MY DEAR EVE

𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐘𝐀 𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐒, 𝐄𝐍𝐙𝐎 𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐀𝐕𝐔𝐋𝐋 & 𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐒 𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐀𝐔

[v1ctorytour]

╰ FOR ANYONE : OPEN STARTER

the high lady of autumn isn’t privy to survival . she may not be a healer but she understood enough that for most tearing an arrow out of a wound would only make it worse but for those like her , for other fae … there was no chance to heal with it still sunken into the soft flesh of lower right thigh nor could she manage to walk with it still in . limping and trailing blood around a foreign castle was not the way she wanted to garner attention so while still sat on the ground , samiris grasps the arrow tightly in a trembling hand and through gritted teeth pulls it out with a grunt . “ oh fuck , “ the wood falls aside , clanking and splintering with the force thrown as she now grasps the wound instead willing it to heal so she can fucking move already . 

[tidemakcr]

enzo was by her side the second he could, his sword falling to the ground as the undead began to retreat along with their white-haired mistress. it pained him horribly to see samiris pull out the arrow, a shouted demand for her to stop before he gritted his teeth. this whole thing brought him horrible guilt, but to have to see sam tear out the arrow herself just made him angry. at himself, at the undead, at their ruler. he’d had all of their heads, including his own if he could. instead, he dropped to the ground and wrapped his arms around samiris. “why did you do that?” he began to demand, as she had once again disobeyed his order. “i would have done it, we aren’t even near the healers yet.” he scolded, but he found that all he could do was hold sam and let his worry fester for another second. he just needed to hold her briefly, to feel her warmth, to ensure her body wasn’t getting as cold as those that attacked their festivities. the assurances was brief but it was all he needed to feel his heart stop racing so heavily. he pulled away slightly, taking a second to look at her face. “want me to carry you? lets leave swiftly, before anyone notices our absences we can go back to your quarters. i’ll tell my uncle to bring the healer to us.”

[tidemakcr]

who: fenrar orlavull @ofsolaces​ when & where : after the party disaster at orlavull’s quarters. 

“why is everybody looking at me as if i wanted this to happen?” enzo asked to the people that so pompously sat in the autumn court quarters as samiris was being tended to. he wasn’t allowed in the room, he was told that he had other duties he had to attend to but he certainly wasn’t going to just stand and be judged for something he couldn’t help. “uncle, please believe me when i say i never would have left our high lady’s side if i knew we were going to be attacked in such a way. i only stepped out for a second to get HER something to drink.” enzo was so tired of repeating himself, but he so desperately wanted his uncle to believe him. he could care less about the rest of the nobility that didn’t understand the struggle and guilt enzo was facing at the moment, less when one accounted for the bond he shared with samiris. “surely you believe me, right?” he stated, though the brief insecurity he felt could be seen in the man’s eyes as he looked towards fenrar. while he may not be his child, while he was already full-grown when fenrar’s sister and enzo’s mother had been murdered  dead, it didn’t mean that enzo still didnt desire the acceptance of the closest father figure he had. 

[tidemakcr]

who: eryx ashford @sclstvce when & where : after the meridian party / attack !

finally, there was a moment for maliya to breath. the whole night had been a wonder in her mind in the best and worst of ways. she thought the dancing and the conversations of the beginning of the party would be what she remembered, she thought the dinner and games would be the thing that plagued her mind about this night. yet, instead, she found that the only thing she could think about was the bruise on her arm that had already begun to darken, a bruise left by her father who pulled her away from him. she wondered if her father could see what maliya so evidently felt or if he was only plagued with worry of his daughter being away from his grasp when the chaos ensued. maliya had only been able to muster a small ‘hi’ as she had seemingly gotten lost in his eyes before everything happened, and even then as she was being pulled away by her father, she couldn’t help but look back at some point to see if she could spot the man. 

her mind had many questions and so little answers, hypotheticals that stirred her mind. one thing was certain, he was not of the spring court or else she would have recognized him. maliya had to dismiss herself, both to tend to nemea and also to change seeing as her gown had gotten ripped during the chaos. she cared little to remember what happened, as all she could recall was the cold breeze of a blade that slashed her dress. fortunately, her corset had only received a minor scratch and left her complete unharmed. also thankfully, her cousin had come to her aid and took care of her assailant before they could do any damage. now, she found herself taking a walk around the castle they had to call home temporarily, and she stopped short of the dining hall, as she peered in to see if anyone still remained. she wondered, briefly, if she would ever see that man again. the man with the eyes of lapis lazuli that differed so much from her own grey stormy gaze.

“hello?” she spoke softly, letting her voice echo in the night like a hymn from those who still praised and sung to gods. 

[tidemakcr]

mvertes​:

A  WELCOME   REPRIEVE   ;   no   need   to   keep   the   facade   of   indifference   ,  not   around   arais   .   few    would   ever    be   worthy   of   his   endearment   ;   his   wife   ,   however  ,    was   the   one   person   who   held   his   affection   in  a   way   no   one   ever   had   .    he’d   seen  in   her   something   he   often   saw   in   himself   and    knew   that   together   ,   they    could   be   something   even   greater —  theirs   would   be   a   song   of   graceful   brutality   ,   their   natures   destined   to   compliment   one   another   .   he   could   think   of   no   better   high   lady   for   the   winter   court    .   

❝   you   know   how   i   feel   about   prophecies   ,   ❞   troian   answered   ,   eyes   instinctively   shutting   as   her   hands   brushed   against   his   shoulders   .   he   wondered   if   she   truly   believed   their   fate   could   be   any   different   if   the   blights   returned   —   he   had   yet   to   decide   if   he  believed   the   same   .    ❝    though   i   would   like   to   believe   that   this   time   things   will   be   different   ,   for   now   i’ll   worry   about   getting   through   these   blighted   diplomatic   sessions   .    ❞     eyes   re-opened   ,   lips   now   donning   a   half   grin   at   her   jest   .   that   would   be   a   sight   to   behold   indeed   .   ❝   do   you   mean    to   imply   that   i   cannot   be   civil   ??    and   here   i   thought   i   was   doing   exceedingly   well   at   entertaining   these   prattling   idiots   ,   ❞    he   quipped  ,   an   arm   reaching   out   to   bring   her   forward   once   more   .   ❝   you   ,   i’m   sure   ,   have   faired   much   better   than   i   .    though   if   you   do   tire   of   it   ,   i’ll   be   more   than   happy   to   take   our   leave   .   ❞  

brutality was never quite in arais’ nature. she always loved to slowly watch one descend into a state of deep, incomparable sorrow and helplessness under her hand. though, it seemed that arais’ husband found a way to swim and even indulge in the darkness she thrived and adored so, instead of drowning as all had done before her. perhaps it was why she believed his promises had some weight to them, why she found the idea of achieving her greatest desires with him so thrilling. was this how others felt, or was it simply the two of them? it was confusing but fortunately for him, she so liked exploring this thing was. it would at least never stop her marriage from being as boring as others, that was for certain. 

her belief in the old and forgotten were mixed, as she always believed religions and legends as a simple tool that restricted and controlled one towards something so fickle as morality, good and evil. she wouldn’t allow something grasp at her soul with such fear, such need to please. one could say that she practiced the belief of her own capabilities, and those who she admired greatly. troian, lilith, nyx, they were equally as godly as she was ( even despite their shortcomings, though weren’t gods create by humans to attempt to understand the things that seemed so inhumanly possible? who came first, the god or the people who believed in them? ) “i believe we might have opened the gates ourselves in this scenario, husband dearest. though, it will be quite pleasant to see the evolution of these families since our last grand event. do you remember what that was?”  her hum was an indicator of her playful doubt, hand reaching out for his arm. “never quite as well as me, but i’m surprised how your fairing for one day. we’ll see how tomorrow is, when we have to awake on foreign sheets sweating from the lack of icy air. i have a suspicion you will need a nice cool bath of ice.” his comment was oddly sweet, as was her smile that arose out of amusement. “you’ll be the first to know of my desire to leave when such a thing arises. in the meantime, ensure that you inform me when matters begin to become far too boring, or overwhelming. i wouldn’t want you to burst in front of all of these courts without me.”

[stcneheartd]

                    the  master  of  spies  prides  herself  on  being  aware  of  her  surroundings  at  all  times  —  she  cannot  afford  to  be  anything  less  otherwise  one  may  find  themselves  a  head  shorter  in  this  line  of  work.  thus  the  voice  that  floats  over  to  her  ears  is  not  a  surprise ,  but  the  person  it  belongs  to  most  certainly  is.  dark  hues  settle  upon  the  high  lady  of  the  winter  court.  unease  creeps  up  in  vysena’s  gut  at  the  other  woman’s  approach.  the  winter  court  is  no  friend  to  the  day ;  a  den  of  snakes  for  which  she  once  had  to  spy  on.  in  addition ,  arais  baravau’s  husband  had  become  a  point  of  complication  in  vysena’s  life  despite  their  limited  interaction.  still ,  she  has  developed  a  talent  for  concealing  her  feelings  —  a  skill  mastered  by  most  in  the  courts ,  she  would  imagine.

                    ❝  what  are  you  doing  out  here  by  yourself ?  ❞

                    ❝  i  am  merely  indulging  in  the  meridian  air.  ❞     comes  the  simple  reply.  small answers  were  best ,  never  give  another  too  much  to  dwell  on  &  dig.  she  wishes  to  be  boring  enough  to  lose  the  other’s  interest.     ❝  my  home  is  warm  as  yours  is  cold.  are  you  enjoying  the  more  mild  weather  as  i  am ?  ❞          ╱          @tidemakcr​

[tidemakcr]

there was once a time when arais would have murdered to be in the council as master of spies, but that time as long since passed. instead, she was happy being a simple partaker in the art, the theatrics that came with her role. many had seen a simple handmaiden, one who served her lady gihyun with dignity and honor. others could see past the sweet smile she possessed. once open wide enough, one could notice the fangs that laid underneath right before one was rendered incapable of escape under her grasp. while those who knew her and her quirks were rare and few, she was sure a fellow spy could see past it. or perhaps, one was simply far too distracted at their own complications to see just how much arais wished to test a woman’s fidelity. after all, while many pressumed arais’ home court and present court were unwelcomed by the days, one could find themselves pleasantly surprised at the sight of iseult and arais exchanging smiles that seemed far more than polite. 

“to indulge myself on foreign grounds during such times have never quite been a skill of mine, though perhaps you’ll be able to show me. i fear i might simply lack one’s gratitude for air, unlike yourself. ” the enchanting melody of her voice seemed to disguise its venom in a slight insult towards herself, though said insult was anything but true. the high lady couldn’t help the smile that fell on her lips as she took a moment to look down in amusement. “the weather is pleasant but i find that furs suit me far better than my silks.”

[tidemakcr]

starswholistcn​:

            Nyx  looked  around  the  room  once  over,  she  had  that  awful  impulsive  tendency  to  make  appearances  when  she  was  worried  about  someone,  not  thinking  of  what  or  who  could  be  on  the  other  side.  she  had  been  humbled  down  before,  reminded  she  was  not  untouchable  or  above  death.  dangerous,  but  not  immortal,  not  in  that  sense  anyways.  “i  was  worried,”  she  shrugs,  although  a  part  of  her  was  thankful  that  coldhearted  man  she  had  married  was  no  where  no  be  seen,  there  was  something  about  him  that  always  made  her  wary,  perhaps  that  was  how  people  felt  about  her.  “you  seem…  well.”  she  sizes  her  up.  “all  things  considered,  that  is.  how  are  you  feeling?”  she  worries  most  about  that,  being  under  that  kind  of  pressure  and  impression  could  not  be  easy.

while many fae seemed to forget that they were mortal, it was never lost on arais. perhaps it was made even more evident, with the amount of death she had seen in her life, the amount of people she had lost. the funeral preparations she had made, they were all so similar. in the end, she was commemorating the dead, ensuring and promising them that their death would go unwasted. that was the beginning of her profound desire for control, for power, for something tangible to offer up to her dead. in the century and a half that she has lived, that initial well-meaning intention had only become far more twisted by the poisonings of the night court and their hidden disgusting brutality. she of all people should know, only the strongest survived and she intended to be that. 

“i can tell.” the smile began to form on her lips, as she took in nyx’s features. three years weren’t nothing to the fae, but with a woman she used to see daily, it felt like an eternity. she missed her, even if she wouldn’t want to admit such a thing out loud. “the treatment of high fae suits me rather well, though i doubt it will hide all the scars the night court had provided during my soldier years.” she mused, as the scars she once had were now faint, occasional tattoos decorating the harshest of scars to make something beautiful out of it. “i am...” her words trailed off, as it seemed the thought was escaping her. how was she feeling? was it an acceptable answer? she couldn’t know. it was bothersome. “my body may be well but my mind remains plagued, as usual. though, i fear my fury might have grown far more intolerant of any crime against my people.” she wasn’t lying. it was part of her job that she learned quickly, that she never truly was lying entirely. just embellishing a truth to be something that it wasn’t. “and i’m sure my people hate that their high lord and lady have left their region to go to the middle of vessir instead of stay and mourn the losses of our soldiers. WE are trying our best to get these meetings concluded as swiftly as possible so we can plan our next course of action and return home.” arais loved to give people just the surface level of her mind, to see if they could dig deeper and see within the crevices the true meaning of her words. after all, arais hardly cared for those soldiers but what they stood for. “though, a part of me wishes i could prolong my stay, or at least have you come to the winter court for a small stay. i believe it would do you well to see another side of the coin.”

[masalafilmsrevival]

Raaz (2002)

[bebemoon]

i am here- and elsewhere. elsewhere, underwater- in pristine sleep- anchored afloat- by chains of abalone pearl. 

[lizzybennets]

KEIRA KNIGHTLEY as VERA PHILLIPS

The Edge of Love (2008) dir. John Maybury

[singu1arity]

Interview with Clarice Lispector - São Paulo, 1977

[imjacksfilmclub]

Before Sunrise (1995)

dir. Richard Linklater

If there’s any kind of magic in this world, it must be in the attempt of understanding someone, sharing something. I know, it’s almost impossible to succeed. But who cares, really? The answer must be in the attempt.

[thebluesthour]

Jean-Michel Maulpoix, excerpts from "The Blue Look", in A Matter of Blue: Poems (trans. Dawn M. Cornelio)

[emziess]

endless gifs from daredevil - 26/∞

[givemearmstopraywith]

Caroline Walker Bynum, “Women mystics and eucharistic devotion in the thirteenth century" 

[tidemakcr]

for: samiris lavere @wretchdsouls​ when: arrival day at meridian​

“so these are your quarters?” the remark was a simple inquire, but one could see the distaste he had for them already. perhaps he was always going to be biased. he had been forced back into the autumn court for the sake of politics and had begun to call such a place home, which for a man who’s senses screamed for him to be nomadic, was a far greater deal than one could care for. this was nothing compared to their home, the open terrains, the endless fields, the sensation that it was neither cold nor warm. it came to love it, instead of this rude metropolises of pegasus and shiny objects to disguise the fact that one’s life expectance was less than a century. “how long are we expected to reside here? a couple of days? a week?” he hoped the answer would be one of those, and not months. one could see just how much he wanted to leave, to leave this cage of a palace.  

[ichortorn-deactivated20230325]

enzo orlavull ​〉 @tidemakcr​, closed starter

boredom burns from within and orla has never been one to let herself relax in the fact she knows not what to do when surrounded by unknown places and people. there is no snow nor chilly wind to envelop her in a known sensation rather than a feeling that makes their skin crawl with distrust. icy blues study the view from the balcony orla finds herself in, leaning forward dangerously close to tipping forward. what a time it would be to be night court, have wings that could take them far away from a place that means nothing to them. yavia isn’t even allowed to walk around with her, she’s been told, though she’s sure those words were more lie than truth. it’s not as if yavia attacks anyone without orla’s say-so. another sharp sigh escapes them ( how many there have been, orla can’t remember. all they know is that there is nothing around that seems to be entertaining enough for their mind at that moment, so watching and imagining lives for all they see seems like the best plan ). 

hands start to itch as their mind starts to beg for something to do. it’s then that orla hears footsteps behind her, light and slow. if orla did not think people had something better to do than sneak up on them, she might think she was almost in for a scare. it’s when she finally lets herself look behind that eyes light up with excitement, a smirk trying it’s hardest to not show all the cards in play. “you are terrible at sneaking up on people, enzo,” orla jests, fully turning on their heels and leaning back on the balcony railing. eyes study him, head tilting as his presence brings with it many memories, most ( if not all ) good. “if you truly want to have a grand entrance, i could be persuaded to turn around and pretend, give you another chance.” a tease, words laced with a playfulness only the autumn court one gets to see.

[tidemakcr]

the autumn court had been the main focus of his new entry into the next century of his life, but that would not prevent him from forgetting what the last century had given him. his life had always been travel, him and a horse and his entourage of friend’s that decided to join him on the next adventure and where it would lead. yet, one of the greatest adventures had been her. there wasn’t much thinking involved when it came to orla, to their spirit and their attitude. orla had always been someone that kept enzo on his toes, in the worst and best ways possible. enzo could speak about them all day, of how irritated and annoyed he’d get when she would decide to ignore him and his letters, or how maddening they would be when he didn’t reply to her letters. how they somehow always found themselves enchanting their way back into his life just as he had done with hers, how they somehow could never the other go even if life seemed desperately to do so. yet, enzo was never one who enjoyed being told no, not by others or the universe.

so one of his first stops had to be her, it had to be them. enzo had found himself in the latest decade struggling with these feelings that were brewing within him, the innate denial he buried himself in when samiris had begun to enter his life the way she did. he needed something familiar, something both known and unknown. the very thing that seemed to stick all these years, even when their pride got the best of them. “i didn’t want to scare you and see you tumble to your death. what were you doing, testing rather the balcony was strong enough to carry your little body?” he jested, a grin on his smile as his plans had been foiled. “trust me, you wont regret turning around and allowing me to surprise you this time. after all, when have i ever disappointed?” 

[tidemakcr]

oleeanders​:

WHERE NEMEA WAS VENOM maliya was antidote. it had always been in that manner ever since they’d met exchanging niceties at a dinner party for the nobles. since that day she’d taken her hand she hadn’t looked back. she had a way of seeing the best in nemea, even when it was probably undeserved, a kind of slow patience and understanding nobody else; even amongst her own family could seem to muster. she swept through the room settling in the chair opposite of maliya with such warm familiarity. her finger traced along the fissure that born the malady of nemea herself, when she maudlin on summer wine had fallen into the table and grown vines through the offending object in her rage. “it’s been quite the scandal.” she gave a dainty little sigh. “apparently some distant cousin of mine has been screwing his housemaid. well of course his wife found out and threw a knife at his head, set the whole house on fire. i suppose the spring court shall never tire of it’s own internal theatre.” pausing she reached across to take maliya’s hand into her own. “but what troubles you? you seem far-away today.”

maliya’s entire family had been a rumbunctious batch of individuals, all of them possessing a darkness that maliya herself could never understand. yet, the young veleilles was always willing to stand by them and attempt to understand, to compare to the things she was familiar with. if she couldn’t, she would simply accept it as it was and allow them to stir whatever they desired. she was only a simple bystander, ensuring she always offered an open arm and ear for them whenever they needed it. it was what she had similar done to nemea, but instead of being avoided like her family did, nemea had also wanted to partake in the wonders that filled the young fae’s mind. she was grateful, so endlessly grateful as she now had a friend to partake the world with. the world that surrounded her felt less lonelier, it was easier for maliya to see the light that she designed with nemea by her side. so it was no wonder that maliya offered a smile, even though she didn’t agree with the actions. “of course it had to be the married cousin.” she remarked, a soft chuckle leaving her lips. “but god, that poor house. they are the true victim in this situation.” she usually was far more invested in such manners, she would be gossiping along and trying to find out with the wife left to find a man who truly loved her, to see if the cousin went with his housemaid. nemea knew, and so it shouldn’t be to any surprise when nemea question maliya. yet, the spring fae’s eyes widened slightly at the words, taking a moment to consider before a sigh escaped her lips. she grabbed her chair to bring them closer to nemea, worry slowly forming on her face. 

“my father is not joining me on my travels tomorrow to meridian. he said he’s going to have to check on our lands in orchadea & amaranthis. we’ve had some of our most prized cattle slain. i’m just hoping its not lola. i adore that cow.” she admitted, finding her fingers searching for the gaps between nemea’s fingers so she could onto her. “and i’ve never travelled alone before. i’m a bit nervous.”