Creative Corner

@Taintededen

Becareful! Pinkerton gave me a battlestone today O.o

@Deathwolf555 / @Meonox / @Achi / @tahwarts

I know! And poor little Jac has no idea what's going on with his siblings. As far as he's aware, everything is fine. :( It will be interesting to see how far these two get in their plans, if anywhere -- and if anyone else catches wind of what they're thinking of (*hint*), things will hopefully get even more interesting...

The post should be coming later today. I unfortunately woke up late and work starts in ten minutes, so there isn't nearly enough time to make an update for this morning. But I'll put one out probably late this afternoon. I've already drawn my Pinkerlocke item and I have a good idea what to do for today's update; the question is just writing it.

(Also, I'm updating Adam's page soon! He has been gifted genes since yesterday's update, and I want to make sure everyone is up-to-date on his current state of affairs before I apply them during an in-story update. Thank you!)

@InHeritent @Elzerei @Silverhame @Whimzica @PaintedLiger @OverTheWolf @fairyhalo @221bdisneystreet @Skyeset

[center][size=5]Day 21[/size] [i]Special thanks goes to @Whimzica for donating Shadow-themed items and apparel (including a chest), The Squad for donating a gene, and @OverTheWolf for donating a gene, apparel, battle items, and a chest![/i] [item="Depin Hide"][/center] Jac tiptoed through the forest, his eyes wide and snout whiffing for the slightest sign of danger. [i]I'm brave,[/i] he thought as he stepped on a twig and startled himself screaming into a tree. [i]I'm very brave,[/i] he thought to himself as he began whimpering because of just how high off the ground he had gotten. "I'm the bravest," he said out loud in a quivering tenor, his teeth clacking between every word. [i]A hero doesn't cower! You need to be strong to become... uhh... strong.[/i] He took a deep breath and willed himself to hop off of the tree, using his wings to buffer his fall. When Jac's instincts allowed him to land on all fours without any sort of hitch, an anxious smile worked his way on his face. [i]See? I'm strong! I'm going to be super brave and bold for Mommy.[/i] He puffed out his chest, strutting as best he could in spite of his knocking knees. [i]He's going to be so proud when I bring him fresh prey![/i] The thought of Anzu smiling at him and petting Jac's head sent the Mirror's tail on a wagging spree as he bounded a little more into the woods, his heart pounding and face warm and body ignited with a strong positive energy. Jac was so confident that nothing could stand in his way! He was wrong. After smashing his snout face-first against a firmly-rooted tree, it was apparent that there were, in fact, things that would be quite happy to stand in his way. "Oww," he whined, rubbing his snout as he collected himself in a sitting position. A warm fluid began to leak out of his nostrils. Distracted by the slight panic he felt over the prospect of bleeding from the nose, Jac failed to hear the branches break from above him and looked up just in time to get bashed in the face by a small chest. It clattered onto the ground by his feet. Jac howled, rubbing his face and feeling his eyes well up with tears. "Who puts chests in trees?" he asked the empty forest around him. When an owl hooted in reply, Jac tensed up and became aware of his surroundings once more. It was at that point that he recognized that there were words engraved on the chest. It was a brief and simple statement: "The Court of Mists sends their regards." It radiated a Shadowy aura, the kind which most dragons would back away from out of fear of those ominous edges contaminating their scales. Jac, however, wasn't the best at comprehending more than one thing at a time, and this seemed just as much like a gift as any others he had ever seen -- just with a shadier twist. His brain promptly lodged it into a "nice" category. After all, members of the Shadow Flight away from Eden could totally be nice, right? Jac grinned. "Wow... more clans have found out about us?" His eyes sparkled. "I bet Mommy would love to open this." The image of Anzu being surprised and overwhelmed by all of the lovely things within made Jac's heart palpitate from the sort of excitement any dragon might have called suspicious. He hugged the chest to his face and kissed it, closing his eyes from the force of his reverie. "Thank you, Court of Mists!" As his lips touched the shadowy magic, a tingle spread through Jac's entire body. His happy visions were snatched from him by a sudden tension in his being -- an eerie chill, like the feeling of being watched. When his eyes snapped open, he was no longer in the little clearing. Instead, he was in an empty black void, suspended on some unseen ground, the chest no longer visible and the wind no longer brushing at his back. From the dark, a pair of deep purple eyes glowed alongside ribbons of otherworldly blue. [i]"Happy with the present you've found?"[/i] rumbled a deep, masculine voice. To Jac's ears, it had a warm and earthy tone. The dissonance between the vision of himself in some dark and empty place colliding with the gentleness of the voice made Jac uncomfortable in multiple ways. His knees knocked. "Umm... Mommy says I shouldn't talk to strangers." Jac backed away from the glimmering spirit as best he could, but no matter how many steps he took, the eyes didn't seem any farther than they had been from the very beginning. There was a gentle chuckle. [i]"There's no need to fear me, Jac. I merely wanted to congratulate you on your find. I'll bet your mother would be so proud to know just how brave you've been."[/i] Jac's heart fluttered. He gave the eyes an anxious smile. "Thanks?" [i]"You're welcome."[/i] "Uh," Jac stammered, trying to get a hold of himself and lock all of his misgivings away. "I'm really sorry if this comes off as rude, but can I go back to Sornieth now? I'm really excited to give this to him and I don't think I can wait very long." The spirit let out a fatherly chuckle and came forth towards Jac, revealing himself slowly. His "body" didn't appear tangible at all; in fact, it appeared like like a constellation with a halo of ice and fire -- a series of lights flickering against the black, shifting and unreal. His claws skirted the darkness and he loomed like a tower above Jac's feeble, earthly size. There was a false and tender smirk on his face, one which a more astute dragon could tell bordered on a subtle sneer. But this little fact was overwhelmed by just how tiny Jac felt against the ghostly visage of this ancient dragon. [i]"Be at ease, little one. I do not wish to scare you. On the contrary: I wish to encourage you."[/i] He put a paw to his chest and drew a cross. [i]"I, Adam, the Guardian of Eden, give you my blessings to pursue the handsome and kind Anzu. Upon earning his heart, I grant that you may remain his partner through torridity and tranquility, through sickness and health, through the scorn of nonbelievers and the congratulations of all other loved ones."[/i] Jac's eyes wide. His face grew hot when he imagined Anzu's smile and he tried to back away, sitting on his haunches and hugging himself. His ears flattened against his head and he swallowed. "You... r-really? You mean that?" [i]"With all that remains of my heart,"[/i] Adam replied, nodding. [i]"Do not let my looks deceive you. Everyone and everything you have ever known is more than they appear to be. Including you, Jac."[/i] Jac gulped and pointed a shaky claw at himself. Adam smirked harder and continued. [i]"Yes, you. You who strives every day to grow stronger, more agile, and more coordinated than ever before."[/i] Visions of Jac reaching new heights in everything he has thus far tried to achieve surrounded him -- seven push-ups without a break, a pirouette with two stumbles, a mid-air spin that resulted in only a medium-sized shower of twigs raining on his head. All of them showed Jac with the same expression: one of nervous tenacity, the sort of determination that wouldn't bow in spite of the odds. Jac's breath hitched. [i]"You who watches over your adoptive family with everything you have."[/i] The visions changed, morphing into ones where Jac swallowed his fears and strove to drive away pests. One had him killing a rat which had scared Imriel; another had him keeping guard of Hollowmaw as he slept under an apple tree, swatting away any fruits that tried to impale themselves on one of his many spikes; the last had him burying the most disgusting piece of rotting prey which had made Barda visibly nauseous. Jac's forepaws twitched. [i]"You who loves with all your heart."[/i] Anzu. He was the subject of every vision hereafter. His little smile, his gentle laugh, those forest green eyes which saw through to Jac's soul. Jac's pupils dilated, his tail trembled, and his chest rumbled with a purr he couldn't escape from. As all of these things happened, Adam let out a pleased grunt. The marks on his sides glowed more brightly now. Jac noticed that and snapped out of it, watching him with big eyes. "H-hey. Are you okay?" he asked. Adam let out a breathy chuckle. [i]"Oh, don't mind me. I'm just--"[/i] he grunted again, incapable of wiping the smirk off of his face. [i]"I'm just so proud of you."[/i] A smile spread on Jac's face. He tried to get closer to Adam and, finding he couldn't, sat down on his haunches and spread his arms out. "Thanks, Adam. I, uh, can't seem to get near you, and even if I could I don't know if you're corporeal, so here's an air hug instead." Adam quirked a celestial brow and hummed. [i]"How sweet. You're a very good boy, Jac."[/i] Jac wagged his tail. His heart was light and bounding from all the praise. Now more than ever, he could feel a foreign wave of doubtless confidence surging through his being. Adam's smile was of pure satisfaction as he spoke one last time. [i]"Anyhow, I have kept you here long enough. I'll let you go talk to your friends and family, now. Feel free to call my name and I can talk to you at any point later. Oh -- and do follow the sound of chime-like laughter before you return to camp. What you see there may be an even shinier present for your Anzu."[/i] Before Jac could even thank him, he felt like his body had just hit the ground. The clearing snapped into view as if nothing had ever happened. But Jac knew that he had just seen a sign from a demigod, some ancient spirit, and he had received his blessing. With a skip to his step and no single instance of fear, he carried the bonebound chest followed the sounds of gentle laughter into a tiny clearing. It was better lit than the rest of the forest, and within rested a golden treasure chest with a small note attached to it. Jac's eyes widened from the beauty of it. He just [i]had[/i] to know who it was from. When he opened the scroll, he was greeted with these words: [center]x[/center] [i]To the brave dragons of Eden: You do not know us, and perhaps you never will. We are the Wolfsworn, a warrior Clan dedicated to serving the glorious Lightweaver. Our fair lady must be watching her sister's lands, for she has sent our leader a vision and a directive: send aid to the dragons of Eden so that they may defeat the Shade-touched who threaten their lives. Accept these gifts and know that you have allies in the Beacon of the Radiant Eye, should you need them. May the Lightweaver bless you.[/i] [center]x[/center] Jac's eyes sparkled and his paws shook from joy. Every atom in his being was shaking, anticipatory and gleeful, charged with a happy sensation unlike any he had ever felt before. The world was his for the taking. In a mood like this, he could defy all odds and become the heroic and brave knight a princely mother like Anzu deserved. He could protect Eden, bring peace to their world, and make everyone in the clan proud. He didn't even care that he traveled at a snail's pace under the weight of two heavy chests. Not even those rude trees from earlier could have stopped him then. [i]I can do this![/i] [center][item="Bonebound Chest"][item="Shadowbinder Onyx Idol"][item="Shadow Tome"][item="Darksteel Amulet of Necromancy"][item="Tertiary Gene: Contour"][item="Primary Gene: Skink"][item="Shady Crown"][item="Minor Health Potion"][item="Gold Wolf Cape"][item="Gold Filigree Banner"][item="Gold Filigree Breastplate"][item="Gold Filigree Wing Guard"][item="Gilded Decorative Chest"][item="Navy Aviator Satchel"][item="Forest Rogue Vest"][/center] [i]The first four items were from Whimzica, the Contour gene is from my lovely college squad, and everything from the Skink gene on is from OverTheWolf, with the last two pieces of apparel emerging from the gilded chest! I'm honestly floored and at a loss for words. Thank you all so much! It was quite the ride figuring out how to incorporate all of these gifts while also progressing the story, but hopefully I made it work! The responses to these will be continuing a little next update with the items being viewed by the clan and the letter receiving a written response from a clan dragon, but this is just so that this entry would 1) be released today without needing to be pushed back and 2) not be too long, considering how I'm envisioning the upcoming scene in my head. To my joy, I even managed to incorporate each donation in order. In terms of multiples, I received 100 (!!!) Minor Health Potions. [b]@Acetanimephen, @GoldenTree, and @nuttysaladtree:[/b] All right. You did it. You've twisted my arm. I know you didn't ask for it, but the donation of a gene for Adam warrants an update to the "I Blame GoldenTree" doc. You lovelies of The Squad have earned it. From now on, on days where nothing happens in the Coliseum, I simply won't mention any Coli changes in the stats section. It's just a waste of space. Just so you know, [b]there probably won't be an update tomorrow.[/b] Unless I can get out an update by 7 o'clock FR time, it is likely that I will be too exhausted after a long day of work and school appointments to do much writing of any sort. Things will probably pick up again on Friday. :) Thank you![/i] [center]Starting Funds: 77660 Ending Funds: 88249[/center] [size=1]@Meonox @InHeritent @tahwarts @Elzerei @Silverhame @PaintedLiger @Achi @fairyhalo @221bdisneystreet @Deathwolf555 @Skyeset[/size]

@TaintedEden
Adam is not what I expected!, in comparison to Eve I thought his malevolence would be more obtuse and confrontational like his mate's. But obviously being a wraith, this sly, faux gentleman suits him better. I'm loving the slow reveal of his character! And I seriously concerned intrigued by what he plans to do with Jac :O

@TaintedEden What the heck Adam is actually nice I love him (or is he just trying to stir up drama on purpose? Honestly that's good too.) [quote]"Thanks, Adam. I, uh, can't seem to get near you, and even if I could I don't know if you're corporeal, so here's an air hug instead."[/quote] Also this was adorable.

@TaintedEden I love this run! Do you mind putting me on the pinglist for updates?

@TaintedEden I am on the 'don't trust Adam' side! I mean, it's mighty suspicious that he helped Jac find ANOTHER chest and encouraged him to bring it to Anzu... especially given that I'm sure he knows what the other two mirrors are up to.

Wow... I don't even really know what to say, except that I'm eagerly waiting for more!

@InHeritent

I'm happy to hear that you like how Adam's character is going so far! :) I definitely wanted to make his style of "managing" Eden distinct from his mate, and I have a binary opposites theme over how they interact with the living dragons. Tomorrow's update should provide us with a few answers to what his hopes for Jac were, providing Jac does everything as Adam encouraged him to do...

@tahwarts

He definitely projects a much kinder personality than Eve does, that much is sure! His intentions, of course, will be fully revealed in time, but I'm happy to hear that you like Adam's characterization so far. He's quite the chill dude.

Aww. That particular moment had me grinning as I wrote it. ^^ I'm glad you found it adorable!

@OverTheWolf

Haha, I'm glad you liked it. :) Poop... yes, that will certainly be finding its way towards some industrial-sized fan blades in short order. XD Tomorrow the dragons will hopefully be replying to your letter, so stay tuned for that as well!

@Ambrose

Not at all! I'll put you on the ping list as soon as I post this. ^^ I'm very glad you like the story so far, and I'm sorry in advance for the double ping!

@Achi

These are all good reasons to not trust him! But one certainly can't deny that he has a very potent ability to encourage others to do the best they can in whatever they hope to accomplish. After all, this isn't the first time we've heard him speak to one of our children of Eden... ;)

@Skyeset

Thank you so much! ^^ I'm glad you're so excited for more. Goodness willing, tomorrow will be a big update for the progression of this segment of the story. I hope you'll like it! :)