A Sense Of Disgust And Self-recrimination Settles In The Back Of Her Throat Every Time She Thinks Of

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."

“I have seen some rather amusing costumes,” she admits with a grin, even as she brushes the image of Zahrya in a changeling from her mind. She had been gone for months, and years before that, yes, but even with what little she had gathered in the last day since her return that was such a foolish idea. One she did not want to dwell on when she could be having fun. Instead, she looks to the Senator and nods in greeting, having not seen her since she had decided to pursue in the States for shits and giggles. “I would apologize that my costume is not as elaborate, but I like it well enough for something that I came up with in less than twenty-four hours.”

location: the steps leading into the palace of pluto person: every single one of yall @senatusstarters​

The thing about hosting was that she felt like she never quite stopped moving. When the doors to the main hall had been opened and people had started petering into the palace, she’d stood atop the stairs and met everyone with a smile, pointed them towards the ballroom or the entrance to outside with practiced ease. All of the nerves she’d had about letting just anyone into what she considered her home had quickly dissipated. She’d set a very simple couple of rules in place and everyone had followed them, no one was running around with cat ears and a clown nose yet. Plucking a glass of wine from one of the many attendants, she lets out a breath for posterity and turns to see the next person coming up the stairs. “I do think the costume contest is going to be a nailbiter this year.”

wadecalhoun​:

          “Oh you’re freakin’ me out somethin’ mighty now,” Wade turned almost gravely serious for he’d never seen Robin be so caught up within herself. The tear threatens to fall from her and it glistens atop vivid irises though Wade says nothing, he knows better than to point out a vulnerability in someone unless you’re intending to wound. He’d always fought and remained tacit through his own trembling teeth and dampened eyes and he wouldn’t undress Robin so emotionally in the midst of some cheesy Roman cafe; it’d be wrong. He’s quite animated as his head pans down to look at her hand upon his then back up to her sullen mien, her idea of a promotion causing his brows to crease in confusion. “And did’y have a choice in that? ‘Cause if I had a fuckin’ promotion I’d be doin’ a lil’ dance yet you’re over there all curled in on yourself.” They were all licking their wounds, that much was true, but it was the only way Wade figured he could pose the question all whilst supporting her facade as an immovable and unwavering figure.

...

“I was voted in after our last Chancellor confessed to working with those hunting our kind to call those who would sooner kill us than let us live in peace,” she comments softly, unable to apologize for her odd behavior when at the end of the day she couldn’t. Masks were something well-used by those on the Fall court, capable of keeping a facade for sake of survival, and yet, Robin could not afford to keep such a thing going when Fen’harel had proved to be a liar amongst liars. It was time for honesty to triumph on her court, and she would lead by example so that her loyalty would never be questioned. Even now, she is using that truth to further prove her loyalty. She had tried to ignore her suspicions, the pull from her clairvoyance telling her that Wade was walking a path that she could only condemn but —  He is a friend, a true one, and she cared for him. Cared for him enough to ignore the clues, cared for him enough not to pry. That had to end, though, for she would not allow for their friendship to threaten the people under her charge. “We are being hunted, and the leader the Fall Court chose over three millennia ago forsook us for power. Needless to say, I have been left to fill quite the big shoes while having to avoid their mistakes.”

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.”

wadecalhoun​:

          “Bit of a gut punch,” he offers Robin a sour expression for if she’s too paint him as a complete evildoer, the Archer is not about to exhaust himself fighting against such imagery. He’d thrived off of fear and anger, it led him to this pivotal moment of their friendship where now they were mere strangers once more, torn apart by violence spurred by hatred and confusion. “You must think I’m doin’ way more than working for them. I don’t have any clearance into those labs,” it’s a half-whisper considering she’s jumping right in when they’re on the line for coffee, but he’ll settle for duking it out with her as he waited.

“You know, that does it make me feel a bit better for trusting you for so long,” she muses thoughtfully as she settles by his side to wait for the line to move. It is almost amusing to hear him struggle to half-whisper, not realizing that she had thrown a privacy spell around the two as soon as she had stepped closer. Robin wasn’t careless, for fuck’s sake. She knew the meaning of subtlety, but she also was petty and vindictive, and worrying Wade just a little bit was far too amusing for her right now. “The fact that you do have morals, I mean. Makes it easier to believe you are just incapable to withstanding peer pressure, and not willingly malicious,” she comments carelessly before rising a brow. “The labs are not the only suspect thing of the whole organization and you know it.”

chancellorxlaer​:

-

The fey were clairvoyant, knowing who to trust and how was all but woven into their nature, still, it was not impossible for them to be deceived. Deception, however, was typically their game. Laer knew, he’d employed it countless times before. Robin looked like a frail and broken thing, hollowed eyes and worry laced her words, it was… Uncomfortable. She was a chancellor now, strength was what her people needed more than anything - what all the fey needed. One weak link reflected poorly on all of them, if there was something he could do to dispel this worry then he would do it. 

“Our judgement isn’t infallible.” Laer offered, “What did this betrayal really cost you?” The chancellor asked in an attempt to ascertain the depth and breadth of her relationship with the individual who betrayed them. Fey, as it happened, were especially skilled when it came to vengeance. The magic that bloomed within them was enough to blanket this city, this forest was a focal point and anyone with intuition could feel how Zahrya had embedded it with the very nature of their being. Blood magic that Laer had affectionately steered him towards, after all, it wasn’t without its uses. 

...

“A gut wound, an iron-made scar and a great deal of the empathy I set aside for humanity,” Robin admits, a near sardonic smile on her lips as she speaks. She is more than aware of her own predilection for humans, knows that her young age had given her a kinder perspective of them as she had not experience the same violence towards their kind that the older generations had. She knows that all things considered, she had been more understanding of humanity than many other eladrin, knows despite the new jaded certainty sitting on her chest, she is likely to remind kinder still. It’s her better nature, but as any eladrin that is not the only thing that she is. “I had a project of sorts, a human that hunted demons for revenge for what they did to his family, and I saw myself on him in a way. That blinded me to his cowardice and lack of principles.”

The truth is simple, at the end of the day. Robin had seen herself on Wade, desperate to avenge the lost of a loved one, and because of that, had been willing to help him. Willing to love him as a friend, because she had trusted him as one trusts those they believe they understand, those they believe to be alike them. What Robin had failed to see was that Wade lacked the strength of character to be anything but a lamb. Well, if that if he was so very willing to betray her for puny convictions, she would need not hesitate any longer. He is a lamb, and one she would gladly lead to a slaughter

“The good news is that now I have a stronger link leading back to the Eye, and little compunctions on exploiting it,” she offers, slowly. It still weights on her, the care she held for Wade, but her people always came first, and now that the little archer is a threat, she will spare him from her anger no longer.

lainxsolus​:

As he patrolled the border between the Lupo’s claim and the Fey’s forest, he could not shake the feeling that he was being watched.  He stopped walking, focusing on his surroundings and quickly picking up on the distinct scent of magic.  Sure enough, a woman emerged from the shroud of fog.  “Who told you that?” Lain asked, eyes narrowing suspiciously at the eladrin that emerged from the veil of mist.  Paranoia was always in his nature, it came with the territory of his chosen profession.  “Alek isn’t the only one who wants to destroy the Eye,” Lain responded evenly, crossing his arms over his chest. His distrust of Robin was evident, his guard was always up when he was around eladrin. But their species both shared a common enemy that threatened the safety of their people.  “Alright, let’s hear it.  I’m all ears when it comes to intel on those evil fuckers.” 

...

“One Miss D’Angelo, she is in Lycan Council and answered my questions when it was clear our interests align,” Robin offers freely, willing to go along his paranoia if it means appeasing it. Altogether, she would prefer to grow past that as quick as possible, but building good relationships with the lycan before her is a priority and she is willing to slow herself down. She needs allies to fuck with the Eye, and she has always been rather patient with those who are worth it. Her relationship with the hunter she is soon going to destroy is proof that she is more than willing to extend her patience to unholy degrees for some. “For the most part, I deal with little birds that are affiliated with the Eye, but it’s hard to get much info from the inside even then. I would give you their name too, but compromising them at this point would lessen our flow of information. What I do have is the name of one particular hunter that I know for sure is connected to the Eye. Compromising him is no issue, as he is not one of mine and he provides a good start if we can access their servers through him. Alas, I am no hacker.”

zahryaofspring​:

✿*ﾟ ‘ﾟ･

Here he was, pulling off a feat that most couldn’t even fathom, and yet again Zahrya had a sneaking suspicion his miracles were underappreciated. While this normally would bother him, he’s enjoying himself too much. The looks of shock delight him, the expressions of disgust are committed to memory. He wondered if those same individuals would still look at changelings like that if they were to become one…

Robin unintentionally saves someone from being whisked away and made to find out by Zahrya’s hand with her statement. It’s strange the customs mortals come up with to celebrate their insignificant holidays. “I would never take part in such an activity,” the creature groans out, its noises resembling speech as closely as Zahrya could compel. “Leave the bones of the deceased in the ground to feed the plants. Throwing them at me would do no good.” The young ones were always trying to get him to assimilate. Why would he want to be associated with a species who found pleasure in tossing the remains of their fallen at each other?

...

For a moment, Robin is so very glad that she has become quite adept at maintaining what humans call a poker face, because if she had not, the possibility of her bursting into inappropriate laughter after Zahrya’s retort would have been a reality and not just a possibility. That wouldn’t have done. While she quite enjoys talking to the Chancellor as if they were her pears, she would never openly insult them without a built rapport between them. Aurora is a rather different case, as they were friends and occasional lovers before she became Winter Chancellor, but Zahrya? As she is not of the Spring Court, and nowhere near his age, she is not as close to the Chancellor. Insulting him with inappropriate laughter wouldn’t do — 

But revealing what she meant would. After all, she did mean her comment as it had been honest. Perhaps relieving some of the tensions he has been carrying since Titania’s imprisonment would help calm down the near manic energy the spring eladrin is exuding.

“Pardon me for the misunderstanding, Zahrya, ‘boning’ is a mortal euphenism for sex,” she explains patiently, an innocent smile on her face as she speaks, showing no hint of shame at the topic of conversation. “I am just suggesting that perhaps having relations with an attractive individual might help you enjoy the festivities, as many chose to do in Hollow’s Eve.”

Tati Gabrielle as Prudence Blackwood