Shower Me in Crystal Rain [Closed]
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Shower Me in Crystal Rain [Closed]
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Posted 2021-09-06 14:33:33
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 Solstice [On Hiatus] #42891 |
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Posted 2021-09-11 12:18:40
If only. In front of them lies a detailed map of the Earth Kingdom, everything from favorite vendors to secret storage houses marked somewhere on the page. It's a large, important map. He won't be bringing it with him. "Do you have to go?" Sparrow then asks, looking less like an adult and more like that terrified child from all those years ago. He has no right to look so vulnerable; it breaks Damien's heart. Mother always said they had bleeding hearts, the both of them. Bluebird, too, before— "Yes," Damien confirms. "Otherwise I'll be stuck here for eternity, and we both know how that'll go." He smiles charmingly at Sparrow. "It's for the good of the Kingdom, me leaving. Who knows — maybe she's still out there." How he says that last part with a straight face is beneath him. Sparrow, his precious baby brother, sees right through the smile, but doesn't comment on it. What is there to comment on? Nothing good. They put the map away, sharing their misery in silence. Damien makes to leave the room, then later, the castle... but first, Sparrow catches his wrist on the door handle. Damien closes his eyes. He doesn't turn around, doesn't speak. Eventually, the touch recedes, reluctantly. The sound of someone stepping back. Only then does Damien dare to open the door and look ahead. When he leaves the castle with a large bag strapped to his back, no one stops him. They see nothing wrong, nothing amiss. The prince doesn't say goodbye. If goodbyes were a mandatory thing before leaving, then against his own conscience, he wouldn't have stood a chance. |
Solstice [On Hiatus] #42891 |
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Posted 2021-09-12 15:33:44
The sound of the clock on the wall made it difficult for Adelaide to control herself. She fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat until she could hear the sound of a door creaking open. The body, covered by the shadows in the dim room, leaned down to pass through the entry. She knew before the man even spoke-- that looming figure was her father here to finally tell her she could leave the castle. She'd been asking every year for her birthday. It made her feel less bad that'd she also occasionally snuck out through some of the "secret" chambers littering their home. She assumed her father, or any of his fellow friends hadn't noticed as nobody had confronted her about such. Adelaide kept her hands on the table in front of her, rubbing her fingers together before interlocking them and looking up at her father as he loomed over the table. He leaned down, pushing a piece of stray hair behind her ears, "You look so much like your mother. She'd be so proud of you," he whispered. "Happy Birthday, what do you want to do?" Before she could even stop herself or acknowledge his compliment she blurted out, "I want to go to the market and explore." The immediate change in her father's demeanor made her shrink back as he rubbed his forefinger and thumb between his nose. A groan escaped from him as he turned back to look at her. "How many times have we gone over this Adelaide? You aren't to leave these walls," he commented. Her father turned on his heels and began walking to exit, only turning back once more to give her a sad, shake of his head. The door clicked behind him. Adelaide could feel herself with a sharp pain in her chest. She'd never understood why she hadn't been allowed outside of their home. Being in here was like slowly being suffocated, and she yearned for new air. If he wasn't going to give her permission to go, she would go on her own. There was no feeling that could compare to walking down the market aisles, taste testing some of the food and looking at all of the beautiful woven gowns. Especially, when her favorite green tunic came from the market. Her father had said he'd seen it and thought she would wear it well. It was one of her most treasured pieces of clothing, and she wore it almost every day. Adelaide finished getting ready--slapping her hair into two sections; one straight down her back, and her other section in two buns on top of her head. She fitted herself with her favorite pair of black pants, her favorite green tunic, and finished with the intricate golden clasp around her neck that clicked when it was connected. ---- Adelaide peeked at the underneath of her door and saw no shadows and heard no voices. She slowly creaked open the door, once again glancing back and forth down the hallway before slipping out of her room. As she closed the door behind her, she smiled at her sign before hanging it up on her door handle. Sick, don't disturb. Hopefully, it would give her enough time to enjoy the market and slip back inside their house without notice. She kept close to the walls of the manor, constantly looking over her shoulder and tiptoeing to ensure no creaks would whine out and alert to her presence. Once reaching the end of the hallway, she took one more glance before slipping her hand behind one of the portraits and pressing an almost unseeable button. The mechanism whirled to life, clicking and clacking as it made a gaping hole that was once a beautiful wall. Slipping her hood over her head, Adelaide descended into the makeshift tunnel and she could hear the sound of it closing just as much as she could hear the shuffle of her shoes against the ground. |
 🍃 vereena #47996 |
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Posted 2021-09-17 20:53:59
...or does it? They want him back, Damien realizes. Meanwhile, the general public's being left in the dark. The soldiers aren't here to find his kidnappers; they're here to track him down and drag him back to the palace — whether or not the soldiers even know their true goal is up for debate. Damien flits through the day market like a songbird jumping branches. He skips from one stall to the other, taking note of their goods, their prices, etcetera. Something in him unfurls, glad that he's not seen anything overpriced. Especially near the capital, merchants tend to demand more than the necessary cost. That being said, the prince will need to find a way to earn money soon. He didn't bring much with him when he ran — only enough to last him a reasonable amount of time. It's a while later at the southern outskirts of the plaza when a flash catches Damien's eyes. An otherwise average-seeming peasant presents items of earth: amethyst, silver, and ground quartz, to name a few. The prince's gaze remains on the products for a second too long. "Interested?" the seller calls out to him. The man's lips curl into a greedy smile. It's disgusting. "Where did you get the gems from?" Damien demands. If he's looking for Bluebird, then this is as good as a lead as any, however accurate it might be. The seller bristles. "Well, that's none of your business, is it child? My materials come straight from the earth, if you must know." It's the tone and snark that makes Damien's temper flare. The prince despises disrespect. Even other lords know better than to talk back around him. "Now listen here—" he begins. "'Now listen here'," the merchant mocks loudly. "Run along, boy. I'm sure your mother is looking for you." Damien contemplates breaking his guise to imprison this merchant for his blatant rudeness. The Earth rumbles beneath him, not very subtly, answering his angry call. "I hope someone buries you alive," the prince snarls — it's all he can do short from outright attacking the living disgrace. |
Solstice [On Hiatus] #42891 |
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Posted 2021-09-17 22:39:27
She came to the final tunnel where a ledge led to a drainage. Climbing up the ledge, she attempted to see through the drainage. It didn't really matter if someone saw her and tried to get through the tunnels— they would probably end up dead before finding her and her father's home. It had taken her many years to map out of the paths of the tunnels, and she had made small notches to indicate what tunnel lead where each time. Nobody would understand what she'd written. After she removed herself from the tunnel she moved the drainage cover back over the entrance and she could hear the bustling activity of the market. She pulled the hood back from her face and her legs began moving faster in excitement. —— After some time, Adelaide had managed to visit quite a few market owners. Her hands had weaved through the softest of silk and touched the juiciest of fruits on her escapade. It almost seemed like the time to leave, but not before she had been walking past a merchant and heard a man talking very unkindly to one. Stopping, she glanced towards the merchant and the man who was clearly angry. The words that came out of his mouth made Adelaide speak before she could even second guess herself. "That seems awfully rude, and don't you know any better about how precious a life is?" She asked, cocking her head to the side, "Plus, why pick on this merchant?" She asked. Her hand swung around to point out other merchants close by. "Are you going to ask where they resourced their items from?" |
🍃 vereena #47996 |
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Posted 2021-09-18 09:17:07
"This merchant," the prince argued, waving his hand towards the peasant in question, "antagonized me first. I was curious! Gems are rare; it doesn't make sense for such a badly-dressed commoner to be selling them. Surely if he can afford better clothing if can be in the crystal trade! How do I know he's not a thief?" The complaint spilled out like a cascade, brash and wild, unrefined. Then again, he couldn't outright say "I loathe all crystal merchants because they might be taking advantage of my long-lost sister", could he? "I'm not a thief," the dirty merchant spoke up abruptly. "Like I said, all my crystals come straight from the earth." Damien smothered a scoff because that didn't explain anything, but rather than responding and digging deeper into his own grave, he scowled the girl commoner. How dare she speak against the prince? |
Solstice [On Hiatus] #42891 |
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Posted 2021-09-18 10:15:13
"Maybe he doesn't think his fortunes need to be shown to the world," she motioned to Damien, "like yourself." The statement was bold, and it almost made her feel giddy inside. But-- was it an insult? She wasn't sure, and therefore made no attempt to apologize after saying it. This man was infuriating and had no explanation for what he was doing besides the fact the merchant looked poor. Damien looked rich, but that didn't mean he was the Prince of the Earth Kingdom. Adelaide, to some, could also look like a commoner, but that was because she never believed in showing off the wealth of her family. It could be a slap in the face to the people who were struggling. "Maybe you should apologize, or try a better tactic of asking the question." |
🍃 vereena #47996 |