[Neasa]

@rose-colored-fancy

Also the Yila and Lorcan flirting is going spectacularly and I’m here for it!!!

LOL thanks I’m having so much fun hahahaha😂 never thought I’d do this cause in real life Lorcan already has a significant other. I will call this practice for the real thing.

Get ready to hear loads of Irish terms of endearment. They’re gonna be his signature sayings😂

[Cathy]

Emily Waldorf wrote:

Good writing! I like this scene. And I was actually just thinking of this song!!! But this is prettier than the version I heard. The Spanish is a good touch.  (I didn’t make a fool of myself and get the language wrong, did I?!) Why do you cross certain sentences out?

Thank you!! Lol I was pretty ambivalent to that song until I was writing this scene XD now it’s a beautiful song XD Yep it’s Spanish *probably; I don’t speak Spanish so I’m just going with clips of Spanish I find in books or subtitles or warnings..sometimes I even have to resort to Google Translate!*
Ah, I cross the sentences out that they don’t allow themselves to consciously think but it’s constantly in the back of their mind. Or when their less conscious beliefs/internal lie is beginning to shift and what they believed about themselves they still instinctively revert to but they don’t believe it anymore 🙂 It was a technique I saw somewhere earlier that I really liked! <3

Rose wrote:

Also, in case anyone was wondering, no, I have no idea whether Sahar and Acyn are a couple. Original plan was yes, but it’s incredibly hard to write a romance if neither character has much screentime or their own POV, so I’m thinking of keeping them friends. I don’t knowwww XD

HA! Lol that’ll be fun either way!!!

Rose wrote:

*Squeals. Like a lot.* WE HAD AN “I love you”!!!! And it was in her first language and—!!! (I adore that trope, it’s the literal best.) AND THEY’RE GOING TO KISS SOON!!!! *Squeals more*

*turns scarlet grinning from ear to ear* YES!! I’m so happy I made a guess on a bilingual thing and it actually works great!!!!

Rose wrote:

That song is SO perfect for them!!! Also, Rosario is Chantara’s type and I’m going to ignore that fact XD

Lol really? *tilts head comparing Chantara and Rosario* huh. But Rosy isn’t dreaming and philosophical…like at all…huh…LOL that’s neat!
IKR!!! The moment I heard that song I was like; ‘Oh. Oh that’s them!!!’

And
*Sahar’s post feeling useless*
I. Felt. That.

Denali Christianson wrote:

Heyyyy everyone! Funn fact, I’ve been driving all the way across the US the past few days, hence why I just disappeared from cyber-space… Lol sooo I’m back now but even though y’all are awesome I’m not going to directly respond to anything right now because I need to sleep and eat food and generally find methods of not dying while trying to be a sociable human tomorrow. Sooo I’m going to make this a particularly long post so that Niarok and Yila can respond to everything going on. THANKS FOR BEING AWESOME Y’ALL YOU KILLED ME INSIDE!!!!!!!!! Also I’ll probably be intermittent in my posts for the next two weeks… fair warning.

Whoa whoa whoa! I need backstory I need context! Lol jk it’s none of my business if you don’t wanna tell me 🙂 But kudos for keeping up as well as you have with all that!!

Denali Christianson wrote:

I just saw how long that post actually ended up being and I fell reallly bad now…

Oh honey that’s fine! I think everybody here’s almost invariably written a long post and then apologized for it but we all LOVE long posts anyway and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it!!! *this coming from someone who accidentally wrote 18 pages on a character’s worst fear in this castle while everybody else had theirs done by two posts tops XDD*

 

Now the sky was clear baby blue like it was fresh-washed right above them. Whether it was minutes or hours they’d never know but bits of wire and wall would dissolve into the sky, a sky that seemed so close it was almost solid, and left them standing on a precipice overlooking the entire azure world, glistening with gold cracks of light.
“It’s all fading,” Ehud murmured “like it never even happened.”
Rosario didn’t say anything but she smiled at him, just grateful for his hand in hers. Something about the lingering glow of sunlight gave Ehud a little halo which was just adorable to her. If this was the end…there were worse ways to die.
“Soo…does this mean we’re dead?” He asked so sincerely Rosario choked a snicker. Not that it was a stupid question all things considered.
She paused, and stared down at his hand, an almost sly smile flitting across her lips.
“You know what I’d do if you were the last person on the face of the earth?” Rosario gave a crooked little smile at his completely blank expression, waiting for him to ‘get it’. But she’s not the most patient person in the world and he just stared at her with a confused and kinda nervous look and started to redden.
“Uh…” Ehud gave a little half-shrug and ducked between his shoulders. It had been a long time since she’d felt this confident for real, but she was sure now, not back and forth doubting and wanting. She tugged the rim of his collar and leaned a little closer.
“It starts with a ‘k’…”
“Kill?” That’s it. Spy persona might be great at this but real Rosario was about as seductive as a cactus. She let out a breath beginning to deflate into her usual crass nature.
“Ok,” she started very sardonically “you’re a hot mess and we’re stuck with each other here. So…”
A little playful smirk darted by as her gaze kinda slipped to his lips then back at his wide blue-gray eyes. He might’ve finally gotten the hint she’s flirting because he turned so red he could’ve been a crimson Christmas light. Rosario leaned close to him until her forehead was almost touching his and closed her eyes, just happy he was here.
*And the kiss!*
Ehud just froze because his brain short-circuited. Like entirely.
Was this real, it couldn’t possibly be real, this was a dream right? For somebody who just faced a spider-shapeshifting-worst-nightmare, Ehud was feeling very un-brave here. But this was so warm and safe and also terrifying. Her curly hair tickled his face as she toyed with his collar. After everything that had happened, there was a connect between them that hadn’t been there before, that Rosario had tried to protect him from but now he understood.
“I wish this could last forever…” he whispered outloud
“Yeah well, we’ll make each other miserable for the rest of our lives.” she said in a dry, exaggerated drawl “would you like that, carino?”
“Yeah…” he murmured dreamily “wait, wha–?!” He didn’t finish before her lips were on his in a long, slow kiss so gentle that Ehud’s eyes were so wide it’s a wonder they didn’t pop out. Tilting her head as she sank closer she ran a hand through his spiky blond hair, almost scared to touch him or let go he was so precious.
“I want you,” She whispered “but only if you’ll have me…”
“I do–I will–I want–I…” Ehud squirmed awkwardly, his whole face burning and trying not to gape at her. “I love you!”
He blurted and then tried to duck into his collar, but Rosario brushed his messy hair out of his face enough to kiss his forehead. For a second he kinda stared at her and inched just a little closer and very quickly brushed a kiss not quite on her cheek or her lips.
“WHOO-HOO!!! BOOM BAM DONE OK EVERYTHING’S DONE TIME TO GO HOME NOW!!!!!” Lord Castle’s obnoxious voice boomed in and that was the last thing Ehud heard before the world faded away. Well, that and Rosario’s midcurse.

To be a light to the world you must shine in the darkness.

[Noah Cochran]

@this-is-not-an-alien

baby blue

Do people have blue babies where you live? That can’t be a good thing…xD

🙂 I’m assuming you are using that adjective to mean the sky is young.

[Emily Waldorf]

@this-is-not-an-alien

OK, it makes sense now! Thanks for telling me about the crossed out sentences. That was sweet, and I don’t even know these characters as well as others who have been here longer. 🙂  You employed lots of vivid colors to aid your descriptions–good move!!

Wait! Are they gone now?! *poof*–out of the castle?

@noah-cochran

it would be scary if anybody did live in an area of the world where there were blue babies, lol. I’ve heard “baby-blue” as a color before–the sort of blue that baby onesies are made of. I think it’s a similar color to “sky-blue”, but then, it would be weird to call the sky “sky-blue”, lol

• This reply was modified 4 years, 5 months ago by Emily Waldorf.

Quoth the raven, "Nevermore!"
https://silverpenstrokes.wordpress.com

[Rose]

Sahar

The girl’s brother knelt beside the stream, washing the blood out of his clothes and off his skin.

I only hoped he wouldn’t try to drink it. Hopefully, he knew enough. I wasn’t about to warn him until I was sure he was about to drink it. I didn’t want to come across as a know-it-all.

He tasted the water, but carefully, like he knew what he was doing.

Not my problem. I closed my eyes and leaned back against the wall. I was so tired.

Suddenly, I sensed someone ahead of me. I opened my eyes, abruptly. It was him. Water still dripped from his hair and over his face. In my surprise, I didn’t mask my expressions as well as I might have.

He lowered his head, trying to make it obvious that he wasn’t trying to be invasive. I appreciated that.

“I just wanted to thank you for helping my sister earlier. I appreciated the extra set of muscles.”

I smiled, but barely. It seemed suspicious. I knew I wasn’t much help. Still, it was sweet of him to thank me.

“Of course,” I said.

He reached into a pouch at his belt and produced some herbs.

“The water isn’t poisonous, but you’ll want to put these herbs in your water skin when you fill it if you want to avoid ingesting bacteria.”

He dropped the herbs into my hand. Before I could thank him, he left.

“Hey, thanks.” I called after him, only hoping he’d hear.

I examined the herbs. Dried, and fine, obviously previously prepared. I smelled them, and they smelled earthy, with the faintest hint of sweetness, like the plants we would dry for pigments. I smiled. It smelled like sunshine, not in the same way that honey did, but similar.

He wouldn’t try to harm me. Somehow, I was fairly sure of that.

I would rather be caught dead than without water on me at all times. It was one of the effects of growing up in a desert.

There wasn’t much left, and what was left tasted more of leather than of water, but I drank the last swallow anyway. Wasting water was practically a sin.

I filled the water skin and, after a second’s hesitation, poured the herbs into the opening. It might need some time to work, so I didn’t immidiately take a sip.

The newcomer was kneeling next to his sister. My eyes widened and a sudden grin spread across my face as I realized she was concious and talking to Lorcan.

The newcomer slowly got up, leaving his sister with Lorcan. I shot them another look and realized the girl was blushing. I tilted my head inquisitively. Odd.

She was also shooting Lorcan looks that Liorah would describe as ‘sheep’s eyes’. I couldn’t help smiling as I realized the inevitable. Oh, this was romantic.

I stored the thought in the back of my mind, to be contemplated later.

I just barely caught the girl introducing herself as Yila and her brother as Niarok. Unusual names, but nice ones.

I followed after Niarok, but he was talking to someone else and I waited off to the side.

I shot a glance over to find Acyn. He had found an interesting rock by the side of the stream. I rolled my eyes. Usually, Acyn’s passion for— well, everything, was endearing, but I was annoyed with him so it was merely frustrating.

“— And it was braver to want well-being for someone else, even if it means causing pain for yourself.”

Niarok started to turn away, then caught my eye.

“Thanks for the herbs, I really needed the water,” I said, trying to force a laugh. It wasn’t working.

“And water-poisoning isn’t how I’m planning to die so—“ I wasn’t making sense, so I decided to cut the banter and get straight to the point.

“Don’t hate Acyn too much. I mean, he’s annoying as anything, but he really means well,” I said, quiet enough that he couldn’t hear it. I changed my mind halfway through my sentence and instantly contradicted myself.

“You know what, scratch that, you can dislike him as much as you like. Might do him some good, he has the tendency to think he’s the greatest gift to mankind. Blame it on his parents.”

I forced myself to take a sip of water before I yanked all out Acyn’s skeletons out of their designated closets. My statement had made it sound as though Acyn’s parents thought he was incredible, and the contradiction between that and reality was so absurd I almost laughed.

Acyn only saw his parents once a year, at most. Usually shortly after exams, which was just another reason we all hated that time. Acyn hated it because he was nervous and studied so much we barely saw him, and we hated it because he was irritable and often vented his generalized frustration by getting offended and taking his frequent arguments with Liorah a little further than needed.

His parents were respected researchers in their respective fields, both something to do with plants. They were away constantly. Before his apprenticeship to Magister Azriel, Acyn had traveled with them. He’d once told me he saw them even less then.

The only thing I clearly saw his parent’s influence in was his unhealthy tendency to equate his academic performance (and ability to impress people with it) to his worth.

And of course, I knew this and he hadn’t even realized it. It was a ridiculous situation.

I realized I’d said too much already and twirled away from Niarok, already hating myself for oversharing.

_______

It somehow felt more characteristic for Sahar to share Acyn’s backstory than for him to share it himself XD (Sorry if that was an infodump, but this isn’t Actual Serious Writing stuff so I actually don’t care enough to edit it out XD)

Also, speaking of long posts XD

Without darkness, there is no light. If there was no nighttime, would the stars be as bright?

[Emily Waldorf]

Quin

He walked away from Niarok, into the darkness of the cave, and stood, staring vacantly into the shadows. Memories flooded his brain, and for once he didn’t try to shove them away. It hurt too much to even protest, so he let the pain slide down across the few short months since It happened, through the memories.

<The horse’s scream>–he could still hear it, sealed forever in the back of his memory, freezing his blood. Horrible, unearthly. His heart pounded with fear as it echoed in his memory. [fun fact–I’ve heard a horse “scream”. It’s as bad as every author describes it].

The moment, frozen in time, of sheer terror. The split second of immobility that he would wish for all eternity that could have back. To try again. Not to let himself be paralyzed by fear. To act. To move.

To move! How many times had he wished the same thing, since that day. Just to move again. freely, without stumbling. His eyes drifted over to Qatar. as he pushed himself to his feet from a squatting position. Quickly. Easily. It would have taken Quin twice as long–even if he could squat.

Amputation. The word sounded harmless enough. But how many demons lurked in every syllable! leaping out at him every time the word echoed in his mind, followed by another echo: the echoes of his mother’s screaming. He covered his face in his hands, as though trying to squeeze the sound from his ears.

“No, no!” it was no more than a moan.

He didn’t hear Niorak  approaching until he stood directly behind him.

“I appreciated what you had to say earlier,” Niarok said quietly.

Quin  started and looked at him. It was a long look, traveling all the way from the painful past into the dull present. His eyes focused, and the faraway look slowly faded.But the pain didn’t it dimmed, for a moment, until he saw the look in Niarok’s eyes.

Questions. Why does everyone have questions! His mind rose up against Niarok, and he had to shove it back. It’s normal–of course people will notice. He glanced at Acyn. and wonder why.

he cleared his throat.

“Thanks. Or you’re welcome, I guess.”

“I’ve had to do… amputations – before now,” Niarok continued.  “And it hasn’t been a pleasant experience. I’m just glad I won’t have to do it for my sister.”

You won’t? That’s good. But I don’t know enough about medicine to know.

“Lorcan had something help her.”

Locran always has something to help. He couldn’t help the bitterness that rose suddenly in his mind, but he shoved it away again.

“But I just wanted to tell you that you were brave to suggest it. I may not know what it’s like to live without a limb, but I do know this. Most people lose the will to live. You didn’t. That was brave. And it was braver to want well-being for someone else, even if it means causing pain for yourself.”

Quin gasped, as if he’d been hurt, almost under his breath.

Niarok froze at the little sound.

Idiot! Now you’ve done it. Made him feel bad on top of everything else. He wished he could vanish into the floor, as he had so many countless times before.

“Wait.”

Niarok turned slowly back until he was looking at Quin.

He opened his mouth to say something–to thank Niarok for trying to make him feel better, but just then he caught the slightest movement of Niarok’s eyes. The almost imperceptible glance, that the owner struggled against, and fought to hide. Down.

At the missing leg.

Quin smiled in spite of himself. A grim smile, without any mirth.

“There was nothing that could have changed it. It was an–an accident–amputation was…not a medical procedure. It was a fact.”

Niarok’s eyes widened.”you mean your–how’d you know…”

“You’re a doctor,” answered Quin, as though that explained it. “Besides,” he looked off into the shadows. “Everybody asks that question.”

He turned away, forgetting to say what he’d called Niarok back for, and Niarok turned reluctantly to go, too.

“And Niarok.” the struggle in his voice was evident, and he didn’t turn around. “I’m glad it’s an option you didn’t have to consider. Your sister likes her knives too much for that.”

 

Same, @denali-christianson–if anything is un-Niorak-like, just change it. 🙂

 

Quoth the raven, "Nevermore!"
https://silverpenstrokes.wordpress.com

[Denali Christianson]

*Squeals so loud the windows shatter*

y’all are wrecking me inside!!!!!!!!! Quin is just soooo heart-wrenching and Sahar and ugggghhh!!!!!!!!! Y’ALL ARE KILLING ME!!!!! XD

@rose-colored-fancy

I LOVE YOUR NEW PROFILE PIC!!!!!!

@emily-waldorf

Just this once I’m going to take you up on your offer and change Niarok’s reply. He’s not the stuttering sort, especially not in situations like these. (And I couldn’t quite figure out how to make it fit his thought process. Oops…) Sorry! You’re actually doing a great job of writing him and it’s freaky when other people write your characters better than you…

 

Guys, I literally cannot do Yila right now. I just can’t. Niarok has entirely captured my heart and then there’s just Yila I’m also falling asleep and vacations are hard, guys. They’re just hard.

And Neasa, I will reply to you with details AT SOME POINT IN THE DISTANT FUTURE I PROMISEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Niarok

Niarok turned slowly, looking at Quin’s haunted face.

Niarok’s gaze halfway flicked down to Quin’s missing leg before he could stop it, and Quin’s eyes flickered. He smiled a grim smile.

Niarok’s eyes widened, wishing he could take back the tiny movement he had made on impulse. There was nothing he could do.

And Quin had been about to say something.

And Niarok had just thrown away whatever help he could have been to Quin if it hadn’t been for his stupid, stupid, stupid mistake.

Stop. Regrets don’t help. Stop it!

“There was nothing that could have changed it. It was an–an accident–amputation was…not a medical procedure. It was a fact.”

Niarok’s gaze went a little wider.

What happened?

But he didn’t say that. Quin’s haunted eyes said it all. That had been no war wound, no infection, no normal injury.

He had been a farmer.

Did he have a horse?

Niarok closed off his gaze so that Quin wouldn’t see the questions swimming through his mind or the guilt in his heart.

Quin was looking at him.

Niarok stared back. For once he had not the slightest clue what to say.

“Was it that bad?” he asked, nearly smacking himself.

Dumb question.

Why was he so bad at carrying on a conversation?

“You’re a doctor,” Quin answered, though he clearly knew that it didn’t answer the question. “Besides,” he looked off into the shadows. “Everybody asks that question.”

Niarok nodded slowly, trying not to choke on his own toxicity.

Just leave before you make it worse.

He turned reluctantly to leave, regretting forever that he couldn’t ever do the right thing.

“And Niarok.” Niarok stopped, looking at Quin, but Quin didn’t reciprocate. His gaze was clearly somewhere between the shadows and the floor. “I’m glad it’s an option you didn’t have to consider. Your sister likes her knives too much for that.”

Niarok smirked. “It was the bow and arrow that she would have killed me over.”

The tension between the two men eased, and Niarok walked away, hoping Quin didn’t hate him too much for being just like everyone else.

I hate being normal.

Niarok nearly slammed straight into Sahar.

“Thanks for the herbs, I really needed the water,” Sahar said, barking the fakest laugh Niarok had ever heard.

Great. Was it my fault?

“And water-poisoning isn’t how I’m planning to die so–” Sahar interrupted herself and stopped talking.

Niarok raised an eyebrow.

I can’t possibly make people that uncomfortable, can I?

“Don’t hate Acyn too much. I mean, he’s annoying as anything, but he really means well,” Sahar all but whispered. By the look in her eye, she had no inkling of an idea how good Niarok’s hearing was.

“You know what, scratch that, you can dislike him as much as you like. Might do him some good, he has the tendency to think he’s the greatest gift to mankind. Blame it on his parents,” Sahar said, slightly louder.

Who’s Acyn?

And why does she care what I think of him.

But then Sahar glanced at the kid who had tried to help Yila earlier, and Niarok winced inwardly.

Oh, him. Yeah, I do kinda hate him.

Not arrogant. Just curious.

Not arrogant.

Not arrogant.

Niarok raised an eyebrow when Sahar just spun on her heel and walked away.

“I’m not this socially awkward, am I?” Niarok asked the wall in front of him, then shook his head.

Now he knew he was tired.

“I’m talking to walls.”

STOP TALKING TO WALLS, IDIOT!

Niarok gave up trying to understand his tired brain and walked up to where Yila was flirting with Lorcan.

Niarok gave both of them a smile that promised plenty of teasing in the future before pulling out his bedroll and crashing harder than he ever had.

 

Okay so now I’m bored in my hotel room and am going to write Yila cuz now I think I can…

"The darkness is seldom complete, and even when it is, the pinprick of light is not long in coming."

[Emily Waldorf]

@denali-christianson

that’s A-OK! I wouldn’t suggest you change it unless I actually meant for you to change it. :))) I didn’t like that part either–didn’t know how to get from here to there. BWHAHAHAHAH! QUIN IS BREAKING SOMEBODY’S HEART! (Sorry. I realize that was a creepy, author-thing to do.) Have fun on your vacation, even if it is tiring! It sounds like the trip of a lifetime!!! And don’t post unless you really have time and want to. 😀

I hate making Niarok feel bad, but…but…

and I laughed out loud at the talking to walls monologue. Nicely done, lol. I knew Niarok had a funny side there somewhere. :DDD

Quoth the raven, "Nevermore!"
https://silverpenstrokes.wordpress.com

[Cathy]

Noah Cochran wrote:

Do people have blue babies where you live? That can’t be a good thing…xD I’m assuming you are using that adjective to mean the sky is young.

*blink*
🤣Bwahahahaha!🤣
No you idiot, babies are born with this pet called blue. It’s an alien with purple horns and it eats obnoxious guys who ask dumb questions.
(:
LOL it’s a Yankee turn of phrase for a pale blue that was worn on baby boys dipers a lot XD. *squints a little not quite sure whether you’re being smarty or that’s actually just an American phrase or something…*

Emily Waldorf wrote:

OK, it makes sense now! Thanks for telling me about the crossed out sentences. That was sweet, and I don’t even know these characters as well as others who have been here longer.   You employed lots of vivid colors to aid your descriptions–good move!! Wait! Are they gone now?! *poof*–out of the castle?

Oh thanks, I’ve loved working with these characters and writing that scene was really fun.
*poof* They’ll be missed…lol

Emily Waldorf wrote:

it would be scary if anybody did live in an area of the world where there were blue babies, lol. I’ve heard “baby-blue” as a color before–the sort of blue that baby onesies are made of. I think it’s a similar color to “sky-blue”, but then, it would be weird to call the sky “sky-blue”, lol

Ha, he knows that he’s just pulling my leg (I think…)

@denali-christianson
AHHHHHHHHH NIAORK LET ME BREAK THE FOURTH WALL TO HUG HIM!!!!!!!! Poor baby, I’m socially awkward too…

 

Ehud woke up in that cheap apartment he, his brother, Enoch, and Rosario kept afloat. There was something…he bolted upright and dashed into the tiny kitchen bowling over his brother in the process.
“Hey! Do we need traffic lights in here?!”
“Sorry! Is there any coffee?” His question made Enoch facepalm and grumble incoherently but Ehud just kinda dashed over to the counter, staring at all the dents and scratches and furniture that was so familiar. It seemed like ages since he’d been here but everything that happened was beginning to fade in his mind.
“Good morning good morning good morning!” Ehud chirped, and Rosario shoved him out of the way to get to the sorry canister of probably sorta coffee.
“It’s way to early for that,” She didn’t bother pouring herself a cup she gulped some down and handed it to him. “Tastes like mud.”
She said that every single time, and it had become the morning routine.
“So why do you keep drinking it?” he sang
“Because murder is illegal, idiota.”
Ehud never really got the connection but it’s what she said every time and that was nice and comforting. She was already in uniform and getting ready to walk out the door.
“You wouldn’t believe this crazy dream I had! You were in it and–” he froze and stared at Rosario, starting to turn red. She glanced sideways at him with an endearing, bemused smirk.
“And?”
“Nothing!” he stammered “I mean..–I forgot!”
She said goodbye told him not to do anything dangerously stupid today since they couldn’t avoid the stupid part and she left. Ehud just stood there for a while and kinda half touched his lips as if there might be something on them. The whole adventure was already almost entirely gone from his memory, but he still turned scarlet and stared after he for a while…

THE END.
For now…

To be a light to the world you must shine in the darkness.

[Rose]

@this-is-not-an-alien

AWW!!! That’s so cute!!! That was the most adorable and satisfying ending possible!!!! 😀 😀 I LOVED IT SO MUCH!!!

Lol really? *tilts head comparing Chantara and Rosario* huh. But Rosy isn’t dreaming and philosophical…like at all…huh…LOL that’s neat!

Yep, you’re totally right there. I think that if I tried her personality type again I might get something else. I did that even before I dropped her into the castle, so I didn’t know her that well. XD

IKR!!! The moment I heard that song I was like; ‘Oh. Oh that’s them!!!’

It’s the best when that happens! LOL, whenever I listen to a new song I try to fit it to a character XD

And
*Sahar’s post feeling useless*
I. Felt. That.

Thanks, writing is like free therapy, ain’t it? XD Or at least, realizing that one’s messed-up-ness runs deeper than you initially thought! LOL, writing Gavril is the worst/best for that XD I’ll be like “Man, I relate to him so much– Oh, wait, I’m projecting, aren’t I? Wow. That’s… very disturbing.” XD

@denali-christianson

I LOVE YOUR NEW PROFILE PIC!!!!!!

Aww, thank you! I just finished it and I was really happy with how it turned out!

Guys, I literally cannot do Yila right now. I just can’t. Niarok has entirely captured my heart and then there’s just Yila I’m also falling asleep and vacations are hard, guys. They’re just hard.

Don’t worry about it! Take as much time as you like and if you don’t feel like replying for a while, feel free to take a break 🙂 We’ll welcome you back as soon as you’re up to it! Just don’t tire yourself and enjoy your vacation!

Oh, him. Yeah, I do kinda hate him.

LOL, why did that make me laugh so much? I love Niarok already 🙂 LOL, everyone hates Acyn for a while XD (And some people don’t stop XD *Glances at Liorah, who has the weirdest love-hate friendship with Acyn* XD

@everyone

I had an idea for an interesting challenge we could do with the characters!

We could mess with the temprature in the cave. Like, try out the characters in really hot and really cold temperatures. (I just really want to see how Sahar and Acyn react to snow XD)

Also, I’ve really been wanting to drop a different character in. (Not right now, I’m having too much fun with these two!) but I’ve been kinda absently thinking about maybe dropping in that other character I can’t say too much about?

He’s really interesting, and I want to see how he interacts with all the others, (especially Quin, since he has a paralyzed right hand) but fair warning, he’s… extremely secretive. (And extremely traumatized! Yay!)

He has sometimes been referred to as Aydin… For those who remember that name. *Evil writer laugh*

I’d probably hide most facts about him and his backstory, so he’d be kinda mysterious. Also, it would mean the other characters could try to guess what actually happened. He wouldn’t be as open as Sahar or Acyn, with clear backstories, so it would be kinda different.

I don’t know how you all think about that, so let me know if you think that would be fun or frustrating XD

(I’m just really trying not to spoil the books because some people already know so much and I don’t want them guessing the plot twists. *glances significantly at Cathy*)

• This reply was modified 4 years, 5 months ago by Rose.

Without darkness, there is no light. If there was no nighttime, would the stars be as bright?

[Emily Waldorf]

@rose-colored-fancy

Sure, bring him on in! I’m sure we’d all love to interact with him! (The very worst thing that could happen is we all give up and go away because he’s too secretive, and you (or he) end up bored, lol.) It’d be interesting to see how Quin would react. He’s never met anyone else with a disability.

Quoth the raven, "Nevermore!"
https://silverpenstrokes.wordpress.com

[Noah Cochran]

@this-is-not-an-alien

No you idiot, babies are born with this pet called blue. It’s an alien with purple horns and it eats obnoxious guys who ask dumb questions.

You, Cathy, have one forward and imaginative tongue on you, though I believe I might have mentioned that already once or twice.  😉 That was fun to read. 🤗😄

it’s a Yankee turn of phrase for a pale blue that was worn on baby boys dipers a lot XD. *squints a little not quite sure whether you’re being smarty or that’s actually just an American phrase or something…*

Yeah, I was just messing with you. 😏

That explanation had crossed my mind, but apparently I’m not American enough, because I’ve never heard that phrase used. 🙂

 

@emily-waldorf

it would be scary if anybody did live in an area of the world where there were blue babies, lol.

No kidding. 🙂

[Emily Waldorf]

Quin

Now he had made Niarok feel bad, too. From somewhere behind him he heard Sahar bound up and start babbling to Niarok. Something about Acyn and the reason for his sour disposition. Quin found himself listening.

So he has family problems, too.

He turned around slowly. Niarok was talking to a wall and Sahar had retreated to her seat, clutching her leather water jug and looking like she felt bad about something.

Locran and Niarok’s sister were flirting, and Qatar had retreated into the shadows. Quin could just see him, leaning against a wall, completely obscured from most people’s sight.

Acyn was bending down, inspecting a rock with much more interest than curiosity should have provided, and Quin wondered if he’d heard what Sahar had said.

Quin realized how thirsty he was. Sahar had said something about herbs, and he wondered if the water was poisonous. But Qatar had drunk some…

He hobbled over  to the stream and stood there for a minute, staring at it. this was always the hardest part–getting down. He leaned his crutches against the wall and leaned against it with his hands. Then, slowly, he lowered himself to his knee and stooped for a drink. He crawled to his feet again and turned around.

he didn’t want to go talk to Acyn, especially not after his conversation with Niarok, but he couldn’t get the picture that Sahar had painted out of his head, and walked slowly toward him.

“What kind of rock is that?” he asked.

 

Quoth the raven, "Nevermore!"
https://silverpenstrokes.wordpress.com

[Emily Waldorf]

OK, now I’ll do Qatar quick, b/c I’m bored.

Qatar

He raised his eyebrows. Whatever stuff the man in the coat had given Yila seemed to work. She was flirting with him again. He rolled his eyes and stood up. He glanced across the room for Quin. Their eyes met. Quin looked away.

He strode across the dark places and  leaned against the shadows of the wall.

The memories were fading now–flickering like pieces of light, too bright to look at, across his mind.

He braced his arm on the wall and leaned his head against it–no one could see him in the shadows.

As he closed his eyes he heard a gurgling. What was that? A soft plash followed the gurgle, and the sound of rocks sliding, as they do when the waves retreat across a beach. Only so much softer. He looked around to see if anyone had heard, but the only thing he saw was that young girl with bracelets on her hands coming toward him.

 

@rose-colored-fancy

if you or Sahar are too tired to talk to Qatar just forget I said anything. :)))) I was bored so I’m writing Qatar, but I don’t know what to say about him, lol.

Quoth the raven, "Nevermore!"
https://silverpenstrokes.wordpress.com

[Rusted Knight]

Klein watched as the group entered a cave. Slipping in behind them, he turned and swept the treeline. No contacts. Satisfied, he followed the torch. A few yards in, the group stopped. Everyone was tired. Back to back encounters had pushed them hard. Klein stood out because of that.

His own endurance had been improved by harsh training. He still got chills remembering the swims he did at the Alaska training camp. He had to cross the fjord in basic uniform and return to base camp in the dead of winter. Those months were followed by training by about the same amount of time at camps in the Everglades and Death Valley. Most of the volunteers dropped out there before enduring the PSYOP training. Those who remained were given the choice. Continue in spec ops as they were or volunteer for Project Kelpie and push past what the human body could ever do. He chose to volunteer.

As the others sat down to rest, Klein remained in the shadows and moved toward the back of the cave. If it connected to a tunnel system, they could use the place as a base camp to explore their surrounding. Leaping over the stream, he landed on the other bank. Something crackled under his feet. Quickly kneeling, Klein inspected it. It was a branch, partly burned. Others of varying size were scattered around. An old fire. Nearby was an old pith helmet abandoned by its owner. Under it was a small notepad. The writing was in pencil and between age and mold was illegible. Never the less, Klein recorded an image in his suit’s memory.

It was information that could help them. It might be a bit of a riddle but it could still help.

“I found something.”

The Devil saw me with my head down and got excited. Then I said Amen

[Author]

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