#actually

biggest-gaudiest-patronuses:

“power corrupts” ok or maybe we just live in a society that rewards corruption, wherein power is naturally allocated to the people most likely to abuse it.

This genuinely made me stop for a moment and think. And it kinda seems obvious in retrospect? But…I had never actually thought about this.

Huh.

your new fursona is lps #(your birthday)

felixettos:

In loving memory of William Finn

No he didn’t die I just love remembering he exists

oc-mischiefs:

PROMPT 9

What does your OC do when they go out at night to get some fresh air because they couldn’t sleep and runs into Malleus there? He tells them that he’s out on nightly stroll to an abandoned building! Do they join him on his venture-? Are they interested in old architecture and gargoyles? He has tales to share during their journey! Are they scared and reserved around him because of his aura?

« an abandoned church? » yuu echoed.

« indeed, that is what i said. » malleus nods.

yuu shifts on its legs, grasping an arm with another.

« well, i would go, but… » it starts slowly.

malleus couldn’t help but raise an amused brow at yuu’s uncharacteristic hesitation. seldom did he see the confident prefect become so reluctant and tentative after all.

« oh? my dear prefect, don’t tell me you are scared? » he smirks.

« i… yes. » yuu replied unashamedly.

malleus’ eyes widened at its honest answer, although he quickly lets out a pleased huff. not many are often this bold, and certainly not with him.

« but that’s not the point. i’d like to come, but i’ll have to go retrieve a respirator first. » yuu continued, shaking its head.

« oh? and where could we find this… so called “respirator” item? » malleus tilts his head to the side, bringing a hand under his chin to ponder.

truly, he had never heard of such an object before. humans truly come up with the most fascinating of inventions.

« hmm? well mine is at ramshackle, but i wouldn’t want to make you take a detour on my behalf. » yuu explains.

« if that is the case, i can easily take you there. » malleus hums.

« come again? » yuu blinks.

malleus does not answer it, only moving to approach it and take its hand, holding it in a firm grip that borders on bruising. yuu cringes slightly, knowing that tsunotaro probably didn’t know how to quite temper his strength as he had little interaction with humans (if the way tsunotaro spoke and behaved was of any indication). it was lucky that malleus didn’t just break his hand entirely.

« please take care to not let go of my hand. » malleus advises nonchalantly.

« huh? » was the last thing yuu uttered before its vision went dark as it experienced the worst splitting headache it has ever felt, feeling like its brains were about to turn into porridge and leak through its ears.

i feel like, i need to begin with a preface to say yuu stranger doesn’t wander at night. it just straight up?? sleeps lol

it doesn’t fall asleep super fast or easily, but not with too much trouble even if stressed or feeling particularly emotional/melancholy. and if it woke up in the middle of the night, it usually falls back asleep quite fast. and if it can’t fall back asleep? yuu wouldn’t go out for a stroll lol yuu is a lazy fuck. it would just toss and turn, maybe pick up a book to read until it gets sleepy again.

so instead, let’s imagine that yuu was studying hard at the library, doing assignments, reviewing and rewriting and reorganising notes and study sheets, doing supplementary readings, and did not pay attention to the time. yuu is the type to glance at the clock and go “ok i will study for a few more minutes and then i’ll call it a day and go back to ramshackle” and by the time it bothered to check again hours had passed lmao

it didn’t even realise that everyone else had left, seeing as it tuned everything out and the library was quiet in general.

so yuu quickly packed its belongings and books and papers, and ran out of the building to get back home, cringing at how dark the sky already was.

but yuu quickly got over it when it noticed how calm and serene the quiet dark was, and it slowed its gait from a brisk run to an unhurried walk, letting itself bask in the cool evening breeze and breathe in the fresh air, taking in how different the school appeared in at night.

that was how, by chance, yuu ran into tsunotaro, the latter asking it why it was out so late (lost track of time at the library) before explaining that he was looking to explore an abandoned church (oh really? how interesting…) and promptly asked yuu if it would like to join him.

now, yuu would probably agree despite its apprehension. yuu doesn’t really have an interest in architecture and gargoyles??? like, it finds architecture very fascinating and enjoys observing it, but yuu does not spend much time on its own to learn more about it. the same applies to gargoyles. that being said, yuu absolutely loves listening to people just ramble about their very niche field of interest because they’re just so???? passionate??? so this sentiment extends to tsunotaro and when he starts getting very excited to talk to someone about his observations and to share his tales.

besides, yuu had always wanted to try urbexing, but it’s always been too scared, both of getting caught by security and getting into legal trouble, but also of injury and/or death. so yuu would find it somewhat comforting to have tsunotaro by its side.

and thus the story continues, with yuu using tsunotaro as a prop to keep itself upright and to keep itself from eating dirt or puking right on its own dorm lawn, breathing raggedly as its vision swam, the corners of its visions still dark.

« next time, warn me before you teleport. » yuu lifts back up shakily, still lightheaded, legs still wobbling.

malleus was simply happy that yuu’s words implied there would be a next time.

yuu promised it would be quick to deposit its belongings and retrieve the respirator, and when it stepped out of its dorm it now wore a thicker jacket and a scarf, steel toed boots, and carried its ghost camera around its neck, with a new, unfamiliar item that malleus didn’t recognise in yuu’s hand.

« is that the ‘respirator’ you spoke of? » malleus wondered aloud.

yuu nods.

« how curious… and what purpose does it serve? »

« it has replaceable filters to protect ourselves from breathing in unsafe air, like toxic fumes or vapours or gases so we don’t… poison ourselves and get ill and die. i mean, i’m bringing this because i don’t want to accidentally inhale asbestos. » yuu explains slowly.

and malleus was reminded by how fragile a human constitution’s was in contrast to his. they breathe in the wrong thing, and they fall ill. and yet, he also has to commend their ingenuity, to create such a device to help them brave hostile environments.

« how peculiar. and you all have the foresight to hold one in your residence. »

yuu shook its head.

« no, people don’t generally have reusable respirators. i quickly bought one from sam when i moved into ramshackle. it looked awfully rundown and dilapidated, and my asthma is bad as is, i don’t need to give myself more issues by triggering an attack or accidentally contaminating myself with asbestos while i tidied up the place. »

malleus’ mouth parted slightly in a silent “oh.”

« but enough about respirators. » yuu chuckled.  « shall we? »

malleus nods.

« we shall. »

the walk towards the abandoned place of worship was done in relative quiet, yuu rarely saying a word as malleus began to talk about the building they were visiting, about its history and the construction and art movement its architecture was rooted in. yuu only uttered a few things here and there to assure malleus that it was listening and to encourage him to continue.

as the pair navigated through the dark, moving further and further from campus grounds, the buildings growing smaller in the distance as they snuck out, malleus began retelling stories about his previous escapades: an old sanatorium full of presences and a particular room full of hatred. catacombs under a church with darkness so thick and cloying even his sharp eyes struggled to pierce through them as he traversed the passageway, hearing footsteps other than his behind him until he reach the end of the tunnel. an abandoned hostel in a state of disarray, like all the occupants suddenly left in a rushed panic, feeling someone approach him from behind when he stood before a mirror, never seeing any other reflection on the dirtied glass but his own.

suffice to say, yuu quietly gulped nervously as the air grew colder around them, its hair standing on ends. their surroundings changed from paved, lit streets humming with the monotone buzz of electricity into cracked roads surrounded by the woods and wild foliage blanketed by eerie silence, not even an owl’s hoot or a cricket’s chirp audible. the air suddenly dry, without a single hint of a breeze. it did not help yuu one bit.

when they arrive at the site, yuu was taken aback by the sight, mostly in awe, but a small part of it was anxious. it fastened its respirator to its face before bringing its camera up to capture a photo before the pair moved to find a suitable entrance into the old building.

yuu had never gone urbexing prior, only having a mild curiosity towards the activity, but it had always thought it was done during the day, not at dead of night… this feels more like ghost hunting.

the main entrance was sealed off from fallen debris, but the partially collapsed side of the building allowed for a decent opening for the pair.

well, it would be, except that the first step was quite high off the ground. a ramp malleus easily jumped and scaled onto, but an obstacle yuu was stuck at, not having the physical strength nor height to haul itself over it.

and while malleus watched it placidly, waiting for it to catch up patiently, yuu slowly mustered all its strength as it placed its hands over the lip of the crevice, jumping up helplessly, nowhere near high enough to clear the obstacle, boots scuffing the fallen walls uselessly in a futile attempt to gain purchase to push itself up. in the end, yuu always ends up sliding pathetically back down.

taking yuu’s lack of progress for a change of heart, malleus sighed, trying to hide his disappointment and despondency.

« child of man, if you no longer wish to follow me, you are free to tell me so. » malleus says as he turns around, ready to begin his exploration on his own.

but he stops in his tracks as he feels something light catch in his horns. malleus turns back to face yuu with a mildly surprised look, seeing it wear a cross expression, looking like it had just thrown something at him. 

and it did, malleus realises, retrieving a balled up scarf in his horns.

« help me up tsunotaro. » yuu deadpans. « i’m too short. » it grumbled.

malleus can’t help the smirk and amused chuckle that escapes his lips. how brazen, how endearing, of this little human to chuck something towards him, much less order him around.

overall, i think malleus enjoys yuu’s company because yuu doesn’t treat him differently from others, and is not afraid to speak frankly with him, sometimes even being bold enough to be pushy or playful with him. it’s just a breath of fresh air, and he likes the distraction from his loneliness. malleus lets himself be slightly more candid around yuu, and in turn, yuu doesn’t hold its tongue around him.

on the other hand, yuu probably treats malleus normally because of a few different factors.

the first would be because yuu is not from twisted wonderland hahaha it doesn’t know who malleus is, doesn’t know he is one of the most powerful mages in the world. he’s just tsunotaro to him. yuu doesn’t have a frame of reference to compare malleus with, anyway. he doesn’t know what “one of the strongest mage” means. he’s just some guy to it. here’s this freakishly tall guy with horns, except he’s a total dork who doesn’t know much of anything about modern tech or inventions and is passionate about gargoyles, glorified water buckets, of all things. he’s just an absolute weirdo. a guy. yuu physically is unable to be intimidated by him.

the second reason would be because of yuu’s education. he was raised to meet and greet and entertain all manners of people, and has indeed met all sorts of individuals, a good percentage being rather noble or influential individuals. so meeting someone who carried a noble aura is not that much of a shocker to it. yuu’s used to meeting people with malleus’ vibes, and out of all of them, malleus remains the most genuine despite himself. he’s not that unapproachable to it. yuu doesn’t really find him scary or intimidating, he’s just truly some guy who sometimes camps outside yuu’s dorm to admire the buildings architecture.

i think that, in the end, yuu and malleus, unbeknownst to each other, are rather similar in a way. both have grown to become isolated due to their very particular upbringing and reputation. 

malleus, being the prince of briar valley, was raised with the proper education befitting an heir. similarly, yuu was raised with strict education to behave in a distinguished way so as to not tarnish its family’s name. 

malleus, being so powerful and noble-born, gives the sense of being untouchable, and has garnered a(n inaccurate) reputation amongst the general population of being aloof, distant, but haughty and overly proud. yuu, despite being highly accomplished and gifted, was always accused of only making it far because it was paid for by its parents. so its peers thought it never worked hard, that it was incompetent and irresponsible, that yuu paid for its good academic placements. people refuse to get close to yuu, deeming it cold, insufferable. out of everyone’s league, but vain, uncharitable, and self-important.

just untrue assumptions that ends up isolating them both, despite their desire to reach out. people weren’t giving either a chance to open up and show who they really are, as people were unable to look past the image they created of malleus or yuu.

but i think their main difference is that, while malleus feels unhappy about his isolation and clearly suffers from his loneliness, yuu is perfectly fine with it. yuu revels in its isolation. it doesn’t hate spending time with other, but it’s not something it seeks out nor long nor yearn for. it does not miss the friendships it could’ve had. if anything yuu is frustrated by the way people used to dismiss and underestimate it, unable to look past their preconceived ideas about it.

that’s why, in the same way malleus appreciates the way yuu can talk so casually with him because it doesn’t recognise him, that it got to meet him without prior bias, yuu enjoys its new life in twisted wonderland, because it could behave how it wants to and not how it’s expected to, without people making comparisons to the old yuu.

when yuu comes to, it’s lying on its bed in ramshackle. last time it checked, it was out urbexing with tsunotaro. how did it get here? 

did it fall asleep at some point??

yuu feels slightly embarrassed, although it does track; tsunotaro most likely teleported it back to its dorm. it would have to excuse itself next time it meets tsunotaro… 

its own memories of the night were hazy at best, but yuu suddenly remembered the camera it took with it, which now laid innocently on its desk.

yuu walked up to it, and quickly looked to inspect the photos it took yesterday: ah it remembered. the hauntingly beautiful cathedral, the shining statue at the end of the building despite the dust and soot clinging to it, the beautiful night sky it saw with tsunotaro, the latter pointing out different constellations for yuu, who listened in interest. pictures of yuu with tsunotaro.

but as yuu goes through the different pictures, the fond feeling was replaced by a sick feeling deep in its stomach.

in each picture, there would always be one too many shadows in frame. 

the strange shadowy figure seemingly… getting closer as the pictures progressed. 

closer to yuu.

the only thing stopping it from reaching yuu being tsunotaro, and his shadow seemingly blocking the extra figure, sometimes figures, from getting any closer.

yuu slowly puts down the images and had to sit down and organise his thoughts.

it thinks that perhaps urbexing is not for it. and that maybe it should thank tsunotaro next time it meets him…

it thanks whatever deity, if it existed in twisted wonderland, that the ghosts in ramshackle were less terrifying… and more visible.

yuu think it’ll stick with the three ghostly residents of ramshackle over whatever was stalking him the other night.

better the ghosts it knew than the ghosts it didn’t.