kiiblade

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

“Who said I wanted danger?!” Exasperated, Ghent threw his hand into the air. “For the last time, it was a joke!”
Joke or not, Elayra wasn't satisfied with Ghent's excuse. The intensity in her stare was unnerving, terrifying even. He shrank a little as she stared him down, repeating the command along with a new name to go with it.
Humpty Dumpty? That was the last straw. Ghent bristled, a spark of anger igniting in his chest. He was tired of being insulted, and he was sick of being threatened. If Elayra wanted to fight, she’d get her fight.
“A-alright, fine!” Ghent tilted the staff at an angle, removing one of the sheaths with more force than necessary. “If you want to fight so bad, let’s go! I’m not afraid of…” The sentence went unfinished as Elayra spun around. He quickly unsheathed the second half of his weapon, fearing his prank was becoming their reality.
Following Elayra’s gaze, Ghent squinted in case he missed something. He didn’t see anything unordinary. He doubted she was pranking him in return, she was too riled up for that. So what was going on?
Before he got the chance to ask, the rocks ahead of them moved.
Ghent staggered back, his jaw falling open as the red-eyed monster sprung to life. From what he could tell, its body was made almost entirely out of rock. Ghent’s eyes flickered to Elayra’s sword. He doubted their blades would do much. They’d be lucky if their weapons made a scratch. His subconscious nagged at him, urging him to remember one of the few focus words he’d learned over the course of three days.
Any plan to attack was abandoned when Elayra gave a new order. Get in the water. That, he could do. Or so he thought. Assuming Elayra would follow, he turned on his heel, but the movement seemed to agitate their foe.
The roar threw Ghent's legs into a run. He made it about three feet, but then a second roar sounded nearby, this one coming from the East. Ghent whipped his head around to look, horrified to spot another monster similar to the first. The rocks were assembled in such a way that the creature had a mouth, and two long, vine-like tongues shot out with alarming speed.
Mid-step and ill-prepared, Ghent was unable to avoid the attack. A shout escaped him as vines connected with his neck and wrist, jerking him to a painful stop. He lost his grip as a result, his staff thudding against a sparse patch of grass.
Ghent made a desperate grab for his weapon, but his mobility was restricted due to the vines. Worse than that, his attacker was coming right at him. With the hand that wasn’t restrained, he pulled at the vine around his neck in an attempt to free himself.
Ghent couldn’t work fast enough. If he didn’t do something, he was going to get crushed.
Tuito. Out of nowhere, a focus word presented itself in his mind. Despite the chaos, Ghent remembered Elayra attempting to teach him the spell back on Earth. She used it herself later, creating a magic barrier to protect them against a barrage of broken glass. He didn’t know how much damage the shield was able to handle, but he didn't have the luxury of time. It was a split-second decision on his part, and he had to go for it.
Ghent unhooked his fingers from the vine around his neck, redirecting his attention into what he hoped to achieve. He barely had time to focus, but he made those seconds count.
“TUITO!” He outstretched his hand and turned his head, squeezing his eyes shut in case his focus word failed to prevent impact.

A Place Named Westwood: Tales of Terror

I don't usually do group RP's, but...this sounds really cool. Lurking for now!

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

Alrighty! :D Will bear that in mind because it's very likely that Ghent comments on them later on. I'm assuming the oldest a Forgen could be is 14? Speaking of edits, I finally edited the part where Ghent looked past the Safe Zone. Took me long enough!

Wow. That's some complex stuff...but...I think I got it! You explained that very nicely. Thanks to you, I now feel rather knowledgable on the topic and it'll make future posts all the easier. :D I was in the dark about most of that, so I'd usually copy what words you capitalized without knowing why. So, I'm really glad I asked! Thank so much for explaining that, and for providing great examples! The amount I've learned from you continues to grow. ^_^

Roleplay Request!

Sent you a PM!

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

Elayra's reaction was better than Ghent could have hoped for. He cracked up at her expense, silently congratulating himself for an act convincing enough to fool her.
Alas, his amusement was short-lived. His laughter morphed into a shout as Elayra slammed into him, his back hitting the ground with more force than he would have expected from a girl her size. Before he could even think to react, he felt the pointed end of a sword pressing against his neck.
Ghent saw Elayra angry before, but this was a new level of anger. When she asked if he thought his prank was funny, he was foolish enough to try responding with a truthful answer. “…Moderately?” he ventured, yelping as she pressed the sword closer. It was officially time to panic.
“Okay—okay!” Ghent gasped. He was astounded by the rage in her eyes, a look strongly reminiscent of the madman who raised her. “It isn’t funny!” he raised his hands in a show of surrender, hissing a breath once she pressed the blade close enough to draw blood.
Left with few options, Ghent stayed still. He stared up at Elayra as she began to insult him, her words sharp as her sword. He knew she didn’t exactly think the world of him, but he didn’t think her opinion of him was that low. He gritted his teeth, keeping silent as she vented. If he antagonized her further, he’d have more than his aching feet to worry about.
Elayra cut her rant short, opting to shout in frustration instead. In that moment, Ghent thought he was done for. He moved his hands to shove her in a last-ditch effort to save himself, but he didn’t have to. She brought the blade away.
Ghent wasted no time. He scrambled to his feet and took a step back, baffled by her reaction to what he perceived as a harmless prank. He placed his fingers to his neck, checking to see if the blade pierced his skin.
“Are you crazy!?” he shouted, his voice shriller than it had been. He glared at her fumingly, his face flushed. He flinched when she turned around, dumbfounded by the command that left her lips.
“Unsheathe my…” Ghent repeated part of her sentence, amazed by her unbridled anger. Elayra was supposed to be immune, but her behavior resembled someone under the Curse's influence.
Without taking his eyes off of the enraged blonde, Ghent knelt on one knee to grab his staff. He rose to his full height, wielding the weapon sideways in front of himself. "Would you chill for a minute?" He gripped the staff tighter, desperately wishing she would reconsider her apparent desire to duel. "It was a joke, okay?! You don’t have to go all Princess Mononoke on me!”

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

We really are! Guess we're feeling extra inspired lately? I know for me personally, I haven't experienced writers block as bad as I usually do.

And here I am winded after walking around Walmart for a few hours.



A writing question: I might have asked something like this before, but I was wondering, for my post I went back to check to see if I was supposed to capitalize the S in shadowmire. From what I could tell, I wasn't supposed to so I didn't. But then, for example, the Curse is capitalized. Is there a reason some things earn capitalization, but others don't?

My gif is from Black Clover. I still need to finish season 2 (I got sidetracked with other shows) but season 1 was good enough for me to pursue more seasons. I was on the fence for a while if I liked it or not, but it's grown on me and has potentional to get even better. :)

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

But aren’t we Omitten? Ghent was already screaming internally. They were exhausted from traveling all day, which meant they were at a disadvantage. At least, he was. He didn't know about Elayra. He eyed the girl skeptically, searching her for signs of weariness. She seemed tired, but not that tired. He sighed softly in discouragement. Elayra was probably used to traveling on foot all day.
Ghent chewed his bottom lip. The news was enough for him to question the Knight's decision making, but he didn't voice his opinion. He had a feeling Elayra would side with Drust, plus he needed to hear more of what she knew.
He stared at her as she continued to explain, his eyes growing wide as the information grew worse. Hollow Forest suddenly didn’t seem like the scariest place in Wonderland anymore.
Although Ghent remembered the Forsaken, he didn’t remember the Forgen being mentioned. He gave the stiffest of nods, waiting impatiently as she took a drink. He tugged at the drawstring on his hoodie, anxiously awaiting a description to go along with the name.
Ghent relaxed slightly after Elayra referred to the Forgen as idiots. If they were stupid, he hoped they could be outsmarted and therefore avoided. He appeared contemplative, lost in his own thoughts until she compared his intelligence to one.
“Hey!” Ghent protested, but he wasn't mad. The second jab was a nice reminder that he had a matter of revenge to attend to.
“Believe me, I have no desire to mingle with zombies.” Ghent scoffed at the idea, tugging on his hoodie's opposite drawstring to even the laces out. He looked back to the water, his expression tight. Elayra seemed more matter-of-fact than afraid. A smirk ghosted his lips. Maybe it was time to give her a little scare.
“Well...thanks for filling me in.” Ghent leaned back, using his palms to keep himself upright. "It sounds terrible, but we've dealt with ghosts. Not to mention the shadowm--" he stopped midsentence, the words catching in his throat. He sat up with a horrified gasp, pointing behind her frantically. “SHADOWMIRE!”
Despite the overly dramatic warning, nothing was there. It was Ghent's grand idea of a joke. He burst into laughter seconds after, thinking himself hilarious.

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

Ah! No problem, I'll edit that as well. That sounds familiar. "Last year". XD For sure. Life's been ...interesting this year, hasn't it?

That's a great way to think about it, thanks for that tip! Eleven hours?! My feet hurt just thinking about it. Let's hope their boots/sneakers have good arch support. Thank you for the information too, I tried to incorporate into my post so it lined up with what happened.

I'm surprised I never heard of them before, but I can see how they'd be handy. Yet another thing I've learned through this! I think Enda would approve of it because it doesn't have the 'cape' -- er, cloak -- part.

*Googles* Wow! Now I wonder if I've ever accidentally upset someone by saying their writing had fluff moments in it.

Right?! That'll be very interesting. It'll probably even take me by surprise.

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

The journey through Hollow Forest was far more grueling than Ghent expected it to be. The only thing that kept him going was his desire to get as far away from the spirits as possible. Using his fear as a means of motivation, he ignored his aches and pains and pushed onward. The endless hours of walking gave him plenty of time to think and absorb more of what he'd learned about Wonderland, and himself.
After what felt a lifetime, they reached the end. The intensity of the emotions lifted, and Ghent wanted to collapse from relief. He looked around with a newfound appreciation as they went on, thankful for anything that wasn't in the confinements of Hollow Forest.
Contrary to what Ghent hoped, they weren't done. Even though they were out of Hollow Forest, they traveled for a few more hours until Drust stopped. Curious, Ghent tried to look around the Knight's shoulder, but he didn't see anything to raise alarm. He assumed they were taking another break until Drust announced he would be leaving them.
Ghent’s brows rose. He definitely didn't see that coming. He suspected splitting up wouldn't go over well with Elayra, and it didn't. He blinked as she scowled at his backpack. What'd I do? He wanted to ask. He didn't bother defending himself, though. He didn't have the energy.
Ghent stood a little straighter when Drust stepped toward him, unsure what he'd done to warrant his attention. He glanced to his staff as Drust referred to it, inwardly groaning at the latest order. Even in Wonderland, he couldn’t seem to escape homework.
Resuming his slumped position, Ghent sighed a less-than-enthusiastic ‘okay’. He hoped his staff would be willing to connect with him while he was sitting down. He couldn't wait to get off his feet.
As Drust directed his attention to Elayra, Ghent decided to let the two hash things out. Elayra was obviously upset with Drust’s decision, so much that she objected verbally. Ghent couldn't help but wince as their guardian reacted with a scowl, although his temper stayed in check despite the difference in opinion.
Ghent stayed out of it. If Drust wanted to leave on a solo mission, he wasn’t about to stop him. He turned to watch the Knight leave, an odd mixture of relief and unease brewing in his chest. A lot could happen in an hour.
The pain in his shoulder reminded Ghent that he was still carrying his backpack. "You guys didn't tell me you had a dress code, y'know," he grumbled, suspecting Elayra faulted him for Drust's departure. He approached the river a few feet away from where she sat and dropped his backpack and cloak onto the grass. He studied his staff up close, freezing when Elayra made the remark regarding the town.
“Very funny.” Ghent was never so thankful to sit down. His feet hurt so badly they throbbed, and the rest of him didn't feel much better. He scratched the side of his jaw, the jibe secretly concerning him. He had no idea what the town was like, but if the residents were referred to as ‘Forsaken’, he suspected he was in for another day of terror.
“Just for the record? I have plenty of wits.” Feeling the need to finally defend himself, Ghent placed his staff aside and reached for his backpack. "How else do you think I made it to the Betwixt and back? Twice?"
Inspired by Elayra, he removed a glittery water bottle from his backpack. It was one of the many his mother owned, and this one in particular had 'I don't sweat, I sparkle', printed on the side. It was something Ghent hadn't realized during his hasty packing job.
He unscrewed the top and took a long drink, slowing as he narrowed his eyes at Elayra. He replaced the top, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. "This isn't mine, so don't judge me," he warned, pushing the bottle back into the depths of his backpack.
"Anyways, Blondie, you'd better not call me Featherhead when we're in town, because I don't want that name to stick." Ghent took hold of his staff again, giving it a gentle tug near the middle to see if the halves would separate for him. He pretended to be interested in the weapon, but in reality, he was thinking about Gardale and those who lived there. "Just for curosities sake, though...er, what's the town like?"

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

Sounds good! I was about to ask about that actually. If there's anything I could add to make the time-skip easier, let me know! I'd imagine he was jumpy but quiet for the most part. And probably stuck annoyingly close. Because who wants to get lost in a forest of ghosts?

Oh! I tweaked my post to reflect that. It makes sense he would be speaking to Ghent there. Also, I've never seen a hooded cowl before! Thanks for the reference pic, that's pretty cool. The way it's cut at the shoulders reminds me of an executioner's hood.

Of course! Thank you for taking the time to write, read, and share your work! It's always a pleasure. :)

Heck yeah! Hatter would singlehandedly save everyone. No doubt in my mind.

Ooh. A descendant you say?... Now I'm extra curious!

Ahh. I wasn't aware of it having a negative meaning in writing. I picked up the term from my Neopets days and saw people using it on here in their RP preferences, so I thought it was used solely to describe something lighthearted/cute. Oops. Well, thanks for telling me that! I definitely meant it in a good way of course. :D

Nothing wrong with that! Fictional characters and fictional worlds are wonderful. The more thought that's put into them, the more real they become.

Aw, thanks! Yeah, he's fun to write for now that I have a better feel for his character. Absolutely, that'll manifest itself, especially as things get more difficult. He can only take so much until he officially snaps.