#Storyposts
Note
( @ Ivy ) Hmm…I guess I’ll ask the most obvious question. Shapeshifting is a natural ability for me, but for you it looks like it involves some extra work and even multiple sources, like a humans’ soul. Were you human in a past life, or did you find one on your own? Is the old form of this “soul” the form you take when you change shape or did you mold it into your preferred appearance? - Hana
TW: Death, Death mention below
Mod Note: Ivy's dialogue has been separated for easy understanding. Italics belong to the blue text box while non-italics belong to the red text box. Thank you.
"I was a trainer. An Arceus user or just a human to be exact…"
"I'd really rather not speak my name for personal reasons, but it would be a joy to hear it once more."
"I wasn't anyone special but I used to be the old East Mouth curator, but that was a very long time ago."
"We would spend so much time together, I really don't think there was ever a time we were apart."
"Everything was perfect..."
"Everything went downhill from there, I thought I had longer, but I was wrong. So very wrong, I was so tired."
"I did everything I could for her. But. It wasn't enough."
"It's not one I happened to pick and choose. It was an impulsive choice I made when I was younger."
"I would never disrespect my old form. Her form... I only added myself to it over the years. Even so. I can't 'mold' it. I just change my appearance. As any human would."
"But, It's still mine and It's still me. I just can't have it all of the time now. At least not forever, as much as I do miss it, being human all the time, I cheated fated, and this is my punishment. So I will accept it, Be as it may."
Ivy softly sighed, despite her emotionless exterior she seemed almost... Sad? Though it didn't show for long.
-> Ivy doesn't seem like she wants to talk about it anymore... at least for right now.
-> Any questions related will be set aside for later.
-> Ivy's profile has been updated.
#lost post#Ivy? I guess.#storyposts#tw: death#tw: death mention#Ohhhh boyyyy#this was supposed to be out weeks ago but the whole pen breaking thing messed it up.#😎Well now you know the whole deal with Ivy.#This whole post had to be redone so many times#hopfully its readable and makes sense now#Ivy. I guess?
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-> North has arrived!
✧ A strange pokemon has fallen from the sky, they stand before you and Atlas. They seem quite cheerful!
Atlas: {Thank you for allowing me to stand before one of the keepers.}
Atlas: {I am Pyxis, Atlas Pyxis. I'm sure my superiors told you I might be visiting you and asking if you'll consider allowing me to stay in your universe.}
North: {I really hope I you understood me before, seems like you did, I had no idea you spoke unown I didn't get to read why you were here! I was in such a rush to get here I just glanced over it.}
North: {No need for speaking in English if you can't I'm pretty fluent in it, so I can understand!}
North: {My mom actually speaks in it most of the time I talk to her, I have her to thank for it! It does come in handy a lot!!}
North: {Sorrryy! I'm getting off-topic... I really need to check why you're actually here. Ummmm let's see...}
-> North needs a moment to think... The next part will be posted soon.
#Storyposts#pokemon ask blog#Atlas Pyxis#North Varron#Intro: The Otherworldly Traveller#if im asleep yall might have to wait a bit for part 2#Oh! What a familair silhouette I wonder where I've seen this before...#MONOTONE GHOST??#MAWHWAHAHAHA#Youll get it if youve been paying attention to some posts on main blog🤭#c; Well meet another part of the puzzle in part 2#all chrono
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Break The Chain
Chapter 2: Tension
The sun bubbled at the horizon and blue light began to flow and pool on the uneven floor of the valley like an unwatched pot on a great stove. Birds shook the sleep from their feathers and turned their beaks to the sun. Small rodents skittered over the ground sniffing and surveying; the fluffy ends of their tails kicked up trails of the fresh purple dyed sand. The light continued along its path until it reached the baseboards of the ranch house.
The four of them sat shoulder to shoulder in the mouth of the porch, covered in the dust of the desert clay that lay just beneath the shifting sands. The tools they held were siminilary arenose. Donatello sat to the left, his chin resting on the tarnished handle of a shovel; Raphael sat next to him with their thighs touching. To the right Mike sat slumped against the column that marked the start of the railing; his eyes were affixed to the horizon. In the center sat the eldest, with his knuckles pressed to his mouth; he stared ad the space between his boots. The pickaxe he was studying was unordinary; a brown wood handle, tarnished silver point, and a blunt hammer on the back. With the unassuming instrument now seared into his mind he rose and hiked up his pants.
“I’m going back .” He gestured to Rapheal with his naked shoulder. “ You coming?”
“No.” Raph stood up and looked at him with wide eyes.” No. Im not going anywhere; Im staying here, where I’m needed Leo.”
“Okay.”
In last nights commotion they hadn’t tied the horses but they were gathered about the barn anyway, perhaps out of habit. He found his and rode off , dust trailing in his wake.
The day was still young when he reached the courthouse; the one window barely let in enough light to see. He opened the door loudly ans strode in. A callous voice had emerged from the dark corner where the desk sat. “ No good morning?”
“Buenos días.” He started up the stairs.
“Aren’t you a ray of sunshine today”. He awaited Leo’s response but there was none.You can’t just leave your post, you better spin me quite the yarn kiddo.”
“Our Pa died.”
There was a long pause.“Natural causes?”
“No.”
“ You boys gonna do something about that?”
“ I don’t know.”
“ You better figure it out .” Leo stood motionless in the stairwell. “ When you put on that badge you signed up for making big choices. You’re lucky you get to think on this one.”
He continued up the stairs, pulled on his shirt at sat on his cot in the loft. He stared at the wall in front of him till the sun from the window crept far enough to reach his toes. His eyes shifted to the peg on the wall where his gun belt lay. He grabbed it.
…
Leo burst through the door. His brothers and April sat at the table with coffee, except for Raph who stood at the wash basin.
“Don!” He looked up at Leo, “ Saddle one up for Raph, we’re leaving.”
Don stood and left without speaking. Leo moved forward and placed two small objects on the table.
“ I look the liberty of grabbing us some provisions some the cantina.” He looked at Raph from the corner of his eye, “ And your Derringers.”
Raphael, still drying his hands, turned a walked toward the table; he dropped the towel and picked up the guns. He faced Leo as he gently placed them in the pockets of his vest,“ Longer coming?”
“No.”
Mike stood up quickly; despite their differences in age him and Leo were practically the same height.
“ Leo thats crazy! You’re not a real sheriff! You don’t have the authority to just up and..”
Leo pointed his chin upwards, taking advantage of what little extra height he had,“ Sheriff Longer gave his blessing. Even if he didn’t , legally there isn’t anything to stop us.”
Michelangelo sat down slowly, and looked down at his coffee. April leaned forward and spoke, "Where would you go? There’s no point in riding out if you don’t know who you’re looking for.”
She was interrupted as Don sped into the room; his stride didn’t break, even as he spoke,
“ Pa goes to San Antonio on his gambling trips,” he continued, now yelling, from the room adjacent to the kitchen, “ We can ask all the way over, and if we haven’t found any leads..” He re-entered and began to rifle through the drawers, “ We can ask at the card houses. They probably keep a pretty good eye out for anything unusual. Ack… anybody got a pencil?”
Raph handed him a short pencil from his shirt garter; went across the room and looked out the window. “ Anybody know the way? What about the cows?”
Mike looked up from his cup with crossed arms,” I know the way.”
Don pressed a brown ledger book onto the wall and scribbled on its pages, “ The next drive isn’t for months, Tia can handle things till I- hey where’d she go?”
While they were talking April had snuck away unnoticed. They found her in the living room; she removed an old tarnished rifle from the wall and stood, feeling its weight in her hands. She turned to face them. Donatello stepped forward and swapped the pencil and ledger for the gun. She looked down into his eyes, "Be safe.”
He dropped the butt of the rifle, reached up, pulled her face close and gently kissed her cheek, "We'll come back to you.”
The rest of them lined up, single file, and followed suit.
Outside the sun balanced at its highest point in the sky; the desert grew silent in the afternoons, nothing but the jumping of grasshoppers and the drone of the heat upon the playa. The brothers mounted and turned to face the horizon. Leo turned to Michelangelo, “All right little brother. Lead the way.”
Mike spurred his horse, and they were off.
…
They rode for several days without speaking, rested the horses a few times but never broke camp. They came across a shallow well; a mere depression in the sand where water gathered underneath. Donatello dug at it a while before there was enough water for the horses. Mike stood beside his horse as it drank; he spat grit from his mouth, and finally broke the silence,“ You name him yet?”
Leo straighted his posture once he realized he was being addressed; he walked over to the horse and patted its flank with a proud smile,“ Im thinking, Ol’ Faithful.”
Don, who was sat on a rock rolling a cigarette, scoffed, "You can't name him that.”
“Why not?” said Leo.
“ First of all, hes a young horse. Second, you haven’t had him long enough to know if he’s faithful or not.”
“Oh.” Leo put his hand to his chin in thought and then put a finger in the air, “ Hey, what about Stud?”
Mike grimaced, “ You cant name a geilding Stud, its cruel. The other ponies will tease him”
“What about Bobo?”, said Raph as he turned to Don,” I caught him trying to eat a fence post the other day.”
Don leaned in, “No. Then we’d get the two confused.”
He grinned with the cigarette in his teeth; Raph gave him a soft slap on his back. Mike stiffled a laugh and Leo chewed his lip at the embarrassment. He pointed at them,” You two better knock it off or I’ll leave you here! Let the bobcats eat you. Now come on, we’ve got places to be!”
They saddled up and rode off; they went for about an hour, then the sun began to set.
“Well,” said Mikey with a sigh, "This is the farthest I’ve ever been from home. In this direction at least. How about you guys?”
They all looked about; the answer seemed to be unanimous. Leo leaned back in his saddle to look at Donatello, “ Speaking of the ol’ place… what are you and Mike gonna do now?”
Don raised his brow, “What do you mean?”
“You know, now that you’re not tied to it anymore.”
“Tied?” Don’s voice soured. “What are you talking about?”
“Oh come on Donno.” Leo looked forward with his face to the sun,” Now that… I mean, considering the circumstances, we can finally move on.”
Don cut his horse forward to be next to Leo’s, “ We? Move on? Move on from what? Our home?”
“Yes.”
Don looked flabbergasted, if he was standing he might have lost his balance. The other two shared a knowing glance and pulled their horses back a ways.
“You’re going to sell Pa’s ranch? You can’t do that!”
Leo didn't answer. Don lunged his mount forward and turned her perpendicular to Leo’s. The buckskin that Leo rode was frightened by the advance and reared violently; he yanked the reins to the side and turned the horse in the opposite direction, so the riders were face to face.
“You cannot sell Pa’s ranch Leo!” Don’s horse stepped nervously. Despite the excitement, Leo’s face was relaxed; he looked down at his younger brother with lidded eyes and spoke calmly,“ Pa is dead. It’s my ranch now; I’m selling it.”
“What are we supposed to do? Prance around the town and play lawman like you? Is that what you want? You want to screw us over just so you can feel in charge?”
"I'm selling. Thats final.”
Don didn’t speak any further, but he didn’t need to. He looked up at Leo with a rage neither of them expected. His eyes were wild and glazed over; his flared nostrils sucked air so hard the cherry of his cigarette flickered. He leaned in as close as possible; inches away from Leo’s chin, huffing like a bull. Leo sat high upon his saddle; only a small furrow in his brow. Michelangelo galloped forward and pulled in beside them; he put his hand on Don’s saddlehorn,
“Don. There was some brush awhile back; let's go take the ponies to graze.”
“That’s a good idea Mikey,” said Raph, as he dismounted clumsily,” Leo and I will set up camp for the night.”
Their gaze didn't break.
“C’mon Donnie… lets go.”
Donatello snorted at Leo and yanked his on his pony; he rode over to Raph’s horse and threw a rope about her neck. He waited silently. Leo hopped down and took his things from his saddle, Mikey gently tied the horse to his, then joined Donatello.
…
They set up camp quickly; Leo gathered some brush for a fire and Rpah set to work on a meal. When the fire was healthy and the pot was boiling they sat back and stretched their legs on the ground.
“You know,” Raph stretched his arms,” If he were me, he would have punched you.”
Leo prodded the fire with a wispy sage branch,” Oh great. You’re on his side, lovely!”
“Leo, you can’t sell his ranch.”
“Its not his ranch!” He pointed to himself, as if Rapheal was somehow confused, "It's my ranch. Mine. Its my birthright; my name is on the deed! Im selling it and thats final!”
“Leo. You gave up your right to that ranch when you left; I did to.” He looked Leo dead in the face, “ He’s put more work into keeping that place running that we’ve put into anything.”
“Yeah; cause he dosent do anything else! Maybe if we get him out of there he’ll find somthing to do with himself!” Leo swung his arms like he was conducting an angry symphony.
Raph scowled, “ We left him that place when he was what? Fourteen- fifthteen? When we were that age we were still arguing over who could piss farther.” He jumped onto his knees and leaned in toward Leo,” He has nothing else because we never gave him the chance! We left and he had to pick up the slack! You can’t sell his ranch; it isn’t right.”
“And letting him work himself into an early grave is? Is that what you want me to do? Let him kill himself out there?Thats way too much work for one guy alone; we can’t help and we all now Mike won’t stay around long enough.”
The sun had almost fallen and the fire cast an orange light over them. Raph settled back into a seated position and sighed, "I don’t know. I don’t know what to do.” He looked over at Leo,” I don’t want him there either, but you can’t just sell his life out from under him.”
They were quiet for a long while; the only sound was the crackle of the fire and the whooping of owls. Leo stoked the fire, “ We’ve got time to think on it.”
…
The horses grazed without issue; sand gently fell from their mouths as they pulled up clumps of grass. Little lizards skittered about the rocks looking for a place to bed down for the night. Don sat squatting in the sand; his arms were straight forward on his knees. He puffed at his cigarette mindlessly. Mike walked up slowly and sat cross legged in the sand at his side.
“ Be paitent with him Donnie.”Don didn’t react,” He didn’t mean it; he's upset right now. He needs time.”
Don’s eyes moved as fast as bullets; his stare was so icy the devil would have shivered.
“You’re upset too; I know that. We’re all upset,but you gotta remeber, we’ve lost one Pa. Leo’s lost two now.”
Don took a long drag, be blew it from his nose as fast as a steam engine.
“ I’m sorry I don’t help you enough. Its not right, but maybe this could be a good thing.” Don’s eyes landed on him again, then rolled back to the horses.
“We’d figure something out!” He gestured toward his horse,” Me and Bullet will run off somewhere, maybe we’ll go south with Tia! You could move to a big city. You’re a smart guy, you could probably get a job at a bank or something! Wear a fancy shirt and flirt with all the rich big city girls!”
Mike smiled but Don didn't break, “Or not. I dont know.” His eyes lowered and his face fell, “ To be honest with you… I’m not sure if I want to go back to that place.”
They sat there for a long while and watched the sun fall. The horses slowed their grazing and wandered about. As it got dark the tiny flicker of firelight in the distance split the horizon. Don stood and put his hand out toward his brother, “Come on. If the food burns before we get there Raph will get all huffy.”
Mike took his hand and got up; they gathered the horses and went back to camp.
…
Leonardo sat in the sand; he scraped at the bottom of his clay plate with an old spoon, “A little undercooked tonight.”
Raphel scoffed and threw up his hands,” See! This is why I don’t cook for you; you’re so critical!”
“ Ah you see, that’s why you need me. I’m you’re most loyal costomer and your biggest critic.” He gestured to himself, “ I’m you’re most valuble asset.”
“Asset is not the word I would use.”
Leo got up and walked toward the pot on the fire; he took the bandana from around his neck and opened the lid with it. The other two brothers rode in and tied the horses. Donatello looked for a place to sit. Leo thrust a plate of beans toward him and sat down, “ Chew carefully; every fifth bean puts up a good fight.”
Don took the plate and sat down next to him; he took a bite, crunching loudly on the elusive fifth bean.“ He did a pretty good job considering.“ He gestured to Raph with his spoon and kept eating, "Usually he soaks them all day.”
“Thank you! Finally some recegnision!” Raph threw up his hands in exasperation.
Mike giggled with a full mouth.
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Drawing of Svetlana I started in early 2023 and finally finished lol. The black dog and green lynx are Alpine Khisuvran deities.
Signed with my art username but idk if I want to post human drawings there.
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AZRAEL, THE COUNCIL OF ANGELS
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i lost the post about it so ill just re-post it, i wanted shelby to have this unfinished tattoo cuz she didnt know what to put on it, and toward the end of the story she fills it in with something meaningful.
i think this is something more fitting for the main main character (val) but he has his own tattoo thing lmao. and ive had this idea in mind for a few months now i think.
maybe ill move her funny tattoo to somewhere else, probably more hidden cuz she does have a job and she’d definitely at some point in her life be worried about job prospects-
#storyposting#oc posting#she works in a nursing home btw#i still grieve it because i remember trying to write in that font for maybe an hour straight#ME: FUNNY LESBIAN VS ME: PRETENTIOUS WRITER BITCH#FIGHT!!!
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my only function is to eroticise the mundane and the horrific tbh
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#this one's for the writing community#writers here you are you poor things#real#writing#storyposting#my posts
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With a minor cold, you walk into a convenience store to pick up some cough medicine. Upon entering the store, you have several ideas.
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hey nice the egg is safe and I can-
#girl could you have possibly found a nicer way to show him that.#walking back to larry looking like hes abt to cry#larry the. the. please. help.#Fedsy is literally perfectly capable of running some of the war ops he just really really doesnt want to#HoT spoilers#screenshot#dont mind me randomly storyposting auricbasin is SUCH A NICE MAP IM...#oc:fedsy#gw2
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so i did fully finish chapter 3 of the agent storyline the other day, been ruminating on it as i run about doing all the little side missions i skipped.
as per usual, thoughts under cut.
as a finale, it was... alright? like, don’t get me wrong, as a complete story i very much enjoyed the agent plot, but i was kind of expecting some drastic twist at the end that would have me questioning everything. the space illuminati star cabal were cheesy but an fun concept nonetheless, and alesko honestly even agreed with their premise of freeing the galaxy from the control of sith and jedi, though could not condone their actions to do so.
i was hoping the showdown with hunter would be a bit more difficult, but gameplay aside... GOD i hated that stupid little “oh, i’m actually a ~woman~” reveal for SO many reasons. it felt like they were either trying to make you “take pity because she’s just a poor girl” or yet more comphet “god forbid all this chemistry we’ve been seeding throughout your interactions result in something GAY.” just... ughhh, bioware. do better.
so yeah, easy choice to shoot her. she’s a manipulative monster who repeatedly mindraped the agent and got loads of people killed over her actions. there’s no room for nuance there, dark side choice my ass.
as far as the black codex goes, alesko obviously wasn’t handing it over to the Sith after everything they did to him and Intelligence. part of him wanted to destroy it, but in the end, as a final act of duty and farewell, he handed it over to the minister so they could eliminate the remaining threat of the cabal, erased his identity, and vanished thereafter, choosing to serve the people of the Empire over its corrupt masters. (i’m sure the continued story is still going to have me answer to the Sith, but whatever.)
also, as per the name of this blog, i’m saying he kept the personal title of cipher as a sort of legacy, but went from nine to null to represent his ghost agent status. also, because it sounds cool. :p
critiques aside, i still had a lot of fun and i am very happy to have completed my first class story. i’m a little lost on where to go next, i think makeb is the next big story beat? but i don’t want to accidentally burn myself out or miss anything that was supposed to come before that, so i’m kinda running around just looking for side content.
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"Wisteria...?" Noir called out to the mismagius seeing the face as he gulped "You are wisteria correct ?" he asked almost carefully the feeler reaching out to the ghost type giving soft caress on cheek "What happened...?" he was stunned to see the emotionless pokemon before shaking his head pulling Ivy in a gentle hug "Sorry, I didnt mean to ask so bluntly... I feel like you need this..." he chuckled softly "Im here for you, you know ?"
Ivy seemed to calm down at the Sylveon's reassuring words, she just nervously looked away and muttered a faint "I'm sorry."
She cringed as his ribbon touched her cheek, for some odd reason, the ghost was expecting something worse.
Though she wasn't sure why. From what she could recall about him, Noir wasn't a cruel or mean Pokemon. Though she couldn't be sure, her memories of them were a bit hazy.
Ivy instantly backed away at the question, she looked like she was about to say something but quickly went silent. Her gaze fell to the floor as she refused to answer. Noir didn't seem to push the matter either much to her relief.
However, She didn't have time to react before Noir pulled her into a loving but firm hug.
She quietly sniffled as tears began streaming down her face, it'd been so long since she cried. Years even, now that she was she couldn't seem to stop herself.
As all the memories began to flood back Ivy cuddled into Noir's hug, despite the sudden emotional pain she was hit with, she was glad someone she knew from the past was here to at least soothe it.
→ Ivy will now respond "normally" to those who know her as Wisteria.
→ Noir has been added to her [Family] on the Relationships Page.
→ Ivy is unavailable for asks until further notice.
- Mod note below -
For those who do not know who Noir is, Noir is one of the Pokemon who adopted Wisteria (Now Ivy) on @ask-north. She considers them to be one of her parents. Wisteria cared a lot for Noir, her one wish was for him to not forget her.
If you would like to see their interactions here is a list:
Original Noir and Wisteria Interaction
Original + Noir's Reply
Reply 2
Noirs Reply 2
If you enjoyed this post even slightly you have Sleepy to thank for that! They're the one that originally came up with the interaction. They were even kind enough to doodle it out then send me this ask, I just adapted it into my own style and added my own flare to it.
This post has been in the works since January of this year, I had to redraw this twice due to being unhappy with my style and the flow. I'm very pleased to finally feel confident enough to post it.
=======
I'm also happy to say this will be the last Ivy-related ask I will be answering (for now). For those sick of Ivy, I'm sure you're very glad to hear that. I love her a lot, and I'm very annoying about it. I understand. I know you've all stuck with me this long and I'm very thankful for that, especially with my ups and downs of returning only to disappear into the void again.
I did have a majority of the "Pretender" arc drawn and sketched and ready to go but I scrapped it due to a random sudden hate for how my art style looked. I unfortunately still have a lot of confidence issues with my art that I'm trying to work through.
I just want y'all to know all of your love for my art and story really helped me gain it back. Knowing people like my content brings me so much joy, I hope I can continue to share the world and story I've built with everyone here.
And also, I assure you there are only Klaus-centered posts from here on. Well... until after a certain event happens that will bring the Pretender act to a close. Then I have to drag Ivy back in, Sorry not sorry! She doesn't sit in the Main character's box for nothing. /lh
You'll get to meet her granddaughter very soon along with a little gremlin cat. 🤭
#Ivy. I guess?#storyposts#No rambling in the tags this time - I've said what I needed to say#- Thank you
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Zantzu(@ask-suicune): Whatcha looking at?
Atlas: {Oh uh! Hi there!}
Atlas: We do not... have {Uhmm.} Sun. On my home, it is very {Uhh gosh darn it.} I do not know the word in your language.
Atlas: {How do I explain this without the word...} It is very...
Atlas: {What I'm trying to say is...}
Atlas: {I don't know the word for thunderstorms. Axius-5 is extremely dark, the sun is completely blocked out... Most of our light comes from the constant lightning strikes and artificial light we make from it.}
Atlas: {It is a bit on the loud side too, most parts of the planet require that you wear proper hearing protection or you run the risk of permanent hearing loss. It's annoying but very necessary.}
Atlas: {Alot of people dislike living in Axius-5 when the other four are more, uh, less... trying to kill you.}
Atlas: {Well, heh, minus Axius-4 that place is horrible, It's hot and humid. I hated being stationed there... that's just a personal opinion, it's less like that for others.}
Atlas: {Uhm, sorry. That's a bit off-topic on my part. But yes.}
Atlas: I was looking at your sun. Your sun is very nice... It makes your sky colorful.
Feel free to ask more questions here
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Break The Chain
Chapter 1: Things Change
As the sun began its nightly descent from its celestial meridian the winds started their race between the buttes; slowly at first, nothing more than a whisper through the grasses. Then fast as whip cracks; kicking up small twisters of dust that danced as the sun painted its ruby colors on the landscape.
The nightly jubilation of the desert began while the people of the small town started bringing their own festivities to a close. At the base of an adobe an old woman scrapped the day's mess from dishes in the sand; atop the building a young girl stood huffing as she beat laundry with a tied handful of twigs, flicking the debris in to the growing breeze. A group of men were leaning on a fence passing a pipe back and forth, watching and playfully mocking a boy who was desperately trying to herd chickens into a pen. They screamed and squabbled as the child ran after them, his huaraches kicking up sand as he darted about aimlessly. The deep smell of smothered hearths floated through the air till it was snatched by the wind; it carried the smell and the smoke into the open door of the small cantina. Two tortoises stood face to face; they looked rather at home against the cold adobe walls. Apart from their clothes they were almost invisible; the pale brown of their faces almost the same color as the whirling dust outside. The taller of the two gently removed his hat, placing it gently on the bar. He spoke. "Please?"
"No."
"Please?"
"Nope"
"I'll arrest you if you dont."
The stout one behind the bar turned his back and stepped forward to tend to what he had behind the counter. The other leaned forward with a sour expression and stretched his arms forward. His next words were similarly elongated; flowing from his mouth with an almost sing-song cadence. "Raphael! Look at me I'm wasting away! You're going to let your big brother starve to death?"
Raphael continued the argument without turning his attention from the various jars, bottles, and clay vessels he was organizing. “Leonardo”,he mocked, initiating his brother’s voice"My big brother is a grown man who can cook for himself, or at least pay for his meals once and a while."
He gestured with his head to a section of the wall where a tally chart titled "Leo's Tab" had been etched into the wall. The marks below it were so numerous they neared the floor.
" You let Don eat for free."
" I like Don better than you."
Leo straightened his body with a huff and grabbed his hat." Fine! Fine then! I'll just go serve the public on an empty stomach. I'll protect the town, and you, my little brother whom I love so much, on nothing but my own juices!"
"Sounds good!"
Leo plopped his hat onto his head indignantly and walked out of the open door of the cantina with it still crooked. A ways down the wooden sidewalk he reached a half-mud half-wood building that served as the town's general store and Post Office. Or at least it would, if anyone ever wanted to send a letter. He skipped off the boards and sat down with a thump, his head in his hands. His eyes wandered up to see the boy who had been chasing the chickens, almost in the same seating position, sniffling. Leo got up and jogged over, he sat down next to the boy similar to how he had before but more exaggerated. He even gave a cartoonish sigh as he plopped down.
"So, what's your story?"
The boy didn't speak; he wiped his nose with his white linen sleeve leaving a big milky swipe on it. With his other hand he motioned to the foul that had been tormenting him.
"Oh, you need to get those back in the pen?”, he paused and looked at the sky, “ I'll tell you what chamaco! I'll scratch your back if you'll scratch mine."
The boy looked up at him with his still snot covered face.
"If you get me something to eat, I'll round up those birds for you."
The boy glanced down toward the closed door of the cantina, then back up to Leo, his little brows ruffled in confusion.
"You just sit in front and look all sad, he'll give you something."
The kid stood up and walked toward the cantina, when he reached his mark he sat in the dirt and tried pathetically to re-tie his shoes. Leo wasn't sure if the kid was faking or not, either way it was genius; he noticed the cantina door start to open and hid around a corner. The door swung open and Raphael took a step outside with his apron slung over his shoulder. He immediately noticed the pitiful sight before him. Leo watched from his vantage point as his brother scooped up the boy and placed him on the walkway. He tied the shoes gently and then motioned for him to stay put; he went back inside and returned in a few minutes with a cloth wrap in hand. He closed the door behind him before kneeling to hand the boy the bundle, he helped his little friend stand then bent forward smiling as he stuffed a paper-wrapped sweet into the boy's shirt pocket. Satisfied with his act of charity, Raphel turned again and went up the ladder to the top part of the cantina where he lived.
When Raphel was out of sight the boy scuttled off to the alleyway where his partner in crime was waiting. The dust in his wake was bright orange and stripes of shadow from the buildings moved over his face as the sun sank.
"Haha! Great job! You and I make a pretty good team huh? Now let me see."
Leo untied the ends of the parcel as the child held it in both hands. He removed his leather gloves and tore a section of tortilla off of his prize and rolled it in between his large fingers until its form gave way; sprinkled the masa into the holding pen and watched with a smirk as the birds immediately flocked to the crumbs. The kid jumped to action; practically shoving the food into his companion's hands and sprinting to close the gate with a big grin. The tortoise went to enjoy his spoils, but to his dismay atop the tortilla was a dollop of fragrant smelling stewed meat. He sighed, rolled his eyes and handed it over to the kid.jk"Here, I'm not hungry anymore."
He walked off without saying another word, leaving the boy utterly perplexed. Leo strolled down to a wooden building on the outer limit of town; the Sheriff's station. He opened the door and locked it behind him.
" Any luck today deputy?", came a voice from the lone cell.
"Nope. Close though. Goodnight." Leo lumbered up the stairs into the darkness above; the creaking of the cheap boards and the murmur of the wind were the only sounds.
…
Five or so miles off from the dusty unpathed alleys of the adobe town stood, out of place in the sandy desert was a white farm-style house with faded blue trim. The setting sun made the sight even more odd. The light painted the building a bright and flamboyant pink, like a loan flamingo in a muddy puddle. A few yards behind the house stood a barn, a tiny shed, an empty bunkhouse, and a sizable coral of cattle. The cows were mulling about, grazing on what little grass was around. They mooded and groaned and clopped their hooves, the cactus wrens that sat upon the fence gave out calls, almost in response. Their conversation was soon overwhelmed by the dull roar of the wind and the insistent clapping of a loose shutter on the house.
The kitchen was small and slightly too warm; a wood burning stove stood in the corner with several hissing pots and pans atop it radiated heat. In the middle of the room sat a table, it's varnish faded and worn; gouges and scratches littered every flat plane of it. In the center of the dingey white tablecloth sat a hurricane lamp; the lamp was sandwiched between two tortoises, who sat comfortably in wooden chairs on either side of the table. The lank one wore a loose linen shirt with an ornate square shaped collar; he was slouched in the chair spinning a silver coin on the table. The other, in much less notable dressage, sat reading a news paper. The same pink light from outside came in through the window panes and tinted the whole scene.
The tortoise with the paper sat it down and rifled around in his shirt pocket until he found a half spent cigarette. He put it in his mouth and grasped the lamp with both hands; he leaned in close to the mouth of the cloche, adjusting the knob carefully. Suddenly a voice came from the next room, yelling over the wind.
"Donatello! Don't you go gettin' your nose stuck in my good lamp!"
He jumped slightly, lowered the flame, and returned the lamp to its place. The other one leaned forward and scrunched his slim face, "Uh oh, busted!"
The larger one pushed back his chair, stood, and pushed it in again. He turned and knelt before the stove, grabbing the rag on the counter to open the door. The leaned in close and carefully lit the cigarette with eyes squinted from the heat and light.
"I wish one of you boys would fix that shutter. I can't nearly hear myself think with all that bangin'."
Don stood and turned, but before his thoughts could turn to his newspaper, his own hat was pitched into his face from across the room. It fell to the ground revealing the freshly lit cigarette, now extinguished, and a face of pure loathing and malice. Still seated at the table, the other one put up his hands, as if he were surprised by Don's adverse reaction, "Since you're standing."
Don rolled his eyes and kicked his hat up off the floor with his boot; he put it on and walked silently out the door. As it closed the owner of the voice emerged from the other room with a handful of dishes and cutlery. She was a tall woman; her skin was so peppered with freckles that her pale skin barely showed through. Her once fiery hair was starting to lose its shine and was thinning near her temples from being worn up for so many years. Her eyes however were as green as they'd ever been, bright and lively; they displayed a mind that was as sharp as a tack, always aware of her surroundings.
"Mike," she began. Setting her load down and cocking her hip to the side.
" Your Papa," she interrupted herself," Get those feet off my table! Your Papa gon' be mad as a hornet if he finds out you been slackin' off. Lettin' poor Donnie do all the work 'round here."
" Oh come on April! Look at him, he loves it out there!"
Michelangelo gestured out the window as Don was approached from the distance, toolbox in hand. The broad brim of his hat flapped wildly; he tilted his head uncomfortably to keep it on his head. April turned from the window and gave Mike a slight scowl.
" Besides, if Pa was that worried about the work, he wouldn't have gone off gambling would he? He’s on vacation; Im on vacation,its all good. " Don stepped back from the outside wall to look over his work; he grabbed the corner of the stutter with gloved fingers and wiggled it to make sure it was steady. As he pulled back, the
roaring wind stopped almost immediately, as if to tease him. Bending in the silence to pick up his tools he noticed a noise that had previously been drowned by the wind. He walked toward the corner of the porch and put his hands on the railing, jutting his head forward with shut eyes, in an attempt to better hear the sound. He cocked his ear toward the back of the house where the barn lay. The sound was sharp and repetitive, almost like barking. He took off from the porch quickly, following the noise. When he drew near the barn he saw the two ranch dogs, who were usually keeping a vigilant watch of the herd, jumping and barking toward a cloud of dust that was gathering behind it. He broke into a slight jog then put his back to the barn door; he slid quietly down the length of the wall and peaked out from behind the corner. The dogs had stopped barking and were pacing back and forth. The wind picked back up. He couldn't see anything without advancing; he quickly glanced at the house. The advancing blues of the night had repainted it a deep and somber purple. Don took a quick breath before charging toward the back of the barn.
When he reached the back of the barn his eyes were met with a dark brown horse, still saddled but with no ridder. Her eyes were rolling wildly in their sockets and hot foam was spraying from her mouth. She flung her neck in every possible direction, and she jumped slightly. Leaning on her forelegs so her hind legs could kick at the air in full force. Don emerged slowly from his hiding place; his hands raised ready to grab the whipping reins. He called out to her in a soft calm voice," Easy girl- easy. Easy, easy there. Shhh shhh. You're safe girl, it's me- it's Don."
He inched closer slowly, careful not to get in the way of her flying hooves. She settled a bit and he was able to grab hold of her; she lowered her head to his chest, still huffing and snorting.
" Easy there, pretty girl. You're safe. Donnie's got you. I've got you.” He stroked the length of her neck until her hot breath calmed against him. She raised her head and he spoke to her again," Hey there, you're home early. Where's …" His eyes trailed along the length of the animal and further down to the sand below. There they froze; pupils dilated to an enormous size, nearly engulfing the amber irises they swam in.
…
Night fell silent. The once lonely lamp sat in a congregation of dishware; sending a warm blanket of light over their contents. April stood from her chair, picked up a serving spoon and stirred a basin of sauteed greens; releasing hidden pockets of steam that rose and dissipated. She wiped her hands on the hem of her yellow apron and settled back into her chair.
“I wonder whats keeping him”, her concerned face soured as she slapped Michealangelo’s hand away from a covered dish of rolls.
“I hope I didn’t upset him too much”, he leaned back in his chair to look out of the window near the door, “ I throw stuff at him all the time, but he’s never ran off or anything”.
“ I’m sure he just found someth’n and got distracted; didn’t he say he was thinkin’ about putting another gate down? Might be taking measurements”.
“ I don’t think so. He wouldn’t have come in ,in the first place if his work wasn’t done.” He rose and turned toward the back of the room, “ I’m going to go look for him”.
He stepped forward and reached for a hat that lay on a peg near the doorframe; before the ball of his foot touched the floorboards a series of heavy thumps echoed through the rooms. Thier eyes flung to the table as the dishes rattled slightly, jumping with each thump. The door lunged forward. The knob turned quickly but did not finish its rotation, leaving a scrape in the
inner part of the door jam as it flew open. Don stumbled through the door; catching himself on a bent knee. His arm shifted to support the weighty bundle he clutched. “ Tia!”
Taught lines gathered in the middle of his face like a spider’s web. April shot up sending her chair back a few inches; her and Mike’s eyes were wide, lamp light pooling in their corners. Her brow furrowed and her jaw lowered in speechless confusion; Mike’s head shot upward, nostrils toward the ceiling.
Don stood heaving in the doorway; the corners of his mouth turned downward and his top lip plateaued showing a pink gumline. His flared nostrils sucked in the dust that circled about his head. His mouth puckered and blew air put no sound came.
“Good God.” April snatched the lamp in one hand and the tablecloth in the other. She ripped it away shattering the dishes she had so carefully arranged. Don gently laid the mass on the table. April snapped to face behind her.“ Go get your brothers!”
Mike lunged forward, stumbling over the mess and sprinting out the door. The dogs ran after him as he sped toward the barn; nipping at the legs of his pants. He struggled in his haste to unlatch the door while the sound of his sucking air muted his thoughts. He threw open the door. The horses jumped at the sudden sound; they stomped and snorted, watching him feel around the pitch black walls. The pale light of the moon illuminated the white swatches on the paint that stepped side to side anxiously. He found a saddle and a bridle; he yanked them off the wall. He opened the stall and hurriedly thrust the bridle onto the head of the animal; it tried to pull away but there was no room. He strapped on the saddle and mounted the horse.“ Sorry. We need to leave. Hyah!”
They shot forward into the night.
…
Mike sped into town, half standing in the saddle; his shirt gathered under his arms flapping loudly in the wind. They passed the sheriff’s station; he yelled toward the windows while he turned the horse about. “ Leo! Leo! Get out here!”
Leo popped his head and shoulders out of the window; his eyes were full of sleep.
“ Shhhh! Why are you yelling…”
“ You have to come home!” His voiced wavered and quieted, "I think its Pa.”
“ What? Quit yelling and come inside.”
“ Leo! You gotta get down here! Its Pa!”
He returned to his place and the window as his brow perked, "I'll be down. Go get Raph!”
Mike spurred the horse forward down toward the cantina; Raphael was already waddling to meet him half way through while pulling on some trousers. When they met he half whispered over the wind,
“ What are you two idiots yelling about? You’ll wake everyone up.”
Mike jutted his hand down. “ Get on! Its Pa!”
Raph accepted, heaved himself up, and grabbed onto his brother as they sped off. They passed Leo just as he mounted his pony; half dressed he ran the horse at full speed until he caught up. Raphael yelled at the wind and the huffing of Mike’s exhausted horse,
“ What’s going on?”
“ I don't know! I-I think it’s Pa! Don brought him in!”
Leo looked over his shoulder at them,“ What do you mean you think? Did you see him?”
“ No, but who else would it be!”
They rode the rest of the way in silence; the desert flew past them in a blizzard of cold blue shapes.
…
They crashed through the door. Their eyes did not need long to adjust to the dim light of the nearly spent lantern that sat in the sill of the window. Directly perpendicular to the door in their direct line of sight sat April; her knees cradled Donatello’s head as he knelt clutching her apron hem like a child. Her thumb gently traced and re-traced his rounded jawline while her other hand grasped the ear of the chair, cushioning her brow. She saw them, rose and stepped to the side, leaving Donatello slumped on the rim of the seat. She reached Leonardo, who was in front, with delicate and silent steps. Wrapping him in a silent embrace, she buried her face in the space between the horn of his plastron and the top of his carapace, "I'm so sorry babies.”
She rose to meet his gaze; her hands rose slowly and folded around the brim of his hat, she removed it and placed its mouth at his sternum. Raphael pushed passed them and ran to his brother, grasping Don’s shoulders and kneeling behind him. Don didn’t move. Raph snapped his neck to look back at Leo in the doorway, his eyes pin-pricked with fear. Leo looked back with a blank face.
Michelangelo stepped out in front and turned toward the table; the white cloth lay atop a lumpy mass. He walked forward slowly and gently grabbed the shroud; his trembling hand pulled it back a few inches. He yanked it back up almost imedeatly. Leo grabbed his wrist and gently pulled it from the table; he led Mike backward to a chair with his other hand on his elbow, like a prophet at a baptism. Mike buried his head in his hands. Leo turned to look at the table and whispered,“ Donnie?”
He heaved in a breath and then said , “ I found him behind the barn. Tied to Chesnut. she drug him all the way back.”
Raph squeezed him slighty and nearly whispered, “Like he fell? Or did-”
“ No.” He lifted his head,” Somebody must have got him. Tied his hands. He was gone when I found him.”
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Sci-fi xenophobia/racism is always something I try to be careful with.
In my sci-fi worldbuilding, my Khisuvran people are oppressed and killed in the name of scientific progress. They are disease-resistant, sometimes immortal, and are also descendants of far-future time travelers- while their original civilization is long-dead, there's a lot for humans to uncover and exploit for their own benefit.
It's the classic sci-fi trope of humanity fucking around and playing God with something they shouldn't be, but instead of an inanimate resource or an alien creature, it's something with a human face that actively wants to be left alone. But also Khisuvrans do face regular discriminatory attitudes even before their time traveler origins are discovered, we live in a society etc etc- I mean, they're still ethnic minority groups with cultures, languages, and religions different from that of the countries they live in (which is primarily russia, and well, you already know how russians are). But for the most part conflicts between Khisuvrans and humans or even between different Khisuvrans (there are multiple ethnic groups that hate each other lol) are allegories/metaphors for different things or to illustrate different ideas and ethical dilemmas. Idk this sounds like nonsense at this point. And Khisuvrans arent always "good guys" either but I try to avoid that "they're oppressed because they're actually bad and dangerous to humanity" thing
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Council members are depicted with white wings. However, due to true nature, sometimes those wings will "bleed" (change to) another colour during their summoning.
When council members are initially conceived, they will appear with white wings.
However:
If a member's true nature relates to death (or evil), their wings will bleed black
If a member's true nature relates to purity, their wings will stay white
If a member true nature used to relate to purity, but was changed to something darker, or was manipulated, their wings will bleed light gray or dark gray.
If a member's true nature relates to bloodshed or war, their wings will bleed red.
If a member somehow stops the bleeding process, their wings will be white and visibly deformed and often stained with light versions of the colour they were supposed to be.
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