Dragons

"Impressive, little dragon. But let's see how well your defense holds up against this."

His eye darted watching the massive serpents movements. Did he dare try to retaliate yet or stay on the defensive in hopes of wearing them down some. Like watching through distorted glass his eye widened as the Leviathan's tail came toward.

Gritting his teeth with his own tail whipping back and forth he cursed silently under his breath wings spreading out and pushing him back and away while releasing the wall of ice. A mix of water and ice chunks falling over the swinging tail, with some being sent flying in the process as Timaeus took quick evasive action to the best of his ability, growling low. A long tendril of water still kept close to one of his hands.

Damn that was way to close for comfort.

Perhaps he could have strengthened it more, attempted to patch the cracks, but was it worth the risk? Felt better to let it go and try to reform one a new.

Damn he wished they'd trained more, or asked more questions. Not that they'd ever had any expectations of it actually being needed, he'd always treated it as simply another extension of magic and dragon training nothing more. A means of better understanding his connection with it and of what he was.

"M' just getting warmed up,"

"Really now?"

The giant sea serpent was intrigued and his lips curled into a grin, revealing rows of sharp teeth. He briefly glanced at Ephialtes off to the side. He was still locked in whatever battel he had going on his head with the damn Knight.

Oh, well.

Normally it would but with the amount of magical build up he doubted it was doing much good now likely only barely holding back with a dam of energy ready to burst, and this was the perfect time to open the flood gates.

Fingers curled tight around the circular pendent removing it from his neck, almost immediately watery whip pulsed and grew larger surging with magic. Some fear remained on his ability to control the flow of it, knowing full well how it could go out of control but he was older now, more experienced and given there present location at least it was unlikely of any one else getting caught in the crossfire.

Eyeing over the amulet he followed the serpent's gaze toward where Tima stood, an inward battle going on between him and Ephialtes when an idea struck. He'd never tried it before but if the amulet truly could hang on to excess magic, much like a dam reservoir than maybe...

"Tima catch! Ephialtes I hope you're hungry cause I've got magic to spare."

Gods he hoped he could hear him, hoped he could pull some amount of control. He whipped it across across as hard as he could sending the amulet spinning through the air in their. Where his father ever acquired such an object he'd never been told but right now he'd never been more grateful.

Unfortunately that had given Leviathan just the time he needed in prepping another attack. Shit!

A quick and frantic shield was formed, stronger than before managing to block or otherwise slow the majority of the blast with only a sliver slipping past around the shield and managing to clip the edge of a wing, the sting of it causing him to falter a moment but able to regain his balance in the air.

You're nothing but a nuisance! I should have gotten rid of you long ago!

Maybe you should have, Ephialtes! But then again, you would be alone with no one to taunt!

Timaeus grunted as he blocked another attack from Ephialtes, glancing over towards the 'window' outside, hearing Tim call out to him. He reached out through his mind, willing his body to listen to reach out and grab the amulet.

What are you-? No!

Ephialtes tries to wrestle Timaeus back but it was too late. The Knight grabbed the amulet and the surge of magic forcefully pushed Ephialtes out. In that moment, Timaeus screamed, feeling himself being thrust back in control of his body but also pulled...no...torn away. He grunted as he hit the ground, gasping for air before slowly sitting up. The magic had pushed Ephialtes out of his head, his right eye now scarred and shut. He looked around, almost in a dazed before it landed on another body. One that looked like him.

Leviathan shot a beam of energy towards Tim, roaring as it hit the shield. He lets the beam disintegrate, unwilling to use his full power. He wanted to stretch this out, see how far this little dragon was willing to go.

"Clever."

With attention still firmly locked on Leviathan he was unable to bare witness to the exact goings on only the noticeable shift in the magic in the air.

"You know I'm always telling people, I'm stronger than I look." He snorted.

For a moment he contemplated what do next, there was one thing, his finger briefly touching his throat. It was risky and would certainly take a great deal of his power... No not yet. It was a trick best served for emergencies only. Besides they didn't need the beast.

Fingers stretched grabbing hold of the water, finally recalling the spell he wanted

"Lepída págou!"

Timaeus had regained control of his body and immediately jumped into action, half-shifting and launching himself to strike at Leviathan with his claws, slashing at his face. The Knight flapped his wings and pulled away towards Tim, landing next to him with amulet in hand.

"Tim. I am here. And I thank you. I heard your words."

A growl cut in. Ephialtes was still there, in his own body that looked almost exactly like Timaeus. Minus the draconic features and scar. He had a threatening scowl on his face.

Clone. A finger twitched as a low growl rumbled deep in the back of his throat. Accurate though it may have been it was enough to make his scales bristle.

"Maybe but you've never had to fight both of us."

He held no assumptions of it being an easy fight both having made it quite clear they weren't about to back down but neither would they.

congrats! Now you have a motif! A recurring theme! A focus for your art! Something to haunt you!

Seventeen still lives of dandelions? Three hundred poems about grief? A sketchbook dedicated to your grandmother’s house? Two books trying to unravel the complexities of familial relationships?

An early exploration of the themes Hokusai would keep coming back to is Spring in Enoshima, done in 1793 when he was 33. The wave is small and there are no boats, but Mt Fuji is clear in the background, and Enoshima is in Kanagawa, so we are clearly beginning to work towards something here.

A second pass, eleven years later in 1803 when he was 44. The title of this one begins to get more familiar: The View of Honmoku Off Kanazawa. It has a towering wave over a smaller boat, but Mt Fuji is not present, and the boat is considerably larger and has a sail. But the feeling of danger in the wave and the smallness of the boat are here, and of course the general composition is definitely recognizable.

This is A View Of Express Delivery Boats, done in 1805, merely two years later at age 46. Here we find the wave and the boats almost exactly as we'll find them in The Great Wave Off Kanagawa, though Mt Fuji isn't present, and the location is uncertain. And it's a good picture! The wave is threatening, the boats are small -- but the feeling of "ocean" isn't really there yet, is it? It's unlikely this picture would have become a classic for the ages. But that's okay, there's still time.

And here we have it, a full 26 years later, done by Hokusai in 1831 at the age of 72. The Great Wave Off Kanagawa, one of the most recognizable pieces of art in the world. The boats are there, the mountain is there, the wave is there, and the FEELING is there. He did it! He reached the apex of his ongoing motif and theme!

Or did he? Because the whole point of a motif is not that you're striving to get to the perfect version of it, the one idealized image you carried in your head all along, and when it is done, you are also done. Hokusai is on record at the age of 73 saying he'd only just begun to feel like he was learning how to draw things properly, and that "if I keep up my efforts, I will have even a better understanding when I was 80 and by 90 will have penetrated to the heart of things. At 100, I may reach a level of divine understanding, and if I live decades beyond that, everything I paint — dot and line — will be alive." He had drawn The Great Wave, but he didn't believe he was finished -- he thought that he was still just beginning to get started.

And he wasn't finished with his ocean motif, either. Please check out his Mt Fuji At Sea, done in 1834 at the age of 75.

Been thinking far far to much about this.

Now a Selkie would be a fool to just randomly start dropping something as precious as their coat at a potential lover/mate when courting. As there's always a risk of someone truly stealing it.

So first they start with smaller trinkets, and less important things as a sort of test of character, see if they'll return even that.

(Assuming they don't already know well the one they are courting then they may just skip straight to leaving their coat.

After leaving various other small less precious things is the first drop.

The first time dropping her coat marks a way of showing interest, and sort of judge character. Will they return it, leave it or try to take for themselves? never walking far from where they dropped it given how precious their coat is.

A subtle sort of "oops I dropped it" type moment where they feign not noticing and start to take a few steps.

if the prospective lover reciprocates and makes to return the coat the selkie may again (at a later time) drop/leave their coat behind continuing the courting, this time while actively leaving it behind to be returned

On the second drop they'll actively allow themselves to walk away back turned without leaving altogether. This allows a layer of trust unable to see what the other is doing. Will they steal it? ignore it or bring it to them.

Again should the prospective lover reciprocate in kind and return the coat the courting continues.

Of course between Coat drops there's plenty of time for thr getting to know - some Selkies will do it on consecutive days but only if they are THAT sure.

The third time they will "forget: to take it with them and purposfully leave their coat behind at their lovers home/ with their lover. Like staying over night and then quietly leaving at the dawn and not taking it with.

Or otherwise seemingly 'leave it behind ' somewhere to be found. Commonly it'll be carefully folded and place upon rocks or someplace else where it will be obviously found

The fourth and final time typically a Selkie will give their coat to the one they've been courting !and if it's gotten this far safe to say it's a sure thing.

After giving the coat will ask to meet at the shore and to bring the coat. Where upon returning selkie will ask to put their coat on them.

3 times the coat lost and thrice was it returned. My coat I gave to you as I would my heart and love now I ask you, would you return my coat as you would your own heart and love?

This time instead of handing the coat the coat is returned by placing it on the selkie themselves. Or for a pair of Selkies swapping coats (like exchanging rings)

For a non Selkie being courted Selkie may intern place a part of their coat over their lover or something.

It's the 4th exchange and return of the coat that well seals it

--

Now important to note all though some amount of fae magic/logic is involved. If the one being courted should not share these feelings- and you know are just a nice person they're not locked into wedding the Selkie / can reject them

When it comes to Selkies themselves there's never any confusion since they know when another is courting - and frequently is seen as sort of a lovers game more then anything.

Really it's the number of times that means more then the how. As well as the intent behind the drop.

Your coat I return and with it my love

or if uninterested,

Although I return your coat your love I cannot/ do not

--

Basically as long as your respectful about it it generally won't be an insult or a slight to reject there advances

you don’t need fancy icons to roleplay with me.

you don’t need to write in small fonts to roleplay with me.

your theme doesn’t have to look like you gave your soul to photoshop to roleplay with me. 

i won’t rp with you if you don’t read my rules.

i won’t rp with you if you have a sucky attitude. 

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