who? @wardernirvaan
where? winter’s mountain
notes: they are sitting and chilling near a cliff like bros
“Alright spill, something it’s in your mind.” It’s not too clear what exactly, but they have been enjoying the moment of quiet for long enough for her to hear him absolutely failing at the game he is currently playing. It’s distracting enough that she had messed up her strategy on her own game and that alone is a serious offense of the highest order. “What is it?”
Tati Gabrielle as Prudence Night The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
wintersaurora:
Dark eyes settle on Raja as she takes another sip of her martini, now taking her sweet time in responding to the fuming Autumn fey. She only looks back to her when a good-looking man with pointed ears interrupts Raja’s walking and offers him a drink, steering him towards the ballroom and briefly meeting Aurora’s eyes.
“... That isn’t just any human, that’s my family. Of course I gave him every protection.” Stern eyes soften into something akin to worry as she sighs and turns her attention to the other fey, Fen’harel’s distant family. Robin was one of her favorites in the Autumn nobility - more modern than many of her peers and with an admirable understanding for life that far extended the Otherworld. But she was also loud, and Aurora’s attention was stretched far too thin that night to focus on arguing with anyone. “I promised his mother that I would let him learn about the world completely on his own but, unfortunately, being ignorant in Rome now will just let him killed far quicker... So I’m speeding up the process of making him not ignorant, Robin... I don’t like it anymore than you do.” A pause. “Though I am grateful you care enough to say something.”
"Aurora, darling, dearest. Should I say that I have no words? But that would be lying, I have all the words, beginning with why and ending on what," she shakes her head in what can only be described at exasperation at the younger eladrin's actions. Before she even finishing speaking, a hundred and one plans form on her head, a hundred and one other possibilities in which Aurora could have revealed the truth to the poor human without risking his safety to a hungry crowd. Despite it all, though, she stays her tongue, deciding against further irritating the Chancellor when she already seems too stressed for words. “I will not utter another word, then, however I do suggest you begin phrasing your promises so that a loophole can be exploited, that promise of yours is not going to help him, even if it is what his mother wanted. After all, do you know if that is what he wants?” Then she shrugs. “Just doing my job as a good Samaritan, there is no need to thank me for it.”
"Once again, congratulations on your children," Robin says kindly, the words pushed out of her lips to prevent a quip of her own regarding how the title of Lifebringer could be given to plenty of other high elves as well. Her parents, Laer, multiple members of her court. As much as Zahrya wanted to believe himself special for having children, he is far from it. But as long as his delusions benefited her court, she would keep mum, after all, aside from his weird fixation on reproduction, he was rather pleasant to be around. "If that it's to be so, I must thank you for your determination."
"I've acquired many titles in my time. 'Lifebringer' is just the latest, though I will uphold it as I would any other. Procreation is the foundation for all life in nature." On the childrearing front, Zahrya had more success than any of the elves which was within expectation but couldn't remain the norm. Helping his fertility to seep into the crevices of every court was his calling, and he would answer it. "Prayer has nothing to do with it. My blessings have always been boundless. All will have the children they deserve by the time my work is complete."
There is a weight to her shoulders that she had never expected to receive, a newly settled sense of duty that she cannot avoid. Suddenly, the world had gone off balance, the knowledge she held as true changed with the blink of an eye. Fen’harel was a traitor, and she is the new Autumn Chancellor. The drows return, and the Eye moves. The Blessed are scattered throughout the mortal realm. They lost so many to Asphodel’s spite. She is worried and grieving, both beyond compare, the weight of what is to come settling over her shoulders, and yet, she cannot show it. She is now the newest Chancellor, and leaders cannot be weak in front of those that look up to them. Not to the young eladrin and not to anyone else.
“That depends, dear. I personally recommend you learn more than the basics of self-defense, as things are likely to get complicated,” she begins, expression calm yet warm as she eyes the youngest fey. “But tell me, what do you want to do?
“Robin?” Èdelie called out, still frizzled from the aftermath of prior events. Cluelessness cannot describe the position the brunette is left in, satisfied that all has fallen back in place, yet mortified of what’s potentially left to come. Body unable to physically move, paleness overtook her features, croakily inquiring, “What do we do now?” Because something must be done, and at this rate, she’d do anything to ensure proper reparations for all feys. Though the idea of getting blood on her hands somewhat startled her, Èdelie physically and emotionally felt defeated, suspiring defeat and tiredness.
who? @lainxsolus where? near the stage, in a little alcove
"Excellent performance, sweetheart," Robin offers as she tugs at the chain wrapped around Lain's neck, pulling him towards an alcove she had scouted before the play had begun. Once they are hidden from view, she reaches up an places a hand on the back of Lain's neck, pulling him down for a quick kiss before pulling away and sending him a mischievous grin. "Reminds me of William's first production of Hamlet, full of enthusiasm and passion for the craft. Definitively something worth rewarding."
wadecalhoun:
-
The other hunters are hellbent on this blinding and senseless violence, The Eye comes across many who are meant to act under crucial orders but some seem improperly vetted by association. When their first overseer had been claimed to walk this earth as a ghoul, proper clearances had perhaps fallen to the wayside; Wade had never known The Eye to be desperate enough to snag up whoever desired to be apart of their ruthless ranks. Wade flinches as the knife meets flesh and there’s this inherent gasp and curdling scream that follows, an inevitable that carries so much agony and betrayal. It seeps into the core of his heart, blackens it a little further, almost promises him that place in the Inferno that the abomination had wagged in front of him when it had given him it’s blessing to let him suffer earth side.
He sees the proverbial flames lick around the forest, feels the heat on his neck, when really he’s sweating at the reminder of how out of control it had all become in an almost instantaneous bout of corruption. He cares little for the faith of these heedless hunters but his heart is torn in two places; to listen to Robin’s final omen or stick around to hold weight on the wound, to be consumed by the protectors of the forest, torn apart by lycans. It’d surely be considered the better fate, to meet his own quietus, than to force himself to endure what he’d just done; the agonizing weight of it all.
Wade is simply frozen, pathetically so, stumbling backwards, back towards the fog he had been granted passage to enter through. This was meant to be an innocent recon but it had stumbled into something unforgivable. The rusted scent of blood has since pricked the air and his jaw clenches as though to contain his own sickness at the reminder that it was her blood. Even with his distinct act of accomplished betray, betrayal by pathetic indifference, Robin offers him safe passage home away from the fate that the true harbingers of senseless violence would inevitably discover.
An apology is pricked in saddened irises, but it dies on his lips, it always would as he slips away into the fog back away to the sanctity of Rome and the gelid environment of The Eye’s headquarters. Wade will never be forgiven, he understands this as he recalls the insurmountable grief that struck Robin’s countenance, is anguished under the reminder of the iron blade jutting out of her frame. He would never forgive himself anyhow.
...
When he stumbles, seemingly collapses unto herself and leaves it doesn’t surprise her, but it does shatter what is left of the faith she held for her once-favorite hunter. It is such a small thing that does it, the way he hesitates, the way he almost reaches back, the way he almost seems sorry — But despite it all, despite the hesitation, despite the countless times she had saved him, he leaves. He heeds her warning and weights his life against hers, and decides his is worth more, every time. Faith is such a funny sentiment, capable of withstanding the worst of storms and shattering at a single look. Robin had believed in Wade, had believed that he saw her as more than the means to an end, more than a convenient relationship to use and then discard.
She had believed them friends, had given him the gift of her friendship and loyalty when she rarely bestowed it to any human, and he had repaid her with the same sort of fire and brimstone the demon he so fears had offered him. It would be ironic if it wasn’t so fucking infuriating.
“With friends like these, who needs enemies,” she mumbles, coughs out through the pain, blood staining the back of her teeth as she looks at the hunters that had remained and smiles like a predator, for what are they but New Rome’s guardian’s prey? She feels them coming as she levels a look at the hunters before her, knows that their judgment day is closer than they would like and the mean-spirited part of her relishes at this information. There might be a sense of unique understanding and empathy for humanity that Robin holds on her chest, but she is not less of a fey because of it. They are a fickle capricious sort, her people, and she has never been shy about her determination to see the Eye burn. Wade has confirmed her suspicions, and she has granted him one last kindness.
Next time, the one bleeding for his mistakes will be him.
She has no need to retaliate against the hunters that remain, though, not when she only has to look to the side to see a changeling emerging from the fog to deliver their fate to them. Instead, she focuses on her song to slow down the blood flow enough to stand up and hobble deeper into the forest. The blade had been iron and properly cured, not impossible to heal but something she would feel much more confident healing with someone else present. Carefully, she limps away from the clearing where the curtain of her friendship with Wade had fallen, leaving behind nothing but a pool of blood and hoping that she will find someone to join her in a healing song sooner rather than later.
wintersaurora:
❅
Aurora takes the glass, silently grateful to have something to occupy her hands and to have something to burn her throat. She takes a sip as the other speaks, hesitating only when Fen’harel was mentioned. Her eyes fell. As she took the glass away from her lips, her gaze finally returned to Robin. “Please… I’ve always counted on you to speak your mind. Everyone else is walking on eggshells around me and I-” She sighed. “I understand. But it’s very difficult to try to come back to myself when no one else is doing it.” She ground her teeth nervously, turning away, pacing very slowly. “If it’s any comfort for you, Robin, I don’t think you’re a failure of a replacement. You’ve held your Court together. You’ve managed to despite never being groomed to do it, despite perhaps the worst travesties we have endured as a people in… millennia.”
...
“If you want me to speak my mind, then you are going to have to accept my kindness and empathy, neither of which are a weakness, as brief as they are, because ignoring tragedy does not help, and you know this,” Robin says pointedly, the allusion towards her own brothers demise vague enough that most would miss. Not Aurora, though, not when they had known each other for so long and the other was aware of the reason why Robin had become involved with the hunt for the Eye in the first place. “I have managed yes, but managing is not enough when we are facing our current threats. I have to do better, be better, but I lack the training and the person who could have trained me is a traitor and no longer part of the Court. Whatever legacy there is for the Fall Chancellor is one that I have to learn without training.”
who? @wadecalhoun where? by the dance floor
"Do they teach you how to dance in the fancy farm of yours?" She asks as she slides next to Wade with a chesire grin on her face. Bumping her shoulder good naturedly against the hunter's, she basks on his presence, wondering why does it feel like it's been far too long since the two of them spent time together. "I sure hope so, you won't be impressing anyone if all you know is square dancing."
Decay it's an eternal cycle of life and what comes hereafter. A constant movement in the flow of eternity, it is not hard to lose oneself to the rot if wandering outside the chosen path. Slowly, carefully, she wades through the bogs, her magic keeping her muck free as she wanders through her domain, eyes narrowed as she looks around for any sign of cracks on the foundation. Her song had been strong and sure as she built the Dusk Court, but one can never be too careful, when her people are the ones at stake. Routine check ups across her court serve to calm her, as well as to get to know more of her people as she wanders.
This time, however, she is heading deeper into Trickster's Bog with Inan by her side, her head tilted to the side in consideration as he awaits for him to breach the silence with whatever that is bothering him. A sigh swells int he back of her throat for a moment as he once again chooses formality to create a barrier betwem the two of them, but keeps it to herself as she sends him a curious look. "What is it, Warder? "
@thegoodfellow location: Dusk Court notes: creepy
Travel between the fey forest and the realm of the elves was simple, Inan had taken to patrolling the borders and living beyond the Moon Gate for its ease. His home was already among the trees out there, a small farm that he didn't wish to uproot. Their power had grown, some exponentially, but if the common-blooded fey had weak magic to begin with, multiplying it didn't increase it as significantly as it did for the noble elves. Inan had become stronger, certainly, but the gap between the two bloodlines only became more distinct. It was not hard to understand how one had come to subjugate the other so many years ago.
Robin was safe within their Court, something that Inan hadn't truly felt since Titania reigned over the Otherworld. Here they were though, wandering amidst the muck of the bogs, the stirring decay and mysteries beneath their feet as Inan's footfalls carried him lightly across the surface. "My lady, there is something I feel I must tell you." Keeping secrets from the chancellor wasn't in his nature, but if she were to keep him as her warder then he needed to be honest with her.