Threads

Threads (working title) is a dark romantic fantasy WIP illustrated webnovel in three parts about the demons of Below and humans of Above and their various relationships.

[macaroncreations]

Threads (Above & Below)

Threads (working title) is a work-in-process dark fantasy free webnovel for adults about a set of demon brothers and the humans they bond with, written and illustrated by Macaron. In this blog you'll see illustrations, writing snippets, memes, and short stories about these characters, and eventually links to the full novels!

Part one is set Above, the human world, and centers Holly and D. Part Two is set Below, one of the fae realms, and is about Az and Evelyn.

Part One

The demon D is miserable. He lost both his dream job and title when priceless, powerful relics called bloodstones were stolen on his watch—and worse, stolen by those he thought were his friends. His teacher slash parental figure C's wife, Susu, has gone missing, his older brother Asmodeus is distant and difficult to connect with, and his little brother Beezles is just plain annoying. Worst of all, he has been demoted to the lowliest position possible Below: that of Granter, answering first time human summons to form contracts and fulfill their boring, repetitive wishes.

It seems like things will never get better when an ordinary young woman who calls herself Holly appears with an unusual wish: to break someone else's contract. And as payment, she has a truly unexpected item: one of the missing bloodstones!

Bound to Holly in an Accompaniment Contract, D is sent to Above, the human world, to find the rest of the missing treasure as well as any hints to Susu's whereabouts. As he and Holly begin to slowly understand each other, he learns that the bloodstone wasn't just a lucky find, and Holly's family secrets are much darker than he could have imagined.

Part Two

Chronically ill Evelyn is in the process of dying—literally—when a shadowy stranger appears to offer her a second chance at life. There's a catch, however, and Evelyn finds herself not enjoying a fresh start as a healthy, average human, but living Below, a mysterious world of interconnected rooms populated by fantastical creatures—some with a taste for human flesh. The stranger who brought her there is a fashionable yet stoic demon librarian who calls himself Asmodeus, and it's not clear what exactly he wants with her.

While Az, as she quickly nicknames him, works hard as a translator, he sends her to spend time learning with his estranged and unpredictable teacher, C, and her sweet and strong wife Susu. As she learns to work her new body, Evelyn begins a plot to get back to the human world of Above.

But even as she struggles to understand Below in general and Az specifically, she’s surprised to discover just how much she enjoys her new life—and her compulsory companion. She slowly begins to untangle who Az really is, but it's not easy—especially when something from his past is hunting them both!

[macaroncreations]

The Kiss (2025)

[macaroncreations]

Nightmare (2026)

Currently, I am working on a large image to show off the spookier elements that appear in my webnovel. The background features several paintings that are pastiche of a few famous ones. This is the first completed redraw, a tribute to Henry Fuseli's 1781 piece, The Nightmare.

I can't seem to add alt text to the animation, so allow me to describe it for you. The original painting features a woman reclining and half falling off of a bed while asleep. On her chest sets a gargoyle-like sleep paralysis demon, and looking at her through curtains is a terrifying, pupilless mare.

The webnovel begins with Evelyn in the process of dying after a lifetime of hospitalizations for various chronic illnesses. Once established Below in a new, healthy body, she begins to process the trauma of her life as a human and develops a deep terror of the same things happening to her again. Sometimes these fears are reflected in her nightmares, so I added a few elements to represent them, as well as changing the woman to Evelyn.

The other major change is that the sleep paralysis demon is now Deciduous, a monster that doesn't truly appear until the second part but is certainly haunting them throughout the first. It currently lacks a physical form, and so gathers the teeth of its many victims (human, fae, and demon alike) to form itself a shape. It enjoys torturing its victims through nightmares, so this really is the perfect position for it!

The last thing I changed was just giving the titular night mare creepy sharp teeth. Why not?

I'm extremely inexperienced at animating, but I'm working hard to learn more! This was done in Procreate, which I don't think has a tweening tool for smoothness, but I think something about the stilted glowing and blinking makes it a little extra spooky.

Please look forward to the full version! I think it's turning out very cool!

[macaroncreations]

Beach Time (2026)

[macaroncreations]

Evelyn & Az commission by @mp-potions 💜

I love the details here; their fashion (important!) fancy table & frame, books, and such a cute pose!

Of course, you should be checking out Mana & Theron, the OCs by this artist. Theron, like Az, lives in a library, and Mana has the cutest outfits! I adore them 🥰

I'm so excited to be writing more today. Evelyn and Az's story is just clicking so well lately, I'm making realizations and connections that fit perfectly. And my own skill in forming sentences is improving so much!

I'm going to work hard to get better so someday people will love them as much as I do. 💜

[macaroncreations]

She had overheard the librarians complaining about a door that often jammed and decided to investigate at the first opportunity.

The word of the day, opportunity, was found in a short first draft side story about secondary characters Beezles & Eileen, and how they met.

Eileen is running away from home when she meets a teenage demon named Beezles. Beezles is determined to help his brother, D, and needs Eileen's help to do so!

This is unusual for me in that it's young adult! I prefer writing about adults over teenagers. I joke that all my characters are in a horror fantasy series but Beezles & Eileen are oblivious to the darker elements.

Please enjoy, kind feedback welcomed. I am not seeking paid beta readers or editors for any of my work at this time, but if you like my characters, great news, I have a ton of writing AND art!

A Midnight Adventure | Macaron | Ellipsus

Ellipsus makes it easy for anyone to write together.

[macaroncreations]

“P-please give me a—a moment... I'll try to organize my—organize my thoughts.”

A scene much later into part one, but before part two: Holly and D have been separated, and Holly runs into D's older brother, Asmodeus. He is a bit different before he met Evelyn, and Holly tries to manage her debilitating anxiety in order to speak with him about her past.

EDIT: adding a cut shoves the second image to the bottom... and doesn't cut as a read more. Functional site....

“P-please give me a—a moment... I'll try to organize my—organize my thoughts.”

“You may take your time.” Asmodeus turned to face forward. He settled back in the chair without losing his stiff posture, then closed his eyes calmly, as if he were relaxing in the warm autumn sunlight.

Holly exhaled slowly, her shoulders loosening as the discerning white gaze no longer targeted her. The demon almost seemed able to stare inside her, where he examined what he saw with a cold, clinical aura, but was more than a little confused about what he was discovering.

Did he know that looking away would make me feel a little more at ease?

I can't read him at all, but I think... I think he actually feels the same way about me. That's weirdly comforting… He's really intimidating, but I also somehow think that he's secretly kind. Maybe that's silly of me…

She looked up at his elegant profile, so dark against the bold blue and white sky that it was almost a perfect silhouette. She could see traces of D in his face, although his tall, thick horns were perfectly smooth with an oil-slick iridescence, and his nose was longer and lacked a sharp point. His mouth was nearly a straight line; he didn't look like he had ever smiled. Every movement he made was precise and intentional—only his constantly moving tail seemed free, as it wandered around him. Its flowing movements felt graceful rather than erratic, like fine fabric rippling in the wind.

Despite his placid aura, she felt as on edge around him as she did anyone—perhaps even more so. It wasn't that he was trying to intimidate her, or even acting remotely threatening in any way; he was simply existing as himself. But she knew that he could harm her, easily, without any exertion at all. He was a demon—stronger than her in every way, with powers she couldn't comprehend, completely foreign to her human experience.

And yet... D's the exact same type, isn't he? He says he's nowhere near as strong, but they look so similar, and even dress somewhat alike. But D feels so different... when I'm with him, I'm not afraid at all. When he held me... I think that was the first time I'd ever felt safe in my entire life...

Is D safe? I miss him so much! What is he doing right now? Is he feeling okay? Is he worrying about me—if so, I really wish I could soothe it... What if he's hating himself again, like he thinks it's his fault we got separated? What if—no, no, I'm letting my thoughts wander again and I can't seem to stop!

I need to focus on here and now... to find out why Asmodeus wanted to talk to me... I can't even imagine why, since D isn't here.

There was another thought that was gnawing at her, but she pushed it aside to ground herself.

She took another deep breath and looked up. It was nearing sunset, and the fluffy clouds were painted with beautiful highlights of gold and pink as they slowly traveled across the sky. She closed her eyes, keeping her breathing steady. The crisp scent of a nearby bonfire felt sharp, and somehow nostalgic, as it was pulled through her nose. In the distance, she could hear the rising and falling zooms of traffic flowing past on the highway. The sun was warm where it fell on her thick leggings, but the air was cold on her face where the shadow of the building blocked it. Her fluffy sweater was soft under her fingertips and her hair fell thickly on the back of her neck, keeping her warm enough that the contrast wasn't unpleasant.

Okay.

She took a deep breath, and Asmodeus opened his eyes again, turning his face back towards her. He didn't seem remotely bothered by the long pause, as if almost no time at all had passed.

He has a lot of scary qualities, but he's really patient. I should try to focus on that as something I do know about him, instead of worrying so much about all the things I don't.

D trusts him. He won't hurt me.

[macaroncreations]

He was so used to the constant stream of magic in Below that when they'd walked into something similar upon entering the forest, it had simply felt familiar rather than a warning.

Another WIP snips from Bluesky!

More below...

The moment D closed his eyes and felt all the Threads around them, understanding hit him as fast and firmly as C's slap to the back of his head when he had nodded off in class. He was jerked into full alertness as sharply as if he had just woken up.

He was so used to the constant stream of magic in Below that when they'd walked into something similar upon entering the forest, it had simply felt familiar rather than a warning. He rubbed the base of his left horn in irritation as he opened his eyes. “We've unknowingly entered a Slip.”

“A… Slip?” Holly questioned, looking at the trees around them as she took a sideways step closer to him. “You mean like the—the Underground?”

“Underground? Ah, no, not Below. It’s a different kind of fae's realm—what on earth are you doing?”

Holly had jumped forward and reached up with both of her hands to cover his mouth with an expression of alarm in her wide grey eyes. D, however, was just a little too tall and a little too quick to jump backwards in a completely baffled panic that she'd even thought to touch him.

How—why don't I inspire even the tiniest bit of terror in her?? Or at least the barest amount of—is she actually shushing me?

The smaller woman quickly gave up on trying to physically silence him and glared at him instead, putting a finger against her own lips.

“Don't say their name!” she hissed. She closed her eyes and shook her head, resting one hand on her temple. “You—you don't even know that much?”

D put one hand on his hip and straightened his long coat with the other. “Perhaps you have forgotten what I am?”

“The—the horns are a nice hint to remind me,” Holly retorted with unexpected sarcasm, her pink lips twisting in an irritated pout. The energetic expression—so different from any she had shown yet—was bizarrely amusing to him, but he was successfully able to prevent it from showing on his face. “Does—does being adjacent to them mean you get to just—just wantonly anger them?”

“I'm not ‘adjacent,’ I am one of them. Demon is simply a type of...” D trailed off as he glanced around at the silent forest. Even his vision couldn't pierce the darkness between the trees, and the wild Threads tangled around them made it impossible to sense if anything was out there, watching or listening to them. He turned back to Holly, lowering his voice. “I won't say it if you aren't comfortable, but I personally have no particular problem being referred to as such.”

“Oh...” Holly's fiery emotions deflated from her quickly, and she flinched backwards. Her shoulders raised as she tensed, as if she were the one who had fallen asleep in class and was waiting to be physically reprimanded. An unfamiliar, uncomfortable feeling twisted in D's chest as he observed her.

It faded so quickly, but… For just a moment, she seemed more… more alive.

“I—I'm sorry for being so… so presumptuous... I—I didn't know that.” Holly's eyes flitted around the dark forest surrounding him. She bit her lower lip again before her grey eyes flicked back up to his. “Still, it can't hurt to be—to be cautious, in case anyone nearby doesn't feel the—the same way though, right?”

"That won't be—" D paused just as he had begun to raise his hand to wave it dismissively. He clenched it as he lowered it. He could almost feel the ghost of the strength he'd held before those Threads had been stripped from him.

No. Nowadays… that will be a problem.

[macaroncreations]

5/17/26 | Macaron | Ellipsus

Ellipsus makes it easy for anyone to write together.

“If that is indeed your true wish… I will ask clearly. Do you want me to heal you?” “If you can do it, then why not just hurry up and do it already? Oh, because you can't, of course, because you aren't real, and my final minutes of this shitty life are going to be spent talking to myself and a particularly cruel hallucination. Fuck!” “Say yes. I need you to say that word, specifically, in response to this. Evelyn Barraster. Do you agree to let me heal you?” “ Yes, then. But I know you can't. So go away, already!”

The original chapter one! :) Learn how Evelyn and Az met. I am in progress of rewrites and migrating it to a new Ao3 account so I am actually not averse to some friendly feedback, and I always love comments.

[macaroncreations]

Learning (2026)

[macaroncreations]

Watched (2026)

[macaroncreations]

Time to share more WIPSnips from Bluesky! I had about a week where none of the words appeared in any of my work, so I fell out of the habit.

She leaned against the chair's arm again, crossing her arms behind her head. “That Susu, though? I'm betting she won the title.”

C meets her wife, Susu, in the normal fantasy lesbian way: trying to kill each other 😊 And there's a bonus appearance by baby Az, known then only as "A." (If you're familiar with folklore, you'll understand why they just go by letters instead of names!)

Read the full short story on Ellipsus for free here!

[macaroncreations]

Busy? (2026)

[orangelizardtattoo]

Today's Hype Post!

Hype people up for your original writing project (no fanfiction please- it's a wonderful medium but not the focus of this blog post) or work in progress by giving us some juicy details!

This week's genre is UNDEFINED. If you have a book hard to categorize or with so many genres that it's difficult to place, this is the week for you!

TODAY'S QUESTION:

What makes your work difficult to categorize or undefined?

[macaroncreations]

What a question... It's difficult for me to answer, so I apologize if I end up rambling a bit.

I think it's a combination of things, and a HUGE one being that I am absolutely horrible at categorizing things, tagging things, or even defining tropes. I think I worry too much about what other people are seeking in tropes, and end up thinking about what my story isn't rather than what it is.

Let's talk about the second story (but most finished one!), about Evelyn and Az, first.

Well, obviously, it's a fantasy, right? After a lifetime of painful illnesses, Evelyn is dying at just twenty seven years old when she's offered a demon contract to heal her--what she doesn't ask, or realize, is that she won't be resuming a normal human life, but will be living Below, a fantastical world of impossibly connected rooms with no nature, no weather, no animals... and no humans. And the other lead character, Az, is himself a demon; so are the secondary characters of his ex-teacher/parental figure, C, and her wife, Susu. So, definitely a fantastical premise and setting.

But the magic of the setting isn't a main focus, which I feel is somewhat expected for fantasy. Evelyn can't use or see magic Threads, and Az despises using them. There's no big quest or political plotline to be resolved, it's mostly centered on this small group and their relationships and pasts.

I usually default to romance because the relationships that develop are the main focus, but it seems to be such a slow burn that it doesn't really fit--especially because there's nothing truly erotic until far, far along. I feel like most romances, especially in the tumblr tags, are very quickly erotic (which is pretty awesome and I fully support, to be clear, I'm not doing the 'not like OTHER romances' thing.)

Monster romance is also a tag I use because Az is not human, but I don't think my pointy boys are quite monstrous enough to go on a 'hear me out' cake. But they definitely aren't human either, so people looking for a traditional romance are probably not going to be have a good time! Demon romance is on the surface an apt description, but my demons are more fae creatures than traditional Christianity-inspired, possession-loving devils. And other than the contract that starts the entire thing, it doesn't really fall into the usual demon tropes. Az is not evil, or even particularly a trickster, just neurodivergent and tall.

When we start looking at actual plot elements, I think we could call it horror, or maybe psychological horror. There's some imagery I personally was like 'ok it's a little spooky' only to get my beta reader screaming "that was so scary wth!" And a lot of the horrors are things that have happened in the past that effect the character's present. Evelyn's life in and out of hospitals was painful and traumatic, and Az's family intentionally broke him into the quiet, stoic man he is today. While he did escape, save his younger brothers, and even took revenge, the way he had to do so--and the things he had to ally himself with-- haunts him, alongside the memory of the person he couldn't save. There are mature themes that I think people wouldn't expect if they only ever saw my illustrations.

But all these separate genres together fail to define the story at its core: it's just weird. I really can't think of anything that's quite like it, and that's not because I think I am the most original person ever. Despite the serious themes, there's comedy, almost cartoonish elements that would probably be better suited for a webcomic or manga. There isn't a single one of my inspirations that I could say "Oh, if you liked X, you'll enjoy this too!" or even "it's like X meets Y!"

And that's not even talking tropes! I think people would read the synopsis and think, "okay, man takes woman to underworld and they're forced to live together, that's like a Hades & Persephone, or Beauty & the Beast kinda thing, right?" Eh... maybe? But I don't think Az has the possessive, bad boy qualities people expect in that kind of forced-proximity fantasy, and Evelyn is never afraid of him, so there's not that kind of gentle growth people are seeking.

But I think, overall, it's not that I have something truly uncategorizable, it's just that I am really, really bad at doing that. I always worry that I'm using tags incorrectly and irritating people because it's not what they're looking for when they click on them. And usually the advice I get is like 'feed it into AI and let it decide' and thanks, but I'd rather eat my own toenails AND have no one ever find my stories than use the capitalist plagiarism machine, let alone willfully feeding it. Questions like these help me to sort my thoughts, so I truly appreciate it and apologize for giving such a long, rambly answer. And I also have the story that takes place first in the same setting with some of the same characters with the same problems, but worse!

I'll figure it out... hopefully LOL

[macaroncreations]

5/11/26 | Macaron | Ellipsus

Ellipsus makes it easy for anyone to write together.

A short story that takes place a little after part two, but like my other post, I think it won't require too much familiarity with the characters, previous actions, or setting.

Evelyn and Az are exploring Below with their new pet mimic, Malty, seeing what shapes the creature can take, when they run into an unexpected reminder of Evelyn's past in the hospital.

No serious content warnings, but childhood hospitalization and loss of a toy is discussed.

You can now leave props and comments on Ellipsus! It might make you create an account, but if you write at all I really recommend it as an AI free google docs alternative. It's very easy to use with a pleasant interface.

If you have time, I'm particularly looking for feedback on what your impressions of the characters and setting are--which can be as simple as picking three emojis for each!

As always thank you for reading, and don't forget that part 1 v1 is still available on Ao3 if Evelyn & Az interest you (Malty doesn't come in until part three, sorry!)! And of course, art of them can be found right here on @macaroncreations

[macaroncreations]

Hello! I'm sharing a snippet of my WIP webnovel! This is a later chapter, but shouldn't be too difficult to follow (and of course, you can read part one version one on Ao3 if you are interested AND go to the full macaroncreations blog to see actual good art I've done lol I just wanted something to put here!)

Summary: Az and Evelyn visit a museum and discuss a painting. 3,067 words.

While the full webnovel deals with mature and horror themes within the fantasy setting, I think this particular section is best categorized as slow-burn romance suitable. Content warnings are minimal and only take place in their verbal discussion, a murder and a suicide are mentioned without further detail.

I am mostly seeking feedback on three specific things:

What impression do you have of these two characters? Like if you had to use three words or three emojis, what would you pick?

How does their relationship come across? (three words or emojis is also fun here!)

How does the setting feel? Is it confusing, over/under descriptive? (if you can also convey this answer in emoji form please do, I think that would be quite funny.)

Thank you in advance to any human who gives me their time, I am truly grateful. But as for anyone using AI, bots, and paid 'beta readers/book promoters'--you know that old crab meme where they're exploding other crabs with their laser eyes? That's me to you. :) If you are at all capable of reading, don't waste either of our time. 🦀🦀🦀

---

“We don’t need to pay an entrance fee or anything?” Evelyn asked as the folding brass gates of the elevator slid open. The previously muffled clop of her heels became sharp, echoing clacks as they stepped out onto the smooth marble floor of a massive lobby. Dozens of meters away on either side were open hallways with flowing, intertwined iron balustrades stacked seven stories tall between fluted ivory columns. Before them was a set of wide stairs gracefully curved from wall to wall that led up to six sets of massive wooden doors.

“Ah, no. Is that common practice Above?” Az asked as they began to walk up the steps. The crisp sound of his dress shoes was half the beat of her own, but somehow they were in rhythm, and his long strides weren't leaving her behind. She bit back a pleased smile.

“Um, yes, definitely—I mean, at least that's what I've seen in the videos I've watched. I've never actually been to one. But it costs money to run museums, to maintain the building, and things like that. But I guess you don’t really have to worry about cleaning or security or even things like climate control for weather, here…” Evelyn’s voice trailed off as her eyes wandered to the ceiling. Looking up at the large, domed skylight crowning the room far above them, she was unsurprised to see that it, like most other windows Below, was only emanating simple white light with no hint of a sky beyond it.

She hurried to prevent disappointment from showing on her face by expressing a different thought. “Are there any workers here?”

“I suppose they could be defined as such, yes, but we are unlikely to encounter them,” Az replied vaguely, but didn’t elaborate further as they reached the top of the stairs.

He casually pushed open one of the doors with a single hand and held it for her. It was at least twice his height, but there wasn't a hint of strain in his always-pristine posture. Evelyn debated trying to push the other door herself just to see if she could move it at all, but decided to avoid that embarrassment and walked past Az into the Library proper.

Although the reception area they had entered was clearly designed to process hundreds of visitors, it, like most rooms Below, was completely devoid of any living presences. The chairs behind the long counter felt almost chilling for a moment, as if they had been abandoned by fleeing occupants rather than simply begun to exist, without creator or context, the way all things Below had.

"So, um, where should we begin?" Evelyn walked up to a large map on the opposite wall. It displayed sets of rooms divided into three sections. She squinted up at the runic title of the first one. "Let's see… P... en… chin… ge? 'Penching'?"

"'Paintings,'" Az corrected, without sounding condescending. "It is a borrowed word from Above's English using the runes for 'pe' 'n', 'ge,' and 'ti' or 'chi'. In this case, it refers to all flat image-based artwork, not strictly ones created using pigments and brushes."

Evelyn nodded, feeling pleased at the real world application of her studies. She pointed to the middle section. "And this word?"

He read it out loud in Below. The growling syllables sounded so different from any noises Evelyn could make with her own voice, but seemed so natural when made with Az's deep one. "You would not be familiar with that word as of yet—it means, directly, 'dimensional items,' but the correct translation in this context would be 'sculptures.'"

He politely gestured towards the next section with an elegant movement of his wrist. His cuff slid slightly down, exposing an unusual, minuscule area of inky skin, and for a moment Evelyn wondered what it would feel like to glide her fingertips over the firm muscles of his arm the way the unknowingly privileged fabric did.

She yanked her eyes back to the runes and focused on Az's words. "The final sign means 'written materials,' but I do not believe English has a precise word that covers all that area contains—as well as books, it also considers maps, signage, and even certain instances of graffiti as 'writing.' Anything where the main focus is the direct symbols of written language, rather than the implications of artistry, would be located in this area."

“Hmm, that's interesting. I think Above we usually consider maps more historical, or maybe even artistic rather than writing? I don’t think I can read well enough for that area to be too terribly interesting for me just yet. Um, but let’s do paintings first,” Evelyn hastily suggested to cut off her nervous rambling. “I mean, it's the first section on the map, s-so why not?”

Az inclined his head briefly, then held his hand out behind her. She almost choked on a heartbeat—for a split second she thought he was going to touch her back, but the wishful thinking was washed away by the memory of how he had guided her around the Feast. She began to walk in the direction indicated, and he accompanied her with one long stride to two of her own in an easy syncopation of clicking heels on the polished floors.

“There are about four hundred rooms of paintings,” Az said as they walked. “Is there any particular style you would prefer to visit first?”

“Four—I’m sorry, you said four hundred rooms?” Evelyn nearly stumbled as she stared up at him in shock. “H-how much art do you fae make to need that many for just one Library?!”

“Our displays are not limited to fae art. We have many human pieces as well.” Az tilted his head slightly as he looked down at her. “I believe you might be misunderstanding something. This is one of only a handful of public Libraries Below. Most art is in private homes or galleries.”

“S-so that’s not even all of it?”

“Certainly not.” Az seemed a little perplexed as he looked at her, as if trying to define where their current misunderstanding was. “Evelyn… how large do you believe Below to be?”

She wrinkled her nose, shrugging as she looked up at him. “Well, I don’t know, I guess I figured it was the size of like, I don't know, Tokyo, or some other major city? Something like that?”

“Ah, no.” He shook his head. He didn’t sound remotely scornful even though Evelyn was pretty sure her comment was ignorant enough to deserve at least a little scorn. “As we have discussed before, one theory is that for every room created Above, an identical one appears Below. However, unlike when rooms are destroyed Above, they remain here, unchanging, for eternity. If that is true, then Below must be many times the size of Above, as a room Above may be destroyed and rebuilt hundreds of times.”

“Wow… that’s… that would be really cool,” Evelyn said as she tried to picture the enormity of the concept.

“‘Cool’?” Az asked, raising a brow as they turned into the first room of paintings.

Evelyn smiled at his usual confusion at the expression. “I mean, there’s so many places and things that don’t exist anymore Above, the idea that they still could, here… it’s really interesting to think about, you know?"

"Like, we have tons of museums kind of like this Above, but only for housing artifacts of the past." She looked around the room as she spoke, wondering where to begin. There were huge paintings on each wall, and even more on a divider splitting the room in half. "There’s whole professions Above dedicated to studying history, and guessing at what things would have looked like, how they were made, what daily life would have been like… to think that they could just come Below to see things as they truly were, that would be really fascinating, I think.”

Az nodded thoughtfully. Her smile grew as she recognized the expression.

Once again, he’s absorbing what I’ve said and really thinking it over. I like it when it’s something we’re conversing about, but it’s a little problematic when he’s just as intent on my one-off, thoughtless comments as my genuine, heartfelt ones!

"It seems Above could learn much from Below, as I have learned much from you," Az finally said. There was an unusual look in his white eyes as he added, softly, "I do not know that they would be as grateful for the opportunity as I am."

Evelyn's face flushed, and she spun on her heel to stop in front of the first painting on her left as she hurried to change the subject. "A-Anyways—I'm not sure where to start, so why not just start… uh, right here!"

She began to examine it intently as she waited for her face to cool and her pounding heart to slow. It was an abstract piece even taller than Az that stretched out for a few meters on each side. It had bright, tangled lines flying across a grey to black gradient background. Despite the bold colors, it gave a somber, unsettling feeling, which quickly quieted her flustered emotions.

She carefully stepped to view it from the center point, where she realized the sides were slightly curved. It made her feel surrounded by it, as if the entire world were only bursts of color fading into black.

There didn't seem to be a plaque or label, even written in Below, so she looked over her shoulder to Az. He was standing back and looking at her quietly, as if observing her reaction to the painting rather than admiring it himself.

“This is a demonic painting,” he explained before she could ask, finally stepping to join her in the center. “Since you are unable to perceive Threads, it likely has no clear meaning for you.”

She shook her head, tracing her eyes over the painted lines and trying not to feel his presence beside her—achingly close, but forever out of reach. “Um, I guess those strands of color kind of remind me of thread… is that what Threads look like?”

Az made a small grumbling noise, his eyes narrowing at the painting for a moment. Evelyn almost wondered if she’d offended him, before she remembered their conversation in the elevator and realized that annoyance was certainly directed at C. The moment quickly passed, and he looked back at her with his usual stoic expression. “Yes, Threads do… look like strings, I suppose, if you were able to regard them visually. It is difficult to explain a sense to someone that does not have it, but the artist has attempted to replicate the feeling of Threads in this piece.”

“I see,” Evelyn said, looking at the painting closely again. “So they’re like a bunch of strings woven together.”

“Yes. Threads are connected to everything, and everyone. Every individual has their own.” Az slowly swept his hand over the artwork, pausing at two spots. “These purple lines, on either side of the center, represent the Thread of a certain person. See how it is broken?”

Evelyn nodded, peering thoughtfully at the painting instead of his wrist. “It looks like it was cut, almost, and those are either end of the string, although this side seems to vanish almost immediately after the break… If that represents a person, that can't be good… Right?”

Az nodded. “Correct. This painting is depicting a murder."

“Wh-what?!” Evelyn felt her eyes widening even further. She looked back at the dark canvas with a new appreciation for the sharp lines running from light through to darkness. “Wow. I guess… it does kind of feel that way.”

Az shook his head. “There is no need to guess. The artist specifically stated such."

She looked at Az as he continued. His white eyes seemed to stare through the painting, as if he were looking into the Threads it represented. "He had become infatuated with a human, and so struggled his way Above without a contract in order to be closer to him. Because of the barrier between our worlds, he was unable to maintain a physical form, and barely able to retain brief periods of consciousness."

Evelyn shivered. "That sounds like the year they put me on this one sedating medication. I just kept slipping in and out of sleep, barely able to form thoughts for months. It was awful."

Az seemed to take a very tiny breath as he glanced down at her, but he was looking back at the painting before she could read his expression. "When the human he desired was in danger, he was only able to watch. This painting is his impression of the moment the man was killed in front of him.”

“How tragic,” Evelyn murmured, subconsciously raising her hand as if she could run it over the line cut short in the center. “To be unable to help the one you love… I can’t even imagine how painful that must have been.”

She looked back at up at Az, continuing, “but now that I know the story, I think they’ve really done a good job expressing the feeling, you know? Like how one side is all these lovely colors, but right where it snaps, everything becomes so dull and gray, before fading away into the darkness. Oh—and that green line—that’s the artist, right?”

He raised his brows. “Well spotted. How did you know?”

“Unlike the other lines that seem to fade into black equally—like a black veil has been pulled on top of them, this line itself actually changes. It's like it was desaturated first, becoming mostly grey, almost immediately after the break, and then it seems to vanish into the darkness far sooner than the others." Evelyn traced her index finger backwards. "But what really made me think that is the way it runs parallel to the purple here—and even circles around it, sometimes, but it seems like it never actually touches it, not the way the others do—these intersections look almost like knots.”

She paused, biting her lip. “I think I can guess, but… what happened to the artist?”

“Suicide,” Az replied, resting his hands behind his back as he regarded the painting. His tail was gently swishing as usual. “I suppose he did not feel able to wait to see if the object of his obsession would reincarnate.”

“You’ve been saying obsessed or desired, but isn’t it just unrequited love?” Evelyn asked, tilting her head up at him. He seemed to be gazing deeply through the painting again. “I mean, even if you look at all these other Threads that touch the purple one, the green one isn’t trying to stop that, or anything. I don’t really get a possessive vibe, more… admiration? I don’t think that’s quite the right word… Even though they never met, it kind of… it gives the feeling that he really loved that person.”

“It is impossible to call something love when one party is unaware of the very existence of the other,” Az replied, sounding a bit more cynical than usual. “They never were able to interact, and so the demon was only infatuated with what he assumed the human was like.”

“Like a parasocial relationship,” Evelyn murmured to herself, almost hoping Az hadn’t heard her. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to explain influencer or idol culture to him. Louder, she continued, “Hmm… I don’t know. I mean, it’s not… I agree with you that it wasn’t really a romance, since they weren’t ever together, but I think… I think you can still love someone, even if they don’t return those feelings, or even know you exist. Like, the kind of love where you want to see them flourish, even though you don’t really get anything out of it, you know? Maybe it’s delusional, but it’s also selfless, in a way.”

She tapped two fingers on her chin as she thought, looking at all the intersected tangles of color. “Even if you don’t really know them, or are just making assumptions about who they are, I think it's still a kind of love in that same sense of wanting to see them happy, even though that happiness will never be shared with you. And even if the person you want to be happy isn’t the person that’s really there or… I think the feelings are real, even if what they're based on isn't. Ah, sorry, I’m just rambling again and probably not making much sense.”

She gave a dismissive, self deprecating half-giggle and pushed her hair away from her face, avoiding his eyes as he looked down at her again.

“I am always interested in what you have to say, Evelyn, although I agree your thoughts are a bit disorganized. Perhaps we can return to this topic at a later time?” He looked down at her with a strange expression in his pale eyes.

Well, I said something really weird, and he didn’t make me feel like I’m an idiot even though it really was bizarrely unclear. I think we really are learning to communicate better!

She smiled, shyly looking to the side and brushing out her skirt with her fingertips. “Yes. Let’s go see the next painting, then!”

Az nodded, and held out his hand to guide her to the next canvas.

As they walked, Evelyn glanced up at Az. His profile was sharp against the gallery's bright white walls, and the iridescent sheen of his black horns was breathtaking. As always, his posture was perfect, his steps as price and elegant as a dancer's, and his tail's movements were as calm and even as a pendulum. The velvet jacket that matched her dress looked soft, and she clenched her fist to avoid reaching out to take his arm, remembering how it had felt when she had clenched it under both of her hands at the Market.

She pulled a lock of hair over her shoulder, hoping her cheeks weren’t too obviously pink again. Az always seemed concerned that blushing was painful for her, although he didn't often comment on it anymore. But this time, she didn’t fully chase her embarrassing thoughts away.

I hope that I look beautiful to you, too.

And let’s definitely not talk about love for very long, or I’ll… I'll start to wonder, again…

[orangelizardtattoo]

Today's Hype Post!

Hype people up for your original writing project (no fanfiction please- it's a wonderful medium but not the focus of this blog post) or work in progress by giving us some juicy details!

This week's genre is ROMANCE! Even if you aren't writing a romance itself, what are the chances there's NO couples in your novel? Not impossible, but low. Let's talk it out!

TODAY'S QUESTION:

In a romance, I always despised "they are just draw together :) naturally and with no reasoning."

What draws your romantic relationship together?

[macaroncreations]

Excellent question! While we start off as more of a forced proximity, and despite many misunderstandings at the start, Az and Evelyn do so well together because they decided they wanted to make their relationship work. They chose to be patient, honest, and to prioritize understanding each other rather than assigning each other emotions or assumptions on what their actions mean.

Az loves Evelyn's curiosity and her constant talking. He loves how she looks at the world, and the way she truly appreciates everything, from moving her body in simple stretches when waking up, to the taste of fruit at a party, to the nuzzling of her pet Mimic (usually with his spine in book form!) She accepts him as who he is without question.

Evelyn loves Az's careful consideration and genuine interest in so many things, even the silly things she talks about from Above that he has no frame of reference for. He listens to understand, not to respond. He cares deeply about his family even as he intentionally isolated himself from them. She really admires how his love for others is truly unconditional, without expecting anything from anyone for himself.

This is a very, very slow burn, but I enjoy the journey and character development. They really grew to be such full people compared to my first drabbles, and their relationship is something I am particularly happy with!