#and you go outside and see a divine beam of light crashing into the ground in front of you

[darkmuffinstudios]

HAD THE MOST INSANE DREAM JUST NOW AND THESE TWO WERE IN IT AND I WAS JUST LIKE JSVFIJVFSJIVFSIKVSFIKSFV STEALING YOU GUYS

LIKE I LITERSLLY ROLLED OUT OF BED AND GRABBED MY TABLET AND SCRIBBLED THESE GUYS BEFORE I FORGOT

SO SO SO! THE IDEA IS THAT SOMETHING SOMETHING WHEN PPL DIE, THEY GET THESE HALOS ON THEIR HEADS WHICH TIE THEM TO THE LIVING WORLD AS A SORT OF LIKE “THEY CANT MOVE ON” SORT OF THING

AND WHEN KILLER GETS KILLED, HE HAS SO MANY DIFFERENT REGRETS AND SO MANY DIFFERENT WANTS THAT HIS SOUL ESSENTIALLY SPLITS INTO TWO—. UT THEYRE STILL VERY MUCH CONNECTED? LIKE THEY ARE DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF HIM BUT NEITHER CAN MOVE ON UNTIL THE OTHER IS SATIATED AND EISJCNDJSKCSKCMDLD

GOD THESE TWO ARE SO BADASS DISJCJCJC MY OWN BRAINROT IS GOING NUTS

MAYBE MORE TO COME SOON OK BYEEEEE

[tainted-wine]

Evil Demonic Music

Priest!Reader X Demon!Present Mic

Hizashi has a large and filling feast on every Halloween night. He’s been doing it since before you were born. Yet here you are crashing his party while smelling like fresh meat in a den of wolves. It’s entirely your fault for throwing off his groove.

Disclaimer: Reader is more reminiscent of an action priest in a gothic action movie or anime. There’s little to no accuracy here. Lightning will most likely strike me the next time I venture outside.

Words: 7.9k

Warnings: Noncon/Dubcon, Christian Themes, Possession/Mind Control, Orgy, Public Sex, Sorta Corruption, Downer Ending

🎃👻🎃HAPPY LATE HALLOWEEN, EVERYONE!🎃👻🎃

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Yuuei Club Presents “Dance With The Devil” Halloween Event LIVE Music by Present Mic Costumes Encouraged // Doors Open at 8 p.m.

It looked innocent enough; a graphical poster on the door of a building surrounded by smaller businesses in the outlet. It masked itself well in the daytime with its plain exterior, devoid of any attractive decorations save for the club’s name that glowed in hypnotizing neon when night falls. All of its temptations were contained inside, dormant until it was filled with careless souls seeking unholy pleasures.

You didn’t hate them for it. The temptation to sin is strong. It’s how evil thrives, and the average person lacks the strength to resist. It’s your duty to protect all people, even the faithless, from evil’s many devices. 

Like this nightclub.

Party locations like these were an uncommon feeding ground, although now that you think about it, the muddled and vulnerable minds residing within should make for easy meals. The loud and nonsensical “music” and absolute lack of restraint that the people displayed was baffling, but your task is to guard souls, not convert and guide them back to Heaven’s path. One demon in particular, however, favored ‘party animals’ more than any other creature from the vile depths.

“Easy there! You glare at this place any harder and it might combust!”

To the average human, the monster that appears beside you is nothing more than a tall blonde man with an inviting smile, but he can’t hide himself from the blessed and perceptive. Beneath the guise of spice and incense, he reeks of smoke and brimstone.

Hizashi, as he called himself, will never fool you.

“Stay back,” spit nearly flies from how harshly you say the words. You know that he can’t harm you, not while you wear your cross around your neck and calmly hold thoughts of your Lord in your mind. Still, you warn the dangerous fiend to keep his distance.

He obeys and innocently raises his hands. “Hey hey, you know I’m not out to hurt you, and you’re not gonna pull anything with that crafty little weapon there, right?”

No, you weren’t going to take a stab at him with the blade hidden in your holy necklace. You tried it before, an attempt to drive it into his back when he wasn’t looking. His hand caught your wrist at a speed you couldn’t comprehend – you were certain that you didn’t blink, yet you didn’t even see him move at all. His friendly smile didn’t waver, not a hint of anger visible on his face.

“Careful, baby priest! Don’t mean to sound cocky, but I’m way out of your league.” The warning wasn’t in his words, but in the heat of Hell itself that briefly washed over you, a sensation so powerful and real that you feared you were being dragged down that very instant. But the unseen flames died off the second he released your hand, eyes flashing a bloody red before returning to their usual emerald hues.

That was the first and only time you tried to banish him.

“I don’t trust you, but I’m not stupid,” was your answer, making sure not to let your hatred and disgust cloud your mind. He might take hold of that.

It was a satisfactory response, going by his bright beam of a smile. So friendly and inviting.

Months had passed when you finally accepted that he was a demon who genuinely enjoyed living alongside humans. He never spoke ill of your fellow men and commended them for their many ways of enjoying their short lives. Most demons you’ve dealt with favor negative emotions. Fear, sorrow, anger… those cold and bitter feelings attracted hellbeasts like flies to honey. 

But this one? He fed on mortals that were as cheerful and carefree as him. All of this still wasn’t enough to convince you that he is truly gentle, however.

Hizashi stayed where he was, staring at his own promotional poster. The urge to leave was almost overwhelming, but you couldn’t let him know how much he unnerved you with just his presence alone. Instead, you shuffle awkwardly and try not to utter prayers of protection. Whether or not that will anger him is something you don’t want to find out.

He rocks back and forth on his heels. “Are you pumped for the best night of the year? Man, Halloween never gets old for me, especially in this day and age. Everyone dancing while dressed like a bunch of monsters...it’s almost like I’m at home! Humans sure know how to party like tomorrow is The Cleansing.”

“Yes, and it’s shameful,” you humor him. “I have no interest in debauchery.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “It’s called having a good time, babe. Put the tome down and loosen up every once in a while.”

Put down the tome?

Loosen up?

Babe?

How dare he make you even entertain the thought of abandoning your teachings. You just know he’s trying to rile you up, to make you lose control. You won’t let him have his way. “I have my good times in moderation, on days when I praise God with my brothers and sisters with a glass of wine. There is discipline in everything, even celebration. Heathens simply get drunk and lose themselves in the madness.”

The demon chuckled as he ran his fingers through long golden locks. Just the beautiful sheen of his hair could probably attract the greedy. “Yep. Times sure do change, don’t they?”

“They don’t just change, they’re desecrated. What was once a day to ward off evil spirits now does the exact opposite. They’re too busy with their consumerism, candy, haunted houses…”

“Oh yeah, those haunted attractions are wild. So many of my buddies gorge themselves there. Free fear for the taking, ya dig?”

Despicable.

“And you don’t?” You test him. He was a conversationalist; a few probing questions won’t bother him, surely.

He withdraws his phone, scrolling through the screen for something. “Come on, you know me by now, don’t you? That sour stuff isn’t for me.”

“Forgive me for still struggling to trust you.” Sarcasm felt too risky, actually. You won’t use it again.

“Heh, no offense taken! You priests know just how cruel we can be sometimes. Mortals learned from the best, after all.”

Your lips twitch. His curve into a more wicked grin.

Every single passerby can’t seem to resist giving you odd looks. You can feel the eyes behind you as people make their way around the shops. Your garb wasn’t that strange; they’re acting like they’ve never seen a person in a robe and wearing several divine artifacts before. They would too if they knew what Hizashi was, who has yet to garner a single look of suspicion.

Ridiculous, his casual getup is actually fooling them. Perhaps the silly villainous mustache wasn’t big enough to give him away.

“Ah, here it is!” You nearly jumped from his voice and how quickly he leaned in, a video playing on his phone. “Just tap on the screen to play it an-”

“I know how to use a phone,” You hiss, taking the device from his hand and shooting him a glance every few seconds in case he tried something. 

The video was chaos, an unsteady view of flashing lights and thumping heavy beats. Whoever held it was smack dab in the middle of an energetic crowd that sang and danced like barbaric animals. It was an orgy of overindulgence. Too much drinking with their comically shaped cups and bottles, too much lust in their crude excuse of a dance, and synthetic drums that dragged on for so damn long, even the beat sounded drunk. It’s not the first time you heard the horrid noise; it unfortunately appears to be popular among the masses. 

God help these poor souls.

“Last year’s party.” Hizashi’s words cut through your thoughts. “Pretty hype, huh? Nothing gets my listeners goin’ like a hard trap beat!”

Oh? So he’s fully admitting it now? “So you’re calling it what it is, are you? Trapping them with your satanic melodies?”

The confusion on his face was very convincing, but you knew better. “What? No, that’s what the music is called.” 

You couldn’t help but snort. “Please, demon. What do you think sounds more believable: A genre of music with such a simplistic and misleading name, or evil tunes that your kind uses to ensnare unassuming mortals that don’t know any better?”

“....um…”

“I thought so.” To think that he’d slip up so easily. He wasn’t as clever as he thought. “Tell me what happened to the people in this video. Are they alive? Or did you drain them until they were nothing more than lifeless husks?”

There was a snicker behind you. Both you and Hizashi turned around to see a young man holding his phone up with an amused smile, giving a little wave after being noticed. “Sorry,” he didn’t sound sorry at all. “I really like your costume, miss. Your acting is awesome, too.” With that, he put away his phone and whatever images he now has of you and continued on his merry way.

Impertinent juveniles.

“Anyway, they’re all fine,” Hizashi said, eyes returning to the door while tapping his feet to a beat you can’t hear. “I know how to feed without causing any serious harm. Even if I do go a little overboard, they’ll just brush it off as having too much to drink.”

“It doesn’t matter how good you are at controlling yourself. You’re an evil entity invading human minds.” It takes every bit of strength to not flinch when he looks at you. Again, there’s no anger – there’s never anger with him – and it makes you all the more uneasy. Maybe a being as ancient and influential as him doesn’t find a novice exorcisor like you worth getting angry or even annoyed over. “Your stench will remain on those people forever, attracting more of your kind to them unless someone like me finds and cleanses them.”

He shrugs and rubs at the back of his neck. “Come on, your boy is doing his best here. What do you want me to do? Starve?” He considers what he just said for a moment before laughing. “Nevermind, don’t answer that. Look, I ain’t leaving the stage, little priest. I’m addicted. The noise, the energy, the way everyone just loses themselves in all of it.”

The way his tongue peeks out to swipe over his upper lip has every hair on your skin sticking up.

“Man, I wish they knew just how sweet their own essence is when they’re caught up in the lights and music. Sweeter than any candy the kids will be bringing home tonight.”

He compares consuming pieces of a soul to children’s treats. “You’re really not helping your case,” you remark.

Another shrug. “C’mon, you say that like I actually have a chance at winning with you! I won’t hurt anyone in there. You have my word.”

You scoffed. “A demon’s word is-”

“Worthless, I know. See what I mean?” He withdrew a ring of keys out of his pocket. “Welp, I think we’ve stood here and stared at the door long enough. I gotta prep for the big night. Thanks for the company!” A few more seconds pass when he finds the right key and opens the entrance to the club. 

You didn’t follow him inside. That would be careless.

Now it’s only you observing the building that will soon hold a giant living feast for the hungry monster. After another passing compliment about your “cool and authentic costume”, you figured you’ve stood around long enough. It was time to head home.

And find a way to keep everyone safe.

He was right; you have no way of getting rid of him yourself. That doesn’t mean you’ll stand by while knowing what danger these people will be walking into when night arrives. You’re not afraid to put your life on the line if it means protecting His children from the many evils on earth. When the first step of your plan takes root in your head, you change routes and make your way to the nearest costume shop.

Hizashi won’t be having his fill tonight.

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8:30 p.m.

You weren’t expecting to encounter two demons tonight.

Well, perhaps that term isn’t appropriate. There is no sort of aura attached to the dark-haired man that you can trace back to the pits of Hell, but he is undoubtedly a creature of evil. One that was birthed from the shadows, living for eternity by lurking in darkness and drinking the blood of any unfortunate mortal that catches his eye.

“I knew it. I knew someone so close to Hizashi couldn’t be human.”

The vampire at the lively club’s entrance didn’t seem fazed by your accusation. He wasn’t even hiding himself. The sly bloodsucker knows that his crimson irises and enlarged fangs will be mistaken for prosthetics. Very convincing prosthetics.

“Nice to see you too,” he deadpans. 

You’re getting a little tired of these beasts brushing you off. “So what’s your feeding plan here? Waiting to find an innocent maiden who wishes to see the sinful wonders inside, then take her to the back and drain her dry?”

“Like you?” The smirk doesn’t reveal any teeth, but his predatory eyes are enough to make you step back and grip the cross that still hangs around your neck. Your reaction makes him chuckle darkly before he returns to his regular disinterested self. “I already ate.” That monster. “I’m here because Hizashi thought I’d make for good security.”

“So you intend to drink from anyone that steps out of line?”

“No.”

“Lies. Look here, vampire…”

“My name is Shouta.”

“...You and your friend won’t be preying on these naive humans for much longer. He told me about his trap music, but I won’t let his songs bewitch anyone tonight.”

He stared at you, one eyebrow quirked high up. “Alright...can you give me your hand already? There’s a line growing behind you.”

You look over your shoulder, and there is indeed a line of disgruntled people dressed as various monsters and characters. You have to admit that their costumes look to be of higher quality than the angel outfit you hastily bought in the store’s clearance section. The fuzzy headband for your halo was itchy and your flimsy wings were on the verge of falling off with every sudden movement.

With a glare that messaged him not to try anything, you cautiously extended your arm. He took your hand in his – deathly cold – and wrapped a thin paper tag around your wrist. “Have fun.” 

You always hate it when you can’t read their smiles.

The suffocating darkness around him was lifted when you made your way to the same doors you were looking at with so much contempt this morning. Glancing back, you saw others happily complimenting his ‘spooky’ appearance, to which he responded with either a quick thanks or a grunt. None of them seemed to notice his chilling aura or ice-cold touch.

Why must they be so blind to the evils that walk beside them everyday?

When you stepped in, the music nearly blasted you back outside. So loud, but not like the angelic choirs during gospel. You didn’t feel lifted, you just felt bombarded by pure noise. A repetitive tempo made the entire building pulse like a heartbeat. This didn’t sound like the music Hizashi supposedly used to put the crowd under a spell. It just repeated the same forsaken beat over and over again. Perhaps the repetition is meant to ease the victim’s mind and lure them in a false sense of security, then those long rolling beats will come in next, ensnaring them when their guard is down. Clever, but not clever enough.

You passed the lounge and bar area, paying no mind to the lecherous behavior around you. Boisterous laughs, alcohol being carelessly chugged…

“Hey there, angel.” A man dressed as a superhero nearly tripped over his own cape in his attempt to approach you. “You as innocent as you look? I can introduce you to the boUUUURP.” The sudden belch burned your poor eyes with the stinging smell of rum.

Lord have mercy on both you and these savages.

“No thank you,” you said through gritted teeth and brushed past him. The lights and colors are disorienting. Strobe lights, spotlights whizzing across the walls and floor, and vibrant ever-changing shapes on every surface. The intoxicated folk probably welcomed the flashing chaos. When you drink at the church, your sips stay modest and controlled, ensuring to never reach the stage of drunkenness. If you were feeling ‘buzzed’, as they would say, this musical and optical discourse would likely feel pleasant, like entering a world devoid of rules and consequences.

Also known as a world of sin.

A huge mass of bouncing bodies covered the dancefloor, and there on an elevated platform, acting as an advanced musical throne, was the evil orchestrator of the chaos.

And those long curved obsidian horns were most definitely real.

Even as he tampered with the many buttons and dials before him, Hizashi moved as wildly as his prey, too caught up in his own infernal electronic hymns to even notice your presence. Surely your chaste energy sticks out among these wrongdoers like a dove in a pit of serpents.

You need to activate your blessing before he eats. Good thing the vampire didn’t bother to inspect your costume for any natural evil repellents that you happened to be carrying.

Your self-made pockets were filled with sage and rosemary, common herbs used to drive away demons and spirits. You sprinkle them onto the floor as you continue to make your way to the center, where your power will work most efficiently.  Hopefully their scent will not be overpowered by the sweaty bodies and breaths laced with alcohol of all kinds.

Pushing through the dancing crowd was an arduous task. The music had since switched to something faster and more aggressive. The hectic sounds in this one was making you miss the boring but calmer tunes from before. You never considered what the sound of a robot vomiting would sound like, but it would probably sound similar to the cacophony of ‘whirs’ and ‘wubs’ that were assaulting your ears.

The mass was pushing and tossing you every which way. The variety of masks and makeup beneath the constant moving lights was rather frightening. Of course, you’ve dealt with plenty of real monsters, but it disturbed you to see your fellow man acting in such a frenzied matter in such a perplexing setting. You can see why Hizashi adored this environment. You couldn’t tell the difference between man and beast.

Straightening your halo, you decide that this spot will fare well enough.

Now it was time to apply holy water around your feet. Just a few drops of the blessed fluid will be enough to protect everyone here.

You close your eyes, ignore the many bodies bumping against you, and pray.

O Lord, protect me from temptation.

The water trickles out before you.

O Lord, forgive those who have been led astray.

“WOOOO SHIT! THIS IS MY JAM!”

The nearby exclamation makes your eyebrow twitch.

For we know that your power is greater than any evil.

The song is deafening, but you keep going.

Grant, O Lord, the protection fro-

Someone violently collides into you, knocking the bottle right out of your hands and rolling away to disappear behind the wall of stomping shoes.

Shit! Forgive my language, Father!

You elbow the fools blocking your way, ignoring the occasional “hey” or “watch it” during your desperate search for the most important tool against evil influences.

You didn’t even finish your prayer. You need to at least do that first, before it’s too late. Clapping your hands together, you shut your eyes again and moved your lips rapidly.

OLordprotectmefromtemptationOLordforgivetosewhohavebeenledastrayforweknowthatyourpowerisgreaterthanany-

“HERE COMES THE DROP!”

The rhythm and bass changed drastically, and with it came a powerful wave of raw exhilaration.

It’s like a force was injecting every positive chemical directly into your bloodstream. The abundance of newfound energy needed to be released, just like the tension that was released from that beat drop.

Your hips are swaying in a way you’ve never moved them before, and you can’t make them stop.

Stop! Stop, please! This is his doing!

“How are my listeners doin’ tonight?!”

The demon’s voice booms through the speakers, seeping into your ears and filling you with so much excitement that you can’t help but cheer with everyone else. Your senses feel simultaneously enhanced and dulled. The humans around you were out of focus, but the diabolical DJ up ahead was so clear, it’s like you were right in front of him. The hunger in his currently red eyes struck fear in you even as you danced.

“Woo, I’m lovin’ this energy! Thanks for coming by this Halloween, ya little monsters! Now...bring this house down!”

Your heart accelerates from the rush and you begin to jump in sync with the possessed crowd. Even the people standing by or sitting at the bars couldn’t resist, joining the growing horde on the dancefloor to jump in unison. 

It was unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. Not a care in the world. No customs, no praise. It didn’t give you that warm feeling of ascension. Instead you just felt...liberated.

No!

Struggling in the demon’s grip, you cleared your thoughts just enough to try to calm yourself and regain control.

Utter a prayer. Hurry. Focus. You need His protection.

‘Baby priest? Is that you?’

That is not the mighty entity you wanted to hear. The voice echoes in your head, impossible to escape. When your eyes open, you see that above the vast sea of faces, Hizashi is staring right at you. 

‘I thought the dancefloor smelled a little weird! I was so busy feelin’ the beat that I almost missed you!’  You watched him laugh as he continued to violate your mind. Damn him. Wasn’t possessing you cruel enough? ‘Please, no prayers when I’m about to dig in. That’s gonna leave a bad taste in my mouth. Just keep groovin’ like everyone else!”

Your limbs obeyed without your consent and followed the rhythm. This didn’t even sound like the music you heard in the video. Were you just foolish in thinking that he only used one specific sound to trap his victims?

With another change in the bassline, a heavier weight invaded, reaching right into the depths of your heart and tugging at your very soul. You know that fear will only make you more defenseless, but there was no fighting the terror that overtook you.

Not when a demon was feeding from you.

Your brain clashed with itself. You had to keep fighting, even as he stole a fragment of what your gracious Heavenly Father had gifted you and every human, but the cheerful voices implanted in your mind begged you to stop worrying and just give in already.

There was no stopping your movements or the unending rush that surged as strongly as the music. Only now, as he completely ignored your holy safety measures and tainted your soul as easily as the oblivious heathens surrounding you, did you fully understand just how great the differences in power between him and you were.

‘Whoa...holy shit.’

The breathless moan in your head made you shudder. 

‘I haven’t tasted a human as pure as you in ages.’ 

“Please! You’ve already fed from me!” You scream out loud as the mob revels in the thrilling sensation of having a part of them sucked away. Your voice is drowned out by the music and shouts, yet you know that the horrid fiend can hear you loud and clear. “Just get out of my head!”

The dancing stops.

The music stops.

Everything stops.

It’s relieving to finally let your body rest from the forced celebration. The lights still flash and move in the dead silence. Every single person in all of their costumed glory turns and pins you with a sharp glare. Their eyes were unfocused and glazed over, consciousness elsewhere. Hizashi was in full control of all of them.

The demon himself looked down at you, no longer wearing his usual friendly and carefree smile. He was now showing the more twisted happiness you were used to seeing on his kind.

Crazed and eager to devour.

He spoke into the microphone on his headset, voice low and eerily calm. “Angel, you can’t just give me a sample of a five-star meal and expect me to not want more.”

The dread threatens to make you faint.

“Hey, none of that!” He laughs and switches back to his cheery tone. “I told you the negative emotions aren’t for me. I mean, a lady as sweet as you is gonna taste delicious either way. Why don’t you come on up here?”

You didn’t want to. You wanted to flee from this entire situation that you foolishly believed you were ready for. You thought you could sneak into this age-old creature’s gathering and force him to go hungry for the night.

Cockiness treads horribly close to pride, and pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

You clearly didn’t have a say in the matter, what with your feet moving forward on their own. Every individual in front of you stepped aside to create a clear path from you to Hizashi’s platform. Their eyes never left, heads slowly turning as they watched you slowly climb the steps with legs that trembled from your resistance.

As he stood tall clad in leather behind the large mixer table, you noticed along with his sturdy horns, he also sported a black pointed tail that lazily swayed behind him. And his stench...the foul smell that would often make you crinkle your nose was replaced with a pleasing fragrance, like a sweet and fruity beverage. It was undoubtedly the work of his spell; everything about him has suddenly become tempting.

At this point you were wishing for the music to return so that you couldn’t hear your thunderous heartbeat as you stopped right in front of him. His hellish eyes observed you from head to toe, holding his chin between his fingers before shaking his head and smirking.

“Ya really couldn’t find a better costume?” He snickered as he got closer and fiddled with your cheaply-made gown. You avoided looking directly into his eyes, afraid of falling into the blood-red depths and never finding your way back out.  “Or do you priests work on a budget?” He pauses when he notices the contents in your pockets. “Oh?” A hand is shoved inside and pulls out a handful of herbs.

“Aww gross! Sneakin’ herbs into the joint?” He winces from the smell before tossing them aside, leaving them to scatter into the unmoving group below.

How? His reaction should have been much stronger…

“Not that this stuff really works when I’m vibin’ in my element, but I’m hurt! I thought we had some trust!” He pinches your cheek, knowing that you’re unable to pull away. “And I thought you knew that I was way out of your league. You’re gonna need the big guns if you plan on keeping me away from my food.” The breath blowing into your face is abnormally hot.

There’s a layer of something otherworldly hidden in his tone whenever he emphasizes his words, like a filter poorly attempting to cover up a monster’s true guttural voice. 

But once again, he switches back to normal, which does nothing to calm you. “But I’m not gonna get mad at some rookie that doesn’t know better, especially one as tasty as you!” Twirling around, he pushes a few buttons on the table that you didn’t even know where to begin to figure out. 

“Sorry about the interruption, listeners!” He says to the crowd, cruelly acting like they have any ability to respond. They continue to stare blankly. “I hope you don’t mind if I switch things up a bit. Your boy is gonna be a little preoccupied during the next few tracks.”

The deafening silence is lifted with the start of a new song, and the people suddenly spring back to life, completely unaware of the mindless state they were in. Their only goal was to keep partying.

Your body was moving again as well, this time bobbing gently to the double and triple beats and low frequencies that vibrate through the floor and up your spine.

This...this was the type of melody you feared, and yet it didn’t affect you any more than the other songs. All of them were traps.

The only way you can think of fighting back is by filling your head with songs of praise. Keep your Lord in your thoughts. He will protect you.

“Tsk...angel, that stuff doesn’t work when I, ya know, already ate a piece of you.” His face tightened from hearing just a few seconds of the holy song in your head. “I told you, ya gotta loosen up a bit. You’re already dancing better than I thought you would!”

He paid no attention to his other prey, instead admiring your simple but energetic movements.

Then he began to move as well, shoulders doing a slow shimmy and following each of your steps with his own, moving closer and closer until he was able to wrap an arm around your waist and pull you in.

He’s warm. Not burning or emitting an aura of terrifying darkness. The music suddenly feels softer, easing your fears. Like an intimate embrace. 

“There, it’s not so bad, is it?” He says lowly, lips almost touching your face. “Quit thinking about your big daddy for once.”

You want to protest against the disrespectful nickname for your God, but he predicts your reaction and tightens his hold on your spirit.

“You taste so damn incredible right now, don’t mess it up,” he groans and savors you. With every part of you that is consumed, it becomes harder to resist. It would be so easy to just hold onto him and keep swaying like this, rocking back and forth as his hips press against yours, grinding into you.

The unfamiliar sensation startles you, but Hizashi shuts down your panic with a growl. “Fuck, I can’t believe I’ve forgotten.” he murmurs into your shoulder, breathing deeply to take in your scent. “I’ve been so hooked on the party life that I forgot just how heavenly innocents like you taste. To think that I’d have an actual priest dancing with me, tasting that revelry from such a pure source...pardon my blasphemy, but goddamn.”

You’re swimming through the fiery haze clouding your mind, clawing against it in a desperate search for an opening. But with every beat, the haze thickens and you sink further in.

You couldn’t find the light. No salvation.

More sinful feelings assault you from the friction of his groin against yours, a growing bulge rubbing on your most sacred area. It sends a foreign tingle down there.

“Ooooh, don’t think I can’t feel that, baby” he rasps, holding you so closely in a dance fitting for two lovers. “I can sense everything now that you’ve let me in.”

That angers you enough to find your voice again, just barely. “I didn’t let you in...” You tense from another hard grind. “Foul...beast.”

“Are you sure? You’re giving in pretty easily. It’s nothin’ to feel bad about, I promise. Humans aren’t built to resist life’s basic needs, so I don’t know why the big man in the clouds gets so wound up about it all the time.” 

How dare he.

“Damned snake!” You force your hands to beat against him and push him off. “You will not corrupt me with the Devil’s words!”

He’s actually shocked for a moment, even to your own surprise, but he laughs it off. “Geez, my bad! I guess you are pretty persistent. Must be…” He grabs the cross around your neck, ignoring your horrified gasp. “...this.”

With a sharp yank and a pinch at the back of your neck, your one remaining object of holy protection is removed.

And with its loss, his influence completely overpowers you. The clearness of your senses switches on and off.

The music is muffled. It’s too loud.

The roaming lights are blurry. Too bright.

Are you still moving? Or is your body too heavy?

“It stings a bit, but that little thing can’t do much when the wearer’s already under my control.” An unfocused image of the demon tossing your precious necklace over his shoulder, the necklace you’ve held close to you since the day you first stepped into the cathedral and accepted your role as a righteous defender of man.

Your essence is now being stolen so quickly that it makes you shiver. He shouldn’t be taking this much.

“Mmm, I can’t get enough of this,” Teeth that are too sharp brush against your neck, threatening to pierce your skin. “I’m an old guy, ya know. I’ve done a lot of experimenting over the centuries, to see what I’m into.”

There’s a rip, and your gown is being pulled down along with your wings. It only relieves you from the growing heat of your surroundings.

“Y’see, our daddy isn’t a helicopter parent. He brings us into the world and just...lets us decide what to do. So no, my words ain’t the Devil’s words. They’re just mine, honey. I live for myself.”

Tilting your head, he presses his lips against your throat, making your breath hitch. No, your body is sacred. Don’t let him do this to you.

You don’t even know when the music had changed, but you’ve noticed the club was filled with a synthetic ambiance, the colors switching to magenta and cyan. 

The party demon is so captivated by you that he doesn’t even acknowledge the change in tune. “I used to stalk the depressed. Wasn’t worth it, they were too bland.” He peppers kisses down to your collarbone. “I tormented scared paranoid folk. Fun, but it loses its flavor fast.”

Your bra is removed to expose your breasts to him and the entire populace within the building. Your heart races, but the synths don’t stop seeping into your ears, the bliss wrestling with your fear. 

“Shh, don’t freak out. I’ll make sure everyone forgets everything that happened tonight.” He attempts to reassure you while massaging your newly revealed mounds. “So time went on as I treated my palate to different tastes. Wasn’t long before I realized my favorite vibes were the good ones. Festivals, games, a few buddies hangin’ out,” he lowered himself and flicked your nipple with his tongue. “Or a couple fucking, I ate all of it up. And after a while I decided that I just liked people in general.”

The pleasure felt when your breast is engulfed by the heat of his mouth is shameful. Hizashi moaned at your taste, though you weren’t sure if it was the taste of your flesh or your lust that was exciting him.

“I liked it when humans were having good times, so I figured out how to join in on the fun and damn, how do you guys keep finding new ways to rock out? The prudes keep droning on about how my favorite type of people have lost their way, but I think they’re the ones who found paradise, and they’re not even dead yet!” After nursing on both of your breasts, he rises and grabs your face to turn it toward the crowd. “I mean, just look at how these guys – oh.”

‘Oh’ indeed.

The people were no longer dancing. They were grabbing at each other, at men and women they probably didn’t even know, tearing apart clothes in a vicious urge to fornicate right there on the dancefloor. Some of them were already completely nude. You avert your eyes to stare at your feet instead.

Hizashi cleared his throat. “Whoops. Look what ya made me do, angel. My lust got the best of me!” He held you close while watching the horrid act before him. You’re trying to move your heavy arms to cover your bare body. “No wonder I’m feeling so horny. Think I should make them stop?”

It takes effort to nod your head.

His lip sticks out in an exaggerated pout before going, “Nah. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen an orgy. I bet this is a first for you.”

Something tickles your hips, your eyes wandering over to see the arrow-like point of his tail curling around your white panties, tugging them down.

Part of you already knows that Hizashi is allowing you to struggle for his own amusement. With all of your protection gone, he can easily stop you from swatting at the flexible limb as it brings your final article of clothing down to your ankles.

Wearing nothing but the small strap around your wrist, you want so badly to curl up and hide yourself. You were completely bare on a stage with a demon quietly taking in your form. The contrasting feelings of anxiety and calm threaten to tear your psyche in half.

“Given how anal you guys are about chastity, I think it’s safe to say no one’s ever touched you before?” The way you tense tells him enough. “Alright alright, relax. I’m gonna make this easy for you.”

‘How? By letting me leave?’ You want to say, but your vocal chords aren’t cooperating.

He grinned from ear to ear. “Well, no. I told ya I know everything goin’ on in that head.” He grabs you by the shoulders and places you right in front of his mixer.

There were many suggestive sounds amongst the pile of writhing bodies before you. It was the most depraved sight that you’ve ever witnessed. These people may have been sinners for their immoral pursuits, but they were still victims of a wicked creature’s influence. You wish you could apologize to all of them for failing to protect them.

Slender fingers massaged your shoulders. “Ain’t it beautiful?” He whispers hotly into your ear. “I’m not that crazy about lust, but I can’t resist when it’s coming from someone like you.”

His aura has you shackled on the spot, unable to move or even tear your eyes away from all of the sex. His voice meshes with the increasingly sensual tunes, both him and the music putting you in a deep trance that leaves every nerve in your body extra sensitive.

You’re gently pushed to lean forward until your hands are supporting yourself on the table. The leather of his clothes pressed against your back is irritating, but easily overshadowed by the hands trailing down your skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

“One of my favorite hobbies was hunting down faithful maidens like you. All demons love doing it, really. You can’t top raw innocence, it’s always a delicacy. It’s the closest most of us will ever get to fucking an actual angel. I managed to fuck an angel, and lemme tell ya, it’s a once in an eternity experience.”

He reaches your mound. There is still fear and an urge to pray, though it’s drowned out by the electronic harmony and all of the hot sex.

“Now she’s a fallen one that hangs out with me. Pretty little devil’s obsessed with sex now. If you’re lucky, maybe she’ll give you a visit in your sleep at midnight.”

His fingers reach your untouched folds, making you gasp. You’ve never felt so much lubrication down there before. Was that normal?

“I was really good at the whole corruption thing, so good that I caught the attention of the big holy boys. They were toughies, gotta hand it to 'em. I decided to lay low after that little showdown. That was all a preeetty long time ago.”

The demon’s voice is background noise as you watch deplorable acts that you didn’t even know existed. One woman was taking a cock into her mouth while another man pounded into her from behind. A new male approached and grabbed her free hand, wrapping her fingers around him and encouraging her to stroke him.

Three men pleasuring themselves with the same woman. They were probably complete strangers.

The repulsive sight makes you wetter.

They sure were having fun.

Hizashi hums at your arousal, sinking a digit into your folds. 

“Ah,” you choke on your own voice. His other hand plays with your breast again while you’re being penetrated for the first time. Some sort of flame was growing within you, burning and pleasing at the same time.

“I thought I’ve found my place. Going place to place and bringing in crowds who just want to forget their troubles for a day and groove.”

The finger pushes through your tightly clenched walls, or at least they try to.

“Fuck, relax a bit, babe,” he groans.

You do exactly that, giving him enough leeway to push in and out at a steady pace. You don’t think about the violation, only the strange friction that has no right to feel as good as it does. 

“And then you come along,” An unexpected sharp thrust causes his finger to brush against a spot that fills your vision with even more blinding lights. “It’s not like I was after you or anything. You’re a solid negative ten on the threat scale, but ya just wouldn’t leave me alone!” He relentlessly hits the spot again, and again, until you’re crying out and your legs are shaking. “Then you waltz in here and try to ruin my favorite night of the year?

He’s able to hide his anger as he speaks, but fails to keep it from entering his possessed victims. The orgy becomes more violent, all of the people looking no more civil than savages in torn rags as they try to dominate and fuck each other senseless.

It affects you as well, going by how annoyed you’re getting by his rambling. Can’t he just focus on pleasing you?

His finger leaves you too soon, your cunt already missing the brand new sensations. “Sorry, babe,” he says when he releases you and begins to undo his pants. “Normally I’d spend more time warming up, but I gotta join in on the raunchiness now before I go nuts. Just...do me a favor.”

You whined, wiggling your hips and rubbing your ass against his freed cock. He only chuckles at your impatience.

“Slow your roll, I’ll get started as soon as you push that button riiiight there.”

You push one of the many glowing buttons, and stock phrases are shouted out of the speakers.

“No, the one next to it.”

You press it, and another song begins.

Hizashi hums in approval. “I usually do a smooth transition between songs, but…”

A hard impact knocks you forward with the overwhelming feeling of being completely filled all at once. The stretch and pressure has your mouth hanging open in a silent scream.

“....Yeah, I just wanted to do that. And-” He yanks the halo off your head and drops it at your feet. “-I always loved the symbolism in that.”

He wastes no time building up. You’re being pounded as hard and consistently as the energetic beat. It should hurt, but the euphoric state of your mind dulls any pain and discomfort. 

With the demon inside both your head and your womanhood, there was no saving yourself. Your prayers wouldn’t even be heard through this thick depraved fog.

“Oh fuck yeah,” He growls loudly with his wild thrusts, hands gripping your hips tightly enough to bruise. “I’ve been missing out. So hooked on the party life that I don’t even remember how it feels to eat up a modest little soul like this.”

Was he still devouring you? You can’t even tell, not while you’re trapped in this melodic dreamworld as his cock rams you.

“Ya mind if we do this again sometime?” He angled himself to ensure he was hitting that sweet spot with each rhythmic pump. Despite his aggression, his hips moved with musical purpose. “Not like you’re much of a priest anymore. You’re fuckin’ a demon, sweetheart. I think the pearly gates have closed for you.”

That sounds sad and all, but God does he feel good. The entire moment was feeling like a hallucination. Your world was saturated with fuzzy images and muffled bass as your virgin pussy was ravaged. The tightened heat in your core was growing hotter by the second.

Hizashi just wouldn’t stop talking even as he became short of breath. “Ah, don’t worry, my doors are always open to misfits!” His rhythm falters a bit when you give him an especially tight squeeze. “Ya like that? I can always wipe your memory of tonight along with everyone else’s, and you can head back home. I just don’t think your next visit to the house of God is gonna end well.”

How does he expect you to care with the way he’s plowing into you?

His arms wrap around you in an embrace. “No pressure, angel. You can decide later. For now, just enjoy the show.”

And finally, he shut up and focused on fucking your divine lights out.

With his pelvis flush against your ass, Hizashi humps with newfound vigor, his thrusts rapid yet precise enough to keep stimulating your most sensitive areas.

The blinding stars in your eyes make it impossible to even make out what’s happening in front of you. A shame, because you want to know if you’re being dicked down as good and hard as the whores on the dancefloor.

The demon may not be talking anymore, but he was still being very vocal about his pleasure with feral moans and growls right into your ear. 

An extra hard slam forces you to nearly topple onto the controls, hands scrambling to keep you upright and hitting several buttons in the process. 

A series of sounds and distortion effects are added to the song.

It unexpectedly riles him up. “Shit, that wasn’t a bad mix, angel. I might have a junior DJ in the making,” he praises.

The tempo changes - different speed and new layers - and Hizashi follows suit by switching his quick bucks into deep thrusts.

The fire inside was close to doing...something. You weren’t sure what it was or what exactly will happen if this lasts any longer, but part of you knows that it’s about to feel very good.

With the head of his dick striking you nice and deep, you quickly learn that you were right.

The explosion of spasms was too pleasurable to even comprehend, each contraction tearing filthy screams from your throat. Hizashi bursts soon afterwards and fills you up with a cry even more lewd than yours.

Just like that, your mind is freed and the weight of his aura is lifted...and you feel gravely tired.

A coldness sweeps over you and saps every ounce of your strength. You find yourself dropping to your knees and falling over as a distant voice expresses genuine worry.

“Oh.......I overfed.” Though it doesn’t sound as panicked as it should.

You don’t want to close your eyes. You fear that something terrible might happen if you do, but your eyelids are quickly becoming too heavy to fight.

“Really sorry, little priest! I didn’t mean to! Look at the bright side - my friends are gonna love ya down there! Home isn’t half as bad as those books make it out to be!”

Each word sounds fainter than the last, but you still catch each one.

Home?

Your eyes shut. 

And the remains of your soul become stained with ash and black before heading downwards into the demonic realm.

Welcome home.

[strangerays]

Nothing in Particular Update #2

It’s the Nothing and Particular and Everything update part two: the electric booglaloo. This one is long, so strap in.

It’s been a while since I wrote an update for this story. To be honest, this one gave me a lot of stress, but here I am! Writing this story feels like it is going very slow. I keep telling myself I’ve made a lot of progress (which is true, I have) but for some reason it doesn’t feel like I have? This is likely just my own insecurity. To be frank, I can’t believe I’m still writing this story. If you had told me in February that I’d still be writing this when the weather got warm, I would have laughed.

I am SO excited that I will finally be able to focus on writing now that I’m out of school. I’m afraid to speak the rough deadline that I’ve given myself for this story (the end of August-early September) but now that I’ve spoken it into existence, I hope I can finish! (I hope I can stop watching dumb videogame playthroughs and listening to The Magnus Archives and get something done)

Here is a link to the story introduction and previous update!

TAGLIST (ask to be +/-); @wannabeauthorzofija @a-completely-normal-writer @baguettethebooklover​ @corkytheguar @writeherewaiting

STORY CHANGES/THOUGHTS/IDEAS: 

Here is a big one: I’ve been trying to write this story for myself. I started writing Ray’s story from a place that was personal to me, but I feel like, as that part of myself has begun to heal, I’ve started to think about what a reader would want out of the story. I’m realizing that this is my story so it has to be what I want. Drafts are drafts for a reason, so I’m going to try to get better at letting myself explore what is fun to me.

I always thought I was a discovery writer (I still sort of think I am) but as I’ve finished small sections of the story, I am finding that it’s very helpful to do a rough outline of scenes in upcoming chapters. (I also recommend turning to this if something doesn’t work and you need to retrace your steps!) Just helps me feel more organized!

Jude’s character has got to be one of the most difficult personalities I’ve ever written. Putting her beside Ray just makes it harder. Where Ray is secretive and keeps to herself, Jude is ready to unpack her entire life’s story to anyone. I find that I really have to slow down when writing their interactions. I know this is going to be nowhere near perfect in the first draft, but I think it is a main contributor to my slow writing.

I really like this little narrative I’ve created in the background of the main plot with Ray and Lonan. I love writing these scenes because it’s a way for me to use Lonan when he’s not actively with Ray and to show why Ray is predetermined about things at certain points. Also I love their friendship so much <3

CONGRATULATIONS TO ME on starting to read again because I forgot how much of a help reading other people’s stories can be when you’re struggling with your own oml

I now have a set timeline for the story! Takes place ~4-5 months.

I did that thing where you write a letter from the characters’ perspectives and that was kind of fun

Also just for fun I thought I’d add in that I spent an hour and a half last week filling up a page in my sketchbook with diagrams of the plot. It feels good to be a mad scientist

EXCERPTS UNDER THE CUT!

*At this point, I’m only sharing writing that I am really proud of in order not to spoil the story! This is because I am unsure whether I want to publish this story someday. With that said, that does NOT give you permission to steal my ideas!

CHAPTER: NIGHT CRIES

#1

In the last week of summer, I did everything I could to avoid post-vacation blues. I rode my bike along the gravel roads with no destination, wore my dark sunglasses to people-watch, and fed salami to the minnows that floated on the cusps of boulders. Usually, I sat still for so long that my elbows turned a deep shade of red and the blood in my toes buzzed.

New pockets seemed to open up in Point Blink every day. And with them, came new people. Most of them were older – a middle aged woman who caked her lipstick on, an uncle estranged from his brother, a couple who had miscarried. I hadn’t forgotten about the kids at Mothouse. It was impossible not to think about them. It wasn’t just that I’d never seen them before.

#2

The girl’s limp cigarette bled a trail of smoke that seeped into my Vans. My shirt folded like skin over my bed post. Haunted the room – foiled my mauve sheets and teased my locks. Swept the curtains apart and heated the oak floor. Beams of moonlight leapt to my bookcases; highlighted the posters from various podcasts and bands that I listened to. Wind whistled when I was too still. She forced me to look outside, onto the dark cul-de-sac lit by the reflections of forming rain puddles. No matter whether I sat at my desk or burrowed under my sheets, I felt out of place. She made my bedroom louder. She made my bedroom quieter.

I decided it would probably be best if I never saw her again.

To be honest, I don’t remember much about writing this chapter because it was over a month ago (sorry) but I’m still quite happy with the prose! This comes in after Ray sees Jude for the first time at Mothouse. Based on a first impression, decides that she might want be friends with Jude.

CHAPTER: SORRY

#1 

If you spend any long amount of time with someone, you’ll become a thief to their behaviors. If I stared long enough, trees began to replace all of the people we’d ever seen. Oaks had roots that serpentined the ground like children splashing in the bay, pines with needles like spindly old hands, maples with hollows like watchful eyes – all things Lonan had taught me to observe.

CHAPTER: GHOSTS

Then there was the sea – violent and knowing as it romped within bays and alcoves. She had eaten me many times before, both my father and Lonan too. Gulped them as if they were shining plastic wrappings left behind after a meal. I spited her for inviting me once again. I reached up again to grapple with the next rung. It twisted and offered a low whistle.

In these two chapters, Ray is on a photography trip with her class. This is the first time she’s been on this annual trip without Lonan. She left that morning with a goal of being independent and learning to get on with one of the only people she has felt close to. I realize now that the Ghost excerpt sort of sounds like her dad and Lonan have drowned?? Which was not my intention??

CHAPTER: A DIVINE INTERVENTION

#1

“Do you believe in ghosts?” A raspy voice teased from behind me. Cigarette smoke tickled the words, like they were stuck together with jelly inside of her. The question wasn’t particularly calming, but it strengthened my grip on reality. As if the foiled leaves, bark, and dandelions had sprung from the ground and begun to float, they came crashing back down.

I was made of stone.

“I’m not a ghost,” Jude said. “If I was, a ladder would be a pretty counteractive way to outrun me. I could just float up there and haunt you.”

“Maybe you’re a ghost,” she asked, her voice distant.

I shifted my grasp up and down the sides of the ladder. “What?”

“Don’t you believe in ghosts?”

I was reading back some of Ray and Jude’s conversation and there are so many snippets of dialogue that make me laugh because I totally forgot I wrote them... but UGhhH I don’t know if I want to share them because I don’t know whether or not I want to try and publish the story someday. Speaking of that, it’s sort of because it’s so personal to me? I don’t know (this is for future me to pursue) Honestly though, reading these back has made me really happy :)

#2

I wanted to shake her by the shoulders. She acted as though Point Blink could breathe – as though corpses in the cemetery might pull the grass away like dead skin, neighbors would draw blades, and blood-salt would stain her clothes rather than that from the sea. “Trust me, they’ll forgive you. But, I’m just saying, most people around here don’t care nearly as much as you think so. Most of them are way older anyways, so they’re tired of us.”

“Is that you complimenting yourself?” Jude asked.

“Not intentionally,” I said, “but I will take it.”

She laughed. “You shouldn’t be so nice to strangers.”

I wasn’t trying to be. I just didn’t think I wanted her to dislike me.

#3

“I don’t think it’s a bad thing or a good thing,” Jude said. “Being good gets you tucked into a thousand different memories. Being good makes you live a lifetime.”

I almost laughed, but then I wondered what I was to her now. “I don’t talk to lots of people.”

“Sometimes there aren’t many people to talk to. But I thought you would have loads of friends.”

I wasn’t sure what to say to that. “I thought you would too.”

Alarm like grief lit her eyes, but she laughed. I did too.

“You hardly know me,” she said quietly.

Then the girls explore some old newspapers and letters in a fire tower! Spooky fun!

CHAPTER: YOU LET THIS HAPPEN

This isn’t a major spoiler as it’s literally in the blurb I wrote, but Ray and Jude are caught (targeted..??)  in a fire. Ray is brought back to a field where she is questioned.

CHAPTER: NOTHING HAPPENS

He was quiet for several moments while he painted a picture with what little details I had given him, then said, “It’s unfair. I think that’s why it hurts.”

“Because we almost got hurt?”

“No. Because it came true.”

His gentle, ragged voice made me think I could tell him anything. Sometimes, I think that, even then, he knew I left something out.

Ray talks to Lonan after the fire... She’s being a bit dishonest about what actually happened.

CHAPTER: WHY NOT

I remember how the barest amount of red light glared across Lonan’s entire scalp and washed his boyish curls magenta from the roots out. When Jude leaned back on the counter, she melded into the darkness.

This chapter is just part of the narrative that I created with Ray and Lonan’s friendship. There isn’t much I want to spoil from it, but I liked this paragraph!

CHAPTER: INEVITABLE

“We didn’t do anything,” I said.        

“Someone did. Why won’t you believe me?”

 “I think I would remember whether or not someone was there with us,” I said, “even if we didn’t have the picture.”

This was untrue. I hung lots of photos in my room. A long time would pass before I went to a restaurant again, or a specific coven on one of the beaches, or an outfit that I wore, and I would look into one of my pictures and remember it, and then I would be quite angry with myself that I had almost forgotten that thing forever.

“I don’t think you understand what I mean,” Jude said. I didn’t like the way she’d lowered her voice. She sounded different every time I saw her. She reached out her arm so our photos were side by side and our fingers were almost touching. “I don’t think you want to.”

Ray finds herself alone in the school’s dark room with Jude. Based on the contents of one of her photos, she tries to convince Ray that there is more to the fire than what meets the eye.

CHAPTER: (this one is untitled)

I didn’t mind that he followed me everywhere. Even when he was quiet, I didn’t find it strange to be around him. We sat silently through films and went on walks. Once, he had fallen asleep while watching The Iron Giant in my bed. I didn’t know if I should wake him up once it ended. I tried not to stare at him. He’d rolled onto his side and bundled himself in one of my blankets covered in stars up to his shoulders so only his small face poked out like a baby owl’s. His soft breath messed his dirty gold coils. They were at their longest. Except for the ebbing light from a candle on my desk, my house was asleep – Lonan needed to go home.

For the first time, I wondered if anyone cared where he was.

Another small part of the little friendship narrative! (This really is the part of the story where I get nostalgic for my childhood, isn’t it) Ray starts to discover more about Lonan’s home life in this part of the story, but there’s not much that I think I want to reveal about that for now.

CHAPTER: THE CRUX OF IT

Why did I feel so paranoid? I found myself staring out the window, into the film of blue that the late sun shown onto the grass and trying to remember what summer felt like.

My main problem was that I didn’t know how to talk to Jude unless it was about Sugarfell. I ran from the hush of cigarette smoke behind closing doors and heard her loud voice in conversations. Even though there might have still been a part of me that wanted to be friends with her, I didn’t have much to base that feeling off of. I could have spent hours clicking the little pieces of her that I had together, but the crux of it was that I would never know Jude unless I forced myself to.

For some reason, that really scared me.

I spent all week trying to think of what to say to her. By Friday afternoon, I still had nothing.

I left off writing with Ray actively avoiding Jude’s little investigation into the arsonist. Ray doesn’t want to be involved in this because she feels that it will throw her sense of normalcy off course. She really just wants to learn how to adapt to a life without her best friend. (It doesn’t help that she’s got fresh trauma)

What will Ray decide? I don’t know. We shall see. (just kidding I know)

Sorry this update was longer! I think I would like to start updating more often than once a month just because they would be shorter and those of you reading this won’t forget what happened in the last update. There are thousands and thousands of words that didn’t show up in this update because - like I said - I don’t know whether I want to publish this story ever?? I’ll probably talk more about this in a separate update.

Thank you so much to those of you who read about my story! I hope you enjoy it!

:)

p.s. btw I now have a myWriteClub account! You can check it out here and stalk me as I tragically fail my writing goals!

[ayzrules]

describe your character(s) without mentioning color

full text is also under the cut on my sideblog { here } , because my main blog’s font is not the most legible!

The king and queen of the underworld look nothing like the nightmarish images of winged monsters with knobby joints and twisted talons that the angels fed into the minds of the mortals, all those centuries ago. Niklas is tall and slender, extending his arm for his wife with the dainty grace of a ballerina, each movement–down to the flutters of his gloved fingertips–poised on the knife’s edge of rigid control and quicksilver fluidity.

  His hair shines moon-pale, like winter stars winking out from the abyss. His eyes are glittering princess-cut diamonds and jagged shards of ice, all the life in them transformed into something gleaming and hard through scorching heat and blasting pressure and searing frost. He’s a distant sun, charming everything that comes into his orbit: a smile spreads across his fine features, and it shimmers like spun silk. He laughs, and it’s the delicate, dazzling luminosity of gemstones spilling across the night sky as roiling clouds drift away to reveal their brilliance. And once you are there, once Niklas has you right where he wants you–then he’s softly falling snow, a numbing cold that creeps into the edges of your senses and sinks itself into the crevices of your soul until you don’t remember a life without it. 

  Niklas’ magic is the magic of whispered suggestions and flickering glances, of compelling without the victim ever realizing they are being compelled; it’s the rain that glides downward with gravity during a desert thunderstorm, following the forces of the universe and misting away into the hissing air before it ever has the chance to splatter clumsily across the ground. His power balances over the heartrendingly-thin boundary between stone-willed restraint and the flowing elegance of release, and Niklas holds an arabesque en pointe between them. He wields his magic like a dancer floating into a soaring grand jeté: his steps are light as air and his muscles and tendons are clenched tight, hard as iron.

  That, Alejandro thinks, is what makes him so terrifying. He’s as resplendent as ever as he steps away from the carriage, dressed in a frock coat of velvet and midnight, but Alejandro has seen what mortal ballerinas do to themselves to find the point between tight-tension-musclespulledtaut and spin-launch-let go. It’s bruised shins, torn muscles, bloodied feet, fractured bones. It’s bending a human body and then crushing downward despite the screams ripping through their tendons and the shaking in their lungs, the pain tearing them in two. And eventually, once one has repeated this enough times, for enough years, the brute force of it all blooms into those graceful leaps and endless whip-precise pirouettes that their wealthy patrons love so dearly, looking downward from their cushioned balconies. Niklas has put himself through this and more, to have what he does today.

  His wife, though, is more a force of nature than a mere ballerina–but one would not be able to tell just from looking at her. Alejandro watches from his post as Mai takes Niklas’ arm, smiles and thanks the coachman. The queen of the underworld is a dainty doll, her fine manners and demure bearing belying the thorns underneath. Her petaled lips are bloodied with blossoming roses, and her gown is shot through with star-shine and moonglow, the skirts frothing with flouncing satin ruffles. Alejandro knows: there is a revolver sewn into the petticoats.

  Mai’s complexion is pale as porcelain, her hair dark as night; under the warm glow of chatter and light radiating out from the manor, it gleams like the pearly veins of angel-glass skidded over the land and seared into the sand, burning divinity fused with the harsh, unforgiving desert. Like her husband, there is a fluid grace and pleasant charm to her movements: she’s a morning glory twirled in iridescent taffeta, greeting their host and exchanging all the polite pleasantries that the mortals expect from her. Mai’s eyes glimmer with calculated warmth and her twinkling laugh casts the illusion of lilting summer birdsong and blooming bluebells, giving all the appearance of a beating heart.

  Alejandro, though, has known Mai for long enough to see right past it. Mai’s magic is silent as shadow, balanced on a sliver of stone hanging over yawning nothingness. It’s the eerie calm before a raging storm, whispering spider-silk and murmuring clouds spiraling through silvered skies, soft as hyacinths and hushed like deadly nightshade. It’s faint wisps of smoke swirling around you and settling into your pores, crushed over your jugular before you even realize that it’s there.

  The mortals fear demons and the chaos and darkness they represent, but Alejandro knows that the darkness is life and chaos is salvation. In the Borderlands–the so-called ‘burning plains’–sunlight cuts straight to the bone, piercing and blinding and bright, and the arid heat bleeds the land to dust, coils itself into your throat and chokes out all the moisture. There, the onset of dusk is hope, and roiling thunderstorms are promises of rain and reprieve. Mai is that moment before the heavens shatter in two, the ashen penumbra of smoldering twilight.

  And, Alejandro thinks, for all that Mai’s un-beating heart is ribbed with hard steel and ricocheting moonlight, there is still a gentleness to her.

  His mind wanders to the grounded angel, the one that Mai saved from her husband’s men. It’s ironic, he thinks, that the two most powerful demons in existence both feel so quiet, while the angel is boiling fury and scorching flame; burning, burning, burning. Her eyes are glittering and wild, her hair suffused with radiant divinity, a bright, untamed torch of molten starfire. She’s the storm that comes after Mai’s silken, shadow-spun calm: she’s crashing thunder and sun-charred lightning and white-hot incandescence rending the world in two. The king and queen of the underworld dance across glittering glass, spinning their deadly pirouettes of court politics and bloody vengeance through the centuries, but the angel might just be the one who tears them apart, bringing their entire kingdom down with her. 

  She’s waiting at some indeterminate point outside of the manor–no doubt exactly where Mai had asked her to be–and Alejandro has a job to do. He shakes himself out of his thoughts and steps in line with Mai and her husband when they reach him, beaming at them both as all three of them make their way inside.

[echoes-of-the-clockwork]

Book Three: Pestilence (Ignis x Reader) Chapter Twenty

(Y/n) placed her fingers in her mouth and whistled, summoning her steed. Erra appeared from a cloud of smoke, neighing as he trotted over to his rider. His presence frightened the civilians waiting to be evacuated, but she ignored their shocked cries as she mounted the horse. Grabbing his mane gently, she commanded him to follow the boat that disappeared only moments ago. Erra reared up before dashing down the dock, his hooves clacking against the wood. She heard a few screams of fright from the civilians as the horse leapt off the dock.

When the horrified people thought the girl was going to sink into the water alongside the horse, they were shocked to find the horse was running across the surface of the water. The steed's hooves were encased in ice and created small platforms as it dashed across the water's surface.

Pestilence's ivory locks whipped in the wind as Erra exited the canal and entered open waters. Her (e/c) eyes traveled over to the Archaean as the Astral used his fists to destroy imperial airships left and right in order to protect the altar. Seeing a brilliant beam of light resonating from behind the divine being, she wondered if Lady Lunafreya and Noctis were safe.

Suddenly, a loud explosion caught (Y/n)'s attention. Her eyes traveled back over to the boat Ignis was in and realized it was blown to smithereens. As gasp fell from her lips as she searched the water for the advisor. When she saw him break through the surface, she sighed in relief but her body immediately tensed up when she saw an imperial ship descend toward him.

Carefully, she maneuvered her body and stood on Erra's back. She remained in a crouching position to keep herself from falling off the horse's back. The pain and weakness were bearable, but she wasn't sure how long she'd be able to ward off the ailments.

As they closed in on Ignis' position, the aircraft's hatch opens to reveal an MA-X Aureus. From the machine, she heard Caligo's taunting voice. "Well, well. Look who it is! What could one of His Majesty's royal retainers be doing here of all places?"

"Bloody hell," Ignis cursed as he tried to think of a plan.

"I must thank you for your visit to Fort Vaullerey. Do allow me to express my gratitude! Once I'm finished with you, I'll find that damned Horseman and slay her with my own hands!"

Ignis couldn't help but smirk in amusement at the general's words, truly wondering how he would slay an immortal. His smirk fell when the MA-X Aureus began firing at him. He had no plan and knew one of the bullets would pierce his body.

Suddenly, Ignis was torn from his thoughts as a fireball crashed against the side of the airship. It lurched to the side, earning a grunt from Caligo as the machine he was inside slammed against one of the walls of the airship. He was unable to aim properly due to the sudden impact and his vision was obscured by smoke.

Ignis looked toward where the fireball came from and saw Pestilence riding atop Erra. He watched in awe as she switched out her staff for her chakrams and threw them, remaining in a crouched position on her steed's back. The curved blades sliced into the aircraft's thrusters, creating more explosions and smoke. She caught her chakrams when they flew back toward her and returned to her usual sitting position on Erra's back. She pulled the horse to a hault in front of Ignis and offered him a hand. Her eyes drifted to the Archaean just in time to see the Astral vanish before looking back down at the strategist.

Without hesitating, Ignis took her hand. He climbed out of the water and onto Erra's back just as the smoke cleared. Caligo spotted the Horseman and chuckled. "This is too perfect." The aircraft steadied and he was able to regain control of the MA-X Aureus. "Surrender now, and I'll ensure your end is as painless as possible."

"Never," Ignis hissed loud enough for the general to hear.

"You clearly are delusional if you think we'll surrender," (Y/n) scoffed. She dug her heels into Erra's sides, beckoning him to run.

The machine leapt out of the ship and landed on the surface of the water. "Then you leave me no choice," Caligo declared.

Pestilence shouted at Erra, urging him to run faster. Ignis braced his body against the horse's back as they headed back into the inner waterways of the city with Caligo on their tail. The imperial general fired rockets at them, but Erra was able to detect and dodge the projectiles with ease. When they entered a narrow canal, it proved to be more difficult for the animal to dodge the missiles.

"Plenty more where that came from!" Caligo taunted as he leapt from water to land, continuing his barrage of firepower. His machine jumped from building to building as it remained hot in their trail. "They say, "One good turn deserves another." And I believe I owe both of you quite the "turn." Once you two are out of the way, the Ring of the Lucii will be mine!"

"Erra!" (Y/n) shouted as they dodged more missiles. One projectile landed in the water right next to the horse, startling him. When it exploded, the steed neighed in fright as he lost his balance for a split second before regaining it. Another rocket soared toward them, heading straight for their backs.

The Horseman promptly relinquished her grip from her steed's mane and conjured her staff and casted a shadow spell. A single black tendril wrapped around the rocket, redirecting its trajectory back at the MA-X Aureus. Caligo growled in annoyance as the projectile hit his machine, knocking him off the building it was clinging to. However, the machine was able to recover and skidded across the water's surface as it continued to pursue its targets.

Ignis wrapped an arm around (Y/n)'s waist, using his body as a shield when a missile exploded against one of the buildings right beside them. Debris rained down upon them as another rocket targeted Erra's legs. With a deafening explosion, the three were tossed in the air and landed in the streets of the Padore District.

The Horseman and advisor landed harshly on the ground, groaning in pain from the impact. Erra vanished before his body could collide with the ground. They pushed themselves to their feet, Ignis tossing aside his earpiece as he glared at the MA-X Aureus once it landed a few feet away from them. "I'm afraid not. It will never be yours. We'll make sure of it!"

"You both shall rue the day you defied the Niflheim Empire!" Caligo bellowed.

Ignis glances at Pestilence as he summoned his daggers. "Are you prepared, (Y/n)?"

She conjured her staff, gripping it tightly. "Let's do this."

Caligo focused his attacks on the two as more imperial forces arrived, surrounding them. "Beg for your lives-just like that pathetic old servant did back in Lestallum."

Ignis focused his attention on the MA-X Aureus while (Y/n) directed her spells at the MTs trying to attack them from behind. She jumped back, avoiding one of the enemy's blows. A familiar tinge of pain surged through her chest, causing her to wince. She fought through the pain and tapped her staff against the ground.

Myriads of ice shards formed in the air before ricocheting downward. They pierced the MTs' armor, killing all of them in an instant. A few stray ice shards plunged into the MA-X Aureus, incapacitating it. Ignis didn't hold back and released a fury of attacks on the collapsed machine with his elemental daggers.

"This simply won't do," Caligo growled as he tried to recover from the Horseman's spell. "I must get my hands on the Ring before that impudent outsider Ravus beats me to it!"

"No," Ignis hissed, switching out his daggers for his javelin. "We won't let you!" He stabbed the machine repeatedly before backing away when it recovered from the fall.

Caligo fired a barrage of missiles with a maniacal cackle. (Y/n) dashed toward Ignis and used a light spell. A barrier protected them, absorbing the explosions as each missile struck the crystalline surface. Once the last projectile detonated, she dispelled the barrier and Ignis threw his javelin. The weapon pierced the machine's ankle and it swatted at the advisor in retaliation. "You're both certainly putting up quite a fight," Caligo sneered.

Pestilence gritted her teeth as she dodged one of the MA-X Aureus' feet before it could squash her. She swung her staff around as she conjured up an immense fireball. Ignis saw this and immediately backed away from the machine. With a wave of her staff, she launched the fireball. It soared through the air, hitting its mark.

Caligo howled in pain as the intense flames melted the metal that protected him. The MA-X Aureus crumpled to the ground, sparks and flames erupting from where the fireball had made impact. (Y/n) lowered her staff, staring at the metal corpse. She stood beside Ignis as he fell to a single knee in exhaustion. Her mind wondered if the general was dead or clinging to life after such a powerful attack.

They heard a grunt of pain and labored breathing as a figure emerged from behind the destroyed MA-X Aureus. "You wretches..." Caligo spat out, holding his side and dragging his body around the metal carcass.

Suddenly, a blade plunged into the man's back before being yanked out. He sputtered out a gurgle as he turned around to see who the culprit was, but he was cut down. Caligo fell silent as his body crumpled to the ground.

Ignis and (Y/n) stared in shock as the culprit revealed themselves to them. "Ravus..." The tactician muttered as Pestilence helped him to his feet before placing her hand on his back and healing his wounds.

The heterochromia-eyed man sauntered toward them, his sword resting by his side with a stoic expression. He was accompanied by a small brigade of MTs. Ignis stretched a hand out and placed it in front of (Y/n) as he stood his ground against the high commander. The Horseman kept her gaze focused on Ravus, detecting no hostility toward them from him whatsoever. Unfortunately, she couldn't say the same thing for the magiteks currently surrounding them.

Ignis' fingers flexed, which didn't go unnoticed by the snowy-haired girl. She knew he was about to summon his daggers but stopped him by lowering his arm and stepping in front of him, inserting herself between the advisor and the high commander. She still held her staff tightly as she gazed into Ravus' eyes. "What could you possibly desire of us if you harness no ill-intent?"

"Your cooperation," Ravus simply replied. He lunges forward as Ignis summoned his daggers, plunging his blade into one of the MTs that was ready to pounce on the tactician. The single blow was enough to kill the enemy. He eyed the other assailants as he avoided eye contact with the strategist and Pestilence. "I've no quarrel with you nor the Horseman, boy," Ravus stated. "Join me. I can secure us a way to the King and the Oracle."

Ignis gripped his daggers tightly. "How do I know we can trust you?"

"Have you any other options?" The high commander retorted.

Before Ignis could make his own remark, they heard a deep, menacing chuckle. The two men looked around for the source while (Y/n) already knew what was laughing at them. She promptly placed a protective barrier around Ignis and Ravus as the draugr sliced down the MTs surrounding them as it materialized from an inky puddle. She glared daggers at the monster as it smirked at her, noticing the arm she tore off earlier had regenerated. "I will put an end to you," she declared.

The draugr continued to smirk at her as she used a shadow spell to create wings on her back. She avoided all four of the corpse's swords as she remained on the defensive. She knew she couldn't keep the barrier erected for much longer and had to get the monster away from Ignis and Ravus.

The sound of Ignis shouting her name and trying to break the barrier with his daggers filled her ears alongside her racing heart. She confused the draugr with quick movements and managed to buy her some time when its swords were imbedded in the ground and it was struggling to yank them free. She locked eyes with Ignis, who ceased trying to break free from the barrier when their eyes met. "I shall lead the draugr away and rendezvous with you soon, Ignis."

"(Y/n), this is-!"

"You won't be changing my mind. Once I'm out of range, the barrier will disperse and you'll be freed," she stated calmly, interrupting him. "Please, don't do anything rash in my absence." The onyx wings attached to her back fluttered, carrying her away from Ignis before he could reply. She flew through the ruins of Altissia and knew the draugr was following her when she felt its presence nipping at her heels.

Feeling as though she was far enough away from Ignis, (Y/n) landed and faced the draugr as it manifested from the ground. She jabbed her staff in its direction, staring into its cloudy, lifeless eyes. "Come and get me."

The monster released a battlecry before charging toward her. Before it could get too close, Pestilence created pillars of ice and hid behind one. She peered out from her hiding spot and saw the undead warrior was struggling to locate her exact position when seeing her reflection in the ice pillars. Switching out her staff for her chakrams, she maneuvered through the ice pillars until she snuck up behind the draugr and used her weapons to slice off two of its arms.

It wailed in pain as its arms fell to the ground before spinning around and swinging its two swords around wildly. (Y/n) dodged the blades, backing away. She ran circles around the monster, weaving around ice pillars left and right, until it was confused once again. She moved from cover to cover until heading straight for it and slicing off its legs.

As the Horseman was about to decapitate the undead warrior, she cried out when a surge of pain surged through her chest. She placed a hand over her heart as she collapsed to her knees, dropping her chakrams. Beads of sweat streamed down her face as she began breathing heavily. Managing to lift her head slightly, she glared weakly at the draugr. "Wh-What did you do to me...?"

The corpse only cackled with a creepy tone. (Y/n) tried to push herself off the ice-covered ground so she could annihilate her target, but she was flabbergasted when Death appeared out of thin air and delivered the killing blow with her scythe. The draugr's body slowly evaporated, leaving no trace behind.

The inky-haired Horseman rushes over to Pestilence and helped her up. "I'm glad I found you," she sighed in relief. The ice pillars melted, leaving behind puddles of water.

"Wh-Why're you here, Death?" (Y/n) questioned.

"It's been brought to my attention that someone has been manipulating the draugr for quite some time."

"Why would someone desire to control such a monster?"

Death stared into her sister's (e/c) eyes. "To get to you."

"What could they possibly want with me?" Pestilence questioned.

"To control you."

[voltage-vixen]

Decorating a Christmas tree-----SCM

Christmas Countdown--- Day 14

“Alright, Zyglavis and I made a list and divided up the different tasks that will need to be completed in order for us to successfully decorate the tree in time for MC,” Karno enthusiastically addressed the other gods.

The twelve gods of the zodiac were holding an emergency meeting in the living room, ready to discuss their Christmas surprise for MC. Since MC loved Christmas so much, the gods decided they were going to decorate one of those tree things that she was always talking about.

Leon had been sitting on the couch sipping a goblet of Huedhaut’s wine, and lazily flipped his head back.

“Why must a powerful god such as myself, do such trivial tasks by hand for a goldfish, when I can just use my powers and finish much quicker?”

“For once I agree with the lion,” Scorpio spat, “She should be happy that we’re even taking time out of our busy days to celebrate her stupid tradition.”

“Now, now, let’s not fight with each other,” Partheno soothed the rowdy gods, “Think about how MC would feel if she knew you two acting up on her behalf.”

Tauxolouve had been trying to wake Aigonorus up who had fallen asleep on the couch, when he spoke up  to try and defuse the situation.

“Partheno is right. We wouldn’t want to make the little lady sad now would me?”

“Come on Scorpio,” Dui encouraged, “We all know how much you’re going to enjoy MC’s face when it lights up at the sight of our tree!”

Scorpio’s face flushed a bright red color, while Teorus was trying to convince Leon.

“Let’s make it a competition between our department and Punishments and show them who the better team is.”

Leon was about to nod his head in approval at Teorus’s proposal, until Zyglavis abandoned his post by the tree, and came storming over.

“There will be no rivalry against the Punishments and Wishes department! Everyone will act accordingly and perform their assigned tasks per the list that was made.”

“And if you don’t want to do this for Zyglavis or myself, do this for MC!” Karno beamed.

Those words seemed to trigger everyone’s cooperation, and they all staggered over to the Christmas tree. Huedhaut and Ichthys had begun stringing the lights on the tree, while Aigonorus and Krioff were hanging ornaments. The remaining gods were taking turns focusing on the tree skirt, making sure the star was on top of the tree, and organizing the rest of the garland and bows.

The gods were working in perfect unison, and everything was flowing smoothly, until Ichthys’s prank was set into motion. Suddenly, the tree lights were wrapped around Huedhaut and Aigonorus, and ornaments were flying around the room, bonking Krioff on the head in the process.

“What gives?!” Krioff hissed in displeasure. Snapping his fingers, the floating decorations came crashing down to the ground.

“Ichthys,” Huedhaut warned in a dangerous tone, “If you know what’s good for you, untie us from this bondage, or else you’ll personally find out what happens to the targets of the Punishments department.”

“Can you put me in the closet so I can sleep already?” Aigonorus yawned, completely oblivious to the chaos happening around him.

“Due, Huedhaut’s glaring at me, and it’s freaking me out,” Ichthys shuddered in fear.

“Don’t drag me into your problems Ichthys,” Dui groaned from the other side of the tree.

Krioff had somehow manage to miss one of the flying ornaments, and the spare loner flew right into Zyglavis’s head.

“ICHTHYS! YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PUNISHMENTS, AND I’LL NOW NEED TO DISPLINCE YOU!” Zyglavis roared, while glaring menacingly at the god of Pisces.

A beam of light shot from Zyglavis’s hand, and Ichthys dodged out of the way last minute, causing the divine force to hit Leon.

“How bold of you to attack me Minister Ponytail,” Leon uttered dangerously, “Remember this-you’re the one who made the first move.”

“Leave him alone you stupid lion!” Scorpio cursed.

The rest of the respective gods sided with their said department, and soon the room had Christmas tree decorations gliding throughout the room. Lights were flashing, and ornaments were crashing against the wall. Aigonorus was standing up fast asleep in the corner of, while the other gods continued their battle.

An abrupt snap interrupted the pandemonium, and all the sudden, the twelve gods were lined up in a horizontal line.

“Wait until you see our Christmas present to you dear human,” a voice mentioned outside the door.

The majestic door swung open, and in walked the King, along with MC by his side. MC took one look at the tree, which now magically was perfectly decorated, and her face broke into a smile.

“Oh my gosh, it’s perfect! I can’t believe you guys did all this for me. I love it!” MC cheered, as she raced over to take a closer look.

You foolish gods almost ruined MC’s happiness with your childlike behavior. I trust you can manage to conduct yourselves appropriately for the rest of the day. Humans have a limited lifespan and this special day only comes once a year for them. Don’t be selfish.

After the King’s telepathy message to the divine rulers, he disappeared from the mansion, leaving the gods behind with the overexcited woman. MC rushed over to them, and politely bowed her head.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” MC exclaimed in excitement. “This is the best Christmas gift ever!”

She raced back over to admire the full beauty of the tree, and the gods marveled at MC. Her smile made the disarray of the previous events all worthwhile, and they each joined her around the tree.

“Merry Christmas,” MC praised the hardworking gods, “Something tells me that Christmas this year will not be a dull one.”

Nodding in agreement, the gods proceeded to prepare MC a feast, and ensure the rest of her day was filled with nothing but happy memories.

L365 Masterlist

@agustd54, @ishizusv, @mrs-scm-wife

[rebellingstagnationblog]

Mele Kalikimaka - World of Color

My deepest apologies for giving you two very long and intensive stories in a row. The stories will vary in length from here on out, I promise.

But now we finally get to find out what happened in Hawai'i!

Louie glanced back into the living room where most of the group was still convened. "I just," he sighed. "I think we should tell everyone about Hawai'i."

Gosalyn glared. "You shut your mouth."

"Would it be so bad?" Louie asked. Uncle Donald's fixation on their island excursion during this holiday getaway had been slowly eating away at him. He hadn't kept a secret from his uncle for long; he wasn't physically capable of it.

"Yes," she said. "It would. Dad and Donald would kill Scrooge dead."

Louie groaned. "I wish that was an exaggeration."

"See? Then it's better kept a secret. Just play it cool, Lou." Gosalyn turned and went back into the great room.

Was she right?

Hawai'i had pretty much been a disaster, but it had ended okay. Everyone was safe.

Now.

They were safe now.

Weighing his options, Louie went over the trip in his mind for what seemed like the thousandth time, really considering how Uncle Donald and Drake might react to some of the details.

—…—…—…—…—…—…—…—

"Come along, lads!" Uncle Scrooge exclaimed. "I'm not getting any richer standing here!" He ran ahead through the lush plant life towards the rocky alcoves with the energy of a duck half his age.

But they lingered behind.

"Did you see his eyes?" asked Huey.

"Kinda glazed over," confirmed Dewey. "Has he started itching?"

"Not that I've seen."

"I called Gosalyn last night," Louie said. "She should be here soon."

"You told her this was an emergency, yeah?" Huey said.

"No, we just had a nice chat before gossiping about Project Runway." Louie rolled his eyes.

"Gold fever is nothing to joke about!" Huey snapped, rounding on him.

"I remember how serious it is!" Louie retorted. "I was there, too!"

"Guys, we can't fight," said Dewey, stepping between them. "It's gonna take all three of us to make sure Uncle Scrooge doesn't get any worse. Can you please save this for later?"

Huey and Louie eyed one another before Huey sighed. "Sorry. I just… I haven't seen Uncle Scrooge this bad since we were kids."

"It's going to be okay as long as we stick together," said Dewey.

"C'mon slowpokes!" Uncle Scrooge called, waving back at them. "That tomb's not gonna explore itself!" He rearranged the backpack strap on his shoulder before turning and running off.

"Was that an itch?" Huey demanded.

"I don't know. Louie, stay here and check on Gosalyn's ETA. Huey, let's follow Uncle Scrooge before he gets himself into trouble."

Huey's jaw ticked but he set off after Uncle Scrooge with Dewey at his side, trekking towards the soothing crash of the nearby waves.

Louie grabbed his phone and called Gosalyn, shifting his weight as the dial tone buzzed in his ear.

He counted three rings before Gosalyn answered. "What's up?"

"Where are you?" Louie all but blurted.

"Should be there in a few minutes. You guys able to hold out that long?"

"Yeah," said Louie, glancing towards the grottos where his family had gone to. "We're headed to some cave. I'm waiting outside for you."

"Just you?" Louie heard something snap on Gosalyn's end of the phone. "Where are the others?"

"Heading toward the cave. Uncle Scrooge's fever is getting worse."

"Wouldn't be an adventure without complications, would it? We're almost over you. See you soon."

Hearing the hum of an approaching plane, Louie glanced up. The sleek black jet soared towards him, a stark contrast to the deep blue skies, lush green mountains, and feathered palm trees. The precision of the long curved wings reminded Louie that he wasn't on vacation on this scenic island. He was treasure hunting and his uncle was in danger of falling under gold fever, a disease that caused it's victims to itch for gold so much they forgot about the existence of anything else.

They weren't even looking for gold, which was why it was such a shock to see Uncle Scrooge afflicted by it now. They were after jewels, diamonds, and even feathers from extinct birds.

And, yeah, Uncle Scrooge sometimes became so enamored with a treasure that he would stop at nothing to find it, and was willing to sacrifice most anything, including his own safety.

But he would never sacrifice them. Not his nephews.

Gold fever shifted your priorities, though. Made you value the treasure above anything else. And if Uncle Scrooge couldn't shake it, Gosalyn was here with only one objective: get them all home.

The plane glided overhead, a small dot jumping from it before the aircraft rocketed away. The dot grew in size, becoming more discernible as Gosalyn as she got closer. Once she was at the right distance, she deployed her parachute and sailed towards Louie.

Upon hitting the ground, Gosalyn unhooked the harness from around her and jogged over. "Where's this cave?" she asked, grabbing her bow and stringing it.

"This way," Louie said, leading her towards the sound of the waves. He pulled up Huey's contact information on his phone and hit the location button, making sure he was headed for the small picture of his brother on the map of the island. "Uncle Scrooge just started itching, probably because we're so close to the tomb."

"Who's tomb are you excavating and for what?"

"Kameha-someone, I think."

Gosalyn stopped in her tracks, Louie skittering to a halt to face her.

"You think?"

"I'm pretty sure."

"Pretty sure is not knowing."

"Okay, then I know."

"Oh my God, Louie! Is it King Kamehameha? As in Kamehameha the Great who's tomb should under no circumstances be disturbed?"

The dread that had been clawing at him since Uncle Scrooge had started showing symptoms spiked to fear. "How do you know so much about Hawai'ian history?"

"What else was I supposed to do on an eight hour flight? Listen to 'Cups' the whole time?"

"Why would you listen to 'Cups' more than, like, twice in a row?"

"We're getting off subject," Gosalyn said, walking onward.

"You're the one who brought up 'Cups.'" Louie took the lead, glancing between the landscape and his phone and guiding Gosalyn through the lush island vegetation towards the shoreline. The mountains and ocean met in several miles of sheer cliff face. There were, supposedly, coves and caves carved into these cliffs, one of which was the rumored resting place of Kamehameha the Great.

"Fever or not, we're getting out of here," said Gosalyn as she easily scaled over the sharp rocks towards the dark opening yawning before them. "His tomb is sacred, no one's supposed to know where it is."

"Is it cursed? We get a lot of curses on adventures." Louie had to put his phone away so he could use his hands to steady himself as he climbed over the rocks.

"How any of you made it to adulthood is beyond me."

Gosalyn drew an arrow as they entered the cave, Louie turning on a flashlight and directing it in front of them. The light revealed a fairly typical cave, small streams of water flowing out from the recesses of the cave towards the ocean.

Gosalyn continued, "His bones are infused with divine power granted to him by the gods. It's what gave him the right to rule and why he was so successful. There's no telling what will happen if that power is disturbed."

"Sounds pretty curse-y to me."

"It's not a curse."

"Thought you two would never show up!" snapped Huey, his own flashlight beam bouncing along the walls as he scurried up to them. "He's getting worse."

"We really need to leave," Dewey said, right on Hueys' heels.

"Where's Uncle Scrooge?" asked Louie.

"Back there," said Dewey, pointing over his shoulder. "He started rubbing up against the walls like he was a cat."

"It didn't happen this fast before," Huey said.

"You think it's the curse?" Louie turned to Gosalyn.

"It's not a curse," she said, walking into the cove.

The cavern around them shuddered. The streams of water and other small pools that had been collected during high tide rippling as pebbles rained down from above. Huey, Dewey, and Louie gripped onto the wall nearest them as Gosalyn dropped to one knee, nocking her arrow.

She glanced back. "Grab your uncle. We're leaving."

Huey sprang up, running up an incline, calling, "Uncle Scrooge?" His voice echoed around the cavern. "We gotta go!"

"Go?" came Scrooge's voice from just beyond the small hill of rock. "Nonsense, lad! We've come too far to give up now!"

"Huey's right," Dewey said, following after his brother. Louie darted behind him as Gosalyn drew her arrow, her eyes scanning their surroundings in the bobbing flashlight beams.

When Louie reached the peak of the hill, he cast his light down and saw Huey wrestling with Uncle Scrooge on the ground, who was trying to scramble father into the grotto. Huey had tossed his flashlight aside, its beam of light illuminating the cavern from the ground, casting long shadows.

"Unhand me!" Uncle Scrooge cried, kicking in an attempt to free himself. Huey ducked but managed to hang on, tugging him towards the entrance. "I don't know what's gotten into you, lad."

"Huey's fine," Dewey said, approaching and grabbing Uncle Scrooge's arm. "You have gold fever."

"I do — hic! — not!" Uncle Scrooge continued to flail as Huey and Dewey pulled him back. "There isn't even gold to be had. Just jewels — hic! — and feathers of — hic! — extinct birds. Just think how grand we'll look — hic! — wearing those — hic! — warrior's robes! Hic! Let me go!"

Louie ran down, tucking his flashlight under his arm, and took ahold of Uncle Scrooge's shoulder. "There will be other treasures. We should leave this one alone; the tomb is sacred."

"You three probably want — hic! — the treasure for yourselves!" Uncle Scrooge kicked out again and Huey lost his grip. Managing to get his feet under him, Uncle Scrooge shoved himself up, pushing Dewey and Louie back.

The grotto shuddered around them again, the boys stumbling backwards as Uncle Scrooge steadied himself with both hands.

"Let's go!" called Gosalyn, coming over the ridge with her arrow still drawn.

"Gosalyn?" Uncle Scrooge said, surprised enough to momentarily forget about the treasure. He grabbed Huey's discarded flashlight and pointed it at her. "What are ye doing here?"

"Strike Team Omega was called in, sir," she said, glancing around the area before making her way over to them.

Uncle Scrooge glowered at the triplets, the beam of the flashlight almost burning in accusation. "Did you call her in?"

"You have gold fever, Uncle Scrooge!" Huey said, a hint of desperation creeping into his voice. "We had to do something!"

"I've had enough of this gold fever nonsense," Uncle Scrooge said, glaring at each of them in turn. "Gosalyn, go home. I will call you if you're needed. Boys — hic! — let's go."

Another tremor wracked through the cavern.

"That can't be an earthquake," Dewey rationed, catching Huey and righting him on his feet. "The tremors are too random."

"And they're getting more intense," Louie said, pointing his flashlight down the dark mouth of the grotto. As if watching the stones shake loose would give them insight as to why these tremors were happening.

"Mr. McDuck," called Gosalyn. "We're going."

"I'm not leaving without — hic! — my treasure!"

The next tremor brought a chunk of stone careening towards the ground.

Straight at them.

Gosalyn shoved Louie out of the way as Huey, Dewey, and Uncle Scrooge dodged it.

"Come on!" Gosalyn ran around the boulder now lodged in the floor and helped Huey and Dewey up.

"I'm not — hic! — going anywhere!" Uncle Scrooge said, his flashlight beam bounding around the cavern erratically.

Her expression determined, Gosalyn approached Uncle Scrooge, hands on her hips. "I'm not asking."

The grotto quaked, stones raining down on them. Huey, Dewey, and Louie threw their hands up to cover their heads, but Gosalyn didn't move, still glaring down at Uncle Scrooge.

"I am your employer!" Uncle Scrooge got to his feet and stared her down, which was impressive since Gosalyn had a few inches on him. "I call you in and tell you what to do, not my nephews." He reached out and grabbed ahold of her bow with one hand, tugging it out of her grip. "And I am saying to let me go after — hic! — the treasure." Another quaking shudder ricocheted through the cavern, Gosalyn and Uncle Scrooge swaying, but not losing their footing.

"And I am saying, sir," Gosalyn ground out, yanking her bow free from Uncle Scrooge's grasp, "that we're leaving. My job is to make sure you all get home safely."

"Then consider yourself fired." Uncle Scrooge turned to Huey, Dewey, and Louie. "Come on — hic! — boys."

He started to walk away when Gosalyn shot her arrow at him, a bola chord snaking around his ankles and wrapping all the way up to his shoulders. He toppled over with a cry. The flashlight bounced on the ground, rolling away and casting its light toward the mouth of the grotto. As if pointing them towards their escape.

"Grab him," she instructed as she pulled out another arrow, the grotto vibrating again. Once the ground was sturdy, Huey and Dewey darted forward and grabbed Uncle Scrooge, who protested amongst his hiccups, Louie using his flashlight to make sure his brothers could properly see.

The cave was shaking consistently now, tremors growing more intense and wracking up and down the grotto. Rocks rained from above in a downpour. Gosalyn led Louie to an outcropping under which where they took shelter. Dewey and Huey half-carried, half-dragged Uncle Scrooge to the wall where they hunkered down in a small hollowed out section.

"Is this the curse?" Louie yelled to be heard over the crashing rocks and glanced at Gosalyn.

Before she could answer, a monstrous reptilian foot thudded down in front of them, ebony talons curving down and digging into the rock as though it was nothing more than mud.

Louie and Gosalyn leaned forward, looking up to see a lizard of prehistoric proportions. The long flat head extended from a stout neck that stretched out from the long scaled body. It's lips were curled in a growl, gleaming pointed fangs a contrast to the soft pink gums and whip-like tongue that snaked out between the teeth.

The thing straightened up, blue green scales rippling in the faint light cast by the discarded flashlight, scarlet spikes rising along its spine.

When it took a step forwards, the grotto shook violently and Louie understood. The tremors had been this prehistoric lizard walking towards them. It had probably been deep in the cavern, and if they'd gone in search of this tomb, they likely would have been ripped limb from limb. Or eaten whole.

"Told you it wasn't a curse," Gosalyn said softly, looking over to Huey, Dewey, and Uncle Scrooge. The boys were pressed up flat against the rock, eyeing the lizard in awe. Uncle Scrooge, on the other hand, was wriggling against his restraints. He'd managed to get a hand free. It wouldn't be long before—

"Oh, hell," said Gosalyn, nocking her arrow as Uncle Scrooge sprang to his feet, darting farther into the grotto.

"No!"

"Uncle Scrooge!"

The lizard roared and followed Uncle Scrooge, the cavern shaking around them so violently that Louie couldn't keep his feet under him and he fell over, his flashlight's beam whipping from rock wall to rock wall.

"We don't want to find the tomb!" Gosalyn called, running out and grabbing the discarded flashlight. The lizard whipped around to face Gosalyn, its tail lashing out behind it and slamming down into the grotto's wall. It missed Uncle Scrooge by mere inches, but he still fell over from the ricochets.

"Maybe you don't," Uncle Scrooge grunted as he climbed to his feet. "But I — hic! — do!"

The lizard roared, whipping it's tail around furiously and Uncle Scrooge dodged and ducked to avoid getting hit.

"She can understand you!" said Gosalyn,

"You know it's a she?" Huey called.

"She can what?" Dewey cried.

"Kihawahine!" Gosalyn said, raising up her hands in surrender, the flashlight pointing up to the curved ceiling of the grotto. "We will leave the tomb in peace."

The lizard regarded Gosalyn for a moment, golden eyes gleaming in the low light. But suddenly the lizard roared, lunging backwards with its teeth bared.

Towards Uncle Scrooge who was attempting to slip back in the cavern, hiccuping wildly.

Gosalyn swore, shoved the flashlight in her teeth, nocked, drew, and fired her arrow.

The net arrow deployed and wrapped around Uncle Scrooge, the ends tying together and effectively trapping him within its confines.

Gosalyn reached up and grabbed the flashlight from her mouth. "Get him out of here!" she called, tossing the flashlight to Huey, who caught it easily.

Dewey and Louie ran over towards Uncle Scrooge, who was attempting to free himself from the net. But it held fast; the ends appeared to be welded together to dissuade any escape. They dragged Uncle Scrooge towards the grotto's opening.

The lizard roared again, snapping her jaws in frustration. Gosalyn stationed herself between the boys and the lizard.

Reaching into one of her pouches, she dug out a knife and pressed it into Dewey's hand. "You can free him when you're sure he doesn't have the gold fever anymore. Or when you've reached Duckburg. Whatever happens first."

"But," said Louie, glancing back at Gosalyn as Huey also grabbed some of the net and helped drag Uncle Scrooge out of the grotto, "you're coming with us."

"I'm making sure you get home," Gosalyn said, looking up at the lizard. Slowly, she kneeled down, placing her bow on the ground before unbuckling her quiver and placing it alongside her bow.

"What are you—"

"Kihawahine is a goddess, Lou. This isn't needless violence, she's protecting something."

"Yeah, the tomb. But we're not gonna find it, so can't we leave? Together?"

Kihawahine stomped forward, a huge taloned foot thudding in between them. The impact send Louie stumbling backwards and he landed on his backside, jarred but not injured.

"Get out of here!" Gosalyn cried before Kihawahine roared again, her massive head and sharp teeth coming straight for Louie.

Not needing to be told twice, Louie scrambled up the hill and out of the grotto, heart pounding furiously somewhere in the region of his throat.

He jogged away, finding Huey and Louie barely past the rocks of the grotto. They were wrestling Uncle Scrooge who was, once again, putting up a fight.

"You boys will — hic! — regret this! Think of the treasure — hic! — you're abandoning! I can't believe members of my own — hic! — family are betraying me like this!"

Louie jumped on top of Uncle Scrooge and managed to get him on his back so he was sitting on his chest. "Uncle Scrooge!" he cried. "This has to stop! Now is not the time for treasure!"

"It's always — hic! — time for treasure," Uncle Scrooge argued.

Louie grabbed him by the shoulders and looked him in the eye. "You awakened a goddess and Gosalyn is sacrificing herself to get us home safely. If she hadn't been here, Kihawahine would have killed us. Come on, Uncle Scrooge, snap out of it!" Louie shook him slightly, hoping his words would sink in.

And something he said must have gotten through, because Uncle Scrooge shook himself and his eyes lost their glossy look. "Louie?"

"Please, Uncle Scrooge. We have to get out of here. Treasure doesn't matter!"

His beak twisting in guilt, Uncle Scrooge said, "Yer right, lad."

Huey and Dewey approached cautiously, glancing at one another, not trusting that Uncle Scrooge had shaken off the gold fever.

Uncle Scrooge glanced between the three. "I couldna see past my own greed and put you three in danger. Can ya ever forgive me?"

"Of course we can, Uncle Scrooge," breathed Huey, relief flooding his features.

"We know treasure is important to you," said Dewey, helping Uncle Scrooge sit up as Louie slid off to sit beside him.

"But is should not be something I put before any of you." Uncle Scrooge grabbed onto the netting. "Where's Gosalyn?"

"Still in the grotto," said Louie. "Made me leave without her."

"We have to help!" Huey said.

"Aye. Any of ye have a knife?"

Dewey pulled out the knife Gosalyn had given him and started sawing away at the netting until Uncle Scrooge was freed. Tossing the net away, Uncle Scrooge looked at the boys, a serious expression on his face. "I'm sorry fer making ye think yer less important to me than some blasted treasure."

None of them responded, but they smiled in understanding. It wasn't the first time Uncle Scrooge became enamored with a treasure and thought of nothing else.

"Now let's go see if we can help Gosalyn," said Uncle Scrooge, getting to his feet.

But they weren't needed after all.

Gosalyn emerged from the grotto just as they were approaching it again, her quiver strapped in place and her bow in hand.

"What are you doing?" she demanded, reaching back for an arrow. "How did he get free?"

"He doesn't have gold fever anymore," explained Dewey.

Gosalyn sent them all a skeptical look. "So you're returning to the cave for a good time?"

"For you," Louie said.

Gosalyn shook her head. "Kihawahine is going to let us leave provided we never return to this island again." She studied Uncle Scrooge. "You okay with leaving, sir?"

"I think it best, lass. And if yeh'll take it, ye still have a position as Strike Team Omega."

"I'll need to think about it," she said, unstringing her bow and putting it away. "Shall we, gentlemen? Before Kihawahine changes her mind?"

"To the canoe!" said Huey, in high spirits once more with everything back in order.

"Canoe?" Gosalyn asked.

"Only way on and off," said Dewey.

She looked to Uncle Scrooge. "This is a point against rejoining Strike Team Omega."

Uncle Scrooge smiled. "Understood."

—…—…—…—…—…—…—…—

"You okay, Louie?" Uncle Donald asked, an overcoat and scarf in hand.

Louie blinked, returning to their Christmas cabin from his Hawai'ian memories. "Yeah," he said.

Uncle Donald's eyebrows drew together.

"Really, Uncle Donald. I'm okay."

Still looking skeptical, Uncle Donald zipped up his coat and wrapped the scarf around his neck. "I'm going to get José and Panchito from the airport. We can talk tonight."

Louie considered the offer.

Sure, Uncle Donald wanted to hear about Hawai'i.

But then Uncle Donald and Uncle Scrooge would fight. Mr. Mallard would also probably join in the argument and their Christmas retreat would be tainted with the memory of something that was long past.

Smiling, Louie said, "Thanks. I'll take you up on that if I need to. You want company getting Panchito and José?"

Donald returned the smile. "Get your coat."

'Someday,' thought Louie as he grabbed his winter wear and hurried after Uncle Donald. 'I'll tell him about Hawai'i.'

But not today.

Not during this trip.

The cabin retreat was about togetherness and Louie wanted to keep it that way.

Kihawahine is a real Hawaiian goddess. Her story, and King Kamehameha's, are fascinating and give some amazing insight into Hawaiian folklore and history. I recommend them highly!

Picture Source 

[j1p2kd7dadv]

D&D Winter Final Part 1

           The party members laid awake in their separate rooms, birds chirping outside, and the horses neighing in the fields while the farmers plowed the crops. They had all awoke from terrible nightmares, each with separate “visions”. Vik knew he had a mission, that he was tasked by Poseidon himself to quell the storms.  He started to pack his gear and walk out of the house, most the other party members had gathered their gear to head out that day and most were going to go to Thad’s Landing. Torinn especially wanted to shed some light on his dreams and inform Thoruk or Thad of his recent travels. A caravan approached, it was from the landing. A small troop of guards and teamsters were moving trade goods down to Uylorn and Esyl Enthaes. The Guards were awestruck to meet the hero’s from the “battle of loyalties” and begged for them to ride along and as they went south. Everyone but Torinn decided to ride to Uylorn but when the guards informed Torinn that Thoruk had not returned in many months he decided to travel with his party instead. They set out and passed by Alebion Mine on their way. Work seemed to be going well at the copper mine with a great deal of progress in a short period of time. They made their way towards Uylorn, the guards talked with each of them asking to recount their tales in the battle and adventures since. Rolling into Uylorn just before dusk the workers began to offload the supplies for the centaurs and load up what was being offered to them. The wagon still had a portion of the load to take south but they would set out in the morning. Everyone went their ways in the camp, Torinn sought out the head druid to ask if she knew anything of demons. Drax ran right over and started drinking with the lumber crew, all welcoming him back. Domric went to sell some gear while Phfett found a place to rest. Vik talked with the guards and found out that there was a scouting party from Thad’s landing that had not returned in weeks, the tower they were scouting was south and east of the road they were traveling. Torinn found Sebastian in the lead tent with the clan master. Sebastian protested that he had been left behind, but Torinn wasn’t having it, Torinn knew Sebastian just had a hard time keeping up with the hero’s. The Night passed and the wagon was once again loaded. The party set out south on the road and the day went well, easy riding and the sun on their faces. Drax kept his distance from everyone walking off to the side as they traveled on. The ground shook and a few member fell to their feet. An earthquake at hit, Vik tried to determine if it was natural or spellbound, but from what he could tell with Torinns help it was just a natural occurrence. They continued on, as they traveled further south clouds began to form overhead and thunder could be heard in the distance. More rumbling and tremors came as they moved along the trail. They came to a point and the wagon stopped, the lead teamster informed them that the tower to be scouted was east of this point towards the ocean. The party thanked them and started off into the coming storm.

                They traveled east, the ground continued to shake every so often and the closer they got to shore the darker the clouds over head shaded. The Tree line parted to a great tower standing watch over the ocean. Small stone walls scattered at the base for minor defense to a ground attack. The ocean waves behind crashed in every direction sending mist into the air and making the ground damp to walk on. The party looked on to see if they could see any movement. Domric sent his blood hawk up but could not see anything through the thick fog and clouds. Vik skirted along the outside to the ocean and took a knee at the water’s edge, hoping to get a sign from Poseidon but nothing came. They regrouped and the party moved in towards the base of the tower. Vik turned the corner first to find a Imp starring at him blankly, Vik reacted and wounded the imp, Torinn went out along the outer wall to get around, Domric stepped in an fired an arrow dropping the Imp while. Sebastian started to sneak in from the southern end and found another Imp which he brought down with ease. They turned their focus towards the door and as Sebastian approached, the swoosh of a claw went past his ear. Another imp snuck in but it was no match for the party, it could only mock that its master would soon end them before they ended it. Torinn coming around from the north found bodies of fallen elves and humans but didn’t stop to inspect. When Phfett walked up he noted that the guards were Kaththaes and the scouts were from that’s landing. Vik and Drax came closer and recognized the weapon used to bring them down. They turned to the door, preparing for what they knew was coming. They entered the first floor, slowly moving their way in, as cautiously as they could. Sebastian took point and after they searched the gear on the first floor they he moved to the top of the second set. Sneaking he noticed two more Imps standing guard and he turned back down to inform the party. They all stood arguing for a moment on what to do when another rumble hit. Vik fell flat on his face and his plate armor rang like a bell in the tower. The imps flew down the stairs, one attacking Sebastian and the other coming to the landing both only made it as far as the stairs would take them before fire, arrows and steel brought their miserable lives to an end. Once again the party moved upwards. To the second floor, while searching Sebastian was able to recover a few healing potions that he graciously handed to others who may need them only keep one on himself. They made it to the third landing and two spiral stone stairs curved along the walls to the open air of the top tower. They separated and stayed three members to each flank. Vik leading the left flank with Drax and Domric while Sebastian led Phfett and Torinn up the right flank. Sebastian peeked his head out first but he could not see anything in the shroud of darkness and fog. Vik was the first to step up, he moved forward and as he cleared the top he noticed a man kneeling on the far side looking out over the land. Full plate mail smoldered with wisps of sulfur, a giant winged helm shooting off his shoulders. Vik wasn’t sure at first but when Ragnar greeted him he recognized the voice. Torinn was next to step up but when Ragnar stood and turned everyone froze on the stairs, they knew that this was between Vik and Ragnar at this point. Vik gave the motion to hold back. Just then Vik while inching forward felt the cold slump of a body and the slickness of blood under his boot. He was cautious not to take his eyes off Ragnar too long but just enough to notice the pentagram at his feet, with a body at each point. He looked back up at Ragnar, his eyes emanating a hateful red, the color smoking out and dissipating into the air. Vik could feel the torment inside of him even from across the tower. But still he must try.

                Vik shouted over the thundering clouds “It is not too late for you Ragnar! Poseidon is here!” Ragnar replied back “I have fallen, and he has broken me in the Abyss! There is no going back I have forsaken everything!” Vik wasn’t giving up he knew there some semblance of help, so he pressed on. “Even now Poseidon would allow you back to his court, lay down your trident and come to me, we will atone together my brother!” Vik shouted as the thunderous waves crashed along the shoreline. Ragnar wasn’t having it, he didn’t believe a word Vik was saying, his grip tightened on the trident and he stepped closer to Vik. “Do not think you are above me CLERIC! I have walked this earth longer than you in his light! When I fell there was no turning back, he has taken me and I will live in purgatory! Vik! Cleric of Poseidon! Is your god even here with you now?!” Ragnar started to move in. Vik stood fast, plate armor glistening in the mist, shield firmly held close at his side, his right hand tightening its knuckles around his mace of terror. Vik pleaded to Poseidon, “I know he is not lost, please, let the seas guide him once more.” Vik felt in that moment an instant and divine connection to the astral plane. Never before has his purpose been so clear. The thunder cleared and the clouds parted. Bright beams of sun bore down on the plate armor gleaming into the eyes of Ragnar slowing his rush. Vik shouted “Poseidon IS HERE! And he will not leave me just as he will not leave you!” Ragnar stopped in his tracks, the red in his eyes faded instantly, glistening over with tears. He reached up and pulled his great helm off, it fell to the stone, his grasp released the trident and it reverberated as it clashed at his feet. Tears began to fall from his face as he stretched out his arms and said “Save me! He is coming!”…

                Just then the pentagram began to glow a purple hue, the bodies began to turn to ashes. The stone opened to a molten lava and sulfur wasteland. The party took action and charged into the tower. Sebastian being the last to come in barley made it to the landing when a trap released and sealed the stone stairs behind them. Two giant pincers grabbed hold of the tower and pulled itself up, two more arms grabbed hold and continued to pull its body through. The beast like head had horns jetting back along its skull and teeth as black as obsidian. The Glabrezu towered over them turning to Ragnar first and in the ancient abyssal tong shouted “Your failure will not be tolerated by our master! You will rot in the Abyss!” The glabrezu used it pincer to grab Ragnar, crushing bones as he lifted him of the ground and closer to his face. The stench of death permeating the air, Ragnar struggled to break free but the Glabrezu whipped and tossed his body out over the tower where the plate mail would surly aid in his fall…

--------Break----------More to come obviously! I just wanted to send what I had so far. I am not so good with the dialogue portion but I tried my best to capture Vik's critical roll of a 20 when he asked for aid from his god. I have a lot more to say haha but I will wait until I finish the recap from our final session. one thing we talked about after in the lot was the fact that there was maybe only 3 total critical rolls last night. and that once just so happened to completely change the dynamic of what I intended. You all did well! I am excited to finish this recap.

- Michael 

[necromatador]

Couriers: The Temple Pt1

Last time on Couriers, the party, alongside (recently mutinied against) Captain Kelvayla Shimmerscale and Tortle Grandpa Xel’bal, headed into the mysterious ziggurat temple to find the legendary Star of Nantzintli.

The first room we found ourselves in held a partly melted crystal in the center, with a beam of light shining weakly on it from the ceiling.  Set on a circular track in the ground that ran around the melted crystal, was an odd orb of dim light.  On the far wall was a mosaic of a fiery woman with a person knelt in front of them holding a glass disk that looked a lot like one of the lenses from outside.  Having difficulty seeing Nimh accidentally pulls out Helen.  She temporarily blinded Nimh by flashing brightly, and then got handed off to Aeron.  We had to explain to Kelvayla and Xel’bal about her, that she was harmless (while she was singing ‘300-something dead bodies on the floor’) and that look it was fine.  We managed to convince her to help with the idea that if she let us die in here she’d be stuck here and it wasn’t really any better than the tower we’d found her in.

Examining the room, we discovered that the glowing orb moved around the track, and in doing so also discovered that whichever side of the melted crystal was in its light was made whole again, and whichever was in shadow was melty. Keyleth and Nimh examined the glowing orb and discovered that it had thin seams on it, and Aeron split it apart and moved the pieces along the track so the melty crystal was surrounded by a ring of these glowing pieces.  With it completely in light, the crystal was whole and the light from the ceiling refracted through it to hit the glass disk on the mosaic.  The mosaic opened to the next room.

~~~

At the end of the hallway was another mosaic, this time of the sun goddess Nantzintli smiling down on a womanly figure of fire, labeled Silali, who was surrounded by bowing people.  There were a few more glass-like crystals refracting the light from the previous room down to the south through another doorway.  Written above the mosaic in ancient elven, which Kaicis was becoming fairly good at translating, was “To prove you’re worthy, walk the pilgrim’s way and follow the light.”

In the corner there was also a skeleton.  Old, crumbling, and clothed in a few rusty-stained scraps of white-ish priestly robes.  As Keyleth watched, he began to see a group of ghosts enter the room.  They ran to the mosaic wall and mentioned something about “the inner sanctum already being closed” but they still needed to get there to make sure nothing else got through.  One of them limped to the wall and told them to go on ahead, and he would buy them some time.  The others ran on, and the other slumped into the place where the skeleton now lay.

~~~

The next room was a long-ish hallway, all decorated with mosaic but all shattered about halfway through for a small section.  Along the way, Kaicis and Xel’bal translate all the runes.  It told the story of the Star itself, this Silali from the previous room.  Apparently one day there was a massive noise and a flaming object crashed to the land.  This was Silali, a bright star sent by Nantzintli for some purpose.  At the end of the hallway was another room, with the ceiling mosaic from the hallway transitioning into a massive winged monster of red gemstones.  The story continued, that the reason Silali was sent was made clear soon, as a massive horrifying dragon soared through the sky, setting everything ablaze and carving the ocean down to lava.  Silali went to the top of the temple and the light from her blinded the monster, causing it to crash into the ocean and leaving behind a massive volcano that still raged and smoked for several years after.  And thus the people vowed to, in their thanks, protect Silali as she had protected them.

~~~

After that room we entered a big complicated room with a large stone door at the far end, set with one of those crystal disks.  Around the room, held by statues with jointed arms, were crystals in every color of the rainbow.  On two sides were a pair of wooden wheels.  In the middle of the floor, on a track similar to the glow orb of the first room, was a prism that was being hit by the light beam that was still being bounced down after us by more crystal disks in the previous rooms/hallways.

In this room there were runes reading something along the lines of how both light and life are made of many different colors/experiences (I forgot to write this one down ;;) and so we realized that obviously we needed to move the prism to reflect the light into the crystals and then aim those beams at the one on the big door.  We tried to push the prism, but Kaicis and Nimh got stabbed by unknown forces.  Noticing the wheels moved when the prism did, Keyleth and Kelvayla moved to turn those instead, but they also got stabbed.  Nimh decided to use their Divine Sense to see if it was like ghosts or something, and ended up sensing something undead.  Something right next to them.  Something right where Aeron was.  So naturally they started frantically patting him off like he was covered in some kind of gross ghost dust until their Divine Sense wore off.  Aeron, likewise, also panicked and started patting himself down because he had no idea what was happening and Nimh was telling him there was ghost stuff on him.

Then something tried to stab Nimh again, but got caught in the retaliation of their Armor of Agathys, which killed it.  A small insect-like fey creature dropped to the ground.  Kaicis identified it as a type of fey that became invisible in bright light but visible in darkness, and they liked to stab.  He then cast Darkness around all of us (except Kelvayla and Xel’bal).  Now the fey couldn’t see us...but even though they were visible, nobody could see them.  EXCEPT AERON WITH HIS “DEVIL SIGHT” INVOCATION.  There was practically an evil chuckle from within the cloud of magical darkness.  Aeron decimated the fey in the Darkness, while Nimh moved out of the Darkness to help Kelvayla and Xel’bal take out the ones still out in the light.  

Now free from the horrible stabby fey, we finished the puzzle and the big stone door slid open.

~~~

The next room was pretty big, had a large brazier of smokeless fire in the center, and a small fountain in the corner next to a jar.  A crystal hung from the ceiling, just too high for it to intersect and refract the beam of light into the crystal disk on the door on the other side of the room.  Also: a skeleton.  Keyleth watched the skeleton and saw the ghosts from the previous room gathered around one kneeling on the ground where the skeleton was.  One shook him and said that he had to keep from being overcome by despair and the others said that it was no use and they had to continue and leave him behind.  They continued forward into the next room through the closed door.  The figure on the ground stayed there for a second before being lifted and then falling limp to the ground where the skeleton was.

At this point Kaicis had found runes around the brazier reading “Prove you are worthy of the light by showing your courage in the dark.”  We all take a breath and then Keyleth takes a jar of water from the fountain and puts out the fire.  The entire room fills with smoke and suddenly we’re all suddenly...elsewhere.

[obclus]

FOR ADALINDA THIS TRIP WAS ABOUT THE CLOSEST THING to letting a child roam around a candy store freely. Politics was their domain, a game where words are used for arsenal. And it’s no secret that American representatives rarely present the concerns of the people they govern accurately but, on the issue of the future of mutant kind, the general consensus seems to agree, save for a few progressive areas. It’s the same hate speech humans have been spewing out against each other for years, long before they were even away mutants existed, even when they viewed a specific mutant as a god. History serves it’s testaments, Hitler in Germany, America during the Vietnam and Cold Wars, Syria in 1496, Turkey in what began in 1914 and took nearly ten years to put to an end. Now however, they were going to sit part in the debate. An actual witness to what one day be recorded as history, and although she isn’t worried about the fate of mutants in the slightest, she questions Charles’ decision on attending. Surely he, Erik, and a good portion of the other staff would be recognized amongst the crowd — at least Erik didn’t seem to be wearing his damned tin can hat. But, at the end of the day they were watching over a group of kids, some who feel targeted, afraid, victimized. Others who want to upset the established order, to prove to humans they are not anything they’ve ever encountered — and so what security precautions had been taken for this trip ? THAT’S WHEN SHE FEELS IT. Something comes across their senses, where the light hums and the shadows flicker. It’s a movement so quick and violent like a foreshadowing omen. A VEIL SOMEWHERE HAS SHIFTED.

The only thing she has time to do is spare a glance outside the window and try to phase their body into what looks like a ghost of black air. In the few seconds that follow the sound metal tearing apart and the wailing of everyone else on the bus pierces through their ear drums. She’s too focused on trying to hear what’s going on to actually feel the bus turning over into the grass. Once her gray eyes flutter open they reveal a world of black and white, there’s a sharp pain that aches across her body. The world slowly comes back to colour as she notices the blood seeping out of her. ❝ Bokkelul ! ❞ she hisses through her white teeth. At best their collarbone is just bruised at  and at worst well, she never really did think much of pain, not after what her father did to her all those years ago. ❝ Eriadon ! ❞ The sound of their voice is raspier — if she hadn’t gone back for the damned notebook  . . .  Adrenaline pushes aside whatever feelings of pain their body makes reference to and they begin to assess the chaos around them. Farther away from them everyone else is strewn about here and there, while the scattered remains of what once were buses lie across the road. At the moment she’s lying under the shade of a tree. The tree she saw before the bus was ripped apart, with a large amount of shade to take cover under — it dawns on her that she's teleported again. It's a fairly new power Adalinda has developed, they're no where near adept with it as they are the other applications of their powers. It's a lot more trickier too, there has to already be a shadow in existence to teleport, with enough space for her own frame to fit. But it seems sometime within the crash Adalinda was able to make it out of there before it’s final collision. Whoever did this was going to have to try a lot harder than that to kill them all. There's a shift in their essence just as there was in the balance. It’s tipped and darker now, laced with viperous ferocity. Their bloodstream ready and singing for a fight. It’s been a while since they’ve felt this way, so willing to through away the docile facade they camouflage themselves behind. Now every atom of their existence screamed to wreak utter havoc.  ❝ Only COWARDS hide behind trees and fight. ❞ The statement isn’t directed at anyone specifically partly because they can’t tell who is who at the moment. But whomever is listening would have been able to hear the sheet acidity in their tone of voice. She faces the trees in front of her, to the side there are mutants scattered across the field without any distinction if a person was a victim or assailant. Because the school was always always getting new students, it was next to impossible to get to know every single person quick enough. Whoever attacked them could easily sneak their way back to the school if they wanted to. Light begins to flicker explosively at the tips of her fingers. ❛ I hope the people behind this have faith in a God or whatever divinity because today, right now, if Eriadon is hurt in anyway, their petty systems of belief will fail them all — TELL ME . . . ARE YOUR GODS MERCIFUL ? BECAUSE I AM NOT. ❜ She projects the last part loudest in her mind just in the very likely case a telepath is listening. Her feet are quick to hit the ground, gaining momentum with each step.  Like a dart through the air she conceals herself in the natural darkness of the trees. The moss that feeds off the bark of it, the termites that eat it from the inside out. In the trees ahead they can spot the auras of people running and she continues to make way deeper into the dense forest after them, not bothering to check if anyone is following the same idea. From what she saw they all personnel was caught up with making  sure everyone is safe, and it makes her heart ping a little at not searching for Eriadon idea, but he of all people would understand why she’s doing this. It was obvious that this wasn’t just some random attack, this was planned. Someone within the school walls was conspiring against them all. They had an obligation to Eriadon, themself, to every other mutant in those buses. She had to catch at least one of the assailants for interrogation, or make them pay. And Adalinda sure as hell wasn't going to wait around for other's to come to the same conclusion. The scent of oak trees takes the air and she notices that some are running on the ground a few yards ahead of her. They shoot off sharp bolts of light in the direction they seem to be running and at the tree branches above. A couple fall but are quick to gather themselves back up and run again. Another makes a sickening snap sound as their body hits the ground. Adalinda begins to sneer and feels a distinct kind of savagery crawl all over their skin, it sends away whatever last bit of pain her collarbone gives of. The trees continue to whip by as she continues to chase after the remaining few. Her mind drifts to one of the last thoughts they had before the attack. Charles should have seen this coming ! Did he think that every person in his was was as innocent as he thought, or did he just believe he could change them all ? He appears seemingly willing to let his capacity for empathy to cost for the lives of innocents, but in reality Adalinda knows if he knew such a thing would have happened, the Professor would have done anything to stop it. However, right now she couldn’t care less about whatever emotional feelings he had right now. Her hand sends out an array of light beams trying to cover more ground, catching one of them in the ankles. Something, or rather, someone collides at her side making her yell out in pain, their eyes quick to seal shut in pain and a blinding ray of light rips out their center. The wail of her known attacker sounds in the distance, she can't tell if they're dead or badly injured as spots of blackness reemerge to cloud their vision. Adalinda brings herself up on her elbows to see no one around her. Quickly she brings a palm up to her wound and begins to cauterize it with her own light, adding another scar to match the one on her back, this time of their own volition. She picks up her body again and renders herself invisible from anyone that might be lurking by. Faintly the voices of the group can be heard a ways away.  ❝ Go now ! ❞ One of them screamed, they seemed to be carrying the boy she’d injured. ❝ YOU'RE ALL COWARDS ! You seek to murder your own people ! Have you forgotten that the humans already seek to rid themselves of us as well, including you ? ❞ Her statement is a challenge at their cause, which to them seems hollow and a waste of time. Xavier already housed both sides of the argument, peace and war with humans under one campus. Of what belief were these people that they didn't fall under either one of those two categories ? The charge seems to have given a few of them pause, and that's all she needs. In that split second of shadows rip out of the ground below and grab the three opposers and she carves the X-Men symbol on their necks before dropping two from a height that knocks them unconscious. The last one, a teleporter she witnessed jumping in and out of space above in the trees, she brings them in closer to relay a message ❝ Tell whomever sent you here that next time it will be them, and that they won't walk out of it alive. Let the bodies mark that this is NOT an empty threat and I deal only in ABSOLUTES. ❞ Then they drop them too to the ground and make their way back to the school bus. The full extent of their wound slowly washing over them. She phases out of invisibility and slowly makes her way into the crowd, face bloodied and battered.

[hillbillyhocuspocus]

November 6th, 2018 // North Node Enters Cancer - South Node Enters Capricorn // Shell-less Crabs

             One of the lesser known, or least talked about aspects in basic astrology are the lunar Nodes. We are all born with them, and.they're not planetary bodies, but mathematical points. The Moon's North and South Nodes are points, indicating where the Moon's path around Earth crosses the ecliptic. The ecliptic is the belt through which the Sun and planets appear to travel from our perspective on Earth. 

           Our personal natal Nodes can tell us a lot about our past, and future. While many aspects of a natal chart focus on personality in the now, or forever, these two points focus specifically on who you have been, and who you can be. If you are someone who believes in "past lives", the South Node gives clues as to who you may have been, and what kind of karma you carry over in this life. If you're not a believer in past lives, it can show you who you used to be in this life, or your younger self. Your North Node on the other hand gives you clues as to what sort of "destiny" you shall fulfill if you will. If you listen to your guides, follow the signs, and put in the work, your North Node is an accomplished fate, your most divine way of being, or your best self. 

             Lately, as a whole consciousness, we've been under the influence of the Lunar Nodes stationed in Leo/Aquarius. As we all have a natal chart, each progression happens to each of us in personal ways. Though often you can spot these themes appearing in and out of your life in various forms, and before you know it, everything begins being filtered through the shifts. While stationed on the Leo/Aquarius axis, the North Node called all under it's influence to stop always putting them-self last. These energies asked you perhaps to be a more authentic version of yourself, as Leo rules the self, however positive, or negative the effect on your community/those close to you. We put "groups" per-say on the back burner, and maybe even friendships. Some may have lost their identity in the groups they belonged to, forcing them to take a step back, for some "self care". Although we have seen many protests, and rally’s akin to our sisters, and brothers of the 60's and 70's, often times those who attended may have used the cause, rebellion, and group to boost them self on social media, or brag about what they were doing to change society. A downside of the Leo archetype, ego inflation. There's a balance to be found.

               The Nodes which have been stationed in Leo/Aquarius since May 9th of 2017 are about to light up with activity! They will be shifting on November 6th, 2018 into Cancer/Capricorn axis! There are many monumental shifts occurring during the first half of November, and  this is just the start! Other than shifting into a new sign, the Lunar Nodes will also be squaring Uranus, planet of shocks, surprises, and technology! Not only will these two transits shift within hours of one another, but they will both be in their respective signs, and at exactly 00:00 degrees. This energy is special, potent, and powerful, and it's headed our way! Uranus will also be fully Retrograde in the sign of Aries on this same day! I've written another article on this you can find HERE

              Uranus has been headed into a retrograde period before finally entering the sign of Taurus for good next year, 2019! Think back to May of this year for clues on what to expect once that happens fully. 

         This shift could change everything you've been doing in your life as of lately, and possibly your entire life, forever. The Lunar Nodes being so intertwined with themes of destiny, and fate, has me feeling like this change will be HUGE, and! Fated! 

             Looking at the signs the Lunar Nodes will shift into brings us into one of those good ol' fashion astrological conundrums. We will be reaching to be more Cancer-esq...while also trying to wiggle free of Capricorns stern grip. The puzzle is in Saturn, and Pluto being stationed in Capricorn. These factors nullify one another at first glance, then upon closer inspection begin to swirl, and melt into one another.           

                Cancer calls water home, and that's where it wished it could stay forever. Of the water element of the zodiac, Cancer is cardinal, Cancer flows with the ebb and flow of the tide, and climbs the silvery beams Mother Moon shines. The season for Cancer lets a warm, spicy breeze blow by, June, and July are the perfect time for swimming in the Northern Hemisphere. Water is often symbolic of feelings, and emotions, which Cancer feels with their soft insides more than they could ever let you see. Cancer is related to all things feminine, mother, nurture, home, family, spirituality, and hysteria. 

            When we examine the South Node shifting into Capricorn, we've gotta look at all of those things we need to let go of, inked in Capricorn nature. Now, as I mentioned we are still fiddling with Saturn and Pluto there, so we must find a way to keep what is valuable, let go of what is not, and integrate the jagged edges.            Capricorn is represent by the Sea Goat. The Sea Goat may have no business trying to climb towering mountains, however it must, it is it's job, and it must reach the top with honors. The Sea Goat is serious, is stern, and the course is charted with absolute precision. Chaos is not permitted in the realm of Capricorn, unless it's under hoof, and out of sight. The Sea Goat knows the rules, and suggests you follow them, in turn teaching you the path of the Sea Goat, the only way to the top. Like it's counterpart, the Cancer, the Sea Goat is skilled in occult practices. Where Cancer feels the flow, Capricorn transforms the ground the rivers flow on. Where would the river flow without the stability of ground beneath? Capricorn is related to all things masculine, power, authority figures, our fathers, our governments, our systems, structure, stability, excessive control, restriction, torture, punishment, and pain. 

           Our journey thus far with Saturn, and Pluto's placement in the sign of Capricorn have had us reviewing lessons on these topics, as well as showing us the darker underpinnings of the systems we have intact. While things have moved more slowly in these realms due to Saturn, we've had more time to observe, and really see. We've had time to really commit, and attempt to stabilize the out of control aspects in our lives, the more sinister chaos that often sits below the surface. While the Capricorn is an earth sign, it is still half fish. It's lower half has the ability to breath in the sea, and blend the experiences of Earth and Water. It is up to us to make the choice...

land or sea?  Harsh punishment, or empathy?  Control, or freedom?  Slavery, or Brotherhood?  Work or family?  Do we succeed because of what we accomplish, or are we all born equally successful, perfect?  How can we make our reality feel more like "home"? 

         On November the 6th when Retrograding Uranus Squares the Lunar Nodes, which will on the same day shift axis, something may happen out of the blue which will completely re-write whatever you have going on in your day to day. Whatever plans you may have been making, whatever goals you may have set for yourself, whatever you thought you knew... think again!

Before going any further, and just as a reminder…      A planet going “retrograde” means that, from where we are on Earth, it APPEARS to be moving backwards. The opposite of retrograde motion (or Rx for short) is direct motion. The planet is not actually moving backwards however, it is an optical illusion.  The planets are still moving forward through space, but because the planets do not revolve around Earth and Earth is also in motion, so many times throughout a year some planets appear to go backwards. In that process, it backs up over a certain range of degrees in the zodiac and ends up passing through that range three times: first forward, then backward and lastly forward again. There are also “shadow” periods as a planet begins to make these passes, and leave them. 

              At first this may only happen internally, emotionally, or even subconsciously due to Uranus in Retrograde motion. Some little pin prick of a feeling may enter your awareness...some strange feeling like nothing was the same as it was the day before. Everything can be exactly as it was, but somehow you just feel "different"..."weird"..."strange".  During shifts like this, especially with retrograde planets, I always feel some sense of deja vu, or like everything around me is somehow so surreal. It feels like being re-set in a way, or like the whole world is a piece of fiction, and I'm just watching. Until slowly the small pin prick bleeds into a new state of awareness, and I begin to take a more, and more active approach. 

           Uranus is associated with innovation, discovery, progression, rebellion, individuality, change, surprise, electricity, and technology. When Rx Uranus squares the Lunar Nodes we may see internal technology glitches, and crashes, as well as new technology being released, and marketed. We may experience technological malfunctions even in household appliances, or anything with moving parts. Similar to a Mercury Retrograde, but more radical. It's very fitting this would happen right as we approach the 5th of November! Ahaha! V from V for Vendetta is a prefect example of the kind of technology glitches which would spiral from Uranus. 

                  As the Lunar Nodes shift you may find yourself re-thinking, and re-evaluating what direction your heading. Some may quit, or leave their jobs in favor of more family time. Some may switch to working from home rather than outside of it. All will be drawn to escape the hamster wheel that is minimum wage Hell in favor of what is truly important, those who love you...your family...or the family you have chosen. Family is who's there for you, not always blood. You may try more to nurture those who you love who cannot escape the tie between work/survival. Taking on a motherly approach, packing their lunch with more care, making sure they're as comfortable as you can make them before they are in the grip of their bosses. Internally you will not be able to look away from their pain any longer, it will tug at your heart strings each time you/they have to go to their work environment where they are belittled, punished, and used. 

             There are lessons to learn in each sign of the Zodiac. There are things we can take from each sign of value, and it's not wise to throw Capricorn's structure wholly out the window. It will take the careful planning of Capricorn to reach the goals Cancer has set for us for the next 2 years. We can use Capricorn's willfulness to not waiver from our goals, and their determination to climb the summit of releasing the chains of society.     

           The Lunar Nodes will remain on the Cancer/Capricorn axis from November the 6th, 2018, until May.05.2020. 

The crab removes it's shell...and is held by the sea.