may i ask what flusters the fae boys? shooting for the stars here but i want to get the winter king to blush ;;
long post incoming!
Dream - Tell him he's doing a good job. As the King he has high expectations from himself and those around him, but not often does he get real praise for the work he does. If he meets or exceeds expectations that's just... what a King is meant to do. Being at the top of the hierarchy comes with power but it's equally lonely and Dream desperately craves positive affection. Someone taking the time to acknowledge how hard he works or the time he's dedicating is a quick way to fluster him. Hard mode would be complimenting his hobbies; he has so little time for them that they're not often acknowledged, and someone being aware of his musical skill or artistry would surprise him.
Blue - Take him seriously! An engaging conversation with him where you're actively listening, asking questions, contributing with your own comments/ideas/opinions/etc will get him flustered pretty quick. He's used to people brushing him off or not paying him mind since he's often overshadowed by Dream or Ink in Court events. He's often taken for granted and showing him that you care about his thoughts and opinions too is all that's needed to get him blushing.
Ink - Be patient with him and meet him at his level. He's a chaotic, mischievous fellow with ever-changing interests and stories. Offering to engage with his latest craft project or always being open to listen to his latest escapade will make him very happy! Having the flexibility to work with his memory issues, his fickle interests, and energetic nature will cement you in his mind as a safe and comforting person. While he's not someone that gets flustered, just offering to create with him will make him so happy he'll blow up.
Error - Error, like many of the other difficult fae to deal with in the realms, has many particularities. If you can get past him being a hermit, past his habit of turning unfortunate souls into puppets, and past his ego, you'll find that he's quite a fun character to engage with (and tease). The easiest way to fluster him, once you're not at risk of being cursed by being in his presence, is to be affectionate with him while respecting his boundaries around touch. Kissing a doll of him on the head, holding onto a string instead of his hand, or cuddling up near him with a blanket barrier are all good examples.
Nightmare - As grand of a position as King is, it's the little things that get to Nightmare the most. Large gestures will be seen as attention-grabbing or a publicity stunt and will be swiftly rebuffed. He's a hopeless romantic but it's buried deep under layers of guilt, suspicion, and fear of opening up to others. You need to get his attention first, get to know him second, and then you can start to build your affectionate rapport with him. Letters, poetry, sketches of him or things that remind you of him, musical compositions, pressed flowers. Anything that's clearly personal, but particularly things you've made/found yourself, will have him blushing and at a loss for words.
Killer - Killer has a lot problems with depersonalisation and often doesn't accept things like compliments or flirting. He can play along with ease and it often comes across as confidence, nonchalance, and experience, but in reality he's deeply disconnected to himself as a person. He often falls into playing the part of a mirror in a conversation; playing the part of what the other person wants but without any thought or real opinions of his own. He'll play off or into flirting without batting an eye, and even genuine compliments aren't something that'll really get to him. Trying to work around this with targeted compliments directed at something very personal to him would just scare him off or worse. For Killer to get flustered he'd need to be very comfortable with another person and at least vaguely willing to sit with his feelings. A soft, quiet, safe moment where he acknowledges the simple comforting intimacy of just... sitting with someone he cares about. He won't be stuttering and blushing hard or anything like that, but just... quietly in awe of what he's getting to experience and shyly enjoying the moment.
Dust - There's not much that can affect Dust. He's in his own head a lot and struggles to take to heart the opinions of others. The best way to fluster him is the long game; if you can get close to him just... be there. Be consistent and clear. Eventually he'll start internalising your presence and opinions-- once he's done that he'll find that comments/actions of yours that he didn't even question before are suddenly on his mind. Your face, your voice, your laugh. Just thinking about it and the warmth it sparks in his chest will get him flustered. He might start avoiding you for a short while after that realisation, but he'll be back.
Horror - Be direct and genuine with Horror and you'll have him stumbling over his words with ease. He's liable to brush off most flirting/compliments as jokes or deflect your attentions to someone he sees more deserving of you. If you can make it clear you like him and explain why, well. He'll just have no choice but to believe you (and blush about it. a lot).
Cross - Cross is easy but hard to fluster at the same time. It's hard if you don't know him, as most compliments or tokens of affections are stiffly and stoicly accepted. But once you know the real Cross underneath the stern, guard exterior, you'll find the buttons that get him flustered with little difficulty. Engage with his interests-- his real interests-- with a genuine and kind curiosity. He trains a lot and loves it, yes, but it's the other aspects of himself that he hides from the public that will affect him. The books and music he likes, the things he collects, the over-the-top human media he's obsessed with. Show that you care and that you're interested in those and you'll have him struggling to explain them to you over his blush and inability to maintain eye contact.
Takes place in the @valrayne-faeu universe (GO CHECK THEM OUT THEY'RE SUPER COOL /nf) featuring my fae sona Soot, Brumous (Horror), and Hiemal (Nightmare). Cozen (Killer) also is mentioned once but this isn't about him lol
Soot is a Monster turned Fae with the wings of what is some kind of sky/weather dragon in her lore but is actually just the wings and tail of a stormcutter lol (specifically dimflight from rise of berk). Elsewise, she mostly looks like fan interpretations of enderians/endermen. I say this because I don't have a ref sheet for her yet T-T
Next reblog post on here should have an approximation of her appearance
Word count: 2,666 (WOAH FUNNY GASTER NUMBER)
Tw: choking, not being in control of one's body, depiction of wounds and attempting to tend to them (not graphic but eh), distressed and panicked thoughts, intense descriptions of pain
chat let me know if there's any I should add
She shouldn't have tried to get help. She shouldn't have tried to escape. Was she really that stupid to think that she could? That she could be free without him knowing?
Soot can still remember the feeling as she now sits in the snow, the hope that had coursed through her veins, electric and sharp as the Winter King's claws traced over her wings. She would be free. And maybe with that freedom, she could free her brother too!
What a pathetic notion.
----------
Frost spread over each scale with every touch, but before it could fully cover her wings, Soot felt that sharp sensation grow sharper. And sharper.
Painful pins and needles suddenly overcame her legs and wings as vibrant blue threads sliced through the frost, shards falling to the ground and shattering loudly in the quiet room. Soot's body soon followed, collapsing with trembling weakness. Her ankles hurt the most, concentrated under the thick leather bands she couldn't remove on her own.
Panting heavily, Soot reached down reflexively to her ankles, finding that all the strings were stemming from the anklets. Trying to pull them off or cut them with her claws only made the pain flare up so much worse, ripping an agonized scream out of her lungs, cut silent by more strings wrapping around her throat until she could barely breathe.
She was only made aware of the reactions of others in the room when hands and talons that were not hers made contact with the strings. Her senses came flooding back with paralyzing clarity. Worried chatter pounded on her skull like sledgehammers, and the sudden movements of those trying to help her made her dizzy.
It hurt so much.
Soot thought she might pass out, but she was denied that mercy. Whatever was happening was keeping her very, very aware of the current moment.
She wasn't sure how much time had passed, whether she'd been here for seconds or minutes, before the pins and needles vanished as suddenly as they had come, leaving a sore ache behind. Rest wasn't an option, though, as the strings clung to Soot's wings and tail, puppeteering her muscles to take off from the floor, nearly smacking the fae crowded around her in the process.
In the room where the ceremony to join the Winter Court was taking place, the heavy drapes that usually covered the windows had been moved away to let the moonlight inside for the occasion.
The threads receded from Soot's throat, only giving her a few seconds to breathe and attempt to call out for help, before they forced her to fly towards one of the windows, sharply jerking in the air. A broken shriek of alarm and fear was followed by glass shattering, Soot unwillingly flying through the window. Sudden freezing winds blew in behind her, various fae hurrying to block the cold out with the drapes as best they could.
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The entire room was left in silent shock, distressed and terrified draconic roars heard above the howling wind as they faded into the distance, until loud, chaotic chatter erupted from the small gathering of those who attended these events. Some fae desperately tried to help a few that had glass shards blown back into them by the wind, while others anxiously turned to Hiemal for direction.
While he'd never admit to it, the Winter King was equally as shocked as the rest of the room, and it took him a second to snap back to the moment. Features steeling, he quickly turned to one of his courtiers. "Send for Brumous and our best trackers," He ordered. "Tell them to meet me in the western courtyard."
As the fae quickly sped off to the kitchens to first get Brumous, Hiemal turned to the others in the room.
"Get those three medical attention immediately. The rest of you, make sure this window is securely covered, then go about your business; the matter is being handled."
Though they were still in a shocked and confused state, the group not taking the injured fae to the healers forced themselves to get to work, some quicker than others.
A small amount of black scales were scattered over the ground, where Soot and those trying to help her had scratched them loose while trying to get the strings off. He gathered a palmful.
"Cozen," Hiemal addressed the fae at his side. "Come." He turned, cloak fluttering in the small draft still coming in as he left the room, heading for the western courtyard.
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Brumous had been in the kitchens when a panting fae burst into the room, startling someone into dropping a pan of crisp bread with a layer of lightly browned cheese on top onto the floor. He frowned at the loss, bending down to help pick up the food, intending on saving it to feed to some of the animals later - there was a sled team of wolves as large as horses used for cargo transport he was quite fond of. They'd probably enjoy a treat like this-
"Brumous!" the breathless fae called for him. Brumous lifted his head, three breadsticks in hand. "His Majesty needs you in the western courtyard."
Before he could say or ask anything, the messenger left again, prompting him and the others in the kitchen to exchange confused glances. Browbones now furrowed for a different reason, the large skeletal fae set aside the breadsticks, before quickly wiping off his hands and heading towards the exit. "Set those aside for me," he said before he left.
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The cold winds blew heavily against Brumous as he trekked through the snow, other fae elsewhere, tracking down Soot. They'd been searching for about an hour now.
Hiemal had gathered them in the western courtyard, explaining the situation and handing a black scale to each of them to use in tracking, as well as an enchanted segment of a stone used in group tracking or hunting efforts. When one is activated, the runes on the other pieces would light up and be drawn in the direction of the first one, leading the others to it's location.
Tracking in windy weather was hard enough, especially when your target was presumably flying and not leaving tracks or scent in the snow. Thankfully, they at least had an idea of where Soot had gone, some guards having seen her bursting out the castle window and flying northward.
About another thirty minutes went by. Nothing. The snowstorm was only getting worse, and it was getting harder to see.
Brumous knew Soot somewhat well. He knew that she knew how to find somewhere safe and protected to spend the night. However, from Hiemal's account of what happened and the state she had been in when she left, it sounded like she wasn't in control of her own wings. Worse than that, she was likely injured from the shattered glass as well, and he could only hope she didn't lose too much dust before someone found her.
She could freeze to death, bleed dust to death, get attacked by wild animals looking for easy prey, drown if she fell in a frigid river without the strength to get out...
The possibilities of Soot's current state only strengthened Brumous' resolve to find her before it was too late. It would do both of them no good for him to focus on what could happen rather than on locating her.
The two hour mark had passed, and there was still nothing from the other trackers. While he couldn't fly for a long time, Brumous used the strength he had to fly upwards, scanning the forest around him for any sign of anything.
That's when he saw it. A weak, barely there fire in a forest clearing, with a vague shape curled up next to it. Soot.
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Soot had forcibly been made to fly off to the middle of nowhere by those strings, the shards of glass cutting her with every movement, keeping her in constant agony. Words were no longer possible, her cries reduced to draconic pleas for help.
Eventually, the strings made her dive into a clearing, landing heavily and forcing the glass to cut deeper where they were landed on. Only then did the threads controlling her wings and tail finally recede. Soot laid like that for a while, hot tears freezing to her cheeks as she tried to manage the pain.
It hurt so, so much, but the freezing cold hurt more after a while, biting her skin and scales. It was agonizing, but she shakily pushed herself up into a sitting position and weakly brushed away some of the snow, summoning a small fireball to float in front of her. The heat instantly helped, and with the light, Soot examined herself.
The sight of her many cuts from the glass sent her mind into another panic, and she pulled a shard out, not thinking straight in her distress. Dust began to leak out faster with the wound unblocked, and the horror of realization struck her.
No, no, no...!
Soot frantically tried to think of something to stop the flow, rapidly glancing around the forest clearing and back to her wound. She didn't have any bandages on her, or something to use as a wrap...
There was cauterization. She could use her fire to- no, she was too weak right now for that, and she wouldn't be able to get a high enough temperature to do it quickly. It would be a long and painful burn that might just make things worse.
Stitches. She had a sewing kit in her pocket that she was supposed to give back to Dagwood, but no... thread... to use...
Soot's gaze fell onto the thin strings lying in the snow around her. The strings that had gotten her stuck out here. The strings that kept her prisoner to Aonaran. The threads that puppeteered her life, symbolically kept her bound in duty to the Aspect of Chaos.
And now they might be the only way to save her life.
...
...Oh fuck this.
As much as she wanted to be angry and curse the universe for making her only hope so FUCKING IRONIC... Soot had other priorities to worry about.
Shivering as she fumbled around her pockets, using her wounded arm, as her other hand was busy holding onto the wound, she found the sewing kit and set it down in her lap. After she grabbed a few long threads from the snow, she had to take her hand off of the wound to thread the needle. Her shaking hands didn't make it easy, nor would it help with what she was trying to do.
It took more tries than Soot would've liked, but she eventually got the thread through the needle and tied it on. Turning to face the firelight, she nervously raised the needle to her arm. Just like sewing, right? It's just like mending a tear. Yep. All... all fine. Mhm.
She was right to be scared. It hurt like hell and then some. She probably could've used some of the snow around her to numb the area beforehand for a few seconds, but didn't think of it until halfway through.
By the time it was over, Soot was crying in pain again, and her fire was slowly dying in front of her. Just getting through one wound had made her exhausted, and she didn't know if she could do the others.
After a few minutes of internal self deprecation and regret, she started on another one, numbing the area with snow first this time, but only got through a few stitches before she had to take a break.
Soot was so... so tired...
She weakly curled up next to the fire, trying to keep whatever warmth she could close to her shivering body. Rest a few minutes, she told herself. Then I'll keep going.
She was only vaguely aware of the footsteps running towards her, a voice cutting through the wind. Her name, spoken frantically and with equal parts worry and relief.
Soot could feel her body being carefully scooped up in large, strong arms. She didn't see who it was, just curled closer for warmth, quietly whining in distress like a pup.
----------
After Brumous activated his piece of enchanted stone, he began trying to carry Soot to a more sheltered area nearby to check her over, but found he couldn't. Though the strings on her body were no longer there, there were two strings attached to her anklets, leading a few feet away until they disapeared into the snow. There was no knot tying them onto the grommets, just a smooth loop that cleanly disapeared back into the string.
Brushing the snow aside with his boot, the strings simply vanished into the frozen earth like a sprouted plant. He couldn't tug them out no matter how hard he tried, and when he set Soot down to cut them with his axe, not a single mark formed on the blue threads.
With no other option, Brumous stopped trying to free Soot, focusing on taking care of her in the meantime.
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A while later, some of the other trackers arrived, and with their extra supplies, they were able to set up a small tent and create an actual fire. Soot laid on a layer of pelts as her rescuers tended to her wounds. Some could be bandaged, but others had to be stitched up after the glass was removed. With the painful stitching being done by someone else and not herself, Soot's fight or flight response activated despite knowing they were trying to help her, and she ended up sinking her fangs into someone. She had to be held down after that until they finished.
The other trackers also tried to break the strings, but to no avail. Seeing as Soot would be stuck here until they found a way to free her, two fae decided to travel back to the castle to deliver the news she'd been found, as well as bring back more supplies.
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"Brumous?" Soot spoke after a while, voice hoarse from crying and screaming in pain.
Brumous looked over, humming lowly in response.
"Hope your brother doesn't get worried about you," she continued, turning onto her side to face him. "Probably didn't get to tell him where you were going before you left, huh?"
Soot's concern for Dagwood made him chuckle fondly, the sound comforting to hear after all that had happened. Brumous smiled, reaching over to gently pat her on the head. "Don't worry," he soothed. "I told one o' the others t' let him know where I was after they got back to town."
Soot leaned into the warm touch like a cat, and they stayed like that for a while. After a bit, she began trying to get up to sit next to him, only to be gently pushed back down. "Nuh uh," he tutted. "Y' need t' rest."
"Then you get down here," Soot objected, frowning in an unfortunately very adorable way.
Brumous snickered. "Y' get lonely layin' a foot away from me?"
She lightly swatted his leg. "Shush. C'mere."
Rolling his eyelight, he finally relented, carefully sidling in beside her, pulling the thick blankets and pelts over the two of them. "Demanding lil' thing, y' are," he mused.
Soot didn't dignify that with a response, huffing quietly in what was secretly amusement as she snuggled in. Though her body was still very sore when moving, she lifted the upper and lower wings on one side to drape over his body, under the blankets.
It didn't take long for Soot to fall asleep, given how exhausted her body and mind were, but Brumous stayed awake a bit longer, watching over her. The other trackers minded their own business, and any weird glances towards the two of them were met with a crimson glare in the mostly dark tent, before he went back to watching the sleeping fae next to him.
"...g'night, lil beast."
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Hope you enjoyed! Ran into some problems trying to post this and thought I wouldn't be able to for a bit, but thankfully figured it out.
This event is being hosted by @owl-bones
The valrayne-faeu universe also belongs to owl but also @/antlered-prince
Soot belongs to me
(also if anyone has questions about things in the story PLEASE ask me I'm going feral in my own mind)
Edit: forgot to say that her anklets are based on those used in falconry ^^
Sooooo I got some more headcanons. This time about the @valrayne-faeu by @antlered-knight and @owl-bones and how their characters write. I used the first two names I found for each of them. (Please ignore that I misspelled Nightmare at the top)
In case you can't read my scrabblings, a transcript and some FunFacts are under the cut.
Nightmare - Juliet: He's a king, I think he writes a lot.
Cross - Mistral: As far as I'm aware, he's a soldier/guard, and I'm confident he had to learn how to write in the military.
Horror - Demian: Same as Cross =) I think he's older then the others (Aside the kings & Ink/Error) so he's probably written more than them and developed a "neater" handwriting.
Killer - Calson 540 Italic: He taught himself how to write so he could hang up flyers before his 'business' got popular, so he always had a very fine & neat handwriting.
Dust - Nevison Casual: I think he learned how to write in the military too. Him being an archer didnt grant him a neat handwriting, because I think he kept his fingers really stiff when hunting/fighting.
Soul - My own handwriting: She learned how to write on a farm to keep track of the crops/finances, and her writing became neater when she began studying dragons.
Dream - Cancellaresca Script: Same as Nightmare <3.
Blue - Park Avenue: No explanation. I just think it fits him.
Ink - Murray Hill Bold: He probably writes like he draws; long, thin strokes with a brush and not a pen.
Error - Van Dijk: He lives in the faewilds, he probably doesn't write much. I headcanon he struggles with it, especially the uppercase letters.
Funfacts: I HATE the font for Dream with a burning passion of a 1000 suns. Why. Why did I choose the font with the most INTRICATE LETTERS for the one with the (objectively) WEIRDEST NAME.
I checked and Horror is INDEED, like, 100 years older than the others.
I headcanon Killer started out as a very lowlife criminal, who hung up flyers for his assassination business. Once he was tasked to kill a person in Nightmares castle, and he almost did. Then he was recruited by Nightmare. (Also I think it fits his reputation as a Casanova in the fandom)
what kinds of magic are the different skeletons adept at?
Nightmare, Dream, Ink, and Error are capable of using most kinds of magic, while the others are more limited in their skills. this is due to those four being Aspects and being older so they've had more time to learn. Nightmare and Error have the strongest foundations due to both being studious, though Error is far more focused on a niche.
that being said, they all have magic that they excel at or prefer:
more info about the different kinds of magic [here]
Dream is also a natural talent at healing and is occasionally called upon to handle injuries/illnesses that other healers cannot, but he doesn't consider it one of his favourite subjects. Nightmare is also very skilled at healing, but it's due to many years of study to be better than Dream and, by contrast, he doesn't utilise the skill nearly as often as his brother. in addition, Nightmare and Dream are both naturally talented in Psychic/Mental magic due to being Aspects of Positive and Negative Emotions, though it's a specialised form of that magic; they are both capable of sensing and influencing the emotions of others around them.
Error's specialisation in, and Aspect of, Chaos isn't related to mischievousness or disorder but rather to Chaos Theory; he is very in-tune with the state of the magic and realm and capable of recognising the complex patterns, interconnectedness, deterioration of states of matter, the butterfly effect, etc of everything around him. it's kind of like his version of seeing "code". if you have a problem with fate, curses, or luck he is the one capable of seeing the problem and (for the right payment) fixing it for you.
Dust is difficult to woo. He's not often in town or the castle; he prefers to be out on patrol in the woods/mountains or hiding away in his cabin. When he is at the castle it's almost always to deliver a report, attend a meeting, or retrieve something and then skedaddle. Dust is very likely to be wary and actively avoid an unknown person trying to get to know him, so you need to have a good excuse. The easiest way to get close to him, much like Dream, is to first get close to his inner circle. Once you have an excuse to be in his presence, then you just have to play the waiting game.
Dust is incredibly standoffish. Courting him will be the slowest burn of all time; just getting friendly with him will take months of slowly acclimating him to your presence, then accepting your presence, and then eventually enjoying it. He is very much like a cat in that you can't force a relationship with him. Any identifiable attempt to intentionally make him like you or spend time with him will make him you push away. You really have to naturally get close to him, and then let him do the pursuing. If you can get any words out of him you know you're on the right track, and if he invites you somewhere then you're already his best friend.
You can be a bit more proactive once he's finding his own excuses to be around you or seemingly appearing in town or the castle more often. An invitation to a meal, or a walk through the woods is his speed. He's got a bit of a sweet tooth, so offering him homemade treats of any kind (but in particular caramel) is an effective way to earn points with him. It will also have him breaking into your home to exchange them with some of his own homemade treats for you, so be warned. He also appreciates gifts, though it won't be immediately obvious. He doesn't express himself well, and while it might seem like he doesn't like a gift from his reaction, you'll be able to find it in his cabin in a place of honour.
Dust values space, honesty, and lots and lots of patience. He has lots of issues with self-worth and guilt, and can be very co-dependant once he latches onto someone. He's incredibly protective once you make your way into his inner circle, and you'll struggle to find someone more loyal. It just takes a lot of work and time to get there.
Horror, by contrast, is much more approachable. He's almost always in or around the castle and is a generally well-liked guy for a reason. He has a good sense of humour, though it can lean dark sometimes, and lots of hobbies to talk about. He's the cook of the castle and can be won over by sharing recipes, or being offered to try something new.
Horror is the kinda guy you can just approach with your interest directly; if he likes you he'll give you a chance, and if he's not interested he'll let you down gently. But if you're too shy to go the direct route, he's just as amenable to a slow-built romance from friendship. He's highly likely to accept offers to help him in the kitchens, requests to spend time with him and his brother, and any gifts that make you think of him.
He likes spending time with people that light up the room or are just easy to be around. He also appreciates someone that can make him laugh and that gets along with his brother; his brother is the most important person to him, so it's a deal-breaker if his potential partner and brother don't get along.
Just spending time with him is an easy way to get close to him, and if the spark is there he's very likely to reciprocate affection without any fuss. Once you're at the stage of being affectionate and lovey with each other, though, you'll find that he can be very shy. Flirting and friendly hanging out comes easily to him, but genuine affection brings out a shy side of him that hasn't surfaced in a long long time.
did Ephialtes require his new close guard (Cozen, Whist, Brumous, Aegis) to undertake certain tasks to prove their loyalty/capability, or was there certain actions they each accomplished that made the Winter King decide he wanted to keep these individuals close? - @clxckwork-sun-n-moon
Each of them came to the Winter Court at a different time during the war. The Winter Court has always been smaller than the Summer, but held strong during the war due to the difficult terrain and tumultuous magic (before it settled down once the borders were fully established). Quite a few fae in Winter are from other courts due to Nightmare's distrust of the courtiers he grew up with, though fae from outside the Seasonal courts are still on the rarer side.
Each of the boys arrived from elsewhere seeking a new start and stayed for varying reasons. Nightmare gave Cross a purpose and space to be independent. Horror and his brother found (relative) safety and consistency. Dust found an escape. Killer got to be a weapon, and with a structured environment and time eventually healed enough to be more than that.
As the war went on they found themselves excelling at their roles and making names for themselves. This lead them to gravitate towards Nightmare as they moved up the ranks and he recognized their contributions.
Loyalty was a major factor in Nightmare's decision to keep them close, as well as their competency, and over time they all naturally grew to be his personal guards, advisors, and friends. While they all have varying levels of respect and friendliness with each other, Nightmare is the common factor that keeps them all around.
Nightmare gave them a home, purpose, safety, consistency, and above all directness. Nightmare, in searching for loyalty and support after expunging the corrupt courtiers, managed to create an unlikely group of fae that would kill for him simply by being honest about his goals and desires for the developing Winter Court.
