Liquorice and Lime

I'm Laen, an Arkn born in Dystalia. Yes, I'm aware of my name. Through clear waters, I see the fires rage.

[frequentlycorvid]

Lauri’s Tale; Pink and Purple - a chronological masterpost

For those who wish to keep up with Laen and Lauri’s story, crossed over with The Siren’s Saga. It’ll be updated regularly.

The Beginning

Purple Heart Anon - Lauri joins Tumblr and is immediately approached by a friendly anon

The Society - Purple Heart Anon introduces Lauri to the concept of the Society of the Purple Rose, a mysterious Dekn organisation.

An Arbitration Feast - Lauri and her twin brother, Laen, speak for the first time in a long time. Though they get along, there is always tension due to their different paths in life.

An Offer - the naive Laurien is approached by the mysterious Dekn Moirah Averil, seeking aid in saving her sister Shanna, and learns more of the Purple Rose.

“I can’t fucking do this anymore” - following a disturbing event within the Society of the Purple Rose, Laurien decides to accept Moirah’s plea for aid.

The Plot Thickens

“It was cold here” - Laurien begins her search for Shanna, unaware of the true extent of the dangers she will face

Just Checking In - Lauri comes to an uncomfortable and dangerous realisation

Where Are You, Sister? - Laen begins to catch wind of the danger his sister is in 

Laurien, Meet Shanna - following her hunch, Laurien finally meets the one she has been looking for, but something is slowly taking hold of her…

Reminiscing - Lauri looks back on her childhood with Laen, pondering the position she is in now. Laen is beginning to panic.

A Colleague - Laen runs into one of his SEEKER colleagues, who immediately realises something is wrong.

A Light Fades

Shanna and Lauri Take A Field Trip - Lauri and Shanna take a trip. Laurien learns she is not so undercover as she thought, and falls quickly into the grasp of the presence looming over the Purple Rose.

And As My Eyes Close, I Awaken - Laurien falls completely into the spell of the Purple Rose

A Mother’s Love - Laen, desperate to get his sister back, turns to those around him for help

I’m Begging You - Laen, finally beyond pride, turns to his final hope.

The Initiation of Laurien Adaire - Lauri finally becomes a full-fledged member of the Society of the Purple Rose

Drifting Apart

An Idea - Laen and Leo come up with a plan to buy them some time while they figure out how to help Laurien

In Over Your Head - Laen, consumed by grief, confronts the one thing he can lash out at; the perceived ‘source’ of his sister’s pain.

It’s All My Fault - Falling into despair, Laen turns his frustration inward.

On SEEKER - Forced alone with nothing but his own half-empty mind, Laen begins to question the choices he has always staunchly stood by

Seeing Sense - Moirah discovers the source of her sabotage – and Laen is forced to apologise.

Re-Education - Laurien, freshly out of Initiation, discovers Shanna has been taken for Re-education.

A Silent Witness (series of Anons)

Experiment - ‘a silent witness’ confronts Lauri about her newfound position Envy- undeterred, Lauri continues to push back against the anonymous confrontation Taking Care Of Her - The silent witness continues their attack Bitter - Laurien has finally had enough. Witness - Laurien finally learns who her confronter actually is.

Let Go - Laurien falls into despair and confusion, and her God-Emperor makes it all better

Her Faith Deepens

Care - Laurien is confronted by an anonymous bystander, who accuses her of not caring for her friends. Driven by fear and faith, she bites back.

Sick - Laurien confronts Moirah and her assistant for spreading ‘manipulations’ and lies about Shanna

What Have You Done? - following a successful rescue attempt, Laurien learns that Shanna is gone.

Hope? - Laen learns of the successful rescue, and begins to show some concerning symptoms…

I don’t feel good… - Perhaps it is the stress, or something else, but Laurien is starting to feel under the weather…

Fear and Finer Things

Arrivals - Laen and Leo are already waiting for Moirah and Shanna when they return. Heated words are exchanged, plans are made, and Laen is beginning to truly feel the weight of his sister’s situation.

Her Lord Returns - Made sick by what she thinks is the loss of her God-Emperor, Laurien turns to the Purple Rose to receive a timely reassurance.

Are You Excited? - Laurien discovers she is to be attending the Violet Gala, the “charity” ball hosted by the Purple Rose

So You All Know - Lauri is feeling much better now her Lord has returned…

An Announcement - Laurien’s attendance to the Gala is officially announced

What Do You Think? - Laurien tries on a new outfit, much to her Lord’s pleasure

SEEKER Are Here? - Upon discovering the organisation her brother works for is attempting to infiltrate the Society, Lauri finds herself in a panic.

He Did It For Me - Laurien has witnessed a darker side of her Lord, and is comforted by an unlikely friend. Perhaps there is more to her God-Emperor than she thought…

The Violet Gala - the biggest, most public event in the Purple Rose’s year, and everyone of importance will be there: including some uninvited guests. It seems as if Laen is finally making progress with his sister.

You Can Still Hear Me - A forbidden conversation; and a flicker of hope in the darkness…

The Door

Of Escape - A giant door appears in Taveril’domaine. Laen is concerned.

Of Wonder - A giant door appears in Taveril’domaine. Laurien is not concerned.

Shaken Faith

“My Lord has been so busy…” - Laurien finds herself no longer the apple of her Lord’s eye. A fellow devotee offers comfort.

“I am precious” - Lauri tries to reassure herself by repeating words her Lord has spoken to her

“It’s me, isn’t it?” - Laurien knows what she did wrong, and how she must rectify it.

Heretical Hypotheticals - a new friend offers Lauri some comfort.

The Day of Amnesty - Laurien hears of a breach in the Cathedral and takes solace in her Lord’s arms once more.

Broken Toy

The Raid - Laurien is rescued from Marchosias’ clutches - but at what cost?

Aftermath - Laen struggles to pick up the pieces of his sister’s pain.

Well, then - Laen and Laurien find out a disturbing truth about Moirah.

[pariahspraises]

WELL, THEN.

I talked to Moirah Averil last night. She hasn’t been telling ANYONE the whole fucking story. 

@usedtothesedizzyspells explain yourself. You’ve got a lot to answer for.

[usedtothesedizzyspells]

> explain yourself

You realize the thing you’re asking me to self-flagellate for happened years ago, right? And that I am by no means the same person I was then? 

[pariahspraises]

I do, yes. I also realize that there are consequences to what you did. Not just for Shanna, either. 

Readers, the thing Moirah’s not saying is that she is the reason Shanna has Beguilement. She had Andras implant it into Shanna’s genetic code all those years ago because she wanted to create someone Marchosias couldn’t resist going after. She used her own fucking niece as bait. And now he has his wifi repeater back and who knows what he’ll do. 

So if everything goes to shit and Marchosias gets his way, blame Moirah for giving him the final piece of the puzzle. 

[feathered-iridescent]

You.

@usedtothesedizzyspells You’re the reason for this?

All of it. Her pain. Mine. All you.

…I may have been willing to forgive you, once.

If I see you again, I will kill you.

[mirrored-passeridae]

Lauri. We'll talk about this in private.

Moirah, I-.. I forgive you, for what it's worth, but I think you should stay clear of us for a while. Just until my sister cools down.

[frequentlycorvid]

Aftermath

“Let me go back, I have to go back! He can’t have her again, he has to have me! I’m supposed to be special!”

Though his chest ached and his cheeks were damp with the weight of her emotions and his own, Laen held his sister close as she screamed and fought and cried. Her dress was in tatters: the princess frills and barely-concealing lace clinging to her fragile frame as loosely as she clung to her own mind. He’d offered a change of clothes, but she had refused.

The mess in her head was confusing his; some broken mix of guilt and fear twisting itself into jealousy — holding tightly to the familiarity and safety of the lie she’d been living.

“I’m still pretty, aren’t I?” Wide eyes shifted to look up at him, glittering and desperate for something to fix whatever she was feeling.

“You’re the most beautiful thing in any world, in Lathrym and Seed,” he told her, startled by how gentle the whisper of his voice became. “Lauri, you’re worth more than anyone could ever give you.”

“No.” Lauri shook her head, shoving him away to pace the room; hands tangled in her own hair, “No, no, it’s not the same it’s all wrong!” she whined, eyes darting as she searched her own thoughts, “I-I’m wrong I’m broken!”

“You’re not—“

“Then why doesn’t he want me anymore?!”

Laen was sure he felt his heart shatter as she screamed, tugging at her hair so hard she tore a clump of perfect waves free; staring at it in her hands and sinking to her knees faster than her brother could think to react. “I’m not even worth being a toy…”

Sighing, he knew it was over. Cradling her close again, he buried his face in her hair as she cried into his chest like they always did when they were little. “We’ll get through this,” he whispered into her mind, hoping the telepathy would be easier for her to handle, “This time, I’ve got you.”

“I’m sorry. I should have listened to you.”

“And I should have been a better brother to you, but things happened and we can’t take it back now,” he sighed, trying to change the subject, “D’you want me to fix your hair up?”

“Cut it short. I don’t want to see it. I don’t want anyone to touch it again.” Sniffling, she pulled away just enough to look down at herself. “Why am I still wearing this? I’m going to change.”

As if the last five minutes hadn’t happened, she pushed to her feet and left the room; almost dazed as if she didn’t truly realise he was still there.

Laen sighed, left with a damp shirt, kneeling on the floor with a clump of his sister’s hair on the floor in front of him. This was going to be harder than he thought.

[pariahspraises]

She's gone

She's gone and that bastard made ME bring her right to him

I think I'm gonna lay low for a while. You all have a right to be pissed off at me but I'm not going to entertain it.

[pariahspraises]

I don't even remember anything that happened between going into that room and waking up here but I've read the messages and I know I led Shanna right to him

I'm never gonna forgive myself for this

[mirrored-passeridae]

It’s not your fault. What he did to you— what he forced you to do is not your fault.

We’ll just have to find another way to get Shanna back again.

[seeker-of-escape]

@mirrored-passeridae Nathali and the others should be arriving at the Cathedral about now. Are you sure you're ready for this?

[mirrored-passeridae]

To get my sister back?

I've been ready for some time now.

[seeker-of-escape]

@mirrored-passeridae um.

Your sister seems to be having a little bit of a um. Meltdown.

I hate to be the one to bring it up, but

I feel like you should know

[mirrored-passeridae]

I could feel it before I even checked but she's hiding from me again. I caught something about needing to prove Her love before she walled me out.

Hethe damn him what is happening?

[usedtothesedizzyspells]

If I had to guess from what I'm seeing? I'd say he probably just got bored of her. He strung her along and made her feel like his special little princess and now he's tired of having to nurture the emotional attachment he forced her to develop in the first place.

Typical fuckboy move, really.

The bright spot here is that if she's coming back to you, even if only for a minute, that means she's losing faith in him.

[mirrored-passeridae]

I hope to anything that might listen that you're right.

[seeker-of-escape]

@mirrored-passeridae um.

Your sister seems to be having a little bit of a um. Meltdown.

I hate to be the one to bring it up, but

I feel like you should know

[mirrored-passeridae]

I could feel it before I even checked but she's hiding from me again. I caught something about needing to prove Her love before she walled me out.

Hethe damn him what is happening?

[mirrored-passeridae]

Something is wrong. Something has changed. I feel her coming back to me, piece by piece. I feel her in the edges of my mind and just as quickly she's gone again.

I can't bear it.

[star-wars-fashion]

[arknthetics]

What a modern Arkn from Avrigai, a town in Distalia, might wear. (Arkn: Legacy)

[mirrored-passeridae]

Of Escape

This wasn’t right. The sky flashed and the ground shook, power crackling in the air’s every inch. Whispers of voices he didn’t recognise danced from the door that stood where there once was nothing. Hethe only knew what horrors it may hold. 

“Lauri, something big is happening.” He couldn’t help himself, reaching for Laurien as his stomach twisted with anxiety. 

‘Do you see it, brother?’ Her voice danced back, shining with the same disgusting optimism she never seemed to lose these days. Artificial. Ugly.

“It’s difficult to miss.”

‘I wonder where it goes. Something only My Lord knows I’m sure.’

“I doubt it.” He knew, of course, that this would be the perfect opportunity for that vile little maggot who called himself a ‘god’ to dig his fingers deeper into his brainwashed faithful. It would be stupid for him not to. But. Perhaps this was a chance. If the door opened, he and his sister may be able to escape through it. Or maybe it would release something that shook people’s faith in Marchosias. Or perhaps he could merely smuggle her out while the rest of the Lathrym were distracted by it. 

Right now, what was distracted was his mind. He could feel the ‘love’ and speculation in his sister, leaking through their connection like a plague. Perhaps this was actually a sign. A sign he was wrong, that Elucidis truly was to be the reigning God-- No. Wait. 

Laen felt he might throw up. “If you could broadcast your brainwashing a little quieter, I’d appreciate it.”

[seeker-of-escape]

@mirrored-passeridae LAEN. LAEN ARE YOU SEEING THIS SHIT WHAT THE HAP IS FUCKENING RIGHT NOW

[mirrored-passeridae]

I think anyone with eyes and/or a general ability to perceive things is seeing this.

I don’t know. It’s.. big, whatever it is. As if we needed something ‘big’ right now.

[pariahspraises]

You're talking about the... The earthquakes and aurora and shit, right?

Yeah, everyone sees that. I'm in contact with some friends in the Court, apparently a certain someone is going to be making a broadcast later about it.

[mirrored-passeridae]

of course he is.

[seeker-of-escape]

@mirrored-passeridae LAEN. LAEN ARE YOU SEEING THIS SHIT WHAT THE HAP IS FUCKENING RIGHT NOW

[mirrored-passeridae]

I think anyone with eyes and/or a general ability to perceive things is seeing this.

I don’t know. It’s.. big, whatever it is. As if we needed something ‘big’ right now.

[mirrored-passeridae]

You can still hear me, can’t you.

Stop.

Never. Not until I have you back.

If My Lord finds out we’re talking again...

he won’t. 

I can’t hear you when He’s around.

Maybe that’s safer for you.

I should tell them what your friend did.

But you won’t.

No. Not yet. I don’t know why.

I do.

[frequentlycorvid]

The Violet Gala

In collaboration with @the-siren-saga and @penthepoet

Ah, the Violet Gala. The social event of the year, many said. The rarest of occasions, when the doors of House Aversen were opened to any and all– well, so long as they had the means to pay. Of course, not everyone bought the official PR. It was well known, in certain circles, what the true purpose of this “celebration” was, and there were those who wanted nothing more than to undermine it in the most glorious ways possible. 

Among those were the famous information dealer, Moirah Averil, and her assistant, Uvall. Their purpose? Espionage, mostly, and support for Laen Adaire, who had come looking for his sister. 

Keep reading

[alxx]

“It is a lonely feeling when someone you care about becomes a stranger.”

— Lemony Snicket, When Did You See Her Last? (via naturaekos)

[mirrored-passeridae]

...So, we're in agreement about not mentioning that to anyone at work? –Leo

Without question.

[frequentlycorvid]

Arrivals

written with @the-siren-saga

It was the middle of the night when Shanna and Moirah stepped through the doors of the College District apartment. Despite his colleague’s constant chattering, Laen had barely spoken since he arrived; lost in his own thoughts and the quiet stir of anticipation. His eyes lifted as he heard them enter, swallowing heavily as the two came into view. 

Keep reading