[stxrslisten]

●  high lady seraphina draven nee galathenea, the evenstar                                         intro | aesthetic | muse | ask meme | interactions | visage

●  high lord suho ashway of the autumn court, the sly fox                                           intro | aesthetic | muse | ask meme | interactions | visage

●  lady narcissa acheson of the spring court, the spring rose                                    intro | aesthetic | muse | ask meme | interactions | visage

●  lady nyx penumba of gaea, the witch of nightmares                                   intro | aesthetic | muse | ask meme | interactions | visage

●  lady and emissary julissa dragomir of the summer court, the sea serpent   intro | aesthetic | muse | ask meme | interactions | visage

[slivertm]

"ah, relegating me to the masses. i see how little i am held in your regard." he places the remaining deck in the centre of the table, sorting the edges so they align in an appealing stack. "i regard you so dearly, and yet i am just a stranger to you." he sighs dramatically, slouching into his chair. iain begrudges, "you're so secretive sometimes, nana." and one can immediately tell that he's got a bad idea brewing beneath the pleasant smile by the pearliness of his teeth. "shall we raise a bet? if i win, you must tell me a secret. does that sound fun?"

[stxrslisten]

There's a playful roll of her eyes at his words, a shake of her head in disapproval. "a secret is only a secret if you do not tell another soul, iain," she says with a playful tune of her voice. "besides, you shall be one of the first to know, that much i can promise you." she finishes with a cheeky smile. "a secret?" her eyes glim with trouble, "only if the payment shall be equal coming from you when i undeniably clean this table with you," iain was a worthy opponent when it came to any table game, but so was she, in her arsenal of any possible activity that did not involve her moving too much that was card game fell in the heart of them. "deal?" she stretches her hand over the table for him to shake on it.

[ethercvl-archive]

yijun   had   never   had   the   biggest   interest   in   dating   in   general.   as   a   teen   there   were   fae   that   wished   to   date   him,   of   course   as   he   was   in   line   for   the   high   ruler   role.   even   after   he   had   become   the   high   lord   there   were   fae   that   wished   to   make   their   presence   known   to   the   high   lord.   maybe   that   was   partly   why   he   had   begun   to   come   to   like   the   young   summer   fae.   there   wasn't   the   expectation   that   he   was   the   high   lord,   at   least   in   the   beginning   of   it   all.   "i   appreciate   that,   it   is   daunting   and   not   something   that   could   have   been   prepared   for."   the   dusk   court   was   never   meant   to   host   the   other   courts,   let   alone   all   of   them   at   the   same   time.   yijun   was   doing   the   best   that   he   could   in   these   times.   though   he   hardly   admitted   it,   he   felt   as   though   he   was   drowning   in   trying   to   connect   with   the   other   high   rulers   and   figure   out   what   was   happening   with   the   king.   "every   high   ruler   is   different,   however   i   do   not   doubt   their   ability   to   do   what   is   best   for   their   court.   i   am   sure   that   they   would   have   figured   it   out   even   if   they   did   struggle   at   first."   he   returns   the   smile   with   a   smile   on   his   own   face.   "you're   doing   better   than   most   of   the   other   emissaries,   if   that   makes   you   feel   any   better.   i   haven't   had   a   conversation   with   any   of   them   besides   you.   even   if   you   didn't   actually   know   that   i   was   when   we   first   met."

[stxrslisten]

Julissa has to stifle her laughter, but she knew she could not hide that from her eyes, she averts her gaze to their surroundings. the seven high lords and ladies of the continent had lived their entire lives sharing borders and watching carefully over their shoulders for any small danger, some held grudges and animosity for each other. she did not hold the same kind of hope yijun spoke when referring to them. "one would hope, right?" but she cannot hide her amusement about it, the high rulers she had come to know where too proud, all of them if she dare suggest, and some of them were just as greedy which made them quite dangerous. but she did not dare suggest that out loud. "i suppose they do deserve the benefit of the doubt," she shrugs it off. there's a small denying with her head, slowly shacking from side to side, her eyes flutter to the floor with an almost childish smile, "you're only saying as much because you're my friend," or at least she hoped he was, she had taken the liberty to consider him as such before figuring out that she had been such a scattered brained she hadn't even been able to lay her eyes on the high lord of dusk before, completely taken by his court that was. "but i do appreciate the sentiment all the same," julissa looks up at him once more the corners of her mouth still pulling up at its corners.

[shvdwscng]

"an  overpowered  king  would  not  benefit  dusk,  and  i  dare  say  they  were  far  more  relieved  when  we  initially  arrived  without  our  magic  intact."  it  hadn't  mattered  anyway,  learning  fire  breathing  creatures  were  standing  as  guard  dogs  of  this  court,  the  high  lady  was  certain  seven  high  rulers  did  not  frighten  them  as  much  as  she  would  have  liked.  on  one  hand,  there  were  benefits  of  having  a  strong  king  should  things  to  go  awry  in  this  court,  but  that  was  only  beneficial  if  the  high  rulers  had  their  previous  hold  on  kabir.  it  was  almost  astonishing  to  see  the  boy  who  was  once  so  eager  for  their  council,  looking  to  them  on  guidance,  now  refusing  to  see  anyone  of  them.  alina  would  chalk  it  up  to  petty  revenge,  giving  the  high  very  rulers  who  underestimate  him  a  taste  of  their  own  medicine.  had  this  not  been  such  an  alarming  situation,  she  might  have  commended  the  king  for  growing  a  backbone.  "it  would  only  be  beneficial  if  he  worked  with  us.  i  fear  he  has  other  plans,  and  by  the  time  we  learn,  i  worry  how  late  we  will  be."  the  high  lady  nods  at  julissa's  words  of  the  gaean  circle,  "i  have  seen  it  as  well,  they've  tried  to  hide  it  but  i  do  not  think  they  check  who's  around  them  before  expressing  their  concerns.  i  do  not  blame  them,  they  might  have  wanted  a  strong  king,  but  not  a  rogue  one.  i  do  intend  to  have  a  chat  with  them,  however."  if  they  wished  for  assistance  they'd  have  no  choice  but  to  show  their  cards  to  the  high  rulers.  "it's  possible,  perhaps  she  thought  she  was  doing  us  a  favor,  and  one  that  did  not  yield  the  results  she's  hoping  for."  it  was  a  long  shot,  still,  given  their  mother's  silence.  "  her  gaze  shifts  to  her  sister,  "there  is  more,  and  we're  once  more  shackled  by  our  lack  of  knowledge  of  this  court  they  refuse  to  provide.  our  issue  is  about  to  become  theirs."

[stxrslisten]

An overpowering king would not benefit any of them, and she sees it, how it flashes across her eyes the many different outcomes and it chills her blood. "no, none of us will benefit for such king, an overpowering man can easily become a tyrant, it is all over our history." and sadly it seemed they were bound to continue the vicious dangerous circle of it all. "you don't expect them to confide in you about their king, do you?" julissa wouldn't, then again she did not have any connection under the kings court and perhaps her sister did, although in times like those she would take anything they had to say with a grain of salt and trust if half of it. "i perhaps have been the only one of our family who did not grow strictly in the clutches of the mother, she strikes me more of a vengeful woman than a benevolent one. this does not feel like a kindness that turned sour, but more of a upper hand she is counting on having. if that makes any sense at all." it hardly made sense to herself, but if one thing she had learned to her core was to follow her gut no matter what, she was oddly wrong. "it comes down to it no matter the path, we are ignorant and that puts us at a disadvantage. although you cannot blame them for withholding their secrets, the upper hand is what we would all aim for if the roles were reversed." if anything they had to admired their resilience to not cracking, even if that was of no benefit to the summer and the other six courts.

[shvdwscng]

her  remark  has  a  low  chuckle  fall  from  the  day  lord,  hand  squeezing  her  waist,  "oh,  you  would  be  surprised,  my  lady.  i  care  when  it  concerns  you  -  you  are  a  lady  after  all."  it  was  perhaps  only  in  his  head,  as  he  knew  cissa  did  not  take  offense  in  any  of  his...less  than  gentlemanly  acts.  as  she  made  yet  another  case  of  enjoying  this  side  once  more,  "at  this  time,  you  might  be  right,  everyone  has  far  to  worry  about  then  what  is  deemed  appropriate  between  a  couple."  while  declan  hadn't  cared  so  much  of  what  others  said  of  him,  he  would  not  wish  for  her  to  be  topic  of  gossip.  soon  enough,  any  rumors  that  did  arise  would  be  quelled.  his  dark  gaze  steadily  appraises  her,  at  her  teasing,  "you  are  a  lady,  and  a  devil  one  at  that."  the  younger  day  lord  did  like  to  believe  that  he  had  a  hand  in  bringing  her  out  of  her  shell.  he  had  seen  the  difference  from  the  moment  he  knew  her  in  the  day  court  and  then  to  now  as  they  become  closer,  to  now.  a  sense  of  warmth  encompassed  his  being  at  this  knowledge,  that  she  felt  entirely  safe  to  be  herself  with  him,  without  needing  to  hide  any  of  it.  for  a  moment  they  simply  bask  in  one  another,  gaze  watching  her  smile  at  him  she  does  now  before  her  excitement  snaps  him  back  to  what  he  had  for  her.  "noted,  my  love."  he  murmured,  leading  her  with  swift  steps  and  within  minutes  they  were  in  the  day  side,  and  to  his  chambers.  he  opens  the  double  doors,  a  hand  leading  her  inside,  it's  after  he  closes  the  doors  behind  them  does  he  shift  her  frame  to  the  piano  he  had  placed  in  his  room  for  her.  "so  that  i  can  hear  you  play.  should  you  want  to  play  in  a  space  entirely  yours  uninterrupted,  i  hope  you'll  think  of  it  here."

[stxrslisten]

He was kind to think of her reputation, and of course to certain extent she did too, she cared for what his court would think of her a pushed aside bride of someone else that now was in love with one of the high ruler's brother nonetheless. other than that, she couldn't care less as long as they were both happy and together. "now that is a first," she laughs it echoes soundly around them, that contagious laugh of hers, then she turns to him and gives him a playful wink. "only to you, however," only ever for him, because of him. no one else was capable of bringing that side of hers to the surface. no one else deserved it either, it was only for declan, the more the days passed by the more she knew this was the kind of love others wrote music about, the kind she never thought she would find for herself, but she was grateful all the same for having found it. she almost remarks on his note, but it is quickly erased from her mind as her eyes widen at the piano that now rested in a side of her bed chambers, then her gaze softens at his words, it takes her a few beating seconds before she turn to him. "oh declan," she says with a beaming smile, "would you ever cease to amaze me? to make my heart flutter so?" she asks, although she already had a feeling she knew the answer. "you're too good to me, i might grow spoiled you know?" she gently wraps her arms around his neck a gentle lingering kiss to his lips before her eyes flutter open to look into his eyes.

[slivertm]

“it can be confusing,” jia offers. “imagine the ruckus we would get to as kids — hide and seek had no bounds.” her energy levels are subdued, plagued by thoughts of her family and what had been asked of her occupying every crevice of her mind. her limbs feel like lead moving through molasses. still, she tries — wanting not to look weak in front of the mainlanders. "are you a musician?" the breadcrumb offered the subtlest taste of personality, reminding her of talents long abandoned. the only marring she'd ever had were plucking callouses. before even her name, jia shares, "i'm a strings player myself. harp, mainly. "

[stxrslisten]

There's a small smile in cissa's lips, suddenly the halls were those of spring and the children running from column to column were her and her siblings. "i can only imagine it, there is always joy were children's laugh echoes, even if us adults sometimes forget it." she remarks. "i am," she beams with pride, "the harp is beautiful, it is my second favorite instrument, right after the piano and before the violin." she says thinking of the beautiful instrument that was meant to look and sound as beautiful as it did, even if the strings were often not kind to the player. "i believe i have mastered every instrument there is, i had a lot of free time and a need for music." she confesses, although it is not a lie, it is not a truth for her confinement due to her health had left her with little room for much else.

[slivertm]

it was a sort of dream to be able to work with sera. she had always admired her cousin greatly. all these years in the night court and she didn’t miss a beat, as if this was were she belonged. she made an admirable high lady and mother, but iggy lamented the loss of her helping hands within the infirmary. without thinking twice, she grabs the appropriate antidote from the shelf to return to sera’s side. “concerning that it’s yet to start healing. do you think there’s debris in the wound?”

[stxrslisten]

Sera denies with her head first as she readjust the man's limb in a more comfortable position for him and for them to assess the wound. her green eyes sweep away over the gush of exposed flesh, careful, calculating, making sure she wasn't missing anything. "not necessarily, she finally says. if there was any debris left he would present signs of infection, a wound this big can take a while to close entirily, but it is healing slowly but surely." sera could heal them, and she did not doubt her cousin could too with just one touch and some magic spent, but it was best for iphigenia to practice in theory. "go on, do the re dressing of the wound." she encourages her.

[wcngxue]

NO, SHE reckoned they wouldn't. But, she needed to do something, anything. To think about something else, anything else. She didn't really concern herself with helping the king - she didn't know how to help him, anyway.

"It is still worth a chance. I doubt we'll find anything in them, too, but where else should we look? Where could such knowledge be? IN their archives, perhaps. But, we cannot get access to them, no matter how much we ask. They'd never allow it."

[stxrslisten]

Nyx blinks a few times, the time lingering in silence as she rattles her mind for an answer, for a plan, she had never been empty handed before when it came to dire times. her pride was bruising. "we are often concerned about who holds the most magic, who had wield it best. what armies are the biggest. we forget that knowledge is the biggest weapon there will ever be." her eyes go from the weapons on the table to her. "we ask again, and again, until we run out of time or they let us see what they are keeping in those archives."

[ethercvl-archive]

there's   a   part   of   malek   that   wonders   if   these   changes   in   their   king   are   bound   to   end   up   as   disaster   for   them.   with   the   knowledge   of   what   he   had   been   tasked   with   from   the   king   himself   in   his   mind   he   wasn't   the   most   solid   in   it   anymore.   what   could   the   king   truly   do   with   the   information   of   who   possessed   those   added   abilities?   either   way   he   wouldn't   be   letting   the   king   down,   though   he   didn't   know   where   to   begin   with   that   task.   "it   very   well   could   be   catastrophic.   time   will   only   tell."   the   third   in   command   replied.   "it   will   be   beneficial   to   keep   an   eye   on   who   he's   meeting   with   in   general,   especially   the   high   lords."

[stxrslisten]

The more the days dragged with more unsettling things from the king the more she wondered if she should resign while she was still ahead, but her sense of loyalty would never allow it. it felt strange, almost like a betrayal to keep a watch on their own king, yet she knew it was the only right course of action. the more informed they were the better when it came to damaging control. "yes," she sighs, "we should get someone on recording everyone he is meeting with. i've been told he has began to summon a few individuals of other courts, yet i do not know who they were." she taps her fingertips against her lips. "this is so odd, its unsettling." she admits.

[ethercvl-archive]

remaining   distanced   from   her   siblings   growing   up   had   been   no   more   than   a   defense   against   the   likes   of   their   father.   disconnecting   from   the   everything   to   do   with   the   dawn   court   early   on   had   been   the   eldest   daughter's   only   sense   of   escape   from   it   all   until   she   had   been   able   to   run.   after   leaving   she'd   been   guilty   about   leaving   the   younger   two   to   fend   for   themselves   against   their   father,   but   it   couldn't   bring   her   back   to   the   dawn   court.   in   fact   her   return   had   only   come   after   saint   had   become   the   new   high   lord.   "of   course   not,   but   that   is   not   always   a   good   thing.   i   am   thankful   that   you   have   been   here   for   me   through   everything   in   the   last   decade."   a   soft   smile   spreading   across   her   features.   "of   course,   i'm   starting   to   miss   dawn."   a   fact   of   which   she   hated,   knowing   that   she   would   not   return.   "i   have.   i   cannot   leave   jae   to   go   live   with   his   father   without   me.   if   he   won't   come   to   any   other   agreement   i   will   go   to   autumn."

[stxrslisten]

The galathenea siblings were not the way they were by nature, they had been a carefully broken result in the hands of their greedy father. "i will always be there for you, any of you, no matter what we have been through. in the end, we are all we have left." that even went for saint, without saying it, her resentment towards the eldest was palpable but she knew in the end if saint was ever in danger she would never hesitate. she had done far worst in the name of her siblings anyways. her head tilts to the side, sera had thought from the beginning that i would be best for the child to go with his father, but she knew what that implied for her sister. "if it helps i think you're doing the right thing, jae is young and he will need the guidance that dawn cannot give him." she ponders out loud. "it is yet to be seen if he will take after you or suho when it comes to his magic, although i would dare guess it will be fire as the son of a high lord, in which the dawn is of no help to help him master it. in comparison with our kind of magic fire is the opposite of healing, it is destruction," the boy will need all the help he could get to master that.

[ethercvl-archive]

persephone   hated   that   everything   had   changed   between   them,   it   had   been   good   at   first.   really   it   was   her   fault   that   it   had   changed   the   dynamic.   if   she   had   been   honest   and   returned   to   him   when   she'd   first   found   out   it   wouldn't   have   been   like   this.   that   fact   was   not   lost   on   the   dawn   lady,   while   she   disliked   the   way   that   he   shut   her   down   on   almost   anything   that   she   wanted   in   terms   of   their   son   she   knew   that   she   had   kept   jae   from   him   for   far   too   long.   "i   know   that   we   will   not   be   prisoners,   i   just   needed   to   say   it.   i   understand   that   you   want   to   educate   him   and   let   him   meet   the   other   half   of   his   family   and   what   his   legacy   is   to   the   autumn   court,   i   want   him   to   be   aware   of   these   things   too."   keeping   jae   a   secret   from   the   autumn   high   lord   had   gone   on   for   far   longer   than   she   had   ever   meant   it   to,   she   knew   that   he   needed   to   know   his   father   simply   for   the   sake   that   he   was   now   in   line   for   the   autumn   court   high   lord   role.   "saint   is   also   your   son's   uncle,   of   whom   you   are   taking   his   nephew   from.   i   do   not   expect   you   to   ask   for   permission   to   take   me   or   jae   to   autumn.   my   coming   to   autumn   is   fully   my   decision   and   would   not   be   his.   i   ask   you   to   speak   with   him   because   he   is   family   to   your   son.   if   you   think   that   you   can   not   speak   with   the   other   half   of   jae's   extended   family   you   are   sorely   mistaken."   persephone   had   just   started   to   fix   her   relationships   with   her   siblings   the   last   thing   she   wanted   was   for   the   autumn   high   lord   to   jeopardize   that   for   her.   "fine."   persephone   couldn't   help   but   sigh   to   herself,   she   just   had   to   put   herself   between   two   stubborn   high   lords.

[stxrslisten]

His dark eyes watch her carefully for a lingering moment, the silence around them wraps like a vice. as he takes a deep breath relaxing his shoulders his features soften slightly, he looks away from her clenching and unclenching his jaw. "this will be new for the both us, all of it, and although i might not be pleasant to be around most of the time. i do need you to know that jae's needs, and yours of course, will always be a priority. i don't want us to keep things from each other when it comes to this parenting thing. if you ever have a doubt or concern i am willing to hear it, and together come to a conclusion." his brow furrows, "it is not lost on me that perhaps i pushed this decision of coming to autumn, but i do not intent to push for anything else, of that you have my word." he speaks as softly as the moody lord of autumn could possibly manage. however the sentiment does not linger, his features harden, his back stiff as his eyes darken. "i am taking his nephew?" he asks between clenched teeth. "i am not taking anything that belonged to him to begin with, only what was denied to me, may i remind you. and if that is the reason you or him wish us to converse, i might tell you it will be best if we don't" while autumn and dawn held no alignment of any sort, he was unsure it would remain that way after suho and saint were in the same room.

[ethercvl-archive]

"you   have   a   son?"   she   repeats   the   question   back   to   him   in   pure   shock.   wondering   why   he   had   taken   so   long   to   even   speak   this   fact   into   the   world.   if   he   was   saying   that   he   had   a   son   it   meant   that   the   son   had   been   born   at   this   point.   thinking   back   gaeul   couldn't   recall   a   mention   of   him   having   a   babe   with   another.   had   she   even   seen   the   older   ashway   with   another   in   that   sort   of   way?   "why   would   you   wait   until   he   was   born   to   announce   this   news?   where   is   he   and   his   mother?"

[stxrslisten]

The question is still strange, regardless of having known the truth and the answer to it. slowly he nods to confirm, "yes, i have a son," for a split of a second the corners of his mouth lift at the thought of the boy that looked just like him, but was every inch his mother in that personality of his. "because i also didn't know of his existence," he sighs, the heaviness on his chest gives an inch but it remains. "probably would've never found out about him had it not been for they are also stuck here with use." he runs his fingers through his hair, suddenly he was appreciative of the lil babe he awkwardly carried for he would never experience that with his own son.

[wrathgaze]

closed for @stxrslisten ( suho ), continued from here

it wasn't normal he thought for suho to lash out against those from his court. he wasn't the type, but he gave him the benefit of the doubt. being stuck in the dusk court was getting to them all and he couldn't be blamed for feeling irritable or off because of it. " it is alright, consider it already forgotten. " there was no reason to hold a grudge over something so simple. wren nods and moves to stand beside suho, looking out where he was. he licks at his lips reflexively, " not as much as i would hope, but some say the king is making moves of some kind... meeting with others of various courts. for what reason ? i don't know. "

[stxrslisten]

There's a deep intake of air as he stands tall, the cold air expanding his lungs with a slight burning sensation, yet it helps him keep his mind clear. his next words definitely grabs his attention, turning to look at him with his features schooled into a questioning manner. "do we know if he is summoning? or are they seeking him out?" those were two different scenarios, his brow furrows. "do you have a list of this people?" that was also important, it would also aid his mind to create thousands of different outcomes and drive him closer to madness, but what else was there to do.

[slivertm]

“you wound me, cissa. i am not so much the sore loser you expect me to be.” so what if he had a penchant for tantrums? he had been a child. he was grown now, and far better at facing the rare rejection. still, his infamy for storming off mid-game once defeat was imminent haunted him like a vengeful spectre. iain shuffles the deck with an easy flick of his wrists, dolling out an even number of cards. “and how are your plans to elope with a day lord?" referencing their last conversation by piano-side, and completely oblivious to the accuracy. "tell me, have you found a suitable one yet?”

[stxrslisten]

An arch eyebrow raises as her eyes glim with amusement as she looks at iain giving him a knowing look. "is that so? then i suppose you must make me eat my words by winning or by losing gracefully, my dearest friend." she leans her elbows on the table, intertwining her fingers together and resting her chin atop them. but his next words have her sitting straight back, trying her best to cover her surprise, then realizing as he keeps speaking that it had been a wild coincidence with his game of words. "i might have, actually, but i cannot divulge all my secrets i am afraid. you must wait and find out when everyone else does."

[stxrfclls]

reila  only  toys  with  the  handle  of  her  cup,  she's  never  been  one  to  enjoy  it  piping  hot.  "  your  mother  certainly  sounds  like  the  spring  ladies  i  have  tea  with  often  back  at  home.  "  ladies  who  gossiped  and  offered  plenty  of  information  without  realizing  it.  but  they  were  also  very  particular  about  their  tea,  and  partially  why  reila  kept  going  back  was  because  of  how  good  it  was.  finally  the  spring  lady  picks  up  her  cup,  allowing  the  steamy  scent  to  slip  into  her  nose  before  taking  a  gentle  sip.  "  it  is  quite  good.  "  admits  she.  "  i  think  so  long  as  we  have  little  to  complain  about,  we're  doing  well.  "  reila  could  always  find  something  to  complain  about,  but  she  didn't  offer  that  side  of  herself  to  the  spring  lady.  "  as  well  as  can  be  expected,  missing  my  bed  but  thankful  to  have  one  here.  "  

[stxrslisten]

Narcissa hums in agreement, her head nodding at the same time as she tastes the lingering mint flavor of the infusion. "well, it would track considering she grew up in the heart of spring, don't you think?" and the ladies of her generation they all seemed to be quite the same if her memory served her right. "i too miss my home, my own space. as kind as our hosts are by giving us what they are, it is hard not to miss what we left without being asked." she sets her cup down, reaching for one of the breads with cheese, "there's days i still wake up confused thinking i am back in the spring court. or perhaps is the hope we might appear there as we did here, in our sleep."

[firercts]

↷  ・   PRIVATE  :  ( @stxrslisten ) + ( @stxrfclls ) + ( @crxssdhearts )

       𝙵𝙸𝙽𝙶𝙴𝚁𝚂  𝙵𝙸𝙳𝙳𝙻𝙴𝙳  𝚆𝙸𝚃𝙷  𝚃𝙷𝙴  𝙴𝚇𝚃𝚁𝙰  𝙶𝙰𝙼𝙴  piece  in  their  pocket  ,  barely  paying  attention  to  the  board  with  the  knowledge  that  there  was  nothing  their  opponent  could  do  to  win  without  it  .  it'd  seemed  like  a  fun  way  to  pass  the  time  when  he'd  offered  up  the  opportunity  to  play  but  it  had  dragged  on  ,  and  on  ,  and  on  —  much  to  their  chagrin  .  "  it  seems  it  may  be  time  for  you  to  admit  defeat  ,  and  you  allow  the  next  person  to  play  .  "  they  utter  it  with  a  charming  grin  that  viren  refuses  to  drop  even  in  the  face  of  their  anger  .  "  we  all  get  bested  sometimes  ,  friend  .  no  need  to  make  accusations  like  cheating  and  the  like  .  now  ,  if  you'd  kindly  give  me  my  winnings  and  make  room  for  the  next  ...  "  fingers  reached  out  to  all  but  snatch  the  bag  away  once  placed  down  ,  though  viren  popped  up  from  his  chair  rather  than  remain  seated  .  "  there  you  are  ,  friend  !  what  took  you  so  long  ?  "  called  as  though  it'd  been  something  pre  planned  for  them  to  have  met  while  they  stepped  over  briskly  .  

[stxrslisten]

After a long morning of wondering about the grounds she had opted for heading to the common areas where she could socialise with others, the moods where mixed from people worried, angry, to those like herself who took each day at a time. she walks with curiosity to the game tables, hoping to catch and interesting match or another. surprise when another speaks to her as if he knew her. rose colored mouth opens slightly in surprise, her deep green eyes reflecting nothing but surprise, then they soften as she decides to play along. "oh you must forgive me, i lost track of time in the gardens, i almost forgot about our meeting time. but i am here now, did you enjoy your game?" she says, looking down at the table, clasping her hands behind her back innocently. "shall we go?" she suggests as she notices the foul mood on the other player. "i am so dying to show you the music sheets i found." she turns hoping he will follow.

[firercts]

↷  ・   PRIVATE  :  ( @n1ghtsongs ) + ( @stxrslisten ) + ( @ethercvl ) + ( @crxssdhearts )

       𝚆𝙷𝙴𝙽  𝚄𝙽𝚂𝚄𝚁𝙴  ,  𝙺𝙸𝙴𝚄  𝚆𝙴𝙽𝚃  𝚂𝙸𝙻𝙴𝙽𝚃  .  𝙰   self  imposed  isolation  until  synapses  fired  ,  linking  together  to  make  sense  of  the  muddled  puzzle  that  grew  more  murky  as  the  days  passed  .  the  rumors  of  the  king's  own  inner  circle  unable  to  make  heads  nor  tails  of  the  change  in  the  boy  king  ,  yet  it  clear  that  as  he  grew  in  power  he  would  ,  too  ,  in  boldness  .  pouring  over  the  coded  word  various  spies  offered  yet  to  make  anything  more  clear  added  a  growing  layer  to  her  own  discontent  ,  jaw  clenched  into  a  firm  line  that  grew  tighter  when  her  gaze  raised  .  "  it  would  be  unkind  of  me  not  to  caution  you  against  my  mood  .  "  very  few  would  use  terms  baring  a  description  of  warmth  nor  kindness  with  her  even  in  the  happiest  of  times  ,  but  she  wasn't  inclined  to  make  more  enemies  due  to  misunderstanding  .

[stxrslisten]

There is caution when she aproaches the other, she was if not a survivor with a kin sense of self preservation, but while she respected and feared the other, she also knew she would be safe to engage. "and here i thought perhaps i could you loosen up a bit," the lady of spring offers with kindness, but there is a certain reserve too for she knew the spy master of her own court was not one to mess with, but like the rest of the circle she respected them. and like for the rest of them, her siblings included, she often felt the only way she could truly help was by being there when they seemed down or too immersed into their own moods and thoughts. "what do you say? we could go for a stroll, the snow is very pretty about this time of the day, and as cold as the late afternoon." she suggests.