curseoflight-blog

[curseoflight-blog]

hon hon hon baguette

“What.”

[curseoflight-blog]

would you be shorter if you could

“Yes, of course.  Being this large is inconvenient at best and painful at worst.  I was happy with the height I was when I was young.  But it’s not going to change, so I try not to dwell on it.”

[curseoflight-blog]

🎵 either muse!

Send me a ♪ and I’ll make your muse a short playlist.  ( still accepting, can you believe that? )

01. Inkwell Hell - Kristofer Maddigan // 02. In the Woods Somewhere - Hozier // 03. Willow Tree March - The Paper Kites // 04. Humility - Gorillaz // 05. à tout à l’heure - Bibio

[curseoflight-blog]

amour-refoule‌:

Ugh. Talking with this guy always made Serena uncomfortable. Anything related to that incident made Serena uncomfortable. 

“Well it’s not like I’m actively searching for you. I have my own things to do, and my own goals to accomplish.” Serena replied dismissively as she busied herself with a stain that didn’t exist on the mega stone. 

The last time Serena had seen AZ was when he approached Calem during the celebration after he became Champion. They exchanged some words she couldn’t hear before having a battle. They had some kind of connection… Some kind of connection that didn’t relate to her. 

“And as you can see…I’m busying myself with these Mega Stones.” Serena raised the stone towards AZ. It wasn’t like Serena really had an Alakazam or any other pokemon needed for Mega Evolution, but she really didn’t feel like training in preparation for her rematch with Calem.

Serena replied distantly.  Perhaps AZ shouldn’t have hoped for more, but he couldn’t help but frown at her response.  But she was right.  He was much more familiar with Calem.  He wanted to know more about her, but she wasn’t willing.  AZ couldn’t blame her for that.  They didn’t have anything to do with each other at all.

AZ watched her continue to focus on the little marble-- no, the Mega Stone-- in her hand.  She showed it off to him.  His eyes widened at the sight.  A real Mega Stone--!  And Serena was in possession of one!  She had implied that he wanted to leave her be, but he wished to inquire more about it.  How had she come to acquire one?  Perhaps this cave did contain the magic stones like he had heard millennia ago.

“You-- you’re a trainer who is capable of Mega Evolution?” AZ asked. “I was coming to Shalour City to learn more about it.  Where did you find such a stone?  If you don’t mind my asking.  I have never been able to see one so close before...”

It was true.  AZ had never held a Mega Stone in his hands before.  He had seen some from a distance during battles, but not like this.  He wanted to hear what Serena knew of it, though he wouldn’t bother her for too long.  That was the last thing she wanted, he was sure.

Reflections | Serena & AZ

[curseoflight-blog]

blessedtamer‌:

      They finally reached the entrance.  The man walked into the open air obediently, having finally got it through is supersized head what she wanted.  Clair knew that whatever excuse he’d come up with would never be enough. She crossed her arms over her chest, her jaw set.  But she’d let certainly let him try.

      The lumbering hobo let out a deep breath.  He looked like the type who talked solely in monologues.  “I am sorry for intruding upon the Dragon’s Den,” he said, setting his gaze on her.  He bowed his head slightly, conceding he knew how sacred it was to her clan, and pleading for her to listen.  Clair pursed her lips.  Grunted for him to continue.

      He began his tale—for that’s what it felt like, a fairytale—by telling her he was a traveler.  His eyes surveyed Blackthorn and the surrounding mountains as he talked.  “I have been to this city before, in times before when it was still a mere village of dragon-taming peoples.  I witnessed the great magic and power these people held.  I watched a man be revitalized with the power of a dragon…” the man’s gaze slowly made its way to her, staring at her with world-weary eyes that had seen much, and more, “…and I see that it lives on today.”

      His attention was off her as quickly as it came.  The tall man turned to get a better view of the lake. “…That is why I was there.  With their permission…” He continued to speak, but the rest of it was garbled nonsense.

      Clair’s hands dropped to her sides and balled into fists.  How did he know so much about their history?  Did he go snooping before she caught him?  And the elders—her grandfather… they allowed this? Had they gone INSANE?  This crackpot old fool just waltzed in and pretended like he knew some shit, and they just, just welcomed him just like that?!  And yet whenever she—…

      It wasn’t right.  Clair shook her head to clear her thoughts.  It didn’t work.  Waves of fury coursed through her, making her body tremble and her hands shake.  Her knuckles were bone white.  Her fingernails cut into her palms like shivs.

      “I hope you understand.  Regardless, I am sorry.  I hope you can see that I meant no harm.”

      The man was fully facing her now.  That was all right.  Clair tossed her shoulders back and let loose her fiercest glare.  There was no way in hell he came by their secrets by coincidence.  “Let me get this straight,” she said, her voice strained with barely-controlled rage.  “You came to Blackthorn a long, long time ago, thought you saw something spectacular, and came to—what?  Tell us your long and harrowing tale?  Huh?  Is that it?”

      Clair stepped closer and jabbed a finger in his chest. “I don’t buy it.  You might have Grandfather eating out of your oversized palm, but I think you’re nothing more than a liar.”  She jabbed at him again, craning her head to really get a look at the guy.  “Here’s what actually happened: you heard about us dragon tamers and decided to come see for yourself.  Despite your freakishly huge size, you wandered in to our most sacred place and had a little fun.  The paintings told you all you needed to know… but what the hell, let’s go a little further than that.  Let’s talk to the elders and make them believe you  are who you say you are, whoever the hell that is.”

      Every word was raised just a little bit louder, and Clair found herself nearly shouting.  She stepped back, victorious, and stared at him until he was forced to avert her eyes.  Her heart and pride shouted that all of this was correct, this asshole had no right being here, but a small part of her mind sensed something was off with her story. Not like she cared.  This was the real explanation.

      As if this wandering bum was hundreds of years old.  Humans didn’t live that long, even if they were blessed by the gods.  Deventh was over a century old, but his time was short, and everyone knew it.  This man wasn’t special by any means.  He was just a tall, homeless freak.

      Clair’s glare worsened.  “Tell me your name.”

The rage in her face was unmistakable.  AZ’s expression didn’t change at all.  He blinked, slowly, watching her as she spoke.  She wanted to tear him apart, he could see it.  Knock him down a peg.  She didn’t believe him at all.  He was fine with that; he’d never expect her to just believe him– though he certainly had wanted her to.  But what could be done to convince her?  She had convinced herself of her own version of the story already.

The woman closed the gap between them, wagging a finger in his direction, poking at his chest as she said,  “…you’re nothing more than a liar.”  AZ stared down at her.  She stared back up at him, meeting his gaze with a fury blazing in her eyes.  There wasn’t a trace of fear or doubt in them at all.  The dragon tamers didn’t just tame dragons, they were dragons, too.  Fearless and powerful.

And loud.

The more she spoke, the louder she became.  AZ frowned, narrowing his eyes at the sound.  She was much less controlled than she’d initially seemed– more reckless in her actions.  Hotheaded.  It couldn’t be helped.  Entering the Dragon’s Den was a most egregious crime if he came without permission.  He could never blame anyone for being protective of their home and history.  But the Elders had believed him.  Why couldn’t she?

AZ was happy to do anything to right this.  But this woman was so belligerent.  He could see how even if they went to the Elders again, she’d still remain skeptical of him.  What AZ found strange was how she seemed so unaffected by his unusual appearance, like it was part of some game he was playing with her and everyone else.

The way she puffed out her chest and looked so proud of her behavior only made AZ sigh.  He didn’t say anything at all, almost too stunned to speak.  So they stared.  She was competing with him for a dominance he didn’t want.  He wanted to find some understanding in her eyes, but saw nothing.  Strangely, she then broke off the stare and looked away.

AZ shifted on his feet.  She looked no less sour, but she finally spoke again.

“Tell me your name.”

AZ saw no reason to lie or not answer. “AZ,” he said simply.  “Though I don’t know what difference your having my name makes.  I’ve told you all you need about myself.  But it’s clear that I was far from convincing.  I promise you, all I’ve said today has been the truth.  I will do anything you request if you’re seeking confirmation, though I don’t know what I could do to convince you.”

There was the matter of the Elders.  Wouldn’t she listen to the revered elderly of her clan?  AZ certainly hoped so.  Or he could tell her more of what he’d seen…  far beyond the detail of the paintings within the cave.  Though AZ was never able to speak to the dragon clan, the language barrier stopping him then, he understood well enough what had happened and its significance.  It was nothing short of a miracle that only few were lucky to witness.

Undoubtedly, she had the spirit of that dragon now.  It was clear in everything about her, for better or for worse.

“You must understand.  I don’t come here to preach to you or anyone else.  I come here only to learn of what had happened to the clan since I had last been here.  There is still so much to learn…  the miracle that I witnessed that day was only the beginning.  I still can’t understand how that dragon could contain so much life, so much power.  How she could bring a man back from the dead.  But the scene was frantic.  It was a desperate attempt to save a man from his fate.

“The rainbow of the dragon’s flames that burned for eternity, the thundering drums below, the flowing but anxious movements of the dancers… before each pair of eyes, his mangled body transformed… he wasn’t just revived, he was new.  I still remember his eyes… they were golden like the entire sun could be contained in them.  He was more alive than any of us.  And he looked so much like you.”

AZ stopped himself.  He didn’t know how she would react to his words about the occurrence.  If she was already convinced that he’d gotten the story from the pictographs, then this may not have helped.  Perhaps speaking to the Elders was the best course of action now.  They realized how much he knew about the event.  It was a story that they never shared with outsiders.  He could answer any question about it, aside from names.  He wished now he could have spoken with the man blessed by the dragon, but his body was naught but bones now.

AZ looked back down the cave to the Dragon’s Den. “I saw the flame again recently.  That flame that burned the day he died and returned anew.  It’s still with you all.  In the Elder’s temple, it was there…  I could never mistake it for anything else.  Please, let us speak with the Elders again.  If you’re confident that you are right, you can make your case to them.  I have no qualms with that.  Afterwards, I will leave and not bother your clan again.”

Morning Sun || AZ & Clair

[curseoflight-blog]

AZ ducked underneath the glittering mass of reflective gemstones that loomed uncomfortably close to his head.  This cave was beautiful, but very tight in certain areas for a man of his size.  Still, it was far from some of the worst caves he’d explored before.  Ice Path and Cerulean Cave certainly came to mind when he thought about difficult caves to navigate.

Reflection Cave, on the other hand, was much more leisurely.  In the past, it had been much more difficult to pass through, and for a long time, it was the only way to get to ancient Shalour City unless one was able to hire experienced mountain guides to aid travelers in taking the long, albeit easier, route around.  He cringed at the thought of the tight crevasses of each room in Reflection Cave.  Crawling on his stomach like a serpent for hours on end was both exhausting and terrifying.

Needless to say, a majority of the times AZ had visited Shalour City in his past, he took the long way around.  Now, Reflection Cave was completely different.  People of the modern day had gutted the rooms and made them larger, easy for people to navigate.  Initially it had started as a venture to mine for ore, but what they had found was more precious;  gemstones of various colors and the most incredible reflective crystals in the world.  Now he could see why people loved it so much.  While AZ crawled in near cave-darkness long ago, desperate to take the short route to meet with the masters of Shalour, now people could walk through at their own pace with friends and family.

He recalled the story from a long time ago that he had heard from a guide on one trip to Shalour City.

‘That cave is sacred,’ he had said. ‘That’s where the masters get their magic stones.  But no one is insane enough to go in there and hunt for stones themselves, so the masters are secure in their knowledge.’

AZ wondered if that was still true.  Who knows.  The gems certainly looked special, but perhaps they were all for show.  All that he was concerned with now was making it to Shalour City which was just a bit further after Reflection Cave.  He used a beam of gemstones for support as he worked his way down a slope, his loud, thumping footsteps echoing throughout the cave room.  When he was on straight and solid ground again, he looked up, only to spot a trainer just ahead of him.

She heard the sound of his footsteps behind her and spun around to face AZ, Pokeball in hand.  Was she expecting a fight...?

AZ was taken aback when he recognized the trainer before him.  Yes, he knew this young lady...  this was Serena.  Though he wasn’t as familiar with her as he was with Calem, he knew her as a trainer with incredible skill.  She never seemed to take to AZ, though, the way her rival did.  He could see the pure dislike and irritation in her expression, no matter how hard she tried to play it off as nothing.  AZ frowned, tight-lipped.  He didn’t wish for there to be any animosity between them, but he wasn’t sure what exactly the problem was.

Serena dismissively began to fiddle with the smooth marble in her hand.  It glinted in the low light of the cave.  The more she drew attention to it, the more AZ was intrigued by it.  Finally, though, Serena broke the silence and spoke.  She asked him why he had come.

“I’m only passing through,” AZ replied evenly.  “I was just heading to Shalour City...  initially, I wasn’t planning to take this route, but it is much easier to navigate than it used to be.  I thought I would take what people call... the ‘scenic route’.  That’s all I intend to do.”  He raised his eyebrows in interest.  “And what of you?  What plans do you have here?  I have not seen you in quite a while.  Maybe not since...  Lysandre, perhaps.  I’m sure a lot has changed since.”

Reflections | Serena & AZ

@curseoflight

Serena knelt down and grasped at the tiny purple and golden orb that seemed to glisten at the middle of the dirt floor. So it seemed that different Mega Stones appeared during different times of the day. She couldn’t help but shake her head at how inconvenient this would make her search. 

She proceeded to busy herself by dusting the powerful stone in order to make it shine brightly. It wasn’t like Serena had an alakazam herself, but she found herself spending most of her time searching for rare and powerful items.Serena knew that she should be spending her time training and battling, but she found herself remarkably unmotivated for the longest time.

The air around her was cool, and the cave was particularly quiet this time of the day. Reflective walls of crystals lined both sides, but she kept her gaze strictly downwards and focused on the crystal. Serena didn’t particular care or want to look at her reflections.

Her concentration was broken by a pair of unnaturally heavy footsteps that seemed to be approaching behind her. They were too heavy to belong to a person…was it some kind of pokemon? Serena whirled around as she quickly took out a pokeball to look up and see….

Oh.

“tch…” Serena did her best to hide the distaste in her face, but a particularly sour expression crawled on her face when she saw the large man walk behind her. What was he doing here? Didn’t he have something important to do that didn’t involve her?

Serena quickly gathered herself and gave AZ a neutral if not dismissive stare. It was as if the sour glare she had given him had never occurred in the first place. She returned to polishing the Alakazite before speaking to the ancient man.

“What are you doing here? Heading somewhere important?”

[curseoflight-blog]

moodboard for Serena / @amour-refoule​.

❝I can’t get no satisfaction ‘Cause I try and I try and I try and I try❞

x x x / x x x / x x x

[curseoflight-blog]

Send me a ♪ and I’ll make your muse a short playlist.

[curseoflight-blog]

moodboard for Ethan / @gxldxnrxd.

❝I’m not giving up today! there’s nothing getting in my way and if you knock me over, I will get back up again!❞

x x / x x x / x x x / x x

[curseoflight-blog]

The Other Side of Paradise [EVENT] || AZ & Lillie

@gildinglillies

King AZ strolled along leisurely, listening to the sounds of the village around him.  It was bustling with such life, yet the sound remained so quiet and pleasant.  The people that wandered by did so at the same pace AZ did.  No one was in a hurry to get to their destination.  On a beautiful day like this, it would be absurd to be so hasty.  AZ had nowhere important to be.  He would be meeting with his brother soon to check up on the eastern part of their empire, but [...] would not be expecting him for another day.  He had time to enjoy himself before he returned to the business of his empire.

The Gogoat beside him matched its master’s pace, each hoof perfectly in step with him.  Floette was resting in the bovine’s leafy mane, soaking up the warm sun that shone above them.  AZ rested one strong hand on Gogoat’s back as they continued along the cobblestone path.  The village was in such pristine condition.  The buildings glimmered in the sunlight, each in perfect rows, all a beautiful, sterile white and gold color.  He paused for a moment in his path when he suddenly smelled the aroma of fresh food nearby.

AZ turned to search for the smell and spotted a small, wooden cart that was selling bread.  The peddler was nowhere in sight.  He approached the cart.  He picked up a small, warm loaf of bread gingerly.  He had the money to pay for it.  Perhaps he’d just leave his payment there for the seller to receive whenever they returned...  AZ took on last look around for any sign of the baker, but no luck.  Gogoat bleated, nudging its nose through the crook of AZ’s arm.  It had smelled the bread too.

AZ chuckled.  “Hold on, now...”

Just in front of AZ, he saw a narrow street.  At the end of it was all a clear blue stream running alongside the tiny village.  He suddenly forgot all about his bread and payment.  All he could focus on now was the young girl who sat at the stream.  She didn’t look anything like the people of the village.  No, she looked like... royalty.  But where could she have come from?  He had to find out.

AZ took one slow step away from the cart, then another, then another, then another, until his feet carried him all the way down to where the girl and the stream were located.  He knelt down beside her, with Gogoat laying down behind them comfortably in the grass.

“Excuse me,” he said gently, still gripping his loaf of bread tight. “You look like royalty, my girl.  Please, tell me your name and from where you have come.”  He glanced down to the loaf of bread in his hands.  He broke off a piece and offered it to her.  “Here, if you are hungry...”

[curseoflight-blog]

Consider the following: Serena and AZ as traveling partners post-XY. No one could possiby stop their string of high-profile bank robberies as they’re the Pokemon Champion and a giant 3,000 year old dude, respectively.

[curseoflight-blog]

deremords :

Every second of silence that stretched between Lysandre and his ancestor left a sensation like a needle being inserted into his skin. He could practically hear the sound of a second hand ticking by, pushing another needle down…

It was definitely guilt. Guilt and shame, but in a different sort than that he felt when he thought of what he had done in a more isolated, global sense. Now he had to sit down with somebody who was related to him – distantly, but still related – and see how it affected him. No doubt it did – severely, in a way that Lysandre could not even begin to fathom. AZ must see him as though hes a mirror – and -

“How did you do it?”

Lysandre’s heart dropped. His hand automatically moved to his breast pocket, dipping his fingers into the pocket and gently stroked a finger along the smooth, fire and skin-warmed scale which belonged to his late partner Pokemon. The corner of his lips twitched, but he couldn’t manage a single real expression. No sad smile, no frown, no sorrow nor anger. There was simply too much that he felt about the matter – and no, he did not want to talk about it. He didn’t want to, but he supposed he really did owe it to his ancestor for what he had done.

What they both had done, he supposed. Millennia apart, for different reasons. Reasons they framed as selfless, but were really grief-borne, selfish creations from their own minds. Lysandre could accept that now; that he had been wrong, that he had just given in to a great amount of fear for the future, of a warped perception of what most people were like from his own, isolated experiences. It was a bleakness that he had been unable to escape from – that he should have asked for help from, that he should have tried harder to outrun – but that seemed to, in looking at AZ, go on and on and on without end.

“It wasn’t my choice to keep on living.” Was all he could think to begin with. It was still so fresh that he could not think to choose his words carefully – just give a tumble of words seeking to describe what had been the slowest moving few seconds of his life. “Loire – my Gyrados – he was inside his Pokeball. He shouldn’t have come out – but they have wills of their own. You know. They sense danger sometimes and they just – move. On their own. Do whatever they want, what they think is best – and I guess he knew it was bad. Maybe he always did, maybe he saw it coming – I guess anybody could. But he popped out, and he – tossed himself. The whole building was coming down, you know. But he threw himself into the rubble to try and – save me I guess. I deserved to get crushed, but he wouldn’t let that happen – he was too loyal and – I didn’t get away unscathed, no, there was damage but – he was all curled around me. And I couldn’t do a goddamn thing about it, I couldn’t pull him out, I couldn’t – I don’t deserve to have Pokemon.”

His voice rose while he spoke, words coming in faster tumbles, and not really giving any details. He felt tears come- stinging, too soon, the memory was too fresh – and when he finally reached the ending, Thierry lifted his head and gave a small growl to his owner. The Pyroar flicked his tail in irritation; this was the reason why he had come along, and Lysandre knew that much, so, withholding a sob, he lifted his head slightly and let his hand fall on the Pokemon’s head. “I think Thierry disagrees. I’m not sure what I’ve done to deserve this affection.”

Lysandre lets his head fall again, feeling the heat of his fire crawl across his cheeks. Warm and pleasant. He hoped it was doing good for AZ as well, genuinely. Right now, despite the discomfort of them being together in presence, he really wanted him to be physically comfortable. Anything less would feel…wrong. He was trying to make amends – which he could never – but make them in smaller ways. Ways which could be distractedly pleasant. Something that felt a little bit right at least. Not that he would say such.

“…Would you like a blanket. I can spare you one. It’s neither nice nor particularly thick, but it could be something.” He glanced towards his bag; all he had was a rather thin blanket and his sleeping bag – which he would pile together when it was particularly cold. It wasn’t much at all, but he could forgo his own comfort. Especially if it bought him more time to avoid exactly what it was that AZ was going to talk to him about.

When his ancestor had said ‘he had to listen’ it filled him with anxiety, like pouring water into a cup. All of it, building up towards an overflow. What did he have to listen to? He knew he did not listen at first – that was why he was in this mess- that he should have back then…

“Ah. Before you start talking- I’m sorry. I should have listened to you. It probably means little now…but I’ll listen this time.” Lysandre lifts his head once more, trying to seek AZ’s eyes so he would know how serious he is. He will listen. He means it, AZ deserves it. 

“It wasn’t my choice to keep on living.”

Those words shot through AZ’s body like a bullet.  Something in his stomach dropped, though the only outer reaction from AZ was a twitch at his lips as his frown deepened.  He knew this question would be touchy for Lysandre, and he regretted having asked the question on his mind so quickly.  Still, he probably wouldn’t have been able to keep his curiosity at bay for long.  Maybe it wouldn’t have even mattered in the long run.

The torrent of words that came out of Lysandre’s mouth showed just how unprepared he was for AZ’s question.  Each word stumbled upon another as he paused and restarted a few times.  Clearly, the experience was still raw for him.  Self-hatred was reflected in his descendant’s words.  AZ only sat there, giving himself a moment to take in what Lysandre had said.  So that was what had happened...  it was nothing short of extraordinary dedication from his Pokemon that had saved him.  What love, what bond had Lysandre and Gyarados felt?

Gyarados died for its love of Lysandre, because of Lysandre.   Floette would have done the very same for AZ if she had to, no matter what.  And Pyroar loved Lysandre, too.  Even through everything, it was loyal to its partner.

AZ watched Lysandre carefully.  There was such pain in his expression.  He looked away, staring at his well-worn boots and his wrinkled hands.  He and Lysandre were so alike.  The similarities were nothing short of frightening.  People never changed, did they?  Generations upon generations upon generations separated them;  family, but just barely so, and yet nothing changed.  Was it their family curse to cause nothing but sorrow for themselves and for others?

The only difference now was that the weapon was gone.  But they’d inevitably find another way to hurt others.  And AZ would be there again to watch it all.  It would never end.  There would be no reprieve from the misery.

Though perhaps that was a pessimistic view of the world.  AZ tried not to be so negative, but it was hard sometimes.

Lysandre spoke again, this time offering AZ a blanket.  He shook his head. “No,” he said.  “I have a blanket with me.  Thank you.”

“Before you start talking- I’m sorry. I should have listened to you. It probably means little now… but I’ll listen this time.”

AZ didn’t immediately respond.  Lysandre was much more aware of himself now, of his actions.  He had obviously realized his mistake some time before then.  Too little, too late, as always.  Even so, it was something.  How long had it taken AZ to come to terms with what he’d done?  And now, he had to impart something of substance on Lysandre.  AZ had all the time and experience in the world.  His wisdom could be invaluable, though he was unsure if Lysandre would ever have the time to turns things around in the way he likely wanted to.

“I was about your age when the war began.  Maybe a little older.  My brother took everything from me.  He was all I had left aside from Floette.  The thought that my own brother would betray me was...  it was... heartbreaking.  I loved him, and I’d have done anything for him...  and I was so angry.  He was willing to tear our empire apart over petty disputes.  He was willing to tear what was left of our family apart for his own greedy desires.  I was never a particularly happy man, but... this hurt me in ways I could never describe.

“So, when he had his men take Floette away, it ruined me.  I searched for years to find her, but I could never do it.  And the only reason I knew she had died is because he sent her body back to me.  I... I lost it.�� The blinding rage, my loss of faith in humanity, it was a perfect storm for me to destroy everything.  The machine I built, I knew that whatever happened, there would be a great cost.  And you must know what happened then... I’ve told you the story, haven’t I?

“What I’ve done has haunted me since that day.  That guilt you feel now?  It never goes away.  But it gets easier eventually.  It’ll be your only friend, sometimes.  The only reminder that you’re still human.  But you’ll wish that you had never been born.  Not even that you could change everything, but that you didn’t exist at all.  Though perhaps that is my feeling alone.

“You should consider yourself lucky that you didn’t hurt anyone but yourself.  You have more of a chance than I do.  What I’ve done can never be undone.  But you... if you change your ways now, perhaps one day... you can find what I never could.  I don’t hate you, Lysandre, but I hate what you remind me of.  I hate that you remind me of myself.  I don’t know if you realize that or not, but it’s the truth.  I believe I’m lucky in the way that I can at least help you.  I want to help you.  But I have one more question for you.  I hope that’s all right.”

AZ paused.  For the first time, he looked directly into Lysandre’s eyes.  “Why are you sorry for what you’ve done?”

A deceptively easy question.  The easy answer was that it was morally wrong.  Of course it was.  But why did Lysandre feel sorry for the suffering he nearly caused the world?  What had changed from that day when he activated the weapon to now?  Was it his own misery?  Was it loss?  But AZ was certain that no matter what Lysandre said, it would tell him exactly what he needed to know about him.

Weight We Bear - AZ & Lysandre

[curseoflight-blog]

Old gods are terrible to look at when They weep, all bloated like spoiled fish. One wonders if they ever understand That they have caused their grief.

Herbert Mason, from Gilgamesh: A Verse Narrative (via inkwcllhell)

[curseoflight-blog]

moodboard for Gym Leader Whitney / @primadonnabelle.

❝all I ever wanted was the world. I can’t help that I need it all.❞

x x / x x / x / x x / x x

[curseoflight-blog]

moodboard for Ranger Summer / @signsofsummer.

❝we’ve always defined ourselves by the ability to overcome the impossible.❞

x x / x x / x / x x / x x

[curseoflight-blog]

moodboard for Delinquent Anzu / @pavback.

❝in the days, when there were nights, I would burn just like a firefly. outta touch, outta sight. I was wrong, but I was doin’ it right.❞

x / x x / x x x / x x / x

[curseoflight-blog]

Send ‘❤️’ for an aesthetic of your muse, one of our threads, or our ship