breathing fire at him! It's your own fault!

Gaius, no! Not the dead mentor trope!

"You stood by and watched as our friends died." Damn, Nimueh isn't pulling her punches.

Merlin vs Nimueh! Ready? Fight!

Anime protagonist power up! Dang, Nimueh's dead... I feel like that wasn't supposed to happen.

At least no one else is dying. Since Nimueh's death appeased the Equivalent Exchange laws of the old religion.

[nuclearforest]

Animal crossing for the blorbo ask?

I,,,, I'm sorry i took so long 💀💀

This is a real fun suggestion! Ty! Picking the last 2 was super hard tho because you don't really think abt getting way too annoyed in any animal crossing game 🤣

BUT I did my best and scraped the bottom of the barrel for the most petty of reasons lmfao. So without further ado:

1. blorbo (favorite character, character I think about the most)

Vivian; first wolf I got on my island and I love her? She's a little vain but her design is gr8 and the snooty villagers are still pretty sweet in ACNH. Big improvements over past games lol.

2. scrunkly (my “baby”, character that gives me cuteness aggression, character that is So Shaped)

Poppy; I will get cuteness aggression for pretty much any ACNH character but the little fall themed squirrel? I would kill for her 💀

3. scrimblo bimblo (underrated/underappreciated fave)

Bam; he's a funky little deer! Love his colors and love how the jocks just. Are. Such good vibes. Meatheads with hearts of gold and the second I find him I'm moving him in lol.

4. glup shitto (obscure fave, character that can appear in the background for 0.2 seconds and I won’t shut up about it for a week)

Blanche; I'm not entirely sure what even constitutes obscure in animal crossing because there are so many little critters, but I bet as long as they're not one of the ones people go rabid for it counts as an obscure fav lol. Anyway she's another fun snooty character whose house I really loved and it had fit so well on my island before she moved away. But that's OK she eventually made room for another wolf 🤣

5. poor little meow meow (“problematic”/unpopular/controversial/otherwise pathetic fave)

Redd. He's an awful little fox WHO WONT GIVE ME THE LAST 5 PIECES OF ART I NEED, THE LITTLE BASTARD, but he's pretty pathetic and I subscribe to the idea he just randomly picks up legit copies of the famous art he sells or, in the process of his own arts and crafts time, manages to make epic forgeries without trying. Then again that also implies the pieces that done work are inherently cursed with the easter eggs and I love it. Man fix your boat and you're golden lmao.

6. horse plinko (character I would torment for fun, for whatever reason)

Tipper; listen she's a cute little cow and it's fun and all but when she settled in my campsite and I nabbed her from a friend it took. So much time travel to get her to lose out I lost my mind. I unintentionally lost a bunch of cute little notes I had hoarded on my board and my island was overrun. I had to borrow friends' time to clear my island of weeds and flowers. The only pro is that I discovered Lag Mountain. Otherwise I would out her through the same torture of clearing 💀

7. eeby deeby (character I would send to superhell)

Broccolo; that dumb little mouse moved into my City Folk town on the Wii, right next door to my house, and had refused to leave. When I was younger I used to be so MAD like I didn't even mind Peewee as much as I minded him because at least the ape had the decency to give me personal space. But Broccolo? Nope. So superhell for him.

[tundrainafrica]

Title: Trials and Tributes (Complete)

Summary:  

"There were witches who lived among them. Or so that's what Levi was told. He just could not believe for the life of him that she'd be one of them."

Levi is a soldier who interrogates witches before they are put on trial and Hange might just be a witch.

Levihan Secret Santa Gift for @cleacourgette 

Link to cross-postings: AO3

Link to other chapters:   1 2 3 4 5

Notes: Merry Christmas! @cleacourgette. Here is the completed story.

Although I did some research on this, I don't think I would have been able to pull this story off without taking some liberties on my end history-wise. If you've read Rangers Apprentice, you might find some slight Easter eggs here since I based a lot of the medieval setting from medieval fiction more than actual medieval history. I hope you enjoy this though! 

There were witches who lived among them. Or so that was what Levi was told.

Their powers manifested in the occasional droughts, the famines and most notably for Levi the plague that had taken his mother from him. That plague and the aftermath was what had him moving into a cabin with his uncle at the tender age of eight and training to be an assassin.

Having lived most of his young life in that small cabin, as a kid, Levi was never really able to pinpoint when exactly humanity decided to fight back against the witches. A few times his uncle had brought him to the square to watch the trials which usually ended with a witch being burned at stake or a witch being thrown into the sea.

As a child, he had felt his gut clench watching the desperate faces of the women tied to the stake as the flames licked at them for a few minutes before they started to consume them alive. By the time the flames did morph into a carnivorous tiger ready to devour its prey alive, young Levi would look away--- every single time.

That was more than a decade ago. Levi had seen more than enough trials and the crimes the women were accused of and the angry fathers and the crying mothers who broke down while they testified the crimes were more than enough for Levi to understand the need for retribution and King Fritz’s declaration to rid the word of witches.

They were responsible for the plague that had taken the first son of the parents, the child that had wandered into the forest and was eaten by a boar and the crop shortage in one village that had caused their downfall.

As the king’s right hand man and most trusted soldier, Levi stood at every single trial and every single execution. Compared to back when he was a kid, he at least had the stomach to look the witch in the face every time. His heart still clenched as he had made eye contact with them or caught the moment their eyes went dark as the flames consumed them.

It could just be their powers. If the witches had the power to start plagues and cause chaos in villages then they probably had the power to manipulate hearts too. Levi had to remind himself of just that every time he felt that bitter taste in his mouth at every witch they had executed.

It was a painful scene to watch every single time, only leaving Levi mentally exhausted and so mentally distraught that he would have preferred to have spent the day shooting a thousand arrows with the hardest bow or to do a thousand swings with the heaviest sword in the weaponry.

Instead of closing his heart to them though, he ended up doing the complete opposite.

He made sure to see a human in every single one of them. Willing himself to see it was a small, personal yet excruciatingly painful challenge Levi forced on himself every time. The more he allowed himself to sympathize, the more he would be able to get to know himself and his emotions and consequently the better he’d be able to stop himself from being manipulated when it mattered.

It was a lesson on mental constitution and loyalty towards his cause. Levi was determined to stand for it, unwavering. Levi found himself talking to them before they stood on trial, learning their back stories. Some had gone crazy denying accusations and even attacking him. Others had just laughed it off. Others have even remained catatonic.

Levi had become familiar with the many ways witches handled the accusations and the impending trial. The sights and sounds of witches and the way they had all handled their impending trials were all gut wrenching but routine. And routine was the only reason why Levi was able to stop himself from planning an escape route for every one of them.

Routines---like rules and all other things--- are meant to be broken and for most people, will be broken eventually. For Levi, it was broken when he entered that same interrogation room to catch a whiff of that scent. Levi had relied so easily on the sights and sounds, on the tears on the witches’ faces and their desperate final screams. Nothing had prepared him for the way witches could smell and the faint scent she had exuded as he entered the room. It only left Levi a little taken aback and maybe a little vulnerable.  

Others would have probably described it as flowery. To others it would have been fruity.

To Levi, those two scents were just too intertwined. If he did have to sum it up into one word, he would have just said ‘different’. It was fruity. Yet it was also flowery. The most glaring part about that scent though was the way it chilled the air closest to him. It entered his nostrils as a cool wind every time and even during the hottest days of summer, it would be winter in his nostrils. It was cold yet it smelled of late spring and early summer. So unnatural. So unique. Maybe that was what made it easy for Levi to connect that scent to one from some buried memory long ago.

Even before he took in the unkempt brown hair hastily tied up and those hazel eyes as they looked up at him, just by her scent, Levi knew for sure who it was and where they had met.

But why is she here? Levi thought to himself as he made eye contact with her.

“You sure she’s a witch?”

“She was captured in your hometown sir. In the nearby woods.”

“That doesn’t answer the question.” Of course she’d be there. That’s where I found her so many years ago. That’s where I fucking grew up.

The guard tensed up. “Sincerest apologies Mr. Ackerman. I don’t know the exact details. They will be made public in the trial.”

“Give us time and space then. I’ll ask her myself.”

“But sir, you mustn't stay too near. She might hex you.”

“And I’m willing to take that risk,” Levi said tersely as he settled himself on the seat in front of her.

“Sir, you’re our best weapon in the army. We ca--”

“It’s an order.”

The guard may have been a few years older than Levi. The latter had proven himself to be a competent fighter on multiple occasions, putting himself in a rank much higher above most of the soldiers. He never took advantage of it. Until that moment. Somehow, it felt like it was a risk worth taking.

Her face had matured yet the glint of mischief and wonder in her eyes had remained. He took in the view in front of him and indulged in the wave of nostalgia that came with it.

"Is the herb garden still there? Did you finally put borders around it so people wouldn’t mistake it for weeds?" He started with questions only she would have answered correctly.

                                    Trials and Tributes

Levi carefully trudged through the soil. The boots Kenny had given him actually worked to mask the sound of foot rubbing on earth and the spray of the sun as he did. It wasn’t enough though, the grass seemed particularly eager to announce the entrance of any human who stepped on them.

With every blade of grass he stepped on, he was probably killing more of them. It’s only natural that anyone would want their murderer caught red-handed.

Imagining the grass beneath him at least had some sentience was a small thought Levi decided to play with, having gotten tired of doing the same drills alone everyday since Kenny had left a week ago for a mission.

At that point, Levi was still learning to stay silent. The cloak he was given did a good job giving a base at which to work with. In the end though, it was only the weapon. A weapon is only as valuable as its user and while Levi still struggled to master the art of silent movement, the cloak can only be too valuable too.

The change was gradual but from the short patches of grass, Levi found himself entering an area where the grass shot up closer to his shins. The longer the grass was, the more challenging it would be to breeze through it silently. There was just more area for the grass to brush against, rustling and consequently making the sounds Levi had so wanted to avoid.

He had made at least a few feet, completely satisfied by the fact that he had not made an embarrassingly loud rustle just yet.

Just yet. Maybe he had been a little too careless or a little too excited. Maybe for a second he had been so into his little daydreams about grass being obsessed with justice that he had failed to notice the rustles, then the angry footsteps. It was only when the warm air was right on his neck did he realize he had been the one who had failed to notice that he was still very loud.  

“Hey! Get off my herb garden!”

                                   Trials and Tributes

“No. I’m not putting them in cages.”

I want them to grow freely. Putting up borders makes them look like caged animals. She had explained before that putting up fences and borders around plants had only made her heart hurt similarly for them as she had done for the many animals she’d seen in cages as a kid.

Witches were evil. All they caused were chaos, death, destruction. They were all in the testimonies he had watched so many times before. The proclamations by King Fritz.

Levi could not believe that someone with that much empathy for anything living could be what she was being arrested for.

Why did they arrest you? He’d find out the reason soon enough during the trial.

“What were you doing when they arrested you?” It was a question with an answer which was so commonly and easily twisted by the guards assigned to catch the witches that Levi always felt it so necessary to ask it to them directly

“I was in my cabin, mixing poultices and potions.”

My cabin. Somehow, the way she had said it brought Levi back to that isolated cabin in the woods he would visit when Kenny wasn’t home. He lived a little too far from the town square and had been swamped with combat training. He had craved for some company, ideally someone his age and she who lived in that little cabin surrounded by herbs had been the only one he could turn to.

“Poultices and potions for what?”

“Healing."

"Healing who?"

"The townspeople."

Levi could not help but smile. “Why am I not surprised that you got into that type of work.”

Of course, she has always been good at that.

                                     Trials and Tributes

“And this is why you shouldn’t be using a bow and arrow for that long.”

Levi bit his lip and looked away. The last thing he had wanted her to see was the tears he was fighting to keep in, just in case they did come out. He had had enough cuts, injuries and even close calls with death to know how many ways the body can get fucked over by nature and man made objects. Blisters ranked up there among the most painful wounds and  stubbing one’s toe.  

She was gentle though when she had wrapped the bandages. The poultice she had put on his blisters surprisingly did not sting. In fact within minutes, the stinging pain had calmed into something dull and easily forgettable.

“Did you make it yourself?” Levi observed more closely the interior of the cabin. There were glass bottles lined up on the wall with different liquids and preserved matter in them. He had been there many times already but it was only then, as he finally got to experience the healing powers of the liquids first hand did he really allow himself a good look at the room.

So many poultices and potions were lining the walls yet Levi had never seen anyone else in the cabin. He eventually figured out that was the only logical explanation. He was sure though she was only early into her teenage years, just like he was.

“Yes. I made everything here myself,” She answered, only confirming his suspicion.

“For what?”

“For fun. What else is there to do here?”

Share it to the world. Levi had wanted to say. He kept it to himself though. The way her face darkened as she asked that question only made Levi think that it was something he shouldn’t pry on her. When he did think about it, someone as friendly as her would not have lived in isolation against her will. Something must have happened.

“So what happens to the poultices you make?”

“They just sit here and when they go bad, I throw them away.”

Levi felt a second hand pain at the thought of wasting such effective ingredients. “Would you mind if I came back here more? So at least someone could use them?”

She beamed. “I would honestly love it if you did.”

                                   Trials and Tributes

“You look like you’ve grown since then,” she gave him a naughty smile. “Maybe an inch?”

“Watch your mouth. You’ll be going on trial soon,” Levi said sternly. He knew the smile which so naturally crept up his lips betrayed the tone of his voice. She had made that same joke many times before.  

“I meant you’ve changed,” she clarified.

“Of course, I have. How long has it been? Ten years?”

“Wow? That long? I’ve waited for you that long?” Her eyes widened in surprise. The brunette stood up and slammed her hands on the table. It was loud and maybe the way she stared at him and slammed her feet on the table was a little chaotic. They had dealt with crazier witches though and the guards did not even bother to peek in.  

Levi bit his lip, quelling the guilt inside him. He still remembered, he did promise her they’d meet again. I mean, we did meet again right? Levi thought wryly to himself as he considered the circumstances of their reunion. He had considered visiting a long time before. But the three day walk or the one day carriage ride just did not seem worth it, especially since he had gotten busier with work.  

“You said you’d be back. I had faith we’d meet again. I just didn’t think we’d meet like this.”

                                       Trials and Tributes

His uncle Kenny had been missing for over two years. He should have seen it coming. His uncle had said so himself multiple times, he was not fit to be a father.

The one thing that had made the isolation all the more bearable was the cabin only a ten minute walk away. They had gotten closer over time and Levi started to feel more and more at home when he’d stop by after a long day of training to get his cuts and blisters treated.

Every month, he would still make the long trek to the nearest town once or twice. That was where the opportunity to enlist in the king’s army made itself known to him. They had sold the idea as one for glory, for money. Levi saw it as something else.

The training his uncle had given him from sneaking skills, archery skills, knife throwing and combat skills had to have been for something. As the town crier stood on his platform  announcing the call for manpower for the next war, Levi’s mind was racing. Maybe it was an opportunity to find his uncle. Maybe it would be a good chance to see the world. Maybe it was a way to find out the origins of the witches that took his mother away from him so many years ago.

He knew though, to answer the many questions running through his head, he had to find a way out of their small village. The easiest way lay in front of him as King’s army enlistment. The town crier prattled on about free transportation, free weapons, free training and the opportunity to live a life of luxury in the capital but Levi did not listen. He had already made his decision.

“So you’ve finally decided to leave huh?” She didn’t bother to hide the disappointment on her face as she placed a mug of tea in front of him.

“There are just some questions I need answered. Can’t do it here.”

“Yeah, should have known. Nobody would want to live in a cabin in the woods their whole lives.”

“Why don’t you go with me?”

“I’ve told you before. I can’t leave.” She avoided his gaze. Why had she never left the woods?  He had asked that question so many times before, only for the conversation to shift elsewhere.

“You’ll come back though right?”

“Of course. I grew up here. This is still my home.”

“Then I’ll wait.” She went towards the cupboards, took something out, walked back to him and pressed it on his palm.

Levi could only stare.

“Why do you look so dumbstruck? It’s a poultice.” She explained. “You’ve tried everything else I’ve made. Now that I think about it, maybe that’s why your aim is so good now.” She noted playfully.

Levi had to nod as she said that. Ever since he had started taking her potions and applying her poultices, he improved remarkably as a fighter. “What’s this one for though?”

“It can soothe pain, sores. I thought you’d need it fighting a war.”

He only needed to open the bag slightly for the scent to waft out and fill the room.

“It’s pretty strong so you’ll only need a pinch every time you’re injured,” She said as she quickly pulled the drawstring bag closed again. She was too late though. The strong scent had already settled in the air. “It’s my favorite. Definitely the one I’m most proud of. And you can get a free refill when you come back. Maybe I can even make a better one.” She smiled ruefully. “You promise you’ll be back though right?”

“Promise.”

                                         Trials and Tributes

The room had smelled just like the poultice when he had closed the door on her. That was the one poultice that saw him through the two year war, then three more years working for the military. Maybe that was why at that moment when he laid eyes on her in the interrogation room, it had brought him such a wave of nostalgia, making him recognize her almost instantly.

“Did something happen?”  His superior asked within a second of Levi entering his office. It was just like Erwin to know something was not routine at first glance.

“Hm?”  

“This last visit to the prison took you longer than usual. And you seemed a little distracted when you entered  my office.”

Levi looked out the window. The sun was far past the horizon already and the sky was too dark to even make out shapes against it. The prison was underground so it was a little more difficult to notice the passage of time there. He couldn’t help but note though that that was the first time he had come out of there to see that it was dark outside.

“That's what I wanted to talk to you about.” Levi had rehearsed his lines on the way up. Only the king would be able to give him permission to do what he wanted to do and the only person who could convince the king was his superior Erwin. He trusted Erwin but from his eyes, his request seemed so out of character, he could not even predict how Erwin would react. With Erwin’s comment though, he had given Levi a good opening to ask.

It’s now or never. “I want to handle the trials of the witch I met in the prison today. The one who came from my hometown.”

“Hange Zoe?”

That was her whole name? Years ago, he had only ever called her by her first name Hange. He had even forgotten her first name. During the meeting, he had been so focused on how they had both changed, the promise he had failed to meet and the circumstances of their reunion. As his mind raced trying to process that piece of crucial information, Levi could manage a nod.

“I guessed there might have been something between you too. Your hometown was a pretty small place.” Just like Erwin to be a little sharper. “Also, this is strange. You never really wanted to get involved in the actual trials and executions. Until now.”

Levi was trusted enough by the king and the military for his presence to always be requested in every trial and every burning. Every trial had left his chest a little heavier and his mouth a little more bitter-tasting. Erwin had at least noticed that enough to never request Levi to be there to facilitate it.    

Regardless of his lack of history with any of those witches who had gone on trial, a heavy chest and a bitter taste in his mouth were always there, maybe they were even just the bare minimum of what he felt with every trial.

Compared to many of the others he had interrogated though, he had a history with that Hange Zoe. Levi knew he would be taking a risk. “She might just be the witch who was responsible for my mother’s death. I want to be there in the frontlines when justice is served,” he answered.

And that was a risk he was willing to take.

[justanotherdmdammit]

1, 3, 15 and 16 for the ripped shirt game meme!

1: Do you try to stay away from walkthroughs?

Yes and no, I give things my best shot at first, and if I can't beat it on my own (or am just finding something tedious) then I go for a walkthrough. On games I'm feeling like a completionist about, I'll sometimes check a walkthrough before I get to the ending in case I missed something, eg all of Dark Souls 2's damn hidden walls.

3: Best game you've ever played?

Enderal. Getting into it at first is hard because of the steep difficulty curve and slower plot ramp up, but oh man, Enderal gave me 3 separate existential crises. The writing is incredible, the foreshadowing is absolutely wild (but completely unnoticeable), and my second playthrough had me almost shaking my fist at the screen.

15: Which two games do you think would make an awesome crossover?

I want Bloodborne/Animal Crossing. It would be just insane enough to be incredible. Let the cosmos fall open and the cute lil villagers pick up some fuckin guns.

16: Character you've hated the most? From what game?

I hate Lady Laurent from ESO. She should die. She should burn in the worst pits of Oblivion. Only one of her quests is funny (because it's so fucking dumb) and the rest fill me with homicidal rage. She just keeps coming back even though I despise her and no one ever should like her.

Honorable mentions to Kirin Jindosh (Dishonored 2), Delphine (Skyrim), and That Fucking Egg (DA: Inquisition)

[stainedglassfish]

ok guys i am once again posting this story i wrote but this time with a fancy tumblr thing check it out under the cut (reblogs greatly appreciated)

At the very end of the universe there was a town. Not a large town, just an average sized town. Don’t ask how it got there, nobody knows and it’s possible there is no answer. It floated gently on the endless cosmos, drifting towards infinity and destruction. A gigantic wall surrounded it, 30 feet tall. Nobody had ever been over the wall. Nobody had ever tried. 

Life went on. Everyone knew they were very close to their own demise, but nobody really minded it. Life was rather bleak when you were with the same 300 people your whole life and had no concept of exploration or curiosity. Everyone went about their business and society made no progressions. 

Now, one day something very odd happened. In a dusty alleyway a man appeared in a bluish flash of light. He stumbled slightly and leaned against a wall, gasping for air. He was a time traveller, from way back in a distant age. In fact, he hadn’t meant to come here. He had technically died, but all his tamperings with the space-time continuum had brought him here instead. Brushing himself off, he wandered out into the main street. Everything froze. People around him stopped halfway through words, mid-step, and all eyes turned to him. The only one who remained oblivious was a woman who seemed to be mopping the grass. The newcomer strolled down the street with a slight swagger. He had no idea where he was or the importance of it. At length one of the villagers ran off, returning with two others. One was the mayor of the town. She was short and businesslike, and she appeared struck dumb upon seeing the man (whose name was Fread. He hated his name, as it reminded him of bread, which he despised), in sharp contrast to the man next to her. He was rather long and gangly, and his eyes had a misty, sad quality to them, as if he was only half in this world. He was the town scholar, the only one there who still had any passion towards knowledge.

“Who- what-?” The mayor found her voice and stepped closer to Fread, peering up at him.

“My name is Fread. Where the hell am I?” He was utterly perplexed by this reaction to him, as nobody had even seen him appear.

“You mean… you mean you don’t know this place?”

“I think maybe we should go elsewhere…” Fread had a few things to explain. He was silently led away to a building in the far west. 

The room was startlingly empty, and out the window Fread could see the wall. He still couldn’t see over it though. He had haphazardly explained his predicament to the mayor, who had since scurried off looking dazed. Fread was left alone with the scholar. Outside life was returning to normal. The people had already brushed aside what had happened and had gone back to sluggishly working on things that did not matter. Turning to the scholar, Fread tried to think of something to say.

“So uhh….. What do you do?” Fread had never been much of a conversationalist, but he wanted to know more about this place and about the man standing before him. He saw within him something he couldn’t quite place, a sort of twisted despair.

“I am the scholar here. Everyone else has rather… abandoned the arts and literature. They do not seek knowledge or enrichment,” replied the scholar. He seemed to be avoiding getting any closer to Fread.

“Why?”

“Everyone’s lost hope. Nobody knows when all this is going to end, nobody sees any point in improving.”

“Oh,” Fread wasn’t sure what to make of this. This was the fate of humanity? To give up when growth and development was such a crucial part of society? “By the way, what’s your name?”

“Peter.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Fread. With an A,” He added with distaste. He was beginning to realize that he didn’t know how to get back to his own time, “Uhh, Peter, I don’t know exactly how to say this but…. I’m not sure how to get back.”

“Back?”

“Back to my home. To my--” He paused, tears suddenly springing to his eyes, “Y’know, there’s not a lot back there for me.”

“I am sorry. If you would like, you could stay with me, in my house,” Peter’s voice took on a quality of near excitement, but he still looked mournful as ever.

“I think I’d like that,” but Fread was crying, and though he looked forward to getting to know Peter more, he wished it didn’t have to be at the end of the universe. Hesitantly, Peter approached him, and Fread fell into his arms, trying to focus less on his predicament and more on the sensation of Peter’s hands rubbing his back gently, on the sound of his heart beating lightly in his chest. Eventually they broke apart, and Fread was feeling significantly better. 

They dined together that night. The house was filled with books on shelves, in towering stacks, scattered about. At a desk, papers and art supplies littered the surface. Peter made incredible soup and bread, and Fread found that he hardly missed his life back home. Peter explained the wall to him, and Fread was extremely curious.

“So nobody knows what’s over it?”

“No, nobody. It has never been crossed as far as I am aware.”

“But who put it there? Why?”

“I do not know. We assume it is there for a reason, and nobody here is brave enough to cross it.”

“I’d do it.”

“You would?”

“I don’t have much to lose, anyway. And you never know, maybe there’s a whole world out there.”

“But how would you get over it?”

“I saw that water tower near the wall. I could climb that, and then take a rope down,” Fread was getting excited. This was an adventure, and it was true, he didn’t have much to lose. Except Peter, and that’s what got him.

“Could you…. Do you think you could come with me?” He asked Peter, who looked down at his soup thoughtfully.

“I do not think so. The people here need someone to hold them together, to keep anything alive. You would have to go alone.”

“Oh,” Fread said sadly. He was still going to do it though. He was filled with a burning need to find out what was behind the wall, and he could tell Peter was too.

The next day he spent with Peter. He was risking a lot, and though he felt it was important, he was not ready to go after just one day. Peter never seemed to run out of things to talk about, and he told Fread about plants and animals and space and literature and though Fread didn’t really understand it, he liked listening to Peter talk. 

After a while, Peter fell silent, and they both ruminated on their time together and what was ahead. Fread had his head on Peter’s shoulder, curled against him and nearly falling asleep.

“Peter?” Fread asked quietly, unsure what exactly he wanted to say.

“Yes?”

“I’m scared.”

“Of what, exactly?”

“I don’t know. I just have, like, a bad feeling. That there’ll be nothing over there, or- or that it’s dangerous or I won’t be able to get back, or-” he trailed off. Peter, putting aside the book he had been reading, pulled Fread into his arms and held him tightly, humming a tune Fread didn’t recognize. Eventually Fread fell asleep, and Peter stayed there, not wanting to disturb him. He smelled nice, anyway. After about an hour he picked Fread up and carried him to bed, and they slept that night cuddled together.

In the morning Peter made eggs and toast for breakfast. Neither of them had much to say, but they were never more than five feet from each other. Fread enjoyed the food, but he couldn’t eat much as his trepidation grew. Peter read a few poems to him from a large leather-bound book, but in the end grew silent and just hummed to himself, running his fingers through Fread’s hair.

At last the time came. A crowd gathered around the water tower as Fread prepared to climb up and over. He had a rope slung over his shoulder, and he was trembling slightly with nerves and excitement. Peter stood at the front of the crowd, his brows knitted slightly. Fread was resolute, and though his emotions ran high, he did not cry and he felt no need to. After steeling himself for a moment, he prepared to begin the climb. As he was about to begin, Peter rushed forward, grabbing him by the arm and wheeling him around. Almost under his breath, Peter spoke to him, sounding slightly choked.

“If you… if you don’t come back from this, I want you to know that you are the best thing to have come here in all my time. You’ve… you’ve given me new hope and new motivation and I- I love you,” And Peter kissed him, gently, but lingering just long enough for Fread to know the feeling behind it. But it was over too soon, and Fread had to turn away to climb, murmuring a goodbye that did not feel like enough. He could taste Peter’s tears on his lips.

And when he reached the top, and looked back, he could not find Peter in the crowd. He could not have, as Peter had returned to his home, unable to watch as Fread disappeared over the edge. Fread tied his rope to a rung of the tower, and began his descent. Reaching the bottom, he rubbed his eyes, confused. Before him was an endless expanse of nothing. Not a single sound, no color or rocks or sand. Fread couldn’t decide if it was black or white or some color that he couldn’t even comprehend. As he stared into it, trying to make sense of it, he saw something on the horizon (or what he supposed was the horizon, there wasn’t exactly a sky or land.) It was getting bigger and bigger, and Fread felt his heart leap to his throat as he watched it. It was a sort of swirling mass, at once misty and sharp. It advanced upon him, and Fread found that he could not move. He watched as it advanced, and when it reached him he knew no more. He was swept up and torn apart, and the mass crushed the wall as if it were made of paper, devouring it and shortly after, the town. Nothing remained, no color or light or earth or buildings, no consciousness or thoughts or emotion. And the mass, having finally won out against the town at the end of the universe, expanded until it was everything, and then nothing was at the end of the universe.