[lightruin]

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐃𝐎𝐄𝐒 𝐀 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓 𝐁𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐀 𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐎𝐑 —- WHEN DOES A CANDLE BECOME A BLAZE? 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐃𝐎𝐄𝐒 𝐀 𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝐁𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐀 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑?

AZ of pokemon. affiliated with @isolaradiale. by percival ⎛ 32, he/him ⎠

app. stats. threads.

a study of ❲ . . . ❳ life and death. eternity. grief. atonement. healing from the scars of war. making a better tomorrow.

ranked ❲ . . . ❳ dwarf ⎛ 12/1/25 ⎠ housed ❲ . . . ❳ 317, golden ward

𝐈𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐈 𝐏𝐀𝐘 𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐍?

[dazzlxd]

The young woman AZ is so relieved to see notices the flower crown blooming amongst the elder's hair. She sighs, softly, and reaches out to pat Gwen gently - encouraging the Pokémon that it was alright to trot up to the gentle giant.

And so the fuzzy brown little fox-cat does as so, as her trainer - Keeper the other called her once - shifts some on the bench and motions to the empty spot. Gwen is currently brushing up AZ's legs as an ask for pets.

"I don't feel as well as I look," she answers honestly. "But you seem to be under the same weather, non? Please, take a seat. Conversations are better shared sitting down as my mháthair says." Mother. The Galarian rolls off her tongue so easily with the rest, she sighs a little.

And then pink peony blooms from her wrist.

[lightruin]

AZ glances at the bench for a moment, and a part of him wants to protest, not because of a lack of wanting to spend time with his companion, but for the fact that there were very few things made for people his size. instead, he sits, long legs stretched awkwardly, and decides that this is something that he should be used to. even at hotel z, the furniture and beds were made for his guests, save his own room- he feels the ache in his bones.

❝ i have been trying to stay away from others so that it does not spread, ❞ a large hand moves to offer the gentle pets that the eevee is so actively seeking, her soft fur helping him stay focused, ❝ it happened after i came across a field of peculiar flowers. they looked so much like the one floette ... ❞

floette. she was in good hands, AZ knew that, but it didn't mean that he didn't miss her dearly. his oldest friend-

❝ they bloom when you lie, mon ami. ❞ like a fae-curse. ❝ they push us to speak of truths that we do not wish to speak of. i will not ask for you to tell me things that you are not ready to speak of. we can sit in silence. perhaps that will bring comfort in itself. ❞

[lightruin]

@collarbnd ⎛ event s.c ⎠

from what AZ had gathered, whatever was wrong with him- the garden blooming within- was in fact contagious. the pollen fell like faerie dust from the crimson flowers woven in his silver hair, and all that they touched suffered the same. truth bled from the lips of those affected, and if not, the flowers bloomed. lonely as he was, it meant that it was best to avoid people until the whole thing was sorted out- and it would be, he was certain of that. because the last odd phenomenon in the city had passed rather smoothly, all things considered.

of course, he was unable to predict everyone's movements, and with the weight of mortality, he required the same things as any other person. food, drink, fresh air- so it was in this that he found himself face to face with a peculiar young fellow.

there's something wild about him, just as there is something fae-like about AZ. a meeting of two people not quite adjusted to the world around them. he's learned to understand that much, and it brings him a sort of sorrow. he wonders if the young man is drawn to the red flowers- he'd received compliments before. before he knew. now, he stood still, knowing that the more he moved, the more the garden would spread. ❝ these flowers are not what they seem, ❞ he begins, and he finds it hard to choose the right words to continue. because how is he to explain this sort of feeling? how is he supposed to keep someone else from the bleeding truth?

[lightruin]

@dazzlxd ⎛ event s.c. ⎠

AZ knows that he is a piece of history. a myth of a man whose choices had led to suffering unimaginable. how many times had the legend been told? of a king who tried to revive his dearest companion; of a man who took countless lives in his madness- of a weapon buried for three thousand years. a forgotten thing, wasn't it? some things, he knew, should not be forgotten, and that was one of them.

if only he had reached out to someone, perhaps none of the tragedies would have happened. the punishment of the aura gods was well deserved, even in his own opinion, and fae-touched as he was, he understood what had been taken from him. he often said that the pain of it had lessened. he often lied.

now, he found himself in a peculiar situation. having come across a strange patch of flowers, AZ's brief interactions with those he passed had been ... well. he had never been one to be chatty and he held most everything close to the vest. and every time he stayed silent, another flower bloomed- beautiful, nostalgic things woven into his long hair. floette's favorite, he recalled.

coming face to face with the young woman and her friendly eevee was not expected, but not unappreciated, either. perhaps spending time with someone familiar ... since when was he the sort to truly seek out any form of companionship? he had what he needed, had made peace with ...

he sighs, another flower, blood red and black, blooming in his hair as if he were a deity of the springtime- and gives a small smile. ❝ you look well, ❞ he begins, gaze sweeping over her and her eevee. it's honest, she does look well. and the garden inside him is still. for now.

[lightruin]

lms for a cyor starter, AZ is doing crocus among us and he's not having a great time. they may be short starters ... capped at 2 with castmates exempt!

[lightruin]

cyor for AZ is going to be a crocus among us but it's because i want to inflict maximum angst damage on people you know? eternal flower, liar's edition.

[lightruin]

new month new me as in new month new starter call, capped at 3 with castmates exempt!

[sbcjacinthe]

One day early in her stay, Jacinthe strolled through the lobby doors of the Golden Ward apartments and encountered a familiar face.

It wasn't anyone from the Society of Battle Connoisseurs. It wasn't anyone from the Rust Syndicate. It wasn't someone from Team MZ, but that was getting warmer.

No, she wasn't so fortunate to meet someone that made sense — she met one that had recently been given his own cemetery plot.

Truly, Radial Island had thrown everything topsy-turvy for Jacinthe! She was poor now, her boss at the TV station was a walking TV himself, her dear Clefable had reverted to a Clefairy, Lebanne was nowhere to be found, and she was making eye contact with the living dead!

She had pushed through these bizarre circumstances until now. She simply had to continue. C'est la vie !

"You are AZ, no?" she asked, a look of wonder on her face. "If that is truly you, I humbly invite you up to my residence for tea."

💜 @lightruin

[lightruin]

there is always something familiar about those who mingle with the fae. jacinthe holds herself with all the air of a wealthy heiress, with the grace that AZ often associated with the mysterious denizens of the glimwood ⎛ for his travels had taken him far and wide; he who stood at the beginning and end of all things ⎠. she looks surprised to see him, as if she knows something that he does not. or maybe he does know, because that was inevitable.

time did not flow in the city of spirale as it would outside. some people came from times that another had not yet experienced. jacinthe looks like she is staring at someone who came from beyond the grave. AZ often thinks that for quite some time, he already had one foot in the grave. perhaps since that day, three thousand years ago ... ❝ yes, i am AZ, ❞

❝ i do recall you, mademoiselle jacinthe. did you not try to hold my guests hostage so that they would participate in your tournament? ❞ AZ had chosen to abandon his noble roots when he fell into the role of a wanderer. even when he held himself with the regal air of a king, that was a life long ago. but, it meant that he had some sort of understanding of jacinthe's society of battle connoisseurs. wealthy nobility, the lot of them, raised in the lap of luxury and expecting things to always go their way. there was a point where he was like that, too. ❝ but, you also provided assistance when lumiose was at her greatest hour of need. i do owe you thanks for it. ❞

he stares at her for a moment before smiling softly ⎛ wearily, because he is so tired, ⎠ - ❝ i will forgive you for your little 'jacinthe zone'- i know well the urge to do anything in order to have something that you want. ❞

❝ tea does sound lovely. if you so wish it, i will accompany you. ❞

[aedearly]

✎ㅤ. . .ㅤ𝑯𝑬𝑨𝑫𝑪𝑨𝑵𝑶𝑵 𝑸𝑼𝑬𝑺𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵𝑺.

₊˚⊹ ㅤa collection of character analysis/headcanon questions to learn more about your character and your partners'! writing/headcanon prompts requested by anonymous. feel free to edit these as you see fit.

[ 🖐️ ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat do their hands feel like: soft, calloused, trembling ? [ ☂️ ]ㅤ.ㅤdo they crave touch or fear it ? [ 🎐 ]ㅤ.ㅤdo they have a sound, like a song or voice, that they associate with peace ? [ 🕊️ ]ㅤ.ㅤwhen did they feel the safest ? [ 💤 ]ㅤ.ㅤhow do they sleep ? curled up, sprawled, holding onto something ? [ 🦇 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat is a fear they never talk about ? [ 🔒 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat is a secret they’ve sworn never to tell ? [ 🪢 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhen was the last time they broke a promise ? [ 🫳 ]ㅤ.ㅤwho do they feel they owe, but never paid back ? [ 💼 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat do they always carry with them ? [ 🧨 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat’s the quickest way to set them off, even if they hide it well ? [ ⛓️ ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat does guilt feel like to them ? [ 💢 ]ㅤ.ㅤwho have they never forgiven and never will ? [ 🩸 ]ㅤ.ㅤis there something or someone that, if lost, would break them ? [ 🌧️ ]ㅤ.ㅤis there a pain they refuse to heal from ? [ 🪞 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhen have they looked at their reflection and hated what they saw ? [ 📿 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat superstition or ritual do they cling to ? [ 🌊 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhen was the last time they cried ? [ 🐾 ]ㅤ.ㅤdo animals like them instinctively ? [ 🪶 ]ㅤ.ㅤhow do they laugh ? [ 🫀 ]ㅤ.ㅤwho taught them what love is ? did it hurt ? [ 💭 ]ㅤ.ㅤdo they believe they’re worthy of being loved ? [ 🎀 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat is their main love language ? [ 🔦 ]ㅤ.ㅤwho do they search for ? [ 📜 ]ㅤ.ㅤis there a story they love sharing with others ? [ 🌒 ]ㅤ.ㅤdo they have a dream or goal they have given up on ? [ 🕯️ ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat memory do they replay when they’re alone ? [ 🌪️ ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat’s the one choice they regret (not) making ? [ 🧩 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat’s a truth about themselves they refuse to admit ? [ 🍻 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat kind of drunk are they ? [ ✉️ ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat kind of letter would they write but never send ? [ 🗡️ ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat is a scar that they have but never talk about ? [ 🕸️ ]ㅤ.ㅤdo they have a favourite lie they like to hear ? [ 🪦 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat would they want on their gravestone but never admit aloud ? [ 🎱 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat kind of future do they crave, and who’s in it ? [ 🌀 ]ㅤ.ㅤdo they have a recurring dream or nightmare ? [ 🍃 ]ㅤ.ㅤdo they feel like they belong ? [ ⚓ ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat does “home” mean to them ? [ 🧭 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhere would they go if they could disappear tomorrow ?

[lightruin]

there is a missing piece of him. a deep rage and sorrow that had defined him for many lifetimes, and it feels ... wrong to have it absent.

soul searching, they called it. it seemed az wasn't the only person in the strange city to be experiencing such a thing. split by the whims of unknown gods, condemned to forever feel empty if that lost part was not regained. to think, this is nothing new for him. after all, it was that feeling of emptiness and sorrow that had led him to his sins.

can he forgive himself, finally? perhaps that is the question that needs to be answered in this state in-between. not the beginning, and not the end. that much is unfamiliar. so he searches for that lost part of himself. rather, he searches for a sense of closure.

he finds himself, so much younger, agonizing, in a field of beautiful flowers. it's fitting, isn't it? the younger man is clad still in the regalia of a king of millennia long lost. he's agitated, dark hair a wild mess from how he'd been pulling at it in his turmoil. az remembers this day. this young king has only just learned that his closest friend had died.

for a moment, az watches his younger self crying in the field of flowers. he expects to feel something- and instead there is a gentle nothingness. he's mellowed with age, hasn't he? and it's for the best.

the young king notices him before he can say anything. ' bring her back, ' comes the king's voice- raw from how long he'd been crying- ' floette, bring her back! '

❝ i cannot, ❞ he begins, and there it is. the pity. and there is the rage in his younger self's eyes. the king stands- not yet as tall as the wanderer he would become, but still a titan among the others he once ruled over- ❝ i cannot stop you from what you will do. ❞

' but can you bring floette back? '

ah, the foolishness of youth. az's smile is faint, and the memories are heavy in his bones. ' can you? '

❝ it does not end as you wish it, young king, ❞ he watches his younger self's expressions change from pain and anger to confusion- to surprise and then ... ' my name is ... ' there is silence. he has long since forgotten that name. it has little meaning now.

' she lives, ' says the king, and it's no longer a question. ❝ yes. the price is steep. ❞

' you are the future. my future. ' ❝ you are the beginning. i am waiting at the end. ❞

silence falls once more between them. what is there to say? even in his youth, az had been clever. intuitive and creative. he gained his wisdom over the centuries, but this ...

' how many years is it? ' the young king begins, unable to meet the wanderer's eyes- ' until she comes back? ' they both know the answer, because they are both the same person. he is not frozen in time, and certainly he is not unaware- this young man. the one who would stand at the beginning and the end. az knows this. he knows that it is easier to fall into that anger. it is easier than sorrow. easier than guilt. he does not need to answer. the young man already knows.

' ... how long until i find peace? ' he knows the answer to this, too.

az knows that there's no need to assign a measurement of time to all that will come to pass. but he knows how it ends- and it cannot end with missing parts. he puts his hand on the king's shoulder. ❝ it is time to let go. it is time to break free of this cycle of grief. ❞

when he closes his eyes, he thinks he sees the light from ange. warm, life-giving as it was meant to be. and when he opens his eyes, he is alone in the field of flowers, and he is whole. the memories are there, but the grief- it is a little less. for now.

[lightruin]

@dazzlxd ⎛ s.c ⎠

the first thing he notices is the eevee. the same one that had come by with that little sign and a basket of candy. the second thing he notices is the young woman nearby. he thinks that they match, the eevee and the woman- there's something warm about the two of them and az wonders if there will be a day where that little eevee with its well kept coat and bright eyes will evolve into a sylveon.

it would make sense, so long as it continued to be raised with love. ⎛ a precious thing, not to be wasted or taken for granted. love, when burned, was so very hard to repair. trust, when broken ... ⎠ ❝ pardon, mademoiselle, ❞

❝ you are this eevee's keeper - trainer, perhaps? ❞ every so often he has to remind himself that no one has called them 'keepers' in centuries. it is a reminder of the millennia in his bones- of the distance between himself and others. but perhaps, not always- ⎛ he was not always alone, even if those years passed in a blink- ⎠ ❝ your eevee was kind enough to bring sweets the other night. i would like to offer my thanks to you, as well. kind actions are taught by kind people, i would like to think. ❞

[lightruin]

A little Eevee trots up with a basket full of candies, the sign reading "Take a treat!"

he recognizes the little pokemon- an eevee. friendly, as the species tended to be, and well kept. a thick and soft looking coat that denoted the care of a loving trainer. it's something admirable, isn't it? to give instead of to take.

it is the mark of someone noble and kind ⎛ he has seen many people choose to take instead of to give. he has seen the sorrows of the world, but he has also seen its joys. ⎠

the eevee has a sign around its neck and a basket full of treats. the sign reads to take. it is an offer ⎛ and he has taken so much, hasn't he? he wishes to give- ⎠ and it is that fact that makes him smile softly ⎛ with a hint of melancholy ⎠ before kneeling to the best of his ability and taking a candy.

❝ thank you, ❞ he says, soft and low. and he means it, truly.

[lightruin]

christens this blog with wip art for icons ...

[lightruin]

here's a starter call for after work ... or maybe monday... lmao capped at 4 ⎛ and if you want an event starter just let me know! ⎠

[lightruin]

KNOW YOURSELF ❲ . . . ❳ SOMEONE CURE HIM OF HIS GRIEF!

war is ruin and pain. war is the conduit of more suffering, and who knows better than the jaded king of the battle-scarred land of kalos? angry at the world for taking his closest friend from him, angry at injustice of all sorts, he's no longer the naive young king who thought that he would reign over an era of peace. there is no light here. there is no life here.

the part that has split off is the young king of kalos who has just received news of the death of his closest companion, floette. he's not taking it well. unlike his wiser three thousand year old self, the young king is just a bundle of pain and he doesn't know how to hide it.

he's about to make some real awful mistakes and the first is necromancy and the last is literally deleting a large chunk of the population of his kingdom.

the AZ of the present is ... well, he's come to terms with what he did in the past- he learned from his mistakes and it isn't a matter of whether or not he can accept this part of himself ... it's a matter of his past self comprehending the grief that he will endure before he finds peace and that's just. there's something super philosophical about it ...

[isolaradiale]

on prior reserve here is AZ from pokemon! his app is under /app and his stats are under /stats :)

Welcome to spooky Isola Radiale, AZ!

You'll be staying in APARTMENT 317.

You can die now.

Enjoy your haunted stay!

🎃🍫- (Spooky) Segin

[lightruin]