#phoenixshards

"..Joshua..."

Oh, how clearly Elwin remembered when Joshua was but ten years old; so small, so frail, and so, so worried. He had never stopped to realize just how deep that fear had run -- how it had permeated into every facet of Joshua's life, shaking the very core of his self-worth and leaving him uncertain as to whether or not he himself mattered while the Phoenix's shadow loomed over him. Even on that night at Phoenix Gate, his father had not realized...

And he regretted it. He would regret it to his dying day, no doubt, that he had not better reassured Joshua, that he had not told his youngest son how important he was to him.

Not as the Dominant of Phoenix, not as the future Archduke of Rosaria, but as a beloved son.

Their relationship had never been quite as established as the one he shared with Clive, in large part because of the former Archduke's frequent absences from Rosalith. It seemed that every time he had returned home, Joshua had been so much older than the previous time he had seen him, and he had missed so many precious moments with the boy -- though he had always told himself that it couldn't be helped. (Was that true? Or was that just something Elwin had told himself to assuage his guilt and allow him to sleep better at night?)

Now, Joshua was no longer small enough that he needed to kneel down so as not to tower over him. He was grown, just as Clive was, and just as Jill was as well, and over these long years he could only imagine how many memories -- even bitter ones -- he had missed with them? It was as if nothing had changed. He had not been there for Joshua when Joshua perhaps needed him most.

Gloved hands reached out to gently rest upon the younger man's shoulders. Then with just as much gentleness, he gave them both a squeeze, and his troubled gaze sought out the other's eyes. "You are useful," Elwin reassured, tone warm yet hinting at sadness. After a moment's contemplation, he drew his son in for a hug -- one that he should have given him all those years ago. "Ever have you been useful. By the Founder, not because you were chosen by Phoenix... but because you are you. Because of your kind and noble heart. The care and compassion that you show to others, regardless of their birth."

@phoenixshards, I KNOW THAT U

boats & birds by Gregory & The Hawk if you'll be my star, I'll be your sky. you can hide underneath me and come out at night. when I turn jet black and you show off your light- i live to let you shine

hunger by Florence & The Machine oh and you in all your vibrant youth- how could anything bad ever happen to you? you make a fool of death with your beauty and for a moment I forget to worry...

Mongolian clothing= FUN! Very bold shapes.

❂⭃ @phoenixshards asked: ⥷❂ ❂⭃ ❛ my magic is useless against them. i’ve never felt so powerless. ❜ ⥷❂

Medieval and Fantasy Starters

⤛⌠❂⌡⤜

"The akashic?" Byron asked to clarify. "Are they really so unbothered?"

He could argue that a good swing of his axe had seemed to do just fine in slaying the beasts, but magic was Joshua's primary way of defending himself, and even that took a toll on his body. An axe was out of the question for him. If his magic couldn't serve him, what else was he to do?

"We'll find a way to deal with our enemies," he continued, answering his own question. "And as much as I'm sure you're reluctant to do so, I would advise you lean on your comrades as much as you can. Take it from a man who has seen years of hard battle: If one is to survive in any capacity, he must needs lean on his fellows. In this case, I would say you should seek council from someone that understands your target in a more specific way than you do. Granted, I'm sure my great and wonderful nephew has been poring over information from the moment he set his feet back on the ground, buuut just in case, I would say it wouldn't hurt to do some further research with someone more intimate with your object of study. Be it first-hand experience or written knowledge. Finding a solution to the problem comes first with understanding it, and two heads are better than one, as the saying goes. And if nothing else, you can always count on your uncle to protect you!"