#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]

@shvdwscng

loyalty is a word celeste prefers not to throw around, even goes out of her way to avoid, but the truth is, she simply does not understand it well enough to be sure of using it. she thinks she knows love because she has loved, her own messed up version of love, and so she's showed loyalty, to her mother, but how could she be loyal to something or someone she does not love? her court feels like her responsibility and her sense of belonging, but does she love it? she would feel the same way towards an another court if she was born in it. and the court becomes a set with it's high lord. her eyes settled on him, her head turned as her back still remained straight, a few inches away from the back of her chair. " the lantern festival appears to have eased some tension, but you seem perturbed, " she spoke and the short moment of comfortable silence was over, her focus on a line she thought she saw appearing between saint's eyebrows. she was picking things up in her memory if there was something recent that she was missing, but perhaps his mood was unrelated to court things, of course, she could not see how it could be so. " has anyone from dusk court asked for your attention recently ? "

[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."

[stxrfclls]

reila  could  be  polite,  she  could  be  the  creature  the  courts  demanded  of  her,  but  she  didn't  enjoy  it.  while  it  wasn't  impossible  to  do  that  with  the  winter  fae,  she  still  wished  to  have  a  genuine  conversation.  this  may  not  serve  many  ulterior  motives,  but  she  still  wasn't  just  herself.  no  one  got  to  see  that  part  of  the  spring  lady.  "  that  is  certainly  an  understatement.  "  not  having  their  powers  had  been  a  crippling  blow  she  was  grateful  to  be  back  from.  her  gaze  softens  as  the  other  touches  the  flower  she'd  coaxed  to  life,  a  pride  in  her  magic  welling  despite  how  much  her  mother  tried  to  smother  it.  "  i  have  never  been  one  to  withstand  a  strong  chill,  i  commend  any  who  can.  "  she  jests,  keeping  the  mood  light  despite  how  easy  it  is  to  fall  onto  more  serious  topics.  when  the  winter  fae  speaks  of  the  capital,  of  how  horrid  the  history  is  between  greed  and  power.  it  reminds  her  of  her  parents.  reila  resists  a  shiver,  and  instead  just  smiles  delicately.  "  the  can  be  quite  clever  and  resilient,  as  all  fae.  i  find  they  don't  deserve  to  be  lumped  in  with  the  royals.  "  they  were  just  fae  trying  to  live,  just  as  a  spring  fae  shouldn't  be  blamed  for  the  greed  of  their  high  lord.  not  that  many  saw  it.  reila  shrugs,  not  lady  like,  but  not  minding.  "  some  of  them,  at  least.  "  she  says  gently.  she  may  not  trilogy  believe  in  the  monarchy,  but  she's  always  been  fond  of  the  small  folk  who  often  get  ignored.  "  taking  pride  in  my  magic  isn't  entirely  an  option,  but  i  thank  you  for  thinking  as  much.  "  she  says  easily.  reila  doesn't  get  into  talking  about  her  family,  she  leaves  it  at  that.  "  i  shall  gladly  offer  you  the  fruits  of  my  practice.  "  the  lady  says  with  a  gentle  laugh.  "  and  i  look  forward  to  testing  our  magic  together.  "  it  feels  so  strange  to  talk  of  her  magic,  to  not  be  shamed  for  it,  and  to  find  someone  who  sees  the  beauty.  "  until  then,  i  shall  happily  offer  decor  to  your  chambers.  " 

"my  humble  gratitude  for  the  sentiment.  I'm  certain  it  will  not  be  long  from  then."  her  desire  for  her  abilities  were  a  result  of  her  simply  longing  for  her  home,  and  the  strange  skies  of  dust  certainly  did  not  offset  those  lingering  affects.  lailah  had  never  spent  much  time  away  from  winter,  barring  the  few  months  she  had  been  in  the  day  court  for  a  marriage  that  did  not  come  to  pass.  "i  am  pleased  to  see  everyone  else  is  able  to  fully  utilize  them,  it's  one  thing  to  be  trapped  here,  but  another  to  do  so  without  means  to  protect  ourselves  should  the  need  arise."  her  hands  stroke  over  the  fauna  the  woman  produced,  testing  the  feel  of  the  flowers,  as  if  she  would  learn  if  they  were  any  different  in  the  spring  court  or  the  capital.  "we  are  when  we  place  our  mind  to  it.  i  suppose  it  helps  if  one  can  withstand  the  brutal  winters  than  the  elsewhere  is  should  not  be  so  difficult."  it  was  either  or  for  each  winter  fae.  summer  would  be  the  most  difficult  as  day  had  been  for  the  spymaster  under  the  constant  sun.  it  was  lovely,  one  could  hardly  deny  the  brilliance  of  the  sun.  her  attention  focuses  on  the  lady's  remark  of  not  intentional  ignorance  by  others  of  the  capital  fae.  "a  long  and  bloody  history  with  the  rulers  of  the  capital  and  our  lands  have  had  equally  undesirable  outcomes  on  your  fae.  in  truth,  i  am  indifferent  to  the  royals,  but  i  have  learned  in  our  time  in  gaea,  that  their  citizens  are  quite  clever  and  resilient.  certainly  the  most  creative  minds  i've  come  across.  they  do  not  wield  fancy  magical  abilities  as  the  other  courts,  but  one  cannot  take  for  granted  all  that  they  produce  for  the  courts  of  prythian  as  well."  they  were  the  folk  who  tinkered  and  invented  pivotal  tools,  ships,  maps,  objects  that  made  daily  life  for  the  working  class  fae  just  a  bit  more  easier,  that  the  list  was  endless.  "they  have  been  overlooked  by  everyone  of  us  from  the  other  courts.  perhaps  that  might  change  soon."  there  were  news  from  her  spies  that  perhaps  her  estranged  father  was  there  as  well,  residing  among  the  gritty  streets  of  the  capital.  "i  would  argue  it's  less  of  flaunting,  then  taking  pride  in  it.  all  this  time,  we're  so  uncertain  our  magic  would  even  return."  it  was  a  true  fear,  as  this  was  not  ever  heard  of,  fae's  have  their  magic  drained,  their  high  rulers  in  particular.  "if  you're  keen  on  practicing,  i  would  volunteer  to  claim  some  of  these  flowers  to  add  a  bit  to  my  temporary  chambers.  when  my  frost  holds  it's  shape,  there  is  something  i'd  like  to  show  you,  that  you  might  enjoy  that  involves  your  pretty  flowers."  a  faint  smile  curving  her  lips,  as  she  counted  days  until  she  could  do  her  little  tricks  she  had  learned  over  the  years.

[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?"

[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.

[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

[ethercvl]

"i   imagine   it   is   not   the   best   feeling   to   believe   that   there   is   a   deity   that   wished   you   and   your   people   ceased   to   exist."   yijun   never   wanted   to   have   the   rest   of   prythian   eradicated.   had   he   been   happy   growing   up   in   their   secluded   little   island   all   to   themselves?   yes,   but   that   was   all   that   he   had   known   as   a   young   child.   while   a   lot   of   the   fae   in   the   dusk   court   likely   never   thought   about   exploring   the   continent   their   island   was   adjacent   to   yijun   had   thought   of   the   mainland.   his   father   had   never   really   mentioned   his   own   thoughts   on   the   mainland.   though   that   had   never   been   something   that   any   of   them   had   had   to   remotely   think   about.   it   had   been   made   clear   to   them   by   the   dark   mother   that   they   were   to   remain   a   closed   off   court.   at   least   that   was   what   they   had   been   told   until   she   had   recently   disappeared.   "if   she   did   we   would   not   have   crossed   paths."   he   agreed,   taking   a   momentary   pause   before   answering   her   question.   "i've   thought   about   seeing   outside   of   dusk,   a   curiosity   of   what   existed   beyond   our   little   island   i   guess.   i   never   would   have   brought   you   all   here   without   your   consent."   he   hopes   that   the   summer   high   lady   would   take   his   word   for   it,   that   he   was   not   the   exact   reason   that   they   were   all   stuck   within   his   own   court.   he   simply   had   had   the   desire   to   leave   the   constraints   of   his   own   small   court.   a   wish   to   see   what   else   was   out   there.   though   he'd   been   the   high   lord   for   a   while   and   he   had   never   made   the   attempt   to   leave.   "that   is   all   that   i   can   ask   for   from   each   of   you   trapped   here."   yijun   didn't   want   to   keep   the   court   secretive   anymore,   though   fully   admitting   where   in   the   world   they   were   located   was   something   he   was   cautious   of.   though   he   didn't   know   if   they'd   be   able   to   locate   the   island   when   they   got   to   return   to   their   respective   homes.   "you   are   correct,   we   are   not   on   prythian.   the   dusk   court   exists   on   a   set   of   islands   off   the   coast   of   the   mainland."   it   wasn't   a   full   admit   of   where   they   were   but   it   was   a   partial   truth   to   where   the   dusk   court   truly   was.   leaving   out   the   exact   court's   coast   that   they   were   off   of   until   he   was   ready   to   admit   that.

"it   does   seem   likely   that   that   is   something   that   we   all   share   in   common.   i   wouldn't   say   i'm   not   open   to   new   comers,   i   would   just   like   to   know   of   their   arrival   before   hand."   though   the   only   guests   that   yijun   had   ever   had   to   deal   with   previously   were   lesser   noble   families   from   all   around   their   own   court.   this   was   his   first   experience   with   having   true   new   comers   in   the   dusk   court.   with   the   amount   that   had   arrived   in   the   court   it   was   a   little   overwhelming   to   the   high   lord.   "it   does   seem   as   though   she   has   not   thought   about   us   or   the   court   in   her   actions.   however   i   also   believe   that   if   she   were   to   see   me   speaking   with   another   high   ruler   that   she   would   not   react   well."   the   conversation   between   the   two   hadn't   been   of   the   most   friendly   context,   though   he   thought   the   dark   mother   wouldn't   have   cared   about   what   they   were   speaking   about. most   likely   would   be   seen   as   betrayal   in   her   eyes.

"i   am   trusting   that   you   do   not,   however   i'm   not   sure   i   can   trust   all   of   the   courts   to   not   try."   it   wasn't   even   that   he   was   concerned   that   one   of   them   would   be   successful   in   trying   to   claim   the   dragons   for   their   court,   he   was   concerned   of   what   could   happen   if   one   of   them   approached   a   dragon   in   the   wrong   way.   they   were   taught   growing   up   the   proper   way   to   approach   each   of   the   different   races   of   the   dragons,   the   mainlanders   were   not   aware   of   these   facts.   "i   wish   i   could   tell   you   i   was,   however   i   am   not   certain.   they   have   never   left   the   dusk   court,   and   the   bonded   will   not   go   far   from   their   bonded   partner.   the   unbonded   are   the   ones   to   be   more   concerned   of.   it   is   something   that   i   will   discuss   with   nyx   when   the   time   comes.   however   if   you,   or   any   court,   invites   the   fae   who   are   bonded   to   their   court   they   need   to   know   that   the   bonded   dragons   would   be   coming   as   well.   i   will   not   travel   without   nyx,   and   the   same   goes   for   the   other   bonded   pairs."   there   had   never   been   any   inkling   that   the   dragons   wished   to   leave   the   dusk   court,   and   it   was   likely   that   they   wouldn't   unless   they   absolutely   had   to.   "so   long   as   the   dusk   court   remains   a   viable   space   for   them   i   do   not   see   why   they   would   choose   to   migrate."   

"all   that   it   means   is   that   she   is   the   last   of   her   kind,   why   she   chose   me   i   don't   know.   she   could   have   chosen   my   father   before   he   had   bonded   his   black."   there   was   a   benefit   to   the   bond   that   he   had   with   the   only   white   dragon,   but   he   wasn't   ready   to   confirm   that   to   the   one   high   ruler   he'd   had   a   not   so   pleasant   introduction   to.   "of   course   it   took   work,   not   only   do   you   have   to   get   used   to   having   a   mental   connection   constantly,   but   it   requires   learning   how   to   fly   on   the   back   of   your   dragon.   keeping   your   seat   can   often   be   the   reason   that   someone   survives   their   flight   with   a   dragon."   his   bond   to   her   still   took   work,   it   was   never   something   as   simple   as   them   being   partners.   "an   amiable   parting   is   what   i   would   prefer   to   see.   it's   too   early   to   know   now   though."   if   yijun   had   any   control   over   it,   he'd   do   what   he   could   to   keep   things   civil   between   his   court   and   the   other   courts.   he   still   needed   to   meet   with   a   lot   of   the   other   high   rulers.   and   that   didn't   even   matter   depending   on   what   the   dark   mother   decides   for   them   upon   her   return.   though   that   was   something   that   he   would   worry   about   when   she   resurfaced.   "there   may   have   been   a   chance   that   one   of   my   siblings   could   have   taken   the   position   should   it   have   happened   later   in   our   lives.   however   i   think   a   part   of   me   always   knew   that   it   would   be   me,   just   didn't   expect   it   as   early   as   it   had   been."   losing   his   parents   to   their   own   dragons   wasn't   something   that   he   had   expected   as   young   as   he   was.   the   rest   of   his   siblings   younger   than   he   would   not   have   been   fit   at   the   time,   even   though   he   had   asked   haoyu   to   be   his   second   immediately.   "fortunately   we   do   have   time   to   get   to   know   one   another,   all   that   i   can   ask   of   you   and   the   other   high   rulers   is   to   be   open   to   getting   to   know   us.   i   will   speak   with   my   people   about   being   open   to   getting   to   know   you   all   as   well   as   you   spend   time   within   our   court.   i   look   forward   to   getting   to   know   you   better."

"it was a theory i had before we're casted here onto your court. i quickly realized our extinction is seeming like a less possibility now, since she has kept us alive thus far." it was also possible their own mother had a hand in her children alive, but at this point she did not know anymore than this court and it's high lord did either. lord yijun make a logical point, that eradicating them now wouldn't be feasible because her fae would be caught in the crossfire. alina had always believed there were far worse fates than death, and one of them was being captive in this court, either under the whims of the high lord ( which might be less likely ), but certainly under this dark deity should they learned their mother was no longer in their realm. it was a morbid thought, but the high lady had to prepare herself for the worst outcomes, and she suspected that this court wouldn't be able to assist prythian going against their mother even if they wished to. "i realize this, lord yijun. if your mother had it her way, you'd never cross paths with us. did you wish to before all of this?" she is obliged to ask anyway, at least to understand the minds of these strange fae. she extended him so grace, that since their arrival they had been treated well and nor had alina felt an impending sense of doom or fear of their lives just yet. looks were deceiving and it wasn't his words she was interested in, she would judge this high lord solely by his actions. his words did bring about a question that had been hovering on her mind, she suspected it but she wished for the affirmation. "i believe judging others by their actions, so i suppose that will prove to me of your intentions." a pause, "are you able to tell me, where exactly is your court located? i am certain it is not on prythian." alina had never seen the solar side of prythian, but those solar faes had certainly made it clear this was nothing they'd ever seen on this side.

"perhaps the one thing we all share in common, our lack of enthusiasm to meet new comers." summer didn't close it's gates to outsiders, but their high lady was suspicious of any outsiders stepping foot onto her lands without knowing their intentions. "it's possible your dark mother hasn't shared what she truly intends with us, or your court. you may be her children, but i sense she's far more interested in doing what suits her best than what's in the interest of your court." after all, she had only told one side of the truth to the dusk fae, it was no wonder why they looked upon the rest with distrust. prythian had it's share of horrid stories, but they were far more than that. the current rulers in particular seemed to be forging their own paths free from their predecessor's influence.

"well, i can assure you i have no interest in claiming your dragon companions." they certainly made useful guardians of a court, which is sure to be envied. "you're certain they won't wander over to the other courts?" she worried of this, that any point if the barrier went down, would they begin to migrate to prythian? "i suppose you not having a beast form explains why you might not have a choice in bonding - perhaps one will have chosen you anyway." a brow arched as the lord explains how his bond with the nyx came to be, but she didn't think it was a coincidence that the rare dragon chose the high ruler. "perhaps yours is far more intuitive then the others - a singular white dragon and no other? it certainly has to mean something." then what did the high lady know of these creatures? her mind certainly correlated this high lord having no beast form and instead having a rare white dragon. truly, she did think it was a loss, to never quite know what it felt like to have something attached to one's self this way. she had lost her beast form temporarily along with her magic and it's absence was something she could not explain but a part of her felt lost with it. "as it is with most things, it takes some time before one can fully adjust and be in control. i imagine your bond with your nyx took some effort." his words do not surprise her, naturally, they would be a bit curious to see what they've been denied of, "if we all part amiably, it might be a possibility." it was a long road ahead before that, unless their dark mother returned and closed them off once more. a part of her, the side that could be capable of compassion certainly did not wish that upon this court. once help captive under her tyrant father, alina could never wish this feeling of captivity upon another, be it this stranger. it would mean more trouble and worries for all seven courts, but even she knew things would not return to normal - that was all long gone now. "it shouldn't. however, the fates have a way of obtaining their wills, they wished it and they made it happen one way or another for all seven of us. who are ? merely their puppets. i cannot claim that i am not glad to be the high lady of my court, i have awaited a long time to claim my place. i know that is not the case for most, including yourself." she doesn't elaborate any further on the matter. well aware, she might be the few who had wished to be a high ruler more than anything else. "fortunate for us, we have all the time to become acquainted with one another."

[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 ( aurora )

the   dusk   emissary   was   probably   the   one   that   taylan   was   most   of   aware   of.   the   other   female   was   the   one   that   had   orchestrated   getting   each   of   the   courts   settled   within   their   own   quarters   as   guests   of   the   dusk   court.   for   the   other   emissary   being   newer   in   her   position   taylan   was   kind   of   in   awe   of   the   other.   not   that   she   was   going   to   admit   that   out   loud   to   the   other,   or   anyone.   "lady   aurora."   taylan   greeted   the   other   as   she   came   across   the   emissary   in   the   gardens.   "i   have   to   say   that   this   celebration   is   very   nice   and   appreciated."

[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]

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]

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."

[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.

[stxrslisten]

closed starter for alina dragomir — @shvdwscng

One could not say precisely how suho had come to enjoy his afternoon tea, perhaps it had began with his forced afternoon with his mother that he secretly enjoyed to the bone, or it was perhaps that it was the time he could still feel connected to her. he could truly use her wisdom during the uncertain times he was facing, nonetheless the tea was extraordinary as he set it down, focusing his dark hues on the ones across from him. "forgive me, with everything happening it seems i have been quite an awful friend, have i not?" he finally breaks the comfort of their silence, suho could only exist in the same room without the need to speak with very few, alina was one of them.