𝑛𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑑𝑒,

and i,  at the door between worlds.

[casiopiea]

#casiopiea: independent & private shade everhart, a high fantasy original character written by holly. created from original lore and adaptable to most fandoms. 21+ and mutuals only!

this blog uses beta editor + xkit rewritten!

carrd. prompts. headcanons. multi.

[casiopiea]

moving shade back to my multi @lovemaim until i reenter my high fantasy era <3 love and light

[noamateur]

—  it thinks it beat me! but i'm still here! i'm the one who's winning the game! #noamateur

[casiopiea]

though it is not his true birthday, shade celebrates his name day on the 10th day of the cold season - new years eve, in modern verses - throwing an enormous (re)birthday revel at cassiopeia for all to attend. he is both guest of honor and master of ceremonies, putting on a glittering production that lasts from sunrise to sunrise the following day. gifts are not mandatory but highly encouraged.

[casiopiea]

no one takes gift giving more seriously than shade i fear for everyone in modern verse

[casiopiea]

not a protagonist or a companion but a secret third thing (exposition dropping npc that exists to move the story along)

[demxnte]

You gotta walk in rooms like God sent you

[bakwaaas]

as a punishment.

[casiopiea]

WHAT COLOR IS YOUR AURA?

AMARANTH. bundled flowers, ribbon, merlot, overcoats, gemstones, lipstick prints, red velvet. your essence is amaranth: you are engaging and passionate, but never out of place. you do what needs to be done; your confidence is unflinching, least of all when something has slipped beneath your standards. it is hard to live up to the image you imagine others have of you. you are the demonstrator. you are the debutante. you find kinship in like-minded individuals of wine, pearl, noir, and magenta, who share your inner intensity. you are also drawn to the ambitious amethyst and indigo, who will help you grow and inspire your actions. however, you may struggle to get along with the mercurial personalities of teal and bronze who wish to be free spirits.

TAGGED BY: @adamanteine <333 TAGGING: @luminour, @bruisedholy ( wren ), @saintsdawn, @lamourstre, the person reading this!

[casiopiea]

if you hear a rumor about shade chances are it was started by shade himself

[saintsdawn-a]

there’s a beast in the courtyard. its scales are white and dappled. its teeth too sharp with claws scraping against the stone, mirroring the dragons they have all become familiar with. let down your guard, and it might take your hand.

but there stands florence, fingers scratching beneath its chin. ( maker, how did they even get it here? )

open ( for shenanigans ).

[casiopiea]

❝ for me? you shouldn't have. ❞ bemused, he eyes the creature's frothing maw - rows and rows of jagged teeth protrude from all angles of its gaping mouth, incisors sharp enough to cut through pure adamantine - before letting his gaze slide towards the aasimar scratching beneath it. they certainly had a way with beasts. ❝ i hope you're not expecting to bring that thing inside. i just had the carpets reupholstered. ❞ not the strangest offering that had ever been brought to his doorstep, but damn near close.

[casiopiea]

good morning chat!! i have a few errands to run today but i’ll be around later for shade nonsense soooo … consider sending memes

[adamanteine-a]

this scenario feels as if she's stuck in a haunted building, except she seems to have complete possession of herself. all the people involved seem to peek through the window, peering at whatever might be happening. there should be many complicated emotions in the depth of her mind, but it only feels quite revenant to her: one of her unwanted pasts coming back to grab her by the neck. it is what she'd describe as both familiarity and the danger of sitting in front of a stranger. shams imagines that if she were in the throne room, her brother by her side with all eyes on her father, she wouldn't say much of it. it's not that she didn't care much about it— she knows the importance of it all, but it is the warring relations her father had that made her almost lose her life.

it leaves a bitter taste in her mouth when she remembers why she despises all of this. the healed scars on her back burn and she only imagines there's a matching one on her heart, as a reminder. it's worse than a curse placed upon her. it was mere memory of everything that followed her around. she huffs quietly, her gaze is heavy with slight boredom. her soft exhales turn into something that may give her some comfort (except they don't), evaporating within seconds. she tediously redirects her brown irises back at him, observing him like some sort of experiment, scrutinizing his every move. only he isn't doing anything for her to do so. before she realizes it, her fingers involuntarily twitch. almost like it's muscle memory. the only thought she could possibly think of was the fact that he was there. he's always been there.

``     is that so? how terrible of you to say.    `` she tilts her head. her brother once playfully joked to shams that there are few people who will truly know her, but someone she has spent so much time on the battlefield sure might. she remembers the way her fists clenched at her sides, the furrow in her brow coupled with the immediate narrowing of her eyes, along with the slight snarl in her lip and voice pierced his soul as she almost scolded him— it was merely a joke, but she knew he was right. in a blink of an eye, she puts her glass down. she thinks it would be fair to indulge him one last time. how she wants to keep allowing him the last laugh, though she knows there’s no victors in this sick game that’s being played. they've been in this scenario before. it’s only fitting she does the same to him now, but she only holds onto the thought. ``     that is it? no little tricks of yours? interesting.    `` her gaze is sharper this time. ``     you've lost your charm.    ``

[casiopiea]

since striking their bargain, he couldn't quite shake the feeling that they had unwittingly awoken some sort of ancient horror from its slumber. with each meeting they tempt fate, like two young lovers scaling a thorn-riddled trellis for just a chance at a kiss - only their tryst was treason, and they spoke not of poetry but strategy. as with most hazardous arrangements, he had not gone into this lightly. unlike the boy she'd once known, there was nothing shade everhart valued more than himself; self preservation above faith, above honor, above everything. but even after weighing the possible outcomes, after determining there was only one way this story could end, he had shaken her hand - sealing their fate.

each time they clink glasses, coconspirators toasting to their collective demise, to the gilded spikes their heads would adorn should they be discovered. the guild could not intervene in matters of crown or country - if he was caught in bed with the enemy, he would be entirely on his own. which meant there was only one option: don't get caught. thankfully, he has experience on his side. he'd determined long ago that the best way to work in the shadows was to hide in plain sight. fashioning himself the center of attention, the brightest thing in every room, was an bit of performance art he'd spent years perfecting. these days, the role came to him like breathing. he'd donned this mask so long, he had a hard time remembering how he looked beneath it ( but shams did - gods damn her, she remembered ).

❝ you wound me, princess. ❞ pressing a palm to his heart, he clutches tightly at an imaginary strand of pearls. ❝ but you're wrong. i reserve my charms for those i wish to impress, and i already know you find me impressive. ❞ a bit pompous, perhaps, but she had surrendered the upper hand the first time she'd stepped into his club. pleased to have someone to play with, he takes his time in making the first move, relishing the game of it all. it was so rare that shams would entertain his antics, and he wished to savor every moment. ❝ have you ever taken notice of prince wren's hair? it's the most peculiar shade, black as a crow's feather. ❞ not entirely dissimilar to his own obsidian curls - but they weren't here to discuss his secrets. ❝ even through glamour, it's impossible to replicate such a color ... though many have tried. it's the slight navy undertones, i think, causing it to gleam like sapphire in the sunlight. a marvel so rare i've seen it just once before - i presume you've heard of lady sybil, queen vanna's closest confidant. ❞ his words, as always, are expertly curated to skirt the line of slander - but shams was clever enough to read between the lines. to question his heir's legitimacy was to question the king himself, and they both knew how cruel the golden tyrant could be. ❝ your move. ❞

[luminour]

" oh my, someone's awfully needy today, isn't he? " nour replies, amusement finding home in the upturned corners of her mouth. she brushes past shade, not even sparing a glance back, as she makes her way to the real reason she's come to visit. of course, banter with the proprietor of cassiopeia is an added bonus. well, banter and more, really, but who's keeping score?

basil seems thrilled with her offering, already starting to nibble at a particularly plump carrot with delight. at last, she turns her attentions back to the fae who she finds stewing across the room with the sort of immaturity she should find unattractive. instead, for some gods-fated reason, she only finds herself even more endeared — how delightfully horrific.

" i come with no offering for you, everheart, " nour teases, winding her way back towards him, " why on aether would you think i would? "

[casiopiea]

shade, who considered himself a perfectly adequate amount of needy, merely waves off the remark, the trove of jewels on his fingers glinting in the late afternoon sun - the sapphire on his second digit the brightest of all. ❝ playing coy, are we? ❞ he cannot help himself, abandoning his seat - and the pile of correspondence sitting untouched on the desk - and sidling up behind her. slipping his hands around her waist, he pulls her against his chest and presses his lips to her ear. ❝ don't think i haven't noticed the two of you whispering behind my back - conspiring. ❞ basil was his most loyal familiar, the oldest of all in his employ, and it would take more than a few silly bushels to sway his favor!

❝ if you're going to poach one of my staff, might i suggest nocturina? ❞ this he whispers, throwing a sour glance towards the famously ill-mannered raven, who appeared to have heard every word and began clacking her beak furiously. at the sound, basil spared a glance up from his carrots, but quickly lost interest. one day, these creatures were going to be the death of him. that is, if nour didn't kill him first. ❝ she's a bit prickly around the feathers, but you won't find a better seamstress this side of the strait. ❞

[casiopiea]

"This gift or this curse I have inside, maybe at last, I'll know why."

❝ in my experience, it's best not to get bogged down in the why of it all. ❞ gifts and curses - in aether, they were believed to be one in the same. the mother gave and took in equal measure, rarely bestowing a blessing untouched by calamity. nature was fickle, but fair. if there was a balance to be struck, she would see it done. of course, there's no need to explain to this particular audience. if anyone knew how to exist in the between spaces, it was the hylian princess. she sought not a name for the affliction, but a reason. ❝ deep truths are seldom pretty. when seeking answers, one rarely comes out the other side unscathed. ❞ his tone is uncharacteristically grave, but given the circumstances, it feels appropriate. he's not in the business of giving unsolicited advice to solicitors, but he has a vested interest in this one. ❝ the choice, of course, is yours to make. should you wish to continue down this path, my services are at your disposal. ❞

[casiopiea]

— at the door between worlds. #casiopiea

[casiopiea]

yes some of my drafts are old enough to qualify for a senior discount yes i will be replying to them anyway no you do not have to continue anything you're no longer feeling this has been a psa

[foxballad]

Now that is a very strange but interesting customer ; and Evangeline showed surprise with his words although, living in Valorfell, you can experience magic literally anywhere. But what caught Evangeline’s attention was the mention of a different realm. “ If that is true, you’ve come to the right place then. ” She started to say and there was a light breeze coming from the window, a light sound and the pulse of magic could be felt too, like the house has talked and pleased with what the stranger said. “ Valorfell is a city full of magic, tales and curses— especially where we are right now. ” Evangeline continued. The Hollow is located inside, where they used to call, The Cursed Forest ( although it is not cursed anymore, the forest is a living being on its own ). “ If you came from another realm….. ” If time travel is possible through magic, perhaps different realms exist as well, right ? “ You might need a place to stay until you can return to it. ” Evangeline is not sure if this is how it works but she couldn’t help much except offer him a place to stay.

[casiopiea]

even a city-dweller such as himself was not immune to the call of the wild - and so, like his ancestors before him, shade finds it easy to slip into nature's soothing grasp. gliding his fingertips over the ornately carved sill, his eyes flutter shut as he takes in the sound of breeze rustling through the trees that gave this place life. aether was rife with enchanted forests - bewitching landscapes dotted with weeping cherries and glittering streams, woods all manner of living creature called home - but this place felt different. it was as though the forest itself was sentient, and this hollow its living, beating heart. ❝ curses? naturally, for the loveliest places are usually the most foreboding. ❞ curses, unhappily, fell under guild jurisdiction; he makes a mental note to inquire further after settling in.

whimsy thoroughly extinguished, he drifts back over to the check-in desk, shifting his attention towards the mortal perched behind it ❝ you have quite the entrepreneurial spirit ... i like that in a mortal. one room, please! ❞ reaching for his guild-issued coin pouch - flush with gold enchanted to match any realm's currency - he realizes in that moment that he is entirely without. a feeling he did not miss, though his features betray no such panic. instead, he offers a winsome smile, relying on his fiendish charm to see this through. ❝ i hope payment on departure will suffice? i'm typically well-prepared, but this venture was admittedly unexpected. ❞