Jam's writing attempts

[J. Magi she/her]

Oh boy here we go.

I keep telling myself I shouldn't make this because I haven't finished anything but . . . I think that making a thread will help motivate me to actually write stuff. Not only that but I think encouraging myself to write little bits here and there is better than forcing myself to write big stuff and eventually getting burnt out. 

Um so yeah, Hi! I'm pretty new to writing, but it's something I really enjoy and want to get better at. I finished two short stories so far, one in middle school that was . . . good for middle school maybe, but definitely still written by a middle schooler, and one I wrote last year that is an absolute hot mess. 

Like I said I don't have anything finished so um. yeah.

(TW: Implied violence and blood)

This is a page of a thing I started and may or may not finish we'll see:

Spoiler

It continued to slither on behind Nina as she ran. Its movements made it seem slower than it really was, she noticed, as it started to catch up despite its ponderous form. The black, obsidian like appearance of its skin stood out against the snow, like an ink spill on a new sheet of paper. 

Nina shifted Marco up again. She had him on her back to make running easier, but he was still much heavier than what she was used to carrying. His blood was trickling down onto her shirt, and an occasional ruby-like drop fell down into the snow. Nina was almost sure he was dead by now. He had been critically wounded an hour ago, and she had been running ever since. Not that it mattered.

It would, most likely, catch up. 

Nina wasn’t exhausted yet, but she would be eventually. The nearest settlement was too far for her to realistically reach. The blackness would inevitably swallow them both, so perhaps it was a blessing that Marco was already gone.

Even still, she kept running. 

The large trees on either side framed her half-hearted escape. Their ancient roots bid her to stop and lie down with them. They had rested here for millenia, and she could join them--would join them. Why struggle, why run? 

She crashed through some taller grass-- long thin white strands that poked up, seeking sunlight. Small insects fled from the leaves and moss of the frosted undergrowth that partnered the snow; they ran with Nina. 

Dark tentacles began to advance on either side, twisting in between trunks to get closer.

Marco felt heavier every minute, and she felt her jog start to slow. She wheezed with every breath, drowning in cold air. 

Nina burst into a small clearing, the bleached plants pulled away to reveal the dark gray sky. The sun had set some time ago, but even the oncoming shadows of night couldn’t rival its blackness. 

A boulder sat on the clearings right side, and Nina slid to a stop behind it. If there was anywhere to stop and hide, it would be here. Maybe she could hide Marco and It wouldn’t find him. It would take her, and when--if he woke up, he could get away. 

Nina let his body slide off her back, trying to be gentle. Her rattling breaths seemed to be deafening in the silent dusk forest. She felt as though countless uncaring eyes watched from the shadowy trees, knowing what would happen and not doing anything to stop it anyway. Maybe it was just her mind. Even an impartial spectator seemed better than facing the ever creeping darkness alone. 

It stayed on the clearings edge, shifting and moving here and there. Its mass fell in waves, breaking against the trees like a sea of darkness on sharp, white rocks.

Nina setted Marco down behind the rock, trying to push him into the bone-like underbrush so he couldn’t be seen. Anxiety for what would happen next bit at her heart, and for a moment she considered hiding as well. But no, it knew she had run here, it wouldn’t just give up and leave. Would it?

The frothy, agitated form of darkness started to seep past the trees. 

Shaking only a little, Nina climbed up to the top of the rock. She thought higher ground would give her a slight advantage--she would take anything she could get.

It crept closer.

I have done a little editing on it, but not a lot so things may be redundant or weird sounding. 

There's also this:

Spoiler

Niya sat at her window, looking down at the world. A city sprawled out before her, windows shining with light like the stars above them. If she squinted hard enough, she could imagine the city was the sky’s reflection. Like a peaceful lake, full of starlight. Much better than the dirty streets and red stained buildings. It was easy to imagine, at this hour of the night, when the traffic was so low. Still present of course, Maedrid never fully slept, but it was much quieter than during the day.

Niya had never been to a lake, but she had seen photographs. Jenner always brought her photographs when he came back from a campaign. After all, it’s rather difficult to see the world when one is busy being “The Proper Representation of a Young Lady Fully Blooming Under the Wing of High Society.” 

She continued to gaze out the window, some buildings were so small from up here they looked like toys. High society indeed.

There was a knock at the door, which startled Niya, if only because she thought everyone was asleep at this hour. 

She got up from the window seat and crossed her obnoxiously spacious room, grabbing her dressing gown on the way. “A Young Lady Did Not Answer the Door In Naught But her Nightgown,” Gertrin was fond of saying.

Niya finished pulling the robe on as she got to the door. Which was much too large and far too fancy for a bedroom. You would think, from the obscene size of them, they were gates to a castle or something. With great effort, she pulled the door open, because of course it had been made of the finest, thickest, heaviest wood in the realm.

Helmest was on the other side, covered in blood. His usually perfectly styled hair ever so slightly mangled. 

Niya thought a Proper Young Lady would probably scream at such a sight, but this was rather common for Helmest. 

“You should be asleep this hour,” he said, voice monotone as he moved into the room. 

Niya smirked, “And yet you knew I’d be awake.”

He wiped a hand across his face, probably trying to clean off some of the blood, but he only managed to make the smudges worse. 

“Just because you are awake doesn’t mean you should be.” He settled in an armchair near the window, but he did not look out.

“As your older brother, it’s my duty to lecture you about it, Gertrin is always saying.”

Niya settled back into the window seat. 

“As my older brother, you ought to tell me whose blood that is, unless . . .” She raised an eyebrow, “It’s yours?”

“No, not mine,”

It never was.

“So, the first challenger has come and gone, may I ask who I won’t be seeing at the balls anymore?”

“Ere Vun Tiren,” Helmest replied, his gaze distant.

She felt a weight settle in her heart, not grief, more like disappointment. She used to tell herself Helmest would learn, that he would see more ways to settle disputes then death. 

But he was Helmest, and Helmest never changed.

It has been and will stay completely and utterly abandoned because I've completely changed Niya's backstory . . . so yep. Also I feel like things are a bit melodramatic but that might just be me? And yeah there's no explanation why Helmest is meeting 'challengers' but once again this story has completely changed so . . . I'll explain if you want me too, but it's not super important. I did write this a little while ago, which means the writing might be a little rougher. 

That's all I got for now (that I feel like sharing at least). I hope I can share stuff here in the future, and maybe eventually actually finish something . . . lol

Edited February 29 by justice magician

[Edema Rue she/her]

Yay words!! I enjoyed them, I'm excited to see what else you write, and if you need motivation...I can poke you with a writing stick!!

[J. Magi she/her]

36 minutes ago, Edema Rue said:

Yay words!! I enjoyed them, I'm excited to see what else you write, and if you need motivation...I can poke you with a writing stick!!

Thanks! I would appreciate the poking lol

[Edema Rue she/her]

*adds your name to the list*

[J. Magi she/her]

Just now, Edema Rue said:

*adds your name to the list*

hehe

[RoyalBeeMage he/him]

53 minutes ago, Edema Rue said:

Yay words!! I enjoyed them, I'm excited to see what else you write, and if you need motivation...I can poke you with a writing stick!!

could you add me to the list as well. i think my writing thread is dead. 

7 hours ago, justice magician said:

Oh boy here we go.

I keep telling myself I shouldn't make this because I haven't finished anything but . . . I think that making a thread will help motivate me to actually write stuff. Not only that but I think encouraging myself to write little bits here and there is better than forcing myself to write big stuff and eventually getting burnt out. 

Um so yeah, Hi! I'm pretty new to writing, but it's something I really enjoy and want to get better at. I finished two short stories so far, one in middle school that was . . . good for middle school maybe, but definitely still written by a middle schooler, and one I wrote last year that is an absolute hot mess. 

Like I said I don't have anything finished so um. yeah.

(TW: Implied violence and blood)

This is a page of a thing I started and may or may not finish we'll see:

  Reveal hidden contents

It continued to slither on behind Nina as she ran. Its movements made it seem slower than it really was, she noticed, as it started to catch up despite its ponderous form. The black, obsidian like appearance of its skin stood out against the snow, like an ink spill on a new sheet of paper. 

Nina shifted Marco up again. She had him on her back to make running easier, but he was still much heavier than what she was used to carrying. His blood was trickling down onto her shirt, and an occasional ruby-like drop fell down into the snow. Nina was almost sure he was dead by now. He had been critically wounded an hour ago, and she had been running ever since. Not that it mattered.

It would, most likely, catch up. 

Nina wasn’t exhausted yet, but she would be eventually. The nearest settlement was too far for her to realistically reach. The blackness would inevitably swallow them both, so perhaps it was a blessing that Marco was already gone.

Even still, she kept running. 

The large trees on either side framed her half-hearted escape. Their ancient roots bid her to stop and lie down with them. They had rested here for millenia, and she could join them--would join them. Why struggle, why run? 

She crashed through some taller grass-- long thin white strands that poked up, seeking sunlight. Small insects fled from the leaves and moss of the frosted undergrowth that partnered the snow; they ran with Nina. 

Dark tentacles began to advance on either side, twisting in between trunks to get closer.

Marco felt heavier every minute, and she felt her jog start to slow. She wheezed with every breath, drowning in cold air. 

Nina burst into a small clearing, the bleached plants pulled away to reveal the dark gray sky. The sun had set some time ago, but even the oncoming shadows of night couldn’t rival its blackness. 

A boulder sat on the clearings right side, and Nina slid to a stop behind it. If there was anywhere to stop and hide, it would be here. Maybe she could hide Marco and It wouldn’t find him. It would take her, and when--if he woke up, he could get away. 

Nina let his body slide off her back, trying to be gentle. Her rattling breaths seemed to be deafening in the silent dusk forest. She felt as though countless uncaring eyes watched from the shadowy trees, knowing what would happen and not doing anything to stop it anyway. Maybe it was just her mind. Even an impartial spectator seemed better than facing the ever creeping darkness alone. 

It stayed on the clearings edge, shifting and moving here and there. Its mass fell in waves, breaking against the trees like a sea of darkness on sharp, white rocks.

Nina setted Marco down behind the rock, trying to push him into the bone-like underbrush so he couldn’t be seen. Anxiety for what would happen next bit at her heart, and for a moment she considered hiding as well. But no, it knew she had run here, it wouldn’t just give up and leave. Would it?

The frothy, agitated form of darkness started to seep past the trees. 

Shaking only a little, Nina climbed up to the top of the rock. She thought higher ground would give her a slight advantage--she would take anything she could get.

It crept closer.

I have done a little editing on it, but not a lot so things may be redundant or weird sounding. 

There's also this:

  Reveal hidden contents

Niya sat at her window, looking down at the world. A city sprawled out before her, windows shining with light like the stars above them. If she squinted hard enough, she could imagine the city was the sky’s reflection. Like a peaceful lake, full of starlight. Much better than the dirty streets and red stained buildings. It was easy to imagine, at this hour of the night, when the traffic was so low. Still present of course, Maedrid never fully slept, but it was much quieter than during the day.

Niya had never been to a lake, but she had seen photographs. Jenner always brought her photographs when he came back from a campaign. After all, it’s rather difficult to see the world when one is busy being “The Proper Representation of a Young Lady Fully Blooming Under the Wing of High Society.” 

She continued to gaze out the window, some buildings were so small from up here they looked like toys. High society indeed.

There was a knock at the door, which startled Niya, if only because she thought everyone was asleep at this hour. 

She got up from the window seat and crossed her obnoxiously spacious room, grabbing her dressing gown on the way. “A Young Lady Did Not Answer the Door In Naught But her Nightgown,” Gertrin was fond of saying.

Niya finished pulling the robe on as she got to the door. Which was much too large and far too fancy for a bedroom. You would think, from the obscene size of them, they were gates to a castle or something. With great effort, she pulled the door open, because of course it had been made of the finest, thickest, heaviest wood in the realm.

Helmest was on the other side, covered in blood. His usually perfectly styled hair ever so slightly mangled. 

Niya thought a Proper Young Lady would probably scream at such a sight, but this was rather common for Helmest. 

“You should be asleep this hour,” he said, voice monotone as he moved into the room. 

Niya smirked, “And yet you knew I’d be awake.”

He wiped a hand across his face, probably trying to clean off some of the blood, but he only managed to make the smudges worse. 

“Just because you are awake doesn’t mean you should be.” He settled in an armchair near the window, but he did not look out.

“As your older brother, it’s my duty to lecture you about it, Gertrin is always saying.”

Niya settled back into the window seat. 

“As my older brother, you ought to tell me whose blood that is, unless . . .” She raised an eyebrow, “It’s yours?”

“No, not mine,”

It never was.

“So, the first challenger has come and gone, may I ask who I won’t be seeing at the balls anymore?”

“Ere Vun Tiren,” Helmest replied, his gaze distant.

She felt a weight settle in her heart, not grief, more like disappointment. She used to tell herself Helmest would learn, that he would see more ways to settle disputes then death. 

But he was Helmest, and Helmest never changed.

It has been and will stay completely and utterly abandoned because I've completely changed Niya's backstory . . . so yep. Also I feel like things are a bit melodramatic but that might just be me? And yeah there's no explanation why Helmest is meeting 'challengers' but once again this story has completely changed so . . . I'll explain if you want me too, but it's not super important. I did write this a little while ago, which means the writing might be a little rougher. 

That's all I got for now (that I feel like sharing at least). I hope I can share stuff here in the future, and maybe eventually actually finish something . . . lol

i enjoyed these shorts? words? not sure what to call them

[J. Magi she/her]

16 hours ago, RoyalBeeMage said:

could you add me to the list as well. i think my writing thread is dead. 

i enjoyed these shorts? words? not sure what to call them

They're a page-ish of short story's I haven't (or wont) finish. I haven't really finished anything I'm proud of yet, but the plan is to put it here when I do. I just wanted to throw some examples of my writing here while I try and finish something. I think just having a thread for it will motivate me to do it more (if that makes sense). But I guess it is kinda of odd to read a few paragraphs of a story and then have it just stop at a random place lol.

Edited March 1 by justice magician

[J. Magi she/her]

The first story (which I'm now calling Demons of El) continued:

(TW: More violence, mild blood, and disturbing monster description)

Spoiler

She pulled her pistol out of her belt. She only had three silver shots left--not nearly enough to take a beast of this size down. Normal bullets wouldn’t pierce its darkness. 

Marco stirred a little in his hiding place, making shrubs rustle, as if fighting to wake up and help. 

The dark tendrils had moved into the clearing now, and without the trees Nina could see its form better. It was a large, oil-like mass, with animal-like limbs protruding here and there. It clawed through the snow on dozens of limbs. Some say the creatures mimicked forest life, in an attempt to blend in. It failed quite spectacularly. 

She cocked her gun, waiting as it got closer. 

From here she could see its eyes. They weren’t set on its face, but instead marbled into its sides. Iris’s of electric green stared out unseeingly. Indeed, it didn’t actually have a face at all. A mass at the front of its body mimicked a neck stub, but didn’t dare create a face. The Demons of El were forbidden faces. 

Nina fired a shot at one of the larger eyes. The sound of it rang through the clearing, criminally breaking the silence. 

The eye sunk into its form, pushed by the bullet. A small line of steam rose off the hole, as the silver started to work, dissolving the creature from the inside. It was an effective way of killing them, if you had a full battalion with loaded guns. 

The creature didn’t react to the shot, almost as if it hadn’t noticed. Instead it slowly circled around her rock, blocking escape on all sides. One of its limbs passed worryingly close to Marco, but it didn’t find him. 

Two shots left. 

She took the second one at another eye; Aiming got easier as it got closer. The sound seemed less disruptive this time. The forest now watched the ‘battle’ eagerly, as it had others time and time again. 

A mouth wider then she was tall gaped open on its left ‘shoulder’ as it crept up to the rock. 

Nina fired her last shot up into its mouth, hoping it’d do more damage, but knowing it wouldn’t stop the beast. 

It leaned over her, long thin teeth framing her sight like the bars of a jail cell. She heard feet running towards her, and idly wondered if Marco had woken. 

A sharp, bright light cut through the darkness, radiating heat. It blinded Nina for a moment, before fading away. 

A cloaked figure slid to a stop in the snow, a few feet over from her rock, sword in hand. 

The creature groaned from several mouths and fell backwards. A large hissing cut stretched across its side, the black form beginning to collapse in on itself in a few places. Nina stumbled back too, a little shocked, still gripping the empty pistol. 

It started to stand again, its movements no longer smooth. On shaky legs it wobbled over to the new figure--a tall man wearing thick travelers clothes--forgetting about Nina.

She took the opportunity to slide down the rock and check on Marco. She was shaking and panicked, but she’d been given a chance--and she was going to take it. If that person could keep the beast distracted, then maybe they could escape. 

Crunching through dry underbrush, she found him where she’d left him. His breathing had slowed, and the snow around him was stained red. His blond hair stuck to his face with sweat, and his glasses sat askew. 

Nina pulled her coat off and started ripping the fabric in strips to use as makeshift bandages. Hoping it wasn’t too late, she started to bandage him up. They were still so far away from civilization, getting him to a doctor in time didn’t seem likely. Not to mention their new ‘friend.’ He had hurt the creature, true, but that didn’t mean he was going to help them. 

Everyone told stories about the wild men that lived alone in the woods; bandits and thieves that preyed on travelers and small villages. Nina was aware that many of the rumors she’d heard were blown out of proportion, but they had to come from somewhere. 

Finishing up the bandages, she peaked out from behind the rock. If it was still distracted then she’d sneak away. 

The figure stood alone in the snow. A black mass lay on the ground, hissing and dissolving into a semi-transparent liquid. It was dead. He’d killed it alone. 

He was wiping black goo off of his longsword, and watching her rock from where he stood. 

“Come on out then, it’s dead now,” He called with a rough but reserved voice. He didn’t sound at all winded from the fight.

Nina jumped a little at being addressed, once again reminded of bandit attack stories. She was unarmed now, and probably couldn’t fight someone who so easily killed monsters anyway. She started to pick up Marco, planning to run, but as she turned the man was standing right behind her.

“Oh, you're not alone.”

He kneeled and started to check him over, adjusting the bandages. 

(It's still not done yet . . . I thought it'd be fun to share the progress).

Yeah I'm just kind of messing around with characters I've already made . . . I hope it isn't boring. I also haven't gone back and edited this new bit as much, so it might be clunkier. I'm aware it's not the most original thing in the world but I'm having fun so . . . whatever lol. 

Edited March 1 by justice magician

[Edema Rue she/her]

*pokes with a writing stick*

I wants moreeeeeeee

[J. Magi she/her]

1 hour ago, Edema Rue said:

*pokes with a writing stick*

I wants moreeeeeeee

lols

The ACT's next week so I'm --trying-- to spend my free time on studying for now, but we'll see how it goes. 

[Edema Rue she/her]

1 hour ago, justice magician said:

lols

The ACT's next week so I'm --trying-- to spend my free time on studying for now, but we'll see how it goes. 

Oop wait studying is important, do that  

[J. Magi she/her]

6 minutes ago, Edema Rue said:

Oop wait studying is important, do that  

heh yeah we'll see if I can will myself to do any

[J. Magi she/her]

More Demons of El:

[TW: Mild Blood]

Spoiler

Nina could see him clearly now, despite the dusk shadows. He wore plain clothes thick against the cold. His hood was pulled down to reveal . . . more fabric.

His face and neck were completely wrapped in white strips of fabric. There was only one gap, for his right eye, which shone a bright green-blue color. A darker scarf was wrapped around his head, and a long black braid flowed out from under it. 

Nina had never seen someone dress that way. Face coverings were common on El, as it kept demons from finding you. Nina and Marcos masks had both been lost in the monster's initial attack. 

But it looked more like this man was wearing bandages. Was he diseased? Nina felt the urge to run, but she couldn’t because he was in between her and Marco. 

“Mr. Leal, can I come out now?” A small voice asked from inside the nearby bushes. 

“Sure,” The man--Leal replied. “It’s dead now.” 

A little girl came running out of the brush, making Nina jump. She was a cute little thing with Vernese red hair and eyes. She ran over to Leal and looked curiously at Marco.

“Does he like raspberry jam?” She asked. 

Before Leal could answer, the girl had moved on to staring at Nina. 

“You're pretty!” She said with a smile. 

“Your first aid is pretty good, but we need to get your friend to a doctor,” Leal commented, rising. 

Nina stared at them both.

“Who are you . . . people?!” She said--it came out much louder than she meant.

“I’m Jo!” The girl exclaimed. “And this is Leal, he looks super weird but he’s nice, don’t worry.”

“I . . . okay.” Nina mumbled, feeling a little deflated. She had still been tense with anxiety from her run, but now the adrenaline was wearing off. Her limbs felt heavy, and she was suddenly aware of the few scrapes and cuts she had gotten herself. 

Trusting some random strangers probably wasn’t the best idea, but she didn’t have much of a choice. They certainly weren’t the scariest thing she’d faced that day. 

“Don’t worry,” Leal said, as he easily picked Marco up. “We’ll get you both to some help.”

Jo ran into the trees and came back with a white and brown spotted horse. Leal gently settled Marco, who was still unconscious, into the saddle. 

“There’s a small homestead a few miles from here,” he remarked, “I know the folks that own the place so I’m sure they’d be willing to help.”

Nina nodded dumbly, “T-thanks.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Jo said warmly, taking Nina’s hand. “Hey you’ve got jam on your face too!” 

Leal turned to study Nina. “Are you hurt too?” 

“N-not badly, I can still walk.”

“Alright then.” He began leading the horse forward by its reins. “If we hurry we can get there by dawn.”

-----------

 

(Also I recently noticed that the opening scene of this is just me subconsciously rewriting the first episode of demon slayer but whatever)

Edited March 14 by justice magician

[RoyalBeeMage he/him]

18 hours ago, justice magician said:

More Demons of El:

[TW: Mild Blood]

  Hide contents

Nina could see him clearly now, despite the dusk shadows. He wore plain clothes thick against the cold. His hood was pulled down to reveal . . . more fabric.

His face and neck were completely wrapped in white strips of fabric. There was only one gap, for his right eye, which shone a bright green-blue color. A darker scarf was wrapped around his head, and a long black braid flowed out from under it. 

Nina had never seen someone dress that way. Face coverings were common on El, as it kept demons from finding you. Nina and Marcos masks had both been lost in the monster's initial attack. 

But it looked more like this man was wearing bandages. Was he diseased? Nina felt the urge to run, but she couldn’t because he was in between her and Marco. 

“Mr. Leal, can I come out now?” A small voice asked from inside the nearby bushes. 

“Sure,” The man--Leal replied. “It’s dead now.” 

A little girl came running out of the brush, making Nina jump. She was a cute little thing with Vernese red hair and eyes. She ran over to Leal and looked curiously at Marco.

“Does he like raspberry jam?” She asked. 

Before Leal could answer, the girl had moved on to staring at Nina. 

“You're pretty!” She said with a smile. 

“Your first aid is pretty good, but we need to get your friend to a doctor,” Leal commented, rising. 

Nina stared at them both.

“Who are you . . . people?!” She said--it came out much louder than she meant.

“I’m Jo!” The girl exclaimed. “And this is Leal, he looks super weird but he’s nice, don’t worry.”

“I . . . okay.” Nina mumbled, feeling a little deflated. She had still been tense with anxiety from her run, but now the adrenaline was wearing off. Her limbs felt heavy, and she was suddenly aware of the few scrapes and cuts she had gotten herself. 

Trusting some random strangers probably wasn’t the best idea, but she didn’t have much of a choice. They certainly weren’t the scariest thing she’d faced that day. 

“Don’t worry,” Leal said, as he easily picked Marco up. “We’ll get you both to some help.”

Jo ran into the trees and came back with a white and brown spotted horse. Leal gently settled Marco, who was still unconscious, into the saddle. 

“There’s a small homestead a few miles from here,” he remarked, “I know the folks that own the place so I’m sure they’d be willing to help.”

Nina nodded dumbly, “T-thanks.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Jo said warmly, taking Nina’s hand. “Hey you’ve got jam on your face too!” 

Leal turned to study Nina. “Are you hurt too?” 

“N-not badly, I can still walk.”

“Alright then.” He began leading the horse forward by its reins. “If we hurry we can get there by dawn.”

-----------

 

(Also I recently noticed that the opening scene of this is just me subconsciously rewriting the first episode of demon slayer but whatever)

thats good. i enjoyed that

[J. Magi she/her]

1 hour ago, RoyalBeeMage said:

thats good. i enjoyed that

Thanks! I struggled a bit with the dialogue tags so it seems kinda messy in my eyes

[RoyalBeeMage he/him]

3 minutes ago, justice magician said:

Thanks! I struggled a bit with the dialogue tags so it seems kinda messy in my eyes

dont worry. i strugle just as much. i think i have been desensitised to bad grammar at this point

[J. Magi she/her]

The start of Stormlight fanfic thing for an OC I made that I haven't finished yet: (this is like a first chapter maybe idk)

(I should clarify that it takes place in the time skip between Oathbringer and RoW)

Spoiler

Lu hummed to himself as walked. The barren land on the wayside wasn’t helping his already sour mood, so he hoped humming would raise his spirits. It did not. 

Dry blades of grass slipped below ground as they passed, revealing the muddy path. Everything in the Unclaimed Hills was covered in mud, Lu had found. Everything was brown, too. It made Lu’s cerulean complexion stick out like a lady who didn’t want to be caught wearing the same dress as everyone else. He hoped that whatever beasts lived in the hills wouldn’t eat him first. 

“Would you quit that?” Makilo called from his horse. “It’s annoying.” 

Lu hummed louder.

A few guards in the caravan snickered. Makilo grumbled something about ‘new natanan rabble’ but didn’t press it further. The large Azish man was quite a sight, sitting on a grey horse that looked small in comparison. His bright orange and yellow robes made Lu feel a little better for breaking the brown monochrome. Perhaps the beasts would eat him first. Lu wouldn’t mind.

Genju slid up to the path, forming a little vine as she went. The grass blades didn’t sink down for the small spren, in fact,  they didn’t seem to mind her at all. Lu had sent her to scout out their destination. The sun had begun setting, and it was clear they wouldn’t reach it today. Still, he was curious how much longer they had to go at this.

“It’s about . . . hmmm . . . maybe 10 more Bodoos.” She said as she slid off of the path and curled around his ankle.

“What’s a Bodoo?” Lu asked, taking a break from his vengeful humming. 

“It’s a special measuring device I made just for you! Do you like it?”

“It’s lovely but . . . how big is a Bodoo?” 

Makilo glanced back at Lu, trying not to be obvious about it. He always got curious whenever Lu started to ‘talk to himself’.

“Well,” Genju grew a few leaves in thought, “I don’t know, I made it up.”

“So . . . you don’t know how far we have left to go?”

“Nope!” She exclaimed. “I didn’t like it there Lu . . . I didn't want to go, there were too many people.”

“Wasn’t the whole point of coming to this realm learning about humans and junk?”

“I learned about you,” Genju replied, “That’s more than enough.”

“Right . . .”

Makilo held up his hand, signaling the caravan to stop. “We’ll make camp here for the night.” With another glance at Lu, he got off his horse and moved to help the others set up.

 The main group moved off of the road, and settled their wagons in a circle to its side. The grass politely slid into the ground for them as they did so. Makilo’s guards and other traveling companions laughed and talked as they unpacked food for the night, glad to finally rest. 

Lu crouched down to study the brown grass that fashionably matched the brown mud. He was very good at making himself look busy. But in an instant, Makilo had come up behind him, as always. Genju tightened on Lu's ankle, the large man always made her uncomfortable.

“Are you having a vision?” He asked quietly. 

“Yes,” Lu said flatly, “Tomorrow at sunset a white spine is going to give you a birthday present.”

The large man sighed. “If only you took things seriously Lu, you would have so much potential.”

Not the potential speech again. “Annoying you is far more fun.”

“You're still young,” Makilo said with a smirk, “I understand not wanting to do what you're told . . . Storms, with your whole life ahead of you, you don’t want anyone to hold you back.”

Lu tuned out, fascinated by the grass.

“But someday you’ll come around to understand that I’m giving you a stable future now.”

What beautiful brown blades.

“You can wander around and waste your youth on one thing or another, but one day you’ll realize you passed up the opportunity of a lifetime.”

“Right,” Lu said, poking his finger at the ground and watching the grass retreat.

“So, don’t give me sass when I ask you a genuine question, I’m trying to help fully realize the power inside you.”

“Right.”

Makilo sighed, and shook his head. “You don’t even listen to me anymore, do you?”

“Yup,” Lu said, standing. “But in my defense you always say the same thing.”

“I repeat myself because you don’t listen.”

“And I don’t listen because you repeat yourself,” Lu said as he brushed himself off.

The sound of voices in the background rose as a group of men got a campfire going. The smell of dinner started to waft their way.

“And for the record, I don’t see visions,” Lu muttered as he walked off to the camp fire.

He started humming again, hoping it would make him feel better. It didn’t.

Have I abandoned Demons of El out of boredom? Maybe? We'll see.

Edited April 15 by justice magician

[Wierdo he/him]

On 3/14/2024 at 11:58 AM, justice magician said:

More Demons of El:

[TW: Mild Blood]

  Hide contents

Nina could see him clearly now, despite the dusk shadows. He wore plain clothes thick against the cold. His hood was pulled down to reveal . . . more fabric.

His face and neck were completely wrapped in white strips of fabric. There was only one gap, for his right eye, which shone a bright green-blue color. A darker scarf was wrapped around his head, and a long black braid flowed out from under it. 

Nina had never seen someone dress that way. Face coverings were common on El, as it kept demons from finding you. Nina and Marcos masks had both been lost in the monster's initial attack. 

But it looked more like this man was wearing bandages. Was he diseased? Nina felt the urge to run, but she couldn’t because he was in between her and Marco. 

“Mr. Leal, can I come out now?” A small voice asked from inside the nearby bushes. 

“Sure,” The man--Leal replied. “It’s dead now.” 

A little girl came running out of the brush, making Nina jump. She was a cute little thing with Vernese red hair and eyes. She ran over to Leal and looked curiously at Marco.

“Does he like raspberry jam?” She asked. 

Before Leal could answer, the girl had moved on to staring at Nina. 

“You're pretty!” She said with a smile. 

“Your first aid is pretty good, but we need to get your friend to a doctor,” Leal commented, rising. 

Nina stared at them both.

“Who are you . . . people?!” She said--it came out much louder than she meant.

“I’m Jo!” The girl exclaimed. “And this is Leal, he looks super weird but he’s nice, don’t worry.”

“I . . . okay.” Nina mumbled, feeling a little deflated. She had still been tense with anxiety from her run, but now the adrenaline was wearing off. Her limbs felt heavy, and she was suddenly aware of the few scrapes and cuts she had gotten herself. 

Trusting some random strangers probably wasn’t the best idea, but she didn’t have much of a choice. They certainly weren’t the scariest thing she’d faced that day. 

“Don’t worry,” Leal said, as he easily picked Marco up. “We’ll get you both to some help.”

Jo ran into the trees and came back with a white and brown spotted horse. Leal gently settled Marco, who was still unconscious, into the saddle. 

“There’s a small homestead a few miles from here,” he remarked, “I know the folks that own the place so I’m sure they’d be willing to help.”

Nina nodded dumbly, “T-thanks.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Jo said warmly, taking Nina’s hand. “Hey you’ve got jam on your face too!” 

Leal turned to study Nina. “Are you hurt too?” 

“N-not badly, I can still walk.”

“Alright then.” He began leading the horse forward by its reins. “If we hurry we can get there by dawn.”

-----------

 

(Also I recently noticed that the opening scene of this is just me subconsciously rewriting the first episode of demon slayer but whatever)

You. write more of giyuu ripoff and roleswapped nezuko and tanjiro.

[J. Magi she/her]

29 minutes ago, Wierdo said:

You. write more of giyuu ripoff and roleswapped nezuko and tanjiro.

Lol . . .

[Wierdo he/him]

1 minute ago, justice magician said:

Lol . . .

[J. Magi she/her]

26 minutes ago, Wierdo said:

I just think the comparison between my characters and demon slayer characters is really funny . . .

I'm still kind shocked the similarity did not occur to me at all while I was writing it lol. In my defense, Leal and Giyuu aren't that similar (she says, in denial)

[Wierdo he/him]

1 minute ago, justice magician said:

I just think the comparison between my characters and demon slayer characters is really funny . . .

I'm still kind shocked the similarity did not occur to me at all while I was writing it lol. In my defense, Leal and Giyuu aren't that similar (she says, in denial)

i'm just waitig for orokodaki lol

[J. Magi she/her]

1 minute ago, Wierdo said:

i'm just waitig for orokodaki lol

LOL

not there being a character that absolutely fits that role . . .

Edited May 8 by justice magician

[Wittles he/him]

I haven't noticed this thread before somehow which is rude of...something Idk

On 3/14/2024 at 9:58 AM, justice magician said:

(Also I recently noticed that the opening scene of this is just me subconsciously rewriting the first episode of demon slayer but whatever)

I totally noticed that, and it still works great

[J. Magi she/her]

3 minutes ago, Wittles said:

I haven't noticed this thread before somehow which is rude of...something Idk

Lol it's my secret thread for my brain rot

3 minutes ago, Wittles said:

I totally noticed that, and it still works great

haha, I'm glad you think so . . . I'll admit it kinda put me off finishing it, I guess I want to be a little more original.

Edited May 8 by justice magician