#and sorry for taking longer than usual

[lesbianneopolitan]

Sketch CM of @octaviaember‘s OCs!

Thanks again for commissioning me! ❤

[sensitiveheartless]

StressTM

[buwheal]

Unexpected but fair.

How long were we disconnected?

[kusanagihaku]

don't mind this too much I'm just typing out my thoughts but I feel like Haku carries around a lot of emotional baggage and this might be because of his issues with his family and maybe--if there are any--unresolved issues with Frostheim?? I know him and Tohma aren't on the best terms fs.

Anyway, I feel like whenever Haku brings up any issues from the past he talks about them so... casually? When Haku brings up Tohma in his home screen voice lines, it doesn't seem like he holds any grudges toward Tohma--if anything I read it thinking they were almost friendly with each other before I saw his campus convo w/ Tohma. It's also silly to me how when Haku brought up his family being "happy to see him gone" he didn't seem like he was bothered by it at all. I don't mean to say he was actually unbothered by it ofc I just feel like he definitely has a lot of baggage and I want to assume he tries not to ponder on it too much for his own mental health and to maybe not be a burden on others?? lowkey relatable but my take on Haku is that he definitely doesn't like to bring up his past unless it's relevant to the conversation 😭 and even then he gives a vague amount of details and doesn't really seem to state his opinions on them.

I feel like his affinity 19 line kinda just reaffirmed this for me? it just seems like he bottles up a lot of his emotions so when you get really close to him he feels comfortable enough to just vent a little bit... but even so he still apologizes. it's also interesting to me how when you get closer to him with affinity he lets you in on his life a little more (his poor sleep habits, his kind of ominous level 25 line, also his mini rant about how much it must suck to have a curse. his input on that is interesting to me given that he's so close to Rui and he tells mc that he knows how to get around a curse but I digress)

my affinity with Haku is like 5 right now so I can't really speak but he's definitely one of my favorites so far so I wanted to ask an actual Haku fan what they thought!!!

regarding haku bottling things up: i agree with you that haku seems like he's carrying around a lot but tries not to think about it too much? i don't think he bottles it up on purpose, but haku does seem like he has a 'if i don't think too much about it i can pretend it didn't happen' kind of vibe. which is also what happened when we go to ask him about the clash - he doesn't want to talk about it since it brings up pretty bad memories for the ghouls.

but more so, i think he might also be a 'it already happened, so why bother thinking about it so much?' kind of person. he brings up his family being "happy to see him gone" and how they think he's an "irresponsible heir" in a pretty flippant way, which makes me think he's either refusing to think about it too much because he'll actually need to think about what will happen after he graduates from darkwick, or he's already finished processing it and is all like it is what it is, what can i do?

i'm leaning more towards the latter because of how casually he treats it and how he just drops it into conversation. it's not big enough of an issue to him that he has to keep himself from dumping it all on you. it doesn't read like a shameful secret either, just more like a part of him and his history that just is - it just slips out whenever it comes up in conversation. after all, there's nothing he can do to change it, right?

sidenote: it also makes me wonder if haku is putting in so much effort in hotarubi missions not only to make up for subaru and zenji (given that subaru has limited firepower and zenji is... zenji...) but also to prove (to who? to himself? to whoever is watching?) that he can be responsible, he can take care of his house... after all, it's not as if subaru and mc can go talk to his family and show them how responsible he actually is in taking care of hotarubi... right?

regarding higher affinity lines 19 to 23: i agree!! it seems like the closer you get to him, the more relaxed and open he seems around you. although the higher affinity lines do just read like you're just spending a lot more time in hotarubi in general - you're awake / maybe i'll take a nap / i'm going to bed... you're around hotarubi and spending so much time together with him in his room your hours start blurring together. it's really cute also when i think about him hinting in his chat he wants to take a nap with you on the veranda. haku, rest!!!!! i say, ignoring my own massive sleep debt.

regarding his affinity 24 line about being cursed: the more i read it, the more i wonder if it's not just him being sympathetic to rui and mc being cursed... what if haku has also been cursed? that's why he's so clear about the helplessness and the "why me?" that accompanies the curse... either that or he's just a really great listener and really empathetic and kind. which, given what we've seen of him, is also a very real possibility. he has a really big heart i'm gna beat his entire family up please he needs someone on his side and to see the good in him beyond what he does for others for ONCE

regarding affinity 25 line: i've been thinking about this also!! why does he want you to forget about him, and why does he think that's selfish!!!! you want to remember him and your time together because no matter what happens in the end / if you're hurt by him or your curse, these memories are precious to you - even if you lose him, at least he was yours to lose.

he wants you to forget because somehow, he thinks the memories you have of him will cause you pain. he doesn't want to see you suffer through the process of losing him as you succumb to your curse. if you just forgot him, maybe you could go a lot easier. to him, it's selfish because you clearly don't want to forget and they're your memories and it's your prerogative, but for his own sake, he wants you to forget because he wants to see you go without pain. if you forget about him, the only one who suffers will be him.

or: haku knows memories make a person. he knows this from subaru's stigma, and he knows this from how ghosts are just memories of people who live on. once the anomaly in you takes over, if you'd just forget about him, as long as it doesn't carry any memories of your life together, it means that you're well and truly gone and he can now kill the anomaly with the knowledge that there is nothing left of you, without any sort of guilt.

regarding the haku-tohma relationship: i think also in light of the theory that haku was a frostheimer who transferred out to hotarubi (and perhaps even transferred out alongside yuri) and left a big gap for tohma to fill, it makes sense that tohma doesn't see him in a good light. tohma seems like the kind who values loyalty a lot (given how he maintains his friendship with alan), and as a result might see haku as a traitor to jin/frostheim. which also explains why when they met in ep7 ch19 tohma was all like, "our wheelhouse?" when haku used 'our' to refer to himself as part of hotarubi, as if something about haku treating himself as part of hotarubi rubs tohma the wrong way. maybe he's bitter haku doesn't think of himself as frostheim anymore? which doesn't make too much sense to me since tohma transferred out of vagastrom... unless he also thinks of himself as vagastrom at heart? maybe his frostheim identity is stored in his monocle

at the same time, haku just treats tohma sort of coolly ("if you've got something to say to me, just say it.") - he doesn't want to play politics like tohma does. which i think is very much in line with what you said about him not holding any grudges towards tohma - if anything, the tension seems very one-sided and something haku wants to leave behind.

(that one theory going around also makes sense to me... that haku would transfer out of frostheim not because of anything major but because he couldn't stand the rich people politics going on in there... he's too lazy for that sort of shit... which is why he enjoys hotarubi a lot more, since subaru is a really sincere person and zenji is just... zenji...)

anyway tldr; sorry this was a massive word vomit and idk if i even answered anything but i think haku just needs someone on his side for once and mc needs to stop second-guessing him because i, for one, will follow him wherever he goes,,,

[vii-doodles]

Aaaaaaand yet another (and last for now) dtiys entry for my dear friend Astrellum on Instagram!

[gege]

Hiii, how are you? I hope you are doing ok! <3 sending love and hugs. I wanted to ask you... i think i remember something about tgcf having live action adaptation. Was that real or was just a dream i had or something? If it's real do you know if we will have it or what happened to the project? Idk if my mind made that up! sorry and thanks :)

Hiii Anon!

No, it's not some mad collective fever dream we all had, they really did film it (6 months of shooting between July 2021 and January 2022). Native title is 吉星高照 (Ji Xing Gao Zhao) English title is Eternal Faith.

If we ever get to see it is another matter, i probably don't need to say the main reason is because it's a danmei adaptation - it'll have a harder time passing the censors than the average cdrama. Since the popularity of other dangais it seems the censors have become stricter in any case. Job one is always going to be passing the censors.

While checking chinese websites and articles I did find several sources of a rumour that the site security punched a girl who was visiting the set. I can't vouch for the reliability of this but anything that can potentially attract criticism can delay a cdrama release further. Other criticisms include the casting of the male leads, how cheap the set design and costuming look, and a cancelled actress who may have to remain uncredited.

So it will need to satisfy the censors in order to be relased, as well as satisfy the general public and tgcf fans to be worth releasing and I'm not sure if it can do it all. If all goes well and it does ever pass censorship, we won't get a release date in advance. I don't know if you've ever experienced waiting for a cdrama release but you will not get much warning when it airs. It will likey drop with a couple days warning in form of internet rumours, or just completely out of the blue.

HAVING SAID THAT - another rumour is that a full costume bl drama like the untamed will be released internationally in Sept 2024, bypassing a Chinese release. It's just a rumour but it does make this webpage very interesting! But please remember everything above and not get too excited just yet 😂.

I'm gonna share some set photos just because 😍

Zhai Xiaowen as Xie Lian

Zhang Linghe as Hua Cheng/San Lang/Crimson Rain Sought Flower

Chang Huasen as Shi Qingxuan/Wind Master & Tian Xuning as He Xuan/Ming Yi/Earth Master

Vin Zheng as Nan Feng & Li Fancheng as Fu Yao (+ bonus Wind Master)

Liu Lingzi as Xuan Ji

Liu Jinyan as Ling Wen & Wang Yueyi as Female Wind Master

Xiao Kaizhong as Feng Xin/Nan Yang & Cai Yao as Mu Qing/Xuan Zhen

Bian Tianyang as Qi Rong/Prince Xiao Jing/Green Ghost

Lu Yuxiao as Yushi Hung/Rain Master. She played Shangguan Qian in My Journey to You, but as she was fairly unknown at the time of filming jxgz so there are no photos to be found of her as Rain Master 😩.

Anyway, let's all quietly try to will this into existence with physic powers etc.

Thanks for sending me an ask, have a lovely day anon!

(∩^o^)⊃━☆

[merwynsartblog]

Not me thinking whetehr or not Mercury dies first or Fylass does due to age shenanigans, since I dunno Mercury's life span :(

mercury is around king dededes age and i like to think ages are different. so for example king dededes age for me is 360. which rounds about 36 for our age. (ik its weird and i dont have a damn reason for this) and same thing with everyone else like mercury is probably around...320 so around 32 so it just depends but i hc our ages and their ages are different- they live for wayyyy longer than humans

but since fylass is 12 mercury will probably die first sadly BUT. he would leave alot of stuff to his found family (fylass is a part of it) and make sure everyone he cares for is safe off without him

[dailydemonspotlight]

Camazotz - Day 63

Race: Raptor

ATMA Avatar of Bat

Alignment: Dark-Law

July 3rd, 2024

I've been playing Digital Devil Saga lately, and combined with my erratic mood swings, what else would be more fitting for today's DDS than a blood-draining bat who leaves those in its wake feeling hollow? This also marks the second demon in a row to originate from South American mythology, though this one is its own can of worms- or, maybe, bucket of blood...? No, that's stupid. Regardless, though, today's Demon of the Day is a curious fellow originating from very specific Mayan cults, and a personal favorite of mine- Guatemala's own lord of the night, patron of giant vampire bats, and a terrifying blood-sucking deity, Camazotz!

A lot relating to Camazotz is hard to dig into, let alone digest- purportedly worshipped as a central deity in ancient Mayan culture, this great-winged bat appears scantly, yet its influence cannot go understated. This is made even more confusing by evident conflation between Camazotz and a completely different concept, that of 'The Camazotz,' a race of giant bats found in the underworld in the Polpol Vuh, a chronicle going into the creation myth of humanity itself in Mayan mythology. As is purported in it, the Camazotz weren't actually a single, unified deity, and instead were an entire separate race of giant bats found in the Mayan afterlife, known as Xibalba.

People also often purport that this race may have been a mythological explanation for the extinct, but then-present giant race of vampire bats called Desmodus draculae. This, of course, makes things a mite more complicated- the death bat may have been conflated with recollections regarding a completely separate bat god that is left unnamed, as there is evidence of worship to a single, unified bat deity in ancient Mayan culture. Camazotz itself is also purported as being a single, great bat spirit in the underworld, not quite a god but still immensely powerful in its own right. And, well, let's get into that.

The main appearance of the Camazotz comes in the Polpol Vuh, as is to be expected, and they have quite an interesting role- in one of the trials the two protagonists, Hunahpu and Xbalanque, have to survive during their expedition into Xibalba, they're challenged with staying the night in Zotzilaha- the House of Bats. The legend tells of how they had hid away within their blowguns to last the night, but eventually, perturbed by the lack of the wings flapping from the bats outside, one of the brothers dared to stick his head out. This is when Camazotz, who was watching, striked. In an instant, the brother was decapitated, and his head used as a ball for the deities to use in their next ballgame. As morbidly hilarious as this story is, it does give us some insight into Camazotz's role- as a spirit of the night, he clearly showed both trickery and strength.

Of course, this origin is hard to pinpoint, and I'm honestly unsure as to if there was a single Camazotz or an entire race of them who were attacking the brothers, as a lot of things surrounding this great vampire bat are frustratingly murky. Of course, as it comes down to a lot of the time with these demon spotlights, a lot is left up in the air due to the loss of primary sources through history, but with the connection to the long-dead Desmodus draculae species of vampire bats, it's possible to come to several interesting conclusions. There are even beliefs that the traditional blood sacrifices that the Mayans were known for were partly inspired by Camazotz, but that's a rabbit hole I'll leave you to dig into.

Now, as for how Camazotz is depicted in the series, the design has grown on me a lot. While originally seeming to just be a giant bat with sickles, the strange, wrapping hands, the ornaments, and the skulls all paint it in a uniquely Mayan light that I'm really quite fond of. Of course, it also appears in Digital Devil Saga, but frankly I'm not quite sure what to make of a lot of ATMA avatars, and Camazotz is no real exception. As much as I love DDS, the avatars definitely need to grow on me a bit more for me to really appreciate them.

Overall, though, the design works wonders, and I really do enjoy it. Too bad the sprite compression in SMT IV makes it almost completely incomprehensible, but... well, alas, that's what happens to games on the 3DS.

[strawbubbysugar]

B(o)dy [Alpha] Chapter 5!

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

reopening the ask box is like... just finishing vacuuming shed cat hair, and then immediately going and petting said cat vigorously & watching with delight as So Much Fur sheds right back onto the floor

[thedrotter]

(cw for a gun, mild blood and suicide in the last drawing.)

Day 1-5 of drawing Re:Kinder daily for a whole month! I'll be doing that all month. ☺️

I did not draw Re:Kinder enough (said both sarcastically and genuinely, because while I know the statement is ridiculous I also do believe it www), so I chose to challenge myself. I will post these every 5 days to not clog the tag too much.

[i-am-jean-descole]

is that- a bite mark on your shoulder?

"I created a device that would mind control wolves. During development it unfortunately malfunctioned and one of the wolves bit me."

[butchlifeguard]

attention spans dont real lmao. nothing about the condition or support needs of yr adhd can be measured by measuring yr attention span because the nature of adhd is that attention span is incredibly variable. this is bc adhd is characterized by dopamine seeking behavior and not just a timer until we get bored and go on our phones

[anywaymuahahahaha]

｡°✩ ⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊✩₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆ ✩°｡⋆ ⋆｡°✩ ⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊✩₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆ ✩°｡

Chapter Four: Let Me Explain Everything About Magolor…

Elfilin and Magolor were getting closer to Kirby's house. Magolor cast an anxious glance over at Elfilin. He began to slow down, and then they came to a halt. Kirby’s house was just below.

“Hey… So, you know that stuff I said about Kirby back there? Let's uh… Let’s keep that to ourselves, okay?” Magolor said with a smile.

Elfilin grew anxious as he looked down. He seemed to have forgotten about the lies back in town. It might be difficult to explain to Kirby how they managed to bring back so much fruit.

“Magolor…You lied about Kirby...Why would you do that?”

Magolor took a deep breath then looked down below.

“Kirby has saved Planet Popstar many times. I’m sure you’re aware of that. You’ve seen Kirby in action; isn’t he amazing?…Well, that fool seems to have forgotten just how important he is. Kirby isn’t just some ordinary citizen. He’s a hero and he deserves to be treated as such! Wouldn’t you agree, Little Dude?”

“Well…yeah! Of course, I do! But…What will Kirby say when he finds we stole everything?” Elfilin asked.

“Kirby’s not going to find out!” Magolor winked.

“W-what do you mean by that? You’re gonna lie to Kirby?!”

“What!? Of course not! I'd never lie to my dearest friend!” Magolor said, almost outraged by the remark. “...Besides, he'll be so completely thrilled about all this food we’ve brought him that he won't care a bit where it came from!”

“But Magolor, stealing is just wrong!…I…I can’t go through with this. I’m sorry, but I’m taking everything back!” Elfilin turned around and prepared to fly back but Magolor quickly appeared right in front of him and held up his hand, preventing him from doing so.

“No way, Little Dude! Kirby’s waiting on us! We can’t let him down!” Elfilin anxiously tried to move past him, but Magolor wouldn’t budge.

“Calm down! To be honest…we technically didn’t steal anything because…Well, I’m gonna go back and pay for it all tomorrow!”

“…You are?”

“Of course!…I do it all the time.” He smirked.

“But…Aren’t you banned from that place?”

“…Oh… That obnoxious jerk has such a nasty temper. He’s never liked me, and I don't know why; I’ve never done a thing to him. He’s always blaming me when things go wrong for him because, well, he’s just bad at his job. It can’t be helped. He's a pathetic old fool.”

“Are you sure?…or is this another lie?” Elfilin asked.

“Okay…fine. I'll admit...I occasionally tell a little, white lie to some of the folks around here…but to Kirby? Or you? I don't lie to my friends anymore!” Magolor said, smiling and nodding.

Anymore?…

“Aw, don't give me that look.” Magolor said with a pout. “I only lied about Kirby like that because I was in a hurry! Normally, I wouldn’t do something that drastic, but I had no choice. He was taking way too long, you know?”

“I wonder if he’s okay after what happened with that Black Hole-”

“Like I said, Little Dude, it’s no big deal! No one got hurt! No harm done!” Magolor snickered. He seemed to have no regret at all for what they had done. He seemed like he might have enjoyed it even. He pointed below to Kirby’s house and smiled.

“Well, let’s go!” As Magolor tightened his grip on the hefty sack of fruit, he noticed Elfilin still appeared to be a bit hesitant to return. He jabbed him on the shoulder with a lighthearted punch.

“Remember, Little Dude! I’m going back tomorrow to pay for everything we took today…and then some, even!” He said with a wink.

Regardless of how horrible he felt about the situation, Elfilin couldn't help but believe Magolor. He just brimmed with sincerity. So kind and friendly. He certainly had a mischievous side, as Elfilin could see, but was it really such a bad thing? He clearly took a lot of pride in his friendship with Kirby and valued it above all else. Elfilin was impressed and inspired by his dedication to being such a good friend, but was also a little concerned and somewhat curious about the obscure and dark past he seemed to be hiding.

“Hmm. In fact, I'll throw in a little extra to help repair the damage caused by that nasty black hole!” Magolor continued.

“Really!? Wow…That’s very…cool of you!”

“What can I say? I’m a pretty cool dude…And so are you! Nice work back there!”

“You really think I’m cool!?” Elfilin exclaimed, his eyes wide with awe.

“Of course, and you'll be even cooler if you remember what I said about keeping what happened back there a secret! Just follow my lead, Little Dude. Remember, we're not lying; We’re simply keeping it between us. I’ll handle everything and you won’t have to say a word! Now, let’s get down there and show Kirby all this delicious fruit! Last one there’s a rotten egg!”

Magolor sped off flying down below to Kirby’s house. Elfilin quickly caught up to him and even surpassed him. Just as he thought he would make it to Kirby’s door first, Magolor emerged directly in front of him. He twirled about, giggling.

“You almost beat me! Looks like you'll have to pick up your pace juuuust a bit, there, heeheehee!” Magolor winked. Elfilin blushed, humiliated at yet another defeat.

“Don't worry, I won't tell Kirby about it..heehee!” Magolor opened the door and they went inside to see Kirby and Bandana Waddle Dee continuing their chess game from earlier.

“Yo! We’re back! We brought lots of good stuff too! I made sure to get plenty of apples, just as you wanted, Kirby!” Magolor tossed him a bright red apple.

“The most delicious apple in the universe!…Just for you!” He smiled.

Kirby's eyes sparkled as he gazed at the apple. Then he inhaled it all in one go.

“Wow, that was delicious! The best apple I’ve ever had! Thank you, Magolor! Thank you, Elfilin!” Kirby jumped around happily.

Magolor bounced around joyously with Kirby, while Elfilin chuckled nervously. Magolor then took both sacks of fruit and poured them out on the floor. Kirby's eyes grew wide as he gazed at the mountain of fruit surrounding them.

“Alright, Kirby! Dig in!” Magolor smiled. Kirby was practically drooling on himself from his excitement.

“Wow! Look at all of this!! Apples, peaches, and even strawberries! Imagine what we could do with all of this! We could make cobblers, pies, fruit tarts, even parfaits!! The possibilities are endless!!”

Kirby frantically rummaged through all of the fruit grabbing every piece he could possibly fit in his hands.

“That's right, Kirby! I made sure to get only the best! I know just how hungry you get, so we made sure to grab plenty!”

Magolor smiled as he sat down next to Kirby.

Bandana Waddle Dee was amazed by how much fruit they brought back. It almost seemed too good to be true that Magolor could bring back this much. Kirby, of course, was so eager to devour everything that he didn't seem to care where it all came from. He was just happy to eat. Bandana Waddle Dee then spotted Elfilin standing alone. He quietly took a few steps towards him.

“Pssst…Elfilin!” He called out. Elfilin turned to see Bandana Waddle Dee motioning for him to come closer. While Magolor and Kirby were preoccupied, they met in another corner of the room.

“Hey, Elfilin…how did it go?…” he asked, speaking softly.

Elfilin sighed and glanced down. He then turned towards Magolor, still beaming with happiness as he sat with Kirby.

“…It’s Magolor, isn’t it!? What did he do this time!?” Bandana Waddle Dee said angrily.

“I just knew he was up to no good! He did something horrible again didn’t he!?”

“What? No!” Elfilin said hastily. “Magolor is…Well, he’s great! He showed me the sights, introduced me to some new people, and helped get all this food for Kirby!”

“Yeah, about all this food…” Bandana Waddle Dee said as he looked around the room. “How did you guys pay for all this?…”

Elfilin froze in panic. He remembered Magolor’s plea to keep everything between them. He couldn’t tell Bandana Waddle Dee about what really happened. But he couldn’t lie either. He took another uneasy glimpse around.

“Well…you see…” Elfilin stammered. “Um…Magolor…”

Bandana Waddle Dee shook his head in defeat as Elfilin stumbled over his words.

“…He handled everything like a total pro! It’s all been taken care of! There’s no need to worry Bandana Waddle Dee!”

“Are you sure? You seem anxious…”

Elfilin was determined to keep his promise to Magolor but…he wasn’t quite as good at lying as Magolor seemed to be.

“…Yep!…he…” Elfilin sighed. “Paid for everything…”

“Oh, Elfilin…you can be honest with me. I won’t tell Magolor anything you say…It’s not like I ever wanna talk to him anyway.”

“I don’t know why you seem to hate him so much…He really is nice, you know? He’s awesome! Ooooh, and I think he wants to be my friend! Isn’t that cool!?”

Bandana Waddle Dee exhaled deeply. He was well aware of Magolor's ways. Using his charm to win over anybody he wants and get whatever he desires. He watched him do it to Kirby and now he was doing the same to Elfilin.

“Elfilin…” Bandana Waddle Dee said.

“Look, I know you seem to like Magolor a lot…and I really hate to have to tell you this…but he’s not this super cool guy you think he is.”

Elfilin frowned. Bandana Waddle Dee leaned in closer and spoke quietly.

“He tries really, REALLY hard to make you think he wants to be your friend…He plays it off like he’s a real nice guy…but the truth is..he’s a lying, backstabbing, TRAITOR!!”

“…A traitor?!” Elfilin was taken aback. “Magolor!? There’s no way!”

“He’s a liar and a wizard!! Believe me, Elfilin! Stay away from Magolor if you know what’s good for you!”

Elfilin glanced over at Magolor and Kirby. Still talking and laughing it up. Could he really be this lying, backstabbing traitor!? Elfilin couldn't picture Magolor doing such a thing to anyone, let alone Kirby.

“He might look friendly and nice now-but it’s all an act!- Listen! When he first arrived on Planet Popstar…He told us he was a lost traveler in need of help. Kirby, of course helped him. We all did! You know what happened after that!?”

“…What?”

“HE BETRAYED US! He betrayed Kirby!”

“He..betrayed Kirby??” Elfilin was in disbelief.

“Yep! And he’ll betray you too, Elfilin!…Once Magolor has you right where he wants you, that’s when he gets you! He tricked us into helping him steal something that didn’t belong to him and once he had it- he ATTACKED US!!”

“Magolor attacked you!?” Elfilin still couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He knew Magolor was hiding something…but he never imagined he was hiding something quite like this…

“Yeah! And that’s not all!…He put on this thing called the Master Crown which made him transform into a big hideous looking monster! He had piercing red eyes, long, scary horns and big, freaky hands!”

Hearing this left Elfilin in pure shock. Magolor, a monster who betrays his friends? The very same Magolor who has been so kind to him and Kirby…It couldn’t be true…

“Magolor…turned into a monster?”

“That’s right! After he attacked us, he abandoned us on a strange planet far away from home! We were lucky to make it out alive!”

“What happened after Magolor…attacked you?…”

“Well, we managed to catch up to him thanks to a dragon named Landia. But he was determined to get what he wanted and wasn’t going down without a fight. Kirby had no choice but to face him in battle.”

“You mean Kirby and Magolor actually fought each other?”

“Yeah... Magolor was strong and very powerful but Kirby put up a good fight and ultimately had the upper hand. It was a pretty intense battle but Kirby was able to take him down.”

“…Take him down? You mean like…”

“Yep. Kirby defeated him.”

Elfilin was rendered speechless. Magolor seemed friendly, funny..a bit of a liar maybe, but a monster?…He couldn’t wrap his head around it. And to think they once fought each other in a vicious battle…When you looked at the two of them now, it seemed unbelievable.

“What happened to him after that?”

“Well, he just sort of…vanished…and that was the end of it.”

Elfilin kept his gaze on Magolor as Bandana Waddle Dee spoke, still struggling to process everything he was hearing.

“Kirby took it pretty hard at first but…after a while he finally managed to moved on…Magolor was gone for a really long time but then…one day he just showed back up on Planet Popstar acting as if nothing ever happened. We were all a little confused…But Kirby was really happy to see him again. Magolor has been living here in Dream Land ever since. He claims he’s changed but he still causes all kinds of trouble around here and he’s still a big, fat, liar. I’ll never understand him. But…for some reason…he and Kirby are still friends…” Bandana Waddle Dee sighed.

Elfilin could clearly see the two of them had a very special bond. He could tell they really enjoyed each other's company. Elfilin knew Kirby wouldn’t forgive someone who wasn’t deserving of it. If he was willing to forgive Magolor even after all that, it had to mean something, right?

“Bandana Waddle Dee…maybe you’re being a little too hard on Magolor…” Elfilin said softly. “If Kirby is willing to forgive him, then…maybe you could too.”

Bandana Waddle Dee was admittedly, a little shocked at Elfilin’s remark.

“Elfilin…you heard what I said, right? He turned into a MONSTER!”

While Elfilin could obviously see that Magolor was far from perfect, the more he learned about him the more sympathy he felt for him. While Elfilin’s circumstances might have been a little different he found himself relating more and more to his seemingly tragic past.

“Magolor doesn’t seem like a monster to me…In fact, he is one of coolest people I’ve ever met. I know I don’t know him as well as you and Kirby do, but if he says he’s changed then I think he means it! He just wants to be a good friend! Look at all this fruit he got for Kirby! Don’t you see how happy they are! You really ought to give Magolor another chance, Bandana Waddle Dee. Once you get to know him, he’s really a pretty nice guy!”

“NICE!? Elfilin…are you sure we’re talking about the same guy here?-“

“Yo, Little Dude!” Magolor suddenly appeared right in front of him, his attention to Elfilin. He was beaming with delight. He pulled out a bright red apple and handed it to Elfilin.

“I promised to give Kirby the best apple, but here’s the SECOND best apple…just for you! Heehee!”

Magolor bounced with excitement as he awaited Elfilin to take it. Elfilin was still slightly caught off guard by Magolor’s sudden appearances but still found himself completely starstruck when he had his full attention. Bandana Waddle Dee watched with slight frustration as Elfilin was completely frozen in awe of Magolor’s presence, his eyes sparkling as if he were about to cry.

Oh, give me a break!…

“Go on, take it!” Magolor handed over the apple to Elfilin. He took a careful look at it. It was much larger than all the others ones and noticeably redder too. It looked delicious! Elfilin held it tightly and smiled at Magolor.

“You’re giving this to me!?” He said, choking back tears.

“Of course! It’s the least I can do! You were so incredibly helpful back there! I couldn’t have done it without you!” Magolor said with a wink.

“Thank you, Magolor! Wow! It looks delicious! Are you sure I can have this?”

“Yep! It’s all yours, my friend! Enjoy it!” Magolor said with a nod. “In fact, why don’t the two of you come over here and sit with us! We were just discussing all the fun we’re going to have tonight!”

“Sure!” Elfilin spun around joyously and floated over to where Kirby was sitting. As Bandana Waddle Dee prepared to follow, he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

“Oh, and Bandana Waddle Dee…” Magolor began, his voice low.

He leaned in closer to Bandana Waddle Dee, who was frozen in fear.

“You should know it’s very rude to talk about people behind their back…” he whispered. He took a few steps forward then turned his face slightly towards him.

“Especially when the person you’re talking about hasn’t had a chance to tell their side of the story.”

Magolor smirked at Bandana Waddle Dee for a moment before returning to Kirby and Elfilin, leaving him completely stunned.

Did…Did he hear everything?….

Bandana Waddle Dee nervously approached them. Magolor intensely looked him in the eye as he headed over. He happily pat his hand on the ground next to him.

“Yo! There’s an open seat right next to me, Bandana Waddle Dee!” He giggled.

Bandana Waddle Dee hesitated for a moment. Kirby gave him a puzzled look.

“What’s wrong?” He said.

“Yeah, what’s wrong?” Magolor said slightly giggling.

“N-nothing…sorry…” Bandana Waddle Dee slowly sat down next to Magolor. He gave him a cheeky smile and scooted slightly closer to him.

“You know, We really should talk more, Bandana Waddle Dee.” He said giggling.

Bandana Waddle Dee sighed and turned away from him.

“Alright, then!” Kirby announced with a beaming smile. “Now that Magolor and Elfilin are back, what do you say we-“

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK!!

The room went silent at the sound of a loud knocking at Kirby’s door.

“Oh, another visitor!? I wonder who it could be!!”

Magolor and Elfilin froze in panic. Elfilin began to tremble anxiously as Kirby approached the door. He looked across to Magolor, who was looking around the room frantically, and then disappeared with his dimensional vanish. Elfilin hunched down and covered his face with his big ears. Bandana Waddle Dee observed them with perplexity.

Kirby opened the door and smiled big.

“Meta Knight! You made it, after all!”

Meta Knight, the mysterious, masked swordsman and longtime friend to Kirby had shown up.

“Good afternoon, Kirby. Can I come in?”

“Of course! Hey, everyone! Meta Knights here for the party!”

“Party?…” Meta Knight looked around the messy room and noticed Bandana Waddle Dee and Elfilin sitting together. Finally Magolor returned from his dimensional vanish appearing next to Kirby. He looked at Meta Knight and groaned.

“Oh, it’s just you. Now the real fun can start. Yippie…” Magolor sulked over to Elfilin and plopped down next to him. Elfilin stared in awe at Meta Knight, his eyes shining brightly.

“Oh, Magolor. You’re here as well.” Meta Knight said.

Magolor gave him an unenthusiastic hand wave.

“Well, I suppose that answers my first question…” He said glaring at him.

“Hey, Meta Knight!” Bandana Waddle Dee said cheerfully.

“Bandana Waddle Dee.” Meta Knight greeted him with a nod.

“It’s great you were able to make it considering Magolor stole your invitat-“

Magolor quickly jabbed Bandana Waddle Dee in the gut, cutting him off before he could finish his sentence.

“Meta Knight! We’re so happy you made it to the party! We’re gonna have lots of fun! Come on, come on!!” Kirby took Meta Knights hand and led him over to where Elfilin was sitting.

“Kirby, I’m not here for any party-“

“Meta Knight, you remember Elfilin, right?”

Elfilin was suddenly face to face with Meta Knight.

“Elfilin. It’s been a while, how have you been?” Meta Knight extended his hand out to Elfilin for a handshake.

“M-Meta Knight!” He stuttered. “Wow! It’s great to see you again!” Elfilin said happily shaking his hand.

“Likewise.” Meta Knight nodded at him then turned his attention to Kirby.

“I apologize for the intrusion but I am not here to hang out. I’m sorry to interrupt the…party, but I just need a quick word then I’ll be on my way.”

“Is everything all right, Meta Knight?” Kirby asked.

“Kirby…I was just in the village and there seemed to be a disturbance at the Farmers Market. Magolor…you were just there. Would you know anything about that?”

Magolor turned away from him, ignoring his question.

Meta Knight then turned to Elfilin. He began to tremble anxiously.

“Elfilin, I believe you were there with Magolor, correct?”

“Y-yes.” Elfilin stammered.

“Did you see anything…strange happen while you were there?”

Elfilin glanced over at Magolor, who was eyeing him intensely. Magolor very subtly shook his head ‘no’ and gave a small ‘thumbs up’ gesture with his hand.

“No, sir. I didn’t see anything strange…it must have happened after we left!”

Bandana Waddle Dee shook his head in anguish.

Oh, Elfilin. Not you, too…

Meta Knight nodded at Elfilin then took a few steps toward Magolor.

“Kirby, the shopkeeper who runs the Fruit Stand was robbed today.”

“What!? Robbed!?” Kirby said with a gasp.

“What happened!? Is anyone hurt!?”

“No one is hurt, thankfully. But it could have gotten ugly had I not been there to clean up the mess after the culprits fled the scene.” He glared angrily at Magolor. 

Elfilin sunk lower and lower with every word.

“Oh, when I find out who’s responsible for this!…they’re gonna be sorry!” Kirby said, viciously punching the air.

“Magolor…” Meta Knight began, his voice stern.

“Two sacks of fruit were stolen today. Curious…How many sacks did you take off with, again? It was quite difficult to see, given how fast the two of you were going.”

Magolor continued to ignore him. Kirby approached him angrily.

“Magolor…Don’t tell me you stole everything!” He said.

Elfilin panicked.

“Magolor, I know we’ve discussed this before but if you wish to continue living here in Dream Land you must behave yourself.”

Kirby frowned and glared disappointingly at Magolor. He looked over at Elfilin.

“And don’t be getting Elfilin here caught up in your antics either.”

“Elfilin, is it true? Did you guys steal everything?” Kirby asked.

Elfilin found himself in the hot seat. He swallowed nervously and attempted to speak.

“Kirby, don’t bother questioning Elfilin.” Meta Knight said. “This was all Magolor’s doing... As for the stolen fruit… I took care of the bill.”

He shot Magolor a disapproving look.

“You can pay back me back later.”

“Didn’t you just say you were leaving?” Magolor remarked.

Wow…Magolor and Meta Knight sure don’t seem to like each other very much…

Elfilin observed the tension between the two of them.

In fact…A lot of the folks around here don’t seem to get along with him…Was Bandana Waddle Dee right about him after all?…

Kirby sighed deeply and shook his head in remorse.

“Magolor…Why would you do this?! And to drag Elfilin into it?…”

“It’s not like anyone got hurt. That shopkeeper is such a crybaby. Listen, the only reason why I took off with everything was because I simply forgot my money! I was gonna go back and pay for it, tomorrow! I’ve done it before. He knows I’m good for it.”

“Magolor, if I’m not mistaken the shopkeeper has made it very clear that you are forbidden from his stand.” Meta Knight continued. “Perhaps I could show you the poster in case you’ve forgotten-”

“Hey! Magolor promised to pay for everything, right!? Um… You’re sorry, right? You didn’t mean to do it, did you, Magolor?” Elfilin chimed in.

“That’s right! Desperate times call for desperate measures. Kirby, you know I am always, ALWAYS, more than happy to clean up whatever messes I make. I was gonna tell you the truth eventually…but sadly, I wasn’t given the chance! Thanks, Meta Knight.”

“Oh, You’re quite welcome…And I’ll be seeing you soon to collect what you owe me.” Meta Knight nodded at Magolor and then to Kirby.

“Again, sorry for the interruption, Kirby. I’ll be on my way now so you can return to your party.” Meta Knight approached the door. He turned around once more.

“It was good to see you again, Elfilin. Enjoy your stay here in Dream Land. Magolor…” his voice took on a more serious tone. “Behave yourself.”

Magolor smirked, floated over to him and gently nudged him closer to the door.

“Well, here’s the door, my friend. You’re certainly a busy dude, right?” Magolor opened the front door and smiled. Bandana Waddle Dee, Elfilin and Kirby ran up to the door and waved goodbye.

“See ya around, Meta Knight!” Bandana Waddle Dee called out.

“Thanks for dropping by Meta Knight! Sorry again for all the trouble Magolor caused…” Kirby shot him a look of disdain once again.

Meta Knight approached the door but then stopped again and turned towards Kirby.

“Oh, Kirby…One last thing before I go…”

Magolor groaned in annoyance.

“Tell me…How are you feeling?…” Meta Knight asked.

“Me?…Oh, well…I feel just fine! Why do you ask?”

Meta Knight eyed Magolor.

“No reason. Well, I’ll be on my way then. Enjoy your party.” Meta Knight waved goodbye one last time and walked out the door.

“Bye, Meta Knight!” Elfilin waved.

“Yes, good-BYE!” Magolor slammed the front door shut.

Kirby stomped over to Magolor in a furious rage. To Elfilin's surprise, Magolor sank low onto the ground hiding his face behind hands.

“Magolor! How could you?! What were you thinking doing something like that!?” Kirby yelled.

Magolor peeked one watery eye out from behind his hands.

“Kirby, please forgive me! I promise I meant no harm by any of it! You know me! I wouldn’t just steal something if it wasn’t for a good reason!”

“There’s never a good reason to steal anything, Magolor!”

“Sure, there is! Truth be told, he deserved it. You should have heard the lies he told about you.”

“Oh, knock it off already!” Bandana Waddle Dee said angrily. “You’ve done nothing but cause problems since you got here! Kirby, just make him leave already!”

“No!” Elfilin yelled rushing to Magolor’s side.

“Kirby! He said he’s sorry! Please don’t make him leave!”

Magolor smiled at Elfilin who returned a friendly nod at him.

“Magolor…you can stay…but please, don’t cause any more trouble! We’re just trying to have fun! Promise me you’ll behave yourself?”

“Of course, Kirby! In fact, I’ll be so good, you’ll forget I’m even here. Heeheehee!” He winked.

Of course Kirby’s giving him another chance…

Bandana Waddle Dee sighed.

Elfilin smiled at Magolor and twirled around joyfully.

“That was a close one, huh?!” Elfilin whispered.

“Too close…Thanks for having my back, Little Dude!” Magolor held up his fist. Elfilin looked at it in confusion.

“Come on, don’t leave me hanging!” Magolor took Elfilin’s hand and demonstrated to him how to do a proper “fist-bump”.

“Got it? Now, let’s try it again.” Magolor once again held up his fist. Elfilin smiled and bumped fists with him.

Bandana Waddle Dee shook his head in disappointment.

Oh, Elfilin…I hope you don’t find out who Magolor really is the hard way…

Kirby frantically rummaged around the room, seeming eager to move on to the next activity.

“Well, Kirby, what’s next!?” Magolor said happily.

“Well, it looks like we’ll have to stick around here for the night! But I have a great idea! Why don’t we go for a swim in the lake right outside!” Kirby gathered a bunch of pool toys and excitedly rushed to the door.

Bandana Waddle Dee was slightly irritated that Magolor’s misdeeds in town were seemingly so easily forgiven, but he was also relieved to finally move on from the situation.

Magolor didn’t seem very thrilled at Kirby’s suggestion. Elfilin noticed his apprehension as everyone rushed out the door.

“What’s wrong, Magolor?” He asked.

“Oh, I’m fine. Just…lost in thought, that’s all.” he stared nervously out of Kirby’s window at the lake.

“Well, are you coming?” Elfilin said as he waited at the door for him.

Magolor took a breath breath and turned to him with a big smile.

“Of course! Let’s go!”

Magolor floated happily towards Elfilin, and together, the two of them set out for the lake with Kirby and Bandana Waddle Dee.

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[table of contents]

[next chapter]

[nico-di-genova]

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[kimtaegis]

hate to say it but july kinda sucked