i am forcibly removed to the tomb colonies

Mirrors do strange things in Polythreme. Strange things that are best avoided for someone who puts so much of himself in dreams, like the Manager.

It is not a problem, mostly. He could button his coat with his eyes closed (and he has), and there is a lot more he would be willing to endure for even one day with the King.

One evening, though, while getting ready for a festival, it occurs to him to wear makeup. Nothing too elaborate, just red lipstick, perhaps?

He picks up the small gold tube and uncovers the mirror on the wall. His reflection is so horribly distorted that he can barely make out his own face. Utterly useless for applying makeup.

The Manager sighs. He drapes the silk over the mirror once more, and is about to put away the lipstick, when there is a knock at the door. “Come in,” the Manager says, and the door opens before he even finishes his sentence.

The King with a Hundred Hearts is resplendent in a silk robe, bronze jewelry, and a stone crown. “Are you ready?” he asks, then notices the gold tube in the Manager’s hand. “What is that?”

“This? Lipstick. But the mirrors here do not like me.”

“Let me,” the King says, his voice unexpectedly gentle. But it is a command, not a request, all the same.

The Manager hands him the lipstick, a sudden knot of anxiety coiling in his stomach. The King is about to be very, very close. For the past two days, he has kept the Manager quite literally at arm’s length. And the Manager has accepted it; after all, he is the last person who should be demanding more from the King.

The King holds the Manager’s chin in one hand, and the lipstick in the other. He is taller than the Manager, so he tilts his chin up slightly, before running the lipstick along the Manager’s bottom lip in one smooth motion.

Breathing is suddenly very difficult. The Manager is conscious only of an overwhelming, aching want somewhere deep in his chest. He wants more. He wants to leave red smudges on the King’s smooth stone face, wants to let the King to ruin these perfect red lips, he wants so much more than he could ever deserve. This is more than enough. It has to be enough.

What feels like an eternity of the King gently applying the lipstick is over in a matter of seconds. The King inspects his work, and finding a slight smudge on one corner of the Manager’s mouth, wipes it away with his finger. “There,” he says. “You look perfect.”

The Manager takes a shaky breath. “Thank you.” He takes the lipstick back and tucks it into his coat pocket. As he does, the King leans down and plants a single, soft kiss on the Manager’s cheek. His stone lips are a pleasantly cool touch on the Manager’s burning face for moment, and then he steps back, smiling.

“Don’t want to ruin all that hard work too soon,” he says, and the Manager is gripped by a sudden desire to either hit him or kiss him, because he knows exactly what he’s doing. Bastard. “Shall we?” The King extends an arm, and the Manager takes it. “We should be just in time for the fireworks.”

The fireworks. At the festival. The reason this happened in the first place. Right.

After hoarding them for months, I decided to make my own. Let’s go from fluffy to angsty, shall we >:)

🛏️ What does your OC’s bed look like? What would they like their bed to look like?

🐁 Capybaras are friend-shaped. What shape does your OC have?

🌧️ What is the favorite thing for you OC to do on a rainy day?

🪨 Someone gifts your OC a shiny rock. What do they do with it?

🐹 Which would be your OCs favorite Pokemon? What kind of trainer would they be?

🎲 If your OC played a pen and paper RPG, what class would they pick? Warrior, mage, thief, ranger, cleric, paladin, druid, necromancer, bard (or other, if that’s not enough).

🎮 If your OC lives or would live in the modern world, would they like video games? What would be their favorite game?

👎 Is there someone your OC can’t stand, despite them being on the same side or sharing basic values?

🌈 Does your OC speak more than one language? If so, how many and which?

🥪 On a scale from ‘burns water’ to ‘5 course menu’ how well can your OC cook?

📚 Your OC has to improvise a 10 minute lecture about a topic of their choosing. What do they chose?

🪄 Does your OC have any special powers? If so, are they normal in this OC’s universe?

🎨 Does your OC have any craft skill, as a hobby or profession? If so which?

🌳 Would your OC survive for a week on their own in the wilderness?

🌊 Has your OC ever seen the ocean? If not, do they want to? What do they think of it?

🥞 Does your OC take proper care of themselves, like getting enough sleep and eating properly?

🤝 Does your OC have someone they want at their side when they are scared? Who?

🌌 If your OC has a nightmare, what’s it most likely about?

🪤 What is one thing that could be used to lure your OC into a trap?

🎒 If your OC had to pick three things of all their belongings to keep, which would they chose?

🕐 Was there ever a time your OC would have given everything to turn back the clock 5 minutes? What happened?

🎭 What is the one thing your OC regrets most? Would they undo it, considering how their life turned out?

🔪 What does your OC think how they’ll die? 

thinking about boots...

character (and art) from @waterlogged-detective

Testing out Hippo Noto x Kiwi Midnight Anemone ink in a Sailor Fude pen on Tomoe River paper. There are a lot of blue-red sheening inks that would make for a solid violant, but this is my favorite combo so far. In person, you really can’t tell what color it is, and the contrast slaps you in the face! The drying time is an eternity, though.

Anyway, I was paying close attention to the responses to last night’s post. Time to forge handwriting correspond with the colleagues!