#nmmp — Public Fediverse posts

Minashi-by-the-Sea (The Piping that Spoke of Nyarlathotep)

#Wss366 #MastoPrompt #MicroPrompt 9/7 -11

As the moon touched the hazy rim of the ocean, the Cat Who Stole Dreams indulged in one last #meal of the inn’s famed curried prawns, a #mash of almonds and sweet cream, and #distilled lime blossom liqueur. It was just a sip, enough to fend off the night's chill, no more.

Then, as the full dark of night blanketed Minashi-by-the-Sea, she donned her black, dew-spangled cape and her quietest #slippers and went out into the #late night. All was still except for the laughter of the fountains. The chorus of cicadas and revelers had long fallen silent. Not even the few unfortunates stirred by dreams of dark things said to slither from Hypnos Nor Slid’s House heard the soft footsteps of Kurotsuki.

With catlike grace, she climbed the outer walls of the High Citadel of Perpetual Petals. So lithe was her ascent that not a single petal of the trees that ringed that lofty place was disturbed, and thus the #wards that are triggered by their fall remained silent. The silent monitors, without the walls, perhaps saw a shadow flicker, but nothing more.

Thus, Kurotsuki Kaibyō reached a vantage from which she could observe the Toads of Leng cavorting and hear the fateful shrilling of the piping within the tower. The #luminous toads as they danced #round the tower #instilled no fear in her heart, yet a #current of dread set her fur to bristle, hearing the piping that spoke of Nyarlathotep, for it came from far beyond the ken of man.

Woe betide the mortal who, in a dream or drugged state, passes through the portals to that eldritch creature’s dimension. Better to face the nightgaunts or to be torn asunder by the ghouls of Pickman’s ilk than to glimpse the dwellers of that realm.

Shaken but undeterred, the queen of thieves came away that night ready to plunder the heart of Minashi-by-the-Sea.

#MicroFiction #TootFic #Serial #NMPrompts #NMV366 #NMMP #Lovecraft #LordDunsany #Pastiche #Cats #Otherkin #Catgirl #Neko

Minashi-by-the-Sea (The Toad-Things of Leng)

#Wss366 #MastoPrompt 9/4 #MicroPrompt 8/27-29

Kurotsuki Kaibyō #yawned over her cup of strong Celedawn tea. The rich scent of #cardamom and cloves tickled her nose. She would need its invigorating properties, for she had a long night ahead of her and an even longer day.

Soon the moon would set, and it would be time to be about her business. Tomorrow would be the Festival of Lime Blossoms on the Water, and all the people of Minashi-by-the-Sea would be celebrating.

Except for the guards of the High Citadel of Perpetual Petals. The #Toads of Leng cared not for blossoms, scents, or even festivals. Their only loves were the repellent offal they were fed and dancing to the thin, insidious piping that emerged from the lofty tower on moonless nights.

Tonight, on cat feet, she would locate where the #Toad-things of Leng performed their hideous, obscene midnight capers. She would not be one of their flayed, #skinned victims that appeared floating in the harbor as dawn broke upon its lime blossom flotilla. And then tomorrow, when the #Toads were at their sleepiest and the citizens of Minashi-by-the-Sea frolicked amid the lime blossoms, she would #zip into the tower and be gone before anyone knew of her pilfering.

#MicroFiction #TootFic #Serial #NMPrompts #NMV366 #NMMP #LordDunsany #Pastiche #Cats #Otherkin #Catgirl #Neko

Minashi-by-the-Sea (Kurotsuki Kaibyō 黒月怪猫 )

#Wss366 #MastoPrompt #MicroPrompt

It is said that cats and their kin walk in #forgotten places. One such was Kurotsuki Kaibyō, the dream-stealer. But what can we say of her: dusk gray, midnight black, amber dawn, tawny day; silent as the wind; Buddha still; a voice of mirth or stiletto-steeled death? Who can tell, for none still inhabit Far Karabash, High Mirrus, or Xanadu? They are but whispered tales and empty, dusty streets.

Some proclaim she came from Atlantis, but the fish do not tell, and others say she hails from ----, whose name is #forgotten, along with its plazas and palaces.

The #harbor #drew Kurotsuki-chan with smells of tar; fresh seabream; mussels and shrimp stewed in a thick, sweet sauce, while the singsong of the polyglot people who thronged its byways soothed her ears, and the old sailors, easy prey for such as she, willingly sold their tales and dreams for a drink."

She stopped at a #harbor inn, run by a sly, iron-gray catkin with a name all hisses and nyas. Some said it meant “She who Provides Fresh Fish and Warm Beds.” Others said it was the same as her establishment, “Cat Haven.” Those who stayed there said various things and generally muddled the answer with amusing nonsense.

As Kurotsuki-chan entered, a whisper went round, and those who were wise hastened to secure a berth in some merchantman, outward bound for lands of heather mist, or, if desperation and despair drove them, for the fjord-bound ports of the cold north.

#MicroFiction #TootFic #Serial #NMPrompts #NMV366 #NMMP #LordDunsany #Pastiche #Cats #Otherkin #Catgirl #Neko

Minashi-by-the-Sea

#MicroPrompt #MastoPrompt 8/16

The moon rose above #slumbering Minashi-by-the-Sea. Its #cream walls glowed faintly in the light. Unbidden, the caravan camels stepped faster, setting their harness bells to chime. The drivers laughed at libelous jokes or prayed to their small gods. The moon that had threatened to vanish now waxed strong.

Forgotten was Far Karabash, its walls decaying in the gloom. No caravans, jars of aromatic spices, or bolts of fabulous silks would enter its gates. The crystal fountains of Minashi-by-the-Sea ceased murmuring a dirge for its passing. Instead, the waters celebrated the new dreamer, who built rose-tinted towers and #creamy sand beaches.

#MicroFiction #TootFic #Serial #NMPrompts #NMV366 #NMMP #Drabble #LordDunsany #Pastiche

To a Forgotten Dreamer II

#Wss366 (For the new word) #MastoPrompt 8/12

The caravan #halted above Far Karabash.

From Neither Lang’s once verdant hills, they saw the twisted streets of its bazaar.

The camels spat at not having arrived yet and longed for the cooling waters of Minashi-by-the-Sea.

Their drivers silently signed themselves against evil and glanced at the waning stars above. The moon grew dimmer by the hour.

From where they were, they couldn’t see the dust devils dance in Karabash’s haunted streets.

The city’s fireworks no longer bloomed in the even dusk. Its crystal #fruit had ceased singing.

Far Karabash’s dreamer no longer dreamed but slept forever in hushed darkness.

#MircoFiction #TootFic #NMPrompts #NMV366 #NMMP #Drabble #LordDunsany #Pastiche

Princess (Wind Head) 王女様（風頭）

Mao Rescues Mia (猫救助ミーア)

#FanFiction #TheApothecaryDiaries x #TearmoonEmpire

*** Maomao ***

The girl landed with a thump. Maomao noted the unusual, fluffy riding outfit the woman wore. “An excellent choice for a novice rider,” she said to the small #arched stems of the “Yín Yáng Huò” she was examining, its anchor-shaped leaves faintly brushing her #shin. “The question is, did the bulky outfit work?” If the woman had been hurt, helping her would be a lot of trouble; however, didn’t Mao have a duty to help her?

It was a question to consider seriously. Her father had followed his conscience, and look where that got him—the tendons removed from his knee for doing his best to save a baby of imperial birth

She sighed. As much as it pained her, helping was the right thing and probably wouldn’t have such dire consequences. Parin would have to make do with the “Raunchy Goat Medicine”—as Parin called it—the apothecary had already gathered.

Rain pattered around her, its rhythm deepening as she neared the fallen woman. The wind sighed low in the grass. If Mao had been superstitious, she would have thought it said, “You’ll be sorry.”

The day had begun badly and was getting worse. First, she’d been called out on mysterious business in the country. Next, the carriage in which she had been riding had thrown a wheel, and now this woman. The rain; however, didn’t bother her. She was hoping to spot Zhu Ling, Fang Feng, or Tu Fu Ling. She preferred to dig them when the soil was soft after a rain. The last of those was always popular at her shop, a sovereign cure for men’s sores of shame.

It might be a profitable day. She had already found some Mu Tong along the road. And yes, she was sure it wasn’t Guan Mu Tong; only a novice would make that mistake.

As the young apothecary approached as the woman sat up. “Are you hurt?” she asked.

The woman paid no mind, looking after her horse. “I can’t believe a horse betrayed me.”

“Why the woman wasn’t thrown more often, Mao asked herself. Considering her supine riding posture, she did not seem an experienced rider. Instead of saying that, she asked again, “Are you hurt? If not, I have herbs to gather.”

“I’m fine. But thank you for asking,” the woman replied.

Mao studied her. Her smile was innocent. She was healthy with ample flesh, a surplus even, clearly not poor. One didn’t get that weight on a poverty diet unless you were ill. Her padded clothes were unusual. She resembled a chimera: part human and part sheep. They were well-tailored and had properly protected the woman.

Well, if she was alright, Mao could get on with her herb gathering. As soon as they repaired the carriage, she would need to leave.

Part 1 of 8: To be continued.

Sequel to: "The Norns" https://www.pixiv.net/novel/series/14017710

#TootFic #Serial #NMPrompts #NMV366 #NMMP
#薬屋のひとりごと #ApothecaryDiaries
#LightNovel #Manga #Anime #Fantasy #botany #SliceOfLife

Tanabata Bird Case – Part 2

七夕バード事件

#OthersidePicnic X #MissKobayashisDragonMaid #FanFiction

#WSS366 #MastoPrompt 7/7

“It’s moving,” Riko said as the origami bird began fluttering.

“It’s the fan,” Kanna said.

Kanna and Riko’s eyes grew wide as the bird took flight, soaring over the classroom.

“Look, a bird got in,” a boy pointed.

“Listen,” a girl in rumpled clothes said. “It’s singing.”

“How lovely,” a third voice said.

“It’s like a dream. I can see the song,” a girl in the back said. She held a manga tightly in her hands, eyes wide, listening.

“It’s Kozakura-san and Kasumi,” Kanna whispered. “It’s a vision.”

Each of them saw Kasumi with her hair done up with dozens of blue bows. She was eyeing a strawberry-covered cake. Kozakura had a big smile and was cutting an enormous slice of cake.

“Your mom looks happy,” Kanna gently touched Kasumi hair, “and those are lovely ribbons.”

“There are Toriko-san and Sorawo-san,” Kanna said as the two adventurers appeared. The tall blonde Toriko was smiling broadly and held a large stuffed bear. The blue ribbon around its neck matched the one in Kasumi’s hair. A serious Sorawo stood next to Toriko, holding a small wrapped present.

Kanna giggled. It was so like the two women: enthusiastic Toriko and her serious girlfriend.

As quickly as the birthday scene had appeared, it dissolved, replaced by a new one.

This time Riko spoke, “That’s me! Oh… And I’m hugging Kasumi. And there we go—running. I’m pushing her on the swings. We’re having so much fun!”

Riko looked at the real Kasumi. “Is that what you want—to be real friends?” Kasumi nodded harder, smiling.

The vision changed once more.

“Look, that’s me,” Kanna said. “All grown up, still wearing my hair ties.”

“You kissed her on the cheek,” Riko said. “I want that too. If you kiss Kasumi, you have to kiss me.”

With one more burst of vision, the three girls appeared in a swan boat. Then, with a final flutter, the bird slipped out the open window.

“The visions—are they what you wished for?” Kanna asked, and Kasumi nodded, head bobbing wildly.

Kasumi finally spoke in a voice a little like Toriko’s. “I think if you wish hard enough, anything can come true.”

#MicroFiction #TootFic #NMPrompts #NMV366 #NMMP
#LightNovel #Manga #Fantasy #SliceOfLife #Yuri
#KobayashisDragonMaid #DragonMaid #小林さんちのメイドラゴン
#UraPi #裏世界ピクニック #Tanabata #七夕 #たなばた

Tanabata Bird Case – Part 1

七夕バード事件

#OthersidePicnic X #MissKobayashisDragonMaid #FanFiction

#WSS366 #MastoPrompt 7/7

“Ohhh…” Riko stared at the little stand of bamboo the teacher had put at the classroom’s #entrance. Each student had hung a Tanabata wish on it the day before.

“So many colors! Look at them dance!” Kanna said, looking at the slips of paper spinning in the breeze made by a fan the teacher had put nearby.

The other two girls were entranced, especially Kasumi, who studied each fluttering wish like it meant something.

“What did you wish for?” Riko asked, turning to Kanna.

“Silly, you’re not supposed to tell your wish,” Kanna replied.

“At least point it out,” Riko said.

Kanna pointed to a neatly #clipped slip of lilac paper.

Riko peered at it. “Ah, I can’t read it.” Then she turned to Kasumi, saying, “Which one is yours?”

Kasumi indicated to a white bird, the only origami on the bamboo.

Only the three girls noticed what happened next. Everyone else’s eyes had been drawn to Kasumi. The fan’s breeze had caught her long hair, and, for a moment, she looked like a witch child flying with her hair streaming behind her.

(1/2 Continued)

#MicroFiction #TootFic #NMPrompts #NMV366 #NMMP
#LightNovel #Manga #Fantasy #SliceOfLife #Yuri
#KobayashisDragonMaid #DragonMaid #小林さんちのメイドラゴン
#UraPi #裏世界ピクニック #Tanabata #七夕 #たなばた

The #Case of Beach Terrors

#OthersidePicnic X #MissKobayashisDragonMaid #FanFiction

#WSS366 #MastoPrompt 7/4

“Wow, look at the sand.” Riko was pointing at the beach in front of the three friends: Kanna, Riko, and Kasumi. “And look.” She ran forward and picked up a broken sand dollar.

Kanna smiled. Beaches were nothing new to her, but seeing her friend excited pleased her. On the other hand, she was worried about Kasumi, who had stuck a tentative toe in the sand. “Are you okay, Kasumi-san?” she asked.

“It’s fine. Nothing bad is going to happen,” Kanna said. She didn’t know what Kasumi was, but she figured her friend was also from another universe, one where a beach was a danger zone.

Riko had run ahead, so Kasumi didn’t have to be careful of what she said. It was tough cutting and splicing phrases to communicate. So she just pulled a quote from memory: “On a scale of ‘weird dog’ to ‘entity that erases time,’ how dangerous are we talking?”

“Fluffy cute puppy—come on.” She grabbed Kasumi’s hand and led the still hesitant but reassured Kasumi out onto the beach.

Riko, meanwhile, had found a pile of seaweed and was poking through it. Kasumi pointed at her and stitched together a new quote. “It won’t turn into a weird dog and eat her?” It was clumsy, and she could have done better, but Kanna understood.

“No, it’s normal seaweed. Things don’t turn into other things here.”

“Okay, shoot it if it does.”

Kanna bent down and picked up a sand crab from #under a piece of driftwood where it was hiding.

“Kasumi shrieked, trying to hide behind Kanna. ‘No, no, no, it’s turning weird!’”

Kanna glanced over her shoulder, then, making sure Riko wasn’t watching, bit into the crab. “See, if it turns, I’ll eat it.”

“You ate that. Do you have a third stomach?”

Kanna glanced at Riko and said in a low voice so only Kasumi heard, “I’m not from this world either. Let it be our little secret.”

Kasumi nodded. “Accomplices.”

#MicroFiction #NMPrompts #NMV366 #NMMP
#LightNovel #Manga #Fantasy #SliceOfLife #Yuri
#KobayashisDragonMaid #DragonMaid #小林さんちのメイドラゴン
#UraPi #裏世界ピクニック