trashbinbackyard

[trashbinbackyard]

8 - Strength

CW: suicide mention

On the military history and hierarchies of Khonem, appendix B

A journal entry of a White Sentinel, known to have died by their own hand. The journal was recovered from the archives of the palace, where it was kept in mint condition, as well as under careful watch. The purpose of this report is to shine light on those souls who have been used in the name of the empire.

Signed, Alemdar

—

“To become a White Sentinel was the greatest honor a cadet of the community could be chosen for. To become the blade and shield of the Khan, to act where they can’t, to protect the head of the realm.

The assignment would be for life, you would live in the palace with the other White Sentinels who always were within sight or earshot of the Khan. The greatest honor, to devout yourself, body and mind. To take up arms in the name of something greater than yourself.

Once you were chosen you were trained in the arcane arts, in secret. The arcane is a taboo among the people of Khoem, yet every powerful institution and noble family have mages among them. Rules for thee and not for me, like they say.

Being trained to hone the weave into an extension of your blade, made you more powerful than the rest of the troops. One White Sentinel spellblade wielder was equal to 20 foot soldiers. They were revered and feared, and when one showed up on a battlefield, the tide was to turn.

But what is glory, and honor, when you no longer live for yourself?

You are the Khan’s attack dog, their blade, their teeth which cut the world in pieces for the empire to consume. You are not to speak, nor look anyone in the eye.

When doing their selection for the White Sentinels, the community doesn’t look at top of the class, they look for obedience, power, and lack of bonds to the outside world. The cleverest of the class would learn to question their role and the chain of command, so they need someone who will play along.

It was the 3rd year of the war I truly learned what I was, and who I was about to be. All this power and status and praise, what did it amount to? A pile of corpses under my feet, I didn’t know their faces, nor their names, yet I was taught to believe they were the enemy. The city burned at the hands of my siblings in arms. The ride back to the capitol was quiet, we weren’t told why we were there, no one dared to speak, for the chance of the Khan’s ravens were listening.

When you put on that white cloak you are no longer a person, and compassion is a luxury you cannot afford. I see now why they didn’t choose the smartest, or the wisest. They would see they are naught but cogs in a broken machine of war.

Slaves to a broken order.”

#super short #tarot series #in which a soldier of the highest rank became disillusioned #look there's only bits and pieces of solid lore i have but one is that there has been two other military orderds before the community #and the community is what trains the footsoldies and generals and even the spellblades who were chosen as the white sentinels #big culture of 'don't question authority' there #anyway and the khan is an imperialist #alemdar is getting his own drabble #it will be the hanged man #and yes i did steal the last line from ddda sue me #actually please dont capcom

[trashbinbackyard]

7 - The chariot

Candlelight in the late evening was hardly the best time to work, but when you wanted to try something new behind your master’s back, there were hardly any other choices. She couldn’t just haul half of the lab from the workshop to her crammed little shack at the edge of the town. Besides, her master wouldn’t even notice a few ingredients missing in the morning if she went and restocked them back before he noticed them missing.

Devious, little miss Saren. 

She holds her notebook dangerously close to the candle flame to read her notes from earlier. She analyzed some pieces of painted glass earlier. She found a pile of broken glass discarded in an alley near the Academy so she figured it could be imbued with something, and surely enough, there were some very faint traces of magic she could see with her master’s lens.

Orange for evocation, pale blue for abjuration, purple for illusion, and so on. The pieces of colored glass corresponded with the agreed on colors of the schools of magic. She does wonder why the academy had such pieces or why they got rid of them in such an undignified manner.

The pieces’ origins didn’t matter for what she planned to do with them. All she needed was the traces of magic still lingering. She has been trying to infuse her potions with magic for a while. Her own wasn’t that great, all she could do was warm a cup of tea or make some sparks just hot enough to light a fire. There was untapped potential in combining alchemy and magic, and also an untapped market for the products.

She picked a shard of pale blue glass up with her forceps and dropped it in a mixture of water and pulverized healing agents. The shop's biggest pull was their healing potions, and with the increasing threat of conflict at the borders of the empire, it would be wise to develop some new solutions. Her master had told her that his biggest buyers were the janissary soldiers, and following them the sekhbans after the janissaries were ousted. With no trace of the sekhbans, some other military order was bound to take their place, and their shop would be the providers to their alchemical needs.

Perhaps this remnant of abjuration magic could enhance the protective properties of the potion. She capped the vial and swirled it against the candle flame.  It would take time to see what came of it. In the meantime she should record the pieces she had on hand and develop some sort of plan for each of them. And if this little test of hers bore fruit, she should see to the procurement of arcane material that’s origin is not that of a garbage can.

A sudden tapping on the window of the shop broke her concentration. She lowered her notebook to see the figure shrouded in shadow near the shop's door. The tapping was meant as a heads up, the figure moved to the door and she saw the handle turning and the bell that hung above the doorway jingled as the door opened.

“We’re closed,” she set down her notebook and crossed her arms. No one was supposed to just enter a shop at this hour. 

She dug her fingers into the loops of her dagge’s pommels she kept hidden under her vest. It was better to be cautious in this city, especially after dark. It might’ve been a little reckless of her to stay alone this late. She knew as a member of the merchants guild she was offered protection, if she was robbed they would help her and her master set back up. But if she was attacked there was little they could do.

“Come back in the morning and I’ll not report you to the guild”, she tried her hardest to sound stern.

“I’m not here on official business,” the hooded figure said in a monotone voice, and  shut the door behind him, “I’m here for a service.”

“Service that cannot wait for morning?”

“Indeed.”

A tense silence fell on them as Nenya held onto her hidden daggers.

The candle flame illuminated the figure enough that she was able to see the lower half of his face. Greyish skin, stubble, and… were those horns poking up from under his hood? They also could’ve been a part of his mask that covered the upper half of his face. 

The man took slow and steady steps towards the counter. Nenya held her breath. A faint sound of whispers seemed to appear with him in the shop. She listened closely, could not make sense of the words, so quiet, so fleeting.

“Could you make something for burns?” the man asked.

“I’m not a healer, if you need treatment you can–” she stopped mid sentence as the man lifted his gaze onto her.

“Cannot be trusted. The healers, the doctors, they only serve their own people.” He snapped, “you as the blood of gehenna should know that”

He had pointed out her horns that curled up and then back on her head, her green skin and black scaleras.

He continued: “You would be more open minded to my plight. I know you’re more brilliant than the guild lets you be. I need something long term, wearable, I know you can infuse cloth with the healing properties of your salves.”

How did he know that? She had barely experimented. Very rudimentary tests if anything. And her methodology is very unrefined. Even her master didn’t know what she had been up to afterhours.

“I sense you are uncertain,” he said, “with the help of mages you could progress faster, I have them, mages, diverged from the academy. We can keep you and your discoveries hidden.”

“So… I make something for your burns, and I get to experiment without the guilds or the academy’s knowledge?”

“Not my burns, and yes” he nodded.

“How bad are they?”

“90% of the body”

Ouch, whoever needs the remedy needs it desperately. She knew this was not just any offer, there could be real danger in declining, but also a possibility for her to gain an upper hand with the guild…

She gave her answer: “By when do you need me?” 

“Meet me at the obelisk at sunrise, I’ll take you to him.”

#three weeks late no proof reading #bon appetit #armed asshats #tarot series #its nenya!! #I wanted an alchemist and was like yeah #this'll do #the mysterious man will be the hermit #and the burn victim the hanged man #just hold on it'll make sense in time #or not #im just writing lil snippets

[trashbinbackyard]

"I'll not waste time on rhetoric: Deafeat me, and take my place as the keeper of this world"

#dragon's dogma #not so sneaky 10 of wands there #9 days...... #9 more daAAAAAYYYYYS #the text in dragonic alphabet read: and the endless cycle continues

[trashbinbackyard]

Bring me the heads of all the demons I will show you where the real darkness is. I am not afraid of you, for I have already seen you

#armed asshats #dimos lore: #after his 'death' he established the order of the golden light to fight off demons fey undead that crossed the planar echos #he's still the head of it after millenias but the order can function without him #but he did snag and bend a demons will to serve as his messenger #everyone needs a pet demon #i will write some actual lore for all the immortals and what they're up to #maya as a great huntress is very close with dimos in this endevour

[trashbinbackyard]

This week’s doodle, (1) viessa

#meant to draw a kissu but #welp #been in a bit of survival mode this week #armed asshats #cozy sweater viessa

[trashbinbackyard]

6 - The lovers

The Chained inn was the best place amidst the hustle and bustle of the bazaar to find privacy and sunlight. The fact that they also served fresh coffee and lokma was a bonus, but she wasn’t here to appreciate the locale or the offerings. She was waiting for someone, someone she hasn’t seen face to face in a decade.

Their dealings often led them away from each other, it wasn’t that sparsely they were separated for months at a time. But a decade… Time flew by so fast, sometimes it felt like the world around her moved at a faster pace than her, which must've been a side effect of her lived age. 

She hadn’t changed much, the white in her hair claims more space on her head, old pains flare up every now and then, she’s still the same image of a woman she was ten years ago. She had set up a house in Nia Vasileos, and continued her research with the help of two very esteemed institutions, or rather their archives, where she technically wasn’t allowed to go in, but no one needed to know.

She had gathered enough material to fill a journal with runes, excerpts and archaic texts in languages from before the rupture. She had been studying it all morning in preparation.

He should be here soon, she had left him ample clues and a time where to find her, he enjoyed the challenge, to keep that old brain of his working, and the prepare him for the task at hand. They’d need to search every nook and cranny of the city for whatever their patrons are looking for, and as cryptic as they always tend to be, they had little to go off on.

A familiar sense tingled in her brain, a touch of psionic energy she knew well.

"I missed you." His voice echoed in her head, he was near already if he could make the connection.

She lifted her eyes from her journal and scanned the room vigilantly. It was her turn to play. Now where was he…

He was stupidly good at hiding in plain sight, but luckily for her she had a knack for picking up on traces of magic. Their wedding bands were enchanted, and if he wished to sleep on the bed tonight he should be wearing it. 

Hints of magic floated in the inn, nothing yet quite as bright as she knew the ring would be. But then… His magic’s signature bright orange light shining through a black glove, on a hand holding a branch of amaranth. 

He had established a mind link announcing his presence, so she could reply back.

“I see you, you scoundrel. I’ve missed you too.” She thought warmly, turning her gaze back to her journal to find the right page. 

 His shadow crept on the table as he sat down beside her. He set the branch of amaranth on her tea plate and placed his hand on top of hers.

She closed her eyes and leaned her head on his shoulder. He smelled like oranges and cedarwood, just like she remembered.

“You’ve kept yourself busy,” there’s a hint of amusement in his voice

She merely hummed in response, suddenly oh-so-tired. She wanted to stay like this longer, her cheek on his soft wool coat, taking in him and the touch of his hand on hers. But they will have plenty of time to catch up later. Some matters she’s found were quite urgent and why she did call on him to join her here.

“There’s something over this city, I can feel the pull on the weave, something is here that is not supposed to,” she nodded towards the filled spread, a web of runes, names, titles, “I can’t make sense of this city, maybe you’ll be able to. And if you’ve missed high society… now's your chance to make use of that silver tongue of yours”.

“Aw, you need me to talk to people for you?”

She was never the social one, the ten years she spent mostly on her own, with only brief acquaintances to map  out her surroundings. She knew he would slip into the city’s hidden inner circles with ease.

“That. And to accompany me to an obelisk, there’s something carved on it that has made me bang my head against the stone for a while now. I'm sure it’ll lead somewhere, I need your fresh set of eyes.”

“What is this? Archmage Harrow unable to decipher a glyph? My, the world really did end.”

“You know what, to this day I think,I would not have considered partnering up with you in a past life, or if the circumstances didn’t force us, you’re insufferable”, she snapped and then paused, “Sometimes” she lifted her hand to pat him on the cheek, and scratched his stubble that he for sure groomed before coming here.

“Isn’t fate and chance funny like that”, he turns his head to look at her, “it’s a good thing we grew on each other yeah? Couldn’t think of a better person to be trapped with.”

She shot him a glaring side-eye, they’ve been through this already and by now she knows he’s merely joking.

“Aaand, couldn’t think of a better person to bless me with her arcane gifts…” he draws his sentence out.

She turned her head towards him and raised an eyebrow, challenging him to finish his thought. 

“...that will keep be unharmed and—”

“The obelisk,” she interrupted him and flipped her journal shut, sandwiching his fingers between the covers.

#no proofreading yet again #missed an opportinity to post this on valentines day but baaah #meant to ge this done by sunday anyway #the schedule is more of a suggestion #tldr lucien and viessa reunite after 10 year and lucien is still a lil bitch but viessa loves him so much #there be zombies under the obelisk that should not be there #and the whole city is a lil kooky they got plenty of cleanup to do #and they need to find naria (name under consctruction) to join their gaggle of weirdos #tarot series #armed asshats

[trashbinbackyard]

5 - The hierophant

Old men arguing about the natural state with a hint of worldbuilding

Pages from a journal, written in code:

“Konstantin and I seem to be in a disagreement on the nature of the djinn. I personally don’t tend to get offended on the notions I might be in the wrong, and honestly, neither of us are experts on the matter, our conversation was merely a brain teaser over some afternoon tea. We enjoy the debate, it helps us keep our minds open to views other than our own, and maybe, just maybe we’ll stumble on an enlightening idea.

 Understandably his stance goes against the doctrine of researchers of the crescent university, that the djinn are called forth from Gehenna through the Al-Ghaib echo. (The echoes themselves are a subject of many papers and the life work of many occultists, but that is beside the point for now) Al-Ghaib is the realm of the unseen that hovers over our own plane of existence, and casters are able to reach them through the veil, like they feywild and the shadowfell. The veil seems to be thinnes to Al-Ghaib here in Nia Vasileos.

Well, he dislikes the implication that his passion, magic, is the reason our world gets invaded by malevolent spirits every now and then. He’s grasping at any clues that would suggest an alternative cause. Recently, prompted by me, he’s been looking into the teachings of some clergies on the subject of the djinn. He is not a religious man, but like every wizard worth their salt, is familiar with the teachings of Rhion and Anahit, and their creator Leeo. 

Rhion and Anahit go hand-in-hand when it comes to what their clergies think of the djinn. At the start of it, magic is at fault, well, at fault of thinning the veil. Just like the ethereal echo was made from powerful casting, the magic twists and bends the barriers around our world. But what really makes a djinn, is the evil in people, the djinn are lured by it, fed by it, made manifest by it. 

And I must admit, I have never heard of encounters with a djinn of noble intentions, unlike other spirits, those of magic and virtues. The djinn are fundamentally different, and how you deal with them requires special knowledge.

The concept of mortal evil is not is not a subject we shy away from discussing, or sometimes arguing. I love Konstantin, and he loves me, but it seems we disagree on a subject that is the very foundation of our own moral view of the world.

Konstantin holds the belief that mortals are flawed beings from the beginning, and it is everyone’s duty to make an effort to be good. It makes sense, he’s dealt with many selfish and greedy people, witnessed powerful people misuse their power, he’s come face to face with virtue spirits maligned by mortal influence into something unrecognizable. 

I, on the other hand, believe people are good by heart, and they decide to do bad things. Whether by being pushed into a corner and forced to do the unthinkable, or by witnessing the cruelty that certainly inhabits our world, and deciding to embrace it rather than fight it. It is hard sometimes, yes, but I believe it is our natural state. Peace, love, tenderness. The civilizations before us has known kindness, they have known love, I have seen it, unearthed it, studied it.

“It’s easy for you to think that”, I remember Konstantin once saying, “You haven’t gazed into the darkness that inhabits mortal souls”.

I don’t hate our debates, but I hate how Konstantin framed his argument, a hint of belittling, suggesting I am naive to the ways of people.

He is a kind person, and I admire him for making the effort of not letting himself get jaded even by his quite pessimistic view on the world. He knows companionship, camaraderie, passion, joy, all things I think make life worth living. But not everyone does, the world can be cruel, yet, even in the slums of Nia Vasileos, I can see the people deeply care for each other. I truly believe people want to be good, but not everyone can out of sheer survival.

“We’re lucky, Konstantin” I retort, “Not everyone gets to stay kind”

#man this was a tricky card #yes they disagree on a quite fundamental level but both are too nerdpilled so they just ~debate~ #osman is the weeping cat going 'mankind has named kindness therefore they must know it' #tarot series #look.... this might be a dollar store ballad of songbirds and snakes but the book is good and the very heavy handed theme of 'what are huma #humans at the very core' is such a well for ideas

[trashbinbackyard]

failure future ghost guilt hate for ivana and an immortal

Girl wins and fails. (I rolled a d4 for the immortals bc I couldn’t choose and it landed on 2 so angsty Maya ahoy!)

failure: What's your OC's greatest failure? Have they been able to move past it? Does anyone else know about it?

Probably an incident with a target, where she couldn’t get the guy fast enough and civilian people lost their lives. She managed to get her target but too late in her opinion. It’s a source of shame for her and no matter how much she tries to move past it, she goes to bed knowing people died because she wasn’t good enough yet. Orion would know as he was her boss back then, and anyone who stumbles on the case files

Not keeping closer contact with her friends after Nayden’s coronation. Their merry band sort of scattered into the four winds soon after and Lucas was her only friend left. If she knew what would become of her she would’ve clung to them tooth and nail but it’s too late now, they’re long dead

future: What's the worst possible future for your OC? Are they taking steps to avoid that outcome? Are they even aware it's a possibility?

The worst outcome she sees for herself is growing old and cynical like Orion, loved by none and hated by many, there’s an inkling of pity she feels for him but she will die before she admits it. She wants to avoid it, but she can see herself slipping into the same patterns as he did, so it takes active work and thought to not end up like him. She tries her best to upkeep the bonds she already has and be open to new ones aka Carmina and her family

As the years go on and on and on she becomes more isolated and jaded. She’s seen how Dimos’ mind has completely broken and she fears the same thing will happen to her eventually, even if Dimos is younger than her. She tries to find comfort in the fleeting moments with mortals and get closer to the other immortals who share her fears of the future. 

ghost: Who or what haunts your OC? What happened? How do they live with their ghosts?

Orion. She took so much abuse from him yet she never stopped respecting him. It was some sort of sick admiration and warning tale. And now that he’s gone and she’s stepped into his shoes she can feel the pressure he was under. But she also doesn’t have an astonishingly failed relationship and hatred for any and all things living so she has that to one up the ghost of Orion

Out of everyone she lost, Lana, her sister. Way back when, she was supposed to take care of Maya when their mother refused, she was supposed to keep her safe. She failed, but got another chance years after. She didn’t get to say goodbye to her, for all Lana knew she died in the woods being ambushed by bandits and Maya knows Lana felt so guilty about it, that she failed her again.

guilt: What is your OC guilty about? How do they handle their guilt? Do they try to avoid guilt, or do they accept it?

Guilty about treating her team harshly. She has that streak of perfectionism and expects everyone to be just as detail oriented and punctual as she is. She comes off as ruthless, she admits it. She justifies it by thinking it’ll keep everyone sharp.

She feels guilty for thinking bad thoughts about Lucas, Lucien, Viessa and Dimos. They’re her only threads to the world she once knew and her lifelines. They should get along great right? But sometimes they frustrate her so much she isolates herself from them. And eventually feels bad about it and comes back with her tail between her legs

hate: What does your OC hate? Why? How do they act towards the object of their hatred?

Most of the police department, organized criminals. The little guys, the thieves, the scammers and the sort who do it just to get by she knows the systems have failed them. But the big dogs like Ipes she despises.

As much as she loves Lucas, or the being that once was Lucas, she despises him. Gods do not understand how mortals aren’t meant to experience eternity, estrangement from the world is sometimes too much to bear, everything she knew and loved is long gone, trapped with company she didn’t choose. She still carries out his will, for there is not much else to do. And she will become his voice in the coming ages. It’s complicated, is what I’m saying. As well as bad parents, and two who abuse their power, but she can now deal with them herself and guardian of the lost

#i have some meledramatic titles for the immortals come the third age #maya is the voice of the wild hunt #feelings are hard and complicated when more than one feeling about a thing is valid #space shitstorm #armed asshats #by god ivana will try avoiding becoming like orion #even though she is miserable at the office and genuinely bad to be around in professional settings #but at least she has her dad #and carmina #who ground her and keep her from spiraling into workworkwork

[trashbinbackyard]

Dimos: for as long as Frara's light shines upon this world I will love you, our souls and intertwined and you complete me. No king, emperor, or god shall came between us as long as I draw breath and my hands carry my sword Ruith: one time you burped so loud you woke up our baby and I still think about it to this day

#armed asshats #couldn't stop thinking about that one game changer clip #dimos is a little intense and ruith (name under construction) not so much

[trashbinbackyard]

1-20 mhairi & ihn + whichever armed asshats pair you want

Let me put your anxieties at ease, this is my preferred way of getting these prompts, one shared pair and one i get to pick bc there’s blorbos brewing in my head

You get academic old man yaoi with Osman and Konstantin

1. What were their first impressions of one another?

I think they met for the first time when they were still starting out. Ihn has always respected Mhairi, and they’ve had a friendly rivalry going on. For many years he wasn’t romantically interested and everything was strictly professional/platonic. He would be lying if he said Mhairi wasn’t a looker tho

They met each other the first time in the academy d’Arcane when Osman was visiting a class and they sat next to each other, they were in their late 20’s. Osman thought Konstantin was intense and Konstantin thought Osman was too loud.

2 .What was their first date like? If they haven’t been on a date yet, how would it go? 

They were old and in a situation of a century ago agreeing to go on a date if they were single still and welp, widowed and tragically broken up with is one way to get there. So they picked a bar, went for drinks and then things might’ve gotten spicy

It was a study date in a cafe which also was the unofficial gathering place of all the city’s cats (the basis for Nia Vasileos in Istanbul so). They bonded over love of coffee, pastries and magic

3. It’s late at night and your characters want food, what do they order/find in the fridge? 

I bet Mhairi has all kinds of fancy stuff like fresh exotic fruits, nuts and the like, i get more ingredient house vibes from her than snack house, and also they’re both loaded so minimal cooking is done. She could also just call up some food. Ihn would rummage through the cabinets and curse not having any snacks handy so almonds it is, or call up some food.

Konstantin is a pretty picky eater, Osman not so much. Konstantin is also the type of guy to prepare meals so if Osman is hungry, one day’s meal might go missing. But they also keep a lot fruits in the house to satisfy most hunger pangs, and also bread

4. What’s a typical Sunday like for them? 

Ihn’s long retired so he does fuck all, naps thruout the day, reads, watches the news etc., grandpa activities Mhairi is welcome to join. He also likes following Mhairi around when she’s doing her thing, sorting out her stuff. Sunday is a lazy day

They’re both insanely busy, Osman serves the palace and the crescent university, and has his own pet projects, so Sunday’s for him is working on his own things like painting and drawing. Konstantin needs to check in on the academy every day but on Sundays he’s like “if something is not on fire right it can wait a day, and if something is on fire you have a building full of mages, figure something out”. So he’s at home chilling with Osman, makes them both afternoon coffee and reads in the same room Osman is painting in.

5. What’s their love language like? Are they compatible with one another? 

Quality time, acts of service for Ihn, third would be physical touch, he knows how the nedians get with touch.

Osman is loud and touchy, Konstantin is more reserved but he also likes physical affection, just somewhere no one can see. Quality time together too, what’s better than two academics having dinner

6. Do they have any pet names/nicknames for eachother? 

“Old [insert thing here]” but like, in a loving way

My beloved, love, etc in their native tongues, (haven’t come up with the regions they’re from but Konstantin is greek-ish and Osman would be arabic)

7. What do they argue about? 

I think their arguments have mostly been about how to handle something

Their most common argument is how the other doesn’t make enough time for the other

8. Who does what chores, and why? 

Hoooousekeeping

Konstantin cooks more, both clean up after each other, Osman handles fixing things and buying necessities

9. What’s the most difficult thing they’ve been through together? 

Ihn being widowed, losing his son and daughter-in-law, losing his granddaughter in a very short span of time. Mhairi’s dealings with Xiulan and the catastrophic end to that, they were always each other’s shoulder to cry on.

Dunno yet

10. How do they make up after a fight? 

Talk it through once calmed down, work together for a solution to whatever they were fighting about, kiss and make up

Osman writes an apology monologue worthy of awards and Konstantin will get Osman his favorite baklava

11. Who causes the most arguments? 

I think pretty equally, both can get really stubborn

Osman can be a little inconsiderate, but not maliciously, he’s just gets so excited about stuff he might forget to consult Konstantin

12. What would they say each other’s worst quality is? 

The other being stubborn, stuck in their way, Ihn has a bad habit of not taking things seriously until it blows up on his face, Ihn thinks Mhairi miiiight take a little too much joy out of putting people down but hey, captains gotta captain

Osman has his head in the clouds, and sometimes forgets to focus on things that matter more. Konstantin is 

13. What would they say each other’s best quality is? 

Ihn’s always loved Mhairi’s wit, and ambition

Osman is endlessly curious and creative. Konstantin is extremely loyal and intelligent (well they both are)

14. How would they describe one another if asked? 

It would be really hard to get Ihn to describe Mhairi in a genuine manner, but under all those layers of sarcasm, he thinks really highly of them, Mhairi is intelligent in both knowledge and socially, ambitious, ready to do everything to get what she wants, looks out for those who really matter to her. They’ve known each other for so long 

They both would say the other is the smartest man in Nia Vasileos. A big “no you” “no u” type of argument would ensue

15. What names are they saved as on each other’s phone? 

Ihn has Mhairi marked down as “ball and chain” ironically, he switches it sometimes to other weapons/guns

No phones, but both would refer to the other by their name

16. What would they consider quality time? 

Good food, good drinks, great backdrop, reminiscing about all their greatest heists.

17. Who decides which movies to watch? 

They insult each other into submission: “Oh you wanna watch *war movie*? what are you 900 years old?” / “very rich coming from the guy who wants to watch troy, you just wanna see 200 bare chested men”

They take turn on deciding which theater show to go see, their tastes are very similar

18. How are they like on a road trip together? 

Whenever they take an interplanetary trip, Ihn insists on being the pilot, that’s his bread and butter. Mhairi arranges the places they’ll be staying at

Long carriage/boat rides would be mostly spent napping and reading by them both

19. It’s raining, did either of your OCs bring an umbrella? If so, who, and do they share it? 

Mhairi has a large coat, she could hoist up in case of sudden rain. They both come prepared for the weather though most of the time, just one thing less to worry about, and you don’t get to rule a space pirate empire without knowing how to prepare.

Konstantin can just move the rain away from them, a trick Osman is trying to learn

20. What are they like when sharing a bed?

Ihn is way smaller, so little spoon, also he snores so he can’t be trusted to sleep on his back, also his back hurts most of the time, and his leg. Mhairi has similar ailments so I think there will be a lot pillows involved to prop things into the right angle 

Konstantin sleeps like carcass, on his back, unmoving. Osman wraps around him and Konstantin leans his head in to kiss him goodnight

#space shitstorm #armed asshats #osman is a man of many talents #leonardo da vinci kinda swag #konstantin is the headmaster of the academie d'arcane #and osman works for both the palace and the university he's stretched pretty thin #AND they have a pet tressym (a cat with wings) her name is yesmin and she invited herself to stay with them #the istan- i mean nia vasileos cat dispenser works great #so long no ihn and mhairi and thats partly my fault #they act like they hate each other but actually they love each other sooo much and have been there for each other during their darkest time #and now they get to relax a lil #ihn is mhairi's nro 1 enabler

[trashbinbackyard]

God’s favourite princess

#armed asshats

[trashbinbackyard]

Mr burn victim

#armed asshats #weekly doodle

[trashbinbackyard]

4 - The emperor

“Again”, the wizard's authoritative voice rings in the hall. He is circling the boy like a wild cat circling his prey. His eyes never leave the boy and his form, his arms and posture need to be perfect, he expected nothing less.

The boy flails his hands in a movement that sends a couple of shimmering speckles flying from his fingers that soon fizzle out. A poor attempt at a spell.

“You want fire, not kindling”, he steps beside the boy and straightens his arm, making an intricate move with his wrist and fingers. A ball of flame appears in front of him and soon disappears as he drops the spell, “Again”.

“Please, I just need a break,” the boy says, the wizard could pick up on the quiver of his lips and voice. He lifts his arm to wipe his eyes with his sleeve, hiding the tears threatening to prickle out.

A part of Konstantin feels pity for the boy, he admittedly is going harder on him than he goes for his students at the academy. But this boy isn’t just any student, he is the crown prince. His students at the academy had earned their way to his tutelage through hard work. This boy only has his blood to make him stand out from the rest. Being born to the right family gives you the world, should you take it.

It wasn’t the boys fault. No one ever asks to be born to a certain circumstance. And at nine years old, he doesn’t quite know what his circumstance entails. He is handed everything on a silver platter, whatever his father demands for his prodigy. That entails the best tutors to anything the city has to offer, and arcane training was no different. Never regarding whether he deserves the best.

Initially the emperor had wanted the headmaster of the academy to personally tutor his heir, but he had politely declined and offered the vice headmaster in turn, since he had more free time, not much, but enough to satisfy the demands of the emperor. Konstantin would rather be anywhere else than teaching a nine year old, who by academy standards couldn’t even get in, some basic magic he himself could do blindfolded and hands tied.

It seems neither of them are happy with the arrangement.

“Do you think you’ll get breaks as the emperor?” Konstan places his arms behind his back and looks down at the boy. It is not a rhetorical question, his father was always somewhere, sorting out the palace business, the city business, the empire business. He rarely met with his own son. A pity really, the boy had everything but a family.

The boy mumbles under his breath and shakes his head, he knows the answer.

“So try again, I don’t have all afternoon to wait for you to get it right”

The boy takes a deep breath, throws his arms out, once more reciting the somatic components of the spell. With nothing to show for his effort.

The wizards tuts disapprovingly. By this point most of the apprentices would’ve already gotten the hang of things, granted they are already older teens by the point they join the academy. It’s like asking a patisserie to show a student how to make layered dough before the student even knows how to crack open the eggs.

He sighs and presses his finger to the bridge of his nose, racking his brain on ways to turn this around. The boy is not as exceptional as his father perceives him. Yet it’s not the boy’s fault he’s in this situation. He’s only nine, he shouldn’t be this frustrated at a child. Yet he resents how he is handed everything and everything is expected of him. And if he won’t master at least a handful of spells so that his father may parade him around, it’s going to be his own head at the spike if he doesn’t deliver.

The boy is close to bursting into tears after the last, yet another, failed attempt. Staring intently at the floor and balling his fists and biting his lip. His tears drop onto the marble floor.

“Okay,” Konstantin gathers his thoughts, “Let’s try another angle, has anyone told you of protective magic?”

#in which the emperor is an absent father #konstantin is bad with kids #and the crown prince is just a baby boy who didn't ask for any of this #tarot series

[trashbinbackyard]

3 - The empress

Ironically enough the reversed meaning is "creative block" lol

Gardens are what she painted. Gardens to decorate every noble manor and summer estate of Nia Vasileos. Not all plots of land in the city came with ample enough space for a lavish garden to entertain and amaze the guests. Not all could afford personal water fountains, fish ponds, extravagant flower arrangements, fruit and nut trees. It was sad, in a way, that not everyone got to enjoy the beauty of nature that they helped build.

The palace gardens were a sight to behold. Not everyone, even the palace staff, were allowed in. It belonged to the harem, and it was forbidden for men other than the padishah to enter. It was the culmination of many generation’s devotion and care. The women of the harem were particularly fond of orchids, and every time she visited the palace gardens she made sure to paint a variety of them on small canvases she could sell.

She had been commissioned to paint the royal garden again, this time in an evening sunset glow. She was the only artist in the city with the privilege. Though, she would admit it wasn’t her own merit. Her determination to see the gardens and to get an edge over her fellow artists in the city saw her making a deal with the council of the Nine Lives, she would see to them, and they would see she gains access to the palace. High society and the art world were quite cutthroat after all. The deal would prove it’s worthiness in just a few short months, when her paintings of the royal garden became the most sought after pieces of oil paintings in the city, every noble worth their salt and name simply had to have one.

She had packed her handmade oil paints with her in all the shades she knew she needed, and a couple of extras, the warm tones of the approaching sunset, the yellows of the tiger orchids in bloom, and the lilacs of the captivating figure she is yet to see.

The council wanted her to seek out the woman Karya, known to have joined the harem years ago. They say her abilities in divination magic are unparalleled. No one outside the palace knows what became of her. Though the council let her know that there were rumors of her becoming the head of the harem, the Haseki Sultan, queen-to-be.

She had heard the bards songs about her, the lilac sultan, but that is all she knew about her. The harem has always been shrouded in secrecy, and the people of the city and some from the palace call for it’s abolishment. Did they serve the city? Did they serve the padishah? Most likely they are just looking after themselves.

The painting was coming along nicely, she had laid down the base colors for every part of the garden she could fit on her large horizontal canvas hours ago, and she was dotting hints of bright colors among the bushes, pond and sky to give the painting a hint of detail. The unfinished look was part of the appeal for many of her commissioners, dream-like, a painting you could look at without needing your glasses and your mind would fill in the gaps and details. Yet every spot of color was placed there intentionally, that’s what she took pride in. 

She would be welcome in the garden the following eve to finish her painting, so she was in no hurry to leave nor pack her belongings, the palace garden was one of the most secure places in the city so no thief would even try to get in. And with her meticulously taking her time with the details, she spotted in the corner of her eye a veiled woman. 

 A tall, full figured woman had come out for refreshing evening air, a veil covering her hair and face cascaded down her dress. She held a canister in her hands and made slow calculated steps around the perimeter of the garden, pouring some water out for the thirstiest plants. The smells of the garden were quite strong but the artist’s nose had grown used to the ambiance by that point. A gentle breeze from the ocean carried a smell of pomegranate, jasmine and patchouli with it. 

Even in the strange lightning of the sunset, she could see she was wearing lilac with silver accents. She grabbed a pallet knife out of her toolbox and with it she dug a dollop of lilac paint from her pallet and placed it on the canvas. This one was going to be her best one yet.

#harem is not a sex thing i swear! #its a group of elite women!!!! #also this characters name is claudia morello and she is a painter and an art shop keeper #who also spies for a criminal gang #tarot series

[trashbinbackyard]

Spicé v

#weekly doodle dump #here it begins #concepts concept kenzo #a little dragon age’y elf and a poet #the poet might be naria’s husband #well not really poet but an artist of some kind #wanted to draw a lil round glasses boy #armed asshats #look you know with all the free time lv is gonna bang a lot #need to make a scars ref for lucien at some point too

[trashbinbackyard]

uhhhhh immortal love languages and bounty hunter christmas/holiday habits

You get all the immortals for the price of two

Lucien’s main one is words of affirmation. That man love to talk and hear himself talk. And although most of the time he spouts mostly nonsense, with Viessa he is genuine and wears his heart on his sleeve. As well to the others, words are his main way of expressing care and gods bw his witness he will find the right ones. For receiving he’s very partial to physical touch

Viessa’s main output is acts of service, shes capable of lot and will lend a hand to any of the others should the need arise. To Lucien she will gladly be his right hand. Acts of service is the one with the most overlap between her and Lucien too, they know their strenghts and act accordingly and when the other steps in they’re on the same page that no, this is not the other thinking the other is not capable, but making their life a little easier. She also enjoys receving acts of service bc sometimes she feels like she has too much on her shoulders, and its good to get affirmed that she can rely on others.

Maya’s gift giver and physical touch kinda gal. Granted the gifts arent huge or impressive but rather things she found and picked up she thought people might like. Shes also very clingy and contantly hanging onto to people unless brushed away. Expect a lot of elbow nudges, hugs and amr brushes (shes like a cat marking people as hers). Enjoys receiving physical touch as well.

Dimos is very reserved and on the surface very apthetic. When he was alive it wasnt like that. He’s the type to do acts of service without telling anyone or anyone kbowing it was him. Oh you went to sleep with your desk unorganized, you wake up with it being cleaned. You need some ingredient? It will appear on your desk by the next morning. That sort of thing. It took the others to while to realize it was Dimos just showing his affection to them. He likes being talked to, so please come talk his ear off, he wont reply but enjoys the company. (He and lucien make a great pair bc lucien cant fucking stop talking and dimos cant talk)

Naria is not far along yet but shes a poet, a singer, plays the violin, piano and flute. So she enjoys lavish attention, verbal and physical, from friends and lovers alike

--

Ivana visits her dad daily on the holidays, Yuri makes them dinner every day, traditional Russian dishes like dumpling, potato salad, fish, anything that he can make with what's available in the outer rim. Ivana sometimes takes her own cookings with her and then they sit and eat in silence. She also gives small thoughtful presents to Yuri and Carmina bc she's not close enough with anyone else to get something expesive, and yeah, her gifts are on the higher end, but it's because she values quality and lengegivity, so Carmina will get some hand made insect sculptures, or golden pins or something similar

Wolfgang will do the most for the christmass table, albeit german style, so lots of breads cheeses and meats, stews, slow cooked meat, a shitton of of potatoes, roasted toasted baked. Also on the days leading up to the big feast he'll make like 5 different types of cookies. He enjoyes being in the kitchen. Also on the gift part he does stockings and puts little usable items in them like soaps, socks, lotions and such. He would decorate the house with scented candles if Mateo wasn't blind, so instead he'll get some festive smelling air spray.

Most of Gilly's holiday prep is hunting gifts for her many siblings and the whole extended family. She'll get something extra special like jewelry for Mallory and then a bunch of usable stuff like protein powder, a gift card to her favourite shop and some nice smelling stuff like soaps and candles. She would have the time of her life if she and Mallory both prepped the feast. Also her family will pay a visit if she doesn't go the them first so for a few days it's gonna be crowded

Izkiels people dont do holidays like chirstmas, but they do have r like a mid-winter celebretion, akin to diwali, which is all about light and partying and dressing very flashy. So he'll decorate with fairy lights and bunch of candles on the darkest days. Probably the human habit of giving gifts also rubbed on him so he'll givout out some small ones with little idea why they're given, and they're moslty stuff the recipient already has/uses, like a lighter to kenzo, skincare for lyssa, snacks for the rest of the office (orion/ivana don't get any bc he's scared of them)

#a lil late but here ya go! #I feel worse now than yesterday oops #the Sickness #armed asshats #space shitstorm #I count gilly in the bounty hunters bc i could

[trashbinbackyard]

Ok so Naria’s story is basically Ilmarinen’s golden bride, phantom of the opera and Ligeia by Edgar Allan Poe mashed into one

#it will make sense i will elaborate eventually #smth smth she was musician married to a sculptor #a spirit/demon took a liking to her #but she was married already so the demon in a ’if i cant have you no one can’ killed her #and her widow went mad and cast her in gold and silver #and hrata went like oh no my best people i will bring your wife back #armed asshats