Creative Corner

[center] [img]http://i.imgur.com/Ue34vuS.png[/img][font=Monotype Corsiva][size=7][color=#2a164f]Chapter Ninety-Three[/size][/color][/font] --- [font=Palatino Linotype][size=4] Faron sighed as he walked down the hall. “Is everythin’ okay?” Eldin asked as he poked his head out his bedroom door. Faron stopped in his tracks and frowned. “No, he was reckless and could have really hurt himself! I tried to talk to him about it but…” Faron trailed off with a scowl. Eldin walked out of his room and leaned against the doorway. “It's not like ya didn't get yourself in over your head when you were his age, ya know? He’s gotta make mistakes to learn from em’, ya know how it is when you're that age!” Eldin said with a wink, and Faron raised an eyebrow. “You, giving good, serious advice? I hardly believe it!” Faron said with a chuckle, and Eldin moved back in a dramatic fashion. “Oh, ya [i]wound[/i] me!” Eldin said in a fake hurt manner. Faron looked down at the floor for a moment with a melancholy look on his face. “You're right, he has to learn things for himself...” Faron trailed off and swore under his breath, before looking at Eldin with an upset expression. “Gods! I’m a damned fool! I...I said somethings I should never had said! I ruined our relationship, Eldin! What if he never forgives me?!” Faron said with his voice cracking. Eldin looked at Faron with a sympathetic look. “Gods, Faron! If ya keep on worrying ‘bout every little thing, you're gonna get more wrinkles than Adrian had! Ya can't get rid of ‘em as easily either, ya know?” Eldin said with a wink, and Faron frowned. Eldin looked down for a moment, presumably in thought before he leaned in close to Faron. “All ya can do is apologize an’ hope for the best. Don't worry ‘bout things ya can't control,” Eldin said seriously, and Faron sighed. Faron bit his lip and shook his head. “I’m going to apologize, I… Eldin, thank you,” Faron said with a furrowed brow as he walked back to Lanayru’s room. Eldin watched Faron walk off before going back into his room with a shake of his head. Faron knocked gently on his son's door, but Lan ignored him. “Lan, I came to apologize, I got angry,and said things I didn't mean to say, and I’m [i]so[/i] sorry!” Faron cried through the door, but was still ignored. Faron bit his lip and looked at the door with a sad look on his face. “Lan…” He muttered as he finally turned away from his son's doorway with a broken heart. Eldin poked his head out of his bedroom door once more and gave Faron a sympathetic look. “I can tell by the look on your face… It didn't go like ya planned, huh?” Eldin said and Faron gave him a sad nod. Eldin frowned. “Aw, don't look so defeated! Give ‘em time, I'm sure he'll come ‘round! In the meantime, do ya wanna spar to get your mind off of it?” Eldin said gently. Faron sighed and after a moment nodded. “I suppose it would do me some good to get my mind off of things,” he said, and Eldin winked at him. “Don't think I'm gonna go easy on ya!” Eldin said with a gentle punch on Faron’s shoulder, and Faron scoffed. “If you went any easier, I might as well spar with a tree!” Faron said with a slight smile, and Eldin acted hurt once more. “Ah, but I’d bet you’d never find a tree to fight that's half as handsome as me!” Eldin said with a wink, and Faron rolled his eyes. “I’ll meet you outside then,” Faron said as he started to walk off. [img]http://i.imgur.com/gAjBEgR.png[/img] [sub][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2095163/23#post_27181815][img]http://i.imgur.com/Z7TDQEm.png[/img][/url] [img]http://i.imgur.com/t2H7r4v.png[/img] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2095163/24#post_27197949][img]http://i.imgur.com/JIV4dlU.png[/img][/url] [img]http://i.imgur.com/69MIHaA.png[/img]

[center] [img]http://i.imgur.com/Ue34vuS.png[/img][font=Monotype Corsiva][size=7][color=#2a164f]Chapter Ninety-Four[/size][/color][/font] --- [font=Palatino Linotype][size=4] Lan waited outside the dining room door, hesitating to enter. While he was hungry, his father was in there, and he wasn't looking forward to seeing him anytime soon. He started to walk away but his stomach growled loudly, and he sighed in resignation as he opened the dining room doors. The conversation all but stopped when Lan walked in the room,and Lan scowled as he felt everyone's eyes on him as he sat down at the table. He didn't say anything as he started to ate his dinner, and after a few moments of awkward silence, Faron cleared his throat. “About earlier -” Faron started to say before he got cut off by his son. “I have [i]nothing[/i] to say to you,” Lan said coldly as he glared at Faron. Faron looked away with a hurt expression, and Corvo muttered a “Yikes” under his breath as he tore off a chunk from his bread roll and stuck it in his mouth. Benji looked up at Faron with a nervous expression. “I-Is everything o-okay?” He squeaked as he bit his lip. Faron sighed and shook his head. “We had a fight,” Faron said with a furrowed brow, and Lan huffed. “You're not g-gonna leave, are you?” Benji asked Faron with big, teary eyes. Faron frowned as he looked at the young skydancer with a sympathetic look in his eyes. “No, of course not,” Faron said, and Lan narrowed his eyes. “[I]Of course not! Leaving would just make my life easier, and we can't have that![/i]” Lan thought bitterly as he ignored the twinge of guilt he felt. “Lan! Stop it! Even [i]I[/i] know you’re giving him a mean look! You're making Benji upset, he's crying again!” Mari said harshly, and Lan rolled his eyes. “Oh yes, let's all care about how [i]he[/i] feels instead of me!” Lan spat, and Benji started to bawl. “I tried to talk to you about this, but you “have nothing to say” to me! [I][b]Don't[/i][/b] take out your anger on him, he's done [i]nothing[/i] to you!” Faron said with a raised voice, and Lan rolled his eyes again. “I don't care if he's upset or not!” Lan said with malice, and Adrian glared at him from across the room. “You said you wanted to be a better person, but I'm not convinced that you didn't just lie to get freedom!” Mari hissed, and Lan tensed up with fire in his eyes. “How [i][b]dare[/i][/b] you! You wouldn't know how I feel; all you do is lay in bed, and have everyone dote on you!” Lan yelled, and Corvo slammed his hands down on the table, sending several cups tumbling down,spilling the contents everywhere. “Talk to her [i]one[/i] more time like that, I [b][i]dare[/i][/b] you!” Corvo yelled as he tensed up, looking like he was about to start a fight with Lan. “What are you going to do, cripple me too? Maybe then [i]someone[/i] would care about me!” Lan spat, and Corvo stood up from his chair. “That's [i][b]ENOUGH[/I][/b]!” Faron yelled, causing Corvo to stop in his tracks. “Corvo, sit back down,” he barked, and Corvo went back to his seat in resignation. Faron turned toward his son with narrowed eyes. “Lanayru, I am [i]ashamed[/i] of you! Go to your room, now!” He said with a cold anger, and Lan narrowed his eyes as he stood up and stormed off, slamming the dining room doors behind him. “Gods… I am [i]so[/i] sorry, I don't know what's gotten into him recently,” Lan heard Faron say as he walked off. Lan locked his bedroom door and screamed into his pillow for a while, but the screams gave way to tears. All he wanted was to be loved and accepted, and Faron’s rejection hurt him more than he'd ever admit. Eventually Lan fell asleep, exhausted from everything that had happened. [img]http://i.imgur.com/gAjBEgR.png[/img] [sub][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2095163/24#post_27185597][img]http://i.imgur.com/Z7TDQEm.png[/img][/url] [img]http://i.imgur.com/t2H7r4v.png[/img] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2095163/24#post_27219649][img]http://i.imgur.com/JIV4dlU.png[/img][/url] [img]http://i.imgur.com/69MIHaA.png[/img]

[center] [img]http://i.imgur.com/Ue34vuS.png[/img][font=Monotype Corsiva][size=7][color=#2a164f]Chapter Ninety-Five[/size][/color][/font] --- [font=Palatino Linotype][size=4] Donovan woke up to the smell of breakfast wafting through the hall, and thought about going to the dining room. Sure, he didn't [i]need[/i] to eat, but it smelled absolutely delicious, and he wanted a chance to see if everyone living here was as cruel as Carmilla and Faron. Donovan decided to go to breakfast, and by time he arrived outside the doors he heard many voices talking, he assumed he was the last to arrive, and thought about turning back. The ridgeback shook his head, he came all this way after all, he might as well go in. “Why are you here? You don't need to eat!” Carmilla said with a glare as Donovan awkwardly entered the dining room. The ridgeback looked away in embarrassment. “Is it wrong of me not to want to be alone?” he said in a quiet voice, and Carmilla furrowed her brow and bit her lip. “Well…” She started to say before trailing off, a twinge of guilt in her voice. Donovan looked at her with a sad look in his eyes. “It's okay, I know when I'm not wanted,” he said solemnly as he turned and left the dining room. “[I]Sabin doesn't hate me, maybe I’ll go see him,[/i]” Donovan thought as he made his way to the undead skydancer’s room. It didn't take him long to arrive at his destination. He knocked on the door nervously, and after a moment of silence he heard Sabin shuffle closer to the door. “It's locked, I can't open it from the inside,” Sabin said, and Donovan sighed. “I’m not...welcome...with everyone else. I thought I'd be with someone who [i]understands[/i] how much that rejection hurts,” Donovan said with his voice cracking. “You didn't [i]do[/i] anything to them, did you?!” Sabin asked with both intrigue and anger. Donovan shook his head sadly. “All I did was exist, and that's enough of a reason for their hatred!” he said, raising his voice slightly. Sabin hissed a “Be quiet!” through the door, and Donovan flinched and recoiled from the harsh tone. “We don't want to draw attention to ourselves! Hey… you can read, right?” Sabin continued in a low tone. “Yeah, why?” Donovan asked curiously. “I have an idea, I'll slip it to you under the door. Give me a minute,” Sabin said, and after a few moments, Donovan saw Sabin’s eye peeking out from under the door. A moment later, the eye was gone and replaced with a folded paper. “Take it, and read it in your room quietly. Tell no one about it,” Sabin said, and Donovan took the note and started to walk off. He made it to his room without running into anyone, something he was grateful for. Donovan locked his bedroom door and unfolded the parchment he was given. After several minutes, he finished reading the note and grinned. Maybe coming to this accursed mansion wasn't as bad as he’d initially thought. [img]http://i.imgur.com/gAjBEgR.png[/img] [sub][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2095163/24#post_27197949][img]http://i.imgur.com/Z7TDQEm.png[/img][/url] [img]http://i.imgur.com/t2H7r4v.png[/img] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2095163/24#post_27221057][img]http://i.imgur.com/JIV4dlU.png[/img][/url] [img]http://i.imgur.com/69MIHaA.png[/img]

[center] [img]http://i.imgur.com/Ue34vuS.png[/img][font=Monotype Corsiva][size=7][color=#2a164f]Chapter Ninety-Six[/size][/color][/font] --- [font=Palatino Linotype][size=4] Corvo was scribbling something down in a torn up and ragged notebook late one evening. He furrowed his brow as he tried to figure out the formula he was working on. He kept on scribbling and scratching things out for several hours; before finally throwing his pen down on his desk, and closing his journal with a frustrated huff. “...Is everything alright, Papa?” Mari said as she tried to set up in her bed, but quickly laid back down with a sharp inhale. Corvo frowned as he looked over and saw Mari’s face twisted in pain. “Yeah, I'm fine, just can't figure out this formula. I’m fine, but you aren't! Do you need anything?” Corvo said as he got up from his desk and made his way over to his daughter’s bed. Mari’s lip quivered as she started to cry. “He was right! Papa, it's true, all I do is lay in bed! I-I can't do anything for myself!” Mari cried before starting to cry harder, and Corvo muttered something under his breath before sitting on the bed beside Mari. “No, [i]he[/i] was just taking out his frustrations about Faron on you, [i]again[/i],” Corvo hissed, and Mari cried harder. “No! It's true! Papa, I can't even sit up because the pain is so bad!” Mari squeaked, and Corvo was pretty sure he just felt his heart shatter. On one hand, Corvo remembered how he was when he was Lan’s age; and he could sympathize with how he was feeling, as he too was a lonely, misunderstood kid who lashed out. But on the other hand, Lan was making [i]his daughter[/i] cry, and he couldn't excuse that. Corvo bit his lip as he thought about what to say as Mari turned her head over in Corvo’s general direction. “...Papa? Are you still there?” she squeaked, and Corvo scowled. “Yeah… I'm still here,” Corvo said, and gritted his teeth. “Mari...If I could take back what I did to you, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I'm so sorry,” he said with his voice cracking. “Papa..? Are you crying?” Mari asked softly, and Corvo shook slightly. He took a deep breath and shook his head. “Yeah, it's true that you're in bed more often than not, but it doesn't mean you're worthless! I… um… [I]well[/i],” Corvo stammered before clearing his throat. After a few minutes of silence only broken by Mari’s sniffing, Corvo finally started to speak again. “I wish the circumstances were different, but...you're the best thing that's happened to me. I love you the same if you can get up or not. I'm...happy… to help you with what I can,” Mari felt around for her father, and after a moment latched onto his arm. Corvo smiled a bittersweet smile as he returned her hug. Corvo wiped the tears from her eyes, and Mari sniffled. “Papa, will you tell me a story? I...I don't want to think about my pain,” Mari said quietly, and Corvo furrowed his brow as he thought for a minute. “Did I ever tell you about the time that I impersonated Faron for an [i]entire day[/i], and no one noticed?” Corvo said as a mischievous grin spread across his face. [img]http://i.imgur.com/gAjBEgR.png[/img] [sub][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2095163/24#post_27219649][img]http://i.imgur.com/Z7TDQEm.png[/img] [img]http://i.imgur.com/t2H7r4v.png[/img] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2095163/25#post_27222708][img]http://i.imgur.com/JIV4dlU.png[/img][/url] [img]http://i.imgur.com/69MIHaA.png[/img]