heart strung on taut strings

Mikhail S. Weiss || 29 || Bow widely, pluck gently; taut strings can be heard in the thickest of silences Member of Rune Seasons

[songbirdies-blog]

Always Time for Family || Mikhail & Sonja

Sonja always liked hanging out in this particular hidden spot a bit ways off the beach that she only knew about. Well, as far as she knew, anyways. She could think of one other person who would have found this place, untouched by most humans. Though if that were the case, he–

Oh, there he was again, in her thoughts.

Sonja sighed and shook her head, as if it would make it go away. But it didn’t. He was always there, she didn’t even realize it, but she thought about him so much. And the fact that she had basically ruined their relationship?

Well, it was a fact she had to live with, so there was no point moping about it. In an attempt to get away from these thoughts, she started to sing. Without even realizing it, the song became a bit more melancholic, though she expected it due to her mood. What she didn’t expect was a violin accompanying her from the other side. And whoever this was, they were good at it.

She let the song continue to its end before peering over to the other side. “Hello?”

@heartstringsonnet

[heartstringsonnet-blog]

It was a little strange, how his feet had crossed so many lands that he had lost track of how many footprints he had scattered. Would he be able to collect them like bottled memories? Maybe if he-- Breathed.  And closed his eyes. He’d be able to remember a story through his fingers. A skip of the bow, a skip of his heart-- his thumb pressed firmly against his bow as he drew a breath of life into his violin. He remembered snow against sand, a peculiar sight that made even the hellfire feel like home, for miles and miles. 

Back straight, elbow bent sharply, and memories in pieces, Mikhail felt as though he had gathered enough to sew together feelings like patchwork. It was beautiful, a new tune he hadn’t played before. But it felt like he had heard it before, without it ever being played. And just as he remembered people scattering, lost to the blinding white, he remembered that he may have been the only one looking forward to it. His tune took a solemn turn, gently drifting to sleep amidst the blank sheets of snow.

And-- Ah. Songbird. “Sonja! Oh, is your voice music to my ears, how are you?” Taking his violin by the neck, Mikhail felt a smile dance onto his face like it was doing a little jig. 

“Your audience is always appreciated... Music is best made when it can touch others, no?” Well, at the very least, he hoped that she could feel a little of it in her soul. When the notes could seep into the cracks and bring out the dandelions, he supposed his violin had done its job. 

Though, she looked just a touch paler than usual. But perhaps his eyes were deceiving him. “It has... been a while. Is life treating you with kindness?”

[downsouthpeaches-blog]

Phantom of the Mountain Trail || Georgia & Mikhail

[heartstringsonnet-blog]

downsouthpeaches‌:

@heartstringsonnet;

Now that the sun had set and the work day was done, Georgia had all the time in the world… to eat dinner, maybe shower, and then turn in early for work again tomorrow. Ranch work started at the crack of dawn, after all, so she needed all the shuteye she could get to be at 100%. Best to be bright eyed and bushy tailed when dealing with rowdy animals and customers, rather than being a cranky, caffeine craving, sleep deprived mess.

But in spite of her being aware of that, Georgia still decides to forgo her usual routine to head out of town instead, eager to go out and watch (maybe catch) a few fireflies. They only ever came out in the summertime, which wouldn’t be lasting for too much longer now. With the end of the season soon approaching, this was one of her last few chances to go out and see them before the weather got too cold.

All she has to guide her along the darkened mountain trail is a small flashlight and the gentle glow of the moon. While she walks, Georgia playfully hums in tune with the chirping cicadas, her eyes lighting up when she catches the flickering light of a firefly floating not too far ahead of her. As she moves deeper into the mountain, she begins to see more, and the rancher briefly considers pulling out her jar to catch a few.

But before she can start to dig around in her bag for said jar, she hears the sound of footsteps behind her. Light, but noticeable. Enough to draw her attention and have her look over her shoulder…

…only to scream when she’s met with the sight of a white haired, pale faced person under the moonlight. What was THAT!? A wraith!? Spirit? Or a—

“G-g-g-ghost!?” She squawks, hastily stumbling away and tripping over her own feet in the process. As Georgia’s rear painfully meets with the ground, she tries to scoot back, only to look up and realize the thing she’d been trying to get away from wasn’t a ghost at all… it was… was… “M-Mikhail…?” What was he doing out on the mountain path so late? “You… I… w-what…” 

And here she was, overreacting as always and making a total fool out of herself in front of him. Great going, Georgia.

There was always something that felt like an exchange, when it came to walking at the crack of dusk. Mikhail supposed it was a matter of forgoing his safety and a touch of his eyesight, but otherwise he never had had an issue walking about in the dark before. Besides, it was so much cooler when the moon was out and the shadows had the floors cloaked in midnight black. He found it breathtaking, to see the towns in a new dark. And since summer had him all over the place, it was really nice to be-- 

Home?

Could he call it that? Yes, he supposed he could. And as home would have it, the fireflies were out to bestow the evening in bright accolades. Raising his hands, he reached out towards the light and the fireflies slowly drifted between his fingers. And away. As he passed between the trees, he was careful not to catch his foot on a tall root, and faintly passed between the shadowy overhangs. 

Ducking gracefully, Mikhail flickered in and out, before he caught sight of a familiar figure in the distance. She just had her way with nature, moving about with such a strong gait and curiosity that befit someone of her nature. Though they talked sparingly, he wondered if it would be unkind not to greet her so he made his way down a bit to wav-- He winced for a moment, subtle-- unnoticed, before dashing to her side without so much as another sound. “Georgia--are you quite alright?”

“I... must have given you quite the fright, but it’s alright now. Here, I’ll help you up.” Offering his hand, he tried to make the situation as comfortable as possible. Well, as comfortable as he could accommodate to for two neighbor’s in the dark. 

“Catching fireflies?” Are you not good with-- “That’s a pretty hobby, it suits you.” Ghosts? 

His eyes flickered curiously, before it was glazed over with a gentle cloak of guilt. “Though I must have made it hard for you...”  

[heartstringsonnet-blog]

Activity Check { 9/15-9/30

[heartstringsonnet-blog]

Mercury

Space Ask Memes || Mercury- Describe your aesthetic.

“Aesthetic?” Was there a certain aesthetic that he prescribed to? His mind was drawing a blank, as he glanced down at his usual appearance and pulled his old coat a little closer to his figure. For one with little physical possessions, and little to work with in terms of self-image, it was hard for him to imagine what kind of answer they were looking for. Aesthetic was lovingly vague term, and one that took time to peel away at to understand.

“Perhaps it’s the look of a wandering musician? Clean cut and proper?” 

It felt a bit odd for him to describe his… aesthetics in words. He was introspective, sure– but not of such superficial things. Yet, perhaps he should give it a chance. 

“Anything with old wood– cherry, perhaps. And autumn’s tinge of wanderlust. Music sheets and old dust blankets, that shroud old antiques to be moved elsewhere.”

“Yellowing journals and coffee stains. Early snow in the fall.”

[heartstringsonnet-blog]

Mars

Space Ask Memes || Mars- If you could change one thing about yourself, what would you change?

“I would like to be able to handle other people’s emotions with more care.”

Mikhail hummed thoughtfully. Feelings and emotions, if properly tended to, bloomed into such beautiful gardens. He was one to find muse in others, so it would only be kind to do right by them.

“So perhaps one thing I would change is my sense of interpersonal connections. You could say that my repertoire in that realm is already sharp-- but I would contend otherwise.” It would do no good for him to be stagnant about it. Sure, he could be satisfied with his progress, but he had a long way to go before he could say he was skilled at understanding people.

Or maybe he was just a tad too overzealous about things.

He simply just wanted to be good to others.

[heartstringsonnet-blog]

Aquarius

Space Ask Meme || Aquarius- What’s a topic you enjoy learning about?

Music. 

“Everything under the sun.” 

That was a typical answer, was it not? If he were to tell the truth, it would be that he wanted to learn everything– from astrology to English to magic unbound. He had quite the bit of knowledge upon German and French, and even a touch of experience in baking. And during his travels, his soul was wrapped sweetly around the rich cultures of towns and populations he floated amongst. It was a matter of becoming one with the topic at hand, that made him so thrilled to thrive. 

“If I were to pick one, the obvious contender would be music. There would be no contest.” 

“You could close your eyes and perk your ears up, and suddenly you feel like a man who has a lot to learn. Because once you experience the depth of emotion, you realize you know nothing at all.”

[heartstringsonnet-blog]

Moon- If you had a book that described you what would be in it?

Space Ask Memes || Moon- If you had a book that described you what would be in it?

“I have a feeling it will be quite thin.” 

Smiling from ear to ear, he pressed his palms together, meeting at the pinkies. Opening his hands up like a book, he closed it again in the same breath. “Ta-da!”

“Nothing but cover to cover. But I think it’d be a nice read for completionists, no?” To those who liked speed reading and getting to the point, his book would probably be a breeze. 

“Perhaps it would be written in code, with bars and bars of undecipherable music?” 

Laughing, he left it at that.

[heartstringsonnet-blog]

Chariot

Tarot Ask Meme || chariot: in what situations are you most assertive?

“When the heart says yes, and the mind does not say no.” He laughed, twirling his finger like a fluttering baton. Assertive was a term that could also be contested and debated upon. He supposed it meant extroverted and seeking out goals without the necessity of external motivators-- but even so, one could be assertive without making a sound. With subtle motions and unseen actions.

“Do you not think it’s beautiful? When heart and mind click so prettily, like a key into a lock?”

“But, to answer the question more concretely...”

“A situation when someone’s eyes are down-turned, or they give you a slight gaze as though they are emptily looking right through you--” Abruptly, he stopped in his tracks for a moment. “When someone needs help and you have the explicit feeling it’s a call meant for you.”

“So you pick up the phone and answer.”

[heartstringsonnet-blog]

justice!! for the tarot meme hfkjdahfkld

Tarot Ask Meme || justice: do you value fairness over mercy?

“My… a particularly loaded question.” Mikhail’s lips curled into a vague smile, as though he were weighing out his options. 

“I don’t think I value one over the other, no. That’s a bit unfair, for ‘justice,’ I do believe.” Turning his wrist back and forth, he adjusted his cuffs. Why would you weigh one over the other and consider it fair?

“I feel as though fairness and mercy go hand,” He opened one palm towards the sky. “...in hand.” And the other.

“If you subjectively assume fairness without mercy is truly fair, then I wouldn’t be able to argue against you. However, I for one think that one cannot exist without the other.”

[heartstringsonnet-blog]

Beach Oasis Bazaar | Snowstorm

For better or for worse, Mikhail had always been rather ‘consistent’ with his sense of... fashion. (If he were allowed to even word it as such, ha ha ha!)  It wasn’t as though he had much of a choice, given that he was the wandering musician sort. Consistency. Otherwise known as--if he were to use less flattering words-- lack of variety. Though his personality made him a man of many hats, he really did only have one coat for matters like this. And sweltering weather was never kind to a man with half a wit. Odd enough to wear a trenchcoat into the desert.

Oh well. It wasn’t like he hadn’t gone through these trials before. If he just bit his tongue and whistled a pretty tune, the heat would be gone in a flash. And so he did. And so it did. And by stars, he hadn’t thought something like that would work! It’s... not supposed to work that way. As the powdered snow sprinkled over head, he wondered what tune set the clouds off?  

Snow.

It was gracious, and a sign that meant more to his blistered heart than he let on. If he didn’t know any better, someone was listening to his prayers and brought down a soft blanket for him to cool his head. But he wasn’t the conceited sort-- what was good for him was certainly not good for others. Watching everyone rush into the Sphinx, with their wares in tow, he couldn’t help feel conflicted by how pleased he was. If it snowed every day, would he--?

Oh never mind that. Gliding over to the next stall packing its wares, Mikhail offered a smile and a hand. It was the least he could do for people who couldn’t handle the cold. Whistling a tad bit wistfully, he went about his day as he always did. Where ever the music took him.

[f1owerbudding-deactivated201912]

🐝Bee Happy Stall🐝

Ella was excited for the beach oasis. While she had no intentions of going into the water, she wore a bathing suit with a tie around skirt just to fit in it. The end of summer was near, and she couldn’t think of a better way of ending it. Of course, she couldn’t go without her two angels…that weren’t behaving too well at the moment. As they dashed around the table, every so often, Ella found herself trying to keep her things from falling off the stand.

Keep reading

[heartstringsonnet-blog]

Now, if he could catch the stars in his eyes, he’d probably swallow an entire universe in those opals. He was delighted. That’s exactly how he felt when he was passing on by, trying to relieve himself of the terrible heat that had him in blisters. He and the sun weren’t exactly complimentary... but given their frequent encounters, he had wished that he would have gotten used to it by now. Well. Try as he might, he finally caught something that reminded him of how he could love the sun. 

“Pardon me. If I may, could I buy some sunflowers off of you?” He stuck out two fingers, wondering if he should just buy the girl out instead of just buying two. Just as he thought that transaction was as good as finished, the gears in his head clicked prettily. ”Ah, I recognize you--” From the Treasure Hunt! However, he stopped completely in his tracks when he saw a few balls of fluff popping out from the corner of his eye.

“...My stars! This is quite the selection you have out here.” Crouching down, he reached his fingers out to tease one of their little ears. After a quaint few seconds, Mikhail put aside his rather offhand mannerisms and picked one of them up gently in both hands.

“Hasn’t your owner been kind to you? You’re even allowed to travel the world with her...” It must have been nice to be free. He could empathize, sincerely. He brought the dog up to his face and pouted playfully. It barked happily and put a paw on his face in response, and he couldn’t help but widen his starry eyes. He gasped gently at the touch, as amusement danced over his face. “I have been blessed.” A jest. But a fun one, of course.

[heartstringsonnet-blog]

Activity Checker

(On Hiatus) 

Earned: 200 RP

[treasurede-blog1]

arkwright

[heartstringsonnet-blog]

treasurede‌:

Setting up a stall wasn’t too hard, but the heat was killer. Honestly the shade from the stall wasn’t enough to keep him cool despite only wearing swimming trunks. He would have to endure this heat. He needed some funds, and brought along some things of the past. There were more of them, but he didn’t even know if they would sell well. Now was the time to test how well they would be received.

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Read More Now!

Whimsy and wonder always sated his more curious desires. He had ducked into many stalls, enthralled that everyone was so caught up in showing their best wares. It was like they were hanging their hearts on their sleeves– except. Well. They were hanging their hearts on shelves and lines, like fairy lights or--. In this case, he supposed it was like the lines people made in the sand as they stomped about. It was fascinating. 

People had such pretty windows into their hearts. 

That’s what he told himself anyway, to distract himself from the heat that was rising to his head. He was probably going to burn to crisps out here. Humming to preoccupy himself, his ears caught the faint sounds of laughter and jingling bells, wondering where they’d guide him next. And then his eyes caught on the handful of cacti someone had on display. 

Pointing to them with a twirl of his finger, he gave the young man a friendly smile. “Can I buy one of those charming little guys?” He thought there were kind of adorable and could probably make for a small gift or another.

“And...” Another point to the Bilita Mpash. “I’m surprised you have one of these in stock. You must have a good eye... The open bazaar I visited earlier this year gossiped about these like they were hot off the presses! I couldn’t even manage to buy one since they were sold out. Hahaha.” (Not that he could blame them. That last area he had been in had a few flood scares.)

[spiritualmaiden-blog1]

Water-Fall || Emiko & Mikhail

[heartstringsonnet-blog]

spiritualmaiden‌:

Visitors to the shrine were frequent enough, frequent enough that new faces hardly surprised Emiko anymore.

When exiting the shrine today, however, the unfamiliar figure she was greeted with promptly fell right into the waterfall.

“Oh…!” Emiko rushed to the bottom of the waterfall, looking for any sign of the man she just spotted. That was quite a fall! She couldn’t swim herself, otherwise she would’ve dived right in. “Are you alright?!” She called out. @heartstringsonnet

He hadn’t thought this through very well. Not at all. It was silly of him but he should have already known his fair share of exchanges with lady luck weren’t going to be kind. Oh well~! A capsized canoe-- caught on a sharp rock that was shaped like karma-- aside, he remembered the rush of the Fireside Festival with ease and was quick to play the hand he was dealt. The waves took him and left the boat, as though splitting the shares and deciding he was the only one worth taking. He was swept in and-- with a whimsical smile on his face, decided to let it be.

Up and over. 🎵

With a violent splash and bubbles catching his fall, he resurfaced with a puff of cold air and a good natured laugh to him. The scattered water over his head muffled his hearing, but the further he floated away from the water fall, the more he had a sense that someone was calling him. Squinting, he saw a blur out in the distance and waved to her with a smile unfitting of a man who just crashed from who knows how high.

“Oh, I’m fine, really!” He called out to her, as her figure came closer (or rather, he was drifting closer like a sad piece of wood.) “Second time is the charm, I always like to say.”

[runeseasons-blog]

Space Ask Memes

Comet- What are you currently frustrated about?

Black Hole- What are you most afraid of?

Galaxy- Do you have any nicknames? What are they?

Star- What song(s) do you feel describes you? How is that song/those songs significant to you?

Moon- If you had a book that described you what would be in it? 

Planets- If you could go anywhere, where would you go? Why?

Mercury- Describe your aesthetic.

Venus- If you could wish for one thing, what would it be?

Earth- If you could be anyone else for a day, who would you want to be?

Mars- If you could change one thing about yourself, what would you change?

Jupiter- What is something you’re afraid people would find out about you?

Saturn- How far would you go for those you care about?

Uranus- What would you say is your greatest achievement? Is there something you want to achieve?

Neptune- Would you get into a debate/argument with someone if you heard them saying something you disagree with or know to be wrong, or would you stay silent?

Pluto- If you could meet anyone, alive or dead, who would you meet?

Constellations- If you could have one talent, what would you want it to be? (can be magical or not!)

Aquarius- What’s a topic you enjoy learning about?

Aries- What is something you enjoy doing? If you could teach someone else, how would you even begin to describe it to them?

Cancer- How do you want to be remembered?

Cassiopeia- What’s your favorite quote? Why? Would you share it with someone or keep it to yourself?

Leo- If you could change the way any movie was made, which movie would you change? If you wouldn’t change a thing, would you want to be in the movie yourself?

Libra- If you could talk to your past self, what would you tell yourself?

Scorpius- If you had to pick someone to betray you, who would you pick?

If you would like to participate in this ask meme make sure to REBLOG this post! If you feel that you need more asks later on, feel free to reblog again at a later time as well!

[heartstringsonnet-blog]

Soft Activity Check

(On Hiatus) 

Earned: 4 AP || 1510 RP

Total: 3260 RP

[runeseasons-blog]

[ Fireside Festival ]

Rune Seasons' First Ever Event!

With a good ol’ summer wrap up, our Fireside Festival has come to a close! The great out doors are just the right place to… fight a bunch of bees, seduce a bear, be jumped by a man in a dog suit– wait. That doesn’t sound ANYTHING like a camping trip? 

In any case, Mimi and Levi should probably think twice before hosting another one of these odd events. But hey, at least the Adventurer’s Guild got what they wanted right? With the Zephyr Blade in tow, the two went for a cup of tea and were on their way. 

What’s so special about a branch anyway?

All chatrooms will come to a close today! If anyone wants to continue a thread (and wants it as part of the document) feel free to send in a Google Doc and we’ll edit the document accordingly. Otherwise~

Happy First Event!