Fantasy 𑁋 ✦ 𝟏𝟏 ⁱᶜ

[yxnie]

✦
──── *. entry 00 .* ────
good morning, and goodbye​

 

[yxnie]

.𑁋 ♚ CANCEL

mood​

curious

location​

silent - west port

company​

waiting with zen [npc]...

Dull and sleepy green eyes stared mindlessly at the inn’s ceiling. There wasn’t anything interesting there, no, unless you considered the ‘popcorn’ dotting along its surface to be worthy of note. Even then, the only thing one could say about it was how distasteful it was, and that whoever decided it was a good idea probably should’ve been thrown into the ocean during the high tide… but that was none of Cancel’s business, right? It’d be more fitting to think about what happened the night prior, anyway… no matter how horrendous the ceiling was.

“Cutting straight to the point, the nine of you have been summoned here today to fulfill a certain request…” one of Solar’s elders, who we’ll call Zen, began. “It’s simple… or, not simple, as it will be quite the endeavor, but sounds simple: you will need to go to 11th.”

11th? some would question. There was no such place. At least, not that anyone was aware of. Did he mean 10th? He is quite old - there wouldn’t be any reason not to believe he’d slip up from time to time.

But the look in the one-hundred-two-year-old’s sunken, aging, yet wise, grey eyes told a separate tale. He knew exactly what he was saying. When he said 11th, as in the 11th realm, he meant just that - the 11th realm.

“... To do that,” he continued, looking each person standing in front of him in their eyes. “You must first find it. Much like how it was for the other realms, the search for the entrance will not be easy. It will not be overt... But while we haven’t yet found it, we do know that it exists - and it’s time for humanity to take another stride forward, even during these dark times.”

Cancel’s expression remained vacant as the scene from hours prior replayed in his head, though he couldn’t help but let out a slight huff. He recalled that after Zen said what he said, the question of what made Solar decide on that group specifically came up. The answer was along the lines of ‘Hey, you know that mark you have on your hand? That’s pretty much all there was to it!’, or something, as if that was supposed to be a good enough reply. It probably meant that Cancel and the others were important in some way, but the way it was worded didn’t really get that point across.

Thinking about it, Cancel couldn’t say that he got a good look at the others back then - most likely due to the fact that they weren’t of his concern at that moment. He figured that wasn’t much of an issue, though, since he’d just see them when they all met at the port in a few minutes.

Snapping back to reality, the emperor of the Silent Empire did his finishing touches on getting ready for the day. Him, alongside the others, had been invited to stay the night at a beachside inn on the west side of Silent - except, they weren’t literally alongside each other, seeing as they were all offered their own rooms.

Cancel took a final glance around the room to make sure he wasn’t leaving anything behind, and shut his magic box. It was a trusty magic box: small enough to fit in the palm of his hand, yet was capable of storing anything that could fit in a 6ft-by-6ft space, and it could easily be clipped to his side! Naturally, such a box was expensive but nobody said plot convenience came cheap.

𑁋 ♚

Silent’s familiar tranquil breeze brushed up against Cancel as he stood out by the port, where the medium-sized boat was docked and waiting - and along with it, Zen, plus a few nameless extras. It seemed that Zen was waiting there to bid everyone farewell when the time for it came, but from the looks of things, Cancel was the first of the group to arrive. Silent greetings were exchanged, but after that, no one made an effort to talk for awhile.

That was, until Cancel thought of several questions. He looked around for a few seconds, fiddling with the cloth of his simple, but more-than-presentable white shirt, before speaking up.

“When you called us here, did you have any leads in mind…?” he inquired, an undertone of curiosity laced within his otherwise neutral tone.

“You mean pertaining to 11th, correct?” Zen shut his eyes and breathed out a sigh. “Truthfully, nothing that you all wouldn’t have been able to come up with on your own… but while it isn’t a lot, perhaps it’d be a good idea to wait until everyone else is here for me to tell you.”

Well, Cancel couldn’t say he was expecting much of an answer, anyway.

“Then… hey. Do you know when the others are coming? You don’t think they’re still asleep, right?”

“No. That is something I cannot answer.”

“... Really?” mused Cancel. “I thought you would know. Since you’re an elder.”

Zen brought his hand up to his chin. “Because I’m an elder… - Now, how exactly would I know something like that?”

“Probably the same way you knew we all had tomoe on our hands…” Cancel stared at Zen for several moments, before flashing him a smile - one that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

Zen shot a tired look in Cancel's direction. A look that probably meant 'I don't want to deal with you right now', or something, not that Cancel paid mind to it in any way. Needless to say, the conversation slowed to a halt by that point, leaving the two to sit in silence while they waited for everyone else to arrive.

code by yxnie!

Spoiler: tags + reminder

remember, if you decide to use code, please make sure it's mobile-friendly!

@Beski HowlingWolf @thefinalgirl illegallyblonde
@Fanaa teen_angst TheLoneRook @dragonsfire

i hope it was a good starter. ^ ^

​

 

[HowlingWolf]

❝ my name is wing silvervein. ❞

Journeyman to the Silvervein Forge, Snowfall Kingdom​

Wing had never seen the ocean. She knew the desert, knew the endless hills of golden sand, knew the snow that blanketed the gold in white— but never before had she experienced such an endless expanse of deep, intense blue. She found herself standing at the window of her small, inn bedroom long past sunset the night before, watching how the ocean’s edge blurred with the sky beyond and changed colors as the sun sank lower, vanishing into the waves and setting the sky on fire. She was familiar with orange and white; blue was something entirely new.

Now, after a night’s sleep that she couldn’t decide was restful or not, she sat in front of the window, watching the expanse of blue again, looking at the evidence of the sun rising just as she had looked at the sun’s departure. It was still hours before they were told to meet at the docks— “they,” of course, being strangers to Wing. The situation she was put into was too strange, too foreign, for her to have fully grasped yet. Trying to find a new realm? All because of a mark on her hand? It was outlandish. They were just lucky it hadn’t been her other arm that had gotten amputated.

Wing longed for the forge, its familiar heat and burning intensity. She already missed her master and the other Journeymen— she felt her heart skip a beat, thinking of the other Journeymen. While she had technically still had a scarce few months before the seven-year mark of her apprenticeship, the summons for her to go west had come, quite literally now that she was thinking about it, out of the blue, and her master had surprised her before she left with her official papers, the promise of a job when she returned, and, most unexpectedly, a name.

“My name is Wing Silvervein,” she whispered to herself, the first words she had spoken in hours. The last name still tasted strange on her lips, yet they flowed with a pride and accomplishment that she coveted. “My name is Wing Silvervein.” The blacksmith Temper Silvervein wasn’t the best in the country, but he was a master nonetheless— and one who had given her his name, if she chose to take it. The last time Temper had seen her cry was when her silver arm was completed and damn if she was going to let him see it again.

The sky had grown lighter. She didn’t know exactly what time they were supposed to go down, but she assumed that most of the others weren’t used to waking with the sun— maybe she shouldn’t say that. Wing knew nothing about the rest of the summoned.

Still, it wouldn’t do her any good to stay here longer, sitting in a bed that was too soft and sheets too thick and waiting for a time that the others might deem was more reasonable. So, she stood, putting on an outfit that was presentable enough— a shirt that was only slightly stained and a pair of sturdy, dark overalls with pockets deep enough to normally fit all of her tools. She had to leave her tools back home at the forge (what use would claw tongs even have on a journey like this?) but she hadn’t been able to leave behind her hammer. Her arm could probably do more damage than it in a fight, but it gave her a tangible piece of the forge that, as much as she loved it, a name couldn’t give to her. She slipped it into the loop on her belt, grateful and a little bit unsettled at the lack of weight surrounding it.

Her arm came next. She had unattached it when she eventually went to bed the night before, resting it on the pillow next to her so it could recharge. The sensor on the wrist glowed a faint blue, signaling its full charge— who knew how much she would have to use it today. The arm was a heavy but comforting weight as she hefted it up and fit it against her shoulder, the edges of the metal pressing firmly against her skin with enough support she was able to adjust the straps and maneuver them underneath her clothing; one slung around her opposite collarbone, and the other snaking around her ribs to help lock the prosthetic in place.

Wing shivered— feeling the magic become attuned to her after a night without it always felt like she was coming home. It hummed with fresh energy, like it had a life of its own, and she held it in front of her, opening and closing the bright silver metal hand to check its dexterity and attunement.

Last in her preparations for the day, now that she had aid of her second hand, was braiding her short, silvery brown hair into a small tail. It hardly fell past the base of her neck, but in the forge it was beneficial not to have to keep pushing it behind her ears all day.

Then, Wing glanced out the window once more, looking out at the unfamiliar blue, and shook her head, taking in a deep breath as she picked up her small travel pack and slung it over her shoulder. No use dwelling on it now. Even if she was in a foreign country that had been at war with her own.

The air was still and quiet as she walked out, much more temperate than she was used to. From here she could hear the waves as much as she could see them, dull and soft, like clashing air. A boat sat, presumably waiting for them. Most people she saw were busy, obviously hired hands— but then, there were two. The older one she recognized from the night before, who had addressed them and told them of their summons. The other she recognized only vaguely, a presence that had been with her and the others. She nodded at them, noting their quietness— this was the kingdom of Silent after all, were verbal greetings not expected? So, she settled to wait for them instead, her eyes sliding once more to the ocean and the horizon beyond where they were expected to go.

 

[illegallyblonde]

STATUS. shocked, excited
LOCATION. west port (silent)
INTERACTIONS. none
MENTIONS. cancel, zen, wing
OUTFIT. here

✦ ZERO MISPLACE ✦​

two days ago, a letter arrived as the misplace household, pressed flat and sealed with the shimmering solar stamp. it was to be delivered directly to the youngest member and only daughter of the family and only to be opened by such: zero.
the young woman had placed herself on the steps of the marble fountain out in the front garden to open the letter. though she was typically put together, her hands would not stop shaking. she fumbled with the letter for a moment, nearly dropping it into the fountain water. it was a rare thing that she would receive any sort of letter- much less an officially sealed one, directly from the solar elders. her father, head of the household, typically opened all of their mail himself. however, this letter was delivered only to be read by zero herself.
this letter was important, and although zero herself was an important lady of the tea empire, she was rarely involved in important matters.
she was now.
her pail, slender hands broke the seal with a quick rip of the crisp white paper and pulled a piece of parchment tucked away in the envelope. she quickly unfolded the piece of paper to reveal fine, black cursive coating the letter.
a moment later, after she had finished reading the letter, her hand fell and the letter slipped from her fingers, catching in the fountain water and swirling about. the inky letter began to bleed together.
her breath hitched.
a call to the western silent empire was shocking as it is, but the task was something else.
the task: to discover 11th.
this must be a joke.
a summon from the most prestigious, most well-respected officials in the 1st realm, had ordered her, an unequipped lady of the tea empire to find something that doesn’t exist. zero laughed out loud, though it sounded shaky and nervous than amused.
that was two days ago. zero had quickly notified her father of her situation and the next morning, she was on her way in the coach to silent’s western coast.
“you must obey your superior’s command...no matter how absurd,” her father had told her when she had relayed to him what the letter’s contents had contained. unsurprisingly, her father had taken the side of solar, who he always believed had their best intentions. mr. misplace was a man of loyalty, and a man of high status, who believed it was his duty to follow orders of the few above him.
now, zero sat in the sweltering coach, a sweat working up on the bridge of her nose. she was alone in the carriage, bumping along the dirt road with the rhythm of the horse’s trot. the first day of travel was exciting, but by the second day, zero was burnt out and cranky- she had grown tired of the endless countryside. now, it was morning time of the third day, and after a weary night’s sleep at a local inn (zero had complained of the dust and plainness of it), she felt all the more dreadful and dreary of the day to come. however, zero was grateful for the change of view- she could smell the salty air that wafted from the sea that had just begun to peak out from under the horizon. they were close.
a little while later, the coachman called out a hefty, “halt!”
the carriage came to an abrupt stop, and zero was so tied up with her thoughts that she had forgotten to brace herself. she tripped over the silken fabrics of her dressed and tumbled forward into the velvety red seat in front of her, bumping her head against the cushion. zero rubbed her temples and adjusted the flowers resting on her hat. as her hand came down from her head, she caught notice of her tomoe on the back of her hand. perhaps it was because her head had just been slammed against the seat, but zero suddenly felt a feeling of annoyance come over her.
all this way because of tomoe, she thought to just herself.
the carriage door was suddenly pulled open.
“miss misplace,” the coachman breathed, holding out his gloved hand for her to take. zero took his hand.
“miss is just fine. miss misplace is awfully tongue-twisting, no?” she replied, stepping down from the coach and onto the pebble pathway- her unstable heels twisting around in the rocks.
she brushed her hands down the front of her deep purple garniture; she waved off the coach, knowing that he would not be able to stay for long. this call from solar was for her alone.
zero carried her closed, loudly yellow umbrella by her side and started off down the pathway, winding toward the sea. it truly was an awe-inspiring sight.
zero felt excited deep within. she had never ventured outside of the tea empire, even rarely her own estate. there, she was surrounded by lush greenery and tropical heat. here, the ocean breeze kicked up into her face, and the sea appeared wide and green; the surface was sparkling in the morning sun. a large port appeared as she grew closer to the shore.
zero was giddy.
and anxious.
she took a breath at the top of the shore and began to make her way down the dock until she found a decently sized boat, and a pair waiting in comfortable silence, surrounded by a few others that she assumed were not part of this mission. the older one was definitely the elder. nearby, a girl was also waiting quietly. wasn’t there supposed to be nine? they must be arriving soon, then.
her low heels made a dull clicking noise as she pattered down the dock, her hands pulling up the ends of her skirt slightly to avoid any wetness from touching the tips of her toilette de voyage.
“hi.” zero announced, giving a small wave. once she caught sight of the younger's face, her own fell.
unbelievable. it was the silent emperor. was he part of this too?
the shock was written all over her blushing face.

code by fudgecakez

 

[TheLoneRook]

When Onyx received the "invitation to a glorious expedition" on behalf of silent emissaries he was more accustomed to cutting down, needless to say he was the slightest bit conflicted. His community's general opinion of anyone or anything bearing silent colors was to leave it to bleed in the sand in hopes it would attract easy meals. That said, it was a call to some sort of fantastical adventure. He was comfortable where he was, and he wasn't exactly itching for an adventure, but oddly enough the deciding factor in his being "chosen" was some mark on his hand he'd never thought twice about before. It begged questions, questions only these strange silent men would know anything about.

Of course when he arrived to this "meeting", all he got were platitudes and orders to get on a ship to uncharted territory.

Onyx wasn't horrifically fond of boats, or the term "uncharted".

The trip was quiet enough, and his arrival in silent was met with expected hesitation from its populace. He expected nothing less from a city of people who knew nothing of fear for their homes. Most of them had never so much as held a knife, they found armor on anyone other than a silent soldier foreign and distasteful. The fact that his armor and blade was forged of a metal they didn't recognize probably didn't help. He figured he wouldn't dwell on it. He had his "job" to do here so to speak. He'd see it done and be on his way home as soon as it was completed. Maybe then he'd learn something about this symbol, or perhaps the world. He didn't really walk into all of this with a goal, more a general curiosity that there wasn't any good reason not to sate.

When he arrived on the dock it seemed as though he was close to the rear of the pack, close enough to a girl also making up the rear. The ragtag group seemed as dispersed and confused as they'd been the day before. For the most part the group didn't exactly seem fit for an expedition to uncharted lands, in fact a few of them looked like nobility, and though he didn't expressly dislike nobility he found they typically didn't do well in "inhospitable" conditions. Then there was the man with the bag. He seemed unkempt for someone totting a bag of what was definitely not rations and bandages, a criminal of the state perhaps? He had the look of someone who wanted an excuse to make trouble. A common sighting at home, but he wondered how the man fared in a place like silent. He recognized a woman in the group hailing from snowfall, but she seemed like she belonged much further in the greater territory of the empire, not a borderwalker like himself. The engineering of her arm was the giveaway, no one in his communities was concerning themselves with advanced crafts like that. They preferred to wrap swords and spears to the stubs of their limbs and make due with that. She looked as though she was a forge tender, given her age, it would at least explain how she managed something that sophisticated. Magic was something Onyx familiarized himself with for the sake of being knowledgeable, but it wasn't exactly a forte.

On his own family's land would have probably been more courteous, but for now he found it was a better idea simply to keep his hand on his hilt and wait for the signal to board the vessel. He took a certain small pleasure in observing the crowd, the communal lack of desire to speak out was reminiscent of just how thrown together this whole affair was. He suspected at the very least the next few months, or however long this would take, at least wouldn't be boring.

 

[teen_angst]

Keen sat with her back to the window facing the ocean, indifferent. The waves were just noise, not particularly calming, nor particularly worrying. She'd spent her whole life on the ocean.

But she'd never actually been in a boat.

She sat for a while, in the dark, idly spinning the strings of a locket while thinking about nothing.

It was peaceful. It was a blessed, rare moment of rest. They came and went, but she never forgot any of them. They were too precious to forget.

And eventually, after savoring the moment for as long as she could, she fell asleep.


Keen rose hours before dawn, peering out into the dark, black ocean. She was nestled away in the top corner of the inn, in a quiet room facing the ocean.

She thought about gooing downstairs and offering to work the morning for some extra coin- but what use would it be? Was there even money on 11th? Were there even people there?

In the end, she simply slid out of bed and into her worn cloth gown, before glancing down at the tomoe mark on her hand. Idly, she ran her hand over it, tracing the pattern, before wrapping both hands with a spare roll of cloth she had in her bag. She didn't understand why she did, but it felt right. She double checked her things, before putting the bag on over her shoulder and pinning her shawl in place over it. After checking a third time to make sure the room was truly empty, she set the bed back the way she found it, crossed over to the door, and slipped through the inn down into the dark streets below.

She spent the morning wandering through the town. It was early enough that it was dead silent, with only fisherman venturing out to go cast their morning nets. Again, she found herself at peace- the feeling of being able to venture wherever, with nothing waiting on her, no one depending on her, it was intoxicating. In the early morning light, with nothing to do, she was free.

And it was the best she'd ever felt.


Keen got up from her perch nestled among the rocks on the shore, and gently set down the turtle she'd found crawling along the coast. Judging by the sun, it was about time to head down to the docks and meet up with the others for the journey to 11th. Truth be told, though, she hesitated. She spent many long minutes considering whether or not she would actually go- she could just walk into the wilderness and leave, couldn't she? It's not like they would ever find her, and she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself out in the wild.

As she thought, though, she was already walking along towards the docks. She'd find 11th, be hailed an explorer, and then she'd be able to rest. What would it take, a month? A year?

By the time she arrived at the docks, most of the others had already gathered and were grouped awkwardly around the boat. Keen studied their faces, before meeting eyes with Cancel. When she did so, she simply bowed her head for several seconds, before turning to look at the others gathered. When she was done, she simply said, "It's nice to meet you all- I'm Keen Rose, from Silent."