#cross-faction RP

[heartpiercer]

LFC - Marsira Ith’valin

「 general information 」

FULL NAME: Marsira Elayne Ith’valin

NICKNAME(S): Mar, Mars, Marsi

TITLE(S): The Heartpiercer, of the Unseen Path

AGE: 182

DATE OF BIRTH: June 27th

RACE: Quel’dorei

GENDER: Female, cisgender.

PRONOUNS: She/Her

ORIENTATION: Bisexual

MARITAL STATUS: Single, never married.

PROFESSION(S): Mercenary, sharpshooter, dragonrider, ranger of the Unseen Path. Former Farstrider (Captain), Ex-SI:7 (Director)

LANGUAGES: Thalassian, Common, Draconic, Sign

「 physicality & appearance 」

HAIR: Crimson red, wavy, shoulder blade length

EYES: Deep blue

HEIGHT: 5’10”

BUILD: Mesomorphic; muscular and athletic. Archer’s build.

DISTINGUISHING MARKS:

A jagged scar that darts by the corner of her right eye and stops just below her left cheekbone

An odd fern-like scar on her left bicep that stretches down her arm.

Freckles dotted across her cheeks.

Green, dragon-like tattoos on her arms and torso.

COMMON ACCESSORIES:

A lip ring, center of bottom lip.

A tongue piercing

Dagger, heart and playing card earrings.

「 personality & traits 」

Reserved even on the best of days, Marsira is more often a quiet observer than she is an engager in conversation. She's a decent conversationalist when spoken to, piercing the person in question with her bright blue eyes all the while. There is a certain kindness there, shrouded from the world at large in the shadowy fog of snark and sarcasm; kept safe from those who would use and abuse it.

Despite her quietness, there's an overwhelming aura of confidence and power about her. She's blunt, and by her own admission is easily annoyed by those who prevaricate or don't speak their mind. She does have her moments of frustration that can turn into fiery outbursts, but it is not a common occurrence.

Want to know more? Interact or RP!

「personal information 」

HOBBIES: Whittling, blacksmithing, drawing, reading

SKILL(S): Archery, trapper, tracker, survivalist, sharpshooter, bounty hunter.

RESIDENCE: Elwynn Forest

BIRTHPLACE: Quel’thalas

AFFILIATIONS: The Unseen Path, Glove & Gauntlet

「 relations 」

SPOUSE: 

None.

CHILDREN: 

None.

PARENTS: 

Erzaen Ith’valin, father. 

Sylrise Ith’valin-Duskfeather, mother. †

SIBLINGS:

None.

OTHER RELATIVES:

None

PETS/COMPANIONS/FAMILIARS:

Her drake, a black dragon named Avoth.

A blue hydra named Ire.

「 habits & vices」

SMOKING:  never / sometimes / frequently / to excess.

DRUGS: never / sometimes / frequently / to excess.

ALCOHOL: never / sometimes / frequently / to excess.

「 other/ooc 」

FACE REFERENCE(S):Katherine Mcnamara

VOICE REFERENCE(S): Janet Varney as Avatar Korra

ALIGNMENT: Neutral

SERVER: Moon Guard - Alliance

OTHER:

Although this is an Alliance-aligned character, she won’t outright attack those of the Horde; she is currently far more preoccupied with what’s happening on the Dragon Isles to be bothered.

I will not interact/roleplay with minors or anyone under the age of 18.

Though I am fine writing characters in more intimate situations if it is appropriate, do not try to force ERP or expect it in any way when writing with me. Should you do so, it will likely end in a block.

I will not write with godmodders (ex. never misses a hit and never gets hit, their character is so overpowered that they’re basically a god and can’t ever lose, etc).

[safrona-shadowsun]

Character Profile: Safrona Shadowsun

{ Art above by the Mun: @handhour }

Name: Safrona Shadowsun Nicknames/Monikers: Saf, Red, Courier, Mother Sin, Lady Shadowsun, Harvester Age: Adult. (That is all the lady will admit) Birthday: Late February. Race: Void Elf Gender: Female Sexuality: Demisexual, hetero-leaning. Relationship Status:. Married to @thefirstperished Server: Wyrmrest Accord. Faction: Cross-faction. Faceclaim/Likeness: Morena Baccarin

Physical Appearance –––

Safrona seems a feminine figure made for travel, garments striking an even balance between luxury and practicality that could only be defined as "courier couture". The singular long braid that streams down to her waist is often the signature of her appearance, dark red as bottled wine. Still, a blue-violet wash of unnatural vibrance seems to fringe the red of her hair at its ends, a branding of the collective of energies she has perhaps learned to consume and survive by. This same unnatural color is set into her eyes, an unmistakable sign of her heritage as Rendorei.

Hair: Burgundy, violet/blue ombre near the ends. Worn long, usually kept in a single large braid. Eyes: Violet. Height: 5'6" Build: Slender, some curvature on a petite elven frame. Long-legged. Distunguishing Marks: None immediately visible. Common Accessories: Gold pouch, flask, datapad, business cards, miniature wine bottle samplers, hearthstone, pink "crystals", dried pomegranate.

Personal –––

History: A Void Elf “exile” like so many of her kind, some may know the importer to be the professional “Courier”  that finally settled to run Empyrean Star Trades, a business formerly abroad with its foundation in the wine trade eventually established to overlook the harbor of Stormwind. 

In recent years the Lady Shadowsun has left the business operation in the hands of her sister, Wenne. While the “Courier” does make herself available for the individual specifically looking for her particular expertise, most of her professional attention is invested in the training of new couriers seeking to make a career of acquisition and delivery. 

Outside of capital cities the Lady Shadowsun is often seen accompanied by void and nether-born entities, whether summoned as an extra set of eyes, to assist in mundane tasks, or to eagerly come to her defense.

{ Art by @galderthefuzzy }

Profession: Manager of Empyrean Star Trades. Lesser known Warlock. Hobbies: Social drinking and wine culture, collecting, guitar, traveling, jewelcrafting, careful interest in the Dark Arts and Demonology. Languages: Common, Thalassian, Demonic, Orcish, various. Residence: The Veiled Stair, Pandaria. (Elysian Sojourn) Birthplace: The Isle of Quel'Danas. Religion: None. Patron Deity: None. Fears: Losing control, enslavement or possession, hurting loved ones.

Relationships –––

Spouse/Partner: @thefirstperished Children: None. Parents: Deceased. Siblings: Wennefer Shadowsun (formerly Dawnsinger) Other Relatives: Unknown, unintroduced. Pets: None.

RP hooks –––

Specializes in wine/alcohol and other needful imported goods big and small.

Specializes in emergency/medical supply drops.

Owner of Empyrean Star Trades in Stormwind, an office housing a team of specialized acquisition and delivery agents.

Takes “confession" at the Elysian Sojourn, a bathhouse and drinkery located in the Veiled Stair of Pandaria.

Associate of Madam Goya.

Was a heavy aid to the Nightborne in Suramar during the Legion invasion.

A wartime Courier very well known working between garrisons on Draenor during the Iron Horde crisis.

Black Harvester known of within Warlock circles.

A known presence in the Telgorus Rift.

Contact Information ––– –

Realm: Wyrmrest Accord - "Safrona" (Alliance) "Courier" (Horde) Rp on Tumblr or Discord is always preferred.

[joywindsong]

The Half Blood Mage Pt 2

The Backstory

Traditionally in night elf society, men are guided to the teachings of Cenarius while women are expected to follow the light of Elune. 

Vionira Moonwalker was one of the exceptions. Vionira showed a strong bond with nature early on in life. Born in Hyjal, she is relatively young compared to her peers. The Cenarion Circle was also hesitant about welcoming her into their ranks. After the Third War things were starting to change within the Cenarion Circle. Gender became less of an issue, as well as race. The tauren, who once followed Cenarius’ teachings but strayed away towards elemental magic, were in the process of reconnecting to druid teachings. This of course did not come without concerns.

The tauren were allied with the Horde. Even if they shared the same values in the teachings of Cenarius, they were standing by the same orcs who laid waste to sections of the sacred forests of Ashenvale during the third war. 

Vionira, like many of the Kal’dorei, was residing in Moonglade after the fallout of the war. Though she had years of experience as a druid, she was still treated as a novice and expected to attend training seminars far below her capabilities. One of the trainers was a Highmountain named Ualke. 

Ualke was a mysterious character. He resided with the Bloodhoof sharing his wisdom. Much of his teachings focused not on druidism purely, but the connection of mortals to the greater powers on Azeroth. Expertise that spanned across both druidism and shamanism made him a valuable resource in reintroducing the teachings of Cenarius to the tauren, aswell as reviving the practice of shamanism among the orcs and trolls of the Horde. Ualke regularly traveled to Moonglade with his tauren druid pupils, but he proposed to take it one step further. “Some of my students in shamanism are struggling to truly connect to the elements. It also seems that there is hesitation in my pupils in Moonglade to fully accept tauren druids. It would seem mutually beneficial to bring some of the orcs and trolls under my guidance to come to a haven of nature and allow everyone to co-exist.” Ualke would propose to the leadership in the Cenarion Circle. Reluctantly, Ualke was granted permission and the next time he came to Moonglade he brought along about a dozen students. A few druids, but mostly shaman. Some tauren, but several orcs and trolls as well. They were welcomed to the city of Nighthaven but of course stood out very clearly. Ualke had mostly brown fur with a gray mane and gray patches forming. His eyes became white as he grew old, his exact age unknown but his presence was that of a tauren in his physical prime, especially with antlers towering on top of his large frame. Mail shoulders over his ceremonial robes filled out his massive frame even more as his deep but raspy voice projected over the students before him in the forest of Moonglade. Students dressed in basic ceremonial robes sitting in the grass.

His parting words as he ended his lesson:

“Your connection to the forces of nature on Azeroth will only grow stronger if you accept your brothers and sisters regardless of race. Do not allow arbitrary political divisions in the world to make you bigoted. Elves were once trolls. Tauren were the first children of Cenarius. The orcs are our new brothers and sisters in Azeroth, and may not be the last. They breathe with the elements and the Earthmother, Elune, the same as us all. I ask that you not simply go your separate ways as I dismiss you. Please, intermingle. Understand each other. Strengthen your connection to the world around you. That is a greater lesson than I can bestow onto any of you.”

Vionira stood up and scanned around. She was a tall and toned elf with bobbed green hair, light purple skin that skewed almost pink, and dark purple markings that went down across her light blue eyes. She looked across the crowd and saw most of the students mingling within their own races or factions. So much for what their teacher asked of them. 

Across the way she noticed a tall troll with green skin and a shaved head. His tusks protruded from his face and he leaned back against a tree not speaking to anyone. Vionira took the opportunity to approach. “Hello. What is your name?” Vionira asked as intimately as she could. The troll looked down at her, he had a bit of height on her despite both being tall. “What it be to you? Old bull be preachin’ tales. Da’ elements be communin’ jus’ fine. No need’ta be friendly wit’ elves.” He dismissed.

“Well. What he said is true. Elves were once trolls, so in a way we’re kin.” Vionira lectured to the scoffing shaman. 

“Why ya’ tryin’ so hard? Ain't’ya elves be hatin’ us Horde?” “Well. I’m a druid first. I’ve also been a druid longer than anyone else in this group, and Ualke is the only instructor who actually says anything interesting. Your warchief also helped us greatly in defeating Archimonde at Hyjal. So, maybe some of you are alright.” Vionira says to the troll who blows air out of his nose. “Our Warchief do be great mon. Saved me from bein’ sacrificed by fish.” The troll chuckles. “Vionira Moonwalker, by the way.” Vionira smirks.

“Omaroku.” He tells her reluctantly. “When do you leave?” She asked. “I believe we be headin’ out at sunrise tomorrow.” Omaroku responded. “Any plans between now and then?” Vionira curiously asked. “Nope.” He answered. “Well, how would you like me to show you around?” Omaroku looked around and sighed. “Ain’ got nothin’ better to do.”

The pair split off from the group and start walking towards Nighthaven. “So’ya been a druid longest of everyone?” Omaroku questions the elf. “Of the novices. I’ve been a druid much longer than I’ve been in the Cenarion Circle. Traditionally women in our society are warriors or priestesses or sentinels. The men tend to be the druids but now it’s opening up more.” Vionira explains.

“Shamanism be new to me. I was jus’ a headhunter out on the isles I came from. Joinin’ the Horde bring new opportunities. Learnin’ ta’harness elements seem to offer more.” Omaroku explains. “You hunted heads?” she responds. “Eh, somethin’ like that. So ya’ be powerful?” 

“I would be more powerful if I got the chance to train at my level. But I’m stuck here for now. Until I can go out into the world and start really testing myself.” Vionira vents. “If ya powerful, show me.” The shaman challenges. “Excuse me?” Vionira is caught off guard. “Lemme see how great a druid’ya be, Vionira.” The troll crosses his arms. “Alright. Let’s go this way then.”

Vionira leads Omaroku off the trail and into a clearing in the woods a bit into the hills. Out of sight of the trail or the village. Vionira stands a few feet away with her hands out as Omaroku stands still in front of her. 

“Stay still and don’t struggle.” Omaroku raises an eyebrow at the elf's instructions as vines rise from the ground, entangling him. 

“What ya’be doin!” Omaroku hollers. “They only last a moment.” Vionira pants as the vines retreat from the thrashing limbs of the troll. “Dem’ vines got thorns!” Omaroku raises his forearm covered in scratches to the elf’s face. “Oh, sorry. Hold on.” Vionira’s hands glow and she casts a spell on Omaroku causing his wounds to quickly heal. “Hmm. Be an’interesting trick but what can’ya really be doin’ in battle?” The troll asks. “I don’t know how I’d demonstrate that. This is a peaceful haven for nature and beasts alike.” Vionira says, wiping sweat from her forehead.

“Ain’t tryna spar?” The troll teases. “I’m not sure you’d survive. Don’t wanna cause a war.” The druid retorts. “Ya’seem sure. Ain’t even seen me fight. Might surprise ya’.” Vionira laughs at the implication and Omaroku changes the subject. “Do be similar to elemental magic tho. Maybe the old bull be onto somethin’.” 

“Perhaps. Maybe that means you shouldn’t be so closed off to me just because I’m an elf.” Vionira says sitting down leaning against a tree root. “Ay, who be sayin’ I jus’ be closed off to elves. I ain’ one to go sharin’ everyting wit’ everyone.” Omaroku defends himself as Vionira motions for him to come sit with her. The troll obliges sitting a few feet away to keep his distance.

“Well, I personally hope that if you and your people are living in Kalimdor we can have peace. At least co-exist. For the good of Azeroth.” The night elf tries to explain to the troll who squares his shoulders away from her. “I jus’ want my people to survive. We been displaced enough in my life. The Horde offerin’ us a home when nobody else will. Same wit’ the tauren. All dis’ nature stuff, it be a means to an end.” Omaroku confesses. “A means to an end?” Vionira asking for elaboration. “I got a new home, new people, new nation. I ain’t strong enough to defend, but it be worth defendin’. I ain’t got the spirit of a berserker, ain’t got the patience of a priest, ain’t got the smarts to be a mage, and I ain’t so good wit’ tamin’ beasts. Elements be the only ting I feel I can understand enough to achieve the power I need ta’earn my keep.” Omaroku tells her. “I see.” Vionira scoots a bit closer. “I thought you were gonna say you just want to be strong, but it’s honorable that you have a purpose behind that. In a way you could connect that to all of Azeroth like Ualke says.” Vionira leans against the troll and points up generally at the trees. “I want to protect all of this, and coincidentally the nature I want to protect helps me in that purpose. Maybe the answer to harnessing the full power of the elements is to see how they allow your home to stand strong?” Vionira notices the feeling of warmth of her body touching his and sits back on her own. “Ya’know.” Omaroku chuckles “I was a bit inspired seein’ Thrall come in and fry dem fish up ta’help us. I guess the elements gave’im power to build us all up.” 

Omaroku looks over at Vionira and their eyes meet. 

He hasn’t looked directly at her so openly until now. Vionira looks away. The troll notices how smooth and soft her skin is and how delicate the features of her face are. His eyes wander down inspecting the shape of her body and Vionira peeks back over at him. “Excuse me. What do you think you’re looking at?” She scolds. “Ah, sorry.” Omaroku blushes looking forward. “Never seen’an elf up close before. At least not one not tryna kill me.” “Oh.” Vionira blushes looking at the toned muscular body of the troll. His face is much… cleaner than she would have expected. Her eyes are drawn to the long curved tusks coming from his mouth. “I’m sorry if this is strange but… could I touch them?” Vionira asks pointing to the corner of her mouth. Omaroku looks at her confused. “Uh. Sure.” He leans his face towards her. Vionira runs her fingers across his tusks. They look like they’d be more coarse but they’re smooth to the touch. As he leans forward her face gets closer to his, for a moment they gaze into each other's eyes. Vionira moves closer, angling her face between his tusks. Omaroku puts his hand on her cheek as she gets closer, gently and naturally guiding her face. Their lips touch.

[abysskeeper]

How has been Trick's relationship with the Empire? As far as I've gotten, she got sold into Imp Slavery before being picked by the Jedi, which does grant a very good cause to hate them without quarter, but also she has made friends on the other side, plus her experience on the Alliance must have tempered any lingering passions against it? Where does she stand now?

Oh, this is a fun question, if not a little disappointing of an answer. Thanks though!

Remember how I said I enjoyed desperately, spitefully hopeful stories? Yeah. So Trick was born into slavery, which is sort of an important distinction because, while her two older brothers and her parents remembered a life beyond Dromund Kaas, she never knew anything else before she escaped as a young teen. Despite that...Trick never really hated the Empire as a whole. Her abusers? Yes. The systemic oppression that allowed this to happen to her? Yes. But the Empire as a whole? No.

Or, at least by the time she joined the Order, she mellowed into a much more balanced viewpoint. For one, she absolutely refuses to be another round in a cycle of hate and violence--this is sometimes to her detriment, but in this case it actually gives her a bit of clarity in not seeing the Empire as one huge conglomerate and instead considering the individuals within it.

For two, she's aware that many of those individuals were in similar circumstances to her, and are either just as trapped in an oppressive society as she was, or wound up broken when they broke their own chains (and she cannot blame anyone for falling to the Dark Side in that environment).

And for three, she takes a much more balanced approach to the Light and Dark debate of the Force, and holds steady to the belief that one can't exist without the other. Thus, she doesn't want to see the Empire destroyed so much as she wants to see it change (because yeah...she does genuinely hate the whole slavery and conquering angle). Besides, she readily acknowledges the Empire has its merits, the same way the Republic has its faults.

So, by the time she hits the Alliance, her views are already pretty mild towards the Empire and they remain that way. The Alliance is everything she's ever wanted (Nadia's return and seeing the Alliance is like...the most canon conversation ever for Trick) and the Imperials who are with her are obviously the kind of people she always knew were in the Empire and wanted to see changes happen for anyways. Her true ire has always been towards the Hutts, and her falling out with the Republic during KOTET gives her way more grief than the Empire ever does.

Though, it should be noted that her friends on the other side (not counting the canon divergence @gothamcityneedsme and I have going on) consist of my canon BH Hayden, whom she met on Nar Shaddaa right after her escape (so well before he was a hunter and she was a Jedi), and who holds absolutely zero loyalty to the Empire or to the Mandalorians, and my sometimes canon Inquisitor/otherwise Sith assassin Raz, who was a fellow slave and who holds...surprisingly similar ideals regarding the Empire and its need for change.

The only Imperial she really befriended after becoming a Jedi was Lana, and their closeness kind of just proved to her how the whole divide and wishing for the Empire's destruction was pointless in the first place.

[lordaeronslost]

Wrinkles

“Da, did Mathair write to Quel’thalas about this?”

Sam Auroran looked up from the scattered papers on the desk, brows knitting as he regarded his younger daughter.  Karinlyyn stood a few feet away, an unfolded letter in her hand, the envelope tucked between her fingers bearing the seal of the Argent Crusade.  If she had been in a dress instead of the gray leathers, it would have been like looking at both of his daughters at once.  “No,” he said slowly.  “Your mother hasn’t written to anyone there since—hell.  I think since your cousin’s wife had their last child.”

She nodded slowly, frowning at the letter in her hands, violet eyes skipping over the page again as she read it a second time, then again.

Sam drew himself up straighter.  “Why?”

“Do you know if the Crusade reached out to anyone that might have served with them?”

He didn’t like the strange note in her voice.  The elder Auroran rounded the table, moving toward where his daughter stood just shy of a patch of sunlight that streamed through the windows at their townhouse in Dalaran—their primary home these days, with Lordaeron long lost and Theramore gone.  “Lyyn.”

Her gaze flicked up from the letter, regarding her father with a quiet, probing gaze.  “Do you?”

“Everyone I’ve spoken to—everyone that you and Anthus have spoken to for that matter—have been fairly firm about keeping it quiet and refusing to send  another contingent for fear of panic.  Three units in a matter of weeks without warning?  There hasn’t been anything quite like that since the war.”

She didn’t ask which war.  It didn’t matter.  Her gaze drifted back to the page.  “If no one is supposed to know and no one reached out from the Crusade, then why are there being inquiries made by someone else?”

“Who?”

She relinquished the letter to him, starting to pace as he scanned the missive, getting the gist.  His mouth soured, stomach twisting.

“Do you know these names?” He asked.

“Yes,” she said, leaning against the windowsill and staring out at the courtyard below where her husband did his best to keep their nieces and nephews distracted from everything going on.  Her daughter’s laughter echoed off the walls, cheering on her eldest cousin as he squared off against his uncle with practice swords.

Sam waited, but she didn’t seem inclined to elaborate.  He exhaled.  “Lyyn.”

“You know them, too,” she said.

“Not quite the way you do, I imagine,” he said quietly.  “You serve with them?”

“That is a complicated question, Da.”

The ghost of a smile curved his lips for a second before it was gone.  “I meant in the Crusade.”

“It was the Dawn, then,” she said.  “Grimstryke and Brightborn, yes.  Cieltus I knew by reputation.  It was at Light’s Hope, mostly.”

“Strike forces?”

She shook her head.  “Usually not but every so often they’d deploy a combat medic with us.”

Sam nodded slowly.  “But that doesn’t solve our mystery, does it?”

“If Mathair had written—”

“But she didn’t, like I said, not since his wife had their son.  Grimstryke must have found out another way.”

Sam sank down into one of the heavy leather reading chairs near the window.  “Then how?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted.  “I know Anny hasn’t written to anyone in Quel’thalas.  I haven’t had contact since the incident here a couple of months ago, but that was before any of this happened.  I hadn’t heard even a whisper since.”

Sam frowned, glancing toward the window.  “Then how would they know to make inquiries?”

“Perhaps it’s nothing,” she murmured.  “Perhaps it’s—hell.  Coincidence.  Grimstryke’s well-placed, it could just be something he caught a rumor about and pressed on.  The other two are associates of his.  It would track.”

“Does it really feel like it’s nothing?”  Sam glanced up at her with an arched brow.

Karinlyyn exhaled a sigh and leaned against the sill.  “No.  No, it doesn’t.”

Sam simply nodded, gaze drifting toward the window.  “Then I’ll leave it to you.”

“Another wrinkle,” his daughter murmured, taking the letter back.

“There always is,” he said, smiling reassuringly, the expression lingering for only a few seconds before it faded.  “We’ll find them.”

“Of course we will,” she said softly, folding up the letter and tucking it into her leathers.  “We don’t have a choice.”

[isryael]

Lucky ones - Part 5

[See @tenebreashember for part 4, @wynilthyrii for part 3, @graceintheshadows for part 2, and @lordaeronslost for part 1]

Isryael looked up from tending the fire as Kaede dropped heavily into one of the chairs in front of it.  The priestess stared blankly into the fire, a sheet of parchment dangling from two fingers, seemingly in danger of slipping to the floor.  The former Warden sat back on her heels, regarding the other woman for the space of a few breaths, then asked, “Do you want to talk about it?”

“They need me to check on the children,” Kaede said.  “On my brother and sister and Nikus’s grandson and the rest.  Make sure they’re not finding trouble while they’re away.”

There was something about the way she said it that set Isryael’s teeth on edge.  “You don’t mean while they’re on-post at Valiance.”

“No,” Kaede agreed softly.  “The rumors were true.  About Dalaran.  They—” she stopped, taking a slow breath.  “Another few days and they might have been there.  They might have been part of—part of the tragedy there.”

The ancient priestess stared into the fire.  Isryael watched her, seeing for the first time in what seemed forever the child that she’d once been, the girl raised in the midst of war by a mother and uncles struggling with their own grief and still actively involved in the fight—and more than that, involved in something that Isryael didn’t understand and probably never would.  She saw the girl that was given over to the Temple and shaped into a weapon that her mother had been intended to be.

Molded by a woman that Isryael had given her life to protect.

She pushed to her feet.  “Kaede.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not,” she countered softly, moving to stand in front of her friend.  Kaede’s brow furrowed as she looked up to meet Isryael’s gaze.  “They’ll be all right.”

“Their luck will run out at some point,” she whispered.  “It can’t last forever.  They should have died a thousand times.”

“We all thought your father did,” Isryael said softly.  “And then last year—”

“You’re just providing more evidence that at some point, their luck will finally run dry.”  Kaede took a shaky breath, glancing down at the letter in her hand.  She folded it carefully and slipped it into a pocket of her robe.  “We’ll leave in the morning.”

“Where are they going?”

“They were mustering in Stormwind for immediate deployment,” Kaede said, the words sounding as if she’d quoted the letter directly.  “They’re likely already gone.  But we’ll ask that friend of yours in the Argent encampment for a portal.”

“He won’t be able to send us directly to Stormwind.”

“Then we’ll walk from Redridge,” Kaede said.  “And we’ll find out what’s going on—what’s really going on.”

“You think there’s more to this than the whispers?  Than what’s in that letter?”

Kaede caught her gaze and held it, something grim in her expression.  “I don’t think it, Isryael.  I know it.”

The chair creaked as she stood, slipping past the taller woman to disappear back into one of the cottage’s tiny bedrooms.  Isryael watched her go and sighed softly.

“Tomorrow morning it is.”

[theshadowsparrow]

Location: Theo's Lab (Shadow-planed) Participants: Theo, Npc assistant

A hooded figure tidied the bench along a wall within Theo’s lab while the assassin hunched over a microscope, obtaining several dials along the side. Both worked in silence on the Shadow plane. The laboratory held an odd shape and appeared beneath the ground, with the walls covered in metal plates. The only runes appearing within the lab were on the inside of the single doorway, the closed entrance with an eight-inch dwarven forged steel door. Air ducts overhead were too small for a person to traverse, and the fans switched direction on random timers. Their covers appeared seamless from inside the lab. This location was not Theo’s first location. The raids in Silvermoon had taught him several lessons, and the reason the pair was conducting these tests away from Azeroth.

Every now and then, Theo’s gloved fingers would turn a dial one or another a few ticks in either direction. His careful eyes peered down to the slide, watching how Mori’s blood performed after death. There were dozens of slides along the bench, each held in separate containers from exposure. They ranged from fresh blood all the way to the extracted residuum. Many of the latter were reserved for him to test the blackened substance with some of his own creations. He wondered how well the spirit’s essence took to his secret pet project - ebon vine. Part of Theo knew he shouldn’t, but the rest of him said fuck it.

The Shadow Sparrow’s head lifted, and deft fingers released the microscope’s lens in close proximity before the slide was removed from the stage. The assistant eased over and took the slide, placing the next one into Theo’s hand in one smooth motion. This was not the first rotation of the set, nor likely to be the last. Observation came before notation. Right now, Theo was watching, seeking answers to questions that kept popping up, and there were a great number of them. One thing he’d known prior had been confirmed - the spirit was lingering and seeking to be revived. The one fact stood above all - it wanted a new host.

Casting a quick glance over the instruments to the stasis tanks where two bodies lay, Theo knew he would have to draw new samples soon. He also understood that he would need to find a suitable weakness to neutralize the lingering substance inside Mori. So far, he found no traces inside Aren’vial. The trauma the elf had sustained had made him eligible for revival. However, none of the redhead’s friends had mentioned such yet. Theo still contemplated the consequences if he were to return the elf to the living if he made that choice. More for the stilled elf than those currently breathing.

The next slide came into focus. The black and purple strands twisted and spiraled across the slide’s glass as if reaching toward something, anything, in desperation. It was almost as if eyes peered back, only there was no blinking. Theo watched the struggling substance under his gaze with a silent sigh. He used a syringe to inject the first substance of many trials to observe how the spirit’s residuum would react. Would it feed? Or would the spirit shrink from the essence extracted from Lightforged blood? 

The moment the two substances collided, they separated, avoiding each other. Incompatible. But then, they began to combat, attacking the other until the slide began to sizzle and break. Glass shattered, and Theo’s head lifted with a minute, audible sigh this time. Resting against the back of his chair, his assistant hurried over to clean up the mess, resetting the microscope to default after noting the settings on a notepad. 

The two exchanged a look before the next slide was set into place, and the lens lowered. The next test would be Theo’s hubris. A drop of his own blood. Not magically adept, he still held some secrets within his heritage. The rare ability to traverse planes seemed to be his true gift, apart from the extreme skill of killing others. Theo did not consider his hobby, his expertise in toxicology, worth mentioning for the test, despite having ensured his blood was formidable against many substances. Yet, his own abilities did not make up the full recipe of his blood heritage. The syringe let go of a single, small droplet of his blood, and Theo’s eyes remained unblinking to discover how the pure residuum sample reacted.

He had a small bottle at the ready, a solution of sodium sulfite. The twisted parasitical strands fed on his blood and pulsed, multiplying as a creature would when healing. Theo squirted the nozzle of the bottle instantly after his observation, dousing the slide in the solution to starve the residuum from air and life, also killing his blood sample, rendering it useless. The assassin’s eye remained, watching as the residuum’s strands uncoiled and thrashed about, searching the full extent of the slide for Theo’s blood. He also noticed that the eye-like clusters had formed together in the center, as a creature would in survival mode.  

The slide was removed and placed back into its own container. Theo took a moment to make notations. He exchanged another glance with his assistant before the next slide was moved into place.

This went on for what would be days on Azeroth, but time passed differently on the Shadow plane. He was able to work at length over the span of a few hours and return to deal with other matters outside the Shadow plane. His assistant would remain, despite the danger prolonged exposure posed. The bodies and samples had to be secured, and Theo could not be present the entire time. He had an organization to run and people to groom, after all. 

[edgeofsilverpineforest]

Cont. from Below (Post #8)

Theo

Pain crawled up his calf, almost seizing the muscle. Chill followed after, helping with some of the sting. The master assassin pushed it all out of his mind to focus on the task at hand, which was severing the front of the death knight’s neck as fast as possible.

“Ah hah. I’ve got you now… elf.” 

Theo could feel two hands gripping his legs. The fucker was going to try and launch him. Before the undead Worgen’s fingers could find their grasp, he released his legs and slid, still holding onto the dagger’s hilt embedded into the death knight’s neck, and swung forward. Pressing soles onto the beast’s torso, Theo had to act quickly now in the danger zone. He let go with a hand and reached for his belt. As the Worgen’s arms lifted, his hand shoved something into the pocket Theo had just created in the death knight’s neck. Kicking off, the Sparrow leader hoped he’d clear the bastard in time, shadow-stepping behind a tree just in case. The Shadow Sparrow felt the ghostly fingertips of the death knight around one of his ankles. But, he was free, standing securely behind a pine. “You talk too much. Two… one.” “I’ll haunt y-”

The grenade Theo had shoved into the death knight’s neck went off. The head instantly exploded with the helm flying off, interrupting the end of that sentence, much to Theo’s delight. Still, the chill left by the undead Worgen lingered. He attempted to shake it off as he moved to stealth and communicate with the rest of his Sparrows.

It was then he smelled his blood still dripping down his calf, and he cursed under his breath. That had to be attended to first. They could leave no trace, and he’d spattered an entire area with his little leap. ‘Fucking fel.’

To save time, Theo pulled out a small pouch of incendiary powder and began sprinkling it around the area while drinking a potion of his creation. As his wound healed and his armor soaked up the blood, he cleared the perimeter and tossed a match. With so much of the forest burning, what was one more section? It was best to burn the death knight, too. It could have gone far worse than him experiencing severe pain in a calf.

Theo walked away from the lit area, shaking his head at his own folly, focusing on the next task and looking for the next target.

Sparrows

“Headcount,” came from Theo’s comm.

“Boss!” “About time you showed up to the party.” “Less than half remain.” “The ferals are handling the leader.”

“Feather Six rounding the rear for deserters, but you should know. Reinforcements are not far off.”

“Let’s finish this quickly, then.” “Boss, can you take care of the warlock?” “What fucking warlock?” Theo’s curt voice can be heard. “The one that keeps staring down my barrel.” Her round had not reached the target after all.

An audible sigh flows through all the Sparrow’s ears before, “Fuck me. Yeah, Two and Three, on me. Give us a location.” “Got it, boss.” “Two relocating.” “Three relocating.”

The Shadow Sparrows maneuvered the chaotic field, utilizing any advantage found. 

“It doesn’t appear they are communicating well.” “The fire is starting to get out of hand, Boss.” “Then, let’s use our time wisely.”

They knew what that meant. Each Sparrow took inventory and stock of the situation. They had a maximum of about seven minutes to finish their assault, which included the Worgen reinforcements. That wasn’t enough time for Dreadfang to fully take hold. It had only been about that many minutes since they stood on the cliff behind them.

“We still using-” “Yep,” came Theo’s crisp reply, cutting off any possible information transmitted over their comms. That was a Sparrow he’d be talking to after if they survived.

<<to be continued>>

[tourettesdog]

I am having extremely specific and niche ideas I must share. Specifically headcanons for Danny Phantom characters playing World of Warcraft

I feel like Sam would have been the first of them to get into WoW. Something other to play than Doomed, with a heavier focus on questing. She'd play on a PVP server and would be something of a legend on her realm.

She'd pretty much do everything, from hardcore raiding, to achievement hunting, to a little roleplaying on the side with friends.

She'd have two characters she swaps between, a troll warlock and an undead rogue, and would have the most min-maxed gear she can possibly get at all times. A "for the Horde!" girlie all the way. The warlock has tailoring/enchanting for professions, and the rogue mining/jewelcrafting, and she's got every recipe she can get her hands on for both.

I could see Sam trying to get Tucker and Danny into WoW, only to be wildly disappointed with their character decisions as both of them cozy up Alliance-side on a roleplaying realm.

-

Tucker takes one glance at worgen and goes "I'm gonna be a fucking werewolf" and it's all over from there. His main would be a guardian/feral druid (tank and melee dps) with the corniest RP name you've ever seen, and he loves them dearly. He's always looking for new transmog to dress up with, and he takes his mining/engineering professions a little too seriously. He mostly plays with Danny, but probably has a horde alt Sam forced him to make so they could actually play together before cross-faction became a thing (I am being intentionally Vague about what expansions they'd be playing in).

Tucker's horde alt would be a tauren druid that ALSO runs engineering. Pretty much the same character, especially considering he spends 90% of his time in animal forms.

-

Danny would start off playing a night elf monk and would get more into the RP of it than he ever wants to openly admit. He loves all of the flips and shit the monks do, and he's all in on the night elf aesthetic. He swaps between mistweaver and windwalker (healer and DPS), depending on what him and Tucker need to get shit done. He doesn't really focus a lot on the professions, instead going for dual gathering with mining and herbalism so he just has a lot of rocks and plants to throw at Tucker or onto the auction house.

After the accident though, Danny takes a long, staring look at death knights and decides he needs to play one-- for the memes. He's dogshit at it after playing monk for so long, but you can pry his frost (dps) death knight from his cold, half-dead hands.

The DK is just another night elf and when he's RPing, Danny likes to say it's the same character as the monk.

(Also I specifically think that Danny would play a nelf instead of a draenei because, as a trans Danny truther, I feel like the too-buff male draeneis would be a little Much for him, and the femme ones would be too dysphoric.)

-

Val would very begrudgingly start playing WoW with them once she joins Team Phantom. She'd go Horde-side with Sam, with a tauren warrior decked head to toe in red. She quickly gets sucked into the game, and gets a little intense with farming for all of the things she wants-- mounts, cool transmog, some battle pets. She likes to do a lot of content alone, finding it fun to just go off questing, but she'll let herself be dragged into dungeons ever now and then. She just doesn't have the time or energy for raiding consistently.

Val winds up making a bunch of different alts eventually to keep collecting shit, and she gets scary good at gold farming so she can pay for her subscription with in-game currency. She's got a bunch of different professions she runs on her various alts, but the warrior's got mining/blacksmithing since the idea of making her own armor won her out.

-

Dani plays on a laptop bought with Vlad's money, on a subscription also bought with Vlad's money. She takes one look at Val and Sam playing Horde-side and decides there is no other side to play.

She mains a vulpera hunter and is a troll through and through. She lives up to the hunter stereotype of accidentally pulling everything, but makes up for it by being scary good at DPS and PVP. Her and Val do a lot of mog and mount farming together, and some of her favorite things to collect are the battle pets and toys. She's got Meerah's Jukebox (a toy that plays a song about alpacas before exploding) hotkeyed to drop at a moment's notice.

She winds up getting a little too invested in alchemy, insisting she needs to be good at making goop.

-

Wes would not play WoW, and would instead play FFXIV and would never shut up about how much better it is than WoW.

Bonus:

Lancer plays a lot of WoW during the summer when school is out. He's got a human mage who looks a bit like a buff version of him that he's been playing since the game released, and he's got all sorts of achievements and collectibles held onto from that era. He runs herbalism/inscription as a profession, and has every recipe for it under the sun. He still insists on riding his first horse mount that he ever got, and it has a Shakespearean name.

[yingchens-writings]

Hello to all across the cosmos~

“I think we all have the potential to do good and evil. Nobody is born into being either of the two – we’re all really just shades of grey, if you think about it. Choice is what makes you human, after all.”  

— YINGCHEN RATIO 

The Doctor’s younger sibling. A cheerful and lively author who wants nothing more than to explore the universe, who also happens to be running from their past. Empathizes far too easily with others, and is too perceptive for his age. A Nameless member who joined alongside Dan Heng, wearing his heart on his sleeve at all times. Inseparable from their cat, Sock.

AGE: 16

SPECIES: Half-Vidyadhara, half human. 

PRONOUNS: They & him. 

FACTIONS: The Nameless & The Astral Express, The Xianzhou Luofu (formerly). 

PATH: The Harmony. 

ELEMENT: Quantum. 

— NOTES ABOUT THE CHARACTER

THIS is their lore doc that includes their kit, character stories, lightcone story, and more. Also voicelines! :)

Yingchen identifies as panromantic and asexual. 

They are taken by @deliasmasterpiece. 

Yingchen will never respond to aggression well. They are the kind of person to back down and apologize immediately. They do not like to fight other people physically, but can be vicious if you cross the line relating to their parents. 

Yingchen is half-brothers with Dr. Ratio. Yes, I have lore as to why this was possible. One word: Aha. 

Yingchen is highly empathetic and wears their heart on their sleeves at all times. They are stubborn, loyal, and seek the approval of those around them. They are not incredibly insecure, but they do have an unfortunate past. 

Yingchen will usually seek a positive relationship with those who try to be romantically involved with their brother. However, there is a chance that they will not approve of you, which could make for some funny scenes. 

— TAGGING SYSTEM

creativity strikes! . ✒ | for in-character posts & reblogs

puppet's musings . 💡 | for random thoughts

a new idea? . 🖋️ | for answering asks

prime character inspiration! . 📖 | for interactions with canon characters

a new specimen? . 📜 | for interactions with ocs

blood & water . 🕯️ | for interactions with dr. ratio

touched by the sun . ☀️ | for interactions with aventurine

moonlight <3 . 🌙 | for interactions with delia

to the stars . 💫 | for interactions with the nameless

research material? . 🔎 | for interactions with characters from the herta space station

ice-cold body, warm-melting hearts . ❄️ | for interactions with those from belobog

my hometown . 🪭 | for interactions with those from the xianzhou luofu

unending nightmare . 🔮 | for interactions with those from penacony

i think too much . 🪶 | for starters and writing bits

it was me . ❤️ | ooc!

— NOTES FROM THE MOD 

I am a minor! 

I use they/them prns.

No NSFW. I will toss you into a wall. 

PLEASE LET ME INTERACT WITH YOUR OCS 

Any and all Ratio blogs are welcome for sibling interactions 

I am incredibly normal 

I don’t bite, if you wanna rp a specific situation you’re free to! 

I sometimes get wordy with my replies. Author stuff 😔 - no pressure to match my energy!

I respond quickly most of the time. Yes, I’m chronically online. Help.

I love interacting with anybody. Feel free to send shit into the inbox!

NO FLIRTING WITH ME I AM TAKEN THANKS GUYS THOUGH! 

Will add onto this later. 

I don’t tag stuff ‘cause I’m lazy. Amen. Redoing my intro post because this is great!

Also, if you want to use my format, PLEASE ASK FIRST.

[risrielthron]

Risri Elthron

“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever…It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.”

Name: Risri Elthron Nickname: Ris, Big Bear Race: Kaldorei FC: Erica Cerra Language(s): Common, Darnassian, Thalassian and some Orcish. Height: 6′2″ Body Type: Lean, fit. Eye Color: Silver Hair Color: Purple Age: 415 Notable Scars, Marks, etc: None. Tattoos/Piercings: Claw tattoos on her face. First Appearances: She always appears very well put together, always has a notebook and her camera.

Personality: The Consul (ESFJ-A). Consuls are altruists, and they take seriously their responsibility to help and to do the right thing. Consuls love to be of service, enjoying any role that allows them to participate in a meaningful way, so long as they know that they are valued and appreciated. Consul personalities respect hierarchy, and do their best to position themselves with some authority, at home and at work, which allows them to keep things clear, stable and organized for everyone.

Can Currently Be Found In: Stormwind, occasionally on her travels for photography reasons can be found anywhere in Azeroth

OOC INFORMATION:

What I’m Looking For: Character progression as well as story/plot progression. Friendships or hateships are good! Pre-established relationships are okay, just chat with me first. Fandom: World of Warcraft. Sole Faction or Cross-Faction: Sole Faction. Faction I Play: Alliance. Server: Wyrmrest Accord Venues I Actively Roleplay In:  Discord, Tumblr, and in game Favorite Type of RP: Friendship, Adventure, Small Social Circles Triggers: I do not condone any sexual harm to a minor. Period. Things I Will Not RP: Ultra-taboo, degradation, explicit content with minors. RP Strong Points: I am usually good about giving you something to play off of, whether it be a question or action. I typically write paragraphs but I don’t care if you do or not. I don’t usually put a lot of filler words in. RP Weak Points: I get anxious when more than three people sometimes. I can sometimes slow down an RP because I’m typing a response. I feel I am horrible with rapid fire RP.  What To Expect:  A very calm disposition, friendly, quiet most of the time. Where I RP: Prefer in-game or discord depending on the availability/content. Will do tumblr as well.

Shadowlands:  Risri is not IC in the Shadowlands and has not been there. Dragonflight:  Risri might be found in the Isles, especially around the Green Dragonflight areas.

RP HOOKS:

A Moment in Time: Risri owns a little photography studio on the canal side of the Trade District in Stormwind. Visitors would find photographs she has taken at events and around the worlds on the walls up for display or purchase (mostly landscapes for purchase).  She also does photo shoots in her studio (think family portrait).  She can be hired to take photos for events (she had done several weddings) or even for special reasons.  This is the perfect venue to meet Risri whether you’re just browsing or coming in to schedule something in particular.

Cenarion Circle: Risri is a member of the Cenarion Circle. Anyone who is a member could know Risri or know of her. She became a druid with the circle about 100 years ago. Druid things are always welcome whether its teaching or just chatting about events.

Other ideas:  Risri once ran @the-royal-courier​  many people know of her from those days, its okay to be one of them without chatting to me first. She often wanders taking photos out in the city, maybe she snapped one of you - its perfectly fine to question or even be angry that she did so, or even ask for a copy!

Art credit: 1st: @BBergolts on twitter, 2nd: @MischiArt on twitter, 3rd: @thedawnsart​

[seasons-greetings-pkmn]

Ana (formerly pkmn-scntst-ana) Reboot Primer

*as in, we are pretending these things have always been true

-> Ana is no longer a Faller.

Although she wasn't specifically referred to with this term, pre-reboot Ana Fell from a very dark, Mirror-esque universe (hereby named Apocrypha) and ended up in a more Pokemon typical universe before. This is no longer the case.

-> Ana is no longer N's biological twin.

Before, Ana (Anathema) was N's biological twin, and both were found by Ghetsis as children. Now, she is one of a set of triplets & has no biological connection with N.

-> Ana's adjusted backstory:

Ana was kidnapped by a Celebi from Apocrypha and spent several years trapped there before managing to return to her universe of origin. While in Apocrypha, she was formally adopted by Ghetsis and became adoptive siblings with N, Anthea, and Concordia, all of whom ran their own faction in Plasma, which ruled Unova.

Trigger Warnings

Apocrypha is a dark, Lawful Evil universe where everything that could go wrong for those trying to stop Teams, did. You can compare it to Mirror Universe of Star Trek. Ana became severely traumatized in her few years there. She was meant to be the Hero of Ideals in Apocrypha, but turned away from the opportunity, and turned away from being Kyurem's Chosen in Apocrypha as well.

Before her kidnapping and subsequent time in Apocrypha, she was not a pacifist. She developed her extreme pacifism due to trauma, and her attachment to pacifism is itself a delusion. Challenging said delusion will be met with extreme resistance, and it is not possible to break or shatter it.

Ana does not, icly, realize she has a delusion, and I will not allow any rp that tries to "educate" her on this. It is very uncomfortable to be self-aware of your own delusions. I would know - I'm aware of multiple of my own. I will oocly put a stop to anything that crosses the line for me on this issue.

I'm sure some people will be uncomfortable with my depiction of this; this character is pretty much designed to have her delusions challenged, which can be very uncomfortable to read. I will make sure to tag any posts appropriately, and anyone can request delusion related tags for posts.

Additionally, this rp blog will now contain fictional religious practices that include ritual (Pokemon) sacrifice and consumption of said sacrifices. As Ana can communicate with Pokemon, this may also make people uncomfortable. In this canon, and in the character's minds, Pokemon are still animals. Highly intelligent animals, but animals none-the-less. I have zero intention of rping with characters who are going to have major ic problems with this, so I'd prefer that you simply not interact if it's going to cause significant in character conflict. Another post will cover this in more detail, but none of the fictional religious practice showcased on this blog will be about causing/enjoying causing harm to Pokemon. I just want to explore how folk religion could work in Pokemon universe.

[turning-through-the-never]

BRIGHT & BOLD RAVE!

WHEN: Friday, March 24th - 6pm WrA (Pacific Time) WHERE:  Wyrmrest Accord - Drunken Hozen Inn at Dawn’s Blossom in the Jade Forest, Pandaria (Map Below) WHO: Cross-faction/cross-server friendly! WHAT:  Wear anything bright and/or bold, come show off those pretty mogs and dance the night away! Bartenders will be NPC and the music link will be provided in-game at the event.

We do have a community set up called ‘Hereafter’ which will be used for anchoring in these casual events. If you have issues seeing people there, join the community and ask for an invite! If you are on another server, definitely join the community so we can pull you over!

JOIN COMMUNITY HERE!

**Hosted by a couple of us in the guild Hereafter wanting to offer some more RP for the community! Any question, feel free to contact me here or on Discord at Marvolo#8114**

[duiiness]

more argenti writing

(taken specifically from an rp i was doing ages ago, this is still one of my favorite writings of argenti)

Argenti's lips tilted upwards, in a gentle smile at the man's reaction. He seemed relatively pleased by this interaction, and Argenti took that into stride. Though, the notion that his attention was unwanted wasn't too surprising ⸺ Argenti's eyes didn't miss the gun at his side. It would be hard to do so, truthfully. So, it was clear the man was versed in some degree of violence, for whatever purpose. Of course, Argenti had his suspicions of why, but he wouldn't be so crass to believe them as truth nor would he pry so carelessly into a stranger's life. While he possessed a curiosity for this man, he wished to avoid stepping too far.

"Well, all the same, I find appreciation in the recognition of my crest. I feel few truly recall its symbol, and what it once stood for." A solemn thought, Argenti supposed. After the disappearance of their Aeon, the knights found themselves at odds. Some whispered of Idrila's death ⸺ something Argenti refused to believed ⸺ and they eventually found their faction breaking apart. Some Knights were felled, a pain that ached softly in the hollow of his chest, and some began their own travels, to traverse the universe in search of something. Perhaps Idrila. Perhaps themselves. Argenti could only hope that fate, and Idrila's guiding hand, would cross their paths once more.

His eyes quietly glanced over the man's face, both to garner his reaction and to better assess his features. Something he found particularly noteworthy was the crosshairs in Boothill's eyes. He couldn't recall if he's ever witnessed someone with such markings, especially within their eyes. It was a truly captivating aspect, and a point of interest. However, he did find the placement of the rose satisfying. An apparent place, unlikely to go unnoticed. While he wasn't sure if the cowboy understood the degree of such a thing, Argenti took it as an acknowledgement of Idrila's gift. And, as usual, Argenti had barely paid any heed to the momentary shift of the lighting nor the brief gazes cast their way, when he had gifted Boothill the rose. Of course, for as quickly as it happened, it went back to the previous state.

"Perhaps, but I find the desire to express gratitude hard to ignore when faced with such kindness. Though, I do appreciate the notion of your consideration." He could distinguish the playful nature of his words, his own voice taking on a small lilt. Despite their conversation being brief, and truthfully just beginning, Argenti found himself enjoying it. Some people often kept themselves reserved, or others simply ignored Argenti's behavior. While he held no ill-will to such actions, he always felt himself longing for people to allow openness in themselves, and to allow their hearts to be admired. But he knew the complicated nature of a human, or any being for that matter, could make it far harder to accept such thing. Hence his reserved patience for many, never wishing to rush them into something.

Beauty often came as a reward for one's dedication.

"Ah, well, I suppose the depth of Idrila's gift may have no ending. But, the sharing of roses isn't reserved solely for those who express compliments towards my visage. I find that most who crossed my path leave with one, an expression of my admiration for their being. Beauty comes in many forms, and I find it partially my duty to make sure it can be recognized, even in the most unassuming places." Though, Boothill wasn't incorrect by any means. Argenti often found himself crossing paths with strangers and their kind words, ones that he would repay with his own kindness, and the roses. Idrila gift, something Argenti delighted in sharing, regardless of whether or not someone shared a compliment towards him. He had no urge to try and stoke his own ego by searching for approval, but he could admit, there was a sense of bashful pride when he came across them. Though, he supposed most people took enjoyment in someone noticing something, and paying praise to it ⸺ such as Argenti did, often.

Although, he found that it was often reserved for the mundane rather than something of an ostentatious nature. He found beauty in the simplest of things, something that he felt was lost on most people.

"Well, I'll admit, I found myself particularly moved when I took notice of you, my silver cowboy. Our paths only briefly crossed, only a bit from this very establishment, and I wished to take more care in learning of you." His head turned for a moment, as the bartender returned, and Argenti offered his thanks as he took the glass into hand. The seemingly underlying question within his statement didn't go unnoticed either, emerald eyes casting over Boothill's shifting form before crossing to his own drink. "I must appear out of place with my own beverage, but I'd hate for an incident to occur, and I find myself unable to give my aid. It is the duty of a Knight to offer his hand, however and wherever he can."

The nature of bars wasn't lost on Argenti, people often attending them to escape the ugliness of the outer world. It left a twinge in his chest, to imagine people so disheartened that they had to run away from these things. A life that they could not easily escape. He knew that grief, very well. The memories of his home planet, and the war that ravaged it. The way his breath always held, waiting for the next strike, even as he hid underground. And, in the midst of that anguish, there was a glimmer of hope. Of beauty, in that dark place. Something that he desired to bring to people, such as that moment of clarification brought to him.

A softer, serene look crossed Argenti's face. "Perhaps. But the nature of beauty far exceeds the physical. Of course, it can appear in a visage, but that is not the only form it possesses. An extension of Idrila's power is to find beauty everywhere, even when most people cannot see it. And I suppose that is what drew me here. Idrila's guidance lays a out a path, one that I follow. And it guided me here, to you." Argenti allowed his eyes to shut for a moment, the shifting sounds of the bar filling his ears. The sound of clinking glass, chattering voices, shuffling chairs and the sighs of a living breath. There was a beauty in such things, an admiration for the nature of simply existing. His eyes flickered open, before carefully taking a sip of his drink. "If you don't mind my own inquiry, I'd like to ask if you had any particular reason for being here yourself."

[cnihachu]

(long ass post)

this all happened so long ago that only the oldest, most loyal residents of irisgard remember it. with the combination of two young kingdoms and one very large and prosperous one, history–currently captured in the scrolls of monks and song and dance–is fluid. you can hear these tales in the voices of the elders that loiter at the bar or watch the ships leave. if you’re braver, you can cross worlds into the nether to look at the ruins for yourself and theorize whether dragons are real are not. i’m the author, so i know it’s a true story, but for everyone else it’s not a well-remembered one. irisgard is focused on rebuilding, anyway. there are far more important things to be attended to than ruins and old wives tales, right? especially in the wake of something like the plague of silence. if there’s no evidence of it why bother? and there’s plenty of evidence of other magic in the world. witches, the fae, the spirit of the land who still is prayed to (in secret, without talking to the church). there are iron automatons that can speak human language, and orcs and even faraway giants. there is an entire alternate realm full of inhuman creatures that live within a bustling and cultivated civilization. and the princess is marrying one right now.

all this would be well and good if it were not for the war of the falling skies… historical event! the nether was overrun with dragons. most of the ancient dragons were born there, out of the fires of the depths itself. they split into three factions, living in the basalt wastes, in the dry soul sand and the forest. however, enough dragons followed one leader (from the wastes) that when this leader began to covet gold, it meant that kingdoms and civilizations of the nether were buried under rubble for it.

netherite and gold were the favorites of dragons, because they could use them to enforce their scales. eventually the two became status symbols: dragons drained the nether of its wealth to rise to the top their society. and when they felt the nether was empty, they burst out into the overworld. it was there that old irisgard (name tba) and the kingdom el would inherit joined their forces. the war was named ‘falling sky’ by humans because of the destruction that rained down: hellfire from the air. eventually, the nether kingdom rallied the more peaceful dragons to fight, and they were the ones that defeated the dragons of the waste. those then spread out, in the overworld and under. they became other species or hid themselves around the world under the skin of mountains or in the depths of the ocean.

kicker is that the dragon of the waste is said to live on as a spirit, maybe even a vengeful one, along with other prominent dragons who died. reincarnating into various people until it finds the right host.

-faye :3

I FUCKINH LBOR UOIU I FUCKING LOVE YOU I LVOE YOU FAYE...............GRIPPING AT THE EDGE OF MY TBALE........YOU DONT UDNERSTAND HOW MUCH I LOVE THIS. THE WORLD HISTORY IS SO RICH AND FUFILLING AND THERES SO MUCH FOR US TO WORK WITH AND BUILD ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I SEE WHAT YOURE PUTTING DOWN. GOING ABSOUTELY INSANE. HELLOOOOOOOO... the dragons forged from the fires of what is essentially hell........................................ grgrjgrgrgjr i love our silly rp server sm

[gracegrove]

I joined this fandom last summer, at first it was a bit confusing for me because I hadn't really participated much in fandom 'per se' prior to this. I participated in other fandoms but in rp capacities prior to this, and so if I heard about disputes it never seemed to leach down into the rp factions that I was a part of much.

That being said, when I first got here I saw posts from users going back and forth about Billy's sexuality. (I was not yet in Harringrove I was just doing reader x writing initially)... And it confused me as to why it seemed like there was just this notion of dug-in positions about it.

Having simply watched the show and just coming online green, and myself being cishet... I figured yeah Billy and every other character, at least in my own reality, were straight. Because that's always what gets portrayed...

I also noted in myself feelings of anger and defensiveness. And I couldn't understand truly what I was getting angry or feeling attacked about. Because ... there was nothing to feel attacked about. Truly. Why did it even matter?

There are just a few things that I can say I'm truly grateful for from my current academic program. But one of them is the required Diversity and Cross-Cultural Psychology course.

Something I learned, when I took that course, was that when I started getting these feelings. Feelings of being attacked, defensive, or misplaced anger. Nearly 10 of 10 times, we were discussing privilege topics. Whether it was race or gender or sexuality or ableism. A topic would come up and like instinct, my hackles would just kick up.

I had to learn to ask myself, to check in with myself. Is this actually threatening to me? Is this actually harmful to me? Harmful to anyone else? Also nearly 10 of 10 times the answer was, 'no', and it was just this gut reaction. As if my brain was pushing back, to say "don't say everyone x has x privilege... that would make me bad. I don't want to be bad. how dare you." And I realized, recognizing my privilege and the anger and insecurity it makes me feel is not about lashing out or defending against. It's not about others trying to make me into 'the bad guy' or making me feel guilty or 'what about me?'

It's about shutting up. Listening. Recognizing that the world doesn't revolve around yourself and just the majority group or groups that you have the privilege of belonging to.

Truly, if I hadn't realized this. Started practicing. Built this system and recognition to check in with myself when I'm disproportionately feeling like I'm being called out or made fun of or whatever else, when in reality that isn't what's happening...

I wouldn't be able to participate in this fandom. I'd be too busy choking on my privilege. I'd also be lonely as hell. Trust me, there are very few people who fully believe with their full chest that Billy is hetero and the more posts I read the more I was like "huh.... this is making more sense when I check my bullshit at the door."

I'm really glad to be here, and it took work to be here. And it will probably take continued work. And it's sad that others cannot recognize that because this place is so lovely and the people are so kind and beautiful.