#dragons-bones

I answered 10 here!

1. What’s your personal favorite thing you wrote this year?

...I don’t know. I tried to answer, and I just can’t. I really like a lot of what I wrote this year. Not everything--some of the prompts were definitely rough--but I managed to do some new things, and refresh some old things, and finish long-languishing drafts. Narrowing this down is hard! My answer today will be different tomorrow and is different from yesterday.

A handful of good ones?

Waiting - Aeryn observing a tradition for a lost (but not really) friend.

Sacred - Cleaning the Antecedent’s chamber finally, what Aeryn believes in.

Clamor - Thancred & Aeryn at the 2.0 post-Prae celebrations.

It had been easier than Aymeric had thought, to keep his promise to Serella. Easier than it should have been. With her as acting Antecedent of the Scions and the both of them busy besides, there was little and less time for him to even think of what they agreed upon, on placing a hold on their relationship in the wake of her temporary position.

Really, Serella had made the decision…easy for him. The moment Uthengentle had informed them of the decision, something akin to fear had gripped his heart, the thought that she would burn their bridge in the name of peace and prosperity. And when he had gone to her after and saw her stand in front of him with a proverbial matchbox in her hand, he had, at first, feared that separation would be their undoing.

Then she spoke. Through tears and her own terror she talked of holding him back, of somehow making him suffer by making him wait for her. She had insisted that he deserved better than what she could offer him, and he…felt relief.

Not relief for what their obligations made them do, but relief in understanding, truly understanding, precisely how much she loved him, enough that she was fine with tearing their bond to shreds in the hope that he might find happiness.

touch/gestures meme!

💪 - would your character be more likely to scoop someone up in their arms, or be the one getting scooped?

nol will do the scooping bc he thinks its kind of fun but also he’s like 7 feet of grown ass military man so good luck picking him up. plus elliot is a four year old and thinks its funny when someone chucks him at a couch.

that said apparently wife-carrying is a sport and the prize for hauling ur wife thru an obstacle course is ur wife’s weight in beer and basically nolanel would 100% do this bc yeah ofc ephemie is my wife? if u dont believe me she’ll carry me instead? i need this beer for my company and i gotta win it somehow???

👍 - what (if any) is a good, safe touch for your character?

no touchy the nolanel.

nah he’s p understanding abt ppl touching him, though he may not particularly like it other than hugs. as with most things, he accepts much more in life when it’s in military context, so someone patting his shoulder or slapping his back, etc, totally slides for him and he appreciates it. in other settings, he’s fairly hyper-conscious in that ishgardian way of touching someone’s hands, or in that fight-or-flight way if someone’s coat brushes against him.

Do they celebrate holidays? Anniversaries?

“I don’t find either particularly important, myself, but they do matter to Ysayle! So, naturally, I put a lot of effort into celebrating them, when I can. Anniversaries especially! I always try to make those special, because... well, Ysayle can get a little glum. There’s so many memories tightly woven for her around that time, y’know? So I just try and show her how much she’s grown since then!

Hilda... um, Hilda doesn’t care. Both are just excuses to find somewhere quiet for a snog, uh, which is fine! But... y-yeah, that’s what they mean to her.”

How do their friends feel about their relationship? Their families?

“Immediately I want to say Alphinaud especially was always... how to put it... concerned! He was concerned about my relationships with both. Ysayle especially. But he’s like, my brother, y’know? So that figures. He helped me a lot trying to help Ysayle come to terms with her faith issues, and... and all that. He, uh, also walked in on me and Hilda kissing a bunch, and I’m pretty sure he’s never managed to look her in the eye ever since.

Everyone else... well, my family are the Scions, of course, and they’re all really respectful and happy for me! I never let it get in the way of my work... I think that’s important. But they also give me lots of space when I need it. I think the only one I’ve ever had troubles with was Thancred, but, I think he kinda... feels like he’s my dad, right? I guess, uh, he just draws daughter figures in, or something. Anyway, he did the whole ‘protective father’ thing when he found out. I think Hilda kept the letter he sent her.

Something about ‘if you ever harm her’...”

What kind of presents do they get each other? Do they only do it on special occasions?

“I spoke about this briefly, but I do want to add that Hilda made me a totally wicked gunblade thingie after I showed her the designs from the First. I’m gonna ask Thancred for some pointers, I think, because I’ll just blow all my fingers off knowing me, and I need those for pointing at stuff!

Thanks for the questions, miss Greywolfe! Do you have time to talk about Aetherophysics? Can you give me something really smart and cool to say to Ysayle that’ll totally impress her, even if I don’t actually understand it? ‘cus I won’t.” Alley laughs.

A) Good quality Kassem, a disaster, he's great. B) ANOTHER TMA FAN?!?!?!??!?! *SHAKING EYE EMOJI*

(Miscellaneous Angst Starters!)

How many times had she wondered; was she even human, anymore? How many times had she evaded death, survived while others perished, again, and again… and again?

Overhead the stars twinkled, and she smiled back to them, humming some strange, broken song with a dry, raspy throat. She sang in time with each shimmer and wink - or so she thought. An old, old song… a lullaby, perhaps?

She remembered someone that she had once loved, cloaked and masked, humming it to the sea of souls. Long, long ago…

“Ahru…” There, now, was the man she loved. He sounded so distant, and her brow furrowed a little as she tried to focus - like he’d told her to. Focus, hold on, wait. They’re coming. So much frustration, such soft, sad desperation… These things were not lost on her, she knew them so well, so intimately. The pain he felt now she had felt many times over, and would not wish it on anyone.

Oh, how she longed to stay. How cruel, to have found such warmth and love, only for this.

“Ahru…” He could not find his words, none that would suffice. “You have to stay awake. I… I beg of you…” A small, trembling plea so unlike him - it might have broken her heart, if it were not so close to spent.

She could not see him anymore. The stars she saw were of no familiar constellations she could recall - blots of light in a black sea she now swam in. But to each and every one she wished… and wanted… so badly, to stay with him. To raise her hand, to touch his face, to smile and tell him she would not leave him. But even if she could, her fingers had long gone numb, her tongue still and silent.

[OC QUESTIONS - accepting!] [answered]