#n1ghtsongs

[ethercvl]

closed starter for @n1ghtsongs ( lydia ) | @sparkledcrowns ( aoife ) | @shvdwscng ( lailah ) | @dcwnthercad

"i   have   a   proposition   for   you."   samara   spoke   as   she   walked   alongside   the   other.   "winter   is   in   full   swing   now,   plenty   of   snow   covering   the   ground   now."   it   had   been   a   long   time   since   the   scholar   had   thought   about   trying   to   get   out   on   the   snow   as   they   had   when   they   were   children.   "perhaps   we   could   find   some   materials   and   craft   us   a   sled.   i   haven't   gone   since   i   was   a   child.   and   these   are   all   new   hills   to   me,   what   do   you   think?"

[feathcrcd]

@slivertm, @ethercvl, @n1ghtsongs

" i thought i was clear, when i told the guard not to let anyone in here, " korain spoke, right after he had chugged a whole glass of water, when he heard someone enter the room, but he had not glanced over his shoulder to note the person. it was not common for him to occupy a whole room just for himself, but he needed the space to go through his routine and he surely was not going to do it under the blazing heat of the sun when he did not know if the summer court even had training grounds anywhere near the castle, so this common autumn court room had served that purpose. the autumn lord put the glass down and turned around towards the guest. " oh, it's you. "

[courtsongs]

@n1ghtsongs closed starter for percival

"i have something for you," caelan says as approaches, his hood drawn over his head. his normally shifty eyes are laser focused, his shoulders a little tense. throughout all of this insanity (which feels like an understatement in itself), it's nice to see a familiar face. he's definitely going to be pretend he's not as relieved as he is, so he keeps his cool as he gently takes percy by the arm to lead them into a corner, away from prying eyes. normally, he has his specific locations he prefers to chat with people in -- spots he knows off by heart -- but this'll have to do for now. once confident they won't be heard, his voice lowers. "it doesn't make sense to me how people think that this is the time to be raising suspicions, and yet here i am," he begins, fumbling into his pocket for a crumbled up sheet of parchment paper. he hands it to percy, but keeps eye contact the whole time, his eyes intense. "the whispers are not serious, but they are real. keep your guard up around this person, and you should be fine."

[merxxki]

for: @n1ghtsongs character: vaati location: a rocky cliff overlooking the water

vaati sits at the edge of the cliff with his legs dangling over the edge. the drop wouldn't kill him, though the impact in the water would certainly hurt. when he was young, he used to do this - sitting up high to put distance between him and his problems -- and now, despite not needing this vantage point to gain perspective -- vaati sought how high he could go while still staying close to his family. at his side, he has built a cairn, complete with an acorn cap and a small feather perched at the top. it had taken time, as the wind kept trying to push the feather over. its an old game meant for children - whomever could knock the feather off without knocking over the tower won. "do you think the dusk children played this game?" he asked without looking behind him, even through the whistling wind, he could hear them.

[slivertm]

CLOSED ; for @n1ghtsongs' ASHA

"not to overstep with undue requests," chevalier starts, recalling the flavour of the previous blend. chevalier was grateful for the partnership of a talented potioneer such as asha, for both her talents and companionship throughout the years. a true gem to have her in his corner. "however, i would greatly appreciate a sprinkle of spearmint in the next elixir."

[shvdwscng]

closed @stxrfclls , @n1ghtsongs ; @eirenazarathin ( the zarathin bbs )

"oh,  no,  no.  do  not  drink  that."  the  scholar's  eyes  nearly  widen  as  she  turns  her  attention  away  from  her  current  concoction  to  her  sister.  "  no  matter  how  pretty  it  looks,  it's  not  safe  to  be  consumed  unless  i  say  so."  that  particular  pomegranate  colored  liquid  held  a  poison  she  had  been developing.  certainly  not  to  use  on  another,  but  it  was  a  precaution  should  things  continue  to  spiral  as  it  has  in  dusk.  solara  did  not  entertain  failure  as  an  option,  and  whilst  she  gathered  information  for  her  high  lord,  worked  along  with  the  other  scholars,  she  thinks  some  measures  of  safety  is  also  something  he  would  find  appealing.  in  her  time  working  with  high  lord  roland,  she  had  gathered  enough  of  how  the  man  preferred  contingency  plans.  her  enjoyment  of  creating  such  remedies  was  a  different  matter  entirely.  she  closes  the  book  she'd  been  dimly  studying,  and  focuses  on  the  other.  "unless  have  you  a  need  for  it  for  some  deathly  purposes?"  a  devil-like  gleam  in  her  eyes.

[lichtundschattens]

to: @n1ghtsongs, @ethercvl, @stxrfclls, @shvdwscng, @slivertm, @selinaaster

"Finally, somewhere with a pulse!" Kaizer declared, arms spread wide as if to embrace the very essence of the Summer Court. The air buzzed with energy, the kind that hummed beneath the surface of every conversation, every sun-drenched laugh. "Did you know every day here is a celebration? If only the rest of the world would take notes. I daresay this is exactly what we’ve been missing."

Yes, there were pressing matters at hand—very pressing, in fact. But Kaizer had never been one to burden himself with politics that didn’t directly concern him. Why waste a perfectly good evening on the dreariness of court dealings when revelry was just within reach?

"Come now," he said over his shoulder, mischief sparking in his gaze. "Let’s not drown ourselves in politics so soon. There's enough of that to suffocate us later."

[stxrfclls]

she  hates  him,  but  silas  has  always  managed  to  pull  such  a  word  from  her  when  she  doesn't  mean  it  at  all.  the  dance  they  manage  is  so  well  written  one  might  think  they  practiced,  but  really  they  just  understood  one  another  so  well  that  reading  intentions  came  easily.  it  was  why  she  enjoyed  sparring  with  him  so  much  –  and  why  the  other  was  her  right  hand.  "  blades  are  more  fun.  "  she  says  with  a  shrug,  bouncing  back  to  see  what  he  does  next.  silas's  methods  of  prying  things  from  her  were  effective,  and  perhaps  after  this  she  might  finally  break,  but  for  now  the  general  was  enjoying  a  distraction  even  if  it  came  with  annoying  conversation.  eyes  roll  with  a  scoff,  and  she  just  barely  jumps  to  avoid  his  swing.  many  underestimated  the  swiftness  of  such  a  large  creature,  she  enjoyed  sparing  with  illyrians  for  this  reason  alone.  "  now  you're  just  copying  me.  "  and  for  that  reason  she  doesn;t  strike  again,  just  remains  defensive  and  light  on  her  feet.

( 𐫱 ) 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁. it matches the staggering of his steps when she swipes at his ankles with her smaller blade. she responds in her actions, making him apt to trip up and remain alert, instead of trying to pry things out of her. yes, he has faced down this opponent before, the steel shedding sparks with the next blow. threads from his sliced fabric legs trail as he spins, knocking out of brief reach. he exhales slow, until he feels the extra energy start to lean out. "and that's why you won't let it be broken for long. you'll throw me a blade, but not a bone." he certainly does not leave it alone. the wisdom of becoming older nags at him to let it go, but so far as taria is concerned, he must dig where the depths are hidden. if she isn't speaking to him, it's probable she hasn't vocalised her concerns as of yet to anybody else. he might not be the first to hear, but if he is hearing nothing, they are in trouble. "come on. don't tell me you're slowing down? i'm shocked." nothing could make her slow. after half a circling, silas spins back into her orbit, aiming blows low towards her legs to encourage a similar kind of dance. he hops forwards, lighter than seems possible for an illyrian of his stature.

[alaradraven]

location: summer court, adriata. night court suite. time: night time, unspecified. with: @n1ghtsongs , nesrin.

LOOKS like they didn't have the time, or the opportunity, to do any of the things they've planned to do - this new... occurrence had taken them all by surprise, unprepared. No matter how much they've tried... no matter how much she had tried, nothing could have prepared them for this. It was only by... whoever's luck at this point, that they were all mostly unharmed - though she had heard rumors that one fae, a fae of this very court, the Summer, did not make it back.

& the implications were heavy.

Sitting beside her cousin in the Night court's suite, Alara sighed, lightly shaking her head. Nesrin had been holding up a lot better than Alara had felt - in fact, the scholar herself had been holding up better than one would think, given how absolutely terrified her had been. She hated feeling scared, but who could remain immune to all of this?

no one.

"What do we do now, cousin? What do I do now? I doubt there's anything in Adriata's archives that would give us information on this. I don't even know what this is, but I doubt it had happened before."

no, this was probably chaos to end their lifetimes.

[ethercvl]

closed starter for @n1ghtsongs ( dabin ) | @arashway | @cresccents ( yurim )

the   dusk   court   had   initially   been   her   biggest   worry   when   she   had   found   herself   and   her   court   in   it.   however   focuses   had   shifted   as   the   king   started   to   pull   into   himself.   exhibiting   behaviours   that   were   not   fit   for   the   king,   showcasing   a   potential   to   be   something   that   not   one   of   them   would   have   wished   to   see   for   prythian.   the   high   lady   had   tucked   herself   into   the   makeshift   office   the   dusk   court   had   provided   to   her   in   the   meantime   as   she   was   pouring   over   different   things.   sensing   the   other's   approach   before   the   knock   even   sounded   on   her   door   she   called   out.   "come   in."   looking   up   to   the   door   with   a   light   smile   upon   her   face.   "it's   a   good   thing   you   are   here."

[feathcrcd]

@n1ghtsongs

this was what his indulgence had earned him, an order to become a traitor and a threat, and to think that he was on the safe side, having made it clear to anyone who wished to listen that there was not a serious thought useful for anything in him. it was as though a bucket of freezing water had been thrown on him. there was no more any wish to abandon himself to the partying as he had been doing the whole time that he's been stuck in dusk court. this situation called for him to sober up for the first time in months. someone could be going crazy in his stead, having been threatened by the king, but eldar had slept like a baby. he had woken with a clear mind and a plan to speak to his sister. his knuckles knocked on the door of her chambers. it was early, but he believed that she would have to be awake. as he heard the sound of footsteps in her chambers, he watched the door open, starting to speak. " i hope i did not wake you, but i needed to speak with you as early as possible, nes. can i come in ? " eldar spoke, both his voice and facial expression calm enough not to alarm the high lady, but the fact that he was here in the first place pointed to something being very very wrong.

[fcllengrace]

ysara worked by touch more than sight, fingers moving without thought, stitch by stitch. she'd long since memorized the rhythm - needle in, draw through, breathe out. it was easier to focus on that than on the quiet heaviness across from her.

not the wound, but the woman beneath it.

in ysara's eyes, asha always seemed to carry herself like she’d already outlived everything. and maybe she had. there was something about her presence... so steadfast and unbothered, like time broke against her instead of the other way around. ysara hated how safe that made her feel. hated the way her chest softened around her. even with all the walls between them, asha felt like a home she'd never been invited to and somehow, ysara couldn't find the will to leave.

"and you've only just noticed? i can't say i'm surprised, considering it's you i'm talking to," she paused, delicate eyes examining the cut - wondering if it truly was the magic of this jolt that caused it.

"though, if it is at all possible this is because of this little shift, perhaps we should get a second look?" concern colored her words and she bit the inside of her cheek. showing genuine worry and care was never easy, especially when it was someone she had come to be so found of. "who knows the kind of magic could be behind this or what it would mean to be touched by it."

"i'm serious, asha."

❝ i haven't the slightest idea how this happened. ❞ and no, asha would definitely not entertain the notion that as she aged, she lost awareness. could not anticipate perception changes nor believe herself to be further away from something harmful. blaming the deep magic, and the virile and moody shifts of the nature which both she and ysara worked with. she dared not wriggle as the other patient did. ❝ my wounds have enough personality without me to help them. how dreadful. i was minding my own business. ❞

thoughts  poured  through.  how  lailah  would  be  admonishing  her.  how  ysara  merely  teased.  the  difference  in  the  concept  of  daughters,  and  asha  never  much  wished  to  accept  those  outside  her  circle,  but  as  these  centuries  overtook  her,  she  could  not  be  alone,  could  she?  ❝ it  might  have  been  left  over  from  our  little  jolt  into  summer, ❞  allowed  she.  ❝ and  i  was  too  preoccupied  to  notice,  and  now  it  demands  us  to  pay  attention,  as  most  of  these  things  do. ❞  a  healer  was  not  the  best  patient.  indeed,  sometimes  they  often  made  the  worst.  she  did  not  much  feel  the  needle  nor  thread,  but  the  surge  of  annoyance  that  came  alongside  needing  the  help. even  through  the  ballooning  tenderness  and  pride.

[courtsongs]

closed starter for ; @n1ghtsongs / tanvir!

if they're going to be stuck here, then it's divinya's intention to learn about these people, and ally themselves with the correct ones. trust is something entirely lost on them, and the thought is nowhere near their intention as they find themselves finally catching one of them for a conversation. there are many dragon riders here, most of which are easier to identify than others. divinya approaches with their shoulders tense, eyes straight ahead, and body prepared for anything. "you are a rider of one of these dragons?" they ask, in lieu of introducing themselves. they need more information in order to figure out how to adequately protect their circle. "tell me, for those of us unacquainted with the creatures, do they pose an immediate threat, or are they within your control?"

[merxxki]

location: a library for: any | @n1ghtsongs character: amalthea

she had found ladder that allows her to scale up the tall shelves and look at the books that are tucked far out of sight. the majesty of this library is not quite as good as the library in her beloved court, but the books here are interesting and she's already searching for a book that she can compare to the book of child stories that she has always carried with her. "who doesn't have the stories of pied ten and the wolves of ranramore?" she asks herself, leaning back on the ladder to see if she can get a better look at the shelves in front of her. she looks down and sees someone looking up at her. with a cheerful wave, she asks: "do you organize these by genre and author or is there another way that i should learn about? i'm looking for children's books. I want to compare my copy to a copy here -- if it exists, and if it doesn't, I'll have to transcribe one as a gift!"

[slivertm]

CLOSED ; for @n1ghtsongs' SERENA.

meeting evander's children after hearing so much about them had highlighted the timespan in which he had not been in their lives, testament to how florals sometimes bloomed in unexpected shades. touched by the general's personal efforts to bond with his grown children, jia wanted to befriend them too. but jia wasn't too sure if that was reciprocated by either sibling yet. she didn't have the best read on people.

the fae wraps lightly against the doorframe as she ducks into the room, "is this a good time to get my measurements taken?"

[manonvalfaren]

location: summer court, adriata. winter court's suite, manon's bedroom. time: night. with: @n1ghtsongs , lydia.

MANON had really not been to one to need company to help her sleep, but given today's events, who could blame her for asking her sister to keep her company until she could fall asleep. But, the night was still young & at least the change in daytime had been a nice enough of a touch, so instead of sleeping she had found herself sharing a drink with her sister.

since they've all been losing their minds to begin with, a drink can't harm her now.

This had been a very maddening change, though she had figured any kind of change would have thrown them off course. This had thrown them off court & she wasn't entirely sure if it was for the better. She had grown to like Dusk - at least it was Winter there.

"Well, remind me start using layered clothing. Who knows where we might wake up tomorrow. They transport us to Winter. Maybe we end up in Night. Maybe I wake up at the bottom of the bloody sea in a cave." Manon sighed, taking a sip of the gin she had procured from the Winter suite's common room.

"I mean, what's next? Another court? How long will it take us to go back to Winter? & why in Cauldron's name did the Dusk fae come with us?"