Crown Prince Wilhelm ♛ (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ordinar) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
abraxaslogs2024-06-04 05:55 pm
ordinar) wrote in abraxaslogs2024-06-04 05:55 pm
The quiet is comfortable, with her arm resting in his. Wilhelm occupies himself with taking in the scenery, ferns that brush his legs as he walks by, trees alive in the breeze, and a canopy of constellations peeking through the outstretched boughs. At the edge of the pool, surprise pops in his expression, softened by a smile that brightens as she echoes his words from before. He crouches down beside her, watching the little frogs hop over the rocks.
He can't remember when the whole frog thing started. He'd loved the fairy tale of the frog prince when he was little, but he always wished it had a different ending — he thought it would be much more fun to stay a frog. When his brother received from their grandfather a snow globe with a crowned frog squatting at its center, he'd coveted it. So much so that years later, Erik let him have it, a consolation prize for disappointing their parents and getting shipped off to a new school.
When he dreamed he was a god, his followers left him carvings of frogs in wood and stone, little figures molded from clay or sewn from cloth. The frog, which begins as a little black speck swimming around a pond and then grows legs and learns to hop out, was a symbol of evolution. Transformation. Now, Wilhelm likes to think of it that way.
One speckled frog leaps closer, unafraid of him. He glances at River.
"Are you going to give them names?"
He can't remember when the whole frog thing started. He'd loved the fairy tale of the frog prince when he was little, but he always wished it had a different ending — he thought it would be much more fun to stay a frog. When his brother received from their grandfather a snow globe with a crowned frog squatting at its center, he'd coveted it. So much so that years later, Erik let him have it, a consolation prize for disappointing their parents and getting shipped off to a new school.
When he dreamed he was a god, his followers left him carvings of frogs in wood and stone, little figures molded from clay or sewn from cloth. The frog, which begins as a little black speck swimming around a pond and then grows legs and learns to hop out, was a symbol of evolution. Transformation. Now, Wilhelm likes to think of it that way.
One speckled frog leaps closer, unafraid of him. He glances at River.
"Are you going to give them names?"
In the wake of the attack on the castle, life stumbles on. Wilhelm tries to beat back the quiet anxiety that comes creeping across his thoughts, imaginings of impending war hanging around like smoke, by leaning into his familiar routines.
Out on the castle grounds, he keeps his early morning training session — 7:00 A.M. sharp, as prescribed by Kyle. Well, sharp-ish. While his teacher is detained in the dungeons, he practices by himself the forms of punches, kicks, defensive stances. He goes up against some of the younger, greener guards in hand-to-hand spars, only about half of which end with him flattened to the grass. If you're also looking for a sparring partner, you could try your luck with him.
Around the gardens, Wilhelm can be found practicing his magic. It used to be that he'd hide out here to work on his magic because he didn't want an audience for his struggles; now, he just prefers the open air and peaceful scenery to the castle classrooms. He tests his control over his fire by juggling flames while walking under a trellis draped with blooming vines — without setting the whole thing ablaze. He bends opaque shadows around trees, trying to see how much he can swallow up.
And he tries out something new, something that happened the night explosions shattered the castle windows: if he concentrates, a shell of crystals grows over his skin and arcs around him. You might find him half-swallowed up by crystals, throwing himself at a tree or wall to test his shell's durability.
In the castle town and Nott alike, he zips from business to business and house to house, delivering letters and small parcels on bicycle. The streets are bustling, and you may narrowly avoid a collision as he clatters along. Sorry about that. Eventually, he does need to refuel. Procuring snacks from a favorite bakery or vendor's cart, he finds a low wall to sit on and take a breather. In Borrel, he bikes around the market district and tries to drum up new business for his courier gig, now that he can come here whenever he wants. But with the beach right there, he could easily be persuaded to play instead of work...
Out on the castle grounds, he keeps his early morning training session — 7:00 A.M. sharp, as prescribed by Kyle. Well, sharp-ish. While his teacher is detained in the dungeons, he practices by himself the forms of punches, kicks, defensive stances. He goes up against some of the younger, greener guards in hand-to-hand spars, only about half of which end with him flattened to the grass. If you're also looking for a sparring partner, you could try your luck with him.
Around the gardens, Wilhelm can be found practicing his magic. It used to be that he'd hide out here to work on his magic because he didn't want an audience for his struggles; now, he just prefers the open air and peaceful scenery to the castle classrooms. He tests his control over his fire by juggling flames while walking under a trellis draped with blooming vines — without setting the whole thing ablaze. He bends opaque shadows around trees, trying to see how much he can swallow up.
And he tries out something new, something that happened the night explosions shattered the castle windows: if he concentrates, a shell of crystals grows over his skin and arcs around him. You might find him half-swallowed up by crystals, throwing himself at a tree or wall to test his shell's durability.
In the castle town and Nott alike, he zips from business to business and house to house, delivering letters and small parcels on bicycle. The streets are bustling, and you may narrowly avoid a collision as he clatters along. Sorry about that. Eventually, he does need to refuel. Procuring snacks from a favorite bakery or vendor's cart, he finds a low wall to sit on and take a breather. In Borrel, he bikes around the market district and tries to drum up new business for his courier gig, now that he can come here whenever he wants. But with the beach right there, he could easily be persuaded to play instead of work...
Wilhelm is only a little late in marking his second anniversary in Thorne. Two whole years and he hasn't died yet. Not only that, but he thinks he actually might have grown. He doesn't see it until he looks backward and remembers how hard everything was that first year.
So, he decides that the best way to commemorate it is by doing something his mom would have killed him for: he gets a tattoo. Inked in crisp black lines, two frogs climb up a fern on his right bicep. And of course he sprung for the ink that glows in the moonlight.
With his skin angry and red after being stabbed with needles hundred of times, his next move is to search the market stalls for the healing salve the werewolf tattoo artist recommended. Maybe you can help him track it down — it's obvious he's looking for something, not just browsing for fun. Once he gets his hands on some, he's finding a bench and slathering the stuff on.
So, he decides that the best way to commemorate it is by doing something his mom would have killed him for: he gets a tattoo. Inked in crisp black lines, two frogs climb up a fern on his right bicep. And of course he sprung for the ink that glows in the moonlight.
With his skin angry and red after being stabbed with needles hundred of times, his next move is to search the market stalls for the healing salve the werewolf tattoo artist recommended. Maybe you can help him track it down — it's obvious he's looking for something, not just browsing for fun. Once he gets his hands on some, he's finding a bench and slathering the stuff on.
Marking something important like not dying was definitely an event that Will understood. Every year the demigods got their own camp bead. Another year marked. Maybe they should start doing something like that here. Since they were brought without their camp beads anyway. Will felt naked without them.
Will had been searching for another that might be medicinal or be useful in a battle, he'd been taking Wille's news to heart. Having been through 3 already, he'd gotten pretty good at knowing what to get. That being said, a lot of the items here were less familiar than they would have been if he'd been in Long Island. It was difficult searching for exactly what he needed.
Spotting Wille, he hung back for a moment. It didn't take him too long to spot the new tattoo on his bicep. Cute. It was cute. He wasn't sure what Wille had about frogs but, if he liked them, Will liked them. He waited until Wille was slathering on the salve before he plopped down next to him.
"Nice ink. I can fix that for you, you know--but I get the feeling maybe its your first war wound. Is there an occasion or do you just like frogs?"
Will had been searching for another that might be medicinal or be useful in a battle, he'd been taking Wille's news to heart. Having been through 3 already, he'd gotten pretty good at knowing what to get. That being said, a lot of the items here were less familiar than they would have been if he'd been in Long Island. It was difficult searching for exactly what he needed.
Spotting Wille, he hung back for a moment. It didn't take him too long to spot the new tattoo on his bicep. Cute. It was cute. He wasn't sure what Wille had about frogs but, if he liked them, Will liked them. He waited until Wille was slathering on the salve before he plopped down next to him.
"Nice ink. I can fix that for you, you know--but I get the feeling maybe its your first war wound. Is there an occasion or do you just like frogs?"
He looks up when he sees from out of the corner of his eye someone approaching his bench, flashes a smile when he realizes it's Will. The other boy looks better than he did the last time they ran into each other in the square. He's upright, for one thing, instead of slumped against a lamppost.
"Hey," he greets, spreading the salve over the last bit of his new tattoo and getting rid of the excess by rubbing his hand together. "It's okay, I think I'll be fine with this. Besides, shouldn't you be conserving your energy?"
This last remark comes with a pointed look. He knows that the permanent twilight of Nocwich, while great for the native werewolves and vampires, poses a bit of a problem for Will, being that he's the son of the god of light and all that. And to answer his question—
"I've made it two years here. I just felt like I should...honor it somehow." A grin pokes outs, and he bobs his head in concession. "And I like frogs."
"Hey," he greets, spreading the salve over the last bit of his new tattoo and getting rid of the excess by rubbing his hand together. "It's okay, I think I'll be fine with this. Besides, shouldn't you be conserving your energy?"
This last remark comes with a pointed look. He knows that the permanent twilight of Nocwich, while great for the native werewolves and vampires, poses a bit of a problem for Will, being that he's the son of the god of light and all that. And to answer his question—
"I've made it two years here. I just felt like I should...honor it somehow." A grin pokes outs, and he bobs his head in concession. "And I like frogs."
[ annabeth has idly been to the castle's training grounds a couple of times now, though mostly because she's looking for someone she's likely to find there. personally she doesn't think she needs any sort of lesson, but the more she thinks about it the more she should probably stay in practice, and at the very least get a sense of how the locals fight. ]
[ so today, she meanders down closer to eight. she's tired, but she hadn't been able to fall back asleep, so she snagged some pastry for breakfast and found her way outside to get some air. ]
[ she's not surprised to find wilhelm there, but this time she watches him practice for a little first, watching to see how he moves and fights and what he might have learned. she remembers him mentioning that he'd trained with kyle, whom she knows is now currently in jail, and the way he spars with some of the younger guard. she could probably stand to flex her muscles instead and get out some pent up energy instead of letting it fester, so she calls out to him, again without much by the way of greeting. ]
Okay. Do you want a real challenge?
[ so today, she meanders down closer to eight. she's tired, but she hadn't been able to fall back asleep, so she snagged some pastry for breakfast and found her way outside to get some air. ]
[ she's not surprised to find wilhelm there, but this time she watches him practice for a little first, watching to see how he moves and fights and what he might have learned. she remembers him mentioning that he'd trained with kyle, whom she knows is now currently in jail, and the way he spars with some of the younger guard. she could probably stand to flex her muscles instead and get out some pent up energy instead of letting it fester, so she calls out to him, again without much by the way of greeting. ]
Okay. Do you want a real challenge?
[With less than two years of training under his belt, he's still rough around the edges. He's a little stiff in some of his attacks, and his form falters when he panics in the heat of a match. But it's clear even from the sidelines that he's putting all of himself into it.
That's not something he used to do very often in his old life. He'd played the piano because his parents wanted him to, and rowed because his brother had done it before him. But this — this he chose for himself. Wilhelm feels electric with the sense that he's moving toward something, that he's getting stronger.
He has just managed to scrape a win when Annabeth catches his attention. Mid-stretch, he turns a grin on her.]
Sure. [His arms swing back to his sides and he shakes them out.] Now that I'm warmed up, I'm ready to get my ass handed to me by a monster slayer.
That's not something he used to do very often in his old life. He'd played the piano because his parents wanted him to, and rowed because his brother had done it before him. But this — this he chose for himself. Wilhelm feels electric with the sense that he's moving toward something, that he's getting stronger.
He has just managed to scrape a win when Annabeth catches his attention. Mid-stretch, he turns a grin on her.]
Sure. [His arms swing back to his sides and he shakes them out.] Now that I'm warmed up, I'm ready to get my ass handed to me by a monster slayer.
[ she pulls her hair out of its ponytail and reties it into a bun to get more of the curls back up and out of the way, given it was partially falling out from sleep. then she stretches her arm across her chest, repeating the motion with the other arm. ]
At least you know what you're getting into.
[ she bends her knee and grabs her heel to stretch her leg, repeating it with the other too. she hasn't had a proper warm up like wilhelm, but she's been doing this longer, so maybe it'll even out. ]
I haven't only come up against monsters, so bring your best. [ she rolls her neck, drops into a quick squat, then pops back up all in a few fluid motions, before finally stepping in closer. she sweeps her foot across the ground, like she's testing the solidity of it. ]
[ it belatedly occurs to her that she hasn't told him who her mother is, so perhaps it's not quite fair, but sometimes... annabeth doesn't play fair. ]
At least you know what you're getting into.
[ she bends her knee and grabs her heel to stretch her leg, repeating it with the other too. she hasn't had a proper warm up like wilhelm, but she's been doing this longer, so maybe it'll even out. ]
I haven't only come up against monsters, so bring your best. [ she rolls her neck, drops into a quick squat, then pops back up all in a few fluid motions, before finally stepping in closer. she sweeps her foot across the ground, like she's testing the solidity of it. ]
[ it belatedly occurs to her that she hasn't told him who her mother is, so perhaps it's not quite fair, but sometimes... annabeth doesn't play fair. ]
Edited 2024-07-10 05:28 (UTC)
Suddenly Will looks super guilty, like he'd been caught stealing for the first time. He blushed, bringing some color to his face that he could probably use. "You caught me. Actually I've been taking keeping my time here short. Or taking sunlight bathroom breaks. You know, so I don't accidentally kill anyone?" Cause that was the last thing he wanted, to hurt someone else to keep himself going. Or cause an international incident. They already had plenty of those.
So, yes Wille, you'd caught him. The teen who had a tendency to stay up for days on end, work until he literally collapsed, was yet again gallivanting around Nocwich. Not soon after being confined to the bunker for an entire week with everyone else in the Free Cities. That had been awesome. Lots of sunlight in an underground bunker.
But at least he'd figured out it ran in the family? Apollo seemed to have the same trouble. Which was concerning on a whole new level being his dad was a freaking god. "I think if I pass out again Nico is going to chain me somewhere outdoors with a skeleton bodyguard." Will was only half joking really. He totally trusted Nico to summon him a skeleton bodyguard with instructions to not let him out of the sunlight.
"But two years here, that really is something. I'm glad you found a way to honor it. Do frogs symbolize something or do you just like them?"
So, yes Wille, you'd caught him. The teen who had a tendency to stay up for days on end, work until he literally collapsed, was yet again gallivanting around Nocwich. Not soon after being confined to the bunker for an entire week with everyone else in the Free Cities. That had been awesome. Lots of sunlight in an underground bunker.
But at least he'd figured out it ran in the family? Apollo seemed to have the same trouble. Which was concerning on a whole new level being his dad was a freaking god. "I think if I pass out again Nico is going to chain me somewhere outdoors with a skeleton bodyguard." Will was only half joking really. He totally trusted Nico to summon him a skeleton bodyguard with instructions to not let him out of the sunlight.
"But two years here, that really is something. I'm glad you found a way to honor it. Do frogs symbolize something or do you just like them?"
[Although he's already warmed up, Wilhelm runs through a few quick stretches to keep his muscles ready, and to work out some of the hits he's taken in previous spars. When Annabeth appears ready, he suggests:]
First one to land three hits wins the round. Best two out of three?
[He's not optimistic about his odds of winning the whole thing, but if he can land a few hits, maybe even scrounge up a round, he'll consider it a victory of sorts.
He's curious to see how she fights. As he spars with the guards, he has started to notice subtle differences in their technique, deviations from how Kyle has taught him. He has started to learn, little by little, how to adjust what he's doing to block their attacks and find holes in their defenses.]
First one to land three hits wins the round. Best two out of three?
[He's not optimistic about his odds of winning the whole thing, but if he can land a few hits, maybe even scrounge up a round, he'll consider it a victory of sorts.
He's curious to see how she fights. As he spars with the guards, he has started to notice subtle differences in their technique, deviations from how Kyle has taught him. He has started to learn, little by little, how to adjust what he's doing to block their attacks and find holes in their defenses.]
She had always found it somewhat amusing, that their domains would come to overlap while also being vastly different from one another. Evolution and transcendence - two heralds with different approaches to the notion of change, of becoming a new version of yourself. But where Wilhelm came to symbolize growth, the natural progression from simple to more complex life forms, River represented a departure from the world as they know it, leaving behind all that's considered normal or rational.
It makes sense. He's always been more grounded than her. In many ways, he's a normal teenager finding his path into adulthood while River is just trying to be a whole person.
She's always looked up to him, feeling so much younger and less mature despite not being that far apart in age. Something about this has a certain childlike innocence, like two kids wandering through the woods together and naming wild animals. River smiles warmly, breathing a little easier than she has in what feels like a long, long time.
"I hadn't thought about it. The first animal I named was Guò." The little nutkin riding around in Thancred's pocket. River grins at Wilhelm. "We can both name them. They're yours too. Wanna take turns?"
It makes sense. He's always been more grounded than her. In many ways, he's a normal teenager finding his path into adulthood while River is just trying to be a whole person.
She's always looked up to him, feeling so much younger and less mature despite not being that far apart in age. Something about this has a certain childlike innocence, like two kids wandering through the woods together and naming wild animals. River smiles warmly, breathing a little easier than she has in what feels like a long, long time.
"I hadn't thought about it. The first animal I named was Guò." The little nutkin riding around in Thancred's pocket. River grins at Wilhelm. "We can both name them. They're yours too. Wanna take turns?"
He hasn't known Will for very long, but he's very familiar with the other boy's tendency to put everyone else before himself, to literally wither away before leaving anyone untended or inconvenienced. It sounds like Will has adopted some accommodations to make his time in Nocwich less hazardous to his health, so Wilhelm won't harangue him about it. He'll just keep an eye on his friend to make sure he's not on the brink of passing out.
"Let me know if you need an emergency doughnut, okay?"
Sugar had seemed to do the trick last time, like it was a sunlight substitute.
Stretching his arm out to give Will a better look at his tattoo, he continues, "Frogs go through metamorphosis. At different stages of their lives, they look like completely different creatures." His eyes trace the lines of the frogs inked into his skin. "So...I thought it was fitting. I'm not the same person I was when I got here."
"Let me know if you need an emergency doughnut, okay?"
Sugar had seemed to do the trick last time, like it was a sunlight substitute.
Stretching his arm out to give Will a better look at his tattoo, he continues, "Frogs go through metamorphosis. At different stages of their lives, they look like completely different creatures." His eyes trace the lines of the frogs inked into his skin. "So...I thought it was fitting. I'm not the same person I was when I got here."
What are their names? he'd once asked Simon, his first and only time at the other boy's house. And as Simon stumbled through his fish's names, Wilhelm slid his arms around his waist and kissed his neck. The memory is a fond ache now, not the sharp prod it used to be.
For almost a year, he'd kept in his domain replicas of those fish. Olle, Oski, and Felle, preserved in the glass of a fishbowl, until last spring, when he finally released them into a lake and said good bye to a lot of things he was still holding onto.
He's not the same boy he was when he got here, but even so he'd be surprised to learn how much River looks up to him.
"Wanda let me name one of her ravens Ferrari." He grins, knowing it's kind of a ridiculous name for a bird. "Okay, let's take turns."
Lowering his hand to the stone, he waits for the nearest frog to hop into his palm. When it does, he carefully cradles it close, inspecting the pattern of its spots as if he might be able to commit it to memory. He doesn't know how they're going to tell them all apart.
"I don't know how to tell if it's a boy or a girl... Um...what about...Sigge?"
For almost a year, he'd kept in his domain replicas of those fish. Olle, Oski, and Felle, preserved in the glass of a fishbowl, until last spring, when he finally released them into a lake and said good bye to a lot of things he was still holding onto.
He's not the same boy he was when he got here, but even so he'd be surprised to learn how much River looks up to him.
"Wanda let me name one of her ravens Ferrari." He grins, knowing it's kind of a ridiculous name for a bird. "Okay, let's take turns."
Lowering his hand to the stone, he waits for the nearest frog to hop into his palm. When it does, he carefully cradles it close, inspecting the pattern of its spots as if he might be able to commit it to memory. He doesn't know how they're going to tell them all apart.
"I don't know how to tell if it's a boy or a girl... Um...what about...Sigge?"
Works for me.
[ annabeth also does not expect to lose, but she goes into most sparring bouts with that attitude, even when it might be undeserving. there aren't that many people who can keep up with her at camp anymore, but thorne is not camp. she's a little antsy to see where she might slot in. ]
[ she shifts, planting her feet firmly with a slight bend at the knee and lets her arms hang loosely but ready at her sides. she studies him and his own posture first - she did get a general sense of his speed already from her prior observations, but it's different going head to head. ]
[ and then she just sweeps in, fast, swinging her right arm towards his shoulder. ]
[ annabeth also does not expect to lose, but she goes into most sparring bouts with that attitude, even when it might be undeserving. there aren't that many people who can keep up with her at camp anymore, but thorne is not camp. she's a little antsy to see where she might slot in. ]
[ she shifts, planting her feet firmly with a slight bend at the knee and lets her arms hang loosely but ready at her sides. she studies him and his own posture first - she did get a general sense of his speed already from her prior observations, but it's different going head to head. ]
[ and then she just sweeps in, fast, swinging her right arm towards his shoulder. ]
Will appreciated being looked after. At least, from a friendship point of view. He normally would have protested heavily that he was fine and would be fine, except, well. He knew not to be stupid. And that Nico would probably kill him. At least Wille wasn't likely to just care. And not in the normal demigod way. It was weird. But nice.
The demigod gave him a wink and smiled. "I promise." He pressed his fingers to Wille's wrist, almost to get a good angle and see the tattoo, but, no, he was cheating. And of course, he didn't need to even check. The other boy was fine. Better than Will was doing at the moment.
"I like it. It's your way of memorializing your time here, and how much it has changed you. For the better?" He assumed he wouldn't ink himself for something horribly traumatic but....maybe?
The demigod gave him a wink and smiled. "I promise." He pressed his fingers to Wille's wrist, almost to get a good angle and see the tattoo, but, no, he was cheating. And of course, he didn't need to even check. The other boy was fine. Better than Will was doing at the moment.
"I like it. It's your way of memorializing your time here, and how much it has changed you. For the better?" He assumed he wouldn't ink himself for something horribly traumatic but....maybe?
Sansa is convinced she is the only person in all of Thorne who has not chosen fire magic. She sees someone practicing fire and it is only when she draws closer that she sees it is Wilhelm, who she met on her first arrival and has not been able to follow up with since. He had been kind to her and she remembers kindnesses, marks them in the invisible ledger she keeps in her head of who is trustworthy and who is not; Wilhelm had never seemed threatening to her.
His magic is far more impressive than her own and she watches for a moment before saying anything.
"I believe I am the only person who likes ice better than fire. Even my own brother prefers fire to ice in spite of being from the same North I'm from."
His magic is far more impressive than her own and she watches for a moment before saying anything.
"I believe I am the only person who likes ice better than fire. Even my own brother prefers fire to ice in spite of being from the same North I'm from."
[There was a time, not that long ago, that he would only train one-on-one with Kyle. They met on an obscure strip of the castle grounds tucked away between trees, because he was self-conscious of his stumbling efforts as he learned. He was self-conscious of how poorly he fit into this world, where everyone around him seemed to excel in one thing or another while he struggled with just about everything.
That he thinks he has a shot of landing a hit says something about his burgeoning confidence. As Annabeth positions herself, so does Wilhelm. He waits for her to make the first move, leaning toward the defensive side of fighting. That was why Kyle offered to teach him in the first place, to prepare him to defend himself.
He blocks her fist, just barely, catching her wrist on his forearm and shoving it aside in a wild maneuver. Before she can close herself off again, he tries to throw a punch at her exposed side.]
That he thinks he has a shot of landing a hit says something about his burgeoning confidence. As Annabeth positions herself, so does Wilhelm. He waits for her to make the first move, leaning toward the defensive side of fighting. That was why Kyle offered to teach him in the first place, to prepare him to defend himself.
He blocks her fist, just barely, catching her wrist on his forearm and shoving it aside in a wild maneuver. Before she can close herself off again, he tries to throw a punch at her exposed side.]
Will gets away with his sneaky vitals check, because Wilhelm is busy admiring his tattoo all over again. He is, in fact, perfectly fine. Only, his arm is a little sore, having been poked with a needle hundreds of times.
"For the better," he agrees. "It...hasn't always been easy."
A vast understatement. He struggled from the very first day, still grieving his brother and cradling a broken heart, suddenly thrown into a world where everything was new and nothing made sense. He'd been haunted by nightmarish entities and possessed by old gods. He'd watched a city engulfed in flames, watched a town burn, and felt the weight of all those ashes that used to be lives. He'd gone mad in the belly of a mountain, scrabbling for survival amid heaps of corpses that he was terrified of joining, decomposing before he was even dead. He'd lost people he'd gotten used to building his day around.
And nevertheless, he's still here.
"But I think it's because I had to fight so hard that I've made it to where I am."
"For the better," he agrees. "It...hasn't always been easy."
A vast understatement. He struggled from the very first day, still grieving his brother and cradling a broken heart, suddenly thrown into a world where everything was new and nothing made sense. He'd been haunted by nightmarish entities and possessed by old gods. He'd watched a city engulfed in flames, watched a town burn, and felt the weight of all those ashes that used to be lives. He'd gone mad in the belly of a mountain, scrabbling for survival amid heaps of corpses that he was terrified of joining, decomposing before he was even dead. He'd lost people he'd gotten used to building his day around.
And nevertheless, he's still here.
"But I think it's because I had to fight so hard that I've made it to where I am."
Catching the flame in his hand again, he fixes his gaze on Sansa, who has appeared at the mouth of the trellis he practices under. Purple flowers hang thickly from the wooden latticework around them — and not one, he'd like to point out, has been singed. He gives her a little grin over the still crackling ball of fire.
"If it makes you feel better, the fire picked me. I didn't really have a choice."
It used to be just one more thing he never asked for but had thrust upon him anyway. It used to terrify him, this power that burned in his bones, that he wished he could carve out of himself. Then, finally, he'd chosen to not let his fear control him anymore.
"If it makes you feel better, the fire picked me. I didn't really have a choice."
It used to be just one more thing he never asked for but had thrust upon him anyway. It used to terrify him, this power that burned in his bones, that he wished he could carve out of himself. Then, finally, he'd chosen to not let his fear control him anymore.
Edited 2024-07-17 02:09 (UTC)
"Then there is something in your nature that leans toward it. I wanted ice. No one wants ice and the chill is something that kills you slower than fire burns. I have never been afraid of fire. It is ice that kills my people in winter and it is ice that I wanted to control. If you control your fear, it can no longer hurt you."
Wilhelm has a little ball of fire in his palm and she draws up a ball of ice, a circular globe of frost that looks innocuous until she flips her hand over and sends it flying in a storm of needles.
"The words of my house are Winter is Coming for a reason, I suppose. How have you been?"
Wilhelm has a little ball of fire in his palm and she draws up a ball of ice, a circular globe of frost that looks innocuous until she flips her hand over and sends it flying in a storm of needles.
"The words of my house are Winter is Coming for a reason, I suppose. How have you been?"
It's a good excuse to get away from the castle for a few days.
Around them stretches a sea of softly rolling grass, broken up by islands of trees and speckled purple, yellow, and orange with wildflowers. Wilhelm scans the landscape for any sign of the wild horses they've been tasked with capturing. Does he know anything about catching and taming horses? Nope, but he's banking on all those years of riding lessons helping him out — or at least insuring him against getting kicked in the head, trampled, and so on.
In the company of Kell, his perennial quest partner, he feels a boost of confidence. They usually manage to pull things off together, with only a measure of chaos along the way. He doesn't know Zoya or Nikolai half as well, but he's heard enough about their exploits in their own world to know that they're more than competent.
"You see anything?" he calls to nobody in particular.
Around them stretches a sea of softly rolling grass, broken up by islands of trees and speckled purple, yellow, and orange with wildflowers. Wilhelm scans the landscape for any sign of the wild horses they've been tasked with capturing. Does he know anything about catching and taming horses? Nope, but he's banking on all those years of riding lessons helping him out — or at least insuring him against getting kicked in the head, trampled, and so on.
In the company of Kell, his perennial quest partner, he feels a boost of confidence. They usually manage to pull things off together, with only a measure of chaos along the way. He doesn't know Zoya or Nikolai half as well, but he's heard enough about their exploits in their own world to know that they're more than competent.
"You see anything?" he calls to nobody in particular.
"Are you asking if we see a horse?" she asks, her voice filled with what those who know her well enough would consider disdain. What she can see is what he can see. Can't he see that?
That's not entirely true anymore, is it? She can see beyond what she used to. If she closes her eyes, perhaps she could smell—
She's not going to sniff the air for horses.
"No." Zoya sighs, wiping her hands together. Best to be a team player. She doesn't particularly want to give Nikolai any excuse to tease her later, and these two have been kind to her. Wiggling her fingers, she focuses on the soft breeze she calls forth. "I think we should head west. There's a disturbance that way."
Something's moving through the air. Not a demon, thankfully. Her demon is standing beside her.
That's not entirely true anymore, is it? She can see beyond what she used to. If she closes her eyes, perhaps she could smell—
She's not going to sniff the air for horses.
"No." Zoya sighs, wiping her hands together. Best to be a team player. She doesn't particularly want to give Nikolai any excuse to tease her later, and these two have been kind to her. Wiggling her fingers, she focuses on the soft breeze she calls forth. "I think we should head west. There's a disturbance that way."
Something's moving through the air. Not a demon, thankfully. Her demon is standing beside her.
Then there is something in your nature that leans toward it. He'd have to turn those words over more when he got the chance. For some reason, Lucifer pops into his mind with a knowing look, all the times the archangel encouraged him to channel his anger into strength. Fire destroys, but some things need to burn down before anything new can take root.
Understanding flashes in his eyes when she speaks of fear. They are the same, in some measure. And when she summons ice to her hand and showers the garden with frozen shards, he snuffs out his fire for a little round of applause. He recalls that as a newbie she'd had a lot of questions, eager to make sense of the strange world she'd been thrown into. It seems like she's doing alright.
"Busy. But busy is good."
If his body keeps moving, it's harder for his mind to sink into brackish thoughts.
"Winter is coming," he repeats, affecting a dramatic tone. "It sounds threatening. I bet your family would be impressed by your ice magic."
Understanding flashes in his eyes when she speaks of fear. They are the same, in some measure. And when she summons ice to her hand and showers the garden with frozen shards, he snuffs out his fire for a little round of applause. He recalls that as a newbie she'd had a lot of questions, eager to make sense of the strange world she'd been thrown into. It seems like she's doing alright.
"Busy. But busy is good."
If his body keeps moving, it's harder for his mind to sink into brackish thoughts.
"Winter is coming," he repeats, affecting a dramatic tone. "It sounds threatening. I bet your family would be impressed by your ice magic."
Sansa laughs in spite of herself and shakes her head. She's always known her house words are a warning and not a boast but the way Wilhelm says it is very dramatic. Not quite as serious as Jon would be, however, and she says as much.
"You should hear my brother say it. He's far more serious than I am if you could possibly imagine. Most noble houses have words that are a boast, something like Ours is the Fury or Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken. Not House Stark. Winter is deadly. My family...my family would be glad I could wield it as a weapon to defend myself."
Sansa misses her family intensely in this moment, misses those that are lost forever and those she's left behind in Westeros. Most of all, she misses Arya. Arya would be proud that she'd finally found a way to use a weapon."
"You should hear my brother say it. He's far more serious than I am if you could possibly imagine. Most noble houses have words that are a boast, something like Ours is the Fury or Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken. Not House Stark. Winter is deadly. My family...my family would be glad I could wield it as a weapon to defend myself."
Sansa misses her family intensely in this moment, misses those that are lost forever and those she's left behind in Westeros. Most of all, she misses Arya. Arya would be proud that she'd finally found a way to use a weapon."
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