venombloom

[venombloom]

“You’ve nothing to be sorry for.”

“Why me? Why now?”

“I just wanted to see what it was like. In case I die.”

“Didn’t die, I see.”

“I won’t see you for a long time, will I? I might never see you again.”

“You knew this. You chose this.”

“Never flinch. Never fear. And never, ever forget.”

“If it’s death you seek, there are easier ways to find it.”

“Not. A. Fucking. Word.”

“When all is blood, blood is all.”

“The brighter the light, the deeper the shadows.”

“It is basically your fault.”

“I can help with that. If you need it.”

“Fuck off. And take your trouble with you when you off with the fuck, _____.”

“I can kiss that better if you like.”

“Something is wrong. This is wrong.”

“That was heartless.”

“I know you not at all. And I trust you even less.”

“Apologies. Did I give the impression I was asking?”

“Shut up, you blackhearted little shit.”

“You should be dead…”

“You don’t owe me thanks.”

“You’d best grow some eyes in the back of your head, _____. You’d best start sleeping light.”

“A traitor’s just a patriot on the wrong side of winning.”

“Nothing is where you start. Own nothing. Know nothing. Be nothing.”

“Not all that is dead truly dies.”

“I can think of no finer torture than to have power absolute over all but your own.”

“Those who call the Dark… well, eventually it calls back.”

“I don’t need you worrying about me, _____. This place has danger enough to kill us both.”

“I can’t say I’m sorry to hear that.”

“You didn’t think I asked you to sneak out just because you seemed like good company, did you?”

“It may be sad. It may be wrong. But it is also true.”

“We both knew it was too good to last.”

“You will learn right and wrong have little meaning here.”

“This place gives much. But it takes more.”

“I know who I am. What I am. I’ll never forget. Never.”

“Never let your face tell a secret your lips should not.”

“… I’m not going to like it, am I?”

“I see they haven’t killed you yet.”

“Sometimes weakness is a weapon. If you’re smart enough to use it.”

“Watch your back. And your front. And the rest of it, too.”

“They will kill you, _____. Unless they break you. And then, they will kill you anyway.”

“I don’t know what to believe. I was hoping you could teach me.”

“It matters not what you are. Only that you are.”

“If you can’t hurt the ones who hurt you, sometimes hurting anyone will do.”

“If you’d like to go somewhere and quietly fuck yourself, I’ll be waiting patiently for your return.”

“Apologies. I appear to have misplaced the fucks I give for what you think…”

“Too many questions. Not enough answers.”

“Fuck you, then. Keep your secrets.”

“We’re the same, you and me.”

“The wolf does not pity the lamb. The storm begs no forgiveness of the drowned.”

“_____, I could kiss you…”

“Love makes fools of us all.”

“I don’t like being used, _____.”

“Know me so well, do you?”

“I know how you feel about me.”

“I don’t need your fucking pity, _____.”

“I want what’s best for you, don’t you see that?”

“You don’t belong here.”

“Don’t tell anyone. I have a reputation to uphold.”

“Sometimes I wonder what you’re doing in a place like this, _____.”

“You never belonged here, _____. You deserve better than this.”

“Shut the fuck up, you piece of shit. You’ve got one chance to live and that’s by telling me what I want to know, understood?”

“Perhaps here is not the best place to speak of it?”

“You owe me answers. I think I’ve earned them by now.”

“I didn’t want it to be like this, _____.”

[venombloom]

I wouldn't say Viago is like a father figure to Daisy; not really since she knew her own father and Macario is nowhere near anything like Viago. But at the same time Viago isn't fully in the realm of older brother — he is but there's still that bit of in the territory of guardian. I guess what I mean is that Viago is both family, boss and mentor. There's no definite familial label equivocation that can be given.

Teia on the other hand is definitely big sister/older cousin. And Daisy loves it because she's never had the privileged of not knowing the weight of being the elder sibling or enjoying the perks of not being the first born.

[venombloom]

❝ He missed you more than he can admit, you know, ❞ Crossed arms as she leans against a wall, a soft smile and bright golden eyes shining earnestly. The 'he' in question is no longer within earshot, having left after perhaps giving the opposite impression. Vi was never good at showing his true feelings — it did not mean they weren't there.

And Daisy clearly cares too; it seems only right to step in and prevent miscommunication from creating a rift that needed not to exist. Both de Rivas would be happier knowing their bond remained despite everything. ❝ Vi might seem harsh now, but he talked about you all the time when you weren't here, Daisy. He even took care of your garden — he, not someone he sent. Don't let the harsh words fool you. ❞

@7thtalon

It's understandable that he's upset and stressed. She doesn't fault him for that. The mess she's made has only snowballed into catastrophic proportions on top of everything else going on. And while she hadn't expected some grand homecoming, because truthfully she's still in the doghouse (technically), getting damn near yelled at and sliced with razor sharp words by the mentor hadn't exactly been the most welcoming response to her returning to roost.

It takes work to not let the disappointment show in her features nor in the slump of her shoulders. Yet it still colors the sigh that slips from her lips. At first she takes Teia's comfort with a grain of salt; it's not unappreciated, Maker no. And a part of her knows the Seventh Talon is correct. It shows in the fact that he's kept her alive and out of Velabanchel. It's the mention that he personally took care of her garden, her pride and joy, while she's been exiled.

That truly is what softens her up --- soothes the festering melancholia.

"He did?" Daisy murmurs, her expression less somber than just mere seconds before. Even the corners of her lips threaten to quirk up as a hand ever so lightly rests upon her heart, touched by the gesture. "Thank you for telling me, Teia. And for all that you've done for me and him. I realize he must have some sort of fondness for me to put up with me and all. Sometimes I just feel like I fail him...that I am more burdensome than I am worth."

Despite saying such a statement a grin has worked it's way onto her face. "I just want to make him proud. I owe him that much." Eyes maintain steady contact with the elder corvid while fingers twitch with the want to fidget. "Do you think he'll welcome me back when this is over? If I'm still....?" Alive.

[venombloom]

Ok ok but for some reason this really gives me Crow!Rook x Emmrich vibes. like sorry not sorry

[venombloom]

Person A: “H-How many fucking knives do have in there?!”

Person B: *Still pulling knives out of their bag and pockets* “I don’t know actually… I have two in my bra and one in my boot as well I think. You know… just in case.”

Person A: “In case of what?!?!!”

[venombloom]

The youngest is reluctant to let go, yet does so anyways; first to calm the old canine enough to corral him back to his usual resting spot then to follow the others. A gaggle of children run and weave through the legs of the grownups, racing inside without a clue as to the larger machinations of the day's surprising events. True innocence.

Stepping through the threshold brings about the feeling of her ankles and gut have suddenly become lead. Once this was home, now she feels like a stranger despite the recognition of features and furniture of this house. What causes her to freeze in what had been considered their family room, is the familiar painting hanging above the hearth. A woman with dark brown hair and warm caramel eyes stares out proudly, confidence in her posture — dressed in all red, including her veil, dripping with gold accessories from head to toe. Beside her in a chair sits a burly man built like a bear; eyes the color of rotted tree bark and hair in short, copper curls (a red that matches perfectly with his beard). His expression easy going, his suit impeccable with a red vest peeking out and a garland of marigolds around his neck. Madre && Padre.

Gaze roaming further reveals two clay containers upon the mantle. It only takes a second for the realization to click. Riposa in pace.

It's with a bit of ushering she continues on into the small kitchen slash dinning space. As if by clockwork everyone takes what could be described as their usual places. It's a sea of red. Each siblings shares enough similarities to tie them together yet have enough distinguishing variations to be told apart. Similar to how a mediocre counterfeiter may try copy a painting but with details that deviate from the original enough to make the effort for a one to one recreation a failure. At the head of the table stands the figure she's identified as the second eldest. The perturbed, teary expression and wild waves of hair pulled back in a ponytail along with the hands on hips pose the dead giveaways. "So you aren't dead." Dear Dahlia says with a tone meant to slice, the undertone of weepy anger unavoidable. "What did you crawl back here for? If it's money, you're shit out of luck."

"Well not dead yet. Give me a few months then perhaps..." Daisy shoots back without a second thought. Though there is instant regret with the smartass remark said as if it were a joke. The optimal thing to do would be to shove her foot in her mouth. "If I wanted to exchange blows, I wouldn't need to come back here. And I'm a big girl, I can make my own coin. I...we were in the neighborhood and...I wanted to try and make things right." Before death really did claim her. But, oh the reactions! The only positive one seems to come from the youngest that had greeted them.

It's telling Daisy reaches for him before her own knife's hilt; his left hand already gripping a half-sheathed blade before one could blink. The old dog's mouth is foaming at the corners, still barking from low in its chest. Its beginning to sound hoarse, but it would be foolish to ignore the gleam of yellowed canines flashing past that grey-grizzled muzzle. Still, with an eye on the main threat, Lucanis observes the sisters' reunion — trying to be the opposite of an intrusion and failing, his presence painfully obvious as a splinter in the finger. The younger sister looks at him as such, and he feels more than sees Spite's head tilt at the cryptic words; lyrical omens strung out in the wind and bone, drawn from somewhere deeper than the marrow.

[Nocturnal waters. Fallen specks of stars gathered. In her eyes.] Did she dream of her sister's bloodshed, too? Lucanis hopes she won't dream of his inner demon after this.

He deliberates on a suitable response while folding his arms behind the back, the gesture less sinister without a cloak. "I'm a colleague." A relatively clinical definition, a flimsier than expected barrier of professionalism when he acted as a pillar of support mere moments ago. The dog barks more spittle, beginning to whine more than simply appear intimidating, and he hears more footsteps echoing against the old hardwood. Stairs creak. A gasp. Someone drops silverware upon seeing what's framed from their kitchen window.

And as the rest of her family trickled out of the house, Lucanis watches the scene with a misery drained inward. Multiple voices coalescing into family, each of their features alike and yet unique. After the initial sweep of their appearances, he keeps his focus on Daisy, attentive to how her eyes flicker between all of them, flashing with recognition, surprise, and grief caused by time's long absence. At some point one voice pipes up about bringing the whole party into the kitchen and around a table as civilized people should, the intonation quivery with shed tears.

[venombloom]

And though I can hide my cold gaze, and you can shake my hand and feel flesh gripping yours and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable... 

I SIMPLY AM NOT THERE.

Indie ☆ Private ☆ Very Selective sideblog to @faerie--macabre

[venombloom]

A spicier addition: Everyone always talks about Rook becoming a Dellamorte. But what if Lucanis became a de Riva?

What if I present to you the incredibly hottake that if Viago did try and become king of Antiva, there is the high likely hood Daisy would try and help with that. Because while she loves the Crows as mainly a job, she loves Vi like actual family and her loyalty leans more towards him. The wrench in the plan on her part is whether or not she's involved with Lucanis.

[venombloom]

What if I present to you the incredibly hottake that if Viago did try and become king of Antiva, there is the high likely hood Daisy would try and help with that. Because while she loves the Crows as mainly a job, she loves Vi like actual family and her loyalty leans more towards him. The wrench in the plan on her part is whether or not she's involved with Lucanis.

[venombloom]

And though I can hide my cold gaze, and you can shake my hand and feel flesh gripping yours and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable... 

I SIMPLY AM NOT THERE.

Indie ☆ Private ☆ Very Selective ☆ Template sideblog to @faerie--macabre

[venombloom]

Crows as familia but in the same way that the mob (or yakuza even) is "family." 😌

[venombloom]

[venombloom]

if I am a bit more slow or picky with the threads I answer please bare with me. My spoons are low and scattered on the floor.

Currently I'm having to deal with the fact my aunt is on her death bed. Which I knew it was coming but I hadn't expected it so soon. Ontop of that I'm dealing with a midlife-existential crisis with my birthday coming up next week along with just life realizations in general. I want to work on things, indulge in escapism to keep my mind busy and out of the sinkhole. but I realize at the same time I'm already not the best conversationalist and a lil flimsy with chatting.

truly though thank you all for making writing here a wonderful experience. I appreciate you all sticking around. <33

[venombloom]

send me "be honest..." with a question your muse has been dying to ask mine and they'll answer truthfully.

[venombloom]

@elliscousland is an absolute sweet bean & drew a gorgeous rendition of Daisy! Xan does such awesome art & indepth writing so go check them out!!

[venombloom]

[ hair ]  –  for the sender to brush a strand of hair out of the receiver’s face.

@fatewoven

Over and over she tells herself she's fine. She has to be. There is no choice about it. At least that's what she tries to put on repeat in her mind as she watches swirls of smoke curl towards the ceiling of the meditation chamber.

Normally when indulging in such a vice she'd do it outside. But currently she just needs to be out of sight of the others. There are no words to describe how thankful and relieved she was to see them all. Overjoyed. A few tears had threaten to fall as she embraced each one.

That was the thing; she was able to hold everything back in that moment and as she went around to each of them individually to check in. Now though, she's not sure she can keep the dam of emotions intact.

With perfect clarity in her mind's eye, she can still picture every detail of the prison she's been trapped in for almost a month.

The brutalized mirror images of her companions (sometimes in the throes of death, sometimes merely staring her down; once or twice their bodies and others mutilated and twisted into blighted abominations), the venomous ire that slips from their lips (rightly so she had thought). Slogging through a river of regrets, hands grabbing for her at every turn. Mutated monsters, seas of blood and ruined landscapes. The haunting cries of children, of babies.

So with a shaking hand she takes drags off the herbal cigarette, filling her lungs with dried elf root, mint and chamomile while reclining on the chaise. Whether it helps or not is debatable.

When the door opens Daisy shoots up, head whipping around to see who it is. Lucanis. The burning herbs are extinguished in a ceramic tray on the cabinet behind the lounge. She doesn't even have time to get up and meet him where he stands nor to fully compose herself.

He kneels down infront of her, looking up with the softest, most tender expression she thinks she's ever seen grace his beautiful face. For some reason that's the nail in the coffin. It starts as a sniffle that hastily mutates into full sobbing. Tears streaming down her cheeks like a rapid current. Her arms are thrown around him in a tight hug, face buried in his neck and fingers digging into his back. For what feels like eternity all she can do is cry even surrounded by the warmth of his strong hold and the familiar scent he carries.

"How do I know if this is real? That you're you and here?" Comes her warbled question as she finally pulls back. There's no care to how awful she probably looks. Face flushed, eyes bloodshot, hair disheveled. He reaches up to tuck back several locks of wild red locks with the utmost delicacy. Daisy grabs his hand to press his palm to a tear streaked cheek, nuzzling against it. "Please." But she's not sure what she's asking for. Please don't be an illusion. Please don't leave me.

[venombloom]

❝things aren’t going quite as planned, are they?❞

@ban1te

"Now what exactly has given you that idea?" His question answered with her own. It's an attempt to deny that his observation is indeed very correct. Nothing has gone as planned. And she's not sure why she would have expected this to be any different. The definition of insanity, by some, is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting the results to change. Maybe this plight is just that: insane. Yet if anyone is going to endure and wade through the madness, why not her?

Despite the frustrating circumstances, Daisy or rather ROOK wears an easy going smile; a calm, if possibly playful, facade. For the time being. The blood that stains the blade of her rapier is wiped away upon her sleeve in one graceful swipe.

"Better yet, what does it matter to you?" There's a light chuckle as she holds direct eye contact with him, head canting just a hair.