#serpenthyne

[vampxrebarbie]

OC asks: 10, 11 and 13 for Kel; 21 and 34 for Quinn!

(*｀▽´*)

kel -

10 ) what are the top three defining decisions of their life

1. joining fireteam ward with gil and demi back in the mid-to-late dark ages. it's likely that without their friendship he eventually may have chosen to find a way to Opt Out™️.

2. picking up Thorn after finding it after gil's death. it nearly resulted in killing luke, and him being put down like dredgen yor had been.

3. keeping Thorn. what it nearly nudged him into doing reminded him of the two most important lessons he learned from gil and demi and from just how long he's been alive: there's always hope unless you give up hope, and every choice you make you have to live with the consequences. (spoilers for future chapter of The Line below)

11 ) what are their beliefs regarding suffering and what is their relationship with it

kel's got...he's got a complicated opinion on the subject. he's been perpetually haunted by memories of losing his wife and daughter in the Collapse since he was first risen hundred of years ago. on the one hand, it shaped him. it was integral to who he's become. he never wants to forget their faces, and he's already forgotten one of their names. it doesnt stop him from believing it's the most cruel thing higher powers--the traveler, one god or another, or fate alike--chose to inflict on him.

he's no hero and he privately refuses to believe his actions as part of fireteam ward over the centuries makes him one, but he'll do anything within his power to help alleviate suffering from others, including allowing them to have hope in something as abstract as a 'hero.'

13 ) what are their unhealthiest habits or tendencies

oof.

early on it was his somewhat dissociated nature. as @editoress once put it: before Thorn's unpleasant forced epiphany, he had a predisposition for being ready at all times to drop everyone and everything, He Does Not Need Them (or the grief of losing them, too), existing only as much as he needs to, and thinking only about what's in his scope's crosshairs.

after nerfing Thorn's influence he's healthier in that regard, but he's definitely still got high emotional walls and remains outwardly distant/aloof.

quinn -

21 ) how easy would it be for them to deal with someone who has their same major flaws

well as we're both discovering through all our discussions about bael/quinn: not fuckin easy at all.

she's always been very self-aware of her flaws (impatient, lacks self-control/restraint, not easy to anger but explosive when it does happen) and she doesnt like being reminded of the type of person she easily could be without having grounding presences in her life that keep her balanced and optimistic.

in short:

34 ) are they usually able to recognize their emotions when they arise and know how to name or categorize them or not

very much so, yes. she's a lot like kel in terms of self-reflection/awareness, so unless she's going through some severe psychological and/or emotional distress (i/e: the spiral she had after cayde's death) she's (mostly) good at recognizing her emotional state.

doesnt mean she's good at not bleeding her emotions, so unfortunately it means everyone else in general area is always pretty aware of her emotional state as well! (another flaw she hates, despite cayde telling her often he loves how intensely she feels for the things around her, good and bad)

[miitgaanar]

Whumptober prompt! Requested by @serpenthyne!

No. 20: EMOTIONAL ANGST

Shoulder to Cry On | Giving Permission to Die | “It’s not your fault.”

Do not read this <3 I cannot stress that enough <3

***************

Winter’s bite had begun to fade by the time Mikaila was well enough to be out and about.  Patches of green poked through the slowly shrinking piles of snow, and once near absent songbirds could be heard even within the densely populated streets of Durlyne.  It was as if Ssael himself wished to welcome his favored daughter back to the land of the living with a splash of color.

But Addilyn couldn’t help the frown that pulled at her lips as she spied the girl’s pallid features, her tell-tale Soud green eyes dull and lacking that familiar mischievous gleam.

“Oi, lass,” Addilyn said, forcing a playful lilt into her voice.  “Don’t you be scheming over there.  I won’t have you spelling my sword soggy when I have to assist in training later.”

Mikaila looked up from where she sat on one of the stone benches lining the temple’s pathways, the barest smile painted upon her pale lips.  Even so, it didn’t quite reach her eyes.  Addilyn’s heart nearly split at the sight.

She hadn’t seen the little spellwright since the weeks following that harrowing night, and even then Mikaila had spent much of it in a fitful slumber, burning with fever and writhing in terrible pain.  Addilyn had felt so helpless, the vibrant little troublemaker at death’s door with naught but prayers to be said in the hope that the doctor could keep her from the khert’s grasping hands.

But the wee lass was strong, a fighter if she had ever seen one, and she’d beaten back the very same khert that had taken her father.

And yet the sight before her left Addilyn at a loss.  It wasn’t grief or fear that lined the girl's features.  She seemed… troubled.  Haunted.

Addilyn hadn’t known what to expect when Lemuel announced that he’d be bringing his newfound daughter to the temple, but this somehow felt worse than a hysterical child’s weeping.  

A sigh escaped her as Addilyn moved to sit beside Mikaila, the stone’s cold surface seeping into her trousers and making her shiver.

“You’ve been awful quiet since your doting uncle left you in my care,” Addilyn said with an air of levity.  “And here I’d been ready to be wowed by tales of your valiant victory over the Crescian invaders.”

Mikaila’s small, gloved hands clenched into tightly balled fists, her gaze averted to the ground.  “Can I ask you something, Addie?”

Addilyn blinked in surprise, her brow raised.  “Of course.”

A quiet moment passed, one in which Addilyn could hear the distant sounds of a hound’s baying.  “Do you think I did enough?” Mikaila finally asked.

“Enough—?”  Addilyn was struck speechless.  Among the short list of things she expected her to ask, that was not among them.  “What do you mean?”

“Everyone talks about that night like I did something special.  Like I fought them off and saved the day.”  Her voice was low, but sharp as a knife’s edge.  “But I could have done more.  I know I could have.  But Papa was hurt and there were so many of them and—”

Mikaila trailed off then, her little shoulders trembling.  Addilyn thought she had begun to cry, expected to see tears streaming down her pale cheeks as hiccupping sobs built up in her chest—but her eyes were dry, and there was a deep anger and frustration in her brilliant green gaze.

“It’s all my fault,” she said darkly, and it was with that that she sniffled softly, though Addilyn suspected she would blame it on the still brisk air.  “Had I not been there, Papa would still be here.”

“Miki—” Addilyn tried, but Mikaila cut her off.

“Had I been born a boy, Papa would have taught me how to fight.  He wouldn’t have told me to run.  He would have told me where to aim.”

She said it with such rancor, such bitterness.  Addilyn had thought the girl would be wailing for her lost Papa, but instead she harbored a profound guilt for his demise.

“Miki,” she tried again, reaching out to place a hand upon Mikaila’s uninjured shoulder.  There was little she could give her in the way of comfort, and even this felt like a paltry offering.  “Your Papa didn’t like me much.  Especially when your uncle would bring me around you.  But even I know that he loved you so very much.  Fiercely enough that he fought to the death to keep you safe.”

Mikaila sniffled again, her eyes still trained on her hands.  The gloves were new.  A darker blue than her old pair.

“And,” Addilyn continued, sensing a rebuttal building upon the little wright’s lips, “I would never dare say that he’d have done anything differently had it been a lad at his side that night, rather than his beloved daughter.  He’d have told that boy to run to find help, to find the guard, to get home.  Just as he did you.”

It was then that a stray tear finally spilled over Mikaila’s lashes, and her hands began to shake.  Addilyn did not hesitate to pull the girl toward her in a tight embrace.

“It wasn’t your fault, Miki,” Addilyn said gently, but with an edge that brokered no argument.  “You scared off a horde of Crescians all on your own.  And you fought your way back to us.  You are strong and bright and so very brave.”

Addilyn pulled back slightly, a small half-smile upon her lips as she brushed the stray tears from Mikaila’s cheeks.  Mikaila met her gaze with a watery smile of her own.

“Never doubt that you did more than most lads older than yourself would have managed,” Addilyn continued.  “You sitting here right now is proof that you did more than enough.”

Mikaila sniffled again, nodding stiffly as she buried her face in Addilyn’s tunic, her voice muffled as she simply said, “Thank you, Addie.”

[zacksfairest]

Wait. Now I have to ask, what are your thoughts on ACOTAR?

Oh. Ohohohohoho. This is a can of worms that hasn't been opened in a LONG time in a public forum. (It's opened pretty much daily in private with friends lmao)

the short answer? I fucking hate it lmao

The slightly longer answer? I loved the first book. I thought it was a wonderful Beauty and the Beast retelling with colorful, very human characters. It was also one of the first fantasy books I ever read, and definitely the first book I read that dealt with the fae.

I absolutely adored Tamlin and (human) Feyre. Especially human Feyre. She was so very human and her struggle to survive in a foreign land practically designed to kill her, all while Tamlin is trying to break a curse and winds up accidentally catching feelings for real? Beautiful. I also adored the side characters. Lucien was such a good second in command to Tamlin, and a fun companion for Feyre. The world seemed so promising, with all of the courts and their various magics.

And then the second book came out and it went to shit lmao

I despise everything this series is and has become now. The second book found us with characters that were absolutely nothing like the characters we had spent the entirety of the first book with. It was practically a brand new book for a brand new series! SJMess committed character assassination of the most heinous degrees—SPECIFICALLY with Tamlin, the love of my life—all because she got too much of a hard-on for Rhysand and absolutely cannot handle the idea of a character being ~evil~, or at least Not Good, and also the love interest.

So she vilified Tamlin and beat the entire fanbase over the head with outlandish ~abuse~ that was just not even remotely there in the first book, and all while Feyre got to play the pretty victim with the pretty trauma, and Tamlin's trauma from their same shared experiences was depicted as ugly and unworthy of the same help and support that Feyre got.

There is so so SO much more nuance to my hatred for this series, but it would literally take me a 200 page thesis to get into every single detail to break it down.

An added little bit to why I hate the series: it has devolved into absolute smutty garbage with absolutely no substance whatsoever. Every character is barely even a rough outline of the characters they once were. The world is some monstrous amalgamation of High Fantasy and Urban fantasy where the fae walk around in ugg boots and leggings and long sweaters as they go Christmas shopping while also saying things like "My lord." And, not to mention, SJMess' blatant Straight White Feminism and her distaste for people of color, the LGBTQ community, women over the age of 25, and any man who doesn't have cheese grater abs and "golden brown skin."

Oh, and it's a known fact that SJMess doesn't even have an editor anymore. Her publisher knows her books will sell no matter what garbage she shits out, so they don't bother anymore. They just do surface level edits to make sure it's readable (but barely lmao). And it's super apparent.

OH!! A QUICK ADDENDUM!!! She plagiarizes a lot.  I can think of three specific instances off the top of my head that she ripped word for word from other works.  She’s a fucking hack. 

I read ACotaR through ACoFaS, though reading that novella was purely for masochism's sake, and I read the entirety of her Throne of Glass series. I am practically an expert on her shit and how much her shit sucks. And this is coming from someone who truly and completely adored the first ACoTaR and really had such high hopes for the series.

I have a lot of trust issues now with books because of it lmao

[vampxrebarbie]

per your recent tags: who the fuck IS roland and what the fuck IS his problem? I'm intrigued now...

if this posts twice its bc my internet went funky at work and so i thought i had to type up the response again HI SHOWS UP TO THIS ASK 3 DAYS LATE WITH STARBUX

okay so. hoo boy. where to start. my boy roland is a member of fireteam ward, an arc hunter and one of my obnoxiously numerous destiny OCs.

his problem is that he is hysterically emotionally stunted due to a terminal case of Wracked By Guilt.

y'see, when he was first resurrected by his ghost (delightfully named "Ghost" because of aforementioned emotional stuntedness) he decided he didnt buy into his ghost's claim that hes got some super purpose waging a Holy War™️ against the Darkness.

so he took a left instead of heading for the city, aaaaand wound up falling in under a warlord. sadistic bastard. he had nooo idea the depths of depravity the guy got up to until it was too late and running became a terrifying concept.

his "turn tail and run" breaking point coincidentally was the same night that led to nikon's near-death and subsequent taking command of the freshly leader-less fireteam ward.

unfortunately by then he'd already been complicit in enough bloodshed and sadism by association that he was left with a HEAPING helping of guilt.

to cope, he became an absolute fucking asshole, cause he was of the mind that he didnt have a right to allies or friends or connections and also didnt deserve anyone's absolution/forgiveness (which is precisely why i titled his playlist what i did) and was intentionally trying to keep people at a distance.

and then my main oc happened, and my main oc is stubborn and has a bad habit of endearing herself to people that are completely antithetical to the concept of friendship.

which leads to A) roland getting that second chance he didnt/doesnt feel he deserves and B) a fucking blast of a dynamic to write.

in short: he's a bastard. i adore him.

tangential to the topic fun fact: he's got a south african accent cause south african accents are soooooo nice.

[miitgaanar]

Requested by @serpenthyne! More indulgences abound!

Send me a number and I’ll write a micro story using the word or phrase

46. shimmer

A light breeze blew through the towering trees of Aeranth, the mighty boughs creaking softly as they shifted with the wind. Vaela breathed deeply, content to feel the cool night air upon her skin as she leaned against the balcony railing. The Arnor manor remained a welcome haven—a second home, at times—even after all of these years. It was the one place she knew she could retreat to when her memories weighed heavily and the scars at her wrists ached. There was no judgment within these walls, only a quiet understanding. "I hope I'm not disturbing you." Vaela turned at the voice, trying to hide the way she startled at the soft, deep timbre. Krelyss stood in the doorway to her room, his hands clasped behind him and his shoulders slightly slumped, as if he wished to make himself smaller. Less threatening. Vaela's heart constricted, knowing too well it was for her benefit. "Not at all," she said, mustering a half smile as she waved him in. "Just doing a bit of stargazing. A city girl like myself never really gets tired of the sight." Krelyss stood motionless for but a heartbeat, seeming to brace himself before he ventured in to join her on the balcony. The moon sat full and bright in the night sky, its light catching on his snow-white hair and causing it to shimmer. Vaela's chest grew tight and her wrists burned, memories of long ivory hair and cruel smiles surging forth—but she managed to smother the images into submission, like a hissing viper beneath her heel. "I see," he said carefully, daring to raise his scarlet gaze skyward. "It is quite a sight to behold. I still can't quite manage to stare for long before I feel as if the earth itself is being ripped out from under me." A more genuine smile pulled at her lips as she watched him. "The Underdark didn't exactly give you many reasons to look up, did it?" A huff of a laugh, and the barest upturn at the corner of his mouth. "That it did not." He paused for a beat. "You seem... happier than when I saw you last. Perhaps a bit solemn, but more at ease." My son's ghost no longer haunts you, his words said, like it still haunts me. "I have my days." Her gaze softened. "As I'm sure we all do." Krelyss simply hummed softly in reply, a heavy sigh escaping him before he turned to face her. An old, repressed grief pulled at his countenance, though he forced a small, gentle smile. Despite everything, Vaela's heart broke for him. "Erosen sent me to fetch you," he said. "It seems Riven's asked us to go for drinks." "Ever the ambassador, our girl," Vaela teased, relieved to see how Krelyss' face brightened. The sorrow that had lined his features vanished, giving way to a muted but profound pride. "Well, we'd best not keep her waiting. Del would never stand for such a slight." An amused chuckle left him, the sound rich and deep, and Krelyss grinned, standing just a bit taller as they made their way off the balcony. "That he would not."

[miitgaanar]

Requested by @serpenthyne! Thank you for indulging me :3

Send me a number and I’ll write a micro story using the word or phrase

7. silent fury

"What troubles you so, my dearest?" Cassandra pointedly ignored the question, her eyes fixed on the vial she had been about to pack away in her satchel. It was empty, only the barest remnants of a violet-hued residue still clinging to the sides of the glass. How she had come to loathe the color. "He yet lives," she said, the words caustic and cutting. She shoved the vial into her bag, a frown pulling at her lips. "Yet another failure to add to your tally, I suppose." The Dungeon Master stood tall and unmoving, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched her. The room was dim, naught but a single candle lit upon the bedside table to illuminate the space—and yet still she saw how the corners of his lips twitched downward. "He will meet his end," the Dungeon Master said, his voice smooth and calm. Almost comforting in its timbre. "He has but delayed the inevitable." "He'll come back for me," Cassandra hissed, desperation undercutting the anger in her voice. "Surprise was the only thing I had over him—and now he knows my face. He won't stand for this slight. He won't let me live to regret my folly. He—" The Dungeon Master crossed the distance between them in two strides, his hand gripping at her chin and stilling her tongue. It was his touch, more than anything, that stunned her into silence. So used to his strength, to the raw power flowing through his veins, that she had braced for pain—but his grip upon her was gentle, used to simply angle her face toward him. To ground her before panic could set in and render her senseless. "That man will not lay a finger on you, my dear." His thumb caressed her cheek, the well-worn leather a balm on her frayed nerves. The sensation soothed her, enough so that she lifted her gaze to meet his own, and was surprised to see a cold, silent fury burning within those ice blue eyes. "Should he dare to try," he continued, his voice a low rumble, like that of distant thunder, "he will quickly come to realize that the gods he so eschewed are not as indifferent as he believed."

[vampxrebarbie]

I'm back for more character asks! 7, 24 and 26 for Quinn; 17 and 18 for Roland; 13, 33, and 36 for Kel /o/

(*｀▽´*) more yappin about my kids incoming

quinn -

7 ) if they wanted something they don't have what means would they resort to in order to obtain it

it would depend entirely on the nature of what it is she wanted. something material likely wouldnt drive her to pursue it much--she's perfectly content with what she has so long as the people she loves are around her

as evidenced by The Line, though? something immaterial thats affecting her emotionally and/or drawing her to act would be much, much harder for her to dismiss. and she'd go scarily far to achieve or obtain it, including murder (even if that sent her into even more of a psychological flatspin and she backtracked from that dark path quickly thanks to Kel's support.)

24 ) how much of an influence do they have on others in their life and are they aware of the extent of it

a fun question because the answers are "a lot" and "she has no fucking clue."

ive mentioned before that she's The Heart of fireteam ward and i meant it--shes got a magnetic personality and has a habit of drawing out the best in people.

a noncomprehensive list of her influences:

brought out softer sides in Gil and Kel that had been absent since demi's death

gave Roland a second chance and his first friendship save for Ghost by refusing to let him isolate after they escaped the City

prevented Nikon from killing Roland after the former ran into him after the city exodus simply by asking him to trust her judgement of him

took the lead and inspired the hot mess that is her gambit fireteam to actually work together despite all parties being either complete wild cards or hating other teammates, leading to excellent rapport and friendship

dragged Drifter into a friendship after he'd long since sworn off deeper connections

as stated in this ask, she's confident and optimistic in almost all outward aspects, but she's incredibly insecure and doubtful of herself inwardly, so even if someone point blank tells her she's influenced them/their path, she'll downplay her part in it at best.

26 ) is it easy for them to say 'no"

yes. full stop. she knows her limits and boundaries and is absolutely not afraid to assert them.

roland -

17 ) we all contain multitudes within, talk about an example of contradiction within them

ohohoho, this one's fun.

so, Roland has two (2) very important aspects to his character: the first is that he is a prickly bastard on his best days because he doesnt feel worthy of people caring about him, and the second is that for as much as he tries to pretend he doesnt give a fuck (on account of trying to keep people at arm's length) he gives so much of a fuck that it's almost debilitating.

these aspects feed off each other Bigtime. to actually become his friend you have to be the type of person to recognize that when he tells you youre being a colossal fucking moron (and you are someone he does not actively avoid), what he's actually saying is "what you're doing is worrying me, please for the love of fucking god stop making me worry about you because if i lose someone willing to put up with my shit it's going to fucking break me"

18 ) what do they run towards and what do they run from

understanding/absolution and guilt, respectively, which is another delightful contradiction.

until landing himself a mission partner in the form of Quinn during the Red War, he actively avoided thinking about how guilty he always felt as well as refused to acknowledge him diving directly into grueling Vanguard work after fleeing to the City was his subconscious way of begging someone, anyone, to tell him that he's a better man than the coward who stood by and did nothing as the warlord he had been following committed atrocities lest those atrocities were turned on him.

kel -

13 ) what are their unhealthiest habits and tendencies

the answer to this question depends heavily on which point in his timeline you ask it, as after he returns to the City with Thorn's influence nerfed he's generally a much healthier person psychologically.

overall, though? sleep deprivation. he has nightmares. bad ones. he's been alive a long goddamn time and has seen a lot of shit, all on top of his pre-Risen memories.

33 ) do they rather do things solo or do they prefer to have someone else with them and why is that

both. he's a scout, tracker, and even before being Risen he was a trained sniper used to working both alone and with a partner depending on the situation.

he has a natural predilection towards solo work, but also (despite appearing aloof to anyone that doesnt know him) does genuinely enjoy company and grew to prefer working with his fireteam as the years passed.

36 ) what do they believe they owe to others and what do they believe others owe them

what he owes: understanding and empathy. he was incredibly volatile in his early risen years because of how much emotional pain he was in, and he knows what it's like to lash out to try and achieve any kind of relief from that pain. this means he also knows lashing out will do nothing but hurt you (and everyone around you) more in the long run. if he can be the one solid column of support for someone who needs it, no matter how much they claim they dont, he'll choose to be that support always, whenever they need.

what people owe him: absolutely nothing save for patience and respecting his boundaries. his stoic disposition aside, it is actually more difficult to not get along with him than the opposite. he knows he's not the easiest person to get to know, but he's not going to change who he is or how he normally behaves (namely: stoic, hard to read, not particularly verbose) because someone is interested in befriending him or getting close to him.

[zacksfairest]

Several OC assumptions, pls confirm or deny -- Vaela likes sweet foods and is a decent shot with a throwing knife; Saya can out-drink Ayala; Caedyc (pardon my phrasing) thinks Vys is secretly more of a chick magnet than he is; Zaresh can't actually hold his wine that well; between Zaresh and Raandall, the latter is the bigger coward; the Dungeon Master has "kept" a few of his toys by means of petrification or other preservation to admire them when he wants.

reblog if you want people to send you assumptions about your OC’s to confirm or deny!

Oh. I love these.

Vaela likes sweet foods and is a decent shot with a throwing knife.

Vaela definitely likes sweet foods, specifically candies and chocolate and cakes and pastries. I like to think that she and her friends even try their hand at making them some nights at Riven's gigantic manor. The knife, though? Eh, I don't think so. Knife throwing and archery are two very different things. I think she might have tried her hand at it once when hanging out with Riven (the party's resident rogue) and thought: "How hard could it be?" and it turned out that it is, indeed, hard. Riven probably laughed herself silly as Vaela completely missed the target.

Saya can out-drink Ayala.

I have never thought of this before but you know that? Yes. Absolutely. Ayala is lowkey grumpy about this.

Caedyc (pardon my phrasing) thinks Vys is secretly more of a chick magnet than he is.

I am so sorry, Caed. It's not just your thoughts. Vys is ABSOLUTELY more of a chick magnet than you. Vys doesn't flaunt it but it's absolutely the truth. Vys is just so much more mysterious. Deep voice. Cool demeanor. His armor is nearly blood red. How could he NOT be a chick magnet.

Zaresh can't actually hold his wine that well.

Zaresh is a CONNOISSEUR. He is CULTURED with a REFINED palate. One does not overindulge in the finer things in life. You must savor it slowly and with relish. Lout. (He would slit your throat before he admitted he would be zonked out after two glasses of wine in too short a timeframe.)

Between Zaresh and Raandall, the latter is the bigger coward.

Oh, this one is FASCINATING. I have never thought to compare them before. It's so difficult to answer this because they are cowards in different ways. Raandall hides behind a whole army that he commands, whereas Zaresh hides more behind his charm and manipulation. I mean, taking sheer numbers and resources into consideration, Raandall is ABSOLUTELY the bigger coward. He has the backing of the ENTIRE Empire. He can pick a fight with anyone—he won't be the one fighting them! He can sick squads of Stormtroopers and fleets of Star Destroyers on anyone with the barest wave of a hand. But will you ever find him on the ground fighting with them? Absolutely not. Zaresh at least is alone. He has no one else. No allies, no resources beyond his own wit and charm, and certainly nothing with which he can use as a barrier between him and his target. He has a reason to be a giant coward about everything. Raandall has power and influence Zaresh would absolutely kill for.

The Dungeon Master has "kept" a few of his toys by means of petrification or other preservation to admire them when he wants.

I've never thought of this either but I am slamming that YES button. Slapping it rapidly in succession. His favorite toys get a place of honor in whatever plane of existence he calls his own.