𝔊𝔢𝔭𝔭𝔢𝔱𝔱𝔬'𝔰 𝔭𝔲𝔭𝔭𝔢𝔱..

...𝔚𝔢 𝔫𝔢𝔢𝔡 𝔶𝔬𝔲𝔯 𝔥𝔢𝔩𝔭.

[thusaliar]

//ooc. while I didn't voice it literally here, it's about time to do it now. I am quitting tumblr roleplay for the foreseeable future. I wanted to thank everyone who joined me on my journey of writing P on this blog, as it was all quite lovely. I thought I could heal from the loss I've experienced, but each time I think about returning here, my heart breaks all over again. I know it sounds dramatic, but I simply cannot live with my own failure here. There are many things I wish I could change, but it's out of my reach.

Thank you everyone for writing with me and being amazing rp partners. I remain available on discord and my personal tumblr, but I hope we get to meet with our muses in the future. I'm sorry for disappointing everyone here.

And I'm sorry for disappointing you the most.

I love you all.

Sincerely, Tea.

[edelweiss-ensemble]

indie, highly selective, mutuals only, low activity rp multimuse blog featuring muses from Heaven Official's Blessing (Tian Guan Ci Fu), Cookie Run: Kingdom, Dandy's World, Original Characters, and more! canon divergent, headcanon heavy, multiverse and crossover friendly. Written by Pip(25). Minors and antis will be blocked, personals DNI. Please read CARRD before interacting.

｡☆✼★━━━━━━━CARRD━━━━━━━★✼☆｡

｡☆✼★━━━━━━━MUSES━━━━━━━★✼☆｡

｡☆✼★━━━━━━━TAGS━━━━━━━★✼☆｡

[thusaliar]

//ooc. I won't be returning to tumblr writing for a while more, though I will return eventually for sure. It's just that a lot of happened here and privately and my mental health declined drastically the last two months. I don't feel exactly comfortable on tumblr anymore and it feels like jabbing at a slightly healed wound, so I'll stay on discord for now. I am up to roleplays and chatting over there, so add me if you're up to anything like that! Under the cut.

[thusaliar]

//ooc. Things remain without a change. I'm utterly heartbroken and in all honesty, just looking at tumblr makes me upset. I wish to return here one day, but as of today, the blog will remain on hiatus until further notice. To anyone who wishes to continue our threads or simply stay in touch, please contact me on discord. I'm sorry for such a sudden disappearance. Healing is a process.

[thusaliar]

//ooc. I won't be returning to tumblr writing for a while more, though I will return eventually for sure. It's just that a lot of happened here and privately and my mental health declined drastically the last two months. I don't feel exactly comfortable on tumblr anymore and it feels like jabbing at a slightly healed wound, so I'll stay on discord for now. I am up to roleplays and chatting over there, so add me if you're up to anything like that! Under the cut.

[thusaliar]

//ooc. Things remain without a change. I'm utterly heartbroken and in all honesty, just looking at tumblr makes me upset. I wish to return here one day, but as of today, the blog will remain on hiatus until further notice. To anyone who wishes to continue our threads or simply stay in touch, please contact me on discord. I'm sorry for such a sudden disappearance. Healing is a process.

[thusaliar]

//ooc. I won't be returning to tumblr writing for a while more, though I will return eventually for sure. It's just that a lot of happened here and privately and my mental health declined drastically the last two months. I don't feel exactly comfortable on tumblr anymore and it feels like jabbing at a slightly healed wound, so I'll stay on discord for now. I am up to roleplays and chatting over there, so add me if you're up to anything like that! Under the cut.

[thusaliar]

I am not back from my hiatus or whatever but

HOLY SHIT LIES OF P DLC

[miratenebrarum]

Boss Battle but its the P-twins (real or fake fight? you can never tell!)

and Boss Battle but it's Venigni scolding his son-- friend puppet :)

[ Boss Battle ; ACCEPTING ]

Vs P-TWIN

and POV YOU MADE VENIGNI ANGY AND HE'S ABOUT TO PUT YOU IN TIME OUT

[thusaliar]

//ooc;

so things don't seem to get any easier but to be perfectly honest, I'm tired of mopping around!! I cleaned the blog for the most part, had to remove a few bits here and there, and sorted and cleaned the drafts; some had to be archived! I realized a few blogs I roleplayed with got deactivated :(( But don't worry! I didn't remove any other threads, so even if you've been waiting for months now, the reply will still come! Asks sent long ago will also be answered! Terribly sorry for the wait.

As to my activity, it will be spotty and I might jump on and off, I'll generally be more active on discord, where we can chat, plot, and write! :) To everyone who didn't drift away during my absence, thank you for your patience!

[thusaliar]

With a soft huff, P shook his head. Romeo was certainly skilled with his scythe, no doubt on par with P and his rapier... Yet, he couldn't shake off the thought that the Brotherhood might be too much for the King. Especially if all four of them jump at him. P didn't understand why was he worrying like that in the first place. If anything goes wrong, he can just go back and find another Romeo. With a soft frown, he looked at the King again. He wasn't aware of the oldest of the siblings being under the Alchemists' influence, powered up by their dangerous science. Perhaps it would be too much for him.

"In any case... I don't think you should be fighting them alone... If at all." P warned, clearly displeased with the idea of Romeo getting into a fight like this. P wasn't dismissing his skills, but then again, couldn't make himself trust him entirely with it. The risk was just too much. Perhaps there was no use in hiding the past timeline from Romeo any more. Oh, he couldn't hide it for long, could he? Sooner or later, the King would find out about it anyway, there was no use. "I've fought them before. All four of them, together. Twice." P summed up, figuring that maybe it's not enough to let his secret out. It depended on Romeo's wits at this point.

The idea of admitting to Romeo that he had killed him before was quite dreadful to him. The King shouldn't be able to remember the first time they ever met; after all, the Ergo from that time was long since gone. If he could, he would like to keep it a secret from him for as long as possible; afraid that the truth would make the King go against him again when they could actually use his help instead.

The apology coming from the King surprised P, and he stopped in his steps for a brief moment, looking at him. While a lot of people refrained from calling him Carlo, not many of them understood that he was his own person completely. Carlo's Ergo might have given him life, but it didn't give him anything besides that. His body, and his looks, it was all in resemblance to the late son of Geppetto, made by no other than the old man. It wasn't something P could deny or change. Nevertheless, he appreciated the smallest differences between them, most prominently his freckles, which Carlo lacked, and blue eyes - Carlo's were brown.

"It's... Alright." he replied shortly, unsure of what else to say in this situation. The King being so polite and nice to him made him feel... Odd. His own Ergo acted weird, P hadn't felt that before. "You couldn't have known before... I know he was... Important. To you, at least." he pointed out, resuming his walk, pulling Romeo with him. The memories at the seaside... Well, they weren't his, but seeing them in the sand was quite impactful. They helped him connect with Carlo and actually feel bad for him, instead of resenting him. Still, he was not Carlo and never would be. Part of him was glad the King understood that.

Listening to him talk, P thought for a moment. He wondered if it was thanks to Sophia that he wasn't bound to the Grand Covenant, after all, she was the one to wake him up. Perhaps if it was up to Geppetto, he would have to be obedient to him and him alone... A shiver ran down his spine, knowing well how that would have ended. "I am free. I'm trying to be." he mumbled, unhappy with his own thought process. Could he ever be truly free? What did freedom mean for a puppet anyway? P thought about Polendina and Pulcinella, about Julian's wife... Were they truly free? He wasn't able to tell. Could he ever find freedom and comfort like they did? He hoped so, though at the moment it felt impossible. "You are free now too." he said, unaware of how untrue could it actually be.

Gemini, on the other hand, seemed much more cheerful. The cricket was happy to have someone's attention, even if it was coming from the King he was distrustful of. "Oh well, I think it was quite splendid. Really didn't leave much room to the imagination!" he replied, only half serious. It seemed that conversation was enough to get Gemini to slowly warm up to the other. After all, the King could have killed them a long time ago, if he wanted to. "Maybe you can set up a different play some day. Surely, you won't forget about Gemini in that one!" he pointed out, sounding a little offended. How could he not be included? He was with P at all times!

[ervaurem]

When Romeo assumed P knew the Brotherhood, he didn't expect to find out that the other puppet fought against them before. However, from what information he had of those people, they were the type to destroy puppets completely. P would have had no other choice but to get his hands stained with blood.

Besides that, the King wondered how P knew that those humans worked together in combat in the first place. It was like the pieces were there, but even someone like Romeo wasn't aware of the power that the other could possibly wield. Then again, this was the first time he got to know the puppet before him. The same puppet who looked like Carlo, but the resemblance ended there. The personality, having memories that he called his own... This was a completely different soul.

"O̷k̷a̷y̷.̷ I̷ w̷o̷n̷'̷t̷ g̷o̷ a̷g̷a̷i̷n̷s̷t̷ t̷h̷e̷m̷,̷ t̷h̷e̷n̷.̷ I̷ s̷u̷p̷p̷o̷s̷e̷ I̷ c̷a̷n̷ d̷e̷a̷l̷ w̷i̷t̷h̷ p̷u̷p̷p̷e̷t̷s̷ i̷n̷s̷t̷e̷a̷d̷.̷ S̷e̷e̷ i̷f̷ t̷h̷e̷r̷e̷'̷s̷ a̷n̷y̷o̷n̷e̷ t̷h̷a̷t̷'̷d̷ n̷e̷e̷d̷ h̷e̷l̷p̷ a̷n̷d̷ g̷u̷i̷d̷a̷n̷c̷e̷.̷"

Romeo knew how overwhelming it was to be awakened; to wake up all alone, to feel trapped in this mechanical vessel fueled by human souls. What once started with good intentions ended up backfiring against the city that became prosperous because of this very concept. And since the fight was far from over, the King might as well find out who were willing to join the battle. He had heard of monstrous creatures coming from the Cathedral. Who knows how far those things have spread around Krat already?

It was curious that even P knew of Romeo's relationship with Carlo. That, and the information about the Black Rabbit Brotherhood... It was as if he knew all these things beforehand. Before he questioned anything, he gave a nod in agreement. "I̷m̷p̷o̷r̷t̷a̷n̷t̷.̷ R̷i̷g̷h̷t̷.̷ C̷a̷r̷l̷o̷'̷s̷.̷.̷.̷ w̷a̷s̷ m̷y̷ b̷e̷s̷t̷ f̷r̷i̷e̷n̷d̷.̷" He didn't know if he was lucky to be a puppet, since his Ergo only felt a minuscule of grief. Though Carlo was better off not seeing Krat the way it was. It was already devastating enough to lose his best friend the first time. "D̷i̷d̷ t̷h̷e̷y̷ t̷r̷y̷ t̷o̷ f̷o̷r̷c̷e̷ i̷t̷ o̷n̷ y̷o̷u̷?̷ T̷r̷y̷i̷n̷g̷ t̷o̷ c̷o̷n̷v̷i̷n̷c̷e̷ y̷o̷u̷ t̷h̷a̷t̷ y̷o̷u̷'̷r̷e̷ s̷u̷p̷p̷o̷s̷e̷d̷ t̷o̷ b̷e̷ h̷i̷m̷?̷"

Trying to be? It sounded like P shared the sentiment of many puppets. Despite being free from the strings, they weren't free from the life they were forced to live- whether it was to eradicate the disease or saving the humans. To think what could be considered was true freedom was dying, again. Such a cruel fate for everyone involved, whether they were human or puppet.

"I̷ t̷h̷i̷n̷k̷ y̷o̷u̷'̷r̷e̷ f̷r̷e̷e̷r̷ t̷h̷a̷n̷ m̷o̷s̷t̷,̷ i̷f̷ n̷o̷t̷ a̷l̷l̷ o̷f̷ u̷s̷.̷" Romeo didn't know what compelled him to say that without hesitation. As far as he knew, his own Ergo shouldn't be this... empathetic. "S̷o̷m̷e̷t̷i̷m̷e̷s̷,̷ i̷t̷'̷s̷ a̷l̷l̷ i̷n̷ t̷h̷e̷ m̷i̷n̷d̷.̷ I̷f̷ y̷o̷u̷ t̷h̷i̷n̷k̷ y̷o̷u̷'̷r̷e̷ t̷r̷a̷p̷p̷e̷d̷,̷ t̷h̷e̷n̷ y̷o̷u̷ a̷r̷e̷ o̷r̷ w̷i̷l̷l̷ b̷e̷.̷ T̷h̷e̷ s̷a̷m̷e̷ g̷o̷e̷s̷ f̷o̷r̷ f̷r̷e̷e̷d̷o̷m̷.̷ E̷v̷e̷n̷ a̷w̷a̷k̷e̷n̷e̷d̷ p̷u̷p̷p̷e̷t̷s̷ l̷i̷k̷e̷ u̷s̷ h̷a̷v̷e̷ l̷i̷m̷i̷t̷s̷,̷ b̷u̷t̷ n̷o̷t̷ y̷o̷u̷.̷ Y̷o̷u̷ j̷u̷s̷t̷ h̷a̷v̷e̷ t̷o̷ c̷o̷n̷v̷i̷n̷c̷e̷ y̷o̷u̷r̷s̷e̷l̷f̷ t̷h̷a̷t̷ y̷o̷u̷ c̷a̷n̷ c̷o̷n̷t̷r̷o̷l̷ y̷o̷u̷r̷ o̷w̷n̷ f̷a̷t̷e̷.̷" The words were followed by a single blink, stupefied by what came out of his mouth again. Perhaps there was actually more to Ergo that meets the eye, after all.

He didn't anticipate to get along with the voice...? The lamp? That P had with him. Still, this was better than having them an enemies. It was exactly why he had to set up a stage play like that at all. He was just fortunate enough that it worked, since he had a grim feeling that things would end up the way the Creator intended. "O̷h̷.̷ N̷o̷ w̷o̷n̷d̷e̷r̷ i̷t̷ f̷e̷l̷t̷ l̷i̷k̷e̷ s̷o̷m̷e̷t̷h̷i̷n̷g̷ w̷a̷s̷ m̷i̷s̷s̷i̷n̷g̷.̷ I̷'̷l̷l̷ m̷a̷k̷e̷ s̷u̷r̷e̷ t̷h̷a̷t̷ t̷h̷e̷ n̷e̷x̷t̷ p̷l̷a̷y̷ i̷n̷v̷o̷l̷v̷e̷s̷ y̷o̷u̷.̷"

[thusaliar]

The King's hands weighed pleasantly on his body, he could feel his own skin burning up underneath the touch. Yet, the weight wasn't enough to keep him grounded, as the kisses made him anything but present. No, the Hotel, everything around them disappeared the moment Romeo kissed him again, leaving just the two of them together. P kissed Romeo back eagerly, yet shyly, following his lead carefully. Oh, how he loved the feeling of his touch, the way their bodies pressed together. It was all new, all so warm and electric at the same time.

It wasn't like their first kiss back at the Opera House. No, it was intense, P could only compare it to a battle; but it wasn't really a battle, was it? Oh well, if it was, P was definitely losing, his knees threatening to give in with every kiss Romeo offered. He didn't mind losing to him.

Then, the kisses moved away from his lips. P blinked a few times, surprised by the motion. Now, if the kiss a moment ago was new, this was something else entirely. The way Romeo's lips caressed his skin made his whole body tremble, each planted kiss leaving a burning sensation. As Romeo moved across his skin, P instinctively tilted his head to the side, giving him more space to do as he pleased.

The puppet surely wasn't programmed to feel pleasure coming from touch, but when the kisses reached his ear, P let out a shaky gasp, letting out a noise even he didn't expect himself to make. Could it be, that being together, and exploring humanity together made them feel things that weren't possible before? Was it caused by the bond they shared, by the way their Ergo pounded together? It was a completely new path for P and in a way, he could sense that Romeo wasn't familiar with it either - but that was just fine. They have each other, and they can hold each other's hands as they go into the new chapter together.

Intimacy, and desires like these were something completely new to P, but he knew right away that it wasn't something he would ever get enough of. No, he could stay like this forever, willingly trapped in Romeo's embrace, defeated by the way his lips traveled across his skin and the way his hands held him so close. The heat was coming off of both of them now and it was nothing but addicting. P could feel the newfound feeling in his chest, heating up the oil in his veins, making his artificial heart race, Ergo responding to the King's Ergo. P could sense that, and the thought of that resonance made him happy.

Unknowingly, with his hand on the back of Romeo's neck, P pulled him closer, his nose nuzzling into the blond hair as Romeo did as he desired, leaving the smaller puppet a complete mess in his arms. A soft whine escaped his lips at one of the kisses, and shortly after Romeo pulled away. P wanted to protest but found himself completely staggered, the sensation of the kisses still tingling at his skin. The King of Puppets won.

P's gaze was unfocused, his lips slightly agape in awe. It was Romeo's voice that finally brought him back to the Hotel and the puppet blinked a few times in an attempt to pull himself together. P smiled lightly, finally registering what Romeo had just said. Simultaneously, his hand slid from the back of Romeo's head down to his chest, resting right above where he could sense his Ergo. P kept it there, feeling his own Ergo threaten to escape his chest - almost as if it was ready to run and connect with the King's. It was a fluttering feeling and P basked in it, the warmth resembling that of sunshine. Gentle and comforting.

''We can dance again.'' he offered, his other hand still resting on Romeo's neck, fingers gently tracing across his skin. ''And thank you.'' P said softly, leaving it vague. Truth was, he thanked for a lot of things at once; for teaching him about feelings, for making him feel so free like just a moment ago; simply for being there, at his side, when he could have just gone his own way. P adored that.

The record might become one of his favourite, now with the memory of kissing Romeo bound to it forever. With a soft hum, he finally let go of him, hands moving down until they found Romeo's - there, their fingers intertwined. With a light pull, P made Romeo follow him towards the gramophone. The King needed rest, but they might as well listen to the record again, before going back to their room.

[ervaurem]

P's response to Romeo's kisses were a pleasant surprise, particularly the gasp that escaped the other's lips. He only ever heard the sound when the other had to retaliate against enemies. His mind wandered to a comparison that what was going on between was similar to a confrontation, like when they first faced each other against the Opera House.

By the way he felt P melt into his arms, it seemed the King had the upper hand with the kisses he left across the other's skin just now. He did those without the intention of leaving him in this state, but seeing the result of his handiwork piqued his attention and intrigue. He wouldn't deny that he wanted to see P give in and surrender to him in this context.

Still, he knew that if P decided to "attack" him the same way, Romeo would have no chance against him either. But between the two of them, the King had basic knowledge with this step in a relationship. Given that they were puppets with mechanical bodies, yet could still be sensitive to touches and kisses... It seemed the King trying to rationalize was a futile effort, not when he was still mesmerized and enchanted by the apple of his eye.

When P placed his hand against Romeo's chest, he swore he heard puffs of steam leave his body. It wasn't just enough his body was in a overheated state, its mechanisms had to cool itself down. If a single touch like this from the other puppet could leave him in this state, he didn't know how his own body would react if he did more than this. For now, what mattered was going with the flow. If P had questions, Romeo would be more than glad to answer. That was how it always went anyway.

Romeo nodded. "T̷h̷e̷ p̷i̷e̷c̷e̷ i̷s̷ b̷e̷a̷u̷t̷i̷f̷u̷l̷.̷ W̷o̷r̷t̷h̷ d̷a̷n̷c̷i̷n̷g̷ t̷o̷ a̷g̷a̷i̷n̷,̷ t̷o̷o̷.̷ I̷ w̷o̷n̷d̷e̷r̷ w̷h̷o̷ p̷l̷a̷y̷e̷d̷ t̷h̷i̷s̷.̷.̷.̷" If his ears didn't deceive him, he swore he heard humming as well. Not only was the piano playing enough to evoke emotions, but also the voice accompanying it. It was a soulful serenade, that even the King felt a bit more human from listening to it. And after he danced to it with P earlier, his Ergo couldn't feel more human. Speaking of the piano, there was a "perfect" puppet before him, so an idea came to mind- "S̷a̷y̷,̷ d̷o̷n̷'̷t̷ y̷o̷u̷ p̷l̷a̷y̷ p̷i̷a̷n̷o̷ t̷o̷o̷,̷ P̷?̷"

At the expression of gratitude from P, Romeo blinked once, tilting his head. "Y̷o̷u̷'̷r̷e̷ w̷e̷l̷c̷o̷m̷e̷.̷ B̷u̷t̷.̷.̷.̷ w̷h̷a̷t̷ f̷o̷r̷ a̷g̷a̷i̷n̷?̷ D̷i̷d̷ I̷ d̷o̷ s̷o̷m̷e̷t̷h̷i̷n̷g̷?̷" He hesitated for a second. "I̷s̷ i̷t̷ f̷o̷r̷ t̷h̷e̷ k̷i̷s̷s̷e̷s̷?̷" An awkward yet jovial chuckle left his lips, his hand moving to cup P's cheek once again. "I̷f̷ s̷o̷,̷ y̷o̷u̷ d̷o̷n̷'̷t̷ n̷e̷e̷d̷ t̷o̷ t̷h̷a̷n̷k̷ f̷o̷r̷ t̷h̷e̷m̷.̷ E̷v̷e̷r̷y̷ s̷i̷n̷g̷l̷e̷ t̷i̷m̷e̷,̷ a̷t̷ l̷e̷a̷s̷t̷.̷"

Letting himself get pulled towards the gramophone, Romeo figured out with P's intentions were. He gave a nod, as playing the record one time wasn't enough, especially since it was his first time hearing it for himself. He didn't know if he was barely got chances to listen since he was outside most of the time. Nevertheless, it was better late than never. Besides, listening to it with P was a much better experience than doing it alone.

[thusaliar]

⭐️ ｡･ﾟﾟ･🦋

⭐mutual bingo! ¬

Prince, you're so so cool and such a sweetheart!! Love chatting and plotting together and you're such a skilled artist too!! Keep being great! ♡

[thusaliar]

⭐️ (:3c) (unfortunately there is no "put some iron in your mouth" bingo space)

⭐mutual bingo! ¬

You thought I wouldn't include that huh! We've been nice to each other for a little too long again. Hi Ted :)

[thusaliar]

Star emoji for meeeee

⭐mutual bingo! ¬

You're so cool Gio!! There's no option in the bingo but I love your art too, you're so skilled! ♡

[thusaliar]

⭐ ⭐⭐

⭐mutual bingo! ¬

We haven't really interacted yet, so I can't fill out everything but you seem like a fun person to talk and write with! ♡

[thusaliar]

//ooc.

"Omg why are my drafts up to 40 I do not have that many threads!"

Two months worth of art, memes and musings: hi :)

[miratenebrarum]

@thusaliar

The puppet flops down onto one of the chairs in Venigni's workshop at the Hotel. He's visibly upset, as shown by the clear pout on his face. P extends his hand towards the man, handing him his legion - broken and detached. It wouldn't be fair to blame Venigni for everything going on but at the same time... Those were his inventions. So okay, maybe he is just a little fussy. "The Grand Exhibition." he says, enough of an explanation.

"Oh.

Oh dear."

Venigni let out a soft sigh as he carefully put Legion in his arms, with the same softness he could use to pick up a toddler. It was... bad. He hardly saw one of the puppet's mechanical arms reduced in such a state, so he could just imagine what he went through!

"Ah, yes... I should've expected that. My beautiful exhibition, the symbol of progress and a new era, turned into a torture chamber! Although--"

Just as the arm is left on the worktable, his imagination started to move with the speed of a thousand horses.

"I wonder how they managed to become giant weapons! Of course, some guards do have swords, but the Industrial Puppets were just made to help cleaning and fixing the streets! Oh, wonder how they managed to turn a broom into something so dangerous-- or maybe they made their own weapons! And the unicycle puppets, I'm certain they found something to throw and--"

... ...hey, Venigni. You can overthink about this later. You're sounding a little too excited.

"...of course" he cleared his throat "This is bad! Very bad."

[thusaliar]

P listened to him, patient as ever. He was a little angry, and frustrated about the place; but deep inside, he knew it wasn't really Venigni's fault. Even if the puppets carried his name, the man couldn't have predicted what happened to them and the whole exhibition in the process.

It was hard to share his enthusiasm, as he did not know what those puppets used to be; to him right from the start, they were sadly nothing more than murderous machines. They went after him, each and every one of them, chasing him around the exhibition with spinning saw blades and drills, shooting at him and throwing explosives in his face. The heavy, shielded puppet on top of the Exhibition's framework was the cherry on top; he had suffered more damage from his constant trips down than he suffered from the hits, and one landing especially made his legion arm give out. It softened the landing but suffered a great amount of damage by doing so. It dangled limply on P's side, only to get torn off by said saw-blade-wielding puppet. P lost a lot of oil at the scene and the path led straight to the nearest stargazer, then from the Hotel's lobby to Venigni's workshop. It was now puddling on the marble floor beneath the puppet, but he paid no attention, listening to what the man was saying.

Even if he was too busy chatting to help him right away, P appreciated the company nevertheless. It was more than his 'father' had ever offered, and those who knew him knew how much it had meant to him. Though right now, with all the oil loss, he started to feel... Well, tired. His heart slowed down, not having enough liquids to pump, but P carried on, sitting up right on the stool, waiting for Venigni to work on the damage he had suffered.

"Sir, if you could, perhaps, stop the leak?" It was Gemini who finally interrupted him, though his tone betrayed nothing but amusement. P was free of the Grand Covenant, but it didn't mean that he was going to interrupt a man this passionate. The puppet blinked slowly and reached with his still attached hand to gently tap on the lamp, as his way of scolding the cricket hidden in it.

"It was the... Mining puppet. Sawblades." he mumbled, frowning slightly. It was difficult to focus and the information might have not been necessary to Venigni, but the man seemed interested enough to let him know.

"Can you repair it, dad?" Now, the last word was clearly not intentional, but the puppet didn't seem to notice, and Gemini only chirped in a way that resembled a chuckle. Oh, well. It wasn't that far from truth anyway.

[freeddead]

     closed starter for   ⟶   @thusaliar

   Krat, supposedly a wonderful city at one point in time, reduced to what Gerry saw before him now, thanks to two catastrophic events.  Never before had he seen something so localized and contained, a minor apocalypse in its own right, perhaps by some Entity doing a practice run for a future ritual.  Whatever it was, it was worth an investigation.

   He was going to be mostly on his own because the human population of the place was devastated by disease and the puppet frenzy—Corruption and Stranger, if he had to make a preliminary judgment.  Still, they always left witnesses behind, and he would take whatever help came his way.

   He had been in the city for almost a full day, roaming around, narrowly avoiding being taken out by some of the automatons he encountered, nothing especially helpful.  He was looking for some documentation, an… Archive, that might tell him a bit more about what happened here, almost writing off the possibility of talking to someone entirely, when he came across someone that looked more human than the rest.

   “Hey!”  He tried to flag them down, to signal that he wasn’t a threat, but his appearance had never been especially inviting.  “Hey, if I could have a moment, I’d like to ask you a few questions, if that’s okay.”

[thusaliar]

There wasn't anything particularly different about the day; just like any other, P left the Hotel early in the morning, sweeping some of the frenzied puppets off the streets, together with the carcasses that seemed to find their way closer to the Hotel each day. Enough time has passed since he started eradicating the monsters of Krat - but it was harder every day. All those puppets, all those carcasses. They once had families, friends, and places to be and call their home. Now? Reduced to a hateful lump of porcelain or rotting flesh.

With a soft sigh, Geppetto's puppet wiped his rapier off the bodily fluids of a carcass that now lied by his feet. The color was anything but natural, but neither was the process of how carcasses came to be, so it was hard to expect anything else.

It was then that someone's voice drew his attention. Finding someone alive on the streets of Krat these days was rare and always unexpected. Especially when they didn't seem immediately hostile, though P took enough beatings to not trust people right away. With his rapier still in his hand, P turned to face the person who was fast approaching him. Gemini chirped quietly by his hip, betraying the nervousness of the cricket. P didn't mind; the person didn't seem to be too dangerous.

"What is it." The puppet asked though the sentence was not accented to sound like a question, with the inflection at the end of it missing. P was still lacking the basic skills of human communication, often missing the tone of his replies. The Hotel's residents did a great job correcting him and if they weren't around, Gemini took on that role.

''He meant it as a question, of course. Please forgive him." Ah, there he was. Gemini seemed to have a much easier time talking now when the stranger was in the puppet's rapier range.

It so happened that P and Gemini could be the best source of information, having lived through most of the major events of the puppet frenzy, and being responsible for making the city safe. Ish.