#shes also a tan colored cat with brown eyes if anyone wants to draw her

[noroi1000]

Hi can I request a romantic male jjk matchup please? Here’s my details

• bisexual

• She/her

• Height: 5’0”

• personality type: INFP

• Age: 24

• I have originally dark brown (almost black) wavy hair but I bleached all of it recently so it’s now platinum blonde and I’ve kept it short for years (it’s now in a wolfcut style). I have dark brown eyes and a light to tan skin. My style varies from moment to moment. Sometimes I like wearing clothes with light colors (imagine Lana del Rey vibes) and sometimes I like wearing clothes with a dark aesthetic (my friends told me I look like an egirl one time). I like animals and would like to have a pet cat or dog someday

• Personality:

I could say I’m a really sensitive person. I feel a lot, especially empathizing with other people. And because of this, I find it hard to conceal whatever I feel.

I also enjoy observing people and their body language. I kinda hate small talks so I don’t usually don’t interact with people I know. However, my friend told me that they notice that people get attracted to me (both platonically and romantic) and I make friends that easily if I want to.

I’ve learned that you can’t please everyone, so I usually do whatever I want and ignore other people cuz we’re all gonna die eventually so why bother think about what others think. I’m usually loud around my friends but I try to be more soft-spoken towards adults, but I also don’t let anyone belittle or manipulate me and cut the interaction right there if I sensed that they’re doing that, even adults. I also believe that it doesn’t matter if you share your blood. If they disrespect you, I also give the same disrespect back, even for adults. People often think that I’m this reserved person and can’t do any harm, but I’m actually the opposite but of course I would cause harm if it’s really necessary, like for attaining justice. And since I have a strong sense of justice, I don’t condone wrong doings. So if someone, even a family member, does something bad that affected other people, I will do whatever it takes for that person to get what they deserve and more.

I love hanging out with people that I could talk with everything and nothing at the same time. Like we could joke about anything random but talk about philosophy or psychology next. The recent topic I’m interested the most is about ethics and morality and questions about what is right and wrong. I don’t mind pda, but I don’t really do it that often. My love language is just hanging out and do whatever like watching movies, going somewhere, or just talking. I also like giving gifts and also appreciates so much if someone gave me gifts.

My hobbies are drawing, playing guitar, singing, making resin stuff, reading, playing chess, cooking, and sometimes writing. 

Also, I have a big fascination about death and the concept of it. I think that concept is really beautiful no matter what culture the concept is from.

Thank you very much!

I think your Jujutsu kaisen matchup is

Choso

Choso is a calm person. Even if he has someone to talk to, he rarely does. He's more secretive.

Even among friends or family, he won't talk much. Often times, he doesn't show his emotions at all. However, his relatives know him, they know that he is a very affectionate person.

However, once his emotions get to the bottom of it, he can't hide it. Especially when it comes to his relatives. He will be sad or furious and he will not be able to hide it.

Very often he just ignores the people around him. He doesn't care what happens to them. Death is a natural thing. He knows that he cannot help them, and he would not like to help them either. Not everyone deserves it. The only people I want to protect are my loved ones. No one more.

He also doesn't care what others think about him. They may say that he acts strange, looks strange. If someone accepts him as he is, he will be better for that person. He may find it very valuable.

He can only be louder for close people. If he is only with them, he can smile and play. (Even though he'll be a little calmer anyway)

He is soft to everyone who is close to him. But he hates even family members who hurt someone close to him. He can hate with all his heart.

When he loves someone, he does it as hard as he can. If he hates someone, that's also the case. A hated person cannot be respected.

He will not allow anyone to hurt his relatives, and he will not allow himself to be manipulated to accidentally hurt them. He doesn't want this.

He causes fear among people. He's just the way he is. Emotional, dispassionate, looking as if he wants to die or kill others, he calls. Sometimes they think he's weak because he looks like it. In fact, sometimes they are scared and sometimes they are not. It depends on the person.

He doesn't care what he has to do to the person he hates. He will protect loved ones. He also doesn't care what happens to someone. He would piss him off with something once, and he would certainly not be enjoyable meeting them. He will only try to hurt this person at all costs in order to bring justice.

He doesn't tolerate hurting other people. So even if he's a family member, he's going to make him feel even worse. But he couldn't hurt his younger siblings. They are always calm and nice about him. They love their older brother.

He also would like to have someone he can always trust and trust. Someone who can light up his life.

Headcanon:

• He could never hurt you. He believes that you make everything clear and that you also defend your beliefs. That you protect others around you, no matter who they are.

Even if you defend him. He would like to smile and cheer you on, but he will never leave you alone. He himself will protect you while you want to protect him.

He will be the enforcer for your justice.

• While he doesn't look, he is able to smile and joke. Really. All he need is the right people. Just the right people.

Even though it may seem that he has nothing interesting to say, especially funny, he may be doing something that will make you laugh. Even if not, he'll laugh at what you're laughing at. Talking to him is not so boring.

But talking to him about more serious topics is interesting. He could talk about the meaning of life and also (when you start this topic) about morality, ethics and what is good and bad. He may not know it, but he says everything as he thinks. He presents his views and will also gladly listen to yours.

• You can do whatever you want with him in any company. You can touch him, and if you don't want to, don't. Your touch is for him like a pleasant form in the pain of life. But it won't force you to do it everywhere.

When you don't mind, when you are walking, he will hold your hand or wrap his hands around you. Only the moment he knows he won't bother you.

If he could choose where to go, he would choose nice places where there aren't many people. Peaceful walks, quiet restaurant or whatever.

He would like to spend time with you always, no matter what. And he also does this to show you that he cares about you. He will do whatever you want for you.

He only does what you like. He does not force you to do anything and pays attention to what you feel comfortable with and what you are not comfortable with.

But he really wants you to like hugging him and showing him physical affection. His life is full of pain, and he would love you to soothe him as often as you can. Even if your mere presence makes him feel better.

• He can give you banal gifts and is also such a romantic… He only does what he knows. That's why he gives you gifts in the style of something you like, or sweet items, like a teddy bear, a pendant with a heart. (Don't worry, he probably won't bring you a pendant with a tiny bottle of his blood on it).

If you love him and he loves you, he would like to have some connection with you. It can even be something trivial like a matching pendant or whatever you want. (But if you want something weirder then go ahead)

• A fascination with death may be normal for him. If you are fascinated by death, you are fascinated by him. He is the only one of the nine pictures of death.

Despite the danger he poses to others, he is so soft to you that he is harmless. Needs a person who will think of him as someone with feelings and worry about him.

He just wants to hug and forget about the rest of his life.

• Everything you do is great for him. Any activity you like, you can also like it. It is important that she will be close to you.

"You're not afraid of me, are you? I would never want to hurt you. You are an important person to me. Thanks to you, I really feel alive."

[creatiview]

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[isabellawaites]

"hello, it's nice to meet you."

"I can tell your past, your present, and your future~"

-Basic Information-

Name: rose fall

Age: 19

Gender: genderqueer

Date of birth: september 26

Status: Alive

Hometown: village of paix

-Hybrid Information-

Hybrid: enderman

Additional Power: (enderman walk)

Rose can teleport and reach things as far as his eyesight can reach. But, he will get hurt if he make any contact with water and are allergic to pumpkin. 

Weapon(s) of Choice: Sapphire scythe

(His weapon was from parts of his tribes old weapons)

-Appearance-

Eye color : light green

Hair color : light golden brown

Hair length : over his shoulders

Skin tone : light tanned

Height : 176cm

Weight : perfectly healthy

Wardrobe :

Rose has somewhat curly brown hair that's usually tied in a long ponytail, usually wears a green ribbon. His eyes are light green, and his skin is light tanned. His facial features strongly resemble his mother's and his father's human form.

He wears a black shirt with rolled up-sleeves, over which is a red corset with black strings.

His outfit is topped by a red and black hooded cloak fastened to his throat by one pin.

Also wears fingerless gloves.

-Personality-

He's grumpy, blunt, but has a heart of gold.

He gives everyone more chances than most others would, as displayed with his ex and it takes a lot to really frustrate him.

Is a bit socially awkward when around new people, but he tries his best.

Though his anger is his greatest weakness, he becomes blind by rage, it often hurts his friends and he has a string guilt over it.

Rose has a hard times of letting go of things.

Like his sister, and his ex.

-background-

Rose is a hybrid, part endermen and part human.

His mother was a hybrid too, part piglin and human.

She was part of the piglin tribe that worshiped the god of blood, though she really didn't believe in it.

Rose’s father was part of the trading business between the end and the nether, but then got injured from a previous fight with a hunter.

Rose’s mother was able to heal the creature, and allow it to stay.

After some time together they fell in love, and they soon conceived. She gave birth to twins, rose and erica. Before anyone could find out about her children she soon left the tribe.

Her and the children lived in a village full of hybrids but one day, they were all killed.

She was killed by Hunter, mistaking her for a hybrid.

Rose and his sister were able to teleport away from the massacre. They lived in an abandoned house for 2 years before, but one day rose started endermen walking. Erica aggravated endermen rose, and because of that he accidentally kill her.

He blacked out and when he woke up he saw her dead corpse, and the blood in his hands. His mother’s parents find him crying in the woods, he explained to them what happened but they told him he couldn’t prevent it since it was accident. In her will she stated she wanted her son to live a normal life.

And she asked her parents to take care of her son. And soon the grandparents took rose in, rose’s grandparents were tarot readers, and soon enough rose picked up this talent as well.

When he turned 17, his grandparents passed away, and he rebuilds the building into a pharmacy. He becomes known throughout the city, and his appearance soon catches the eye of a certain governor’s son.

One day rose treated a cat with an injured leg, naming it "lily".

Though rose didn't know at the time that the cat belonged to crimson red, the governor's son.

One day as he was taking the cat for a walk he bumped into crimson, after rose explained about the cat him and crimson went for some drinks.

After some time together they became friends.

And they began to have feelings for each other, and they kind of confessed.

So I guess they kind of began dating?

But a other prince (the one who declared to kill all hybrids) begin to influence him in a bad way.

He become more serious and harsher to the hybrid opression.

One night, after some disagreements rose lash at him for his bullshit.

He knocked down crimson, rose immediately run away.

And after this kind of break up, he desperately wants him back realizing he was a fool.

-Relationship-

Prince : there's a rumor in the Kingdom that him and the prince were in romantic relationship, but due to an instant no one knows about they cut their ties without hesitation.

Erica : rose deeply loved and cared about his sister, he was extremely protective of her, though he didn't stop her from helping him during battles that he couldn't handle alone. Being the sole surviving members of a poor family, the siblings were very close, trusting and loving of one another.

His parents : don't even know who his father is. Rose clearly loved his mother very much, although they would constantly argue over his wish to leave the village. He was severely traumatized by witnessing her death, and his own powerlessness to prevent it.

-Like & Dislike-

Like :

Reading

Rose very much enjoys reading books and gaining knowledge. He usually reads books as a hobby, his current favorite book is heartless.

Singing and dancing

He's a very good singer like andrea. Usually will start singing if he's bored. He sometimes sings and dances with andrea.

Cooking

He finds it calming and relaxing, surprisingly good at it.

Cleaning

One of his hobbies, very good cleaning. Will also do it when he's very angry, it helps him calm down more.

Sewing

He started doing it when his sister started her trans process, it made him happy when his sister smiled. He likes helping the other sewing their clothes.

Riding horses

When he can't teleport, he started learning how to ride horses, he really likes the animals.

Archery

He began to practice in case he lost his scythe. Usually carries a bow in his bag, very good at it.

Painting and writing

He started doing it because he can't remember what he does while he's enderman walking. He shows much emotion in his drawings and his writing.

Alchemy

His mother taught him and his sister about the subject, he started selling potions to people who need help, and build a pharmacy.

Dislike :

Eye contact

Like his species, he doesn't really like eye contact.

Surprisingly he doesn't mind if it's from someone he deeply cares about.

Hurting innocent people

He doesn't understand why people enjoy hurting the innocent.

The correct Justice system

He doesn't really understand why people don't see it, one of his customers was treated badly because of it.

People who hates hybrids 

He doesn't understand or see the logic why people hate them. Will kill them without hesitation.

-Trivia-

Very much cares about animals, cats are his favorite.

[vannahfanfics]

New Year's Kiss, GrayLu

Hello, Anon! Thank you for requesting, and here’s your story! Hope you enjoy~

To New Beginnings

Lucy’s hands slid down her curvaceous sides as she smoothed out the fabric of the elegant chocolate-brown kimono hugging her body while she admired herself in the mirror. It really was a beautiful work of craftsmanship; though the earthy brown served as the base color for the clothing, it was accentuated with flower patterns made simply of thin lines, outlined in bright white and warm beige and sandy tan. The center of each flower was filled in with tiny beads to give the kimono a textural pop. The look was completed with a soft silk sash wrapped around her waist of white, a fashionable contrast to the darker tones of her look.

Lucy wasn’t quite used to wearing kimonos, given the westernized, modern society of Fiore, but she found she actually appreciated the garment as comfortable and chic; on a recent mission, Wendy had visited a more traditional mountain village and had been enraptured by the fashion, and as a gift for her assistance they had presented her with a beautiful hand-crafted kimono. Wendy had been ecstatic but afraid that the garment would look very out-of-place in a contemporary place like Magnolia City, so Lucy had suggested the idea of their annual New Year’s Party having a kimono theme. They all wanted to see Wendy happy, after all, and the little girl had been so overjoyed at her suggestion. So here Lucy was, turning this way and that investigating how the new piece of clothing accentuated her figure and nodded approvingly. She just loved nice-looking clothes!

“Hey, Lucy!” The blonde-haired girl smiled wryly at the reflection of the grinning boy with cotton-candy hair perched in her window, who was holding up a hand in greeting. Natsu’s kimono was a fiery red with dappled salmon patterns across the surface like it had been sponged with paint, but not in a messy or unpleasing way. His obi was white, as well, to match the dragonscale scarf wrapped around his neck. As she turned around to greet him, Happy squeezed through the window to land on her floor with an oompf!; he hastily jumped to his feet to proudly display his own little custom kimono of sapphire blue patterned with jumping light gray carp.

“Lucy! Lucy! Does it make me look handsome?”

“You’re the handsomest little man I’ve ever seen, Happy,” she assured him with an endearing smile. He whirled around to Natsu puffing out his chest in pride, tail waving back in forth in a clear display that he was exceptionally pleased.

“She called me handsome!

“Natsu! You were supposed to bring food too, y’know!” she scolded him as he dashed down the hallway laughing maniacally. A half-ass apology drifted behind him as he all but dashed down the hall, and Lucy groaned loudly as she heard the distant clinking of ceramic and glass as he attacked the small array of party foods she had prepared for the evening. Happy stood in the doorway of her bedroom looking guilty, holding his paws together as he stared at the floor.

“I’m sorry, Lucy… I had fish crackers made, but… I got so hungry this afternoon that I ate them all myself!” he sniffled pathetically. Happy was making such a sad display that it was hard to be mad at him, and she wouldn’t have been in the first place, because really it would have been the other Exceeds who had eaten the snack anyway. She smiled softly and walked over to crouch down and pat his soft little blue head.

“Don’t worry, Happy, it’s all right. There will still be plenty of food for everyone,” she reassured him. He grinned widely at her and dried his tears right there and then before whirling on his paws and taking off down the hall shouting at Natsu to wait for him. Lucy breathed a deep sigh and rubbed at one of her temples; the night had only just begun, and she was beginning to question why she had agreed to host the gathering at her house instead of pawning it off on someone else…

~~~~~~~~~~

It was no time at all before everyone arrived and the party was fully underway, several hours before the clock struck midnight and they would usher in the new year. Though Natsu had absorbed a notable amount of her freshly prepared food in his gullet in the short time it took her to walk down the hall, all it had taken was a whack to the back of his head with a wooden spoon to send him scampering to the couch whining like a literal wounded dog. He was even wearing a pair of glistening puppy-dog eyes, but unfortunately for him, Lucy was immune to such childish ploys. Unlike his forgetful self, the rest of the guests brought food for all of them to enjoy, so his dent really didn’t end up cause much damage. The settled around her kotatsu table (that she had bought on sale from a local odds-and-ends furniture store to complete Wendy’s vision of a traditional New Year) laughing and cutting up and enjoying the snacks. The time was about ten-thirty when someone (she honestly could not remember who) brought out the alcohol and things began to get a bit more raucous. Suddenly, a slightly pink-faced Levy who was snuggled in the arms of the much brawnier Gajeel gasped aloud.

“Oh, dear! We have to decide who each other’s New Year’s kiss will be!” she exclaimed. Her shoulders were falling out of her spring-inspired kimono, sky blue with colorful butterflies matching the ornament in her wavy blue hair, and with pursed lips Gajeel casually adjusted it for her. She giggled and lifted up her head to press a kiss against his chin. “Thanks, honey~ I mean for you guys, because obviously I have mine,” she purred while sloshing around a bottle of sake. Gajeel blushed lightly and looked away, muttering something unintelligible.

“Yo, Erza, is Jellal stopping by?” Gray asked teasingly as he leaned onto the table with wiggling eyebrows. Erza turned the shade of her hair and looked down at her lap in complete embarrassment. Her hands dug into the fabric of her simple black kimono before twisting into her sunset-colored sash.

“I-I have no idea what you are suggesting! I-I mean… If anyone were to be my New Year’s kiss, that would be- Ah! No! I don’t have to talk about this with you all!” she wailed and buried her face into her hands with a mortified wail. Laughter erupted around the room; Gray’s stopped short and turned into a grunt as Juvia threw herself onto his back and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Gray, my darling! Surely you will be Juvia’s kiss, yes?” she purred delightedly while nuzzling the back of his head with her cheek. Her lavender kimono with accents the shade of her hair was a stark contrast to Gray’s midnight blue one patterned with gray stripes, but they also complimented each other well. Gray didn’t seem to think that sentiment extended to their personal lives.

“No way. I don’t buy into that girly crap.” He mumbled as he shoved a custard-filled confectionary of Levy’s creation into his mouth. Juvia let out a wheedling whine and melted into a puddle-literally- behind him before slinking off in half-water form to seek comfort from a wine bottle. Wendy, who was sitting beside Lucy, fidgeted uncomfortably in worry.

“I don’t have anybody to give me a New Year’s kiss,” she murmured miserably as tears welled up in her round eyes. Lucy tutted in a motherly fashion and wrapped her hands around the side of her head to pull her into a hug (more like squish the poor girl into her cleavage, but she was a bit tipsy already). Wendy’s response was muffled as Lucy lovingly stroked her hair, which she had let flow free rather than contain it in pigtails.

“S’okay, Wendy! I’ll be your New Year’s kiss, don’t worry!” Natsu laughed while waving around a bottle, and he hastily added with an affronted look and a blush, “I meant on the cheek; damn, guys, I’m not a creep!” Wendy’s head popped out of Lucy’s grasp to look at him with joyful, sparkling eyes. She clasped her hands together as she stared at him in total admiration.

“Really, Natsu, you mean it?”

“O’course! Why should you miss out just because you’re a little younger than us?” he grinned and leaned over to throw his thick arm around her neck and snuggle into her affectionately. Happy tottered over to Carla with big, begging eyes, and the pretty white cat snorted in derision but obviously must’ve agreed because Happy crowed ecstatically, throwing his little paws in the air. Pantherlily looked disgruntled for a second before Carla nudged him in the shoulder and told him that she would give him one, too, and the buff black cat turned away bashfully, toeing at the fibers of the rug beneath him.

With all the talk about New Year’s kissing, Lucy was suddenly very acutely aware that she had no one to give her a kiss, either. Something about that fact made her exceptionally depressed. Perhaps it was the alcohol; it always resulted in her having disastrous mood swings, if the stories that Natsu told her were true. It wasn’t that Lucy thought that at this point in her life she would already have somebody to share such things with; after all, she was still young and had plenty of time to pursue romantic endeavors. However, seeing Levy and Gajeel and Gray and Juvia and even Erza and Jellal moving forward with their relationships (whether established or not) suddenly made her very conscious that she had nobody, nobody at all, she was even considering as a romantic partner. Her shoulders sagged a little as she pouted down at her little plate half-full of food that she now couldn’t stomach eating. Not wishing to ruin the fun everyone else was having, she brooded in silence. The melancholy slowly swallowed her up like a gaping abyss steadily drawing her in with an unbeatable current, until she was stranded in the black depths with nothing but the sadness and crushing dark. As Levy gleefully announced that it was nearly time, Lucy quietly excused herself from the table to walk into the other room, where she stood in front of the window trying not to cry.

This is so stupid, she told herself bitterly. All this fuss over a kiss. Lucy wasn’t quite drunk enough to be unaware of how pointless her roiling emotions were, but apparently drunk enough that the statement didn’t keep her from sulking anyway. She knew there would be many more New Years’ to come, and eventually she would be spending them with someone who loved her, but for some reason right now she was incredibly impatient. It seemed to her, in her sad, clouded mind, that everybody in the world had someone to share a kiss with at midnight but her. She knew that was entirely untrue, but alcohol made her so aggravatingly dramatic. She clenched her teeth as the first set of tears rolled down her cheeks, which were flushing red with frustration with herself. She pushed her hand into her face to try and catch them before anyone noticed. I can’t believe myself! What has gotten into me?

She could hear them yelling as they counted down. “Ten! Nine! Eight!” She wasn’t sure what saddened her more, the fact that they were all having so much fun and here she was being a stick in the mud, or that they hadn’t noticed her disappearance. “Seven! Six! Five!” She should really go back in there, but she couldn’t bring herself to. She was rooted to the spot with watery brown eyes staring through the glass, ever so lightly frosted by the chill outside. “Four! Three! Two! One!” Her eyes beheld the glittering expanse of stars. How she loved the stars. They always reminded her of her mother, softly flickering with an unwavering light… “Happy New Year!” all her friends screamed in the other room, laughing and sloshing alcohol all over themselves and her floor, giggling as they all partook in their New Year’s kisses.

“Happy New Year,” Lucy whispered miserably with a voice impossibly thick with longing.

“Happy New Year, Lucy.” She whipped around with a small gasp at the gentle voice behind her, shocked to find Gray standing there with a softly sad smile on his face. Guiltily, she shrunk into herself, drawing her arms to her chest as if to shield him from her inquisition. The rest of the group was chattering loudly back in the room, seemingly ignorant of the two of them standing out there. He had his head tilted down knowingly as his stormy dark eyes looked at her as if he knew all her secrets. She felt her heart thump hard in her chest; there was just so something… evocative about the look he was giving her, so raw and powerful and dare she say, sensual.

“S-So, I take it Juvia stole a kiss from you?” It was her pitiful attempt to play off the situation. He shrugged with a boyish smirk.

“All it took was a little peck on the cheek and she fainted,” he remarked casually. Lucy was beside herself suddenly; why was she relieved that Juvia and Gray had not actually kissed? All of a sudden it was like a flickering movie reel began to roll in her head, rapidly streaming through all of her and Gray’s history together… Natsu was her truest friend, her partner, but… There had always been something bubbling at the surface with Gray too that she could never really name. Considering that Juvia was always there combatting for his affections and they were always embroiled in some momentous battle or another, Lucy had never really cared to name that feeling, but right there, as he crossed the short distance between them to gently take her elbow with one hand and sweep her blonde hair from her face with the other, she was beginning to think that mysterious flutter of unknown feeling was in fact the fledgling bird of love.

“Gray,” she murmured pleadingly, though she wasn’t really sure what she was pleading for. Instinctively, her body leaned forward to just barely press into his. His hand fell from her elbow to land at her hip, lovingly hugging the natural curve of her figure. Tears still glittered on her lashes as she blinked up at him imploringly, and they fell like fruit from a tree to roll down her cheeks, only for his thumb to gently sweep them away.

“I’m sorry it’s not right on time,” he whispered. There was a husky, desiring tone in his low voice that made Lucy shudder lightly. Their eyes remained locked in a smoldering gaze the entire time, never wavering. Fire and electricity bloomed over the sensitive skin of her cheek as the tip of his finger ever-so-lightly feathered over it, “but Happy New Year,” he repeated in a whisper before his face enclosed over hers. Lucy’s eyelashes fluttered shut in anticipation of his lips meeting hers, but nothing could physically prepare her for the feeling. His mouth melded against hers as if they were simply made to fit together, soft and pliable yet firm and sure. Lucy’s hands curled into the fabric of his kimono over his chest in the instinctual need to ground herself, as something burst inside of her with the intensity of water surging through a dam. Sparked danced where his lips met hers, smearing the lingering taste of liquor over her lips for the aroma to waft up her nose. She wasn’t sure if that or the act in itself was intoxicating her, but inebriated she became; her legs became wobbly and her mind fogged over with a thick mist that prevented her from thinking of anything else besides the man holding her and kissing her with a fervent yet tender passion. When he pulled away from her, she swore he took her breath with him, because she had to inhale sharply. Her eyes drifted back open to see him smiling warmly down at her. “Feel better?”

“Mhmm,” she answered, suddenly shy. He sneered confidently at her in a dashing way that sent her heart to skittering like a pebble across concrete. Oh, dear, I have gotten myself into something, haven’t I? she thought as she tried to find an expression to match what she was feeling, only there were so many emotions at once that it was just one confusing mess. Gray chuckled under his breath and pulled away, only grabbing her wrist to tug her back into the room. Lucy was not sure how to explain her sudden disappearance to all her friends, but Gray had it covered.

“Man, Lucy, how could you run off to the bathroom right as it turns midnight? You missed all the fun,” he scolded her with a click of his tongue and a shake of his head. Everyone in the room jumped at her at once with New Years’ glee, and Lucy laughed, glad again to be surrounded by all of them. Gray, standing at the other end of the table with a powered glass of sake, raised it to her with a wink. “To new beginnings.”

“To new beginnings!” the rest of them cheered loudly and drank, though they had no idea of the message underneath that seemingly simple dedication. As she sipped at a cup of wine, eyes linked to Gray’s the entire time, she nodded in understanding.

“To new beginnings.”

Enjoy this oneshot? Feel free to perusemy Tableof Contents!

Tag List: @searchfortheonepiece

[thicclaurance]

Holden and Bea Everette

This is my character submission to @asshole--official ‘s Journals character contest. (For those who don’t know it ends May 20th). I tried submitting this before but I have a better tactic this time picture wise!!

This post will be long, I apologize and please stick it out, I spent the past 3-4 weeks ironing all the details out of my characters (I also apologize for submitting two, but they’re twins).

They’re intwined with a story I’m working on and are close with my character, Serephina, in no way shape or form does she have to be physically included in your story. She’s just apart of their backstory.

But let’s get into it!!

These are the twins, Holden and Bea Everette and they’re color palettes - My specialty definitely is NOT drawing people

And a shared moodboard for them

Holden and Bea Everette

A set of fraternal human twins assumed to be orphaned at birth. Raised in the Yggdrasil forest, primarily by an elf named Tiana, until they were in their mid teens. Upon leaving they had a hard time with the dramatic shift of society, not used to being faced with other humans let alone ones that were aware of their own mortality and aging process.

They’ve lived in Falcon Claw for about 5 years now and live on the outskirt of town so when the village fell they were not affected in large matter. Holden works as a guard, and Bea does not work in town but does the housework and cares for a garden where she grows vegetables and flowers. They don’t leave the village often, only for the occasional visit to the Yggdrasil forest or when Holden is tasked with leaving the village for work.

They share a friend who currently resides in Brightport (will later move to Phoenix Drop, she’s the protagonist in a story I’m working on.). Her name is Serephina Maureen, who they are very attached to, and happens to be a witch. They met as children while Serephina was visiting the Yggdrasil forest with her mentor (who will eventually be revealed in my story). The twins are very close to her and she occasionally visits.

Animals they own (Bea names all the animals, they’re all after plants as well):

White shorthair cat - Cy (short for Cyclamen) - male

Tan longhair cat - Ginger - female

White hen - Daisy - female

Tan hen - Sunny (short for Sunflower) - female

Brown hen - Apple - female

Gray goat - Mel (short for melon) - female

White horse with black mane - Baby (short for Baby’s Breath) - male

Gray, purple, and green rock dove - Snap (short for snapdragon) - male

The cats are free roam - they’re allowed anywhere they please and often tag along with Bea during her daily life, occasionally Holden when he’s not on the job. They sleep inside every night. On the right of the farm there’s a small barn, it’s only used for storage holding Mel and Baby at night and on rainy days. Baby is Holden’s horse and accompanies him at work and on journeys. The coop is right next to the barn and holds the hens at night and on rainy days. When she’s there to watch over them, Bea allows the hens and Mel to roam around the property. Snap is Holden’s bird mainly used for sending and delivering messages. When not delivering, Snap either accompanies Holden to work or sleeps in his cage (a classic bird cage), Serephina, the most common recipient of the letters keeps a cage for him in her home to allow him to rest. When Serephina does not have access to Snap for sending a letter the twins with recieve a letter from her familiar, a black crow named Cobb (male).

Here’s a very very very rough sketch on how I imagined their farm. I’m not attached to it whatsoever so it can be changed however you please. I thought it’d be nice to include this just in case.

Let’s get into personal bios!!

Bea

A semi short girl standing at 5”3, with waist length blonde hair. Shares the same green eyes and light skin as her brother as well as a face of freckles.

She’s ditsy and bubbly. Not that intelligent and is comedically blunt.

Being blunt allows her to be confrontational very easily. Isn’t afraid to stand up for herself and others

Cannot read a situation/room

She’s illiterate and has Holden write letters and reads letters and stories to her when needed.

Looks up to Serephina like an older sister (she’s actually older than Sere by six months) and during her visits she enjoys following her around and spending as much time with her as possible.

Dabbles with elven magic. Barely capable of doing it though, the only thing she able to do is speed up the growing process of plant.

Favorite color: dusty pink

Though she’s usually secluded, when around others she’s a social butterfly - going into town isn’t common though

Will befriend anyone and anything as long as they’re kind to her.

Capable of becoming angry, but it’s not common.

A bit of a hopeless romantic, she hopes to one day find love. She’s very oblivious and does not know how to flirt nor how to recognize flirting.

Would love to have children one day - wants a lt of children

Sexuality: Unknown

Capabilities

Cooking and baking - ranges from excellent to subpar depending on the dish

Cleaning

Taking care of living things - such as plants and animals

Gardening

Strength: Strong enough to carry the animals (excluding Baby) baskets of crops - incapable of self defense.

Sewing and embroidery

Slight capability to draw

Slight capability at magic

Intelligence: mediumish - very ditsy and forgets a lot of facts of things she doesn’t particularly care about, can remember trails to get back home and facts about people - gives good life advice

Healing: Capable of healing wounds using herbs grown in her garden. Able to stitch wounds up and patch up in general. No where near a doctor

Her hobbies include:

House work - cooking/ baking

She learned to take care of a house while growing up in the Yggdrasil forest, being ditsy she occasionally forgets or mixes us some steps and things go wrong, such as but are not limited to; salty pies, unmade beds, the occasional over or undercooked meal. Holden is usually there to lend a hand when she needs one.

She tends to the animals they have around the home She takes trips into town for items they don’t have access to at home, such as wheat and cloth. But will occasionally sell extra farm or animal goods. Selling is not common because her and Holden survive well on Holden’s salary.

Gardening

Gardening was something she picked up after leaving the forest. Where she did know how to speed up the growing process she had no idea how to normally care for a garden. She was taught the basic by Serephina, who grows her own herbs, and by Holden reading some gardening notes/books to her. She grows her own herbs and vegetables such as; carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, lettuce, radishes, beets, and fruits such as pumpkins, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. She also enjoys growing various types of flowers. She names all her animals after plants.

Favorite flower: Daisies

Some other plants she grows: Lilies (Serephina’s favorite flower), Snapdragons (Holden’s favorite flower), Carnations (Tiana’s favorite flower.), Catnip

Artistic Hobbies

She began drawing in the forest and takes it up when she has nothing particular to do. She’s not particularly talented, she’s mediocre at best, but that doesn’t stop her from doing what she enjoys

Sewing and knitting. She repairs her and Holden’s clothes when needed. She also makes quilts and blankets, as well as making the occasional piece of clothing. She enjoys embroidering flowers at the edges on blankets and towels.

She finds working with flowers as artistic. She makes her own flower crowns, is always seen wearing one. Arranges bouquets to keep around the house at all times. Enjoys pressing flowers, Holden gets upset when he goes to open a book and finds it filled with flowers.

Other

She likes to go for walks. Sometimes in fields, sometimes in the forest. She just like nature. Sometimes wanders off with one or both of the cats and just sits in an abandoned field or at the edge of a river and works on her latest project, sometimes its drawing, sometimes it’s knitting, sometimes it sewing or embroidery it depends on her mood. Usually brings a lunch or snack for her and the cat(s)

Outfits

She enjoys flowy clothing such as skirts and dresses.

Makes her own clothing, as well as her brother’s

Enjoys floral print if she able to find cloth with it, otherwise she might embroider a flower or two on the edge of the skirt

Never seems to be wearing shoes - she enjoys being barefoot

Wears shoes when he heads into town, just a little pair of flats

ALWAYS wearing a flower crown unless she’s sleeping or making a new one

Floral jewelry such as flowers ties together to make a bracelet

Wears aprons while cooking and baking - she embroidered Cy and Ginger on her apron.

Magic Limitations

Knows one spell

Speeds up the growth of plants

Doesn’t have enough magic power to do it often

Does it only when she needs to (ex: needs a plant for dinner and it has not grown enough)

Literally cannot do anything else

If she could read she’d try to learn more

Content with her level of power

If she had the chance to learn more magic she’d want to learn healing magic.

Likes

Animals

Plants - specifically flowers

Nature

Going for walks

Magic

People and social situations

Warm colors

Creating things

Being useful

Compliments

Being kind

Dislikes

Violence

Being unkind

The rain

Wolves (she’s afraid of them - werewolves (in human form) are fine though)

Snakes

Hard work being destroyed

Holden

A decently tall/ slightly above average height man that stands at 6” , with shaggy brunette hair. He slicks it back for work. Shares the same green eyes and light skin as his sister as well as a face of freckles.

Has a strong sense of justice and is calm and level headed. Watches out for his sister a lot. He’s a worrier, though he can stay calm and collected he’s always prepared for the worst

Can read and write, often reads books and letters to Bea, writes letter for her as well.

Enjoys reading

Has a crush on his childhood friend Serephina. It’s a very large crush and has trouble keeping his composure around her.

YEARS from now (like after the timeskip) he moves to Phoenix Drop to be near Sere

Knows how to do the hard work of farming such as tilling ground. Does so for Bea when its needed for her garden

Favorite color: midnight blue

Weird thing for boats. Has never ridden on a boat. Really wants to.

Secluded. Doesn’t enjoy being around others, very anti social. Only speaks when spoken to. Only heads into town for work

Works as a guard in town.

Capable of becoming angry, but it’s not common.

Currently only had eyes for Serephina, but if approached by someone who is in love with him he would accept and start a relationship with them even though he does not love them. He would try his best to treat them right and would want to fall for them.

Sexuality: straight - but on the verge of bi - not exactly sure if he’d date a man but also not against it.

Capabilities

Basic cooking - not that great

Cleaning

Farming - in the sense of plowing and sometimes planting

Strength: High - very capable of self defense. Carries a sword with him on the job

Reading and writing

Intelligence: Medium - much smarter than his sister, not in high enough intelligence to be a scholar

Hunting - can use a bow and a sword very well

His hobbies include:

Working

Holden works as a guard in Falcon Claw, he keeps quiet and is usually on parole. He’s good at breaking up fights whether its a petty argument or a physical one. Doesn’t talk to people that often, has a speak when spoken to attitude unless it’s his sister, he’s got the nickname “silent guard” because of his refusal to make conversation with the locals. Not particularly close with the Lord, more of an around the village guard, hopes to be promoted to being a personal guard though.

Reading

He was taught to read and write by one of the Elder elves in the Yggdrasil forest and loves delving into a story. He doesn’t have much time to read but once in a while he stops by the library and picks up a book or two. On his off time he goes with Bea to the river and reads while she sews or draws. Sometimes he reads books to his sister while they’re out there.

Writing

He doesn’t write often, and he’s no story teller. He keeps a journal that he’s kept up with since he learned to write. He’s also in charge of writing any letter him or Bea need to send.

Hunting

Usually only for food. He does well with a bow and brings home small animals most days that he’s off of work. He’s not against a vegetable only diet, but he thinks it’s beneficial to have meat in his and Bea’s diets. He prepares them as well seeing his sister bawls her eyes out every time she’s left to skin and gut an animal.

Artistic Hobbies

He wittles a little bit. Not talented enough to have a career in carving but he enjoys making little animal statues for his sister and customizing his arrows

Other

Like Bea, Holden also enjoys going for walks. But he’s more of a climbing kind of a guy and likes to hang out in trees in the forest by the house. He used to do the same as a kid and old habits die hard. He usually has a book, whittling tools, or arrows on him.

Outfits

Holden doesn’t put that much work into his outfits.

Usually a basic shirt, some baggy pants, a belt (usually just rope, he’s has nicer belts but rarely uses them), and a pair of boots.

Wears earthy tones; whites, tans, and browns.

Sometimes seen wearing a flower crown, by force of his sister

At work he wears armor,a basic set nothing special

His cape is yellow, he chose this color to try and impress Sere - she didn’t notice

Quiver for his arrows

Holder for sword.

Magic Limitations

Incapable of magic

Capable of learning

Likes

Working hard

His job

Boats

Reading

Writing

Hunting

His pets

Nature - specifically the woods

Being active

Earth tones

Feeling heroic

Being depended on

Dislikes

Criminals

People in general - ones he’s not familiar with

Small talk

The rain

Peas

Cows - he’s suspicious of cows for no reason

People who are rude

Feeling useless or unneeded

Once again, I apologize for the wicked long post. I hope you like my twins and they’re story, and I hope it’s enough for you to want have them as background characters in your story!!

For your troubles here’s a sketch I did of all of them and the animals:

I didn’t add much color, I just tried to indicate the animal’s colors and the color of Holden’s cape (that matches Serephina’s skirt)

[maheeia]

aesthetics // missy

Bolding what applies!

BODY.

Long legs. Short legs. Average legs. Slender thighs. Toned thighs. Thick thighs. Muscular thighs. Skinny arms. Toned arms. Soft arms. Muscular arms. Toned Stomach. Flat stomach. Flabby stomach. Soft stomach. Six-pack. Beer belly. Lean frame. Beefy/muscular frame. Voluptuous frame. Petite frame. Lanky frame. Short nails. Long nails. Manicured nails. Dirty nails. Flat ass. Toned ass. Bubble butt. Thick ass. Thigh brows. Small waist. Average waist. Thick waist. Narrow hips. Average hips. Wide hips. Big feet. Average feet. Small feet. Soft feet. Slender feet. Calloused hands. Soft hands. Big hands. Average hands. Small hands. Long fingers. Short fingers. Average fingers. Broad shoulder. Narrow shoulder. Underweight. Average weight. Overweight.

( a very voluptuous little thing, but proportioned, at the least. :P )

HEIGHT.

Shorter than 140 cm. 141 cm-150 cm. 151 cm to 160 cm. 161 cm to 170 cm. 171 cm to 180cm. 181 cm to 190 cm. 191 cm to 2m. Taller than 2 m.

( 154! 5′1. smal. tinee. not the smallest but.. she’s down there. )

SKIN.

Pale. Rosy. Olive. Mocha. Dark. Tanned. Blotchy. Smooth. Acne. Dry. Greasy. Soft. Scarred.

( i... added an option for skin color because... i just don’t know if those were sufficient descriptions... LOL )

EYES.

Small. Large. Average. Grey. Brown. Blue. Vivid Green. Gold. Hazel. Peach. Doe-eyed. Almond. Close-set. Wide-set. Squinty. Monolid. Heavy eyelids. Upturned. Downturned. Mis-matched. Half blind.

HAIR.

Thin. Thick. Fine. Normal. Greasy. Dry. Soft. Shiny. Curly. Frizzy. Wild. Unruly. Straight. Silky. Wavy. Floppy. Cropped. Pixie-cut?. Shoulder Blade length. Back length. Waist length. Buzz cut. Undercut. Bald. Jaw length. Mohawk. White. Platinum blonde. Golden blonde. Dirty blonde. Blondette. Ombre. Light brown. Mouse brown. Chestnut brown. Chocolate brown. Dark brown. Jet black. Ginger. Auburn. Dyed red. Dyed any “unnatural color”. Thin eyebrows. Average eyebrows. Thick eyebrows. Dark grey.

( mouse brown and chocolate brown because... it really depends on the day. i draw it differently all the time. OTL )

TATTOOS / PIERCINGS.

Full sleeve. Thigh tattoo. Neck tattoo. Chest tattoo. One tattoo. A few here and there. Multiple. No tattoos. Monroe piercing. Nose piercing. Septum. Nipple piercing(s). Genital piercing(s). Industrial piercings. Earlobe piercing(s). Prince Albert piercing. Eyebrow piercing(s). Tongue piercing(s). Lip piercing(s). Tragus piercing. Angelbites. Labret. Stretches out ears. Navel piercing. Inverse navel piercing. Cheek piercing(s). Smiley. Nape piercing(s). No piercings. Facial tattoo. Helix piercings. Back fur markings.

( she’s only got her firsts!! she’s always wanted a tattoo but never pulled the trigger on it. i’ve also considered giving her a navel piercing before, but i never have because i couldn’t decide if it was appropriate or just me being horny. :shrug: )

COSMETICS.

Eyeliner. Light eyeliner. Heavy eyeliner. Cat eyes. Mascara. Fake eyelashes. Matte lipstick. Regular lipstick. Lipgloss. Red lips. Pink lips. Dark lips. Bronzer. Highlighter. Eyeshadow. Neutral eyeshadow. Smoky eyes. Colorful eyeshadow. Blush. Lipliner. Light contouring. Heavy contouring. Powder. Matte foundation. Shiny foundation. Concealer. Wears make up regularly. Wears it from time to time. Never wears make up.

( she literally has no idea how to use makeup. put it in her hands and she’ll just stare at you. she’d have to get someone to do it for her if she wanted to wear it for an event or something. neeevveeer uses it. )

SCENT.

Floral. Fruity. Perfumes. Aftershave. Cocoa. Moisturiser. Shampoo. Cigarettes. Leather. Sweat. Food. Incense. Marijuana. Cologne. Whiskey. Wine. Fried food. Blood. Sugar. Cinnamon. Earth. Petrichor.

( missy’s got a fresh, natural scent about her. very earthy. borderline woodsy. also depends on the day, what she did and where she went, normally. )

CLOTHES.

Jeans. Tight pants. Overknee socks. Tights. Leggings. Yoga pants. Pencil skirt. Tight skirt. Loose skirt. Tight / formfitting dress. Cardigans. Blouse. Button up shirt. Band-T-shirt. Sports t-shirt. Sweatpants. Tank top. Fur. Faux fur. Leather. Designer. High street. Online stores. Thrift. Lingerie. ( maybe. ) Long skirt. Miniskirt. Maxi dress. Sundress. Tie. Tuxedo. Cocktail dress. Highslit dress / skit. T-shirt. Loose clothing. Tight clothing. Jean shorts. Sweater. Sweater vest. Khaki pants. Suit. hoodie. Harlem pants. Basketball shorts. Boxers. ( sometimes. ;3 ) Briefs. Thong. Hotpants. Hipster panties. Bra. Sports bra. Crop top. ( rarely. ) Corset. Ballerina skirt. Leotard. Polka dot. Stripes. Glitter. Silk. Lace.  Velvet. Chemise. Patterns. Florals. Neon colors. Pastels. Black. Dark colors. Naked.

( she wears all kinds of stuff, but generally shoots for a cuter aesthetic. )

SHOES.

Sneakers. Slip-ons. Flats. Slippers. Sandals. High heels. Kitten heels. Ankle boots. Combat boots. Knee-high. Platforms. Stripper heels. Barefeet. Loafers. Oxfords. Gladiator shoes.

( she prefers barefoot, but since she must wear shoes most of the time, she does her best to match well to whatever outfit she’s in. )

tagged by: @jurien-ashur

tagging: anyone who wants to join in!

[stsgyuri]

writing gift exchange thing for @thetravelingdreamer97!! i hope u like it

A lean girl with dark skin and even darker hair sits on a rust ridden park bench. Her sketchbook, a small thing with crinkled pages and dirty edges, sits on her crossed legs; on top of the sketchbook sits her hand, creating sweeping gestures with a granite pencil.

The girl has always enjoyed nature: the organic shapes, the soft greens and heavy browns. It’s real, definitely, positively real. There is no denying nature, and she loves the truth of it. It does not hide behind kind lies, although flowers may deceive from time to time. She prefers to steer clear of people.

People can lie and deceive. People have lied and deceived.

But the girl would rather not think about that right now, so she simply drags her pencil loosely across the page, the lines giving the impression of a tree dancing in the wind. The park is empty at such an early hour. Oranges and reds are still painting houses in their hues. It’s worth the inevitable exhaustion that comes with being up and at it at 6 AM. No one bothers her, and she bothers no one. It’s just her and the dancing trees.

At least, until she hears a click.

Now it’s just her, the dancing trees, and a pretty photographer.

A plump girl with tan skin and sea foam dyed hair stands a few feet away, smiling brilliantly at her camera screen. She’s clad in bleached jeans, a plain white shirt, and a sap green jacket embroidered with white roses. Her hair is braided down the side, falling over her shoulder in a long rope.

A few thoughts string themselves together in the lean and dark girl’s head:

One; she has a beautiful smile.

Two; she looks like a she was a mermaid in her past life.

Three; I need to get the hell out of here before she starts speaking to me.

Attempting to draw minimal to no attention to herself, the sketch artist quietly assembles her pencils and tools, shoves them into her bag, stands up, and is about to make a break for it, until--

“Oh, hey! I didn’t expect anyone to be at the park so early in the morning on a Saturday,” the pretty photographer says from behind her. At the back of her mind, she thinks how the pretty girl has a pretty voice.

She sighs, turns around, and sees that same bright smile still plastered on the pretty girl’s face. She shrugs in response.

The photographer is not deterred. In fact, she seems to be encouraged by the silence. “I usually come here to avoid crowds. In the morning, that is,” she clarifies. “Anyways, I’m Allie,” she sticks out a hand.

The sketch artist stares for a bit. She could’ve sworn this only happens in books and movies. People actually shake hands when they meet? Nonetheless, she takes the pretty girl’s hand and offers her name in exchange: “Salem.”

Somehow, impossibly, Allie’s smile grows brighter. Salem suspects that prolonged exposure will likely cause blindness. Not that’d she mind. It is a beautiful smile. And it looks so real…

“Oh, that’s a pretty name,” Allie says. It’s weird, how it sounds like she’s telling the truth. Salem eyes her a bit warily. Why is she so nice? What’s her motive? Maybe she is genuinely nice, but maybe not.

“Thanks,” Salem responds a bit slowly. She’s not sure what else to say, curse that social anxiety, but Allie beats her to it.

“Hey, want to get some coffee? Or are you a tea person?”

Salem has not met anyone who talks so fast. She has also not met anyone who invited her to coffee twenty seconds after meeting her. She’s about to automatically refuse, but she’s curious, so instead she asks, “Why?”

Allie’s smile falters a bit. “Well, why not? It’s just so early so I thought, you know, coffee? Get to know each other? But if you don’t want to it’s completely fine! I just thought it’d be nice…?” Somehow, she got that out all in one breath.

She’s not sure why she nods and says, sure, I guess. Maybe it’s because she’s never had much of a close friend to go get coffee with. Maybe it’s because the girl is another art student, someone to relate with. Maybe it’s because the girl seems so honest and real, not a common trait among most.

So, they go to get coffee. And maybe a donut, who knows.

-x-

They talked on the way there. Well, Allie was the one who did most of the talking. Salem listened to every word, though she wouldn’t admit to the pretty photographer. In the fifteen minutes it took to reach the coffee shop, Salem learned that Allie adores cats, flowers, and art. They go to the same college, but don’t have the same classes. It’s strange how they haven’t seen each  other before, but Salem tries to avoid people for the most part and Allie is usually too focused on her new assignments to notice anyone.

Allie managed to get a few things out of Salem: she also prefers cats, though she’s not a big fan of flowers she loves trees and other plants. The walk was filled with Allie’s bright smiles and Salem’s contemplative silences.

Salem has never been on a walk with someone before.

Now, they sit at a circular table in a small coffee shop, steam wafting up into the air and tickling their faces. Allie is prattling on about her cats and how they always try to eat her food and is that normal because she’s pretty sure a cat should not be trying to eat potato chips and Salem feels a smile creeping across her lips.

“I’ve never had any pets,” she admits. “But… I’ve always wanted a kitten.” That is likely the most she’s spoken so far. Her social walls are starting to melt a little for this pretty photographer with potato chip eating cats.

Allie swallows her coffee before answering. “We had a lot of stray cats in our neighborhood and they all kept making babies. At one point we had eight cats at once. It was kind of ridiculous.”

“I can’t tell if that would be an awful experience or a cute one,” Salem says, and the pretty photographer gives her a pretty laugh. Salem didn’t know she made a joke, but she smiles anyway. Allie’s laugh is as infectious as her smile.

They talk for a few hours about nothing. Like time is nothing. It’s ten in the morning when Allie says she has to leave for class. She offers to walk Salem back to wherever she needs to go, but Salem waves her on. She’d love to walk with the pretty photographer for as long as possible, but she needs a few minutes to collect her wits.

She’s still staring at her coffee cup when Allie leaves. She whispers to herself, in all the elegance she can muster up, “Holy shit.”

-x-

They text each other. At first, it was mainly Allie keeping up the conversation. But after a few days, Salem started adding to the conversation more and more. She likes how Allie is so honest. Salem is honest in return. Allie’s text messages consist of minimal grammar and an enormous amount of emojis. Salem’s contain more grammar than necessary and, that’s it.

They meet up, occasionally. They’ll walk to the park and Allie will snatch a photo or two of Salem, who discreetly sketches the pretty photographer. They discuss their favorite artists, their favorite type of cat, their favorite anything. Salem snatches glances of Allie whenever she can and ignores the feeling in her chest as best she can.

Two weeks after they’ve met, they’re sitting on the bed in Allie’s dorm. Her roommate is gone for the day, for whatever reason. Salem didn’t pay much attention, too absorbed in looking over Allie’s side of the room.

There’s a few prints hung along the wall, both of paintings and photographs, along with a few of Allie’s own photographs. One of them is of Salem, sitting on a park bench with her sketchbook out and a wistful smile as she stares at some point past the camera. Allie’s desk has a few cat plushes, a mint green laptop, and a scattering of pens and pencils. Her schoolwork is shoved unceremoniously beneath the bed, which has soft green sheets and another cat plush.

She looks back to Allie, who’s wringing her braided her as if she’s nervous. “There’s a lot of cat stuff, I know,” she says, as if she were expecting that kind of comment.

Instead, Salem comments, “I love the green. It’s cute,” like you, she doesn’t add,

That seems to restore Allie’s mood, as she beams immediately like a sun. “Thanks! It’s my favorite color, if you can’t tell,” she adds, gesturing to her hair, her bed, her… well, everything.

“Yeah? Mine too,” Salem admits. She notices for the first time that Allie has brown eyes. Green hair, brown skin, brown eyes… Honest and real… It’s no wonder Salem fell for this pretty photographer.

Allie smiles back. Salem’s heart stutters a little.

Allie hops off the bed towards her camera, eyes twinkling. “Okay, so you’re gonna pose for me, right?” After Salem nods, she smiles. “Great! Just sit right there.” She fiddles with a few things of her camera.

“What do I need to do?” Salem asks. She’s just sitting on the rumpled bed, sketchbook thrown across her lap, hair in a messy knot on her head. Not exactly the epitome of perfection.

As if reading her thoughts, Allie smiles softly. “Nothing. You’re perfect.”

Click.

-x-

“Do you mind if I try something?” Allie asks.

They’re sitting on a park bench, the one Salem had been occupying when they first met. There’s only an inch of space between them, though they both have enough room on either side to move away if they wanted. Neither did.

Salem looks up from her sketch, a dancing tree made of charcoal strokes. Allie looks nervous, but there’s a sort of resolve in her warm brown eyes. Salem thinks that if wood nymphs existed, Allie would be the striking image of one.

It’s been two months since they first met, and in that time, Salem has come to trust Allie. She’s no longer afraid that Allie is being ingenuine, deceiving her like most people are apt to do. She’s more comfortable around the girl, has even opened up to her.

So, she says, “Sure.”

And Allie kisses her.

It’s soft, just like everything about Allie, but it still paints colors behind Salem’s eyelids. Greens and brown mixing with the soft red of passion. Her hand reaches up to tangle itself in Allie’s loose hair. Allie lifts a hand and strokes Salem’s jaw, softly, as if she were about to evaporate at any moment.

It doesn’t last long, and after they’ve caught their breaths, Allie sputters out an apology, speaking at a mile a minute. “I’m sorry, was it too soon? Too much? I didn’t mean to over step anything and I’m really sorry if you’re uncomfortable now and if you don’t want to be friends anymore I completely understa--”

Salem kisses her silent.

-x-

Allie leans over Salem’s shoulder, her arm draped around her girlfriend as she looks at the sketch. It’s a pair of soft and full lips with a small dip in the middle. They’re a little pouty.

“What’s that?” she asks, though she already knows. She just wants to hear her say it.

Salem smiles slightly, eyes flickering from Allie’s lips to the page of charcoal smudges. “Oh, you know.”

She tilts her head up and plants a brief kiss on Allie’s lips. She feels her girlfriend smile against her own mouth. Allie has a tendency to smile when they kiss. Especially when they kiss. Salem finds it a little bit adorable. Okay, a lot adorable.

Salem runs a dark hand across Allie’s still grinning lips. “Just those.”

[principessacapulet-blog]

godhood is just like girlhood: a begging to be believed. -- kristin hang

Basic Information;

Full name | Juliana Rosetta Capulet Pronunciation | jOO-lee-AH-nuh roh-zET-uh kap-yuh-lit Meaning | Juliana; [Latin] Youthful. Rosetta; [Italian] Rose, [Persian] Splendid. Capulet; Caplewood, which is the place-name for the wooded area that stood beside the chapel. Nickname(s) | Jules every so often. Her father calls her Tink when he is feeling affectionate or in a good mood, a habit that started at Juliana’s own request during her childhood and has stuck through her young adulthood. Alice. Birthdate | July 30th Age | 22 Zodiac | Leo Gender | Female Pronouns | She/her Romantic orientation | Panromantic Sexual orientation | Pansexual Nationality | Italian Ethnicity | Anglo-Indian. Maternal side of the family is from Goa, with a little bit of Chinese descent. Fathers side is white. Current location | Verona, Italy Living conditions | She currently lives in the same bedroom she has lived in her entire life and has few intentions of leaving–not that she’d be allowed to if she did. She still lives in her rather large bedroom in her father’s home and lives a quite comfortable lifestyle.

Background;

Birthplace | Verona, Italy Hometown | Verona, Italy Social Class | Upper class Education level | Completed scuola secondaria di secondo grado (Upper Secondary School).  She currently studies part-time at the University of Verona–she originally wished to go to the university in Naples, but was not permitted to go. Father | Cosimo Capulet Mother | Chiara Capulet (neé Conti) – deceased. Sibling(s) | Siena Capulet – deceased. Other Important Relatives | Tiberius Capulet (cousin), Rafaella Capulet (cousin). Birth order | Eldest Pets | They have a gray Pitbull that Juliana named Tino when she was 15, and two black cats–one she named Nero and another named Luna, who has a small patch of white just between her eyes. Previous relationships | She has had very few formal relationships. There were a few here and there during scuola secondaria, both the lower and upper levels, but since she wasn’t allowed out of the house much to hang out with her sophomoric loves, they rarely developed the way her peers might have. There was a single boy that she still thinks about sometimes, one who she thought was worth sneaking into her bedroom, one that she thought about crawling out her window to go and see, but that too did not last. Arrests | None. Prison time | None.

Occupation & Income;

Primary source of income | She lives off of family money first and foremost. Secondary source of income | Being beautiful and having the sort of personality that she does, every so often a brand reaches out to her and asks her to make an instagram post. Most of the time she turns these down, but when she is bored, or particularly enjoys a product or location she’ll take the money. It’s more difficult though since many brands ask her to travel, and her leash is still limited. Content With Their Job (or lack thereof)? | Every so often, she wishes that she had a more standard job, perhaps one working in the Library or teaching or something that did not involve… what her current one does. But then she thinks of the men and women willing to die for her, the ones willing to survive for her, and she thinks maybe she’s in the right place. Past Job(s) | None. Spending habits | She tends to shop frequently, but favors brands like Anthropologie or other boutique brands that feed her favoritism of linens over other more expensive fabrics. She has no qualms about buying clothing that she finds appealing, and even fewer qualms about spending money on food or wine or anything of that nature. If she had more friends, she would constantly take them for nights out and foot the bill without much of a second thought. She loves to treat others, and her bank account usually reflects it.   Most valuable possession | It’s not the most valuable in euro amount, but she has a golden locket that used to belong to her mother and it’s certainly what Juliana would consider her most valuable possession.

Skills & Abilities;

Physical strength | Moderate to weak, she could easily be overpowered. Offense | When she is trailing her father she tends to keep her balisong on her person, which she’s spent a fair number of hours practicing–she likes it for the beauty of the weapon, but that does not make the blades any less sharp. Defense | She possesses basic self-defense, but is in training to improve this. Speed | Above average–she has always enjoyed running, and so while she is not combat oriented she choose to up her running ability soon after she starting standing at her father’s side. Intelligence | She is fairly book-smart, having spent a great deal of time focusing on school and reading, but she’s not overly street smart quite yet. She has a natural inclination to cleverness, but hasn’t learned to apply it yet. Accuracy | Still learning, moderate to poor hand-eye coordination.   Agility | Average. Stamina | Above average. Teamwork | She works very well with others and is a skilled communicator. Enjoyed being in charge during group projects for school, and finds herself enjoying being in charge of the Capulets, much to her frequent dismay. Talents | She has an exceptional memory and a tenacity for learning. Very good balisong skills from hours spent watching videos and practicing the dance in her palms. She is a fast reader and a fairly skilled artist when it comes to painting and drawing. Shortcomings | Cannot cook to save her life. Not skilled in combat of any variety. Possesses a naive and unshakeable desire for peace above all else. Languages spoken | She is fluent in Italian, English, Hindi, though the latter she does not tend to speak very often as it reminds her of her mother, memories of whom make her quite sad. She has also taught herself Spanish, Russian, and French, the latter two of which she is not fluent but can converse in comfortably enough to do business if the need should arise. She knows some Latin, most of which she learned in church. Drive? | No Jump-start a car? | No Change a flat tyre? | No Ride a bicycle? | Yes Swim? | Yes Play an instrument? | Piano Play chess? | Yes, though she doesn’t enjoy it much. Braid hair? | Yes Tie a tie? | Yes Pick a lock? | No, though she desperately wants to learn, thinking it’d be a fun skill.

Physical Appearance & Characteristics

Faceclaim | Zoë Barnard. Eye colour | Hazel--mostly light brown, but with big flecks of green and gold. Hair colour | Very dark brown to black. Hair type/style | Definitely on the longer side, reaching somewhere mid-back. Naturally quite wavy, she often styles it into much looser waves. Glasses/contacts | No. Dominant hand | Right. Height | 5'9’’ (175cm). Build | Slim. Exercise habits |  She runs every morning after she’s had her first cup of espresso. She has combat training with anyone and everyone who will teach her quite often, though she enjoys working with and tends to schedule sessions with Regina most often. Skin tone | Type 4, light brown/olive. Tans quite easily but occasionally burns. Tattoos | She has roman numerals on each of her triceps, one of which is her mother’s birthday and the other being Siena’s. She got them both on her 16th birthday. (ex.) Piercings | Double lobe piercing on both sides. Left nipple piercing. Marks/scars | She has a small collection of small white lines on her palms and the backs of her hands, left over marks from her dancing knife when she hadn’t quite mastered it yet. A scar on her right knee when she’d fallen off her bike while riding to the lake just outside the city and scraped herself on the rocky road. A line on her left elbow when she fell off her horse at age 10 and nearly broke her arm. Notable Features | Very full lips and a large smattering of freckles across her cheeks. Clothing style | She lives her life in linens and denim and cotton, favoring very simple, loose, classic clothing to some of the more intricate and high fashion ensembles of others in her social strata. She loves to wear ribbons and kerchiefs in her hair, tying them around the base of her ponytail or pulling back the front pieces into scarves. If she is going to wear a pattern in her day to day life, it’s often either plaid, polka dots, or florals. When she is dressing up, she favors bold colors and sharp prints. Jewellery | She loves to wear delicate chain necklaces, but hates wearing bracelets and often chooses not to wear rings. She has a very large collection of earrings, though favors a pair of gold hoops her father gave her for her 18th birthday. Her favorite piece is her mother’s locket, which sits on a very long gold chain that she often layers other necklaces over and then tucks into her shirt. Allergies | None. Diet | Vegetarian. She is quite fond of fruits and eats them constantly, though has a sweet tooth and if any are in the vicinity they soon won’t be with her greedy fingers nearby. Physical ailments | None.

Psychology;

Jung Type | ENFP, The Campaigner. Enneagram type | I’m torn between Type 7 wing 6 vs Type 6 wing 7. So.  Moral Alignment | Chaotic Good trying to be a Lawful Good. Temperament | Sanguine. Element | Water. Emotional stability | Juliana can tend towards emotional volatility, her mood highly changeable and easily influenced by her surroundings.  Obsession(s) | Overly concerned about the opinions of others and how other perceive her. Compulsion(s) | Touching others to feel connected, pressing her thumb nail into her pointer finger to divert her attention from something else uncomfortable.  Phobia(s) | Trypophobia (fear of irregular patterns or clusters of small holes), mild fear of horses after falling from one at age 10.  Addiction(s) | None. Drug use | Very, very rarely. Alcohol use | Often drinks wine with her meals.  Prone to violence? | No.

Mannerisms;

Speech style | She has a somewhat formal way of speaking that was coached into her during childhood and has lasted through to young adulthood. She uses clear diction and grace and proper sentence structure without even thinking about it.  Accent | Italian.  Quirks | In her head will often relate modern events to fairy tales or books that she’s read as a way to process and understand. Constantly runs her hands through her hair. Can fall asleep just about anywhere.  Hobbies | Reading and writing, painting and drawing, playing piano.  Nervous ticks | Biting the side of her tongue, fidgeting, running hands through hair.  Drives/motivations | Affection, approval of others.  Fears | Not living up to her family name, disappointing her family, never finding true love.  Positive traits | Compassionate, Warm, Curious, Determined.  Negative traits | Prideful but prone to insecurities based on other’s opinions, Reactive, Dependent, Naive, Innocent.  Sense of humour | Juliana finds herself highly amusing and enjoys all manners of humor.  Do they curse often? | Not frequently. 

Favourites;

Activity | Walking through Twelfth Night with Rafaella while she tells her things about the paintings and other works of art they stroll by.  Animal | Deer. Beverage | Amaretto or Limoncello.  Book | Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Colour | Peach. Designer | Dolce and Gabbana. Food | Tomato with Basil and Mozzarella or Tiramisu.  Flower | Peach Tree Fowers. Gem | Moonstone. Holiday | Summer Solstice, which she has made into a holiday even if it’s not one.  Mode of transportation | Bike, though her father prefers she use a chauffeured car.  Quote/saying | “What are men to rocks and mountains?” Scent | She wears Black Opium by Yves Saint Laurent, which has notes of Black Coffee, White Flowers, and Vanilla. She uses a rose-scented body wash and shampoo.  Weather | She adores dry heat and a blazing sun, but will take any degree of warmth the universe will give her. Vacation destination | Amalfi coast is her current favorite place she’s vacationed, but she’d love to go to South Africa and travel there while doing business with her family’s connections.

Attitudes;

Greatest dream | If anyone asked her she would say that it’s for there to be peace and prosperity, and for the Capulets to have the command they deserve over Verona--to be living without tension. I think in reality her greatest dream would be for the mobs to somehow come together under one ruling so that she might have more souls to commit the highest of crimes in her honor.  Greatest fear | That she will stumble and fall and fail her people, though there’s a number of different ways she fears this will happen; that she will be too fragile, incapable of doing what her soldiers need of her, or too fragile to withstand the darkness and fall prey to it’s addictive nature.  Most at ease when | She is standing near the helm but not in charge.  Least as ease when | She is left alone in the Cathedral to make decisions, not that this happens often quite yet.  Worst possible thing that could happen | Her father being killed and her not being ready to take the helm. 

[thornstocutyouwith]

|| The Basics ||    Name: Calypso Piper Hisoka    Nickname(s): Caly( Only by family) Age: 12/18-30 (Depending) ➥Birthday: September 17, 2152  ➥Birthplace: New York            ➥Sign: Virgo                 Moon: Taurus                   Mercury: Libra                          Venus:                                 Mars: Nationality: Half Japanese- Half American Hometown: New York Current Residence: Living with his family/Homeless. Occupation: Student/Bounty Hunter Income: $0-$10,000 ( roughly) Talents/Skills: Yo-yo tricks, playing the guitar, playing the piano, lying, sorting things, playing the drums, martial arts, hiding, singing,tracking, lockpicking, stage Magic, acting. Salary: None Birth order: Youngest Child. Gender: Male ➥Preferred Pronouns: He, him, his Sexual Preference: Unknown    Species: Human Intelligence Level: 113 MBTI: ISTP     Introvert(44%) Sensing(1%) Thinking(25%) Perceiving(61%) You have moderate preference of Introversion over Extraversion (44%) You have marginal or no preference of Sensing over Intuition (1%) You have moderate preference of Thinking over Feeling (25%) You have distinct preference of Perceiving over Judging (61%). {Bio} (Coming eventually)        || Personal & Relationships||    Relationship skills: Aware of his own Feelings, Self sufficiency, resilience, acceptance, doesn't like to be touched or handled by people he doesn't know. Parents: Drama and Ashlin  Status: Unknown how he feels about them. Siblings: Lucy and Lucas Status: Strained, mostly because he's blackmailing them for their incest activities. Significant Others: Unknown (9) Ex-Significant Others: Unknown ( 9) Children: None Best Friends: Unknown( 3) Pets: None Rivals: Unknown Enemies: Unknown ( A lot) Education: High School ( Dropped out a few months before graduation) Strengths:  Creativity, Curiosity, Bravery, Zest, social intelligence, playfulness, forceful, spontaneous, adventurous, independent, creative. Weaknesses: Obstructive, Pushy, Loose-tongued, Undisciplined, Sloppy, Aggressive, Chaotic, Vague, Reckless, arrogant, selfish. Introvert or Extrovert?: Introvert How does the character deal with anger?: Usually by taking it out on other things or people, mostly other things. ➥With sadness?: He'll go into hiding.    ➥With conflict?: He tries to avoid it, but when he can't, he make sure to end it.         ➥With change?: He's fine with change, out with the old and all that.                 ➥With loss?:  He can't stand thinking of losing anyone. He will break down if he's particularly close to the person. But he tries not to get too close to people. What does the character want out of life? To just do what he wants to, really. What would the character like to change in his/her life? Probably that he's strayed too far away from his family, that he hardly even knows them in adulthood. What motivates this character? Getting money, having freedom, having fun, taking risks. What frightens this character? The dark, Ghosts, falling, animals. What makes this character happy? Books, music, risks, video games, candy. Is the character judgmental of others? Yes. Is the character generous or stingy? He is stingy. Is the character generally polite or rude? He is rude. Who were they in school? The energetic mute. Occupation they wanted as a child: To be in a band. Living conditions growing up: Middle Living conditions now: Poor Criminal Record: Breaking and entering, theft, stealing cars, assault, reckless endangerment of an underage child, illegal use of explosives, drugs, driving and drinking, fleeing a cop, identity theft, illegal hacking. How does Character see himself/herself? Reckless, brave, cunning,  smart How does Character believe he/she is perceived by others? Worthless and stupid. How self-confident is the character? Pretty self-confident. Does the character seem ruled by emotion or logic or some combination thereof? Emotions, for the most part. What would most embarrass this character? Having to show his softer side in public. Morality (Bold One Per Section): Lawful / Neutral / Chaotic ||| Good / Gray / Evil - You are 47.2% Evil. You are 64.1% Chaotic.    Religious Belief: None Glasses or contact lenses?: Glasses Character Tropes: Catalyst Hero, Trickster, Fool, Shadow, The Child, The Hermit, The Devil, The Priest, Addict, Monkey, Dragon, Clown, Beggar, Destroyer, Detective, Visionary.    Primary Goals In Life: Following his dreams and being free to do what he wants with his life. Character's short-term goals in life: Not dying. Getting cash from bounty's. Sex. Threatening to expose his siblings incest. Character's long-term goals in life: Visiting other countries. Exposing his siblings incest to their parents.    Languages Known: English, Japanese    Secrets: He knows about his brother and sister's incest. He is a sex addict. As well as a sadist, a sexual sadist ( On occasion). He killed one of his girlfriends.  Hates cats. Loves watching children's tv shows, still. Most of the things that happened to him at school. Is a sexual deviant. ( more will be added later. ) Deepest secret: Has a journal of his fears and secrets. Biggest fear: Fear of being bound. (Merinthophobia) Happiest memory: The day he got his first electric guitar. Loneliest moment: When one of his teachers removed him from class and told him he would grow up to be worthless and stupid, then just let him sitting in the hall.    Quirks/Mannerisms/Habits: Is a habitual liar and has made up a family that does not exist. Eats like a child even as an adult. Believes in ghosts. Obsessed with children's Cartoons. Shows up unannounced. Always steals the sweets. Has a leather fetish. Is embarrassed of their family heritage. Takes food off other people's plates without asking. Does not like to share hygiene items like hairbrushes, chap-stick, or razors. Keeps a marker on them at all times so they can draw weird things in public restrooms. Has unresolved childhood issues. Is constantly found only partially dressed. Has a weakness for games of chance. Never leaves home without wearing pants, but never wears pants while at home. Is scared of Neon colors. Always blows bubbles in to their drink when they have a straw, even as an adult. Has attempted voodoo. Dresses as a vampire at every costume party, fancy dress party, Halloween, and formal event. Makes paperclip jewelry. Won't drink without a straw. Has had sex with more people than they have seriously dated. Cannot sleep while in the vicinity of a cat. Gets lost all the time. Colors their hair crazy colors every other week. Likes to file their fingernails to sharp points because it makes them feel more dangerous. Is totally responsible for everything that goes wrong. Knows that they are being watched (by the readers). Has an accent that no one knows how to place. Is a heavy sleeper. Thinks cats can see their soul. Sneezes uncontrollably whenever someone talks about cats, reads something about them, or looks at illustrations of any type featuring them, but has no allergy to interacting with the animal itself. Is left-handed, but tries to pass as being right-handed. Wears either mismatched socks or shoelaces. Has a tendency of laughing at the most inappropriate times. Is double-jointed. Treats all of their friends like they are personal evil minions. Goes to the gym at 3am because 'That's when the ghost is there.' Wears removable tattoos. Steals things from people they think need to be punished for something. Has very bad taste in relationships. Talks in their sleep. Eye-rolling, Potty mouth, Snapping fingers, Stuttering, Toying with objects before them, binge drinking, smokes, eats a lot of sugar, is addicted to video games, Still plays with children's toys, clubbing, picks at mouth with his tongue. Loves anime.    Savvies: Music, Tech, Fact, Media Style (Elegant, shabby etc.): Rebel, Punk, Goth, Steampunk, Cosplay. How does he/she dress?: Mostly black or dark yet colorful colors on normal days. Usually with purposefully placed tears in the pants and such, and risky looking outfits. Loves mesh, baggy, tight fitting and/or leathery clothing. Hobbies: Playing the electric guitar, piano and drums. Singing. Hunting bounties for cash. Boardgames. Gambling. Chess. Cosplaying. Crafts. Keeping a journal. Learning an instrument. Legos. Modeling. Origami. Reading. Videogame's. Renaissance Faire. Writing Music/songs. Speech patterns: Accented, mellow, chilled, stuttering. Disabilities: Dyslexic, Epileptic. Greatest flaw: Being a risk taker. Best quality: Easily figuring out and controlling a situation. Illnesses/Allergies/Allergic/exe: Seizures, Migraines Addictions: Drugs, Alcohol, Sex, Food.        || Physical ||    Hair Colour: Light Brown Eye Colour: Bright blue Skin Colour: Tan Body Modifications: Has several ear piercing, tongue piercings, lip piercings and chest and lower. Build: Slender / Scrawny / Bony / Fit / Athletic / Herculean / Babyfat / Pudgy / Obese / Other    Height: 6′9″    Weight: 146 Health: Very low Distinguishing features: his ears a slightly pointed. Has very, very faint freckles over the bridge of his nose. Scars/Birthmarks: Has several birthmarks on his body, on under his left eye, another two on the right side of his face, five on his back, one inside his ear, and three on his left arm. Along with those, are several scars from his recklessness as a child, one of which cuts down on the nostril of the right side of his nose.  Another on his neck and four on his shoulder.  As well as a ton on his knee's and legs.    Abilities/Powers: Prophecy Construction    Restrictions: He hasn't unlocked his powers fully yet, if at all really. The power triggers sever seizures that incapacitate him and prevent him from learning how to use his powers at the current moment. And this will continue to happen in the foreseeable future, even if he is able to figure out the easiest part of it, that is the prophetic visions he receives while having a seizure. This power also has other unknown effects and restrictions to him.   || Favorites ||    Favorite Food: Candy    Favorite Drink: Koolaid    Favorite Pizza Topping: Taco    Favorite Color:  Steel Blue    Favorite Music Genre: Punk/rock    Favorite Book Genre: Dystopian    Favorite Movie Genre: Fantasy    Favorite Season: Fall    Favorite Butt Type: Firm    Favorite Swear Word: Fuck    Favorite Scent: Cookies Favorite Sayings: " I may not be there, But I am closer than I was yesterday." “That’s what people do who love you. They put their arms around you and love you when you’re not so lovable.” “I’ve lived in darkness a long time. Over the years my eyes adjusted, until the dark became my world and I could see.” “Sometimes it feels better not to talk. At all. About anything. To anyone.” “My silence holds a plethora of syllables I am too afraid to say.”“They call you heartless; but you have a heart and I love you for being ashamed to show it.” " And every time I look at you, it hurts." "First of all, you don't know me. Second of all, you don't me." “Life is wonderful. It’s a gift to be alive, to see the sun and breathe the air. And there isn’t really anything else.”    Favorite Quote:   “Knowledge is not made for understanding; it is made for cutting.”        || Fun Stuff ||    “Boss” Theme Music: Love The Way You Hate Me/ Hand Grenade/ Hiding Place /    Bottom or Top:  Top    Loud Burper Or Soft Burper: Loud    Sings In The Shower: Yes / No    Likes Bad Puns: Yes / No Sins: Lust / Greed / Gluttony / Sloth / Pride / Envy / Wrath Virtues: Chastity / Charity / Temperance / Diligence / Humility / Kindness / Patience / Justice Hogwarts House: Gryffindor Element: Darkness Big5: Openness Jugian: INFP ( Alternative Type) MOTIV: Offbeat (Materialist 45% 54% Offbeat 81% 48% Thinking 21% 51% Intimate 21% 56% Vital 50% 54%) Left/Right Brain: Right

[caricatlc]

BASICS –

full name: alice marisol romero

nicknames: none

birthdate: 4 august 2025

birthplace: plattsburgh, new york

ethnicity: columbian, cuban, and caucasian

nationality: american, english 

languages: english, spanish

accent: slight bronx accent

APPEARANCE –

hair color & style: dark brown, usually kept waist-length and wavy, with green tips after breaking up with nigel

eye color: dark brown

height: five feet five inches

build: thicc. muscular but also hyper-feminine

skin tone: olive skin that rarely burns and tans well

personal style: 

grunge lite. alice prefers to be comfortable above all else, so soft fabrics and denim are her go-tos. when she dates nigel she adopts a more instagram ho aesthetic to match his, but her heart isn’t really into bodycon dresses if she cant accessorize them with doc martens and a flannel. 

distinguishing marks: expressive face

tattoos: ‘esforzada’ on back of neck ( x ), ivy on left wrist ( x )

piercings: two piercings in both lobes, helix piercing in left ear, daith and industrial in right ear, belly button

FAMILY –

parents: noah romero and lia villace

parental relationships:

while seth is more gregarious, alice is a quiet reflection of noah. as a result, their relationship deals largely in companionable silence. he’s not one to gossip with but always good help for moral quandaries. he’s also more likely to catch alice in the middle of doing something wrong,  but mostly just offers gentle advice and hopes for the best. alice really hates to disappoint her father.

lia is a fun parent. alice almost always has fun with her mother, even if the interaction ends on a sour note. she can run a lot of day-to-day thoughts past her mother-- lia is kept mostly in the loop about the goings on in her daughter’s life. however, some compulsion leads alice to remain silent about her love life as it seems like it would be much easier to let her mother believe that everything is going fine.

siblings: rex, seth, and michael romero

sibling relationships:

when rex came into their lives, alice understood the difference between her twin and an actually older brother immediately. she enjoys spending time with rex, and ever since she was young she was always content to tag along with her ‘fun’ brother.

what can alice say about seth? they know each other better than anyone else, and speak almost exclusively in snark. but opposites don’t always attract, and their very big, drastically different personalities clash and erupt frequently. when times are good, though, they’re each other’s biggest hype-man as they snap another selfie.

michael is a strange one, but alice will always hold a tenderness for her little brother. she’s helped house dozens of wild animals and filmed a vine or two in her time. while she’s not keen on him bringing insects into the house it’d certainly be difficult for her to turn him down for anything.

birth order: only girl, younger twin, middle child

status in family:

alice likes to think that she’s practically invisible in her family. she’s not as rebellious as rex, or as obnoxious as seth, or as rambunctious as michael. but alice is a quiet ride-along for almost everyone in her family-- she really holds good relationships with everyone in the house. for the most part, it really seems like her parents and brother just want the best for her.

distant relations: bash romero, second cousin

pets:

wells and bilbo, the dogs, are always happy to see her, but she’s also conditioned them to remain quiet if they want a treat from her nightly comings and goings. felix, the cat, is a good companion on a gloomy day, with alice finding comfort in his rumbling, sleepy purr.

FRIENDS –

close friends:

alice has known ellie albright since birth. or even before that since ellie’s parents attended the same birthing classes as alice’s. the albrights returned to italy for a few years shortly after ellie’s birth but the two girls were paired up again before they could even tie their shoes. they’ve been best friends ever since. ellie brightens alice up to draw out a softer side than alice rarely presents alone. alice makes ellie more assertive, unafraid to stand up for her friend if she thinks ellie needs help.

it took rumi thatcher a bit longer to enter the picture, but she’s not going anywhere. rumi’s dead-pan sense of humor endeared her to alice immediately after she moved into town in the forth grade. ever the calm logician, rumi finds great amusement in tempering alice’s hot temper. they share a mutual love of nature that often leads them to dreamy afternoons surrounded by beautiful woods.

technically considered a cousin through brotherly love, dallas hong is probably the only boy that alice can completely get along with. he’s certainly the easiest to get along with out of her brother’s crew, with his laidback guy’s guy charm. while she’s annoyed at how tall he’s gotten as they age, she knows that his easygoing personality won’t ever change on her.

tensions:

adam hudson has been seth’s best friend for years, but his and alice’s interactions have always been tentative. he has a way of confronting her with the truth when she’s least likely to accept it. their relationship is hard to define, atleast on alice’s part.

alice and dapne newcomb used to be friends, much to the chagrin of ellie and rumi. the brash blonde wasn’t  always a good influence, and they tended to clash over their many differences in opinion. it wasn’t until alice supposedly ‘stole’ nigel chadwick-wembley from daphne that their relationship fractured completely. daphne is the root cause for much of the suffering alice experienced in high school, so she’s not at all keen to rekindle the friendship.

if there’s one person that alice could do without ever seeing again, it’s nigel chadwick-wembley. he was her first real boyfriend, but the supposed fairytale beginning led to nothing but trouble, even if alice did her best to keep anyone from finding out about the more controlling aspects of his personality. they were on-again off-again for so long, but alice finally broke it off for good and never looked back.

there’s nothing wrong with ruby robbins-- in fact, she’s perfect. alice has always felt like she was competing with the other girl, even if that’s hardly true. they share similar interests but ruby’s easygoing demeanor makes everything seem so effortless in a way that alice can’t help but envy. she does consider ruby a friend, though, and would do anything for her if she asked.

crushes:

so much of the tension in alice’s relationship with adam hudson stems entirely from their mutual attraction. when they were much younger she was aware of it but content to ignore it, but as they’ve grown older things have changed. alice finds herself at odds with his ill-suited girlfriend and with him over it. ever since she kissed him on christmas, the muddled emotions there have only gotten worse.

the first boy that ever had alice truly starstruck was leo robbins. the definition of a cool, older boy, leo’s appeal quickly passed but she remained impressed by his sense of style and teenage rebellion. in fact, alice was quick to take up his mantle selling weed to a few of their acquaintances when leo decided to move on from the business. 

as a friend:

alice is a friend like batman-- she’ll come if you send out the signal. anytime anywhere, alice will be by your side if you’d let her. she’s fiercely protective of them and will want to help them achieve their goals no matter how trivial. she can be too blunt at times, which tends to rub people the wrong way if it’s not quite what they want or expect to hear. but she’ll have your back until the end, without saying ‘i told you so’ to anyone but seth.

PERSONALITY –

positive traits: enterprising, candid, empathetic 

neutral traits: self-sufficient, meticulous, noncommittal

negative traits: volatile, withdrawn, self-involved

astrology sign: leo sun / gemini moon, the confidence man ( x )

mbti: istp-t, the virtuoso

theme songs: i’m not okay (i promise) by my chemical romance / agnes by glass animals

aesthetic:

dyeing your hair in the bathroom, guitar calluses, jumping off the porch roof, lilac bushes, the solitary silence of 4 am, soil between your fingers and toes

LIFESTYLE –

partying habits:

a stoner to the max, alice deals quite literally in weed, inheriting a small client base from leo robbins. when she first started dating nigel, alice found she didn’t mind the party scene. there’s always fun to be had, and she can handle her alcohol. she’s also not necessarily opposed to experimenting at parties-- if there’s a good time to be had, alice will try a sporadic drug or two without feeling particularly inclined to do these things later on her own.  

smoking habits:

directly inherited from her father, alice took up smoking as an act of teenage rebellion and favors menthol cigarettes. she finds it calming to smoke late at night when no one is around, or whenever she is overwhelmed by the situation at hand. finds it to be a handy tool to escape social situations if things aren’t going well.

eating habits:

growing up in a four-child household has definitely made alice a bit food aggressive. she eats when the opportunity presents itself but doesn’t pig out very often. snacks usually seem like a good idea, and alice is content to bring healthy options when she can. late-night meals are a staple in her diet. salty-sweet combinations are her usual favorite.

excercise habits:

alice has been practicing aikido and tae kwon do since she was young, and as a result has adopted a fair amount of exercise and weight training into her daily routine. mostly she just works to maintain equilibrium and not lose any muscle mass or physical ability, but if she’s feeling particularly stressed or upset she’ll throw herself into her workouts.

work ethic:

it’s alice’s belief that she can work hard and play hard, so long as she meets the deadlines set out for her. she’s got decent time management skills and works best with a loose schedule where she can make the decisions about what to do, when. when it comes to school work, alice is content to maintain her good grades in order to fly under the radar with her parents. 

sleeping habits:

when alice feels tired she can fall asleep anywhere, but her penchant for the peace of nighttime usually finds her awake well into the early mornings. she is a deep sleeper, but an agreeable one. sharing a bed with her is not a bad experience as she’ll typically move wherever she is prodded without much fuss. she usually prefers to sleep with a loose comforter and top sheet and will cocoon inside. waking up outside of her typical routine can be a challenge, but once alice wakes up she is awake for good.

ideal living space:

alice’s bedroom at home is well-lit and cozy, with an abundance of houseplants in any available spot of sunlight. her walls are filled with things she likes looking at: posters of her favorite bands, watercolor prints she and ellie made, and endless photos of herself and her friends. she usually takes time once a week to clean up, as she has a tendency to drop clothes or books wherever they lay as she moves onto something else.

quirks:

despite being a fan of all things spooky, jump scares always get her good. she’s usually the middle person in the haunted house group, and subsequently is always getting picked on. she will let you borrow anything she owns, but it’s of utmost importance that you ask first.

INTERESTS –

hobbies:

alice has been playing guitar and practicing martial arts since she was very small. her love for plants wasn’t fostered until later in life, but she prides herself on rehabilitating various wilted houseplants she happens upon. she loves a good smoke session and will make a whole event out of some rolling papers and a gram of fresh weed. she’s usually a pretty willing participant in any photoshoots that ellie cooks up.

best school subject:

science has always been a passion of alice’s. she’s a stem student through and through, excelling in maths and sciences from a very young age. through high school she took college level chemistry and biology courses.

worst school subject:

history always presented its challenges, but as alice grew older and her inability to learn much hands on coupled with the fact that most schooling was a little on the white supremacist side of the situation, alice tended to skip these classes as much as possible or spend as long as she could backtalking a teacher just trying to stick to curriculum. 

opinion of education:

alice doesn’t mind school itself-- college classes are perfectly designed to give alice all the free space she needed in a high school curriculum. but her not-so-stellar experience with the allegedly popular social scene made her more than ready to finally be free of high school.

career aspirations / achievements:

a perfect overlap of her loves of science and nature, alice dreams of becoming a bioengineer. she’s well on her way to it, quickly showing aptitude for higher-level stem courses from an early age.

favorite things:

her guitar, family breakfasts, american beauty, ellie & rumi, pop punk music, hand-rolled joints, ghost adventures,  her freshly-made bed, chocolate covered pretzels, restarting the bell jar,  when plants grow new leaves, her led zeppelin shirt ( x ), god of high school

boredom cure:

driving then walking, or just walking, as far as you can in silence, discovering a beautiful spot to watch the sun set, or rise, depending on when the urge strikes.

[royal-writer]

Essie - questionnaire

Just trying to get to know Essie better, ignore me! Will add more later.

1. Does s/he enjoy puzzles?

Not particularly. Even given nothing to do, Essie would probably prefer much anything else.

2. Does s/he enjoy education?

I don’t even know if she had a real education. I’m sure she learned more on her own means. I think she’s pretty neutral on learning. It helps better you but she doesn’t see it as fun but neither does she see it as terrible.

3. What is his/her sexual orientation?

Pansexual Panromantic.

4. Is s/he right-handed, left-handed, or ambidextrous?

Right-handed but ambidextrous casting spells cuz, well, ya almost gotta be..

5. Is s/he fashionable?

Essie don’t give a fuck. She wears what she likes, or wears what is suitable to the weather, or wears shit just to piss people off. So probably not.

6. What is their favorite food(s)?

Okay, here goes: smoked salmon on a bed of greens, herb roast pheasant, venison steak cooked rare to med-rare with roasted potatoes, garlic clam soup, mushroom and leek stew, berry tarts with mint, stuffed trout, pickled duck eggs, sharp cheeses, sunflower seeds, almonds, honeycakes, and she has a preference for drinking spiced ale, orchid wines, and elven made wines that are sweeter and aromatic. I can also see her having a taste for tea, particularly with honey, and sweet or spiced ciders. Maybe some hard spirits in a group atmosphere.

7. Has s/he ever broken a bone?

Nope, not yet at least.

8. Any interests or hobbies?

She enjoys magic, even using it to make kids happy. She enjoys dancing, secretly. Gambling maybe, uh... going on adventures obviously. Will add more if I think of it; she’s lived a life of survival so she probably doesn’t hide many hobbies.

9. Does s/he consider themself organized?

lmao no and she knows that. Ms. Throw-It-All-In-The-Bag.

10. How does s/he handle feeling nauseous?

No food, only liquids. Try laying down. If it doesn’t stop after a while, try walking around slowly in hopes to agitate self enough to just hurl.

11. What is his/her full name?

Essätha Medüza - the last name is a kick on Medusa from mythology.

12. Introvert or extrovert?

She’s a wanna-be-extro. Doesn’t trust others well, but has a desire to fit in and hang with others. At the moment she’s honestly more intro by nature though.

13. Can s/he cook?

Probably okay. Still prone to burning food from time to time lol whoops. But for the most part it’ll be edible, probably just not super tasty.

14. Did s/he have any friends growing up?

Yes! I plan on doing art for some of ‘em eventually.

15. How does s/he react to storms? Being caught in the storm?

Essie likes a good rainfall. Probably doesn’t mind being caught in them, even ‘bad’ storms, so long as it isn’t snow. Too damn cold.

16. Does s/he collect anything?

Nope. Maybe scars. //bricked// Nah because of her lifestyle, she’s not one to gather trinkets or stuff. Necessities and useful stuff only really.

17. Is s/he religious?

lol nope. Doesn’t care for gods or religion or any of that junk.

18. What inspires him/her?

I don’t know... uh, music for dancing. Sunsets and sunrises. The idea that life can get better. Transformation/growing.

19. Do they have a role model?

Maybe her mom, despite not knowing her. Eventually I’m sure she’ll see some of her fellow team members in this way.

20. What’s their favorite joke?

Probably secretly snake puns. Examples: “let me give you a hiss”, “viper that smirk off your face”, “I’ll snake some puns in there”, etc.

21. How would your character describe his/her friends? Lover? Parents?

dnd group companions to be determined.

Opal: (kind stranger) Orange furry cat woman. Seems to follow her own moral code of good which is pure and generous. Pretty kind.

Kraw: (teacher) Bird man of tans, reds, and dark browns/blacks. Grumpy but has a good heart. May try eating you if you’re an animal or can turn into an animal but otherwise nice. Drinker but a sad drinker when he does.

Solace: (ally/best friend) Outgoing, bubbly, considerate reddish-pink tiefling with obsidian eyes and violet blue-toned hair. She’s a rebel but is caring despite her dicey past. Essie considers her a better person than herself.

Phoenix: (aquitaine) Lady crazypants. Charcoal skin with scar-like markings that glow like lava flow when she’s using her powers. Fiery colored eyes and hair. Very much gives a masculine vibe. Will kill you with no regrets. Something’s wrong with her but she is willing to work with others for her own gain which is relatable.

Bretella: (frienemy) Considered a trustworthy ally. Green skinned redhead with golden eyes. Tends to weary flashy or seductive clothing. Will bail you out of a situation but patronize you later. High self-esteem.

Miz'ri: (enemy) A lost friend. Light grey skin, white hair, pale lilac eyes. Essie wishes that the millions of things that went wrong between them hadn’t. She hopes there’s still godo to be found in Miz’ri. A sad, broken soul.

Hepsiba: (mother) Truly the most beautiful person in existence. Warm, loving, considerate, gentle, sweet, gorgeous. Hepsiba is gone now, but her memory is still a vibrant light of warmth. Essie probably looks to the stars and likes to think her mom is up there, staring down at her. Mom was an auburn-skinned beauty with brown eyes.

Tyfiell: (father) Never met him. Mom spoke well of him, but Essie doesn’t think well of someone who ditched her mom. Said to be a dark-skinned Yuan-Ti Pureblood with dark eyes and a wicked smile. Rogue class.

22. How would s/he describe themself?

LOL nothing good unfortunately... She thinks she’s physically ugly due to how she was treated by others when she was young. She doesn’t find redeemable qualities in herself too much, either. Resident snake lady would probably say “I don’t got time for this” if asked. “I’m a scaly Yuan-Ti woman, hi.”

23. What is his/her birthday? Star sign? Do they fit it?

April 12, which would make their zodiac the Aries. It sounds semi fitting, as they’re labeled as ‘courageous, confident, short-tempered, and impulsive’ but like anything else, there’s some manners that aren’t perfectly fitting (optimistic, aggressive, etc).

24. How good is s/he at mending clothes?

She doesn’t know the Mending ability lol! Kidding aside, I don’t believe it’s her hobby or anything. I mean, if you look at some of her clothes, they’ve got tears and threads pulled free. Probably not.

25. How does s/he react to someone spilling something on them?

Depends on the atmosphere? 90% of the time she’ll realize it’s an accident, jump when it happens, and then request the server or whomever fetch something to help clean up the mess- not impolitely just with some urgency in her tone. She’d probably only have a .1% chance going off an the server because hey, shit happens, but if she’s in a bad mood already she may snap at anyone around she’s unhappy with at the moment.

26. How does s/he react to being approached by law enforcement?

‘Oh shit time to run they’re probably after me’ is her thought processing.

27. Do they paint/draw?

Nah, not really her cup of tea.

28. Does s/he prefer any musical instruments?

Essie can’t play, but she probably enjoys winds and strings for daily life, but the occasionally ‘sick beat’ of a big band of instruments to dance to would be A+.

29. If they had a tumblr, what would their account name be?

venomspikedwine

30. How good are they at keeping an eye on their money? Do they also splurge frequently?

Admittedly, Essatha enjoys hoarding funds. As someone who grew up with little, she’s a bit of a hoarder and is very unlikely to misplace even a copper piece. If she splurges, she’s likely drunk or enjoying a ‘luxury’ she didn’t have much as a child (ex: tarts), or items useful for survival, combat, friends, etc.

31. 3-5 random pieces of trivia about them that doesn’t come up often?

Essie loves music; especially pieces with a soft melody. She grew a garden once. Lastly she has had no real schooling; she’s mostly self-taught or listened in on others or hired other’s to teach her. This might be one of the reasons why she’s a bit of a slow reader.

32. Does s/he prefer dawn or dusk?

She feels more ‘lively’ during dawn but enjoys dusk for the twilight glow, the stars, etc. So both with maybe a slight preference for dusk.

33. Have them describe themself in 3 words!

(no, Essie, you can’t use ‘snake lady’ for 2 words, use adjectives).

confident, misunderstood, bull-headed

34. How would s/he react to someone confessing they have a crush on them?

All the blushing. So much blushing. Open-mouthed like ‘uhh??’ If she doesn’t return the feelings, she’ll probably be really embarrassed. Stuttering as she tries the ‘it’s not you, it’s me’. Unless it’s not someone she’s close with, in which case, she’d use their ‘crush’ to her advantage. If it’s someone she has a crush on as well, she’ll blush and look away. Be shy. You’d probably need to convince her to speak or look at you again cuz she’d be like ‘?! they like me? me???’

35. What is his/her favorite scent?

Desserts, rain, the outdoors (especially earthy scents).

36. If they had a Pokemon team, what PKMN would they have?

With ‘starter’: Serperior, Weavile, Houndoom, Phantump, Dragalge, Togetic.

Without ‘starter’: same team, replace Serperior with Kangaskhan.

37. Can s/he sing? act?

She can’t sing well but that won’t stop her when she has the urge. Obviously she can act, or she wouldn’t play people so well lol.

38. Can s/he swim?

Yep!

39. Does s/he drink? Do drugs? Smoke?

Yes she drinks, no she doesn’t do drugs (unless medicines in the d&d count? I don’t know what sort of drugs they have), no she doesn’t smoke.

40. Are they good with children?

Yeah actually! She wants kids to have a happy youth, unlike what she had, so she’s willing to do things to entertain and help kiddos. If a kid cons her, she’d try to even hunt them down purely to see if there’s any way she could help them.

41. What sort of atmosphere does s/he give off?

Depends. Either antisocial or exceptional flirt depending on what’s going on to the average person.

42. Do they believe in any form of afterlife?

Yeah, she thinks there’s an afterlife. What it entails, she doesn’t dare imagine.

43. What’s the first thing s/he does in the morning after waking?

Roll outta bed/sleeping bag and get dressed, think about getting something to drink asap.

44. Who would be his/her voice actor/ress?

Morrigan from Dragon Age, voiced by Claudia Black. Dragon Age: Inquisition seems the best bet, as Morrigan’s voice seems more controlled and less bubbly than Origins. Perhaps Origins though when she’s interacting with Sul?

45. How would you describe his/her aesthetic?

Clothing wise: revealing/sexy. Personal taste: nature, stars, anything that’s just lulling, tranquil, natural to the world...

46. How would s/he react to supernatural/paranormal phenomenons?

Willing to fight a ghost. Probably be spooked at first, but after the first encounter with these sort of creations, she’d probably be okay. Just that first time... “woah let’s punch this ghost” half damage “holy shit you can punch a ghost? Cool. Also magic time becuz wow that didn’t do shit”.

47. How would s/he confess their love to others?

Judging by conversations with Heather, she’d be hecka frustrated. What are feelings. I don’t know what this is. Why do I care about you so much please explain this to me? And once she figures out that it’s love she’s feeling... that explains the confusion, the butterflies in her stomach, the awkward shyness even she couldn’t explain when she reacted to them being nice but... I must now blush... and hide my face...

48. How do they react to being bored?

Time to unbored herself by doing something. Hunting, pestering others, flirting, gambling, anything but sitting there jiggin her leg if she can help it. Restlessness doesn’t fit her.

49. Have they ever been stung by a bee?

Yush.

50. If they had to pick a Disney Princess/Prince, which do they like? Which do they feel most alike? Which do they aspire to be most like?

Essie would probably really like Tiana for her go-getter attitude. She probably feels most like Rapunzel, locked away from the world and badly treated by her ‘caretaker(s)’ (the city she grew up in) but now she’s free and adventuring and seeking her own trues and fulfilling her curiosities. Who she’d probably most aspire to be I guess would be Moana (not qualified as a Disney princess yet, but admirable all the same. Moana went on an adventure, conquered it, found herself, defeated the big bad, etc) or Merida (they share like-characteristics, and Merida didn’t need a man to complete her, though family/friends it reveals are important).

21 Q’s for d&d Chars and OCS, taken from here

1. What influenced or inspired the creation of this character?

First d&d campaign. Kept getting stuck between a handful of races. Finally got down to 4, then 3, then 2. Had to wait and see if Ammy would approve Yuan-Ti Purebloods. Got approved. Suddenly whAM - inspiration. Didn’t want a flat typical ‘evil’ Yuan-Ti. Her background was helpfully inspired by the one I picked- Urchin. I just continued adding tragedy because I’m an asshole.

2. What is your character’s relationship with their family? Family is a word which here refers to biological relatives, close companions, and/or the individual(s) who raised them.

Essie’s only known family was her mother. She was very close with her, sadly, her mom passed when she was young, probably 3-4ish. She never knew her dad. Her relationship with chosen family is positive. Details on ‘chosen’ family will be thought up further later, as I’m confident she’ll come to consider her traveling companions like family.

3. Who is the closest person to them?

Her mum (deceased), and eventually probably Sul and the group. I feel she’ll particularly enjoy Cackle and Adela but we’ll see~

4. What were the conditions surrounding their formative years?

Harsh livin of survival all her life yo. Fighting for food, stealing to get by, learning how to use and deceive people to get things she needed and then eventually, things she wanted.

5. What creature would they like to have as a pet?

Snakes and doggos.

6. Do they have any bad habits?

Does stealing count? Lmao uh, other than that, maybe gambling a bit..

7. Is there anyone they’d die for? Kill for?

Old friends, later their dnd group obviously.

8. Who was their first love?

I’m gonna be cheesy here and say Sulhadur. Mostly because she never really knew what love was anymore until him. Whoops feels-

9. How would this character react to someone confessing their love for them?

^ See up there, I know I answered a question like this already.

10. How old is this character?

Twenty.

11. Are they normally peaceful or aggressive?

Peaceful probably- just leave her be and let her do what she gonna do.

12. How does this character handle stress?

Probably get frustrated. Pull on hair, get loud, vent and rant.

13. Does your character consider themselves lucky?

Hahahahaah- no.

14. What is their favorite holiday?

I... Honestly don’t know? If we’re going by holidays present now, probably Halloween or smth low-key based around family. As for d&d holidays, of those I found, she’d probably prefer Trolltide (a variation on Halloween), and either Feast of the Moon or Feast of the Ancestors.

15. What is the best gift they could receive?

Mom’s love. //bricked// Mom’s ring??? That seems about all at the moment...

16. If they could instantly kill one person in the world without consequence, who would it be?

Probably everyone in their childhood city whoops- or at least someone there that caused her tremendous pain.

17. If they were in possession of a trio of wishes, what would their three wishes be?

Mom to come back to life (probably rejected), happiness (rejected), money (rejected), new clothes, new items to help with spells, idk something to help the dnd group as a whole then.

18. What is their favorite spell or method of attack?

Unknown at the moment. I’ll probably say her Magic Missiles and Acid Splash.

19. What are their guilty pleasures?

Give her desserts!

20. What is something this character is or could be addicted to?

Happiness? Desserts. Yes happiness and desserts sounds about right.

21. Have you actually played this character yet? 

Just started! :D

25 Q’s for your d&d Chars and OCs, taken from here

1. What is this character’s alignment?

Chaotic Neutral

2. What is a notable quote from this character? Alternatively, what is their favorite quote?

No notable quotes yet, just started playing her. Favorite quote would probably be something like ‘only the strong survive’ or ‘a sheep in wolves clothing’.

3. Summarize your character’s backstory with no more than three sentences.

Small innocent snake-child is born to a snake-lady whom has no spouse. She’s raised by her loving mother until she passes away of illness. The remainder of her life has been an uphill battle for survival and equality.

4. Describe your character using a song title.

Snake Charmer. //bricked// oR What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger.

5. Are there any story arcs you would like this character to explore?

ALL

6. What would your character like (or have liked) to do with their life?

They’d like to find happiness. They’d have liked to have a better childhood filled with joy and happiness too, and a healthy mom, and to better herself.

7. Who is your character’s best friend?

Solace technically from her old group. We’ll see what happens in her new group!

8. Who is your character’s worst enemy?

Miz’ri from her old group thus far~

9. Who has, for better or worse, had the most impact on your character’s life?

Thus far, her mother and the people of her childhood city.

10. What is the most badass thing this character has done?

Nothing really yet? Other than survive. Maybe persuaded Lord Hardon- I mean Amon- to chill his nuts.

11. What crime is this character most likely to be convicted of?

Thievery obviously lmao. And being too cute.

12. What meme would you use to describe the character?

Hello Darkness My Old Friend, But That’s None Of My Business, Fuck That Shit I’m Out.

13. Does this character swear frequently?

Probs!

14.What is this character’s relationship with religion or the church?

Fuck that shit I’m out, no thanks!

15. Would this character ever make a deal with a devil or dark spirit?

Under the right circumstances, maybe. But doubtful cuz she ain’t that stupid. Usually. Probably. Unless dire circumstances.

16. Emotion or Logic?

Logic. What are emotion. Plz explain.

17. Soup or Salad?

Soup and stews!

18. What is the character’s favorite Pokémon?

Phantump :’I

19. What Pokémon Go team would they be on?

Team Valor.

20. Is your character currently in love? Is there anyone in love with your character?

No-yes. Eventually.

21. Do you ship your character with any other characters? (This includes characters from other universes and canons)

Sul and her are meant to be okay.....

22. How would this character seduce a lover?

OH GOD well- apparently with flirty, charm, good looks, lots of hip swaying, smooth talking, etc (and her high Persuasion stat) works in her favor. Sul it- it would just come naturally. Essie’s shy with him it’s precious. It’s because she loves him tho.

23. If your character could play any part in a drama, stage production, or musical, what part would they play?

Behind the scenes, probably something like a makeup artist. In a piece, she’d probably be an actress, and a more low-key role because plz don’t spotlight me the arts aren’t my thing...

24. What is your character’s favorite album?

WIP WIP WIP ?? No albums in d&d realm so??? questionable.

25. What does this character mean to you?

I love her she’s my new daughter duh.

[diegest]

2010 V.S. 2019

Age 15 and almost 25

(This is long a messy but I wanted to make some kind of post about it before the year ends.)

I was making a stink face bc my then best-friend was over and said something funny before she took the picture and afterwards we busted out laughing. We were at my then step-dads parents house out in the country walking down to their creek either just getting done swimming in their pool or intending to get in it after going to the creek.

I was most likely a freshmen or sophomore at the time of this picture. (Probably right before sophomore year started...) It was definitely during Summer. I either had a flip Nokia phone or an LG Neon at the time as I upgraded from one to the other. I had my first “job.” I was a veterinary assistant after school for a few hours a day and did some work out there during Summer as well. I wasn’t paid and used my time as a volunteer to play with animals, hold them down for simple procedures, walked dogs, and it helped me gauge whether or not I wanted to actually pursue being a veterinarian. I had competed in track for 6 years in a row by this point and was probably finished with it by the time this picture was taken. (Two Elementary School leagues, all three years of Middle School, freshmen year of High School). I was crushing HARDCORE on my childhood best friend whom I’ve known since the age of 6 but neither of us could handle our feelings for the other and things would become super awkward until we had actually dated 7 years later. I was tan as hell because of track practice, walking to both pools in town, and walking to Sonic with friends during sleepovers.

I was struggling trying to find my identity as a teenager while maintaining being in the middle of my parents joint custody battle and being forced to be 100 miles away from my friends two weekends out of the month. I was a cynical older sister of two step-brothers and did not use my time with them as wisely as I wish I could have, sometimes being a real bitch to them looking back at it. I had no control over my hair color or length and remember desperately wanting to layer it to look like a scene kid despite how naturally thin it is. I had just started dabbling in eye liner (not pictured, as I preferred and still prefer my poolside activities over makeup), wore converse every day I wasn’t wearing flip flops for the season, wore baggy jeans, the same Paramore hoodie daily, and had an extreme creative drive that I miss deeply. I was bullied horribly for my teeth, nose, skin (I had terrible eczema that pool water, cortisone shots, and Summer weather in general helped tremendously with!), height, cup size, fashion, hobbies, having split parents, and then some. My metabolism was extremely high and I was in my athletic prime. I had a touch of internet fame by drawing my own personal characters on deviantArt.com as well as fan art for games and shows I was super into using my first Wacom tablet on my first laptop and to this day still have a folder of fan art created for me on my computer. I was obsessed with cats, rock music, anime, and drawing. I could drive a boat and got both a high five as well as scolded for that time I flipped myself into the water to retrieve my dads hat while we were going full speed over white-caps because I was too impatient for him to circle around and wanted to impress him and the rest of the family. I was for the most part unafraid of most things.

I was secretly extremely depressed and suicidal during the school year to the point I had missed my period for 5 months because of stress alone and I’m certain at the time this picture was taken, I was almost breathing a sigh of relief I was off from school for the summer. I had a close knit group of friends still before it had combust the following school year. I was “working” as a veterinary assistant but also had interests in pursuing being an animator, art director, cartoonist, children’s book illustrator, or graphic designer by this point and my mom encouraged me to pursue whatever I was comfortable with. I wasn’t really boy crazy like my friends were, instead having my heart set on one in particular and probably still having a soft spot for my ex whom I was with for 3 years prior. My bedroom contained my artwork, sports posters, cat posters, band posters, and trophies/medals from my days running track. My friend and I, though not legally allowed to drive, would occasionally sneak to Taco Bell using her parents car if they weren’t home and we never got caught or pulled over for it. My grades were A’s and B’s, though I could not pay attention in History to save my life because I was too preoccupied with doodling on my papers and ignoring this asshole who was two classes above me who had called me ugly but then admitted he liked me at one time because of my attitude?? He’s still an idiot from what I’ve heard only he’s an idiot who knocked up a few women post-high school, is apparently married now, and no surprise to me - is still stuck in that same small town with no goal to go anywhere outside of it.

I was scared of the outside world beyond my small town and had no idea how rough it would get for me. The family issues and my trip to family court had not happened yet. I had yet to become estranged from my family. I was small and awkward as hell. I struggled to hold conversations or make eye contact unless it was with people I felt most familiar with since people were kinda fucking mean. I could argue back but would immediately break down and cry from the interaction at the first chance I’d get. I’d use books, art, and video games for the escapism. Life felt scary and fragile and so very uncertain but at least I had a few individuals in the world whom I loved so much and who I know loved me.

I’m 24 now. I’m now in control over my own hair cut and color. I choose to keep it long as I didn’t even like the way it looked short when I finally chopped it as a teenager. It’s been red, reddish blonde, blonde on top and brown on the bottom, dark brown to blonde ombré, and now platinum blonde with my natural color as a shadow root and I quite like it. I don’t really dabble in makeup unless it’s for an occasion except for covering up my acne as my body decided that having zero acne in my teen years was just too good for me while I was battling eczema instead. I’m not nearly as tan or athletic as I’m forced to be inside at most times. I still love to swim though and I take every opportunity to go to my childhood beach during the Summer when I can in particular. I still don’t consider myself to be family-oriented despite this year really challenging that for me. I have a ton of amazing friends and people who care about me and feel like recently in particular, I’m always busy with someone doing something and making memories as we do whatever.

I have a bachelors in Psychology and a minor in Art, though I did not pursue a masters in art therapy like I had originally intended. I was heavily burnt out from school and my baby brothers worsening medical conditions and the news that he had been in a children’s hospital for quite some time with my family deliberately choosing not to tell me made me choose not to pursue one for the time being. I was working at Dairy Queen while technically sharing a lease with my ex before finding a job at a psychiatric hospital that I loved and getting my own apartment to myself and my cat, whom my ex gave to me as he saw she benefited me more than she benefited him. Though I lost that job, I can now say I have two years of field experience in Psychology and almost 6 months worth in social work and feel like I’m always learning something.

I’m not as creative anymore because the years of crippling depression, anxiety, and being forced to create for school absolutely ruined any creativity I had once had. Though occasionally I’ll have the opportunity to channel that creativity into a video game or quick doodle for a child.

I’ve moved to two cities after moving out of my high-school “home” town (not quite home but a good chunk of my upbringing!) and have every intention of doing it again within the next year after I save up some. I don’t take shit from anyone and have taken after the best parts of my moms personality in my opinion with the added benefit of my dads patience and keen eye. I’m known for making people around me comfortable and able to laugh and decompress and have been fortunate enough to use that power professionally. I would like to go back to mental and behavioral health as I miss the thrill and excitement as well as the camaraderie with fellow staff members in the pursuit of helping individuals. I’m very likely starting a new position in my company as early as next week and have been extremely excited about the pay and hour boost. I’ll be getting my dog in just over two weeks and am excited to start our life journey together. Though I had developed my moms serial-monogamist trait for a while there after my 6 year-long relationship had ended in the pursuit of finding someone to fill that gap, I feel very comfortable lately simply being pursued and wanted without the commitment. I’m addicted to sushi bowls, coffee, and chocolate. My passion is helping others. I feel comfortable in my body enough that I would love to pursue modeling of some sort and have been lucky enough to dabble in that a bit already. I also have a bit of a love for fashion now, though I rarely feel the urge to actually properly plan my outfits unless my goal is to dress to impress or for the sake of photography.

I’ve learned to allow myself to enjoy the things I enjoy without the fear of judgement from others. I still love nerd-culture and have somewhat recently taken an interest in cosplay and want to attend more conventions. I’ve learned that it’s an accomplishment for me to have gotten this far, to have my own place, and that it’s alright that I don’t have everything figured out and not everything has to be figured out right away. I don’t have the same best friend I had 10 years ago, but we’re still in contact and I love my current best friend tremendously though I don’t get to see him often. I’ve learned that my current group of friends may be temporary, but while I’m lucky enough to be around them I’m going to do what I can to make them feel as loved and cherished as possible and make plenty of memories. Ivy and I are doing well and I know we will continue doing well even with Atticus by our side. I value traveling way more and will continue to travel and see new things when I’m able to. Eventually I’ll narrow down a Masters program and go back to school when I feel ready. I might even work alongside my brother at some point as we had talked about working on a project together and I’m pretty excited. This is getting really really long oops

I also just look dope as all hell with blonde hair and have gotten the notoriety of being “that blonde girl who wears the leather jacket” and I’m beyond thrilled about this. I’ve come a long way and I’m proud of myself. It’s hard to believe that lanky, tan, dark haired, greasy-headed kid is me but I think she’s come a long long way and I’m genuinely proud of her for doing so and not ending things when she’s had the opportunity. Here’s to 10 more years of careful and concise progress and glow-ups~

[debrisdraws]

a story i wrote when i was 12

Prologue A small stuffed animal sat on a little girl’s bed, a happy expression sewn onto its face. It had two beautiful, bright blue beads serving as its eyes, and it had long, soft ears lined with satin. The stuffed animal was a rabbit, a very well-made rabbit with a pale pink ribbon tied around its neck. Sitting innocently next to it was a small, black-and-tan dog, who, once certain her owner was out of the room, grabbed the stuffed rabbit and began to play with it. The dog shook the rabbit a few times, then flung it across the room, vaulting off the bed to chase after it. After about fifteen minutes, there was a small hole in the rabbit’s side, and the dog eagerly pulled the stuffing out of its side, continuing until it was completely empty of its stuffing. Soon, the dog was tearing up the outside of the rabbit too, and after ten more minutes, there was nothing left of the stuffed rabbit except scraps of stuffing, white faux fur, and a frayed, torn pink ribbon.

Three hours earlier A boy sat in his room, drawing a picture of his friend. His friend looked vaguely canine, or perhaps feline, and had sandy brown fur accentuated with pale blue. His ears were long, and looked vaguely rabbit-like, except for the fact that his ears were broader and came to a sharp point at the end. His ears were pierced, with three earrings in each ear, and the insides of his ears were a soft blue-green color. He was wearing a dark blue jacket with large pockets, as well as a turquoise bow tie. The pockets of the jacket were for his sketchpad, which he never left home without. He had a long, lion-like tail, and the tuft of fur on the end of it was electric blue. The strange creature was also wearing a top hat of the same color as his jacket, with a turquoise ribbon around the base of said hat. The boy stopped drawing to listen in on his parents’ conversation, idly tapping his pen against the table. “Jake, he’s twelve now. Twelve is too old to have an imaginary friend. We humored him for a while, yes, but I think it’s time to tell him the truth,” the boy’s mother said firmly. “…Fine.” With that, the boy’s parents entered his room, pretending not to know who he was drawing. His father glanced in his mother’s direction, then began to speak. “Listen, son, your mother and I need to have a chat with you. Can we sit down?” The boy’s only response was a nod, so his parents sat on the bed, and the boy’s father continued. “So, we know how much you like your… friend… but we think you’re getting a bit old for him. You should go make real friends, you know. To be blunt… having an imaginary friend won’t get you anywhere in life. You know he’s not real, don’t you? He’s never been real, and he never will be.” And that was the precise moment that the boy’s imaginary friend died.

Chapter One A white rabbit with blue eyes and a pink ribbon sat, very confused and slightly afraid, on a small platform in what appeared to be a gigantic child’s room. The lavender walls were at least fifty feet high, the vast amount of carpet was baby blue, and there were at least sixty enormous dollhouses lining the walls, as well as a hospital, a police station, and a very large pot that had lots of strange plants in it. Many stuffed animals roamed about, as well as some strange animals that didn’t seem to be any specific kind of animal at all. The rabbit looked around some more and spotted another strange not-animal on the platform beside her. He was wearing a dark blue top hat, which was slightly askew, as well as several other items of clothing that made him look somewhat like a magician. “Hey, do you know where we are?” the rabbit asked. “No, but when I got here, I was told there would be someone up soon to tell me the rules. That was three hours ago, and no one has come to tell me anything.” Sighed the not-animal. “Oh. Well, while we wait, we could get to know each other,” suggested the rabbit. “My name is Morta.” “Nice to meet you, Morta. I’m Vincent.” “Cool. So, uh, Vincent, I don’t mean to be rude, but… what are you? You kind of look like what would happen if a cat and a dog had a baby.” Morta said, feeling very awkward. “Nah, it’s fine. I’m not, technically speaking, an animal, exactly. I’m an imaginary friend. We imaginary friends can be any creature, be it animal, human, or neither. I just so happen to fall into the ‘neither’ category.” Vincent explained with a smile. “Oh. Okay,” Morta replied. “Do you know how to get back h… oh! Who’s that?” Just then, Morta caught sight of what had previously been a stuffed raccoon climbing the stairs to the platform to address the two new arrivals. “Hello, hello! I’m Ella, and you’re Vincent and Morta, correct?” Without waiting for their answers, she continued. “I’ll be instructing you on how to behave here, and on the services we can provide you with. Firstly, and most importantly, we have free healthcare here in The Life After. If you ever feel sick, go find the hospital. The kind workers there also do piercings, fur dyes, and, if you’re one of those gross new ‘tail-switchers’, they can do that too. I don’t think getting a tail-switch is a good idea, though. You’ve got a perfectly good tail already. Now, any questions so far?” “U-Uh, um, no, thanks,” Vincent stammered, caught off-guard. “What’s a tail-switch?” Morta asked. It was becoming very clear that the rabbit liked to ask questions. “Is it like a light switch? That sounds really weird. Imagine having a light switch glued to your behind… so weird.” “No, no, it’s not like that at all. It’s a new trend, and I don’t like it. Basically, you go to the hospital, and they violently chop your tail off and sew on someone else’s disembodied tail. Disgusting, really,” the raccoon said with a grimace. “Now, any more questions before I continue?” Vincent and Morta both shook their heads, so Ella continued. “Good, good. So, you might be wondering what the currency here is, right? There is no currency. We don’t need money here in The Life After. If everyone contributes something, everyone is happy, and everyone has what they need. There are a few main professions in which workers are most needed; doctors, police officers, and informers. Informers are creatures like me, who help out the newbies when they first get here. There’s also a profession that doesn’t technically count as a profession, which is that of a helper. Helpers, as the name suggests, just sort of loiter about and help people who look confused. Helpers are always very friendly, and everyone trusts them. Now, you will choose your profession. We currently only need the main four, so choose from them.” Ella finished, stopping to catch her breath after her long monologue. “Uhh…” Morta mumbled, shooting a glance at Vincent. “Could I change my profession later, if I wanted to?” Vincent asked, cocking his head hopefully. “Yes, yes, of course.” Ella confirmed. “Then… I think I’ll be a doctor.” “I’ll be a helper. I like helping.” Morta said cheerfully. “Good, good. Now, let’s learn the rules and the basics of what doctors and helpers need to know. Rules first, though.” Ella said, preparing herself for another long speech. “So, basically, the rules here are simple. Don’t kill anyone. After one kill, you’ll be labelled a criminal, but if you stop then, we’ll only put you in jail for a week or two. After five kills, the jail time is upped to two months. After ten, a year. At fifteen kills, the police will hunt you down and execute you, which will send you back to your previous life. You won’t be able to return here until you’ve lived out another life, but the punishment doesn’t end there. When you finally die again, you’ll just be executed as soon as you get here, so you’ll have to live out two extra lives before returning. Something similar happens if you are killed. You can’t die here unless someone purposely ends your life, so you can’t die by accident, and if you do die, you’ll be sent back to your previous life. Any more questions?” Morta suddenly looked very interested. If she could find someone to kill her, she could return home. Lost in thought, she tuned out the rest of Ella’s instructions. Suddenly, Vincent prodded her in the side to get her attention. “What?” Morta asked, bewildered. “She asked if you would mind sharing a house with some other creatures.” Vincent explained. “I’d be there too.” “Oh. Uh, yeah, sure.” *** About half an hour later, Vincent and Morta had been told everything there was to know, and now Ella was leading them to their house. As the raccoon swung open the door, she called out a greeting, and around a dozen voices responded. “You’ll be living with fourteen other creatures. They’re all in the living room right now; you’ll need to introduce yourselves later, once you’re settled in.” Ella said cheerfully, as though living with fourteen other animals was normal. “There are enough bedrooms for each animal to only have to share with one other. You two will be rooming together.” Morta was bewildered, but she nodded and acted as though she understood. She decided to tune Ella out again. Soon, the raccoon had finished rambling, and was leading Vincent and Morta up multiple flights of stairs to their room. By the time they reached the top of the final flight of stairs, Vincent was wheezing. “Can… we… c-can we please… take a break from the stairs,” Vincent panted desperately. “No need. Your room is on this floor, see? You’re in the second room on the left. Now, since I’m assuming you can find it yourself, I’ll be off. Talk to the possum sisters downstairs if you need help.” Ella replied, turning and running back down the stairs, not seeming tired at all. “Well, I guess we should go to our room,” Morta mumbled, swinging open the door to their room and ambling inside. As soon as she was inside, she collapsed onto one of the beds, sighing contentedly as she wallowed in the soft blankets. Vincent sat on the bed next to her, fiddling with the blankets with his strange, monkeylike paws. “So,” Vincent finally ventured. “Uh… I like your ribbon.” “Thanks. I like your hat.” Morta replied, stifling a laugh at Vincent’s sorry attempt at starting a conversation. “I only wear it to cover up my horns. Personally, I think my horns are pretty cool, but they’ve been known to scare people, so I cover them up.” Replied the sandy-colored creature, removing his top hat to reveal a sky-blue set of horns. “You look like a cow,” Morta blurted out. “Uh, I mean, in a good way! You look like… er… a handsome… cow?” “Gee, thanks,” Vincent replied, rolling his eyes and putting his hat back on. “So, do you have anything I don’t know about you?” “Well, my favorite color is yellow. I don’t think I told you that yet. What’s your favorite color?” “Green.” Vincent answered, fiddling with the pockets on his jacket. “Cool. So what’s in your pockets?” “My sketchpad is in one pocket, my pencils are in the other.” Vincent replied. Morta was opening her mouth to ask another question when what looked to be a bull terrier pushed open the door. “It’s time for dinner,” the bull terrier yipped, leaving immediately after he was done talking. “Already?” Morta complained, not wanting to leave her bed. “You go downstairs and eat. When you’re done, bring me my food. I’m hungry, but I don’t want to go back down all those stairs.” Vincent said, sprawling out on the bed with a yawn. With a grumble of complaint, Morta got to her feet and exited the room, making her way to the stairs and heading downwards. Once downstairs, she wandered around until she found a sign that said ‘Dining Hall’. Morta pushed open the door to see fourteen other animals sitting around a table. Hesitantly, she went and sat next to a cheerful-looking possum. “There you are,” the bull terrier from before said in a monotone voice. “You’re late for dinner. Is your friend coming downstairs?” “Nah. I’m going to bring him his food once I’m done.” Morta replied. “Well, while you’re down here, let’s all introduce ourselves!” the possum sitting next to her exclaimed excitedly. “I’m Opal, and this is my sister, Diamond.” Next to Opal was another possum who was nearly identical to her sister, and Diamond simply waved shyly before retreating to cower behind Opal. “My name is Rei.” Said the bull terrier, turning his attention back to his meal immediately after speaking up. “I’m Flame, and these are my brothers, Sky and Wind, and my sister, Storm.” Meowed a flame-point cat, gesturing to three other pointed cats with her tail. “Wow. Lots of the animals here are related, huh?” Morta said, slightly confused. “Er… yes.” Flame mumbled, looking away. “Just tell her.” Sighed Opal. “Well, uh… nobody here is actually related by blood except Opal and Diamond. Similar creatures are sometimes lumped together and told to look after one another. Often, it doesn’t end well, with one or two of the ‘siblings’ going off and leaving the others. Storm, Wind, Sky, and I have only lasted this long because we’re used to living with others, and all of us would be very upset without someone to talk to.” Flame explained. “Oh,” Morta mumbled. “Anyways, let’s go on with the introductions!” Opal said cheerfully. “My name is Faust, and this is my brother, Jaeger.” Said a large, dark gray wolf, angling his head towards another huge wolf. As the introductions went on, Morta slowly stopped paying attention, and so she ended up only remembering a few of her housemates’ names. As the last creature stated his name, she snapped out of her bored stupor and stood up, eager to go upstairs. “Okay, well, it was nice meeting you all,” Morta said, licking the last remnants of her dinner from the plate. “Well, I’m going upstairs now. Bye.” *** “Aw, only plants and stuff? I was hoping for real food, like cake or ice cream.” Vincent sighed when presented with his food. “Just eat it already. You need to be nice and energized for your first day of work at the hospital tomorrow. I ran into Ella on my way up here. She said you start work at seven, and I start work whenever I wake up. Being a helper has its perks,” Morta said smugly. Vincent grumbled a complaint, but ate a few of the vegetables on his plate anyways. In the end, he managed to force down about half the food, although he whined about its taste the entire way through. “Good job. Now, let’s go to sleep. You have an early start tomorrow,” Morta directed, sounding very much like Vincent’s mother. Needless to say, the horned creature did not like that. “I’ll do whatever I like. I’m grown. I don’t need you telling me what to do,” Vincent said, shooting a heated glare in Morta’s direction, although he did as she said and took off his hat, bow tie, and jacket, then climbed into his bed, burrowing beneath the pale green blankets so that all that was visible of him was the electric-blue tuft of fur on the end of his tail. “But you still obeyed, didn’t you?” Morta replied, the smug look from before returning. “If you need me, I’ll be in my bed. Not sleeping, just… thinking.”

Chapter Two Vincent woke early the next morning to see Rei standing over him, looking bored. “Wake up.” Said the bull terrier, his voice emotionless. “It’s six thirty. You need to get ready for work.” With a sleepy groan, Vincent sat up, and before he could ask any questions, Rei was gone, closing the door behind him. As Vincent got dressed, he realized something very important; he had no idea where the hospital was. Not bothering to put his bow tie on, or even make sure his jacket was buttoned, he pounced on Morta, shaking her urgently. “Morta, wake up!” he said loudly. “Go away,” Morta growled, swatting blindly at Vincent, hoping to hit him. She did manage to connect with his hat, sending it tumbling to the ground. “Morta, come on,” Vincent whined. “I need help. You’re a helper, aren’t you?” “Nuh-uh. Not yet; I’m just an assistant helper right now. Go away.” Morta muttered, yanking her blankets back up over her head so Vincent would leave her alone. “Fine,” Vincent sighed, hopping off the bed and  retrieving his hat. He then left the room, closing the door quietly behind him and making his way to the stairs. On his way down, he nearly ran into Opal, and he had to stumble to the left to avoid colliding with her, falling down several stairs in the process. “Opal!” he called from his sprawled-out position on the stairs below her. “Opal, I’m so glad I ran into you. Do you know where the hospital is?” “Oh, yeah. All you have to do is go outside, head straight for a while, then take a left, another left, and a right, then keep going straight until you get there.” Opal said cheerfully. “Oh, there’s Diamond! If you want, she’ll walk you there.” Diamond shook her head vigorously, shooting a panicked look in Opal’s direction. “Yeah, okay. That would be great,” Vincent replied, standing back up and pretending he hadn’t just fallen down the stairs. He began to descend once more, this time with Diamond trailing behind him. Once they got outside, he looked to Diamond for instruction. The silvery possum didn’t say anything, just started to walk in what Vincent assumed was the correct direction. After about five minutes of walking in one direction, Diamond began to walk in a different direction, occasionally glancing back to make sure Vincent was following. After a while and a few more odd turns, the two creatures had reached the hospital. “Thanks for your help, Diamond,” Vincent said with a smile. Diamond didn’t say anything, just dipped her head in acknowledgement and left. Vincent hesitated outside the hospital doors for a moment, then took a deep breath and stepped inside. As soon as he was inside, a very energetic ferret came over to him and started chatting. “Hello! I’m James, and I’m the receptionist! I’ll bet you’re here to become a doctor, huh? What’s your name?” the receptionist said, barely pausing for breath. “Uhhh… Vincent.” “Nice to meet you, Vincent!” James said cheerfully. “The doctor you’ll be with isn’t ready yet, so while we wait, let’s have a conversation!” “No such luck, James. I’m ready now,” came a voice from the hallway. Vincent turned his head to see the source of the voice, a red fox who was holding a scalpel in her mouth. “Come on back, Vincent.” “Oh. Okay.” Vincent replied, not entirely sure what he was doing, but going back into the operating room with her anyway. Strangely, there was no one there. “I thought I was supposed to watch you do… doctor-y stuff… and learn from that. Why isn’t there anyone here?” “It’s simple, really. You don’t need to watch me do anything. All you have to do is lie back, go to sleep, and when you wake up you’ll know how it’s done.” The red fox said, a satisfied grin creeping onto her lips. “Wh— Ow!” Vincent yelped, feeling the prick on a needle in his skin. The fox stepped back, carelessly tossing her syringe onto the counter and watching Vincent attempt to stay upright. Eventually, he collapsed on the floor, completely unconscious. *** Vincent woke a few hours later with a stinging pain in the back of his head. With a groan, he cracked open one eye to see Morta lying, fast asleep, on the end of the bed. At least, he though it was Morta. She looked different than Vincent remembered. “Hey. Morta, wake up. What did you have them do?” Vincent said, gently hitting Morta on the head with his paw. He watched as the white rabbit opened her eyes, and for a moment all she did was dazedly stare around. “Oh, yeah. I got bored waiting for you.” Morta said with a shrug, her words slightly slurred. “I decided to have them do a thing. I look pretty now, right? I look like you.” “Morta, you were pretty before. You don’t even look like a rabbit anymore. I have to admit, though, the piercings do suit you, but not the… that.” Vincent gestured to Morta’s tail. Her natural tail had been cut off and replaced with someone else’s. It looked just like Vincent’s, with the blue tuft of fur on the end, but the rest of it had been dyed white to match Morta’s natural fur color. A bandage was wrapped around the base of the new tail, and a few droplets of blood had seeped through the fabric of the bandage. She had had her ears pierced, with two earrings per ear, just like Vincent, and she had also had her nose pierced, a small black ring now adorning her twitching nose. “Oh, yeah, I was supposed to tell you what they did to your head. Also don’t freak out. They said to tell you not to freak out,” Morta said. As the silence stretched on, Vincent stared expectantly at her, only to realize she had gone back to sleep. With a sigh, he shook her awake. “What?” “You were telling me what they did to my head,” Vincent sighed. “Oh. Right. So, basically, they cut you open and inserted a chip into your brain. It feeds the information you need to know directly into your brain. Cool, huh?” Morta said cheerfully. “They even let me see the pictures they took of you, all cut open and gross. Do you wanna see?” “Er… no. No, thank you.” Vincent said quickly. “They said as soon as you were feeling better you could go home for the day.” Morta added, hopping off the bed and heading for the door. With a sigh, Vincent reluctantly followed her out the door, stopping suddenly once he was outside. “H-Hey,” he stammered. Morta halted to listen to him, and he continued. “I don’t suppose you remember the way back home?” “Uh… I mean, it can’t be far, can it?” *** Eventually, after about an hour of wandering around and arguing about which direction they should go, Vincent and Morta happened to spot their house, and so they were now lying on Morta’s bed, doing absolutely nothing. Morta had fallen asleep, and Vincent was rambling to himself about how ‘gross’ and ‘unsanitary’ the hospital had been, focusing particularly on the fact that the fox he had met had held the scalpel in her mouth, getting her saliva all over it. After a while, Vincent fell asleep, and when he woke up, it was dark, not only because the main lights in the gigantic room had been turned off to simulate night, but also because, while he and Morta were sleeping, someone had come in and turned off their lamp. “Oh, you’re awake,” Morta said with a yawn. “I can’t sleep anymore. After that nap, I don’t think I’ll be able to get to sleep tonight.” “Me neither,” Vincent agreed. “I’m going out.” Morta suddenly announced, getting up and heading for the door. “Can I come?” Vincent asked eagerly. He didn’t know of anywhere in The Life After that was open after dark, so if Morta knew a fun place to go, he wanted to go too. “No. I want to be alone right now,” Morta said quietly. “Bye, Vincent. Have a nice night.” “Uh… okay?” Vincent responded, confused as to why his friend was suddenly acting so stiff and formal. Without another word, Morta turned and slipped out the door, making her way down the stairs to the door. She stepped outside onto the soft blue carpet, looking around for a bit before deciding she would need a weapon. With a crash, she slammed herself into a window, creating several long, jagged shards of glass. She winced, feeling quite a few slivers of glass go into her skin, but ignored the pain and picked up one of the pieces, looking around once more before going down the shadiest alley she could find. To Morta’s great delight, there was already someone down the alley, a medium-sized rat who seemed to be closely examining a strand of the carpet. She calmly went up to him and gently prodded him with the glass shard, hard enough to get his attention but not hard enough to draw blood. He turned to her, an expression of amusement and slight confusion adorning his face. “What are you doing?” the rat said with a little giggle. “I’m threatening you with a weapon. The only way to escape this fatal situation is to kill me out of self-defense.” Morta said with a small smile. “No, thanks,” said the rat politely. “What?” Morta said, very irritated. “You can’t just say ‘no thanks’! You’re supposed to take my glass piece and dramatically kill me with my own weapon.” “No, thanks. If I kill you, I’ll be put in jail. I’d rather die than go to jail.” “You already died,” grumbled Morta, gripping her drool-covered glass shard tightly. “So? I would rather you ripped me open on the spot than go to jail. I’ve seen what the living conditions are like in there!” the rat said stubbornly, provoking an angry grunt from Morta. “If you truly would rather die than kill someone to defend yourself, then prove it!” Morta snarled, leaping forward and bowling the rat over, first scratching at his face with her claws to give him a chance to retaliate, then dropping her glass shard to nip at him. Still, the rat did not attempt to defend himself. He just lay there and took it, watching through narrowed eyes as Morta bit and scratched at him. “Do it. Kill me,” the rat said, lying perfectly still as the white rabbit tore at his flesh. “I don’t mind. Go ahead.” With an enraged growl, Morta picked up her weapon and plunged it into the rat’s chest, rearing up on her hind legs and dropping her front legs down onto the glass shard, shoving it deeper into his chest. The rat let out a disgusting gurgle, a small wave of blood forcing its way up his throat and dripping out of his mouth. Morta stepped off the rat, looking at the wound in his chest with great interest. She yanked her piece of glass out of his chest and watched as an interesting occurrence happened before her eyes. More blood came out of the wound, an interesting color of blood that was a cross between crimson and magenta. Inside the wound was cotton, the same type you would see inside a stuffed animal. It had been dyed an odd lavender color by the blood, but there was no mistaking it; it was cotton. Morta started to walk away, but turned to look at the rat she had killed one last time. A wave of regret washed over her, but there was no turning back now. With a sigh, she started to walk back towards home. She washed the blood from her fur in the kitchen sink, still regretful but not as much as before. Morta made her way up the stairs and into her room, careful not to wake Vincent, who had fallen asleep while she was gone. She collapsed, now exhausted, into her bed, and slept a dreamless sleep. Chapter Three Vincent woke the next morning to see Rei standing in the doorway, repeating the words ‘wake up’ over and over in a monotone voice. “I’m awake now, you can leave,” Vincent sighed, getting out of bed and starting to get dressed. He was soon completely ready for work, although he still didn’t know the way to the hospital. Nevertheless, he left his room and started for the stairs, hoping he would run into someone who was willing to show him the way to work. Unfortunately, the only creature he ran into was Dawn, a snake who worked at the police department and didn’t know the way to the hospital. So, after about ten minutes of dawdling and hoping someone would come to show him the way to work, Vincent set off in what he thought was the general direction of the hospital. After about twenty minutes of wandering aimlessly around, he managed to find his way to the hospital, where James the receptionist enthusiastically greeted him. “Vincent!” James said excitedly. “Just in time! Your first patient just got here. Go on back into exam room four.” Bewildered but obedient, Vincent made his way back to the fourth exam room, where two creatures sat before him. One of them was an imaginary friend like Vincent, with white fur and pale purple markings. Another strange thing about this creature was the fact that she had no eyes; there was just smooth white fur where her eyes should be. The other was what appeared to be a cat, albeit a very strange cat. He was silvery-gray, with dark blue-gray markings and a purple blindfold over his eyes. “Uh… hello. I’m Vincent, and I… uh… pardon me, but I haven’t been told anything about what I’m to do today. Could you… maybe tell me why you’re here?” Vincent stammered nervously, feeling very unprofessional. “Pearl here got into a nasty fight a few minutes ago. I checked with another doctor, and she said Pearl would definitely need stitches. You’re to do the stitches.” The cat-like creature said, sounding slightly irritated. For the first time, Vincent realized that the other creature –Pearl— was oozing blood from a long, nasty cut on her shoulder. He shuddered, the sight of blood making him feel slightly nauseous, but pretended he was fine and continued trying to help Pearl. “O-Oh, right, of course,” Vincent said, looking around for the needle and thread that was used to stitch up wounds. Suddenly, he felt a small twinge in the back of his head. It wasn’t painful, just uncomfortable, and suddenly he knew exactly where the needle and thread were. Quickly, he retrieved them, then just sort of sat there, very confused, until another small wave of information appeared in his head, telling him what to do. Slowly but steadily, he managed to make his way through the process of stitching the patient’s wound closed. Once finished, he herded Pearl and her friend out of the room. As soon as they had left, Vincent sat down in one of the chairs in the waiting room, looking very pale. “Vincent! Your next patient is waiting for you in operating room number two. He’s already unconscious, don’t bother trying to make conversation.” James informed him. Vincent simply nodded his acknowledgement and started towards operating room number two, but was stopped on his way in by a nurse. “You’ll want to have another, more experienced doctor helping you for this one.” Said the nurse in a low voice. “The kid on the operating table in there has more injuries than you’re used to. Poor little guy got in a fight with a big dog, got his ear ripped clean off.” “U-Uh, th-thanks,” Vincent mumbled, now feeling very nervous and slightly sick. He pushed open the door to the operating room, took one look at the fennec fox lying on the silvery table, and fainted. *** “Ah, you’re awake. How’re you feeling?” came a voice. Vincent cracked open one eye to see the nurse that had told him of his patient’s condition. “Uh… I don’t know. I feel fine, I guess,” Vincent mumbled, his ears burning scarlet in embarrassment as he suddenly remembered why he was waking up in a hospital bed at work. “Did… did I really faint?” “Oh, yes. It’s only technically your first day on the job, too. Maybe you’re better suited to a different job?” the nurse suggested. “But… but I wanted to be a doctor so I could help people, so I could save lives, that sort of thing,” Vincent objected. “You could be a police officer. They help, and there’s less blood if you work as a police officer. You could also be a helper, whose very definition of a job is helping.” “I’ll try being a police officer, then,” Vincent said, brightening up. “Could you direct me to the police station?” “It’s just down the street. All you have to do is turn left as soon as you get out the door, then continue straight, then you’ll be there. Shall I tell the others that you’ve quit?” asked the nurse. “Yeah, thanks.” Vincent said happily, hopping out of his bed and heading towards the door. He followed the nurse’s directions, then applied for the job at the police station. After a nervous half-hour wait, he was told he had gotten the job, and he was assigned to patrol the streets near his house that night. Vincent was also given a badge, which he pinned proudly to his hat. Soon, he was on his way back home to rest before his first shift that night. Once he got into his and Morta’s room, he realized something, and was quick to point it out. “Morta, look! Your beautiful ribbon is torn.” Vincent pointed out sadly. “Oh, yeah. I tore it last night.” Morta replied. “Oh, hey! Guess what?” Vincent said excitedly, changing the subject abruptly. He continued, not waiting for Morta to guess. “I got a job as a police officer!” “I thought you were a doctor.” “Yeah, but… I guess I don’t do very well with blood… I fainted. It was only my second patient, too! But then the nice nurse lady told me I could be a police officer, so I decided to do it!” Vincent said cheerfully. “How’s work as a helper been? Is it fun?” “No clue. I haven’t the faintest idea what I’m supposed to do, so I just lie in bed all day and hope Ella will come tell me what to do,” Morta sighed. “Oh.” Vincent said. He paused for a moment. “What time is it?” “Seven forty-five, why?” “I’m supposed to be outside already! It’s nearly time for the main lights to turn off!” Vincent cried, scrambling out of bed and rushing out the door. Morta watched as he left, waiting for him to go downstairs. She heard four loud thuds, one after the other, and knew that Vincent had just fallen down the stairs. Hopping up, she crawled underneath her bed and retrieved her glass shard, then made her way to the stairs, descending slowly. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, Morta risked a glance behind her, then pushed open the door and stepped outside, angling her large ears to the left, then the right, to check for other creatures. She heard someone to the left, and two others on the right, but she decided to wait until the main lights went off to make her move. With a click, the lights went off, plunging the gigantic room and everyone in it into darkness. Quickly, Morta broke into a run, turning sharply to the right, towards the two creatures lurking in the shadows there, a small, black-and-tan dog, and a pale brown cat with red antlers and eyes. There were several scars cutting through the cat’s sleek fur, which were also bright red. The two creatures seemed to be having a conversation, and did not notice Morta. “Hey. Hey, you guys. I have a weapon, and you should probably kill me.” Morta said calmly. The dog looked bored, but the cat’s face split into a grin, and he tensed, tail waving back and forth, then leapt on Morta, biting and scratching at her face. The white rabbit dropped her piece of glass and let the cat hurt her, watching with interest as he attempted to impale her on his antlers. Suddenly, there was a growl, and the cat was yanked backwards by the tail. The dog put down his tail, but still watched the cat intently. “No. Biting, scratching, and fighting is for uncivilized, wild animals. We are civilized, and you should not be attacking this harmless little bunny.” Said the dog disapprovingly. “Harmless?! I am not harmless! Just last night, I killed someone!” Morta said in a prideful tone. “Oh. We’ll have to go to the police, then,” the dog said calmly. “No!” Morta cried, desperation clear in her voice. She started to back away, but tripped over her glass shard, which she had forgotten about. Grabbing the shard of glass, Morta sprang forward and attempted to shove it into the dog’s chest, but the dog swatted her away at the last second. She then turned to focus on the cat, who was watching with great interest. Morta leaped towards the cat, managing to shallowly scratch his face. The cat shoved her down and bit her ears, tearing them a bit. Morta took this chance to push her glass shard upwards and into the cat’s throat. Gasping and hacking, the cat collapsed, and Morta yanked her weapon out of his throat to fight the dog, who was now very angry indeed. The dog leapt, snarling, at her, and bit down on the side of her neck, just left of her windpipe, and shook her around like a rag doll. Morta let out a choked cry and writhed around in the dog’s grasp, managing to cut its forehead open with her glass piece. While the dog was busy blinking blood out of its eyes, it loosened its grip on Morta, and she took this chance to wiggle out of its mouth and onto its back, where she plunged the shard of glass into the back of its neck. Jumping off the dog’s back, Morta watched as it fell to the ground, splattering the baby blue carpet with deep magenta blood. The white rabbit turned to leave, but before she had taken four steps, she found herself face-to-face with Vincent. “Morta, hi! What’s that all over your fur? Why are those creatures… oh. Oh, no…” Vincent stammered, suddenly looking very sick. He turned away for a moment to throw up, coughing and gagging. When he turned back to Morta, he was pale and looked traumatized. “Wh…What happened to them? Are you okay? You have all these bite marks on you, and you’ve got blood dripping out of the side of your mouth… I think you should go to the hospital.” Vincent said, worry clouding his amber eyes. “I’m fine. You can help me clean out my wounds when we get home,” Morta said, her head low and her eyes dull. “Who killed them and hurt you? And why do you have that piece of glass? Put it down, you might hurt yourself.” “Vincent, you really haven’t figured it out yet?” Morta said sadly. “I killed them. This shard of glass is my weapon.” “W-What?” Vincent yelped, his eyes shining with pale purple tears. “But… you… I thought…” “If you tell anyone what I’ve done, you’ll be my next victim.” Morta growled. “B-But I thought we were friends!” objected Vincent. “Vincent, we’ve only known each other for, what, three days? I don’t want to hurt you, but if you rat me out to the police, I’ll have to.” “Fine,” Vincent mumbled, feeling a bit hurt. “I’ll help you, if you want. But only with your injuries. Not the murders themselves. But, before I help you, tell me this; why? Why are you killing all these innocent creatures?” “I want to go back to my other life. There are two ways of going about that; dying, or committing at least fifteen murders and being executed. I’ve already killed three of my fifteen, so me dying at this point would be impractical.” “But… b-but how can you stand it? It’s scary, isn’t it, having to kill all these creatures all by yourself?” Vincent asked. “It is just as easy to kill one hundred as it is to kill one.” Morta replied. “Sometimes it gets easier as you go, too. The more you kill, the more desensitized you get, which helps quite a bit.” “Oh.” Vincent mumbled, feeling very scared indeed. He forced his face to contort into a smile, which looked a bit more like a grimace than a smile. “I’ll help you however I can.”

Chapter Four “Hurry up,” Morta complained with a grimace. Vincent, who had decided one or two of Morta’s wounds needed stitches, was currently in the process of sewing a large bite mark closed. It was, to say the least, very uncomfortable. “Don’t complain. It was very hard to steal this stuff, you know. I had to break one of the hospital windows,” Vincent grumbled, tying off the thread with his strange, monkey-like paws. He then started to bandage the wounds which didn’t need stitching. “You’re lucky I haven’t fainted, actually. I don’t do well with blood.” “Yeah, I saw.” Said Morta with an amused snort, remembering how Vincent had puked earlier when he’d seen the bodies of her victims. Having finished bandaging Morta’s wounds, Vincent stepped back and placed the medical supplies into a box, which he then shoved under his bed. “There. Now, what’s your cover story for why you have injuries?” “I hit my head on a shelf, and then I fell onto something sharp.” Morta responded. “That cover story sucks. Tell people we got in a fight or something.” Vincent sighed. “But you’re not injured, they wouldn’t believe you,” Morta objected. “Well, we can fix that, can’t we?” Vincent said with a grin, pulling the medical supplies back out from under his bed. “Bandage me.” Rolling her eyes, Morta took the roll of bandages from Vincent and started to clumsily wrap them around his front leg, then his face. “Hey, keep that out of my eye!” Vincent complained as Morta started to cover his left eye with the bandages. “How’s it supposed to look real if I keep it out of your eye?” Morta teased, completely covering Vincent’s eye and part of his ear, as well as some of his hat. Vincent was almost one hundred percent sure hats did not suffer injuries, but he kept this to himself. “Okay, okay, quit it. I look convincing enough, now let’s go see if this place serves breakfast.” “What? But it’s still night,” Morta said, confused. “Not for long. The lights are about to come on.” Vincent pointed out, gesturing to the clock with his long tail. Sure enough, it read ‘5:56’, and as the two creatures made their way down the stairs, the lights clicked on. As they entered the kitchen, a surprising sight greeted them; Rei, the bull terrier, was standing by the stove, watching a pot of water boil and occasionally stirring it. “Rei?” Morta said, extremely confused. “You can cook?” “Yeah. Who did you think cooked all the meals?” Rei said, looking irritated. It was the first time Vincent and Morta had seen any emotion on his face besides boredom. “Uh… I don’t know. I thought they just sort of… happened.” Vincent mumbled, edging closer to see what Rei was cooking. To his great disappointment, it was fruits and vegetables yet again. “What happened to you two? Has your eye been gouged out?” Rei said with great interest, staring at Vincent’s bandages. “Has her neck been ripped open?” “No, no. We got in a fight, that’s all. Morta borrowed something of mine without asking, so I kind of accidentally attacked her?” Vincent said, sounding slightly unsure. “Oh.” Rei sighed. To be honest, he looked a bit disappointed. “Well, you guys can go sit at the table and wait for breakfast. The food will be ready soon.” Obediently, Vincent and Morta sat down at the long table, waiting for the food to be ready. Suddenly, Ella barged in, looking frazzled, with three frightened-looking creatures trailing behind her. They looked exactly like normal deer except for a few things; for one, each had brightly-colored hooves. One had yellow hooves, one had blue, and the last had red. Secondly, the ‘deer’ had slightly tinted coats; each deer’s fur was a diluted version of the color on their hooves. Lastly, they were all wearing collars. The yellow-hooved deer had a green collar, the red-hooved one had an orange collar, and the blue-hooved one had a purple collar. There was a long chain connecting their collars together, so they couldn’t stray more than a few feet away from one another. “Morta! There you are. Can you show these three around for me? They’re new,” Ella said, pushing the deer towards Morta and bolting out the door. “Uh… hello there. My name’s Vincent, and this is Morta. What are your names?” Vincent finally said, realizing Morta did not want to introduce herself. “I’m Cerulean, and these are my sisters, Amber and Scarlet.” Said the blue-tinted deer. “Nice to meet you, Cerulean.” Vincent replied, and, after a moment’s hesitation, he said, “Do you want me to help you get that chain off? It looks uncomfortable.” As Vincent moved his paw toward the chain, the three deer leaped backwards all at the same time. The buck, Cerulean, drew back his lips to reveal his teeth, which were very sharp and dangerous-looking. “Don’t touch,” snarled Cerulean, taking another step backwards. “O-Okay, I’m sorry,” Vincent whimpered, backing away from the deer. He bent down to whisper into Morta’s ear, “It’s your turn to help them. I’m going back upstairs. Bring my food up to me when it’s ready.” Morta, having forgotten completely about breakfast, stared at Vincent’s retreating form in confusion for a moment before remembering. With a small, awkward cough, she turned back to the three deer. “Okay, uh… do you want me to, uh, find you guys a room or something?” “Yeah, that’d be good, thanks.” Said Cerulean, now calm. “Alright, come with me up these stairs.” Morta replied. There was a lengthy pause in the conversation as the four creatures made their way up the stairs. “Okay, I think this room is empty. I’ll be coming back tonight, after the lights go off, to show you around some more. For now, get settled in.” For some reason, the three deer backed away as they were spoken to. Scarlet and Cerulean looked ready to fight, while Amber simply looked frightened and hid behind Cerulean. Shrugging it off, Morta headed back to her room. “There you are. Where’s my food?” Vincent said impatiently as Morta came in. “Oh,” Morta mumbled. “I forgot.” “What do you mean you forgot?! I’m starving! Go back downstairs and get my food!” Vincent cried. He started to complain some more, but was interrupted by Rei silently opening the door and dropping two plates of food on the floor, then leaving. “Oh. Uh, thanks Rei,” Vincent called out, hoping Rei could hear him. “Vincent, eat your food, then get to sleep. I’ve got another kill planned for tonight, and we both need to be well-rested, as my new target is much bigger than me and I’ll likely get injured trying to fight him.” “Oh.” Vincent sighed yet again. “You still haven’t realized what you’re doing is wrong?” “It’s not wrong if I’m doing it for a good reason,” Morta insisted. “But you aren’t doing it for a good reason! I don’t—I don’t want you to die,” Vincent whimpered, his misty gray eyes filling with tears. “Why not? I don’t matter. It doesn’t matter whether I’m alive in The Life After or alive in my previous life.” “Y-You matter to me!” Vincent protested, pale violet tears spilling from his watery eyes and making a damp trail down his furry cheeks. “You’re my only friend, and I… I don’t want to lose you.” “It doesn’t matter. I don’t matter. You don’t matter. Nothing matters except getting back to my other life, my real life.” Vincent flinched, then, with a pathetic sniffle, started to full-on bawl. Disgusted, Morta just stared at him for a moment, then awkwardly patted his shoulder. “Uh… well, I’ll be in my bed if you need me. You should try to sleep, too.” Morta said, backing away from Vincent and hopping into her bed. *** Morta woke late that night, having slept as much as she possibly could. A quick glance at the clock told her it was nearly one in the morning, so, deciding it was time to get on with her killings, she went over to Vincent’s bed and shook him awake. “Get up,” Morta whispered. “We’ve been asleep for almost an entire day.” Vincent woke almost immediately, looking slightly surprised that he had managed to sleep for that long. He suspected it was because he hadn’t gotten much sleep the previous night. “Here’s the plan. You will come with me, but wait outside the door until I need you. If I call for you, come in immediately, understand?” Vincent gave a small, fearful nod, and followed Morta out of the room. To his great surprise, they did not go down the steps, but instead headed down the hall. “It’ll be easy,” Morta muttered softly in Vincent’s ear. “I have a plan already. That chain the connects the three of them could easily strangle them in their sleep. I’ll just pull on the chain until they’re dead.” “Morta, are you sure this is a good idea?” Vincent whimpered. He had brought Morta’s piece of glass, in case he needed to fight, and was now anxiously clutching it tightly. “What if the big one wakes up and gores you with his antlers? “Relax, Vincent. I’ll be fine,” Morta promised. “Stay here. I’m going in.” As Morta pushed open the door to the room belonging to the three deer, a surprising sight greeted her; the deer, sitting, wide-awake, on the floor, all baring their sharp teeth at her. “What… why are you awake?” Morta asked innocently, hiding her guilt. “I came in to check on you, and you’re all showing your teeth! That’s not very nice, you know.” “Drop the act,” growled Scarlet, taking a step towards the white rabbit. “We know you’re here to kill us. We sensed it earlier, when you were talking to us.” “That’s rubbish.” Morta said stiffly, her long tail coiling itself protectively around her leg. “Is it? Right now, you’re thinking of how you can kill us without a weapon.” Cerulean replied with a smug grin, apparently not as scared as his sisters. “We read minds when we’re within four feet of one another. That’s why we don’t like being separated. We don’t know exactly what you’re thinking, but it’s clear enough, although the pictures are confusing sometimes.” With a wild growl, Morta flung herself at the three deer, aiming for the space in between them, where the silvery chain hung. With the weight of her body, she managed to make Cerulean and Amber start to choke and cough. Scarlet was pulled closer to Cerulean, but she didn’t choke like the others. The red-tinged doe took this chance to bite down on Morta’s long ear, yanking her back. Morta, not relenting, threw herself at Cerulean’s face, clinging tightly to his antlers. She leaned down and grabbed a portion of the chain in her mouth, pulling hard on it. From her perch on the buck’s antlers, none of the deer could get her, so soon, Cerulean started to turn an even more pronounced shade of blue, wheezing and hacking for air. His sisters were doing a bit better, but not by much. Finally, Cerulean fell over, not yet dead, but unconscious. “That’s better,” Morta said, jumping down from the deer’s antlers and taking a moment to regain her breath. Scarlet charged towards her, but as she had to drag a dead weight along with her, she could not hurt Morta. “Enough!” Scarlet snarled, and Amber scooted closer to her, apparently having realized what they were going to do. The two does unfastened each other’s collars, then turned their attention back to Morta. Amber hung back as Scarlet ripped and tore at Morta’s flesh, but soon, Scarlet called for her to join in, so she did. After only about five minutes, Morta was bruised and bloody, on the verge of passing out. “V-Vincent,” Morta rasped as loudly as she could. “Vincent, c-come help me!” Nervously, Vincent pushed open the door, and at the sight of Morta’s severe wounds, he paled. Looking uncertain, he glance from the deer to Morta, then back to the deer. “Attack them, you moron!” Morta growled, struggling to get to her feet. “Right, yes, of course,” Vincent mumbled, taking an uncertain step towards the two does. He brandished the fragment of glass like a sword, and eventually, he gathered the courage to poke at Amber with the glass shard. A tiny droplet of blood dropped from the miniscule would he had just made. “I-I’m really sorry!” Vincent whimpered. With an amused snort, Scarlet stepped forward, then pounced on Vincent, biting and kicking at him. Panicking, Vincent thrust the shard of glass at Scarlet, managing to connect with her stomach. Deep blue blood spurted out of the wound, spraying Vincent with a smattering of the hot liquid. He leaned over to throw up, then struggled to his feet, still feeling a bit weak. He had no time to recover, however, seeing as Amber came rushing towards him, grief-stricken and angry. Vincent toppled over as the doe tackled him, and got bitten several times before he could push her off. “Give it,” Morta growled, snatching the piece of glass from Vincent. Blood was still pouring from wounds in her stomach, flank, and the back of her head, and the very tip of her ear had been sliced off, but still she managed to stand up and fight. Vincent watched as the white rabbit rushed at Amber, shoving the glass shard into her neck, then yanking it out and moving on to the unconscious buck lying on the ground. She leaned over and slit his throat, then turned back to Vincent, who dry heaved at the sight. Morta was covered in blood. Some of it belonged to the deer, and some of it was hers, but no matter whose it was, it was all over her, dying her previously white fur a disgusting shade of violet. “Come on. We’ll need to get back to our room and wash our fur.” Morta said calmly, though she looked like she might collapse at any moment. Vincent simply nodded mutely, but as he started towards the door, Morta halted in front of him, having just thought of something. “Hold on. Wait here, I’ll be right back.” Vincent watched in horror as Morta made her way over to Cerulean and, forcing his mouth open, shoved the shard of glass between his canine tooth and his gums, then pried said tooth out. She did the same with his other canine tooth, then picked up both bloodied teeth and walked back over to Vincent, who started to say something but fell silent in disgust as Morta dropped the teeth in his pocket. “I’ll explain later,” Morta said. So, together, the two battered creatures made their way back to their room, where Morta promptly blacked out from blood loss, leaving Vincent to stitch her up and bandage her. He started by sewing the wound on her stomach closed, then bandaging it for good measure, then moved on to bandage her head. Soon, the white rabbit was sufficiently bandaged, so Vincent moved on to her fur. He wet a towel and started to gently dab at her fur until there was no trace of blood left. Vincent then moved on to wash and bandage his own wounds, and once he was done, he collapsed into his bed, exhausted, but a hoarse voice from the other bed kept him from sleeping. “Wait, Vincent. The teeth in your pocket.” Morta said in a low voice, sitting up and ignoring the feeling of dizziness that came over her when she did so. “I want you to put them in my mouth. It shouldn’t be hard, just put some glue on the roots and shove them into my gums.” “R-Right, okay,” Vincent said, paling quite a bit and climbing out of bed. He retrieved his medical supplies, took the superglue out of the box, and pulled the two teeth out of his pocket. Vincent then went over and sat on Morta’s bed, where he simply stared at Morta until she told him what to do. “Here, look, I’ll put the glue on for you,” Morta sighed, applying a liberal amount of superglue to the sharp tooth. “Now I’ll open my mouth, and you just shove them into my gums. On the top, mind you.” The white rabbit opened her mouth as wide as she could, and Vincent, swallowing nervously, hesitated. When Morta made an impatient sort of grunting noise, he let out a shaky breath and shoved the teeth into her mouth with as much force as he could muster. She let out a strangled noise of pain, but forced a smile to convince Vincent she was okay. “Why did you even want that done in the first place?” Vincent asked, staring at Morta, whose gums had started to bleed. “To bite people,” Morta replied with a slight lisp. She expected she would have to re-learn how to talk, but that was fine, seeing as these new teeth would give her another advantage in a fight. “Oh… well, I’m going to bed. Night, Morta.” “Good night, Vincent.” Chapter Five Vincent woke the next morning to a loud, piercing scream. He already knew why someone was screaming, but if he and Morta didn’t go check it out, they’d look suspicious. “Morta, come on, let’s go see who found the… the bodies,” Vincent whispered in his roommate’s ear, starting to feel slightly nauseous and very guilty. “Okay, okay, I’m coming.” Vincent donned his hat and jacket, not bothering with his bow tie, and loped down the hall to the room where the three deer had been staying. Upon reaching it and seeing the bodies, he paled visibly and started to feel dizzy. Moments later, he collapsed onto Morta, who dumped him onto the floor, seeing as he was a dead weight and she was much smaller than him. “What happened?” Morta questioned. Opal, who had been standing in the doorway, pointed wordlessly to Rei, who was standing, tail tucked, in a pool of blood. For the first time since Morta had known him, he looked petrified with fear, and his blue eyes were watering. “I-I came in t-t-to call them down to b-breakfast, a-and when I got here… th-they were…” Rei’s words dissolved into pathetic sobs, and the black-and-white bull terrier seemed to lose himself in his terror and grief for a moment, but when he looked back to Morta, his face was devoid of emotion like usual. “I’m going to my room,” he said dully, pushing past Morta and nearly stepping on Vincent on his way out. Morta stayed in the doorway of the room for a moment, then grabbed Vincent by his bow tie and dragged him back to their room, where she waited for him to wake up. “Ah, you’re awake. You fainted again. Listen, tonight I’m going to go out again, and I want you with me.” “I can’t,” Vincent objected. “I have work tonight, remember? I work every other night. I’ll try to steer the other officers away from where you are, though. Just tell me where you’ll be going and I’ll point them in the opposite direction.” “I was planning on staking out the hospital and ambushing anyone who comes out. Since a lot of the creatures coming out of the hospital are still suffering from the aftereffects of medicine or previous wounds, they’d be easier to kill.” “Okay. Don’t get yourself hurt, understand? You’re already pretty battered, so only attack if you’re sure you can win the fight, got it?” Vincent said firmly. “Yeah, okay, sounds fair.” Vincent and Morta tried to act normal for the rest of the day, Morta pulling it off fairly well while Vincent constantly fretted about whether or not they would be caught.  There was no lunch that day, seeing as Rei was being interrogated at the police station, so Morta scavenged for food in the kitchen. Vincent, however, had lost his appetite and refused to eat. At last, it was evening, and both creatures departed for their own respective destinations. True to his word, Vincent kept his fellow officers away from the hospital so Morta could peacefully murder people. Soon after Morta arrived at the hospital, a large lynx wobbled out the door, but seeing as she had promised Vincent she would not go after anyone bigger than her, she let the lynx be. Finally, a creature small enough to attack came out; a very small fox with very large ears. With a triumphant grin, Morta leaped out from the shadows and pounced on the tiny fox. She bit down on his already-scarred ears, her new, sharp teeth ripping through the flesh. The white rabbit lunged for his throat, but she was yanked back by the back of her neck. Horrified, Morta craned her neck to see who was biting her, and came face-to-face with an enormous, tawny red wolf, who bit down harder and shook her around like a toy. “Let me go!” Morta cried, flailing and clawing at the wolf, who flung her against the wall of the hospital. “Don’t you dare hurt my son,” snarled the wolf, hackles raised and teeth bared. “That’s not your son. He’s a fox,” Morta said defiantly, getting to her feet and starting to back away from the wolf. “He is my son, and if you hurt him, I will hurt you,” the wolf said forcefully, taking a large step forward. When Morta rolled her eyes, he lunged for her and, gripping her long tail, slammed her against the wall again. Morta felt a bone in her foreleg snap, and let out an agonized screech, staring down at her leg. The bone was jagged and splintered, and was jutting out from her paw, which dangled, limp and useless, below the shattered bone. Still, the wolf did not relent, biting and tearing at Morta’s flesh until she was screaming and wailing in agony. The wolf dropped Morta on the ground, watching her struggle to get up. He picked her back up by her long tail and shook her until she felt some of the stitches in the base of her tail snap. The wolf flung Morta against a wall, then let out a huff, pulled his son close, and loped away, not stopping or looking back. *** Morta woke the next day to see artificial light flooding in through the windows of the room she shared with Vincent. With a groan, she tried to sit up, but was pushed back down by a familiar sandy-colored paw. “Don’t,” Vincent murmured. “You got yourself badly hurt. The doctor said I shouldn’t let you sit up, and according to the implant in my head, he’s right. You need time to heal.” “I’m fine. I just got bitten a couple times, no big deal,” Morta said desperately. “You shattered the bone in your foreleg, broke some of the stitches in your tail, and got bitten so badly you nearly bled out. If anything’s a big deal, it’s that.” “I need to go back and get more kills in!” Morta cried, a bit louder than she should have. “I need to get out of here as soon as I can!” “Why? I don’t understand, Morta. What do you get out of this? Surely The Life After is no worse than your old life.” “You don’t understand?” Morta scoffed. “It’s terrible here. You think it’s so great, with its pretty colors and friendly inhabitants, but no. You haven’t seen the back alleys littered with drug addicts and murderers. You haven’t seen the incompetence of the police force, Vincent. You look up to them so much, but you don’t see how ignorant they are. Serial murders, Vincent, are the only bad thing you know of, murders which, to my knowledge, are not being investigated at all. The police force are just sitting on their tails, questioning innocents and hoping they’ll get a confession from somebody. Even the prison sentences are pathetic. You remember how long they are, right? One kill is only a week, as is any amount up to four. After five, the time is still pathetic, two months for five through nine kills. Ten through fourteen, a year. Still not very harsh, but suddenly, once you’ve killed fifteen, the police abruptly decide they need to solve this problem, and then they kill you. Have you ever wondered why that is? It’s a way out, Vincent. Everyone here is just biding their time until they get bored and die, or are executed.” Morta stopped to catch her breath, taking in deep, ragged breaths, apparently tired out from her rant about The Life After. “But how is The Life After any worse than the real world, our previous world?” Vincent said quietly, sadness shining bright in his soft gray eyes. “Think about it, Morta. Stuffed animals such as you are trapped in their own bodies, sentient, conscious, but immobile. Imaginary friends such as me are bound to the minds of the person who invented them, destined to be a puppet for your ‘friend’ to do whatever they want with… until, slowly, your ‘friend’ stops believing in you and you die. How is that life better than this one, Morta? Tell me, what differentiates the two?” “You don’t understand. Leave me alone, I want to sleep,” Morta growled, unable to explain her reasons for wanting to return to her previous life. “All right. Tell me if you need anything,” Vincent said softly, turning and leaving the room, closing the door gently behind him.

Chapter Six After two or three weeks of lying in bed and doing nothing, Morta was told she could get out of bed if she wanted. Of course, she still wasn’t allowed to put weight on her broken foreleg, and she would have to lean on Vincent the whole time, but it was still a start. “Come on, I have something to show you,” Vincent encouraged, pulling Morta out of bed and hooking a paw around her side so that they were pressed together. “When we get there, chances are you’ll be asked a lot of questions, and I want you to tell them you were attacked. A murderer leaped out at you from the shadows, but I rescued you just in time.” “Vincent, what are you talking about?” Morta said irritably, slowly limping to the door with Vincent’s aid. “You’ll see when we get there.” “We’re not going down the stairs, are we?” Morta asked, slightly afraid and a bit suspicious. “No, no, I wouldn’t be so mean to you on your first day of being up and about.” Vincent reassured her as they made their way out of the door and down the hall. After about ten minutes of awkward limping, they reached a door which read ‘Room 21’. Vincent offered up a cheerful grin before pushing the door open. To Morta’s great surprise, all fourteen of her housemates were grouped inside the room, smiling happily. Above them was a banner that read ‘Get well soon!’, and in the corner of the room was a table laden with food and drinks. “Do you like it? I organized the party,” Opal, one of the possum sisters, said eagerly. Her sister, Diamond, hid behind her, looking terrified. “Uh… yeah, it’s, er, great.” Morta responded, very confused. “Just, um… why? Why the party?” “Well, we wanted you to know we care, obviously. Plus, Rei made food that wasn’t vegetables for once. There’s cake.” Opal replied cheerfully. Vincent gasped, then put Morta on the floor and abandoned her to go eat cake. “Bring me some!” Morta called after Vincent, then turned back to her conversation with Opal. “That was really nice of you, to organize a party just for me.” “Aw, don’t worry about it. I like doing things for others.” Opal said with a smile. “So, how’d you break your leg?” “I made the mistake of going out by myself at night, and someone attacked me. Vincent was also out that night, and he happened to find me, lying on the ground in a pool of my own blood. Thankfully, I didn’t suffer any major injuries besides my leg.” Morta lied smoothly, knowing she was a very good liar. “Oh.” “Cake,” Vincent said simply, setting a plate down next to Morta and placing his own plate, which had four pieces of cake on it, in front of himself. “It’s very good. I was going to give you two pieces, but I ate your other piece.” Morta mumbled something that sounded a bit like ‘greedy pig’, but Vincent couldn’t be sure, so he just shrugged it off and continued eating his cake. “Reese, what are—Reese, stop! You’re going to ruin the party!” Opal said, irritated, and hurried over to where a tiny hamster was trying to drown himself in a cup of punch. She fished him out and plopped him down on the floor, leaving him there while she went back to continue her conversation with Morta and Vincent. “Sorry about that,” the possum said in a low voice. “Poor little guy was devastated when he got here a few days ago, keeps trying to kill himself. I’ve told him it was impossible to die in The Life After unless someone kills you, but he wouldn’t believe me. He keeps trying to hang himself with bits of string, and it’s scaring his neighbors. I only brought him so the neighbors wouldn’t file another complaint. If you want, I can take him home.” “No, no, he’s fine. Don’t worry about it,” Morta reassured Opal, casting a glance over her shoulder at the little brown-and-white hamster. “Uh, Opal… I think he’s trying to jump out the window.” Opal sighed and quickly retrieved Reese from the windowsill, keeping a tight hold on the scruff of his neck as she made her way back over to Vincent and Morta. “Sorry again,” Opal said through a mouthful of tawny brown fur, still not letting Reese go. “Do you guys mind if I just keep him here by me?” “Oh, yeah, go ahead,” Vincent agreed as he watched Reese wriggle out of Opal’s grasp and run over to Morta, who just sat there, not quite knowing what to do. “Looks like he’s taken a liking to you, Morta,” Opal said cheerfully as Reese sat down on Morta’s foot. “He doesn’t usually like strangers.” “That’s… nice,” Morta said, an undertone of discomfort audible in her voice. After a moment’s hesitance, she added, “He’s very quiet, isn’t he? Is he mute, or is he just shy?” “Bit of both, really. Selective mutism.” Opal responded. “Don’t talk about me like I’m not here,” Reese said softly. His high voice was trembling, and he seemed very upset. “Right, right, we’re sorry, Reese.” Opal said hastily. “Good job talking in front of strangers, though. You’ve earned yourself a piece of cake. Stay here with Vincent and Morta, okay?” “She thinks I’m a child,” Reese said, speaking so quietly he was almost whispering. “She treats me like a baby, or an idiot. I’m not stupid. I’m actually very perceptive, Morta. Did you know Morta is the name of a goddess of death? You really do live up to the name, you know, although you should try to leave less evidence. I go out at nights, and I see it. I see the evidence of your crimes. White hairs, blue hairs, magenta blood, and scraps of pink ribbon. It’s very obvious that you did it.” Morta recoiled in horror, instinctively drawing back behind Vincent, who was much larger than her and served as a good shield. “If you tell anyone, I will kill you,” Morta snarled. “Please do.” Reese murmured with a tiny smile. “I’ve finally found someone willing to kill me… I’ll meet you outside this dollhouse as soon as the lights go out tonight. Bring a weapon.” “But… my leg,” Morta objected, suddenly unsure. “It’s broken, remember? That’s the whole focus of this party.” “Just--” Reese cut himself off as Opal approached, falling silent again, determined to keep up the ‘shy, scared little hamster’ act. “Here’s your cake,” Opal said cheerfully, placing a tiny piece of cake in front of Reese. “So, did you guys talk about anything interesting while I was gone?” “Nah,” Morta said casually. “Except, we were discussing my recovery, and I suddenly realized my leg hurt, so Vincent and I are going to go back to our room, if that’s okay.” “Yes, of course!” Opal said, nodding vigorously. “Great, thanks. See you later,” Morta called over her shoulder as she got to her feet and pressed herself into Vincent, who looped a foreleg around her to pull her closer and help her walk. Half limping, half hopping, Morta and Vincent exited the room together. Once back in their room, the two creatures collapsed onto Morta’s bed, lying there in silence for a long while. Finally, Vincent spoke. “I don’t like it. Making a date just to kill someone. It’s like a death-date, and I don’t like it, Morta, I don’t like it one bit. What’s the point of killing people? If you want to go back to your old life, then just go out and get yourself killed. You don’t need to slaughter fifteen innocent creatures.” “The point? Vincent, I kill because I want to stay in my old life forever. Two consecutive deaths, remember? They’ll kill me when they catch me, then as soon as I come back, they’ll kill me again. If possible, once I’ve finished with my punishment, I’ll kill fifteen more. I’ll just continue murdering until they realize that they need to just send me back home every time I appear here.” Morta said forcefully. “Then I’ll never have to see this hellhole again.” Vincent opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again, his wide gray eyes filling with tears, which soon spilled from his eyes and slid down his cheeks, dampening the sand-colored fur there. He sniffled a bit, then wiped his eyes with his paw, but the pale purple tears just kept dripping down his face. Soon, he gave up and began to full-on sob, making Morta feel very awkward. “Er… don’t cry,” Morta said, halfheartedly patting Vincent’s shoulder. “Uh… how do I make you stop crying?” Vincent didn’t answer, instead opting to cry louder. “Why are you even crying?!” Morta demanded, abandoning all efforts to be kind, which seemed to make Vincent cry even harder. He was now gasping for breath between sobs, and occasionally he let out a small whimper. Eventually, he ran out of tears and, with a small hiccup, he rested his head on Morta’s shoulder, looking miserable and dripping snot onto her shoulder. Morta stared at Vincent for a moment, then moved away so he couldn’t rest his head on her shoulder anymore. He gave her a sad look and instead rested his head on Morta’s pillow. Soon, he was sleeping, having been exhausted from crying so much. Morta, however, did not sleep. She wasn’t tired, and she didn’t want to miss her meeting with Reese, so she just sat on her bed, wide awake, staring at nothing and thinking longingly of her old life.

Chapter Seven Vincent woke late that night to see a bloodstained Morta standing over him, dripping tiny droplets of magenta blood onto his face. With a shriek, Vincent scrambled away from her. “Calm down, Vincent, it’s just me. I need help washing the blood off my fur. I can’t get it off with only one functioning paw,” Morta sighed. “O-Oh,” Vincent mumbled. “Right, of course. Come on into the bathroom.” Vincent helped Morta into the bathroom. Her broken paw seemed to be hurting more, and he had a sneaking suspicion that she had been putting weight on it. Turning on the light, Vincent set Morta down on the bathroom floor and told her to stay while he got a washcloth. Dampening said washcloth, he carefully washed off any traces of blood around her mouth. There didn’t seem to be any blood anywhere else, so he helped Morta into bed, then went back to bed himself. Soon both parties were sound asleep, though one was sleeping more soundly than the other. Morta stood at the top of a hill, dripping blood of all different colors, so that the ground below her glistened with a grisly yet beautiful array of colors. Upon closer inspection, the hill was not a hill at all, but a pile of bodies, fourteen in total. Vincent stood at the bottom of the hill, trying to scream and run to Morta, but no sound would come from his mouth, and his feet would not move. Morta stared coldly down at Vincent, who began to silently cry. He crumpled to the ground, still sobbing, and Morta felt a twinge of pity. She slid down her hill of bodies to approach Vincent, going close to him so she could hug him, but instead, for reasons unknown, she pulled out her shard of glass and plunged it deep into his throat. “Y-You can’t do this,” Vincent rasped, blood pouring freely from his throat. “I thought we were friends…” Morta woke with a start, shocked, and simply stared at the ceiling for a while, thinking over her dream. Why would she want to kill Vincent? He was the only creature Morta would even contemplate referring to as a friend. She turned her head to look over at Vincent, who was still fast asleep. “I wonder if he trusts me…?” Morta mused aloud, though not quite loud enough to wake Vincent. “Well, he trusts me enough to go to sleep with his back to me, at least.” Vincent stirred, then shifted so he was lying on his side, sprawled out in a starfish-like position. Morta watched him, then sighed and turned her attention to the window. Outside, it was pitch-black except for the tiny pinpricks of yellowish light which were the street lights. “The Life After is a very dull place,” Morta murmured to herself, watching a street light flicker on and off. Finally, said light went completely dark, not turning back on. Behind her, Vincent moved once more, then sat up, watching Morta, eyes bleary with the after-effects of sleep. Feeling very naked without his jacket, hat, and bow tie on, Vincent pulled the blanket close, ears reddening with embarrassment. “You woke me up.” Vincent spoke softly, but there was a reproachful tone to his voice. “Sorry,” Morta mumbled. “I was just… thinking some things over.” “Like what?” Vincent prompted after a few moments’ silence. “Like, for example… well, when we first met, I asked what was in your jacket pockets. You said your sketchpad, but I’ve never once seen you draw. Why is that?” Morta questioned. “I prefer to draw alone, without an audience. I draw once you’ve gone to bed.” “Oh.” Morta said, not quite sure what she’d been expecting him to say. “I want to see.” “O-Oh, okay,” Vincent stammered, caught off guard, and retrieved his sketchpad from the pocket of his jacket. He opened it, flipping through the pages to find a drawing he wasn’t ashamed of showing Morta. Finally, he found one, and proudly presented it to the white rabbit. It was a drawing of Morta, looking grumpy and standing next to a sad-looking Vincent. In front of them was what appeared to be a dead cat, but the only way Morta could tell it was dead and not just asleep was because Vincent had drawn ‘X’s on the cat’s face instead of eyes. “That’s very nice,” Morta said. “Can I have it? I want to hang it on the wall above my bed.” “Oh. Oh! Right, yes, of course!” Vincent responded, sounding flustered. He tore the paper along its perforations, presenting it happily to Morta, who taped it to the wall. There was a long stretch of silence, during which Vincent stared at Morta and Morta looked out the window. “Hey, Vincent,” Morta said suddenly, “I’ve got something for you.” “Really? What?” Vincent responded, eyes wide with excitement. “Stay here and close your eyes. Don’t open them until I say so.” Vincent happily complied, listening to Morta get up and walk around the room for a few seconds before halting, presumably to get the gift. After a moment, Morta’s footsteps resumed, this time walking towards Vincent. He expected Morta to let him open his eyes as soon as she was in front of him, but to his surprise, she started to fasten something onto his front leg. It felt like a belt, but Vincent was pretty sure there was no such thing as a leg-belt. “You can open your eyes now,” Morta said cheerfully, watching as Vincent opened his gray eyes. “Do you like it? Reese gave it to me in return for killing him, but I already have my glass shard, and you needed a weapon, so I decided to give it to you.” Vincent looked down at his right foreleg to see a strap that somewhat resembled a belt wrapped around his leg. Attached to the strap was a short knife sheathed in a pale, mint-green scabbard. The handle of the knife was engraved with flowers, which did not make Vincent feel very manly at all. “Thanks, but I don’t need a knife. I have teeth and claws,” Vincent said, holding up a large monkeylike paw to show Morta the dull black claws on the tips of his toes. “I know, but sometimes it’s good to have another weapon on you,” Morta said, looking slightly annoyed that Vincent didn’t like her gift. “Oh. Okay.” Vincent mumbled, sitting back so his head rested on his pillow. He removed the knife from its sheath and placed it on the bedside table so he wouldn’t accidentally poke himself in his sleep. He did not, however, remove the belt and the scabbard, instead opting to leave it on while he slept. “I’m going to sleep. Good night, Morta.” “Night, Vincent.” Morta responded, then paused, as though unsure as to whether or not she should say what she was thinking. She shrugged and decided to go for it. “Listen, Vincent, I’m going out again tomorrow night, so you’ll need to be well-rested. Keep your knife with you when we go out, too, in case things get… complicated, okay?” Vincent mumbled a sleepy agreement, then slowly drifted off to sleep, unaware that Morta was watching him sleep.

Chapter Eight “Vincent. Hey. Wake up.” Vincent opened one eye to see Morta leaning over him, looking anxious. He ignored his friend’s obvious distress and rolled over so his back was to her. “Vincent, come on! This is serious. Ella and some police dude are here, asking for us,” Morta said, sounding annoyed and afraid at the same time. “What?!” Vincent yelped, leaping out of bed, grabbing his knife and sliding it into its sheath. He then grabbed his top hat and forced it over his blue horns so it was resting on his head. He attempted to run gracefully from the room, but in his haste he had gotten the bedsheets tangled around his legs, so instead of fluidly and gracefully sweeping out of the room, he fell, face-first, to the carpeted floor. Ears burning scarlet, Vincent untangled his long, gangly legs from the sheets and hurried out the door. Only once he was halfway down the stairs did he realize that Morta was hobbling down the stairs on her own. Even worse, she was putting weight on her injured leg, and wincing with each step. Going back up the stairs to retrieve Morta, Vincent gripped the nape of her neck in his teeth, hauling her down the stairs and ignoring her angry growls and grunts. “There. It wasn’t that bad, was it?” Vincent said cheerfully, depositing Morta at the bottom of the stairs. “Now, where are the visitors?” “Dining hall,” Morta said grumpily. She started to limp in the direction of the dining hall, but was stopped by Vincent, who pulled her close and helped her walk. “Can’t have you hurting yourself worse, now can we?” Vincent said with a grin, leading Morta to the dining hall and making sure she didn’t put weight on her injured foreleg. Soon, they reached their destination, and as Vincent pushed the door open, he saw that there was, indeed, a police officer waiting for him. Ella, the helper who had introduced Vincent and Morta to The Life After, was also present, and neither party looked very happy. “There you two are! We were beginning to think you had gotten lost. Pine and I are here to talk about your attendance to your respective jobs, or lack thereof. For the last few weeks, you two have been absent from your jobs. Morta hasn’t been going and helping others, and Vincent hasn’t been… er… police-ing, I guess. Why is this?” Ella demanded. “Well, uh… you see, Morta and I have been a bit busy. When Morta broke her leg, she was told not to get out of bed unless she absolutely had to. Now that it’s been three weeks since she broke it, she can get around, but only with my help. So, you see, we’ve been absent because of her leg. She can’t get anywhere without my help,” Vincent said nervously. “Hmm… I suppose that’s a good reason. However, the absent-from-work thing wasn’t the only reason we’re here. Officer Pine here has noticed that there has been a spike of murders in this area,” Ella sighed, looking sad. “Three of the deceased were the new friends I put under Morta’s care, the deer-looking ones. They died the very night I introduced them to you. At the scene of every murder, there was at least one white hair and one blue hair, as well as a tan hair or two.” Morta froze. Had the police finally put two and two together and realized who was behind the murders? “So,” Ella continued, “we think you’re connected to the crimes somehow. Don’t think we haven’t noticed the abundance of injuries you seem to be suffering, too, Morta. If we’re not mistaken, and I don’t think we are… someone’s after you. They’re killing the others in order to get to you, and they always manage to injure you, at least a little, but not fully kill you. Vincent is the reason you’re not dead. He always shows up just in time to save you and drive off the killer, but before said killer leaves, he or she threatens you. That’s why you’ve kept your mouth shut; you believe that if you tell the police, the murderer will track you down and kill both you and Vincent.” Morta opened her mouth to say something, then thought better of it and closed her mouth again. She just stood there, openly staring at Ella, who seemed to take her stunned silence as proof that what she had said was true. “I knew it. Come on, Pine, get a statement from her and Vincent and then we’ll go.” Ella said proudly. Morta prodded Vincent so he would lower his head to let her whisper in his ear. “Lie. Vincent, lie and tell them that what Ella said was the truth. Make it believable,” Morta murmured into Vincent’s large ear, getting only a nod in response. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you and the rest of the police force sooner,” Vincent sighed in Office Pine’s general direction. “I just… Morta told me to keep my mouth shut, and her life was on the line, so I… I kept quiet. I kept quiet, and it nearly cost us our lives. I really am sorry; I didn’t think something like this would happen…” At this point, Vincent let out a choked sob, and Morta saw tears welling up in his eyes. “We’re sorry, Officer, we’re very sorry. I just didn’t want Vincent to get hurt, that’s all. To be fair, though, he hasn’t suffered many injuries so far, so I guess I underestimated him.” Morta said, having decided to take over for Vincent. “That will be all, thank you. Seeing as Vincent is a police officer now, I suppose you can just keep your current thing going, but if Morta’s attacker kills anyone else, contact the police immediately, understand?” Officer Pine said over his shoulder as he sprinted for the door, determined to leave before Ella started any more conversations. Both Morta and Vincent nodded vigorously, watching as the raccoon and cat left. As soon as they were gone, she turned to Vincent, who was still wiping tears from his face. “I didn’t know you could cry on cue,” Morta said accusingly. “Could’ve come in handy earlier on.” “You didn’t ask, so I didn’t tell you.” Vincent said with a shrug. “So, I take it you like to act?” the white rabbit questioned. “Yeah. It’s one of my favorite things to do, but here in The Life After, there doesn’t seem to be anything I can act in. No plays, no movies, not even a theater club.” “Hey,” Morta said slowly, her bright blue eyes glinting dangerously. “I’ve had an idea about a way you can get back into acting.” “Really? What?” Vincent said eagerly. “You’d be playing the role of a cold-hearted killer, one of the main roles. Your character would show no weakness in battle, and would not hesitate to kill another creature. He would be ruthless, and would take pleasure in inflicting pain upon others.” Morta said with a grin. “Wow, cool! I’ve never played a villain before, but I could try,” Vincent said cheerfully. “A… villain?” “Yeah. I mean, if someone acts like that, they’re evil, right? Nice people don’t kill other nice people.” Vincent responded. Morta frowned, then sighed. “Yes, I suppose your character is a villain, isn’t he…? But that would also make my character a villain,” Morta murmured. “Wait, you’re in it too? Awesome! I didn’t know you liked acting!” Vincent said, beaming excitedly. “I don’t.” “Then what are you talking about? If you’re not in the program, you don’t… wait. Is there actually a play, or are you just trying to get an accomplice for your crimes?” Vincent questioned, an undertone of suspicion lining his high, childish voice. “Bit of both, actually. You see, each victim can be your audience, each scream your applause, each weapon a useful prop, each droplet of blood a positive rating,” Morta said with a grin, that same crazed light from earlier gleaming in her eyes. “And then, at the end, when you’re done, you won’t even be punished for your so-called ‘crimes’. I’ll come clean, I’ll tell them I killed them all, I’ll tell them I forced you to help me. They’ll kill me and let you go, and you’ll be perfectly fine. Don’t you see, Vincent? This is the perfect opportunity for you to practice your acting with no punishments. Unless, of course, you’d like me to hurt you.” “I… I-I’ll… I think…” Vincent stammered, “I’ll… I’ll do it, so long as you don’t hurt me, okay?” “Okay, thanks!” Morta said, beaming, all traces of the dark, violent anger she’d been radiating a moment ago now gone. “You’re great.” Suddenly, a muffled whimper interrupted their conversation. Both parties turned to find the source of the noise. What they saw, however, was not at all what they had expected to see. There, cowering under the long dining table, was a terrified-looking possum. It was Diamond, Opal’s sister, and she looked like she might bolt for the door at any moment. “Diamond?” Vincent said, confused. “Why are you under the table?” “Hiding.” Diamond’s voice was quiet and surprisingly low for a female, with a slight roughness to it that hinted to the fact that she did not speak much. “Hiding from the monsters.” “What monsters?” Morta scoffed, contempt seeping into her tone. “You.” Diamond looked up to meet Morta’s eyes, staring blankly into them. “And when the monsters are gone, I’m going to go back into my room and hide some more without telling anyone I saw monsters. I know not to do anything that would make a monster angry.” “Hmm, so the possum’s smart.” Morta commented. “We won’t kill you unless you try to tell the police of what we’re doing. However… I don’t entirely trust you. What do you say, Vincent? Should we cut out her tongue as insurance?” “No! I—” Vincent started, but was cut off by Morta. “Remember our discussion? You’re an actor, Vincent, now play your role,” the white rabbit hissed under her breath. “R-Right…” Vincent mumbled, slipping back into character. “Well, Morta, I don’t see why we would cut her tongue out, but if it’s necessary to do so in order for the possum to keep quiet, I see nothing wrong with cutting out her tongue.” He turned back to where Diamond had been cowering under the table, only to find the space empty. She had run off whilst Vincent and Morta were talking. The slam of the front door was the only indicator of where the shy possum had gone, and as Vincent watched her through the window, he realized with great alarm that she was running in the direction of the police station. “Morta! She’s going to the police!” Vincent cried, bolting for the door, closely followed by Morta. He flung himself against the door, shoving it open and racing after Diamond’s fleeing form. Soon, he was far ahead of Morta, and almost close enough to the possum to grab her tail, but not quite. Vincent leaped at Diamond, tackling her to the ground and sitting on her. He didn’t do anything yet, instead opting to just sit there and attempt to steady his ragged breathing. Soon enough, Morta caught up to him and Diamond. “Vincent, you… you idiot…” Morta panted, clearly winded from the run, “you’re… supposed to... cut out her tongue or kill her, you… you stupid excuse for an actor!” “O-Oh, right, sorry,” Vincent stammered, crestfallen. He quickly went back into character, pulling his knife from its sheath and pressing the blade to Diamond’s throat. “Any last words, possum?” “Monsters,” Diamond said dully. “Monsters, both of you. My only request is this; don’t let Opal get herself hurt or killed. And… tell her I said goodbye. Write it in my blood, and include a smiley face at the end.” Vincent looked slightly repulsed, but nodded. He turned to Morta for guidance, and, once he had gotten a small nod from her, he stared at Diamond for a moment, paws trembling, then pushed the knife into her throat, quickly withdrawing it and stepping off the dead possum, whose blood was now spurting onto the ground. “Quickly, Vincent, give me the knife. You write the goodbye, and I’ll keep guard. It is broad daylight, you know.” Morta said, taking the knife from Vincent, who seemed to snap out of some sort of daze when she did so. He nodded numbly, then set about writing Diamond’s goodbye. When he was done, crude magenta letters spelled out the words ‘goodbye, opal’, with a hastily-drawn smiley face tacked onto the end. Vincent shuddered and flicked the droplets of blood from his paws, starting back towards home with his head low, not bothering to check if Morta was coming.

Chapter Nine Vincent stood in front of the sink, washing his paws in the now-cold water that ran from the tap. He’d been meticulously scrubbing his paws for the past hour and a half, trying to wash off all traces of Diamond’s blood. He heard pawsteps behind him, but didn’t bother turning to see who it was. “Hey,” Morta said, coming up behind Vincent and watching him stare hollowly at his paws. “You did a good job earlier. Hardly ever broke character, didn’t show any fear, nothing. I liked it.” Vincent turned his head to stare bleakly at Morta, his usually bright gray eyes now empty and glazed over. “I killed her,” he whimpered. “So? You killed that deer a while ago, remember?” “But that’s different!” Vincent cried, feeling a familiar prickling sensation in his nostrils and realizing he was about to cry. For once, he tried to hold in his tears instead of just letting them happen. “I… I killed a defenseless, weaponless creature. That deer was trying to hurt me. When I killed the deer, that was out of self-defense, but Diamond… she was helpless. She didn’t even try to fight back.” Morta sighed and reared up so she was standing on her hind legs, with her forelegs resting on the counter. She leaned in to whisper in Vincent’s ear. “No matter what you think of yourself and what you did, I think you’re great, and you did a really good job,” Morta murmured into Vincent’s ear. Vincent let out a choked sob and closed his eyes tightly, letting the tears slide freely down his cheeks. He removed his paws from the sink, then moved over to curl up in a ball on the tile floor, bawling and trembling. “You cry a lot,” Morta observed. “I’m going downstairs to find Rei and make him give me food, come get me if you need me. We’re going out again tonight, so have your knife cleaned and ready.” *** “Vincent, are you ready yet?” Morta sighed from outside the bathroom. Her roommate had been hiding out in the bathroom for the past fifteen minutes, claiming that he needed to put on some clothing and wash his knife. Morta was beginning to suspect he’d climbed out the window. “Okay, I’m ready,” Vincent said at last, opening the door with an expectant grin. “What are you wearing? Where’s your bow tie?” Morta scoffed. Vincent had traded out his signature turquoise bow tie for a regular black tie. He also seemed to be wearing eyeliner. “I figured, since I’m playing the role of a villain, I should look the part,” Vincent said cheerfully, no trace of his previous traumatized expression visible, although Morta did sense a dull sadness hidden underneath the façade of happiness. “Good job. Now, got your knife?” Morta paused to let Vincent respond, but all he did was nod. “Good. Our targets tonight are a pair of snakes, Dawn and Dusk. They’re not very big, thankfully.” “Okay.” Vincent replied, letting a confused frown settle on his face. “What?” “Well… it’s just… you usually go after strangers. Why do you know our new targets’ names?” Vincent asked. “They live in this building. I figured we could start getting more bold with our killings, since it’s been a while since we killed anyone,” Morta responded, holding up her still-bandaged foreleg. “Plus, if I counted correctly, we only have to kill seven more creatures before I’ve got my fifteen.” Vincent mumbled a soft ‘oh’. He watched as Morta swung the door open, following like a duckling as she limped down the hall, towards the stairs. They went down one level and, once on the correct floor, headed for the room they knew their prey would be in. Morta pushed open the door to see two rust-colored snakes, one asleep and one slithering around on the bed, probably trying to make itself a more comfortable spot to sleep. Upon seeing Morta, the snake turned to stare at her, immediately taking a defensive posture. “Calm down, we’re not here to hurt you,” Morta sighed. “But, uh, do you think you could wake up the other one? We’ve been sent here to talk to you two.” With a suspicious huff, the snake slithered onto the bed of its roommate, prodding the other reptile with its nose until the sleeping snake had woken. “Good, good. Now that you’re both awake, we need to talk to you. Is it okay if we sit down?” Morta asked. “Yeah, I guess,” the first snake mumbled after a moment’s hesitation. “You can sit on my bed, and we’ll sit on Dusk’s bed.” Morta dipped her head in acknowledgement, then guided a confused-looking Vincent over to the bed. “So, before we go any further, let’s introduce ourselves. I’m Morta, and this is my… partner, Vincent.” “I’m Dawn, and this is my sister, Dusk,” the first snake said, doing her best to be polite. “Anyways, we’re here to talk to you about the pair of killers that have been sighted in this area. They seem to be going for the smaller, less threatening animals, and as you are relatively small, we’ve come to warn you.” Morta said. “What are you doing?!” Vincent hissed into the rabbit’s ear. “I thought we were here to do some murdering, not warn our prey about ourselves!” “I’m figuring out whether or not they’re venomous,” Morta whispered back. “Be ready to strike when I say so.” “If you two are quite done whispering amongst yourselves?” Dusk said, looking irritated. “Uh, right, sorry,” Morta stammered. “Anyways, go on.” “As I was saying, you don’t need to worry about us. We’re copperheads, a venomous breed. We’re not capable of killing bigger animals, but a littler animal, like a rabbit, would be very dead within a few hours of being bitten.” Dusk responded. “Vincent, now!” Morta growled. “Wh—oh! Right,” Vincent said, retrieving his knife from its sheath. “But… are you sure? They just said they were venomous! What if I get bitten?” “You’re expendable. Just go, they’re starting to catch on,” Morta snarled, shoving Vincent off the bed and towards the now-defensive snakes. “And stay in character!” Visibly trembling, Vincent took a few steps towards the two snakes, brandishing his knife and doing his best to look scary. The copperheads just glared at him and bared their fangs. Taking a deep breath, Vincent steadied himself so he wasn’t shaking anymore, then forced himself to grin. “Stupid, gullible snakes, inviting strangers into their room in the middle of the night…” he cackled, taking another large step towards Dawn and Dusk, who were now hissing defensively. Vincent leaped forward and, instead of stabbing Dusk, stomped on her head, hard. While Dusk was immobile and Dawn was shocked, he transferred all his weight to the paw that was on the snake’s head, and her skull shattered with a sickening cracking sound. With an enraged hiss, Dawn sprang at Vincent and sank her teeth into his foreleg. Vincent let out a pained yelp and attempted to shake the copperhead off, but she held on tightly. Finally, he just lifted his paw and sank his teeth into the back of the snake’s neck, tightening his grip until he felt his attacker go limp. Prying Dawn’s fangs out of flesh, Vincent turned to Morta, who was still watching, and gave her a weak smile. “D-Did I do a good job?” he stammered. Before Morta could respond, he collapsed, though if it was because of the snake bite or because he had just crushed someone’s skull, Morta did not know. All she knew was that she should probably take him to the hospital. With an exasperated sigh, Morta picked up Vincent’s knife and returned it to its holster, then picked up Vincent himself, tugging him along by his tie. She dragged her roommate out the door and down the corridor. When they got to the stairs, Morta decided not to bother lugging him down said stairs, so she just pushed him down the steps and walked down behind him. *** Vincent woke a few hours later in the hospital, surrounded by machines. The only creature in the room was Morta, who was watching him intently. “Oh, you’re awake. The doctors said you’ll be fine, and also yelled at me for putting weight on my leg before it was completely healed, but that’s not the point. They said you should rest, and they also advised me not to let you anger any more snakes.” “…Oh. Thanks for taking me to the hospital and not leaving me to die.” Vincent said, sitting up. Morta just shrugged and chose to remain silent. “So, when can I leave?” “Now, if you want. They said they wanted to keep you here for a few more days, but I bet if you climbed out the window, they wouldn’t make you come back.” Morta suggested, already standing and looking eagerly at the window. “We’re on the ground floor, don’t worry.” Vincent blinked in confusion for a moment, then sighed, ripped the needles from his foreleg, and stood up. Using the bedside table as a stepstool, he crawled out of the open window and waited outside as Morta clambered out. “When we get home, I want to talk to you,” Vincent said as he started towards their home, his foreleg still stinging where the needles had been. “Fine,” Morta replied, and they walked the rest of the way back to their house in silence. Once they had arrived in their room, Vincent sat on his bed and motioned for Morta to sit beside him. “I wanted to talk about Reese.” “What about him? He’s dead, and that’s all you need to know.” Morta grumbled. “No, I was just… why did he bring you a knife? Usually, you don’t give your soon-to-be murderer gifts,” Vincent pointed out. “Like you said, it was a gift. He was happy I had agreed to kill him, and he said that if I made it quick and relatively painless, he’d let me have the knife. I bit his neck, making sure to cut his windpipe, and took the knife. I have to admit, Reese was very easy to kill, although it was a bit boring.” Morta said with a faraway look in her blue eyes, no doubt reminiscing about the tiny hamster’s death. “Morta, can… can we stop this?” Vincent asked quietly. “I don’t want to do this anymore. I don’t want you to go away, Morta, I don’t…” “No. I already know who my next victims are, and I don’t want all my careful planning to go to waste.” “…Oh. Wo are you going to kill next?” Vincent sighed, sounding weary and resigned. “Flame, Sky, Wind, and Storm, the cats who live down the hall. After I kill them, I’ll only have one victim left before I can turn myself in. Now get some sleep, you’ll need it.” “I don’t feel like sleeping. We spend so much of our time sleeping and not actually doing things. It’s boring. You can go to sleep, but I’m going out.” Vincent replied, leaving the room before Morta could respond. Vincent walked quickly and quietly, making sure no one saw him. He silently crept out of the main door, taking care not to let it slam behind him, and headed for his destination. Once there, he picked out several items and left. He made his way back home, then climbed into bed and quickly fell asleep.

Chapter Ten Vincent woke late the next day, about two hours later than he usually woke up. Moments later, he realized why; he hadn’t set his alarm, and Morta hadn’t woken him. In fact, she was still sound asleep in her own bed. With a yawn, Vincent rolled over and tried to go back to sleep, though he knew he was awake for the day now. After a few minutes of trying and failing to go back to sleep, Vincent finally decided to actually get up. With a sleepy groan, he clambered out of bed, but just stood there once he was up. He didn’t have anything to do that day except help Morta kill a bunch of cats, and he doubted she’d want to do that in the middle of the day, so he had the entire day free to do whatever he wanted. “Vincent,” came Morta’s sleepy voice, “ Let’s go murder those cats now.” “What? But it’s day, and I wanted to go do something fun!” Vincent protested. “Killing is fun. Besides, it doesn’t matter that it’s day. I’m going to kill my final victim tomorrow, so it doesn’t matter if we get seen or heard.” “Aw, okay. Let me get ready first, though.” Vincent sighed. Morta just nodded in response, watching as her roommate went into the bathroom and stayed there for a good twenty minutes. When he came out again, not only was he wearing eyeliner and his black tie again, but he had also replaced his regular black earrings with circular silver ones, and he had also painted the sharp claws on the tips of his toes a pretty silver color. “What do you think?” Vincent asked. “You look like a girl,” Morta said harshly, getting up and heading for the door. “You’re so mean,” whined Vincent, following her out the door and down the hall. Suddenly, he stopped. “Morta, they’d be at work. Our victims would be at work at this time of day.” “We’ll just wait for them to come home, then.” “Oh… we could have waited in our room, though…” Vincent mumbled, but did not try to stop Morta from entering the cats’ room. Once inside the room, the two creatures sat down on the floor to wait for their victims to get home. There was only one bed in the room, a very large bed which had not been made that morning, and beside the bed was a photo of four happy-looking cats, grinning at the camera. However, Morta was not paying attention to any of that. She was carefully inspecting her glass shard, making sure it was sharp enough to hurt someone. “Hey, Morta?” Vincent said with a shy glance in his friend’s direction. “Do you… I mean… uh, would you be happy if I gave you a present?” “Obviously. Everyone likes gifts,” Morta responded, watching as Vincent gave an excited squeal and pulled something from his jacket pocket. “It’s a ribbon, to replace your old one. I noticed your old ribbon was getting kind of gross and torn, so I got you a new one,” Vincent explained, holding up a bright pink ribbon. “I can tie it for you if you want.” “Thanks, but I like yellow best, and blue second best. Pink is nowhere on my list of favorite colors.” Morta said, removing her old ribbon. “I think I’ll just go ribbonless.” “Hey, how about we switch ribbons? The ribbon on my hat isn’t glued on. We can just replace it with your ribbon,” Vincent suggested, already untying the ribbon on his hat. “Fine,” Morta sighed, letting Vincent tie the turquoise ribbon around her neck. “You look even more girly now, though.” “I don’t care, I like pink.” Vincent said with a shrug. Suddenly, the door opened and four cats filed in, one flame point, one seal point, one blue point, and one lilac point. Upon seeing Vincent and Morta, they stopped, clearly confused. “Why are you in our room?” said the blue point, Sky. “Maybe they’re here to clean?” suggested the lilac point, Wind. “With what? It’s impossible to clean with nothing but a bit of glass,” pointed out Flame, the flame point. The fourth cat, a seal point named Storm, said nothing, just observed silently as his siblings talked. “Actually,” Morta cut in, “If you’d close the door behind you, we’d tell you why we’re here.” “Oh. Okay!” Wind chirped, turning to close the door. He then looked expectantly at Morta for an explanation. “Well, you see, we’re here to kill you,” Morta said casually. “Please don’t scream or try to run. It will hurt more if you resist.” Sky and Wind, who were the weakest out of all their siblings, immediately bolted for the door, but while Morta had been speaking, Vincent had crept around behind the group of cats to block the doorway. “Please just go along with her.” Vincent said in a quiet, almost pleading, voice. “If you don’t try to run away, she won’t make me hurt anyone. I don’t want to have to spill any innocent blood.” Sky, looking frightened, withdrew to hide behind her siblings, but Wind did not give up. He ran to the window, only to find it locked. “Come now, you didn’t think it would be that easy, did you?” Morta said, mocking undertones tinging her voice. “Now, which of you should I kill first? Eenie, meenie, miney… that one. You, the one with the orange markings. Come here.” Flame stepped forward, her claws extended and teeth bared. Morta eyed the cat, sizing her up and deciding whether or not to request Vincent’s help. “Vincent, come over h—” Suddenly, Flame leaped on Morta. She ripped and tore at the rabbit’s fur with her sharp claws, determined to live. With a growl, Morta sank her sharp teeth into the cat’s soft paw pad, eliciting a pained shriek from said cat. Vincent threw himself at the cat and grabbed her tail to drag her off his friend. “Your knife, Vincent! Stab her!” Morta cried out, though the last part of her sentence elongated into a drawn-out yelp of pain as Storm pounced on her. With an audible whimper of fear, Vincent pushed the knife into the back of Flame’s neck, his paws trembling as he did so. Upon hearing the cat’s loud screams of agony, he felt bile rise up in his throat, but pushed it back down, determined to stay in character, at least until all four cats were dead or had run away. He pulled his knife from her neck and started to turn away, but stopped upon hearing Morta’s voice. “Head them off! They’re trying to escape!” Morta ordered, still mid-fight. Vincent looked over in the direction of the door and realized Morta was right; the tip of Wind’s tail was disappearing out the doorway, and Sky was following close behind. With an exasperated sigh, Vincent grabbed Sky by the nape of her neck and tossed her back inside the room, then shut the door behind him and went after Wind. He found the lilac point cowering under the stairs a few minutes later. “Look, you and I both know you’re not coming out of this alive,” Vincent started to walk towards Wind, forcing his face to contort into a sadistic yet gentle smile. “So why not just accept your fate and make this easier for both of us?” The frightened cat just shook his head mutely and backed away as far as he could before his back end hit the wall. “I guess it can’t be helped…” sighed Vincent, his smirk turning to a pout. He stepped closer, and closer still, until finally he was close enough to whisper in Wind’s ear. “Sorry, kitty. It’s just a role. No hard feelings, right?” Swiftly, Vincent pulled out his knife and slit Wind’s throat. He turned and headed back to the room, not even looking back. Once he arrived in the room, he saw that Morta had managed to kill Storm and was about to plunge her shard of glass into Sky’s neck. However, before she could do so, the door was forced open to reveal five or six armed police officers. Morta hesitated, but then calmed down and quickly killed Sky, not even paying attention to the police officers in the room. “Drop the weapons, both of you. If you come without a fight, we may be able to cut you a deal.” Ordered the police officer at the front, who happened to be a large and dangerous-looking dog. Morta paid no heed to his instructions, and instead pulled Vincent into a hug, which took everyone by surprise. “Sorry,” she murmured. Suddenly, there was a sharp pain in Vincent’s abdomen, and he looked down to see Morta’s glass shard jutting out from his stomach. Small droplets of deep blue leaked out of the wound, but only when Morta removed the glass shard did the bleeding actually start. The world spun for a moment, then Vincent felt the hard ground beneath him. “H-Hey… you’ll… y-you’ll come back for me, r-right?” Vincent asked weakly. He felt blood spurt in short bursts from his throat with each word he spoke, yet he still continued to talk. “D-Don’t… don’t f-forget me, o-okay? R-Remember me by my hat, a-all right?” Vincent then proceeded to put his blood-smeared top hat on Morta’s head, albeit a bit clumsily, seeing as he was literally bleeding to death. He started to feel cold and clammy, and the pain lessened, but now he was so dizzy he had to close his eyes. He faintly heard Morta laughing, and the police officers shouting, and then he was being dragged somewhere, although he didn’t know where. “Finally, we’ve got some time to ourselves. Now, Vincent, I don’t know if you can still hear me, or even if you’re still alive, but… I want to apologize. I want to say I’m sorry for exploiting you, and for using you, but, in truth, I’m not sorry. I’d do it again, you know.” Here, she paused, but she soon continued. “Anyways… I wanted you to know that this wasn’t just a spur of the moment thing. I’d been planning this for a while. When you got bitten by that snake, I distracted the doctors and diluted the antidote they were about to give you, so that you would think you were healed, but actually, you’d be slowly dying. So, even if I couldn’t stab you in time, you’d be dead, and I’d have been the culprit. Either way, I’ve finished my fifteen murders.” Another pause, this time longer, and Vincent started to feel sleepy. “I… I hope you don’t mind if I keep your hat. I know you told me to keep it, but it kind of feels like stealing… hey, Vincent? I don’t know if you realized this, but in the beginning, before I started killing, I… I really looked up to you, and I wanted… I wanted to be your best friend,” Morta exhaled, sounding slightly regretful. “…When I come back, let’s be friends again, okay?” And that was the last thing Vincent heard before he went to sleep, and subsequently died.

Epilogue Vincent sat on a small platform, waiting for Ella to come up and help him. After a while, he just gave up and descended the stairs to the lower level of The Life After’s residential section. Without his top hat, his horns were easily visible to everyone around, but he no longer cared. Vincent headed towards the building he lived in, and once there, he made his way towards the room he used to share with Morta. Idly, he noticed that the bloodstains were still noticeable, standing out prominently against the pale cream color of the carpet. Vincent entered his room and sat on Morta’s bed, looking up at the drawing taped to the wall. It was the drawing he had given Morta a few years before. He laughed bitterly and took the drawing down off the wall to look at it. With a sigh, Vincent looked out the window to see the average citizens of The Life After milling about, pitiful in their ignorance and their dumb happiness. *** Several days later, Vincent was looking out the window again, as that had become a habit of his, and noticed a familiar white rabbit wearing a familiar dark blue top hat. Uttering a sharp cry of surprise and happiness, Vincent tumbled out of bed and half-ran, half-fell down the stairs to get to Morta. However, when he reached her, he noticed two police officers walking on each side of her, blocking her in and holding weapons to her neck. Stifling a whimper, Vincent followed them at a distance. Once, Morta caught his eye, but instead of saying something, she just gave a tiny shake of her head. Why Morta was telling him no, Vincent didn’t understand, but instead of mulling it over he just kept following until they reached the police station. Once in the police station, the two police officers stopped Vincent and asked him if he had business here. “No,” he responded, “but that rabbit you’re with is my friend. Please can I talk to her?” “No. She’s a murderer, kid. You don’t want to talk to a murderer. Besides, we were told not to let her out of our sight until we got into the execution room.” “Execution… room..?” Vincent echoed. “Yeah. This rabbit’s set to be executed today. If you like, you can watch.” Vincent just stared dumbly at them until they turned and walked down a hallway. He followed them silently, staring at the back of Morta’s head, until finally they went into a room. The police officers cuffed Morta to a metal pole, then jabbed her with a needle. All the while, she stayed silent, her head lowered and her eyes half-closed. After a few minutes, the poison seemed to take effect, and she stared pleadingly at Vincent, though she still didn’t make a sound. Finally, she slumped over, as if dead, and the police officers cautiously made their way over to her body. One of them produced a lighter and set her corpse on fire before Vincent could protest. He felt as though he were about to throw up, but kept this fact to himself. After around fifteen minutes, the flames died down, and one of the officers fished a small object from her ashes. “Do you want her remains?” “Wh-What? That’s not Morta. That’s a statue,” Vincent objected. “Shouldn’t you be offering me her ashes?” “Oh, that’s right, you’re still relatively new here, aren’t you? In The Life After, creatures who have been set aflame leave a figurine in their ashes. This figurine is a statue of the thing the deceased cherished the most, and usually, it is this that their loved ones collect and keep, not their ashes.” “Oh… yeah… yes, I want it.” Vincent responded, taking the figurine. With a sharp intake of breath, he realized who the figurine was; it was him. He was the one Morta cherished the most. *** “Hey,” Vincent murmured to the headstone in the graveyard. “I miss you. A lot, actually. You’re a jerk, you know that? A huge jerk. You left me all alone, Morta, and that’s not nice.” “I know.” Vincent quickly turned around, his gray eyes wide with shock. “Morta?” he said softly. “Yeah.” Letting out a loud sob, Vincent tackled Morta in a tight hug, squeezing her tightly and dripping tears and a small amount of snot onto her shoulder. For the first time, Morta seemed to feel empathy for him, and she patted him gently on the back as he sobbed into her shoulder. “You left me all alone!” Vincent bawled, hugging his friend even tighter. “I know. I’m sorry.” “And—and I had to sleep in a scary empty room alone, and I’m pretty sure our room is haunted, and it’s scary without you there!” Vincent wailed. “I know, Vincent, and I’m sorry.” “I missed you so much, you jerk,” Vincent said with a soft whimper. “I know. I missed you, too.” Morta said softly. The End

[lets-get-sirius-about-stars]

Little Talks (A Makayla Fray story)

Anon: “an imagine with one of your DC oc plz X'D with a humen friend with no power just a Cinnamon rolls begin cute and stuff just make me happy . ♦=♦”

Schninner: AHHHH!!!! PEOPLE LIKE MY OC AND IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY!!!! I’m gonna do some Makayla Fray back in the day before the whole Prale kidnapping and she was still a little one, I’ll also be introducing a new character! So I hope you like it anon! :D

(OO! PS, there is going to be quite a few time lapses in this story, just to help keep it moving along, so whenever you see those wonderful long lines that separate paragraphs, keep in mid that some time has passed)

(P.S.S. HOLY CRAP! THIS TOOK FOREVER TO MAKE! The inspiration fairy has been avoiding me lately, and for that I apologize, but I’m gonna kick it into overdrive tomorrow and ATTEMPT to finish the remaining requests, wish me luck!0

OC(s):

Makayla Fray/Little Leaguer/Red Comet

Lucile Tylers

Warning: None…..????

Word Count: 2426

Tagging @maruthor @preppygothica @the-singing-canary @cuddles-for-cassie @royslittleharper

Master List (DC blog)                     Master list (OC Blog)

Like this story? Then you should check out my OC blog @lets-get-sirius-about-stars

Day 1

Lucile Tylers didn’t belong to a rich family, or a poor one either for that matter. Her parents made a decent amount of money, enough to pay the bills, feed four hungry children, and pay the bills with a small treat here and there for their lovely children. Lucile had a good life with a wonderful family, but of course, being the youngest of four, she didn’t often think that was so. Being at the young age of 4, she often didn’t get much say in what family events they went to. An event that he simply detested, was their daily walk to the park.

Her parents had insisted on these walks, informing the children that it was “a healthy habit and helped strengthen relationship with fellow family members.” Which left Lucile grudgingly walk to to overly crowded park in the spring, fall, and summer seasons. Most children would love to visit the park, but of course, Lucile wasn’t most children. While her other siblings ran around the play set, squealing like mad men, she had always tottered over to her favorite tree, plopped down, and began drawing with the Crayola crayons and notebook she continuously brought with her.

The daily visits to the parks went by identical to the last, the arrival, the tree, the drawing, then departure. Every day the same, that is, until, she met the her.

The day started off like all the rest, with the arrival, tree, and art. Lucile had opened her box of crayons, contemplating what color cat she would draw today, and that’s when she heard foot steps near her, stopping directly in front. Lucile reluctantly looked up from her sketch book, expecting to see one of her tanned siblings, instead finding a pale peach skinned girl. She had slightly curly dirty blonde hair pulled up in pigtails with a sturdy build and pale green eyes.

“What’cha doin?” The girl asked, cocking her head to the side in curiosity.

“I’m coloring a picture.” Lucile stated matter of factly before returning her attention back to the pretty purple she had chosen for her cat.

The girl remained where she was standing, silence fell upon the children, save for the frequent squeals from the children playing on the equipment nearby.

“Can I watch?” The girl inquired.

Lucile glanced up from her picture briefly, “Sure, I guess, if you want.”

The girl smiled happily, bounding up next to her and sitting down, her green eyes intensely studying the picture. Lucile continued drawing, trying not to let the blonde’s gaze mess up her artistic flow.

All was silent between the children, that is, until the green-eyed girl let out a happy gasp, “Oh! I get it! You making a purple kitty cat!”

Lucile smiled proudly, nodding.

“That’s so cool! I love purple, ‘cause blue and wed make it, and those two are my favoritest colors.” The girl paused, thinking before continuing, “What’s your favorite color?”

Lucile paused, pondering this question, “I like the rainbow.” She stated as if it were obvious.

The blonde scrunched up her nose, “You can’t choose all the colors, that’s cheating!”

Lucile shook her head, “No it’s not, it just means I love all the colors equally!”

The girl contemplated this for a bit, but then shrugged, “Okay, I guess that makes sense.”

“Vincent, Cody, Lila, Lucile! Time to go!” Mrs. Tylers called.

Lucile’s head perked up, the corners of her mouth turning downward into a frown, “I have to go.” She said sadly to her new friend.

The girl frowned as well, “Aww man! That stinks!” She says, getting to her feet and helping Lucile up.

“I’m Makayla by the way!” She told Lucile, once she was standing.

“Lucile!” She happily replied.

“Well, maybe we can play again soon…?” Makayla questioned, while walking with her new friend toward the rest of the Tylers.

Lucile nodded, “We come here every day! So maybe I will see you again!”

Makayla beamed, bobbing her head up and down enthusiastically, “Yeah!”

Off in the distance, Lucile heard a male’s voice call out Makayla’s name. “Oops! Gotts go too! See ya later Lucile!” She quickly said before darting off in the other direction.

Lucile smiled, watching as the blonde pigtails bobbed up and down until she could see them no more.

Day 7

Lucile sat there, her head resting on her knees and letting her silky black hair fall over her caramel colored shoulders, salty tears covered her face and nose running uncontrollably. She couldn’t believe them; how could they do this to her! Did they hate her?

“Hey Lucile! What color cat are you drawing…” Makayla trailed off upon seeing the tears on her friend’s face. She ran up to her, not asking any questions, and hugged her.

“Th-th-they broke a-all m-m-m-my crayons!” She bawled, hugging her right back, her head buried into the blonde’s shoulder.

“Who did? Your brothers?” Makayla inquired, patting her friend comfortingly.

Lucile let out a strangled “uh huh” and continued sobbing.

Makayla’s small face screwed up into a scowl, “well, they are butt heads.” She stated angrily.

The dark-haired girl simply nodded, not being able to voice her anger towards Cody and Vincent, but Makayla didn’t seem to mind, she stayed with her, letting her cry onto her shoulder until it was time for her to leave.

Day 8

Lucile leaned up against her tree, her arms folded bitterly across her chest as she watched her siblings play. She was so engrossed in imagining her brother Vincent getting chased by an angry pack of her purple cats, that she didn’t notice Makayla excitedly bounding over to her with her hands behind her back.

“Hey Lucile!  I got something for you!” She chirped, a broad smile ingrained on her face.

“What is it?” She asked, her attention now fully on the girl in front of her.

“Tada!” Makayla sang, thrusting her hands out in front of her, revealing a box of 62 Crayola crayons and a notebook.

Lucile’s brown eyes widened and her draw dropped, “No way!” She gleefully shouted, taking the box from her friend and opening to find 62 fresh crayons. A giggle bubbled up in Lucile’s throat and resounded throughout the park, she through her arms around Makayla, pulling her into a tight hug.

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” she squealed.

Makayla’s smile widened as she returned the embrace. “Your welcome!”

And from that point, Lucile knew that they would be best friends to the end.

Year 1

“I have a secret that I need to tell you,” Makayla stated, her face dead serious, “and I need you to promise not to tell anyone, got it?”

Lucile nodded, sitting up a bit straighter on her bed, and holding her pillow close to her chest. It was their very first sleep over at Lucile’s house, they had been giggling about cartoons and talking about Wonder Woman, when out of nowhere, Makayla had grown quiet and serious.

“And I mean no one! That means you can’t tell your mom or dad, or else Danny and I could be in big trouble!” Her voice growing slightly nervous as she continued talking.

“I promise!” Lucile responded

“Do you pinky swear?” Makayla held her pinky out to her, where Lucile swiftly locked her pinky with created an unbreakable promise.

Makayla sighed in relief, relieving Lucile’s pinky and immediately went to her left pigtail. Her fingers nervously playing with the blonde strands.

“Well, you see, it’s about my mommy…”

Year 2

A week had gone by, one whole school week in which Makayla had been gone, and Lucile had started getting worried. Not only had Makayla not been at school, but she also hadn’t been answering her home phone. She had mentioned it to her parents, but they gave the simple explanation that maybe she was sick and would be back soon, and sure enough, the following Monday Makayla had returned.

Lucile was overjoyed to see her friend, she rushed over to her, her arms opened wide for a hug, but she faltered. Makayla’s green eyes, usually filled with so much life and joy, seemed so empty and lifeless.

“What’s wrong Kay?” Lucile’s voice filled with concern.

“Danny, he-he got hurt really bad last night.” She nearly whispered, trying desperately not to let her voice break.

Lucile gasped “Oh no! Kay! Is he going to be okay?”

Makayla shook her head, ears falling silently down her face, “No, Lui, Danny, he went away. He went to heaven.” Her voice quivered, her bottom lip trembling.

Lucile looked at her friend in shock, processing what she was told,

“What should I do? What do I do!?”

Lucile did the first thing her brain told her, and instinctively reached out, and hugged her friend tight.

Makayla wept into her friend’s shirt for the remainder of recess, and continued doing so even when their class mates were lining up to go inside. Their teachers eventually had to pull her off, and brought both to the principal’s office for “disrupting the class.”

Normally, Lucile would have been screaming and hollering the injustice of this, begging the teachers for forgiveness, but she wasn’t sorry for what she did. In fact, she never would be through pout the rest of her life.

Year 7

“You’re definitely coming to my birthday party though, right Lui?” Makayla asked her friend, as she swiftly fastened her shin guards.

Lucile nodded enthusiastically, watching as her friend scrambled to get the rest of her accessories on. “Of course I’m coming Kay! What kind of person would I be if I didn’t go to my best friend’s eleventh birthday party!”

“Late birthday party,” Makayla reminded her, sliding her arm guards on, “I’ve been eleven for a week now.”

“False!” Lucile playfully shouted. “You do not turn eleven until the birthday festivities have begun! So says the party master”

Makayla rolled her eyes and laughed, “okay ‘party master,’ whatever you say.”

Makayla’s pale green eyes darted around the room, “now, where’s my… There it is!” she shouted triumphantly, snatching her mask from her nightstand. She places the black domino mask over her eyes and began tying up her hair.

“Hey, and I’m sorry again for having to bail on you like this, the League sent me a message telling me that… whatever it is… is urgent.”

Lucile pushed her glasses up and gave her an understanding smile, “It’s fine Kay, I get it! Just go off and do your hero thing and we’ll talk about your party later.”

Makayla smiled and hugged her friend, “You’re the best human being ever, you know that Lui?”

“I know,” She said, hugging her back then pushing her away, “but you gotta go! You’re already running late!”

“Right! Little leaguer, Makayla, replied, opening her window wide, she flew through it yelling, “talk to you soon!” over her shoulder and disappearing into the sky.

But that was a lie.

Later on, that night, when Lucile had finally arrived home, she found the unusual sight of her family crowded in front of the TV. Curious, Lucile made her way over to the TV then let out a horrified gasp. In front of her she saw Little Leaguer, Makayla Fray, her best friend getting pummeled to a pulp by the intergalactic bounty hunter Lobo with the Justice league nowhere in sight.

She didn’t remember much, just the blue, yellow, and red blur of her friend as Lobo picked her up with one hand, throwing her into the nearest building. The camera zoomed into the fallen hero, badly bruised, and covered head to toe with cuts. There were screams from inside the building as the pillars began to crumble, the building beginning to capsize on itself. Little Leaguer got to her feet, and stared at the crumbling building in terror for a brief second before flying into the fray.

Lucile heard the camera man talking, “Where’d she go?”

“OH LEAGUER!” boomed Lobo’s voice, the camera man swore, swiveling the camera to the bounty hunter, zooming in on his face. He stuck his nose in the air and gave a few sniffs before his mouth twisted into a horrifying smile. “Found you.”

In the blink of an eye, Lobo had crashed through the building.

Two minutes later, swarms of civilians ran from the building, screaming in terror.

Three minutes of silence.

Then a blinding light and deafening “BOOM” resounded throughout the house as the live feed was abruptly cut.

“Tony? Tony are you there?!” The newscaster’s voice frantic, the view had returned to the studio, where Iris West was wide eyed with shock.

“It seems, it seems that our feed has been lost.” She choked on her words, “we don’t know for sure how many survivors, but as soon as we know, you’ll know…”

But Lucile was hardly listening, she numbly walked away from the rest of her family, letting the tears that she had building up pore down her cheeks.

She was gone.

Seven years later

It had been years since the incident, seven to be exact, but no matter how much time had passed, Lucile always broke down on this day, the day when her best friend, one that was practically her sister, had died. Died trying to save the lives of so many people.

After Makayla had died, Lucile had made it her job to take care of her friend’s headstone, bringing a fresh bouquet of sunflowers every month.

Lucile bent down to one knee, removing the withered flowers from the previous month, and laying fresh ones down. A sad smile played at her lips, she suppressed tears as she began to speak.

“Hey Kay, I got you some new flowers, red ones this month, one of your favorite colors, remember?”

“I do.” Came a strangely familiar voice from behind.

Lucile jumped, whipping around to find a girl, no, a woman, who looked about eighteen years old, same as her. Her eyes a crimson red, hair a dirty blonde with red tips and a faint, but clearly visible scar on the left side of her mouth and color bone.

Lucile cautiously stepped forward, “Kay…?”

“Hey Lui, it’s been awh-“

Lucile didn’t give her time to finish, as soon as she had confirmation, she had rushed to her friend, pulling her into a bone crushing hug, sobbing tears of joy.

“It’s you! You’re here!” She sniffled, her tears soaking into the brown leather jacket.

“Yes, It’s me, I’m here” Makayla replied, crying as well, “I’m here, and I’m never going anywhere again.”

[tesvskyrim]

i don’t draw so i can’t draw my oc claudia but i can write sort of so i wrote her meeting with julian for the first time but added her personality to it lol. i hope u like it. i kept julian’s dialogue mostly the same. also here is claudia’s pinterest board if anyone is interested

Arms crossed against her chest, Claudia nodded toward the door, not willing to open it for the Countess. Barging in like that—how rude. Even if she was the all mighty Countess, what gave her the right to force herself in when Claudia could be getting the sleep she so desperately needed? With Asra gone off to who knows where, Claudia had been the one to sweep the floors and tend to angry customers and get the rats out of the walls. It made her want to rip her hair out.

The Countess gave Claudia a smile that read of impression. The moonlight streaming in from the windows danced off of her dark skin as she flipped her hood up. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Magician.” With that, she was out the door and into the night.

With a sigh, Claudia ran a hand down her purple hair. It was fading quickly, now a graying pink. Tomorrow she was going to dye her hair again; of course that had to wait another day, because of the Countess. Hm…

The Countess’s words echoed in her head, her rich and stern voice loud and clear. Claudia’s “reputation”, her magician career. Apparently, Claudia’s name was on everyone’s lips… could she had thought that Claudia was…

“Strange hours for a shop to keep.”

“Shit!” Claudia jumped, the same way her cat did when he was startled. She spun on her heel, toward the direction of the voice.

Nothing.

Her eyes zipped across the store, trying to locate the intruder. She was only met with the cobwebs she forgot to sweep and the candles she needed to put out. Her heart pumped a mile a minute; she wasn’t equipped to deal with intruders. She knew a few magic spells, but unless the intruder could be countered with her sarcastic comments and glares, she was out of luck.

“…Behind you.”

As Claudia turned, she used her peripheral vision to look for any weapons to defend herself. The man leaning against the doorframe towered above her 5’3” frame, she couldn’t defend herself with fists alone. An empty wine bottle caught her attention, her finished bottle gleamed from the candle light. She mentally tacked that down.

“Now, sources say this is the witch’s lair,” the man said, voice muffled by his bird mask. She had to be honest, this wasn’t the attire for a burglar. This man was of dramatics—like her. His black cape dragged on the floor as he stepped closer to her, bird mask dangerously close to touching her own face. He wore boots up to his knees, and leather gloves up to his elbows. He must have noticed her stares, as he flexed his fingers through his gloves. “So,” he said, voice deep, “who might you be?”

Anxiety flooded her body, knees weak and fingers shaking. Her face morphed into a scowl; how dare he make her so scared? The only thing that made her this scared is when her cat Goblin runs into the market place. Without a second of hesitation, Claudia’s manicured hand crumbled into a fist, and she swung at the masked man.

She didn’t even register the pain in her knuckles as the trespasser stumbled backward. His hand found the side of the mask she hit, and suddenly a guttural laugh filled her ears.

“You’ve got guts!” He purred. Claudia’s frown deepened in response. He bowed slightly. “En garde, then. Let’s see what else you’ve got.”

Ah, so now it was a challenge. Claudia loved challenges.

Her eyes flickered to the wine bottle for half a second, a plan forming in her mind already. A wicked smile played on her face, and a blast of force came out of her open palms. The trespasser stumbled back into the wooden door, the wood creaking under his weight.

“Oh,” he gasped after the air came back to his chest, “has he been teaching you his tricks?” Cockiness oozed out of his voice. “Unfortunately for you, I’ve see them all befo-”

Another pull of force, and the empty red wine bottle cracked against his skull. Bits of glass connected with her tan skin, something that wouldn’t be hard to heal. The mask concealing his face flew onto the wood panels, finally revealing the face he was so desperate to hide.

The first thing Claudia noticed was the eye patch over his right eye, his other one grey like the clouds that plagued outside. Blood, the color of his hair, trickled down his face, running down his good eye and into his parted lips. He looked so familiar, yet she couldn’t quite place it.

The man brought a hand to his wound, his glove coming back wet and shining. A look of impression played on his face. His grey eyes locked onto Claudia’s brown ones, and he gave her a full tooth smile. “You do have guts.”

She stifled a smile.

He wiped his bloody glove on his pants, and suddenly Claudia knew who he was. On the run for how long, and yet never caught. Everyone knew his name.

“Doctor Jules?” Claudia gasped, mouth working faster than her brain. “I don’t usually get fugitives in my shop.” Claudia crossed her arms over her chest, laced sleeves rubbing against each other.

Another laugh. “Haven’t heard that name in years.” He paused, perhaps remembering memories from the past. Grey eyes snapping open, his face turned grim. “Quickly now. Where is the witch?”

Claudia snarled. “Eat shit.” Even if she did know where Asra went, she would never tell this stranger. She would never rat out her one loyal friend.

A humph fell out of his mouth, and he shook his head. “I thought you might say that.” Doctor Jules wiped the blood off his face with his glove, and narrowed his eyes at Claudia. “Well, no sense in wasting a visit. You’re a fortune teller, aren’t you?”

Claudia’s eyebrows raised. “How could you tell?”

He ignored her. “Tell my fortune, and I’ll leave you in peace.”

“Are you going to pay or are you going to stiff me like the Countess?”

“That depends on whether I like my fortune.”

Claudia rolled her eyes and motioned over to the backroom. The anxiety that invaded her body minutes’ prior left her system, whether it be because he was to leave soon, or the fact that he didn’t have intentions to hurt her.

Jules took a seat first, his eyes never leaving Claudia’s petite frame. Her brain was fighting on being angry or annoyed as she took a seat across from the doctor. Small droplets of blood still fell on face, but he didn’t wipe them away.

Finally, his eyes trailed across the décor and furniture of the room. It was mostly things Asra had picked up on his travels. Scarves from this place, books from another. If you looked closer, however, you could find a picture of Claudia with her parents and little sister. She liked it better in here than her room. 

Shifting uncomfortably, Jules cleared his throat. “You know, I used to love places like this.”

“Oh?”

He simply nodded, and gestured to the cards left out on the table. Whatever part of him was uncomfortable left his system, and his frown was replaced with a sly grin. “Go on, don’t be shy.” If he hadn’t broken into her shop, Claudia might have swooned.

Claudia exhaled loudly through her nose, before shuffling her tarots. She hated to touch them, always found she wasn’t ever good. Though, Asra said the complete opposite. Soon, he said, soon she would be competing against him.

Claudia cleared her mind, and flipped a card over. It felt like air was punched out of her chest, and suddenly the mood in the room got very cold.

“Well?”

Claudia glanced up, the doctor’s face showing nothing but interest. “…Death.”

His eyes widened, and a wide smile formed on his face. “Death?” A chuckle fell out of his mouth. “Death?” That chuckle turned into full out laughter, blood and tears falling down his face. With each bark of laughter, icicles pierced her heart.

“Yes.”

The laughter seized, and his piercing eyes locked onto hers. “You have to be joking.”

Claudia shook her head. “I take my work very seriously, Doctor. As do you, I suspect.”

Using a finger to wipe the tears away, Jules growled. “Death cast her gaze on this wretch and turned away. She has no interest in an abomination like me.”

What a cryptic thing to say, Claudia thought. Of course, she shouldn’t be surprised. He looked like how villains were described in all those books Asra liked to read.

Jules large hands slammed against the table, making Claudia jump yet again. The sound echoed throughout the room as he got up, yet Claudia stayed seated.

“I wouldn’t be so surprised.”

Jules turned to her with a raised eyebrow.

“Your outfit says it all.”

He looked down at his attire, then back at Claudia, then back at his clothes. A blush spread across his face, coloring his bird-like nose crimson. Without a word, he left the backroom, and Claudia followed him.

“You’ve been hospitable,” he said after clearing his throat, “so I’ll let you in on a secret.”

Secrets. Always secrets with the men in her life.

“Go on,” Claudia muttered, inspecting her black painted nails. This better be good, he was taking up to much of her time.

“Your witch friend will be back for you. He’s taught you his tricks.” This piqued her interest, and her head shot up. “You may even say he… cares about you.”

“I know he does,” she snapped. This earned a smile from the red head.

“When he comes to get you, seek me out,“ he bent down to sweep his bloodied mask of the floor, “for your own sake.”

“What—“

“That creature is far more dangerous that you know.”

Confusion clouded her brain as Doctor Jules secured the mask back on his face. She wanted to know more, needed to, but he already had one foot out the door.

“Well then. The hour is late, and I’m out of time.” No, he couldn’t leave. Not when he gave her a warning message and nothing else to fall back on. “Don’t let him fool you, shopkeep.”

He was gone before Claudia could find a grip on that damn coat. The door slammed shut behind him, whether it be by the wind or his own doing.

“Wait!” Claudia cried out, yanking the door open. Gone. He was gone. “Doctor Jules! Shit!”

Tears of frustration brewed in her eyes as she shut the door. She gave it a good kick, imagining it was Jule’s shin she was kicking instead. A shaky breath left her, and she leaned against the counter.

A lone candle shone brightly in the night, and she stared at the tiny fire until her eyes burned. The next time she saw Doctor Jules, she’d get answers. She had to get answers.

With a puff of her breath, the fire went out.

[crotchexplorer666]

A L L O F T H E Q U E S T I O NS

If I must, deary-

1. You woke up naked next to the last person you texted, what would you say?

“I’m sorry I got you into this mess, @gamingkilledthecat!” Jenn exclaimed as she quickly rolled under the bed. That is where she stayed for many years in shame.

2. What’s going on between you and the last person you kissed?

Uh...Um..Oh, wait, nevermind. I thought this was asking about my first kiss. My dad and I are cool. Not in the romantic way.

3. If your boyfriend or girlfriend was into drugs, would you care?

Depends on whether or not it kills their personality. 

4. Is your last name longer than six letters?

My last name is five letters.

5. Was your last kiss drunk or sober?

Sober..

6. Have you ever wanted to have someone but you messed it up?

I messed up by not trying hard enough.

7. What does your last received text say?

“what the heck-i was literally about to say something and then i see this“- @gamingkilledthecat  (You caught me at a time in which I was speaking to her)

8. How many times have you kissed the last person you kissed?

I give my dad a good night kiss every night.

9. Where was your last kiss at?

In the car when my dad dropped me off for school..?

10. When is the last time you saw your sister?

I just saw my brother 10 minutes ago.

11. What do you drink in the morning?

Coffee. Lots of it.

12. Where did you sleep last night?

In my bed.

13. Do you think relationships are hard?

If you wanna keep it exciting, yes.

14. If you could go back and change something in the past 5 months, would you?

Mhmm.

15. You’re locked in a room with the last person you kissed, any problems?

Stop bringing my father into this-

16. Would you rather it be sunny or rainy?

Sunny. However, I prefer either cold, cloudy, dry days or warm, summer nights. I tan too easily, and it’s natural for people to wish they looked tan when they are pale and pale when they are tan.

17. Do you know anyone with the same middle name as you?

DAVIDLEEROTHIS THE BEST SINGER

18. Are you wearing jeans,sweatpants,or pajama pants?

Pajama pants.. C’mon, I wake up at 2 am. Don’t expect me not to be tired and uncomfortable after school.

19. Do you think you will be in a relationship 3 years from now?

Sure.

20. Does anyone like you?

Hard to believe, but yes.

21. Have you ever kissed someone with a name that starts with an S?

Uh.. yeah..

22. Is the last person you kissed gay?

No.

23. Is there a person you CANNOT stand?

Anyone who doesn’t like me for no reason.

24. Have you ever considered getting a tattoo?

Only a very small one on the shoulder.

25. In the past week have you cried?

Yes, a ton. c:

26. What breed was the last dog CAT you saw?

A domestic medium hair is all I can tell you. Brown tabby with yellow eyes, white underbelly, white chin, white mittens, and a huge tail. .w.

27. Do you dry off in the shower or out of the shower?

Out, but sometimes in if it’s too cold.

28. Have you ever kissed a football player?

I prefer the build of cross country runners.

29. Do you think you’re old?

Nah.

30. Do you like text messaging?

When I text I wish I could be with the person. I’d prefer to be there in person so that they can see my emotions or understand my jokes more, but texting is okay.

31. What type of day are you having?

I’m so happy it’s Friday! I’ve gotten about 5 hours of sleep every night for the past week-

32. Have you ever thought about getting your nose pierced?

I don’t find it very attractive, but maybe a very small, discreet piercing.

33. Do you prefer warm or cold weather?

I don’t like the sun. Warm weather away from the sun is nice. Cold weather without the sun is also nice. If it’s nice and cloudy, I gotta pick warm.

34. Is there a person of the opposite sex who means a lot to you?

I hang out with a lot of boys-

35. Would you prefer a relationship or a fling?

I could go either way, it depends.

36. Are you a simple or complicated person?

I don’t think anyone is “simple.” Human beings are all very complicated organisms with their own thoughts and feelings, unlike most animals.

37. What song are you listening to?

“Hair of the Dog” by Nazareth. ;D

38. When you say you’re sorry do you mean it?

yES.39. Is there a girl that knows everything or almost everything about you?

Nope.40. What made you start liking the person you like now?

I can’t explain it. Maybe we were just meant for each other in a way no one can put into words.41. When did you last receive a text message?

A second ago. x)42. What is wrong with you right now?

Many a things.43. How well do you know the last female you texted?

Enough to be her best friend if I only I knew her irl. ;0;44. Does anyone disgust you?

I shouldn’t say--45. Would you date someone right now if they asked?

Yeah, sure. YOLO46. Are you in a good mood right now?

I’m never in a good mood, but my outgoing personality masks that.47. Who was the last person you talked to in person?

Madelynn. cx I go with her to the library on Fridays and play on my phone while she is tutored by a nice, lovely woman. Then we usually get fast food and I’m dropped off at my house.48. What color shirt are you wearing?

Black and navy blue.49. Has someone recently told you something you didn’t want to hear?

I like to hear everything about people. 50. Anyone you’re giving up on?

Uh, depends on what you mean by that.51. Do you hate the person you fell hardest for?

Not even close-

52. Have you ever thought about giving up on someone but couldn’t?

Nope. I don’t give up easily. c:53. Do you like rain?

I don’t really like being wet.. The ocean scares me.. 54. Do you care if your boyfriend/girlfriend drinks?

Only if they abuse me while they aren’t thinking straight.55. Have you ever liked somebody and never told them?

Mhmm. 56. Do you like to cuddle?

When we’re alone.57. Are you shy?

Ye s. I only hide it well. 58. Do you get along with girls?

I get along well with anyone who is human..? Cats too.. C a t s , m o s t l y.59. Have you dated the person you texted last?

Nope. I’d go out with anyone if they asked.  60. What do you carry with you at all times?

My phone, my phone charger, and five bucks. 61. If you were paid 1 million dollars to spend the night in a supposed haunted house, would you?

If it’s only fucking creepy and won’t actually hurt me in any way, hell yes. 62. Do you think you can last in a relationship for five months?

I can do many things.

63. Think back to October, were you in a relationship?

Nah. 64. The person you like kisses you on the forehead, do you find this cute?

yES-65. Did anything “cute” happen in the last week?

My cat. Every day.

66. How old are the last three people you kissed?

My dad is 57, my mom is 51, and Yearni is probably 17 by now-

67. Would you rather pay to get your nails done or do them yourself? 

DIY W/ JENNCOMING TO YOU IN THEATRES FAR AWAY   

68. Which do you like better- Zebra print or leopard print?    

Is neither an option? If I had to choose, it would be zebra print.69. Do you have any stickers on your car?    

No..70. Would you rather listen to Luke Bryan or Lil Wayne?    

Uh, who are these people?!71. Blackberry, Android, or iPhone?    

I have Android, so that’s cool.72. When’s the last time you had pizza from Pizza Hut?    

Uh, maybe 2 years.73. Do you like diet soda?    

nO74. What color are the walls in your room?    

Green-ish.75. Are you 16 or older?    

I prefer not to tell my age. x)76. Do you watch Pretty Little Liars?    

Nah.77. Do you have a job?    

Nope.  78. What are your initials?    

J.W.79. Did you ever have braces?    

Nuh-uh.80. Are you from the south?    

Noooo

81. What does your last status on facebook say?    

I’m too lazy to check. x-x82. Do you still talk to the first person you ever kissed?    

Nope.83. Are you closer to your mom or your dad?    

Dad.84. Have you ever done cheerleading or gymnastics?    

I play a trumpet, I run, I draw, I do many things. Everything but those two and things that require being limber.85. What’s the last movie you saw in theaters?    

I don’t know. ;D86. Do you smoke?    

No, but I don’t hate all smokers. People need to realize that smoking was really popular in the 20th century, and once they gave in to peer pressure, they were addicted. Now they are hated and guilt-tripped for something they can’t control.87. Would you rather wear heels or flip flops?    

Socks and sandals, FTW.88. Is your phone touch screen?    

Mhmm.89. Do you normally wear your hair straight or curly?    

My hair is naturally curly. It dries differently every time I take a shower.90. Have you ever snuck out of your house?    

Yes.91. Would you rather swim in a river, lake, or pool?    

I’d rather stay dry, thank chu.92. Have you ever made out in a car?    

No.93. …Had sex in a car?    

No, thanks.94. Are you single or in a relationship?    

Fat, single, and ready for a Pringle. (Actually, I’m a bit underweight, but I’ll still take that Pringle.)95. What were you doing last night at midnight?    

Sleeping so that I could wake up at 3 am.96. When’s the last time you saw fireworks?    

Chinese New Year.97. Do you like the camera on your phone?    

Sure.98. Have you ever had a friend with benefits?    

No.99. Have you ever passed out from drinking?    

Never.100. Are you friends with people on facebook that you actually hate?    

I’m not on Facebook much-101. Have you ever had a pregnancy scare?    

Nah.102. Name your favorite Kesha song:    

Probably “Blah Blah Blah.”103. Do you have any tan lines right now?    

I tan too easily..104. Would you ever wear cowboy boots with shorts?    

Sure, why not. That’s UT in Austin spirit, right there.