@theartofmadeline
Xuebing Du
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PR's Tumblrdome
oozey mess
let's talk about Bridgerton tea, my ask is open
★
Lint Roller? I Barely Know Her
noise dept.
wallacepolsom
if i look back, i am lost
$LAYYYTER
Sweet Seals For You, Always
🪼
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One Nice Bug Per Day
YOU ARE THE REASON
祝日 / Permanent Vacation
izzy's playlists!
"I'm Dorothy Gale from Kansas"
seen from Thailand
seen from Russia
seen from Canada
seen from Russia
seen from United States
seen from Iraq
seen from United States
seen from Türkiye
seen from United States
seen from Malaysia
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Switzerland
seen from France
seen from Greece
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seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
@the-butterfly-parable
Welcome to the Office/Lab/Museum
Protocol/Etiquette
This blog may contain some dark themes. Interact at your own discretion. Feel free to ask for cw tags.
This blog will not contain any nsft content but it may contain some suggestive themes.
Mun ≠ Muse, the opinions of my muses do not necessarily reflect my own.
Muses
The Narrator / Elaina
The Subject / Stanley Darling
The Curator / Dahlia
The Assistant / Rowan
Well, it's already a warmer welcome than she got from her last encounter with someone from another office. That's a good sign. Right? Rex seems... friendly.
She wants to press on the computer question because well, she's not sure why he would be doing any of this if he actually knew how a computer virus worked, but she also doesn't want to push her luck by poking too many holes in the story so she spares them a confused glance and moves on to the next question instead.
"Oh no I'm not a umm, a Stanley?" Is that what he means? Is that what that means? "I've been, helping out the curator in the office that, I ended up in. There were plenty of extra buckets that didn't need to go in a museum display so I just, took one. I don't think anyone is going to miss 'Bucket, loop 210, collected from escape pod' whatever that means, unless my boss decides to suddenly get really really intense about auditing the archives."
"When I say new, well, I've been here for a little while I guess but," she gestures at her backpack, "First I've been outside of my own office because well, I'm not really sure how I'm going to get back to it now that I've left." Did she really just say all that? It feels uncomfortably vulnerable now that she's said it out loud. Hello. I'm lost and stranded and probably no one will miss me. Sure hope you're as friendly as you seem weird computer guy.
"Aww. A scary place to be all alone in, so far from home." He says this like he's trying to make an odd joke but it likely comes across as bad porno dialogue. What's a pretty little thing like you doing in a place like this?
Still, he doesn't try to approach her, or touch her or offer to show her someplace nice, so that's at least a start. Rex is interested. Very interested. But this…employee? Reminds him a little of a deer, easily startled, but just as easily to gore him if he tries anything funny. He has noticed that she is closer to the fire ax than he is.
And aside from that, he somehow wouldn't put it past them to bash his brains in with the Bucket. He knows from experience that getting that thing smacked on his head is rather painful.
"Well, it aint so bad actually. Lots of friendly people here. Dunno if any of em came to your place before, they all tend to wander, in and out. Somethin about the doors connectin each other, dunno how it works. In a way, we're all a happy neighbors here." Now he's definitely making a joke, smirking a little like he finds his own sarcastic comments funny.
"You need any help gettin around? There's lots worse than me in here. Rumors of shadows that aint what they're supposed to be and power hungry twinks lookin for their new victims. N trust me sweetheart, nothing's scarier than a hangry twink."
He's probably right to be cautious in how he's approaching her. All alarms in her mind are telling her to steer clear of this guy, but logic, and the knowledge that she absolutely needs someone who knows the lay of the land keep her rooted to the spot rather than turning tail and running back the way that she came. Right now as suspicious as he may seem Rex is her best option.
"I've met a couple folks, yeah. Some of them were friendly, others... less so." Friendly was probably the nicest thing she could say for the conspiracy theorist who had come to her door rambling about the buckets. And as for Crowley. Hungry twinks huh? She hadn't gotten the impression for all his threats that he was intending to eat her, but honestly who knows.
She doesn't need Rex's warnings to push her over the edge into wanting to take that offer but, they probably don't hurt. "I, would appreciate a hand, yeah." At least until she can get the knack for it herself, this is something.
favorite word?
bucket because u put things in the buck and it et . it
anyway on the subject of viruses
@clickonmedotexe this rushed ass version of rex im beginning to hate more and more every second i look at it
but also he's hot.
I STILL HAVE THE ORIGINAL SKETCH FOR THIS ?
My Therapist: Long-Straight-Haired Rex Can't Hurt You
Long-Straight-Haired Rex:
This is crazy, a fossil. /silly
design/ref commisson for @fortunechaos
"Alright, citizens of the Offices! Let's settle this, shall we?"
Who do you vote for Narrator of E-524?
Ulmar Deluxe ✨🤍
Benedict Murking 😈📝
Bradley Spencer 🐈💜
Vote for Bradley! Who doesn't want a cat for a narrator?
She shifts uncomfortably as he sizes her up, grifting the security bucket a little bit tighter to their chest. She takes another step closer to the wrecked computer.
"Umm, no I can't say that I have. What sort of viruses?" The struggling behemoth of computers suggests that he means computer viruses but she's not sure what all of this would actually do about a computer virus. That's not something that can be physically blown up is it? "Are you like, an exterminator or something?"
She cringes after she asks that regretting the decision to voice the thought immediately. Yeah that's, definitely not what's going on here.
"Umm, yeah, newish... trying to, meet the neighbors I guess." There's still a loud voice in the back of her mind saying that this obviously isn't safe, that she needs to get out of here, but she doesn't even know whether she can get back to her own office right now. She shoves it down. This was a plan goddammit. "I'm Rowan. Nice to meet you?"
She steps forward again, a bit less hesitantly this time, as if she means to try and shake his hand, though partially it's just to put herself between him and the axe, if worst comes to worst.
Rex steps forward to match her. If he noticed her getting in between him and the axe, he doesn't mention it. Instead he reaches out and offers his right hand, which is a smooth, black prosthetic arm that cuts off at around his elbow. Its slightly warm like a real hand and surprisingly flexible, not at all like those clunky, awkward prosthetics one usually thinks of.
"Nice to meet ya neighbor. Name's Rex. Rex Townsend. Been around here for a couple a years, always nice to see a new face. Especially one as pretty as yours. And I aint an exterminator, just a guy who knows a thing or two bout computers."
Rex smiles and its easy, casual. Exactly the kind of smile of someone who goes around immediately flirting with strangers, but there's something openly curious in his expression underneath it. It has been a minute since he's met someone new and he's already itching to find out new things about her.
"Did you already play the game? I mean you got the bucket, seems like you're not that new to the Parable, hmm? Unless you just found that thing somewhere."
Well, it's already a warmer welcome than she got from her last encounter with someone from another office. That's a good sign. Right? Rex seems... friendly.
She wants to press on the computer question because well, she's not sure why he would be doing any of this if he actually knew how a computer virus worked, but she also doesn't want to push her luck by poking too many holes in the story so she spares them a confused glance and moves on to the next question instead.
"Oh no I'm not a umm, a Stanley?" Is that what he means? Is that what that means? "I've been, helping out the curator in the office that, I ended up in. There were plenty of extra buckets that didn't need to go in a museum display so I just, took one. I don't think anyone is going to miss 'Bucket, loop 210, collected from escape pod' whatever that means, unless my boss decides to suddenly get really really intense about auditing the archives."
"When I say new, well, I've been here for a little while I guess but," she gestures at her backpack, "First I've been outside of my own office because well, I'm not really sure how I'm going to get back to it now that I've left." Did she really just say all that? It feels uncomfortably vulnerable now that she's said it out loud. Hello. I'm lost and stranded and probably no one will miss me. Sure hope you're as friendly as you seem weird computer guy.
I'm but a fragment of your hatred
my watery friend... are you too brushed with the pattern of the dappled light...?
[ID: a photograph of a seal with a blobby splotchy silver pattern on its back that resembles light refracting in water, next to a photo of light's flowing white stripes at the bottom of a pool. Second set of images is a fawn ccurled up in the grass, next to a forested trail aglow with dappled light spots. end id.]
dappled with light
Rowan almost considers turning back the other way when she hears the sounds of Rex stomping about in the otherwise same and empty office, coming from a cubicle block or so away. But no, she's looking for someone out here. What good would it be to turn tail and run the minute she heard anyone? Whoever it is doesn't sound like it's Crowley again. That should be enough for her right now.
"Hey, uh, is someone over there?" She continues forwards, spotting the water buckets and the carnage of the wrecked computer. Maybe she should grab that axe. Just in case. No. Come on. She was just being scared for no reason. She reaches behind her instead, unclipping her trusty bucket from her backpack to hold in front of her instead. "What are you doing?"
He doesn't react to her call at first, even though he hears her just fine. He keeps unplugging and plugging in wires into the poor frankensteined computer, though whether or not his goal is to build a bomb, it's likely the outcome will be the same. Its fans are whirring for mercy as Rex straightens up and turns to the source of the new voice.
He seizes Rowan up for a good few seconds, silence stretching out more than is comfortable.
"I'm taking care of a pest problem." He finally says, grinning. "You've been havin any problems with viruses lately? Heard they were makin a comeback."
Rex glances down at the mangled remains of the other computer and the axe laying beside it. It's closer to Rowan than it is to him, but he doesn't seem concerned by that fact.
"Don't think I've seen you around before. You new here?"
She shifts uncomfortably as he sizes her up, grifting the security bucket a little bit tighter to their chest. She takes another step closer to the wrecked computer.
"Umm, no I can't say that I have. What sort of viruses?" The struggling behemoth of computers suggests that he means computer viruses but she's not sure what all of this would actually do about a computer virus. That's not something that can be physically blown up is it? "Are you like, an exterminator or something?"
She cringes after she asks that regretting the decision to voice the thought immediately. Yeah that's, definitely not what's going on here.
"Umm, yeah, newish... trying to, meet the neighbors I guess." There's still a loud voice in the back of her mind saying that this obviously isn't safe, that she needs to get out of here, but she doesn't even know whether she can get back to her own office right now. She shoves it down. This was a plan goddammit. "I'm Rowan. Nice to meet you?"
She steps forward again, a bit less hesitantly this time, as if she means to try and shake his hand, though partially it's just to put herself between him and the axe, if worst comes to worst.
Actually I was curious why it's called the butterfly parable 👀
It doesn't <em> really </em> mean anything, it's a reference to the original setting that these characters were from.
I still don't understand the point of this whole election thing... why do you need to be elected. If there's no narrator yet, just take it.
Rowan's face splits into a grin. Totally worth it. Wow this guy was feisty.
"Others huh? So you admit you aren't the Stanley." As she very well already knew. As Crowley steps forward she steps back again. She's not sure what he thinks he's going to be able to do to her but she's not keen to find out.
She watches keenly as he steps over the door frame... it doesn't disappear just yet and he doesn't seem to melt into goo so, both of those are good signs. No time to stick around to look for other ones because as soon as Crowley is on her side she's off like a shot calling back over her shoulder as she runs, "Sure you will. You're clearly the clown here."
Instead of answering her, he just growls like a dog. The moment he catches her, he thinks, he's going to drag her back to his Office and show her a thing or three about what's it like to be important to the Story. And just what happens to side characters who think their smart mouth will get them a special spot at the table. In reality she's going to find out just how disposable she is.
This is his Story after all, and they are nothing but an ant about to get crushed.
He starts to run after her again, but her comment about clowns makes him realize that he'll look desperate and stupid chasing her around. So instead, he slows down to a confident trot, strolling down the hallway as if he owns the place.
"You're making a big mistake here." Crowley calls with a big smirk that still fails to fully mask the anger from his voice.
"This is my domain, all of the Offices belong to me, the Protagonist of the Parable they obey! You can run and you can hide but you can't escape. So give it up. Come out and maybe I'll go easy on you."
Rowan pays no mind to Crowley's threats, searching for some place she can duck into to get out of view and hopefully make him lose her trail, however what does momentarily freeze her in her tracks is the voice of the narrator taking up a sudden and intense presence in the halls of the office, coming from, well she's not really sure where it comes from. "Stanley stops for a moment to wonder how it is that he's wandered this far from his own office. Certainly he has his own parable he should be worried about before he goes causing a ruckus in somebody else's." Her voice is clipped and faintly British, sounding a bit irritated to be dealing with whatever is going on in her office. Despite the knew unknown of the narrator Rowan manages to unfreeze herself and keep running, though they don't make it much farther, going for a doorway at the end of the hallway and finding it locked tight. "What the hell?"
"Stay there. I will deal with you later." The disembodied voice adds, as she frantically looks around for another door to try.
(Closed starter for @clickonmedotexe )
After her recent encounters with people from other offices Rowan has been... dwelling on it. While she's thankful to the curator for giving her a place to stay and something to keep her busy while she gets on her feet, she's getting antsy here, in her bucket research. Her mind feels like a black hole, an empty space pulling her in, where what she remembers about herself is supposed to be. She needs to get out. She needs to do something about this.
And so here she is, a backpack full of supplies over her shoulder just in case, her trusty bucket strapped onto the side, about to step through this door she found, to go exploring. Maybe someone out there could help her figure this out if her curator couldn't. And it seemed like, if how she understood the offices working was correct, well she'd end up back here one way or another, eventually. She takes a deep breath, steps across the threshold into the ever so slightly unfamiliar office and, nothing changes. It's just another office hallway after all. She sets off. Time to go for a walk.
In an Office very similar to Rowan's and not so far away, Rex Townsend is doing some work on the computer.
He's got his yellow hoodie draped over a chair so he's only in jeans and a tank top, showing off scars and muscles in the shitty lighting. All that strength is going into pulling cables out of electrical sockets and putting wires into plugs, rigging up computers with each other.
There's only computer that's plugged in and it's on the receiving end of most of the wires, making it look like the brain of whatever operation Rex is doing here. Perhaps he's trying to blow a hole in the whole fourth floor, but there is no way he can do this without taking himself and everyone in a mile radius with him.
Not that far away from him sits about five buckets of water, one fire extinguisher and the broken husk of an unlucky computer that had been smashed to pieces with a fire axe, laying on the ground beside it.
Rowan almost considers turning back the other way when she hears the sounds of Rex stomping about in the otherwise same and empty office, coming from a cubicle block or so away. But no, she's looking for someone out here. What good would it be to turn tail and run the minute she heard anyone? Whoever it is doesn't sound like it's Crowley again. That should be enough for her right now.
"Hey, uh, is someone over there?" She continues forwards, spotting the water buckets and the carnage of the wrecked computer. Maybe she should grab that axe. Just in case. No. Come on. She was just being scared for no reason. She reaches behind her instead, unclipping her trusty bucket from her backpack to hold in front of her instead. "What are you doing?"
[27/28/29 – Onion/Skeletal/Lesson]
