panwati

[panwati]

and if i said ari's dreaming just makes everyone else extremely southern what then-

[panwati]

starter call for the resident demon puncher. length may vary along with seriousness. no cap for now but we'll see how long that lasts—

[panwati]

starter call for the resident demon puncher. length may vary along with seriousness. no cap for now but we'll see how long that lasts—

[panwati]

For all that she'd been livid when the stupid 'joke' had happened, all she can really feel now is tired. Being angry is a talent of hers- or it's felt like it, ever since she was sixteen- but that was at circumstances. At things that were far outside of her control. People who were terrible to her or others. She's never really been this angry at someone she likes for any extended period of time.

It's exhausting.

All she wants to do is check up on him and make sure he's taking care of himself. Yet every time she pauses outside his door, she remembers the way she'd felt, last time she'd spoken to him, and how much it hurt- but she also knows he couldn't have known what would set her off. How that in particular would bother her immensely.

"It ain't..." A sigh, slow and anxious as she turns the cookie in her hand between her fingers. "It's not... your fault. Well, sorta, but not really, either. I know y' probably didn't mean anythin' by it. It's not th' kinda person you are. I just..."

She hops up on the counter, and pats the space next to her.

"...I haven't had a good time. With things like that. And I shouldn't have taken it out on you when you were just tryin' t' have some fun."

Titus stops by his bathroom before he heads over, stepping over empty wine and beer bottles by his bedside in the process. he splashes water on his face, ties back his slightly tangled hair-- pauses. there's marks on his neck. of course there are.

he sighs, lets his hair fall back over his shoulder, and slips the hair tie onto his wrist.

the door is open when he arrives and Titus pushes it open softly, greeted with the smell of freshly baked cookies. it's a comforting smell, one he's grown used to experiencing at her house. sometimes, if he focused really hard, he could smell it out in the hallways between their condos. it was a particular form of torture, to smell the fruits of her stress baking while knowing that he caused her that stress.

"Um...Ari, I..." he looks at her, really looks at her, and it's suddenly too much. he looks at absolutely anything else. the floor, the counter, the cookie in her hand. "I'm really sorry. I didn't...realize that what I said was going to hurt you like that. It played like a joke in my brain, but I realize that my experiences are not universal. I dunno what you've been through and I guess I just...I just really hate that I made you feel like that. I haven't been a good friend."

[panwati]

"...dang, all'a that's wild." She's just gonna. Slurp her milkshake and carry on with her day. Thank the lord she's not dealing with any of that nonsense!

[panwati]

"Yo, Ari! Happy Birthday! Gift delivery!" Titus knocks on her door twice and sets the present down on her doormat. No way was he gonna keep carrying it-- it was heavy. Still in its box is a brand new stand mixer with a bow messily stuck on top. Hopefully it could make her stress baking involve less...stress? Under the bow is also the receipt...just in case she wanted to return it or, y'know, be reassured that her gift wasn't stolen goods. There's also a handmade card that is very reminiscent of something a grade-schooler would make, right down to the handwriting. The words (possibly written in crayon) simply say: Happy Birthday!! Love ya always, Golden Boy.

"Comin', comin'-!" She hadn't actually intended on celebrating her birthday besides maybe making herself a few drinks later- honestly, she'd only mentioned it to make a stupid joke at first. That he'd remembered- and gotten her a present besides- is a nice surprise. Though she's not entirely prepared for just how nice a surprise it actually is. When she opens the door, she nearly trips over the box, hefting it up with one arm to blink at the pictures of the machine with in in stark shock.

Had she mentioned she'd been mixing everything by hand...? She must have- that or he'd noticed one of the times he'd wandered in ready to drink.

Noting the receipt- which she tucks into her pocket just in case anything's fussed- she yips a 'gimme a sec!' and turns to bustle the machine onto her kitchen counter. Once that's done, she darts back to the door, to throw her arms around Titus's shoulders, planting a kiss square on his cheek. She's beaming, bright and fond, and runs her hands through his hair gently before pulling away.

"Y' wanna come hang out while I give it a test run? Was just gonna buy a birthday cake, but I think I got enough stuff t' make a small one we can share." And really, she'd probably just let him take the rest home.

Another pause, and she grabs him by the arm, tugging him in regardless.

"Yeah, c'mon. Y' can help me out by makin' sure I don't get too messed up before I drop in on that weddin' later. Makin' ya my mandatory plus-one as thanks for th' gift. An' hey- cake twice in one day. You're makin' out like a bandit."

[panwati]

🔤🖋

send 🔤🖋 to vespy-fy your muse’s name || not accepting !

[panwati]

guess whose birthday is tomorrow!!!!

[panwati]

✨ ~ (do i have an ari wol? yes. do i wanna see what you'd do? also yes-)

FANTASIA! ( not accepting! )

a hyur woman of great potential, a beacon of light for those in the dark. misfortune followed like a plague; steady and sparse at first, but it grew along with her. a shadow loomed over her fate for too long until the world itself offered its aid: until She reached out. a gift -- a blessing -- of light for one in need of it, offering a means of combating the darkness that slowly wished to consume her.

perhaps such a gift was too sudden, or too much, as it left its mark upon ari's person in the form of white streaks throughout her hair. when the shadows are deep, much light is needed to banish them, after all.

with this newfound blessing, however, she began a journey to better equip herself for the battles ahead, gradually making a name for herself in the process. like a holy judge of the worlds evils, a beacon of hope for many. some might even deem to call her their "warrior of light".

( she keeps a set of jobstones fixed into bracelets over her wrists, making the need to switch east and convenient when needed. )

[panwati]

SLEEP TOKEN LYRICS

"No one told you where to go."

"My, my, those eyes like fire."

"I'm a winged insect, you're a funeral pyre."

"I'm a waking hell and the gods grow tired."

"Grow back your sharpest teeth you know my desire."

"Well, yeah, I spit blood when I wake up."

"I'll take a pound of your flesh before you take a piece of my paystub."

"I need you to see me for what I have become."

"No amount of love will keep it around if we don't choose it."

"Don't you know I could see it in you even then?"

"Are you really okay?"

"I want to help you but I don't know how."

"I don't believe you when you tell me are fine."

"You want someone to be your reflection, you bitter deception."

"Who made you like this?"

"Won't you come and dance in the dark with me?"

"Show me what you are, I am desperate to know."

"'Cause anything's better than the way I feel right now."

"Is there something you give, that you will never receive in return?"

"Do you wish that you loved me?"

"Can you ever forgive yourself?"

"There's something eating me alive, I don't know what it is."

"Do you ever believe that we can turn into different people."

"You've got my body, flesh and bone."

"Take me past the edge."

"I want to see the other side."

"My love, did I mistake you for a sign from God?"

"I'd be lying if I told you that I didn't wish that I could be your man."

"When we were made it was no accident."

"You've got me in a chokehold."

"My love is an animal call, cutting through the darkness, bouncing off the walls."

"Putting down the roses, picking up the sword."

"Between the pain and the way you look, I'm stuck in a time where the mountains shook."

"These days I'm a picture frame, screaming at the sunshine singing in the rain."

[panwati]

"Eh, I know how it is." Her temper is... a little better now, but when she was around his age, she'd been a little bit of a nightmare. (She still could be, on a bad enough day.) "Well, depends. How hungry are ya, an' whaddaya like t' eat? Some things're fine t' get from takeout, but some are jus' loads better when y' make 'em at home, y' know?"

    ❝ Oh. ❞ he refused to let the mild embarrassment that swept over him leak into his voice, but the hand that moved up to rub that back of danny's neck was evidence enough. ❝ Sorry, I just—I didn't mean to be touchy. ❞ adults looking down on him was a sore spot for the halfa, whether he wanted to admit it or not. ❝ But... ❞ weight shifted to one leg as he shrugged, head ducking in a manner that could only be called sheepish. ❝ I mean, if you're offering. I wouldn't say... no. To whatever. You know. ❞ smooth, daniel.

[panwati]

Now she's starting to feel even worse. She's never made anyone react like this, even by accident. Her eyes follow the slightly frantic motions to grab cleaning supplies and wonders if she shouldn't offer to help. Is it technically her fault? Should she ask if she needs help?

"Uh... I guess?" She manages to mutter after a moment, almost smiling somewhat awkwardly, though she doesn't quite do it. It's probably better that she didn't.

"Ohhhh. That's kinda a whole different thing, ain't it? Bein' your boss an' all. But if he's that nice though, then y' don't really gotta worry, do ya?"

And maybe she doesn't really need to offer to help.

Hanabi's muscles tense and she can feel herself getting hotter and hotter from extreme embarrassment when she hears the lady's voice.

"Aha! YEAH--I MEAN NO! It's TOTES MY GOATS, not your fault!" Yes, Totes her goats. She doesn't want to embarrass herself even further so she works quickly YET carefully to start cleaning up the mess.

"I'm sure too! U-Uhm, I'm just being a little too hard on myself. Y'know?" Wait, maybe she shouldn't have said that? Maybe she should...LAUGH? "Eh...heeehh.."

She retrieves a bucket and plenty of paper towels and towels to clean the mess. The canvas will be taken care of lastly. She has to clean off the paint.

"Oh! But Mister Wolfwood isn't a friend. He's my boss! He's the owner of this place and he's really, really kind. Even though he's super, super tall."

[panwati]

"Too domestic?" Frowning slightly, she looks at him with a curious expression. "I dunno, I hear it gets real hectic when weird things start happenin' around here." She's not sure how hectic exactly, but even then, 'domestic' is the last way she'd refer to this place.

Smiling slightly at his thoughtfulness, she shakes her head.

"Nah, I'm fine! I'm kinda jus' wanderin'! If ya got somethin' t' do though, don't let me keep ya, darlin'."

"Yeah..." He doesn't find her excitement on the information all that weird, especially when his acquaintances were much friendlier than he considered himself to be.

"It's comforting to know that I have allies to rely on here, sure. Though, it's a bit too domestic here for that kind of support." Business as always...He's going to have to learn friendship here.

Right, though, they were at a party!

"!! I'm not keeping you, am I?"

[panwati]

"Risky t' me is like... startin' a fistfight with somethin' big an' unholy when y' realize y' forgot your bullets." Her fingers twist around the ends of her hair slightly and she huffs. "Accidentally endin' up naked jus' sounds mortifyin'. I mean, folks should be so lucky t' get t' see, but-!" Wait, that sounded... really arrogant, didn't it? But she'd be lying if she said she thought it wasn't true.

Of course, he keeps going, and she makes another sputtering noise.

"Listen, you're real pretty, mister Zev, but uh..."

Well, she can't actually find a reason why she wouldn't otherwise. There aren't any pretty elf men where she's from- it might be... interesting. So she sighs and shrugs.

"I'm Amrita. Ari, if y' prefer. S' nice t' meet ya."

"But that is what makes life interesting, no? A little risk?"

she doesn't seem to realize just yet that he's teasing her, which just makes this conversation that much more fun for the assassin.

"Is that so? A shame, then." he wouldn't have been opposed if she had planned on it. (not that anything would have happened)

but right, yes, introductions.

"Of course. It's Zevran. And if I may ask yours...?"

[panwati]

Retracting her hand with a pursing of her lips, Ari watches him for a moment, then sighs. Honestly, people in this place...

"I'm fine. I've taken harder hits'n a little conk from an accidental head-knock. Outta be fine."

DAMN. ROCK solid head and he's not thinking about her own. His head is fine. Maybe he sees a little bit of stars, but that's as far as his discomfort goes.

"I don't think you should be worrying about my head." He's not taking the hand that offered to help him up, but he is taking the round piece of item he needs for his project at hand. "is your head alright?" It's only right he'd ask and check up on her right? He isn't TOO bad with socializing.

[panwati]

"Eh, better'n lettin' me drop 'em all over th' place, if ya ask me." Besides, she can appreciate a good deed when it's been done, even if the other person doesn't think much of it.

At the offer to pay her pack, Ari tilts her head in visible (and audible, given her soft 'huh?') confusion.

"Why would ya need t' gimme somethin' in exchange? It's a thanks for helpin' me out. That's like... thankin' me for thankin' ya, an' if we do that, we'll be goin' in circles 'bout it til th' cows come home." If she could, she'd wave her hand, but she can't so she just gives her head a little sideways tilt, dismissive.

"An' yeah, I live up in four-two-five. How 'bout you?"

Free food? This lady was generous. Wang Yi hesitates but eventually accepts, putting on a friendly smile.

"Oh thanks, haha. It wasn't a big deal though."

"I don't really bake but I can uh, cook you something nice in exchange!"

There were desserts like that too, right? Anyways, he wasn't about to owe a debt even if the gift was something minor.

"Do you live nearby? I was just checking out the neighborhood today, to be honest."

[panwati]

"Religious trauma," she repeats, in a way that also says she knows he knows what she means. "It's..." A small frown, pensive, fingers twisting together. Her eyes drop to the side, and she gestures with her hands a bit, floundering. "I know people ain't... supposed t' think about it. Or talk about it. Or- at least I think folks think that talkin' about it means it removes them from it entirely an' it's... it's complicated, ain't it? It's all y' know, an' y' wanna get away from it, but y' don't wanna admit y' wanna get away from it, 'cause then what's it say about ya? What's that mean sufferin' all of it was for? But..."

Her anxiety seems to calm slightly head turning away.

"It wasn't always all bad, was it? An' it's usually not... th' religion so much as what y' get put through for it. What other people try an' tell ya it is. What it should mean an' how y' should do it an' all. So recontextualizin'... can help. I think. Or at least make it a lil' easier t' handle." A pause, another tiny, faint frown as she looks down at her hands.

"...most things're easier t' handle when y' don't do it alone."

Gabriel stills, sharply, despite her tone, before forcing himself to move again. "Religious what," he says, frowning.

It's not a term he's ever thought to apply to himself, nor something anyone had mentioned; sure, he knows of it—who doesn't? but angels didn't get that.

angels also don't get boyfriends and pets and, he thinks unbidden, and Gabriel's not sure if it's a good point or if he should be fucking disgusted by himself. Maybe both. He can't really think more about this without his brain going kind of fuzzy.

It's a bit of a rude question to ask a stranger, anyway. At least she's to the point?