the stars guide us / .

[rileyyildiz]

Riley Yıldız —

| biography | skeleton | connections | muse |

[rileyyildiz]

Tooth & Veil —

you've seen it before. the shops boasting of their psychic abilities, of their way to determine your future with the swipe of a card or the trace of lines against your palm. perhaps some have been truthful, perhaps not. but in this shop, the stars will be what guides your future, if you dare to venture forward. past the macabre art, the crystals that sit beneath skulls, and so much more that runs a shiver down your spine. but do not fret, the owner is more than happy to help you along.

[yurcna]

For the Dahlia coven had treated her as one of their own while she remained under their care, and she had repaid them by slaughtering one of their marshals. It's not a deed she had ever come to regret, not when she had experienced the man's cruelty first hand, and yet it weights on her, the knowledge that whatever kindness that remains in the coven's heart will likely be gone as soon as the truth comes out. Not that she expects it to ever come out, not when his death could be attributed to the Terror overrun they had suffered last Halloween. Not when she has been forgiven for her crimes in Asphodel. That does not mean she does not worry every time she receives another bout of their kindness. After everything she has burned, she doesn't want to lose this too. "I would be delighted. Did you have a booth in mind?"

[rileyyildiz]

It had never been in Riley's right to pass judgement, not upon Yurena or any of the others that had gotten tangled up in the Asphodel's web. Blood magic, just like every other source of magic, could be wielded by those that meant ill just as much as those who meant well. Nothing had ever been just been black or white within this world, and Riley would only ever focus on those who wished to make up for the choices that they made. "How about we start at one end, and simply make our way through? I don't know about you, but I want to try a little bit of everything."

[problemsolver-tobias]

He watches her as she looks the picture over, eyes taking in every star. It was like watching someone read their favorite book, the way their eyes brightened as their favorite part came up. Riley's eyes always sparkled like stars when she was happy. It made Tobias' chest tighten with emotion. And knowing she loved the picture made it all the better.

'You're going to make a girl very, very happy one day.'

Tobias was almost certain a silver bullet to both of his kneecaps would've felt better. He wanted the world to rip itself open and swallow him. Instead, he shrugged, "You know I ain't worried about all that." A fake laugh and smile, practiced for years until he could almost believe they were real. "Be selfish with it," he said, laughing for real this time. "It's yours, don't think you have to put it anywhere you don't want to. I'm honored you'd put it up in your room."

[rileyyildiz]

It was the requirement of every best friend to want what was best for the other, especially when they knew how great they were. And Riley knew precisely how wonderful Tobias could be. Which meant that it was about time she attempted another set up, blind or otherwise. He deserved another person in his corner, someone willing to be there during even the bad times. "Deal," spoken through the growing smile on her lips, as her gaze returned to the photo once more. It would indeed balance out her room perfectly, with the various constellations already painted against her walls. She would find the best place for it later, as she set it down gently, before she turned back to him. "Now, what can I do as a thank you? Pancakes, cinnamon rolls? Oh, rice crispy treats?" It would be remiss to say that she hadn't just acquired a few new molds, all in the shapes of stars and moons.

[rowanivar]

"Good, I think." Rowan's not about to look any sort of friendship with another witch go by the wayside on account of he thinks he needs all the help he can get. It helped a bit that all the coven's in Rome were sort of going through it, they sort of just kept going through it. It sort of looked like things were finally sort of looking up though for all of them now that the dust had settled. "I think I'm learning a lot more now than when I was just dicking around by myself." There hadn't been a lot of focus, he'd wanted to know everything. Ciro and Hazal were firm hands, Sybella was more than helpful. "How are you doing with the switch from Vivianne to Abel?" It's polite but he's curious, he knew she'd been the sovereign for the Dahlia for a hot minute, had been the one to turn it around once upon a time.

[rileyyildiz]

"That's usually how it goes," she offered with a smile, knowing what it was like to be taught by a coven. Yet, also knowing what it was like to have to figure things out on one's own. Riley had often times found herself shut away with a book in her lap, trying to figure out how to connect the stars with her magic. How to let them guide her hand. It had left her knowing that Rowan shared the qualities of a Pisces, based upon the creations he could form with his hands; though, he hinted at some of what made an Aries so special. So long as he didn't let the negative qualities get the better of him. "I'm not quite sure yet. It feels... strange, though I suppose not bad strange," everything just felt different, and Riley hadn't quite come to an understanding of what that meant. Or rather, what it would mean for the future.

[rileyyildiz]

[abelczarlinski]

"Because we're supposed to be blubbering messes?" A valid statement, something Abel attempted to play off as a joke as the two Dahlia's walked past various holiday booths. So much loss had struck them and though Vivianne was still alive and kicking, it was strange to have her absence take up the Dahlia house in a chokehold. Members grieved her loss of magic, her newfound powers; they bittersweetly congratulated Abel for the title of Sovereign. Everything felt stale, strange, wrong; he could understand Riley's apprehensions. "Sometimes a little red, green, and gold can be necessary," now he was just being vague but if he got too serious on the matter it might just be utterly depressing.

[rileyyildiz]

"No, and I am glad for that. I've dealt with enough crying over a bad card reading," well, bad given that not all those that come for a tarot reading actually understand what the cards mean. Riley had a sensitive side, a soft spot for those suffering, but she was also a Scorpio, after all. A soft grin had tailored itself to her lips then, her own meager attempt at joking in the moment. Perhaps she could understand the need for the markets, for the party to celebrate loss. Though perhaps she just felt as if there was more to do. That the stars held some truth to what awaited the city beyond the next cycle. "And for you?" Her gaze now turned upon him, "You've had some changes. Is this helping?"

[rileyyildiz]

where. christmas markets who. @rowanivar

The snow had certainly been a pretty sight, albeit alarming given the amount of it. Perhaps it would be more so if this were not seemingly a city built around the presence of numerous supernatural. That aspect were perhaps more alarming than the snow that continued to cover the streets and buildings, and just about everything else. But Riley would make the most of it, out of the cold and in where others were keeping warm. "So, how are you settling in?" Words directed to the other witch, who had apparently just become one of the Amaranthus.

[rileyyildiz]

where. christmas markets who. @yurcna

From the moment that the hands of time were rewound, Yurena had been considered many things. From traitor to murderer to so much more; but Riley found an inability to focus on those things. Throughout the years, they had all been dealt different hands. Some much worse off than others; Yurena had been one of those. While better choices could have been made, Riley understood that it had eventually come to that. Penance had begun, and it was worth showing that someone had taken notice. "I hear the desserts this year are even better than before. Care to try some with me?"

[rileyyildiz]

where. christmas markets who. @abelczarlinski

It certainly felt strange, to visit the annual markets with so much heaviness that still hung within the air. Riley was caught in an uncertain mindset, for while she wanted to enjoy what the selfless sacrifices had brought them; she also felt unwarranted of such a thing. As if a sense of mourning should have still held the city in its grasp. Lips rolled together as her gaze slipped over the crowd, until it settled upon Abel. The stars spoke of so much potential for him, of what he may bring to the witches and the city; Riley only hoped that he saw the same in himself. "Does this feel as strange to you as it does to me?"

[problemsolver-tobias]

He held his breath as she pulled the photo out of it's shipping package, feeling his whole body tense in preparation for her reaction. Tobias had been showing Riley his photos since they were kids and his mom let him buy a polaroid camera with his measly piggy bank savings. Taking pictures of anything and everything just to hand them over to her and see what she thought. And yet, every time felt like the first. His heart was surely about to pop like a balloon.

At her words, that breathy tone, his heart didn't pop, but the blush he'd been fighting won its battle up to his ears. He swallowed, making sure to keep his tone steady, "I mean, it's easy when the subject matter is so photogenic." This is the part where he'd kiss her, if she knew how he felt, if he dared to believe she'd ever feel the same. Instead he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans, "I thought, you know, maybe you could put it up at the shop? Or, here. If you wanted." He swallowed hard. "Or, you know, wherever you wanted. It's a gift, so you know, totally up to you where you want to put it."

[rileyyildiz]

There were no proper words to describe the photo. He had taken it of her, but her own eyes found only the stars that stretched on around her. She could make out some of the constellations, her eyes tracing them across the canvas. The future was held within them, written for all those who could properly read them. It was what she wanted to do, to harness what knowledge they could provide. After several moments, her gaze finally lifted once more to Tobias, to the blush that had crept along his neck. Her lips rolled, if only to fight the smile that threatened to spill across. After so many compliments, she was always surprised by how embarrassed he got over them. Because that was the reasoning for his tinged cheeks, was it not? "You know, you're going to make a girl very, very happy one day," she stated, a soft chuckle as it rolled off her tongue. That girl would be lucky, because Tobias had always been the one that Riley could count on. The one that she called first nearly every time, whose house she knew she could always show up at, no matter what time of day or night. "The shop might be good, it would certainly work well with the décor," her fingers still rest gently against the edge of the canvas, gaze lingering once more upon it. "But I think I'll put it up in my bedroom. Though I feel selfish wanting it all to myself."

[problemsolver-tobias]

Riley came around the corner and Tobias was almost certain the world stopped for a second. Swallowing hard, he fought the blush he could feel creeping up the sides of his neck towards his ears. Clearing his throat, he lifted the package a little higher. "Yeah, I mean, it's polite!" He argued. They'd known each other for years, his home was her home and vice versa. But what if he came in at the wrong time? Or this particular time she didn't want him to walk in? "I'm respecting boundaries?"

He shook his head, "That's not the point!" Lifting the package, he set it on the counter, grinning excitedly at her. "Yeah, the night hike." Tobias nodded down at it. "You wanna open it?" It was a shot from their last hike, one that Tobias was extremely proud of. He'd had Riley go on ahead, just as the night sky had started to sparkle. From the bottom of a small hill, he'd taken the shot of Riley just as she'd reached the crest and looked back at him. She'd looked ethereal with all the stars behind her.

[rileyyildiz]

The reasonings rolled off his tongue, all while Riley looked on with amusement still crafted into her features. Tobias had always been welcome in her home, even back when they had been kids. When she'd invite him over to discuss the latest stargazing book she had bought, or when she'd learned a new spell. Or when there was talk of a meteor shower that they absolutely couldn't miss. And not once, in all those times, had she not expected him to just walk right in. "Ok, ok," she feigned a tone of surrender, hands lifted in the air. That didn't stop her from rolling her lips, from fighting off the persistent grin that wished to take form. She supposed, in a way, that he had a point. Then again, it had been a while since she'd had anyone over that wasn't him. Or one of the girls.

"Wait, it is?" For a moment, she was surprised. Perhaps a part of her had expected it to be a joke. That perhaps he'd come with a photo of just the stars, one of the constellations that she had pointed out to him once again. "Of course, I do," she exclaimed, perhaps a little too eager. But she would be lying if she said she did not love every single one of his photos. Delicate, yet eager fingers made quick work of the packaging on the photo. Within a moment, the packaging fell away to reveal the photo of her. With the starry sky in all its wonder behind her. A hand lifted to her mouth, as surprise and then fascination slipped across her features. "Oh, Toto," she started, using the nickname that she had adopted for him from when they were young. "This is breathtaking, and you never cease to amaze me with how talented you are."

[rileyyildiz]

riley yıldız ~

"for my part, i know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream."

[problemsolver-tobias]

who: @rileyadaria where: riley's house notes: just besties being pals

Truck tires squealed as Tobias' backed into Riley's driveway, Tobias putting the old Ford into park. His excitement had him almost tripping as he slid out of the front seat and quickly made his way to the truck's bed. Carefully he removed the 3x4 foot package, lifting it over his head as he headed towards her front door. He knocked once, growing impatient when he heard no response. "Riley!" He called, pulling his spare key from his pocket to let himself in. "Riles, the picture I told you about came in! I'm letting myself in!"

[rileyyildiz]

Soft music filled the spare room, with the occasional sound of a card slipped from the top of a deck, before it was flicked down upon the table. Once, twice, three times as she set up the tarot cards in their appropriate places. The ambient music kept her mind from wandering, from strolling down avenues that she didn't need it to go. Which is precisely how she hadn't heard the knock on the door, or when it had been unlocked and opened. She hadn't heard much, until the all too familiar nickname in an all too familiar voice tugged upon her thoughts.

The tarot cards had been forgotten as she hurried from the room, down the hallway until she came upon him. It was instant, the smile that caught the edges of her lips, "Don't tell me you knocked again?" There was a hint of teasing to her tone, before she eyed the package that he had brought in with him. A quizzical look slipped across her features, before surety set in, "Let me guess, the one of me? From the hike we last did?" The questions were posed in a rather serious manner, until she could not hold it and the amused smile slipped in once more.

[rileyyildiz]