@Cryoluxa Hello! I realize it has been a while since the last post here, but I stumbled across your writing shop and was wondering if it was still open?
![](https://www1.flightrising.com/static/layout/under_shadow.png)
TOPIC | Cryo's FR Writing Shop -- open
@Cryoluxa Hello! I realize it has been a while since the last post here, but I stumbled across your writing shop and was wondering if it was still open?
@Roheryn
Yup. :3 Thanks for the interest! Life's kind of busy, though, so fair warning: it may take a bit of time to complete a piece if you request one. Depends on how inspired I am at any given time when writing it.
@Meaphuu
Holy moly I only JUST saw your order -- I'm so sorry for the delay! You may be inactive now, though...
Yup. :3 Thanks for the interest! Life's kind of busy, though, so fair warning: it may take a bit of time to complete a piece if you request one. Depends on how inspired I am at any given time when writing it.
@Meaphuu
Holy moly I only JUST saw your order -- I'm so sorry for the delay! You may be inactive now, though...
@Roheryn
Yup. :3 Thanks for the interest! Life's kind of busy, though, so fair warning: it may take a bit of time to complete a piece if you request one. Depends on how inspired I am at any given time when writing it.
@Meaphuu
Holy moly I only JUST saw your order -- I'm so sorry for the delay! You may be inactive now, though...
Yup. :3 Thanks for the interest! Life's kind of busy, though, so fair warning: it may take a bit of time to complete a piece if you request one. Depends on how inspired I am at any given time when writing it.
@Meaphuu
Holy moly I only JUST saw your order -- I'm so sorry for the delay! You may be inactive now, though...
Completely understandable! @Cryoluxa
I'll absolutely be ordering at some point (I've read through some of your examples and I quite like your stories) then, no worries about a wait. I may have to come up with a tad more of an idea first as all I have is a vague concept, unless you're alright working from a "concept" or idea rather than plot ideas, but I'll absolutely order at some point.
I'll absolutely be ordering at some point (I've read through some of your examples and I quite like your stories) then, no worries about a wait. I may have to come up with a tad more of an idea first as all I have is a vague concept, unless you're alright working from a "concept" or idea rather than plot ideas, but I'll absolutely order at some point.
Completely understandable! @Cryoluxa
I'll absolutely be ordering at some point (I've read through some of your examples and I quite like your stories) then, no worries about a wait. I may have to come up with a tad more of an idea first as all I have is a vague concept, unless you're alright working from a "concept" or idea rather than plot ideas, but I'll absolutely order at some point.
I'll absolutely be ordering at some point (I've read through some of your examples and I quite like your stories) then, no worries about a wait. I may have to come up with a tad more of an idea first as all I have is a vague concept, unless you're alright working from a "concept" or idea rather than plot ideas, but I'll absolutely order at some point.
@Roheryn
Try me. If you're cool with me running my creative freedom into space, then I might just throw stuff at you. That said, it's riskier for me if I have to come up with too much by myself since I may have to rewrite things or scrap ideas I liked, so it's better if you have something already pretty solid, at least as far as base material goes.
Try me. If you're cool with me running my creative freedom into space, then I might just throw stuff at you. That said, it's riskier for me if I have to come up with too much by myself since I may have to rewrite things or scrap ideas I liked, so it's better if you have something already pretty solid, at least as far as base material goes.
@Roheryn
Try me. If you're cool with me running my creative freedom into space, then I might just throw stuff at you. That said, it's riskier for me if I have to come up with too much by myself since I may have to rewrite things or scrap ideas I liked, so it's better if you have something already pretty solid, at least as far as base material goes.
Try me. If you're cool with me running my creative freedom into space, then I might just throw stuff at you. That said, it's riskier for me if I have to come up with too much by myself since I may have to rewrite things or scrap ideas I liked, so it's better if you have something already pretty solid, at least as far as base material goes.
@Cryoluxa hello, I was wondering if your shop is still open? The last post here was quite a while ago.
@Cryoluxa hello, I was wondering if your shop is still open? The last post here was quite a while ago.
@PlushKiwi
Hello! Goodness, it's been a while since someone pinged me over here. Technically, I never closed this shop; people just don't seem to have been interested, and life's been life, so I was chill either way, heh. Hmm the princes maybe could use some overhauling, but I don't feel like worrying about that right now.
So, yeah! I'd call it "open." If you'd like to take advantage of the shop, just let me know what I can do and I'll see if I'm capable of it. :)
Hello! Goodness, it's been a while since someone pinged me over here. Technically, I never closed this shop; people just don't seem to have been interested, and life's been life, so I was chill either way, heh. Hmm the princes maybe could use some overhauling, but I don't feel like worrying about that right now.
So, yeah! I'd call it "open." If you'd like to take advantage of the shop, just let me know what I can do and I'll see if I'm capable of it. :)
@PlushKiwi
Hello! Goodness, it's been a while since someone pinged me over here. Technically, I never closed this shop; people just don't seem to have been interested, and life's been life, so I was chill either way, heh. Hmm the princes maybe could use some overhauling, but I don't feel like worrying about that right now.
So, yeah! I'd call it "open." If you'd like to take advantage of the shop, just let me know what I can do and I'll see if I'm capable of it. :)
Hello! Goodness, it's been a while since someone pinged me over here. Technically, I never closed this shop; people just don't seem to have been interested, and life's been life, so I was chill either way, heh. Hmm the princes maybe could use some overhauling, but I don't feel like worrying about that right now.
So, yeah! I'd call it "open." If you'd like to take advantage of the shop, just let me know what I can do and I'll see if I'm capable of it. :)
@Cryoluxa
Alrighty! I just love your lore, so I'm really excited! Let me know if you need any clarification on my thoughts and ideas!
It turned out to be kinda long, please forgive me!
Order: List your whole order. 1 large bio, please!
Character(s): (Link to dragons as applicable) [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/88958570]Iris[/url]
Premise: Please describe what you want the story to be about. Iris is the symbol for my Fodderlocke (which you can find in my signature). I basically want a "prequel" or a "before" to show how she got to be so cruel and desperate to win championships. I'll include the snippet of lore from my Fodderlocke for context:
[Quote=Iris]Welcome to the town of Thornton. A curious place, always buzzing with competition and rivalry. Nothing brings more competition (or malicious intent) than the annual Thornton Gardening Competition. This competition has become the sole focus for some of the most competitive residents, so much so that it has created rifts throughout the town. Factions of gardeners fight against one another all through the year over the many Thornton Cup Competitions!
[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/88958570][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/889586/88958570_350.png[/img][/url]
Meet [b]Iris[/b], a local of Thornton. She's had enough of sitting on the sidelines, watching other groups win the Thornton Cup Competitions throughout the years. She's decided to try her hand at winning a few of this year's competition. But to even stand a chance against the other gardening societies, she needs a group of her own...[color=purple]The Black Barlows[/color]. Named after the flower that best blooms in shade, [b]Iris's[/b] group of mismatched horticulturists will also act within the shadows to ensure their victory. Sabotage, betrayal, and drama is in the teams future...
[/Quote]
Details: Anything from your personal lore that I need to know. (I may ask questions regardless of what's put in here.) I don't have any personal lore, but even if I did. She wouldn't be very connected to it. So anything goes. I'd like her to go through some sort of traumatic experience or something similar to get where she is today. She basically has taken up the role of an omnipresent dictator for the fodderlocke and seems not to care much about the lives of the dragons in it except for a select few who she believes shows promise.
Discount: If a discount applies, put it here.
Payment Type: [b]Treasure[/b] or Gems
Payment Total: (Showing your math is not required, but I will ask that you total it up yourself.)i believe its 30kt, but since i dont really have anything concrete. I'd be down to do the 50kt if you end up needing more room to write.
I know this is pretty vague, so I suppose most of it would be up to you. Would that be okay? I really enjoyed the lore from your three vampires as well as Rhamantus. So, I know you're great at writing tortured backstories. If I can clear anything up please let me know!
@Cryoluxa
Alrighty! I just love your lore, so I'm really excited! Let me know if you need any clarification on my thoughts and ideas!
It turned out to be kinda long, please forgive me!
Order: List your whole order. 1 large bio, please!
Character(s): (Link to dragons as applicable) Iris
Premise: Please describe what you want the story to be about. Iris is the symbol for my Fodderlocke (which you can find in my signature). I basically want a "prequel" or a "before" to show how she got to be so cruel and desperate to win championships. I'll include the snippet of lore from my Fodderlocke for context:
Iris wrote:
Welcome to the town of Thornton. A curious place, always buzzing with competition and rivalry. Nothing brings more competition (or malicious intent) than the annual Thornton Gardening Competition. This competition has become the sole focus for some of the most competitive residents, so much so that it has created rifts throughout the town. Factions of gardeners fight against one another all through the year over the many Thornton Cup Competitions!
![88958570_350.png 88958570_350.png](https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/889586/88958570_350.png)
Meet Iris, a local of Thornton. She's had enough of sitting on the sidelines, watching other groups win the Thornton Cup Competitions throughout the years. She's decided to try her hand at winning a few of this year's competition. But to even stand a chance against the other gardening societies, she needs a group of her own...The Black Barlows. Named after the flower that best blooms in shade, Iris's group of mismatched horticulturists will also act within the shadows to ensure their victory. Sabotage, betrayal, and drama is in the teams future...
![88958570_350.png 88958570_350.png](https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/889586/88958570_350.png)
Meet Iris, a local of Thornton. She's had enough of sitting on the sidelines, watching other groups win the Thornton Cup Competitions throughout the years. She's decided to try her hand at winning a few of this year's competition. But to even stand a chance against the other gardening societies, she needs a group of her own...The Black Barlows. Named after the flower that best blooms in shade, Iris's group of mismatched horticulturists will also act within the shadows to ensure their victory. Sabotage, betrayal, and drama is in the teams future...
Details: Anything from your personal lore that I need to know. (I may ask questions regardless of what's put in here.) I don't have any personal lore, but even if I did. She wouldn't be very connected to it. So anything goes. I'd like her to go through some sort of traumatic experience or something similar to get where she is today. She basically has taken up the role of an omnipresent dictator for the fodderlocke and seems not to care much about the lives of the dragons in it except for a select few who she believes shows promise.
Discount: If a discount applies, put it here.
Payment Type: Treasure or Gems
Payment Total: (Showing your math is not required, but I will ask that you total it up yourself.)i believe its 30kt, but since i dont really have anything concrete. I'd be down to do the 50kt if you end up needing more room to write.
I know this is pretty vague, so I suppose most of it would be up to you. Would that be okay? I really enjoyed the lore from your three vampires as well as Rhamantus. So, I know you're great at writing tortured backstories. If I can clear anything up please let me know!
@PlushKiwi
Have to say, I laughed aloud when you said I was good at writing tortured backstories. XD (I swear I'm nice.) Thanks, though! I recognize the compliment; don't worry! It just sounded funny coming up all of a sudden like that. XD
Anyway, let's go! I went ahead and began reading your fodderlocke thread. in order to get some more info. Looks like a FR setting, slightly customized. (I've worked with this sort of setting before, so I feel confident here.) Did you want this backstory to take place in Thornton? The way the thread's intro is written makes it seem like a lot of Iris' motivations come from within that place.
[quote]She's had enough of sitting on the sidelines, watching other groups win the Thornton Cup Competitions throughout the years. She's decided to try her hand at winning a few of this year's competition.[/quote]
Is Thornton in the Tangled Wood? All the Shadow stuff everywhere in the thread makes me think so.
Does she have any established relationships, has she never actually had any, or can I go ham there? Isolation can work, but it's harder to really make interesting than having others. If there are/were others, I'll need to know about them. If I'm allowed to make up whatever, though, that gives me the most freedom.
And one more question off the top of my head: it seems like you want a serious and tragic piece, which I'm pretty sure I can do. But would you mind if I added some humor in there? Not sure if I will at all, but the whole premise of a cutthroat gardening party is just hilarious to me, and that gives the potential for humor to show up in the finished work.
I've read up through "phase 1" in the thread, by the way. I'll keep reading, but I wanted to ask this much up front.
@PlushKiwi
Have to say, I laughed aloud when you said I was good at writing tortured backstories. XD (I swear I'm nice.) Thanks, though! I recognize the compliment; don't worry! It just sounded funny coming up all of a sudden like that. XD
Anyway, let's go! I went ahead and began reading your fodderlocke thread. in order to get some more info. Looks like a FR setting, slightly customized. (I've worked with this sort of setting before, so I feel confident here.) Did you want this backstory to take place in Thornton? The way the thread's intro is written makes it seem like a lot of Iris' motivations come from within that place.
Is Thornton in the Tangled Wood? All the Shadow stuff everywhere in the thread makes me think so.
Does she have any established relationships, has she never actually had any, or can I go ham there? Isolation can work, but it's harder to really make interesting than having others. If there are/were others, I'll need to know about them. If I'm allowed to make up whatever, though, that gives me the most freedom.
And one more question off the top of my head: it seems like you want a serious and tragic piece, which I'm pretty sure I can do. But would you mind if I added some humor in there? Not sure if I will at all, but the whole premise of a cutthroat gardening party is just hilarious to me, and that gives the potential for humor to show up in the finished work.
I've read up through "phase 1" in the thread, by the way. I'll keep reading, but I wanted to ask this much up front.
Have to say, I laughed aloud when you said I was good at writing tortured backstories. XD (I swear I'm nice.) Thanks, though! I recognize the compliment; don't worry! It just sounded funny coming up all of a sudden like that. XD
Anyway, let's go! I went ahead and began reading your fodderlocke thread. in order to get some more info. Looks like a FR setting, slightly customized. (I've worked with this sort of setting before, so I feel confident here.) Did you want this backstory to take place in Thornton? The way the thread's intro is written makes it seem like a lot of Iris' motivations come from within that place.
Quote:
She's had enough of sitting on the sidelines, watching other groups win the Thornton Cup Competitions throughout the years. She's decided to try her hand at winning a few of this year's competition.
Is Thornton in the Tangled Wood? All the Shadow stuff everywhere in the thread makes me think so.
Does she have any established relationships, has she never actually had any, or can I go ham there? Isolation can work, but it's harder to really make interesting than having others. If there are/were others, I'll need to know about them. If I'm allowed to make up whatever, though, that gives me the most freedom.
And one more question off the top of my head: it seems like you want a serious and tragic piece, which I'm pretty sure I can do. But would you mind if I added some humor in there? Not sure if I will at all, but the whole premise of a cutthroat gardening party is just hilarious to me, and that gives the potential for humor to show up in the finished work.
I've read up through "phase 1" in the thread, by the way. I'll keep reading, but I wanted to ask this much up front.
@Cryoluxa
Yes, Thornton is based in the tangled wood! Love the Shadow aesthetic!
You can go ham! Sounds fun! [emoji=nocturne laughing size=1] perhaps the isolation was forced on her from someone or something? I don't plan on mixing any of my other dragons into her lore. So you can go ham on making a unique character as well!
Humor? Absolutely! It's meant to be a lighthearted theme with dark undertones. I'd love to see what you come up with (if you happen to add some!) I'm glad you enjoyed the premise!
Let me know if you have any other questions! I'd like to warn you, that I'm not the best at adding lore to the fodderlocke thread. So, it's pretty barren on certain days. Hehe....
@Cryoluxa
Yes, Thornton is based in the tangled wood! Love the Shadow aesthetic!
You can go ham! Sounds fun!
perhaps the isolation was forced on her from someone or something? I don't plan on mixing any of my other dragons into her lore. So you can go ham on making a unique character as well!
Humor? Absolutely! It's meant to be a lighthearted theme with dark undertones. I'd love to see what you come up with (if you happen to add some!) I'm glad you enjoyed the premise!
Let me know if you have any other questions! I'd like to warn you, that I'm not the best at adding lore to the fodderlocke thread. So, it's pretty barren on certain days. Hehe....
Yes, Thornton is based in the tangled wood! Love the Shadow aesthetic!
You can go ham! Sounds fun!
![Nocturne Laughing](/static/cms/icons/312.png)
Humor? Absolutely! It's meant to be a lighthearted theme with dark undertones. I'd love to see what you come up with (if you happen to add some!) I'm glad you enjoyed the premise!
Let me know if you have any other questions! I'd like to warn you, that I'm not the best at adding lore to the fodderlocke thread. So, it's pretty barren on certain days. Hehe....
@PlushKiwi
Alright, I think I'll try my hand at a rough draft at least, while this is all fresh in my head. I only read the opening post to the fodderlocke, by the way, but flipping through it, you're posting how it's going, so maybe I'll reference more in there. Maybe not, though; all that takes place after this story, after all. But of course, once the work is done, feel free to take inspiration from it for future posts in your fodderlocke. :)
It was the biggest event of the year in a town in which cutthroat competition was a way of life. Within the gloom and beneath the boughs of the Tangled Wood, gardens of all varieties formed a patchwork in and around the town of Thornton. Life and death both burst in abundance during this time of the Thornton Gardening Competitions.
It's been like that for as long as anyone can remember. Perhaps, once, they were all assassins, and some do-gooder thought that he or she could change the bloodthirsty residents by giving them a gentler pastime, which would foster an appreciation for new life: gardening. How naïve, if that was the case. There was no more violent a time than when rival gardening societies would ruin the work of the others, stopping short the lives of those plants struggling to survive. Gardeners would go "missing," too.
This was the place where Iris grew up. Every year of her life, just about the whole town would be caught up in malicious intent and a need to win. She'd even witnessed certain acts which the adults warned her to keep secret. Locked within her mind were many of those secrets now...
Truly, it was a frightening place for a child. Her young mind could only associate gardens and orderly plant life with murder and deceit. Every time she looked past a picketed fence into a garden plot, she would shiver, wondering who and how many had died to make those plants grow...and, if anyone was buried within the soil there, fertilizing their rivals' flowers. It certainly was far from an unlikely thing.
Every year, she would hide inside as often as she could in order to not be mistaken for one sent to sabotage someone's plot. Every year, she would tremble, imagining what horrors may have occurred as she heard angry accusations and screams outside. Every year, she would swear to herself that as soon as she was old enough, she would flee this awful place.
That was...for a while. "Every year" persisted...but with less frequency during the competitions. As she grew up, she learned to keep her eyes away from the garden plots. She got used to the cries of those who, now, didn't sound as intimidating as they once did. By the time she was grown -- though she still lived with her mother -- she had even gotten used to the whole thing. It was a waste of time, now. A nuisance. She was trying to go about her daily life, but everyone was so obsessed with their dumb gardens. She couldn't see the appeal.
Unfortunately, disinterest can be dangerous.
Iris grew careless. It was so commonplace to her now, that she didn't take any precautions while going about her tasks. Not until she heard a voice bark at her.
"HEY! Where do you think you're walking?!"
It was someone from one of the gardening societies. Iris was just returning home after a long day of foraging in the woods -- she didn't trust any of the produce grown by her fellow townsdragons -- and was surprised when the Ridgeback approached her so viciously. Wide-eyed, she immediately looked down. The brush she'd been traipsing through looked unnaturally orderly, now that she looked at it. Her heart sunk. Oh no...
Iris snapped her attention back to the Ridgeback, full of fear. This is his garden! Her mind rushed to the time of year. Indeed, the competitions were going on at the moment.
"I swear, I didn't realize where I was going!" she began, raising her paws in front of herself defensively and taking a step back.
Crack!
Dread welled up inside of the pair of dragons. Iris had felt something break behind her back paw. The Ridgeback looked on slack-jawed in horror. Neither were a good sign.
"MY RARE-COLORED, ULTRA-LARGE RHUBARB!"
Even as he called out in dismay, Iris dashed away, breaking some more plants in the garden along the way in her rush. She fled into the woods, not daring to return home. If the Ridgeback asked around, he was sure to find where she lived. Rare-colored ultra-large rhubarb were not easy to come by or to grow. She didn't want to imagine what sort of punishment would be levied upon her if she were caught.
Iris camped out in the woods for a few days, but she didn't really have anywhere else to go. So, cautiously, she returned home...and just in time to find the last embers dying out from her destroyed house. Alarm overwhelmed her. She began desperately searching, hoping to find no trace of the woman with whom she lived in this awful place.
But she found her. She found her where her bedroom had once been. The charred remains of her mother.
That was it. That was IT! These stupid gardening competitions had taken life before, but Iris had always had her gentle mother. The dragon had only stayed in town with her daughter because she was -- perhaps naively -- waiting for the girl's father to return...not that he ever did. Iris had always figured that he'd either abandoned them or had been killed in the competitions. But Iris' sweet, trusting mother had waited, and every year, had soothed her frightened daughter.
But now, that gentle force was no longer present in Iris' life. She roared and she screamed in her pain and in her fury...and when that finally ebbed away over so long a time...a dark fire burned within her.
Hatred. Vengeance. These residents of Thornton loved their gardens and their competitions so much, did they? Well. She would destroy them. Being the flower which bloomed in darkness, she would start her own "gardening society" -- The Black Barlows --...and weed out the wicked, plucking everything they cared for...pride, gardens, unity, victory...out of their lives.
So. How was that? It wound up being a lot darker than I'd thought it would, but I hope you like it. :) I imagine part of Iris blames herself, too (she got careless), but her main thought is "gardening isn't worth killing and destroying over and I'll teach you that."
Alright, I think I'll try my hand at a rough draft at least, while this is all fresh in my head. I only read the opening post to the fodderlocke, by the way, but flipping through it, you're posting how it's going, so maybe I'll reference more in there. Maybe not, though; all that takes place after this story, after all. But of course, once the work is done, feel free to take inspiration from it for future posts in your fodderlocke. :)
It was the biggest event of the year in a town in which cutthroat competition was a way of life. Within the gloom and beneath the boughs of the Tangled Wood, gardens of all varieties formed a patchwork in and around the town of Thornton. Life and death both burst in abundance during this time of the Thornton Gardening Competitions.
It's been like that for as long as anyone can remember. Perhaps, once, they were all assassins, and some do-gooder thought that he or she could change the bloodthirsty residents by giving them a gentler pastime, which would foster an appreciation for new life: gardening. How naïve, if that was the case. There was no more violent a time than when rival gardening societies would ruin the work of the others, stopping short the lives of those plants struggling to survive. Gardeners would go "missing," too.
This was the place where Iris grew up. Every year of her life, just about the whole town would be caught up in malicious intent and a need to win. She'd even witnessed certain acts which the adults warned her to keep secret. Locked within her mind were many of those secrets now...
Truly, it was a frightening place for a child. Her young mind could only associate gardens and orderly plant life with murder and deceit. Every time she looked past a picketed fence into a garden plot, she would shiver, wondering who and how many had died to make those plants grow...and, if anyone was buried within the soil there, fertilizing their rivals' flowers. It certainly was far from an unlikely thing.
Every year, she would hide inside as often as she could in order to not be mistaken for one sent to sabotage someone's plot. Every year, she would tremble, imagining what horrors may have occurred as she heard angry accusations and screams outside. Every year, she would swear to herself that as soon as she was old enough, she would flee this awful place.
That was...for a while. "Every year" persisted...but with less frequency during the competitions. As she grew up, she learned to keep her eyes away from the garden plots. She got used to the cries of those who, now, didn't sound as intimidating as they once did. By the time she was grown -- though she still lived with her mother -- she had even gotten used to the whole thing. It was a waste of time, now. A nuisance. She was trying to go about her daily life, but everyone was so obsessed with their dumb gardens. She couldn't see the appeal.
Unfortunately, disinterest can be dangerous.
Iris grew careless. It was so commonplace to her now, that she didn't take any precautions while going about her tasks. Not until she heard a voice bark at her.
"HEY! Where do you think you're walking?!"
It was someone from one of the gardening societies. Iris was just returning home after a long day of foraging in the woods -- she didn't trust any of the produce grown by her fellow townsdragons -- and was surprised when the Ridgeback approached her so viciously. Wide-eyed, she immediately looked down. The brush she'd been traipsing through looked unnaturally orderly, now that she looked at it. Her heart sunk. Oh no...
Iris snapped her attention back to the Ridgeback, full of fear. This is his garden! Her mind rushed to the time of year. Indeed, the competitions were going on at the moment.
"I swear, I didn't realize where I was going!" she began, raising her paws in front of herself defensively and taking a step back.
Crack!
Dread welled up inside of the pair of dragons. Iris had felt something break behind her back paw. The Ridgeback looked on slack-jawed in horror. Neither were a good sign.
"MY RARE-COLORED, ULTRA-LARGE RHUBARB!"
Even as he called out in dismay, Iris dashed away, breaking some more plants in the garden along the way in her rush. She fled into the woods, not daring to return home. If the Ridgeback asked around, he was sure to find where she lived. Rare-colored ultra-large rhubarb were not easy to come by or to grow. She didn't want to imagine what sort of punishment would be levied upon her if she were caught.
Iris camped out in the woods for a few days, but she didn't really have anywhere else to go. So, cautiously, she returned home...and just in time to find the last embers dying out from her destroyed house. Alarm overwhelmed her. She began desperately searching, hoping to find no trace of the woman with whom she lived in this awful place.
But she found her. She found her where her bedroom had once been. The charred remains of her mother.
That was it. That was IT! These stupid gardening competitions had taken life before, but Iris had always had her gentle mother. The dragon had only stayed in town with her daughter because she was -- perhaps naively -- waiting for the girl's father to return...not that he ever did. Iris had always figured that he'd either abandoned them or had been killed in the competitions. But Iris' sweet, trusting mother had waited, and every year, had soothed her frightened daughter.
But now, that gentle force was no longer present in Iris' life. She roared and she screamed in her pain and in her fury...and when that finally ebbed away over so long a time...a dark fire burned within her.
Hatred. Vengeance. These residents of Thornton loved their gardens and their competitions so much, did they? Well. She would destroy them. Being the flower which bloomed in darkness, she would start her own "gardening society" -- The Black Barlows --...and weed out the wicked, plucking everything they cared for...pride, gardens, unity, victory...out of their lives.
So. How was that? It wound up being a lot darker than I'd thought it would, but I hope you like it. :) I imagine part of Iris blames herself, too (she got careless), but her main thought is "gardening isn't worth killing and destroying over and I'll teach you that."
@PlushKiwi
Alright, I think I'll try my hand at a rough draft at least, while this is all fresh in my head. I only read the opening post to the fodderlocke, by the way, but flipping through it, you're posting how it's going, so maybe I'll reference more in there. Maybe not, though; all that takes place after this story, after all. But of course, once the work is done, feel free to take inspiration from it for future posts in your fodderlocke. :)
It was the biggest event of the year in a town in which cutthroat competition was a way of life. Within the gloom and beneath the boughs of the Tangled Wood, gardens of all varieties formed a patchwork in and around the town of Thornton. Life and death both burst in abundance during this time of the Thornton Gardening Competitions.
It's been like that for as long as anyone can remember. Perhaps, once, they were all assassins, and some do-gooder thought that he or she could change the bloodthirsty residents by giving them a gentler pastime, which would foster an appreciation for new life: gardening. How naïve, if that was the case. There was no more violent a time than when rival gardening societies would ruin the work of the others, stopping short the lives of those plants struggling to survive. Gardeners would go "missing," too.
This was the place where Iris grew up. Every year of her life, just about the whole town would be caught up in malicious intent and a need to win. She'd even witnessed certain acts which the adults warned her to keep secret. Locked within her mind were many of those secrets now...
Truly, it was a frightening place for a child. Her young mind could only associate gardens and orderly plant life with murder and deceit. Every time she looked past a picketed fence into a garden plot, she would shiver, wondering who and how many had died to make those plants grow...and, if anyone was buried within the soil there, fertilizing their rivals' flowers. It certainly was far from an unlikely thing.
Every year, she would hide inside as often as she could in order to not be mistaken for one sent to sabotage someone's plot. Every year, she would tremble, imagining what horrors may have occurred as she heard angry accusations and screams outside. Every year, she would swear to herself that as soon as she was old enough, she would flee this awful place.
That was...for a while. "Every year" persisted...but with less frequency during the competitions. As she grew up, she learned to keep her eyes away from the garden plots. She got used to the cries of those who, now, didn't sound as intimidating as they once did. By the time she was grown -- though she still lived with her mother -- she had even gotten used to the whole thing. It was a waste of time, now. A nuisance. She was trying to go about her daily life, but everyone was so obsessed with their dumb gardens. She couldn't see the appeal.
Unfortunately, disinterest can be dangerous.
Iris grew careless. It was so commonplace to her now, that she didn't take any precautions while going about her tasks. Not until she heard a voice bark at her.
"HEY! Where do you think you're walking?!"
It was someone from one of the gardening societies. Iris was just returning home after a long day of foraging in the woods -- she didn't trust any of the produce grown by her fellow townsdragons -- and was surprised when the Ridgeback approached her so viciously. Wide-eyed, she immediately looked down. The brush she'd been traipsing through looked unnaturally orderly, now that she looked at it. Her heart sunk. Oh no...
Iris snapped her attention back to the Ridgeback, full of fear. This is his garden! Her mind rushed to the time of year. Indeed, the competitions were going on at the moment.
"I swear, I didn't realize where I was going!" she began, raising her paws in front of herself defensively and taking a step back.
Crack!
Dread welled up inside of the pair of dragons. Iris had felt something break behind her back paw. The Ridgeback looked on slack-jawed in horror. Neither were a good sign.
"MY RARE-COLORED, ULTRA-LARGE RHUBARB!"
Even as he called out in dismay, Iris dashed away, breaking some more plants in the garden along the way in her rush. She fled into the woods, not daring to return home. If the Ridgeback asked around, he was sure to find where she lived. Rare-colored ultra-large rhubarb were not easy to come by or to grow. She didn't want to imagine what sort of punishment would be levied upon her if she were caught.
Iris camped out in the woods for a few days, but she didn't really have anywhere else to go. So, cautiously, she returned home...and just in time to find the last embers dying out from her destroyed house. Alarm overwhelmed her. She began desperately searching, hoping to find no trace of the woman with whom she lived in this awful place.
But she found her. She found her where her bedroom had once been. The charred remains of her mother.
That was it. That was IT! These stupid gardening competitions had taken life before, but Iris had always had her gentle mother. The dragon had only stayed in town with her daughter because she was -- perhaps naively -- waiting for the girl's father to return...not that he ever did. Iris had always figured that he'd either abandoned them or had been killed in the competitions. But Iris' sweet, trusting mother had waited, and every year, had soothed her frightened daughter.
But now, that gentle force was no longer present in Iris' life. She roared and she screamed in her pain and in her fury...and when that finally ebbed away over so long a time...a dark fire burned within her.
Hatred. Vengeance. These residents of Thornton loved their gardens and their competitions so much, did they? Well. She would destroy them. Being the flower which bloomed in darkness, she would start her own "gardening society" -- The Black Barlows --...and weed out the wicked, plucking everything they cared for...pride, gardens, unity, victory...out of their lives.
So. How was that? It wound up being a lot darker than I'd thought it would, but I hope you like it. :) I imagine part of Iris blames herself, too (she got careless), but her main thought is "gardening isn't worth killing and destroying over and I'll teach you that."
Alright, I think I'll try my hand at a rough draft at least, while this is all fresh in my head. I only read the opening post to the fodderlocke, by the way, but flipping through it, you're posting how it's going, so maybe I'll reference more in there. Maybe not, though; all that takes place after this story, after all. But of course, once the work is done, feel free to take inspiration from it for future posts in your fodderlocke. :)
It was the biggest event of the year in a town in which cutthroat competition was a way of life. Within the gloom and beneath the boughs of the Tangled Wood, gardens of all varieties formed a patchwork in and around the town of Thornton. Life and death both burst in abundance during this time of the Thornton Gardening Competitions.
It's been like that for as long as anyone can remember. Perhaps, once, they were all assassins, and some do-gooder thought that he or she could change the bloodthirsty residents by giving them a gentler pastime, which would foster an appreciation for new life: gardening. How naïve, if that was the case. There was no more violent a time than when rival gardening societies would ruin the work of the others, stopping short the lives of those plants struggling to survive. Gardeners would go "missing," too.
This was the place where Iris grew up. Every year of her life, just about the whole town would be caught up in malicious intent and a need to win. She'd even witnessed certain acts which the adults warned her to keep secret. Locked within her mind were many of those secrets now...
Truly, it was a frightening place for a child. Her young mind could only associate gardens and orderly plant life with murder and deceit. Every time she looked past a picketed fence into a garden plot, she would shiver, wondering who and how many had died to make those plants grow...and, if anyone was buried within the soil there, fertilizing their rivals' flowers. It certainly was far from an unlikely thing.
Every year, she would hide inside as often as she could in order to not be mistaken for one sent to sabotage someone's plot. Every year, she would tremble, imagining what horrors may have occurred as she heard angry accusations and screams outside. Every year, she would swear to herself that as soon as she was old enough, she would flee this awful place.
That was...for a while. "Every year" persisted...but with less frequency during the competitions. As she grew up, she learned to keep her eyes away from the garden plots. She got used to the cries of those who, now, didn't sound as intimidating as they once did. By the time she was grown -- though she still lived with her mother -- she had even gotten used to the whole thing. It was a waste of time, now. A nuisance. She was trying to go about her daily life, but everyone was so obsessed with their dumb gardens. She couldn't see the appeal.
Unfortunately, disinterest can be dangerous.
Iris grew careless. It was so commonplace to her now, that she didn't take any precautions while going about her tasks. Not until she heard a voice bark at her.
"HEY! Where do you think you're walking?!"
It was someone from one of the gardening societies. Iris was just returning home after a long day of foraging in the woods -- she didn't trust any of the produce grown by her fellow townsdragons -- and was surprised when the Ridgeback approached her so viciously. Wide-eyed, she immediately looked down. The brush she'd been traipsing through looked unnaturally orderly, now that she looked at it. Her heart sunk. Oh no...
Iris snapped her attention back to the Ridgeback, full of fear. This is his garden! Her mind rushed to the time of year. Indeed, the competitions were going on at the moment.
"I swear, I didn't realize where I was going!" she began, raising her paws in front of herself defensively and taking a step back.
Crack!
Dread welled up inside of the pair of dragons. Iris had felt something break behind her back paw. The Ridgeback looked on slack-jawed in horror. Neither were a good sign.
"MY RARE-COLORED, ULTRA-LARGE RHUBARB!"
Even as he called out in dismay, Iris dashed away, breaking some more plants in the garden along the way in her rush. She fled into the woods, not daring to return home. If the Ridgeback asked around, he was sure to find where she lived. Rare-colored ultra-large rhubarb were not easy to come by or to grow. She didn't want to imagine what sort of punishment would be levied upon her if she were caught.
Iris camped out in the woods for a few days, but she didn't really have anywhere else to go. So, cautiously, she returned home...and just in time to find the last embers dying out from her destroyed house. Alarm overwhelmed her. She began desperately searching, hoping to find no trace of the woman with whom she lived in this awful place.
But she found her. She found her where her bedroom had once been. The charred remains of her mother.
That was it. That was IT! These stupid gardening competitions had taken life before, but Iris had always had her gentle mother. The dragon had only stayed in town with her daughter because she was -- perhaps naively -- waiting for the girl's father to return...not that he ever did. Iris had always figured that he'd either abandoned them or had been killed in the competitions. But Iris' sweet, trusting mother had waited, and every year, had soothed her frightened daughter.
But now, that gentle force was no longer present in Iris' life. She roared and she screamed in her pain and in her fury...and when that finally ebbed away over so long a time...a dark fire burned within her.
Hatred. Vengeance. These residents of Thornton loved their gardens and their competitions so much, did they? Well. She would destroy them. Being the flower which bloomed in darkness, she would start her own "gardening society" -- The Black Barlows --...and weed out the wicked, plucking everything they cared for...pride, gardens, unity, victory...out of their lives.
So. How was that? It wound up being a lot darker than I'd thought it would, but I hope you like it. :) I imagine part of Iris blames herself, too (she got careless), but her main thought is "gardening isn't worth killing and destroying over and I'll teach you that."