#shvdwscng

[ethercvl]

closed starter for @shvdwscng ( saint )

persephone   had   heard   the   same   question   from   her   older   brother   too   many   times   over   the   last   six   years.   the   high   lord   wanting   to   know   who   the   father   of   her   child   was.   knowing   that   it   didn't   look   good   for   the   dawn   court   to   have   the   eldest   daughter   of   the   galathanea's   to   be   an   unwed   mother   was   something   that   weighed   on   her   mind   constantly.   it   was   easier   to   hide   away   in   the   dawn   court,   keeping   to   her   room   with   her   son.   however   in   the   dusk   court   with   everyone   around   it   was   harder   to   keep   that   part   of   her   life   private.   it   wasn't   really   what   she   wanted   to   do,   but   it   was   time   that   she   revealed   the   secret   to   the   father.   he   was   going   to   be   the   first   to   know,   other   than   sera.   what   persephone   was   scared   of   was   for   saint's   reaction   when   she   did   finally   reveal   it.   "i've   told   the   father   that   he   has   a   son."   she   stated   as   she   approached   her   older   brother.   "i'm   still   not   telling   you   until   he   has   time   to   settle   in   with   this   new   information."

[courtsongs]

closed starter for: @shvdwscng kalore x caelan

caelan is the first man to say that he has no friends. that is, of course, a complete and total lie. none more evident than in this moment, as he approaches the pub, to a not-at-all familiar seat in the back. "i'm surprised you were able to find this place," he says as he slips into the seat across from kalore. "i have hardly been able to find a bed in this foreign place." which is an understatement, but he isn't about to express his stress at being thrown here. "i am also sorry to say i have nothing more for you at the moment. unless you wished to meet for different reasons." his eyes glimmer with amusement. he leans back in his seat, knowing that not a single soul in here will give him a once-over. being invisible is what he's best at.

[feathcrcd]

closed starter for kalore, @shvdwscng.

" commander, " eldar greeted kalore right upon seeing him in one of the darkest halls of the dusk court residence. " really hope you are not looking for me, i'm–" a short pause between his words, as he adjusted his jacket in a way that would makes it impossible to see that bottle of sin from any angle, more for the dramatics of it rather than eldar caring what the male in front of him thinks. " extremely busy. " a guilty smile not shying from his lips. there was a tiny bit of truth to his act in the way he continuously reminded his brother the high lord, kalore and truthfully, anyone else that he was too irresponsible and airheaded to take any interest in the art of politics they all desperately tried to master. though his oldest brother was in the position of power, he had no doubts kalore could have some sway with him, same as his father previously, and so his intentions were quite clear. appear as useless as possible. not that he had to make much of an effort with that.

[merxxki]

for: @shvdwscng character: amalthea location: a tavern

in the tavern, amalthea sat at the bar with her chin in her hands as she listened with wide eyes to the bartender telling stories. she is all but kicking her feet, as she scribbles notes in her own invented shorthand, as she tries to commit to memory the way that he talks, stands, how he gestures. the story sounds like a tall tale mixed with a whale fishing story. raucous laughter on either side of her, as one member of the dusk court or another adds into the story - there is clear camaraderie between them and a joke that she's not able to understand. she doesn't mind, even if she's the butt of the joke - it doesn't matter, she's able to spend time among people that until recently were just part of tales and stories. a pint of spiced alcohol is set in front of her, and she picks it up happily, eager to partake in local delicacies. "do you think that i'll be able to replicate this at home?" she asks, giddy, as she pushes the drink over to a member of her court. "take a drink, try it -! it is spicy and warm."

[ethercvl]

having   doubts   of   their   creator   was   something   that   the   high   lord   would   have   never   wished   upon   his   people.   however   that   was   what   was   left   for   them.   the   lack   of   response   from   their   mother   was   something   that   would   leave   anyone   questioning   things.   especially   in   the   timing   of   everyone   arriving   within   their   court.   yijun   had   already   begun   thinking   about   all   of   what   they   had   been   raised   on   in   the   dusk   court.   how   much   of   it   was   just   her   opinions   rather   than   facts?   what   if   it   actually   could   be   better   to   be   involved   with   the   other   courts   and   have   visitors?   the   longer   the   guests   were   in   the   dusk   court   the   more   that   the   high   lord   believed   that   it   would   be   better   than   being   secluded.   though   he   didn't   agree   on   the   others   being   trapped   within   their   court.   believing   that   it   should   be   their   choice   should   they   wish   to   be   visiting.   "yes,   i   agree   that   we   should   proceed   with   caution   until   we   are   able   to   determine   more."   so   far   the   other   high   lords,   and   their   courts,   had   been   civil.   the   high   lord   hoped   that   it   would   continue   as   he   made   introductions   to   each   of   them.   "it   may   not   have   been   what   she   wanted,   however   i   do   believe   that   this   could   be   a   good   thing   for   the   dusk   court."

yijun   had   no   doubts   that   he   had   chosen   the   right   person   for   the   role   of   his   emissary.   the   female   already   working   hard   to   connect   with   the   other   courts   now   housed   within   their   own   court   was   a   relief   to   the   high   lord.   "it   is   a   compliment,   i'd   be   worried   if   you   weren't."   he   laughed   for   a   moment.   the   emissary's   nosy   nature   was   very   much   so   something   that   was   needed   through   everything   that   the   dusk   court   was   going   through.   having   to   take   on   seven   courts   all   at   once   in   their   court   when   they   were   never   supposed   to   was   a   challenge   that   no   one   could   have   prepared   for.   "good,   i   will   hold   you   to   that."   the   last   thing   that   yijun   wanted   was   for   one   of   the   guests   to   be   harmed,   especially   by   one   of   the   dragons.   the   dragons   being   something   that   he   could   understand   that   the   guests   were   more   than   curious   of.   "as   much   as   we   can   help   it   yes,   i   would   prefer   to   not   see   someone   harmed   while   they   stay   in   the   dusk   court."   mentally   noting   that   with   nyx,   asking   the   white   dragon   to   just   keep   an   eye   out   on   the   dragons.   "that   is   understandable,   anyone   would   naturally   be   curious   about   a   creature   that   is   so   connected   to   the   court   they   found   themselves   in."   yijun   likely   would   have   been   the   same   if   he   was   in   any   of   their   shoes.   he   cannot   blame   them   for   being   curious   to   know   more   about   the   dragons,   but   it   didn't   ease   his   fear   of   something   going   wrong.   "perhaps   it   wouldn't   be   that   harmful   to   let   them   actually   see   our   books   on   them?   especially   if   it   helps   them   know   what   not   to   do."   the   high   lord   was   hesitant   to   let   them   have   access   to   all   of   their   books   and   history.   however   keeping   them   in   the   dark   was   also   likely   to   not   end   well.   "agreed,   it   is   much   preferred   to   get   to   know   them   from   the   comforts   of   our   court   rather   than   being   in   theirs."   the   high   lord   didn't   agree   with   the   fact   that   the   other   courts'   powers   were   dampened,   but   it   was   partially   beneficial   to   them.   "they   are   capable   of   being   cruel,   however   so   are   we.   i   will   continue   to   treat   them   civilly   and   with   respect   until   shown   otherwise.   i   do   not   wish   to   start   a   war   in   my   court   as   much   as   i   can   help   it."   while   he   doubted   some   of   what   the   dark   mother   had   told   them   of   the   other   courts   he   still   wouldn't   trust   any   of   them   wholeheartedly.   nyx   was   definitely   a   dragon   that   kept   to   herself,   only   stepping   in   when   it   was   necessary.   however   she   was   definitely   protective,   like   most   were   to   the   fae   that   they   bonded   with.   "i   can   understand   that,   as   long   as   vala   is   not   holding   you   back.   it   is   good   to   see   him   coming   out   more.   nyx   is   out   a   lot   more   now   too   understandably."

until   now,   she   was   certain   that   not   a   single   dusk   court   citizens,   their   high   lord,   and   aurora   herself   would   ever   question   their   dark   mother's   words   and   intentions.   thus   far,   she   had   protected   them   all,   and   while   her   own   curiosity   never   waned,   and   she   had   desired   to   see   the   rest   of   the   world,   the   newly   appointed   emissary   would   never   go   against   the   wishes   of   their   creator.   as   she   watched   her   friend   and   high   lord,   the   conflict   that   passed   through   his   gaze   as   they   spoke   of   their   dark   mother,   his   thoughts   seemed   to   align   with   her   own.   aurora   did   not   like   this   feeling,   one   of   doubts   and   questions   to   their   dark   mother,   but   given   the   events   that   have   occurred,   the   information   that   came   to   light   and   their   mother's   deafening   silence,   what   were   they   to   believe?   "i   agree.   we   will   move   with   caution   until   we   know   more   about   them.   while   we   don't   know   if   they   will   pose   a   threat,   i   am   inclined   to   believe   their   fear   of   us   for   now   will   ensure   they   will   remain   civil   with   us."   in   truth,   some   of   them   struck   her   as   fearless   and   could   pose   a   threat,   but   they   did   not   strike   her   as   reckless,   not   without   cause.   "we   do.   we've   been   isolated   for   too   long,   perhaps   this   was   not   what   our   dark   mother   intended,   but   her   actions   have   certainly   paved   the   way   regardless."

it   was   not   be   easy,   but   aurora   never   quite   ran   away   from   a   challenge,   and   in   the   end,   they   would   do   what   was   best   for   dusk.   they   would   learn   what   they   could   of   the   other   courts,   without   declaring   any   sort   of   alliance.   she   chuckled   at   the   other's   agreement,   "i   take   that   as   at   the   high   compliment   my   from   high   lord   and   friend.   your   nosey   emissary   will   weed   out   the   best   ones   for   our   court."   for   all   her   confidence,   it   was   still   a   learning   curve   to   interact   with   the   other   courts,   but   aurora   would   say   she   still   had   a   far   easier   time   than   those   she   worked   with   to   do   so.   she   had   worked   thrice   as   hard   to   make   her   high   lord   proud.   "of   course,   if   we   can   help   it,   we   will   allow   no   blood   shed   of   any   kind   to   anyone.   and   i   am   certain   the   high   rulers   of   the   courts   cautioned   their   people   to   not   provoke   our   dragons."   aurora   knew   it   was   a   deeper   desire   to   keep   their   guests   safe   for   lord   yijun,   knowing   what   a   dragon   had   to   his   parents,   the   scar   it   had   left   on   the   high   family.   "their   persistent,   to   learn   what   they   can   of   our   dragons   and   our   people.   they   will   be   fine,   lord   yijun,   and   i   say   this   with   confidence   because   they   are   a   bit   more   concerned   of   what   we   intend   for   them."   dusk   court   would   not   harm   any   of   them   without   provocation,   but   she   expected   no   less   of   them,   to   move   with   caution.   "they   certainly   will   in   due   time,   it   does   not   look   as   if   our   guests   will   be   leaving   any   time   soon,   and   that   might   work   in   our   favor.   it's   better   we   learn   of   them   on   our   lands   than   theirs   for   now."   their   dragons   remained   cautious,   but   aurora   knew,   like   her   friend,   that   if   they   were   in   real   danger,   the   dragons   would   not   be   sitting   idle.   "i   believe   there   is   truth   to   our   mother's   words.   i   would   not   underestimate   our   guests,   but   it's   not   the   entire   truth.   they   are   capable   of   being   cruel,   if   pushed   to   do   so,   but   i   would   like   to   believe   they   will   not   be   if   we   treat   them   as   we   have   thus   far,   kindly   and   civilly."   motives   change,   there   was   a   possibility,   they   might   not   remain   as   civil   as   they   thus   far,   but   the   dusk   court   would   also   prepare   for   the   worst.   "keeps   her   occupied   does   it?"   her   smile   remaining,   nyx   was   a   quiet   one   as   vala   was,   but   aurora   never   dared   to   approached   the   white   dragon,   only   watching   the   high   lord's   companion   from   afar.   "vala   has   mixed   feelings,   he   doesn't   like   that   i'm   speaking   to   so   many   of   our   guests,   but   he   likes   having   something   to   do.   he   is   seen   more   during   the   day,   which   is   very   usual   for   him."

[slivertm]

CLOSED ; for @shvdwscng's MUSES

alejandro often felt blessed to be able to work in the capital's palace. swiftly after his arrival, he found placement under a master healer with tenure in the castle, allowing him a fast-track into becoming a preferred healer in the city. but, as they work towards another day in dusk court captivity, the mother should excuse the lack of gratitude in this situation. all the time in the world, but he couldn't even properly test the improvements to his tonics and salves in a way that felt helpful for his patience.

"forgive the disarray of my studio," they say with a dry chuckle. the studio in question is comprised of several piles of dry herbs on a blanket in the grass. "and the smell, perhaps?"

[jadedblud]

@shvdwscng @ethercvl @sparkledcrowns

beatrice   sat   on   the   floor   of   the   winter   court's   apartments.   with   the   seasons   changing   and   to   the   all   around   year   season   for   the   winter   court,   beatrice   could   not   help   herself   as   she   sat   in   front   of   the   roaring   fire,   her   fingers   sewing   the   fur   to   the   hood   of   the   jacket   she   got   in   the   marketplace.   she   looked   up,   hearing   a   door   open   and   footsteps.   "i   have   more   thread   and   fur,   if   you   are   up   to   the   challenge,"   beatrice   said,   waving   a   lazy   hand   towards   the   supplies.   "if   we're   going   to   be   here   for   winter,   i   am   getting   a   head   start   in   preparing."

[stxrslisten]

closed starter for declan aster — @shvdwscng

Narcissa had been giddy with excitement since her outing with the lord of the day court, he had a way of igniting her like no other could, the happiness and the smile always remained even days after he had been with her. however this time she did not had to wait too long to see him again. as soon as she spots him in the middle of the crowd she is quick to rush to him, not caring what other would think a new carefree face of hers she was not questioning. coming from behind him she covers his eyes with her hands, "you might get a price of your choosing if you know who i might be." she says in a playful manner, a smile almost from ear to ear.

[stxrfclls]

years  of  friendship  made  sure  that  both  commander  and  war  lord  knew  exactly  which  buttons  to  press,  exactly  which  faults  to  press  into.  it's  why  he  knows  kalore  is  only  doing  it  because  of  the  mood  kerim  finds  himself  in,  and  chooses  to  only  play  into  it  ever  so  slightly.  he  does  have  some  amount  of  control,  at  least.  his  eyes  roll,  knowing  his  jab  would  not  hit  very  hard.  "  yes,  yes,  how  could  we  ever  forget  the  great  kalore  grey  ?  "  but  his  chuckles  share  that  he  truly  couldn't  care  much  to  the  fact  that  his  friend  ranked  higher  than  he.

"  i  haven't  visited  other  courts  to  agree  or  disagree  to  that.  "  he  never  left  the  night  court,  had  only  attended  this  event  to  keep  kalore  from  going  incredibly  mad  from  boredom.  it  also  amused  him  to  watch  his  friend  be  forced  to  play  the  pretty  politician.  the  latter  is  the  only  reason  he'd  shared  with  his  friend.  "  that's  what  i  thought.  "  he  shares,  even  if  his  own  powers  were  also  not  as  helpful.  even  though  kerim  had  his  armor  and  siphons,  he'd  learned  that  the  magic  only  fed  on  power,  not  yielded  to  it.  the  war  lord  was  not  foolish  enough  to  think  brute  force  was  the  solution  in  ever  single  situations.  "  any  ideas  yet,  my  favorite  commander  ?  "  kerim  adds,  cocky  grin  atop  his  lips.  his  boredom  would  quickly  translate  to  being  a  thorn  in  his  best  friend's  side,  of  which  he  was  sure  kalore  would  be  used  to  by  now.  the  times  that  the  war  lord  had  to  visit  velaris  would  ensure  he  did  nothing  but,  and  here  he  was,  trapped  in  even  worse  conditions.  at  least  in  velaris,  it  was  a  short  flight  home.

the  commander  was  well  aware  his  words  were  not  appreciated  by  the  other  in  this  moment,  but  he  was  not  about  to  pass  on  the  chance  to  give  his  friend  a  hard  time.  it  was  rare  for  kalore  to  humor  another  this  way,  but  it  was  soon  into  meeting  the  war  lord  that  the  daemati  had  felt  such  a  kinship  to  another  in  this  manner.  while  kalore  had  his  secrets,  plenty  of  them,  he  found  that  his  extended  friendship  to  the  taller  fae  was  a  genuine  one,  not  born  of  his  own  selfish  motives.  "it's  really  quite  charming  you  believe  you  can  do  any  such  thing.  i  am  the  commander  of  the  night  court,  kerim,  i  am  in  a  league  of  my  own."  he  tossed  without  missing  a  beat.

  "of  course  not,  surely  you  don't  expect  anyone  outside  of  the  night  court  to  accommodate  you.  wouldn't  that  be  a  thought  though?"  he  remarked  idly,  his  onyx  gaze  alight  in  mirth  "my  powers,  while  quite  one  a  kind,  i  am  afraid , do  not  work  on  ancient  magic."  kalore  doubted  his  abilities  to  wield  storms  or  nightmares  would  help  in  this  case,  he  had  tried  the  former,  but  to  no  avail,  and  that  was  before  he  learned  the  high  ruler's  also  could  not  penetrate  through  this  force.  the  other's  annoyance,  barring  his  incident  just  now,  kalore  understood.  being  trapped  here  was  far  from  ideal,  even  if  he  had  things  accomplish  before  they  returned  to  the  night  court.  it  was  one  thing  to  be  here  by  choice,  and  another  to  be  trapped.  whatever  this  thing  did  not  leave  the  commander  with  a  good  feeling,  but  so  far,  he  betted  on  the  fact  that  this  was  not  violent,  even  if  it  was  unpredictable.  kalore  had  his  own  distractions  in  the  midst  of  his  work,  a  certain  shadowsinger  who  did  more  than  well  keeping  his  moods  from  becoming  entirely  displeasing,  but  he  knew  siara  was  on  edge  with  this  unknown  entity  as  the  rest.

[sparkledcrowns]

☆ﾟ*·ﾟA CUP OF warm tea always soothed the soul. tea was even better when you could finally relax, even just in the slightest. damon wasn't fully sure if it was the right time to relax, but he needed a moment. he'd found a nice balcony seemingly away from many people. inviting the queen mother to join him, damon simply wanted to check in, wanted to make sure that nothing had gone wrong. he'd spent a few days wandering through the city, trying to find out information, sneaking in and out of alleyways, but it wasn't necessarily working like he'd planned. his knowledge was still a lot lower than he wanted. but he didn't want to show it. pouring a cup of tea and adding two sugars, he took a deep breath and got comfortable. "i thought a nice cup of tea might be a good way to start the afternoon. and a good way to see how you're fairing."

@shvdwscng

[crxssdhearts]

@shvdwscng Your Choice

Xavier had settled into the new court they found themselves in surprisingly well. He had found the weather to be similar to home and it made it easier to blend in with the local fae. He had begun to make a few acquaintances around the town and was just finishing up a meal at local cafe when he decided a walk around to see what he could learn was in order. He made his way past the flower shop, resisting the urge to check on the shopkeeper he had met a few times before. He wanted to make his way to a particular art gallery he had seen or at least he thought it was an art gallery. He was still learning a lot about their new surroundings, but to him for now it was an art gallery. He had been fascinated with a particular painting in the front window and was hoping to admire it again. He was in luck, it was still there. The blue and the greens, the way they had been used fascinated him, almost mesmerized him. He was lost in his own thoughts as he stared at the canvas.

[ethercvl]

closed starter for @shvdwscng ( alina )

working   as   a   guard   for   the   high   family   had   been   something   that   noah   had   appreciated   very   much.   even   if   somedays   were   more   stressful   then   the   others   were.   spending   most   of   his   time   since   they'd   found   themselves   in   the   dusk   court   guarding   kris.   attempting   to   keep   the   younger   lord   out   of   trouble   in   a   place   that   he   could   literally   wreak   havoc   in   if   he   had   the   chance.   checking   in   with   the   high   lad   was   something   he   did   often   when   it   came   to   his   usual   assignment.   "high   lady   alina."   he   greeted   the   other   formally   as   he   approached.   "just   wanted   to   report   to   you."

[courtsongs]

closed starter for: @shvdwscng aurora x seraldina

the presence of so many new strangers is admittedly stressful. seraldina ignores the most of them, passing by multiple unfriendly faces a day; she's half tempted to spend all of her time flying on mara and avoiding them all. she's considering just that as her next course of action before she spots a familiar face. relieved, she finds herself making a beeline towards them. the stress lifts enough for her to give aurora a genuine smile as she approaches. "i'll admit, i almost thought i'd lost everyone i've known in the crowds. where are you headed? perhaps i can tag along." maybe that's presumptuous of her, but she's got nowhere to be at the moment, and if she doesn't do something with herself she's going to spend the next several days flying with mara until they both drop of exhaustion.

[feathcrcd]

his breath huffed out of his cheeks upon hearing that kalore hadn't been looking for him. in some sort of messed up way he had grown to become something similar to a paternal figure to him, filling the blank of his father, though he had not come to that realization yet. he did not feel that same spiteful urge to do the exact opposite of what was told, but he did always expect judgement from the commander. and that expectation was rarely unfulfilled. this time was no exception. eldar rolled his eyes. " who is it you're searching for then ? shall i find a temple in this god-forsaken place and start praying for them ? " that would ask for some sobering up though, and that was quite unlikely to happen any time soon. although, there was this one priestess who he felt was eyeing him. this thought was to be postponed for later. " establishing new connections. it's as busy and hard work as any. maybe one day, you will need use of one of these connections and i will tell you, ha, even doing my best not to be useful to our court, i still manage to be exactly that. i must be pretty fucking amazing. but even if that day never comes, i'm still content as ever. "

most  days  the  commander  of  the  night  court  could  ignore  the  grating  voices  of  the  draven  siblings.  more  often  than  not,  something  far  more  pressing  occupying  his  time  and  his  attention,  but  since  their  unexpected  time  in  gaea  which  now  followed  to  the  dusk  court,  the  high  lord  of  night  had  laid  the  burden  of  looking  after  his  siblings  onto  kalore.  as  an  elder  brother  himself,  albeit  to  perhaps  to  a  ghost  of  a  younger  brother  that  he  continued  to  search  for  as  if  kallias  would  miraculously  appear  before  him,  it  was  a  revulsion  the  daemati  felt  that  the  eldest  draven  seemed  to  little  care  for  his  siblings.  eldar  draven  was  a  strange  case  for  the  commander,  half  illyrian  and  a  race  of  people  that  kalore  felt  the  most  kinship  to,  as  evidenced  in  his  long  standing  friendship  with  a  war  lord.  "i  would  utilize  the  word  busy  very  loosely  for  you,  lord  eldar.  however,  it's  not  you  i  was  searching  for."  he  had  been  following  another  dusk  fae  in  hopes  of  drawing  information  through  his  favored  methods  of  fear.  "now  that  we  have  crossed  paths,  do  enlighten,  what  has  so  occupied  in  an  unknown  court?"  kalore  knew  the  answer,  it  was  not  much  different  from  when  they  were  in  their  home.  now,  he  had  the  added  task  of  keeping  them  out  of  trouble  here,  to  say  it  was  taxing  was  an  understatement,  not  when  he  wished  to  devote  his  time  in  uncovering  the  secrets  of  this  land.

[merxxki]

location: the grassy area before it turns into the sandy beach for: shvdwscng | @shvdwscng character: soro ven

"where is home, do you think?" he asked, as he toed his shoes off and took a step forward so he was standing in the sand. "It's a far cry from home, wherever we are..." he commented, the lute tucked under one arm. he had found that there was a beach, and he had been drawn to what was now the edge of the world. he never thought that he'd want to be so near the water, but somewhere out there, home called him. in the last couple of days, he had found himself talking to people he never would have spoken to before, as he overlooked who came from what court and instead looked for who knew where home was.

"wouldn't it be funny if home was just out of sight and if we tried, we could swim there? we could draw sticks and cast the loser in the water and tell them to swim towards the direction of home ... once we figure out where that is."

[jadedblud]

@shvdwscng ... sarai & alina.

the   lady   in   waiting   to   her   favorite   cousin   had   no   problem   walking   into   the   other's   bedroom,   and   sitting   down   on   the   couch.   her   raven   hair   twist   in   a   bun   ontop   of   her   head,   a   new   look   for   her.   she   had   rarely,   if   ever,   had   her   hair   up   but   they   were   in   a   new   court,   so   why   not   try   the   new   fashions?   she   crossed   her   legs   and   looked   to   alina,   raising   her   eyebrow   at   the   other.   "has   sunan   told   you   yes   or   no   yet?"