~*Destiney Delvanguard: At the Plum Springs*~
My shots/attempts from week 4 in the ENTM. Favorite thing in Stormblood.
For the sake of character development, feel free to ask me anything you would like to know or are unsure of about my muse.
Entry #13: Old Wounds
(Writing for Lance today. This is partly from
after the Steel Vigil’s fall.)
If he could have paced his room he
would have. However the leg still pained him. The nightmares refused
to let him sleep. The defeat at the Steel Vigil had taken a sword and
carved a wound deep into his soul. It had only been days since the
fall. Since Nidhogg’s brood had savaged the Vigil.
He was on leave now. Maybe
indefinitely. Assuming he would ever be fit for duty again. Not that
he had been badly wounded. The claw that had gotten his hip and down
part way across his upper thigh would heal. It would scar but it
would heal. Other then that he hadn’t suffered any other major
wounds. He had been one of the lucky ones. Yet he felt anything but
lucky.
It was all gone. The Vigil was in
shambles. Lord Chlodebaimt was gone. House Haillenarte was suffering
both the loss of a son and the Vigil. Their reputation was torn from
this loss. Everything just gave his father more fuel to use against
him. To flaunt how superior House Dzemael was over House Haillenarte.
So he remained in his room. Not
sleeping. Nor walking about as he was supposed to by the healer’s
orders. Ignoring his mother and siblings attempts to lure him from
his room. Snarling at anyone that even made the attempt. Behaving no
better then a wounded animal rather then the young man he should be.
Why had he survived? Why had his
commander decided to sacrifice himself? What was it all worth when
all they had done is lost anyways…
The pillow smacked the wall and landed
with a soft plop on the floor. Lance pulled his good leg close and
rested his chin on the knee. He was so tired but every time he shut
his eyes all he heard was the screams and saw the flames. Saw good
men and women fighting a losing battle. Saw the aevis that wounded
him.
It would be days till Lance finally made an effort to leave his room.
Having enough of his family pestering him. Just to get away from the
constant insistence that he return to having a life. So he went out.
Did not mean he was having a life. Instead he just found ways to numb
the pain.
***
Lance gasped as he sat up. It had been a long time since those
memories had surfaced. Putting a hand to his forehead as he took a
deep breath. Hearing the chirp of a familiar friend as he looked
around. Finally he had been able to make a place for his feathered
friend at his apartment. Often leaving the window open for the small
owlet.
He held his hand out for the small bird as it landed on his bed.
Those large eyes looking up at him. “I hope you had a successful
hunt tonight, my friend.” The owl cocking his head to the side as
he looked up at Lance before hopping on Lance’s outstretched hand.
“At least only one of us still bears wounds.” Lance smiled softly
as he scratched under the owl’s beak, earning him a rather pleased
sound from the bird.
Entry #12: The World Upside Down
(Writing for Alex tonight for the prompt~!)
Alex could hardly believe he was back here again all these years later. Staring up at the stonework of buildings and spires. A part of him wanted no part of this. To turn and walk right back out of this city and all the memories it held for him. Almost all of those memories bad…
Looking towards the Brume as he passed on the way towards the upper parts of the city. The place section where most of those with money or power resided. Heading for House Rillek of all places. This was something he was not looking forward to one bit.
From Brume Rat, scrounging to survive. To a Ward of House Rillek… How in seven hells he managed to get himself from the lowest caste to one of this standing… He knew he didn’t deserve it. More then deserved to be dead ten times over. Yet he wasn’t ready to lay down and die. Not without a damn good reason.
He’d stolen to survive as a child. Killed to survive as an adult. Yet somehow Lord Rillek was going to pull enough strings that he wouldn’t be touchable for his past crimes in Ishgard. Of course there was a huge ‘if’ attached to it. He had to work for it. Show he wanted to change.
All of this for a woman he didn’t deserve but he claimed her anyways.
Alex sighed heavily as his steps slowed. He was in no hurry to basically become nothing more then a servant. So it was not really much of a big step up in caste. Now he just didn’t have to steal or kill to feed himself.
The problem was stomaching the idea of serving a new Lord. The last one he had been forced to deal with when he was younger… Gods knew he would never tolerate another like that one. Would not let another touch him like that. Not if that ‘Lord’ wanted to keep his hands intact.
He wasn’t sure he could do this. Fear and doubt was gnawing on his insides. He was born a Brume rat and would die a beast. That familiar darkness whispering to him on how hard this would fail and come crashing down around him. There was no forgiveness for the things he had done. He would ask for none because it would not change the past. Halone had forsaken him a long time ago.
In the end he moved forward. Towards whatever crazy fate awaited him. Hoping silently that Koh’s love was enough to give him strength to survive this. Survive without giving into the darkest parts of his tarnished soul.
ENTM Announcement and Week 6 Voting!! This is it, y’all!!
Good Evening ENTM Fans! The time has come for the final
voting, and next Friday the winner of Eorzea’s Next Top Model, Cycle 8 will be
announced!But before that, I have a few announcements.
As I stated earlier, due to real life/health issues/fun
things lol, this will be my last cycle as Host of ENTM. I have had a great time,
and enjoyed coming up with new shot ideas (sometimes with the help of wonderful people like you!) and seeing all of the beautiful
pictures that came from it. I’ll still be around, voting and fawning over
everyone and I can’t wait to see what comes from future cycles. Thank you
everyone for your continued support of this awesome fan made event, and I hope
you enjoyed the last few years that I have been running the show!Much appreciation,
KaiNOW – That said, I know I am leaving you in wonderful hands! After a few talks,
and an explanation of how everything works, I am very pleased to introduce you to the New Host of ENTM starting Cycle 9!
Entry #11: Idle Thoughts
(Entry for Alexois. This from his earlier days under his mentor, Jacques. It’s short since I’m having trouble thinking for this prompt. XD It’s a good prompt but hard for me right now.)
Alex sat on the stone wall looking down into the Brume. Here he was again where he swore he’d not come back to. Somehow he always found his way back here. Time after time. Even now as he trained under his mentor.
A part of him wanted to escape the lessons his mentor kept heaping on him. He was sick of the world. Could still hear his mentor’s cold words from the day before.
“There is no justice beyond the kind you make. Mercy is for the weak. So take your justice out on those fools and ignore their pleas for mercy.”
Alex wrapped his arms around his knees in a attempt to ward off the chill. Giving the people wandering wary looks. Not really fully paying attention. Just merely using this time to escape the next lesson.
Surely if the gods existed they wouldn’t have made him suffer so much. Mercy? Justice? For him neither existed. All there was… Was vengeance.
Entry #10: Siblings
(Another one set in the past. Pretty sure I never really wrote out what happened when Dest found Stefan the first time after everything that happened. So now I will!)
Destiney sighed softly as she wandered through the streets of Ul’dah alone. Maybe she should have allowed her husband to accompany her after all. At least his presence would have been a small comfort in this city.
Why he wanted to start over around here… She’d never know. Yet at the same time she needed the fresh start. At least here it wasn’t cold. Though she missed the woods too. Perhaps this was for the best. She needed time to recover mentally from everything. Right now the woods just reminded her of all she had lost.
Her father… Leon…
No it was best that she came here with her husband for that fresh start. Neither had died in the Shroud but it still reminded her that they were gone.
What bothered her most was she had heard rumors. Sightings of a hyuran man with slightly pointed ears. It could easily be someone else entirely. Yet part of her hoped it was her brother. Even all these years later. There was no way he knew what had befallen their father. Not since he had run away before it had happened.
Her queries lead her towards the guild at the far end of town. A guild of mages studying black magic. In a way that didn’t surprise her. Her bother had always had an obsession with the arcane. Even when they were younger. Always her opposite even though they were twins.
Walking into the guild felt awkward since she wasn’t there to join or even study. Though her steps faltered when they fell on a face she would have known anywhere. A small fuzzy ruby head perking up at her attention on it’s master. The boy… No the man. Her brother was no longer a boy. His nose buried in a book as always. The same intelligent blue eyes met hers when the carbuncle finally nudged the leg of her brother.
“Stefan…” Destiney barely breathed his name. Wondering if he’d really recognize her now. With all that she had been through. The change to her hair. The clothes that no longer fit a simple shourdling archer.
What should have been joy to see her brother alive and well shifted into anger. He had left them all. The hurt at him abandoning them. The fact he was just here as if it didn’t matter. Didn’t matter that they had lost their father.
Destiney stalked over to her brother as he closed his book. Esper tilting his head curiously at the woman. The crack of skin against skin made everyone around them pause what they were doing to look. Stefan raising a hand to his cheek as he stared wide-eyed at his sister. Angry tears gathered in her eyes as she stared at him.
“How could you!” She kept her voice down but it was still colored with the rage at his actions. “How could you leave us like that! Here you are as if nothing matters! As if father dying means nothing to you!”
“W-What?!” Stefan looked taken back by both her words and actions. Never mind the stares at their little scene.
“He’s dead!” Destiney hissed at him. “The Garleans killed him! If you had been there…” Tears began to fall down her cheeks as she tried to find what she wanted to say. But what could she really say? There was probably nothing that could have changed what had happened… Finally giving up and turning away in a hurry. Rushing out of the building. Leaving a shocked Stefan alone with a very confused Esper.
“Destiney…” A mix of emotions going over him as he kept a hand over the cheek his sister had slapped. Esper gently nudged his leg before giving him a worried stare. He knelt down to rest a hand on Esper’s head. This way his face was out of view of others. No one could see his own tears. The pain of that news… The hurt at his sister’s anger… The sister that had always protected him even when he didn’t want it. It was all his fault… He should have known his actions would eventually come back to bite him in the end. Just hadn’t thought things would turn out like this. The slap had been more then deserved.
Entry #9: Broken Trust
(This isn’t current for Stefan. Decided to try an work on his past and his trust issues a little. So this is set probably roughly 5-6 years ago for him.)
Stefan groaned as he slid down to a seat on the floor, back against the cold damp stone. His whole body ached and screamed with every movement. Even breathing hurt. Grimacing as he reached into his pocket. Anger as his fingers curled around that small pearl.
‘Anytime you need something, just call one of us.’
The sound of the pearl cracking off the opposite wall as he threw it. What good was a linkpearl that only belonged to people like them? Leaving him to become fodder down here. Victim to the creatures that wandered these ruins.
All so they could claim everything for themselves…
‘As if we’d share with the likes of you.’ ‘You were just needed to help us find it.’ ‘As if someone like you matters.’
Stefan leaned his head back against the wall as he looked up towards the ceiling. He had never mattered to them. All he was was a means to an end. Once they were done with him they had tossed him aside like trash.
Wincing, Stefan pushed himself back to his feet. Using the wall to support himself as he caught his breath from the effort. He didn’t need them. He didn’t need anyone. That was something he would prove to everyone. It had taken him effort to make it this far. Pushing a bit harder shouldn’t be that much more of a challenge.
The cracked pearl crunched under his boot as he began to walk. First he had to get out of here. Then he could show everyone he was made of tougher stuff then this.
Dear November,
Take it easy on me. I can barely see. I walk through the fog that seems like just yesterday was the warmth of the sun. I’m not ready for the cold, not ready for the loneliness, not ready for the darkness that swallows me as each winter comes.
Nicole Abrams, writing prompt #66: Write about November (via wnq-writers)
Entry #8: Unease
(Writing for Lance tonight. Will blog over to his blog later. This picks up after Entry 3. This is all current for Lance. Kind of hoping writing this little stuff gives me some ideas somehow. XD)
The restless feeling hadn’t eased over the last few days. Lance picked up more work to do when he could find it. Something to keep him occupied. Less time to think of the unease that was bothering him.
Yet that didn’t quiet the whispers. Or the feeling as if he needed to jump at every shadow. Something was going on. There was just no way to put a finger on what was causing this deep unease. A strong urge to search Coerthas until he found out why. Surely whatever was causing this couldn’t be the wedding.
Definitely not. If anything he wished it was sooner rather then later. So there was no way the wedding was making him feel this way.
Something was lurking in the shadows somewhere. Just the question was where. He had nothing to go on besides a feeling that something wasn’t right. Maybe it was just the effects of that stone again. Making him paranoid. Maybe this was just all entirely in his head.
He even went as far as to patrol further then usual. Even if it wasn’t exactly Haillenarte territory for some of the places he went. It was something to keep him occupied when he wasn’t able to distract himself with Miu’s presence. Hoping to catch a sign or anything at all suggesting that something might be amiss.
Spirit of the Warlock 