Every form of creative work can be submitted: fan fiction, drabbles, moodboards, edits, drawings, poems, songs, sketches, and more.
Work from any book and story from the Choices (and Pixelberry) universe are welcome.
You can participate as many times as you like.
Clearly list the prompt your work is based on.
Please add a cut to avoid long posts and exposing other fans to triggering/disturbing content.
NS*W work must be labeled as such, and appropriate warnings must be used. Adult content should be hidden under the page break. You must be at least 18 years of age to submit and interact with adult content.
No AI-generated content, please.
Please tag @choicesjulychallenge2026. You can also tag @endlessflame.
As far as I know, no one is hosting a June Challenge as of now.
I don't have the time to do so with the book club and MC appreciation this month.
However, if no one steps forward and anyone wants to create for any of the previous monthly challenges from 2026 and tag this blog, I'll reblog your work here.
Pairings: Mal Volari x Daenarya [Blades of Light & Shadow (Book 2, Chapter 4)]
Word Count: ~ 650
Rating/Warnings: General, angst, hurt/comfort, mentions of (but not in graphic description) canon injuries, bruises, choking, blood
Synopsis: After barely surviving Valax’s attack, Mal and Daenarya cling to a fragile moment of peace.
A/N: Can we just stop and stare and gaze in awe of this incredible masterpiece by @oh-so-youre-a-nerd. It took my breath away! This drabble was not what I planned when I commissioned this art, but the minute I saw the final piece, this idea popped in my head and I had to get it out! No edits. No revisions. Just a raw piece to match how raw and tender this feels.
The river turned pink beneath their hands as they washed their wounds.
They shared a quiet understanding in their weary gaze. His mouth opened to speak, but she shook her head once.
What was there to say?
They were outnumbered. They were foolish to think that being a team would save them. The Shadow Court had never left them this... defeated. There was a pause when Nia was taken, but it had only strengthened their resolve. Now?
Now, they were unraveling.
After one fight. One fight. And they were barely breathing.
No. It was more than that.
Physically beaten down, they could come back from. This was something else. Something worse.
Hopelessness.
The river swallowed the evidence of their injuries. The ribbons of pink that surrounded them drifted downstream in the darkness.
His rough hands grazed over her back with restrained tenderness, letting the water drift over her injuries from when her body had cracked against the tree.
Her body trembled beneath him, the memory threatening to rise again.
His touch stilled.
"Daenarya."
Her eyes closed as he whispered her name.
It was softer now.
Safer.
Unlike the last time.
Her eyes squeezed together, a vile taste rising in her throat.
He screamed her name as Valax held her by the throat, dangling above the ground like she was nothing.
Her fingers reached for her neck. Her breathing became ragged.
"I can't—"
Mal shifted in front of her, taking her hands in his own. "It's okay. You're safe. It's okay."
"It's not." She choked to catch a breath. "We can't beat her."
Again, he opened his mouth, but no reassurance came.
No clever remark to make her laugh.
No promise of comfort.
Only silence. A silence that he felt just as she did.
His head dipped a moment. He wasn't used to words failing.
Daenarya tried not to think about fingers crushing against her throat. About how her vision blurred as her breath left her. About the way she heard Mal shouting her name as if from somewhere impossibly far away.
The water shifted softly around them.
Mal reached for her slowly, pushing a strand of hair away from her face.
She flinched, but she didn't pull away.
He rested his forehead on hers, holding her as her breath began to shallow. His lips drifted down, brushing kisses over her eyes, her nose, her lips, down to her throat. His lips paused, hovering over the skin that had yet to bruise from Valax's grasp. Gently, he pressed a kiss to her neck.
Valax could not have any part of her.
She inhaled sharply. The memories threatened to pull her back. She wrapped an arm around him, holding him there. Even in the pain. Even with the fear. Even in the hopelessness, he was there. They were together. And even if it could only last a moment, it was a moment she needed to hold on to. Without it, the current would pull her down, extinguishing the last embers of light in her.
She nodded slightly, encouraging him to continue.
His hand cradled the back of her neck as he tilted her head, giving him more room. He kissed her throat again.
Not in hunger.
Not in desperation.
Something softer. Something fragile. Something he was terrified to lose.
His kisses slowed, letting her pulse beat against the warmth of his lips. A reminder that she was still there.
The fear did not disappear, but beneath Mal’s touch, it loosened enough for her to breathe again. It wouldn't replace the nightmares or the bruises that would darken her skin by morning, but in the moment, it was enough. It was her anchor. It would keep her from drifting.
The darkness still waited for her, but tonight, she was not facing it alone. Neither of them was.
A/N #2: I haven't replayed Blades 2 since right before Blades 3 so my memory isn't perfect, but I think this fits the battle with Valax from Chapter 4.
Daenarya is pregnant here but she still doesn't know it. This isn't that long after she returns from the other side and since in my AU time works differently, she was only gone a week (for her) but a year for everyone else. So she's about 6 weeks pregnant maybe.
A/N #3: Again this was written without any rewrites and literly just word vomiting from my head so forgive any typos or things that don't make sense with canon.
A/N#4 that art is so freaking stunning. I am just so so overwhelmed with the emotion in it! I hope this drabble comes even slightly close to matching that love and devotion!
Too Late (Mal POV)
[Mal Volari x Daenarya Blades 1 + Beyond] [Mal’s Orphanage] [Mal Volari x Daenarya Blades 2 + 3 AU]
Pairings: Mal Volari x Daenarya
Book: Blades of Light & Shadow (Book 1, Chapter 3-4)
Word Count: ~ 250
Rating/Warnings: General, no warnings
Synopsis: Mal reflects on the dance he and Daenarya shared at the tavern and something has to change.
"Is that your real smile?"
The question repeated in his thoughts. Even hours—and one Shadow Court death escape—later, he could hear her words. It was just a moment, but it was enough. He let his guard down. That was not part of the plan.
The melody of the ballad from the other night sang in his head. His eyes squeezed closed, and his lips pressed together. He brought up his mom. He never brought her up. Not with anyone. Ever...Not the truth at least. There was the occasional lie. But this was different. He let go with her. He can't do that again. It was a mistake.
He'd make an excuse. That's what he'd do. Make an escape at the first possible moment.
It's who you are beneath that bravado that matters to me.
Why should he matter? Why should she care? Did she even really? Or was it just to keep him close? Save her brother. She probably didn't care.
I like the real you better.
He shook his head, trying to get her words out of his head.
Even if it cost him the coin of not returning the shard for his benefactor... magical objects were never worth it. He should have known better. Between the heat of the Shadow Court on his trail… and the warmth spreading through him at the thoughts of her—
No. He couldn't let himself think it.
He had to go before it was too late...
His gaze drifted across the fire, her smile greeting him. He inhaled quickly, the skin around his eyes wrinkling. He exhaled, shaking his head.
...if it wasn't already...
A/N: I usually write from Daenarya's pov, but I thought it would be interesting to see things from Mal's pov, especially his growing feelings for Daenarya.
The first part of this series failed miserably, but I'm going to keep writing because it's all I've been able to write lately.
Bonds of Sea and Fire - Part 5 (Blades of Light and Shadow)
Book: Blades of Light and Shadow
Pairing: Tyril Starfury x Arwen (F!Elf!MC)
Characters: Arwen of Riverbend (MC); Imtura Tal Kaelen; Mal Volari; Nia Ellarious; Threep Pompedorfin; Tyril Starfury.
Summary: The path to Undermount is arduous, and the exhausted party does its best to rest during a cold night. Tyril is ready to fulfill his promise when Arwen faces another nightmare.
Word count: ~3,680
Rating: Teen & Up
Notes:
English is not my native language;
Characters belong to PixelBerry;
This fic takes place between chapters 6 and 7 from Blades of Light and Shadow - Book 1;
This is my submission to May Monthly Challenge - prompt: 9. rain (Thanks for hosting it @choicescommunityevents)
On the sky, clouds hovered above the woods as dark as a horde of crows.
On the ground, dark mud sloshed with every exhausted step.
The rain had stopped, but cold seeped through their clothes.
To avoid dank terrain and its risky wildlife, they took a detour but the road from Tyril’s map was nowhere to be found. As hours passed, murmuring replaced the lively conversation from previous days.
“Are we there yet?” Mal grumbles the question; it isn’t the first time.
“No,” Tyril and Imtura snap.
After the elves left to Undermount, nature reclaimed what once belonged to their civilization. Lush green plants blanketed everything left behind. The road was probably lost underneath the overgrown plants.
When they reached dry land, they set camp and laid their cloaks and coats to dry over a large bolder. By then, the setting horizon had turned almost purple.
The light of day vanished, and the sky grew darker and darker. No moon nor stars above. A bad omen, one might say. Not Arwen, though. Nature be like that sometimes. Be patient; this too shall pass.
“I’ll get logs for the fire,” Arwen offers. It’s an opportunity to collect herbs. Her companions’ feet might be as sore and bruised as hers. Her satchel is light and almost empty of herbs; she ran out of salve when tending to the injury on her shoulder. Like Tyril said, it’s completely healed.
“I’m coming with you,” the familiar masculine voice resounded, “if you don’t mind.”
When Arwen turns around, Tyril is trailing behind her with determined steps. An offer she wouldn’t refuse when he’s so keen on keeping his promise.
“I don’t mind at all,” she says with joy and a radiant smile. Few things could please her more than the elf warming up to her.
With no moon in the sky, following a path into the woods without tripping on roots turns into an almost impossible task, even for the elves and their keen senses.
“Stay close,” Tyril says in a stern tone.
Ignoring if his concern emerged solely from the difficulties in navigating the path or some unknown danger, she does exactly that, following the melodic tinkling of his armour in their silent walk.
When they reach a path around a steep slope with sharp rocks, Tyril offers a helping hand that Arwen readily takes. It’s a kind gesture, but she’s delighted by the feel of his long on her skin, nonetheless. Their feet reach steadier path, however his hand remains linked to hers. Arwen smiles and keeps this knowledge to herself, afraid any harsh gesture could scare him away like a flock of birds.
Only when they stumble upon an interesting specimen of edible mushrooms, she reluctantly lets go of his hand.
“These are perfect to roast,” she explains despite the lack of question from his part.
She kneels to collect the cluster and Tyril marks another tree with a small blade, carving a distinctive sign, to help them find their way back to camping. He does it whenever she stops to collect logs or check for a specific herb or flower.
Even in this area, it’s hard to find dry logs. It takes longer to start a fire tonight. The woods crackle producing more smoke than heat. When he believes nobody’s paying attention, Tyril pours Light magic to not let the fire die and it glows brighter. Arwen and Nia share a knowing look and smile affectionately. He cares, even if he won’t admit it.
Sharing pieces of the roasted game meat, the party huddled round the fire to share stories and blankets. This might be Arwen’s favourite part of the journey; it’s when she misses Kade the most too. Her brother would love to hear Imtura and Mal.
Tonight, Mal’s story about one particular eventful heist is punctuated by the cries of nocturnal creatures. Every time one screeches, Threep’s ears dart up and he raises his head. The fear of becoming prey is evident.
Whatever these creatures are, they don’t come near the campfire. Fortunately. Exhaustion claims their bodies, and it would be a shame to have to use the last of their energy to fend off an attack instead of enjoying these quiet moments and rest by the fire.
The only exception seems to be Tyril, whose face shows no sign of fatigue. The elf found a quiet spot away from the group, but close enough to be bathed by the warmth of the dancing flames. He’ll be on first watch and diligently cleans the blade of his sword to pass time.
Taking a piece of bread from the satchel, Arwen joins him.
“Here,” she offers him half of the bread, and his bright blue eyes raised to meet hers. “You barely ate…”
“You should save your ration,” he replies, putting the sword away.
“I’m used to share. Besides, with humidity this bread won’t last much longer.” She smiles holding it in front of him, but he remains still. “Unless the elves from Undermount fancy bread covered in mould...”
Fighting a scowl, his lips twist and at last he takes the piece of bread from her hand. He murmurs a thank you, then parts the bread in smaller pieces.
Face glowing with a triumphant smile, Arwen takes a bite at the bread. As her teeth sunk, the bread had a crunch to the crust that brought precious memories. She hears Kade’s voice and tastes the hearty stew they used to dip it into. She closes her eyes to keep the memory just a moment longer.
Another screech calls her back to the present.
Tyril pays no mind to the source of the sound, rather he’s taking something from his bag. His hands deftly work, unwrapping a pale piece of cheese. He cuts a piece with a knife and offers it to her. It’s not like the soft creamy cheeses she’s used to; this one is hard, grainy and salty. It tastes good, though, and expensive; she tells him that and he chuckles, a rare treat.
An amused tight lip smile softens the elf serious façade, and his mouth retains that curl when he offers her a second piece.
Once they finish eating, Tyril looks over. The others huddled in a mess of blankets and limbs to keep the heat. The warmth of the fire is not so intense where the two are sitting, and Arwen shivers.
“You won’t feel this cold if you join them.”
“I’m not tired yet.”
Tyril is kind enough to ignore the blatant lie or perhaps too tired to go over that same conversation with her.
“You should save your strength for tomorrow. We have a long journey ahead.”
“I’d rather keep you company for now.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I want to.”
Tilting his head to the side, his eyes meet hers and his expression mixes wonder and disbelief, as if he’s still debating if someone like her should be pleased to do so. Arwen refrains from commenting on what she sees and goes on before he decides on anything to say.
“Besides, now you cannot escape my questions!”
“Do you still have questions?” His voice raised with surprise. Head tilted to the side, examining her face, perhaps searching any sign of sarcasm but finding only genuine joy. It’s a fair question, Arwen realizes. In other occasions, he’s answered many questions about magic, life at Undermount and the elven delicacies Threep keeps blabbering about… but her curiosity is far from being sated. Every piece of information that contradicts what she was taught is like a new door opening before her eyes that will lead to wonder and new questions – more and more of them related to Tyril, she realizes, even though learning about healing magic or any other skill who can help her rescue Kade is the main focus…
While adjusting the blanket draped around her shoulders, she confides, “Growing up, I never met elves. All my knowledge comes from tales people shared at the tavern.” Fidgeting with the hem of the blanket, she gazes at him, remembering the tales of legendary heroism of elves who sacrificed their lives to keep the Shadows away, but she recalls the superstitious people who live at Riverbed. Some of the villagers believed the Light had smiled upon the village and offerings of fresh fruits to the elf child would bring abundant crops; many were indifferent to the orphan, like they were to many others in their community. But there were a few who mistrusted and feared her just because of who she was, saying elves could wither fields with a mere flick of their hands... not that anybody had ever met any elf other than Arwen face to face... The best part is that most of those were too afraid to cross her.
“Many of those stories seem far from the truth now that I met you.”
Just barely audible over the crackling of the fire, Tyril’s voice sounds uncharacteristically tentative when she speaks, “Is it a good thing?”
“Still undecided...” she teases and a slow smile spreads her lips. “Isn’t that the answer you’re hoping for?”
Tyril’s cheeks blush, turning into a lavender hue, and he clears his throat before moving on with the conversation.
“Spotting elves outside of Undermount is a rare occurrence.”
“Then we’re quite the sight you and I, two elves traveling around Morella...”
“I suppose.”
“Have you seen others?”
Tyril’s lips press into a thin line when his answers come as a slight shake of his head. Arwen pulls her knees closer to her chest and rests her face on the crook of one arm and studying his melancholic expression. Lonely is the fate of elves outside Undermount.
“There are tales about elves who have chosen exile over submitting to the Houses,” he comments, “but it’s unlike they would live anywhere close to humans…”
She thinks about the family she never met, and the elf from her dreams with lavender eyes like hers. Could she be alive somewhere?
“One afternoon Kade and I were playing at the fields outside the village, and we saw three elves on horseback. It was so long ago… but I remember them as if it was yesterday. The shiny armours. The braided long hairs. The pointy ears just like mine.” She lightly touches the tip of one ear, a wistful smile and Tyril’s focus entirely on her. “I thought they were coming for me, but they followed the main road into the forest. I ran after them, but child’s legs are no match to horses... silly child...”
She suddenly stops and tilts her face upwards. Nobody else needs to know about the futile attempt to call their attention nor the many days sitting at the fields contemplating the horizon while trying to replicate the braids on her hair nor how she prayed to the Great Beetle and every deity for them to come back. But they never did.
“But now I found you…”
“I will answer your questions,” he says firmly without meeting her eyes, “if you promise to rest.”
Heart pounding faster, she nods. How very long she waited for answers!
“I promise,” she says excitedly, a grin parting her lips. “Is it true elves reached immortality at Undermount and that’s why they never leave?”
“No, it’s not,” he says emotionless, “Everything that breaths shall return to the Light. Elves may live much longer lives than a human does, but we’re not immune to time…”
“How much longer?”
“A couple of centuries.”
“Wow! That’s a lot…” She pauses, considering what that means to her, and looks at the elf. “How old are you, Tyril?”
Tyril doesn’t answer right away. With a thoughtful look, he considers it, and Arwen finds it amusing. Failing to cover a laugh with a hand, she draws his attention back to her.
“Lord Tyril, are you so very old you lost count?”
Taken aback, he huffs a laugh. “I’m certainly not!”
He’s looking at the sky. The clouds have dispersed enough that a small patch of starry sky is visible above the woods.
“Elves perceive time differently. We don’t keep track of age or celebrate birthdays as humans do. We have rites of passage. Suffice to say I’m what humans would call an adult. And have been one for quite some time now…”
“What about me?” She looks at him expectantly, but he frowns, his face twisted with confusion.
“You don’t know how old you are?”
“Nobody does actually. I was probably the first elf to ever step a foot at Riverbend…”
Looking at him, she can’t tell what he’s thinking, only recognizing the seriousness of his inspection. Brows furrowed, he looks at her closely; his gaze moving, searching, analysing, taking her in. In her imagination, when he looked at her so intently, he didn’t frown like that…
Suddenly, he averts his gaze, lowering it to his wringing hands.
“You still look young. Too young.”
Arwen frowned, is he teasing her. Tyril is not one to joke, but the way he said doesn’t sit well. Too young. An unknown feeling twists her insides.
“In human years I’m at least three and twenty years... I’m older than Kade!”
“I didn’t mean any offense,” his voice barely above a whisper.
They fell silent, and Arwen doesn’t look back at Tyril. The wind that dissipates the clouds is cold and Tyril rubs his hands, trying to warm them.
“You’re cold. Here.” Arwen moves closer and Tyril flinches when she drapes the blanket over his shoulders too. He leans until their shoulders touch. In reality, the cold metal of his shoulder plate touches her shoulder, and she draws back a little. Tyril notices her reaction and mutters an unnecessary apology, but deftly detaches and removes both shoulder plates, placing them on his lap, to her amazement.
“You didn’t have to,” she mumbles.
“I want to,” his voice carries a kind of confidence that contrasts with the coyness of the eyes that keep staring at his wringing hands. Arwen adjusts the blanket around them, scoots closer and mimics his motion, rubbing her hands together to warm them.
They remain silent for a few moments, until Tyril raises one palm and stares at the fire that snaps and cracks. The flames seem to shine brighter and curl like dancing. Then a ball of fire the size of an apple floats towards Tyril till it hovers over his palm.
Arwen covers her enthusiasm with a hand, trapping an excited squeal.
After explaining the Light and the costs of magic, she’d expect him to only use it for the greatest purposes.
“I have so many questions now!” she murmurs.
“Ask away,” his voice is peppered by mirth, certainly amused by the reaction his demonstration of magic stirred on her.
“How did you do it?”
“I summoned the fire. It’s easier and takes less magic than creating it.”
“With what you said about the greatest purpose of Light, I expected you not to trade life force like this...”
“In Undermount, elves have many uses for magic. Including keeping us comfortable when we’re cold.”
His palm settles between them; Arwen raises her hands letting the flame chase the cold away. Her face is glowing, and Tyril smiles in a way she hasn’t seen.
“Try,” he suggests.
“I don’t know how.”
“You focus on the fire. Only the fire. Call it to you.”
“What if I screw up and set you on fire?”
“You won’t hurt me.”
He’s so confident, she closes her eyes, takes a deep breath and looks at the fire burning between them. She extends a palm and places in front of his, but nothing happens. She tries a second time. Then a third time. She exhales, shakes her hands, releasing her frustration and tries again. Then the ball of fire moves from his hand to float above her palm. She slowly moves her hand, and the blazing fire trails behind it creating geometrical shapes in the air. She laughs and, amidst the excitement, the fire hisses and dies.
“I did it,” she squeals and throws her arms around his neck, and her fingers brush the soft black strands of his hair, “I did it!”
Tyril freezes in place not even breathing; she immediately draws back.
“I’m so very sorry, Tyril,” she apologises to his shocked face.
“I –” he coughs in his hand, and his eyes are still opened very wide.
“This will never happen again.”
“I don’t mind.”
“Excuse me?”
“I-I don’t mind you... hugging me,” he stuttered, “In case you need it.”
“Were you not uncomfortable?”
“Merely surprised,” he pauses and looks at her, his eyes have softened and cheeks darkened further, turning a lovely purplish hue, “It was... not… terrible.”
“Then I might hug you again... Some other time.”
He summons the fire again. Arwen watches the flames dancing in Tyril’s hand and relaxes, her shoulders lower and her head feels heavy with sleep.
“Rest your head here,” he offers his shoulder and she obliges. So close, the woody scent Tyril exudes is strong but also fresh; there’s something else beyond the smoke that clings to their clothes, hair and skin, like the characteristic aroma of pine trees and juniper berries coming from his soft hair. She’s still trying to commit it to memory when she succumbs to sleep.
***
Arwen is running.
It’s the familiar dirt road at the edge of the forest back at Riverbend.
The soles of her bare feet hurt from the sharp edges of rocks. Outstretched roots try to trip her, but she nimbly avoids them.
Kade is calling her name, but she cannot find him.
The trees are higher somehow, trunks outstretched towards the sky.
The fire crackles around her but she cannot see the flames. The noise gets louder. Unknown footsteps. Unknown cries.
Thick smoke swallows everything, and she can’t breathe.
She coughs Kade’s name. There’s no reply. There’s no one around. There’s no more path. There’s no air to breath.
The smoke turns purple and swirls with crackling energy. Eyes glow in the dark and Kade is screaming again.
“Arwen,” a voice calls softly. In response, her body bolts with fear, ready to resume running, but unable to move. She stirs, but steady hands hold her in place. The voice speaks again, more firmly this time, but still reassuring, “You are safe.”
Tyril’s face hovers over hers, it’s his voice speaking to her, but everything is hazy and her lungs are drowning.
“Breath,” he commands, and her brain tries to remember how it’s done. Her hands seize his arms, nails digging on the skin. It takes several tries until her breathing evens again.
When her body relaxes, his grip eases and Tyril sits back down. His eyes are narrowed with worry.
Arwen apologizes. She doesn’t know why she’s apologizing for: if it’s for distressing his sleep, causing him worry or the weakness she can’t control; yet she does apologize.
Tyril waves off her apologies; but it’s not out of impatience. With another wave, he signals something to Imtura, who’s currently on watch and the only other member of the party awaken. He mouths ‘another nightmare’ and Imtura visibly relaxes. Her nightmares no longer a secret then.
“Water must do you good.”
He retrieves her canteen, and she takes a large gulp, only then realizing how parched her throat is.
She lies back down, staring at the sky; it takes a few more moments for her heart to go back to a normal rhythm. Tyril had also lied down, replacing the blankets over both, but this time his back was not turned to her. Putting her hand under her head, she mirrors his pose to face him.
“Are you feeling any better now?” he asks softly, and she nods.
“Thank you, Tyril. For everything.”
“What may I do to help you sleep?”
Her heart swells with gratitude at the promise kept, and she reaches out, accepting what’s been offered.
“Tell me a story, please,” she whispers, “Or anything, really… your voice is soothing.”
He decides on an uncontroversial topic: his childhood. However, since her eyes fluttered close as soon as her started speaking, he assumes she might’ve fallen asleep and it matters very little what he says in the softest tone he’s able to speak.
Locks the colour of the fields of wheat cover most of her face and in quiet astonishment Tyril watches his hand hovers close and considers tucking some locks behind her ear but decides not to.
“In between classes, I used to read plenty of poetry,” he continues, his voice barely above a whisper, “I’d spent every afternoon at the library surrounded by books and knew by heart sonnets and could recite entire passages of the epic about Mother of Grey.”
“I knew you loved poetry…” Her eyes flutter open, meeting his surprised stare. “Will you now tell me the truth?”
“I’m not a poet, Arwen,” he starts barely above a whisper, despite the closeness, he doesn’t look at her, lowering his gaze as if ashamed and she doesn’t like where this is going. “I wrote poems once… but according to my tutor my writing was uninspired and lacked originality and I should use my time accordingly to improve my knowledge on relevant subjects.”
“What a complete jerk!”
“He was. But he wasn’t wrong though.”
“Did you enjoy writing poetry?”
“I did, but –”
She cuts him off before he makes any excuses for that behaviour, “Then he was a jerk for making you quit.”
In astonishment, his breath catches in his throat when her fingers gently tuck a few strands of his long hair behind one ear. He can’t hide from her attentive gaze.
“Do you miss it?”
“Sometimes,” he replies. “But I wouldn’t even know how to even begin with…”
“Perhaps you’re lacking a muse to inspire you…”
“Perhaps…”
“Someday, you might even write about these adventures. And children will read about our party.”
“I wonder what I have done to earn such faith,” he mutters.
“It’s not undeserved,” she whispers, “Maybe one day you’ll see what I see…”
Welcome to this year's May Monthly Challenge! This challenge's theme is nature! Your submissions don't necessarily have to fit that theme, but all the prompts do :D
Host: @peonyblossom
Prompts
flowers
mountains
hiking
body of water
cottagecore
animals
whimsy
trees
rain
garden
camping
forest
fairies
goblincore
moss
paths
beach
overgrown
whimsigoth
caves
circle of life
bicycle
sunshine
regrowth
seasonal
granola
volcano
magic
mushrooms
clouds
sparkling
Rules
This event will start on Friday, May 1 and end on Sunday, May 31
Late submissions will be accepted through Thursday, June 4
While there is a theme, you do not have to follow it as long as you follow the prompts and clearly label which prompt you are using
While there are prompts, you do not have to use them if your work still focuses on the theme of nature, just state that you are following the theme instead of using a prompt
Submissions must include the characters full name and which Choices story they are from. GOC characters must also include a gender tag (ex. m!MC, nb!OC). Preferably, this information should be in the post itself, but including it in the tags is okay too.
If your work contains a relationship it must be labelled correctly, using "x" or "/" for romantic/sexual relationships and "&" for platonic relationships.
NSFW/mature submissions are allowed, but must be tagged properly and have the proper community label.
You cannot submit AI generated content for this event.
Tag this account on all submissions. If I don't reblog within 72 hours, please DM me the post on this account or @peonyblossom as sometimes Tumblr tags can be unreliable.
[Mal Volari x Daenarya Blades 1 + Beyond] [Mal’s Orphanage]
[Mal Volari x Daenarya Blades 2 + 3 AU]
Pairings: Mal Volari x Daenarya
Book: Blades of Light & Shadow (Book 1, Chapter 2)
Word Count: > 500
Rating/Warnings: General, no warnings
Synopsis: Mal never expected a chance meeting in the small town of Riverbend to change everything.
It wasn't possible...
He couldn't possibly have... feelings.
She wasn't all that different, was she?
He kicked a small stone, watching as it skipped across the path in front of him.
She was a kit. Still wet behind the ears. She'd never been on an adventure before. She shouldn't even be here. Yet—she still saved him from the shadow court.
He met the pebble he'd kicked, his boot nudging it forward another several paces.
Luck.
That's what it had to be, luck.
Any real threat and she'd need his saving. He just needed her to need him, then she'd be so grateful that she'd have to show her gratitude. Then, he'd get her out of his system.
He reached to kick the stone once more, but he stumbled off the path instead.
"Everything okay?" Her voice was soft as she stopped beside him.
He traced her lips before stopping himself. "Why wouldn't it be?"
She shrugged. "Never heard you quiet this long before."
“Most people are a little more appreciative after witnessing this level of heroism.”
"Are they?" She practically choked on her laugh. "You mean that little display with the daggers?"
"It takes years of precision and practice to execute such a move." He narrowed the gap between them, puffing his chest and standing a little taller. "You think you could do better?"
"Already did. Or, did you forget I saved you earlier?" She beamed proudly. "Guess, that makes me a natural."
"Kit—" Forcing a smirk on his face, he tossed his hair back. "I let you think that. I thought you could use a little confidence boost, given this was your first adventure and all."
She moved within an inch of his face. "Mal Volari... Mr. Magnificent... you are a terrible liar."
Her words were warm against his lips. "I promise that is not something I've ever been accused of. You don't survive this life long without knowing how to bluff."
"I guess that makes me special." She brushed a kiss on his cheek. Her voice dropped as she whispered, "I can read you."
"That's not—you're not—" Words failed him as they hadn't in a long time.
A smirk pulled on her lips. "Have fun sulking."
"I don't sulk."
"Sure you don't."
"You think you're winning here? It's not a game."
"Something tells me that with you, everything's a game. I'm sure you're not used to losing, but neither am I." She turned her back to him, continuing down the path.
The girl had guts. He'd give her that.
She challenged him. She wasn't easily swayed by his charms. She wasn't immune. He could see that much. It wouldn't be easy. He'd have to adjust his approach, but he'd win this. One way or another.
Most of my fics are from Daenarya's point of view, so I thought it might be fun to try Mal's.
This began as a writing exercise written over more than a week. Even when I don't have time, motivation, inspiration, or energy to write, I'm trying to commit to one sentence a day. I didn't know if this would be anything or if it'd ever be shared, but I actually like how it turned out. It is obviously not meant to be a complete fic, just a quick snapshot of a moment. It's not edited or revised.
Welcome to this year's May Monthly Challenge! This challenge's theme is nature! Your submissions don't necessarily have to fit that theme, but all the prompts do :D
Host: @peonyblossom
Prompts
flowers
mountains
hiking
body of water
cottagecore
animals
whimsy
trees
rain
garden
camping
forest
fairies
goblincore
moss
paths
beach
overgrown
whimsigoth
caves
circle of life
bicycle
sunshine
regrowth
seasonal
granola
volcano
magic
mushrooms
clouds
sparkling
Rules
This event will start on Friday, May 1 and end on Sunday, May 31
Late submissions will be accepted through Thursday, June 4
While there is a theme, you do not have to follow it as long as you follow the prompts and clearly label which prompt you are using
While there are prompts, you do not have to use them if your work still focuses on the theme of nature, just state that you are following the theme instead of using a prompt
Submissions must include the characters full name and which Choices story they are from. GOC characters must also include a gender tag (ex. m!MC, nb!OC). Preferably, this information should be in the post itself, but including it in the tags is okay too.
If your work contains a relationship it must be labelled correctly, using "x" or "/" for romantic/sexual relationships and "&" for platonic relationships.
NSFW/mature submissions are allowed, but must be tagged properly and have the proper community label.
You cannot submit AI generated content for this event.
Tag this account on all submissions. If I don't reblog within 72 hours, please DM me the post on this account or @peonyblossom as sometimes Tumblr tags can be unreliable.
Welcome to this year's May Monthly Challenge! This challenge's theme is nature! Your submissions don't necessarily have to fit that theme, but all the prompts do :D
Host: @peonyblossom
Prompts
flowers
mountains
hiking
body of water
cottagecore
animals
whimsy
trees
rain
garden
camping
forest
fairies
goblincore
moss
paths
beach
overgrown
whimsigoth
caves
circle of life
bicycle
sunshine
regrowth
seasonal
granola
volcano
magic
mushrooms
clouds
sparkling
Rules
This event will start on Friday, May 1 and end on Sunday, May 31
Late submissions will be accepted through Thursday, June 4
While there is a theme, you do not have to follow it as long as you follow the prompts and clearly label which prompt you are using
While there are prompts, you do not have to use them if your work still focuses on the theme of nature, just state that you are following the theme instead of using a prompt
Submissions must include the characters full name and which Choices story they are from. GOC characters must also include a gender tag (ex. m!MC, nb!OC). Preferably, this information should be in the post itself, but including it in the tags is okay too.
If your work contains a relationship it must be labelled correctly, using "x" or "/" for romantic/sexual relationships and "&" for platonic relationships.
NSFW/mature submissions are allowed, but must be tagged properly and have the proper community label.
You cannot submit AI generated content for this event.
Tag this account on all submissions. If I don't reblog within 72 hours, please DM me the post on this account or @peonyblossom as sometimes Tumblr tags can be unreliable.
Welcome to this year's May Monthly Challenge! This challenge's theme is nature! Your submissions don't necessarily have to fit that theme, but all the prompts do :D
Host: @peonyblossom
Prompts
flowers
mountains
hiking
body of water
cottagecore
animals
whimsy
trees
rain
garden
camping
forest
fairies
goblincore
moss
paths
beach
overgrown
whimsigoth
caves
circle of life
bicycle
sunshine
regrowth
seasonal
granola
volcano
magic
mushrooms
clouds
sparkling
Rules
This event will start on Friday, May 1 and end on Sunday, May 31
Late submissions will be accepted through Thursday, June 4
While there is a theme, you do not have to follow it as long as you follow the prompts and clearly label which prompt you are using
While there are prompts, you do not have to use them if your work still focuses on the theme of nature, just state that you are following the theme instead of using a prompt
Submissions must include the characters full name and which Choices story they are from. GOC characters must also include a gender tag (ex. m!MC, nb!OC). Preferably, this information should be in the post itself, but including it in the tags is okay too.
If your work contains a relationship it must be labelled correctly, using "x" or "/" for romantic/sexual relationships and "&" for platonic relationships.
NSFW/mature submissions are allowed, but must be tagged properly and have the proper community label.
You cannot submit AI generated content for this event.
Tag this account on all submissions. If I don't reblog within 72 hours, please DM me the post on this account or @peonyblossom as sometimes Tumblr tags can be unreliable.
Welcome to this year's May Monthly Challenge! This challenge's theme is nature! Your submissions don't necessarily have to fit that theme, but all the prompts do :D
Host: @peonyblossom
Prompts
flowers
mountains
hiking
body of water
cottagecore
animals
whimsy
trees
rain
garden
camping
forest
fairies
goblincore
moss
paths
beach
overgrown
whimsigoth
caves
circle of life
bicycle
sunshine
regrowth
seasonal
granola
volcano
magic
mushrooms
clouds
sparkling
Rules
This event will start on Friday, May 1 and end on Sunday, May 31
Late submissions will be accepted through Thursday, June 4
While there is a theme, you do not have to follow it as long as you follow the prompts and clearly label which prompt you are using
While there are prompts, you do not have to use them if your work still focuses on the theme of nature, just state that you are following the theme instead of using a prompt
Submissions must include the characters full name and which Choices story they are from. GOC characters must also include a gender tag (ex. m!MC, nb!OC). Preferably, this information should be in the post itself, but including it in the tags is okay too.
If your work contains a relationship it must be labelled correctly, using "x" or "/" for romantic/sexual relationships and "&" for platonic relationships.
NSFW/mature submissions are allowed, but must be tagged properly and have the proper community label.
You cannot submit AI generated content for this event.
Tag this account on all submissions. If I don't reblog within 72 hours, please DM me the post on this account or @peonyblossom as sometimes Tumblr tags can be unreliable.
Welcome to this year's May Monthly Challenge! This challenge's theme is nature! Your submissions don't necessarily have to fit that theme, but all the prompts do :D
Host: @peonyblossom
Prompts
flowers
mountains
hiking
body of water
cottagecore
animals
whimsy
trees
rain
garden
camping
forest
fairies
goblincore
moss
paths
beach
overgrown
whimsigoth
caves
circle of life
bicycle
sunshine
regrowth
seasonal
granola
volcano
magic
mushrooms
clouds
sparkling
Rules
This event will start on Friday, May 1 and end on Sunday, May 31
Late submissions will be accepted through Thursday, June 4
While there is a theme, you do not have to follow it as long as you follow the prompts and clearly label which prompt you are using
While there are prompts, you do not have to use them if your work still focuses on the theme of nature, just state that you are following the theme instead of using a prompt
Submissions must include the characters full name and which Choices story they are from. GOC characters must also include a gender tag (ex. m!MC, nb!OC). Preferably, this information should be in the post itself, but including it in the tags is okay too.
If your work contains a relationship it must be labelled correctly, using "x" or "/" for romantic/sexual relationships and "&" for platonic relationships.
NSFW/mature submissions are allowed, but must be tagged properly and have the proper community label.
You cannot submit AI generated content for this event.
Tag this account on all submissions. If I don't reblog within 72 hours, please DM me the post on this account or @peonyblossom as sometimes Tumblr tags can be unreliable.
Welcome to this year's May Monthly Challenge! This challenge's theme is nature! Your submissions don't necessarily have to fit that theme, but all the prompts do :D
Host: @peonyblossom
Prompts
flowers
mountains
hiking
body of water
cottagecore
animals
whimsy
trees
rain
garden
camping
forest
fairies
goblincore
moss
paths
beach
overgrown
whimsigoth
caves
circle of life
bicycle
sunshine
regrowth
seasonal
granola
volcano
magic
mushrooms
clouds
sparkling
Rules
This event will start on Friday, May 1 and end on Sunday, May 31
Late submissions will be accepted through Thursday, June 4
While there is a theme, you do not have to follow it as long as you follow the prompts and clearly label which prompt you are using
While there are prompts, you do not have to use them if your work still focuses on the theme of nature, just state that you are following the theme instead of using a prompt
Submissions must include the characters full name and which Choices story they are from. GOC characters must also include a gender tag (ex. m!MC, nb!OC). Preferably, this information should be in the post itself, but including it in the tags is okay too.
If your work contains a relationship it must be labelled correctly, using "x" or "/" for romantic/sexual relationships and "&" for platonic relationships.
NSFW/mature submissions are allowed, but must be tagged properly and have the proper community label.
You cannot submit AI generated content for this event.
Tag this account on all submissions. If I don't reblog within 72 hours, please DM me the post on this account or @peonyblossom as sometimes Tumblr tags can be unreliable.
Welcome to this year's May Monthly Challenge! This challenge's theme is nature! Your submissions don't necessarily have to fit that theme, but all the prompts do :D
Host: @peonyblossom
Prompts
flowers
mountains
hiking
body of water
cottagecore
animals
whimsy
trees
rain
garden
camping
forest
fairies
goblincore
moss
paths
beach
overgrown
whimsigoth
caves
circle of life
bicycle
sunshine
regrowth
seasonal
granola
volcano
magic
mushrooms
clouds
sparkling
Rules
This event will start on Friday, May 1 and end on Sunday, May 31
Late submissions will be accepted through Thursday, June 4
While there is a theme, you do not have to follow it as long as you follow the prompts and clearly label which prompt you are using
While there are prompts, you do not have to use them if your work still focuses on the theme of nature, just state that you are following the theme instead of using a prompt
Submissions must include the characters full name and which Choices story they are from. GOC characters must also include a gender tag (ex. m!MC, nb!OC). Preferably, this information should be in the post itself, but including it in the tags is okay too.
If your work contains a relationship it must be labelled correctly, using "x" or "/" for romantic/sexual relationships and "&" for platonic relationships.
NSFW/mature submissions are allowed, but must be tagged properly and have the proper community label.
You cannot submit AI generated content for this event.
Tag this account on all submissions. If I don't reblog within 72 hours, please DM me the post on this account or @peonyblossom as sometimes Tumblr tags can be unreliable.
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