Light Up the Stars

High Lady Mihika Kapur

[icecfpagos]

AMARA WAS NOT FEELING LIKE PRAYING TODAY. It was hard to appease her duty with her heart. While she had always known ( and wished ) she would be the High Priestess, she found herself wavering. Not because she was afraid others might discover her power, but rather because she couldn't seem to find a clear head to dedicate to praying to the Mother.

not when it seemed she had abandoned them.

But, every time she would see one of her sisters, her troubles would dissipate - only to return full force in her lonesome hours. Smiling softly at Saylee, Amara shook her head. "No, but mainly because no one but our siblings know about it." she softly chuckled, approaching her sister to pull her into a hug. "How are you holding up with everything that's been going on lately? I dread to even consider how busy you must have been with our courtiers."

[ofstarsfalls]

Saylee nodded, proud of her sister for keeping the secret. It was important that they all stuck together, no matter what. When she'd come to check on Amara, she wanted to be sure that she was safe in every way possible. "Good, keep it that way. No one needs to know, at least not right now. It's a very sensitive time, and I'm just looking out for you and your sister." Behind the scenes, she was a whole lot more sensitive and compassionate than other fae noticed. Around them, she never wanted to admit that she was anything les than completely in control of her court and the decisions to keep them safe.

Sighing, she wanted to admit that she had zero idea of how to move forward, but how could she? How could she admit she was struggling with finding information? Everything was hidden and it was driving Saylee crazy. "It's difficult, honestly. We have less and less answers every day. New courts, but no answers. I'm meeting with as many High Rulers as I can and I trust you and your sister to do the same with other inner circle members. I want us safe and I do not want a repeat of what happened in our court. We will not be made out to be the villain again."

[weicfdaglan]

location & time: luxencia inn, evening. availability: open for everyone.

WEI YANLING WAS NOT EXCITED OVER BEING IN PRYTHIAN. Sure, it was nice to be seen by those who were not part of the kingdom of Midas, but on the other hand... there was hardly any real difference - she still had to lie about her background, still had to weave the enchantment of deceit around herself and her brethren.

the asteri are just a band of vagrants from all the courts.

That's what her enchantments said - what they had to say. The Asteri overlords and their annoying council still did not wish themselves be seen as separate - as different. It may tip off the Prythian fae and rally them against Morsaris - and just like 70,000 years ago, the Prythians might win, again.

Slowly chewing on a slice of bread and cheese, the untouched pint of dark ale in front of her, Yanyan glanced around the dim lighting of the crowded room. Attention snagged by an approaching figure, the Daglan witch apothecary attempted a smile at the intruder. "Mn, the seat is unoccupied. I didn't expect the Luxencia to be this occupied tonight. Did I miss something? Something other than the whole earthquake thing, that is." she added the latter with the softest of chuckles.

[ofstarsfalls]

Elin's curiosity always got her into trouble. But today she wanted to believe that it was excitement and the natural desire to explore. Bouncing through the streets, she tried to find someone that might be exciting to talk to. She made her way into an inn and saw so many people, but none of them looked even remotely interesting. They all had these mean looking scowls on their faces and Elin wasn't a fan of that at all.

There had to be someone that was even remotely interesting for her to talk to and that was when she saw someone. This girl looked like she should've been from some mystical land, and in fact, looked like she could even be related to her. But she had no idea about any of that. And instead, Elin skipped over to her, pointing at the seat. Grinning, she plopped down, hoping someone would come around with some kind of menu because now, looking at her, Elin was hungry. "I have no idea. Maybe it's someone's birthday? But if that were true, then there should be cake of some kind. Oooh, or maybe it's a big meeting and we'll get to hear all kinds of gossip!"

[opvlites]

sometimes she wonders if the fae who find her interesting aren’t just saying it because they think she might secretly be able to cause more harm than she can. maybe because when she’d been young she’d always had to play the role of the perfect daughter, and then the ‘perfect wife’. and then when she’d gotten out, she’d gotten to just exist. she’d found herself in a bac corner of the tavern again, knife out as she carved into a chunk of wood, humming to herself. she looks up when she notices someone approaching her, head tilting when she realises it’s the high lady of winter. “they’re cool.” she shrugs, holding a carved bone to the high lady, one that had been too fragile to turn into a knife since it would collapse on impact. “they came from something, so there’s a story behind each one.”

[ofstarsfalls]

Saylee watched her for a moment, her eyes staying on the bones in front of her, and the knife that she was so absentmindedly playing with. Bending down, her eyes moved over to the bones, trying to figure out what was so fascinating about them. "Do you have a favorite one?" she asked, wanting to know about these stories. Stories held truth, held information, and held something that could possibly explain everything around them in a way that Saylee hadn't understood before. "And what got you into bones exactly?" she asked, now incredibly curious. "My little sister likes them too and she won't tell me why."

[courtlights]

☆ﾟ*·ﾟHIS EYES FOLLOWED her as she sat down next to him. He wanted to say something about needing his personal space, but part of him was intrigued by Saylee's company. Vikram would never tell her this because he knew she'd take it and run. That was something he most definitely didn't want to deal with. Raising his eyebrows, he glared at her, wishing he could throw something at her, but that was most definitely not polite in the slightest. "Oh shut up, Saylee. There could've been other reasons." Chuckling softly, he took a sip of the tea and gestured for her to grab a cup of the kettle he'd had sitting there. "You tell me." Shifting in his spot, he turned to face her. "Look, I know we're not fans of each other, but I know we've previously discussed having similar opinions. Where's your head at with all of this?"

[ofstarsfalls]

Chuckling, Saylee shook her head and made herself comfortable in the space next to Vikram. She'd always been rather fond of his matter of fact way of talking and how he never really minded upsetting or frustrating someone with the way he spoke. "There could've been. Joking aside, it is one of the most beautiful skies I've ever seen." She took a cup, pouring herself some tea before taking a sip. "Who told you we're not fans of each other? We just don't get along all the time. Doesn't mean I'm not a fan of yours, dearie." She took another sip, laughing again, knowing now that it was spiked. And for that, she respected him even more. "This court appeared with no explanation, no reasoning, and expected us to simply believe in them. Why should we? What is the reason to hide for so long? What do you fear at that point? Who are you hiding from? A world has no need to be so hidden like that."

[lordofthedwn]

CLOSED: @ofstarsfalls (saylee)

"how are you feeling about this new information?" tarik had found saylee as soon as he could, stressed with the amount of things that seemed to keep piling up for them all, being thrown into starlight, losing their magic except for a few, and now talk of this new group of fae that he did not care to hear about. but if there was anyone's opinion the man had valued most, it was the high lady of winter. of course his sister was up there as well, she was high lady herself for a reason after all, and he trusted she had a good head on her shoulders, but when zaina tried to find the benefit of the doubt in these cases, saylee saw the truth and wasn't afraid to voice those thoughts as plain as day, and he respected it greatly. "I also came to apologize for how the meeting with dawn might have gone, I secretly wanted to be there myself but I know you're more than capable of handling yourself, especially in cases like these."

[ofstarsfalls]

Saylee grumbled, huffing in response to his question. "I hate all of this, Tarik. Each day, we're flooded with a stupid amount of information and no one has given me any reason to trust anyone and honestly, I'm furious." All she wanted to do right now was throw something across the room, but that would only make the Starlight Court even more mad, giving them more of a reason to be frustrated with her opinion of them. But Tarik's opinion of her was one that she actually cared about. He was a friend, someone that she could let her guard down around. And that was rare thing for her. Not many actually took the time to learn about what was in her heart, and why she actually did what she did. Tilting her head to the side, she watched him for a moment. "Why are you apologizing? Did you think it was going to go a way it shouldn't have been? Truthfully, the meeting was better than I anticipated."

[ofstarsfalls]

( tian xiwei, 29 / 400, wen elin, cis female, she/her ) Underneath the sparkling sky, did you see TIAN XIWEI being tipped by the Cauldron? No, that’s just WEN ELIN, who is the SPY IN TRAINING from SUMMER. I heard that on most days they’re GIGGLY and PERSUASIVE but if you catch them on a dark night, they can be INSECURE and MOODY. But if you really get to know them, you’ll know that they vibe with DANCING UNDER DROPLETS OF THE SUMMER RAIN, CREATING STORIES FULL OF LAUGHTER, A BOND WITH YOUR SIBLINGS THAT KEEPS YOU STRONG.

Elin was born a twin and she was the complete opposite of her twin in every way possible. She was flighty, silly, goofy, and absolutely remotely gullible. But if she wanted to explain something to you or get her way, Elin could convince you to do just about anything. She knew what kind of words would make the best arguments and how to get people to not only believe in her but to believe her. And the thing is, with the way she tended to be, she got herself a job as a spy in training. And was she good at it? Yes, but she had this natural ability to leak secrets, something that as a result became part of her training as a spy. She couldn't help herself. Elin liked to talk, she liked to tell stories, and she was just such a blabbermouth.

But she's extremely friendly, wanting to make friends with absolutely everyone. Elin likes knowing what people think, how they tick, and what makes them happy. She'll bounce up to you with excitement and ask you what your favorite story is or your favorite color, or some other obscure question that makes no sense to anything she was originally talking about. But Elin wants to be good at her job. She wants to make sure she's a good spy, but she's not really sure how to do that.

[opvlites]

the heights of others had never bothered her despite how small she was. the fae she surrounded herself with tended to be much taller, save for the small sort of social club that seemed to have formed of the faeries who were on the smaller side. and with virgil always remaining near her, his frame was intimidating enough for the both of them. even if she does wish to retain some sort of alliance with the winter court. she understands the distrust, but she had heard tia out, had given her a chance. the same as she had done when they were trapped in winter. she was giving them the chance to earn trust, because whatever kept them hidden, whether it’s related or not, the courts need to know. and they won’t learn what it was if they all refuse to work with them. hybern protected them for a reason, and what reason had any of the courts given starlight to trust them with their secrets? giving them a chance at least showed the willingness to try. as she steps into the tea room, she offers a slight nod in return, but nothing else. she had considered declining the request from saylee, if only because she doesn’t want to say something she’ll regret. she likes saylee. but she’s angry. angry over the lost powers, worried for her court, worried for the others she had promised to protect. “thank you,” she pauses, glancing over the tea for a moment. “i understand the distrust, but have you considered, that while they have not given us details as a group, they also have not been given any reason they should trust all of us?”

[ofstarsfalls]

From the moment Zaina walked into the room, Saylee could feel the distrust, the anger, and the lack of understanding of why the rule of Winter believed what she did. She was stressed, panicked, and confused, because none of this had many any sense to her. All of this horrible activity had started in her court and made her feel attacked, whether or not that was the original intention of the so called villains of this entire situation. Saylee wasn't sure whether or not Zaina would accept her invitation. After she'd voiced her opinion, many of the high rulers did not want to speak with her. This was something she understood, but in the same vein, she wanted to explain her reasoning.

Looking up at her, Saylee took a deep breath. "I have considered it, and it is because of that that I am even more hesitant. They have been hidden away for so long, keeping their secrets, and Zaina, all of this happened originally in my court. Why should I trust anything when my court, my home, and my people were thrown to the wolves as the original culprit? None of this fairs well for me, and right now, I don't trust anyone. Until they've given me reason to believe their intentions are pure, I will not put my trust or faith in them. Do you see where I'm coming from?"

[fairiedstars]

there were few fae that marek a c t u a l l y trusted, ones that actually made him feel like the world of prythian could change in some sense. and even more, there were few high rulers that could save the fae world from any darkness that might've misfallen them. the high ruler of winter was one of them. and many might've thought they'd have been complete o p p o s i t e s but truthfully, marek admired saylee's spirit about ruling. she thought much like he did. and now, in the midst of being in an unfamiliar court and being introduced to new courts, fae, and a whole world of villainous nature, he sought her out, curious about her thought process. marek would n e v e r admit that he actually needed advice. it was more a curiosity that was getting the better of him. "high ruler of winter, it's a pleasure. i hoped we'd discuss this mess before us. our thoughts are alike in most matters, and i would hope in this as well."

@ofstarsfalls

[ofstarsfalls]

Saylee looked up to Marek. She knew that he'd ruled for years and had more wisdom than many of the other High Rulers she knew. He'd provided her with guidance that would help her grow as a fae and as a ruler. When he'd requested her presence, she was thrilled. His opinions were always similar to hers and he was the person she wanted to talk to about all of this. Because if he could get his thoughts together in a concise and consistent manner, then maybe she could too. Sitting down across from him, Saylee nodded, "Marek, the pleasure is mine." She crossed her arms over her chest, looking him up and down, trying to figure out what facts he might be focused on. "Should we be discussing this in such an open place? Surely they're watching. I do not wish to state my opinions where others can hear me. But form the look in your eyes, I see you already have a solution."

[ofstarsfalls]

In order to maintain some semblance of structure, Saylee needed to know that that each one of her siblings were safe, whether or not they'd previously told her they could handle themselves. Her eldest sister nature got the better of her. Walking through the hallways of the Starlight Court with intention, she scanned through each of the rooms, searching. Upon seeing a familiar head of hair, Saylee immediately walked toward her sister. "Amara, behaving, are you?" Being more protective and insistent on their whereabouts wasn't the best idea, needing to remain strong. "No one has given you any trouble about your gift, have they?"

@frostcfpagos

[ofstarsfalls]

Some of the other High Rulers were respectable and some only needed to be molded like little baby caterpillars. Talia was one of the later. From the very first time Saylee had spoken to her, she knew and could tell that the girl just needed someone to teach her how to rule, how to stand strong, and make the rest of her court believe in her. Upon hearing her opinion of the Starlight Court, Saylee was intrigued. Shouldn't someone in a younger position be unsure of anything that could hurt her? The curiosity of her decisions got the better of Saylee, causing her to organize a meeting. Setting it in an open enough area to make Talia feel comfortable, Saylee sat down in one of the arm chairs, staring a cup of tea she'd requested. Upon seeing Talia walk in, she stood up, holding out her hand. "Talia, thank you for joining me. It seems we have much to discuss. I'm curious to see where your head's at, dear."

@courtlights

[ofstarsfalls]

It was obvious to her sisters that she was a lot more caring than most gave her credit for. But that had always been the intention. To the rest of Prythian, she wanted to remain strong, levelheaded, and rather mysterious. And the littlest sister, she was a handful, and it was always an adventure, always a roller coaster of emotions. Finding her in a spot that was less than desirable, Saylee leaned up against the wall, crossing her arms over chest. "Arisa. What in the Mother are you doing? Is this how I told you we should be percieved? You know better."

@courtlights

[courtlights]

☆ﾟ*·ﾟ IN A NEW place, Tessa's first instinct was to explore the area around her, find all of the best plants, fruits, and materials to continue keeping her court safe and healthy. That was how she found herself on her hands and knees in the gardens of the Starlight court. Her hair fell in her face and her hands were covered with dirt. She hadn't expected anyone to catch her, but anyone that knew her wouldn't be surprised about this in the slightest bit. Tessa sat on her feet and looked up with a bright smile on her face. "Want a flower crown or some tea? I'm curious what these plants do, and it'd be a fun experiment to find out!"

[ofstarsfalls]

In an effort to understand more of the Starlight Court, Saylee found herself exploring all areas. She still didn't trust them and wondered if learning more about their lifestyle and layout would help. With her face completely expressionless, she found herself outside, face to face with the healer of the Night Court, her hands deep in the dirt. "Are you serious? You don't know anything about this court and you're on the ground, touching things that could very well hurt you. Not very smart, dear." Saylee walked closer to her and shook her head. "And no, I do not want a flower crown. That would make me look approachable and in this environment, that is not a good look, but as long as you promise me the tea won't poison me, I'll take some of that."

[ofstarsfalls]

Trying not to think about the stress of losing her powers, Juliana needed some kind of distraction. She just wasn't sure what that was and wound up just wandering through the new court, looking for some kind of adventure. When she noticed a familiar head of red hair, she couldn't help but laugh at the memories she had of her. Every time Florencia was in Dawn, Juliana found herself keeping an eye on her, curious what ridiculous activities the other would get up to. Sneaking up behind her, Juliana flicked her hair. "Been normal in this court so far?"

@flreclouds

[ofstarsfalls]

Very few fae actually intrigued Saylee. But Seren was one of them. The fascination with bones, and the completely strange and odd demeanor about all of it. She had originally heard of her from the Hybern Spymaster, whom she'd had interactions with the last time they visited the Winter Court. And now, she was fascinated. She wanted to know more about why she was fascinated with such things. It wasn't in a bad way or to discontinue the thought, but more of a why and tell me more. Saylee always wanted more ways to freak other fae out, to give her more of a reason to intimidate other fae. After inquiring about her location, Saylee walked right up to her, no hesitation and stated, "I hear you're interested in bones. Tell me more."

@flreclouds

[ofstarsfalls]

Juliana hadn't seen Jamie since they'd left the Dawn Court to return home to Day. Most of their training had been from both them and Elian and it was those moments that she'd cherished forever. They'd made her stronger, smarter, and feel more safe. With all of the shifting between courts and magic being stolen, Juliana had been so busy worried about her High Lady. She could barely think straight. And there was only one person that somehow managed to distract her with training. It has always helped. Finally spotting their short hair, a smile reached her face. "Jamie, do you have some time? I remember training in Dawn had always eased my head. I was hoping we could do a little sparring or something? It might help me talk to the High Lady with a more level head."

@liegejamievanderbilt

[ofstarsfalls]

Her height often intimidated others and she knew it. She was tall and liked to loom over the others. That was her intention when speaking with the Dawn High Lady, Zaina. But with everything she'd heard, Saylee knew this wasn't going to be an easy discussion in the slightest. With Winter being one of the few courts to actively and outwardly not trust Starlight, she knew backlash would appear. It was one of the difficulties she was facing as a ruler right now. But she had every right to think that.

There were plenty of fae in her past that had made her want others to earn her trust. So why couldn't this court do that? So far, they'd shown nothing that said they wanted to be let in. They'd hidden themselves away for centuries. When she'd sent word for Zaina to meet her in one of few tea rooms in the court, she fhadn't expected it to be so beautiful. The idea of that annoyed her. But she tried not to let it show.

As the other fae walked in, Saylee looked up at her, giving her a slight nod, keeping her expressions as still as possible. "I had some tea and pastries brought for us. At least you can be full while you're likely berating me for my opinions of this court."

@flreclouds

[snowcfnoxera]

location & time: stellaria, winter's suite ; evening. closed for: @ofstarsfalls ; saylée

ARTEMIS WAS A DISTRUSTFUL FAE. It was a trait shared with her High Lady. The fact that their lodgings and life was dependent on a foreign court, a new court, did not sit well with her. It did not sit well with the majority of Winter court's fae - first, they were being side-eyed over the occurrences in their home court and now that the situation had shifted, so did the blame. While she wasn't inclined to think Starlight was behind this, nor was she inclined to think they were in the know of any of it. She understood their... grievances and their secrets, but it did not make her trust them.

trust was earned and they've shown none of the worthiness.

It was a relief to learn that her High Lady felt the same - that at the council she agreed with the court of Summer and their Liege's decision to stand alone. But, it opened more questions - uncomfortable ones. Now that the magic was nullified, her shadows fell silent.

dead silent.

"It makes me antsy. This silence. I'm not accustomed to it and it's not natural. None of this." Artemis sighed, offering a drink to Saylée. "What do you think we should do next? Without our magic, we're sitting ducks."

[ofstarsfalls]

While Saylee liked to show how assertive she was, and how much she knew she had a handle on her court and the situations in front of them, she was still worried. Standing against a court that everyone else wanted to give a chance was a risky decision. But how could she trust fae who hadn't given her any reason to? Before being dropped into their court, there'd been no mention of them, or any legend to back up their court even existing. It put a sour taste in her mouth.

Being tucked away in a safe location eased some of the tension, allowing her to speak to her spymaster without any interruption. Sitting in a chair that had no right being that comfortable, Saylee took the drink from Artemis. "None of this is natural, Artemis. We were shunned, ridiculed, and looked down upon for what happened in our court. I have done nothing to deserve this treatment and I do not appreciate it in the slightest bit. So if any fae want to be frustrated with me for not trusting this court, they may. I will not take it." Saylee was frustrated to say the least.

"Do we have any witches without our court that we can trust? Or cauldron-made fae? We need to rally around them at this point and use them to our benefit. This is how we get our trust regained, with all of Prythian." If she had to fight a little bit to show that she deserved respect, she would.