#travels with the arisen

[quinttyz]

Travels with the Arisen 3: The Fisher Knight and the Night’s Champion

The Arisen, he thought was nothing more but a legend. A story that was told to him by his nannies when he was but a child.

But she was there, in front of him. Her tears were real.

[eluviane]

☾⋆｡ ๋࣭ ⭑˚ dragon’s dogma 2 | clover’s travel journal — 4 / ∞

[soloavengers]

This is ser Dane, dubbed the Black Knight.

He’s a mysterious genius pawn, who retains his ability to travel through the rift despite being, by all appearances, bestowed and human. He wields a sword as dark as night, and it’s rumored that the sword is his true master (or absurdly, that his Arisen is trapped in it.) Pawns treat him as an anomaly, and most advise their Arisen to steer clear of him. However no Arisen has ever regretted hiring Dane, for he’s an excellent and clever fighter. Still they cannot deny that he’s quite odd for a pawn, like a man stuck in an awkward place between pawn and human.

[northgazaupdates]

Important update! Please read!

First, we want to once again deeply thank everyone again for donating to and sharing the campaign to help @moatazart, Mariam, and Maria evacuate Gaza for Egypt! They were able to transfer the money they raised into Egypt and begin the required paperwork!

Unfortunately, complications have arisen

The original sum ($20,000) included the cost of traveling to and entering Egypt for all three of them, as well as basic expenses required for starting a new life in a new country. In numbers, that is ($5,000•3 people)+$5,000=$20,000.

However, the cost of transferring the money was more than 20% of the initial sum, over $4,000. This was so high that nearly all of the money alotted for living expenses is now gone. Their paperwork is started and they are preparing for the dangerous journey south, but as of right now, they have nothing to live off of once they reach Egypt (God willing).

It is frustrating and disappointing that it costs an additional +20% just to begin the process of reaching safety. Now, Moataz, Mariam, and Maria are in need of $4,000 in order to be able to have a place to stay and money for food in Egypt. The goal of this fund is $5,000 because it is now known that 20-25% of funds transferred will be lost to fees. $1,000 will go toward these fees, while $4,000 will cover living expenses.

Please help this family rebuild their lives! If you cannot donate, please reblog Moataz’s post and this post, repost the fundraiser link on your own blogs, and on your other social media accounts.

Thank you all❤️

[f1byjessie]

A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS ━━ LN4.

sometimes the right words are hard to come across, and sometimes everything you need to say can be captured in an image.

( lando norris x photographer!reader )

━━ part two.

Friday evenings are typically spent in the comfort of your flat. Normally, you’re half paying attention to reruns of whatever shitty reality TV happens to be on and half scrolling through social media to keep up with the ever-fluctuating trends of content as per your job requirements, all the while eating your body’s weight in takeaway. It’s not the dream, but it’s certainly a dream.

Tonight, you plan on amending things to include going through the pictures of Bali’s stunning beaches that Lando’s been spamming you with throughout the day, but beyond that, you have no intentions of deviating further from your norm.

You’re actually really looking forward to it. Though you’d rather cut off your own hand than admit it to his face and give him new ammunitions to tease you with, you miss Lando during the winter breaks. So much of your year is spent having him nearby━ a near-constant presence buzzing with the inability to slow down let alone stop━ and when he isn’t around, the silence seems louder. There’s no one else who manages to annoy you the way he does, and it’s just not the same without him.

To make matters worse, between your new job, Lando’s travels, and the scheduling conflicts that have arisen in turn, you haven’t had a chance to catch up with him beyond a few back-and-forth messages about his current escapades. So you really, genuinely, truly are looking forward to it.

Garrett Ward throws a wrench into things.

You have mixed opinions of Garrett. He can be very sweet, and he’s gone out of his way to make you feel incredibly welcome in your first week with the Manchester City team. He makes good conversation and seems genuinely interested in what it is you’re doing, often asking questions about your equipment and process, which is a nice change of pace from most other clients you’ve worked with in the past who rarely give two shits about anything beyond the final product. But his reputation is… concerning.

Garrett Ward is infamous in English tabloids for being a notorious womanizer.

There are several articles that come to mind, but the most damning of which is from 2019, before his trade to Manchester City, detailing with very incriminating photos how he’d been seen entering a club with two women and then leaving just a few hours later with a completely different pair. You don’t want to assume he’s the same man now as he was back then, nearly a full five years ago, but you’ve been working in the sports industry long enough to know that athletes can have anyone and if they want then they will have anyone━ there is no shortage of temptation.

And you are not arrogant enough to assume you would be the outlier.

Which makes his interest in you feel less like friendly curiosity and more like something you need to be wary of.

It’s also why━ as you make the trek through the Etihad Campus car park━ you feel dread begin to pool in your stomach as you answer your ringing phone. “Hi, Garrett.”

“Y/N!” He exclaims excitedly, sounding like he hadn’t just seen you barely ten minutes ago in the weight room. “I meant to catch you before you left, but you were outta there so fast I wasn’t able to.”

And there’s probably a reason for that, you want to say, but you hold your tongue. “Yeah, I usually try to be pretty quick about it.”

There’s an awkward pause left open as if he expects you to say more, and when you don’t he clears his throat. “Erm, well, I was actually just calling to see if, perhaps, you would like to grab dinner with me this evening.”

You don’t. At all. It’s one of the last things you would like to do. There are plenty of other hellish things you would willingly rather subject yourself to before sitting down and sharing a private meal with this man━ jumping into the Thames is one of them, and letting Lando drive you around on the autobahn in his Spider is another. Both could very easily result in death, permanent disfigurement, or any other number of horrible outcomes, but neither includes Garrett.

Your hesitating silence must be an answer enough for him, because he chuckles again and adds on quickly, “No strings attached, I promise. It’ll just be two friends getting dinner.”

All you want to do is get cozy on your couch in your pajamas with a kebab from the place down the street and watch pretty people deal with their pretty people problems on TV. You don’t think that’s too much to ask for, but apparently, some higher power does.

“I suppose that’d be alright then,” you agree tentatively, speeding through the stages of grief as you mourn the initial plans of your Friday evening━ the easy, simple, comfortable plans. “Shoot me a message with the time and place and I’ll meet you there.”

“Awesome!” Garrett cheers. “See you later then.”

The peaceful silence that awaits you after you hang up feels like it’s mocking you. Too bad you can’t flip off silence.

“Look, the truth is, City is looking at trading me at the end of the season if I can’t clean my act up.” Garrett’s voice is quiet as he admits the reality of his future to you, but it breaks the silence of the world around you like a gunshot. “And not just loaning me out━” he adds, a twinge of something akin to anger noting his tone, “━but fully trading me. They’re saying that my image makes things too hard for them and the only way they’ll consider re-signing me is if I can either keep my name out of the tabloids or try to clean myself up.”

In Garrett’s defense, he technically did hold true to his promise of just two friends getting dinner. Things were actually going quite well, too. The restaurant was a little more high profile than you would’ve expected for a casual meal, but that can easily be passed off as the luxurious lifestyle and expensive tastes of a pro athlete who can certainly afford it. Expenses of your meal aside, he’d been good company, asking after the ways of working in Formula One and then finding similarities in his football career that made it easy to chat about the struggles and stressors of professional sports.

But you can recognize that this is where it’s all beginning to go downhill.

He’s announced it completely out of the blue as you’re walking back to the garage where you’ve both parked your cars. On top of that, his pace slows and you’re forced to slow down as well to match it until you both eventually come to a halt in the middle of the pavement.

You feel for him, in all honesty. You understand the difficulties of contract negotiations and how easily they can fall apart. The fragility of Formula One contracts is its own special brand of tricky and you’ve seen many friends move on to other teams in the blink of an eye just as they’ve begun to settle down and make their mark where they are. You can’t say for certainty that you understand the mechanics of football contracts to the same degree, but you can imagine they have their own fragile fine print.

But the chill of a January night in Manchester is brutal, and you’ll be the first to admit that your outfit does not protect against it. You don’t really want to be having this conversation in general, because you’ve known Garrett for all of a week which makes you acquaintances at best, but you especially don’t want to be having it now, out here in the cold when all you want to do━ all you’ve wanted to do since this afternoon━ is curl up in something warm and comfortable and pretend the world outside your flat doesn’t exist for a few days.

“I’m not sure what this has to do with me if I’m being honest, Garrett.”

He shrugs. “I just thought you might be able to help.”

You shove your hands in your pockets in a desperate attempt to keep your fingers from going more numb than they already are and shake your head at him. “I don’t know how exactly you think I can help you with that. I’m a photographer, not a PR officer.”

“My agent thinks it would be a good idea if I showed the media that I could hold down a steady relationship. Prove to them that I’ve changed my ways, and have matured.” He shrugs again, nonchalant despite being the one to bring this up in the first place.

“Have you?”

He makes a face, something between a flirty smirk and a suggestive wink, “Well, I don’t kiss and tell.”

“Garrett.”

“Look,” he crosses his arms and levels you with a look that fills you simultaneously with more rage and annoyance than a single person has ever made you feel before. “It would just be for a couple of months, and then we could stage an amicable breakup and that would be that! It just has to be long enough to show everyone that I’m not the same as I used to be.”

You give him a look right back, hoping it conveys how appalled you are by his audacity. “Okay, but why me of all people? Christ knows you probably have a list of women in your contacts who would jump at the chance to pretend to date you for a few months.”

His face pinches up in disgust. “Yeah, but they’re all former hookups, and I mean, they’re kinda psycho about me to be fair. If I tried to end things, they’d probably go to the tabloids themselves and smear my name with the worst things they could come up with.” He shrugs again, and you’re starting to find that you hate it when he does so. “I need someone willing to just play along for the time being and who will be discreet when things are over.”

“And you think I’m that person?” You scoff. “You’ve known me for a week!”

Your voice echoes and it reminds you once again that you’re having this conversation in the middle of a random street in Manchester. It’s cold and dark, and you’ve been attempting to bite back your frustration since the moment Garrett called you. You’ve been as nice as you possibly can be for this man, shy of bending over backward to worship the very ground he walks on, and you’re so close to your limit that you think if he shrugs one more fucking time━

He shrugs. “Well, yeah, but you know how this industry works. So I know you can be trusted.”

You take a deep breath to try and retain what’s left of your quickly slipping composure, before you say, “Garrett, this goes beyond unprofessional. I could potentially get into a lot of trouble for this. You’re technically my co-worker, if not my client by proxy. It’s not a good look for me to be getting with the athletes I work with, considering my entire career is based on working with athletes.”

He makes a befuddled face as if asking what that has to do with anything. It occurs to you that he’s probably never had to worry about the ethics of hooking up with someone when most of the women who are interested in him would do everything in their power to spend a night by his side whether it’s morally just━ or legal, for that matter━ or not.

“That doesn’t seem to stop you from being all cozy with that Nor-whatever guy,” he grumbles.

“What?”

“That driver,” he repeats. “You post him all over your socials, like, all the time.”

You tear your hands from your pockets and throw them up in the air, “Because that’s my job?!” The stupidity of the man before you is genuinely baffling. He’s been asking about your job all week long but the way he’s talking now makes it seem like he didn’t catch onto the fact that your entire career is centered around media and the creation of content made with the explicit intention of being shared.

“I am quite literally paid to take and post pictures of him per my contract with McLaren,” you continue. “And even if I wasn’t, he’s my best friend?! I’ve been working and traveling and spending the majority of my time with Lando since 2019 so of course I’m going to be close with him. Do you not post your mates every once in a while?”

“Yeah, but it’s different. All my mates are guys, so nobody thinks I’m dating any of them when I do it.”

You scoff in disbelief. “I cannot believe this right now. You know, for a moment, I briefly considered helping you. But you’re actually exactly the type of prick the tabloids say you are.”

He takes an intimidating step closer, and his voice drops an octave lower. “I would reconsider if I was you.” You’re not short, but Garrett isn’t either. He’s one of the tallest players on the Manchester City team, and the way you feel now with him staring you down makes you wonder if this is what it feels like to be his opponent on the pitch.

It’s fucking terrifying.

But you’re fucking livid, too.

Your jaw clenches and you bite out sharply, “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“What it means,” he starts, “is that if you don’t help me, maybe I slip a word about something or other to my boss who slips a word to his boss who is, also, your boss, and suddenly, whoops!” He gives you a cocky smirk, so sure of himself that it makes you feel like your blood is literally boiling. “He’s not your boss anymore. In fact, nobody is your boss anymore, because your ‘slip in conduct’ was very inappropriate and made several players uncomfortable, which doesn’t look very good when trying to get jobs elsewhere in the industry.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“Well,” he fucking shrugs. “When you say it like that, yeah. I guess I am.”

You cross your arms, your hands clenched into fists so tightly that you can feel your nails digging painfully into the flesh of your palms. “You’re a real bastard, you know.”

“You’re not the first person to tell me that, love.”

If only it were legal to kill a man━ Garrett Ward would be six feet under and picking worms from between his teeth.

You weigh your options, though. You’re not sure how much weight his word actually carries. For all you know, he could tell his boss, they could bring you in to discuss things, and then you could explain it all from your point of view. Garrett is a notorious flirt and you doubt it’s the first time he’s tried to pursue someone who isn’t interested in him. You doubt it happens very often, but it has to have happened at some point. Not to mention, his reputation regarding women is bad enough that Manchester City is already giving him an ultimatum, so you probably have a chance, and the worst-case scenario is that you amicably part ways with the team and that’s that.

But realistically there is a worse worst-case scenario, and it’s pretty damn close to what Garrett is threatening. Losing this side gig wouldn’t really be too much trouble. It would put a dent in your savings, and you’d have to be a bit better about how you ration out your groceries and other necessities around the flat, but losing your job at McLaren? Being blacklisted from the industry entirely? That’s life-destroying. You would lose everything━ all the blood, sweat, and tears you shed to get where you are would be for nothing.

All because of a prick in sky blue.

“Fine,” you utter from between gritted teeth. “I’ll help you. But I won’t post you on my account. I won’t bring you home to my parents. I won’t go round to your flat and I certainly will not have you round to mind. You get one kiss to make it official to the paps, and then nothing more.” You take your own threatening step toward him, and a vindictive part inside you shines with malicious glee when he shifts ever so slightly backward. “If you try anything else, I will run to the papers and drag you through the mud worse than any of your little psycho groupies ever could.”

He scoffs, “You’d ruin your career.”

“But I’d tear you down with me,” you reply.

He takes a moment to think, staring into your eyes and weighing how serious you are. Whatever he sees staring back at him must be convincing enough because he sniffs, nods, and smirks.

“Deal.” He leans down, “I think I’ll be taking that kiss now. Make sure to really sell it, yeah?”

━━ tags: @maih23 @urfavnoirette @leclercsluv @f1luvur @formulaal @a-disturbing-self-reflection @starlightpierre

━━ a/n: i feel like i say this every time, but i am seriously blown away by how well the first part of this was received! like, seriously, thank you so much for the kind words everyone said about it! hopefully this second part lives up to the hype of the first, it's a little denser, but the events are important to establish for the rest of the story so it needed to happen!

[stayconnecteed]

bang chan drabble    —   950 words !

⠀⠀⠀for the ❛ drabble event ❜⠀﹙ requested by @ anon ﹚⠀fluff, "i brought you flowers." "for what?" "there has to be a reason?"

18 : 40⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀it had been strange. the afternoon had started with a peaceful walk along sydney's seaside promenade, your hand entwined with your boyfriend's, his warmth wrapping around you like a hug in the middle of winter. it wasn't that cold, but you had trusted the sun that was shining when you had left the house and it was starting to cool down, so you missed the hoodie you had left on the bahng's couch. chris had put his arm around your shoulders after he felt your first shiver, but he didn't have the courage to offer you his jacket just yet.

he was nervous. when the opportunity had arisen to travel to his hometown in the spring - the aussie autumn - you had seized it, arranging the plane flight and the stay at his parents' home, to whom he was going to introduce you. yet despite the almost ten blissful months you had been together, his gestures still exuded the nervousness that had enveloped him on your first dates, his hands stuttering before he touched you, his cheeks flushing red at your compliments, so he had been thinking for a few minutes about the perfect way to give you the leather jacket you'd stolen from him so many times before without making it too awkward.

the weird part had happened when you had stopped on the shore opposite the opera house to take pictures of yourselves after convincing him that you not only needed a new wallpaper but that he could send them by bubble. you had tried to make him laugh, capturing the moment when his smile showed his dimples, and also let him use his own instagram boyfriend material poses. and when he asked you to model for him, leaning against the wall, the sea at your back, you saw the flower stall.

you couldn't even help it. you simply told him to wait a moment, ignoring his look of confusion, and ran over. you greeted the salesman with a smile, and asked him to make a bouquet of the ones that reminded you most of your boyfriend, caressing their petals with your fingertips, closing your eyes as you breathed their scent in. but when you returned to him, chris, who was leaning against the wall, one hand in his jeans pocket, the other holding his phone, looking effortlessly handsome. you cleared your throat, causing him to look up, his smile lighting up his face at the sight of you, and you heard him whisper "they're beautiful, baby, just like you".

but you frowned in response, pressing the bouquet against his chest, as if you were accusing him: “i brought you flowers”.

“for what?” he asked, putting his phone away with a look of confusion, sliding his hand around your wrist to grab the bouquet above your own hand.

“there has to be a reason?” you had said, curving your lips, leaving a soft kiss against the back of his hand, tiptoeing to leave another on his cheek, and tugging him to continue your walk.

but he had remained silent. part of your walk had been in silence, enjoying each other's company, letting the wind ruffle your hair and your thoughts, but always leaning on each other. that's why you hadn't realised how odd it had been. but when you had asked him if he wanted to go to the hamburger place he kept talking about or if his mother had already said something about having dinner together and he didn't realize you had spoken, you looked at him. and you discovered the same crystallised look he had adopted when you had told him who the flowers he still had leaned against him were for.

so you stopped in the middle of the street, face to face with him, asking him what had happened. he didn't known what to say, too much in his head, so you explained, soft voice and tender touch over his arms, that you had seen the flowers and thought they would be a nice gesture, that you hadn't meant to make him upset. and he had felt his heart break into pieces, rushing to assure you that it was only his head that was wrong, that you had acted flawlessly, but that he could not understand why he would deserve something so nice.

it was then that your own eyes crystallised, resting the palm of your hand against his cheek, him laying against your touch, and you whispered soft words that spoke of how you saw him from your point of view, how handsome and strong he was, how much he deserved simple flowers and so much more. you watched him close his eyes, resting his forehead against yours, still pressing the bouquet against his chest, his knuckles white, as you continued to relate a love song that was more a list of all that he meant to you and that though he was not able to see, you would show him. you had a whole life together to show him.

that afternoon you gave him some flowers, and among the people passing around you you stood, like a rock standing out in the swirling waters of a river, in a bubble of reaffirmation, breathing in unison, building the intimacy of someone who offers a hand to someone who has fallen but does not use strength to lift them up. just giving him the support he needs to stand up for himself. and then you left a kiss on the tip of his nose, guiding him to his parents' without seeing in the gleam of his eyes the truth he had just discovered and wasn't ready to say out loud yet: you were his home.

© stayconnecteed 2024 · do not copy, translate, repost or share this work as yours on other platforms

[lionsongfr]

Dusthide Headcanon

I shall admit I was more than a little disappointed that the new breed doesn’t have lore, and it stifled my anticipation for them. But then, the new breed arrived and I realized, horribly, dreadfully, happily realized, that I can make my own headcanons. So my headcanon for the new breed is:

DUSTHIDES ARE ENEMIES/RIVALS/COMPETITION TO SNAPPERS.

When Earthshaker made Snappers he gave them powerful jaws which have a “crushing force of their beak is enough to shatter the scales and armored plating of most species”. Now then, which breeds have armored plating? Guardians yes and maybe other Snappers, Gaolers can have Scorpion and Undertides have Plating, but that is pretty much it. As to beast enemies? Forgotten Cave’s Corpse Cleaners and Reef/Dragon Snails come to mind, but most of the others are squishy (though the Burrow Bears can be a bit…prickly).

So then we have the Dusthides and they are just covered in plating. They are a competitive breed, an aggressive scrap loving breed. They are territorial, preferring to stay in their tunnel networks.  Snappers “do not seek confrontation”, they travel the majority of their lives and have difficulty with living in closed spaces. Snappers live above the Earth, Dusthides below. Yet there must have been conflict.

Snapper battle tactics are “trampling smaller foes beneath their bulk or using their powerful jaws to snap them out of the air”. Dusthides are smaller than Snappers, they “roll up until only their armored plates are exposed”, and use their wings to make short explosive jumps of movement. Perfect targets for those snapping jaws and stomping claws. However, Snappers have a weakness. “When confronted with overwhelming odds, Snappers will lower themselves to the ground, protecting their underbellies.” A soft underbelly is a perfect target for a burrowing dragon, or worse yet, the Dusthide’s like to modify the terrain with “pitfalls to surprise opponents”. These battle tactics suggest a competitive evolution between the two.

Snappers have an encyclopedic memory in order to remember which Dusthide territories to avoid. They rarely stop moving because Dusthide tunnels may lie below. I headcanon that Snappers have the ability to “listen” with their drum like feet (like elephants) and can speak long distances to their brethren with low-frequency sounds. But what if they are listening for other sounds? Like the sounds of digging beneath their toes?

The Dusthides have arisen from their tunnels due to “recent spikes in tectonic activity”, but the Earth Snappers have always known of them and the Dusthides have known of them. Stories and information play a big part in both breeds, there must have been whispered tales of these hidden dragons beneath the soil, fierce, proud, and territorial. Tales warning telling dragons to not dig so deep, to watch where one steps, to be loyal to one another, and never fight with the dragons beneath the Earth.

[m1d-45]

welcome to my masterlist!

if there’s anything you’d like to see, please send in an ask here!

here’s my original take on the logistics of sagau, as well as an update after some more information, and here’s my thoughts on how nations worship.

1k event m. list!

warnings [⏵] : yandere / heavy cultish || obsessive

genre [title] : angst || fluff || hurt/comfort

traveller from afar — aether

‘I'm saying that I'm having a lot of fun traveling with you… It'd be nice if we could just go on like this forever.’

⏵ a new tomorrow

—⏵ my love, my god

the dark side of dawn — diluc

‘Diluc, of Mondstadt. Not interested in idle chit-chat. If you have things you want to get done, let me know.’

⏵ fallen through

⏵ a fault in the heart [red!]

⏵ tongue tied

windborne bard — venti

‘Perfect timing, Traveler! I was about to ask you — what is your greatest wish?’

⏵ unnamed poem, unnamed bard

⏵ in sickness and in health

⏵ (what about me?)

⏵ stella fortuna

beyond mortality — baizhu

‘Even though I'm the doctor, I've still had to trouble you with my health. How shameful... But don't worry. From this day on, I will take care of you.’

⏵ second chances

leonine vanguard — ga ming

‘If I can guard shipments, I can guard people. Since you seem to trust me, how 'bout I be your bodyguard from now on?‘

⏵ vanguard’s fortune

childe — tartaglia

‘Today was great. See you tomorrow, comrade!’

⏵ under duress

⏵ brainrot

⏵ duality of man

—⏵ inversion of fate

vigilant yaksha — xiao

‘I deal in death. If you cannot bring yourself to kill — speak my name.’

⏵ repentance

⏵ burden to bear

⏵ bird xiao things! (split links)

—⏵ and again, and fanart, and again, and again, and fanart, and fanart, and again

⏵ he who is without sin

—⏵ once more, and again, and again, and again, and again, and fanart, and again, and fanart, and fanart

⏵pari!reader tag (ft albedo)

vago mundo — zhongli

‘The market is closed and the port has settled. Go get some rest.’

⏵ sagau!zhongli

⏵ a dragon’s gems

⏵ to dream of the divine

⏵ adorned

pillar of fortitude — ayato

‘Good morning. A little sword practice while the day is young is good for the body and mind. I tend to avoid having anything scheduled during these hours... What do you say? Fancy crossing blades with me?’

⏵ words left unsaid

analytical harmony — heizou

‘Ooh, my goodness, life's really put you through the wringer recently, hasn't it? I can tell. Here, why don't you take a seat, tell me the whole story.’

⏵ the scars, the wound

—⏵ (old) first encounters

⏵ upon a hair-thin wire

scarlet leaves pursue wild waves — kazuha

‘Ah, you'd like to learn the art of the sword? Let me see... Alright — here, take this. It's a bamboo blade I just made. With these, we can practice sparring without having to worry about getting injured.’

⏵ remorse

⏵ in a flash

⏵ the wind knows

⏵ judas

protector from afar — thoma

‘I've figured out what I want to do now. My strength is your shield, and I will always be here to protect you.’

⏵ rain or shine

admonishing instruction — alhaitham

’Don't be offended if you try to greet me on the street and I don't respond. It's simply because I'm wearing my soundproof earpieces, that's all.’

⏵ divine permanence

verdant strider — tighnari

‘What, so this sort of thing needs official documentation now? Okay then... Well, hand over your "friendship certificate." I assume it'll need my signature.’

⏵ opportunities arisen

—⏵ prime fortune

eons adrift — wanderer

’Ask me anything if you want. If a question is interesting enough, I may give you an answer.’

⏵ wandering

⏵ rest

ordainer of inexorable judgement — neuvillette

‘Good evening. I hope you have not encountered any unpleasantness today.’

⏵ for all to see

emissary if solitary antiquity — wriothesley

'Want a tip on how to escape from the Gardes? Just give yourself a name that's really long and difficult to pronounce. They'll be stumbling over your name as soon as they try to announce that you are under arrest.'

pankration

pantalone — regrator

‘Her Royal Highness the Tsaritsa is actually a gentle soul. Too gentle, in fact…’

⏵ ink, ink, ink

miscellaneous / multiple

⏵ in excess (ft. zhongli + xiao)

⏵ new hopes (ft. the arataki gang)

⏵ emotions (ft. mondstat)

⏵ the young (ft. your main!)

—⏵ still too young (ft… a lot of ppl)

⏵ plagued (ft. diluc + kaeya)

⏵ reverse isekai drabble (ft. your main!)

⏵ slapfight (ft. a lot of people-)

⏵ mea maxima culpa (ft. zhongli + barbara)

⏵ in the stars (ft mona + your main!)

⏵ replacement (ft. kaeya + venti + albedo + xiao)

⏵ discretion advised (ft. mondstat)

⏵ warmth (ft. every pyro character as of 3.4)

⏵ a soft place to land (ft. zhongli + kaeya + diluc + alhaitham + tighnari)

⏵ constellations (ft. barbara + thoma + heizou + collei + kujou sara + sucrose + candace +ganyu)

⏵ connection (ft. diluc + kaeya + kazuha + albedo + kaveh)

⏵ your shield, a sword (ft. thoma + tighnari + zhongli + alhaitham + cyno + albedo)

⏵ divine favor (ft. yae miko + itto + kazuha + kaeya + chongyun + noelle)

⏵ dead leaves (ft. ..people)

—⏵ new sprouts (ft. chongyun)

⏵ the rule of threes (ft. albedo + his brother)

⏵ darling, my dear (ft. diluc + tighnari + childe + xiao + kazuha)

⏵ sandy refuge (ft. nahida + wanderer)

⏵ dancing soldiers (ft. aether)

series!

⏵ dearly beloved — complete trilogy

—⏵ on broken bones

—⏵ death, rebirth, new life

—⏵ the scottish play

⏵ abiogenesis — complete duology

—⏵ from soil…

—⏵ …was birthed chalk

⏵ secret contributions — complete trilogy

—⏵ small miracles

—⏵ hidden blessings

—⏵ silent conclusions

⏵ spoken across stars — episodic

—⏵ kaeya, diluc, thoma ft. noelle + candace

—⏵ kazuha, wanderer ft. tighnari + baizhu

—⏵ zhongli, ayato, heizou ft. xinqiu + chongyun

that’s all for now! i hope you’ve enjoyed your stay, and wish you the best. if there’s something here you particularly liked, consider letting me know with a reblog or comment; i read every single one and they mean the world. whatever the case: i bid you farewell!

(p.s.: if you spot an error like a link leading somewhere it shouldn’t, a missing post entirely, etc., please leave a reply/ send in an ask to let me know as chances are i will not notice it. thank you!)

— midas

[stitchy-face]

Paekick Marketplace, Day

This is the day version of my new print series for Calibreon! It will be a semi choose-your-own-adventure like project showcasing the history and denizens of my headworld. Here, we start in Bronze Age Calibreon.

____________

Winds blow outward towards the shore, bringing with them warm air and the smell of building rains in the distance. Paekick, as always, is alive with the chatter of people from all across Calibreon, who travel here for commerce, religion, and socialization. Here, an abundant center of civilization and culture has arisen around a fold in reality, where individuals can reach out into the Realm of the Weaving God, and the Weaving God can reach out in turn. 

Staeus Ginnan (center, Gehen) glides across a large stone relief that features the Weaving God granting the Needle to the Formless – a common creation myth in Calibreon. In the streets below, many inhabitants are beginning their days; two students dash through the crowd, already late for a class. 

Another couple of marketgoers are heading to the market to purchase produce, while scholars are conversing while they walk, and traders are hauling their wares.  In this ancient era, it was common to see every species of Calibreon living together – even the ever-reclusive Shapeshifter, who today reside within the swamplands of Talis, and the Vampyre, who in modern times mostly inhabit only the furthest, frozen tundras of Desilan.

[quinttyz]

Travels with the Arisen ep 1: a (literal) heartless girl

During one cold night’s journey to Gran Soren, the pawns are freezing to their cores while Luna is just

👁👄👁 ❓

[arisenreborn]

∞ Arisen & Pawn Character Introductions

Because I love these kinds of things I made a quick template + eight questions for both Arisen & Pawn! Feel free to spruce it up and add whatever else you'd like!

♛ THE ARISEN:

NAME: AGE: RACE: PRONOUNS: PREFERRED VOCATION: FAVORED GIFTS: FAMILY:

POSITIVE TRAITS:NEGATIVE TRAITS: LIKES: DISLIKES:

1. What was their life like before becoming Arisen?

2. How do they handle being Arisen, and the responsibilities that come with it?

3. What are their thoughts on Pawns in general?

4. What's their relationship like with their main Pawn?

5. Do they have any interest in being Sovran? What are their opinions on the politics of the world in general?

6. Who are their love interest(s) and/or closest friends?

7. What drew them to their preferred vocation? Do they have history with it?

8. Do they have any hobbies? Any way of relaxing between all that monster-slaying and traveling?

♟︎ THE PAWN:

NAME: AGE: RACE: PRONOUNS: PREFERRED VOCATION: FAVORED GIFTS: INCLINATION:

POSITIVE TRAITS:NEGATIVE TRAITS: LIKES: DISLIKES:

1. What was their life like prior to being summoned by their Arisen?

2. What is their opinion on the Arisen? How do they view their relationship?

3. Is there anything about the Arisen they find troublesome? Be it a small quirk or bad habit? (Or are they obviously flawless?)

4. What is their specialization and is there any story behind how they cultivated that skill set?

5. Do they have any thoughts on the politics of the world and their place in it as a Pawn - or how Pawns are treated?

6. Does their journey with the Arisen change them in any significant way and how?

7. Is there a reason they chose their preferred vocation?

8. Do they have any hobbies or preferred past-times?

[littlestpersimmon]

I played dragons dogma 2 all day bcos my iPad was like at 99% capacity and I couldn't work. I was doing an escort quest.. and in this game the npc who wants to be escorted somewhere don't tell you where they want to go until you accept.... so I ended up getting lost.. the dude I was escorting got mauled by a minotaur and died. A thing with dragons dogma 2 is that fast travel is done with these finite resources called ferrystones.. and I was a penniless arisen so I was like fuck it. And walked all the way back to the main city hoping I can find this dude in the morgue and resurrect him. Finally after getting attacked by goblins and cyclops and whatnot, I make it back to the city. Nearing the morgue I realize that I did not have a wakestone, which is the tool you use to revive dead characters- in game, you need to have three wakestone shards to make one. So I spent the next 20 minutes running around the city just looking for shards, and then my main companion fell into the water, which is an INSTANT death for companions in game. I said nevermind, I'll revive you later.

I remembered I have this tool called "dragons gaze" where I recalled reading in the description that if you use it, it will light up points in the map where there are wakestones. The thing with dragons dogma 2 is that carry capacity depends on how stocky and tall your character is.. and I'm playing some twink, so imagine my surprise when I opened my pack trying to find dragons gaze, only to remember that I gave it to my main companion to carry bc my delicate ass main character couldn't carry it. I had to walk all the way back to this other place called "pawns guild" where I can spiritually call back my companion by touching a "riftstone", have my companion back, use the dragons gaze, find a wakestone shard, and finally put an end to my Harold and Kumar go to white castle-esque journey, by walking back to the morgue with the same care as a golden retriever holding an egg in its mouth. I gingerly jump and climb the cliffs and stairs to the morgue, and meticulously checked every stone slab in the charnel. Spoke to the priest that watched over it. And the fucking. Guy. The npc who died. Was totally gone. Erased from the game. Glitched. I literally threw my head back and laughed, skipped all 7 stages of grief, bcos I couldn't believe it. Like what else could I do. Just walked out the morgue and threw myself off the cliff.

[delta-bw]

Sunday Spotlight: Swablu

Swablu is a Ghost/Flying-type Pokemon. Unlike many other small bird Pokemon, Swablu do not flock together and instead travel and live alone. They are also surprisingly quiet, not known to sing or chirp.

Swablu's distinctive facial markings likely contribute to their reputation of heralding bad omens. Many superstitions have arisen surrounding them, ranging from simple accidents to impending death. Their Cursed Body ability certainly spells misfortune for those who aim to attack this Pokemon. Despite their poor reputation, Swablu are not aggressive and avoid conflict unless cornered.

[lau219]

Why Deny?

Part 6

Previous part here

…………………………………………………………………………….

Early the next week, loose ends were tied up or a pause was placed on many of the assignments each of them had currently been working on, instead shifting their attention to Simon Foster.

They now spent much of their days and early evenings in Leonard’s office with the door shut, going over files of information and details that had been collected on Foster since the suspicion on him had first arisen. 

As much as he was able to, Leonard had been monitoring Foster more closely ever since Charles had looped them in on the situation, but not many natural opportunities to do so presented themselves, as his office was on another floor of the building. Regardless, Leonard was already confident that the suspicions on Foster were true, but to what degree, he hadn’t concluded yet.

The plan was still to initially assess him during the annual Embassy gathering taking place that weekend in D.C., which was then to be followed by three days of large group meetings that they all would be attending along with dozens of other agents. As the week drew to a close, Y/N and Leonard began ironing out the finer details of their planned approach while in D.C.

It was Thursday evening when Y/N let herself back into Leonard’s office after having left briefly to get something to eat. She placed a large takeout bag on his desk before shrugging off her coat and then sorting through the bag. As she pulled the food out of the bag, her stomach audibly growled, at which Leonard looked up from the desk with a raised brow and a barely disguised smile.

“Very ladylike,” he teased her.

“Shut up,” she said as she looked back at him. “I’m starving. Not all of us can survive without regular meals. And speaking of which...”

She reached into the bag again and pulled out a sandwich which she then tossed at him, Leonard dropping his pen just in time to catch it.

“You need to eat that,” she said, pointing at the sandwich.

“No thanks, doll,” he replied, reaching it back out to her with one hand while simultaneously picking up his pen again with the other, but she wouldn’t take it.

“I know for a fact that you haven’t eaten anything all day. You need to have that.”

“I’m fine.”

“You won’t grow up to be big and strong unless you eat your dinner,” she teased him.

Unable to resist smiling, he looked back up at her.

“Who’s tightening the apron strings now, huh?” he said to her.

Smiling, Y/N leaned forward over the desk, holding his gaze as she grasped the pen and slowly pulled it out of his hand. She smiled at him mischievously as she stood back up and wiggled the pen between her fingers.

“You can have it back after you eat that,” she pointed to the sandwich again as Leonard shook his head with a resigned smile.

A couple hours later, they were still going over information and plans. Y/N had spread out at the small round table in the corner of Leonard’s office, while he remained at his desk. Y/N was huddled up in a chair, her elbow on the table and her chin resting in her palm as she looked over another document.

Eventually, her eyes briefly drifted over to Leonard. He’d removed his suit jacket and loosened his tie, as well as rolled up his shirt sleeves. She found herself admiring his arms yet again before her gaze traveled to his face. His brow was furrowed in concentration, and a piece of his hair had fallen across his forehead as he looked down. He was so handsome, it wasn’t fair. How did this man manage to make a tie and suspenders look so sexy? She forced herself to look away from him and back to the table.

As Y/N let out a quiet sigh, Leonard glanced over at her, smiling to himself.

Her chin in her palm, she pouted her lips as she concentrated, looking down at the pages in front of her. She’d long since removed her heels, her legs tucked up under herself as she sat in the chair. Through her sheer stockings, he could see the red polish on her toes, and he once again smiled to himself. What was it about her being barefoot that he found so adorable?

“Which hotel did you book?” Y/N eventually spoke up, rising from her chair to stretch and looking at Leonard.

“Foster’s staying at The Grand, so we are, too. I’ve already got his room number and the front desk will be giving me a key to it when we check in.”

“Where are the rooms?” Y/N asked.

“Ours are on the same floor, Foster’s is two floors below us. I’ve got access to the security cameras near his room and there’s another one being installed near his door as we speak.”

Y/N began to say something, but they were distracted when her cell phone started ringing. Leonard returned his gaze to his desk as she answered it.

“Hello?” Y/N said, sitting back down in her chair. Suddenly, she silently waved her arm in the air and snapped her fingers to get Leonard’s attention. He looked up with a furrowed brow.

“Oh, hi, Simon!” Y/N said as she looked at Leonard and widened her eyes in emphasis. “How are you?”

Rising from his chair, Leonard silently made his way over to her as she spoke into the phone. Y/N carefully set the phone down on the table, quickly lifting a finger to her lips to instruct Leonard to stay quiet, before pressing the button to put the call on speaker.

“Hey, there, beautiful. Long time no see,” came Simon’s voice through the phone.

“Yeah, it’s been a while. I’m glad you called,” Y/N replied, still looking at Leonard.

“Of course you are,” Simon replied, his voice full of off-putting cockiness. “I could say I was surprised when I got your message, but who are we kidding? I knew you couldn’t resist me forever.”

Y/N gave a disgusted wince and rolled her eyes, but she kept her voice cheerful as she responded.

“I tried, but I guess you’re just too darn charming,” she said.

Simon laughed.

“Don’t worry, gorgeous, it happens to the best of ‘em. Now, when would you like to be graced with my presence?”

Y/N looked up at Leonard again, whose expression was unreadable, before she responded.

“Well, are you going to the Embassy gala this weekend? Maybe we could meet up for a drink?” she said.

“Yeah, I’ll be there. Staying at The Grand.”

“What time does your flight land?”

“Oh, anxious, are we?” Simon chuckled before continuing. “I get in around 5, but I have some business to take care of beforehand. But I’ll find you at the dinner and then we can see where the night takes us.”

“Ok, that sounds good,” Y/N replied. “Looking forward to it.”

“Me too, beautiful. Now you get back to typing up your little reports, or whatever it is that you do to keep busy, and I’ll see you this weekend.”

Y/N feigned amusement with a fake giggle.

“Bye, Simon,” she said. Then she ended the call, pressing the button and pushing the phone away from her.

“Ugh,” she groaned in disgust.

Leonard remained silent for another moment before speaking, his voice low.

“You called him?”

Y/N looked up at him.

“Yeah, a couple days ago. Left him a message saying I’d reconsidered his offer and wanted to see him.��

“And you didn’t tell me about this?”

“I’m just planting the seed,” Y/N explained. “It would seem odd if I suddenly approached him at the party without having had any contact with him for months. I’m just warming him up. And now we know when to expect him at the hotel. We can sweep his room before he arrives.”

Her approach was actually incredibly smart, but that didn’t mean Leonard had to like it.

“You should have told me you were talking to him,” he said sternly.

Y/N exhaled as she looked at him.

“Apron strings, Leonard,” she said, gesturing a cutting motion with her fingers.

“This is different,” Leonard responded, looking down at her. “We don’t know if he’s dangerous.”

“Leonard...”

“Don’t even start,” he said as she sighed. “I’m drawing a line here, doll. I’ll give it to you, what you did was good...”

Y/N smiled up at him before he continued.

“...but if you interact with him again, I better know about it.” He then reached down and gently stroked her cheek with his thumb. “Otherwise, the next time I find out, your newest fashion accessory will be an ankle monitor.”

Part 7

@nyxxie-pooh @febris-amatoria @fuseburner @hannibellector @alltoowellbeneaththemangotree @neonpurplestars89-blog

[adrift-in-thyme]

@skyward-floored remember that anon asking about a birthday fic yesterday? That was me :D

I wrote you a little something to celebrate your special day! I hope you like it!

Happy Birthday!! 🎈🎉

Ao3 link

———————————

Normally, Warriors would leave a guy to think. After all, he knows better than anyone the way working in a group can become a bit…suffocating. Being constantly surrounded by people will grow inevitably exhausting. It’s only right for one to go off on their own, seeking out some blessed solitude.

So, normally, if he had come across a certain hero sitting beside a quaint little stream, he would leave him to his duck watching and his thoughts and collapse onto his bedroll. But he has just come upon a certain hero sitting by a quaint little stream and he looks so absolutely pitiful that Warriors swears that he’s impersonating a kicked puppy.

And he can’t just leave him there, all sad and hunched over and shivery.

(Time and Arty are right, he guesses, he’s a hopeless softy.)

So, he sets aside his dreams of turning in early and starts toward him.

“Rupee for your thoughts, rancher?” He calls once he is within hearing distance.

Twilight startles and turns, blinking rapidly as though that will free him from his daze. Warriors keeps an easy grin on his face as his eyes roam the hero, cataloging what he sees.

Flushed cheeks, a light sheen of sweat on the brow, tremors running through the body, a glazed look in the eyes…and now a painfully hoarse voice as the rancher croaks his name in greeting. The captain suppresses a sigh. There can’t be any doubt about it, the rancher is sick.

He should’ve seen that coming — honestly, he had, though he’d shoved the suspicion back behind countless other strategies and worries and tasks. But he knows he isn’t the only one who picked up on Twilight’s less than perky attitude these past days. He had lagged behind the rest of the group, opting to plod along beside Sky instead of his usual place by Wild’s side. And that alone had arisen Warriors’ suspicions.

But he doesn’t comment about all that just yet. Even when Twilight turns away from him to cough harshly into his elbow. Wordlessly, he settles down beside him.

“You alright, Twi?”

He sets a steadying hand on his back as the coughs subside. Twilight takes a minute to catch his breath, his shudders growing more violent. But the glare he dredges up is no less severe than his usual.

“I’m not sick if-if that’s what you’re thinking.”

Warriors chuckles. “Well, now I’m thinking maybe you are. Because I alluded to no such thing.”

Twilight hums, looking completely unconvinced. Warriors doesn’t miss the way he leans into his touch, however, or the way his next exhale trembles. And he certainly can’t ignore it when, surreptitiously, he moves closer.

“I should’ve brought a blanket,” Warriors comments, mildly, when a few quiet moments have slid by. “You seem a bit cold. Too bad I left my scarf back at the camp.”

Twilight huffs a sigh. It quickly turns into another explosion of coughs.

“You should be back at the camp,” he grumbles, when he can once again drag in air, “not hanging around me. You’re gonna catch somethin’.”

A smirk lifts Warriors’ lips. “Ah, but I could’ve sworn that I just heard you claim that you weren’t sick.”

He senses more than sees Twilight’s eyes go wide. Then, the rancher lets out an annoyed groan.

“I swear y-you’re as bad as the old man.”

“Oh no, I can be worse.”

Another series of shiver races through him and Twilight ends up slumped against Warriors’ left side, teeth chattering audibly.

“S-somehow…I can believe that.”

Warriors chuckles. Carefully, he slides an arm around Twilight, holding him close. The hero practically melts into him.

“It’s a beautiful night at least,” the captain murmurs, gazing up above them.

The sky glows with the beginnings of twilight. Orange and purple and pink travel in streaks of dazzling fire across a canvas of deep blue. Upon the water, the display wavers, like paints just barely mixed upon a palette.

The air is temperate too, a warm breeze blowing through like a caress. He can’t help but be thankful for it. He’s almost certain that they all have had to endure sickness in a less than forgiving climate. In such circumstances, things seldom go well.

(He can’t help but think of Mask’s tale, told haltingly late at night after a dreadful nightmare. A tale of climbing a mountain with frostbitten feet and fingers and collapsing shivering and feverish at the door of a blacksmith’s hut.)

“Captain,” Twilight pipes up beside him, the word sounding positively painful, “do…do you ever feel a certain sadness at this time of day?”

Warriors hums, dragging himself from his thoughts. Something about that sentence sparks a memory within him, of a princess of twilight with the body of an imp and a heart of gold kept carefully concealed.

“I suppose so. Why?”

Twilight is smiling slightly when he looks at him, and there is sorrow in the expression.

“There’s another realm out there…”

“The Twilight realm.”

Twilight starts up, feverish gaze landing on Warriors. The captain laughs.

“Yes, I know of it. I knew it’s princess, as a matter of fact. We fought together during the war.”

Suddenly, Twilight looks more alert than he has all night. But then he shudders again and nearly loses his balance. Warriors pulls him close again, wrapping him in a half-hug.

“Midna? Y-you knew Midna?”

“I did.” The captain smiles, fondly. “She was a ferocious fighter…and a good friend. Though” — A teasing grin lifts his lips as he looks down at his brother “ — I always wondered why she chose to ride a wolf of all things into battle.

“But it makes a little more sense now.”

Even through his pallor, he can see Twilight’s cheeks flush. His face is a hurricane of emotion that Warriors feels he has little right to see. So, he turns back to the pond and watches as twilight overtakes the light of day.

“Did-did she mention me at all?” Twilight murmurs, finally.

Warriors cocks his head, weighing which words are best.

“No — not to me at least. But I think Midna was one who liked to keep things close to the vest. I think the wolf she rode was her way of…saying that she missed you.”

Twilight is silent for a few moments. Quiet reigns over the small clearing, save for the sounds of the rancher’s slightly congested breathing.

He should get him back to camp, Warriors thinks, get him some warm blankets and a potion and maybe some of Wild’s soup. But Twilight speaks up before he can voice any of those thoughts.

“I’m glad you got to meet her.” There is a tremulous smile in those words, a strength that the rancher always possesses, even when his energy is drained. “She…she was really somethin’ else.”

“Indeed she was.”

Twilight moves closer, resting his head on Warriors’ shoulder, and Warriors can’t help but feel that some unseen boundary has been broken from between them. Perhaps, this secret had weighed more heavily on the rancher than he had thought.

Well, that and the uncertainty of the princess’ feelings for him. That shattered mirror Twilight had spoken of hadn’t been the only thing broken.

“You know,” he says, as Twilight’s eyelids begin to droop, “next time you’re sick and missing your girlfriend, maybe just talk to someone instead of sitting out here all miserable and alone. I know a certain someone would call you an idiot for doing so.”

Twilight chuckles.

“She would, wouldn’t she?” He chokes out between hacking coughs. “She never held back.”

“No, she really didn’t.”

Warriors holds his trembling shoulders until the coughs are gone again. Then, he pats his shoulder.

“Alright, rancher, let’s get you back. You need your rest.”

Reluctantly, Twilight allows the captain to help him to his feet. He leans heavily against him, exhaustion dragging at his feet. And as the first star blinks itself awake, Warriors turns them toward the warmth of the campfire and their brothers’ company.

The shadows themselves seem to gather in their wake, a protection and an embrace.

[ritens]

∞ Arisen & Pawn Character Introductions

Original template by @arisenreborn

Probably will come back to edit this at some point. I wrote it while numbed out of my mind from medicine.

♛ THE ARISEN:

NAME: Raures AGE: 123 (whatever that means) RACE: Elf PRONOUNS: he/him PREFERRED VOCATION: Magic Archer FAVORED GIFTS: fish, selfmade things FAMILY: no longer in the picture. They fell to the dragon.

POSITIVE TRAITS: gentle, keeps his word, patient, hard-working NEGATIVE TRAITS: stubborn, huge flirt, gullible LIKES: fishing, exploring and gathering materials for various craft projects. DISLIKES: rainy muddy days

1. What was their life like before becoming Arisen?

Rau lived with his parents away from other elves. They preferred a more simple but labor-intensive life among humankind’s common folk. Father was a hunter and taught Rau the way of the magic archer. Mother was a mender with a great knowledge of medicinal herb usage. Humans taught Rau archery and thief skills for wilderness survival. He also learned their language.

The family moved towns and villages every 10 years to conceal the aging differences between the two races, essentially avoiding the possibility of becoming chiefs or other figures with higher responsibility.

Raures became Arisen in an attempt at buying time for his parents to escape the burning village. The attempt was unsuccessful but the dragon deemed him worthy.

2. How do they handle being Arisen, and the responsibilities that come with it?

He is mourning the family he lost but even so he does his best to move forward and do what is expected of an Arisen despite his pawn’s chagrin. He doesn’t fully grasp what he’s doing, just feels like he has to.

3. What are their thoughts on Pawns in general?

Pawn rights activist. He finds all of them to be quite cute.

4. What's their relationship like with their main Pawn?

Rau opted to “adopt” an existing pawn to be his main instead of shaping his own perfect image of a pawn to avoid bias. The two have a lot of opposing opinions on matters and Rau has no idea that Lane already has a bit of his own will which he's maintained from master to master throughout his conscious life.

Raures sees Lane's episodes of fear and paranoia as normal pawn behaviour, but treats his companion with care and respect no matter what may come up. He is very fond of Lane and forbids the pawn from traversing the rift to other worlds to assist other Arisen who may call upon him. He doesn’t want Lane to end up as brutalized as he was when Rau first met him.

5. Do they have any interest in being Sovran? What are their opinions on the politics of the world in general?

He’s too much of a farmboy to care much about what goes on in the life of the rich and noble. The prospect of being Sovran seems exhausting to Rau, but if need be, he would take on the role. But avoid spending much time at the palace. It’s also likely Lane would hold him back from all this mumbo jumbo anyway.

6. Who are their love interest(s) and/or closest friends?

Rau’s closest companion is obviously his pawn. He doesn’t form lasting relationships with people aside from the local baker. And he indulges in short lived dalliances now and then.

7. What drew them to their preferred vocation? Do they have history with it? 

He keeps pursuing the way of the Magic Archer as a way to honour his elven roots but isn’t bound to just one vocation. Survival asks for many skills and he hones whatever he can.

8. Do they have any hobbies? Any way of relaxing between all that monster-slaying and traveling?

Suck and fuck. He enjoys fishing a great deal which is a rather fruitful hobby as it’s fun and it provides food. Rau has been making birch skin baskets and other tools since childhood. Originally picked up the craft to avoid buying these items in bigger cities as travel by oxcart often ends up being catastrophic. Now as an Arisen who is constantly on the move, he makes the baskets and leaves them as gifts for the villagers he happens to visit.

♟︎ THE PAWN:

NAME: Lane AGE: appears young adult RACE: human PRONOUNS: he/him PREFERRED VOCATION: Thief FAVORED GIFTS: soft warm clothes, bread INCLINATION: Calm

POSITIVE TRAITS: clever, creative, humble, observant NEGATIVE TRAITS: withdrawn, fearful, unreliable, low self-esteem LIKES: bread, Raures, afternoon naps DISLIKES: stale bread, being manhandled, loud people

1. What was their life like prior to being summoned by their Arisen?

Lane served many Arisen. His first was Amaury from Gransys who summoned him in the shape of their deceased brother. The pawn ended up a tad corpse-like in appearance and while it didn’t bother Amaury at first, it eventually resulted in them becoming uncomfortable once they accepted the fact their real brother is gone for good. By that time Lane had already developed his own bit of will, and sapped enough of the Arisen’s spirit to also develop Amaury’s negative emotions (and even a streak of their golden locks of hair). Lane ended up killing his own master out of fear during an argument.

He didn’t return beyond the rift afterwards and became a street rat who survived by using his strider->thief abilities to steal from people.

Plagued by aimlessness the pawn answered the summons of other Arisen in other worlds who would order him around, sometimes harshly and cruelly. But the pawn desperately desired a sense of purpose and so he went with the flow, ignoring his human aspects as best as he could.

2. What is their opinion on the Arisen? How do they view their relationship?

Lane was stunned when he first saw who had summoned him in Vermund. The face of his second Arisen from ages past in a different world. The first Rau had summoned him and made Lane his main pawn in a similar fashion. He was Lane’s favorite master. But, unfortunately, he fell in battle against the dragon.

As Lane learns more of this Vermundian Rau, he gets more and more determined to prevent the same outcome that his former master was fated to meet. Lane selfishly and desperately clings to Raures and does everything he can to get the Arisen to settle and let someone else take the wheel of the cycle.

3. Is there anything about the Arisen they find troublesome?

The pawn is very much bothered by the Arisen’s frequent visits to the Bordelrie though he won’t say a word about it. The Arisen does get treated to a cold shoulder for it though.

4. What is their specialization and is there any story behind how they cultivated that skill set?

Raures taught Lane elvish language as a bonding exercise. But now Lane uses the skill to listen in on conversations he has no business knowing about.

5. Do they have any thoughts on the politics of the world and their place in it as a Pawn - or how Pawns are treated?

He accepts things as they are for the most part but has his low moments where he wishes more people treated him as something other than a resource.

6. Does their journey with the Arisen change them in any significant way and how?

Though he himself doesn’t realize it, Raures helps Lane calm down and open up to the joys of life outside servitude. Lane learns what fun is, what friendship is and what it means to love unconditionally. He begins to stand up for himself.

7. Is there a reason they chose their preferred vocation?

Lane is a thief in the literal sense of the word. He had to get by while Masterless and he did so by stealing.

8. Do they have any hobbies or preferred past-times? 

During his time on the streets post-Amaury Lane picked up drawing with coal on cobblestones and has since moved on to other mediums and continues to hone his art skills. He usually scribbles sceneries and detailed drawings of plants, but lately has been toying with human silhouettes as well.