[Lioashu]

prize 1 adopt (here) | prize 2 adopt

Username: Razors
Name: Saoirse
Gender: Female
Owned as of 8/14/18

I'm so happy to be a part of this event, as well as create another event adopt for you guys! This one is very loosely based off of a flying fish among some other little things. Their items are not complete yet and I will update the reference as soon as I can.

Prompt 9

"A summer storm is brewing... what is it, and what are your Viscets doing to prepare for this "storm"? What is the aftermath?"

Note - the prompt does not need to specifically be about an actual storm! Tensions have been rising for a while, so tell us all about it! This prompt is pretty open and we can't wait to see what you guys do with it. ^^

Rules/Limits:

There is a minimum requirement of 500 words OR 2 pieces of art for your form to qualify.
There is a maximum of 2500 words or 6 art pieces.
Art does not have to be colored to qualify.
If you choose art, you can have 100 words per image to describe the scene a little (if you are afraid it's unclear).
Your images may include words, but they count in the 100 words per image rule.

This prompt will be open from 7/30 to 8/6, 10:00 PM CST. Please note that this time is final. There are no extensions!

Mermaid Tail (Fanned variant) - Event Rare
Finned Tufts (New variant) - Roaming

[Saberblush]

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The Demon of blood shed, shadows, and fear has awoken,
And with him comes a storm like no other...
His shadows cast across the land
Feeding on suffering and the cries of mortal souls.

No one is safe...
No where to go...
For where there is life...
Shadows will show...

The Demon Rouge is the storm, the bringer of the end
A dark presence looms over the lands near and far
Hail flurries down upon the world,
As his grip entangles all it touches

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The dark storm spread,
taking over the skies with black clouds
All light was cast out, like ash from a volcanic eruption
Daku looked up only to find himself drawn into the smog

The demon of darkness called his name
Corruption seeped deep into his heart
His struggle was useless his grip loosened
Daku, The Prince of Darkness was born

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Ailith too, succumb to the clutches of the storm
Her mate Azalea tried to save her only love
but failed as the darkness soaked deeper into Ailith
Azalea's eyes felt heavy with tears
as she knew her love was gone

There was nothing she could do
nothing anyone could do
still the storm wages
with no end in sight

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-Viscets Featured-
Rouge - Daku - Ailith - Azalea

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[Hail.]

2,313/2,500

Dex | Allaster

The infirmary was filled with the sounds of agony. Moans and groans filled the long passageway created by that old, tattered cloth tent that whipped in the wind. An occasional scream would fill the air, and things would go still for only a moment. The few trained in medical work scrambled about, rushing to the more critical patients with what little supplies we could gather upon such short notice. We were out numbered greatly and time was of the essence; time that we didn't have.

I stood over one of the great guardians, Allaster. He was stricken in battle, his leg nearly hacked off. Still, despite the pain it must have caused him, he only flinched at the sound of those screams.

We didn't start up a conversation as I applied what little local sedative I had to the area and began cleaning it. His eyes remained fixated on the sky through a hole in the cloth tent while mine remained locked on the torn muscle and flesh.

I pulled up one of my two scalpel blades and scraped the dead tissue from the wound. Only having two scalpel blades meant that they would have to be reused, something they preached against in my classes. But in a situation like this. . . the risk of infection was a risk we were willing to take over losing nearly a hundred lives.

Once the wound was clean, I began to sew it shut. The sutures were wide, sloppy almost, but the best I could do with the limited thread. I made a mental note of each patient like this, one's I would revisit when supplies were refilled so that they could receive proper care.

The sound of rolling thunder echoed through the tent and silence fell, even among the patients. It was an eerie quiet, one filled with dreaded knowledge.

I had moved to the East only a few short weeks ago, but even I knew that that sound meant. Out here, there was never a storm. At least, never a storm that wasn't summoned by Akiko.

Allaster sat up, despite my protest, and began to rise from the bed. With a huff of acceptance, I helped him, preventing him from moving his injured leg by holding his weight on that side. Together, we made our way to the outside where he gazed at the rumbling sky, his expression grim.

In the distance, clouds spiraled outward, their origin flowing from the mountains; not those infamous ones that parted the East from the West, but the ones that laid deep within the East. They were a sanctuary for Akiko and her mate, Gi, a place where they could be safe from threats. That storm, however, meant that something had gone wrong. Akiko had lost control of her emotions, an event which has not happened in many years.

I looked to Allaster, studying his face, but coming up with nothing.

"Get everyone to the underground barracks."

I frowned. "Allaster, if it rains, then they could flood."

He nodded slowly. I could tell this hurt him. He was measuring their odds in his head: over a hundred wounded soldiers and fifteen untouched viscets rushing to an underground shelter made to protect them from the tornados and lightning bolts that would come, but flawed with the falling of the rain. He was judging our changes, whether it was safer on land or below. The last time this storm had come, creatures found refuge in the West. However, with Libra's forces lying in wait like a cougar at the peak of those mountains, we knew that was only a death wish.

"We need to go underground. It is risky, but it will be better than staying up here with a tornado roar down our necks."

I nod slowly and help him prop up against the tent, knowing he would refuse my offer to take him there until every patient is within the shelter safely. I spread the word, the news others had already suspected, and begin lifting patients to carry them to the nearby shelter.

Pele | Raven

I laid on the ground, the wounds I had received hissing and burning, my legs too weak and wounded to support me. Above, the storm stretched outward, claws grasping at the sky; a reminder that we had all failed.

When I spotted Soma fleeing the mountains, that twisted grin on her blood-stained face, rage took hold. I fought her, hoping to finally down that witch, but she used filthy tricks and downed me before I could, leaving me to meet my fate alone.

I looked up and gulped. The storm was thick - a dark grey pulsating mass filled with turmoil and ruin, death waiting to ascend. Panic filled my chest and I willed my legs to work, begging my body to overcome the pain and to stand.

The mind is a funny thing. It is powerful, controlling the entire body without me having to bring it from my subconscious. But, there are things I cannot will. I cannot will my heart to stop, I cannot will my legs to grow. . . and I cannot will my body to overcome this pain. I am never actually in control of my own body, it is all my subconscious. And right now, my subconscious only knows that I cannot move.

Eventually, I lay my head on the dried ground. I had never been a crier. I'm always the tough one of the guardians, the one they all see as the brute with rage burning as strongly as her mane. Aggression and aggravation was what they all knew me for, but now. . . I grimaced as I felt the cool liquid pooling in my eyes.

Yes, I was scared. The fearless, monstrous Pele was scared. Scared to die. . . Scared to be alone. I didn't want this to happen, not now. I knew eventually I would meet the same fate as my predecessor, but I had always shoved those thoughts aside. I wanted to see Libra's head on a stick first. I wanted to see the East and West free and living in harmony again. I had to live to the end of this war, that was my goal.

Perhaps, that goal was achieved.

Akiko's storm will ravage the East, shredding what little remains of the land and stealing away countless lives again. My closed my eyes as the thought comes over me like a tidal wave. Perhaps, this storm is the end of the war. No heads on sticks, no peace and harmony. . . just a great storm that takes us out, winning Libra's battle for him.

My claws drove into the ground as I snarled. It wasn't fair. It was cowardly, though not something I would have put above them. He sent Soma here to upset Akiko, to make her lose control, knowing that the result would win his war. My paw smacked the ground and I hissed.

"Pele?"

The voice yanked my mind from it's trail of thought and my eyes shot open. I turned my head to stare at him, likely looking wide-eyed and horrified. "Raven!"

He stood, his dark pelt appearing an almost uniform black in the darkness, those vibrant red markings standing out like firelight. "Pele!" He ran to me, sliding as he approached and stopping beside him, his paws quickly resting on me as worry creased his face.

"Raven, you need to go!" I try to shove him back and bite my tongue as the urge to cringe at the pain comes. "The storm is coming, and you will be swept away by it too. Go back to the infirmary and help the others get to shelter, I'll handle myself."

His expression slowly grew firm, and my heart sank. If there was one thing Raven was, it was stubborn.

"I'm not leaving you, Pele."

It was not a suggestion or even a statement. It was a matter of fact. There was nothing I could do to make him leave me. He was going to be by my side, even if we both die.

I frown as the feeling of relief floods me. I did not want him to die, not for me or for anyone else, but. . . I didn't want to die alone, either.

Slowly, I rested my head on his leg and let those tears fall. Overhead, the storm roared and lightning began to flash. Rain drops fell, slowly for only a moment before hammering down relentlessly. He hugged me, pulling me in close to him and comforting me. I looked up to see his face, his head hovering above mine, purposely blocking my sight of the storm overhead. Tears flowed down my cheeks and he took my hand, squeezing it.

He was here, and that is what mattered. No matter how badly I wanted him to run, how badly I wanted both of us to get away from this situation. . . We were here. The storm was here, and death. . . well, she was standing a mere five feet away, watching us in silence.

Akiko | Gi

I hovered over him, my paws keeping pressure on his more severe wounds. Gi's breathing was strained, but he still tried to comfort me. "It's okay," he said. And, "You need to calm down, I'm going to be alright." But it didn't work. I knew I had lost control, I felt it in the water running down my cheeks and heard it in the storm roaring overhead. Soma had gotten what she wanted. She had nearly killed Gi and had brought my storm up once more.

I closed my eyes slowly, the images of my childhood of that savage storm that tore the land apart flowing to my mind once more. The hatred and agony that came after it, then a friend. The world suffered for my curse, and for my inability to control it, and now they will suffer for it once more.

My paws clenched his and I rested my head on them, feeling their warmth. Gi. . . I loved him, though I knew it was a risk. We both knew that love meant I had a weakness opened to my enemies, but the odd thing about emotions is that you can only restrict so much of it. It was a risk I had chosen to take, as unfair as it was. I had chosen my own happiness over the safety of the world, and now that decision was coming back to bite me.

As knowledge of what must be done came to my mind, my heart sank with a sob of thunder. I looked at his face again and he smiled at me. He was going to be okay, that was certain. His wounds were bad, but not bad enough to kill him before they healed on their own. That knowledge comforted me.

I reached over and pulled his backpack from the ground, opening it and grabbing one of the ancient flares Apep had given us to use if something ever went wrong so he could find us. I unwrapped the covering and planted it firmly into the ground near Gi. With as much force as I could muster, I struck the top of it, and the stream of light rushed outward and into the sky. A beacon.

I looked down at Gi again and touched his face. He smiled at me and whispered that we would be okay. I returned his words with a faint smile of my own. There was an egg we needed to get back to, one that would likely hatch late now. There was a home we needed to live in, one that would be soaked in rain. But most importantly. . . there were over a hundred lives that I needed to protect. A hundred lives that I was about to snuff out with my own poor choices.

I do not regret loving Gi. He was the best thing in my life, and I know that I will never be able to erase that emotion I hold towards him. He is my mate, my true other half and my peacekeeper. I would do anything to keep him safe, even if it meant. . .

Slowly, I stood, my paws drifting from his grasp. His brows furrowed in confusion as he stared up at me, uncertain of what I was doing. Now, it was my turn to speak.

"Gi. . . I love you. Stay strong, okay? And take care of our family. . . And if one day you forget me, that will be okay. All I want, all I've ever wanted. . . Is to see you happy."

Gi's eyes widened in realization and he began to speak, but the sound of the sobbing sky cut his words from my ears. I knew what they would be, anyway. Protests. Pleads. Cries of "I love you" and "We will fix this, just stay." I'm glad I couldn't hear it, though. It would only make this so much harder.

I walked away from him, focusing on the sound of thunder to not hear his pleas. When I was far, I saw Apep's shadow rush overhead and smiled, knowing he would be safe.

I made my way from the mountains and to the flat ground; the ground I hadn't walked on in centuries. I kept going, working hard to keep my cool as I did, fighting to restrain the storm that had already been unleashed.

What I was doing. . . I knew it would kill me. He would kill me. However, there was no fear in my heart. Only determination, determination to save those I loved and cared about.

In time, I came to the foot of those infamous mountains and began to make my way up. If Libra wanted my storm to be unleashed then so be it. He had won on that front. But. . . I still had control of one thing: where it released it's wrath. For where I stood, the eye of the storm followed.

[cyberdragon725]

Res!

[Pacsaj]

Art


Kasius followed the coordinates that he gave to his friend. She wasn’t there. And it had been days. Something was wrong. Something happened to her. He searched the area again. “Oh come on!” There were scratch marks all over the floor. Kasius bends down get a scent. Azul. She has put up a fight and failed. However there was another scent. A familiar scent.


I had to get her back from the realm. I needed a plan. I found a cabin in the woods. No one was home. I broke in and started drawing a map with my memory of the place. Now all I need is a plan..

[Prince Audric]

mark

[Yugi]

Paz | Keaton | Fleur | Mercy | Camira (Boss) | Scylla | Valenza | Barrett (Coyote) | Tenebrous (Chaos)
Cipher belongs to TenguInari

Paz ran as quickly as she could through the mother base's halls, her eyes filled to the brim with tears. These tears, however, were not from sadness; no, Paz's frantic movements greatly hinted towards complete terror. As she slammed into the walls from running too fast, she pushed herself off of them to help her propel her way through the protected hallways. Her frantic steps echoed throughout the halls around her. They alerted the other Wings of Peace members; most of them watched with absolute confusion, unsure of what happening to the young woman.

Keaton quickly caught wind of who exactly was running though, and quickly began to follow after her. Through her sobs and gasps, Keaton could just barely make out what she was trying to say. Paz spoke of the VIALs, an enemy group that was bent on "improving" the world through the funding and creation of super soldiers. The Wings of Peace knew about the VIALs all too well, as they had two soldiers who had escaped from the VIALs in their very own ranks. But that wasn't it; the woman went onto trying to explain that she needed to alert Camira about a potential attack.

"An attack?" Keaton asked, keeping up with Paz's pace. He needed to make sure he heard her right.

A heavy sob escaped from her mouth before she could successfully cover it with her hands. She nodded with such urgency; her eyes continued to flood over.

He grabbed his radio and called Fleur immediately. He instructed her to get a hold of Camira right away, and to notify the Boss that the VIALs were planning a surprise attack soon. When asked by Fleur why he thought an ambush would occur on the mother base, Keaton struggled to answer her. He looked over at Paz, understanding what the current situation was, and took in a deep breath.

"Just trust me on this one, okay? I'll tell you everything once the base is secured and everything settles down. Stay safe in the mean time."

Keaton put away his radio and grabbed hold of Paz's hand. He tried his best to easily slow her down so he could attempt to comfort her. Her body was fairly bruised due to how careless she had been with her turns as she sped her way through the mother base's interior; he didn't want to accidentally harm her further. It took him some time, but Paz eventually calmed down enough, being exhausted from both crying heavily and sprinting. He wrapped his arms around her gently, embracing her completely.

"Shhh, shhh," he shushed. "It's okay; we'll be fine."

Paz violently shook her head no. "It's not fine! This is all my fault; so many are going to die because of me and-"

Keaton hugged her tighter. "No, stop, it's not. We'll be okay; you don't have to worr-"

She abruptly cut him off as he did to her, her eyes still brimming with tears. "You don't understand," she replied, pushing him away.

"But I do; you're not as innocent as you advertise yourself as. I knew that there was something off about you this entire time, but only recently did you confirm it for me."

Paz backed away, frowning heavily. It took her a moment for her to process what he had said, but now she completely understood. That's why he would always ask if she was feeling alright when they first met, despite her overly happy demeanor. No one else doubted who she was aside from him; it was as if he could see through her being and soul. She gritted her teeth, reaching for the combat knife attached on the back of her utility belt. She held the hilt firmly in her right hand, waiting for the moment Keaton would try to make a move. She didn't exactly want to harm him, but she knew that when things went sour, it usually meant she would be on her own. "Are you going to eliminate me yourself then? The Wings of Peace won't want a spy among their own..."

He shook his head, staring at her with his bright blue eyes unwavering. He could sense her increased fear, and he kept a close eye on her arm that reached behind her back. He assumed she was armed. Wanting to play it safe, he backed off; he didn't wish to agitate her further, especially in such a suspenseful time such as this one. He needed to relieve her of her worries, even if just for a little while. He needed the information she had, and he needed to make sure she would be kept safe. If not for him, then for Fleur, as she was very close to Paz in terms of friendships. "If I wanted to, wouldn't I have done so earlier? Paz, you're still our ally, regardless of whatever past ties you might have; if you weren't, why would have tried to warn us about this?"

"But..." She was still tense; her grip would not loosen. Her eyes darted around the hallway, making sure that no one was on their way over to their location right at this very moment. She wouldn't let herself go down easily.

"No ifs, buts, or anything of the sorts; you're my friend. Even if you lie, you're still someone I'm going to care about." He gave her his usual, calming smile; one that he would constantly show to everyone who needed reassurance. And somehow, despite his repetitive tactics, it always worked; his smile never lessened in its power to give others comfort. "You were able to change your ways by listening to those around you; you no longer align with the VIALs now, right?"

Keaton spoke up once again. "C'mon, let's get you to the infirmary to check and treat your bruises. We'll talk more there."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mercy gave Paz a few ice packs to hold onto. "Keep these on your arm in ten minute intervals. You'll still have visible bruising during the oncoming days, but other than that, the pain and swelling should lessen quicker."

"So, Paz... how many people are we looking at right now?" Keaton asked, his arms crossed. He had recently gotten off a call with Fleur; she gave him the heads up that the Boss, Camira, was well informed of the incoming attack. The Wings of Peace's mother base was prepared.

"One," she spoke, timidly. "But the thing is, I have no clue on who this one is. I didn't think the VIALs would make a new super soldier, at least not yet. I can't believe they're going to test them out here... so many innocent lives will be lost, and for what cause? When we initially discussed my leave from the Wings of Peace, back when this mission was being planned out and I worked for the VIALs, all they were going to do was "capture" me to take me back. They never said anything about an attack until now, but they left out the part where they recover me; not that I want to go back anyways."

Mercy crossed her arms. "It's clear that they still have wiretaps in this place then; we thought we had flushed them all out, but it's possible we may have missed a few. There's areas that are still being repaired due to the fire damage from their previous invasion; we can't access them yet, so it's possible that they survived the fires. While we would think they'd be unable to connect to our radios and phones due to how closed off they are, there's always a possibility. The VIALs wouldn't use any normal wiretap anyways."

Keaton recalled the first time the VIALs had made their way into the mother base. They had caused mass confusion and panic in an attempt to find and recapture Scylla against her will. They wanted her back after discovering she had escaped and fled to the Boss; they couldn't risk their secrets being leaked to the public. But, their original mission ended in failure, and thus they needed to find something or someone to make up for their loss. So, the VIALs chose to take a lower classed soldier that was close to Scylla, as it would be impossible to take on the Boss one on one; Cipher was the soldier's name, and he had fallen in love with Scylla.

But hearing that they didn't want to infiltrate for the sake of attempting to pick up Paz or attempt to recapture their super soldiers, Scylla and Valenza, actually made Keaton concerned. While he knew that he and many others of his allies were prepared for the incoming fight, he wanted to make sure that everyone could survive. He couldn't bare to hear news of unnecessary causalities of friends he had just met.

With his fists beginning to clench, he looked back up directly at Paz. "Do you at least know their name?"

". . . They call them Chaos."

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Thunder clapped as lightning striked the salty seas that surrounded the Wings of Peace's mother base. It was an unsettling day, to say the very least. Harsh winds and heavy rains brought dense fogs that could only be pierced by the bright sparks from the lightning. The weather was ominously too aligned with what the day had planned for them.

The Boss looked out from the highest point of the mother base, her arms tucked behind her. She overlooked the base, her eyes darting to and fro. Barrett stood behind her, his headset resting neatly on the back of his neck. He redirected his head to look over at Paz.

"Boss, you sure we should trust her?" Barrett asked, a bit sheepishly. "She's here in a room with just you and me; she could easily take us out and we wouldn't know it until it's too late."

"Coyote, stand down," Camira stated towards Barrett. "I never doubt my men. Besides, we need her now more than ever. She's the only one who has insight on what the VIALs do; Scylla and Valenza may be products of their work, but they don't know much about what they do behind the scenes."

He snapped himself into a salute. "Apologies, Boss; you're right."

"At ease."

Paz darted up. "They're radioing in to notify their workers of the attack; Chaos is being released from the south."

"No matter; we have guards stationed on all sides; they tried to trick us before, and I won't allow it to happen again. Since it sounds like they have no plans of recovering you, I have a feeling they might try to use you to their advantage by confusing us," the Boss said.

The Boss walked away from the window. "Paz, your new code name will be Songbird. Don't speak your name unless I allow for it; we don't know if they'll have more VIAL soldiers present disguising themselves as Wings of Peace soldiers. We need to prepare for the worst. Put on your hood and stay close to Coyote; he'll provide you information as this battle goes on."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chaos was given the primary mission of eliminating Paz; his secondary missions were to eliminate the other super soldiers and the Boss. The VIALs wanted to test out his abilities, to see how well he would perform in a live battlefield instead of a virtual reality setting. He dived onto the north deck of the base from a helicopter. Lights towards the center of the mother base was the only thing he could make out in the thick fog. But he didn't need his sight to guide him; he closed his eyes and relied on his heat seeking abilities to lead his way towards the soldiers.

He ran through the fog with great precision, leaping from fences to the tops of buildings, and gliding up to them without stumble. He darted his way through with silent footsteps. His dark body suit made him blend in even further, obscuring him almost completely from the guards stationed nearby him.

And there he sensed her presence. But, she was not alone, unlike how the VIALs informed him she would be. He grimaced at their foolishness; of course the VIALs would end up failing him somehow, but it didn't matter. Another life lost would only mean that there would be less W.o.P. members to deal with. He ascended down from the building before shooting his gaze upwards at the two he ambushed.

Paz let out a slight gasp, which was quickly silenced by the abrupt grip around her neck. "Another ugly spot on the VIAL's records; what a shame," he spoke. "At least I can help remove it."

But his grip did not last long; the male who accompanied Paz, Barrett, had struck Chaos across his back with a baton. And just as promptly as he shook, Paz kicked him square in his abdomen, allowing her to break free. She pulled out her combat knife before glancing a look over to Barrett.

"Scylla, Wolf, now!"

Without hesitation, two female figures fell from the sky from the nearby buildings; their combined strength was more than capable to knock down the much larger super soldier. Wolf, better known as Valenza, smirked as she was able to get a good view of the male's face.

"So those crazies actually did it, huh? What a surprise that they were able to actually pull it off," she spoke coolly in an attempt to demean Chaos.

Nothing would cause him to flinch. Regardless of how hard he went down, he always managed to get back up and dust himself off. He swung a heavy punch at Valenza's face, missing by a mere inch, and shoved Scylla off of him. "Why don't we just play this easy? You just hand over the girl and we'll get through this quicker," Chaos said, baring his teeth in a twisted grin.

Everyone knew that the words he spoke were just false lies though; there would be no telling what this intruder would attempt to pull, even if they wanted to oblige to his demands. Instead, they all stood around him, keeping a close eye on his movements. They needed to capture him somehow, as he was currently their major threat.

Scylla signaled to Barrett to make a run for it with Paz in hand before lashing out at Chaos again. Valenza apprehended Chaos from behind, keeping his arms tied behind his back. He struggled, dodging the punches Scylla threw at him. He managed to break free, grabbing firmly onto Valenza's arm before throwing her down onto her back in an attempt to knock the two of them down. He missed, however, and Scylla gained the opportunity to push her equipped stun rod into his neck. The shock sent shivers up and down his spine, causing him to pass out.

It had appeared that they had the situation under control, at least until Scylla radioed in to contact Camira. Valenza had let out a shriek as Chaos recovered.

This was far from over.

(2,500 words)

[Gadgetrocks]

He bowled over, sharp bones digging deeper into his real ribs. The monster was taking over. At first it had just been irritable, a growling, hungry, dislike somewhere in his soul, but now it wanted more. Neko felt like he was going to lose, the demon fighting him from the inside. He gripped the bars of the prison, the walls slick, inescapable. He hated it, the fight the whole way to the dungeon, how the guards had moved him to the dangerous wing because of the evil hatred clawing for control.
"Oh no." His face filled with fear as he felt the evil gaining its high ground. His once kind bottle green eyes swam with tears. An evil grin fought its way across his muzzle, glittering canines sharp. Neko was drowning in his own mind. The beast growled, throwing its head up to howl, an eerie piercing note, and Neko was back at home. His mane had not been replaced by shards of bone, his father not laying injured on the floor.
"Neko! Want some dinner?" Despite being a necromancer, Neko's father had always been so cheery, so kind.
"Yes!" Neko shouted eagerly, hoping with all parts of his mind that this wasn't a dream. Neko rushed out of the bedroom, shuddering for a second at the large cauldron that had made his curse start, but convincing himself that the whole curse had been a horrible nightmare. His father stood in the living room, oven mitts over his fluffy paws, a pot of soup resting on the table. Neko always had missed his fathers soup. He sat down at the table, feeling more joy than he had in the past month.
"Neko?" His father started, looking happy but a glint of concern across his face. "Why are you acting so happy? Its good when you're happy, but you seem like you got mom back and also became the most famous viscet in the world." Neko sighed a little, remembering the nightmare more, and his mother. The reason his father desired to become a necromancer and magic healer. He couldn't save his wife, but she would save his son, and anyone else's family he could. Neko needed to tell his father.
"I-" He gulped, clearing his throat. "It was just a nightmare. Yo- you went evil and... Umm... Cursed me. Something was wrong with you. You had these viscet bones in a cauldron, and starts chanting a spell, and they replaced my mane, I went mad." Neko's father opened his mouth as if to speak, but the voice that came was not his fathers.
"You need to trust us." Neko stood up, startled, knocking his chair aside, but no clunk of wood hitting wood was heard. The floor was flaking apart, the chair having dissolved into the inky void. The house was melting, all becoming shadows and ink, in till only Neko and his father were left, each standing on a platform of wood, the edges lapped by darkness. His father spoke once more.
"I'm sorry this happened to you, my son. I wanted to protect you..." His father faded away, leaving Neko alone in the darkness. He opened his eyes.

Raspberry watched the hatred die from the poor viscets eyes, the glass green orbs no longer filled with a burning fire.

He felt nearly at peace with himself, though he knew his darkness was fighting with teeth and claws of steel and hate, the likes of which he could not fight against.

His time was coming.
His storm was coming.
And he might lose.

The Queen sat on her throne, awaiting the messenger, awaiting the news. Her whole throne room shimmered dusk sky gold with the setting sun, lighting up her horns and golden limbs with shimmering stars. The double doors swang open, an exhausted looking viscet sprinting into the room, royal

[~Teya~]

The night was cold and hushed. To Dasher, it seemed as if it knew what was to come. He had sat by his mother day and night, no improvement. More doctors than he was old enough to count came to see her, no improvement. His father promised “Everything is going to be alright.” But no improvement. He prayed for her, he cried for her, he waited for her outside that door in desperation, clinging to his last ounce of hope.
She died that same summer night and he cried himself to sleep—next day . . . no improvement.

--

“What if I say the wrong thing? What if she doesn’t like me—” Kasshoku’s anxious ramble was soon interrupted by Murasakino.
“You’ll be fine, hun. My mother’ll love you.” She cooed reassuringly with a soft smile, whirling away from him as the doorbell rang.

--

“Where are we going?” Sunora questioned, laughing.
“You’ll see.” Arathorn promised eagerly, tone mysterious. Her curious anticipation growing.
The familiar crash of waves onto sand greeted the viscets ears as the two made their way to the oceans edge. Removing Sunora’s blindfold, Arath gazed down at his friend with a childish thrill she’d never seen before. Looking up at the overcast sky, she watched as the first drops of rain pelted the warm sand.
“Just this once, let’s ignore the weather like when we were kids—and just feel alive!” He urged.
She pondered for a moment, hesitant. “Let’s do it!”

“Come with me,” Arathorn said, eyes pleading with him.
Murlé avoided eye contact, saying, “I . . . I can’t,” shaking with fear he would accept the Princes’ generous offer.
“Please—you’re not meant for the FFA,” Arathorn countered, holding out his paw, bullets whizzed above the chopper. “Don’t allow them to corrupt the last bit of good in you.”
He hesitated, heart pounding louder than the chopper propellers as he took hold of the Prince’s paw.
A storm was brewing, but this one had nothing to do with the weather. He’d just deserted his cause, there was no turning back.

--

Tampa and Abyss can't seem to agree on who looks best in the painting starring . . . themselves ?

[✦ nemuri]

x
indent"going out again?" ren called out, looking inquiringly at her younger sister as rin stopped in her tracks at the doorway. the blue furred viscet twitched an ear slightly at her twin's tone, but when rin didn't turn around to give her an answer, ren let out an exasperated sigh and crossed her arms over her chest, the tip of her tail twitching in annoyance. "you know, rin, i'd really appreciate it if you told me where you were going half the time. it's just the two of us now, and since i'm the older twin, i'm tasked with caring for you, even if i have to go out and perform my duties as a spellsinger. it'd be really great if you didn't have to make things more difficult than they already were."

indentwhile rin didn't say anything at first, her expression clearly showed displeasure when she swiveled around to glower at her older sister. she started to unconsciously twist the bangle on one of her arms, and although her facial features remained neutral and impassive as usual, rin's steely eyes were smoldering with irritation. "ren, i know you're worried, and if i was in a better mood, i'd say something along the lines of 'i really appreciate it', but at this moment, i don't. is it now a crime for me to leave the house for a while to get some fresh air? i get that you're concerned because i don't have magic to protect myself like you do, but when dealing with physical affairs, i do think that i'm more capable than you are." she stopped twisting her bangle for a brief moment to pat down her scarf, and she turned around to face the exit of the house, preparing to leave again. "i'm not trying to go against mother's last wishes, and this isn't a phase. i just need time by myself, that's all."

indentwhen rin attempted to leave again, ren cut in front of her twin sister, blocking the exit. her violet eyes were as serious as always, but when rin took a closer look, she could detect underlying hints of anger. she wasn't sure why her older sister was angry, but when she tried to dodge ren, the water lily patterned viscet let out a soft hiss. "rin, we shouldn't be having this conversation if you didn't come back home so late. i let you take care of the flower shop because that's what mother would've done, and you've always had a natural affinity when dealing with flowers in particular. however, this doesn't mean that you're allowed to stay out so late. as always, i'm just worried for your wellbeing; if anything is wrong, you do know that you can talk to me, right? i may be busy, but i'm always willing to liste-"

indent"that's the thing, you're always busy! even though you're my biological twin sister, it feels like i don't have a family anymore. you're usually traveling because of your work and i understand, since you're bringing in money, but it still hurts when you leave me behind each time," rin commented, shifting her weight from paw to paw as she frowned at ren. ren didn't seem like she'd be budging anytime soon, and although she gritted her teeth and balled her paws into fists, the blue furred viscet didn't lash out at her older sister. "i've never understood how you can leave me for months on the end and still pretend to care about me, ren."

indent"and how am i supposed to control how much i get to stay at home, rin? you're being unreasonable; every time i leave, it's because i have to help purify the land with my magic. it's a responsibility that i've been expected to take because i was born as a spellsinger. i love having the magic and power to help other people, but trust me when i say that i'd rather be here with you. it's just the two of us now, since mother isn't here anymore to care for you while i'm gone," ren said softly, her hardened glare softening into an imploring look, her violet eyes begging for rin to understand her motives. the tip of her tail twitched, and when rin directed a look of disbelief at her, the purple furred viscet let out a soft exhale. she had been about to open her mouth to add on to her previous statements, but her younger twin sister beat her to it.

indent"that's what you say, at least, but do you really mean it? my gut feeling says no, so please come back and talk to me later after i've cooled down or after you've assessed how you can be a bigger help to the family than disappearing on me for months on the end," rin snapped quietly, roughly shoving her twin sister out of the way before storming out of the house. ren's back slammed against the wall, and even as she flinched and bit her tongue in an attempt to not shout out in pain, she couldn't help but have her violet eyes follow after rin's form. she understood that rin's perpetual morose mood was most likely her fault, but at the same time, it was unfair that her younger sister thought that ren's disappearances were for her own, selfish purposes.

indent"she'll calm down and come to her senses eventually. rin is a smart viscet and is able to think things through once she's been given enough time; she has to understand that i have no control over this," the older viscet mumbled to herself as she rubbed her back and grimaced at the stinging pain. the powerful spellsinger didn't know if rin was going to return during the middle of the night, but no matter what the younger viscet did, ren was determined to intercept her for a good talk. "we have to sort out this issue before it gets any worse... all mother ever wanted was for us to get along and help each other live."

indent---

indentwhen rin returned, she hadn't really been expecting to see ren snoozing away in a chair at the dining table. closing the door gently instead of slamming it shut like she usually did, she attempted to sneak away from her twin sister without waking her up. the blue furred viscet had managed to make it to the stairs before accidentally stepping on a loose plank, and at the sound of a loud squeak, ren pried her eyes open and groaned softly. "rin? what - wh - what on earth... oh, you're finally back. took you long enough; i knew it was a good idea to sit around and wait, but i really hadn't been expecting to fall asleep."

indentrin stiffened at the sound of her older twin's voice, and before she could dash up the stairs and lock herself away in her room, ren had secured her grip on rin's wrist. the sky blue eyed viscet let out a soft snarl and attempted to twist her wrist out of her twin's tight grip, but ren was holding on too tightly. rin faked a small grimace and a small gasp of pain while she attempted to wrench her wrist out of ren's tight hold. "o-ow, ren, dammit, let me go! you're hurting me." her attempts at freeing herself became more frenzied, and ren loosened her grasp slightly so that she wouldn't hurt her twin sister. that slight loosening was enough for rin to pull herself out of ren's grip, and she glared at the other viscet. "what the hell, ren? what do you want with me?"

indent"don't get me wrong, rin; all i want to do is talk. the only reason why i grabbed you was because i thought you were going to run off, and if i hadn't stopped you in time, you should've shut yourself in your room again," ren attempted to reason, her violet eyes flashing in the light. the blue furred viscet paused and stared at ren suspiciously, but to her credit, she didn't try to flee immediately. rin crossed her arms over her chest hesitantly, and with the tip of her tail twitching, she uttered out a single word.

indent"explain."

indentthe purple furred viscet took a deep breath, chest rising and falling slowly, as she opened her mouth to speak. her words were slow, carefully articulated, and calm; ren knew that the moment her temper started to rise out of control, rin would leave and retreat back to her iron fortress of a room. "perhaps... perhaps i was out of line when i demanded for you to tell me where you were at all times, but the fact that i still worry about you doesn't change. it doesn't matter if i'm out bringing life back to forests of aiding a kingdom during times of hardship; you are always in my thoughts. however, i do admit that my priorities are not what one would expect of family; i will put the health of the world before myself and my family, but since you are my only family left, you are a close second. does that make sense, rin? i leave simply because i have to and it's my duty to help the world with my magic, but the time i spend with you is by choice." she paused for a moment to catch her breath, and lifted her head to gauge rin's reaction. the purple furred viscet shifted her weight from paw to paw uncomfortably in the silence as rin stared stonily at her.

indentfinally, when the blue furred viscet spoke up, her words were not what ren were expecting. "i know, ren, that's what you've been telling me for the past few years. i don't want to hear that excuse anymore. the fact that i understand doesn't mean i have to like or accept it. ren, just... leave me alone. i'm not going to stay here anymore. i've already made plans to turn the flower shop into a traveling flower shop; you either take me with you, or i'll go out and strike a living on my own." rin's words were dead serious, and her expression betrayed no signs of uncertainty or conflict. it was easy for ren to tell that her younger twin sister had clearly made up her mind, and no amount of begging or convincing would be enough to make rin continue to live in the house.

indent"i... see that you've made up your mind. is no amount of suggestions and begging going to convince you to stay here?" ren asked softly, but deep inside, she already knew the answer. while rin's expression was as unreadable as always, ren couldn't help but notice a twinge of hurt pass through her twin's features. however, as quickly as the moment of weakness appeared, it had disappeared.

indent"ren, i'm sure you already know what i'm going to say." with a mere twitch of her tail tip, rin brushed past her twin and bounded up the stairs. the purple furred viscet was left standing at the base of the stairs, with tears threatening to spill from the corners of her eyes. very hesitantly, she made her way to her room, where she retired for the night. the next morning, just as ren had expected, rin was nowhere to be seen, and any traces of rin that had previously been in the house had been erased.

indent---

indentas ren brushed away the hair that had stuck to the sides of her face due to her sweat and the heat of the summer sun, she let out a loud sigh. it had only been a month since rin had left, but it already felt like an eternity to the violet-eyed female viscet. she hadn't seen her twin since she had left, and although ren kept telling herself to forget about rin (after all, that's what rin probably would've done; she was always the more aloof twin who was able to readily break off relationships), it was definitely easier said than done. memories of her twin plagued her dreams, and although ren knew that there was nothing she could've done in her situation, a part of her kept insisting that if only she had spent more time, if only she had shown her physical care more, then rin wouldn't have left.

indent"rin should be doing well with her traveling flower shop, provided that the flowers don't die of thirst... geez, why is it so hot? i should sing a song to make it rain," ren murmured softly to herself as she patted the top of her neat hairdo, wincing at the heat that permeated into her paws upon touching the hair. "well, that was certainly a bad idea among bad ideas. gosh, i really need to get some shade after i'm finished with my business here."

indentcontinuing to wipe sweat off from her forehead, ren closed her eyes and started to sing, the powerful chords of her voice radiating from her mouth in waves. the forest she stood in front of seemed to perk up at the sound of the spellsinger's voice, and as ren continued to sing, the trees that had been slowly dying of thirst due to the sudden heat wave that had grasped the lands started to liven up again. it was a long process, but it was absolutely necessary for her to bring the forest back to life.

indent


indent[ 2329 / 2500 words ]
indent[ viscets used/mentioned ; rin, ren ]