POLISHED THIS ANGER

𝙳𝙸𝙰𝙽𝙰     𝙼𝙰𝙺𝙰𝚁𝙾𝚅𝙸𝙲     .     heartrender     .     assassin     .     𝙵𝙴𝙻𝙸𝙺𝚂     𝚉𝙰𝚈𝚃𝚂𝙴𝚅     .     human     .     solder     .     spy     .      

“ you’re so kind, thank you. ” yuliya put the books on his hands gently, a smile on her face. she didn’t like to see or treat otkazat’syas differently from what the treated her grisha peers. they were the same, weren’t they ? the bone structure, the blood flowing through their veins, heart beating on the ribcage. the only thing that separated grishas from humans were the ability with small science — and that wasn’t something to be proud of. if she could choose, she’d be an otkazat’sya, like her mother and brother. yuliya loved being a healer and being able to help people. but needing to fight a war that she didn’t agree and be condemned for a life of serving wasn’t things she was grateful to have. “ never pegged me for a reader ? you need to know me better than. ” a small laugh left her lips. “ books were the only company i had for a long while, but that ones weren’t from fun. before the attack, i was researching about the extension of the powers of the healers, but i needed to pause it for a while. ” until they discovered what that thing was, and yuliya could co back to normality. 

but she couldn’t help and not be worried about him, too. yuliya knew guards were work load than usual, alongside the grishas. “ i hope i’m not overstepping with my next question. ” she started, a mix of kindness and concern on her voice. “ but are the guards working too much ? i know it isn’t my place to ask, but since the attack, it seems that working is everything we’re doing. ” she also didn’t agree with that. how could they protect the little palace if they’re too tired from the daily activities ? it was foolishness, on her opinion. 

 it    was    foolish    of    him    to    think    that    he    knew    her    .    like    an    autumn    leaf    could    not    know    of    a    snowflake    .    but    such    comparisons    could    not    even    begin    to    portray    the    divide    between    a    human    and    a    grisha    .    in    feliks’    opinion    ,    they    were    separated    by    far    greater    things    though    .    and    it    was    foolish    of    him    to    create    his    own    fanciful    idea    of    her    .    this    beautiful    ,    angelic    woman    who    had    the    great    power    to    heal    the    deepest    of    wounds    and    the    most    excruciating    of    injuries    .    and    alongside    it    ,    creating    a    fictitious    connection    between    human    and    grisha    .    that    they    could    actually    be    friends    ?    or    ,    perhaps    even    lovers    ?    every    idea    of    such    nature    quickly    dissipated    after    the    events    of    the    fete    .    he    had    observed    how    she    acted    around    a    particular    man    ,    how    they    touched    and    spoke    ,    it    was    certainly    a    riveting    scene    ,    enough    for    him    to    cower    back    into    the    dark    ,    loneliness    of    his    heart    and    obliterate    any    potential    romances    with    yuliya    bragiskaya    .    feliks    shrugs    his    shoulder    at    the    question    ,“    what    else    are    we    supposed    to    do    ?    we    didn’t    exactly    go    here    for    a    holiday    .    ”    he    smirks    ,    “    thank    you    for    your    concern    though    .    and    i    could    say    the    same    to    you    ,    have    you    had    any    fortune    in    your    research    ?    ”

OPEN STARTER ; @ravkastarters​ location: the masquerade

aloysha was, truthfully, not looking forward to this ball. the only upside he could think of was that his outfit looked amazing, and no one would be able to see his face when he got wasted because he was getting drunk. why would the king and queen think this would be a good idea so soon after the attack? people were still mourning, he was still mourning. it just showed how little they thought of the second army. it angered aloysha greatly.

sighing, aloysha took a spot by the drinks on the side of the room. he watched as people danced, not recognizing anyone. though that was probably the point. maybe he could find someone to dance with and sneak out with them. it certainly would have been a lot more fun than whatever was happening here.

alo was already a few drinks in when he decided it was time to approach someone. clearly he got a little more social when he was tipsy. “judging from the way you are also avoiding people, i think it would make sense for us to avoid people together. so, here i am. you’re welcome.” was he slurring a little bit? maybe. was it noticeable? also maybe. did he care? not so much.

 a    masquerade    ball    ,    diana    sighs    ,    such    social    events    usually    fill    her    with    a    potent    detestation    ,    driving    her    to    spend    it    in    the    corner    by    her    lonesome    or    trapped    in    pitiful    small    talk    with    small    -    minded    nobles    .    but    a    ball    which    conceals    her    identity    ,    in    which    she    could    perhaps    ,    pretend    to    be    someone    else    ...    it    was    a    fascinating    idea    .    she    has    worn    many    masks    ,    adopted    many    identities    but    always    for    a    mission    and    never    for    amusement    .    this    would    be    a    first    .    and    she’s    not    quite    sure    how    it    works    .    but    even    if    she    did    try    ,    to    enjoy    the    merriment    or    whatever    ,    she’s    not    quite    sure    it    would    work    .    you’re    asking    a    girl    ,    who’s    been    imprisoned    by    debt    and    duty    to    dance    and    drink    and    forget    about    all    the    darkness    she    is    for    one    night    ?    no    ,    she’d    be    far    to    consumed    with    who    was    looking    at    her    ,    what    she    was    saying    or    what    she    should    be    listening    too    .    she’d    be    a    wreck    of    nerves    !

@ravkastarters​

Zhuan had no idea what to do here. All of this was out of his element. Balls were something he never ha to deal with before, same with crowds of people. But! He was determined to make the best of it, even if he failed miserably. Not lighting something on fire counted as a win, right?

But, that was how he’d ended up floating around the area near the bar, trying not to fiddle with his mask. Even that was uncomfortable to him, things touching his face. Saints, maybe he couldn’t do this after all.

It was that thought that had him slipping back through the crowd before slamming into someone. 

“Sorry about that,” came the soft apology, more reflex than anything.

 was    it    her    or    was    the    room    spinning    just    slightly    ?    diana    tries    to    come    to    a    conclusion    as    her    eyes    wander    around    the    hall    ,    quietly    giggling    to    herself    as    the    faces    of    those    she    passed    became    blurry    and    unrecognisable    .    this    was    dangerous    ,    she    tries    to    straighten    up    .    the    alcohol    always    did    settle    in    her    bloodstream    rather    quickly    and    stayed    for    far    longer    than    usual    ,    but    she    always    prepares    for    the    oblivion    the    alcohol    brings    in    the    comfort    of    her    own    room    ,    where    privacy    was    ensured    and    safety    was    not    a    concern    .    not    in    the    middle    of    a    ball    ,    where    she    was    surrounded    by    powerful    strangers    and    anyone    of    them    could    be    wielding    a    knife    .

 at    the    sudden    contact    ,    she    quickly    recoils    and    her    hands    begin    to    form    together    ,    prepared    to    attack    but    at    the    softness    of    the    apology    and    the    authenticity    in    her    eyes    ,    “    oh    ,    ”    diana’s    defence    retreated    and    she    attempts    for    a    smooth    recovery    by    simply    clasping    her    hands    together    and    offering    a    small    smile    .    “    don’t    worry    about    it    ,    i    think    we’re    all    stumbling    too    each    other    in    there    .    and    some    are    even    doing    it    on    purpose    !    but    i    believe    they    prefer    the    term    dancing    .    ”

                            𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓  @echoesnshadows​ ( 𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒂 )

                          一   *  𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒅𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒐𝒔, 𝒚𝒆𝒗𝒂 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒎. some part of her wanted to give credit to her excellent ability to adapt, nothing ever being able to faze her ( that’s what she told herself ), yet yeva could barely bring up the energy to care about the countless grisha who died ( not as if she wanted to ). and if it wasn’t for the non-grisha who also fell prey to that creature, she probably would’ve been seen bouncing and humming within the walls of the little palace. unfortunately, she had other things to do. things she couldn’t finish at the fete earlier but what the creature managed to do for her. erasing the frivolous lives of geisha. with the majority being too fixed on remaining calm despite of the panic lingering in their minds, yeva found the perfect opportunity to continue her mission, with success,

yeva was about to sneak into her room, making sure that she’d wash up, eliminating even the tiniest droplet of blood which would threaten to blow her cover, but  what she didn’t expect was to meet dianna. especially,  when she was using the secret passage she thought only she herself had discovered. “ what are you doing here ? ” the faintest hint of shock betrayed her voice. right now she didn’t need dianna to ask questions, so she waited for a reaction that would spare her few seconds to come up with a good excuse. yet, seconds did not suffice and she had to opt for plan b. distracting her from whatever odd situation they found themselves in. “ and who scratched your face ?” she inquired, suddenly noticing that she wasn’t the only one who was acting suspicious. 

“    on    saints    ,    yeva    !    ”    diana    ,    who    had    never    been    inclined    to    displays    of    affection    launched    herself    at    her    acquaintance    as    though    her    life    depended    on    it    (    because    perhaps    it    did    )    .    she    wraps    her    arms    tightly    around    the    other    ,    a    hurried    attempt    in    concealing    her    shock    and    suspicion    .    “    i    was    trying    to    find    a    safe    exit    .    it    was    all    chaos    .    ”    she    tears    herself    away    from    the    other    ,    a    look    of    fear    plastered    across    her    features    .    she    had    worn    many    faces    before    ,    fear    was    one    she    had    been    particularly    good    at    fixing    on    .    and    so    very    little    ,    if    at    all    ,    maybe    one    could    discern    her    expression    of    true    fear    compared    to    a    feigned    one    .    and    though    the    previous    scenes    were    ridiculously    chaotic    and    just    an    overall    pandemonium    ,    it    was    a    walk    in    the    park    for    the    makarovich    girl    .    she    had    faced    worse    and    she    ,    out    of    all    people    would    know    that    the    scariest    monsters    often    wear    human    faces    .    “    i’m    so    glad    you’re    okay    .    ”    she    offers    a    small    smile    .    her    hand    absentmindedly    reaches    up    to    touch    the    graze    on    her    cheek    .    she    had    almost    forgotten    about    this    .    this    ,    as    in    the    dripping    wound    across    the    landscape    of    her    face    (    the    last    hurrah    of    a    dying    man    )    this    ,    as    in    the    mission    she    was    called    to    complete    (    to    take    the    last    breath    of    said    dying    man    )    .    but    this    was    her    life’s    work    ,    she    was    an    assassin    .    she    had    to    learn    diversion    and    escape    from    close    encounters    on    the    daily    .    but    with    yeva    it    seemed    different    .    with    yeva    ,    it    seemed    like    a    cat    and    mouse    game    .    she    just    wasn’t    sure    who    was    who    .    “    people    were    scrambling    all    over    the    place    ,    i’m    pretty    sure    i    got    knocked    out    and    scratched    it    across    something    .    ”

jia paused, a shiver running down her spine. had she been caught? was this the end? no, no that couldn’t be it. with that kind of thinking, jia was doomed to fail. with a breath, she turned around and crossed her arms. “excuse me, sir. i am lady jia kravstov. i do not answer to anyone excuse her majesty.” she lifted her chin to stare the other down. at his explanation, jia calmed down. she wasn’t in dangerous. “oh…well…i suppose that is alright.” 

 brows    furrow    at    the    immediate    reaction    ,    slight    suspicion    arising    in    his    mind    but    it    had    been    too    small    to    call    for    a    dramatic    response    and    the    other’s    steeled    spine    and    jutted    chin    provides    a    potent    catalyst    which    quickly    dissipates    the    seemingly    miscalculated    suspicions    that    riddled    his    mind    .    jia    kravstov    ?    he    was    unfamiliar    with    the    name    ,    he    had    seen    her    a    few    times    before    though    rubbing    elbows    with    the    queen    ,    perhaps    marvelled    at    her    beauty    once    or    twice    but    her    identity    remains    a    mystery    .    though    her    connection    with    her    majesty    would    provide    sufficient    intel    for    his    mission    .    and    suddenly    it’s    like    there’s    a    switch    in    his    head    ,    his    ushers    his    brutality    away    and    offers    a    small    smile    in    replacement    .    because    as    they    say    ,    keep    your    friends    close    and    your    enemies    .... ❝    sorry    if    we    got    started    on    the    wrong    foot    ,    i    am    sergeant    zaytsev    .    i’m    just    here    to    accompany    you    wherever    you’d    like    .    and    it    doesn’t    have    to    be    in    awkward    silence    if    you    wish    it    so    .    ❞

it was almost like he could hear grette again — the demanding tone, the concerning. though she and diana were completely different, it was like his sister’s spirit was within her, somehow. he hated grishas, especially the ones with red keftas, but she was an exception. the only, probably. hannes didn’t know why. maybe the time he was spending on ravka was changing him for the worst. “ i’m sure your aim is terrible, you’ll hit anything but their foot. ” he managed to say, trying to maintain their relationship as it was. no caring, no diana reminding him of his older sister. he already had feelings he shouldn’t have that could screw all of his plans and purposes, he didn’t need more of them. “ i do not care about the other guards, but i can’t risk losing my job because of my leg. it’s everything i have. ” he tried to explain — that job was everything to both hannes and ivan, the only thing they both could agree on. ivan, well, because that was his life. and hannes, because his life depended on having it. he tried to protest at first, but ketp his mouth shut. hannes knew he was at the brick of exhaustion, and that wouldn’t be good for him. but letting a grisha inside his room was something else, even if it was diana. she couldn’t know, could she ? “ i wouldn’t pull a fight this time. my room is near the fontain, we need to turn left on a corridor, and it’s the third door. ” he gave diana the directions, while doing what she demanded. 

Yelena   was   not   in   the   habit   of   defying   orders—perhaps,   more   of   a   character   flaw   than   a   favourable   trait.   But,   even   so,   the   cadence   of   his   voice   seemed   to   signal   a   person   that   should   not   be   refused   (even   if   they   did   offer   an   option).   And   so,   she   halted—the   soft   echoes   of   her   footsteps   disappearing   into   silence—and   glanced   over   her   shoulder.   Ah,   not   a   grisha,   she   thought,   before   she   fully   turned   to   face   him.   “Is   that   so?”   she   began,   a   small   smile   forming   on   her   lips.   “Forgive   me,   I   seem   to   have   missed   the   order—unless,   they   are   not   telling   us   anything,   anymore.”   Yelena   laughed,   then,   as   if   to   say   she   was   entirely   kidding.   But   the   derisiveness   of   her   voice   could   not   be   missed   by   a   trained   ear.   For   a   moment,   a   fleeting   moment,   she   was   afraid   he   would   tattle   to   others   about   her   ‘insolence.’   But,   she   shrugged   it   off.   “Well,   come   along,   then,”   she   called,   waiting   on   him   to   approach.   “I’d   rather   you   walk   beside   me,”   she,   more   or   less,   instructed,    “makes   me   feel   less   like   a   child.”

 saints    ,    feliks    wishes    they    would    stop    being    all    so    pretty    .    it    certainly    would’ve    been    easier    for    him    to    hate    them    .    but    when    they    look    like    that    ,    angelic    ,    divine    ,    paired    with    an    otherworldly    grace    that    feliks    could    never    seem    to    be    able    to    replicate    within    himself    nor    notice    in    any    other    human    .    perhaps    if    they    had    been    cursed    with    grotesque    features    like    three    eyes    or    eight    limbs    then    maybe    ,    maybe    they’d    be    easier    to    hate    (    but    he    knows    that    despite    his    habitually    ice    -    cold    heart    ,    he    would    probably    still    manage    to    find    something    to    idolise    them    about    )    .    it’s    a    great    paradox    ,    this    veneration    and    detestation    for    the    grisha    .    but    it    is    matter    he    is    sure    will    be    resolved    once    his    mission    is    finished    ,    once    his    need    for    vengeance    is    finally    satiated    .    it    is    then    (    he    hopes    )    he    will    truly    realise    that    he    was    on    the    right    side    of    the    war    all    along    .    he    nods    his    head    ,    walking    up    to    stand    shoulder    by    shoulder    with    the    other    .   ❝    where    are    we    going    exactly    ?    ❞

Havva paused in her gate, sticking solidly to where her feet had ceased to move. Turning in another moment she was greeted by the charcoal black uniform of an oprichniki and quite familiar with it as well. It was a sharp command, a snap of of a jaw like a wolf barking and anyone who heard it knew better than to continue on. Havva was no threat to the general and was about to state as much in response until their reason was given. The aksinya woman was feisty and could in the most dire of situations find a way to protect herself but on the whole she was gentle. Havva was mostly gentle unless you were any enemy but on the whole an unforgettable creature who most would know needed no help to get around. She would givein this once to an order where she was known to buck them if she didn’t personally believe in them. Perhaps she did in light of recent events feel even for a trip she had made a hundred times there was protection in numbers in case leather bats fell from the sky. “This is a new order I haven’t heard of yet. I might be alone but I am not incapable of defending myself and the distance is short but outside the little palace not far from here. Maybe a half hour journey to the market and then my sister’s home. You are welcome to accompany me to the market but I wouldn’t ask to burden you further for a route I would know blind" 

such demand took her by surprise at first, but yuliya could sense that thing happening. everyone was on their nerves since the mutant volcra attacked, especially the otkazat’sya. she couldn’t image what happened could represent for them; yuliya, being a grisha, was terrified that it could happen again. it could have been and enemy attack — only the saints knew how many enemies ravka had because of the darkling — or was it just an isolated case, like she hoped. maybe such specimen evolved on its own, and the other volcras in the fold were still the same. “ that’s alright. you’re feliks, right ? i’m sure we met at the fête. ” her memories of the festivity were quite blurred, and most of them were centred on sacha and what happened on the basement. “ i’m just going to the library to retrieve these books. ” she looked down at the same pile that rested on her arms, books which were needed on her initial research — that was stopped due the attack. “ i swear i’m not a boring company. ”

 the    tragedies    of    the    fete    seemed    like    a    distant    dream    (    or    a    deeply    buried    nightmare    )    ,    though    it    was    stitched    with    potent    fear    ,    unprecedented    victory    and    moral    conflict    ,    there    was    one    streak    of    bright    colours    in    the    darkness    of    the    tapestry    .    and    it    was    yuliya    braginskaya    .    he    had    noticed    her    before    the    fete    but    she    had    always    been    a    good    distant    away    ,    as    though    there    was    a    thick    line    dividing    his    grotesque    ,    unfortunate    life    with    her    divine    and    immaculate    existence    .    and    that    line    was    simply    called    fate    .    he    was    human    ,    worthless    ,    replaceable    ,    mortal    .    she    was    angelic    ,    pure    and    would    be    forevermore    .    fate    had    declared    at    their    birth    ,    there    was    no    such    circumstances    in    which    their    union    would    be    possible    .    perhaps    it    was    been    for    the    better    ,    he    was    ,    after    all    ,    fighting    for    fjerdan    supremacy    .    and    the    grisha    were    automatically    his    nemesis    .    

the patrols were being insupportable, especially for his leg. hannes didn’t care about doing more rounds around the little palace than usual. it helped him to spy, both people and important rooms. however, he needed a rest sometimes, but his superiors weren’t too kindly with that, nor his colleagues. they always wanted hannes to exhaust himself day after day, to see where his tolerance went. he didn’t care if they were humans or not — when fjerda would attack, hannes would make them pay for all of that. but he was starting to get used to it. if only they knew what he was actually doing. but he needed his cane right now, and hannes was too far away from his room to get it. he could manage pain like no one else — he was trained for that, after all — but some grunts of pain were leaving his mouth without his permission. maybe it was worse than he thought. “ i can’t. i’m doing my job, diana. ” he looked at her, trying to sound and look better than he felt. “ this isn’t an injury that a healer can heal. i was born with it. ” ivan was born with it, not hannes. a lie that didn’t hurt to tell, but still a lie. “ i need to get my cane, and then i’ll be better. you don’t need to worry. ”

Status: Open With: @ravkastarters​

“Hmm.” It wasn’t often that Jasmine could take her meal outside her assigned quarters, nor was it considered the most sound decision after the tragedy at the most recent Fete, but Jasmine was easily prone to listlessness. So, naturally, she had thought to come outside. If a poor soul was wrapped in conversation with her, so be it. 

“What do you suppose that thing was?” Jasmine asked. “I’ve heard that it’s not quite a Volcra, and anyone who tells me it is–” Jasmine held up one finger, out of pretend defiance. “–is probably lying.”