#againthemartyr

[morethanaprincess-a]

@againthemartyr said: Ten!

Spread the Love!

10. What’s a roleplay blog that always keeps you pleasantly surprised?

Here’s two that always leave me surprised, mostly by how creative or how in-depth their headcanons and portrayals are. And bonus? They’re both OC blogs!

@whitecrowns-blackthrones​ - I’m consistently amazed by how many muses live over on Rose’s blog, and how they all have interwoven histories in a fully fleshed-out world devoted to everything royal. And she’s always adding more, to boot! I’m astounded by the sheer amount of FCs too, if just to give me more ideas of various comics to read online. I’ve only interacted with a very small fraction of the number of muses on the roster but I hope to write with more!

@earthssprout​ - We haven’t written much yet, but I’m so impressed by the amount of thought, headcanons and aesthetics and interactions, that Ari has been given on this blog. I’m someone who doesn’t find child muses all that easy to write, but Ari is written with such care and consideration and I love reading all of her interactions with muses from a variety of different backgrounds and fandoms. I know the mun has been busy offline but I hope when they come back we’ll write more together!

[aaetherius]

@againthemartyr​ asked:

“ tell me what you dream of. ” - from nier

Poetry Prompts || Accepting (feel free to turn into threads)!

                                                                ★ ☆ ✮ ✯ ―☼ ― ★ ☆ ✮ ✯

     The gentle rush of water as it fills the delicate cup serves as background noise to the otherwise silent night. It’s only company the soft tap of porcelain clicking together when the steaming mug is set upon a small saucer, and the natural whirl of the ship’s engine as it sails quietly through the night sky. At this hour, much of the crew has retired to their rooms - even those who struggle to sleep usually keep to themselves in the safety of their own walls. He’s typically the same. Having not required sleep to survive for many millennia, he often finds the act of doing so difficult, at least when he’s alone. And his usual worry when the current Supreme Primarch is away makes him all the more restless. He finds the time passes easier when he’s in the cafe making coffee where the scent of almonds and roasted beans and honey clings to the air, and feels his lungs with every breath he takes. Though the space is almost always empty at the hour, he can waste time cleaning and preparing supplies for the following day so he’ll be ready for the orders that will come as the sun begins to rise. Sometimes he rearranges the table, or shifts the chairs about - moves the flowers to different spots, and cleans out the cupboards - only to put everything back exactly how Sandalphon had it before he returns from the mission or errand he had been sent on. It’s a harmless task that occupies his mind, and keeps him busy. He’s grown tired of being left alone with his thoughts after two thousand years of having nothing but them to fill up the space he occupied when he wasn’t engaged in something dire. One grows weary of their own head after such a long time. So, it’s not terribly strange to find him making coffee in the cafe at an odd hour of the night when the one he spends most of his time with is away. It’s more unusual; however, for him to have company.

     Company, at least, that doesn’t include the flowers he occasionally strikes up conversations with or the coffee grinder he admired every time he gets the chance to use or the moon that glitters just outside of the window in the back of the cafe that allows glitter and stardust to fill the room to the point where its light alone is enough to prevent the room from falling into utter darkness. He doesn’t know the young man well, but has been told of his circumstances in passing by various other members of the crew attempting to help him return to the world of which he belongs to. And, he knows, as well, that accidental visitors to these skies aren’t the strangest things contained within them - he had fought with other worldly beings for countless years, after all, and seen the rifts that had formed as a result of their meddling. From what he’s overheard from the crew, as well, this is far from the first time they’ve encountered such an unfortunate traveler to have gotten mixed up in one of them. He harbors sympathy for the other - to be pulled away from his loved ones and everything he knows is an uneasy and dreadful feeling. And it’s easy to tell there’s constantly something on his mind, alongside his desire to return back home. So, it had only seemed right to invite him to the cafe for a cup of coffee when he had spotted the other out and about as he had been walking down the hall. At the very least, it would prevent Nier, as he’s come to learn is his name, from being left alone with the anxiety that he imagines is welling up within him for being away from where he wishes he was. 

      Softly, he sets the saucer and cup down in front of the other where he sits at one of the nearby tables before taking his own cup and sliding, gracefully despite the wings that extend from his back and seem to glow in the moonlight, into the chair across from him. The steam from the freshly brewed coffee warms his skin, and he wraps his hands around the hot cup as he waits for it to cool for just a moment. He’s always believed coffee is best enjoyed when it’s burning hot, even if it means stinging the throat and tongue just a bit. But it’s late enough, at the moment, that he lacks the same willingness to burn his throat on the drink that he would have had it been the middle of the day or first thing in the morning. So, instead, his fingers knead gently against the mug as he watches the smoke rise and then slowly dissipate - the whimsical, willowy tails traveling carelessly through the air. “I hope it is to your liking,” he begins in order to fill in the silence that prevails not that the water is no longer running. He’s always enjoyed conversing with the crew, and with Skydwellers in general, even if the chance to do so was rare. While he is often overly formally, it’s rare for him not to be able to find something to talk about or ask after. And he does his best to ensure the conversation doesn’t travel into unwanted or uncomfortable territory. He doubts the other wants to speak much of his own world, even if he does wish to learn about it, and, so, he doesn’t bring it, or the other’s current situation up in hopes it might help soothe his worries for a short time. Though, when Nier does ask him in a question instead, he’s met with a slightly tilt of Lucifer’s head - brows furrowing ever so faintly as he thinks about it.  

       “These days,” he pauses for a moment to glance down into the dark liquid of his cup, and takes a sip; savoring the bitter flavor of the coffee, and the heat it gives off. “I find that I have many dreams.” More than he’s ever had before, and more than he had ever imagined he would. The list in his journal only seems to grow with each passing day, and there’s no longer an end in sight. Yet, often, one of the dreams he had added to that list seems to come true, and he’s ever grateful to be where he is now. To have this second chance at life is a blessing, even if he feels unworthy of it, and will likely spend the rest of his existence attempting to find ways to atone for past mistakes. Death, he has since learned, isn’t the atonement he had once thought it would be. So, now, he searches for ways to make things right. Sometimes that comes in the form of doing add chores around the ship or staying up well into the morning with someone who might simply just need someone to speak to. And he can’t begin to claim he believes himself good at anything he’s attempted, but he never gives anything less than his entire core to those he meets. “Some, I imagine, might seem strange. For example, it is a dream of mine to share a cup of coffee with every member of this crew. It is also a dream of mine to one day assist Sandalphon in opening a cafe of his own, and to raise another garden with him. Just as it is also a dream of mine to read all of the books I have been given by Skydwellers on this journey, and to memorize the recipes for all of the new blends of coffee they have come up with in the time since I had first introduced it to them many centuries ago.” He smiles softly at the other, rubbing the handle of his mug. “Sometimes the most worthwhile dreams are the smaller ones we have overlooked in our desire to pursue something larger. Do you have any dreams of such a nature; smaller ones that might seem mundane to most?”  

[madamhatter]

👬

Am I sending this just to see you babble about her and Howl? Absolutely. But also feel free to do it for Madotsuki also!

Send a 👫, and I’ll write four headcanons I have about our muse’s relationship / accepting / @againthemartyr

As mentioned in Castle in the Air, Sophie and Howl are known by most to still have the same back-and-forth and prickly relationship as they did pre-martial. If I recall properly, the emphasis was that Howl and Sophie aren’t as publicly affectionate and touching of another, but Calcifer mentions they’re very much in love. Many may say it’s because of their combative personalities, but I believe that’s only a shallow take on it.  They’re much more affectionate and touchy in private because intimacy l) is something very new for the both of them, given the fact that a long-term relationship isn’t something they have much experience with. At the same time, Howl is very aware of Sophie being quite self-conscious and self-critical when in public and how she polices herself. He’s way more affectionate in private because she is more comfortable without people looking at her and he wants her to grow more confident. 

Howl, knowing well how startling his world can be for his partner, has prepared ways of slowly introducing her to it. They would already go to visit his sister, Megan, and her children, but he is set on showing her the rest of his town in Wales. But. he does not need Sophie almost clawing out the seats of the car they’re taking to get around.  His method would be introducing Sophie through subjects/items that she likes, mainly plant life and fashion. He gets a good laugh or two whenever when he sees Sophie’s reactions to fashion magazines. Knowing her tendency to get a bit nosey, he usually leaves it out in the open, and while Sophie is cleaning, she wishes to stay focused. Yet, her eyes meet the pages and the first question in her head is “what type of fabric is that woman wearing” and then it’s off to being sneaky and trying to read it. The comments under her breath and general confusion make it so hard for him to hold back a snort. All laughs until Sophie makes a comment that insults his favorite brand/style and his audible gasp from her audacity reveals his hiding spot. 

Thanks to Howl introducing Sophie to WWE, and her appreciation and curiosity into his world’s sports, she was, for a short time, a fan of the supposedly real sport. However, much to her surprise and sadness, it is all a staged and fake event!  Sophie, after recalling boxing, decides to take it upon herself to properly learn a real sport since wrestling is mostly professional theatrics. Boxing in Ingary would most likely be prizefighting/bare-knuckling from the early 1900s and it is quite a chaotic sport without any of the divisions, categories, and rules that Howl would be familiar with in the modern world. To ensure his wife doesn’t go off the deep-end and get into too much trouble, Howl helps her out by actually getting her into MMA, something she doesn’t quite know. Basically: Sophie gets into boxing and builds a gym in the castle. Howl approves and kind of worried what this’ll mean whenever someone messes with him and Sophie decides to stop them. 

Sophie Hatter is Howl Pendragon’s counter; for all the flattery that he gives and the mystery he has around him -- to avoid people from knowing the true him --, she is the blunted opposite who is polite but rarely flatters, being as precise about the situations (but never about herself, how sad). Sophie doesn’t realize how easy it is for her to quiet Howl. It isn’t like she has to sass him back or create a comeback that’ll render him insulted for some seconds. It’s when she is reading through her book, or sewing, or doing anything with her hands that she feels able to speak easier, comfortable too. When Howl is around, she’ll abruptly compliment him or congratulate him.   This isn’t the only time she does it, but an example.  Anyways, Howl would usually end up quiet and while, sure, it could be feeding his ego, the sincerity in her voice (and sometimes the strange things she’ll focus on about him that no one else does) would have him raising his brows, blinking, and then he continues with his routine. He sometimes returns her spoke affection with unspoken affection by kissing the side of her head or briefly touching her shoulders, arms, or hands with a soft squeeze. 

[maskedmuses]

@againthemartyr​​ wanted a starter with Ysayle!

The snowfall in Ishgard was nothing out of the ordinary, blanketing the city in the pristine hue. Particularly heavy flutters were abound, causing the citizens to mostly scurry back into their homes to seek out the warmth and shelter that awaited them, running like ants from the vantage point that could peer down on them. Icy eyes drifted across the stones below, the gray of them vanishing beneath the alabaster blanket.

Despite the home she had been given, there was no reason for Ysayle to squander her time within it. No empty fire seemed to lull her, rather the quiet of it made her tense instead. As if she left herself alone to her thoughts, the false Shiva would return, and she could not make her haven the city she had once thrust out of so many times.

Not that she cared for it, but it offered her chances to do well. So, stay she would.

The cold no longer bothered her skin, Shiva’s remnants upon her aether making it so such a thing seemed nothing more than a small breeze rather than a blizzard. Fingers brushed along the half wall, providing a barrier from simply slipping off the stones. Atop one of the many high rises, her mind floated on the idea of the man whom had bested her, and she had nearly given her life for. He found peace in lofty places, didn’t he?

An idle, naïve thought, ran through her head. “It would be nice to see him once more.” Ysayle mused, the heels on her boots clicking and crunching into the accumulating snow.

Her steps stopped immediately as she heard the echoing sound of other, unknown trudging, not far before her. Ysayle’s attention swung forward towards the figure that encroached her, her hand gripping the wall as she stared through the falling snow. “Who goes there?” A demand, as she allowed him to step further. “Seek shelter, there is no place for—“

Iceheart’s voice died in her throat. The soft white locks and darkened eyes, the horns that adorned his temples, the man was the very vision of whom her thoughts had strayed upon. “…Has the Mother given me a vision?” A whisper, nearly eclipsed by the space between them, blue eyes wide upon him, studying every single facet of his frame. He was changed, but the same. It was as if she was seeing a ghost.

Or perhaps it was merely how he viewed her. Her life was not to be known to the Warriors of Light; not yet.

“…Aeron, is that really you?”

[exrhlab-archived]

I consider you a good friend and I love seeing your writing and interactions with other people, and cherish the ones we have! You're very passionate about the things you like, and I absolutely adore talking to you over IMs about silly stuff.

ANONYMOUSLY TELL ME YOUR HONEST OPINION ABOUT ME. I CAN’T REPLY/COMMENT, JUST PUBLISH.

[convxction]

" sorry! sorry... i, i didn't mean to flinch, just... you startled me. that's all. " from nier!

angsty mind control prompts | accepting | @againthemartyr

The young man was spacing out so Chrom thought he needed help. Usually, a pat to the shoulder would not be met with this reaction but it seems the lord had indeed startled the young man (he made sure his pat was not rough though.)

“--! ...O-oh, no no. I apologize for startling you.” Chrom backed away,, enough to not be in the other’s personal space, gesturing with his hands for the other. “Apologies, again. I simply wanted to check on you. You looked like you need help... Are you alright? Do you need a healer? a place to rest?”

[dutysend]

𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐌𝐀𝐍'𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐍 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄;     kindled by what is contained within them, within him, as an extension.      embers curl around — an echo in and around a dead man’s fingers — the warrior’s axe.    there is a name to this fire; one that does not belong to the dead, yet to the vestiges of the living, and a heart knows no other existence. 

   the name: reckoning. 

     a dead man’s eyes watch aeron in splintered azure.     the steel curve of the axe scrapes a crescent against the floor, an artless gesture turned purposeful with intent; the fake amuraot bleeds viridian into fathomless depths.      elidibus strings the dead body tight — shoulders squared, arm still stretched downward, bearing the weapon;    he has not quite curled in on himself, instead is orchestrates himself straight, chin tipped high. 

         ❛  bear your weapon. ❜      he speaks as Himself, has divested himself from the mask, the visage of ardbert from his voice, yet still wears his flesh.     ❛ it should be a familiar habit by now, no ? to turn might against a foe ? ❜

@againthemartyr​ — plotted starter !

[electricea-archive]

@againthemartyr​​ sent -🥇, 🌟, 📽!  ( The Positivity Meme - Not Accepting! )

🥇 - I think you’ve done a brilliant job with your muse.

🌟 - I love seeing you on the dash!

📽 - I can see your muse in your portrayal, your writing is so perfect.

Thank you! You’re someone I keep meaning to write more in depth with because I do look up to you and your writing style so so much! Thanks for the kind words! You’ve always been a really kind and gracious mun to me!

[morethanaprincess-a]

@againthemartyr​ said:  ✿, ♡!

Interactions meme

I love writing, plotting, and seeing you on my dash too! I know your muse inspiration tends to ebb and flow, and that’s just fine by me. Let me know if you want to throw a muse at me and maybe we can work out a verse and threads!

That said, what kinds of chocolate do demons like? Do demons even like and eat chocolate? I’m asking for a friend. She’s already asked about how ghosts have sex, do you want me to subject the dash to her inquiries about if demons eat chocolate too?

At least Sonia’s asking the important questions here.

[aaetherius]

@againthemartyr​​

♥ ah yes i cannot miss an opportunity to see you being cute

Send me a ♥ for me to gush about you || Accepting!

                                                                ★ ☆ ✮ ✯ ―☼ ― ★ ☆ ✮ ✯

Soma the myth, the legend who keeps getting people to play GBF!!! You’re so very sweet! I always see you supporting and encouraging others on the dash, and that always makes mine so much brighter! You always come across as someone who is genuinely interested in others and their muses, and that type of attitude is so nice to have around and even just see in general! You’re easy to talk to ooc, and just come off as a super kind and chill person whenever I interact with you! I’m usually super shy ooc, but I felt comfortable talking to you really quickly because you just have such a friendly and relaxed air about you! Also, you are so quick to help people, and you deserve all of the compliments in the world for that! I can think of so many times where you helped explain things to me like random  GBF mechanics (flashbacks to that time I was stuck in a stash I didn’t have and couldn’t figure out how to get out hfdlughuid) and giving me tea suggestions that I am 100% going to try and tell you about once I pick some up, and when you helped me figure out how to put in the address on the cystore, and even that time you helped Livi out with getting GBF up and running for her! I’m super grateful for all of the sweet things you’ve done for me and for other people, and I hope good things come your way because you deserve them! You are a wonderful person, and I am so very happy that I was blessed with the chance to meet you and that I was able to become friends with you! 

And that’s just you as a person! Your writing is just as wonderful as you are, as are your characters! All of the OCs you’ve made that I’ve read about or had the chance to learn more about are super interesting, and your canon characters are just as wonderful! I might not know many of them, but I love seeing them on my dash regardless! Your writing flows so well, and it feels like I’m reading a page out of a book whenever you show up on my dash! You keep your threads and interactions interesting, and I love seeing the relationships you’ve got plotted or written out with others popping up! I always see you gushing about the OCs you’ve interacted with/plotted things with, and it’s so much fun to read! You’re just a treat to have on my dash in general, and we very much need to get more things going at some point and it is very much my fault we don’t because the plotting brain is not being helpful, but I really want to toss things at you so you can bet once I get a second that I’ll be digging for things to send your way because I adore your writing and I need to get a bit of it myself again!   

[aaternum-a]

@againthemartyr​r​ give me a ✔ for both nier and aeron. no choice

Do I know your muse(s):  yes | no | a little | tell me about your muse  Setting: our verse | my verse | your verse | modern | alternate universe | other Pre-established relationships? yes | no | depends on the relationship Possible relationships: friends | classmate | co-worker | roommate | family, real or adopted | dating or blind date | married | friends with benefits | unrequited love | lending a hand | teacher - student | rivals | allies | partner-in-crime | enemies | protecter - guarded | business partners | spy - infiltrated | manipulator - manipulated | star-crossed | first meeting | other  I’m in the mood for: fluff | angst | horror | romance | humor | crime | hurt / comfort | action | supernatural | slice of life | crack | dark threads | light threads | any genre | multi-para | shorter para | one-line | any length | plotted threads | unplotted threads | other Feel free to: message me ooc  | message me ic | tell me your ideas | write a starter | answer one of my opens | send a meme | reblog this with your preferences - let’s find common interests!

tomorrow ... nier ,,, u owe me starter for young protag. honestly, you’ll still have to tell me information about aeron because all i get is (redacted due to spoilers) kjndkjndsgjk. and of course i know next to NOTHING about nier! i still have to write out a xiv verse. but you know that’s difficult when i haven’t finished the gat damn game. i still want dad aeron adopting ryu where she just gets herself into trouble and always has her tall dad to bail her out. its necessary.  i’ll hopefully start playing nier soon so i can develop some sort of verse for that as well! but you know i’m always open for fluff and angst. i can already see your gremlin hands plotting darker themed threads. as far as actual ideas go, i’m not sure! its hard to think of ideas (especially for nier) because i’m not too familiar with the content. for now its just: found family trope giving me brain worms. also ily and u owe me more frog content <3 

[stcrmscngs]

@againthemartyr​ said:  "Vel--" Aeron does not wait for a response or a reaction. In the following second what he raises up is a mylodon pup (and one that was intent on biting gloved fingers off), their usually serious countenance starts flourishing into a smile. His odd passions were showing, and truly they did not seem to care. Much. "--here. Isn't it cute?" Not that the beastkin would agree with his definition of "cute" or anything of the sort. Was it a wild animal that he just dragged around like if it was a way less harmful species? Absolutely. Did Aeron seem to mind the - reasonably sized, to be honest - creature simply trying to claw his arms off? No, absolutely not. His smile denounced as much. "You should try holding it too. It is a little rowdy, but nothing you cannot handle."

unprompted // always accepting

     To be entirely fair to Aeron, the creature is kind of cute— in an absolutely vicious sort of way. Its white fur bristles as it gnashes its teeth at the Auri man’s hands, tail whipping this way and that like a length of rope in a windstorm. It’s not yet grown into the tusks it would one day sport on its lower jaw, but the pup’s fangs are plenty sharp enough on their own to tear skin. It’s a good thing Aeron’s gloves are thick, and his scales no-doubt thicker. 

Velkyn sighs, looking from the mylodon pup up to the beaming face of the man who holds it, cradled in his arms like a kitten. At least Aeron looks happy, even with the clawed paws scrabbling at his arms. Dusk Mother, that thing is as big as Vel’s entire upper body! How does he expect him to hold it as it thrashes like that?

The smile on his friend’s face is a difficult thing to say no to, but unfortunately, Vel has no layer of scales to protect his limbs. His armor is plenty strong, but it wont matter if the beast goes for his throat— which would be quite easy, considering how he’d have to hold it if he held it. 

     “It’s...a little big for me. Wouldn’t want to drop it, or anything,” Which...isn’t a lie. Velkyn would hate to go and ruin Aeron’s day by letting go of his new ‘friend’. “It is cute though. Just...be careful it doesn’t take your hand off. Not that you need me telling you—”

Vel gets the feeling this isn’t the first time the other Xaela has gone and picked up some wild animal to cuddle. He’ll have to introduce Aeron to his battle drake at some point, chances are he’ll take to Dölgöön rather well, if this is the sort of thing he finds cute.

For a moment, white ears lay back as Velkyn considers the strength of his gauntlets. Could he get away with petting the mylodon? Only one way to find out.

Reaching up, careful to keep his hand away from any snapping teeth, Velkyn pats the creature gently in between its budding horns before drawing his hand back to his side. 

[maskedmuses]

send my muse “will you be my valentine?” to see their reaction ! || Still accepting

@againthemartyr​​ asked:  “will you be my valentine?” to ysayle! from aeron

In recent years, the tradition of Saint Valentione had breached the walls of Ishgard, bringing people together in celebration of uniting with heart and hearth, warming each other in embraces and adoration. It was something that Ysayle had distanced herself from for the most part, the famed Iceheart to not allow her soul to thaw from the flames of passion as many others would. Yet, she found herself upon the counsel that Aymeric had gifted her seat, and it came with many a price.

Including decorating the city and preparing chocolates for the occasion.

When Aeron had encroached upon her, Ysayle had finished most of her tasks, readying herself to seek out the man who had beat her to the punch. A small box tucked under her arm, her gaze flickered about to ensure they were mostly alone—as alone as she could be with the prying eyes of citizens of Ishgard—before she began to speak.

Except, he had done so precisely at the same time.

Her lips closed, the awkwardness easily passed over as she offered a demure beam towards him, allowing him to get his message across. Halone knew that if she didn’t, he would never speak his piece, trying to ensure she had her turn, too kind of a man that she always feared would be taken advantage of. Although, with such an utterance that did pass his lips, her voice halted in her throat, all inquiries put to rest for the moment.

Now he placed the opportunity to string him along right in her fingers; a choice many would not recommend him to place in her care.

It was that very care that made her smile though, pulling out the small box and offering it to him. “Only if you accept this in turn.” Something she had crafted especially for him, a simple square that harbored the perfect circular chocolates within. “I made these different than the others they will be passing out for the city, these were from a recipe from my childhood.” A small strike of confidence brushed over her features. “I doubt you will ever find any like them.”

Taking a step closer to hand him the gift, flurries began to drift down, landing upon the crimson paper that coated the box. Her gaze turned skyward briefly before resuming upon his gaze, a small shake of her head. “You should get somewhere warm. There is no telling what might happen if you caught a cold after asking to be Iceheart’s valentine. What rumors would run about, I’m sure.”

[cantillat-moved]

@againthemartyr​ ✿✯ :>!

Iғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ RP ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍᴇ, sᴇɴᴅ ᴍᴇ ᴀ ✿. Iғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴘʟᴏᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍᴇ, sᴇɴᴅ ᴍᴇ ᴀ ✯. Iғ ʏᴏᴜ’ʀᴇ ᴊᴜsᴛ ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡɪɴɢ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴛᴏ sᴛᴀʟᴋ ᴍᴇ, sᴇɴᴅ ᴍᴇ ᴀ ♡

I’m still yelling at tumblr for being such a dumblr tbh and I’m terribly sorry about that

[dutysend]

@againthemartyr​ said — ‘ "Have you forgotten?" They maybe hesitate for a second before approaching, Aeron's face turning into a frown. The sound of blades clashing was not present here, not this time. What the Au Ra does is the opposite, really. "Has conflict numbed you to warmth, to the kindness of another?" It is then that fingers brush against each other, the Au Ra without his usual gauntlets. They are here to prove a point, and so they do not wait before entwining their fingers together.

They do not wait for a refusal, for a obviously retreat from his would-be retreat. He is adamant in this, they are firm in closing the gap. "Have you gone through so much that slashing someone's throat is the only option remaining to you?" Their voice carries the worry of someone who wears a similar mantle. A hero, a savior. Of someone who was once so lost in his rage and grief that they could see nothing else. His grip tightens, proving his point. Warm hand in his. 

Has your life been reduced to endless conflict, forgetting what made the world beautiful to begin with?" 'Have you forgotten the endless sacrifices, have you thought what you would do after your war is won', he wants to say. But hey - they - do nothing. Say nothing, nothing but that small gesture they wanted to get across. ‘

𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄, 𝐈𝐍 𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐎𝐌𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄, 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐃 𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐃 𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒 — the true thief amongst thieves. masterful, in the manner of which — known only to colossi, to the gods of gods, summoned from lifesblood or not — it takes, and it takes without recompense, a churning force that has broken them further since hydaelyn’s fateful, damning, shattering blow. time takes, and mayhaps it speaks to what he is, to what he has become, for elidibus to view it as an ever-stuttering and leeching coalescence of a thing. it takes. it does not give; the emissary and his brethren are not allotted that semblance of mercy. fate has not deemed the ghosts of a world-yet-to-be-saved-yet-still-lost worthy of that mercy.

time holds a different meaning; for each passing second ( and how there have been many, grains of sand tossed to the wind, errant, snatched away by the vestiges of shadows and shades, these people-not-people ) deifies itself as yet another moment wasted. the stretch of their old land sinking further, and further away from the brush of their fingertips.

time, lost, means that they are losing.

the hand is outstretched. it brushes, and it entangles. and how numb has he truly become, when the first instinct is not to snatch away, not to peel and untangle bone and marrow and flesh from that sudden touch — defter and more damning than a slick blade of steel. 

it is a strong grip ( the hypothesis proves true — ‘tis the grip of a warrior ) and throughout the curvature of his skull, old faithful voice rings out — enemy, enemy, danger — vaunted through the blood and misery of their own failures at striking him down. 

regardless, blue-flint eyes dart up; features ( borrowed, inhabited, heralded to new uses, better uses ) seized, pinched still — mouth parting, slightly. that hand is warm; it sinks through the metal angles of a warrior’s gauntlets, and that kindness —

— it burns —

          — it is irrelevant. —

❛  i have been tasked — ❜ and there, holy decree. time has not sunken away zodiark’s grasp, just as a heart cannot truly beat outside of a rib-bone cage. and those gauntlets, bitten, spiked edges to the fingers, sink upwards to that proffered wrist, iron-and-steel maws latching in, in, for if the rest of them have lost permeance, then he remains. the last one standing. ❛ — to renew and revive our world, and all those lost since. warmth, kindness — ❜ and it is embittered, and it is caustic, a phantom preaching archaic. ❛ is a concept you and yours believe venerate you from all that you have done. and it will come to —  ❜

      — it still burns, it is still warm —

❛ — naught. ❜

[spiritmaiden23]

@againthemartyr​ said: good thing ran just calls her 'my little dweeb' then

“Oi.... I don’t want to hear that from a scaredy cat who couldn’t even jump off a cliff.”