wndrstruck

[wndrstruck]

brennan sorrengail & katrina cardulo / @mcrcki

it’s been years since he’d seen the older cardulo sibling. they’d been riders together before it all. it takes him back to a time when his mother hadn’t actively traded his life away. before he’d never gotten to make amends. he could only hope people wouldn’t hold his mother’s decisions as the same for the rest of the sorrengails. “hey, katrina. it’s been a while.”

[wndrstruck]

“i’d say it comes with the job.” he lifts a shoulder in a light shrug. “back where i’m from… i wouldn’t call it very social.” technically he was doing a service as an asassin, just wasn’t a kind one. “are you from around here?” he keeps the conversation casual, while perhaps seeing if she also isn’t of this world.

a thoughtful hum left her lips. "usually the people who judge are the one that have to deal with my crap." that sentence alone was enough to make herself laugh. at least she could deal with it by laughing. "i don't know, you seem fine at making friends to me. i mean after all here you are talking to me, probably the one person who will claim friendship in under five minutes."

[wndrstruck]

“can't say i'll be much help. but, hit me with what you got.” ithan sets his pen down in his open text book. he'd been focusing on a history paper and the interruption stands as a good break. he could use a rest from the inner sound of his voice rattling off facts.

@wndrstruck --- ainsley and ithan

"i need your opinion on something." ainsley spoke as she approached the other, notes in hand. she had been jotting down everything she had in mind for this case she was working on. yet the more she jotted things down? the more everything seem scrambled. maybe she was just too far in her own head, she needed a second opinion. "tell me how coherent this sounds."

[wndrstruck]

“you said it,” jude agrees, shuffling out of her room to the kitchen. there’s too many of these days where one, if not both, of them come home exhausted. but, they gotta pay rent somehow. jude hadn’t gone through accelerated learning to be an agent only to be stuck with some shit cover job. though, they keep their real job secret from aellyn out of protection. she comes over to the couch handing aellyn a glass of water. “is it a frozen pizza kind of night? or should we order take out?”

@wndrstruck --- aellyn and jude

"i'm so over talking to people today." that the enterance that aellyn made as they entered the apartment she shared, plopping dramatically on to the couch that was in their shared living space. a headache was brewing and she could feel it. for all that she wanted in this city; the power, a way to the top, what was the freaking cost? dealing with insufferable people? it almost, almost, didn't seem worth it for about five seconds. "pretty sure this whole day has made me physically sick."

[wndrstruck]

kell barely reacts to the pun, only a slight twitch of his lips. suppose it’s a typical humor for this realm. he’s still getting acclimated to the modern speech. “i don’t mind giving it a look.” the magician inspects the wheel and where it needs to reattach to the cart. they channel their magic, though metal being the most difficult of elements, wills it back into place. kell stands back ups. “that should hold. however, it might need proper screws later. it’s a lovely cart. don’t catch many florists these days.”

@wndrstruck --- aerith and link

"hey quick question, are you a handy person?" it was a strange question to ask and aerith was so very aware of that. but there was was, sitting next to her flower cart, one of the wheels had completely fallen off and now was sitting on the ground. the problem was while she knew she could fix some things on her own she wasn't sure this was one of them. "because i feel like this is out of my wheel house... get it, wheel house?" she knew it wasn't a funny pun. "what i mean to say is i'm not sure i can fix it myself."

[wndrstruck]

** transition post-event **

aaric approaches the table, coffee in hand. after the event of the ball, he hadn’t gotten much of a chance to talk. “violet, right? is this seat taken?” he offers a kind smile. “sorry, if i’m interrupting.” he hadn’t thought about whether she’d been pre-occupied. just a feeling. as silly as it sounds, it’s like a gut feeling knowing what people are up to before he even sees them.

she should've known that aaric wouldn't want to dance, but honestly, it was the only thing she could think of to have an excuse to talk to him once she realized he didn't know her. one of these days, it was going to snap her composure.. she was barely holding it together with each friend who arrived without their memories. but the last thing she needed was to make a whole scene because of it, at least in public. "we can just stay on the sidelines if you're more comfortable over here, that's okay with me." she nodded, moving to hold her hand out. "violet, it's nice to meet you too, aaric."

[wndrstruck]

A blush creeps up his face, spreading outward like a drop of paint in watercolor. He holds back a nervous laugh. “Oh. You think I’m cute?” It takes a second for Charlie’s brain to play catch up. “Well, you’re one to talk,” he teases. “You look so good in a suit.” Charlie glances back at the art needing a quick moment to compose himself. “Do you think you’d want to hang out again? We could get milkshakes or something.” He doesn’t know why he brings up that as an idea but it’s too late to take it back.

Nick couldn't argue with him there, it was nice to look at. Sometimes he wished he had some kind of talent like this, something that would still be here years and years after he wasn't. "Right? You'd think we would have thought about that, but no. When in Rome, right? Well, I guess Paris in this scenario." He chuckled, giving him a smile. "Well, it's a big campus, but the day you gave me the pen kind of changed my life." Nick admitted with a smile. "It's hard not to notice someone so damn cute ."

[wndrstruck]

lenore dove raises a brow, arms crossed. “sleeping … out here? what, were you sleeping on a bench?” a smile cracks at the thought. she’d done that before, mostly to catch the stars, not that she’d recommend. the beauty of the sky, the outdoors — she feels more at peace out here than stuffed in a building. she tilts her head at the man, the silence stretching between them bordering on awkward. she sighs, motioning him closer. “well, come on, we’re gonna go find the geese.” she starts in the direction they’d fled. truthfully, she kept walking because of the sadness in his gaze. why’d he look at her that way? why does she care? lenore glances over her shoulder just to check he’s still there. “so, what should i call you?”

geese. he's always had such a complicated relationship with geese. the memories they dredged up, the symbols they presented. even when he'd raised them back in twelve after everything, he never knew if they even liked him let alone trusted him to take care of them, which was fair. its geese that has him standing at the gates, watching them, has his hands itching for a drink he doesn't have, but its who feeds them that has him still. like a statue, he just blinks at the figure, at the familiar messiness of her hair. she's older, just like he is, something they never got to be together and he feels like screaming, feels an irrational anger buble up that this is some kind of sick joke by the capitol. "no, no i just wanted to know which birds were making a ruckus while i was trying to sleep." it comes out gruffer than he intends, the lump in his throat preventing much else.

[wndrstruck]

ithan lets out a small laugh — why is he nervous? — rubbing the back of his neck. “thanks. i guess, we never really had events like this before in crescent city. not ones we went to as a pack.” not that they had time in-between a full-on revolution. it’s nice, for a change, to simply go to a dance with a beautiful date. a sense of relief settles in his stomach, lightly swirling with excitement. “so, this is a date then,” he lightly teases. course he wouldn’t call it that if it made her uncomfortable, but he wouldn’t lie he does like the sound of it. he offers his arm so they can walk in together. “would you like to grab a drink or is the dance floor calling your name?”

her breathe catches in her throat, and it makes the knowledge thats within her mind weigh down even more. ithan, they'd paired her up with ithan and perry suddenly feels a little foolish. of course getting over ithan would be nearly impossible, especially since the universe and the blasted baby who seemed determined to force a secret out of her were driving the script. "i-uh, i guess they knew that we'd have a good time no matter what." the compliment sets her skin aflame, and it takes everything not to let that little burst of magic out, the one that would send the lights careening as much as her heart rate is. " you look really good, ithan."

[wndrstruck]

lenore dove and haymitch abernathy / @rcvcrics

lenore dove frowns as the geese she so tenderly was feeding flock away. she whips around to catch the footsteps that scared her favorite birds. “well now you’ve gone and scared them.” she huffs at the stranger, still holding a small sack of corn. frankly, not many others come out this way and she’d preferred to keep it that way. her own little hideaway with wildflowers and the sound of a pond nearby. she tilts her head. something's oddly familiar about him and yet she can’t quite put her finger on it. “have we met before?”

[wndrstruck]

lenore dove and azula / @lcngliive

lenore dove strikes an off chord on the piano at the chime of a bell. she’d been tasked to watch the cash register and was currently, not doing so. she can’t help it. all those instruments just asking to be loved. she hurries to the front with a smile. “sorry. what can i do for you? any sheet music or instruments i can help you find?”

[wndrstruck]

“no, you’re fucking not, cardan. if that’s even your real name,” jude shoots back, her tone bordering on venomous. damn her stubbornness, never wanting to back down from others. many times it’s landed them in unfortunate situations. thankfully, there hasn’t been one yet where she couldn’t get herself out of it. “queen of what? you’re making up places now. i'm not your anything.” a stranger shouldn’t be riling them up this much. a simple call to the authorities and they’d take him away. jude jolts back not expecting whatever just happened. subtle, but there's a slight shift in the air. her eyes snap to the new pointed tips of his ears and … “is that a tail?” it comes out before she can stop it. even severe sleep deprivation couldn’t make her hallucinate a fucking tail. “nope, that’s it. this is crazy.” she huffs out a breath, turning to walk away like they should've done from the start.

oh, he's going to lose it. she's serious, this isn't a case of mistaken identity. the glamour is only hiding his inhuman features, there should be nothing concealing his identity from jude, of all people. something's messed with her mind, and he is going to blow whoever did it to bits, where the fuck is the court of shadows when he needs them? and who the fuck would have done it? it had to be someone from faerie, because what other enemies did they have? but even if anyone would be stupid enough to glamour the mind of the high fucking queen of elfhame, she couldn't be enchanted, it was quite literally impossible. "i'm your fucking husband, jude. cardan greenbriar. you're the high queen of elfhame, my queen." and he's sure that they'll call him a liar, despite that being another literally impossible thing, so he drops the glamour, letting her see the fae features.

[wndrstruck]

**soft transition**

hunt hands bryce her overly sweet drink and settles down on the couch. “so you’re not upset with the whole danika thing right?” he takes a sip of his beer, draping on of his arms over her shoulders. “was kind of getting tired of all the no-memory shit that keeps happening to us. and i wanted you to have your friend back.” he presses a kiss to the side of her head.

"no, you totally were, there's a bit still in the corner of your mouth, there." she replies with a chuckle, reaching up to teasingly wipe at the corner of his mouth. "we can not, i want free drinks, and to watch our friends act like morons." bryce laughs, though it's tighter than she intends, with how many of their friends have no idea who they are. "eh, neither of us are royalty at all, technically, but that's not the point."

[wndrstruck]

“no worries. i probably should change too.” they'd both put in a good workout today. since moving to the city, he’d been glad to make quick friends with someone like rhi. “did you need a ride back or do you want to meet at a lunch spot?”

closed starter for aaric greycastle!! ( @wndrstruck )

"i'm almost done, aaric, i just want to stop at home and get changed." rhi promises their friend, tugging on her jacket and throwing her gym bag over their shoulder. "we can get lunch as soon as i'm out of my sweaty ass clothes, i promise."

[wndrstruck]

kell can’t say much, he’d already had to do some less than legal things to find his footing in this city. though, he assumes they’ll target unsuspecting guests rather than attempt an art piece. “never,” he says with a slight smirk. oh, how he wants to deeply believe this is indeed the same lila. “i take you haven’t gotten it open.” he takes a step closer. “how about i show you. once all these ball festivities finish. if you’d like to know, we can meet at the park.” kell can’t guarantee they’ll show up, betting on this lila having the same curiosity.

" we'll have to wait & see , " lila responds. " the night is young after all. " they don't bother mentioning that if they are to steal something tonight , it likely won't be anything from him. there are far better marks here. if it's not the art among the museum's exhibits being pocketed – which is admittedly a little too far out of her wheelhouse – then it's whatever she can pull from some of the wealthier guests. " now don't go thinking that flattery will get you your box back , " they continue. " i don't recall ever saying that i have that anyway. "

[wndrstruck]

“Anicent greek literature is a favorite to study. Something about the way stories are captured in prose.” Charlie tilts his head in question. He couldn’t have heard that correctly. No one could live that long, let alone look youthful. Yet, nothing on Robin’s expression suggests he’s playing a prank. “You’re actually from that time? Like fully, Neoclassism and the Industrial Revolution?” Surprisingly, Charlie handles the news decent. Doesn’t seem like the place to have a proper meltdown, for one. He twists his fingers together, a multitude of questions collecting. All logical sides want to argue the impossibility. But, Robin doesn't seem like the type to gain anything from lyring about it. “Sorry, it's ... not every day someone says that, but I guess I can't really ask you to prove it.”

Robin thinks it’s likely Charlie would remember having a run in with Aequa, if he had; she’s not someone people often forget. Francis, on the other hand, isn’t as on-the-radar but is also more difficult to track down a second time, unless you follow the trail of cigarette smoke. “...What interests you best about that period?” he asks, always curious to know what draws people to their respective fields or specialties, to see what parts of the world’s past history grab ahold of them and refuse to let go. There’s just a moment of pause before Robin adds a bit of personal information he typically doesn’t share: “I come from just after the 18th century, originally.” Not that it’s something he would keep secret-- there would be no reason to-- but it doesn’t often come up in passing conversation. He’d adjusted to this world quickly and hadn’t spent too long dwelling on how fast society and technology had advanced, so it doesn’t particularly affect his interaction with most others.

[wndrstruck]

jude raised a brow at who seemed to be their new neighbor. they didn’t go out of their way to talk to as many people unless it benefitted herself. but, suppose she can’t get out of this one. “another galaxy? hell, is everyone on something today?” she lets out a deep sigh. what's with people asking her the weirdest questions lately? “life isn’t exactly sustainable on other planets.”

maelis zvaren & jude duarte @wndrstruck

maelis was new to all of this, the way things worked here. but they were determined to make do with whatever they had. they were a survivor first by most means. "hey, you live here too? are you from around here or like..." they waved their hand in the general direction of the air. "you know another galaxy?"