dependent multimuse for calamityfm as written by thyme. ft. jaehwan chwe, high lord of the night court & lysander andora, second-youngest child of the andora family
She had to agree; the entire situation was absurd and on par with any dramatic performance. If this had been written as fiction, Tyatha might have enjoyed the story. But this was real. The bloodshed depicted that day was undeniable. “Something to this scale would have had some signs,” she reasoned, hoping to make some sense out of the chaos. She gave a weak smile before continuing, “ I suppose I’m still in shock. You seem to be handling this well, though.”
“ maybe, ” they concede, “ but someone capable of things like that would surely be invested in covering their tracks, so the signs wouldn’t last forever. ” and if you don’t know what you’re looking for, it’s easy to end up with a pile of irrelevant things that send you off on a wild goose chase. “ well, i wasn’t in the room at the time, so it’s easier for me to distance myself from it all. ” lyle is well-practiced in concealing their feelings, and inoculated against the fear that comes with assassinations. not that they’d share that information with her, of course.
She fights through the pounding of her head as she tries to focus her blurry vision on him, a highfae no doubt, however she could not place him. to which court he belonged. she had never been good at doing such things, specially not as her brain was slowly trying to find its place back in her head. “i was not…” she wasn’t sure she could’ve called that emptiness sleeping, more like in limbo, “it’s alright. things are chaotic.” she wasn’t even sure how chaotic either, were her siblings okay? who was handling the affairs of their home? her mind began to raise even as she tried to quiet it. “i would be inclined to accept, but it seems they have already sowed it shut. if i was left alone i’m sure they expect me to live.” she tries to master a half smile, unsure if it came to the corners of her lips as she eyes him, she scoots up sitting down to face him better. “pardon me, i don’t seem to remember you.” she apologizes shily. “are you alright?” she wonders, peering at his form.
“ that they are, ” they murmur as they rifle through a drawer, thinking about the staff and guards throughout the palace all scrambling to bring back some semblance of order. “ i’m no medical expert, but if it was bad enough to need stitches, you should probably get a magical healer to look at it. ” she makes a good point, but they’re also aware just how run off their feet the healers are, so they could have conceivably only left her alone because something even more urgent occurred. ( and humans are so frighteningly fragile, so easily slain or fatally wounded ) “ i’m fine, it’s just a scratch. ” they should introduce themself, but — the anonymity is nice, and they can’t help but feel like she would be more cautious or distant if she knew just who she was talking to.
after spending who knows how long within the confines of the bone prison , lilith had been blind to most of the on - goings in the world but this … the icy soldiers of the court she had now called home was not all that unfamiliar . she was old enough to know stories , to recall something similar but it should’ve been impossible and truthfully it was the last thing on her mind as she moved through people ignoring the irony smell of blood that lingered over the lost and injured . they certainly were not going to sit around like a duck , waiting for those things to return . “ i don’t suppose there is another place to go , preferably with more effective guards . “ truthfully , they simply wanted to leave but knew it was not an option not now .
they’ve managed to piece together the barest skeleton of a story from the traumatised rambling of the wounded and the whispers of the crowds, but lysander is still thoroughly confused as to what the fuck happened here by the time they encounter the winter court’s hand. “ well, i don’t think the guards could really stop you if you wanted to go elsewhere, ” they say, “ though if you’re looking for more effective guards, you’re probably out of luck. ” the best of the best are with their respective lords and ladies, no doubt, and the guards stationed here are almost certainly the best meridian has to offer. “ you don’t seem like the kind to be bothered by a bit of blood and gore, though. ”
if valyra had belonged to any other court she knows the laugh that tumbles from her lips would be violently inappropriate — there was no doubt in jaehwan or their capabilities but gods knew she had no clue how deal with undead ice soldiers . “ you can send me . “ she suggests plainly , knowing she would fear the loss of her own spies if they’d become assigned to a mission like this . it was not that she doubted anyone in their court but the experience differed , if it was dangerous for the high lords … how much worse could it get ? “ not a thing so far but i’ll keep asking , i’ve got a few loose strings to tie up in malacia . i can extend my reach outside the courts , with your permission of course . “
“ i don’t doubt your capabilities, ” jaehwan says, “ but— please be careful, val. ” they could make some impassioned plea, could talk about how nobody knows what she’d be getting herself into — but at the end of the day, the fact remains that they aren’t going to know anything more about their enemy unless someone investigates, and valyra has the skills to avoid getting caught. “ i’d rather you come back alive and in one piece with no information, than get hurt. ” there’s an unspoken or worse, not come back at all tacked on the end of that. they nod along with her final statement, “ of course that’s fine, you don’t need to ask permission for something that simple. ”
“I’ve heard nothing of this before now.” If anyone were to have a hint of the bloodbath that was coming that day, it should have been her. Tyatha had been able to avoid physical injury, but her pride was wounded and she hated the idea of having missed a crucial piece of information. Her frustrations had taken her outside, away from the lingering tensions that hung in the air. The appearance of a strange woman, claiming to be the true heiress of the Dream Court and flanked by reanimated corpses, brought a dangerous predicament. “How could something like this happen, and no one knew anything?”
“ well, it’s hardly the kind of thing people would be looking out for, ” lyle says with a laugh. “ i mean — secret heir, necromancy... it’s like something out of a stage play. ” they’re just as frustrated as her, to have not heard anything at all about this, but they doubt that most of their informants would have the vocabulary to articulate if they did see something like that. and it is rather improbable, the kind of odd story they would never expect to see play out in real life. “ don’t beat yourself up about it. ”
“ woah, what the hell happened here ? ” he’d literally ducked out of the room for a few minutes to talk to an informant ( dymia, a sparrow he rescued from a cat a few weeks prior ) and now there are dead and injured people everywhere. which– well, they’re glad they did duck out, because lyle is not a fighter. their eyes catch on one particular body. “ holy shit, is that the high lord ? ”
‣ LYSANDER ANDORA / second-youngest child of the andora family
one hundred and ninety years old
spy for the spring court
nonbinary + they/he
. 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚃𝙸𝚂𝚃𝙸𝙲𝚂
given name : lysander
surname : andora
nickname : lyle
age : one hundred and ninety
place of birth : floris, the spring court.
gender : nonbinary
pronouns : they / he
orientation : bisexual
species : faerie
powers : winnowing, shapeshifting into and speaking to animals, immunity to poisons and toxins
height : 1.75 m / 5′9″
eyes : green
hair : brown, long and curly. often braided and tied back.
distinguishing features : eyes, pointed ears.
clothing style : if it’s green and has gratuitous amounts of decoration and loose fabric, it’s probably in their wardrobe. also wears a lot of earthy colours.
. 𝙿𝙾𝚆𝙴𝚁𝚂
winnowing : teleportation, accompanied by the sound of a gust of wind.
animal shapeshifting : the ability to turn into animals.
speaking to animals : the ability to understand and be understood by animals.
immunity to poisons and toxins : the inability to be harmed by any kind of naturally produced poison or toxin.
. 𝙿𝙴𝚁𝚂𝙾𝙽𝙰𝙻𝙸𝚃𝚈
always happy to greet people with a smile and friendly questions, yet quick to snap at anyone who criticises them or those those to whom their loyalty lies, lysander’s prowess at spying comes mostly from their ability to commune with animals — birds, reptiles and insects whose loyalty was bought with treats after being rescued from traps or kitchens. they are ruthless, willing to use anything and anyone to achieve their goals — fortunately for the continent of vessir, lyle’s goals aren’t world domination or anything so exciting, just the guarantee of a comfortable life for as long as they live.
. 𝙱𝙸𝙾𝙶𝚁𝙰𝙿𝙷𝚈
lysander andora was the third child of the high lord and lady of the spring court. he always had an affinity for animals, regularly found in the gardens with half a dozen pets of all species around them. as they grew, they learned to shift into these animals, and quickly figured out that the form of a cat was highly conducive to sneaking in and out of the manor — this became a favourite pasttime of lyle’s, sneaking out and sitting atop a sunlit wall in the marketplace in the shape of a tortoiseshell cat with vibrant green eyes.
when their education began, lysander gravitated immediately towards botany. being immune to poisons and toxins made it easy for him to learn what deadly plants might taste like in food, which gave way to figuring out how to disguise those flavours when trying to poison someone else — though they did that outside their lessons, to avoid concerning their teacher, and dedicated lesson time to learning about healing with plants.
lyle was ninety when elva was assassinated, and the loss hit them hard. their sister had always been a pillar of the family, it was bad enough coming to terms with the fact that she was getting married and leaving the court — and then she was gone gone, and lysander just felt lost. to deal with this, he threw himself into gathering intelligence, trying to find the culprit and planning retribution. their admirable work ethic and aptitude for spying drew the attention of the league of spies, giving the noble a new purpose and helping them to work past their loss.
She supposed there were a variety of answers. Within the folds of her gown where her hands stayed hidden, the digits of her fingers had not yet ceased their tremble— and her heart had not stopped its relentless attempt to keel against the ribs of her chest. She felt fury, the bite of it at the back of her throat in a place that seemed ready to let loose a howl: someone had had the very audacity to strike upon a High Lord in his own home, surrounded by every person of importance in all the courts of the continent. It could have very well been their own home, it could have been Ceryse, or herself. Her dark gaze churned with a thousand feelings, scenarios, and emotions but when Iseult fixed her gaze upon Jaehwan and their injured wing, she shuttered it all away.
“You’re injured.” An observation, instead of an answer. Perhaps she was better suited for the Winter Court, in the way that she offered a front to them that was otherwise a solid sheet of ice. One hand extended, and all her will kept it from trembling. “Can I see?” She could heal, a little bit— a gift from her court and taught to her when she had been patient enough to listen from her mother. It was an olive branch, extended out to someone she would have otherwise considered to not deserve it. What a gift it must be, Iseult had thought once, to have wings. Now, she looked upon the High Lord and felt pity: what a curse it must be to have wings, but be robbed of the ability to fly.
“ it’s nothing, ” they say, “ just a scratch. ” if she wishes to avoid others’ concern, they will not push her — but they will do the same. it’s not as if they’re lying, in any case — now that it’s stitched, the gash is closing easily enough. ( do they trust the high lady of the day court, to heal someone she has no reason to help or to trust ? ) nonetheless, jaehwan stretches out their injured wing, showing it to her. the tear isn’t small by any means, a vertical line stretching almost halfway through the membrane of the outermost segment, but it’s been stitched neatly closed with a black thread they conjured from shadows ( and which will conveniently dissolve back into shadows when they want it to, less difficult to work with than the conventional catgut that non-magical healers use ) and if it weren’t for the pale ridged edges as the membrane fuses back together, it would be nearly invisible. not really just a scratch, but close enough to it in their books. “ truly, it’ll heal on its own, you needn’t bother yourself over it. ” it feels wrong, even though she’s clearly offering, to take advantage of iseult’s powers without doing something in return — but there isn’t anything they can really offer her, not of the same value at least. state secrets are rather more valuable than a little healing, and most of their skills are hardly unique.
open starter from althea miselear — infirmary room. ( @calamitystart )
Althea ears still rung from the screams and commotion that had taken over the once beautiful hall of her home. the lady had been in the middle of the dance floor when the room had been filled with the dark presense of that beautiful woman, frozen by her beauty but also by the danger she could clearly see in her eyes. by the time she had realized what was happening it had been too late. she had tried to get to her father, but the room seemed bigger than she had remember as she had not been able to close the distance before their eyes had met and he had lost that light of his life. sorrow, it was all she could feel as she tried to escape the safety of her the guard to get to the body of her father. and just when she broke free she had come face to face with the enemy. she was no warrior, but she would join her father and in that she found solace. the dagger had come clean to her side, in fact she had not felt it due to the adrenaline. but all the same she had fallen to the floor. her consciousness had been blurred until she had come to herself to a very familiar room, although it was the first time she occupied a bed. lost in her thoughts it was a sound that brought her back to her present. “who is there?” her voice shakes.
“ i apologise for waking you, ” jaehwan says, stepping into the room proper as they push the door fully open and wince at its creak. no wonder she was startled, it’s hardly a pleasant noise. she didn’t seem to be asleep, but they are well aware that people can sleep with their eyes open — though given the circumstances, they suspect it was more waking from a shock. seeing one’s father killed in front of one would be rather traumatic. “ you can relax, there are plenty of guards outside to prevent anyone who means you ill from entering. ” nobody is taking any chances, not after what happened. “ do you want me to get a healer ? ” it would defeat the purpose of them coming here, to find a needle and thread and avoid the incessant offers to heal their wing ( they don’t want it healed, not if it means healers wasting energy on them when there are actually wounded people around. they can stitch the gash themself, and it’ll be closed within the week — it’s not severe ) but althea, human as she is, may well need attention.
“i imagine enzo will have taken her to her chambers.” because it was so much easier to answer the latter question than acknowledge the truth of the first. did she need help? yes. what sort of help that was, she wasn’t entirely sure. ilarya had never seen battle, never seen true bloodshed. now it was hard just to close her eyes without seeing the council meeting. without seeing her own flesh torn by that damned icicle. “i’m heading to my own if you’d like to walk together. though, i must warn you, i’m not so steady on my feet at the moment.” subconsciously, her hand moved to the wound on her left side. it wasn’t a direct plea for help, but she hoped they’d see through the ‘i’m fine’ facade.
they nod in thanks, hoping that her being in her rooms and not the infirmary means that she wasn’t too badly hurt. jaehwan and samiris may not be close — they aren’t really close with anyone outside their court, or even most within their court — but they’ve come to care a little for their ally. “ don’t strain yourself, ” they say, “ here– ” shadows coalesce into a staff, which they hold out to her. “ i’ll come with you just in case. ” they hadn’t expected her to want their help, but they’re not urgently needed anywhere and they’d rather like to make sure that ilarya doesn’t collapse in a hallway somewhere.
their shadow-black cloak—draped carefully over the very edges of their shoulders, not enough to make them uncomfortably warm in the mild weather of meridian but enough to protect against small chills—brushes against the stone of the floor as a breeze wafts through the room, the sound comforting to one who has spent much of their life amongst mountains, where wind and cold are more or less a constant and their palace is plagued with draughts. “ well ? to what do i owe the pleasure ? ”
“ how the fuck are we supposed to deal with this, ” they say, not so much a question as a statement of how overwhelmed they are by this situation. “ if we send people to investigate, who’s to say they won’t come back like that ? ” jaehwan is spiraling, they’re aware of that, but — they’ve only held the throne for a century, they’ve never dealt with a crisis like this before. they’d mentally prepared themself for blight, and instead there’s this, a threat they cannot possibly catalogue because it is so outside any of their knowledge. “ i don’t suppose any of your spies heard about anything that could be connected, did they ? ” they ask with a sigh, taking a few deep breaths in an effort to cling to sanity.
“ do you need help ? ” the question spills from their lips before jaehwan has time to think it through. it’s a foolish question — they don’t know each other that well, aside from the inevitable base familiarity all the high nobility have with one another, and jaehwan’s reputation precedes them everywhere they go; they’re not exactly the helping kind. but the offer is out in the air now, so they have to wait for an answer. “ and if not, have you seen your sister anywhere ? ”
Jaehwan was her high lord, it felt like her responsibility to keep him safe and sound at all time. however above all else he was her friend, they had been each others companion for long years, through thick and thin. it was why it felt more like a failure as she stood there watching the injury on his wing. it was like pouring salt over the scars of her own wings, those wings she kept tucked away with a glamour, it almost palpitated as if they were fresh. “i am sorry my lord, i should’ve prevented this.” nyx falls to one knee near him, her eyes burn with her own disappointment. she blinks away the few tears that bottle up trying to roll down her cheeks, but she contains them, eyes glued to the wall behind him.
jaehwan sighs, shaking their head. this is why they hate getting injured — their friend is so quick to place the blame on herself, as if she can possibly hope to fully counter their tendencies to put others’ wellbeing before their own. “ do not blame yourself for my mistakes, ” they say firmly, hoping that phrasing it like an order rather than a request from a friend might encourage her to actually listen. “ i made the conscious decision to block a strike with my wing — it’s not your fault that your high lord is a fool. ” there had been an enemy bearing down on a frightened civilian, and they had known that they wouldn’t be able to parry the attack properly, so they had stretched out a wing to bat the person to safety, blocking the enemy’s sword slash at the same time. unfortunately, the membrane isn’t quite thick enough to block a direct strike from a sword — but they had been expecting it to hit bone, so coming away with only a gash seems like nothing to them. “ besides, it could have been much worse. all this needs is a few stitches to hold it together while it heals, and everything will be fine. ” they know that nyx’s reaction is not just because of their injury, that it stems from her own past, but hopefully the reminder that it isn’t severe will help her stop fretting. “ are you injured at all ? ” just as she should probably not trust them to put their own wellbeing first, they do not trust that she would see to her own injuries before theirs if she were harmed.
the small garden courtyard in which they sit is one of the few spaces in the meridian palace not filled with people cleaning, healing or otherwise helping to restore order after the attack. an ideal place, then, for jaehwan to try to settle their thoughts. the mystery assailant last night gave them much to think about — and a lot of questions for their father — and they have never been good at thinking in noisy places. at home, they would usually take refuge on a well-hidden rooftop or cliff face, but their wings are in no condition to be flying, and the people of meridian are probably not used to grown adults on rooftops.
their thoughts are interrupted by the sound of footsteps, a familiar figure coming into their peripheral vision. “ lady iseult, ” they greet, “ how are you ? ”
“ oh yes, i should consider myself fortunate a high lord spared poor old me, how lucky i am that my life is still completely in your hands ! ” eragon was not doing a great job at keeping himself in check any more. he was definitely mocking one of the most powerful fae in vessir, so it was now clear that he did not fear them or death, but he did have leverage. one jaehwan did not seem to be aware of. he had his sister’s wings, and if they had known that, perhaps he would be in a torture chamber already. though he doubted this castle even had one as it would defy the whole purpose of this court. “ do not choke on your power, jaehwan. ” lips pressed tightly together, he let his darkness appear behind him, let it show and watch the two of them, feeding off the tension. “ why don’t you simply ask her ? samiris knows more than you’d like her to. ” eragon knew they wouldn’t ask, as they cared deeply about sustaining good political relationships and would not dare to question another court’s hand for personal reasons. he knew them and their court well, which is why he understood how his existence was a stress for them. he could share a lot of the secrets the night court had, but there has been no need for him to do that yet. their question brought out a laugh in eragon, but he became more aware of how close his hand was to a weapon, hidden in those illyrian leathers. “ oh, how convenient would it be for you to also frame me. please ! do tell me, who this delusional creature, who i was sighted by, is ? as i have not even seen the border in years. ”
they are backed into a corner, and they have done it themself. jaehwan’s teeth grit with frustration as the shadows in the room writhe in tune with their emotions, and they try hard not to snarl. don’t threaten the hand of the autumn lady, you need that alliance. “ you have no right to say my name with such familiarity, ” they say with all the coldness they can muster—hard, when their current temper is more akin to a stormy summer night, hot and full of static electricity, but essential in keeping up appearances. “ forgive me for wishing to ensure my peer is aware of the viper hiding in her court. ” at his denial of their accusation, jaehwan narrows their eyes, takes a deep breath to calm themself and then pulls a sheaf of paper from beneath their coat and holds it out for the other to take. “ i have no interest in framing you for anything—you’re not that important. ” not to the court, at least. jaehwan still feels strongly about the whole thing, but their personal feelings have never been a factor in decisions about ruling. if they were to frame him for anything, it would be something petty and personal, like taking the last slice of cake. “ but this report is quite clear, and you can imagine why i might trust my people over you. ” they’re no fool, they’ve investigated the possibility of someone lying to them—but without a clear motive, it’s hard to know who in the court might attempt such a thing. and they had intended to ask someone else to approach him about it, but then the topic had come up by accident and they figure this is easier than apologising. “ so. tell me plainly. why should i believe you ? ”
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