𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑜𝑒𝓈 + 𝓋𝒾𝓁𝓁𝒶𝒾𝓃𝓈

heroes and villains, we're all somewhere in between. if you want to change the world around you, you change yourself. penned by ash.

[astrxls]

closed for @ofheroism

tae  had  the  ability  to  move  rather  silently,  whether  a  gift  from  her  father  or  simply  a  skill  she  learned  was  up  for  debate.  it  meant  the  lady  had  a  habit  of  scaring  people  when  she  approached,  something  she  often  took  quite  a  bit  of  amusement  in  even  if  she  masked  that  entirely.  as  the  cinderborn  nearly  floats  through  the  crowded  markets  she  can't  help  but  come  to  a  stop  at  a  stall  filled  with  vibrant  colored  perfume  bottles…  her  vice.  aware  of  her  ability  to  scare  others,  tae  chooses  to  speak  to  the  person  also  occupying  the  stall.  "  it  smells  wonderful  in  here.  "  

[ofheroism]

Alysa may be known to the court as composed and respectable, her mother's shadow. Perhaps she is those things, but in private? Alysa is certainly not above reproach from at least miniscule vices. One such behavior? She plays favorites. Taerin of House Seong, in particular, is her favorite of the young nobility and what she hopes her own heir might be like one day. However, Alysa is also currently wearing a cloak and dressed in what a commoner might wear in the markets, not her usual pale blue and gold layers. Would Taerin judge her, or worse, tell on her? Frozen, Alysa only nods for a moment. "I hope they restock the almond one soon," she responds, her voice lowered.

[ofheroism]

[astrxls]

the  heat  of  aurelion  and  the  lack  of  modesty  were  a  mix  for  the  crown  prince  that  left  him  acting  as  if  he  were  home.  a  lack  of  clothing  for  those  in  vaeloria  was  fairly  common,  many  wearing  swimwear  rather  than  dressing  to  the  nines  given  how  many  beautiful  pools  or  beaches  the  court  held.  he  earned  a  few  stares  here  in  aurelion,  but  laz  simply  did  not  care.  he  did,  however,  feel  a  slight  bit  bad  when  it  was  one  of  his  own  citizens  he  managed  to  shock.  he  chuckles,  though,  because  it's  far  too  amusing  not  to  laugh.  "  lady  vespera.  "  comes  his  greeting,  a  slight  nod  as  he  glances  towards  the  tunic  he  draped  on  a  chair  and  could  put  on.  "  you  are  not  intruding  at  all,  i  was  simply  done  here.  "  but  now  he's  found  an  amusing  reason  to  pass  the  time,  even  if  it's  with  a  lady  he  didn't  often  speak  to.  his  gaze  tracks  her  movements,  surprised  but  not  annoyed.  the  question  earns  a  classic  smirk,  laz  already  feeling  the  bitter  taste  of  a  lie  on  his  lips  before  he  even  speaks.  "  i  am  as  good  as  expected,  lady  vespera.  i  doubt  there  is  anything  to  be  done  until  we  are  allowed  to  compete  once  more  and  safe  from  vampires  in  the  night.  "  it  was  worded  carefully  to  not  be  a  lie.

[ofheroism]

there is a flash of warmth to be told she's not an intrusion, even if he's only saying it as a pleasantry. he'd much rather set his eyes on her sister, but sometimes ignorance is bliss, is it not? in a perfect world, she might experience what it's like for someone to look up in delight when she enters a room. in this world? vespera will earn it. lips curl into a sympathetic smile at lazarus' mention of the vampires. is that what has him seeming not exactly himself? her gaze carefully stays trained on his face as vespera drifts only slightly away, resting one hand on the back of the nearest chair. "it must be difficult, to not only learn about something lost in history, but..." she glances around the room once to ensure their privacy before lowering her voice. "... well, i can't imagine that house aurelis lends an ear to the say you deserve, about whether such alliances do or do not occur. not that i wish to burden your mood further, of course. what do you think is a proper distraction from vampires to brighten one's mood?"

[wardrobeoftime]

Wuthering Heights (2026) + Costumes

Catherine "Cathy" Linton's pink iridescent night gown.

// requested by @nasyanastya

[evrflamcs]

closed starter » @ofheroism / @caelumvult / @duskomens ( aurelis siblings )

vampires.  now  there  was  a  word  that  hadn't  been  uttered  in  a  millennia  perhaps.  records  were  always  wiped,  every  generation  of  rules  liked  to  re-write  their  history  to  suit  their  needs,  but  it  struck  her  as  troublesome  that  not  a  single  court  of  aethara  held  any  knowledge  of  an  entirely  different  species.  which  one  of  their  ancestors  had  wiped  it?  had  it  been  the  fae  or  the  vampires  themselves  who  wished  to  erase  their  existence  and  their  knowledge?  maybe  they  shouldn't  be  surprised,  who  were  they  to  arrogantly  assume  that  only  fae  and  humans  existed?  so  many  questions,  and  astra  suspected  they  would  remain  with  little  answers  as  possible  because  their  visitors  did  not  seem  like  to  sort  to  share  any  more  than  was  necessary  to  work  against  the  rebel  faction  of  vampires.  "they  might  aid  us  with  defeating  the  rebel  faction,  but  something  tells  me  the  vampires  are  not  be  trusted.  "  in  truth,  astra  might  have  given  them  more  benefit  if  their  queen  had  come  along  with  her  children.

[ofheroism]

it isn't that astraea is not one to be taken seriously. on the contrary, alysa holds her sister's opinions perhaps to a slightly higher regard than that of some of their other siblings. no, it's only that... to alysa? such a statement as astraea's is akin to someone informing alysa the sky is blue. of course they shouldn't be trusted! the eldest aurelis presses her lips together to avoid an amused smile or worse: laughter. "i could not agree more." she wants their mother to demand every book in the grand library be read again, in case they had somehow managed to miss something, even though she knows it isn't that simple. someone wanted them in the dark. "if their story even holds any weight, of course. can you fathom our parents sending four of us on a hunting mission? to a realm unaware of our existence?"

[ofheroism]

[astrxls]

for  fucks  sake…  lake  could  groan  if  he  weren't  in  such  a  public  space,  but  the  lord  instead  has  to  paint  a  mask  on  his  face  in  record  time.  a  smile  appears  on  his  lips  as  he  finds  vespera  across  from  him,  not  so  much  the  reprieve  from  his  former  conversation  as  he  expected.  perhaps  he  was  better  off  with  lord  devon's  gloom  and  doom…  "  good  morning,  vespera.  "  his  tone  doesn't  improve  much,  but  lake  does  attempt  to  push  as  much  annoyance  out  of  it  as  possible.  avoidance  only  worked  for  so  long,  he  knew  running  into  his  betrothed  would  only  continue  to  happen  now  that  they  were  all  trapped  in  the  city  of  aureth.  lakith  bites  his  tongue  as  she  leans  in,  as  her  lips  grace  his  cheek  and  are  not  gone  soon  enough.  "  i  think  postponing  is  only  reasonable,  don't  you  ?  perhaps  for  a  bit  longer  than  a  year,  everyone  deserves  to  move  on  from  all  this  drama  to  fully  enjoy  our  union.  "  his  voice  is  tight,  he  doesn't  want  this  arrangement  at  all  but  he's  also  too  smart  to  scream  that  in  the  crowded  hall.

[ofheroism]

it would be amusing if she were watching the emotions happen to someone else. there is nothing that vespera wishes more than to be free of her nearly binding contract to this fae. the very idea of a postponed wedding is worthy of dancing in the streets! that grants her more time, something she's desperate for when all of her dreams will die at the altar. marrying into a lesser house with sworn fealty to the very family that she's spent a lifetime wishing to be free of?

and yet... there is still the sting of a hit to her wounded pride. vespera has spent weeks crafting different excuses to present him with as to why they should delay the wedding, and now lakith wants to boast how he's pulling the strings? how dare he! if only people understood what a tragedy it was to spend so stiflingly long to look 'effortlessly' beautiful and to not even be desired! she's been silent for too long, and vespera can only attempt to recover with a sympathetic smile. "oh ? what a respectful decision given the circumstances. it's only a shame i couldn't have brought it up to you sooner. what a fortuitous blessing how similar of mind we are. perhaps several years, as we have no idea when this tragedy will end... if only my father could be convinced. i'm sure you know how stubborn he is once he's carved a notion into his thoughts..."

[wrathgaze]

closed starter : @ofheroism , @caelumvult ( alysa , azrien ) not a group thread

the  starborn  had  not  been  herself  as  of  late ,  asterin  had  been  trying  to  hide  it  of  course  but  she  knew  that  her  siblings  could  see  through  the  façade  when  she  was  not  trying  hard  enough .  stepping  outside  their  quarters  had  been  something  she  had  been  less  inclined  to ,  especially  so  since  their  new  guests  were  here .  if  they  expected  their  presence  to  be  something  of  a  relief ,  then  they  were  mistaken .  she  had  tried  to  leave  today ,  but  her  hesitance  had  gotten  the  better  of  her  and  she  had  only  dared  to  step  out  on  the  shared  balcony .  the  view  affords  her  sight  of  the  gardens  and  she  sees  them  amongst  the  flowers .  vampires ?  how  had  their  parents  not  have  known  they  had  existed,  that  a  whole  kingdom  of  them  existed ?  it  did  not  soothe  her  heart  to  have  heard  so.  a  presence  though  she  could  have  heard  spooks  her  nonetheless  and  she  turns  to  her  elder  sibling  and  forces  a  smile .  " oh !  i  did  not  hear  you .  the  wind  is  strong  these  past  few  days  and  i  think  it  has  messed  with  my  hearing  a  bit . "

[ofheroism]

if there is one language that alysa manages to be fluent in, it's her siblings. even her middle siblings who perhaps fly under the radar at times when she is so preoccupied with maintaining a watchful eye on the youngest two. asterin, however? alysa has seen even less of her than one might normally expect. is it due to fear over the vampires? even the thought leaves alysa internalizing the newest reason to feed the flames of anger in her veins. " the wind ? " her tone is nearly amused, but there's concern laced underneath. " i did not realize aeroborn could be so negatively affected by the wind. " one brow raises as alysa offers a moment of silence in case her younger sister wishes to backtrack and/or address what is truly affecting her behavior. it's... safer for this to continue, but the very notion of asterin trapped in their quarters... " have you heard that father's sister at a rather incessant pace lately ? " it's unlike her to gossip to anyone (when she shares information with ursula or evren, that is... strategizing...), but there's an ulterior motive in her offhand remarks. " i hear she's considering traveling to court... what do you think would halt her plans ? a strongly worded letter from me ? perhaps one of us visiting as a distraction ? "

[margotrobbieuniverse]

"Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" Premiere in London - July 2019

[ofheroism]

who: @celestialwhispcrs (damian) where: palace of aureth

she's mingling, playing the part of the perfect hostess so her mother can handle internal affairs of the court during these... unprecedented times is an understatement, is it not? she's mildly exhausted, but mostly bored of the small talk and vapid flattery. with a polite excuse, alysa seizes the first opportunity to flee the grand hall to find even a moment's peace on the balcony. peace lasts for a single, long exhale, there's not even a chance to make her way through the passageway to the balcony when alysa realizes she's not alone. there's a stranger, one that leaves her lips curling downward in distaste. all but storming towards him, she knows it's not one of the fae visitors. "you! what are you doing wandering the castle without an escort? was i not exceedingly clear to your--" this stranger isn't also a prince, is he? she's tried to memorize the faces of the royal family, but this one... did they also have guards? perhaps he was no one of political importance, someone's lover or ... well, not a cook when they fed on living creatures. The thought leaves her eyes narrowing, her sentence restarting. "do not let me ever find you alone in this palace again, do you understand?"

[ofheroism]

who: @celestialwhispcrs (esmeray) where: palace of aureth

in light of recent events, the royals of the court of eryndor might as well be contenders for alysa's closest friends. not truly, but if the enemy of her enemy is her friend? it's a worthwhile conversation to confirm that the neighboring courts are in agreement with her about that. and yet, what a complicated conversation to navigate when her official position must be one of an alliance with the newest visitors.

alysa decides to start with a familiar face, the oldest nymerion princess who plays the role of their court's ambassador. on occasion, alysa considers that she might envy the girl. what must it be like to like to travel the realm?

"princess esmeray," she greets with a small, polite smile, "you look stunning in that dress. i trust the palace attendants have kept everything in your quarters to your liking?"

[evrflamcs]

closed starter » @ofheroism / vespera

he  did  what  others  were  likely  attempting  to  do  -  get  to  know  their  vampire  visitors.  how  successful  he  was  in  gaining  further  information  was  left  to  be  seen  maxon  had  yet  to  make  up  his  mind  of  them,  but  to  him  they  would  always  be  strange,  and  that  was  saying  something  because  he  thought  humans  were  much  of  the  same.  strange,  because  most  of  them  came  with  human  companions  which  he  learns  quickly  were  in  some  ways  their  blood  supply  as  well.  the  prince  does  shudder  internally  at  the  thought  of  those  sharp  fangs  coming  anywhere  near  him.  that  perhaps  wasn't  the  most  alarming  thing,  he  supposed,  it  was  that  fact  that  they  had  a  side  of  lunatic  faction  now  trying  to  change  fae  into  one  of  them.  when  he  entered  the  game  parlor,  just  for  a  bit  of  a  break  from  his  usual  endeavors,  his  gaze  landed  on  the  lady  vespera,  glad  to  see  a  familiar  face,  he  rather  shamelessly  slips  into  the  chair  across  from  her.  "lady  vespera,  what  a  welcome  sight  you  are."  a  friendly  smile  curving  his  lips  as  he  lifts  one  of  the  cards  that  sat  on  the  table  with  a  brow,  "is  there  a  seer  here  reading  tarot  cards?  or  are  these  actual  game  cards?"

[ofheroism]

in any other possible scene, one where prince maxon valerius calls her a welcome sight would have vespera nearly falling to the floor in delight. today, however? she's just survived a run-in with her betrothed. it ought to have reinforced her ambitions -- and it has! -- but the mental exhaustion of metaphorically drowning leaves vespera... faintly herself, unfortunately. dark eyes narrow at the surprise intrusion, only to relax at the recognition. "prince maxon! you must forgive my bad manners, i'm... mildly on edge. due to the recent events." well, it's not a complete deception! there's simply... worse tales unraveling in her life than sharp teeth. one corner of her lips curls into an amused smile. "what a relief that it's you and not my own fam-- familiar nightmare of being caught alone and unaware by a vampire." she really should dial in her correct persona: pleasant, agreeable! instead, vespera answers with the truth. what else could go wrong today, anyway? "there was a seer reading tarot cards, but i fear i might have frightened her away when i didn't like the 'interpretation'... really, though, it cannot be that difficult!" she takes a long sip of her wine and taps on the cards, eyes glimmering with something like mischief. "what if you try? i think you could give me a better future."

[ofheroism]

[nubivcgcnt]

“Somehow I think I should feel offended,” she deadpans, observing her friend carefully. Hearing her laugh is good, as Ursula knows that the presence of their new guests is likely weighing rather heavily upon Alysa’s shoulders. She cannot do much to lighten the burden resting upon her friend’s shoulder, other than doing her job and ensuring Alysa finds joy even among the difficult times they are going through. And listen. Ursula can listen to her concerns, and try to address them as best as she can. “Since you know I have a goblet or two stashed around my room.”

Alysa’s question is not surprising, and she meets it with the same amount of seriousness, eyes flicking up to meet her best friend’s eyes. 

“It is not illogical to believe that, no,” she admits with a sigh. “They came from nowhere, and they gave us an answer to a problem we had been wracking our heads to solve. It is all very suspicious… And yet,” she continues slowly, tapping her eyelids lightly as if to gesture to her truthbinding subtly. “And yet, I can confirm that they are truthful regarding the rebels, at the very least. Beyond that? I believe we should remain wary, but for now this tentative alliance seems like the way to go.”

It is an uncomfortable truth, and one she is swallowing as well as Alysa is swallowing this whole thing. But if it means one less body in the street, she will do what she needs to do. Ursula had been granted the dubious privilege of examining the cadavers of the victims, and after seeing that? She cannot allow this to continue. Even if it means working with their new guests. 

“You don’t have to like them, Lys,” she assures the other with a shrug, as she reaches for the bottle and takes a long drag of wine for herself. “They are rather unfriendly as a whole, after all. But they seem willing to cooperate, so we have to take what we can.”

[ofheroism]

"Well, if the offense fits..." Alysa retorts before returning the wine bottle to her lips. A comfortable silence follows as the eldest Aurelis considers Ursula's words. "We'll need to perform more experiments, to ensure they cannot twist your truth-binding. I wouldn't put it past them to have some unique form of trickery." And yet, even this strategizing is a comfort. It's been eating her alive to play along with this current path, to let questioning a single one of her mother's decisions fester.

What makes her an ideal heir to the throne is her obedience, and yet she's airing her discontent to the heir of one of their great noble houses? There's next to no one else in the entire realm that she might be so frank with. Perhaps they'd include Evren if he weren't preoccupied, and perhaps her guard is listening is on their every word, but anyone else? Alysa simply can't imagine it.

"Perhaps you're right. I can attempt being peaceable. For a fortnight. And only to most of them. Surely they won't notice if one or two of them go missing from frostbite." Rolling her eyes, Alysa sets aside the bottle for a moment to take Ursula's hand for just a moment. "There's no one else I would rather have beside me as the world tilts upside down, do you understand? I might rule one day with a mildly less sociable approach, but I hope you don't grow too permanently attached to being Mistress of Laws, because it will be with you as my Right Hand."

[caelumvult]

﹒azrien & alysa ( @ofheroism ) ﹒upon a balcony , overlooking the grounds

the  days  had  edged  by  with  little  distress  ,  from  within  the  walls  of  aureth  ,  yet  most  importantly  ,  from  the  city's  newest  guests.  whether  it  was  appropriate  or  not  to  call  them  such  rested  not  on  azrien's  shoulders  ,  but  those  of  his  mother  ,  of  the  high  queen  and  her  duties  to  protect  their  people.  it  was  but  his  duty  to  obey  her  word  ,  to  do  what  was  required  of  him  ,  even  if  it  settled  a  putrid  taste  on  the  expanse  of  his  tongue.  there  was  little  known  of  the  vampires  ,  of  the  creatures  who  had  seemingly  hid  themselves  from  the  rest  of  the  realm  ,  and  azrien  was  hard  pressed  to  simply  believe  the  words  from  their  own  mouths.

it  was  a  battle  that  settled  presently  within  his  own  mind.

that  is  ,  until  the  sound  of  approaching  footsteps  drew  his  sharp  gaze  from  the  surrounding  grounds.  from  those  who  still  trained  ,  either  for  the  games  or  the  unknown  ,  and  from  those  who  treaded  carefully  ,  either  from  the  rebels  or  the  vampires  that  now  shared  their  space.  and  onto  his  sister  ,  who  came  to  stand  beside  him.

❝  what  is  it  you  think  of  our  newest  guests  ?  ❞

[ofheroism]

while alysa loves each of her siblings more than life itself, there is something of almost relief when she gets to spend time with azrien. there's comfortable silence -- although she's uncertain if silence is what she seeks today -- between them, and usually significantly less ever-present worry that at any moment she'll feel the insatiable need to step in before they get into trouble (she's looking at you, alexia and alistair).

today, however, alysa is narrowly avoiding any conversations with their guests or members of their court. everyone wants to talk about the vampires, and so does she -- but being forced to give a polished and magnanimous little speech about peace and working together? it's nauseating! at her brother's question, something in her face nearly brightens at the opportunity for a rare moment of honesty.

"i find them depraved," alysa admits into the air, bypassing all pleasantries even as her tone remains casual. "i think to trust them would be one of the most foolish mistakes out court has ever made." this admission follows in almost a whisper, as the oldest aurelis child is nearly incapable of critiquing a single action of their mother or the inner circle. "and what of your opinion?"

[world-of-celebrities]

Margot Robbie

[astrxls]

closed for : members of the aurelis family @wrathgaze, @ofheroism, @caelumvult, @duskomens, @starcrxed, @evrflamcs

it  was  rare  to  find  helion  stationary  these  days,  especially  given  the  recent  news  he  and  his  wife  were  amongst  the  first  to  learn.  the  consort  processed  by  taking  rather  long  walks,  practicing  his  shields  and  attempting  to  block  out  the  many  screaming  emotions  in  the  castle.  the  city  of  aureth  was  a  boiling  pot  at  present  and  there  was  little  the  fireborn  could  do  to  stop  his  city  from  going  up  in  flames.  stress  very  rarely  reached  the  king  these  days,  this  was  a  reminder  of  his  laziness  that  was  not  being  received  in  the  best  way.  it  made  for  poor  company,  but  he  was  truly  attempting  to  do  his  best.  when  the  frostborn  does  find  a  space  to  settle  in,  it's  merely  to  write  a  letter  to  his  house.  it's  not  long  before  it  seems  someone  chooses  to  join  him  in  his  study,  and  given  its  place  in  their  personal  quarters,  very  few  would  venture  this  far  without  being  stopped.  helion  still  isn't  quite  sure  what  he's  to  say  to  his  children,  but  there  is  no  avoiding  them  either.  "  i've  got  to  write  my  sister  before  she  appears  at  the  front  door  demanding  answers  i  do  not  possess.  would  you  like  to  keep  me  company  ?  "

[ofheroism]

Thus far, Alysa has been unable to needle her way into a single vampire's dreams, rendering her essentially useless since this new development. Has that allowed her to rest? Of course not, but the firstborn daughter of the Aurelis family rarely manages such a thing on a regular day. Her resting is a moment like the present, as she wanders the castle halls and envisions her parents granting her permission to turn all the vampires into icicles. She somehow finds a way to keep them permanently so, and perhaps she'll even decorate the edges of the ballroom with them just to -- Her vengeful thoughts are only broke by the realization that she's ventured into her father's study. It's an accident, a routine of a usual day, when there's no tournament or discovery of species or bodies in the garden...

"Father," she greets with a small, fleeting smile as she approaches his desk. "I'd love to." Alysa takes the seat across from him, leaning over the desk just slightly, as if she'll read the letter to her aunt from upside down. "Do you think she plans to visit? Now?" Incredulity is evident in her tone. "... Have you considered offering to send Alexia to visit her for a few months? Then, you'd be less distracted." The silent part lingers, that she wishes her youngest sibling out of harm's way.