Hello, call me Autumn. I’m excited to talk with everyone and I look forward to getting to know you all. I’m never really in one place for long because...well, it doesn't matter. But it means I’ve made and lost more connections than I’d like to admit. I have trouble with timing, I suppose.
Admin: Hi hi! This is a blog for...what is developing into an OC, I guess. It started as writing letters under a pseudonym because I was a little too shy to share my real name. Then I kept doing it, so here we are. Since it started as only a pseudonym, there's a fair bit of me in there (modified), but she's now changed into her own character. This will be a lot of me just developing her character, but of course will be open on the off chance there are any asks. ^^
“So, what’s ‘offi–” She begins, then stops. She tilts her head back at him, silently conceding. He had a question. She can’t guess exactly what he’s thinking, but she can tell when someone is puzzling something out.
“What’s wrong?”
"Hm? Ah," He shifts his weight from one foot to the other, scratching the back of his neck briefly before continuing, "It doesn't seem like you like talking about yourself. But I could be wrong." He averts his eyes downward and slightly to the side, "I'm not as good at reading people as Dari and my brother are so...please excuse me if I am. I didn't want to pry either way."
[i realize it may actually be easier to just reply, but lmk if you prefer asks!]
She shakes her head. “You’re not prying–I asked, after all,” She smiles. “I’ve always considered myself an open book, actually. So, I guess it’s not that I don’t like talking about myself, it’s just…there’s not a lot worth saying.” She shrugs, shifting her weight a little. A half-truth, but true enough.
She meets his gaze directly with a small smile, checking his reaction.
“Other people are more interesting,” She adds. “For example…you mentioned ‘official business’. What does that entail? Is it just the three of you?” She places a hand on her cheek, pressing lightly before removing it. “Or…resting in the afternoon or under the open sky–is it something you’ve always done, or a habit you picked up later?”
(lol at the very least, maybe it'll keep another weird Tumblr deletion thing from happening, so I say if it works, it works!)
"I see. Apologies for misreading, then."
He crosses his arms over his chest, leaning back against a tree to make himself comfortable.
"Official business for Vogel mainly pertains to making the world a better place for curse bearers. As you can imagine, the world hasn't been very...kind, to us, so we hope to change things." He hesitates, looking off to the side before looking back at her and continuing, "I can't go into specifics, but that's the gist of it."
He shifts, crossing his ankles over the other as he relaxes. "It's...something I've come to enjoy fairly recently. Let's just say I found a new appreciation for being able to look up at it that I didn't have before."
“‘A better place for curse bearers’..?” She repeats his words, mostly to herself, before falling silent for a while.
“That’s fantastic, I think. I can imagine it can all be quite..” She bites her lip, searching for the right word. “Confusing. Or harsh, maybe.”
“But I really, really hope you achieve it,” She smiles. “So, you’re in London looking for cursed individuals, then?” She asks, before correcting herself. “--Oh, wait, I’m sorry if you can’t say. I’m not sure how specific ‘the specifics’ are.”
“Have you found any?” Her question was a little more cautious than the rest. She pauses before adding, “Like–Crown, I guess.”
He speaks of curse bearers so freely; it confuses her. Would it be rude to ask what his curse is? If she did, would she have to exchange information in kind? A bitter thought.
His brows twitch, pushing himself off of the lean he was just in, fully alert. He debates with himself for a second before the question leaves his lips, slowly, cautiously.
"I—My father," She admits. "I read his notes, after he died. He was looking for answers. And—" She hesitates, before changing her mind at the last minute.
"...I see," He looks off to the side. "He...must have been very well connected if he knew about them."
He's quiet, looking conflicted again for a moment, his brow furrowing and his lips thinning as his eyes narrow slightly in sympathy. "...I'm sorry for your loss."
“It was no loss,” She shakes her head. “I hadn’t even seen him since I was fourteen,” She laughs a little, then adds, “When so much time passes, it’s easy to lose track of who people are.”
She shifts her weight and adjusts her posture. “Uhm, anyway–I don’t know if he was well connected, but he was obsessive. I guess he was looking to them for help…though that doesn’t seem to be exactly what they do.”
She almost laughs at the abrupt change, but smiles instead. “Sure. I go hiking a lot, but I especially like hiking in the mountains. It’s quieter–less people,” She pauses.
“I’ve also picked up woodcarving and papermaking, but those are, uhm..kind of strange, now that I say it out loud.” She laughs a little and a light blush tints her cheeks.
He's about to ask if she's laughing because he said something funny or has something on his face when she answers his question and he listens.
He blinks. "Papermaking." He says slowly, as if testing how it feels on the tongue, "How do you do that?" He asks, eyes widening with genuine interest before adding, "And what do you usually carve when woodcarving?"
"I...like studying flowers. I like learning their names and meanings." He looks up for a moment as if recalling more, "I also like interacting with animals. And I like eating a lot." He turns his face back to Autumn and nods, "That's it."
[you can skim past the first part, it’s just a literal explanation of how to make paper LMAO]
“Mm, it can be quite messy. I don’t often make paper from scratch, as it’s a much more arduous process. But you take a soft wood, like spruce, and pulp it until the finer fibers can be removed and washed. To make the right consistency, you have to include other fibers, so I usually use cotton, which is a similar process,” She explains, trying to condense the long process into something that wouldn’t be too boring. “So, you let the wood and cotton fibers soak in water for about a day–you can dye it if you wish–then heat them with steam until they’re soft enough to grind into a paste. Then you sort of…’sift’ that a few times. Finally, you can spread it and leave it in a press to remove any extra water–and shape it. Then, after a few days, you have paper,” She finishes.
“But I usually make recycled paper now. Which is much easier. I like to include flower or vegetable seeds in the paper, so when I’m finished with it, it can still be of use. As for woodcarving…I tend to make little animals, or sometimes things like cups or bowls. Nothing big,” She shrugs and tucks a piece of stray hair behind her ear.
“Flower meanings and interacting with animals…That suits you, I think,” She smiles, nodding a little. “My favorite flower is a poppy,” She gestures to a small charm of a red poppy attached to her bag. “Do they have any special meanings?”
He continues to listen intently, not making a sound or interrupting at all until she's done, and then he nods, signifying he heard and absorbed it all.
"Including flower and vegetable seeds is smart." With a small smile, he says, "You must be knowledgeable to have thought of that."
"Do you have a favorite thing you've made?"
At the comment about animals and flowers suiting him, a bit of pink spreads on his cheeks and he awkwardly rubs the back of his neck before focusing on the part about the poppies.
"Ah, poppies are pretty." He looks off to the side as if recalling information before settling back on the charm, and then back to Autumn. "They tend to stand for loss or sleep. But it also depends on the color. Red ones also mean consolation, remembrance and sacrifice. White ones can also mean consolation but mainly stand for peace. Yellow ones mean wealth and success."
A light pink tints her cheeks and she shakes her head. “Uhm, not really–it just made sense.” She shrugs before moving on quickly.
She looks up in thought. “I made a little wooden doll once. Of a girl. I used it as payment to an innkeeper. It wasn’t really anything special, but he gave it to his daughter and she liked it,” She turns her gaze back to Ring with a smile. “It was nice to know it was loved.”
She furrows her brow at his explanation. “Consolation, remembrance, and sacrifice..?” She repeats his words, dropping her gaze to the small red charm. She’s quiet for a moment, somewhere far away.
Suddenly, she blinks and puts on a smile. “...How miserable. Perhaps I should find a charm of a yellow poppy. Or a different flower altogether, if they also mean loss,” She laughs a little. “Do you have a favorite flower, or a favorite meaning?”
“So, what’s ‘offi–” She begins, then stops. She tilts her head back at him, silently conceding. He had a question. She can’t guess exactly what he’s thinking, but she can tell when someone is puzzling something out.
“What’s wrong?”
"Hm? Ah," He shifts his weight from one foot to the other, scratching the back of his neck briefly before continuing, "It doesn't seem like you like talking about yourself. But I could be wrong." He averts his eyes downward and slightly to the side, "I'm not as good at reading people as Dari and my brother are so...please excuse me if I am. I didn't want to pry either way."
[i realize it may actually be easier to just reply, but lmk if you prefer asks!]
She shakes her head. “You’re not prying–I asked, after all,” She smiles. “I’ve always considered myself an open book, actually. So, I guess it’s not that I don’t like talking about myself, it’s just…there’s not a lot worth saying.” She shrugs, shifting her weight a little. A half-truth, but true enough.
She meets his gaze directly with a small smile, checking his reaction.
“Other people are more interesting,” She adds. “For example…you mentioned ‘official business’. What does that entail? Is it just the three of you?” She places a hand on her cheek, pressing lightly before removing it. “Or…resting in the afternoon or under the open sky–is it something you’ve always done, or a habit you picked up later?”
(lol at the very least, maybe it'll keep another weird Tumblr deletion thing from happening, so I say if it works, it works!)
"I see. Apologies for misreading, then."
He crosses his arms over his chest, leaning back against a tree to make himself comfortable.
"Official business for Vogel mainly pertains to making the world a better place for curse bearers. As you can imagine, the world hasn't been very...kind, to us, so we hope to change things." He hesitates, looking off to the side before looking back at her and continuing, "I can't go into specifics, but that's the gist of it."
He shifts, crossing his ankles over the other as he relaxes. "It's...something I've come to enjoy fairly recently. Let's just say I found a new appreciation for being able to look up at it that I didn't have before."
“‘A better place for curse bearers’..?” She repeats his words, mostly to herself, before falling silent for a while.
“That’s fantastic, I think. I can imagine it can all be quite..” She bites her lip, searching for the right word. “Confusing. Or harsh, maybe.”
“But I really, really hope you achieve it,” She smiles. “So, you’re in London looking for cursed individuals, then?” She asks, before correcting herself. “--Oh, wait, I’m sorry if you can’t say. I’m not sure how specific ‘the specifics’ are.”
“Have you found any?” Her question was a little more cautious than the rest. She pauses before adding, “Like–Crown, I guess.”
He speaks of curse bearers so freely; it confuses her. Would it be rude to ask what his curse is? If she did, would she have to exchange information in kind? A bitter thought.
His brows twitch, pushing himself off of the lean he was just in, fully alert. He debates with himself for a second before the question leaves his lips, slowly, cautiously.
"I—My father," She admits. "I read his notes, after he died. He was looking for answers. And—" She hesitates, before changing her mind at the last minute.
"...I see," He looks off to the side. "He...must have been very well connected if he knew about them."
He's quiet, looking conflicted again for a moment, his brow furrowing and his lips thinning as his eyes narrow slightly in sympathy. "...I'm sorry for your loss."
“It was no loss,” She shakes her head. “I hadn’t even seen him since I was fourteen,” She laughs a little, then adds, “When so much time passes, it’s easy to lose track of who people are.”
She shifts her weight and adjusts her posture. “Uhm, anyway–I don’t know if he was well connected, but he was obsessive. I guess he was looking to them for help…though that doesn’t seem to be exactly what they do.”
She almost laughs at the abrupt change, but smiles instead. “Sure. I go hiking a lot, but I especially like hiking in the mountains. It’s quieter–less people,” She pauses.
“I’ve also picked up woodcarving and papermaking, but those are, uhm..kind of strange, now that I say it out loud.” She laughs a little and a light blush tints her cheeks.
He's about to ask if she's laughing because he said something funny or has something on his face when she answers his question and he listens.
He blinks. "Papermaking." He says slowly, as if testing how it feels on the tongue, "How do you do that?" He asks, eyes widening with genuine interest before adding, "And what do you usually carve when woodcarving?"
"I...like studying flowers. I like learning their names and meanings." He looks up for a moment as if recalling more, "I also like interacting with animals. And I like eating a lot." He turns his face back to Autumn and nods, "That's it."
[you can skim past the first part, it’s just a literal explanation of how to make paper LMAO]
“Mm, it can be quite messy. I don’t often make paper from scratch, as it’s a much more arduous process. But you take a soft wood, like spruce, and pulp it until the finer fibers can be removed and washed. To make the right consistency, you have to include other fibers, so I usually use cotton, which is a similar process,” She explains, trying to condense the long process into something that wouldn’t be too boring. “So, you let the wood and cotton fibers soak in water for about a day–you can dye it if you wish–then heat them with steam until they’re soft enough to grind into a paste. Then you sort of…’sift’ that a few times. Finally, you can spread it and leave it in a press to remove any extra water–and shape it. Then, after a few days, you have paper,” She finishes.
“But I usually make recycled paper now. Which is much easier. I like to include flower or vegetable seeds in the paper, so when I’m finished with it, it can still be of use. As for woodcarving…I tend to make little animals, or sometimes things like cups or bowls. Nothing big,” She shrugs and tucks a piece of stray hair behind her ear.
“Flower meanings and interacting with animals…That suits you, I think,” She smiles, nodding a little. “My favorite flower is a poppy,” She gestures to a small charm of a red poppy attached to her bag. “Do they have any special meanings?”
“So, what’s ‘offi–” She begins, then stops. She tilts her head back at him, silently conceding. He had a question. She can’t guess exactly what he’s thinking, but she can tell when someone is puzzling something out.
“What’s wrong?”
"Hm? Ah," He shifts his weight from one foot to the other, scratching the back of his neck briefly before continuing, "It doesn't seem like you like talking about yourself. But I could be wrong." He averts his eyes downward and slightly to the side, "I'm not as good at reading people as Dari and my brother are so...please excuse me if I am. I didn't want to pry either way."
[i realize it may actually be easier to just reply, but lmk if you prefer asks!]
She shakes her head. “You’re not prying–I asked, after all,” She smiles. “I’ve always considered myself an open book, actually. So, I guess it’s not that I don’t like talking about myself, it’s just…there’s not a lot worth saying.” She shrugs, shifting her weight a little. A half-truth, but true enough.
She meets his gaze directly with a small smile, checking his reaction.
“Other people are more interesting,” She adds. “For example…you mentioned ‘official business’. What does that entail? Is it just the three of you?” She places a hand on her cheek, pressing lightly before removing it. “Or…resting in the afternoon or under the open sky–is it something you’ve always done, or a habit you picked up later?”
(lol at the very least, maybe it'll keep another weird Tumblr deletion thing from happening, so I say if it works, it works!)
"I see. Apologies for misreading, then."
He crosses his arms over his chest, leaning back against a tree to make himself comfortable.
"Official business for Vogel mainly pertains to making the world a better place for curse bearers. As you can imagine, the world hasn't been very...kind, to us, so we hope to change things." He hesitates, looking off to the side before looking back at her and continuing, "I can't go into specifics, but that's the gist of it."
He shifts, crossing his ankles over the other as he relaxes. "It's...something I've come to enjoy fairly recently. Let's just say I found a new appreciation for being able to look up at it that I didn't have before."
“‘A better place for curse bearers’..?” She repeats his words, mostly to herself, before falling silent for a while.
“That’s fantastic, I think. I can imagine it can all be quite..” She bites her lip, searching for the right word. “Confusing. Or harsh, maybe.”
“But I really, really hope you achieve it,” She smiles. “So, you’re in London looking for cursed individuals, then?” She asks, before correcting herself. “--Oh, wait, I’m sorry if you can’t say. I’m not sure how specific ‘the specifics’ are.”
“Have you found any?” Her question was a little more cautious than the rest. She pauses before adding, “Like–Crown, I guess.”
He speaks of curse bearers so freely; it confuses her. Would it be rude to ask what his curse is? If she did, would she have to exchange information in kind? A bitter thought.
His brows twitch, pushing himself off of the lean he was just in, fully alert. He debates with himself for a second before the question leaves his lips, slowly, cautiously.
"I—My father," She admits. "I read his notes, after he died. He was looking for answers. And—" She hesitates, before changing her mind at the last minute.
"...I see," He looks off to the side. "He...must have been very well connected if he knew about them."
He's quiet, looking conflicted again for a moment, his brow furrowing and his lips thinning as his eyes narrow slightly in sympathy. "...I'm sorry for your loss."
“It was no loss,” She shakes her head. “I hadn’t even seen him since I was fourteen,” She laughs a little, then adds, “When so much time passes, it’s easy to lose track of who people are.”
She shifts her weight and adjusts her posture. “Uhm, anyway–I don’t know if he was well connected, but he was obsessive. I guess he was looking to them for help…though that doesn’t seem to be exactly what they do.”
She almost laughs at the abrupt change, but smiles instead. “Sure. I go hiking a lot, but I especially like hiking in the mountains. It’s quieter–less people,” She pauses.
“I’ve also picked up woodcarving and papermaking, but those are, uhm..kind of strange, now that I say it out loud.” She laughs a little and a light blush tints her cheeks.
1312 words. fluff. features: elbert greetia × gn! reader, alfons sylvatica, roger barel, victor (minor).
꒰ summary ꒱ elbert returns to crown castle after a week-long mission on a cruise, and all he wants is to be with you.
“the cruise is a round trip, but once you board, you will be on for the next week.”
elbert quietly listened to victor list the details of the mission he, alfons, and roger were assigned to go to, as though he were reading through a list of bullet points on a document.
“your mission is to confirm the illicit drug activities that have been reported there, and pass judgment as necessary.” with that, victor gave the three men before him a smile that was genuine, and yet somehow elusive in nature. “may you give into the darkness of your wicked hearts.”
when they exited the room, alfons let out a sigh, his lips curling into a small, wry smile. “it would seem you and i have a penchant for getting missions out in the sea.”
elbert closed his eyes, opting not to say much in response.
roger, seeing elbert’s solemn expression and the way he stayed silent, narrowed his eyes. “by the looks, you’ve got less than pleasant experiences on a ship.”
“…it’s fine. it’s just my first experience on a ship was…” elbert paused, searching for the right word to use.
before he could pin down such a word, though, alfons finished his statement. “it was so hapless, all we can do is laugh heartily when we think back on it. enough of that, though, we must prepare for this lovely cruise trip.”
“lovely, huh…”
elbert closed his eyes, ruminating on that single word alfons had uttered in sarcastic passing.
the trip would have been more “lovely,” even when they were boarding the cruise for a mission, if (y/n) was there by his side.
on the cruise, the full moon, serenely still in the sky, only observed the crimson happenings below.
“w-who are you guys?!”
when roger opened the door (by kicking it down, as “knocking wouldn’t have gotten them to open the door like that”) to a certain room hidden in the vip sector,
alfons followed roger inside, releasing a dramatic sigh. “must you make such a violent show? i was hardly aware you did not know something very handy called a doorknob exists.”
“haha, well, politeness isn’t exactly in my dictionary when we’re dealing with bastards like these.” his glasses seemed to gleam slightly as he turned toward the group, who had all stood up from their seats by now, frozen on the spot with some pointing guns toward the crown members’ general direction, but fully prepared to book it. “besides, if you called that violent, god knows what you’d call the scene that’s about to unfold here.”
“i can only pray this doesn’t turn into a bloody mess, but more times than not, prayers are only empty words.”
when roger handled the right side and alfons the left, elbert swiftly navigated through the chaos of the crowd, pinning his ocean-blue eyes on the target — a man in an eyepatch and a scar across his cheek.
amid the chaos, he was sneaking away toward what elbert presumed was the exit.
“don’t run away.” elbert’s voice was soft, yet deep and firm at the same time.
the man jumped and turned around before he stood there, his one visible eye widening, as though enraptured at seeing something new and refreshing for the first time. it was an expression elbert detested, and yet had unfortunately grown accustomed to from his time living in the greetia manor.
please… look at me with any other eyes but those.
finally, as though the effects of a spell elbert had unconsciously casted was ebbing away, the man turned around once again to run.
“only those with no brain would stay here of their own will!”
he closed his eyes, murmured a small “i see…” and then stepped forward himself, his toes touching the man’s shadow.
only when screams and cries broke out from the room did the haunting silence fall.
a week had at last passed, and elbert was very much looking forward to return back to crown castle… of course, he couldn’t say he was the most fond of being out in the sea in general (although he favored the sight of it), and not only that…
“…to think a large whale had come out of the water, soaking elbie from the top of his head to the tips of his toes! the woe, indeed.” alfons made a dramatic show of crying.
“you got soaked from head to toe, too, al,” elbert pointed out, a small smile on his face.
“that is very true — i must applaud your proficient deduction skills.”
“you two better take a shower,” roger said, his voice laced with worry, “unless you’re looking to get sick.”
“i would very much not mind getting sick; would that not mean less physical labor?”
more than the stress of the mission, though, there was one person he so dearly missed. someone he needed to see.
right this moment.
“…i will be retiring to my room.” elbert nodded his head as a parting gesture before he turned on his heels.
there, when he opened the door, he saw (y/n) lying in a fetal position on his bed, their eyes closed and chest moving up and down rhythmically; they were fast asleep. elbert slowly approached the bed, as though he were walking toward a treasure.
“(y/n)…” his voice came out in an almost hoarse whisper. it felt as though he hadn’t said her name in years, so he repeated it over and over again, like a broken record. “(y/n), (y/n), (y/n)…”
he wanted to engrave the sound of your name on his lips within him, and he wanted to whisper it over and over.
seeing them sound asleep like this, they looked just like a statue of a deity, and drawn to you, he leaned in to plant a kiss on your forehead, your skin feeling warm against his lips.
“mn…”
it was then they stirred, their closed eyes twitching, but seemingly not awake yet.
“…i have returned, (y/n).”
his voice was soft as he watched their eyes flutter open, the color still cloudy from lethargy.
“lord elbert…?”
how he loved the way your lips sounded his name out in a drowsy whisper.
(y/n) slowly sat up, rubbing their eyes. the entire time, elbert was drawn to your slow movements, his deep ocean blue eyes reflecting you, and only you.
“i missed you,” elbert said, “a week was too long… much too long.”
even a day is too long.
(y/n) slowly reached out toward elbert’s cheek, their fingertips hesitant as they brushed against his porcelain skin. it was as though they were checking to see if he was real.
but then their eyes widened.
“wh—you’re soaking wet!”
“yes… it happened during the mission.”
“are you not cold? i can bring a towel.”
elbert shook his head.
“i want you,” he stated, his voice seeming to deepen a notch, “just you.”
(y/n)’s cheeks seemed to darken, and elbert couldn’t help but smile fondly at that.
“i-if that is enough, then…”
(y/n) wrapped their arms around elbert, pulling him into their chest. being filled with the warmth of the embrace, he closed his eyes, burying his face in their chest, taking in their scent, the shape of their body... everything.
until he drowned in you.
(y/n)’s fingers made their way to elbert’s hair, combing through his wet, blond locks.
it was silent, but it was a comforting silence.
“…welcome home, lord elbert.”
to hear their whisper was like a dream — one he never wanted to end. if only the night could stay eternal, the moon stuck at its peak in the dark sky that was spotted with flickering crystals.
“mn.” elbert smiled, albeit unbeknownst to (y/n), “i’m back, (y/n).”
back home, in the place he was meant to be.
꒰ tag list . ꒱ @drachonia @weepinglycoris @letter-from-afar @candiedcoffeedrops @.comment to be added or removed!
“So, what’s ‘offi–” She begins, then stops. She tilts her head back at him, silently conceding. He had a question. She can’t guess exactly what he’s thinking, but she can tell when someone is puzzling something out.
“What’s wrong?”
"Hm? Ah," He shifts his weight from one foot to the other, scratching the back of his neck briefly before continuing, "It doesn't seem like you like talking about yourself. But I could be wrong." He averts his eyes downward and slightly to the side, "I'm not as good at reading people as Dari and my brother are so...please excuse me if I am. I didn't want to pry either way."
[i realize it may actually be easier to just reply, but lmk if you prefer asks!]
She shakes her head. “You’re not prying–I asked, after all,” She smiles. “I’ve always considered myself an open book, actually. So, I guess it’s not that I don’t like talking about myself, it’s just…there’s not a lot worth saying.” She shrugs, shifting her weight a little. A half-truth, but true enough.
She meets his gaze directly with a small smile, checking his reaction.
“Other people are more interesting,” She adds. “For example…you mentioned ‘official business’. What does that entail? Is it just the three of you?” She places a hand on her cheek, pressing lightly before removing it. “Or…resting in the afternoon or under the open sky–is it something you’ve always done, or a habit you picked up later?”
(lol at the very least, maybe it'll keep another weird Tumblr deletion thing from happening, so I say if it works, it works!)
"I see. Apologies for misreading, then."
He crosses his arms over his chest, leaning back against a tree to make himself comfortable.
"Official business for Vogel mainly pertains to making the world a better place for curse bearers. As you can imagine, the world hasn't been very...kind, to us, so we hope to change things." He hesitates, looking off to the side before looking back at her and continuing, "I can't go into specifics, but that's the gist of it."
He shifts, crossing his ankles over the other as he relaxes. "It's...something I've come to enjoy fairly recently. Let's just say I found a new appreciation for being able to look up at it that I didn't have before."
“‘A better place for curse bearers’..?” She repeats his words, mostly to herself, before falling silent for a while.
“That’s fantastic, I think. I can imagine it can all be quite..” She bites her lip, searching for the right word. “Confusing. Or harsh, maybe.”
“But I really, really hope you achieve it,” She smiles. “So, you’re in London looking for cursed individuals, then?” She asks, before correcting herself. “--Oh, wait, I’m sorry if you can’t say. I’m not sure how specific ‘the specifics’ are.”
“Have you found any?” Her question was a little more cautious than the rest. She pauses before adding, “Like–Crown, I guess.”
He speaks of curse bearers so freely; it confuses her. Would it be rude to ask what his curse is? If she did, would she have to exchange information in kind? A bitter thought.
His brows twitch, pushing himself off of the lean he was just in, fully alert. He debates with himself for a second before the question leaves his lips, slowly, cautiously.
"I—My father," She admits. "I read his notes, after he died. He was looking for answers. And—" She hesitates, before changing her mind at the last minute.
"...I see," He looks off to the side. "He...must have been very well connected if he knew about them."
He's quiet, looking conflicted again for a moment, his brow furrowing and his lips thinning as his eyes narrow slightly in sympathy. "...I'm sorry for your loss."
“It was no loss,” She shakes her head. “I hadn’t even seen him since I was fourteen,” She laughs a little, then adds, “When so much time passes, it’s easy to lose track of who people are.”
She shifts her weight and adjusts her posture. “Uhm, anyway–I don’t know if he was well connected, but he was obsessive. I guess he was looking to them for help…though that doesn’t seem to be exactly what they do.”
Ring and Nika bond level story summaries (up to level 4)
꒰ ִ ֺ ⊹ @ notice ⊹ ֺ ִ ꒱ these are crude story summaries that are meant to give you an idea of what’s happening in the story. it’s not a pretty translation 😅 i don’t have darius here because i haven’t raised his bond level yet, but i may post about his bond stories later unless someone else posts translations? but if you enjoy, please consider reblogging, but please don’t repost these or claim these as your own!
nika 🍒
bond level 3: “eating a meal together”
nika is like “relax a little more and lets enjoy dinner. todays a social gathering for vogel”
then hes like “did yk robin? they say you can tell someones char from the way they eat. if they eat quickly, theyre hasty and dont like losing. and the opposite means theyre more laid back. ..well, which do you think i am?”
"im in the middle of watching": nikas like "oh is that so? then feel free to look on more. ah, i can keep my clothes on, right?"
"ur a superficial person": nikas like "yep, i get told that a lot. i happen to reaaally like women - including you, ofc?"
"u dont enjoy ur life that much": nikas like "......hmm? so ur the type to like guys who r pitiful and unhappy?"
nikas like when we finish eating lets tell each other our answers then.
"come to my room, robin. we can get to know each other more there.."
bond level 4: skills
nika is like "sorry to keep you waiting robin. oh? why do you look so surprised? ahh did you think a fox was (harrison) coming or smth"
"the card that got sent to u, that was written by me. thats right, its forged handwriting"
"its one of my skills. did you enjoy it, robin?"
"absolutely not": nikas like "and as ive been sayinggg, hearing u say that is like the highest praise to me"
"bye (im leaving)": nikas like ehh ur going back already? even tho this part is known for not having many carriages around.
glare at him silently: nika is like oh, i like that frustrated look on ur face. im into that (<- this sentence is prolly not completely accurate)
then he’s all like "aww, you’re so mean. dont u think im here just bc i miss u (w/o an ulterior motive) 🥺"
"pfft, hahaha! u get touched so easily like that.. ahh ur such a strange one 😆"
"lets go, robin, and take me around london. lets see.. a place where theres a lot of girls would be great :]"
ring 💍
bond level 3: “eating a meal together”
ring is eating and finishes his portion quickly.
kate offers her portion: ring is like "noo you should eat ur portion"
when kate says there r seconds: ring is like "omg ur a genius :D"
"i'll give u my portion": ring is like "eh- ah. is.. it really ok? ..thank u then. i'll eat it all (i.e. with care)"
and then he says he didnt intend to get close to kate bc shes a fairytale keeper and hes part of vogel, but kate had been so kind to him so he became kinda like confused xD
bond level 4: skills
ring is naming flowers. and kate apparently caught him in 4k so he is all flustered like "omg.. dont tell me u.. saw all of that?"
"i didnt see anything": ring is like but theres a grin on ur face.. ur kind of bad at lying.
"..im sorry": ring is like "when you apologize so sincerely like that, i feel bad for being surprised.."
"well, i wonder abt that?": ring is like "d-dont grin like that >,> you have a teasing side to u too, huh.."
but anw he says that "yes i do like flowers :> when im free i try to remember the names of flowers and their meanings"
"why..? well that's.. to make frie- i mean, its nothing."
he asks kate to forget what she saw here and then is like "bye ttyl"
when hes like some distance away from her he whispers to himself that he shouldnt get close to the fairytale keeper.
when film companies start realizing that the reason their sales are tanking is because they’re casting war criminals, they’ll stop hiring them, Inshallah. but in order to do that you have to not give them your money.
i don’t wanna hear that “someone else will do it to make up for it” mentality because i promise you’re not the only person who’s thinking that way, and then we’re back at square one. boycotts have to be taken seriously collectively or else they’re less effective.
use that theater ticket money to donate to a palestinian fundraiser instead.
Just realized that the reason I love making friends on tumblr is because it’s exactly how you make friends on the playground as a six year old. No, I don’t know their name but they love mermaids too and built this awesome sand castle. No, I don’t know their age but their imaginary cheetah is friends with mine. You like this show? You like this character?? You can sing the theme song really loud??? Here is a flower crown. Here is a juice box. You can share my time and I might never see you again but part of you stays in my soul forever. In my mind we’re still on the swing set and the sky is blue and nothing will ever be wrong again.
