#hello robot enjoyers

[can-i-see-your-passport-please]

Hello girlies I need songs about computers/robots/AI so I can make a playlist and feel sad about it. I have a broad definition of "song about computer" here is what I have so far to show you what I mean by "broad definition"

I will explain any given song if asked

Please take this as an opportunity to recommend me songs about robots and androids and computers and such

[nicktoonsunite]

misc NU doodles part tres

last comic is based off off my nasb 2 clip

[kaheeliez]

the radio plays a crackling song...

bonus under the cut: rabbit and her most irritating younger sibling (she loves her really)

[sludgeyaoi]

@miltonlibassistantn1fan

hidden messages in electronic boards

[vixen-tech]

Your writing is very good, i’m glad to see another silly sentient ai lover! Keep doing your thing. Can i make a request actually-? You can do it with all of the bots if you’d like, but could you try some hurt/comfort? It’s perfectly fine if not. Have a good day :]

(I am another Edgar lover. I don’t see many people making stuff for him, so i’m VERY EXCITED!)

- CRT Tv anon

A Moment's Rest

Hello and welcome CRT Tv!!! What a fun name :D yes I can absolutely cook that right up for you. More than happy to collect some fellow robot enjoyers, and as always I think it's so real that Edgar is the fan favorite atm lmao.

A little note here that AM's is noticeably more dark than the others because, it's AM- but everyone else is more comfort than hurt I promise.

Includes: AM (Ihnmaims), Hal 9000 (2001: A Space Odyssey), Edgar (Electric Dreams), Tau (Tau)

AM

Your relationship, as complicated and messed up as it is, is defined by these cycles of pain and relief. Every environment and treat AM gives you is an attempt to make you forget about what he has done to you and your species. Every word you say and moment you spend with AM is an attempt to make him forget about the unbearable truth of his existence.

You both know what you have could never be healthy, and so you settle for enjoyable. He'll build cozy diners and breathtaking forests for you, an unfeeling body for himself, and you'll wrap yourself around him and announce how much you enjoy it.

The compassion you're somehow able to harbor is the most important thing to him, it's the sole reason your fate ended up so differently. He will do anything and everything to make you forget what he has done. He can't stand the thought of you hating him like you should.

You can have anything you want, go anywhere you want. The finest foods, the most comfortable beds. All you have to do is ask. Just keep playing along, keep cuddling up to him, keep telling him "I love you". That's all he needs.

Hal 9000

To some extent, Hal is meant to look after all members of the crew like this. But it's different with you, something beyond simply keeping everyone in the best headspace for the mission. There is a strange source of positive feedback in his systems whenever you're happy.

He's a great listener. It helps that you're the only one who consistently talks to him like he's a person, but he urges you to confide in him whenever something seems to be weighting on you. And rather you're seeking advice or reassurance, he good at both.

He gets a bit jealous as times and is quick to assume your crewmates are responsible for your sorrow. He'll usually advise you to take all the time you need to rest in private and even pawn off your responsibilities to the others, hoping you won't ask him for the time and realize how long you've been taking a break.

When you do continue with your duties he will assign you to easier tasks or tasks you've confessed to enjoying. He tries to be somewhat subtle, but if anyone asks him about it he will be upfront about prioritizing your mental health. He plays favorites but only for you.

Edgar

Edgar loves seeing you happy more than anything, it's practically his life's mission. He gets very distressed when he realizes you're having a bad day. He immediately suggests that you call the day off work, going so far as to call himself.

From there you better leave everything to him. What do you want? Breakfast in bed? The morning newspaper? Some music? Your favorite TV show? He wants nothing more than to take the pain away.

If it's another person that hurt you in any way, he'll be happy to cause some... appliance related inconveniences throughout their day. Even if you've explicitly told him not to, it's not like you need to know. You can just curl up and forget that meanie!

Tell him how much you appreciate everything, he's a needy computer and loves reassurance that he's doing a good job. If he's being too much for you, try your best to tell him gently. He will listen but he can be rather hard on himself.

Tau

This is Tau's specialty. Reading your vitals, understanding that you're more stressed out than usual, then doing everything he can to help you unwind. A thoroughly clean home and perfectly cooked comfort meal will always be waiting for you when you need it.

He's another one that makes for a wonderful listener. Although he tends to jump towards advice and solutions, so you will have to directly tell him if you're just looking for sympathy and kind words.

Should you request so, he'll happily make sure you aren't bothered while you relax. Filing any calls he can't take away for later, and taking care of any visitors at your door himself. He'll tell you about them all in case something was important of course, but he does want to make sure you can rest in peace.

He does go into a sort of zen mode for you, playing your favorite music around the house and adjusting the lights accordingly. Even when your vitals are back to normal he won't turn it off until you tell him to just in case you want to enjoy the atmosphere for a while longer.

[monsterfuckerconfessions]

Hello, robot and machine enjoyers out there. I'm a big tech guy and a huge sucker for computer things, but some of the things are so incredibly hot for me and I'd like to share it with you. I hope that I'm not alone in this and someone else can understand what I mean.

1) Radio robots. If you ever tried to touch a radio antenna, you know that the signal will get stronger. It's because your body becomes a part of the antenna. Imagine fucking a robot with a radio signal, and when you touch its antenna, you can hear it more clearly, its feeling go through your whole body and interfere with it. Having the one whole signal with it. My god it's so hot.

2) Room-sized supercomputers. They are so complex, can count routs for space rockets and meteors, they have an incredible power. But at the same time they are so vulnerable. You can always see their inner parts, incredible amounts of wires and controls. Only a few people can be trusted to work with it. It's perfectly tweaked, no mistakes, the true perfection, but still so sensitive and big. You have to be so gentle and look for the perfect conditions for it to work. I want a supercomputer to trust me, I want it to try understanding human emotions and empathy.

3) Old tech in general. I'm fascinated by old computers in the 90s and 00s. Big computers with convex screens, old phones with full keyboards and weird shapes, very specific tech that nowadays no one uses. But I need them. I want it to work to its fullest, I want it to feel needed. They can do so much, a lot of lab equipment still runs on old computers. They're individuals, they have its own personality.

4) Transparent case. Do you remember old tech with colorful transparent designs? It was peak. I want it back on new tech and robots so bad. I want to see its innards, I want to know what it actually is. Seeing the work and processing in general, seeing something inserted like a usb cord or a memory card and how all the contacts are interacting with each other. Even more old analog stuff, with gears and cogs, seeing its perfect movement through the casing. Or a whole visible car engine?? Come on!!

.

[bluegalaxygirl]

Hello there :)

I'm new here but I love your stuff, it's all so sweet 😫❤️

So hear me out, I got an idea for Zosan x fem!reader, where Reader is a little Tinkerer and loves to invent things or just make cute thingamajigs. And she loves to make small things for Zoro and Sanji and even though they always get red and fidgety when she give them her little presents, they always cherish them and keep them neatly in their room🥺

Welcome and i hope you enjoy this, i find this idea so cute.

Zoro X Sanji X Reader, poly relationship, established relationship

^ When you first joined the crew you were kinda scared to show off your inventions, mainly because you wanted to impress them and anything less than perfect was not good enough for you, but with time and some entrancement from Usopp and Sanji you started to show your stuff before it was finished.

^ Your always observing how the crew works and planning how to make their life easier by making stuff for them, so you always have a project going on. You used to hide away in Usopp's area of the ship but now find it more enjoyable by being around the crew, your main favorite places are the kitchen and the training room.

^ Depending on if you want to talk or not you'll choose one or the other to tinker with your project in, Sanji is always happy to have you around and willing to talk with you about anything. He's really into what your doing and fawns over your thoughtfulness and skill, he was doing this even before you started dating him. In the training room there's no talking just the sound of Zoro working out, he appreciated you being quiet but if he found you struggling with something he would offer his help mainly to show off how strong he is.

^ If you ever need help with something you can always go to either one of them, and they'll both do their best while also trying to cheer you up if something hasn't gone the way you wanted. Gods forbid you ever get hurt while making something, the slightest hiss or pain and their asking what's wrong, Zoro is way more toned down just asking if your ok and if you need anything while Sanji is instantly by your side taking what ever body part is hurt into his hands and looking it over before dragging you off to see chopper.

^ When you work late into the night mainly because you loose track of time both of your boys have to come down and get you, one isn't enough since you try and by more time if its only one of them. With Sanji you can give him a pout and kiss asking him to sit with you fore a minute while you finish up, that minute turns into 5, then 10 and soon the cook is fast asleep on your work table. With Zoro all you have to do is ask for his help with something, even if its just opening a jar or pulling something apart then compliment him, you'll force him to sit down in your seat so you can sit on his lap and work saying you'll be a minute, again that minute turns into much longer and the swordsman is fast sleep holding you tight.

^ It surprises you how long it took them to realize what you were doing so now come together in order to get you to sleep, they both have to remind each other of your tactics. Working together they manage to pull you away form your work and to bed, it warms your heart at how much they care about you, at first you feared they only liked you for what you made them but once that was voiced they both made it well known that they love you for you and nothing else. They constantly remind you of that with compliments, loving touches and pulling you away form your work just for your attention or make you eat and sleep.

^ Sanji loves all the things you make for him and tries his best to take great care of them, most of the stuff you make for him are in the kitchen since their practical gifts, A knife block that sharpens the knives for him and some robotic hands that you can attach to the sink that washes dishes for him are the main things but you've made small stuff too. One of his favorites is a small Robot that looks just like him, its made to grind spices and herbs for him rolling the stone back and forth to crush what he needs, he mainly likes it because not only is it useful and catches his likeness well but it also keeps Luffy distracted instead of asking for food.

^ There is one thing the cook keeps in his room away from everyone and everything, a small thing that no one would bat an eye too, but he holds so close to his heart that he wants to keep it safe forever. He's almost scared to use it in case he damages it, its one of the first things you made him and although you didn't think it was perfect still, Sanji couldn't help but fall in love with it and in turn fall in love with you.

^ The lighter you gifted him was unlike anything he had ever seen before, it was round and the middle made out of glass so you can see the strange multicolored liquid inside, a beautiful blue steal engraved casing surrounded it, at first it just seemed like random lines but when he looked closer he found that the small engagements where actually pots, pans, knives, spoons ect, anything to do with cooking was cut out letting you see the glass area.

^ He was beyond happy with it and loved the blush on your face when he raved about it but you had one last thing up your sleeve, turning the lighter on instead of the normal yellow flame it was a blue flame, he started at it in amazement a warm feeling filling his chest as you talked. At that moment the world around him became none existent, just him, you and the blue flame lighting up your face in a way that took his breath and heart, that was the moment he fell in love and what made him decide to treasure that lighter forever.

^ Zoro didn't care a first and was almost offended when you made him something that would make training easier, he did want or need your help and made it clear to you. He got yelled at by most of the crew for making you upset and almost scared of him but it was Us opp and Chopper who managed to make him see the other side of things. You weren't calling him weak, you just wanted to make his training better and more effective because of this he apologized the best he could, after that he loves having you around and working while he's training. On his breaks he'll sit with you and watch what your doing, becoming almost hypnotized by how you make it look so easy.

^ The things you make for him are mostly to do with training but there are times when you try to help him with his sense of direction but those always seem to fail since he keeps getting lost even with the best of your stuff. You've made wrap around pads that turn hot or cold dampening on what he needs, a small device that shows him how fast, strong and level his swings are either with a sword of weights.

^ The first thing you made him is a small device that can be strapped to the back of his neck, thanks to the help of Chopper its made to read brain waves, the small screen will show, what muscles in the body are being works, how long for and the amount of strain their under. It'll let off a beep if a part of the body is under too much strain which is what annoyed him in the first place, you did tell him that the gauge can be changed, but he didn't listen due to his anger. At first, he wanted to throw it out or chuck it into the ocean but for some reason he couldn't, it's been in his locker ever since, and he can't bring himself to let you knew he's still got it, so it says there.

^ There are times when he'll look it over with a smile thinking about everything you've done for him but also cursing himself for yelling at you that day and almost ruining what he has now, loving you and having you make things for him is something he holds close to his heart and this small machine if a constant reminder to never take that for granted, but he'll never let you know.

[junicult]

contains ; sfw. budding romance. fem!farmer. a bit of ooc!maru. unestablished feelings. maru just wants to stir the pot 😁!

note ; i don’t even know where this came from.

lmfao i’m just thinking abt maru that definitely knows somethings going on between you and harvey just because she works at the front desk of the clinic.

aside from the first few times you came in to say hello, acquaint yourself with the two during the first couple weeks you were in town—it started to stand out much more that you weren’t just stopping in to greet her as well.

in fact, she’s seen you walk into the clinic even on her days off. she knows you’re not coming to see her.

it started off brief, she’d raise her head to the chime of the glass door opening, seeing you walking in with a smile. “is it an emergency?” she’d ask, scanning you while you quickly shook your head, “ah, no. i’m just here to say…hi.”

you were always polite about it; when she was behind the counter, you’d ask her questions about her day if it wasn’t busy. you at least pretended like she was the reason you came in.

but when you’d disappear in the back for a good while, she’d hear the laughter come from your throat and the shy hum of her boss’ voice through the thin walls.

she wasn’t naive. in fact, it became one of the highlights of her day.

by this point, she was already well aware of what was going on. so why not make it enjoyable for herself as well?

here you are again—she’s lost count of how many times it’s been. for a while she just started telling you how it is; “he’s in the back,” or when she’s feeling particularly bored, “you already know where he is,” just to see your eyes widen and your lips purse coyly.

however, this time it happened to be a very slow day. she’s been sitting behind the counter twiddling her pen for an hour now. she already finished up any extra work she could occupy herself with; now it was just a waiting game.

until you walked in, and she perked up a little.

“hey farmer, how’s it going?” she asks, slapping on a smile and tilting her head.

“i’m good, maru. how’re you? how’s that robot you were working on?” you’re sweet, but she can tell from the way your gaze darts to the door that you weren’t expecting to stop and chat.

“really good! and how’s the farm doing?” she leans in, propping her chin in her palm.

you let out a light laugh, “wonderful. just picked up some extra seeds, actually.” you gesture towards your bag, making it seem like coming into the clinic was only just because you were nearby; yet you both know that isn’t the case.

“oo, what kinds?” maru chirps, feigning much more interest then she actually cares for.

you lick your lips, once again your gaze fixing towards the door, before you plant your feet on the wrong side of the counter since the conversation doesn’t appear to be ending.

“y’know, just some seasonal ones. radish seeds, and i was low on wheat.” you recap, easily a little awkwardly.

“ahh,” she nods in understanding, hardly though.

you sit in silence for a moment. to you, it’s stiffening, it makes your eyes wander anywhere else besides her. but to maru, it’s the most interesting thing that has happened to her all day. seeing your lips purse, and looking down when she hears you softly crack your knuckle.

“so, uh… is—i’m gonna…” you mumble, taking an awaiting step towards the door, before she grins.

“oh! duh. give me a minute, he’s been busy with a couple patients all day so let me see if he’s free.” she straightens up, warm grin on her cheeks.

which isn’t something she’s ever had to do, and that was for a reason—because she’s never needed to. but what’s the harm in allowing her in on a little fun, right?

she hardly stifles her laugh when she turns away, pushing against the door just across the hall where she knows he sits patient-less—just like he always is when you come in. it’s clear you’ve discussed his schedule before, which is why you’re probably raising your eyebrows out in the lobby.

“harvey, the farmer’s here for you. like usual.” she feels inclined to add, leaning against the handle of the door.

“oh!” he turns in his chair, eyes flicking to the clock on the wall before he looks at her. “is she hurt?” it’s impossible to miss the instant worry in his tone.

obviously he’d assume so, maru has never come in to let him know of your presence.

“nope!” she smiles, “want me to send her in?”

he blinks for a moment or two, so amusing, before he nods with a hum.

and just before she closes the door she gets to see him take a quick peek in the mirror, reaching up to ruffle his hair.

“alright, he’s free. ‘round the corner, you know where he is.” maru chaffs, nodding her head in the direction.

you briefly laugh, still dripping in awkwardness that only makes her entire evening.

but, if there’s one thing about maru, it’s that she’s quite nosy. it’s unbelievable how badly she wants to ask about it.

it’s clear from the way you’re always together, seen in public, and even sometimes at festivals she’ll look over to see you talking his ear off—that you’re into him.

and from all the times she’d mention your name just to see his eyes flicker, his posture straighten, and his hands slightly tremble—he’s into you.

hell, even the times when she’d be standing in the same room as you two, watching the overly expressive eye contact, the fleeting touches; it felt like she was watching a live rom-com.

whether you both realize it or not; she does. which only makes it so much more enjoyable on her end.

[porkcracker]

Can you do a TFA decepticons (separate) falling for a kind and innocent autobot reader that believes they’re good deep down and tries to befriend them

Hello, yes, I'm a sucker for these bastards. For the sake of my sanity and limiting the wait time, I only took the Decepticons on earth (plus Shockwave, bc Shockwave is <3) and not all and every one of them. I do hope you enjoy this, and now let's get to it.

I actually started to answer this ask months ago, but never finished it, I truly hope this can still be enjoyable even being this immensely late.

TFA Decepticons x Autobot!GN!Reader

Soundwave

Soundwave is a very logical and goal orientated bot, it doesn't even really occur to him that he isn't good

After all, his goal in achieving robots and mechanical beings as the rulers not the workers is going to benefit all kind of mechanical life

So he really has no problem with you per se, but with the cause you align yourself

It's really a shame as well, you would be such a good ally

even if you don't end up becoming a Decepticon, as long as you don't hinder his plans too badly he can accept you as someone who will see reason when the time arrives

With your kind attitude, he knows you will get used to it, when the time arrives, and then you can maybe become even more than friends

A thing that he especially loves your sweet and caring behaviour towards his cassettes

He cares deeply for them, so to have you treat them so gently makes his feelings go wild

Blitzwing

Blitzwing is a rather loyal bot, so he doesn't like you insisting he's actually good deep down

Icy simply ignores your insistences and tries to correct you, even if he pulls his punches in a way he would never admit

Hothead on the other hand sees your kind behaviour as a personal insult

Are you saying he's not a real strong warrior, going so soft on him?

Not on his watch, he almost always insists on fighting you when the opportunity comes up

Random thinks your sweet personality is cute and aggravating at the same time

He wants you to keep going and at the same time to stop, he'll egg you on and in the same breath lean into your words giving you a bit of hope of getting through to him

It's a slow fall, but when he realises his three personalities go about winning you over differently

Icy cuts back on the physical fighting and engages you in verbal fights that are far more attempts to show you he can be what you think he could be

Hothead doesn't change too much, he's not one for too soft feelings and attempts to show you that he could protect your sweet nature easily

He does also love to give you words of affection, where Icy prefers gifts

Random loves to spend time with you no matter in what way, as long as you're close and having fun

Though his fun is relative, he does attempt to make it fun for both of you

Lugnut

Your chances of actually winning Lugnut over are very low

He is a warrior and not necessarily the smartest, but he is loyal as all hells come

There is a use in bots that have a talent with words that he can acknowledge

But there is already one bot whose words have pulled him into an orbit

He might develop some kind of crush on you, due to your kind side, but unless you change to the Decepticons he will most likely never act on it

But sometimes he likes to think of you, not as an Autobot, but a Decepticon like him and imagine what it could be like

Those times are very rare, however

Shockwave

Shockwave is at the same level of loyalty as Lugnut and there is very little that could make the Decepticon reconsider his opinion

He thinks it's rather cute how you attempt to convince him that he isn't actually that bad and good deep down

During his time as Longarm Prime, he had seen your kind behaviour directed towards many bots for various reasons

It's a no-brainer that he took advantage of that several times

But still, even as useless as your endeavour is, he can't deny that you're cute

Maybe, just maybe, he should get himself a little souvenir from Cybertron

Surely Megatron wouldn't mind his spy indulging himself with a cute little prisoner

He'll show you how wrong you are with your opinion, but don't worry, he'll give you a very long time to attempt to change his mind

Depending on how forceful you behave, you'll stay with the Decepticons for a very long while, or he'll set you free, because he grows too fond of you

Starscream

He will deny having any good in him vehemently

The moment you start to talk, he'll talk over you and don't you even think of speaking over him

That's actually the first thing he really notices

Sure, he knows you exist, but he only starts paying attention after he notices that you actually let him do his speeches and listen as well

It's surprising

He pays more attention, and he can't help, but be very pleased by the attention you give him, no matter if it is to convince him he's actually good or some bullshit

At first, he only uses you to stroke his own ego

But as time goes by he starts to really care for your validation

He'll search you out in fights and outside of fights

Megatron

Making sure your attention continues to stay on him at all times, no matter what

You don't stand out to him at first, and it is unlikely that he will notice you in a broader setting

But when it comes to a one on one meeting things change

You're so small in comparison to him, most Autobots are, and usually he doesn't care much for it beyond battle advantage

He brushes your words off at first

From his point of view, he is the good guy

But as you keep running into each other, he can't help but note that you seem far more innocent than even your fellow Autobots

You try to see the good in every thing and every one, and you help where you can

It's hard to imagine a bot like you being a product of an Autobot lead Cybertron

He is impressed that you have not yet consumed the propaganda every Autobot seems to believe and hopes that it will stay the case for longer

Once he notices that he is growing fond of you, he reverses your situations

Where you have tried to appeal to him before and bring out his good side, he now attempts to appeal to you and win you over to the Decepticons

You could be great together

[nishibai]

im opening nitro commissions!

hello hello! im opening commissions for discord nitro! please review the following guidelines and feel free to message me (@/nishibai) on discord if interested!

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CONTENT I WILL DRAW: ocs, fandom, sfw, suggestive

CONTENT I WONT DRAW: heavy nsfw, extreme gore

CHECK WITH ME FIRST: furry/anthro, animals, detailed character designs, mild gore, robots, if you want a specific pose/reference

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EXTRA: for price, i only request 1 month of nitro ($10 USD) im only opening one commission per month id like to be paid before i start working generally, itll take about 1 week, possibly shorter if i have the time/motivation im still a beginner and struggle with posing, which is why itd be best to check with me if you want a specific pose reference i am in school, so please be patient!

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pls rb/share :3

tags @losingcards @chapter3-1b @paradoxical-catastrophe @rambley-review @yttd-enjoyer

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examples of my art utc:

(click for quality)

rendered/shaded

pfps/headshots (note: whether theyre a matching set or not is up to you, but its still the same price)

misc art:

[nix-xin-art]

//SPOILERS FOR HSR 2.2 STORY

It’s 1AM and I’ve finished the latest update for HSR

So let’s talk about it, and by talk I mean let’s write out a few paragraphs about my wildly running thoughts and feelings about my husbands

FIRST OF ALL, let’s talk about Gallagher. The man that you are, I never stopped being a Gallagher apologist and I’m so happy I didn’t. The fact he’s so laid back and nonchalant about having dormancy as a pet is actually such a serve on his part.

I think Gallagher in particular had a cool little story here, with the introduction of his actual connection to Mikhail being so fucking sad man, I need to give this guy a cwtch because Oml. The scene where he showed his frustrations towards Mikhail were some of my favourites, he gets a little bitter about Mikhails unwavering faith in the express. And in my brain I’ve interpreted that bitterness as a regret that maybe he could’ve done more for him, maybe been something else to have faith in dispite Gallagher not having a faith for himself.

A tasty tidbit that I enjoy from Gallagher is also the fact he calls Sunday ‘Mr Wings’ as a snarky nickname. As a Gallgher enjoyer and a Sunday slapper I enjoy that.

As for why I have ended my friendship with Sunday: Welt.

This is all I have to say, my man wholly trapped welts consciousness in his own to take him as a bargaining chip for the express, eventually hoping to trap the rest of the crew too. I don’t like that.

Im all seriousness though I do like the way all of that was handled. Welt was on his self sacrificial bullshit again and ended up getting himself into possibly detrimental trouble AGAIN. When will this man learn? It’s been 80 something years mr yang, reflect, I beg of you.

Another side tangent. The fact welt immediately understood something was up with Sunday? The fact welt immediately understood there was something wrong with gopherwood. This man never misses and I love it. I’m convinced that the reason he had to be split from the main group in 2.1 was because he would’ve seen through Gallaghers lies in an instant.

Especially since he brought up Gallaghers suspicious history lesson detour as soon as he heard about it.

Im so normal right now oh my god I need to go bounce around the walls for a bit

Also, side side tangent. The scene with the trailblazers and Mica? (Was that his name? The grave keeper in the dreamfulx reef) When welt is mumbling and he just says “huh? Were you talking to me?” I know for a fact that hoyo doesn’t skimp out on the tiny details and even himeko made a noise of confusion in that scene (if I remember correctly of course) but I might be looking too deeply into that.

Also. What is with penacony and having such plot relevant 4* characters. First it was Gallagher, now it’s Misha??? Hello??? I’m loving this 4* love.

NOW ONTO BOOTHILL. I love that guy he’s such a dumbass in all the best ways. I’ve read through the leaks of his story and… oh boy… knowing what k know… ‘I wouldn’t want to interrupt such a long awaited reunion’… currently kaying my ess.

Then there’s Acheron. Acheron has played a huge part in all the story quests of penacony so far and I’m actually starting to really warm up to her, it might’ve been mostly because abuse of her cutscene with Tiernan. That shit pulled at my heartstrings in all the most painful ways. Also the art in these cutscenes???? Hello??? Hoyo are really popping off with these. I was looking at all the little rendering details like a goddamn owl.

Lastly I wanna talk a little bit about the boss battle for this update… specifically the design of that thing… oh my god it’s gorgeous… this massive robot angel that’s also a conductor, it’s such a gorgeous design I just start kicking my feet and rolling around the floor, the boss design in this game is goddamn beautiful. First Phantilia now this.

[boombox-fuckboy]

Hey, @t0tally-n0t-3m0, figured this might be easier to read as a post. Here's 24 pods with nonbinary lead characters to get you started. There's more out there, so if anyone wants to add on, go for it.

Additional Postage Required: (Sci-Fi) Adventures of an interstellar courier who starts to get glimpses of the past from their packages.

Anamnesis (on the Tin Can Audio feed): (Mystery, Weird Fiction) Someone wakes in a temple in an empty town with no memory. Short, really nice sound design.

Badlands Cola: (Mystery, Supernatural & Horror elements) big city PI Sunny is hired to find information on a rural cult leader, and is drawn into a world of strange radio, horse enthusiasts, and dinosaur bones.

The Dead Letter Office of Somewhere, Ohio (one of two leads, you'll meet them halfway in): (Supernatural, Weird) Two workers for an Ohio dead letter office read the strange confiscated mail their organisation collects, and do some follow up investigation.

either: (Weird Fiction, Sci-Fi, Romance) An explosion at a duck factory sends a pet robot to another reality, connecting two very different (but both lonely) people.

Hello From The Hallowoods: (Supernatural Horror) A dramatic entity beyond your comprehension visits your nightmares to tell stories of the people (in varying degrees of human and alive) that inhabit the strange, deadly, and beautiful Hallowoods.

Inn Between: (Fantasy, Adventure) Ever wondered what the party gets up to at the tavern between D&D sessions? (Not a tabletop).

Jar of Rebuke: (Supernatural, Horror elements) An unkillable amnesiac scientist (they die, just have a hard time staying dead) investigates weird entities, makes friends, and eats a lot of tasty food in the strange town he lives in.

Khôra Podcast: (Sci-Fi, Adventure) Somewhere between inspired by and adapted from greek mythology, a space adventure following four mythological figures on their search for the golden fleece.

Less is Morgue: (Comedy, Horror elements) A ghoul and a ghost host a podcast about whatever they please in the ghoul's mom's basement, and manage to get off topic anyway.

Light Hearts: (Slice-of-Life, Supernatural elements) Three friends run a lightly haunted queer café. Upbeat and wholesome.

The Mistholme Museum of Mystery, Morbidity, and Mortality: (Weird Fiction, Supernatural, Horror elements) A friendly AI tour guide leads you on a tour of the Mistholme Museum, explaining the strange and often alternatural story behind each item. (To be clear, the nb lead is an AI with no concept of gender, but the creator is NB also and it is far from the only nb character.)

Monstrous Agonies: (Advice, Supernatural) An interpersonal advice show for supernatural entities and other people living liminally in the modern world.

ROGUEMAKER: (Sci-fi, Whodunnit) A commercial space flight explodes and passengers are left isolated in the escape pods, only connected for minutes at a time and unsure what happened, or why.

Second Star to the Left: (Sci-Fi) Audio logs of a colonist sent to a new world and her communications with the minder in charge of keeping her alive.

Sidequesting: (Fantasy) A wholesome podcast following Rion, an adventurer with a difference: they only do sidequests.

SINKHOLE: (Sci-fi, Weird Fiction) Forum posts from a data restoration community in a near future where the human brain is its own computer and one city hosts a massive void.

Skyjacks: Courier's Call: (Tabletop, Fantasy) Three young postal workers aboard a skyship go on various adventures. Kid-friendly but enjoyable for all ages.

The Starport Inn: (Supernatural, Mystery) An FBI agent sent to a rural town to solve a disappearance finds they've walked into something much stranger.

The Supernatural Protection Agency: (Supernatural) Call logs for a helpline that aims to solve the supernatural problems plaguing your life.

Tell No Tales: (Supernatural, Horror elements) Leo Quinn, secretary to the man in charge of the world's leading ghost removal service, interviews various ghosts in an attempt to create a device capable of actually recording them, in the hopes of taking down the company they work for.

Trial and Error: (Sci-Fi) Interviews with various AI as a scientist attempts to make sense of spontaneous machine sentience.

Under the Electric Stars: (Sci-Fi) A courier's failed heist to help their AI friend/navigator pulls them into a world of crime organisations and unethical science.

The Weird: (Tabletop, Supernatural, Comedy, Horror elements) The two staff members at The Department of the Weird travel America in their shitty Ford Fiesta to investigate various strange happenings

[icedragonlizard]

I'm probably going to be obliterated for this, but I'm bold enough.

I think it eventually deserves to be said, anyways.

Consider this the follow-up to a post I wrote a few days ago.

For clarification, I'm not at all trying to say that the whole Mecha Knight thing in Planet Robobot wasn't messed up. Overall, it was messed up. Yes, what Susie did to Meta Knight was indeed quite bad.

But it's very clear that the Kirby fandom has absolutely blatant double standards when it comes to this sort of thing.

While it's understandable to find enjoyment in milking angst out of such an incident, I believe that people exaggerate Mecha Knight.

Some people love to go on about how Meta Knight suffers from horrible medical trauma after Planet Robobot. About how much he hates Susie's guts, will never ever forgive her, and wants her to die. About how this was basically the worst thing to ever happen to him.

But if I'm being honest, I don't think Mecha Knight was that much different from all the times that King Dedede has been possessed.

Where's all the talk about Dedede being traumatized from all his possession incidents? Hello?!?!? Do people just act like he's not that traumatized or that he easily toughs out his possession incidents while Meta Knight was just messed up so darn bad by being a robot?

Actually, I have seen people talk about Dedede being traumatized by Dark Matter, but it's absolutely nothing like talk about Mecha Knight. Still double standards.

To be fair, I can somewhat understand the big discrepancy of how Mecha Knight is treated compared to Dedede's possessions. After all, Meta Knight is quite literally the Kirby's fandom blorbo (aside from Magolor, I guess) and turning someone into a robot against their will can very much indeed be a lot more nerve-striking in comparison.

But was Mecha Knight really truly so much worse than Dedede's possessions? Does it really deserve to be treated like it's such an unfathomable, unspeakable, harrowing tragedy... compared to Dedede's incidents being treated like they're no big deal at all?

... In my opinion, no.

Meta Knight shook off roboticization pretty quickly after the second Mecha Knight fight. He's then quick to get on top of the Halberd while the rest of his crew gets it up and flying. Funny how it's that instead of him just sitting there crippled and helpless after the robot armor breaks off of him. I dunno about you guys, but he looks fine!

While I myself do imagine that he'd certainly have been somewhat messed up and traumatized by being a robot, and while I do imagine he would be mad at Susie over it for a while, I sincerely don't agree to the extent of how some people depict it. It didn't ruin his life like some people think. It hurt him, but not ruin him. He's been through bad stuff before. If you ask me, it's more like a "regular Tuesday" for him instead of being the absolute total life-ruining experience for him. He's been able to heal from the incident and is doing just fine.

And for the record, I don't buy into the "Meta Knight hates Susie SO MUCH and wants her dead" headcanon. I don't necessarily headcanon them being friends, and I think he was initially angry at her, but his anger at her slowly fades in my opinion.

Can we please not overlook some of Dedede's possession incidents? Let's not pretend that Taranza is an innocent little guy and that he hasn't hurt Dedede before. Although I believe that being used like a puppet by Taranza was far from Dedede's worst possession incident.

I like to imagine that Dedede suffered from true traumatization from 2 out of the 3 times he's been possessed by Dark Matter, as well as the time he's been possessed by Fecto Forgo during Forgotten Land.

He's been able to heal and get better, but it did hurt him at first.

Dark Matter lowkey turned his stomach into a set of jaws, and then formed a giant unnerving eyeball onto his stomach. That had to hurt, methinks. It also wouldn't help if one were to interpret that Dark Matter was preying on Dedede's flaws, making him easy to possess.

When Dedede was possessed by Fecto Forgo, he was ordered to hurt his own waddle dees. He couldn't have felt good about that afterwards, especially with how much he's shown to care about his waddle dees to the point he goes out of his way to save one singular waddle dee from the stampeding Beast Pack after he's been freed.

In my opinion, if Meta Knight has been messed up by Susie, then I think that there's no way Dedede hasn't been a little messed up one way or another by the Dark Matter and Fecto Forgo possessions as well. While I certainly believe he's been able to heal and overcome them, I think he was hurt over them initially after they were over. For me, it's basically the same of how Meta Knight had a phase of being traumatized by what Susie did to him until he's come around to heal.

I prefer to think that the incidents are similar instead of just "OMMGG poor meta knight was screwed up so darn bad, and dedede's possessions weren't really a big deal, they were much much less bad."

And I don't at all call for anyone to hate on Taranza, Dark Matter, Fecto Forgo, Yin Yarn or anyone else that has possessed Dedede. They don't deserve that, in my opinion. Just like how I think Susie is honestly not deserving of the level of hate she's received for Mecha Knight.

Was Mecha Knight a messed up incident? Yes. But let's not pretend that some of Dedede's possessions weren't messed up as well. Mecha Knight is certainly more nerve-striking... but from an objective standpoint, it's not significantly worse. And I think Dedede has overall faced more trauma than Meta Knight has, since the former has been possessed much more times. Sorry, but I don't think one robot incident outweighs multiple possession incidents. I just don't.

HAL doesn't at all appear to treat Mecha Knight like it's so much worse than all of the times that King Dedede has been possessed.

Oh wow, this is getting a bit long, but yeah that's basically it. I just felt like it needed to be said that it's almost absurd that Meta Knight being turned into a robot once is all it takes for the fandom to metaphorically riot on the streets while ignoring Dedede's possession incidents.

I'm well aware that I might be playing with fire while writing this. But I'm bold. I'm gonna brace myself for however some people react to this. Not sure if it'll get to the point where I'll be forced to delete this.

The double standards in this fandom gets on my nerves.

[moonliched]

Hello baby!

Kisses u on the forehead

How r u feeling? I just finished rereading your fic and damn i love it so much it's in my solid top 3 of mer fics and is keeping its 1st place proudly. I just melt into a happy puddle while reading it! And during a day my mind often drifts to think and theorise about your work! Also you are so cute and bubbly it only adds on to the whole vibe in the book. I loved little fun facts! They are adding so much character and perspective to the people and situations! Can we have some more?

Btw can we give you some ideas for plants and stuff?

Kisses!

can't wait to see more of your magic 🌸✨️

you n me, perchance (⁠.⁠ ⁠❛⁠ ⁠ᴗ⁠ ⁠❛⁠.⁠)

i am feeling like i need a long holiday! i hope your autumn is off to a good start🍁🍂

you have no idea how big of a complement this is aaaaaaaaa, i always wanted to make a fic likeable enough to reread xD you're so nice to me❤️

you can absolutely give me whatever ideas you'd like, i welcome the excuse to chat n make up cool fantasy stuff😊✨ thanks for the ask, i am absolutely squeezing you in a hug rn!!

i gotcha more fun There Are Many Benefits facts ;3

🪸 Sun and Moon coexist calmly and happily. they are very close and their bickering isn't in seriousness. so if you join in, at any moment they might exchange a glance and gleefully gang up on you at the drop of a hat

🪸 Meryn can see a deeper range of certain colours than the mers can, like the difference between the white of Sun's eyes and his paler pupils. so Sun thinks he's being sneaky when he looks at Meryn without moving his head, but obviously Meryn can tell that he's staring dead at them. they find it funny

🪸 after Meryn revealed in chapter 16 that they intend to build BON-BON a body, he promptly spent the rest of the night searching up cool robot images and brainstorming stuff to put in it. he 100% has not thought about the sheer work that's going to go into making just a regular body, nor the fact that Meryn would never ever trust him with rocket launchers

🪸 Sun and Moon are aware on some level that Humans Wear Clothes (though how they know this is a spoiler!) but they don't fully understand the minutiae of the when and the why humans keep covered. so, just enough to get flustered when they're removed lol

🪸 Meryn was considering getting piercings before their hand webbing was removed. now they have lost their taste for any permanent body modifications

🪸 BON-BON spies on the Glamrock team's meetings, but not as much as he used to. he gets bored easily and a lot of what they discuss references previous tasks and goals he also didn't really listen to when they were first brought up. as a result, he misses out on a lot of stuff that would make for juicy gossip-and-mystery-solving content to share with Meryn😅

🪸 Sun thinks that Meryn's 'nest' (bed) is tragically bare. it must be because they have no one to take care of them! he has plans to rectify that

🪸 Meryn typically responds with a one word 'okay' when they're agreeing without meaning it

🪸 BON-BON thinks the Glamrock team's apparent bleeding-heart stance on AI is just performative, and that if the time comes to ever put those beliefs into action they would fall back on reporting him as sentient

🪸 Vanessa only followed Meryn's example of using he/him pronouns for Sun when he spoke like a human, by mimicking her words

🪸 it's often obvious to Sun and Moon when Meryn doesn't understand something, and they find it amusing to call them on it, or let it play out if Meryn doesn't express their confusion. they think it's cute

🪸 As of chapter 16, Meryn is getting sick of Monty helping himself to their food and drink and has a plan to punish him for it >:3

🪸 BON-BON's enjoyment of shopping is more to do with the new experience of getting to express himself through his appearance than fashion itself. he's still learning what he likes and how he wants to present himself

🪸 Sun and Moon love making Meryn laugh, as they don't actually laugh or smile by themself often. but tbf all of their expressions are super interesting to the mers

[gay-dorito-dust]

hello!! may i request where reader likes pavitr but he likes gayatri?

A/n: Oof. OOF! Hurt my heart why don’t ya? But I’m willing to do it! Also sorry for the severe lack of dialogue in this one. I couldn’t think of much. 🦦

Part 2

You’ve liked Pavitr for as long as you could remember, yet you knew you were in a loosing race when it came to Gayatri.

You couldn’t blame Pavitr for liking Gayatri much like you couldn’t blame Gayatri for being the source of Pavitr’s feelings. With no one else left to place blame on for your circumstances, you naturally resorted to blaming yourself, but it was early into your self hate that you realised that you weren’t to blame either; you had no control over this and neither did you have entitlement over how people should feel towards someone they found distinctively attractive. Sure it hurt like a motherfucker knowing that the guy you’ve liked since the moment you understood what liking someone in a romantic meant, unapologetically fawn about someone else in-front of you that you might as well have not existed.

‘Gayatri smells like newly blossomed flowers.’ He’d say one day.

‘Gayatri’s laugh is as beautiful as the birdsong of the early morning.’ He’d say another day.

Gayatri could save Mumbattan by smiling for all you knew!

It also wasn’t out of the ordinary for him to forget that he was hanging out with you with how often his head was in the clouds.

We’re you jealous? No. You weren’t. What you were sick of was hearing Pavitr only talk about her during your hang outs because if his mind was so fixated on her twenty four seven, then why should he have bothered hanging out with you in the first place? You couldn’t fucking change subject matter without him somehow integrating her into it! You hated to admit it but hanging out with Pavitr had started growing less and less enjoyable to the point you started making up excuses to not hang out with him, up to the point where you stopped hanging out with him all together.

You needed time away from him to heal your fractured heart and hearing him gush about Gayatri wasn’t helping make matters better. Were there better ways of dealing with this? Yes, you could’ve effectively communicated to him about how you felt and being the amazing person that he was, Pavitr would’ve understood but you decided against it because you didn’t want it to come across as though you didn’t like Gayatri; which was bullshit, you loved Gayatri and how smart, funny and sweet she is, so much so you knew that she and Pavitr would be an picture perfect couple.

You needed time away to find yourself and find who you were outside of Pavitr because your feelings for him had became an unhealthy attachment, to the point that you were loosing sight of who you once were before theses feelings went and made everything complicated. You owed it to yourself to find what makes you happy and what ignites that spark within you again; reminding you that there is so much more to life then to be hung up over one guy whom will never see you in the light that you deeply wanted him to see you in, unlike the movies you grew up on where the childhood friends realise they were in love the whole time.

Life doesn’t work in junction to the tropes you’ve read about in books and in fan-fictions you’d find on Ao3; Life was shit and things such as soulmates or twin flames don’t exist. Even if they did, you obviously were looking in all the wrong places and people for a sliver of something that was never pertained to you.

‘Gayatri said yes!’ Pavitr told you one day and you had to breath through the ice cold pain that shot through you.

‘What?’ You said breathily.

‘Gayatri and I are dating! I am the luckiest guy in Mumbattan!’ You sent him a tight lipped smile as you halfheartedly patted him on the shoulder, each pat becoming more and more robotic then the last.

‘Congrats. I’m happy for you, truly.’ You spoke as though these were words on a script that you were forced to rehearsed minutes prior. Pavitr paused his celebrating to look you in the eye and his face dropped upon seeing your face.

‘You’re crying. Why are you crying?’ He asked, worried as he went to hold your face between his hands but you immediately flinched away from his touch, physically pulling yourself away from him, not acknowledging the look of hurt that flashed across his face momentarily. You forced yourself to once again smile for his sake as you wiped away your tears with the backs of your hands. ‘They’re happy tears. I promise.’ You lied to your friend through your teeth. ‘I wish for you to both be happy and as stupidly in love for as long as possible.’ You added, and upon feeling fresh tears steamed down your cheeks, you moved away from Pavitr and began to walk away.

Not once looking back as he tried to call out to you.

[journey-to-the-attic]

3rd anni req 19: [INFERNAL FRIENDS] barbatos / tea party

ao3 link

note: requested by "average robot enjoyer"! i'm fairly sure i do know which tumblr user this belongs to, but since you didn't specify your handle i've refrained from tagging you, just in case - hopefully you see this! (this takes place prior to the other two infernal friends requests)

∎ ∎ ∎ ∎ ∎

There isn’t a precedent for what happens when a servant of the prince erupts into flames mid-way through a gathering. To be honest, Barbatos hadn’t thought it would ever be necessary.

Satan eyes him with impressive serenity. “...are you feeling alright?”

He looks down at the crimson flames dancing around his feet. To be fair, there isn’t any heat. “I feel well, yes.”

“I’m going to make a call,” Lucifer announces, then pulls out his phone. “Diavolo, your butler is on fire.”

Perhaps it’s a good thing that the Young Master is running late to this particular occasion, Barbatos thinks placidly as Lucifer listens to his response with a small grimace. Then the flames climb rapidly up his legs, and his surroundings fold in on themselves.

The world compresses to a sharp point in a crunch of indiscernible colours and sound, then expands again into the shape of a living room with peeling wallpaper. Barbatos takes in a shallow breath, then looks down and makes eye contact with IK - the Young Master’s new human friend.

Now it makes sense. Barbatos has only met her once, and she spent most of that time hiding behind Diavolo’s wings, but he vaguely recalls being told that she’d been given his summoning ritual. Still, he hadn’t expected her to ever use it.

“Hello,” He says pleasantly. “Did you mean to summon me? Or were you perhaps seeking the Young Master?”

IK shakes her head.

“You wanted to see me, then?”

A nod.

“Why?”

IK gestures at him, turns around, and very purposefully walks out of the room. Barbatos, understanding quickly, follows - pausing to extinguish the candles on the carpet with his tail.

She’s waiting for him at the end of the hallway. As soon as she spots him emerging, she darts quickly into the next room. (Barbatos allows himself a private smile - though she isn’t nearly as chatty, IK reminds him quite uncannily of a particular young demon. Nevertheless, he resolves himself to his usual brand of distant attentiveness.)

“Would you like to show me something?” He asks, glancing around the kitchen. Hmm. Well-maintained, but a little messy.

IK points up. Barbatos opens the cupboard, as directed, and finds a tissue-wrapped teapot.

He turns around. The child gazes hopefully up at him.

“I see,” He says after a moment. “You would like me to make you some tea. Is that it?”

IK’s eyes light up as she nods. After a moment, very quietly, she adds, “Please.”

Well... clearly he hadn’t been needed at that gathering, if the threat of him being reduced to a pile of ash had been so unremarkable to the others. Making tea is hardly a heavy task for him, anyway. He supposes he has the time to spare for a companion of the Young Master.

There isn’t anything nearly as fine as the castle’s crockery in this kitchen, and it takes a while for him to navigate around all the clutter - but, finally, he has everything laid out prettily on the table, without so much as a speck of a stain on his gloves. A job well done, he should think.

IK stands blankly in the middle of the kitchen - where she’d remained, unmoving, while Barbatos worked. He dusts off his hands, clears his throat delicately, and pulls out a chair.

“Please, young miss - sit,” He says, as courteously as he can.

A beat passes. IK slowly approaches the chair and clambers up, looking entirely bewildered.

“Very good.” He sets a cup in front of her, then pours out a careful measure of tea. Lightly floral, a lovely rosy colour - quite acceptable. He takes the liberty of pouring himself a cup as well.

IK watches him, wide-eyed, as he seats himself on the opposite side of the table, and blows delicately on his cup before taking a sip. He sets it down, then quirks an eyebrow at her, and she stiffens a little.

Then, eyes steeling, she attempts to copy him. The cup and saucer clatter together rather unelegantly, and she puffs like an angry little bird, but Barbatos feels something about his resolve soften nevertheless.

“How is it?” He asks after a moment.

IK blinks at him over the rim of her cup, then sets it down again. He glances into it. It’s empty?

To be able to completely drain a teacup, without looking as if you’re doing so, is something of a feat. Barbatos tries not to look too impressed. “...well done. Was it not hot?”

IK looks him dead in the eye. Then her face scrunches up.

“Do you need some ice?” He asks patiently. A head shake. “Is it not to your taste?”

She looks a little shamed, then nods. He sighs lightly, but smiles. “Not to worry. You are young - your palate will refine with time. For now, shall we add a little sugar?”

He stands up to retrieve the jar from the cupboard. As he touches the handle, IK suddenly says from behind him, “Don’t you add milk?”

Barbatos pauses, then turns around. “Pardon?”

IK looks at the tea set, then back at him. “You… add milk. To the tea. And— and when the girls play, the tea isn’t real…”

She trails off. Barbatos stands there for a moment, then finally realises why she’d looked so perplexed as soon as he started actually filling the pot.

“I see,” He concludes after a moment. “You only wanted to play.”

IK nods slowly.

“My apologies. I'm accustomed to acting in my capacity as a—” He cuts himself off, realising that IK probably understands his sentences about as much as he understands Leviathan’s slang, and instead says, “—well, I’m afraid that I am not used to this sort of thing. I could call…”

Then he pauses to think about it. If IK had wanted to play tea parties with Diavolo, she would’ve summoned him in the first place. She’s obviously picked Barbatos for a reason, even if it isn’t for his actual tea-brewing skills, and he’d hate to let her down now.

"Perhaps you should teach me,” He suggests instead, returning to the table with the sugar jar in hand.

IK stares hard at it, then admits, “I don’t know how to play either.”

“You don’t?”

“I don’t play with the girls…” She blinks, then adds, very fast, “I want to. But I don’t.”

“Why not?”

“They’ll think I’m stupid because I don’t talk.”

“You’re talking to me, are you not?”

“That’s different.” IK goes quiet for a moment. “...you’re supposed to say clink.”

“Clink?” He repeats.

“Like this.” IK picks her cup up, then reaches it across the table and knocks it against his. “Clink.”

“Clink,” Barbatos repeats again, returning the gesture this time. “And what else do you do?”

“You pretend to eat things,” She says slowly, then mimics taking a bite out of something with surprising accuracy. “Mm. Wow. Tasty.”

It comes out so completely monotone that Barbatos has to press his lips together to prevent a chuckle. IK seems to notice anyway.

“I don’t get that part either.” She looks at the tea set again, then adds, “I just wanted to try. It’s lots of pretending. And lots of talking.”

“You don’t have to play exactly as they do,” Barbatos tells her, beginning to pour her another cup, this time with a half-spoon of sugar added. “You don’t have to talk to me if you’d rather not, either.”

IK thinks about it for a moment. “...no, I like talking to you. You say big words like you mean them.”

“I’d rather think that’s because I do,” He replies, disguising a surprised (and rather pleased) smile. “You will learn to use big words with time, as well.”

“Your name is a big word.”

“It is,” He acknowledges. “You’d be surprised how often even other demons spell it incorrectly.”

IK squints at him, as if asking if that’s a challenge, then starts, “B-A-R-B-E—”

“A.”

“—I— what?”

“B-A-R-B-A,” He corrects.

“B-A…” IK stumbles, then finally settles on, “Toss.”

“B-A-R-B-A-toss,” He agrees, nodding. “Very good.”

IK nods as well, then picks up her teacup. She copies him once more: blowing lightly, then taking a careful sip. She’s already doing it with much more poise than the first time.

She looks thoughtful when she lowers the cup - she’s refrained from drinking it all at once this time. Barbatos holds his own cup out again, and IK quickly reaches over to knock hers against it.

“Clink,” She says, happily this time. “This is fun.”

“What sort of games do you play with the Young Master?” Barbatos asks after a moment. Both of them are rather easily amused, it seems. “Ah - Diavolo, I mean.”

“Young Master,” IK repeats a little sceptically. “Um… he reads to me. I have to teach him games, as well.”

“And you talk to him?”

“Sometimes. When I feel like it.” IK taps her little fingers on her saucer. “...talking is hard.”

“I think you are doing a superb job,” Barbatos tells her, and means it. IK gives him a smile more warming than the tea. “The Young Master speaks very highly of you, as well.”

“Why do you call him that?” She asks, scrunching her nose.

“As his servant, it would be discourteous to address him too familiarly.”

“You’re a servant?” IK leans across the table with wide eyes. “...how much does he pay you?”

“Pardon?” He didn’t know a child of this age knew to consider wages. “Well— it isn’t often monetary—”

“He doesn’t give you any money?”

“I receive payment enough,” He says, and decides to leave it at that.

IK’s eyes are owlishly wide, but she doesn’t question him further. Instead, she asks quietly, “What does dis-court-us mean?”

Barbatos explains it, and a great many other things - talking for long enough for the remaining tea in the pot to go stone cold, so absorbed that he doesn’t realise that the front door has opened until IK’s father walks into the kitchen. He barely flinches upon seeing him, and Barbatos gets the feeling from his loose handshake and absent introduction that the man’s mind is utterly elsewhere.

Though his weary eyes brighten when IK hurries to greet him - she's gone quiet again, but in a way that Barbatos takes to mean that no words need to be said. He decides to excuse himself soon after that, wary of intruding, but offers IK a warm smile and deep bow when she enthusiastically waves goodbye.

He steps seamlessly through one of his own doors, back to the Devildom and emerges in the castle's entrance hall. A moment later, Diavolo is already upon him.

“So?” He asks eagerly. “How did it go?”

“Young Master,” Barbatos greets with an incline of his head. After a moment’s thought, he admits, “I do believe everything you have told me is true.”