"Almost dead yesterday, maybe dead tomorrow, but alive, gloriously alive, today."
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@merxxki
"Almost dead yesterday, maybe dead tomorrow, but alive, gloriously alive, today."
out of character:
thread tracker | guidelines | wanted plots
( character information under the readmore )

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Mateo was getting sick and tired of being jerked around by whatever force was in charge of what was going on. He had enough of this and wanted answers. So he was out trying to find anyone he could speak to. He had found his way to his High Lady and she was safe and he left her in other capable hands. He needed to get answers. He stalked around the outside. "I have no idea who that is. And no idea why they would tell you to seek me out." Mateo said as he drew his sword. Sure he might be overreacting, but, what did he know of dragons and whatever this place is. "What I need are answers. What I need is for us to find a way to go home." He told the other, his sword on guard to protect himself from whatever this was.
i have no idea who that is ... the harsh words of the other reach the high lord, and he remains relaxed. zhōu hàoyǔ gives him the space to say what he needs, listening not just to the words that were chosen, but how they were said and the posture the other took. "may we introduce you?" they ask, as they turn as the large white dragon who lands silently, her wings folding against her back as she lowers herself down to better see the newest occupant of the dusk court. "this is tianyu, she is my soul occupying another's form --" they place their hand to their chest. "we are called zhōu hàoyǔ, we are the one who has been blessed with being the one who carries a piece of tianyu, as we are not worthy of her." the white dragon huffed, her breath warm. she didn't want the formalities, she wanted to learn of the strangers. "we cannot give you everything you are looking for. we can give you and yours lodgings, food and time to settle while all try to find answers -- as we are as surprised as you all are."
for: zhōu mùyáng | @jadedblud character: zhōu hàoyǔ location: the family's personal quarters
zhōu hàoyǔ had sent their assistant to inquire about their brother's availability to meet with them. while the high lord could command, there was no reason for them to believe that any of their siblings, or members of their inner court, would ever refuse them without good reason. zhōu hàoyǔ understood that their brothers had lives that they needed to lead, loves they had found ... they tried to be fair to their brothers and sister most of all. it was a reflection of the love the high lord had always held for their younger siblings, as they always made time for them when they sought hàoyǔ's comfort, company or advice, and in return, they knew that they could go to their siblings for the same. they had not been raised to compete harshly with one another, they had been raised to be their best and depend on one another, as family should.
now, with the arrival of the other courts, zhōu hàoyǔ was seeking perspectives and thoughts. their father had raised them to seek out others when there was a change that would impact more than a few... and most of the decisions made by the high lord, the high lord's siblings, and the high lord's inner court always impacted many. "did we call you too late?" they asked from where they sat at a large round desk, preferring that to a traditional desk that people had to sit across from them. "i have lost track of time..." he holds up a stack of letters. "we are being questioned on the sudden arrivals. we thought your perspective would be important... you have an artist's eye - we believe we need that now."
over the years, zhèng jian had learned how to quiet his mind and still his emotions, how not to think of worldly pursuits, in favor of preparing himself to serve the high lord and devote himself to their safety and security. to put the high lord's existence before his own, and anything he could want for himself (for such dreams were innately selfish and unfilial). that had meant he needed to quiet any thoughts or desires he had for zhōu haoyu, because he was not the primary candidate for high lord; if anything, he was the dark horse. and that dark horse had prevailed.
now, his mind could hardly hide itself away from the other man, embedded deep within his soul. they were partnered to a mated pair of dragons, after all, and baishe never missed an opportunity to tease or mock his rider about it. to laugh within his mind and croon about how his bond with tianyu was divine providence, and thus, any relationship that could come of jian-and-haoyu would be considered the same. " - prideful thing," he murmurs to the preening black dragon, prancing on his claws as he makes his way to roll his scaled hide along tianyu's own.
the naked affection blinds him, and causes him to swallow hard, nearly missing what his high lord has to say. or offer, he corrects internally, as he looks down to the amulet resting in his palm. power radiates from it, unmistakable, and the guard is quick to bow his head and accept it with both hands: "thank you, lord. the last amulet served me well, i will make proper use of this one, too." for he only traveled as far as the high lord did, being that he was their guard. "i regret that my attentions have been excessive, and will continue to be for some time. with all the new visitors and traveling we do, i have found i must... adapt to many more situations than before."
zhèng jian had been raised to serve another despite zhōu hàoyǔ's strength in magic. they understood that he had been a strange child, one that was more taken with the mystical and magical than with the practical. they had loved nothing more than slipping into the building their parents had built for them so they could experiment and practice without being a danger to others. even when they had began their own rigorous study - he did not begin to form alliances and friendships easily. in that way, he struggled to adapt and delegate to those who were experts in their own ways. yet after the death of his parents, his ascension came and what he aspired to be started to become true.
the night that they became high liege, they sought out zhèng jian and offered for them to serve the one they had been raised for, as zhōu hàoyǔ would not wish for them to be unhappy. yet, his guard refused -- and now where the high lord goes, he knows that his guard will be close. then, he bonded with the rare white dragon, one who was seen rarely and often was thought to bring good tidings and luck when she was spotted. tianyu helped them navigate their grief and soothed them as they tried and failed to help the twins mend their relationship.
they tried to be kind to the guard, perhaps not as kind and affectionate as tianyu was to baishe, but they took time to make them amulets, talismans and bespelled jewelry imbued with their own energy and prayers ... though zhōu hàoyǔ wouldn't speak to the fact that they had prayed as well... he normally only gave those gifts to his brothers and sister. for those of his court and those that sought him out, he would provide prayers but never energy. never his own magic. for zhèng jian, they received all three.
"we were not reprimanding you - we were acknowledging that even now - despite everything - you do your job nobly and ... with a bit of mother hen energy." they speak in plural tenses due to their deep connection with tianyu, she is he, and they are them. their tone is light and teasing, with soft and warm eyes. "tianyu shares with us that you are worried, and we know that you will continue to be at our side while we welcome our brethren. we are sorry that we have not been able to fly as freely as we have. we miss flying high to see the stars... that is what the amulet is for - for when we are able to be among the stars again."
they are treading too close to a conversation they don't wish to have, and they shift from one thought to another. "have you seen any them? we hope they are adapting well... there are a number of them, and we didn't want to use dragons to try and gather them together... though tianyu is curious." and zhōu hàoyǔ is accepting what is currently happening and planning for the futures that are still only maybes.
sarai shook her head at cereus. sarai was the furthest thing from a lady. sarai had been a bartender for the mother's sake. she had grown up in rags, her feet barefoot and covered in mud. and she was not cereus's lady . . . well . . . perhaps . . . she mentally shook herself keeping her mind on the conversation so she would not look more like a fool to the other. but she was happy when cereus ran to her, her heart rate racing faster as the other put her hand into their hand. she had to remind herself to keep breathing. she looked from their hand to cereus, a gently and soft smile on her lips. "sarai," she whispered softly. "please call me sarai. but yes i am alright. a-are you?" the other looked unharmed but sarai knew there was sometimes injuries one had that the eye could not see. sarai laughed, but shook her head. "we all need time to ourselves, even us." though sarai's mind was worried for sera.
the word choice cereus had used was purposeful. she served with love, the high lady sera... whom she would fondly call mistress and high lady... but sarai had more recently become my lady when cereus spoke of her and wished to gain her attention. within night, both sera and sarai had been outcasts upon their arrival, sarai knowing sera and serving her with dedication -- but having her own battles to fight among the ladies and lords of the night court who did not look kindly upon the dawn outsiders.
"my lady sarai," she said firmly, accepting sarai's wish to be called by name but refusing to diminish the standing that sarai deserved as the high lady's lady-in-waiting. "i am all right - i awoke indecently and had to cover with a curtain but i found a set of leathers that will do for now until i can find a dress to cover them." she gave an unladylike shrug. here without the eyes of the night and other courts upon her, she could be freer.
"i have been looking for weapons, as well as for our high lady - would you come along with me so we could find her?" she asked, not wanting to be away from the other lady-in-waiting, they would be better together than apart. sarai appeared to forgive her for not being around when they had been transported... and cereus was not as forgiving for herself. "had i been with you, we would have been together when we awoke. we may have already found our night mistress. even if the time away was a gift from the high lady and you were able to care for her completely and competently on your own --" she ran a hand through her hair. "it was a mistake. i didn't take my duties to you or our lady seriously enough, i've grown soft. i won't make that mistake again."

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There had been a time when nyx too had been unashamed of her own nudity, human trivialities they had been called, but a lifetime of physical pain amongst her scars made her shy about the reality of her skin. "preferably, both would be wonderful," she manages to laugh, the situation was dire but the way they had been shove into it had quite the hint of amusement, and it was better for her to cry than to become anger. where they stood, in that strange court of legends, she could not afford to be angry it was entirily better for them to underestimate her than to see her a threat. "i do not think many would complain either way, but i would much rather be clothed. i wills settle for anything but this curtain, but i would give away my riches for a fine pair of fighting leathers. there is a matching curtain to this, if you would like to settle for that." she laughs again, shacking her head at her own joke.
she laughed; she enjoyed nyx' company and found that she could lower her own strict standards that she kept herself to, as nyx would understand that she was still herself. "a dagger and clothes... i think we have found our first to-do," she said. "i will accept the curtain, we could tell those who live here that this is the fashion that we have established for ourselves and perhaps start our own trend." she walked to the room nyx had left, so she could tear down the curtain and drape it over her shoulders. "when you were sent on your rite, did you have your fighting leathers? my sisters left me a pair that was too small..." she tightened the knot she had tied. "they thought it was funny -- do you think someone is watching us and laughing?"
The hunter studied the Illyrian female, noting the leathery wings folded in, tight behind her. The vulnerability in her eyes and the honesty in her words struck a chord in Vesparia. "Food for your family?" Her voice held a blend of curiosity and subtle reassurance. "Gratitude is more valuable than you might think, especially in these parts." She allowed a small, genuine smile to curve her lips, hoping to ease the tension. "I can help with that. But tell me," she continued, her voice now tinged with genuine interest, "I've only seen Illyrians from afar." She'd seen them flying over the coasts of the mainland from when she'd visited their northernmost islands. And even so, these strange faes had been but flies in her spyglass. "What’s your name, and what is it like where you come from?" Vesparia’s intent was clear: she wanted to help, but she also wanted to learn, to understand this new presence in her kingdom. It was an opportunity to gain knowledge and perhaps forge an unexpected alliance.
"for my lady, and the high lady we serve," cereus elaborated before the other woman thought that she had a gaggle of children waiting for her. while she served the night court as a whole and remained loyal to them, it was to high lady seraphina that she had dedicated herself to and served alongside with the protective air of a momma bear after winter hibernation. yet there was one that she named before seraphina.
she considered the woman's words and then extended her wings so they could be seen at their fullest. cereus was proud of them, tended to them with love and reverence as they allowed her to take flight. "my name is cereus veneziana, i am a carynthian warrior from the war-band named thornridge... i left my camp to serve the night court, which is why i'm here before you now... if i tell you about my home and myself -- would you tell me what you're comfortable telling me about yourself and here?" she asked, as she folded her wings against her back again.
Her eyes narrow at the stranger, however she cannot help for her smile to remain at his words, if only he knew that she had the most wild of imaginations, if not he should ask her siblings who she had endlessly annoyed with her mind for years to no end. "something tells me that if you are indeed a part of my imagination, the simplicity ends in the physicals aspect, you might be as a wild card as i am."
she does however take a few steps closer to him allowing him to close the distance between them, his logic was not entirily wrong, "go on then, are we real?" but without warning she reaches over and pinches him instead. "well, did that hurt?"
"'m not! i'm an open book! like an open blank book that's waiting to be written in - or a book of cooking recipes where people doodle in the margins and then be like don't add butter, ethel, add oil and then there's another note underneath that's like aster, you old fool, you don't add oil - you add butter because --"
she pinches him, and he yelps, his rambling cut short before he could reveal ethel's secret. "so, you're real ... because that hurt -- and i'm real because you hurt me - so we're both real..." he looks around and frowns. "so this is real too then, huh? all right ... could be worse. imagine if we ended up on a cliff and the only way down was to jump in the ocean full of hungry sharks. so .. no sharks. no cliffs... all the reality that we need -- bet we could figure more out if we could get someone from here drunk."
☆゚*·゚THROUGHOUT ALL OF this stress and panic, aoife needed a moment of relief, a moment of calm and quiet. and her first instinct was to find someone that could give her that. from across the way, she spotted soro and instantly, she had a plan. if she was going to get through the stress in her head, she needed moments of fun. and soro could give her that. so, the high lady, who'd never told soro she was a high lady, literally bolted across the hallway and tackled him. wrapping her arms around his neck tightly, she held on, just hugging him. she needed it. pulling away, she flashed a bright smile. "hear me out. sleepover. pillows and blankets and we get some food from the kitchens and find the coziest place here."
@merxxki
soro knew that he was either very good at his job or he was failing miserably. he had no air of mystery around him, just an aura of playfulness and gaiety. he had befriended aoife by accident and realized quickly that there were things that he shouldn't know about her - if he wanted to keep their friendship as it was, he wasn't going to pry. he was going to purposefully keep himself stupid and blind. she greeted him with such affection; he swung his lute so it's behind him so he can wrap his arms around her and sweep her into a hug, spinning her in a circle. "so many pillows - and we can test out all of the things that look sweet." though even as he said that, he felt his stomach roll in discomfort. he couldn't easily eat what he didn't see being made or from people he didn't trust. still, he couldn't let aoife see that. "c'mon, let's tackle the food first and try to find the best room with the best view."
for: ki mi-cha | @unfaed
character: soro ven location: anywhere within dusk that makes sense
dusk gave him a renewed sense of adventure. he had grown up in a port city, and he had missed the sound of the water and gulls - sounds he had heard when he awoke on the beach. his job for autumn had been to find out secrets and stories, and he did so with a zest that came with someone who found their calling. of course, occasionally, the story had to end prematurely, as it wasn't the sort of story that should be told -- a press of a dagger was a surefire way to ensure a natural end with no chance for an epilogue or sequel.
soro's cheerful disposition and bright nature oft hid the darkness that lurked behind the mask he had crafted for himself. better to fit in and be overlooked than to shine and be seen. there was one though that had seen him - truly seen him.
as he walked down the street, he strummed the lute, singing a rendition of dark-eyed prince - a song that used to get him in trouble when he first learned it, but now that he was in dusk -- what trouble could he get into? they surely didn't have dark-eyed princes. he saw her ahead of him and he grinned, in the lull of the song, he called out to her while he played -- "pretty lady~! so you got caught up in the magic, huh?" he asked, "a vacation from the mess? well earned, amirite?"

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𝐈t was a dreamless slumber, the kind most laborers wished for and caelia abhorred. her shoulder ached, something hard digging into the soft flesh beneath the fabric of her dress. a rock, she realized, as the chirp of evening birds came into focus. perhaps it was her fault for making a habit of venturing about gaea so late into the night. except, the river that so reminded her of home was missing, and the air felt… heavy, charred. she remembered then the events of the evening. her father’s leather-bound book, a favorite of the late high lord, clutched in deft hands. she had slowly moved about her chambers as she leafed through its pages, an outpouring of resentment having prevented her from doing so sooner. a chapter on the seasonal courts, no more thorough a telling than other historical recitations, followed by the whoosh of something floating to the floor. the seal of the high lord glared up at her, pressed firmly to an aged envelope. reeling, she had stolen into the night to read her father’s words…
the scratch of paper tucked against her bosom returned her to the present. she needed to speak with julian, urgently. but first.
agitated, piercing green eyes snapped open to meet her assailant. ❛ touch me again and you’ll have a lost hand to match, ❜ she snapped, pushing up onto her elbows. not quite lady-like behavior but, well, she's having a rough day. ❛ where are we? ❜
"hence the use of the pole," he said with an air of exasperation. no one respected the use of a pole when it came to traversing the wilds, no - they'd rather go with swords bared and feet boldly going into the nearest trap. "if you were dead, you wouldn't have felt it. if you awoke, which you are - then you're welcome. imagine had i shook you awake, you could be armed." he tapped his eyepatch with one finger. "i have learned from my mistakes."
in truth, despite having been a ranger for the court of spring, taking to the wilds as little better than an outlander, preferring the company of only himself than the politics of the court, he did not want to be alone in this strange landscape. the threats of spring and the capital were commonplace, he could understand them and knew how to avoid them (or seek them out). here -- he could only hope that the utilization of the pole is helpful.
he doesn't offer her hand to help her up. he does not reach for others. only for narcissa will he give the occasional kiss to the crown of her head and if he touches anyone it's with a feeling of disgust that he can feel to his bones. "we are not in summer, spring, fall or winter - nor do i think that we are in day, dawn or night -- that leaves us one very good guess... and a host of other questions. Can you walk or do you need me to fetch someone and send them back for you?"
now that he knows she isn't dead ... he isn't going to carry her.
☆゚*·゚WHEN ELIAS OPENED his eyes, he was laying flat down in a puddle, completely drenched with a frog sitting on his chest. every instinct in him wanted to scream, but the frog seemed to like him quite a bit. for a moment, he just stared at him, wondering how this frog felt about all of a sudden, randomly being on top of the general's chest. lifting his hands out of the water, elias picked the frog up and held him in his hands, because let's face it now, they were buddies. glancing around, he searched for vaati. they'd been in the middle of an adventure, out looking for these damn creatures when the entire world shifted. "hello? vaati? where'd you end up?" elias stood up, walking out of the pond, dripping wet. "what the hell happened?!"
vaati woke up in a tree ... stomach splayed over a branch with his head hanging down, long platinum white hair tangling in a bush below him. he felt that his eye patch had shifted before he even opened his eyes. due to his position, he had a throbbing headache, and could not easily free himself gracefully, so he pulled himself forward and let himself fall, hitting the ground with a pained oof. "tree," he gasped out, as he looked skyward, taking in the twilight sky. he felt his face, the eye patch had fallen onto the ground. he covered his bad eye with one hand. "i think we tracked too well and got ourselves caught up in a mess," he said, wrenching his hair free from the bush that it had been tangled in. "help me find my eyepatch, would you?"
“ as is my skill. ” prior to his position on his brother’s inner circle, luka was a hellion. getting another pregnant wouldn’t have been a surprise then, and yet, he had not. now the spring lord tended to be a bit more behaved, but for all his precautions, the mother wished to gift him with a child none the less. were he more subdued, a more obedient brother, he might not mind wedding isuel and raising their child, but luka didn’t want to. his desires seemed the least of anyone’s concerns, and yet, he was still trying to figure out a solution, to figure out something. “ my child will not be a pawn. ” he nearly growls, and then takes a deep breath to stop himself from letting his anger flare. he’s never been the best at managing his emotions around his family, they saw too much. a heavy sigh is next to follow, the string of his younger brother’s thoughts ones he decides to write off as not the course of action.
vaati’s continuing only manages to stress luka out more, and his grip slips another hair. he’s trying his best not to stress, but all the things his brother says only pull more of his emotions out. it’s not a good recipe. “ please stop speaking of her life being shortened, brother, i beg of you. ” he finally manages. he’s already concerned as to how her brother feels of it, knowing little of the autumn high lord. and then he finally looks up, spotting his brother’s gaze and groaning for it. he doesn’t even speak, just stops replying.
but then vaati continues, and the questions.. they aren’t ones he has an answer to. he and isuel were getting along fine, he worried for her and their child, and he didn’t wish for anything bad to happen. he also didn’t wish to force her into living in spring, or wedding him. what were his emotions towards the lady ? “ i don’t know how i feel about her. ” he finally admits. “ i’m wound up because you wanted me to be. ” accuses he, even if he knows that he was easy to bait right now.
he shakes his head when vaati mentions the child in spring, terrified that the court could darken the child as it had all of them. narcissa may seem bright, but even she had her demons. he wanted his child to live a life differently than they all had. but then a demand that causes his head to snap towards his brother once more. “ yes, vaati, we are protecting the mother ! ” luka doesn’t mean for his voice to raise, but the pressure he feels is just too much. his stress isn’t meant for his younger brother, but the questions and thoughts only made his mind louder.
"of course, you've always had luck with your romantic partners. how you haven't found yourself in this position before has been a matter of luck or the use of a clever tea. i had thought that you were infertile -- it bodes well for our family line that you aren't." he knows that he shouldn't tease luka, but in this situation, he feels as though there are too many chances that he can't pass up. luka has gotten himself into this position, and vaati is waiting to hear what is expected of him, as vaati places little value in the lives of others unless he's told to. if people could hear the secret thoughts of others -- the value of life would be worse than that of a penny in the hands of goldsmith ...
he shakes his head. "your child will be a pawn. autumn court. spring court. another court -- your child will be used as a piece to be moved about, if not by you or your lady - then by your family - or by a high priestess. that child will be used - and it is up to you and the mother to determine how you can protect the child - since that is what it seems like you are determined to do. it's a noble effort, if all parents had the same love for their unborn, we may never have another war." the languid grace that he rises from the chair speaks to a stalking predator instead of the silent owl that he can shift into. his one-eyed gaze locks hard to his brother's face, as he nears him.
"i'm asking you the questions you've been asking yourself. the questions she's asked. emilios has asked. if you wanted comfort, you go to narcissa. if you want your lord's command, you go to emilios. i'm the one you come to when you are waiting to hear something you already know and haven't voiced out loud. you love her. you don't love her. you could love her. you may never love her. the child will be born regardless of love, and it will connect you to her for the rest of your life."
his brother snaps at him, and vaati then reaches for him. vaati rarely touches his siblings -- he rarely touches anyone. there are whispers that he has never enjoyed the intimate touch of another, that he has spurned the affection that can come from another's body. yet here and now, luka gives him the only answer that vaati needed, and vaati's hand came to rest on the back of luka's neck as he rested his forehead against his brother's. "all right, luka --" he says finally. "we will protect the mother and the child. spring court or autumn, it makes no difference to me. you say the child will be born, you say the child is family and by extension - so is the mother - we will do better for the child, yes? i will ... grow used to this lady of yours. even if she remains a friend of yours when all is said and done. -- be at ease for now, celebrate the life you have created, accidentally or not - the mother has blessed you for a reason. she must see something in you that you do not."
he lets his brother go; he can't tolerate contact for much longer. while his abilities are gone, the habits that he's formed around them are too much for him to keep at bay for too long. he turns from his brother to go to the wash bin and wash his hands. "i apologize," he says over his shoulder to him. he means for touching him, but it could be taken as an apology for pushing him so far. "lady iseul ashway, you say? well then... you couldn't have done better -- and you've done far worse."
.
His words warm her more than any cloak can, it was rare for the acheson siblings to expressed their feelings openly, a trait they had picked up from their father. but they showed up when it mattered, no acheson left behind, it had always been a rule they followed without needed to speak of it. she relishes in the warmth the cloak brings her glad to be covered once more. although the warm kiss of the dusk sun had been nice on her skin. "and luka? have you seen our brother too?" he spoke of emilios, which meant he was accounted for, but she needed to know luka too was well. "i can walk," her body shakes one more from the violence of her caught, "no amount of rushing will prevent me from being bed ridden once i get there brother, no difference shall any small or long time make." she says with sadness, yet there is small smile on her face as she is resigned to her faith with that weak body of hers.
"i have seen emilios, i have not yet found our wandering second nor his lady." because now that vaati knows that the protection he grants to his family is to be extended to lady iseul and the child she carries, the woman is now included in his search -- how many pregnant high fae could there be ? by the mother, he hopes not many. "you were the one emilios and i needed to find first. luka can take care of himself until we can lay eyes on him -- and we will find him."
his one-eyed gaze darkens as she coughs. he wraps an arm around her shoulder, so they may walk together towards the first place that appears to be warm and inviting enough to take in the chilled sister of spring. his idea of sleeping outside and taking care of what he needs to there is not to be borne, as he has narcissa to tend to. "i can find a healer for you. the quicker your recovery, the easier it will be for you. you know emilios and luka will worry if you become sick outside of our home --" as if they wouldn't if she were still in their home within spring.
"you will recover, nissa - even if i have to go to the strangers here and get a healer who is used to the herbs and plants that grow here." he doesn't use such a childish nickname normally - nissa had been the name he had called her when was a small child and running to her - barely his senior - to grab onto her instead of his mother. "do you see the lights ahead? we'll go there and ask for respite."
thankfully reila had found a dress in the room she’d awoken, and forced preston to assist her in putting it on. otherwise, the lady wouldn’t be caught dead outside of the space. she refused to walk in her nightgown. she still desired to find her siblings, but would be remiss if she passed a chance to speak to the younger spring lord. his greeting pushes a slight chuckle from her lips, and she wonders if this will be the only way they run into one another. it wasn’t so bad, she enjoyed gardens. that which was found in dusk was a stark difference to those in spring, but she wasn’t hating it. “ it might have been mentioned a time or two. ” admits she. normally her interactions were by design, but this was entirely by chance. “ my question aligns less with what you are doing, and where you plan on making your mixtures. i’ve yet to understand any of this town or palace. ” she agrees, there was no telling if these people were their friends or not.
the first time could be coincidence and the second time luck - he isn't sure what the mother's goal is if he has a conversation with reila for a third time in a garden. normally, he does engage with anyone outside of his immediate family unless it is about selling the weapons he's crafted or the potions he's made. to talk to reila takes an effort he's not used to, as he has to mind how he speaks. his brisk frankness could be taken as rude, and he has to remember that while he may be the third son and fourth child, he is still an acheson.
vaati changes his position so he's able to see her properly, despite leaving his blind side open to an attack, he prefers to be able to see the people that he's talking to. "honestly, i had thought about being a bully and telling someone that i was going to use their home for my needs -- and then i thought about how it would look for my siblings who will need the grace and goodwill of others, so I'm going to barter. many of what i'm going to make requires nothing more than a pot, fire, something to stir it with and vials. i can get those -- it wouldn't be the first time i've slept by a fire in the outdoors."
and yet -- he has to wonder how she was going to take care of herself in this place. "and you? have you found lodgings and more importantly - your family?" he knows that none of the fae from the courts proper should be without their own kin and kind. (vaati expressing moderate concern for someone outside his family...? they had to be in dire times...)

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☆゚*·゚THIS GAME THAT the two of them played was a chance for damon to feel like he was being useful. there were things he could do, people he could save, but all that required was certain information and the right person. zarek was always the right person. and this game, it always put him in a good mood. it allowed him to investigate, learn locations, and solve puzzles that would lead him to an undisclosed location. when he opened the book on weather, one of the few that was always a hint that zarek had information. sliding the bookmark out of the pages, damon analyzed it, tilting his head to the side, mumbling to himself. anyone else might think he was a little nuts, unless they knew that that was just how damon was when he processed through his thoughts. pulling out a piece of paper, he scratched down ideas, flushing his thoughts out about where this place could be. when he had a few inklings, he set off on the adventure.
as he stood outside, he held the bookmark out, watching as the swirling designs moved through his head. it took a moment until he realized that they guided him along the path of the cobblestone rocks. he stopped at an inn, the kind that felt comforting just by looking at it. walking inside, damon couldn't help but chuckle as eyes drew to him when he pushed the doors a little too hard. the bookmark itself had levels, indicating that it wasn't the end. as he continued following it, damon was more than interested in what zarek might have this time. his information was always helpful and damon needed something. he was losing it a little, not having any new information to play with, to use, to help improve the world and all its courts. knocking on the door, he pushed it open, leaning against the door frame. damon wasn't sure what their relationship was, but it was something he needed. nodding, he shut the door, and sat down, getting comfy in the chair. "not going to lie, really interested in what you've got tonight. that clue was pretty good. sent me on a beautiful walk, thank you."
zarek enjoyed damon's company and in his own way, he sought it out by having the spymaster come seek him out. the game that he used to play to see if damon could find him had turned into a game where he knew that damon would solve his little puzzle, and they would spend an enjoyable night with a bottle of wine and discussed their business over a game of chess or go. zarek hadn't allowed himself to have many friends since he left the winter court and made his way to the capital. the death of his mother and the inability of the soldiers she had trained and served besides to save her had soured him to any thought of finding brethren or kindred souls. for a time, he had been driven to destroy the winter court - all the courts. he wanted to tear apart each and every institution that profited off of the subjection of others - as he found the idea of high rulers to be repulsive.
he still did as a matter of fact, but the distance that his age gave, as well as his life within the capital that he built for himself and others meant that the desire had been tempered and worn away. he had grown used to the ache of grief - grown around it so he could trap its sharp edges and wear them down with time.
"i thought it would be interesting to see if the change in scenery would impact your ability to find me," he said, as he held up a bottle of wine that he had procured for the two of them -- and even found a game of go. "i'm glad to hear that you enjoyed your walk and still found me at the end of it. i'm flattered."
damon had an earnestness that zarek thought he would lose with age and time -- but he hadn't. he continued to have a desire to learn and engage with others... zarek could understand how people would find him a trusting presence and be willing to share with him their intimate details and things they had thought they'd keep to themselves."how have you found our new surroundings --? have you found your cemeteries and any monsters of twilight?"
“what do you think of all this?” having found immediate respite in the secondary library, where a myriad of novels spanned the shelves, tyanna had surrendered to picking one out and instead flopped in the chair. she had her duties at the back of her mind, and her need for exploration at the forefront. “i … well, there's so much to see. i want to know how long this place has been here!” it could be some untapped historian within her, or the insatiable curiosity ( similar to the hunger. ) “and what's flying in the sky? could it really be dragons?” immediate flushing, because she felt, in one fell swoop, that she was both showing her recklessness and her age. she was often reminded of how many years she had not yet lived. ( to think, there could have been many more by this time … ) “never mind. i don't mean to interrupt you with my random thinking.” / @merxxki . ( muse lottery, pick of ur choosing! )
"i think it's a strange way to spend my time, and i haven't yet figured out the reason why i've been pulled into this mess, but as it isn't every person in the capital ..." he shrugged. "it is a strange thing, and not to mention the dragons which are the most obvious difference... this isn't home, not for any of us." he's lost the home field advantage that he spent so long cultivating. he had lived a comfortable life in the capital, not needing to worry about the high lords, ladies and lieges -- nor of what policies they were trying to enforce while they bickered and fought for power. now, in this place of perpetual twilight, he finds himself interested in the affairs of those in power because they have nothing and he wonders who will flounder and who will rise.
he chuckles when she apologizes. he finds her youthful energy refreshing and reminds him of the birds in the capital and the songs they'd bring him. "they do appear to be dragons; they have all the markings of the beasts our mothers used to tell us about -- though, none of them have stolen a damsel and locked her in a tower." a pause, his adopted mother enjoyed telling stories about damsels-in-distress. his mother told him of damsels befriending the dragons. "please - feel free to keep to keep speaking. you may find your train of thought and figure something out that you wouldn't have if you kept your thoughts to yourself."