* nothing but ashes

❝ we have not touched the stars, nor are we forgiven, which brings us back to the hero’s shoulders and the gentleness that comes, not from the absence of violence, but despite the abundance of it. ❞

[illdiisms-blog]

lovedared ( king nathaniel )

he can feel her judgement, feel her eyes digging into his skin and yet, he accepts it with a smile. she is from ironhaven and it explains her demeanor for which he understands.  ❛ i am quite aware that how i prefer to do things is not normally a king’s mindset. many men choose to rule with fear but i do not. ❜ he’s prideful of his position, thankful that after all he had been through he still remains a king willing to think so highly of others.  ❛ you may speak freely, ❜ nathaniel responds, wondering if he will grow to regret his choice.

her bluntness -- and perhaps even rudeness --- is completely unknown to her. being honest was how she was raised, how she was always taught; it was how she expected to teach lucy, if given the chance. but illdi had always struggled with the line between honesty and being discourteous. the fear in the king’s eyes ( or perhaps he was simply apprehensive ? ) made illdi pause, but she continued with the same tone, now with permission to speak her mind. ❛ you are the sort of king that ironhaven needs, ❜ she said, unmoving. illdi didn’t dislike the young blackhart king, but she worried the relation to his father would soon become all too... apparent. ❛ we need someone kind to wash away all the blood. ❜

[shewhomuses]

                                                            Oηcє υρση α тιмє                                                   I used to romanticize                                              Used to be somebody, ɴever мιɴd                                                   Don’t miss it ᴛʜᴀᴛ much now

[illdiisms-blog]

lordjameslandis:

He looked at her in puzzled bemusement as she continued to splash around in the shallows without giving him an answer. Physically she seemed fine, but perhaps something else was amiss. She seemed to be looking for something in the water, and that suspicion was confirmed when she finally spoke, and he responded.  “What did you lose? I can help you look for it.”

Illdi was only slightly shocked at the man’s insistence. Most people, especially strangers, were always so curious --- and it always seemed to either be boredom or pity that made them stop and pry. Black hair tangled in her face as she straightened back into a standing position, and she wrestled it from her face. “It was just a shell. I can find another one.” Her words were short and... well, rude, possibly. So she added, “It was for the little girl I govern. She likes colorful things, as I suppose most babies do.”

[illdiisms-blog]

partedway ( camilla )

camilla beamed at her. “i feel the same about my sister. i’m glad we have them.” she brightened further still when the woman agreed to abandon the crowd. “oh, lovely,” she said, as she turned and began to slowly pick her way around strangers. “excuse me, ser– don’t get me wrong, i like people,” and here she turned around to look at the woman again, “but in smaller concentrations than this. though this is good for people watching.” and pickpocketing, though camilla didn’t go in for that sort of thing much nowadays. “have i introduced myself? my name is camilla.”

“a sister,” illdi repeated softly, the smallest of smiles curving her lips. “i always wished i had one. or a sibling at all, i guess.” she shook her head a little, trying to wipe the dreamy thoughts --- and undoubtedly the look on her features --- from her head. illdi tentatively followed the woman through the crowd, her shoulders tensing more with each brush of a stranger’s shoulder. “i don’t much like people at all,” she said, rather bluntly, and added a small smile to ease it. “i’m illdi dagny. it’s nice to meet you.” it was a another moment and a few more people pushed passed until she spoke again. “where are we going?”

[illdiisms-blog]

"we fight together or we die together." -anya ( haha HA )

meme.

after hearing anya’s words, the reaction from illdi was instant. ❝ no, ❞ she said simply, though the strong emotions were bubbling to the surface --- and could therefore be easily seen on the governess’ features. ❝ while i would, of course, fight by your side --- i would much rather fight for you. i want to protect you and lucy, not see you perish from a fight i could win. ❞

[illdiisms-blog]

BARK ! BARK, BARK !

every few minutes, ghost would pop up from his perch by the tent opening, and let out two or three loud and obnoxious ruffs, making it all but impossible for illdi to get any ( much needed ! ) sleep. she hadn’t gotten barely any rest since the exploration incident, when the water had all but poisoned the minds of half the population, and ghost was hellbent on her never sleeping again.

illdi had just sat up to shush the mutt when anya walked into their tent, lucy in her arms, and he governess bit her tongue. she stood to help with lucy, but glared at ghost over her shoulder. ❛ your mutt hates me, ❜ she mumbled, stifling a yawn. ❛ why couldn’t you have brought a cat instead ? ❜ ( @ofepithets )

[rawrmeansmemes]

WARCRAFT ( 2016 ) SENTENCE STARTERS

I’ve spent more time protecting my king, than my own son. Does that make me loyal, or a fool? 

I’ve led thousands of warriors into battle, but I fear being a father. Does that make me a leader, or a coward? 

Some see death as having some greater purpose, but when it is one of your own, it is hard to grasp anything good comes from it.

If you truly love someone, you’ll go to the ends of the Earth to find them.

Our hope is destroyed; there is nothing to go back to

Is war the only answer?

It only works on the simple-minded.

I will not be disobeyed!

What choice did we have? Our world was dying.

For years our world has been at peace, but something is coming. I can feel it. Dark forces are upon us.

It promises great power, but it exacts a terrible price

Find these beasts, or whatever they are.

If we do not unite to fight this enemy, our world will perish.

Saving the world is not a one man job.

It has begun, our world is on the edge of war. It’s death to all things.

We fight together or we die together.

You’ll have me to protect you.

I need no one to protect me.

This war will destroy us all, but together we might stand a chance.

They’re stronger. Be smarter.

I prefer my enemies holding an axe, not a baby.

[illdiisms-blog]

lovedared ( king nathaniel )

❛  a king is allowed to do as he pleases, yes, but that is not what i wish to do.  ❜  he explained, his features softening. nathaniel always did his best to be himself, be his own king. when she mentioned ironhaven he almost gave a chuckle. ❛  bearoria is extremely different from ironhaven, especially in that sense. i treat all my people with the same respect and dignity that they deserve. my title is no excuse for my illmannered behavior and i do not like acting as such. we are all people, after all, just trying to make it through the day.  ❜ 

then why are you king ? comes to illdi’s mind, but she isn’t so foolish as to say that. besides, he was so kind --- and is that not more important than being a strong and feared king ? the governess licked her lips, thinking over his words, and what hers would be in response. ❛ that is a rare mindset within your class, your majesty, ❜ she said, unaware of the stark nature of her tone. she paused for a long moment, and then met his gaze. ❛ may i ask for permission to speak freely ? ❜

[illdiisms-blog]

lordjameslandis:

The sudden outcry nearly made him jump out of his skin, and he was instantly on edge, wondering what danger was present. But when he turned to look back to the shore, there seemed to be no threat, just a woman looking rather irritated. She didn’t seem to be hurt or in trouble, yet James felt the need to check on her after her sudden outburst. “Are you alright?” He asked her once he’d made it back to the beach.

Illdi’s head whipped around at the voice, and with a small, defeated sigh, she realized she’d disturbed the man in the water. She heard his question but didn’t respond right way, instead choosing to splash around in the water to try and find the shell. “I’m quite all right, sir,” she answered, once she had given up her few seconds of searching. “I’ve lost something that can easily be replaced. I’m sorry to have disturbed you.”

[illdiisms-blog]

mcrqvis:

     “ ah, i see. ”  marquis pulled his lips together at the answer, nodding with a slightly hardened look to his brow. it certainly must be harder for illdi than himself, that much he was certain, but he wasn’t about to open his mouth to essentially say ‘no, in fact, i cannot empathize’. at her question, however, he saw an opportunity, and the cheer returned to his features.  “ absolutely swell, yes ! ”  he lowered himself somewhat before asking:  “ have you eaten ? i came about to grab a bite, myself. ”

      the silence, which illdi so often admired, was suffocating the air between the two all-but-strangers. his response --- which was so... overly happy in her opinion --- caused her eyebrows to raise. they lowered almost immediately, however, when marquis spoke next. “ i haven’t, ” she admitted flatly, then glanced around. “ but i can’t imagine there’s anything much to eat, here. not outside of the castle at least. ”

[illdiisms-blog]

partedway ( camilla )

“am i? i didn’t do it to be kind. you simply have a nice face.” she peered through the crowd, wondering if the woman still wanted to leave it, and where it was she’d been trying to go. “your father sounds like a good man. i’m afraid mine never gave me any swords.” she stopped short of saying that the reason for that had been his absence – best not to give herself away, even to those she felt might not mind. whether the woman had a nice face or not, she was a stranger. “tell me, would you like to escape all of these people? i know that i would. you were on your way out of the crowd, weren’t you?”

she’d never heard that before. you have a nice face. the other undoubtedly meant it was memorable somehow, but illdi still felt a small redness in her cheeks --- and she hated it. “thank you,” was all she said, barely a mumble. she was happy to hear the conversation moving on, and smiled fondly. “he’s best man i know,” she said, gaze not meeting the other’s. her eyes went up, however, when the offer to leave was presented. “i... yes, i was,” she said quietly, almost embarrassed. “that would be lovely.”

[illdiisms-blog]

partedway:

“did i, though?” he called down. still, he felt somewhat guilty, and had to wrestle with the urge to actually do as she’d said. well, no. he didn’t want to do as she’d said. he just wanted to climb down. that she’d said it was what was preventing it. but she’d fallen; he couldn’t leave her to pick up her things on her own. he climbed most of the way down, and regarded her through the branches. “listen, i’m sorry. would you, in theory, hit me with that basket if my feet touched the ground?”

“that’s not the point,” illdi mumbled, probably too quiet for the other to hear. she watched as the branches of the invaded tree rustled as he moved, and caught a glimpse of him as he spoke again. she had to fight a smirk from forming on her lips at his words, even though she wasn’t quite sure of the answer herself. “you’re safe, sir,” she said, failing in her attempts to keep a small smile at bay. “but i expect you to help me find my herbs, as they’ve all camouflaged quite perfectly against the grass...”

[illdiisms-blog]

lordjameslandis:

If there was one thing that James enjoyed about Teshayra, it was the sea. Remaining in Norden for most of his life meant that he’d only seen the sea once before, but since everyone had travelled to the new world, he spent a lot of his time by the water. Early morning swims were a regular pastime for him, and it was where he was now: stood waist-deep in the crystal blue waters and unintentionally ignorant of anyone passing by on the shore.

There were very few things that helped Illdi stay calm in a place that seemed so hellbent on keeping her on edge. Practicing swordplay, for one --- but that wasn’t always accessible, especially after the castle and its courtyard had burned. The second, as odd as it sounded --- was searching the sandy beaches for small shells, in hopes of creating a smile on Lucy’s face if she showed the colorful shells to her. Illdi noticed the man in the water, and was intent not to disturb him ( if only because she feared a conversation ) --- but soon, her hand slipped its grip and dropped a particularly pretty shell into the salty water, to which she responded, “ oh, gods !! ” perhaps a little too loudly not to be noticed.

[illdiisms-blog]

partedway:

making up his mind to climb the tree had happened quickly and smoothly enough that corin’d hardly registered it. one moment he’d caught sight of the thing, and in the next was halfway up it. the top was reached without much incident, but when he got there one of the branches snapped under the weight of his foot, and went tumbling to the ground. “shite.” it had landed a hair’s breadth away from a person. “alright down there?” he called.

the basket under illdi’s arm --- filled nearly to the brim with different herbs and spices for anya and lucy, and a few of which she knew nothing of and was curious about --- fell from her arms and tumbled to the ground, spilling its contents across the grass. “ by the GODS !! ” she exclaimed angrily, looking up to the man in the tree. “ what in --- what are --- ” huffing angrily, illdi scooped the basket back up. “ you could have seriously hurt someone, you know. and you should come down from there before you hurt yourself. ”

[illdiisms-blog]

partedway:

“no more than in passing. i’m sure i would have remembered you better otherwise.” she thought she might have seen the woman with anya cassel, actually – with anya and her daughter. “it is a very nice sword,” she added. “not that i’m much of an expert.”

“you are kind to remember me at all, miss.” illdi’s gaze was far from meeting the other’s, though the simple fact that the governess had not yet walked away was sign enough of her interest. glancing down at her weapon, illdi actually smiled. “yes, it is. my father gave it to me before i came here. he wanted me to be well protected.”

[illdiisms-blog]

lovedared ( king nathaniel )

now he’s done it, being an asshole about the matter and his own title. this is why he hates bringing up who he is, as if it’s an excuse for anything. nathaniel lets out a quiet huff, irritated at himself.  ❛  it does.  ❜ would you like help with getting your head out of your arse, your majesty ?   ❛   i suppose no one is made to please anyone, yet we do. will you accept my apology for my tone ?   ❜

there was a certain change in the king’s disposition that confused illdi. the royals she was used to --- those from ironhaven --- were certainly never ones to feel... guilty about anything, let alone a sharp-tongued response to a lowly commoner. and illdi was at fault, was she not ? the governess’ eyes narrowed and her brows lowered.  ❛  of course, your majesty. though i daresay it was not needed --- a king is allowed to do as he wishes, yes ? if you wish to speak out of turn, especially to a commoner --- are you not allowed that privilege ? is bearoria so different from ironhaven, in that sense ? ❜

[illdiisms-blog]

mcrqvis:

     while marquis was sent to the market rather regularly, he surprisingly still stuck to finding whatever he needed and retiring back to the castle rather briskly. it was unusual to get stopped, so the sound of someone calling out during one of his distracted wanderings threw him off somewhat, even if he was evidently blocking their way. “ mm ? ” marquis made a questioning sound as he looked down, meeting a familiar pair of eyes. “ oh ! miss dagny ! ” forget the fact that the governess was quite literally his age — he grinned like a student spotting a teacher outside of class. “ are you — ” marquis paused then. he was about to be nosy, he was about to impose as he usually did with those he got too comfortable with, but one look at the governess’ rigid posture told him to stop. the curl of his lips instantly folded back down, brows knitting together in worry. “ are you alright ? ” he asked, lowering his voice just enough to blend with the surrounding crowd.

          the sound of her name only eased the tension in her shoulders slightly. while it was good to know he wasn’t a stranger --- though illdi wouldn’t go so far as to say they were friends --- she was still far from her comfort zone. “ me ? i’m fine, ” she replied, slightly bewildered at the question, then again, it was usually her job to ask such a question, so being the recipient was odd. “ just a little . . . far from home, i suppose. but so are you. are you well ? ”