ivoryxsteel

[ivoryxsteel]

joanna liked to be in control; a room full of masked people she couldn't recognize was a nightmare come true, yet she did her best to remain composed. " people hide behind masks all the time. " lady lannister responds when a stranger ( does she know them ? she couldn't tell. it irritated her. ) spoke. " only now the sheep can put on a lion's skin on. of course it would give them bravery. it's pathetic. "

closed starter ›› @twitchywitchys , @ivoryxsteel , @wcrfcres , @sepulchcrs , @hamartialed

❝ i must  admit,  being  completely  anonymous  feels odd. ❞   the mask and veil that concealed his face didn't persuade truth to be spilled. magister was at ease. concealment a weapon he wouldn't take for grant but also remain cautious of given who'd gifted it. the phoenix's gaze averted from the crowd, granting companion his full attention.  ❝ though someone else said they felt braver because of it. what say you, my liege? ❞

[ivoryxsteel]

eyes shoot up in an offended manner - who dared speak to her like that? was this some sort of a joke? the other's voice , however .. how familiar ; then memories resurface , old ones she had burried deep into her mind , from another lifetime. sharp features soften as she speaks. " is that you .. lord qorgyle ? " for a moment she would've slipped , spoke in a more familiar manner , as if she were back to those years , but lady joanna gets a hold of herself. she cannot stop the smile , now a genuine one. " one must adapt to their circumstances , would you not agree? or perhaps you have not changed at all. "

with  a  tilt  of  his  head,  the  red  death  looks  upon  a  lioness  he  had  seen  before,  perhaps  not  only  in  reality  but  in  dreams  of  old  as  well.  it  was  as  if  the  past  had  come  back  to  remind  him  of  feelings  long  forgotten,  of  past  endeavors  and  treasures  that  had  crumbled  to  dust  in  the  back  of  his  mind.  joanna  radiated  in  her  golden  colors  and  even  if  the  years  had  caught  on  to  her  like  him,  she  still  resembled  the  fierce  woman  he  used  to  know.  clinging  his  goblet  to  hers  a  small  chuckle  escaped  his  lips.  "if  i  ever  believed  you  to  raise  your  goblet  for  another  you  have  changed  more  than  I  would  like,  lady  joanna."  he  motioned  and  wondered  if  she  could  recognize  him  just  by  his  voice. 

[ivoryxsteel]

closed starter. @aphrcdisiacs @steelfyre @coldwindcoldwords @shebambi

no one could tell who he is , lord zalyne had noted with amusement. it was exhilarating , giving one a certain freedom to do as he pleased , to be anyone he wanted to be for the night , to be freed of duties and himself . he carries dornish red in one hand , making his way across the room - darius had already indulged himself in too much of the sweet crimson drink , so it comes as no surprise when he bumps into someone on accident, bodies colliding , drinks spilled. " i hope you will accept my sincere apologies , my liege. "

[ivoryxsteel]

closed starter . @aphrcdisiacs @primadonnaes @steelfyre @laments @shebambi @oftroje

delicate fingers hold deathly grip on golden goblet , same shade of gold as lioness mask ; identity and displeased features both poorly concealed. she feels the shift of the chair next to hers , someone had taken a seat. a sigh is surpressed , for lady joanna would rather be anywhere else than yet another one of the queen's festivities. goblet is raised towards the other as lips tug upwards , a courteous smile that does not reach judging , observant azure eyes. " here's to our beloved queen. she takes such good care of her guests , does she not ? "

[ivoryxsteel]

𓏲ּ  ֶָ  𝑤𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑠𝒕𝒗  ⁝         katheryn winnick,  40,  cis woman,  she/her.    announcing  the  arrival  of  JOANNA  of  house  TARGARYEN NEE LANNISTER,  the  LADY  of  CASTAMERE.  whispers  among  the  court  name  them  to  be  both  RESOURCEFUL  and  SPITEFUL  in  disposition,  and  those  closest  to  them  speak  to  their  interests  in  alchemy.  if  we  bards  could  compose  a  song  for  them,  it  might  tell  stories  of  a mind like an old castle, haunted by ghosts ; bitter seed of resentment ; a lion that observes its prey's every move, sharp claws and teeth on the ready ; shattered glass on marble floors ; hair like lannister gold ; unwavering pride, it shall be your downfall. the  seven  whisper  to  their  most  devout  queen  as  she  sleeps,  making  her  question  where  their  loyalties  truly  lie.  are  they  right  to  whisper?  for  their  loyalties  truly  lie  with  THE  LANNISTERS.

NAME : joanna targaryen nee lannister AGE : forty DATE OF BIRTH : november 11th PLACE OF BIRTH : casterly rock, westerlands, westeros GENDER / PRONOUNS : cis woman / she & her SEXUALITY : pansexual RELIGION : faith of the seven LANGUAGES SPOKEN : common tongue

HEIGHT : 5'6 / 168cm HAIR COLOUR : golden blonde EYE COLOUR : blue DOMINANT HAND : right SCENT : strong perfumed oil

MORAL ALIGNMENT : neutral evil MBTI : estj ENNEAGRAM : 3w4 ASTROLOGY : scorpio sun, scorpio moon, leo rising

PARENTS : lord jason lannister & lady clarysse lannister nee lefford SIBLINGS : tba lannister ( 40 ) , lady lucretia lannister ( 27 ) , tba lannister , tba lannister SPOUSE : lord aerion targaryen ( 41 ) CHILDREN : lord daemon targaryen ( 10 ) , lord aemond targaryen ( 8 ) , lady alicent targaryen ( 3 ) OTHER : lannisport lannisters ( cousins ) , castamere targaryens ( in-laws ), house harlaw ( in-laws ) , dowager lady marya lannister ( 68 , step-mother )

joanna lannister was destined for greatness and mere minutes prevented her from holding the power she'd always yearned for. if only she had been born first. the spare to the heir, father never had much use of joanna, besides marriage prospects. her mother, she'd never met - lady clarysse had been one of the many fatalities of the crimson rain, her twin babes barely months old when the god's wrath claimed her life. there was a certain emptiness and loneliness joanna was raised with, which later on would grow into spite. and oh, was she spiteful, and greedy and selfish. she always wanted more and more, the world wasn't enough.

a healer's talent is discovered when joanna successfully prepares her lord father a sweetsleep. he urges the maester to train her furhermore. joanna does move on from healing and simple potioneery, once more craving something more, teaching herself behind maester's back, dabbling in darker things.

there are two dreams she will never forget, ones that make future ones fuel her paranoia. the first, she dreams of the soil claiming lord jason, flesh rotting, falling off, golden crown rusting. her lord father passes away two weeks later. joanna never grieves properly, so she ends up grieving her entire life instead. both father and mother she never knew. the other dream, a pale dragon with light violet hues faces her. its flames devour her.

motherhood had always been a foreign concept for joanna, never knowing her own mother, never feeling her embrace. so when daemon is born, she isn't quite sure what to do. she often embodies the late lord jason when it comes to eldest son; he is the heir, he is everything she couldn't be, he is a dragon, so he must be perfect. aemond and alicent both invoke feelings of softness within her she hasn't felt before, but they also have their roles to play. the world is tough, they must be prepared, for no one will have mercy on them. her children mean the world to her, despite it all, for they are not only dragons, but lions as well.

[ivoryxsteel]

his eyes followed the children princess martell spoke of, but the sight did not evoke any feelings within him, their carefreeness, childish joy a foreign concept for lord zalyne, as his younger years did not involve any of those things. " you are forgiven, princess. " darius teases, bringing up his own chalice up to his lips in return, a lighthearted smile painting one's features. " i do envy them as well, i must admit. my childhood was quite tedious until it was not. what about yours? "

 irem  nearly  jolted  ,  the  braavosi's  voice  bringing  her  back  to  reality  .  "  forgive  me  my  lord  ,  "  she  plastered  on  an  apologetic  smile  ,  glancing  down  at  her  barely  touched  dornish  red  ,  "  the  children  in  the  distance  ,  "  angling  her  head  to  catch  a  better  glimpse  of  them  .  "  their  giggles  sound  so  melodious  ,  i  could  not  help  but  watch  them  play  .  "  finally  ,  she  took  a  sip  from  her  own  chalice  ,  letting  the  familiar  warmth  of  the  red  slide  down  her  throat  .  "  i  find  myself  quite  jealous  of  their  innocence  and  carefree  nature  .  "

[ivoryxsteel]

atmposhere of conversation takes a shift, tensions rise, as if joining the dread and gloom of the rest of the castle. lord zalyne can only assume the cause would be recent events involving a velaryon, but he cannot be sure, and still, he is smart enough not to bring it up. " i apologize if i have offended you, my lady. it was not my intention. " words come out as sincere as he can make them out to sound. he's intrigued above all, and hopes usual charm will work. " i do know a place that would help clear your mind, one that feels a little less.. king's landing. if not, i will leave you be, of course. "

there's an unsettling feeling that resides in the pit of her stomach. flashes of laughter similar to that of lord zalyne's echoing in the recesses of lady velaryon's mind; causing grief to rise like bile in the back of her throat when harmlessly teased. reminded of all the times jacaerys' tried to lure araceli back to driftmark, to westerosi lands that currently feel foreign to her. ❛you may have a point but I rather be on any other plot of land than this. you can have king's landing and it's rot.❜ she then spits out in anger.

[ivoryxsteel]

dark eyes silently follow younger lord indulging himself in more wine; he'd have to keep an eye out on him, lord zalyne decided. empire's children far from home, they had to look out for each other. " you better arm yourself with plenty of patience, lord moraqos. i have a feeling we will be here for quite a while. well then, here's to the empire.. and all the lives lost tonight. i fear the dothraki will begin to envy westerosi feasts. " his goblet is raised, before he takes a few generous gulps out of it, high tolerance letting him indulge in dornish red as he pleased without worry. demeanor suddenly turns slightly more serious. " purple harbour and all other destinations can wait. right now, princess intira needs us. she might be a future dragon queen, but she will always have her people. because we have each other's backs, don't we? "

          a voice that reprimands pulls at familiar heartstrings and to defy comes with rounded shoulders and attention averted. his first inclination, as natural as the breath he takes in, sucked between teeth.  but this is not a father.  this is not a brother. this is a lord, a house of essos and in that is shared camaraderie in the lands of dragons and lions. “ no, ” a note as indifferent as the glance he offers to lord zalyne. certainly it is not the weeds that grow among cracks in stone that interest him more. “ a busy mind. nothing that cannot be fixed with another cup. ” aryros claims the next in his grasp, dornish red the elixir to fix a stilled tongue. and for a moment, the miracle is performed, “ i had made plans to travel to purple harbour. soiled, of course, and now we are all here. ” 

[ivoryxsteel]

lord zalyne lets out a laugh, finding the other's distress both endearing and amusing. " i understand you perfectly, lady velaryon. the sea calls for me, too. " he felt equally comfortable on water and land, a need for good balance between the two before boredom settled over like a gloomy, dark cloud. " but we must make the best out of our situation on dry land, must we not? i believe king's landing, despite its faults, has a lot to offer. "

❛like the ocean's currents, you can never tell if I'm coming or going.❜ laughed lady velaryon with slight awkwardness; nerves on edge, araceli ready to flee at a moment's notice. the prankster unable to stomach being in king's landing any longer. surrounded by everything she detested—like fire and brimstone. ❛water. I need to be on it, in it, surrounded and protected. safe.❜

[ivoryxsteel]

he swirls the dornish red around silver goblet before bringing it up to his lips. he doesn't believe her, but lord zalyne won't push the matter; well, not outrightly so. " starfall. " he remarks, mind flooded with memories. braavosi lord had visited so many places, sometimes most of them became a blur. " it has been a while since i last set a foot in dorne, i must admit. but your home is certainly remarkable, lady dayne. " words were genuine; the dornish castle was certainly one of the places that stood out, the sort you wouldn't forget. " do you miss your family? or is king's landing stench getting to you? "

❝ my apologies,  lord  zalyne.  ❞  her  gaze  returned to him, apology further present in her smile. picking up her own glass of dornish red, alara took a small sip, careful, despite possessing a high tolerance for the alcohol, to not let her mind grow foggy.  ❝ nothing at all. ❞   nothing she would divulge to anyone. her secrets kept locked safely away for now.  ❝ i was thinking of my home. ❞

[ivoryxsteel]

open starter.

" you weren't listening, were you? the mind wanders elsewhere, i see. " lord zalyne remarks, tone sweet, words rolling off in heavy braavosi accent in the harsh common tongue. he takes no offense, the dornish red making him rather chatty, although mind still quite clear and his companion's distracted demeanor sparking his curiousity above all. " what troubles you? "

[ivoryxsteel]

heart about to explode beneath chest, she reaches for a dagger carefully hidden beneath silk dress. a familiar face reveals itself, though, and she lets a sigh of relief, before other emotions come to surface. once a dear friend, now sharra wasn't quite sure what to think of the martell. in fact, it was best they continued to avoid each other. liquor courage, the greyjoy decided, despite having some of her own, she still felt like the wiser one, like she had always been when it came to these two. " you stink of ale " a cold remark leaves her lips as she walks past him, right to her chambers.

@ivoryxsteel

it was late into the night, the guests had began to leave the red keep and retreat to their chambers or opt out to explore the city, whatever suited their tastes. feast spoiled by tragedy, it was evident the mood had changed drastically. to deal with it, demir indulged in more dornish red, mixed with ale on top of all than one could handle properly. his mind took him to places it shouldn't, his feet moving on their own accord, taking him to greyjoy's chambers. she wasn't there. should he feel relief? that it was a stupid decision and he could leave now? but he didn't. he stayed instead, a sense of nervousness worse than the one before combat overtaking him. lord martell had no idea how much time had passed, but there she was at last, emerging out of the shadows, and so did he. " where were you? " he blurts out, cold demeanor back, but it is easily cracked.

[ivoryxsteel]

lord zalyne lets himself get dragged away by red haired noble, amusement painting his features. he did not care for westerosi lives lost, the sudden solemn atmosphere at the red keep almost unbearable. good thing, after all, someone kept the spirits up. " ah, yes. funerals do get me going. " he muses, a hand delicately placed on the other's waist as he joins them in dancing.

          𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚗 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚛 ୨୧ 𝗆𝗎𝗅𝗍𝗂𝗉𝗅𝖾𝗌

the   ghosts   of   the   red   keep   weep   ,   but   the   gorgon   ,   influenced   by   the   meed   on   their   breathe   ,   𝘨𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘥   .         ⸻         𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚎𝚎   𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚜   ,   𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚎𝚎   𝚖𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐   𝚏𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚜   .   none   tied   to   the   acursed   daughters   of   the   witch   isle   .   sabine’s   tender   fingers   gripped   at   unsuspecting   hand   ,   pulled   like   a   flower   in   the   spring’s   breeze   .   trouble   sought   company   ,   and   two   was   better   than   one   .         “      come   dance   with   me   !   this   melody   is   far   too   beautiful   to   be   standing   alone   .      ”

[ivoryxsteel]

𓏲ּ  ֶָ  𝑤𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑠𝒕𝒗  ⁝         aaron fontaine,  34,  cis man,  he/him.    announcing  the  arrival  of  DARIUS  of  house  ZALYNE,  the  LORD  of  BRAAVOS.  whispers  among  the  court  name  them  to  be  both  IDEALISTIC  and  CUNNING  in  disposition,  and  those  closest  to  them  speak  to  their  interests  in  sailing.  if  we  bards  could  compose  a  song  for  them,  it  might  tell  stories  of  a  wild  storm  amidst  open  sea ;  sun  reflecting  off  expensive  jewelry ; honey-laced  words  and  a  smile  twice  as  sweet,  but  they  are  empty  and  the  eyes  are  not  to  be  trusted ; hushed  conversations  in  dark  alleys ; clever  as  the  devil  and  twice  as  pretty ; steel  clashing  against  steel ; poisoned  daggers  .  the  seven  whisper  to  their  most  devout  queen  as  she  sleeps,  making  her  question  where  their  loyalties  truly  lie.  are  they  right  to  whisper?  for  their  loyalties  truly  lie  with  THE  EMPEROR  OF  ESSOS.

NAME : darius zalyne AGE : thirty-four DATE OF BIRTH : july 30th PLACE OF BIRTH : braavos GENDER / PRONOUNS : cis man / he & him SEXUALITY : pansexual RELIGION : r'hllor LANGUAGES SPOKEN : braavosi, most forms of low valyrian, common tongue, dothraki

HEIGHT : 6'3 / 190cm HAIR COLOUR : brown EYE COLOUR : brown DOMINANT HAND : right SCENT : honey, burned wood, sea salt

MORAL ALIGNMENT : chaotic evil MBTI : entj ENNEAGRAM : 8w7 ASTROLOGY : leo sun, capricorn moon, leo rising

PARENTS : lord cosimo zalyne ( 60, sealord of braavos ) SIBLINGS : lady helaena zalyne ( 30 ) & lord carina zalyne ( 30 ) OTHER : tba

eldest child of the sealord of braavos, the golden boy, house zalyne's wealth proudly displayed on his body with luxurious fabrics and expensive jewelry, darius had always had it all. trained in combat, sailing, history of the known world & anything you could think of since the day he could walk and talk, the sealord never went easy on eldest son, but darius wouldn't have it otherwise. he had a defiant, ardent, driven spirit. any challenge thrown at him, darius would wish to be harder, to be able to push himself to his limits and beyond, just because he can.

set foot on a ship at the age of twelve, darius zalyne has rarely spent time on land or at the same place since then, always exploring new places, making new connections. captains his own ship, jelmāzma lilagon, its crew like a family to darius. infamous for his temper & greed, darius still made a fine captain.

for someone raised on politics and schemes, it came as no surprise that darius would see relationships, even romantic ones, as either that or simply fun, unable to grasp the concept as anything else. so any marriage that came his way he accepted without much thought -- it didn't matter, as long as they were good-looking & benefited house zalyne. the death of his first wife wasn't given much thought by essosi population -- a simple tragedy, but added in with all the other tragedies in house zalyne, including darius' second wife and next husband meeting the same fates, it raised questions no one dared to ask out loud. and darius? he moved on quite easily, the thought of next suitors fearing to marry him or marrying him for wealth despite said fears entertaining him endlessly.

surrounded by an air of mystery, darius zalyne is an enigma, often preceeded by his reputation or numerous rumours. he likes it that way. to the world he is a carefully crafted persona, and should anyone dare set fire to that cold, dead heart of his they'd have to go through the iron walls first.

[ivoryxsteel]

dependent multimuse roleplay blog affiliated with westeroslive , featuring cayn manderly & darius zalyne & joanna targaryen nee lannister.

☆ cayn manderly ( lord of white harbor, 27, arnas fedaravicius, he & him ) INTRO //      THREADS // INSPO .

☆ darius zalyne ( lord of braavos, 34, aaron fontaine, he & him ) INTRO //      THREADS // INSPO .

☆ joanna targaryen ( lady of castamere, 40, katheryn winnick, she & her ) INTRO //      THREADS // INSPO

[ivoryxsteel]

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