HONOR

❛ ┆ —— ‘ ʜᴇʏ, ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ʙɪᴛᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ғᴇᴇᴅs. ᴏʀ ɪ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ will cut you off for the night.      ’     she was pretty, but not so pretty that he’d put up with being snapped at. there were few things that set jonah off, at least, there were few things prior to his change. maybe it was the newly found lycanthropy that had him sensitive to everything, but he didn’t take so kindly to attitudes now.      ‘     completely useless? yeah. all the time. have it tattooed on my ass and everything.      ’

( “Trust me. You’d certainly know if I was biting.” ) Caera smiled up at him sarcastically, making a point to flash her teeth. She might not have been drunk, but she was certainly starting to feel a little looser. The weight of the world felt lighter, and a genuine smile fell upon her lips. ( “Now that I’d pay to see.” ) 

Avery took a drag from her vape, watching the smoke as she blew it out.  Turning it off, she walked into Daily Grind, getting her daily fix.  She didn’t work till later but coffee was a must.  “Fuck… I forgot my damn wallet…”

( “It’s on me.” ) Caera spoke, stepping up from her place behind the girl in the line. She liked to think herself a generous person, but honestly the other woman looked like she needed the coffee. 

❛ ┆ —— ‘ ᴘᴇʀʜᴀᴘs, ʟᴏᴏᴋɪɴɢ ʙᴀᴄᴋ, sʜᴇ'ᴅ ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡᴇᴅ ᴛᴏᴏ closely in her eldest sister’s footsteps. ireland’s jaw set, hating the way caera used her real name, the way her sister tried to pander to her feelings - pretended to care when it hadn’t ever seemed like she had before. the last memories she had of spending any time with the other were far in the past. it’d been decades. tongue pressed against the inside of her cheek, the younger brunette tried to keep the tears that welled in her eyes from spilling over; she needed some form of control.      ‘     i’ve managed alone for this long. i don’t think i need help now.      ’

In hindsight maybe Caera had made the wrong choice leaving when she had, perhaps she should have stayed to help her sisters in the learning of their elements, but she’d been selfish in her immaturity and had craved freedom and knowledge over family. She’d never stopped to consider how her time away might have effected her relationship with her sister. ( “My offer still, and always will, stand.” )

He crossed his muscular arms over his chest and looked down for a moment. “I would suppose that the ‘tail’ there gets tiresome after a while? Certainly leads to less romantic moments unless they’ve been properly vetted by your security team. I admit I tend to shrug mine off more than I should… but what’s the point of living a long life if you live it totally surrounded and encapsulated from the world?” He looked back up to her and nodded. ‘Is business good?” he asked, nonplussed by her line or work or what she did. It was a business, it was a service, just a different kind of service than most may recognize. He locked his eyes with hers, taken a bit by her calmness and the simplicity of a conversation with the girl.

Caera glanced over her shoulder at his mention of her ‘tail’, knowing he could probably sense their presence too but double checking that they were clear out of view like they should have been, and were ordered to be. ( “I don’t find them much of a bother, they keep their distance and I’m pretty capable of taking care of myself, despite face value. As for romance - I’ve never let them nor anything stop me.” ) She wasn’t quite sure how they’d come to that conversations, the topic of romance, but she shrugged. ( “I’m sure you’re more than capable of taking care of yourself too, but it’s never a harm to have backup should you need it.” ) She felt the need to remind him, despite knowing he probably didn’t care for her insight nor listen, but with the way things were going - he’d be a fool to find himself caught alone. ( “I’ve lived almost two hundred years out there in the world by myself. I know what a blessing freedom is.” ) She smiled, tucking her dampening hair behind her ear. ( “It’s going well. Fortunately for me, it’s the kind of business that rarely suffers a dip.” )

“You can’t tell me you haven’t at least partially been training for this day for your entire life. Even the most ignorant optimist would’ve at least come up with a few ways to handle this eventuality.” Rowan pointed out.

Rowan was quick to wave away her apology. She hadn’t come across as condescending. At least, not overwhelmingly so. “See, that makes sense. I’m a hands on learner myself. I can see and hear about something and kinda know what’s happening, yeah, but to really understand something, I have to get my hands dirty.”

( “Actually, no. I haven’t. I’ve been training in many fields, but not the art of war and defense.” ) Caera corrected, shaking her head as her hair whipped in the wind. ( “It was never our responsibility before, we’ve never had reason to worry about the humans until now. Our parents before us - sure, maybe... but not us.” ) Perhaps it had been foolish of their parents to think they didn’t need more training, they’d taught them all the history they needed to know, but they hadn’t taught them how to defend the city. ( “One more thing we apparently have in common.” ) Caera half smiled, looking at the banshee. ( “What would you do? How would you suggest we deal with our situation?” ) Unlike many of her fellow council members, Caera wasn’t apposed to hearing outside suggestions. 

quaint was a choice of word that lise didn’t think of much when she lived there, isolated maybe, but now that the woman mentioned it, it was definitely correct. “you’re one of those people too huh?” lise said, trying not to sound as bored as she actually was, she’d met plenty of people we who strongly keeping an eye on the humans, or believed dthat the humans were below them, “they won’t be getting through very soon, don’t worry so much, the shiftrs and skinwalkers’ll do something about it,” she nodded, yeah, they’ll do somethign about it but if it did happen, lise was pretty sure she’d pretend like nothing hjappened.

( “One of which people?” ) Caera questioned, raising an eyebrow of the girls abrupt, yet unexplained, assumption of who she was. ( “See, that’s where the issue lies. Should they make it that far - the shifters and skinwalkers intervening may only worsen matters.” ) Caera had thought about almost every possible outcome, every possible way to stop the humans from finding their secret haven, and so far they had all ended badly in her mind. 

❛ | STARTER  — @princesscaera ]

❛ ┆ —— ‘ ʜᴀᴠᴇɴ'ᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴅ ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ɴɪɢʜᴛ?      ’      jonah mused as he refilled her glass per request. he still wasn’t sure how they worked; moroi. they were still new to him, a fascinating and foreign breed. their tolerance was something that he wasn’t familiar with still, but every person still had a different tolerance.      ‘      hard day? hard week? hard year? what’s it that’s got you over here?      ’

( “I will say when I’ve had enough.” ) Caera snapped back, barely even feeling the effects of the alcohol she’d been consuming for the last couple of hours. To most they probably thought it bad representation for a member of the moroi royal family to be seen drinking, but Caera didn’t care; she needed it, and she wasn’t likely to get that drunk that it really made a difference anyway. ( “Ever felt completely useless?” )

“well, maybe for some people,” lise guessed, she didn’t really think that the area was that dangerous, most supernaturals probably knew how to handle it well enough too, “but that,” she pointed towards a small house, so far away in the outskirts it looked llike a mere blot, “is my house, so what are you doing here?”

It often still surprised Caera, that certain citizens of their hidden town chose to live out here. Looking out into the distance, enhanced eyesight allowing her to clearly make out the house on the very edge of the outskirts once it had been drawn to her attention. ( “Oh, I see. Very quaint.” ) She nodded, trying not to sound judgmental. ( “Watching the humans.” ) Her reply was more honest than it probably should have been, more blunt that probably necessary. 

“Come on now, Caera,” he replied with a slight chuckle. “The mist is probably the best part of the whole thing… you can ‘work up a sweat’ without sweating. Instant cool down.” He smirked - for their kind, all things were different, and this was one of them. Brandon’s blue eyes cast over her fair features and he could only nod in response. “Working to stay in shape. And stepping out of my comfort zone has always been what I’m good at, so push yourself a little harder, you surprise yourself in the results.” He raised an eye in her direction as he came to a stop on the opposite side of her door. “What are you up to this evening?” 

( “Admittedly, that is not on the top of my priorities this morning.” ) Caera chuckled, inadvertently taking in the sheen on the mans chest. She might have been a Princess, but she wasn’t blind - nor apposed to looking at fine things. ( “Can’t say working out has ever been top of my priorities either, but I can certainly agree with stepping out of your comfort zone - within reason.” ) She could sense the presences of her guards somewhere behind her, lingering in the hazy shadows of the early morning light. Watching, poised and ready should anything happen. She’d grown used to them by this point but that didn’t mean they weren’t a buzzkill from time to time. ( “Just heading home actually, Executive has closed for the evening - the last of the ladies have been escorted home; my work is done.” ) She held no shame for her place of work, the place she owned and ran. If anything is spoke a little of a hidden personality that most failed to see. 

❛ ┆ —— ‘ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴍᴇ, ᴄᴀᴇʀᴀ.      ’      she wanted her eldest sister to stop; to just go and live her life like she always did. caera went off and had her own worries and cares and niche. ireland had never been that important growing up, so she didn’t see why they needed to pretend that they were close now.      ‘     you don’t even know who i’m talking about, so what the fuck does it matter? just leave me alone.      ’ 

Caera sighed, knowing that the argument was already lost. There was really nothing she could say. It had been her choice to leave, to study and travel the world - she had a keen mind and loved to learn, but that curiosity, yearning for knowledge and spirit for adventure had meant leaving her family behind and in doing so had made them almost strangers. ( “I’m sorry, Irena. I cannot tell you how sorry I am that that is true. You have grown so much since I first left, and I have missed so much. But I am still your sister, and I do love you - so at the very least, if nothing else, please just let me help you with your control...?” )

“Fair enough.” Rowan conceded. He didn’t have the scent advantage that most species had that would let him recognize whether or not there was someone nearby.

“Still, standing out here and worrying about what might happen does you no good when you could be back in the city, planning ways to protect and prevent any further harm or discovery coming to your citizens.”

( “What good is planning if I don’t understand that which I am protecting from?” ) Caera questioned, trying not to sound too obnoxious. ( “Even the best laid out plans can fail if you do not first at least try to study your enemy.” ) She spoke as if she had fought in a hundred different wars, and though she had lived through a couple - there had never been on that relied on her involvement. Not that this was a war. Yet. Pausing, Caera looked to the man to her side, and sighed heavily. ( “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to sound so... arrogant. Or condescending. I learn better from studying first hand, if there is a plan to be drawn - then I need to see the whole picture, for myself, with my own two eyes. Not from a stuffy room, with grumpy dogs barking orders like generals as if they know best.” )

Leon had been a wolf the moment before, the shifting feeling as natural as ever. He had approached with the intent to fly over the tundra, seeking a bit of peace of mind. He offered the other a small shrug as she commented. “I’m not safe, either.” he mused, kicking off his shoes. “Think you can take a step or two to the side, there?”

Caera rolled her eyes, if there was one thing she hated it was overconfidence that leaned on the side of cocky. ( “I’m sure you’re terrifyingly dangerous.” ) She agreed, unconvincingly sincere. She turned to look at his, upon his request, eyeing him as he kicked off his shoes. ( “All of this open space and you need this exact spot to... what? Kick off from?” )

Ayana laughed, “Both. Give me both please. But only if the drink is alcoholic.” Ayana had been working on the plans for well over two hours now and she could definitely use a break.

Caera was a renowned fidget, and so the pencil waggled between her fingers as she moved closer to the table. ( “Alcoholic can certainly be arranged.” ) She smiled at her fellow Moroi Princess, before looking over her shoulder at her Dhampir guard; one of which disappeared into the shadows again. ( “What are you working on?” )

❛    I FEEL THE SAME WAY.   ❜  her words were honest and genuine. in fact  ──  it was nice having someone on the same page as her.  ❛  i never really understood the RIVALRIES between our people anyway.   ❜   sometimes, collette even being ashamed of being classified as a werewolf.  ❛   WHO or WHAT are the greater threats anyway?   ❜

“They made sense once upon a time, or so we’re led to believe, but times change and so have we.” Caera held onto the mentality that they greatest danger was no among themselves, but from the humans that had betrayed them long ago and become enemy to them all. “The creatures that walk this earth that have always been the greater threat to our species. The ones that drove us to near extinction. The humans.” 

“I mean, we both know I could of just lurked creepishly in the shadows like a stalker, but where’s the fun in that?” It was more than just a job to her, and the princess was more than just a charge she was meant to protect. Thirty years wasn’t a long time in the grand scheme of things - not to either of their lives - but it was more than enough to grow an attachment to the other. She did her job because she truly cared for the safety of the woman, and it was why she hadn’t stayed back. Some rules were absolutely meant to be bent, and despite Caera’s rules being the only ones that mattered to the blonde, even then.. bending was necessary.

“We both know if anyone is capable of stopping impendin’ doom, it’d be you. An’ you can thank Simba for helpin’ me find you.” The dogs were only three years old, which seemed like nothing, really, but the blonde had grown quite attached to them, and she’d be lying if she said they weren’t helpful. Finding the Moroi was so much easier with Simba and Nala; and Simba in particular adored the other. “Gotta say, Darlin’ - you’re too old to be out here feelin’ sorry for yourself. If there’s somethin’ to stop, stop it. Or at least plan for the worst. If there ain’t, plan for the worst anyways and stop worryin’. Hakuna Matata, right?” She probably shouldn’t be speaking to her Moroi like that, but the Guardian never could hold her tongue. The way she saw it, why should she concern herself with the politics and etiquette of it all, when she could focus her attention on doing what actually mattered? And that was keeping the princess safe. Her job was to guard, not sugar coat.

“That’s what your brother does.” Caera noted, knowing full well that the other guardian was probably somewhere nearby, watching from a distance - far enough away to give the Princess her privacy but close enough to be there should she need him. She didn’t always mind that Maxine wasn’t like her brother in that respect though, she’d come to value the Dhampir as more than just someone tasked to watch her back. They were more akin to friends now and at times she quite enjoyed her company. “Now you’re just flattering me. If I’m so capable of stopping impending doom, then why do I feel like this is completely out of my control? It’s all just a waiting game at this point - and I hate waiting.” It might have seemed out of character for anyone else to see, but Caera often let her guard down around her guard, and so she took a moment to bury her face against the loyal companion of her friend. “Even ancient beings are allowed to feel sorry for themselves every once in a while.” She commented, sounding somewhat like a small child pouting after being told off. Pushing herself back upright, she looked out across the Tundra again. “If only it were that easy, Maxine. The easy option would be to get rid of them now before they find us - but that would only lead to more questions from their people, more search parties. I dread to plan for the worst, because I dread to think about it.” 

❛ ┆ —— ‘ ɪ ғᴀɪʟ ᴛᴏ sᴇᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʜʀᴇᴀᴛ. ɴᴏᴛ ᴀʟʟ ʜᴜᴍᴀɴs ᴀʀᴇ looking to kill us. not all humans are afraid. there’s tonnes out there who likely hope we’re real. there are people who swear up and down they’ve seen us, so what is everyone afraid of. it’s not the dark ages anymore.      ’      his head tilted, regarding the woman with an amused admiration.      ‘      you must be fun at parties.      ’ 

“Maybe not all of them. But those that would view us as a danger to them far outweigh those that view us as a novelty. I’d much prefer it to be the dark ages, their weapons were less effective back then.” The Princess threw the stranger and half smile, mildly joking but also partially serious. “Contrary to your assumption, I can be.”