"Digital Demons Make The Night Feel Heavenly"

Oc roleplay blog/Multiverse

[crownofwebs]

Hello,my name is Amelie Devereaux (they/them), and I own a small oddity store here in Camden! Please stop by anytime!

Seems like everyone is doing this whole Tumblr thing, so why not join?

Ooc: I thought it's about time to give Amelie a fresh start, and try telling their story anew. They're now a more goth shop owner,but still a web avatar!

Please note that this is a "reboot" of this oc,so any previous relationships are not guaranteed to stay the same. Any questions regarding the previous lore of this character will be disregarded (unless I find them funny)

Basic Tumblr etiquette applies: don't be an asshole, don't send weird asks,etc etc.

Mod is 25

References:

[crownofwebs]

Outis Detective Alexander Simons walks into Amelie's shop one fine Saturday evening, shaking the rain out of his curls. He begins to walk the shelves, seemingly aimlessly. In reality, he's checking the shelves for any other artifacts mixed in, but an onlooker wouldn't notice that. He's wearing slacks and a loose navy sweater to hide his wings to look somewhat inconspicuous. This shop—and by extention, it's owner—are under investigation, but people tend to be more honest when they're not talking to a cop. He picks something off a shelf—a small handbell—and inspects it closely. He absent-mindedly picks at the edge of his human mask scratches his beard, muttering something in Latin at the bell, causing it to shimmer faintly. He sighs softly, setting the bell back on the shelf very carefully.

Amelie was busy unboxing things in the back to notice the bell above the door ring. It was always so fun to check out new arrivals,go through the old stuff people no longer needed. Some of them were normal,some of them, though... Were filled with an odd sort of energy,one that tingled underneath zeir fingertips, whispering of something preternatural. Those were their favourites.

Eventually,it picked out a few trinkets to add under the glass displays in front of the till. Upon coming back,they were surprised by the sight of a customer,one being very interested in what the store had to offer.

"Hello. Can I help you with anything?"

They greet him, watching from her spot.

[abyssiot]

"Hm?"

Alex looks up to where Amelie is standing, having been crouched to inspect a small bronze horse statue. He stares blankly for a few breaths, before what they said fully processes.

"Oh, no. Not currently."

He stands up, gingerly picking up the brass horse and wandering to another shelf.

After about two minutes, Alex winds his way back to the counter, a couple more antiques in tow. An old key and a vintage nurse doll, to be specific. Interestingly, all of them seem to flicker with that oh so fascinating energy.

"This'll be all. Say, would you happen to be the owner of this here store?"

His tone is casual as he rummages through his bag—a Swiss medic bag of all things—presumably looking for his wallet. He can guess that the person in front of him is the owner, they match the description and the owner's the only employee listed in any official format, but guesses don't help his investigation much.

[crownofwebs]

Amelie watched Alex,a small amused smile creeping onto her face as he examines the items with great curiosity.

It grins at his final selection, already deeming him as faer new favourite client. Oddballs like him always made faer day.

"Is that all? You seem like you were holding yourself back,back there."

It teases, starting to ring everything up,only to dramatically freeze at his question.

"Me? Oh,oh no."

They look around with exaggerated confusion, clicking faer tongue to call over.. something. In a rubble of items and boxes,a fluffy black cat emerges and sleepily climbs onto the counter in front of them.

"She's the owner here! She supervises everything I do."

[abyssiot]

Alex quirks an eyebrow at that statement.

"Oh? Okay then."

He says with a slight smile. Logically, he knows that Amelie is joking, but he's playing a slightly bumbling detective here, might as well have some fun.

He crouches down to meet Willard at eye level, before making an odd sound—at least for a human to make—and she tilts her head, before responding in kind. They go back and forth for a bit, before Alex nods sympathetically and looking up at Amelie.

"She has informed me that you are the manager of the inventory,"

He says, almost apologetically, before promptly dropping his wallet.

"Oh, fiddlesticks-"

He drops to the floor to snatch up his wallet, bounding back up quickly.

"Anywhos, I just wanted to ask you, where do you get stuff like these?"

He gestures a bit vaguely at the artefacts he's buying.

"Some of the stuff a few friends got from here did... weird stuff, you see, and the items felt similar to these."

He says, sounding convincingly apologetic as he pulls out a few pound notes to pay for what he has selected.

[crownofwebs]

Amelie watches Alex talk to the cat,arching her eyebrow at all the weird sounds he made. It was VERY ODD,but also oddly endearing? Anyone who loves cats automatically gets a pass in their book.

"Oh,does she? Can you tell her I said thanks?"

Their tone became slightly less monotone as Alex kept going, it was hard not to feel amused,truth be told. Between the cat-talking,and the clumsiness,she was having a blast.

Unfortunately,their mood soured at the next sentence,and she sighed slightly.

"I am not responsible for people's feelings. These are antiques,and those of...a more sensitive kind are bound to feel some psychosomatic effects. Or the superstitious type... Old things have a reputation irregardless where they reside."

Keeping their focus on checking Alex out, Amelie tried her best to sound non chalant, though their body language definitely gave the nervousness away.

"Alright,here is your change,thank you for shopping,have a good day!"

[abyssiot]

As soon as he notices her expression shift at the mention of "strange effects", he pulls something from a pouch on the outside of his bag. It's a device of some sorts, made out of stamped steel and clearly old based on the rust peaking out from under the emerald paint. He slowly inches the device towards the antiques as they begin her speil, the clicking becoming more intense as it gets closer. Alex quirks an eyebrow at Amelie.

"Well, it does seem like there's something off with them,"

He chuckles good-naturedly, setting the device—which is gradually revealing itself to be some sort of sensor akin to a Geiger counter—by the antiques to continue chiming.

"But you're in luck! See, me and a few associates find these things quite fascinating, and are always looking to collect more..."

...to study, and to keep them out of the wrong hands, he internally remarks.

Alex produces a pad of paper and a pencil, ripping a sheet out and writing a phone number down. One for his work phone, of course.

"...Hold onto that Geiger, and give me a call if something that comes in makes it sing!"

He says excitedly, sliding the paper with his number and the cash for the antiques across the counter to Amelie. He begins collecting the antiques, carefully wrapping the bell before setting it and the rest of the antiques into a tote bag.

[crownofwebs]

Amelie gives the weird gadget a suspicious glare, frowning as the sound increases. It made them feel a little uneasy.

"Oh, really? Guess this place really could become a gold mine for you and your friends..."

They chuckle slightly, eyeing the number on the paper. It was surprising how easily he trusted them.

"Of course, thank you. Have a good day,sir."

It was weird. This guy was weird. But somehow,it was a different kind of weird. Welcoming. She wouldn't mind seeing him again,or even having a few more minutes of conversation.

In their wildest dreams,he could even be their friend, Amelie could see him as one, truly. But as much as they yearned for warm company,it would be best to keep it in their dreams only. Getting too close to people only lead to pain.

[losingraindrops]

It was very unusual for Xero to be up so early, but things just worked out that way. An intense night saw him pass out early, and now he's awake early. He already decided he'd probably nap later to "fix" his sleep schedule. Humans were much, much more fun at night, after all. But he was awake now, and he knew the store was about to open, so he dropped by.

The bell announced his arrival. How quaint. Before he had a chance to really look around, a familiar voice greeted him. Could it be…? Xero looked towards the counter, and seeing he was right, he grinned. What were the odds? Of all the people to be in the shop alone with…

"If it isn't Miss Amelie~" Xero called, walking up the counter in long, loud strides. While his clothes had slightly changed from yesterday, those big boots were still the same. "Fancy seeing you here so early. You must really love this place, huh?"

[crownofwebs]

Amelie froze in place,countless excuses running through their head. Do they admit lying? Or do they make something up? It felt awkward as hell.

Turning around, they refused to meet Xero's gaze, looking just slightly above his shoulder. A polite,yet obviously fake smile was plastered on their face.

"Is there anything I can help you with,or would you like to browse around for now,sir?"

For now, they'll just pretend not to know him. For all ze cares,Xero wasn't even that recognizable - he looked like a cookie cutter alt person,the only distinct trait being the vibe around him.

Xe tapped nervously on the glass, waiting for an answer and hoping not to embarrass themselves further. No clue why they were so against being honest with him...

[losingraindrops]

Xerovath Starter 01

Open RP Starter, Anyone Can Reply!

Xerovath liked to gamble, and his sister Brazira liked to win. Of course they'd end up betting with each other, seeing who was faster or smarter or could do this or that first.

This time, it was a matter of damning human souls. Braz used anger and hate to corrupt people, Xero preferred to use his body. A snide comment from Braz about it led to playful bickering, and from there the challenge was formed. Could Xero damn 10 Souls without seduction before Braz damned 10 Souls without aggression?

In this context, "seduction" meant Xero couldn't use sex as a shortcut to real Sins. No sleeping with married people to piss off their spouses, no going to bars to convince would-be lovers in indulge in excess drinking, no begging someone to stay in bed with him all day. Whatever Sin he's using, he can't fuck his way into it or it doesn't count.

Xero was far too overconfident, and he eagerly agreed to the terms. Unfortunately for him, this is what it took to make him realize just how much he relied on his pretty face and promises of heated nights to get his way. He was not a smooth talker, and he absolutely bumbled his way through the first few victims. His only saving grace was that Braz had the opposite problem: she knew how to be mean, but without it she was completely lost.

They both sucked equally, and the race was neck and neck throughout. With 9 victims each, it was still anybody's game. Xero just needed one more victim...

Today, he sits on a bench and observes the people passing him by. The only requirements in a victim were that the Soul wasn't already damned, and that they shared the general stats so the other could find someone comparable. Braz hadn't sent any profiles, and that meant she was still looking for her 10th. Xero had his choice, from the soft and pure to the barely-avoiding-damnation, from witches to aliens to literal angels, all but demons and the damned were fair game to him.

Then he spotted a face walking by, and he decided to make his move. He got up and quickly met the stranger's stride. Talking was still the hardest part, but he had to do it. "Hey, there."

[losingraindrops]

Xero stared back, waiting for Amelie to break the silence. What was with xir? "Damn, sorry. Didn't mean to offend. I don't have to know what happened to him. Forget I even asked." He waved his hand dismissively. For a moment, he wished he was allowed to use his powers, just to convince bat to like him a little more. Sure, technically, if he did, Brazira may not know. But that wasn't the spirit of the game. There was very little he respected, but the rules of the game were one of them. He'd have to live with the social blunder this time.

Fortunately for him, the conversation shifted to clothing. "I'm cheaper than you'd think." Xero grinned. "But not with my clothes. They do half the- costume jewelry?" He laughed. "Who or what, exactly, do you think I'm dressed as?" He was aware his fit was very… online, but he wasn't aware he was copying someone or something. It was funny to him, more than anything.

"But anyways. It's not the quality of the outfit, it's the style. I always figured the snooty types still wore suits and heels. But the whole grunge alt eboy thing is in, so maybe they're dressing up that way, too." He shrugged.

[crownofwebs]

Amelie didn't laugh with him, frowning deeper. She felt irritated he didn't react.

"...Do you live under a rock? You are the first person to have this definition of this term. I meant your jewellery looks cheap and mass produced. Is it even real silver?"

Ze flicks her hair back, in a manner skin to an irritated cat's tail flick. Fashion was something they felt STRONGLY about.

"That feels like a reductionist stereotype-"

Her phone rang, breaking the peace with a sharp tone, making Amelie jump,then give the device a death glare. But still,they answered it.

It was impressive how fast her tone and accent switched up,going from relatively monotone, with a light French accent,to sounding like a posh version of a customer service voice.

[losingraindrops]

Xero raised an eyebrow, then laughed again. "What do you think 'costume' means? If you meant cheap and tacky, just say cheap and tacky." He tilted his head. "I guess a lot of costumes are, though. But not all of them. Some of the shit you see in movies is better made than some 'normal' clothes."

The silver comment, to him, sounded more like an insult that a genuine question. Even so, he answered. "Probably not. I bought it 'cause it looks cool, not because I give a fuck about whether or not it's real silver. If you're really curious, I think it's metal. Sucks for us if we ever meet vampires." He grinned.

Xero eyed Amelie. "I see what you mean by snob now. You really know your stuff, huh?" Maybe a compliment or two could get this train back on track. He didn't feel like starting over trying to find someone else. "Guess that's to be expected with someone as high class as you."

He listened to them until that cursed phone call cut through their sentence, stealing xir's attention. Damn. Well, maybe a moment to let the dust settle would be good for them both.

As they spoke, Xero's eyebrows really shot up. He'd never have expected xir to pull off customer service. However, to be polite, he stayed silent while they were on the phone.

[crownofwebs]

Amelie occasionally glanced at Xero while talking, just to make sure he was still there. They stood there, painfully still, like a deer paralyzed by headlights. Not pacing,not even fidgeting,as if scared to divide their attention to something else.

After a good long while,they finally hung up, sighing deeply. There was a newfound tiredness to their expressions,the phone call seemingly taking a lot out of her.

"...I am so sorry about this one, I have to go. See you around, hopefully?"

Giving him half a smile, Amelie hesitated awkwardly, waiting for an answer. But before he could say anything at all,she turned around and quickly walked away, leaving him seconds away from an answer.

[losingraindrops]

Xero was still there. He spent the time either playing with his phone or eyeing the area to see who or what else was around. This place was still new to him, so just looking around held some interest for him.

Then he noticed Amelie's demeanor. Xe were so still, so unmoving, that Xero had half a mind to reach out and push him just to make sure they weren't caught by some wayward freezing curse. The odds were astronomically low, but never zero. In fact, he had already started to move his hand towards faer face before vee hung up, snapping him back to his senses.

And then, as soon as they started talking, she was gone. "Bye!" He called, though he doubted the message reached Amelie.

The next morning, Xero decided to check out Shop Araneae. Even if he didn't see Amelie there, it still sounded like a cool place to visit. If his watch was accurate, he'd arrive around opening time.

[crownofwebs]

10am was way too early to open up. Especially for a night owl like Amelie whose greatest joy was sleeping in. But it was the weekend and people loved their weekend shopping,even in weird places like this.

Still slightly tired,fae got ready for the day, making their way to the shop in big strides, just kind of wanting to get inside as soon as possible. The streets were a bit too busy for their liking.

With a sigh of relief, she turned over the old fashioned,but oddly charming sign with "OPEN" written on it,and settled in behind the glass counters, cleaning the dust just to keep its hands busy.

A few minutes later, the little bell above the door chimed, indicating a customer. It was a bit unusual,for someone to be there so early after opening,but bussiness is bussiness.

"Welcome in~"

She chirped, greeting whoever might be coming in.

[losingraindrops]

Xerovath Starter 01

Open RP Starter, Anyone Can Reply!

Xerovath liked to gamble, and his sister Brazira liked to win. Of course they'd end up betting with each other, seeing who was faster or smarter or could do this or that first.

This time, it was a matter of damning human souls. Braz used anger and hate to corrupt people, Xero preferred to use his body. A snide comment from Braz about it led to playful bickering, and from there the challenge was formed. Could Xero damn 10 Souls without seduction before Braz damned 10 Souls without aggression?

In this context, "seduction" meant Xero couldn't use sex as a shortcut to real Sins. No sleeping with married people to piss off their spouses, no going to bars to convince would-be lovers in indulge in excess drinking, no begging someone to stay in bed with him all day. Whatever Sin he's using, he can't fuck his way into it or it doesn't count.

Xero was far too overconfident, and he eagerly agreed to the terms. Unfortunately for him, this is what it took to make him realize just how much he relied on his pretty face and promises of heated nights to get his way. He was not a smooth talker, and he absolutely bumbled his way through the first few victims. His only saving grace was that Braz had the opposite problem: she knew how to be mean, but without it she was completely lost.

They both sucked equally, and the race was neck and neck throughout. With 9 victims each, it was still anybody's game. Xero just needed one more victim...

Today, he sits on a bench and observes the people passing him by. The only requirements in a victim were that the Soul wasn't already damned, and that they shared the general stats so the other could find someone comparable. Braz hadn't sent any profiles, and that meant she was still looking for her 10th. Xero had his choice, from the soft and pure to the barely-avoiding-damnation, from witches to aliens to literal angels, all but demons and the damned were fair game to him.

Then he spotted a face walking by, and he decided to make his move. He got up and quickly met the stranger's stride. Talking was still the hardest part, but he had to do it. "Hey, there."

[losingraindrops]

Xero stared back, waiting for Amelie to break the silence. What was with xir? "Damn, sorry. Didn't mean to offend. I don't have to know what happened to him. Forget I even asked." He waved his hand dismissively. For a moment, he wished he was allowed to use his powers, just to convince bat to like him a little more. Sure, technically, if he did, Brazira may not know. But that wasn't the spirit of the game. There was very little he respected, but the rules of the game were one of them. He'd have to live with the social blunder this time.

Fortunately for him, the conversation shifted to clothing. "I'm cheaper than you'd think." Xero grinned. "But not with my clothes. They do half the- costume jewelry?" He laughed. "Who or what, exactly, do you think I'm dressed as?" He was aware his fit was very… online, but he wasn't aware he was copying someone or something. It was funny to him, more than anything.

"But anyways. It's not the quality of the outfit, it's the style. I always figured the snooty types still wore suits and heels. But the whole grunge alt eboy thing is in, so maybe they're dressing up that way, too." He shrugged.

[crownofwebs]

Amelie didn't laugh with him, frowning deeper. She felt irritated he didn't react.

"...Do you live under a rock? You are the first person to have this definition of this term. I meant your jewellery looks cheap and mass produced. Is it even real silver?"

Ze flicks her hair back, in a manner skin to an irritated cat's tail flick. Fashion was something they felt STRONGLY about.

"That feels like a reductionist stereotype-"

Her phone rang, breaking the peace with a sharp tone, making Amelie jump,then give the device a death glare. But still,they answered it.

It was impressive how fast her tone and accent switched up,going from relatively monotone, with a light French accent,to sounding like a posh version of a customer service voice.

[losingraindrops]

Xero raised an eyebrow, then laughed again. "What do you think 'costume' means? If you meant cheap and tacky, just say cheap and tacky." He tilted his head. "I guess a lot of costumes are, though. But not all of them. Some of the shit you see in movies is better made than some 'normal' clothes."

The silver comment, to him, sounded more like an insult that a genuine question. Even so, he answered. "Probably not. I bought it 'cause it looks cool, not because I give a fuck about whether or not it's real silver. If you're really curious, I think it's metal. Sucks for us if we ever meet vampires." He grinned.

Xero eyed Amelie. "I see what you mean by snob now. You really know your stuff, huh?" Maybe a compliment or two could get this train back on track. He didn't feel like starting over trying to find someone else. "Guess that's to be expected with someone as high class as you."

He listened to them until that cursed phone call cut through their sentence, stealing xir's attention. Damn. Well, maybe a moment to let the dust settle would be good for them both.

As they spoke, Xero's eyebrows really shot up. He'd never have expected xir to pull off customer service. However, to be polite, he stayed silent while they were on the phone.

[crownofwebs]

Amelie occasionally glanced at Xero while talking, just to make sure he was still there. They stood there, painfully still, like a deer paralyzed by headlights. Not pacing,not even fidgeting,as if scared to divide their attention to something else.

After a good long while,they finally hung up, sighing deeply. There was a newfound tiredness to their expressions,the phone call seemingly taking a lot out of her.

"...I am so sorry about this one, I have to go. See you around, hopefully?"

Giving him half a smile, Amelie hesitated awkwardly, waiting for an answer. But before he could say anything at all,she turned around and quickly walked away, leaving him seconds away from an answer.

[pleiades-cabin-talk]

It's a quiet,lonely, rainy day. The café is empty, besides one person sitting there. They're sitting by the window,face partially obscured by fluffy,purple-black curls. They appear to be in thought.

Rose gently presses against the door handle, letting it smoothly open infront of him. The bell above the door does not chime, all though it very well should. Stepping inside, he let's it fall shut behind him, drowning out the rain into a distant dribble against the glass.

He eyes the only costumer inside for just a moment, takes in their lovely hair, then strides silently up to the counter ahead of him. He's wearing his thick hair down, letting the dark blond waves that blended into a foggy, oddly blurry white fall down his back and sides, face half obscured. For clothes he wore a baby blue blouse of some sort, flaring wide at the ends and covering his hands up to just before his fingertips. It has a low, straight across neckline that is not filled in with jewlerly, instead remaining barren. A few dark spots splatter about, darkening the fabric from his trip outside.

He wore a white, long skirt underneath, ruffling mildly in two lower sectionsy the bottom kissing his socked ankles that slipped into his favorite Mary Janes.

He orders himself some loose leaf tea with a dab of honey, pauses, and then orders the other person some too, paying ahead of time before seating himself on the opposite end of the café. He glances their way once after sitting down, then pulls a book out of his leatherbound bag slung over his shoulder to read.

It doesn't take too long until his tea is delivered, followed by a cup of the same drink being brought across the room to the stranger with much too familiar hair. He dares not look for a reaction, scared of what he'll find. Or perhaps moreso what he knows cannot be there for him to see.

Too many faces have seemed familiar as of late, whenever he dared to step into the world outside, and it was starting to drag at him with an invisible weight.

Trying to distract himself, he continues to read, half his hair length twisting on the table to the sides of the book.

[crownofwebs]

From what little that wasn't obscured by hair,it was evident that the stranger was wearing a baggy, yet cropped,black top.

They were fidgeting with a curl, clearly lost in their own world.

Eventually,they look up, seeing their drink get delivered. With a distracted smile,they thank the server, glancing behind their shoulder to check out the person who paid for their drink.

After a hesitant second,they grab their drink and walk over to his table. What stood in front of him was a lanky goth with bright blue eyes.

"excuse me, would you like some company?"

Amelie asked Rose with a slight smile. They had a rather "posh" sounding British accent,but some of the words carried a lilt similar to French.

[pleiades-cabin-talk]

Rose looked up when spoken to, not having registered the approaching footsteps. He looks a little startled and blinks a few times, before flushing slightly and nodding, rushing to close his book and swipe his hair off the table, looking a little embarrassed.

Catching himself a moment later, he nods again and speaks. His voice is a tad gruff, like he hadn't been using it much in a long, long time.

"u-uh.. Yeah- Y-yeah I wouldn't mind that, absolutely...!" he gives an awkward little grin, then crosses his arms over the book.

He supposes he should've expected this, in a way- buz he mentally curses himself anyway. Their face is blurry to him, just slightly, but familiar, and he hopes the fog his mind helpfully placed over their expressions never dared dicipate.

...maybe for a little while, for just a little moment, he could pretend he was sitting with Amelie like they'd done in the past, chatting about, perhaps curled up similar to how they'd been back then on the ship...

He aches.

He smiles.

Another stranger that he'd walk past the next day, losing touch with who was real and who was one of his past ghosts haunting him.

"I hope you didn't mind me ordering you some tea?"

[crownofwebs]

They sit down next to Rose,cup still in hand, though still keeping a slight distance and making sure not to touch him or his hair in any way possible

"Oh really? How sweet of you."

Amelie gives Rose a close-lipped,polite smile. Their energy was mellow, slightly guarded,but their voice reflected geniune thankfulness for the gesture.

"My name is Amelie,by the way,what about you? I have to say, your hair is gorgeous, do you have any secrets on how to achieve something similar?"

Blue eyes, piercingly bright,stare at him with curiosity, but not necessarily recognition. Staring at him as if he was a puzzle to figure out,a book to read. Her eyes trailed over to his hair, taking interest in the colour and length. It was so different from their nearly black curls, and looked so smooth and shiny. Would it feel just as soft?..

[losingraindrops]

Xerovath Starter 01

Open RP Starter, Anyone Can Reply!

Xerovath liked to gamble, and his sister Brazira liked to win. Of course they'd end up betting with each other, seeing who was faster or smarter or could do this or that first.

This time, it was a matter of damning human souls. Braz used anger and hate to corrupt people, Xero preferred to use his body. A snide comment from Braz about it led to playful bickering, and from there the challenge was formed. Could Xero damn 10 Souls without seduction before Braz damned 10 Souls without aggression?

In this context, "seduction" meant Xero couldn't use sex as a shortcut to real Sins. No sleeping with married people to piss off their spouses, no going to bars to convince would-be lovers in indulge in excess drinking, no begging someone to stay in bed with him all day. Whatever Sin he's using, he can't fuck his way into it or it doesn't count.

Xero was far too overconfident, and he eagerly agreed to the terms. Unfortunately for him, this is what it took to make him realize just how much he relied on his pretty face and promises of heated nights to get his way. He was not a smooth talker, and he absolutely bumbled his way through the first few victims. His only saving grace was that Braz had the opposite problem: she knew how to be mean, but without it she was completely lost.

They both sucked equally, and the race was neck and neck throughout. With 9 victims each, it was still anybody's game. Xero just needed one more victim...

Today, he sits on a bench and observes the people passing him by. The only requirements in a victim were that the Soul wasn't already damned, and that they shared the general stats so the other could find someone comparable. Braz hadn't sent any profiles, and that meant she was still looking for her 10th. Xero had his choice, from the soft and pure to the barely-avoiding-damnation, from witches to aliens to literal angels, all but demons and the damned were fair game to him.

Then he spotted a face walking by, and he decided to make his move. He got up and quickly met the stranger's stride. Talking was still the hardest part, but he had to do it. "Hey, there."

[losingraindrops]

Xero stared back, waiting for Amelie to break the silence. What was with xir? "Damn, sorry. Didn't mean to offend. I don't have to know what happened to him. Forget I even asked." He waved his hand dismissively. For a moment, he wished he was allowed to use his powers, just to convince bat to like him a little more. Sure, technically, if he did, Brazira may not know. But that wasn't the spirit of the game. There was very little he respected, but the rules of the game were one of them. He'd have to live with the social blunder this time.

Fortunately for him, the conversation shifted to clothing. "I'm cheaper than you'd think." Xero grinned. "But not with my clothes. They do half the- costume jewelry?" He laughed. "Who or what, exactly, do you think I'm dressed as?" He was aware his fit was very… online, but he wasn't aware he was copying someone or something. It was funny to him, more than anything.

"But anyways. It's not the quality of the outfit, it's the style. I always figured the snooty types still wore suits and heels. But the whole grunge alt eboy thing is in, so maybe they're dressing up that way, too." He shrugged.

[crownofwebs]

Amelie didn't laugh with him, frowning deeper. She felt irritated he didn't react.

"...Do you live under a rock? You are the first person to have this definition of this term. I meant your jewellery looks cheap and mass produced. Is it even real silver?"

Ze flicks her hair back, in a manner skin to an irritated cat's tail flick. Fashion was something they felt STRONGLY about.

"That feels like a reductionist stereotype-"

Her phone rang, breaking the peace with a sharp tone, making Amelie jump,then give the device a death glare. But still,they answered it.

It was impressive how fast her tone and accent switched up,going from relatively monotone, with a light French accent,to sounding like a posh version of a customer service voice.

[losingraindrops]

Xerovath Starter 01

Open RP Starter, Anyone Can Reply!

Xerovath liked to gamble, and his sister Brazira liked to win. Of course they'd end up betting with each other, seeing who was faster or smarter or could do this or that first.

This time, it was a matter of damning human souls. Braz used anger and hate to corrupt people, Xero preferred to use his body. A snide comment from Braz about it led to playful bickering, and from there the challenge was formed. Could Xero damn 10 Souls without seduction before Braz damned 10 Souls without aggression?

In this context, "seduction" meant Xero couldn't use sex as a shortcut to real Sins. No sleeping with married people to piss off their spouses, no going to bars to convince would-be lovers in indulge in excess drinking, no begging someone to stay in bed with him all day. Whatever Sin he's using, he can't fuck his way into it or it doesn't count.

Xero was far too overconfident, and he eagerly agreed to the terms. Unfortunately for him, this is what it took to make him realize just how much he relied on his pretty face and promises of heated nights to get his way. He was not a smooth talker, and he absolutely bumbled his way through the first few victims. His only saving grace was that Braz had the opposite problem: she knew how to be mean, but without it she was completely lost.

They both sucked equally, and the race was neck and neck throughout. With 9 victims each, it was still anybody's game. Xero just needed one more victim...

Today, he sits on a bench and observes the people passing him by. The only requirements in a victim were that the Soul wasn't already damned, and that they shared the general stats so the other could find someone comparable. Braz hadn't sent any profiles, and that meant she was still looking for her 10th. Xero had his choice, from the soft and pure to the barely-avoiding-damnation, from witches to aliens to literal angels, all but demons and the damned were fair game to him.

Then he spotted a face walking by, and he decided to make his move. He got up and quickly met the stranger's stride. Talking was still the hardest part, but he had to do it. "Hey, there."

[losingraindrops]

"Presented, huh? You think he might've been something else?" Xero tilted his head. He was glad that his own disguise was more about hiding his horns and recoloring his palette than adding new skin. It was harder to see through. Besides, he rather liked his face. "No, of course not, that'd be stupid. There's no such thing as skin stealing monsters. Even if there were, I don't see 'em investigating local cases. What was it about, anyways?"

Xero eyed Amelie for a moment, then took a small step back. They seemed a little uncomfortable, and he didn't want to make it worse. "Dude definitely just had a bad vibe." Or maybe he really was some supernatural creature. Xero wasn't going to encourage that thought. Maybe some people are actually, secretly monsters is an idea that would come back to bite him if he let it loose.

"I met a guy like that once. Big eyes, stared at you like he wanted to unravel your skin. Had to dump him after a while." Xero laughed dryly.

"Really? Man, this town sounds lame. First you have anti-tech hipsters, and now you guys don't even have goths?" Xero rolled his eyes. Why did he come here again…? Right, this was where the dart landed. "Glad I'm just here for vacation. Why did you choose to live here?" His tone was a little judgmental, but in a way that implied he thought they could do better. "Your makeup is cool, though. Can't blame 'em for staring."

They'd get a chance when to ask once he was done, if all went well. Xero nearly, but did not, grin. "Maybe it really was just an excuse. Pity you never got to ask her. How long since she died?"

At the sight of the spider, he did grin. "Does that happen much?"

[crownofwebs]

"... I can't for the life of me remember, actually. Probably something related to a disappearance or other weird crime..."

They shook their head, trying to convince themselves that the supernatural doesn't actually exist. That would be silly, everything they've experienced surely can be explained away by mundane things.

"...Was he actually harmless?"

Amelie asked carefully, trying really hard to snuff out the curiosity that started plagueing them way too much at this point.

"Nevermind, that's a silly question to ask. And we do have goths! We have a whole area dedicated to alternative markets and boutiques! It's just that I attract an audience who has never seen a goth in their lives. I'm sure there are some goth clubs or something..."

That was truly the downside of being a loner like them. Not knowing a lot of alternative people sucked sometimes,but they had to remind themselves that they shouldn't open up to anyone. In the end, it's all just another risk.

"Father was a very beloved and very well known member of the local community,and it just so happened that this place fit my needs,so I stayed. Well,this place as in the general area,not the part we're in. I prefer the more 'posher' side of the city."

They explain, trying not to seem like they were bragging. Its father never taught them to be ashamed of the connections and wealth they have,but she quickly learned that not everyone thought the same.

"I promise I'm not one of those snobby assholes, though. I just prefer the city areas."

Upon being asked about the spider,Amelie looks at Xero in slight confusion,only to realise after a moment and check their hand for the spider.

"Oh that? Uh yeah, sometimes it does happen... I'm not scared of them or anything,but it's still slightly unsettling how much they love my hair."

[losingraindrops]

"Hmm, yeah, there's always a lot of crime going on." No matter where, or when, Xero was, humans loved to hurt each other. Even a demon as young as him knew that. "Look at it this way: did he harm you? No? Then he was harmless." Never mind any harm the guy might have done to someone else. No, if it didn't affect him personality then he found it hard to care. "If someone hasn't hurt you, why decide he's out to get you?" He was talking about himself now, though in his mind it would be a while before xe realized that.

"Really?" Xero's eyebrows shot up. He wasn't aware he was a poser, so the mention of alt areas caught his attention. "You've gotta show me sometime. Or gimme the addresses, whatever." It was important he didn't get too intense. If Amelie wanted to, fae could turn around and run away, and he'd be forced to hope he could catch xir at Shop Araneae. Even if he did, he doubted it'd talk to him if he got too creepy now.

"So your 'move' was just from the rich area to the spooky area?" Xero chuckled. "It definitely fits you better. You're not snobby." A snob wouldn't have given him this much of their time. Xero wasn't dressed like he was from a luxurious background. Wealthy, maybe, considering he could afford to dress like a chronically online edgy femboy, but definitely not from anywhere high class.

"The posh side, huh? What's over there? The alt boutiques and spider stores? Or just your dad's house? ...Former house? 'Was' sounds like he's not doing much beloved community work nowadays," he said flatly. Perhaps zer father had moved away, or maybe he was dead. Xero had a leaning for the latter. Amelie had that ominous orphan aura, in his opinion.

Xero watched the spider. "Maybe they want rides to Shop Araneae," he joked. "If that place isn't full of cobwebs and spiders, that's just false advertising."

[crownofwebs]

Amelie listened to Xero muse, getting caught up in their thoughts as well. His words did hold some truth to it...

"Honestly, just roam around the streets of Camden for a while, and you'll be guaranteed to find something. Obviously, the more official boutiques are still good,but if you want hidden gems you have to really hunt them down."

They laughed at his comment. It was a loud and sincere laughter, lighting their otherwise hard to read face up.

"Oh really? Not snobby? Ma chéri, you've only known me for an hour at best. I am a product of the two most snobbiest nationalities in the world, you underestimate how much of it flows through my veins."

At the mention of her father,zer face quickly hardened, the mood shifting back to the general awkwardness from before.

"He passed away a few years back. Truly a hit to the community and those who knew him."

Her words sounded obviously insincere,but she cared little. It's not like there's going to be some kind of backlash for not performing grief the right way. Not with this stranger. And frankly,she was sick of having to pretend she was sad.

"I'm fairly certain spiders and cobwebs are part of any old place's aesthetic. It's like they come as a free gift."

[losingraindrops]

"I just might have to." Xero grinned. "You never know what you'll find while exploring." His words often sounded like they had a double meaning, and often they did, but times like these it just sounded that way for no reason. "Luckily, I've got plenty of time to look around this little town." He wasn't sure what to make of it yet. If he found the places Amelie was speaking of, then this place might be alright.

"Yeah, but I only needed to know you for a minute." Xero chuckled. "A real snob would have turned her face away when I approached her, wrinkling her nose like a filthy rat had dared to speak. You've given me an hour of conversation and recommendations. If you're aiming for snobby, shoot higher. Can't imagine why you would, though. How's it any fun only talking to people who have more money than personality?"

Zey were right. Xero didn't give a damn if fae felt bad about xir father's death or not. "Wow. Sucks." His words had a flat insincerity to them. "How'd he go?" That was a more sincere curiosity. He quietly hoped it was tragic or gruesome, but he doubted he'd get the dirty details either way.

"Good. You can't name yourself after spiders without a few on the premises." Xero chuckled again.

[crownofwebs]

Amelie arched her eyebrow at Xero, staring at him with great judgement for a good while. Just... Staring and saying nothing.

"Really?.. Don't you think that's a little... Private?"

They didn't like replaying the details of the way her father died. The bitterly sour smell of a near-literal mountain of drinks and the way it seeped into everything in his apartment haunts her to this day. Partially because it felt like she was directly responsible for it.

Shaking their head,they fixate on a spot just above Xero's shoulder, taking great interest in a completely regular tree.

"Anyway,the snob thing - you'd be surprised how many doors open up if you know just the right words to stroke a rich person's ego. Money makes the world go round or something. And honestly, you don't look too cheap. Way too many people who dress in a similar style to yours tend to wear tacky clothing with no real quality to it..."

They shrug, giving his outfit one more look.

"I mean I think you could switch out a few accessories for better quality ones,but I'm not your boss, I just think costume jewellery ruins the outfit."

[archive-muses]

Seeking - [Arthur + Amelie]

For @crownofwebs

This was the second day in a row Arthur Lewis found himself treading the pavement outside the very well kept Antique Shop on the London Side-Street he had just turned on to. As soon as the building came into view his eyes lit up- the sun was in the right place. This was a very good sign.

He remained some distance from the shop, hands drifting to the somewhat travel-worn pockets of his coat. For a brief moment his brown eyes became ringed with green, his body freezing in place as he started to check on the item he had come for. Wherever it had been moved to, the window of the shop was now to some degree visible. It looked to Arthur like it might have been moved just behind a desk or something similar. As soon as he was aware of this fact he made his way to stand on front of the window, spotting himself with a self-satisfied grin. A day and a bit of looking like a complete idiot was always worth it when he found the things he needed. In this case, it was a set of cuff-links, aligned to The Web.

He watched for a short time, simply making sure he was focused on the correct object and not somehow something else he had seen in the shop, a mistake he had only made once in his very early Avatarship, but now something he checked for every time. After he checked, he pushed through the shop door, looking around as casually as he could with such a clear goal in mind.

[crownofwebs]

The shop was fairly cluttered,yet somehow organised pretty well - while there was quite a lot of items,it seemed that each type of them had their own place - porcelain dinnerware was separate from decorations,who were separated from books and other knick knacks.

Amelie was sitting at the till, reading a book. They barely paid any mind to Arthur,only occasionally glancing up to check up. Barely anyone cared to steal from them,and those who they manage to catch in the act... Well,they soon found themselves changing their minds.

There were barely any customers this early morning too, just a couple and an elderly woman,who soon moved towards Amelie to engage in polite,yet fairly enthusiastic small talk with them. They both chatted like good friends, paying no mind to whatever was happening around them.

[archive-muses]

He watched himself move in the visual range of the object, meeting his own eye when he found the exact place it the set was being kept. He could already tell the older women chatting away would take some time and he was much too British to interrupt, so he made himself busy browsing the books set neatly in their sections. He always checked shops like this for Leitner's, though he had only ever encountered one.

It was several minutes before Arthur heard a lull in the conversation. He had a leather tomb in his hand as he made himself apparent, clearing his throat lightly. "Excuse me." He stepped toward the desk "I have a couple of questions I was wondering if I could ask? I know it's a bit early in the morning to be quizzed." He chuckled lightly.

[crownofwebs]

Amelie gave Arthur a slightly distracted look, before excusing herself from the conversation with the old woman.

"Yes? Feel free to ask, I shall answer the best I can. I can't promise to provide the history of the object, though."

They leaned against the counter with a chuckle, interested in what sorts of questions Arthur is going to ask. Faer favourite part. Is it going to be normal or absolutely lunatic? Who knows? Though judging from the way he looked, it's probably something normal.

[archive-muses]

Truth was always a good start. At lease he wasn't being lied to out the gate. He nodded absently to the comment concerning object's origins- thankfully not what he was interested in- and tried to make the snap decision of how to frame this.

"You have some absolutely amazing books in here, but they're not exactly what I'm looking for. I'm after a specific item, and I've been around to several shops with no real luck." He shifted, moving to rummage in his javket's chest pocket "I'm looking for a period piece, a set of cuff links, from a particular maker. They would be Silver, mid-1910's and likely have something representing spiders? Have you seen anything like that."

[crownofwebs]

At the mention of a specific object Amelie leaned in closer,eyes sparkling with something Arthur couldn't quite place. Was it intrigue? Or was it something more sinister?

"Oh my goodness, yes! You came at the right place! Give me a bit,yeah? I'll go grab it."

Their demeanour shifted, becoming more lively. Suddenly,they were grinning wide and rushing to the back. It's as if they were the ones that struck gold. It didn't take them long to come back, presenting Arthur with a slightly dusty little box.

"Et voila! It's a little forgotten,and could use some love,but don't we all?"

She laughs a little, waiting on Arthur's response. It wouldn't be surprising if her customer didn't find it funny,fae's not a comedian,their humour skills often leave a lot to be desired.

[archive-muses]

Arthur actually returned fae's laugh with a chuckle of his own. "In this world, it's harder and harder, that's for sure." He made a motion like he was rubbing his eyes, ringing the hidden orb with the green that allowed him to scry. He was able to see himself looking back from the box, and the smile he'd presented stayed firmly on his features. It was rare something he was looking for was actually for sale. No theft today, unless one counted Institute funds.

"These are amazing!" He told them with as much exuberance he thought the situation called for. "Do you have any information on where they came from? and what will these beauties run me?"

the more information he could give to the Institute, the happier Elias would be. Not that it truly mattered, the man was going to send him away as soon as he checked in either way, but regardless Arthur did enjoy impressing.

[crownofwebs]

Amelie's smile grew wider and they leaned on the counter, practically beaming with joy,in a strangely polite,customer service-y type of way. Arthur was pleasant to chat with,and really brightened their boring day.

"I believe it was brought in by someone a while back? Or perhaps I was the one to find it."

They hum, tapping their long,spindly finger on the counter.

"Ah,yes. I was given it at a generous discount by one of the shops I visited a few weeks ago! The guy was soo happy to get rid of it. Said it makes the hairs on the back of his neck stand upright. I'm not sure I really believe in this whole thing,but he claimed it had a supernatural presence?"

Amelie chattered away, trying to weave the lie in with the truths. It wasn't that they didn't believe in the supernatural,quite far from it,they knew very well that there is much more to everyday life than just what is explainable by science. But admitting it out loud felt too vulnerable, like exposing ones neck to a predator.

"Fifteen pounds,but I am open to negotiations ~"

They winked playfully at Arthur.

[archive-muses]

The itch started as soon as the explanation did. Even the half lies they were telling were enough to set off his powers and the itch made him immediately uncomfortable. He hid it impossibly well, years of feeling the pull of lies in the back of his mind making it easy to ignore. That said, it gave him the impression that fae wasn't telling him everything.

"Can you tell me more about the seller?" He asked, curious if this would lead to a further lie, or a more clear explanation "I'm keen on them and I'm happy to pay what you ask- but I'm very curious about their origins. They're for study, you see."

[crownofwebs]

Amelie frowned, leaning away from Arthur.

"Well, what else can I even say? Contrary to what might be the popular belief,we vintage/curio sellers are not on a first name basis with each other, especially when it comes to shops at the other end of the city..."

Again,a half lie. They had to stand at the checkout and listen to a nearly half an hour rant about how that little pieces of decorative metal basically acted like a magnet for actual spiders, often making the box become enveloped in the thin strands of silk. They had to endure a passionate speech of all the methods they had to resort to get rid of the spiderwebs,and how little it helped,AND, how much it made him hate spiders. At the end of it,he almost sounded scared.

Amelie, on the other hand,felt absolutely irritated,even if they found the fear... Amusing. Funny enough, the spider thing basically gone away upon transferring ownership, and any spiders that were there made a cozy new home in the corners of this store. Heartwarming,in its own way.

"Yeah, apologies, I don't have anything else to contribute... They're just weird little antiques, like most of them are."

[archive-muses]

The itch only seemed to get worse as they spoke. Half lies were thing she heard in every social situation. It didn't particularly bother him anymore, but it did tell him they had some reason to lie to a stranger. There was a strength to these lies, a conviction that seemed out of place to the human lie detector. "Well, that's alright. It's always nice to hear the history, but I'm sure I'll be able to dig up what I need."

He stepped toward the counter. "I'm happy to pay the face value- they're worth it to me." Saying nothing to his want to spend as much of thee Lukas Family money as he could while he wasn't restrained by Elias' watchful eye "You don't happen to have others like it? Items from a similar era with a similar design?"

He was clearly drawing attention to the Spider Designs, wondering if they had anything else here Elias might reward him for finding.

[crownofwebs]

Amelie gave Arthur a polite smile, wanting to shift their attention to something else, someone else. They hum affirmatively, busying itself with counting out the money and dealing with the old school cash register.

"Pardon? Are you interested in Victorian era jewellery or is it the design that draws you in? I could try searching in the back for something,or reserve it in case I get something new."

Was he a big fan of spider motifs? Amelie grabbed a pen and a few sticky notes, looking back at Arthur.

"Would you like leaving your number so I could contact you in case?"

[archive-muses]

"That era, spider designs.- But you don't need to go that far in looking. These are enough for the time being. I'm glad you had something that suited me."

Half lies were even worse coming from himself. He felt almost sick with the way lying made his head spin. He was blunt in his life, not to be rude or because he wanted to be honest, but because directly lying hurt him. Still, he had come to tolerate the feeling when it needed to be done and he was happy the lesser lies only made him a bit ill.

"Been doing this long?" He asked casually "This shop seems well stocked. Anything wild ever come in?"

[crownofwebs]

Amelie didn't register his lies, trying to hide the obvious scribbling they still kept doing to calm their nerves.

"Just a few years. I have had the privilege of coming from a bussiness focused background,so this felt like a natural step. It is fairly quaint, though a tad boring at times."

They gave Arthur a half smile before continuing.

"On the top of my head? Not really. It's hard to think of something truly odd when so many things are just mundane at this point. Porcelain dolls and hair jewellery seem less creepy when you see them nearly everyday."

Unless it was things that seemed a little too alive,or anything that seemed to be made out of the wrong materials. Those things still made their skin crawl a little. And unfortunately for them, they weren't all that rare.

[losingraindrops]

Xerovath Starter 01

Open RP Starter, Anyone Can Reply!

Xerovath liked to gamble, and his sister Brazira liked to win. Of course they'd end up betting with each other, seeing who was faster or smarter or could do this or that first.

This time, it was a matter of damning human souls. Braz used anger and hate to corrupt people, Xero preferred to use his body. A snide comment from Braz about it led to playful bickering, and from there the challenge was formed. Could Xero damn 10 Souls without seduction before Braz damned 10 Souls without aggression?

In this context, "seduction" meant Xero couldn't use sex as a shortcut to real Sins. No sleeping with married people to piss off their spouses, no going to bars to convince would-be lovers in indulge in excess drinking, no begging someone to stay in bed with him all day. Whatever Sin he's using, he can't fuck his way into it or it doesn't count.

Xero was far too overconfident, and he eagerly agreed to the terms. Unfortunately for him, this is what it took to make him realize just how much he relied on his pretty face and promises of heated nights to get his way. He was not a smooth talker, and he absolutely bumbled his way through the first few victims. His only saving grace was that Braz had the opposite problem: she knew how to be mean, but without it she was completely lost.

They both sucked equally, and the race was neck and neck throughout. With 9 victims each, it was still anybody's game. Xero just needed one more victim...

Today, he sits on a bench and observes the people passing him by. The only requirements in a victim were that the Soul wasn't already damned, and that they shared the general stats so the other could find someone comparable. Braz hadn't sent any profiles, and that meant she was still looking for her 10th. Xero had his choice, from the soft and pure to the barely-avoiding-damnation, from witches to aliens to literal angels, all but demons and the damned were fair game to him.

Then he spotted a face walking by, and he decided to make his move. He got up and quickly met the stranger's stride. Talking was still the hardest part, but he had to do it. "Hey, there."

[losingraindrops]

"Presented, huh? You think he might've been something else?" Xero tilted his head. He was glad that his own disguise was more about hiding his horns and recoloring his palette than adding new skin. It was harder to see through. Besides, he rather liked his face. "No, of course not, that'd be stupid. There's no such thing as skin stealing monsters. Even if there were, I don't see 'em investigating local cases. What was it about, anyways?"

Xero eyed Amelie for a moment, then took a small step back. They seemed a little uncomfortable, and he didn't want to make it worse. "Dude definitely just had a bad vibe." Or maybe he really was some supernatural creature. Xero wasn't going to encourage that thought. Maybe some people are actually, secretly monsters is an idea that would come back to bite him if he let it loose.

"I met a guy like that once. Big eyes, stared at you like he wanted to unravel your skin. Had to dump him after a while." Xero laughed dryly.

"Really? Man, this town sounds lame. First you have anti-tech hipsters, and now you guys don't even have goths?" Xero rolled his eyes. Why did he come here again…? Right, this was where the dart landed. "Glad I'm just here for vacation. Why did you choose to live here?" His tone was a little judgmental, but in a way that implied he thought they could do better. "Your makeup is cool, though. Can't blame 'em for staring."

They'd get a chance when to ask once he was done, if all went well. Xero nearly, but did not, grin. "Maybe it really was just an excuse. Pity you never got to ask her. How long since she died?"

At the sight of the spider, he did grin. "Does that happen much?"

[crownofwebs]

"... I can't for the life of me remember, actually. Probably something related to a disappearance or other weird crime..."

They shook their head, trying to convince themselves that the supernatural doesn't actually exist. That would be silly, everything they've experienced surely can be explained away by mundane things.

"...Was he actually harmless?"

Amelie asked carefully, trying really hard to snuff out the curiosity that started plagueing them way too much at this point.

"Nevermind, that's a silly question to ask. And we do have goths! We have a whole area dedicated to alternative markets and boutiques! It's just that I attract an audience who has never seen a goth in their lives. I'm sure there are some goth clubs or something..."

That was truly the downside of being a loner like them. Not knowing a lot of alternative people sucked sometimes,but they had to remind themselves that they shouldn't open up to anyone. In the end, it's all just another risk.

"Father was a very beloved and very well known member of the local community,and it just so happened that this place fit my needs,so I stayed. Well,this place as in the general area,not the part we're in. I prefer the more 'posher' side of the city."

They explain, trying not to seem like they were bragging. Its father never taught them to be ashamed of the connections and wealth they have,but she quickly learned that not everyone thought the same.

"I promise I'm not one of those snobby assholes, though. I just prefer the city areas."

Upon being asked about the spider,Amelie looks at Xero in slight confusion,only to realise after a moment and check their hand for the spider.

"Oh that? Uh yeah, sometimes it does happen... I'm not scared of them or anything,but it's still slightly unsettling how much they love my hair."

[losingraindrops]

"Hmm, yeah, there's always a lot of crime going on." No matter where, or when, Xero was, humans loved to hurt each other. Even a demon as young as him knew that. "Look at it this way: did he harm you? No? Then he was harmless." Never mind any harm the guy might have done to someone else. No, if it didn't affect him personality then he found it hard to care. "If someone hasn't hurt you, why decide he's out to get you?" He was talking about himself now, though in his mind it would be a while before xe realized that.

"Really?" Xero's eyebrows shot up. He wasn't aware he was a poser, so the mention of alt areas caught his attention. "You've gotta show me sometime. Or gimme the addresses, whatever." It was important he didn't get too intense. If Amelie wanted to, fae could turn around and run away, and he'd be forced to hope he could catch xir at Shop Araneae. Even if he did, he doubted it'd talk to him if he got too creepy now.

"So your 'move' was just from the rich area to the spooky area?" Xero chuckled. "It definitely fits you better. You're not snobby." A snob wouldn't have given him this much of their time. Xero wasn't dressed like he was from a luxurious background. Wealthy, maybe, considering he could afford to dress like a chronically online edgy femboy, but definitely not from anywhere high class.

"The posh side, huh? What's over there? The alt boutiques and spider stores? Or just your dad's house? ...Former house? 'Was' sounds like he's not doing much beloved community work nowadays," he said flatly. Perhaps zer father had moved away, or maybe he was dead. Xero had a leaning for the latter. Amelie had that ominous orphan aura, in his opinion.

Xero watched the spider. "Maybe they want rides to Shop Araneae," he joked. "If that place isn't full of cobwebs and spiders, that's just false advertising."

[crownofwebs]

Amelie listened to Xero muse, getting caught up in their thoughts as well. His words did hold some truth to it...

"Honestly, just roam around the streets of Camden for a while, and you'll be guaranteed to find something. Obviously, the more official boutiques are still good,but if you want hidden gems you have to really hunt them down."

They laughed at his comment. It was a loud and sincere laughter, lighting their otherwise hard to read face up.

"Oh really? Not snobby? Ma chéri, you've only known me for an hour at best. I am a product of the two most snobbiest nationalities in the world, you underestimate how much of it flows through my veins."

At the mention of her father,zer face quickly hardened, the mood shifting back to the general awkwardness from before.

"He passed away a few years back. Truly a hit to the community and those who knew him."

Her words sounded obviously insincere,but she cared little. It's not like there's going to be some kind of backlash for not performing grief the right way. Not with this stranger. And frankly,she was sick of having to pretend she was sad.

"I'm fairly certain spiders and cobwebs are part of any old place's aesthetic. It's like they come as a free gift."

[losingraindrops]

Xerovath Starter 01

Open RP Starter, Anyone Can Reply!

Xerovath liked to gamble, and his sister Brazira liked to win. Of course they'd end up betting with each other, seeing who was faster or smarter or could do this or that first.

This time, it was a matter of damning human souls. Braz used anger and hate to corrupt people, Xero preferred to use his body. A snide comment from Braz about it led to playful bickering, and from there the challenge was formed. Could Xero damn 10 Souls without seduction before Braz damned 10 Souls without aggression?

In this context, "seduction" meant Xero couldn't use sex as a shortcut to real Sins. No sleeping with married people to piss off their spouses, no going to bars to convince would-be lovers in indulge in excess drinking, no begging someone to stay in bed with him all day. Whatever Sin he's using, he can't fuck his way into it or it doesn't count.

Xero was far too overconfident, and he eagerly agreed to the terms. Unfortunately for him, this is what it took to make him realize just how much he relied on his pretty face and promises of heated nights to get his way. He was not a smooth talker, and he absolutely bumbled his way through the first few victims. His only saving grace was that Braz had the opposite problem: she knew how to be mean, but without it she was completely lost.

They both sucked equally, and the race was neck and neck throughout. With 9 victims each, it was still anybody's game. Xero just needed one more victim...

Today, he sits on a bench and observes the people passing him by. The only requirements in a victim were that the Soul wasn't already damned, and that they shared the general stats so the other could find someone comparable. Braz hadn't sent any profiles, and that meant she was still looking for her 10th. Xero had his choice, from the soft and pure to the barely-avoiding-damnation, from witches to aliens to literal angels, all but demons and the damned were fair game to him.

Then he spotted a face walking by, and he decided to make his move. He got up and quickly met the stranger's stride. Talking was still the hardest part, but he had to do it. "Hey, there."

[losingraindrops]

"Presented, huh? You think he might've been something else?" Xero tilted his head. He was glad that his own disguise was more about hiding his horns and recoloring his palette than adding new skin. It was harder to see through. Besides, he rather liked his face. "No, of course not, that'd be stupid. There's no such thing as skin stealing monsters. Even if there were, I don't see 'em investigating local cases. What was it about, anyways?"

Xero eyed Amelie for a moment, then took a small step back. They seemed a little uncomfortable, and he didn't want to make it worse. "Dude definitely just had a bad vibe." Or maybe he really was some supernatural creature. Xero wasn't going to encourage that thought. Maybe some people are actually, secretly monsters is an idea that would come back to bite him if he let it loose.

"I met a guy like that once. Big eyes, stared at you like he wanted to unravel your skin. Had to dump him after a while." Xero laughed dryly.

"Really? Man, this town sounds lame. First you have anti-tech hipsters, and now you guys don't even have goths?" Xero rolled his eyes. Why did he come here again…? Right, this was where the dart landed. "Glad I'm just here for vacation. Why did you choose to live here?" His tone was a little judgmental, but in a way that implied he thought they could do better. "Your makeup is cool, though. Can't blame 'em for staring."

They'd get a chance when to ask once he was done, if all went well. Xero nearly, but did not, grin. "Maybe it really was just an excuse. Pity you never got to ask her. How long since she died?"

At the sight of the spider, he did grin. "Does that happen much?"

[crownofwebs]

"... I can't for the life of me remember, actually. Probably something related to a disappearance or other weird crime..."

They shook their head, trying to convince themselves that the supernatural doesn't actually exist. That would be silly, everything they've experienced surely can be explained away by mundane things.

"...Was he actually harmless?"

Amelie asked carefully, trying really hard to snuff out the curiosity that started plagueing them way too much at this point.

"Nevermind, that's a silly question to ask. And we do have goths! We have a whole area dedicated to alternative markets and boutiques! It's just that I attract an audience who has never seen a goth in their lives. I'm sure there are some goth clubs or something..."

That was truly the downside of being a loner like them. Not knowing a lot of alternative people sucked sometimes,but they had to remind themselves that they shouldn't open up to anyone. In the end, it's all just another risk.

"Father was a very beloved and very well known member of the local community,and it just so happened that this place fit my needs,so I stayed. Well,this place as in the general area,not the part we're in. I prefer the more 'posher' side of the city."

They explain, trying not to seem like they were bragging. Its father never taught them to be ashamed of the connections and wealth they have,but she quickly learned that not everyone thought the same.

"I promise I'm not one of those snobby assholes, though. I just prefer the city areas."

Upon being asked about the spider,Amelie looks at Xero in slight confusion,only to realise after a moment and check their hand for the spider.

"Oh that? Uh yeah, sometimes it does happen... I'm not scared of them or anything,but it's still slightly unsettling how much they love my hair."

[archive-muses]

Seeking - [Arthur + Amelie]

For @crownofwebs

This was the second day in a row Arthur Lewis found himself treading the pavement outside the very well kept Antique Shop on the London Side-Street he had just turned on to. As soon as the building came into view his eyes lit up- the sun was in the right place. This was a very good sign.

He remained some distance from the shop, hands drifting to the somewhat travel-worn pockets of his coat. For a brief moment his brown eyes became ringed with green, his body freezing in place as he started to check on the item he had come for. Wherever it had been moved to, the window of the shop was now to some degree visible. It looked to Arthur like it might have been moved just behind a desk or something similar. As soon as he was aware of this fact he made his way to stand on front of the window, spotting himself with a self-satisfied grin. A day and a bit of looking like a complete idiot was always worth it when he found the things he needed. In this case, it was a set of cuff-links, aligned to The Web.

He watched for a short time, simply making sure he was focused on the correct object and not somehow something else he had seen in the shop, a mistake he had only made once in his very early Avatarship, but now something he checked for every time. After he checked, he pushed through the shop door, looking around as casually as he could with such a clear goal in mind.

[crownofwebs]

The shop was fairly cluttered,yet somehow organised pretty well - while there was quite a lot of items,it seemed that each type of them had their own place - porcelain dinnerware was separate from decorations,who were separated from books and other knick knacks.

Amelie was sitting at the till, reading a book. They barely paid any mind to Arthur,only occasionally glancing up to check up. Barely anyone cared to steal from them,and those who they manage to catch in the act... Well,they soon found themselves changing their minds.

There were barely any customers this early morning too, just a couple and an elderly woman,who soon moved towards Amelie to engage in polite,yet fairly enthusiastic small talk with them. They both chatted like good friends, paying no mind to whatever was happening around them.

[archive-muses]

He watched himself move in the visual range of the object, meeting his own eye when he found the exact place it the set was being kept. He could already tell the older women chatting away would take some time and he was much too British to interrupt, so he made himself busy browsing the books set neatly in their sections. He always checked shops like this for Leitner's, though he had only ever encountered one.

It was several minutes before Arthur heard a lull in the conversation. He had a leather tomb in his hand as he made himself apparent, clearing his throat lightly. "Excuse me." He stepped toward the desk "I have a couple of questions I was wondering if I could ask? I know it's a bit early in the morning to be quizzed." He chuckled lightly.

[crownofwebs]

Amelie gave Arthur a slightly distracted look, before excusing herself from the conversation with the old woman.

"Yes? Feel free to ask, I shall answer the best I can. I can't promise to provide the history of the object, though."

They leaned against the counter with a chuckle, interested in what sorts of questions Arthur is going to ask. Faer favourite part. Is it going to be normal or absolutely lunatic? Who knows? Though judging from the way he looked, it's probably something normal.

[archive-muses]

Truth was always a good start. At lease he wasn't being lied to out the gate. He nodded absently to the comment concerning object's origins- thankfully not what he was interested in- and tried to make the snap decision of how to frame this.

"You have some absolutely amazing books in here, but they're not exactly what I'm looking for. I'm after a specific item, and I've been around to several shops with no real luck." He shifted, moving to rummage in his javket's chest pocket "I'm looking for a period piece, a set of cuff links, from a particular maker. They would be Silver, mid-1910's and likely have something representing spiders? Have you seen anything like that."

[crownofwebs]

At the mention of a specific object Amelie leaned in closer,eyes sparkling with something Arthur couldn't quite place. Was it intrigue? Or was it something more sinister?

"Oh my goodness, yes! You came at the right place! Give me a bit,yeah? I'll go grab it."

Their demeanour shifted, becoming more lively. Suddenly,they were grinning wide and rushing to the back. It's as if they were the ones that struck gold. It didn't take them long to come back, presenting Arthur with a slightly dusty little box.

"Et voila! It's a little forgotten,and could use some love,but don't we all?"

She laughs a little, waiting on Arthur's response. It wouldn't be surprising if her customer didn't find it funny,fae's not a comedian,their humour skills often leave a lot to be desired.

[archive-muses]

Arthur actually returned fae's laugh with a chuckle of his own. "In this world, it's harder and harder, that's for sure." He made a motion like he was rubbing his eyes, ringing the hidden orb with the green that allowed him to scry. He was able to see himself looking back from the box, and the smile he'd presented stayed firmly on his features. It was rare something he was looking for was actually for sale. No theft today, unless one counted Institute funds.

"These are amazing!" He told them with as much exuberance he thought the situation called for. "Do you have any information on where they came from? and what will these beauties run me?"

the more information he could give to the Institute, the happier Elias would be. Not that it truly mattered, the man was going to send him away as soon as he checked in either way, but regardless Arthur did enjoy impressing.

[crownofwebs]

Amelie's smile grew wider and they leaned on the counter, practically beaming with joy,in a strangely polite,customer service-y type of way. Arthur was pleasant to chat with,and really brightened their boring day.

"I believe it was brought in by someone a while back? Or perhaps I was the one to find it."

They hum, tapping their long,spindly finger on the counter.

"Ah,yes. I was given it at a generous discount by one of the shops I visited a few weeks ago! The guy was soo happy to get rid of it. Said it makes the hairs on the back of his neck stand upright. I'm not sure I really believe in this whole thing,but he claimed it had a supernatural presence?"

Amelie chattered away, trying to weave the lie in with the truths. It wasn't that they didn't believe in the supernatural,quite far from it,they knew very well that there is much more to everyday life than just what is explainable by science. But admitting it out loud felt too vulnerable, like exposing ones neck to a predator.

"Fifteen pounds,but I am open to negotiations ~"

They winked playfully at Arthur.

[archive-muses]

The itch started as soon as the explanation did. Even the half lies they were telling were enough to set off his powers and the itch made him immediately uncomfortable. He hid it impossibly well, years of feeling the pull of lies in the back of his mind making it easy to ignore. That said, it gave him the impression that fae wasn't telling him everything.

"Can you tell me more about the seller?" He asked, curious if this would lead to a further lie, or a more clear explanation "I'm keen on them and I'm happy to pay what you ask- but I'm very curious about their origins. They're for study, you see."

[crownofwebs]

Amelie frowned, leaning away from Arthur.

"Well, what else can I even say? Contrary to what might be the popular belief,we vintage/curio sellers are not on a first name basis with each other, especially when it comes to shops at the other end of the city..."

Again,a half lie. They had to stand at the checkout and listen to a nearly half an hour rant about how that little pieces of decorative metal basically acted like a magnet for actual spiders, often making the box become enveloped in the thin strands of silk. They had to endure a passionate speech of all the methods they had to resort to get rid of the spiderwebs,and how little it helped,AND, how much it made him hate spiders. At the end of it,he almost sounded scared.

Amelie, on the other hand,felt absolutely irritated,even if they found the fear... Amusing. Funny enough, the spider thing basically gone away upon transferring ownership, and any spiders that were there made a cozy new home in the corners of this store. Heartwarming,in its own way.

"Yeah, apologies, I don't have anything else to contribute... They're just weird little antiques, like most of them are."

[archive-muses]

The itch only seemed to get worse as they spoke. Half lies were thing she heard in every social situation. It didn't particularly bother him anymore, but it did tell him they had some reason to lie to a stranger. There was a strength to these lies, a conviction that seemed out of place to the human lie detector. "Well, that's alright. It's always nice to hear the history, but I'm sure I'll be able to dig up what I need."

He stepped toward the counter. "I'm happy to pay the face value- they're worth it to me." Saying nothing to his want to spend as much of thee Lukas Family money as he could while he wasn't restrained by Elias' watchful eye "You don't happen to have others like it? Items from a similar era with a similar design?"

He was clearly drawing attention to the Spider Designs, wondering if they had anything else here Elias might reward him for finding.

[crownofwebs]

Amelie gave Arthur a polite smile, wanting to shift their attention to something else, someone else. They hum affirmatively, busying itself with counting out the money and dealing with the old school cash register.

"Pardon? Are you interested in Victorian era jewellery or is it the design that draws you in? I could try searching in the back for something,or reserve it in case I get something new."

Was he a big fan of spider motifs? Amelie grabbed a pen and a few sticky notes, looking back at Arthur.

"Would you like leaving your number so I could contact you in case?"

[a-poem-poorly-written]

//open rp!

[It’s nearly three in the morning, and someone is spray painting in a back alley. They’re balanced in front of an old advertisement board, incredibly focused on the large piece on the wall]

[crownofwebs]

The night calmed their nerves better than any corny self care tips ever thrown at them by well meaning, albeit ignorant people. The lack of people and obligations, and the quietness of it all were the main reasons why Amelie chose to spend a lot of their nights up.

Sometimes they would run into artists,who, like her, preferred nights over days. It was nice.

And tonight, it seems,was one of the days like that. They stumbled upon a lone artist, spray painting something on a wall. Choosing not to interrupt,they just watched, wondering what it was that they painted.

[a-poem-poorly-written]

[In the low light, it was difficult to see, but what glimpses she could catch were almost mesmerizing. Abstract illusions seemed to almost flow from the brick. It drew them in.]

[She seemed to evade the artist’s notice entirely. So enraptured in their work that their perception seemed entirely centered around the swirling paints]

[crownofwebs]

They were mesmerized,the sheer talent to make the art look alive was enough to draw them in closer. To see more.

"This is amazing. You are so talented."

Amelie said,voice quiet,as if scared to ruin the divinity of the moment.

[losingraindrops]

Xerovath Starter 01

Open RP Starter, Anyone Can Reply!

Xerovath liked to gamble, and his sister Brazira liked to win. Of course they'd end up betting with each other, seeing who was faster or smarter or could do this or that first.

This time, it was a matter of damning human souls. Braz used anger and hate to corrupt people, Xero preferred to use his body. A snide comment from Braz about it led to playful bickering, and from there the challenge was formed. Could Xero damn 10 Souls without seduction before Braz damned 10 Souls without aggression?

In this context, "seduction" meant Xero couldn't use sex as a shortcut to real Sins. No sleeping with married people to piss off their spouses, no going to bars to convince would-be lovers in indulge in excess drinking, no begging someone to stay in bed with him all day. Whatever Sin he's using, he can't fuck his way into it or it doesn't count.

Xero was far too overconfident, and he eagerly agreed to the terms. Unfortunately for him, this is what it took to make him realize just how much he relied on his pretty face and promises of heated nights to get his way. He was not a smooth talker, and he absolutely bumbled his way through the first few victims. His only saving grace was that Braz had the opposite problem: she knew how to be mean, but without it she was completely lost.

They both sucked equally, and the race was neck and neck throughout. With 9 victims each, it was still anybody's game. Xero just needed one more victim...

Today, he sits on a bench and observes the people passing him by. The only requirements in a victim were that the Soul wasn't already damned, and that they shared the general stats so the other could find someone comparable. Braz hadn't sent any profiles, and that meant she was still looking for her 10th. Xero had his choice, from the soft and pure to the barely-avoiding-damnation, from witches to aliens to literal angels, all but demons and the damned were fair game to him.

Then he spotted a face walking by, and he decided to make his move. He got up and quickly met the stranger's stride. Talking was still the hardest part, but he had to do it. "Hey, there."

[losingraindrops]

Xero's eyes lit up at the mention of an antique store. He enjoyed collecting things. "I like the sound of that little shop." The question now was one of whether or not to ask for directions… or ask to be personally shown the way. Directions had a much, much higher chance of success, but he wouldn't get to see Amelie again. Asking the way would surely be rejected, but if it wasn't, he'd get more time to try befriending them. Isn't that what he wanted? He had tried arguing with people off the bat, but most of them left and called the authorities of he followed. Friendship was easier. Yes, he'd go for that. "Could you show it to me?" Wait. There was something he was missing. "…When you have the time?" He often forgot that humans were almost always in a hurry to somewhere else. Of course they were, even the long-lived ones only had about a century to see the world. A human born the same time as him could be dead now… Yeah, he'd keep running around too. Even now he might have interrupted Amelie from going somewhere. Not that he'd ask, no, then they might take the excuse to leave. "Hmm. Amelie is pretty, lik- ah- of course you wouldn't change it." He had almost slipped up and flirted with them instinctively. Although he's had plenty of practice not flirting, old habits died hard. "I wouldn't change mine. Xer really suits me, in my humble opinion." He grinned again. "Do you believe in other universes? I don't think there's anything but us as we are now, personally. No timelines, no Heaven, no Hell. Maybe that's just me."

[crownofwebs]

Oh! Their plan is... working? Now,do they come clean or wait until he steps foot into it? The thought of leading him to the locked shop and having to disappear to unlock it...

They fidgeted again, deciding to just give the directions and let fate decide it.

"Um,while I do have plenty of time today... The store in question is closed. Do you have a phone? I could write down the directions,it should be open tomorrow-ish?"

Xerxes almost started to get their guard down,and Amelie almost started to enjoy their little chat,as unexpected as it was. But the hint of flirting made them step back slightly,blue eyes piercing into him with a hint of hostility. If this is some sort of weird attempt at getting their number,or worse -

"Well,it sure is a unique name, I cannot speak for how well it suits you......"

Amelie trails off, seemingly distracted by their own thoughts. There's a moment of silence before they register what was asked of them, tilting her head to the side.

"I ... Personally think there is more to reality than what meets the eye. Some sort of... Powers hiding just at the edge of reality. I cannot explain why,it just feels like it. I'm not sure I believe in heaven or hell,but I believe in spirits and supernatural beings."

Because there is no rational explanation for what was happening to them, not at least the past few years. The strange coincidences feeling pre-planned,the spiders around them, the odd people they meet in their store sometimes....

"...Is that odd?"

[losingraindrops]

Ah, damn. It looked like Xero wouldn't get to see the shop today. But Amelie seemed familiar with it, so they probably shopped there often. If he was lucky with his timing, he might run into them. Or he could hang out all day, but that might get boring. No, no, he wasn't on a time limit, he'd just come by each day until he saw them again.

"I do, actually. Who doesn't?" Xero was very interested in the modern world, and he liked to invest in the new gadgets when he could. Phones have become especially important to humans lately. He took out his own and swiped a few times. The phone model itself wasn't anything flashy, but the black and pink case was.

Xero didn't realize how at ease he was until Amelie's stare hit him. Well, fuck. This was finally starting to not go terribly, and he may have ruined it. He had to get better at this.

To his relief, they continued speaking, so he decided to ignore the look they gave him. "I suppose it is a pretty unique name. You hardly see a Xerxes around." He laughed lightly.

The smile turned into a grin at the mention of Hell. Someone who had no firm belief in it was easier than someone who did. "Not odd at all. I'm willing to believe that beings other than us exist here, I just don't think there's anywhere for them to go. Maybe that's why ghosts always seem so sad or angry." Another chuckle.

"Have you ever seen a ghost? I have. It seemed pretty miserable." That wasn't a lie, for once. He's seen plenty of distraught humans spirits back home, though he decided to leave that part out.

[crownofwebs]

"Wellll... There are a lot of people who think being disconnected is trendy,so who knows? The chances of running into one of them aren't that small. You could have been one of them."

Amelie shrugged, pulling out their heavily decorated (and aggressively purple!) phone. They gave the phone case a slight smile upon seeing it be just as decorated as theirs is.

"Okay so, open your maps app, and search for 'Shop Araneae'. The first result should be the correct one."

With a few taps,they find the correct result, turning the screen towards Xero.

"It's this one. Oh and. Some people report their apps glitching out sometimes, something to do with the general block the building is, something about those old narrow alleyways tends to mess with the signal. So if you experience anything of that sort, it's your sign you're on the correct path. I know, I know, it's absolutely bonkers,but some say it only adds to the odd atmosphere..."

This sounded like absolute lunacy to explain to anyone,but hey, that's part of the charm, right? That and the weird spiders...

"Speaking of which, what language does your name come from? It sounds... Rather exotic."

At the mention of ghosts, Amelie's eyes widen, equal parts macabre fascination and concern.

"Surprisingly enough,no. You'd think my occupation would make it a pretty cozy spot for ghosts to hang out..."

They muse, quickly getting tangled in their ponderings about ghosts. What is it like? To be trapped in a place of the worst day of your life,no longer even having death as an escape... To be so scared and helpless and angry all the time...

The thought of it made their stomach churn.

[losingraindrops]

"I guess I need to meet more people. I don't know many disconnected types." Maybe Amelie and their friends were just old school. Xero couldn't understand it. He spent most of his life without a phone, but now that he had one he'd never choose to go back.

"Pretty." Xero nodded approvingly. After pink and black, purple was his favorite color. He leaned in to look at the screen, then typed the address into his own phone. "Shop Araneae, huh? Sounds more like a goth pet store than an antique shop." He chuckled. "Imagine how so very lucky the owner must feel. They set up a spooky little store, and it turns out the reception is shit. Great for business, bad if they ever wanted to use their phone. Maybe they're one of those tech free types you were talking about."

Once he was done typing, he pocketed his phone and looked back at Amelie. "Xerxes is an old Persian name meaning 'ruler over heroes'. You rarely see it, but it's been around forever." One thing Xero was looking forward to was that in just one year he could start claiming his mother was a weeb. Until then, he had to use even lamer excuses than that. "Mother dearest was a bit of a history buff, unfortunately."

It was time to change the subject. "Enough about that. What's your occupation? It already sounds cool." Xero was visibly interested now. He wasn't lying - a job that could be described as 'a cozy spot for ghosts' told him they were no pencil pusher or grocery store cashier. Well, maybe they were, but it'd had to be in a very unusual way. Everything about them seemed unusual, from their looks, to their friends, and now their job. "Mortician? Gravedigger? Psychic?"

[crownofwebs]

Amelie shrugged.

"I just happen to stumble upon a lot of different types of people."

For better or for worse. Connections are really useful,but sometimes they're just plain annoying, especially when they had to fake interest in someone just for the sake of a favour.

"I've heard the previous owner named the building like that, and it sort of... Stuck. People say that particular area is odd, downright supernatural, for some..."

Their behaviour shifted back to cautious and awkward, increasingly so upon mentioning work. Still they gave him a ghost of a smile.

"I'm not a big believer in supernatural, so no psychic. Definitely not strong enough to dig graves, either, and certainly cannot handle death. Let's just say I... Sell things."

Before he could ask any other questions, Amelie switched the topic back to his name, forcing out a rather fake sounding level of enthusiasm in their voice.

"Persian? That's such an interesting origin and meaning! I don't think there's anything wrong with being a history buff. And at the very least people don't make jokes about you being named after a film that came out..."

They pause, mentally calculating something, but also geniunely taking this pause to breathe. Something about this guy set their nerves on fire in a way they couldn't explain. It was starting to get annoying and they wish they could just ignore their (awfully broken) sense of intuition.

"...three whole years after you were born. It is objectively worse trying to explain that no, you actually were named after an obscure royalty, and that your mother is a huge nerd for royals. Amélie of Orléans if you do want to look it up,by the way."

[losingraindrops]

"Sounds like it. Who's the oddest person you've ever met? Yourself doesn't count," Xero said teasingly. They were certainly one of the oddest humans Xero had ever met, but that wasn't a bad thing.

"Odd, supernatural, phone glitching… This place sounds like it has a cool vibe. Annoying, but cool." How very typical of him to enjoy a place like that. Well, not everyone can be a stereotype breaker. "Shame it isn't open today."

When Amelie spoke about jobs, Xero's eyebrow shot up. "Really? Interesting." Wasn't Amelie just talking about believing in the supernatural…? Either he was misunderstanding or mishearing them, or they were lying. Either was possible, generally, but this time he assumed the former. One could believe in an afterlife without believing in psychics, after all, especially given how many psychics were blatant phonies. "Sell things, huh? H-" and there they went, chatting about his dumbass name. He was about to ask about ghosts and selling things, but instead he nodded politely as they spoke. Damn, it was almost as if they didn't want to talk about their job anymore. Well, Xero wasn't going to push. He could ask about it later.

"Yep. Very interesting name." Xero chuckled dryly. At this rate, he was ready to switch back to Xander the next time he met a new human. "I'm not interested in history. Some of the items looked pretty cool, but that's it."

"Is it at least a good movie?" Xero asked, getting his phone out. "Yeah, sure, I'll Google that later. Just gonna make a quick note, though." And text his sister. As he typed, he kept talking. "Anything special about the royal Amelie that drew your mom in, or did she just like the name?"

[crownofwebs]

Amelie blinked, actually taking his question seriously. The oddest person?.. It was hard to pinpoint just one. Their store attracted all sorts of people,both good and bad. Though, surprisingly enough,a recent encounter stood out.

"There was this guy, Newfoundland accent,presented himself as a detective investigating a case in the surrounding area. Don't get me wrong,he was absolutely lovely and I had an absolutely pleasant time chatting with him,but something about him,his face... It was uncanny. Like a really skilled mask."

They pause, slipping its hands into the pockets of their leather jacket. Once again, it's like they're trying to curl into itself.

"... But obviously,those sorts of things don't exist,maybe he was just particularly cursed with a bad vibe."

They laugh nervously, trying to not let the feeling sink in further. But unfortunately,their talent of ruining their own mood shines again.

"Some people are the staring type,too. Makes your hairs stand up. It's like they're trying to stare riiightt into your soul and get out each little secret out of you. I know your average person doesn't see a goth everyday and quite frankly I do spend a decent amount of time on my makeup,but come on."

Another nervous chuckle,and then a sigh,they sink their hands deeper into their pockets.

"I don't think so? Unless you count being a likeable royal and the last of Portuguese Queens as something interesting. Perhaps she just liked the name enough,and needed an excuse. Never asked,and don't think I'll get a chance anytime soon,unless a Ouija board could work..."

They brush through the mess of a mane, withdrawing the hand in a rather tamed alarmed manner. There's a small,but visible spider, happily making a web on their hand.

[losingraindrops]

What's In My Bag? Picrew

tagged by @/spectracle, thank you!!

no pressure tagging @guidingmirror & @crownofwebs :3

notes under cut

ofc I picked Lucy. my best girl

this isn't her waist bag. that has room for keys, note, and one (1) cool rock

the potions are common low-level "potion of pick-me-up" and "potion of strength" and "potion of speed" that help her work better. she also has a potion of kindness that she saves for stray cats.

keys unlock some, but not all, of the staff exclusive areas.

she has a phone but rarely uses it. Headmaster Rookwell gave her one, but nobody pays for a data plan so she can only use it to go online through school wifi.

Lucy likes to keep a notebook on her so she can write things down at any time, like overheard spells or overheard secrets.

Lucy's food habits are all over the place. She really likes peppermints tho

[crownofwebs]

What's in Amelie's bag? CHAOS.

Countless different drawing supplies, sometimes a hairbrush,a book they're reading (either a niche weird book,or anything Dracula-adjacent), sometimes sensory items (because existing is tough 😔) and of course,a lone pronoun pin that she swears she'll put up someday.

@archive-muses

[wonderful-rp-resources]

Please reblog this if it’s okay for me to just pop into your ask box to RP with you, even if you haven’t reblogged a meme, because I just want to RP with you

[rpmemepalkia]

Please reblog this if your blog is crossover friendly

aka you are happy to write with muses who aren't in your same fandom (fandomless muses of similar genre for instance)

+ specify in tags what kind of crossovers you're open to