#Look it's got a tophat

[delicateartisantrash]

Frogge

Here is a humble ribbet for your dash

[schneiderenjoyer]

I love Vertin.

[cloudydayjoy]

Punk(?) rock edition doodles.

Mike and Miriam belong to @joeyprotozoa

[sadrockandwaltzes]

Bill!

[aratinatophat]

Y’all.

Look

At

This

Little

GUY!!!!

Little 1 quid charity shop bargain!!! I love him!!

[phoenixthefurb]

I miss sentient marmaliser billboard. (context in the tags)

[citrinitxs]

"Albedo! What do you think of my latest painting? It's titled 'Emergency Food'."

The Traveler placed both hands on her hips in a proud fashion, lips curved upwards into a smile - albeit a somewhat mischievous one.

"I'd say it's a masterpiece!"

"...!! What is this!? Is this frog-eyed creature supposed to be me!? Paimon does not look like that at all! You completely failed to capture any of my cuteness or charm!"

// Hellooo!!! I may have changed blogs but I'm still very much interested in writing with your Albedo. <3

"Hm? ... Ah."

Now, normally, nothing could surprise the alchemist. ALBEDO has seen enough things to be 'immune' to the shock, and he knew that best. Hell, he wasn't even caught off-guard after the last incident he had to deal with the traveler and the others.

But... This was different. And granted, he should've known better than to assume for any other outcome, as he learned with the end result.

To begin with, the composition was good. He gave her supplies to begin painting (she decided to give it a try, which made him... Giddy, in his own way), and he told her that he will help her in case any issues may come up in the session. Though, he was expecting for something... Worse.

... Maybe he has his expectations too low. After all, it wasn't as bad as when one of the Guards (Guy) tried it and gave it to Albedo for a 'review'. That was a disaster he didn't wish to relive in.

Hearing PAIMON's complaints, the alchemist was at a loss. Crossing his arms, he looked at the painting again, trying to think of a way to... Express his thoughts before him.

"That... Is certainly a masterpiece," he told her, but his expression seem to morph to a bemused expression.

"Though, there are ways to make it better—if your companion doesn't mind, of course."

[helluva-hazbins]

I think my Husk prefers a Bowler Derby style hat.

[jadecantcreate]

day 18 of legends of avantris shiptober: tattoo/flower shop! additional thoughts/explanations below the cut

i couldnt decide whether i wanted to do kremy -> flower and gideon -> tattoo or the other way around, so i ended up doing both

for the first one, i gave kremy a sunhat (?) to replace his tophat, adorned with an ornamental queen of the night flower; a little gardener apron thing; a necklace; and, most importantly, a semi translucent shirt with bell sleeves and embroidered deadly nightshades (fruit and flower), lillies of the valley, and orchids throughout. i especially like kremy as a florist because hes such a meticulous cook and i feel like that eye for precision and detail carries over nicely (plus he’d know how to curse someone’s entire bloodline for decades to come in flower) as for gideon, he kept his suspenders (of course), but i gave him cargo pants(tm) and a tank top, as well as a handful of tattoos: a sleeve with fire and smoke, a spiral patterned sun tattoo, and a tick tattoo. it sounds random (and it kind of is), but let me explain: so, im brazilian and i cannot stop projecting onto characters about it. we have this expression (“ai ai ai, carrapato não tem pai”) that roughly translates to “oh oh oh, ticks don’t have fathers” — it doesn’t really have a set meaning, it’s more just an exclamation loosely used whenever you’re mildly annoyed/inconvenienced by something (not really, but thats the best way i can put it). hfsskfjksf yes its a cruel joke (iykyk…sorry gideon fans) but i imagine his dad said that a lot (kind of like how everyone has a specific phrase they use often?) and itd be a way to pay homage to him yk…maybe he got a tick when he was a little kid and his dad took care of him…in my mind it carries personal meaning

for the second one, i gave gideon a little utility belt thing (with different small supplies he can carry around, maybe some seed bags?), gardener apron (look google didnt give me a conclusive answer—), and gloves. muscular calves: out. bare for the world to see <3 his apron thing has a pouch that is embroidered with red and orange lillies. kremys design has fancy flare pants with lace thingamajings in the inner corners, a necklace, a black turtleneck top, and a fishnet shrug. his tattoos are a mustache (obviously), an outline of his humerus bone, a raven, an ornate key, and three symbols (a crescent moon, a skull, a teardrop shape) vertically aligned

[deadbeat-motel]

ᑕᕼEᖇᖇIᗷOᗰᗷ ᗩᑎᗪ ᔕIᖇᑭEᑎTIOᑌᔕ ᖇEᗪEᔕIGᑎ

The last two designs for the main cast. With these two done, I can finally work on miscellaneous characters that I've been eyeing the most.

Again, thoughts below the cut:

My issues with their Original designs:

Sir Pentious:

I thought I would only have one thing to say about him (the unnecessary eyes) since he was my favorite in the entire original cast but having taken a closer look at him for this, I saw a lot of things that bothers me.

Too many eyes. specifically the lower half of his body has too many eyes and it seems detrimental to him. It's kind of painful to think about it since I do not think we ever see those eyes close. Is he just slithering on the ground with those exposed eyes? That's got to be irritating at best and damaged at worst as he continuously slithers on them.

There are eyes on the bowtie and the hat? There are already 4 extra eyes on his hood, so why have even more? I get that the original Pentious design was basically a monsterous amalgamation of eyes but the eye thing could have been scrapped altogether.

While his palette was the least red out of the cast (More so composed of yellows), it still blends in with the rest of the reds.

The claws are an unnecessary repeating design trait (Alastor and Vox notably have them too). I don't think it would've been too big of a difference to just keep his fingers fully black.

The stripes on his suit are too thick. It's called pinstripes for a reason.

I don't like how the hat is shaped to fit the head, It's awkward.

not a point, but I just wanted to say how the blue color palette works really well with him in that last episode.

CherriBomb:

She's not that bad of a design (She's sort of bland in my opinion) but it's the little small details about her that makes her so simple and also so complicated at the same time. There are so many batches of freckles scattered everywhere, little explosion lines on her skirt as well as the X on her chest, the tattoos are a jamble of random loops and bombs, and her tattering doesn't have an easy shape to consistently draw.

The thought process for these two:

Mx. Pentious:

Pentious goes by both Sir/Miss/Mx. but uses she/they pronouns.

Minimized the actual amount of eyes on her, I kept it only to her actual eyes and those on her hood.

Gave her a butterfly-shaped hood. It's nothing deep since it stems from the fact the notches in Sir Pentious' hood almost looked like one to my bad eyesight. I decided to play more into that idea.

I read some posts where people talk about how Sir Pentious should have a snout and while I understand why and fully support people giving him one, I really didn't want to add the snout to this design. It drove me crazy since I'm not a big fan of it. I tried a compromise where her head was shaped more like Phineas.

Kept the tophat but removed its eye and mouth. If I remember correctly, Viv took that from one of her co-workers from the pilot. I decided to just have it as a regular tophat.

It doesn't have all the colors, but her design does have the Neptunic flag.

I'm not sure if this even is a real snake but I based Mx. Pentious' design on this:

CherriBomb:

Scraped most of her features in exchange for a sukeban theme. I personally have zero knowledge about the punk scene in Australia.

A majority of the suggestions I received for her rough draft had something to do with the skirt. I elongated it and gave it a slit in which the magenta from the inside is able to pop out.

Thought it would be a cute detail to have her hair explode if she's angry.

----

Apologies this took too long to be posted, Life got in the way as well as the fact I was feeling shitty about Pentious' first draft. Her skin was an awkward and ugly shade of green and seeing some posts critical of Pentious' design got me to think a little bit more about what direction I'd like to move her redesign.

You could see this in the earlier rough sketches but this was how Pentious' first redesign looked like

[babsvibes]

To see your fortune, keep reading. Thank you @drawthething for the perfect spooky cute graphic, and happy halloween!

The Jack-O’-Lentil Burger

Lemme see, gimme your hand, come on come on. Oh. Oh wooow, yeah I’m getting some big energy here. Huge. It’s saying… you want an ice cream sundae with lots of chocolate sauce and nuts on the side. Or wait, maybe I’m just hungry. Or wait! Maybe not. This could be a sign that you should look for the sweeter things in life. Do it on purpose! Say “I’m gonna be sweet to me” … no go on say it. “I’m gonna be sweet!” There you go, there they are. Hey maybe you can find a bunch of trick-or-treaters and swipe a candy or two, haha! Just kidding… To enjoy the sweeter things in life, reblog fanart you enjoy with something nice in the tags!

If Looks Could Kale Burger

And that’s when I tell Ginger “hey, who’s the one driving this mustard on wheels” and she goes- huh? Ohhh, right right, the fortune thing, right. You should, uh, avoid dark tunnels and also take an umbrella. For the dark tunnel. Wait no don’t go in the dark tunnel. Wait, let me see your hand again. To always have an umbrella if you need one or don’t, find one of your favorite posts and reblog it again!

Beets of Burden Burger

Oh! Ah, nuts. You, uh, might not like this one. You’re going to lose something soon. It's not the end of the world, but it’s not fun either. Like, oh, one time I lost Gene’s favorite nickel. That was a rough two weeks. He couldn’t even be bribed with special crackers! Sorry, hon. To find your lost item or Gene’s favorite nickel, spend three minutes with a project you’re working on!

Texas Chainsaw Mass-Curd Burger

Look at you, so pretty, such a lovely face. And your hands! Oh, I’d kill for these hands. Not that I would, no I wouldn’t… maaaybee :) Okay, let’s see. Oooo I love it, you’re going to get good news soon! Maybe from me because I won’t steal your hands? Probably not, but there is good news coming. Alriiight, good one! To keep Linda from stealing your hands, leave a comment on one of your favorite fanfics!

Rest in Peas Burger

Uhhn yuhh yuhh gagaga oo… I got it! You know that thing? You know, the thing? Yeah, I think a solution is coming your way. But you might not like it. What’s important is that you look on the sunny side, and there is a sunny side! That’s what I tell my Bobby all the time. He uh… he’s getting there with the whole cheery thing. Sorta. To enjoy a "Keep Your Sunny Side Up and Your Cloudy Side Down, Stay Positive, Bobby, Things Are Gonna Be Okay Burger,” spend three minutes with a project you’re working on!

Every Breath You Tikka Masala Burger

Come on, what do we got? Hmmm, oh yeah it’s coming to me. I’m seeing… three bats and a purple tophat. The bats can’t wear the tophat. It doesn’t fit their head. Oh god, they’re trying anyway. Don’t do that, little bats! You’ll get smooshed! N- oh, no, okay yeah they’re fine. And they’re so cute, awww dressed up in their hats, adorable. I think that’s a good thing? To… accept whatever that was, share a draft that you’re proud of!

Sympathy for the Deviled Egg Burger

You might need to give me a minute, my brain bucket feels busted. Tina’s got a spooky secret admirer, and we’ve been trying to figure out who it is all day. Being a fortune teller isn’t an easy job, but neither is being a mom! Haha! Noo I love it, I love it. Maybe your fortune should be thanking someone who has helped you grow? Hmm, I AM getting a strong sense of loyalty. Maybe check in on someone, and make sure to let them know how you’re doing too. To spread the love, send a kind ask to a blog you admire!

Onion-Tended Consequences Burgers

Oh my god! Is this blood on your hands?! Or is it… tch, it’s just a bit of ketchup, so silly! Are you a prankster or a murderer? You were just eating fries? Yeah okay, sure sure sweetie… um, your fortune is that sometimes people jump to conclusions. Sometimes even you. Take a second and remember most people are just being a little silly, not intentionally mean. And most people are definitely not going to tell their husbands they met a murderer today. To get away with any other alleged crimes, post a headcanon or find one you enjoy and share it!

Human Polenta-Pede Burger

Mmmmhhhmm mmm umuinimumunim. Oh no. Sweetie, I’m so sorry, but you’re going to get food stuck in your teeth. And it’s going to be green! And the waiter’s going to see! Oh this is horrible, maybe we can take your teeth out? No, no we can’t do that… To laugh it off with the waiter, spend three minutes with a project you’re working on!

I’ve Created a Muenster Burger

Now this is a juicy one! Did you do something a liiittle naughty? Something involving the letter M? Or J? Or B? Oh yeah, I can tell, but that’s okay! Everyone has a bit of a wild story they’re hiding. Like this one time, I turned my back on Louise when she was a baby for two seconds! Two! And the next thing I know, she had crawled on top of the fridge with a packet of Froo Froo Fruities snacks and refused to come down. Can you believe that? Ohhh, but she was fine. She doesn’t even remember the bump she took coming down, so it all turned out okay. You’ll turn out okay too, I promise. To lessen the swelling, recommend a fanwork to someone!

[aka-indulgence]

Batter Up

Happy bday @llamagoddessofficial , most amazing person in the world :] I hope you enjoy baseball Ramattra kisses ehehehe

(Baseball Ramattra x F!Reader)

—————

You have a sip of your (intentionally) spiked punch, more to look distracted rather than actually wanting to drink the concoction. The Iris baseball team sat on the bleachers, lounging and chatting amongst themselves, (looking particularly masculine and attractive.) Ramattra, the largest of them all. sat further up, keeping to himself as usual. He throws his head back and chugs a can of Sparks Soda aggressively, before he slams the entire thing against his head and crushes it.

You grit your teeth. You would feel a little guilty for staring at him for so long, if the reason you were looking at all was because he stared first.

As if on cue, the omnic turns and looks you square in your eyes, and you almost spill your punch from the shock, quickly drinking it to avoid his eyes.

You don’t know what Ramattra’s unbroken gaze for you meant. The guy had quite the reputation for being a rough, aggressive type, while also being silent. He didn’t talk much to anyone beside his ‘brother’ Zenyatta, the pitcher of the team. It was obvious to see where he got said reputation from. Whenever he was on the field, he’d bat like a monster.

And whenever you watched him during his games, everytime he hits and gets to a base, he would always look for you in the crowd and stare. Just like he’s doing tonight. You came to the party earlier than the baseball team, and when they walked in it’s like Ramattra was surprised to see you there, and after he sat, he didn’t even try to hide his glaring from you.

You’ve been checking every now and again to see if he was still looking. He always was. The only reason you were able to look at him uninterrupted for so long in the first place, was because one of his mates called on him to ask him something. You can’t quite make out what he’s saying, but you’d recognize Ramattra’s soft, digitized growling voice anywhere.

“Hey, you ok?” Vitri gently prods you. The omnic was wearing a tux-patterned t-shirt and a costume store-bought tophat, and looking at him gave you a bit of levity from how ridiculous he appears.

“You’ve been really quiet.”

“Sorry, it’s just… it’s Ramattra. He’s been staring at me all night. And I mean I know he always stares but- am I crazy? He’s really looking at me right?”

Vitri turns towards the men sitting on the bleachers and hisses. “No, yeah, he’s definitely looking at you.”

“Why’s he always doing that? Does he have some beef with me or something I’m not aware of?”

Vitri’s finger clink against his chin. “Actually… I’m not in the campus’ baseball community or anything but, I’ve heard from the grapevine that he likes you.”

“Ramattra? Likes me??” You laugh in disbelief. “I’m sorry but how? I heard he doesn’t like humans all that much,”

“That’s what I thought too, but I also heard that he likes you. I don’t know! Not like I’m friends with the guy, haha.”

“It’s… a bit hard for me to see. He has uh, ‘I want to kill you’ vibes. Have you ever experienced having someone hold a bat give you after hitting?”

“Eh, I guess not. Look, if he keeps bothering you like this, you need to confront him about it.”

“Ha! As if, even without the staring he’s already scary!”

“Yeah, well, if you’re up for it someday, I’ll back you up. I’m not letting some brute get away with making you feel unsafe, ok?”

That’s… actually really sweet. Right now other than the staring, the omnic hasn’t done anything too weird. Nonetheless, it gets you to smile. “Thanks Vitri. I’ll hold you to it,”

Vitri nods.

“Well, I’m going to get some more more of that cocktail Neela’s making. I don’t know what she has in them other than Refizer but damn, it’s so good. Don’t mind me if I get buzzed later,”

“Go ahead,” you tell him, while swirling your unfinished punch, “I’ve still got this to finish.”

You lean against the wall and look away from the… distractingly intimidating omnic, at the rest of the room. There’s a group of girls, humans and omnics on the other side of the bleachers, chatting among themselves, their bright phone screens shining on their face, tittering. There’s a human couple on the same table as an omnic table clinking their glasses together. Vitri was at Neela’s drink station and the omnics were in discussion with a human girl- apparently Neela could make human drinks too, impressing her.

It wasn’t a high bar or anything, but it makes you grateful to have picked a uni that fosters a healthy human-omnic environment.

Now that you’re not looking at the scary baseball player, you enjoy your drink more. It’s still cold, and there’s a blend of soda and something fruity in it that tastes refreshing. You think you’ll need to ask Neela about her blends sometime.

Someone taps your shoulder. You turn around expecting Vitri to be back with his drink, but instead you’re faced with an unpleasant face.

Mick stands there, his weight on one foot, swiping his hair ‘candidly’. You certainly weren’t expecting him to ever approach you. Why was he even here? This party felt a little too low-key for the likes of him.

“Hey, what’s up girl? What’re you doing all alone here? Your boyfriend ditch you?”

“Vitri’s not my boyfriend, and he’s just over there. I’m just trying to enjoy myself here,”

“Hey, isn’t that what everyone’s trying to do in this life? We’re just trying to get the little pleasures in life before we die…”

Why is he trying to get all philosophical? Was this his idea of hitting a girl? You don’t know what is it about him, but him standing so close to him makes the air feel… itchy. He makes your skin feel hot and prickle, less like romantic blushing and more like you fell into a bush of nettles.

“Haha, I guess,” please leave please leave please leave-

“Hey, since we’re here, why don’t you and I go somewhere private and have some of that ‘little joys in life’?”

And there it was. Mick was well known for sleeping around a lot, and you heard him and his little gang liked to make a challenge out of it, which… you didn’t think real people like that existed, yet here you are.

You scoffed. “What the hell dp you think you’re doing right now? Sorry, but I think you looked in the wrong place. Go to a club or something, not a campus get-together,”

“Aw, c’mon babe, I’m not always a hardcore partier. I like a good time no matter where it comes from! I heard nerdy girls can get freaky too,”

I’m going to be sick, you thought to yourself. This must be one of those ‘challenges’ you’ve heard about. You can’t imagine why else he would be here.

“Look- you don’t even know my name, Mick. No, don’t even try. I’m not looking for a one-night stand, ok? Go try your luck somewhere else people are trying to enjoy themselves, in peace,” you emphasized with your fingers.

His face scrunched into irritation, and you’re glad, because there’s finally some mutual ground you could stand on. He drops his ‘flirting voice’ into something more natural and authentic- even if it sounded nasty.

“Come on. I know you’re not some dead-inside loser. Stop acting like you’re all high and mighty for rejecting me, you could use a guy to change up that bitchy tone of yours-”

You were about to start yelling when his hand reaches for your shoulder, but he stops. He looks over your shoulder and you could see the blood draining from his face.

A hand settles on your shoulder, distinctly metal.

“... Leave.” A dangerously soft voice spoke from behind you. Without another word, Mick scrams, running off with a tail between his legs.

You almost want to run yourself, recognizing the voice. You can’t believe that out of everyone, he came to your rescue.

“Ramattra?”

His face was shadowed by the cap he still had on. His height meant that at this distance, you had to tilt your head up towards him. Normally the fact that omnics couldn’t change their expression without augmentation didn’t bother you, but Ramattra was especially hard to read.

“Um, thanks for coming to my rescue,” you smile at him. He nods at you.

The sounds of metallic footsteps clues you into the fact that Vitri was running towards you, and he quickly stands in between you and Ramattra. The batter backs away, giving him space.

“Hey!” Vitri yells, “You keep away from her-!”

“No- no Vitri it’s ok! It’s all solved now, Ramattra just fended off a creep.”

“I- … he what?” Vitri stares at you incredulously, looking back at Ramattra. The omnic stands unwaveringly.

“Oh, um, then. Thank you. For keeping her safe,” Vitri ‘coughs’, correcting himself. “So you’re good here?”

“Yeah, we’re fine Vitri. Thanks for worrying.”

“Ok. If you’re sure, I’ll be back with Neela, unless you want me to stay?”

“Uh…” you look at Ramattra, who’s standing as if he was addressing a military leader. “It’s ok Vitri, go ahead. I think I’m going to chat with Ramattra for a while, if that’s fine with you, I mean?”

Ramattra tilts his head, you assume a ‘yes’, and Vitri, being an omnic you know well, looks at you with shifty eyes.

“Ok. I’ll leave you two alone, then,” He emphasizes, a teasing tone in his voice that leaves you wanting to smack him, before he promptly returns to the drink station.

For the first time since he drove Mick away, Ramattra addresses you. “(Y/n). Can we go outside? It’s loud.”

“Oh. Yeah, sure,”

Normally you’d be afraid to end up having to confront Ramattra alone, thinking back to the times where you’d pass him alone in the hallway and pointedly looking at the floor. But the way he made Mick run made you feel safe. Maybe it was quick judgement on your part, but you’d really like to trust him.

It wasn’t as if his apparent attractiveness escaped your notice.

You went outside the basketball court. It was on a floor slightly higher than the ground, and that gave you a short ‘balcony’ area with railings. At night it was nice and private, the street lamps of the campus few and far between, giving you just enough light but not enough to distract. You and Ramattra find a bench which you sat on. Politely, Ramattra sits half a space away from you.

You sat there with him in silence. Every once in a while he would move, you assume to speak, but he’d stop. He didn’t know where to put his hands, putting them beside him then on his lap, then back beside him. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think he was being shy.

“Something on your mind, Ram?”

He starts. “What did you call me?”

“Oh- uh, sorry. It was the first nickname to come to mind, I didn’t mean to offend,”

“No, no. I like it. Everyone on the team calls me that.” He assures you. “I was just looking at the stars,”

You look up to the sky with him. “The stars?”

“You can see them here, but it makes me miss home. You can see much more of them there. I used to count them with my brother,”

“You have a brother?”

“Zenyatta. Brothers by name, not blood.”

“I see,” you didn’t know that, but it makes sense. Out of everyone, Ramattra seemed to be closest to the star pitcher. “I miss the stars back home too. The air is much clearer and there’s so little lights around you can see the whole milky way. I’d never dream to count the stars there- but I liked to lay on a blanket outside, and see how many constellations I could find that night.”

“Constellations,” Ramattra repeats, “I’d like to learn about your constellations one day. We have constellations too,”

“R-really?!”

Ramattra points to the sky.

“That’s the dragonfly.”

It was a chain of 5 stars as its body, with a few stray ones around it as its wings.

“I didn’t know omnics had different constellations,” you say with awe.

“I could teach you more of them, sometime,” Ramattra offers, “If you teach me yours,”

“That sounds fine to me,” you nod at him.

You spend a bit longer in silence. The tension was thinner now, that he spoke. It was weird, hearing the normally wordless omnic get so chatty. Somehow, it made the omnic seem less intimidating, less like the campus ghost that haunted the hallways and frequently frightened passerby. He was a person.

“Hey,” you say at length. “Can I ask you something?”

Ramattra nods.

“Uh,” now that you’re actually doing it, you could feel your heartbeat rise to your throat, and you swallow. “Why… why are you always staring at me?”

He sputters, and you quickly try to explain yourself.

“I-I mean, you’re always looking at me, whenever I see you. In the hallway, at the campus cafe during lunch, a-and when I watch the games!”

You’ve never seen the man so bashful before. Ramattra had pulled his cap to cover his face and was turtling into his uniform. How can someone so big act so small?

Ramattra coughs, and you never realized a cough could sound so handsome.

“I am so sorry about that,” he apologizes, sounding defeated. “I’ve always liked you, (Y/n). But I’ve been waiting for the right moment- or perhaps, I was too timid to speak to you. I wanted to confess to you here, tonight, more elegantly, but it that’s not what happened. I’m sorry,”

He. “You what?”

“I’m-”

“The rumors are true?!” You squeal in disbelief. Ramattra looks shocked, and leans towards you.

“Rumors? What rumors?”

“I mean, I literally just learnt about this like, ten minutes ago, but. Vitri said the omnics around this campus say you have a crush on me, or- or something,” you add in the end, suddenly feeling unconfident though the man just admitted to liking you.

He stares at you, similarly to how he always did. You’ve never seen it so close, though. Even with the context, it’s no wonder you were intimidated by him. He was intense.

“Zenyatta…” he mutters, before he adds “It’s true. I like you,”

You falter under his eyes.

“O-oh,” you giggle, your cheeks warming. “I uh, I always thought you were gonna kill me or something, haha,”

“What? Why?”

Was he that unaware of how he was coming off to you?

 “Because you were always glaring at me! Especially when I watched the games, you’d be staring at me… while holding a bat. What was I supposed to think?”

“Oh,” he leans away from you, “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to be intimidating.”

“Then, what were you trying to do?”

Ramattra… steams? There was a gush of air from everywhere in his body, not just his mouth, and you could hear his machinery clicking inside him before they settle.

Huh. I’ve never seen that before.

“I was,” he sounds hesitant. “I was trying to gage your expression. Everytime I did good on the field, I wanted to know what you thought. It makes sense now why you looked so unnerved,”

“Wait, hold on. Were you trying to… show off?”

He exhales, this time through his mouth.

“Oh my god,” you laugh, months of tension from perceived hostility draining out of you. “That explains a lot. I didn’t know you were cute,”

“You. You think I’m cute?”

You blush at the question. “I-I mean, well, it’s just not expected, you know? You’re this… cool omnic guy on the Iris team, one of the best. You’re so strong and cool- and you keep to yourself. You scare most people on campus. It’s just, you don’t expect that guy to be having a crush on you all this time, and that silent scary face was just shy.”

He’s silent for a while, staring at you. Then, “Do you like me?”

He asks so bluntly you stammer. “Y-yeah. I always thought you were handsome, you know, before you started acting scary. You’re a real attractive guy,”

“... You’re very pretty. And cute.” He breathes.

If your eyes could twinkle, they definitely were.

“Th- thank you, Ramattra.”

He’s leaning in closer now.

“Can I,” he murmurs, “Can I kiss you?”

You didn’t know omnics breathed, like, really breathed. You could feel it on your face with how close he was. With anyone else, it’d be too close for comfort and you’d loudly deny that request, but… for some reason, with Ramattra, you could only feel your cheeks getting redder, and your heart pounding in your ears. You’ve never kissed an omnic, and you find yourself staring at his mouth.

Not knowing why, you answer, “... Yes.”

Ramattra moves. He gets up from his seat and stands in front of you, taking his hat off, scrunched in one of his hands, before bracing them on the back of the bench, on either side of you. He’s so close to you, you could see the optics in his faceplate, his eyes peeking from within their slits, looking deeply into yours. You feel goosebumps on your neck, his free, mechanical hand brushing hair behind your ear. His breath fans your lips, and you close your eyes as he closes the distance.

He kisses gently. You weren’t expecting that, you were expecting him to be a bit rougher, but no. You find yourself really enjoying this. He was surprisingly warm, and though you were expecting the sensation to be akin to kissing a flat metal sheet, he felt alive. He moves against your lips, the softest of presses against you. Despite the slow, soft way he was kissing you, you quickly find yourself becoming overwhelmed. Slow meant long, and he kisses you so tenderly and delicately that it felt… intimate. A private moment no one else is supposed to see, unspoken affection all directing at you.

When he finally pulls away from you, your mind is spinning. You looked up at him with new excitement, confusion, and something else. Ramattra doesn’t seem all that collected either, his breaths becoming more labored, his chest visibly rising and falling, his mouth slightly parted. When he pulls his hand back, he double takes at his hat, and it’s not hard to see why.

“R-Ramattra?” You say in alarm, “your hat..!”

As he peels his fingers from his hat, you could see how abused and crumpled it looked, thoroughly crushed. And when he pulls on the panels, you could see the omnic actually left puncture holes from where his fingers had pushed the hardest.

Instead of irritation however, Ramattra actually looks delighted.

“This… is great!” He exclaims, holding it up to the nearest light. “A memento of my first kiss.”

You sit there, staring up at him. “What,” you questioned, “do you mean that was your first?!”

[itsthesinbin]

Sins in Stardust (Bill Cipher/Reader)

OKAY SO. I've been thinking of Ideas since I got HORRIFICALLY fixated on Bill/Gravity Falls. I still do like the "bill's hot wife" idea but I gotta think abt how that wld work, logistically. I can't get off if the plot doesn't make sense. BUT I do have. Another reader insert idea.

Post Weirdmageddon and technically post Book of Bill. I couldn't read the full book in detail bc all I had was a kinda blurry pdf to work with so I'm missing some details.

This is the first chapter just 2 kinda gauge interest. I'm only posting it here rn until I write out a couple more :3 Feel free to leave a reply or tag if u reblog to let me know what u think

EDIT: Came up with a title I liked :3 I need to stop crutching on Hozier song titles LMAO

----------------------

You missed camping- you and your parents went at least once every summer, when you were a kid. A good old cross-country camping trip is what you needed, after the multitude of bullshit you’ve gone through. You quit your job, sold whatever shit you didn’t need and used the money you had to get out of your home as fast as you could. You’ll find a new place to settle, a new job in a new city with new neighbors and never have to worry again. All you had to worry about, now, is finding a fun spot to camp for the night.

You could sleep in your car- you have a few times since you started your trip- but it was a gorgeous night. The moon was full, the stars were so bright and clear this far out from a major city… It’d be a waste. You pulled your car off the road and trekked a bit out into the woods nearby. Hopefully your car would still be there in the morning. Please, God, let it be there in the morning.

You entered into a small break in the trees. The late spring breeze made the leaves sway and branches rattle softly. The starlight caught on the toadstools odd triangular spots. Eye-shaped spots on the trees seemed to follow you as you stepped into the small field. Like looking at creepy paintings in a haunted house, you felt like you were being watched. It was a little creepy, but you chalked it up to the full moon. Everyone was on edge during a full moon just because of stories and superstitions they all heard growing up.

The brightest thing in the clearing was a small statue, half buried in the ground. A triangle with a large eye, tophat, and bowtie. A single arm stuck out, as if ready for a handshake. The stone itself seemed to glow, but you chalked that up to the brightness of the moonlight that filtered through the canopy. You stepped a bit closer, noting how�� quiet the area was. No birds, no crickets… Nothing. It was a little unsettling, you wouldn’t lie. Quiet woods never led to anything good. You really should go back to your car.

You pulled out your phone, first, though. You had to get a picture of this funky little guy. You were probably overthinking things. The statue was probably just someone’s abandoned art project, or store mascot, you thought as you snapped a few pictures of the lichen-covered statue. You smiled slightly. The little thing was kinda charming.

You decided to put your tent up anyway, despite the eerie silence. It was late, you were tired, and your car was still close enough to this clearing that you’d probably be in “danger” anyway. If you even were actually in trouble. The silence and the eye-spots on the trees were unsettling, sure. Weirdly enough, though, you felt a sense of calm here.

You decided against setting up a fire, opting to eat a can of cold pork’n’beans for dinner as you looked up at the stars. The sky was alight with blues and pinks and purples, seemingly swirling nebulas catching the attention of any being capable of comprehending beauty. You felt yourself smiling to yourself.

“Beautiful night, huh li’l guy?” You joked to the statue. You missed the way the eye-spots on the trees had stopped following you, instead focusing on the night sky. You threw the empty can of beans into a bag to throw away tomorrow, before rolling out your sleeping bag and laying out under the stars. You crossed your arms behind your head, and one foot over the other. Obviously, you were met with the same silence that had been here. Humans would be humans, though. Bonding with anything that even remotely had a face.

“Bet it gets lonely, stuck out here. Sure you got the view, but it sounds like nothing really drops by.” Nothing. The stars above almost seemed to move. You could almost make a shape out, but as soon as you tried it seemed to dissipate. You hummed to yourself, trying to find the shape again.

“I know how it feels to be stuck, buddy,” you offered, sympathetically. You sighed as a heavy feeling settled on your chest. You shook away the bad memories, the stars seeming to move again to keep your attention. It was getting a little weird, now. But you had heard that Gravity Falls was a pocket of weirdness in the middle of nowhere.

“I could use a traveling buddy,” you laughed. “I haven’t had… a friend in a long time…” You trailed off as the stars continued to twinkle and dance. You sat up with a heavy sigh, face to face with the statue again. Unsurprisingly, he stared at you stoically with his hand still poised for a handshake. You put your chin in your hand.

“And it’s driven me so crazy I’m talking to an old ARG piece left in the woods…” You rubbed your face. You stood with a stretch, the light around you seemingly getting a little brighter. You stepped in front of the statue.

“They use us and leave us to rot, don’t they? Hardly fair,” you mumble. You reach a hand out as if to grab its hand, but stop short of actually touching it. The hair on the back of your neck stood as you felt a million eyes on you at once. You look behind you, only to be met with the trees. You look up, and find the stars once again in the vague shape you couldn’t make out before. It felt like the very universe was watching this moment. Your throat felt tight. Strangely, though, you didn’t feel scared. You looked back at the waiting statue. Something prodded at the back of your mind.

“Maybe I will take you with me. Once I get settled somewhere, you can become a piece in my next living room,” you smiled. “I’ll get you cleaned up and see if I can patch some of those chips and cracks.”

You hesitated a moment, before you grasped the statue’s hand. Obviously, the stone limb didn’t actually move.

“I’ll get you out of here, you be my travel partner, and we both get to be free for a while. How’s that sound?” No response. Not that you expected one. You let the little hand go with a yawn. You kicked your shoes off near your sleeping bag and lay back down on it. The stars finally stopped shifting and swirling. They twinkled down at you as you covered yourself up for the night. You didn’t think it’d rain, so sleeping outside should be fine. You’ll deal with whatever happens, if anything.

You dreamt of the stars that night. They swirled above you, forming into a large creature that swam its way to you. You floated among the stars, eyes wide with wonder at the smiling creature. Its tail swept along the empty space beside you, leaving a small… child? It was a triangle with a huge eye, like the statue in the woods, but had giant shoes. It didn’t look at you at first, instead staring at the creature made of starlight and space dust in front of you. You also turned your gaze back to it.

The Axolotl stared down at you two, a peaceful smile on its face. You felt small under its gaze- like a child looking up at their parent. You reached out to pat it on the nose, finding your hand smaller than usual. You heard a squeaking noise and turned to look at the triangular baby.

“You see the stars too?” You didn’t know how he asked without a mouth, but you nodded anyway. Your 5 year old face was reflected in his large eye. He held a hand out for you to hold.

“You wanna watch them together?” You were quiet. You turned back to the Axolotl, only to find it swimming away from you. Back to depths of the universe you could only imagine. With no other option, you looked back at the kid next to you. His eye was turned up to show that he’d be smiling, if he had a mouth. His eye crinkled more as you grabbed his hand.

The stars began to burn.

You woke with a start, finding the sun creeping over the tree canopy and shining down on you. You groaned and covered your eyes with your forearm. You forced yourself to sit up, rubbing your eyes with your hand. Your head was pounding, the strange dream leaving you in a cold sweat. Maybe you shouldn’t have slept here.

A groan from in front of you made you freeze. Your head snapped up, making it throb. A triangular creature was sitting where the statue used to be, stone splintered and sprinkled around him. He massaged his singular eye, muttering under his breath. He looked up, tensing when he saw you. You both sat there in stunned silence for what felt like forever.

Then you both screamed.

[kuntsandkupcakes]

#ishifted (DAY 1)

so i remember seeing this cute lil "active as if" shifting challenge and i only now decided to do it (becuz why not, this is the TRUTH since my imagination is my true reality)

anywho, onto the challenge (im gonna write about my "teenage dream" dr)

✮✮✮

dear diary, GUESS WHO SHIFTEDDDDDD?!! (me ofc)

anywho, it was like any other night where i did my night routine and got ready for bed and just affirmed "i have shifted, i will shift" yadayadaya and basically didn't rlly stress over it because it was bound to work anyways.

I woke up and the first thing i could see is the fact i shifted to one of my recent drs and my room looked teww cute!! it was a mixture of sanrio characters, y2k, etc and if i could best describe it, it would be something you would see if you typed "gyaru-themed bedroom" on pinterest.

Also, my room smelt like lavender (which is a classic signature scent i script for pratically all my DRs rooms) and yea, after pratically a whole hour of sobbing and getting emotional over shifting for the first time, i decided to head out to grab myself some brunch.

LEMME TELL YALL, life feels like a breath of fresh air when you don't have strict parents telling u that u can't go here and there. In my dr, my parents are rlly lenient and just let me do whatevs and all i gotta do it text em to let em know that i'm doing alright.

After grabbing some brunch, i went to do some shopping and guess the btch who don't gotta check the price tags anymore because she scripted herself some UNLIMITED FUNDZZZ 🤭 it feels so good knowing that i can grab whatever clothes i wanted and i didn't even have to worry about checking my debit card afterwards because i would still have sm funds.

timeskip to later that evening, i came home at around 9-10ish?? (again, the perks of having lenient parents in ur dr is that u aint gotta worry bout coming home too late because ur parents dont really GAF 🤣🤣) and like as i was walking down my road, guess who i bumped into?? my neighbour.

okay b4 yall come at me with questions talking bout "why u aint like ur neighbour for" HOLD AWNN TO UR TOPHATS!! basically, ur girl always craved an enemies to lovers typa relationship so i basically scripted our first interaction with each other basically left us disliking each other. anywho (i say this sm) back 2 le storytime 🏃🏾💨

i walk past him and give him the dirtiest look known to man, my goodness becuz ion like him (for now, muahahaha 😏) but yh, i carried on walking home and pratically chilled there and had a family game night with da famalam.

After that, i set an intention to shift back here & thats basically it 😭😭 hope u all enjoyed that whimisical shifting storytime <3

[gravitycavity]

Sunshine (Pomni x Ragatha) Chapter 1 - Put On a Happy Face

[Click here to read from the beginning on AO3!]

Cover art by @blukiar

“You’re supposed to $%#&ing smile, Pomni!” Zooble's hoarse scream reverberated throughout the big top. “Are you stupid?! We can’t finish the new intro if you aren’t @#$%ing smiling!”

“Leave. Me. Alone!” Pomni, denied the catharsis of slinging her sailor’s mouth, expressed her disdain with her middle fingers instead. She only ended up seething harder, however, when a pair of other-dimensional censor bars appeared to obscure the rude gestures.

“Oh! So that’s how you want to play it, Puffball?” Zooble narrowed her eyes, limping toward the jester with as much aggression as their awkwardly-constructed body would allow — which, for the record, wasn’t very much.

Ragatha had seen enough. “Relax!” She raised her voice, swooping vigilantly between the bickering belligerents. “Both of you!”

Gangle, moping off to the side, sniveled pitifully. In all the commotion, her comedy mask had been shattered. For the second time. This morning. “Guys…! Please, just stop fighting…”

Jax crossed his legs, reclining smartly against Kinger’s impenetrable pillow fort. “Can it, crybaby. This is the best entertainment we’ve had in years!” He flicked a piece of popcorn into the air and caught it in his mouth. Meanwhile, a vibrating Kinger poked his eyes out from between two pillows, saying nothing and everything at the same time.

Ragatha’s good-natured attempts to keep the peace were all for naught. She flinched out of the way of Zooble’s punch — but before the strike could connect, a floating boxing bell materialized out of nowhere, piercing the air with a shrill shriek.

“Now, now! There’s no need for that!” Caine’s wagging finger appeared beside the bell, followed shortly after by the rest of the entity. He lifted his tophat, and a cheesing Bubble gingerly drifted out.

“Naughty, naughty~” Bubble chomped his teeth.

Caine snapped his fingers, and an unseen force pushed Pomni and Zooble apart. “The Amazing Digital Circus — copyright 1996 C&A Incorporated, all rights reserved — is a magical, marvelous CD-Romp for all ages! Zany shenanigans and cartoon mischief I can abide, but outright violence? Strictly out of the question!”

With a grunt, Zooble spiked their arm against the floor. “What are we supposed to do, then!? We’re on take fifty-seven of your dumb@%$ theme song because poor little Pomni thinks she’s the main character of the universe!”

Pomni responded to that, but whatever she said, it was profane enough to be scrubbed out entirely.

“Yes, well…” Caine crossed his arms, steeped in careful thought. The last hour-and-a-half of unusable footage played back through his mismatched eyeballs in a matter of seconds. “It’s nothing we can’t fix in post.”

Zooble swiped their discarded arm off the ground and crammed it back into its empty socket. “Great. Then you can edit me in, too.” They stormed off, reciprocating Pomni’s earlier gesture. “Eat $@#%, sad sack.”

Jax sighed. “Aw, shucks. Right when things were getting good…”

“Uh…!” Caine skipped a beat. He swiveled toward the five circus members still gathered beneath the big top. “Well, then!” he elbowed his soap bubble companion, “Looks like we’ve got our work cut out for us, Bubble! As for the rest of you, consider yourselves off the hook for the rest of the day — my treat! Take some personal time, get some sleep, and try your darndest not to dwell on the soul-crushing scale of eternity!”

“I have no soul!” Bubble turned upside-down. “So I don’t mind it one bit!”

“You and me both, old pal!” Caine’s laugh sounded forced and unnatural.

There was a pause. Gangle glanced around, then meekly raised her ribbony hand. “But what about—”

“Go on, now! I won’t take no for an answer!” the ringmaster stabbed the air with his cane, “I want you all in tip-top condition for tomorrow’s wacky adventure!”

🎪 🎪 🎪

It wasn’t long before everyone had gone their separate ways. Jax had slinked off to the digital carnival to terrorize the NPCs, Gangle had left a trail of teardrops all the way to the digital lake, and Kinger, as per usual, had just disappeared without anyone really noticing.

At last, Pomni was alone again. She curled her tear-stained face inward and filled her chest with three shaky breaths. She couldn’t hold it in anymore. Hands tightened into trembling fists, she threw her head toward the sky and let loose a long, ear-shattering shriek.

Why was this happening to her? What did she ever do to deserve this!? She was a person — a human being, for God’s sake — not some stupid, one-dimensional children’s character. How dare anyone expect her to just grin and bear it? She didn’t owe anything to anyone — not even one second of feigned emotion. As far as she was concerned, the moment she forced that goofy smile onto her face would be the moment she surrendered, and she would never, ever, in a million years—

“I’m always here if you need to talk. You haven’t forgotten, have you?”

Pomni flinched, wrenching away from the sudden voice. After the emotional hell she’d gone through during her first day, unexpected noises didn’t exactly put her at ease — nor did anything else in this deranged digital purgatory, for that matter.

“Ah! Sorry!” Ragatha covered her mouth. “I didn’t spook you too bad, did I?”

“You did, actually! Wh-What’s wrong with you?” Pomni gathered herself quickly. She didn’t dare to even look in the direction of the person who had just watched her childish tantrum. The moment she found her footing again, she stormed off like her very life depended on it. “Don’t just sneak up on people like that!”

Silently relenting, Ragatha stepped aside to let Pomni pass. She watched the pouting jester jingle and jangle with every step, stomping with boundless confidence in the completely wrong direction.

“Uh…” Ragatha tilted her head. “Pomni? Do you remember the way to your room?”

“Ugh! What do you care?” Pomni doubled her pace. “Mind your own business!”

Ragatha smirked. “Alright, I guess I’ll just head back to my room, then. Which, for the record…” She pointed behind herself, “…is that way.”

Pomni stared vacantly as Ragatha sauntered off. The doll had read her like a book. Locking herself in her room for days on end meant she still had no clue how to get around the tent — if she wanted to get back to her regularly-scheduled self-pity anytime soon, she would have to swallow whatever was left of her pride.

Pomni grumbled under her breath, fast-walking to catch up. “Hey! W-Wait!”

🎪 🎪 🎪

There was no ambient noise to dampen the tension; the dormitory hall’s plush carpet absorbed the sound of Pomni and Ragatha’s footsteps. Ragatha led, hands tucked politely below her waist, while Pomni trailed behind.

The complete, unbroken silence wasn’t exactly the most comfortable thing in the world, but it was preferable to whatever inane smalltalk would have filled it. That’s how Pomni saw things, at least.

In the time it had taken to walk here, she had managed to cool off a bit — and the unwavering quiet gave her plenty of mental space to reflect on the last few minutes.

She wasn’t sorry. Pomni didn’t care if Zooble hated her — she could hate them right back. Breaking bread with Jax was pointless; that creep preferred to provoke. Gangle was friendly, but to interact with her was to walk on eggshells, and Pomni lacked the patience. And Kinger? Was Kinger.

Arms crossed, Pomni looked up from her big, dumb clown shoes. Her gaze settled on the doll in front of her. Pomni despised everything about this place — but now that she was going through her laundry list of grievances, she had to admit: she had nothing on the redhead.

…What was her name? Ragatha…? She was by far the most mature of the circus’s captives. She was kind. Predictable. An island of calm in a stormy sea.

Pomni’s harsh features softened. Ragatha was the only character who had shown her the slightest shred of compassion since she’d arrived here. The realization weighed down her stomach with more than a few pangs of guilt. Ragatha, of all people, certainly wasn’t a deserving outlet for her angst.

Oh, no — nice going, you idiot. Ragatha was the one thing about this place keeping you anywhere close to sanity, and you’ve already repelled her by acting like a petulant child. She probably hates you now. You know that, right? Actually, it’s not ‘probably’. It’s ‘definitely’. That’s why she isn’t talking. That’s why this is so awkward. That’s why —

“So…what’s under your cap?”

Pomni stumbled. Had the wall not been there to grab onto, she absolutely would have fallen flat on her face.

Stabilizing herself, Pomni gawked up at Ragatha as if the doll had just beamed down from another planet. What’s under her cap? Did she hear that right? It was such an odd, out-of-the-blue question — but at least it had yanked her out of her head.

“I’m sorry?”

Ragatha bent down to Pomni’s eye level. “Your cap.” She said gently, resisting the urge to prod one of the little bells dangling from either end. “It comes off, doesn’t it?”

Pomni blinked. She hadn’t really given it any thought. In fact, until Ragatha had brought it up, she had forgotten that her ridiculous new form came with a hat at all. Doing nothing but hiding under the covers and sobbing for days on end had that effect.

With much bigger problems weighing on her mind, Pomni didn’t really care to check — but something about Ragatha’s expectant gaze possessed her anyway. Very carefully, she hooked her fingers beneath the golden rim. She felt a small amount of resistance as she pushed up, almost as if the headpiece were attached to her body through some kind of magnetic force.

With a just a little effort, though, it popped right off.

“…Huh.” Pomni held the striped cap in her hands. “Look at that.”

“Oh, goodness!” Ragatha tried and failed to suppress a squeal. She paid no mind to her question’s answer, too distracted by the worst hat hair anyone had ever seen. It was certainly a look; a chaotic mess of tangles, knots, and flyaways did as it pleased atop the jester’s capless crown.

“Hey! What gives?!” Pomni ducked her cap back onto her head. A few extra clumps of hair stuck out from underneath. “Why are you laughing?”

“I’m so sorry! Your hair is just…” Ragatha giggled. “Well, it’s a bit messy at the moment. But I like it!”

Pomni leered. “…Liar.”

“I’m not making fun of you! Honest!” Ragatha crossed her hands over her heart. “I love your hair, Pomni. It’s…”

“It’s what?!”

“It’s so cute!”

Pomni’s eyes grew two sizes. That was…not the answer she expected to hear. She didn’t know what to say — just that her face felt a lot warmer than before.

“Obviously, you could use a comb…or three. But who cares about that?” Ragatha’s hand drifted through her own thick, yarn-like locks. “You really lucked out, you know. I’d trade your hair for mine in a heartbeat.”

Despite everything, the smallest of half-smiles lit Pomni’s face.

“I, um…” Pomni took a deep breath. And then two more. Her whole body slumped closer to the floor. Try as she might to keep her personal pity party alive, Ragatha’s radiant energy made her forget her troubles, if only for a moment.

“…Why are you being so nice? And to me, of all people?”

Ragatha just shrugged. “Do I have a reason not to be?”

Pomni gripped her other arm, gaze flicking down the corridor. Her smile faded in the silence.

“Well, um, anyway…” Ragatha glanced at the door behind her — Pomni’s awkwardness was infectious. “You have your room key, right?”

Pomni’s heart skipped at the thought of having lost it, but eased at the feeling of cold metal in her pocket. She nodded.

Gently, Ragatha took the cartoonish key from Pomni’s hand. With a turn and a click, the way to the jester’s room was open.

Ragatha held the door, smiling warmly. “You look like you could use some space. Go enjoy some quality alone time, okay, new stuff?”

“O-Okay.” Pomni didn’t hesitate to do just that — until she did. “Um…” She peeked behind a door half-open. After the longest pause, a simple, stammered “thanks” was all she could manage to get out.

Her door clicked shut. And audibly locked.

My Ko-fi - Tips are very much appreciated! :)

[Next Chapter]

[star-dust-stuf]

Albert Shaw x fem!reader

title: I don't fall like this

warnings: slight misapplying

a/n: shut uuuuuup, I love this. sorry for typos, and yes before you ask I love him so badly. this has nothing to do with sex or abuse. listen to the song how to disappear by lana del rey. enjoy babes.

-

All I wanted to do was yell at my stepfather, he never gave me a break throughout the day. I just exited the house, barefoot and in my pajamas. He wanted me to get the mail but it was in a cluster mailbox down the street, passed some houses and near the next turn. I hated making the mail runs. 

I walked on the slightly cold concrete and I was enjoying a bit of the sun setting sky. It was about five pm, I had dinner and didn't have my shower yet. But as I was trying to make it to the mailbox, I saw a man, and older man come from his black van, he has a top hat on and dark sunglasses.

He stumbled and my heart almost stopped. His groceries went everywhere, cans of soups, eggs, celery and a box of rice. He grunted and chuckled a little, crouched down to the food he had dropped on the ground, speaking to himself as if he didn't even see me. "Isn't that just peachy keen.." 

I stutter, "d-would like some help?" 

He looked up at me, he gave another light chuckle he saw my bare feet and my entire appearanc. "Ah... could you hand me my hat?" He pointed to the tophat I didn't even see it fall off his head when he had stumbled. It was by the wire gate and I grabbed it, handing it to him. 

"Thank you, young lady." His voice has a tone, a tone of calm and softness to it. He put his hat on. "I, am a part-time magician!" 

I watch him, my eyes almost fascinated. Deep down I flet something wrong but it never felt so right. I stayed and ignored that gut feeling isnide my belly. "I wish I could say I was one too." I say, but now I fear I said too much.

He tilted his head, his long hair blew in the small breeze as the sun turned the sky orange. "And may I ask why?"

I thought there was no point in not telling him why, not just daying simply because it's 'fun' because that's far from the truth, it was a solid black lie. "So I could disappear."

A small grin grew on his face, "I'm Albert..." 

I smile a little too, "y/n." 

"Beautiful name." He looked begind himself and over my shoulder like he was looking for something, someone... The coast was clear. "Would you like to see a magic trick?" 

He sounded cheerful. Whatll happen to me? Nothing... Nothing I don't think deep down I wouldnt want to happen. "Sure..." 

He grinned, pulling a spray can from his... Pocket? Did he just carry it around or was he... Was he planning something? Any child could walked by and he was ready with a magic trick. But deep down I knew that wasn't the case. He shook the spray can.

"What's that?" I ask.

He laughed, his voice was a little darker and he ignored my question, he opened the back of his  van, now this was about the time a smart person would run but my feet were glued to the floor, why can't I just move!? He looked at me almost surprised but he regained it back. "Why don't you step closer so I can show you?" 

His voice is soft, his voice is the meaning of escape. I approached his van, close to him and saw him stay still, he was so very.. polite in a way and he saw my fear in my eyes but my needs were more important... He knew that. He saw that. He has no interest to scare me, I was far different in a way he didnt want to lose. 

He pulled my arm, enough to get me to put my back on him and to restrain me, not en to cause me any discomfort. Be put his index finger and his thumb on each side of my jaw to get my mouth to open. My fight or flight kicked in I couldn't help but struggle a little under his grasp, he grunted. I was scared... He knew that. 

He opens my mouth and manages to spray whatever was in that spray can in my mouth, I squeezed my eyes, it burned in a way, I cried aloud softly. He let me lean against him as my eyes got heavy. "Ssh, shh..." he cooed in my ear.

I was panting softly, he looked around to make sure no one was around and picked my legs up gently to place me in the back of his van, putting locks of hair away from my face and then finally shutting the door. 'why didn't she scream?' He thought as he walked to the front of his van and opened the door. 'Why?' 

He made it back to his home, it was a small house, red in color. A large tree in front. He had parked and got me out gently though I was slightly unconscious, dizzy. Stairs? Wait... A basement. He lied me on the mattress, my eyesight was blurry. "Hmmh." I hum softly as I lift my head. 

"Don't try to walk, you'll fall... And get hurt." He said the last part with a slight anger in his voice. I looked at him... I grew so scared, he wore a mask, his entire face was covered. Was this even the same man? Yes... I could smell that same faded cologne on him and the same way he put locks of hair out of my face. 

"You dont have to be scared." He said shaking his head, his deep voice muffled in the mask. "I'm not gonna hurt you anymore, just needed you to calm down." 

I sit up a little, I looked around, it wasn't even hours. I saw the orange sunsetting light in the large basement coming from the small window above, way above. And the rugged mattress I was on. "Why didn't you run?" He asked. 

He was very curious... So was I. "I don't know..." My voice was slightly shaky. 

He sighs softly, putting his hands on his knees. "I suppose you meant what you said about... Disappearing?" 

I look at his masked face, "why do you wear that?" He was surprised, I asked so bluntly. "Are you ashamed of seeing your own face?" 

He immediately slapped me, I grunted and put my hand on the spot of my cheek he had hit. His breath got heavy,he didn't want to hurt me, he felt sad, not angry with me but at himself. "I have to be upstairs for a while..." his voice was almost as shaky as mine, like he was crying. 

I don't tell him not to leave, I don't say anything. I wasn't shocked he had gotten mad at my words and I wasn't angry at his actions. What it was, it bothered him, but he didn't do anything to hurt me further than that. The door locked... And by the end of that day, I never heard that door unlock since.