#sorry for putting these in the tags but its so they can be in the tags on MY blog

[secondbeatsongs]

Hello, you said in some tags in a poll that Speed Racer (2008) is your favorite film. If you’re okay with it, I’d really like to hear more about why you love it. I love the Wachowskis’ work (they’re among my favorite directors), but I kinda ended up bouncing off Speed Racer (2008). So, hearing that it had a real impact on someone makes me very curious why. I’m not interested in criticizing your opinion or arguing with you, I’d just really like to know why you love it in the hopes I might be able to enjoy that movie more in the future.

oh god this is from seven months ago, I'm so sorry - but I do love almost everything about Speed Racer (2008) and I still think about it nearly every day.

I love that it's so bright and colorful and absurd. I love that it's an anime in live action form. and I love that at its heart, it is a story about love.

it's about the mistakes people make out of love, and the consequences of that. it's about the way children grow to understand why the adults around them make the choices they do, and maybe choose to do the same things. it's about taking risks for the people you love, and the pain of failing to change the world, because everything is capitalism and everything hurts.

(and it's also about being transgender btw. like, that's one of the main things about it - it is very much a movie about being transgender)

what if your father's choices hurt your older brother, and your older brother's choices hurt you, and now it's you and your younger brother staring down a future where you're going to end up hurting him by making the same choice?

and then...what if you can escape that? what if the broken parts put themselves back together, and the hope doesn't run out, and you're not alone with the things that haunt you? what then?

and now you're at the end and mistakes were still made, people were still hurt, but everyone's grown and changed and they're different now. and they've figured out that maybe, just maybe, you can change the world by doing something you love, by creating art and beauty and making people feel things.

maybe you really can defeat capitalism by driving a car really fast. and even if everyone thinks you can't...don't you have to try anyway? shouldn't you fight with the skills you have, the only way you know how?

what if it works?

and I'm not even gonna get into most of the Racer X stuff (because I want people to go watch this movie, and most folks probably won't be spoiled for it), but his whole deal is just...everything. I love him.

(if there's a guy from Speed Racer that I want to put in a jar and shake every so often, or maybe wrap in a blanket so he can have a nice nap, it's Racer X. he's a great character. prime blorbo material)

anyway I've been rotating this movie in my head ever since I saw it for the first time, and I think I've seen it...seven? times now? and I still cry at the final race, and I still get blown away by the intro sequence.

(the beginning of the movie is genuinely one of the best things I've ever seen - it does an amazing job of introducing you to the world and the story of the characters, and gets you emotionally invested in it right from the start. it's fantastic filmmaking)

also like. story stuff aside, from a technical standpoint, the movie is a masterpiece. it's the type of thing that people hated when it first came out, but when you look at it now and see how it was made, how it intentionally looks bizarre and cartoonish, plastic and surreal, you can see the exact vision the Wachowskis were going for, and it's brilliant.

the way they did the visual effects, the way they made the outdoor scenes feel so detailed, the way the driving and the tracks work - they put so much thought into that, and the behind-the-scenes vids show how cool their process was.

also uhhh cars go vroom, crash into each other, flip upside down, explode, maybe have bees and hammers in them sometimes?

(the above is me complimenting the unhinged vibe of the races themselves, which I love very much)

anyway I could make other full posts about the script of the film and how much I love it, or the cool side characters, or the fanfic potential of the amazing world of the film, or how I can prove that it's set in 1991...but I guess if anyone wants those rants, they'll just have to watch the film and then come talk to me. :)

(please. please come talk to me about Speed Racer.)

so, yeah! I kinda lost my mind there and made this post way longer than I intended, but I do feel strongly affected by this movie, and I hope this has helped explain why.

[alevolpe]

#What these pieces represent to me and what they made me feel while drawing them and what they make me feel even now // sorry if this is a bit too intrusive but I love picking your brain on sailor moon because it's so big and beautiful and takes it places I never even began to imagine. can I know your thoughts on this for the Pluto one? it's so haunting and forlorn and piercing. thank you so so much!!!

This ask is referring to this Pluto art I did a while back and the tags I put under a recent reblog of it.

I’m not exaggerating when I say Pluto does genuinely scare me, she’s the only sm character that has ever made me feel uneasy and tbf to her, it’s not really anything she did or said or even how she looks, but more what she stands and what I picture her representing.

In a way Pluto to me is the uncertainty of existence and its inevitable end. Yes, she technically only asssociated with time but time itself is such an existentially dreadful concept to me. We know nothing about it, and that’s honestly the way I started seeing Pluto, an unknown.

At the time I made this gif I was doing a series of senshi/civilian illustrations and when it came to Pluto, I got so invested in Pluto herself, Setsuna was almost an afterthought.

My interpretation of the character is VERY different, not only from canon, but from most of people’s fanon as well. Sestuna doesn’t really matter to me in my canon, she’s a non factor. That does not mean I dislike her, quite the opposite, but to me a character so much “larger than life” is impossible to “humanize” the way the original story did. Pluto is not Setsuna, Pluto is not human, Pluto is just Pluto.

(Which leads me to a lil fun fact about the original gif that no1 has ever noticed before lol. The original blinking gif spells the message “Just Pluto” in morse code.)

My main idea for Pluto here was “she’s standing quite elegantly, but she looks quite unnerving and eerie. She’s hunching over slightly, given her quite statuesque stature. Is she offering you something, perhaps welcoming you to her gates? Is she hiding something?”

These are all questions that sparked in my mind when thinking about this Pluto illustration. They seem meaningless and just ramblings (which they kind of are), but they all tie to my main concept of Pluto and what she has come to represent to me.

[nectardaddy]

best friend's demon - okkotsu yuuta

synopsis: is it normal to have a best friend who has a demon attached to him? is it normal that you know it's there?

cw: talk of the occult, demons/ghosts, paranormal happenings, reader is a little strange

notes: non curse au but with a spooky twist, plantonic relationship, I listened to the beetlejuice soundtrack while writing this, this idea seemed perfect for my sweet baby yuuta, og thoughts here

He's not normal. Far from it. So sick, so twisted, so naive, that it made you want to vomit. The dreadful wave of wretched emotions washing over and you succumbed to the wave and slipped under. You heaved for air, but were granted none, lungs gnashing in your chest just for the slightest bit of oxygen. You couldn't - you wouldn't. It stung, it burned, it created an overwhelming sense of dread with every breath. The air was thick and dense, dizzying as you choked under the pressure; and you wondered what in the hell could create such a powerful presence.

A pale face, with dark eyes, and dark hair was your only prognosis. Okkotsu Yuuta was the only reason why the tone of the room was flipped on its head. A foul, loathsome, choking feeling upon entering any room; he was none the wiser.

You just had to know what on earth was wrong with him.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

The second hand of the clock moved painfully slow, drifting past the face all the while the minute hand hadn't seemed to move. Your eyes glazed over, encapsulated by the fluidity of the clock hands, you had completely tuned the world out. It was an odd feeling to be so calm, so secure, without worry of the outside world - or the world beyond. You couldn't remember how long you remained like this, so enthralled by the movement and a moment of peace.

A gentle tune hung in the air, humming to yourself absentmindedly as you stared stone faced. It wasn't a specific melody, but one that you knew of, a familiarity within the soft drone from your lips. A haunting scene really. Staring into the void all the while humming appealing chords. But your musings ceased as a tightness entered your chest; blinking, and letting a sigh pass your lips, you came back to reality.

There had been a shift, a significant one, within the room you occupied. A thick, malevolent presence taking you by the throat and squeezing relentlessly. A crumbling feeling that made you feel completely overwhelmed, a crushing sensation on your shoulders as they dropped. An eerie silence replaced the soft tick of the clock, one could hear a pin drop if they chose, and your skin crawled at the sudden change.

"You're late," you breathed out, raising your voice only slightly. Eyes flickering over the vacant room, a quant study room with only a table and two chairs, you watched as the door handle swung downward. Door opening only to reveal a sorrowful expression on tired, sickly pale, features.

"I forget every time you can tell I'm here before I even open the door," the voice was frail, an almost feminine twang. "Sorry I'm late," the man gushed, giving you a sorry smile as he joined you at the table. "Today has been terrible," he added. Dark eyes finally met with your own, swirling with a peculiar emotion you could never quite put your finger on. Guilt? Hatred? Self pity?

"It's pissed off today," stating so nonchalantly it made his smile falter. "More than usual," you tagged on to which he softly groaned. "That's probably why your day is shit."

A nervous chuckle fell from the man's lips at your words, truly not knowing what to make of them. "Wonderful," he sighed. A pause fell between the pair of you, noticing all too well that the clock's repeatative tick failed to hit your ears anymore. It was worrying the amount of control whatever was attached to the man had within, its hellish claws sinking deep well beyond the veil. It wasn't normal. It was dangerous. "Do you ever get tired of it?"

His question caught you off guard, coming back from within your own mind to register what was spoken. "Huh?" You posed, furrowing your brows in confusion, "tired of what, exactly?"

"Sensing things you can't see?" He corrected, eyes looking into your own for even a hint of an answer. "I don't know how you do it," letting a sigh pass his lips once more, he leaned back into his chair. "Constantly feeling like someone is there, watching and waiting."

"I'm used to it," you shrugged. "But," you began, letting out a small breath before continuing, "your's isn't normal. Usually demons want to hurt, try to possess, or at least traumatize their benefactor. It's like it's protecting you, in a fucked up sort of way." Your explanation made his features fall, now holding a neutral expression. "I've never felt so off put by some else's attachment. It's like it doesn't want anyone around you."

Tick. Tick. Tick.

It answered you. By means of the clock starting up again - it agreed with you. The notion caused your stomach to churn, flicking your eyes towards the device and turning your head to look past the man in front of you. The quick, fluid motion caused his breath to hitch in his throat, swallowing hard as he knew your reactions were never in vain. It was strange how comfortable, or rather desensitized, he was with your off putting reactions; though he was concerned with the amount you had around him.

Although nauseous from the presence, and frankly the revelation as well, a small smile tugged at the corner of your lips. A chilling smile, unnatural for the situation you found yourself in. "I'll be damned," you mumbled to yourself, leaving the man before you baffled and confused. "Greedy little thing, your attachment is."

"You're making that face again," he spoke with a tense chuckle. He was all too accustomed with your frantic mind, wry smiles, and dark chuckles; a familiarity he found within himself that he was absentmindedly drawn to. At first, he was well too uninformed as to why he found himself occupying your presence. But you toed the line of peculiar and macabre, as did he, and he found solace in the fact you were just as sane as him - which your sanity in itself was very thin. To him you were an absolute treasure of a comrade. A friend he wished he had sooner in his life.

"Of course I'm making this face!" You laughed, a cackle that made him sink in his chair with a small breath. He rather enjoyed your tangents about the paranormal and the occult, but being as his day was already wrecked; however, made him refrain from speaking ill of the very thing that havocked it. Slinking down in his seat as a means to make himself smaller, hoping that the entity attached to him would perhaps feel pity on him. "Yu, does it ever talk to you?" Utterly ignoring his dainty complaints and physical reaction, once you were on a roll there was no stopping.

Pale hands that once rested on the table in front of him, now moved to his lap. Grabbing at the side seam of his pants as his mind began to race, "not explicitly?" A questioning tone as his voice raised a twinge at the end. "I get weird dreams about it, but it never really talks to me."

"What kinds of dreams?" Your eyes flicked back to the man sitting at the table, finally taking in his anxiety riddled form. Far too intrigued by the clock only moments ago, you felt a pang of guilt wash over you. "Too much?" You asked shyly, a sorry smile creeping on your features to replace your wild one, retreating from your latter statement and shoving it to the back burner of your mind.

"Too much."

Two words, simple enough, leaving your skin less prickled, a bit more oxygen filling your lungs, and the crushing weight easing its clutches on your shoulders. Was this all it took? A caring word to the man?

Was it possible to play nice with your best friend's demon?

oooooh I might make a part 2 I love this

[lotusarchon]

Hi! I love your writing a lot and I was hoping to request a small drapple of an lmk nezha x reader who is a marine scientist currently working with see slugs, specifically see bunnies! It's my first time requesting so if there are any errors I'm so sorry! Love from Vietnam! ( ≧∀≦)ノ

there are many pros to being a marine biologist (nezha x reader)

content warnings: gender neutral reader, second pov (you/your), fluff, drabble, implied relationship, author used a website to find some info about sea slugs and i could be wrong

author's notes: i won't lie, this ask was sent AFTER i closed requests but it was so cute so you get a pass. aishens sea bunnies are so cute tho I'm in awe

Nezha thinks you're a little odd. Well, not odd as in Monkey King level odd, but odd enough that he's left confused a lot whenever you're together. You're a sweet thing, he won't deny that, and he still loves you regardless, but well….

Your hobbies are certainly…questionable.

Well. Not so much your hobbies as your job. He thinks you're a―what do you call it again? Those people that study things related to the sea. He thinks they're called marine…scientists? Unless it's a biologist? He really has no idea, mortals are still beings far beyond his comprehension.

But you're pretty and sweet enough that he doesn't dare to ask. He'll join you if he can, or if you ask, even if he'd much prefer to stray from Dragon territory. Because. You know. That incident that happened when he was a child. 

“Nezha, Nezha, look at this!” You gush, holding what appears to be a weird caterpillar creature in your hands. You're kneeling in the water, and you're soaked from head to toe from all your flailing around, but at least you look happy. It's possibly the only reason your boyfriend tagged along to begin with, just to see your beautiful smile.

Nezha wades into the water, thankful he'd listen to Chang'e about wearing much shorter and loose clothing. He wasn't so sure he'd be able to survive getting wet entirely.

“It's. A caterpillar?” He deadpans, eying the creature in your hands. It wiggles, and the little weird antenna on its head reminds him of a bunny.

“It's a sea bunny,” you explain. “Otherwise known as Jorunna parva, and they belong to a taxonomic order called nudibranchs which comprises 3,000 species! Oh, and nudibranchs―they're like, shell-less marine mollusks who shed their shells in the larval stage. They're also found in shallow waters of oceans all around the world! And, and, they have a regular feeding organ that they use to feed on other invertebrates! And―”

“Why call it a sea bunny then if it's a…parva?” He questions, watching the fuzzy white creature continue to squirm. You kneel in the water once again, dipping your hands below the surface. Gently, you set the sea bunny back into the sand before another happens to come closer, wiggling onto your hand again.

You hum. “Because of the ears, silly; but those aren't really ears. They're called rhinophores―organs that help the sea slug sense chemicals dissolved in the water and to detect changes in currents! In the sea bunnies group of nudibranchs, they're fuzzy to allow more surface area!”

You hold up your hand for Nezha to take a closer look, and you're right―they do in fact look a lot like baby bunnies.

“Aren't they cute?” You gush, setting this one back down once more. The water laps at your feet as you stand once again, a pleased look on your flushed expression. “I love my job.”

Nezha stares at you for a moment, a small smile on his lips. You look so happy just by sharing information he would probably forget the moment he returns home, but honestly? It's just worth it knowing he can at least see you smile like this.

“Wait. Why don't you take one as a pet?”

“They have short lifespans. Plus it's not advised.”

“Oh. That's sad.”

“Mhm.”

“Why don't you make a toy of it then?”

“I'll try.”

“...”

“Nezha what do you have in your hands?”

“....”

“Nezha…”

“....”

“NEZHA PUT IT BACK!”

“But it's cute!”

“NEZHA!!!!!”

@lotusarchon , 10.06.2024, all rights reserved. do not copy, repost or translate my works without permission. comments, reblogs and likes are appreciated!

[arisuraxz]

Twinkling Watermelon (pt.2)

summary: you fell in love with beomgyu first, but he fell harder.

warning: cursing

taglist: @eclipse-777 (lmk if you want to be tagged!)

im actually happy writing this JIHSUIYGSIHI but hope u enjoy!1!!!

if you havent read part 1, look at my page!

beomgyu was holding you, and running, rushing to the hospital. beomgyu was actually worried because a guy has to take care of a girl, right?

and this is how it started. Beomgyu at the time beomgyu now has a crush on you. Blushing hard. As soon as he went to the hospital, he shouted.

"nurse! help! this girl collapsed! help!"

the nurse ran up to beomgyu, to take care of you, so they put you into a rolling hospital bed, and took you into a room.

🪢

an hour later, you still haven't woken up. the nurses talking to beomgyu, saying something.

"mr. choi, for this, you have to sign a paper for y/n," as she passes out the paper to beomgyu.

"oh yeah, ofc, nurse!"

well, beomgyu didnt know what to do. he just thought of 'its just letters all over the paper' in his mind. all he did was just put his signature in the paper.

"thank you!" beomgyu told to the nurse.

so he ran, to check on you, so he went to the room your in, and checked to see if your okay. as he was checking, you woke up. you saw yourself lying down in a rolling hospital bed, looking around, and before you realized you were even in a hospital, you saw beomgyu. you were shocked. you asked yourself in your mind, 'did he take you to the hospita-'

"y/n? are you okay? im so glad you woke up!" he was relieved, he was waiting for 1 hour, and 15 minutes for you to wake up.

huh? you didnt know what was happening, and you finally realized, you were in a hospital.

"beom-beomgyu? what are you doing here?" you said, clueless.

"you dont need to know about that, y/n, are you really okay? you got me worried."

"yeah, im okay, i think im gonna go now" you got out of your bed and went outside, going to your home.

"wait nono, y/n! are you hungry? i can take you to a restaurant and ill pay you!"

wait, what? hes really paying me? we arent even close, or not even friends, but this? Nah, no way.

"no, im not hungry, now leave me alone. my mom will be angry at me." then, your stomach rumbles.

"ehehehhheh!! what do you mean? your hungry! hahahah!!" you realized, so you covered your stomach with your arms and you walked away. and, beomgyu was infront of you again.

"nonononono y/n, im sorry! ill actually pay you! which restaurant do you wanna go? anywhere, y/n! i dont care if its expensive, ill pay you!" he begged, with his puppy eyes, watering.

"fine. lets go to the restaurant there."

so you both went to the restaurant you wanted to go, and he was actually serious. he did pay you. after he paid, you and beomgyu went to the table, waiting for the food. and maybe after twenty minutes. the foods finally here. you both were eating peacefully, and you looked at beomgyu, eating, and damn, he looked so pretty. you were admiring him. beomgyu realized, and as soon as he realized, you went back to eating your food. Beomgyu was blushing, crazy, like, actually crazy. he was blushing so hard, that his legs are swinging and kicking. so he went back to his food, and he was about to tell you something.

"y/n, do you like your food?" he wondered.

"yeah, i do, do you?" you wondered back.

"ofc i do! why? did you think that my food was bad?"

"what? no! im also just wondering" you told to beomgyu.

and you both went back to eating your food.

🪢

you both were walking to your guys home, and around 8pm, and you normally was supposed to be home at 5pm, but you didnt care at all. you didnt want to ruin the moment.

"hey, y/n, since we are going home, ill give you my number. so, if you need any help, contact me. ill be here for you. or, if you cant, please think about me!" while he said that, he showed you his number.

your heart felt like it was about to burst. you were blushing, and beomgyu was too. so you smiled.

"your smiling.." beomgyu looked at you, as he said quietly.

"what did you say?" you asked.

"what, y/n?"

"oh, nevermind."

"well, y/n, please walk home safe! ill see you tomorrow!!" he ran. "tornado!"

you look at him, running. then, you walked home. while you walked home, you were thinking about the scene that happened with you and beomgyu. you were happy. you never been so happy before in your life.

part 3 will be released maybe tomorrow!!! this is okay i was actually blushing while doing this because i was imagining the whole scene lol

hope you enjoyed, ffolks!

[burning-academia-if]

You're so fast with the bugfixes, I admire it!

Also I couldn't help but laugh at this tag you put on someone else's ask: "sorry to kind mcs he just finds kindness suspicious at all times"

Sorry Lars, in my playthrough's case you'll have to get used to kindness cause my MC doesn't have a single agressive or mean bone in him. Just deal with it, my guy. Lars being subjected to kindness and care by a sunshine day path MC will be like its own special brand of punishment for him being a jerk. A sort of reverse karmic justice.

I specifically kept the update to a Friday because I'm always free Saturday and that way I could spend the whole day bug fixing 🫡 honestly 9/10 of the time I just did a typo or forgot a "$" which takes a second to fix

Also yes kind mc with Lars is just him learning kindness is real and he can be safe with people! It's a sweet dynamic once it gets going. It probably does feel like punishment to him tho because he's so uncomfortable when it comes to kindness like "what do I do with this??" Lol

[bigfatbreak]

Birds of a Feather previous / next

[chiricat]

ryomina demons are winning

[b4kuch1n]

siren

[lovesickeros]

☆ decadence divine [ act I ]

{☆} characters arlecchino, neuvillette, furina {☆} notes yandere, drabble, gender neutral reader {☆} warnings yandere content, stalking (implied), kidnapping (implied) {☆} word count 2.3k

ARLECCHINO

Arlecchino was wont to leave social gatherings to her subordinates– the private meetings were where she thrived. It was so much easier to lure your prey into a trap when you didn't have prying eyes and ears waiting for the barest hint of blackmail.

She clicked her tongue in distaste, her eyes narrowing beneath the mask of the fox as she set down her cup sharply. It was difficult as it was to draw them from the safety of their bubble– at the slightest hint of danger, her quarry would run. A chase would be fun, but she couldn't risk getting caught here. The political nightmare it would cause..it already gave her a headache. She had to be discreet.

They weren't making it easy, however.

Which is why she never liked crowds. But this chance didn't come by every day. She wasn't going to simply let it pass by because of a little danger. She'd have them eventually, it was just a matter of how. There were already numerous of her own lingering in the crowds, hidden beneath the masks that every patron bore. It was difficult to stand out amongst the flurry of masked patrons constantly shifting around the room, moving from one conversation to another, gliding from one dance partner to another.

Her heeled boots clicked sharply against the tile as she stalked through the crowds, keeping a wide berth yet always lingering nearby– she was sure they could feel the vague sense of being watched, but with the huge crowds..her lips quirked into a grin with the barest flash of teeth. There were a great many ways to break them in– she'd spent a great amount of time and mora to get anything she could for blackmail, if she so wished. She had the backing of the Fatui as well if she played her cards right– it wouldn't be difficult to convince them that they were a valuable target, and none of them would dare to question just what she did with them afterwards.

Perhaps a bit of play, first. Test the waters. She was familiar with playing the polite gentleman, despite her status as a Fatui Harbinger. Stage something for her to intervene, perhaps, to look the hero. The look of shock when she revealed the wolf beneath the wool..she could see it already. That wide, doe-eyed look as they realized the monster they've followed blindly like a lost lamb..she was beginning to see the appeal.

All it took was a few hushed words and subtle signals before the tiles started to fall in place, her hand gliding along their lower back as she leaned over their shoulder with a thin, predatory smile. She'd have to organize for the agent to be released later, her eyes following as the Gardes dragged him out of the room in a flurry of curses, but for now..she tilted her head to peer down at them, polite and almost apologetic.

"You aren't too startled, are you? Now now, there's no need to look so..scared, poor thing. I won't let another lay a hand on you," She cooed in a sickly sweet tone, the husky rasp of her voice whispered in their ear like dripping honey. "You have my word. Now, why don't we get you some fresh air? Come. Allow me to escort you."

Her lips pulled into a jagged grin at the relief in their eyes– the blind lamb following the shepherd as it led them into it's maw. Just a little longer, and she could finally have her own caged bird– a pretty thing to admire, to protect, to possess.

Something no one else would ever touch again. Something hers.

NEUVILLETTE

Neuvillette was not one for parties. The intricacies and delicate handling of public relations he oft left in the capable hands of Furina, rather then himself. It was only at her behest he even attended at all, but he still felt rather..out of place amongst the bodies constantly shifting through the ballroom like a constant rush of water from one end to the other, no rhyme nor reason to the flow. The only thing that kept him afloat among the tides was the mask of the deer obscuring his face– even if it was exceedingly difficult to truly hide himself among the crowds, most passed over him without second thought.

Though he had to be honest with himself, even if he couldn't bring himself to admit it to Furina despite her insistence that his attendance was mandatory. He had his own reasons for coming– selfishness that left a sour taste in his mouth. It was purely by chance he'd seen the briefest glimpse of them prior, and he..was intrigued, that was all.

He refused to let his thoughts linger on the sleepless nights he spent prying every piece of information he could from loose tongues and obscure documents, every moment he managed to squeeze in between trials spent lingering in their most favored locations– cafes, stores, restaurants, the like.

Now a masquerade.

He tried not to let the guilt gnaw at his conscious, but it lingered like an age old scar that still ached.

So he relegated himself to simply residing in the further corner, nursing a goblet of water like a fine wine, trying not to let his eyes stray to the brief glimpses of them through the ever moving bodies filling the center of the room, dancing like puppets in music boxes.

Still, his hand twitched in an instinctual desire– a need to clasp his hand in their own, to touch his lips upon their knuckles, to indulge in a moment of reprieve and unshackle himself from the mantle that bears heavy upon his shoulders. He seeks reverence, worship, but not of himself– but towards the one who had drawn the eye of the dragon amongst the waves of humans he'd seen come and go for a great many years.

No one could compare, he is certain. None have left him as breathless, as hopelessly infatuated, as the one who made him wish only to kneel at their feet in senseless reverence until he could no longer speak. A hopeless man, indeed, if he has never even truly met them.

Instead he's spent his time prying into their life from the shadows. Caution, or simple cowardice?

He dares not ponder.

Yet in his ceaseless pondering he'd blocked out the world without, failing to notice the figure stepping up beside him until their hand brushed against his elbow– just the briefest touch, but it had his pupils narrowing and his entire body tensing like a coiled spring. That touch..bliss. It left him breathless and lightheaded as he tilted his head to regard them, his lips parting in a shaky sigh. They are as beautiful as he remembers– even with their face obscured beneath the mask, he would never forget them.

"Greetings, Monsieur– I hope I didn't frighten you too much." Their laugh made him feel rather faint, just the sound of their voice making his hand tighten around his cane. "..Not at all. I was simply lost in thought." He admitted apologetically, trying to reign in the urge to cup their face between his palms. A dangerous thought. He didn't want to scare them off when they'd provided him a priceless opportunity.

"My apologies, you must have needed something. It was rude of me to have been so absorbed in my thoughts to have ignored you." He continued, gently turning to set his goblet down– offer them his full attention, be a gentleman. The words rang in his skull like a ceaseless alarm, blaring and rattling his thoughts as he gently took their hand in his own. It was a split second decision– an indulgence, but he could simply not help himself. Even with his gloves between them, he felt like he was going to lose his composure just from such a brief touch..

He truly was a hopeless man before an altar, praying for a salvation he intends to bury deep beneath the waves– to keep it hidden in the darkness of the depths that only he can reach. A selfish man, he must be, to even think of it, but it is an itch that he cannot scratch. A need that must be satisfied. He cannot allow any hands but his own to tend to them, to know what it feels to touch them, to hear their voice and see their eyes as he prays– prays like a man starved, devotion born of desperation.

"I hope I did not make you wait too long." He smiles, soft and affectionate, like the bloom of spring beneath the winters chill– yet just as deadly, only masked by the sweet fragrance of flowers.

He had waited too long.

No longer.

FURINA

Furina was right at home amongst the crowds– where the masks obscured the identities of most, it was impossible to not recognize the charming banter of the Hydro Archon beneath the mask of the lamb as she graced the masquerade with her presence, speaking with a silver tongue to any who would listen. A truly enthralled audience fitting for the grandest of performers in Fontaine.

But her eyes lingered not on the people who's praise dripped from their lips like honey– yet so very bitter upon her tongue. Even the mask obscuring her expression did little to hide the longing that had her visibly deflating like a popped balloon. She hated all the eyes on her, really– it was suffocating. She was only putting on a show in the foolish hope that they'd finally pay attention to her. Just her luck, she supposes, that instead she's had to throw herself straight into the role of Archon without a pay off..

They hadn't even spared her a glance! It would be infuriating if not for the fact she couldn't even keep her composure just seeing them across the room. They didn't even have to look at her and she could feel the heat rush to her ears as she forced another smile at the crowd gathered around her. It was unfair how easily they could fluster her without even knowing it– her heart was thumping so hard against her ribcage she felt like it might burst.

Her only solace was the fact none of the patrons seemed to realize she'd clocked out of the conversation, her thoughts and eyes lingering on the distant figure– what a lovestruck fool she makes..it was a chance encounter she'd seen them during one of her outings. That was all it took to enthrall her, evidentially, try as she might to have ignore it for months.

They never left her mind for longer then a day, in the end, and she had to face the fact they had managed to enrapture her so deeply she felt like a newborn lamb learning to walk whenever she so much as thought of them. What an embarrassment! She..she was the Archon, she had a reputation to maintain, she couldn't be seen fawning over a human.

But oh, she still longed for it, beneath the veneer of a God. She'd watched them more times then she'd admit even to herself, wishing to find herself in place of those who'd hands were cradled so casually in their own– to hear their voice, their laughter, as often as she pleased..like a fine delicacy she so badly wished to taste, yet so far from her reach.

Would they think her pathetic for her infatuation? She pursed her lips at the thought, trying to bury the sour mood beneath her faux image of the Archon. Yet it lingered, and with only the quietest of excuses, she slipped into the crowd like a ghost– she needed to leave before she did something..stupid. Neuvillette would surely have a few choice words with her if she did, and she was inclined to avoid such a fate.

She..she just needed a moment to collect herself was all. That was it. She could go back to playing Archon for a little longer, she just needed a moment to herself. At the very least, the balcony had been regarded as off limits so late into the party– which gave her an opportunity to slip out of the public view for the briefest of moments. A welcome reprieve– she was starting to feel suffocated amongst the crowds.

Perhaps on instinct, she reached for the mask, lifting ever so slightly away..only to let out a startled yelp at the touch of a hand on her shoulder, the mask slipping back into place far too easily. It made her lightheaded, even now, but she dared not to dwell on it.

But when she turned sharply on her heel to chew out the person who'd followed her and had the gall to scare her..oh, she was done for, her ears flush with heat. The brief glimpse of their eyes beneath the mask, the curl of their lips as they smiled– her heart stuttered in her chest, and she was certain it had stopped all together when they clasped her hand.

"Y–you.." She wanted to be angry, to brush them off and leave with her rationality in tact, but the warmth of their hands on her skin rendered her speechless. She was no better then a fish on land, struggling to fill her lungs with air as she drew in a shaky breath. "Ahem, you caught me off guard. That's all. Surely you do not make it a habit to sneak up on people?" She huffed in indignation, trying to mask the fluster that threatened to break through her carefully crafted facade.

Ah, what a cruel twist of fate..she'd slipped away to escape their allure, but here they were, dragging her back into their orbit without even knowing how deep her infatuation ran. They were alone, too..it was a chance she wasn't sure she'd ever get again.

Maybe, just this once, she could do something for herself rather then everyone else.

She buried her guilt, the fear– buried it beneath the need to be seen.

"But if you want to make it up to me.."

[terristre]

req of @transkittyinatoaster's oc rigel 💀🩵🔥

[sprrky]

something something screwtio something something the woes and wonders of a human-robot relationship something something learning from each other as equals something something affection displayed by mental connection sometjing something time passing and the memory of one living on in the other eternally idk idk

[nmoroder]

Meurgreg askblog post #6; question: Do you like singing? Perform something together!

Askblog tag: #nmoroder meurgreg ask Please see pinned blog post before asking questions!

the text as most of you know is the Pass On ending song. it's sung by Gregor and Meursault plays the instrumental part for him; i think for all his hidden talents he'd be good with music, too. the location is probably a beach somewhere nice and Don probably runs around with a frisbee in the background. just want them to have a moment of peace

[oedonchapeldweller]

[lunarharp]

into the deep end - 30k T orufrey fic, focusing on memory trauma, disability, and romance.

the sweet oblivion of the victim, the poisoned freedom of the other.

for one moment - it had felt like two parts returned - the needed reunion of two disparate halves. no more secrets, no more pain.

the moment you get to give back what you never wanted to take. that moment, under the night-blooming flowers, when they had both let out the same single broken sigh of relief.

but they were never whole to begin with, were they?

qifrey swore he wouldn't say 'sorry' to this man any more if he could help it - sorry is cheap now. he didn't want to be in a position ever again where you only have 'sorry' left. so he just looks down into the threads of his blanket, strains his eye until it hurts, feeling his insides - his throat, heart and head - burn with pain. he expects more, but olly says nothing.

olly says nothing.

[diathadevil]

Do you ever think about how Fakir, after him and Ahiru finally broke everything that kept the town of Goldkröne in the ghostly hands of its writer, after they finally have some air of peace over the town finally being able to live in its intended early 2000s environment, that Fakir still feels at times like it's not real and that for a while he fears that if he closes his eyes it'll be back in Drosselmeyer's control. Like it just doesn't feel real to him during that first year of calm, until he feels the dull pain on his recovering hand injury and Ahiru who follows him without a pendant anywhere to be found.

He doesn't feel it's real, the calm finality of this town, but he makes sure to feel the scar on his hand. And he makes sure to hold the little duck and realize that she is who she has always been. Him and the town are finally living peacefully.