Starlight Spinning

Scent of silence under starlight spinning Are you hunting for mystic mountains Where the air is like liquid laughter? Where the beasts inherit the earth Where the last again will be first

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{Continued from x}

Seregon was at least a patient man; he had to be when he looked after the youths. Their antics often led to pushing his boundaries, often intentionally. They meant well, desiring his endearment and concern not the cool reproach that came to him more naturally.

This tellurian was no juvenile however, and he did think she ought to understand the concept of boundaries more than she was demonstrating.

“Little?” The word rested on his lips as something bitter, long tail twitching with agitation. For his kind he was on the taller end of the spectrum, something clearly displayed when he was out with Faysel. The achromatic Miq’ote was a runt, but at least Seregon had the decency not to say so to his face.

His stiff ears laid flat as he followed her gaze, but he could not conceal them in his thick dark hair as well as he wished when the undersides were a soft shade of pink. Surely this woman, even with her lack of manners had more sense than to try and pet him.

“I am dexterous and swift, lumbering in size would be cumbersome.” His specialty relied on the traits that came so naturally to him. Even his physical features helped him camouflage in the shadows.

@sentinel-of-mountains

[sentinel-of-mountains-blog]

His agitation hadn’t entirely slipped by her, but she didn’t seem to think it quite as big a deal as he did. She was really just quite average, for a Roegadyn–not towering over people like her boss did, but also not nearly as short as poor Crow, either.

“Well, compared t’ us, y’ kinda are.” She replied with some curiosity, however, still eyeing his ears as they moved. He could try to hide them all he wanted, but there was only so much he could do, short of just reaching up and using a hand. “Then again, guess most everyone else is. Except maybe for a few Hyur, or…” She paused awkwardly. “…Oh, whatever the dragon-men are called. Can’t remember the name.”

“Either way,” she continued, still grinning over at him, “never said not being huge was a bad thing. Long as y’ know how to use it.”

…Fine, she couldn’t help slipping a double-entendre in. Hopefully that didn’t make him even more snippy with her, but even so, she didn’t seem all that intimidated by him. Just very curious.

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Seregon was secure in his stature ordinarily, any complex he may have carried was shattered by Daneol. He only came up to the shoulders of the Elezen, and had to routinely ask him to assist in getting items down off high shelves as Faysel frowned upon him performing gymnastics in the kitchen to move from counter to counter.

His eyes rolled to reflect his exasperation with her rejection of his defense. “Au Ra, or Auri, depending.” Seregon was smart and marginally arrogant about it. He did not mean to sound condescending but if she was going to be critical of other races she could at least take the time to know their names.

Emotive ears lay flat to the sides when she spoke again. Surely she didn’t expect him to dignify that with a verbal response? Tongue clicked, tail sweeping as he looked behind him. His retreat was blunt as he simply began walking away from her. There was no point in lingering for this trivial exchange. If he wanted to spend time with poorly mannered company he would return to his charges.  

@sentinel-of-mountains

[sentinel-of-mountains-blog]

“Yeah, yeah.” She idly waved a hand, and when he started to walk off, she walked off with him, clearly not getting the hint. (Or she did and just didn’t quite think they should be done yet, one of the two. She could certainly get…pushy, if she wanted to be.) 

She did, however, at least change the subject. “Knife-user, are ya?” She had caught sight of the things at his waist, if just because they were…rather hard to hide. “Thought most Miqo'te liked bows and whatnot. Or maybe I just keep running into the wrong ones. Isn’t like poachers are probably the most…representative?” She briefly stumbled over the word, and it sent a flicker of frustration across her face before it settled again. 

Not that she hadn’t been trying to learn; she had a decent amount of time to do it now. But she was a bit keenly aware that she was behind others who had had more literary training, and even in her group of Hellsguard, she felt like the odd one out on that front.

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His expression was indignant as she began following after him. Short of telling her outright to get lost he didn’t know how he was going to shake this woman. If he strayed far enough from where she had found him perhaps she would lose nerve and wander home.

Violet eyes rolled when she spoke, generalizing the Miqo’te so freely. At least she seemed to acknowledge she was doing so. “You would struggle to pick out a target with a bow on the streets of Limsa.” There were always many people milling about and one misstep of a shopper not paying attention could mean impact on the wrong target.

Stealth work could easily be done with bows of course, and had he grown up in The Shroud he may have chosen a different trade. Still, he wielded the daggers well, and walked freely in the shadows. Besides, someone had to care for those many deemed to be beneath them. Everyone deserved to feel safe on the streets of their home.

“Do you want something?” It did no harm to ask if there was a reason she was pursuing him like an excited puppy.

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{Continued from x}

Seregon was at least a patient man; he had to be when he looked after the youths. Their antics often led to pushing his boundaries, often intentionally. They meant well, desiring his endearment and concern not the cool reproach that came to him more naturally.

This tellurian was no juvenile however, and he did think she ought to understand the concept of boundaries more than she was demonstrating.

“Little?” The word rested on his lips as something bitter, long tail twitching with agitation. For his kind he was on the taller end of the spectrum, something clearly displayed when he was out with Faysel. The achromatic Miq’ote was a runt, but at least Seregon had the decency not to say so to his face.

His stiff ears laid flat as he followed her gaze, but he could not conceal them in his thick dark hair as well as he wished when the undersides were a soft shade of pink. Surely this woman, even with her lack of manners had more sense than to try and pet him.

“I am dexterous and swift, lumbering in size would be cumbersome.” His specialty relied on the traits that came so naturally to him. Even his physical features helped him camouflage in the shadows.

@sentinel-of-mountains

[sentinel-of-mountains-blog]

His agitation hadn’t entirely slipped by her, but she didn’t seem to think it quite as big a deal as he did. She was really just quite average, for a Roegadyn–not towering over people like her boss did, but also not nearly as short as poor Crow, either.

“Well, compared t’ us, y’ kinda are.” She replied with some curiosity, however, still eyeing his ears as they moved. He could try to hide them all he wanted, but there was only so much he could do, short of just reaching up and using a hand. “Then again, guess most everyone else is. Except maybe for a few Hyur, or…” She paused awkwardly. “…Oh, whatever the dragon-men are called. Can’t remember the name.”

“Either way,” she continued, still grinning over at him, “never said not being huge was a bad thing. Long as y’ know how to use it.”

…Fine, she couldn’t help slipping a double-entendre in. Hopefully that didn’t make him even more snippy with her, but even so, she didn’t seem all that intimidated by him. Just very curious.

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Seregon was secure in his stature ordinarily, any complex he may have carried was shattered by Daneol. He only came up to the shoulders of the Elezen, and had to routinely ask him to assist in getting items down off high shelves as Faysel frowned upon him performing gymnastics in the kitchen to move from counter to counter.

His eyes rolled to reflect his exasperation with her rejection of his defense. “Au Ra, or Auri, depending.” Seregon was smart and marginally arrogant about it. He did not mean to sound condescending but if she was going to be critical of other races she could at least take the time to know their names.

Emotive ears lay flat to the sides when she spoke again. Surely she didn’t expect him to dignify that with a verbal response? Tongue clicked, tail sweeping as he looked behind him. His retreat was blunt as he simply began walking away from her. There was no point in lingering for this trivial exchange. If he wanted to spend time with poorly mannered company he would return to his charges.  

@sentinel-of-mountains

[starlightspinning]

{Continued from x}

Seregon was at least a patient man; he had to be when he looked after the youths. Their antics often led to pushing his boundaries, often intentionally. They meant well, desiring his endearment and concern not the cool reproach that came to him more naturally.

This tellurian was no juvenile however, and he did think she ought to understand the concept of boundaries more than she was demonstrating.

“Little?” The word rested on his lips as something bitter, long tail twitching with agitation. For his kind he was on the taller end of the spectrum, something clearly displayed when he was out with Faysel. The achromatic Miq’ote was a runt, but at least Seregon had the decency not to say so to his face.

His stiff ears laid flat as he followed her gaze, but he could not conceal them in his thick dark hair as well as he wished when the undersides were a soft shade of pink. Surely this woman, even with her lack of manners had more sense than to try and pet him.

“I am dexterous and swift, lumbering in size would be cumbersome.” His specialty relied on the traits that came so naturally to him. Even his physical features helped him camouflage in the shadows.

@sentinel-of-mountains

[aloofaesthetique]

Black Wolf Aesthetic, for Anon

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[sentinel-of-mountains-blog]

(Continued from: x)

Well, someone was a bit snippy, but it just breezed right past her, in the end; some amount of cockiness on her part. In fact, she just let out a noncommittal hum at his response, and she was eyeing him more and more, now.

“What, making sure you’re not just laying around in th’ open where anyone can grab ya isn’t a good enough reason?” The playful tone did gain a tinge of something firmer, though, as she kept speaking. “But seriously, not many guys’d have the stones to hang about right near a Hellsguard camp.”

He was, in a way, lucky that she hadn’t just slipped off and alerted the others that someone was lurking nearby. They weren’t irrational, no…but some of them regarded non-Roegadyn not so highly, and some of them–especially Dae–were prone to jumping to the worst conclusions right away. She thought herself more reasonable, and she’d give him a chance to explain himself. Not that she wouldn’t have a go at him if he was dumb enough to start something…

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The Miqo’te was ornery after being woken, but he thought he had been clever napping out in the middle of nowhere. Charcoal ears laid back and his fluffy tail stood rigid and stiff as he lifted his arms to stretch widely. It was evident this woman wasn’t going to permit him to return to his slumbering any time soon so he may as well make some effort to look alert.

It was overly dramatic to claim he was lurking near their part of the wood for The Shroud belonged to nobody, no matter how much some might think otherwise. Often if you let things be they returned the courtesy, at least in his experience.

“I was simply hiding from my young charges, not that it’s really your business.” It was hardly an interesting reason, much less a nefarious one. All he was guilty of in this moment was being a negligent guardian who wanted a reprieve from  the not-so-young-ones tweaking his ears. Daneol being so tall was a curse more than anything in his eyes.

@sentinel-of-mountains

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Faerie/Fair Folk Starters

"They say strange things gather at the crossroads."

"Whatever you do, keep your head down and don't look anyone in the eyes."

"You're a foolish creature...but, a beautiful one. I think I'll keep you for awhile."

"Never insult the fair folk. Talk about them with respect, unless you're just dying to be cursed."

"Come away, oh human child."

"They can be kept at bay with iron, a salt circle, or certain herbs. But you still have to be careful!"

"Please, tell me you didn't eat anything they gave you!"

"When I was little, one of my friends disappeared after walking into a faerie circle. I never saw them again."

"Have you ever heard of something called "The Wild Hunt?"

"If you manage to impress them, you might be granted a favor."

"I fulfilled my promise; I gave you exactly what you asked for!"

"You were the one who was willing to gamble what you couldn't afford to lose."

"Real faeries aren't anything like Tinkerbell. Real faeries are fucking terrifying."

"It's said that they steal teeth from children."

"I hate to break it to you, but that baby's not yours, or for that matter, human."

"Time passes differently in their world than it does in ours."

"They can't cross running water."

"I told you never to ask them for a favor!"

"You helped me. And now I will help you."

"Once it has you in its thrall, it won't ever let you go."

"What a good mortal. I'm glad I decided to keep you."

[sentinel-of-mountains-blog]

…Was that a Miqo’te napping in the middle of the bloody forest?

She couldn’t help but sneak down from the tree she had been hiding in, approaching him in near silence, with some amount of curiosity. Someone was either very confident or very stupid, and she wasn’t sure which…

She slid her longbow off of her shoulder, and used it to lightly jab the dark-haired man in the arm. “Psst…” She didn’t think he looked like someone who worked for Imperials, not like that jackass she had been stuck babysitting for a while there, but she was still being somewhat cautious. If she got herself stabbed or shot all the way out here away from the others…

But that was the risk she took practicing at being a scout, wasn’t it? Still, didn’t mean she should be stupidly bold. Just normal bold.

“Y’r gonna get eaten sitting like that out here. Or robbed.” She had seen a few of those lurking on the roads…and she had also sent them packing when she saw them, but that was beside the point. She couldn’t get to all of them.

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Faysel greeting him in the middle of the Shroud had been a pleasant surprise. It was rare for them to escape the antics of their ménage for an evening. The unwritten code of the streets of Limsa taught him to look out for the vulnerable and even if he had a strong reluctance to be affable towards the young wards, he watched over them dutifully. He would not indulge in their games or mischief but he would be there when an unchecked diremite sprang from the shadows. 

Seregon was always happiest under the stars, and Faysel had taken him to a vantage point above the tree line to view the night sky. Even the two guardians needed a rest once in a while.

The achromatic Miqo’te had parted ways shortly before dawn, and he had found himself somewhere partially sheltered to sleep. The rich soil of the earth and the gentle breeze through the broadleaves lulled him swiftly into sleep.

Dusky ears twitched at the approach of the figure, and hearing the hissed whisper and feeling the nudge of the bow elicited little more than a sigh. Muscled hands curled around one of the sharp daggers beneath his jacket. Was that Zeppoli with his spear? The female voice spoke properly this time and he simply grunted, had she meant to harm him she surely wouldn’t have been stupid enough to wake him first.

“I should hope they make it quick.” Was the stolid response, his voice gruff from disuse, for even among the youth he rarely spoke. Abdomen contracted as he sat, violet eyes settling upon the large Roe. Ears were flat against his sleek dark hair, displaying the annoyance at being woken. “You realize that is a bow in your hand?” It wasn’t painstakingly crafted for her to go around poking people with.  “Perhaps you should try a spear, if you wish for something horizontal.”

@sentinel-of-mountains

[sentinel-of-mountains-blog]

Oh, if she meant to catch him or kill him, he wouldn’t have even had time to wake up; he had that much right. It had crossed her mind after realizing how close he was to the rest of the Swarstral, but…not yet. She’d just feel him out first. After prodding him, she had withdrawn the bow away from him, but just raised a brow at his rather nonchalant response. Well, someone was acting a bit weird, for being woken up by a stranger much larger and stronger than he was, wasn’t he?

“’Course it’s a bow in my hand, wouldn’t be out here without it.” Her response was quite breezy, and she just leaned against the side of the tree right next to her. Funny enough, she did have a few knives herself, but that was partly at her leader’s insistence that they not just run around with one weapon. “Y’ sound surprised? Eh, regardless, point still stands; surprised some creature hasn’t eaten you yet.”

She would trust herself to survive alone out here in a heartbeat. But someone who wasn’t a Roegadyn, she seemed to think would have problems…

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If anything, awaking him from his nap had resulted him being even more cantankerous than usual. As a Keeper of the Moon he enjoyed wakefulness in the night and sleep during the day. The children he minded often interfered with his preferred schedule and he was unassuaged a stranger in The Shroud was now doing the same.

“Your indubitable faith in my survival skills is impelling.” The response was a low drawl as he settled himself in the brush, bracing himself on his hands. For his kind Seregon was tall but his physical formidability was miniscule compared to that of a Roegadyn.

“Do you want something?” Had she only woken him as an act of illusory chivalry or was there some purpose?

@sentinel-of-mountains

[starlightspinning]

[sentinel-of-mountains-blog]

…Was that a Miqo’te napping in the middle of the bloody forest?

She couldn’t help but sneak down from the tree she had been hiding in, approaching him in near silence, with some amount of curiosity. Someone was either very confident or very stupid, and she wasn’t sure which…

She slid her longbow off of her shoulder, and used it to lightly jab the dark-haired man in the arm. “Psst…” She didn’t think he looked like someone who worked for Imperials, not like that jackass she had been stuck babysitting for a while there, but she was still being somewhat cautious. If she got herself stabbed or shot all the way out here away from the others…

But that was the risk she took practicing at being a scout, wasn’t it? Still, didn’t mean she should be stupidly bold. Just normal bold.

“Y’r gonna get eaten sitting like that out here. Or robbed.” She had seen a few of those lurking on the roads…and she had also sent them packing when she saw them, but that was beside the point. She couldn’t get to all of them.

@starlightspinning

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Faysel greeting him in the middle of the Shroud had been a pleasant surprise. It was rare for them to escape the antics of their ménage for an evening. The unwritten code of the streets of Limsa taught him to look out for the vulnerable and even if he had a strong reluctance to be affable towards the young wards, he watched over them dutifully. He would not indulge in their games or mischief but he would be there when an unchecked diremite sprang from the shadows. 

Seregon was always happiest under the stars, and Faysel had taken him to a vantage point above the tree line to view the night sky. Even the two guardians needed a rest once in a while.

The achromatic Miqo’te had parted ways shortly before dawn, and he had found himself somewhere partially sheltered to sleep. The rich soil of the earth and the gentle breeze through the broadleaves lulled him swiftly into sleep.

Dusky ears twitched at the approach of the figure, and hearing the hissed whisper and feeling the nudge of the bow elicited little more than a sigh. Muscled hands curled around one of the sharp daggers beneath his jacket. Was that Zeppoli with his spear? The female voice spoke properly this time and he simply grunted, had she meant to harm him she surely wouldn’t have been stupid enough to wake him first.

“I should hope they make it quick.” Was the stolid response, his voice gruff from disuse, for even among the youth he rarely spoke. Abdomen contracted as he sat, violet eyes settling upon the large Roe. Ears were flat against his sleek dark hair, displaying the annoyance at being woken. “You realize that is a bow in your hand?” It wasn’t painstakingly crafted for her to go around poking people with.  “Perhaps you should try a spear, if you wish for something horizontal.”

@sentinel-of-mountains

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