#plutoridden

[aegnite]

Dimitri had given Auburn over a hundred years worth of gifts, at this point. He was running out of original ideas. Fortunately, the internet made gift giving a much easier affair. There were no overnight horseback rides in his future, and he'd ordered her a gift ( pre-wrapped ) that he was proud to present. One, a matte black coffee mug with the elemental signal for fire engraved into it & two an installable home pull-up bar that he honestly thought he may buy himself.

she knew that dimitri had probably not wrapped the gifts; this had never been a strength of his and unless he had suddenly gained a sudden increase in wrapping skills while they had not seen one another as frequently as they did now, there was just no way he could have managed to make the gift look this neat. she could have commented on it, maybe make a joke, but it was just unnecessary. handing him a cup of coffee — black, three sugars because she knew him too well to be fooled by his  aesthetic,  she took the gifts and settled down on the kitchen counter, feet swinging back and forth.

( this kind of behaviour drove fay insane, but she was fortunately not here, now. )

“ ooooh, ” she cooed as she lifted up the coffee cup. had her caffeine tendencies been a secret to dimitri in the past, the months they had spent as colleagues would have discarded the mystery a long time ago. as it was, he  had  known of her preferences for at least the last century, ever since drinking coffee had become a valid way for auburn to cope with the aftermath of a bad day. “ i absolutely love it, ” she continued as she put the cup to the side and nudged his side with her foot. “ thanks, dimitri. ”

then, she reached for the other gift. it was — heavier than she would have thought from just judging its shape, but the weight was promising. a promise the present kept, she realised a little later after discarding the wrapping paper. “ …you spoil me too much, ” she muttered, but there was no complaint in her voice. auburn was a big enough woman to admit that she did not mind being spoiled, sometimes. definitely during the holidays. “ c'mon, ” she said as she jumped off the counter and landed safely on her feet, “ we need to find a place for this. ”

[ofmsfortune]

Dimitri smiled, a soft turn of his lips that belied his nerves. He usually liked to believe that he knew Freya well, but he usually wasn't tested by the holiday season. he was nervous, if only slightly, that she'd only pretend to like her gift - a black crystal encrusted hair piece, shaped like a crescent moon. "Cousin dearest," Dimitri greeted, voice dripping in a saccharine teasing he didn't quite feel, "Merry Christmas, I hope this suits your taste."

christmas without asce felt wrong. the food had not tasted right, the empty spot at the table was even more tangible than usually. she had not said anything about it — the others were bound to feel her brother’s absence just as sharply as she did — but there was a knot in her throat that she could not hope to undo. at the same time — the knowledge that asce would have wanted them to have a pleasant christmas weighted heavy on her.

it was difficult to act according to her brother’s wishes when he was not around to help her shoulder the weight.

( death was cruel like that. )

she was grateful for frédéric’s and aline’s presence at the table, was happy for the fact that marcus had brought along his colleagues, his friends. these new figures made the asce-shaped hole a little less obvious, covered up the absence of her mother and her aunt entirely. they had lost their right to sit at this table when they had murdered asce, and freya was happy to see them absent.

( the spark of relief mingled with joy that she felt whenever she saw her mother’s grave was something she had to talk about with her therapist. )

suffice to say — after the months behind them, it surprised freya how normal everything was. so much had happened in the past year, but so many things were still the same. it was almost ridiculous, but — there they were, sitting around the table and passing presents back and forth. maybe they were succeeding at what asce would have wanted, after all.

taking the gift from dimitri, she smiled and gently squeezed his hand. something that had not changed in those past months — he was her favourite cousin, even if she was less likely to say this out loud now. ‘‘ thank you, ’’ she said softly as she let go of his hand to unwrap her gift. the hairclip was pretty — and it suited her aesthetic. she might not be as peculiar about it as dimitri, but she did try to maintain her image. ‘‘ it is gorgeous. ’’

[enthusiastiics]

Handing off her gift, while taking his from her, he could barely keep from shifting nervously, already tired of waiting for her reaction. if she hated it, he'd like to jump out the window before being touched by whatever magical choice she'd made to gift him. He'd gotten her a necklace, a blooming sunflower that when pulled apart revealed "you are my sunshine," & a pair of raw crystal earrings && to play it practical a set of a matching winter hat, scarf, & gloves. was it too much? probably.

she swayed, just a little — the music was light, but it was almost carrying her away — as she carefully unwrapped the presents, neatly folding apart the edges of the wrapping paper, cutting through tape. vorfreude — pleasant anticipation — was dwelling inside her heart — but she was trying to drag it out a little longer; christmas was only once a year and she did not want for it to pass by so quickly. few things were as inherently disappointing as the moment when the food was eaten, the presents were unwrapped and weeks  ( or in her case: months )  of preparation had reached their destination. in the past, she had often felt empty when the only thing on her mind had been the question what now.

so here she was, biding her time, postponing the unofficial end of the festivities a little further. it was almost childlike, the belief that if only she slowed down the unwrapping of the gift, she could — stop time, just for a bit. rationally, she knew that she had enough time not to have to steal these little moments wherever she could — there would be more christmas days spent with dimitri, there was an eternity ahead of them. an eternity they would hopefully spent together.

( briefly, her eyes sought and found the still unwrapped gift she had gotten him. )

finally, she gave in and looked at the gift, her eyes lighting up and her cheeks blooming like roses. she loved the earrings, loved how the got caught in the stones and made them shine. he had proven that he had excellent taste, once more, and she hummed along to the music as she lifted the necklace out of its box, carefully opening it. you are my sunshine its writing read, and she could not hold back the chuckle that escaped her.

‘‘ so, i am yours? ’’ she asked with a grin, her eyelashes fluttering as if she wanted to hover a cubit off the ground. her hands were reaching for him, cupping the sides of his face as she balanced on the tip of her toes. ‘‘ i think i can live with that, for as long as you are mine. ’’

[elyridis]

Rules: Don’t reblog, repost.

tagging:  @jadedxsparks, @wisestfool, @plutoridden, @fllamau, @rottenxleaves tagged by:  stole it

( reply as muse talking )

► NAME ➭  eleanor hailwood.

► ARE YOU SINGLE? ➭  no, happily engaged.

► ARE YOU HAPPY? ➭  most days, i am. 

► ARE YOU ANGRY?  ➭  i try not to be, anger gets exhausting after a while.

► ARE YOUR PARENTS STILL MARRIED? ➭  at the time of my father’s death, they still were married and my mother did not remarry.

⚡️ NINE FACTS!

► BIRTH PLACE ➭  one of greece’s small islands.

► HAIR COLOR ➭  copper, i think, would be the most honest answer.

► EYE COLOR ➭   someone more poetic than i has called it ocean blue once.

► BIRTHDAY ➭  18th of may.

► MOOD ➭  peaceful . . . relaxed, even.

► GENDER ➭  female.

► SUMMER OR WINTER ➭  summer! in fact, i do handle heat far better than the cold darkness of winter.

► MORNING OR AFTERNOON ➭  an early morning is the best start into a productive day.

⚡️ EIGHT THINGS ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE!

► ARE YOU IN LOVE? ➭  yes, and it is being returned in kind.

► DO YOU BELIEVE IN LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT? ➭  immediate attraction, i can agree with. genuine love at first sight? i doubt it.

► WHO ENDED YOUR LAST RELATIONSHIP? ➭  circumstance did, frankly. 

► HAVE YOU EVER BROKEN SOMEONE’S HEART? ➭  sadly, yes. as much as i hate it, sometimes, things have to end.

► ARE YOU AFRAID OF COMMITMENTS? ➭  no, i may be a woman of many words, but i am also a woman of my word and i am not afraid to give it.

► HAVE YOU HUGGED SOMEONE WITHIN THE LAST WEEK? ➭  indeed i have! my daughter may not have appreciated it, as it is quite warm, but i did hug her.

► HAVE YOU EVER HAD A SECRET ADMIRER? ➭  over the years, i had more than one. some mustered the courage to express themselves, others did not.

► HAVE YOU EVER BROKEN YOUR OWN HEART? ➭  ah, yes. there have been times when my brain willed a decision my heart was not agreeing with.

⚡️SIX CHOICES!

► LOVE OR LUST ➭   call me a romantic --- love.

► LEMONADE OR ICED TEA ➭  oh, i am fond of both! it depends on my mood which i opt for, in fact.

► CATS OR DOGS ➭  i’d like to pass on this question.

► A FEW BEST FRIENDS OR MANY REGULAR FRIENDS ➭  ah, i don’t have the same burden when it comes to making time for my friends that others have. i can --- and have been able to --- maintain friendships quite well.

► WILD NIGHT OUT OR ROMANTIC NIGHT IN ➭  both, though i tend to enjoy the former most in moderation.

► DAY OR NIGHT  ➭  i like both, to be honest.

⚡️ FIVE HAVE YOU EVERS!

► BEEN CAUGHT SNEAKING OUT ➭  cannot say i have been caught.

► FALLEN DOWN/UP THE STAIRS ➭  who hasn’t? some stairs want people to fall.

► WANTED SOMETHING/SOMEONE SO BADLY IT HURT? ➭ ��ah. yes. of course. it is a price i pay for passion, i suspect.

► WANTED TO DISAPPEAR ➭  i am too old to have ever been comfortable in my own skin.

⚡️FIVE PREFERENCES!

► SMILE OR EYES ➭    smiles. or wait --- eyes. gods, i don’t know. both have their appeal.

► SHORTER OR TALLER ➭  i have no preference, honestly.

► INTELLIGENCE OR ATTRACTION ➭  whoever first thought of this question greatly underestimates how attractive a sliver of keen intellect is to me.

► HOOK-UP OR RELATIONSHIP ➭  there is nothing wrong with the former and i did indulge in the past, but relationships suit me better.

⚡️ FAMILY!

► DO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY GET ALONG ➭   i usually agreed with my parents, i almost always come to an agreement with my brothers, unless dion is planning to do something outrageous, and i do love theresia to pieces.

► WOULD YOU SAY YOU HAVE A “MESSED UP LIFE” ➭  a question for you --- after how many deaths is a life automatically messed-up? in general, however, i don’t think so.

► HAVE YOU EVER RAN AWAY FROM HOME ➭  on occasion, yes.

► HAVE YOU EVER GOTTEN KICKED OUT ➭  no! my parents were quite lenient with me, most of the time.

⚡️ FRIENDS!

► DO YOU SECRETLY HATE ONE OF YOUR FRIENDS? ➭  that would make me a poor friend and a liar, wouldn’t it?

► DO YOU CONSIDER ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS GOOD FRIENDS? ➭  i do. i trust them a great deal.

► WHO KNOWS EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU? ➭  i think i have no single person who knows everything, but those dearest to me know me well.

► WHO IS YOUR BEST FRIEND? ➭  i recognise a trap when i’m about to walk into it. passing on this one as well.

[coeurspire]

"So like..." dimitri started, awkward & just a /little/ intimidated. "what does the ship do? well, I know what it does. but I feel like I don't know everything it does. you know?" ( space pirates )

there was, as far as sherry knew, no polite or non-arrogant way of putting this: when she designed a ship, it was at the very least two years ahead of what was generally available on the market. it was in the nature of her home planet, being ahead of time. but she knew that there was no way she could ever hope to make someone from another — any other — planet understand.

she did not glare at the captain; glaring would imply anger and after all the years away from home, sherry did not think that she still could do anger. not when it came to her progress, at the very least. she was resigned, though her teachers had warned her, a long time ago: away from their planet, few would ever be able to understand the full extend of her talent. they had been right; her years as an engineer had taught her that she would always be a little underestimated.

still, she did sigh as she released her hair from the messy braid she habitually put it into whenever she worked on a project. “ they tore out a lot of non-vital organs, ” she said with a pained expression on her face as she tapped her fingers against the lifeless screen to her left. “ they left the basic functions in tact, otherwise you’d never have gotten anywhere. uh … ” she trailed off, looking around. it hurt, seeing her creation more than just a little destroyed, but she would not whine about this now. she had been asked a question and she would answer it. “ anyway — what i managed to salvage are mostly sensors. this line of ship was designed to make it to hemera 1 without problem so i kinda of went overboard with all kinds of safety measures, ” she continued as she started to move, mentioning towards one thing or the other.

she liked to talk about her work, but she liked it best when she felt like the person she was talking to could appreciate the finest details she liked to explain, though it had been a long time since someone had taken the time to find out more than just the basics. most captains only cared  that  their vessel was flying and did not care much about the how.  disappointing.

“ …i managed to bring the intercom back online, even though i do not want to know what they did to it … looks like an axe was involved? ” she mused aloud, shaking her head and continuing her way. “ most of the things they destroyed are either safety precautions or gadgets to improve the comfort … idiots, really, i doubt they wanted to ruin the hot water generator but they did. fixed that one, too, by the way. maybe i’ll look into the scroll library later, but i think that hardware is done for. this was supposed to be a diplomatic vessel. ”

[roseheired]

"If Laelia tries to fight any of the other children today," dimitri began, a heavy sigh on his lips as he watched his little sister. this morning had /not/ been a good morning."the best way to stop her without throwing her into another meltdown is to tell her if she behaves Marcus is going to take her to the aquarium this weekend." he felt guilty, in a weird way, leaving laelia here when she was so temperamental. both to her & to her teachers. "just, you know, a heads up?" ( kindergarten )

there had to be something in the water, asce mused as he nodded quietly. blair hailwood, usually a quiet and gentle child, had thrown a tantrum when her mother had dropped her off, had not wanted to let go. for some children, this might be normal behaviour but for blair? this was unusual. when cordelia severin had dropped off her toddler children, she had left them with promises that  yes, theresia  will  come pick you up, no worries  before she had hurried away, but not without telling éloi that she and her husband were leaving town for the week. predictably enough, klara and peter had behaved for a bit, but then they had started to sulk and especially karla could be very grumpy if she so choose to be.

running a hand through his hair, asce sighed. “ how are the odds that he'll agree to take freya, too? ” he asked as he looked at his younger sister who was particularly moody today, something that was a great difference from her usual behaviour where she was quiet and nearly timid. then, her friends were usually here by now, and freya had always liked it when everything followed a certain pattern.

( it was something the family collectively blamed basil for, given that he was just the same. )

“ and no worries, she isn't the only one who is a bit temperamental today and we are planning to  take the ... overall mood into account, ” he assured at the other man, trying a smile. the last thing they wanted was to relive the  great glitter incident  --- it had taken over a week to get rid of all the glitter and sometimes, asce could swear that it was still not gone completely.

[rosebladed]

"I just read that, not only are you & I engaged in a torrid affair. but you're /also/ having an affair with auburn. neither of us know we're cheating on each other with the same person. how could you? i feel so betrayed." // dimitri, olympic au.

( * @mortecula )

»merde,  dimitri, i had hoped you’d never find out about that,« déodat said, his voice painfully flat as his left hand came up to cover his heart — far more dramatically than necessary. claude might be right to call déodat a drama queen, but it was not like the tallest brother was currently around. 

( no, he was off row-row-row-your-boat-gently-down-the-stream-ing. )

which left déodat alone  with his alleged boyfriend / love rival. really, the press were outdoing themselves when it came to the newest gossip about them all and déodat was loving every single second of it. who would have thought that a friendship that had started with their mothers pushing together and a childish bet with another fencer would lead to this? to a constant source of genuine amusement?

»what can i say? her flawless technique has bewitched me. i was hoping she and i could elope next summer. but i never meant for this to hurt you. i hope we can still be friends.«

[marvoile]

Animal Familiar Quiz. FALCON

being one of the fastest fliers in the animal kingdom, the falcon uses its wits and precise dives to catch their prey. just like these birds of prey, you are a high-functioning, quick thinker, and always seem to be a step or two ahead of your peers. because of this, you may be greatly annoyed by the ignorance of others. you already have your goals and aspirations for the future set, and nothing gets in the way of that on your watch. a falcon familiar helps their master remain calm and focus, and keeps an eye out for those who may be their enemies. this familiar represents

mental strength

swiftness

intellect

focus

superiority

goals and aspirations

planning

tagged by: stole it from myself tagging: @rottenxleaves​, @triceturned​, @poensoror​, @plutoridden​ 

[azaliasmuses]

dimitri irvine.

original character.

@plutoridden

[enthusiastiics]

Careful was an understatement for the meticulous calculation dimitri had put into theresia's birthday gift. one good thing about immortality, is it left lots of time to collect. while he wasn't the hoarder aurelia had proven herself to be, he had held on to two vibrant chinese traditional silk scarves, a ruby encrusted Bengal bracelet he'd gotten in India, and he'd gotten a steal on a nicely decorated book of pressed flowers from all around, with detailed entries, when he searched online.

anyone who would see the pile of gifts in her apartment would assume that she was a spoiled brat; her mother had needed assistants  ( isaac and seth )  to carry the sheer amount of prettily wrapped gifts into the living room. this, of course, had been to be expected —— they had not seen each other in a long time, and her mother was the type to make up for lost time. theresia was too, but she did not think she could ever wear misplaced guilt as well as her mother did. right now, she did not think it would go with her dress.

her skirt was swishing around her legs as she set dimitri’s present down on the kitchen table, her arm still linked with his. though her birthday had been a rainy, gloomy day more often than not, theresia had never been deterred from enjoying it thoroughly. she was particularly happy about this birthday — her family was together, she was in love and she was getting spectacular gifts.

she clicked her tongue against her teeth as she gently touched the scarves. fashion had always been a passion for her, and one day, she might just found that museum for fashion across centuries and cultures. it might be self-indulgent, but it would also be educational. ‘‘ all of this is — gorgeous, thank you, ’’ she said breathlessly as she lifted the bracelet out of its case. she had always had an affinity for pretty, glittering things, and the bracelet suited her taste marvelously. maybe she had always been a magpie at heart.

short as she was, she had to stand on her tiptoes to wrap her arms around dimitri’s neck and pull him down before placing a gentle kiss on the bridge of his nose. in the living room, she could hear people laugh and she hoped that it was not because one of her other guests had thought it wise to scandalise the others. well, she did not think that her mother and isaac were scandalised easily — they were both not the types to fluster easily.

theresia, on the other hand, might usually not be the type to fluster easily, but she could not deny the way blood was rushing to her ears, now. she had always been the sentimental sort so this was consistent with what people expected her to be like. almost, she would have frowned at that thought — she had never liked the idea of being predictable. her reputation would not survive.

‘‘ everyone is set on spoiling me, ’’ theresia said with a quiet sigh. she had never been the baby in the family; peter had been and thus, he had been spoiled by everyone but especially by her. she was not — used to this much affection, piled on her. ‘‘ if it gets out of hand and i’ll have to change my name and run off to … iceland, are you coming with me? ’’

[aegnite]

"happy birthday," dimitri greeted, as enthused as he was capable of this early in the morning. "I do hope you're only here to pick something up, because if you're intending on working today, I'll drag you home and forcefully hang up party streamers myself." he joked lightly, offering her the coffee he'd just made. ------ sent by @plutoridden​

she smiled as she took the coffee cup from his hand and sat down in her chair, tapping her fingernails against her desk as she slowly shook her head. ‘‘ thank you, dimitri, and . . . ah, i’ve decided to get out of noel's hair, ’’ she began as she took a sip, ‘‘ we  are  hosting a party this evening,  as you know  since you're invited, and he doesn't let me help with  anything. ’’

in fact, he had shooed her out of  their  kitchen five times already and when she had figured that she could busy herself with vacuuming the living room, he had gotten richard to take over for her. if she would not know that she had done the very same thing at his last birthday, she would have taken the idea of being offended into consideration. they were both  kind of  terrible, sometimes.

her smile was almost crooked as she reached for her white coat. ‘‘ i won’t stay long, no need to fret, but --- i have some work to do and i would rather be ahead of my work than behind, ’’ she explained with a shrug. ‘‘ i do prefer to keep myself busy. ’’

[enthusiastiics]

❝ Human beings can’t see anything without wanting to destroy it. That’s original sin. ❞ // starvaganza

she wanted to disagree with him, but she could not. not just what she had seen in the few short days she had spent in talia, but also what she had seen … at home was evidence that supported his claim. it should be different, she mused as she leaned watched the bustling crowd on the market place from her safe place in the shadows, watched how his cousin idly chatted with a tall redhead. this world should not do this, should not be so similar to the world she came from.

had someone told her weeks ago that she would find herself in an alternative reality, centuries in the past, and that she would find herself agreeing with someone who was, as far as she could tell, some sort of prince, she would have laughed. then she would have asked if the someone had hit their head, only to laugh a little more afterwards.  probably.  she did not feel like laughing right now.

not when she was once more feeling the burden of the  destiny  that had been given to her bearing down on her. the duke had told her that he had brought her there, that this was what was  done  when something dangerous was looming in the distance, but she was … worried. she was a  design  student, she was hardly equipped to navigate a snake pit like this. he had assured her that in all likelihood, the danger was not the sort that could be banned by swords but rather one that required a more …  delicate  touch, and it had calmed her. a little. if the situation, whatever it might be, would demand for swords, there would be far better candidates than her.

( the  prince  next to her, for example, looked like he could use a sword with some … proficiency. and his oh-so-dainty cousin  did  seem like someone who could be colder than ice, if the situation demanded it.  )

‘‘ you are worried about the … ’’  party  was the word that came to mind, but it was not the word she decided on. ‘‘ … gala, right? that an … assassination might take place? ’’

it was a concerned she shared, too. grand festivities, designed to be a show of power towards the … competition, had to be the perfect target, even she could see as much. if something supposed to celebrate a victory were to become a defeat in some way, things  had  to get dangerous for the entire country. in days of old, the … brotherhood she belonged to had not meddled with politics, but she supposed that this had changed when the greatest threat for the safety of the country had become a political one.

[enthusiastiics]

❝ I think I’d rather not know what’s in the future. ❞

theresia had not grown up in the city. she had grown up in her mother’s country estate, had spent the first years chasing her shadow through the garden, had fallen asleep every night while the breeze gently caressed the lavender bushes in front of the house. it had been idyllic and sometimes, she found herself missing the peace she had known then — before the bustle of the city, before magic studies had taken over her life, little by little.

she was in her thirties, now, even if she did not look it and she knew that she would be disappointed if she were to look at her life and consider what she had accomplished so far. her life was made from dusty old books and helping her mother as she walked a path that would eventually kill her.

it was strangely dull, in a way. from an outside perspective, it had to appear so very dramatic — her mother was racing against the clock, hoping to find the fountain and destroy it before someone else could fall victim to its temptation. from where theresia was standing, it was just — sad. her mother had been young, younger than she was now, when she had found the fountain, when it had found her.

she knew what the future held and in many ways, she was terrified of it. there was no way it could … lead somewhere good. either her mother would destroy the fountain in time  or  someone else would find it and damage themselves in a way that could not be mended. if she was honest, neither option sounded favourable to her.

‘‘ i suppose not knowing what is waiting for you would be easier if your cousin was not freya, ’’ she mused aloud as she threw him an almost shy look. not everyone liked to discuss their family members and she was always careful not to overstep any boundaries. this time, much to her dismay, the reference to his cousin was … only logical. freya was a bit of a legend, was someone even theresia’s mother was wary of — because a woman who was both a water mage  and  a seer was someone who could theoretically find the cursed fountain in mere weeks.

[enthusiastiics]

"I want you to know," dimitri started as soon as he stepped into what was starting to feel like their apartment, shedding his jacket onto the chair in the corner. for all his strength, all his power, even he wasn't immune to the heat."I would absolutely kiss you hello on any other day, but I am probably the most disgusting thing in the city right now so I won't subject you to that until after I've showered. preferably three times." // superhero

theresia had never envied eleanor for her powers, no matter how useful being in two places at the same time sounded, but these days, she envied her sister for how easily the other could resist the heat. earlier, after her own shower, theresia had called eleanor and she had resented her for sounding chipper and cheerful in spite of the heat that was beating down on all of them. this alone had to be some sort of superpower and it was the only one theresia was even remotely interested in.

looking at her boyfriend now, theresia smiled. dimitri looked how she felt — like she was slowly melting — and it was a rather human look, one he did not always manage as his abilities did ensure that certain things were non-issues for him. like walking up the stairs with heavy grocery bags when the elevator was broken  again. 

“ i’d still kiss you, ” she said as she switched the fan to a lower setting — as welcome the breeze was, the noise made her feel like she was standing next to a helicopter, “ but i understand. after your shower, no,  showers,  we could drive to the lake? anna was there yesterday and she says it’s far more bearable than being in the middle of the city. ”

[ofmsfortune]

"cousin," dimitri greeted, a nervousness to his smile that cut at his teeth. "I must confess something you've likely already deduced, but I'm afraid I've never been as quick as you in these matters." for all that dimitri would dare to push the boundaries of his position, second sons always got away with more, he knew that there was a chance he'd only ever be able to admit this truth once. his heart ached & he was desperate for advice, or comfort, or anything really. "I fear I've fallen in love."

robine sighed as she mentioned for him to sit down with her. she had known, had seen this coming. she knew her cousin well, better than she knew some of her brothers, and she had seen the little changes in his demeanour, had watched quietly how sometimes, he would behave  oddly  … and she had wondered. she had not been sure if he would trust her with this, and she would not have been upset had he not. such feelings were private, were cherished treasures of the heart. to keep them hidden inside one’s chest was — perfectly understandable. still, despite her worries, she felt a sliver of  pride  that he had chosen to trust her with this.

but there was no room to pretend, nevertheless. their roles had been decided the day they had been born — they were to play their parts to satisfy their parents’ ambitions. they could pray, they could hope but in the end, some choices would be made for them and not by them. robine herself  hoped,  desperately,  that her parents would consider her wishes,  her feelings,  but she knew that this did not necessarily have to be the case.

but this was not something she had to tell her cousin, this was something he already knew, likely since childhood. and he had surely not come to find her in the garden to hear an old story. no, he had come for something else … perhaps an open ear, though he surely could have sought out lady marcia for this purpose, too.

“ i see, ” she muttered softly, setting aside the book she had been reading. “ do i know… ”

she trailed off, reminding herself that it did not matter, not really. their parents had grand plans and all of them had to play their parts in it. still, despite her concerns, for a moment, she liked to imagine what it would be like if marriage was always about affection and not about politics. it was a nice thought, she had to admit, because it would mean that people who were truly suited would be wed instead of people who were arranged to be married for someone’s ambitions. 

however, she was the only daughter of one of talia’s most powerful men. as much as she wished that she could marry for love, she was not oblivious — whenever someone had approached her father for her hand, it had been about politics, not about her. it was insulting. dimitri, too, was sought after for reasons that were neither his looks nor his personality. he was a second son, something that afforded him some freedom, but he still was meant to inherit their grandfather’s title once the old man died … or was convined to step down. his present role might not make him much of a catch in the eyes of ambitious parents everywhere, but his future … that was a different story.

overcome by — concern, robine closed her book and fully focused on her cousin. this was not easy, for neither of them. “ i can … see if i can find out if your love is meant to be, ” she offered, vague about the specifics. both of them knew that she would not inquire using conventional means, but in case they were overheard, she would prefer not to have said something that could make for a scandal. and full moon  was  coming up, she was meant to assist her father with his reading. perhaps, he would allow her to ask a more specific, personal question.

[ofmsfortune]

@plutoridden​

Dimitri pulled his cousin into a hug, careful not to disrupt her hair for fear of a watery retribution. “Merry Christmas, Freya.” he said warmly, at ease with his gifts this year. He’d gotten her two perfumes, in delicate decorative bottles, and if the witch he’d bought them from was to be believed they were charmed. Freya had never had problems attracting attention, but he knew she struggled to go unseen, and one of the perfumes was supposed to decrease her presence. Not erase it, but make it easier her for her to survive some of their mother’s parties. The other, well, the other one just smelled nice.

she was not always the best at actually showing it, but freya did care a great deal about her cousins. dimitri, closest to her in age and mindset alike, was  obviously  a favourite she was not supposed to have, but who was going to stop her? she liked laelia, too, and she would visit marcus when the holidays were over and her mother was looking elsewhere again, but dimitri was the ally who was most constant in his presence. no offense to déodat, but what good was an ally who kept running away to chase down adventures when their mother was on the warpath once more.

while her mother’s christmas decorations were spectacular as always, freya cared little for them. on some level, she could acknowledge that some truly amazing spellwork had gone into this, but freya would rather marry a frog than compliment her mother on  anything.  the bridge between them was not just burnt, it had been obliterated, blown to smithereens. and so, while most guests were walking around the estate, she had settled down in one of the smaller rooms with a cup of spiked hot chocolate because alexandra  knew her too well  and a book on advanced weather manipulation. it was no magic that  really  captivated her, but it was a magic she might want to study — if she had all the time in the world. which she did not have and did not plan on ever having.

( her mother was the one who obsessed over a path to immortality; freya was smarter than to obsess over anything. )

dimitri found her, not long after she had started to grow bored with her lecture. she was too happy to set aside her book and push back a chair with her foot, mentioning for him to sit down. she had not  quite  expected for him to give her a christmas gift now, though it did make sense. sometimes, it was easier to trade gifts in private — their mothers could ruin a nice, thoughtful gift with their unwanted commentary and had done so, many times.

“ merry christmas, dimitri, ” she replied as she took the box and leaned back in her chair. unwrapping gifts from fellow mages was something she was always cautious about; more than one present had blown up in the past because a spell had malfunctioned in one way or another. this time, it did not seem like she  had  to worry about this: she had seen such bottles before and it was safe to assume that dimitri had bought them instead of trying his hand at being a potioneer.

it was nothing that she  liked  to talk about — how sometimes, she wished for people not to pay as much attention to her as they did. most of the time, her good looks came with a small price to pay as usually, they were useful when it came to getting information she needed or to ensnare someone in a web of silver threads, making them tell her more than they usually would. and this was why she did not tend to complain about how uncomfortable this attention could sometimes be. but — dimitri would know either way. he, too, had an aesthetically pleasing face which was bound to attract attention from people he did not necessarily want to pay attention.

( something which might be best defined as  anyone who did not smell like sugar and lavender. )

“ i heard about this,” she muttered as she raised an eyebrow at him. “ if this is what i think it is …  thank you.  even if it’s not — thank you. ”