You do not get what you want. You get what you negotiate.
✾
As much as I wanted to proceed and go towards the municipal hall almost immediately to know the whereabout of a certain gentle giant, I was forced to pass by the salon. Not that I could have missed it either way, it was by the exit. I was bound to pass by the hairdressers. Unconsciously, I comb my hand through my hair, it had grown longer than I intended. Back at the academe, we always had monthly trims, that’s why my hair never extended past my butt. Now, though, it was way past that. Maybe I do need a trim, it would be easier to travel with short
Once you have seen the badness of the world, it is a sin to turn and look away.✾ “Where’s the municipal hall?”
Don't bend; don't water it down; don't try to make it logical.✾Without looking back, I start walking towards the exit.
You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.✾For one split second, my heart stops and I swear I see the whole world shift.
Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy.✾Gloc’s voice was soft and could barely be considered as a whisper. And here I thought that only consorts had the ability to lower their voices so only a few people could hear. My time here outside the gates have really been more of an eye opener, that we weren’t that special really to begin with. Sure, there was a term used as a consort’s voice but nevertheless, it seems that most often than not, a lot of werewolves had the ability to soften their voice so that only a few people could hear. And I’m sure that wasn’t the only thing that we had that’s considered normal here beyond the gates.“What do you mean by that?”He bites his bot
Man is not what he thinks he is, he is what he hides.✾“After everything that I said, you want to ask me why?”“Why do you want to know where he is? He could have just left for all that you know.”I shake my head, “He’s not like that. He would never leave us alone.”“Why?” Gloc asks again, his question fueling my annoyance. I opened my mouth, words failing me. Why? Should there always be a reason over wanting someone to be safe? Should there always be reasons as to why you want to know where someone is? I start stuttering sounds that don’t even make sense. Like a start of a sentence that I don’t know the continuati
In all this world there is nothing so beautiful as a happy child.✾Kofi was sitting comfortably on his bed. A small picture book on his lap. He was scanning through the pages, looking at the colorful pages. There was a small piece of cloth on his head, squinting slightly, it seems to have blue jelly on it. The jelly must help in lowering his fever. He was still looking flushed, making me frown. I sure hope that during the time of my absence, he was feeling a little better. I raise my hand slowly while leaning at the door frame, knocking at it lightly to get his attention. Almost immediately his head snaps up and I was greeted by a toothy grin.“Mawe!” He screams on the top of his lungs. He lifts his arms up and extends it towards me, clenching and unclenching his hands as if he wanted to squeeze t
Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another and feeling with the heart of another.✾“Where are we going?”That question has been leaving my mouth for more times than I can count. After I’ve visited Kofi and gave him an excuse that Yohan and I would be buying him a toy back in Laguna, I had left him with Irene. The peculiar woman was more than happy to be left alone with the child, even though she looked as if she would rather be anywhere else. My wolf did feel a little mortified that I had to leave the small boy with a woman who probably didn’t have a single ounce of affection in her body. You couldn’t fake a child’s happiness, however. When Kofi smiles at her, I just knew that when it’s only the two of them, she was probably a whole lot sweeter t
When the going gets tough, put one foot in front of the other and just keep going.✾The hairs at the back of my neck rose.Biting my lower lip, I glance up towards Gloc. He wasn’t even looking at me, he was looking at the entrance in front of us. Not that you could call it an entrance. Much like the place where Runa had given me a haircut, it was just a wall. On the first time you look at it, it was nothing but ordinary. However, when you take a closer look, you could see that it was just like one of those things that are hidden in plain sight. He was right, you can’t just trust everything at Azure. Everything really was just in face value.“Yeah,” Gloc starts, his voice hoarse like he hadn’t had a good drink in months. &
Here's to alcohol, the rose-colored glasses of life.✾The place behind the counter looked very much like it really belongs to Verdant.There were various shelves full of jars that had different colored liquids inside. Some had roots, leaves, as well as some things that I didn’t bother identifying. For some reason, my wolf had told me it was better that I didn’t know. There were barrels on either side of the counter, their spigot dripping a sticky brown liquid whose stench made me crinkle my nose. Furrowing my brows, I tried leaning over the counter, checking if there was something that I could at least give Auster, maybe even some water.
There are two questions a man must ask himself: The first is 'Where am I going?' and the second is 'Who will go with me?'✾The second thing I noticed when we reached Verdant was that everyone had a huge smile on their face.Unlike Azure, almost all the villagers had various colored clothing. Although it is quite apparent that most had pipes with them. Even from a distance, I could hear their laughter, as well as notice how there were some random villagers dancing and running about. It had been a long since I’ve seen an actual place in Cinco where there were wolves laughing and having fun.It smelled like fresh dew and the mist was still pretty thick. Much like the old man who was steering our gondola towards one of the docks, they also had glossy eyes. I’m guessing it probably was because of the
And live like it's heaven on earth.✾The first thing I noticed once we reached Verdant was that it was inexplicably green.Verdant was a district that was abundantly covered by mist. The trees and mountains seemed to be covered by moss and various plants and leaves. And everywhere I went, the only thing I could smell was fresh dew. The kind of thing one might smell at the start of the morning as dawn breaks. Once we have reached the vicinity of Verdant, the sound of one of the largest waterfalls I have ever seen echoed throughout the thick forest.The trees surrounding the whole district seemed as tall as the sky and seemed to disappear within the clouds. I had no choice but to look up. I couldn’t even help but awe loudly.“Woah,” I mut
A boy needs a father to show him how to be in the world. He needs to be given swagger, taught how to read a map so that he can recognize the roads that lead to life and the paths that lead to death, how to know what love requires, and where to find steel in the heart when life makes demands on us that are greater than we think we can endure.✾I closed my mouth and listened.Yohan was quiet right next to me and it was thanks to him that I haven’t jumped Eleanor yet. My mate had just gone through something horrible and almost died back in the underground fighting ring and she wants to put him in the spotlight again? Gritting my teeth, I continued looking down on my lap, my hands clenched.“Amara, I don’t like this idea any more than you do,” Eleanor says. Without meaning to, I scoff. I hear her sighing, and I find myself lifting my head a bit to look at her. She was staring daggers at the map, her jaw clenched.
It is a long-cherished tradition among a certain type of military thinker that huge casualties are the main thing.✾It had been a few days since I had breakfast with Eleanor.Like how I imagined it would be it was a bit awkward. Especially with how every few seconds, she would stare at me and tears would leak out of her eyes. I teased her about it, hoping that she would stop, and her pride would get the best of her. However, when I did tease her, not only did it make her more emotional, but it also made her talk about how we used to be in the past.When I had teased her about her tears, she took me seriously. I had assumed that she would just scoff at me or ignore my teasing, but it seemed like the past few months actually changed her. Instead of just rolling her eyes at me, she took it way too seriously. S
No person is your friend who demands your silence, or denies your right to grow.✾The first time I ate something that Eleanor had cooked, I instantly regretted it.She was a Sem native, they were great in things like mining and exploring forests but that was it. They were horrible cooks. As much as possible, one would be safer with a Sem native as a guard instead of having them as one of the kitchen staff. Even though they were given a recipe book, or a list of instructions, seeing as they were from Sem, they would end up with a burnt and wasted food. Those from Sem were known for being so full of pride that they rather eat what they had burnt instead of asking for help.Eleanor was one of them. The good thing was that at least she was willing to accept that there were things that she needed to correct. See
Human nature is like water. It takes the shape of its container.✾It was Yohan.Clutching my heart, I narrow my eyes at him, “I didn’t even sense that you were.”“Sorry,” He yawned, stretching his arms up in the air. “Force of habit.”“Habit?”Eleanor coughed behind me. When I turned around though, I realized it wasn’t exactly a cough. From the way her eyes were glittering as she looked at Yohan, I knew it was something different entirely. Her look has been meaningful as if I wasn’t curious enough already. Eleanor was great at lying, which I learned the hard way. With how she was acting, it was like she knew something and desperately wa
Indifference and neglect often do much more damage than outright dislike.✾“I don’t know if I showed it enough,” Eleanor pulled her knees to her chest, leaning her cheek right by her knees. She wasn’t looking at me, her eyes following the flow of the river. The wind had turned chillier than it had been moments ago. I didn’t know if the goosebumps running up my arm were due to the cold or because we were talking now. “But I’ve always thought of you as my sister.”I wanted to tell her that I know that. That’s why her betrayal hurt so much. But I don’t. I’m not even sure it was a question that she wanted an answer to. It was just a statement she wanted to start with.Eleanor started fiddling with her thumbs, “I know that the things I&rsquo
The truth is, unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself, unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize that the situation is over, you cannot move forward.✾The cool wind kiss my cheeks and I hug myself, shivering lightly.The nights had gone colder, which meant it really had been long since I’ve gone out of the gates. We were nearing the mountains, nearing the snow-covered lands that I’ve once read in my books. Breathing out through my mouth, I see white smoke right in front of me, as my warm breath mix and mingles with the cool night air.My eye falls on all the campers here. They had been battling the cold far longer than I did. How had they managed to survive? The tents didn’t offer any type of blankets. Had they adapted?