#deifiedstars

[wiltedthrone]

♡     ⇢    ﹙   @deifiedstars​    ,    adam  parrish  ﹚      ﹒      ‘ never feel too good in crowds. ‘       ;      hozier  prompts     ,      accepting

there  was  nothing  about  him  in  particular  that  stood  out.  that  wasn’t  to  say  they  weren’t  remarkable,  only  that  in  a  sea  of  rich  prep  school  students  dressed  in  matching  uniforms,  it  was  hard  to  tell  anyone  apart.  perfectly  representing  their  schools,  not  a  toe  out  of  line.  remarkably,  this  year,  raven  day  was  one  of  the  few  days  audrey’s  school  visited  aglionby.  the  staff  always  seemed  to  worry  about  the  girls  providing  unwanted  distractions,  so  typically,  they  kept  their distance.  but  as  their  sister  school,  showing  their  school  spirit  was favorably.  upon  their  arrival,  the  sky  was  nearly  blackened  and  filled  with  the  beating  of  hundreds  of  paper  raven’s  wings.  typical,  it  was  a  part  of  the  festivities,  nothing  to  be  alarmed  over.

“  i  think  that  anxiety  has  more  to  do  with  all  the  birds  in  the  sky  than  actual  people,  ”  what  would  she  know?  audrey  fluttered  through  crowds  like  a  songbird,  chirping  and  singing  the  songs  that  would  please  their  ears.  never  a  note  out  of  tune.  as  soon  as  his  friend  departs,  audrey  can  feel  the  shift  in  the  air.  they  seem  to  freeze  up  as  he,  gansey  he  asked  to  be  called,  drifts  away,  a  winning  smile  dazzling  those  who  come  within  a  two  foot  radius  of  him.  gansey  is  a  mirrorball  and  he  seems  well  aware  of  it.  his  friend?  not  so  much.  in  the  corner  of  her  eye,  something  dark  and  thin  flutters  down  from  the  sky  and  lands  in  his  hair.  without  thinking,  audrey  reaches  over  to  pluck  it  out  before  realizing  what  she’s  doing.  

“  oh  my  god,  sorry,  i’m  like,  totally  invading  your  personal  space,  aren’t  i?  you’ve  just  .  .  .  you’ve  got  a  –––  ”  she  gestures  to  her  hair,  hoping  the  motion  will  help  them  find  it  in  theirs.  more  feathers  fall  down  from  the  sky.    “  you  know  what,  i  hate  to  say  it,  but  i  think  your  raven’s  lost  an  entire  wing.  but  don’t  worry  about  it!  and  hey,  for  what  it’s  worth,  you’re  doing  great!  even  without  gansey.  small  talk  is  your  best  friend.  or  honestly?  just  get  people  to  talk  about  themselves.  you  know  how  people  in  our  circles  love  to  do  that.  ”

[movedyoakkemae]

@deifiedstars​ asked: “ did someone hurt you?” ( vanya for allison )

allison  automatically  reaches  for  the  thin  scar  on  her  neck  ,  white  against  her  skin  after  healing  for  two  years.  despite  (  despite  remembering  how  it  felt  impossible  to  breathe  ,  how  it  felt  when  rivets  of  blood  fell  from  her  neck  ,  warmth  slowly  leaving  as  her  sister  was  pulled  away  from  her  from  a  man  that  she  knew  was  dangerous  ,  barely  feeling  luther  touch  her  ,  just  barely  unconscious  and  just  barely  breathing  )  despite  ,  there’s  a  small  ,  gentle  smile  on  her  face  as  she  looks  at  the  person  who  did  it  but  doesn’t  remember.

‘  yes  ,  and  i  nearly  died.  lost  my  voice  for  a  good  while  too  ,  ’  allison  says  calmly  ,  and  there’s  no  recrimination  in  her  voice.  in  some  ways  ,  maybe  it  was  her  karma  ,  for  doing  what  she  had  done  to  vanya.  oh  ,  not  making  her  forget  (  she  was  a  child  too  ,  hadn’t  known  better  than  to  listen  to  reginald  )  ,  but  for  how  she  used  her  powers  over  the  years  ,  for  how  she  ignored  her.  ‘  still  ,  it’s  not  too  bad.  ’

[heiresea]

@deifiedstars sent: ✐ (from jonas <3)

thousands of possibilities. / accepting.

       there’s an uncomfortable note to the silence around them, made of unspoken words & half - thought out sentiments. they don’t seem to know where to begin with talking ( not that it’s an activity that comes easily to her now anyways )  so they simply ... don’t. vocalizations aren’t necessary as they take their stocks anyway, sorting through the remaining supplies of the chip shoppe. that which can be used to one side of the room, that which can’t ... placed elsewhere to salvage what can still be useful. they’re children of the isle, hardly foolish enough to throw out everything at first glance.

       she pretends to not notice that the distance between the piles is dwindling. the limp to her step is obvious, after all. though her pride reels at the quiet blow, she has no desire to aggravate her condition more than necessary.

       “ i’m not dead, ” uma says at last, filling the thorny space, her voice still heavily damaged & hoarse. the words are so quiet that she needs to stop moving to be audible. & dear olympus, they hurt. they burn at the inside of her throat, rasping & scratching. a sandstorm caught just behind her tongue, each fine particle tearing at her vocal cords until they feel as though they may burst.

       but she wants to say something to him, to break this awkwardness & offer something to convince him that nothing, really, has changed.

       ( except it has. )

       reluctantly, she adds a quiet addition to her previous assurances, pushing through the pain to speak again. this time, more for herself. “ but something in me definitely is. ”

[harryshaed1]

―  @deifiedstars​​  ( gil )  continued  from  here .

𝐡𝐞  𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭  𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭  𝐭𝐨  𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐭  𝐡𝐢𝐦.  gil  was  the  strongest  person  harry  had  ever  met,  and  yet  he  had  the  softest  heart.  it  was  so  easy  to  poke  at,  to  prod,  and  watch  tremble.  if  he  had  been  a  better  person,  harry  might  have  been  able  to  explain  that  to  him  as  he  saw  the  flash  of  shame  that  flickered  within  gil’s  watery  eyes  as  harry  told  him  not  to  cry.  but  there  was  too  much  happening.  too  many  words  in  his  head,  too  many  broken  pieces  in  the  aftermath  of  his  own  stupidity  to  even  begin  to  make  sense  of  that  passing  look.

gil’s  hands  fell  away  from  his  waist  as  he  raised  them  to  rub  at  his  eyes  and  harry  felt  both  relieved  and  mournful  to  find  himself  stripped  of  the  weight  of  gil’s  arms  around  him.  ❝  don’t  say  that  to  me,  ❞  harry  said,  the  words  spilling  before  he  can  think,  ❝  you  don’t  have  to  say  sorry  to  me,  i  just  don’t  like  seeing  you  hurt.❞

it  was  the  best  he  had.  harry  reached  up  to  guide  gil’s  hands  away  from  his  face,  cupping  his  cheeks  in  his  hands  and  wiping  the  tear  tracks  away  with  his  thumbs.  he  wondered  if  lying  to  gil  would  make  this  easier,  or  if  gil  would  be  able  to  see  right  through  it.  ❝  i  want  uma  to  be  happy,  ❞  harry  admitted  thickly,  ❝  i  don’t  make  her  happy,  gil.  ❞

[harryshaed1]

―  @deifiedstars​  ( ben )  continued  from  here .

𝐛𝐞𝐧’𝐬  𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫  𝐰𝐚𝐬  𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫.  he  didn’t  need  to  tell  him,  didn’t  need  to  voice  it  at  all.  the  barrier  would  stay,  as  harry  should  have  known  that  it  always  would.  the  barrier  kept  him  and  his  treasured  auradon  safe  from  the  evil  villains  of  the  isle.  why  would  he  risk  himself  and  his  own  for  him?  for  uma,  gil,  and  their  crew?  they  weren’t  ben’s  people.  just  more  monsters  to  be  locked  away.

❝  there’s  no  more  time  left,  ❞  the  words  are  bitterly  cold.  the  truth  of  them  weighing  heavily  on  his  tongue.  he  was  sick  of  waiting.  sick  of  clinging  to  some  misguided  fantasy  of  freedom.  for  them  to  hold  it  out  to  him,  only  to  snatch  it  away  again  and  again.  it  was  cruel.

harry  huffed  as  ben  reminded  him  of  audrey,  a  hollow  sound  as  harry  turned  his  gaze  skyward  and  grinned  a  grin  that  didn’t  touch  his  eyes,    ❝  now  it’s  a  we,  ey?  ❞  harry  asked,  sticking  his  tongue  between  his  teeth  and  biting.  ❝  your  girlfriend  lies  again,  betrays  us  again,  and  you  still  think  that  we’ll  help  you?  and  for  what?  nothing?  more  time?  ❞

[worldly-diversity]

( @deifiedstars​ ) asked : ❝ Not exactly the fight I was expecting when we got here. At least we got the job done. ❞  —  Inej & Kaz

That was exactly the problem though…

Kaz' nerves were strung, even if his expression was the calm amid the storm. There should have been more resistance, Inej was right to have expected it, they all had. Always hit where the mark isn't looking. That was why they'd struck here, but there should still have been some resistance.

Even if the mark wasn't looking, attacking a target of no value was just a monumental waste of time, and a show of stupidity besides. So either the mark wanted them to think their target was worthless, or he'd hidden diamonds among the coals.

Thing was, he should have known exactly where said diamond was, but the place was deserted, barely a shamble of guards to guard the perimeter. They'd gotten what they came for, but…

Suddenly the displaced smells they'd all more or less complained about when making it to this particular building gained a much more ominous reason for being, and Kaz all but pulled her off her feet as he grabbed Inej tightly by her arm and near threw her out the window, following closely after.

"Move!"

Damn them! He should have known the place was a trap. It had been too convenient once they'd arrived, but the bastard had been crafty enough not to make the whole thing feel like a shiny lure. If something seems too god to be true…

But they'd earned their access, it hadn't been easy. That was why he'd been so damn convinced of himself. More the fool him, but it wouldn't be a mistake he'd make twice, long as they made it the hell out of there.

Gasoline. That was what they'd smelled, soaked into every bit of fabric available and then covered with various other smells to mask its presence. Their mark must simply have underestimated just how good Kaz and his crew were, that they got in and out before the trap went off.

He spared a glance and no more towards the building, and the expectation that Jesper and the others had made themselves scarce on time as expected. Already flames were licking at the windows, the curtains going up in flames. Soon, the entire building would be consumed by the fire.

They'd have to regroup at the safe house they were currently using and make sure that they'd not just risked all that for a fake.

[worldly-diversity]

( @deifiedstars​ ) asked : ❝ What could you possibly hope to accomplish with such madness?! ❞  —  Inej & Kaz

Madness? A grin tugged at the corners of his lips, his usually well put together ensemble currently covered in blood. How long had it been since he'd made his reputation, that no one questioned his methods for madness anymore? Well, Matthias still did on occasion, but even he was growing used to the demjin's tricks of the trade.

Could this even be called that?

His blood was singing in his veins, he was exhausted, his arms trembled and blood coated his bared hands, his leg was screaming murder, but he hadn't felt this satisfied since— Ever, really.

The boy he'd been before the Barrel would not have felt such bone deep, vicious satisfaction as he did now, with Pekka Rollins' blood drying on his skin and the deeply satisfying notion that he'd made Rollins remember exactly who Kaz was, before bleeding the life out of him, nice and slow.

It goes without saying that the Dime Lions are no more, their gambling dens in pieces, what's left of their members scattered and seeking shelter with allies and family. Kaz could hunt them down later if he wanted to, finish the job and erase Pekka Rollins from the Barrel entirely. Erase him and everything he'd built from the face of Ketterdam, like he'd disappeared with his and Jordie's investment, their faith, and in the end his brother's life.

It comes to no surprise that even Inej would claim his actions to be madness. He had never confided his hatred nor his past in anyone, not even her. She was the closest to know him, knew more than anyone else on their rag tag little alliance, even if the others were learning slowly to read him. And yet never would she be able to guess at the weight he had been carrying all this time, the rage that compelled him even from his own carefully laid plans purely because when it came to Pekka Rollins, there was no Dirtyhands. Only a formerly naive boy from the countryside with a debt to settle. One to be paid in blood.

And paid it had been. The pleasure of it sung in his veins and lit up his face in a way he knew would have made some of the others flinch, were he reckless enough to make his way to their current safe house in this state. He'd wash off every trace of the blood and change his clothes, and no one would ever be the wiser as to who had torn Pekka Rollins and his entire empire to pieces.

But his Wraith would know, and she would watch.

Even so, he wasn't bothered.

"Exactly what I set out to accomplish." He answered her finally, the grin still refusing to settle, likely looking quite out of place considering his usual countenance. "No mourners, no funerals." Had she not seen him, none of them would have known. That was just the way he liked it.

[worldly-diversity]

( @deifiedstars​ ) asked : ❝ Do we ever have uneventful days? ❞  —  Inej & Kaz

There was no reason to acknowledge the words, eyes distant towards the bustle of the Barrel. Jesper's words had been irrelevant, and he hadn't thought it would be Inej giving such an inane response when she knew full well the answer, but apparently she could still surprise him some days.

Or perhaps his mind was simply wandering more than usual tonight. The streets were busy, full of tourists and lures from various gangs including the Dregs, talking loudly about one den or another, working the crowd. Tonight was quiet for them in that regard, the calm before the storm. Something was going to break, and soon, but it wouldn't be them if he had anything to say about it.

Already he was calculating the various odds, the moves each player would make and the plans they would need to execute in order to make it out on top. Dirtyhands always did, after all. The bastard of the Barrel…  And to think—

Fingers tightened minutely on the head of his cane, not even a shake of his head to rid himself of the maudlin thoughts crawling up his throat. The air was damper than usual tonight, and Pekka Rollins' crowd, the Dime Lions, were seemingly everywhere, never a good sign. He didn't need any reminders right now.

Soon, they would be ready to move. The day would not stay uneventful for long.