8061 réponses à ce sujet

[Nonvita]

soignee wrote...

Aaaaaaa I forgot to say how much I lurve this! LURVE, I SAY.

[payroo]

Yaaaaayyyy Mina! I want to print out your submission on a nice matte cardstock and hang it on my wall

...btw, jenovan, after reading your latest Knot I think I may suspect why you chose 'Hair' as this week's prompt...

(and another btw, I still owe you last week's priiiize! D: no hurry on sending me the ref, but I will be going on a trip in about a week or now.)

[jenovan]

payroo wrote...
...btw, jenovan, after reading your latest Knot I think I may suspect why you chose 'Hair' as this week's prompt...

(and another btw, I still owe you last week's priiiize! D: no hurry on sending me the ref, but I will be going on a trip in about a week or now.)

Yep, you got me. :<  (Tho next knot we'll see Zev doing something about it... )
(omg going to go message you now, I scanned it last night and forgot about it. It's been a rough week.)

[Minaleth]

Ooooo, thank you jen!



Thank you everyone, I'm glad you enjoyed my little experiment. All the entries were wonderful :3

@payroo nice idea, I love paper, prints and smell of books.



I'll think of new prompt as soon as I overcome my zombie state and get some sleep.



Yay for Zevran prompts!

[payroo]

the priiiiiiiiiiiize for jeno!



(I can't tell you how sad I felt drawing Alessar with short hair! *^*)

Modifié par payroo, 21 août 2010 - 06:22 .

[maradeux]

payroo wrote...

the priiiiiiiiiiiize for jeno!



(I can't tell you how sad I felt drawing Alessar with short hair! *^*)

Yes - but now you can be proud to be the first one who did it.
The hair will grow again and I hope, he will soon be happy again. Beautiful picture, beautiful couple. <3

Modifié par maradeux, 21 août 2010 - 06:56 .

[Korina1982]

Been busy the last few days. Catching up...

@soignee: That wallpaper is awesome!

@mina: Congrats! I love the haiku & picture together. Less is definitely more in this case.

@jenovan: new knot =

@payroo: beautiful picture!

All you artists seriously make me wish I could draw.

[jenovan]

payroo wrote...

(I can't tell you how sad I felt drawing Alessar with short hair! *^*)

Aww, but you made it look good!   (better than it can in-game, bleh.)
Lovely, squeeful picture, thanks so much!


@Korina, it does seem to have that effect on people   Thanks for reading!

[Minaleth]

Prompt: Antivan Leather  
Zevran elaborates on his thing for leather. Maybe he was with Warden at market and saw something nice, or the Warden just asked and Zevran instructs how to appreciate the smell. It might be about boots, gloves, armor ... or something completely different.

Time: 1 hour
Due: Thursday (August 26) 23:59 GMT+1, I'll choose the winner at Friday
Prize: A picture (that can be basically anything, but I suck at backgrounds, so no bg probably)
 

Modifié par Minaleth, 22 août 2010 - 04:36 .

[Remmirath]

Ah, interesting. I shall have to try to do something for this. Now I just have to decide whether to draw or write...

Note to self: Check thread more often. Now to attempt catching up...  

@maradeux - Thanks! I like that last thing you wrote, by the way. You're good with descriptions.

@soignee - Both versions of that picture are pretty awesome, but I think I like the second one better. I guess I'm just a sucker for blood and red backgrounds and such.

@Minaleth - Congratulations! 

@jenovan - I really like your writing, and that last chapter is no exception. And I agree with the general feeling.

@payroo - I like your art. You're really good with expressions.

[maradeux]

Minaleth wrote...



Prompt: Antivan Leather  
Zevran elaborates on his thing for leather. Maybe he was with Warden at market and saw something nice, or the Warden just asked and Zevran instructs how to appreciate the smell. It might be about boots, gloves, armor ... or something completely different.

Time: 1 hour
Due: Thursday (August 26) 23:59 GMT+1, I'll choose the winner at Friday
Prize: A picture (that can be basically anything, but I suck at backgrounds, so no bg probably)
 

Wow! I love the banner, Mina! <3

Alright  - that's not really original (and this time nobody helped me with the translation ), but it was the first thing that came to my mind when I read your prompt - and here it is...
_________________________________________________

The Smell of Death

What's that smell? Basically disgusting, pungent, causing tears and nausea. And yet ... fascinating. Zevran crept out of the house. He was a good student, especially in these things ... Hiding in the shadows. No newcomer who had yet to learn to put his steps carefully. His feet took instinctively the best path. His slim figure melted into the shadows. It was only a few weeks ago that he had been sold. And he had already become a model student, better than many of the older Crowlings.

Yesterday they brought him into the new accommodation, better than the first: He had his own bed here. The training was hard, but he trained with nine year olds, even though only seven. And now he had sneaked out - in the evening after dinner. It was forbidden to leave the house, but he had to find out where the smell came. He needed to know.

He followed the shadow of the narrow streets until he reached the canal bank. The smell here was so revolting that his stomach turned and he must swallow in order not to vomit. And then he saw it - in the twilight, but still clearly visible for his sharp eyes: frames with stretched animal skins, wood blocks, buckets of stinking liquor, pots with ashes and a number of mysterious tools, as he had never seen before.

His little heart beat up to the throat as he crept closer to look at these mysterious things in more detail. Suddenly he felt a touch on the leg. Startled, he turned and looked into a toothless grin - an old woman, a beggar with a furrowed face, gray scarf and ragged clothes, crouched on the ground. The shock of his own imprudence was profound. He ran and returned at home. Undetected, he thought.

"Where were you?"

The whisper came from the bed above him - Goisar also an elf boy, slightly older and taller than him with black hair and eyes and a scar over his left eyebrow.

"What's that to you?"

Zevran hissed angrily.

"I tell Sergio, if you do not tell me."

Sergio was their coach, Zevran remained silent. Inaudibly he pulled something out of a bundle under his bed: a pair of gloves. His fingers stroked slightly over the fine embroidery. He laid his cheek on the soft leather and fell asleep.

As Zevran awoke the next day, the gloves have vanished. He searched the bed off it, looked under the bed, looked in every corner of the room. He felt a look at the neck, turned around and met Goisars eyes - cold as ice over the cynical crooked mouth. For the first time in his life Zevran felt the deep desire to kill someone ...
__________________________________________

For the German version and any comments about my bad English, please go here.

edit - the formatting again...

Modifié par maradeux, 23 août 2010 - 05:31 .

[Corker]

maradeux wrote...

 For the first time in his life Zevran felt the deep desire to kill someone ...
_________________________________________

Wow, that makes the association... really deeply creepy.  And sad.  *thumbs up*

[Corker]

...a five-page paper, with citations, detailing the hypothetical reconstruction of a 9th century Anglo-Saxon leather strap-on would not actually fulfil the prompt, would it?  Not being Antivan and having taken rather longer than an hour to do.

Dang.  Because I have one of those.  >.>

[soignee]

Corker wrote...

...a five-page paper, with citations, detailing the hypothetical reconstruction of a 9th century Anglo-Saxon leather strap-on would not actually fulfil the prompt, would it?  Not being Antivan and having taken rather longer than an hour to do.

Dang.  Because I have one of those.  >.>

corker this is why I love you.

[payroo]

Yay, banner! It is delightful.

@mara: I really liked this! Poor tiny!Zev... I like how we can see the glimpses of his talent already but also how he hasn't learned how to hide all his emotions and stuff yet.

@corker: can we see it anyway?

Modifié par payroo, 23 août 2010 - 12:10 .

[Corker]

payroo wrote...

@corker: can we see it anyway?

Sure, why not?  While it's not graphic, this is really not appropriate workplace reading.

Let me pretend to be on-topic:  Building the House of Crows, some thoughts on structuring a nation-spanning, noble-controlled, cell-based assassin's guild.  In my opinion, your mileage may vary, no claims to canon or intention on spitting on anyone else's interpretation. 

[Herr Uhl]

Corker wrote...

payroo wrote...

@corker: can we see it anyway?

Sure, why not?  While it's not graphic, this is really not appropriate workplace reading.

*buggers off to read*

It was used just how you'd expect.

Oh?

No, not this particular one.  It's okay to touch it.

Aww.

[Sarah1281]

So it took all freaking day but I FINALLY have inspiration for the prompt!

Now to find the time to write it...

[EccentricSage]

Corker wrote...

...a five-page paper, with citations, detailing the hypothetical reconstruction of a 9th century Anglo-Saxon leather strap-on would not actually fulfil the prompt, would it?  Not being Antivan and having taken rather longer than an hour to do.

Dang.  Because I have one of those.  >.>

LOL  Nice.  You could write something based on it?  XD  He could try to help Leliana with 'girl problems'....

*edit* "Pentitential of Bede (Anglo-Saxon, eighth century, probably not by Bede) gives penance for nuns using one"  Oh... Zevran could have fun with that.

Modifié par EccentricSage, 23 août 2010 - 02:36 .

[payroo]

@corker: Aww, I love historical reconstructions... those riddles should have been in the Gauntlet XD

[Sarah1281]

Minaleth wrote...



Prompt: Antivan Leather  
Zevran elaborates on his thing for leather. Maybe he was with Warden at market and saw something nice, or the Warden just asked and Zevran instructs how to appreciate the smell. It might be about boots, gloves, armor ... or something completely different.

Time: 1 hour
Due: Thursday (August 26) 23:59 GMT+1, I'll choose the winner at Friday
Prize: A picture (that can be basically anything, but I suck at backgrounds, so no bg probably)
 

Zevran Arainai was strolling along the streets of Antiva one last time before he turned in for the night when a store window caught his eye. He really should be getting back soon as he’d have to make an early start the next morning but surely this little detour would not take up much of his time. He allowed his feet to lead him to the window which was displaying a pair of Antivan leather boots. And not just any leather boots, oh no, but some of the finest craftsmanship Zevran had ever seen. Perfect craftsmanship. It was not every day that one came across boots such as these, even in Antiva whose leatherworking was the envy of the rest of the known world.
 
The boots were a rich chocolate color and long enough to go half-way up his calves. They were polished enough to be vaguely shiny and there were two buckles on each boot to allow the shoe to both stay on and to be moderately adjustable. Not to mention the leather…Zevran could practically smell the fine leather from out here. Correction, he did smell leather out here, just not the leather from the boots he was observing. He could just imagine how they would feel in his hands, as soft and smooth as butter…
 
It was hardly a secret that Zevran had something of a leather fetish. Those who did not know him as well – or knew him far too well – assumed that this was a euphemism of some kind and thought it was kinky but that was hardly the case. Well, okay, that may have technically been true as well but that actually wasn’t why he was so drawn to the leather. He loved the sight of it, he loved the feel of it, and most of all he loved the smell of it although that was a bit of an aberration within the Crows. The youngest Crow recruits had long-since been packed tightly like crates in a building full of tiny apartments near Antiva City's leather-making district.
 
Day in and day out they smelled leather during their every waking moment and sometimes in their dreams. The humans felt the need to complain about it constantly despite the fact that their sense of smell was inferior to his own. Zevran really didn’t see why, though. To him, the scent of leather reminded him of home. The scent of leather was home. And now he was going to be leaving his home for the first time to go to the wet dog country of Ferelden to try and bring down the only two known Grey Wardens in Ferelden during what may very well be a Blight on behalf of the Queen Consort’s regent father. He almost missed the smell already.
 
A quick glance at the price tag revealed that those fine leather boots would cost him three sovereign. As it happened, Zevran had exactly three sovereign, two silver, and fourteen bits. That wasn’t a lot, he knew, but it had taken him ages to save up considering how the Crows felt about their assassins having their own currency. A reason for it to be looked down upon had never been explicitly spelled out but Zevran wasn’t stupid and he was hardly blind anymore. They didn’t want any of the Crows to have ideas about seeking freedom or being more important than they actually were. It was hard not to feel more important than he was considering that to the Crows he was utterly worthless. Just like Rinna…
 
No, he was not going there. It had been a mistake, and a painful one at that, but dwelling would not do anything to change the past and he couldn’t afford to be so distracted. Better to focus on the leather. It looked great in the store window and would look even better on his feet. Three sovereign might be a bargain for a half-starved little elven boy but it was a bit pricey for a pair of shoes. The Crows would also not be pleased to learn that he had purchased something like that but then he was about to leave Antiva and while it would not surprise him in the slightest to discover that there were still watching eyes in Ferelden the scrutiny could not possible be anywhere near as close. They wouldn’t ever find out about it until he came back. If…
 
Zevran took out his coin purse and shifted it from hand to hand, trying to make up his mind. On the one hand, it was a frivolous purchase that he really didn’t need and could get him into trouble. On the other hand, he was leaving anyway and what else did he really have to spend the money on? All his physical wants and needs were readily provided by the Crows. He could go and buy the boots right now and take them to Ferelden with him to remind him of the home that he may very well never see again. He took a step in the direction of the store before another thought occurred to him.
 
What if he actually succeeded and, by doing so, failed? What if he really could take down the two Wardens? He would have to return to Antiva as the Crows would never let him leave and he had already been surprised that he had been allowed to take this contract. There would never be a better opportunity for him to…fail to return. He had to face that possibility and it wouldn’t be easy. He might never find a way out and have to continue to live with Taliesin, and Rinna, and worthlessness.
 
He abruptly turned away from the boots and headed back to his apartment.
 
He could buy them should he return as a reward for a job well done. Maker knew he’d need something to come back to.

Modifié par Sarah1281, 23 août 2010 - 04:54 .

[Corker]

Minaleth wrote...

Prompt: Antivan Leather  
Zevran elaborates on his thing for leather. Maybe he was with Warden at market and saw something nice, or the Warden just asked and Zevran instructs how to appreciate the smell. It might be about boots, gloves, armor ... or something completely different.

 

So I once again fail at filling the actual prompt ("Zevran elaborates on his thing for leather") but I had this idea about the Antivan leather boots and it just wouldn't let go, so...  50 minutes.

Haven

Something was rotten in the village of Haven, and Elizabeth Cousland was determined to find out what.  Zevran and Alistair peppered the local merchant with various inane questions, putting on quite the show of feigned idiocy, while Eliza deftly worked the lock on the large iron chest.  Maybe they were smuggling lyrium out of the mountains, or...

She felt a latch tip over and the lid was suddenly loose.  With a quick look to make sure Alistair's broad shoulders were still between her and the merchant, she cracked the lid a hair.  Light danced on small, glittering beads and the smell of leather escaped.  What...?  Valuable beaded leather... without thinking, Eliza yanked the lid fully up.

"Hey!" the shopkeeper protested.  "How did you - those aren't for sale!"

A pair of doehide boots, the finest, softest leather out of Antiva, covered almost entirely in elaborate, exquisite beadwork.  Gold, silver, gemstones and even lyrium danced in geometric and foliate patterns, a mosaic in minature.  It was some of the most remarkable craftsmanship Eliza had ever seen.  "Where did you get these?" she asked softly, not turning around.  The tone of her voice made Alistair and Zevran both break off their prattling.

"They are not for sale," the merchant repeated.  "Please do not touch them!  Put those down, ser!  They are worth a small fortune, and I am holding them for - "

"They are worth a small fortune," Eliza agreed, turning.  "They were especially commissioned for the marriage of an Antivan noblewoman to the future teyrn of Highever.  I will be taking them now.  You may have in exchange the gratitude of the Couslands, or our blade."

"They are for the holy Father!" the merchant howled, producing a knife from beneath his counter.  Crow dagger and Warden longsword finished him before the Cousland blade could even be brought to play.

Castle Redcliffe

"Zev."  He looked up, and she was already in the doorway.  His smile died on his lips as he saw her face - she had not looked so stricken since the Lady Isolde had died.  So he only nodded in greeting.  "Your wish?"

"I want you to have these."  She lifted those marvelous boots from her side and held them out to him.  "You said you wanted a pair."

"I... what?  But... these were your sister's, were they not?  My dear Warden, I could hardly accept - "

"Take the boots, Zev.  Please.  They won't do anyone any good sitting in my pack.  Might as well find them a good home."

He almost argued.  Why shouldn't she wear them, after all?  Would not that be the best place for them, upon her feet?  But she looked so... worn, and unhappy, that he simply nodded.  "May I, then, ask what prompts this generous gift?"

"I just said," she said through her teeth, "I want them to get some use."

He knew, suddenly and with certainty, that there was something else to it.  Unaccountably, he remembered pressing one of his fine daggers into Taliesin's hand, joking that it would have to give him much-needed help until Zevran returned from Ferelden. 

He took the boots with one hand and caught her wrist with the other.  "Warden?" he asked, amber eyes searching her dark ones.

She looked down at the floor.  "Good night, Zev," she said quietly. Firmly but gently, she removed his hand and stepped back, disappearing into the darkened hallway.

[Corker]

@Sarah, omg, Bingo! I always wondered about that: Why does he tell the Warden he intended to buy them upon his return if he never intended to return? That's the perfect answer!

[Sarah1281]

@Corker: Aw, that was so sad...I do wonder how they came to be in Haven in the first place.

[Sarah1281]

Corker wrote...

@Sarah, omg, Bingo! I always wondered about that: Why does he tell the Warden he intended to buy them upon his return if he never intended to return? That's the perfect answer!

I'm glad you liked it.