#ofyokai

[helltechnicality]

@ofyokai asked: ❛ i never meant to hurt you, it was never my intention. ❜

he did not like being summoned places. especially when it was not by his own volition nor did it include charles who he is sure is tearing london asunder looking for him. it must have been quite the spectacle to watch his best friend fall through the floor despite there being nowhere for him to phase to. he sighs despite not requiring the air. " then what was your intention? summoning a ghost is not a lark for those looking to dabble in the arcane arts! if there was even a slight mispronunciation in your incantation i could have been torn apart or sent to another realm entirely. "

[equationsoff]

@ofyokai asked: " do you remember your nightmares ? "

he doesn't make eye contact. " my nightmares are just my memories. sure, the brain adds some fucked up shit to them but it isn't far from the truth. "

[streetslost]

"Yeah, I don't like talking feelings either. Wanna go break something instead?" //only if still accepting, no pressure otherwise :)

a meme for muses who can't open up

              FEELINGS WERE EASY.  talking about them wasn’t.  especially when all that initiated them started to get complex and muddled.  life rarely held straight forward answers.  people NEVER maintained a situation with true black and white behavior.  the blurring would become noticeable, and the greys haunted.  try try and try to do the right thing, but someone was always slighted.  w h o ended up right and who ended up wrong?  in the end, really, there was only losing.  not unless one had enough money, power, and influence.

                   then you ruled the damn world.

          “do y’have something in mind, or do we have to find it?”  mouth stretched a long yawn.  not out of boredom so much as weighted tiredness that clung to her shoulders.  a cape that was latched tight about her throat, a suffocation that she had long since learned to live with.  cat scratched at the invisible chain before readjusting the collar of her sweater.  h e a t was leaving her sweating, but the article wasn’t about to be removed any time soon.  it was a familiarity by that point, and limbs accepted the disgust almost like comfort.

                         how had they drifted to the discussion of feelings, anyways?  vague curiosity, she supposed.  but as the mentions had started, the recoils had been obvious.  dancing responses with no real answers.  eventually almost buried in silence until the offer had been made.  fingers itched with sudden anticipation, an idea SCRATCHING an excited part of her brain.  “i wouldn’t mind something tha’ would make good practice for a throwing knife.”

@ofyokai

[talesofourworlds]

[ RELAX ]: After a particularly stressful day, the sender prepares some tea so that they can finally begin to relax and unwind in the evening. (for Jay~)

If it wasn't one thing, it was another. The whole day had been a big ball of stress as far as Jay was concerned. Rather than venting about it aloud, though, he had opted to keep it inside and just try to ride out the rest of what was left. Reiko didn't deserve having her own day dampened by having to listen to him go on about this and that, after all. She had been kind enough to start preparing some tea, though.

That, Jay told himself, was something he would return the favor for when given the opportunity. He smiled, soft and as relaxed as he could make himself be.

"Thank you again for this, Reiko," he said. "It's been a long day, so... I mean it when I say I appreciate what you're doing. And if there's any way I could repay your kindness, do let me know." He didn't like the idea of just expecting Reiko to go unthanked, after all.

[talesofourworlds]

"That sounds wonderful. Thank you," Jay answered, smiling softly. He honestly wasn't about to object to any food suggestions. Unless it was something Harriet had made, in which case he definitely would have qualms. He would have offered to help, but it sounded like Reiko was pretty set on the idea of doing it herself. The Oresoren would have been the same way, he knew.

Her question registered, and he thought on it for a moment. Only a moment, though. There was no harm in sharing.

"I'm an information broker," Jay explained. "They call me Jay the Unseen. People can make requests of me if they want to know something, and I'll help them out. But not without making them do a little bit of work to get the information." A small, amused smile formed on his face. He'd made Chloe and Will go through a little bit of trouble to get to him when they needed information about Shirley, he remembered. Going to the fountain, meeting him at the port while he pretended not to be who they were looking for, having to go all the way across Lake Enrage to get to the Oresoren Village, trying to surprise them with the Oresoren reveal... it had been a fun time. Even more so because he'd gotten to rile Senel up a little bit.

"It isn't all just me working on this, of course. The Oresoren help, too," he explained. "But today, apparently, multiple people decided they needed my help. So there's been a lot to look into. And I haven't heard back from some of the Oresoren I asked to get information yet."

"I don't regret getting into this line of work, but busy days like this are... well. Busy." No shit.

"Well then, in that case..." Reiko sets her teacup down on the low table. "I'll cook something for us." The girl gets to her feet and turns towards the kitchen. "Besides," she adds. "I'm hungry too. Haven't eaten yet either." There's a note of enthusiasm to her tone while she rummages through the cabinets. "Maybe two bowls of instant noodles, one for each of us, but dressed up with some fresh produce and egg?" It's a half-question, half-already-made-decision. She could have opted for making rice balls instead. Though, she'd prefer to put in some extra effort when it comes to hosting Jay.

"Anyway, you said you had more requests for information than you'd expected to receive." Reiko recalls how he briefly referred to his line of work, which despite the several times she'd had occasion to interact with Jay, she still isn't entirely sure of the full nature of his vocation. "So... what exactly is it that you do?" Chop, chop, chop. She finishes cutting the last of the bok choy and adds them to the broth boiling on the stovetop. "I mean, not that you're obligated to share, by the way."

[ingolds-archived]

@ofyokai. — ❛ people fall in and out of love all the time, don’t they? i wonder how they manage it. ❜

     “ it's awful, isn't it? how quickly people forget the things that made them fall in love to begin with. ”

the idea of love, as heavy and all-encompassing and warm it is, simply disappearing without warning is not a comforting one. theo has been in love before. they've cared deeply and almost to a point where it became too much for them, heart hammering and chest fit to burst. it had terrified them. but beyond terrifying them, it had made life seem brighter - like it was worth waking up in the morning, like they could shoulder anything so long as they could return to love's comforting weight drawn around them like a blanket.

     falling in love had been easy. falling out of love had been painful, sickening, each day worse than the last. still, they grieve; theo isn't sure their heart has fully shaken off the after effects.

     “ i find myself hoping it's more a case of everyone having qualities worth loving rather than people becoming bored, ” they sigh, somewhere between wistful and dreary. “ the alternative is that their love hinges on being entertained. that possibility is much worse. ”

f. scott fitzgerald / accepting

[aworidwithout]

@ofyokai​

Six months. The amount of time it takes to convince his sister to experience society again, to live outside of her four walls. He tries to convince her years before, leaving her encouraging messages and showing her photos of his experience outside their apartment, but he doesn’t actively make an effort until six months ago when he grows fed up with supporting her mentally and physically. Once outside, he treats her to a competition she once loved–archery. 

He’s here for his sister. The sport is utterly boring and the crowd lacks enthusiasm. But his sister is into it, leaning over the railing and examining the scores of each archer. She’s too into it, but he’s sincerely happy for her. He scrolls through his phone while the next archer is announced, Natsume Reiko. He looks over the brim of his glasses, the screen of his phone turning black as he pays attention to the girl on the field. Not bad, she has appealing features, but lacks emotion or she concentrates so intensely, it makes her look apathetic.

Bullseye after bullseye. This girl is a winner. And suddenly, Daisuke is just as engaged as his sister. She has exceptional hand-eye coordination, an aim that is so precise down to the centimeter–perfect for handling a pistol. Damn archery, she would be exceptional in the NPA and it’s his mission to meet her.

He waits outside the venue with his sister. Half an hour later, she walks out looking just as emotionless as when she entered the field. It’s her alright. “Natsume-san”, he calls out to her, feigning his best friendly persona, “You were really great on the field, an amazing archer.” He’s straightforward and hands her his business card, “Let me treat you to dinner someday. You got future plans for your career?”

[aworidwithout]

In Ruby’s mind, Haru has nothing else better to do than tag along with her to an unknown woman’s house on a sunny afternoon (which is partially true), but he could be at home cleaning, sleeping, and attempting to live a somewhat normal life as any other twenty-five year old man. The more he attempted to live a ‘normal’ life, the more real it seemed. 

But he is friends with Ruby and nothing has been ‘normal’ since. After their night out where he haphazardly followed her to the park after many drinks, he was convinced that this other being or life-changing form was only the alcohol speaking. The night ended with them wasting time in a public park, Ruby thinking she was in a magical forest, and Haru trying to keep his alcohol down. All to say, he isn’t hopeful about this encounter after the last one. 

He parks his bike alongside the house once they arrive. Ruby spoke about her friend, a young girl who was still in grade school–yes, grade school. The more he thought of what Ruby said about her friend, the slimmer the likelihood of this friend helping him. “Ruby, you said she was a high-schooler. Are you sure this is the same girl who knows more about the world than the creator itself?” She should be doing math homework right now instead of entertaining Ruby’s theories. But he keeps the last part of the thought to himself. Although his mind is full of doubt, he keeps the door cracked open on the small chance they surprise him. 

Haru holds the basket of treats in his arms when the door opens and he meets her friend for the first time. She looks close to how he pictures her thanks to Ruby’s descriptions. “You look great at math,” his thoughts slip from his mouth before he greets her with a bow, hoping to hide his face tinted with embarrassment. He gives her the basket shortly afterwards as a gift from them both, “It’s nice to meet you. I’m eager to hear what Ruby’s said about me though. I hope it’s all positive.”

Ruby & Haru & Reiko

@AWORIDWITHOUT & @OKYOKAI ⬩ 1 MARCH 2023 

The grass is tall and the sun, high. The end of the afternoon is tranquil, ideal for the fox who does adore the spring. In her white dress, she is leading the way on her yellow bicycle, a hat and her heart sunglases on, followed by Haru riding a black one, on the paths of dirt, grass and flowers. The distance between their apartment and Reiko's isn't too much of a grand one. "She lives over there!" Speaks Ruby, pointing the direction accross the river, turning around to glance at Haru, as they will then have to cross the bridge. Ruby has a good feeling today, hoping it would change Haru's mindset if perhaps they do find the answers he is looking for. The fox couldn't believe what was happening to him had no cure : objects and concepts disappearing from Earth in order for him to live longer sounded more like an abnormality due to his mere existence. Her hypothesis was that perhaps, he was no longer human after crossing paths with the devil and that, maybe, by figuring out what he has been turned into, they would be able to feed him properly, handle his new nature properly and stop the odd phenomenons his presence was causing on the world. It was something she tried to explain to him, the other day, after their restaurant escapade yet the man seemed skeptical, Ruby had to insist for him to follow her here. Once they reached their destination, she jumps off her bike, letting it hit the ground as they are now standing near Reiko's building. "I'm convinced she will be able to help us. She is the only human I've met so far who is aware there is more to this world that what our eyes can see," Announces Ruby, a gentle smile on her lips. For the occasion, the two bought buns put in a basket, one Haru was carrying as of course Princess Ruby is too lazy to carry anything. "Come oon, I promise it will go well, I've already told her about you, she expects us... And if she doesn't know to answer our questions, it's okay, there are other ways to look for them, yes?" The fox adds, grabbing Haru by the hand and dragging him to Reiko's door before she gives three knocks on the wood. As soon as the door opens, Ruby's grin widens. "Hey lovely," She speaks with this endearment she has developped for Reiko. "I brought Haru with me and as promised, a basket of fresh and warm buns too."

[handgiven]

a colorful interview: @ofyokai — [ navy ]  what do your muse(s) mean to you?

i came up with emmanuel at a very vulnerable time in my life. i needed a bit of hope right at the corner of my vision, and i got that through him, even if that wasn't the primary reason for creating him in the first place, it kind of wound up being that way.

this is a thought excercise -- imagine a person looking up at the clouds and thinking, oh, that is a wonderful cloud. how likely is it that at the same time there are other people somewhere else on the planet admiring the clouds? how likely is it that exactly in the same split-second someone else is having a lovely awe-filled thought about their surrounding? well, it's non-zero. i like to think of these people as individuals momentarily connected into communities through joy alone, and without ever having met each other. the distribution of these individuals on the face of earth changes fluidly, as do the reasons for their awe-filled pausing in their day. they are everywhere, and ungraspable. but just the fact that they exist, just the fact that someone is showing this love for the world even at times when it feels impossible for myself to do the same, that gives me hope. that makes me look forward to the moments of sharing in that community, even if just for a moment. emmanuel represents that for me. he is a stand-in for all of those people. for all of the love. he may not have been created entirely with that purpose in mind, but he has definitely become a comfort character over the years.

[ lime ]  describe yourself as a character / mix of characters you've always related to the most.

hmm. alright. i have three, off the top of my head. charlie from the perks of being a wallflower, the unnamed protagonist from in watermelon sugar and river tam from firefly. they all share this element of standing to the side, observing others, but ultimately defining themselves through them. charlie's whole book is written as a series of letters to a kind stranger, not asking for a response, but merely trying to make sense of the things that happen to himself through this unusual lense. in watermelon sugar, there is the entire chapter dedicated to the main character trying to explain to you what his name is, but the name is conveyed through a collage of feelings that you, the reader, are to experience, or at least imagine. as for river tam, the last episode of firefly remains a favourite to go back to for similar reasons.

i don't read as much fiction as i used to back in the day, i wonder if i would have chosen differently if i'd "met" new characters. i don't think so, though. these have stuck with me for many years, much like emmanuel has.

[helltechnicality]

edwin does not recognise the location. or know how she picked a spell to summon him specifically. was it one where she knew of his name and reputation? or a generalised calling and he was the closest correct fit? he feels as he did hearing the words from the demon all those years ago. this is going to be a long, long day.

" i very well do, miss. i am a busy ghost with friends who shall worry greatly about my abduction. " the agency would be mobilised quickly with the loss of edwin so soon after his second escapade to hell. no stone left unturned looking for him. " i did not believe in using proper etiquette when you have clearly summoned me to use me for some possibly untoward reason. and your confidence implies this is not your first go of this. " the bonk isn't felt and he just raises an eyebrow icily. " not that you have earned such introductions but i am edwin payne of the dead boy detective agency. "

Why so serious? Reiko nearly clicks her tongue in annoyance, but she doesn't. That would be giving in way too quickly and way too easily. Instead, she smooths out the wrinkles from her mud-stained school uniform and smiles at the stranger. Though unconsciously, a hand betrays her previous motivations as she wipes at the bruised gash along her upper cheek. "Hmmm... " The teenager practices the tongue with a playful Japanese lilt to her English-as-a-third-language, "You don't need to know my real intentions." Reiko giggles and bends down to collect her school books and papers wildly strewn along the ground. "At least, not yet." She takes a sudden step closer towards him and feigns a threatening stare before breaking into her signature grin. "It's not proper to skip introductions, y'know? I'm Reiko, and I think I know what I'm doing well enough to keep you in one piece, Ghost-boy. You worry too much." Bonk. She gently taps the edge of one of her books to the top of his head. "Anyway, what's your name?"

[talesofourworlds]

"So, what, did someone do something to piss off this ocean monster?" (for Edna~)

"Yep, basically."

"It actually was pretty annoying. We could've just walked through, but nooo... Zaveid had to be a showoff and try to mess with the thing." It wasn't even technically an ocean monster, Edna knew. Just a hellion who had been in the water trial. But it was in the water trial, and also a water monster. Ergo, ocean monster.

"So then we had to go all the way back to the start of the temple," she said. "Honestly, it was the worst."

[ingolds-archived]

@ofyokai​. —  ❛ i’m not afraid of you. ❜

     wolf’s lips split wide, showing all his white teeth, a grin made up of daggers ground sharp on a whetstone. not afraid, she insists, and he is fascinated. rare is the day someone faces all 9 feet, 5 inches of him, furred and clawed and just this side of monstrous, and tells him they don’t feel an ounce of fear from him. he detects no lie, either; her pulse is steady, her chest deflating confident around the spoken statement. how fun, beast thinks, and theo warns him that he is, perhaps, coming on a little strong. it’s a delicate balance between encouraging someone to remain fearless and pushing them right over the edge into sudden caution and awareness.

     his legs bend until he can look her in the eye, knuckles nearly brushing the ground, and an amused hum churns in his chest, almost a laugh. if he was human, it would say are you sure? - not a threat, but a chance to reconsider.

elisabeth sentence starters / accepting

[talesofourworlds]

"I put up with Eizen being a nerd and going on about his passions. I guess I'm kind of used to people being annoying," she said as nonchalantly as she could. She missed Eizen going on about his passions, strangely enough. That was probably just because he was her brother, though, and hadn't been himself in ages. Zaveid, though, was a connection to him. So Edna had to tolerate it to some degree. That didn't stop her from thinking he was annoying, though.

Ah... right, she had told Reiko about that before hadn't she? Her gaze drifted away again. That and the melancholy in her eyes should have been an answer in and of itself.

"It's... not going great," Edna confessed. "It's like Sorey's not even trying to come up with a way to save him. The dummy has a lot on his plate as Shepherd, but he promised. It was the whole reason I joined up with him in the first place." She hated how small she felt in confessing that much. The seraph knew she shouldn't have gotten her hopes up, but she still had done so nonetheless. All because Sorey had made a promise. It was looking like a promise he couldn't keep, though, when he kept avoiding thinking about it in favor of what he needed to do as Shepherd.

...To be fair? She probably didn't help matters.

"Dragon dreams?" That was unusual. Edna's head tilted.

"Tell me what they entail," Edna said. "I don't know if it has any connection to Eizen." She wasn't even sure dreams held any real meaning. But it was a lead, or as close to one as they could get.

"Even if they don't, I want to hear about them."

"Annoying...?" echoes Reiko. "Hmmm, you all sound like you have a lot more patience than I do for those sorts of antics. If it were me, I'm not sure if I'd have been loyal enough to stick around with your crew or if I'd just call it quits and peace out." It's fun to talk (or maybe it was gossip?) about the wind seraph she didn't personally know. Hearing the stories through Edna's perspective made it all the more entertaining. Even so, she can't help it but feel a bit unsettled at the mention of Eizen. "Hey, so..." She pauses before continuing, not intending to push it if the other wishes to drop the subject. "How's that all going? With Eizen, I mean." Reiko idly scratches at an itch on her forearm. "Not saying it's related or anything. Just thought it would be appropriate if you knew. I've been having recurring dreams about a dragon. Not like, every night. Not sure what the pattern is yet. But I've been logging when it happens. Besides, it could probably just be because we've been talking about it since I met you. If it's of any significance to you though, do what you will with it."

[aworidwithout]

What color is your aura?

crimson.

rose vines, blood, apples, velvet, sharp nails, galaxies, dripping jewelry. your essence is crimson: you are the strong, defiant and avoidant. you crave some sort of deviation; to walk in another's footsteps feels mundane, a waste of your time. you are possessive and never look back at the things you've lost or forgotten. you are the rebel. you are the one who will change the world. you find kinship in like-minded individuals of red, blush, garnet, and bronze, who share your impassioned existence. you are also drawn to the confident souls royal and gold, who will help you grow and show that not everyone seeks to break you. however, you may struggle to get along with the slow-acting personalities of navy and umber who never seem assertive about anything.

tagged by: @tvsteoftrvgedy

tagging: @uroborosymphony @phantombs @swansofmisery @rippleofwords @solitvrs @ofyokai @goldfanged @writtenbykiwi @velvetineblue @anyone who would like to do this for their muse

[uroborosymphony]

TAG NINE PEOPLE YOU’D LIKE TO KNOW BETTER.

favourite colour(s): Black white gold and emerald.

favourite flavour(s): Fruity and liquorish.

favourite genre(s): Thriller, psychological when it comes to movies and books, I like my mind bent. Metal and classical music when I want music to transcend me, then pop/jpop/kpop/electro for a good mood.

favourite movie : Memento, Christopher Nolan (1999). The movie fascinates me and inspired me to write many things in the past. Gone girl, David Flinch (2014), it's the book I m obsessed with but the movie was good and that OST : surreal. I often listen to this OST for inspiration when writing melancholic complex or toxic scenes.

favourite series: I will pick a game for this one and say Prince of Persia. Absolutely obsessed with the universe, even a decade after its glory days. I often listen to the OST as well, it's so beautiful.

last song: NIN - Pretty Hate Machine the album. I'm obsessed with NIN in general, one of my favorite bands, so their albums are often playing in the back.

last series: A show? Wednesday ! Which was amazing.

last movie: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. I'm absolutely obsessed with Wanda and she's be the type of muse made for me, I will write a crazy mother on her way to 🔪

currently reading: Memories, Dreams, Reflections by Carl Jung. It's the biography of Carl Jung, I'm fascined with psychology in general and I want to educate myself on that, curious about his work on the unconscious mind too these will be my next reads.

currently watching: Nothinggg due to very packed evenings but planning on going back at it.

currently working on: Rp wise? Since I'm rather new here I'm still plotting with muns I'm meeting and I'm super excited to start roleplaying with everyone + A lot of world building with my verses here and on my multi muse. I'm super inspired and finally feeling like I found the type of RP that makes me happy and impatient to log on either here or on discord to plot and build together (I'm sending so much love to this welcoming and inspiring community really)

tagged by : @ofgentleresolve thank youu Ferre🖤

tagging : @rippleofwords @velvetineblue @aworidwithout @solitvrs @mythvoiced @temporalobjects @jeoseungsaja @ofyokai @eclavigne

[handgiven]

lord huron prompts: @ofyokai " somehow i survived. "

"you sound tired, little one." a powerful being, contained in a small human frame, calling her little just about escapes him before he may stop himself. no matter the power, he knows the strain that comes with powers so great, spirit so unconsolable.