#crudely drawn swords

[wholelotofweird]

hey chat, i think theres something weird with Brad TeamAlpha? is this a buff because he won Find My Skeleton??

@crudely-drawn-ben

[crudely-drawn-ben]

Day nine - warm hat.

[milswrites]

Cupid’s Sword

~Azriel X Fem!Reader~

Summary: Azriel has a crush but finds himself unable to approach them. Unable to just stand by and watch their friend’s desperate pining, Nesta and Cassian take it upon themselves to play Cupid and try and set them up. Will their efforts lead to success or is Azriel destined to remain single forever?

Warnings: Mentions of drinking. Stabbing but the good kind?

Azriel was staring again. Staring at her. His golden eyes hadn’t moved from her soft form all night, locked in place as if he were stuck in a trance. Which he may has well have been, her hypnotising features melted their way into his mind and invaded his senses, clearing them all of anything but her.

He found himself drawn to her like a moth to a flame. Her sweet voice carried from the bar where she was sat drinking with Nesta, causing his shadows to stir and attempt to crawl their way towards her in desperation for her presence. Her honeyed voice which delivered words like poetry, had always affected Azriel in ways he couldn’t explain. The velvet laugh that left her mouth as she spoke animatedly with her friend was as smooth as the whiskey Azriel was nursing.

He was hooked. Her presence a drug that Azriel hasn’t been able to get enough of since he had first laid eyes on her. Azriel hadn’t even been invited to Rita’s tonight. But when his shadows had reported to him that you had agreed to go tonight with Nesta, he knew there was no other place he wanted to be. Nesta’s permission be damned.

And so here he was, hiding in the shadows of a booth with Cassian, who was fearful of being caught by his mate on the one night where she was free of his company. Cassian had been unable to say no to his friend who had claimed he needed a drink or two after a hard days work, but now they were here Azriel could tell his brother was catching on to the real reason why he had wanted to come.

“Something caught your eye brother?” Cassian teased, bored of sitting and drinking in silence as Azriel’s attention was elsewhere, “or should I say someone?”

Azriel cursed under his breath. He would have been better off coming alone. If Cassian caught wind of his admiration for Nesta’s new friend he would never let Azriel live it down. Azriel could already imagine the relentless mocking that would ensue.

With great effort, he tore his eyes away from Y/N at the bar and settled them onto the overjoyed face of his brother manically grinning before him. “I don’t know what you mean” Azriel muttered, gaze moving to his half-empty drink to avoid his brother being able to read his lies. But of course once Cassian had started something he just couldn’t leave it alone.

“No?” Cassian mused, “the hole you’ve burned into Y/N’s head says differently. Unless of course it was my mate you’ve been staring at, in which case you’re more than welcome to come warm our bed tonight.”

The latter part of Cassian’s remark didn’t phase Azriel, he was used to the crude comments that spew from his friend’s mouth. He even sometimes heard them from Nesta. The first few words however caused Azriel’s heart to start beating faster and his palms grew clammy, skin clinging uncomfortably to the glass he was gripping for support. Defensively he said, “I wasn’t staring at Y/N.”

“Hm sure Az and I’m not the sexiest man - oh hey Y/N!”

Azriel’s head snapped to where Cassian had directed his voice, scared the woman had witnessed the conversation. She wasn’t stood there. Y/N was still happily sat at the bar with Nesta gossiping away with matching smiles on their faces. At his frantic reaction Cassian had broken out into a hearty laugh, his hand flying to his chest to brace himself as he did so. His booming chortle was enough to start drawing attention from the other customers who had found their way into Rita’s tonight.

“You’re whipped brother!” Cassian ginned merrily at Azriel who began to desperately shush his brother as his worried eyes briefly jumped to the bar, afraid the woman in question would be listening in.

“Yes! Ok! I like her!” Azriel hissed quietly between his teeth, hoping his admission would stop Cassian from teasing him for the whole club to hear.

“I knew it…I knew it” Cassian beamed in satisfaction as if he had just solved Azriel’s deepest secret. As if it wasn’t obvious enough from the way Azriel had been pining after Y/N from the shadows of their booth for the majority of the evening.

“Go over to her! I’m sure she’d say yes if you ask her in a date!” He urged Azriel, gesturing excitedly towards the bar as if playing wingman was his lifelong dream profession.

“And leave Nesta to discover we’re here ruining her girls night? She’s killed people for less” Azriel retorted in hopes that his brother wouldn’t make him go over to the bar and no doubt embarrass himself by being rejected in front of the mass of people in Rita’s tonight.

“Ah” Cassian dismissively waved his hand, “what Nesta doesn’t know won’t hurt her, I’ll hide in the toilet and you-”

Cassian was interrupted by the cold snap of his mates voice, “Nesta doesn’t know what dear?”

The two males gulped at Nesta’s sudden appearance, both having no intention of saying anything lest they anger Nesta even further. There was no doubt the terrifying woman would easily give them both a piece of her mind without them even needing to speak.

“Do you want to tell me, darling mate, why you’ve come to stalk me on my girls night?” She continued, her presence enough to leave both males breathless in fear.

“I wasn’t stalking you! I was watching Y/N!” Cassian blurted before he realised how his words had sounded and continued rambling before his mate could smite him, “not me! Him! Azriel made me come, he’s in love with her so I told him to go ask her out!”

“Cassian!” Azriel gasped with wide eyes, disbelief crossed his features as his brother betrayed his secret crush. Anxiously Azriel leant over to look past Nesta, trying to find the object of his affection and make sure she didn’t hear what Cassian had said.

Nesta’s face flashed with surprise at the information before her expression morphed into something more mischievously sinister as her eyes landed on the sputtering Azriel. “Don’t worry she didn’t hear. She’s gone home” Nesta reassured him.

But Azriel was feeling anything but reassured. The spark that had ignited in Nesta’s eyes caused him to feel unsettled and shrink back into his seat, wanting to escape the woman’s scheming gaze. Even Cassian seemed uneasy, shuffling where he was sat as he observed Nesta’s silent plotting, unsure of where this was going to go.

“It’s ok Azriel” she finally said in a sickly sweet voice as she placed a hand onto his shoulder, gripping it tight enough that Azriel knew he should definitely be scared, “we’ll get you that date.”

~~~~~

If Nesta could be described in a single word Azriel would say she was relentless. Ever since she had found out about Azriel’s not so little crush on Y/N at Rita’s over a week ago, she had been a force of nature.

He knew Nesta loved her friend dearly. Having nothing but good things to say about her since she had been introduced to Y/N by Madja. The elder woman had hired Y/N as an apprentice with the hope that she would be able to take over her healing duties when the time came for her retirement. Azriel had been curious about this woman that the usually reserved Nesta spoke so fondly of and so the next time Madja had brought her along after receiving the call that Cassian needed to be healed, Azriel had made sure he was there.

He was not disappointed. Y/N had been blessed by the cauldron in both looks and heart. Her presence on the day they had met being enough to stun him into a paralytic awe as he found himself unable to string even a few words together to speak to her.

Azriel was content to watch on in silent appreciation. Spending the days whenever she was at the House of Wind hovering close by, longing to hear a trace of her soft voice. If he was particularly lucky, he would on occasion receive an earth-shattering smile as she acknowledged him from a distance. But that was all it ever was, a distance.

Until Nesta had gotten involved and suddenly Y/N was everywhere. There was no room Azriel could enter that Y/N wasn’t in alongside a beaming Nesta. His inability to speak around her growing more and more frustrating as he had to grumble a shy hello before excusing himself, nerves too overwhelming for him to say anymore and his embarrassment at this stupor being too much for Azriel to want to stay in silence.

His reaction to her new overwhelming presence caused Nesta to grow frustrated. She had obviously been thinking that this would be an easy match and ignored Cassian’s warnings about how debilitating Azriel’s crush actually was. Nesta would have to try harder than just making sure Azriel could never escape Y/N’s presence. It’s a good thing she had a mate who was more than willing to help out his struggling friend.

Cassian was not a subtle man, he definitely wasn’t the type of person who did things in small measures. If Cassian was going to set his brother up he would do it his way, and hopefully not destroy any buildings in the process.

~~~~~

Azriel had grown used to Y/N being here. Which meant he had become very good at avoiding her whilst she was, his shadows reluctantly reporting to him not to leave his room whenever she was around.

Instead Azriel’s new favourite past time was wallowing in his own self pity as he laid face down on his bed in frustration at his situation. Which is where he was when Cassian had entered, neglecting to knock and alert him of his presence.

“Hey buddy,” his words interrupting Azriel’s sulking, “Can I have your help with something?” Azriel emitted a grunt of acknowledgment, not deigning to lift his head to look at his brother. “Great…cool” Cassian continued, “so I am superrr busy with work right now but I had promised Rhys I’d get some paperwork over to Madja. Think you can help me out?”

Deciding that doing Cassian’s chores would be a suitable distraction from his thoughts, Azriel raised his head slightly and grunted once more.

“Brilliant thanks Az!” He grinned, rubbing his hands together before turning to leave the room. Azriel sat up fully now in confusion, facing his retreating brother, “Cassian?”

The male jumped as if he had been caught doing something he shouldn’t and slowly turned back towards Azriel waiting to hear what his friend had to say. “The paperwork?” Azriel asked.

“Huh” sounded Cassian.

“The paperwork for Madja? Where is it?” Azriel watched as realisation crossed the generals features, mouth dropping open in a small o.

“Right… the paperwork. I’ll go get it!” Cassian said before running off, his footsteps pounding down the corridor as he ran to his room and back. Once he had returned, panting slightly at his hurried movement, he handed Azriel a sealed envelope, “here you go! And uh… don’t open that it’s highly confidential.”

Azriel enjoyed the flight over to Madja’s estate, the opportunity to spread his wings and allow the cool air to clear his head was refreshing. He landed smoothly and opened the door, ready to greet the elder woman he and the rest of the Inner Circle were so fond of. Yet Madja wasn’t there. Instead, Y/N was sat at Madja’s desk scribbling away at the papers laid before her.

At the sound of the door creaking open, her head raised, a bright smile adorning her face at the sight of the shadowsinger. “Azriel! Hi, what can I do for you?” Her honeyed voice made Azriel’s spine tingle and he found himself wishing for her to say his name again. Liking the way it sounded coming from her lips.

“Uh…where’s Madja?” He didn’t mean to sound as rude as he did when asking that question. However, the irregular pounding of his heart made his senses slip and his anxiety spike.

Y/N didn’t seem to mind, smile still on her face as she answered, “I’ve started taking over for her. When there’s not any serious injuries of course,” her smile then faltered a little, “but I thought you knew? You sent the flowers?”

A matching frown crossed Azriel’s features, “flowers? What flowers?” He asked as she directed his attention to the ridiculously large bouquet of flowers placed lovingly into a vase on the chest of drawers behind Azriel. He squinted his eyes, enabling him to read the note sticking out of them. The note which was written in Cassian’s untidy scrawl.

To Y/N

Congratulations on the promotion

With love, Azriel

He blanched, “Yes! The flowers of course. I ordered them so long ago that I forgot I’m sorry”

Y/N’s frown grew deeper at his excuse, “I only got the news yesterday?”

“Madja told me a week or two ago” he lied, desperate for the topic of this conversation to change before he dug himself a deeper hole. The lie seemed to do the job though as Y/N was obviously pleased with the thought of the older healer telling Azriel about it, telling him about her.

“Oh well, thank you! I love them” her blissful smile returned causing the butterflies already present in Azriel’s stomach to go wild. He wanted to tell her no problem, to ask her how her days going, to potentially ask her out on that date he was so badly craving. But Azriel’s tongue had grown heavy, glued to the roof of his mouth rendering him speechless.

Like a fool he stood there before her just staring. Admiring the way the golden glow of the sunlight shining through the window danced on her rosy cheeks. Taking note of the way her eyebrow slightly twitched as it did whenever she was confused. It was only when his shadows began to shift around him that Azriel allowed himself to return to the present only to realise just how long he had been in that trance and how uncomfortable he must have made Y/N.

Wanting to escape his anxiety, he began to sputter out a pitiful goodbye as he stumbled his way to the door. “Wait Azriel!” Y/N called out after him, “why is the letter empty?”

This was the second mistake Cassian had made. The first was not warning Azriel about the flowers. The second was handing him an empty envelope to give to Y/N with no explanation. What must she think of him? Turning up to her office with an empty letter and no idea about the flowers which appeared as though they were sent from him.

Neglecting to provide her with an answer, Azriel rushed from the building, wanting to avoid any accusations from her about him being a creep. He took off as fast as he could, leaving a confused Y/N behind in the empty office.

~~~~~

Azriel stormed through the house, wings flared and siphons glowing dangerously. He didn’t stop until he came face to face with a smirking Cassian who was loitering in the kitchen having waited for him brother’s return.

“Am I genius or what?” He chortled, arms outstretched as he waited for a hug he would never receive, “we better get you ready for that date!”

“There is no date” Azriel growled through gritted teeth, batting down Cassian’s arms as he watched the grin drop from his friends face at the statement.

“What? But I set everything up perfectly?” Cassian said in confusion, as if there was no possible way his perfect plan could have fallen through.

“Perfectly?” Azriel laughter bitterly, anger growing fiercely inside of him, “you made a fool out of me! She thanked me for the flowers to which I told her I didn’t know what she was talking about and then she opened the letter and found out it was empty! I looked like an idiot!”

Cassian sucked in air between his teeth awkwardly, “I guess I didn’t think that through…”

“No Cassian,” seethed Azriel, “you never think. And now you’ve ruined any chance I ever had of… you know what just forget it.” With that Azriel stalked off, needing to clear his head and mourn over the relationship he was never even able to start.

~~~~~

Cassian had begged his brother for forgiveness, unable to last another minute with Azriel’s sullen form sulking about the house ignoring him. Of course Azriel wasn’t actually mad at his brother, most of his bitterness was reserved for himself. He should have understood Cassian’s hints and help and followed along with it, then maybe things would have gone differently and maybe he would have gotten the girl.

Not wanting to admit his true feelings about it to his brother, Azriel said he’d forgive him but that Cassian should expect hell at during their next training session. Azriel had lots of frustration to expel.

Which is what led them to where they were now. Azriel beating down on his brother with all his might, the two locked in a deadly combat together. Cassian having to block powerful blow after powerful blow that his brother was delivering.

It wasn’t until Azriel struck hard enough to disarm him did Cassian then suggest the two took a break before he ended up being skewered. Nesta released a low whistle from where she had been watching as she moved towards the men in the ring, Azriel’s frustration at the pair of them was almost tangible.

“Remind me not to get on your bad side” she joked, slightly worried eyes absorbing the frazzled state Azriel had left her mate in.

“Yeah well whatever stops you two trying to play Cupid” he defended, reminding Cassian why he had fought so hard.

Nesta snorted, “Cupid? Have you seen Cas try to use a bow? I’d be better poking you to your senses with Ataraxia.” Nesta’s eyes lit up at her own joke. That same unstettling feeling that Azriel had fallen victim to in Rita’s had returned.

Nesta unsheathed her dagger, stalking towards Azriel who was backing off with his hands raised. “What’s going on Nesta?” Azriel anxiously said as his back met the edge of the ring, halting his retreat.

“It’s alright, relax Az! Things will work out ” Nesta smirked. And the next thing he knew, her dagger had been plunged into his upper arm as he screamed out in pain and gripped onto the handle of the blade which was sticking out of his bicep. Blood slowly trickling down his arm.

~~~~~

“Y/N thank the cauldron you’re here!” Nesta gasped in mock relief at the appearance of her friend.

The woman ran towards Azriel from where Cassian had landed with her in his arms, worry plastered on her face as it had been from the moment Cassian had frantically shown up at her door and said that Azriel been stabbed.

“Oh mother! What happened?” She cried, pulling out a towel before pressing it tightly to Azriel’s bleeding arm, knife still lodged in his muscle. Azriel opened his mouth to give her the honest answer but Nesta beat him to it, “Freak accident! Happened out of nowhere. Super unfortunate. We’ll leave you to it, come on Cas!” She dragged her mate away, the two whispering aggressively together as they left. Cassian had obviously not been privy to Nesta’s plan.

“Freak accident?” She said in disbelief, pulling the knife out before beginning to use her healing magic to stitch the wound together. “Cupids sword apparently” Azriel hummed quietly, the majority of his focus being on how attractive he found Y/N’s concentrated face as she worked. Her presence alone numbing the pain he was feeling.

“I thought Cupid used a bow and arrow?” She laughed in confusion, attention not straying from the intricate magic she was performing on Azriel.

“I don’t think Nesta has ever used a bow and arrow in her life” he huffed, face twitching in pain as Y/N’s healing powers created a small burning sensation on his arm.

“So Nesta’s Cupid?” She mused, small smile on her face as Azriel froze at the realisation of what he had said, likely due to the blood loss, “or is it Cassian? He did send the flowers instead of you right?”

Azriel’s eyes widened in Suprise, “you…you knew?”

“It doesn’t take a genius to figure it out. He’s not exactly subtle. And neither is Nesta apparently” she said gesturing to the thin red line of raised skin that now marked his arm where the knife had been.

“Yeah” Azriel shyly laughed in anticipation of what was transpiring between them, a soft blush dusting over his cheeks, “guess they just really want me to be happy… in their own weirdly demented way.”

“I can’t think of anyone who deserves to be happier more than you do” Y/N stated, her finger absentmindedly brushing over his new scar sending shivers dancing down his spine again.

“Yeah” Azriel manages to squeeze out of his anxiously closing throat, her close proximity reawakening the butterflies that seemed to have permanently made their home in his stomach.

“So?” It was Y/N’s turn to urge Azriel to ask her the question, “are you going to let Nesta go through all the trouble of stabbing you just so you can let me walk away? I’ve been waiting a while you know”

This time Azriel was able to find his courage, “I really like you.” He finally confessed, wanting to get the truth out before his inability to speak around Y/N returned, “I find myself unable to keep control around you, I can’t pull myself together and I always end up acting like an idiot. Because I am crazy about you Y/N.”

“You’re a very cute idiot” she teased, finger now travelling from where it was brushing his arm to trail down his chest. Her words made Azriel flush, he attempted to answer but all that came out were small broken sounds of disbelief.

“Come on Azriel” she continued to tease. Y/N had complete control over this situation, over Azriel. His spirit drawn to hers as her lips moved closer to his, “use your words. Ask me.”

“Will you go on a date with me?” He managed to squeak out. Transfixed by the hold she had over him. Y/N breathed out an airy laugh before gripping onto his shirt and dragging Azriel into her before their lips collided.

Whilst Azriel may have had problems speaking with her, he definitely didn’t have any issues when it came to kissing her. Making sure to pour every ounce of longing and pining that he had been feeling since he first laid eyes on her into the kiss. Their lips moulded together as if they were made for each other. A perfect match.

“Yes” she confirmed pulling back from the kiss to catch her breath. Azriel shifted his eyes to the movement occurring from behind her shoulder, gaze finding its home on Cassian and Nesta who were excitedly jumping, holding their thumbs up to the male.

Azriel wrapped his unbloody arm around Y/N’s shoulders, a grin of appreciation on his face as he looked to his friends thankfully.

There were worse friends to have.

[rwby-encrusted-blog]

Continued from here

Ironwood: Pietro! How has your automatons Come along?

Pietro: *In a tracked, Steam-powered Wheel Chair* Fairly Well ...

Ironwood: What was that Pause for?

Pietro: ... Penny May have ran off.

Ironwood: *In Confusion and Anger* What.

Pietro: Well, My darling heard that the Princess Weiss Schnee hadn't arrived at Vale, she decided to go save her, like Knights in the stories I read to her.

Ironwood: ...

Pietro: She'll be fine! Mostly! Uh, some components were still in need of updating for their designs, but she can still move and fight!

Ironwood: ...

Ironwood: *In Utter befuddlement* What.

~~~~~

Jaune: *Moves a rook from f1 to e5*

Weiss: ...

Weiss: *Places her king on its side*

Jaune: Ha-Ha! *Rotates board so Weiss has the white pieces now*

Weiss: Hmph!

*Distance sound of chuffing*

Weiss: ... ?

Jaune: ?

*Chuffing grows Closer*

Jaune: ! *Draws Sword and Shield*

A Knight in Shining armor bursts through the door of the holding cell, Slitted visor lowered, with a long green feather poking out the top of the helmet

Knight: *Excited Steam Whistle, points at self*

Knight: *Certain Steam Whistle, Points at Weiss*

Jaune: ?

Weiss: *Shrug*

Jaune: *Fully readies for a fight*

Knight: *Unleashes floating swords*

Weiss: Halt!

Jaune: *Holds Still*

Knight: *Holds Still*

Weiss: Penny?

Penny: *Raises Visor, Whistles Happily*

Weiss: Er ist ein Freund! (He's a Friend!)

Penny: *Tilts head, Whistles Questioningly*

Weiss: *Gestures to chess board* Freund! (Friend!)

Penny: *Contemplative Whistle*

Penny: *Shocked Whistle*

Penny: *Excited Whistle, Holds arms out for hug*

Jaune: ?!?!?

Weiss: Jaune!

Jaune: ?

Weiss: *Hugs herself, points at Penny*

Jaune: ...

Jaune: *Walks to and hugs Penny*

Penny: *Hugs Jaune, whistling LOUDY*

Jaune: *Crushed by hug*

Weiss: Penny? Warum kannst du nicht sprechen?

Penny: *sets Jaune down*

Jaune: *Wheeze*

Penny: *Takes helmet off, revealing an exposed neck full of hoses, wires, and rods*

Penny: *Whistle!*

Weiss: Warum bist du gekommen? Ihr seid nicht zusammen! (Why did you come? You're not together!)

Penny: *Hands Weiss a picture*

It's a crudely drawn picture of Penny and Weiss holding hands. It clearly has Romantic Subtext.

Weiss: ... Danke. (Thank you.)

Penny: ... *Whistle?*

Weiss: Myrtenaster?

Penny: *Sad, apologetic whistle*

Jaune: ...

Penny: *Whistle!*

Penny: *Draws a picture*

Its an okay picture of Weiss' rapier

Jaune: !

Jaune: Pouvez-vous me comprendre? (Can you understand me?)

Penny: *Affirmative Whistle*

Jaune: L'épée est par là ! Veuillez suivre! (The Sword is this way! Please Follow!)

Penny: *Affirmative Whistle*

They Leave

Weiss: ...

Weiss: *Pushes door*

The Door opens without much resistance

Weiss: ...

Weiss: Konnte ich die Haltezeit wirklich einfach verlassen haben?Willst du mich veräppeln? (Could I have really just left the hold time?!? Are you Fucking Kidding me?!?)

[thoughts-of-the-unheard]

so i made these, and others, at the same time and i had had lockwood as my homescreen and the blue one (whichi literally could not sleep until i had made) as my lockscreen and when i wanted to change it i just swapped lockwood for the green one but i found it didnt like that as much as i thought i would and ended up swapped those two so that the green swords are my lockscreen and the blue Biv one is my home screen

also i need a new background because i went to show my studio crush a picture of my cat and he watched me open my phone to a dozen pictures of lockwood

[hypers-omniac]

Dragon!Reader came to me in a dream I’m not even kidding. Maybe it’s my subconscious telling me I need to post smth LOL.

It's been stuck in drafts for a couple days, but im posting in a self-celebration of one of my favorite creators ever following me !!

Anyways here’s wonderwall.

CW: maybe a little suggestive at the end, a tad of angst. BUT NOT MUCH I PROMISE (maybe later)

Can’t stop thinking about dragon!reader- mean and covered in scales, something the forest itself seems to fear as the leaves quiver in the trees. Huffing smoke through your nostrils like the grumpy thing you are, hunted for a reward by many who’ve failed. The waxy glare of the sunlight bouncing off the trees and onto your scales as you sunbathe- gathering the warmth you need and taking a moment to yourself.

You’re legend. A bedtime story parents tell their kin about in bedtime stories to stray them away from the forest. Your crudely drawn face posted to the walls of nearby taverns, waiting for the next fool who might take up the challenge and never return. Your claws bear blood, both metaphorical and literal, in a way that haunts you at night during private hours.

It’s your first instinct to be defensive, to be mean and harsh to all that enter your forest it’s all you’ve ever been taught, all you’ve ever known is violence and hatred for what you are. It’s not any different when a rather.. boisterous knight steps into your domain, the crackling of dead and dried leaves alerting you to his presence. You’re all bared teeth and slit eyes- smoke puffing out of your nose at the Invader, readying yourself emotionally to have to spill his blood.

But.. he never attacks. A rookie knight, certainly, with how amazed he seems. You must be the first thing he was sent out to hunt. His blue eyes follow your defensive movements and curled tail, even when you snap your teeth at him. He wears a stupid mohawk that only comes from men his age. Your growls do not deter him, but you can’t bring yourself to attack first when his weapon is not even drawn, the steel not a threat to your scales, just yet.

So you huff once more, the smoke making him cough and splutter, his eyes burning and tearing up. And then you walk away indignantly. Careful to never turn your back as you go about your daily task. Much to your chagrin, he follows you around, asking you questions you refuse to answer- “It’s rather rude to ask a lady her age, knight.”- he’s like a puppy, tail wagging as he follows you around.

Johnny, you learn his name soon enough. Because he comes back the next day, repeating the process. It’s annoying, having a fly buzzing around your ears constantly. But it’s hard to be mad at the little thing when he’s just curious- “No, Knight. I do not lay eggs.”- even if his curiosity wanders occasionally. He called you bonnie, and you can’t bring yourself to reject the title. It’s endearing.

Still, you can’t bring yourself to let your guard down around the man. With every huffing laugh he manages to squeeze from you, your eyes are always drawn back to his sheathed sword attached to his belt. A constant aching reminder of what you can never have, and exactly why. Your tail curls around yourself protectively at the thoughts, the same way it always does around him. It’s so exhausting having to worry about your safety all the time, but what can you do?

Johnny? Oh, he’s just happy to be around a Bonnie lass like you. Trying to be as charming as possible. He just wants you to use them, reader. Pin him down and take what you need until the two of you can get along. Maybe you’ll stop being so grumpy towards him if you take his frustration out on him? A man can dream.

Bloody hell, he’s not even a real knight. But they won’t let anyone into the forest unless they’re authorized. Johnny is just lucky one of his friends is a knight, letting him borrow the armor after a short ramble from the Scot about your picture- the damn drunkard having seen it at his favorite tavern. “Bonnie lass, Kyle. Gotta lemme see her, yeah? Jus’ gotta try- jus’ for a bit, jus’ so they’ll let me in?” Mans WHIPPED.

(He never even brings his sword. It’s an empty sheath and a fake handle, just so he can keep going into the forest in search for you without blowing his cover. What a guy)

[coffeebeanwriting]

What Bores a Reader The Most?

I asked my followers to answer the question “what bores you the most when reading a book?” 

Please keep in mind that these are all opinions and you’ll find yourself agreeing and disagreeing with some. Personally, I think this is amazing insight into the minds of unique readers all around the globe! I decided to keep reoccurring answers instead of merging them, just so people could see the repeating themes.

“Predictable conflicts or character actions. I want to be surprised.”

“When there’s no clear plot. When it looks like the book is leading nowhere.”

“Endless description. Nothing makes me more prone to skipping ahead.”

“When it feels like what you’re reading lacks purpose and there is no meaningful contribution to the plot.”

“Characters with less personality than a wet paper towel. Main characters with zero personality.”

“When I can’t picture anything in my head or what I understood changes randomly.”

“When a conversation is happening and I can’t follow which character is saying what.”

“Daily routines in a story. Like, I do not care.”

“When the world doesn’t move if the main character doesn’t interact with it. This applies to t.v shows, too.”

“Something that does not have a build up like a sudden relationship out of the blue.”

“When I’m so confused it doesn’t make sense anymore.”

“When there’s a 3 page description of some random object.”

“Wayyyy too much detail.”

“When the big plot twist is revealed and I guessed it ages ago.”

“Too slow or too long.”

“When the author unnecessarily drags the story and takes ages to advance to the climax.”

“Fan service that doesn’t contribute to the plot.”

“Useless descriptions and/or actions.”

“Over description of a landscape (cough old literature cough).”

“No action, no violence. I don’t like when characters talk for too long.”

“Long descriptions.”

“Too much descriptions when you are in a exciting moment. It breaks immersion.”

“Lack of imagery.”

“Constant usage of archaic vocabulary.”

“When the main character is extremely passive and doesn’t act or react.”

“Excessive description that doesn’t further the plot or meaningfully add to characterization.”

“Overly predictable plot, overly crude language for the sake of it, cringe/pompous scenes.”

“Long and boring exposition dumps.”

“Characters that never loose 😴.”

“When the world building starts out great and is really immersive until later on when things don’t add up.”

“When a character has too much internal dialogue.”

“Explaining “the science” behind magic systems in unnecessary detail.”

“Over description. I will skim and skip a lot of it.”

“Too much background info at the beginning.”

“When there’s small talk about a topic I don’t understand. It get’s sooo boring.”

“Too much inner monologue.”

“Slow plot.”

“When it’s just dragging on and on with the backstory.”

“Having to reread a sentence/paragraph a billion times because my brain got distracted.”

“When there’s no action, suspense or something similar for the whole chapter.”

“Things that aren’t relevant to the story.”

“Too much dialogue.”

“A lil too much fantasies.”

“Over drawn setting descriptions.”

“Overly long chapters, repetitive scenes, lots of complicated worldbuilding.”

“When it’s too simple or too detailed.”

“Long, long expositions.”

“Repeating phrases, plots ,etc.”

“Infodumps, especially in the beginning.”

“Too much history.”

“Overly descriptive settings.”

“Slow plot. I need drama!”

“Long chapters.”

“Slow pacing.”

“No major plot twist.”

“Miscommunication trope.”

“Massively long descriptive paragraphs.”

“Too much exposition in the beginning.”

“Long and confusing story building.”

“Repeating plot points. For example: the hero learning to trust his friends a million times without any real progression.”

“Training scenes that show nothing special. Especially sword fighting or head to hand combat.”

“Generic plot developments unless it’s written well.”

“Overuse of complicated words and sentences.”

“Long paragraphs.”

“I’m so over the bubble sunshine and extra grumpy trope.”

“When a character is overthinking.”

“Romanic subplots bore me. Having too many love interests.”

“When it switches between characters/subplots and one of them is awfully boring.”

“When too much information on a character is given one at a time.”

“Clichés.”

“When it takes a long time before the story gets interesting.”

“Long, long, long descriptions particularly of places that aren’t all that important.”

“Descriptions of unnecessary things.”

“Too much side character’s story. They’re a side for a reason.”

“I love beautiful writing so there must be some lovely descriptions... but don’t drone on.”

“Flat characters.”

“Scenes in which my favorite characters do not appear.”

“When the characters have no clear goal or the goal is too weak.”

“If most or all of the characters are unlikable. Then I don’t care what happens to them in the story. Being an evil/mean character is different from being unlikable.”

“When the plot does not move forward.”

“Writing unnecessary, irrelevant things that don’t have an effect on the story.”

“No real plot. The protagonist has no fire to them.”

“When the protagonist needs to figure out a love triangle and which person they like the most.”

“When the interesting parts happen right at the end.”

“When there’s too much info dumping with no easy transitions.”

“No progression after chapters and chapters. Characters not having development.”

“Too much description and a slow start to the story.”

“When characters are too oblivious to something.”

“Oblivious main characters, lazy plots, stereotypical encounters, main character is a god trope.”

“Unnecessarily long amounts of monologue or dialogue.”

“The second chance trope bores me.”

“Slow beginnings... like, get to the action in 3 chapters of less please.”

“Chapters being too long with small writing.”

“If the characters go through the same conflict over and over again.”

“Classic books... I don’t understand a thing, haha.”

“Being bombarded with unnecessary detail.”

“Bad boy meets good girl trope bores me.”

“Too much landscape descriptions like Tolkien or Stephen King.”

“Bad dialogue, too much excessive background details and too many character tags.”

“When the book moves too slowly.”

“Over described scenes or characters.”

“Descriptions without inputs of what a characters is thinking about. I need a lens of character POV to make descriptions interesting to read.”

“A badly written romance subplot where the characters involved don’t have any chemistry whatsoever.”

“I get a bit lost when there’s too much details about an environment.”

“When the story doesn’t go anywhere for a really long time.”

Instagram: coffeebeanwriting  

[kirkwall-tourism-department]

extra reading ch. 4

thank you so much @ziskandra for beta reading!

some (physical) hurt/comfort emrook with a very overly flirty rook.

Leaning over his balcony, Emmrich flipped through the book Bellara had offered him, suggesting it as a good book for Rook to try and read. As much as he wanted Rook to be able to expand her literary horizons, it was hard for him to recommend this over anything in his library. The amount of times he had read about tongues battling for dominance denied comprehension. Sighing, he set down the novel, thinking about how to explain to Bellara his hesitancy to share it with Rook, who was currently in the Hossberg Wetlands with Davrin, defending Lavendel from an encroaching darkspawn horde. They had a plan for when she returned- a trip to the library of the Grand Necropolis. Audric had agreed to give her a full tour, promising to make her first visit to a library memorable. When Emmrich had invited her, she had made a quip about it being a date- which had drawn out a reaction of surprise from him that she seemed to relish. At first, he had assumed her flirting had been incidental, that he had misconstrued the implications of her comments. But with each passing day, though, her attempts grew more unambiguous, leaving Emmrich to spend entirely too much of his free time thinking about her. 

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his door slamming open into the stone wall beside it. Davrin stood in the doorway, having kicked it open, holding Rook’s unconscious body in his arms.

“Emmrich!” Davrin shouted. “Rook’s hurt. Took a sword to the stomach. She passed out a minute ago.”

“Lay her on the table,”  Emmrich instructed, all his previous thoughts abandoned for a single-minded focus on saving Rook. He rushed down the stairs, trying to assess the severity of her wound from a distance. Blood stained the dull metal of her armor, spilling out from her side. Color had drained from her face, and she hung lifelessly in Davrin’s arms. “Manfred! I’ll require your assistance.” His skeletal assistant shambled over, carrying surgical supplies with him. Davrin laid Rook’s comatose body on the cold stone slab, the image of  it looking entirely too close to an autopsy for Emmrich’s comfort.

“What do you need me to do?” Davrin asked, clearly uncomfortable being in a crisis in which he had no clear way to assist.

“Manfred and I can take it from here. I appreciate the concern,” Emmrich assured the Warden. Davrin nodded and hesitantly walked out, leaving Emmrich and Manfred alone with Rook’s slowly hemorrhaging body. 

Removing her armor and pulling up the underlying fabric that covered the wound, Emmrich revealed the source of the bleeding. The crude weaponry of the darkspawn had torn into her, leaving a jagged gash in the side of her abdomen, narrowly missing her vital organs. Despite that stroke of luck, the amount of blood she had lost left her life teetering on a dangerous precipice- one that only he could pull her away from. Without requiring prompting, Manfred handed Emmrich a small bowl of water and a clean rag. Emmrich cleaned the blood away from the gash, revealing the true length of the cut. It was almost the size of his finger, but it was impossible to tell how deep it went.  Grabbing a needle and thread, he carefully began to suture it, doing his best to remember to breathe despite the patient who lay beneath him.With each stitch, a different memory of her bubbled to the surface of his mind. Evenings spent reading together, late-night conversations by the hearth, stolen glances whenever she looked away from him. Finishing his mending, he tied off the thread, praying it would stay in place. Thick, red ink still seeped from the threads, but the worst of the bleeding was over. Motioning for Manfred to hand him a roll of gauze, he wrapped it around the lithe muscles of her stomach, until the wound was completely covered.

 Maker willing, it would simply be another scar added to the extensive gallery Rook had already curated. He had been aware of the scarring on her arms, mostly hidden by the griffon-wing tattoos that laid over them. The ones that marred her torso, their severity unobscured, made Emmrich’s stomach drop thinking of what she had endured to receive them. Innumerable whispers of slashes and stabs of battles long past, scattered over the unmistakable remnants of an enemy’s lightning spell spidering over her stomach. He wanted more than anything to hold her in his arms and stop the world from leaving its cruel mark on her ever again.

Finishing his work, he sat back for a moment, trying to calm his nerves. She would be okay. It would simply be a test of his patience waiting for her to awaken. 

Likely one of the most challenging tests he had undergone in his life thus far.

—

Rook slowly opened her eyes, trying to remember where she was. She had been in the Hossberg Wetlands, clearing out some darkspawn that had been getting too close to Lavendel, and then… nothing. Trying to blink away her confusion, she took in her surroundings, before realizing where she was.

Emmrich’s autopsy table.

Did she die? Did he reanimate her? Maker, was she a skeleton? 

She tried to sit up before blinding pain shot through her abdomen, stopping her movement. Despite the agony, the fact that she still had a body to feel pain with was comforting.

“Rook!” Emmrich appeared at her side, relief and concern fighting for control of his face. “You were injured while fighting darkspawn. Please lay back down.” He placed his hand behind her head, slowly helping her descend onto the makeshift pillow he had laid underneath her head while she lay unconscious. 

“Emmrich, I need you to know how scary it is to wake up on a necromancer’s autopsy table,” she hissed through gritted teeth, the pain from her attempt to move still radiating through her. Peering down at the source, she saw gauze wrapped around her abdomen, a small red splotch staining her left side. 

“I… suppose I never considered how disconcerting that would be. It’s rare that the body on it is alive, after all.” He gave a slight laugh, comforted by the quick return of Rook’s sense of humor. 

“How bad is it?” she asked, preparing herself for the worst. Would she end up like Varric, bedridden and useless? The thought made panic start to rise in her chest. How could she even call herself a Warden if she wasn’t out there fighting what was likely to be the final Blight?

“It will leave a scar, but you should recover fully within a month,” he informed her carefully, clearly aware of the reaction she would have to the news. 

“Well, it’s not like I have anything better to do than lay in bed for a whole month,” Rook spat, sarcasm dripping from her voice like venom. As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them. Emmrich had just saved her life; he didn’t deserve to have her frustrations taken out on him. She hated when this happened- when something got under her skin enough to drudge up the muck of spite and anger that used to coat her every word before she was conscripted into the Wardens.

“I understand your frustration, but it’s vital you allow yourself the necessary time to recover,” Emmrich explained gently, undisturbed by her negativity. He stood over her, hands resting on the edge of the table, looking at her with an upsetting amount of care in his eyes.

“I know. You’re right. I’m sorry.” She sighed, thankful that her words didn’t hurt him. 

“I need to change the dressings on your wound- let me know if there’s any discomfort.” The soft kindness in his voice wrapped around her like a well-loved blanket. She felt his hands gently graze her stomach, removing the gauze and cleaning the wound with a practiced touch. His gaze was sharply focused on her wound, oblivious to her observation. The cold metal of his rings was a stark contrast to her rapidly heating skin. Despite all her flirting, this was the first time they had actually touched each other. She felt blush begin to creep across her face, the sight of his hands on her bare skin fanning the always present flame of desire she held for him. It wasn’t an unfamiliar sight to have a man’s hands on her, but what was new was the care with which he touched her. Despite a lifetime of back-alley hookups and drunken one-night stands, this felt like the most intimate moment she had ever had with another person. After finishing his work, he turned to give her a reassuring smile, before seeing the reaction on her face. His brows furrowed, his smile twisting into a frown of concern. “Are you feeling ill at all, besides the pain?” he asked, pressing his hand to her forehead. “You seem flushed- I’m worried you may be developing a fever. Oh, and I was so careful to make sure it was clean…” he trailed off, anxiety stealing his voice. 

“Emmrich, I’m not sick. It’s because a handsome man recently had his hands wrapped around my waist,” she explained, willing to embarrass herself to assuage his anxiety. 

“Ah.”

“But if you’re worried about my blushing, I can think of a few things that would get rid of it.” She gave him a wicked smile, excited to see the reaction her flirting would get from him. Every day, she pushed the boundaries of what she said to him, always entertained by his response. 

“In your current condition? I think not,” he scoffed, her attempts to fluster him unsuccessful. Clearly, her constant advances were no longer surprising to the professor. “Regardless, I hardly think that would improve the issue.” He gave her a sideways glance and small smile before returning to the chair he had pulled up next to the autopsy table. Rook gave him an exaggerated pout.

“How long until I can move around?” Rook asked, already struggling to stay still. She had never done well keeping calm- even when reading, she regularly had to stand up and pace to satisfy her urge to constantly move.

“It depends on how quickly you heal- but you’ll likely be on bed rest for another day or two. I can move you back to your room, if you would like.”

“Trying to take me to bed?”

“Rook, I must say, having someone who was recently bleeding out on my autopsy table so brazenly flirting with me is a new experience.”

“...Sorry.”

“I didn’t say it was a bad experience.” He smiled at her, before a shadow clouded his eyes and he looked away. Exhaustion began to pull at Rook’s consciousness, demanding she go back to sleep. For once, she decided to listen when told what to do.

— 

Rook slipped into a deep slumber within moments, their banter draining what small reserves of energy she had left. The implications of their conversation hung heavy in the air around him. Despite the shame he felt about his thoughts about Rook, he seemed to forget them once he was speaking to her. As soon as she left, though, they came flooding back, reminding him of his poor judgement. Rook was half his age- nothing could ever come of their apparent mutual attraction. Burdening her youth with a partner of his age wasn’t fair to her, nevermind the outward appearance of their relationship. He had already felt the questioning eyes of their teammates on himself and Rook when they conversed; clearly, whatever spark existed between them was visible to the outside world as well. As much as he hated his concern about the impression he made on others, he couldn’t pretend it didn’t exist. From beside him, Rook began to gently snore, peacefully sleeping despite the wound in her side. She had brought a light into his life that repelled the gloom he wasn’t aware he had been lost in. Would shackling her to him dim that glow? Was he selfish for still wanting her regardless? 

He had forgotten how agonizingly painful it could be to fall in love.

[bun-lapin]

First Years Prank Wars

Summary: Ace, Deuce, and Epel prank Sebek

A/N: So I know we're in the middle of a follower event but I couldn't resist writing some quick, funny shenanigans to celebrate Ace's birthday today~! Ace is so funny to me and I really have a soft spot for his mischievous attitude. He definitely gives me "lead troublemaker" vibes lol Happy birthday Ace~! <3

CW: platonic gn!reader, very silly, only one braincell and guess who has it (that's right, it's you!)

Walking into the Ramshackle Dorm lounge, you see Ace, Deuce, and Epel hunched over the coffee table in the middle of the room and furiously whispering to each other. A handful of maps and papers are chaotically laid out across the table and on the floor around the trio.

You ask the group, "What exactly is going on here?"

Ace looks up from the map on the table and excitedly shouts, "We're planning a heist!"

Deuce rolls his eyes at Ace and scoffs, "Quit trying to make it sound cooler than it actually is." He turns to you and explains, "We're planning to pull a prank on Sebek."

Epel chimes in, "But it kinda is like a heist! We're planning to sneak into Sebek's room and steal his portrait of Malleus."

You cross your arms over your chest and raise your eyebrows, "You're planning to break into Diasomnia?"

Deuce holds up a crude, drawn in red crayon map of the campus and shouts, "Yeah!"

You tilt your head, feeling a headache about to form, "And you're planning to steal Sebek's portrait of Malleus? His most cherished posession in the world?"

Epel holds up a blurry photo of Malleus himself, not the portrait, and yells, "Yes! But don't worry, we're only going to keep it for a day or two. Then we'll put it right back!"

Looking over to Ace, you somehow get the sense that all of this is his idea. You put your hands on your hips and sternly ask him, "Alright, be honest. What did Sebek do to prompt this prank?"

Ace jumps to his feet and yells with indignation, "He made fun of my hair!"

You blink in confusion and then look to Deuce and Epel. They simply shrug and offer no extra explanation. Pinching the bridge of your nose, you let out a deeply aggravated sigh. You walk out of the lounge without a backwards glance and leave them to their work.

~ The Next Day ~

Walking to your afternoon class, you hear a faint sound, almost like a long sustained note in a really weird song. As you turn to look for the source, you realize the sound is the sound of screaming and it's getting louder and closer.

In the distance, you see Ace, Deuce, and Epel running faster than you've ever seen them run before. Sebek is close behind the three of them with a sword raised high over his head.

Sebek shouts, among other colorful threats and curses, "How dare you disrespect the young master like this! You three deserve no mercy! Stand and fight me, you cowards!"

You hide your face in a book and quickly walk in the opposite direction away from the chaos.

[scummy-writes]

"Find The Chev!"

Inspired by @minsharkie due to her super cute papercrafts, and a discussion in my ikepri/ikevamp server where @solomons-poison brought up a cute idea of the Clavis papercraft sitting on top of Sariel's paperwork.

You didn't have much free time on your hands, not really, but you felt inspired one day after watching Clavis make some of his... creations... With some inks and stiff paper you found around the palace, you set to work with a dastardly deed of your own: capturing Chevalier's likeness in a cute, mini version of him. And after Clavis laid his eyes upon it, a mixture of mischief and jealousy flashed in his eyes.

From that moment on, he came up with a new game to play around the palace in hopes of annoying his brother, lovingly dubbed 'Find The Chev!'

It starts off, well... Chaotically.

At first, the little Chev would be found in places accompanied by Clavis' traps: near nets that were ready to drop, right in front of a pitfall, and the worst was in the (unlit) fireplace.

That was when you huffed, dusting the soot from your cute creation. After a few touch ups and a new paper cape for the mini beast, you told Clavis you put too much work into this just to have it sullied in such a way.

From that point on, little Chev traveled to much safer places, and the game restarted in a trap-free style. Each of the princes had gathered wind of this game by now, and it became a daily habit for whoever to find him to share where he found them with the others (and perhaps with a hint of where to find him next)

───※ ·♡· ※───

Leon found him at the training grounds, fit with a crudely made paper sword of his own by the rest of the weapons. He brought the news with a chuckle, joking that it was the first time he saw Chevalier with a sword drawn and no bloodshed.

Jin found him in Leon's fraction's office, balancing at the very tip of the messiest pile in the room. He seemed oddly relieved that he wasn't hiding elsewhere in the room, rather than ashamed at the mess.

Chevalier found him in his favorite reading spot in the gardens, returning him to you with his normal frown. Yet the mini version of him returned with a petal on his head, unharmed and in pristine condition, faintly smelling of roses.

Nokto found little Chev near his favorite 'reading' spot in the library, late at night. He didn't deliver this news until the morning after, but reported that the mini King Highness was reading a book of his own, with a little heart drawn on it.

Licht found him next in the stables, balancing carefully on the divider separating the other horses with his. He found it odd that it was there, but mumbled that little Chev was safe ontop a crude wooden horse of his own.

Yves brought word of little Chev's next adventure as he gave you some sweets to 'sample', saying he found him next to his baking supplies. He did not confirm or deny if the little Chev helped him bake the sweets he presented, bristling with a blush instead.

Luke yawned as he patted your head, asking if you knew why little Chev was hidden away in his favorite sleeping spot. When you had no answer, he simply shrugged and grinned, letting you know he found him with a little blanket of his own to join in on Luke's nap.

Sariel mentioned it at the end of a lesson, cleaning up the papers you two had used. This time, little Chev was found next to a secret bottle of Sariel's, leaning up against it as though he had sipped from it's contents. ... You sweated during the interaction, having to convince him you truly had no idea who hid it that time around.

Keith brought news of the surprise tea time guest, nestled between various sweets that Yves had made. Little Chev smelled faintly of tea, he reported, and seemed to be in good spirits.

Gilbert found him on top of the chess board him and Chevalier play on. He presented him to you with a grin, making note that the little Chev had taken place of the king, and was toppled over. You weren't too happy with the implications, but found relief that he only came accompanied with a white piece from that set.

Silvio had his hands on his hips when we informed you of finding your 'weird toy' in the spare room he had been holding meetings with merchants in. His frown got worse when he said the gaudy paper necklace he wore wasn't funny in the slightest.

And Rio found him on your breakfast tray, serving him to you with a wink. There, little Chev accompanied your morning tea and pastry, ready for you to take him on his next adventure.

Clavis putting him in the fireplace was meant to be a joke about how he feels about chev's actions, but it was unlit and he never wanted to bring actual harm to it (why would he do that to smth you made!!)

Anyway this was fun! I thought this was a cute idea, and I had fun imagining the little trips lil Chev could have gone on. I thought any trips into town would be risky, so I kept it limited to just around the castle(palace?) grounds.

I am imagining that lil Chev has a resting place that is easy for anyone to nab without spoiling the fun of Who Did It This Time, complete with a note beside it to Please keep him safe on his travels. Each time he is returned to you, you debate on leaving him there or taking a turn at hiding him again.

Taglist (let me know if you'd like to be added or removed!): @yarnnerdally @katriniac @kissmetwicekissmedeadly @bakaneko-chan @skoetiepoetie @bestbryn @nightghoul381 @xbalayage @lokis-laugh @queengiuliettafirstlady @candied-boys @drachonia @fang-and-feather @keithsandwich @bubblexly @ridiculouslly-ridiculous @drewadoodle

Ikepri Masterlist | Ikevamp Masterlist | Ikevamp/Ikepri Server

[kiingbooooo]

A little fairytale AU CapHavers fic in the works!

The ride to the mountains was beautiful, at least, the sun shining, his favorite horse carrying him away from the castle and all its plotting and intrigue.  Two days, and Anthony had reached the mountains.  The map had led him to the pass, the first signs of the dragon a series of scorch marks on a boulder.  Further up, a sign stated “BEWARE!  DRAGON!”  As he made his way up, the signs became more dire, with additional edits.

Underneath “BEWARE OF FEARSOME MAN-EATING DRAGON!” someone had written “No dragon here!  It has disappeared!!” in crude, hand-painted letters.  Maybe there would be indications of where the dragon had fled to, if it had indeed left.

The smell had been a clue.  Not meat, raw or cooked or burnt, but a slightly sulfuric odor.  He’d gotten off his horse by then, tethering it nearby.

Visor down, sword drawn, he’d approached through the narrow slot canyon.  It was wide enough to ride through, but he didn’t want the horse to spook if there was indeed a fearsome, man-eating dragon.

“Foul beast!  I come to slay you!”  Anthony knew he sounded ridiculous.  He’d be dying soon, like a fool.

From the cave, the sound of something falling over.  He cocked his head.  Sounded like pots and pans.

“I can hear you in there.”

“No, you can’t!” something growled from inside.  Anthony started.  Could dragons speak?  He really should have done more research.  “Begone!  Nobody’s home!”

[wholelotofweird]

Heir of Nothing

i simply think that Enigma CrudestSwords is cool. @crudely-drawn-ben

[crudely-drawn-ben]

Peachtober day 15: "Lamp."

"I heard of a knight once who wore the lantern of Akone embroidered on his surcoat. So great was his faith that they called him 'The Paladin.'"

[acutecoral]

I'm feeling ill thinking at Cellbit burning all those things from Bagi aside the drawing

Her letter, the bed roll, the sword, the candy

All those things he rends to ash, in the Fear room, a physical stand-in for his mind

He burns any trace of the child he was, to detach himself from that part of his past, from the connection of that lost part of his life

I can imagine the bedroll standing in for a sense of safety, the sense of home

The candy, so sweet and childish, I imagine these sort of treats were a luxury, how could one even came across them amongst a world of blood and flesh?

The sword, made of wood, a naive idea of what being a warrior meant, he was forced to survive in a war, in amidst fighting, to just survive, to make sure he can get past one second, one minute, one hour, one day further than all the others around him

Her letter...he can't think of it now, the horror of knowing he had a normal and peaceful life, that the experiences he went through could have been avoided, that he was ripped away from everyone he knew...that's too much

Think about how long it took for him to come to terms about the bloodshed and fighting and ruthlessness that marred every memory he had of his past, how he had to find a way out of that darkness all by himself

All alone, and imagine how that was something he had to come to terms with, he was alone, he survived still, and he's here, with a family, people to call friends, people he can trust...

And this revelation shatters that established belief in his reality it's too much, it's too much, he can't focus on that now

But...he has a sister.

Even if he doesn't want to see her and talk to her right now...she's there.

Somehow she's there.

Despite everything.

(Will she still be there if she knew the depths of depravity he was forced to just to stand where he is now?)

He holds onto that drawing.

A crudely drawn scene of one child pushing another on a swing.

She's all he has left of that life.

Does holding that old drawing feel familiar? Does it stir something inside him?

Does it feel like hope?

[fateandloveentwined]

poetry lines befitting MCS and XJY

These are mostly chinese tang shi and song ci poetry quotes, with a great biased amount from Su Shi because OP doesn't know better. Crude, 5-minute english translations below. There are lines I semi-made up or adapted from fandom/cpop songs (that is, most of Xiao Jingyan's lines), ngl OP is rather embarrassed of them because they aren't good at all looking back now but we'll just leave them here or else XJY would end up with zero quotes.

梅长苏 Mei Changsu

想那日束髪从军，想那日霜角辕门，想那日挟剑惊风，想那日横槊凌云。 ——夏完淳

Think to the day I tied back my hair and enlisted. Think to the day the horn rang at the frostbitten tents, think to the day I danced my sword making the sound that deafens the wind. Think to the day I took to the lance, and it pierced through the skies, rising higher than the clouds. — Xia Wanchun

将士百战身名裂。 向河梁、回头万里，故人长绝。 易水萧萧西风冷，满座衣冠似雪，正壮士、悲歌未彻。 ——辛弃疾

The warrior fights a hundred battles, yet what remains is his severed reputation. He looks to the bridge over the river, thousands of miles back, past acquaintances forever gone. In another life, over the howling of the west wind and the cold Yi rivers, the banquet sits, clothes adorned in snowlike white. The courageous man strides through the blizzard, the song of lament never ceasing. — Xin Qiji

零落成泥碾作尘，只有香如故。 ——陆游

The plum blossoms wither and drift to the ground, crushed into earthly soil and dust. The prevailing fragrance is what remains. — Lu You

亦余心之所善兮，虽九死其犹未悔。 ——屈原

So long as this is what my heart longs for and treasures, though I die nine deaths, my heart does not regret. — Qu Yuan

君臣一梦，今古空名。 ——苏轼

Lords and lieges ebb into nothing but a dream; in the river of time transcending present and past vain titles remain, cast into the void. — Su Shi

无波真古井，有节是秋筠。 ——苏轼

The heart is at peace like the ancient well that does not ripple; the integrity is as the autumn bamboos, steadfast and unfaltering. — Su Shi

舳舻千里，旌旗蔽空，酾酒临江，横槊赋诗。 ——苏轼

The warship moves a thousand miles, ensigns enshrouding the sky. He pours out wine by the riverside, holds out his lance, and writes verses as he speaks. — Su Shi

对一张琴，一壶酒，一溪云。 ——苏轼

Facing but a guqin, a jug of wine, a stream of cloud. — Su Shi

江山如画，是我心言。 ——风起时

The rivers and mountains of the kingdom outstretches before me, as moving as in art: this is my heart’s will. — from the song “Feng Qi Shi”, when the wind blows

战骨碎尽志不休，冰心未改血犹殷。 ——改自《赤血长殷》、王昌龄

Bones completely crushed from the battle, yet aspirations unwavering. The heart has not changed; the blood flows red still. — adapted from the song “Chi Xue Chang Yan”, the noble blood flows red, and poet Wang Changling

袖手妙计权倾变，敛眸笑谈意了然。 ——改自《赤血长殷》

With folded arms, he devises labyrinthine strategies. The sceptre of power sways and shifts. He shrouds his gaze modestly, and in conversations of small smiles, he discerns the intention of men. — adapted from the song “Chi Xue Chang Yan”, the noble blood flows red

萧㬌琰 Xiao Jingyan

潜龙一朝御风翔，长歌挽弓射天狼。 ——《长喑》

The submerged dragon rises one day to ride the winds. Singing high and long; the bow is drawn pointed at the invading Sirius. — from the song “Chang Yin”, the Long Darkness found here

挑灯殿阙思悄然，闻钤行宫寝无眠。 ——改自白居易

Awashed in the raised lamps of the imperial palace, thoughts whisper in grievance. The bell rings at the Jiu’an grounds, and he lies abed sleepless. — adapted from The Song of Everlasting Sorrow by Bai Juyi

驰骋沙场繁华梦，谈笑鸿儒君臣纲。 ——改自《致陛下书》、刘禹锡

Dreams soar in the flurrying gallops of the battlefield, flourishing dreams of splendour and joy. In pleasant dialogue with scholars, civility obliges polite smiles into the etiquette of lords and lieges. — adapted from the song “Zhi Bi Xia Shu”, a letter to Your Majesty, and Liu Yuxi

铁马并辔封疆，几回魂梦游；更鼓落夜未央，笔下兴亡断。 ——取自《长喑》、《赤血长殷》

Armoured horses riding in parallel at the borderlands — how many times has the soul wandered to such dreams of the past. The hourly drums sound ceaseless across the long night; under the emperor's brush, the fate of prosperity and declination writes. — adapted from the song “Chang Yin”, the Long Darkness found here, and “Chi Xue Chang Yan”, the noble blood flows red

揽尽山河只手倾，昂冕袖手瞰苍生。 ——改自《长喑》

The future of his kingdom sweeps into a tilt of his hand. With crown upheld, he folds his arms in his sleeves awatching humanity. — adapted from the song “Chang Yin”, the Long Darkness found here

咫尺抚眉峰，万丈叠远峰；梦底枕笑纹，惊风掀水纹。 ——《致陛下书》

Up close, the furrowed brows are smoothed. Ten thousands of feet stretch before him, converging into mountains at a distance. In the deepest dreams, the markings of a smile lie; he stirs up the wind which marks and rips tides in the tumultuous waters. — adapted from the song “Zhi Bi Xia Shu”, a letter to Your Majesty

Two (three) things to note:

My dying obsession with Su Shi, sorry I can’t help it that perhaps over half of the all the poetry I know is from him;

To be really fair, my favourite description of Mei Changsu is 运筹帷幄之中，决胜千里之外, used in describing Zhang Liang in Si Maqian's Records of the Grand Historian. He orchestrates masterplans in the tent of the army; he determines the victory of the battle from afar, thousands of miles from the front.

As for my favourite depiction of Lin Shu, it is definitely Su Shi’s description of Cao Cao: 舳舻千里，旌旗蔽空，酾酒临江，横槊赋诗。 The warship moves a thousand miles, ensigns enshrouding the sky. He pours out wine by the riverside, holds out his lance, and writes verses as he speaks. Xin Qiji’s verse above just fits the entire story of Mei Changsu so much, it deserves a mention.

I was assembling/making these lines up for something back then and so just listed whatever came to mind (for reasons I know not I kept on listing stuff for MCS, but maybe XJY was the typical good emperor kind of person so wasn't as inspiring coming up with quotes for him).

If there are lines of poetry you find really befitting the two characters, we're more than interested starting a thread here just for that purpose.

[starrook]

morion canceled class for this. when asked for the reason, it was simple.

" national holiday in my country. "

what was this national holiday, many of his students wondered? nobody could get a straight answer from him, though not via lies or underhanded tactics. as soon as morion announced that there would be no class he was out of the room like someone had set it on fire.

from place to place he lurks. column to column, wall to wall; many onlookers watch, confused at how a man that large thinks he could be in any way stealthy. morion does not care. he's on the move.

finally his quarry is tracked: a mop of blue hair separates itself from the crowd, and morion's smirk grows ten times. he departs from his hiding place with composure, acting as normal. No He Has Not Been Crawling Around The School Like A Big Bug. He's Very Relaxed Right Now!

but when he finally gets to him, his special little alcryst...

all falls to pieces. morion grabs his son and lifts him up, laughing heartily. " HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ALCRYST, M'BOY!! " maybe announcing it like this will make others wish his special little boy a happy birthday, too. that would be nice.

" i missed your last one, so this one makes you... nineteen, huh?! " he pats his massive hand on alcryst's head, ruffling it playfully. " just one more year 'till the big two-zero! you can bet your ass i'll be here for that! " circumstances and gods be damned, he'll throw hands before he has to go back in that stupid cathedral.

he sets alcryst down in a less populated part of the courtyard---as, of course, he has dragged his son around without saying anything. he produces a tall gift; not taller than alcryst himself, but it's a decent size. " i'm all about spectacle, and trust me, you'll be getting one HELL of a birthday party later, " morion mutters, smiling only slightly. " but i also wanted to give you something a little more private.

" when we met back up for the first time and you mistook me for a fake, i was horrified at what i'd found out. i can't imagine what it must've been like for you two, back at destinea cathedral. " his voice has waned; it has eroded to something softer and a little more stern. " i caused you and your brother a lot of hurt and didn't even leave anything behind. that ain't right. "

inside the box sits two things: a picture, crudely drawn, and a simple bow, made of elm and reinforced with steel. the wood is lacquered with a deep blue stain and the steel has been buffed obsessively. " so i made you this. it ain't no bow of legend, but...

" i remember the day you told me you wanted to use bows instead of swords. i'd thought, ' ah, hell, how am i gonna teach this kid how to use these damn things? ' " morion laughs at the memory. " but it turns out that you didn't need all that much teaching. we gave you the tools n' you ran with 'em, and look at you now! best archer in brodia, i'd reckon. "

his smile creeps into his eyes, and morion gently hugs alcryst. " happy birthday, alcryst. i'm so happy i can be here to do this, and i'll do my damndest never to leave you two like i had. "

...

" ...now, i'm makin' plans to have a huge dinner tonight. you gonna invite lapis? "

“Waugh!” Alcryst yelps as he’s lifted into the air with ease. The familiar booming laughter puts him at ease, he’s been through enough birthdays to know the routine. “Dad! Please! I can walk on my own!!” In spite of his protests, Alcryst delights in his father’s love, so grand that even he couldn’t question it. That they could even do this is a miracle in and of itself.

Dad talks about missing the last birthday. Alcryst has no intention to fill in the reason why. “Nineteen, yes…” It’s dizzying to even think about, honestly. Next year he’ll be twenty. That feels ancient, though Alcryst wouldn’t tell Diamant that. Some days he notices signs of him getting older. Mostly in that he’s gotten taller and lost some of his “baby face” as the knights call it. Alcryst doubts he’ll be as tall or muscular as his brother and father, but he can’t deny the distance between him and them isn’t nearly as far. He hopes his father noticed too. He hopes that Father will get to see him next year when he turns twenty, hopefully even taller. Though he’s is quick to remind Alcryst how unlikely this birthday is in the first place. “Father…”

Dad leaves no time to dwell on the matter, though. Immediately Alcryst is presented with a new bow, coated with a smooth blue lacquer and reinforced with steel. “You made this?!” First the violin, now this bow… but it’s not as easy to imagine his father toiling over a bow, to spend countless hours carving wood to just the right shape and ensuring perfect tension for the string. Maybe because it’s hard to imagine Father having the patience for such delicate work. And yet, he did it for him.

…Alcryst blinks back tears, smiling down at the drawing his father included. “Is that me with the bow?” He teases. “Ah… thank you so much, Father. I’ll treasure it always. I’ll wield it in service to Brodia, as faithfully as you did.” The hug comes just in time, just as a tear escapes him.

…

LAPIS??

How did her name come up?? Alcryst pulls away, hurriedly wiping at his eyes so that he can get a clear view of his father. It’s just as he feared. That look. That knowing smile. The teasing lilt in his voice. Alcryst has been on the receiving end of it many times before. Knowing that his father’s assumptions are finally true doesn’t make it any better.

“...Diamant told you?” Alcryst asks sheepishly. I’m going to kill that traitorous son of a bitch. “Aha, um, I’ll definitely ask if she wants to join…!”