#t. none

[lilithblooded]

closed starter for @takeseffort​

     It was late afternoon, with some time left until dinner, and the house was eerily quiet. Jonathan could only imagine what the others were doing, what meaningless activities and distractions they indulged in, not knowing that this might be one of their last days on this earth. He’d tried to get closer to them, Clary in particular, but he knew not to push too hard right away, even though he’d like to. While he might be eager to get to know her, Sebastian Verlac was not - not quite as much - so he had to lay low and remember his purpose. With nothing better to do he’d retreated to the family’s private library, brushed through the shelves and picked out a book here and there to get a closer look. There were many of the classic Shadowhunter books he’d read as a child, on demon hunting, on warlocks and other Downworlders, on Raziel and the use of runes, but also novels and poetry collections from various authors, some of which were familiar to him and some who were not.

He was just flipping through a book of sonnets about the four seasons when the creaking of a door behind him caught his attention. He turned to see Alexander, the eldest of the Lightwood children, enter the room, and instantly offered him a soft smile. (It was beautiful, but the emotions in it felt dead and cold.) They hadn’t talked much since his arrival but, much to his surprise, he’d noticed a certain friendliness directed at him coming from Alec and he had every intention of using it to his advantage.      “I thought you’ve all gone to take a nap, quiet as it is. I’ve been looking at the books in here - impressive collection,” he said, running his thumb over the book’s spine. With every conversation he had with one of Clary’s little friends it became easier to impersonate the stranger who wasn’t quite sure of his place in this house and tried to make the others warm up to him by being unnaturally polite.

     “--are you engaged in something more thrilling, perhaps? Would it be too bold to ask if I could join you? It’s rather boring sitting here all by myself.”

[shinrasfirst]

@speedance​ [closed starter]

HITCHHIKING TO MIDGAR sounded like a really good plan a few hours ago, when Zack was still blissfully unaware of the fact that no one in their right mind - except for the miners and farmers - spends any time outside the city during the day. Which means, of course, that there is no one to get a ride from, aside from the mining shuttle that drives to and from Midgar exactly twice a day.

Tired of waiting for something that may never come Zack decided to start walking in direction of the city so at least he’d be moving until someone came around. Thirty minutes and a whole water bottle later there’s still no one in sight and Midgar looks about as far away as it did when he set off from the little shack farmer Roderick offered them as temporary hideout (at least until Cloud is well enough to move). It’s a dump with nothing but a hard wood floor to sleep on, but it’s remote and protects them from the weather - and surely the last place Shinra will look for them.     “Oh boy..” Zack mumbles, the view on the hot dusty road ahead anything but encouraging.

He trots on for another ten minutes, dreading his fate, when suddenly a distant noise makes him pause in his steps and listen. For a moment he’s sure he’s imagining it, but it grows louder quickly and he turns around to see a dark spot on the horizon, steadily growing bigger. A car! Or at least some kind of vehicle---! Overcome with newfound optimism Zack raises his arms over his head and waves them, trying to make himself look bigger.      “Hey-- hey, over here!” he calls, although they must still be too far away to hear him.

The vehicle comes closer and now Zack can see that it’s not a car, but some kind of motorcycle, moving at a very high speed, judging by the cloud of dust it paints into the air behind it. Whatever, as long as he fits on it. It’s moving closer so fast he can already make out the smooth sounds of the engine as they make the hot air around him vibrate. There’s no way the driver hasn’t noticed him by now, but still, he waves his arms again for good measure.      “Hey--- I could use some help..!” Surely they’ll slow down any minute now.

Any second now.

But they don’t. Zack registers a moment too late that the motorcycle isn’t slowing down in the slightest and stepping aside quickly is all he can do to not be run over. For a split second time seems to slow down and his eyes meet those of the driver - and the next moment he’s coughing and rubbing sand from his eyes.      “Asshole..” he chokes out, the sound of the bike already growing quieter as it rushes off towards Midgar, leaving him behind.

So much for hitchhiking. He was probably an idiot for considering the idea in the first place. No one in their right mind is out here - so why did he expect someone in their right mind to drive past him? By the time he’s got most of the sand out of his eyes he notices yet another change in the noise disrupting the silence that hangs over this place like the sweltering heat. The howl of the engine, after fading into the distance, is growing louder again.

He’s coming back.

It could have been a good sign, but something about the way the motorcycle rushes towards him at full speed has Zack thinking threat. He places his feet steadily on the ground and draws the sword from his back, holding it before him defensively.      “Come at me--” he says between gritted teeth, struggling a little to keep his teary eyes open.

[embracedestiny]

@suhmuse​ 💛’d for a short starter

     “You mean.. they were talking to each other like friendly people? ---Like people being friendly with each other?” Hawke’s eyebrows moved even closer together. If Bethany had told him that the whole Chantry building grew wings and flew into the sky he would have found it easier to believe than his mother and uncle Gamlen having a civilized, pleasant chat with each other.      “Where they drunk?” he adds in a heartbeat, just to be sure.

[embracedestiny]

@virassxn​ 💛’d for a short starter

     “So what you’re saying is that Bianca was the leak in the first place?” Hawke says, putting the Inquisitor’s polite recount of the situation in simpler terms. He lets out a huff or surprise and goes quiet for a moment. “----Can’t imagine Varric was very happy about that.”