Creative Corner

I wanted to write something for a prompt, and I did! Welcome back Eagle and say hello to Falcon, whom I only wrote once prior to this— [quote=August 5 2021]A savage grin split their face as they hefted their axe. "So, how's our debut gonna go?"[/quote] Falcon knew no other name than that alias, being raised in a widely-illiterate mercenary family. Sure, he’s seen it on paper—not like he could read it. The goddess’s protection and wisdom didn’t even bother reaching the poorer folks of the small villages, especially where the nobles and important people barely tended to those beneath them. Yet, he couldn’t complain about the goddess too much, as she did bring him to the most beautiful woman Falcon had ever met—long blonde hair paired with lovely hazel eyes, a somewhat short figure who could be anywhere between seventeen and twenty. Once the family company passed on to him, his eyes were opened to jobs outside of the usual region he traveled. The young woman—who refused to share her name, to his minor annoyance—was among the people he met further south. This woman, soon being dubbed ‘Eagle’ due to her birthplace, keen eyesight, and power, had come to Falcon with determination and a sword, asking if his company had room for one more. Falcon quickly arranged for it to be so, and he managed to woo her soon enough. They were equal in strength, and she even knew how to write a few things—her talents were invaluable, and he loved her for her personality and beauty both. Soon enough, Falcon made the ultimate decision to rename the company. A sign was made to help advertise their deeds, reading “Falcon and Eagle’s Mercenaries” according to everyone who could understand it, and this job was to announce that significant change in both the company’s title and Falcon’s personal life, now that Eagle loved him as well. Falcon heard no end to the change—not even a decade later—but he could honestly care less, being a lovesick fool for the rest of his days. Falcon glanced at Eagle with loving care, which she always returned with some amount of awkwardness. “We’re fighting against thieves,” he said. “A handful of church adherents are willing to pay us a pretty sum to take care of ‘em.” “Goddess,” Eagle muttered. “Do you think the knights couldn’t handle them?” “Ha! The knights are spoiled nobles like any other followers of the church.” Falcon paused after making the mocking remark, adding more kindly, “Except for you, anyway. You’re about the only thing resembling faith in this place, but you’re the most respectful person I’ve met! Honestly, have you seen Bear recently? He won’t stop growling at me!” Eagle chuckled at the mention of their senior—a prickly man about five years older than Falcon, who seemed to hate everything he did. “Either way, may the goddess watch over us.” Falcon nodded, picking up his axe and grinning like a madman. He always loved to have a chance to show noblemen how commoners did their dirty work. “Ready for our debut, love? Shall we make it bloody or painless?” Eagle let out a thoughtful hum, sharing his grin despite whatever church lies say about their kind of work. “A happy medium, perhaps,” she decided. She stood up, her hair gracefully pulled back into a ponytail, and put her sword in its scabbard. “Anyone who dares steal for the profit should be prepared to meet the goddess sooner, rather than later. It’s only natural that we dole out punishment when the knights are busy tending to the more urgent matters.” He didn’t really care about any of the fancy words—all Falcon heard was “a happy medium” and ignored the rest. They walked to their chosen battlefield together, showing the true strength of those that fought side by side. It was something he always wanted and, from that moment on until death took him, something he was never without.

@Inkwyrm
'"I did- I did!" Stiletto chirped, waving his new-forged dagger around'
that imagery is ADORABLE. as much as they should... probably not be waving around a deadly weapon, skydancers chirping when they're excited is just aaa
'"I just really need you," Stiletto blurted suddenly, smashing down the silence.'
i'm dying aaaa
'"Say it again, Stiletto! Or just- explain! You can't- you can't just leave for five moons and come back and suddenly drop an entire confession on my face and then expect me to just understand!" Poltergeist suddenly stopped, taking a deep breath. When he continued, his voice was much softer and gentler.'
i really love this little mini-rant, it feels super realistic of a reaction!
so stiletto finally confessed... but that's just the first step. they haven't resolved anything, and it looks like poltergeist is having trouble processing the fact that yes, apparently stiletto /does/ like him, lmao. i'm looking forward to seeing how their relationship might progress in the future! :D

@fyi

skydancers remind me of birds so how could i *not* make them chirp at least once? :D

heh

ty! been reading some more romantically inclined stories so i finally understood how people normally react depending on different factors

heehee im kinda excited and nervous to write how their characters will interact now.. (:

[center][quote=August 5 2021][font=century gothic][size=5]A savage grin split their face as they hefted their axe. "So, how's our debut gonna go?"[/size][/quote][/center] Ilarius rolled her eyes as Mendelssohn spun his spear around for the tenth time before putting it down. Finally, he was going to stop showboating and they could get started with... and he just picked up an axe. Great. Here he goes again. A savage grin split his face as he hefted it. "So, how's our debut gonna go?" Ilarius sighed. "For the last time, Mendelssohn, we are here to find some of those chests with arrows in them that have started appearing everywhere. We're not even taking part in whatever this tournament is." "Well, doesn't mean we can't go in with style!" Mendelssohn suggested, chest feathers ruffled and crest puffed. "Right, Muck? You know how important intimidating the enemy is, right?" "Muck knows," Muck said evenly. Mendelssohn pointed the axe as her. "See! Muck agrees!" "I'm pretty sure she says that all the time," Ilarius noted. "Like, I think that's the only thing she says. Also, don't point the sharp end of your weapons at your teammates." Mendelssohn looked down, noticing that he was gesturing with his axe. "Oh, oops, sorry. But come on, guys, let's think of an entrance! Maybe we can sing!" Ilarius gave him a pointed stare. "We will not. Muck can't even sing. No offense, Muck." "Muck knows," Muck replied dismissively before turning to watch rams fighting in the distance. Mendelssohn didn't seem fazed. "Well, she doesn't have to sing! She can be there as moral support!" Ilarius forced the feathers on her neck to lie flat. "I refuse to charge into battle singing." Mendelssohn thought for a moment. "Well, you can be moral support too! You guys know I'm good enough to carry our choir on my own!" "Muck... knows?" Muck said uncertainly. "You know what? Fine," Ilarius ceded. "You charge in singing whatever, and we'll just back you up." Mendelssohn's grin grew wider. "Great, I knew we could come up with an entrance plan!" He sucked in a deep breath, prepared to belt his heart out. "I'm going to regret this, aren't I," Ilarius muttered. "Muck knows," agreed Muck.

[center][quote=July 2 2021][font=century gothic][size=5]Something heavy crashes through the woods behind you. You run, fleeing, desperate for breath. When you finally slow to a stop, it's eerily silent. There's no noise at all. Nothing. No footsteps, no birdcalls, no wind.[/size][/center] [/quote] Also known as: An exercise in feeling out the character of a dragon I've had for a little while and am only just now getting a feel for. [LIST] [*][i]A mirror discloses with you the unsavory details of the disappearance of a hatchling that occurred two decades ago.[/i] [*]Note: There isn't anything explicitly graphic here--no fighting or blood or whatnot--but I did try to go for a slightly more... horror theme with this one. This one touches on [b]claustrophobia (fear of tight spaces)[/b] and [b]achluophobia (fear of the dark)[/b]. [/LIST] [center][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/709722/70972132_350.png[/img] The narrator, [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/70972132]Abadon[/url].[/center] [center]------[/center] There are lights in the woods. You look surprised when I say this. Could it be that you don't know? Or do you think that I'm as crazed as everyone else I've told believes me to be? Go on and laugh--I've heard it all before. Laugh, and remember that you were the one who asked in the first place. ...Hmm... no... no, that look in your eye... it isn't one simply of surprise, is it? There's that trace of recognition in there--that distant spark. Could it be that you've--? ...Oh. Oh, no, dear. Have [i]you[/i] seen those lights in the woods? Those gently glowing beacons that illuminate a path for you to follow? They only show up when you think you're lost, don't they? Perhaps you've followed them before and they guided you home. Perhaps you've tried to touch one before and it felt oddly like nothing. Does that sound accurate? I do not mean this lightly: You should never follow those lights again. ...Why? I would think the 'why' is obvious: They simply aren't to be trusted. Do you not wonder where those lights come from? Why they suddenly appear before [i]you[/i], of all dragons, to guide you home? If the trail of light is so kind, then why have so many hatchlings gone missing in the woods? Ah. Caught your attention, have I? Don't look at me like that--I know what you're about to say. 'A hatchling hasn't gone missing in those woods for twenty-three years', you want to say. 'A dragon hasn't gone missing in those woods for five.' And perhaps you're right--a dragon [i]hasn't[/i] gone missing in those woods for five years, but twenty-three years ago, a hatchling who was not that much younger than you did. I remember that hatchling well. She would be my age were she here right now, and she, too, was a mirror. The lights were bolder then, not as faint as they are nowadays. They flickered on the edges of the forest, and she found herself wide-eyed and curious. They lured her from her pack, guided her footfalls in the soft forest carpet in the middle of the night. She didn't know how long she was walking for, and eventually when she looked back, she wasn't able to trace the path back to her pack. A small niggling of worry wormed its way around in her gut, her gaze flicking between temperature and visual, and a curious thing that she didn't notice at the time was that the lights didn't give off any heat or cold at all. She didn't notice that the forest ground beneath her was heavy and thick, either. But what she [i]did[/i] notice, as she slid her tongue out to taste the air, was that it smelled of rotting plants and little else more. And this was strange, and a little bit unnerving, and it made her worry and wonder just how far away she wandered. The lights continued to flicker, and the more her gaze followed their trail, the more she saw that she couldn't make much of anything out beyond their light. She felt like things were watching her, but if they were, it was somewhere beyond what she could see. A choking darkness was pressing against her, and all that she had for company was the light that was slowly beginning to flicker and die out. The darkness was growing and it was pressing against her like a shrinking room, making it hard to breathe through the rise and fall of her chest. She could either continue following the trail of lights in the air or she could turn away and flee into the darkness. Or she could stand stock-still and frozen, watching as light after light dimmed into nothing, and until the last one that she could see in the far-off distance disappeared. It left her alone. She wasn't sure if she could hear the sounds of the world around her or if it was the sound of herself simply existing. The moon was supposed to be shining bright and full, the stars glimmering in the patchy sky, but when she looked up and around and everywhere, down the way she [i]thought[/i] she came, all she could find was... ...All that was there was darkness. And it was terrifying and silent. And then she heard a sound. The sound of a soft, gentle movement of air passing around her and through her. It was cool, and some part of her found some comfort in the coolness among the silence, in the noise that a gentle breeze could bring. But then the air stopped, reversed, became warm. It sounded like the sigh of some creature she couldn't see, pressed up against her back. And then, something heavy crashed through the woods behind her. She ran, fleeing, desperate for breath. Thorns she didn't realize were there before dug into her claws, and she fell over more than once and very likely screamed, but if she did, she didn't remember. But she ran as fast as she could away from--away from whatever it was that lurked in the dark. Away from the anglerfish that was trying to lure her into her tomb of brambles. She didn't know how long she'd been running, but when she finally slowed to a stop, it was eerily silent. There was no noise at all. Nothing. No footsteps, no birdcalls, no wind. But there was light, shining down from the smiling full moon, the twinkling stars, and the air felt so cool and crisp that it burned. When she turned around, the massive tangle of brambles at her back only showed a yawning darkness. And there were lights leading her back inside. And for years, she was lost. But she was alive. ...Do you see now why you shouldn't follow those lights? ...I hope you understand. Whatever it is that lies within the darkness, I'm sure that it's hungry. Perhaps the lack of food is even starving it out. After all, it hasn't eaten in five years. And with luck, I hope to make that six.

[center][quote=August 6 2021][font=century gothic][size=5]"I don't like liars," rumbled the beast. They had good taste, at least.[/size][/quote] @Nightlilac @magiritsa @goldrush @naranciag @sunwolf @fennecfox21 @sanzang @Hemmalaya @stolen @MaybeHuman @simplyonewinged @kimnoodles @daffydil @finnamony @MittensTheKitten @kawiikatz @Peachycupcake525 @xSTORMDRAGONx @Inkwyrm @TheGrayGhost @moonstrucksmorns @CatInDisguise @DriftingDreams @Xuelian @Mercurythewolf @Pinkish13 @SkySerenade @pandakitty1 @PuppyLuvr06 @shr00mlightz @AllHailWebby @Hyzenthlaay @Illusia @AwkwardTrash @LavenderSelkie @wolfdragon3036 @StarryLune @ulvesang @styygian @Orodruin @Crizona @Lavend3rDragon @PeacefulPyro @PinkRose06 @SocklessWonder @Tumbleweeds @Wyrmlight @fuzzysherbet @Quilava2010 @AlterZero @DewFeather @LapisWings @SouthernHawker @Mistwhisker @Neon126 @darcyrambles @supersticky @Vershton[/center]

@PinkRose06
eagle and falcon's little family! yey!
“Falcon and Eagle’s Mercenaries” - by the way, i don't remember if i've mentioned this before, but you might want to find a slicker name (and falcon and eagle will want to, too!) for the company. the current company name is super long and is prone to abbreviation (FaEM). there's a lot of potential there, like 'the Raptors' or 'the Birds' or something along those lines. make sure your names are cool! it's good for business in-universe, and it's fun meta-wise too! the best names are simple and don't have an absurd amount of syllables, like goo-gle, or am-a-zon. 'fal-con and ea-gle's mer-cen-a-ries' is a huge mouthful.
"Falcon glanced at Eagle with loving care, which she always returned with some amount of awkwardness." pppft i - lmao, i love that so much. eagle is me in this scenario.
falcon is absolutely a lovesick fool, his tone of narration is so interesting. kind of dry, almost neutral? but he reiterates his love for eagle a lot. he's a very interesting character and i hope to see more of his POV, or mentions of him at least.
the church plot is interesting too. i laughed when eagle cursed to 'goddess' instead of god lmao. how powerful is the church? do they have a heavy sway in the government, like in ancient times irl?

@Birdmusic
"For the last time, Mendelssohn, we are here to find some of those chests with arrows in them that have started appearing everywhere. We're not even taking part in whatever this tournament is."
'those chests with arrows in them that have started appearing everywhere' this is the best description of soldier's supplies ever, oh my god. now i'm curious as to the lore implications of this strange phenomenon...
"Mendelssohn looked down, noticing that he was gesturing with his axe. "Oh, oops, sorry." pffft my mom used to do that all the time with kitchen knives when cooking and this reminded me of that! and i love the friendly banter so much.
Muck is so sweet. Muck knows /everything,/ gosh. at least when it comes to their idiot teammates XD
i really really loved this! are they a coli team of yours? i'd love to see something about them in battle, that would be so cool! (definitely don't feel pressured tho XD)

@Wyrmlight
this was so immersive and chilling! i legitimately felt cold reading this, ahaha. usually by the point i get to the words in the prompt ('something heavy crashes through the woods behind them, they ran, fleeing, desperate for breath,') i get kind of jolted out of the immersion but it was so smooth and just! ugh i loved the atmosphere aaaa.
it's interesting how abadon speaks with such seemingly intimate and personal knowledge of the tale... perhaps she's making it up? hmmm... if only.
(is she the hatchling? she's totally the hatchling, isn't she. unless she's the thing chasing/scaring the hatchling lol. she's either the hunter or the hunted. are they? idk, i'm theorizing lmao)

@/fyi

Noted! I can’t think of much else to name it, though; originally it was just “Falcon’s Mercenaries,” or whatever the family’s last name was, before he changed the company’s name. Of course, they’re also not the well-known company out there, so Falcon’s probably just like “eh it’ll fit on the sign it’s fine.” Everyone but him probably said the original name anyway (except for Little Eagle, who was raised to say the full name).
As I said before, this is the second time I’ve ever written Falcon. He doesn’t have a clear, defined personality either—being dead in the ‘current’ timeline of things—so as such the writing can be expected to be a bit bland. Honestly the one thing I know for sure about him is how much he loves Eagle.
The church is somewhat influential, but it depends widely on the area; where Falcon grew up, for example, people tended to be more pious. The church can’t/won’t directly make decisions in the government, but they will insert themselves into other’s affairs when they deem it worthy to.

[quote name="fyi" date="2021-08-06 07:29:42" ] @Wyrmlight this was so immersive and chilling! i legitimately felt cold reading this, ahaha. usually by the point i get to the words in the prompt ('something heavy crashes through the woods behind them, they ran, fleeing, desperate for breath,') i get kind of jolted out of the immersion but it was so smooth and just! ugh i loved the atmosphere aaaa.[/quote] Thank you very much! I tried very hard to try to transition it smoothly. I totally get the prompt sticking out from the story at large specifically because you know that it's what the prompt is. I tried to facilitate it by breaking it up and spreading it about a bit more evenly so it's a little less abrupt, so I think that helped with that, too. [quote]it's interesting how abadon speaks with such seemingly intimate and personal knowledge of the tale... perhaps she's making it up? hmmm... if only. (is she the hatchling? she's totally the hatchling, isn't she. unless she's the thing chasing/scaring the hatchling lol. she's either the hunter or the hunted. are they? idk, i'm theorizing lmao) [/quote] Once, there was a light in the woods, guiding and sublime. It lingered on the fringes of someone's vision, flickering and tempting. A dragon could get lost in that flickering glow, lose the way that their feet took them as they walked, hypnotized in a way much like a flock of Veilspuns' hair. A hatchling could get lost in it. A hatchling [i]was [/i]once lost in it. A hatchling never returned. But does that mean that what's lost is truly dead? Or does that merely mean that they are forgotten until they find their way again? Surely they exist somewhere, if not here. A hatchling was once lost, and she was never found. But the hatchling never died. She has to be somewhere, then, doesn't she?

Fanfic again, this time MP100. No major spoilers beyond like the first ten minutes of the first episode. Summer is ending and no one can tell me I can't be up writing at 11 pm while I still can [center][quote=August 6 2021][font=century gothic][size=5]"I don't like liars," rumbled the beast. They had good taste, at least.[/size][/quote][/center] Reigen nodded at the librarian. "Don't worry, I'll solve your ghost problem. You'll have people reading in here again in no time!" He gave her a giant smile and a enthusiastic thumbs up. She looked unimpressed. "Ok, whatever. Try not to die. I don't need the police interrogating me." She unlocked the door and pushed it open with a loud creak. "You don't have to worry, I'm the greatest psychic of the twenty-first century!" Rolling her eyes, the librarian just sighed. "I'll be back with your payment in an hour." She walked away. The door shut with a slam behind him. Reigen looked around inside, where maroon velvet curtains blocked most of the light from the windows. He flicked the light switch, and a few incandescent light bulbs began to glow faintly. This place was ancient. He looked around, searching for anything to explain why patrons were terrified to read in here. Usually, when he got calls about haunted buildings, it just turned out to be poor infrastructure or insect infestations, which were gross and absolutely terrifying, but not supernatural. Suddenly, a rush of cold air enveloped him. Then, just as fast, it was gone. Must have been some faulty air conditioning. He looked up, squinting to see if there were any vents. A guttural voice echoed all around him. "Wow. You aren't even a real psychic. She really got a scam artist to try to exorcise me." "Who are you calling a fraud?!" Reigen demanded. "Show yourself! It's rude to talk to someone while being invisible!" "Exactly what I was saying. You can't even see me. I was trying to eat you, but I don't like liars. Consider yourself lucky and [i]leave[/i]," the ghost rumbled. It had good taste, at least. But if it was threatening to eat people, it really had to go. "Give me a moment," Reigen said, holding up one hand in a stop gesture as he fumbled with his phone. "I'm gonna call my student over so he can take a look." "Is he tastier than you?" The ghost sounded impatient. Some books left on the table had started to levitate. "Dunno." "He better be." The books landed down with a thud. After calling Mob, Reigen dragged a chair away from the table and sat down. He looked at his watch. This was getting boring. Fortunately, just then, the door swung open with a painful squeal. A plain middle school kid walked in. "Oh finally—," the ghost boomed. Before it could continue, kaleidoscopic ribbons of light filled the room. There was a brief sizzle, then the room fell quiet and dark again. "Thanks, Mob. You're really improving at exorcisms, you know?" Reigen smiled and patted his student on the head. Mob said nothing. If he suspected that Reigen was a fake psychic, he certainly never mentioned it. Clearing his throat, Reigen continued. "Now that we're done here, let's get our payment. And then we can get ramen!" A small smile flickered on Mob's face.