#shadowraiths: maker

[vartouhix]

👀 + a ship MAKERHI

send me 👀 + a ship ( platonic / romantic / hate ) & i’ll give you 3 headcanons! x ; accepting

1. Vartouhi signs them up for some dance classes. Ballroom to start, because she knows Maker is a traditional and mild-mannered man, but later she gets them involved in swing dance classes in hopes that he’ll find it less raunchy and awkward and more fun and freeing. But she loves dance too much not to try to find out if it’s an activity they can do together. She’s super supportive and encouraging and always cheering him on in little ways during the lessons.

2. So once upon a time, Maker struggles with a doll–specifically with making a gown for it. He’s just kind of lacking in inspiration, and the doll itself doesn’t really know what it wants, and the customer wasn’t very specific or helpful at all, either. So Vartouhi is in the corner sketching while he’s working, and he laments about his artist’s block, and she sketches up some of her own family members’ gowns from memory, and Maker ends up making one. And from then on when he’s feeling a bit low on inspo, he asks for any ideas to spur his imagination or that he can use, and it sort of transforms into them working together from time to time to design clothes for the dolls… I just think the idea of them collaborating artistically is really nice and cute and wholesome.

3. Vartouhi loves to kiss Maker right after he’s had hot cocoa. He tastes so sweet. This may or may not also be why she gets into the habit of making him hot cocoa whenever she feels like making out…

[lastsnever-blog]

&& the maker!

“Uhm…well…” The Maker wasn’t sure how to explain what made the doll so amazing.  Often times when he explained to people the softness of the hair used or the shade of porcelain, they looked at him as if he were trying to recite the Korean National Anthem in Moroccan or some other foreign language.  

He would have to find something that someone else could relate to.  “Her smile.  It’s as if she knows a secret no one else knows.  I think she’ll make a good companion for a child who is shy.”

Her frown deepens, wide eyes scrutinising the doll in question with even more interest now. She hadn’t thought before to note the expression painted on its porcelain skin, though now that he’d mentioned it, it merely appears ... unsettling. “But what use does a doll have for secrets? And does being in possession of a secret really comfort a soft-spoken child?”

The doll reminded her greatly of ones she’s seen growing up. (Belonging to her sister - never hers. Nothing in that house was ever hers.) Dayoon always thought that they looked flawless - but frail. Only meant to be handled by fingers that weren’t calloused. Hands that didn’t find grip out of reflex. Nothing that embodied the child that was Oh Dayoon. (She didn’t think - she knows how easy a drop from above would leave a hairline crack down its porcelain skin. An upset heiress. Her name echoing off walls. Bruises blooming on porcelain-like skin.) “Is it yours?”

[kingpvns]

watercolor chibi maker !

i did three of my kiddos, saint, hyesong ( purely self-servicing and for @thedarktriads​ ) and seven! my two perpetually tired babes and my one flower child right in the middle. saint has a bun purely because i want him to, hyesong’s hair is up in a ponytail because she’s adorable and her hair’s always getting in her face when she works, and seven’s face actually doesn’t do him justice because i couldn’t get all of his piercings in, but the expression is spot on. 

anyways! this was a lot of fun and if i get tagged again, i’ll just pick three more kids to do.

tagged by: @thedarktriads​ & @ofkngs​ ( not really but you’re who i stole it from at first ) tagging: @parhellion​ @shadowraiths​ @mervcilleux​ @timetbl​ @elskct​ @aniimvs​ if y’all want ♪

and here’s mine just for fun. ♪

[vartouhix]

@shadowraiths: maker, continued from x

“I don’t think this is how this is supposed to go.”  The Maker furrowed his brows while trying to untangle the garland that had just come from a small box.  “Are they allowed to sell such things if they’re going to immediately twist and knot up and the thing for which they are meant to be used for is not something they can be used for anymore?”  He sighed and glanced up to watch the pink haired female placing ornaments on his rather small tree.  “Touhi, will you please help me?  I’m apparently inept and don’t even know how to decorate for a holiday correctly.”

She smiled at him, tucking a few stray strands of hair back behind her ear before sitting next to him.  “You just took it out too fast.  Please, allow me to show you.”

As she began to untangle the mess he created, The Maker could do nothing but sit and watch with a fondness in his eyes.  He knew that Christmas brought about less than pleasant memories for the young woman, but she had offered to help him decorate the shop.  It was more so meant for his customers as they quite enjoyed the festivities, but now that his workshop looked like Santa’s den, he kind of liked it.  He had even asked if they could decorate the small space that was his bedroom, and now that they were partially finished with it, there was a definite soft spot growing in his heart for the Holiday. However, what he felt a fondness for, he knew that it brought about pain for his companion and as such, the Maker felt a small twinge of guilt begin to eat away at his stomach.

Delicate fingers continued to unravel the mess of knots before him and never before in his life had The Maker wished to take a photo of what most people would call mundane.  Something about the calmness in her posture though, it spoke to him.  The tiny knot of guilt in his stomach grew slightly and he reached out to her, placing his hand over hers.  “You don’t have to.  I think we’ve made it look quite pretty.  Perhaps instead of garland, we could use the tinsel?  Make the tree look as if it’s covered in a sea of silver?”

Her lips spread into a smile and before she could answer, he found himself speaking again.  “I want to thank you.  For doing this.  I know that you have other things you could be doing and I know that Christmas is not a holiday that you can find truly enjoyable, but for you to be here?  To help me since I’ve no clue how to do all this myself?  It means more than I think I could ever possibly express properly. Even now I probably just sound like the weird man I am, but I trust you to understand where I’m heading with this.”

“I want you to have a Merry Christmas, and please.”  He squeezed her hand and then tugged it closer to rest against his chest.  “Please know that in these past few months, you have helped me find pieces of myself I didn’t even know were missing. There is no proper way I can ever repay you for what you’ve done.  I will try though.”  His eyes locked onto hers and he sucked in a deep breath.  “I will certainly try.  You deserve the world and I am not anyone who can offer that, but I.. I will do my very best at giving you a little piece of mine?”

He felt his eyelids drop and really it was for the best as he questioned himself out loud.  “Why did I end that in a question mark? Why am I asking myself this out loud in front of you?  I don’t even know.  I do believe I am flustered and all because of…” his eyes fluttered back open and he licked at his lips.  “All because of you.”

Vartouhi’s fingers paused under the warmth of his hand, half to give him her full attention and half to take a moment to let the warmth that bloomed in her chest pass. When her gaze flickered up to meet his, an easy smile was growing across her lips. She assumed he was trying not to inconvenience her. Truly, she didn’t mind the task. She had always been clever with untangling things; it was like a big puzzle to her and it was almost entertaining to find out where to gently tug, where to push the material through, and where to loop or un-loop it around itself. She parted her lips and took a little breath to say so, but Maker kept going before she could start.

His smile in no way prepared her for the words that came out, and the ache in her heart that they beckoned to. She looked down at the garland, ashamed over how her smile dropped and she allowed some of that pain to reflect in her eyes. Vartouhi felt grateful that at least he remembered. At least he didn’t pretend everything was okay. She wasn’t sure what to say about it, anymore, because it felt like she always had the same things to say. The squeeze to her hand made her glance up at him to give him a small, closed-mouth smile, but the gentle tug surprised her, eyes widening as her palm planted against his chest. Her cheeks flushed pink now, that warmth in her chest shooting up to her face.

Her eyes searched his, attempting to determine if he was trying to tell her something in more complicated words. Was she letting her own hopeful whimsy get in the way, to translate all of the end of his speech as a declaration of... some sort of feelings for her? The pink in her cheeks deepened at just the thought. Of course not, she told herself. Nothing so serious. Don’t be conceited. she chided. She couldn’t get the idea out of her head that his words indicated at least a mild attraction. Vartouhi tried to stamp down that thought. But curiosity kept it circling back, poking and prodding at her, until she couldn’t be convinced what she did next was an unreasonable way to respond.

She dipped her upper body forward to rock up onto her knees, her free hand coming to rest at the curve of his neck to steady herself, and pressed her lips gently to his. Her heart pounded. She could hear the blood rushing in her ears while her cheeks burned with its heat. Vartouhi was struck with a sense of how long she’d wanted to do this, and it made her very reluctant to pull away. But after lingering for a few beats more, she finally did. 

The princess flopped back onto her bottom, legs back to their original crossed position. She blinked when her free hand came back, empty, and glanced in confusion down at the floor. Pressing her lips together sheepishly, she gathered the garland that she seemed to have simply tossed in favor of kissing him. None too gracefully, it seemed, because now it was tangled in places it hadn’t been previously. “Hm. I promise I can untangle this. Perhaps you should make us hot cocoa while you wait?”

[vartouhix]

@shadowraiths

"Mmm, I just thought you'd look nice in the outfit.  I wasn't even thinking of it in that aspect.  But, sure?"

Vartouhi blinked, surprised to hear it, and took out her phone to tap in her internet search app ‘poison ivy,’ her lips mouthing the syllables as she typed. She sucked in a breath so quickly that it tickled her throat, and she coughed lightly as her cheeks flushed pink. Though on Balah it was normal to wear such revealing clothing items, she was used to Earthlings being more conservative, and thus she was a little surprised at the suggestion. “I won’t get in trouble if I choose to wear it...?” she asked tentatively.

[vartouhix]

"Actually, another good one for you I think would be maybe Poison Ivy from the Batman comics. You wouldn't need to change your hair color, you can simply say that you are a version of Poison Ivy that needs a little more sun in her life to get back to full operating capacity."

what costume should my muse wear for halloween? x ; accepting

She tipped her head slightly, smiling. “Ah, because poison ivy is a type of plant, isn’t it?” With a giggle, she nodded a little. “I will look her up and see. Thank you, Maker~”

[vartouhix]

La doluer exquise - no muse in particular, just want to see what you write for touhi tbh.

wordstuck.co.vu prompts x; accepting

la douleur exquise: The exquisite pain of wanting the affection of someone you know you can never have.

Vartouhi sits in a chair, a leg tucked under the one hanging off the side of the seat and torso twisted slightly so she can rest her crossed arms on the back of it. She rests her cheek against her arms as she watches him work. He promised it wouldn’t be long before he could set aside some time to go out and be social with her, but she doesn’t really mind sitting in the quiet shop. The dolls still feel a bit eerie to her, but she rather likes the look of concentration on his face: strong brows wrinkle in concentration, eyes alert and intense in their focus, the light of the nearby lamp casting shadows that accentuate his features, and full lips slightly pursed like he might be about to close his eyes and lean in for a kiss.

The thought startles her. She sits up suddenly, blinking rapidly, as if the flickering image of the shop will rouse her out of her irresponsibly wandering thoughts. He glances up at her as if in question, and her cheeks burn because that image remains projected in the back of her mind. Vartouhi stands and walks briskly to his kitchen to get herself a glass of water.

That was the first time.

After weeks of correspondence, conversation, “hanging out” as the humans say, little intrusive imaginings pop up like that. Infrequently, but, it still happens, and it’s something that bothers her. Sometimes he catches her, because she’s far too responsive to her own thoughts–like the first time. Sometimes he doesn’t, by lucky circumstance or her own attempts to be mindful of her actions.

What is it about him that draws her in? she wonders, more than once. He’s certainly handsome, but then so are plenty of people in Seoul–so are a statistically odd amount of her friends, at that. Yet she doesn’t catch her thoughts taking a turn with her other friends; they walk safely within the boundaries of friendship. Yet with Maker–she doesn’t even know his real name, he doesn’t even know–her mind dares to walk the border. In moments of quiet between the two, she tries to analyze the why of it all. (It does well to keep her thoughts busy, anyway.)

Maybe she’s too used to affection. She recalls her first months on Earth, and how indulgent she became with physical affection. She hadn’t had much of it on Balah, and with how stressed she’d been adjusting to Earth, she’d let herself be a needy little thing with her friends. Maybe she’s come to expect some source or sources of affection to be present at all times.

Maybe she’s rebounding. That thought makes her sick to her stomach, and often ruins their time together, because she always becomes quieter if it crosses her mind. She’d like to think she isn’t so irresponsible, but then, she’s never had to deal with mourning a lover. (She often misses her sister Siran terribly when she starts thinking like this, wishing for her advice.)

Maybe she’s just lonely, and maybe it’s completely normal and understandable and reasonable, and she shouldn’t be so harsh on herself. She tries to run with this, to rationalize away her discomfort at the situation.

But the discomfort is always there. Especially when it gets harder to catch herself, and harder to stop entertaining the little daydreams. It feels disrespectful. She knows he struggles so much–she can’t imagine what it would be like to forget yourself so wholly and completely. How dare she imagine him wanting to know her so deeply and intimately, when he barely knows himself? How dare she wish to be the center of his attention, when understandably, he should be focused on finding himself?

He’s mentioned before that romance is the farthest thing from his mind. Emotionally-detached physical intimacy, too. And even if that ever changed, she knows she can never have him. Regardless of who his past self may be, he is a good friend and good person now, and deserves more than a selfish girl like herself.

[vartouhix]

Bringing a finger to just beneath his lip, the Maker felt himself blush in return. "You offer such a prize in return for nothing more than the truth. I am not sure if I will be able to match and ever repay such a kindness." Glancing off again for a moment before turning his cheek towards her, he nodded. "I will certainly try though."

Her smile widened, chest feeling full with warmth and affection. “You’re so sweet to me,” she murmured, almost as if simply in wonder rather than complimenting him outright. Vartouhi stepped forward to properly lean in and place a soft, quick kiss to his cheek, rocking back into her original spot right after. “May I suggest an offer of cozy cuddles after my bath tonight?” She looked as though she might say more, but shut her mouth, smiling with mischief dancing in her eyes.

[vartouhix]

"Has anyone stopped by today to tell you that you're a lovely woman?" The Maker cleared his throat while looking away. "Oh no? Well... I have come to say so."

Vartouhi perked up at the sound of a familiar voice, lifting her gaze from the ceramic pot she was currently pouring soil into. The corners of her lips lifted into a mild but genuine smile. His presence in the flower shop was certainly a pleasant surprise. As he finished out his initial question, she giggled quietly, flattered pink rising into her cheeks. One hand lifted to hover in front of her giddy smile, and the other dropped her scoop into the pot. “How gracious of you to sacrifice your time and effort to do so.” She stood to walk out of her work space and into the sales floor, coming just a step closer than she might with a real customer. “Shall I repay you for your incredible deed, with... a kiss, perhaps?”

[vartouhix]

"There are things in my life I cannot remember." The Maker smiled softly, his fingers occupied in the hair of a doll that quietly thanked him from time to time for removing the tangles. "But I would like to think if we had known each other before... That I would not have forgotten someone as kind and beautiful as you, Touhi. Thank you for coming into my life."

As he began speaking, Vartouhi’s fingers halted their rapid flicking of her pencil across the page. She blinked twice in the space of his short pause, lifting her head just slightly to peer at him from her spot across the room. When he continued, her heart stumbled over a beat in its haste to start hammering against her chest. Her cheeks heated, flushing the tops a gentle pink, and her lips spread into a flattered smile. She adjusted her position in her seat, resting her elbows on her sketchpad so she could lean forward with interest. “Such a pretty sentiment. I wonder what I have done to deserve such kindness?” 

[vartouhix]

✏ + please teach maker :P

send for my muse’s reaction to your muse… x; accepting✏ …teaching them a different language

 “…Well I could try to teach you Balahyan, but though I am obviously a native speaker, I cannot speak to my ability to teach it. When you grow up speaking a language, the grammar rules and nuances between phrasings become so ingrained that it’s effortless. So I have not spent much time thinking about the why of how we speak, and thus any explanations I try to give may be clumsy…” she explained.

She spent a long moment eyeing Maker, her head leaning to one side ever so slowly as she bit the inside of the corner of her mouth in thought. Finally, she spoke again. “I need you to be very still and close your eyes. I want to try something.” When he eventually complied, Vartouhi swiftly leaned in and placed her lips gently on his. Her eyes fluttered shut as the telltale glow of her powers began to radiate from them. She concentrated, trying to reach for his mind in the way she normally would if she was assimilating a language from him. However, instead of taking knowledge, she thought of a simple Balahyan phrase and tried to give it. She lingered for a long moment, wanting to give it a chance to work (if it was even going to).

The light had already faded from her eyes when she pulled away and looked at him. “Now… can you express your gratitude to me, in Balahyan?”

[vartouhix]

💋 maker

what my muse says about yours x; not accepting

💋 for what my muse would say to the person trying to woo your muse.

Vartouhi blinked incredulously at the girl. She had to be a little younger, leaned on the counter, her breasts pushed up prettily against the wood. Or maybe it was just the lollipop stick protruding from between her cherry red lips, and the way her hair curled softly towards the ends. “You… want…” Her stuttered words were an attempt to make sense of the situation. She didn’t find it impossible that Maker would attract admirers. She just didn’t think one of them would turn to her while he left the room and ask her if he likes girls like her. Vartouhi ran a hand through her hair, suddenly feeling a little hot. “…He’s not very forthcoming with the things he likes. So I am not sure if you would appeal to him or not. But, I think if you are kind, that is maybe enough.” A surge of annoyance shot through her, watching the girl twirl a lock of hair around her finger and bite her bottom lip. Her eyes narrowed just a bit. “If you are after a ‘fling’ then I would suggest you seek it elsewhere. He deserves someone who will commit to him and care about him for more time than just a roll in the sheets.”

[vartouhix]

“I can’t take my eyes off of you.“

nsfw meme x ; not accepting

Vartouhi glanced at him over her shoulder, blinking twice. “That’s exactly the object,” she said matter-of-factly. The dress she wore was stunning; cream-colored, thin fabric hung around her shoulders in flowy, loose sleeves. The cut of the collar sat clinging just slightly below the curve where her chest began to fill out, more coquettishly revealing than trashy by international standards, tame according to her own culture’s aesthetics, but perhaps a bit surprising for the conservative old Korean. Really it was thin spaghetti straps that kept the thing from falling, despite the tight fit of the dress around her figure. The skirt of it swished gracefully around her legs as she moved, and despite her thinness, at the top of the line of buttons that went down to the bottom of the skirt, the elastic bands that looped around the buttons were visible from her bust filling out the fabric a little more than the size called for.

She smoothed her hands over her butt as she turned back to face her reflection, humming thoughtfully. “…I don’t think I can wear underwear with this.”

[vartouhix]

KISS SYMBOL

send ✿ for a random kiss x ; not accepting

3. back kiss

Vartouhi entered the shop to find it was, as usual, empty save for the Maker himself, and his plethora of dolls. He glanced over his shoulder, but finding it was her at the door, quickly turned back to his work. She wasn’t offended; on the contrary, she knew it was out of familiarity that he reacted in such a way. He knew she would wait patiently until he either finished what he was working on, or came to a good stopping point. Vartouhi wandered over to one of the dolls she was beginning to feel less weird about, bending down a bit as she greeted softly, “Hello Cherish~”

She heard Maker make a soft grunt, and she lifted her brows, tipping her head at the doll as if she could ask it to repeat itself out loud so she could hear, too. When she got nothing, including no information from her animate friend, she stood straight and twisted a little at the waist, staring at his back like she could will him to tell her. Still, she got nothing. Vartouhi’s lips pursed into a small pout that faded after a few beats. Eventually, she began to get less curious about the doll’s response and more fascinated with the width of his shoulders, and the way his sweater hung down his back. Vartouhi’s brows ticked up again, blinking rapidly.

Finally, she walked across the room to set her hands lightly on his shoulders, bending down to press her lips between his shoulder blades. Surely he wouldn’t feel much through his sweater, but it was enough that he would know it had been a kiss. When she straightened, sure enough, he turned to look at her questioningly. With a small, mysterious smile, Vartouhi asked, “What did she say?”

[vartouhix]

Dream

send ‘dream’ and i’ll show you one of my muse’s good dreams x ; not accepting

Vartouhi hears him before she sees him.

The song echoes around the garden that, when she turns a corner or passes through an archway, sometimes suddenly turns into his place, or her apartment, or the flower shop, or Jongin’s old apartment.

She searches for her friend, her chest a little tight with yearning to see him. Vartouhi feels the warm sun on her skin and she hums along with the song in the higher octave, more comfortable for her range.

Vartouhi starts to feel playful; her lips tug into a smile as she begins singing the lyrics, as well. He’s playing a game with her, she believes. Hide-and-seek. He’s moving around so she has a harder time finding him. She doesn’t give up, but rather gathers her gauzy gown’s skirts in fistfuls to begin jogging through the area.

When she finally finds him, he allows her to embrace him and she feels his lips on her forehead before she wakes up.

[vartouhix]

"Is it creepy if I say that you could maybe dress up as a doll for Halloween? Not like Raggedy Ann, but I think it would be interesting to see."

what costume should my muse wear for halloween? x ; accepting

Vartouhi shook her head. “No, that doesn’t sound creepy at all. Though I’m not completely sure which kind of doll you mean, then.”