Dutyxbound - Jade Claymore - Tumblr Blog

Happy New Year, y’all. Sincerely hoping for a magical year for all of you.

Jade’s eyes open despite Kit’s request that she rest. She tilts her head upward and quickly grabs the princess’ jaw. She lowers her lover’s head, so that they’re looking eye-to-eye with one another. She wants to be sure Kit takes in what she’s about to say. “Your mother loves you, even if she hasn’t been the best at showing it. I know it. She ordered me to drag you home if I had to, because she can’t bear to lose you,” she states as truth. No room for anything else. Jade knows these things to be absolute fact even if Kit doesn’t see or feel it. “And I’m not going to sleep until I know you’re okay. What happened in your dream?”

ㅤㅤㅤfingers continue to toy with red strands, the feel of something jade between digits keeping her grounded. upon the returned question, a shoulder lifts.ㅤ“ㅤi'm not exactly her favourite person,ㅤ”ㅤkit replies, quietly.ㅤ“ㅤi, uh - i had a dream last night.ㅤ”ㅤit's an understatement to say it's put her on edge. it's so easy for doubts to settle in her thoughts.ㅤ“ㅤsorry, didn't mean to keep you awake. rest now, my love.ㅤ”

Is it just me or can we no longer copy and paste into ask boxes?

This is the closest Jade has come to comfortable sleep since the Wildwood. These journeys in the wilderness are much harder to rest through when you know a primordial evil wants to destroy you and your friends. But in Kit’s arms? At least the horrors fade from view for a while until all that seems to exist is her reason for everything: Kit. Eyes closed, arms wrapped around her princess, head on Kit’s chest, she’d so close to rest… but the question nudges her awake. “What? Yes, of course she would have, Kit. Why would you think that?”

ㅤㅤㅤthe silence that surrounds the fellowship sets kit on edge. for so long, she yearned for the quiet. to be able to rest and not worry about the next five minutes, but even with airk back, and their journey coming to a close, kit can't seem to relax. not with more questions than answers being given. sighing deeply, fingers continue to play with @dutyxbound's hair. eyes then find airk's sleeping form.ㅤ“ㅤdo you think the queen would have sent a party if it were me the crone took?ㅤ”

make willow canons & ocs with us.

WHAT IS YOUR TRUE ROLE IN THE STORY ?

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤTHE RISING UNDERDOG

ㅤㅤㅤwhy hello again, dearie, I see you managed to help those frogs those children were kicking, hm? oh how much I can emphasize we are but the ghosts of our childhood passions. and, unsurprising enough, the hero to the trodden little creatures of the earth is now a rising golden savior to the masses. oh love, I said you'd go far, didn't I. for the good always prevail in the end, somehow, they do. you lived a difficult life, I know, but you never let that get you down. you took beatings with a grin, and dished back kindness in return. inequality and injustice made you outraged, and you strove to assist the hurting and abused. oh shining dragon, you are bathed in golden light. please keep being true. you have tasted blood and death, but you refused to force it down the throats of others. and that alone proves there is inchor in your veins, demigod. you will be struggling until the very end, battling for your comrades, your people, and yourself. never lose sight of your goal, my dear. sometimes you needn't have one, except see the good, and protect it. that is all my advice can tell you. I implore, protect the goodness in yourself with everything you have, but never refuse to share it also. young hero, you are growing. you are destined for wonders even I may not live long enough to encounter. keep up the good work, and keep your head held high. you are bound to do the impossible, all because you see the truth. there is good in the world, and it deserves to be found.

ㅤㅤㅤ TAGGEDㅤ:ㅤswiped from @tanthalos. ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ TAGGINGㅤ:ㅤ@blumengeist, @miss-polly, @riiese, @burygods (Scorpia)

#battle gfs

"I'm not excusing it, but we don't even know if Kaz has done anything! They locked him up for the crimes of his entire community. They-" Jade stops, glancing aside. Oh, no. Her breath picks up and, when she realizes it, she swiftly takes control of it. Her voice lowers and her anger deflates, transforms into something worse: disappointment. "They're treating him the way I wanted to treat the Bone Reavers for 'killing' my family." Her mind flashes to her encounter with the phantom Kael in Nockmaar. The ghost of her father. Fingers tangling into her hair, she closes her eyes a moment. She'd wanted to destroy him. Not for what he did on Bavmorda's behalf, but because of what he represented. How could she have been so hateful? "It's not right, Kit. It's not. It's hateful and we can't win a war with it. The bigger picture is we need everyone, no matter how horribly we've all treated each other."

She watches Kit settle onto the bed and sighs. It doesn't matter that they don't agree. It doesn't matter that they're fighting. Jade's heart can't take it. She's never been able to sit by and watch Kit settle into her sadness. She immediately closes the gap between them, sitting beside her princess. Her hand gently rubs the back of her neck comfortingly before guiding Kit's head toward her. "You can do this. I know you can. You are made for this, my love." She presses her forehead against Kit's temple, her hand to her heart. "I believe in you even if you don't. You told me you were close to getting them to agree before I arrived and I'm sorry that I disrupted that. But you put the work in and they trust you. You can convince them."

ㅤㅤㅤthe scoff says everything and nothing all at once. they're never going to see eye to eye, not really. jade believes in people, she thinks there's massive capacity to change - to be something more than what they're made to be, but kit? she's rarely met a person that didn't talk down to her in one way or another. jade is the believer, not kit.

ㅤㅤㅤ“ㅤthat doesn't erase nor excuse what they've done to these people, jade!ㅤ”ㅤhands are flung in the air again, this time kit taking the step towards the other.ㅤ“ㅤyou know as well as i do everyone in this is not innocent. you're not, scorpia isn't, and i'm for sure the hell not. you're demanding things from people that have every right to fear that very man in the dungeon. can't you see that? can't you take five seconds to step back and see beyond all of this?ㅤ”ㅤafter all, it was jade who taught kit how to do so in the first place. how ironic.ㅤ“ㅤwe need king ardian to be able to trust us, not fear us.ㅤ”ㅤthe wyrm is closer and closer to returning with every passing day. at this rate, evil won't have to return. humanity will end itself.

ㅤㅤㅤjaw sets and eyes then drop to the floor. exhausted, kit slumps back onto the bed and runs hands through short strands, hair sticking in all directions in their wake.ㅤ“ㅤyou asked me to do this. this - t-this was all your idea, and i'm - gods, i'm... i can't do this.ㅤ”ㅤkit may be the diplomat, but airk is the charmer. he's the one that can get people on his side armed with only a smile. why did she let jade sway her so?

Jade can't help the small smile that spreads across her face. When they started this journey, several of them didn't want to be around each other. If Kit and Jade had had it their way, it would have just been the two of them. They were all strangers who were forced to be together and that could be lonely. Even Kit and Jade's relationship conflicts made them isolated from each other. But now? They were a family. And Jade agreed, there were no other people she wanted to be bound to.

"I'm glad it's you guys, too," Jade admits. And it's a nice thought to share in the midst of this dark conversation. Elora speaks encouragement into their future, a future they know is rife with trouble. But Jade remembers the young woman's breakdown on waterfall's edge. And maybe she's different than that girl now, but it doesn't mean that there isn't a chance that Elora is also worried and uncertain. Otherwise, they wouldn't be having this talk.

"We're going to get through this," she reaffirms, promising that she's with her friend on this new mission they're accepting. She squeezes Elora's hand. "We beat the Crone. We can only get stronger from here, so we can defeat the Wyrm, too. And there'll be more of us. Once we warn Queen Sorsha and Scorpia and the other kingdoms." That's the only way they'll win. Jade knows it. They all have to unite. Easier said than done.

The knight pauses, contemplating Elora's concerns about returning to Tir Asleen. She hasn't really thought about it much. Her mind has been busy with the Immemorial City and the Crone and the Wyrm and now Airk. But they do have to go home and Jade, like Elora, is not who she was when she left. She blinks as she considers everything that's happened. "It's strange... I think you and I sort of went through the same thing. We left home and found out we're not who we thought we were." She pauses again. "I see the change in Kit and Boorman and Willow. I even saw it in Graydon." She swallows her grief. "But me and you? We have entirely new histories. New knowledge that changes every story, every experience we created. And I haven't even..." She trails off. She's going to have to face what everything she learned in the Wildwood means and that scares her.

The silence between them lingered for a moment, half welcomed and half cursed. For in the silence, Elora could so clearly hear her own thoughts growing louder and louder. She bit a lip to not voice even more of them. Yes, sharing her doubts with Jade helped to ease the burden, but it also forced her to admit these doubts out loud. And she was not sure if she was ready for any more of that.

"There is no one in this world I would rather be bonded for life with than this group of people", and with that Elora finally turned to Jade completely reaching out a hand for her to hold. The smile on her face was small but genuine, nothing compared to what she had faked in the last few days. For there it was, the bit of hope she had been searching for. "You, me. Kit and Willow. Boorman and even Airk. We have survived this, imagine what greatness we can reach together. We will need each other, you are right about that. But we will also reach for each other, and help each other. As we have done before." Elora tried so hard to believe. To believe that they were capable of defeating the wyrm, of saving this world - or at least of saving her friends. And she knew in that moment, looking at Jade and the sleeping forms of the others, she would not lose any more of those dear to her. One of them was already missing.

Graydon's name was a fresh wound in her heart, the thought of him stepping through the gate was always present in the back of her mind, ready to hit her with more grief, more despair. She was neither ready nor willing to accept more loss. "This may be far from over, but we will protect the others. We will get through this together.", he reassurance was more to herself than to Jade. Maybe, with time, Elora would be able to accept the vision of her own fate, her own death, but never that of her friends.

"I have yet to think about our return to Tir Asleen", she admitted. Smile once more fading and voice growing solemn again. The short moment of hope was crushed by the mention of that place. "When I was a child I always knew that Queen Sorsha was right in what she was doing, and even now I still hope that once we return they will be ready for whatever we have to face but...", Elora shook her head ever so slightly, "But I am no longer the person I was when we left. None of us truly are, but I had to give up a name, a place. I have... gained so much more, please do not get me wrong. Still, it feels impossible to return to the home of Brunhilde now that I am no longer her." She was not ready to be heralded as a chosen one. Nor was she ready to face Graydon's family. Or even think about the how of them finding their way back. "But there is no other place to go, is there? And Kit and Airk deserve to get home."

@tanthalos and I really said our first thread back to Kit and Jade should be pure angst. 😂😂😂😭😭😭 We love our girls, honest.

Jade scoffs, looking away from Kit for a long moment. She shakes her head, trying to work through her feelings, her thoughts. Once upon a time, she was the rational one, able to shove her emotions in a drawer and lock them away no matter how much it required her to sacrifice. But she's had a rough time since their return. In Tir Asleen. In the Wildwood. Now, here. Jade's feelings about each of those places and their people are muddled and complicated.

"What? Because the rest of these kingdoms haven't terrorized the Bone Reavers, too?" Jade challenges, because she hates the idea of not defending her sister's people, her people. Not when she's learned so much more about them, not when they've become so meaningful to her. "You know more than anyone how much I hated them. You also know what they stand for; you know the hurt they've suffered at the hands of other kingdoms, our kingdom." She pauses, worrying her bottom lip. Habit. "Scorpia let you go, not because you were my lover, but because you were my ally. She gave you the benefit of a doubt. The king is letting me roam free, because you love me, but what about giving Kaz the benefit of a doubt? Scorpia trusted me with his life. Are they going to let him go?" Jade's teeth clench at Kit's ultimatum. That feels new. They've certainly used each other's behavior against each other in the past, but this is different. "Trust me, I don't want to be here much longer than needed."

ㅤㅤㅤthere's always an echo of guilt in her thoughts. kit knows she's impulsive, she's working on it, and she knows that it can be frustrating to be in her company, but she feels like she's proven herself over time, too. those around her keep forcing her into being a leader yet it feels like the same people don't trust her to be just that.

ㅤㅤㅤ“ㅤi told you to stand down.ㅤ”ㅤthe princess shakes her head as a hand comes to rest over her own heart. the separation has been hard, kit has felt like her soul was split in two the whole time, she just can't let that cloud the importance of what they're doing.ㅤ“ㅤi didn't know they were going to do that, either, but jade - the bone reavers have been terrorising manheim. they've killed and they've torched their land. the king reacted justly. i hate that he did that to you, i do, but these people, t-they've suffered massively.ㅤ”ㅤthey're not going to be able to fight side by side, or survive at all, if this doesn't get resolved.ㅤ“ㅤi need you to trust me when i tell you to do something. if you can't do that, you'll -ㅤ”ㅤkit glances up at jade, steeling herself to say something she has never once wanted to.ㅤ“ㅤyou'll need to leave.ㅤ”ㅤher heart aches.

Jade blinks. She’s not sure what she expected, but certainly not that. Her mouth falls open to interrupt, but nothing comes out. How could Kit even come to that conclusion? Since their quest to save Airk, Jade has done nothing but show faith in her princess. She let her jump off a waterfall for crying out loud! Against every fiber of her being, every atom that told her to stop Kit, she watched her jump. What would make her think she didn’t believe in her now?

“Kit, I came here for you. I came to see you, be with you. I missed you! And I believe in you more than anyone. I thought I’d proved that,” Jade insists, coming closer. “I could have just returned to Tir Asleen and waited for you, but I didn’t. How was I supposed to know they were going to want to imprison me and my envoy?”

ㅤㅤㅤit didn't take long for that to be brought up. this impending doom that lingers over their heads, it's suffocating. each new day adds more and more weight onto the young royal's shoulders. she's doing her best, but some days - she can't help but feel like she's not trusted to do the things everyone has asked of her.

ㅤㅤㅤbefore she can stop herself, kit is on her feet and the last boot is thrown to the floor.ㅤ“ㅤi had it handled, jade. do you not trust me with this or something?ㅤ”ㅤhands fly in the air in frustration.ㅤ“ㅤthe only reason i'm here is because you convinced me. i could've -ㅤ”ㅤcould've what? stayed home? wallowed after an absent lover? even kit knows that would have driven her to madness.ㅤ“ㅤyou were gone, okay? i had this handled, and y-you - you just... i need you to believe in me, not undermine me.ㅤ”

@willowgifsdaily​ willow month 2023 event - mod edition! ↳week two - favorite quote

“You know, when my partner died, I spent a lot of time running from myself, till I realized the only person I’ll never get away from is me. ”

Since when does Kit run from a fight? Then again, the two have avoided conflict for most of their relationship, one way or another, afraid the other might leave them. That’s how abandonment issues work and they both happen to be healing from it. “Then when, Kit? Tomorrow, before we meet with the king again? Tomorrow, when we’re in the meeting? The day after, when we do it all over again? When are we going to talk? Because there’s never going to be a time when it’s convenient and I fear things will get worse if me and you don’t work out what’s going on between us.”

ㅤㅤㅤ“ㅤcan we not do this tonight?ㅤ”ㅤkit tilts her head and finally looks at the redhead.ㅤ“ㅤi'm tired, and i just want to sleep.ㅤ”ㅤyet another long day awaits them, and with the tension that settled in today, the outcome isn't looking too positive for anyone.ㅤ“ㅤwe have a lot to do tomorrow. gods, a lot to fix and i - can we just not?ㅤ”

Today hasn’t been the best. Jade can feel it in her body. She’s typically rigid, but never like this. And the worst part is Kit hasn’t spoken to her in hours. To be fair, Jade’s also kept her distance since their silent conflict earlier and spent time where the Manheim royals clearly want her to: the dungeons. But even she can’t escape a night time routine. She has to sleep and, outside of her recent trip to the Wildwood, she and Kit have shared a bed since returning from the Immemorial City. The same applies now as she enters into a room that immediately fills with awkward, tense silence. “Are we going to talk then?” she asks when it becomes clear Kit’s not going to say anything.

ㅤㅤㅤthe scabbard is removed from her waist and rested against the side of the bed. back remains to the door as the sound of it creaking open greets her ears. exhaling silently, kit sits on the edge to remove her boots. it's been hours since she last spoke to @dutyxbound, and she's too tired to approach the incoming onslaught from her knight.

ㅤㅤㅤNOTHING I'VE EVER WANTED HAS COME NATURALLY TO MEㅤㅤㅤ‚ㅤㅤㅤindependent, private, selective & low activity kit tanthalos of disney+'s willow 2022. crossover friendly with verses in the hundred, the hunger games, once upon a time, & many more. poorly contained by west

          — vincent van gogh

❛ i cannot lose another loved one to the darkness. ❜ – @burygods (Mele)

Jade nods, eyes wandering past her to the family they’re discussing. A middle aged man and woman talking in low tones. They seem concerned about the Bone Reavers all around and Jade can’t blame them, based on the dangerous reputation they’ve built. Then there’s the particularly large man tending to their horses. Jade’s attentive eyes quickly pick up that he continuously looks over to the woman in front of her. Lovers perhaps? And then there’s the young woman who’s been sticking close to Airk since they arrived. Riley, Jade thinks she remembers her name is. She’d been hired as a royal seamstress in Tir Asleen just before Jade left for the Wildwood. Clearly, she’s not what she appeared to be.

“I’ll ask my sister. See if she has a place for you all… You’ll be safe here. As safe as one can be these days.” Jade’s gaze moves back to the woman in front of her and she smiles gently. The young knight is all about helping people, giving what she can of herself to assist. The world is slowly becoming a darker place. The Wyrm is coming. That’s why Jade is here. But this is her sister’s home, her domain, not Jade’s. As much as she would love to promise they can stay here, she knows she has no right to. Especially while in the midst of trying to negotiate a tense alliance between her sister and her queen.

“I’m sure people have lived through a kick in the head, but some have certainly died from it. Horses are powerful creatures. Hence why I advise staying away from their hindquarters unless you know what you’re doing,” Jade replies. She doesn’t want to scare Polly, but she also doesn’t want to lie either. Horses can be dangerous if one is negligent or foolish. Jade is neither. “You seem more the type to pet them and feed them sugar cubes. Eclipse loves that.”

Jade imagines Polly wandering the palace of Tir Asleen, lost, and smiles. “I thought the same when I left home for the first time. Like I’d get lost beyond the Barrier. And maybe I did a few times, but it always led to a great adventure. Imagine the things you’d find in those unknown rooms.” She realizes she’s starting to sound like Kit. Or perhaps just an old version of herself that she once lost.

"Is..." She hesitates, face flushing at the idea of even asking the question. "Is it true that if they kick you in the head, you drop dead immediately?" It sounded like something they told children to keep them from causing trouble, but Polly could never know for sure. Not with such powerful beasts, so much larger than herself.

More than that though ... Jade seemed so insistent on getting her out of the forest. The very idea sent a bolt of fear down her spine. The world moved so quickly out there, with borders changing, kings and queens dying every turn of the moon. She had never so much as crossed the tree line, taking travelers up to the edge of the woods and seeing them off safely before turning back home. But to leave altogether? "I'm not sure you'd want someone like me to look after in a proper city. I'd get lost in a building with more than three rooms, I'm sure."  

Jade eyes the young man for a moment, unsure of how to respond. With the way her world has turned upside down lately, she’s not sure of anything anymore. Everything feels different now. Maybe everything is different. She knows for certain she is, but so is her opinion of Sorsha. And is this man planning to bring more trouble their way?

“She would if she felt the threat was great. Especially now that Elora Danan has returned.” Honestly, that’s probably whose opinion matters most. If Elora thinks that they need to help, they likely will. “Queen Sorsha has fought several wars, so she knows a threat when she sees it. Evil, as well.” She cocks an eyebrow. “Why? What brings you to Tir Asleen?”

That seemed promising and yet there wasn't anything personal from those praises. They seemed like something anyone could say in passing about any monarch. However he couldn't afford to look too deeply into something as miniscule as that. "And if she were to know of a threat that another…place is dealing with?" Place. As though it were that easy. "Would she rise to the occassion to help? Or leave things as they are now?" The latter wasn't entirely the worst option, it might even be the most smart however he waited on the answer.

♡judgmental girlfriends♡ 

❛ do not be so closed minded that you blind yourself from the truth! ❜ - @burygods (Scorpia)

“Have you considered you’re the one being closed minded?!” Jade shoots back. She’s starting to regret starting this conversation. What is it about being in the Bone Reaver camp that leaves her feeling so unhinged? The young knight is known for her restraint and self-control. But here? Here, she’s free to say anything with no judgment and so she does. Maybe that’s not always a good thing, though. “You don’t know that she intended to make me a soldier. You’re assuming something about a woman who helped raise me and kept me safe. I don’t even remember if she was queen when I got to Tir Asleen!” It’s difficult, sorting through her past and recontextualizing every moment, redefining the meaning of the people and places she holds dear. She’s avoided it until now and her sister seems unwilling to let her hide from it any longer.

❛Where did you learn to do that?❜ – @riiese (Ingvar)

“I learned from my f—” She pauses a moment, her hand lowering just slightly. She can see his face so clear in her mind. She tries not to remember his face from the last time she saw him, barely a husk of himself, more undead than living. She tries pushing it aside and remembering his stoic pride in her, the last words he gave her in Tir Asleen before her life changed forever. She tries to remember him as her father, even if she can’t say the word out loud. “My Commander. His name was Ballantine. He taught me everything I know with a blade, just about.”

Okay, I did a full rewatch of Willow yesterday and I need to get back into writing Jade. I miss her so much.