#haereticae

" you don't have to say anything . we survived , right ? it's more than any elf could ask for . "

@haereticae gets a not-so-random semi-plotted starter.

The Cantori Diamond was abuzz with activity as rumours spread through the notorious gossips that so many Crows were. A wry smirk tugs at her lips, her ears twitching slightly as she listens to a pair of young fledglings whispering to one another in speculation as to the identity of the client Teia had gone to meet, their imaginations getting wilder the more they seem to play off the other.

It's only when the roost falls nearly silent that Ashina pauses in turn, amber eyes catching the light in the dim shadows from where she sits perched high in the rafters near the attic's ceiling. She knows the flash of her eye shine has given her away when the First Talon briefly glances up in her direction, though at Ashina's lowered gaze and bowed head in respect, Catarina merely returns to her intended path of reaching the chair Viago has pulled out from the table for her.

Barely a moment passes before she's met with her own Talon's gaze, a silent gesture for 'ready' the only order he gives as she nods in understanding, putting her talon mask on to cover the shine of her eyes in the dim lighting as she looks down over the scene below from her perch in the shadows.

It's then that Teia returns, leading in the clients from the direction of the ziplines. She barely bites back a huff of laughter at that, because of course Teia wouldn't think anything of making the clients cross ziplines to reach the Diamond.

It's only then that she notices the familiar feel of the blight nearby — too close by, and her eyes narrow as she looks to the pair of clients. Her gaze barely settles on the human woman, taking note of the custom spellblade at her side, but otherwise of little enough consequence at the moment when there's the far larger concern as she instead looks to the elven man, and—

"Mierda," she breathes, amber eyes widening behind her mask in shock. At first glance, the other elf might seem fairly ordinary to anyone else, but to her...

Her ears twitch as she listens to the words drifting up to her from below, just as talk turns to Lucanis and ancient elven gods. It's hard to take her gaze off the other elf, even from this distance, but the moment Viago shifts, her attention snaps to him, and it's barely a heartbeat later than she sees the subtle movement of his hand, signalling her to come down.

With barely a rustle of fabric and leather, Ashina lands lightly behind Viago and Teia, her mask still firmly in place as she first looks to the First Talon, bowing her head to her before turning her focus once more to Viago, all the while trying to fight the desire to look to the clients now that she's within reach of him once more...

"This Crow has worked with Lucanis in the past, and has a great deal of experience killing Venatori. She will be of use in this mission," Viago notes, gesturing for her to step forward.

Moving to stand in her customary position just off to his side and a step behind his shoulder, she maintains her stoic outer composure, even as her heart races as she gets the first good look at the warden before her. It's been so long since she had last seen him, and yet even now, she can't acknowledge that truth in front of the Talons.

"I will need a moment to prepare, señor," she offers, glancing back to Viago for his dismissal before heading to her quarters to retrieve her gear, along with a few extra potions, coatings, and a spare set of daggers, as she doubts the Ventatori have let Lucanis keep his own.

Returning to the main room overlooking the casino, she glances only briefly at Nelaros, wishing she could properly acknowledge him, but... soon. So very soon, now, as soon as they're out from under the watchful eyes of the Crows...

@haereticae asked: Send me a ◭ and I'll tell you something my character does or would likely do around yours that is unique or specialized to their interactions. Bonus, Ash and Sabine!

Ash has a... unique way of showing she cares, sometimes. Such as suggesting that mages she likes start intentionally taking small doses of magebane — under her watchful care and precise measurements, of course — in order to build up an immunity against it so that others can't use it against them.

It's a common tactic among the Crows, after all, when one's target is a mage. And the Crows aren't the only guild of assassins out there to be concerned about! While she can't particularly do anything about protecting against a templar's Smite, she can at least ensure that no one else will be able to make an easy target out of the mage.

@haereticae asked: Send me a ◭ and I'll tell you something my character does or would likely do around yours that is unique or specialized to their interactions.

Nelaros and Ash, *duh*

It's exceedingly rare for Ash to be "touchy feely" where anyone can witness it, especially for an assassin, where such things can easily be seen as a weakness, and the person of their affection can be seen as a potentially easy target. This is even more true once Ashina has joined the Antivan Crows, and is a Master Assassin within House de Riva.

But that doesn't stop her from finding small, subtle ways to remind him still. Little brushes of her arm against his when she slips past him, just a little closer than is absolutely necessary to ensure even just a moment of contact. Quietly insisting on testing anything he eats or drinks around others to make sure it's not poisoned — especially if Viago has been anywhere nearby, just to be on the safe side, because she wouldn't put it past him to do so if for no other reason than to just keep her on her toes. A hidden kiss on the lips while pinning him against a shadowed wall, in part to hide her own face and his when someone's walking past the mouth of the alley they're in...

Nelaros started off circling and then it became what I predicted: he just colored in all the squares.

▌ Lakiki Pull

@haereticae pulled a Blood :) LAKIKI™

inventory check || meme

A lyre harp. Delicately carved with a blossoming imagery and warmly colored with 16 strings. Nanna had this made after she realized how much she enjoyed her lessons on a high harp, and wanted to keep playing after it lost its practical use.