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foundmywei · 2 years

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Banana Fish Fanfic Recs

Here are my favorite banana fish fics, mostly asheiji. Please always check the tags for trigger warnings. Enjoy!

Masterpost

Asheiji: Post-canon

Growing Pains by Exiledfromazerath1316

(23,426 words | Mature | Completed)

"If I've got no one to fight than how do I know who I am?!"

Moving to Japan with Eiji is a start, but there is no cure all for something like this.

Growing pains will never be easy.

Odour of Chrysanthemums by nyanja14

(20,915 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

Two years Eiji was gone with barely a word sent back home to his mother. Two years of her son’s life that Hiroko will never know.

Hiroko is angry at Ibe for failing so spectacularly at keeping her son safe. She’s angry at Eiji for not coming home at the first opportunity. But her true fury has nowhere to go.

Ash Lynx is already dead.

(except he's not really because this is my fic, and I say Ash lived; welcome to my post-series "Eiji's Mom Meets Ash" fic)

Measure In Love by goldendraeconis, Snow_Falls

(33,509 words | Explicit | Completed)

"If he really never did see Ash again, at least Eiji had the comfort of knowing he was free. Finally, finally, Ash was somewhere no one could touch him, even as that was what Eiji longed to do. He felt like he could die from how badly he wanted to hold Ash again, just one more time. But, it wasn’t fair to want something so selfish. Ash was his own person, and he deserved to live for himself, wherever and however that may be."

After the showdown in New York, Ash goes missing. Eiji returns to Japan alone, heartbroken and unsure what to do now. After one year of radio silence from Ash, the two meet again, getting closer over the course of a year, and fulfill the promise of forever.

Find My Way Back (To You) by mara_cas

(23,263 words | Not Rated | Completed)

What if Eiji hadn’t been hurt that badly by the two Chinese men sent by Yut-Lung? What if he was out of the hospital the next day, with nothing but a scratch, well decided to retrieve Ash? Banana Fish is history, Dino Golzine is dead, but it seems like Ash Lynx still can’t rest. Lee Yut-Lung has a favor to ask him, one Ash and Eiji can’t refuse. As they join forces to unravel a new menace, Eiji has to put his life in danger and Ash must learn to step back. This new adventure could be the opportunity for them to learn more about each other, and to have some very needed talk.

Fool For Lesser Things by Snow_Falls

(29,736 words | Explicit | Completed)

"He knew irrefutably that if Eiji left he would take something fundamental to Ash with him, and without that, what would be the point in living? He might as well have let Foxx finish him, if he was going to cop out now. No, Sing was right, the little brat, what the fuck would be the point if he didn’t go with Eiji? God, he was an idiot."

Or the fix it fic we all need. The alternate ending I cherish in my heart of hearts.

The Way It Should Be by Snow_Falls

(8275 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

“You know we can’t technically be married here, but a lot of same – sex couples do this instead. They add the younger partner to the older one’s family registry, they become next of kin, and it gives them a lot of the same rights as a spouse,” Eiji hadn’t been able to hold Ash’s gaze the whole time he spoke, he was looking down at the bedspread now, tracing lines on it with his finger.

Ash looked up at him. “Are you asking me to marry you?”

The question hit Eiji with a stronger force than he would have expected. He felt it in his stomach, in a hot shiver up his spine, and blood rushing to his cheeks. He was suddenly incredibly nervous, because – “Yes, I am.” Eiji took a breath and tried not to feel the sudden way his hands shook with adrenaline, sheer anticipation. “Will you marry me?”

Breaking The Habit by EmirAttemptsToWrite

(17,582 words | General Audiences | Completed)

Ash had no idea where he was.

He felt a dull pain in his side. His entire body was aching, but his mind couldn't register what was going on. It was dark everywhere he looked - was he asleep? Or about to wake? Or was the place he was in just pitch black on its own?

He thought he could hear a faint beeping noise - but it was echoing somewhere in the distance.

Or, my take on the Banana Fish ending that follows Ash on the journey of accepting love.

you keep me without chains by ADreamingSongbird

(10,060 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

They say time heals all wounds. If that's what it takes, Ash is just about ready to throw himself into a fucking hourglass.

This Quiet Life by elena_stidham

(15,820 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

Ash's life can be divided by the sounds each location makes. Cape Cod was a world that only sounded like the wind and sea. New York is a world full of noise.

Japan only sounds like Eiji.

dull swords, sluggish arrows by ADreamingSongbird

(10,605 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

An unexpected visitor shows up on Eiji's doorstep, seeking answers about Ash's death.

Except that Ash isn't dead, and there is very little Eiji wouldn't do to keep him safe. Even if that does mean yelling at a very tall Russian man in public.

harbor by ADreamingSongbird

(27,567 words | Series - 5 works | Teen And Up Audiences)

shatterpoint by ADreamingSongbird

(8,611 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

"I was wondering.” Eiji even smiles. “Would you like it if I kissed you?"

And everything goes wrong.

A long-overdue conversation, one rainy day in Japan.

we are the people that rule the world by kybelles

(9,068 words | Series - 2 works | Teen And Up Audiences)

AU where Ash and Eiji have their happy ending.

when honey spills and apple swells by ADreamingSongbird

(8345 words | General Audiences | Completed)

Ash turns twenty-two. No, not like the Taylor Swift song. No! Not like—will you stop singing, Eiji!

(Ash and Eiji move back to New York. Eiji decides Ash deserves to have the best birthday he's had in a long time. Mild shenanigans ensue.)

won't even wish for snow by ADreamingSongbird

(2,121 words | General Audiences | Completed)

It's the stupidest hat Ash has ever seen. Who would even buy something that tacky? It's ugly and ridiculous and so, so dumb. What a waste of money.

...but Eiji would love it.

God dammit.

gone away is the blue bird, here to stay is a new bird by ADreamingSongbird

(60,824 words | Series - 4 works | General Audiences + Mature)

Three Christmases, and then some.

like ribbons, worn bright on my sleeve by ADreamingSongbird

(3,030 words | General Audiences | Completed)

Eiji is fine.

What happened in America happened, and he's accepted it. It was terrible, but it's over. He's in Japan now, living with Ash, and they're happy. He's fine.

(Until he isn't.)

Wash away the pain by liuniverse

(3,000 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

“Hey, love,” Eiji almost whispers, his voice slightly trembling. “Look at me, please.” He wants to make sure that Ash really wants this.

The blond man turns slowly, making eye contact. He is blinking a bit faster than normal.

“If that is what you really want, then I would love to.”

Or, Asheiji exploring their intimacy by taking a bath together.

Hold me close by liuniverse

(1,191 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

And then Eiji pulls his hand away.

Ash feels like his heart was just ripped out of his chest. He lets out an ugly sob, struggling to see in front of him, his eyesight is too blurry.

“Ash, are you—”

“Please touch me!” he cries out.

Or, touch-starved Ash and his thoughts.

Asheiji: Canon timeline

Ain't it like thunder under earth by Snow_Falls

(11,172 words | Explicit | Completed)

'Alex clarified, when again it seemed like Ash wouldn’t reply. “Whoever goes with the boss has to spend some time fooling around with him.”

“Who is going with Ash?” Eiji had to ask.

There was a significant pause. The boys looked at Eiji and away.'

Fake dating, then real dating, with the mildest of heists thrown in for flavour.

Snapshots by Snow_Falls

(16,277 words | Mature | incomplete as of october '22 but can be read with no problem)

A collection of missing moments between Ash and Eiji.

Let's Pretend by Kamikama

(4,754 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

Set during episode 21 of Banana Fish. They need to pay Frog a visit and get the pictures, only Max is not available to go with Ash inside the gay club.

Eiji comes to rescue.

this dream, realized by luftballons99

(4,805 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

“It’s just dancing,” Ash whispers, knowing that nothing he does with Eiji could ever be ‘just’ anything. “You’ll be a pro in no time.”

Ash teaches Eiji how to dance. Eiji teaches Ash how to hope.

talk so lightly by ADreamingSongbird

(4,200 words | General Audiences | Completed)

Ash comes home after a long day only to find Eiji missing. The apartment was supposed to be safe! How did they find him, and how did they take him without Ash knowing they were coming? If they've hurt him, there will be hell to pay...

Eiji, meanwhile, has been thoroughly enjoying Mrs. Coleman's macaroni and cheese casserole.

fishbowl by luftballons99

(4,588 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

In which Mrs. Coleman means well, Alex sees God, Sing loses, and the age-old question “What’s with Ash and Eiji?” is answered.

"It’s like watching a goddamn soap opera."

Enough by ginkohs

(1,106 words | General Audiences | Completed)

Ash only allows himself the smallest scraps of comfort from Eiji. Eiji surprises him by giving him just a little more than he expected.

Skipping Stones by TurnUps

(54,304 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

A collection of oneshots filling in some scenes that probably didn't happen in between episodes/scenes, but that I like to think did because these boys need to talk to each other.

“Didn’t think you had it in you.” Eiji had been expecting to drive in silence. Or maybe he had just hoped they would drive in silence. Ash’s voice made it all too real. A large part of him had wanted to concentrate on what gear to shift to and when the lights would change. That would distract him from the feel of his heart trying to escape from his ribcage and his hands shaking on the steering wheel. “I didn’t think I had it in me either,” Eiji said. His voice shook and he tried to give a shaky laugh to cover it up. Ash was looking at him. He could tell. Those eyes pierced into the side of his head. He swallowed, trying to think of something – anything – to say. The whole city seemed like a big grey blur. He drove where Ash said, but he couldn’t separate roads.

Hangin' Tough by TurnUps

(48,533 words | Mature | Completed)

A series of oneshots set in the 80s during that one Summer where Eiji is telling Ash he's going to go home soon and yet not leaving. (Episode 11-12) Also mostly set at 3 a.m, so late nights and early mornings. (Slow dancing in the kitchen in socks at 3 a.m) *** A loud noise woke Ash. He immediately thought ‘gunshot’. Eiji. Someone had shot Eiji. Then his mind recognised the sound as a crash. Intruder. Someone had broken in. He swung out of bed, pulling his gun out from under his pillow, pulling the door to the rest of the apartment open - To find Eiji standing in the kitchen, staring back at him wide-eyed. He had turned on the light over the hob and it bathed him in yellow light. Ash's Walkman was skewed over messy hair and an 'I love New York T-shirt' covered him like a tent. Ash's stomach flipped, despite the fact that he was aiming a gun at this boy. Adorable, really, he looked adorable. But that was something wouldn't appreciate hearing.

the half life of what we become by amaiyo

(14,055 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

Ash just wanted Eiji Okumura’s attention.

He couldn’t justify it, couldn’t unravel the logic of why he always craved the older boy’s dark eyes on him. Ash had spent most of his life being the centre of the show; the disgusting old men in Golzine’s club, the patchwork of gang members who followed his every move like he was a messiah. Even simple passerby seemed to watch him like they were cataloging something glamorous, something other worldly.

He always hated the attention he drew, and yet—he would do anything for Eiji to look at him, to focus on him, to stay with him just a little bit longer.

[Ash's need and Eiji's unconditional love, in four snapshots.]

knight in shining armor by aalphard

(2,293 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

“Come on, Eiji,” he whispers. “Let go of me now.”

“Dangerous,” is what he says back.

For a few seconds, Ash tenses up. Every fiber in his being is screaming at him, urging him to run, run away, hide, take Eiji with you and hide, hide, hide, as his eyes desperately scan the room searching for something that could be used as a weapon against whoever it is that’s hiding here. But when Eiji sighs, nuzzling him again, his muscles start to relax on their own, although Ash is still very much concerned about potential danger now. When Eiji starts to babble about the princess dragon in the tower and something about the sword of swords, Ash almost screams.

So that is why he was mumbling about danger. He’s dreaming.

Angry, Drunk And Sad by Anonymous_Cupcake

(2,144 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

Eiji gets drunk and reveals feelings he's kept bottled up. ---- "Well, you know what?!" He screams, the others flinching at the sudden change in voice and tone. He continues his drunken ramble, because like it or not, people are listening . "Eiji CAN be in a bad mood. And right now... Eiji in a bad mood."

The tears return as the truth finally makes it out. His mind finally recognizes the danger of being this vulnerable. They're gonna tell Ash, they're gonna make him go home, he doesn't want to go home—

"What the hell is going on here?"

Ah, speak of the devil and he will appear.

you make the winter feel warmer by ADreamingSongbird

(7,120 words | General Audiences | Completed)

"Let's take a walk," Eiji said, already pulling on his coat. He didn't need to use those big soft eyes to convince Ash, but he did anyway, turning to look at him with hope shining in his face. "I want to see the lights for Christmas! Please, Ash?"

And who is Ash to tell him no, some kind of monster?

Pain Management by Wings_and_Feet

(8,007 words | Mature | Completed)

The only thing worse than a stab wound, is an infected stab wound.

And the only thing worse than an injured wildcat is an injured wildcat that is still grieving his best friend's death.

Add in the sure knowledge that Eiji saw him at his most feral and now knows yet another of his shameful weaknesses...

Well, so far no one has gotten shot. Yet.

But Eiji is stubborn, and Ash's guys really deserve more credit.

Golzine uses drugs to control the kids in his club. The aftermath.

five more minutes by fioletovazirka

(8,185 words | General Audiences | Completed)

It’s hard to believe that people call Ash an angel when he has one of his own waiting for him back home.

Little Pieces by Wings_and_Feet

(12,597 words | Mature | Completed)

Not everything that happens makes it to the retelling. And some secrets are best kept for everyone's safety.

Which is why after everything that happened, Ash and Eiji never mentioned running into Shorter's old girlfriend in LA. Not when Shorter died. Certainly not when she shows up back in New York carrying a little piece of their lost friend.

What started as a need to save the child of the friend he couldn't save becomes a story of endings and new beginnings and maybe, finally, the family that Ash deserves.

Ready or Not by Wings_and_Feet

(5,102 words | Mature | Completed)

Ash loves the way he feels in Eiji's arms, safe and protected. Loved.

He would die for this feeling, even if he doesn't quite know what to do with it yet.

But what if Eiji wants more than a cuddle? Most people do. He can do this. He can do anything for the man he loves.

He can't do this. Oh God.

I'm Ready by Wings_and_Feet

(9,196 words | Mature | Completed)

Eiji told Ash "When you're ready or not at all." And he meant it.

That doesn't mean waiting is easy.

How do you know if you're really ready? How do you know if your partner is? How do you quell your worries when the first time was such an unmitigated disaster?

Told from Eiji's point of view, this takes place six or so months later. When Ash is finally ready to try again. Sex on his own terms.

if i could fly by ADreamingSongbird

(5,320 words | General Audiences | Completed)

The night after cornering Blanca and Yut-Lung's men in the Natural History Museum, Ash can't sleep.

Secret Things by Shapeshifter99

(1,706 words | General Audiences | Completed)

Eiji Okumura knew many things about Ash that no one else did.

In His Eyes by peachcitt

(2,684 words | Not Rated | Completed)

“This is how you see me?”

“Yes.” Pause. And then: “This is how you deserve to be seen.”

or: eiji uses up expensive photo paper while ash gets a little more comfortable with touch

all creatures wild and tame by Quintessence

(5,775 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

"But even amid the haze of relaxation and warmth, one thought comes through with uncomfortable clarity. How much longer is Eiji going to keep this up? How much longer will he treat Ash with affection and kindness before his patience finally runs out and his touch turns cruel and demanding? Ash knows violence, so intimately that he can rarely be bothered to mourn for his own suffering anymore. But when it’s Eiji, when he imagines Eiji’s hands as the ones bruising him, something deep within him cries out in protest. It’s only a matter of time before the inevitable--Ash knows this--but he wishes it weren’t. He wishes he could live in this bliss, this gentleness, forever. He wishes that, just this once, there could be a different ending to this story.

But there never is. Ash would stake his life on it."

Ash knows touch well. Too well. But then he meets Eiji, and suddenly something about it is different than before.

golden hour by ADreamingSongbird

(5,502 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

Ash turns eighteen on a warm late-summer's day. Amid all the plotting and running and guns and death, Eiji decides the birthday boy just needs a day in the sun to unwind.

Asheiji: AU

like a light i'm luring you by kybelles

(33,109 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

One night, world famous musician Ash Lynx drunk tweets about a cute boy he saw in a magazine and all hell breaks loose.

“Oh my God, just show me!” Eiji yells nervously.

Yut-Lung presses his lips tightly, turning his phone screen for Eiji to see. Eiji tenses when he sees the photos from his photoshoot on Twitter, but it’s nothing compared to the way his body freezes when he notices the person who tweeted them.

Ash Lynx ✓ @ash-lynx

who are you where do you live how old are you why are you so fine how do you like your eggs in the morning

[IMAGE] [IMAGE]

73.231 Retweets 101.762 Likes

Eiji stares, and stares, and stares while his brain processes the fact that Ash Lynx, the Ash Lynx –famous musician whose entire discography is on Eiji’s Spotify list— has tweeted about him and called him fine.

A long moment later, Eiji’s mouth falls open and a scream rips from his throat.

Color my Skin by SuperChorifly

(68,553 words | General Audiences | Completed)

Okumura Eiji, his mother decided, would be greatly loved throughout his life. Time seemed to prove her right, since as he grew up; Eiji would grow colorful rings on his wrists as if he was collecting them.

Aslan’s father had once told him -a cheap beer bottle in hand and eyes trained on the TV- that he didn't come into this world to be loved.

Or: Soulmate AU where the first time you and your soulmate touch, a colored line shows up in your skin

satin birds by kybelles

(48,619 | Mature | Completed)

PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT

Mr. James R. Callenreese and Ms. Hideko Aoki are very delighted to announce the engagement between Mr. Callenreese's son and sole heir to Callenreese Corporotions Mr. Aslan J. Callenreese and Ms. Aoki's beloved nephew Mr. Eiji Okumura. The happy couple haven't decided on a wedding date yet.

(Except, Ash and Eiji are not happy at all because they don't want this marriage.)

the branches we bind by ADreamingSongbird

(7,145 words | Teen And Up Audiences | Completed)

The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have miles to go before I sleep.

Or: The Darkness returns, and Ash Lynx would do anything to protect his love.

Yut Lung redemption

Half a Letter by Hamliet

(28,594 words | Mature | Completed)

The letter Ash got in the library was not Eiji's letter, but rather a letter about Eiji. With Eiji and Sing in danger, Ash tries to team up with Yut-Lung and a reluctant but guilt-ridden Blanca to save them.

Stray Phoenix by Hamliet

(64,924 words | Mature | Completed)

Yut Lung grew up as a pawn in the Lee family. Determined to topple his brothers and grasp a new role for himself, he is accustomed to playing every person he knows. When he is warned about Golzine's intentions to inject Shorter with Banana Fish, he chooses to free Shorter instead, and then finds himself in a new game, one he may not know the rules to.

it's my fault (i know i'm selfish) by Livesinbooks

(18,251 words | Mature | Completed)

“It seems that our guest of honour is late.”

For a moment, Yut-Lung is incredibly disoriented, and he has to blink a few times, head still ringing with Ash’s screams. He’s at the dinner table for Golzine’s little dinner party. There’s the table, Ibe across from him, Lobo across from Arthur. The ugly green curtains and the red carpet. The door opens and Ash enters the room, looking cleaned up, calm and collected, nothing like his appearance just moments ago. What’s going on?

#banana fish #asheiji #ash lynx #eiji okumura #yut lung lee #asheiji fanfic #asheiji fanfiction #asheiji fanfic rec #I haven't read any since 2021 sorry for the lack of new ones

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tanoraqui · 1 year

Note

Hello! If you are still babysitting the printer or in the mood to answer questions about your OCs, then would you please tell me more about coolest person ever Rawen? Uh, let me think of some questions, answer any of these or just if you have something else you want to share about her. . . Can she cook? Favorite color? Tell me about a time she saved Maedhros’ life? What does she think of Elrond when she meets him in Aman?

I am not, thank god. But I still love to talk.

I don't know if Rawen can cook... She likes to fish, and can do some simple but fantastic things with fresh-caught fish and a handful of herbs over a campfire.

Her favorite color is maroon. This is convenient in the Second and Third Age, post-re-embodiment, when she wants to wear just enough red to visually communicate "I'm not a Fëanorian(TM) anymore, but I'm not not either."

She was the one who finally pulled Maedhros back from the battlefield in Dagor Bragollach, when he'd been holding the gates all but single-handedly for seven days and seven nights, and when the Enemy fell back, stalking around looking for more. He wasn't badly wounded; she already was, in fact; she had to pick her way through corpses and cinders while limping on a cut hamstring and coughing from dragonsmoke. But nobody else quite dared confront their lord in those terrible weeks, however much they feared he would collapse from exhaustion and/or burn himself to ashes from the inside out like his father.

(She never fully healed from those wounds, perhaps because she didn't rest them. She died in the Nirnaeth 18 years later.)

I've mostly thought about Rawen after her re-embodiment, when she basically appoints herself whip of the regrowing Fëanorian faction (mostly re-embodied elves like her who aren't as single-minded about this as they used to be but this is still where some combination of loyalties and ideals lie, younger elves with a thirst for rebellion). Rawen ideally wants a Person to follow, but lacking a sufficient Person she'll take up a Cause; her Cause now is Peace and Cooperation in Tirion (and Everywhere Else if Possible). Arafinwë is good for this - it's his cause, too - so, while even after the War of Wrath he's kinda placid as a king for her taste, she's happy to work with him and nominally serve him.

4,500~ years later, Rawen is comfortably accustomed to being a key political player in her own right, rather than as Maedhros's right hand. She and Fingolfin both, separately, go out for drinks with Arafinwë periodically and complain about the other. (Arafinwë thinks this is funny, and regards it as one of his key kingship duties for maintaining peace and cooperation among the Noldor. He's right.) The Fëanorian faction, as they're still called, has grown and changed far beyond what it used to be, but at its heart are still an assortment of former kinslayers, most of whom served at Himring. 500 years of constant exposure to focussed white flame can make a permanent impression on a fëa.

Like many, in the late Third Age when it's commonly rumored in Aman that most people still likely to Sail will be doing so as soon as this last Sauron issue is wrapped up, Rawen's attitude toward Elrond is eager curiosity with a readied but pending-judgement communist!Bugs Bunny "our child/lord" meme. Imagine you wake up after 1500-odd years being dead and the handful of friends/former employees who survived everything, or at least survived longer than you are like, "Yeah, so, we did...kill people...a bunch more people...we helped adopt some kids, though! They turned out great!" And then everyone else who Sails or re-embodies for the next 4500-odd years confirms that. If Elrond lives up to his reputation, Rawen is totally ready to add him to her short list of people for whom she'd throw her/the Fëanorian faction's political weight behind should they ever ask, for the sake of what could have been if only they'd been Good at the same time they were Great.

(The short list is, in rough order: Nerdanel, Celebrimbor, Celechwes, Fingon.)

Then, just a few years before Sauron's fall, Findis makes her own famous Oath (CFtN Ch.15), holding her own fëa for ransom of the release of Fëanor and all his sons from Mandos; and Manwë declares that the Eldar will decide her and their fate the Eldar overall decide, yes, we'll let them come back; and then when Elrond arrives, he brings Maglor...

Rawen is dealing with political fallout, and trying to anticipate the next political fallout, and trying to arrange the circumstances of the next political fallout, and trying to figure out how she feels about this - how she should feel about this, how she does feel about this...

Righteous Disappointment, is what she more or less concludes that she feels. That she will feel, when she meets Maedhros again. How could he. How could he. She'd believed in him...

No, Righteous Disappointment is how she wishes she could feel, but she's too honest with herself - she probably would've counseled the attack on Doriath, as a best hope (the Enemy would've done it if they hadn't!). She doesn't think she would've counseled the attack on Sirion, but she's talked with people who were there, what those late days were like with darkness spreading and bitter, angry desperation in every breath of air and sip of water. She remembers much the same from the not-days after the Darkening. She knows she wouldn't have turned away at Sirion, much less turned her coat.

She adopts Elrond almost offhand. There's a lot going on. Maglor is...ill, basically, half-mad from isolation and guilt. He hadn't been her lord, but she'd respected him for the earnest effort he put into their cause, so even if she's not sure how much she wants to still be affiliated with the literal House of Fëanor, rather than a consciously idealized concept of the House of Fëanor, she's glad to see him and does what she can to help him heal. Mostly he seems to heal by hanging around Eärendil, seemingly without intent to claim the Silmaril, which is... (ignites a hope in Rawen's chest which she hadn't realized it hurt to be without).

Rawen is pretty confident that her conflicted feelings, plus the distance of time, shake out to sympathetic neutrality re: the literal House of Fëanor. Well, re: Maedhros, and about half the others. She's more Unimpressed with Fëanor himself, and Celegorm and Curufin she'd frankly throw off a cliff for their little spectacle at Nargothrond. If Nargothrond had joined the Union of Maedhros in force, if Doriath had joined the Union in force...

What actually happens, when she meets Maedhros again, is that she bursts into tears and apologizes for losing Himring, which he'd left in her charge when he rode to what became the Nirnaeth Arnoediad. Funnily enough, this is roughly the same emotional sequence of events that happened in the various reunions of Fëanor's sons with their father.

After that initial burst of emotion, she does calm down, and... Okay, listen. She was going to rationally re-evaluate him. She does rationally re-evaluate him. She still mourns what the Noldor could've been when they were fierce and fire-led...but they are fierce and fire-led still, just tempered with long ages of peace rather than swift and savage intent. And Maedhros re-embodied is also tempered with long ages of peace and thought, the wisdom of utmost regret and slow, slow, still-incomplete self-forgiveness...

So, y'know, a few centuries later...when all the Oath-takers including Fëanor himself have returned and proven themselves capable of peacefully sharing a continent - and sometimes even family reunions! - with Gil-Estel...and nothing more dramatic has happened than the assembled line of Curufinwës blowing up the Alchemists' Quarter... Rawen teams up with Satarissë Finrodiel, Celechwes and Arafinwë himself to get Maedhros elected High King of the Noldor. The Fëanorians are back, baby!

(Maedhros was not consulted. To be fair, Arafinwë literally never is, either. For instance, his blissful vacation only lasts one term - but the point is made. Peace, cooperation and re-unification in Tirion, and maybe even everywhere else!)

#the silmarillion #my fic #ok so i went on for a bit #aman ever after #feanor and feanor's kin #ask meme

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chrysochroma · 3 months

Text

In a tulip field: Always More

@febuwhump 2024: day 12: ALT 6: immortality

Rating: Teen And Up

Words: 232

Fandom: Original Work

Warnings: Discussion of death

This is inspired by @writing-is-a-martial-art ‘s ‘you meet god and she’s mostly dead fish’ post

read on Ao3

They tell you to live a long life. They wish you prosperity, many more, to outlive your enemies. They want the best for you, they want you to be happy and comfortable for all of your days. They want you to stay, and they want to stay with you. But at what point does more become too much? Is it when your family and friends can no longer stay, when they have all left this world, leaving you alone? Is it when the world falls into ruin around you, leaving only remnants of what you remember? Is it when your memory, your mind start to leave you, too? Is it when the stars blur into nothingness and explode into existence all around you? Or is it when the sun stops shining, leaving you in an abyss of darkness? Or, even yet, when new light comes to the universe, and new life is born, and new souls grace the world? Is that when it becomes too much? No. It will never be enough, never for those who dared defy time. Not even when they scream out to all that does and does not exist, begging for freedom, for bliss, for death, will it be enough. Not when they resent all of those wishes that were cursed upon them, will it be enough. It will always be longer, and there will always be more.

#writing #creative writing #febuwhump #febuwhump 2024 #febuwhump day 12

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swampy-milk · 7 months

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I’m mostly unaware of your OC’s, so I’d love to meet them!

You will regret this.

(Okay disclaimer I just finished writing all this after several hours and I do not want to go back and revise/edit stuff for a tumblr ask but uhhhh..... If you wanna know more, ask more stuff, look through my art, etc...

I kind of went crazier as I went on, with each section getting longer than the last so. A. In particular, Violets in the Sunflower Patch is a setting I haven't touched in YEARS but wanna get back into, so the lore is a bit shaky and subject to change gjksdfngjdf. )

Okay here's my fucked up ramblings

So it's probably best to start with the OC that started it all.

THE WORLD ORPHAN

As much as I'd love to go into excruciating detail about every single world-building event that led to this moment, I'll try to keep things simple gkjfdnghjfd.

The Skeinkrofts are a species similar to crabs, bees, etc... They, like many other mortal species, did not naturally evolve- instead, they were crafted by a god. Though this god's name is indecipherable to all mortal tongues, the closest approximation is "The One With a Fish's Face." It's true meaning is lost, but all depictions make damn sure that that thing has a fish's face.

They call the far northern reaches Zenia their homeland- a large continent, spanning from pole to pole, home to a wide diversity of different species- though only a few mortal. These cold, frigid reaches are where the Fished Face God calls home, and where they set about creaturing the creature of their dreams. No one knows why they chose the form they did- perhaps some strange hate-love relationship with the isopod that used to live in their mouth- but they made the Skeinkrofters to be a vicious and parasitic predator. One of the older races, the other gods would eventually make their own mortals, and soon after that the destructive battlefield of divine combat would be passed down to mortals, who were far less destructive in their power-scaling.

However, as the centuries passed and gods fell from their thrones, so too did the Skeinkrofter's time approach. Pushed by a want for power, the high-priestesses of their ilk- who Humanity came to call Red Witches, due to their red coloration and trickery- pushed farther and farther southwards into the divided Human kingdoms. In a tale as old as time, the divided armies of Humanity united to turn the tide and push the Skienkrofters back. What is less romanticized in the history books is how far they pushed- going through their territory with genocidal intent.

The only thing to stop them from pushing them to extinction was a want for even more power.

Skeinkrofters are incredibly gifted magic users. Handcrafted as wellsprings of necromantic blood-magic, the Skeinkrofters were terrifying weapons- and with the right conditioning, potentially controlled.

We finally reach Igori- the apprentice. Without knowledge of who her parents were, she raised secluded in the woods under a strict tutelage of magical study. She excelled everywhere they pushed her and listened very well to her instructors, but still- she couldn't help but feel some semblance of despise. Like she was an outlier they didn't quite like having around. The way they stare at her red hair like it's toxic to be near. The way they flinch every time she tries to cast a fireball- destructive magic is forbidden, of course. The way they never let her near any dead animals at all- not even the bones in their meat. It all feels off. Maybe this is just normal for apprentices like her.

Most recent art of Igori, taken from the Inktober drawing.

(Igori was my first character :D

I've made stuff before like, as a really really young kid- but this one has stuck around the longest by far. She originally started with an idea of "what if a Lich's apprentice was still mortal, and was trying to find a way to become a Lich as well?" That idea eventually grew and shifted. She was originally a guy, but- that changed really quickly. Even before I knew I was trans, it was just a little uninteresting to me...

In fact, she's kind of the reason I started transition gkjdfnhgkfj. I was in highschool and couldn't reason like. Why, for some reason, I couldn't imagine what my future self would look like... unless I imagined them looking exactly like her gdfkjnhjfgdh. My actual egg-cracking moment came later when I first asked myself "maybe I could be a girl but only a little bit." gkjdfnhjfd.

She was my only OC for a while, until I decided I had piled way too many ideas onto just her and split her into a separate OC that was a Vampire. I wouldn't do much with her for a while outside of a concept. But what came next was years later-)

VIOLETS IN THE SUNFLOWER PATCH

Troll is a planet isolated in its own cloud of dust and debris. For a long time, the planet was host to the many different species- Elves, Timbers, Atlantians, etc... After many centuries of development, the planet reached a state of industrial revoltion. It's unique ecology- an intense equator that was near-impossible to navigate, a large central large at each pole that divided the world into two large halves, and an intense separation between the different cultures- led to a world deeply divided. This would finally lead to conflict between the central culture of each half of the world as they finally made contact. Long-standing rivalries would be formed and a constant escalation would overtake the land.

This all culminated into the space-race. A seemingly unremarkable event- people had been flying vehicles for a long time on Troll. It's low-gravity made escape velocity much easier to perform than on Earth, and would lead to a swift moon-landing, especially after learning that the moon was also habitable.

This would be rather innocuous to either empire- just more territory to conquer. Until they found the weapon caches.

Ancient weapons of untold power- locked beneath crumbling tombs, easily plundered after barrages of cannon-fire. The sudden influx of understanding led to an artificially goaded golden age. Peasants went from farming arid dirt to making e-mail accounts in just a day- and then experiencing armageddon before the end of their lifetime.

Feudal lords with the power to break cities under their fingers were unable to keep each other in check long enough as old rivalries re-sparked and new suspicion formed. A cold-war lasted just about a decade before the codes to end the world were punched-in and everyone flipped their death-switches.

As the world lit up, civilization died again. In the years after the fallout, governments grew more strict- technology was now a luxury, held only by government, the serfs even more dependent on their lords as a result. From the stars, a strange voice started humming- any radio in the world could now tune in to GODSTAR, who's randomly generated sentences held prophecies and fortunes within their many-folded scriptures. With the earth cracking, the layers of dirt crumpled away and lifted, revealing the artificial structure of the planet beneath- expanding outwards like Troll itself needed a breath after that brush with death- and from the fold, the monsters of prophetic times rushed forth and began to slaughter all. Only the technology that the lords now held for themselves could fight back, and they used the new opportunity to simply drive their mechanical-fist harder into the serf's back.

A century after the world ended, the disgraced Black Table- a brotherhood known for it's supposed acceptance and love- takes in the first ever female knights officially oathed under the Chivalric Codexes.

Most recent art of Aster (Not actually a catgirl. This was for an Inktober prompt), Sydney (On the right, shown in her Stealth Power Armor), and Devoney (FUCK I HAVEN'T DRAWN DEVONEY IN LITERAL YEARS AAAAA)

Growing up in a small village under the protection of the Black Table's knights, the three girls spent their whole lives believing the good table was protecting them with their lives. They each aspired to be knights, and would eventually be accepted in a landslide move- though, internally it was much more desperate. The Black Table needed soldiers, and anyone willing was to be chosen, and that required a sidestepping of ancient codes. A pretense of breaking the mold was a good way to sidestep any repercussions too.

Three characters this time so I get to explain each gjkdfnhkjfdgh.

Aster is an Elf! Or, in this universe, Elves are a race that lives directly over the North Pole. Once a forested land, after the nuclear winter it resembles an arctic ice-scape much more and the area around the pole had to be evacuated en-masse. Her parents were refugees that had to migrate southward into the Timberlands- essentially "baseline" humans. Fun-fact, elves can change their gender at will like clownfish. Aster was my first explicitly trans OC (during a time when I was still struggling to come out gdkfjnhkjfdg). She loses her arm and both legs pretty early on during a training accident.

Devoney is a baseline human. The daughter of a minor noble's technician, she was one of the few in the village with access to things like a working VCR and mecha anime on VHS. She grew up on great heroes depicted on the screen and aspired to be one herself. It was partly due to the pulling of a few strings that she managed to carve a little spot out for herself and her childhood friends. She would be one of the earliest to succumb to the oppressive traditions of the knights- initially optimistic in her original world-view, she quickly loses herself to a false sense of good and works to enforce chivalry.

Sydney is the final member of the trio. A delinquent child, she was abandoned pretty early on because her parents couldn't afford to keep her around. Of the three, she was the least well-off and the one with the most grievances against the current system. The Black Table was hesistant to accept her, but Dev managed to help her build up the reputation. She would constantly be scorned in the position and looked with tighter scrutiny. Ever since the beginning she questioned the true purpose of the knights, and her intentions would swiftly change from trying to change the system from within to trying to dismantle it entirely.

Sydney and Dev were originally friends. When Aster arrived, she was quickly picked out- but Dev would step in, ever the hero, to try and save her. This led to an initial divide between Syd and Aster- the former of which was concerned that Dev would abandon her if Aster got in the way. This tense relationship would only break after they were oathed in and Dev slowly started to fade out of the picture, leaving them alone together.

(Troll is a fantasy world that was brought down by old superstitions and traditions, basically. The three are gonna tear down the system one plank at a time if they have to. Dev will eventually be less of a cop and join them dw gkjfdnghkjfd

I wrote a lot for this and I might go back and write more for Igori, but. I'm like. An hour into writing dfkjgndfjhfdn

Violets originally started as a Lancer game I could play with myself. Basically, at the peak of my anxiety, I couldn't stand to be in VC with other people at all, let alone GM a tabletop campaign. I wanted to play Lancer so badly though, so I compromised and made my own campaign all for myself. Like playing with dolls, I made sprites and shit and it was really fun gkjdfsgnkdfj. Idk. Might revisit it some day...)

(okay its time to get back to the vampires-)

THE LAVENDER COURT

Varghan is a land not too far from Zenia. Long ago, the gods known only as Himself, Herself, and Themself stole away bundles of mortals from other gods in a desperate bid to appease the god's masters. However, these mortals would eventually rise up and kill the three tyrant gods and their creations with their own hands. Them fled long before the gates crashed open, Her was forced to retreat under the chaos as all their children were killed, and Him was killed by rivals who bid for his throne. On His dying breath, he cursed every mortal with a need to kill; more than a mere desire- a living, breathing, need for the blood of their kin.

Vampirism was a quiet disease, but it spread under the seams of the kingdoms of Varghan.

The kingdoms of man fell and fell again- by their own hands or invading forces- and finally, after centuries in wait, vampires went from urban legend to real kings and queens taking kingdoms in the night. Blessed with immortal life- so that the strongest may kill and kill again, fulfilling the grand tyrant prophecy told in Himself's last words- the eldest of the bloodline rose to positions of absolute power and took the wartorn Varghan into their own hands.

Lavender was a survivor of the old world- having lived through the final days of blundering Kings of Man, and the subsequent rampage of the Seven-Day War and Five-Day Occupation- her isolated village in the Silver Peaks would be taken by an emergent horde of vampires.

Taken as the bride-to-be to the Lord Skrul, she was accidentally turned into a vampire while one of the lord's court was "making his mark on her." Feral and spoiled, Skrul ordered her killed- but she managed to escape with her life by chance.

She'd spend another twenty years mastering her vampirism at Wighthold under a Lord Dimitry, where she would eventually rise to be one of his top lieutenants. After many years of conquest, a small part of her nagged still- a humanitarian soul who did not accept this direction. Her actions were flawed- guided by a primal need to overpower- and she suppressed that need as she faked her death and wandered into hiding.

For centuries, Lavender hid. She could not bring herself to a final death, unable to stop the need to eat when food was available. Still, she starved herself as best she could.

And then, one day, she found a body in the bog.

Most recent art of Black (on the left, shown as already a Vampire)

The woman was nearly dead, her heartbeat faint and her soul gripping by a thread. Lavender hungered, and yet not enough to give in to instinct. She was content to let the woman fall to her fate, or at least put her out of her misery, but she reached forward and did something else- damning her to the same curse as her.

She was appalled and angry at first, begging how the gods could condemn her to such a fate. And yet, within days, she got it. She understood it all too well- the feeding, the strength, the power. It didn't take long for her to shed her old name and take on a new identity- Black.

She was chased from her village for illegal witchcraft- a crime she had never committed. The offenses kept piling on as bitter resentment grew, and eventually she was chased out of the village- lest she be burned on the stake. On the chase, she had tripped, and the villagers chose to leave her to her fate- and Lavender soon arrived. Black's first kill was against the villagers that scorned her so. Compared to Lavender, who still starved herself and spent her days locked in her hut, Black was taking the role like she was born in the pale skin.

After a year together, their bond strengthened. Black had every opportunity to go off on her own, but she stayed with Lavender- though neither hardly knew why. It was only natural that when Black didn't return one night, Lavender would go out to find her. A far elder vampire, she was able to quickly assess that she was held in the last remnants of the Sun church.

The resulting slaughter, her first in many centuries, led to her garnering the attention of a vampire hunter- one that would manage to catch the emaciated beast after its destructive rampage. She was tortured for three days and three nights- more than just starved, the hunter lured the vampirism through her body, trying to rip it clean out. Younger vampires could be cured if the growing void in their soul was eviscerated quick enough, but one centuries old had never been cured. Lavender begged the old man to do it- to either take it all out or kill her on that rack, and the sadistic glee the paladins took in exorcising her drove her mad. With each tug of the iron and each hammer beat her blackened blood dripped and solidified- a bit of that grown monster materializing and dying. So vast was the corruption inside her that it grew and grew, becoming more and more monstrous and deformed beneath her waist where the blood pooled.

Most recent art of Lavender

As time went on, the hunter revealed more of more of his true intentions. The church had long since given up on "curing" vampires. He desired nothing more than to see her suffer as each nail was driven in, her body nothing more than a tally to see how much they could destroy and violate her body before it was entirely broken and she could only beg to be killed.

When Black finally managed to break down the walls of the fort, she already found that Lavender had broken free. Eleven hearts decorated her dripping body, one of which was still pooling fresh in her mouth. Ten dead paladins and a dead hunter, eviscerated after she finally broke free from her restraints- she could have done it long before, but she had held on for some hope of freedom from herself. Without it, she could not stop feasting.

Afterwards, she longed for death. She begged Black to put her down, but they refused. If this world was so cruel, was it not cruel to run?

If you wore the clothes of a god, would you not change the world?

Petty kings and little tyrants dotted the world over. With a body that craves destruction, you should not turn it inwards. Destroy the world around you, and pray the next is better.

And so, Lavender stood once more, and turned her attention outwards.

(And then they kissed :3 gkdjfgnbkjfnhjgf

This was the second idea I had for Igori! She would go on to conquest the world to kill every king she could find, but- alas, other plans. Other plans.

You may notice some design similarities between Lavender + Black and Aster + Sydney. They originally started as a vampire au of Aster and Sydney, but as the stories diverged more and more, I decided to roll Lavender up with my other vampire oc and merge the two. Since that merger several years ago, they've become their own separate thing. I hope their designs reflect that and aren't just copy+pastes anymore gdjfgnkjdfh)

They're gay

CURRENT TTRPG CHARACTERS

These ones I can't go into as much detail, since their stories are still being written and there's things about their backstory I don't wanna be fully transparent with yet.

Q Barghest (and Maskgirl)

A good introduction to Q would be this comic: https://www.tumblr.com/c--iiii6w6/711693697513865216/recipes-for-strawberry-jam-only-color-she-loves

Q is a Fixer in the ProjectMoon universe who is currently working in the Iris Office. She witnessed The Horrors at a young age and was shaped by it pretty intensely.

Her family was abusive and she seemed destined for a life locked away in her room until she was old enough to leave- until they were all slaughtered by a rampaging abnormality. Sparring her life, she had found a strange fondness with the very monsters that threatened all life in the City. Since then, she's grown more and more unattached from other humans, likening herself more to a presence than a person.

Some of the most recent art of Q. Maskgirl on the right.

Maskgirl was Q's only childhood friend. Calculating and cold, she could tell a person's secrets just from studying their face long enough. Q, who wore her fears and inhibitions on her face, quickly caught Maskgirl's eye as someone who couldn't help but tell the truth. The two quickly bonded, and although they're more separate now, they still remain in contact

Morg Nolastname

Another Fixer, Morg Nolastname works for Indulgence Office in collaboration with Leucotome Workshop.

Unlike Q, Morg is very private and keeps to herself. She seems aloof, only living in the present. Each day is her life- she dies at sunset, is reborn at sunrise, and her home is wherever she sleeps that night. Blinded at a young age, she sees using a spray-hose like a cane. She is a prolific sadist, finding great pleasure in the art of murder. She keeps a collection of tapes of nearly every one of her kills over the years. Those who try to pry into her past usually find themselves on tape at some point.

Some of the most recent art of Morg.

Those are all my main OC's! Of course, I have other people but- they honestly aren't as near and dear to my heart as these dummies. Or at least they aren't comin' to mind aack. I have a lot of small-time OC's that if I took the time to describe I'd be explaining every story idea I've had over the past decade dskjgnbfdkjgbndfhj

#fictional genocide mention #gore #fictional bigotry in general too aack #oc talk

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bogbees · 7 months

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It's 10:30am, I haven't slept and should be cleaning but soulmate au where you feel phantom pain when ur soulmate gets injured ninja dad ver

10:30 AM · Apr 10, 2017

Kakashi feels his nose hurt and it's like "whaaat" Minato/ Sakumo be like "Yo kid it's probably just ur soulmate no big deal" cue confusion

Iruka constantly feels injuries it's alright until he's like seven and his eyeball is searing with pain as Kakashi fucking removes it

Iruka is like "Jesus christ is my soulmate ok???? Are they in trouble???" Kohari be like "probably a Ninja, nothing to worry about"

Cue adorable "well I'm gonna get strong and protect them!!" promises from the mouths of babes. You're crying, I'm sobbing my ass off

They can't dechiper between another's pain on the kyuubi attack. They ache all over, it's painful but they must keep going

Idk if the strain of loneliness and such things would carry over. It'd be interesting but also really heavy stop hurting the dads I'm beggin

So Kakashi goes on more missions than Iruka, gets injured more often. Iruka powers through it and has forgotten ab his promise to his mom

Kakashi thinks his soulmates fucking dead or something. Maybe a civilian, but mostly dead. He's startled whenever he feels a kunai hit him

Cause Iruka’s kids are bad with projectile weapons. He tries his best to keep from getting hit (emotional trauma fr the kids) but yanno

So when Nar steals the scroll, Kakashi is out of town when he feels this thing pierce through his back and fucking panics. What the fuck

When he gets back he hears about the academy teacher who almost died saving Naruto. Um? Clarify ? Turns out A GIANT SURIKEN PIERCED THE GUY

So he's like "this.... this can't be it...." lo and behold, he meets the man a week later and he has a scar. Over his nose. Huuuuh.

That's funny, I first learned about soulmates when I felt like my nose was gonna fall off.... huuuuuhhhh

So Kakashi is Kakashi right. Doesn't want to deal with it (get close and deal with emotional trauma when Iruka eventually dies) so he dodges

Iruka is none the wiser bc honestly, he's pretty sure his soulmate is like, an anbu or some shit with all the trouble he's gone through

And it's like, all fine and dandy for awhile. Bc Iruka and Nar are "family," Iruka joins them for dinner a lot. Kakashi hates it.

But Sakura is keen and will notice something's up with her teacher if he just bails every night and doesn't at least attempt to know them

So it's on these ichiraku ramen "dates" that Kakashi finds himself falling for his soulmate. He really hates it

Actual thing Kakashi said into his pillow "god damn it he's really nice and his smile is---" the rest is muffled by the fabric and his sobs

Iruka tho, he's harder to please. Man's got standards. Kakashi's not meeting any of them with his perpetual half lidded dead fish gaze

But! He comes to at least like the guy by the chunin exams. Whoops he's trying to kill my children???? No sir please fuck right off will ya

Kakashi be like "I can't mope that Iruka MY SOULMATE hates me I'm trying to train soldiers here if I can't have him it's fine bc Konoha wil"

Whoops would you look at that, they're asking him to pop out a scroll to greet his kids for passing round two. You know who'd like that

Iruka would like that. He'd like to see his kids ( their kids inner Kakashi cries) pass round two and see them and congratulate them

Anyway the gist is Kakashi pines the entire time and it's not until he gets trapped in that genjutsu that Iruka catches on

He's like, feeling awful and when he visits with Sakura, she's telling him about the symptoms bc she's been reading, he goes "is that so"

He goes home and considers the possibility of him being his soulmate. It's not impossible, but it's just so surreal. Wouldn't he had said..?

So he laughs it off. And it's not until much later, when Naruto has left and returned, after many weird dates,

When Kakashi returns from Suna drained and on the verge of passing out, that Iruka decides it must be so.

Because he had collapsed and can't move, he feels fine, it's just his soulmate has drained their chakra he tells the nurses

When Kakashi gets omitted, Iruka grabs some crutches and makes his way to the man's room and yells at him for how foolish he is

The nurses will not stop talking about how Iruka had whopped the famed Kakashi up the side of the head with his crutch only to wail in agony

It's all over Konoha by sundown. They've been given the same room. Naruto and Sakura are screaming. Gai is beaming. Somewhere Tenzo laughs.

"When did you find out," Iruka says when the moon hangs in their window, exhausted from the day. Kakashi is feigning sleep but Iruka knows

After much silence between then and what must be crickets playing their music in the fields, Kakashi dares to look over to Iruka.

(Under the moonlight, the serious moonlight, lyrics provided by David Bowie)

Iruka has fallen asleep. Kakashi bites his tongue. He should have said something, told him the truth. He settles for watching Iruka sleep

And not until years later, when everything has been said and done, that Kakashi confesses to having known they were soulmates from the start 11:42 AM · Apr 10, 2017

#bogs' muttering #the great naruto twitter to tumblr transfer #naruto #kakairu

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writing-is-a-martial-art · 1 month

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Hello beloved mutual

You met god, and she’s mostly dead fish

HELLO MY BELOVED MUTUAL YOU HAVE MADE MY ENTIRE DAY

#art beautiful art #you meet god and she's mostly dead fish #i have no words i love all the places the lady is going and it boggles my mind how many people vibe with her in different ways-

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magpiecrown · 6 months

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[ you meet god and she is mostly dead fish. ]

a comic based on this post:

#comic #comics #furry #furry art #my art #omagpies

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asdfghjklartblog · 11 months

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Iron Buttercups Part 1

A kidsopp story :)))

So I finished the first part of it! Yayyy!! Had to do a lot of revising and shit but I think this is pretty great! Hope you enjoy!

Synopsis: So in this story it's kinda like a meet cute, but the person who's in the meet cute looks like and acts like he hates your guts but he actually wants to be in them if you catch my drift. Anyways no smut, mostly cause I don't know how to write it. And I'm not sure how I'd do at writing it. Also love being mean to Zoro, he's so squinchy!!! The interactions between Sanji and Usopp can be read as whatever, I'm thinking more like they're best friends in this story but also who cares! Feel free to think it's a bit Sanji x Usopp too! Also a bit of Frobin in here, love that shit. Also maybe like a really small hint of Lawlu?

The idea of having four crews of the worst generation on one island was a terrible idea, however it couldn't be avoided. Sanji needed to restock on various foodstuffs, Franky also needed to dock to work on some things and see whether everything was in "tip top shape" as Franky said, and even Usopp had things he needed to do on the island. But the thought of seeing Law's crew sounded like a pain in the butt, while running into Hawkin's or Kid's crews sounded more like a fight waiting to happen.

"Usopp I don't like the sound of this either but the next island is about a week away, and unless you and Luffy can consistently catch a ton of fish. Luffy might start thinking about eating one of us."

"I would not!"

"Yes you would Luffy."

"Hihi! Yeah I would!"

"B-But, Nami... Please!!! I'd be fine if it was just Law's crew but-"

"Torao is here?!"

Nami turns to glare at Usopp. Shit. "That settles it! We're docking at the island then! That's alright, right Nami?"

If looks could kill Usopp would probably be dead. Nami gritted out in a sickly sweet tone " Yeah, sure Luffy! I'd love just love to dock at the same exact island that three other dangerous crews are on!"

Luffy stared at Nami with a blank face, not quite getting that she was being sarcastic.

"..... Great?" Said Luffy with a tone that implied he was not sure whether or not to answer, and if said answer was correct.

She sighs, she's been trying to help Luffy understand more social cues as well as when people are being nice versus when people are being rude. Although from the looks of it, the little lessons Nami’s been giving him hasn’t been working.

Nami turns to Usopp to Usopp and smacks the back of his head, then points at him and says. " This is your fault."

And truth be told, yeah it was his fault that Luffy heard about Law being on the island but it wasn’t his fault that they ran out of food. For the most part. Okay maybe he and Luffy one too many midnight snacks. Fine, more like ten too many but who's counting.

Usopp heard a chuckle coming from Robin lying in the lawn chair and reading.

"Well perhaps we'll run into a bit of fun? I heard that long ago this island used to take young prisoners of war to sacrifice to their god." Franky, who was listening in from earlier said. "Oh yeah, you told me about that! You think there might be a cult still following those old practices? You think they might even take my heart? Although I don’t exactly have a heart but I do have-“

Which leads to Franky to start rambling about the specifics of his heart/processor thing. While Robin looks to him with admiration and love. She interrupts him and counters with "You're not exactly a young prisoner of war, Flam. On top of that I do not like sharing what's mine."

Franky sputters in a way that describes the conflicting feelings that Robin's response evoked in him while Robin chuckles at his confusion.

"God they're so fucking sappy, it’s so cute and gross at the same time."

"You're so right Nams, look at them all happy and shit. Absolutely disgusting."

"Girl, don't agree with me. I hate you right now, now we literally have to dock on this shitty island because you couldn't keep your voice down."

"You KNOW he has selective hearing, he would've heard anyways!"

Zoro interjected with "You know he wouldn't have heard anything if you both had shUT THE FUCK UP! NOW-"

"GO BACK TO SLEEP MOSS HEAD!"

"YOU SHOULD GO WANDERING OFF INTO THE DAMN OCEAN AND DROWN ASSHOLE!"

As Zoro tried to reply he was immediately kicked out of the argument as he got hit by both Nami and Usopp.

"Anyways, both of you are on dish duty for the rest of the week."

"You can't do that!"

"I DIDNT DO SHIT!!" Nami goes to hit Zoro and Usopp on their heads.

"Too bad, now get ready to leave the ship. You're also both on grocery duty."

The two men groaned as Nami walked away in a huff. Zoro looked at Usopp in the eye and sent him a little glare.

"Don't look at me like that. Look I'll buy you some good sake alright?"

"... I want two bottles," Usopp sighs, signalling that the deal has been made. As he walks away Zoro proceeds to shout. "And it better be good or I'm gonna-!"

"Ughhhh. Yeah, yeah."

With a little smirk Zoro goes back to relaxing. Or maybe he was going to have a quick nap before going. Either way he was resting.

So Usopp decides to walk down to his workshop to double check his inventory and make a checklist of everything he needs to buy. After about an hour or two, right as he was about to go to Franky and ask if he also needed any parts, he hears a knock on his door. Usopp opens it to find Sanji.

Sanji leans against the doorway while lighting a cigarette and asks. "Dish duty and grocery duty huh?"

Usopp replies with a “Man, shut the hell up."as he rolls his eyes.

Which earned a chuckle from Sanji. "I'm gonna go wake the Marimo up now so you better hurry up."

"Wait, I gotta ask Franky a couple of things before I go."

Franky then pops his head from his workshop and proceeds to ask, "What do ya need to ask me?"

Usopp was surprised to see him there, not that it was unusual to see the in his own work room. Usopp just thought he was still with Robin or something. Probably just didn't hear Franky coming down because he was so focused on his supply check.

"Since I'm going shopping I wanted to know if ya wanted me to get you any parts before they sell out of what we need or something."

"Aw, thanks little bro! I need like about 20 of the 35-67-20 seals and 10 of those 45-80-12 seals and about 100 or maybe even 200 nuts and screws of all the standard sizes and also three bouquets of Tulips, Rhododendrons, Zinnias, Plantain lilies and Day Lilies."

"Three?"

"Yeah, I looked for some flowers that were deer and people safe. So I could give one bouquet to Robin, another for Chopper and the last for Nami to brighten their rooms a little!"

"Aw that's sweet! But don't you think Chopper might eat those? Considering that those flowers are safe for deer? Although he isn't technically a deer but a reindeer."

Franky stood there in silence along with Usopp and Sanji. All of them ponder the question that was just asked. Usopp thinks this might be the longest time Franky has ever stayed quiet. He then starts to walk away as he said to Usopp "So the seals, nuts and screws! Get 'em for me will ya? Thanks little bro!" And proceeded to go to the deck, probably to question Chopper whether he likes to eat flowers or not. Sanji then mumbled something under his breath.

"What was that Sanji?"

"Nothing, just wondering what I should make for dinner, anyways now that that's over with come on."

They walked out over to the deck to find Zoro not there. Or in any of his usual sleeping spots.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!"

"God fucking dammit. He probably thought we left him or some shit."

"That damned moss head, it's like he literally has moss in his head instead of an actual human brain. I'd say I can't believe this, but this is pretty on par for that dumbass."

"Should we split up and look for him before we go shopping?"

"We can't, we need to buy the groceries before the other crews clear the market of everything. If I can't get everything I need, that bitch is gonna pay!"

"Okay so what's the plan? Just buy the groceries?"

"Usopp look, I'm gonna need you to buy everything on this list I made for you," Sanji gives him a list and rips another list in half and gives Usopp one half. "I'll handle half of the Marimo's list and you get that half, now I can count on you to buy all of them?"

Usopp smirked and replied confidently, "Nami ain't the only that can get a good bargain!"

"Hell yeah, Make me proud!

Usopp was arguing with a lady about the rice that Sanji needed him to buy. He heard from another vendor that he gets all his rice from here because her rice was high quality and delicious. The woman was tough, she looked pretty with her hair tied up and wrapped up in a bandana. However her stand looked a bit old and out of order. It could use some renovation to make sure that it would still draw in customers as well as keep to keep the stand itself safe and stable.

"My final offer! 10,000 berries for 40 kilograms of your finest rice!"

"Hah! The lowest I'll go is 16,000 for 30 kilos."

"What if I said please?"

"Hmm, 15,500 for 30."

"And if I said I'd help you repair your food stand?"

"Now you're talking! 12,500 for 30!"

"Deal! Pleasure doing business ma'am!"

"Like wise."

As Usopp shook her hand he felt proud of himself, he could understand Nami in a way. Getting a bargain did feel pretty good. But then he realised his mistake. He couldn't carry all this rice. Well technically he could, but that would take around two or three trips. Not only did that sound exhausting but it was starting to get dark and he still hasn't bought what Franky needs yet. He starts to think hard on what to do until he hears a loud yell from across the street.

He looks over and, oh. Oh no.

"Hey! You're the sniper for the Strawhats aren't ya?"

This was one of the last people he wanted to see, one of exact reasons he did not want to stop at this damn island.

This was NOT a good day for Usopp.

Eustass Kidd. A man said to not have any qualms with killing and pillaging, thought to even enjoy it with a bloody smile on his face. Said to enjoy his feasts filled with booze, food and bodies dead and alive. A man that Usopp, would obviously be scared of.

And although that may be true, it wasn't like a brave warrior of the sea to be afraid of some rival crew. No. A brave warrior would stand his ground, whether he was outnumbered or weaker than his opponent. So a brave warrior he will be. Until Kidd leaves at least.

"Where's that shitty little kid anyways?"

Usopp was still mentally preparing to talk to him! And he couldn't act like his usual self right now! He had to adopt someone else's personality or something!

"Hey! You ignoring me or something you brat?"

As of right now, he could only think of a response similar to whatever Usopp thinks Luffy would say. Which was probably the worst response he could use. But it was better than nothing, so before Kidd became even more irritated he used the "Luffy" response.

"W-Who're you calling a brat! I'm only four years younger than you!"

Shit. As soon as Usopp finished his sentence, there was some kind of glint in Kidd's eye. Which Usopp presumed it to be murderous. "Of all the people to copy, did I really have to pick Luffy?" He thought as Kidd started to walk over towards a overthinking Usopp.

"Oh really? So you're the same age as that stupid captain of yours?"

Fuck, screw this. He's just gonna act like himself. He backs away from Kidd trying to get more space between them, which was useless because Kidd followed his each step.

"If you hurt me, uh. Luffy will come after you!"

He's getting closer he's almost right in front Usopp.

"Who cares about your captain? He ain't here now. What I wanna know is, what you’re gonna do."

What?

He leans over and whispers into Usopp's ear, "What would you do to me, huh?"

He then pulled away and smirked at Usopp. Taking in his flushed face.

"So you want help?"

"W-Whuh? Um. I-"

Kidd sighed and said, "THE BAGS? Do you need help with the bags? You know, the shit you have in your hands?"

"Oh! Uh, no? I mean. No I-, I mean yes I. Haha sorry. Just. Gimme a moment."

Holy fuck? What the fuck was that? What the FUCK was that? That was so fucking hot and terrifying holy shit what.

"Could you, h-help me with the rice? That'd be really helpful and um."

Kidd looks at Usopp, and asks with an aggravated tone, "What?"

"My name is Usopp. Uh, yeah."

Kidd raised an eyebrow and looked him dead straight in the eye. He laughed, and replied with a smile "I know."

This man is going to be the death of him. He didn't think he’d die like this but it doesn’t really matter what kind of death he has does it?

"So where do you need to go?"

"Well I need to go to the parts shop and maybe the junkyard if we have time."

"Sick. So which way?"

"Well a vendor I talked to before said that the parts shop should be further down a couple of streets and that I'd need to take a right turn at the red bar then proceed down that street and then we'd find it."

"Well then hurry up, I ain't got all day you know."

The walk was quiet, and quickly turning into an anxiety churning venture. He didn't understand what was happening. Well, okay. Usopp understood that Kidd just, appeared out of seemingly nowhere and practically invited himself in on this little errand run the moment they met. It's just that, it was like the whole situation just, didn't click in his head for some reason? That must have been a joke or something right? Maybe this was a dream? Or he's actually on the ship! Unconscious from Nami's punch! Maybe-

“God you’re so fucking slow! Do you need me to carry you too?”

“Wh- No! I can walk by myself! I was just thinking a little too hard a-and besides, these bags are a bit heavy so of course I’d be a bit slow. If I didn’t have these bags I bet I’d have gotten to the junkyard already!”

Usopp thought to himself. “What am I saying!? He’s gonna break my body into pieces if I keep going with whatever the hell I’m talking about!”

However even as Usopp thought that, he couldn’t stop talking. “And on top of that, I’m only walking slow like this, cause so you can keep track of me!”

And right as Usopp thinks “STOP THAT! IF YOU KEEP GOING HE MIGHT-“

“You wanna put that to the test, runt?”

Fucking. Goddamit. Maybe, he could get out of this, Usopp thought. He can get out of this right? He’s Usopp! He can get out of anything!

“I’m not sure if you’d want that wouldn’t wanna show you up in front of-“ While Usopp tried to talk his way out Kidd had already decided that they were racing.

“Five.”

“Huh?”

“Four.”

“Wait, Kidd you don’t want to-“

“Three.”

“You really don’t want to do thi-“

“Two.”

“Kidd, I. I’m not ready! I gotta do all this stuff to-“

“One.”

In the last second Usopp resigned to his fate, as he thought well, he might as well die trying. So right as Kidd was about to say zero, Usopp instead yelled.

“ZERO!” And started booking it.

4 notes · View notes

cryptidinspace · 9 months

Text

Dangerous Waters, Chapter Six!

Warning for mentions of fatal vore

“-We’d like anyone with information on the missing student to come forward immediately, and to avoid wandering the halls at night-”

Sol found himself half-listening to the drone of a man’s voice over a speaker system. He was more interested in his breakfast, grilled fish wrapped in soft seagrass. He had never had anything this good back home, where his meals mostly consisted of whatever animals he could catch, eaten raw.

This place has its perks after all. According to the announcements, a Merman had vanished last night. Not one day in, and the Mers are already getting snapped up left and right. A dry chuckle left his throat, as he speared another chunk of meat on one sharpened claw. It was common knowledge that Mermaids were stupid creatures, too obsessed with their looks, too weak to fight anything. Of course, fighting off Sea Monsters was a monumental task for anyone, but for a Mermaid? He assumed they’d simply give up the second such a beast entered their field of vision.

Sirens were different. They were used to territory disputes, fighting off human interlopers, and shredding and devouring foolish sailors. They were a proud people, and would band together in their family groups to take down anything that tried to disturb their peace. And I’m strong. I can handle a Sea Monster alone.

Your parents couldn’t-

The sudden thought blazed through his mind, vile and unwelcome, and he glared at his plate. His stomach felt twisted now, and his appetite had fled him.

A loud sigh drew his attention, and Sol glanced up through narrowed eyes. Someone had sat next to him, a girl with tendrils of purple hair falling over her face. He recognized her as the girl who had spoken out at their counselor meeting…De`Lune, that was her name. She had insisted that understanding could not exist if they hid their abilities from Mermaids…personally, Sol couldn’t care less about unity, but he figured that she was still right.

“Hey.” He mumbled, leaning back and folding his arms. “Can I help you?”

She seemed startled for a moment, before arching one eyebrow. “Ex-CUSE me??”

He simply blinked back at her. “What?”

A loud gasp of disbelief left her, and she placed one hand on her hip. “I was just going to come say hi! But you sure are rude, huh?”

Sol shrugged. “I guess.” He was trying to stay nonchalant, yet his face flushed. It had been a long time since he had interacted socially with anyone…most Sirens lived in little family groups, having little connection with others. And his family group was long dead, leaving him with no idea how to talk to this girl. And I’ve been avoiding those ridiculous “mating season” gatherings…

She scoffed again, rolling her eyes to the ceiling. “I cannot believe you.” Despite this, she leaned forward to look at him with a sort of lazy smile. “I’m De`Lune Claremont.”

“Sol, Vengaza.” So, she was still sitting here, surprisingly. He glanced around the vast cafeteria, noting that most sirens were sitting alone, some even hovering near the ceiling and balancing trays on their tails, all to avoid talking to anyone. At least I’m not the only one. “Again. Do you want something…?”

De`Lune shot him a glare, before throwing her hands up. “I just wanna talk to someone!” She hissed. “Everyone here is so damn boring. All the other sirens are just grumbling about being away from their mamas.” She snorted, clearly in disgust. “I can’t figure out why any of them are here in the first place.”

Well, I doubt they’re all here for the same purpose as me. That would be interesting, though. “Who knows.” He forced himself to take another bite of fish. God, it was so good.

“I’m here because I actually wanted to get to know Sea Monsters and Mers n stuff. Aren’t you the least bit curious about them? Everyone says Mermaids are dumb, and Sea Monsters wanna eat everyone. Is that true, or is there more to it?” She leaned closer to him, eyes glinting with feverish interest.

Very slowly, Sol brought another piece of fish to his mouth, giving her a concerned stare in response. “Is’ not natural for sirens to care ‘bout that stuff.”

“UGH.” Her tail lashed, spiky fins flaring. “Ya’ll got no sense of adventure!”

“Mmmmhm. And what adventure are you looking for?”

Her eyes lit up at the question. “Well, with the Mers, I want to figure them out. Why are they so afraid? Why aren’t they known for fighting back? I have some excellent theories on the matter-” Sol watched with begrudging curiosity as she pulled a well-worn notebook from her bag. “I think it’s a psychological thing, a byproduct of their biology.” She sighed again, louder this time. “But I can’t really figure it out until I talk to them.” Her grin widened, and her hand crept closer to Sol’s. “I could use a research partner…”

He was about to refuse her completely, when an idea struck him. De`Lune was a big talker, a forward thinker. She could charm her way through introductions with Mermaids, but more importantly, Sea Monsters. If he waited behind her and held her equipment, or whatever it was she wanted of him, he would have an avenue to track down his family’s killer.

“Hm…what about Sea Monsters? Thoughts on them?” He pulled his hand away, his face still stony.

“Oh…” She leaned back again, an impish look coming into her eyes. “My plan is to get close. Reeeeal close. Too many of us are too afraid of them to really figure them out. I wanna figure out why they all look so different, how they classify their species, and how they deal with the moral implications of preying on a species that have the same cognitive capabilities of themselves. I mean, by human terms, it’s cannibalism. We’re different species, but we speak the same language, think the same thoughts, and from the waist up, we look startlingly similar.” Her hands began to wave frantically as she spoke, narrowly avoiding slapping Sol in the face. “The same can be said for Sirens and Humans, according to some. After all, we can communicate with them just fine, right? And we look about the same, right?”

Sol snorted. “Oh, please. Humans are imbeciles. Sirens are the fully evolved and superior humanoid species. In fact, I think it’s stupid that it’s called humanoid in the first place. It could be Sirenoid.”

De`Lune burst out laughing, slapping him cheerfully on the back. He grunted, shooting her a withering glare. “Oh Sol, Sol, have you ever considered that Sea Monsters might think the same as us?”

“Well, they’d be wrong.” Still, he couldn’t help but think about it. Sea Monsters, seeing them as the inferior species? Well, physically…yes, physically speaking, Sea Monsters were far more powerful. But was that really what defined superiority? God, she was making his brain hurt.

“Yeah yeah, whatever. Anyways, I want to know their thoughts on the subject.” She swiveled in her chair, scanning the room. Sol followed her gaze, taking in the self-imposed segregation taking place. The Sea Monsters were mostly confined to one side of the cafeteria, while Mermaids crowded on the other. However, there were a few sitting together…perhaps most noticeably, a girl with a wide set of teeth on her stomach. Ew…are those real?? She was seated next to a couple of mermaids, all three muttering in hushed tones.

“As well as internal structures, and all that…” She shot a devilish glance at Sol, before saying something truly astounding. “I’m gonna get them to eat me.”

Sol turned to look at her slowly, his face showing a hint of fear for this first time in a long time. “You WHAT?” His voice pitched up, cracking slightly, and she snickered at him.

“I want to understand what happens inside. How they think. How they move. How they eat.” She took Sol’s hand, and he was too stunned to swat her away. “I want to go deep. Can you blame me for being curious?”

“Um, yes.” He finally ripped his hand away, lips curling in disgust. “So you have a death wish? What kind of research are you gonna conduct beyond the grave, hm?”

“Oh don’t be ridiculous, I’m not going to die. I’ve got a plan.” She flipped open her notebook, pointing to a page of masterfully drawn Sea Monster anatomy. “You might know, Sea Monsters have two stomachs. Given their vast genetic diversity, this can vary, but it’s true for the vast majority. The first stomach is a storage chamber, where prey is kept alive. I don’t know for how long, but I intend to find out.” Seeing his continued horror, she rolled her eyes. “Oh c’mon, I won’t ask you to do it too. But you’ve sat here and listened to my pitch this long, without telling me to go fuck myself.” Her voice grew more subdued. “That’s longer than most people last.”

“Do not try to make me feel bad for you.” However, she was right. And he was usually quite generous with insults. But she had impressed him yesterday. And she was still giving him a chance to find the killer. But she’s going to get killed herself. She’ll swim right up to some sea monster, beg to get eaten, and it’ll happily oblige. And she’ll die. He groaned internally. Fine. Fine, what do I care? Let her go on her stupid mission. I’ll still get what I need. “Alright. Fine.”

Her jaw dropped for a moment, before she let out a squeal and pumped her hands up and down with excitement. “Okay, wow, I did not expect you to actually say yes! Alright, so, the main thing is writing down observations. Like, a scribe. It interrupts the flow of my work if I’m stopping every three seconds to write something down, and if I wait till the end of the day, I won’t be able to remember everything. Here…” With an almost tentative glance, she pushed the journal across the table to Sol. “Have a look. All my compiled knowledge so far. It’s not much, yet, but it will be.”

“Hm.” He picked it up, flipping idly through the pages. There was an entire “chapter” dedicated to Mermaid respiration systems. Wouldn’t it be the same as ours? “Ok. Fine. So…where do we start?”

—-----------------------------------------------------------------

“I wish I could help more. I really do.” Magna’s voice was tired and strained, and Irridesse couldn’t find it in herself to be angry. “But I don’t know any of these guys. We’re from all over the place, after all. Like, I’m from the Northeast Mediterranean. I don’t recognize anyone here as Mediterranean.”

Beside them, Lacey rubbed at their tired eyes. They had made the announcement that Atlantic was missing, and now the tension in the lunchroom was smothering. Everyone was shooting nervous glances at each other, whispering, while some cried softly in the corners.

Irridesse had come up with the plan of her own, using Magna to sleuth out the killer. But Lacey found themselves unenthused. After all, what would it matter? The Monster who did this would just eat them too, unless Magna managed to fight them off, but even then, what would that accomplish? Atlantic would still be gone. Everyone would still be miserable and terrified. Surely, Irridesse had to realize that. Or had she gone into another one of her delusional spirals?

A flicker of pink drew their attention, and they sat up straight as Coral Dulcette sat herself across from their little group. To their surprise, she was smiling, with an odd look of pride. What on earth was going on inside her head?

“Hello there, students. Mind if I sit?” Magna gave her a puzzled luck, while Irridesse shrugged. “Oh, awesome. I just…” She folded her hands in front of her, no plate of breakfast in sight. “I’m so happy to see you getting along. Speaking to each other like equals. That’s exactly what I wanted to see.”

Irridesse squinted, before realizing she was talking about her, Lacey, and Magna. She shot the Sea Monster a glare, and she just shrugged helplessly. “Miss Dulcette, I don’t like this Sea Monster. We are not friends.” Is that still true? “She’s helping me figure out what happened to Atlantic. We’re going to find who killed him, and bring them to justice.”

“Ah, that.” Her smile dulled slightly. “Right. Personally, I think we’re jumping to conclusions here. Nobody’s confirmed that such a thing happened. It’s still completely possible that he left. I’m not sure why the headmaster and company are pushing this narrative, but there’s no evidence.”

A part of Irridesse wanted to snap at her, insist that she was being insensitive. But she was a critical thinker by heart. It was true. The announcement had included mandatory searches of Sea Monsters, as well as an uptick of security. But there wasn’t any proof that they had done such a thing, technically. Atlantic could have easily left without a trace, hurried back home. He could have gotten lost out there, killed even, but there was no knowing if it was someone in the school. Honestly, outside might well be more dangerous than here. Home is miles and miles of empty oceans away.

“Ok…well…I can’t do nothing. He’s an idiot, but he’s an idiot I’ve known since we were kids.” Her hands balled up in frustration, and she suddenly wanted to punch something. Beside her, Lacey shot her a dry look. “I need confirmation of where he is. A letter, a note, or…” She glanced at Magna. “Hey…have we checked his stuff?”

“Um…” She squinted. “Nnnno. I don’t think we did. Why?”

“He wouldn’t just run home and leave all his fancy shit behind. Even if he was scared, his stuff is important to him.” She muttered curses under her breath. “Why did neither of you suggest this?”

“We're tired.” Lacey grumbled. “And scared.” Magna glanced at them, and they had to look away. Irridesse’s unexpected friendship with this sea monster was…something. They didn’t know what to think of yet. They would need more sleep before properly thinking about anything.

Coral cleared her throat, drawing their attention once more. “That sounds like a good avenue to me.” She gave them a sunny smile. “I’m glad you three are looking into it, together. It’s good to be proactive.”

“Yeah.” In spite of her irate expression, Irridesse found herself feeling warm and fuzzy at the counselor's praise. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had approved of her schemes and plans, especially an adult. Hey, I’m an adult…And yet, at times like these, she felt no different from the rebellious child she was back home. “You two had better hurry up and finish eating, we’ve got stuff to do.”

—---------------------------------------------------------------------

“Carcharias? Carcharias?”

For the second time that morning, he was awoken by a tiny shape startlingly close to his face. Blinking open his eyes, he recognized Rosia. Her hands were clasped together, her face reluctant, and her fins were all flared uncomfortably. Something’s wrong.

“Sorry, I didn’t wanna wake you up, but they’re doing a ‘mandatory checking’ of all the Sea Monsters. Cause they think a Merman got eaten last night.” Rosia sighed deeply, drifting down to rest on his bedside table.

For a moment, he was confused, before his sleepy brain caught up with the events of the past day. “Right. Actually…” He grunted, stretching and hearing his back pop, before tossing off the blanket. “His name’s Atlantic. I was with him last night, and then someone knocked me out. But, um, I think they might have framed me…” As he spoke, it occurred to him how ridiculous this sounded.

Rosia blinked at him slowly, her eyebrows furrowing. She pinched the bridge of her nose with a weary sigh, before speaking. “Carcharias, if you ate him, just be honest about it.”

“No!” Carcharias’s face flushed bright red, and he looked away, wringing his hands. “No, really, I didn’t.” I think. “I found him alone, and I got stuck on something, so we ended up talking. Then someone drugged me, or something. The nurse said they found a knockout drug in my system, which I know I didn’t take. Someone must have poisoned the water in the room…”

Rosia frowned, considering it. “Why would anyone do that, though? Why would someone frame you for eating Atlantic?”

“Maybe so they could get away with it.” As the reality of the situation set in, his eyes widened. A wave of panic gripped his chest. “Someone…ate him.” He stared into silence for a moment. He couldn’t imagine it…something that could beg and plead and cry, something that would still thrash between your teeth…and eating it, like it was just another scrap of fish? How could anyone do such a thing?

His eyes wandered back to Rosia. “Hey…have you ever eaten someone?”

“Ha, no.” She shook her head, chuckling dryly. “Look at me. I’m too small for that. Sure, sirens manage to rip humans apart and eat them, I could probably do that. But that’s not what we do. I was born…weird. My parents were fairly small of Sea Monsters already, but I had some kind of disease that stunted me. So now I’m no bigger than a mermaid.” Carcharias felt a twinge of guilt as her eyes lowered. “I don’t think other Sea Monsters take me seriously, because of that. They think I’m just little, and cute, I guess. It’s…nice, sometimes, to be fawned over. But sometimes, I wish people could respect me too.” A moment of silence passed, before she snorted. “Look at me, being all greedy.”

“That doesn’t sound greedy at all. I’m sorry…I had no idea.” He wished he could hug her, or hold her hand, or something, just to comfort her. But what were the rules here? How careful should he be? What if his claws grazed her, what if his arms crushed her? I hate this. I hate being big and awful and I hate that I can’t touch anyone. Tears of frustration came to his eyes, and he hurriedly wiped them away. And now Atlantic’s dead, and everyone thinks it was me.

“Well…” She looked away, though a smile showed on her face. “I mean, it’s not all bad. Getting to hang out in everyone’s guts is fun. But thanks. I appreciate it.”

“You-” He whipped his head to the side to look at Rosia, his jaw dropping slightly. “You WHAT?!”

She groaned and shook her head. “You really don’t know anything about your own people, don’t you?” She spotted the tears in his eyes, and her voice softened. “Hey, it’s okay. There’s still time to learn.”

“That’s not…I mean…” He glanced away. His parents hadn’t mentioned anything like this. When the news came about this new college, unifying all the humanoid aquatic species, they were actually hesitant. But Carcharias was optimistic, ridiculously so. They told him to be wary of other Sea Monsters, to avoid getting too close. They’re not like us. They’re savages, and they’ll drag you into their depravity if you aren’t careful. But looking at Rosia, he couldn’t see her as a depraved savage. She was kind, and creative, and better with people than he would ever be.

The storm of emotions in his mind settled, just a bit, as he released a gusty sigh. “Alright. Explain it to me.”

Her face brightened a bit, and she clapped her hands together. “So! Sea Monsters eat each other all the time. For protection, comfort, friendship, etcetera. The bigger ones keep the smaller ones in their stomachs, or even just in their mouths. The exact traditions change a little bit depending on region, of course. Some taste each other when they meet a new person. Some use it only to express romantic feelings. Where I’m from, it’s sort of double sided. The smaller ones like it because it’s safe and comfortable, and the bigger ones like it because…it feels nice, I guess?” Rosia shrugged, puzzled. “I’m not actually sure, uh, I’ve obviously never tried it, so I wouldn’t know.”

It was a lot to wrap his brain around. Carcharias closed his eyes for a moment, trying to process it all. Clearly, this wasn’t really eating them, right? They all survived it. And both parties enjoyed it? It sounded terrifying. Clearly, all the Mers were scared of it. And did people like him enjoy having something alive and squirming in their stomachs? The thought made him shudder, and Rosia snorted aloud at him.

“That terrible, huh?” Rosia shrugged. “You might like it if you tried it.”

He flinched, not wanting to think about that possibility. Technically speaking, it wasn’t wrong. If no one died, how could it be wrong? And yet…only a monster would enjoy submitting to such predatory urges. Right? But to think of himself as one of them, doing the things they did…his feelings warred, disgust clashing with a sudden pang of loneliness.

They sound so…free. His eyes lowered to his hands, studded with claws, meant for killing. Muscled arms, meant for dominion over others. Could one be happy with such features, happy being a monster, and embracing what made them savages? For a moment, he wanted it so bad. To be freed from the constant anxiety and self-loathing, the desire to run back home and never speak to another soul again…What I wouldn’t give…

But there was one other problem, one that weighed far more heavily on his mind. “Right, so…that’s all well and good, but what about eating Merpeople, and humans, and sirens? Unless I’ve been very much lied to, they don’t typically make it out alive, right?”

“Ah…yeah, no, it’s…complicated.” She flopped backward onto the bed, fins splaying out behind her. “So, Sea Monsters definitely eat Mers, and humans, and Sirens, all the time. Mostly humans and Mers, since there’s just more of them around. It’s something about needing living, thinking prey. Like, prey that has a close genetic makeup, is what I’ve been told. Which is why things like fish don’t work. And we need the hormones and active cells that are found in them. So, what that ends up meaning, is that Sea Monsters need to swallow live humanoid species whole. In order to live.”

Carcharias gave her a puzzled expression. “Really? But I’ve never done that, seriously, and I’ve lived this long…eighteen years.”

She shrugged once again. “That’s just what the people back home told me. I don’t know how you made it this far.” She was silent for a moment, before slowly speaking again. “You know, if it would help at all, I’ll let you eat me.” She gave him a quick smile. “You seem like a nice guy, Redfin.”

He blinked at her slowly, his brain momentarily entertaining the thought without his permission. To have Rosia in his mouth, between his teeth, against his tongue…and then swallowing her down…His stomach gurgled suddenly, interrupting his train of thought, and his face turned bright red. “Oh my god, I am so sorry-”

“HA!” She didn’t seem the least bit upset, just swam up to pat him on the shoulder. “Just let me know, dude. But, seriously though…it can help with unwanted cravings.” She gave him a sharp look. “About Atlantic, I believe you, alright? But you might not be able to control yourself next time, unless you do something about it. Take control of your own mind, and stop running from it.” There was a beat of silence, and her tone brightened again. “But hey, c’mon, we’ve got to get over to the office for those inspections.”

“Uh-huh…” His head was still spinning. It was hard to believe that all of this was happening in the span of less than two days. And it’s nowhere near over yet.

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Goddamn, just how rich is this guy?” Magna’s voice rolled with disdain, even as she slid a black pearl necklace over her wrist.

“Too rich.” Lacey mumbled, hauling a stone box out from beneath Atlantic’s bed. “Hey, this looks important.”

Irridesse glanced down from her spot near the ceiling, where she was carefully going through his journal. To her surprise, he was quite the artist. The pages had been painted in bright colors, many presenting an oversaturated version of actual people and places. One of them even looked like her, and she had to admit, it was a nice portrait. “Coming.” Although it was pretty, there were no clues to be found here.

She drifted down to the box, while Magna peered over the bed. Lacey scrambled at the lock for a moment, before sticking one long nail inside. With a faint creaking noise, the lock turned, and the lid sprang open. “That’s a shit lock.” Irridesse grumbled, before digging into the contents.

They were files. All alphabetized, each one bearing what appeared to be a name and a date. Mollusca Mura, September 13th, that was just yesterday. Eidrich Bleaker, June 2nd. Paralitho Swilton, July 18th. “Alright, Mollusca is his father…” She did feel a bit bad going through his personal stuff, but desperate times required desperate measures. Also, she was curious.

Opening the file, she found a letter. Stamped with a fancy wax seal, bearing the crest of House Mura. The writing was overly fancy, but not indecipherable. Lacey and Magna crowded closer, straining to get a look. Irridesse cleared her throat, before speaking aloud. “Eidrich tells me that our plan shall go into motion tomorrow night. Remember what we spoke about. You are not to leave school grounds until your sister arrives to pick you up. It’s not safe out there. And you are not to breathe a word of this to anyone. You must destroy this letter, as soon as you are done reading it. This madwoman must be shamed for her reckless destruction of our people’s boundaries.” Her voice faltered as she read the next, and final line. “I am proud of you. Be brave. Love, Dad.”

A heavy silence passed between the three of them, until Manga hesitantly mumbled, “So why didn’t he destroy the letter…?”

Irridesse winced, and beside her, Lacey sighed. “It would have been special to him. He would’ve wanted to look at it again.” Almost reverently, she smoothed the letter out against the bed frame. “Anyways. This is something. They had a plan of some kind. And it might be that Atlantic’s sister picked him up and left…but the school wouldn’t be marking him missing, they would have been informed. It’s not like Mollusca to go against rules. He wouldn’t ask his son to leave the campus without telling anyone. The plan was supposed to happen last night, and it was to stop a madwoman.” She looked at the other two, frowning. “Any ideas?”

“Well you tell me, I had no idea what he was doing all night.” Magna huffed, while Lacey’s eyes seemed to light up.

“Last night was when we met our counselors, right? It’s a long shot, but could he mean Coral? I mean,” A sheepish look came over their face. “she is kind of…a lot.”

Irridesse nodded slowly. “Yeah, that sounds feasible. ‘Destruction of our boundaries’ could be something to do with the way she wants everyone to get along. But why send Atlantic here if he’s opposed to their entire purpose?”

“Kinda sounds like he was only here as a double agent.” Lacey tilted their head, knitting their fingers together in thought. “Seems strange to only target Coral, though. It’s not like she’s the head of the whole operation, she’s just a counselor.”

“True.” Irridesse scanned the letter again, flinching slightly as Magna suddenly lifted a tentacle to point at something. “What.”

“Eidrich. That’s not a very common name, right? One of these files is also labeled Eidrich Bleaker.” She snatched the file, whipping it open to reveal a much more plain-looking letter. “Sounds like it’s someone who has inside details on when things are happening, ahead of time. Maybe someone in administration, another spy.”

“Good eye.” As she took the letter from the woman’s violet tentacle, she couldn’t help but marvel at how natural this felt. The three of them, working as a team to solve a serious mystery. Making headway, finding clues, fitting together like cogs in a clock. And she’s a Sea Monster. But she’s…not that bad, actually. A ghost of a smile flickered over her face, before she cleared her throat and got to reading the letter.

“Mr Atlantic Mura, I would like to formally thank you for your agreement to the betterment of our people through your father’s guidance. This ‘Oceans United’ endeavor is a threat to our people, all of Merkind, and must be extinguished. Your role is a vital one, in making the public understand the dangers this kind of thinking presents. By making Miss Dulcette’s idiocy clear to your fellow Merpeople, you have influenced them away from this danger they now face. Again, thank you, and godspeed.” She set the letter down with a sigh, shaking her head. “So. They had a plan to get rid of this school, by humiliating Coral. That’s such a dumb plan…”

“Maybe these are just dumb people. They sound like it.” Magna grumbled, rolling her eyes. “I liked Coral, when she talked to us in the lunchroom? She seems smart.”

“Well, dumb or not, the plan clearly didn’t go according to plan. His sister never showed up, or if she did, she was too late. Something happened to him in-between. Either he disobeyed the plan and ran away, which doesn’t seem like him, or he got eaten by a Sea Monster.” Lacey explained, gesturing weakly with one hand.

“Hmph.” Magna still seemed grumpy about this conclusion. “Or, hear me out, it could be another Mer or siren trying to take him out. His father’s plan is stupid, but it’s still going to make waves. Maybe someone caught wind, and wanted to stop him from going home.” A spark lit in her eyes, and she pounded her first into her other hand. “They could be interrogating him right now!”

Lacey went silent, staring at the ground. A part of them wanted to shout at Irridesse, take her by the shoulders and shake her until she started thinking rationally again. Why wasn’t she scared of the Monster sitting next to her, the one who almost ate her alive?? Why did she think any of this was normal or fine? Maybe she’s finally lost it for good.

And yet, Irridesse felt more clarity than ever before. She wasn’t being blocked by constant objections, or people insisting she was out of her mind. The way forward was clear, and she had two partners at her sides. “Alright. If he did get eaten, they’ll likely figure it out during this inspection, which, by the way, you should probably get to.” She prodded Magna with one hand, eliciting a tired groan. “And if he didn’t, then he’s likely being held somewhere around campus. If we want to find out where, we can start by figuring out who this Eidrich Bleaker is.” She stuffed the two files into the drawer, ignoring the third one entirely. Maybe she’d have a glance at it later. “Seriously, you need to go.”

Magna grumbled under her breath, before straightening up and stretching her tentacles with a soft hiss. “Alright, alright. It’s just gonna be a lot of poking and prodding and invasive questions, though.”

Irridesse shrugged, though inwardly she felt a twinge of pity. She couldn’t imagine dealing with that. Any slimy nurse’s assistant who laid a hand on her would regret it. Even without fangs, she figured she could draw decent blood. “Good luck.” Lacey hummed a quiet agreement, still refusing to properly look at the Sea Monster. What is this place doing to us…?

—------------------------------------------------------------

“Okay, single file, everyone.” It was the same guy from before, still draped in green, adjusting his glasses as he stared at the list in his hand. He stood at the door to the infirmary, making no move to further coral the twenty-or-so Sea Monsters milling around.

Carcharias could hear them whispering amongst themselves, snatches of conversation clearly revolving around the incident they were being searched for. As he glanced at the others, the conversation with Rosia returned to his mind. I don’t know who any of these people are. Should he? Did the rest of them know each other?

Rosia seemed to have the same thought, as she tugged sharply on his finned ear. “We should really get to know everyone.” She hissed. “Like, there’s not that many of us. And we’re all in this together, right?” That was debatable. “I did end up holding that party last night, but um, it didn’t last long. We kind of got kicked out because Lacey wanted to go to bed.”

He nodded slowly in agreement, watching from the corner of his eye as the first test subject reluctantly swam into the office. Was it possible that one of them really ate Atlantic? He only knew of their names, other than Rosia. Spike. The de-facto leader. He was everything a leader ought to be, by the look of him. Though for once, he wasn’t talking to anyone. The young sea monster was leaning against a wall, a bit removed from the rest of them. Dirty blonde hair fell over his eyes, in a sort of side-shaved shag. Yellow eyes peered out from the strands of hair, half-lidded and clearly tired. He was tall, not as tall as Carcharias, but still towered over most of his classmates. His skin was a warm tan, and his facial structure reminiscent of the way Mermaids carved statues of stone.

Without realizing that he had been staring, Carcharias jumped as Spike suddenly locked eyes with him. His brows lifted slightly, before pushing himself off the wall with a faint smile. “Hey.”

The taller man backed away, his face flushing. “Oh! Hi! Sorry.” He could feel stares on his back as a few others glanced at him curiously. Rosia darted out from the cover of his shoulder, waving cheerfully at Spike.

“Hi! Hey, you alright? You look super out of it.” Carcharias winced at her brutal honesty, while Spike just snickered.

“Just homesick, I think. I didn’t get much sleep.” He shrugged. “It’ll wear off.” His eyes flashed with recognition, and he grinned, showing unusually long fangs. “Hey, weren’t you holding a party last night? Sorry I didn’t show up.”

Rosia gasped, clasping her hands together. “Ah, you actually remembered me! Wow! Well yeah, it’s no big deal. It wasn’t all that anyways.” She waved one hand dismissively. “Some other time.”

He nodded, before glancing back at Carcharias, and holding one hand out. “Hey, I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Spiracles, but everyone just calls me Spike.”

Carcharias took his hand, noting the way his almost engulfed the smaller man’s hand. And yet, he didn’t feel delicate. He felt like he could probably kick anyone’s ass if he wanted to. “Um, I’m Carcharias.”

“Car-char-ias.” Spike sounded it out slowly first, tilting his head at the unusually lengthy name. “That’s a cool name.”

Cool is the last word I’d use to describe myself. Still red in the face, Carcharias gave him a sharp nod. Rosia shot him a smug look, lightly flicking him with her tail fins. “Th-thanks.”

“Alright, next!” Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the man in green wave him over. “Come on, focus up.”

“Right…ok, bye.” Still burning with embarrassment, he darted away. The door was almost too small, brushing his shoulders as he squeezed inside. How on earth did they get me inside when I was passed out?

With a bit of ushering around, he was squeezed into the same curtained-off room as before. As he flicked the white fabric aside, he caught a couple of Mer assistants whispering. “That’s the one Delphina was talking about, right?”

“Yep. Says he was probably the last one to see Atlantic…he woke up asking about him.”

“Creepy…”

Oh right…talking to Spike had managed to distract him from the real problem here. All evidence pointed toward him having eaten Atlantic. But he didn’t, and how on earth were they going to check that? What if they crammed him in your mouth after you passed out? The thought made his face go pale. But then again, that made no sense. A sea monster wouldn’t kill him unless they wanted to eat him…and it was a Sea Monster, right? Had to be.

The nurse brushed the curtains to the side, swimming up to him. Her face was tense, and her glasses fogged. She took them off, wiping them on her rumpled shirt with a sigh. “Okay. Nice to see you again.”

Carcharias cleared his throat, mustering his courage to plead his case. “I-I didn’t eat him. Really. I was drugged by someone else, I don’t know who.” I was talking to him right before, but…I blacked out, and I only realized he was missing the next morning.”

She gave him a withering look, clearly not believing a word. “Alright. Well. Luckily, we have a definitive way of proving whether you did so or not.” She opened a nearby drawer, revealing what appeared to be a massive paintbrush. With a grunt, she hefted it up, slinging it over her shoulder like a harpoon. “Open up.”

“Open…my mouth? Really?” Wasn’t that supposed to be a terrible idea? He shifted nervously, scales scraping on rugged walls.

“Me and Abalone are trained for this sort of thing, don’t you worry.” A trace of a smile appeared over her face. “And I’m assistant nurse Delphina. This thing is heavy and we’ve got a lot of Sea Monsters to check, so get on with it.”

He nodded sheepishly, before slowly craning his jaws open. Delphina didn’t seem to care, only keeping her distance from his teeth as she carefully swabbed the inside of his mouth with the brush. He was surprised to find that it was fine. He wasn’t tempted to bite her, like he had been so worried about. Hm. His shoulders relaxed a bit, and he hadn’t even realized how tense he was.

“So, that’ll just get back to the lab to see if there’s any DNA inside your mouth. Other than your own, of course.” Carcharias nodded again, still silent. “Next up-” She opened another cabinet, pulling out one of several orange buckets. He tilted his head to see, as she peeled the lid off, revealing a heap of something glowing. After pulling on a fresh pair of gloves, she plunged one hand in and fished around. “This should do.”

The thing she pulled out appeared to be a rotund fish. It was glowing bright greenish-yellow, and had oddly thick-looking scales. It smelled strange too, like nothing natural. What’s she going to do with that? He watched apprehensively as Delphina gave the fish a little shake, brightening the glow of its scales even more.

“So…all I need you to do is swallow this. It’s a light probe. Like a whale’s echolocation, it uses sound waves to search for abnormal shapes in the stomach. The light allows us to see it through your skin.” It was just a fish, yet Carcharias still found himself recoiling with a grimace. It was still alive…even if survived the experience, he felt like he’d be sick regardless.

Delphina stared him down, holding the fish out. It looked quite calm, unaware of it’s impending journey. Or perhaps, it just didn’t care. “Take it. You can do this part yourself, right? Just swallow it.”

Okay, it’s going to prove you innocent. Just suck it up- Still visibly disgusted, he reached to pinch the probe between two talons…before the white curtain of the examination room was suddenly flung open. Carcharias yelped in surprise, smacking his head on the ceiling with a thump. It was an older man, with a heavy mustache, and a crisp waistcoat. It was the headmaster, the man who had addressed them all yesterday. He looked rather untidy, with his hat eskew, and his silvery eyes wide. “Stop! You can stop right now, Nurse!”

Delphina backed away, snatching the fish back into her arms. Placing one hand on her hip, she spun to face him. “Mister Bleaker. Why are you interrupting the searches?” Peering past the two merpeople, Carcharias could see other sea monsters filing out of the room, clearly confused. Including Spike.

“No need for searches! Someone fessed up already.” Bleaker adjusted his hat, leaning against a nearby countertop, as the urgency drained from his body. “Some lad…I feel bad for it, honestly. Poor beast doesn’t know how to control-” He felt silent as he finally noticed Carcharias, and his face turned pale. “Well, what I mean to say is, it’s a shame. A r-real shame.” The nurse’s assistant looked skeptical, but obediently shut the lid on her bucket of glowfish. “Don’t bother with the searches…the case is closed! Uh, my condolences to Atlantic’s family…yes, they’ll be devastated…”

The headmaster turned and darted away, while Carcharias felt his heart sink. He was innocent indeed…and he didn’t even have to prove it. But Atlantic was dead. How could they do such a thing?! He had barely known the man, yet sudden grief filled his chest. Sinking to the floor, he placed his hands over his eyes. Delphina was silent, only sighing, before she turned and left him alone.

It didn’t make sense…the pieces of the story were disjointed. Questions still left unanswered. But it would have to wait. For now, all the Sea Monster could do was cry quietly into the currents that whispered by.

#vore oc #vore fic #vore day i guess?#g/t vore #sfw vore

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