I can relate to the "hasn't set in yet" part. Actually, I kind of interpreted it as "not letting it set in", I guess - wording what I mean is hard, but that's basically what I tend to do, so that's what I saw Bridget doing.
Khepri :D And hello, is that one of my favorite trope subversions? It's people [emoji=bell size=1] talking [emoji=bell size=1] about [emoji=bell size=1] their [emoji=bell size=1] problems!!!!
I can relate to the "hasn't set in yet" part. Actually, I kind of interpreted it as "not letting it set in", I guess - wording what I mean is hard, but that's basically what I tend to do, so that's what I saw Bridget doing.
Khepri :D And hello, is that one of my favorite trope subversions? It's people talking about their problems!!!!
Death does seem to bring people together. As sad as I am for Bone, I was glad to be able to check in with the royal family more thoroughly. So many of them don't have a lot of central plot stuff going on, so they don't make it into updates as much as I would like!
Sometimes it's a natural part of grieving to not feel it right away. It's not necessarily a red flag here. But the shade-exploration... that should have you worried.
Yes! I finally had a natural way to bring Khepri in again! I'm so excited!
Oh yeah, that definitely is another way of looking at it! I understand what you are getting at!
Yay for people talking about their problems! It's something that always seems to help in my life, so I don't know why more fictional characters don't do it??? (I mean, the drama, but still).
Death does seem to bring people together. As sad as I am for Bone, I was glad to be able to check in with the royal family more thoroughly. So many of them don't have a lot of central plot stuff going on, so they don't make it into updates as much as I would like!
Sometimes it's a natural part of grieving to not feel it right away. It's not necessarily a red flag here. But the shade-exploration... that should have you worried.
Yes! I finally had a natural way to bring Khepri in again! I'm so excited!
Oh yeah, that definitely is another way of looking at it! I understand what you are getting at!
Yay for people talking about their problems! It's something that always seems to help in my life, so I don't know why more fictional characters don't do it??? (I mean, the drama, but still).
I'm currently being scattered!
Follow the progress here!
@Tiffkaboo
Big losses are definitely hard to wrap your mind around. Especially when they are unexpected.
I'm glad Khepri is back to! I didn't want to ever force it, so I didn't know when/how/if it would happen, but the similarities between Khepri losing Nevaeh and Pomona losing Bone provided the perfect opportunity to force Khepri out of his forge and to connect with his family again.
I know... [emoji=mirror sad size=2] Bahat was the one who it killed me the most to write...
Big losses are definitely hard to wrap your mind around. Especially when they are unexpected.
I'm glad Khepri is back to! I didn't want to ever force it, so I didn't know when/how/if it would happen, but the similarities between Khepri losing Nevaeh and Pomona losing Bone provided the perfect opportunity to force Khepri out of his forge and to connect with his family again.
I know... Bahat was the one who it killed me the most to write...
@Petall It took me a moment to realize I'd missed a previous update. Time to biiiinge~
Day 95
There's a lot of emotion in Bone, but I can see where he's coming from. Lucian and Cecily are too far gone (and he's right; it's pretty, uh...reverse-elitist?...how he's painting all royals with the same brush), but Clarissa should still be protected.
I was all for Bone thrashing Lucian, until Ulf stepped in with that reminder. Yiiiipes. And good heavens, what a way for Bone to go! I thought for certain Lucian would hit him with an underhanded blow while Ulf was talking, but honestly, I think I like this a lot better. Weird thing is that I can't pinpoint exactly why; maybe it's because it keeps Lucian's and Ulf's paws relatively clean.
I'm excited to see Dusk's and Darkstar's nest! Ulf's right; maybe events here won't turn out to be entirely bad.
Day 96
It's always interesting to see how titanic events affect other people. Grief's inevitable; it was also good to see other characters processing Bone's death in healthier ways, like Khepri making an effort to reach out or Lucian realizing killing might not be A Good Thing. Ending this with Cantarelli welcoming everybody was a very nice touch, sort of the warm narrative hug we needed after processing Bone's death together with the other characters.
@Petall It took me a moment to realize I'd missed a previous update. Time to biiiinge~
Day 95
There's a lot of emotion in Bone, but I can see where he's coming from. Lucian and Cecily are too far gone (and he's right; it's pretty, uh...reverse-elitist?...how he's painting all royals with the same brush), but Clarissa should still be protected.
I was all for Bone thrashing Lucian, until Ulf stepped in with that reminder. Yiiiipes. And good heavens, what a way for Bone to go! I thought for certain Lucian would hit him with an underhanded blow while Ulf was talking, but honestly, I think I like this a lot better. Weird thing is that I can't pinpoint exactly why; maybe it's because it keeps Lucian's and Ulf's paws relatively clean.
I'm excited to see Dusk's and Darkstar's nest! Ulf's right; maybe events here won't turn out to be entirely bad.
Day 96
It's always interesting to see how titanic events affect other people. Grief's inevitable; it was also good to see other characters processing Bone's death in healthier ways, like Khepri making an effort to reach out or Lucian realizing killing might not be A Good Thing. Ending this with Cantarelli welcoming everybody was a very nice touch, sort of the warm narrative hug we needed after processing Bone's death together with the other characters.
I originally planned on Lucian to be the one to kill Bone, but the more the scene stretched, the more this seemed to fit better. I already knew the tunnels collapsing would be a part of it, I had just initially imagined a Mufasa-type moment rather than what actually happened. This seemed to be the better way to go though.
I figured ending with something warm would be a good idea after such a dreary update. I know it can be emotionally draining to read something that heavy, especially with so many scenes.
I originally planned on Lucian to be the one to kill Bone, but the more the scene stretched, the more this seemed to fit better. I already knew the tunnels collapsing would be a part of it, I had just initially imagined a Mufasa-type moment rather than what actually happened. This seemed to be the better way to go though.
I figured ending with something warm would be a good idea after such a dreary update. I know it can be emotionally draining to read something that heavy, especially with so many scenes.
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[center][b][u]Day 97: An Unfulfilled Quest[/u][/b]
[item=Blood Acorn]
Sentence: 10-20 Coli Battles[/center]
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"You're Gillian, right?" A gruff voice interrupted the breakfast conversation she had been sharing with Blackwolf. The wildclaw looked up to see a fierce looking ridgeback staring at him.
"Y-yes," Gillian swallowed his sip of coffee. "What can I do for you?"
"I found Crius' Vault," The ridgeback said, throwing a map down on the table. It looked a little more worse for wear than it had before, with new tears and stains, but it was undeniably Violet's map.
"Where did you get this?" Gillian asked, feeling hope rise in him again. Maybe he'd see his friend-
Gillian felt a paw on his shoulder and he looked over to see Blackwolf staring at him sadly, pearl gunk beginning to well from the corners of his mouth. The realization hit the wildclaw like a ton of bricks. He'd never see his friend again.
"Oh," Gillian slumped down. "What happened to her?"
"Tunnel collapse," The ridgeback admitted. "I tried to save her, but it was too late. I buried her somewhere nice, don't worry. I didn't realize we were after the same goals until I uncovered this map."
"I knew something was up, when she didn't return," Blackwolf said solemnly, looking up from his addition to his pearl. "These are dark times for this clan. There is more darkness coming than even we know. Violet was not the first dragon to die before light is restored, and she will not be the last."
"What do you mean?" The ridgeback suddenly seemed very hungry for knowledge. It made Gillian uncomfortable.
"Wait! What did you find in my grandfather's vault?" He asked, hoping to change the subject before it was lost forever. "Can you at least show it to me?"
"It's gone, I'm sorry." The ridgeback sighed. "I tried to destroy the machine he made, to stop it from falling in the wrong hands. In the process, the chamber collapsed. Everything's gone."
"Oh," Gillian felt dejected. "I guess that's that then." Everything he had been working towards these past years had come to a halt. He suddenly felt like an aimless wanderer. Perhaps he always had been one.
"I'll leave you to grieve your losses. I can see this is not my place to be. I just figured I should let you know. So you could stop looking," the ridgeback said, excusing herself from the table.
"Thank you-" Gillian said, pausing once he realized he did not know her name.
"Darkstar," the ridgeback said, a small grin on her face.
"Thank you, Darkstar," Gillian repeated. The ridgeback nodded, and left the two dragons to finish their breakfast.
Gillian didn't feel hungry anymore.
"Are you done with that?" The wildclaw asked, nodding to Blackwolf's sticky pearl. The pearlcatcher was smoothing down the goop with his paw, leaving splatters of the inky substance on the table.
"Almost," Blackwolf said, not taking his gaze off the pearl. "Perhaps this is for the best, losing the vault? I mean, there are greater things going on here than can be solved with treasure. Now we can focus on what's truly important."
"So you're staying then?" Gillian asked his friend.
"I need to see this through," Blackwolf vowed. "I cannot in my right mind leave this clan now knowing the storm that is coming. What about you?"
"I don't know," Gillian admitted. "I never really thought much about life after the vault. I guess that's something I'm going to have to figure out from here."
"It's not the same without her," Blackwolf observed. It was not a question.
"She was the heart behind this mission. She made me believe that anything was possible. I guess I never really thought she was really gone," Gillian sighed.
"Loss is never easy," Blackwolf said sagely. "But the tides will change and you will find yourself again. Each day brings a new dawn, and you will get yours. This is not the end."
Gillian nodded, appreciating his friend's kind words, but not really knowing how to respond.
"To Vi," He said finally, raising his mug to clink it against his friend's.
"To Vi," Blackwolf agreed, clinking Gillian's glass back. "May her memory never be forgotten.
The two dragons took swigs of their drinks and set down empty glasses. Neither were sure what to do next, so they sat together as the morning stretched on, saying little to one another.
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One other loose end to be closed with the end of the whole Crius' Vault sequence. I'm going to have to figure out what to do with Gillian now. Blackwolf is pretty straightforward, and if I ever feel like I'm done with him I can always send him away and get another traveling dragon, but Gillian is a puzzle I'm going to have to figure out.
Today in the Coli was Gillian, Virtue and Clarissa. Gillian and Clarissa are level 2 now. Virtue is still level 5.
Also, I just found [url=https://talktotransformer.com/]a cool neural network[/url] and I spent most of this afternoon plugging in pieces of my pinkerlocke to see what it will come up with and it is hilarious! I highly suggest giving it a try, especially if you have your own writing to plug in!
While most types of acorn contain seeds, Blood Acorns are filled with nutrient-rich nectar.
55
5
Sentence: 10-20 Coli Battles
"You're Gillian, right?" A gruff voice interrupted the breakfast conversation she had been sharing with Blackwolf. The wildclaw looked up to see a fierce looking ridgeback staring at him.
"Y-yes," Gillian swallowed his sip of coffee. "What can I do for you?"
"I found Crius' Vault," The ridgeback said, throwing a map down on the table. It looked a little more worse for wear than it had before, with new tears and stains, but it was undeniably Violet's map.
"Where did you get this?" Gillian asked, feeling hope rise in him again. Maybe he'd see his friend-
Gillian felt a paw on his shoulder and he looked over to see Blackwolf staring at him sadly, pearl gunk beginning to well from the corners of his mouth. The realization hit the wildclaw like a ton of bricks. He'd never see his friend again.
"Oh," Gillian slumped down. "What happened to her?"
"Tunnel collapse," The ridgeback admitted. "I tried to save her, but it was too late. I buried her somewhere nice, don't worry. I didn't realize we were after the same goals until I uncovered this map."
"I knew something was up, when she didn't return," Blackwolf said solemnly, looking up from his addition to his pearl. "These are dark times for this clan. There is more darkness coming than even we know. Violet was not the first dragon to die before light is restored, and she will not be the last."
"What do you mean?" The ridgeback suddenly seemed very hungry for knowledge. It made Gillian uncomfortable.
"Wait! What did you find in my grandfather's vault?" He asked, hoping to change the subject before it was lost forever. "Can you at least show it to me?"
"It's gone, I'm sorry." The ridgeback sighed. "I tried to destroy the machine he made, to stop it from falling in the wrong hands. In the process, the chamber collapsed. Everything's gone."
"Oh," Gillian felt dejected. "I guess that's that then." Everything he had been working towards these past years had come to a halt. He suddenly felt like an aimless wanderer. Perhaps he always had been one.
"I'll leave you to grieve your losses. I can see this is not my place to be. I just figured I should let you know. So you could stop looking," the ridgeback said, excusing herself from the table.
"Thank you-" Gillian said, pausing once he realized he did not know her name.
"Darkstar," the ridgeback said, a small grin on her face.
"Thank you, Darkstar," Gillian repeated. The ridgeback nodded, and left the two dragons to finish their breakfast.
Gillian didn't feel hungry anymore.
"Are you done with that?" The wildclaw asked, nodding to Blackwolf's sticky pearl. The pearlcatcher was smoothing down the goop with his paw, leaving splatters of the inky substance on the table.
"Almost," Blackwolf said, not taking his gaze off the pearl. "Perhaps this is for the best, losing the vault? I mean, there are greater things going on here than can be solved with treasure. Now we can focus on what's truly important."
"So you're staying then?" Gillian asked his friend.
"I need to see this through," Blackwolf vowed. "I cannot in my right mind leave this clan now knowing the storm that is coming. What about you?"
"I don't know," Gillian admitted. "I never really thought much about life after the vault. I guess that's something I'm going to have to figure out from here."
"It's not the same without her," Blackwolf observed. It was not a question.
"She was the heart behind this mission. She made me believe that anything was possible. I guess I never really thought she was really gone," Gillian sighed.
"Loss is never easy," Blackwolf said sagely. "But the tides will change and you will find yourself again. Each day brings a new dawn, and you will get yours. This is not the end."
Gillian nodded, appreciating his friend's kind words, but not really knowing how to respond.
"To Vi," He said finally, raising his mug to clink it against his friend's.
"To Vi," Blackwolf agreed, clinking Gillian's glass back. "May her memory never be forgotten.
The two dragons took swigs of their drinks and set down empty glasses. Neither were sure what to do next, so they sat together as the morning stretched on, saying little to one another.
One other loose end to be closed with the end of the whole Crius' Vault sequence. I'm going to have to figure out what to do with Gillian now. Blackwolf is pretty straightforward, and if I ever feel like I'm done with him I can always send him away and get another traveling dragon, but Gillian is a puzzle I'm going to have to figure out.
Today in the Coli was Gillian, Virtue and Clarissa. Gillian and Clarissa are level 2 now. Virtue is still level 5.
Also, I just found a cool neural network and I spent most of this afternoon plugging in pieces of my pinkerlocke to see what it will come up with and it is hilarious! I highly suggest giving it a try, especially if you have your own writing to plug in!
I'm currently being scattered!
Follow the progress here!
@Petall Ah, I'd forgotten about that loose end. Gillian and Blackwolf did need to learn of Violet's death, and Darkstar also needed to complete her end of their agreement. I like a lot of Gill's and Blackwolf's interactions, and I agree that it's kind of tricky when you don't know what to do with characters after they've played out plenty of key scenes. I guess it's time for them to wait in the wings a bit? I'm sure that when the story demands it later on, you'll be able to find a good use for them. ^^
@Petall Ah, I'd forgotten about that loose end. Gillian and Blackwolf did need to learn of Violet's death, and Darkstar also needed to complete her end of their agreement. I like a lot of Gill's and Blackwolf's interactions, and I agree that it's kind of tricky when you don't know what to do with characters after they've played out plenty of key scenes. I guess it's time for them to wait in the wings a bit? I'm sure that when the story demands it later on, you'll be able to find a good use for them. ^^
talking 
Bahat was the one who it killed me the most to write...
