#hearthtales

[thesundowncrew]

+ @hearthtales

Samhain had just settled a case in Wales when he heard a peculiar rumor floating around; whispers about people disappearing after checking into a mysterious inn. Now in their line of work, these things were commonplace and were usually nothing too out of the ordinary. Inns were the beacons or oases of crossroads and long journeys; it wasn't unusual when travelers went 'missing' after a stay especially if they didn't want to be found.

However the rumor and inn in question caught Samhain's attention since they were known to both humans and magickals, which was unusual in itself. And since he was already in the area, he thought it wouldn't hurt to check and see what all the commotion was about. "Oh! Ah think ah see it."

After walking what felt like ages through a misty, remote forest clearing, Samhain spotted the giant oak tree first before his eyes trailed downward and found the quaint inn sheltered beneath it. The informants were right when they told him you couldn't miss it - the Oak Haven Inn.

"Ah don't know how long ah'll be, Nightie, so ah'll leave Sundown in yer care," said the ghoul, peering into his pocket scrying mirror. On the other side was his partner and apprentice, Nightshade. "You don't gotta worry about me, just.." There was a hint of worry knitted in her brow. "Take care, Sammy. An' don't do anything stupid! Or else Imma fly there an' kick your butt myself!"

"All right, all right," the ghoul chuckled back. "See you when ah see you, Nightie." He shut the pocket mirror and put it away. Nearing the unassuming inn, Samhain picked up on the intense energy surging from the protective wards surrounding the area. It was obvious the owner was a learned witch. In case there were humans about though, Samhain wore special gloves over his skeletal arms and kept them draped under his cloak most of the time. He took a deep breath. Exhaled.

And he stepped inside...

[parabelllvm]

❛ here, let me help you. ❜ (maude @ brodi! <3)

Brodiaea levels the young woman with a cautious stare, afflicted arm held close ( and somewhat defensively as well ) as they watch her draw closer, going so far as to lean back once she's settled what they have deemed to be ❝too close❞. Her posture, her voice, even the way she lowers herself indicates that she does not mean harm… and they know this. However, it's always harder to see that when injured — when their sharp mind is dulled and addled with pain… and whatever fogginess had fallen over them before that point.

Shying away from help — especially without a better option in sight — would not help them; it would not heal the quickly spreading redness that seemed so intent on crawling up their arm from where they'd been bitten. The limb was not numb yet… but who's to say that it won't be at some point?

…Some point soon, too.

And so, the injured sorcerer yields and slowly relaxes. They are still at attention and thus, hold their cautious gaze… but the arm they held closely is not as close to them as before. It's also then that they speak.

❝…What will you do?❞

Prompted | @hearthtales

[strywoven]

cont'd. / @hearthtales

Instinct rules the nature of most ( if not all ) creatures.  In a scene such as this , confronted by an entity which radiates such WRONGNESS , a wiser animal would heed the advice of such natural inhibitions : do not trust it , RUN⸺ !

This godling is no such creature.  Though born of the wilds , with veins alive of blood which sings the song of divine beasts , they heed not to fear but instead to the CALL OF CURIOSITY , that contemptible recklessness of courage and brazen need to u n d e r s t a n d and be u n d e r s t o o d .  And indeed , this moment is just such a moment where it comes forth ; those sapphire hues wide and awestruck , not a touch of terror to be found.

Thus , there they stand , practically g l o w i n g in anticipation , rife with EXCITEMENT like a wee child gazing upon the grandest sight they’ve ever seen !  Such a characteristic would kill them , they know , but it is a sincere innocence just the same ; for no matter the horror which thinks to greet them , Kaen would take it into their heart with all the love they could muster.  Maude’s warnings and cautions fleetingly cross Kaen’s mind— But forgive them , what is done is done.  And this interest , Kaen speculates from the great entity’s demeanor , seems to go BOTH WAYS .  So they are fool enough to play its game ( or , perhaps , brave enough where none other were afore ) .

Kaen preens a bit at the compliment ( so they think it is ) it pays them , grinning a bit , giggling softly.  ❝ ‘Course Ah’m a little afraid , ❞ They admit , their voice lilted by a heavy , musical accent and playful verve , almost as if t a u n t i n g it , ❝ But tha’s ne’er stopped me b’fore.  An’ Ah’ve ne’er seen anythin’ like ye !  Wha’ ‘re ye ? ❞  It might be a bit much to get answers , but it doesn’t hurt to make an effort to converse with it , either.  They add on , continuing to prattle on eagerly , daring to TAKE A STEP NEARER , ❝ Miss Maude said ye were scary ta’ guests but … Y’re not so bad ! ❞

[magicveiled]

"Hello. I need a room for the night. Hopefully this should suffice," without hesitation, Morgan pulls out a neat stack of bills from her carry-on purse. All of them were single one-dollar notes, bundled tightly together with a bright orange band that read exactly fifty dollars.

"If amenities cost extra, I'm willing to pay for those too. I know running an inn like this is costly, so every cent counts. Do you offer room service here, as well?"

@hearthtales liked for a starter from morgan

[justashadetalkative]

“I didn’t want to do it, but I didn’t have a choice!” (edward @ clemcy!)

Clemcy snorted. "Nonsense. That claim is always nonsense, short of mind control. You didn't want to do it, but you did want what you thought that it would earn you, and so you chose to do it anyway."

He leaned back, hands laced idly together, head tilted, one eyebrow lifted.

"So. How is that choice of yours working out for you thus far...?"

[freeddead]

     closed starter for   ⟶   @hearthtales

   Gerry looks incredibly out of place here, definitely a product of a large city, rather than a local of this remote forest area.  It must seem accidental that he stumbled upon the place at all, but in reality, he deliberately sought it out.  There had been rumors of hauntings in the building, and he had to investigate them for himself.

   He strode straight up to the counter, not taking the time to look around, making no effort to conceal that he was on a mission.  “Hello,” he greeted the woman behind the counter, his voice much gentler than expected, given his creased brow and set jaw.  “I’d like a room for a few nights.  I don’t know exactly how long yet.  Would it be possible to pay as I go?”

[soulmissed]

@hearthtales, cont.

the hand was like ice across his fevered forehead. his copper eyes slide shut. it’s a run-of-the-mill cold. (but rarely could the boy really, truly take a breather. and around someone auggie trusted, at that.)

“ a cold cloth would help. some rest. and keepin’ hydrated...like water and juice. ” he was reciting it from memory.

[aintitfierce]

@hearthtales: !! oh i see that u are wanting feedback/positivity on vanya and i want to say i absolutely adore learning abt him!! he is SUCH an excellent little creature and i love the thought you've put into his design and all the little details abt him. his speech patterns are such a delight as well omg, overall he's truly iconic and such a unique and wonderful oc!! thank u for sharing him with us!! <3

i'm very late responding to this but o h

bless, thank you so much ;o; i've been rereading this over and over again the past couple days ghhiofe i'm very happy he's unique and iconic hhh but i'm especially generally Glad that anyone finds him so fun and endearing and Interesting, haha

[bucketkicked]

❝ where’s your sense of adventure? ❞ (foxtrot @ ada!)

"I have plenty of it," Ada claims, "I just know when to properly act on it, and it never involves big crowds." She's haughty, if maybe a bit scared of the idea. She was worried about the scheme she was pitched, finding that it could perhaps get her in trouble and only ruin the Strange family's image further.

But then again, she was one for taking gambles.

"What's in it for me?"

[miidnighters]

“I got turned around in the dark…” (bran @ callisto or bella!)

Late Night Wanderings Sentence Starters | accepting

Bella surveys the waifish boy curiously. There was something about him that piqued her curiosity - especially since there wasn't anything else out this way. Interesting that he was out here alone (nevermind that she was too).

"An easy thing to happen," She says finally, gesturing back towards the path and flashing him a smile (if he's quick, he might catch a flash of fangs). "It's down this way."

[bothfeetinthegrave]

| @hearthtales :: from here |

----

While the other recovered and fussed, Eden slowly picked his way through the death trap that this forest could probably be for someone who couldn't see. He'd catch up eventually, if he just followed the blood smell. Bare feet chose landing places carefully, manoeuvring around roots and sharp rocks with a tentative patience an unfamiliar area demanded. At some level, he was sort of relieved to encounter another person that could see him - maybe this guy knew the name of this area and could help him get out of here faster than a snail's pace. This wasn't the best first impression he could have made, but it also wasn't the worst... at least not yet, hopefully the other wouldn't look at him too closely.

The spirit turned his attention back to the other and his question - noting the vocal changes that came with being anxious and light-headed, reminding himself to look as non-threatening as he could manage. Bandages and medical supplies he had - that was why he'd followed after the other, once he heard him crash through the under-brush.

"Yes I do, but I'm afraid you may need a little more help than that - hard to say without getting a look at it, " he paused his walking so he could hold up his hands in a placating gesture instead of using them for balance, " Is that alright? Can I help? "

[thesundowncrew]

ohhh i love your characters’ dialogue!! u do such an amazing job giving them each a unique voice, like the bubbly and bouncy causal way nightshade speaks compared to samhain’s more mature manner of speech. it also makes it stand out a lot more when they break from their typical way of speaking due to the emotions of the moment!! idk if i’m describing this very well but i think it’s super cool agdgd their mannerisms are also very unique to their different characters and i love to see it!! the way u describe magic is wonderful as well and i adore it so much (your descriptions are fantastic in general and they rlly bring your writing and characters to life!!)

What is something about my portrayal(s) that sticks out?

Ohhhhh thank you sweetie! I'm so happy to hear that!! You can probably tell I have way more fun writing dialogue more than anything else~ And no worries, what you say makes total sense~

[thecreaturesofglen]

❛ you're safe, no one will find you. ❜ maude @ aurora!

@hearthtales | Aurora

Wild, unfocused eyes darted around the room, as if seeking a threat to disprove the others sentence. Or perhaps searching for an explanation, a reason she was suddenly in an entirely different world than mere minutes before. Trading a pirate ship for land was enough, let alone whatever...Place this was.

But Aurora found nothing. Still damp from the water, her dress ripped and dirtied as it steadily dripped on the floor. She would be terrified, if it wasn't for the sheer WARMTH that seemed to radiate this place. One that drew her away from the sea and towards the building, her gut telling her it was the right place to go next. For answers, for comfort, for protection.

"...Safe?" She spoke hesitantly, eyes landing back on Maude as she wrapped her arms tight around herself, hugging tight for comfort as her shivered on the spot.

"Estoy confundida. Uh - where?"

[justashadetalkative]

TRAIL :  for one muse to notice the other has been following them. (feld & diamond, whatever u prefer in terms of who is following whom!)

Diamond sighed. He’d been ignoring it for a while in the vague hope that whatever was following him would lose interest, but if anything it was drawing closer, its attention more focused.

He turned, cane held loosely upright at his side, head tilted. Raised his voice a little — not because the presence was distant enough to be likely to need it, but just to make it abundantly clear that he was addressing them intentionally.

“Can I help you?” he asked, tone bland.

[tomakeitbeautifultolive]

The bell leak is kind of amazing. It's so ridiculous and over the top that it will leave everyone thinking WTF just happened. It's so disconnected from the characters from the last 70 episodes that I wouldn't even be able to consider them the same people. I think it actually might snap me out of his depressive slump the show has put me in over the last few weeks just by how hilariously bad it would be. Like how could anyone take the writing seriously after that.

Right? Isn’t it amazing, though? Now here’s the silver lining, anon. If it turns out to be true, it’s pretty likely D&D will never write for anything ever again, unless say, the conclusion in episode six is that a screaming baby Bran is shaken awake by Robb, who tells him he’s been listening to too many of Old Nan’s hearthtales. 

I mean, I get that “it was all a dream” is basically the worst ending to any story, but it’d be a step up from the “bells” leak, wouldn’t it?

So, at least if this trainwreck turns out to be true… they’re done for. Which is the sweet to the bitter tragic. Tragi-sweet.

Addendum: I feel I must add this amazing quote by @allegre17

“WHO WROTE THIS ENDING, HARVEY WEINSTEIN?!”

[soulmissed]

@hearthtales: ‘you can order anything you like and second helpings, too.’ (from maude!)

memes, accepting

the boy is a disheveled sight. (pieces of leaf in hair, clothing threadbare and dirtied, rucksack dragged between his hand.) couldn’t carry it upon his shoulders anymore. hadn’t the strength.

“ stew? ” meek mumble. his eyes coast to the woman. and disappointedly, “ i don’t – ” a suffering sigh. “ – have any coin, though. ”