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Sweltering || Tania && OPEN

terpsikhore-dreaming:

The summer heat was finally starting to get to her. The cloth of her robes was light and breathable, but she found the sun beating down on her to be a little much. It was the heat of the day and she was a good walk away from home. In fact, this was a part of the keep she had never been in before; perhaps she should say ‘out’. After all, she was on the very outskirts by now. She had never seen quite so many trees within its walls before. Curious, she wandered closer, only to find that the trees had been blocking a river from view. One would think she would’ve caught word of its existence by now!

She glanced around, surprised to find that she was the only one there. Surely there would be children playing in it or fishermen casting their lines? Perhaps it was dirty? But the water smelled fine. The closer she drew, the more easily she could make out the shape of fish darting to and fro. Well, perhaps she had simply come at a slow time. She stripped herself of her robes, leaving only her undergarments. She reached up, tying her hair into a messy knot on the top of her head. Within a matter of moments, she had slid in till the water was at her waist. Her slender fingers skimmed over the water as she basked in its cool embrace. She remained that way until her neck ached from her tilting her head back and her cheeks hurt from her smile. When she did lift her head, she found herself meeting the gaze of another. For a brief moment, she wasn’t sure whether she should be friendly or embarrassed. She swallowed hard and managed to speak in an uncharacteristically meek voice. “Afternoon.”

“Good afternoon.”

Coming across a practically naked woman in the stream by the city wasn’t a surprise. Many bathed in whatever clear waters they could possibly find; but Sharon hadn’t thought others would discover the tiny oasis she’d stumbled upon a few days ago. Given the view she’d been offered, however, her assertion was proven incredibly --- though, admittedly, wonderfully --- wrong. Offering the woman a small but pleasant smile to show she was no-one to be wary of, her own fingers plucked at the ties around her waist until her simple cotton dress sagged free. “Might I join you?”

#(c)#terpsikhoredreaming

rheaxrafaela:

It was Sharon. Thoughtful Sharon.

Rafaela’s smile became a little less forced, a tad more genuine for the woman who’d unwillingly become part of her crew. Rafaela indeed was fond of all of them, and Sharon was no exception. Rafaela pondered the question. No, she wanted to answer, it didn’t. The sun shone but did naught but pain her in her endless worrying for her dear children. Instead, she shrugged.

“Don’t,” She started, harshly, pained, “Don’t speak of them as if they are already dead.” The words were spat out, all strangled and strange and she released a shuddering breath before, figuratively speaking, gathering herself together. “I’m terribly sorry, Sharon, that was unreasonable of me. I… I know all of them.”

Her dark gaze turned back to the keep wall and her lips parted. “They spared the only son I have left, but it isn’t enough. I will free them all.”

Don’t speak of them as if they are already dead. But they were, were they not? Judged by their peers, condemned by their people. What were kings and queens with no subjects? What was life without this suffering and death forced upon them? But Sharon held her tongue, wisely choosing to allow her captain a moment of composure . . . such harshness was not the woman’s automatic nature.

Of course. Her son. The reason why the Atlantis was even in this city. It was so easy to forget a purpose when it wasn’t hers. "And how are you to do that, Rafaela?” She asked. “Armies surround us --- surround you. Your crew may be willing to fight to the death . . . but is it worth it in the end?” She looked upon her fair, beautiful captain, a woman who appeared more determined than ever, even while they stood beneath the Keep’s shadows.

Sharon watched her captain carefully, intent on how every word caused affect. “I know you may love them --- but do you not love your crew as well? Are these memories and recollections true to who they are now in this life?”

#(c)#rheaxrafaela

rheaxrafaela:

Guilty. Guilty. GUILTY.

She couldn’t breathe, Rafaela couldn’t breathe. She’d thought she would have had time to conjure up a solid plan, an ideal way to get them out and away—but things were moving too quickly and now she had to, as well. For her children, for her grandchildren, she had to stay strong. She had to get them out.

Her wandering brought her all the way to the outer walls of the Keep, and she found herself staring up the walls. Would they hang them from there, for all to see? The thought was unbearable.

It was then that she noticed an approaching figure out of the corner of her eye, and she conjured somewhat of a strained smile. “Lovely weather for a stroll, isn’t it?”

Sharon could sense something was amiss, a shift in the air around the Atlantis. She’d heard the news, the proclamations of what was to become of the royal family, but seeing as how this land wasn’t hers, she was more intrigued by the reactions elicited from the people. How would these subjects view the damnation of the ones they used to BOW before? ( would they weep -- would they sing? --- celebrate and shout elation to the heavens? or would there be nothing, nothing but the excitement of an execution before the return to their simple lives? )

She wondered, and so she walked.

There were names: Alycia ( surely this wasn’t the one SHE knew . . . ) whom a few mourned. A few others who were damned as well or appraised in hushed whispers. The closer she walked to the Keep, the more names she heard: Balor, Pemberley, Lariviere, Thornton. How many kings and queens would they have now?

It was here that she found her Lady Captain, dim eyes and a dim smile. Nothing like the woman she knew. “It is,” she agreed with a nod, “but does it make for a lovely day?” Slowly stepping towards Rafaela, Sharon turned her eyes to the Keep as if she could imagine the faceless royals beneath it. ( who were they? honestly? ) “Did you know of any of them?”

#(c)#rheaxrafaela #( LUPITA my love #also idk what this is

alyciacromwell:

“And shall we meet on the water — sirens lured by the other’s song?” It seemed a fitting reunion for them: both born of the sea, both hungry to return to it. Alycia had forgone all illusions that she cared about the fruit stand before them. There was nothing quite so captivating as another’s presence. “I may long for something beyond satisfaction, but how much simpler life would be if that is all that we required. The only tragedy would be I would most likely not find myself in this city, speaking to you. Yet I must admit that I find it curious how you — you who desire homes over the world — have stayed so long in this one.”

The corners of her lips lifted into a smile. “If life favors us, I’d like to think we will.” How could one resist such a beautiful soul? “But isn’t it so lucky that I have? To think if I left a moment too soon, we wouldn’t have crossed paths that night, and I ache to imagine the emptiness I’d feel to have woken alone that morning. You made quite the company,” she admitted freely, turning her attention to the stand for another moment. “I try not to count the days I am in someone’s home. I simply wait until the experiences bore me.” Sharon tilted her head towards Alycia, giving her a knowing glance. “So far, they’ve yet to do that.”

#(c)#alyciacromwell #happy alycia (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((:

lukaxfoster:

This was fine, Luka told herself. All she had to do was talk about herself, right? That wasn’t so hard to do and really, who knew more about Luka than Luka? She nodded and licked her lips before clearing her throat and answering the question. “I stayed in a lakeside inn when I was in highmeadow,” she breathed out, “there wasn’t something particular about it that.. uh.. I can say why it was my favourite but… I guess.. at night, the sky would be so clear that.. uh the stars would reflect on the river and that was all you see for miles.”

Tilting her head to the side, Sharon listened intently. “Oh,” she cooed, pleased at the description, “that does sound lovely.” Highmeadow . . . an awfully familiar sounding place. Sharon smirked knowingly and appraised the young woman once more, before she stretched her hand forward. “As promised. Thank you for sharing, perhaps one day I will come across this river. How long did you stay there?”

#(c)#lukaxfoster

alyciacromwell:

Like roses that had grown too wild in their pots, perhaps Alycia had outgrown the capacities of the Keep. Those in the streets no longer called her name, and the world ticked on — but then she thought of the crown, so golden upon her locks, and she knew it was foolish to believe that she was anything less than linked with this place. ( As hellish as it had become, perhaps this woman could turn it divine once more. ) “I only wish my home was the sea, and I found peace among the waves too.” How wonderful it would be, to sail away with only a collection of hearts as she went, but the turbulence existed in the place the water hit the shore and it was there Alycia recognized as her place. A place of passion. “Yet still, I feel the vibrancy of the life that you speak of calling me… If one home isn’t enough though, will we ever be satisfied?”

Sharon hummed in reply, letting her touch drift across a selection of fruits. It’d be easy, to imagine the woman conquering the sea after allowing it to settle her into something calm. "The sea has given me a proper home. Perhaps one day . . . when you tire of this place and seek something to soothe an adventurous soul, it can become yours, too.” She faced the woman once more, giving her the attention she’d commanded at night on the docks and in the bay. With a quiet smile, Sharon shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t believe it is in our nature to be satisfied, and surely you long for more than such a tame emotion. As for a home, why settle for one, no matter how beautiful and content it is, when there are so many others to experience? why choose to stay when you could return with the warmth renewed instead?”

#(c)#alyciacromwell

lukaxfoster:

How badly did she need this squash? Sure she wasn’t usually a cook and therefore didn’t know what else she could potentially make tonight but did that mean sacrificing the comfort of her own mind? Luka paused and swallowed, averting her eyes just before reaching the conclusion that she really did need this. “Okay,” she muttered softly, “I.. what.. what do you want to know?”

Sharon smiled, soft and pleased, as if she knew the woman would agree. And why wouldn’t she? It was an equal trade, there were other stalls she could browse from later, but only one unique story she had the opportunity to hear at this very moment. After a few moments of thought, and a good bit of weighing a few questions to figure just what she’d like to know, Sharon said, "Tell me about your favorite home.”

#(c)#lukaxfoster

lukaxfoster:

Strength. Luka could have laughed at that. That wasn’t a word anyone used to describe her, and it wasn’t a word she would use for herself. Strength meant being strong enough to say no, to say I can’t. And Luka had never had that, never been blessed with the ability to refuse people. Not even once. Not since her home had been compromised all those years ago when she was only a little older than a child. But she couldn’t think about that, not now. “Sorry,” she rasped, gaining her focus again, “what uh.. what sort of trade?”

She dipped her hand into the knapsack and brought out the squash. If the woman still wanted it, then perhaps Sharon could help her out. “I’ll give you this, and in return you tell me a bit about where you’ve been. That’s all.” It was fair from her point of view, and she wondered if the other would be tempted. She let a moment pass. “Do we have a trade?”

#(c)#lukaxfoster #( this wee #( im sorry #( also look at this fab hat

lukaxfoster:

Whereas most people feared them, the woods had been a shelter for her growing up. A tranquil place and warm embrace of a home that would never really be a home again, not since her parents had left. Luka nodded her head, but wasn’t so sure she wanted to share her entire life story so she just looked at the girl and shoved her hands in the pocket of her pants. “Only from a young age. I left it… uh.. eventually. It’s been a while,” she admitted.

It was something Sharon could understand. Not too long ago, she’d left her home in search of something more. While she couldn’t say for certainty that this was also the young woman’s motivation, it only made her intrigue grow. People were fascinating; but those she could empathize with? Irresistible. “Ah--- a fellow traveler,” she smiled. “It takes quite a bit of strength to leave your home.” ( or something terrible. ) “. . . Would a trade interest you, by-chance?”

#(c)#lukaxfoster

lukaxfoster:

Luka gave the girl an awkward meaningless side smile before breaking eye contact and looking around the busy streets of the city. She’d often wondered if she would have been better living in the city, growing up in the city with other people around. Perhaps then she wouldn’t have been so… odd. It was too late now though, and something about nature made Luka feel more at ease then the city ever could. “I don’t think I do well with people. It’s hard.”

The girl didn’t look like the Wildlings Sharon’d seen around the city. Something about her was too precious, almost . . . soft to resemble any that roamed through the streets. She said before that she was from Westedell --- the woods, anyway --- but what inspired such isolation to brave a move away from the safety of the city’s walls?. “Did you live there alone?” She asked. “Such a dangerous place for a young woman to be by herself. Though, admittedly . . . I’ve heard some taverns here are not much better.”

#(c)#lukaxfoster

lukaxfoster:

Luka barely had time to even think of a response before she felt herself being ushered along through the stalls. She frowned but she understood why. It had been easier when she had been just a small child to maneuver her way through the crowd without obstructing the path of other people, but now it was harder and Luka had to do what the other girl was saying or both of them would get trampled. And as much as Luka felt irritated towards the other woman, she definitely didn’t want either of them hurt. “I am quicker, you know,” she finally breathed out when they were off of the path. Luka frowned to herself, not really meaning to have said that at all. “I’m from here. Westedell I mean. Well, the woods. I yeah… I grew up.. doesn’t matter. I uh should get going.”

Emerging into one of the wider streets that wound throughout the city, Sharon took the moment to situate her belongings. After a quick check, she felt satisfied knowing that this day, she hadn’t been pick-pocketed by one of the little children. What coin she brought was running low, and she wasn’t entirely sure how much longer the Atlantis would stay in the port. “I suppose you are faster, then, if you’ve survived these woods. You made a home out of that bit of wilderness?” She asked, the young woman’s words striking her odd, and she looked away from her knapsack. She’d ventured that way once with another member from the crew, but they didn’t stay very long. “Surely the city would suit you better.”

#(c)#lukaxfoster

lukaxfoster:

Luka hadn’t remembered Westedell being like it was now. Last time she had set foot inside, it had been as a young child, scrounging for food in the city where the rich were “poor” and the poor were poorer. Since the siege… something had change. There was a hint of hope in the air that maybe, just maybe, the Vitello’s shadow over the city would fade. Why did she care? It wasn’t like Luka was going to stay here, not when she’d just found shelter with the Pemberleys. Speaking of.. she had to focus: Her house would need a meal tonight and Luka needed to buy a few groceries if there was any hope in hell in making something edible. The market place was crowded and Luka elbowed her way towards the vegetable stand where she was hopping to find some squash. She was pleasantly surprised when there was in fact, one left. However, just as she went to grab it, another hand from the crowd shot out and snatched it from under her. “Hey!” she called out, startling even herself from her sudden outburst. Luka chewed down on her bottom lip and stuttered out her words, “that was… that was mine…”

“You should learn to be quicker than that here,” Sharon pointed out, curling her hand back from the stall, squash poised at her shoulder. The crowd pressed on her back insistently, and with a roll of her eyes, she tossed the squash into the knapsack at her side and passed a coin the owner’s way. “Second lesson: always move with the crowd, lest you find your face in the dirt and sandals against your back!” Raising her eyebrows, Sharon gently nudged the slender one forward, hoping she’d understand that they needed to move as more and more people pressed through the narrow paths between the stalls, perhaps more agitated than usual. She shot a glance around with a frown, noting how there was nothing like an uprising to ignite the tempers of the city.

#(c)#lukaxfoster

ariavale:

Aria couldn’t help but laugh as she nodded. “It is. It never seems to sleep no matter how much its inhabitants want it to.” She glanced over at Sharon, a small smile on her lips as she studied the woman. She was so beautiful. “If you don’t mind my asking,” she began, “What brought you to Westedell?”

“A bit of adventure-seeking, I suppose,” she replied lightly. Sharon didn’t know where they were heading until they were halfway across the ocean, a longer journey cross-waters than she’d enjoyed before. Honestly, though, she’d rather not suffer through it again. “I came from the other side of the world, many days across the sea. Westedell was a city I’d only read and heard of before. Quite interesting to see how it stands.” She paused, then smiled, “The whispers proved more true.”

#(c)#ariavale

👫 (from Norah)

SHARON x NORAH

1. Sharon and Norah meet frequently at one of the taverns. It’s occurred to Sharon that it can’t be a coincidence, as she doesn’t even care for the bar’s drinks. 2. After tending to Norah’s injuries after the Battle between the Witches and Zion, Sharon went out of her way to ensure she visited her at least twice a day. More, if she could manage. 3. One day, the two women decided to get tattooed together. One of Sharon’s shipmates did it for them, and it was probably the most fun Sharon’s ever with another crewman.4. Sharon forced Norah to explain everything she thought about knighthood---what it meant to serve, to protect, to fight. The conversation took several long nights resting on the beach, but the two would continue to return to the spot, picking up right where they’d left off the night before.

Send a 👫 and I’ll write four headcanons I have about our muse’s relationship

#nenikhkamen #( meme )#minalariviere #( 800 yrs later

alyciacromwell:

Alycia approached the stand as if she intended to buy something, a hand ghosting across the fabrics as if they held interest to her. ( It was a stark contrast to glance at the woman so carefully in the day as opposed to basking within her very presence at night. ) “I hope you recognize that you have made an impact of your own. Never before have I been so intrigued by the philosophies of another.” Philosophies, stories, poetry, the way Sharon’s lips formed the words that had stayed with Alycia… It was dangerous to return to something so pleasant when the threat that it could shatter still remained so bright, but Alycia was grateful nonetheless for coming across the other that afternoon. “In the light of day, I’m afraid most truths are forgotten. I grew tired of the same walls and the same people, so I ventured out here for change. I found you, to which I must thank chance for.”

A ghost of a smile appeared---small, barely noticeable---as her mind wandered to the conversations that lingered in between their touches. Just as Sharon mapped Alycia’s soul and body, Alycia in turn grasped Sharon’s mind, coaxing free stories and dreams and thoughts and desires easily. Turning away from the stand, she faced the brilliant woman fully, dazzled by the captivating goddess standing beneath the sun’s glow. ( RADIANT. powerful. intoxicating. ) “Once more, fate is a friend to us,” she said rather simply, even as promise was clear in her gaze. “It isn’t difficult to believe a woman such as yourself might find boredom. Westedell may be exciting but . . . You already appear to outgrow the place.” She thought back to the places she’d described for Alycia, paradises fit for her nature. “Perhaps one day, you will be able to find new walls and new people. There is so much to see, so much life to live. One home isn’t enough for those of us who are lucky.”

#(c)#alyciacromwell

👫 from ALYCIA

SHARON x ALYCIA

1. On the first night they spent together and in their quiet interludes, Sharon described all of her favorite cities to Alycia, naming their libraries, their parks, their people, their food, their music --- everything. ( SO many truths. ) 2. Sharon still has no idea Alycia is Alycia Cromwell-Vitello. Yet, she imagines the woman a conqueror all the same.3. Before they met on the docks, Sharon caught a glimpse of the woman during the rebuilding of the Keep, and wondered what made a woman dressed so richly walk among the poor and give so freely. 4. Normally, Sharon would seek to truly know who someone is on the outside and inside; but she feels as if the Alycia she knows is the true Alycia, so she hasn’t bothered asking such shallow questions.

Send a 👫 and I’ll write four headcanons I have about our muse’s relationship

#( meme )#alyciacromwell #holdenvitello

SHARON MIKKELSON → a general moodboard.

#( m #( moodboard )#( q )

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