𝙵𝙾𝚁 𝚂𝙾𝙼𝙴𝙾𝙽𝙴 𝚆𝙷𝙾 𝙾𝙵𝚃𝙴𝙽 𝙵𝙴𝙴𝙻𝚂 𝚂𝙾 𝚂𝚄𝚂𝙿𝙸𝙲𝙸𝙾𝚄𝚂 of the world around her, blaiz’s view of the world long passed makes her brows furrow. perhaps she’s enamored by the old holovids and the all the culture she was enamored by on cronos station; perhaps she’s always dreamed of living another life, and fantasising about the old world was the easiest escape she had; perhaps she’s merely a historian’s daughter. regardless, venus has to think that some people were innocent; there’s no such thing as black and white. when it comes to the people of the old world, venus sees in shades of grey.
sighing, venus tilts her head back once more. “ you have such strong opinions of a time in which the only thing you’ve experienced of it are its ruins, ” she murmurs. she might mention his belief in the spirits too, how it seems so unwavering in a way venus has never experienced before, but she doesn’t want to argue. their differing beliefs might just be something she has to overlook. turning to look at him, venus’ brows raise somewhat as she asks, “ there is so much you have to learn about the old world. i’ve grown up immersed in their culture, their… arts. it’s encapsulating in a way i’m sure you find the ruins, but in truth? they’re such a small part of it. you can’t judge them without seeing all the picture, blaiz. that’s just arrogant. ”
perhaps it’s because she’s never been in an old world ruin, but venus can’t see how a place like that could be seen as beautiful. she doesn’t think she wants to see one, either: she’s perfectly fine with immersing herself in the bits of the old world that are safe, but venus has had enough of surviving. she’s had enough of danger. she'd be perfectly happy to curl up into safety and never have to venture out in the wilds ever again, and the old world’s ruins just scream a kind of danger she has no need to delve into. venus is tired of being scared.
feeling the mood shift, venus stands, wanting something to help lift it again. in a moment of self awareness, venus marvels over how confusing this must be for blaiz; how he says something she dislikes and suddenly, with a furrow of her brows, the mood turns sour. in a way, she likes keeping him on his toes: it’s her own unintentional way of keeping herself safe and at a distance. venus’ gaze scours the room again as she makes her way over to a few more holotapes, labelled with all different types of music, and above it–why is there a blanket draped over the–
oh. venus’ brows furrow once more at the sight of the broken holoplayer. “ what the… ” she murmurs, glancing down at the mess of jumbled and disconnected wires. easily fixable, even if she is curious as to how the hell such a thing would’ve happened. as she gets to work and hopes to the heavens she doesn’t get electrocuted, venus murmurs, “ you know, i don’t get why you don’t just leave. i know your mom would send spies, but if you’re as good at navigating the ruins as you say and your people won’t go there, can’t you use them to lay low for a while? could even go back to the sky people and explain how your people took me, ask for their protection… could even take mira if you were worried about her. they’d give it to you. protection. ” venus hisses as electricity sparks at her fingertips and she quickly pulls them away. spinning around, venus blows on her fingers and leans against the counter that the holoplayer stands upon as she continues, “ instead it just feels like you’re kind of not doing anything about it but still complaining. ”
“ i know of more than just their ruins, ” he scoffed defensively, suddenly feeling insecure in comparison to her wealth of knowledge. it surely wasn’t anything he was meant to have learned, but blaiz had been taught of wars that occurred in the old world by his tutor, along with other atrocious historic facts that only seemed to verify his beliefs. century after century, the humans refused to learn their lesson—mistakes his mother and his people were making now.
she hadn’t been the first one to ever call him arrogant and she certainly wouldn’t be the last. the prince meant no offense by it and was far from claiming he knew it all, but nor was it so easy for him to admit that he knew too little. “ arts? ” blaiz repeated curiously, “ did they have many smiths in the old world? ” he’d hadn’t a clue, but it only seemed right that a society that destroyed themselves would be filled with weapon-smiths to aide in it.
he shifted in place, feeling a palpable shift in the air though he couldn’t say what the source had been. it was something he’d slowly become accustomed to in venus’ presence, he only wondered if it was something she intended to do or not. blaiz shrugged off the notion as another feeling washed through him as she uncovered the broken device: nervousness. “ uh- ” the blonde stuttered awkwardly. “ it’s really loud, i wouldn’t. ” he insisted leaning forward as he moved to the edge of the couch. blaiz still didn’t fully understand what the device was or how it was supposed to function, but he did know that it had been noisy and such things tended to attract unwanted attention.
“ just because my people won’t go there, doesn’t mean she couldn’t find others who would. ” he replied softly, there was no such thing as too extreme for one as ruthless as her. “ she would find me. ” there was nothing he could do short of faking his own death, a thought that had crossed his mind on more than one occasion. but there were too many he wasn’t willing to just walk away from. however, turning himself into a full blown traitor surely couldn’t any easier on them.
“ you make it sound so easy, ” he scoffed, rolling his eyes as he stood up a familiar annoyance bubbling inside him. “ even if what you say is true, and your people would protect us, ” blaiz said holding up a hand as if to pause the conversation. “ which i don’t believe they would, my mother would find some reason in that to start a war. forget the western front, she’d refocus all of her attention to wiping your people right back off our maps. ” wiping him off the map in the process, he thought silently, unaware he’d begun to pace about around her.
“ if i’m not doing anything about it, then what do you call this? ” blaiz shot back with a colder gaze than he typically had reserved for her. “ a number of people saw us leave the keep which will cause talk to intensify, exactly as planned. ” he hadn’t meant to come off so sharp, but too often his temper got the better of him and it simply did. “ if i can know it won’t guarantee my death, i’d try anything. ” the prince admitted weakly, settling back down on the couch as though he’d just lost a great battle—and in a way he had. it dawned on blaiz that the way she saw him must have seemed awful cowardly, a man who couldn’t even stand up to his own mother; but blaiz feared the wrath of the queen in a way no child should have to fear their parent. he shrank backwards into the cushions suddenly feeling very small.
“ 𝙳𝙾 𝚈𝙾𝚄 𝚁𝙴𝙰𝙻𝙻𝚈 𝚃𝙷𝙸𝙽𝙺 𝚃𝙷𝙰𝚃 𝙰𝙻𝙻 𝚃𝙷𝙰𝚃 𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁𝙴 is to know about our ancestors is that they destroyed the world? ” venus asks teasingly, brows risen as she turns to look at him. moving away from the desk, venus follows suit and throws herself onto the sofa next to blaiz. she waves dust out of her face, coughing just slightly, and then exhales in a sigh as she leans her head against the back of the sofa. comfy, even years later. “ it was a handful of people that caused it. the rest… billions were innocent. ” just how much does blaiz know of what happened back then? it was one of the tales ingrained into venus’ memory from her childhood history classes.
venus turns her gaze somberly away from blaiz, her gaze scanning the bunker once more. she notices a blanket draped over something on a unit, notes that down for later, and for now says nothing of it… because for a little while, she’s uncharacteristically quiet as she ponders what a different time it must have been back then; a completely different way of life. the freedom the people of those ages must have had… she remembers being told that people would have families of seven; that they could take a flight across from one side of the world and be on the other the next day. for somebody who just powered up a bunker with a metal disc, the ways of the old ones sound unbelievable even to her. they always have.
she turns to look back at blaiz after a quiet pause. she considers questioning his later statement, considers stating that if they were the ancestors of his people, would they surely not have come here for supplies? for shelter? but she doesn’t bring it up. even the thought of those billions of innocents dead threatened to sour the mood. instead, venus’ lips curve upwards slightly, lazily, as she asks, “ how did you find this place? this was the last place i expected you to take me. doesn’t seem like somewhere your mother would approve of, either. ” but isn’t doing such things exactly what defines blaiz; isn’t it exactly what got them into this situation in the first place?
a strange sort of grin overtook his features at the question that felt so bizarre to him, “ what else is there to know? ” the prince shrugged lazily as she plopped down beside him, holding is breathe amid the cloud that rushed toward his face. without much thought, blaiz lifted his arm and placed it behind her, as though he was constantly ready to pull her close. the gesture felt as natural to him as breathing itself, to have her in such close proximity.
“ but were they innocent? ” he almost laughed. “ none of us are innocent now, wouldn’t it be foolish of us to believe they were all innocent then? especially seeing, living in the aftermath of the world they left us. ” nothing she ever said could change his mind on it. everyone was guilty of something, for the people who used to inhabit the world it could of have been their lack of respect for the earth that sustained their existence or their effort they put forth in creating the monstrous machines that prowled the new world.
he chewed on the inside of his lip for a moment as he recalled the memory, a wicked sort of grin spreading across his face at her last comment. “ most of the places i like to hang out in aren’t places my mother approves of. ” his smirk never faltered as his gaze settled on her once more. “ it was years ago, i needed a place to hide and i don’t know— ” blaiz went silent for a moment, remembering how he’d felt in that moment; like he might die, again. “ i found this place when i needed it most, when i needed someplace to escape. it didn’t always look so well hidden, ” he explained, having planted the shrubs in the months after he found it to help conceal his discovery.
“ it was obvious what that whatever this was it was old and man-made. i always felt bad, mira takes a lot of heat from our mother, from the entire ice nation, ” he huffed, shifting almost uncomfortably as he revealed yet another secret to her. “ because of her interest in technology, but she’s never been alone. the ruins— ” blaiz smiled, angling his body to face her. “ the places my people believe hold nothing but evil, well they’re the most hauntingly beautiful places i’ve ever seen. i could spend my life exploring them and never ask for anything else. ” the prince went silent for a moment, his gaze quickly shifted to the floor as the weight of reality began to suffocate him once again. “ and perhaps one day i’ll be able to do just that, ” he added somberly. though he couldn’t help but feel guilty about the shattered kingdom he’d have to leave behind.
status:closed for @ofsanctuary
timeline: present
setting: troy, the inner keep
“ 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙵𝙰𝙲𝚃 𝚃𝙷𝙰𝚃 𝚂𝙷𝙴 𝙸𝚂 𝚂𝚃𝙸𝙻𝙻 𝙷𝙴𝚁𝙴 𝙸𝚂 𝙰 marvel to me, ” toro comments, amusement in the small upwards curve of his lips as he observes the so-called sky demon… not that he’d dare call venus that around blaiz. he leans against the wooden post next to him, arms folded as his gaze lingers on venus for a moment longer; she certainly seems more comfortable here than she did two weeks ago, before he left for the oracle lands. blaiz and his ways with women… toro is almost envious. toro looks back at blaiz, grinning, and teases, “ i half expected you to have grown bored of her by now, prince. tell me: when, exactly, will the wedding be? ”
blaiz looked from venus to his friend and then back to her once more, his gaze lingering far longer than perhaps it should of before finally returning his attention back to the blade in his hand and the stone in the other. “ it’s a marvel to everyone, i think, most of all her, ” he practically spit as he referenced his mother in a way that was all too common for the prince, his disdain more than obvious to his companion. he ran the stone across the edge of the blade, the sound ringing out nosily, “ perhaps had it been any of the others i would have, ” he admitted honestly, his eyes focusing only on the blade for a moment longer. “ i’ve always wanted a winter ceremony, ” he chuckled, though it wasn’t much of a joke. he had always wanted a wintertime wedding.
“ not that anyone cares, but, ” he began shifting his crystal gaze back to toro, “ had she been on an ice walk, she’d have been the sole victor. ” blaiz was sure of it, there was a ferocity within her he could hardly understand; but he wanted to. desperately.
status: open to all
timeline: present
setting: troy
𝙷𝙴 𝙷𝙰𝙳 𝙱𝙴𝙴𝙽 𝙵𝙾𝚁𝙲𝙴𝙳 𝚃𝙾 𝚂𝙿𝙴𝙽𝙳 𝙼𝙾𝚁𝙴 time than he liked in the lands of the oracle. the oracle clan were a mess; despite how much they tried to merely insist that their leader was busy, toro knew they were hiding yet another coverup for her shenanigans. toro does not like the high priestess simply because she likes him; he views her as obnoxious, prying into places she has no business prying into, and his disdain for her had all started when she began to pry into his mother and her past. now, toronto couldn’t be happier to be home. not much has changed, aside from… “ that is new, ” he comments, gesturing to the giant man made of straw; a typical sight to see when an ice walk celebration is ahead. wrapping his arms around himself, toro leans back to observe the craftsmanship. “ there are thirteen in the mountains now? ” he asks, turning to look at the person next to him.
ezara sat silently, only listening to the hustle and bustle that surrounded her, the strange voices that shouted out gruff commands as something nearby was constructed. the shadow of it loomed overhead, much larger than she’d anticipated, since arriving in troy, the seer has intentionally avoided the celebrations that seemed to occur far too often. she had no interest in celebrating a group of future, or even actual murderers; nor did she desire to expose her son to such things.
she could hear earon playing not far, the high-pitched peel of laughter that escaped him each time he kicked the ball was unmistakable. though the voice that spoke now was unfamiliar to her, as too many now were, something she doubted would ever change ezara shook her head only slightly, “ there were, ” she told him quietly, “ now there is only seven. ” there was still two whole days before they were set to return, plenty of time for more of them to be killed or die from the extreme weather. “ a storm is coming, they would be wise to seek shelter. ” her tone gentle yet somber all at once as she she rose from the place she’d been seated, her grip tightening on her staff.
𝚅𝙴𝙽𝚄𝚂’ 𝙻𝙸𝙿𝚂 𝙲𝚄𝚁𝚅𝙴 𝚄𝙿𝚆𝙰𝚁𝙳𝚂 𝙸𝙽𝚃𝙾 𝙰 𝚂𝙾𝙵𝚃 grin as the lights turn on, and although the surroundings of such a pre-war space have suddenly been illuminated, it’s him she watches. she’s never seen him look so amazed by anything before and, for once, it’s nice to be the one showing him new things. “ i found the right power source and connected it, ” she explains, shrugging slightly before she swings the panel door shut. it was an easy feat… for somebody who knows how all this works. “ there are some disc things back there if this one dies. you just slot it in the hole and make sure the lever, ” she says, gesturing to the metal handle on the wall, “ is pointing in the off direction first. i counted three back there. ” in case anything happens to her and she doesn’t get to come back here with him, she wants him to know how all this works.
with her job done, venus lets out a sigh of relief and steps out of the doorway and further into the room. she never thought she’d admit to it, but this place seemed like a worse place to have to stay bunkered down—literally—than even cronos station. cronos station, for all its faults, at least had natural sunlight and windows. this place… she already feels a little suffocated, but the sheer curiosity she feels as she takes in her surroundings in full has her distracted from that. concrete walls, a big enough space to perhaps fit two parents and a child… it’d be a squeeze, but there’d be enough room. placing the candle down on a nearby chest of drawers, venus notes a bunk bed—double on the bottom and a single on the top—and a sofa next to it, as well as countless surfaces holding books, boxes, and general clutter. and better yet—
“ they have a tv, ” venus grins, approaching the unit. holotapes, too? venus’ fingers ghost over the titles on display in a nearby rack, recognizing only a spare few. “ i’ve never seen one of these in person before, ” she explains, looking back at blaiz with a grin. she’s never smiled this much around him; how funny that all she’s ever wanted is to get away from her own people and yet all this tech excites her so. “ on cronos, we had holo projectors, but never actual tv screens. ” straightening, venus presses the on switch and lets out a breath as soon as she sees the intro screen switch on. but the mere fact that that works excites her all the more, and her grin widens as she turns to blaiz and explains, “ if the holoplayer works, we can watch the people of the past. ”
but just then venus catches sight of another screen, a keyboard too, and her eyes light up as she darts across the room and over to a computer desk. she lets out a breath of laughter as that, too, turns on. “ this thing is prehistoric, ” she laughs, turning back to look at blaiz with excitement in her eyes before turning back to the screen. disappointment sets in as she sees that it’s password locked; frowning, she reaches over towards the keyboard and tries a few combinations of passwords—easy ones, too easy to be true—as her fingers tap at the keys quicker than he’s likely ever seen her move before, not even needing to look at them to type. “ damn it, ” she mumbles, leaning backwards as she lets out a sigh. she’d have to look for some sort of hint as to what the password might be another time.
but something softer than excitement sets in as venus’ gaze settles upon what looks to be a family photo to the right of the computer desk. taking the photo gently in her hands, venus assesses the faces of the people within it, her dark hues flickering over a set of parents and the toddler in their arms. venus wondered if they even made it close; they certainly didn’t make it here. “ they’re lucky, in a way, ” she murmurs, her tone softer than before, “ they probably could’ve only lasted a few years down here before they would’ve had to open the doors. they would’ve been dead in a few days, or… ” venus’ gaze flickers over blaiz’s form, “ i guess they could’ve evolved to adapt to it like you and your fellow freaks of nature. ” she’s joking, believe it or not.
blaiz stares at her blankly as she explains precisely what she’s done, but the words are lost on him. she motions at things he doesn’t understand and pieces of equipment that he doesn’t dare mess with, but instead of pointing it out, the prince simply nodded. the blonde didn’t even know how to tell which way was off, let alone how to put some disc into something else. no, no, blaiz would leave that all to her. candle light would be just fine as far as he was concerned.
“ watch them do what? blow up the world? ” every thing that the bunker contained that he didn’t understand seemed to be something that excited her, and the way it made her light up made him all the more glad he decided to share it with her after all. he watched venus carefully, finding the greatest amusement in her apparent happiness—no matter how short-lived or artificial it was. in that moment, she was happy. she seemed to bounce around the bunker, from one piece of tech to another, screens he’d never quite paid attention to. they didn’t mean anything to him.
the only items that truly held any interest for blaiz were the books, there was so many of them, but many of them he’d struggled to make sense of. and it wasn’t as though he could take them back to the inner keep and start asking around. even if he’d shown the wordmaster, they would have insisted on knowing where it came from. and this was not a place the prince had been so willing to share.
with a bit of effort, blaiz finally managed to pull his gaze away from her, to examine the room once again. he could see clearly now the places that had been of obvious use to him, books were strewn about and stacked on various tabletops. there seemed to be more off the shelves than on them and realized how in need of tidying it had been. suddenly, his eyes found an entirely different sort of mess on the floor near a shelf and he found himself feeling inexplicably guilty. pieces of plastic, metal and wiring were scattered about and falling off what was once a noisy piece of tech that he’d destroyed long ago. he couldn’t help but wonder what sort of joy that might have brought her had she been able to interact with it.
blaiz looks over to her, her fingers moving faster over the curious contraption than he’d imagine possible, though what she was attempting to do, he couldn’t have said. and if blaiz had to be honest, he didn’t want to know. some mysteries were better left as they were, so he said nothing, allowing her to continue clacking away at the device as he moved toward the couch, pulling a blanket off the back of a chair as he went. he dropped it nonchalantly over the smashed objects as he passed it, taking advantage of how distracted she was for a moment, before plopping heavily down on the piece of furniture. a small cloud of dust surrounded him and he coughed softly in an attempt to clear his lungs.
“ maybe they did adapt, ” he replied, stretching his arms out on either side and letting out a noisy yawn. “ for all we know, they could be the ancestors to one of my people. ” blaiz informed her with an arched brow. anything was possible, they were proof enough of that as far as he was concerned.
status: open to all
timeline: present
setting: near the entrance to the inner keep, troy; outside
𝙳𝙾𝙽’𝚃 𝙳𝙾 𝙸𝚃. 𝙳𝙾𝙽’𝚃 𝙳𝙾 𝙸𝚃. 𝚅𝙴𝙽𝚄𝚂 𝙷𝙰𝙳 promised blaiz that she wouldn’t get into trouble, especially since he’d said that she’d forced him to break his promise that he wouldn’t let any harm befall her. as much as she knew that was fantasy, she wanted to let him believe it for as long as possible; trouble just seems to find her, just like now. her guard—a member of blaiz’s man posse—had gone into a merchant’s to speak to a woman he quite fancied in there and she, as a sky person—never mind one called the sky whore in these parts—hadn’t been allowed entry. she’d been fine to wait outside… until a man nearby began leering at her. disgruntled, she’d began to walk away, but he only followed. and now…
“ get away from me, you sour-headed freak, ” venus hisses, clearly enraged. she makes eye contact with another as they pass by, her words clearly reaching their ears; she won’t ask for help, but by god would she accept it right now. looking back at the ice nationer, she spits, “ if you so much as put a hand on me i’ll slit you throat to navel and open you up like a christmas present. ” clearly, her aggressor hadn’t been expecting that from a sky person. “ or maybe i’ll let prince blaiz mount your head on a spike. how about that? ” oh, she hopes that hits a nerve. blaiz might have even liked that one if he were here, too.
blaiz knew he couldn’t be the only one to notice it, but he swore the war councils got shorter and shorter after every meeting. he was trying desperately to understand what his mother’s intentions were, but those were secrets she kept from even him. whatever it was she was planning, she obviously wasn’t going to let any naysayers in on what it was; and blaiz would have been the biggest naysayer of all.
the prince made his way to the front gate of the inner keep, finding a rather large mix of reactions from the clansmen he did happen to pass. some seemed to look at him with complete and utter disdain while others seemed to smile brightly at him and a few men even clapped him on the back enthusiastically. not quite the reactions they’d been aiming for.
her voice stood out above all the others, almost as though it called to him and longed to be heard amongst the crowd. the prince snorted as he listened in, approaching quietly from behind as she told off in a way he hadn’t expected. blaiz more than enjoyed it, seeing the fire within her and how ready she was to fight; even if she couldn’t actually fight. he clasped his hands behind his back as he closed the remaining distance between them so he was suddenly standing right behind her, his body brushing up against her in almost affectionate way. “ i think it’d look quite nice perched over the east wall, ” he chimed in with an endearing sort of smile, one that didn’t quite match the tone he spoke with.
𝚅𝙴𝙽𝚄𝚂’ 𝙵𝙸𝙽𝙶𝙴𝚁𝚂 𝚁𝙴𝙰𝙲𝙷 𝙾𝚄𝚃 𝚃𝙾 𝙶𝚁𝙰𝚂𝙿 at the candle unexpectedly, grateful for the small slither of light which comes from it regardless. a mix of fear as well as curiosity sees her spin around with the candle’s dim light as her guide, allowing a small slither of understanding as to just what this place is. she’d heard about the pre-war bunkers that people had created even centuries before ‘the war to end all wars’ began, but she’d never thought she’d set foot on earth, let alone see a bunker with her own eyes.
“ i doubt they would, ” venus murmurs quietly and absent-mindedly, setting the knife she’d taken from him earlier down on some sort of coffee table, “ the pre-war ones had crappy batteries. ” not that she expects blaiz to know what that is. but in truth, the real reason behind her absent-mindedness is something far more immediate: if this place is what she thinks it is, they might not need to use these candles after all.
venus lowers the candle to enable her to watch her step as she delves further into the bunker and towards what seems to be a doorway at the end of the room. passing through the doorway, venus’ fingers ghost against the walls in order to feel for something that might enable her to find a working power line. her eyes light up when her fingers brush against something cool and metallic, and when she moves the candle closer, she finds a lever. vee hesitates, wondering if pulling it might be dangerous, but the ON/OFF sign on the panel gives her hope. her fingers wrap around the lever only for her to pull it down, and then…
nothing. “ shit, ” she mumbles, a quiet disappointment setting in. but—wait. is that a cable line running leading from the panel, plastered into the wall? venus’ fingers follow the direction of it as it runs down and then left and seems to disappear into some sort of cupboard. she swings it open, the cupboard’s hinges giving off a high-pitched wine. the inside reveals a dozen or so wires that seem to be leading to the right places; she’s no engineering genius, but she had gotten her best grades in engineering and history before she was arrested. “ the only thing missing from here is a power source, ” venus says, mostly to herself. “ main generator must be fried, but there’s a slot here for backup power. should look like… ”
she trails off, on a hunt for the right part as she delves further into what must be a storage space given the amount of tins and supplies. panic floods her system as she seemingly trips over something, a loud clattering sound ringing out around the room as the object collides with the wall opposite her. venus’ fingers wrap around a metal shelving unit as she stumbles, managing to catch her fall, and she lets out a breath of relief as she realises she’s safe. a droplet of wax falls onto her hand and she hisses in annoyance. “ i’m fine, ” she calls back, knowing—or hoping?—that blaiz would be concerned.
but… wait. is that…? did she just manage to trip and come face to face with exactly the part she needs? “ no fucking way, ” venus mumbles, fingers reaching out to take one of the thick metal disks in her hands. smooth to the touch, heavy, and just larger than her hands, she’d only ever seen these old power disks used to generate their old movie players or old tech from before the war, but she’d never been able to use one before. only watch. and she’s in luck: all she has to do is slot it in and wait for the magic to happen. looping her fingers through the hole in the middle, venus lowers the candle to the floor—in order to watch her step this time—and returns to the power panel in the wall. carefully, almost fearfully, she slots the power disk in the right place… and hesitates as her fingers wrap around the light switch lever once more.
“ i’m going to do something, ” venus calls back to blaiz, “ … and don’t freak out when it happens, okay? ”
blaiz hadn’t a clue what she was talking about still, but he brushed the comment to the side, feeling as though it was less than relevant. he lit another candle and then another, a small amount of light filling the corner of the room he stood in. the blonde turned around and watched as venus began to take in their surroundings and smiled when she put down the knife, finally realizing there was nothing murder-y about it.
the prince turned his attention back to the small bottle in his hand and moved on to the next candle. it’d always been tedious work, lighting the candles for the entirety of the windowless bunker, but there was no other choice, not if he wanted actually wanted to see. at least throughout the inner keep, there were various windows and skylights that provided them with plenty of light to see by. even at night, the moon could often shine brightly enough to fill the halls of the keep.
an irritating sound pulls him from his own thoughts and blaiz looks around, taking a moment to locate her through the relative darkness. his curiosity piqued, he made his way over to where she was and peered over her shoulder to see what she saw—but he couldn’t. or at least, he didn’t understand what she saw. with a lazy shrug, blaiz went back to what he’d been doing and she disappeared into another room. he was just happy to see she no longer seemed quite so terrified of the place. he’d hoped this place would bring her even more comfort and entertainment than it’d brought him over the years, she certainly needed it more than he did.
he managed to get several more candles lit before a loud clattering noise came from the room venus had just disappeared into. he moved quickly, ready to go check on her, but as he approached her voice called out to inform her there was no real issue. “ what are you doing back there? ” he called out to her in a sing-song voice as he took another tentative step towards her location. blaiz tossed the bottle of fire start around in his hands while he waited for her to reemerge, eager to know what she was getting up to.
a major reason he was so willing to share this place with her was because he knew she would understand it, would probably even enjoy it in ways he’d never been able to. do something? he repeats silently, not understanding what could be done, though seconds later a blinding light floods the bunker and blaiz can’t stop the audible gasp that escapes his lips.
the bottle he’d been tossing back and forth in his hands falls to the ground with a noisy thunk as blaiz’s head turned upwards to the ceiling, unable to pull his gaze away. it was bright and slightly blinding, but it didn’t compare to the sun in that regard. “ ho— ” the word died on his lips as he began to move around the bunker, looking around with a sort of wonderment, as though he was really seeing the place for the first time. it all looked so different now, the colors all around them so vibrant in a way he hadn’t noticed at any other time. “ how did you do that? ” he finally managed, his gaze finding hers as easily as if they were standing outside at midday.
“Well. Hello.” A strangely friendly greeting in the marketplace. Then again, people weren’t too friendly, which was why Frankie must have looked insane. Or like an idiot. Either one; she was often told she looked like one or the other, usually before she pulled some stunt.
But let them think what they want, Frankie thought, reclining in her seat as she chewed on a measly little sandwich.
“Come on. Don’t pretend I didn’t catch you walking by.” Frankie plopped the last bit of sandwich in her mouth and pushed herself off her chair, wiping crumbs off her pant legs. “I got a pretty gnarly collection of wares to sell today. Have you seen my new crossbow?” Frankie herself was tempted to try it out.
blaiz hadn’t been paying all that much attention to his surrounding, too lost in personal thoughts as he walked through the market. there was nothing he wanted or needed, buy the prince wanted his people to see him still, no matter what they thought of him now. the market had once been once his favorite places—but that was years ago when his brother still lived.
the blonde turned his head in the direction of the voice that had called to him, suddenly realizing it had been him she was calling. his gaze shifted the items on the table and he found himself unable to hide the sneer. “ i imagine you catch plenty walking by, ” blaiz replied, clasping his hands behind his back as his gaze moved from the wares to the seller. he’d been on his way back to the keep and just happened to take this path, perhaps why she’d chosen it as well, plenty of rich marks to target. though he refused to be one of them, not when the items were metal-based.
“ you’d have better luck selling your, ” he paused while his mind buzzed to find the right word, “ tools, just about anywhere else. ” the prince retorted this time with a half smile.
Q. WHAT BELIEFS OR FAITH DOES YOUR MUSE CURRENTLY HOLD? ( do they believe in the spirits or the gods? or perhaps something else entirely, i.e. a mostly forgotten religion passed down through generations )
blaiz believes in the elemental spirits and with it that all things in the world exist because of them; that the spirits created all the natural or organic matter in the world. it’s the only thing that’s ever made sense to him, unlike many other children of his clan, blaiz had the opportunity to hear of how the other clans functioned, what sort of beliefs they held, and how they differed from their own. by the time his tutor had finished, it all sounded too unnatural and believing in all powerful entities such as ‘gods’ outlandish, even to a child with as wild an imagination as blaiz.
Q. HOW DOES YOUR MUSE FEEL ABOUT THEIR OWN CLAN? how do they feel about the other clans? where do their loyalties truly lie?
blaiz loves his people and while his brother had been alive and the crown destined for a head that wasn’t his own, the youngest prince wanted to be there for them; he just wanted it to be in the background. despite his insane plan to get his clansmen to essentially turn on him, blaiz still loves his clan wants them to remain strong and in control of their own territory, perhaps even more powerful than they currently are—he simply doesn’t want it to be his responsibility to keep or get them there.
like many of his clansman, blaiz is very distrustful of outsiders, especially of those who hold beliefs different than his own. this suspicion primarily stems from childhood as his brother used to frequently mess with him as a child by telling him things like if the disruptors ever captured him, they’d feed him the metal devils. now grown, blaiz knows his brother was only trying to get to him, but he’d never been able to forget the tall tales.
where he is right at this moment in his life, blaiz would say his loyalties lay only with himself and the people he cares for. that includes venus, mira, his uncle, and his closest friends.
Q. DO THEY FEEL AS THOUGH THEY CAN TRUST THE PERSON LEADING THEIR PEOPLE? explain why or why not. refer to the lore page for information on the leaders of each clan.
not in the least. even though it’s his own mother and some part of him still loves her, blaiz lost any faith he had in her leadership abilities and her desire to do what’s best for their people when she sent her warriors west to march on an army she knew they were ill-prepared to face. had the battle never took place, there’s no doubt in blaiz’s mind that his brother, aydan, would still be alive, well, and ready to rule.
he would go as far as to say that his mother has been blinded by her own ambition to have it all, to rule it all, and that’s potentially even more dangerous than whatever it is he knows the children of the oracle are cooking up.
Q. WHAT ARE YOUR MUSE’S VIEWS ON THE MACHINES? are they someone willing to do battle with them or do they avidly avoid detection while in the wilds? what are their theories on what the machines’ true purpose is/what they were made for? if they don’t believe that the machines were made by the gods, do they have any ideas or beliefs about who made them?
blaiz considers the machines to be unnatural abominations, like much of his clan. they are beasts that have no right to exist and without the help of mankind, they never would have. the prince has expressed his views in the past, primarily during drunken ramblings when he’s had a few too many at the tavern. just as their ancestors made weapons that ended their world all those centuries ago, they must have made the metal devils, for only mankind could do something so evil. the spirits never would have created something so destructively monstrous.
taking out machines is something of a civil service as far as the prince is concerned. allowing one to go free is only ensuring the death of someone else.
Q. IS YOUR MUSE A SKILLED FIGHTER? if so, who taught them how and what weapon(s) do they use most frequently? if not, how does your muse defend themselves in the wilds or against enemies?
incredibly skilled. blaiz has been trained by the best warriors, generals, and specialist available, just as his brother had been. the prince was tutored in numerous fighting styles and techniques, by masters from each of the different clans; the ice queen refused to allow the other clans have any sort of advantage over her heirs.
blaiz’s weapon of choice when going into battle is an axe and shield combo, however, there is also always a broadsword attached to his left side, a dagger on his right hip, and a second dagger tucked inside his right boot. to be caught unarmed is the last thing he’ll allow. the broadsword is the weapon he uses most often as he’s found it does the most damage to his opponents.
when leaving the confines of the city and entering wilds, blaiz typically brings his bow with him and he’s found it’s the most effective weapon for taking out machines without having to bother to get all that close.
𝚅𝙴𝙽𝚄𝚂 𝚁𝙾𝙻𝙻𝚂 𝙷𝙴𝚁 𝙴𝚈𝙴𝚂 𝙰𝚃 𝙱𝙻𝙰𝙸𝚉’𝚂 𝙲𝙾𝙼𝙼𝙴𝙽𝚃 as she descends down the ladder, her heart thudding in her chest all the while. when she no longer finds a rung beneath her, perhaps sooner than she anticipated, she breathes a breath of relief and hesitantly steps backwards in the fear that she might bump into something. she has the briefest of glimpses into the small room as she turns around to take in her surroundings, pulling the dagger free from her mouth… all before she hears the metal door groaning above them.
alarmed, venus looks up in the direction of the opening only to find that the prince is pulling it shut. “ blaiz, ” she hisses, perhaps the first time she’s displayed fear to him. usually, when she speaks to him in such a way, she’s irritated… but the way her voice wavers just a little says otherwise. what is he doing? venus stumbles away from the ladder in order to give him space to move about, praying that her eyes will adjust sooner than later.
his words of encouragement do have the desired effect despite how nervous this whole scenario makes her feel, and she reaches out to feel her surroundings only to find that her free hand splays flat against his chest. “ shit, ” she murmurs, a little calmer now—but still embarrassed—as she stumbles backwards, “ sorry. ” she can feel her cheeks reddening, thoughts brought back to the way her hand had done the same thing in the tavern last night. stammering, venus says, “ uh, i said, uh… a flashlight. it’s… we use it to make artificial light in dark places like this. ” that’s right, vee. change the subject.
the way she said his name was different this time, almost as if he could hear the panic in it, though blaiz knew there was nothing for her to fear; not down here. it had been the one place he felt safe, where he felt as though he could be himself without the constant prying eyes of his people. who he wanted to be, who blaiz knew he wanted to be, was not the person or leader his people had always vied for. something touched him unexpectedly and a second later he realized what it was, the contact was short-lived but welcome and something about the darkness enveloping them made it feel all the more tantalizing. her voice pulled him out of his own swamping thoughts and he cleared his throat trying to run back to the task at hand, unable to ignore the tension building between them all over again. “ the oracles might, ” he replied exhaling deeply to calm himself.
“ they’re really into artificial things. ” he explained to her as his hand dives into the satchel hanging off his shoulder. after another moment he pulled out a small bottle of his fire start oil, his other hand moved awkwardly through the dark, patting at the top of the table and knocking over small trinkets in the process. finally, his fingers made contact with a candle and blaiz quickly lit the wick, a single flame flooding the small space with a dim flick of light. “ hold this,” he said, passing her the thick wax cylinder before moving around the room and beginning to light the other candles.
𝙸𝙽 𝙳𝙴𝙻𝙿𝙷𝙸𝙽𝙴’𝚂 𝙴𝚈𝙴𝚂, 𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁𝙴 𝙸𝚂 𝙽𝙾 𝙿𝙾𝚂𝚂𝙸𝙱𝙻𝙴 way that somebody from the ice nation could know more of the machines and these ruins than she. she watches the other as he crosses the room, a mix of wariness and curiosity in the soft furrow of her brows. his strength in being able to open the doors both impresses her and makes her all the more concerned; even through his clothes she can tell that this man is broad-shouldered, likely muscular, and she would be no match for he. delphine’s brother is the fighter; delphine was raised like a princess and there are even times that she’s been called naive. the words belonging to those lips are long since dead, though, executed by her hand. delphine is able to show kindness but her patience is short and her capacity for taking criticism is even shorter.
she inches towards the space the ice nationer made between the doors, grateful, at least, that he did not cut her down in this very room. following after him through the opening, delphine winces as she straightens in order to fit through it. “ you’d be a fool if you think you know everything there is to know about the doors, as well as everything about me. i’m not even quite sure why you’ve made this so difficult, ” delphine retorts, referring to them finally getting out of that room.
quickly growing tired, delphine’s hand finds the wall in order to support herself as she walks, and she slows a little as she tries to catch her breath. “ are you always so reluctant to help damsels in distress, or is that just an ice nation thing? or perhaps do you feel competition in my being here? or perhaps you’re merely compensating for something— ” gods, delphine, shut up.
blaiz knew entirely more about the old ruins and how the technology that once powered them worked, but it was not entirely his own doing. on countless occasions, the prince had followed his sister into the ruins throughout their clan’s territory, what precisely she was after he’d never been able to understand. however, thanks to mira’s own clever mind, blaiz found himself able to freely walk throughout the ruins; no longer harboring any fears he may get trapped or lost in the wreckage that now remains.
who’s the fool, again? he mused silently, reminding himself that it wasn’t he who was lost, injured and relying on the help of a stranger. “ did i say i knew everything? ” he scoffed, looking over his shoulder for only a moment, making note of how she’d managed to follow him thus far. “ i know all i need to about the doors. ” blaiz informed her, his pace never slowing as he made his way down a dimly-lit corridor. “ that behind them is a sleeping army that your clan will probably wake once again and cause another fucking war in the process. ” the prince was old enough now to understand his mother and the way her mind worked, and she was a different ruler from the man who held the throne when the last treaty was forged. the ice queen would not stand by idly if the children did manage to open another door. she would surely declare war, citing the fanatics obvious disregard for the safety of the other clans as a ‘breach of peace’ in the treaty—as though a full scale invasion of another clan wouldn’t mean the thing.
blaiz laughed, the amused bellow deep and lasting longer than he’d intended, but he simply couldn’t help himself. the blonde turned on his heels to face her before finally saying, “ the ice nations doesn’t have damsels, ” he told her flatly, though the smile tearing at the corner of his mouth was anything but emotionless. “ perhaps, if it’s help you desire, you should find a more becoming way to ask... because that wasn’t it. ” he told her, his smile fading quickly as he began to step further away from her once more, deeper into the darkness. just leave her, a voice in the back of his mind said, you owe her nothing, it went on. and it was right.
𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙻𝙰𝚂𝚃 𝚃𝙷𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝚅𝙴𝙽𝚄𝚂 𝙴𝚇𝙿𝙴𝙲𝚃𝚂 𝙸𝚂 𝙵𝙾𝚁 blaiz to laugh in the way that he does, but she can’t help the small, surprised huff of laughter that slips from between her lips as her lips curve upwards. that little smile of hers even has teeth, too. is this the first time they’ve joked together? the first time she’s genuinely smiled at him without an air of mischief mixed into it? venus quite likes it. it gives her the confidence to take a few steps forwards, intrigued by what he’s doing as he pulls some sort of… lever?
she smiles faintly at his jest about the murder dungeon being back at the keep, finding it quite amusing in her head, but it’s rather drowned out by the groan of the metal door as it’s swung open. venus can’t help but marvel at his strength. tentatively, the girl takes a few more steps forwards, her feet coming to a stop just at the edge of where the hatch drops. she peers down at the hole in the ground and swallows thickly at the darkness that awaits her below, knowing fully that looming darkness below is the kind of stuff that would haunt her nightmares. on cronos station, they had every type of pre-war movie one could think of. paranormal horrors? zombie flicks? you name it. anything could be waiting for her at the bottom of this place, no matter how irrational they might seem. centuries ago, people would’ve thought animalistic machines were far fetched, too, and her own people had been shocked to find that humans were still alive on earth.
but venus left her distrust for blaiz a few steps back and she won’t refuse to trust him now. although… in one swift movement, venus reaches for the knife at his side, the metal scraping against its sheath as she releases it from its leather hold. with her gaze on the prince pointed, venus explains to him firmly, “ in case there’s anything down there waiting. ”
she doesn’t expect him to understand, not when he hasn’t seen the things she has, but still. with one deep sigh, venus pops the hilt in her mouth and clenches it as she turns around only to bend down and wrap her fingers around the ladder. her voice muffled by the dagger in her mouth, she calls out as she descends into darkness, “ now’s the time you’re going to tell me you guys still use flashlights, right? ” please let there be some sort of light down here rather than navigating in the dark. she’d even hated navigating the halls outside hers and her father’s quarters during power cuts. at least if this is a murder dungeon then she has a knife to defend herself against… a lifelong trained warrior. yeah, great.
an unmistakable panic flooded through him, setting every nerve on edge as she pulled the blade from his waist before he even knew what was happening. no sooner had he started mentally curing himself for willingly trusting her she began to defend herself. his brow furrowed, doing his best to hide his annoyance. “ and what do you presume is waiting? ” he pushed back, as she began to descend the ladder. perhaps she would always assume he meant to due her harm.
she spoke, though whatever she said came out as an unintelligible mumble as the round hilt of the dagger was still stuffed in her mouth. he teasingly mimicked her, a garbled sound echoing into the bunker below as he placed a foot on the ladder.
“ a what light? ” he asked in return, not entirely clear what she meant as he began his own climb down into the darkness, taking one last look at their surroundings before closing the door to the bunker behind him. the space was plunged into a darkness so intense, it almost felt unnatural, but it wasn’t the first time he’d has to navigate the area in without any sort source of light. “ just a moment, ” he encouraged venus as his feet finally found the floor and he slowly began to feel about for the table he knew was nearby.
[ choo ja-hyun & forty-two & cis female & she/her ] stars above, is that EZARA THE WATCHER of THE CHILDREN OF THE ORACLE ? i overheard people talking about them; they say that they're ALLURING but when their SECRETIVE side rears its head things can get ugly. i heard that they came to troy because they’re IN HIDING and that they hail from THE DEN. did you know they DON'T believe that THE MACHINES WERE MADE BY GODS and DON'T believe in ELEMENTAL SPIRITS ? is that the case for all people who are a SEER ? people who have run into them say that they remind them of A WAIF WONDERING IN AN UNFAMILIAR LAND AND A BEAUTIFULLY HAUNTING GAZE THAT SEES RIGHT THROUGH YOU, but i wonder if we'll see if there's more to them than previously thought ? whatever the case, i know they have NEGATIVE feelings about the SPACERS.
✵ — 𝙎𝙏𝘼𝙏𝙎 — ✵
name: ezara
title: the watcher
age: forty-two
status: former priestess — seer
traits: alluring, secretive,
current location: troy
✵ — 𝙀𝘼𝙍𝙇𝙔 𝙇𝙄𝙁𝙀 — ✵
like all the other priestesses of her clan, ezara was once a firm believer in the gods and there was nothing any one individual could have done or said to change her beliefs. but after decades of loyal dedication, her unwavering faith came under fire the famed seer began to question everything she knew and held dear.
born to a renowned healer of her family’s clan, ezara’s mother seemed to have the cure to every ailment, even those thought to be impossible to remedy. her knowledge of the plant-life and all its medicinal properties was considered invaluable, so the chaos her young daughter seemed to constantly cause was easily overlooked.
ezara was a “free spirit” as her father liked to say, sometimes going as far to say it was the spirits themselves who ought to blamed for how different she was. however, the child didn’t care as to the reason why, all that mattered to her was that she was different. to be like the rest of them, boring and stiff as they were, well it was the thing she feared most of all.
most of her time was spent out in the wilds, gathering herbs and other necessities for her mother’s work, but ezara would always take her time: do whatever she could to spend as much time in the forest as was allowed. it had always felt as though there was something out there that called to her, even as a child, something that wanted her to be out there. that wanted to be found.
when she was only thirteen, ezara became lost in the wilds for the first time in her life. she wandered the forest for days, surviving on plants she knew were safe, doing all she could to avoid detection from any machines that would just as soon kill her. though after the girl finally found her way home, she just as soon longed to be lost amongst the foliage once more. there had been something reassuring about it to her and the teen longed to understand why.
soon enough, disappearing into the forest for days on end became the new normal for ezara, and many in her village whispered about what exactly it was she was doing out there. they speculated and rumors spread, but none could say for sure. not until two months later when she came racing back to the village with terrible news: the ice nation were to be coming, and they meant to attack.
her sentiments were outlandish as far as they were concerned. the neighboring clan, no matter how ruthless, hadn’t attempted such a thing since the treaties were drafted after the doors first opened. her warnings were brushed aside, even by her parents who refused to flee their village with her to escape the coming slaughter.
but ezara left anyway, even though nobody else would, and hid in the forest not too far away. two days later, the attack began. at first, all she could smell was smoke, homes burning to the ground. but then, it was more than just homes being burnt, the terrible smell that filled the air was proof of it and has haunted her nightmares ever since.
when she returned to her home later that night, embers still burned in the place her family’s hearth once stood, but there was no sign of a hearth. or her family. no sign that anyone of her village had survived. the teenager left the only home she’d ever known, clear there was nothing left for her there. what ezara didn’t know, however, was that few had escaped the attack and fled to the clan’s capitol to share news of the vicious attack they believed to be unprovoked. they also shared news of a child who predicted the attack and had the gift of sight.
it was months before she finally arrived to the den and the welcome she received was most unexpected. in no time at all, ezara found herself enjoying the capitol in ways she never thought possible, finding that the ways of the priestesses who constantly surrounded her were far different from the clansmen she’d grown up. these women were vibrant and so full of life, she wanted to be just like them.
though when the high priestess asked her how she knew the attack was coming, the girl didn’t know how to respond and she feared disappointing her leader. instead, she explained her frequent journeys into the wilds and how in tune she felt with nature in those moments, so ezara was sent out on a quest and told to find herself; unaware she was thought to be lost again.
weeks went by, and ezara became familiar with the land surrounding the den rather quick, making note of all of plant-life that was known to her—and all that was unknown. in an attempt to seek out the answers a little faster, ezara began to experiment and create concoctions that were entirely unheard of. they did, however, have the desired effect.
the collection of herbs and fungi induced cryptic yet informative visions, filled with colors and images she’d never seen and could never have imagined on her own. the visions told her things, some of it was destined to be shared with her people, while others bits meant for her eyes only; that was how all her future visions turned out. a little for them, more for herself.
the first official prophecy she gave to the high priestess was taken with a grain of salt, but in the months that followed, when the birth of her daughter came to pass in exactly the way she’d described and her other visions began to prove true as well, ezara’s talents became infamous among her people and her visions soon became relied on more heavily than they should of.
as the years went on and ezara became known as the watcher, her talents were more in demand than she ever expected and the all too frequent ingestion of the strange concoction caused irreparable damage to her eyes. by the time she was twenty-six, ezara had lost a majority of her ability to see. though the high priestess said that her physical blindness only proved just how powerful she could be.
✵ — 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙋𝙍𝙀𝙎𝙀𝙉𝙏 — ✵
when the seat of power was passed on to delphine, ezara’s loyalties passed on too, she served her in the same capacity she’d served her mother, doing all she could to elevate their leader, their clan, and their mission.
on a day that started as any other, things seemed to rapidly change for ezara. her visions began to change and what she saw did not favor her people. did not favor delphine. months passed and many more visions occurred before the watcher finally decided to inform the high priestess of what was coming. it was in part because she hoped they would revert back to what she’d always known, but also because delphine was cruel in ways her mother had never been and ezara was concerned with how such news would be handled.
the concern she held was justified, as not long after the seer explained the new fate destined for their people, the high priestess attempted to have her and her family killed. ezara and her young son managed to escape the den, but her husband was not so lucky and was killed by warriors who’d once feigned loyalty to her as well.
it’s been nearly a year since she was forced to flee her home for the second time, now living amongst the people responsible for the death of her parents and destruction of her childhood home. hiding in plain sight has always been the smartest path, she only hopes now that her true sight, the one that never failed her before, doesn’t fail them all now.
✵ — 𝙃𝙀𝘼𝘿𝘾𝘼𝙉𝙊𝙉𝙎 —✵
ezara’s faith has been greatly shaken and is no longer sure what she believes. she doesn’t know believe in the spirits and never has, but now she no longer believes in the gods like she once did.
despite her impaired vision, the watcher is still quite adept at getting around. though she also always has a walking stick with her to make sure she doesn’t trip. and because she’s still able to see shadows, it’s quite impossible to sneak up on her.
her father was a warrior and trained her to defend herself. something she’s never forgotten.
𝙳𝙴𝙻𝙿𝙷𝙸𝙽𝙴 𝚂𝙸𝙶𝙷𝚂 𝙸𝙼𝙿𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙴𝙽𝚃𝙻𝚈, 𝙲𝙰𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝚅𝙴𝚁𝚈 little for his talk of the spirits. in truth, delphine believes in respecting mother earth and all that comes from her, and she’d tried to once figure out a way to combine the two faiths because of just how devoted to nature the children of the oracle can be… but she’d failed. perhaps it’s just this person that irritates her rather than his talk of the spirits, though. because the other doesn’t move her hand away, delphine sees fit to delve further into his personal space, her gaze catching something tied around his neck. she reaches up to pull it from under his clothes gently, recognition flashing in her eyes as she sets her sights on the artefact. a gods-made gift. why would the gods let somebody who doesn’t believe in them find that?
biting back her shock as she removes her digits from the machine necklace, delphine responds, “ because i know what this is, and unlike most of your clan likely would, i don’t recoil at you wearing it. if you have it around your neck and you’re here, we’re both interested in the same things. ” she swallows thickly, taking a step backwards, and her tone is a little more exasperated, tiresome, as she continues, “ i am also injured and in need of aid, and i would hope despite our differing beliefs that you might help me out of here if i show no threat to you. ” a feeble hope for someone from the ice nation.
delphine winces at a sudden stab of pain in her ribs, her tone strained as she continues, “ i also know the location of more places like this. i might tell you if you decide not to be an ass. surely you being here is a sign of your curiosity, unless you’ve decided to come to this location specifically on a noble mission for the spirits? ” delphine teases somewhat sharply, brows risen.
every muscle within him tensed as her fingers made contact with the metal bit he still wore around his neck. blaiz nearly pushed her hand to the side, but part of him was curious as to if she really knew of the whistles purpose. more importantly, if she’d ever seen one before, surely in her clan’s territory such a thing would have been common. or at least known of?
it’s true, she doesn’t recoil, but the prince wonders simply if it’s because she doesn’t know what it does. what it is. blaiz tucked it back under his clothing hastily, unwilling to trust she wouldn’t attempt to swipe it and use it against him. he laughed quietly at the thought of the two of them being alike, he didn’t know her anymore than she did him. nor did he care to take the time to know her. something about her gave blaiz the sense she would sooner kill him—since she’d never be able to convert him, than she would willingly assist him in finding a location such as this that she held in such high regard.
blaiz rolled his eyes as he moved to the far side of the room, maneuvering the overgrown foliage and stalagmites to reach the only other door in the room. “ you think yourself alone in that knowledge? ” he retorted placing a hand on the metal door and feeling for the crack he knew was somewhere in the middle. this was far from the first old ruin blaiz had adventured into and he wouldn’t let it be his last. he pulled his sword out once again and forced it in between the thin slit where the two sides met. with a bit of effort, blaiz twisted the blade to the left and the door made the most peculiar clicking as a space between the metal slabs appeared.
with a great deal of effort this time, blaiz forced the space to grow larger, pushing the part just far enough so they could be passed through. the blonde sheathed the sword again before turning to face the other, “ something tells me you know as much about the ruins as you do nobility, ” he replied smugly, before disappearing into the opening.