he  sensed  him  before  he  saw  him.  his  brother's  presence  was  ominous,  expectant,  not  unlike  that  of  other  high  lords.  he  was,  after  all,  expected  to  take  over  after  their  father  one  day,  and  while  lucien  was  unsure  of  how  much  he  trusted  eris  with  such  power,  they  could  unanimously  agree  that  anything  would  be  a  step  ahead  of  how  their  father  abused  his.  he  didn't  turn  his  head  when  he  entered  his  peripherial  vision,  a  spot  of  ginger  in  his  ene  as  he  watched  the  oblivious  party  ahead.  the  hewn  city  was  an  unsettling  place,  but  one  could  have  been  fooled  otherwise  between  the  music  and  the  trays  of  wine  that  floated  the  room.  he  spoke  as  he  lifted  his  glass  to  his  lips.  "i  think  your  theatrics  could  nearly  rival  the  night  court."

oh man neil would BE SO OBSESSED HE WOULD GO FULL FAN BOY. HE WOULD JUMP AT THE CHANCE TO PLAY WITH THEM

jordan kyle                 jonathan fairchild

‘ this would be much easier if you behaved, ’  thanatos huffs, and he pushes himself off the nearest wall, scythe at the ready to pursue vax down the nearest hallway. the chase begins again. 

‘ w - well . ’  good job. he’s thoroughly flustered. turning away from megaera, thanatos returns to looking out onto tartarus, watching the river styx flow through it like a vein in a CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM .  ‘ thank you. i assume you don’t need me to tell you the same. everyone knows the erinyes are just as beautiful as they are deadly. ’ 

a breath leaves him, but it turns quickly into a gasp as he is met with the visage of the queen herself, and thanatos bends low into a stooping bow. he, unlike most members of the house, has not been able to properly greet her since her return, and a necrotic flush stains his grey cheeks black with his inadequacy.  ‘ your majesty, ’  he addresses her, rising to his full height again, ‘ it is good to have you back in the house. ’

she’d been sitting,    completing her morning routine of scrolling through social media,   sipping on her drink that’s more creamer than coffee while he readied himself for work.   the touch on her shoulder draws her attention,   the video that had held her focus now paused as she looks up at him.   it’s been nice to have someone other than nic around the house,    the grand rooms and halls feeling a little less empty.   SEE YOU LATER.   he signs,   and there’s something about it that makes her smile   ---   an ease and comfort to their interaction where before there had been strain and tension.   her gaze lands on his tattoo,    twin to hers,    as he heads out the door and finds her cheeks are burning as she calls after him,   “   see you.   ”    whether he heard or not,   she’s not sure,    but as she settles back into her social media scroll she’s distracted with anticipation of seeing him later.

     it was an innocent enough question, likely rhetorical. nesta didn’t entirely understand why it twisted something deep in her gut, why it took the concentration of a bird of prey to stop herself from stiffening her spine, squaring her bony shoulders. for most, it wasn’t unusual to pour over philosophies with a stranger over a drink; nesta wasn’t most people, unfortunately for the both of them, she thought. she wasn’t sure why she responded, and outside of a small twitch of her eye, her face remained otherwise neutral. she shouldn’t have said anything—didn’t even know this person—but it tumbled out, abrupt but calm, soft and monotonous in tone, though there was no mistaking the razors that shaped the consonants on her tongue. “what is forgiveness good for, exactly?” not her business, though her thumb traced the rim of her glass as she plowed ahead anyway. “because if you’re looking for permission to move on, then I can save you a lot of time right now by telling you that there isn’t jack shit anyone else is going to be able to say or do to make that happen.”