#( verse: path of hope )

[oceanicxeyes]

Closed starter for: @theweredrifter

It was very late at night. The moon up above in the dark sky casting its silvery glow over the calm surface of the water – making everything that lingered underneath appear far more mysterious and dangerous than they actually were. The depths concealed many mysteries. Humankind had barely scratched the surface when it came to what existed underneath but rather than exploring and learning of all things nature had provide them with… they chose to destroy it. To pollute the once perfectly blue and clear waters with their oils, their plastic and trash – their radioactive components. It was so criminal to see what was once beautiful walls of colorful corals dry up and crack until they were lifeless. To see all those colored fish schools that swam together move away or simply die out because their sustenance had been destroyed. How could humans do something so CRUEL? Did they not understand what they were doing? How their actions would impact the very world they lived on? How many had died because of their hubris? And so Walter swam. He moved deeper, welcoming the darkness, the cold and the pressure of the world around him as he moved his tail side to side – his arms stretched in front of his face. It helped him focus. To leave the resentment and possible hate behind so that he could embrace that small sliver of hope that resided in his heart. Not all humans were monsters. Not all were determined in destroying the oceans. And once his fingertips touched the sea bed – algae and sand and rock – Walter swam back to the surface, feeling the difference in temperature on his scales, the pressure no longing threatening to crush his body like twigs. Warm, clean salt water flowed through the gills on his neck. There wasn’t contamination in that area. Not a single taste of trash or chemicals or other dangerous products. It…reminded him of home. Of a home long forgotten and abandoned. Walter looked up – the silvery light of the moon barely breaking the surface, specs of light dancing before his eyes as he allowed his body to finally stop and feel the movement of the currents. Left and right. Left and right. The siren closed his eyes, his scaled arms wrapping around his bare torso – now much lighter than the usual skin tone with several dark blue scales adorning his body in intricate patterns. It was time to go up. Time to return to land now that he had a moment for himself back home. There was no sounds there. Not even those belonging to the occasional fishing boat that would go on an excursion. Not even the creaking of dead wood and loud shouts from men urging others to keep it up. There was no vibration belonging to the mechanical engines that propelled the boats ahead. Just – SILENCE. Complete, absolute, all-encompassing… SILENCE.

[aspirant1598]

[goldenthreadstories]

Pinkie promise - Revali

@bishonenprince sent in a thread for Revali ;; platonic touches.

There's a moment of hesitation as he looks to the male at his side. Deep Emerald eyes lock onto the pinkie finger extended to him. The sincere smile on Sora's features.

A moment that feels a lot longer than just a moment as the Rito thinks about all that they have gone through. That one time the male bested him in a little friendly competition. The sparring, the training.

But the quieter moments between them too, like the one right now where it had just been them. Where they could talk, just spend time with one another weither they spoke or otherwise.

Never felt forced with Sora, never pushed - not always. Sora knew when to give Revali space but also knew when to push past his defences; he certainly had a dedication that he admired.

And before he can come back from these thoughts his hand has moved and his own pinkie has curled around Sora's. His eyes dart from their joined fingers to the other's face now.

"...Alright, but only if you are pinkie promising not to do anything reckless when he returns..I don't."

He stops himself finishing that sentence, thought of it only being words or a thought is a bit too much right now for the Rito.

[13xwishes]

Continued from { X } || @path-of-blue-eyes

Eyebrow raised, Whisp studied the so-called billionaire and pondered whether she should help him out or not. She wasn't obligated that's for sure, but unfortunately he caught her in the wrong side of town. She WAS one her way to the monster side when she was cornered by some mugger normies and... well...

... never do magic out in the open again. Lesson learned.

Still, those idiots deserved a good beating and they weren't her finder after all...

Humans...

 ❝ You do realize being 'something like me' means I can make those things happen easily without trying. But you caught me in a curious mood... just what is it exactly you want? ❞

[kuratm]

part of sayu almost wishes to doubt sampo's intentions - partly due to being aware of his ... dubious habits - yet for some reason, she doesn't. could it be due to their connection prior the express's venture to jarilo-VI? she couldn't tell. either way, there is certainly a humorous irony to be found in this, and she's sure certain fools would be elated to see it.

❛ mmm ... ❜ she murmurs, clearly deep in thought, before amethyst eyes gaze up at emeralds with tint of slyness - her smile remaining gentle yet subtle cheekiness lays underneath. ❛ is this ... for transactional purposes, sampo? i didn't think it required this level of relationship ... either way, color me intrigued. maybe i could even convince you otherwise on gothic music! ❜

ARE YOU SAYU'S TYPE? ... accepting!

[furyinchains]

i see fire meme // accepting yes , i'm afraid . i'm afraid for you . ( @shackld )

her first instinct was to scoff and to twist the words into something palatable ( something familiar ), some patronizing attempt at control, another leash disguised as concern [ ... ] but a laugh forced its way past her tiers instead, humorless in its own glory, sharp as shattered glass. ❝ for me? ❞ she echoed, tilting her head, icy spheres glinting, however with disappointment, howered with a tad of emotion she could not label. ❝ is that what you tell yourself to sleep at night? that you care? ❞ she took a step closer, her vocals lowering, conscious of the kaleidoscope of emotions one woman could cause. ❝ i don't think you're afraid for me. you're afraid of me. ❞ it was murmured, with her vox edged with what she refused to name. ❝ that's what this is, isn't it? you know what i am... you know what i could be, if you weren't here to keep the chains tight. ❞ her digits brushed against her own neck, feeling the cold metal cuff without it existing ⸻ she felt it in her wrists too, latched tight, a reminder of the bureau's trust, of their ever-present restraint. ❝ it says everything, doesn't it... chief? ❞

[universestreasures]

@path-of-blue-eyes (Plotted Starter)

"Mr. Ryuenji, you can't go in there! Mr. Kaiba is busy preparing for-"

He ignores the pleasing words of Isono, the suited male obviously panicked by the sudden intrusion. While Tasuku knows the pressure he is putting on the innocent staff of this blimp by his arrival, he has more important things to attend to. Everyone aboard this aircraft was in danger, after all.

And so, with no hesitation, he opens the door, revealing to him the sight of both of the Kaiba Brothers seemingly in the midst of gaming-related activities. The younger of the two, noticing the sound and looking up from his handheld, looks up, and his eyes widen at the sight of his friend, who is somehow here in the flesh despite the fact they double-checked the blimp for stowaways.

"Tasuku?!" Mokuba drops his console to the ground in surprise. "What are you doing here?! How did you get here?! Did you use-"

He covers his mouth abruptly then. Mokuba knew well the powers Tasuku possessed were meant to be kept secret, and he's kept that secret up until now. He hasn't even told his elder brother, who he hated to keep secrets from.

"That's not important. What is important is the reason why I'm here." Tasuku, with his ruby hues showcasing his determination, approaches the elder Kaiba without hesitation. "Seto Kaiba. As I'm sure you're well aware by now, the Battle City tournament has been infiltrated by dangerous criminals, at least one of which I know is aboard this aircraft."

He then takes out his Buddy Police badge from his pocket, showcasing it to him. The details and official seal on it make it clear it was authentic and not some prop. Tasuku was a true officer of the law, despite his age.

"By order of the Buddy Police, you are to shut down this tournament immediately to ensure the safety of everyone on board. And Marik Ishtar and any of his Rare Hunter comrades found among the finalists will be brought into custody. Failure to cooperate will result in grave consequences."

[quietlyblooms]

going insane bc of lore's reply, and it's also made me think about how after the explosion in her lads verse, that " hand of fate " chiyo used to feel throughout her life is suddenly gone. she doesn't feel it trying to guide her anymore. why? bc chiyo isn't struggling against it anymore. her dreams and passion for art are the furthest things from her mind -- the life she thinks she should be leading and the desire to break free from her circumstances are the furthest things from her mind.

she's consumed by grief and her need for answers, so chiyo does what she always does in response to major stressors. she throws herself into her work. she fully commits to hunting wanderers and then to getting into the n109 zone, and that's exactly what fate wants. those actions will lead her to where she needs to be and the people she needs to meet. fate no longer pushes her along because chiyo is already pushing herself plenty and likely will not stop until she figures out what happened to josephine and caleb.

[satellitewar-archived]

a fantasy starter for @palespawn

curiosity and suspicion leads din to trail the silver-haired figure as he weaves through the crowd in the busy marketplace. something alarmed him in the way the stranger moved, the way he paused abruptly — he gives off an "up to something" air, and the mandalorian is apprehensive about it. haven't they met? is this the same white-blonde figure he ran into months ago on his travels, or does memory paint broad brushstrokes along the contours of his mind? perhaps this is the same man that saved his life, the same figure that appeared in the midst of a roadside attack. maybe that's why din trails him — not out of suspicion, but of inquisitiveness. he wants answers. he follows in silence.

the man goes jaunting through corners, aside buildings, and through more crowds, and din continues to trail him. he leaves a fair amount of distance, but keeps the curly white hair within his sights (thankfully he's easy to spot in a small village like this). if this isn't the same person he once met, he'll come up with an explanation if confronted. if it is him, however... din is curious about his latest exploits. his name was astarion, if he remembers correctly. perhaps they've just crossed paths yet again.

[featherchan]

As the heels of her shoes click and clack across the long corridor, Kanako is carrying a cup of coffee in one hand and a tablet in the other. She dresses in a white long-sleeve silk blouse that complements her gray pencil skirt. Wearing a pair of glasses, her long raven hair is pulled into a low bun. The raven dresses to impress but with an air of professionalism, stern yet elegant.

Arriving at her location. The Lioness lightly knocked on the door, which was plated with the name President, and announced herself as she let herself in. "Good morning, sir, and here is your morning coffee..."  Placing the mug on his work desk, she stepped back and stood in his line of sight before opening her tablet to go through his today's schedule. "Sir, today you have a board meeting at 9 AM. I have already informed the board to collaborate and focus on today's agenda, and to conclude the meeting promptly. Since you need to head to the factory right after, to inspect the latest prototype product, which they have promised today, that would be at 1 PM. Yes, I have informed them to notify all personnel, involved in the project, to be on standby for your critique and review, upon your arrival." Pausing to straighten her glasses and breathe. "Security has informed me. That your younger brother, Mokuba-san, is having fun with his friends, all while still being guarded safely from a distance. He texted me, to remind you, to make sure you have enough rest and food, which has been duly noted, to put his worries at ease. They have also taken notes on things he might like for his upcoming birthday, which I have compiled and will forward then to you, if you wish. Yes, all plans and reservations for the one-month vacation have been arranged and confirmed. I will forward the itinerary again, for your final approval, or if you wish to add anything else, sir." Sucking in a sharp breath after her lengthy report.

"Will there be anything else, President?"

[ starter for @path-of-blue-eyes | @praeteritus-memories ]

[ouraniatm]

if you asked cora frankly, these missions and highly specific biddings for someone else were bunch of crazy talk. elio this, elio that... the green haired criminal grew tired of those lines being thrown around, over and over again, like a mantra. she didn't think much of it in the beginning - back when the world seemed to truly turn it's back on her - and even played along in order to survive, but now only annoyed her. perhaps it's the arrogance of their leader to believe destiny could be predicted and planned through, like he's playing a strategic role-play game, or just the fact cora does not like being told what to do ... it didn't matter. her opinion wouldn't make a change, nor would her situation get any better should she do the foolish act and oppose elio, himself. better survive on your own than to get in more danger than she's ever been in her life.

then again...who would give a damn should their underdog hunter get caught by IPC? nobody knew anything about her, not even the highest authorities had much information on her...she was just a black sheep.

well, not that she'd just up and say these thoughts out loud...especially not to spider lady, over here. hollow, icy eyes roll at kafka's comments while back is turned to her, mostly preoccupied with fixing her ice launchers before scoffing. ❛ heh...you were definitely the spoiled rich kid in previous life. ❜ she pauses to reload said launchers with ice-cased rockets, clicking her tongue and moving the goggles on top of her head. ❛ sure, bashing skulls is fun and all...only after i've taken everything i needed and made them watch it all, so they know they got duped on. ❜ cora grins devilishly as jaded eyes look back to kafka. ❛ but, eh... it's not like i give too much thought into my methods...i just find an opening. least i'm not a petty loser like our resident hacker. ❜

cora moves one hand to hip while other swings her weapon across the shoulder, finally having the decency to fully turn to kafka. ❛ so, you here to brag 'bout your criminal record or to fix your shit, again? you know i don't do chit-chat. ❜

@crownshattered ... continued from here!

[oceanicxeyes]

Closed starter for: @cxncordia Pairing: Walter && Amir It was dark once more. The sun had disappeared and in its place, the moon stood silent on the sky, accompanied only by a few stars. It appeared to the cloudy. Perhaps it would rain within the next day or so. Regardless of how volatile the weather presented itself to be, Walter sat on the sandy beach, his bare feet casually digging the sand as he kept his arms wrapped tightly over his legs, knees pressed against his chest as he contemplated how quickly things had change within mere weeks. If there were any deities in a different plane, any Gods – were they mocking him now? Did his own hubris proved to be his downfall? But was it really hubris to come to the sea every now and then, to be home once more? Those thoughts met no answer – divine or not. Only the casual sound of the waves caressing the sand bore witness to Walter’s internal turmoil as a chilly breeze brushed away his hair from his face. He had been amidst the land dwellers for a century. Ever since his own kind realized that they were on the path to extinction and decided to seek protection in the deepest corners of the sea. Walter never wanted that. To just… HIDE. It was the equivalent of admitting defeat. Was there really no hope to save his home? Back in the day, they didn’t have a word to what was happening. All they believed was that humans were the harbingers of their destruction. But with more and more incursions to land – watching humans build something that they called factories and make little care of the damage they caused to nature, it was clear that the paradigm was shifting. The seas were becoming hotter. The water level was slowly rising. Nowadays, people called that phenomena global warming. Humans in their pride and greed and need to evolve, had destroyed what had been there for longer than any of them dared to contemplate. And for a century, he had been careful. Walter had learned from humans how to behave and how to be one of them. The goal was easy – find some way – any way - to prevent the extinction of his kind. To save the oceans which were also the birth of life. And he had been so careful… for a century, he had successfully remained hidden and invisible to other beings of the night. Walter had heard about them: vampires and werewolves and witches and the likes. He wanted no part on their issues. He had his own mission and quite frankly – he was scared of all those other things concealed in the night. He was scared of humans too. What would they do if they found out what he really ways? Knowing how others viewed individuals with potential… he would either be locked in a lab and studied or turned into a weapon. Kept away from the sea – from his own true home.

It’s been weeks since his secret was exposed. Was it hubris? He had gone to the same beach he did for the past year – he had made sure that there was no one around. His human appearance turned into his real form: a tail, scales and gills. His skin became as bright as a pearl as his scales glistened under the pale moonlight. Then how did those… what was the word he used…? KINDRED? How they found him was not something Walter had planned. If not for someone else to guarantee his safety – to protect him… who knows where he would be now? And after a century, Walter found himself indebted to someone else. To a Kindred. A VAMPIRE. But this particular individual didn’t seem like the stories he read from books or the monsters he saw in the movies. He appeared… kind. Respectful. Walter even dared to conceive the concept of… safety. Maybe not all vampires were bad. Not all humans were monsters too.

“I will repay you for your kindness.” Blue eyes once fixated on the steady motion of the ocean glance over the siren’s shoulder to the man nearby. Amir was… unlike anything Walter had met before. He was a mystery wrapped in a enigma. Kindred or not – vicious or not – he had done nothing to make him fear him. He was still a predator but Walter believed – maybe because he was naïve when it came to other creatures – that this particular man truly wished him no harm. “I was so careful. I never used the same entry point twice.” It didn’t matter. He was spotted and almost captured if not for Amir. And that had been weeks ago. “I don’t understand what use I’d have to your people.” To vampires. Kindred. Not like he had told Amir about his ability to control and manipulate water or the eerie singing that became stuff of legends from days past. As far as the kindred was concerned – he was merely a siren. A man with the ability to transform into a fish hybrid and live underwater. What use would he be to those that could live forever? “But I am grateful to you. And no matter how long it takes – I plan to repay you for keeping me safe. It’s… the least I can do.”

[aspirant1598]

[talesofourworlds]

@unborderedreflection liked for a Xillia anniversary starter!

She wasn't his Milla, but... she was still a Milla. No matter how odd it was to be around her, he had seen Jude spending time with her. Surely Ivar could do the same. It helped that she seemed to be on her own that day, as was he. With Spirius having no orders for him and no reason to go anywhere else, Ivar had chosen to linger around Marksburg for a time. Doing so seemed to have benefited him, as she was there too. Doing what? Well, Ivar didn't know. Maybe Marksburg being something of a middle ground between Rieze Maxia and Elympios made it appealing somehow?

Cautious, careful steps were taken closer to join the 'fractured' Milla. He didn't like thinking of her that way, he decided. Would she even want him around, though? Surely she had had her own Ivar back in her world before...

Don't think about it, he decided. When he got close enough to her, to see what she was doing, Ivar prepared himself. All he had to do was give her a chance.

"Lady Milla...?"

[kuratm]

confused? yes, but that'd be an understatement. while sayu isn't exactly sure what happened, she knew one thing that might help cheer the trailblazer.

❛ um...hey, caelus... ❜ the dark-winged halovian speaks up, fidgeting hands gently pressing to the taller male's shoulder as amethyst eyes keep a close eye on him - not wanting to anger him more than he already was. ❛ would you like to get a meal...? erm, my treat...maybe that'll help calm your mind down, even if a bit. ❜

@astrxlfinale / continued from this

[furyinchains]

i see fire meme // accepting you must stay on the path . do not leave it . if you do , you may struggle to find it again . ( heh, maybe ghost/dream earl offering some well-intended advice :') ) ( @deathfavor )

dreams. they did not arrive all at once. they approached slowly, patiently, hands reaching from the depths of something unseen, enveloping the fragile remnants of her will and pulling her under. they were oftentimes relentless, cruel in their gentleness, beckoning her into the world where time frayed and untangled, where the past was not dead but lingering, waiting. waiting for her. earl was waiting for her there.

she had known ( long before she dared close her spheres and surrender to sleep ) that peace was something she would never be afforded. regret had made its home within her ribcage, burrowing deep, an infection that no remedy could cleanse. she carried it with her ⸻ in every breath, in every heartbeat, in the silence that stretched too long ⸻ in the moments where her mind wandered to places it should not go. she found herself in the ruins of a world that had long since crumbled, standing before a man who should not have been there.

earl.

the sight of him was a blade against the rawest parts of her soul, an ache so sharp it nearly brought her to her knees. he was just as she remembered: sharp-eyed and sardonic, standing with that exasperating ease that had always infuriated and captivated her in undoubtedly equal measure. but his words were as sharp as his presence, piercing into the filaments of her essence, a recall to what it was and never would be.

she felt the heat rise in her chest, a storm of emotion too tangled to unravel ⸻ anger, sorrow, longing. she could not separate them, could not tell where one ended and the other began. ❝ who are you to talk... ❞ she spat, her vocals sharper than she intended. ❝ if you are not even real? ❞ her hands curled into fists at her sides, nails biting into her palms, desperate to ground herself. ❝ i don't need wise words... i need you by my side. i need you to guide legion. i told you, i can't do it on my own. ❞ the breath hitched in her throat, lineaments prone to alter ⸻ from pain, to remorse, to a tad of joy, to a portion of peace. all at once, or not at all. ❝ the path that i'm supposed to follow should be yours to follow too. you said that i must follow it... as if you did not abandon yours. if you are not there, i don't want to be there too. ❞