Creative Corner

[center][font=Georgia][color=104984][b][size=5]Day 25[/size][/b][/color][/font] [font=Georgia][size=4][b]73[/b] Lore[/size][/font] [img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/e2ef31cd285982310ff93e3d1f5c0ec9/tumblr_inline_o23j4ayWtt1r3lvtf_500.png[/img][/center] Spindle took a few more minutes to gather herself, before she finally started talking. "I was born in Arcane, in The Starlites Clan. My parents were the leaders and founders of the Clan, and we always got told stories of how it all got started. I don't know how much of it is real, but apparently the Arcanist himself showed up to help them in a great big battle at one point, so my parents established a tradition of training their children and sending them off to serve him, as a way of showing their thanks." "I know that my parents had many hatchlings before me, and most of them had been sent for their duty. My parents never forced anyone to do it, but there was always talk of how big an honour it was and everything." Spindle paused, recalling how thrilled she herself had once been at the thought of being by the side of a deity. It all felt far away to her now, though. "Me and my brothers were meant to do that one day, too. But while we were young, we were allowed to play and have fun like any other hatchling," Spindle said with a smile. "Brothers?" Rin asked eagerly. "Right. I was the oldest, since I hatched first. Then there was Remy. He was a Mirror like me, and he was the worst." Spindle laughed. "He only ever wanted to get into trouble. I was pretty bad myself, so I went along with him most of the time. We'd get up to no good, and we always had to run away from the nestkeeper." "She was the nicest dragon you've ever met, but we really tested her patience. And since we were the leader's kids, it was all the more trouble for her." Spindle shook her head, remembering the times she and Remy would take turns keeping watch and then bolt out of the nest so soon as the nestkeeper was looking the other way. "Ah, and our youngest brother was Bryce. He was a Guardian, like my dad, and he was the only responsible one of us three. He'd always chase after Remy and me, and tell us to stop messing around and get back to the nest." Spindle grinned at the image of Bryce's grumpy frown, a sight she had been on the receiving end of often enough that it was now etched perfectly in her mind. "Bryce looked forward to the training the most," she went on. "He loved hearing that Clan founding story - he'd make our lorekeeper tell it to him over and over, and he said he wanted to make mom and dad proud once he was with the Arcanist." Spindle fell silent, looking down at the plants with a frown. "Well, so much for that." She had thought back to that night that changed everything many times since it happened, but she still found herself struggling to put it all into words. Rin was silent. She didn't rush Spindle to keep talking, but her curious gaze remained on the Mirror, patiently waiting. "One night, something just... took me," Spindle said at last. "One moment I was dozing in my nest, and then the next I was being dragged from it with something clamping my mouth shut so I couldn't make a noise. I saw my brothers get taken with me, and then I was thrown into the back of a cart." "It was dark, but I could tell someone was inside. Then I remember looking up into a pair of hollow eyes, and... Everything went black after that." Spindle sighed, picking a plant hard enough to pull its roots. "When I woke up next, I was alone in the cart, and it was freezing cold. The cart was moving, and my feet and mouth were bound with rope, but the binding around my mouth was loose. I managed to get it off, and then I chewed through the rest." "I jumped out of the cart and realised we were in the tundra. I had no idea how they got me there, but as soon as I was out, these... figures rushed towards me. I was scared, so I didn't really stop to look at them. I just started running." "I heard strange noises behind me, but I just ran and ran through fields of ice and snow. They chased after me for hours, but when I started to ascend up a mountain and a blizzard struck, they finally gave up. And, well... After a while, I just ended up falling through to here. The Underice." Both of them were silent after that. Spindle was frowning as she kept tugging at the plants, even those that wouldn't be edible to anyone, and stuffing them into the sack. Rin, who had stopped gathering long ago, leaned in and put her hand on Spindle's. "Rin sorry... Spindle brave," she said gently. Spindle sighed. "Thanks, Rin. But I don't know if that's true." That familiar feeling of guilt washed over her, one she had been haunted by every time she thought back on the event. "My brothers might have been right there, and instead I just ran away and saved myself," she said quietly and bitterly. Rin shook her head, her grip on Spindle's hand tightening. "Scary, bad. Taking. Spindle small. Running... brave." Spindle smiled a little. She wasn't so convinced, but it was nice of Rin to try and reassure her, and there was no need to let her mistakes plague the Coatl as well. "Thank you, Rin," she said, and Rin smiled back. "Spindle story. Telling. Sharing. Rin happy." "Yeah," Spindle said, her smile turning more genuine. "Me, too." [center][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/e2ef31cd285982310ff93e3d1f5c0ec9/tumblr_inline_o23j4ayWtt1r3lvtf_500.png[/img] [size=2]@Rebbawskaced @Drachenschwinge For anyone curious, here's [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/50944154]Remy[/url], and here's [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/50944155]Bryce[/url], but beware of spoilers for their fates if you check their profiles! Not that it's hard to guess, but still.[/center]

Thank you :)

I actually just assumed that that happened to her brothers from the beginning. :o But those hollow-eyed things sound a bit creepy.

[center][font=Georgia][color=104984][b][size=5]Day 26[/size][/b][/color][/font] [font=Georgia][size=4][b]40[/b] Coliseum[/size][/font] Asher, Rin and Cresh did enough battles today that each of them levelled up. Asher and Rin are level 7, and Cresh is level 6. [img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/e2ef31cd285982310ff93e3d1f5c0ec9/tumblr_inline_o23j4ayWtt1r3lvtf_500.png[/img][/center] Harper was spending a lot of time with Mara these days, and that was fine. That was just [i]great[/i]. Spindle knew she was partly responsible for that, always pairing them together on their daily tasks, but if they liked each other so much, who was she to get in the way of that? And though she and Harper talked a bit more again ever since she had gotten injured a few weeks ago, seeing the Nocturne and Spiral always together, seemingly inseparable, was starting to grate on Spindle's nerves. And so one evening, when all of them were already inside the cave preparing for a rest, and Spindle noticed Harper and Mara looking at her, then giggling to themselves, she reached her breaking point. She got to her feet with such ferocity that Rin squeaked and tumbled away from their shared nest. All eyes turned to Spindle at once, and she barked: "I'm going out." "Out? Spindle, it's late--" But Spindle ignored Moroz's concern, and stomped right outside. She bound down the hill in powerful leaps, releasing some of that built up anger and upset against the cold ice. Once she made it down, she considered staying where she was, but she could hear Vannifer and Aleksei's voices echoing from their den, and all she wanted was some silence and time to herself. She broke into a run, her practised muscles easily leading her away from the hill. She didn't run too far - just enough so that the only noise around her was the cold whistle of the wind. By the time she slowed down, she realised she was at the place where she had first met Harper. The irony was not lost on her, but she sat herself down here all the same, among a pretty crescent of tall, glowing crystals. Spindle knew she was being childish, and petty, and... jealous. But why was it that even though she knew that, she still couldn't stop it? It was as if her feelings followed whims of their own, uncaring of what the logical side of her said. And she didn't like it, because she didn't [i]want[/i] to act like this. She also didn't want to feel negatively towards Mara, who had no blame in any of Spindle's emotional turmoil. The Mirror hadn't spent much time in her company, but all the same Mara didn't deserve to be othered by any of them, and especially not over something like this. Maybe Spindle should just take a deep breath, go back to the cave, and act like the adult she supposedly was now. But the thought of going back already sent another fresh wave of upset through her nerves. No, not yet. She still needed some time to calm herself down. "Spindle?" Spindle glanced over her shoulder. Harper was walking towards her, and for a moment she perked up. Had he come here because he was worried for her? "Hey, Harper." "Moroz was worried about you," Harper explained, sitting down next to her. "Oh," Spindle said, feeling her hopes dashed like a candle in the wind. "Then maybe she should have come here herself," she added with annoyance. "Well, she wanted to. But I told her I'd go instead." "....Oh." "I see you're enjoying a beautiful evening out here." Spindle looked up. Now that she was used to living in the Underice, it was easy to tell what time of day it was. Though they were buried under thick glaciers, sunlight still filtered through all the way down here to lit up the ice chambers. And when night emerged on the surface, the Underice grew darker, awash in hues of muted blue and indigo. In contrast, the glow of the crystals was much more stark in the nights, and they kept the chambers gently illuminated with glimmers of pink, green and white. "Yeah," Spindle replied quietly, though she could hardly get herself to appreciate the sight. Her mind was still too jumbled up to take any of it in. Harper turned to look at her. "Spindle... Have I done something wrong?" "...What?" Spindle looked back at him with surprise. Where did that come from? "You don't really talk to me much any more. I thought we could go back to how it used to be after you got injured, but you still avoid me... If I did something wrong, then tell me. I know I do stupid stuff all the time. But I'll fix it, promise." Hearing Harper sound so serious was jarring. And Spindle immediately felt bad when she realised all this time he must've been thinking he'd somehow upset her. "It's nothing like that," she was quick to clarify. "You didn't do anything. It's just..." Spindle knew this was the prime time to just get it out. Who knew when she'd get the chance to be alone with Harper again. But as she had already learned, knowing you should do some things didn't actually make them any easier to do. "...You really like Mara, don't you?" she said finally with her eyes downcast. "Huh? Well, yeah. We're real close," Harper replied easily. "She's cool and stuff. She seems quiet, but she's actually pretty funny once you get to know her. She gets scared pretty easily, but like, she still tries a lot, and I think that's awesome. Also, she's [i]super[/i] fast. I get her to play catch with me sometimes, but I always lose. Spirals are something else! Anyway, don't tell her I said all that. It'll get to her head," Harper finished with a grin. Spindle smiled a little. "Yeah, I won't," she promised quietly. Harper's grin fell away, and he frowned. "Spindle... You don't like Mara very much, do you?" "What? No, it's not like that," Spindle said in alarm. "I mean, I don't know her very well, but she seems nice. I don't dislike her." The Mirror looked away again. "I just... Well, I..." "Hey, Spindle. You asked me how I feel about Mara, but you didn't ask how I feel about you," Harper pointed out with another rising grin. "Huh?" Spindle gulped. "Well, I mean, I hope you still think of us as friends..." "Yeah, totally. But I've missed you." Harper shook his head. "No, I [i]miss[/i] you! I like Mara, but I've always liked you, too. And I want to spend more time with you! Actually, I'd love to spend [i]all[/i] my time with you again, just like before." Harper slumped a little, though he was still smiling. "I know that's not possible any more... We all got different stuff to do. But I still want to be with you." Spindle felt dizzy. "Wait, wait. Harper, what are you saying..?" she asked, her heart pounding in her chest. Harper laughed. "I guess I'm saying that I love you?" He nodded, as if affirming the fact to himself. "Yeah, I love you." He'd said it with such ease. All Spindle could do for a moment was stare at him. "You... [i]Me[/i]..?" "Yeah, [i]you[/i]! You're like, awesome. Don't even get me started." Harper's grin turned mischievous. "Or is that what this is about? You just want another ego boost from yours truly? Because I mean, I can totally do that. Since I love you and all." Spindle blinked. She couldn't believe it. She'd been so convinced it wasn't her that Harper had feelings for, she hadn't even considered another possibility. But here he was, telling her that he... That he [i]loved[/i] her. She barely had time to process any of it as Harper took it upon himself to continue. "Okay, so let's see. I mean I already told you how awesome you are at all the businessy stuff, like hunting and leading and all that. So that's pretty cool," he said with a thoughtful face. "But also, you're super brave? Like you just face scary stuff head on. I mean, I used to hide behind you when we were kids, you remember that?" Harper laughed. "I think you kinda inspired me to be braver. I mean, I've always gotten into trouble back at my old Clan, but not like, life-threatening stuff. And now, well... I gotta say, I'm not a fan of fighting, but I'm trying. For everyone else, too," Harper paused, and then waved his own words off. "Anyway, as I was saying... You're also real caring, which I've always liked... My Clan used to say I was too nice, can you believe? Like, they had that 'survival of the fittest' philosophy, and they didn't like helping strangers, because they said it'd be wasteful! I never liked that, not at all. Thank the Icewarden you're not like that! And also, even though you're smart, you're not like boring at all, I mean you're really fun and witty and--" "Harper! Stop," Spindle interrupted at last with a laugh and a shake of her head. "Stars. You're really something else." Harper smiled. "That's not really a response, you know." Spindle still felt shy about it, but she made herself look Harper in the eyes as she replied. "Yeah, well. I like you, too. That is, I... I love you, too." Okay, that was enough eye contact for now. She looked away hurriedly, feeling a mix of embarrassment and giddiness. Harper looked proud. "Well, duh! I'm pretty awesome, myself," he declared, and Spindle rolled her eyes with a groan. They both giggled, and Harper scooted a little closer. Spindle leaned into him, happy to be in his presence like this again. They stayed silent, enjoying the moment for a while. At one point, Spindle quietly muttered: "Stars, I really thought you loved Mara." "Mara?" Harper asked in surprise. "Well I mean I do, but not like that. She's a good friend, but you know. This is different," he explained, and then added: "Also, Mara likes someone else." "Wait, what?" That hadn't been a response Spindle had anticipated at all. "She does?" "Uh-huh." Harper had that gleam of mischief in his expression again, and he leaned in conspiratorially to say: "She likes Asher." Spindle gasped. "No way." "Yes way," Harper cackled. "She thinks he's cool or something. I can't say I agree, but I mean, whatever works for her, right?" The Mirror laughed. How wrong she had it all. Mara and Asher... Her first thought was that Mara never even talked to Asher, but then she supposed she had done the same when she realised her feelings for Harper. Crushes were an odd thing indeed. "We should set them up," she said, half-jokingly, but Harper immediately pounced on the idea. "Oh, totally. I've been trying to get her to talk to him for ages! Maybe if you do the work from Asher's side, we can finally get somewhere," Harper mused with a devilish grin. "Let's see..." They spent the next half hour plotting and making the most unlikely of theories on how they could matchmake their two friends. After that, Harper was on a roll, and there was no stopping him: he told Spindle of just about [i]everything[/i] that had happened since she'd been away from him, and Spindle was more than happy to listen to his rambles. The night passed in the blink of an eye, and Spindle knew they'd both be tired for staying up for the entirety of it, but she felt it was worth it. After they finally parted and went their separate ways for their duties, she was reassured in her heart that she'd be able to be with Harper again without any guilt or tension, and that was all that mattered. [center][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/e2ef31cd285982310ff93e3d1f5c0ec9/tumblr_inline_o23j4ayWtt1r3lvtf_500.png[/img] [size=2]@Rebbawskaced @Drachenschwinge During my studying breaks, I've gotten back into playing Fire Emblem, which really made me want to write a scene like this. I guess you could say Spindle and Harper have reached S rank support, LOL.[/center]

[center][font=Georgia][color=104984][b][size=5]Day 27[/size][/b][/color][/font] [font=Georgia][size=4][b]150[/b] Breeding/New Hatchling/Other[/size][/font] [img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/e2ef31cd285982310ff93e3d1f5c0ec9/tumblr_inline_o23j4ayWtt1r3lvtf_500.png[/img][/center] Spindle stared at the eggs with some bewilderment. It'd been about a month since she and Harper had become mates, but a nest... was not something they planned for. And now, three eggs sat before her in the nest she shared with the Nocturne, and Spindle felt both excited and terrified. Her train of thought kept switching between an overjoyed "Oh stars, I'm going to be a parent!", to a frantic "Oh, [i]stars[/i], I'm going to be a [i]parent[/i]". "You okay there, Spindle?" Cresh, who had been curled up on the other side of the cave with her egg, now peeked towards the Mirror with a lilted brow. "Uh, yeah," Spindle answered uncertainly. She wanted to go and tell Harper so they could talk about this, but she instinctively knew she shouldn't leave the nest, at least not for a little while yet. So instead she turned to the Pearlcatcher. "Any chance you feel like taking a walk?" Cresh chuckled as she got to her feet. "Yeah, I'll let them know. You rest up now." About fifteen minutes later, Harper stormed into the cave so quickly he nearly stumbled over his own feet. "Spindle!" he called when he spotted her. Then his eyes fell down to the eggs, and he froze. "Hello, Harper," Spindle said. She had some time to calm down, and she felt amused by Harper's stunned face. "Surprise?" she offered after a moment when he still didn't say anything. She got worried he'd actually be upset, but then his expression broke into a wide grin. "Oh, wow. Oh, [i]wow[/i]!" Harper moved closer, his gaze switching between her and the eggs. "Spindle, this is awesome! We have a [i]nest[/i]! Like, with eggs! I can't believe it." "Yeah, well, you'd better believe it," Spindle said, but then her own smile fell away. They hardly had enough space in the cave left to house everyone as it was, and now this? Plus they weren't exactly bountiful on food. What were they going to do now? Spindle didn't have it in her heart to regret the nest, because she already felt attached to the unhatched little ones - but she was worried for them. For the kind of life they'd be born to. Harper must've noticed the change, and he frowned as well. "Spindle?" he asked quietly. "What's wrong? Are you... not happy about the nest?" Spindle shook her head. "No, I just... I don't know. It won't be easy," she said with a sigh. "Well, yeah," Harper agreed. "But we're still gonna do it. And we're gonna do it real well," he said with confidence. When Spindle's expression still didn't change, Harper leaned in to nudge her gently. "Hey, come on. It'll be okay, you'll see." Spindle looked at the eggs again, three perfect little glimmering orbs. "I just want them to be happy," she said quietly. "I know," Harper said. "Me, too. That's why I'm not worried." Harper smiled when Spindle looked back up at him. "I know that you will do everything in your power to keep our hatchlings safe and sound, and I'll do the same. And that's how I know they'll be okay." Spindle finally smiled. Harper was right - and even if things didn't go as smoothly as they hoped, there was nothing to do now but look forward. "Spindle? Harper?" They both glanced to the cave entrance, as a graceful feathered form approached. "May I?" "Of course, Moroz," Spindle said, and the Skydancer came closer to take a look at the eggs as well. Moroz stared at them for a long while, and Spindle exchanged a nervous glance with Harper. Moroz had already been so tolerant of them bringing in every stray in the area to her cave, but Spindle was sure if she had a limit, this would make her reach it. The Skydancer's first monologue to them flashed in Spindle's memory, and she felt the need to explain herself. "Moroz, I..." But she stopped when she spotted a stray tear running down Moroz's cheek. Moroz reached up to wipe at her eyes with a quiet laugh. "Oh, I apologise. It has simply been so long..." Harper frowned. "What do you mean?" Moroz looked around the cave, the remains of everyone else's messy nests, Cresh's egg in the corner, and then back to Spindle and Harper. "It has truly started to feel like we are all a Clan, and now there will be an actual family among us. I didn't think I'd see the day," Moroz explained. Spindle felt an ache for her. However long the Skydancer had been stuck here on her own, it had clearly been too long. Whatever else happened on that day, Spindle was glad she fell through the ice in a place where Moroz could find her. And to think, Spindle had been so convinced of her own impending death back then - and now, here she was, about to become a mother. She didn't think she'd see the day, either. Moroz took a deep breath and calmed her emotions. "Now that this is the situation, we must discuss--" "Harper! Spindle! Is it true?!" Mara barged into the cave, Rin following close behind. The Spiral gasped, and then both girls came closer to the nest with excitement and wonder. Whatever Moroz had wanted to say, it would have to wait. Spindle offered her an apologetic smile, which the Skydancer returned with a nod of understanding. [center][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/e2ef31cd285982310ff93e3d1f5c0ec9/tumblr_inline_o23j4ayWtt1r3lvtf_500.png[/img] [size=2]@Rebbawskaced @Drachenschwinge [/center]

Aww, Spindle and Harper are so cute :D And yay, more dragons xD

Also, which FE are you playing?

@Drachenschwinge i'm glad you think so! :D

i've been switching between awakening and revelations. i also have the echoes remake, but my game is glitched so i can't complete it :') are you a fan of the series?

I guess you could say that. I played Awakening for maybe like...3-4 times? And all the Fate paths once. I've started those on hard mode a second time (Conquest is hell) but somehow forgot about it midway. Makes me want to start playing again xD I do have Echoes but haven't finished it yet. Somehow the story isn't that interesting so far...I really have to finish it. How did you glitch it? O.O Also the one fan dragon I own is actually from FE: [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=29784762] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/297848/29784762_350.png[/img] [/url]

@Drachenschwinge oh yeah, conquest is tough even on normal difficulty! in comparison birthright is a breeze. i love the contrast tho, it makes it more fun! which fam do you prefer? :D

and yeah, echoes definitely has a bit of a recycled FE story.. i guess it's a reflection of its time. the new art is very nice tho! and i'm nearly at the end of the game in one of the last dungeons, and i can't progress to the boss fight because every time i try to leave the dungeon, it loops and spits me back out in the same spot!! i looked up game guides and that's def not supposed to happen D:

& OMGG I LOVE THAT HENRY!!! the familiar is so perfect too hahah. thank you for sharing!!

Oh wow, that sound awful D: You'll never know the ending now (at least if you don't look it up)

Thank you, Henry is by far my favourite character <3
I don't really now to be honest. I love tsundere Takumi but Elise is the cutest thing ever! And SPOILER I hated her death scene in Birthright T-T But overall I think I prefer the Conquest characters, they are much more fun. Charlotte is hilarious with her gold digger attitude (In my first playthrough I actually paired her with Xander. She totally got what she wanted xD) and I really like how Niles flusters almost everyone. Also edgy wolf-boy <3

@Drachenschwinge i know! T_T i'll probably restart from another save to see if that helps!

oh i KNOW, elise dying destroyed me! i love her a lot! i also love sakura, but for everyone else i prefer nohr, too. the retainer kids from awakening are also so much fun, LOL.
revelations is great though because you can pair all the royals together, which i totally did, hahah. ryoma and camilla are especially unstoppable together, it's honestly hilarious. tho i really wish i could do S supports between camilla and hinoka too T_T i love their supports!