#quartzhearted

[starrook]

🎨:D

“Father…”

The more Alcryst looks at this portrait, the less he wants to show it to his father. King Morion has always been a jovial and loving father, even to his far less impressive son. But he’s witnessed Father’s wrath before and that’s what defines the man in his mind. One day, he'll run out of that seemingly endless patience, then Alcryst will know just what it's like to enrage the former King of Brodia.

"Um, it's not very good." Alcryst closes the sketchbook, weighed down by guilt. He hates disappointing his father, but it's true: it's a bad drawing, not worth showing him. "I'm sorry. I'll draw you something better tomorrow..."

[starrook]

" so i hear you're takin' a group back with ya to brodia, eh? "

morion's always got his ears perked when it comes to his beloved country. he always wants to know what's happening, how she's doing, what kinds of people are thinking about it... really, it's a joy just to hear the name in any context.

he is surprised, however, when he starts hearing it come up more often than usual. rumors of invitations by the crown prince himself to go see the country and learn about its history, its economy, and just about anything else one would want. after he gets a little more context, why, morion's touched. to think that people from all over, from countries he's never known before, might go see brodia in all of her glory, and with alcryst at the helm!

so he comes to alcryst once he's off from teaching for the day, grabbing his shoulder with familiar fatherly vigor. "well, ain't that just the greatest thing ever! more people ought'a know about brodia, anyhow!" gosh, how nice it would be to see one of her sunsets again...

he wills away his own disappointment and squeezes alcryst's shoulder a little tighter. "you go have all the fun you can. get footloose with your friends---for your old man! just hearing about what you all do over there will be enough for me."

“Yes!” Seeing his father’s grin brings a smile to his own lips. This is one of Alcryst’s bigger projects since becoming crown prince, and he’s pleased to see his Father so excited for their trip. “I hope that people see Brodia as a welcoming place. I think that will help us become stronger the way Diamant wants us to be.” The path towards peace is a difficult one, but it’s the one Diamant wants their kingdom to follow. Alcryst will do what he can to help that dream become reality.

Though… one thing Father says snaps Alcryst out of his optimistic daydreaming. “…Hearing about it? You’re coming home with us.”

When Alcryst thought of reaching Brodian soil and reuniting with his mother, he always imagined Father beside him. Returning home as he should have all those moons ago. It never crossed Alcryst’s mind that he would refuse the chance to go back.

He fears even asking the question, but it’s too late to turn back. “You are coming with us, aren’t you?”

[starrook]

morion canceled class for this. when asked for the reason, it was simple.

" national holiday in my country. "

what was this national holiday, many of his students wondered? nobody could get a straight answer from him, though not via lies or underhanded tactics. as soon as morion announced that there would be no class he was out of the room like someone had set it on fire.

from place to place he lurks. column to column, wall to wall; many onlookers watch, confused at how a man that large thinks he could be in any way stealthy. morion does not care. he's on the move.

finally his quarry is tracked: a mop of blue hair separates itself from the crowd, and morion's smirk grows ten times. he departs from his hiding place with composure, acting as normal. No He Has Not Been Crawling Around The School Like A Big Bug. He's Very Relaxed Right Now!

but when he finally gets to him, his special little alcryst...

all falls to pieces. morion grabs his son and lifts him up, laughing heartily. " HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ALCRYST, M'BOY!! " maybe announcing it like this will make others wish his special little boy a happy birthday, too. that would be nice.

" i missed your last one, so this one makes you... nineteen, huh?! " he pats his massive hand on alcryst's head, ruffling it playfully. " just one more year 'till the big two-zero! you can bet your ass i'll be here for that! " circumstances and gods be damned, he'll throw hands before he has to go back in that stupid cathedral.

he sets alcryst down in a less populated part of the courtyard---as, of course, he has dragged his son around without saying anything. he produces a tall gift; not taller than alcryst himself, but it's a decent size. " i'm all about spectacle, and trust me, you'll be getting one HELL of a birthday party later, " morion mutters, smiling only slightly. " but i also wanted to give you something a little more private.

" when we met back up for the first time and you mistook me for a fake, i was horrified at what i'd found out. i can't imagine what it must've been like for you two, back at destinea cathedral. " his voice has waned; it has eroded to something softer and a little more stern. " i caused you and your brother a lot of hurt and didn't even leave anything behind. that ain't right. "

inside the box sits two things: a picture, crudely drawn, and a simple bow, made of elm and reinforced with steel. the wood is lacquered with a deep blue stain and the steel has been buffed obsessively. " so i made you this. it ain't no bow of legend, but...

" i remember the day you told me you wanted to use bows instead of swords. i'd thought, ' ah, hell, how am i gonna teach this kid how to use these damn things? ' " morion laughs at the memory. " but it turns out that you didn't need all that much teaching. we gave you the tools n' you ran with 'em, and look at you now! best archer in brodia, i'd reckon. "

his smile creeps into his eyes, and morion gently hugs alcryst. " happy birthday, alcryst. i'm so happy i can be here to do this, and i'll do my damndest never to leave you two like i had. "

...

" ...now, i'm makin' plans to have a huge dinner tonight. you gonna invite lapis? "

“Waugh!” Alcryst yelps as he’s lifted into the air with ease. The familiar booming laughter puts him at ease, he’s been through enough birthdays to know the routine. “Dad! Please! I can walk on my own!!” In spite of his protests, Alcryst delights in his father’s love, so grand that even he couldn’t question it. That they could even do this is a miracle in and of itself.

Dad talks about missing the last birthday. Alcryst has no intention to fill in the reason why. “Nineteen, yes…” It’s dizzying to even think about, honestly. Next year he’ll be twenty. That feels ancient, though Alcryst wouldn’t tell Diamant that. Some days he notices signs of him getting older. Mostly in that he’s gotten taller and lost some of his “baby face” as the knights call it. Alcryst doubts he’ll be as tall or muscular as his brother and father, but he can’t deny the distance between him and them isn’t nearly as far. He hopes his father noticed too. He hopes that Father will get to see him next year when he turns twenty, hopefully even taller. Though he’s is quick to remind Alcryst how unlikely this birthday is in the first place. “Father…”

Dad leaves no time to dwell on the matter, though. Immediately Alcryst is presented with a new bow, coated with a smooth blue lacquer and reinforced with steel. “You made this?!” First the violin, now this bow… but it’s not as easy to imagine his father toiling over a bow, to spend countless hours carving wood to just the right shape and ensuring perfect tension for the string. Maybe because it’s hard to imagine Father having the patience for such delicate work. And yet, he did it for him.

…Alcryst blinks back tears, smiling down at the drawing his father included. “Is that me with the bow?” He teases. “Ah… thank you so much, Father. I’ll treasure it always. I’ll wield it in service to Brodia, as faithfully as you did.” The hug comes just in time, just as a tear escapes him.

…

LAPIS??

How did her name come up?? Alcryst pulls away, hurriedly wiping at his eyes so that he can get a clear view of his father. It’s just as he feared. That look. That knowing smile. The teasing lilt in his voice. Alcryst has been on the receiving end of it many times before. Knowing that his father’s assumptions are finally true doesn’t make it any better.

“...Diamant told you?” Alcryst asks sheepishly. I’m going to kill that traitorous son of a bitch. “Aha, um, I’ll definitely ask if she wants to join…!”

[starrook]

my boy... what am i seeing here......

“N… Nothing that need concern you, Father…”

[old-scalebag]

♡ hello dheginsea my friend dheginsea

Round two of: send me a ♡ and i’ll describe what i think our muses’ child would be like || No longer accepting

Truly the most hearty and hale person there is! DO NOT be intimidated, she's a hoot though uhh she is almost the size of Morion but don't worry about it. DO NOT arm wrestle her unless you plan to break a bone

Her brand is at the right side of her head and mostly covered by her hair.

She does not believe that Dheginsea is a dragon, no matter how many times it's explained and what have ya. After, all he can't transform, so she cant see the cool dragon, and thus doesnt believe him. Just doesnt make sense ya know?

An elephant in a china shop when it comes to the most delicate of situation but its not her fault! Just don't be that sensitive sheeesh! gotta give her a second chance right? She'll get it right the second time she swears

Finds dragons stone particularly fascinating

[starrook]

morion emerges from his office the second his clock strikes the appropriate time. the moment he's been waiting for has finally arrived, and nothing will stop his one-man march to the monastery entrance!

" alcryst, buddy! " he exclaims, arms open wide. " feels like i haven't seen you in ages! you didn't grow any while you were gone, did you? what'd ya get up to over where you went? do anything fun with anybody? your old man wants to know about all of it! "

"Father...!" When was the last time Alcryst saw Father waiting for him to return home? The halls of Brodia Castle were eerily quiet in his absence, lacking the usual warmth his father always brought with him wherever he went. Now, Alcryst delights in the opportunity to once again greet his father at the gates with a smile and a hug in return.

"It was a lot of work, but I'm well! We ended up playing a couple of games at the end..." Severely understating the stress and chaos that was Happyland, but he doesn't know where to begin with explaining... all of that. "Oh, and my team won! Everyone was spectacular! We pulled off a last minute comeback! Oh, though I shouldn't be including myself in that, since I was eliminated before that... I think I did okay, but I wish I could have done more..."

[starrook]

KISS MEME: a kiss on the forehead of one who is starting to fall asleep

( everyone's favorite day: portrait dayyyyy )

morion understands the importance of getting his portrait taken. but that does not mean he has to like it.

sitting for hours facing a single direction with no movement is bound to make anyone start to itch. morion is a man of movement, not stillness! he needs to be outside swinging a sword for enrichment! he needs to get his blood flowing! arggggg!!!!

but years of discipline and previous captured likenesses have taught him patience in execution, at the very least. he can think all he wants about how much he wishes for an instant portrait-capturing device, but externally he could sit all day making the same tight expression if he needed to. it's all part of the job.

what makes this particular portrait easier to sit through is the fact that it is a family portrait, which means his most favorite people are all with him. his wife next to him, diamant standing by his mother, and alcryst sitting in morion's lap---all equally as enthused to be here, but all happy that the family shares in mutual suffering.

alcryst especially is not used to waiting around for portraits; there isn't much squirming, really, but sitting and doing nothing invites a drowsiness typical in young ones. morion sees this and can hardly fight the smile growing on his face. he motions for the portrait artist to pause before leaning over.

" psst, alcryst, " morion whispers, a hint of mischief in his tone. boy, he gets it. " wake up, mini fry. the portrait man still needs to paint your face. "

ahh, but his son is too cute. morion can't resist pressing an embarrassing kiss to alcryst's forehead, mussing up his bangs and scratchy-scratching his little nose with his beard. " you've only gotta sit for a little bit longer, okay? then we can lay down for naptime; papa thinks he needs one, too. "

Alcryst promised that he’d be a good boy. Because what they’re doing now is important: they’re going to have a picture painted so that they can join grandma and grandpa in the royal gallery! He looked forward to this day for weeks, had even begged his parents to let him meet the painter beforehand…

But it’s not nearly as fun as Alcryst thought it would be. There’s so much sit still and see here and don’t make a face—Alcryst wants to be good so he does his best not to fidget and keeps his complaints to himself. He tries, he really does.

And yet as time goes on, his enthusiasm runs out, and his patience begins to flag. Alcryst is hungry, and bored, and sleepy, and itchy, and- and- and-!

A little bit longer, Father insists. As far as a three-year-old Alcryst is concerned, that’s forever. It’s already been forever. He can’t stay here forever. He can’t! He hates this! If it’s because they need to paint his face, then…!

“I don’t want my face painted…!” Because if Alcryst doesn’t have to get his face painted, he can just go, right? But as it becomes clear that there is no escape, Alcryst cries tears of frustration. He writhes in his father’s arms like a fish, trying desperately to get away. When that doesn’t work either, he lets out a shrill, ear-splitting shriek.

“I don’t wanna do this anymore!!!” Alcryst hiccups, then continues to sob. His little feet kick at his father’s stomach, tiny fingers working desperately to peel his father’s hands off.

“NO!!!!!”

[starrook]

[ Lythos ]

morion can't say he knows all these crazy dances the kids are doing, but he definitely wants to learn. apparently they all represent different territories---how exciting!

but he can wait to study all of that. for now, there's one dance he can do, and there's a couple of people he'd like to do it with. first he calls out to alcryst, waving a hand. "hey! alcryst! c'mere and be a dance partner for your old man!"

it's somewhat difficult dancing with such a significant height gap, but morion has made it work before. he'll simply make it work again. "let's do that lythos dance, aye? you remember all the steps?"

"A-All the steps?" Alcryst knows the Brodian section almost by heart, though that hardly counts as an accomplishment for a prince of Brodia. He considers himself lucky to remember even half of the rest of the dance, but not what order they go in... "I know Brodia's section, but I'm not as familiar with the others."

The height difference is significant, but Alcryst isn't bothered. It reminds him of those dance lessons all those years ago. And the days when he used to play with Father, who always towered over him like another Brodian mountain... a smile comes to Alcryst's lips, though after the recent tough conversations this evening, there's a tinge of sadness to it. "I'll try to follow your lead! I hope I can remember the rest while we dance... sorry, I'm sure I'll mess you up somewhere..."