kiiblade

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

First weapons, now pin buttons? You collect some awesome stuff, I approve!

Your post was brilliant, as always! I like that Elayra kept levelheaded enough to speak sense into Miles.
'Dolt' and 'Featherhead' for Ghent = perfect.

Nice! I never heard of Inkheart before, but I did a Wiki search on it and it sounds fun. I may consider that for my next audiobook! Haven't really crafted in a while.

Isn't it crazy?! Loving the images, though! Stitch as The Hatter...I don't think Wonderland could handle that.

Hah, true enough! She's finished one drawing, but she won't allow me to post it without having the second. She went through the trouble to color it in digitally, which is cool. (I'm lazy, so I usually leave everything as a sketch). Speaking of...once I finish my replies here, I'm heading off to work on a sketch of Elayra and Ghent that I've been meaning to finish.

Awh. Hope things get better! Norm isn't bad, but better is one step above, right? ;P If you ever need to talk or vent, just let me know. I'm not always the best with advice, but I'm a good listener.

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

"Why the heck would he want to come?!" Ghent hissed, keeping his voice low enough for only Elayra to hear. This was impossible for him to wrap his mind around. It made no sense that Miles should want to come, it made even less sense that he should know of Wonderland's existence. "I thought Wonderland had tea, not booze!"
Miles took a step forward. Ghent couldn't tell if he was glaring because of the remark, or if he was squinting because of the downpour. Either way, Miles looked angry, which was rather out of character for the quiet, skittish man Ghent passed on the daily.
"I know what you're thinking, but I didn't tell him." Elayra hadn't blamed him, but Ghent whispered the disclaimer just in case. He didn't need to give her another reason to dub him a dolt or Featherhead. "Elayra, get behind me, I won't hit you. I'll zap him with magic and we can run for it!"
Miles' eyes darted between the two. His paranoia increased when he could not overhear the discussion between the teenagers, and this resulted in his hands shaking even more. "I said quiet!"
Ghent stiffened, raising his hands higher to show he still surrendered. To his relief, Elayra surrendered too, but in a different way.
"We’ll have a nice, civil chat about it."
A civil chat, yeah right! Ghent scoffed in his head. A hotheaded princess and a deranged drunk wouldn't remain civil for very long.
While Ghent inwardly panicked, Miles eyed the surrendered dagger. He listened to Elayra, brow furrowed as he considered the proposition. "Just the three of us..." He turned towards his vehicle, mumbling to someone who wasn't actually there. After what felt a lifetime to Ghent, the man started to lower the gun, blinking once.
"There'll be no tricks," Miles warned sharply. "No sudden moves...no cops." The word was spat with detest.
Ghent began to smirk, a plan already forming in his mind.
Miles snarled, waving the gun towards them. "And no magic."
Ghent's smirk vanished.
"Yeah, that's right...I know more than you think." Miles gripped the weapon tighter and spit on the pavement. "I'm not a fool, and I don't take kindly to being treated like one."
Elayra's almost-slip up didn't go unnoticed. Miles observed her with scrutiny, taking a few steps back towards his station wagon. "I'll repeat what I said before," he pulled open the back door. "Get in, both of you."
The distant sounds of traffic drifted in and out throughout their exchange. Not a single car passed them by, much to Ghent's dismay. "Wait! How do we know you aren't trying to kidnap us?"
Miles shot him a withering look. "Do you honestly think I'd kidnap you with the cops around the corner?"
Ghent swallowed. "Well, no but..."
Miles climbed into the drivers seat, hands resting on the steering wheel. He sighed heavily, pistol gripped in his right hand. "I don't have all day, and neither do you! Get moving before this becomes uncivil!"
Ghent glowered and removed his backpack before tossing it into the vehicle with a soft thud. "After you, your..." he stopped himself right in time. Calling Elayra 'your highness' wasn't a good idea. Especially not in front of Miles. "You're...forgetting your dagger!" Although the cover-up was embarrassingly bad, it worked. After a beat, Ghent cleared his throat, awaiting permission to retrieve the weapon.
Is this kid for real? Miles gripped the steering wheel, teeth grit. Ghent was chipping away at what little patience he had left. "Yeah, go ahead! Just hurry it up!"
Ghent retraced his steps, recovered the weapon from the ground, and returned it to Elayra. "You're welcome," he smirked smugly, leaning one arm against the open door while gesturing towards the backseat with his hand. "Ladies first."

Hobbit-LOTR: Quests, Curses, And Guardians { Angel & Polarize }

sounds perfect! :)

Hobbit-LOTR: Quests, Curses, And Guardians { Angel & Polarize }

War. The words hit Kili like a wall of bricks. This wasn't at all how he envisioned Erebor -- he'd often fantasized aiding his uncle and brother defend their kingdom from Smaug and enemy orcs. Not the people of Laketown.
This could easily be avoided, if only Thorin would stay true to his word...but he wouldn't. He wouldn't listen to reason, nor would he give anyone a word in edgewise. Kin or not.

Troubled, Kili said nothing, and then his gaze rested upon their godmother from across the room. She had just turned to leave, as had Thorin, Bilbo, and a few other dwarves. Bilbo was doing his best to speak sense into the king, but Kili knew better. Bilbo would not get very far.

"I'm going to check on Delva, Fili." Kili looked to his brother, concerned for his well being. "Get some rest, alright? You've been on your feet all day...you must be exhausted." The youngest gave his shoulder a brief squeeze, and he promised not to confront Thorin again, if only to put Fili's mind at ease. This was by no means a lie -- Kili didn't have a desire to face Thorin. Not right now. He needed to seek Saeril's advice.

Kili made his way back towards the room, and he spotted Saeril up ahead. Quickening his pace, he fell into step alongside of her, peering up at her through his dark bangs. "You heard, didn't you?" Kili knew that she had; he could tell by the way she carried herself.

Hobbit-LOTR: Quests, Curses, And Guardians { Angel & Polarize }

While Thorin and Bard were in discussion, Bilbo approached the group, weary after a day of searching for something he already had. The Arkenstone was becoming a great burden to him, one he wished to be shed of for the sake of all involved. When Bilbo saw Fili and Kili, he was surprised to see the bruise on Kili's young face. "Kili! What's happened?"

Kili glanced to him, clearly uncomfortable. "I fell." This was the first lie of many he would tell, but he was prepared to do so.

Bilbo sensed something was amiss, but he knew better than to press. Just like the other dwarves, Kili was incredibly stubborn and prideful to a fault. Seeing both brothers like this saddened the hobbit -- these dwarves were so very different from the two who had arrived at his home all those months ago.

Thorin, however, had changed the most of all. Bilbo watched him from afar, brows knit with concern for his friend. What's happened to you, Thorin? The question was one he kept to himself. Risking Thorin's temper meant risking death.

Thorin turned his back on Bard, growing silent for a time. He eyed Bilbo and his nephews briefly before making up his mind: "Be gone, ere arrow fly!”

Bilbo was aghast. Thorin's refusal would bring chaos, he was certain of it. They would never survive if Bard reported back with the king's answer! “What are you doing?! You cannot go to war.”

Thorin started past him, eyes unblinking. “This does not concern you.”

Although he was frightened, Bilbo managed to find his voice. This was getting out of hand fast.
“Excuse me?! But just in case you haven’t noticed, there is an army of elves out there. And not to mention several hundred angry fishermen. We-we are in fact outnumbered!”

Thorin smirked lightly, having no fear whatsoever. If Bard would seek revenge, so be it. He would welcome the challenge. “Not for much longer.”

Bilbo felt the need to check that his ring was still in his pocket, but he managed to survive this encounter without doing so. “What does that mean?”

“It means Master Baggins, you should never underestimate dwarves.” Thorin turned towards the company, raising both hands in the air. “We have reclaimed Erebor - Now we defend it!”

Hobbit-LOTR: Quests, Curses, And Guardians { Angel & Polarize }

Thorin scoffed lowly, disgusted by the request. “I will not treat with any man while an armed host lies before my door," he spat, having no intentions whatsoever to fulfill the pledge he'd made. "Your threats do not sway me," he grew more riled each moment, the sickness had nearly succeeded in claiming his mind once and for all. “When did the men of Laketown come to our aid, but for the promise of rich reward?!”

Kili remained in his place, watching the exchange with sorrowful eyes. This wasn't right -- he felt that in his heart, but he was reluctant to voice his thoughts on the matter. If he spoke out of turn again, he feared being banished along with Saeril and Fili. Thorin hadn't threatened Fili, but Kili knew he would accompany them. Fili was remarkably loyal.

Still. Fili belonged here, they all did. Kili hated feeling this way; he felt cowardly. Bard and his children had been good enough to take them in. He'd supplied them with weapons and shelter. This was no way to repay such a debt.

Thorin and Bard continued to argue back and forth, voices raising at every syllable.
"A bargain? What choice did we have but to barter our birthright for blankets and food? To ransom our future in exchange for our freedom? You call that a fair trade?" Thorin never broke eye contact. "Tell me, Bard the Dragonslayer...why should I honor such terms?”

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

"I don't believe it." Face drained of what little color remained, Ghent staggered back with Elayra. "Morbid Miles just tried to kidnap us!" Up until now, he'd never a reason to use the title. The addition of 'Morbid' was something he overheard Mrs. Saxon say.
"Blasted kids," Miles gripped the steering wheel tighter, visibly agitated by Elayra's refusal. Squeezing his eyes shut, he mumbled incoherently to himself before leaning out the window. "Wait! I can take you there," this time, he tried to make this sound less like a threat and more like an invitation, but it did little to calm Ghent's imagination.
"Nah, we're good!" Ghent flashed a not-too-convincing grin, waving to keep things friendly. Had it not been raining, he would have been perspiring from nerves alone. In his mind, 'morbid' translated to 'insane' and he didn't fancy finding out if the man deserved such a name. "Thanks anyway!"
When Miles didn't respond and leaned over towards the glove compartment, Ghent felt his stomach flip.
"Oh no. No, not good! I think he's got a gun!" Although he wanted to, Ghent refrained from breaking into a run. Miles was more unstable than usual, he could shoot on impulse.
"Quick! What was the spell you taught me?" Desperate, Ghent turned his attention to Elayra, believing that a well aimed bolt would be more than enough to scare the drunkard off. The wording of the question didn't sit quite right with him, so Ghent was quick to rephrase it.
"Well, actually, you didn't teach me..." Despite being crippled with fear two seconds ago, Ghent smirked at the memory and buffed his fingernails against his hoodie. "I taught myself that one. Guess those're the perks, being The Hatter's son and all."
While Ghent was busy bragging on his newly discovered heritage, Miles exited the still-running vehicle, pistol in hand. "Don't move!" He waved the weapon to draw attention, graying hair sticking to his face in every which direction. "Ghent! You're going to hear me out, boy!"
Ghent recoiled in shock. For once in his life, he'd been right to jump to conclusions. Miles really did have a gun. "Whoa! Okay, calm down!" Voice a pitch higher than usual, he raised both hands to surrender, motioning for Elayra mimic the action. "Elayra, seriously. Don't antagonize him!"
Too late. Miles was antagonized. "Quiet! Rehearsal's over." Both hands shaking, Miles gripped the pistol, his intense gaze flickering between both teenagers. Unlike before, he was no longer hunched over, he was standing at his full height. "I know where you're really going...and I'm coming with."

Hobbit-LOTR: Quests, Curses, And Guardians { Angel & Polarize }

Sorry about the ridiculously long delay! Going to watch the first movie again for some inspiration.

Hobbit-LOTR: Quests, Curses, And Guardians { Angel & Polarize }

"It will." Kili spoke with more confidence than he felt. Erebor hadn't solved their problems, it created them. "If Delva asks about it, tell her that I fell, alright? It's true. I did fall." Lying wasn't something Kili enjoyed, but for the sake of all involved, dodging around the truth was better than coming clean.

Face still throbbing from the contact of his uncle's mighty fist, Kili started to follow after his uncle and Dwalin, though he took care not to venture too close. Thorin was still upset with him, and he didn't fancy the idea of being struck twice. The fact that it happened once was difficult enough for him to comprehend, and the threat to have he and Delva banished made his stomach knot up. He doesn't care about us anymore, the youngest decided, watching Thorin through saddened eyes. Only the Arkenstone. At the realization, Kili felt himself grow tempted to search for the elusive stone once and for all, desperate to win his uncle back. For now, he hung back with Fili, watching Bard from afar.

Thorin followed Dwalin, choosing to forget the episode with his youngest nephew. It was as if his sister's sons did not exist to him; no one did, really. Thorin could not afford to waste time arguing when they should have been searching.
As Bard made the announcement of his arrival, he growled lowly, already on the defensive. "What is it that you have come to discuss with me?" He viewed Bard with contempt, awaiting his explanation for such a visit.

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

I feel your pain. I have been ridiculously tired and unmotivated lately. I haven't replied to texts, role plays, anything in weeks. I'd like to blame it on something...but I've got no excuses. I think staying up past 5 is starting to catch up with me.

That's great! I discovered the show because I had a customer order the characters over a year ago. I was really fascinated by the designs (especially Cat Noir) but could never find the episodes. I was so happy when they put them on Netflix! I saw a button of Cat Noir at Hot Topic, but the next time I went he was gone. *tear*

Thanks for the vote of confidence! I'm just about done with my reply. Once I post it, if you think I should add or change something, just let me know -- I really want to do this marvelous story justice!

I finished listening to Through the Looking Glass a few weeks ago. I think I liked the first book more, but right now both are one big blur in my mind. Heh. I managed to talk my sister into watching the second movie and it was totally not what I was expecting. I liked the premise too, but I feel like they missed the mark. It could have been epic!

Right? Shirts, water bottles, jewelry...you name it. I've been trying to save my money lately, but temptation is everywhere. Like you, I can't tell if this merchandise was always here, or if I'm just now aware of it.

I hope it's alright, but I've let my sister read our role play. I have tried so many times to explain your wonderful plot and characters, but never well enough. She's made it to page 2 so far, and I was very pleased by the praise she gave it. She said she wished this was a book, and she promised us some fan art. :D

As always, hope you're doing well!