all destinies go awry if you try to change any one.

ARNON CEANAI. twenty-eight. slave. seelie halfling. versatile, bottom-leaning.

[wyattlaroux]

The undercroft had become his least favorite place to go in the castle. Unfortunately for him he was always tasked to go down there to clean up some mess. Being the new hire he was on the bottome of the totem pole in that regard. He'd take on the job without complaint, trying not to kick up dust as to not ruin his plans. The job itself was messy, gross, and he felt incredibly bad for the slave that was the cause of it all. He felt horrible that he couldn't help them all but it was already an undertaking trying to help the person he came here for. He was on his way back out of the place when someone spoke to him. Most of the time the slaves left him be. "No, I... um, do you need anything? I was on my way out but I could snag something for you." He offered, he wasn't sure as to why knowing it likely could lead him into some trouble.

[bastardfae]

arnon’s ears pricked up at the offer, his shroud of self-pity evaporating as he considered the extent to which he could push his luck. “is that a sincere offer? or are you expectin’ somethin’ in return?” though there was no sign of malicious intent present–none that arnon could pick up on, anyway–it never hurt to double check in a place like this. he knew better than to blindly accept deals that appeared too good to be true. “...either way, guess i’d be down for negotiating if you’re plannin’ on stayin’ true to your word.” scooting himself over to perch on the edge of his cot, arnon studied the witch curiously before tentatively continuing. “i’ve got two requests. feel free to pick the easier one. either you use that magic of yours to deactivate this collar–” he tugged at the enchanted leather around his throat for emphasis, “–or you sneak a little somethin’ out the library for me. there’s a tome in there somewhere documentin’ schematics used in the second war by the opposin’ side. y'know, all sorts'a maps with geographic distances an' stuff. if you're down for either, i'll be in your debt." though it felt premature to offer such vague recompense that could (and knowing how things went around here, likely would) backfire in one way or another, arnon couldn't pass up the opportunity.

[eviecaine]

Everett was always so curious when there were new arrivals that were delivered to the undercroft. So when he had a moment he would bring himself down to the undercroft himself. Wanting to see them for himself rather than have his people do it for him. Especially if there was someone who had put up a fight which wasn't always the case for some of them. He did enjoy those that had a bite to them, it made playing with them all the more entertaining. He came upon one who he didn't recognize must have been one of the newer ones that came with the latest batch. The lich leaned against the frame with his arms loosely crossed over his chest as he watched him. Giving no indication of his presence until the slave decided to sit up noticing him almost immediately. "Might need something, might just want to watch." He hums, his grin growing on his porcelain features.

[bastardfae]

eyeing the unfamiliar face with rising skepticism, arnon mentally weighed up the pros and cons of continuing the exchange before his curiosity inevitably got the better of him. remaining quiet for a beat longer, arnon took the time to scan his gaze warily over the man invading his quiet time, his eyes narrowing on the distinct lack of a collar. of course. scoffing, arnon levelled him with a challenging look and held his head a little higher, refusing to be intimidated despite the clear power imbalance. “ain’t nothin’ to see here. you’re wastin’ your time. go find someone else to letch over.”

[kresnikxkaden]

Kaden huffed at that expected response; Arnon never went down without a fight. It didn't amuse the kresnik as much as it would have a couple years ago. Only the slightest hint of a smirk quirked at his lip that lasted only a blink.

"So what's your plan now?" he wondered. "I reckon escapin' this place a second time ain't in the cards for you." Krovs always raised their defenses when someone got out, the act becoming more and more of a challenge for the next slave to try every time they patched their weaknesses. Still, some managed to find their way through.

[bastardfae]

arnon pursed his lips in faux contemplation, tilting his head from side to side as he pretended to ponder the question. “eh… i mean… y’know…” regardless of whether or not kaden had a very valid point, the thought of escape had dominated arnon’s thoughts from the moment he’d regained consciousness within the undercroft’s walls, leaving room for very little else. of course, a second attempt required even further thought than the first and given that his father had been the one to do the majority of the planning initially, arnon wasn’t entirely confident in his ability to come up with something anywhere near as likely to succeed any time soon. “guess i’ve got some thinkin’ to do first. a little introspection… maybe. y’know, if i get really bored.” carding his fingers through his hair, arnon shakes off the residual doubt clinging to the recesses of his mind and offers kaden an entirely genuine smile, hopeful that it’d fend off potential scrutiny of such a non-answer. “what about you? you been okay?”

[mannythejaguar]

"Nope, I don't need anything from you. I know how that shit goes," Manny said as he took in the sight of the familiar halfling returned to the Undercroft once again. He'd almost forgotten his last encounter with Arnon –– Halloween about three years ago, the dude punched a glass into his head at a party in town. The details behind it were fuzzy to Manny at this point, the events leading up to it clearly insignificant enough for his memory to erase them for higher priorities. But that one moment he remembered. He crossed his arms over his chest. The berserker didn't appear smug or pleased to see Arnon back here again; the corner of his mouth bent downwards. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised, you always were a troublemaker. Who'd you piss off this time?"

[bastardfae]

the mere sight of manny was enough to make arnon to flop back unceremoniously onto the cot with an exasperated sigh. to say that their last encounter had gone smoothly would be historical negationism at its finest. “didn’t get the chance to ask their names, funnily enough.” arnon replied dryly, forcing himself to respond for the sake of maintaining some semblance of civility. he’d pissed off enough of the guards already; the last thing he needed was to worsen his already frayed relationship with the one before him, too. “jus’ the usual scummy hunter-types. more competent than i expected, though,” pausing, he gestures loosely at himself with a self-depricating laugh, “clearly.” after a beat, his gaze shifts from the ceiling to study manny in his peripheral. “hope you’re not here to fish for an apology for the whole halloween thing. no offence, but you kinda had it comin’.”

[ewanmitchellclub]

Ewan Mitchell for HERO magazine | Ewan Mitchell for Esquire magazine

[bastardfae]

if he had to guess, arnon assumed at least a week had passed since he was dragged back kicking and snarling into the undercroft. the hunters that had captured him had spared no malice, ensuring he was handed over bloodied and beaten, his abilities nullified and his pride reduced to mere tatters. he’d gathered what little energy had remained to make himself as much of a nuisance as possible in the first few days, his defiant streak burning bright even if it resulted in harsh punishment each and every time. with the previous night’s beating still aching through him and the suffocation of his accelerated healing thanks to the collar fastened around his neck, arnon laid dejectedly on his cot, his tired gaze fixed to the ceiling as he wallowed in self-pity and muted frustration. the sound of others going about their days around him was of little comfort. if anything, it renewed his irritation towards the circumstances. so many of them were trapped in the confines of the undercroft, the illusion of freedom only manifesting through the allotted hour of wandering or being summoned by one of the callous masters to demean and debase themselves for their pleasure. the injustice of it made arnon’s jaw clench in subdued anger, his desire to rid the world of the plague of the vampiric elite burning ever brighter the longer he dwelled on the thought. huffing, he forced himself to sit upright and caught the eye of another in the doorway, his misplaced irritation focusing solely on the innocent passer-by. “what? you need somethin’? keep it movin' if not.”

@krovscastlestarters

[henri-delacroix]

Henri just rolled through the doors of the castle when his phone rang. He smiled ruefully as he pulled his iPhone out of his pocket and checked the caller. Seemed even his vacation wouldn't stop work from interfering. Course he expected that. He dropped his bags on the ground out of the way of traffic and stepped away from it to take the call in a quieter corner. These halls still echoed and the ahool's hearing easily picked up footsteps before he turned back to his luggage.

"Don't touch that," he called out, tone firm yet gentle as he lowered his phone some to mute himself. "You won't find anything of interest in there anyway." Henri, ever the hoarder of a dragon, always ensured his most valuable items were in a locked suitcase he'd already sent here ahead of time and was waiting in his designated suite. Benefits of being a frequent visitor of Krovs and the fledgling of Sweden's councilman, he supposed.

@krovscastlestarters

[bastardfae]

stilling at the sound of the other man’s voice, arnon retracted his hand from the handle of the suitcase with a disgruntled sigh, straightening up to take a small step back, his hands resting loosely on his hips as he took note of the way the stranger carried himself. from a glance, he was clearly someone of supposed importance, the lack of a collar around his neck affirming the assumption. taking a step closer again, emboldened by his innate lack of respect for those of higher standing within the castle's hierarchy, arnon crouched to absently toy with the fastenings, his gaze shifting from the man before him to the luggage in question. “bit presumptuous of you,” he murmured, though he made no further attempts to investigate the contents further, merely fiddling with the fastenings to give his hands something to do. “anything can be of interest if you put your mind to it.” 

[reapthewarner]

There was only a low hum of voices now as the slaves still down with him settled down. It must be getting late by the way they reacted which the reaper found interesting. Though he never grew tired in the same way as the beings around him, never had a need for it. Suppose that came with the ghost he used to be there was no such feeling nor as the reaper he is now. He's standing, leaning up against a wall with a small book he found on the floor not far from where he was standing. "Curious how you got here." He said to no one in particular, mostly aiming the question to himself. He hadn't been in the castle long enough to know the ins and outs just yet. No doubt he will be learning much more about the place in the days that followed.

@krovscastlestarters

[bastardfae]

arnon had spent the better half of the evening in isolation, remaining in his cot as he devoted his free time to figuring out the early stages of a second escape bid. there was no doubt in his mind that it would be a significant challenge the second time around, making the first a walk in the park by comparison. this time, there was little chance of inside help with rhys apparently having resigned the day after his successful bid for freedom. with the limitations of his freedom intensified, it put something of a spanner in the works when it came to traversing the edges of the castle grounds to receive outside word from his father’s associates. needless to say, it was more than a little frustrating. arnon paid no mind as other inhabitants of the undercroft came to settle in for the night, the soft creaking of the other cots around him merely background noise as his mind continued to race. the only distraction came in the form of a voice not too far from him and arnon lazily glanced in its direction, his brow raising in silent questioning. “you say somethin’?”

[fallen-sangho]

Sang-ho sat in his office quite pleased with himself. He'd taken a rare few weeks off for himself after securing his promotion to Chief of Staff. Why not? There weren't any events in the works and he deserved the chance to celebrate his win he'd worked hard for. It helped too that Merek Hopper chose to leave and ultimately wind up a slave in the Undercroft, thus securing the position for himself. Sang-ho wouldn't make that same mistake as his predecessor knowing he'd lose any semblance of safety the second he permanently left Krovs. He hated being collared as it was, but minimal power was better than none.

He looked up at his latest visitor whom he assumed was someone here to either ask something of him, complain, or –– least expected option –– welcome him back and properly congratulate him. That well-practiced smile spread over his features. "How can I help you today?"

@krovscastlestarters

[bastardfae]

truth be told, arnon hadn’t meant to find himself in the doorway of the freshly-appointed chief of staff’s office. it had been a matter of wandering with the intent of familiarising himself with the layout of the castle again in the short space of time he was permitted thinly-veiled freedom from the confines of the undercroft. his gaze flickered from the plaque inscribing the name and title to the man himself, his lips pursing into a thoughtful pout as his mind raced to conjure up a believable excuse for his presence. “was jus’ wonderin’ who was occupying this space now. wanted to put a face to the name, y’know?” flashing a smile the older man’s way, arnon relaxed slightly and leaned against the doorway, loosely hooking one ankle over the other as he took in the sight of the office, making no attempt to venture further in. “pretty swanky set-up you’ve got here.”

[kresnikxkaden]

"So it is true." Kaden frowned as he walked up to Arnon. It'd been a long, long time since the kresnik ventured down into the Undercroft. He wouldn't even be here, frankly, if he hadn't heard the passing news about a mouthy halfling back up for sale in the castle. His stomach churned thinking it might've been the same mouthy halfling he knew that had disappeared from the castle years ago.

He'd liked to think Arnon had gotten out safe and sound with some kind of happy ending. Now he knew that wouldn't be the case any more as he stood in the presence of that perpetual pain in the ass he'd informally adopted long before Arnon wound up in the Undercroft the first time.

His frown deepened, gaze softened, brow furrowed. Kaden couldn't decide if he was more angry or sad by this. Both, but more likely the former given everything happening in Krovs. This place sucked. He hated seeing the friends he'd made constantly get screwed over –– Ransom, Merek, Arnon again. And now his own son Wyatt was here risking his life and freedom attempting to get him out...

"Not that I'm upset to see you alive and well, but I was hopin' never to see you here again, Ceanai," Kaden said. "How the hell did this happen?"

@bastardfae

[bastardfae]

blessings were few and far between in this place. that much, arnon knew by heart. his first few days back in the undercroft had been nothing short of hellish; he’d refused to back down time and time again, earning himself his fair share of punishment, leaving him bruised and embittered more often than he cared to admit. the two years of freedom he’d been granted had been nothing short of exhilarating, no matter the stress that had remained a constant as he and his father had traversed lands and territories previously entirely unknown to him. he’d forged important connections, discovered more about his lineage and been granted numerous opportunities to sharpen his abilities, finally allowing him to come into his own. in the blink of an eye, it had been ripped away from him with a callousness that only those under the thumb of krovs’ elite could possess. despite the monumental knock to his ago and worldview, arnon hadn’t allowed the setback to dull his determination; it was merely a bump in the road towards a higher purpose.

the sound of a familiar voice tore arnon from his reverie, the thoughts swirling in his mind suddenly silenced. he glanced towards the source in faint trepidation, as if he couldn’t wholly bring himself to believe a visit from the one person he maintained trust in within the hellish landscape was possible. his expression softened as his gaze met kaden’s and a sheepish, weak smile tugged at the corners of his lips, undeterred by the edge in the kresnik’s tone. it was a shitty situation, that much they could both agree on. “you an’ me both,” though he aimed for humour, his tone fell flat, “happened the way it always happens; got caught off-guard by hunters lookin’ to make a quick buck.” shrugging dismissively, arnon made no attempt to rise from his cot, splayed atop it in resigned acceptance for the time being. “knifed one of ‘em though,” arnon grins, a genuine flicker of joy brightening his expression, “made sure he’d bleed out nice an’ slow. if nothin’ else, it was worth it to watch the light drain from his eyes.” after a pause, arnon moved to push himself upright, resting back on his elbows as he trails his gaze over kaden, as if to familiarise himself with the sight of him again. “‘s good to see you again, though. even if the circumstances err on the side of shit.”

[drcigwen]

So far he had been refused a shirt, something proper to eat, and shoes at the bare minimum. A trying start to this whole affair as he kept himself sprawled on a cot as footsteps approached. The other moved his arm from over his eyes, observing the new face with a steady gaze. "Gawking is not entirely frowned upon, but you could at least properly introduce yourself. Manners are becoming, and all of that."

@krovscastlestarters

[bastardfae]

scoffing, arnon loosely folded his arms across his chest as he peered down at the unfamiliar face from the foot of the other’s cot, one eyebrow lightly arching as he studied the state of him. “so you’re one of those types, huh? the prim and proper type?” a light breath of laughter slipped from arnon’s lips as he moved to perch on the edge of the cot with little consideration for maintaining personal space. he kept his gaze trained on the other man, a flicker of intrigue flashing in his eyes as he smirked at him. “name’s arnon. who’re you?”

[armandxmoreau]

Armand had been unbelievably angry when he'd been ambushed in France, a collar locked tight around his throat in moments to suppress his abilities. The werewolf had raged nearly the entire way to Krovs, not making it easy at all for his captors even if the damn collar rendered him practically human. If they'd expected things to be easy just because he was an omega and the bought into the whole stereotype, they'd been wrong.

A few hours had passed since he'd been delivered to the castle and while the rage still simmered, Armand was able to control it better so he didn't make the mistake of lashing out at the wrong person. He'd settled himself near the stairs earlier to watch the masters who came down, recognizing a few of them. But the slave had eventually gotten bored with that and made his way into one of the common areas. Armand sat down and stretched his legs out but then he became aware of someone looking at him and narrowed his eyes at the other man. "Do you need something?"

@krovscastlestarters

[bastardfae]

flicking absently through the pages of the book he’d pulled off the shelf with little interest, arnon cast his gaze around the common area from the corner he’d commandeered for himself, taking in the sights of the other souls milling around the place. his gaze lingered on the tense frame of another as he settled a short distance away, soon locking eyes with the other as his attention turned to arnon. lifting a hand in mock self-defence, arnon shook his head. “nothin’ urgent,” he replied simply, making sure to keep his tone light so as not to cause any unnecessary confrontation, “jus’ lookin’. if that’s alright with you.”

[wyattlaroux]

He wasn't sure where to start, he was given a rundown of the layout to the castle. The training had been very thorough, intense, and he came out of it with a bit more knowledge of it all. Still, on his own, the place felt forboding and oppressive which made clear sense as to why. Still, he had a job to do as well as his mission that meant he needed to get comfortable here and quickly. He had just visited the office where they were to go to clock in, he had just gotten his keys when he turned. Not paying attention to where he was stepping he nearly collided with another body. He was quick enough to step to the side which avoided any major hit. "My apologies, I didn't see you there." He said quickly, taking a step back as to create space between them. "Are you alright?"

@krovscastlestarters

[bastardfae]

with the single, precious hour permitted for freedom from the oppressive air of the undercroft, arnon had taken it upon himself to indulge in a little reconnaissance, traversing the winding corridors of the castle with a keen eye. as much as it irked him, he knew a closer eye was being kept on him following his return by those higher up the food chain. his previous escape had been a meticulous affair with months prior devoted entirely to mapping out the few weak spots both in and outside the castle. there was no doubt in his mind that the security around the place–both magically-influenced and otherwise–had tripled, if not quadrupled, since that day. he lost himself to his thoughts as he wandered the once-familiar corridors, recounting his father’s words of maintaining a sense of calm and presenting himself accordingly when it came to dealing with those on the opposing side, no matter how strongly his vendetta remained burning within him. since being dragged back, it had only intensified and arnon had spent hours ruminating in the oppressive atmosphere of the undercroft scheming and plotting, his determination overriding all logical trains of thought. the collision with another body caught him entirely off-guard and arnon muttered a string of curses under his breath, fixing the stranger with an accusatory scowl before catching himself, taking a step back to scan his gaze over the unfamiliar face. it wasn’t one he recognised from the undercroft which meant only one thing: this was one of the many on the castle’s payroll. such a fact immediately put a bitter taste in arnon’s mouth and he scoffed, giving a dismissive shrug of his shoulders in response. “just peachy,” he bit back, not ready to lower his defenses no matter how cordial the stranger seemed to be, “you new around here? don’t recognise you from the roster from my last stint.”

[dez-spade]

Desmond struggled with sitting still ever since he'd arrived in the castle. It'd only been a day but he quickly caught onto the routine: stay in the Undercroft unless rented out or, in his case now, allowed outside for the oh-so generous hour slaves were allowed. He didn't intend on sticking around this place long, even though logically knew escaping Krovs Castle was near fucking impossible. Still, he'd been in some tough situations before and this collar around his neck didn't negate any of his skills or abilities. It'd take more than a day to figure out a solid escape plan though...

He paused in his pacing back and forth feeling eyes on him. "Why don't you take a picture? It might last longer," Dez said, perhaps a little sharper than he intended. He really hated being trapped in this godforsaken place.

@krovscastlestarters

[bastardfae]

“was jus’ wonderin’ if you were plannin’ on wearin’ a groove into the ground with all that pacing,” arnon replies lethargically, his gaze locked onto the other in muted curiosity. since being hauled back into the undercroft, arnon’s usual spark had dimmed significantly but his watchful eye remained intact and it didn’t take a genius to recognise a coiled spring ready to snap at a moment’s notice. “penny for your thoughts?” he shifts to sit upright, his head cocking curiously to one side as he assesses the sight before him, “somethin’s clearly on your mind. i’ve got nothin’ but time to listen if you felt like sharin' with the class.”

[evclex]

The bell in his shop rang and Eirik hardly looked up. "If you're here to make a request, there's a form on the counter. If not, feel free to look around. Careful with the charms, they truly work and I would hate for you to not know what you're touching." He murmured as he jotted down some notes while looking through one of his archives. When he finally did look up to see someone standing there, he nodded. "Unless you need me personally?"

@krovscastlestarters

[bastardfae]

using the single hour permitted for the facade of freedom to request a trip into the town, arnon kept his grumbling to a minimum as he was escorted into the once-familiar grounds. he’d idly explored a number of shops at a leisurely pace, finding immense pleasure in dragging the guard assigned to him from place to place. the last remaining destination was a shop arnon didn’t recognise, undoubtedly one that had sprung up in his absence. breezing in, he cast his gaze over the books and journals atop the shelving closest to him, immediately drawing closer to get a closer look. at once, an idea materialised in his mind. he glanced over his shoulder at the sound of the shopkeeper’s voice and he flashed him the most charming smile he could muster, soon bounding towards the counter. sparing a glance back at the guard assigned to him, arnon soon turned his attention back to the man behind the counter, splaying his palms flat against it as he leaned in, dropping his voice to a low whisper. “bit of an odd one; you got anything in here about the second war? namely the faerie side of things.”

[vicedrft]

GUYS

[disgustinggf]