Those lights, they light up the sky!

she doesn’t mind that ellie didn’t search her out. this is an odd situation. she slips an arm around ellie, turning them to walk away from any onlookers. she wants to tell her about rivian, and she does not want to do that out in the open. she doesn’t want him to be a secret, but she also is slightly concerned that if it does become gossip, someone working against them all will use him against her. she doesn’t want him to get hurt. but ellie is who she always wants to tell these sorts of things to. “you, silly.” she giggles, “are your chambers close? i have to tell you something.”

☆ﾟ*·ﾟELLIE GIGGLED, SQUEEZING Malva's hand with hers as her friend guided her away from the other fae. As they walked, her ears perked up at the question and following statement. The fact that she was giggling meant that it was a good something and now, the littlest day lady wanted to know exactly what it was. "They're closer if we run!" Ellie giggled, starting to break out into a run, consequently pulling Malva with her. "Am I gonna wanna squeal and clap? 'cause I like those kinds of somethings."

"oh, that's very good, vicky, see? sharp as always. that's why you're my favorite!" he winks, smirk wide as getting under the older man's skin was a near and dear hobby he didn't take lightly. ravi points to himself in question, obnoxious as he agrees, smile widening. "oh my god, are you finally opening your heart to me? i've dreamed of days like these. should we scrapbook this moment? I think myra would love that, don't you?" they start leading the way slow relaxed steps before gasping theatrically at the man's next question, tilting their head to him, feigning being touched at the sheer thought. "you want to buy me something? have I wormed my way into that strong as steal heart of yours? hmm I think my sister's gonna need to keep an eye on us, how exciting. imagine the scandal? i'd be living."

☆ﾟ*·ﾟVIKRAM TWITCHED AT the nickname, only letting one fae and one fae only use nicknames. And that fae was his wife, the absolute love of his life. But her brother seemed to think he was one of those special fae as well. "Your favorite? I think you need to meet some now people, Ravi." He couldn't help the chuckle that slipped through his lips and shook his head as he started to walk outside. "You create me out of felt and other bizarre materials and I'll have you banned from speaking to me." Shrugging his shoulders, stuffing his hands into his pockets. The whole point of offering to buy Ravi something was so that he could use it again later. "You're more tolerable when you're in a good mood, so I'd like to keep it that way. What is it I might be buying?" Vikram asked as he walked toward the markets, not really looking at Ravi for fear he might see that maybe Vikram didn't truly hate him.

he pulls out the bag of crystals and the witch tilts her head to the side a bit, eyeing it, always having been intrigued by the items a scryer used in order to use their power, but she currently needed to focus, quickly nodding along. "me too." it was really the only way Iliana knew her witchcraft was still intact, the mirrors still tugging at her. it wasn't until the fellow hybern fae's deep breath and swallow that they realized he was probably being bombarded by others and was just tired, now feeling a little silly for how strong they had come in to see him. "um...I was just wondering, I suppose. I won't force your hand i was just...trying to make sense of it all, I guess...sorry." the apology is small and a little awkward.

☆ﾟ*·ﾟLUC WATCHED HER, taking notice of how her body reacted to his questions. He knew enough about her to know that if she was asking, there was trust in his ability in the slightest. Sighing softly, he offered her a small smile, albeit it was forced. Luc patted the spot across from him. "Sit, Iliana. I'll look for you," Luc stated, arranging the crystals how he liked them. There were some small ones, but most of them were larger, so that he could properly see into them. "I should've looked immediately, but sometimes a little comfort is appreciated." Looking up at her, Luc gestured down to the crystals in front of her. "Pick three, preferably a few of the bigger ones as we don't know a lot. It'll help for me to see more of what's happening."

zaina hadn’t felt that her place had been earned, when she’d become high lady. she’d wanted to keep her parents forever. they’d always loved her, protected her. if she could have, she’d have chosen a nice simple life with her friends without the politics. but she didn’t get that. so now she is trying to form friendships between her court and the others. and even if she and talia had not been close before, she wants their relationship to be positive. she had not known where jamie was from, when she first met them. had not forced anything. and she’d always known it would have to be their own choice to return to day. zaina shrugs, “no one knows what they’re doing when it’s a new situation. who prepares for being kidnapped by an unknown entity and whisked away to another court while investigating murders and not being able to leave?” and sometimes, even when something is planned for, it doesn’t go as planned. she reaches up to touch the scar on her cheek at the thought. “it’s safer to avoid unknown listeners so fewer see us vulnerable.” she nods, stepping into her own suite and shutting the door behind them. “make yourself comfortable. i’ll make tea,” she gestures to the seating area as she turns to start on tea. perhaps in part because she’s too restless to sit still. “i don’t know. the way my court works, we’re working on finding solutions together. because i can’t make promises. all i can do is ensure that i do my best to take care of them.”

☆ﾟ*·ﾟFOR CENTURIES, TALIA had leaned on Zaina, appreciated every word of the mentorship that the other High Ruler provided for her. It had brought her complete comfort, especially knowing that she could also consider the other a friend. Knowing that she had someone that close that could provide answers was useful. Talia was strong, she knew that. And she'd taken a lot of knowledge and explanations from her father and the learning she'd taken upon herself when becoming High Ruler. "I wish I could lean back on my inner court, Zaina. I really do."

Some of the other High Rulers were respectable and some only needed to be molded like little baby caterpillars. Talia was one of the later. From the very first time Saylee had spoken to her, she knew and could tell that the girl just needed someone to teach her how to rule, how to stand strong, and make the rest of her court believe in her. Upon hearing her opinion of the Starlight Court, Saylee was intrigued. Shouldn't someone in a younger position be unsure of anything that could hurt her? The curiosity of her decisions got the better of Saylee, causing her to organize a meeting. Setting it in an open enough area to make Talia feel comfortable, Saylee sat down in one of the arm chairs, staring a cup of tea she'd requested. Upon seeing Talia walk in, she stood up, holding out her hand. "Talia, thank you for joining me. It seems we have much to discuss. I'm curious to see where your head's at, dear."

☆ﾟ*·ﾟWHEN THE RULER of the Winter Court had requested a meeting with Talia, she was unsure of how to respond. She'd heard rumors of how she acted, of her stance on many issues and even of her temperament. But it'd come to the point where she knew she couldn't back down. Saylee's opinion was important, one that Talia knew she needed to have. In fact, it was important to know what she was thinking. As she entered the room, she took a deep breath, looking at Saylee, interested in what she might want to say to her. "Saylee, you're welome. I'll admit, I was a little bit unsure of whether or not to meet you. You've got quite a reputation and I'm very curious to see where our differences are." Talia sat down across from her, reaching for a cup of tea. She crossed one leg over the other, a smirk resting across her face. "Please, let me know why you invited me here."

she loves that she has found friends that enjoy the same things as her, even the odd hobbies that other fae find unnerving. she had spent the morning examining and determining cause of death of the animal bones she’d found, and was onto another set, the bones she’d found laid out in front of her. she lets out a startled squeak when arisa appears in front of her with more, but reaches for a bigger one, giggling. “this looks like it’s possibly from a feral cat.” she holds it up. “do you know what was with it?” she asks. “this is from a rodent. we could probably piece it together.”

☆ﾟ*·ﾟARISA ADORED SEREN'S love of bones. It meant that the two of them could giggle together about all of these strange and wonderful items. There was so much to learn about the world from them, and it was just fun to collect all of them. "A cat? Oh gosh, that poor baby. Can you tell how it possibly died? It was by a big pile of leaves, but I don't really know what the leaves were." Sitting down, she reached for a few of the other pieces and placed them with the cat. "These were closer to it and far away from the supposed rodent. It was like a picture but it didn't look like anything I'd seen before."

He chuckled, looking down at Luc's fingers on his clothes, breaking the kiss while he worked on them. "I wasn't accusing you of murder, darling. Just deceit." While Luc undid his clothes, Dorian lent in to kiss his forehead, his temple, his cheek. Because knowing that Luc had been lying to him all this time wasn't stopping any of this apparently. What was he expecting of a Spymaster after all. It was a little on the nose, title and all.

☆ﾟ*·ﾟHUMMING SOFTLY, LUC grabbed hold of him, trying to feel his body up against his even faster. He absolutely adored the teasing, flirting, and sassy manner in which they talked. "Deceit is a whole different arena," he whispered, kissing him harder. Feeling his lips all over him made him feel warm, cozy, and hot at the same time. Clothes were removed, thrown all around the floor, giving Luc more of a reason to be even closer to Dorian, something he desired deeply in that moment. His bare chest pressed up against the other's felt wonderful, almost weirdly enlightening in that moment.

ravi tilts his head to the side as he hears her enthusiasm, now this was exactly what he was looking for since they had made it to the new court. there was so much that had gone on, and sure it was a mess and a few lives were lost here and there but...there were in the midst of a whole new place to explore, new secrets to find, and the liege of spring was by far more than ready to focus on that, rather than...whatever else. "mm, if you ask me I think it suits your charms perfectly, little dove, you fit right in." now a party. that they could definitely get behind. "oh, I love the way you think, might have to steal you away from night more often...what are thinking? masquerade? that could be pretty hot...and under all the lights out here...might also have to steal every dance from you if you wouldn't mind...?"

☆ﾟ*·ﾟTESSA'S CHEEKS FLUSHED at the nickname, reaching up to push her hair from her face. "You are far too kind. I'm just a mere lover of plants and sometimes a little bit, well, a lot bit silly. Not many think the same way I do," she explained, swaying from side to side, playing with her skirt. Her cheeks went even more red becaue how could someone just talk to you like that in such a normal matter? Tessa was quite intrigued by his words and by how he spoke. "You're gonna steal me? I think that sounds like an absolutely wonderful idea! I like adventures and you like parties!" Her head fell into her hands, feeling a little bit ridiculous now. She was now interested in learning everything about the man in front of her. "I like dancing, but you're intriguing me, you know. You've got a way with words and I'm really curious how your mind works. Would you let me find out? Or at least listen to you talk more?"

she roles her shoulders, feeling wrong in the moment. she’s not sure what, and she probably will figure it out later. she looks up at the stars again, contemplating them for a bit before she responds. “or maybe they do not care for our world. do they go on if we do not? maybe we are… inconsequential to them.” she says. “i think they’d judge us for how we treat the rest of the world.” she muses. “how we look after the world, but how we treat the other fae.” maybe they know what this wrongness is that she’s feeling…

☆ﾟ*·ﾟAS SHE SPOKE, Vikram found himself intrigued by her words, appreciative that someone could think critically like he could. Not many fae allowed their brains to develop that kind of thought. It was refreshing and rewarding to discuss inter-dimensional thoughts. "The idea that they do not care is fascinating because they spend their entire lives staring down upon us, watching." Nodding as she continued, he couldn't help the small smile that threatened to creep across his lips. "We do not treat the world with the kindness it deserves. As fae, we are bound to the Earth, to a mystical world that humans can't understand. We should treat it as such. All of this time, we've spent it worrying about what comes next in terms of horror. That's not what we should be doing." Vikram knew that he was getting a little bit too philosophical, but he really didn't care, because it allowed him to use his brain.

destruction makes her happy. it always has. it’s nice to have a partner in the chaos. luc and omar had always been the friends she went to when she needed chaos. with everything going on, she needs it. she hums, “the look on the trees after is cool,” she nods. “or, flaming arrows could be fun, too.” she tilts her head. “great,” she turns to head towards the kitchen. “we’ll figure it out as we go. they can’t possibly not have a supply.” she starts to walk, rolling her shoulders as she does. she’s too restless.

☆ﾟ*·ﾟTHE HAPPINESS ERUPTING from inside Luc was unmatched. Having someone that enjoyed destruction was refreshing. It was his way of controlling the darkness without actually bringing anything that would bite him later. "Flaming arrows? I love the way you think, Malva," he explained, chuckling. As they walked, Luc shook his head and picked up his pace. "I'll race you. I need more passion and energy. All of this is getting worse and I just need to burn something."

her court is her family. it’s tarik and aylin, but it’s also her whole inner circle. her whole court she treats as if they are some form of extended family. but in the chaos of the winnowing, and then trying to get everyone settled, she’d forgotten about the note for a bit. and then she’d needed time to just exist. and even though she should, she doesn't feel guilty now for dragging callum away from everyone and hiding in her chambers for the first night. but her anxiety had returned when she’d remembered the note, though, once their little bubble had been interrupted by reality. she shakes her head, “just zaina.” she shrugs, “i don’t know.” she finally say before dropping onto a chair. “i just… i think we need to try to figure out what that means… but i think we need to figure out how to get the other courts to work together. i don’t think this is going to be solved by anyone on their own.”

☆ﾟ*·ﾟELIAN CHUCKLED SOFTLY. He'd worked with Zaina for years, and calling her Milady was always a sign of respect. Every time he addressed her, she had to correct him, and he still couldn't bring himself to actually stop. He wanted her to know how much he respected her and everything she did in life. While he might shfit in conversation after she asked, he'd then need to be told yet again. "We can start there. Baby steps, and nothing can be solved overnight unfortunately. What do we know? And what do you want me to find out? And who right now, do you trust? Court wise."

marek's family meant e v e r y t h i n g to him, more than his own feelings. because of this, any time anything even remotely stressful, he went into overprotective brother mode. any and every emotion that he'd even thought of having disappeared, the high ruler of summer b o l t e d through the hallways, not having any idea where he was going. but he would find his youngest sibling if it was the last thing he did. marek scowled, pushing past each and every fae that got in his way. the second he saw ellie, he didn't say anything, and instead just grabbed ellie and smushed her into a bone crushing hug.

☆ﾟ*·ﾟSHE KNEW WHAT her brother's arms felt like, but that didn't stop her from squealing the second he grabbed her. His size was a whole lot more than her, so when he grabbed her, she literally disappeared within his grasp. Ellie hugged him back, but after that moment, she was done with it and let her body just dangle there in his arms. She lifted her up to look at him. "Maaaaaaarek! I'm fine. Can you put me down now? You're squishing me! I am all in one piece but if you keep squeezing me like this, I won't. be!" Ellie giggled, and tried to wiggle out of his grasp.

"It is important to me that you are both comfortable and that the arrangements are good enough for the both of you." It sounded almost like Catalina cared about them and in a way, she actually did care about Kenna and Omar, perhaps even more than she let on. "I need you rested and sharp should anything happen. We are on high alert here in unknown territories. I've heard of other courts losing faes in Winter. A tragedy I won't let happen to us. To you." Another reason why Catalina wanted them both close. She was far more powerful than she let on but having a sharp, competent, excellent army, made the court look even stronger than fae knowing about her own powers. Image was everything to Catalina.

☆ﾟ*·ﾟNODDING, SHE GAVE her a small smile. Kenna and Omar had been close enough over the years they'd worked together that the two of them could always make something work, no matter what. "The arrangement is good enough, of course, Milady. It helps that we are both nearby and able to reach each other should something happen." Watching her talk about the two of them, she wondered how much Catalina actually cared about them. She never showed a lot of her emotions and it was always something that Kenna liked to try and figure out, whether or not she was good at it. Shaking her head, she fixed her posture, standing up straighter. "Neither of us would let anything happen. Don't worry. We're not going anywhere."

Watching the archivist, Saylee kept her eyebrows raised. From what she knew of him, he was rather stoic, composed, and serious. But this star conversation was a whole new level of weird for her. For a moment, she stared at him, wondering if he really had spiked his tea. But if he did, now she wanted some as well. Sitting down, without even asking permission, she leaned over and looked at his tea. "They are the Starlight court for a reason, Vikram." Saylee said his name with a bit of inflection, simply to mess with him. "About tha tea. Did you really spike it? If so, it'd only be kind of you to share."

☆ﾟ*·ﾟHIS EYES FOLLOWED her as she sat down next to him. He wanted to say something about needing his personal space, but part of him was intrigued by Saylee's company. Vikram would never tell her this because he knew she'd take it and run. That was something he most definitely didn't want to deal with. Raising his eyebrows, he glared at her, wishing he could throw something at her, but that was most definitely not polite in the slightest. "Oh shut up, Saylee. There could've been other reasons." Chuckling softly, he took a sip of the tea and gestured for her to grab a cup of the kettle he'd had sitting there. "You tell me." Shifting in his spot, he turned to face her. "Look, I know we're not fans of each other, but I know we've previously discussed having similar opinions. Where's your head at with all of this?"