shadowedstep - Tumblr blog

[shadowedstep]

ombraventi​:

“Oh, I can do that. I’ve already instructed them to not attack anyone I deem worthy of being on the premises.” He nodded- there were some people he didn’t mind. He didn’t dare say the ‘f’ word, but his friends were important to him. “They won’t bother with you, then. Well, the keese may still- but they’re harmless enough.” 

They kept trying to hang from his cape, and it seriously killed his villain vibes. How could he look scary when his minions were being cute?

“And, uh, if you don’t feel like going to that public housing yet, I, er, I kept a room open for you.” He scratched at his cheek while talking, but paused after he finished. Once his brain caught up with his mouth, he flushed red again- he was being ‘nice’ again. Seriously, at this rate Piper would completely forget that he was a villain! “E-Er, um, I mean, you- you don’t have to.”

She half shrugs dismissively. Whatever keese are, she’s sure she can befriend them.

... But, uh. She totally heard that right, so there’s no doubt in her mind that Vaati just asked her to stay the night at his place. It still doesn’t really make sense, though.

At least at first. But then the candle, the awkward touch to reassure himself, keeping a room for her to stay -- it all clicks.

He really missed her.

It’s a little embarrassing. She’s extremely grateful to not have to go to an unfamiliar house, thinking about her bed in the Nightmare Knight’s missing castle, but she isn’t used to the idea of being missed.

She scratches her cheek gently, huffing through her nose to hide her own embarrassment. “If you’re offering, I’m down. I don’t wanna deal with new roommates just yet.”

[shadowedstep]

ombraventi​:

“Th-That’s… w-well, er, you missed a lot.” It really was her. Actually really her, here in the flesh indeed. How long had it been exactly? He wasn’t quite sure, but it had been quite some time. It’d been long enough that he’d been lighting a candle for her, after all.

“Um…. o-oh! Er, uh, I got all my power back?” He had to force himself to get his mind back on track, exhaling and going to sit down near her. “That’s one thing. I’ve gotten everything back, including my monsters. But they mostly stay at my place.”

He would’ve gladly let them roam the streets, but apparently if you did stuff like that, people would complain about “monsters roaming the streets” and “villains attacking civilians”. Seriously, some people got way too worked up over minor details- but it wasn’t like he minded. They made his mansion feel like home.

“Oh, dang, Nice.”

She bumps her shoulder against his casually. Thankfully, her dust from her last stay had carried over -- it was enough to buy her a sweatshirt and pants, perfect for replacing her torn clothes and hiding the scrapes she’d gotten from hitting the sidewalk. Still, it’s a bit of a warm night for such long sleeves. Unfortunate.

“You’d better introduce them to me soon, then. I’m not gonna stop showing up at your house just because it’s been a while, and I wanna make sure they know I’m a friend.”

[shadowedstep]

“W-”

Her eyes widen, fearing for a sickening moment that he’s about to drop her in after all -- before she’s thrown back down to the sidewalk with a sharp cry of surprise and pain.

She doesn’t take the time to examine the scrapes now littering her skin, instead propping herself back up to stare at the retreating form of the Nightmare Knight.

She’d like to think he wouldn’t have done it. But the part of her that trusts him is growing weaker.

It flares back to life briefly as he stops, turning to look over his shoulder at her, but is just as quickly snuffed out by his words.

Yeah. That was pretty pathetic of her, wasn’t it?

She wipes her mouth with the back of her sleeve, grimacing at the pain that shoots through her arm, and picks herself up. She’ll try again some other time, maybe. For now, though, she runs off into the crowd, flashing in and out of sight as she passes through shadows.

shadowedstep​:

More sudden movements? She shudders from the wave of nausea, clamping a hand briefly over her mouth just in case, then glances down at the emptiness below her.

Okay, bad move. Really bad move. She doesn’t struggle in his grip, even though she really should – some part of her still trusts him, even now. That part really needs to learn to shut up when it’s not needed.

“III really don’t know what brought me here, promise! I appeared here just like you did? And accidentally threw up on you, which I’m really sorry about. But. Uh. Don’t throw me in the pit, please.”

He stares in silence, looking her over as he takes in her words. It’s better that they live in fear than just die, especially if it is a child. He closes his eyes and sighs, as he steps back and tosses her to the side.

“Leave my sight. I have grown tired of you. Attempt such a thing again, and I will not be so merciful.” He turns, and sets off in the direction of Fibonacci. He does stop, however, and turns to look at her for a moment. “Clean yourself up. You look pathetic.” And he continues.

[shadowedstep]

whohassummonedme​:

He blinks. Very slowly. She’s a pathetic liar. She’s thrown up on him.

She might as well be one of the conquerors he would be summoned by. Maybe one in a rush to grab glory before their death. A sickly sorcerer? A weak warlock? Not a cocky, muscle-bound warlord type. Or it could simply be someone unlucky.

This is not Dreamside. He doesn’t need to play by the rules set in stone all those years ago.

His hand reaches out, and while he can’t pick her up with just two fingers, there’s more than enough strength in his body to pick her up by the back of her outfit, and hoist her up to his eye level.

“I despise lies, little creature. You are no conqueror, and we are not bound by the legends here.” He turns, and steps closer to the pit. His arm extends, and she’s now dangling above the edge of the abyss. “Tell me why you are here, and you may leave today with knowledge of who you are dealing with. If I do not like your answer, you will leave today faster than you entered it.”

More sudden movements? She shudders from the wave of nausea, clamping a hand briefly over her mouth just in case, then glances down at the emptiness below her.

Okay, bad move. Really bad move. She doesn’t struggle in his grip, even though she really should -- some part of her still trusts him, even now. That part really needs to learn to shut up when it’s not needed.

“III really don’t know what brought me here, promise! I appeared here just like you did? And accidentally threw up on you, which I’m really sorry about. But. Uh. Don’t throw me in the pit, please.”

[shadowedstep]

ombraventi​:

It was her. Or- or was it? After all, this place loved to play tricks on people. Vaati needed to be certain that it was her, and he could only think of one way to do just that. Almost timidly he reached out, hand brushing against her side.

At the physical contact, he jumped- it was her. Immediately his face flushed up in embarrassment at just how hesitant he’d been- and- and that candle! She was right there, she’d definitely seen it!

“I-I-I– u-um– Y-You’re… y-you’re back?” He didn’t know why he was so flustered, trying his best to keep his composure. He was failing that miserably, naturally- but it was the effort that counted. “I-I, um… e-erm, I… I was just.. uh… thinking, um… h-hi.”

He looks so... shy? Is he scared of her? She glances away from the candles just in time to see his hand reaching out to brush against her. Okay. Weird.

Or... maybe he’s just making sure she’s actually there. Her confused expression turns to one of realization as more memories of Spirale’s tricks helpfully pop back up. She huffs quietly through her nose, then pokes him back in the side and sits down cross-legged by the water’s edge. What a dork, getting all embarrassed about her coming back.

“Yep, Piper in the flesh. I just got back this afternoon and was doing some sightseeing. Y’know, figuring out what I’d missed.”

[shadowedstep]

whohassummonedme​:

This earless creature begins its short life by appearing, sitting down, standing up, wobbling towards him, falling down, and throwing up. It’s a horrid sight, really.

He reaches down, not to grab the beast, but to grab his cape, to reveal the shame the other one has. It even attempts a greeting. It would be cute, if it wasn’t so pathetic.

“For what reason do you approach me? Do not tell me that you are the one who has summoned me?” He deals with that knowledge, rolling it around in his mind. If they were the latest conqueror, his work was cut out for him. Maybe they would even die before any damage was done. They didn’t look well at all, considering.

“Answer, now. I do not have any qualms letting you test the limits of this pit before us.”

Her temporary shade is yanked away from her, and she squints through blurry vision to bring his shape back into focus.

Those words are not exactly reassuring. She opens her mouth to snap something back -- ‘if you throw me in the pit I swear I’ll throw up on you again’ -- when the rest of his words catch up with her racing mind.

Memories, memories -- Spirale messes with memories sometimes, right? Maybe she’s just caught him at a bad time. The Nightmare Knight wouldn’t talk to her like that unless he had forgotten who she was... and maybe who he was.

Fun. That shot of pain in her stomach has nothing to do with vertigo this time.

For now, she’ll try to avoid getting tossed into the pit. She shakily gets to her feet and side-steps around the Nightmare Knight, keeping him within her sights.

“I just, uh. Didn’t see what I was grabbing at, sorry. I -- uh. Maybe? Summoned you?”

On one hand, a blatant lie will probably get her killed. On the other, maybe she can figure out a little more about the situation like this. Really could go either way.

[shadowedstep]

Well, no good in wasting time freaking out. She’s not interested in going to her housing just yet, not with the lights illuminating the waters in the distance so enticingly. Could it be some kind of trap? Definitely. But Spirale wouldn’t kill her this quickly, right? She just wants to enjoy some beautiful scenery for her first night here.

It must be one hell of a coincidence that leads her to the edge of the river where a familiar figure kneels. She watches him from beyond the shore, the corners of her mouth tugging downward at the sight of him so somber. She can’t make out what he’s saying, but from what she can recall, this is a ceremony to mourn the missing.

She’s proud of him for having found someone to light a candle for.

Hm. They are friends, aren’t they? She wants to make herself known, but hesitates after a few steps. Maybe he needs a little more alone time --

Welp, nevermind. Already spotted. She smiles sheepishly and waves to Vaati, then half-jogs over to stand by his side.

“What’s up?”

@shadowedstep​

Vaati would not consider himself a nostalgic person. Though some would say he’d grown soft over his stay in this city, he would still gladly call himself a villain- he was evil. He didn’t care for others. (He could insist as much as he wanted, at least. Nobody believed that.)

Still, he found himself making his way to the rivers of Cotes at night, lingering thoughts on his mind. It’d been…. a while since he’d seen her, hadn’t it? It wasn’t like that was a surprise- she’d gone home, as everyone seemed to eventually. But the strange feelings lingering in his chest had made him feel the desire to partake in the little tradition of this place with lighting candles.

“I wonder… how you’re doing…” He watched as the small candle floated down the river, sighing lightly. He stiffened up at the sounds of movement behind him- but rather than getting angry at a sudden impostor, he stood stock-still, eyes widened in shock.

“….Piper?”

[shadowedstep]

Interdimensional travel makes Piper dizzy, it seems. Or maybe it’s just the vertigo from staring blankly into the island’s pit for so long. Either way, she finds herself abruptly sitting down on the sidewalk.

It doesn’t help that the memories of her last visit flood back all at once. There’s no grace period where she can piece together the meanings of Spirale and its alien technology before it hits her like -- like a truck. She remembers what a truck is. Oh jeez, this is a lot.

She gets back to her feet, perhaps too quickly. But standing so close to the pit is bad news, so she swivels around to face away from it. She doesn’t know where to go first, but she can’t stay here.

The stream of sights and sounds and smells sends her head spinning and her stomach churning. She sways from side to side, and the blurring of her vision makes her wonder if she’s going to pass out.

Not here, though. If she loses her balance by the pit, she might just end up falling in. So she takes a few steps forward, head bobbing like a balloon, and reaches out a hand towards the nearest dark shape she can make out. It’s a familiar cloud, deep purple mist rolling around the ground like the base of a waterfall, but she doesn’t think about what it means just yet.

Her hand passes through it, of course. She leans too far forward and falls to the ground with a yelp of alarm that’s quickly cut off by a retch. Ah, her stomach really didn’t like that movement-!

Great. Throwing up on the pavement in front of everybody is a great way to start round two.

She coughs, spitting the last of it onto the ground, and lifts her head to stare blearily up at the figure twice her size. The Nightmare Knight -- oh, thank the gods.

“Hi,” she croaks, making no effort to stand.

I knew you when we had so much more in common. It’s been a while. (open)

Seven lights, brought together in their dormant forms, shine bright with rays reaching high into the evening sky. Then, the dark fog forms, swirling and spreading from the edge of the great hole in the center of the city. Lights go out. A purple glow comes from the depths of the fog, and it spirals, spirals, spirals… Until it resembles a familar figure.

Two horns. A broad chest. Massive, clawed hands. A booming sigh, as it all forms a solid figure, one with a purple star on his chest, a cape of stardust, and two, very angry, yellow eyes.

“Who has summoned me?” The script as always, to intimidate any would-be conqueror with the ancient presence and legends he carried. But there was no answer. There was a little yellow car, and a strange city. This was not Caketown Castle, or even Caketown. This wasn’t even the Doughnut Kingdom.

He was smaller, and weaker. He could feel it. He opened, and closed, a fist. Something was very wrong. These shackles weren’t even his own anymore.

[shadowedstep]

it's time to bring her back.... reapping piper elenmin, oc! application is the third square down on the left, or at /app !!

Welcome back to sunny Isola Radiale, Piper!

You’ll be housed in HOUSE 129

You’ll retain everything you had during your previous stay.

Have fun! :)

– Mod Caelum

[shadowedstep]

@shadowedstep

They’re having a dance lesson!

(Also Piper’s design is really pretty, I love her outfit!!)

[shadowedstep]

ombraventi‌:

“No! I got it for you because I wanted to! I made a choice, and I don’t walk back on them!” He wasn’t sure why he’d just been so forceful about it, but there were too many emotions flying around for his liking- and he was far too emotional to think about getting a handle on them. 

“It was a gift! Don’t humans give gifts around this time of year? I don’t know, I never paid attention- just accept it! It’s fine, really!”

She’s whisper-yelling. He’s getting agitated too, and she’s trying so hard to keep this under control, but she can feel her face heat up.

“I made you feel like I expected you to?! But I didn’t?!” There’s someone looking at them. She links her free arm with his and pulls him behind a shelf, still clutching the heart like a precious treasure.

“Can I at least pay you back for it?”

[shadowedstep]

ombraventi‌:

He wasn’t sure what he’d done wrong. She’d said she’d wanted it, so he’d gotten it. Honestly, he still wasn’t really sure why he’d even done that… but he’d just wanted to do something nice, perhaps.

And yet, he’d apparently managed to fuck that up. She was obviously distressed, just from the look on her face- how had purchasing it been the wrong move? He wanted to badly to write it off as just a weird human thing, but even that didn’t make sense- it was the opposite of being selfish!

“I- I was trying to do something nice! Don’t look at me like that!”

“Ah -- I know you were! Thank you soso much, I really -- argh!”

She presses the side of her fist to her forehead with her free hand. Think, Piper. You can fix this.

“I-If you want -- we still have the receipt, right? You could return it? I didn’t really mean to actually tell you to do something like that -- I’m so sorry.”

[shadowedstep]

ombraventi‌:

“Tch, I suppose that’s well enough. Just don’t expect me to help you in eating that chalk to get to the bottle.”

He did take the bottle up to the till though, purchasing it quickly before dropping it into her hands. He hardly needed to be seen with such a gross, cutesy thing- just think about his reputation! He was way too evil for that!!

“Here. Now have fun eating them.”

She laughs, waving a hand dismissively in his direction without processing his words. She's wandered off from the display, picking up a stuffed rabbit and examining it fondly, when Vaati returns with the bottle and hands it over.

“Wait, you --”

She looks down at the vial.

She made him do it. She had joked around too sincerely and made him think she actually wanted him to buy it for her. 

She clutches the heart close, distress written across her face.

“Wh-why -- I didn’t mean you had to!”

[shadowedstep]

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure those weren’t fireworks.”

[shadowedstep]

ombraventi‌:

Vaati just stared blankly at the vials- he couldn’t say he was terribly fond of this holiday, what with how disgustingly…. romantic everything was getting. All the little hearts everywhere… seriously, how gullible did people get? Would people buy anything in pink and red when they were in love?

And yet, he was already feeling…. well…. malleable enough to not raise a massive stink about it. He just rolled his eyes, picking up one of the vials. “These look like chalk. How good could they possibly taste?”

“It’s not about the candy. I just like the shape of the glass.”

She presses against his side, grinning as he handles the vial. He won’t actually get it for her, of course, but it’s fun to pester him about cute things.

“I collect bottles and boxes and things to put other things in.”

[shadowedstep]

@ombraventi​

“Vaati -- Vaati, look. Look at these.”

She nudges him gently in the side, then points at the shelf. It’s full of little heart-shaped vials with cork stoppers, filled with delicious candy hearts. At least she assumes they’re delicious. She’s never had them before, but she’ll eat anything once.

“Buy me one.”

[shadowedstep]

guess who’s back!!!!

i just submitted the off-hiatus request for all three of my blogs, so we’re getting back in gear just in time for the event. here’s a cupid shuffle starter call for piper, capping at 3!