#aurin answers

[aurinavenir]

Hi there<3 I have a question. I want to try writing, but I know it will suck so I don’t know how to start. I just want to finish a short story about anything. How do I start without giving up immediately?

Hi there! I'm always happy to answer questions! I have three suggestions based on my own experience that might be helpful: 1) On getting started: When I was around ten, my grandmother (a passionate writer and poet) encouraged me to write every day after I told her I wanted to write stories like the ones I loved reading but didn’t know where to start. She suggested starting small—maybe writing a hundred words on the computer or filling half an A4 page each day. The idea was to gradually increase the goal over time. If I wrote more, fantastic! If not, I still hit my target. The important thing was having something written down, and those little goals quickly started adding up. She always said, "success breeds success," and seeing my progress made me want to keep going! 2) On worrying about 'bad writing': First, It’s completely normal for your first attempt at something new not to be your best work—everyone starts somewhere. That’s what practice is for! No one’s first attempt at anything is going to be perfect, and that’s okay. Writing can be a fun and rewarding skill to practice, the important thing to remember is: don’t give up! Second, Jodi Picoult said: “You can always edit a bad page. You can't edit a blank page.” If you look at what you’ve written and think, "this isn’t great," don’t worry! Every writer feels that way about their first drafts in some way, shape or form. That’s what editing is for. The key is to get the basics down, no matter how simple, and then go back and refine it when you’re ready. There's something incredibly satisfying about looking back at your old work/drafts and seeing how much progress you've made! At the end of the day writing is all about rewriting—final pieces are simply the result of revising over and over, not something that was perfect from the start. 3) A writing tip that helps me maintain momentum: Try ending your writing session by leaving a sentence unfinished (though have an idea of how it ends). It might sound odd, but this technique worked for Ernest Hemingway, and it works for me too! I find it much easier to pick up where I left off because the unfinished sentence creates a natural momentum, making it easier to dive back in and continue. I hope these suggestions are helpful! Of course, these are just based on my own experiences, so feel free to take what works for you and leave the rest. I'm sure you have some amazing stories in you that are waiting to be told, and it would be a shame not to put them on paper! Give writing a shot and stick with it—you might just surprise yourself! Happy writing! :)

[violet-stormbringer]

Violet stood before Meteion, who sat on the ground, her legs splayed out underneath her. Her head hung, her dark wings drooping as she stared at the ground beneath her.

Violet was acutely aware of Zenos behind her, as well as the Warrior of Light, Aurin, on his knees, panting heavily as he tried to regain his breath. The battle had been exhausting for him.

Meteion spoke. “No matter where we flew, there was only darkness and loneliness and pain. We couldn’t find the answers Hermes yearned for. The answers he deserved.”

Violet frowned as she recalled Hermes. The smile on his face that never reached his eyes, the worries he clearly held in his heart, worries he tried to stamp down for his fellows. His desperation as he attempted to defend Meteion so he could hear her report.

She recalled how sad he seemed when she made her departure, despite obviously not knowing why. 

She recalled her battle with Amon. With Fandaniel. How, even at the end of it all, he wept, wondering if this was the answer he was looking for.

She knelt before Meteion, who looked up at her.

“Greetings…You who are my final encounter…” She spoke after a moments pause. “I wish to hear your words…share your feelings…know your thoughts. May we please…be friends?”

She reached a hand out to Violet, who stared at it. She recalled more of her time in Elpis, more of her time with Meteion. How happy those few days were.

Violet took Meteion’s hand in hers, smiling. The moment they touched, Meteion let out a gasp as she closed her eyes.

“I–I can see them. Memories of a long, long journey. Many journeys. The hardship, the pain and suffering, the heaviness of your heart…”

Visions began to flash through their shared mind. Visions of betrayal, of greed and prejudice, each more prominent and vivid than the last. Everything Violet felt, all at once. Too much for any one woman to bear.

“So many people…the thoughts of them overflowing in your heart…” Meteion spoke, voice soft. “Even those you count as enemies, always at the forefront of your mind. People who despise you with all of their being, who would see you slain at a moment notice. And yet…”

The rest of her words went unspoken, for there was nothing to be said that Violet hadn’t claimed before. She was always thinking of those she met, ally or otherwise, and she was always wishing them well. Never once did she feel hate for those who turned their blades to her, and never once did she feel they were worth forgetting.

Each battle, each encounter, each lengthy monologue filled with flowery words, all etched on her heart and recalled fondly.

The visions shifted, images of Violet’s many companions flashing through their shared mind. The laughter and softness echoed throughout, tears shed both happy and sad, jokes shared regardless of how amusing they were, feelings of determination and conviction and resolve spread out. She was never truly alone, not when she had so many people to lift her up when she needed lifting.

“Your friends, each of whom would give their lives for you, and you in turn who would give your life for all of them. People for whom you would declare war on the entire star for, people who would burn nations if it meant seeing your smile. Each one as prominent in your mind and in your heart as your enemies…”

Meteion opened her eyes, and they began to fill with tears. “What they live for…what gives their lives meaning. There was never going to be a single answer, was there? You gather pieces of happiness, precious and fragile, only to lose them. Then start again…”

Violet smiled at that. “Yeah. That’s what it means to be alive, you know? Trudging through the day to day, making the most of what we have until we don’t have it anymore.”

Meteion lowered her head and closed her eyes. “On and on it goes, until death takes you into its gentle embrace…”

“And yet, even those that have died are never truly gone. Their memory lives on many lifetimes after they themselves have perished.”

Meteion sighed at that, contentment running through her as Violet remembered the many people who passed before her. 

She eventually released Violet’s hands, looking back up at her. “A shame we did not encounter your star on our journey, Violet. We might have found the answer sooner…”

Violet shook her head. “Probably, but you know in your heart…”

“Your star might have helped us find an answer, but we should have looked there. On Etheirys.”

“That’s not to say it was always there,” Violet’s smile remained. “They created it together. A resilient people, this lot. They could give my star a run for it’s gil.”

Meteion smiled at that. “Much like a field of flowers, then? First, a single blossom, then it spreads and takes more colors…” A pause, as she stood. “Thank you for guiding me here. To find these words at journey’s end…fills me with joy.”

She looked at Violet again. “Before I fall silent, there is one thing I must do. No expression of regret will undo what my sisters and I did, nor restore what we stole. But if I may? I would…sing one last song. A song of the newfound joy which swells in my heart. Of the beauty of light as it shines across a dark and starless sea…”

Violet nodded. “Make it a good one, you hear?”

Meteion turned and began to walk from Violet. “A song that tells of a dream…that from the soil of worlds now lost to sorrow, life will spring forth once more. Nourished by gentle rains and caressed by uplifting winds. A song of hope.”

As she walked, she began to glow, and from that glow her form shifted and changed, returning the blue hue to her feathers. A soft orange glow formed over the horizon.

Meteion turned back to Violet. “One day, life will fill the universe again. It won’t be just your star and Etheirys out there…And Hermes, he will see this, and he will smile. Properly this time. I don’t know how…but I do know that where there is a will, there is a way. After all, miracles happen every day, do they not?”

Violet chuckled. “Every waking moment is a miracle.”

Meteion offered a chuckle of her own, and she held out a hand. “I’ll form a path back for you, where your friends await. Hold in your heart the desire to return to them…then merely follow my lead and walk forth. It will guide you true, I’m sure of it.”

With that, Meteion’s form changed once more, into that of a small blue bird with a long tail. She took to the skies, and behind her, a path formed of gold colored dust. Violet closed her eyes, then, a voice.

“That’s it, then?” Violet turned to see Zenos standing there as the Warrior of Light, Aurin, approached Violet. Aurin was the one who spoke. “We can go home?”

“Sure can,” Violet nodded. “But…I think you should go on ahead. I’ve a feeling our mutual friend here has some words to share.”

Aurin paused. “Are you…sure?”

“Sure as can be.” Violet grinned. “Trust me, I think I’ve got his full attention.”

Aurin sighed. “Well…far be it from me to tell you what to do, but if you get hurt…”

Violet shrugged. “Occupational hazard of a Chef, y’know?”

“What in the hells are they teaching at the Guild?” He shook his head. “Whatever. I’ll…see you later.”

With that, Aurin took off, following the path left by Meteion.

Zenos watched him leave for a moment, before turning his gaze to Violet. “...You mean to return, then? To a world that is not your own, to a world that would not recognize you for the Hero you are.”

“Sure as anything. I doubt the Ragnarok will lead me back Home, according to Mappingway, my star wasn’t near the charted course here.”

Zenos closed his eyes, as if thinking. When he opened them again, his gaze was still fixed sharply on Violet. “Hear me, then. Not as a Hero. Not as a Godslayer. Not as a woman hailing from another star. Hear me as simply…you.”

“As I learned in Ala Mhigo, you are a formidable foe. Where the Warrior of Light fails, you are there to support him. You are there to do what he cannot. Stronger than any I have faced. Against you, I need bring my all to bear. I need burn through the candle of my life…”

Violet’s gaze narrowed as she recalled the fight. Recalled how the Warrior of Light was already battered from the fight in the Hall of the Griffin, recalled how she had to step in to fight when Zenos had transformed into Shinryu.

Zenos kept speaking. “This is the sole pleasure I know, and it is the sole pleasure I have to share. And so I come before you, Violet Stormbringer, to issue challenge and offer singular bliss. If you wish to walk away, I shan’t stop you. You value life. You only burn yours for reasons you deem necessary. Reasons such as those which brought you here. The salvation of a world and its people. Motives of a hero true.”

A pause, as Zenos’ stance shifted. “But there’s more to you than that. You know this to be true. Your fellows do, too. Surely you know the thrill of pushing your body and soul to the limit. Confronting ever-mightier foes, dancing closer and closer to the precipice, wondering if this one shall finally fill the void.”

He reached his hand out, as if attempting to grasp at Violet despite how far away they were from each other. “Such pleasures…you seek for their own sake, and for no other reason. That is why you answered when you were called, yes? Is this not so…adventurer?”

Violet couldn’t help herself. She let out a laugh, throwing her head back. Zenos was right on the money. The words of G’raha Tia echoed throughout her mind.

‘Champions from beyond the rift…heed my call!’

She had never considered herself a champion. A Hero. She had always considered herself an adventurer, however, and when given the choice between adventure and retirement…

Try as she might, she could not refuse the call.

When she stopped laughing, she grinned at Zenos. “Now that…I can’t deny.”

Zenos let out a laugh of his own, closing his fist and returning Violet’s grin. “Acceptance, then! The conflagration of our clash will scorch even the stars!” With that, he readied his scythe, taking a battle stance.

“I won’t lie to you!” Violet unsheathed her gunblade, pointing the tip of the weapon towards her opponent. “I’ve been looking forward to something like this for a long while! Let this be what ends it, Zenos!”

With that, the pair rushed forward, blades meeting in a clash that would echo throughout the edge of the universe. 

One last fight, no holds barred, no grudges held, no hard feelings. A final battle between two of the unlikeliest of friends.

[stendra]

22 and i

I assume that this question also went for Cia, and I'll answer as such:

22. How does jealousy manifest itself in them (they become possessive, they become aloof, etc)? It depends partially on the source of the jealousy and the target of it. If she feels that someone is a rival and trying to steal her lover or her position, she will quickly spiral into a withdrawn and saddened state, questioning herself if she's good enough and such. In 'less important' cases, she'll become mopey or snippy. I) Do you prefer to keep them in their canon universe? Originally they've started off from Wildstar but they were in so many different settings and developed so far away from being an aurin that their 'canon' is the System Daemons universe at this point. I like different settings and roles and play around what would be if this or that would happen, so whilst I know where they belong, I do enjoy putting them in various other settings/games/universes!

Thank you for the ask! ♥

[rhetoricalsoapbox]

couldn't Richie have brought Archie back with his magic?

short answer: yes.

long answer: absolutely.

But, if you want to know why he didn't...

Richie did have the ability to try to, and he likely would've been successful. He does have a bit more confidence in his magic than Aurin does; although both have been equally unsuccessful with some of their endeavors.

Both Denver and Richie's siblings were aware of what he was practicing—with his necromancy and whatnot—and his refusal to try to do anything for Archie was a bigger part of what got him thrown out in the first place.

Richie outright refused to do anything with his magic to bring back Archie, because he was still holding grudges against him for things and wanted him out of the way. Just as Helmer wanted Aurin out of the way because Aurin was favored over him, Richie had similar thoughts about his brother.

To be completely honest, Richie might've made an attempt to "get Archie out of the picture" if Helmer hadn't gotten to him first.

He was still upset about Archie damaging his eyesight in his left eye, he was still upset about all the things he had wanted being handed to Archie, and held grudges over some mildly over the top sibling rivalry.

TLDR: yes, Richie could have absolutely brought Archie back but he chose not to out of anger.

[daemians-n-daemons]

Journal Questions for Dæmons - Day 1

Aurin of Fidelis& posted on the Daemon Forum a list of journal questions for daemons. These are aimed at daemons with some life experience, more so than for daemons who are still in early phases of discovering themselves. There's about 70 question total. We'll have fun answering at our own pace and will tweak questions if needed to better fit us.

If you were a natural landscape, what would you be?

I would be a forest. They feel like home to me. I miss going hiking with Fred and his friends. We would walk ahead and it would be just us and the woods for a moment.

What are some of your quirks and preferences?

I like to be on Fred's right side. His right shoulder, walking to his right, napping to his right. I like to boop him on the head when I'm perched on his shoulder. I have a preference for classical piano music.

What is a work of art that you love, and why do you love it?

Fred and I have a song that we both love and reminds us of us as daemon and human. It's called "I Walk Beside You" by Dream Theater. The lyrics speak to us. Through all that may come and all that may go, I walk beside you. I walk beside you.

If you could create your ideal house, what 3 silly objects would you include as part of the decor?

I would include wooden bird perches. Not enough good perching places for me in the world. A vinyl record player. Scented candles that smell of pine trees and old books.

[beneathascorpionsky]

48, 39, 31, 24, 4, 6

4:A character you rarely talk about? Pretty sure we had this question in the server recently and I struggled to answer it then. Ehhhh lets go with Wesley, he's a musician cursed by an illness that was meant for his brother to suffer through but his father got it shuffled onto him instead. He falls into the same catagory of power as Shyshie and Coe later on into the story. But like. Much much later so I never talk abt it

6. Two OCs of yours that look alike despite not being related?

uhhhhhh probably like. Half my otter characters. Cause in general they're all various shades of brown and. otter shaped.

24. If you could meet one OC of yours, who would it be and why? Hmmmmm Kwet because I just want to actually get a sense of his scale cause even tho I love making my alien characters just rediculously large I still struggle actually envisioning their scale

Also he my sad boy and i wants to see him

31. Pick one OC of yours and explain what their tumblr blog would be like djfsnm uh ok. Shyshie would have two blogs. One where she exclusivly posts stuff like aesthetic ocean pictures and quotes from poetry and books about the sea and it'd be all pretty and nicely set up. And then another one where she just gets into the most awful discourse and posts the worst takes known to humanity because she is a mysterious sea creature but she is also irrevocably a gremlin goblin cat child

39. Introduce any character you want

Remus. He is my shameless genshin oc. He eats glass and is cooler than you. He also has sad pathetic dad energy. He's a dead star and also tainted by the Abyss. He's in a roleplay that I still need to write a response to.

48. OC who is a perfect cinnamon roll, too good for this world, too pure I feel like none of my characters are this anymore. Sometimes they start that way but they always evolve past it. Shyshie and Kwet were supposed to be like this but uh.... maybe Aurin? He's just a lil transporter operator. He's only ever had to use his gun a few times.

[crewel-intentions]

[LATER THAT EVENING, DURING GAME NIGHT]

[TWO EGGS HAVE BEEN FOUND AND ADOPTED]

(Featuring Aurin from @ask-meech-the-impidimp​ )

[prfoundlysuperengineer]

💭💭💭

Jenny on T66: Ti’ancore’s… does e’ actually do anythin’ b’sides berate most o’ the crew ‘n employees? Blasted toaster. I wonder if ‘e’s actually still alive, ‘r is just a glorified AI… Either way, as much of a risk I think ‘e is to life as we know it, ‘e did die… ‘r nearly die? t’ protect us. An’ no matter what I think about ‘im personally, him forced t’ be livin’ in Rafi’s sluttle computer ain’ no way fer anyone t’ get by. Tha’ tin can’s gonna ‘ave the most bad ass new body ‘e’ll make EVE blush!Jenny on Avo: Say “cutest aurin e’er” five times fast. Avo can nap on my chest any time. He’s been real good about givin’ Jer ‘n I space – naw, he’s prob’ly just away with all the people ‘e loves tha’ it ain’ overwhelmin’ when he’s walkin’ on me t’ wake me up ‘r curled up on me ‘n Jer in bed. I’m conflicted sometimes, as how t’ properly handle him. I know ‘e’s just as much a person as e’erone else, but I don’ wanna love on ‘im so much that people think – Naw, screw other people. I don’ wan’ ‘im t’ ever think I don’ see ‘im as any less of a person, with ‘im bein’ more feral than most.Jenny on Neer: Shoot. Goin’ clubbin’ with Neer is the shit! Seriously need t’ get Neer ‘n me matchin’ metalic booty shorts ‘n fishnets sometime.I can’t go near as much as I’d like to, with balancin’ work, study ‘n personal stuff, but when I do it’s always a blast! I just ‘ope him partyin’ so much isn’ takin’ up time he could be usin’ t’ find a mate. Tha’ cutie deserves someone t’ stick around ‘n treat ‘em right.

[captainrexisboo]

Comfort pt5: Sarad

Link to Previous - this chapter takes off right at the end of the previous part, so!

Here It Is. Part Five. I Love My Boo So Much. Also- my first fully completed fic?? Ever??! Holy crap!!!! Dumb Luck stares at me as it sharpens a knife in the corner

No warnings apply, Rex x Reader, reader is a lady. Questions and comments are always welcome! Let me know if y’all want an epilogue!! 

EDIT!!! Link to Epilogue!!!

Tagging: @pro-fangirls-unsocial-life @000ayfh @pinkiemme @midnightredemption @simping-for-fives @danger-xylophones @iscream4clones @jyvorakal @leias-left-hair-bun @vesperstalksclones @mackstrut @yamaktaria @juitoverride @callme-eds @greenygreenland All of you have been so wonderful, I love reading your comments/tags, and seeing your names/icons pop up in my notifs always make me smile!!! You’re all amazing!!! Love y’all!!!

~

You sat at your desk, spinning a stylus in between your fingers and back straight, chewing on a swollen, worried bottom lip. Your eyes were rimmed red and puffy, but dry- you had already done all your crying, and were now just sitting alone, stewing in your own emotion. You couldn’t even look at Rex directly as he slowly steps into the room, just thinking to yourself about what happened, replaying the unexpected uneventfulness in your mind, trying to find out why it hurt you so. You felt so hypocritical, throwing a fit about Aurin’s lack of attention when you explicitly asked him to leave you alone. You were such a fool, anyway you looked at it.

Your gaze went low as Rex stepped closer, putting your cup directly in front of you. You gave him a silent nod in thanks, and he stood for a minute, holding his own cup as he shifted on his feet. His voice came out nearly strained, a thin whisper, “Should I… Do you need me to come back later, or-”

“Please stay.”

Your words were croaked, and you winced at the broken sound, but you didn’t want him to leave. You didn’t realize how much you didn’t actually want to be alone until Rex had walked in. He sat across from you, armor clacking together as he got comfortable (or as comfortable as he could in full gear) and you could feel his calculating gaze tracing your face and form. You let out a cough (it was supposed to be a laugh) knowing exactly what he was searching for. “He didn’t hurt me, Captain. Never did, never will.”

You felt a corner of your lips twitch up slightly as Rex let out a sigh of relief, but noticed how he still stayed tense. “Y/N, what’s the matter? What happened?”

What happened?

“What happened indeed,” you let out a wry exhale, “In all seriousness, nothing happened” -you held up a hand as Rex opened his mouth to protest, stopping him before he made a sound- “and that’s just the problem.”

Rex tilted his head, cocking his eyebrow, “I, uh. I don’t think I follow.”

You finally looked up at him with a dead stare, and he stiffened again. You sighed low, your eyelids feeling heavy as your heart sank deeper into your stomach. You let your gaze fall again, before clearing your throat, “I’m sorry, Rex. I… I don’t know what I’m doing. I ask him to leave me alone, and when he does- literally, he barely even spared a glance at me today- I fall completely apart. I don’t know if this is like just a release of energy because I was hyping myself up beforehand and planning all the ways I’d deflect his conversation, or if it’s shock because I wasn’t expecting to be ignored, or if I’m regretting-”

“Hey, slow down, wait a second,” Rex shushed you, voice a little more present as he leaned forward, “Look at me.”

You hesitated, pulling your lip back between your teeth, but did as you were told. You felt meek, glancing up at him through your lashes as he held your stare with his deep honeyed eyes. He gestured towards your caf, and you slowly lifted a hand to wrap around the cup, feeling your shoulders release a little as the warmth of the cup seeped into your palm and fingers. When did they get so cold?

“Take a breath,” Rex demonstrated for you, as you followed his command to the letter, “Now take a drink. Relax.”

You brought the drink up to your lips, letting the sweetened substance flow past your lips and glide easy down your throat. He had this uncanny ability to doctor your caf just right, it never ceased to make your eyes flutter shut, like the drink was a signal that you could begin to let go of any stress that plagued your mind. The same warmth that spread through your hand pulsed through your chest, before you let out a shuddering breath, placing the cup back on the desk. You opened your eyes, Rex giving you a soft smile at your heavy sigh, ”Better?” You nodded to him. “Good. Now, ‘nothing’ happened?”

“Yeah,” you deflated, not defeatedly in self-pity as you were before, but an expel of the tension that had been eating away at you for the better half of the day, “I thought this was what I wanted, and I… I think that’s it’s still what I want, but when he actually put it into practice I just…”

You scoffed at yourself, glancing off to the side to stare at the pile of flimsi Yularen needed to sign off on, “You know how you get yourself excited for something that’s about to happen, something you want to happen, and the moment it happens it’s different than how you’d expect it to be?”

Rex nodded, heart skipping as he thought about Ahsoka’s speculation. What would happen if he told you his true feelings now? Would you laugh at him, thinking he’s playing a cruel joke on you? Would you pout at him, and apologize for not feeling the same way? Would you stare at him with an icy glare and tell him how awful he is for telling you at the worst possible timing? Would you smile at him so sweetly, and get up from your chair to walk around and whisper an admission of your own feelings as well, lips brushing against his temple like that one day he can’t stop replaying in his head? He’s unsure which option scares him the most.

“Aurin ignored me throughout the entire inspection today, even as we stood alone with each other. He didn’t say a word, didn’t look in my direction. He simply stood next to me,” you recounted, gaze going unfocused again, “He did exactly as I asked. For whatever reason, it hurt me. It hurt so much-”

You cut yourself off as your voice cracked, feeling the lump form in your throat again. You reach for your caf, taking another soothing sip, letting the hot liquid push past the emotion rising in your throat. Breathing steady, you looked back into your lap, sitting your caf back on your desk before shrinking into a whisper, “And I can’t figure out why.”

Rex sat still, ankle crossed over his knee. He took a long sip from his own cup, soaking in the information. It was a heavy minute before he cleared his throat, “Do you… do you maybe want to talk to him?” Rex felt himself swallow thickly. “Do you want to be with him again?”

“No.”

You reeled back, wincing at yourself, surprised at how quickly you responded. Rex looked at you intently, but with merciful patience, only the incline of his head urging you to continue. You gazed back into Rex’s eyes, feeling something in your stomach stir from their sincerity. If nothing else, Rex was earnest and kind at his core. You had unwavering confidence in your friendship, and you were reminded of that everytime you looked into his eyes. You could tell him anything- he could pull the truth out of you better than you could push it through by yourself. Alone, you had to hunt for it, search the darkest corners of your mind, and almost always came back into the light empty handed and frustrated. You’d exhausted yourself so easily doing just that today, but when you locked onto Rex’s gaze, he could easily lead you to your truth. He coaxed it out of you with gentle whispers and soft touches, with eyes that practically glowed with an emotion you thought you knew but couldn’t quite place. You swallowed a breath, sitting up straight, and talking directly to Rex, letting your instinct take over as you answered silent questions.

What do you want?

“I want to continue to keep my distance from him.”

Why?

“It was...shocking. To not have any interaction with him. But its what I need, to grow into my own person. It’ll be better this way.”

So how do you explain your reaction?

“I guess I… I’m afraid.”

You stopped yourself from venturing further down that rabbit hole, finally breaking away from Rex’s stare. You took a deep breath, in through your nose and out through your mouth, the emotional strain from today taking its toll on you. You shut your eyes tight, dropping your chin to your chest, trying to stop the headache from coming on, not even looking up as you heard the weighty steps of Rex’s boots as he walked around your desk.

Rex had gotten up from his seat as soon as your lashes hit the tops of your cheeks. He allowed his typically quiet footfalls to echo in the room as he opted for a slow walk to come closer to you, setting his half-finished caf on the edge of your desk. He never seemed to be able to shake his nerves whenever he made a move to touch you, always moving as if time was slowed down around the two of you, in your own little pocket of reality. His hand moved cautiously, making sure you had time to feel his presence, time to move away if you needed to. Rex’s fingers brushed at your shoulder, curling over the muscle as his thumb traced your collarbone, hidden under your uniform jacket. He put pressure there, a slight squeeze, causing you to hum lightly at the contact. Rex continued his motions at your approval, sinking down to one knee to see if he could catch your eyes, only to find them closed. He smoothed his gloved hand over the gray material, following the slope of your shoulder in a fluid motion, keeping his voice low despite being the only two people in the room, “What are you afraid of, cyar’ika?”

The endearment was out of his mouth before he could stop himself, but if you knew what the term meant you didn’t mention it. He left it alone, letting the moment settle.

You shivered slightly at his gravelly tone, taking note of the new word you’d have to ask about later. He said it so softly in a single exhale, that at least you knew it wasn’t supposed to be an insult. You opened an eye, finding his stare on you, and opening the other one as you leaned forward, placing your forehead against his. The position was awkward, your back was hunched and you could already feel your neck getting stiff, but the keldabe kiss made you feel at ease, lifting a hand to wrap around the back of Rex’s head, feeling the prick of his buzz on your palm, the pads of your fingers rubbing lightly over his scalp. You felt a smile twitch up as he gave a relieving sigh of his own, closing his eyes as he melted at your petting.

“I’m afraid of changing,” the admission fell out of you as a wave of calm washed over the two of you, startling yourself, but the grip you and Rex held on each other kept you grounded enough to move forward, “Aurin and I… we were inseparable for so long. I want to know who I am without him, figure out what it means to be me. But I can’t help but think- this is so silly- what if I spend too much time on that? What if I finally complete my journey, but can’t find anyone to love that version of me?”

Your hand moved down to grip at the back of Rex’s neck, his eyes opening as your gaze went downcast, continuing after a breath, “Aurin and I had a love… I outgrew it. What if by the time I finish growing, no one has room to love me like that anymore?”

“I will.”

Your eyes shot back up at the two simple words, growing wide at the sudden revelation. You froze after your eyes locked, swallowing down a breath as you waited for him to continue, still keeping your foreheads pressed together. Rex moved his hand over your shoulder, rubbing up and down your arm in a calming pace, though you’re unsure if it was to soothe your nerves or his own. The air you both were suddenly all-too-aware of sharing thickened as the silence stretched, Rex’s eyes searching your own as he briefly wetted his lips in anticipation of your reaction.

“Y/N, I need you to know, you’ll never outgrow those who already care for you. Aurin kept you locked in a box, and it was a warm, safe box. But you did a brave thing. You took a step out of that box, and as soon as you did you blossomed. Sarad, flower, you’ll always be growing, that’s a part of life,” he cleared his throat, intent on making his devotion ring clear, both of his hands moving to wrap around your own, the one still in your lap, “You’re healing, finding your roots, and already you’ve changed so much, in the brightest of ways. And I… I really, really care for you. I’ll always be here for you, by your side, ready to welcome you into my heart with open arms. If you decide I’m not for you, that’s fine, just please take this to heart- I’ll always make room to love you.”

He held his breath, waiting for your response, not daring to break your hold. Your fingers had stopped their light massaging on his head, but you kept him pulled to you. He gripped your hand between his own, running his thumbs over your knuckles. He didn’t want to let go- if you ended up hating him for this outburst, he wanted to be in your touch as long as possible until then.

You had no response. You were silent and intensely looking right through him, to say you were shocked was an understatement, but you held no doubt that Rex had spoken only the truth to you. The past few months started to replay through your mind, all his little quirks and notions that you thought were just him in culture shock to nat-born socializing became clear- and you could punch yourself for not realizing it sooner. He loves you...seems like he always had. The longer the moment stretched, the more nervous the Captain’s gaze fell, and you just barely choked out a whisper, “Rex…”

Your mouth hung open, stuck in how to continue, letting a breathless, but short giggle come through you as he visibly perked up to your voice. You blinked at him, trying to clear your mind, “I...I-I’m sorry, I need some time to think, still.”

“That’s fine,” Rex nodded, almost forgetting your foreheads were still pushed together as his words came out in a rush, “take as much time as you need. I’m not telling you this as a way to ask you out o-or anything, I just. I just don’t want you to feel unloved. I’m here for you, no matter if you match my feelings or…”

He trailed off, his eyes being pulled to the floor as the other option crossed both of your minds. He didn’t need to say it. You felt your heart ache for him, here he was laying his soul out to you, and all you could do was request that he gives you time. 

But this its time that he’s willing to give. 

“I’ve waited for you for so long already,” his baritone rumbled from his chest, as he slowly brought his gaze back up to you. You felt your cheeks heat under the warmth of the amber hearth that was his eyes, “I’ll gladly wait two lifetimes more.”

Something in you broke. It snapped, and the force of it pushed you forward, colliding with the Captain’s lips. You both made brief sounds, a muffled chirp against a surprised throaty grunt, equal parts terrified and triumphant. He tasted like caf, with a bite of citrus, like he’d been eating an orange, and the thought for whatever reason made you smile against him as your eyes slid shut.

Rex’s eyes blew wide open, freezing in place at your movement. Holding his breath as you stayed on his lips, heart racing like never before, even on the battlefield. This was different, and delightful, and how do you kiss someone properly, is there a manual for it, should he stay still or-

Just as quickly as you brushed against him, you had left, and he had to restrain himself to keep from following you back. You looked at him, and- oh. He knows those eyes.

“I still need time,” you breathed out, moving off of his forehead but fingers resuming their petting over his scalp, “but maybe I’ll run the course quicker knowing you’re at the finish line.”

Rex had dreamed of your eyes looking at him like that, and he was sure his gaze matched. Like you had hung the stars in the sky for the ships to fly through, like he had painted the universe on a velvet canvas- like he loved you. Like you loved him. Your moony gazes were locked on each other before he rasped out, only just remembering to breathe in the quiet moment, “I don’t want to push my luck, but… could you maybe, possibly, kiss me? Again? Please, I feel like I did it wrong.”

He melted in the ring of your laughter, a smile finally breaking through his face at the sound, squeezing the hand he still held. You looked at him with unchecked fondness, and shook your head, “You did fine.” A coquettish gleam came through your eyes, as you gently pulled at the back of his head. He followed your prompting, leaning up eagerly to close the space between you, eyes glancing to your lips as you smiled, “Although, a little practice never hurt anybody.”

[violet-stormbringer]

The Road to Dawntrail.

It was time. Violet’s friends gathered on the docks in Old Sharlayan, where the ship headed towards Tural was awaiting to pick them up.

Violet had long changed out of her signature uniform, instead opting for a blue tunic with a dark brown cape that wrapped around her shoulders. Black trousers, though she still wore her usual gold colored babouches. She was ready for a proper adventure this time, it seemed.

Krile, Alphinaud, Alisaie, and Wuk Lamat were just as prepared as she was, with Alisaie greeting Violet with a grin on her face. “I was wondering if you’d join us!” She exclaimed. “Aurin never told us who our mystery guest was to be, but full glad am I that it’s you.”

Violet chuckled. “To be completely honest with you, I wasn’t expecting an invite! I figured Aurin would’ve forgotten all about me.”

“As if!” A voice spoke from behind, and Violet whipped around to see Aurin standing there.

Aurin was not wearing his usual gear, instead wearing a green colored tunic tucked into white trousers. His dark purple hair was tied into a ponytail which fell over his right shoulder. His grey eyes gleamed in the sunlight.

“Well, don’t you look ready for travel.” Violet mused, looking him over. “One would think you’re not coming with us to Tural.”

“I’m not!” Aurin replied cheerfully. “I’m here to see you lot off, then I’m going back home to Ivalice.”

“Wait, you’re what?” Alisaie frowned. “You were just as excited as any of us to visit Tural!”

Aurin shrugged. “I did some thinking, and I realized I missed home more.”

Alphinaud stepped forward. “Well, it’s a shame you won’t be joining us. But thank you for coming to see us off, at least.”

Aurin nodded. “That said, can I borrow Violet here a bit?”

Violet looked to the others, eyebrows raised in surprise. After a moment, Alisaie nodded to her and Violet was soon walking off with Aurin, a ways away from the group.

When they were roughly out of earshot, Aurin spoke.

“There’s more to this than just visiting home.”

“I figured.”

Aurin sighed, looking over to Violet. “I’m not cut out for adventuring anymore. Nor am I even that good of a Warrior of Light. So I thought I’d ask, and you’re more than welcome to say no, but…” A pause.

“Violet, will you consider taking up the mantle in my place? You fight harder than anybody I know, and this star isn’t even yours.”

“Aurin I can’t—”

“You don’t have to answer right away. I highly doubt anything in Tural is going to require a Warrior of Light, so, go. Relax. Enjoy a break, even if this is…an unorthodox one.”

Violet sighed. “...I’m not even blessed with the Echo. I’m definitely not one of Hydaelyn’s chosen.”

Aurin shrugged. “So? You’ve made it this far. You helped save The First. You helped take down Shinryu. You’re the one who went back to Elpis, and you were there with Zenos in his final moments. You were with me during the nonsense with Zero. You’re just as capable, as I. Even moreso, in fact.”

She took a moment to process this, turning so that she was staring at the horizon. “...I’ll think about it. If…if something does happen in Tural then—”

“Then I know you’ll make the right choice.” Aurin pat Violet’s arm. “I can only hope that you’ll forgive me all the same.”

There was no more discussion after that, for when Violet gave no response, Aurin took that as a sign to leave. Waving goodbye to his friends, he quickly made his exit from the docks.

Violet watched the horizon as this happened, and after a moment, she took a deep breath and turned to face her friends. They were calling to her. It was time to board the ship, and make for Tural.

“Violet Silverlake, Bringer of Storms and Warrior of Light…” She muttered to herself. “...There’s no way I’m gonna be able to fit all of that into two names, is there?”

A chuckle, as she made her way to her friends. Regardless, her heart was already set. 

Look out, Tural, for a storm was on it’s way. And at the center, there was a woman with a ridiculous grin and an emerald colored gunblade.

[thesparkinthefire]

Ghost - Pedro Pascal x Reader, part 2

A/N: I finally, finally finished this. Wuhu! Part two of the Ghost series (that is turning into a three piece) is here for your entertainment. The musical mentioned later on is called Six and I am referring to the character of Katherine Howard, in case anyone is interested. I tried not to let the musical-nerd take over but I don’t know if that worked. I also wrote a bit about The Mandalorian and will just assume everyone who likes Pedro has already seen that, haha.

Word count: 3,729

Paaring: Pedro Pascal x musical!Reader

Trigger Warning: anxiety, age gap hinted, someone cried a bit

part one

“If there's anything left I can do to convince myself it could be true it's up to me, to suspend my disbeliefs.” - Suspend my disbeliefs, the Ghost cast album

You were nervous. More than that. Your confidence had gone missing two days ago and you started asking yourself why you had even accepted the role in the first place. You were portraying Molly. Molly. The female leading role of a musical based on a movie that everyone had seen. What made you think that it was a good idea in the first place?

Of course you and Oscar, who was playing Sam, had been practising for weeks but the premiere was only two days away. Two day. You had been staring at the script in front of you for ten minutes now. What was the line? This morning, when you had done your first run through you had remembered it but now it was gone – erased from your memory and you couldn't stop asking yourself how you were suppose to remember anything once you were on stage. No, you thought to yourself. Now was not the right time to panic. You just had to go through the whole scene and the line would come to you. Okay, breath. What was the scene?

Molly and Karl were sitting in a restaurant, talking about how she had information about Sam's murder. Sam, as a ghost, was standing beside them. While she was trying to convince Karl to believe what the fortune-teller had said. Suspend My Disbelieves was playing in the background. Molly was telling him the things the psychist had told her – the photo they took in an empty bus, the starfish in Montego Bay – and that Sam knew who killed him. Karl protests and Molly tells him, that she had a name and address and that Sam wants her to go to the police. “The police? Jesus, Molly,” says Karl. “What are you gonna tell them?” Sam talks in the background and Molly-... What does Molly say? Fuck.

It was gone. The line was gone, fucking vanished. You would never be able to do the whole show even though that was what you started with. Acting in a movie was so different to performing in a musical. When shooting a movie you had multiple takes to get a scene right – sometime you would even go back at a later point and rework it, when the writers changed a dialogue or something just wasn't right about it. But when you were doing a musical you normally only had about a month of rehearsals with the cast, before that you learned the songs on your own and had your vocals prepared for the assemble to join you. And then you rehearsed. And rehearsed and rehearsed. But there was no rewind once the show started. No one was gonna yell “Cut!” and ask you to do it again. The audience was right in front of you and they expected nothing less than you doing your job without any mistakes.

Musicals had always been your passion. You had been in music-focused classes in school giving you two extra music lessons a week and joined the school's choir as soon as you were allowed to. You had been taking dancing classes since you were a child. Playing theatre in the long summer holidays and visiting theatre camps. You had been growing up wanting to be a musical actress and your dream had become true when you joined a West End production in London. Your first role was in the assemble, the next was a side character and the next a main. People saw you had potential and they never regretted giving you a chance. Then you had the offer to play the female leading role in a teen-romance movie – before that you had never through about filming movies but you gave it a try and hell. It felt like a dream when they called you to tell you, that the statistics had been going through the roof. From one day to another your life changed completely. That was when you stopped playing theatre and musicals. You moved to California, after you had been offered a role in a promising movie series and then got the part in The Mandalorian. And met Pedro.

You grew up with Star Wars. Your whole childhood had been Star Wars themed – from birthday parties to the prequels in cinema to The Clone Wars series to reading literally every book out there. If there was anything you loved as much as you loved musicals it was Star Wars. You remembered your dad calling you “Padawan” when you were building birdhouses when you were ten years old. You remember presenting a Star Wars book in school. You even did your final oral exam in Spanish about Star Wars just because it was the only thing you could possible focus on other than musicals. So when you had the chance to be part of that universe you took it. Nothing could have kept you from doing it. You knew you would accept it before you even knew what the part would exactly be. When you met John and Dave – who were producing and writing The Mandalorian – you were shaking. You were so nervous that you felt like you were about to shit your pants at any minute, you chugged a whole glass of water during the meeting and just couldn't stop shaking. That's how excited you were. And it didn't get better when they told you about what they had planned for your character.

Aurine Jaxx – your character – was set to become something like the girlfriend to Din Djarin. Not really a girlfriend, because his life and story line was focused about The Child but you were introduced to show even more how much he struggled in between being a Mandalorian warrior and wanting to retire and just be human. You loved Pedro Pascal and how he portrayed Din. Of course you had seen the first season of the show. That scene in the last episode when the droid took his helmet off? Those were the only two minutes when your saw his face all season but the acting in this was fabulous. Messed up hair, trembling lips, shiny eyes – you were able to see how afraid of dying he was, even though it was something he had been confronted with every day of his life since he was a child. You were over the moon to be able to work with him.

Din met the fiance of Aurine in a dubious bar. He asked him to return his soon-to-be wife to him after she had ran away. Din, in need of a job after breaking with the guild, accepted and met her. But soon he found out that she was running from him, not because she was afraid to commit to a life with him, but because he was mistreating her, cheating on her and even threatening to physically hurt her. So Din took her with him instead of bringing her back to the fiance and she stayed. They grew closer and closer and he started trusting her more than anyone.

The scene you were the most nervous for was kissing him. Of course acting with someone who wore a helmet all the time wasn't easy but the kissing scene was way harder. It was set to be at night-time, The Child sleeping in the ship while Din and Aurine sat outside by a small campfire in the middle of nowhere. You had to close your eyes and he placed his hand above them just to be sure you wouldn't be able to look. You remember his hands being cold, contrasting the warm breath in your skin. His lips ghosted over yours, before he kissed you. He was so gentle and shy about it, while you moved a hand into his hair and pulled him closer. Soft lips on yours while his fingers painted feather-light touches on your cheek. Watching the scene back was sending shivers down your spine. Kissing Pedro Pascal wasn't something you ever thought you would. He was such a talented actor that you were almost sure he wasn't acting in that scene, that he had really been nervous to kiss you. Maybe you were hoping for it. But obviously that wasn't the case. He was a brilliant actor.

And now you were here. Back at playing musicals, what you had started with, and you never felt so insecure in your whole life. Confidence was the key to a good stage presence and you had lost it all. So when you got a text from Pedro you basically lost it. All he sent was “How are you doing? Haven't heard from you all day.” but it made you tear up immediately. Without sparing a second thought you asked him, if he wanted to come over because you were about to freak out. “Be there in 15.”

Pedro had a talent for calming your nerves – he had proven that a few times during your time together at press-tour for The Mandalorian. Interviews made you nervous especially if they were live or in front of a huge audience. You were always afraid you might say something the fans wouldn't be pleased with or even accidentally spoiling the show. He made sure you drank enough throughout the day, got enough rest, and always had some sweets for you before an interview to push your blood sugar and stop your hands from shaking. His touch was calming and comforting but made your heart race at the same time. In a good way. Saying, you didn't like being close to him, would be lying. He held your hand at crowded places, had an arm over the backrest of your seat during interviews and sometimes even cuddled with you in cold planes. You have had a few movie nights over the weeks you have been touring, because the hype for the second season was enormous, and they always ended the same: Watching maybe half of the movie before one of you fell asleep. You have been falling asleep on his shoulder and woken up to the beat of his heart.

So it was no surprise to you, that he showed up at your door with a bar of chocolate and two beer. “Do you think alcohol is the thing I need right now?”

“Alcohol calms one's nerves,” he answered with a smile, handing you the beer and the chocolate, after you had let him inside. “You said you were freaking out and I guessed it was because of the premiere, so I brought you something to help you calm a bit.”

“But alcohol is not the best thing for your voice.”

“It is not?”

“Not for your singing voice,” you confirmed, dropping onto the sofa. You put your head back and closed your eyes. You shouldn't be bitching around – you had asked him to come over. “Sorry, I am just stressed. I keep forgetting that one line I have right before the break and the thought that that might happen on stage, in front of the audience, scares me.”

Pedro sat down beside you, gaze wandering over you. “I get that but you are gonna be okay. You are a great actress and do musicals just as well.”

“You have never seen me perform a musical.”

“Internet,” he admitted, causing you to open your eyes and tilting your head into his direction. “Don't look at me like that, you have watched my former projects too. You have basically seen me naked.”

“Well, that's because your projects were big and highly advertised – unlike the small musicals I took part in. You can only watch them because of illegal uploads on YouTube.” Oh, some of those YouTube videos had the potential to drive him mad.

The musical you had gotten a leading role in was about girl power and women realizing, that they should work together and hype each other instead of comparing one another. He loved that message, really, but what he loved more was you. And that little of a costume you were wearing. You were basically in nothing more than tights, a bodysuit and a see-through skirt on stage. Maybe it was fate that no videos of your solo song were online – the song was rather sexy and Pedro didn't know if he would have been able to handle seeing you in that costume, singing about men wanting you.

“I like to do my research on the people I work with.”

You couldn't fight the smile forming on your lips. “I should have done a deep dive into my brain before I accepted the role. Seriously, I don't think I can do it. I might just pass out right before the curtain opens.”

“You will do great,” he assured you.

“I won't.” You got up to get a bottle opener from your kitchen. “I can't even remember that one line.”

“Let me help.” You sat back down, handed Pedro the opener after you had opened you own beer and took a sip. “Which scene are we talking about?” He had the script in his hands already. Oscar and you had him over for practise a few times, so he knew most of the scenes you shared.

“The one where Molly first tells Karl that Sam had been murdered. I know that Sam says something like “Jesus, Molly, what are you gonna tell them?” and then I am suppose to say something but I can't remember it at all. I have been going through the scene a million times now – talking it through, acting through it, but nothing helps.”

“No wonder you don't remember what you are suppose to say.” He laughed quietly and you really didn't know what on earth was funny about that. “You are singing.”

“I am-” All of a sudden the line was back in your head as if it had never been gone. Of course! “Suspend my disbelieves.” Pedro nodded. “Oh, thank god, I am not going crazy!”

“You are gonna have the music on stage that will remind you, that you have to sing – don't worry.”

“That is the problem, you know? I used to not be this worried when it came to musicals. I used to be so confident in what I am doing but it is all gone now. When did that happen?”

“You just haven't performed in front of an audience for a long time. That happens to me too when I go back from cinema and TV to theatre.” You had almost forgotten about that. On one hand you would love to see him in a play, but that would mean he would stay in his home in New York, while you were Los Angeles based right now. You didn't even think about the possibility about him moving back to the opposite side of the country once all deals and meetings for his next projects were done. He had stayed in his LA apartment ever since you met him, except for the time between Christmas and the new year. How were you suppose to survive here without him? “Do you want to sing one of the songs? Music always seems to calms you.”

The question hit you out of the blue but he was right. You had a playlist full of songs that soothed you and you had used it more than once since the rehearsals had started. “Y-yeahr,” you answered, nodded, and moved over to your piano. “Can I sing a sad song?”

“You mean Without You? I haven't heard you sing that one yet.” Of course he had listened to the original cast record. Why haven't you thought about that? Yes, he had heard some songs of the production you were working on, but mainly the ones you shared with Oscar. And there wouldn't be an album for your cast.

“Okay, I will try to do that.”

“You will be great.” His words made your heart skip a beat. How was he able to smooth you with such a simple sentence?

“But you gotta stay behind me – I don't like seeing people stare at me when I sing.”

“Says you, the musical actress?” He had to hold back a laugh.

“Performing on stage in front of an audience of hundreds is something else than performing for one person in my living room.”

“Okay, I'll give you that. Go ahead.” Pedro moved to stand behind you, the beer still in his hand. You sat everything up and took a deep breath before you started the song. It was probably the most emotional moment of the whole show, besides the final. Molly was mourning Sam with that song, expressing the pain of losing him and how she tried to deal with it. Performing it in the play was hard, because you were on the edge of crying for real most of the times. Of course you had lost people close to you in your young life already, but part of the song also reminded you of Pedro and how hopeless your love for him was. He probably saw himself as a mentor of your, I not even a father figure. But you couldn't stop seeing him in front of your inner eyes among the line “Every place I wanna be, I wanna see you there.” You wanted him by your side. You wanted him to be your date for the premiere and the after show party. You didn't want him to go back to New York, you wanted him to stay with you in LA. You wanted him to hold you when times were as stressful as they were right now. You wanted him to kiss you, to wrap his arms around you and to tell you, that no matter what happened, he would be by your side. And you wanted him to mean it. To feel the same. To love you. God, you wished he would love you.

By the end of the song your heart was aching. It was hurting and you were glad, that he didn't say a word for a minute. You could just pretend that you were in your role and he would understand that the song made you sad, because it made Molly sad. But just as you were about to crack a lame joke about it, you heard a sniff. And it didn't come from you. “Are you-” You turned around to see Pedro having his back turned to you, arms crossed in front of his chest. “Are you crying?”

“No.” His voice was shaking. Slowly he turned back facing you, lips curled to a small smile. “Absolutely not.” His eyes were a little red and shiny. He was crying.

“Oh god, I am sorry.” You stood up and went to hug him.

“Just proves what a great actress you are.” He returned it. You closed your eyes, leaned your head against him and took a quiet but deep breath. Was it selfish? Maybe. But perhaps you needed the comfort just as much as he did. Just in a different way. Feeling his warm body against your own. His hair tickled your ear. God, he smelled good. Something you had always liked about him. You couldn't define it, but it was good. Everything about him was good. And you regretted nothing more, than that you had never asked him out, never had made a move on him.

Taglist: @longitud-de-onda

[rhetoricalsoapbox]

What's Richie's personality type? And what's your favorite part of that?

Richie is an INTJ, but I'm still not sure if he's assertive (A) or turbulent (T)

I'm not sure what my 'favorite part' of it is though. I do believe it's accurate to him though..

Maybe later I'll make a masterpost later of all the main's personality types. I did the quiz recently "in character" for Helmer, Aurin, Malikye, and Richie and answered how I believe they would all answer. I'll probably do the test as Cerillia(n) Merriweather, and Kerian and then I'll make the big post.

[hoopclown]

Is the answer to a Never Ending Story... #aurin #cubos #cubes #puzzle #jigsaw #twistypuzzles #rubik #rubiks #rubikscube #cuboderubik #emojirubiknow #diogenescubero #cuberos https://www.instagram.com/p/COaMGqopOdo/?igshid=1y1aeyjrevdry

[tearuefulvt]

I have a NE priest on Grobb named Drusera in Classic. I think I’m going to RP her as...Drusera. SHE’S MINE NOW, NCSOFT. I CALLED DIBS. Have a drabble about her new awakening because why not?

Soft. The first sensation that broke through Drusera’s waking mind was that she was surrounded by soft. A heavy blanket, woven if the texture on her skin was to be trusted, with the slight give of a mattress underneath. She was tucked into a bed. A sensation she hadn’t know since the Eldan had vanished and left their little experiment to deal with the aftermath of her existence.

Wrong

This was all wrong, was the second thought that jolted her awake. There should have been the light hum of exanite and the curious weight of it crushing down the Entity within, with the answering thrashing slashing pain inside of his attempts to escape. The pain was gone, there was no exanite encasing her. A breeze stirred her hair as Drusera’s eyes fluttered fully open at the realization. Hair!? She sat bolt upright in bed, hands going to her scalp that should have been covered by a hood and nothing more. Instead, sleek strands of hair met fingertips as Drusera scrubbed at her now covered scalp. Fingers wandered further and further still as they found her ears, which stuck straight back and kept going. Her normally hidden ears had always been long, but these? A small, confused noise escaped Drusera as she felt along the shape of her newly lengthened ears. They’d put an Aurin’s to shame for length alone! “Oh, Elune be praised. You’ve awoken!” A voice cut through Drusera’s thoughts, soft and comforting in the way the blanket felt over her form. Bringing herself back to the now, Drusera finally took in her surroundings and the one who spoke. A woman, a Mordesh? No, this one had no rot to speak of, no vitalus tubes with a ruddy purple hue to her skin with eyes that shone like moonlight. She wore an intricately woven gown, in the same style as the blanket Drusera absently noted as she glanced down to look at the green fabric that had covered her. “I- Yes.” She spoke softly, sitting fully up and taking the blanket to wrap it about herself as she took in the rest of the room. There was a vague sense of the familiar, the arching constriction and wooden furniture looking akin to something one would find in an Aurin’s burrow house but this was far more open. There was no true door to the room, only an opening with a ramp leading down and railing on the rest to keep someone from falling off. The dense forest beyond seemed to shimmer in her vision, a visual feast of royal purples and deep blues mingled into the green with shimmers of something glowing moving among the foliage. Nothing on Nexus has such a constriction that Drusera knew of. The woman drew close, leaning over Drusera. “How are you feeling?” A faint glow engulfed her hand, which she passed over Drusera’s head. There was a tingle sensation then a sort of pull from within as Drusera looked up. “What- Was that?” It echoes the sensation she felt when materializing new life, but that tugged on all of the primal energies within her while this only seemed to give a general tug. “A simple renewal spell to help you get on your feet,” The woman’s brows drew together, which made her comically long eyebrows bob with the motion. “Something still lingers in your mind, but I can’t make heads or tails of it.” She murmured more to herself before looking to Drusera. “I am Eleshane, one of the Priestess here in Astranaar. Do you remember how you ended up here?” The woman, who certainly wasn’t a Mordesh greeted her. “No, I should  be at the Lightspire, the Entity will-” A hand went to Drusera’s head as a thunder crack throb sounded through it. “Where are we again?” Astranaar. She was unfamiliar with such a place. “Astraanar,” The Priestess continued with that friendly frown faltering. “Were you with the Argent Dawn? I have not heart of any encampments named the Lightspire, but I have yet to venture to the Easter Kingdoms. Perhaps you were with a group coming to help cleanse Felwood?” None of the places or names triggered any familiarly to Drusera, an expression of confusion only twisting her features up further as she stared up at the Priestess. “I guess? I mean, I don’t know...” How could this woman not know of the Lightspire as well? Both the Exiles and the Dominion had soon been crawling over the region once they’d managed to break through the strain infestation surrounding it. Even within the confines of her exanite prison, Drusera had sensed them scurrying about outside. “You seem to have suffered a head injury. You slept for many moons so it is no wonder that you are disoriented. Let us start with what you know. What do you remember?” The Priestess prompted, straightening herself once more with a serene smile settling into place. “My name is Drusera and I-” She turned, ears and hair giving an odd weight to the movement before Drusera caught her own eye in a mirror. A face looked back at her, similar but wholly a stranger. Eyes still shone silver and pupiless, her skin retained a blue huge but now there was a silver sheen to it. That hair she’d felt earlier floated about her face in white locks and she mirrored the woman’s appearance with those lengthy eyebrows and ears. “I- I don’t know.” Drusera finished, a hand reaching to cup her own cheek as she stared at herself in the mirror.

[hemlockestone]

🖊

Absinthe grew up coddled by her Matria mother, and the death of her family and home put her in a very dark place. Her time on the Exile ships was spent pretty much silent, save for answering the occasional questions on botany. When they landed on Nexus, she was lost; but Sly’s invitation to Greysky pulled something out of her.

Working for such a powerful person, an Aurin no less, made her feel start to feel safe again. She started learning magic again to better protect her new family- started carrying a knife, learning how to use it. Without Sly and Greysky, Absinthe would have become either a monster or a casualty, and she doesn’t care to think about that.

[crewel-intentions]

(@ask-meech-the-impidimp) Aurin@Crewel: "You and your trainer were criminals? What sort if stuff did you get up to? It's um. Probably fine to tell me since I think I'm wanted in at least three regions for major theft myself? But if you don't wanna say I get that too."

(( @ask-meech-the-impidimp thank you for the ask!  And thank you for the opportunity to draw your lovely grem!  I hope he looks okay!)