twst-drabbles

[twst-drabbles]

OMG!?! I JUST READ THE RECENT OCTAVINELLE SANTUARY AU, HOW BIG WAS THE PET IN THE SANCTUARY AU TIMELINE?! 😭 cuz it seems like the tweels is as big as caretaker!!

Ah yeah that sometimes happen. If a little pet hangs around a full familiar long enough, they can suddenly become big as well. So Jade and Floyd be fully grown in this one. They huge. Very huge. They take joy in pinning the Caretaker down with their tails. Jerks. They're big enough where the Caretaker can nap on their tails, if they weren't so slimy.

[twst-drabbles]

Ok hear me out

House pet au

But for some weird reason, reader woke up small like their pets.

Hahaha, I really should get on the ball with this, it's practically begging to be written. Sounds like a funny old time to be had, with a caretaker that's going to be pretty peeved because obviously this has to be the work of reckless magic. If it's Crowley, they will probably kill him, or ignore all his phone calls and bar him from visiting their home for a while. That too will probably kill him.

Riddle and the rest of the plant nymphs would be a little paranoid because "big caretaker guardian is small and squishy, we have to protect at all costs." Hell, I'm having a hard time imagining that Riddle would even let the Caretaker walk. It's travel by roots or flowers baby. Ace and Deuce would drag them into shenanigans because of course...

Leona is going to rub this in, he's gonna be smarmy for a good hour before he gets bored. May or may not kick the Caretaker every once in a while when they pass by him. Ruggie is messing with the Caretaker way more, via buffs of wind to knock them over. And Jack is Jack, he's standing way too close, worried out of his mind.

...Seafolk try to take the Caretaker into their tank. They almost drown them on many occasions. They really don't understand that just because the Caretaker is small, it doesn't mean they can breath underwater. They love the Caretaker so much that the seafolk just put them in the "you are a part of our little group, so you gotta breath underwater" mindset. You know, in the same way a cat treats you like a big, clumsy kitten? Yeah, like that. Oh and you can bet your shit that Floyd and Jade were laughing their asses off. And will probably proceed to play tug-o-war with the Caretaker once they realize that they can't split their time as much as they could.

Jamil is also being a smarmy little shit. He's taking joy in the fact the Caretaker needs help to do many a basic thing. And what is he to do but to provide since he has all this extra length to him? Go on, get on his back, he'll get them from place to place because he is the most stable ride.

If Vil has a nest, the Caretaker is not leaving that nest until their appearance is fixed to his weird and unspecified specifications. They will come out of it decorated to hell and back, probably slathered in paint. He is so proud. And Epel is relishing in the fact that Vil's attention is all on the Caretaker. He will come around to rescue them at some point, but for now he's taking a break. Little shit.

Idia, after his initial near meltdown panic, actually vibes with the Caretaker...and also takes joy in the fact that they're tiny because it's funny that someone one incomprehensibly powerful to him is now on his level. And Ortho wants to drag them into his little games.

And Malleus...he's kinda frozen in place. Like, full on blue-screens and initially thinks that this must be someone else. But he is quick to connect the dots once he nearly tears through the house trying to look for them, and he does as all fae dragons do: try and kidnap the tiny Caretaker back to Silver's house. He doesn't succeed on the account of every other pet fighting against this. Lilia does nothing to stop this, he is having a time. And getting the Caretaker some little snacks, the young ones have to eat after all. And Sebek is...oddly behaving well actually. He's standing closely, keeping guard like anything can and will harm the Caretaker. And he nearly cries when they get scratched.

A very hilarious time to be had indeed.

[twst-drabbles]

Silly, sanctuary au where the shame bucket makes it's grand return but whenever the caretaker tries to take it out the tweels take it back.

It's somehow a reminder of the good old times when they were all tiny and everything was so innocent (cough cough) and when someone tries to take it they will draw blood

Floyd and Jade 10

Summary: Jade and Floyd were supposed to be in timeout for fighting, each to wear their own shame buckets, but when you went out to the sands, you found them both fighting over the very first shame bucket you've ever had.

(I get so easily distracted by coding. Twas working on the website, tinkering with the JavaScript to make things easier for me. Also I got bitten by mosquitoes again, so now I'm on the ice-pack until it all goes down…five days later…AGH! Anyways, here it beeeee! It's a silly little thing, the angst more of a background thing but certainly still there.)

Crowley could charm this bucket to the moon and back and even then it won't be able to survive the march of time. The bucket, once a bright yellow thing that you used to make sandcastles with, was banged up, scratched up, and more a musty yellow now. Survived a lot of damage, and it's still usable for the purpose you've transferred it to.

As a shame bucket.

Of course, you couldn't exactly grab and stick Jade and Floyd into the bucket anymore. They've grown too fast and too big, and were probably eager for it as well. You couldn't count the amount of time you've caught Floyd dragging himself on his belly towards the door, or Jade trying to unlock the window. They're smart, you know this, so you're under the impression that they…like being caught, weirdly enough. You've seen the way Floyd flopped around on his belly in excitement, even though he looked ready to bite and maim, and the way the tip of Jade's tail started to twitch even though his jaw was tight with a smile.

Little weirdos. Well, they're not exactly little anymore. And you can't shove them in the bucket like you used to. Doesn't mean they're any less weird.

"Alright, time's up," you kicked on your sandals and shoved your phone in your pocket, "timeout's over, give me the bu--"

Somehow, without so much as a squeak or a sound, Jade and Floyd were caught up in yet another fight, this time with the shame bucket. Piles of sand were scattered about until they were basically shuffling around in a semi-deep pit of water and mucus. Their tails lashing and slamming against said sides of the pit, with Jade shoving Floyd into the puddle while trying to yank the bucket from his claws that had hooked deeply into the lip.

Impressive that they can be so quiet while they fight, too bad they're still not any better at keeping a concept of time when doing so.

You clapped your hands and that was enough for Jade's back to ramrod straight and finally let go of the bucket. With a bubbling, "Yay!" Floyd dragged himself out of the pit and placed the bucket on his head, adjusting it as if a party hat. He sat pretty on the edge as if nothing was wrong.

"What," you pinched the bridge of your nose, "are you two doing?"

"Fighting over the bucket," said Jade and Floyd, in such rare unison. This apparently further annoyed them because they glared at each other right after.

"Fighting over the bucket." Because of course, of course they would. Leave it them to fight over anything and everything.

"I was simply reminding Floyd that it was my turn to wear the shame bucket." Jade said with a tight smile on his face, hand over his chest as if that'll do anything to soften his wound up self.

"And I said I wanted to wear it." Floyd said with a large, victorious grin on his face, flicking his tail and throwing sand up in the air.

"But," you vaguely gestured to the other red bucket that was there, "you have two buckets."

"We wanted this one," Jade pointed.

"Yeah," Floyd agreed bluntly.

"We have so many fond memories with this one," Jade sighed wistfully, leaning against a large rock near the pit.

"Yup, my little teeth marks are still in there," Floyd tilted the shame bucket to get a better look at it. "Just not the same, you know?"

…you can't help but sigh at these troublemakers.

Your troublemakers.

But now's not the time to get lost in anything, they're still being punished for fighting with each other, and fighting again when they're supposed to be in timeout.

You held out your hand. "Give me the bucket, I have to see the damage you've caused on it."

"Aw…" Floyd visibly sagged.

"Haha." Jade took pleasure in that.

"Give it," you went and reached for it, but Floyd let himself fall flat on his back just as your fingers skimmed the old thing. "Floyd."

"Hmm…Nah." Floyd grabbed it and tossed it Jade's way. He caught it with a very, very amused smile on his face that meant nothing but trouble.

Especially when Jade placed it upon his own head.

"…are we really going to be doing this?" You sighed, tossing away your sandals.

"Yes," said Jade.

"Yup," said Floyd.

[twst-drabbles]

Grim 7

Summary: You decide to introduce the little kitten Grim to stairs, since he's clearly going to be here a while, and you don't want to confine him to a single room for the rest of his life. You weren't expecting the plant nymph Ace to suddenly come in.

(I love scaring this Ace within an inch of his life. There are so many things that are bigger than him, and kitten Grim is one of them.)

You decided to take a little risk and let the little creature roam around. Obviously you're not going to be leaving Grim alone, the space is too big and is likely to overwhelm him without someone around to ground him.

You didn't swing the door open, just pushed it just a tad. Leave it up to him if he wanted to come out or not. Within a minute, Grim's bobble head pushed through the opening, his overly large ears flopping when he finally managed to get through. The blue fire was much more vibrant, no longer the tiny flickering flames they used to be, and his eyes were less clouded with exhaustion. Awake, alert, and just a bit cautious from this sudden change in routine, but heavily craving it nonetheless.

He did pause for a bit when he spotted you leaning against the wall, watching him carefully.

"What? You wanna come out or not?" Yes you've played with him with a laser pointer and he has since gotten real comfortable with napping on your lap, but that didn't mean you were suddenly a good 'exploring buddy.' That's different and different is always given thought.

Well, as much thought as a feral creature can give.

Luckily, he didn't dip back into the guest room. Instead, Grim huffed, shook his head covered in that long wispy baby fur, and walked right out. After briefly struggling to get his full belly past. You did give him some extra canned food to coax out his confidence.

And the first thing he did? Give his little kitten body a big stretch before attempting to use your door frame as a scratching post. You scooped him up, a small mew of a complaint escaping his body.

"Don't do that, you'll expose the nails." And potentially get wood in his paws or claws. Still, all stuff you don't want to deal with. "Let me show you the stairs. You're gonna need to learn them sooner or later."

On the last four steps, you placed Grim right on top, with you sitting on a pillow you snatched from the couch. You had small little treats in a baggie in your pocket, crunchy pellets with bits of meat in the middle. Grim's already huge eyes grew in size at the sight of him suddenly being elevated away from you, and the floor being…not so big as what he's used to.

And, of course, Grim curled into himself, attempted to make himself smaller when he wasn't in any danger. But, he wasn't shivering, nor was he doing those closed mouthed meows of distress. He just didn't like this flavor of different.

You brought out the bag and shook it right above the third step. Grim popped right onto his paws, pine tree tail up at attention. He's already full from your spoiling but his chin was starting to dribble with saliva. Gluttonous little critter, huh?

Grim walked with a purpose but paused in his steps when he was met with the edge of the stair. He sat down and practically glared at it and the third step, the very image of a confused and frustrated kitten.

"Come on buddy, you can do it. You can reach those paws down." Just one step and then you'll help him down the rest of the way.

You set down the little baggie on your thigh and your insides jumped upon meeting the singular red eye of the plant nymph Ace. For all its dewdrop quality, it does nothing to hide the smugness on his leafy little face as he watched Grim struggle.

Gently, just so he doesn't grab Grim's attention, you shifted yourself so Ace's partially hidden by your leg. Ace looked almost offended that you would dare block his new source of entertainment. He tried to walk around but you pushed him back in place. Ace tried to jump over your hand, but the scratchy leaves of his new uniform made it easy to grab.

"You might want to keep quiet," you murmured as quietly as you could, "Grim tends to--"

You weren't quiet enough, because before you knew it, Grim has scrambled down all the stairs, dug his claws into your pants for extra grip, and launched himself right at Ace with all the grace you'd expect from a kitten.

As in, he was really easy pinch between your arm and torso.

"Grim, don't, that's a creature you can't eat," you grabbed him butt first and then pinched his scruff to make him go limp. His ears went flat against his head. Fun, ruined.

And Ace? Completely scared stiff, the mini tulips in his eye completely limp and even dropped a few of their seeds. Hadn't moved an inch from where you placed him, but was vibrating in place as his little life was probably flashing before his eyes.

Well, there goes a calm first meeting.

"Sorry about that Ace. Didn't want you meet Grim like that. He's…still feral, all things considered." And might probably stay that way for a while, perhaps.

Finally, as if your voice pulled him from his episode, Ace fell flat on his back, leafy limbs sprawled about him.

"Huh…he passed out."

His poor little nonexistent heart.

[twst-drabbles]

Idia 7

Summary: The glass case was something of a sacred place of his. So much so that you had to cover it with a sheet because Idia would get too nervous, or grumpy, to eat anything. So, imagine your surprise when you saw a little yellow eye staring straight at you.

(Idia has two glass cases, one inside the house and one outside of it, to encourage Idia to be outside more. Though, he still prefers to be inside ever since he discovered the wonders of AC and other temperature regulating things. Anyway…)

As time goes and as more and more pets become permanent residents in your house, Idia was becoming more…irritable. Overstimulated, if you will. It's not outside what you were expecting, as a wisp, he's used to isolated-ish pond areas and scaring away people that want to disturb that, but he can't really engage with that behavior here.

Idia has tried to nip at the plant nymphs and the seafolk when they're having their fun in the pond, and all it took was a simple stare at Idia to stop.

…though you do try to keep that stern stare to a minimum, you think you nearly gave him a meltdown. That day, you found out wisps cry fire sparks. It was pretty, but you don't want to give Idia too many bad memories.

At least he's taken to the glass case indoors whenever the sun was out. It was a little aways from the front door, but stuffed in a corner where no one can stare at him when eating in the dining room. A dark little place where you can see his brilliant flame even through the thick white sheet you've draped over it.

Oh yeah, the sheet… You had to put that thing on because the sight of strangers even walking past him gets him all tied up. Reminded you a feral cat or dog that didn't want to give up it's sleeping spot, even though the only crime someone did was simply walk by. And then he wouldn't eat for the rest of the day, preferring to press buttons on the various mini arcade machines you've had in storage.

So, that being said, Idia's a sensitive little creature, but he is very easy to take care of once you've figured out his limits and how to deal with them.

So, imagine your surprise when you spotted a little yellow eyes peering at you from behind the white sheet, with the glass case door open just enough for Idia's little body. You can hear the music of an old action film being played, probably coming from an old phone you've handed to Idia. Disconnected from the internet of course.

You blinked. "You need something?" He didn't need food, you slid some through the little hatch door you had requested. Same for water and other forms of entertainment.

…maybe he broke something?

"Hang on, I'm coming."

Idia, upon seeing you coming his way, dipped right back inside his case, but didn't close the door. In face, he opened it wider, so you knew you were welcome.

You didn't shove your head inside since it wasn't that deep of a place. There was enough light--on the account of Idia--to see everything without much of a problem. To the left, pressed against the hatch door, there was a white porcelain bowl filled with a mix of pet pellets and just a bit of broken up pet-safe candy, butterscotch flavored this time. Nice and full still. Lined up and hugging the back end of the cabinet was Idia's mini arcade machines, still charged up and working as they should be, with a black bean stress ball acting as a bean bag. And to the right was Idia's resting place, with your old phone propped up and acting as a mini TV, a pile of cloth napkins on top of a flat feather-filled comforter, and Idia sitting right on top of it, eyes glued to the movie playing the climax.

Nothing seemed to be broken. Everything is as it should be. Idia was just…relaxing.

"Okay? If nothing's wrong, I'll be closing the door."

The minute you backed away, Idia zipped from under his blankets and grabbed at your sleeve.

"…Idia?" You raised an eyebrow.

A whispery squeak escaped his doll-like body. He looked down, hunching his shoulders and his flames began to die down. But he didn't let go.

"…You want me to watch a movie with you?" You guessed.

A pause, and then the tiniest of nods.

You smiled and couldn't keep the chuckle from your voice. "Guessing the movie's that good, huh? Alright, alright."

Idia, looking ready to retreat his flames within his body, brightened up so suddenly that stars danced in your vision. His gem eyes sparkled, arms flapping as he zipped inside and pushed all the arcade machines right into the corner before pushing the phone more into your sight. He also grabbed his food bowl and moved it until it was closer to you than it was to him.

Really wants a movie night, huh? Alright.

"Let me get a chair first, okay? I've been on my feet all day." You could use a break.

[twst-drabbles]

Helloooo

I wonder if I'll send this on time but I wonder which yandere characters of your choice would have interesting or particularly heart wrenching reactions to the perfect a) overbloting or b) leaving for home

What's your take on that angsty scenario?

(Originally was just going to pick a random character, but eh, I was in the mood for Leona and Ruggie. Soooo, heere ya go! To me, these two in particular would have interesting reactions. Malleus would certainly have a destructive one, but Leona and Ruggie try so hard to be...normal, you know? Go about their routine with some deviations, trying to keep themselves together, but you just know that it's only a matter of time before something happens.)

Ruggie and Leona 6

Summary: It's early in the morning and Leona is finally up, only to be reminded that you had left without warning. As well as Grim. And Ruggie had something that didn't belong to him.

You left without a single message. You glided through the surface of the mirror, let the magic guide you where you wanted to be most, with only the leftover ripples as a sign that you ever existed.

"So," Leona yawned, letting his tongue click on the roof of his mouth while carding through his hair, "anything on that Prefect's pet?"

Grim had lingered around for a only a short span of time, oddly as annoyingly loud as ever. Same smarmy smirk as if he knew something you didn't, and bragging about his dream of being the best mage there ever was. Nothing about him had changed.

And now, he too was missing. Dropped off the face of the planet really. Once more, without any warning.

…Leona suspects Grim might've found a way to you.

"Haa…sorry, I got nothing there." Ruggie scratched his head, messing up his bed hair further. "I searched high and low, and even broke through a few floor boards of Ramshackle just to see if he didn't get himself stuck, but well…" He shrugged, one shoulder poking through a hole in his shirt, making him look practically bony. He painted a real tired figure, with that straining grin and heavy eye bags.

Ruggie was also bouncier than usual on his feet.

Leona's head throbbed and it took a moment for his eyes to focus right. He held out his hand from under his sheets. "Give it."

"Ha?" Ruggie froze in place, jaw tightening as it always does when he has to do something he hated.

"You have something of the Prefect's. Give it. Now."

For a moment, Ruggie's eyes, now alert and wild, darted to the window. He could. He very well could jump out, land with the help of magic, and run on out of here. Leona wouldn't give chase, so Ruggie would probably have time to find a hiding place. But…here's the thing about Leona.

He would eventually find Ruggie, and all the things he's been hiding. Sure, he yawns like he doesn't give a single crap about the world around him, and sleeps it away as if nobody will ever miss him, but nothing ever truly escapes his eyes and ears.

So, rather than do any of that and cling onto this glove crumpled in his pocket, Ruggie sighed from the depths of his bones. He fished around and practically threw the article of clothing on top of Leona's head.

"Hey." Leona's ears twitched, but that's about the most of it.

"Can't keep anything from you, huh?" Ruggie's usually pretty good at keep his little secrets close, but he guesses he can't keep this one.

Leona hummed and stuffed that glove under his pillow before burying himself in it. After Ruggie finished stuffing blankets into a laundry basket, Leona rose with a long yawn. He even stretched as if he got in a good game yesterday.

Nice and newly refreshed. Well, as refreshed as he could be. Nothing could be done about the tired weight on his shoulders.

"…I'll be napping around the border." And taking a careful look around for any pieces of Grim. A trail has to exist somewhere.

"I'll follow you up on that in a bit, I still have chores to do."

"Mm-hmm." Stuffing the glove into his pocket, Leona walked out his room.

[twst-drabbles]

Rollo 2

Summary: Rollo, here to do research for a project you didn't really ask about, asked you to help him with the general care of the wildlife magical plant nymphs that are growing in the park.

(Just wanted an excuse to write some more cute shit about the plant nymphs, and also drag Rollo into this AU somehow because I could not settle for something up until now.)

"And that's all you have to do?" Rollo tilted his head further into his handkerchief, as if that did anything to hide his squinted look of disgust. "Just water them? Is that really all they need?"

"Yeah, this little critters are already all planted into the ground," said little plant nymphs, still in their hard shell phase, flinched at the sudden spray of your hose, before snuggling deeper into the dirt until only the tops of their smooth heads could be seen, "so good luck getting them to any kind of nursery setup. They're stuck here until they shed their baby roots."

It felt a little weird to you, that this person--who was once your tour guide to a college Mozus was recommending you--is now in the middle of doing research for a project you didn't ask the details for, located right in church-turned-hangout-spot just past the park you sometimes go to. You weren't there for more than a week, but you did pick up the feeling that this man, Rollo, did not like the magical creatures, let alone anything magic related.

While you can't say you're too favorable about magic yourself, you had a feeling that Rollo's 'distaste' goes a little beyond that. And that feeling can't help but gnaw at your brain, especially now that he's asking for help watering these baby nymphs like they're parasites to be avoided. He can hide behind that cloth all he wants, you can see that look clear as day.

What's his deal? You don't know, and prying has never been your thing.

"How soon will they be walking around?" At least he wasn't lying about doing research, he does have a pen and paper handy. "And how far will they be traveling? Any sense of what their potential traveling patterns will be like? Or where they're most likely to go?"

You were kinda tempted to spray him with the hose, but you don't want to have to buy him a new notepad, so you'll hold back. Instead, you squatted down and pushed blades of grass out of the way. Still, all you see was little bald head, looking like sugar-free gumdrops some kid threw away. One of them, the tiniest one no bigger than the nail of your pinky, looked up at you with clear dewy eyes, looking sleepy.

"Hmm, well, they're poking their heads out, but I don't see any main flower nearby. I'm guessing they're gonna come out in about a month or so, though that really depends on the kind of seed they came from. They're not gonna move from this spot until everyone in their group has popped up, so they're gonna be here a while. Probably won't venture out past the rest stop." You pushed dirt to the sleepy little face and smiled as it snuggled back down.

A sigh of relief puffed out of Rollo, looking even more skinny and haggard than usual. "So then, not all plant nymphs of the leaf variety come with a main flower to worship? How does that affect their growth period? And why wait for all of them to come out when there could be potential predators nearby?"

Looking up, you spotted some birds circling in the sky.

"Yeah, sometimes a main flower pops into being all on its own, and usually either adopts or grows their own helpers. In that case, said little nymphs take all the time in the world to grow." You remember spotting a plant nymph once that resembled a mandrake. Absolutely refused to leave dirt even though its long since passed it's need to rely on nearby roots to gather nutrients. The flower nymph--a sunflower nymph--was livid. You helped it out and got the scream of your life from that plant nymph. "And plant nymphs are social creatures. The bigger the pack, the better for the main flower in the long run."

Rollo sneered at the thought for a second, but the feeling of your gaze on him had his snapping back to a more, stoic self. He's kinda irritating you a little bit, if you're being perfectly honest. But, he's not causing any harm to the creatures, so what can you do? He is digging at your brain for information after all. Even though it be more useful to gather this data from a database and other articles.

Even though you live in a neighborhood that's nowhere near where his college is. Why did he decide to come here of all places? It's not as if his home has any shortage of magical creatures to research.

"…if I had to guess, I'd say you've been around all of these creatures you're whole life? You certainly have quite the wealth of knowledge." Rollo walked to your side with tentative steps, fingers crinkling the paper while the other stayed forcibly relaxed. He didn't kneel, but he did watch as your hands lightly stroked a bigger plant nymph. It popped up and grabbed your nail just because, showing you the vibrant, glowing roots protruding out of its seed body. You coaxed it back in there.

"Yeah, yeah you're right about that. This place is a magical haven after all, and these pets all love that." Certainly made for a rather fun childhood, you can say that much.

"But…isn't that isolating? Living in a place where nearly all its residents have magic to some capacity? Doesn't it fill you with frustration, and fear?"

…well isn't that something to unpack later? You know a haunted look when you see one. And, perhaps, he's trying to find something in you, something to connect with. Again, you weren't at his college for long, but you have a sense that he was isolated. Well liked, certainly, but held a quiet about him that reminded you of children that wanted nothing more than to curl up in the corner and wait for everything to go away.

Besides, doesn't Rollo have magic?

You raised an eyebrow. "You want me to fear you?"

Rollo flinched and looked ready to shout, but composed himself with a hissing intake. "No, absolutely not. But, hasn't the thought at least entered your mind? These creatures…they could easily harm you, if given the circumstances. You can't exactly defend yourself against magic."

You blinked then looked to the now snoring plant nymphs. "If I'm being honest, not really." Well, you have been on the receiving end of injuries from pets and other magical mishaps, but you never go about your day biting at your fingers that something can and will happen. "Magic is just…magic, that's all there is to it, bending to the will of the user. And I trust the users here, in this neighborhood. Besides, not like you need magic to take care of pets. I'm cautious enough."

[twst-drabbles]

I don't know how you feel about Twst Jp spoilers but any thoughts on Jade and Floyd's mom in the house pet/sanctuary au?

Oh I love spoilers, no need to hesitate.

She looks like she's going to be fun. I look at her and go "oh you enjoying causing a little chaos huh?" Probably not gonna use her all that often beyond a fun little "pulls at the Caretaker's ankles when they're in the water," if I decide to keep her alive at all.

[twst-drabbles]

Hi there! 👋 I recently discovered your House Pet AU and Sanctuary AU. They’re really intriguing!!

I’m curious about AU Leona and Falena. Sorry if you’ve already mentioned this before…but I was wondering if you’ve ever touched on his origins? I know he’s a land spirit and he is/was under Falena’s care, but how did it come to be so? He was fond of Falena so much so that he took a form based off him. It seems to be implied that they’ve know each other since the very beginning when Leona was born or not long after that. Was Leona found, rescued, or bought?

Speaking of, what exactly is Falena’s occupation? I get the impression that he’s some kind of big shot politician and/or business man that’s ridiculously wealthy having come from Old Money. Or is he nobility? Or even royalty the same as in regular TWST?

Where is he and his family in the Sanctuary AU? I imagine that’s a rough and emotional reunion between them and Leona. Angsty thoughts: You did say that the mages that took the pets were rich and influential. Perhaps at some social function or the other, Falena had shook the hand, made small talk with the person who was keeping Leona captive. All the while painfully unaware. Maybe something out of Falena’s control triggers recollection in Leona of his old captor. A small detail like a random suit he chose to wear that day that Leona remembers his old captor wearing while they carved stones out of his body.

Ahhhhh!!! I’m sorry again if anything here has already been answered! You have really cool ideas!

Let's see, let's seeeee, Imma put this under the cut because it's going to get long.

Oh yeah, keep in mind that my memory is…not the best, so if things are contradictory, it is not on purpose, I genuinely don't remember and need reminders. So please, if anything seems weird or wrong, tell me!!! So I can remember!!!!

So, initially I didn't have much of an idea. Just wanted to keep everything vague until something hit me. Only details in my brain was that Leona was there before Cheka was born, probably before Falena got married, and that he's an unusual choice of magical pet to have due to his sanding properties. Oh and Falena's occupation had to do something with pets. Wanted to continue on with that pattern. A simple background all things considered. Probably was originally the pet of Falena's father before he got too sick to take care of Leona and gave him to Falena.

Back then, poaching laws didn't really apply to magical pets, so Leona was captured by pretty dubious means, something Falena does suspect but can't really prove, and neither can his father. Either way, Leona's in his care now. And Leona did not like Falena initially. In fact, did everything in his power to get away from Falena, but, well, he is a young spirit and isn't exactly the most well equipped to handle the city outside. Still didn't have a form yet, but was beginning to learn how to shine different colors. Just a weird mound of sand that moved, plopped, twitched and shuffled.

Little dude got lost, and Falena nearly lost all his hair worrying about him. He was luckily found, and if Leona wasn't spoiled before, he sure was spoiled afterwards. Yes yes, he was annoyed with the fussing, but Leona really wouldn't have it any other way. So, yeah Falena was pretty much with Leona for the majority of his life. By the time Cheka was born, Leona had been experimenting with Falena's form. It completely solidified when a baby Cheka's eyes would light up every time he took on Falena's form. Got Falena crying that's for sure.

Let's see, I have Mozus be someone who advocates against the poaching of the magical creatures, Divus designs clothes for all sorts of pets, Crowley has very distinct knowledge about said pets that he publishes every so often, Ashton is a physical therapist for these pets, Sam's shop is the go to place to go to for all your pet needs, Neige is training to be a vet for said magical pets, Kalim's family breeds naga's and is dabbling in land restoration because of Kalim's magic, Caretaker is shaping up to be a daycare for said pets and the Kingscholar family?

Hmm…land preservation, probably. The Kingscholar family has acres upon acres of land that they probably use as a refuge for poached pets, or for pets that can no longer live in their current environment. Magic is a recent thing, but also not so recent. As in, the Caretaker is basically living in a generation where all the magical consequences have reared it's head, and now they're barely starting to clean shit up. Magic does create a byproduct after all, and said byproduct was just dumped into any old place without any concern for the consequences. I don't really have any traditional royalty happening here, so while the Kingscholar family probably were royal at one point, and probably still benefiting from the sheer wealth and land, reshaping the law as they see fit is out of their hands by this point.

Oh and Leona was born from the sands of a land that was suffering desertification. Treated as an omen by the locals there, which obviously also plays a part in why Leona is who he is.

Now, as for what Falena and his family are doing in the Sanctuary AU, well also aiding in the efforts to track down the pets, and also helped fund the Caretaker for a new home. Well, I'm pretty sure everyone in the Night Raven Neighborhood is pitching in their efforts to help the Caretaker out and track down the pets, tis a shitty situation to have happen. They're not gonna ignore it. Though, I imagine that there was only so much Falena could do, because the Caretaker wasn't the only one attacked and had pets stolen. Falena has a refuge for many a wild pet, I would imagine some of them also went missing.

Hmm, I think Falena even gave part of his land to the Caretaker, no strings attached, said land eventually becoming an inn for pets to be left and taken care of. By the time the pets were taken, Leona has either fully become the Caretaker's pet or was about to become their pet.

Haha, yeah that's a highly likely scenario. Falena feels like the kind of fella to have that particular kind of bad luck. Falena is still has blood connected to royalty, so I imagine invitations have been stretched to him. Been rejected them for a while in favor of his current passions, but began to accept them to widen the social net and see if anything catches.

Also, ough, yeah Leona's having the worst time and has been putting off seeing Falena and Cheka time and time again. He's not afraid to see them, more that the sight of pity in their eyes that they're going to give to him will make him sick to his stomach. He's a mess, he knows it, no point in showing himself because that's only going to make him made later.

…Falena has a specific cologne that Leona doesn't like. The minute he sniffs it, his tongue gets caught in the back of his throat and words suddenly become impossible. Moving becomes impossible, and when Falena is made to leave, Leona doesn't want to get out of the corner/hiding place.

[twst-drabbles]

Divus 5

Summary: It's early in the morning and luckily it was a day off. Though it seems you forgot to close the window before you went to bed. Divus made a complaint about it.

(The writing pace still isn't quite here yet, but it's been itching at me more often, so that's good at least. Anyways, have more Janitor Prefect and Divus Crewel!)

If there's one thing you like about being in this world--you know, besides the magic and all of it's fascinating variety--was the fact that this place had stable weather. So much so that you actually don't need any sort of central air unit most of the time. You just open a window in Ramshackle and leave at it at that.

Ramshackle was a…unique place. A hazard among other things, but you can't find it in you to call it horrible for whatever reason. You don't know, you suppose it's because ghosts live here, so calling a place with sentient beings in it horrible is a little harsh. That and horrible implies that Ramshackle was beyond saving, but look at it now! Look as this beautiful masterpiece of a place you've made!

Practically a hotel now if you do say so yourself, all with your own money, and a little blackmail.

Well, all this to say that sleeping here has never been more comfortable, and now you can enjoy the nice weather to the fullest without have to worry about overheating or getting hypothermia.

Right now, it's early in the morning, sun just a few inches off the horizon, light hitting streaks off of your wallpaper and all you can do is languidly stretch over your pillow as the soreness from your janitorial work fully settled into you.

You still haven't gotten rid of the habit of just letting yourself sleep in on the weekends. Your body was wound just enough to anticipate an alarm that's not going to ring. You have a few days off but it's going to take a bit for it to hit in the rest of your limbs.

So, all you can do is enjoy this nice and windy morning.

"Can you close that?" A hand lazily smacked the back of your head, giving you a glimpse of black and white painted nails. "Get the window already…"

Apparently you're the only one that appreciates such calm weather and winds.

"In a minute," you pushed Divus's hand off, who just as lazily fought back with a couple of additional smacks on your wrist.

"It's too early for this," Divus groaned before retreating under the sheets, clearly nursing the mother of all hangovers. Turning, all you can see was a few wisps of his dual colored hair from under a few layers of blankets, and a custom made sleep mask.

You plucked it and lightly smacked Divus's head. "Your mask slipped off."

He didn't move for a solid minute. You thought Divus went back to sleep, but then his curled figure moved, shuffled, then snatched the mask from your hand like an underground mole.

"Mmm…thanks…"

You pushed yourself out of the sheets and gave as large of a stretch as you could, taking care not to knock over the opened wine bottles and movie projector.

"I'm making breakfast, you want anything?" You reached under your bed to grab your slippers.

With a deep breath and a slight wince, Divus popped his messy head out from under the covers, sleep mask fully in place but still wearing an uncomfortable frown, "My clothes. I'm not wearing a thing."

You snorted. "Food, Divus. I'm talking about food."

"…eggs." Divus gave up sitting up and flopped back on the pillow.

"And raisin butter on toast?" You stood up and gave your spine one final stretch.

"And tea. And all the snacks in your pantry."

"Alright, gotcha."

[twst-drabbles]

Dire 11

Summary: Mr. Crowley's had been…insistent as of late. Mentioning all his new furniture items he just ordered, his beautiful flowers he just made blossom, and all the leftover food that he just can't eat himself. He's really gotta learn to just ask outright, it's not a crime to ask you to come over.

(Crowley can never be forth coming, he's gotta beat around the bush because being blunt will apparently make him explode. Anyways, I was silent for so long because my family and I are in the process of moving. We're still not done, we're just waiting for the water to turn on. Ugh…)

"And woe is me, I keep making too many sweets for me to consume," Crowley pressed the back of his hand to his forehead, as if he's about to faint, "all the food, soon to go to waste! Doesn't a tragedy like that just make you want to cry?" He even sniffled as he laid on your couch, shoes propped up on the arm.

Huh, look at that, his shoes are shinier than the river pebbles you've seen on your hikes. Even his clothes are immaculate today. Huh. He's really bringing his A game today. Why is that? Is today anything special?

Hmm…no you don't think so. Your birthday isn't coming and neither is Crowley's, and holidays usually bring a more decorative side to Crowley.

…he wants you to come over to his house. You used to do that a lot, way back when you were smaller and his house used to be a magical marvel to your curious eyes. Probably got sentimental in the middle of the night and now he's making it his life's goal to have you come over to his house, but without him being outright about it, because somehow asking would ruin the dream of it all.

You could just go over. Wouldn't be much of a problem and it's not like you hate his house. But, you do like messing with him.

…yeah you're gonna mess with him.

"Donate the food then." You plucked Ace right off your shoulder, who squirmed in your hold as if it was an injustice that you stopped his poking of your cheek. "Shouldn't be too much trouble. Lot of the neighbors wouldn't complain about that."

"Oh but then I would have to walk around and ask and make sure I list out all of the allergens within, because you know I love to experiment, and then I would have to--" Then, as if a a loose wire in his brain suddenly connected, Crowley sat straight up. "That's right! I have new furniture! Beautiful, beautiful things I found, on sale as well! Oh how I wish for someone to come see it and give it the compliments it deserves."

Ace, despite his limited understanding of the human language as a whole, paused in your hand and looked at Crowley with what you can best describe as disdain.

You just snorted. "Hope you find that person soon then, Mr. Crowley." You put Ace down and he trotted out the window, clearly wanting to escape the crow man and his antics.

Crowley huffed, caught himself, then shifted into clearing his throat. "There's also the flowers I've managed to bloom the other month. The seasons are changing soon and it won't be long before my entire garden is forced to shift from that perfection I have. Magical plants, while unique in their appearance, can have such fickle conditions."

"Oh don't I know it." Riddle popped in his head, glanced at you, then at Crowley as his eyes sparkled beneath his mask, then dipped out. Ha. "Take some pictures then, don't you have the old camera of yours? Might be a good time to put it to good use."

Crowley stood up, perfect customer service smile plastered on his face. He took a few steps towards you, never once faltering in his expression. He opened his arms, decorative claws glinting gold in the daylight. You simply stared at him.

Then, after a few moments of silence, Crowley broke. "Are you truly that heartless?! When you see a pitiful being such as me lament about my endless loneliness, the logical course of action would be to offer comfort and visit! And after all these years of blessing you with my endless kindness, to think you would be this ungrateful…oh what has this world come to?"

Wow, he has actual tears in his eyes. That's impressive.

You couldn't help the laughter that sputtered out of you. Apparently that was enough for Crowley to drop the dramatics and cross his arms.

"…you're cruel, toying with my emotions like that."

"You just make it too easy, Crowley." You patted his arm. "Alrighty, alrighty, now tell me, what do you want?"

"I want you to visit me, roam through the halls of my house, admire my furniture, my flowers, and eat food with me at my dining table, like you used to when you were barely knee high."

"There we go, now was that so hard?"

Crowley's jaw set tight. "Yes, yes it was."

[twst-drabbles]

Holy shit

That is impressive coding

I'm in the middle of currently developing a visual novel so that is very interesting to see

Dante Anon

What's hilarious is that I have no model sprites to use whatsoever, other than what is freely given, so I really shouldn't be doing a visual novel. Text adventures should probably be more my thing, but the brain wants what it wants.

(Writing has been mentally painful lately, and it doesn't help that there's a possibility of me moving soon so I've been frozen for the most part, other than burying myself in my coding shenanigans.)

[twst-drabbles]

When I'm not writing,

I can usually be found going down a coding hole for some reason or another. The latest being with me going "I wonder if I can replicate the text box UI from twisted wonderland?"

Check it.

And here's how it looks on mobile.

Obviously not perfect but it was fun to do this via CSS. I'll think about adjusting the font size later, I just wanted to show off. And for anyone wondering what engine I used, I used the Tuesday JS Visual Novel Engine, just because it plays to my specific strengths. I love messing around with HTML, CSS and JavaScript.

[twst-drabbles]

Malleus 21

Summary: After so many overblots, your body has become a collection of lingering scars. In the aftermath of Malleus's overblot, during a party he's hosting, you decided to find some peace and quiet. Of course, it wasn't long before Malleus joined.

(This contains spoilers of the aftermath of Malleus's overblotting and all that. Oh and I play around with the "magic affects the Prefect weirdly" thingy I did before. Reminder for the fact that I am not a spoiler-free blog, alrighty? Kinda proud of this one, not gonna lie. Hope you all enjoy this intimate piece!)

…your flesh has become weird. It dips in, as scars do, hugging your bones, muscles and veins as skin does when it heals far, far too quickly. You'll admit, it was stupid of you to rip yourself through the writhing mass of thorns, but it's built within your very nature to struggle. To never give into anything until your final breath, even if it will leave you injured, bleeding and forever scarred. Being complacent wasn't something you can live down.

Now, if only you can beat it into your head that you just can't do that. Everything, stretching from medicines to even the medical equipment, was built upon the foundation of magic, or at least has been influenced by it. Things that should affect the average non-magic person, just doesn't work the same on you. You don't know what about you is different, but whatever it is, it makes magic hate you. Magic made to hurt, always succeeds in it's damage, and magic made to heal, always slides right off.

A bandage is more effective than a healing potion, but even then there's a chance something might go wrong.

…you got an infection. Developed right in a puncture wound you got from those thorns Malleus was controlling to keep you and Lilia caged up. Perhaps there was some blot on it that you weren't aware of. You know how you get when you come in contact with the stuff, so you thought you did a pretty good job in avoiding it.

Apparently not.

It came, it went. You caught it early, but it didn't stop your shoulder from swelling and radiating way too much heat. And certainly didn't stop it from spitting out ink and puss. But, again, it came and went, and now you look in the mirror of your bedroom to see how marred your skin was.

The ink from those overblots are never kind to you. Never fails to kill your skin and make it peel. You had a dream before, that all the layers that make you up would turn completely black and fall away. Until you were nothing more than chunky clumps of ink.

Now, you're just crumpled, in a way. Pickled, if you're being funny.

…you can't stretch in the same way you used to anymore. If you lift your arm too high, your skin pulls and threatens to rip apart.

Well, there's only so much this college can do. The staff are adaptive folks, at least. And you gotta be too. This is supposed to be a happy time. Malleus invited everyone to a party and you gotta at least act like your body isn't rapidly becoming an inconvenience.

"Heeey…" Grim muffled out past his toothbrush, eyes still not open, "you ready yet?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." You put on your coat and donned your gloves. There, like nothing ever happened.

The wind here was pretty nice. For all of your love of being in bed and just letting the hours pass before the reality of your work comes upon you, you can appreciate a beautiful castle with it's wild foliage just past this place. Air is certainly cleaner than anything you've ever breathed in.

Certainly would be nice to enjoy it alone, but it was inevitable that someone would spot you and join right at your side. None of those college students like to see you by yourself, acting like you'll just vanish--or die--if you're not within sight. And, to be fair to them, it has happened one too many times. Luck was just never on your side.

"Have you grown tired of the festivities?" asked Malleus as he cast his gaze out towards the still dark horizon. "Or, is there something weighing on your mind?"

There it is. Yeah, the minute you go out of your way to be alone, then there's gotta be something wrong. Can't just enjoy the slow way of the world, apparently.

…inevitably, your eyes were drawn to Malleus's head, to the broken horn wearing that fancy silver decoration.

Two hundred years, if you remember right. Or one hundred if one's being optimistic, for his horn to grow back in. That's if it can grow back in. And until then, magic will be… difficult for him. Not gone, but certainly different, and likely unfamiliar.

"Just reeling, a little bit. One thing after the other," you flicked a wrinkle in your sleeve, right over the skin that healed over a gash you made when you wretched yourself through those thorns. "It doesn't feel real to me, sometimes. And when I get reminded of it, it makes me mad."

Whether that was the right thing to say or not, you don't know, but Malleus's eyes widened. You're not sure if it's in surprise, horror or guilt. But you caught his attention nonetheless.

"I'm not mad at you, or anyone for that matter." Yes, you've gotten angry at all the other dorm leaders at one point, but once the adrenaline cooled down, nothing was really there anymore, other than this odd ball of something sitting at the bottom of your stomach. "I'm just not made to handle these kinds of fantastical things. And it really shows whenever I look in the mirror."

Your arms, your shoulders, the back of your neck, your torso, legs and even fingers. You're really not made for this world, and your body insists on showing it. You dug your thumb into the crease and tugged, made it worse just because you could.

You didn't need to look to the side to know Malleus was staring at you. You didn't move when he stepped closer, and you didn't get away when you saw his hand hesitantly hovering over your arm.

Malleus's fingers nervously curled. "If I may?"

A light touch won't kill you. At least you think so. You'd hope so. "Go on ahead." You pulled down your sleeve.

The thorns, when everyone on campus woke up from the dream everyone was forced into, lashed out and wrapped themselves right around your arm. Gripped it tight, but didn't quite cut into you, not until you yanked against it. Took a good chunk of your arm and you didn't feel it until after Lilia's heart began to beat again. Sometimes you can still feel it whenever your room gets too cold.

Your skin is still new, and a little sensitive, but it covers, at least. Still sinks in weirdly, since you're missing fat under there. Malleus made to touch the scar, was really close too, but ultimately couldn't. His fingers settled for the non-injured skin. Traced outside of it, as if determined to commit it all to memory. The new tissue tingled painfully, made you want to rip your nails right over it so you can feel something other than that. But, instead, your fingers twitched, and Malleus pulled back as if he burned you.

You sighed and beckoned him back with the opening of your palm. An invitation. How long has it been since he last held your hand?

Too long, apparently, because Malleus, after a light hitching of his breath, stepped even closer. His arm pressed against yours, not caring for the Grim hair that will get stuck to his regalia. Carefully, as if afraid you'll take back the offer, Malleus linked his fingers with yours.

You breathed in and slowly let it out. The muscles in your neck let go, and your jaw released its tension.

You glanced to that broken horn, still jagged from having a sword launch itself at it. "Can I?"

Untangling his hand, Malleus lifted yours to his hair. "You can," he said in a whisper that was almost washed away in the festivities behind you both.

Over the fabric of your gloves, you could feel the strong, uneven edges. They snagged at the threads, evidently not sanded down in the least. Deliberately left that way, probably. Just one broken horn, and apparently that's enough to cut him off from much of Malleus's magic.

"If it grows back," Malleus's closed his eyes, fingers pressing against the back of your palm, as if urging you to touch that broken horn deeper, "it likely won't look the same. My horns will no longer be uniform, from here on out."

"Hmm, I see." Because what were you supposed to say?

"But we live on, nonetheless."

"…yeah, we do."

[twst-drabbles]

Malleus 20

Summary: Your mouth tastes something awful and you haven't showered in a while, but a little dragon pet needs to have his horns cleaned.

(Warning: it's another 'Caretaker going through a depressive episode.' It's always a cycle, battling it then relapsing and battling it all over again.)

Isn't it frustrating how easy it is for habits you've done for years can suddenly be broken? All because something inside you, that fire that everyone seems to have that gets them up in the morning, just went out for no apparent reason. And all you're left with is the weight of your own tired body as the sun rises, falls, and rises again.

You haven't brushed your teeth in a while. That's always the first thing to go. And now showers have gone along with it. You've been wearing this same night fit for the past week, your nose long already used to your own smell. You've slept and you've slept but you still nowhere near any closer to feeling energized again.

You can't say you're chained to your bed. You could very well get up at anytime. Nothing's really stopping you. Yeah you feel tired, but you're not exhausted.

Still though, you're here, under sheets that need to be washed, because you don't want to get up at all.

…there's a knock on your window. A delicate plink plink plink upon glass. You finally wretched your gaze from your so-very-interesting ceiling. Two little green eyes. Face pink from the hot summer sun, squished up against glass, breath fogging it up, and horns covered in… fertilizer.

Ah, the little dragon looked so very angry. You probably would be too, but you can't really say that. Look at you, you're surrounded by trash: discarded wrappers, empty water bottles, sticky puddles of… honestly you don't remember.

Either way, you got up, because you know this pet of Silver's, and he will melt through the glass if you're not quick enough. What a weird creature he is, capable of both fae-typical elegance and meat-headed brutality.

You unlatched the window and cracked it open. The smell of the outside air only making it more apparent just how pungent you are. "How did this even happen?"

Of course, Malleus couldn't reply to you. All he did was fly in and plant his little butt on the edge of your night stand, as it was the only place without trash on it. He kept his dignity about him somehow, even amidst all this mess. Huh.

You opened your hand, "Let's get you rinsed off first, okay?" You didn't have any clean towels but you have rolls of paper towels at least. Afterwards, you'll probably need some wipes, that oil that Silver dropped off way back when--though you do have to check if it's expired--and then that brush that you do not remember where you left it but know you still have somewhere. "You love taking good care of your horns, huh?"

You'd pet him, but you don't want to get fertilizer on your skin. That and you're pretty sure Malleus is in no mood for any affection. Too many things are assaulting his senses and while he looks composed, the tip of his tail was practically vibrating and his eyes are more narrowed than usual as he crawled onto your palm.

He's a hair-trigger away from exploding. Sluggishly, you walked to the bathroom, taking careful care not to stumble from laying down for too long.

Alright, time to get the water ready.

…and may as well get a shower in while you're at it. Just gotta get the shower chair out. Oh, and you should probably wash your mouth while you wait for the water to heat up.

The towels in the bathroom aren't clean but they should be usable. You think. Well, if the worst comes, you have your phone. You can just text Crowley. You know how much he loves his fresh and fluffy towels.

…wait, did you even charge the thing?

Oh boy…

[twst-drabbles]

If anyone wants to get the zine, best to get it now folks!

This is your final warning before we say goodbye...

Get Night Terrors here, while you still can.

[twst-drabbles]

Leona 29

Summary: Winter is here and you light up the fireplace. Leona, ever the seeker for warmth. crawls into your blanket, and then eventually your hand.

(You all don't mind if I suddenly release a lot of depressive piece do you? I've been stuck in that state of mind for a while with there being trouble at home, and trouble with the home itself my fucking god it's falling apart…we still don't have hot water. Anyway, warnings about that, the Caretaker is going to be suffering with me.)

While you can't say you looked forward to winter, at least not actively, there is at least one thing you liked about it: the excuse to turn on the fireplace. Everything else about it is just a chain of inconveniences. Stored close early, hiking paths become dangerous ice slopes, your heater struggling to keep your poorly insulated house warm, and that's not getting into your shoddy electrical wiring that you still haven't gotten fixed.

All this to say that while you like lighting the fire in the fireplace, and watching that bright hearth burn, it dawns on you that it's starting to become a necessity. And when you have to do something rather than choosing to do so, it soils the fun.

So when you finally had everything set up, wood in the grate, excess to the side and starters at hand, whatever minute joy you had simmering was suddenly sapped.

…well, at least you have your blanket here on the floor. Your food can wait. You're really not in the mood for cooking and washing pots and pans. And ready-made dinners sound just awful right now. It also doesn't help that you haven't cleaned your fridge in a while, so all leftovers will have that disgusting fridge taste. And dry food? You haven't gotten any. You never bothered.

It's fine, it's fine. Just start the fire.

You sighed, tossed the starter in and torched it.

The fire was lit and the wood burned. A reaction that, if you were stupid and careless enough, could very well consume you and your entire house along with it. Fire wouldn't care, and you probably wouldn't care as well. All that's needed is a little ember and suddenly, whoosh. And then you're gone. Well, it wouldn't be as quick as that, now would it?

Would it be painful? Yes, but you've heard that, once all the nerves die, it becomes nothing. And when excruciating pain suddenly stops, that's when bliss sets in. The 'nothing' suddenly becomes something. Sucks that that phase is still something you have to work towards, to endure, for a very short-lived and not very fulfilling reward.

So you grab the poker and shove the tossed logs of wood deeper into the fireplace. And because you can practically feel Crowley pulling at your ear if you didn't, you placed the fireplace screen just as the wood gave a loud pop and spat out a spark.

You jumped, dropped the screen and covered your ears at the metallic clattering. Everything's just too… not loud, not ear-piercing, just… it's too much. And it's frustrating, annoying, all on top of all this nothing you've been stuck in.

The wood didn't do anything, neither did the fire, but you slammed the screen right in front like that'll teach it a lesson.

It was dumb, unneeded. Accomplishes nothing really, other than making you feel a vague sense of frustration that at least distracts you from your appetite-less hunger. But that's it. The wood crackles again, it spits out more sparks, and you're now just sitting there. Waiting. Watching. Because that's about the only thing you can do right now. No energy for anything else.

Something rustled the folds of the blanket right by your hand. It was small, and familiar. You knew who it was. You reached out and lightly tap the moving swell.

It stopped, huffed, then shuffled it's way to the nearest edge.

Leona's face popped out, eyes just the slightest bit annoyed, as if you somehow ruined his day.

"Hey," you couldn't muster a smile but you kept your tone light, just so he wouldn't think he's in trouble.

Leona looked as bored as ever as he tilted his head. When it's clear he wasn't going to move out of the blankets anytime soon, you turned back towards the fire. It's about the only source of light in this room. You have lamps, both battery and oil, but it's too much trouble. You're comfortable here anyways.

Something cold nudged at your fingers. You glanced down and watched as Leona pried your hand open and stuff his whole body into your palm. He looked less grumpy and more sleepy. You couldn't exactly deny him your hand when he looked like that.

He curled up and you loosely closed your fingers around him.

This is nice. This is alright.

…you're in a mood for a little snack. Something light would be best.