autumnalrefrain

[autumnalrefrain]

Wirt had just come up to one of his favorite little places to sit and ponder.

“Oh! I didn’t realize anyone else came up to this spot.”

It’s cold as hell, but that’s not stopping him from having a nice sitdown somewhere scenic to watch the sunset. It’s turning into a habit.

[autumnalrefrain]

@seerspectacles asked: “ the journey - if you look at it all at once, it’ll overwhelm you. it’ll hurt your mind. if you take it day by day, then…then it won’t hurt quite so much. ”

Despite the man's uncanny appearance, the words were oddly comforting. Wirt lowered his guard - just a little - as he spoke to the stranger, his voice quiet.

"I can't help but worry that I'll never get to where I need to go. Sometimes I think I'm getting somewhere, but I look back and I just can't see the results. I walk ten miles through the woods only to realize I've walked in a circle, ending up in the same place as I started. What kind of journey is that…"

[autumnalrefrain]

@existentialismee​ asked: " there’s some hope left for you, too, you know. don’t give it away too quickly. ”

"Is there, really?" Wirt looked glum, his shoulders hunched forward as he hugged himself. "Some days, it's hard not to feel like I'm overwhelmed by it all."

"Is it the same for you? How do you find hope in a place like this?"

[autumnalrefrain]

💢 ANGER 👪 FAMILY 🌏 EARTH

💢 - what are some habits they have that will take some getting used to?

Wirt can be very defeatist and pessimistic. It takes a considerable amount of external influence to get him moving along on a situation. He's content to take a conflict-free route, though oftentimes that causes him way more problems than he anticipates.

👪 - what is their family like? what is your ocs relationship to them? does your oc have any siblings?

Going off as much evidence as is provided, I've envisioned Wirt to have a pleasant family. He might have some trouble connecting with his step-father and step-brother, but much of that comes from internal insecurities more-so than any contentious dynamics.

🌏 - will they give up the world for someone they love? is this decision easy for them?

As reluctant as he is about it, Wirt does feel extreme responsibility for his younger sibling. He is stubborn and clever, and he would exhaust every possibility before it came down to self-sacrifice, but ultimately he would likely do anything within his capacity. All of this is of course complicated by the fact that he's currently lost track of his brother entirely.

[autumnalrefrain]

🎁 PRESENT - what types of presents would they be most happy to receive? are they good at gift giving?

In terms of receiving, anything that connects to some of his interests are a big win. Detailed books on architecture, the arts, sciences, or literary works are great. You can't go wrong with anything that really speaks "I thought you might like this" even if it's a bit unusual for a gift.

He's great at gift giving if he knows someone well enough, but he can definitely flounder and overthink such things.

[autumnalrefrain]

Where the Water Tastes Like Wine is a Narrative-Adventure game about traveling, sharing stories, and surviving manifest destiny. Some quotes have been edited or paraphrased for RP purposes. Feel free to change it up to fit your muse. 2/?

“ i wasn’t one to accept death. to live beside it - that wasn’t my way. ”

“ i threw him away. i thought i loved him, but he was nothing to me. ”

“ i did not think that death could, or would touch me. before i met the devil, i was too worthless even for death. ”

“ i never feared the devil, no. he took something from me, but he gave me back something i lost, too. ”

“ when they died, it sucked the love right out of me. ”

“ i thought it would last forever. it should have. ”

“ joy? well, i think there’s more of it in the world than there was. ain’t mine to have, but it’s there. people dance more now. they smile more, i think.  ”

“ you ever wake up, already silently screaming in your head? ”

“ heaven don’t last. ”

“ do you need a soul to love? i don’t think i’m capable of it anymore. ”

“ what’s freedom to me? some say that when we end, that’s freedom. ”

“ i wish i could find comfort in the notion of death, but i know what waits for me beyond the veil. ”

“ don’t bother wishing me any luck. luck’s not in my stars. love ain’t in there, either. ”

“ sit with me - let’s talk. i don’t want to sleep tonight. ”

“ this life is a prison and sometimes i laugh because i made it. i made this whole world and now i’m trapped in it. ”

“ we were all cursed. right from the beginning. ”

“ i think i was born cursed. there was never a happy ending for me; i die alone no matter what path i took at that crossroads. ”

“ the devil doesn’t give even deals. ”

“ the devil gave me everything - but he took everything, too. ”

“ it was me. it was me who made this world. that’s all i have now, and i need you to know this; i made the world that ruined me. ”

“ there’s no running left in me. don’t weep for me. i will die here. ”

“ are we done here? i laid myself bare for you - that’s all there is to me now. ”

“ does being out here free that part of you? ”

“ i’ve met a lot of people like you on this road. there’s something you want from it, isn’t there? ”

“ i’ve been a wandering ghost for a while now, and i’ll be that way for some time to come. ”

“ it’s a fate i should have known i was in for. ”

“ sometimes i start to think: well, the world isn’t made for being happy in. not for someone like me. ”

“ i’ve seen a lot of change. everything - everyone - i thought i had is gone. ”

“ when i’m alone out here, i spend too much time inside my own head. ”

“ you know the hardest person for anyone to have faith in? it’s themselves. ”

“ what do you want from this life? do you think there’s a chance you’ll get it? ”

“ i still love him. ”

“ it takes a special kind of fool to become a poet. ”

“ writing poetry won’t make your sadness go away, nor will your problems be solved. but at least you’ll be able to look back and know how you felt. ”

“ maybe the traps i’ve fallen into are ones i made myself. ”

“ maybe what i think happened didn’t happen at all, and i’m the one who’s been a monster. ”

“ i don’t trust myself to see them and act like a decent human being. ”

“ i suppose after a while i’ll start to realize how little i can change and accept myself as seething with anger and pain. ”

“ a pity, isn’t it? to be stuck with ourselves like this. ”

“ i don’t want to be the way i am now. ”

“ looks like i’m still me and you’re still you. ”

“ it’s enough for something to exist in the past and for that to have been good. ”

“ i wanted to find what it meant to be alive. ”

“ most people go through life doing a lot of work to avoid the truth. ”

“ the past doesn’t even feel like it happened - it feels like it’s happening in every moment. in every slumber. ”

“ when your memories come back to you, do they clutch at you? at your heart? ”

“ do you know any happy stories? hopeful ones? ”

“ there’s some hope left for you, too, you know. don’t give it away too quickly. ”

“ faith? well, god and i haven’t been on speaking terms. i gave the fucker so many chances to make things right and he hasn’t followed through. ”

“ the days come and go and the terrors return. ”

“ they’ll never be able to pay back what they owe me, but i’ll always keep at ‘em. ”

“ what about you - is there something somebody owes you? ”

“ the journey - if you look at it all at once, it’ll overwhelm you. it’ll hurt your mind. if you take it day by day, then…then it won’t hurt quite so much. ”

“ they wanted someone to be proud of, and i did as they asked. ”

“ the sadness didn’t come immediately. when they died, it left me feeling like half of me was missing. ”

“ the emptiness didn’t last - it filled itself with sadness not long after. ”

“ for a moment there - just a moment - i felt better about it all, too. ”

“ the time for faith has long passed, friend. ”

“ love comes in so many forms. i love more dearly now than ever.”

“ i love more deeply than the sun and the earth. ”

“ loyalty to him is the only loyalty i don’t regret. ”

“ when everything has left you, all that remains is a peculiar peace. ”

“ the way people look at me…that’s when i miss being whole the most. ”

“ i wish i could talk about what happened the way you do. ”

“ wishes? if i had my way, i’d go back to a time before the war…but now, i have no wishes. ”

“ the stars cross the sky and they mean nothing. ”

[autumnalrefrain]

KNOWING YOUR PARTNER WELL CAN POTENTIALLY MAKE WRITING TOGETHER A LOT EASIER. REPOST DO NOT REBLOG !!

NAME: Anatoli

PRONOUNS: he/him

PREFERENCE OF COMMUNICATION: twitter or dm’s on here

NAME OF MUSE(S): Wirt !

RP EXPERIENCE/HOW LONG (MONTHS / YEARS?): on and off for what amounts to about a year, plus like 3-4 years of text-based D&D rp, and some google doc rp.

PLATFORMS YOU’VE USED: mostly just tumblr.

BEST EXPERIENCE: this isn’t really one specific experience but like.. being in a group setting where everyone is present and deep in the rp is the ultimate. being able to be vulnerable both as a mun and a muse is really special for me.

RP PET PEEVES/DEALBREAKERS: i don’t really have any? the biggest is respecting the space and that’s never been an issue here.

FLUFF, ANGST OR SMUT: angst because i love mess. I don’t mind fluff but my muses need to earn it. But mostly because I’m most intrigued by internal struggles as well as interpersonal conflict.

PLOTS OR MEMES: i love... big drama.. strong character developments, and big things happening... also I love them but sometimes I overthink memes? like am I funny? embarrasing? will the joke land? oh god now I’m stressed out

LONG OR SHORT REPLIES: no preference! sometimes impact is a stunning prose piece and sometimes it’s a sentence.

BEST TIME TO WRITE: whenever i can tbh. sometimes that’s a nice designated evening with a hot drink and perfect weather and sometimes that’s jotting down a few lines on my phone while waiting for an appointment. the stars don’t always align so I have to be an opportunist.

ARE YOU LIKE YOUR MUSE(S): so roughly 95% of my muses (esp for dnd) tend to, for some reason, be chad fuckboi mc-six-pack-abs, which I am not - but I enjoy writing characters I don’t directly relate to. Wirt specifically is an outlier as I related to him a lot when I was younger but not so much now (though I enjoy his character arc a lot).

tagged by: @rose-goldscales​ (ty!)

tagging: you. do it. now.

[autumnalrefrain]

𝐎𝐂 𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐉𝐈 𝐀𝐒𝐊𝐒!

feel free to tweak questions + all emojis r listed in text form bc i can't see some of them aAAaaAA! sorry if any of these questions are too similar i tried to avoid that but .. there's a lot lol! categorized by emoji type.

i wanted to make one because i could not find one on tumblr already that had a ton of questions. this was created by combining ones under the #oc ask game tag + my own contributions. hi charmymemes nation i'm back.

people

👁️ EYE - what colour are their eyes? do people notice their eyes? is there anything special about them (shows emotion easily, literally magical...)?

🤥 LYING - are they good liars? do they have tells to show they're lying?

👻 GHOST - do they believe in ghosts? what are their "ghostly experiences", if any?

💥 COLLISON - what emotions do they have trouble dealing with?

😭 CRYING - what makes them cry? do they cry easily?

👊 PUNCH - are they quick to violence?

💢 ANGER - what are some habits they have that will take some getting used to?

👪 FAMILY - what is their family like? what is your ocs relationship to them? does your oc have any siblings?

😨 FEARFUL - when scared, do they go into "flight" or "fight"?

💤 SLEEPING - do they fall asleep easily? what helps them sleep?

food & drinks

🥞 PANCAKE - what is their comfort breakfast?

🎂 BIRTHDAY CAKE - when is their birthday? do they like celebrating it?

🍩 DONUT - favourite sweet treat?

🍟 FRIES - do they order food often? or they prefer to cook their own food?

☕️ HOT BEVERAGE - do they prefer hot or cold drinks? what is their favourite drink?

🍓 STRAWBERRY - do they eat their fruit & veg? what is their favourite fruit or vegetable?

🍰 CAKE SLICE - favourite cake flavour? are they specific about types of cakes?

🍧 SHAVED ICE - do they still have any objects from their childhood? what significance does it have to them? what would their reaction be if they lost it?

plants & nature

💐 BOUQUET - create a bouqet for them! what do those flowers mean? are any of the flowers their particular favourite?

🌙 MOON - what is your oc's greatest wish? how far are they willing to go for it?

🌋 VOLCANO - how bad is their temper? is it a slow boil, or a instant explosion?

🌺 HIBISCUS - do they have any allergies?

🍁 MAPLE LEAF - what is their favourite season? why?

🍃 FALLING LEAF - do they enjoy being in nature? what is their favourite outdoor activity?

☀️ SUN - are they a morning person? what is the first thing they do in the morning?

🕷️ SPIDER - what is their biggest fear? do they have any irrational / mundane fears?

🌹 ROSE - do they like valentines day? have they been confessed to before? have they confessed to anyone before?

🙈 SEE-NO-EVIL - whats a side of your oc that they don't want to show other people?

🙊 SPEAK-NO-EVIL - what is something your oc will refuse to stay quiet about?

🙉 HEAR-NO-EVIL - what is the worse thing your oc could hear from someone?

🌱 SEEDLING - what is their most vivid memory from childhood?

🍀 CLOVER - do they believe in luck? are they lucky?

🌏 EARTH - will they give up the world for someone they love? is this decision easy for them?

🌌 MILKY WAY - what was the inspiration behind your oc? what was the first thing you decided about them?

activity

⚾ BASEBALL - can they play sports? what is their best position if they play a team sport? what's their strong suit (speed, power etc.)?

🏊 SWIMMING - can they swim? or are they afraid of water? how well do they swim? how do they feel about swimming in the ocean?

objects

📣 MEGAPHONE - how loud are they? what do they speak like? got a voice claim?

📖 OPEN BOOK - do they like reading? what's their favourite genre?

🪤 MOUSE TRAP - what will always lure them into certain danger? a loved one in danger? a promise of something they are always searching for?

📸 CAMERA - do they enjoy having their picture taken? what's their go-to pose? do they like taking photos? what do they take photos of?

🎭 MASKS - do they act differently around certain people? what's different between the way they act around friends, family, strangers, etc.?

✂️ SCISSORS - what is the "last straw" for them to cut someone out of their life? how easily do they let go of people?

��� LIGHTBULB - is your oc a planner? do they write down every small detail or just wing it?

💎 DIAMOND - how rich are they? can they live the lifestyle they want to?

🎁 PRESENT - what types of presents would they be most happy to receive? are they good at gift giving?

🍼 BABY BOTTLE - what are their thoughts on children?

🔪 KNIFE - how do they react to injury / misfortune befalling their loved ones (significant other, family, friends)? do they put themselves at blame?

👑 CROWN - what does your oc want to be remembered as? why?

✏️ PENCIL - is there a particular quote / lyric that you associate with them?

🎵 MUSIC NOTE - what is their playlist like? their favourite artists? do you associate a particular song with them?

🎤 MICROPHONE - are they good at singing? what is their go-to karaoke song?

🎷 SAXOPHONE - do they play any instruments? are they any good at it?

📚 BOOKS - how were they at school? what is their best subject? what is their worst subject? do they have a favourite subject?

👖 JEANS - what is their go-to outfit?

🎨 PALETTE - can they draw? what do they like to draw?

🎡 FERRIS WHEEL - are they someone who wants to kiss at the top of the ferris wheel?

⏳ HOURGLASS - are they usually late or on-time?

🔫 PISTOL - do they trust people easily? how easily will they turn their back to someone? have they been backstabbed before? will they betray someone if given an ultimatum?

🎀 RIBBON - how would they fit into other worlds / aus? what aus would you like to try out? what fictional world would they fit / not fit into?

📎 PAPERCLIP - a random fact.

📦 PACKAGE - what are some "most likely to..." that can apply to them?

🖍️ CRAYON - what advice would you give to them?

⚙️ GEAR - what are your ocs thoughts on science & art? which do they give more importance to? how much value do they place on each?

🔧 WRENCH - are they good at fixing relationships? or do they tend to avoid doing so?

❇️ SPARKLE - what is their most prized possession? what do they value?

📏 RULER - is your oc well educated? where did they get their learning from?

transport

🚆 TRAIN - what is their answer to the trolley problem?

🚲 BICYCLE - can they ride a bike? what do they remember from learning to ride a bicycle?

weather

🌩️ LIGHTNING - are they scared of lightning?

💧 DROPLET - random angst headcanon

❄️ SNOWFLAKE - do people consider them cold? if so, what made them this way?

🌪️ TORNADO - what is the biggest change you've ever made to them? how have they changed from their original version?

🌈 RAINBOW - what advice would they give to their younger self?

🔥 FIRE - do they have any self destructive tendencies? what habits do they have that hinder them from becoming their best self?

☁️ CLOUD - a soft headcanon

🌟 GLOWING STAR - what do they think about when they look at the night sky? is there someone they want to star gaze with?

🌠 SHOOTING STAR - if they could make any wish with no repercussions, what wish would they make?

☄️ COMET - what do people assume about them? are they right?

hearts

💓 BEATING HEART - what gets their heart racing?

💘 HEART W/ ARROW - what traits do they look for in a relationship? do they believe in love at first sight?

💗 GROWING HEART - if they have a crush, is it noticable? what changes when they're in love?

❤️ RED HEART - their love language(s)?

💙 BLUE HEART - do they miss their s/o easily? how do they act when their s/o isn't around?

💚 GREEN HEART - what things make your oc feel comforted? hugs, kisses, food?

💖 SPARKLING HEART - are they a subtle or a showy lover?

💌 LOVE LETTER - do they like love letters? what kind of messages do they leave for their partner?

💔 BROKEN HEART - what could their partner do that would absolutely break their heart?

[autumnalrefrain]

theunluckiestduck​:

[Oh! That’s on the east coast, right? I don’t think I’ve been there. Calisota’s on the west coast of the u.s, and I don’t travel much anymore.]

He listened as Wirt talked about his experience. The little fella reminded him of his nephew Huey actually; someone who had a good head on his shoulders and was very friendly, but the unknown was well, pretty scary and made his nephew prone to overwhelming himself. He thought for a moment and smiled at the mention of neighbors.

[Indeed! It’s very nice to meet you, Wirt. (he struggled to pronounce his name a bit) I’m not used to having neighbors as I usually live on a boat, but I’m glad to have met you! If you ever need anything my door’s always open.] He took a brief pause so collect his thoughts. He sometimes forgot that his voice could be hard to understand and didn’t want his thought to be lost. [It’s good to know we’re not alone in this place, makes getting through tough spots a lot easier.]

He thought for a moment about how to describe Duckburg,  it honestly wasn’t much different than your ordinary city. [Well, it’s a lot like this place. The main difference really is that well, everyone is a bird, dog, among others and not… well whatever your species is called. It’s uncanny… but what about your world? I hope you don’t mind me asking, but why are you dressed as a gnome? is it a northern thing?] 

He was very intrigued by Wirt, and though Donald was still piecing together how he ended up in this world, there wasn’t any reason why he couldn’t make friends along the way. If his family could do it, then he could too.

"Wait, you have a New Hampshire? I don't think we have a Calisota, though," Wirt furrowed his brow as he attempted to recall whether such a place existed where he was from. "We have a California and Minnesota - not really in the same place - but I guess it'd be almost weirder if everything was the same?"

A little bit of Wirt's anxiety began to dissolve. As daunting as his situation was, it was really pleasant to just chat with someone. Someone who wasn’t abrasive or dismissive, or cut him off in the middle of a sentence with a random nonsensical fact. What was most reassuring was that he didn't feel like he had to put on some sort of mask - he didn't have much of that anywhere, home or otherwise. 

“That’s very kind of you to offer. My door’s open for you, too.” It was strange to think of him having his own place like that. “Maybe you can get a boat here, too. Maybe that’d help you feel more at home?”

"I suppose that makes sense. We have birds and dogs and the such, but they don't really talk. Well, except for this one bird - but she wasn't really a bird, except she was but.." Wirt trails off, in part out of self-consciousness for rambling aimlessly and in part because he was still entirely confused by the uncanny logic of the Unknown.

"A gnome? Oh, no, this is- it's a-" Wirt paused, making a face. What was he supposed to be, anyways? It had been so long. "It was something I kind of put together for Halloween. I'm not usually dressed like this for school, or whatever. Do you have a Halloween? Or any other holidays?"

[autumnalrefrain]

necroticrose​:

“I don’t litter, it’s bad for the environment.” Ignore the child she’s dunked in the trash can behind her, Wirt-

“Um, trash cans don’t usually move on their own though, right?” Wirt is walking over to investigate.

[autumnalrefrain]

theunluckiestduck​:

It would seem Donalds observations had been correct at first. The boy was lost, though as far as Donald was concerned he was glad at least he didn’t scare off the fella. Donald breathed out, releasing some of the nervous energy that he built up from worry. No use in stressing himself out for no reason at least.

Donald understood the feeling of being lost in this place, at least for him it seemed to just be a parallel universe or something, but way more magical and probably more dangerous. Unfortunately, he was likely just as lost as the boy.

[Me? No no, I’m from Duckburg. I have no idea where this place is, or how I ended up here. ] The boy did seem to be older than what he was used to. He had read about how when kids get older they like to be more independent. Still, it seemed the boy was unharmed, easing much of his concerns. Of course Donald preferred to be safe rather than sorry.

[You certainly seem capable! I just wanted to be sure you were okay… well unharmed. Though, I’m guessing you’re not from around here either. Oh! My name’s Donald by the way.] He smiles with the introduction. [This whole world is strange, I’m pretty lost myself honestly.]

Grasping that Donald only had concern for him, Wirt's mood eased slightly. It honestly felt nice to have someone express something that genuine towards him. Not all of his guides in the Unknown were notable examples of compassion. "No, I'm not from here either. I'm from, uhm, New Hampshire? I don't know if where you come from has a New Hampshire..."

"But yes, I'm not injured or anything. For now. Everything just seems so, well, dangerous according to everything I've seen on this place so far," Wirt fretted, trying and somewhat failing not to work himself up into yet another bout of panic just thinking about the horrible things that lurked within this place. He turned his attention on the conversation at hand, trying to focus on his more immediate surroundings and answer the questions asked of him. "My name's Wirt. It looks like we're... neighbors?"

"So, what's Duckburg like? Is it really different from here?" Wirt asked. May as well get to know your neighbors, especially if they're neighbors you wouldn't be able to have anywhere else.

[autumnalrefrain]

passthrough​:

     She’d known it was about to rain— but even if she hadn’t, the woman would have been prepared for it. As Wirt approached the campfire, he’d notice a tarp set up above, tied onto some small trees, and a simple pot nestled against the fire amongst lichen-dusted branches with something boiling within. 

Mao, who had been staring into the flames, would glance over to him— not looking particularly friendly as usual… but as she opened her mouth, no hostility would follow.

“Mm? … Sure. Be my guest,” she nods, gesturing him to come closer with little hesitation. “Almost finished with the tea, so good timing.”

     Digging into the pack at her side, she’d pull out something made of cloth… before tossing it to Wirt as he stepped within the enclosure. It was a bundled-up poncho.

“You can dry up with that. Not much of a towel, but it’ll do.”

Wirt did not need any further encouragement to accept the kind offerings. The poncho was a godsend. While his cloak kept most of the rain off of him, it wasn't perfectly weatherproof, either.

He took a seat across the fire. Now a little more dry, the sound of the storm atop the tarp was almost somewhat soothing, reminding him of dreary days cozied up at home.

"Thank you. I didn't expect the storm to come in so fast - or, well, any storm to come in at all," he admitted sheepishly. As much as he appreciated nature from an aesthetic standpoint, he never considered himself much of an outdoorsman, let alone a survivalist. How he made it as far as he did in the Unknown was a mystery as he reflected on his current struggle.

"You seem really well-prepared though. Did you come out here to camp? Is it s-safe?" Wirt asked, then recalled his manners. "Oh, I'm sorry - I don't believe I ever got your name?"

Rain poured from the heavy storm clouds above, seeming to be incessant. In a way, he was used to dealing with the elements, but that didn't make it any more pleasant.

Why did he think his brother would be out here, in the woods, when there were cities and amusement parks to explore? His curse of overthinking complicated things for him yet again. It was best he give up his search for now before the rain got any worse.

He caught the scent of a campfire, the comforting smell of burning wood filling him with a renewed sense of hope.

A campfire in the rain! Surely that meant people, people capable enough to start a fire in such a storm, and hopefully friendly at that.

"'Scuse me?" Wirt called, cautiously approaching the individual. "Any chance I could wait out the storm here?"

@passthrough

[autumnalrefrain]

Wirt’s first few days in Isola were rife with enough danger to last him a lifetime, though he feared that there would be much more of that in store for him. Though there were enough friendly folks, not everyone - foreign or resident - were always kind.

A flock of chickadees twittered loudly in the canopy, picking through the autumn-ripened seeds before another storm set in. His heart twisting in a pained knot as memories resurfaced, Wirt paused a moment to watch them. He hoped the people he cared about were safe. More importantly, he needed to be safe. Darkness was fast approaching, and it would be best for him to make it back to his lodgings fast. Still, he found himself lingering for just a moment.

“What sins does my heart entomb, that beings of dread darkness dog my every step?” Wirt muttered, so wrapped up in his thoughts that he was entirely oblivious to his surroundings.

@forsakenpumpkin​

[autumnalrefrain]

othernightmareguy​:

          he’d been about to ask what the heck a ‘santa’ was and why did its’ hats look so very much like traffic cones, but then the kid grew frustrated with his comment. he hadn’t actually been trying to rile him up, but when the young man turned to face him, he was all too glad that he had - because he immediately recognized something he hadn’t experienced in millennia.

           fear.

           it was more like a startle, really - small, sudden, and not that strong … but it lingered, and it didn’t fade - and that was what really caught his attention. when the human started to back away, steve reached out a long, spindly arm to place it in on his shoulder in a faux-friendly manner as his grin grew even more. “ ‘sir’? nah, that’s the other nightmare guy - you can call me ‘steve’! ” he moved to place his elbow on the other’s hat now - his levitation making it appear that he were using the “santa” headpiece as support in a casual way.

            “ cool? hmmm … ” steve tapped his chin in a comically overstated gesture of thought. “ now that you mention it, i guess it is! i mean, just think of all the traffic accidents you’ve probably caused! i don’t even have eyes and i thought it was a traffic cone - i imagine people with eyesight better than mine would’ve swerved all over the road if they saw that headgear in the distance. that’s a pretty good prank! ” the nightmare entity pretended to examine his nails with a smirk; the kid seemed like an anxious sort - maybe the threat of accidental destruction in his wake could spook him again. 

Wirt’s panic launched into overdrive.

His hands trembled uncontrollably as what he could only describe as a manifestation of all the things he feared drew closer. Finding himself rooted to the spot, he could only wring his hands helplessly as he stuttered out replies.

“Other nightmare guy? There are more of you?” Wirt gulped, his imagination already spinning wildly. Why did all eldritch beings have to be so cryptic and hauntingly shrouded in darkness?

For a split second, the absurdity of such a being named “Steve” almost snapped him out of his panic, but any possibility at regaining his bearings evaporated with the entity’s description of how Wirt, all on his own, could wreak more havoc than he could ever dream of with a single fashion statement. In the wake of these possibilities, any sarcasm or teasing were entirely lost on him.

“Accidents? N-no, I don’t think- you don’t think I could’ve caused any accidents? Oh god, I think I saw a car right before - no, it was just turning. I guess it was going kind of fast, though, so what if it did see me and think-? Oh, no, what have I done..” Wirt rambled, his imagination spinning out of control.

[autumnalrefrain]

Isola was a place that hovered on the edge of familiar and foreign for Wirt, reminding him of the best and worst of both his home and the Unknown. It made his head spin as he tried to comprehend the where's and why's at every point. Sometimes, he would shut his eyes and hope that he would be home. Yet the hours turned into days, and his situation did not change.

The Unknown had wavered between welcoming and dangerous, and as much as it burdened him to have to look over his brother, it had been a comfort to have family with him, especially someone capable of bringing a spark of optimism into situations where he otherwise would be drowning in his own pessimism. In an attempt to avoid such negativity, Wirt had set out to explore a part of Archimedes that sounded pleasant from the little bits of information he was able to gather. However, his attempt was more or less futile, his spiraling thoughts unable to be interrupted. He kept his head down, lost in his endless worries.

The streets grew a little more dense with pedestrians as he approached the center of a charming Archimedean village. Wirt contemplated ducking into the nearest store, hoping to avoid the crowd and get a breath of peace.

@sxnburst

[autumnalrefrain]

Rain poured from the heavy storm clouds above, seeming to be incessant. In a way, he was used to dealing with the elements, but that didn't make it any more pleasant.

Why did he think his brother would be out here, in the woods, when there were cities and amusement parks to explore? His curse of overthinking complicated things for him yet again. It was best he give up his search for now before the rain got any worse.

He caught the scent of a campfire, the comforting smell of burning wood filling him with a renewed sense of hope.

A campfire in the rain! Surely that meant people, people capable enough to start a fire in such a storm, and hopefully friendly at that.

"'Scuse me?" Wirt called, cautiously approaching the individual. "Any chance I could wait out the storm here?"

@passthrough

[autumnalrefrain]

Ohh, this was bad. Bad, bad, bad! Wirt thought, scampering away from a flock of pixies hot on his tail.

It was truly all a misunderstanding, really!

According to one of the directories, there should be some sort of library in the Cotes ward. Wirt figured it was more of a start of finding his way around the place.

It was easy enough to travel there, but was disheartened when he learned that he would have to track down the library on foot. Wirt found himself turned around and, naturally, sought the first sentient creature to cross his path for help.

It wasn't his fault that the pixies were offended that he had nothing to trade for directions! He'd just gotten there, after all.

The pixies chased after him, giggling as they threatened to steal the very buttons off of his cloak. At this point he, cared little about finding the library and more about getting anywhere safe.

"Help!"

@grimflyer