Creative Corner

[center]~ ~~~ [b]Day 12 :[/b] Aesling[url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=26341540] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/263416/26341540.png[/img] [/url] [/center] [indent][i]Some days I kinda feel like an old lady! I mean heck, I got great-grandchildren toddling around -- and that’s just the local ones. Who knows how many generations have spawned from the kids who traveled to other clans? Kinda boggles the mind. ‘Course it’s no accident when we’ve got such great genes to spread around. Hah. But I find myself kinda missing the old days. Back when there was only a couple dozen dragons in the clan, and me and Nightglider would fly around causing trouble, getting the hatchlings to do naughty things -- those were the days! But now the clan is fifty dragons strong, Nightglider has moved to Thresher-Eye and heck, nobody else here knows how to have a good time quite like her. Not that I blame her for leaving, after Symphonic picked my pretty daughter Empress as a mate instead of her. That’d be rough for anybody. Speaking of Empress. So she’s gone now. Kinda feel a bit bad for her, she didn’t get much choice in the matter: not after Duchess and Royal thought it would be so hilarious for Queen to take her place and see if anybody noticed. And yeah, I mean, it is a little funny. But I think Symphonic has noticed. He hasn’t said anything (does he ever?), but his music seems… sadder. Not that I know much about music, workin’ girl that I am. Only music I know is the poundin’ of the smithy tools! So let’s talk about Royal. My big ol’ beautiful R. After all this time he’s been only mine. Not some fancy lady’s or some crafty sorceress’. Me, the gritty blacksmith girl -- I’ve got the prettiest, cleverest, most ambitious man in the clan all to myself so ha. Thanks to him I’m never really bored! ‘Course I also got plenty of work to keep me busy. All these clan dragons with their swords and armor, well those things won’t fix themselves! Even Hasil has a sword now. And I’m not gonna play favorites: if he needs it fixed I’ll fix it, long as the guy pays up. But if that sword ever comes near my big ol’ beautiful R, I’ll be sure to make him regret it. [/i][/indent] [center]~~~ ~[/center] And that concludes the 12 entries of Dragon Diaries -- thanks for joining me! I had a lot of fun digging in the heads of my dragons, and I'll most definitely be returning for more in the future -- maybe with the same set of dergs, or maybe I'll toss in some new ones next round. In the meantime if anybody's interested in what these guys are up to, I keep the "Current Events" section of my clan profile updated pretty regularly, and dragon bios are always changing too. :)

This has been awesome! I'd have commented sooner but I didn't want to interrupt your days. Your attention to voice and recurring themes is so strong! All of these entries have been a joy to read and absolutely unique to the individual dragons. If you do some more in the future I'll be right here reading them.

A wave of new drama has befallen my clan. And so the time has come to dig back into my dragons' heads. Once again I've selected [b]12 [/b] dragons -- some from the previous round, some new faces -- which I will select from at random and write a journal entry every day. And so it's time to begin Dragon Diaries Round 2! Once again, feel free to leave comments or participate. And come back tomorrow for more :) Like last time, I'm kicking things off with two entries: [center]~ ~~~ [b]Day 1 :[/b] Cosmic[url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=28697669] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/286977/28697669.png[/img] [/url] [/center] [indent][i]I have always loved stories. In my eyes, stories emphasize the most wondrous parts of our world: the most vivid emotions, the most spectacular adventures, the most fascinating people. They are truths made grandiose, painted in living color, encapsulated for years to come. Daily life may not be as entrancing as stories, but their messages linger on in our minds, giving us wisdom from experiences we never had to personally endure. This is why I treasure my position as clan Loremaster, sharing stories to inspire young and old alike. But I never suspected I would be drawn into a legend myself. For better or worse, Chandelier is a prophecy fulfilled. She is -- how does one describe? Perhaps it would be overly poetic to call her the soul of Magic incarnate, the personification of all wishes, all dreams. That sounds more like something my father would say, and I am surely not him. But whatever else she may be, Chandelier is in danger. Now more than ever. I warned Camilla, however futily. I did not catch on what she was trying to do until Chandelier had already been born. But only now that Camilla disregarded my advice does she feel regret. Her precious daughter’s life is in danger because of her own desire to have it all -- a swiftly-delivered moral of the worst kind, deep and punishing. Now she endeavors only to protect her child, all her resources once bent on granting her own wish now turned toward keeping Chandelier safe. But it may not be enough. When Duchess invited me for tea, I knew exactly what she was after. But despite my better judgement I went, thinking myself a master of discretion, that no matter how the Nocturne pushed, I would not betray the secret I carried. I did not foresee the ugly tactics she would employ. Truth serum. A difficult brew, to be sure, but Duchess was always a sharply intelligent dragon with a mind for research. And now she knows the truth about Chandelier. Which means that her father Royal, the most dangerous dragon in the clan, surely knows as well. I cannot rest now. I dare not take a moment’s pause until I have done all I can to ensure Chandelier’s safety. Because when these days are penned into tales, I do not want to be remembered as the one who let the legend fall. [/i][/indent] [center]~~~ ~[/center] [center]~ ~~~ [b]Day 2 :[/b] Symphonic[url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=25683466] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/256835/25683466.png[/img] [/url] [/center] [indent][i]“I heard that my father talked to you,” said Queen. I was on my usual rock in the sunlit grassland, harp in hand, and had already played the first few stanzas of Springtime River when she approached me. She settled into the grass beside my rock, stretching out luxuriously, her red scales looking even more vivid in contrast to the surrounding green. “I’m sorry he bothered you with all that,” she went on. “I know you prefer not to get involved with his politics.” I went still a moment, Royal’s words resounding in my mind. “You can rely on my protection if ever you have need of it, Symphonic. And very soon, you probably will.” Even I could sense the crouching threat. But whom was I supposed to fear? The golden Imperial had clued me into very little. As though reading my mind, Queen leaned in slightly. “I know you’re probably wondering what he was talking about. And I wish I could fill you in, really I could. But honestly -- well. One can say I’m feeling a bit out of the loop myself. There’s kind of a disconnect there right now, between me and the rest of my family. I don’t know, it’s strange. I guess in the end it’s probably because I’m still so young… and because I’m not her.” Because she wasn’t Empress. My heart quaked a little. “I think there might be other rifts forming in the family too, though.” Queen’s gaze lifted toward the afternoon sun. “Like between Duchess and Father. Duchess definitely hasn’t been herself ever since Hieroglyph left her. She tries to act strong like usual, but you can tell that a part of her is missing.” She paused a moment. “I suppose… I suppose you know what that’s like.” I set down my harp. Abandoning my rock, I stole Queen up into my arms, held her close. Closed my eyes, breathed in her scent. Felt her heartbeat quicken in surprise, her pulse like sixteenth notes in a scale. And there we remained, holding one another while the moments passed. In silence, in closeness, our fractured souls found a small measure of healing. It would have to be enough. [/i][/indent] [center]~~~ ~[/center]

@onewing

aww my gosh my heart just goes out to Symphonic, and Cosmic's entry is so powerful! It was an awesome surprise to see you starting this back up again and it's really tempting me to start a thread of my own, you trendsetter

@Digsie DO IT :DDD No pressure though I know you're super busy ;w; But your clan's got enough juicy drama to make some killer entries mmmmm~

[center]~ ~~~ [b]Day 3 :[/b] Summersby[url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=28675888] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/286759/28675888.png[/img] [/url] [/center] [indent][i]I am dreadfully bored. Duchess no longer shows much interest in my services as of late. Nor has there really been much need to keep her in check anymore. I knew from the moment she requested I not be present when she entertained a “guest,” that she was about to do something disastrous. And disastrous it was -- most especially for Duchess herself. This was largely due to poor planning on her part, I’d say. Invite over someone who you’ve never shown any interest in before, someone who happens to be privy to a few interesting secrets, and ask that your butler not be present during the exchange? The whole ordeal practically screamed ‘I am up to something dubious!’ So naturally I mentioned to Hieroglyph that he may wish to look into what his mate was up to, and the rest is history. The Arcane power couple is no more, and Duchess has diminished to just a shell of what she once was. As terrible as I found her to be, though, I must admit I miss the old Duchess. The current one is painfully dull. All she does now is spend all her time with Kindle -- and I highly doubt it’s his artistic talents that she is interested in. Even the lovely Lacy is no longer around to provide pleasant little distractions for me. Out of the blue she seems to have decided to return to her former lover, Seagull. I can’t imagine why; if I would sport a guess, it was purely out of pity -- the poor sod practically devoted his entire existence to pining for her after she chose me over him. She’ll be back, though. Of this I have little doubt. And when she returns, I’ll forgive her -- she’s always had a weak constitution, easily swayed. But that’s one aspect that made her company so pleasurable. With but a look I could get her trembling. I can admit I certainly miss that. I shall have to find a new goal to occupy my time for the present. Some disaster to avert, some power-hungry dragon to keep from overreaching. Royal would be the best candidate, but unlike his daughter, he’s never shown the desire to order others around to do his bidding. No, he’s a very hands-on fellow. To be honest, I respect that. Perhaps if he did end up taking over the clan, it would not be all so bad. At the very least it might make things more interesting. [/i][/indent] [center]~~~ ~[/center]

[center]~ ~~~ [b]Day 4 :[/b] Royal[url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=26086864] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/260869/26086864.png[/img] [/url] [/center] [indent][i]“If you could have one wish, and it could be anything in the world, what is it you would wish for?” I posited this question to my precious Aesling as she worked to polish my bow, hands deft from a lifetime of handling weaponry. She only had to pause a second or so before she answered, “Think I’d wish for my smelter to be as good as new again.” This is one of the many reasons I treasure her: it took but a moment for her to think of something she desired, something to fulfill her. And such a simple thing at that. Ah, were I so easily contented. It’s not that I can’t come up with a desire; rather, that I have far too many to select simply one. I’ve always prided myself as an ambitious dragon, but now that very fact is the source of my difficulty. As a younger dragon, my answer would have been swift: I’d wish to be Clan Leader. But now I find myself precisely where I’d wish to be, politically speaking: I have enough influence to control clan matters should I wish it, but without having to bear the thankless task of actually leading. I am more than happy to leave that to Hasil. But now I find myself in the particularly unique position of obtaining something more, limited only by my own imagination. The idea is downright dizzying. Exhilarating. But it’s also a bit maddening. The notion that I would choose the wrong thing, that I would later think of a better wish -- it’s enough to drive a dragon into frustration. Especially since the pursuit of said wish could likely lead the clan into war. Oh, who am I kidding -- that, too, is another perk. Things have been far too uneventful around here. Right now all anyone can talk about is Hieroglyph’s departure. So what? One less magician can only be good, I’d say. And my dear daughter Duchess can easily find a much better mate. In fact she’s already developing a strong prospect in that Kindle fellow, whom I daresay is almost as regal as me. Yes, he’d make a fine addition to our expanding family. Now I need only to think of one more thing to adorn this glorious life of mine -- one perfect wish that is worthy of me. [/i][/indent] [center]~~~ ~[/center]

[center]~ ~~~ [b]Day 5 :[/b] Duchess[url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=27213873] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/272139/27213873.png[/img] [/url] [/center] [indent][i]Sometimes I simply cannot fathom my own actions. Today, for example, I found myself seeking out a certain dragon whom I absolutely cannot stand. As suspected, I found him with his mate in the depths of the multi-faceted cavern that served as the clan’s main lair. While Serah had in hand what appeared to be a crudely drawn blueprint, Veritas himself was staring intently at a stone wall -- or at least this is how it first appeared, until I spotted the golden glow of magic twisting and shaping the stone at the Pearlcatcher’s will. I cleared my throat to indicate my presence, the ‘ehem’ ringing through the caverns around us. Surprise stitched across their dumb Pearlcatcher faces before swiftly morphing into hostility on the part of Veritas. “You. What are you doing here?” I did not find such a rude inquiry worthy of response. Instead I drew a small, dusty tome from within the confines of my cloak, brushing it off with a few quick swipes of my claws. “I found this tome amidst the Mirrorlight Archives,” I explained, careful to keep my words simple. “It’s a handbook on Protection Spells. One particularly interesting one, on page 27 here” (I flipped to it as I spoke), “Details how one might create a nigh-invisible bubble of protection around a section of land, keeping out all who would not be welcome.” He just blinked at me, forcing me to withhold annoyance from my voice as I went on. “Obviously, I lack the magical ability to pull off such a powerful incantation. I’ve brought it to you because you are one of the few who could manage it. Do you understand?” Veritas turned to face me, his posture defensive. “What, you want me to use it for you? You think I’d ever help you? Especially after what you did?” I sighed. “Look, it’s not for me. I am quite capable of keeping myself protected, thank you very much. But from what I hear, there is a certain Skydancer hiding deep in the wood who could use this sort of thing, alright? Use it, or don’t. I don’t care. I’m only doing this because--” I froze, realizing my mistake. Why was I telling him? How idiotic, to betray my heart to a dragon I could barely stand. But I had begun the sentence already. Too late to back out of it now. “...Because it’s what your brother would have done!” I shoved the tome into his hands, fluttering out in a swirl of robes, sparing myself whatever moronic reply he might have had in mind. But my own thoughts still plagued me: Father would disown me if he found out about this. But I don’t care. It doesn’t matter anymore. [/i][/indent] [center]~~~ ~[/center]

where's my popcorn,