Mastodawn

Plump Kings.

1. All Plump King’s Eve

#FanFiction #IAmInLoveWithTheVillainess
#wss366 #MastoPrompt

May entered the kitchen with a basket full of zucchini #buds and flowers. Right behind her, Aleah arrived, carrying a big, round orange pumpkin.

“What are you going to do with these?” May asked, setting her basket down next to the carrots Rae was peeling.

“I’ll dip these in batter and fry them until they’re crispy and golden brown,” Rae said, holding up a blossom. “It’s called tempura.”

“And this,” Aleah said, setting the pumpkin down on the table.

“I’ll turn this one into a pie.”

“Pie?” the two girls asked. “From a squash?”

“Indeed. I exchanged the recipe with Frater for the spices. It’s a yummy pie. You just wait.”

She continued, “I’ll need another small pumpkin to turn into tempura and a big one to make into a jack-o’-lantern.”

“What’s a jack-o’-lantern?” a new voice asked. The faint scent of the lotion Rae had made Claire preceded it: regal geranium with a hint of #creeping thyme.

The two girls rushed to the door, each hugging one of Claire’s legs. “We were gathering veggies for Mother Rae,” the girls squealed.

One girl went on, “See all the orange flowers I picked?” While the other said, “I brought in a huge Plump King.”

“They’re lovely flowers and a huge pumpkin,” Claire said, emphasizing the last word. “I ask again, what is a jack-o’-lantern?” Suspicion edged her voice.

“You take a Plump King and carve a face into it. Something scary. Then at night, you put a lit candle inside to scare away ghosts. It’s like throwing beans at oni.”

“And the ogre’s run away,” the May shouted.

Claire rolled her eyes.

“Does that work?” Aleah asked.

“No, it doesn’t work,” Claire said, glaring at Rae. “And they’re called pumpkins, not Plump Kings.”

“I like the name Plump Kings,” Rae said. “On special nights, magic like that works. So we’re going to put out jack-o’-lanterns to scare away the ghosts, ghouls, and skeletons that walk about on All Plump King’s Eve. Who knows? A ghost might sneak in that night and scare my lovely Claire.”

“If a ghost sneaks into our bedroom, it’ll be sleeping in the Plump King patch. You hear me, Rae Taylor!”

Continued in “Plump King Carving”

#MicroFiction #TootFic #Serial #NMV366 #NMFic #Yuri
#WataOshi #Pumpkin #Halloween #Spooktober #SliceOfLife

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NaraMoore ⛩️👻八尺様👻⛩️ at Fedi Oct 17

Plump Kings.

Chapter 2. Plump King Carving

#FanFiction #IAmInLoveWithTheVillainess
#wss366

“These are the ‘Plump Kings,’ ‘Plump Kin,’” Rae said, setting the last pumpkin down. "They come from a long, proud line of squishes."

On the table was a row of four pumpkins, one for each member of the François/Taylor household. Near the pumpkin seeds and innards, lay on a board ready to be washed clean and roasted.

Claire’s face turned scarlet as she waved her knife. “How often do I have to say it's pumpkin? You're a terrible example for the kids.”

Rae grinned. “I love it when you’re like that, but we promised not in front of the kids.”

“Mommy,” May said. “We know it’s pumpkin. Don’t be mad at Mother.”

“Don’t tease Mommy,” Aleah instructed Rae. She turned to Claire and added, “Count to ten when you feel angry, Mommy. That’s what Rae always says.”

“Sorry.” Claire gritted her teeth and spoke slowly, enunciating each word. “Don’t teach the kids the wrong word.”

May patted Claire’s knee. “We promise not to call them Plump Kings if it bothers you so much.”

“Yeah, Mommy. We won’t.” Aleah echoed.

“Claire, I solemnly promise never to call them Plump Kings again,” Rae said.

Patting the kids’ heads, Claire began smiling. “Thank you.”

“Okay, time to carve the Plump Kin,” Rae announced.

“I crown you the Plump King!” Claire said. Scooping up a handful of pumpkin innards—“splat!”—Rae was crowned.

#MicroFiction #TootFic #Serial #NMV366 #NMFic
#WataOshi #Pumpkin #Halloween #Spooktober #SliceOfLife

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NaraMoore ⛩️👻八尺様👻⛩️ at Fedi

Plump Kings.

Chapter 3. Claire’s Plump Kin

#FanFiction #IAmInLoveWithTheVillainess
#wss366 #MastoPrompt

“Don’t #trip, Honey,” Rae called as Claire brought two jack-o’-lanterns into the bedroom.

Rae looked at them critically. “They’re not very scary. Even the kids didn’t think they’d keep ghosts away.”

Indeed, Claire’s pumpkins weren’t scary. In fact, they looked like her friends Pipi and Loretta. She’d even added hair to each one: long pink wool for one and short brown moss for the other. Cute would have been a better description. “Claire’s Plump Kin,” Rae had called them.

“I made them for the kids,” Claire said. “I didn’t want them to have nightmares or wake up terrified in the middle of the night. Yours almost frightened even me!”

“You did look rather pale.”

“I did not! I would have been happy to put yours in our bedroom if the kids hadn’t insisted on keeping it in theirs.”

“Be honest. You’re just jelly because the kids like mine better.”

“Am not!”

“I hope Pipi and Loretta are up to scaring off ghosts. It’s All Plump King's Eve, when ghosts and goblins walk the earth.”

“You made that up!”

“Actually, I didn’t. If I’m lying, I’m dying. It’s actually called All Hallows Eve. Why, I’ll eat a Thanksgiving dinner you cook if I’m making it up.”

“Same thing,” Rae thought. “Your cooking is a no-save instant death.”

Claire gave up. “Whatever, go to sleep.”

“Do I have to? Your Plump Kin give off such a romantic #ambient light.”

To be Continued in: "The Plump King’s Patch

#MicroFiction #TootFic #Serial #NMV366 #NMFic
#WataOshi #Pumpkin #Halloween #Spooktober

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NaraMoore ⛩️👻八尺様👻⛩️ at Fedi Oct 22

Plump Kings.

4. The Plump King’s Patch

#FanFiction #IAmInLoveWithTheVillainess
#wss366 #MastoPrompt

"Thump, thump." Something woke Claire and Rae in the middle of the night

Rae grabbed Claire, shivering. “Did you hear that? “Footsteps! On-on-on the roof.”

For once, Claire didn’t push her away. “There’s someone up there,” she hissed. “Go see what it is?”

Rae pried her arms off and got out of bed.

“Splash, squish.”

“There’s water!” Rae’s voice was shrill as she stepped into a puddle of water by the bed. “A ghost’s been here.” [Note: In Japan, ghosts are associated with water. When one visits you, it often leaves a puddle of water behind.]

Claire crept out of bed. “Squish, splash.”

In the moonlight, Rae could see Claire biting her lip. Her hand trembled as she grasped Rae’s.

“There’s something in the garden.” Claire’s voice squeaked.

“Garden?” Rae muttered to herself.

Claire tugged on Rae’s hand. “We need to find out what it is. The kids. We have to protect them.”

Rae followed Claire through the shadowy house.

“Rattle, rattle, bang.”

Claire shrieked as the pots and pans in the kitchen danced.

Rae chuckled to herself. This was going much better than she’d expected. Claire had swallowed the bait: hook, line, and sinker. She was even imagining things out in the garden. Rae hadn’t even put anything in the garden. This was a whole new #level of teasing!

Rae opened the door and stopped. In the garden, a ghostly head floated amid the weeds at the garden's edge. Its eyes and mouth flickered like dying candles. It was a face that was stamped indelibly in her mind, synonymous with villainy.

“Salas Lilium,” Rae muttered. “Returned for revenge, no doubt.”

She squeezed Claire’s hand and said in a low voice, "#Joint attack." Then, she charged out of the house shouting, “Team Claire!” The door slammed behind her.

Gales of laughter spilled out, not from the apparition but from Claire.

“Surprise,” Claire sputtered between peals of laughter. “You didn’t think you were going to fool me this time, did you?”

Under the pumpkin, which was carved to look like Salas, Rae found warm blankets and cushions.

Rae smiled. Claire was the kindest, loveliest bully she’d ever known.

#MicroFiction #TootFic #Serial #NMV366 #NMFic
#WataOshi #Pumpkin #Halloween #Spooktober