🔥 kate

[ablazement]

shitpost incoming

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[ablazement]

An engine, yeah. Infernal. [she figures most people have like, seen it, so she doesn't care much about keeping it a secret. who cares, right.]

[sootprints]

And you say a devil did it...

Pardon me for asking, but are you also...?

[ a devil? ]

[ablazement]

Nah. I know I probably look like one, but I'm not. It's a whole different thing - I'm a tiefling.

[sootprints]

Oh... I see.

I've never heard of tieflings before.

[ that smoke from earlier seems to have stopped pouring out of her head, at least. ]

[ablazement]

You know, a lot of people have said that here!

[she's glad the smoke has stopped - she's been glancing, concerned.]

We've got fiend blood, but it's not me, it's my ancestors. Some human fu-- [a beat.] Uh, some human got married and had babies with a demon waaaay back in my family tree.

[sootprints]

I see. So that's how...

[ lol. ]

... I'm afraid I don't have such a clear explanation for my own existence as a shadow. Our origins are... not very well understood.

[ablazement]

Is that what you are? Sorry if that's insensitive, I'm just curious.

[sootprints]

[ ... ]

Yes.

[ablazement]

Never met a shadow before.

[well. she has, but she's not going to say those shadows tried to murder her, she's got some tact.]

Could you tell me a little more about it? You're not like... someone's shadow? You're your own person.

[sootprints]

It's a bit difficult to explain... but yes. I am my own person.

The Shadows House where I reside is populated by many shadows like me, but the information made available to children is very limited, I'm afraid.

[ablazement]

[huh.]

Are there not-shadows? Humans or... I guess anything that looks like me. You seem like you know what a devil might be.

[sootprints]

I'm afraid the only place I've seen anyone like you is in storybooks.

[ and not usually in flattering contexts... ]

... In addition to the Shadows family, we're attended to by servants who act as cooks, cleaners, and Faces. They make up more than half of the residents of the manor.

[ablazement]

[oof. she gets the implication there, but it's fine.]

Faces?

[curiously.]

[sootprints]

Yes.

Because shadows do not have faces, we have to distinguish ourselves in other ways. Wearing specific clothes and perfumes... but also, by having an attendant who acts as one's Face in social situations. They are to express our identities and emotions in the ways that we cannot.

[ablazement]

[her tails flicks back and forth.]

Oh, that makes sense. You've got one of those?

[sootprints]

Yes. Her name is Emilico.

... I worry about what may happen to her if I'm away for too long.

[ablazement]

Will she be in trouble otherwise? Guess she'd be out of a job, a bit.

[sootprints]

There is no "being out of a job" there. If a Face cannot fulfil its purpose, it is disposed of.

[ that smoke is back. ]

[ablazement]

[noooo, not the smoke!!]

... Well, then we've gotta get you out of here and back quick, then. I've got a pretty decent guess that time's fucky here, so try not to worry.

[sootprints]

Time is... what?

[ she won't repeat the word because she is a good christian cryptid, but what? explain. ]

[ablazement]

Ffff.

Weird. [good job]

I mean, there's a possibility it's stopped while we're here. [she thinks this for reasons.]

[sootprints]

[ karlach is so cute. ]

Why do you think that?

[ablazement]

[she's doing her best]

... Alright, well, I've shown you this much, so I guess I can tell you the rest, but you've got to promise me you won't tell anybody. Yeah? Promise.

[holds out a pinky.]

[sootprints]

... Okay. I promise.

[ she holds out her pinky to match. ]

[ablazement]

[shakes her pinky! gently. she's very, very warm. almost feverish.]

I've got... this thing, in my head. It's not dangerous to you. But it's been quiet. Which... it never is, it's never quiet. So that leads me to think it's asleep or something.

But the thing is, if it is, I should be... way less red and way more slimy. Seeing as I'm not, I'm guessing the timer's stopped.