#it was some line like ''the wind blew the hats of their pointy heads'' or smth

[seawitchkaraoke]

Honestly whenever I make a jokey exaggerated post on here talking about some fandom or other and then people take it seriously and actually argue with me and quote canon and do actual analysis I feel like I’m back in 10th grade where I was bored in german class so when we had to analyze poems in groups I went hard and over the top and convinced my entire group of ridiculous interpretations totally making sense.

I think my teacher eventually caught on to the fact that I knew exactly that I was overanalyzing this poem and that a line about hats flying off people’s heads because of the wind being about pre WWI germans revealing their willingness for war did not actually make sense. But I had everyone else convinced

[hyper-lynx]

Two Cats Attend the Blue Moon Ball

Chapter 1: Dusk

Featuring @wizblr-blue-moon-ball's Lurien and @flowers-the-sun-witch, along with Hemi and Liam of course. This is the first chapter of probably several that I will make for some of the prompts. Character appearances will vary and can be removed on request!

A calm wind blew over Wizard Island Island’s coastal region, bringing a mild warmth over the old stones and dozens of pointy-hatted towers dotting the landscape. The sky was overcast, but it was clear despite this that the sun was near the horizon. The shimmering line of the ocean adorned the horizon. Along a path of well-trodden cobbles, the air bent and tore, until, with a burst of chromatic power, two felines landed onto the earth. Hemi, wreathed in the gentle fabric of his deep indigo dress, felt the lukewarm air suddenly about his legs until the dress behaved itself. The emblem of the moon was dim in the low light, but still plainly visible. Shortly behind him, Liam practically flowed out of the rift. His gown had the general design of the lunar hibiscus -- pink and, in Hemi’s opinion, somewhat bulbous, but still quite elegant. He held the corners of the dress in a way that suggested he had experience landing from a dimensional vortex in such attire. Once both cats exited the distortion, reality was quick to mend itself.

“Aha, we’re-- um.” Hemi looked around, then let his head tilt. “Where’s--”

They stood at the long-forgotten gates to a property that was seemingly completely absent. There was not a trace of any building -- in its place, an immense crater marred the landscape. The only thing that remained was a tarnished silver archway and a few mana crystals that poked out from the ground at the edges of the place.

Liam gasped. “Did something--?”

“Impossible. If something this big was -- gone, I’d have heard about it. Besides, that gate… must have been abandoned for a hundred years.” Hemi closed his eyes and tried to visualize the route on the invitation he’d been given, but he was certain it led to this general area, and there shouldn’t be any other large estate in the vicinity. Were all his days of anticipation really --

“Oh--! Hemi, look!”

Hemi opened his eyes to the sight of what looked like an angelic being descending through the clouds. He plummeted rapidly and then came to a sudden stop in the air just beyond the gate, not displacing any air or showing any discomfort in the process. An elf with radiant wings, blue into yellow, clothed in shining white silks. Despite his short stature, the elf had a golden power behind his eyes that commanded respect. The emblem of the Blue Moon shone in iridescent stone, adorning his crown.

“Greetings! Hyperlynx Hemi, I presume?” The elf spoke with a quiet tone that nonetheless carried through the emptiness. “I see you’ve found our ‘back entrance’.”

“Oh--! Um, hello, sir--?” Hemi stammered in response as both cats approached the gate.

“Lurien is fine. In any case, I’ve arranged transport for you and your partner. Please proceed through the gate.”

Hemi tilted his head to the opposite side and gazed into the spiky, terrifying chasm just beyond the rusted passage. “Um-- I ah, don’t have any flight spell active…” He glanced at Liam, who shook his head silently.

“That’s fine, sir. I assure you there are accommodations for all creatures at the Blue Moon Ball.” He looked down at some kind of brass handheld timekeeping device. “Although, I would insist you move swiftly. The event will be starting momentarily.”

Hemi huffed softly and looked to Liam, who took the lead. Liam gathered his gown about his feet and cautiously stepped through the gate. He half expected the world to suddenly burst into light and color around him, but no such thing happened. Instead, his foot met with a soft resistance, an invisible surface. It felt a bit like walking across a mattress. Seeing the leopard defy gravity, Hemi followed suit.

“Impressive spell, but where is--” Hemi was cut off when the platform was suddenly thrust skyward. The earth fell away, and waves of amber light emanated from the invisible surface above them as it blocked the wind. Lucien cracked a soft smile -- the emblem across his chest shimmered softly as the three beings were brought up. Even the clouds broke around the barrier above them, until--!

The sun, from its place ever-lower on the horizon, lavished golden light across a wondrous skyscape. A great layer of clouds the size of mountains formed the base, speckled with tiny sections of floating stone -- likely pieces of distant floating islands that came in the wind across the sea. Beyond the shelf of clouds, the light glinted on the water. Above it all, though, a grand estate was situated. The main island consisted of an immense floating mansion. In a way, it was almost more like a town  -- the lower section was something of a hull, with docking ports for flying ships and tiered gardens protruding from openings in its sides. Atop, the mansion sprawled across a massive expanse of once-natural earth, with what must have been hundreds of rooms and halls. Near the center, the peak of a wizard’s tower wis visible, adorned with the same lunar emblem.

Lucien watched the two cats take it all in as he platform moved in a grand circuit through the air above the venue. “Sunset really is wonderful at this altitude, isn’t it?” He noted. The light cast off everything, and the shadow of the floating manor lengthened forever across the clouds. Hemi took a moment to glance down at Liam, whose eyes were literally wide with wonder. 

Their dutiful invisible chariot let them down in the plaza just before the main gates. It seemed nearly everyone else was already somewhere inside, since this courtyard was otherwise occupied only by a trio of gnomes who seemed to pay the cat-men no mind. Lucien directed their attention to a statue of a human woman, depicted 20 feet tall in marble stricken with veins of some shimmering blue mineral. Water flowed from small slots below the woman’s feet into small channels that fed this section of the gardens.

“This is the original owner of the manor, Mistress Areth Lunacai. It’s said she discovered the arcane properties of lunar sapphire, and therefore mastered the art of permanent levitation. In her time, her genius was not recognized, so she wrested her family’s estate into the skies, where it still remains.”

“Wow…” Liam looked up at her. Hemi, however, was already distracted by looking at the venue itself. As the light of dusk began to fade, Hemi crossed his arms over his chest.

“Lucien, sir?” He interjected. “Are we late for-- anything?”

Lucien raised an eyebrow. “You accuse me of being late to my own ball?”

“Um--! Well, no, I--”

The host smiled. “No, it’s understandable. You are actually somewhat early. While most attendees have made their way to the main hall and its waiting rooms, the formal schedule will not commence for half an hour at minimum. Plenty of time, no?” Hemi nodded and looked to the side. He thanked the gods for the impenetrably thick fur that hid his now-red cheeks from view, then took a deep breath. There was no great rush. This was an event for fun, after all. The sleepless night before preparing… the weeks of anticipation… It all led to this night, where everything was arranged for him. He walked closer beside Liam.

Lurien turned over his shoulder, towards a figure in a blue dress who had appeared amidst the gardens. “Ah, I see a new guest has arrived. Excuse me.” Lucien bowed and began to gracefully stride towards the newcomer.

“Hey Hemi, do you want to go meet them? The person over there, I mean?”

Hemi looked to the newcomer, then back at the red wisps of frozen clouds high above. “I think I’ll watch the sunset for now. You go ahead -- we’re all going to the main hall anyway, right?”

Liam nodded and followed Lurien’s path through the gardens as quickly as he could without letting any dirt get on his outfit. By the time he arrived, the host was already leading the other person back up a scenic route along the terrain’s edge towards the fountain. Their long brown hair -- adorned with red flowers -- was tied into a set of four pigtails that dangled about elven ears and onto the shoulders of a truly cute blue dress, tied with a red belt bearing a once-live sunflower. They looked up at the approaching beastman with only momentary confusion. Lucien, without even looking in Liam’s direction, nodded. 

“I’ll allow you two a moment to become acquainted. There’s a matter I’ll need to attend to.” Lucien announced. A moment later, a great eagle flew dangerously close to the edge of the island and began circling the courtyard. Lucien sighed and, with a subtle movement of his wings, lifted off to redirect the bird’s rider.

“Oh gosh!” The witch put a hand against her mouth and giggled.

Liam shook his head. “Some people…” He turned his attention back to the immediate environs. “Well-- ah, greetings!” Liam gave a curtsy. “My name’s Liam.”

The witch returned the favor. “I’m Flowers, the Sun Witch. It’s nice to meet you! I like your dress.”

“Thank you~!” Liam twirled around a little. “Yours is very cute.”

The witch smiled, but didn’t reply verbally. The two watched for a moment as the now distant eagle followed Lucien -- from this range, a point of light -- towards the arcane beast stables on the lower levels. “I’ve not seen a dress of that style in a while. Lunar hibiscus, right?” Liam’s head tilted slightly. “How did you--”

“I don’t call myself ‘Flowers’ for no reason. The color’s pretty accurate, too. Though, those flowers are pretty rare on the island…”

“Ah, I’m not actually from here. I’m not even properly a wizard -- that title belongs to my partner. I’m his plus-one.”

“Oh!” Flowers looked along the rim of the floating landmass. “Is that him?” She pointed out Hemi, sitting alone on an outcropping, watching the redness leave the sky as night took over.

“Yeah…” Liam put his hand behind his head. “He’s a little shy. I’m sure he’ll warm up when things kick off.”

“Flowers nodded, then tapped her foot. “I hope the host is back soon… I hope everything’s alright with the bird situation.”

As if on cue, on a beam of light, Lucien appeared next to the two guests. “I apologize for the wait, Mx. Flowers. I hope you’ll forgive  my cutting your tour short for the moment, as the floor will open momentarily. I suggest you both make your way to the main hall and meet some more of the guests in the meantime.”

“Ah-! Of course, thank you.” Flowers began to walk down the garden path towards Hemi. Lucien, apparently satisfied, vanished into light.

“Um--” Liam trotted after her surprisingly quick gait. “The fastest path is to the right.”

“We need to collect your partner, don’t we?” The sun witch glanced back at him. “Besides, I need to compliment his dress, too.”

By the time they arrived, the sun had completely set, so Hemi was just staring off into the swirling expanse of the clouds below. His ears were somewhat askew-- when Liam approached, they swiveled to face him.

“Hey, we’re supposed to go inside soon.” Liam let a gentleness into his tone.

Hemi stretched and stood. He used a quick gesture to disconnect the dirt from his dress’ fabric, so it became fully clean in an instant. When he turned around, he started at the sight of the witch who accompanied Liam.

“Oh--! Um--” Hemi gave a clumsy bow. “Hello-- I’m sorry, I didn’t notice you.”

The witch extended her hand. “I’m Flowers. What’s your name?”

“...Hemi.” He said, and shook her hand with his paw. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“You as well. I like your dress~!” She told him. Hemi’s ears flipped, but he smiled in response.

A latch sounded at the main door. “Ah, it seems it’s time to enter. Have a wonderful time, you two--!” Flowers curtseyed again, and was off.

Liam looked at Hemi with a soft grin..

“What? I was surprised…”

“Nothing, nothing.” He took Hemi’s hand. “Another adventure, right?”

“--Right.”

The two cats proceeded towards the gathering group of wizards and the great oaken doors. The blue moon shone bright overhead.

[starr-fall-knight-rise]

Humans are Space Orcs, “Cowboy.”

Wanted to try something new.  Aliens meet different ways of living. Was trying to really capture the small town farming feel in this one. Granted I grew up in and near places like this but was from the burbs technically, so, lol, hopefully I did it justice. 

The sky over Jakar was a light violet purple.

Strings of long striated clouds cut across the sky at intervals looking like the ripples you see on the face of a sand dune. The Sun hadn’t yet risen hiding just below the distant horizon. The air around them was warm, but not tropical, rather moderate.

Standing on the loading ramp to the Harbinger and staring out over the strange moon, they could see for miles and miles onto the unbroken horizon. Under the purple sky, there were no trees or rocks, just acres and acres of evenly spaced crops gently rolling over minute hills and shallow divots in the earth. A gently wind blew up from their front rolling over the ground and bringing with it the cool moist scent of fertile dirt.

The sun inched upwards over the horizon, casting a honeyed yellow glow over an unbroken sea of green. With the engines of the ship off, and not a soul in sight, the scene before them was absolutely silent, almost surreal.

As they watched, a ripple of wind blew up from their right churning the green sea before them into a stormy sea. The plant stalks rolled in waves under the slow push of the wind, which, when it reached them, brought the subtle whisper of leaves brushing over each other.

All together, if they closed their eyes, they could almost imagine the sound of a distant sea.

Both Krill and sunny were riveted to that quiet morning in fascination. 

They had never known a thing to be so beautiful, so quiet.

And even though the land was touched by man, the quiet serenity almost had them forgetting that fact.

They stood like that for many minutes, enjoying the silence until a distant sound rose up from the horizon.

Krill craned his neck and Sunny shaded her eyes.

It can in beats of four, a rhythmic thudding of…. something .

They were alerted by the dust cloud, brown tinged purple rising up from the right.

Looking a little longer,they watched as a very strange creature galloped towards them. The animal had four legs, a long snout, a thick neck, and streams of long hair flying from it’s head and rump. THe joints of its front legs faced the wrong direction.

Krill shifted back up the ramp a little ways.

The beats of the animal’s feet grew louder as it got closer, and only then was Krill able to see that, to his shock and dismay, there was a human riding astride it’s back, just casually sitting atop the one ton beast as if it was nothing bouncing up and down with the animal’s jostling movements.

He stared dumbstruck alongside Sunny as the human pulled to a stop gently tugging at the contraption which had been fixed around the animal’s head.

A familiar tawny, and black dog came chasing after her tail wagging, her ears perked.

Waffles skidded to a slow trot and began frantically sniffing through the nearby plot of plants.

Sunny and Krill stepped forward as the human, turned to look at them, restings his hands against his upper thighs as the beast lowered it’s head to sniff at the ground.

“What the hell are you wearing?” Sunny asked the commander.

“A better question is what the hell are you riding.” Krill could already tell this day was going to make him angry, “Aren't you well aware that falling off that thing could kill you, not to mention if it decided to cave your head in with its feet.”

Commander Vir pulled the patterned cloth triangle down from around his face, eyes mostly shadowed by the brim of the very dorky hat he was wearing. The shirt he had on was long sleeve and mid range blue in color with a collar, and matching jeans with a very strange set of heeled boots.

“Forgot you've never seen a horse before.”

He kicked one of his feet up over the top the back of the creature and let himself gently down onto the dirt.

The large animal turned it’s massive head, nudging him in the chest with it’s soft pink snout.

He smiled and rubbed it’s nose.

“A horse?”

“Yes, one of man’s greatest achievements.”

The horse threw its head up and down as if in agreement.

“A knobby kneed dog creature?”

“No a knobby kneed beast of burden, from the back of which humanity conquered the world. He patted it’s neck, “These guys are the reason humanity got as far as it did, at least one fo the reasons.

Krill stared at the ‘horse’ nervously staring into its wide dark eyes, sensing a hint of cunning intelligence that he did not particularly appreciate. Sunny stepped forward a bit, and the horse lifted it’s head, wide nostrils flaring menacingly. 

It stepped back, and the commander held firm, “Woah, easy girl. It’s just sunny.”

The horse didn’t seem convinced, and Sunny stayed at a polite distance.

“Commander, I must insist, that beast could kick your head in if agitated.”

“Oh I know. Believe you me I know.”

The horse tossed it’s head.

“Can we get back to the important question of….. What the hell are you wearing?”

He looked down, “This, my fine friend is the historic gear of the Cowboy, and early symbol of the west, your rough and tumble man’s man who lived rough, worked hard, and is, arguably the symbol of human manifest destiny.”

“I have no idea what you just said.”

The commander sighed, “Look they were total badasses who rode horses, shot guns, and drank too much.”

“Badasses who wore heels?” Sunny wondered 

“Yes, yes they were.”

“And where did you get that outfit exactly?”

He tugged at the shirt rather proudly, “My mother made it for me, you know because that is what she does for a living.”

“Do you often commission really dumb clothing from your mother.” Sunny continued to tease.

“I have an outfit for every major time period from here to to the early Byzantine empire.” He bragged, not that it meant anything.

Her continued teasing was cut off as more noises rose up from the distance, the sound of hooves and the shrill chatter of, what Sunny could only assume was the horses. A larger dust cloud was riding up this time, and as she watched, another group of human came riding down the track. At least three of them riding horseback and wearing outfits much the same as the commander now wore. Though one of them was riding on the front of a strange wooden vehicle pulled by the creatures.

And krill had thought current human technology was primitive.

The two men, and one woman came to a halt just to their side, and looking them over, Krill couldn't help but notice the strange nature of these humans, tanned dark by the sun, their skin tough and calloused, especially about the hands. Though it was early morning they were already covered in dust. One of them touched the brim of his hat upon seeing them and dismounted from his horse walking over to shake the commander’s hand.

“I’m gonna assume your Commander Vir.” He looked around, “Seeing as you’re the only human here.”

“Yes sir.”

His voice was deep, and rather slow with a sort of relaxing quality to it, though there was an edge of steel behind his voice, “Didn’t think you fancy space captains knew how to ride horses.”

“My father worked on one of the farming conglomerates when I was a boy. He made sure we knew how to ride.”

“Smart man.” The old human turned his steely brown eyes on them looking sunny and Krill up and down though he didn’t seem all that surprised. He held out a hand to sunny, “Looks like you’ve got plenty of hands to shake.”

She chirped a laugh and took his hand surprised at how strong  he was, how rough his hands were.

Krill received a nod which was more than alright by him. He turned back and motioned to his companions, “Meet, Jack my son, and Liz y daughter. They volunteered to help out with our little problem.”

“Smugglers you were saying.” 

“Yes. We think they are some of those Tesraki types using our fields as stop points. Wouldn’t mind it so much if they didn’t keep destroying the product. They tend to land where we plant the pink orbs-” He looked at sunny, “Think they are from your planet. A bitch to get to grow here, we have to cut the soil with imported volcanic ash to get them to grow, and every time those bastards show up we lose a yield.” 

His daughter motioned at Sunny and Krill to climb up onto the strange wooden death machine with wheels. At first Krill refused, but sunny grabbed him and hauled him upwards, sitting on one of the  wooden benches. 

Krill reused to sit.

He could see splinters.

“They aren’t supposed to be in for another few days though.” The two men had mounted their horses and were riding side by side now as the ‘what krill learned to be a cart’ started up, rolling over the uneven ground and threatening to rattle his brains out of his head.

“Doesn’t this thing have shocks.” he moaned 

The humans laughed, and the head human turned back to look at him, “Don’t need socks on a wagon…..” He paused, “This one ain’t mch for country livin’”

The commander snorted, “He isn’t much for anything new. Guess you could say he’s a big city surgeon. I don’t think his  species has been without automated assistance for the past ten thousand years. But Sunny there probably gets it, her clan was mainly gatherer types.”

“Yeah, I heard about the Drev. Don’t live so differently from us all told.” beside them lines and lines of crops grew up in the distance, a never ending line broken up by nothing more than a distant building rising many stories above the fields. Massive silver constructions in cylinders with pointy tops.

“What are those?” Sunny asked, pointing.

The daughter looked “Those are silos. Once we harvest the produce, all the food goes in there for storage until we sell it.”

“So much food.” Sunny muttered 

Krill didn’t like the look of them, they appeared dangerous. Up ahead of them, the dog, waffles seemed to be enjoying herself romping about over the dirt road and through the first few lines of plants her tongue lolling her ears up.

“Your Shepherd seems happy.” The man commented, “Better then being cooped up in a flying tin can.”

“Yeah , she doesn’t get to go outside much these days.”

Looking up into the distance, Krill could just make out a slow break on the horizon. They were trees as far as he could tell, which surprised him since they seemed far to big to be here, as unnatural a species as they were.

“Are those oak trees?” The Captain asked, incredulous.

“That they are, got them imported in one of those massive fraighters. Putting them in the ground was complete bullshit, but they took surprisingly well. We wanted the two to be a bit more cozy. 

The closer they got to town the more people they could see. Children ran in and out of the crop lines chasing each other and laughing. 

Women carried baskets with them plucking bright red berries from tall growths of plants turning to wave at them as they passed.

Horses loitered, tied up on the sides of the road next to large, elegant houses in a style Krill had never seen before.

“Wow.” The commander muttered, “This is…. Wow.”

The man smiled, “Much as I love earth, you can’t live like this any more. No more small towns. When I heard how cheep they were selling land up here for, I couldn’t resist. Worked for one of those corporations like your father, and that’s when I heard about the deal going on. Come up here, farm the land and get the property for free.” He motioned to the houses and the barns, “Built most of it with our own two hands. Machinery is a bitch to get out here, so most everything we make by ourselves.”

Krill and sunny stared on in complete fascination. The wooden buildings held together by nothing more than sharp metal spikes, still multiple stories tall and with glass windows. What little technology there was was overshadowed by just how provincial everything was. People carrying buckets of water with their own two hands, polishing boots, and sawing off planks of wood with manual blades.

And despite that, how much more difficult everything probably was, they seemed happy. The people themselves were rough, but well put together, tanned skin, and bright eyes over calloused hands and straight backed postures full of confidence and pride. As they rode past they received nothing but friendly smiles and waved greetings.

Adam was practically a pampered, prim little pretty boy in comparison to the rest, and he was a one eyed, peg legged, space captain for intents and purposes.

A pleasantly plump dark skinned woman waved at them from her porch, where she sat in a very strange looking chair, which instead of legs, had skids? And rocked when she shifted her weight. Which seemed to be the intention.

Sunny and Krill raised their hands back, not sure of what else to do.

The man at the front sighed, “Man you can’t live like this anymore, not on earth anyway.”

Commander vir was looking around with an appreciative smile, “it’s like going back in time. Dam…. it’s nice here.”

“Almost makes you want to get your feet back on solid dirt?” The man wondered 

The commander laughed, “I don’t think so. Your town is great, but there is nothing like the majesty of waking up and seeing the rings of saturn outside our bedroom window, or a nebulae thousands of light years wide, or stepping out of the ship and just…. Floating weightless like nothing can hold you down ever again.”

The man shuttered, “Can’t imagine.”

“Can’t imagine but can’t forget.”

Adam’s horse tossed it’s head and he patted it on the neck.

The other human shook his head, “Cut from a different mold I guess. I’d like nothing more than an honest day’s work under the sun getting my hands dirty. None of that outer space politics.”

Adam laughed, “I suppose I forget about politics most of the time. Honestly consider myself more of an adventurer discovering new planets and new species bravely going where no man has gone before sort of thing.”

The two of them laughed together.

Krill wondered at the strangeness of humanity. Here were two men, one of them a ship captain venturing into the unknown on one of the most advanced pieces of human technology ever created  flying shuttles, talking with aliens and traversing the galaxy, while there was another human a lover of dirt beneath his hands, with no desire to leave his home, or likely even go outside it’s farm’s radius, content with living the same day for the rest of his life, with the same people, building everything with his hands, living without what seemed to be the most basic of human technologies.

And here they were sitting together speaking and laughing.

Getting along despite being so different.

Because humans can just do that.

Humans understand. 

[aardvark-123]

Gensokyo Festival Day 3: Friends

~Author’s Note~

Today’s story is about how friends stand up for each other. And stuff.

~Shou's Bad Day~

"Oh, no... Where is it, where is it?! Oh, where could it be?!" Shou was digging frantically through the hedges and flower beds around the Myouren Temple. "I know I left it here somewhere! We only have so much garden..."

"Are you getting anywhere?" Nazrin called out as she ran over, her dress stained with mud.

"No." Shou miserably shook her head.

"I'll try the wine cellar, then. I'm sure we'll find it sooner or later," said Nazrin. She gave Shou an encouraging smile, took off her shoes and jogged inside the temple.

"Yeah... I'm sure we will." Shou sighed heavily, shuffled sideways a couple of feet and started ransacking the begonias.

The hours went by with nothing in sight. Shou was done with the garden and halfway through the compost heap when she heard smug laughter from the road.

"Now, isn't that a sorry sight?" giggled Miko. "A scrawny little tiger grovelling for scraps in the mud! What's the matter, Shou? Lost your pagoda again?!"

"Wh-wha...?" Shou looked around until she found the small crowd of Taoists. "Um, no... I'm looking for Nazrin's handkerchief, actually."

"A likely story," sneered Seiga.

"Two'll get you ten she forgot to put a bra on!" Tojiko snorted.

"I'm hungry..." moaned Yoshika.

Shou rose angrily to her feet, sloughing off a small shower of soft brown loam and food scraps. "I did NOT forget my bra OR my pagoda! Look, I've got it right, um..." Shou's face whitened as she patted her empty pockets.

Shou laughed nervously. She took a step back. Then another. Then she plummeted off the compost heap and landed flat on her back. Four unfriendly faces loomed over her.

"Aw, is it time for a cat nap?" simpered Tojiko.

"No, no, she's showing us her tummy! That means she wants us to give her a pat!" said Miko insistently.

"Or an appendectomy!" giggled Seiga.

"Can I eat her?" said Yoshika hopefully.

"What?! No! I'm too young to be eaten!" wailed Shou.

"Poor little kitty..." said Tojiko, pouting with fake sympathy. She bent down and rubbed Shou's tummy. "Does-a poor wittle kitsy-witsy-woo want a saucer of milky-wilk?"

"Well, too bad! I lactate for no-one!" Miko howled with laughter.

Shou's face reddened. "Stop it! Stop it, you bunch of meanies! I'm warning you, I- I can remove a woman's head with just one hand..."

"Don't move!" grinned Miko, balancing her sword on Shou's nose.

"She'll move," giggled Seiga, slipping off Shou's shoe. "You're not ticklish, are you, kitty?"

"Aaaaauuugh!" screamed Shou, and she burst into tears. The sword somehow stayed upright.

Tojiko snorted. "Some Avatar of Bishamonten!"

"Let's see now..." Her tongue poking out from concentration, Miko lined her shaku up with her sword and balanced it on the hilt. "There we go! Perfect!"

"Please..." whimpered Shou. "Just leave me alone! What did I ever do to deserve this?!"

"Nothing much," said Seiga, tossing Shou's socks into a bush.

Yoshika gave her a dirty look. "She tore my arms off last week! Took me hours to sew them back on with the needle clamped between my lips."

"Well, then..." Seiga grabbed a feather and tickled Shou's left foot.

Shou let out a piercing scream. Caught between mirth and anguish, she laughed out loud and begged for mercy with tears streaming down from her eyes. The sword and baton fell down with a clatter.

Tojiko caught Miko's eye and grinned. "This is the life, isn't it?"

"You bet! She's such a pushover!" laughed Miko.

"Maybe I'll tickle under her arms, too," giggled Seiga. "Just got to get those sleeves off- OW!" Seiga felt a sharp bite on her ankle. Her face screwed up in agony.

Miko and Tojiko were instantly on the alert, eyes swiveling and spell-cards readied. Yoshika just stood there and dreamed of roast dinners.

"Get off! Get off!" shrieked Seiga, desperately shaking her leg. With blood running over her teeth and the ground repeatedly smacking against her, Nazrin hung on for dear life.

"The mouse?!" gasped Tojiko.

"She's no big deal. Get her!" yelled Miko, lunging at Nazrin.

Nazrin disengaged her teeth and ducked behind Seiga. Miko ploughed into her legs. Seiga sprawled on top of Miko, flattening her against the ground.

"Nazrin...!" breathed Shou. "Oh, Nazrin, you came for me!"

"Shou, what have they done to you?!" cried Nazrin.

"They balanced swords on my nose and tickled me! Oh, it was horrible..." Shou sniffled. "I never found that handkerchief. Nazrin, I'm so sorry!"

"Oh, Shou..." A lump rose in Nazrin's throat. "You mean more to me than a hundred handkerchiefs. You're my sister, Shou! I love you!" She turned her blazing eyes upon Tojiko and unsheathed her dowsing rods. "Do you hear me, you mean old Taoist?! Nobody hurts Shou! Begone, or face my wrath!"

Tojiko zapped Nazrin with lightning until she passed out.

"Nazrin! NO!" screamed Shou. The sight of her little mousie friend smouldering on the ground filled her with white-hot anger. She sprang towards Tojiko, snarling like a wild beast.

Shou struck Tojiko with a force that knocked the wind out of her and slammed her into the earth. Shou drew back a clenched fist, roared again and punched Tojiko in the face, bloodying her nose. She bared her teeth and lunged at Tojiko's throat. Her jaws snapped shut on thin air as Tojiko drifted straight through her.

Shou whirled around just in time to take a bolt of lightning in the face. She fell on her bottom with a plaintive yelp.

"Is your nose all right?" asked Miko, her face full of concern.

"I'll live." Tojiko wiped away some blood with her sleeve.

"In a manner of speaking!" Miko winked and picked up her sword. "Right then, time to put the cat out for the night."

"Come on, Yoshika! Show them what a jiang shi can do!" said Seiga brightly.

Yoshika sighed. "If I absolutely have to..."

Shou's heart was pounding. She knew four enemies was more than she could manage, but she was at least going to avenge Nazrin. She clenched her fists and tried to keep her knees from knocking while she stared down the Taoists. Without another word, Miko charged. She had not gone far when Byakuren's foot smacked into her earmuff.

Miko screamed as she hit the compost heap in a shower of nutritious soil. Byakuren somersaulted overhead and landed heavily in front of Shou. Minamitsu and Kyouko touched down either side of them, with anchor and broom at the ready.

"You?!" Miko's eyes widened. "It's too late for you, Byakuren! Nazrin is already dead!"

"No I'm not!" declared Nazrin. "Wish I was, though. That lightning really stings."

"Oh." Miko blushed.

Byakuren reached inside her pocket and pulled out a glowing orb with a pointy golden roof. Shou's heart leapt at the sight of her sacred pagoda.

"I found this on your bedside table. It wasn't anything important, was it?" Byakuren smiled and tossed the pagoda over to Shou.

"Oh, Byakuren, thank you!" cried Shou, catching the pagoda. Her face lit up as the golden light warmed her hands. All of a sudden there was no fear or doubt, just the light of Bishamonten throughout her body. In that moment, Shou seemed to grow a foot taller.

Tojiko and Seiga shrank back as they saw the gleam in Shou's eyes, but Miko held her ground. Yoshika wasn't quite sure what was going on, so she blew her nose on her hat.

"Ms Toyosatomimi," said Byakuren severely, "I'm not going to bother with the 'we can choose not to fight' speech, because you've never listened before and I don't think this time is going to be any different. And honestly, after what you did Nazrin-"

"That was Tojiko!"

"First of all, Tojiko is under your command and therefore your responsibility. Second of all, you were about to attack my closest partner and I'm going to make you eat those earmuffs." Byakuren took a deep breath. "Budhhists, advance!"

"Taoists, charge!"

The groups clashed in a frenzy of flailing fists and lightning-fast kicks. Miko's sword flashed through the air, tearing through cloth and skin without mercy. Tojiko hurled lightning far and wide. Byakuren fought with the strength of ten women, turning Miko's steel aside with her bare hands, and Shou managed to throw Seiga clean over the temple.

"Oh, no! Master!" Yoshika stopped chewing on Kyouko's ears and ran to retrieve her. With two warriors down, Miko and Tojiko soon felt the bitter taste of defeat. The bitter taste of well-worn earmuffs came shortly afterwards for Miko, who was going to have a very disturbed night.

Shou's stomach was fine thanks to a large bowl of rice and some steamed vegetables, but she still couldn't get to sleep.

"Byakuren?"

"Hmm?" Byakuren rolled over and propped her head up on one hand.

"I shouldn't have let them get the better of me." Shou sighed deeply and stared up at the ceiling. "Lord Bishamonten wouldn't have waited until he was flat on his back with a sword on his nose and a twin-tailed ghost tickling his feet..."

Byakuren ruminated on that for a moment, then she snorted loudly and embarked on a fit of the giggles.

"Is... Is it that funny? Really?"

"N-no! Of course not...!" Byakuren struggled to keep her face straight.

"I mean, I should've just kicked Miko in the face and gone for help! Instead, Nazrin got hurt and you all had to come and rescue us. I was weak, Byakuren," said Shou miserably. "I let you all down."

"Don't say that!" Byakuren seemed momentarily angry. "Yes, we went out of our way for you, but I know you'd do the same for any of us. And I know you wouldn't ask for anything in return, so don't worry about 'making it up to me' either."

"I would, but... I just feel like..." Shou sighed. "Some avatar of Bishamonten, aren't I?"

"Shou. Listen to me. You can train harder and learn how to cope with stressful situations, but there is NOTHING wrong with who you are right now. Come on, you're brave and strong and kind and gentle, and a hard worker to boot, and all the villagers and the juniour priests look up to you!" Byakuren's face softened. "Shou, don't ever start thinking you're a burden. All of us are so much better with you here."

"You... You are? Everyone in the temple?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Wow..." Shou's lips curved upwards in a faint smile. "Thanks, Byakuren."

Byakuren said nothing. She just leaned over, draped her arm over Shou and hugged her until the morning came.

[purplepeanutss-blog]

Avoiding the unavoidable

The sun had not yet laid to rest as the monsters started appearing. The houses were not used to the sight of them. Now, they hid gingerly behind an assortment of lights and strings. Streets that normally sat quietly now were covered with beasts of all ages. Sitting at my window, I watch as children scream in delight. From here I can’t hear the chatter, I only watch the mouths move. I open the window, knocking my drink onto the windowsill, shit. The mouths I watched move now sync with human conversation.

I close the window.

Silently, I watch a young mother take the hand of her child. She is dressed in a silky black dress, an inky coloured cape and a pointy brimmed hat. Her hair sprouted from the back of her hat, the blonde reflecting the sun’s final departure. She took her child’s hand and quickened her pace, ‘no no’ she mouthed. Her head darted between the house on the corner and her young child. I let out a laugh, the kid was dressed as a tiny president.

I decide I���m going to call the mother Charlotte. Charlottes always had a way of avoiding the unavoidable. Maybe it’s the name, Charlotte. It’s easy on the tongue, but gets the point across in only two syllables. They are simple yet beautiful creatures, but when things go sour, they disappear into a swell of light and fury.

I make myself another drink, forced to venture downstairs for another bottle.

On my return I decide to watch the house at the end of the street. It had not bothered to decorate itself, no lights, no pumpkins, not even a bowl filled with sweets. Every light inside remained switched off, with the exception of a small candle lit in the basement window. Trying to guess what sort of man lives there would send me into a spiral. Psychopath, serial killer, taxidermist, man, women. No definitely man. Maybe a family, or maybe no one at all. My thoughts turned to images, a man, tools in hand, the sound of struggling…

I shake my head.

I reach for a drink

If I knocked on the door, who would answer? Would I be welcome with a smile, or pushed away?

I head downstairs for another bottle.

The street was cold. The wind blew the leaves off the ground and into a spiral. Without warning, a small child grabs my coat, ‘What are you meant to be?’ I frowned, and he ran back to his mother. Crossing the road was a nightmare, too many people, too many monsters. I watched E.T and the Queen of England fight over a handful of candy. Darth Vader ran into my shoulder. My bottle hit the ground. I wanted to run after him, show him exactly what I thought of the Star Wars franchise, but my legs refused to move. Maybe the shops were still open, I could drive to the store. No, not enough fuel.

I dance my way across the road. There isn’t any music, but navigating others required a sort of rhythmic system. On step left, forward, around, right, quickly back, forward…

The grass out front of the house was dead. Once it lined with rose bushes that now didn’t bloom. Their petals however, laid dead on the ground. The trees had shed their leaves, and the birds didn’t sing.

I started to shiver.

The single candlelight flickered until the glow faded away. Darkness seemed to follow this place, the chatter behind me faded and the moonlight didn’t reach this far. The door was hard against my hand. I had no intention to knock, I didn’t realise I had until I heard footsteps approaching. The man who answered the door smelled funny, like lavender and dirt. He was dressed in a battered baseball jacket, brown linen pants, and a blue woollen sweater. Mud caked his clothing, and grass stained the knees of his pants. He did not wear shoes, but stood in thick woolen socks with a hole in each foot. As he frowned, his face wrinkled in every way, maybe that was just how he looks. Behind him, sat a pile of rusty garden tools.

“I’m out of candy kid, move along.”

I froze.

He studied me, moving his head along with his eyes.

I realise what I look like.

Before I can muster a reply he nods.

“Ah, I see. Come inside, I’ll get you some tea.” While nodding, I stumble into his home.

Everything still smells weird, but now I cradle a teacup in front of my face.

“What brings you here? I’m sure a young person like you could be at a number of parties tonight.”

I don’t even know how to reply, I just hang my head and study the floor.

“Ah, some flowers bloom before others. Those who stay a seed never see anything. Yes I know, some seeds need water and tender care to sprout but only ones who have not evolved.”

I nod

“Seeds sometimes try and flower before their time, but never can they achieve their full beauty. They must remain patient and calm, and mature into themselves when the time is right. Flowers will die, that is a fact. But they always spread themselves, their stories and hope to other places. So then more seeds and grow around them and keep their beauty alive.”

I start to cry. Tears roll down my cheeks and into my tea. My face is warm. The stranger takes my now cold cup and replaces it with a small packet.

“Here, now on you go my friend.”

Tears fall harder and faster, I turn to thank him but he has busied himself with his tools. As I close the door, I stop and smell the roses.