#he's pretty good at healing and know many herbs

[brailsthesmolgurl]

APPRENTICESHIP

Preview: Set back in the olden days of China, your attendance was much summoned by Master Li Shen, a renowned Medical Physician that is in need of an apprentice. Known for his stoic personality, your temperance was definitely tested. But, could there be an actual explanation behind his stoicity?

Warnings: Angst but does come with fluff (that does not actually last long heh), surprise side character oops, suggestive themes because i know chu dirty dirty (like me)

P.S: I am not a doctor, hence most of the 'medication methods' mentioned in here are for the sake of the plot and is not and shall not be implied to real life practice! Futhermore, I am not a historian so I am not the best at depicting traditional China perfectly, all of the basis of my descriptions are taken off of the Chinese dramas I used to binge on. This story was also highly inspired by this amazing artwork and the most recent memory of his! He is always known as Doctor Zayne in modern days, so why not give it an inspirational twist and make him a highly honoured doctor in the older days of Chinese history! Divider is sourced from here!

The night after the incident, y/n could not wipe off the way events had unfolded during the night where Li Shen was tending to her wounds. The feeling of staying afloat while she was unconscious, could it be Li Shen who was carrying her back to his abode? Did he found her in the alley that night when the attack had happened? Or right when it was about to happen? She had so many questions, but little to none answers.

Running on assumptions does not seem to be worth her time either so she decided to confront Li Shen about it. However, it took her more than a week to muster up the courage she needed to ask him such questions that had been bottled up in her. Back to the current moment, she was sat in the treatment room, next to Li Shen, jotting down notes on the bamboo sticks for patient records. "Your wounds are not as deep, provide this young man with some herbs. You can take it everyday and you shall see improvement."

She wrote down the herbs that would be issued to the man and propped the ink brush against the ink stone, awaiting for the ink to seep further into the bamboo slip. Li Shen had gotten up, muttering to her that he shall be in his chambers and had asked her to finish up the current patient. Much obliged, she put the bamboo slip onto the tea table and grabbed some bandages made out of woven cotton.

The patient that sat in front of her was quite a good looking young man, long silvery-white hair that flowed down to his waist neatly tucked behind his shoulders as he was sat in front of her, top peeled off for her to examine his wound. He calls himself Qin Che when he was asked for his name at the start of the treatment. The man had eyes the shade of rubies that glinted whenever he watched her focusing on applying the herb onto his wound. So, this is the girl that the physician had set his eyes on? Qin Che finds it amusing.

"If it hurts, you can tell me and I shall let you have a breather." She glanced up from his naked torso and beamed warmly. Qin Che looked down at her, nostrils hanging high when he barely felt the sting of the herbs laid on his wound. He sighed and tugged a side of his lips up in a smirk, ruby gaze dancing between her eyes and her lips. Studying his prey carefully, watching her basking within the glow of the moonlight. "Is everything okay?"

"Never better." His voice, grumbled through his torso as he replied. This prompted her to fix her gaze back to his wound. The patient's body was full of cicatrixes, some formed scars, some still healing and some newly acquired like the one she is currently treating. He might be that tough of a hunter to obtain such scars. Her trail of doubt was interrupted when she felt a pressure against the top of her head. Looking up, she noticed Qin Che has his palm sat on her head, the smirk still stuck on his face. "You're as pretty as a doe aren't you?"

"Excuse me?" She was ready to pull back but his hand shifted positions to grab her by the nape of her neck and he pulled her upwards, his strength so great that all it took was one arm to get her secured within his lap. Y/n gasped but was immediately shushed by the man whom had already pressed his lips against hers. Her hands came up to push against his chest but it was to no avail. The man is built like a rock, heavy and immobile. "S...Stop." She begged with squeaks but the man did not budge, tongue darting out to lap at her bottom lip as his other arm grabbed her by the waist to secure her within his embrace. "Please..no..."

Based off of her will, he eventually pulled back, still holding y/n on his lap and he watched her flustered emotions, her arms raising up to shield her face. But Qin Che stopped her, wanting to savour the expression she was holding for the past few minutes. "You had never been touched before, haven't you?" His voice littering goosebumps onto her delicate skin. "Now I know why Li Shen was willing to leave you alone in the same room as me." She sensed betrayal, as if she was pawned off to a stranger for mere entertainment. Yet, she could not believe that Li Shen would do this to her. However, she could not even put a finger on what was going on in his head most of the time so who is she to assume that he may not have bad motives towards her?

Her mind is starting to be overwhelmed, hands turning cold, head still bowed low to avoid the intense gaze of the man with scarlet orbs. "He wouldn't do that." Her lips muttered what her conscience wants to believe but Qin Che only removed her off of his lap and he stood up, his height much taller than Li Shen's, making him much more intimidating. "You're lying." She could sense his presence, that same overwhelming aura she had gotten the moment she had entered the room. Fingers gripped under her chin and her head was tilted upwards, eyeing the man with the half naked torso, and a wicked smile on his handsome face.

"A pretty flower like you do not deserve to be deserted within such barren lands." He released his grip on her chin and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. His gaze seemingly had softened under the flickers of the candlelight. "It has been my pleasure to see you my princess. I look forward to our next meeting." His hands retracted, leaving the burning sensation behind as a mark. Pulling on his top, he secured it with a knot and he grabbed the sword that he had placed leaning against the wall. When he turned, she caught sight of his waist tag.

The small and compact identification tag was carved out of jadeite jade, the sheen of green unnaturally brighter within the shine of the moonlight. In this day and age, waist tags identity one's status, family lineage and also their wealth. Jadeite tags marks as one of the most influential beings within a nation and the fact that Qin Che has one, it enshrouds her small mind even more. This man is not an ordinary hunter as what she had figured, he is a scion. Her lips could not utter anything, for she had pieced the explanation for his aura, his scars, his attitude and his sword together and now had grown to be more wary of him.

Out of respect, she kowtowed, forehead pressed tightly against the back of her hands. The man sauntered over to her and she closed her eyes, anticipating any forms of physical contact that she does not even have the strength to fight against but it did not came. Instead, the man served her a command. "Fear me not, for I will come back for you, my flower." He ran his hands smoothly down the back of her head till he reached her nape and he knelt down on one knee, whispering into her ear, his breath batting against the shell of her ear. "Next time, I'm afraid I might not hold back my desires on you."

Li Shen got up from his seated position and headed over towards the patient room that y/n was last seen in. He was wondering why she has yet to bring by the patient records for storage. Sliding the doors open with a thud as it came to a stop, he was taken aback with the sight of her on the floor, hair once in a bun now unkempt, flowing down her back with ends meeting and spreaded out on the floor. Her dress was slightly crumpled and she was caught staring into the expanse of the cold hard floors. His heart faltered yet again.

"Y/n." He leaned down to her, lightly tapping her shoulder to elicit a response. Y/n's head turned as her name was called out and he could make out that she had been crying, with streaks of moisture on her cheeks that glistened under the moonlight and her eyes that was unwilling to meet his. "Did something happened between you and the patient while I was gone? Did he do something to you?"

Her lips quivered, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes when Li Shen asked her about her wellbeing. The sense of betrayal had blinded her with such rage that she pushed him off, making him stumbled back and sat onto the floor and he watched when she dashed out of the room. "Y/N!" He shouted for her name, pushing himself off of the floor with one arm and he started sprinting after her.

Qin Che's arrival was undue. It was in the middle of the night and the man had appeared at his doorstep, with a huge gash on the side of his hip, blood soaked through his top. He is a stranger, for Li Shen had never met someone who had looked so intimidating like him. Although blood was dripping down from the sides of his lips, he seemed unfazed by his wounds, only asking for herbs and he shall be on his way.

But Li Shen still took him in, because assessing the way his clothings were tainted red, he could have died if he were to be told to leave the premises. However, his crimson eyes got Li Shen wondering if he was the myth that was foretold by the villagers; a king who failed to be crowned due to betrayal, a forbidden king so great that he moves only within the mist, bearing bloodshot eyes like a beast and with a strong desire for revenge against the kingdom. No questions were put forth of course, as Li Shen has never been the one to pry for answers. Especially when this man may be a dangerous individual.

Leaving her alone with Qin Che however, was not a decision he made abruptly. It was observed throughout treatment, that Qin Che was too weak to make any advances hence he decided to leave her alone to finish cleaning up his wounds. Li Shen had retreated back to his own quarters to seek for any other viable herbs that he may prescribe to the man. Yet again, Li Shen's guilt hits when he spots her disheveled figure on the floor, failing to meet his gaze and now refuses to be within his vicinity.

The physician trudged through the bamboo forests seeking for her, lantern hung at the end of a long stick, grasped within his tight grip as he navigated through the forest. The skies being the only witness to the events that had unfolded, quietly mocking Li Shen's emotions by sending thunder crackling through the dark voids of the night. Rain would come soon and his heart grew wary, worried for her safety. A few more moments went by and he heard rustlings of leaves, followed by sniffles.

"Y/n?" He tried to call her name again, and the lantern lit the narrow paths ahead, till he spotted a figure squatted near the berry bushes. "Y/n..." He approached her carefully, not wanting to startle her any further and he asked. "Are you---" But trails off when he seeks her ankle peeking out from beneath her skirt, a few cuts littered on them. There are no doubts she would not be slightly hurt as she did charged out without any guidances of any lanterns. Yet again, Li Shen was relieved at least she is in one piece.

Without even seeking for her permission, the man bent down next to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, hoisting her up onto her feet. Y/N only continued sniffling, tantrum seeking defeat when she was urged to climb onto his back and she got on, holding onto the lantern to light their way home. The journey back was a bit of a distance, and the two were entertained with the choirs of frogs, chanting to welcome the rain that was about to pour. "Why did you gave me to him, alone?" She was the one who broke the silence, itching to seek for the ugly truth, or so that was what she had in mind.

"By no means I intended to. I wanted to get him another kind of herb so I was off to my room to look through my medicinal records." Li Shen explained, eyebrows now knitted together when he tried to balance himself while carrying her up a slope. "What happened in the room when I was away?"

Her voice was hushed, indicating her fear and embarassment. "He...He kissed me." The way Li Shen's body stiffened got her stamping her face against his back. The thunder had cut through the awkward silence in between them, and rain drops started to fall. The young physician looked up at the night sky, and continued his journey, not uttering anything else to combat the ongoing silence. He directed his focus towards getting them out of the rain as soon as possible.

Conversations with Li Shen were held to a minimal threshold for the next few days as there has been a spike in patients due to a common cold. Y/n was not allowed to be anywhere out of the premises of the clinic and is only allowed to treat selected patients, only females to be precise. Ever since that night, Li Shen's benevolence had been put to the test. Rejecting all patients whom had visited him during dusk and applying new rules to enforce her safety. Some may view this to be a result for his absolution, but Li Shen was put in a tight spot. In order to protect her, certain sacrifices would have to be made. His decision is perhaps absolute.

Y/n was sat at her desk, brush in her hand as she is writing a letter for her father, to bid a greeting to him as it has been a long while since she had last went home. Homesick she does feel sometimes, but ever since the new rules are applied, she felt even more lonelier than she had ever been. Small talks with Li Shen now are deliberately rarer, and she could barely muster the courage to ask his permission to allow her to go to the market with him for groceries. A knock on her door jolted her and she turned, facing the door as it slid open, revealing the man she had thought of.

Li Shen slips himself into her room, a scroll in his hand and a bag in another. "Y/n." His call for her name has always been gentle, the only time he had ever resulted to a frantic call for her name was when she ran away from him, out of his personal space, leaving him in a state of guilt and confusion. He took a seat opposite her at her desk and places the items he was holding onto the ground carefully. "I am here to discuss with you about some matters."

Setting aside her brush, she looked up at him and awaited for him to speak. Her mind wandering towards what would be the discussion this time, part of her wishing he would care for her, maybe present a change in her daily routines or maybe finally allow her to take a breather outside of the house with a much lenient curfew. But his stoic look does not look promising. "I will be discharging you back to your home town. You are no longer needed to be my assistant."

Y/n felt her world spinning, her brain hammering against her skull when he literally just verbally dismissed her. He handed the scroll, his eyes studying her shocked features, but he remained expressionless. "Was this because of what had happened? When that patient did something humiliating?" Y/n was upset when the whites of her eyes are starting to line with red veins, tears surfacing. "Or was it because I ran away and you find me to be troublesome to your operations?" She had never been so straightforward, so outspoken about herself that Li Shen is all the more convinced that she will no longer remember her past memories with him and this is the right choice for him to make. For her good and for his own to forget about her.

Reluctantly sighing, Li Shen's eyes failed to meet hers. His sanctimonious act felt like an abrasive insult towards the young woman. "Nary of your propositions affected me when I decided upon this." His hands worked on smoothing a slight crease on the shoulder of his white hanfu. "I took you in only because of your father's wish and insistent nature." And maybe I just wanted to see you again. The last sentence of his was hushed, restrained from rolling off of the tip of his tongue. "You may pack up your necessities, your carriage will be ready by tomorrow for you."

He caught her hunched figure, candle light painting warmth onto her now pallor face. The silence in between them was cut off with the sounds of toads croaking. Her small hands had scrunched onto the piece of scroll, distorting the scroll into a crooked semi circle. She looks pissed, but had uttered naught. "There is one more thing I had in my mind." Laying down the scroll in her hand, she looked up, pupils dilated as she moved closer towards Li Shen. She was expecting him to move back, to not be so keen on her invading his personal bubble but he stayed put in his spot. "What went through your mind that day, when you found me in the patient's room?"

An imaginary spotlight was placed onto the young physician, his eyes staring straight back at hers, his forest-like irises eaten by his black pupils. He opened his mouth to speak, but to his surprise, she cuts him off with a question that reeked of dourness. "Were you elated perhaps?" His eyebrows furrowed as she continued questioning him. "That you managed to pawn me off to that patient and allowing him to display such indecent manners upon me." Her torrents did not seemed unending, her laments expressed through every single word of hers. "My father gave me a choice, whether to be married to someone of royalty that he had picked for me, or to work for you. I chose you, Li Shen."

Li Shen although seemed indifferent, he felt like he was to be blamed for the guilt she is feeling. Or whatever negative emotions she has to hold onto at this very moment. "I figured it can't be a coincidence, but, having you to send me off now, maybe it was my father's plan afterall. Maybe he did got you to set me up with that patient and after what the man had done to me, I would be bound to him, for I no longer maintain the chastity of my lips." The tears finally shown themselves, trailing down her pale cheeks and dripping down the edge of her jaw. "I never thought---"

"I would not do that to you." Li Shen chimed in before she could continue, already annoyed at the accusations that were placed upon him. He himself did not know that Qin Che is a royalty, nor did he paid specific attention to his identification tag around his waist. Li Shen placed two fingers under her chin and brought her face up just high enough so he may see her. Eventhough she is crying, she still nevertheless looked ethereal to his eyes. "I'm sorry that I made you feel this way y/n. But I did not act according to your father's will to find you someone of royalty. For I am no matchmaker." His eyes traced down her tear streak, till it came to a halt at her plump lips. "In fact, your father sent you to me not only because of your apprenticeship," his voice had gotten hushed and it was like he had silenced the croaks of the toads outside of the room they were in. All y/n could hear was the sound of his gentle voice, cooing her. "but he seeks for us to be in matrimony too."

Gasping, she blinked her eyes rapidly, refusing to believe that Li Shen is supposedly going to be the one that she shall be holding matrimony with. She could not bring herself to say anything, but to only be lost within his gentle, eager gaze. Li Shen's eyes darted back to her lips, and he slowly leaned in, giving up the advices thrown by his mind as he let his conscience took over him. "That day, when I found you, I was beyond furious. I never thought seeing you in that state would take me such great willpower to hold me back from acting brashly. I had never wished for you to be in danger, y/n." His lips hovered over hers, and she could feel his slightly quickened breaths feathering against her upper lips. "I want you, y/n."

The collision of theirs lips was a burst of emotions, a canonical event that shall reshape the course of their relationship. Li Shen had held back long enough that he thought his desires were going to vanish if she were to leave him. But the longingness he felt, mixed with his desire for her love, was not a good mix and it showed through his fervent kiss. He pushed her back, hand placed behind her head to be a cushion for her as she laid back against the mat. His lips were soft, gentle and needy, lapping over hers like soft tides over the edge of the beaches. His kiss had set Qin Che off to another tier --- imposing a new threshold for y/n--- as it was slow, unrushed, emotional and it felt right for her.

After a moment, their passionate embrace was withdrawn and Li Shen leaned back slightly, a tinge of scarlet now apparent on his cheeks and tips of his ears. The kiss was abrupt and with her most recent trauma, he was not sure if she could have taken their kiss lightly. However, she seemed to be spacing out, eyes slightly narrowed, lips slightly parted and complexion mimicking his, with the scarlet blush splattered across her cheeks too. She did not seemed to be in any abnegation, but she does bear the look of someone who was flabbergasted, or more confused. “My apologies.” The physician blurted out and her eyes travelled to meet his. Engaged in an intense stare, Li Shen could feel his heart trying so hard to lurch out of his chest.

“Li Shen.” A hand on his got the thump of his heart to slow down. Hearing the way she had called out for him and judging by the way she had reacted to his kiss, Li Shen was convinced that perhaps, perchance, she might not have taken it negatively afterall. “I think I need some time.” And there goes the crack on his heart. But when her fingers wrapped around his hand, it got him to continue listening to her. “I like you Li Shen, but I think with what had happened recently, I think it would do me good to retreat back to my home and to recollect myself.” Her words were drawn out slowly, as she seeks for his understanding on her situation, for she is nervous too.

“I understand y/n.” Li Shen reassured her, using his other hand to cup one side of her cheeks. “I will give you all of the time you need, but do not wrong me for giving up on you y/n.” A small smile then appeared on his face when she placed some of her weight against his palm, with her eyes closed, seeking refugee within his warmth. “I do want to be in matrimony with you.”

Her eyes slowly opened, and her smile surfaced. Under the cadence of the candle light, the dim, warm light danced across her face akin to how the butterflies flopped in Li Shen’s belly too. Being emblazoned with the memory of her lips on his, he could no longer look forward to that kind of passionate interaction as he knew that just because he got to hold himself back this time, it may not work as he intended anymore next time. And if her chastity have to be maintained till after marriage then Li Shen would patiently await for her, no matter what it takes or how long it takes for him. “I should leave you to rest for the night, y/n.”

Leaving her in the room, knowing that she would be departing the next day gave Li Shen a heavy heart. It was so heavy that it weighed in for his footsteps, the wood beneath evolved into imaginary mud, dragging his steps into clomps and slowing him down insignificantly. Arriving at the doors leading to his chambers, he heard a shrill of a crow, followed with an ear piercing scream. Li Shen turned and started dashing his way back to her room. It was no doubt that the scream belonged to y/n. "Y/n!" He called out, slamming both of her sliding doors opened, any harder, they would have broke off of its hinges.

Standing by the edge of her window frame, Li Shen could make out the figure that invaded her space. The broad-shouldered, towering man adorns a menacing aura that Li Shen had never encountered before. When he turned, Li Shen managed to seize half of his features in the gloomy room. This is the same guy whom had laid hands on y/n, leaving her stunned within the treatment room, unable to croak even a word, and leading her to flight due to his revolting actions. There, in the shroud of darkness, stood Qin Che, bearing the pupils of a monstrous beast that gleamed red under the silver moonlight, with y/n hoisted up in his arms like a porcelain doll that shall be shattered tonight.

Special tags: @xvysarene @pinkblusheschuu @uyenlee

[magicalqueennightmare]

Better at Baking

Klaus Mikaelson x "Little Witch" Reader

Just Fluff

Klaus watched from the doorway as you worked the comb through Hope's hair then began to braid it as she colored the page in front of her. Either you, Hayley or Rebekah always made sure that her hair was done beautifully.  

He loved seeing your relationship with her. There were times he swore she preferred your presence to his and he couldn't find it in him to be jealous. He was overjoyed to know just how many people his daughter had who was willing to fight for her and he'd seen first hand the fire that would ignite in you when Hope was threatened. 

He'd seen witches first hand for most of his life and when Hayley first told him she'd called you for help he'd been hesitant. Witches always had their own agenda but the moment you stepped foot in New Orleans he'd seen a weight lift off Hayley's shoulders the moment she hugged you in the bar all of you met in. From the first day you'd let every witch in the Quarter know you were there and why. 

—------------

He should've known he'd end up falling for you. He remembered vividly the day he realized you were unlike any other witch. Hayley had been taken, some coven intent on ripping Hope from her womb. You'd found her long before anyone else. When he and Elijah had gotten there you were between Hayley and four witches, a shield of your magic around her as you took the effect of the spell. 

The set of your jaw and the blue of your magic turning the usual hue of your eyes. You'd been in pain but refused to admit it until hours later. 

—---------

He'd found you in the kitchen of the compound and you were attempting to make tea but a light whimper fell from you when you tried to lift your arms to retrieve a mug. He'd ended up retrieving the tea for you and offering his own blood to assist in your healing. You hadn't taken it stating the tea you were making would help but thanked him still. 

He watched you as you ground herbs and put them in a steeper. You were so focused on your task that he'd gotten the chance to study you in a way he'd yet to. There was a silent strength to you, the way you maintained yourself even when anger rippled through you. How you could pull a smile from nearly every member of his family and how you were one of the few people who barely blinked an eye at him. You were a remarkable woman, witch or not.

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

Soon he stopped thinking of you as just some witch. You became a friend of sorts then as the two of you grew closer Rebekah became a thorn in his side "You've fallen for her brother" "Where's your little witch brother" "careful if you keep waiting someone may make her their little witch instead"

Long before he admitted it to you he admitted to her how he felt for you. She'd nearly buckled under her laughter but encouraged him to pursue it with a simple shrug "She may feel the same"

“Klaus” you spoke his name softly and it was only then he'd realized you noticed his presence. Hope turned towards him with a mirror of his own smile “Hey daddy”

You patted the floor next to you “Want to color with us? I'm not as talented as you and Hope but I can manage to stay within the lines” 

Hope laughed leaning her head over on your arm “It's not that bad! I think your picture is pretty” Klaus walked over to sit on the other side of the table you and Hope were sitting around and you cut your eyes at him barely containing your laughter at how his eyes tracked over the page you'd been coloring “Hush you!” You warned but he held his hands up “I wasn't going to say anything love”

Hope tilted her head at your drawing, her eyebrows furrowed before pointing to something on the page “Is that a cat?” You shook your head “It's a car!” Her eyes widened and he saw the moment your resolve broke right before you started laughing “I think I'm better at baking than coloring” 

Hope who'd started laughing as soon as  you did nodded “The cake you made was really good” Klaus looked between the two of you “What cake?” you glanced towards Hope, both of you grinning before you shrugged “Oops? Not our fault, Kol took the rest!” 

“Betrayed by my love and my daughter!” He teased and you nudged Hope “Should we bake daddy something?” She tapped her chin for a moment then nodded and stood, grabbing your hand then reached for one of his “But he has to help”

@hyperactivewhore

[invye]

So my friend has me watching One Piece again which means I am back on my Mihawk brainrot--

Therefore let me introduce you to the list of hobbies I headcannon Mihawk to practice when he's sailing from A to B or taking a bit of time off in his goth castle:

cooking

reading

gardening

embroidery

wood carving

soap making

Extensive and rambly collection of thoughts on all of these under the cut:

Cooking

Reading

My man lives alone, of course he can cook. And he enjoys it. He is the type who technically can eat anything and everything no matter the taste as long as it gives him the nutrition he needs, but ever since he started cooking more regularly he's caught himself getting more picky about the quality and taste of his food. This becomes a problem when his unbidden guests (read: Perona dragging Zoro along) decide to help with the cooking duties... Mihawk has to go through a unexpectedly difficult phase of adapting to liking food that he hasn't made himself exactly fitting to his own taste again.

(Also Zoro on vegetable cutting duty leaves a Mess™. Mihawk makes him scrub the entire kitchen back to his standards after the first time, and while Zoro at first only marginally improves on the not making a mess part, he significantly improves on the cleaning the mess part. [Mihawk's standards for a clean kitchen are exactly as high as Sanji's, a fact which serves Zoro well after his return.])

Gardening

Mihawk enjoys his books. Nothing like a nice evening of quiet reading with a good glass of wine. He reads while travelling too, because lets be honest, there is only so much wistful staring at the horizon he can do and only so many naps he can take while he sails Hitsugibune from one end of the world to the other. At this point he has worked his way halfway through the library of his castle. Which does not stop him from buying new books. He's surprised that it still isn't a commonly known fact about him, with how often he has caused near heart attacks in poor bookshop owners when they are faced with the World's Greatest Swordsman having appeared in their shop to buy a book?? But he supposes it's one of these "no one will ever believe you" kind of situations.

Mihawk also has a lady two islands over from Kuraigana who supplies him with romance novels. She wisely knows not to comment, but he will never forget her wild grin the first time she saw him reaching for a queer novel. The woman seems to pride herself in always having a new queer story available whenever he stops by, and Mihawk has stubbornly decided to pokerface his way through their interactions forever and ever.

The library has significantly grown since Mihawk moved in. It's sorted by genre now. He'll never let Shanks in there so he doesn't have to admit just how much and what kind of romance he's reading.

Embroidery

Roses. Mihawk has an aesthetic and he commits to it 100%. He keeps the most immaculate rose garden Shanks has ever seen, and Shanks has seen plenty of pretty places. At least half the different species of rose bushes are actually gifts from Shanks after he's seen the beginnings of the garden the first time he visited (read: dropped by unannounced) Kuraigana after it became known Mihawk had claimed the island. So now, years later, Mihawk has probably the most extensive collection of rose species in all colours, shapes and sizes in all the seas.

To Zoro's chagrin, the garden is set up like a maze. It's not a big maze. Even the rose bushes Mihawk has allowed to grow tall during his absences barely even reach higher than Mihawk's shoulders. No reasonable person could ever get lost in it. It quickly becomes apparent that Zoro is not a reasonable person.

'Hidden' within the rose 'maze' there are some dedicated patches of ground making up a kitchen garden. Mihawk got tired of doing supply runs every couple weeks, so he grows his own vegetables and herbs (healing purposes included) and even started to grow the spices he prefers.

(To his own annoyance that garden is not able to support feeding three mouths instead of just one, so the supply runs are back to their old frequency until he makes Zoro and Perona spend a week helping him extend the garden. By year two Kuraigana is mostly self-sufficient again. [By year three Mihawk doesn't know what to do with his extra produce anymore so he decides to actually host Shanks' crew for once instead of just Shanks on his lonesome. They are surprisingly respectful of his space, he might even get the utterly insane idea to do this again.])

Wood carving

You have seen his clothes. Everyone has seen his clothes. You know the chances of finding a good, waterproof coat that not just fits perfectly but also exactly reflects your style? They're abysmal. And even if you found the perfect piece of clothing for you, it needs to be properly washed and maintained if you want it to last longer than a storm or two. Also, professional hand embroidery costs a ton of money. So yes, Mihawk made all the little embroidered details himself. At this point he doubts anyone even remembers how his coat looked back when he bought it and before he had time to put a needle to it. Well, anyone who isn't Shanks. Because Mihawk distinctly remembers Shanks staring when he first showed up to a duel with his brand new coat and then staring again after Mihawk was done with it.

Embroidery is more of a winter hobby, when the garden doesn't need him, and he feels the urge to keep his hands moving. For a while he considered teaching Zoro to give him more of a feeling for fine control, but he quickly discarded the idea in favour of helping Perona with her clothes making adventures.

Mihawk never thought or intended for wood carving to become an actual hobby at all. It started out with him finding himself having sailed into a middle of a rather big reef in an attempt to evade social interaction with Vice Admiral Garp after he spotted his ship on the horizon in the early days of Mihawk's Warlord-ship. The reef had plenty rock and coral formations just closely hiding beneath the water surface, interseeded with sand banks that shifted with the tides, which any ship that lays even slightly deeper in the water than Hitsugibune would not be able to navigate. Mihawk relied on his Haki and superior eye-sight to spot all the obstacles and even with all that it was difficult to sail Hitsugibune safely. Then the winds turned on him rather suddenly when he crossed a climate barrier, bringing along heavy cloud cover and fog, and Mihawk decided he needed to make note of the rock formations somehow to not run into them after all as visibility pretty much approached zero. Being not at all talented in map drawing, Mihawk used Kogatana to carve the map into a random scrap of plank instead. It served him well (he sucessfully avoided Garp and there was not a single new scratch on Hitsugibune) and it kind of just became a thing he did. He now has a small collection of carved maps of mostly reefs and other dangerous waters he uses for hiding and evading purposes. And if he carves the occasional bird or other animal when he's bored out at sea, no one needs to know.

Soap making

It's another hobby Mihawk stumbled upon mostly by coincidence. One day during a supply run he got annoyed by how expensive soap is. The next day he had everything he needed to make it for much less money. A week later he had a year's worth supply of soap sorted out. Shanks asks how Mihawk manages to always smell of roses, even when he has been gone from Kuraigana for weeks. Mihawk says nothing while Shanks' crew mercilessly teases their captain for always getting up and close into Hawkeyes' personal space to even know that. They are smart enough to know not to comment on Mihawk allowing Shanks this close in the first place.

[circus-clangen]

Some scenarios made using incorrect quote generator:

Clownwish: I’ve never been in a snowball fight before. I don’t know the rules.

Tigertoe: What?

Clownwish: Is there a point system, or is it to the death?

— — —

Goldmask: Hey, you want to know a secret?

Ringstar: No.

Goldmask: Okay.

Ringstar:

Ringstar: Do you smell smoke?

Goldmask: The secret is that the caravan is on fire.

— — —

Clownwish: What is wrong with you?

Ringstar: Many, many things...

Clownwish: And most of them are your fucking fault.

— — —

Whippaw: Can you be quiet?! I'm trying to think.

Clownwish: Don't worry. Doing anything for the first time is difficult.

— — —

Whippaw: What are your adjectives?

Trapezetangle: …You mean my pronouns?

Whippaw: No, I know what your pronouns are! What are your adjectives?

Trapezetangle: …I dunno. What are yours?

Whippaw: Noisy and chaotic!

Trapezetangle: I’ve never had something go from making no sense to making complete sense so quickly.

— — —

Clownwish: What’s the status up here?

Ringstar: Fucked up, about to die. The usual.

— — —

(Tiger & Clown went to trespass on some clan’s territory to steal herbs)

Tigertoe, pointing to some clan cats: Distract them! I'll be right back! *leaves*

Clownwish: Okay!

*five minutes later*

Tigertoe: *returns and sees them unconscious on the ground* What did you do? I said distract them, not knock them out!

Clownwish: There's just no pleasing you sometimes.

— — —

Tigertoe: Don't go to the caravan.

Trapezetangle: Why?

Tigertoe: I saw a spider.

Trapezetangle: Well, did you kill it?

Tigertoe: It has 8 arms and I only have 2, it's not fair...

— — —

Clownwish: Look Whippaw, if you can fit your head down the gun’s barrel, you can assume it doesn’t have a non-lethal setting.

— — —

Clownwish: What’s your biggest fear?

Tigertoe: That I’ll never be good enough for anyone.

Ringstar: Everyone hates me and talks about me behind my back.

Whippaw: Zombies.

Clownwish: ...

Tigertoe: ...

Ringstar: …

Whippaw: BUT they can open doors.

— — —

Trapezetangle: What makes you all smile?

Tigertoe: Friends and Family.

Whippaw: Snacks.

Clownwish: Victory and success.

Ringstar: Face muscles.

— — —

Whippaw: What type of dog is this?

Trapezetangle: That’s a tortoise.

— — —

_: What is it called when you kill a friend?

Clownwish: Homicide.

Ringstar: Murder.

Whippaw: Homiecide.

— — —

Trapezetangle: The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was changing their name to Ringstar.

— — —

Trapezetangle: How do you want your coffee?

Tigertoe: Black, like my soul.

Trapezetangle: …

Clownwish: Tiger, your soul is a latte.

— — —

Tigertoe: ...I'm pretty sure that place is fire-proof, or something.

Clownwish, grenade in hand: Alright, but is it explosion-proof?

— — —

Tigertoe: Damn, the power went out.

Whippaw: Don’t worry, I got this.

Whippaw: *shakes rapidly and starts to light up*

Tigertoe: What-?

Whippaw: I swallowed a glow stick!

Tigertoe, on the verge of tears: WHY WOULD YOU-

— — —

Trapezetangle: You guys worried about Tigertoe?

Whippaw: Totally!

Clownwish: Yeah, they called me in the middle of the night and just yelled, "what do I do, what do I do, what do I do, what do I do?"

Whippaw: And what'd you say?

Clownwish: "I dunno, I dunno, I dunno, I dunno."

Trapezetangle:

Whippaw: They're lucky to have you as a brother.

— — —

Tigertoe: You know, you were right.

Clownwish: About what specifically? Because I’m right about a lot of things.

— — —

*Healing lessons with ringmaster*

Ringstar: You treat an outside wound with rubbing alcohol. You treat an inside wound with drinking alcohol.

— — —

Clownwish: I have seen a lot of murders in my time, and all six of them were today.

— — —

Ringstar(he is high): Hey kids?

Tigertoe: Yeah?

Ringstar: What's your favorite color of the alphabet? True or false?

Clownwish:

Tigertoe: ...What.

— — —

Kidnapper: I have one of your clanmates.

Clownwish: Which one? I have four.

Kidnapper: The loud, annoying, rowdy one who never shuts up.

Clownwish: Which one? I have four.

Whippaw, distantly: HEY!!!

— — —

Tigertoe: Hey, are you okay?

Ringstar: Yeah.

Tigertoe: You don't look okay...

Ringstar: Then stop looking.

— — —

Tigertoe: You're- violent…

Whippaw: Yeah but I'm also short and that's adorable.

— — —

Clownwish: Happy Scorpio season. If you have to burn a bridge, do it safely!

Ringstar: With NAPALM.

— — —

*talking about Goldmask*

Ringstar: They are beauty, they are grace..

Whippaw, runnning into the room: THEY CAN DESTROY THE HUMAN RACE!

— — —

Trapezetangle: The stars are so beautiful...

Clownwish: They're just giant balls of gas.

Trapezetangle: You know what, if you're just going to ruin this, then-

Clownwish: And yet none of them are as huge as my love for you.

Trapezetangle: Oh.

Obsessed w this…. They’re all so devious…

[mintytealfox]

ever thought about a secret world of arrietty nortalice au? :3c

H E H you BET I HAVE heheeheheheehehehehhhehehehehehh

PICTURE THIS MKAY

I keep seeing them as younger during this au like teens. So Norton is still deep into the mining life and not really seeing any way out yet and not desperate to get out but not happy either. The tears staining his precious coin he never gives up, just living alone in a dark mostly empty room he was given. the bed is just blankets on the floor, there is a table where old letters left behind between his dad and Benny that he can now read cause of his limited required schooling, along with sewing tools to mend his belongings, and any books and journals he can get his hands on. Occasionally he has a loaf of bread on the table but normally its just stuff he gathered in the woods on his way back from the caves.

Alice comes into the area alone cause she ran from the situation she was in before. So coming here, things are easier to grab and run and significantly more places to hide with holes in buildings and debris that needs to be pick up but hasn't yet and plenty of collected goods and useable things. She can even make use of things that are no longer useable to humans that have been discarded.

So I see Alice opening her little borrower shop and home near where Norton happens to live cause no one is around all day, its only at night that the person (norton) is home and its only to sleep for a few hours. So prime real estate for Alice lol But at her shop she mostly sells secrets as well as directions to safe and prime areas to live, she even barters with food stuffs and other needful things. So she has a nice thing going for herself

But I am sure one night she notices that the person that lives near her is crying for longer than usual and she can't help herself but go and check it out for herself. Staying as hidden as she can but getting closer than she ever should to get a better look at what is going on, only for her to see this guy bruised up, bloody nose, and a black eye forming. So one of the times the bullying went way too far orz

one thing leads to another and Alice can't help herself and brings healing herbs and lotions and piles it all as much as she can to make sure its enough for this poor guy while he sleeps. Knowing she only has a short window of time to do this, she takes as many trips as she can to get as much there for him and then get out of dodge all before he wakes.

So this is how they first meet cause naturally he is gonna wake up PFF and see her doing this, he will know that this is all healing stuff so he will know pretty quickly that whatever this chick is, she is at least kind.

[xstarsmvxz]

Patching up BOYFRIEND! Ao’nung ☆

pairings → AO’NUNG x fem!omaticaya! reader

summary → Ao’nung gets into trouble and you’re there to help him -^-

warnings → basically just fluff / slight mention of fighting / kisses and cuddles ☆

word count → 773 words ( very short ).

It was well known around the village that Ao’nung could get in some trouble, the question that many of the clan members ask is.. does he deliberately do it or not? That question will always be unanswered but somehow this boy still finds himself in the middle of rambles and arguments left and right.

He would never worry about having his pretty face messed up because he knew you would always be at home ready to patch him up and hold him until you both fall asleep.

That is exactly what happened after today’s shenanigans.

You sat in your’s and Ao’nungs newly shared marui pod humming to yourself as you weaved some new blankets for other women in the clan. You and your family had been staying with the Metkayina for the past seven months and despite all of the issues he and your siblings had with each other, you and Ao’nung surprisingly formed a loving bond super fast.

You were so lost in your thoughts, you hadn’t even realised that your boyfriend had walked in until he wrapped his arms around your waist from behind you and started peppering your neck and shoulders with small kisses. You smiled and turned around until you saw his beat and bruised face.

“My goodness Ao’nung! What happened?!” He smirked at the same worry full look in your eyes that you always have when he comes home like this.

“It wasn’t that bad, just some random boys talking about you again.” he waved you off with a flick of his hand, trying to drop the conversation.

“They were talking about me? In a good or bad way.”

“both.”

You were confused for a second until you looked into his eyes and they had that familiar hint of jealousy in them. You decided not to talk about it any further knowing it would just make him more upset and instead dragged him onto the soft mat and went over to grab some of the healing ointments that you had ready for times like this.

You sat in front of him, wincing at the already purple bruise forming on his face as you started applying some of the green herbal paste over it. The combination of herbs and plants put into this mixture is meant to make healing much faster and less painful.

You’re too busy focusing on making sure that his wounds are tended to, you don’t even realise him staring right into your eyes.

He loves your eyes, they remind him of the warm sun that is constantly beaming on his face. He loves how if he stares close enough, he can see tiny specks of green in them making him think about the forest, your home, you’re always talking about.

As soon as you’re finished fixing him up your eyes meet his.

“What?” You say with a small smile on your face.

He watches as your nose scrunches up and your lips slightly hang open waiting for him to answer your question.

“Nothing, you’re just beautiful.” He tilts his head with a smirk.

“Oh nuh uh, that was so cheesy!” You playfully pushed his face away from yours as you got up to put all of the pastes and cloths back into their place.

He got up and followed after you slowly wrapping his arms around your waist, resting his head on your shoulder. Thanks to your families genes, you were actually pretty tall for your age, that’s something you were grateful for as it came in handy a lot. Especially when you’re kissing and hugging your boyfriend, you can always wrap your arms comfortably around his neck or rest your head against his shoulder.

“Yawntu i’m tired, we should rest now.”

You turn your head to look outside, eclipse is nearing and you might as well start your day early tomorrow, besides your already tired from doing your daily chores and helping your siblings with theirs.

“Alright then, come on big boy.” You drag him over to your shared bed made from soft blankets and woven mats, a hammock was much to small for you both to share so you had to upgrade to this. You surely weren’t complaining though.

You both get comfortable, with his head resting against your chest, his head slowly rising for every breath you take.

It’s not long before you hear the soft snores coming out of your beloveds mouth, at first the sound was slightly annoying until you grew more and more tired and it ended up lulling you to sleep.

Throughout the night you both tossed and turned finding different positions to cradle each other in, but still never falling out of each other’s warm embrace.

MASTERLIST

[miragestar]

This was a quick little warm-up (or at least, it was supposed to be) featuring Silentchaser and Cinnamonswan, the medicine cat! Silentchaser had a fairly interesting life and I figured I would talk about him. 

Silentchaser was the first non-founder cat to join the clan when a patrol found an abandoned newborn kitten and brought him to camp. Other than that, his youth was pretty unremarkable. He was apprenticed to Freezerump and trained alongside Buttercuppaw, although she was a few moons older than him. At somepoint during his life he also had a litter of kits with Heronspot, the son of Comfreyfur and Pinetree, but he wasn't really involved with their lives and likewise wasn't into Heronspot. 

He always had aspirations to become leader, and that chance was given to him when the previous deputy Crookedpatch retired and he was appointed deputy. (Just for context, Basildapple died fairly young and Crookedpatch was appointed in his place) Silentchaser was fairly good at his job, until tragedy struck. 

He saw dark, ominous clouds gathered in the sky and bravely decided to go on border patrol, hoping he could make it back in time before the downpour. Unfortunately for him, the storm broke out quicker than expected. A flash flood happened and in the resounding chaos he broke his back. 

Many cats, the three medicine cats included, did not believe he would survive. Especially after his broken back became infected. Though, everyone still held out hope, and thought Comfreyfur taking over his duties would only be temporary. 

Then, Crowstar lost his last four lives saving his clanmates when a fire raged through camp. Now the clan was really faced with a dilemma, because while Silentchaser was technically still deputy, he was in no shape to lead. Either they hoped he would recover when he might not (and leave the clan leaderless for a bit before he got his nine lives) or let Comfreyfur take over leadership. You can guess what they chose!

Against all odds, Silentchaser made a full recovery; physically at least. Mentally? He was no where near ok. Logically he understand why the clan made Comfreystar leader. He might not have lived, and it certainly would have taken him months to make the journey for his nine lives. But, it had always been his dream to lead the clan and it had been cruelly taken away from him.

For a while, Silentchaser refused to do anything at all. He spent most of his days in camp going between stewing angrily, begging StarClan to fix his life, and lying around in a depressed heap. Things got even worse for him when the cat he was in love with, Rootstripe, turned up dead. Most cats gave him a wide berth, unable to comfort him in any meaningful way. Some of the younger cats were even afraid of him, with his short temper and habit of lashing out at StarClan. There were even rumors he was planning on killing Comfreystar and with how much jealousy and resentment he had it certainly wasn't impossible. But despite it all, Cinnamonswan refused to abandon him.

The daughter of Crookedpatch and Whirlfur and the youngest medicine cat, Cinnamonswan had gotten rather close with him over the months it took to heal Silentchaser's broken back. She felt terrible for him and wanted him to be able to start anew. 

Knowing he had to have gained some herb knowledge while he was in the medicine den for six months, she offered to train him to become a full medicine cat. At first he refused; as it had always been his dream to be a warrior and he never really had interest in "boring herbs". However, he also realized part of the job would be communing with StarClan-- something normal warriors didn't do. He was desperate to know why StarClan screwed him over so badly, and so eventually he agreed. 

He wasn't the best medicine cat, in all honesty. He frequently refused to treat cats who he felt wronged him, which over time became most cats in the clan. Not to mention he never really had a natural talent for herbs and often forgot what they looked like when out gathering. That being said, he did eventually get to commune with StarClan, and learned that they had nothing to do with the storm that caused his broken back. It was just a terrible tragedy that happened, nothing more. It took a long time for him to accept that. 

Cinnamonswan caught feelings for him a lot sooner than he did for her. It took him a long time to get over Rootstripe's death with everything that had happened. Eventually she confessed her feelings to him, and they became mates. Silentchaser actually retired shortly after that, as he had never really been a good medicine cat and his old back injury was starting to bother him, along with the usual aches and pains of old age. 

Cinnamonswan got pregnant, and the two were overjoyed to finally have a family of their own. Then yet again, tragedy struck in Silentchaser's life. Well, it was more like tragedy struck at his life, because he suddenly turned up dead on the border, with no visible cause of death. Cinnamonswan gave birth shortly after that, and she refused to have anything to do with the single kitten born. She busied herself with medicine cat duties and then, in similar fashion to her late mate, died at the border.

Overall, his life was kind of bad! He did learn to happy (or at least accept it) but he certainly didn't get what he wanted. I thought his resounding jealousy, anger, and eventual pairing with Cinnamonswan very interesting and I figured he deserved some backstory. 

[dragon-queen21]

regressor + caregiver headcanons for fireheart (regressor) + yellowfang (cg) :D!!

Caregiver Yellow fang + Regressor Fireheart headcanons

~Fireheart is such regressor material. He never grew up in the forest so getting the chance to have some kitten hood memories as if he did and who better to watch over him than Yellowfang. The old she-cat probably know what was happening with Fireheart long before he actually figured it out. Being a medicine cat makes you know a few things.

~ “I don’t have the time to be looking after a kitten and healing a clan.” slowly turns into Yellowfang making the time in order to watch over Fireheart. So what if she needed a break and Fireheart just happened to be small? It would be irresponsible to leave to his own devices. That’s all.

~Would actually be pretty good for Yellow fang to start bonding more with Fireheart, thought to be long forgotten maternal instincts rearing up the longer she has to take care of the regressed kit.

~ Fireheart just asking so many questions. “What’s dis?” “Why’s dis leaf dis color?” “What does dis do?” He’s a curious furball who wants to understand everything and anything right this second.

~He would be getting into mischief at every possible chance. Trying to make up for lost time he supposes, which 9 times out of 10 gets him in trouble with Yellowfang.

~Yellowfang might not have the strength to scruff him like an actual kit, but don’t put it past her to try whenever the regressed Warrior is getting too far out of line.

(Unless the she-cat is feeling a particular grudge against a clanmate then she just lets Fireheart run wild, some other cat’s responsibility now.)

~Yellowfang has had to do a lot of explaining to other clan cats as to why Fireheart was acting strangely. In other words she told them all to mind their own damn business. If fireheart doesn’t want to tell then she’s not saying a word. Probably starts ordering around any cat who does start to ask too many questions to go fetch her herbs or change out beddings or any other chore needing to be done.

[hugemilkshake]

Oc facts pt 3!

This one will go into more detail since there’s such a small amount of ocs this time around

Or this is me just giving backstory for some OCs-

The H2 Bros aren’t related to any of each other, they don’t actually know why they look similar and have similar names

The three of them actually met during a storm when waters wouldn’t stop rising during a tropical storm

The three of them do struggle to survive, I mean they are teens traveling around the world. Did you think they could survive as easily as other travelers?

Water Cookie has a difficult time reading

Sugar Water can see perfectly fine but decided to wear a blindfold/bandages to either look cool or he just hates looking at the other two

Salt Water doesn’t like talking that much, I mean she can talk perfectly fine, she just covers her mouth as an excuse

————————————————————————

Snake Skin got all the scars on him when he stumbled into a cactus field during a sandstorm, he thought he was going to die…

Weeping Begonia was actually traveling around the world to find a purpose in life and found Snake Skin stumbling around the desert and was the one to help him heal up

Now Snake Skin has pretty bad eye sight now since the amount of scars around his eyes did some damage

Weeping Begonia was the one to suggest they do crime

These two fine gentleman are kinda wanted criminals

Snake Skin has a little sister but she probably doesn’t remember him that well…

————————————————————————

(This one’s long so I apologize-)

Purple Mold has never been the one to do stuff like make tea, collect herbs or read up on a subject

He was always into stuff like fighting, forging weapons and fixing broken machines

But his mother was always encouraging him to try other stuff like magic and too his surprise, Purple Mold was quite good at magic! But he felt weird using a wand or staff. It just felt artificial to him

By the time he was in his late twenties he was so sick of using magic the way he learned too. It felt too weird to him!

When Purple Mold was walking the streets trying to find away other methods of magic usage when he heard a radio go off in a back alleyway

There was a cookie there, she could use magic and offered to teach him a thing or two… if he agreed to a contract 

Purple Mold always read contracts and their fine print, and when reading he saw so many loopholes and knew that this was some sort of sick scam.

But he wanted to have some fun… so he misspelled his name, instead of Purple Mold, it was Purple MALD.

Oh man was the suspicious cookie angry when they found out, they had told Purple Mold new ways to use magic when the contract wasn’t even valid! Purple Mold never saw that cookie after that

Purple Mold did travel to beast Yeast sometime after that so that might be why he never saw that cookie agian

But Purple Mold now deals with some sort of wolf man who honestly seems like a greedy toddler instead an adult man’s body (that is at least what he says)

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Broken Bundles (short story)

Previous: https://www.tumblr.com/residents-of-the-darkforest/731013518657191937/the-sick-kits?source=share

=========================

Magpieshine wondered how many times a heart could break before its shattered remains became too brittle to piece back together. As a ‘paw, she would have expected not often, maybe just once, yet now every time she so much as spared a glance in the direction of her youngest siblings, she felt her heart squish into cold shards that pierced her chest and throat, choking it and making her hold back sobs. 

She never got to meet her little brother, Lionkit. He was buried before she was able to return to the Eye-Out Thorns once she was told of the situation. Part of her was grateful for that–she would have likely only seen his skeletal remains. Still, it pained her that she did not have the chance to see him. He was buried in the main den of the family, where her parents, Grousemane, Hootpetal, Alderstar, and Myrtlewing sleep. Uncustomary for many, but the family wanted him as close to them as possible.

Magpieshine gazed around numbly at the faded-green plants in the den around her. The family had relocated briefly to Myrtlewing’s medicine den with the three still-living kits. 

The tiny bundles were incredibly thin, even when they were coaxed to eat–which often took a good part of the day to do. It was hard enough finding herbs in good enough condition to be of use, even harder still to actually have the kits swallow them down. 

Magpieshine shuddered, seeing every rib of Sunkit as he stretched beside Hootpetal, who lay curled in the nest with them, encouraging them to suckle. Alderstar and Grousemane stuck as close to the kits and Hootpetal as possible. Perchclaw and Stonefern, like Magpieshine, had hardly taken their eyes off of the little ones. It was only because Myrtlewing warned against raising their  temperature with too much body heat that they didn’t curl around the kits as well.

Magpieshine doubted she had ever seen Myrtlewing so attentive before. He rarely ever removed his eyes from the kits, his nose always close enough to sniff out any changes immediately, and when he did move, it was to check on Hootpetal. Hootpetal thankfully didn’t catch the sickness, but ever since they moved to the medicine den, she had completely refused to leave the nest. Her fur was ruffled and in clumps. Still, she wouldn’t move. Alderstar was at her head now, grooming the fur along the side of her neck and gazing sorrowfully at his kits.

Archwing, Willowcloud, Wolfpool, Scabdrip, Redmask, and pretty much everyone else in the family had occupied themselves with gathering anything that was needed. Archwing, Magpieshine’s nephew and Myrtlewing’s grandson and former apprentice, had taken after healing, and was the one to gather needed herbs while Myrtlewing stayed in the den. 

Magpieshine frowned, thinking about her kin. The last time she had seen him, he had been panting, appearing as if he were about to drop. It was in the den and right back out with him. She didn’t think he had taken a single break from gathering herbs since the kits had been born prematurely. His littermates realized this too and chose to help, but without his experience, they weren’t always successful. 

Redmask and Scabdrip busied themselves with catching minnows or convincing–perhaps with teeth–StarClan cats to give them food to give to Hootpetal to strengthen her and her milk.

Willowcloud, Spottedtooth, Buzzardblaze, and Aspenlight would take turns collecting moss for water, while Wolfpool, Dusksong, Falleniris, and Waspbeak would search for it to change the bedding. Myrtlewing had told them that it was important to change the nest of a sick cat frequently, as it may hold some of the illness. It made sense, Magpieshine thought, seeing how much the kits’ tiny noses and mouths dripped with phlegm, though in the back of her mind she was admittedly surprised to know that Myrtlewing could actually be quite the knowledgeable, attentive, and caring medicine cat after all his murders. Then again, these kits were his as well–even if they were only Hootpetal and Alderstar’s biologically. Magpieshine herself hadn’t even been any of theirs until she was six–seven? moons old.

They are good parents. She felt that shattering again, the crackling and splintering of her heart. They don’t deserve this. The kits don’t deserve this.

She didn’t remove her head, but scented Archwing return again. She watched as he passed some yellow-orange berries to Myrtlewing. Myrtlewing still kept his eyes fixed on the kits as he chewed and Archeyes left again. He was already lowered on the ground. Coating a claw in the poultice, he gently opened Marigoldkit’s jaw. Magpieshine’s heart–shattering still–sank to the pit of her stomach as she saw that her sister didn’t protest, didn’t so much as lift a paw against him as Myrtlewing tried to get her to suckle his claw and gulp the medicine down.

It was a long time before he was able to manage it, and it was really only because the herbs got stuck on her tongue that Marigoldkit could do it at all. Myrtlewing looked like he was about to collapse with exhaustion, but he moved on right to Peonykit and then to Sunkit.

Yet even then, Myrtlewing didn’t shut his eyes. Magpieshine could see the dark lines beneath them, so clear she was surprised his face didn’t droop with their heaviness. Rising to her paws, she padded to his side and nudged him. “You need to rest.”

“I can’t afford it,” he told her simply, and it sounded like he was attempting to overpower a yawn.

“You can’t afford working yourself to death either. What good would you be to the kits if you’re too tired to focus on anything?”

“I can rest later.”

“She’s right,” Alderstar spoke up, his voice soft as Hootpetal began to snore beside him. “They need you at your best.”

Magpieshine frowned. Alderstar’s eyes looked so red, even where his sharp pupils didn’t touch. “I can watch them,” she offered. “While dad’s sleeping.”

Alderstar gave her a small smile. “Are you sure, dear? You may not know what to look for.”

“Any changes,” Magpieshine decided, thinking back to watching her father work. “Raising or lowering temperatures, struggling to breathe, struggling with anything more than usual.” She looked to Myrtlewing. “I will help them as best as I can, but if they really need you, then I will wake you. Swear it.”

Myrtlewing seemed hesitant. He frowned, grumbling. “Alright, fine. But you wake me if there’s anything at all, okay? If they’re fussy, if they’re too quiet, if they so much as sneeze, you wake me, got it? I can lose sleep but I cannot lose another kit.”

Magpieshine had to shut her eyes for a moment, willing the tears not to fall. She needed to be focused now, not emotional. She could cry later when her siblings didn’t need her. Opening them again, she met her father’s eyes. “Deal.”

================

Taglist: @ambitiousauthor @wills-woodland-warriors @starfalcon555 @frightnightindustries @liberhoe @umbranoxs

@elementaldeityoffood

[evenfallwriter]

The Menu x All for the Game

So, I had another idea and I think that imma write it for the febuwhump 2023.

I recently watched The Menu and fell in love with it. It quickly became one of my favorites.

So I thought why not write an AU about it?

Neil Josten was sold to the Moriyama's at the age of 8- and from that point on, his life was filled with even more pain and misery.

He thought that he could take it, for a very long time, that he could take the pain- but after Kevin and Jean left because of Riko breaking Kevin's arm, all the hope he had in the world itself leaves along with them.

3 years go by, and he is 18 when Tetsuji gets eight invites to one of the best restaurants in the world from his brother Kengo, and is asked to bring Riko along with six others with him. Three men and three woman- at least 2 woman.

Normally, it was going to be Reacher's girlfriend from the cheerleaders and Jenkins as the girls, but when Reacher's girlfriend Alex dumps him Neil is forced to dress up as her and go instead of her as Reacher's date. (a ton of makeup to cover up his bruises, black high heels, brown wig that comes to his waist and a black skin tight dress- if anyone asks, 'she' is Alex.)

They go to the island and are met with a woman who is wearing a Fox mask, just like the rest of the Foxes are.

The guests who go along to this event are; Kengo, Nathan, their client, Lola, Tetsuji, Riko, Reacher, Neil and four other ravens.

No one else except the ravens are aware that Reacher's date is Neil.

The Chef is David, but this time, he has made his staff (the foxes) take the role of creating the menu and asks them to take on his role as the story teller.

The people who they will be serving are all scum on earth and this time, the Foxes are pretty much planning on killing them (some even for revenge).

Renee is the first one to recognize that Neil is not Alex and he shouldn't be there, among the guests, in the list of people who are supposed to die a painful death.

As the story goes on, the Foxes will feel more and more drawn to Neil who is like a little rabbit stuck in a fight between Foxes and Hyena's.

The Foxes would no longer feel passion for cooking, but Neil would bring it back for them. Neil, who doesn't know how to take, and only knows how to give- Neil who was forced to the edge of starvation every single time and can no longer taste anything, Neil who is so different from all of them and yet not at the same time.

+ The extra guests; Drake Spear, Jesse and his partner, Maria Hemmick and Luther Hemmick.

+Those who are part of the crew but are not a part of the foxes in Canon; Jean, Katelyn, Jeremy, Laila and Alvarez.

(David as a chef is such a foreign thing, because Abby says that he can't cook, but I just somewhat adore the idea of him just living with Abby and Betsy while collecting strays and brining them to his island. Teaching them how to cook, and Betsy and Abby teaching some of them how to heal with food and herbs. Kevin and Jean coming to them with messed up past's like theirs and David knowing that his Foxes deserve to have their revenge, so just letting them go wild as they like. Drake also being there among the guests along with Jesse and his lover. Andrew finally taking his revenge. Luther and Mary also being there and Nicky finally becoming free as he asks how many others were sacrificed to make them look good.)

[justyouraverageotaku]

The Sins Reaction To COVID 19

Request by: @tounge-twist-nezushi

Meliodas

😷 Meliodas is around 3,000 years old he’s definitely seen some major plagues. 😷

😷You’d expect that to mean that he would be more calm when something like this happens, but nope. 😷

😷He’s extremely worried. 😷

😷He started to do things like socially distance as soon as it starts to blow up. 😷

😷At one point he closes the Boar Hat and has to rely on his savings only. 😷

😷Gets really scared when any of the sins get sick. 😷

😷Doesn’t even hesitate to take them to Merlin or a doctor. 😷

😷Not gonna lie, he definitely becomes a hoarder. 😷

😷All the while he tries to play it off like he’s unconcerned. “I’m not particularly worried.” “Meliodas you just ran to get Merlin because Elizabeth sneezed.” 😷

Diane

😷Honestly, she’s doing pretty well. 😷

😷Yeah, she’s really worried but she takes it in stride. 😷

😷Starts learning to cook and bake from Ban. 😷

😷First thing she learns to cook is pork.😷

😷Creates a schedule for “feel good” exercise like yoga and stuff. 😷

😷Practices yoga alot. 😷

😷Very obedient of mandates and stuff. 😷

😷She stays small a lot more. However, she actually starts to like the fact she’s a giant due to the fact she practices a lot of self-reflection and healing. 😷

😷Stays with King in the Fairy Kings Forest during the worst of the pandemic because fairies can’t get sick so it helps decrease the chances of getting sick. 😷

Ban

😷Assumes he can’t get sick because he’s immortal. (Yes I know he loses his immortality but I am not bound by the rules of canon.) Long story short he gets sick. 😷

😷Only then does he start actually listening to guidelines. 😷

😷He feels bad because he genuinely didn’t mean any harm. He just kinda assumed because his body regenerates so fast. 😷

😷Also feels bad for panicking poor Meliodas. 😷

😷Meliodas insists he wasn’t worried tho.😷

😷The most intense pillow fights between him and Meliodas you have ever seen. 😷

😷They use pillows to avoid repeats of “the day.” 😷

😷”The day” was when they both got so feral from being cooped up that they caused mass destruction to the Boar Hat. Merlin had to help them clean up and banned swords, fire, arm wrestling, ect. in the living room. 😷

😷Bolts to the nearest store to buy/steal all the hand sanitizer and toilet paper with Meliodas. Not because he’s worried about the shortage, oh no, because he wants to sell it at double/triple the price later on when there’s a shortage. He plays by stealing and selling it like stock. 😷

King

😷Can’t get sick (at least canonically). 😷

😷If he does get sick (alternate au) he’ll probably deny it. 😷

😷He’s a worrier. 😷

😷But he’s also glad because he has an excuse to stay inside more. 😷

😷He literally hibernates so much in quarantine. He wants Diane to cuddle all the time but she’s too energetic for that. 😷

😷Randomly dips to the Fairy King’s Forest (with Diane). 😷

😷Wears a mask even when he doesn’t have to because he’s worried about transferring it. 😷

😷More inclined to try herbal medicine over other medications because he’s a fairy and knows herbs well. 😷

😷Mentions a good flower in passing and gets interrogated by Merlin because it’s a flower that’s only in the Fairy King’s Forest. 😷

Gowther

😷If he has no emotions he’s completely unbothered, and only wears masks because they compliment his outfit and add an accessory. 😷

😷If he has emotions he’s panicking more than Meliodas because Nadja got sick and she died!!! 😷

😷Reads outloud to calm down himself and others. 😷

😷Probably helps Merlin with her research. 😷

😷Likes to watch Ban and Meliodas’s pillow fights. 😷

😷He has a love hate relationship with quarantine tho. 😷

😷On the plus side it’s socially acceptable to stay inside and read all day. 😷

😷On the downside he can’t people watch random places. And he loves people watching. 😷

😷Honestly tho? He probably goes shopping in the middle of it for clothes. He’s sad though because not many people are there and he can’t look at all the outfits and pose to show his. 😷

Merlin

😷Fascinated. 😷

😷How does it work? Why is it spreading so fast? What kills it? 😷

😷Volunteers to take care of everyone who gets sick. 😷

😷Probably more interested in the disease than the person tho. 😷

😷That’s not to say the person doesn’t get taken care of properly tho. She takes really good care of anyone sick and they get better really fast. 😷

😷Had full understanding of the disease, and rolled out a vaccine and cure in a week. 😷

😷With all those fake cures that went around at one point she probably was accused of fraud. 😷

😷Until people start getting better. She doesn’t refer to them as patients she’s taking care of, but as experiments btw. 😷

😷Her existence comforts Meliodas, simply because she keep making stuff to help sick people. 😷

Escanor

😷This poor man catches every illness at nighttime. 😷

😷In the day time he has a really strong immune system and his temperature can get so high it destroys all illness in him immediately. 😷

😷Helps with Merlin’s research because he’s a simp. 😷

😷Most of the times it’s literally getting her coffee and stuff tho. 😷

😷Let’s Merlin inject him with the virus. 😷

😷That sounds horrible but it’s done VERY carefully. 😷

😷It immediately gets killed during the day and Merlin can study him during the time he has it to see the very initial signs. 😷

😷Escanor also ends up with a lot of antibodies from it and barely catches it eventually. 😷

😷This doesn’t upset Merlin tho because now she can study the antibodies. It helps a lot with creating better vaccines and cures. 😷

[lizard-shifter-noms]

Broken Bloodlines Chapter 11

——————————————————————————

Part 11 already? were almost to the end!

only two more plus the epilogue!

have fun reading!

and as always reblogs are appreciated! (Also ASK’s are open so feel free to bother me!)

AO3 Link for those that prefer the layout there; https://archiveofourown.org/works/44627188

—————————————————————————-

—————————————————————————————

Turning around I saw that Oakley had already found the weird Teal stuff and had instructed Fable on what to do with it.

Well if he applied the stuff by himself it would probably also heal all the minor cuts on his hands as well.

 The container of it was also only a fourth full now,  I hoped he'd be able to make more of it as soon as he fully moved in.

Then again the guy had absolutely no system when it came to storing things.

“Mrrw?”

I looked down at the sound to see the cat brushing up against my legs.

“There you are, c’mere”

I picked her up and let her sit one one arm while stabilizing her with the other one.

She immediately flopped over so I had to hold her like a baby instead and softly tapped at my chin.

This really was one of the nicest cats I had ever met, if not THE nicest.

It also seemed the Teal stuff wasn't needed anymore seeing as Oakley was putting the lid back on and just shoving the thing into one of the many shelves brimming with largely unidentifiable things.

“You know the little cat you have there would make a good familiar for someone with magic”

Both me and Fable looked at him with various degrees of confusion.

“What do you mean by that? 

I think she's a little too nice to be the accomplice of a witch”

He tilted his head and looked at me like I was an idiot, again.

“Not every witch is evil, man i ought to talk to Rikaad about your schooling system! Seems like it's doing a poor job!

Also not every magic wielder is a witch and not every magic wielder has a familiar, most don't actually as finding a suitable animal is quite hard”

Huh, i hadn't known that, then again we did fight an ice mage so maybe i really was just dumb.

Also I did not go to school, which Oakley seems to have forgotten.

“Oakley i never went to school,  they would have killed me before i put one foot in the building”

Oakley looked at me strangely and Fable was actually rather horrified.

oops we had forgotten to tell him the more bad side of the History.

I'd fix that while both of us were recovering.

Luckily thanks to that Teal stuff Fable should be fit in no time.

“Well that sucks, but at least you didn't turn out to be a complete idiot like some other people i met throughout time.

I can show you some of the more basic stuff after I'm done dragging my stuff here if you want?”

Like a teacher or  what? Also I had no idea what he considered basic knowledge but there was no doubt I'd learn at least something.

“I- uh sure why not, i don't doubt that'll be useful”

The winged man nodded then went to a cupboard that looked recently dusted and fished out two spoons that definitely weren't even from the same maker.

“Perfect! And now that the jam has cooled down, do you wanna try it?”

Right, the herb jam, I did have to say that it smelled good so why not?

I really doubted it was poisonous but I hoped Oakley had cleaned the spoons.

“Sure, it doesn't smell bad so why not?”

I looked over to Fable who just nodded in confirmation and I noticed that he looked kinda tired.

Oh right, the teal stuff takes energy to properly heal so him being tired was no surprise.

We could go take a nap after this,  I myself was also kind of worn out and sore from all that had happened.

Oakley dipped the spoons in the glass closest to him and then held them out to us so we each took one.

Luckily the spoon looked to be clean,  aside from the jam of course so without further ado i tried it.

It was sweeter than I expected seeing as Rosemary was more of a savory herb, at least in cooking, 

but it was possible that Oakley just put a ton of sugar in it.

But all in all it was pretty good.

“It's a lot sweeter than I thought it would be,  How much sugar did you pour into this? Aside from that its actually good and i bet the Kitchen staff would love the recipe”

I looked over to Fable to see what he thought of it but I could only see him sitting at the table with a mildly confused and miserable expression.

“She stole the entire spoon”

He pointed at the cat who sat on the other end of the table and was currently lickign the spoon clean.

Oakley also saw it and immediately started laughing his weird cawing laugh.

It took barely a second for me to join in and Fable started laughing as well, the sound still weirdly reminding me of a bell.

That mixed with Oakley’s cawing tone made it sound like weirdly out of sync music where only one person knew how to play an instrument.

To my ears it was a lovely sound, both my Brother and Oakley were also getting along, well as much as one could with the strange winged man.

The cat however was quite unbothered by the sound,  at least I thought so at first but then she stepped on the broad part of the spoon making it flip into the air and land in front of Oakley.

Yeah, he was right that the cat probably had at least a minor amount of magic.

Though it was unlikely she knew how to use it.

Oakley grabbed the spoon and tossed it in the sink where already some other cutlery was.

He gave Fable a new spoon to try,  making sure the cat wouldn't get it this time even if she tried.

Fable did agree with me that it was indeed sweeter than one would think and after reapplying his bandages,  even if they wouldn't be needed for that much longer,  We left to go back to the castle with the cat in tow who was insistent on being carried by Fable.

Considering he was tired and the teal stuff wasn't yet working that fast he kind of had to lean against me to avoid falling over.

I decided that since all that madness with Maringand was over I could finally move back into my shed,  This time Fable actually could use the loft as well.

I did wonder though how long he was going to stay now,  after all the Teal stuff would fix his limp leg in maybe a day tops.

I wished he'd reconsider his plan, at least for a little bit.

He'd been here barely a week and more than half of that he had been trapped in a horrible mindset.

I liked him, sure, he’s my brother after all, but at the same time I barely knew anything about him.

That did make me wonder though how much he even knew about himself.

He had been in that horrible mindset for years,  he probably didn't even know much about himself either.

Maybe him going out to try and find what kind of person he was would be the right thing to do after all.

Besides, after the tiny glimpses i got from what he was like telling him what to do would be the wrong thing, not to mention kinda fucked up.

No, Fable had every right to go and do what he wanted,  it was none of my business.

He was now leaning half asleep on me and I had to half drag him across the ground, it was a wonder he hadn't dropped the cat yet.

Yeah i’d get him to the loft and then let him sleep till the next day,  He needed it, a lot.

That would also give me some time to think of something to give him that he could take with him on his journey.

Nothing big or heavy of course, but just something little so he had something from his little brother.

Maybe something useful? 

That was of course the obvious choice.

But what?

Oh well, I could decide that later,  for now it was better if we both just rested a bit.

We reached the shed pretty quickly and without running into anyone else.

To be fair I doubted I'd want to chit chat anymore for today so that was just right for me.

Fable had by now almost fallen asleep while upright,  and still somehow holding the cat albeit that a lot more lopsided now.

That Teal stuff might be a huge help with injuries but apparently the trade off was that one got extremely tired really fast if used.

I had to keep that in mind for future reference.

Half dragging Fable up to the loft and onto a makeshift bed that was a little too short for him I also put the blinds on all the windows.

While I was busy with that the cat went and used my Elven Brother as a mattress.

He didn't react to it though, already out like a candle.

Well the sun would only begin to set in like an hour or so,  So what else was there to do for me?

I wasn't tired, at least not yet,  but there also wasn't really anything to do for me.

Fresh air would be nice though, and as long as the cat was there Fable wasn't alone either so a few minutes walking around would probably do me good so I went out of the door once again.

The last few days had been stupidly stressful and very chaotic,  and I honestly doubted that i had comprehended all of it yet.

I didn't really want to anyway.

We had lost people due to Winton’s stupid greed, most of them complete strangers to me that I had never met before, and now never would.

And of course some people I did know were now gone as well.

While Oakley somehow was fine Barsen was not,  a fact that still didn't really want to go into my head.

Who would take care of the Garden now?

And who would let us do stupid things around the castle without telling anyone?

Who else could ever be the kind and calm presence he had been?

I would never see that steady pillar of kindness and acceptance ever again.

And on top of that what would happen to his stuff?

Would it just be tossed out like I had seen city dwellers do with the belongings of people that died without any relatives?

I hoped not, and I doubted any of the castle residents would let that happen either.

But it still felt like someone had torn a hole into something Important that couldn't be repaired.

Despite not knowing the man for as long as most of the Castle did he had still been a very dear friend.

He had even given me tips on how to care for the wild array of plants that grew on my back in the Ardua form.

Though Half of them weren't exactly doable considering they grew in flesh instead of dirt.

What a fucked up thing taken out of context.

My wanderings had taken me without my noticing along the outer wall all the way to where Barsen had Died.

Aside from the patches of mud and the bent branch on the sapling there wasn't even that much evidence of what had happened here.

Well, if one could ignore the rusty stains that is.

Seemed like my grimm musings had taken me here somehow.

I felt like throwing up once again but pushed past the feeling.

I didn't have anything to throw up anyway.

Still, at the sight something in me Ached terribly.

Despite all the differences and things that happened in between i knew the feeling, i knew it well even.

It felt like shortly after my mother had died and part of me had rejected that reality for a good week or so.

It was the feeling of loss.

What a terrible thing to experience once again.

I briefly wondered if the plants would grieve him if they could.

They probably would,  he had treated them with such care and respect after all.

The tiny sapling here had even refused to let him die face down in the dirt.

Looking at it I saw that it was some sort of willow tree,  but I was no expert and the thing reached maybe my waist so it was impossible to tell what kind.

I did feel sad for the broken branch though.

Maybe I could mend it?

I didn't really have any string on me for that though,  Maybe I could use something else?

Oh wait, hair could work.

Not the human hair I had right now but the long and thick strands of the Ardua mane would probably work just as good as string.

Going a good few paces away from the little clearing so i wouldn't damage anything i carefully shifted to the quadrupedal form.

Trying to use the clawed paws to get some of the fur didn't work as well as I had hoped so I tried to tangle some of my mane in a thorny bush which had a lot more success.

Shifting back to the smaller human scale again I fished the few hairs that got stuck out of the shrubbery again.

Huh, they were a lot longer than I thought they'd be.

While i had expected them to maybe be half my lower arm long,  they were actually the length of my entire arm,  shoulder to wrist and as thick as a fine sewing thread.

How weird.

Well whatever, it would surely work for what i had planned at least.

Going back over I carefully put the bent branch back in its place and then used the strands of fur to fix it into place.

There, now it could grow properly again.

I stepped a few paces back to make sure I hadn't messed up my poor attempt at helping the plant up.

It didn't seem like it but then again I was no expert.

What a strange sight still, a lone sapling in a place where not too long ago Carnage had taken place.

It still felt like someone had twisted an ice cold knife into my Heart,  well the beating one,  and I knew that this awful feeling would persist for quite some time.

I should probably leave now, the tree wasn't as broken as before and staying here could not be good for my Mental health.

Taking one last look at the only thing that had stood witness to what happened here I turned around and went back towards the castle.

While walking through the Garden I noticed that the Plants still seemed miserable, branches drooping down,  Petals already closed despite it being only late afternoon and the grass not as vibrant as it had been just a few days beforehand.

Could plants grieve? If so, these certainly were doing as such.

It still was weird to be in the middle of that so I hurried along forward and back to the relative safety of the castle.

I reached it within minutes and debated on what to do for now.

It didn't look like anyone was out on the benches or front yard anymore, good, that would spare me some smalltalk.

I didn't feel like talking at all at the moment anyway, my mind was still slowly processing what had happened, albeit lately so.

I wanted some peace, but Fable was sleeping in the Loft of my shed and I really did not want to stay in the Garden right now.

Well there weren't many other places i knew, especially ones where there were no people.

So that left the Library and… The tower that allowed us to see the enemies approaching early.

It was possible that someone was in the library at this time to read or to also get some peace so I'd go to the tower.

If anyone wanted to get to me they had to climb a stupid amount of stairs first and considering i didn't even want to do that i doubted anybody else would follow me.

After a good few minutes of stair climbing I was at the top of the tower for the second time in my life, only to find to my extreme surprise I was not as alone as I thought I'd be.

There, on the stone bank that went around the outer wall under the windows sat a familiar red headed form.

He was clutching a longish box that I was pretty sure contained a beautifully made telescope with plant based engravings.

I debated for a moment if I should leave or not but that choice was taken from me as Robin turned around to look at me.

The skin under his eyes was a little red but that could also have been an effect from the setting sun.

I chose not to mention it, instead I just silently sat next to him as he tilted his head and pointed to the seat next to him.

We sat in silence for what felt like forever, just staring out at the ocean without actually seeing it.

It was very probable that this time both of us spaced out because there seemed to have been a good hour or so missing seeing as it was now dark out while just a moment ago the sun had just begun to set.

Huh, so that's what it was like.

At a shifting sound I glanced over to the rusthead who was now leaning his forehead on the box while hugging the rest of it.

Why did he have it in the first place?

I wasn't about to ask that though,  it would probably just make everyone upset again.

But as it turned out i didn't have to ask as he gave that information of his own accord.

“Do you remember when you told me to go give Barsen the Telescope back and then go look after the kitchen staff?”

I nodded, I had done that so he wouldn't randomly run after us into the battle.

“Well i went to give it back, but after like twenty minutes he came by the kitchen and handed it to me again.

He told me to keep an eye on the box like it was my own and if I did a good job of that I could have it one day.

Then he left, and… didn't come back.

So I guess it's mine now?

I mean he did say if i kept an eye on it i could have it,  but I just don't understand why…?

And why would he give it to me of all people? 

I'm clumsy and I drop things all the time. 

He knew that, so why give something so precious to me?”

While talking tears had begun to fall from his eyes even if he tried his best to keep his voice steady.

I had no answer to any of the things he'd been talking about,  Why would I have?

Robin had been better friends with the Gardener than I had, spent more time with him as well seeing as Robin wanted to learn about plants.

Maybe that was why, if Barsen had known there were soldiers while the castle was largely unguarded he probably wanted to ensure the pretty telescope went to someone that shared his love for plants at least a little.

I moved to hug the shaking redhead who, while being strangely quiet about it, was still leaving tear tracks down his face.

He sort of, just flopped into my hold, still silently crying and it was taking almost all of my willpower not to start crying too.

“I don't know,  but if he trusted you to take care of it then I don't doubt that you can.

He was not stupid, far from it really, so if he judged you to be the best candidate to keep a eye on it then you have to be just that”

He sniffled a little and wiped his eyes with the corner of his sleeve.

“You think so?”

“I wouldn't say it otherwise, couldn't anyway”

He made a humming sound and just continued to lay there in a miserable heap.

Looking out of the tower again I saw that it was completely dark now, the only light coming from a torch Robin must have brought with him beforehand.

Maybe we should head back down now,  if the torch went out we would have absolutely no light to descend the stairs and I for one was not keen on falling down all of them.

“I think we should go back down,  it's dark and i don't want to fall should the torch go out.

You feel like getting up?”

He just made a grumbling noise and shrunk down further like he wanted to completely disappear.

Didn't feel like walking huh?

Well i could probably carry him, he did also look tired.

Probably from crying.

“Want a ride?”

He looked at me confusedly for a second, likely forgetting that I could actually lift stuff even if I wasn't in my Ardua form.

Figuring out how to carry him without burning him with the torch took a minute or so but in the end he was clinging to my back with the telescope still clutched to his front while I carried the torch in my left hand.

While Robin could probably hold the torch as well I kinda needed it in front of me to see where i was going and if he held it it was likely going to be close to my face so this was the best solution.

I wasn't keen on setting my hair on fire anyway.

The trip down seemed to be faster than the one going up but I really wasn't complaining about that.

Considering going down the stairs wasn't as exhausting as going up we reached the bottom fairly quick and I was stuck in the empty torch mount near the door.

That's probably where it came from anyway.

While I did that I realized I had no idea where Robin's normal room was, there hadn't been any need seeing as we usually met outside or in my shed.

“Robin? Which way is your room?”

I asked the Ginger currently slouching over my back but didn't get an answer.

Twisting my head around as much as I could and listening to his breathing revealed that he had simply fallen asleep.

It would be adorable if it wasn't for the fact that I had no idea what to do now.

Since I had no idea where his room was I just set off towards my own hoping to figure out how to get him off my back and onto some pillows without waking him up.

I'd get to that when I was back in my shed.

I wondered if the Cat was still there,  she had been using Fable as a bed after all.

Probably not though.

Slinking around I actually walked past Nea who just quietly nodded after seeing the sleeping ginger on my back.

Thank fuck, i didn't really want to talk to most people yet,  also i'd rather not wake Robin up by talking to the usually rather loud woman.

Also I was pretty sure she wasn't supposed to be out and about right now even if she was better now.

Well, not my problem.

Ducking under the doorframe I emerged right in front of the shed, 

well that was the easy part over with.

Now I just had to figure out how to bunch up some pillows for Robin without waking him up, or Fable for that matter.

Clumsily closing the door behind me again I saw that I had just shoved the blankets and such from when I slept in the Ardua form to one wall, making a pile of soft Fabrics.

Perfect, at least I didn't have to pile it all up myself.

Now the only question was how to get Robin off of my back without waking him.

In the end I managed by having him slide sideways off and onto the pile of assorted cloth pieces.

I pulled one over him to act as a blanket as he curled up like a wet kitten while still clutching the telescope box to himself.

I wouldn't even try to take it, Though he would have some imprints of the box on his face tomorrow.

Grabbing a not occupied blanket I dragged it over to some of the leftover hay bales that we had been too lazy to remove while sweeping the shed and settled down there.

Lucky thing I wasn't allergic to anything.

Cocooning myself in the fabric to avoid the straws poking me and kickin my shoes off into the hay I fell asleep as well.

I had no idea how long I was out for but was awoken to the sound of familiar voices.

Opening my eyes I saw both Fable and Robin sitting on the floor in front of each other.

A meowing sound told me they weren't the only ones there.

———————————————————————

NEXT / PREVIOUS / OVERSIGHT

[utilitycaster]

Welcome to what may or may not become an ongoing thing as I finish Streams of Silver, the penultimate book of the first two trilogies of the Legend of Drizzt, ie, the ones I bought as ebooks. Let us assess along the following scales.

Lord of the Rings Parallels: Dwarf sets off on a journey to reclaim his lost mountain homeland. They leave home, but are chased by someone specifically in pursuit of their halfling companion, due to an object said halfling possesses. They need to flee the first real city they stop in after, among other things, causing a scene in a tavern. Wizards are spying on them from afar. They stop in a relatively kindly learned place. At one point, a beautiful woman gives Drizzt healing herbs and generic brand lembas bread. When they find their mountain stronghold, it has a hidden door that requires some degree of knowledge of the dwarven culture to open. Said stronghold is full of mithril, and was overtaken by hostile foes because the dwarves delved too deep. Someone appears to fall in battle in the stronghold, but does not.

Regis was alive but taken by the enemy.

(the Evermoors bit is far more like The Hobbit Mirkwood crossing in vibes though, as is the outwitting of trolls)

Conclusion: LOTR as FUCK. [do not respond to this with more LOTR parallels. this post is about me having fun, not about how good a nerd you are.]

Reminders that this is D&D: speaking of trolls, the regeneration and fire are a plot point, which is well done. I don't know AD&D nor do I feel the need to so there's probably other stuff. Also, they sure do be going into dungeons and finding dragons in the Icewind Dale trilogy.

Women?: Catti-brie is capable in battle, gets some armor and weaponry, and more importantly gains some degree of personality and is even a viewpoint character for the villains scenes, which is great! I still find Wulfgar so boring (he is not a woman but he allegedly has feelings for Catti-brie, which we are repeatedly told about but there is no reason other than "she is the only human woman his age around"). Sydney was pretty great though. She sucked, but at least she like, did things. Also I enjoyed Dove Falconhand's brief appearance in the Dark Elf trilogy and would like to see her more so Lady "legally distinct from Galadriel" Alustriel mentioning her was nice. Also Guenhwyvar is a female extraplanar panther. Is Guenhwyvar a girlboss? discuss.

Villainy: Apparently we haven't seen the last of Artemis Enteri but personally I loved the evil wizard subplot. Hopefully we get more of that because Mr. Enteri is fine enough but there's only so many times you can mention his jeweled daggers and excellent sword hand and stealth but wizards can fuck you up in thousands of exciting and fun ways.

The naming of parts: Looks like Mr. Eoin Colfer was not the first person to name a somewhat amoral bastard man "Artemis".

We still do not have any excuse for someone being named "Catti-brie" though and it is kind of funny when other women are named shit like Catti-brie and Alustriel and Dove Falconhand and then there's just good old Sydney.

Lavender orbs: yeah they're mentioned multiple times. Not as lavender orbs, but "lavender" is said a lot in reference to Drizzt's eyes. I did not count how many times but I may do so for The Halfling's Gem.

Other things:

You can tell the Dark Elf trilogy was written later because it is notably better. Like, this is still readable but it's way rougher.

Ideal scenario is they trade Wulfgar for Regis and Guenhwyvar but they probably won't.

Speaking of LOTR, "Twinkle" is the stupidest weapon name of all time. Mr. Do'Urden please explain what the fuck you are thinking. I know you also at some point get a different scimitar named Icingdeath and all I can think of is that 30 Rock scene where the Donaghy siblings are naming their fists for punching reasons and one of them says "Say hello to Bono and Sandra Day O'Connor."

[theantarwitch]

Mahō Tsukai no Yome/ The Ancient Magus Bride: When an anime show witchcraft in the good way.

I will slide a little of my usual crap for this time. 

“The humanity still remembers the sounds that filled their bodies even before than language. The Magic is the same. Listen what’s around you and extend your hand, you still remember…”

Besides being a witch, I’m also pretty much a mild otaku (I take baths, I swear), so when I was looking for what else to watch, I stumble with this one. The resume I read looked not too good for my taste, but I thought “Well, it have a witch theme, let’s give it a try” and OH BOY WHY IN THE WITCH COMMUNITY THEY DON’T MENTION THIS SERIE AS A MUST TO WATCH?

I will not enter in details about how the characters are made or the music (even when I will mention that the art is visually BEAUTIFUL and the songs will make you cry a dozen times, because yes, you will cry a ton) and I will focus this review with the witch side.

First, I can tell you that a good percentage of the magical lore is pretty ACCURATE. From creatures, myths, material, ingredients, techniques, all. IS WAY TOO ACCURATE, it let me think that the writer has a witch near to learn about these shits. It doesn’t fall into the “lol I can make magic haha let’s open a portal and will have no logical reason and I will not even get tired”, is a “witchcraft is a craft and you need to study, practice and follow some principles, plus rest after do it”. Fuck hell, a lot of times is teaching us to not underestimate ourself and learn, but also to not do stupid things if you don’t know a shit. Plus each chapter start with a “folk proverb”, which add a pretty touch to the theme.

It mentions fairies, with her “real” rules we usually know. It teaches us to differentiate between witchcraft and mages, speaks about the ancient lore of England, Celtic culture and even Nordic songs (maybe? Is nothing official but have Nordic words and Gaelic music so lol?), the Wandering Jew, alchemy, yule, herbs, Morrigan, the church grim, hag stones, fluorite, types of wood, wyverns, familiars, wands, crystals, charging, witches, covens, crafting, fatuos, sacrifices, selkies, elves … Damn, even in some point she makes a spell against nightmares with lavender, like YES!!.

The characters speak also a lot of the witch “spirit”, you know, the respect for the naturel, the elements, the way we use magic, all the spiritual thing that cross us, the interconnectivity of the world, in such delicate and beautiful way that make you re watch your own witchy path with fresh eyes. The majority of the teachings that the “wiser” characters say, seems not even to being directed to the protagonist, but to OURSELVES. They are teaching US.

“Underestimating oneself, as if you were disposable, is like saying that those one has saved are useless”

In some point a fairy mention to a priest that he adores “another god” as if all the deities of the world exist at the same time, you know, as we all know here!

Elias, the character, is by himself a mix of stuffs! He usually wear a veil to not scare others but, we know to what else a mage would use a veil, right? He also carries a cane that bears a resemblance with the Egyptian Was scepter. His face is very similar to what we know as the “goat face” or the head of Baphomet.

And anyone who ever has or have a Patron will probably say that Elias, in some points, remember us about them. By the energy, the mysterious way to speak and act, by the strange love that come from beings that are beyond our comprehension.

Besides all that, the story is phenomenal and touch death in so many artistic ways that is almost a thesis of the process of life and death. Death as a natural path where everyone will fall, death as a tragedy, death as a process, death as a rule, death as a memory, a trauma, a lost, a desire, death as a body, death as a soul.

Not even mention how, in a subtle way, show us about PTSD, suicide and depression, how slowly heal from traumatic events, how grow and take healthy coping mechanisms; how a person under a traumatic past can get numb to the point that everything seems bland and pointless, about codependency, grief, move on. Is a book about psychology and witchcraft with pretty stuffs in the middle.

“You think that by destroying yourself you will earn the right to stay here”

A huge NOPE: It have a hint of Antisemitism. The main bad character is the Wandering Jew, and one of the “good” ones is a German scientist called Adolf Straud. Meanwhile, IRL existed Adolf Strauss, a German general from the Nazis. Like… I’m not saying is the same but… * cringes *

Of course, is not a manual, is an anime, it has a lot of nopes and mixed shit and stuffs that are obviously not accurate or right, but coming from a popular media, I think any witch with some basic experience and an open mind should take a look to this anime. With a small tw because it can fall a little into the gore and horror. But next to the usual Hollywood movies where witchcraft is more a show or the source of the darkness in a scary movie, is pretty good.

[kerra-and-company]

Swarm of asks ahoy (if these are too many you're welcome to pick and choose which ones seem interesting).

For Brook:

20, 31, 33, 56, and 60!

And then for Chieko:

27, 29, and 43

(@uselessidiotsquad)

This is definitely not too many, and sorry I took a sec to answer these! Hell of a week last week IRL, and still a hell of a week during this one, and I thought I could answer asks Saturday--turned out my brain was WAY too fried for that. Anyways! Back to answer these now, since my brain's functioning for the moment :) (And thanks for sending them!!)

Brook:

20. Who’s their go-to person for advice?

When they were growing up with their 'bandmates, it was sometimes Casca (about everything other than their crush on her, during the period when they hadn't confessed yet) and sometimes Ari (about magic, about secrets, about plenty of other things). Nowadays, they're of course still going to talk to Casca about things--she's the love of their life and they trust her with it without question--and they're slowly getting back to a point where they can talk with Ari about things as well. They kinda went through a period where they shut off the same way Ari did; they were never the most open about emotions and such, and though they made friends during their years with the Olmakhan, fully opening up was difficult. So they're both re-exploring how to Friend in a way where they can ask each other for advice on stuff, which is a thing that makes me very happy for them.

31. Are they religious?

Yes, they are--an important Brook question, indeed! They worship Kormir, but are decently respectful of the rest of the Six as well, with the maybe-obvious exception (at this point, post-PoF) of Balthazar.

(I was about to say that their opinion of him was basically "he can go die in a fire", and then I was like, well, hmm...guess that's appropriate because he kind of did akljsdfd)

33. What’s the worst injury they’ve ever had?

Getting poked through the left bicep by an Awakened sword, probably! It took a very long time to heal, and they're INCREDIBLY lucky that they didn't lose the entire arm thanks to both the injury and the battle against infection that followed (any wound that size can get infected, but add in a tar-and-who-knows-what-else-covered blade to the mix and it isn't pretty). Not to mention that that arm is slightly weaker now and always will be; they have a brace for when any pain and/or weakness is particularly bad.

56. What do they smell like?

A little bit like passiflora, a little bit like whatever herbs/mint/etc. are in their chosen brand of relatively cheap soap that week (sage is one they like, when they can get it), a little bit just like a cat.

60. What are some of their simple pleasures?

Walking on the beach, when they can--they love the feel of the sand more than they like the water, but both are good; hearing happy background noise (like children/cubs playing, friends chatting, etc.); waking up rested; seeing Casca smile.

Chieko:

27. What’s their favorite genre of music?

To answer this question in a roundabout fashion, Chieko absolutely had a period when she was a teenager where she was very into listening to punk/emo/similar bands/groups when she could. (Side note, I'd legitimately love to see Tyria's version of MCR.) Nowadays, her taste is pretty varied: 1) she didn't care for Metal Legion but understood the appeal; 2) she's absolutely a fan of the things Rel's written (which are...kinda indie-folk-ish, I guess? not sure, there's variety); 3) she's found at least one or two songs/musical styles she very much loves literally everywhere she's been; and 4) not the most relevant to the overall question, but she tried to recreate a piece of Orrian music based on a very waterlogged piece of sheet music she found. It probably didn't sound anything like the original, since she could only read bits and pieces, but she and her friends had fun.

29. If they could change one thing about themselves, physical or otherwise, what would it be?

Not to be noble-born. She recognizes the privileges she was born with/into and is grateful for them, but she constantly feels like she's not living up to the standards of the noble class (and those of her parents, to some extent, even though they're supportive of her), and she doesn't want a title. She also is not looking forward to whatever stink people back in DR might raise over her choice of girlfriend (possible), or whatever gossip they'll put out about it (more likely).

43. What do people notice first about them, as far as their appearance goes?

Hmm. Either the way that her outfits tend to be very put-together, even if they're casual (or dirty from being out and about on battlefields), or the way that she stands, if you're particularly observant. She has a very specific posture that speaks to where she grew up.