likethelight: (309)
⛧ Aʟʟᴇɴ "ɴᴏᴛ ᴀ ᴘʀɪᴇsᴛ" Wᴀʟᴋᴇʀ ★ ([personal profile] likethelight) wrote in [community profile] deercountry2022-04-08 08:41 pm

[semi-open] If you're trying hard to breathe in the dark

Who: Allen & others, possibly Argonaut appearances
What: Event-log and other April-related prompts. Plotting prompt stuff!
When: Throughout April
Where: Various

Content Warnings: SAD THINGS, harm and death to NPC children, mutilation, nightmare fuel mindfuckery, high corruption and beasthood.




⛧ 1. if your screams don't make a sound (wonderkind/AKUMA) ★

[ You were probably just minded your own business doing something totally normal — and then you got caught in up in Allen Walker's vortex of bad luck. Sorry. It's just a thing that happens. He doesn't even have his unlucky rabbit's foot on him! He learned better really quickly...!!

Regardless of whether you might have been haggling with a bakery over the price of day-olds, sipping tea in some little shop, or maybe this is your house that he's... about to put a hole through. So sorry — but all of a sudden part of the nearby brickwork explodes as a slender figure is bodily slammed entirely through it.

Yeah. It's that kind of day.

It does not look comfortable. And it does not look like something anyone could have gotten away with without some broken ribs, but as the dust settles the boy that was indeed used as a wrecking ball of sorts starts coughing and trying to sit up. This is just -- ugghhh...

Coming to his senses quickly though, dressed in a black and red jacket underneath what seems to be a impossibly volumous feathered white cloak that seems to be made of moonlight itself he -- blinks. And then whirls around, realizing you're there.

His left eye has bled black throughout the sclera, and the iris has shifted to glowing red rings that shift in and out like a camera lens focusing. There's a dark, corrupted sort of smoke that seems to be pooling around it as well. His expression is wide with alarm, actual fear for a moment at seeing you there, before he stumbles back up to his feet. To square his shoulders, face the hole he just was thrown through—

And rip back, shouting at you over his shoulder as he spreads a single arm out in warning. ]


RUN!

[ Because, over the edge of the rubble... there's a faint sort of here-but-not dark glow. And the world seems to desaturate, fading from color into the black and white. It doesn't feel right. It doesn't feel like you're even looking through your own eyes.

And then you hear a faint sobbing. Distant, but far too close as well. Like it's there in your own skull. Faintly.

And a figure floats into view, cresting the stone. At first, it looks like... an extremely mummified corpse. Bone dry, curled up in a fetal position. It isn't even the thing crawling up and through the hole, but that seems deem and distant right now. It's attached to it.

Because the sobbing stops as soon as you look at it, and the specter stiffens suddenly. Socketless pits for eyes turning right towards you as it realizes you see it

—and its jaw falls open as it screams. ]




⛧ 2. if your heart just cries too loud all the time (butterflies/beasthood) ★


[ He knew this worked like a game of Russian roulette, he really did. And he doesn't even want to have to destroy any of the butterflies that have flocked to the Trench. It's fine when they stay up and away from people, but when they choose to land near populated areas...

It's not even for misjudging his own ability to purge corruption from his own body! It has limits, he knows that... too much can still be too much if it's all at once. But he has to keep trying. Better him than someone else. Or at least, thinking about that...

...it's easy to forget the actual consequences.

Maybe you were there when he destroyed the butterfly, a boy who suddenly transformed into into a white harbinger wreathed in what looks like condensed moonlight taking the shape of a huge feathered cloak and wielding a great broadsword as long and broad as he is. Maybe you just see the consequences of that — or hear the sudden howling gale.

A whirling gale of feathers, light, and tattered wings made from moonlight themselves that rips upwards from a doubled over figure. A white and gold gigantic masquerade mask floats above as well, twisting to and fro from the feathered cloak like it's unsure how to hold its shape, like it's too angry to remember its shape and cares not for what it was, but is trying to contort itself into something new. But the winged sort of cloak looks almost angelic, glowing white-gold and ethereal. It's beautiful, and somewhat terrible as well. Especially as the figure, with his hands clutching his head like it wants to split in two, would not seem to have a normal left hand but a great white and gold monstrous sort of claw instead. But it too can't seem to hold its form, splitting into glowing feathers along his arm that twist in the air.

It's like a howling monster clinging to the figure even as it also tries to rip away.

And if you're caught staring, an edge of that tattered, feathery wing-cloak rips out towards you and slashes into—and through the brickwork by your head. And that's when you might realize that even though it looks like a cloak and feathers, it cuts as sharply as any sword. ]


Stay— [ It's a boy beneath all that. A teenager, pale and ethereal himself as the feathers around him, with a dark red scar cutting through the left side of his face. And he pants and rasps it out, gritting his teeth audibly and fixing a surprisingly sharp and hard dark eye on you. A window of raw clarity in a maelstrom.

Anguished clarity, his face twisted in tragedy.

But that eye is blood red and black, and the scar surrounding it twists itself restlessly across his face like an angry, living thing. Black smoke bleeds from that left side of his face, mixing in with the white. ]

—back...


More closed prompts below! I'm trying to do more closed/planned things since I have a lot going on this month and a bunch that are sequential, but please feel free to hit me up on my plotting prompt and I'm happy to plan something and do a private prompt for us! He will be generally collecting the hope orbs, mostly for Viktor, getting fucked up with his restored memories/tether and hiding from people later in the month, and trying to purify and reverse the corruption/beasthood of any turned, especially as a result of the butterflies. So, especially if you want to get your character in on realizing even full beasthood can be reversed by exorcists and other sorts of purification abilities and you want them to be able to see the human souls still in them... 👉👈 hit me up.
dohaeris: (conversational)

[personal profile] dohaeris 2022-04-13 11:49 pm (UTC)(link)
[sansa shakes her head briefly.]

I recognized the other one. Sunfyre, the mad dragon. He...[she lowers her voice for this next word, as if the dragon might hear it and be upset] ate the Grey Ghost, before he ate Queen Rhaenyra. I had nightmares when we learned about that. Of course, I was much younger.

[maybe 11. she carefully approaches the dragon, trying not to make any sudden movements.]

The Grey Ghost was what they called him on Dragonstone, because he never stayed in one place long enough for anyone to get a look at him. It's not a proper name.

[but she smiles, somewhat helplessly, at allen.]

Still, I should tell you, my brother's wolves were called Grey Wind and Ghost.

[sansa doesn't believe in destiny anymore, only duty and birthright and luck. still she can't help but wonder at the serendipity of it all.]
Edited 2022-04-14 00:14 (UTC)
dohaeris: (ummm)

[personal profile] dohaeris 2022-04-14 06:33 am (UTC)(link)
[sansa nods with a sad smile.]

Ghost still is.

[and then she pauses, hesitates. she's still holding the raven, and pets her absently.]

When I was born, the dragons had been gone for nearly a hundred and fifty years. But--other creatures, very clever ones, don't give themselves names, as such. They don't--have to tell anybody who they are. Names are how people think of the world. Even animals that know their names--they just know that's what people call them. It isn't theirs.

[she's never really had to put these things into words before, and she would have been afraid to try until very recently. she hopes it makes sense, and that she hasn't crushed allen's hope of learning his dragon's name.]

He should be able to learn his name, though. That is, what you want to call him. They were said to be clever, cleverer than horses.

[which doesn't make training easier, exactly.]
dohaeris: (oh?)

[personal profile] dohaeris 2022-04-14 07:43 am (UTC)(link)
[she smiles softly at allen, then tilts her head up to examine the dragon's wounds.]

Well, you could get on his back and pour any sort of alcohol on them. It shouldn't be harder than staying on his back when he was corrupted. Keeping them clean would be harder, though. [dressing a wound on a dragon cross with the sting of having them cleaned out with stinging antiseptics...and changing that dressing...] We'd do well to find a healer mage, or a even just a blood minister.

[she pauses, hesitant.]

I do know a healer among the sleepers, but I'm afraid he doesn't like me very much.

[and...people that don't respond well to her charms often turn out to be quite dangerous. to her, at least.]

But I think Lord Sasuke might be married to another one...I could ask him to send her.

[she doesn't know if it's a reasonable hour to fetch sasuke out of bed, but who knew what kind of germs had been on sunfyre's horrible talons?]
dohaeris: (if you could just listen to me)

[personal profile] dohaeris 2022-04-14 08:29 am (UTC)(link)
[a small wry smile.]

I'm sure he'll let you the first time. [a pause.] Lord Sasuke is my sworn sword, and Lady Sakura...seems kind. She is a powerful healer, and I don't believe she would have become one if she didn't want very much to heal those in need. And she sounded quite comfortable with Sasuke's giant hawk and snakes.

[not a euphemism. but sansa has an idea, when he suggests moving the dragon.]

A quick dip in salt water would cleanse all his wounds at once. But--I'm not sure that the ocean would be safe for a wounded creature.

[sansa knows zero facts about the ocean, or what sharks are like, but she knows there are beasts there, who might think a wounded dragon an easy meal.]

There is a bright salt lake in the Trenchwood. It's said to have healing properties under the full moon. The traders and hunters were talking about it, when I went to Feed. It should be easy to spot on dragonback.
dohaeris: (wait a second!!!!)

[personal profile] dohaeris 2022-04-14 09:10 pm (UTC)(link)
[sansa smiles fondly, it really is like watching robb with grey wind. and something occurs to her. she lifts her eyebrows, smile becoming something daring and wry.]

You know, the lost prince Jacerys promised a knighthood to anyone who could ride one of the wild dragons of Dragonstone.

[a knighthood and lands and riches. she may be able to make good on one of them, at least.]
dohaeris: (oh yes please continue)

[personal profile] dohaeris 2022-04-14 11:28 pm (UTC)(link)
[...is she going to have explain the dance of the dragons....she does not want to do that. she's tired.]

By rights, you've earned yourself a knighthood. He also promised lands, but I'm afraid you'll have to find them for yourself, here.

[however!! she grins.]

Prince Jacerys Velaryon made a famous pact with my great ancestor Lord Cregan Stark. After he died, Lord Cregan marched his army south in his name. That's how we won the Dance of the Dragons.

[this is perhaps a gross oversimplification]

As the current head of House Stark, it is my duty to carry out any other final wishes Prince Jacerys might have had.

[it........probably isn't. but she affects a deadpan face.]

Give me your sword.
dohaeris: (u got me!!!)

[personal profile] dohaeris 2022-04-15 12:45 am (UTC)(link)
[she laughs and grips it with two hands, stepping back so she won't hit him as she awkwardly but determinedly draws it up. like a baseball bat. she rests it carefully against her shoulder.]

You've done something no one in the Seven Kingdoms could do. The Grey Ghost was never ridden. The only other dragon like that was the Cannibal, and he was horrible. So long as you don't betray the rightful queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, who has been dead for a hundred and seventy years, to her treacherous younger brother Aegon, who died shortly afterward, you are more than worthy of this honor. So kneel.
dohaeris: (pleased)

[personal profile] dohaeris 2022-04-15 04:27 pm (UTC)(link)
[well, sansa sets it on his shoulder more forcefully than she meant to, really. hopefully it didn't hurt.]

By declaration of Prince Jacerys Velaryon of Dragonstone and the Pact of Ice and Fire, I name you Ser Allen of house Walker, knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

[for what little that's worth. but now is not the time to think of the mountain or ser boros blount and ser meryn trant or even jaime lannister. she thinks of loras and garlan and aemon the dragonknight. allen belongs with the best of them. she taps his other shoulder, for good measure. she's never actually seen someone knighted before, and is only guessing. she clumsily draws the sword away and holds it unsteadily in front of her.]

Now rise, Ser Allen, and take this greatsword from me before I drop it.

[her arms are getting tired.]
dohaeris: (GENUINE HAPPY)

[personal profile] dohaeris 2022-04-15 05:00 pm (UTC)(link)
[sword relinquished, she gives him a brief curtsy, and smiles.]

Of course. But you must call me Sansa, when we're alone.

[she grins.]

You'll have to choose a sigil for your house. I don't know that the Targaryens would like it very much if you took a dragon, but they're all dead now, anyway.

[NO, SANSA]
dohaeris: (satisfaction)

[personal profile] dohaeris 2022-04-15 05:59 pm (UTC)(link)
[a coat? she laughs.]

For your banner. You would paint it on your shield, so that everyone would know to cheer for you in tourneys. And I could sew it on your shirts.

[she's not sure how to tell him that he has founded his own knightly house without causing him to actually swoon.]

Many noble houses in the Seven Kingdoms began with one brave knight.
dohaeris: (conversational)

[personal profile] dohaeris 2022-04-17 02:37 am (UTC)(link)
[someday she'll tell him about ser meryn and ser boros and gregor clegane, and how he's better than any of them, and better than ser harry and ser shadrech the mad mouse, too. if he ever questions his worth, she'll tell him. and she'll tell him, too, that she assumed he must have been a hedge knight from his manner, when they first met. she grins.]

That's good. It's an important decision. You wouldn't want to choose something boring, like triangles.

[or poor jeyne poole, with her blue plates. she glances back at the dragon.]

You should probably see to his wounds.
dohaeris: (BEAMS)

[personal profile] dohaeris 2022-04-17 02:52 am (UTC)(link)
[she returns his nod, grinning.]

Yes, of course. Let me know if you need me to call him a healer.

[she's...pretty sure she remembers which streets winter flew her over...]
dohaeris: (laughing???)

[personal profile] dohaeris 2022-04-21 07:38 pm (UTC)(link)
[sansa watches with delight as he climbs atop the dragon, then laughs and shakes her head.]

Nobody remembers. None of the Targaryens ever wrote it down. And nobody without Valyrian blood could get near enough to a dragon to work it out.

[she will find some dragonlore from her homeworld soon!! it will not help much in that regard.]

(no subject)

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