Cursed land district event 3: Cursed land Animal Playground.
Standing in the store, Willow takes a deep breath and says, "It's coming close, I can feel it."
The sensation of the little creature running about stimulates Willow's body and soul, and as the little cat runs from side to side within the room, Willow lunges forward and quickly catches, then says, "Target captured!"
In his hands, he holds a catlike wonderbeast, with fangs for teeth, and two bat-like wings on its back, and then from behind him, a nightmare says, "That's Mister Zoomer, the premier animal of our store. He is a Capis that rushes around, waiting to be caught by our guests. Though I never expected someone to catch him so soon."
Maple is sitting on a cushion with Suzuka, and Iancu says, "No one can stop his love when it is time for it to bloom."
"How romantic? I am sure you're proud of your boyfriend."
With a proud expression, Maple says, "He is my husband, and I am the one he loves the most in this world."
In front of them all Willow rubs his face against the Capis as it sinks it's fangs into his cheek and sucks out his blood saying, "You're so cool, so, so cool! I could just gobble you up!"
As they all see Willow slobber over the wonderbeast, Iancu says, "Looks like you're husband might try replacing you."
Maple gets up a bit frightened, but then the nightmare lady says, "I have something that can help you fight back."
Φ How cute, how cute, how cute. This little critter is just that adorable. It's so swift, yet it manages to keep an elegance to all of its movements; it was that elegance that allowed me to read its movements in the first place.
The way it sucks blood to feed itself, the way it's tail and wings move in harmony, the cute expression it has on it's face trying to get me to feel sympathy and drop it. This is the face of a true predator, how cool!
Feeling a hand on my shoulder, I continue to hold the capis close. There is a good chance that Maple is angry at me for my behaviour, but I don't care, I just need to love this adorable little munchkin as much as possible before my life burns away, and turns to nothingness.
Maple puts both her hands on my face, and then turns them towards her, and in that moment, I see the glory of god fall upon me.
In this life, struggle is unstoppable, pain is inevitable, and loss breaks you down little by little. We will be faced with choices that make us feel less than human, and when we have to face the problems these choices bring, we understand how weak we truly are. It is an uncomfortable mess that tries to drown out one's happiness and heart in a never-ending storm of hatred.
But it is also beautiful. That chaos brings change, evolution, happiness, and excitement, and by walking that path, I am sure we will one day find jewels far greater than the despair that attacks us daily. So all I can do is thank everyone for what I see in front of me.
Maple is wearing fake cat ears and a tail. A glorious sight, that combines the most adorable girl with the greatest of creatures on this planet. It is something that makes all the pain faced so far feel so trivial. If this is the lone reward for all suffering, then I will gladly accept more till the day I die.
Thank you!
Φ Blood rushes from Willow's nose, and he collapses onto the floor in front of everyone.
-Break-
Sitting on a bench beside Willow, who currently has blocks on his nose, Iancu looks forward at Maple and Suzuka eating ice cream, and says, "You're lucky you didn't die back there."
"I was making sure the capis didn't suck too much blood from me, but then you guys sent Maple with those accessories towards me. What other option did I have but to leak from the nose when faced with that?"
"What a pervert."
"No, Orb is a pervert, don't dilute the meaning."
"Yet you're his best friend."
"I guess I am." Looking around the city, Willow says, "And I am glad I met him."
"He can be useful when it counts, but his day-to-day behaviour has me wondering if it is even worth it."
"I get what you mean? I think he has made me a much stranger of a person in hindsight."
"Of course he has. He has lowered everyone's standards for what is acceptable with all of his touching and hugging. Can't he just leave people alone for a second!"
"He won't do that?"
"Why?"
"Because he won't allow someone to go a few moments without knowing they are loved."
Annoyed, Iancu says, "He's too arrogant."
"Maybe, but at least he isn't a liar like you."
"Huh? What's that supposed to mean? Are you trying to pick a fight?"
"Nothing of the sort. I just think, despite everything you say, you keep helping Orb throughout all of his nonsense. The person who found him passed out the most was you."
"Because he was stinking up the floor by lying there."
"Whatever you say."
"I-I don't think I like you."
"I happen to like you a lot; you remind me of my wife quite a bit."
"Is that why both of you are harassing me to go out with you?"
"Maple is doing this as a thank you for fighting with her back at Nialathrú. You may not know it, but her words reaching you gave her a lot more confidence. While me, well, I guess because anyone who cares for the people I care about is someone I want to be friends with."
"I don't tend to believe people who are nice to me outside of that freak Orb."
"You're right about that. I actually happen to be a bit jealous of you. You matter to people I care about, and you are strong as well. While I struggle to get past the blocks in my way."
Holding up his trembling hand, Willow says, "Despite everything I said to everyone, I still shake when I think of what happened with Barr."
Looking at Willow's hand, Iancu says, "You're not getting any comfort from me. Just get over it, despite how it may feel, bad feelings do pass with time."
"See, I knew you were like my wife. I'll make you a meal in the future as a thank."
"I am going to deck you in the face."
A scream moves through both of their ears, which causes Willow to say, "Maple?" He looks around in front of him and sees that Maple and Suzuka, who were eating dessert, have vanished.
"GET AWAY!" Maple shouts, causing both of them to stand up and start running toward the source of her voice.
And turning a corner, they both see Maple and Suzuka, and in front of them is a giant rotund man with many flabby pieces of flesh throughout his body, and a face so slumped that it resembles the faces you can see in a pile of mud.
From his entire body leaks a slippery substance, and as he walks slowly towards Maple and Suzuka in the alley, Iancu and Willow jump forward.
"Don't touch my wife, you bastard!"
From the creature's sloppy mouth, it says, "W-Wife."
Soon she starts crying red tears and then falls to the ground, and bawls like a man whose balls have been crushed with a hammer.
All four of them look at him, confused. But Suzuka's expression turns around, and she walks up to him and says, "Don't worry, everything will be ok. We will help you through this trying time."
He gives Suzuka a hug, and the remaining three all have one, though I didn't sign up for this.
-Break-
Location: Church of the Cursed Land/Nolādēta Zeme
Φ Inside Nolādēta Zeme, many different nightmares, with the vast majority of them being in some religious garbs. Rush around in a panic,
"I need more carrots for the stew!"
"Please get a blanket, some of the ones in here are stained."
"Hey, where is Roma? She is supposed to have gotten he head count done by now."
"See got scooped up by the Cursed sky church, they needed some extra help for the grand service tomorrow."
"I am working on the spare clothes. Don't yell at me!"
"Who the fuck decided you'd build pyres right next to flammable materials, are you trying to kill us all."
"Our storage of water is far too low, we need more Curse tiger!"
Each of them with stressed and tired expression on their face, but as they continue their work, two men dash through the area filling their requests. One with the tail of a scorpion, and the other with a scaly lizard-like tail.
Dumnorix races through the area delivering all they need to each member in seconds, and Cyrus carries a huge amount of supplies on his towards the main hall, again and again making sure they don't lack anything within the hall.
The faces of the people around them regain some life, but more than that, a fire is lit in their souls. "I can't be outdone by outsiders during Radonitsa." Despite the alleviation that their helpers bring, a fire burns brightly, making them all work even harder than they were before, but not a single frown is in sight.
-Break-
Sitting down, beside Cyrus Dumnorix takes a cup of water and shoves it down his mouth before saying, "How refreshing. These tears of the heavens are truly wonderful."
Under his breath, Cyrus says, "You're tired."
"I guess despite how much better than you I am, I can't match that stamina you have overall."
Cyrus jerks his fist back, and Dumnorix says, "If that counts as a victory to you, you're far smaller a man than I thought."
Cyrus grits his teeth in anger as Dumnorix smiles, but his attention is soon taken away as a giant shadow is cast over him.
Looking up, he sees a nightmare with pale grey skin, red eyes, and a sharp face that one could mistake as an amalgamation of blades with two giant blade-like lobster claws on his back, in dark blue priestly attire.
Dumnorix, with a controlled and beautiful tone, says, "Good morning, father."
Cyrus quickly copies him by saying, "Goo-od morning, father." Though the panic in his voice shows.
"Good morning to you both."
Sitting down beside them, he says, "I have brought some sandwiches, would you like some?"
Cyrus says, "No nee-."
Dumnorix adds, "Oh, I would love a good bite right now, and since Cyrus doesn't want an,y I will have his."
Cyrus rubs his belly, as Dumnorix quickly devours both sandwiches, and says, "The greatest in all creation is the fastest eater."
The priest hands the basket to Cyrus and says, "It's plant-based based so it's also edible."
Cyrus smiles and says, "Thank you," before slowly eating away at the basket.
Φ This basket is really tasty, surprisingly so, like everything else here. I thought our punishment was going to be rather harsh, but everyone is really nice.
They were overworked, and it seems our little additions helped everyone quite a bit. It's nice to be of use to everybody. Though everyone still seems to be on edge, so we should try our best to be nice and respectful.
"Hey, how can you people serve god when it has forsaken you all to look like demons?"
Grabbing Dumnorix, I say, "DON'T SAY THAT TO THEM!"
"It's just an honest question, I think it would be deserved after all the work we did today."
"T-That was reparation!"
"So? We still did more than enough work to keep this place going. If we didn't, this entire church would have collapsed under the weight of all their work. So I think a little reward is in order."
Feeling an aura emanate from the priest, I say, "Oh no."
He stands up with a wrathful expression, and I start to shake in fear as Dumnorix puts on his same sickening smile.