with the certainty of tides;

jalene // multimuse blog for theopulenthq

[sunbecm]

{ryan destiny, 28, ciswoman, she/her} We are so glad to see you safe, PRINCESS JALENE of ETHIOPIA! It’s dangerous out in the world these days, but I hear that you are WITTY and PASSIONATE enough to handle it. Just don’t let your NAIVETE bring you down! Stay on your guard, because with your secret being at risk for exposure, you wouldn’t want everyone to find out YOU ARE VULNERABLE AFTER YOUR MOTHER’S PASSING, AND UNSURE OF YOUR PLACE IN THE IMPENDING CONFLICT.

basics;

name, age, kingdom: jalene, 28, ethiopia

sexuality: bisexual in theory, but she has yet to find a man that truly enchants her. women enchant her every day tho <3

zodiac sign: leo

likes: loud music in a crowd of laughing people, long afternoons lazing in the sun, the very intricate pretend worlds of little girls, the methodical process of oiling her hair and skin

dislikes: stillness, excessive propriety, shoes she can't dance in, thunderstorms she's not allowed to go outside in, the people that take advantage of her family's kindness

a little deeper;

jalene spent a long time being the baby of the family. she has always known she would not rule, and frankly, it was a relief. though she is intelligent and works hard at the things she finds interesting, she values her freedom.

and perhaps more importantly, she doesn't have the stomach for the difficult decisions rulers have to make. despite the tragedy that has beset her family in recent years, she remains an idealist who strives to see the best in people.

she sort of has an innate talent for diplomacy, except that she has a difficult time building relationships that are strategic. she just enjoys connecting with people and learning about them.

the loss of her mother has hit her hard, and she is sitting with a lot of unprocessed grief. they were very close, and her mother embodied the kind of woman she wanted to be. she had a way of moving through the world that jalene hasn't seen in anyone else, not even the rest of her beloved family.

she has a temper. she's generally quite a patient person and it takes a lot to unearth it, but if pushed too far, her kindness will shutter completely, and she'll let anger overtake her.

her family is changing in a way she does not recognize, cannot truly understand, and fears she cannot keep up with. though she knows they will always love her, she fears being useless, or worse, a liability and a potential target.

fun extras;

she loves music. she loves to dance, she's proficient at a variety of instruments and genuinely skilled at one or two, and she has a very nice singing voice

she enjoys learning new languages, but has little patience for the academic study of it. if she can learn through listening and talking, she stays engaged.

she can, occasionally, be a bit vain, though she isn't so forthright about it. however, if there's a bout of unplanned rain and she's outdoors, it will elicit some light shrieking and running for cover.

she loves being an aunt. she dotes on her nephews and niece, they are her little besties. she is their most loyal accomplice in mischief >:)

[classiqals]

A sliver of a half smile crossed over Chala's features at the memory - it felt far away, and untouched, like a crystal glass without a crack. So few things were left like this now, following the passing of their mother, and this sudden trip so far from home. Even with his own family, at times, Bakkalcha felt changed... like something had shifted, and could never be put right. He felt guilty; that he'd been unable to prevent tragedy, that a price had been paid so steep. It was hard to meet her eyes, so his own gaze fell after only a moment, though the hint of a smile remained. " I do remember. I thought that the Aunties would never stop their wagging tongues, but they did, eventually, only long enough to eat the morning meal. " He chuckled, grateful for the little reminder, but his heart sank && clenched at the conclusion.

" Our lives... " The King started, but realized that for once, words of wisdom were nowhere to be found. " As we grow older, we experience things we may struggle to accept... " It wasn't enough. Words were never going to be enough, ever again. There was no comfort for this loss, and he felt a fraud to even try to offer it. " Ema would want us here, to try and figure out this... this... attack. "

[sunbecm]

This much was true. Despite her personal distaste for this place, for the near constant creep of politics into every conversation, her mother would have approved of their presence. The security of Ethiopia was more important than any frivolous desire she had to return home. But -- the Queen Mother had priorities beyond just their country. "Ema would want you to rest," Jalene noted quietly. "And to take the little joys where you can find them."

Her brother was so serious. When she was much younger, she'd stand behind his shoulder and smooth her fingers over his brow, as if she was trying to press out the wrinkles. "I don't need any advice, Chala," she gave his forearm a gentle squeeze, hoping the touch would be grounding. "I'm just wondering how you're doing."

[thegoodestwitch]

she had been walking along, simply getting some air after recent events. feyre honestly wasn't sure where they were headed, but with all the secrets coming out — it was only a matter of time before everything imploded. the night air wasn't as brisk as she would've liked — but she still preferred it over the daytime. stopping when she heard a voice, her emerald gaze was fixated on the princess — then on the stars.

feyre crossed her arms over her chest, nodding along. " aye, i agree. feels like these stars are nothing like what i look at back home, " she answered, " even the moon seems to shine a different glow. "

[sunbecm]

Jalene hasn't yet made the acquaintance of everyone in the compound, and with the way recent events have unfolded, she's tentative to reach out, more worried than ever that her trusting nature will endanger her family. However, there is something honest and unassuming about the consensus they land, and maybe, if there's anything the people in Lal Qila can agree on, it's that they would rather be home.

"Where are you from?" she inquires, a small smile turning her lips. "Do you miss it?"

[sunbecm]

*status: closed starter [ @classiqals ] *when: the night after the big reveal

It was probably a bad time to close ranks -- strategically, it might make them the subject of even more suspicion. But this morning, walking through the halls of the Lal Qila and drawing every distrustful eye, she couldn't bear to even think of building bridges. All she wanted was to be around her brother. To have his reassurance that it was all going to be alright, even as the tensions surrounding them seemed to lift to a fever pitch.

She greets him with a squeeze on the shoulder and a soft kiss to his temple, same as their mother might have. "Do you remember when I was eight, and that goat chased me around the morning of Abba's first Leul Ras appointment? And I tore my ceremonial corset." Her aunties had been so upset, scolding her for hours. Her lips tilt in a resigned smile. "I used to think that would be the worst thing that happened to me before the sun rose."

[sunbecm]

*status: closed starter [ @flcralhaze ] *when: the afternoon of the big reveal

Even months ago, Jalene would have been able to say with confidence that they'd found nothing on her family because there was nothing on her family. And even in those chaotic moments before breakfast today, her first instinct was defensiveness, because what right did they have to cast aspersions on Ethiopia? But a few hours out -- she realized that she wasn't sure. She didn't know where their interview scrolls had gone, and what's more, she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"People are staring," her voice is nonchalant as she slides an arm through Malaika's, but the topic of conversation is anything but. In truth, this is an anxiety she wouldn't admit to Chala, as dear as he is to her. "Sometimes I wonder, sister, is it safe for us to remain here?"

[succiducus]

sprawling moors; dense forest; muddy paths - it had been long since the commander felt homesick for the highlands. despite war and famine being a prominent memory, he missed his mother's embrace the most. the smell of salt-water came second and the pride in his father's eyes regardless of how many times they would disagree loudly in the kitchen was last; the most poignant. so while he had never truly noticed the stars through fog and worry for safety after dark, his soul agreed with her's; the mughal empire wasn't home. "if the world is truly round," abdullah whispers so not to startle the other from his position that only a pillar hid from jalene's line of sight. "it would be safe to assume that you are correct in that assumption, your majesty."

[sunbecm]

She doesn't startle easily these days, especially at night. A kind of numbness seems to set in, and it keeps her from dwelling on the things she shouldn't. "I have no patience for charting stars," she returns quietly, tilting her head until the figure behind the voice comes into view. Her hair hangs in a dark curtain over her shoulder. "But I love the myths and legends behind constellations. So romantic. And gruesome." She likes those, too though.

With a soft sigh, she adjusts her position along the parapet until she doesn't have to crane her neck to see them. "Do you have a favorite story?"

[thenxghtwemxt]

These last three years leave little room for breathing, much less admiring the world around him. No. Santiago commits his intellect and influence to forming a better, more egalitarian France. Something has to give, however, and the climb to glory comes at the expense of one's personal indulgences. Tonight, however, is a rare occasion. The inviting courtyard calling to him, though it is the presence of the Princess Jalene that keeps him in place. "One could argue that it is you and I that are different. Not the stars." Santiago returns, witty repartee brightened by a conceding smile. No love lost between the prime minister and those of royal ascent, but knowledge of Ethiopia's newfound loyalty amidst the fray makes him partial to kindness. That, and perhaps a personal desire to take a well-needed break from strife. "Missing home, are we? Or missing the ones you loved." He peers beside him, looking for the grief he's come to know well. He has lost nothing, but he's been in Thailand's periphery long enough to know the grief behind one's eyes.

[sunbecm]

"probably," she murmurs, lips turning in a returning smile. she never developed an appreciation for philosophy, at least not that which felt so devoid of anything human, abstract reflections on a world that was too messy to be properly contained by theory. "i used to throw so many birthday parties." she heaves a long-suffering sigh, which is, perhaps, a tad dramatic for the subject at hand. "i don't know anyone's birthday here, and if i went around asking, people would probably think it was part of some insidious political agenda."

something somber manifests in her eyes, a rare departure from her typically impenetrable sunniness. "they are inextricably linked, for me." grief is constant, unrelenting. if she lingers on it, she finds it difficult to breathe. "do you think of france often?"

[sunbecm]

*status: open starter (not capped) *location: lal qila courtyard

not for the first time since arriving to the sprawling mughal fortress, jalene finds herself homesick. she misses sneaking her brother's cat pieces of injera at dinner, the fragrant bloom of roses by her window, and the sour spice of doro wat on the back of her tongue. most of all, she misses the people, her extended family and the endless march of doting allies that had known her and loved her since childhood. being surrounded, constantly, by discord and simmering tension, people she hardly knows, and are largely difficult to know -- it takes a heavier toll on her than lets on. sitting on a parapet at the edge of the courtyard, she tilts her head back until her nape presses at the cool marble. "the stars are different here," she muses softly, to no one in particular. "i know that's not possible, but they are."

[ryosuzaki]

Party Girls

Victoria Monét (2023)