#captive winter

[faithfire-writes]

Happy Worldbuilding Wednesday!

Today I’m working on Timeravon and its history and culture. Ask away!

[featherlouise]

It was like a vision from an angry god

[godsplatter]

soldat

[bogcreacher]

hey girl I think. I think maybe you

[faithfire-writes]

Added 1503 words, so about 3 ish pages. Fleshing out Tristan and Iseray and SO loving their relationship!

Words into Potions: Reblog with your progress!

Let us know the progress you've made to your goal in a reblog of this post!

[serpentface]

A few birds of prey found in (and beyond) Imperial Wardi claimed land: the crow kite, dove eagle, and golden eagle.

---

The crow kite is a small, nimble hunter. This particular species is found exclusively west of the Blackmane mountain range and east of the Mouth seaway, though has close relatives elsewhere. They're mostly found in grasslands, where they can be seen hovering in midair while scanning for prey below. They primarily prey upon insects caught in flight, though will also regularly take rodents and lizards and can grapple with prey almost as large as themselves. Most of their diet consists of live prey, though they will opportunistically scavenge.

They are threatened by larger birds of prey, though are notably aggressive and proficient at mobbing most threats.

The crow kite has a particular partnership association with the (broadly unnoticed to be Sapient by humans) 'talking crows' who live here. Mutualistic and/or stealthily parasitic interactions with other animals characterize many crow cultures, and kites represent the only raptors that crows in this region partner with (largely due to posing no threat to themselves/their young).

Both (mostly) benefit from the overall relationship- the kite is slightly larger and notably more powerful than a single crow, while the crows are highly social and can keep more effective watch for predators as large groups. When foraging in association, they are highly effective at warning each other of threats and teaming up to drive them away. Crows will take on predators they wouldn't even dare approach as a large group with kites on their sides (notably the dove eagle, which is rarely outright mobbed by smaller birds due to their tremendous agility and capability of turning the tables on pursuers), and the two species are known to drive away substantially larger mammalian predators (occasionally even humans) from carcasses and resources. Kites also have beaks better equipped for tearing than crows, and can open some carcasses that crows cannot.

The most dramatic form of this association is the 'adoption' of kite chicks by some crow families. Kites rear clutches of 3-5 eggs, and the crows will occasionally steal an unguarded chick and raise it to maturity in order to fully monopolize the benefits of this partnership. Kite chicks adopted by crows do not heavily compete for resources (as the crows have a significantly more generalist diet) and serve as permanent attack dogs/can openers for their adoptive families while out foraging. This is not Particularly beneficial to the kite, who (having imprinted on their crow parents) will not readily mate with their own species, and will often be allowed to do most of the work of mobbing predators (when deemed too risky/too much effort for the crows themselves). An adopted kite's propensity to form one-sided pair bonds with their adoptive species is also utilized to assist in the labor of rearing chicks, where it can be coaxed into bringing kills for a nesting crow 'partner'. The crows generally do bond with their 'adoptees' (though not as fellow crows) and don't tend to perceive this relationship as wholly exploitative.

This association in of itself is widely noted by human observers, hence the kite's common name. Most peoples in this region have largely negative outlooks on crows (ranging from being despised scavengers to respected but frightful animals, and in all cases are considered potentially bad omens), which is extended to the crow kite. Crow kites are often regarded as omens of death and misfortune, sometimes even more intensely than crows. One of the most widespread beliefs (across several cultural groups) is that seeing a crow kite and crow perch together on top of a home indicates the impending demise of a mother and infant during childbirth.

---

The dove eagle is a mid-sized specialist predator of smaller birds, found widely across the temperate and subtropical eastern continental mass. It is most associated with the killing of doves (hence its name), though the majority of its prey is passerine birds and it is occasionally known to take small mammals and reptiles. It is a very powerful predator and exceptionally agile in flight. It also has notably long legs, and can occasionally be seen pursuing prey on foot. It is most abundant in savanna and wooded regions, as well as mountainous areas with high cliffs, as it usually hunts in short bursts from high perches. It can be somewhat of a pest in human settlements, where it poses a threat to poultry.

While often an irritant to people for its predation of avian livestock, it tends to be regarded for its beauty, with its bluish-hued feathers, sleek profile, and elegant flight. Its light blue-gray eyes are notably distinctive among predatory birds here. Light eye colors commonly have sinister and/or apotropaic associations among peoples south of the Viper seaway, which carries into folklore surrounding dove eagles. They are often ascribed the power to paralyze prey with their stare, to be capable of inflicting curses, and/or to be able to frighten off evil spirits with their glare. They are often left unharmed where other threats to livestock would be killed out of fear of receiving a curse.

The dove eagle has the most extensive significance in the Hill Tribes cultural sphere. This bird is one of many avian forms ancestors can take when visiting the world of the living, and the vast majority of its birdsign-omens are wholly positive. The dove eagle tends to be a signal of impending success and good luck in economic ventures, and its presence/gaze chases away bad luck and evil spirits (perhaps at the cost of some poultry here and there, which sometimes may be a message of ancestral disapproval as well as just a general bummer). Its feathers are considered lucky and utilized in magical practice (bundles are waved to banish malicious spirits from homes and objects, single feathers are sometimes worn as good luck charms), though feathers must be retrieved from around nests or by chance, as killing predatory birds is taboo.

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The golden eagle is a very large, bulky predator. This particular subspecies (distinguishable by its dark, mostly solid colored wings) is very widespread and can be found throughout much of the northeastern hemisphere, adapting to a considerable variety of habitats and climates. It is occasionally a threat to livestock, being wholly capable of killing the tiny offspring of horses, and sometimes even a threat to newborn cattle (they are known to kill very young calves by knocking them off cliffs when the opportunity presents itself). They are noted for their dramatic courtship displays, wherein coupling pairs lock talons and spin towards the ground in freefall.

They tend to be highly regarded animals in most of this region. They tend to garner associations of regality, power and (usually masculine) strength. They are frequently used as symbols of monogamous romantic love and devotion, notably mating for life (most partnered pairs at least rear chicks together for life, though extra-pair copulation is fairly common and often goes unnoticed by observers). Their mating death-spiral makes frequent appearances in Wardi poetry as a romantic allegory, sometimes as a simple representation of foolhardy love and sometimes representative of the often challenging nature of first-time marriages (very commonly arranged, and often between strangers in the upper-class contexts that mainstream poetry tends to focus on).

Most proto-Wardi groups appear to have held the eagle as a high status sacred animal in ancient history, and very old outsider recordings of these earlier practices describe these birds as highly venerated in association with a non-personified but semi-deified sun and/or sky. Proto-Finnic groups that migrated here appear to have had associations with golden eagles in a funerary context (these migrants most likely practiced sky burials early in their history here) and to have adopted the golden eagle's semi-deified status from proto-Wardi groups they interacted with/absorbed/were absorbed by.

The centrality of the golden eagle has largely been lost in contemporary practices, but remnants of its status are still obvious. Cholemdinae folklore describes the golden eagle as one of God (who is the sun)'s most devoted creations, who tried to stop the theft of fire that would destroy the first world. Surviving 'heathen' North Wardi practices that similarly venerate the sky as a central deity describe the golden eagle as its messengers, also capable of traveling to and from the land of the dead. The King of Eagles, the first golden eagle (and first bird in general), father of dragons and the winds, is lightly venerated as a deity-spirit throughout most of the Hill Tribes religious sphere, and the spirits of dead ancestors are considered to frequently take the form of these birds. Contemporary Imperial Wardi animal-folktales also tend to cast the golden eagle as a king of birds, commanding and served by lesser flying creatures. While not outright sacred animals in the Faith of the Seven Faced God, they have noted solar associations. They are sometimes used as sacrifices to the Face Inyamache, and their feathers are given as offerings and worn by priests to this deity-aspect.

[serickswrites]

Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire

Warnings: captivity, restraints, gag, implied non con, creepy/intimate whumper

"Isn't this just lovely, sweets?" Whumper said as they gestured to the candles lit all around. "I wanted a romantic evening with you."

Whumpee growled around the gag in their mouth. Whumper had tied them to the head board hours ago and hadn't touched them since. They knew that was about to change.

"So fiery, I do love that about you, sweets. The fiery ones are always the best to break." Whumper slowly sauntered over to the bed. "I'm going to enjoy breaking you."

Whumpee tried to pull their wrists free as Whumper climbed up and began to caress them through their shirt. "Don't worry, sweets, we have all the time in the world. I want to enjoy this. I want to take my time. Why, we might not even been done before all these candles burn out. I do have a lot of stamina you know."

Whumpee growled again as they tried to jerk away. Whumper leaned over and nipped at the shell of Whumpee's ears. "Let's see if you are up to snuff, sweets. Let's see what you're made of," they whispered as their fingers caressed lower and lower.

Whumpee squeezed their eyes shut tight as Whumper's fingers moved. They didn't want to see the delight in Whumper's eyes. Whumper chuckled softly. "This is going to be fun, sweets."

Tags: @mousepaw @jumpywhumpywriter @knightinbatteredarmor @hufflepuffwritingstuff2 @anightmarishwhump

@steh-lar-uh-nuhs @celestialsoyeon @st0rmm @ay5ksal @pedro-pedro-pedro-pedro-pe

@pepeniascat

[hetagrammy]

It's 1183, and Arthur being the tween menace that he was thought it would be a fantastic idea to have the whole family at Christmas Court. Shall they hang the holly or each other?

[faithfire-writes]

Thanks for the tag @italiangothicwriteblr

Iseray nodded, pushing herself up into a sitting position. She looked around for the herbs and saw them, lying on the familiar, worn rugs she walked on daily. Lord Rowan picked it up and held it out. She looked at him and he gave her a small, rueful smile.

“You saw,” she whispered.

“I was out for a walk,” he answered. “A person emerging from the castle after moonrise, going to the riverbank, stripping off their cloak and outer layers, and then diving into the river without hesitation is something that draws one’s attention.”

“And then you followed me?” she asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

“A princess, going out after moonrise, stripping off their cloak and outer layers, and then diving into the river without hesitation is something that draws danger,” he said firmly.

Iseray blew a strand of hair out of her eyes. He had a point.

I'll tag @sentfromwolves and @ryns-ramblings

WIP Extract Tag

Tagged by @loopyhoopywrites to share my most recent excerpt

From TTH:

“We made a plan, and immediately fire started falling from the sky. I’m not an expert, but I have to believe that’s directed at us,” Nova continued pacing around the room, the notes of her voice slowly rising to mania.

“And if it is?” Livia was a model of tranquility, taking a seat and waiting for Nova to calm down. “I���ve never been commanded by nature before, and I don’t plan to start now. A little fire isn’t going to stop me.”

Tagging: @faithfire-writes @rose-bookblood @memento-morri-writes and @ink-fireplace-coffee

[shamrockqueen]

Predator in the desert

Chapter 2

Pairing : Winter Soldier BuckyxReader (Post Apocalyptic AU)

Warnings : R18, eventual smut, dark themes, panic attack

Word count : 1224

Bucky’s masterlist

He leaned on the frame of the doorway as he watched as your little body squirmed under his heavy gaze.

You searched his larger frame, every inch of which was dark and rigid. Your eyes lingered on the bottle, still held tightly between his fingers, the water inside moving only slightly back and forth against the glass.

You shook your head, trying to steer your vision back toward the imposing figure still standing ahead of you. Instead, it made a familiar feeling of pain bloom along the back of your skull. You winced, looking back at the bottle as you felt your drying tongue stick between your cracked lips. It was only a matter of whether the pain would outweigh your intense thirst. Clean water was more than a dream to you, and you put that dull ache at the back of your mind as you tried to form the words to beg for another drink.

The words cracked apart in the back of your throat, scraping past your lips inaudibly.

He must have known what you were alluding to, as he pushed off from the door and held the bottle out for you to take it from him.

“Have the rest.” His voice was just as jarring to hear as the very sight of him.

You didn’t hesitate to reach back out for the bottle, but as you struggled to sit up, your fingers were shaking as you took hold of it.

You broke your eyes from him to take another grateful swig, sucking in a few bubbles of air. You pulled the spout away to sputter for a breath, trying to force the gasping away so as to take another drink.

You cursed the few drops that dripped from your lips and hit the dusty blankets.

The cool feeling it left on your skin was numbing, and you hugged the bottle to your chest as you shuddered.

Breathing shallowly, you turned back to the man still watching you. His eyes never shifted from your pathetic form, and neither did his stance as he stood firm by the only door to this little room.

You swallowed back thickly before trying to speak again, this time with more success.

“Can I ask any questions?”

God only knows who this man is and why he was apparently keeping guard over something as small and insignificant as you. He hasn't shown himself to be trustworthy, but to share such a rare and expensive commodity with a stranger meant he had some level of kindness to give you.

He gave you as little as a nod of his head to answer your inquiry.

“How did I get here?” You spoke carefully, trying to still the tremor in your voice.

He was quiet as he slowly shifted in his heavy boots, his brow raising slightly as he seemed to think.

You persisted with a weak “P-please?”

He gave you a slow nod before answering.

“I found you. And then I carried you.” It was far too cut and dry for your liking.

He was the next to break the silence.

“How are you feeling?”

It wasn’t something you expected him to ask, and it took you a second to register that he’d said it in the first place.

You rubbed at the sore spot at the back of your head as he waited for your answer.

“I’m fine. Thank you for the water.”

It wasn’t entirely a lie, as you certainly weren’t dead, and you made sure to be quick to thank him for the good deeds he’s done for you so far.

You tried to stand so as to hand him back the empty bottle. You swung your legs over the bed only to be stopped by something weighing unnervingly heavy on your weak ankle. He didn’t even flinch as you tried to plant your feet to the ground, only to hear the deafening clunk of a thick metal chain hitting the floor alongside your toes.

He nodded to your previous display of gratitude before giving you a barely audible “you're welcome” and taking the bottle back.

For the first time in your life, you felt cold. It was like your blood had frozen in your very veins as your eyes shot back to the still-steely face. As a few fresh tears welled up and threatened to spill, you looked down at the metal cuff that sat tightly locked around your ankle.

You struggled to breathe, cupping your hand over your mouth as a silent sob wracked through your chest.

His charity, more obvious now than ever, was in fact a farce. It's another question entirely as to how you even missed something so major in the first place.

You continued to gasp and sputter over the sight of a shackled leg. Your shoes and socks had been missing, leaving you to stare at your dirty toes.

His expression never changed as he watched the gears in your desperate little brain spin. You grabbed the chair, following the length with your fingers until it was pulled tawt to where it was hooked to one of the metal rungs at the bottom of the bed.

Your head was pounding harder and harder as your vision flooded over again. It blurred his image as he approached you, and you didn’t realize you’d started screaming until he finally rang over the pulsing in your eardrums.

When his hands met your shoulders, you threw yourself off the bed. You kicked at the sheets, falling backwards towards the floor until the wood met your shoulder.

You were a whirlwind of emotion, and he was a silent tiger standing at the edge of the monsoon.

You crawled, clawing at the floor, your limbs moving of their own accord from the waves of panic. You weren’t making it far, struggling like a dying fish in the sand but never reaching the water.

He planned to keep you, of course. Why would there have been any other assumption?

You were a captive, whether that meant for his company, labor, or food.

He remained unbothered by your turmoil, stepping past the wriggling chain and planting each booted foot on either side of your body. Still, in vain, you tried to crawl away. Even as he reached down and locked his hands around your shoulders, you scratched at the floor until he pulled you off of it.

You first saw the flint of dim light bouncing off that metal bicep as he raised you towards his own chest. It was like you weighed nothing more than a small parcel as he pulled you back towards the bed, your feet not even touching the floor anymore.

Your joints felt rigid and your limbs heavy as he hooked his hand under your knee before depositing you back into the bed.

You felt the world spinning as it became blurrier. The air around your head grew thinner and thinner as you fought for each breath.

His thumb was cold against your skin as he pressed it against your check. His fingers cradled the side of your face. You stayed conscious; even as your vision dimmed, you still clawed at the bedding below you.

What came next left you shaken. His voice was actually booming around the little room as he spoke in a commanding tone.

"You need to calm down."

Chapter 3

TagList : @itsswritten @cjand10 @dear-lolita @took-a-wr0ng-turn

[horsegirlgru]

Jordan Eberle for Sound of Hockey

[faithfire-writes]

Writeblr March Challenge

Hello Writeblr!

I'm going to be joining with Moon + Seraph to try and add as many words as possible in my manuscript. Check out the Words into Potions Intro post for more information and to join!

Now, about my project! I'll be continuing work on my epic fantasy, Captive Winter, and here's a little refresher for those of you who are new!

— Title: Captive Winter

— Genre: Fantasy

— Summary: Two families trying to save their people attempt to unite their houses through a royal marriage, but their plans are thrown into disarray when the priest tries to murder the northern princess. In the aftermath, the northern party is split: the princess and her fiance are sent north, to complete the marriage and find safety, while her injured mother is left in the southern capital, to face a world-changing conspiracy as well as the ghosts of her own past. The two acolytes who survived the attack are sent to serve the northern king as reparations for their crimes. Digory finds himself befriended by the ambassador, Nedra, whose mysterious past is only rivaled by the northern king's secret, the thing that caused him to send his twin sister to the south in the first place. Nettie ends up in a northern mining town, conscripted to join the hunstmen, who protect the mining town from threats unknown. As the two find their places in the new world, they uncover an ancient threat, not only to their new home, but to their entire world.

[a-minke-whales-tale]

How we sleep at night knowing we are finally okay~

A nice evening together with my tank- and pod-mates Sonar ( @bubble--rings ) and Ike ( @orcinusoruka ). Someday we will earn our freedom and swim forever.

~ Kala

[edenfire]

more like bi king💗💜💙

[seasonalwonderment]

Pendant | Posters, Art Prints, Wall Murals | +250 000 motifs

[vintersang]

Good Tidings We Bring! 🎁

christmas gifts meme / accepting / @littlebadger

Hello there, Yuma!

Thank you for sending this ask!

My dash is filled with excitement for the cozy festivities that December brings to everyone, so I thought I would join in on the fun by spreading some gifts. I'm not the best with graphics, but I always like the thought of giving out gifts.

Danny Phantom is a show I loved watching when growing up, so doing this little gift for you turned out to be quite fun to do. I know we haven't interacted yet, but I was still quite excited to make this gift nonetheless. I haven't seen the show in so long, but I remember bits and pieces of it quite fondly. Danny Phantom needs more attention!

Are you ready to see your present? I hope so!

𝐃𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐃𝐄𝐄𝐏 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐍��… 🩵

I hope you like your gift. I noticed your blog has a galaxy-like theme to it, so I tried to match it. Feel free to use it!