(burak deniz, 33/530, tarik aureleigh, cis man, he/him) Underneath the sparkling sky, did you see BURAK DENIZ being tipped by the Cauldron? No, that's just TARIK AURELEIGH, who is the LORD & SPYMASTER from the DAWN COURT. I heard that on most days they're DILIGENT and HONEST but if you catch them on a dark night, they can be PESSIMISTIC and JUDGMENTAL. But if you really get to know them, you'll know that they vibe with SILENT EYE ROLLS, RIGID PERFECT POSTURE, & HOLDING THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD ON YOUR SHOULDERS.
BASICS
FULL NAME: Tarik Aureleigh
AGE: 530
COURT: Dawn Court
GENDER: Cis male
PRONOUNS: He/Him
SEXUAL ORIENTATION: TBD
TITLE: Lord of Dawn, Spymaster
FACECLAIM: Burak Deniz
tw: death, kidnap mention, anxiety
tarik was very young when the kidnapping of his sister had happened, he was there to watch, to try and protect, and defend (sometimes even physically, to their parents' disapproval) once dawn's commander brought her back, hating how helpless it all made him feel, hearing about what she had to endure and all he could do for her now didn't feel like enough. so the boy grew up very young to keep up, eventually learning how to fight and defend himself within the army of dawn, training with them, and promising to himself that no one else in their court would have to go through anything like this ever again if he ever had a say.
and then their parents passed too soon, and with it came the curse from a relative who wanted the crown, and tarik had closed himself off even more, his youngest sister still being so young when it happened. his aggression finding higher heights, especially when others brought up their curse in regards to zaina once she took on the high lady role. he was scared out of his mind, not knowing how he was supposed to keep his sisters safe now, and though he picked up the role as spymaster, wanting to oversee any missions or plans the court decided to take, the man is also easily found right behind either of his sibling's heels; right there to overhear meetings held by the inner circle, or keeping an eye on aylin like an overbearing shadow. he stands with a tense and straight back at all times, so tightly wound up in his anxieties and fears, and coming off very standoffish because of it, but he cares so much it’s hard to bear.
"I know Zaina is giving everyone the benefit of the doubt. We had a— disagreement." Because it wasn't really a fight but Jamie felt the same way as Tarik. They wanted answers and there were very few fae that were willing to cooperate. "I just don't like that we never knew about this court. It's too suspicious, too convenient and whether they are guilty or not, everything is about them. I just wished they were more willing to do something." Up until now they haven't found one courtlier that was useful or had something to say about what was happening.
Jamie smirked before he chuckled at the title but they shook their head. "Never. I don't want to ever become a stranger. Not to you." The Aureleighs became more of a family to them than their own family. They saw them in a way no one ever had before. "I feel like I earned my position here but I don't feel quite— respected yet. I feel like I'm still fighting for my place." Jamie explained without fear, they trusted Tarik. He was a friend.
tarik immediately falters at hearing about the argument between two people that meant a lot to him, letting out a tired sigh as he runs a hand through his hair, tired. his sister knew well enough how much he had been wanting to be present for meetings but he tried to bite his tongue in instances where she set that boundary...he just didn't want to risk incidences like these. the new commander of day had been a great ally and friend to them for as long as he could remember, and while this was all happening, he wanted to make sure what little friends he had were doing alright. "I apologize for whatever might have transpired there...she is very stubborn and in her ways...but you of course already know that. it is very hard to navigate what there is to do next when the very court that is at the center of all of this has barely said anything. if I didn't know any better I would seek out a meeting with a ruler or even someone from the royal family myself. the lack of answers is making me irritated. please let me know if you hear anything from anyone else?"
his brows furrow gently in his face, a softness that he only allows to meet his eyes for a few seconds before he quickly straightens a bit more, with a nod, clearing his throat. "good. that's...good. i'm not losing the only sparing partner that actually gives me a challenge around here to another court. even if it so happens to be their own court...that we have our own personal ties to." he takes a moment to take in their words, thinking it over before his voice comes out just a tone softer. "you deserve this spot. regardless of how you got here. let your actions prove your merit...make it undeniable and keep your head up. and i'm here if you ever need anything...even when you don't."
zaina smiles and thanks the servants as they set out the food. this is probably too much. especially since her brother is clearly uncomfortable, and she hates when something she does causes that. but she needed to talk this through. and she wants him involved. with the new knowledge of the asteri… they need to be prepared. she thinks catalina is right — they needed to reinforce their protections. but she does not believe working alone will benefit them, nor does she think working only with one or two courts will. but she sighs when he asks her that, leaning her head on her hands and rubbing her temples. “can i not invite my brother to brunch just because i want to see him?” she asks, glancing up at him. “we need to discuss the asteri, and plans to protect our court with most of us having no magic.”
he raises his eyebrows, giving her a look at the question, as if asking what this was really about, knowing it couldn't have been that simple. that mundane. especially not in the current circumstances prythian found themselves in. what the dawn court had found themselves in. because tarik be damned for his honesty, but their proper court was really all that he had been stressed over, not wanting them to lose any of their own as some of the fae already have. and once zaina is finally out with it he straightens himself a bit more, pasting an amused smile that was anything but warm. "mm. there it is. what is it you suggest we do, madame high lady? i'm keeping in touch with our commander of armies and the general, making sure they're keen and alert in case of any threat that happens to come to us. my spies are familiarizing themselves with whatever they are to find about this asteri and are meant to report back on anything they can find...how have your...meetings with other high rulers gone? still personally believe I should be involved in these discussions but to each their own, right?"
tarik had seen this as just one more thing to add on to the pile there was for him exhaust himself to oblivion with. when jamie had made the request to their commander of armies for zaina to have a personal guard after all that had happened back in winter he was more than ready to back them up on it, not willing to take any chances after all that they had endured. his sister was going to be as protected as possible. and finding that who ended up being selected was an Illyrian who had been trained all his life, it all fell into place almost perfectly. but of course, there was one little detail that had escaped him. because he pushed the very thought aside, expecting it to be made very clear how unnecessary and unprofessional a case like this would be. but that clearly didn't stop fate, did it? all it took was one look the lord of dawn caught the man giving the high lady he was now sworn to protect, for him to immediately feel a migraine coming on. he decided to to push it aside, expecting the other not to be idiotic enough to act on it. the man was already shooting away the court's keeper of secrets his sister had taken a liking to (that he still couldn't understand fully, either, because, really? the man who got excited over dusty scrolls and ancient languages? he certainly wasn't accounting for taste there) and he truly did not need more of this. what was it about zaina that did this to men?
"how has...everything been since the incident that split the earth? I give my condolences for what you might have lost as so many of us have." he glances at the broad wings from the other. "but zaina seems to be quite alright for all things considered so I...thank you for that. I would rather have her without her mental abilities and safe to an extent than with them and in danger...is there...anything else I should be aware of? as far as our court goes?"
Jamie was still shaken up by the after effects of such a dramatic revelation. They could do with less theatrics than this and have these enemies, the Asteri or whatever they're called, just face them, but here they all were still with no powers and no real answers. Trapped in an unknown land.
Finding Tarik in the aftermath felt like a breath of fresh air as everyfae around them were checking on their closed ones. They had already made sure that Talia was safe and guarded so Jamie made their way to the Spymaster and Lord. "This is getting more insane as time goes by. I'm still all out of sorts, lost on what to do." They admitted. Jamie was doing everything they knew they could. Protect their sister and the inner circle by keeping watch over them and try to maintain good relations with other courts but there was still this feeling that not everyfae was being honest here.
tarik had been trying to figure out a better way to manage his reactions to everything that had been hitting them all at once, but in the moment it felt as though he was failing horribly, clenching his fists in silence with his jaw tight, and he couldn't help but to let out a sigh of relief once noticing jamie's familiar face, someone he trusted deeply, and secretly (maybe selfishly) didn't want to see leave their court, but he also felt they were where they were meant to be now, even if it was brought on through such grievous circumstances. "i suppose that makes two of us." he fixes them with a somewhat gentler look, one that said he was sorry they found themselves in the middle of all of this, even if it wasn't either of their fault. "zaina is choosing to proceed by giving everyone the benefit of the doubt and as much as I love her and will follow her anywhere, it's getting harder and harder to to keep a sane mind when all I want is to cut to the chase and get answers...i do hope day is treating you with the respect and dignity you deserve...even in such circumstances. I hope you don't become a stranger, commander."
the lord of dawn felt that he had so few fae he could really trust or even go as far as calling a friend, and the youngest lord of autumn, regulo was definitely one of them, and after going from conversation to conversation about all the new information that just kept...going the man was in need of a moment to decompress with the other, letting out a clearly stressed sigh before turning to the man in front of him. "I can only assume your court is fairing alright, even in the middle of...everything. I wouldn't put it over the high lady of autumn to already have plans a through z ready in case of anything..." in fact he greatly appreciated catalina's approach, the delivery might not have been for everyone but at the end of the day she got things done. "how have...you been, though? everything alright?"
"how are you feeling about this new information?" tarik had found saylee as soon as he could, stressed with the amount of things that seemed to keep piling up for them all, being thrown into starlight, losing their magic except for a few, and now talk of this new group of fae that he did not care to hear about. but if there was anyone's opinion the man had valued most, it was the high lady of winter. of course his sister was up there as well, she was high lady herself for a reason after all, and he trusted she had a good head on her shoulders, but when zaina tried to find the benefit of the doubt in these cases, saylee saw the truth and wasn't afraid to voice those thoughts as plain as day, and he respected it greatly. "I also came to apologize for how the meeting with dawn might have gone, I secretly wanted to be there myself but I know you're more than capable of handling yourself, especially in cases like these."
tarik was hesitant for this meeting, still feeling a certain way about the whole mess they were currently in, but now since the asteri had been revealed as the true threat, the lord of dawn had finally felt somewhat comfortable with the idea of hearing what someone from starlight's inner circle would have to say. was it a little much? sure, but the man had learned how to keep his distance until certain truths revealed themselves first. so now here he was, with the second in command, to get an idea on what the court thought of everything. "so this...asteri...is there anything your court happens to know about them? because clearly they knew of you all, to call you out so bluntly and dropping the rest of us in and taking our magic."
tarik sits across from his sister, clearly uncomfortable as all the brunch food is set out in front of him and he forces a smile as the servants leave after putting together the table, waiting until they were fully gone to turn to zaina with a slightly raised brow, wanting to hear why she had asked them to meet together like this after he was still annoyed at the way she had been so stubborn about trusting starlight, even to those who raised incredible points against it, even now when a new thread had been revealed and losing their magic. at the end of the day he was going to stand by her, of course, she was high lady and his older sister, but he wanted to make sure he could fully understand the choices she was making here. "...where's alyin?or should I consider myself lucky you wanted to hold this gathering with just the two of us?"
"commander. if you will?" is all the man says once he spots elian, barely glancing at him as he starts walking ahead, towards the training room found in stellaria with a training sword already in hand, back perfectly straight and jaw set, expecting the other to follow. he wanted to know everything the other had since being dropped here and now with all this new information and the loss of their powers it made it harder for the lord to not need some sort of outlet for all of these bubbling feelings of impulsion and anxiety, his sister had made her choice to side with this new court, and they had all discovered that there was a now a whole new threat but he wasn't one to let his guard down just yet.
