deathsang

[deathsang]

"But this love, I can't let you go"

[deathsang]

Luka wraps his hands around the meat of the microphone, slipping it off it's base. it's simple, nothing grandiose or customized like the ones used on the stages they were used to. something a student might use, something that brought him back to his youth. it would be a decent gift, but he makes a show of examining it nonetheless, if only to momentarily avoid the intense look in Ivan's eyes.

that singular look was all it took for Luka to know that perhaps they were not so different.

"So, you're aware of what happened," a plain statement as he weighs the microphone in his hands, purple hued fingers running over the textured top. "They're not mutually exclusive. Though...I would say even one victory is worth celebrating. You made it quite far. I might even have to thank you for paving the way to my consecutive victory."

he bows very shallow, mock gratitude, with the slightest hint of a grin on his lips.

Ah, this again.

Memories of another life flash in his mind, but he puts those to rest where they lay, as it was not him, even if it he wore the aspiring actor's clothes for a week. Instead, the person in front of him was most certainly the person who had won Alien Stage once again.

There was a part of him that felt a flash of red over the implications, but instead he puts down the microphone he was looking at.

"Are you?" Ivan counters, picking up a different model, stark white. Holding it up, testing where the controls are, he finally looks up to meet golden eyes, his own a dangerous flash of red.

"I wonder if you would reminisce over your victory, or if it was just another stepping stone in your illustrious career?" It was not as though his own short-lived career hadn't been similar enough in trajectory. But the way things had turned out, he would never have been able to beat Luka had he made it through his Round 6.

He doubted he would've made it to the stage, in truth. Given he had already made certain he didn't in this life.

[deathsang]

the movement from the alleyway stops Luka in his tracks, gaze shifting from the spot the Glitched used to be to the new arrival. he did not look like someone who should be out walking the streets, dressed to the nines and eerily calm. but Luka supposed he himself must also stick out like a sore thumb; dazed and confused and thoroughly out of his element, he seemed to shamble around like the very creatures he was trying to avoid.

half-lidded eyes meet the strangers, head tilting very slightly, as if to try and hear better.

he was right. he could hear them and almost went right to his death. stupid, stupid, stupid-- he'd better berate himself for this mistake later.

"I was looking for someone, but," but she's not here, she's not anywhere I look. "I've had no luck. I want to find her, but something tells me to head home."

a pause, where he considers the man before him.

"You're all alone, too."

「✦」 Quite a few patterns had emerged among the Glitched in Aurelius' tour of the city. Between the smattering of effects he'd experienced amongst them, he was getting better at recognizing when an "episode" began.

The good thing about Glitched blinking in and out of existence was how easy it made picking out the humans among them. A blond man sticks out like a lone daisy on a city street suddenly deserted, and Aurelius watches with equal parts curiosity and pity as he takes one small, doubtful step forward.

The next second he steps out too, emerging from an alleyway in his spotless suit and coat, walking towards the youth (?) with measured strides until they're standing face-to-face. It's better than bringing out his wings—he doesn't want to agitate the Glitched just yet.

"You can't hear them?" he asks. "They're coming closer." Looking down, he catches a glimpse of pale golden irises and blinks, then smiles.

"Where do you want to go, all alone like this?"

It's a miracle he hasn't been eaten alive yet.

[deathsang]

Luka is unsure what she does to hold the creatures at bay, but it is enough to give them ample time to duck into shelter. from the time they enter the building to the time the door is barricaded, the only thing he can register is the pounding of his heart in his ears, the tight burning sensation in his chest as it rises and falls too rapidly.

vaguely aware of Hanabi checking on him, Luka waves his hand at her dismissively, sliding down into a crouched position against the wall.

"It'll...pass," he manages, squeezing his eyes shut as he tries every manner of calming technique taught to him in the past. pinching himself, counting his fingers, trying to regulate his heartbeat to an imaginary metronome.

he's already shown too much weakness. he has to do better.

"Must be a new development." a few moments of silence and rest does him good, voice steadily returning to normal. faintly, he can hear the Glitched as they linger outside, their groans and the scratch of their hands against the door an eerie cacophony. "We have to hope it doesn't last forever."

Hanabi had stamina for days, but even she was getting relatively exhausted. Not as quickly as Luka, but they really couldn't keep running. She can hear it in Luka's voice. Any further, and he'd fall. He wouldn't make it.

"Mister Luka, I got you." She knows this is probably dangerous in of itself. How long does she think she can keep hold of her abilities before they ran out? She DIDN'T know, but it was worth the try.

"Hold them off," She orders no one in particular. That single command, however, is preventing the running Glitched from closing in on them! As if something or someone was fighting them off. A group of someones.

"Here!" And she's grabbing Luka's hand, turning sharply into an abandoned building. Hanabi shuts the door and barricades it quickly

"Gh...A-Are you okay?" Once the door is fully barricaded, her attention is on Luka.

"I didn't know they could run. I am so sorry."

[deathsang]

[archive record 0207]

beauty day

I am still not over 'Wiege'. I will probably draw more to it since I have too many thoughts, but I get so emotional during aa😭😭

[deathsang]

@hanabisays modifier -- call them runners

he's out of breath embarrassingly fast.

Luka is used to the physical activity needed to sing, dance, play instruments, perform-- but he always had the promise of rest and treatment available to him right after. an oxygen mask and an IV did him good, took away the pain in his chest and the pounding in his head. here, however, in the midst of an ongoing crisis, there was no comfort to be found, even in the company of someone he knew.

as they ran from the hoard of unnaturally fleet-footed glitched, he knew something had to give. loathe as he was to admit it, he wasn't strong enough to keep it up for much longer.

"Hanabi--" her name spills from his lips in more of a wheeze than anything, cheeks flushed from exertion. "We have to find a place to hide."

his voice betrays his thoughts. I can't run forever.

[deathsang]

@hollowfaith modifier -- where!?

...huh?

stuck out in the streets, Luka feels like a target for the shambling masses that have slowly begun to infest the city. he has little idea of what exactly is going on or how to deal with it, but common sense told him he should do everything possible to return home and barricade himself inside. he'd seen what these...things were capable of and, while not necessarily afraid, he was also not keen on being torn to shreds.

however, when the group of glitched suddenly blink out of existence, there one moment and gone the next, Luka freezes. were they gone? was the danger over or was this some kind of trick?

he takes a hesitant step forward, uncertain.

[deathsang]

Luka only barely registers the danger headed directly towards him, so focused on regaining a sense of control over his own damned body. his chest aches and it's difficult to get a full breath, but he cannot stop yet. not until he finds--

"--Hyuna!"

the exclamation of her name falls from his mouth without thought, eyes brightening as he straightens up. he can push past his plight for her. she was like a remedy, her very presence soothing his hurts. his cheeks, already slightly flushed from exertion, deepen in color very slightly; even as she admonishes him, he cannot help but feel a swell of something deep in his chest at the thought of her saving him.

it feels nice for a second, until he realizes that he's the one who was supposed to be protecting her here. Luka takes as deep of a breath as he can muster and meets her gaze.

"You weren't at home and you wouldn't answer when I called," he says, brows drawing together in concern. if he had put even a single ounce of critical thought into that, he might realize that there was always the possibility she was ignoring him on purpose. after all, she had returned his gift to him in a...spectacular fashion. she did not want to see him or hear from him, but he still wanted her to be safe.

"I thought...you might be in trouble." like a kicked puppy, he suddenly looks very sad--

an emotion that perks up into surprise very soon after.

Luka reaches for her and tugs at her arm, eyes focused on something behind her.

"There's more coming."

@deathsang | Event starter

SHE HADN'T AT ALL NOTICED WHEN THE warning came. Hyuna had been out, looking for a place to either make some money or waste some time- but now. Now she's not entirely sure what's going on. There's panic in the streets, panic in some of the buildings. It seems as though people are trying to get away from something, but what it is she doesn't know.

Until she does, and it's almost too late.

She watches as the window in the shop she'd been in cracks when something more or less throws itself through the glass. It runs at her, seething a strange color and she dodges on instinct. The lady behind the counter, who had been explaining that they're not hiring, currently, goes strangely stiff as she's grabbed- then seems to change- corrode- right in front of Hyuna's eyes. She doesn't stick around to give the both of them a chance to lunge for her next, hopping through the broken window and into the street.

There are more of those things outside, more people running away, and Hyuna's only thought is that the best place to hide will be back at her own current home. Away from the ground.

Only... she spots a familiar figure, not far off, bent against the side of a building and huffing breathlessly, with one of those things approaching him.

Luka's golden head twitches at the sound of metal meeting flesh, and Hyuna's prosthetic leg lowers from a harsh kick, whirling on him furiously.

"What the hell are you doing out here, idiot-!?"

[deathsang]

event notes and starter call

bc i'm kind of busy finishing up with this semester, i'm not doing anything crazy with Luka here so he's just...normal

which, yeah, means he'll probably be pretty useless in a fight, but he can try!

he's fairly smart though, so...maybe he can help come up with a plan

i'll probably base threads on one of the modifiers!

this whole event is just 'local adult man triggers his asthma by running from zombies'

this is a small starter call!! cap is 2 for right now, but if we've interacted before you can be exempt from that :)

[deathsang]

Luka event checklist:

frail

health problems

no abilities to speak of

can the glitched be defeated through the power of song?? no??

someone protect him--

[deathsang]

wiege..

[deathsang]

Luka stares into the mirror of his new lodging's bathroom and his stomach feels like it flips.

he clasps a hand over his mouth, as though the very act might settle his stomach, keep it's contents right where they were supposed to be. the cheesecake had been divine, sugary and sweet and just a little tangy-- everything he'd longed to taste for so long. no one had berated him for doing so, even as he neglected to get a real meal first. he'd been allowed to eat the whole thing, swipe the last remnants of the chocolate sauce off his plate with his fingers, and no one yelled. no one stopped him.

now, as he looks at himself in the mirror, he swears he can feel the weight of it deep in the pit of his stomach. glutton, a voice says in the back of his head, with the same intonation of his guardian, who said you could have that?

he barely makes to the toilet before his meal comes back up, his knees hitting the bathroom floor with a hard thud. his body lurches, chest heaving as he vomits every last bit of the dessert. childishly, Luka thinks that it doesn't taste nearly as good coming back out. it's hard to catch his breath, hard to breathe properly as his body makes sure everything is expelled. when he tastes the familiar sour of bile in his mouth, he knows it is over.

Luka wipes his mouth and clutches at his chest, doing everything he can to even out his breathing before he has a real emergency. an asthma attack wouldn't do, alone in this bathroom with nothing but the cold tile beneath him to ground him.

he doesn't care if it's disgusting: Luka slowly slumps to the ground and presses his cheek to the cool tile. it almost stings a little against his flushed skin, but it helps steady him.

he can't help it. he laughs-- an eerie, self-deprecating thing that seems to echo in the small room. in this place full of new sights and sounds and experiences, the now empty feeling in his stomach feels...comforting. familiar.

pitiful.

it's that voice again, except this time he can't be sure if it's his guardians or his own.

[deathsang]

Luka most definitely does not know ten other people to send this message to and...he also wouldn't even if he wanted to. there are plenty of things he could say about luck back to Till, but...well, he just didn't care enough.

[txt] 👍

good enough.

[txt] FWD: FWD

(TEN people?! That's a lot! Do I even KNOW that many people?!)

Till starts scrolling through his contacts, clicking some names at random, some friends, and some names he'd only added to make sure he never answered the phone if they called.

[txt] FWD: FWD: FWD [txt] i hope some of you get bad luck.

@foreverembrace @deathsang @cursesang @heclingmuzik @lonelyalchemy @2501iv @vamplyrical @revivalbeast @beforemeteor @sickhackbassist

[deathsang]

oc asks that reveal more than you think

Do they sleep with a stuffed animal? If they have multiple, who’s the favorite?

Can they take care of a plant? What about a pet? What about a child?

Ask them to describe their love interest.

Do they look good in red?

Speech! Speech! Speech! Speech! Will they give one, and what about?

Who will they take advice from, no matter what it is? Who won’t they take advice from, no matter what it is?

Describe them in three words. Now let them describe themself in three words.

Do complex puzzles intrigue or frustrate them?

Do they empathize with non-sentient things (dolls, plants, books…)?

What age do they most want to be right now?

They’ve won the lottery. Spend, or save?

Do they like romance in the books they read (or in the book they’re in)?

Name one thing their parents taught them.

Would they agree with the term ‘guilty pleasure’? Do they have any?

What would they consider a waste of time– other than school or work?

If money wasn’t a limit, what would they wear?

Do they like children?

Kissing: tongue or no tongue?

Do they study before tests? Practice before job interviews?

What do they like that nobody else does?

What would it take for them to break up with someone? What would be the last straw?

Do they like being called pet names? Do they call other people pet names? What’s their go-to?

Stability or novelty?

Honesty or charity?

Safety or possibility?

Talent or effort?

Forgiveness or vengeance (or…)?

Would they date a fixer-upper?

What recurring dreams do they have?

What would they do if they knew it would be forgiven?

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[deathsang]

GLIMPSES OF THE PAST: a headcanon / prompt collection because sometimes it's not enough to write about your muse's past and how it affects them, you just gotta write a little scene. these prompts are designed to be a little writing prompt related to your character's past, essentially!

send FORGED for a scene from my muse's past that they think made them stronger in the long run

send REMINDED for a scene from my muse's past in which they encountered something that reminded them of a difficult experience / trauma

send CONFESSED for a scene from my muse's past in which they revealed a secret about themselves to someone

send TRICKED for a scene from my muse's past in which they misled, tricked, or lied to someone

send IMPRESSED for a scene from my muse's past in which they tried to impress someone, successfully or not

send ACHIEVED for a scene from my muse's past in which they completed / achieved something they were proud of

send CHANGED for a scene from my muse's past that represented a turning point in their life

send DIFFERENT for a scene from my muse's past that they feel changed their outlook / personality / etc, for the better or worse

send CRITICAL for a scene from my muse's past in which they thought about / were reminded of something they're insecure about

send SCOLDED for a scene from my muse's past in which someone told them off, justifiably or not

send STRAINED for a scene from my muse's past in which they interact with someone they have a difficult relationship with

send SOBBED for a scene from my muse's past in which they broke down in tears

send LOST for a scene from my muse's past in which they felt lost, literally or figuratively

send BLINDSIDED for a scene from my muse's past in which they were betrayed or shocked by what someone did

send INJURED for a scene from my muse's past in which they sustained a significant injury

send AFRAID for a scene from my muse's past in which they were scared / under threat

send HELPED for a scene from my muse's past in which someone helped / saved them

send CAUGHT for a scene from my muse's past in which they were caught doing something they shouldn't

send BLUSHED for a scene from my muse's past in which they received a compliment that really got to them

send VICIOUS for a scene from my muse's past in which someone said something cruel that really got to them

send SWOONED for a scene from my muse's past in which they were infatuated with someone

send PINNED for a scene from my muse's past in which they were stuck somewhere, literally or figuratively

send GRIEVED for a scene from my muse's past in which they had recently lost someone / something

send MORTAL for a scene from my muse's past in which they had a brush with death, either themselves or someone close to them

[deathsang]

to die for, you say--

[deathsang]

she flicks his touch away so easily it's almost like there was no effort behind it at all. like the grip he had on her was something so easily removed. and yet Luka can still see the impact he has on her even if Hyuna did everything she could to hide it. she could put on a mask, just as he often did, and pretend like she had moved on, moved so far beyond his reach that he no longer had any effect on her. but that just wasn't true, was it?

fine.

if Hyuna wanted to pretend, so would he.

and he would do it easily, more than she would think possible. in the past, Hyuna had been one of the only people he could be his authentic self around. he could show his emotions openly without fear of repercussions-- a beating from his guardian or simple bullying from other kids. but he could also be emotionless, stoic and afraid of showing the wrong thing on his face.

"If we only have each other," he begins, slowly smoothing his rumpled shirt front, "and we both walk away," he swipes his hands under his eyes, sweeping away remnants of tears, "then you'll be just as alone."

there is one final, desperate glimpse of emotion in his wide eyes before his mask slips back into place, features reset and blank like a porcelain doll. eyes half-lidded, smile very faint and practiced, skin smooth and untouched by emotion. if not for the redness in his eyes, one would be hard pressed to tell he had ever been upset. he takes a deep breath and takes turns tapping each finger to his thumb a few times, counting.

if he still wore a collar, the red light would have turned green once again.

he takes a step back, mirroring her. then another. and another. when he speaks again, his voice is devoid of any softness it had held earlier.

"Don't misunderstand this. This," he gestures to the growing space between them, the drying juice on the pavement an eerie reminder of blood spilled in the past, "is not me letting go. Go home and pretend like the very thought of me doesn't plague you." at least I can admit you're always on my mind.

his smile widens slightly, scarily, and he bows his head to her. mock politeness.

"Have a good night, Hyuna."

WHAT BOTHERS HER IN THAT MOMENT is the sheer lack of reaction after the initial surprise. Hurt me, that blank expression says, if it will get it out of your system. And oh, how she wants to, sometimes. Wants to bruise him and her knuckles against him, wants to beat out the drumbeat of her wailing heart against his skin until he feels something, anything, that makes him seem like a person and not a doll.

But she knows that won't work.

Luka is used to pain, she knows. Most don't- but most don't know Luka like she does. Don't know the sight of him as a child, counting his breaths, his heartbeats on pale, chubby fingers. Don't know the sight of him, staring distantly into nothing, until she drags him back to the here and now, onto her shoulder to carry, like a weight that grows infinitely heavy with each step- with each little, vicious thing he does, to keep her his.

(If she hadn't picked him up, would Hyunwoo have been spared?)

"Don't," she snaps, as soon as the touch comes, snatching her hand away from his. Another step back, another step away- she can't stay near him. Not now. Not when he's still acting so—

A scoff leaves her, and she lifts her chin to look down her nose at him, a haughty, chilling thing.

"...yeah. The only thing either of us has left is each other. You made sure of that." It's an accusation as much as it is a reminder. There was more in her life than him, before. More in her life than sitting and wallowing in her own grief, her own mistakes. Slowly, she's come to forgive herself for some of it, but so long as Luka remains like this, she knows she'll never be completely free of her guilt.

(The weight will keep growing, until it crushes them both, this time.)

"I don't want to see you, Luka. And you don't need to see me." Another step back, another step further away. "You need to learn to let me go. Maybe then you'll understand why you never should have held on so hard to begin with."