* to be icarian.

𝐂𝐋𝐘𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀 - 𝐈𝐏𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐀 - 𝐓𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐍 oh, the snow in the moonlight. and your childlike eyes and your d i s t a n t smile -- i’ll never be this happy again.

[ofnightcourts]

elias is full of pride as he watches iphigenia in the sky. there is always that same feeling that swells in his heart when he watches her grow and learn, reaching heights higher and further than he'd ever imagined for her. it is love, that much is clear, and he's certain that it shows on his face as he grins at her.

" it was quite impressive, " he says with a laugh, jogging to her side just to make sure she's alright. he is doting, and he checks her head and her wings for any sign of injury - fussing. " you think you could beat me in a race ? " he asks, though he is mostly teasing.

elias offers her a hand to help her up, still grinning to himself at her fall. " what's the longest you've been in the air ? "

[heightstm]

iggy sits while he does his check-up, trying not to giggle while he dotes on her but a startled laugh escapes her at that idea. as if it were even possible ! he'd used to hoist her up on his back — carrying her during especially long travels when she'd been much scrawnier. her wings really hadn't grown much since then. ❝  depends ! has old age caught up with you yet ?  ❞

it was nice having her dad around. he always had a level head and open arms waiting for her whenever she felt especially down. it was like he had a sixth sense for whenever she needed him. which was to say: all the time.

❝  don't know what my new record is, but not to brag — i do this daily. not the falling, thanks. the flying. please hold your applause, papa. ❞ she holds a palm to her head. ❝  i can't think over how proud you are of me.  ❞

[wcrsening]

𝑨𝑵𝒀 𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑵𝑪𝑬 𝑶𝑭 𝑺𝑨𝑳𝑽𝑨𝑮𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑯𝑰𝑺 less-than-cool composure was shattered at the sight of the squirming, fluffy ball of white. vitto's face broke into a rare, unbridled grin as his eyes fell straight to the ermine— perhaps the one and only being who could win his attention over clem's ( a feat snowball was certainly aware she'd achieved, the spoiled little thing ).

the moment is short-lived, for it only takes one glance at the smile on clem's face — a mirror to his own in that moment, so bright and warm and happy — to knock the breath from his lungs. his smile slipped away with it. hi vee. all the training or battlefield experience in the world couldn't have prevented the flicker of emotion that flashed across his face right then. pained, haunted ; as if he were remembering a battlefield, a fallen soldier. clytemnestra, for all vitto loved her, was like a living, walking ghost that tested the limits of his strength every single day.

sometimes he viewed it that way. from the perspective of a commander. the only way he'd ever been taught to think. vitto wasn't taught to feel, but trained to strategize. not to learn names, but to count heads. to rationalize, because commanders did not have the luxury of indecision. he'd failed clytemnestra in that way, with his own weakness. if he hadn't been so eager to please his father, to please kardan—

the thought of it made him sick. sometimes physically so. if the whole tragic situation were a battlefield, then clem was a soldier he'd errantly sent to the grave. if he'd made a different call, any call, maybe he could have saved her.

and mother above, how he hated the sound of his name on her lips. it was enough to jolt vitto back to reality. he forced his gaze elsewhere— the carpet, the window, the mountains beyond. anywhere but her, so radiant and beautiful and so fucking happy to see him.

he swallowed and forced himself to meet her eyes again, this time with the colder neutrality he'd learned to adapt. the hard set of his jaw couldn't be helped. discussing kardan with clem, even in the most trivial of manners, would never get easier for him.

"no. he's— " vitto paused, brow furrowing slightly as it occurred to him that kardan clearly did not extend the courtesy of sharing his whereabouts with his wife, even in such uncertain circumstances. bastard. vitto sucked a breath in through his teeth, stuffing his hands into his pockets to hide his clenched fists. "i'm. . . not at liberty to discuss the high lord's schedule." silence stretched between them, broken only by snowball's excited chattering, blissfully unaware. vitto realized, then, that he had no real excuse to be there. "are you— do you need anything?"

[heightstm]

quick as putting out a flame, he is gone. his walls up, effectively locking her out. her demeanor wilts — the warm smile fades as she adjusts her hold of the ermine.

if she had boys, she would raise them gently. there would be none of this coldness in their upbringing. none of this fear of life itself. she worried for all of them. for kardan, for sorin, for vitto. what kind of people would they bring into the world ? clem would make sure her children would never fear warmth in the way that the men that would surround them did. at least she thought she would. if clem would be so lucky to have them.

was it love or loyalty that brought vitto to her doorstep ? to this day, he was a puzzle. he loved her, but let her marry another man. he loved her, but went to the bed of the dusk court. he loved her, but could not swear it in front of his father. he'd rather damn them both to shame than use his spine. but … how could she fault him ? clytemnestra had made the same choice. their failure was a shared shame, sealed by their cowardice. she was owned no closeness beyond an arms length.

clem answers the question herself to save the heartache. loyalty, she decides. loyalty to the throne. her jealousy was an unfair weight to his ankles. he was allowed to find his own happiness beyond her. ❝ then… ❞ she tries not to get sucked into his iciness, tone light, ❝ did you come all this way to ask if i need assistance ? ❞

time had yet to make the distance between them bearable, but clem held out hope that it would. soon she would no longer be so moonstruck in his presence, unaffected by his changing moods and unafflicted with the love sickness that made her mind dizzy with sweet memories.

❝ snowball was going to take me for a walk, ❞ but she’d rather not be seen with the commander. who knew what conclusions people would come to ? weighing between the two options, clem pushes the door open wider. ❝ maybe you’d like to join us for tea instead ? ❞ they’d been perfectly successful hiding their history, let the tale of their love remain as a sweet bedtime story to lull her to sleep.

[wcrsening]

𝐀 𝐆𝐔𝐏𝐏𝐘. 𝑭𝑰𝑳𝑶𝑴𝑬𝑵𝑨 𝑯𝑨𝑫 𝑻𝑶 suppress a smile. a struggle which became immensely easier when titan sandwiched into the booth beside her, effectively gobbling up a good portion of her elbow room. to make that point rather obvious, she dug an elbow into his ribs. as if he were the sole distraction in the increasingly raucous bar. fia scoured the room with narrowed eyes, taking in the drunken crowd. good. just as she wanted them.

lugging her haul of books all the way back to her quarters seemed far too daunting, but she hadn't wanted to risk being seen with such materials— assuming any of the prythianites could even identify the language, much less decipher it. still, the stack of clearly ancient books would be enough to raise eyebrows amongst any sober and inquisitive crowd. filomena had taken great care in scouting out the one place where no one would question her about a book, nor later remember if they had. and yet—- here was titan.

filomena turned her head to look at him head on, raising an eyebrow. "none of your fucking business," she responds swiftly, maintaining the same mock brevity as before. her eyes didn't leave his as she slammed the book closed, then reached for his drink and sipped it as casually as if it were her own.

"unless. . . you've actually happened to learn something from your sister?" if there was anyone's help she could use, it was calliope's. the far more preferable of the siblings, in filomena's humble opinion. before titus could even answer, fia scoffed. "nevermind. i doubt you could help. these texts are far too old. far too complicated." queue the saccharine smile that she knew would press his buttons.

[heightstm]

titan ( dramatically ) doubles over in pain — holy fuck did that hurt ! was she surgically mutilated with knives for elbows ? fuck. nuts, bolts and sharp ass fucking elbows. he composes himself as he settles back into the booth, trying not to show weakness. filomena could smell it, he feared. he tries to hold back his horror at sharing his drink with her but he's an open book.

it wasn’t like he was dumb ! he’d gotten into crescent city university all on his own. CCU represent ! and titan was doing his own research. was calliope’s better ? yes. did that deter him ? no ! he was perfectly okay with playing second fiddle. anthropological research was a slow burn anyway. it was all about immersing yourself. keeping your research subjects comfortable with you in order to observe them in their natural habitat.

❝ why’re you interested in cal’s research ? ❞ was she… did filomena want to steal his sister’s research ? he’d have to talk to calliope about that when he got back to their hostel. he hadn’t been worried about sharks in the water at all. hadn’t crossed his radar. didn’t think the prythians were smart enough, honestly. had they miscalculated ? ❝ do you even know what plastic is? what’s pollution got to do with ancient prythian ? ❞

his eyes narrow. ❝ what would ancient prythian even look like ? ❞ the book looks non-descript — its only identifier is that it looks old as hell. and if they had an ancient prythian… how old was the civilization attached to that ? compared to midgard, prythian looked like it was in the medieval times.

[heightstm]

𝐓𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐍 + 𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐔𝐒 ( closed for @ravenflcmes )

contrary to popular belief, titan didn’t find the cold-interviewing to be as humiliating as most would assume. yes, the rejection sucked when it came to it, but he found himself making lots of friends. it probably helped that he walked around shirtless. he didn’t think it was so bad to do here; especially considering most of the fae seemed to favour sheer designs that left little to the imagination. he often wondered if he and his sister were regressing mer progress — solidifying stereotypes that they were sun-fried kelp brains who would try to make friends with piranhas — but science didn’t leave room for doubt. they were doing important work.

titan takes a page out of his sister’s book, smile oozing charm like ink from a giant squid as he steps into the path of the handsome man with no ulterior motives beyond the spectrum of research.  ❝  pardon me , good sir  — ❞ he'd yet to nail the language. ❝ can i ask you your opinion on plastic ? ❞

[heightstm]

𝐓𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐍 + 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐊 ( closed for @nightfvll )

admittedly , titan knew very little about prythian culture. hence the reason they were here. to learn about prythian culture. there was a lot of trial and error involved in his sister's research and perhaps a number of citizens that they were potentially offending, but it was in the name of science. calliope was here to make her name and titan was here to help her. but also research. but also have fun. mostly have fun.

❛❛ forgive me if this is sensitive information, lord haldar — ❜❜ titan was also confused about the degree of formality when talking of and to the high rulers. ❛❛ but you’re… well, you’re very short. ❜❜ foot was aready in his mouth. might as well full send it. ❛❛ is it genetic ? ❜❜

[a-devious-route]

Courtney Eaton

400*640

(( more ))

[heightstm]

𝐈𝐏𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐀 + 𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐒 ( closed starter for @ofnightcourts )

❝  oh no. nononono  —  ❞ iggy falls to the ground in a magnificent tumble of dust , an embarrassingly amateur land for the emissary. landing is typically a more graceful affair for the careful fey but childish zeal overrides practiced form.  not simply one of her daily attempts to raise her flying stamina , she wanted to show elias her improvement since he'd last seen her. she'd been especially motivated by the Illyrians that creeped around velaris. they were horrifically bulk , making her own wingspan look like chicken wings.

iphigenia sits up, with a sheepish grin. ❝  tell me that didn’t look as bad as it felt.  ❞ 

[supernva]

The laughter that erupted from Calliope is one of pure satisfaction and success, all too pleased with the sounds she's garnered from her brother, and she's far too immersed in their shenanigans to take note of the fae's disapproval. "Titan- don't you dare. You have to tell me! It's basically written in our family creed. Plus it's my right as first-unfreezed and your sister." It was a common joke between them that they were made and not only born. And since they'd been frozen as eggs in the same round before their moms had used IVF- age was a funny concept between them.

[heightstm]

invoking their birth order ? that was a low blow. anyway , it didn't take much to thaw titan's resolve. he had always thought , after beaufort , his sister as his closest confidante , and considering they were stuck in a whole new world together... well ! he simply had no choice ❝ okay , picture this: ❞ he treads closer to calliope , rocking the cold waves up. ❝ i'm hanging out under this bridge , trying to stay out of the sun 'cause i don't want to tan too much and this lady — i dunno , guess she thought she was alone ? comes out of nowhere and just starts screaming ! ❞

[supernva]

Sabina made a quick study of the other fae, noting how she seemed to embody everything an emissary should be. A flicker of annoyance colored her mood while she yet again wondered why she'd been given this position in the first place. The trickle of irritation only strengthened at the mention of her vision, but she schooled her expression into one of calm. "Thankfully you still haven't seen someone faint." It had irked her to appear weak in front of such a large crowd. "Fortunately, I still had consciousness when I was on the ground." Even if it had been a barely there subliminal space that she'd occupied while whispering strange words of the vision. "But now that I've gotten another drink and a few more desserts I'm even better off than before the star fell. I don't think there's anything as healing as a few over-sugared pastries."

[heightstm]

blushed lips quirk upward , an amused smile filling her face. sensitive. ❝ let’s not get lost in the details — we should be celebrating your health. it looked like a nasty tumble from where i stood. ❞ her tone is light and airy , dancing through the landmines laced in her words. iggy delicately lifts her chalice in a gesture of peace , brown eyes watching for another crack in her composure. she found the emissary strange. while she hadn't put her finger to it yet , she had a sneaking suspicion that there was something brewing beneath the surface. no doubt that she was a seer , considering the prophecy had come in tandem with the winter court's seer. unless... were they in agreement ? ❝ it must be so difficult to have visions in tandem with your position at court. i’m surprised they do not hold you closer to home. ❞

[dyingstcr]

after  a  few  days  in  velaris, the  lord  of  the  winter  court  had  already  become  bored  of  the  sights.  it  had  been  interesting  at  first  when  apparently  starfall  hadn't  occurred  as  the  night  court  had  hoped  and  that  something  ominous  was  meant  by  a  single  star  hanging  in  the  sky  almost  taunting  them,  but  since  then  nothing  had  changed  with  the  sparkling  city.  a  simple  fear  tactic  that  had  many  feeling  disconcerting  but  for  the  high  fae  he  wasn't  so  easily  scared  of  such  theatrics.  if  what  he  had  heard  from  rumors  was  true,  was  this  truly  the  best  those  so  called  evils  from  the  midgard  could  do  ?  well  he  wasn't  holding  his  breath  for  anything  worse  unless  they  managed  to  surprise  him.

he  had  taken  to  sitting  on  the  shared  balcony  of  his  family's  quarters,  the  sun  was  warm  and  he  didn't  mind  it  as  much  as  others  might  think,  considering  the  meaning  of  his  name.  he  had  been  avoiding  his  brother  and  his  wife  for  the  most  part  and  he  knew  it  was  a  risk  that  one  of  them  would  come  to  bother  him  while  sitting  out  here.  staring  at  nothing  in  particular  as  he  fiddles  with  one  of  his  daggers,  using  a  stone  to  sharpen  the  blade  as  a  habit  of  his.  hearing  a  shrill  voice  speak  his  name,  sorin  groans  inwardly  knowing  that  his  peace  was  going  to  be  ruined  for  the  day.  apparently  his  sister  in  law  still  wished  to  try  and  have  something  of  a  relationship  with  him,  even  when  he  been  sarcastic  or  cruel  in  his  denial  when  asked  to  spend  time  with  her.

"  do  you  know  how  grating  your  voice  can  sound  sometimes  ?  "  he  grumbles  out  in  response,  knowing  she  has  heard  him.  sorin  had  no  problem  with  being  blunt  around  anyone,  a  common  trait  that  would  only  acknowledge  as  a  few  of  the  things  that  he  and  his  elder  brother  shared.  "  if  i  was  hungry,  i  believe  your  presence  has  made  me  lose  my  appetite.  "

[heightstm]

warm light tickled the tips of her toes as she stands by the door of the balcony. she doesn't dare sit beside him for him for two reasons. one , because she thinks it'll hinder her cause and two , because clem often worried that he was itching to test the sharpness of his blades on her. sorin was more mean than murderous but she'd rather not take her chances.

❝ nonsense ! surely you must be hungry , how else will you maintain all those muscles ? ❞ she laughs off the insult , only a minor dip in her bright smile. with a glass half - full mindset , maybe it was even sorin's twisted way of showing affection. ❝ i'll have them make us something small then , or we can have tea instead ? ❞

catering to the egos of the nihar men was degrading humbling. despite being the lady of the winter court , sought after and admired , neither one allowed her to feel like it. sorin was never one for compliments nor one to mince words , so if he thought her voice was grating , maybe he had a point. ' siblings fought all the time , ' the other ladies said in reassurance, ' this was only natural. ' so , rather than give up her plight , clem continued the fool's errand of finding sorin's good side. even if she never found the end of the rainbow , it was a good practice in diplomacy.

[fxerily]

the fact that he had sipped on a drink before she had come into his chambers had nothing to do with him closing the distance he had created ever since he found out he was to marry her. perhaps this distance had been created with all as a whole ever since he found himself loving another soul for the first time and what he was determined to also make his last time. this manner of provoking her had been completely inspired by what he considered an outbreak in her dislike towards him, which might have been surprising to him only because he had not been paying much attention to her. in kardan's mind, clem was a soft little doll, one unfortunately placed under his wing; she could do no wrong. this, however, to him was an improvement in her character, one only kardan himself could take credit for.

" i would have thought this is what you wanted, " his words were a whisper, there were no use for them to be loud when he was violating her private space. kardan dropped his hand, letting go of his touch and straightened, but did not put any more space between them, as if to challenge clem to do so.

what did they do to you ? her question was an ashwood arrow right into that frozen heart of his. he never viewed himself as ever being wrong, as there something having been done to him to be this way, no. it was not his problem to not be suited for his wife, one he did not even choose, not his problem to not be suited for everyone. he was not put on this world to be liked, he was here to rule his court. " do carry on living in your own illusions. do keep on living in that frustration without having the courage to face what it is that you really want. you yourself can't really answer that question, " for his always calm appearance, kardan was starting to let his anger get the best of him, frustrated with her resentment, that being heard in the tone of his voice. " those words just prove that you do not know me, wife. do not act like it. " fate could go to hell, he never blamed it. it was his own actions that he blamed.

kardan blinked at clem's threat. he had never quite put a word on how he viewed his wife and even though burden was too cruel, it was close enough. " get in line, clem. it is a long one, " he fought a laugh trying to escape his throat with that. " a warning though, you do not want to be on my bad side. "

[heightstm]

when you assume, you make an ass out of you and me. her anger simmers into a dull ache in the pit of her stomach. in spite of the expectations , her wants , her needs , the fruitless prayers and the teas her parents kept peddling her way — after this , the last thing she wanted was kardan's grizzly hands on her. let him find his solace in the arms of his legion of polar bears.

❝ i sincerely wish that i had the privilege of knowing you , dear husband. ❞ but every bridge that she's built , every white flag waved , and every outstretched olive branch went unseen. unseen , or as evidenced by tonight , misconstrued into an exchange of insults. she could easily put her desires to word , but clem was sure kardan would turn it against her for the lack of action in pursuit of them. ❝ clearly i'm unworthy of it , considering you think me a hapless child. ❞

was this meant to be his good side ? clytemnestra had thought that if she could come to understand him , then this partnership was not entirely lost. but as the chip at the surface breaks through , revealing a fissure in the glacial façade , the abyss is endless below them. the grit of his anger was more satisfying than the indifference but it was evident , even with this change that such wishes were as lost on him as they were with the stars. where was his softness ? where was the child he should have been ?

dread fills her as the ache grips her by the heart , a distinctly feminine regret making her feel sorry for raising her voice in the first place. she pushes beyond the shame of raising her voice , returning his impenetrable gaze. ❝ based on the way that you constantly speak down to me: you think that i am whiny , that i'm weak , and believe that i am stupid. ❞ yes , perhaps she had been foolish for thinking that their union would eventually give way to love , but that had been before she learned that creating a mutual respect between them was akin to scaling their highest mountain. ❝ what else would you rather me do ? what would you do if someone thought you were no better than the dirt under their shoes ? ❞

[fxeheart]

Many great blessings. Neve would never have wished anything less for her friend, nor for Kardan. It was good that he had not been held hostage by time in the way she had, that he’d been able to find love and comfort after the loss of her. She’d wished that for him herself during her confinement when escape no longer seemed possible – if she could not return to him, if they could not be together, she had wanted him to live. Really live, and it seemed he had. “I’m happy for you both. He could not have chosen better.” That was true, even if it made her heart shrivel to know it. Clem was kind, smart, beautiful, loyal to the winter court in a way that made her an excellent choice for his bride. Neve, on the other hand, was horribly selfish, her current bitter feelings proof that she was not worthy of consideration. 

“Oh, I couldn’t.” Alarm filled her as she imagined riding back into the winter court with them all, tucked into a carriage alongside the happy couple. She couldn't bear it. A knife could only twist so far. “The spring court is my home now.” The lie tasted strange in her mouth. No place but winter would ever truly be home for her, something she suspected Clem knew, so she added quickly: “Or, at least, I’ve built quite a life for myself there. I couldn’t leave my customers behind. They would riot.” 

“A feeling you will understand,” she added in a lighter tone, “once I have finished your gown. My work has improved over the years.” True. Loneliness made for plenty of time to practice. “Perhaps this would be better if you’d like a more local look?” Delicate hands plucked a bolt of black organza. “Night court fashions are a bit more revealing,” always a good thing to warn about, “But this could be layered to create a wispy skirt that transitions above the waist to an almost sheer look. Embroidered designs would, of course, keep it from being entirely sheer. I remember how much you love beading.”

[heightstm]

❝ nonsense ! ❞ clem all but shouts, shocked that neve would even suggest such a thing. she was winter born , raised , and bred. until her disappearance — of which clytemnestra would be interrogating her about later — neve was a valued member of the court , integral to the fabric of its societal function. ❝ winter court will always be your home. even just a visit. you'll stay with us. ❞ she doubted kardan would spare either of them a second glance. he didn't deign himself to know of her girlish affairs.

her lips purse as she pinches a piece of the fabric between her fingers, noting the stiff woven texture. she gives a light smile. ❝ i trust you , ❞ it didn't matter if she liked the dress all that much ( although she was confident that she would ). this was all catch up. clem was already making mental plans to expedite import from the spring court to the winter for easier access to her favourite designer. ❝ you know me so well , you hardly need to ask. ❞

❝ oh , better yet ! where are you staying now ? let’s have dinner after this. i’m sure my dear husband will have a dozen meetings to attend to with all this what not going around. ❞ and never mind how badly clem itched to be in those meetings, feeling her mind growing duller with each day her mind went unused. ❝ i would love the company. ❞

[fxeheart]

Her wedding gown? Of course, it made sense that Clem had gotten married – beautiful and sweet as she was, with a family to arrange such things if necessary – but the knowledge of it only reminded Neve of all the time she’d lost, all the important moments she missed out on. What else had changed in her absence? Did her friend have children? Was she happy? “Do you have photos of your gown? A portrait?” She wanted to see it, if only to compare what she was sure was a gorgeous bit of craftsmanship to what she might have made herself. “I wish I’d been there to see it myself – you've no idea how much. I've missed you and home terribly."

Her heart, bound up tight and protective as a flower bud, blossomed as Clem spoke about their court, comforted by the idea that not much had changed in her absence. But the next moment it wilted, petal after petal, collapsing. “Your husband?” Of course, Neve knew Kardan had married – the spring court was not so far removed, after all –  but she’d always imagined some faceless woman in the role of wife, not Clem. Never her friend. It was a terrible enough thing to love someone who was forbidden to her, who had forgotten her. But it was worse, somehow, knowing the woman who took her place in his heart was someone she could never hate or resent, never wish ill. 

Neve struggled to hide her reaction, turning away as she moved toward a row of fabric in the corner of the room, its presence a perfect distraction. “I heard he’d married, but I didn’t realize… You must be so happy. Kardan is a wonderful man.” Her throat tightened around the words, thick with emotion she refused to release. “And a high lord! I will have to work twice as hard to produce something worthy of your new position." Her hands brushed against a particularly brilliant bolt of fabric, the shade of icy winters, and paused. "Come, tell me what you think of this."

[heightstm]

clem nods with a genteel smile, expression impenetrable to her frustrations in marriage. despite her years working parallel with the court perhaps neve had never gotten a good look at kardan’s true nature. easier to maintain the façade. ❝ i receive many great blessings. ❞ a husband who hated her and refused to consummate their marriage was one of them.

❝ when you come home , i will show you , ❞ scarcely able to imagine neve anywhere else , clem can already imagine the ride back. picture making up for the lost years with someone she could trust: both ladies huddled in clem's lone carriage because mother forbid either nihar brother is forced to sit with her for an extended period of time.  ❝ perhaps you can join our party on our travel back ? ❞ clem was sure it would be any day now.

if anything is amiss, clem sees nothing but the pale blue of the silk. ❝ oh , i do like that. ❞ she follows her to the fabric rack , noting the buttery feel of the fabric. ❝ i simply think i wear too much of this shade — ❞ a signature colour they had decided on years ago. lovely in the austere winter court and went well with her wolf furs , but... ❝ i want to be more in fashion here in velaris. local , if you will. ❞

[endlesslovexstuff]

Hero Fiennes-Tiffin

// credit ©endlesslove — requests open.

[fxeheart]

A mother and daughter from the spring court had arrived that morning and despite her insistence that elegance could not be expressed through excessive lace and flounces – that true fashion was defined by the quality of materials and fine details rather than extravagantly overdone trimming – Neve was now stuck fixing one hundred small ribbon bows with a seed pearl onto the skirt of a gown with double rows of lace adorning the sleeves from shoulder to cuff. It was a hideous creation, offensive both to her style and the pin-pricked fingers tasked with the work, but work she did, determined to turn what could only be described as awful into something beautiful. Such was her burden. 

Busy as she was with her task, she missed the twinkling sound of the bell alerting her to her next fitting and was caught by surprise at the arrival of the very visitor whose presence she’d been anticipating all morning. Clem was an old friend, from the time before, and Neve felt as though she were on unsteady footing as her former life collided with her present, that all too familiar sensation of being out of place with those she’d once held close creeping up the back of her throat. “Clytemnestra,” she sputtered, quickly dropping the needle she was holding to avoid pricking the pale-faced beauty. If only she knew how lost she’d been. “It’s lovely to see you,” and it was, even if her hands, tucked firmly in the other woman’s grasp, were shaking, “How have you been? It’s been so long!” 

There was a time when she could have informed Clem exactly how long, down to the hour, as all she’d had to do was count the passage of time, trapped away as she was. But she’d learned early on that telling others this was a sure-fire way to ruin good conversation, and so, she plastered on a smile and gave her hands a gentle squeeze instead. “Tell me everything. Such a happy woman,” because the bubbly smile upon her friend’s face revealed nothing to hint otherwise, “must have many stories to tell.”  

[heightstm]

❝ everything ! we'll need another decade to even break the ice. ❞ one would never be able to tell that anything other than a day had passed between them. neve was still as sweet , and perhaps even more beautiful than she'd been all those years ago. ❝ your face is just precious , ❞ clem coos , giving her palms a squeeze in return to satiate the urge to squeeze the fae's cheeks. ❝ i’ve missed you dearly and my wardrobe has too. if only you’d been around to make my wedding gown. ❞

it would’ve been nice to have another familiar face there — to share in the sorrow of the misfortunate union and comfort her with piles of tulle and fine embroidery. but it was an utterly selfish thought. disgustingly self-centered. neve was dead. well , clearly not dead , but thought to be dead. but , perhaps it was better to be dead than married to kardan. less suffering. clem was curious about life in the spring court. she imagined neve's new life might be far more interesting than her own.

❝ i'd love to tell you a story , but the winter court is the same. of course the lord nihar is gone , and now my dear husband takes his place. ❞ clem often referred to him as such in order to remind herself the their marriage was to be cherished. ❝ but i'm sure you knew even that in the spring court. ❞

[heightstm]

𝐂𝐋𝐘𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀 + 𝐒𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐍 ( closed for @ravenflcmes )

although the nights are famously known for their beauty , the day in the night court is similarly lovely. it's a nice change of pace from the blistering winter storms that they constantly suffer in the winter court. but as the high family's resident anomaly , although clytemnestra would rather bask in the warmth of the day , she knows that her husband would rather sit in meetings and his brother would rather play with his little knives.

it became evident very quickly that neither brother was happy to have her join the family. that was simply too bad for them. as her family’s only daughter, clem had been deprived of the joy of a younger sibling and she was happy to take sorin as an answer to her childhood prayers six hundred and some odd years later. whether he wanted to be or not.

❝ sorin ! ❞ apparently having yet to learn her lesson with the younger nihar , she calls out , finding her brother-in-law doing exactly what she expects. that is: playing with his knife. ❝ have you eaten yet ? i think we should like to have lunch shortly. ❞

[heightstm]

𝐂𝐋𝐘𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀 + 𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐄 ( closed for @fxeheart )

from across the hall , the striking similarity between the spring lady’s gown and the dozens of dresses squeezed into her wardrobe at home — bordering out of date and wonderfully vintage with each passing season — is unmistakable. clem had asked twice to be sure, and the other lady laughed and told her yesyesyes — it was a spring designer and she, like the rest of them , was stuck in the night court. clytemnestra hardly knew where to start looking but it only it took her ladies a handful of days to track the designer down and book a fitting.

in spite of the difference of a century or so, she could still recall the first fitting that clytemnestra had dragged her mother to — insisting that they must get matching dresses from the mother-daughter duo. it was that same anticipation bubbling in her chest, this time the giddy excitement to see an old friend. she all but tumbled through the door , leaving the decorum of being a lady behind — ❝ neve obera, as i live and breathe , ❞ clem laughs , reaching for the other fae’s hands. it was like seeing her come back to life. ❝ i feel like i’ve stumbled upon a lost treasure. ❞