thelightofcreation

[thelightofcreation]

*: ･ﾟ✧   90 loaded questions / interview the muse.

found on this website, so credit goes to them.

What’s your favorite strategy for avoiding tough situations?

How often do you do things just for the attention?

Would you prefer to be manipulated or to be the manipulator?

What is something someone always tells you to do more of?

What is something someone always tells you to do less of?

Who do you look to blame when things go wrong?

What is the one thing people assume about you that you wish was true?

What is the one thing people assume about you that you wish wasn’t true?

When was the last time you lied to protect your image?

How often do you put on a happy face when you’re really not feeling it?

When do you think you began putting your guard up so much?

Who made you feel most anxious when you were a kid?

How do you speak about others when they’re not around?

What aspect of your life are you most delusional about?

How often do your admit you were wrong?

Which one of your biggest flaws do you like to rationalize the most?

Is it your fear of commitment or your fear of intimacy that makes you shut down more?

At what stage of a relationship are you most likely to withdraw emotionally?

What is the one compliment you always get that you’re too embarrassed to accept, so you deflect it?

What would someone say is your worst habit?

What is the one insecurity you are pretty sure has some basis in reality?

When was the last time you felt really insecure about the parts of yourself you pretend don’t exist?

What is the most interesting white lie you’ve told?

Do you ever feel like an imposter?

Do your friends know how competitive you are?

What’s the hardest thing about being rejected?

How do you deal when you know you’re being irrationally jealous?

How do you deal when you know someone’s not willing to give you what you want?

Are you ever afraid of people knowing who you really are?

If you went to a therapist today, what would they say is holding you back the most?

When was the last time you lowered your standards just to get someone else’s approval?

Is your need for revenge greater than your need for peace?

Have you stopped trying to control things yet?

Which parts of yourself do you still seek validation for?

How do you cope with being unfairly ignored?

Do you like punishing yourself for things that are out of your control?

What does someone say is your biggest problem when communicating?

Are you okay with not knowing what happens next?

Will you ever feel okay with being imperfect?

Does sabotaging yourself give you an odd sense of comfort?

How do you feel about being disliked by some people?

What’s the strangest thing you’ve done just to avoid failure?

What is the biggest risk you’ve taken just to prove yourself?

What’s the boldest thing you do every day, just to feel like you’re still in control?

What accusation would you defend yourself most fiercely against, even though you know it’s true?

What’s the most toxic thing about yourself you actually kind of secretly like?

How much do you enjoy being in control?

When do you give yourself permission to lose control?

What guilty pleasure are you currently justifying to yourself?

What is the most passive-aggressive way you’ve dealt with your rage?

What is the pettiest and most immature way you’ve avoided losing face?

What’s the worst habit you have that rewards you the most?

How do you get your needs met when you’re alone?

What is the most ridiculous thing you’ve done to please people?

What is the most ridiculous way you’ve rebelled?

What’s your favorite way to channel your aggression?

How do you cope with being betrayed?

Are you okay with disliking someone?

What is your favorite form of self-destruction?

What’s the one thing you struggle most to manifest in your life?

What’s the one thing that you manifest so easily, people are jealous of it?

What’s the most irrational reason you’ve ever had for disliking someone?

What is one fear that you’d be ashamed of your friends knowing about?

Which one of your deepest secrets do you think is the least common?

How do people normally find out you hate them?

What is your go-to strategy to deflect criticism, even constructive criticism?

What is one thing people always get wrong about you?

What emotion motivates you the most when you’re down?

What emotion makes you want to give up?

Are people shocked when you stand up for yourself?

How often do you say yes to the things you really want to say yes to?

How often do you say no to the things that make your skin crawl?

How far are you willing to go to maintain a relationship, even an unhealthy one?

What is the worst way someone’s ever abandoned you?

What is the worst way you’ve ever abandoned yourself?

How do you entertain yourself when you’re not around people?

Are you happier alone because you enjoy being alone or because you prefer it to being surrounded by horrible people?

What habit do you know you could quit but don’t want to?

What is your favorite strategy for avoiding difficult people?

What is your favorite strategy for avoiding conflict?

What is the weirdest thing that gets you angry?

What is the weirdest thing that makes you sad?

How often do you take responsibility for other people’s crappy behavior?

When are you most likely to shut people out?

Which insecurity would shock people if they knew about it?

What do you find yourself justifying to people, even when no justification is needed?

When was the last time you tried to please someone who made you angry?

What do people often tell you need to focus more on?

What do people often tell you need to focus less on?

What is the one thing that could make you happy, but you refuse to do it because you’re afraid of what others would think?

[thelightofcreation]

It would be a lie if Sephiran said that he felt particularly prepared. The portal promises uncertainty, and no amount of preparation- whether literal or metaphorical, would allow him to enter it with confidence. But he smiles, and inclines his head instead, knowing that his hesitation would only weigh the rest of this small group down.

Stepping into the swirling magic grants him a feeling of weightlessness, a drop in his chest as the new scenery forms around them. A floor of dust and columns of collapsing marble- close enough to call upon memories, but alien enough not to match them. And across from them, framed by their surroundings…

[Roll: 3] THREE HOUSES 15/15HP* will counter with Failnaught for the rest of the round!

Ghostly figures.

This was familiar. Though only one opponent was- and he averts his eyes deliberately as he looks towards the azure instead.

“...It seems this is much the same as the monastery’s arena. Are those still held?” He comments, though a quick check tells him that at least their equipment remains much the same.

SEPHIRAN 10/10HP hits HERO KING 15/15HP* with Creiddylad [Roll: 6 + 4 = 10; - 2.5 - 0.5 (Resonance activates! -1 HP, SEPHIRAN 9/10 HP) -1 = -4 HP, HERO KING 11/15HP*] HERO KING 11/15HP* cannot counterattack!

A flash of light on one of the unfamiliar- it does not matter which one, at the moment.

about to go fight i'll post the vid after

i got my ass beat bruh i'm not posting that shit (x)

[thelightofcreation]

“Perhaps it is the night that frightens you,” Sephiran claims, softly. This is not a fear he can ease, nor does it seem rooted only in distrust. He knows it well- buried deep within his heart alongside his own blackened feathers. “Return to your friends, and tell them of your concerns. They will be vigilant alongside you.”

“When you have allies, you must remember that you are stronger with them than apart. Your concerns will wear your heart to pieces, child. Let others carry your burden.”

A gentle laugh, playing the part of the concerned, the faithful. “I am honored in your trust, but until an agreement is made, you must remember that I am beorc, as well.”

Mischief, hidden in the guise of kindness- sentimentality, hidden behind mischief. “I will not know what you need, unless you tell me what I can do to ease your concerns.”

legacy lived and legacy lost // sephiran & darios

tellius canon transplant au; to meet with a ghost

[thelightofcreation]

“A pleasure to meet you, Cynthia. You may call me Sephiran.” He takes the delayed introduction in stride, continuing the walk in a path adjacent to the beast. She is not as trusting as she appears, he finds, though that was hardly a bad thing. Good judgement was a thing to be treasured, after all.

“If I may ask a question,” He begins, as if searching for the correct words- he was, in a way, doing so, but not in the way that he presented himself to. “Have you seen the beast recently? You speak as though you are familiar with it.”

A pause, as if a new thought had come to mind, “If you are, then perhaps you could tell me more about it. Safer for the both of us, in case it is nearby.”

spear no enemy

( TOA anniversary board - lance +1 )

[thelightofcreation]

Haven’t we all. Sephiran softens, as he often does, at moments of weakness, always ready to comfort or to soothe- whether wounds of the body, easier to manage, or wounds of the heart- so raw that he is never certain if anyone can ever smooth them over.

“Oh, child,” Sephiran sighs, a mixture of pity and regret, “I just want you to be careful.”

“There is…” A pause, searching for the correct words- fighting against instinct and age old ideas that he has not rooted out of his mind, “No perfection in this world. You will make mistakes- all of us will.”

Getting scolded was not the most part of things. It truly was reflecting on how such a situation even occurred that sets his heart in guilt laden stone. He can only hope that Sephiran won't ask. many questions of him. "It's just minor." The worst had been the gentle hues of pink and blue forming at his cheek. "And it only really stings...if you could simply keep it from swelling too quickly." There was no point in wasting a use of stave on this. "I know how to cover up what remains well enough."

“... You were fine mere minutes ago.” It isn’t disappointment so much as disapproval that laces Sephiran’s words, as he pulls out ointment from his bag. “How did you manage to get a bruise in such a short amount of time?”

Still, he remains as professional as always, beginning to apply the salve with practiced ease. “Don’t move- and I don’t suggest trying to cover this up with makeup, else the two might mix strangely.”

A pause. “But I can’t stop you if you do."

"...Come back if you are injured again," He sighs, and gives the other a small smile, "Though I do hope you will exercise caution.”

[thelightofcreation]

Sephiran wanders the streets of town, a list in his hand. He doesn’t like leaving his shop so conspicuously, but enough of the townspeople have since become accustomed to his presence, leaving rumors quiet.

He just needs to buy some bread.

Instead he meets the eye of a strange man stalking the streets, scaring off a few passerby, holding a scrap of paper as if it had personally wronged him. He quickly glances away, but he knows that the other man must have noticed him.

Still, Sephiran buys a loaf first, puts it in a basket and wraps it nicely in cloth. Better to do it now before he gets caught up and forgets again. Then, he sighs, and heads to where that man still stood, going unnoticed by the many who went about their day- or more likely, deliberately ignored.

“Good afternoon,” He begins, and he knows that any curious eyes quickly look away- another charity case, he can hear the whispers say. He feels that the questions on how he sustains himself will form another rumor soon. “You seem distressed. Is there anything you need?”

take a letter

[thelightofcreation]

“I’ve been here for… some time now,” Sephiran responds, though it wasn’t an answer. It wasn’t a lie, at least, to either question. “And I’ve always been interested in bladework, though I have no talent in it. Perhaps I could simply learn the basics, some day.”

At the mention of his inexperience, the merchant seems to brighten- his words sound naive, sentimental in the way that Sephiran had revealed himself to be time and again- in other words, a perfect target.

“But, give me a moment,” Sephiran smiles, the same one he wore when he was released from a prison he could have walked out of, turning back to the merchant with apparent interest. “Speed dents? Does that mean this sword is used?”

He watches the merchant struggle to find the correct words. “You see, that means that this is a high-quality blade!"

what a steel!

cont from here

[thelightofcreation]

An expression of surprise, no, deeper than surprise, of shock- complete with stilted breath and stiffness, causes Sephiran to pause; it is not an expression that he would imagine upon the other’s face, he who remained so stoic so often. It is not, he notices, directed to his waking- but upward, as if he were seeing something else.

And he remembers- he remembers a silence like the calm before the storm, and he knows this weight of a limb long since unused, and Sephiran does not need to turn to see the black feathers that have come loose onto the sand. 

His blood runs cold.

“I- I…” What does he say? What does he do? When will surprise fade to anger or fear? Too late to speak as if it were a trick of the light, to cover up his shame in draping magic. If Raven’s stoicism has broken, then it is Sephiran’s serenity that crumbles. Hands grasp at his sleeves (black and white, a mix of past and present) and he folds in on himself.

He cannot bring his gaze upward, to see the changes wrought when surprise fades. “Please… say something.”

raze these lands to build empires

[thelightofcreation]

it is under the premise of dusting the shelves that she produces a small box from her pocket when he's not looking, careful to unravel the ribbon holding it all together so that the sides fall apart softly, revealing the contents within. a miniature figurine in the shape of a bird not too dissimilar to what appears to be a finch, perched atop a tree branch. beneath it, in a groove, one might find a small wind-up mechanism that would prompt it to sing, should they wish to hear birdsong.

but that is for sephiran to discover on his own.

for now, dorothea places it beside one of the larger vials on the shelf, atop a red-lettered card addressed to him that she, too, slides into place just beneath the figurine. a smile is swallowed as she steps back from it, head canting in feigned confusion as she sweetly calls out for him.

"sephiran? a moment, please?"

a ringed finger points to the gift.

"i'm not quite sure where to put that. could you help me?"

It’s a peaceful activity, getting help from another- almost comfortable in this extension of trust and gratitude. Unexpected, too, but not unwelcome. He is content to allow her freedom to do as she wishes as he checks the storage of his wares. 

Sephiran hears a small swish of something akin to fabric while he faces away, and the tapping of something placed on wood- but what it is, he does not yet know. But he does not remain curious for long as she calls for him, and he turns, wondering what it was that made her voice shine so brightly.

“Yes, what is it…?” Steps falter when he sees it, a stilted gasp- surprise first, before he softens into a form of joy. “Is this for me?”

A hand goes as if to stroke the bird’s cheek, a soft gesture, when he notices the letter peeking out from underneath. A laugh and sigh, “You didn’t have to go this far, starling. Thank you.”

[thelightofcreation]

Sanaki sits at the pagan altar with two cups of tea. One, a dark bergamot, resting in her hands; the other, a bright berry-mint, untouched at her side.

When she was six, for his first birthday in her service, she had thrown a fit that he too deserved a royal celebration, with a grand ball and a feast and a parade through the city. He had dissuaded all her offers except for a quiet afternoon tea in the side chapel, gazing upon the effigy of Empress Altina. And so it had become their annual ritual, counting down to the end of the world.

Sanaki closes her eyes. She can still hear echoes of his voice, telling her tales of past Apostles and instructing her to be patient, to love the Goddess, to be a good little Empress. Despite the bitterness she now feels, she still cannot find the strength to regret those days.

A thousand miles from home, Sanaki allows herself a moment of weakness. “Happy birthday, Sephiran,” she murmurs. The air is still. Not even the Goddess will know. 

On his birthday, Sephiran weaves flowers. It is a wasteful endeavor; for he could use them for any number of other things, and his time, though infinite, always had better uses. But in his selfishness, he allows himself this one indulgence in solitude, a dedication to his faults and the damage his pain has wrought. He is careful, as he always is, molding the stems into a crown, changing them gently, without force- to the shape he wishes them to take. Careful not to snap the stems, a head bowed as if in prayer.

Rosemary and snapdragon (violet in nature, swaying gently in his hand) are tied together- remembrance of the man he once was, and the deception he had done. The magics he had taught and the lessons she had learned- a mask that cracked only once, and the lies he never told.

Add forget-me-nots, a favorite of his, that light blue that peeks out of the purple, reminding him of all he had lost, and now- all that he had thrown away by his own hand. They remind him of mourning dew, left in his footsteps by the sides of unmarked graves.

Hesitation- is it arrogant of him, to add these? Lily of the valley, a prayer; that happiness will return to the damaged land, that time will mend their hearts- and milkweed, for a bird’s empty nest. Let me go- as if she had not already gone, as if he had not always been, looking away so that he may reach for an prize he could not obtain.

And the last, a blossom he cannot bring himself to use, to be left sitting upon his desk as if discarded; because he does not, it is as if they were abandoned, never knowing what he meant to say. You cannot meet again, they whisper, without us- but he stands, leaving to find a place to hang the wreath to dry, gentle sweet peas strewn in his absence.

Goodbye.

[thelightofcreation]

Darios had finished most his tasks around the store. It was still early but little bird carried wind that today was Sephiran's birthday and well, the man had spared him...so much trouble. He had brought some tea leaves, an expensive sort he'd yet to try but with a slightly fruity note to it. Brewing it and setting the table, he finally fetched the man himself. "It's not very much," he began as he let him to the table, "But at the very least, your morning will start off well hopefully." The young man smiled softly as he offered the cup. "Happy Birthday, Sephiran. I hope this year and many more treat you well."

His birthday- or the day he had deigned to be his birthday some many years ago, begins with birdsong. It is inevitable at this time of year, when he leaves out seeds for them to eat by his window, but in his sentimentality, he realizes he has created some form of unnecessary punishment for himself.

But it is not the birdsong that reaches him first, but the sound of someone shuffling downstairs, a sound that eventually forces him to rise and make himself presentable. Thankfully in time before he is seen- that facade of control still difficult to let go of.

A facade that fades quickly in surprise, when he sees the mere effort for one person- not any one person, but himself.

“Oh… Thank you,” He begins, uncertain of how to proceed. “You shouldn’t have…”

The cup is accepted and cradled as if it was something precious, and a small smile forms- even if his gaze cannot quite meet the giver's.

[thelightofcreation]

Sephiran is a patient man, and an angry one, one who hides all recesses of his heart away from the world under the guise of kindness. Patience makes it easy- wisdom makes it trivial. This laguz is bumbling, making mistakes in the world of politics that makes it all too easy for Sephiran to forgive- or rather, he had always had a soft spot for his own kind.

He knows what he had been missing before.

“I am only one man,” Sephiran repeats, and there will be no greater truth that he could ever speak- he is one man who will one day hold the world in his hands; a man who will see far more than hundreds of others. “There are limits to what I can do, and what heights I can reach.”

He is soft when the other is blunt, gentle in the wake of fear. He will reach the side of the Goddess, but before then, he must walk amongst her people.

“It is not dependence that your envoy is giving me, but trust. If this negotiation fails, it is not only you who will take the blame.”

legacy lived and legacy lost // sephiran & darios

tellius canon transplant au; to meet with a ghost

[thelightofcreation]

As it turns out, some (read: almost all) members of Pearl Shoals haven’t acquired wealth the good and honest way. And what’s more: everyone seems to know that everyone else is lining their own pockets, they just turn a blind eye to it. In order to maintain your cover, you’ll have to hide your disgust over this fact. But can you restrain your heart from yearning for vigilante justice? Or maybe you have to convince your moral-bound friends from causing a scene. [Grants Faith +1] starter for @sunncutter

For those powerful enough- arrogant enough to believe that they were not fallible in the way that all mortals were, there was no need to keep up appearances. In a way, Sephiran thinks, a short glance towards a group who loudly and prominently took their seats, speaking all the while, they were not entirely wrong. If he did not have a home to return to outside these walls, stirring the pot would prove only to be an annoyance at best.

And stirring the pot did very little, as well- in a short timeframe, that was. Given a few years, he could likely tear down those walls or remove a good amount of them from their power (without their knowing, if he was careful), but that was inefficient in the eyes of beorc. If there was one solace, it was that he knew he would not have to endure their presence for too long- due to the Church’s impatience, he will likely not even stay for a year.

A sigh, quiet. Their behavior was disturbingly familiar, souring the mood even before they continued speaking. Whatever conversation the two of them were having died as voices rose above anything they could say. Still, he tunes in- if they were to interrupt his activities, it was only right that he could eavesdrop.

A series of gasps first, accompanied by exclamations of surprise- and what for?

“The summer collection was only released yesterday! How did you get your hands on this so quickly?” A voice, bright and warm- young, buttering up someone who had yet to speak.

“Oh, you know,” Smooth and velvety, lowering her voice- barely, so all nearby could hear, whether that was the intention or not, “My fundraiser from a few weeks ago was a great success. It’s only right that I treat myself!”

...

…Even if they believed there would be little consequence, isn't this a bit much? Sephiran orders his drink.

just pay the price

[thelightofcreation]

 “And may she smile upon you as well.” Sephiran responds, still smoothly, his eyes flitting finally to take a closer look at the laguz. Gauging, but also searching- the string of questions was not unusual for those who were younger, finding their place in the world, or perhaps finding what allowances the world would give them.

Not much, he thinks, though he acknowledges that he often gave more than he should. It was a mistake that would continue to haunt him.

Even as he reminisced, he could not shake the feeling that something was… off, for lack of a better word. He could not yet place a finger on what- but that was worse, that something or someone had deceived him, either intentionally or otherwise.

Sephiran was not so relaxed as to allow himself to be deceived. 

“If someone were to act against me… you and your envoy will find that my halls are well-lit. Navigating them should prove to be easy, and there should be no ambush if you flee.” A small laugh, “Though I will not condemn you if you are to defend yourself against an assailant, I promise you that.”

“Does that assuage your concerns?”

legacy lived and legacy lost // sephiran & darios

tellius canon transplant au; to meet with a ghost

[thelightofcreation]

wanted plots

feel free to reach me through discord pings, dms, or through this blog specifically!

Sephiran you are here!

all prompts I want are taken, but he's unaff. so if you need a partner, feel free to reach out anyways!

Elffin @moriddyn

Lance+1 - I just think its funny,

Lewyn @venticatenae

Any +1 (Unaff. Needed) - Kind of for the point but also we can make this a silly sneaking in thread full of hijinks. Please.,

Faith +1 (Unaff. Needed) - Ok. Hear me out. We can rob them-

[thelightofcreation]

May Activity

Points Earned: 1

Check: Faith +1

Skill Changes:

Faith S (2) -> Faith S+

Completed Threads:

I Abandoned Him? No You Did (Nasir) Nasir Ball Mini 3 (Nasir) of the stage and the sea (Matthias) Darios Ball Mini (Darios)

Claims:

White Tomefaire (Faith S+) [Pending] Fortify (Faith S+) [Pending] Abraxas (Faith S+) [Pending] Seashell Bracelet (Ethereal Ball 2025) [Pending] Butterfly Wings (Ethereal Ball 2025) [Pending] Defiant Magic (Gremory) [Pending] Aureola (Gremory) [Pending]

[thelightofcreation]

19. A memory of someone they don’t see anymore

There is a Goddess before you.

Her hair is the color of the sunrise, peeking through the leaves in the morning. Her smile is bright and gentle, wise and innocent all at once. You know her as the mother of life, the Goddess of the Dawn. You are honored to serve her, more than honored, even as the years go by and you realize that you have not changed since the moment you first took her hand.

The god before you is not her.

Her hair is the color of sunrise, burning brightly over the plains. Her face is expressionless, the emotion forced away; she is stern and cold, and she is ready to destroy her other half in order to ensure that no harm comes to the world again. In her eyes you see the wisdom of a ruler.

You tell her that the world still needs her. (You still need her, and the way she knows exactly what to say.)

You are desperate to serve her, to preserve the remnants of your Goddess, the mother of all life.

The child before you is not her.

Her hair is the color of sunrise, glittering over the shifting tides. Her expression is ever changing; she shifts and she laughs and she cries, and she asks to live, and you remember once you assured her that you will not leave her lonely. In her eyes you see the innocence of a child.

You are obligated to serve her, because you attempted to destroy all that she loved in a fit of madness.

There is no one before you. 

The sky is the color of the sunrise, and it looks the same as it has for the many years without her. The sun shines down on you, bright and gentle, and her children take their place in the world, wise and innocent all at once. And you wait for the mother of life, the Goddess of Dawn, because you are honored to serve her and you know nothing else.