rejenerating

[rejenerating]

[sigrid + unnamed fire kingdom princess]

sigrid stood with her back against the wall. the darkness of the room might have scared some, but it was comforting to her. it hid her, kept her free from her father's grasp and the gaze of his disgustingly loyal watchdogs.

she turned her head towards the door at the sound of soft footsteps. she formed two icicles in her hands, readying herself in case anyone but XX walked through that door.

a soft sequences of knocks- 1.. 23.. 4.. 56, followed by the creaking hinges of the door opening.

"sig?"

sigrid smiled and allowed the icicles to melt before she emerged from her spot in the shadows. the pair met in the soft moonlight streaming through cracks in the curtains. they embraced, sharing kisses and whispered devotions.

XX brought her hand up to cup sigrid's cheek. her smile fell as she felt the scratches. she pulled back, 'what happened?'

'oh, just.. training injuries, XX. nothing to worry yourself over.'

XX furrowed her brow and held up a hand, a small flicker of light coming from her palm. she held it up to her cheek and inspected the scratches, looking back at sigrid's eyes.

'okay... it was him. but i've survived much worse and you know it.'

'why didnt you tell me?'

sigrid let out a small laugh, 'XX, if given the chance, you'd run into his throne room and cut off his manhood for simply speaking ill of me, let alone doing physical harm to me. it's for the best you don't know everything.'

XX's eyes hardened but before she could speak, sigrid continue, 'and anyways, he's a wretched old man who doesn't have long left. as soon as i get the throne, he'll never lay a hand on me again.'

'you're right. though i would do much worse than castrate him, my love.'

she placed a soft kiss to her forehead and both cheeks. 'i brought you a gift, for your birthday.'

'truly? you... you didn't need to'

'i wanted to. let me go retrieve it.'

XX walked out, quietly closing the door behind her. sigrid smiled to herself and touched her hands to her cheeks, as if trying to hold onto the kisses left there.

the door opened behind her and she began to spin around, 'that was quick-'

a hand covered her mouth with a rag. she tried to kick out from their grasp, but she felt woozy. she scratched at her attacker's exposed arms, leaving deep scratches. she desperately tried to fight off the exhaustion threatening to consume her whole, but it began it win out.

the attacker began to drag her from the room, but before they made it out the door sigrid reached up and tore the necklace from her throat. beads scattered to the floor in every direction. the chain fell in a heap, a large opal in an intricate setting landing on top.

she would know she hadn't abandoned her. that this was not by choice. she had to.

[rejenerating]

'father i dont understand, we're the only kingdom left that does not acknowledge surrogacy or adoptive heirs. so long as a child holds our name and status, does it truly matter from whom they came?'

sigrid's father closed the distance between them in a few quick strides. while only a few inches taller than her, his frame was much wider, made to look more intimidating by the large fur cloak hung on his shoulders.

'you will marry whoever i decide and that is final, sigrid.'

'father, why-'

he raised his hand and swung it, landing solidly against her pale cheek. the only sound that followed was her mother's sharp gasp. sigrid clenched her fists at her side, trying to prevent any tears from falling. her cheek was now bright red with small scratches from the king's rings. small specks of blood formed and ice crystals quickly took them over, as if trying to seal the wounds shut.

a look of... embarrassment? guilt? sorrow? flashed across the king's eyes and he opened his mouth to speak.

'don't' sigrid whispered, eyes locked on the wall in front of her, holding her father in her peripheral vision.

her gaze slid to his face; he struggled to hide his conflicting emotions, while hers sat blank.

'apologizing is weakness,' she spat, 'and i'm already well aware of how weak of a man you are.'

any lingering guilt he felt over the slap dissipated, anger coated his entire being.

'but there's no need to show your court how weak you are.'

sigrid hoisted her skirts up and spun away from her father. as she strode towards the door, he yelled at her back, 'you will marry whom i choose, sigrid, or you will lose your claim to this throne!'

she reached the top step and two guards opened the door. before stepping through, she turned back towards her father.

'or perhaps i'll choose to fall on my sword. either way, an eternity in hell awaits me.'

[rejenerating]

me, very tired and high: do norns have kings and queens?? they dont right? what is their leadership called again??

me: oh wait i forgot i can just

make up a small kingdom of elven x norn people. they reside in an area someplace super remote that was thought to be abandoned after jormags influence caused it to become unliveable. they helped keep up the ruse by having mesmers use magic to help disguise the area and thief magic to help... misdirect people and keep them from getting close enough in the first place.

how do they have such skilled magics??? they have entire schools dedicated to training. if you are born with what they think to be fitting magic, you're automatically enrolled at a certain age. if you wish to dedicate your life to training in hopes you can develop enough magic to succeed, you're encouraged to apply.

after jormag's defeat, they begin to get adventurers venturing closer every day. during jormag's reign, it was very rare to see one or two a year and even then they'd still be hundreds of miles off. now, they're lucky to go a month without one.

the king and queen's advisors are worried of mass unrest in the streets. people have begun to fear an invasion was coming. so, out of hopes to collect intel on the intruders, they gather a siege team.

the most lethal fighters, covert spies, and skilled healers to conduct a research mission. amongst those is {NAME HERE}, princess of {KINGDOM} and the most skilled and highly trained healer in {LAND}.

she's joined by gunner and deadly marksman, GHOST {R/L NAME} [bladesworn]. {NAME} [firebrand], the goddess' aegis. and NOVA, real name unknown [thief], "killer shadow" ('NOT my nickname, ghost.').

they don disguises (the main difference, they noted when tracking the adventurers that had been turned around by thief magic and were headed back, was these other norn lacked their pointed ears, were a bit stockier and shorter, and donned colorful tattoos (they have tattoos and battle paints, but tend to stick to grayscales and white and saved red for mourning paint).

[rejenerating]

• late 30's, dark brown hair that looks black when not in direct sunlight, freckles, hair usually kept in a long braid. thick arms, soft hands ('are you surprised, cub?' 'all the farmers i've met have had rough hands' she pulls leather fingerless gloves from her back pocket. they're worn and broken in, the palms a lighter shade than the back of the glove.)

• orc ranger / bard. loves pumpkin soup, warm bread, snow peas, and green beans. mulled wines and tea. drying fruit slices and simmer pots. romance novels and whittling.

• tilly, the farm cat

• bruno, the sleepy battle companion

• farmer. baker. beekeeper.

• shepherd.

[rejenerating]

a man sits at her feet, trying to steady his breathing. his eyes wide with surprise, his shoulders shaking with fear.

'who is she? why was his door kicked down?' he wonders

she gives him a sultry smile, out of place beneath eyes that scream anger. she extends a hand, long delicate fingers covered in rings that look both beautiful and deadly. her long stiletto nails are a dark red that reads black in low light.

unsure, he slowly reaches for her hand. when their fingers connect she says, "you know, if there's one thing the antivan crows do..."

her fingers tightly grip his, sharp points on the bottoms of her rings jab his fingers. with strength surprising for her lanky build she pulls him to his feet. she leans in close, her deep brown eyes fixated on his. they stand at a similar 6'0" height, her nose stopping right at his upper lip.

"it's send their regards." she whispers.

she plunges a knife into his stomach and twists. his eyes go wide with shock and he tries to pull away. she quickly moves her hand from his and grabs his upper arm, nails digging into his exposed flesh.

she releases him and he stumbles back, hands going to the wound. blood pours out and he falls to the ground. his eyes frantically swap from looking to her, to his blood covered hands, back to her, to the door.

she glances over her shoulder at the door. she'd already locked it when she entered, even though she knew he wouldn't be making a run for it.

'knew he wouldn't be able to,' she thinks and laughs quietly to herself.

"that and murder... obviously," she gives another light laugh as the man falls onto his back, death rattle escaping his lips.

[rejenerating]

she rides hard along the forest path. branches whip at her face and leave small cuts on her cheeks and ears, but she does not slow down. she cannot slow down.

the smell of smoke hits her before the sight of it does. she pushes her horse to go faster, as fast as it can manage. they've never ridden at this speed and she'll give her a much needed rest as soon as they get there, as soon as she can see-

she skids to an abrupt stop at the top of the hill. thick forest brush has cleared and made way to an opening, allowing her to see all that lay below the hilltop.

only where there should be a home, stables, farmland, life there is now ash. a lingering smell of smoke, though the fires have long since died out. a horrifying dread and a sense of death.

she grips the reigns and stares open eyed at the sight below, tears threatening to spill if she blinks. she is alone still, the other riders have not caught up to her. they're not as familiar with the path and while they'll still manage to find their way, they couldn't do it as quickly as she.

she slips off the horse's back, the only sounds are her footsteps and the heavy breathing of the horse. she walks downhill, towards the destruction.

ash kicks up around her as she walks through the ruins, but she pays it no mind. silent, heavy tears fall down her cheeks. they leave streaks on her dirt and ash covered cheeks.

under a pile of collapsed beams, she sees a fuzzy brown arm poking out. her heart leaps to her throat and lodges itself there and she feels as if it's choking her. she drops to her knees and begins pushing away the surrounding debris to free the item.

a small teddy bear. it's bowtie was once red, now dark gray. half of its face and body are singed and the other half is nearly burnt to a crisp. she struggles to take a breath in as she holds the bear to her chest. loud, shaky sobs erupt from her body. a scream rips from her throat, full of anger and hate and sadness and loss. she cries so hard her head begins pounding and her ears ring. she cries even after no more tears fall.

from the corner of her eye she spots movement. a shadowy figure on a black horse in the far distance. he is watching her.

'He is reveling in this, in the destruction brought down by his hand,' she thinks as she places the bear on the ground and stands up.

she faces him and they stare at one another.

'I could call Eve, chase him down. Wrap my hands around his throat,' she thinks, then shakes her head, 'He's four fields away, I'd never catch him. Not after the ride we just had.'

before she has time to consider her options, they turn and speed away.

"Nova."

the other rides are standing behind her. how long they've been there, she's unsure. she doesn't meet their gazes, her eyes fixated on the floor. searching.

"Alwynn." the same voice as before says, sterner and using her given name this time.

she stops walking and turns her head to look at him. she's unable to meet his gaze for long and her eyes keep dropping down to the ground, his shoes, his hands; one on his sword, one clenched into a fist at his side.

"What do you want us to do?" not a question meant to sound rude, as if they were listless saps in need of order. but instead a question of concern, of desire to help but fear of overstepping boundaries.

"I'm going to search for... for bones, teeth, anything that might have survived. Somehow. As for the rest of you," she turns to face the others, "you are free to go. Return to the kingdom, get some rest."

she turns back around and begins to walk forward, only to find a hand wrapping around her wrist. her breath catches in her throat and she turns towards the man gently holding her back.

"We're not leaving."

a sob aches to escape, but she chokes it down. she's not cried in their presence before and she doesn't wish to start now. she gives a curt nod and he releases her wrist, but she doesn't move away.

"Alright, everyone fan out and search. Gunner, start digging some holes under that willow tree," he points to a tree behind the home that somehow escaped without the fire's destructive lick.

he moves closer and says in a hushed tone, "and make some markers. Make them nice. Whether we find something worth burying or not, we're giving her a burial. We're giving her whatever she needs."

gunner nods, mouth in a firm straight line, before heading off to the willow.

[rejenerating]

temperance [the goddess' channeled voice, the shared deliverance] blessed by air and earth.

A SOFT BEAM OF LIGHT from the moon shines through the stained glass window and cascades over her face. her eyes are closed, face cast upward, hands open in offering. her lips move and near silent words slip out. prayers, confessions, revelations fall from her lips, her tongue devoted to Her words. 'for i am Chosen. i walk Her in light to fend off the dark. i speak Her word, with love.

//

oh how beautiful to have been blessed by both Life and Growth Health and Nature Air and Earth

cradled by white wings, sheltered by protective bark

a voice to carry their word, sing their songs.

//

but i am not worthy of the blessings of one, let alone two. yet here i stand, enraptured in light and love, spreading the songs of life and growth.

//

how can one abuse the dead while claiming to be of life? they spit

oh, but how can one claim to be of life and think it stops with death? i ask

[rejenerating]

"i could see it in her eyes, she wasn't lying!"

"i think that glint you saw was from the sheen of the coins you'd given her," neve tried to repress a smile at the thought. ivelle was always so wide-eyed and bushy tailed. but she also wasn't dumb; she knew when she'd walked into a joke or fallen for a relatively harmless scam. if it provided her a good laugh at the expense of her public image, she'd go for it.

ivelle shook her head as she shoved a fork full of breakfast foods into her mouth. she quickly chewed and said, "no! all seeing divina would never lie to me!"

"you're right, all seeing divina is a beacon of honesty," a small smile sat on neve's lips, quickly covered by the mug of coffee she raised to her mouth.

"you'll see. i'm going to become enormously rich, take down a god, find true love, and... something about cheese..."

"all within five years time, right?"

"exactly! i paid her extra for the expedited future package."

"how much did you pay her exactly?"

a sheepish look overtook ivelle's face and her cheeks darkened with a blush. she shoved more food in her mouth and made a garbled noise in response.

neve quirked an eyebrow in response. ivelle made a dramatic show of swallowing her food before whispering, "fifty gold pieces."

coffee sputtered from neve's mouth and she began coughing, choking on her drink.

"FIFTY?"

[rejenerating]

"have you ever been robbed?"

"haven't we all, sir? by our ultimate thief, the reaper. the thief of life." "wouldn't you claim father time our ultimate thief? for he takes the time remaining from our lives, the reaper merely guides the soul to a new life."

[rejenerating]

XX stepped out of the steamy bath. she'd been in there near an hour; a normal bath would have ran cold, but thanks to gale's prowess with coals, some sort of water steam machine, and a fire spell (sadly, not fireball as suggested by XX, much to the disdain of her party members), the bath was still just as hot as when she'd stepped in.

rose petals floated around the tub, along with other herbs with restorative or relaxing properties. she emerged from the tub smelling of roses, lavender, and sage.

she twisted her wet locks atop her head and secured them with a glittering hair stick with gems dangling from the end. she wrapped a soft towel around her body and audibly sighed. soft was not a comfort one enjoyed often on the road and she had sorely missed it.

everything in the city felt soft compared to what things had felt like prior to reaching the city: towels, her bed and pillows, her freshly cleaned hair she'd been able to really scrub free of dirt and sweat, the small pouch appearing on her lower tummy from maybe slightly gorging herself on more wine than normal.

she knew baldur's gate was anything but soft and luxurious at this time, but gods she'd missed the city. part of her thought she'd never actually make it back with this thing in her head.

she shook her head free of those thoughts and headed behind the room divider. she grabbed a brush and walked back around the divider and right into someone walking into the room.

she'd been so distracted by her thoughts of the tadpole, she didn't even hear a knock or someone open the door.

XX collided with the person and fell backwards, onto her butt. as she fell, her arms splayed out to try and brace her fall, leaving her towel to slide off her body.

she landed atop her towel and sat, momentarily distracted by the pain and shock, not realizing her towel's fallen off.

the person she collided with makes a sound of pain as they stumble back, nearly falling but steadying themselves at the last moment.

XX looked up, face scrunched in pain and exclaimed, "wyll!"

wyll, similar expression coating his face, looked up at the voice and quietly takes in the sight before him-

XX. on the ground. naked. towel underneath them.

his eyes widened in shock and he quickly closed them and turned his head away.

"XX! oh gods, are you alright, xx? i'm so sorry-" he reached his hands up in a confused manner, like he's unsure if he's holding them out in apology or to help her up. "i knocked! i didn't hear an answer! are you hurt?"

she stared at him in confusion before realizing the reason for his behavior is laying beneath her. she quickly scrambled up while pulling the towel tightly around her.

"oh my- wyll, i am so, so sorry," she whispered with a slight panic in her voice, "you- i'm not hurt, no. i didn't hear you, i'm so sorry! you can open your eyes, i'm... i'm decent now."

he hesitantly opened his eyes and looked back at her. his shoulders sag in relief and he moves towards her, hands still slightly outstretched as if ready to help her still.

"i didn't mean to see you... in such a way, XX."

"no wyll, don't apologize for what happened due to my lack of awareness. it's me who should apologize!" she nearly shouts, images of her scarred back and thighs come to mind, "i am sorry to have put you in such an uncomfortable position, i never meant for you to have to see something so... bad." she finishes with an unsure and embarrassed look on her face.

something flashes across wyll's face but it's quickly replaced by a look of concern, "xx, the only reason it was "bad" was because you did not ask for it to happen. there's nothing bad about you, just me seeing!"

she knows the true meaning of his words, but hearing it put like that sends a shock to her heart and leaves her feeling upset. a small "oh" leaves her lips and she quickly bows her head in goodbye and spins to leave the room.

"wait, xx!" he turns and places a hand on her shoulder. the skin to skin contact makes her spine straighten and the both of them suck in a breath. she stills but reminds facing forward.

"gods, i'm saying everything wrong..." wyll whispers to himself.

"what i mean to say is you are the most beautiful person i've had the gift of getting to know. your grace, your smile, your laugh- gods your beautiful laugh. that sound could cure disease and famine, i swear it."

"i could not begin to list all the things i'd give to have the pleasure of knowing you on a deeper level yet. to know what you dream of and ache for; to know how to be exactly what you desire."

he starts to drop his hand from her shoulder, but she quickly turns around and captures it in her own. they lift their eyes and meet each other's gaze, a warm blush sliding over XX's cheeks.

"i can only hope one day to earn your trust and respect and... love," he says almost with a whisper, a shy look taking over his handsome face, "and maybe then, i'll be granted the honor of seeing you and only you, no obstacles. no fallen towels."

she sucks in a breath and her gaze wavers down to his chest- that she's just noticed is very bare. her grip on his fingers tightens and she quickly averts her eyes back to his eyes and

'nope, no better,' she thinks, melting under the warm pressure of his tender gaze, 'maybe i'd be better off just staring into his chest-'

"i don't need, or expect, and answer to... all of this, right now, xx. and i'll happily move however slow you desire," a small smile rests on his lips as he gazes down at her.

[rejenerating]

I sat back on the bed and let my robe fall open. My eyes fell to my shaking hands grabbing the sheets, afraid to meet his gaze.

“Spirits…” a soft whisper came from above me.

I looked up at him from under my lashes to see him dragging a hand across his face. Was this too much? Too fast? Is he not-

“I never thought this sight would escape my dreams. So many nights this image has filled my mind,” he dropped his hand and looked at me, his darkened gaze sending heat to my core, “but my imagination could not paint a picture as beautiful as the real thing.”

He moved closer and kneeled at the edge of the bed. Even on his knees, our faces were the same height. He held my gaze steadily, his hands rubbing the silk robe pooled around my legs.

“Braham…”

He cupped the side of my face and pulled me closer, letting our foreheads touch. He moved to the crook of my neck and inhaled deeply.

“You smell like sweet smoke and pine. I've longed to have your scent on me, on my sheets."

[rejenerating]

📌pinned.

tags:

.unfinishedtxt - unfinished / unedited writing

.gw2writing - guild wars 2

.bg3writing - baldur's gate 3

.dawriting - dragon age (o, 2, i, + tvg)

.gw2durge - a gw2 x bg3 durge crossover

not linked:

.ocname - i.e. .temperance, .iona

.canonxname/oc - i.e. nevexivelle, brahamxoc

.thehiddenknight - a gw2 story inspired by dark fantasy

.antivancrowoc - a seasoned assassin fulfills contracts... and maybe helps save the world and fall in love

---------

most posts are unedited.

[rejenerating]

His fingers twitch, his palms feel sweaty. There it is. A small wooden box sits on a bookshelf; everything around it is covered in a thin layer of dust, but the box is perfectly clean. It looks simple- no fancy carvings, no ornate lock, but he can tell it won't open for just anyone.

"Grab it and let's go, XX." a tall hooded sylvari whispers through clenched teeth, eyes fixed on the door and hand on the hilt of their weapon.

His hand reaches out for the box. He feels almost... pulled to it. Like it wants him to take it, to open it. Of course it does, it recognizes his power. Whatever the box contains is just the key to unlocking it. It must be his and his alone.

The sylvari's eyes break from the door for a moment and catch his glare.

'They want to take me from you...' a heavy voice slithers through his mind, 'Stop them. Let no one come between us.'

"XX... are you okay? You look like you've seen a Kryptis." the sylvari stands tall, their fingers never leaving their weapon.

'Kill them.'

---

'Cold, sticky. My body is sore, where has the light gone?' he thinks, pulling himself off the ground.

"Tevyn, what happened?" he asks while lighting his lantern.

Light fills the room

[rejenerating]

hauntingly beautiful.

///

the ground is slick beneath my feet, the humidity hanging heavy in the air. it coats every surface in a thin layer of condensation. my hair sticks to my neck and a bead of sweat rolls down my cheek.

the taps of my heels against the cobblestone echo off the walls around me. i shouldn't have followed it, but something about it just... lured me in. even with it's absence in my ears, i feel a pull at my core, tugging me forward. deeper into the dark hall.

my eyes struggle to adjust to the lessening of light, so my right hand finds a wall beside me to hold onto and my left stays outstretched to prevent collision with anything i miss.

slowly, i inch down the hallway. the only sounds are my footsteps and my frantic breathing when it begins again.

it comes in slowly, like a mother covering her sleeping child with a warm blanket; gently, slowly as to not wake them. it wraps around my mind and sends me flashes of safety and love. my pace picks up, i feel more emboldened to walk down the dark hallway with ease, despite my lack of visibility.

my palms feel warm, as if they're reminiscing on the embrace of a loved one's hands in mine. my fingers twitch slightly, as if they're reaching out to... someone. something?

the music dances around my head as i move frantically towards it's call. i skip over doors, they do not hold what i seek. what i desire. except for

one.

at the end of the hall, soft light peeks out from the crack under the door. it calls me closer, begs me to open and set it free. i run faster. my lungs scream for air, but i cannot stop.

i see flashes in my peripherals all of the sudden. i shake my heads as i run. heads? no, head. small spots of light cloud my vision. they turn into flashes of bright, blinding light. i have to keep going. more flashes. brighter spots of light place a haze on everything i see. i stumble. i reach out for the wall i once held dear. my hands find nothing. i fall.

i close my eyes, bracing for impact. but it never comes.

i open my eyes and try to blink away the brightness. the humidity is gone, a gentle breeze instead blows over me. the dark cobblestone hallway is now a downtown market. faces surround me, i can't understand their expressions, their words. are they yelling at me? are they worried? where am i?

a man's arm is wrapped around me. i look up at him and he glances back, the corners of his mouth tipping down. he removes his arm and steadies me, then steps back and looks me over. is he concerned? did he save me from falling... or from the hallway? who is he, where am i? and where was i?

i look up to where the door i ran towards once stood. a door still stands there, but now it leads to the doors to what looks like a church.

a feel a slight pang in my center when i look at the church's marking above the door. why was i running there? for safety, maybe?

i don't recognize the symbols or the language. the crowd has mostly dispersed but the man stands staring. for the first time, i notice his garb. i fully take it in; (DESC OF RELIGIOUS GARB)

he hesitantly reaches out towards me, as if afraid i may bite like a ravenous animal. i sit perfectly still. could i be a ravenous animal?

///

she knows.

how could she possibly know?

maybe one of your failed pets got loose. you never keep good track of them, who knows how many have went missing.

you wound me, sister. perhaps she feels the calling.

ridiculous, she is a dwarf. her kind don't accpt the magic.

[rejenerating]

i used to feel guilt and shame when hands would touch me.

you're sinful you must wait til marriage

you're stupid if you think someone could love you looking like that

you're disgusting

when you touch me i feel safe i feel home sometimes i feel heaven and bliss other times it's content and happy

but i always feel yours

[rejenerating]

i no longer think of you when he calls me 'your' nickname

for it's no longer 'yours' but ours, his and i ♥

[rejenerating]

“If you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit.”

— Banksy