[dzo]

Name: Rainn
Gender: Female
100 words or art: wip

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edit,the 100 word is just a minimal

[Knickknacks]

Are we allowed to do art in addition to writing, or do we have to pick one or the other?

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Are we allowed to do art in addition to writing, or do we have to pick one or the other?

No it’s optional

[corrosive_limes]

{|-- name : Esmeralda Netaphelle Luminitsa || gender : female ; dfab --|}

• Daughter of the Forest •

word count ;; 3,257

----All was still and peaceful within the forest. Birds sang brightly in the leafy canopy and a gentle breeze rustled through the undergrowth. The sun streamed in through the trees, creating a mosaic of light on the forest floor. A grey and green Viscet was settled comfortably in the shade, observing the lovely pattern before her and allowing her thoughts to wander. Who knew how long she'd been there; even she'd lost track of time.
----She would've remained seated there for hours were it not for the distant snapping of a twig that roused her from her thoughts. The Viscet was on her paws in a flash, instantly alert. She stood perfectly still as she swiveled her ears about, hoping for another sound to clue her in on the direction of the perpetrator. She didn't need to wait much longer, as a loud rustling sound erupted from within the trees in roughly the same direction as the snapping branch.
----Her curiosity fully engaged, Esmeralda dropped into a low crouch and crept forward into the brush, tail hovering just above the ground as it slowly swept side to side. As she ventured deeper into the undergrowth, she began to hear annoyed muttering rising up.
----"Curse these blasted brambles!" a distinctly male voice snapped. Esmeralda flattened her ears and dared to peek over the ferns before her, hoping to catch a glimpse of the source of the voice. She could just barely make out a bright blue and purple pelt through the thick vegetation. She'd need to get closer if she wanted to see clearly. The voice spoke out again.
---- "Were they really this bad last time?" it muttered. Esmeralda slunk farther forward, fur brushing softly against the ferns and bushes. As she did so, she was more clearly able to see the figure through the leaves, and she could begin to make out the purple spots and spirals on the male's pelt. She paused about twenty feet away, curious to see what he was up to.
----The blue Viscet seemed to be trying to go somewhere, but looked like he was having some trouble navigating the dense thicket that had overtaken the path in the past few years. He stepped gingerly past them, doing his best to evade the worst thorns but inevitably still getting a few burrs caught up and tangled into his fur. His progress was slow yet steady, and he was able to weave past the worst of the thorns. Esmeralda kept her distance behind him, only advancing when he did.
----She rose slightly from a stalk to a half crouch by the time she'd nearly reached the edge of the path, marked by an area of slightly shorter grass. The blue Viscet had nearly made it through the thicket of brambles that spilled out onto the path from the neighboring woods when Esmeralda's tail suddenly brushed against a bush. The sudden rustling sound caused the Viscet to start, and he snapped his heard around to scan for the source of the noise. His eyes locked with hers, and Esmeralda felt herself freeze. Her heartbeat skyrocketed and a look of shock spread across his face.
----They stood paralyzed for a long moment, neither able to break away, caught like a deer in the headlights.
----A squirrel scampering up a nearby tree broke the spell and Esmeralda bolted, leaping back the way she came.
----"Hey HEY wait!" the Viscet called out after her, and Esmeralda heard him struggling to make his way back through the thorns toward her. She didn't give him time to catch up and just kept running.
----She dodged around bushes and leapt over fallen trees, winding her way through the depths of the woods. She kept running until the shadows began to grow noticeably darker around her. She slowed and came to a shaky stop. She leaned over and rested her elbows on her knees as she panted, catching her breath.
----After her heart rate slowed a bit and the shakiness left her limbs, Esmeralda straightened up and took in her surroundings. She was a bit deeper into the woods than she expected, but not so far in as to be in unfamiliar territory.
----"Well, one thing's for sure. He surely won't be able to follow me this far," Esmeralda chuckled to herself as she sat down, leaning up against a sturdy tree trunk for support. She let out a heavy sigh and the grin faded from her mouth. Her mind was racing. She stared blankly ahead, completely lost in thought once more as she tried to make sense of what had just happened.
----Who was he?
------------
----Seth stood bewildered as the grey Viscet bounded off into the woods, his mouth half open and his paw outstretched in front of him to reach out toward them. After a moment of total silence, he hesitantly let his arm drop and he stared at the point where the Viscet had been standing but seconds before. What were they doing out here? He may not come to the forest often, but in all the times he had been there, he had never met another soul. He'd always believed the woods to be uninhabited by Viscets.
----Seth looked down at the ground and let out a disgruntled snort. No matter. That's not what he was here for. He let out a frustrated sigh and agitatedly picked at one of the thorns stuck in his fur for a moment before turning around to face back the way he was supposed to be going, but couldn't resist casting one last glance over his shoulder before he continued ahead. He took a deep breath to steel his nerves before turning back and pushing his way through the last of the brambles, and he stumbled out onto the path once more. He made a motion as if to dust off his knees and arms before straightening up and continuing purposefully along the trail, tail held high.
----He had a job to get done tonight, regardless of any surprise meetings.
----However, try as he might, Seth could not manage to shake the image of the Viscet standing there iat the edge of the path out of his mind.
----Who were they? And why couldn't he forget them?
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----Esmeralda woke up confused the next morning. The blue Viscet had been in her dreams, and she couldn't shake him from her thoughts no matter how hard she tried. The mystery of his presence there and the purpose behind his visit gnawed at her mind and wouldn't let her rest. Her logical side knew that in all likelihood, his reasons for being there were perfectly innocent. However, that wasn't enough for the part of her that insisted there was more going on than what it seemed.
----She tried to go about her day normally, but thoughts of the previous day kept intruding and she began to feel more and more agitated until the frustration was finally too much and she caved in to her curiosity. She traveled back to the location of the last night's encounter and stood surveying the scene.
----Nothing was out of the ordinary at all. Everything was perfectly normal. As it should be. She stepped forward, walking through the plants that had concealed her yesterday until she stood on the edge of the path. A few depressions in the soft grass showed something had walked through here earlier, and when she bent down to sniff them, the scent matched that of the mysterious male, though it was quite faint. But it was there, and she could work with that.
----With his scent trail pinned down, Esmeralda set off on her quest, following it down the grassy path through the woods. One way or another, she would find him again and figured out who he was and what he was up to. Maybe then she could finally get the image of his face out of her mind.
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----Seth knelt between the rows of pews, head bowed before the altar. The building was completely empty save for him and was perfectly silent save for the sound of his breathing and the faint chirping of birds outside. Light streamed in through the mosaics of stained glass windows, dappling the wooden seats in crystalline hues. Particles of dust swirled through the air and sparkled in the rays of sunlight.
----He let out a sigh and stood up slowly, taking a moment to appreciate the sight of the empty church, bright and peaceful in stark contrast to the dark maelstrom of thoughts and feelings ricocheting in his mind.
----Ever since the previous night, he had not been able to shake the mysterious grey and green Viscet from his mind. No matter what he did or how hard he threw himself into his duties in an attempt to distract himself, they were always there, always nagging at the back of his mind. Normally such an occurrence wouldn't bother him, and this wouldn't have been the same if it weren't for the strange feelings in his chest and gut every time he pictured their face.
----Every time they crossed his mind, his chest tightened, his heartbeat suddenly jumped up, and his stomach knotted in a bizarre mix of the leaden weight of dread and the flighty sensation of anxiety. He had no clue what he was experiencing. He'd never felt anything like it before. And it made him extremely uncomfortable.
----Seth began to pace the aisle, tail swishing anxiously. What was he feeling? Why did he feel this way? What about them made him feel like this? He had no ideas. He stopped in the middle of the room and let out an aggravated grumble as he tipped his head up to look at the ceiling. What should he do? What could he do? He didn't know. He resumed his pacing with a dissatisfied grunt, some of his frustration beginning to subside.
----Should he ask for help? Who could he ask for help? There was always Mother Malvana, but he had a dark suspicion that she wouldn't take too kindly to his confession. Seth let out a defeated sigh. There was no one he could go to for advice on this.
----He felt completely alone.
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----Seth didn't know how long he stood there lost in his thoughts, but something eventually roused him from his reverie. He shook himself and suddenly realized how sore his legs were. He glanced out the window. It was overcast and grey clouds covered the sky, but even so it felt abnormally dark for this time of day. Just another sign that the seasons were changing once more and winter was on its way.
----He was about to step away and retire to his chambers for a while when a movement near the treeline caught his eye. Swiftly turning back, he scoured the row of trees, squinting in an attempt to try to focus on the shapes in the shadows. For a few moments he saw nothing as his eyes darted back and forth, and Seth was beginning to think he may have imagined seeing something move. It would be far from the first time it had happened, too. He was about to chalk it up to his imagination when he saw another movement, This time he was able to spot the culprit, and he could scarcely believe his eyes.
----It was the same grey and green Viscet from the day before.
----Immediately his heart rate picked up and the now all too familiar sensation of butterflies fluttering in his stomach came back. He was rooted in place and just stood staring at them. As he watched, they took a few cautious steps. They dropped their head toward the ground before raising it up to the wind. They seemed to be searching for something. Perhaps tracking a scent? But what scent could they be tracking and why were they here now?
----Seth had a few options at this point. He could either pretend he hadn't seen them and gone on with what he'd initially planned to do, or he could go out to meet them and see what had brought them here. The first option now seemed distinctly unappealing, but the thought of the latter choice filled him with a bizarre sense of dread, yet at the same time he couldn't just let this slip past him.
----Seth could only stand there and grapple with his choices as he watched the Viscet slowly continue to investigate the area. Several times they glanced up at the church but never ventured closer. They just continued to slowly work their way around toward the back of the building, all the while sticking near the trees for cover. They still seemed intent on tracking whatever it was that lead them this way.
----As the Viscet worked their way around the church, Seth slowly approached the front door, never taking his eyes off them. Gently he reached out and turned the handle, taking painstaking care as to open the door silently as it was highly prone to squeaking and he didn't want to risk alerting them of his presence. Once outside, he quickly walked along the front wall but stopped at the corner and cautiously leaned out from behind it to watch them again.
----There was just something so mesmerizing about them that he couldn't seem to stop watching them. He wasn't quite sure what it was, though. Maybe it was their vibrant pink markings that almost seemed to glow against the dark green contrast of their pelt, or maybe it was the almost ethereal grace and elegance with which they moved. Whatever unknown quality it was about them, it held Seth's attention and wouldn't let him go, and as he watched, he felt his cheeks flush with heat. With a start, Seth realized he was blushing.
----He took a quick step back, leaning back against the wall and burying his face in his paws. He was struck once more with confusion as to what kept making him feel this way. He wanted answers to his questions, to know who they were, why they were here, and maybe even figure out what he was feeling, yet at the same time still found himself oddly loath to confront them. He let out a sigh and allowed his paws to fall to his sides. Why did this need to be so complicated?
----"Well," Seth whispered to himself, "I'll never know if I never try."
----Gathering himself, he took a deep breath in a vain attempt to calm his frazzled nerves and stepped out from around the corner of the church. The Viscet was just now approaching the very back of the building and had their back almost entirely toward him. He started off in their direction and raised his paw in greeting as he called out, "Hello!"
----Never before in his life had he regretted something so immediately.
------------
----Esmeralda had spent the better portion of the day tracking - or at least trying to track - the blue Viscet from yesterday. Between the path he'd taken and the length of time since he'd passed through, Esmeralda found herself constantly losing the trail or getting lost and having to spend several minutes trying to get back on track again.
----Eventually, after several long grueling hours, she found herself at the edge of a relatively small clearing with just enough space in the center to comfortably fit a couple small lodges. In the center of the clearing was what seemed to her to be a religious building, though she wasn't terribly familiar with the religions of non-tribal Viscets so she wasn't entirely sure. It was constructed of a warm colored wood and the spire looked to be just taller than the trees, with a well-sized copper-colored bell suspended there. There was a simple door at the front, and along the sides were huge windows with multicolored panes of glass. The area in front of the building appeared well-trodden, and she deduced that this must be a place where a relatively large amount of Viscets gathered regularly. However, it seemed to be deserted now.
----Regardless, this seemed to be the place the male's scent was leading her.
----Wary of the unfamiliar surroundings, Esmeralda stopped just within the bounds of the woods to survey the clearing and check the air for any potential signs of danger. After checking every shadow and confirming there were no threats, she slowly stepped out of the cover of the leaves.
----With a virtual labyrinth of scents left by all the other Viscets that came here, it took Esmeralda a moment to pick up the trail again. Even once she did, it was surprisingly faint and very difficult to keep track of. She progressed slowly, taking great care to not lose her lead as she began to make her way across the clearing.
----The scent seemed to be leading her around toward the back of the building, which caused her a moment's pause. It seemed slightly odd to her, considering all the other scents had stayed very near the front of the building. She shot a sidelong glance at the building. Despite it's warm and inviting appearance, she couldn't help but be a bit suspicious. Perhaps it was just her unfamiliarity with other beliefs, but the place seemed to have a slightly darker atmosphere hanging over it like a storm cloud.
----Esmeralda pushed the feeling out of her mind, dismissing it and continued to slowly walk toward the back of the building, where the scent continued to lead. It didn't seem important at the moment as that wasn't what she was here for anyway, but she still couldn't quite fully shake the feeling.
----"Hello!"
----Esmeralda nearly jumped out of her fur at the sound of a voice behind her. Between the combination of believing she was alone, getting lost in thought, and having a slightly bad feeling about this place, she hadn't realized she'd let her guard down.
----She spun around to face the owner of the voice and immediately froze in place as she saw it was the very Viscet she was here to find.
----Between the surprise of his arrival and the sudden fear of somehow being found out, Esmeralda was beginning to think maybe following him hadn't been the best idea after all. Suddenly feeling much less confident and much more nervous, she took a few small steps back before turning to face the woods, but before she could take a step he called out to her again.
----"H-hey, wait!" he stuttered. Wait, was he nervous too? That seemed a bit odd to Esmeralda, but she glanced over her shoulder at him anyways. "I apologize, I didn't mean to startle you. I only wanted to talk to you," he continued.
----Esmeralda hesitated, unsure of the situation all over again. A small part of her was still nagging away at her that this place had a dark aura and she'd be best off leaving immediately, but at the same time she couldn't dismiss the other Viscet's behavior. He sounded just as nervous as she felt, and his demeanor seemed quite innocent. And anyways, she had to admit she was extremely curious, and she'd never been good at resisting her curiosity.
----She let out a slight sigh and relented a little, but remained wary. She decided she'd stay and talk for a while, but would be careful to not to let her guard down again. Besides, maybe he could answer some of the questions she had swirling in her mind.

Seth and Malvana belong to me.

[Macyduke]

name: Draven
Gender: Male
100 words or art: Draven was brought into the temple, a religious group who's main goal is to eradicate magic, long before he was capable of forming his first memories. It's unknown where exactly he came from or what circumstances brought him into the world of tracking down mages and bringing them back to the temple to face judgement. While tracking down leads with his second in command, Louise, he can be described as precise, authoritative, confident, and a team player-always working towards a goal. He works well with others and even better with those who are willing to fallow his leadership without question.

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Sorry, closed

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I’ll be posting the winners soon

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And finally I would like to announce that corrosive lines is the winner. I am so proud of you it’s great.

I would also love to offer a headshot to muttgirl. I really did enjoy your story.

[muttgirl310]

And finally I would like to announce that corrosive lines is the winner. I am so proud of you it’s great.

I would also love to offer a headshot to muttgirl. I really did enjoy your story.

Thank you so much! Your story was incredible Corrosive lines! Congrats on your new kid!!