please don't be in love with someone else

❧︵┈𝖐𝖍𝖆𝖉𝖎𝖏𝖆 𝖋𝖆𝖗𝖔𝖚𝖐┈︵❧

“are you not the sultan of my generation?” she asked, all softness and gentle admiration. she had a lifetimes worth of practice at acting. emoting shyness, empathy, loyalty and even wonder. this was no different than the nights she had spent soothing her fathers broken ego, cutting herself on the jagged edges of his failures that he tried to make her own. “your mother i hear has led agrabah admirably. but for me. for our generation, you are the sultan that will lead us. i am honored.” 

such softness was in her eyes as she beamed at him. carefully arranging her cards, deciding his fate. if he was going to be cautious of her, destruction would be mandatory. but there was still time yet to weave her magic. to captivate him with full fluttering lashes and ruby lips.

at his request she internally sneered. as if she would sully her own name and reputation with unnecessary rudeness. she had rubbed elbows with the princess. had flirted with nobles and played coy with men and women alike since she had arrived at court, playing the game admirably well despite her burning hatred. “as my sultan requests,” she acknowledged, inclining her head before settling back into her seat. 

“apologies,” she offered willing a blush to her cheeks as she peeked back towards his face, internally smirking at her own ridiculous actions. “i am khadija farouk, it is an honor to meet you sehzade nidal.” with this, she played shy, tucking slender fingers in her lap nervously as she adverted her gaze from him. “our families…do not have the best history.” she offered, tone reserved as she looked ahead towards the stage. 

“my father was a fool,” and the contempt in her tone was genuine, she never could stand jafar and all of his endless whining. his own pride his downfall. “he craved power and in his quest forgot the thing that was most important. agrabah. i apologize for the mess he created. i truly hope your family has recovered well despite his treachery.” 

☥ 

“No. I suppose our families don’t.” If one did not know their history, they were doomed to repeat it. That was why, despite how inappropriate it had been for a child to learn about their history, his parents had shared it with him. Nidal had grown up to be many things, but foolish hadn’t been one of them. He had been taught the past and had been taught how to avoid falling into the treachery of the past. Though, as he offered her a polite nod and still offered her a friendly ear, it was hard to argue that a bit of his mother’s naivety hadn’t slipped into him none the less. “Please, don’t concern yourself with such things. Agrabah would be nothing if we did not embrace some form of forgiveness.”

That was his father speaking. Born without much, his charm and his heart had been what he fell back on. While few would blame him if he had turned towards a colder outlook on the world, Nidal’s father had always remained kind and understanding. It was his soft heart that balanced out his mother’s sterner nature, coming from palace life with the understanding that someday, she would rule.

“My family is doing fine. You shouldn’t worry about such things. What is in the past is the past. From here, we can move on, on similar grounds.” She was here, so surely someone had decided that she deserved some redemption. Who was he to disagree without just cause? “Are you enjoying yourself? Amongst the festivities?”

when: may 27th, second day of coronan lantern festival who: zephyra filo and daron andino @onceuponatimcx​

if someone were to ask, there were many other things she would rather be doing. so many in fact that she could probably create a list. one of the types that a person could flick their wrist and it would roll out like a parchment. cascading like a river across the floor. working on her penmanship for said parchment would more interesting than the day she had been having. or, in truth, watching paint dry. no, no, watching two small beetles pushing at each other to see who would fall of the edge of a book. that would be more entertaining. as if on cue, a butterfly perched in her mess of curls that were twisted in a barely there excuse of a braid. she knew that there were shining beetles weaved through the curls. such was life. nothing to be done.

huffing loudly, zephyra did little to make nice as she moved about the area. a cold treat in her calloused fingers as her hooves clopped softly against the cobble stone. it wasn’t as if it was some major ball or social event. that meant she didn’t have to follow with the agreement she made with her father. no annoying balls were equal to no legs to be hidden. no auradon approved clothing required. what she wore in the moment did well with the heat and the sun. something more akin to home. light fabric draped just right. covering all of the bits that would make humans faint. 

a man could be shirtless and fawned over, but should a women try… dear gods. it made her want to roll her eyes harder than usual, which of course was saying something. after all, zeph happed to love the female form. butterflies and a few bees followed her as she walked on the outskirts of the crowd. her eyes keeping a look out for a very specific person. thankfully, the person was one of the few people she enjoyed the presence of. he happened to be a bit tall and built like a pillar of the parthenon. it worked rather well for her.

almost as if her thoughts had summoned him, she caught sight of daron across the way. a softer type of smile twisted her lips. one that only a childhood friendship could supply. they had been friends since he had been born and she had popped  she popped out of a tree trunk after a nymph hugged it for too long. in truth, despite her love for science and mechanics… she wouldn’t put it past the gods to allow such a thing. “daron!” was what she offered as greeting, ignoring the aghast looks she received for making a commotion. 

“it feels as if i have been looking for you everywhere,” she continued in something akin to admonishment when she moved to stand next to him. “have you been busying yourself with your.. fans?” she questioned, the teasing so clear in her tone one couldn’t tell if it it was lemon or honey. while zeph did not happen to enjoy those of his body type, she understood others did. daron would be a fine specimen. “or did you get lost?” 

❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖

✧ 

A soft pink dusted across his cheeks at the mention of ‘fans’ as his friend had called them. He’d never been the type to demand attention from anyone, but there had also always been a part of him that felt guilt if he turned away a pretty girl. Thus, Daron was sure to give them all his attention, if they so desired. Eyes on him as he approached Zephyra, the blush on his cheeks darkened.

There were always people curious as to what it was about the girl that pulled Daron in, but he had never been able to really explain it. For as long as he could remember, he had loved her. It wasn’t a romantic love, but rather just the love of someone important to him – the type that was far less fickle than romance. It was the type of love that made him feel as though Zeph was part of his own heart. But people didn’t know how to interpret that, so they looked on at them and questioned. How he was tired of the questions. Not that any of them would deter his friendship with the girl, but things did get loathsome after a while, even to someone as good natured as himself.

“I apologize. I promise that I wasn’t hiding from you. I’m not even sure where I would hide.” He wasn’t a giant by any means, but as he had grown in his youth, Daron had found that his growing body made it more and more difficult to squeeze into smaller spaces, making hide and seek a real bitch to engage in come his pubescent years. “But, now you have found me and I am but your humble servant. Why were you searching for me?”

❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖

“oh, if only i could provide, darling,” slipped from his lips with ease as he breathed in the room for what it was. an area lacking the scent of stale alcohol and numerous patrons. yet another thing he could add to the least to kill for. it did not occur to him that the scent he was enjoying the most had more to with a singular focus rather than the lack of others. solitude or in the very least, company that didn’t make him wish there was a cliff nearby. still, with dex’s words he found himself sighing. of course, there was nothing other than a world filled with everything he held in deep disdain. if only they set fire to various homes, indeed.

letting out another sigh, he shook his head, mostly to himself before he tore his mind away from his inner despairing monologue. there would always be time for it later. if anything, it could be used to stoke the fire of hatred damien had been tending to since childhood. “i seem to remember, as a wee one, i believed this side of the looking glass would be a little more interesting than it has been.” he spoke conversationally while looking towards the other. “clearly, young me was a fool.” was easy to admit without much thought. most children were fools. despite vows and convictions, he held on to since then, he too, was a fool.

“thankfully, we still have the joy of the ball to come,” there was nothing but a dry humor clinging to his words. damien didn’t truly hold hope for any of it. he had done the groundwork he needed to begin to assuage suspicion towards himself. had already found enough kindling to feed his inner fire for years. what more could a ball give. “have you procured a partner for the evening?”

❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖

✧   

The ball. Those words were like a wash of cold water over him, though he didn’t expect Damien to really understand the horror of the words. How could he? Dextral’s social affairs were something that he held very close and he prided himself on keeping everyone personal about him very close to chest. For Damien to know how much the idea of dancing around with some girl in view of everyone possible bothered him, Dex would have actually had to let the boy in – something that hadn’t happened in a very long time. Still, the dark-haired boy did his best now to let it reflect on his face how much the idea of such a frivolous dance bothered him. Instead, he did his best to stand up tall and address his companion as if not a thing in the world bothered him.

“No, I’m afraid that I haven’t found someone for the evening. Though, I imagine that won’t be true forever.” He supposed, if worst came to it, he could always invite Damien’s sister to dance with him. She had seemed eager to chat with him before – though he figured that was less about him and more from the fact that the girl seemed to easily cling onto anyone that crossed her path. Surely, she wouldn’t turn down an invitation, provided that he extended it with some semblance of sincerity – however much it was faked. That would quell the demand that he actually participates in such outlandish festivities, at least for a bit.

“And yourself? Surely, you’ve found someone eager to be on your arm.” His eyes darted down to the limb in question and Dex wanted to kick himself for his racing thoughts. It was such a lovely arm, of course someone would cling onto it. Though, he imagined it would be someone from Auradon, a foolish girl drawn to Damien’s darker features, sure that he could be fixed with just a bit of love. How foolish they would be indeed. “Can you dance?” It was a passive question, though Dex waited for an answer.

His mother had always made sure that he knew what he was doing when it came to the more proper affairs, but he had never been certain others shared the same skills. “If not, you should probably learn. Quickly. It would be a shame to hear some vapid attendee commenting on your lack of dance skills.”

when: may 29th, 4th night of the lantern festival who: dextral tremaine && damien gothel @onceuponatimcx​

the festival was only meant to be a few days, but it seemed to drag on in such a manner that nearly caused a headache. it was all manners and careful direction. reconnaissance and putting together a full picture. corona was the exact reason he had left the shadow realm in the first placed. that elder sister of his that seemed to live in her glittering bubble. all of his purpose in that moment, was for her. to make her suffer. make sure the world understood her lies. with all of that said, it didn’t mean he didn’t need a little respite. a little enjoyment.

not that he could call his day something of that sort. first boat races that were boring enough, which then became something else entirely afterward. if he had to see one more thing that proclaimed something about a poor princess and that damned sun drop flower, he may have to kill someone.  it certainly wasn’t going to be himself.

it happened to be those moments that reminded him that it didn’t matter his drive or single goal focus. even he needed time to relax. it certainly wasn’t going to be relaxing into a mug of ale or any other form of libation. instead, damien knew what he was craving. a like mind. a like mind that he didn’t have to deal with having the idea of magic over shadowing it all. it wasn’t as if the children of those with magic had shared things with him or seemed to be doing things as they wished, but he left nothing to chance. he simply assumed it was something to plan for.

with all of that being said, there were really on a few people he could stand to have a real conversation. something that wasn’t carefully curated or a complete lie. that is what found him looking for dextral. it had been a habit over the years. it took time for him to notice that they seemed to have a simple understanding whenever they had interacted. damien wasn’t one to say anything about friends, but if he had to have one, he would put the other shadow born as the closest.

“dextral,” he offered in greeting as he moved into the room, decorum be damned on waiting to be asked to sit. “please, tell me you have found something more intriguing through out this day that had nothing to do with boat races or a little lost princess and a flower?” he was not trying to hide any of his disdain. “it’s liable to drive someone to murder.”

✧

People bothered him – more so when they flitted around going on and on about things that sounded like absolute nonsense. Why was it that some princess could aspire to greatness, residing in castles and having communities of people eager to please them at every turn, and somehow that was acceptable? Yet, when someone like his mother aspired to the same lifestyle, it had been looked down upon and she had been treated like a monster for wanting this life. The life that stupid princesses and cocky princes now reveled in. Dextral was simmering in his hostile thoughts until a voice broke him out of it.

A slight look of distain crossed his face until he truly focused on who it was that was addressing him. While there wasn’t necessarily any love shared with the other male, Dextral had never been insistent on sending Damien away either. He enjoyed the other male’s company when the times came and didn’t fret over it when Damien wasn’t around. It wasn’t much of a friendship, but Dex had never been one to wallow over the idea of not having friends. Minions and sidekicks were more of a necessity – friends were a liability.

Still, his gaze softened as he gave Damien a quick look over. He could disregard company as he wanted, but he was hardly blind. If Damien Gothel was going to insist on addressing him, well Dextral had never been the quiet type. This should be expected of him to take a quick look in appreciation before devoting his attention.

At Damien’s words, Dex couldn’t help but chuckle. This entire visit had to be churning at the other more than it was Dex. After all, it wasn’t his family who lived in the castle and had the entire fucking town celebrating their stupid birthday. No – it was Damien’s. “Please don’t tease me in such ways. If you go about declaring the yearning for murder, I’m going to start to expect it.” There was a hint of mischief in the boy’s eyes as his gaze met Damien’s. “Don’t go offering good times that you can’t follow through on.”

Not that any of them could. With how strict a leash it felt like they were on at times, it was a wonder they could get away with anything at all. Though, Dex had started to wander lately if it was only his leash that was exceptionally short. For good cause, of course, but it didn’t make him any less angry at the idea. “You know it is the misfortune of my day when I have to deliver you unappealing news, but I am afraid I have heard nothing but talk about celebrating the story of the lost princess and those stupid lanterns. Would serve them right if one of them managed to burn the houses to the ground – don’t you think? Perhaps that should have been my wish.”

◤─────•~❉᯽❉~•─────◥

“What do you want to do then?” Cosette asked with a raised brow. She walked up closer to him and stared out at what he was looking at. “Be upset? Go back to the Shadow Realm? I’d rather die than go back there.”

And she wouldn’t. Not ever. She would find herself a husband, a wife: anyone that would get her out of there forever. If she married one of them there was not chance that people could possibly send her away even if the decree was overturned. It wouldn’t be fair.

That’s what she was counting on anyway.

“Come now, won’t you come enjoy it with me? It might do you some good to go about and have some fun, or be seen with a lady of any kind. Are you at least going to wish at the lantern festival?”

Maybe she was too young, too naive, too frivolous to be a villain’s daughter. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he called her that. But she was only eighteen and there was so much of the world she wanted to see, to uncover, to be part of. Even if this was a celebration for Rapunzel, well, where was the harm in enjoying herself even just a little bit?

✧

“I have no interest in being seen with a lady of any manner.” Dex practically growled out the words. People could think of him what they wanted, but he would not pretend to be something specifically so that Auradon wouldn’t feel uncomfortable. This was especially the case seeing as he had met plenty of people in his time that had done such things. They had agreed to something secret in an effort to appear like society expected them to appear and it had never really worked out. Now, here in Auradon, while he wasn’t going to be going about flaunting his sexuality, Dex wasn’t interested in hiding it away in some closet either. He had no interest in playing the part, pretending to be something he wasn’t.

At mention of the lantern festival, Dex sneered. Who honestly enjoyed such a thing anyways? People that lived here, that’s who. Of course, they would all flock out in the masses, writing their stupid wishes down on stupid lanterns and letting them loose as if that would somehow make their wish a little closer to coming true. Pathetic if you asked him, not that anyone really bothered to do so.  

“No. I don’t need to wish for anything. If I want something to happen, then I’m well aware that I need to put in the effort to make it happen. Writing it on some paper lantern that gets sent up to the sky isn’t going to make it any more likely to happen.” He was being rude, Dex knew this. He just couldn’t bring himself to care. She had approached him, knowing how he was as a person. It wasn’t as if anyone back in the Shadow Realm was unaware of how he was as a person. Still, his expression softened ever so much at the thought that perhaps he was being too harsh. He would need to relax, perhaps focus on something other than himself. Yes, that could work. Dex gestured towards the girl then.

“And you? Do you plan to make a wish?”

╔═══*.·:·.☽✧    ✦    ✧☾.·:·.*═══╗

It was nice to have someone like Axel who understood her. Lark was her world, her dearest brother, her closest confidant, but lately there was distance there. And perhaps there always would be now that he was married. She had spent his entire honeymoon thinking about what may come. She didn’t want to trouble him with her worries, her woes, her anxieties, not when he had so much on his plate to begin with.

But there was Axel, who was so kind and understanding of her. She cherished this friendship they had cultivated. He was a mentor to her and for that she appreciated him immensely. 

“You know they’ll never be a prince,” she said with a little laugh. “Or a princess, I fear. I would love to see a young woman come by and sweep me off my feet, but I would fall right off the horse they tried to put me on and make a fool of myself. As I so often do.”

It was easy to get down on herself. Perhaps too easy. The simplest thing was to laugh about it all but beneath that laughter was plenty of pain: the same little girl who had been so afraid to speak.

“Nobility you don’t trust? Could you perhaps be speaking of the eldest Charming brother?” Lyra hummed. “Oh goodness there I go again. Really if someone heard me they would kick me out of the social season and call me a spinster at twenty years old!”

❅

“Perhaps I am, but if you tell anyone I said such things, I will deny them and say that you thought of them all on your own.” A wicked grin came to his face then – knowing he would never do such a thing. While he wasn’t lacking in a sister of his own, Lyra always felt like something of a bonus sister. He hadn’t been looking for such a relationship – he got enough of it through his own family – but once she was there, it would have been cruel to send her away.

“Come now, don’t say such things. You aren’t going to be a spinster.” Though, Axel supposed he couldn’t truly promise that. Not everyone found a match through the seasons and after so long, well, people started to give up hope on you. Lyra was young, though. She still had plenty of seasons to find someone, even if the idea of her running off with some princess didn’t delight everyone. Through his own raising, it hadn’t been something Axel gave two thoughts about and thus, Lyra running off with a princess felt as normal as any other pairing in the mix.

His eyes softened a bit as he reached out, letting his hand graze against her arm. “Has there been anyone that you’ve seen who you find interesting?” The entire thing was nothing short of a dance mixed with jumping through hoops to show why you were the best choice for a match, but all of that had to start with a look, right? So, Axel figured, if Lyra had at least found someone appealing to her eyes, well they could figure out a way to make the rest fall into place.

he went so long without a response she had assumed herself in the clear, not missing the way he had seemed to jump under her grasp and she wondered if it was because of her, and if she should apologize again for startling him when she hadn’t meant to. her lips parted to speak again when he beat her to it, his hands removing her grasp causing her to sucked in a breath instead, unsure if she was insulted, embarrassed of simply upset. she settled on indignant, her own question answered. not one of the kind ones, then. 

“my apologies, sir.” and she stressed the word like it might remind him of his manners, if nothing else. surely something as silly as grabbing his forearm couldn’t truly warrant such venom? her own frustration was getting the best of her as she tucked her arm around her middle, the satin of her gloves ghosting over the smooth silk of her gown as she looked pointedly at her knees. 

“not that i owe you an explanation, but i was with my friends. i was separated in the crowds quite on accident.” but she was sure she didn’t hold enough meanness in her entire body to truly bother this man. no worries. it would all be over soon and she could find emma and forget this portion of the evening ever happened at all. 

“the only thing compromising about my situation, sir, is that i seem to have found the only man among our party who wholly lacks any manners at all, which is truly no worry of mine. my friends will come to find me when we get back to land and i will be safe and sound, without further inconveniencing you.” at least…she hoped they would. he didn’t know to know that she was so unsure on that point.

“further more, i have no desire to give you my name, if it is all the same to you, since its meaning would be utterly lost in your hands. it was a simple mistake and i apologized, do they really let you out in polite society without —“ her tirade ended on a soft yelp as the boat rocked, laughter from behind them told her it was likely a younger party having fun, but she found her hand clutching his arm once more even as her heart raced in fear. 

►

She had fire in her, even if her overall being made her look about as threatening as a kitten. Still, even kittens had claws they could use – if pushed far enough into a corner. This shouldn’t have delighted him, and yet it did. Too many women walked around, acting demur and bowing their heads at whatever came their way, because it was expected of them. That was how they would get themselves a husband, or so he had heard. But that wasn’t his way. That wasn’t the way of women he recalled from back home. They were the type to just as easily stab you as they could kiss you.

A chuckle lodged in his throat, barely audible over the splashes of the water surrounding them. She was refusing to give her name – interesting. Granted, he didn’t know an abundance about Auradon’s history, but he was near-certain that she wasn’t a well-known royal. At least, he was fairly certain she wasn’t. If she was, well, then he really had been letting his knowledge fall by the wayside. Not that he cared too much about what heirs the royal families popped out, but it never hurt to have knowledge. There was power in knowing about someone’s situation – knowing more about them than they knew about you. With her, he didn’t have that power. Even that brought him a lick of warm delight and a small smirk to his lips.

The warmth soon evaporated as the boat took another shift and her hand once more clung to her arm. Though, this time, his own hand reached out, taking hold of her to brace her as the boat rocked. It wasn’t entirely selfless – nor would Marius ever want anyone to believe that it was. Truth be told, if she was stable, then there was less of a chance of her colliding with him and them both going over. It had been stupid to get on this boat in the first place, more so if he ended up falling over into the cold water. At that point, it would just wish for death to take him – it would be less humiliating.

“The boats should be more stable. Who in their right bloody mind sends people out with a boat that rocks so easily?” With a quick glare back at the children causing the chaos, Marius had half a mind to give them a good smack upside the head once they were back on land. Didn’t anyone teach their children about the dangerous of large bodies of water? How could these children be so flippant as to urge themselves towards the icy liquid this way? “Stupid children. Honestly, they should have been left upon the docks.”

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

Sammy had heard it all before; and though he understood her sentiment, he found he quite frankly didn’t care if people made him out to be the villain. If they likened him to his father before assessing his own character, well — his father was a great man. It was an honor to be considered in the same breath as him, even if his reputation preceded him. The fight between all that was good and all that was evil was well in the past, and if some didn’t wish to move past it and judge the Shadowborn by who they were today, then it was their business, of which Sammy didn’t go to the trouble of bothering himself with. He only wished the rest could say the same, but he knew Kartia had every right to disdain the target on their back that came with living in those boarding houses. 

People talked and stared. To anyone else but Sammy, it would prove most disconcerting, but he found he quite liked being looked at. 

“We’ll have to come up with a plan, of course. Going in blind wouldn’t do us well, especially not if we need to make a quick escape. All the royals were invited to stay in the castle, so we could try to get a bit friendly with one of them before the ball. Maybe have them show us around. We could play the ‘I’ve never seen a castle before,’ and if they take the bait then we’ll have a firsthand look at the grounds before everyone else.” Already Sammy’s mind was miles ahead of where they were, formulating a plan that would best suit the occasion. Many thought the boy dim, but when it came to scheming, he was well ahead of all the rest.  “Any royal pains you friendly with, Kar?”

✘

She listened intently as Sammy started going over a plan. For the most part, that was how they operated. Kar was never too embarrassed to admit that Sammy was the brains of their schemes. Pride got one caught. Her father had never been prideful when it came to business with his brother and she would never been too prideful when it came to working with her cousin. Her nose scrunched with a showing of distaste when he asked if there were any royals that she had managed to become friends with. The last thing she had been doing in her time in Auradon had been getting close to them. Some drifted in and out of her circle at times, sure, but she was hardly cozying up to any of them.

“Of course know. What about you? Have you found any royals that consider you enough of a pal to take you inside a castle?” If he didn’t, she supposed with enough effort, she could make a friend. It wouldn’t be that difficult, right? Back home, getting something was as easy and flirting a bit until it was given to her. Here it shouldn’t be that different. Of course, she knew there were different rules when it came to Auradon and their whole view on relationships, but she could make it work.

“Ugh, do we have to cozy up to some royal?” A groan left her lips, though her tone wasn’t too strong in the resolve. It was a good plan and honestly, she wasn’t sure there would be any other way to get a look at the castle before it was go time. At least, there was no other way that didn’t risk getting them caught and in some big trouble. “Alright, info time. Who are the weakest royals that we know about?”

︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾

Rosamund has been present to help get Astrid presentable for the day, but after those initial duties were done, she was given the freedom to leave her friend’s service and explore the streets of Corona with her daughter. It had been a wonderful day so far, with Pen playing with other kids and becoming wide eyed over every new place she could explore. Of course Rose did not let her wander far, but her daughter was young and carefree and Rose was not going to hold her back from the joy of the festival.

Having stopped off to grab some ice cream for the two of them, Rose let go of her daughters hand to rummage through her coin purse to pay. When she turned back around to hand her little girl the cone, the woman was terrified to find her daughter was no longer at her side. Looking around the immediate area, Rose was seconds away from screaming out for Penelope when she saw her. She ran over to a young woman and took her outstretch hand, clearly wanting to join in on whatever dance the elder girl had been partaking in moments prior.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Rose quickly made her way over to her daughter, apologies on the tip of her tongue. “Oh dear, I am so terribly sorry if Penelope was bothering you.” Her daughter was only four, and often didn’t understand when something might be rude, but still. “She must have wanted to join in.”

♥

A lack of siblings hardly meant a quiet place within the Radcliffe home, but there were some sounds that Ansley hadn’t grown up with that truthfully, she wished to hear more of. Children laughing and enjoying themselves was one of those sounds. So, when a child took hold of her hand, she was more than willing to dance with the girl, enjoying the sounds of delight and joy that came from her. Even more than just enjoying the sounds of a child laughing, Ansley liked the idea of being a part of a child’s joy with music.

When the girl’s worried mother approached them, Ansley offered the woman a smile and a quick lowered nod. “No, please, don’t apologize. I think it’s wonderful when children enjoy themselves. My father used to always play similar tunes for me to dance along to and I would have the most wonderful times!” Though she knew how much the child running off must have worried the woman, Ansley couldn’t truly fault the little girl. She too had been something of a rambunctious child, eager to go wherever her desire took her.

“She’s more than welcome to stay for a bit. I don’t mind the company. You as well, of course.” Her eyes drifted towards the ice cream cone in Rose’s hands then a flush came to her cheeks. “Oh, I’m sorry! You must have plans already!” Her attention drifted to the girl by her side then. “You should go enjoy some ice cream with your mother. You don’t want it to melt all over your hands, then it will be no good.”

Stanton waited as she took in what was happening and she took her hand away from him. He was ready to stammer out some kind of stupid reply but before he had to come up with anything- she came up with it for him. ‘Are you wanted to dance as well’ Did he? He wasn’t much of a dancer but that didn’t seem like an issue right now. He simply nodded. “Yes- Yes I would like to dance with you.” It would at least feel less weird- dancing as long as she was there dancing with him. He ran his hand through his hair- even so he could still feel the soft warmth of her hand in his. It was a feeling he definitely didn’t want to ever lose.

“I know how.” He confirmed. “I’m just… not very good at it.” He admitted, managing to avoid melting when she placed her hand back in his. “But I am more than happy to give it a shot.” He could listen to her talk all night. It would have been better than anything else that the festival had to offer. And yes- that did include the food. He softly squeezed her hand and was about to step closer when she gave him her name, and curtsied. “Oh! Yes- Sorry- I’m Stanton.” He answered, going to bow, careful to leave their hands up so he wouldn’t accidentally drag her down with him in his bow. 

When he lefted back up, he stepped closer, his hand going to her waist in the way he had seen others do, careful to keep it up high enough that no one could accuse him of doing anything untoward. “It’s lovely to meet you, Ansley Radcliffe.”

♥

Her giggle was light as she watched him nearly forget to bow. It wasn’t something she often saw, a boy stumbling through these sorts of things. Seemed like every boy knew how to approach a girl from the time they could speak when raised with proper parents. Her eyes widened slightly as the realization hit her. He couldn’t possibly be from around Auradon. Ansley would hardly saw that she knew everyone in the kingdom, but she liked to think that she was familiar with most people her own age, and he didn’t seem as if he was too far from her in life. So, the only logical reason would be that he was acting improper because he didn’t know what proper was.

Mix that in with the fact that he admitted he wasn’t a very good dancer and Ansley was certain that he wasn’t from Auradon. A bit of color came to her cheeks as Stanton placed his hand on her waist and she moved just a bit closer – just as much as was appropriate for their dancing. She was no expert on shadow realm people, that was for certain, but Stanton seemed far too…happy to be from there, didn’t he? She didn’t know too many, but she knew a couple, seeing them here and there in passing, and they always seemed so grumpy. Yet, here this boy was, acting like a literal ray of sunshine, enjoying the festival as if it were the greatest thing ever.

“Is this your first lantern festival?” She asked before she could really think about her question. Was it insensitive to ask such a thing? Would asking him that force him to admit that he wasn’t from Auradon? Did kids back in the shadow realm even know what the lantern festival was? It seemed a pity if they didn’t have their own fanciful festivals such as this. “You just…seem to really be enjoying yourself, more so than anyone else that I know has been to them plenty of times.”

𝖒𝖆𝖗𝖎𝖚𝖘

whom: the hon. elaina lumiere of auradon and the hon. marius wulff of the shadow realm. when: the twenty-eighth day of the fifth month in the year 1885, under the reign of his royal highness king adam, the beast of conques. where: the city of corona the occasion: the coronan lantern festival, spanning from the twenty-sixth day, to the thirtieth.

❧︵┈𝖊𝖑𝖆𝖎𝖓𝖆 𝖑𝖚𝖒𝖎𝖊𝖗𝖊┈︵❧

this wasn’t supposed to happen, she was supposed to be in a boat, seated with her friends, safe and secure with a proper escort to help guide her from the boats when it was all said and done, and instead she was seated next to a stranger, worriedly staring at the nearest lantern and the fuzzy flow of what she could see around it, which wasn’t much, vision failing the further away from the source of the light she tried to view. 

in her lap, her hands twiddle around the soft paper, her wish scrawled along the inside in her delicate script. oh how a few minutes could change her entire mood. she had been so elated when she’d written her wish. the anticipation to get on the water and elation at viewing her own personal stars now slowly turning to dread. 

mustering her courage she looked to the gentleman beside her, the lack of bright, focused light made it difficult to make out his features, but he was handsome enough, she was sure of that. unfamiliar though. meaning he was either a local she was unacquainted with. or another member of the shadow realm. she couldn’t afford to be picky, and hoped against hope that if he was one of them that he was at least one of the kind ones. 

“its a beautiful night,” she offered, voice more tense than usual from her own anxiety. small talk was always a good place to start, and necessary for a proper introduction. she could hardly ask a favor without small talk first. she felt the lurch of motion as the boat pulled from the docks, and despite herself, her hand shot out, catching his forearm in a shaky grip. “i’m so sorry,” she whispered. “i just can’t see very well and i was separated from my friends..” she offered a tense smile. “i didn’t mean to be rude.” 

► marius wulff ►

This was hardly something he attended willingly, but it seemed there was little choice in the matter. With everyone going, he hadn’t truly been allowed to decline the invitation to the festival – no matter how badly he wanted to do so. Being on water was even worse, though he was determined not to allow anyone accompanying him to know that the form of transportation bothered him. Never allow anyone to see your weakness – words he had lived by since he could barely walk. Letting people he didn’t know, or trust, in one the fact that he was uneasy on the water seemed beyond stupid.

He'd done what they had asked of him. He’d written something stupid down on the small strip of paper that had been provided. He had accepted a lamp for the festivities. He was doing everything he could to appear well-behaved. Did he like it? No, but Marius supposed he didn’t really have to like it. As long as it was done. More so, he would have been content going about the boat ride in perfect silence, but it seemed his seatmate had other ideas.

A biting remark on his tongue, Marius didn’t get to deliver it before the boat lurched forward, his own heart seeming to leap into his throat at it did so. If not for the woman’s grip on his arm causing something of a distraction, he was certain his reaction would have been more visible. Instead, his attention drifted to the hold she had on his forearm and he barely resisted the urge to shake free from her grip. The distasteful sneer on his lips melted into a smirk as he listened to her confession. She thought this was rude? Involuntary touching?

In the passing shadows, he hadn’t been able to fully make out her features, but she hadn’t jumped out as someone he knew, which left few possibilities. Now, hearing what she considered to be a lack of proper manners by so boldly, openly, touching him, it solidified his answer. She wasn’t from the shadow realm; not like he was. No. She was from this land, the land that had too many rules and kept their people on too short of a leash until their basic human instincts felt distasteful and wicked.

With a voice as cold as the waters surely were outside, Marius reached over and took a hold of her hand, removing it from his arm before whispering out for only her to hear, “Perhaps one shouldn’t wander so far away from their friends if they have such…glaring disabilities. Don’t your people consider it some grave offense, to touch a man without some ridiculous agreement established?” His father had shared stories – not that Marius had listened to any of them. He had never cared for the stories that made Auradon seem like a livable place, only the ones his father told that dripped with bitterness. Those were the only stories that Marius ever cared about – the ones that held a longing for vengeance.

“So, you cannot see and you’re separated from your friends. What a compromising situation you’ve found yourself in. Tell me, what do they call you?”

╔═══*.·:·.☽✧    ✦    ✧☾.·:·.*═══╗

“Oh thank goodness,” Lyra sighed, relieved that another person had been rather apprehensive about the entire tap dancing experience. The young children were sweet, but their talents left much to be desired. “Not that there’s anything wrong if you did enjoy the tap dancing. But you say you do not. So then you don’t!”

She sighed and resisted the urge to simply walk away from the conversation so she did not have to continue to make a fool of herself. However had her parents raised such a silly young woman?

“Kartia,” she liked the way it sounded on her tongue. “What a lovely name. As far as Andersen, well my mother is Lady Andersen, or, well, Ariel.”

It felt strange to speak of her mother in such a way. But it was the quickest and easiest manner to get someone to understand her family origins. Near everyone knew of her mother, the mermaid who had given up the sea to be with her love. It was a beautiful story, one that had often made Lyra cry as a young girl.

“Are you from the Shadow Realm?” Lyra’s eyes went wide at her own words and she shook her head, “Goodness wait no you do not have to answer that. That was rude of me. I am so sorry.”

✘

Ariel, of course this girl whose voice sounded so lovely was the daughter of Ariel. It made sense in a manner that Kartia hadn’t thought of previously and she was kicking herself for it. Though, it was hardly her fault. It wasn’t as if there were regular lessons on all of the families back in the Shadow Realm. They just knew what they knew and learned what they did about those back in Auradon from their parents. Kartia’s parents just hadn’t shared that much about the others to her.

This girl didn’t have much of a filter, that’s what Kartia thought as her eyebrow rose. She had yet to be asked so directly as to whether or not she was from the Shadow Realm, but she supposed it wasn’t a bad thing. At least Lyra was being direct, unlike some who tried to dance around the topic until she finally told them what they wanted to know. Kartia had to appreciate the no bullshit attitude of it all. Plus, it hardly hurt that Lyra started to get so flustered over her own question asked.

“Please, don’t worry about it. I don’t mind saying where I came from, it’s important to who I am.” There was a hint of truth in that, though Kar knew she wouldn’t linger on it long. “I am from the Shadow Realm, yes. Surprised?”

Festivals were good for a great many things. Definitely not the least of which- was food. Stanton was there for just that. He had been having a delightful time trying all the different options that the festival had to offer. He was currently walking through the crowd of people happily munching away on a snack when he saw her.

A beautiful redhead happily twirling along with the music. It wasn’t something a lot of people were doing- so it definitely helped the woman to stand out but even without that- she’d have managed to gain attention. She was beautiful. Not just pretty or nice to look at- she was gorgeous, the kind of gorgeous that could make a man trip over his own feet- which is exactly what Stanton did, dropping his food to the ground. He let out a small sound of disappointment and hurriedly dropped down to pick up the mess, taking it to the nearly trash receptacle. He had grown up around enough trash that he was careful to never leave any of his own. 

He hastily wiped the remaining crumbs from his fingers into the same receptacle and headed in the direction of the dancing redhead. It was like he was entranced- like she was a siren drawing him in without having to so much as sing a note- he was barely aware of his own actions until his hand was on hers- and she had noticed him- a consequence he hadn’t really thought of before now.  “Oh!… Hi” He stammered

♥

She took a moment to take in his features before finally taking back her hand. It wasn’t a tug or anything, just a simple lift away as her hand rested by her chest. It wasn’t really common for someone to just touch another person that way, unless – Ansley’s smile brightened then. “Are you wanting to dance as well? Is that why you took my hand, to ask me to dance with you?” There were so few people really dancing along to the joyous music, but that wasn’t going to stop her – such things never did. And, if he wanted to dance as well, that would mean she would look less like an odd one. Or, at the very least, they would be odd together.

“If you would like to dance with me, I would very much accept.” The redhead offered him a gentle bow before placing her hand back within his own once more. “Do you know how to dance? Well, I suppose that doesn’t really matter in this moment, now does it? I’m not entirely sure this music is anything in particular beyond fun.” Her parents had always said that she could hold a conversation all on her own with how she could continue on and on talking. Worst thing, she always knew when she was rambling. She just never managed to care enough to keep her words limited. Why would she? Sharing ones thoughts were fun and if no one else was going to fill the silence, then it was up to her.

“I’m Ansley, by the way, Ansley Radcliffe.” This time, her bow was lower and more of a curtsy as she took hold of one side of her skirt. “I would think it only polite to know the name of my dance partner, just as you should as well.”

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

Kartia and Sammy always seemed to gravitate towards one another, no matter the place; forever tethered by their fathers and their unshakeable bond, it seemed only natural that it be inherited by their children. His blood and his family had Sammy’s unwavering loyalty, and as for everyone else? Well, they fell somewhere far, far below that. And so seeing her step out of the shadows and into clearer view, he thought no better person than to tie off the evening with. Smiling, he patted the spot beside him and said, “Now, now, Kar. I can’t share all my secrets. But I suppose I could always teach you how to juggle balls. But imagine my surprise, cousin, given I thought it wasn’t your preference.” A knowing look her way, he punctuated his words with a laugh and merely said, “If you insist.”

He rifled through his pockets and dropped all he had stolen in the space between them for both to properly examine. Some of the loot proved disappointing, like embroidered handkerchiefs and empty coin purses, but others were far more tantalizing, like a set of ironclad keys that appeared too important to be off their intended person and then some money that could prove to stretch for some time for the Stabbington cousins if they dealt with it wisely  — and they were, far more than most would given them credit for. Given their pitiful allowances, it would prove most useful. “For you,” he said as he handed her her cut; no business he did ever went by without ensuring Kartia’s cut, be it accounting for her involvement or not. It was just how it was. 

“Perhaps you can buy yourself a pretty dress for that ball they’re throwing for the ‘highly-esteemed Countess of Corona’.” he took on a grander-than-thou tone of voice, mimicking the way those in Auradon seemed so hellbent on ensuring not to miss even a syllable of one’s ridiculous, too-long title. “I doubt it’d be any more entertaining than the last few, but maybe there, you can help me find which lock these belong to,” he held up the ring of keys, “seems like they must be for someplace in the palace. And imagine the score we’d get ransacking Punzie’s place. Maybe enough to get us out of those boarding houses and away from crabby ol’ Mr. and Mrs. Bates.”

✘

She accepted her cut of the profits without hesitation, having long gotten over the debate as to whether or not it was acceptance to take a piece of something you didn’t work towards getting. Every day back home it had felt like their survival relied on each other. Now, it seemed only right that they remained together on everything – one mind and body. Whatever Sammy did, it was as if she had done it and whatever she did, it was at if Sammy himself had been the one behind it all. Her fist connected with his shoulder – although gently – at his joke about her preferences. “No, you’re right, it’s fitting that you’re the one juggling. Balls have always been your thing.”

Coming out to Sammy had felt like taking a breath – easy and expected even with the knowledge that doing so was necessary for life. She had held it in for a while, sure, but just like breath, it was necessary and holding it caused damage. So, telling Sammy had been as much a necessity as it had been a relief. Though she had never thought that she would lose her cousin over something so trivial, well she also hadn’t wanted to assume that he would still look at her the same way. Yet, here they were, still a duo as close as ever.

Her nose scrunched at the idea that she would buy herself a dress. She would have to, Kartia knew that much, but she wasn’t going to like it. Who could honestly enjoy such things – such manners of dress? She truly had no idea, but it was what was expected. They were expected to attend this ball, Kartia would be expected to dance with a man, and she would be expected to attend wearing a lovely dress. All ridiculous.

Dread over a dress, however, was quickly washed away at the thought of scoring a heavier hit. Rapunzel’s palace seemed risky, but she supposed if they were careful…There wouldn’t be anyone to really tie all of it back to them, right? As long as they were careful with that, well maybe they could actually get away with it.

“Oh, yes please. I would do practically anything to get out of those stupid boarding houses. And everyone knows. It’s not as if people are staying there for any other reason. It’s expected that we learn to integrate into this society, yet we are sent away to a home that makes it very clear who we are. It’s impossible.” Not that she tried, but Kar would never give up an opportunity to rant, not when one presented itself so openly before her. “Let’s hope these keys go to somewhere good. We could use a good score.”