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| The Fury of the Storm | |
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| Topic Started: 21 May 2014, 18:49 (1529 Views) | |
| MudkipStar | 21 May 2014, 18:49 Post #1 |
im just kinda here well occasionally
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there's now a rewritten version of this at http://goo.gl/nvaGCD the version here is the original the rewritten one contains some new scenes and has an epilogue as well taking place after httyd2 "Kirl dior sikon faran, nir utir dior sikon nika." ~an ancient Night Fury saying, meaning "The fury of the storm is terrible, but the joy of the storm is love." “Ika, you’re crazy! We have to go home!” Nael roars at his lifelong friend through the thunder as he frantically tries to stay in control flying through the raging storm. He hears the female Night Fury’s laugh as she whirls past him, swept along by a gust of wind but somehow totally in control of her flight all the same. He frowns, envying her adeptness at storm-flying. How does she do that? “Just relax, Nael! You won’t be able to fly in the storm if you try to fight it,” Ika replies with one of her comments that is infuriatingly unclear to Nael. If he lets the storm take him wherever it wants, how is he supposed to go where he wants to go? He should never have let her talk him into flying in the storm with her. Their parents will be furious - they’re only seventeen summers old, two summers away from being fully grown Night Furies - or Naelkirl, as they are called in the ancient tongue which the elders and the royals still speak in their council’s meetings, that language which every Night Fury’s name is a part of, that beautiful lyrical speech that sounds like music and which Nael could happily listen to all day, although he doesn’t understand any words but his own name, which means night in the ancient tongue, and Naelki, the word for a Night Fury - but the words he does know, he uses whenever he can. “I should never have let you talk me into this,” he voices his thoughts, roaring to be heard over the thunder and wind. “I’m going home.” He turns as well as he can, battling the wind, and he wishes again for Ika’s pure skill at riding the storm-winds. As he thinks this, she exercises that skill, finding a wind blowing toward him and riding it until she hovers in front of him, wings constantly flapping not only down but in various side directions as well to counteract the swirling winds. Nael wonders how she managed to pick the wind that led to him out of the swirling maelstrom that is the storm - it surely wasn’t hard to find, but to use only that wind and not the others? How in the world does she do that? Then he remembers all the summer nights when Ika has snuck out to dance her flight through the thunderstorms. I guess she’s had a lot of practice. “Come on,” the emerald-speckled Naelki coaxes. “You’re not giving it a fair chance. I told you, if you fight the wind you won’t get anywhere.” “And if I go with it, I’ll never get where I want to go,” Nael retorts, trying to fly around her while not getting swept away by the wind. Ika looks at him as if she’s trying to make him understand something incredibly simple and he still doesn’t get it. “There’s no destination here, Nael,” she points out. “The whole point is just to enjoy flying through the storm.” Nael rolls his eyes. “Yes, flying in the storm. Not being tossed around like a fish in the claws of a couple hatchlings,” he says sarcastically. Ika is about to retort when a familiar angry roar interrupts her and both young Night Furies turn, wide-eyed, to see Nika, the queen of the Kisarae Naelkirl - or “the Night Furies of the wind”, which is what their group of Night Furies is called - winging her way towards them with a look of anger on her face. Nael groans. “Great. Your mom noticed we were gone.” Ika groans as well. “We are in so much trouble right now.” ~~~~~~ kirl dior sikon faran nir utir dior sikon nika ~~~~~~ “Do you have any idea how worried we were about you two?” Nika fumes, Nael’s mother Riya standing next to her and looking just as furious. “That storm out there could rip two small pieces of scale and skin like you into pieces! What in the name of the Ausra did you think you were doing?” “We’re not that much smaller than--” Ika begins to protest, but she is cut off by a glare from Nika. Nael is slightly indignant about being treated like they’re barely seven summers old, when they are nearly full-grown Naelkirl, but he keeps quiet. He does feel very sorry for making Nika and Riya so upset - he can tell Nika's very upset by her invocation of the Ausra, the Living Stars - but right now the only thought going through his head is ‘Nika’s name really doesn’t fit her right now.’ It's true, too -- nika means joy in the ancient tongue, but Nika is looking anything but joyful at this moment. Riya, on the other hand, is perfectly suited to her name right now. Riya means flame, and Nael’s mother’s eyes are flaming as she glares at her son and his best friend. “You know the rules,” Nika continues relentlessly. “No dragon under the age of nineteen summers goes out in a storm like this. Especially not a storm that even the strongest of fliers would think twice about braving!” “I had no problem with it,” Ika mutters under her breath, too low for Nika to catch the words - but she can hear the muttered exhalation. “What was that?” Nika asks sharply. “I’m afraid I didn’t catch what you said.” Ika lifts her head and stares at Nika defiantly. “I said, I had no problem flying that storm.” Nika freezes for a moment, obviously thinking. Nael inwardly groans. Ika, why couldn’t you have held your tongue for once? He holds his breath, waiting to see what Nika will do. What he doesn’t expect is for her to suddenly smile and extend her wings to pull her daughter into a hug, saying, “Of course not, faeler. You’re the best storm-flier I’ve ever seen.” The use of the ancient word faeler causes Ika to squirm and complain, “I’m seventeen summers old! I don’t think you can call me ‘little one’ anymore.” “You’ll always be my little one,” Nika says affectionately, releasing her embrace and stepping back. As soon as Nika steps back, Riya speaks up. “Don’t think that means there won’t be consequences, though,” she tells them, glaring first at Nael and then at Ika. “Nika and I need to discuss what those consequences will be. Go to the other room until we call you back.” Ika is out of the room as quickly as possible and Nael is right on her heels. ~~~~~~ kirl dior sikon faran nir utir dior sikon nika ~~~~~~ It is a warm, sunny day, and Nael and Ika are fishing the way many hunting pairs their age do - taking turns between fishing and “guarding the catch”, which of course actually means sunning yourself on one of the warm rocks that are abundant around the best fishing spots. Currently, Ika is fishing, and Nael is watching and sunning himself, his contentment tinged with a bit of sadness. Nael and Ika are nearly thirty-seven summers old, which means that as next in line to be queen, Ika will soon have to choose from the throng of males eager to be the beautiful Naelki’s mate. Nael doesn’t think he has a chance, as there are far more suitable mates for her than him. He’ll miss this once she’s chosen though, spending time together doing things like fishing. Ika lands next to him, the star-like speckles which give her her name - which means sky of stars - almost shimmering in the sunlight as she deposits her catch on the pile. Nael takes off for his turn, wondering who Ika will choose. Perhaps it will be Kilin, whose name means wind in the ancient tongue and whose spiral markings are the same shade as Ika’s emerald stars. He dives for a fish and rises back up into the sky, still thinking. Or maybe it will be Skular - winter - with his frosty white streaks that Ika will choose. Out of all the Kisarae Naelkirl, he is the best at fishing. He continues thinking like this for his entire turn at fishing. Not once does he consider that he, with his unmarked hide and mediocre fishing skills, would ever be chosen by the beautiful princess. When his turn is over and he returns to drop his catch on the pile of fish the two have caught that day, he’s caught much less than usual. As he lands next to Ika, she doesn’t immediately take off for her turn at fishing but instead hesitates and turns toward Nael. “Is something wrong?” she asks. “You seem a bit… distracted.” “I’m fine,” Nael tells her. “I was just thinking about how much I’m going to miss this once you’ve chosen.” He doesn’t need to explain what he means by ‘chosen’. They both know. She looks at him quizzically, and he feels like he’s missing something important. “But I’ve already chosen,” she says. “I chose a long time ago.” Nael’s heart drops like a stone. “Oh, well, congratulations,” he manages. “Who is it?” Ika looks at him in a way that makes him feel like he’s missing something important again. “Isn’t it obvious?” The look on Nael’s face must have told her it wasn’t, because after a few seconds she leans into his side and says, “I chose you.” A wave of disbelief rolls over Nael as he stutters, “You- you chose me to be your mate?” “Yes. That is, if you want to be my mate.” She looks up at Nael and he can see uncertainty in her sky-blue eyes. “You do want to, right?” Nael presses his forehead to Ika’s. “Of course I do,” he says softly. They stay like that for a long time, contentment wrapped around them like the sunshine still streaming down from the skies. ~~~~~~ kirl dior sikon faran nir utir dior sikon nika ~~~~~~ Nael, his eyes closed to enjoy the warmth of the sun on his scales, smiles when he opens them to see his mate flying down to land right next to him. His mate. Even two seasons after that day on the rocks when Ika told him she’d chosen him, a small thrill of elation runs through him whenever he realizes that he was the one who had Ika’s heart. She lands, sitting next to him and pressing against his side, and laughs when he nuzzles her neck. “What’s got you in such a good mood today?” “Well, I’ve got you, haven’t I?” Nael replies. “Sometimes I think you might be one of the Ausra in the form of a Naelki.” Ika seems skeptical, which is understandable - after all, the Ausra, which means the Living Stars, are the gods and goddesses of the Naelkirl - and not just the Kisarae, but every tribe of Naelkirl. “What makes you say that?” “Well, you’re beautiful, and kind, and smart, and funny,” Nael explains. “Not to mention your hide is covered in stars which, since they are a part of you, are living. You are literally covered in ausra.” “Well, if I am the Ausra, you are the Sora - the darkness between the stars,” Ika says softly. “Not only is your hide pitch black like the Sora, but just like the Ausra would not be what they are without the Sora, I would not be me without you.” They sit together for a while in silence until a spiral-marked Night Fury flies by and Ika bursts out laughing at the look he gives Nael. “What’s so funny?” Nael asks, not having seen the look. “Kilin just flew by and he looked so confused,” she giggles. “He’s so arrogant he can’t understand how I could possibly have chosen anyone but him.” Nael grins too then. “Remember what he did when you announced you’d chosen a mate?” “He walked up to me and started promising to be the best mate any female could wish for,” Ika recalls, laughing even harder. “Oh, Ausra, his face when I told him I chose you!” “He couldn’t believe he hadn’t been chosen! It was priceless,” Nael agrees. “I didn’t know a Naelki’s jaw could drop that far!” On a rock too far away for him to hear their conversation, Kilin watches with befuddlement written all over his face as the two mates dissolve into helpless fits of laughter. ~~~~~~ kirl dior sikon faran nir utir dior sikon nika ~~~~~~ Nael and Ika joyfully whirl through the summer storm. Nael smiles as he remembers the storm - he quickly does some math in his head - thirty-three summers ago, the first time Ika coaxed him into storm-flying with her when they were only seventeen summers old. So much has changed since then. For one thing, Ika is queen now - although Night Furies can live to be three hundred summers old, it is customary for a queen to step down once she reaches one hundred summers, so that the Kisarae are not ruled by the same queen for too long. Another change is that although they are celebrating the first storm of the summer - which every Night Fury celebrates, although Nael and Ika are the only ones who do so by flying in it. They’re also celebrating that yesterday, after being Nael’s mate for thirteen summers, Ika laid an egg. And from the color of the egg - a male hatchling’s egg is pitch black, but a female hatchling’s egg is a deep, deep blue - it will be a daughter, a princess who will be a queen one day. It is going to hatch in about two weeks. So Nael and Ika are happy as they dance through the storm, and just as it has been every time he’s storm-flown since Ika taught him to fly in the storm, he understands why she loves it so much. It’s because, strange as the idea is, storm flying is freedom. It’s because the winds are blowing in every direction, so there’s always a wind to where you want to go. It’s because if you can fly through a storm, you don’t have to worry about being delayed by bad weather. You can go where you want, when you want. These thoughts are abandoned as they encounter a particularly wild part of the storm and all that matters is spinning, climbing, diving, and some things that wouldn’t be possible without the wild winds of the storm. When the storm has passed and Nael and Ika are back in their nest, curled around the precious egg, Nael suggests an idea he had during the storm and Ika thinks it’s perfect. So two weeks later, when their daughter breaks free of her shell and takes her first look at the world, they name her Jayna. It means freedom. ~~~~~~ kirl dior sikon faran nir utir dior sikon nika ~~~~~ Nael flies out over the ocean. He’s promised Jayna that he’ll bring back a saroknir fish for her, since it’s her favorite, and they only live out in the open ocean. He smiles at the thought of his one-summer-old daughter. She’s certainly trying to live up to her name, always trying to leave the cave even though the only way is to fly and she’s not big enough yet. Even when not trying to get out she’s very energetic. He remembers the other day when he and Jayna had a mock fight, and how when he let her beat him, she climbed on his head and declared that since she had beaten the king of the Kisarae Nael and Ika had to do what she said. Ika pointing out that the queen had power over even the king only prompted Jayna to launch herself at Ika, starting another mock fight, which Ika wisely did not let her win. Nael sees a large saroknir fish and grins, rising higher in preparation to dive down as fast as possible to kill the fish on impact. It’s a very big one. Jayna will be really happy. Suddenly he can’t move and he hears a booming voice in his head, crushing him. YOU WILL OBEY. He tries to struggle, to fly away, but he cannot move and he is falling, falling - “No!” he tries to roar but it comes out only in his mind - DO NOT RESIST. He can feel the evil presence crushing his will, he can see the fish getting closer and he thinks of Jayna and Ika - YOU ARE MINE. He hits the water and remembers nothing else for a very long time. ~~~~~~ kirl dior sikon faran nir utir dior sikon nika ~~~~~~ Pain! Pain in his side, in scars he doesn’t remember, but most of all in his tail - The feeling of ropes digging into his wings and sides - The sound of some creature Nael can’t think of right now - The weight of something on his leg - Nael groans and moves his leg sharply, dislodging the creature there. It cries out as it stumbles back, and Nael recognizes the cry as human. There are no humans living anywhere near the Kisarae Naelkirl. Where is he? How did he get here? Then he remembers the voice in his mind, the fall - He’s been under the control of the Red Death, a demon he had always thought was just a story to scare hatchlings into obedience. He remembers nothing of it. He could be anywhere. Any amount of time could have passed. He could have done anything. He opens his eyes to see the human standing over him. With a dagger. “I’m going to kill you, dragon.” Nael’s blood runs cold. “Then I’m gonna - I’m gonna cut out your heart and take it to my father.” Why? What did the Death make me do to you, little human? “I am a Viking. I am a VIKING!” Nael moans, partly from the pain in his tail and partly from the realization of what he must have done. Vikings were what the humans called themselves when they were part of a tribe. He must have done something to the human’s tribe and the human wanted revenge. Nael understands. If something happened to the Kisarae, he would want revenge too. He stares into the human’s eyes as he raises the dagger above his head and is startled to see fear. Even when Nael is tied up, helpless, and at his mercy, the little human is still afraid of him. What terrible things could I have done to prompt such fear? “I’m sorry,” he says, closing his eyes and letting his head fall to the ground, preparing for whatever the human will do. But instead of feeling the dagger plunge into his heart, the downed dragon hears a soft “I did this.” Then he hears the sound of the knife cutting the ropes and his eyes snap open in surprise. He tenses his muscles. One… two… three ropes are cut, and he’s no longer bound. He roars and pounces on the human, pinning him against a rock with a paw on his neck. He stares into the human’s eyes, wanting to know why the human freed him. At first he sees only fear, but after a few moments he sees a glimmer of… curiosity? He draws his head back before roaring his fear and pain and confusion into the human’s face and taking off to fly away, back to his home. Or he tries to fly away, but after only a few wingbeats he feels a spike of agony shoot from his tail and roars as he falls to the ground. He tries again with the same result, and then again. He refuses to accept the truth of what’s happened to him until he’s trapped in a cove, unable to get out even though to fly out would be so easy. That is, if the left side of his tail was there. But it isn’t. He’ll never fly again. ~~~~~~ kirl dior sikon faran nir utir dior sikon nika ~~~~~~ Ausra, please, let me make it this time, Nael prays as he prepares for another attempt at climbing up out of the cove. He’s been trying to get out for hours, and several of his scales have been scraped off from collisions with rocks as he inevitably falls back down. He roars as he leaps up the wall again, scrabbling for a clawhold, only to slip and fall - but at least this time he manages to turn in the air enough to glide back down to the ground, instead of falling on his back. A plasma bolt shoots out of his mouth and turns a circle of grass to cinders as Nael takes out his frustration on the ground. He takes off to try to fly out again. Although he knows he’ll never be able to truly fly again, he can usually get a few wingbeats of flight before falling to the ground. After three wingbeats he’s almost there and he allows himself to hope that he might make it - until a variance in the air he wouldn’t even have noticed with both tail fins, just instinctively compensated for, sends the single-finned Night Fury crashing to the ground. He lands on his side and stays there for a few moments. He’s hungry, tired, trapped, and alone. What’s the point of continued efforts to escape? Every one so far has failed. He hears the splash of water and sees the flash of a fish in the lake. Well, at least he can alleviate one of those problems. He gets up and pads the short distance to the edge of the lake. He plunges his head in and tries to snare a fish. He fails. Fishing from land is very different from fishing from the air. As Nael removes his head from the water he hears a clatter and snaps his head up to see the human from before sitting on top of a boulder, his hand outstretched as if to grab something - he must have dropped something to produce the clatter. As before, there is a flash of fear in the human’s eyes, but when Nael makes no move to attack him it turns to obvious curiosity as he cocks his head to one side and Nael mimics him, just as curious about the human as the human seems to be about him. Why did he go so quickly from trying to kill him to freeing him from the very trap he set (at least, Nael assumes he set a trap - there is no way the tiny human could overpower a full-grown Naelki) and why is he back now? Nael and the human stare at each other for a minute or two before the human stands up quickly, picking up a strange rectangular object that has been sitting in front of him, and runs out of the cove. Nael stares after him, finding himself wishing the human had stayed. Because at least then he wouldn’t be alone. ~~~~~~ kirl dior sikon faran nir utir dior sikon nika ~~~~~~ He stares at the human extending his hand… trusting Nael as he looks away, giving him free rein to do anything to the unsuspecting, unprotected human. And in that split second he remembers a saying his mother told him often, in the ancient tongue. Kirl dior sikon faran, nir utir dior sikon nika. It meant ‘the fury of the storm is terrible, but the joy of the storm is love.’ He had never understood it, but now in a flash of complete clarity he understands. He has known the joy of the storm of life when he loved Ika, the fury of the storm of life when he was a slave of the Red Death. And now it’s time to know the joy of the storm again. He knows it’s what Ika would want, what Jayna would want if she turned out anything like her mother. They would want him to know love again. So he will give himself fully to this small human, love with all he is for this little Viking who is so different and so wonderful because of it. And as he touches his nose to the extended hand, he casts off the name of Nael and embraces the name the human has given him instead. Toothless. |
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hi im réka im developing a mildly unhealthy obsession with obiwan kenobi (more like obiwan kenoBAE am i right) my personal tumblr is ninja-stop im also writing a fantasy/humor novel called RESET which i won nanowrimo 2015 with i have a writing tumblr for it if you wanna check that out yeah thats it this probably isnt what should go in a signature but w/e i have 2 pet buns | |
| draconicwyvern | 22 May 2014, 16:15 Post #2 |
kyt, 18, she/her.
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This is a great story! (or the beginning of it, whatever  ) I love how it sounds mysterious. Looking forward for the whole thing! 
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| MudkipStar | 23 May 2014, 16:57 Post #3 |
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im just kinda here well occasionally
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So I thought I would have this finished by today, but I've ended up adding more... it should be finished by tomorrow though |
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hi im réka im developing a mildly unhealthy obsession with obiwan kenobi (more like obiwan kenoBAE am i right) my personal tumblr is ninja-stop im also writing a fantasy/humor novel called RESET which i won nanowrimo 2015 with i have a writing tumblr for it if you wanna check that out yeah thats it this probably isnt what should go in a signature but w/e i have 2 pet buns | |
| draconicwyvern | 23 May 2014, 17:17 Post #4 |
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kyt, 18, she/her.
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Beautiful writing, you keep me captivated
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| MudkipStar | 23 May 2014, 17:27 Post #5 |
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im just kinda here well occasionally
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Thank you so much! This piece is my favorite out of all I've written, and it's amazing to see other people enjoying it too! |
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hi im réka im developing a mildly unhealthy obsession with obiwan kenobi (more like obiwan kenoBAE am i right) my personal tumblr is ninja-stop im also writing a fantasy/humor novel called RESET which i won nanowrimo 2015 with i have a writing tumblr for it if you wanna check that out yeah thats it this probably isnt what should go in a signature but w/e i have 2 pet buns | |
| MudkipStar | 25 May 2014, 06:48 Post #6 |
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im just kinda here well occasionally
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Title changed |
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hi im réka im developing a mildly unhealthy obsession with obiwan kenobi (more like obiwan kenoBAE am i right) my personal tumblr is ninja-stop im also writing a fantasy/humor novel called RESET which i won nanowrimo 2015 with i have a writing tumblr for it if you wanna check that out yeah thats it this probably isnt what should go in a signature but w/e i have 2 pet buns | |
| MudkipStar | 27 May 2014, 20:58 Post #7 |
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im just kinda here well occasionally
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NOW FINISHED (well I might add Forbidden Friendship later, but finished for now.) Yay! |
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hi im réka im developing a mildly unhealthy obsession with obiwan kenobi (more like obiwan kenoBAE am i right) my personal tumblr is ninja-stop im also writing a fantasy/humor novel called RESET which i won nanowrimo 2015 with i have a writing tumblr for it if you wanna check that out yeah thats it this probably isnt what should go in a signature but w/e i have 2 pet buns | |
| draconicwyvern | 27 May 2014, 21:26 Post #8 |
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kyt, 18, she/her.
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*feels* It's wonderful, you are a great storyteller! |
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| MudkipStar | 27 May 2014, 22:02 Post #9 |
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im just kinda here well occasionally
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thank you, thank you so much! |
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hi im réka im developing a mildly unhealthy obsession with obiwan kenobi (more like obiwan kenoBAE am i right) my personal tumblr is ninja-stop im also writing a fantasy/humor novel called RESET which i won nanowrimo 2015 with i have a writing tumblr for it if you wanna check that out yeah thats it this probably isnt what should go in a signature but w/e i have 2 pet buns | |
| MudkipStar | 07 Feb 2016, 00:31 Post #10 |
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im just kinda here well occasionally
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bumpin cause i rewrote this and im p proud of it, link at the top of the original post |
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hi im réka im developing a mildly unhealthy obsession with obiwan kenobi (more like obiwan kenoBAE am i right) my personal tumblr is ninja-stop im also writing a fantasy/humor novel called RESET which i won nanowrimo 2015 with i have a writing tumblr for it if you wanna check that out yeah thats it this probably isnt what should go in a signature but w/e i have 2 pet buns | |
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