The Puppeteer~

wadecalhoun​:

          A low whistle leaves Wade, drumming his hands on the table as if it would aid him in formulating any response or retort of comfort. He’s at a loss, he’s not entirely familiar with fey business, never really had to concern himself with them before. Robin had dished out all he needed to know, how they were capricious but relatively harmless at the end of the day and merely, much like everyone, solely out for their own kinds survival. From what Wade had gathered, it seemed the fey simply wanted to be left to their own devices, but he knew such sentiment could not encompass the entirety of the species and that was where betrayal and shit became a dark and slippery slope. “Robin, you ain’t gonna have some target on your back for bein’ forced to take some chick’s job, are you?” Well, a larger target then the one she inherently created considering her own age and ability to meddle. “And how come you didn’t come to me about all that?” Being hunted, it allows him to recall the moment they first met when he’d almost jabbed her with his fucking iron switchblade under the false pretense that she was a demon. How far they’d come since then and though this was no time to condemn her when she appeared so emotionally wounded and fragile, Wade had felt almost offended at the idea that she would have rather faced such problem by herself. He can be a bit thick headed and even through his concern for Robin and his mild offense he still can’t rouse the obvious fact that she was trying to poke at the elephant in the room, his affiliations with a certain group that hunted all supernaturals.

...

“Wade, dearest, I have had a target on my back for years, my new role has merely increased other parties’ interest,” she begins, voice slow and deliberate as she reaches for the warmth of her drink and raises it to her lips to take a long and silent sip. There is an eternity of legends and stories behind her worries, the fear of the dark that her kind carries woven into her very essence with the knowledge of the drows that will never stop hunting them. Worry circles her chest, weights her tongue as she speaks, even as fondness shines through. Even as she wants to reach and bring him closer, even as she wants to reach out and hope. He is worried, before all, he is concerned. And yet,  Robin knows Wade. Has known him since he attempted to kill her, believing her a demon and nothing else. Dearest as he is to her, she knows him enough of his faults to know that he had not caught her indirect. The desire to reach out, the hope, does not fade, but her loyalty to her people prevails and tentative thoughts turn into tentative words. It’s like walking up to the precipice, the knowledge that if she pushes she might not get an answer that she wants. Robin doesn’t know if she can handle the truth for herself, doesn’t know if she can handle another betrayal. If it were for her and her alone, she would not continue. But the truth is not for her satisfaction, not for her peace of mind: the truth is to protect those she has sworn to defend. “If it’s not the Eye, it’s the drows, shadow creatures wearing the faces of those we once loved. My kind’s very existence is in danger, and I do not know who to trust. I cannot bring anyone I care for into this, I cannot bring you into this Wade, not when my kinds protection is not your cross to bear.”

wardercloud​:

Drinking. That had been their safe haven for as long as it had been since Theneras was lost to them. They couldn’t find it in themself to do anything else. If Cloud chose to let all of those emotions funnel through, then the floodgates would open and it would be more than just that leaving their system. The summer fey had been nursing a bottle of…something to their chest when they heard Robin’s voice. They had been standing there watching the way things moved around them. There was a sword of flames within their hand that they had not put away. Cloud had always been on the defensive. They had always been in a state of readiness their entire life. It was there more now than ever before. Even as the fall chancellor came upon them, they almost held it out towards her, but they resisted the urge. “I’m fine.” That was what they kept telling themself. They were fine. It had become so ingrained in their head that even saying it was not a lie. Anyone could tell that it wasn’t the case, but they could believe Cloud’s words. “I haven’t had it worse than anyone else. I won’t make this about me.” Their eyes hadn’t met hers yet until they stopped speaking. Even seeing her face caused them to drink from the bottle in their grasp.

...

“Ah, shit,” she sighs, allowing herself to fall down to the ground, crossing her legs and patting the sand next to her in an invitation to sit down. Cloud wasn’t lying, they could not lie, and yet, there is no denying that everything is not as it appears. With a hum, she summons a bottle of feywine from her own reserves and opens the cork, bringing the bottle to her lips and taking a long sip, trying to think on how to approach the conversation. Perhaps it’s true, that Cloud hasn’t had it worse than anyone else, but emotions won’t care about that. Not when their wardee had done as much as Theneras had did and they had lost them, not when their duty had been to protect Theneras and they had failed, in the worst way imaginable. “And if I ask you to? You are my friend and I want to hear how you have been coping, if you want to talk,” she admits quietly. “And if not, can I keep you company? I am anything but fine, and I could use it.”

assanx​:

-

Sometimes, most of the time, Assan just wished everything was easier. It was so troublesome to have to do everything himself when all he really wanted to do was find a nice soft bed somewhere and lay down. It wasn’t easy to make Assan feel uncomfortable, and the military presence within the city wasn’t really capable of pulling it off, but he didn’t like that they were bothering Robin. If she wanted he’d help her but getting the demigod to do anything always involved some form of bribery, he only managed to make it through several hours of D&D because there were always snacks and soda there. Sweet, sweet soda. A discontented sigh brought his gaze up towards the sky, idly the demigod wondered what was waiting for them on the horizon. “Tuna.” was all he said.

...

“Consider the bright side,” Robin says with a grin as she eyes Assan. “More sessions means more free food for you.” She doesn’t mind providing the money for the goodies, not when the sessions are one of the bright spots at the moment. All work and no play makes her a dull fey, and although she is taking her duties rather more seriously than she had ever taken anything else, bar a few exceptions such as her time with the Robin Hood crew. “A good question,” she sighs out as her grin drops and she eyes Assan first and then their surroundings. “I can’t really say what is coming, but we all can guess that is something big. As such, please do try to be careful, I wouldn’t want to see you hurt.”

who? @sabinabrutus​

where? the graveyard

Fire is an element that comes to Robin as easy as breathing, an intricate diamond blade set aflame manifesting on her hand as soon as the danger makes itself known. She had sensed the strange magic as soon as it had swept upon Rome, heard the words of the Pythia and felt the dread swept over her as her clairvoyance hit her with the all consuming emotion. Then chaos falls upon the once melodious party and she sets asides her worries to examine later, fire sweeping around her as she hums, the smell of Autumn following her as blistering flames consume Terrors and protect the living. She will not allow harm to befell to anyone, not if she can help it. Eladrin might be her priority, but she would never allow the fate of a Terror befell an innocent soul.

“Down, mortal,” she orders the pretty woman before she sweeps her blade above her and decapitates an unsuspecting Terror.

chancellorxlaer​:

-

The expedition of Summer had seen great changes among the sands, high above the scorching fields rose pink clouds and spires of gold and silver, imbued with the light of the sun itself. It was a pale shadow when compared to the architecture of his Summer court, but it was a suitable place for his people to frolic while the creatures below meandered about the desert - searching for a hidden oasis while literal paradise loomed above them, eternally out of reach. The Fairy King’s forest had become more accessible as of late, to this end Laer wanted to make sure that the fey and the fey alone were permitted to step foot in his castle.

While Laer’s mind was encumbered, there was nothing that he would not have done to assist a fellow fey - particularly that of a chancellor when they came upon him to ask. Robin was the newest to the title, but not the youngest of the court. She had skills and experience that were an asset, as well as an intricate knowledge of the eye, something that would prove invaluable in the months to come. At least, that was Laer’s assumption. “These sands are as much your home as they are mine,” he hummed a note and made a gesture as some of the clouds descended around them, lifting them to the citadel in the sky where they could be more comfortable. “Tell me,” Laer offered as he sat at the table and gestured for Robin to make herself more comfortable, “what’s troubling you?”

....

Robin takes a second to gather herself, eyes wandering across the Summer’s Court new home, marveling at the delicate pink clouds and the elaborate spires born from them. Similar work had been done with the Autumn Field’s, the cabins and homes of her people hidden amongst the woods with her changeling hiding amidst the foliage to ensure her people’s safety. She had not been the one to organize the fields, however, that job she had delegated to one of the Autumn Court’s architects, and she wonders if she could have done as splendid of a job as the Summer Chancellor did or if she would have failed to fill the shoes Fen’harel had left behind once more.

“I am usually confident on my judgment of allies,” she begins to speak, words deliberate as she keeps her gaze on the view rather than on Laer. It’s less to avoid any sort of responsibilities at her words and more because she is ashamed of her lack of judgment and her stupidity when it had come to Wade. She had trusted him, loved him as the friend that he was, and blinded herself fully to the reality of his role. “But I made a mistake on who I should trust and I need to talk about it with someone, because the betrayal has left behind a enlarging ball of grief on my chest and I am aware I will only get rid of it if I talk about it. Alas, this will make me seem rather stupid, and I accept that fully.”

assanx​:

-

Food was always the way to his heart, so Robin was right to suggest it to him. It was incentive enough for Assan to continue attending, that and he liked fantasy and roleplay. It was absolutely not reason for him to organize any of the gatherings though, Assan would leave that to the professional people gatherers. He felt fortunate that Robin never seemed to have much of a problem understanding him, perhaps that was owed in part to her clairvoyance. That seemed to be a trademark among some of the fey. As carefree as Assan came across, it wasn’t all sushi rolls and smiles. Everyone had their struggles, everyone had their conflicts. “Salmon,” came the easy response as if to say that she didn’t need to worry about him. 

...

“The gods are turning their eyes to this realm, Assan. Worry is not something I can let go lightly,” she reminds her with a sigh. Problems kept pilling up like an abnormally dangerous Jenga tower and pretending that they are not is not something that she is capable of doing. Not when it is clear that the smallest of nudges might bring the entire tower crashing down in a tragic manner. Robin can’t help everyone, can’t protect them all, but she has to try to protect those she cares about. Has to try and protect her court too, before everything else. But if she can, she will protect her best friend too, as best as she can. “But do not take as me not trusting you, I know you can take care of yourself. I just. Well, with everything I cannot help the worry.”