Absolution

Yue Xie - Original Phoenix - The Guarded

[irisefrcmashes]

Shiva !!

❝ Yes he told me the details I was fairly horrified truth be told. Took my a while to process it but I felt he was plagued by abandonment issues. Which unfortunately I played a part in, but then I also didn’t have much fucking choice in the matter, ❞ she sighed. That choice was robbed from her. She felt this would take a while but she wanted her family back again. She wanted to be there for them and she still had much to prove to Yue.  He had a long time without her and had been hunted most of his life. Good thing the parents that took him and his brother in were mundane and long dead because she would in a heartbeat make sure they suffered just as much as her sons did. ❝ If it’s too much let me know, ❞ she didn’t want to overcrowd him.

❝ I can imagine, ❞ she agreed. He heart really went out to her son. She just wanted to give him another hug but decided against it. Slowly build up to shooting her full affection. Shiva was Avery affectionate being to her children. She was made to be a mother after all. He had to be cautious, there were too many out there that would use their resources for their own gain for little regard on what it was doing to the being they were taking it from. Then there was the fact that dragons took their anger out on them. All of it made her angry but that was done and she would make sure it would not happen again she would also make sure that Dragons and phoenixes get the protection they deserve.

❝ I’m sorry it had to be that way, ❞ she told him. Perhaps something good can come of this, but with the way that everything has been going non it did not seem like they were heading for a happy ending. She listened to him talk about the shadowhunters that were here. ❝ Thank you for your insight, ❞ she nodded. She did wonder about them a little more but as Yue correctly said it was better to meet them and then cast judgement. ❝ Well with the horsemen’s rings involved it seems to be a lot fucking more than just that. Though perhaps this is a conversation best had indoors. We can go to the bar have a proper sit down and catch up or we can leave it here. I’ll let you make the choice, ❞ she suggested hoping her son would want more than a simple introduction.

“Doesn’t  excuse  what  he  did,”  he  half  growled.  This  was  opening  up  an  old  wound  he  rather  not  be  picked  at  for  much  longer.  “Neither  of  us  did  but  that’s  in  the  past.  What  is  done  is  done.  So  any  more  energy  put  towards  thinking  about  it  is  wasted  energy,”  his  diplomatic  way  of  saying  he  had  enough  of  the  subject.  Though  he  felt  he  was  right  there  was  no  point  in  thinking  about  it  for  too  much  longer  otherwise  regret  will  be  bred  from  it  and  old  wounds  opened.  “I’m  just  not  used  to  it,  but  I  will  say  if  I  do  find  it  a  bit  much,”  it  seemed  to  be  in  her  nature  but  he  was  still  not  sure  of  her.  Now  he  understood  how  Olivia  felt  with  him.

“You  did  create  us  to  have  death  defying  abilities,  but  I  guess  us  being  hunted  down  was  not  part  of  your  plan?”  She  seemed  too  affectionate  and  almost  like  how  a  mother  was.  She  did  seem  to  care  about  him.  Seem  being  the  operative  word  he  was  still  unsure  of  her  intentions.  “I’ve  only  interacted  with  the  council  member’s  daughter,  but  the  rest  I  have  heard  talk  about,”  he  told  her  so  that  she  was  aware  his  opinion  on  them  was  not  to  be  taken  too  heavily.  “We’re  not  too  far  from  my  place,”  he  was  a  little  more  curious  about  her.  He  just  rather  not  go  to  the  bar  if  he  can  avoid  it.  He  had  alcohol  back  at  his  place.  “We  can  talk  there,”  he  added  in  case  she  misconstrued  that  he  wanted  to  leave  it  there.

[irisefrcmashes]

Darcy !!

SHE HAD TO ADMIT THAT THE PHOENIX HAD A POINT IN HIS CRITIQUE ,  and while she agreed in general, darcy would have to concede she wasn’t completely  blameless  in such a worldview, either. if experience had taught her anything, it was that unapologetic  selfishness  was the only way to survive in this world. no one had ever felt responsible for  her ,  and so she refused to feel responsible for anyone else, either.  ( but then ,  she thought with a humorless smirk ,  which came first?  greedy, selfish assholes or the system that bred them? )  at the very least  she  resolved to stay as far away from politics as possible  —  and she’d never claimed any  good intentions .  not that she’d readily admit  any  of these view unless pressed, though. instead, the witch merely said:  “ i can see where you’re coming from, but good luck finding  anybody else . ”

culture, as he said, was probably a  key  in those considerations ;  it was, after all, the most easily utilized rhetoric for politics of any kind. at least difference  brought  change, unwanted as it might be at the time. with places, people, and things  all over  growing ever more the same, there was certainly a  loss  of older knowledge as much as there was development of new techniques.  ( perhaps the latter might at least make it easier to gather information nowadays  —  the thought of a  literature review  for magical texts  did  bring her joy beyond belief. )  xie’s suggestions were received with a smile before she continued:  “ thanks for the offer ;  i’ll definitely come back to that once i’ve got a little clearer on my  …  research plan ,  let’s call it. ”  she had quite a few lists of things she still wanted to get through at the library, and  scopes of interest  aside  …  some of the things she was  most  interested in were perhaps a little  unwise  to ask for directly.  “ right now i’m looking for more general overviews  especially  about the fae realm and the resources and people here, just to see what makes the place  tick  —  that’d be a good starting point to spiral off from, i think. ”

“Revolutions,  don’t  come  from  nothing,”  they  come  from  people  being  fed  up  of  being  stepped  on.  If  there  is  a  large  enough  number  being  oppressed  eventually  resistance  is  bred.  He  wasn’t  shy  to  being  selfish  through  survival  himself.  Refusing  to  help  when  it  would  come  at  the  cost  of  himself  or  his  kind.  He  did  look  after  his  kind’s  interests  over  anyone  else’s.  If  he  can  help  in  the  background  he  would  and  that’s  usually  how  he  does  and  sure  it  goes  unthanked  but  it  was  safer  than  directly  helping.    However  he  and  his  kind  were  a  small  group  and  their  survival  didn’t  take  advantage  over  others.  “Not  that  I  am  planning  any,  but  I  can  see  it’s  only  a  matter  of  time  when  people  get  fed  up.  Seen  enough  to  know  when  tensions  are  starting  to  rise,”  he  shrugged.  

It  wasn’t  understandable  that  she  wanted  a  think  about  it.  “Please  do,”  he  liked  to  discuss  things  as  well  and  break  down  theories  and  build  more  of  an  understanding.  Her  request  made  him  smirk.  “Not  too  far  from  my  own  wants  as  well.  I  have  limited  stuff  on  Seelies.  Fae  in  general  are  as  secretive  as  my  own  kind  and  keep  to  themselves  mostly.  I  dated  an  unseelie  a  while  back,  but  from  what  I  understand  they  are  fairly  different  from  each  other.  For  what  resources  that  might  be  out  there  you  will  probably  get  most  of  what  you  are  looking  for  in  the  library.  I  suspect  there  might  be  resources  they  don’t  want  us  knowing  about  and  that  information  would  be  somewhere  only  they  can  access.  I  don’t  make  too  many  observations  regarding  people  unless  I  feel  they  might  be  someone  worth  making  a  note  of.  Maybe  you  could  find  a  fae  willing  to  talk  about  it,  or  someone  that  actively  deals  with  fae.  I’d  like  to  know  more  about  fae  magic  myself,  for  my  own  curiosity.”  Resources  would  be  useful  as  well.  Though  he  wanted  to  know  about  fae  magic  so  he  can  find  a  way  out.

[irisefrcmashes]

Vasilkaera !!

— vala shrugged, “ i think everyone would get bored if you did all their thinking for them. and useless, they’d turn out to be pretty useless too. ” although she was always so impatient… but she also hadn’t really had anyone else to solve her problems for her, since her mother’s betrayal. even if she tended to lean towards starting fires in lieu of finding solutions to everything. she shrugged, “ i don’t know any of them well enough to know. some people are quite good at hiding ill intentions. but yes, it’s astra. probably the only person i’ve ever met who is absolutely terrifyingly the nicest person to ever threaten me… ” her smile widened as he engulfed himself in flames, “ that’s so cool ! i’ve always wanted to see one. i mean, i also just love anything related to fire, but… you’re a whole fire bird and you can just, engulf yourself in flames and just— ” she cut herself off, “ sorry, i’m just, it’s like, i’ve always been so fascinated. i get why you keep to yourselves. i know the dragons have too, more recently. i don’t really get why dragons hunted phoenixes though, because why just… i mean, i love everything about being a dragon, but also, how can someone not be excited the entire concept of phoenixes ?? ’cause you’re a fire bird. i understand the history but still. ” she grumbled slightly. her expression turned sheepish, after a moment, though, “ sorry, i’m just, really excited. ” 

“Don’t  underestimate  some  people’s  laziness  and  stupidity,”  a  lesson  he  sometimes  had  to  reteach  himself.  When  he  gets  used  to  most  people’s  approach  there  is  always  one  that  comes  in  and  just  stuns  him.  It  wasn’t  often  enough  for  him  to  learn  the  lesson  properly  though  thankfully.  “I  was  meaning  world  domination.  I  know  there  are  warlocks  out  there  that  do  have  more  unsavoury  intentions,”  same  could  be  said  of  any  species  though.  Yue  chuckled  and  shook  his  head.  “She  can  be  terrifying  when  she  wants  to,”  Yue  knew  of  her  potential.  All  originals  have  at  least  heard  of  each  other  at  some  point.  Since  most  had  incredibly  long  lives.  He  couldn’t  help  but  be  somewhat  amused  by  the  younger  dragon’s  excitement.  Reminded  himself  of  him  when  ti  came  to  magic.  “There  is  a  reason,  I  just  don’t  know  it,”  nor  did  he  ever  seek  it  out.  “Most  think  it’s  to  do  with  our  origin,”  which  was  precisely  why  he  never  sought  that  information  out.  He  and  his  brother  were  abandoned  for  a  reason.  That  information  may  come  across  him  one  day  but  until  then  he  would  keep  moving  forward  without  that  knowledge.  “Don’t  apologise  for  fascination.  I’m  not  a  stranger  to  the  emotion  myself,”  fascination  breed  curiosity  which  then  allowed  others  to  find  out  more.  It  was  a  good  trait.  “Though  it’s  not  just  dragons  and  I  know  that  dragons  became  a  target  as  well,”  glory  hunting  was  a  horrible  thing.  Though  he  knew  not  all  dragons  were  hunted  for  the  trophy.  Some  did  genuinely  cause  a  lot  of  destruction.  Which  was  why  policing  needed  to  stick  around  but  how  things  were  dealt  with  needed  to  change.  

[irisefrcmashes]

Ace !!

Few  months.  That  sounded  so  surreal.  How  was  someone  supposed  to  be  here  for  that  long?  They  must  be  out  of  their  minds.  Ace  sighed,  head  falling  back  into  his  neck.  Fuck  that  whole  situation.  “That  sounds  fucked  up,”  he  told  him,  “and  you  got  absolutely  no  information  on…  anything?”  Incredible.  To  the  question  of  who  he  had  already  met  so  far,  he  shrugged,  “you’re  one  of  the  first  one’s  I’ve  spoken  to,  actually.  But  I  think  I’ve  spotted  the  devil.  Not  that  I  am  good  at  looking  through  vessels  and  shit  —  but  I  have  good  senses.”  Werewolf  senses  were  good  for  something,  after  all.  “And  the  casual  few  shadowhunters  glaring.”  he  chuckled.  “And  I  can  feel  that  you  have  great  power.  Probably  more  than  you’re  aware  of.”  He  told  the  other.

“Tricky  little  creatures,  never  trust  a  fae,  right?”  He  chuckled,  sipping  on  his  drink.  Especially  not  a  young  teenage  Queen,  he  knew  that  much  now  from  experience.  When  the  invitation  arrived  he  did  not  think  that  there  was  anything  he  could  contribute  to  this,  so  he  didn’t  follow  it.  Also,  he  never  craved  violence.  So,  why  would  he  come  here?  And  now,  there  he  was,  without  a  choice.  “What  have  you  been  doing  since  you  got  here?  Any  tips  on  what  here  is  to  do?”

Yue  chuckled  in  a  bitter  manner.  “It  has  been  rather  fucked  up  yes,”  he  still  had  his  peace  thankfully,  but  he  disliked  not  being  in  the  know.  Information  and  knowledge  were  things  he  seeked  constantly.  His  thirst  akin  to  a  vampires  when  it  came  to  it.  “The  library  may  be  vast,  but  it  is  a  public  library,”  he  took  a  drink  and  sighed.    He  was  also  not  inclined  to  talk  much  more  about  it  in  a  public  setting.  The  information  he  needed  to  confirm  his  theories  was  in  the  private  library  in  the  queen’s  castle.  Not  that  he  could  do  anything  with  the  information.  At  least  he  could  try  to  make  out  the  structure  of  the  magic  used  and  maybe  Astra,  or  one  of  the  other  magic  casters  could  then  figure  out  something  to  counter  it.  He  knew  it  was  a  ward  of  some  kind  that  was  used.  Just  not  sure  of  the  parameters.  “Lucifer  is  about  yes,  I  haven’t  had  any  dealings  with  him,  but  then  I  never  had  the  need  nor  want  to,”  he  shrugged.  As  for  the  shadowhunters  he  didn’t  blame  them  after  what  happened,  but  their  behaviour  to  other  species  has  been  their  own  undoing.  It  was  interesting  what  he  said  but  he  felt  it  was  better  to  not  comment  to  it.  He  could  be  destructive  if  he  wanted  to.  At  the  moment  he  was  looking  for  a  more  peaceful  way  out  and  keep  out  of  general  public  view.  

“Mhm  and  I  dated  one,”  and  was  stupid  enough  to  do  it  a  second  time.  He  had  mixed  feelings  about  those  times.  He  could  never  quite  say  he  regretted  them  though.  Eudora  had  a  pull  to  her  that  he  could  never  escape  and  there  were  times  he  didn’t  want  to.  The  queen’s  invitation  came  with  blind  instructions  with  no  answers  to  why  should  he.  Even  his  children  were  in  agreement  on  that.  Though  it  did  somewhat  perturb  him  that  she  managed  to  locate  him  with  the  invitation.  “Research,  trying  to  gather  knowledge  and  information,  being  a  blood  bag,  taking  long  walks,  the  occasional  sex,”  well  with  Young  but  that  came  with  his  feeding  not  that  Yue  minded  when  it  came  to  Young.  The  others  came  just  for  blood  thankfully.  “Find  those  with  similar  interests  and  stick  with  them,”  he  shrugged.  “As  for  what  to  do.  It  just  depends  what  you  normally  are  into.  Though  the  realm  accommodates  some  things  it  lacks  in  plenty  of  others,”  he  shrugged.

[irisefrcmashes]

Olivia !!

OLIVIA  WAS  NOT  JUST  ON  THE  EDGE  ,  she  felt  like  she  was  stumbling  closer and  closer  to  the  abyss  every  single day  ,  but  she  was  trying  to  hold  on  .  not  just  for  her  own  sake  ,  no  .  she  had  to  be  strong  for  people  like  amelia  and  gabriella  -  people  that  could  not  possibly  defend  themselves  in  this  cruel  world  .  ❛  of  course .  we  all  have  our  own  talents ,  don’t  we  ?  ❜  the  memories  of  her  twin  sister  were  just  a  blur  now  ,  but  she  still  remembered  the  fact  that  their  affinities  differed  ,  which  was  precisely while  cade  took  an  interest in  her  instead of  kayla  .  the  female gave  him  a  small  nod  of  her  head  when  he  talked about  her  strong connection  to  fire  ,  but  she  hesitated once  he  mentioned learning  from  each  other  .  it  was  tempting  ,  who  was  she  to  deny  that  ?  she  just  knew  that  she  needed  to  be  careful  with  this  .  ❛  perhaps we  can  .  ❜ the  male  was  right  ,  his  words  were  enough  to  make  her  understand  that  he  was  well  acquainted with  his  own  power  and  it  fueled her  curiosity  ,  though  her  guards  were  staying  right  up  .  it  would  be  foolish to  trust  him  so  very  fast  .  ❛  i  know  .  i  have  …  seen  people who  attempted  to  use  it  out  of  nowhere  .  and  i  wasn’t  the  only  one  that  cade  experimented  on  .  ❜  olivia was  the  only  one  that  survived  .  the  questions  made  her  shift  in  discomfort ,  but  she  tried  to  focus  on  the  conversation ,  instead  of  memories  of  the  past  .  ❛  i  ,  uh  …  there  was  this  man  that  created  hellfire .  cade  .  ❜  repeating  the  name  only  made  her  feel  more  uncomfortable  ,  almost  as  if  the  creature  could  still  feel  it  and  be  summoned  by  it  .  ❛  i  always  had  a  strong bond  with  fire  ,  but  then  he  started  to  inject  me  with  something .  ❜  his  blood  ?  the  very  essence  of  his  damaged soul  ?  hellfire ?  livia  never  figured  it  out  .  ❛  after  a  while  ,  he  said  he  would  teach  me  new  tricks .  he  taught me  to  raise  it  and  it  just  …  listened  to  me  . i  can’t  tell  you  where  i’m  drawing it  from  .  it  feels  like  it’s  inside  of  me  .  and  …  maybe  it’s  him  .  maybe  it’s  his  energy  that  i’m  drawing it  from  .  ❜  even  if  she  hated  the  very  thought  .  cade  looked after  her  ,  but  he  was  a  cruel  man  .  the  hybrid  didn’t want  a  part  of  him  to  live  on  in  her  ,  yet  there  was  nothing she  could  do  about  it  .

Everyone  has  their  strengths  and  weaknesses.  Yue  certainly  did  and  like  anyone  he  worked  on  both  to  try  and  put  him  more  at  advantage.  Yue  felt  more  at  home  with  his  regenerative  flames  than  his  destructive  ones,  where  he  noticed  his  twin  was  the  opposite.  Yue  did  work  on  it  though  and  can  summon  both  flames  at  ease  now,  but  he  only  did  so  in  defence.  He  usually  preferred  to  use  his  weapons  and  imbue  them  with  his  flames.  Since  he  got  here  he  only  carried  his  tanto  knives.  Just  incase.  “Yes  we  do.  Sometimes  finding  those  talents  can  take  a  while  for  some  and  some  figure  it  out  quickly,”  didn’t  make  them  any  less  if  they  took  their  time  with  it.  It  wasn’t  hard  to  find  their  flames.  Though  controlling  them  was  the  issue  when  they  were  kids  hence  the  abandonment  of  their  adoptive  parents.  He  could  sense  her  guarded  nature  and  softly  smiled  to  himself.  In  his  life  he  was  taught  it  was  good  to  be  guarded.  Someone  like  Olivia  with  her  skillset  it  was  a  good  approach.  He  just  needed  to  prove  to  her  he  wouldn’t  use  her.  He  had  no  plans  to.  He  knew  what  it  was  like  to  be  used.  He  would  never  inflict  that  on  another.  He  was  not  surprised  by  her  response.  He  just  smiled  and  nodded  respectfully.  Perhaps  didn't  mean  no.  

The  word  experimented  jumped  out  on  him  and  his  demeanour  changed  to  a  more  concerned  one.  He  was  lucky  to  avoid  that  much,  but  he  knew  those  of  his  kind  that  have  been  experimented  on.  A  horrifying  experience  and  one  he  wouldn’t  wish  on  his  worst  enemies.  This  man  caused  Olivia  a  lot  of  discomfort  and  he  could  se  that  by  the  way  she  spoke  of  him.  He  did  wonder  how  Cade  managed  to  create  it.  Something  this  destructive  is  not  easily  summoned.  It  seemed  Cade’s  own  energy  may  have  differed  from  other  beings  somehow.  These  questions  didn’t  matter  he  was  not  going  to  ask  them  externally. He  stayed  silent  and  listened  to  Olivia  speak.  “I  know  I  am  stating  the  obvious  here,  but  that  doesn’t  sound  pleasant  and  I  apologise  for  asking  you  to  bring  those  memories  back  up.  I  also  thank  you  for  answering  my  question,”  the  experience  seemed  traumatic  to  say  the  least.  A  lot  of  people  here  had  their  own  demons  to  face.  “I  theorise  it  may  be  a  combination  of  his  energy  and  yours  you  are  drawing  it  from.  I  don’t  have  magical  affinity  to  feel  exactly  what  you  are  drawing  it  from,  so  I  can’t  give  that  answer  to  you.  Nor  may  you  want  to  drudge  up  that  kind  of  answer,”  with  a  history  like  that  some  things  were  better  left  buried.  It  was  ultimately  up  to  her.  

[irisefrcmashes]

Ace !!

And  yet,  it  did  not  make  much  sense  to  him  how  a  fae  queen  could  have  everyone  suddenly  under  her  command. There  must  be  more  to  it,  this  couldn’t  be  the  whole  idea  behind  it. Whatever  the  hell  this  is  supposed  to  be. He  shook  the  thought  off  and  ordered  a  refill  of  his  drink,  clearly  needing  more  of  that  to  cloud  his  mind. “yeah,  of  course. I  understand  you  would  get  cautious  around  people…  when  you  were  here  for  so  long. Speaking  of…  how  long  is  it  for  you?”  he  wondered.

 “Ace,”  he  introduced  himself  as  well. “i  don’t  think  there  is  anything  you  or  anyone  can  actually  answer  me. There  are  far  more  impressive  creatures  here,  way  more  powerful  –  and  no  one  could  get  any  more  answers. So,  i  guess  i’m  good.”  although,  there  were  still  those  thoughts  nagging  in  his  mind. There  was  so  much  he  didn’t  know  and  his  instinct  urged  him  to  find  out  rather  sooner  than  later. But  not  today. He  just  arrived,  suffered  from  memory  loss  and  was  half  way  drunk  already.

Or  in  general.  Yue  was  guarded  and  cautious  about  everything  really.  He  could  probably  count  on  one  hand  the  people  he  actually  trusted  here.  He  trusted  intentions  not  people.  People  were  sort  of  predictable  when  it  came  to  intentions,  but  then  some  liked  to  mask  it.  “Too  long,  few  months  now  I  think.  Time  seems  to  blur  after  a  while,”  he  shrugged.  He  spent  most  of  that  time  in  books  gleaming  as  much  inconsequential  information  as  he  could  that  may  lead  him  to  something.  Just  frustrations  and  a  hangover.  He  has  met  some  interesting  people  here  but  nobody  could  really  help  him  get  the  information  he  was  seeking.  He  was  still  trying  to  lay  low  due  to  his  hunted  status.

“Who  have  you  met  already?”  He  asked  raising  a  brow.  Way  more  powerful  yeah,  that  was  his  issue  there  were  things  here  that  he  can  usually  keep  a  good  distance  from.  It  wasn't  that  he  couldn’t  do  damage.  If  he  used  his  powers  he  could,  but  fire  has  its  limitations.  Against  celestial  and  demonic  beings  such  as  archangels  and  demon  princes,  he  might  as  well  be  making  tea  in  a  chocolate  teapot.  “The  Fae  are  keeping  cards  close  to  their  chest  on  this  one,”  he  commented.  He  tried  looking  into  the  spell  himself.  Without  any  magical  prowess  himself  he  can  only  make  so  much  sense  of  it.    Which  was  very  little.  Perhaps  Genevieve’s  plan  on  rebellion  was  looking  far  more  inviting  now  his  leads  were  starting  to  dry  up  without  making  himself  directly  known  to  Cirilla.  He  was  still  rather  insulted  by  the  initial  invitation  and  wasn’t  sure  of  her  intentions  of  pulling  him  in.

[irisefrcmashes]

Shiva !!

❝ I don’t expect you to, what he did was fucking horrific, ❞ she sympathised. His stories through it made it sound like the fae child he adopted was the one that was driving him further into madness. ❝ Though I am relieved you have moved on in some way. That matter is between you and him as my sons I just want to at least be of comfort and help you in any way I can, ❞ she told him. She took her hand away. He was not used to this kind of presence and that pained her. It was not going to be a simple and easy fix but since they had time here she would use it with gaining his trust.

❝ You’re right, ❞ she agreed. ❝ You have an admirable way of thinking, ❞ though it was probably his upbringing that helped him think that way. To dwell on things in a constant state of survival was only going to hold you back. Shiva knew that well. Otherwise she would have long gone insane with grief. She would make father pay though. She would help her children get a better footing on the world. She didn’t want war but she would call out one if it was needed.

She could understand why he had to be the way he was, and she knew it was not going to be an instantaneous thing either. ❝ I’ll be patient and let you take your time with it. I don’t wish to use you. I am not my father. I don’t expect you to follow me blindly. I need to prove to you I am worth being followed and someone you can place your trust in. If you help me I will help you it’s not a one way thing,’ she told him. ❝ I see, well isn’t that just fucking great, ❞ she sighed meaning about the lack of communication. ❝ Shadowhunters were not around when I walked the earth so all I know is what I hear from those that have died from their hands and I don’t really like what I heard, but if you say the ones here are barely a threat I’ll take your word. Though what about the others? ❞ She asked.

Yue  gave  a  bitter  smile  in  reply.  “So  he  told  you.  I  think  my  eldest  three  still  have  nightmares  about  it  once  in  a  while,”  they  would  text  him  when  it  happens.  Or  when  they  thought  they  saw  him  somewhere.  Which  was  interesting  because  he  swore  he  has  been  seeing  his  face  about  here  as  well,  but  the  fact  Shiva  confirmed  he  was  in  purgatory  meant  that  it  wasn’t  him.  Someone  was  using  his  face.  That…  was  a  little  worrying  now  that  he  came  to  think  of  it.  As  she  mentioned  comfort  and  help  Yue  stared  at  her  in  mild  bemusement.  She  did  seem  to  have  the  motherly  qualities,  but  he  still  felt  that  this  may  be  given  at  an  angle.  “Thanks,”  he  said  with  a  hint  of  caution.  Then  realised  she  was  most  likely  was  being  genuine.  “Sorry  I’m  not  used  to  this  kind  of  affection,”  he  told  her.  

“It  has  stopped  me  going  insane  or  bitter,”  he  shrugged.  Young  was  vindictive  and  would  declare  war  if  his  kind  were  threatened.  Yue  couldn’t  do  that.  It  would  cause  more  harm  to  his  race  than  good.  Though  he  was  not  exactly  a  fan  of  hiding  but  he  had  been  burnt  by  the  reality  of  fighting  back.  Sometimes  it  was  better  to  forgive  those  that  torment  you  than  to  go  against  them.  Even  if  he  wanted  to.  Body  count  is  lower  too.  Even  if  it  meant  there  were  still  some  rough  patches.  

“I  appreciate  that,  please  don’t  take  it  personally  I  don’t  have  many  friends  for  a  reason,”  the  ones  that  do  stick  around  either  do  it  by  force  or  he  genuinely  has  seen  he  can  trust  them.  Though  even  then  he  always  prepared  for  the  worse.  He  had  been  stung  so  may  times  before.  “There  is  a  family  none  of  them  have  ruffled  any  feathers,  the  inquisitor  who  I  suspect  is  here  for  answers  and  a  council  member’s  daughter  who  has  been  adopted  by  war,”  he  told  her.  “I  don’t  put  a  lot  of  faith  in  the  race  in  general. We  phoenixes  keep  to  ourselves,  but  the  general  consensus  is  they  are  not  well  liked,”  he  told  her.  “I  think  with  anyone  is  get  a  feel  for  them  yourself  before  making  any  judgements  on  what  you  should  do.  I  think  the  ones  here  are  just  trying  to  process  what  has  happened  and  protect  themselves.  They  say  part  of  the  reason  we  are  here  is  because  of  their  rules.  The  accords”  he  told  her.

[irisefrcmashes]

Astra !!

— “ i do not think we will be getting out anytime soon, unless it plays to the advantage of those pulling the strings, ” she sighed. “ but perhaps, since we cannot leave, those who took the rings might be unable to as well. and since war and death were here, it’s likely the rings are as well. it would be a start, getting the rings back, and figuring out what to do about death. ” astra said. “ we should ask them. it would be a start, at least. and we could begin to figure out where everyone stands. ” she sighed. she wondered if perhaps the person behind all of this worried they’d die in the process, and death being gone would mean they couldn’t. she didn’t know much about the rings, though. her only experience with magic rings were the daylight rings she created for the vampires she met. she hummed, “ but it’s just that, you’d help if it wouldn’t put you or your kind at a disadvantage. cirilla is a part of my family. family will always come first for me. if it comes to it, i will protect her whether my kind want it or not, ” she sighed. she didn’t care what happened to herself, so long as her children were okay. astra nodded, “ she says she didn’t know about this. i believe her. ” she took a sip of her tea, staring off into space for a moment.

“Unfortunately  I  think  you  might  be  right  in  that  fact,”  though  what  purpose  did  they  play?  If  death  wasn’t  a  thing  he  didn’t  have  to  worry  about  people  seeking  his  feathers  and  tears.  “They  know  about  Alicante  though  and  I  think  it  has  been  confirmed  by  those  that  have  came  here  recently.  So  I  am  not  sure  if  the  person  behind  this  is  as  trapped  as  we  are.  They  do  have  a  flair  for  the  theatrics  though.  That  could  be  the  thing  that  helps  us,”  someone  that  wants  their  acts  known  but  not  by  whom.  “Well  if  we  can’t  die  I  can’t  even  activate  my  death  state  and  detach  my  spirit,”  that  involves  death.  Not  that  he  was  ever  keen  to  go  in  that  state  but  it  could  have  helped.  “My  kind  are  my  family,”  so  it  was  natural  that  he  was  protective  over  them.  “So  I  can  understand  going  against  those  that  aren’t  to  protect  them,”  he  would  do  anything  for  his  kids  so  he  could  more  than  understand  the  sentiment.  “You  also  take  in  those  in  need.  I  hardly  call  that  selfishness,”  he  added.  “Well  that  was  one  of  my  later  questions  answered  I  was  more  looking  for  how  she  is,”  he  may  barely  know  her  but  she  was  someone  Astra  was  concerned  about.  Which  meant  he  did  care  somewhat  about  her  wellbeing.  Even  if  she  was  the  one  to  bring  him  into  this  mess.

[irisefrcmashes]

Vasilkaera !!

— her general refusal to cooperate in anything she didn’t want to be a part of usually deterred anyone from using her, which she was glad for. because everything was an inconvenience, if it didn’t fall into her normal routine. but she was willing to stray from her routine for close friends… and arson. she nodded, “ hey, that’s cool, though. helping but still making people think. means they learn some problem-solving instead of just being provided with easy solutions. ” she  grinned. she shrugged, “ normally i don’t really ask for help, but i also normally live where it stays fairly warm all year. and i mean, i don’t wanna help someone take over the world, but she seems like she’d be more likely to ask me to protect her kids if there’s a war. ” vala shrugged. her smile widened when he told her he was a phoenix, and she bounced slightly on her feet. “ really ? that’s so cool ! ” she exclaimed. “ you get to turn into a whole bird and everything ? ” she asked, still bouncing in her spot. “ sorry, i’ve never met a phoenix before. i’ve always wanted to, but i get why no one tells me what they are. and it’s not like i go around telling everyone i meet that i’m a dragon, either. usually. ” she knew dragons had hunted them. she didn’t understand why, since she thought of all the species to get along, they should. or maybe that was just her.

“That’s  the  way  I  look  at  it  at  least,”  he  shrugged.  Not  may  others  did.  Those  people  usually  couldn’t  really  see  past  their  own  noses  anyway  and  didn’t  deserve  to  find  what  they  were  looking  for.  Yue  chuckled  “I  don’t  think  any  of  the  warlocks  have  that  in  their  itinerary.  Could  be  wrong  though,”  he  knew  Astra  but  hadn’t  had  the  opportunity  to  interact  with  the  other  warlocks  here  yet.  Astra  wasn’t  for  world  domination  but  protecting  her  kids…  well  could  very  be  the  warlock  Vala  was  dealing  with.  “I’m  guessing  its  Astra  who’s  providing  the  warming  spell?”  he  asked.  Her  reaction  was  not  quite  the  one  he  was  expecting  but  he  wasn’t  unwelcoming  of  it,  in  fact  quite  the  opposite.  To  have  a  dragon  be  fascinated  rather  than  want  to  kill  him  was  nice.  Though  it  has  been  a  good  while  since  there  has  been  a  death  of  a  phoenix  by  a  dragon.  He  gave  a  chuckle  and  allowed  himself  to  be  engulfed  by  his  regenerative  flames  for  a  few  moments.  “I  do,  yeah.  Only  done  it  once  here  when  I  first  arrived,”  he  even  begrudged  that,  but  he  wanted  a  better  grasp  on  the  area  he  was  pulled  into.  “Not  many  of  us  left  and  we  kind  of  keep  to  ourselves,”  he  confessed.  Though  from  what  he  understood  there  were  not  many  dragons  either.  

[irisefrcmashes]

Eudora !!

“I have indeed.” It was as if her answer brought some sort of relief to him. She could see it in his eyes. So he did wonder where she’d gone. While she was locked up in her tower, Eudora’s mind wandered off to better days many times. Even if those days were tainted with the red and black colored memories of their worst moments together. She would still recall them. She questioned many times whether he’d come back for her. What he might’ve done when he couldn’t find her anywhere. Would he have left it there? Would he have tried to find her? It would’ve been like any other bedtime tale these seelies told their infants. With the fated lovers finding each other through much peril. Or it could’ve been one of those tales she herself heard back home. The ones that caused her nightmares. The way she knew the two of them, they would end up in a story of both of those tales, mixed together, not sure whether the ending would be happy or sad. She smirked, watching Yue bending down in front of her to pick the book up. Almost as if he was bowing to her. “You may thank me for… brightening up your day.” She took a step back, a hand coming up to pull another book down from the shelf and onto the ground. “For taking that awful frown off your face.” She took another step back, then did the same with another book. “For bringing some fun in your life again.” 

It  was  now  he  wondered  what  it  was  like  for  her  in  the  seelie  realm.  He  had  just  hoped  that  she  had  found  another  plaything  to  wrap  around  her.  Eudora  knew  how  he  thought  and  how  he  worked.  She  could  just  as  easily  stir  up  his  temper  as  much  as  his  feelings  for  her.  He  just  thought  she  was  doing  that  to  someone  else.  Though  it  pained  him  a  bit  to  think  so.  He  did  hope  she  was  happy  no  matter  what  pain  and  suffering  she  had  put  him  through.  As  she  pulled  each  book  of  the  shelf  listing  the  reasons  he  should  thank  her  for  it  got  him  more  annoyed  and  he  had  a  feeling  she  would  keep  doing  this  until  she  got  what  she  wanted.  Unless  she  was  too  occupied  to  do  so.  He  watched  the  last  book  fall  and  then  looked  to  her  and  quickened  his  pace  and  wrapped  his  arms  around  her.  It  felt  good  to  have  her  lithe  figure  in  his  arms  again.  This  feeling  was  why  he  always  came  back.  This  part  felt  natural,  but  he  just  hoped  it  wasn’t  a  trap  this  time.  He  didn’t  want  another  repeat.  That  was  if  she  was  feeling  the  same  for  all  he  knew  she  had  moved  past  him.  Part  of  him  didn't  want  that  though.  “Thank  you,”  he  voiced  and  there  was  happiness  mixed  in  with  some  of  the  other  emotions  he  was  feeling.  “So  what  have  you  been  up  to  in  your  time  here?”  He  asked  as  he  pulled  back  but  keeping  her  in  his  arms.  He  didn’t  want  to  pick  up  any  more  books  than  he  needed  to.  

[irisefrcmashes]

Olivia !!

IT  WAS  A  DANGEROUS SKILL  ,  that  was  true  .  many  creatures burned  themselves  with  a  fire  they  could  not  tame  ,  but  it  seemed to  be  a  part  of  her  .  the  flames never  did  her  any  harm  and  even  her  hellfire ,  which  could  leave  nothing but  destruction  in  its  wake  if  she  wanted  it  to  ,  never  scorched her  skin  .  ❛  a  simple  misunderstanding  ,  i  guess  .  ❜  whether  it  was  a  language  thing  or  her  own  bad  mood  hardly made  a  difference ,  did  it  ?  ❛  i’ve  never  had  a  reason to  be  afraid of  fire  .  ❜  it  was  so  much  more  than  her  element  . it  was  a  source  of  comfort  ,  an  anchor  . it  was  something that  helped  her  define  herself  and  she  would  not  know  what  to  do  without  it  .  her  emerald  eyes  stayed  right  on  his  features  when  he  approached her  ,  ready  to  strike -  as  she  always  was  -  but  the  male  seemed  to  be  nothing but  curious  .  the  hybrid  could  not  blame  him  for  that  when  she  held  a  similar fascination  ,  each  time  she  encountered  someone that  enjoyed  playing with  fire  . it  showed  in  her  orbs  when  he  allowed  his  own  fiery  wings  to  form  and  she  quirked an  eyebrow  when  he  whispered to  it  .  huh  .  ❛  it  seems  like  you  know  what  you  are  doing  .  ❜  she  remarked  ,  quiet  laughter falling  from  her  lips  .  it  was  not  easy  to  steal  the  elves  fiery  honey  ,  but  if  you  succeeded  it  certainly  did  wonders  .  ❛  i  suppose it  is  .  ❜  and  laura  was  not  always  proud  of  it  . the  price  that  she  paid  for  this  ability  was  too  high  ,  but  she  never  had  a  say  in  it  .  the  hybrid  hesitated for  a  moment ,  eyes  still  studying  his  features  .  could  he  be  trusted  ? should  she  trust  anyone  with  this  ?  maybe  they  could  not  learn  how  to  control  hellfire ,  but  it  was  much  easier  to  control  a  person  ,  wasn’t  it  ?  ❛  well  …  what  exactly  do  you  want  to  know  about  it  ?  ❜

“Seems  like  it,”  he  agreed.  It  seemed  like  she  was  a  bit  touchy  but  then  with  everything  going  on  he  wasn’t  going  to  harass  her  about  it.  Everyone  was  on  edge  and  the  ball  seemed  to  have  more  than  just  the  rings  and  the  murders  going  on.  “Some  have  a  good  bond  with  it,  some  don’t.  Even  within  my  own  kind  you  find  ones  that  don’t  cooperate  well  with  fire  and  cannot  control  it,”  those  didn’t  usually  last  long  in  the  olden  days  but  now  they  were  to  refrain  from  using  their  powers  anyway.  Couldn’t  have  others  figuring  out  they  still  existed.  “Though  it  seems  like  you  have  been  born  with  an  affinity  with  fire  that’s  strong.  It’s  been  a  while  since  I  have  had  a  good  training  partner  when  it  comes  to  fire  casting.  Perhaps  we  can  learn  from  each  other,”  might  be  an  idea.  He  sparred  with  Julian  for  physical  but  he  wouldn’t  use  his  flames  on  him.  Not  the  destructive  type  anyway.  She  looked  like  she  can  handle  it.  

“I’m  older  than  I  look  and  have  had  a  lot  of  time  with  my  flames,  taught  my  children  to  use  theirs  and  even  some  of  their  grandchildren,”  she  didn’t  need  to  know  he  also  had  5  millennia  of  experience.  What  he  said  was  enough  to  convey  he  was  well  acquainted  with  his  own  power.  “If  anyone  else  were  to  try  it  with  out  the  skill  you  have  the  hellfire  would  destroy  them  along  with  everything  with  it,”  such  was  the  easy  with  destructive  flames.  “What  energy  do  you  draw  from?  How  do  you  draw  it?”  He  asked.  All  magic  came  from  energy  it  just  depended  on  the  source  it  came  from.  At  least  that  was  how  he  understood  it  and  what  was  in  most  of  the  books  he  had  read.  

[irisefrcmashes]

Shiva !!

He never even knew. That was the sad thing and she hoped that his siblings would have looked after him and his kind rather than blame them. Well they were not going to fight each other any more Shiva would make sure of that. She could tell by the way his eyes widened and could hear his body reacting to all that she was telling him. At least the angels left him and his kind alone. Though these shadowhunters and mundanes they were another thing. 

❝ Yes he came into my realm, my prison. He was so angry when he first arrived. Very much so, killed many a monster soul before I got to him. I asked him his story and over time I managed to get him to see where he went wrong. I am so sorry you had to lose a loved one and I regret giving you both away. Though I feel that if you and your brother stayed with me. You may have had a worse fate, perhaps with me in purgatory or not even given a chance to live. So we cannot live in regret. He doesn’t hate you for what you did anymore and he himself has his own regrets, but he’s safe or as safe as you can be in purgatory. I hope this knowledge gives you some solace, ❞ she said as she put her hand to his cheek. 

❝ I can be here for you as well now, there is no need to take things upon yourself and I want for you and your kind to live free without fear of being hunted. I want my children to help each other and not fucking fight because I got locked up. Especially now we need to group up since the shadowhunter capital has been destroyed and a bunch of vengeful shadowhunters will come in place of that. I’ll have to figure things out and it will take time but that is my motivation right now. I hope you’ll let me into your life Yu, but I am not going to force myself on you if you don’t want me to. We can take our time with this. ❞ she reassured him. She could just compulse him she had that power but then she would be no better than her father. She wanted him to accept her on his own terms.

As  his  mother  explained  Si’s  fate  in  the  afterlife.  He  was  angry  that  he  killed  his  wife  just  because  she  was  a  mundane.  She  would  have  had  a  short  life  anyway  but  what  he  did  to  her  and  in  front  of  his  children  was  unforgivable.  Though  from  his  mother’s  words  he  was  at  least  feeling  regret.  He  would  never  forgive  him  but  he  has  moved  on  from  it.  He  wouldn’t  do  anything  against  him  but  he  would  never  trust  him  to  the  same  extent.  “I…  I  can’t  say  I  will  ever  forgive  him  for  what  he  did,  but  that  does  give  me  some  solace  yes.  I  have  moved  on  and  though  I  can  face  him  again  I  will  never  trust  him  in  the  same  way.  I  don’t  tend  to  look  back  much  not  unless  it  has  something  of  use  that  is  needed  in  the  present,”  he  flinched  slightly  from  the  touch  but  did  not  pull  away  from  it.  It  was  just  so  odd  to  have  such  a  familial  touch.  

“As  for  giving  us  away  you  said  we  could  harm  you.  I  believe  we  always  have  a  choice  and  to  make  the  best  one  we  should  look  at  all  options.  If  grandfather,  the  holy  father  locked  you  away  soon  after  your  approximation  of  it  being  worse  for  us  may  be  correct,  but  we  will  never  know  so  it’s  best  not  to  focus  on  that,”  he  never  really  had  high  regard  for  the  lord  god  anyway.  Though  his  life  was  a  little  on  the  rough  side  and  a  constant  fight  for  survival  can  make  you  incredibly  bitter.  Though  if  he  was  consider  blasphemous  to  him  maybe  that’s  why  he  hasn’t  stuck  a  finger  out.  However  Yue  has  also  noticed  that  he  hasn’t  stuck  a  finger  out  for  anyone.

As  she  mentioned  about  being  more  of  a  part  in  his  life.  “That  sounds  nice,  but  at  the  moment  that’s  all  it  is.  It  sounds  nice.  It’s  not  you  but  I  have  lived  a  rather  guarded  life.  I  am  not  opposed  to  letting  you  in  but  it  will  take  time  for  me  to  trust  you  and  that  you’re  not  just  going  to  use  me  for  your  own  gains,”  he  told  her.  He  was  like  this  with  everyone,  he  had  to  be.  He’s  been  stung  in  the  past  and  used  as  well.    “As  for  the  shadowhunters  in  here  they  are  barely  a threat.  We  don’t  have  that  many  and  though  I  have  not  really  interacted  with  that  many  but  one  that  one  didn’t  seem  to  follow  the  crowd.  It’s  out  there  that  need  to  worry  about  it  and  there  is  no  way  to  communicate  outside  this  realm,”  perhaps  if  they  got  out  it  may  work.  He  needed  time  with  it  to  figure  it  out.    

[irisefrcmashes]

Ace !!

Listening to the other’s explanation, he finished his drink during his monologue and right away ordering another one. “Why am I not surprised?” That sounded perfectly reasonable now, but yeah. There was nothing that Ace could provide to this other than just sitting here and being bored. Hopefully he could find some like-minded people soon and they could just go on to create their own fun. But yeah, for now it was just sitting here and killing hours with a lot of booze. 

He kept on listening and things kept getting more and more… weird. And way too bad, actually. Ace was still not sure what he could personally provide to help, but this could definitely go very bad. He could not fathom the consequences of a horseman dead, their rings missing or anything. “Oh yeah I don’t doubt that one bit. No warning needed — I am not out to kill anyone, actually.” In fact, Ace was pretty good at staying away from fights and all that kind of trouble for most of his life.

“Because  this  is  a  common  theme  among  those  that  have  power.  Throw  a  temper  tantrum  and  use  their  powers  to  make  you  do  what  they  want,”  it  was  clear  he  wasn’t  all  too  happy  about  his  current  predicament.  Some  of  his  company  he  was  happy  enough  to  see  and  though  nobody  has  really  bothered  him.  He  would  like  to  know  what  the  hell  is  going  on  outside.  Being  the  only  one  of  his  kind  here  did  not  give  him  any  measure  of  reassurance.  They  could  look  after  themselves  he  knew  that,  but  the  uncertainty  was  like  a  plague  on  his  mind.  

Yue  nodded.  There  had  already  been  deaths.  The  problem  was  that  he  understood  is  that  their  souls  couldn’t  go  anywhere.  “It’s  not  a  judgement  on  you.  Just  a  warning  in  general,”  to  be  fair  other  than  death  the  deaths  were  nothing  of  concern  to  him.  They  had  no  links  to  him.  His  part  in  this  was  still  very  much  vague.  If  the  guy  went  on  to  kill  he  at  least  gave  him  warning  but  he  wouldn’t  do  anything  against  it  unless  it  was  someone  he  cared  about.  “Anything  else  you  want  to  know?”  He  asked.  “My  name  is  Xie  by  the  way,”  he  introduced  himself  realising  they  hadn’t  learned  each  other’s  names  yet.    

[irisefrcmashes]

Eudora !!

Sure, it had been quite a while since they’d seen each other last, but that didn’t mean Eudora would be able to forget his mannerisms, nor the meaning behind his every little look. She knew it well that he was feeling the same amount of longing as she was right then and there. He was entranced, followed her as she turned away, and she knew she could do whatever she wanted to him, if she played her cards right. “I’ve been here long before it started.” She mused, her tone controlled as she didn’t want him to know how absolutely horrific those years were after the two of them broke things up again. She grabbed one of the books, turning around to face him once more as she kept walking backwards, glancing at Yue, and then down at the book as she opened it. “Fortunately for you, though, I suppose now that we’ve met, your being here won’t be as miserable as it has been so far.” She shrugged and, with a flick of her wrist, she dropped the book onto the ground, eyes focused on the other’s, trying to spark a reaction out of him. “You may thank me later.” 

Long  before.  Those  words  manage  to  answer  one  of  the  questions  he  had.  She  had  been  here  in  the  years  he  hadn’t  seen  or  heard  from  her.  He  knew  Eudora  was  capable  of  looking  after  herself.  She  managed  to  wind  him  around  her  little  pinky  and  not  always  in  a  good  way.  He  didn’t  seek  her  out  though.  It  was  better  for  him  that  he  didn’t.  “So  you’ve  been  here  a  while  then,”  he  commented.  As  she  turned  round  his  eyes  met  hers.  Her  enchanting  blue  eyes.  He  always  loved  those  eyes  but  they’ve  also  been  something  he  hated.  Everything  he  loved  about  her  he  hated  because  it  just  made  him  long  for  her  again.  “It  is  good  to  have  someone  else  I  know  about,”  he  would  debate  whether  it  would  be  less  miserable.  Perhaps  this  time  he  has  learned  his  lesson  and  maybe  things  will  be  different.  Other  things  here  can  make  his  life  more  miserable.  As  she  dropped  the  book  on  the  floor  he  frowned  and  picked  it  back  up.  This  is  what  he  remembered  as  well.  Her  games.  “Thank  you  for  what?”  He  asked  his  voice  not  hiding  his  annoyance.

[irisefrcmashes]

Estela !!

— estela shrugged, beginning to follow after him. “ i don’t know how numb it is that i feel as opposed to indifference ? ” she asked. she fell silent until they’d reached his home, biting her lip. “ it isn’t that i don’t care, per se. more just… i don’t want them to die thinking i was going to continue on their stupid legacy… ” she sighed. selfish, she thought. she wanted to see her mother’s reaction to her straying from what she’d been taught. now that she’d actually started to figure out what exactly she wanted to do, it might have been too late. “ my parabatai, thankfully, is unlikely to have been in alicante. ” he was the only one who she knew she’d be devastated to hear about dying. 

Yue  nodded  and  sighed,  “You  don’t  have  to  feel  the  same  as  everyone  else.  If  you  feel  indifferent  about  it  there  is  a  reason  behind  it.  It  isn’t  baseless.”  Some  emotions  didn’t  have  reasons  though  and  they  were  just  as  valid.  He  kept  silent  along  with  her  though.  Once  they  reached  his  place  he  flicked  a  small  fireball  at  his  door  which  then  unlocked.    “Ah,”  he  voiced  yeah  that  would  be  important  to  her.  “Well  then  continue  and  make  your  own  legacy.  Put  your  middle  finger  up  by  doing  the  exact  opposite.  You  may  never  get  their  reaction  but  you  know  you’re  doing  right  by  you,”  he  commented  as  he  opened  the  door  into  his  manor.  “I  remember  you  saying  your  Parabatai  understood  you,  perhaps  when  you  get  out  you  and  him  can  make  your  own  life,”  he  told  her  as  he  walked  in.  

[irisefrcmashes]

Darcy !!

LISTENING TO HIS REMINISCING  brought a smile to darcy’s face. she couldn’t really empathize with fond recollections of one’s family  —  her own memories too soured, those connections long broken before she’d even left home  —  but the fact that there were parents out there who actually seemed to care about their children  did  restore her faith in humanity.  ( somewhat. technically, he wasn’t  human ,  so perhaps that didn’t count. more’s the pity; mankind could really learn something from other species, she thought. )  not about to divulge any of these musings, especially unprompted, she commented on a different aspect instead:  “ politics  are  a shitshow, nowadays, no matter where you are. it’s fair to drop  that  hornet’s nest and run; although that doesn’t make me any more optimistic about the future  —  in any realm. ”  not that she’d ever subscribed to  optimism ,  per se  ( she kept her distance  because  of her  ‘ realistic ’  approach to the direction the world currently seemed to be taking )  but the joke in double-negatives made the subtly conveyed  appreciation  come out more easily than was natural to her.

darcy eagerly scribbled the pen name into her still open notebook, right under the entry of his warlock friend, only with the added note of  ‘ ( transl. ? ) ’  behind it. she dimly remembered a shelf in the library entirely dedicated to translations; given, on her first, admittedly not too thorough glance, it was mainly various encyclopedias of different countries and realms, but if there  was  some kind of sorting system in the library at all, she was sure the location was a good starting point. thankfully, the fae realm had quite a selection for texts in english or latin, at least; she’d never really considered how widespread the linguistic  access  to these actually was. the idea made her laugh, a little.  “ with globalization and all that jazz, the world seems so small sometimes. kinda funny that it’s  languages  that make us remember just how different people really are, sometimes, ”  she pondered, then shrugged.  “ which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. at least as long as people are willing to learn. ”  which she always was; crutch of dictionaries and translations or no. for that very reason, the compliment hit a specific note  —  darcy wasn’t about to voice it, of course, but the spark of pride at his words must’ve shown in her smile. glancing to the side, she deflected:  “ i’m sure you’ve had  a lot  more time to expand you’re knowledge, though. any advice for further research options  besides  trying to get through the fae’s library in my lifetime? ”

Yue  chuckled,  “Yeah  I  dropped  it  a  good  while  back.  I  don’t  get  involved  unless  I  have  to.    People  are  selfish  in  general  and  those  that  have  power  most  of  them  will  try  and  get  what  they  want  for  themselves.  There  are  those  that  care  about  their  own,  but  I  a  find  they  are  in  the  minority  these  days  in  politics  for  both  mundanes  and  the  shadow  world,”  he  did  not  care  for  shadowhunters.  Their  ways  were  very  heavy  handed.  Though  phoenixes  have  not  been  on  their  radar  for  a  good  while.  So  most  thought  they  were  extinct  probably.  “I  just  don’t  have  the  patience  for  those  that  are  clearly  out  for  themselves  and  hide  behind  good  intentions,”  he  added.

“Languages  are  a  fucking  pain  in  the  ass  but  it’s  culture  that  keeps  them  alive  and  a  sense  of  self  I  guess,”  he  sighed.  “Culture  reminds  us  how  different  we  are  too.  Though  it’s  also  through  culture  wars  are  started.  People  don’t  like  force  changed  and  they  shouldn’t  change  should  always  be  natural,  but  history  has  taught  us  yet  most  ignore  that  lesson  and  are  fucking  idiots,”  he  sighed.  “A  good  head  start  would  be  putting  it  mildly  yes,”  he  smiled.  “Seek  for  those  who  are  looking  into  the  same  thing.  If  they  have  notes  take  theirs.  Literature  Reviews  don’t  exist  since  the  shadow  world  has  to  stay  hidden.  That  being  said  there  might  be  some  here  since  there  are  no  mundanes  that  can  accidentally  grab  hold  of  your  work.  If  you  have  a  particular  subject  in  mind  I  might  have  some  but  it  really  depends  if  the  subject  is  within  my  scope  of  interest,”  if  it  were  magic  there  would  be  a  good  possibility  he  had  something.

[irisefrcmashes]

Vasilkaera !!

— vala had met far more people than she’d expected here. or, at least befriended more than she’d expected. even keeping to herself. she was content to not know the majority, though. she liked her little bubble of the friends she’d made. and felt better having her brother here. since he didn’t seem to still be angry over what she’d done. for now.

   “ most people are rather exhausting. ” she hummed. “ social things seem to keep finding me though. all of it has been rather unintentional, ” she shrugged. “ you’re welcome, ” she smiled. she nodded, “ yeah. i don’t like owing favours. tends to mean i have to do things i don’t feel like doing… but i also don’t usually have anyone who owes me, either. i think i’m good with just owing that warlock who did the warming spells for me… she seemed like she wouldn’t ask anything of me that i really didn’t want to do… or she’d just… never ask. ” she rambled. she tilted her head as he introduced himself. “ can i ask what you are ? ” she asked. 

Yue  gave  a  laugh  and  nodded.  “They  are  yes,”  though  part  of  his  reason  is  that  some  just  want  to  use  him  in  some  way.  He  has  been  betrayed  and  used  enough  in  his  life.  He  was  once  very  social,  but  that  had  been  extinguished  from  him.  “Most  who  know  me  know  I  am  not  an  easy  one  to  get  exactly  what  they  need  from.  It’s  not  that  I  am  against  helping  I  just  prefer  most  to  seek  the  means  themselves  but  I  am  happy  to  guide  or  help  if  it  is  indeed  something  only  I  can  do,”  or  if  the  interest  is  shared.    “It  depends  on  the  warlock  I  guess,”  he  shrugged.  Kisuke  and  him  had  a  good  arrangement  regarding  his  tears  and  he  did  have  one  of  his  feathers.  “A  phoenix,”  he  told  her.  He  left  out  that  he  was  the  original.  That  part  wasn’t  too  important.  There  was  little  point  in  hiding  what  he  was  anyway,  People  talked  and  he  didn’t  really  have  anywhere  to  hide  here.