#chrackle

[aquadestinyswriting]

Old writing snippet-ish

I was looking though my notes folder for something to inspire me and came across this scene I had originally written for Nano 2017. Naturally, I want to re-write this at some stage, but I thought the taglist might appreciate some of my early attempts at Edwin/Selene angst

Taglist: @druidx, @sparrow-orion-writes, @mariahwritesstuff, @ashirisu, @thesorcerersapprentice, @philosophika, @the-down-upside-finch, @lexiklecksi

Edwin frowned as he knocked on the door to Selene’s office, unsure of what to expect after Chrackle’s sudden and unexpected appearance in his bedchambers. While the cleric was no arcanist, he knew the magpie well enough to know that something was wrong for him to wake the Galanite up at this ungodly hour. The frown deepened when he received no response from the other side. He rapped more firmly on the door,

“Selene, is everything ok in there?” he called, “Chrackle was pretty insistent that I follow him all the way up here.” The cleric waited with bated breath as he heard a groan, a shuffle then, finally,  a soft click as the door he stood in front of was unlocked. Edwin gingerly took the handle and pushed the door open, peeking nervously into his old friend’s office. The room was dimly lit, but Edwin could make out the piles of books and scrolls scattered on top of the various tables around the room, but he paid them no mind as his gaze settled on the Grand Wizard. Selene was sitting at her desk, her head buried in her arms, glasses perched on top of her unruly mane of hair. She looked up with an unreadable expression as Edwin closed the door behind him, cast her gaze to her familiar, who was still sitting on the man’s shoulder, and glared at him. Edwin winced as Chrackle squawked indignantly in his ear, ruffled his feathers and took off to land on a hat stand that had been placed behind the door, keeping his back to his mistress. Edwin tentatively looked between Wizard and Familiar for a moment, noting with a great deal of worry how exhausted Selene looked at that moment. Selene sighed irritably, finally pushing herself into a more upright position,

“I’m sorry for the disturbance Edwin, Chrackle should know better than to go disturbing other peoples’ rest over nothing.” Edwin shrugged and walked over to the desk, freeing his arms from his cloak,

“It’s no trouble Selene. He seemed fairly worried and I believed it best to come by and make sure nothing was amiss.” Selene shook her head and rubbed at her eyes,

“Everything is fine, Edwin.” she retorted, “The feather-brained git is clearly going through a ‘mothering’ stage.” she muttered. Edwin crossed his arms and leaned against a nearby table, narrowing his eyes a little,

“I think I can see why. When was the last time you slept?” Selene glanced at the cleric, her own eyes narrowing a little as she perched her glasses back on her nose again,

“I really don’t think…” Edwin merely raised an accusatory eyebrow, causing the woman to trail off and look at the floor. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Edwin sighed and gestured to the chairs by the fireplace,

“I’ll get us some tea, and then we can talk about what’s on your mind.” he said firmly. Selene grumbled slightly, but nodded and pointed to a door off to one side of the massive room,

“There’s a small kitchenette through there, I should have some tea knocking about in there somewhere… at least I think it’s tea, it’s been a while since I last checked.” Edwin bit back the urge to ask what else might be in the larder, it was probably best he didn’t know. He cast another, somewhat worried look around the room, noting how… higgledy-piggeldy everything looked. He had visited the Library since arriving and it was completely immaculate; this was anything but. 

While Edwin busied himself with making the tea, Selene grudgingly collapsed into the wingback chair closest to the fire and ran a hand through her hair,

~If you were better at accepting help in the first place -~

~Oh do shut up you insufferable creature! I already told you I don’t need help.~

~Sure you don’t. It’s totally normal to not sleep for three nights straight and blow up at the junior wizards having a bit of fun before the New Year holiday.~

~I really should have picked a familiar that didn’t know what sarcasm was. At least then I wouldn’t need to put up with snarky attitudes.~

~My attitude is fun, carefree and loves to take long flights around the Garden of Galana thank you very much!~

~I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that. It’s just… Of all the people to go and wake up in the middle of the night, why Edwin?~

~He’s the only one you’ll listen to.~

~*~

“I can’t help you if you keep pushing me away Selene!” Edwin snapped, his patience finally wearing thin, “What in all the hells are you so afraid of?” That seemed to finally get the woman’s attention as the wizard spun around to glare at him,

“I am not afraid, Edwin.” she hissed, “I just fail to see how any of this is any of your damned business!” Selene hugged her arm and turned back to the window and sighed, “Look just... go back to the Garden… please.” Edwin’s glare lifted as he watched his old friend continue to close him out, “Jij heimsk kvinde…” he sighed, “This whole situation is my business, Selene. It’s kind of in the job description to listen and advise, even when the people in question don’t want to hear it.” he said. He watched Selene’s expression from the reflection in the window. The wizard’s jaw twitched slightly, it seemed Edwin had struck a nerve. Seizing the opportunity, he pressed on, “Besides which, you are afraid, you just don’t want to admit it.”

[aquadestinyswriting]

Ok so doing this for my main four (well, five really since Chrackle will want to get in on the action here) since Dru did it for her main three.

Selene: *sighs and casts Hold Person*

Chrackle: *flies down and lands on your shoulder and squawks in your ear, maybe nips it too for good measure*

Edwin: *Most likely casts Windwalk to catch up, then casts grasping vines to stop you in your tracks*

Meredith: *swears a whole bunch then swears a lot more because she needs to catch up to do anything that won't just kill you*

Yoruk: *chases after and grapples to the floor. Good luck pushing off a dwarf that's in full plate*

The two clerics and the paladin will most likely give you a very stern talking to before deciding if you need charges pressed against you. As for the wizard and her familiar.... that depends on how hard the smack was and whether you do anything else to them once the spell wears off.

i SMACK your oc in the back and then i run real fast

[druidx]

As per your recent post, here is a character and three words as requested:

Alexis: hand, cottage, incident

<3

Hmmmm. It's, uh. A bit longer than a drabble... (Also I wrote it off the cuff with no references so apologies for any errors)

CW: Fantasy religion Setting: Vanilla Fighting Fantasy Tagging: @hannah-heartstrings @jacqueswriteblrlibrary

That Bird is Trouble

"Egrim, oh most devotional servant of the Green?" A dark-haired dwarf looked up from the ledger on his desk, peering over a pair of spectacles at the shadow hovering in his partly open doorway. "Hmm?" "Might I trouble you, oh devout one?" "Ye already used that one. Yer gettin' sloppy, hen." The shadow cleared its throat. "Gracious Abouna, whose perception is second only to my own, might I trouble you for a liddle iddy biddy pinch of healing?" Abouna Shiverstaff huffed out a long-suffering sigh. As if taking this as a positive sign, the shadow drifted a little closer. "What did you do?" he asked, rolling up the green sleeves of his vestments. "I, ah, burnt my hand." "Well, come on then. 'Tis called 'lay on hands' for a reason."

The shadow changed from a shadow to a short, middle-aged woman with russet skin and dressed in black leather armour. A hand is produced, the flesh bubbled and raw. "Alexis," Egrim said, after staring at the grotesque appendage, "what in the Pit did you do now?" "It's Chrackle's fault. He bet me I couldn't get this one shiny." "Ye made a bet with the bird?" "Well, look, see. If he'da gone after it, like he wanted, Sel would be scraping roast magpie off the street. So, in a way, isn't it better that I made a bet with the bird?" In response, Egrim let out another long-suffering sigh and began to chant under his breath. Curlicues of green light reached out, caressing the wounded hand. Alexis kept quiet as he worked, not wanting to ruin his concentration. He finished, and she flexed the new-formed skin like one might work in a glove.

"Thank you, o magnanimous one. I'll leave my donation with the delightful gentleman on the door." "Ah, ah. Not so fast there, jargh. Just what was this shiny t'was so precious and how does it relate to your burned hand?" "Oh well, the last part's easy. There was a trap." Egrim looked at her sharply. "There was a trap, and you missed it?" "Oh, no. I didn't miss it. I can tell you exactly what power of combustion spell it used, and the expertise required to make it, and how I would replicate it myself. Given a little more time I could probably have told you who made it and where to find them. "But, uh. I didn't exactly go out this morning thinking I would need to disarm a trap and thus I didn't have the particular tools one might need for a trap of that calibre so I. Hmm. I tripped it." Alexis sniffs and twitches her nose, eyes darting away. Egrim pursed his lips, unimpressed gaze lingering long enough to make the woman squirm. "And the shiny?" Egrim asks, in a fatalistic tone. "A broach, made out of a silver metal and mother of pearl. Given the power of the trap, probably mythril. An elven design, I think. Very expensive but maybe not unique – I'm sure I've seen the design before." "And of course," Egrim says in an even tone, "once you'd done your appraisal and gawked over it for a bit, you'd have put it straight back?" Alexis says loftily, "Yes, of course. And quite frankly I am offended by you insinuating otherwise." Egrim snorts. "So where did you find the shiny then?" "A little cottage in Crystalwick. I'd just been to see Sel, and Chrackle was being a nuisance as I left, so I followed him." "Makes sense ye've got most in common with the magpie…" "I heard that. Anyway, it's a pretty little place, covered in a climber of white flowers. Single story, loosely latched shutters, in a display case next to a desk, which is probably how the nosey bird found it." Egrim is frowning. "Was there lots of moon-related iconography around the place?" "Yes, now you mention it." Egrim huffed out a despairing chuckle as he stood to select a book. He flicked to a page and twisted the book around. "Was this the design, by chance?" "Yes. How did you–?" Egrim burst out laughing. "Oh! Oh, Logaan got his hooks into Chrackle today, eh?" "Abouna Shiverstaff!" "Ye tried to burglarise the high priestess of Lunara!" Egrim cackled, hysteric. Alexis' face filled with dawning horror. "I didn't." "You surely did." "I'm gonna kill that bird!" Egrim hauled in lungfuls of air, waving a hand. "Nay, stay yer hand. Yeth Imryll's a patient lass. Just go offer to reset the trap, and all will be forgiven." Her eyes still flashing with anger, Alexis gave Egrim a courtly bow. "Thank you for your advice, Abouna. Blessed be." "Blessed be," Egrim said breathlessly, making an attempt at Galana's symbol. With that, Alexis stalked out, muttering threats to turn Chrackle into a pie.

[seanwinchester]

another day with jensus chrackles - prequel edition

[anotherobsessedsomething]

Rules: tag 10 people you would like to get to know better

Tagged by: @daloushar 

(thank you so much for tagging me btw, everytime I get tagged in something like this I am like: OMG people know I exsist and are interested in me! O_O  Is that normal or is it just me? lol :D)

Name: Not sharing my real name on here but I use Persephone for writing and fandom stuff

Birth year: 1996

Zodiac: Taurus

Height: 160 cm

Put your playlist on shuffle and list the first four songs: 

Promises by Sam Smith & Calvin Harris

Purple Rain by Prince

Let’s spend the night together live covered by BAP (original song by The Rolling Stones)

Ohne dich by Münchener Freiheit (English Version: Everytime)

Nearest book, page 23, line 17: 

Dann reagierst du nicht mehr instinktiv auf jeden einzelnen Gedanken, sondern betrachtest sie wie Wolken, die am Himmel vorbei ziehen. (from “Yoga für dein Leben” = Yoga for your life by Dirk Bennewitz & Andrea Kubasch)

Ever had a song/poem written about you? 

Yes, my dad writes poetry and he also wrote a poem for/about me. (He also wrote one for my brother and my mum in case anyone was wondering :D)

When was the last time you played air guitar? 

I think on New Years Eve. :D

Celebrity crushes? 

Ezra Miller, Adelhaide Kane... just the first two names that came to my mind :D There are so many more but in the moment somebody asks about it my mind just goes blank. :D

What is a sound you love/hate? 

I am kind of addicted to ASMR videos (any ASMR lovers here?), so many sounds I love are ASMR triggers (like tapping, whispering, fluttering fingers etc.) but I also love the sound of a chrackling fire or rain. Oh and I also love the chirping of crickets, it relaxes me. :D 

Sounds that I hate... the sound of styrofoam (I feel already uncomfortable thinking about that awful noise :D), high-pitched beeps, loud noises and the noises of many electric devices when it’s quiet can definetely freak me out. :D And I hate deep basses, because they make me sick. :D

Do you drive? 

No, still don’t have my drivers lisence.

Last book you read?

Do Fanfictions count? :D Otherwise the last book I’ve read (for like the 10th time because I just love it :D) was Hummeldumm by Tommy Jaud

Do you believe in ghosts?  

Let’s just say that I do not not believe in ghosts. :D

Do you believe in aliens? 

I think it’s bold to assume that humans are the only living beings in the universe.

Do you like the smell of gasoline? 

No I don’t think so, but I did when I was a kid though. :D

Last movie you saw: 

Pirates of the Caribbean (all of them lol :D)

Or do you mean at the cinema? Then it would be “Wackersdorf”

Do you have any obsessions right now? 

I fell head over heels in love with Ringsy almost a year ago and it’s still not over. (it probably never will be) :D But of course I will also always, yes always, obsess about Harry Potter and Skam, especially Evak. :D And recently I discovered Tom & Julius from the german series “Herzensbrecher - Vater von vier Söhnen” sadly there is not much content to obsess over (the series got canceled in 2016) but they are still my most recent obsession. You just can’t fight obsessions. :D

Do you tend to hold grudges? 

Kind of, like I easily forgive most of the time but I never forget and it’s really hard for me to let things go, so sometimes I am lying in my bed thinking about a fight I had with someone five years ago, thinking about what I should have said or what I should have done differently. 

Are you in a relationship right now? 

Yes.

I’ll tag: @dq-dramaqueen @xstrangesoundsx @puniiflash @hannah-banana2013  tagging 4 people is more than enough  

Please feel free to ignore this!

[aquadestinyswriting]

I had a furby back when they were the must-have Christmas toy. My brother got one too, so we spent a couple of weeks playing with them together, then I was left to take care of both for almost a year (when they finally started to die properly). I never collected them, my parents would have probably killed me 😅, but I never really found them to be creepy.

As for small, cute or creppy critters in my story; I have a fair few small and cute ones. They're mainly familiars for the various wizard characters (and the occasional ranger's animal companion).

First off is obviously Chrackle; Selene's familiar and emotional support animal. He's a Eurasian magpie; a cheeky smartass who loves collecting anything and everything that's shiny (aside from Drakemari coins, but that's a bit of a major plot point 🤐). While his relationship to Selene seems adversarial on the surface, the two of them are incredibly close and work well together.

Isda is a baby Coatl, a celestial, feathered and winged, multicoloured snake from the D&D monster manual. She's the companion of Selene's second-in-command, Thazaar. Since she's a creature that usually lives on the Celestial plane, it isn't really correct to call her a familiar. Isda is the Goodest Girl and is a quiet and contemplative little creature who is just happy to help however and whenever she can.

Cerulis is a small wind elemental that is the companion of Dwena, another member of Selene's Wizard's Council. No one really has the courage to ask Dwena how she even ended up with him for fear of what her answer might be, Much like Chrackle, Cerulis is a mouthy little creature who will huff and sigh and throw little tantrums when he doesn't get his way, but he does ultimately have a good working relationship with Dwena, who makes sure to treat him to regular steamings and piles of litter for him to scatter.

No one knows what, if any, familiar Thaddeus has since no one has ever seen or heard it around him or his office. There's a bunch of speculation that it's something either demonic or dark/dangerous in nature, and that's why Thaddeus never allows anyone to see or hear it. He does have a familiar, they just both like to keep it private.

Speaking of trends from the past, I want to bring up a particularly furry one. Specifically, furbys! Did you collect them? Did you long to collect them? Did you find them creepy?

Let me know!

BUT--I also want to know about a small cute or creepy critter from your story!

[aquadestinyswriting]

A Stand on Holy Ground- Part One

Summary: Selene is making her way down to the Church of Galana to speak to Abouna Shiverstaff about the problems the dwarves of Toreguarde are currently facing. She ends up finding more than she bargained for when she gets there

Words: 2,021

Warnings: fantasy violence, implied fantasy racism/xenophobia, blood mention

tags: @druidx, @sparrow-orion-writes ,@warriorbookworm, @mariahwritesstuff, @ashirisu, @philosophika, @the-down-upside-finch, @lexiklecksi

The autumn air was crisp as the Grand Magus walked down the city streets towards the Garden of Galana. She pulled the plain grey cloak she was wearing a little tighter as the wind bit through her robes and chilled her bones. 

~You’d save yourself the bother of getting cold if you’d just teleported out, you know.~ Chrackle’s voice noted inside the wizard’s head. 

~And give Schreiber the satisfaction of knowing how badly he got to me? No thank you.~

~I think he knows how badly he got to you already. You’re not exactly the most subtle person in the world.~

Selene grit her teeth. Damn it all! Why did the godsdamned bird have to be right? She ignored the smugness radiating from her familiar and focused on turning down the street that would lead her to the Garden.

~Alright, fine. No need to rub it in, Chrackle.~ she told him, ~The only reason I didn’t teleport directly into the church is because I know how much Egrim hates it when I do it, and the walk is helping me calm down enough that I’m not going to explode his office out of sheer frustration.~

~You calmed down enough that you won’t explode in the middle of the Garden instead?~

Selene slowed to a stop as she looked up at the sky and around at the trees and buildings surrounding her. Not seeing her familiar within eyesight, she frowned and started walking again, her steps more measured upon feeling the anger underlying the magpie’s words.

~Chrackle? Where are you?~ Dread descended upon Selene, settling on her shoulders and seeping into her gut. There was no reply. Instead, Selene felt the tug of Chrackle pulling on their link to cast something. Ignoring the stares of the people around her, the Grand Magus broke into a dead sprint. Instinct shook awake old, half-remembered habits and routines as Selene unthinkingly cast Mage Armour on herself and immediately ran through the spells she’d prepared for that day, trying to work out which one Chrackle might have used and for what reason.

Chrackle’s anger only intensified as she ran through the northern gates of the Garden and pounded along the trail through the trees and down the trail that led to the church. Selene felt her heart pound harder with every step. Especially as she began to hear her magpie’s furious cackling. It wasn’t like Chrackle to get this upset for no reason. What was –

Battle instinct alone was the only reason Selene avoided getting clocked in the temple by the rock thrown in her direction. The stone bounced off the Shield spell she’d thrown up and clattered to the ground. Selene stared dumbly at it,

~On your left!~ Chrackle’s voice echoed, an accompanying vocal squawk alerting her to the individual that was now targeting the human woman that had happened upon their fun. Selene immediately whirled, already muttering an incantation and let her spell fly in the face of the human man that was readying to tackle her. He fell back, swearing up a storm, his hands covering his eyes as Selene let loose with a Colour Spray. Selene didn’t have time to dwell on him, as she caught sight of a rather larger group of people than she was expecting, attempting to surround her out of the corner of her eye. None of them were wearing any sort of robes or uniform, nor were any of them wearing anything that Selene would begin to consider ‘adventuring gear’. So civilians then. Selene looked beyond them to the wisteria building she’d been running towards and fumed.

Thorns erupted from every conceivable surface of the facade. Thick, ropy vines completely barred the main entrance and all the windows, deep gouges marred at least a few on the door, and some of the vines covering the ground floor windows had scorch marks. She glanced briefly up to the tree branch Chrackle was now perching on,

~I hope you didn’t try casting Fireball at these louts.~ she commented smoothly. Chrackle clacked his beak,

~Might not worship Her directly, but I know better than to piss off Galana! Unlike these idiots.~  the magpie retorted huffily. 

~Just checking.~ Was all Selene said. She returned her attention to the mob that now surrounded her. She set her shoulders and tossed her hair back from her face,

“Right, then. I’m going to give you lot 2 minutes to skedaddle before I start getting properly upset with you.”

“Oh no, what’re you gonna do, lovie? Throw some more pretty lights in our faces?” One of the men scoffed. All of them were human, barring two that were clearly half elves. None of them appeared to be followers of the Lady of the Garden, and if the state of the rose bushes was any indication, they weren’t landscapers either. Selene gestured to the gentleman that was wandering around in a daze behind her, who had just bumped into the tree Chrackle was perched on,

“I mean, if you all want to be blinded and dazed for a few hours, I can certainly arrange that.” She replied, “However, trying to explain to the local Watch why there are suddenly thirteen people who have all gone blind and are babbling incoherently on top of that is too much effort for me to expend right now, so I suggest you take my earlier advice and leave.” 

~Not the brightest bunch are they? Do they even know who you are?~ Chrackle asked conversationally. Selene mentally rolled her eyes,

~I doubt it, and I’d like to keep it that way if you please. I’m here on my time off, I don’t want to have to explain anything to Schreiber right now.~

Two of the men looked over to their mate, who simply felt his way down to the ground and groaned, then looked to the human who had scoffed at Selene earlier,

“Henry, maybe we should take her up on that?” one of them suggested, “I mean, she’s clearly a finger wiggler of some sort, and I don’t think –”

Henry rolled his eyes and gestured at the rest of the group,

“What, you think a skinny little bitch like her can take us all on at once?” he growled, “Finger wiggler or not, she can’t cast fast enough.” he added, pulling out a knife and levelling it at Selene. He smiled at her lazily, “Now then, I think we all know who should be leaving now, don’t we?”

Selene felt Chrackle tense, ready to swoop the guy,

~Hang on, Chrackle, no need. I can still deal with this just fine.~ she told the anxious magpie. Chrackle growled in her head,

~Oh come on, the guy is begging for at least one of his eyes to get pecked out! Please?~

Selene ignored Chrackle’s begging and returned her full attention to Henry. She clucked her tongue in disappointment,

“Oh yes, I certainly do, but I’m not going to thank you for the paperwork you’re going to cause me.” she sighed. The Grand Magus immediately began mentally running through her spell list again, trying to find something non-fatal she could use to subdue the entire group at once. Henry snorted, gestured to the rest of the mob, and lunged at Selene. The rest, emboldened by his action, surged forward, pulling out their own weapons.

Chrackle immediately leapt into action, swooping down and clawing at three of the men, angling back up into the air before they could even hope to swat at him. Selene managed to dodge out of the way of most of the strikes, but three still managed to land. She hissed at the sting of blades cutting into her arms before muttering an incantation and teleporting out of the middle of the mob and reappearing only ten feet away to one side of them. The mob stared in angry confusion before realising what had happened and turning around. Selene waved at them with a sarcastic smile before moving her hands and muttering again. Henry bellowed and tried to rush the wizard once more. In a single second, the world had turned to pitch black and he slammed into a stone wall, breaking his nose. All he could hear was the confused and terrified yells of the rest of his friends as they struggled to comprehend what had just happened, banging their fists uselessly against solid walls that none of them could see.

Outside the 20 foot square Windowless Cell that had suddenly sprung up in the middle of the Garden, Selene dusted her robes down as Chrackle landed on her shoulder.

~You couldn’t have made it just a weeny bit smaller?~ the magpie asked, sounding almost disappointed. Selene shook her head,

“The smaller one wouldn’t fit them all. Be a dear and summon some Watch officers here, will you? The cell’s small enough that I’m concerned about how much air they’ve got in there.”

Chrackle croaked,

~We could just leave them in there until they’re unconscious.~ he suggested, ~They did try to at least seriously injure you, if not try to kill you.~ 

Selene tapped the magpie firmly on his beak,

“No, we won’t be doing that, Chrackle! This isn’t Old Toreguarde, and nor are we out on the road where such things might be smidge more acceptable.” she chided, “Now please go and summon some Watch officers while I try to convince Egrim that the threat to his church has been dealt with.” 

Chrackle gave her a grumbling chuckle,

~Alright, fine! But I want something shiny for the new nest in exchange for this!~ he exclaimed, before taking off and flying in the vague direction of the nearest Watchhouse. 

Selene ignored Chrackle’s comment and walked up to the barred door of the church. Three broken and spent torches littered the ground in front of the vines, which creaked ominously as the Grand Magus stepped just a little too close. She backed up a step and huffed out a weary sigh,

“You’ll be glad to hear that the louts who were trying to burn you out of your church have been dealt with.” she called into the small piece of copper she’d pulled out of one of her pockets. Selene waited patiently as the vines retracted back into the earth and the wood of the building. Eventually there was the sound of at least a dozen locks being undone and the door creaked open just a crack. A dark, small and wary face peeked out of the opening, which quickly brightened into a large smile,

“Selene, it’s so wonderful to see you! I do hope those layabouts didn’t cause you too much trouble?” Oakrose greeted, opening the door properly so Selene could step into the main vestibule of the church. Selene shook her head,

“I gained a couple of scratches, but nothing to be concerned about.” she replied, “They didn’t manage to hurt any of you did they?” she asked. Oakrose peered at Selene, tutted, then peered first at the young man sitting underneath the nearby birch tree before sliding her bemused gaze over to the large, stone box that had suddenly appeared not ten feet from the front door. She shook her head,

“No, Father Shiverstaff heard them coming and rounded everyone up right quick.” the much shorter and older woman replied, “And you and I have very different ideas of what constitutes a scratch, young lady!” she chided, gesturing at Selene’s arm. Selene blinked and looked at her arm. A small rivulet of crimson was clearly visible on the back of her hand and dripping onto the floor.

“Oh.”

Oakrose heaved a motherly sigh as she chivvied the much taller woman into an office and made her sit down,

“I’ll go grab the Abouna so he can patch that up for you. What happened to the lad outside anyway?”

Selene shrugged,

“He got a bit blinded and dazed because he snuck up on me with a knife.” she replied, “Don’t worry, it’s not permanent, it should wear off by tomorrow.” Oakrose simply shook her head, grumbled and left the room, shouting for Berkin to get some damned rope.

[aquadestinyswriting]

happy STS!

in an attempt to get back in with the community, I'm here with a question!

your characters are in a horror movie. who dies first? who has strangely good survival instincts? who is the one packing the resources, and who would go at the monsters guns blazing?

Hi Aether, Happy STS, it's good to see you in my inbox again. Thank you very much for the question.

Hmmm... I think I'll answer this for some randomly generated characters, a group of 4 should do, so let's see who's getting thrown together 😝.

OK so we have Morag (Merri's mum), Chrackle, Ellie (a nurse from Fangthane) and Gruk (Merri's dad).

Honestly, I think the first one to die (if anyone actually does) would honestly be Gruk. Mostly because he would totally be the first one to stand up against whatever the threat was, supernatural or not, in order to save the rest (his wife first and foremost), so he would also be the first character to go at the monster(s), all metaphorical guns blazing.

The two with the best survival instincts are Chrackle and Morag. Chrackle because he's a bird and still a mostly wild animal, so that's a given, but Morag has seen her fair share of stuff go down in her life. I get the feeling she would know how best to survive a monster attack.

Ellie and Morag are tied for packing the resources. Elllie for the medical stuff (because Cleric) and Morag for the everything else (because mum of five kids).

All four would totally go guns blazing at the monsters, though with Chrackle how much he would go blazing would depend on if Selene was in range for him to cast anything 😅. Gruk is a smith and knows how to weild a hammer pretty effectively. Morag would probably have a proper skillet on her, or a hefty rolling pin if not and Ellie is a damn D&D Cleric, you think she's gonna be frightened by some piddly monsters?

To be honest... I think it's the monsters who should be giving these four a wide berth rather than the other way around...

[aquadestinyswriting]

Take My Hand

Summary: Edwin writes his feelings for Selene into his diary as he struggles to come to terms with them.

Words: 637

Tags: @druidx, @sparrow-orion-writes , @homesteadchronicles, @warriorbookworm, @mariahwritesstuff, @ashirisu , @thesorcerersapprentice , @blind-the-winds , @philosophika , @the-down-upside-finch @flashfictionfridayofficial

Warnings: Sappy romantice feelings and angst? Also some pre-emptive grief stuff.

Notes: Written for the Flash Fiction Friday prompt 'Take My Hand' and set around a week before the events of To Heal A Broken Soul.

If you’d only place your hand in mine, I’d be able to show you how much you mean to me. But I can only watch as you push yourself ever further out to sea and leave me standing on the shore.

I can see how much you hurt. Can see the pain being inflicted on you by those with ill intent. And yet I cannot say a word about it. Not if I want to help you save the city you’ve been bleeding yourself dry for.

I want to scream and shout and whisk you away from the vipers with their fangs at your throat. But you’d never come with me. As much as my heart cries out for me to try, I have to respect the choices you’ve made.

Garden above, it’s killing me to know that you’d rather lose yourself to duty than to step back and let anyone else in. I can see how much it’s killing you too, but you’re too stubborn to acknowledge that. It’s becoming almost too frustrating to bear.

It would be enough to make me give up; were it not for the way my heart soars with every smile. The way my soul sings when you l hear you laugh. I know you do not feel the same for me, but I cannot help but continue to fall for you every time we speak. I love you, and I think I always have.

So as much as it hurts, I will sit here on the shore, waiting to jump in when the current inevitably becomes too strong for you to cope. I can only hope that you’ll take my hand when I am finally able to offer it, for I do not know what I shall do if you refuse. 

Edwin heaved a sigh, letting his quill drop to the desk as he placed his head in his hands. His chest ached as he swallowed down a sob. As much as he would continue praying otherwise, he knew what Selene’s choice would be, and it was almost enough to break him utterly. He pulled out his holy symbol and ran his thumbs over the carved, wooden surface. He bowed his head to it and closed his eyes, tears streaming into his beard. He muttered a short prayer, before speaking more candidly,

“Please, watch over her. I know she is no devotee, but I cannot bear the thought of- of-” 

Pre-emptive grief gripped his throat, choking off his words. Edwin felt the gentle caress of Galana on his shoulders, the touch of a mother consoling Her lost child. No words accompanied the gesture, but Edwin felt his shoulders relax as he finally allowed the dam to break. 

He did not know how long it was before he was able to compose himself. When he finally stopped sobbing, he looked out of the window. The soft lights of the lamps outside the garden met his gaze, their orange glow half-blocked by the trees and hedgerows lining the garden’s edge. Edwin rubbed his face and sat upright, closing the diary on the desk in front of him and placing the quill next to the inkpot. He stood and dusted himself down. Time to try convincing the woman he loved to accept his help yet again. Not that he had high hopes right now, but he had to make the attempt anyway. Edwin blew out the candle he’d been writing by, swept out of his office and cast his Windwalk spell to catch Selene as she left the Wizard’s Tower.

Chrackle blinked slowly as he watched the Abouna leave his church from his perch on the tree just outside the window of Edwin’s office. The magpie ruffled his feathers and took off after the human man. Maybe this time his mistress would listen.

[aquadestinyswriting]

@druidx I think we found Chrackle irl...

This magpie straight up stealing a guys cider.

[aquadestinyswriting]

Happy STS! Can you share a mean line of dialogue? - @trixierosewrites

Hi, happy STS, thank you very much for the ask.

Mean line of dialogue, huh? While my villains probably have a fair few, I haven't written much for them recently. However, that doesn't mean that the 'heroes' can't be mean on occasion:

~Hang on, Chrackle, no need. I can still deal with this just fine.~ she told the anxious magpie. Chrackle growled in her head, ~Oh come on, the guy is begging for at least one of his eyes to get pecked out! Please?~

And why not have another one to go with?

“The smaller one wouldn’t fit them all. Be a dear and summon some Watch officers here, will you? The cell’s small enough that I’m concerned about how much air they’ve got in there.” Chrackle croaked, ~We could just leave them in there until they’re unconscious.~

We should probably be glad that Chrackle is a familiar, I don't think there's much that could stop him if he was a proper wizard in his own right 🤣.

[aquadestinyswriting]

Story Snippet

So I don't have anything concrete to post just yet, but I have been working on stuff. Mainly on stories for The Wizard's Tale because Selene's story is just feeling a little more compelling right now. I figured I might as well post a little snippet of one of the stories I've been working on since I know some of you guys love the relationship Selene has with Chrackle

Tags: @druidx, @sparrow-orion-writes, @mariahwritesstuff, @ashirisu, @thesorcerersapprentice, @philosophika, @the-down-upside-finch, @lexiklecksi

Selene gently put her quill down and pushed her glasses up her nose, eyes narrowing behind them. Whatever this ripple was, it was too small to be anything too threatening. That, however, didn’t discount the use of some sort of cantrip designed to distract her attention away from something more malevolent. Selene stood, ready to cast a Dispel at whatever or whoever was trying to intrude, only to whip her head around at Chrackle’s squawk. She blinked as her magpie harried a slim, furry creature out from behind the bookcase. A ferret. 

Chrackle cackled at the ferret, fluttering up out of range as it whipped its head up to snap at him. He hovered over it glaring at the furry intruder, debating whether to cast something at it to chase it out,

~A familiar?~ Selene’s voice echoed in his head. Chrackle glanced at his mistress and clacked his beak,

~Yes. Unknown too. It’s not one of the students’, I’ve got all their coat patterns memorised.~ he confirmed, sending his mistress his mental images of the ferrets he knew. Selene nodded and walked around her desk towards the ferret that was now hissing at her companion as he hovered above it, out of reach. She huffed a sigh and loomed over it, gently pulling some magic in. Not enough for any major spells, just enough to get its attention. Immediately the ferret sat up on its haunches and stared up at the human woman, the only movement it now made being the twitch of its nose. Selene snorted,

“Ah, so you are capable of somewhat rational thought.” she said, “Now, given that you don’t belong to any of the students who study here, I have to wonder who you belong to and why you’re in my study without permission.” She waited patiently, glancing at Chrackle, who huffed at her mentally,

~Do I have to?~ he whined, ~You know I hate debasing myself like this!~

~Unfortunately, Chrackle, Sylvan is one of the  few languages I can’t speak or understand. So, yes, if you could please translate, it would be much appreciated.~~Alright, fine! But I want some extra shinies for my nests this year!~ the corvid demanded.

[aquadestinyswriting]

Titan Modern AU- Chapter One

Summary: Meredith gets to meet with one of the people in charge of her new post. A quick conversation about Fangthane culture is had before the discussion turns to other matters- namely where Constable Gruksdottir is going to be staying.

Words: 1,161

Tags: @druidx, @sparrow-orion-writes @warriorbookworm, @thesorcerersapprentice, @blind-the-winds, @philosophika, @the-down-upside-finch, @hippiewrites

Warnings: Some talk about fictional religions but otherwise only avoid if the idea of women with beards grosses you out.

Notes: I fully admit, I just wanted a justification for Merri to keep her beard because I literally cannot see her without one. It allowed me to do some worldbuilding though, which is always fun.

Meredith stood at firm attention with her arms behind her back. The only indication of what she was feeling being a slight quirk of an eyebrow when she caught the surprised stare of the Diplomatic Envoy she was being introduced to out of the corner of her eye. 

Lieutenant Starhammer coughed politely, sitting down behind his desk and waving at his new constable,

“At ease, Gruksdottir. This is meant to be an informal chat. A chance fer us all to get to know each other.” he said. He beamed at the tall, slim woman, who was now settling down into the couch next to the fireplace, “Lady Frigidwake here is the Diplomatic Envoy to the Kingdom of Fangthane. She’s not quite the one in charge, but she does do a lot of work to keep things ticking along as smoothly as possible.” he explained. The Envoy laughed and smiled at both Fangthanians as Meredith relaxed her stance,

“Well, I try to.” she quipped. She gestured to the magpie sitting quietly on her shoulder, “This is Chrackle, he’s a companion of mine. I must ask that you try not to pay him too much attention as he’s supposed to be a working animal.” Meredith nodded, noting with amusement the slightly offended-sounding croak the bird made,

“I’ll bear that in mind, Ma’am.” she said. “I realise that you are, of course, versed in a great deal of Fangthanian culture, but I couldn’t help but notice your surprise as you walked in, Ma’am.” she noted. The other woman flushed a little in embarrassment,

“Ah, yes. I do apologise, that was insensitive. I’m afraid to say that I haven’t had much experience with the Throffite community. Very few Fangthanian women grow their beards out these days, so when I was informed that Lieutenant Starhammer was expecting a female constable, I made an assumption. Again, I apologise.” she said. Meredith shook her head, finally,

“No offence has been taken, Ma’am.” she stated, “You are quite correct, the majority of Fangthanian women shave, and I am very much an exception. Believe me, I am quite used to awkward stares and questions.” Lady Frigidwake pursed her lips and toyed with the end of a strand of greying auburn hair,

“That still does not excuse my conduct.” she retorted, “However, lessons have been learned and I shall not dwell on it any further.” she added, tickling her magpie under his beak as he nibbled at her ear. 

Starhammer chuckled and leaned back in his seat, which creaked loudly, 

“Well, now that we’re all acquainted, I think we can finally turn to business.” he said. He looked to Meredith first,

“I understand ye didn’t get a chance to work out someplace to stay while you’re here, given how quickly ye were kicked out the capital. I’d offer to put you up myself, but my youngest has had to move back home and has brought the weans, so there’s no room, I’m afraid.” 

Meredith shook her head,

“You don’t need to go to that kind of trouble, sir.” she protested, “I’ll be happy enough to keep staying at the Crabbit Sow until I can find somewhere more permanent.” 

Starhammer snorted,

“I’m no’ having ye waste all yer savings like that, lass.” he retorted. The Lieutenant turned to Lady Frigidwake,”D’ye ken of anyplace that’ll be willing to put her up?” he asked. The envoy tapped a finger on her chin thoughtfully,

“I’d need to make a couple of calls, but yes, I think I might know some people.” she replied. She pushed her glasses back up her nose as she smiled at Meredith, “I’ll have somewhere for you to stay by the end of the day.” she chirped. This time it was Meredith’s turn to flush,

“Ye really don’t need to go to so much trouble –” Starhammer scoffed,

“Lassie! It’s no trouble. Ye’re a constable of the Stronghold Guardian Corps! Since we dinna have a barracks on site, that means ye’re entitled to have a place to live nearby.” he reminded her. “Moradin’s beard, ye’re an uptight one, aren’t ye? Auld Vanskleig’s right when he says that working here for a bit’ll be good for ye.” he added.

Meredith opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to find some way to protest, but couldn’t find the words to refute what her new commanding officer had just said. After a moment, she huffed a sigh,

“Aye, sir.” she grumbled. Lady Frigidwake shook her head,

“I’ll go make those calls now, then. Lieutenant Starhammer, was there anything else we needed to discuss in the meantime?” she asked. Smoothing down her skirt as she stood. Starhammer thought for a moment, then shook his head,

“Nothing that can’t wait until next week, lass.” The old soldier stood, with a bit of effort, and bowed slightly to the envoy, “In the meantime, please give my regards to Father Shiverstaff, and remind him that he still owes me drinks.” he added with a smile. Lady Frigidwake laughed and inclined her head slightly

“I’ll pass the message on.” she said. She turned to Meredith, who had by now also stood and was standing at attention again, “It was a pleasure to meet you Constable Gruksdottir, I look forward to working with you.” she said. Meredith snapped off a salute,

“Aye, Ma’am.” she stated. Lady Frigidwake smiled, sent Lieutenant Starhammer a knowing look, then swept out of the office. Starhammer sighed as he turned to Meredith,

“I’ve got my work cut out, haven’t I?” he muttered. He picked up the top sheet from a stack of papers, “Well, seeing as ye’ve been sent back down to start from scratch, I might as well have ye on guard duty at the front door until I get word of what Command wants done with ye, or we figure out where yer strengths lie.” he said. Meredith nodded brusquely and saluted again,

“Aye, sir.” she stated. She sent him a quizzical look, “May I ask what time I can leave my post, sir?” she asked. The Lieutenant sighed,

“Well, the office closes for the day at five-thirty. Seeing as I’m pretty much the only other person here for now, you might as well clock off then.” he replied. Meredith nodded,

“Of course, sir. Thank you, sir.” she said. There were a few moments’ silence until Starhammer heaved a sigh,

“Ye’re free to leave and get to yer post, Constable.” he said wearily. “If there does happen to be any trouble out there, ye do have permission to get involved.” he added just as Meredith began marching out the door.

“Understood, sir.” Meredith called as she finally exited the room, leaving Starhammer to wonder just what he’d gotten himself into. He opened the folder he’d been sent from Sergeant Major Ragnarsson, reading through the various evaluation forms and report summaries. He stroked his moustache thoughtfully,

“Well now, I think I owe the Field Marshal quite the favour for this.” he murmured.

[aquadestinyswriting]

Huh, I thought I'd answered this. Guess that was a fever dream. Apologies for how late this is.

Looks like I'll be answering this for Selene since that's genuinely what the random generator picked.

Most of the time the first thing that's noticed about Selene (if he's around) is Chrackle. A noisy, talking magpie is a bit hard to ignore, especially if he's being a brat. Otherwise it's the robes and staff. Wizard robes, especially for those in positions of power and authority, tend to be a bit more on the ostentatious side with bright colours and elaborate embroidery. The staves are also suitably impressively carved. These also tend to make Selene stand out quite a bit, which is useful if she wants to make a statement during Council sessions. When Selene wants to go incognito, she pulls on her old adventuring robes and staff to blend in with crowds more easily as she then looks more like the far more common, lower rate wizards that live and work in the city.

Blorbo Blursday #1

Welcome to the first of the new generation of Blorbo Blursday, brought to you by @athenswrites! Reblog this post or tag this in your responses, however long or short they may be!

What is the first thing others tend to notice about your character? What makes them stand out in a crowd?

Taglist (DM me to be added or removed): Taglist (DM me to be added or removed): @interroblog @muumysworld @afusiek @the-ravens-requiem @sender-paulson @everthewip @bluberimufim @amaiguri @akiwitch @thetruearchmagos @autumnalwalker @gracehosborn @cljordan-imperium @aether-wasteland-s @saintedseraph @deanwax @berristrawberri @owlbearwrites @the-down-upside-finch @stridingwriter @dandelion-jester @johnmurphysgirl @ghostsofchernobyl @alexsidereus @innocenthedgehog @oh-for-a-dream @unmellowyellowfellow @oh-no-another-idea @druidx @ibuprofen-exe @shay-creates @aquadestinyswriting @loopyhoopywrites @n1ghtcrwler @writingonmymind @wardenred @void-botanist @dyrewrites @sm-writes-chaos @iishmael @romances-not-tragedies @inscrutable-shadow @athenswrites @uraniumwriting @pigeonwhumps @stesierra

[aquadestinyswriting]

A Circle None Can Break- Part Fourteen point five

Summary: Edwin has stayed up way past his usual bedtime for Selene to come back from the Cathedral.

Words: 784

Warnings: trigger warnings for drunkenness

Notes: a cute little aside that wouldn't fit into the main chapter. Don't worry, Chrackle didn't have anything to drink directly, he just happened to be in Selene's proximity

tags: @druidx, @sparrow-orion-writes , @homesteadchronicles, @warriorbookworm, @mariahwritesstuff, @writeblrsupport, @ashirisu, @thesorcerersapprentice, @blind-the-winds, @philosophika, @the-down-upside-finch

Edwin looked nervously into the pint he’d been nursing for the last two and half hours. It had been at least four hours since Selene had been escorted away from the front door of Fangthane, along with Meredith, by Captain Bloodvein. Gruk had happily informed Edwin and Snorri that Meredith had been returned home over two hours ago. What in all the hells was taking Selene so long? He jumped as Snorri collapse into the seat next to him with a weary groan, having thrown out the last patron of the night and finally shut the door.

“Tell ye what, I’m glad all that kerfuffle’s done.” he sighed, “As much as I appreciate the extra business, it’s a right bother at the end o’ the night.” The ex-slayer’s eyes narrowed as he noticed how much was left in Edwin’s cup, “C’mon lad, cheer up. Yon wizard’s fine. The king’s changed his mind, so I doubt she’s been chucked out now.” he encouraged. Edwin shook his head,

“I’m sorry Snorri, but I was expecting her to be back hours ago. What if Selene lost her temper again and is back in the dungeons after all that effort? What if –” Edwin’s tired mind screeched to a stop as the side door creaked open, causing his head to whip around just in time to see a sheepish Selene close the door behind her,

“It’s late, I know, I’m so sorry.” she apologised, “After His Majesty agreed that he would let Meredith help, we got chatting and we completely lost track of time.” Edwin’s worried frown lifted into an amused smirk as he took in the flush across Selene’s cheeks and ears,

“You sure it was just the talking that made you lose track of what time it was and not the wine?” Selene shook her head,

“Of course not! We didn’t have that much.” she protested. Edwin simply continued smiling at her as Chrackle fluttered his wings to try and keep his balance, bobbing unevenly from side to side. He nodded, getting up and looping an arm around her shoulder,

“Of course not.” he agreed, “Come on, bed. Even if you don’t need to leave first thing in the morning any more, it’s been enough of a day that you probably need to sleep.” Selene tried pushing the Abouna away, only to end up swaying right back into his arms again,

“‘M not tired though.” she protested, “An’ you can sh – shut up.” she slurred, glaring at Chrackle, who had finally given up on balancing on his mistress’ shoulder and had landed on the table flat on his stomach with his wings splayed out to either side. Snorri bit back a laugh, picked the bird up and gestured for Edwin to bring Selene up to her room,

“Ye might not be tired, love, but I bet you wish the world would stop moving, aye?” he said as the trio ascended the stairs. Selene nodded, squeezing her eyes shut,

“Mountains can’t go on boats… but this is an elemental. Has the mountain gone walkies?” she asked with a small hiccough. Snorri coughed to cover his bark of laughter,

“Wrong bit of the mountain, hen.” he said, opening the door of the room he’d allowed Selene to stay in. Snorri met Edwin’s gaze as the cleric hefted Selene past the dwarven barkeep and raised an eyebrow. Edwin shook his head, helped Selene onto the bed and got some water for her.

Edwin sighed softly as Selene groaned,

“I’m glad you and King Storri finally managed to have a chance to just talk.” he said. Selene grinned up at him,

“Spent the evening slagging off Sh – Schre –... bastard Chancellor and Sliverhand.” she hiccoughed. “Lots in common.” Edwin nodded patiently,

“That’s good. I’m glad you were both able to have the opportunity to vent.” he said, filling a jug with some water and leaving it on the nightstand. He pulled the sheets over Selene, who blinked blearily, clearly trying to stay awake,

“Edwin?” she said softly. Edwin looked down at her and cocked his head,

“Yes Selene?” he asked, voice soft. Selene beamed up at him,

“Thank you. You’ve done so much. You’re a good friend, best friend in whole world.” she yawned. Edwin resisted the urge to tuck the stray hair in her face behind her ear, opting instead for backing up and blowing out the lantern,

“You’re welcome Selene. Good night.” he called gently, already aware that his words had fallen on deaf ears as Selene began snoring. The Abouna shook his head, ignoring the pang of regret in his chest as he closed the door and walked back down the stairs to head back to his own lodgings.

[aquadestinyswriting]

To Heal A Broken Soul: Epilogue -Confessions of a Troubled Heart

Summary: Selene and Edwin finally have a heart to heart about what happened three days ago.

Words: 1,705

Warnings: None. Fluffy fluff is extremely fluffy.

Tag list (dm to +/-): @druidx, @sparrow-orion-writes , @homesteadchronicles, @warriorbookworm, @mariahwritesstuff, @ashirisu , @thesorcerersapprentice , @blind-the-winds , @philosophika , @the-down-upside-finch

Notes: I did a re-write of the original version, as I felt that one didn't flow quite the way I wanted it to following the revisions I've made to the earlier chapters.

It was two whole days after her Resurrection before Selene could even stay awake long enough to have more than a few bites of food. Not that Edwin had been any better; the poor man had also spent what time he hadn’t been fretting over her dozing in a chair next to her bed. Selene grunted as she pulled herself up to sitting, while she was still tired and achy she was now too awake to want to just lie and listen to the goings on of the world outside. She sat still for a moment, gasping from the exertion. 

~Don’t go getting any stupid ideas. Edwin’s only dozing.~ Chrackle’s voice stated in her head. Selene glared up at the magpie sitting on top of one of the posts of her bed,

~I’m not, but I am now awake and aware enough to get bored.~ she retorted, ~But since you’re going to be a little tattle-tale, why don’t you go grab the book I want while I create enough light to read by?~ she suggested. 

~But it’s too big for me to carry!~ Chrackle whined, gently clacking his beak to emphasise his annoyance. Selene snorted,

~Well, go find someone to bother to get it for me then, since I’m not allowed to leave this damn bed!~

“Well, you must be feeling better if you’re bickering with Chrackle, even if I can’t hear it.” Edwin’s voice suddenly stated, causing Selene’s gaze to snap to the cleric. Edwin stretched as he looked between magpie and familiar, “Let me guess, you need something and Chrackle either can’t or doesn’t want to get it for you?” he queried. Selene felt herself flushing as she took in Edwin’s rumpled hair and vestments,

“Something like that.” she muttered. Tearing her gaze away and looking out at the rest of her room instead, “I’m sorry if we woke you.”

Edwin shook his head and stood up, 

“You didn’t, I was on the verge of waking up anyway. Which book was it?” he asked. Selene looked back at him, huffing a half-irritated sigh,

“Calibrian’s Treatise on Inter-Planar Relationships, it’s the one I was trying to continue reading the other day.” she replied. Edwin nodded and made his way across towards the bookcase near the fireplace to find the book in question. Selene watched him for a moment or two before, before shaking back the sleeves of her nightdress and muttering an incantation under her breath. 

Edwin’s head snapped up at the sound of a sharp hiss. He looked in the direction the sound had come from just in time to see a Light spell flicker and die and Selene clench her fists. He immediately rushed over and sat on the edge of the bed,

“Selene! Are you alright?” he asked, looking the woman over to make sure there were no signs of spidering. Selene, who had scrunched her eyes closed, nodded,

“I’m alright.” she murmured, wheezing, “Fingers just sting a bit is all.” 

Edwin took a hold of Selene’s hands and coaxed them open, inspecting the slender fingers. The ends were a bit red, but otherwise seemed to be unharmed. He looked up at Selene’s face, which was more relaxed, but still pinched a little in pain. He gently rubbed the fingers in his hands and muttered a prayer. A soft green light sunk into the wizard’s hands, and he finally felt Selene relax completely. 

“What happened?” Edwin asked as his Cure spell completed. Selene hung her head, avoiding Edwin’s gaze,

“I figured that I’d get a Light spell going so I could read more easily. Save you the hassle of fiddling with the lamps.” she muttered. Edwin gingerly squeezed Selene’s hands,

“I don’t mind doing whatever it is you need, Sel.” he said quietly, “You don’t have to push yourself to get back to normal as soon as possible.” 

Selene raised her head again, her eyes brimming and lip trembling,

“You don’t get it, Edwin. A Light spell is one of the most simple cantrips to cast. If I can’t manage even that –” 

“Selene, you died not three days ago. You need to allow yourself a chance to recover from that.” 

“But what if – “

Edwin gripped Selene’s hands more tightly, causing her to stumble to a stop. He gently tilted her head so she was looking at him more directly,

“Selene, you need to relax.” he told her, his voice soft, “Stressing yourself out like this is only going to make you relapse, and I don’t want to go through that again.”

Selene’s throat constricted painfully. Dim memories of his voice confessing his love for her flitted through her head, making her heart ache. Had he truly meant what he said?

~You know, for being as intelligent as you are, you’re pretty damn clueless.~ Chrackle’s voice suddenly piped up. Selene glared at her familiar, who was cleaning his beak on the sheets at the foot of the bed.

~And what’s that supposed to mean?!~ she snapped mentally. She felt Chrackle roll his eyes,

~Mistress, the man has been besotted with you since you came to Fangthane about the God Clay. I think he meant what he said.~ the magpie sighed. He ruffled his feathers and cocked his head in Edwin’s direction, ~The question is, do you love him back?~ 

Selene flicked her gaze back to Edwin, who was watching her calmly. Her heart skipped a little as she took in the laughter lines around his eyes, the grey streak that had started growing into his beard, the quiet smile on his lips that dimpled his cheeks ever so slightly. Every last detail took her already short breath away. Add in the fact that he had never once let her down despite all her best efforts to push him away since he had arrived in Toreguarde and – Of course she loved him. More than anything else in this world. But could she really allow herself to? Especially since there was every possibility that either of them could die tomorrow?

“Then you make the most of the time you have.” Greg’s voice echoed in her head. All the other Gods damn it! 

Edwin’s calm expression pinched into one of worry as he noticed a flush start to creep up Selene’s cheeks as she stared at him. His heart leapt into his throat,

“Sel, are you alright. Don’t tell me you’re –” he was cut off as Selene waved a hand,

“No, no I’m fine. It’s just –” Selene quickly ducked her head so Edwin couldn’t see the sheer embarrassment on her face, “Cur ita velim Durus.” she hissed in Draconic. She felt Chrackle’s smug amusement as he fluttered over to her headboard. She sent him a mental glare as she struggled to come up with the words that could convey to Edwin what she was thinking, never mind feeling.

Edwin, swallowed down his initial burst of fear, replacing it with a worried sense of confusion. He squeezed Selene’s hands again,

“Alright, breathe.” he said as calmly as he could manage on hearing the wheeze in the wizard’s chest. He waited until Selene actually took a deeper breath than the ones she’d been taking, “What’s the matter?” he asked. 

Selene glanced up at the cleric, still struggling to work out how to tell him what she’d heard and how she felt. She felt Chrackle shove her mentally,

~Just tell him the truth! You’ve both spent long enough talking past one another already!~ He squawked in her head. Selene sent her familiar a mental glare before finally lifting her head and looking to the window on her left side,

“I heard you, you know.” she said quietly, “When you were trying to – well, you know.”

Edwin’s eyes widened and he instinctively pulled away a little, his heart skipping wildly,

“You – You did?” he squeaked, feeling his cheeks and ears begin to burn. Selene bit her lip, looking down at her bedsheets, even as she shifted so she would be facing him directly. She took in a shaky breath,

“That’s why I decided to come back. I didn’t want to leave this world before telling you that I – I love you too.” she admitted her voice quiet, embarrassed. 

Edwin simply stared at Selene. Had she just –? He was awake, right? He hadn’t dozed off again once he’d sat down? He felt Selene grip at his hand nervously. Ok, so definitely awake. Which meant –

Edwin’s face split into a huge smile, his heart soaring as he breathed out a laugh,

“Galana save us, we’re both such fools.” he chuckled, reaching out and tucking a strand of curled, auburn hair behind Selene’s ear before taking out his Holy Symbol and beaming at it, “I’m guessing that’s why She even let me make the attempt even after I’d expended everything She had to give.” he added, his throat constricting with emotion. 

Selene shook her head,

“I’m not even going to get into that.” she murmured, “However I do believe I owe you several dozen apologies. At least according to Chrackle. She added, glaring at her familiar, who simply cackled at her, while crowing smugly in her head. Edwin gently forced her to look at him again,

“Selene, you have nothing to apologise for.” he said softly, “Feelings are hard and strange and exceedingly difficult to deal with at the best of times. I was quite content to know my own heart even if my feelings for you weren’t reciprocated.” he told her. “I am, however, beyond happy to know that they are.” 

Selene swallowed thickly, her heart felt ready to burst and she felt warmer than she had in what felt like an age. She suddenly leaned forward and hugged the cleric, burying her face into the space between his shoulder and neck,

“Thank you.” she said, her voice muffled. Edwin didn’t say anything as he wrapped his arms around Selene’s slender frame and returned the hug. Chrackle croaked happily as he felt his mistress’ joy, happiness and contentment, fluttering over to the nest he’d started making in the nearby hatstand and quietly closing off the telepath connection with Selene. Now that the matter had finally been settled, he could safely leave her in Edwin’s hands. At least for the time being.