#silvrns

@silvrns​ said: ❛ I want to be great, or nothing. ❜ for kili !

‘       i  used  to  think  the  same  way,     you  know.     want  the  same  thing.     [   ...   ]     sometimes,     i  worry  that  i  still  do.       ’         it  is  a  difficult  thing  to  admit,     to  acknowledge   THE  RAGE   still  burning  bright  in  the  pit  of  her  gut       ——       bright  as  the  blue  of  her  healing  vliyaya  raised  to  the  brunt  of  a  gaping  wound.     the  skeksis  have  done  nothing  but  to  hurt  their  world.     separate  them,     use  them,     kill  them.     death  is  what  they  deserve  for  their  crimes,     &     even  then,     it  seems  too  much  a  mercy  for  the  gravity  of  it  all.     &     yet,     much  as  her  blood  sings  at  the  thought  of  wrapping  her  bola  ‘round  their  putrid  necks,     SHE  KNOWS  BETTER.     SHE  IS  BETTER.     &     they  all  must  be,     if  anything  is  to  matter.

a  hand  slides  across  the  table,     toward  seladon.     not  reaching,     not  exactly.     but,     [   ...   ]     an  offer.     a  request,     perhaps.     for  some  sort  of  understanding  between  them  two.     not  an  easy  feat,     to  be  sure,     as  she  holds  her  own  reservations  about  their  all-maudra,     but  if  this  journey  has  taught  her  anything,     it  is  that  above  all,     they  must  TRY.     nothing  will  get  done  if  they  do  not.

the  blade  notches  itself  beneath  his  chin  in  brutal  shades  of  familiarity       (       sword   :       a  synonym  for  the  broken  trajectory  of  a  man’s  life,     the  endless  weaving  of  forward  momentum  crisscrossing  with  backsteps  &  pauses       ---       did  the  sword  promise  a  quick  death?     or  a  stormy  treaty  set  loose  upon  ancient  tides?       ).       HE  DOES  NOT  SHUDDER  FROM  IT      ;       if  death  finds  him,     it  finds  him  with  a  grin!     there  will  be  no  coward’s  funeral  thrown  in  his  honour       ---       he  presses  himself  closer  to  the  blade,     a  challenge  curled  in  his  bared  teeth.

&  his  smile  grows  wider,    a  deadly  point       ---        something  bitter  floods  his  mouth,       fangs  splitting  apart  his  tongue       [      ...      ]      WORRY?       ‘       have  you  ever  taken  a  life  before?     OR  WILL  I  BE  YOUR  FIRST?       ‘       he  licks  the  blood  from  his  teeth  until  the  stains  are  replaced  with  gleaming  white.       ‘       i’m  honoured,   really   :       but  isn’t  there  a  way  we  could  discard  the  sword,     have  a  lovely  little  chat?      ‘

@silvrns​​ asked: “The city looks different at night.”

        A tapered ear flicks as her daughter’s voice, although weary, sweetens the cold, still night air. Snow glances down at the Vapran citadel. Nearly all lamps are extinguished, and save for the ever-present, ever-vigilant guard, most are asleep at such a late hour. For now, there is no threat of invasion, not when the snow is piled so high and thick, not when the skeksis lost the Hunter and the General and all clans have formed an alliance against their corrupted rulers. One might almost think that all is well given the city’s sleepy countenance.

They both know better, of course, but such is a comforting thought.

“To many, especially the young, the darkness is a thing to fear, but never have I thought so,” she muses aloud. “Cities look peaceful, and clarity is brought to every thought, like the stars and moons bring light.”

@silvrns​ said: I’ll meet you after dark

             he tried to hold back the smug grin -- but only succeeded for a moment. perhaps he should feel badly about drawing her away from her duties, or attempting to distract her when she ought to be focused on more important matters. but, at times like this, when he succeeded... he found he couldn’t regret it at all. he caught her fingers in his, squeezing gently before she could escape back to the dull council meeting he could not imagine having to endure.    “  after dark, then,  ”    he whispered and brought her hand to his lips, dropping a gentle kiss on her palm.    “  tell me where...  ”

             “  i’m sorry -- i promise i know better than to stare, but...  ”    she found the impulse was too strong. for so long, she had been sheltered by a protective father, kept hidden behind palace walls and ignorant of the magic that lay beyond. but now -- now that she so readily escaped into the forest whenever she was able... she found that she could not learn the ways of the world fast enough. she knew of goblins and fairies and unicorns... but the gelfling, she felt, held a special fascination...    “  you mean all of your women have wings? i’m so envious! i’m convinced it’s positively dreary being a human,  ”    she added with a laugh.