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Original Fiction - Blog Posts
Presenting the main character, Sir Stradivarius from my first original work: The Cracked Symphony of Divintous. Work is here;
https://archiveofourown.org/works/60648052
kill your insecurities
I just reada really good fic but halfway through I realized "oh shit this is really familiar.... didn't I write something like this once?" And as I kept reading I kept predicting what happened next and the further I went the more convinced I was that they'd ripped off my story-
like, copied the ENTIRE plot and re-written it, just better than I had? The characters were more fleshed-out than mine were, and the POV was more interesting, and the pace made more sense- but it was MY STORY?
So close to the end I was like "holy shit.. do I message them? Ask if my story inspired theirs? Should I be angry? Flattered?" Cause their tags and description didn't mention me AT ALL, which, sure, it's fanfiction to begin with, but if you're using my work than at least credit me as inspo, right? Just to be courteous?
But I get to the end of the final chapter, and it's not finished, and I'm kind of disappointed cause I never finished my story and I was really immersed in their version now and had been looking forwards to seeing how they tied up my loose ends- so I scroll to the bottom to leave a comment, and.
It's MY URL.
IT WAS MY STORY THE WHOLE TIME.
THE ONE *I WROTE*.
In *2013*.
And FORGOT ABOUT
BECAUSE I WAS SO INSECURE ABOUT MY SLOPPY, SHALLOW, AMETEUR WRITING
And I'm just sitting here now staring into space thinking about every shitty story I've ever written now like
IT WAS ALL GOOD?
IT WAS GOOD THIS WHOLE DAMN TIME??
I'M A GOOD WRITER?????
Do whatever the fuck you want with your art and body forever and ever, until you die.
Hi!!! I loved the fifth chapter of Rakul and the third chapter of Shimsiam. I'm so happy that you are writing them, and I'm always excited when I see you upload a new chapter 🥰 I was wondering what stories inspired you to start writing about demons. Can you recommend some? 👀
Hello and thank you so much for the Ask! While I can’t think of any one story that inspired my Demon original characters, in my notes from 1/31/22 just over one year ago, I reference a few movies as story and place inspirations: Maleficent, Legend (1985), and The Last Unicorn. I’d written a little over 1k of a story, inspired by the dark and romantic lyrics of the song “The Killing Moon”, about a demon Thrawn who finds a teenage girl, Elise (female Eli) in the forest, captures and seduces her, then takes her to the Black Fortress as an offering to the evil Demon King there (demon Emperor Palpatine), but in the last minute lets Elise escape from the rest of the demons and he is imprisoned. Elise helps him escape his prison cell, but she is severely injured and near death as he flies her away from the Fortress. So there are several elements of that story that DID end up becoming part of Rakul, but that specific story is one of my few truly abandoned ideas. And it was reborn into Rakul and the sequel to Rakul, which will feature demon Thrawn and demon Thrass, as well as Elise as female Eli once again (which is at least half written, but the exact ending point is undetermined at the moment). That sequel was begun on Feb. 2, 2022, and the first chapter of Rakul was begun Feb. 23, 2022 and published on AO3 2/25/22. Anyway, most of the inspiration for all of these stories was simply some dark song lyrics and a certain mood. I actually didn’t start reading a lot of romance novels until later in 2022, and I actually haven’t read any demon stories like mine before, so there isn’t any specific novel I could recommend that inspired my demons unfortunately.
Finally, there IS a very lovely romantic fanfic about demon!Thrawn and human Eli already on AO3:
" 'Truth is stranger than fiction', as the old saying goes. When I watch a documentary I can't help crying and then think to myself 'Fiction can't compete with this.' But when I mentioned this to a veteran Manga artist friend of mine, he said 'Fiction brings salvation to characters in stories that would otherwise have no salvation at all.' His words strengthened the conviction of my manga spirit."
-- Arakawa Hiromu, 2005 (Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 12)
Chapter 2 of Rakul is UP
[ CONTENT WARNING: NONCON ]
https://archiveofourown.org/works/37363276/chapters/93232891
yes get ready for my oc / oc fanfic bitches
You are allowed to write about any character you want.
You are allowed to write your shitty OC.
You are allowed to write entire novels about your shitty OC.
You are allowed to do meme fills for your shitty OC.
You are allowed to play Mary Sue Bingo where your shitty OC wins every row.
You are allowed to continue extending your shitty OC’s life whichever way you want.
You are allowed to say “OC” and not mentally prepend “shitty.”
You are allowed to enjoy this creative process even if the entire output is a fat soggy word count for your unimpressive, inconsistent character.
You are allowed to like writing whatever the hell you want.
But let’s pretend this is about this OC.
You are allowed to give her boyfriends, hobbies, quirks, superpowers, crappy AUs…all of it. Totally available.
You are allowed to write. People who don’t want to read it know where the “back” button is.
Thanks for giving me a chance ❤
Chapter 5: Of fights, Farewells, and Fools
I woke to the sharp chime of the bell, the sound pulling me abruptly from my daze and dragging me back into reality.
"Time's up," the proctor announced, his voice cutting through the lingering haze in my mind. Right — the gymnasium. I was still here.
I turned my head, only to find Ezra sprawled unconscious on the floor. Instinctively, I reached out to shake him awake, but before my hand could make contact, a voice interrupted me.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." I glanced up, finding one of my classmates watching me with thinly veiled amusement. "And why not?" I asked. He raised a brow, clearly unimpressed.
"Are you seriously asking that?" Something about his tone scratched at my nerves. Still, I forced myself to remain calm.
"If you can't answer a simple question, perhaps you shouldn't waste your breath."
"A sharp tongue won't save you from your own ignorance."
"And your refusal to clarify only proves your own." I frowned, though he only responded with a careless scoff.
"Enough, Maverick," Clarence cut in, stepping between us with the practiced ease of someone used to extinguish petty conflicts. Maverick shrugged, utterly unbothered, and walked away without another word.
"What's his problem?" I muttered to Clarence. Clarence let out a tired sigh. "He's always like that. Not the brightest socially, but quick to mock anyone who's even slightly out of the loop. Let's just say he finds entertainment in other people's confusion."
"Charming," I said dryly.
"Anyway, what do we do about Ezra?"
"I'll notify the proctor," Clarence said, adjusting his glasses. "And for future reference, you should avoid touching him directly. His abilities are highly contagious — you did learn that from the time-travel session, didn't you?"
"No," I admitted. "I didn't get that far. The bell rang before I could see anything else." "I see." Clarence gave a thoughtful nod before heading off to inform the proctor, leaving me alone with Ezra's motionless form and the unsettling realization that there's far more to this boy than I ever imagined. I watched as Ezra was hurried off to the infirmary, and with his absence came a flood of questions swirling in my mind. Why is he contagious? The thought looped over and over, each repetition tightening like a knot behind my eyes.
Before I could stop it, my head began to ache — a slow, creeping pulse that warned me something was coming.
A vision, maybe. My magic stirring to life. Panic shot through me, and I bolted toward the bench where I'd left my mask, my hands shaking as I slipped it back on. Just in time, too — a fragmented memory was already clawing its way to the surface, blurring my vision and distorting reality. If I hadn't covered my face, I'd probably be the next one dragged off to the infirmary. A sigh of relief slipped from my lips as I sank onto the bench.
Honestly, I can't even overthink without overthinking the fact that overthinking might actually make me pass out. And somehow, just by trying to figure everything out, I end up drained by my own powers. Truly, fate has a twisted sense of humor.
"Hagarin~" Clara's sing-song voice rang out as she skipped over and settled beside me. I noticed her monocle wasn't on her face but dangling between her fingers.
"I saw your face earlier! You're really pretty, you know that?" she said with a bright smile.
"Oh... thank you?" I replied, caught somewhere between confusion and gratitude. She only giggled in response.
"Wait—why aren't you wearing your monocle? Wouldn't that give you a headache if your power activates?" I asked, tilting my head slightly.
She shook her head with a proud grin. "I've managed to control about ten percent of my power now. It's not much, but it's a lot better than having no control at all."
"That ten percent lets me shut down a small part of my ability. It only kicks in randomly if I'm feeling really anxious or overwhelmed," she explained, and I nodded along.
"What about the rest of your power? What can you do at full strength?"
"Well..." She tapped her chin playfully. "The best part is feeling almost normal—for once. No headaches, no sudden visions of doom. It's peaceful."
"But why a monocle? Wouldn't it make more sense to cover both eyes if seeing the future is such a problem?" I asked. She laughed softly. "I only have time magic in one eye—my left. The right eye? That one's all nature. Back when I was a kid, I used to keep my mom's plants alive with a flick of my fingers."
"Speaking of my mom, want to come visit her with me sometime? She's dead, by the way.""...What—oh! I'm so sorry for your loss," I stammered, completely thrown off by her delivery. Clara only smiled, unbothered as always.
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When class hours ended, Clara insisted that Clarence join us, but he politely declined, mentioning he already had other plans. So, in the end, it was just me and Clara. We strolled along the stone pavement, the crisp air mingling with the rustling of trees lining the path.
I found myself enjoying the peacefulness, a rare moment of tranquility. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Clara hopping along the stepping stones, entertaining herself like a carefree child. "Y'know, Hagarin, I have a feeling you'll end up acing the entire class," she said suddenly, her voice light and confident.
"I'm not sure if I should believe that, considering we both have the ability to see the future," I hummed, keeping my gaze forward.
"I'm saying this from instinct, not sight." She spun to face me, sliding her monocle back into place—a clear sign she wasn't using her powers to peek ahead.
"Right," I scoffed softly. "Why won't you believe me?" she pouted. "You're already better than half our classmates, and most of them barely have two functioning brain cells to rub together. Plus, they're just mean for no reason." "Are they?" I raised a brow. "I guess I never really paid much attention to anyone." The scenery was far more interesting, in my opinion.
Clara hopped off the last stepping stone and walked beside me. "Have you not noticed Maverick? Or even Liviya? They're not full-blown bullies or anything, but the mess in their heads is loud enough to drown out whatever kindness they might have had. Honestly, they're so chaotic, it's hard to even see them as normal."
"I suppose they do give me some unpleasant looks now and then," I admitted after a brief pause. "What about the blind girl? I haven't seen her face either. Everyone took off their... stuff during class, but I never caught a glimpse of her," I said, curiously.
"Oh, Alain? She's sweet, just incredibly quiet. But if you ever get the chance to talk to her, you'll like her," Clara said with a fond smile.
"She's blind, yes, but her powers let her see everything—every possibility, every shift in time. That's why she wears a blindfold. Without it, her mind gets overwhelmed. Though, from what I've seen, she's making progress."
"That's... actually fascinating. It's like a blessing wrapped in a curse." I rubbed my chin thoughtfully. "Imagine being born without sight, unable to witness the beauty of the world—only to be gifted the power to see everything at once. Still, I'm guessing that's nothing compared to ordinary vision."
I glanced at Clara, my thoughts drifting. "Seeing through the eyes of a time traveler is so strange. For me, it's all washed-out shades of blue, with a slight distortion. Like looking through fogged glass."
"Really? Blue?" Clara tilted her head. "For me, it's this pale brown haze, almost sepia." She laughed softly. "Maybe it has something to do with our actual eye color."
"Could be," I said, returning her smile. "Just another strange part of our lives, I guess."
We finally arrived at her mother's tomb. "Hi, Mom. I brought a friend with me today—another new one besides Clarence," Clara said softly as she stepped closer to the grave.
"We learned how to time travel in class today." The tomb itself was well-maintained, adorned with delicate decorations built into the stone. It felt intentional, almost like a tradition that had been passed down through generations. Every small detail seemed to hold a memory.
I stood beside Clara, quietly listening as she rambled on, speaking to her mother as though she were still right there with us.
I'd be like that too if I ever had the chance to bury my mother—to care for her tomb and visit her like this. But no, life gave me something far more cruel. A memory I can never bury, no matter how much I want to.
When it ended, we both lit candles as a gesture of respect, the soft flicker of the flames dancing in the cool air.
As we slowly walked down the stone path, I broke the silence.
"Clara, if life wasn't so cruel, would you actually enjoy living?" I asked as we slowly made our way down the stone path.She gave a soft laugh, but there was a hint of bitterness behind it.
"I'm content with my life—even if the word enjoy doesn't really fit anywhere in it. If life had been kinder, I wouldn't have met Clarence... or you."
"Everything that happened today wouldn't have happened. That's just how fate works—we either accept it or keep fighting something we can't change." She paused, looking up at the floating lanterns that were starting to light our way.
"I know this world of ours is swallowed whole by magic, and sure, anything feels possible—like we're trapped in some cruel fairytale. Hell, reincarnation might even be real for all we know. But even so, I think I like this life. Just... go with the flow. Maybe you'll find a reason to keep going."
"Right," I murmured. "The power to rewrite my past and change the future is right at my fingertips... yet I didn't take it."Clara glanced at me, her expression unreadable.
"Because you know you'd die if you mess up your timeline."
"Time, fate—whatever people want to call it—it's such a tangled mess," she sighed.
"Sometimes, I wish I had something simple. Like the power to grow flowers or control fire. Something that doesn't make my head hurt."
"I get that," I said quietly. Neither of us spoke after that. We just walked, both letting out a long sigh at the same time, letting the silence say the rest.
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Later that evening, Clara and I parted ways to head back to our homes. Tomorrow was another day, and honestly, I was relieved this one had finally come to an end. When I stepped through the door, the soft murmur of the television greeted me.
"I'm home... sorry I'm late," I said quietly, spotting Hanari lounging on the couch.
"Where'd you even go?" she asked, barely glancing my way as I slipped off my shoes and dropped onto the couch beside her. "I, uh... went with a friend to visit her mom's grave."
Hanari just hummed in response, munching lazily on her slice of apple pie.
"I don't have any friends anymore, you know. You're never there. Maybe you could come to the main building and have lunch with me sometime? I saw your schedule—you have way more free periods than I do."
"Can't," I shrugged.
"Too lazy to walk that far, and the main building's practically on the other side of the campus."Hanari groaned dramatically, flopping back against the cushions like her life was ending.
"What if I just come to your building instead?"
"They probably won't let you," I said, stealing a glance at her.
She groaned again, louder this time, like the weight of her tragic social life was too much to bear. "I look like some lonely loser."
"You'll live," I muttered, grabbing her fork and stealing a bite of her apple pie before she could protest.
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Friday — Sparring Day.
Every Friday, our class dedicates the entire day to sparring practice. It's the only time we're allowed to fully use our powers against each other — under supervision, of course.
We were all gathered at the field, the usual spot for these sessions. I stood at the edge, quietly observing my classmates as they clashed, each person using their abilities in creative or chaotic ways.
Some were flashy, showing off like they were performing for an audience. Others fought with precision, wasting no movement. Then, the proctor called out the next pair.
"Hagarin... versus..."There was a brief pause before the proctor continued.
"Oh, Clara." Both of us froze for a second, equally surprised. From across the field, Clara waved nervously.
"Go easy on me, Hagarin!" she called out with a laugh, though there was a flicker of real concern in her voice. We took our places, standing opposite each other in the center of the field.
All eyes were on us now — classmates whispering, some curious, others already making guesses about who would win. We stood across from each other, the afternoon sun casting long shadows over the field.
The proctor raised his hand — the signal to begin. Clara didn't waste a second. The ground beneath me trembled as thick roots erupted from the earth, twisting and surging toward me like serpents. I leapt back, narrowly avoiding the first strike, but more followed in its wake, branches splitting off and shooting upward to block my escape.
She's fast. Faster than I expected.
I darted between the branches, my body weaving instinctively to avoid getting caught. From the corner of my eye, I saw Clara raise her hand — this time, a single rosebud bloomed at her fingertips.
With a flick of her wrist, the rose shot toward me like an arrow, its petals sharp like blades. It wasn't aimed at me directly — it was after my mask. I ducked just in time, the flower slicing through the air above my head.
"She's really aiming for my mask?" I muttered to myself. Typical Clara move — clever, but predictable. If my mask comes off, my power will surge uncontrollably, and we both know that could end the match in chaos.
"Trying to cheat already?" I called out, though my tone was lighthearted.
"Not cheating! Just creative strategy!" Clara shouted back, a grin splitting her face as more vines slithered toward my ankles.
I stomped hard, shattering a root just before it wrapped around my foot. If I let her trap me, it's over. The rules are simple — whoever hits the ground and stays down for five seconds loses.
"Alright," I muttered, cracking my knuckles. "My turn." Clara raised a brow, unfazed, as she unleashed another wave of attacks — every flower she could summon sharpened into dart-like projectiles, whistling through the air toward me.
I dodged each one with ease, weaving left and right, but just as I landed, something coiled around my ankle.
A vine. Clara snorted, clearly proud of herself, her confidence radiating as she tugged slightly, tightening the grip on my leg.
"Gotcha." But this was exactly what I wanted. I kept my back turned to her as she broke into a sprint, closing the distance between us. I could feel the anticipation rolling off her — she thought this was her win.
That's when I calmly reached up and removed my mask. For the first time, the power I'd always struggled to control worked with me instead of against me.
Clara's eyes widened in shock as my gaze met hers, the air between us thickening as time itself slowed to a crawl. The vine around my leg twitched, then loosened, retracting inch by inch as Clara's body faltered.
She stumbled, knees hitting the grass with a dull thud, a soft curse slipping from her lips. I could feel her discomfort, the telltale headache caused when her own time vision clashed with the distortion I created.
Her powers were fighting mine, and neither of us could fully stop it. Still, all I had to do was keep her down — and slowed — long enough.
"5... 4... 3... 2... 1!"The entire class counted down, their voices echoing across the field.
I took a deep breath, lowering my mask back over my face just as the proctor raised his hand.
"Winner — Hagarin."
---------------------
"It's fine, really. You don't have to apologize." Clara reassured me, still comfortably seated on the hospital bed.
"Clara! I'm really sorry." I showed up at the infirmary, holding an apple pie as my peace offering. She just smiled, waving off my concern.
"You really did well back there, but didn't I already tell you to go easy on me?" She chuckled softly.
I sat at the edge of the bed, carefully cutting the apple pie. "Well, I'm glad I lost though. Thanks for the food, I guess." Clara added with a light laugh.
The laughter and chatter from earlier had long faded, replaced by the quiet hum of the evening settling in. The sky outside was painted in soft hues of sunset as I walked down the hall, my steps slow and hesitant.
Part of me didn't want to leave Clara alone in the infirmary, but she had insisted I go home, saying her dad would be there to pick her up soon anyway. The halls were practically deserted now — most students had already gone home, leaving only a few teachers and staff lingering somewhere in the building.
Or so I thought.
That was until I heard soft giggles echoing behind me — the unmistakable sound of someone laughing to themselves. And who else could it be but Ezra?
"Don't touch me," I said immediately, spinning around to face him.
He raised both hands in mock surrender, a grin plastered on his face. "I haven't even done anything!"
"You always tense up when I'm around, don't you? Dove, you gotta ease up a little," he cackled, his voice echoing faintly through the empty hall.
I crossed my arms, trying not to let his antics get to me. "What do you even want? And why are you still here this late?"
Ezra clasped his hands together, his smile never fading. "Oh, I got detention — something about almost killing a classmate earlier!" he said, far too casually for my liking.
I raised a brow, equal parts concerned and confused. "Almost killing someone? How did you even come to that conclusion?"
"Easy! That classmate was Maverick — y'know, the guy who acts like he's the smartest person in the universe but actually reeks of arrogance." Ezra rolled his eyes dramatically before clasping his hands together, voice brimming with exaggerated enthusiasm. "So, to help him fully experience my sincere, heartfelt, emotionally touching anger, I pulled out a pistol when I got close to him."
He even pointed upward like some self-proclaimed intellectual giving a lecture.
I blinked, trying to process the sheer absurdity of what he just said. "Wait—hold on. A pistol? How did you even... What?"
Ezra gasped, clutching his chest like I'd just shattered his heart. "You didn't watch me? Oh, dove, I'm hurt! Absolutely heartbroken!"
I just stared at him, my silence practically speaking for itself. Ezra, on the other hand, stared back at me like a giant question mark had just popped out of his head.
Oh. Right. I forgot — he couldn't even see my face. The mask was still on.
"So...uh, just don't do it again." I finally broke the awkward silence.
"I like whatever is wrong with you — it's fascinating. I'm following you home." Ezra grinned, that usual chaotic glint in his eyes.
"Don't—"
"Too late! Let's go!" Before I could even finish, he grabbed my wrist and practically dragged me along.
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3,429 words
next chapter
Chapter 1: Present time
This chapter contains themes that may be sensitive to some readers, including:
References to past violenceMentions of death, Light school stress and academic pressure, Brief mention of dangerous creatures and plants (idk how sensitive are yall but hell yeah), Mild language.
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Hagarin's POV After many years, we are finally old enough to leave the institution and live independently in the city. My sisters and I are still together and living under the same roof. I also saw several changes in ourselves as we grew up.
And today, both Hanari and I are 15 years old. We spent years studying within the facility and never had the opportunity to attend a regular school. Now that we are living alone, we can finally attend school. I considered staying at home and do houseworks while my two sisters continue with their studies, but Hanari insisted that I should as well.
We all know that education will always be important in many aspects in lives.
In the world we live in, survival demands sharp minds—not just sharpened by magic, but by the brutal chaos we humans created for ourselves.
We’re still human, I suppose. Just tainted—twisted by the very magic that makes me wonder: is this still humanity, or were we meant to become something else entirely?
The world has grown far more advanced ever since magic spread across it. Nothing feels impossible anymore. Some have forgotten where they came from. Others cling to old traditions and beliefs. And then there are those who simply don’t care.
Maybe that’s why the world feels so loud. Everyone’s different now, and no one seems willing to accept what we’ve become.
Look around, and you might see flying cars soaring through the skies of this city. In another, people ride enchanted brooms as their everyday transport. Everything and everyone is different—blended together in a strange mix of magic, machines, and habits.
But here…
I live in a city considered the richest in the world. The nation itself—Aloy—owes its wealth to vast oil reserves. Oil money built everything here. Because of that upper hand, nearly everything is accessible. Magic, technology, luxury—you name it. In Aloy, nothing feels out of reach.
What this city values most, though, isn’t oil—it’s metal. Preserved, traded, revered. I think it’s because the city was once ruled by a god whose very touch could turn anything into metal. Not figuratively—literally. Stone, wood, even flesh. Everything he touched became metal.
And that kind of power leaves a mark. On the land, on the people, on the way we see worth.
But that might not matter now. What matters is that every morning, we follow a certain timetable. I get up early to cook our breakfast, and Hanari and our younger sister will get up early to prepare for school. When they're finished, we'll all enjoy breakfast together. After that, Hanari will wash the dishes as I prepare for school, and our younger sister will assist in putting the plates back in the drawers.
That routine goes on and on everyday.
Sharing what has just happened at the school we attend is stressful, at least for me and Hanari. Our younger sister is stress-free since she is still young and a kindergarten student.
Lately, we have been learning many magic spells, doing scientific experiments, studying a bunch of literature and theses, and many more.
I can say that studying magic spells and doing scientific experiments will help us discover what elemental power we possess.
As I listen to my journalism teacher, I'm fighting the urge to fall asleep. She was now discussing the significance of magic, particularly how it began.
"Magic is important to everyone. No matter how unfair or how much chaos it brings to our lives." she went on to say. "And, in the beginning, the use of magic was legalized as a weapon to defend ourselves, but I have to warn everyone not to be such a prick when it comes to using magic." She giggled, went to the board, and began writing.
"To be exact, 8290 years ago, magic was discovered by a witch," she said, making my focus adjust to her as I listened. I was intrigued. "That witch was none other than Victoria Lemioska." It intrigued the whole class. "Also known as; Victo. Now that you all came to a realization, in all places in the world, her face, and statues are everywhere. As we are all deeply connected with her discovery of the magic," she said before turning to us once again.
"Since Victo is a witch, she first discovered a spell to make a withered plant come back to life." The teacher pulled out a withered rose and used magic to bring it back to a healthy life while it floated in the air. "Victo discovered that spell and named it Resuscitate."
"As time passes by, more spells are discovered by her."
"You can learn it in your spell class."
"But as a journalist, I have seen her notebook filled with magical spells; half of it is forbidden to be used as it casts irreversible damage to anything." She snapped her fingers, making an image of the notebook appear in the air.
We all gazed up, awestruck. It's quite a hefty notepad. Though the object is significantly tarnished due to its age, I can see that the writing on the notepad is still legible and readable to anybody. However, I was attracted by the prohibited magic. I feel that the banned spells are not included in the magic books that are handed to us.
when the image disappeared and the rose landed on her desk. "The notebook was located in our national museum, the Metallica Museum." Our teacher was about to speak again, but then a student raised their hand.
"Ma'am, what about the five major elements?" A student asked.
"The five major elements were discovered by Baili Hermin," our teacher stated. "He was also a journalist like me, and of course, being a journalist requires traveling around the world to explore many things."
"Fun fact, he also used to work under the branch of media analyst, wherein I also work." She proudly claimed. "Moving on, it may sound unrealistic, but Baili met Victoria in a desert. Baili was almost attacked by a lion, but Victo blinded the lion with a spell and took Baili to a cave."
"There's proof, no matter how unrealistic, that Baili's diary was found, and it was also in the museum. He documented his whole journey of travelling around the world, and the most highlighted part of his diary was the discovery of the five major elements."
"He discovered it because of Victo. Baili wrote everything about what Victo said about magic spells, making it more believable that magic spells exist."
"When the article reached many people, the majority of the people started to panic, and out of panic, everyone else planned to execute Victo. The reason is that Victo is nothing but an outcast in the world; possessing magic is absurd and unbelievable."
"And yet, we are here, prone to using magic," our teacher said.
"The elements were discovered when Victo was executed; a light escaped from her chest, making it explode through the sky. It landed on humans, animals, and most importantly, plants."
"Which resulted in why we have species in the forest that are completely dangerous and can harm your life, for example, the flower Rafflesia."
"Before the light landed on that flower, it's just the biggest flower in the world and has a foul odor to attract insects to kill."
"Now it still does its purpose, but it has the ability to stretch away from its position and follow you everywhere in the forest." Our teacher deadpanned making the whole class laughed.
"To make this quick, the five major elements landed on five humans, and those humans are now known to be the gods of those major elements." Our teacher sighed. "We are all aware that the most powerful and rare element to possess is time; in other words, you can control the time, predict what's going to happen, and there are many other signs to feel if you possess one."
"Second is nature."
"Remember, never mess with nature itself, as it was the one that gave us a reason to live in, to breathe in. The ability to possess nature grants you access to control plants and animals."
"But isn't changing the weather also a part of it?" A student asked. "Only the god of nature can do that." Our teacher chuckled. "Come to think of it, the God of Nature has a 15-year streak of absence. Many say that her aura is still around, but many also believe she has passed away, and it's just nature speaking," the teacher sighed.
"Moving on, fire is on the third."
"In my study, fire is always predicted to be possessed by someone who has such a boisterous personality, while the ice one is someone who is...restrained. However, this is just a myth. It is still mostly believed that no matter what personality you posses you'd still get whatever." our teacher summoned her book and it was probably her personalized book. It has a lot of pages and everything that was written in that book was her understanding on how to predict which element do a person possesses.
"ah, here it is." She placed her book on the desk and started reading.
"The element of fire is known to be the most fascinating, exquisite and ravishing elemental of all. It was asserted as one considering a klatsch of people are indulged to play with fire even if it only steers to harm."
"and by all means of harm, it can also be describe as destruction." she finished making the whole class whisper among themselves. "But that doesn't mean to treat someone with disrespect just because they hold that elemental power." She sighed.
THIRD PERSON'S POV
The teacher noticed the change of atmosphere in her class and sighed. "You all probably have forgotten my name but once again, my name is Renée and I hope you all learned something today." Renée glanced at her watch on her wrist.
many students started to protest on her from leaving. They still have a lot of questions with the history but that will all be answered at the next time they see each other again. Renée only stifled a chuckle at the frustrated expression of their students. Curiosity truly made their heads run wild.
"An advance reading on your textbooks won't hurt. Simply just turn your page to chapter 5 and all of your questions will be briefly answered as it provides descriptive explanation to everything." Renée finally exit the classroom.
Once she did, the students in her class opened their textbooks to discover a lot more information. As Renée exit the classroom, she went to the elevator to venture her way to her next class but she was greeted by another teacher; Kyla.
"I see you've gotten your students all pumped up. Quite a headache to deal with." Kyla scoffed as she pressed on the buttons. It only made Renée shrug. "Don't act like you aren't as curious as them when you're at that age." Renée retorted to only make Kyla chuckle and let Renée's tone slide for now. "I assumed you've found someone with a rare element in this class. Hmm?" Kyla's eyes watched Renée's expression from the reflections of the elevator.
"It was such a rare occurrence indeed." Renée remembered Hagarin. "Her eyes are different from the rest. The colors were a lot more dull than the others making it more accessible to assume that she was an extraordinary person." Renée thoughtfully answered. "And this by this she you are referring to, who is she?" Kyla averted her eyes from Renée and focused on the door as it opened. a small ding was heard as they reached the floor. Renée walked ahead of Kyla but spoke before leaving. "Hagarin."
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2,022 words.
Chapter 2
Wanted to post this to show a bit more of Tulip and Macaque’s relationship. I also haven’t been able to watch season 3 and apparently a big thing happened with macaque in it. Not sure if this is true but I’ll have to work it into the story some how but anyway have comic of cute daddy daughter time. Reminded cuz it’s spring break I will have extra time for requests so now is the best time if you had one
I have changed Tulip’s design a bit, she’s curvier and has shorter hair. I’m working on the first installment of the Shadow Apprentice AU for y’all and also for me because it’s been a bit of a passion project
Thank you for your participation in this survey, you may find a virtual cookie on the desk on your way out.
Reason 1 to finish your manuscript:
You can’t read fanfiction of your work unless you, actually, y’know, finish and publish it.
Alright, here ya go. I hope in these trying times a more heartwarming trans story can help people feel a bit better.
Word count: 4,942
Cowboys
I woke up early on Sunday with the neighbor’s rooster and rushed down the stairs in my pajamas to make it to breakfast. Mama made good bacon, and it was worth scarfing down my share, even if she fussed at me that young ladies don’t eat that way. I never cared much when she tried to tell me about being a lady. I let her tie my hair back into two braids for school, and listened as she called me a pretty girl, but I couldn't stand much past that. I picked at my eggs, sticking my tongue out at the runny yolk spilling over my plate. Dex sat on the floor beside me, pawing at my chair until Mama stopped looking and I lowered my dish below the table to let him gobble them up.
Papa glared at me from over his paper, his old wrinkly forehead getting all scrunched up as I tried to read the Sunday funnies and ignored him. He didn’t tell on me, he never did, only huffed before looking back down and turning the page.
Mama took my plate and was starting to do the dishes by the time Pau came slinking down the stairs, a cigarette hanging out of the side of his mouth. He scratched at his scruffy beard, and Papa gave him a mean look as he poured himself a mug of coffee. I always wondered what Papa would look like with a beard, but he laughed at me when I asked him to grow one. Mama dusted off her still-clean apron while muttering to herself about the smell of smoke spreading through the house. I grinned wide at my uncle, sitting on my knees in my chair with my hands pressed to the table to lean towards him.
“Pau, you goin' to work today? Can I come? I can help.”
Mama pushed on my shoulder to get me to sit back in my chair, and Dex yelped as my foot landed on his tail. I winced as he ran to Pau’s side who gave him a pat on his head, the mutt sneezing at me. Pau let out a long hum, taking a drag from his cigarette before checking the clock on the wall. Papa shook his head still looking at his paper.
“Harley, shouldn’t you be studying?” He flipped another page, stabbing at his eggs with his fork. I wrinkled my nose at the thought of wasting the day staring at one of Papa’s history books. They were always about war and never had any of the good shootouts or bank robberies like the Westerns on television did. Papa never liked them, so Pau always watched them with me, and sometimes, when he’d blow his smoke out into the living room, he looked just like Clint Eastwood.
Pau shrugged at me, already pulling on his boots, “We ain’t gonna take all day. It’s summer, Charlie. She’ll still have months to read all of them books.” He pointed up the stairs while reaching for his hat, “Kit, you got five minutes to get dressed, then I’m gone. Hop to it.”
I jumped up from my chair and ran to my room as fast as I could, ducking out of the way of the hobby horse peeking through my closet. Its little brown head swiveled back and forth as I rushed to pull on my jeans and boots and grabbed my hat as I left. Mama called after me to stop running but I was already hopping into the passenger seat of Pau’s truck before I even realized she’d been speaking.
The drive to Main Street always felt slow. I counted red cars to keep myself busy until Pau told me to think of the numbers instead of saying them.
“Dumb kid. If you keep counting like that, you’ll start to forget your letters.” He shook his head, fussing with the radio as he waited for his light to turn green.
I gave him a wide grin and laughed, air whistling through the gap in my front teeth. “That ain’t how it works, Pau.”
Pau squinted at the road like he was thinking hard before he sucked on his cigarette again, letting smoke spill out his open window. “Whatever you say, Kit, you’re the brains, not me.”
I stared at him a little longer before my mouth twitched, and I started to twiddle my thumbs. “Yeah, it doesn’t feel much like it though.”
Pau raised one bushy brow, glancing at me before turning into the next street over. “Whatcha mean?”
I let out a short sigh, picking at the edge of my seat, “It’s nothin’, just sometimes I don’t like bein’ smart.” The vinyl gave way under my nails, and I sat on my hands to stop them from fidgeting, “It makes people think I can handle a lot more than I can.”
Pau took another drag before parking the car in front of Grant’s Supplies. He turned down the volume of the bluegrass song that was playing before laying his hand on my shoulder and looking at me.
“Kit, I’ll give you a tip. People are tough on you because life is tougher. Folks just want to make sure you do good out in the real world. That's why even when things seem too hard, the best thing for you to do is to work harder and stay in school.”
I didn’t meet his eye, instead focusing on the faded kneepads of his blue jeans. “You never went to school.”
He gave a long sigh after that, opening the door and dropping his cigarette to stamp it out with his foot. “Point proven. Come on, we don’t have all day.”
The door to Grant’s Supplies had a bell over it that dinged when you walked inside. Everything was made of wood, and every Sunday an elderly man who only spoke in low angry grunts and had his eyes covered by the constant furrow of his brow would come in the store to clean. I ducked past where he was sweeping behind the canned food and peeped at him through a gap in one of the aisles, holding up my fake finger pistol, and aimed for the bridge of his nose. I could practically smell the sheriff's reward of five hundred dollars for bringing this outlaw in, dead or alive.
“Time to meet your maker,” I whispered, closing one eye and squinting, just about to fire. He must have heard me though. In the next moment, his head snapped to look at me and his eyes grew as wide as an owl’s. With a shout, I ran retreating to the counter at the front of the store where Pau stood with his hat to his chest, leaning into the blushing face of a lady with long sandy blonde hair. I rammed into his leg, sending him sideways a bit with an ‘oomph!’ but he stood to recover just as quickly as he had stumbled. The counter lady helped him up, laughing, and I stared perplexed by her perfectly manicured nails.
“Oh goodness, are you alright?” She said, leaning across the counter and then looking at me, “Well hello there little lady.”
I tilted my head away from her hands to squint up at her, still clinging to Pau’s leg. “I’m a cowboy.”
Pau gained his footing again, looking a bit lost for words, and stuttered his way through an apology before turning to fuss at me. Before he could get anything out though she waved him off.
“Oh, don’t apologize, I know how it is. My niece is just the same.” She talked with her hands and Pau began to smile before she carried on, “It’s just so nice to see a father hanging out with his kid.” The smile slowly dropped from Pau’s face, a distant look on his face as he turned to look down at me staring back up at him with big round eyes.
“She ain’t my-” he was cut off by Mrs. Grant coming around the corner, her heels clicking on the floor as she huffed.
“Well, would you look what the cat dragged in. Paul, I know you’re not flirting with another one of my cashiers.”
I peeped up from behind Pau’s leg and Mrs. Grant’s narrowed brown eyes softened at the sight of me. “Hey, Harley honey, you helpin’ Paul today?” She slid a caramel candy over the counter, and I was quick to shove it into my mouth.
“Yes ma’am,” I said. Pau heaved a sigh, wrapping an arm around my shoulder.
She nodded to herself before turning to the counter lady. “That’s Charlie’s girl. Do you know Charlie?”
The counter lady’s eyes went wide as she blushed an even deeper red, “Oh, I’m so sorry, I thought she was yours.”
Mrs. Grant tapped the counter and shook her head, looking at Pau with a heaving sigh and narrowed eyes. “Yeah, you’d think that huh? You two always seem attached at the hip.”
I lit up at the sound of that. People always thought I was Pau’s little girl. He said it was because I followed him like a lost kitten, so he called me Kit. I never saw it as a bad thing though. Pau was a good person to follow. He knew plenty about the right way to walk and how to talk himself out of trouble. I learned plenty trailing after him, even if Papa didn’t like it too much. After Pau came to live with us, Papa always mumbled about how he hadn’t been able to keep himself out of trouble since they were tots.
“Yeah, well she’s just good help, that's all. Speaking of, I’m looking for paint. Ms. Carter needs a new coat on her fence.” Pau shrugged, and I watched as one of his hands dropped to his back pants pocket, grabbing at his cigarettes before letting it fall again.
Mrs. Grant stopped her tapping and stared him down for a moment. It was a mean look that Pau turned away from, and I tilted my head in wonder of why. It didn’t last long as in the next moment she was turning to grab the paint buckets behind her. “White or blue?”
Pau paid for two buckets of white paint, and then we were back in his truck. I counted blue cars this time, including his since there were fewer of them, and Pau said nothing. When I turned to look at him, he was biting his lip and had both his hands kept firm on the steering wheel.
“I think that lady liked you, Pau,” I said, and Pau scrunched his face up tight giving a small smile.
“Yeah, maybe so.”
I kicked my feet, looking at my boots and the little pink lines painted into the brown leather. “Maybe you could marry her since you don’t have a wife yet.” I heard Pau scoff, “and maybe then I could come live with you two when you buy a house together.”
Pau lit another cigarette, “Marriage ain’t that simple Kit, and I can’t buy a house.”
I felt that he was just being difficult, but didn’t go on, instead I watched the cop car that came crawling up beside us at a stoplight. It sat lower than Pau’s truck, and the officer driving it turned to glare at us through the window. His nose looked crooked. I turned to Pau, my grin sharp but hesitated to say anything as Pau kept his gaze straight. He pressed himself against his seat, and the muscles on his hairy arms tensed where he was squeezing the steering wheel. His knuckles turned white from how hard he gripped it. I tilted my head a bit, trying to make sense of the funny way Pau’s eye twitched.
“Does he know you Pau?” I said, trying my best not to whip around and glare right back at the cop. Pau’s cheeks turned a little red, and he moved his head just enough that I couldn’t see his eyes.
“Don’t stare Kit. A cowboy has to mind the sheriff.”
I said nothing, leaning back into my seat just like him until the light turned green and the cop passed by us. As we drove, Ms. Carter’s house and her faded fence appeared around the bend. She was sitting on her porch with a pitcher of lemonade when we hopped out of Pau’s truck. Pau waltzed up to her front steps and I followed behind him, trying to fit into the boot prints he left in the dirt path.
Ms. Carter filled two glasses and nearly let mine overflow as she giggled over every word that tumbled out of Pau’s mouth, slapping at his arm. I rolled my eyes as she made some comment on liking men rugged, carrying the paint buckets and brushes toward the fence at the end of her front yard. Pau joined me after I’d already painted four posts and I looked at him with a bit of judgment, “She likes you too.”
He shook his head, “She likes anyone who will talk to her.” He dipped his paintbrush into the bucket twice before swiping it over the fence. Before I could say anything, he was covering my mouth with his free hand, “I ain’t gonna marry her, so don’t bring it up.”
I almost spit on his hand when he pulled it away, “I wasn’t going to say you should.” I swiped at another post, giving it a funny face before covering it up, “I just think maybe if you had a wife, she could tell Mrs. Grant to stop looking at you so mean.”
He breathed out smoke and leaned back to look up at the sky like Mama did when she was praying, “There ain’t a woman in the whole damn world who would make Mrs. Grant stop looking at me like that.”
I painted a stripe across three posts, my lips pursed into a thin line. “Why not Pau?”
“Because it ain’t about the women. It's just me she doesn’t like,” he said.
I threw down my brush, kicking at the fence post, “Well that ain’t fair.” He shook his head at me, and I almost kicked him too before I thought better of it.
“No, Kit, it is.” He paid me no mind, dipping his brush again, “We can’t control how people think of us. We just gotta learn to accept it.”
“Well, I think that's dumb.” I stuck out my tongue and picked at the grass below me, throwing it up into the air. Pau never did anything to wrong people. He would go out of his way to mow their yards or paint their fences. Mrs. Grant just didn’t know him that well, if she did, she’d see why he deserved her caramel candies too. “You’re good Pau, a real cowboy.”
He laughed a little, though it sounded strained, and tipped his hat down to cover his eyes. “You’re a dumb kid,” he said, putting down his brush and wiping some sweat off the back of his neck, “But thanks.”
We finished the fence by the time the sun was beginning to set, and Ms. Carter giggled and swatted playfully at Pau’s arms for an eternity before she paid him. When we made it back to the truck, Pau rubbed at his shoulder where she had managed to smack him with one of her bangle bracelets.
“You should check for bruises”
He gave me a look but still rolled up his sleeve, “Hush up.”
When we made it back home, the earth had turned golden, and I ran through the grass of the front yard before Dex tackled me to the ground, sniffing all along my arms and shirt as I erupted into a fit of laughter. Pau came to lay beside us, his hat placed on his chest. I stared up at the clouds, taking in their sweeping hills that laid out like mountains across our flat horizon like in the movies.
I let out a whistle, something I had been practicing for weeks now, and Pau gave me a hum of agreement, though he didn’t smile like usual.
“One day I’m going to head out there, and I’m going to have a ranch, and you can come live on it with me,” I said, and Pau sighed, sitting up and leaning back on his hands.
“I have to tell you something, Kit.” He said.
I sat up beside him, combing away at some of the grass that had managed to get stuck in my hair.
“What's wrong Pau?”
He had this strange look on his face again, like he was far from me, and unable to draw himself back in. I watched him squint at the sun before he looked at me, the crow's feet by his eyes still showing like he was looking at something bright.
“I have to,” he paused, his mouth still hanging open for a moment as he took in the tilt of my head, “I’m heading west. I’m gonna go find one of those big cattle ranches you’re always talkin’ about.”
My eyes got big, and I jumped up to my knees to shake him by the shoulders, “Pau! You have to take me with you.” I said, begging with my fingers laced together.
He shook his head softly, putting one of his rough hands on top of mine, “No Kit. You can’t come.”
I felt a deep pain in my chest, stinging enough that I ripped my hands away to wrap around my middle.
“Why not?” I said, soft and cracking as he gazed down at me. He rubbed at the back of his neck; his eyebrows knitted together.
“It’s complicated. You have to stay here, with your ma and pa.” He tried to meet my eyes again, but I was too busy picking grass out of the ground, ruthless in my attack.
“Kit, you won’t have a life if you come with me. You stay here, you’ll get to go to school, get a nice comfy job, and grow up to be someone you should be.” He sounded like Papa, and I never hated Pau more. I tried to plug my ears so he would go away, but he grabbed at my arms.
“No, you can’t go. It isn’t fair!” I shook my head back and forth, kicking my feet as he just rubbed up and down my arms to calm me down. I wouldn’t. I refused to stop my fit even though I knew it wasn’t helping. The second he let go of me, I knew in my bones he would disappear, so I just kept yelling until his patience ran thin. “I can help. I can be a cowboy. You can teach me.”
“Kit stop. No one needs me here; your daddy asked me to leave so I’m going.” He grabbed me tight and shook me. I went still in his arms, “I’m going kid, it’s already been decided.”
“I need you,” I said, my voice soft and my throat tight. The sun felt like it was burning into me, and I wanted to let it, so I could have an excuse as to why I wanted to shrivel up into Pau’s lap and have him hold me. He softened his grip, sighing, and looking down to where Dex lay next to us whining.
“No, you don’t.” He shook his head.
“But if you leave I can’t-”
“I ain’t your daddy, Kit.” He said with finality, and my heart felt cold and alone, “You have one. He's a good man. Don't you ever say he ain’t because I was raised with him, and I’ll know you’re lying. He’s already gotten me out of enough messes to make up a lifetime.”
I shook my head again, looking down, “He isn’t you Pau.”
Pau let go of me, grabbing his cigarettes from his back pocket and shoving them in my face.
“You see these?” He shoved them closer, and I bit at the inside of my cheek to stop myself from snapping back at him
“You think these are good? Do you think any of the things I do are things I wanna see you do?”
It was a pretty box, the red always peeking out the top of Pau’s jeans. He took out one of the cigarettes, almost crushing it in his hand.
“This, this is shit.” He threw it down and stood up to crush it under his boot. He looked giant, and unforgiving, like Papa when he had found out I had broken one of his old globes playing sheriff.
My nose started to feel runny, and the tight funny feeling in my throat bubbled up until I could feel myself choking on it. The sight of him made my stomach feel hollow, and I ran away before he could say anything else.
He called after me, but I didn’t listen, crashing through the screen door right into Papa’s arms. He stood shocked as I cried into his crisp white shirt, hitting his sides. The fabric scratched at my face, and my tears left it stained and ugly, but he didn’t push me away, so I stayed.
“Harley, what has gotten into you?” He said it lightly, one of his hands placed softly on my back. It felt awkward, and he didn’t hold me closer than he had to. He looked around the room, and I knew it was for Mama. I butted my head against his stomach, and he furrowed his brow as he looked down at me. I glared right back, and he sighed, a tired look pulling at his face that made me want to scream.
“Why don’t you go clean yourself up, your mother is making chicken tonight, maybe you could help her?” I detached myself from him before I could start yelling, running up the stairs to hide in my room.
I sat huddled up in bed, the quilt Mama had made me drawn around my shoulders until the sun had fully set, and I could see the moon peeking up behind the trees through my window. I opened it to hear the crickets sing and leaned out to feel the warm summer air pass over me. Mama had called me to dinner almost an hour before, but I couldn’t bring myself to travel back downstairs. Pau would be there, picking his teeth clean of chicken and grunting his way through Papa’s questions. They would fight, and I knew this because they always fought, and I would be stuck in the middle of it, trying to defend Pau from any of the nasty names Papa called him. For the first time, I didn’t want to defend him.
As I began to count the stars starting to dot the sky, I heard the muffled shouts echoing from downstairs. There was a clattering of plates, and as I sunk to the floor to press my ear up against my rug, I could hear Papa from below.
“-No work for you here! I’ve tried Paul, I’ve always tried to help you, but you haven’t made it easy. Now you’re filling Harley’s head with these delusions-”
I listened to Pau grumble something, the first part hard to make out until he started to get louder.
“-Not a damn charity case Charlie, I don’t need it, and don’t you bring the kid into this. This ain’t her mess.”
Their voices both came and went, in and out, growing louder and softer until there was a large clattering of plates, loud enough I could hear a glass break and mama let out a shout. It was quiet for a moment after, the entire house falling still. I listened as a chair shoved back and his footsteps stomped as Pau grumbled out a response. The screen door slammed open and shut, and as the smell of smoke began to travel up through the window, I shut it as quickly as I could. It felt too late though, my eyes were already watering, and as much as I tried to blink them away, stubborn little tears managed to escape me. I called them shit.
I must have stood there for ages, staring out my window and crying, because by the time I came back to myself the moon had risen above the trees. There was a knock at my door, and instead of spitting and cussing every nasty word I knew, I moved to slide down against it and knock back, too tired to do much else.
“Hey, Kit.”
“Hi, Pau.” I wanted to call him shit. I crossed my arms across my chest and felt as he slumped against the door on the other side to sit beside me.
“Did Papa tell you that you have to leave tonight?” I looked down at the streaks of light from the hallway that wrapped around his shadow and stretched across my floor.
“He warned me about a month ago. He just tried to give me money,” he said.
“Oh. Did you take it?”
“No.”
“Oh.” I wanted to curse him, tell him he was dumb, and have him get angry with me so I could have an excuse to do so. I couldn’t bring myself to.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was leaving sooner,” he paused for a moment, I heard his head rest against the door with a small thud, “I didn’t know how to tell you.”
My chest felt tight, and I pulled down my hat to cover my eyes. I didn’t say anything, not trusting my voice. The door’s white paint was chipped at the bottom, and I picked at it until Pau knocked again.
“You still there kid?”
I brought my knees to my chest, hugged them tightly, and closed my eyes shut.
“I could be a good cowboy Pau,” I sounded so shaky and small, like Dex when Mama yelled at him for doing something bad, “I am one.”
Pau didn’t say anything back for a while, but I could hear him bump his head again, and I wondered if he felt as small as I did. “I know you are, Kit. You’re better than me,” he said, speaking softly but the crackly sound in his throat still broke up his words so he sounded like one of Papa’s scratched records. I never wanted to sound like that. “You have to give these things time, though. One day when you’re older, you’ll still be walking around in your boots, and you’ll be better than all of us at whatever you decide to do with your life.” I could hear the smile in his voice as he spoke, and fighting against every angry bone in my body, I opened the door.
He had to tilt his head up a little to look me in the eyes from where he was still sat on the ground. It was like he was just seeing something for the first time. His eyes were a little watery, and they squinted up at me like I was a stranger, but there must have been something he recognized because he grinned wide, and I was pulled down into his arms.
I let him tug me down and rested my head against his chest to hear his heartbeat. It thundered like the sound of horses.
“You’re a good man, Pau. Mama and Papa are lying.” I said.
He nodded his head and rocked me in his lap. It wasn’t easy as I was getting taller and my legs stuck out a bit too much to be comfortable, but his arms still cradled around me like I was precious.
“You are too, Kit.”
After he gathered all his things from his room and shoved them into little boxes and bags, I walked him outside. I carried his duffle bag across the yard, and he pretended not to notice as I struggled a bit to get down the front steps. By the time I made it to his car, he had already thrown everything else inside. He took the last bag and threw it in his front seat, dusting off his hands after. I copied him, pretending not to hear him snort.
“Guess this is it, huh kid?”
I looked up to where he stood, hands on his hips and his head facing towards the open road.
“Yeah, for now. I’ll see you again though.” I said, shrugging and wiping my still runny nose.
“That so?”
“Yeah, when I get a car, I’ll drive out west until I find you.”
He looked down at me, his eyes going all soft, “Not gonna give up on me?”
I shook my head, grinning up at him, “Nah, you need someone looking out for you.”
He gave a big whooping laugh, his head shooting back. I laughed with him, so hard that I had to brace my hands on my thighs to keep myself from falling forwards. Pau pulled himself together after a while, sliding into his front seat with a hopeful spark in his eye.
“I’ll send you a postcard once I find somewhere to settle down, then maybe, when you get that car, you won’t have to just wander around for too long.” He said, fiddling with the radio until bluegrass began to belt out of his truck.
“Okay Pau, don’t forget.”
He tipped his hat to me as the truck started up.
“I won’t.”
He drove away after that, and I held my hand up to reach for his car until he disappeared down the street, the light from his headlights fading into the night sky above.
Does anyone want to read a short story about a trans kid at the age where you don't have a word for what you are yet, or really a full idea of what you are, but you know what you want to be so you cling to it and the people around you that represent it?
Because I wrote something like that! It's called Cowboys (or Good Men, but we won't get into that whole story), and it's about a kid named Kit who wants nothing more than to be a cowboy like 'her' uncle Pau! It's a small slice of life/coming of age story that showcases the unconditional love of a family's two misfits, alongside subtly highlighting a less talked about stage of growing up transgender in the south.
If anyone is interested in reading it, please let me know, and I'll reblog it through this post 👍
Lmao I'm glad he said it too. Barney needed to be taking down like 10notvhes a LOOONG time ago.
Like Striking a Match part A is up now!
And you’re gonna wanna know what J just said lol ;)
SOME NEWS!
REQUESTS ARE OPEN! I'm currently doing requests!! Please look at the REQUEST PAGE to know what to request for! BOOKS? Some of you may know that I have a wattpad account! And I recently started two new fanfictions! One is about my Oc, Haruka Nixella! (Yes I did give him my name) and his life! It's named Shine of Hope! And the other one is for My Hero Academia lovers! A Male Reader story but! It's Vigilante, Male reader! It's named A Drop of Blood! Please check out both of them! I would really like the support <33 If you're looking for more of a original fiction made by me, I do have a series called The Dark Force still in progress! The characters are already introduced as well as the prologue! Please check it out!!
Did a 3 artists 1 pallette challenge with some friends!!
Hi!! Here we have a silly character design to get my brain to draw again, because I have the worse combo of art block and motivation rn!! :3
A little bit about the character:
-they're a creature
-they love eating oranges
-obssesed with summer! but hates watermelon
Also they attract humans by being oddly alluring and kill them so they can consume them! they are a shapeshift creature so like they change forms a lot to attract their prey plus they usually adopt the person's lifestyle until they get bored/hungry and go back to hunting :3c
Hi!! Here you have a very silly speedpaint while I work on another silly edited video hehe :3c
Character context: so they're this like catdog hybrid that is heavily influenced by Pokémon, milkshakes (Billy's cat from the grim adventures of billy and Mandy) and basically old animation memes hehe :) they're silly, energetic, loves hugs and being affectionate they are like SpongeBob but if SpongeBob was a scemo kid that listens to S3rl and nightcore plus also like they sometimes spawn emotes like rainbows, hearts, starts, smileys and stuff like that! Also they have four sets of eyes as shown before and they're hair is a slime like creature that has their own consciousness!! :D they can also spilt into beings that are essential identical but one is a dog and the other one is a cat!!
More of love&joy but this time with their user lolz :3c
Meet love&Joy!! They're a user/avatar from an MMORPG, they're from old online games and based on the early internet games colours and aesthetics!! They're very well known on their MMORPG for being super nice and kind and helping new users get the hang of it!! They're amazing at trivial!! And have a lot of computer software/programming knowledge!! :3c
Meet love&Joy!! They're a user/avatar from an MMORPG, they're from old online games and based on the early internet games colours and aesthetics!! They're very well known on their MMORPG for being super nice and kind and helping new users get the hang of it!! They're amazing at trivial!! And have a lot of computer software/programming knowledge!! :3c
Say hi to Ange!! I want to make another animation meme and it's very likely it's going to be about them!! >:3c
More of this robotic beauty:3c love them so much!!
More of my gorgeous deadly robot!! Beautiful pin up or death machine? WHY NOT BOTH!! :3c
MORE OF ROUGE YAYAYAYAY!! they would get so mad if someone told them to mix their wines with soda, sommelier pride lolz :3c
4 very incompetent maids but very loyal, which one is the one for you? :3c
The videogame addict and nerd
The alcohol lover and smoker
The pretty princess
The porn addiction and creepy
4 very incompetent maids but very loyal, which one is the one for you? :3c
The videogame addict and nerd
The alcohol lover and smoker
The pretty princess
The porn addiction and creepy
Tere and patri!! the silly girlfriends in love! (but only when one of them has the guts to confess to the other lolz) :3c
WANNA KNOW MORE?
Chapter 2: Fanaticism
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Days passed by serenely, Rain was slowly getting used to the Academy’s schedule and closer to Tere and Patri; everything seemed to go smoothly, but since Rain turned into Constellation’s admirer, she just couldn’t help but sneak away to secretly observe them. She couldn’t help himself!
Rain had noticed something interesting while spying the group, though.
Ann Smith did the same thing, he thought that maybe they admired them as much as she did, or he was jealous of them, he wasn’t really sure, but he saw them snooping around.
Rain had slowly started to change her way of dressing, saturating her colour scheme, obviously inspired by Constellation, hoping they would notice him and maybe even adopted them into their club. Kind of frivolous and vain, with a bit of vapidness sprinkled on top, but an honest attempt.
Rain hung out with Tere and Patri, she thought they were nice, and he would dare to call them her friends, but their hatred and repulsion towards Constellation took them aback slightly. He faked neutrality towards them, she had no one else to hang out with anyways. Rain didn’t know that would change in a few days’ time.
The day was going by slowly, too slowly for Rain’s comfort. Rain was walking towards his locker, and while he was fixing their make up, they heard someone else opening their locker, this wouldn’t have been a big deal if he hadn’t heard a tiny, evil chuckle.
He tried to sneakily catch a glimpse of what was happening and saw Ann Smith closing Angelica’s locker. Only God knew what she had done.
Angelica turned up a bit later. Ann was resting her back against her own locker, waiting to see the events before her unfold.
Rain decided to observe the situation closely, sure he had seen Ann meddling with Angelica’s locker, but they had no actual reason of warning Angelica about it. Maybe Ann wanted to make amends and had left a thoughtful letter inside, as contra productive as that sounded when you took the evil chuckle into account, but she still had nothing to go on with her accusations.
So she stayed quiet and looked closely.
Angelica was about to open his locker, and seeing how Rain wasn’t going to do anything, Society took the front and intervened.
‘Hey! Erm, Angelica, right? Look, I heard the janitor saying that some lockers have been giving issues and that we shouldn’t open them and stuff.’ He mustered out, coming up with the best excuse ghost could in the spot.
Angelica looked at Society for split second with a confused stare before it shifted to a sweet smile.
‘Oh! I see!’ He said, looking back at the locker. ‘I still have to open it, my lucky leg warmers are there, and we have an exam, sooo..’ She trailed off.
Society got worried immediately, as much as Rain did, but couldn’t do anything else about it, so they stepped back and braced themselves, but nothing happened. Angelica pulled her leg warmers from inside, leaving Rain utterly confused and Ann absolutely furious.
‘What?! No! That isn’t what was supposed to happen!’ She grumbled, crossing her arms.
‘What? I- I don’t get it.’ Angelica left out a chuckle, tilting his head to the side.
‘You had to open the locker and-’
Ann closed Angelica’s locker and opened it again, a projectile of yogurt hitting her face and hoodie.
Classmates around them started laughing at her, but all of Constellation looked worried, specially Angelica.
‘Oh my gosh! Are you okay?’ She tried to reach out for Ann’s shoulder, but Ann pushed his hand away, standing up on her own.
‘Don’t touch me, mister perfect guy.’ She muttered, leaving the halls visibly frustrated.
Constellation and Rain were left confused.
The rest of the group tried to cheer Angelica up, while Rain stood on his place, not really knowing what to do next.
He was startled by Kitty, who got closer to him and started sniffing her shoulders, neck and lastly, his hair. Miau meowed in approval and Neon stroked their hair with a smile.
Constellation looked at each other, smiling with complicity, Rain was really, really confused, just as much as Society was.
‘Do- Do I smell bad or…?’ He mumbled as she sniffed herself, not seeing any issue with their smell.
The group chuckled and shook their heads, this didn’t help Rain nor Society feel at ease at all, they just felt more and more confused by the second, hoping for an explanation they just looked around.
‘It’s just that Kitty has the power to detect people’s supernatural abilities, you know, by smelling them.’ Candy finally explained, shrugging it off as if it wasn’t the wildest thing he had heard so far.
‘And obviously there’s something, you know, special supernatural about you! Even if you don’t know.’ Lolly added, twirling around Rain, looking at them up and down.
‘Supernatu- what?’ Rain mustered out, following Lolly with their eyes.
“Supernatural, you dumbass!” He heard Society yell at him from within, obviously irritated.
‘Ah, well,’ Rain talked once more, quietly cursing to Society as she recomposed themselves. ‘I couldn’t tell you, there’s nothing weird about me.’ He shrugged.
Candy visibly didn’t believe him, tilting ponys head and questioning her.
‘Nothing? Nothing at all?’
‘It could be anything! Any ability or talent, you know!’ Angelica butted in, her soft voice feeling smooth on Rain’s ear.
“Maybe this is about your good memory, but who knows.” Society pointed out.
‘I mean, it is easier for me to remember stuff, but I don’t think that’s anything mysterious or like, supernatural or anything like that...’ Rain rambled on, almost bumbling to himself at the end.
Neon spoke up, cutting Rain off with a bright smile.
‘You’d be surprised on how often we’ve heard that,’ they added as they wrapped their arm around Rain’s shoulder, ‘first, Angelica over there, then Candy, Lolly, Lesly and even me at some point.’
‘I told you not to call me that, fucking dumbass!’ Sam complained.
‘Lesly! Lesly! Lesly!’ Neon repeated, savouring every word that came out of their mouth.
‘Oh no, you’re going to summon them!’ Angelica giggled quietly.
‘Like Bloody Mary!’ Candy explained.
‘Yes, Candy, that was the joke.’ Lolly sighed, crossing his arms.
‘Ah.’
‘But yeah, jokes aside, the important thing now is to figure out your special ability!’ Angelica pointed out, holding Rain’s hand on hers. ‘And most importantly even, how to control it!’
‘And how do we do that?’ Rain questioned,
Lolly and Candy looked at each other and nodded, talking in unison.
‘To the library!’
Rain was dragged to the library by Constellation, ignoring the class they had to go to. Yeah Angelica had gone to his locker exclusively to get her lucky leg warmers, but everyone adored them, and Kitty could give the best puppy dog eyes (as ironic as that was), so they really wouldn’t have an issue.
While the group looked all over the library, read book after book to find something, anything that could give them an answer on what Rain’s ability could be, Ann was in the bathroom, trying to clean off the stains that her own prank had left her with.
Her hoodie was soaked with cold water, she had tied it to her waist as she cleaned her face in front of her mirror, and if you walked by you could hear her muttering to herself.
She was very forgettable, black hair, tired eyes, always dressed in grey or black, dark blue if she wore her jeans. No one really got along with her, which had landed her the “pathetic loser” label. Not that she cared, or at least that’s what she told herself, and others, if they even dared to approach.
She got out of the bathroom, still cursing under her breath. When she finally got to her class, she was met with complaints from the teacher.
‘Getting to class late on your first day, I’d be ashamed, but I’ll let it slide since you’re new.’ He shook his head in disbelief, allowing her to go to her seat.
Ann frowned, speaking up.
‘It’s not my first- you know what? Sure.’ She mumbled and walked inside the classroom, sitting down on the first chair she could find.
She didn’t pay much attention to whatever the teacher was talking about, much too busy doodling her “evil plans” on her notebook, all of them targeting Constellation.
Constellation, on the other hand, had already looked through all of the library’s books, and they’d found nothing, none of them talked about people with a great memory.
‘Are you sure-’ Lolly started talking.
‘-that’s the-’ Candy continued.
‘-only thing out of the norm you got going on?’ They both asked Rain.
He thought for a long while. Sure, Society existed, and there was this birthmark on her lower back, but they didn’t think that was too out of the norm.
Society took front once more.
‘Well, we do have a birthmark and-’ He was interrupted by Sam.
‘We? What do you mean “we”?’
‘Yeah, what’s that about? Lesly’s right’ Neon added.
‘I hate you.’ Sam muttered.
‘Oh we’re two people in one body.’ Society explained.
‘Wait, two people in one body? I’ve read something about that before.’ Angelica mumbled. He took flight towards the library’s roof, hitting her head against it, a bunch of stars jumping from the zone he had hit.
Rain was about to ask about it, Sam explained that it was something normal amongst angels.
‘I’m okay!’ Angelica told them as he grabbed a book from the bookshelf.
The book was hard cover, very thick and heavy, of an electric blue shade. Angelica put it in front of the rest on the table they were all sitting on. He flipped through the pages until she found the one she was talking about earlier.
‘Meteorology?’ Rain read the page with a confused look on their face.
‘You really think this dumb little thing is a meteorologist?’ Sam asked, raising an eyebrow.
‘Hey!’ Rain complained.
‘You know they’re right’ Society darted back.
Angelica nodded his head with enthusiasm and began reading.
‘Meteorologists are beings that can control the weather and can summon atmospheric powers, the most common characteristics between them are different personalities (each of them specialized with their own climate) and a birthmark shaped like their meteorologic symbol. Usually, they’re suns, thunders or tornadoes, but there have been cases of clouds, and even more rarely, rainy clouds.’ She finished reading and looked to the group.
‘Makes sense.’ Lolly and Candy nodded.
‘Show us your birthmark, Rain.’ Neon ordered.
Rain’s face gained a red shade, feeling shy and even embarrassed.
‘What? Here?’ She asked, feeling their face turning red.
‘Yeah, where else?’ Sam tilted their head.
Angelica rested her hand on Rain’s shoulder, giving them a reassuring smile, making him feel better.
‘Relax, we’re not here to judge you,’ she reminded him.
Rain nodded, he took a few deep breathes to calm down and moved away from the group a bit. She grabbed the hem of his sweater, turning their back to Constellation and very slowly lifted his clothing, revealing his birthmark to them.
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