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miriredsteel · 3 years

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Through the Looking Glass Pt. 1 - An Old “Friend”

Pain.

Agony.

Torment.

Darkness…

Fear. Fear beyond measure. Terror that was so deep it felt infinite, never ending...and ancient.

The world was blurred, fuzzy...as if awakening from a long night of drinking heady wine. A strange, deep thrumming seemed to constantly be present within the realm of sound, the sort of deep base that reached deep into your guts and set panic to galloping through the blood. And the bite of cold, the sting of copper in the nose, as if surrounded by dried blood...it was all overpowering, and yet it was nearly impossible to drag one’s awareness up from whatever depths she’d fallen into.

A groan escaped her throat as the fingers of unconsciousness slowly released her, awareness sinking in like a blade into flesh. Confusion joined the strange panic thumping in her veins; where was she? What had happened? She couldn’t-

With a chink, Miri tried to move, to stand, to roll over but something stopped her. Her arms were held out from her by dark, cold chains, their weight evident upon her delicate wrists. The feel of the cold metal then became apparent around her neck as a great choking collar that sat to keep her head forcibly upright. A large shackle sat around her waist, which was then chained to the ground, keeping her kneeling on the cold, dark stone.

“Wha….?” She asked groggily to no one, her mind still trying to come back to her.

As her eyesight adjusted further, she saw bars surrounding her, the same sort of metal as her chains. All around her was that horrible thrumming, like a river, except whatever was rushing was certainly not any water she’d ever heard. And the screams...the screams were the most wretched and tortured sounds she’d ever heard. Each one seemed to shoot through her like an arrow, making her gasp and lurch in physical pain.

My mental wards- She thought, feeling the panic spike in her chest.

“Oh you’ll find those chains are quite unbreakable, dearie,” A deep, throaty, voice practically purred from somewhere to the Lady’s right.

Something in the cadence of speech, in the saccharinely sweet “dearie”, made a shiver spider walk up Miri’s spine. Familiar. It seemed so familiar and yet she couldn’t seem to place where she knew it from. The shackle at her neck kept her from turning to look at the person speaking, causing pain to shoot through her neck when she tried.

The voice tittered, followed by the soft padding of well made shoes walking across a hard stone floor, accompanied by the gentle swishing of silky fabric.

“Do try not to struggle too much, dearie. You’ll only hurt yourself further,” The voice was so sweet, so filled with the mimicry of concern you’d almost have believed it. Almost, except for the razor edge that seemed to crawl along the underside of each sugar coated word.

Giving up on the movement, Miri instead let her eyes dart to her periphery, finally able to glimpse through the bars the figure speaking before her. The figure was tall; much taller than any human she’d have known, with ashen grey skin and long, white hair that had been coiffed up into an elaborately braided updo around their head. Their face was wide and round, like their figure, and almost abundantly so. Long, pointed ears gently peered out from beneath the elaborate hairdo, dangling with gaudy gold and red bangles, while a deep red ruby pendant hung around their throat and into the valley of a ponderous chest.

The gown they wore was of dark wine reds, deep coal greys and white ruffles, finely made and perfectly tailored. Their hands were folded neatly at their waist, long dark nails that shone in the strange light, seeming both perfectly manicured and deadly.

Familiar… “It really is quite rude to stare, Lady Redsteel,” The figure chided gently, as if they were a teacher and Miri a naughty student. Something about it made the Lady’s blood boil. “Or is it Clearwater once more? I can hardly keep track these days.”

“What...do you want with me?” Miri bit at her, regretting even that short question; her throat felt as if she had swallowed sand, dry and scorched.

The figure tittered again, the sound once more sending chills up Miri’s spine.

“Oh all in due time, dearie, all in due time.” They answered before reaching through the bars to tilt Miri��s chin upwards.

The figure -a woman surely- had blood red eyes that bored into Miri in such a way that she was certain she was trying to peer into her very soul. A row of sharp teeth gleamed in the eerie light as she seemed satisfied with what she saw, before releasing the Lady’s face.

“For now...it is my great honor to welcome you to your new home for the foreseeable future,” The woman purred, the wretched joy eeking out of her feeling like oil over Miri’s flesh. She felt sick. “I do believe you are going to be an excellent addition here.”

“Where…?” Miri began, again, regretting the question. Light she’d have done anything for-

A canteen was suddenly pressed roughly to her lips before her head was tilted back and cool, clean water poured down her throat. The relief it brought was short lived as the clawed hand that forced her head back gripped at her hair viciously and forced her to drink without a breath. It wasn’t long before Miri was choking, spitting up the water and coughing it out of her nose, nearly drowning in it.

“Now now, dearie, you’ve had a very trying journey, you really must save your energy,” The woman cooed, malice dripping in every word. “Can’t have you collapsing from exhaustion before your first session, now can we?”

Miri could only sputter and cough in an attempt to breathe. The woman laughed; it seemed so childish and yet the sheer joy she took in Miri’s suffering made her flush with fury.

“As to where you are, well I suppose you were rather addled upon arrival. Didn’t even put up a fight when we shackled you,” The woman gave her chains a shake for good measure, the motion sending waves of pain through Miri’s arms and neck. “And you did put up quite a fight with the Forsworn; they reported that they nearly dropped you five times with how much you were kicking and screaming, till you passed out...oh...somewhere over the Maw? I suppose the change in planes just got to your little head,”

Miri felt the blood drain from her face. “...the...the Maw?”

Again, that horrible, high pitched tittering. “Oh you silly little goose. That’s just where you came through, not where you are,”

The woman seemed to take delight in Miri’s confusion and fear. “I...I don’t-”

“Where the veil was broken, so now stands a door,” The woman raised her hand with a flourish to the ceilings of whatever horrible place they were in. “A door...to my new existence. And your new home.”

Once more, those clawed hands tilted her head up so Miri could look the woman eye to eye. The intense malice and hatred she felt in her gaze was painful and it made Miri weak.

“No…” Miri gasped, feeling tears sting at her tired eyes.

“Yes!” The woman responded, overjoyed. “Revendreth will surely make good use of you, dearie. And I for one am honored to be your warden.

“Now, I really must be going, Lord Denathrius is expecting me. But before I do,” The woman stood up to her full height and gave Miri a horrid smile, like that of a predator that was eager to play with their food. “A little taste of what’s to come.”

She reached out her clawed hand, the ruby pendant at her throat glowing with a horrible, red light. Dark, blood red energy coalesced around her fingers and swirled to a point at Miri’s chest, the Lady helpless to stop its approach. Upon reaching her, Miri lurched, feeling all the air rush out of her.

Pain.

Agony.

Torment.

Every regret, every mistake, every sorrow she’d ever known was suddenly rendered in painfully stark detail and wrenched from her very soul. A horrible scream rent the air as she saw the look in her children’s eyes as she was spirited away, the last moment Dev walked away from her, the expression on Rhett’s face as he was led away to the gallows, the weight of Aldarion’s body as he died in her arms.

“Yes, Mirianda,” The woman’s voice seemed to fill her head, purring and cloyed and malicious. “You will relive every single horrible thing you didn’t stop, every mistake you lived to regret. And I will reap that suffering as a scythe reaps the grain.”

It was only then Miri realized the scream was her own, tearing at her throat with such pain and agony she was certain she would die from it. The woman seemed to be pulling her suffering straight from the center of her soul and into her hands before it seemed to slowly coalesce into the ruby pendant.

When the pain finally stopped, Miri fought to keep from blacking out, though oblivion would’ve been a relief, a mercy. Instead, she clung to her consciousness, her breath shaky and arduous, trembling from head to toe. Every part of her ached, and a deep throb of despair seemed to have blossomed where her heart was.

“Aaah...delicious,” The woman hummed, curling her hands and sighing as if she’d just taken a sip of fine wine. “His lordship will be pleased.

“Do get some rest, dearie,” The woman then turned on her heel with a flourish as two massive metal doors swung open by an unseen force. Miri tried to look outside, to get a bearing on her surroundings, but her head still spun with the attempt to even stay conscious.

“I want you well rested for your first...real...purging,” Her final words were heavy as the doors shut behind her with a metal clang and Miri was left alone in her cell.

Reality seemed to be suspended for a few brief moments, before the screams around her once again began to claw at her mind, tearing open her own freshly created pain and exacerbating it. Gritting her teeth, the Lady tried to fight off the sorrow, the despair, the hopelessness.

But she was so weak...so tired…

Alone, confused and frightened...Mirianda wept, her cries joining with the countless lost souls within ruins of Revendreth, drowned out in the cacophony of suffering and torment. Just another agonized soul to add to the oppressed creatures within the decaying landscape.

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miriredsteel · 3 years

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Winter’s Veil is one of Miri’s favorite holidays, and what better way to celebrate it then to dress up in something sparkly and play in the snow!

Happy Holidays y’all!

#Tempest's Art #My art #WoW OCs #Mirianda Redsteel #Winter's Veil

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miriredsteel · 4 years

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Quietly, and Slowly...

Fall was always a busy time of year. With the autumn harvest came the need to stockpile for the upcoming winter months, as well as taking stock of the year’s farming profits. On top of that, twas the best time to start harvesting the honey from the newly formed apiary, as well as the first harvest of that years grapes for the next barrels of wine.

And after the previous year’s hardships, with the war ending, and the numerous refugees welcomed to Gracewell, the Harvest was a welcome time to see the fruit of so much labor come to bear. It was also a time that encouraged everyone a chance to take stock not only of the harvest, but of their own blessings, no matter how meager they be.

As if the work itself wasn’t enough to keep one’s mind occupied, the Fall festivals were especially something to look forward to and be excited for. A bit of levity was needed after such a trying conflict, and already Brewfest was in full swing. Miri had allowed for a week of rest to allow her people to partake in the festivities, while she herself stayed at the estate.

After all, drinking and making merry alone wasn’t nearly as fun as with friends. Besides, she had so much paperwork to see to; ledgers to fill out and sign, tithing reports to keep track of, and new expansion efforts to confirm and process. The estate wouldn’t run itself of course, and better she take on the duties then delegate it to others more deserving of rest.

She’d never admit the truth behind the long hours spent in her office pouring over reports and expenses, behind walking the perimeters herself with her guards to ensure the safety of those behind her walls. No, she’d have rather keep it to herself, lest her burdens burden others.

Seeing the joy on her people’s faces after a hard day’s work proved fruitful and bountiful helped to raise her spirits. The excited anticipation on her children’s faces as they planned out their costumes for Hallow’s end, the pumpkin patch rides, and spooky stories was more than enough to keep her going.

However, at the end of the day, when she finally would have no more excuses to stay awake, to stay away from her bed, she’d finally relent and collapse into her bed, alone with naught but her thoughts. Thoughts that often, unbidden, turned to the empty space at her side. No matter what she’d do to distract herself – books, needlework, studying her texts – her thoughts always seemed to drift back to the soft, sad darkness that had seemed to settle over her shoulders like a shawl the past few years.

A sadness that she knew was partially attributed to still coming to terms with her husband’s death, but also knew was simply a result of her own insecurities. Her thoughts always seemed to cling to “what ifs” and “if only’s” constantly, making her chest constrict, stealing her breath and aching her heart.

And sometimes, when even her strongest sleeping concoction couldn’t help her to sleep, she’d simply cry herself till she simply passed out from exhaustion.

She knew if anyone were to find out – her mother, her friends, her fellow healers at the clinic – they’d no doubt chide her, insisting they do something to aid her.

But it had become easier and easier, she found, to everyday wake up after a night of fitful rest, face still puffy and swollen from crying herself to sleep, and put on her mask of gentle confidence and calm. To smile and aid everyone else she could...while inside she quietly, and slowly...fell apart.

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miriredsteel · 4 years

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Reblog this if your muse has a nice butt.

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miriredsteel · 6 years

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Galia Lahav “Alegria” Couture Collection.

#Miri's Closet

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miriredsteel · 6 years

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Compendium of Light: Love and Peace

Holy Light, we adore you

Devout and glorify you

As we thank you for the gift of your blessings

We also thank you for your healing, warmth, and grace

We also thank the souls that bravely listened to your voice

And implored for your help as they generously gave up their lives

For the sake of their Argent Brothers and Sisters

Light, because of the blood they shed, we beseech thee to bless these grounds

And to reward abundantly those who have shed their blood in sacrifice

So that others may live in peace and harmony

Inspire the horse and alliance with your grace light

To savor the sweetness if your love so that

They may love and forgive as you love and forgive them

Center of centers, core of my core

Self enclosed and glowing with Light

And beyond me is everything that ever was

Feel how nothing clings to you

How small you are in the grand scheme

And who you fill your life with

Those that give your life meaning

A billion trillion stars spinning through the night

Burning above your head

But in you is the Light that

Will continue to be when the stars are dead.

The sons and daughters of the Argent Crusade are one

And I am one with them

I seek to love not hate

I seek to serve and not deliver vengance

I seek to protect, not harm

I seek to heal, not hurt

Let pain bring due reward of grace

Let the Light give me vision and insidght

Let the future stand revealed

Let peace and the Light prevail

Let all men love.

I saw him.

I saw the paladin in the eye of the whirlwind.

I saw the paladin with his blades and the Light giving him calm

He was the very force of calm force,

Still, but ready to lash out at the first threat

Balanced on the cusp, the nexus between one moment and the next

I saw him and this is what he told me to tell you

Be at peace

It matters not that the Light shines upon me

Or even if it is the brightest day to come this year

I am still in the dark, my soul raw and bleeding

I cry for the Light, the truest light

I cry for it to shine down on my soul again

Light, open your gates in me, and bring the dawn to my soul

It is darkest before the dawn and my strength is waning

Light, shine down on me and bring the dawn

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miriredsteel · 6 years

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Update 8/6/2018

This blog now has 46 followers and

Y’all have raised $122.50!

—

News update:

There are still hundred of children separated from their families. Depending on the source, that number ranges from `~600 to more than 400.

We do know that about 400 parents have been deported without their children

—

Raffle update:

There’s still plenty of time to enter the raffle!

Every dollar given to a non-profit helping reunite separated families counts as an entry so even $1 donations means you get a chance to win art.

Deadline is end of August.

Full Details here.

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miriredsteel · 6 years

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Fandoms for Families Charity Raffle

Rules

1. You donate money to ANY organization helping reunite the separated families between July 4th and August 31st

2. You send a screenshot of your donation receipt to this Tumblr or to [email protected]

3. $1 = 1 ticket. There is no upper limit. Every dollar helps.

4. After August 31st, we will randomly select the winners and inform them through Tumblr or Email

5. There are currently 15 free commission slots that have been donated by our artists and we will work with you to find the artist that will best fit your desired style and request.

Please donate some money to organizations like RAICES or the ACLU if you can. Every dollar helps.

Reblogs are appreciated!

And follow our blog if you want to keep informed on the state of Raffle, current events in immigration, and posts showcasing our amazing artists.

#Fandoms for Families #Artists on Tumblr #SWTOR #WoW #Final Fantasy #Dragon Age #Illustration

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miriredsteel · 6 years

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IT ME!

Showcasing: Screaming-fan-girl

@screaming-fan-girl has donated Two slots to the Fandoms For Families Charity Raffle!

Screaming-fan-girl is a digital artist specializing in character art/design and comics.

For two winners, Screaming-fan-girl will draw groups of characters for any fandom, up to five, with background. They are also willing to draw NSFW.

Donate to RAICES between now and August 31, 2018 for a chance to win one of Screaming-fan-girl’s amazing pieces!

For more information regarding the raffle, see our About page or send us an ask and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

And a huge thank you to Screaming-fan-girl for graciously donating their time to help reunite families separated at the border.

#fandoms for families #artists on tumblr #Illustration #WoW #SWTOR #Final Fantasy

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miriredsteel · 6 years

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Hey Alliance Players

Don’t be jerks.

Horde players play for aesthetics, storylines, roleplay, friends, and all sorts of reasons.

It isn’t their fault Blizzard has once again railroaded them into accepting orders from a villainous warmonger. It isn’t their fault Blizzard ignores their own story progression, characterization, and basic common logic to keep up suspension of disbelief to have Big Cinematic Moments to justify forcing the continuing faction war and IC hostility.

That hostility, despite what silly commercials tell you, should not extend out of game and character. Show some sympathy for people feeling upset their chosen faction is being screwed by story they cannot control yet again, and be annoyed by writing choices that do not deliver on the promises of “morally grey” and choices.

#Important to remember #A leader does not always necessarily speak for their people

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miriredsteel · 6 years

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Venting OOC

I just wanted to put down my thoughts for maybe any poor soul that still is listening. Under the cut if you wish to keep scrolling.

It’s been a rough few months. My job has reached levels of stress that I legit got sick from (it fucking gave me fever blisters!), I reached a SEVERE point of writer/artist block, and family stuff came up that I wanted to provide my full attention to, mostly so I could take care of my sister. I had some massive drama bombs drop with people I am friends with and it just sort of added to the stress/anxiety I was feeling, and frankly the HEAT is just making everything about 3million times WORSE.

The longer I stayed away from WoW/writing/drawing, the worse it seemed to get that I just didn’t feel up to doing any of it. I’m not sure if I could call it a depressive episode, but the idea of drawing (despite having tons of things I WANTED to draw) just didn’t seem appealing.

And I got to a point where I more or less felt like no one wanted me around. It didn’t last, and I know it’s not necessarily true, but I’m sure we’ve all been in similar situations and it’s hard to really combat those thoughts on your own.

Things have finally sort of kind of calmed down. It’s still hot as SHIT, but I actually sat and drew for a few hours today (it felt SO good). My sister and family are in a better place, if not 100% good. That’s just going to take time. And work seems to have gotten less stressful (though I am definitely more aware of how much I HATE my job now).

Plus, I really miss all my WoW friends.

Just the release of the art block felt great. Now that it’s flowing, my creativity seems to be up and running again, so I’d really like to get back into WoW/RP soon. Though I admittedly am feeling a little worried/shy/unprepared.

I HAVE been supplementing a lot of my time with things like Star Wars: The Old Republic (I am afraid to say I’m a little obsessed) and Fallout. But I miss socializing with folks online.

I also have been itching to play my new Gilnean Harvest Witch character more, as well as explore some of the new stuff coming before BfA hits.

Anyway, my point is sorry to anyone who may have been looking for me. I’m still around, I swear!

#Personal #OOC #Miri Vents

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