She said, "You ain't no son of mine"

"For what you've done, they're gonna find a place for you, and just you mind your manners when you go. And when you go, don't return to me, my love."

[casimirnoctis]

"You are a man of the arts, Lirien, but I had never taken you for a deserter," there's no insult in his tone; Casimir had run from war before, but that had been when the battle had not been his to fight for. This time around, Casimir understood there was no way out but facing this darkness head on, something which was sobering, but something he hoped Lirien would come to terms with.

Still, in some macabre way, Casimir played along, and tried to move on from being highly insulted by his cousin kicking his door in, "Where is it you suggest we head? I'm curious."

[liriennoctis]

"Not deserting!" Lirien holds up the pointer finger of his right hand. "Simply observing from afar out of harm's way until we figure out what we want to do." Because as much as he'd like to stop Casimir from going out and fighting for something, he knew he couldn't. It was one of the things he loved about the other, his kind heart. Even if he did think it bled a little too much from time to time. He steps further into the house, closes the door behind him and crosses his arms across his chest in Casimir's living room. "Hestia's Cove. I have connections there." Which was bard for that he was going to cozy up to Zagreus and hope he'd be as accommodating as he was attractive.

[anwirxguarded]

Anwir wasn't really in his right mind to identify correctly what the other was, and honestly, vampire, vuldak, demon, what was the difference really in this situation? He could be a god for all he cared it didn't exactly make a difference. The other was still in his way. "You 'feed' on me and I'll find a way to remove those milk teeth of yours." even if it meant that they had to be buried in his body to do so. He had really got turned around if he was in this area of the city, but out was out. "And if there's a place to feed right over there for you, so off you fuck." maybe the other was poor and couldn't afford the cost and tried to look for a free meal instead.

[liriennoctis]

"You're very angry for someone of your height." He regrets the words the moment they're out of his mouth, curious tone or not, it wasn't exactly a compliment. "And I never said anything about feeding from you, I think this is as close as I can get without throwing up in my mouth a little." As if to empathize, Lirien grimaced and took a step back, his hands still raised in surrender. "I'm on my way there, you happened to be here, I got curious." Considering he smelled like a sewer and was in desperate need of a good scrubbing. He wondered if the bathhouse would even let him in, poor thing really. The pang of sympathy causes him to release the other man, his hands still up as the shadows slither away.

[liriennoctis]

Person: @calainhemmingthetemptation (Calain) Location: The Cisterns

People talked in Eterna, people talked all the time, it's arguably their favorite pastime, gossip. The darkspawn had been in the North, they'd been in the South, the Kossith had come and gone, and he felt like everything was unraveling. Unraveling too quickly and he needs a spot up high he can observe the chaos without dabbling too deep. Needless to say, his usually unbothered demeanor is shaken for once. That's apparent because of where he is, he always finds himself wandering into a lounge, not a bar that's usually crawling with members of the Thieves Guild. But he'd had a bit to drink, even for a bard, and he was fully sulking in a corner booth, staring into a tankard of mead as he plans his next move. It's hard to do when he realizes the familiar itch in the back of his throat isn't going to be cured by liquor. This would be a good time to go home, but instead he's scanning the bar, sizing people up. And the curls and the doe eyes that rivaled his own stuck out like a sore thumb. He should go home but instead he's batting his lashes and the moment their eyes meet, he's smiling just enough to reveal a glint of fang. Why go any further for a snack when he could just eat here and then go home?

[blightedmikhael]

“That will be much appreciated,” he says with a light inclination of his head, lips quirking into the shadow of a smile as he stands still for the other to finish making sure he is presentable for the crowds they are to move through. He has done jobs like this one before, but not enough to say that he is entirely too comfortable in them. No, this is the sort of job where he takes the lead of his employer and insurers and their needs are met entirely, if it's within his means to meet them. “Are there other polite exit of conversations you would like me to use? Shall I mention that you are looking concerningly pale, and that it seems like you need some fresh air?” He asks, tone light in a soft jest as his smile widens just enough to be pointedly noticeable if one were to pay attention.

[liriennoctis]

"That would..." Yes, paint the picture to the people that he's some fragile waif, he quite liked the sound of that. Him, soft, delicate, too fatigued to go on. Lirien smiles all the way up to the eyes at the thought and the corners of his lips quirk upwards in amusement. "Yes, that will do nicely." As if to show how pleased he was with the suggestion, he smooths down the collar of Mikhael's shirt and offers him a little pat on the shoulder before he turns on his heel. The wolves descend immediately, a small cluster of men who'd left the Harmonium a few years ahead of him, fellow alumni. One of them waves a greeting and Lirien smiles back but nudges Mikhael's side with his elbow gently. "Wine before any of the vultures, I think."

[truthfulbelladona]

“They seem to be entirely too obsessed with darkspawns, alas,” she laments, tapping the back of her pen against the wad of paper as she considers the names written primly on it. Carefully, she tallies them out, ensuring that there is not a single one missing, and once she is sure the list is done, she tears it out and pushes it towards Lirien for his perusal. “Perhaps if the issue in the Astoria border gets worse they will change their sights, but that seems like a relatively long shot.”

Capping her pen, she meets Lirien’s eyes and raises a brow. 

“What? Did you expect to find pieces of me, rather than the whole? The experience was daunting, but letting it break me is beneath me.”

[liriennoctis]

Lirien casually scoops up the paper and his drink in a fluid motion, taking a sip only to slip the paper up the cuff of his sleeve before setting his glass back down. "On the contrary, I half expected you to come back wrong." The casualty of his tone was almost cool but the quirk at the corners of his mouth gives away his amusement at the idea. Belladonna coming back wrong would look like her heart growing several sizes.

[liriennoctis]

Person: @zagreusx Location: It's Hestia's Cove fam "Well it pleases me to know that during even the most trying of times, you stay pretty." Lirien actually prefers the cove to most places on account of it's easy to get a gig. A little flirting, a little lute strumming, and he has a six thirty sharp appointment. Zagreus's parties have been a such appointments in the past, less so with everything with what's plagued the cove the last year, but the man remained just as electric as ever. Lirien thought it was the eyes, there was just something about them. "I have perhaps the worst proposition for you possible."

[liriennoctis]

Person: @casimirnoctis Location: Casimir's Living Room His foot connected with the door and it swung open, banging against the wall a bit harder than he'd intended. It wasn't for dramatic effect, this was urgent and he needed to know what trouble Casimir was going to get into this time. His cousin had a good heart, whether it beat or not, he'd gone off to find what remained of that damn ship. Lirien would very much like to think that most things could not bother him, he navigated life with charm and grace. Casimir just happened to be the closest thing left he had to a family and he loved him dearly and so whenever the other dhampir choose to put himself in harm's way, he was indeed bothered. "Start packing." There's none of the usual playful mirth to his tone, it's not even firm, for once he was actually afraid.

[casimirnoctis]

Casimir understands more than anyone that curiosity could be impossible to satisfy without the truth of experiencing something. Word of mouth was nothing unless one truly lived what they had a wanton for. "Well, you can still wander and experience these things, but I urge you to be wary." It felt ominous, as though his words were condemning Lirien to be utterly, irrefutably, polluted by what dark lingered in Veilcrest, but he could not demand that his cousin see it as what he'd witnessed himself and could only hope he would not lose his cousin to the Dark he would wander within.

"We are not often seen in a great light in society, no?" There's a curl of his lips as he says this, he'd known of such wary glances, such cruel disregard; it'd only made Casimir all the more ambitious to carve out his own legacy.

[liriennoctis]

"Vampires in general or....?" Brow raised, he's curious but he is relieved that this does appear to be going well. Going well without him having to lie or puff out his chest a bit, there's none of the usual borderline overconfidence he has with people around the Harmonium or crowds. "I haven't encountered anything by slapping the family name onto mine aside from..." Trailing off again, he tries to think about what the reaction had been when he'd been announced for his auditions. Hushed whispers had settled through crowds, but he hadn't quite paid them any mind. "There's perhaps been some hesitation from people, but I haven't minded." Hesitation was one way to put it, at least. The truth was it'd wound up being an in with the vampires around the campus, he doesn't think any of them would pay him much mind without it. It sparked curiosity about him, was often a bit of a conversation starter, and as the thought came across the forefront of his mind, there was a bit of anxiety welling in his gut. It didn't sound like something he should voice out loud in case it painted him in a bad light. For someone who considered themselves fairly likeable, he did feel somewhat terrified that Casimir would come away from this....Not liking him.

[casimirnoctis]

"Does anyone ask to be tied to the Dark?" Red eyes flickered to Lirien's as they walked; Casimir knew it was a complicated subject and went to elaborate further, "Genasi, some vuldak's, they can ponder on such a choice, but we are gifted to the Dark. We don't have any say in what we can really become when it comes to the whispers of the abyss." He'd already known life was not fair and he wasn't entirely asking for the scores to be evened, but he'd had liked a chance to have not been delivered to the influence of the Dark so easily. Casimir made the choice to be susceptible to such whispers daily, he'd known of a few who had joined the Legion as though it disrupted such tether, but Casimir liked to believe, in some respect, it only made him stronger to continuously turn away.

"Riches and influence, being tied to the Noctis name... you might think it allows you freedom beyond belief, but really it's just a cage. Something to obey and toe the line of," there is some lingering bits of compassion in his eyes, something not typically possessed by a dhampir, but the sentiment is worn in his gaze all the same.

[liriennoctis]

"It's....." Lirien doesn't quite know how to put it in any sort of delicate way, his feelings. Because ultimately, he'd wanted to grow up with something, with someone. An actual family, not just mentors and teachers and the halls of the Harmonium. And he understands where Casimir is coming from, the weight of the decision he'd made for himself. "I wish I'd had the chance to form that opinion myself." Maybe he'd have made the same choice Casimir had if he'd gone through the same hardships, felt that same pressure. "I don't know how to feel about any of it, not really." His tone is contemplative and he puts his free hand in his coat pocket, his lips pursing in thought as they walk the hall. "All I've ever had is everyone's opinions on a family that's mine but not mine."

[talisa-the-steel]

A brow raised at the last name, but Talisa did not comment any further. It was vaguely familiar, and not in an especially good way, but she could not pull from her memory precisely where she heard it. Thus, it couldn’t be that bad! “I do, but I have friends outside of Avalon as well. And I like Eterna, I like cities.” She knew Eterna was not the only city within Taravell, but it did strike her as the most diverse of them all. “And where do you spend the majority of your time?” she asked as she carefully examined the shape her nails had been cut and filed into–rounded ovals, like little dragon’s eggs. 

[liriennoctis]

"I spend a fair amount of time in Eterna or nearer the Harmonium." Downtown Eterna, skulking around corners if his fingers weren't occupied with some kind of instrument, but that was his own business. "I own Lutes & Lyrics, it's a relatively new venture so that's where I've been the last couple of weeks." And frantically arranging furniture in a way that's borderline manic, but again, that's his business. Not one to break his seemingly unbothered nature, he glanced from his cleaned up cuticles to her. "You should stop by."

[anwirxguarded]

"You're so weird for that... wait, are you a bighted wolf? are you here to eat my soul? Well, I hope I taste foul and kill you!" they were called Vuldaks if he remembered correctly, and if this was how it was going to end, he was going to try and make sure he gave them the least satisfaction. "I'm definitely going to punch you in the face." Anwir wasn't going to be someone's lunch, if he was given the chance to defend himself, he wasn't going to play fair.

[liriennoctis]

Lirien blinked not once, but twice, and then he canted his head to the side slightly. Was it too dark? His fangs were out, his fangs were always out. Ridiculously, it was a blow to his ego just a little bit, preyed on that insecurity of being more human than vampire. At least he'd thought he was some sort of blighted creature. "Not really out for souls, though getting any closer to feed on you would certainly require some sort of mask." This guy was indeed going to try to punch him in the face, and probably attempt to snap his wrists, but Lirien thinks this is now a matter of pride. "You're less than a block from a tavern that caters to vampires." He points out instead of digging his heels in and continuing to further aggravate the man. "And you were expecting a blighted wolf."

[anwirxguarded]

"Well, whatever depraved fetish you have for musty basements, I won't be part of it." Anwir struggled against the shadow bindings as the other apprised him. It made his blood boil that the other thought he had some kind of superiority over him. There was still some time when he could use the others' abilities. He ordered the shadows on him to release him; some of them obeyed, but not all. "I'm going to punch you in that smug ass face when i get the opportunity." If the other person really wanted to de-escalate the situation, he shouldn't have bound Anwir.

[liriennoctis]

Whatever distress this man was in wasn't really any of Lirien's business, he was in this purely out of curiosity and perhaps maybe a snack. That would be if he could get past the smell of just what had been described, a musty basement. What really had his brows raising was the way he fought off the shadows, some of them shrank away. Holding his hands up in surrender and taking a step back, the shadows dissipated to just clutching at the man's ankles. "I followed my nose, I'm not here to haul you back from whatever dungeon you crawled out of." There's a bit of bite to it, he's not completely absolving a pretty face of rudeness, but Lirien was maybe just big enough to admit that he kind of deserved it. "I'll let you go if you don't go for the face or the hands." There's still some mild sarcasm there, his fangs ever present in his mouth didn't help matters.

[experienceandobservation]

Taylor Zakhar Perez | July 11, 2025 | 🎥 Maria Zakhar

[anwirxguarded]

Anwir was in a fair state of disrepair, his hair long and greasy, his beard untamed, wild. Grim stained his skin, with long fingernails that trapped the indecency of prison below them disguised a body that Anwir had trained for his escape years ago. While his cheeks weren't full, his muscles and bones would see him through his escape. "Says the one who followed me." The confidence the other had to follow down here must have meant he wasn't just a human. It was a confidence he was going to take from beneath his feet. Anwir would have preferred a sword, but his only defence was his own ability. Assertively, he closed the space looking like he was going to shove the other out of the way. There wasn't much force behind the elvhen, that was until he mimicked the others' strength out of seemingly nowhere. "One i'm not going back to so get out of my way."

[liriennoctis]

"Indeed, I followed what I assumed had to be a dank basement on the move." Lirien didn't move as the man got closer, didn't retaliate when it became apparent this was going to get physical. Because the shadows around them in the end of the alley twisted, hands reaching out of the dark and clutching at the other man to keep him still. Arms crossed over his chest, Lirien's brow raised as he took a second to actually appraise what he'd found on his way to dinner. The light of the moon overheard illuminated bright eyes, a boyish face underneath overgrown stubble and unkempt hair. He's short but he's not entirely a twig, he had a decent build, or perhaps at one time he'd been more solid, at the moment he looked almost sickly. With a bit of cleaning up, Lirien was sure he'd be pretty to look at. "If you promise not to get physical, I'll let you go." There's amusement to his tone, his shoulders raising in an all too casual shrug as the shadowy creatures clutched at ankles and knees. He's curious now, invested in whatever the hell this guy's problem was.

[truthfulbelladona]

“They can be quite useful if one knows how to use them, I suppose,” she admits in amusement. Humming thoughtfully, she bends down behind the counter and grabs a pad of paper her workers usually used to take orders and a pen. Standing back up, she begins writing the names she had carefully collected during her time in the boat. She has them memorized, after all. It’s a list she has that she needs to go down step by step to ensure none of them reveal her truth. Belladona can’t be too obvious, not when they are aware she is a Dream Genasi, but she has enough connections to keep an eye on those who were also captured. If nothing else, if they begin to act in a manner that brings her concern, she can begin looking for ways to eliminate them. “None survived no, but I have a feeling their leadership will not be dissuaded with such a small loss.”

The lives lost in the ship were extensive, yes, but they likely had far more Kossith amongst their numbers, so Belladona wouldn’t be surprised if there is another invasion within the next few years.

[liriennoctis]

He watches from behind the rim of his glass, relatively amused at the whole idea. Big man with power comes through Haven and gets decimated, it would seem that just kept happening. Such was the hubris of men in general, he figured, people kept seeming to underestimate the inhabitants of the Wildlands. "No, I imagine the cycle will continue, but maybe they'll be smart enough to realize coming from the North isn't a safe option." Maybe, if they were really lucky, the Kossith would just go right for the Tower. But that was a petty thought. "You seem your usual self."

[blightedmikhael]

“I suppose it’s hard to tell when I wear my armor,” he agrees politely, just the edge of a drawl to his words to signify to his employer that he did catch the condescension but would not dignify it with a retort. He is being paid to stand around and look intimidating enough to stop anything funny from happening to Lirien, after all. No need to start openly bickering with his employer. That would only lead to rumors and less contracts in the future, and he would much rather avoid that sort of thing. He still needs to get paid, after all. “I do have a handful of appropriate outfits for occasions such as this, but I must admit that if you begin hiring me regularly, you might grow tired of my selection.”

[liriennoctis]

There's something about Mikhael that comes off as strangely innocent, naive maybe. Like it's his first day on a job that he is somehow good at and Lirien finds it ridiculously endearing in a way. He lets this be known by offering a light sigh and stepping forward to smooth down the lapels of the other man's jacket. "If that happens I will surely find you something." It's said all too casually, as if he wasn't already mentally making a note to look into getting Mikhael something nice. Lirien had standards and they were high because they had to be. "If you see me getting bored as some noble comes up to me, I expect you to wait a moment and then ask me if I have seen the piano in the other room yet."

[hectorthefollower]

The store was a curious meeting place, but Hector remembers meeting stranger men in stranger places. Hearing the notes pulled through the trumpet-like fixtures of the curious looking machines on display, Hector smiles warmly at seeing Lirien walking towards him in a bashful fashion. He extends his arms towards him, expectant of a hug as so many parents do before bringing Lirien in for a hug. "Don't you fret too much."

"I would have came later, but Thief rode towards here like a bat from hell. Poor horse might have missed feeling the firm ground after being stalled in the snow near Haven."

To see his pseudo kin walking to their meet late wasn't surprising. A bad habit that Hector could have unfortunately passed down to Lirien, being a thief with light fingers on a slow and heavy hand. Hector hadn't been one to chide anyone for being tardy, a strigoi like himself was very familiar in the distractions one could find within Eterna, but it didn't stop the teasing thought from entering his mind.

"But of course, this is not to say I wouldn't mind some compensation." Hector winks. He pats Lirien on the shoulder before walking towards one of the record players, admiring the intricate design. "Maybe telling me about your day and I'll see if that'll be sufficient payment for your tardiness?"

[liriennoctis]

Stepping across the room to Hector, Lirien let himself be pulled into the hug and he returns it, pressing a purposefully obnoxious kiss to the side of the strigoi's face before he's pulling away. He has to admit, his head does feel a lot quieter with the other man present. "I'll have to make sure Thief is rewarded handsomely in apples for getting you here then." He's amused enough at the thought as he all too quickly goes from the floor of the shop to his office and back, a bottle of wine and two glasses in hand. "My day? Of arranging furniture on the shop floor over and over because I have convinced myself that it's going to matter and if I don't get it right, it'll ruin a customer's overall experience?" He perches himself on said furniture, a nice velvet upholstered couch that he thought was fun but not pretentious or gaudy. Setting the glasses down on the small side table, Lirien goes about pouring a decent amount of the O Negative into them. "Overthinking. Overthinking has been my day." And he allows himself to huff a little, exasperated with himself.