// WCRSENING .

( 𝑎 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝑚𝑢𝑚𝑢 𝑏𝑙𝑜𝑔 𝑓𝑜𝑟 @𝐟𝐚𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐟𝐦 !! )

[nightfvll-deactivated20230808]

𝚕𝚘𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 : Velaris' homestead, inner circle & high family. 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚜 : 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐃 for filomena delaval, @wcrsening

𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡: darkness, no light, no light within the house, uncomfortably telling to the high lord, either those within were all sitting in the darkness or some might have fallen into slumber the shroud of night (he knew better, they weren't home) – despite the news, despite the haunting predictions from seers, sending all into flurries of fear, shock and or panic in some form. the peace had finally descended like the last star... and the one that taunts them all still hung in the middle of the sky.

exhausted didn't come close to how he felt, he felt that he had gone one on one with ungodly beings... of course on the mental metaphor that is, otherwise he'd be squashed like a bug physically even in metaphorical terms. thankfully, he had changed before visiting the high lady of the night court, then he had attended most of his court but still hadn't seen his sister nor Filomena, or Valeria which was worrisome to his heart. ignoring the feeling of another presence in the room, far too deep in his own head, that finnick paced back towards the entrance as if he were to leave, instead, he stopped mid-step shaking his head and some time passed as if he was frozen in place before he finally turned around. ❝ that's what i'll do, send the guard out to find them. mhhh. yes, that's what i'll do, indeedy. ❞ convinced himself it wouldn't be wise for him to be running around like a chicken with no head... again.

moving away from the foray, hitting the lights on the way and nearly jumping out of his own skin from the fright of not being as alone as he previously thought. ❝ mother's cauldron, Filomena! ❞ his voice hitching in the back of his throat, pats of his hand against his own chest to get the beating to ease. ❝ how long have you been there? ❞

[wcrsening]

𝑵𝑶𝑵𝑪𝑯𝑶𝑳𝑨𝑵𝑻 𝑨𝑺 𝑺𝑯𝑬 𝑴𝑨𝒀 𝑷𝑹𝑬𝑻𝑬𝑵𝑫 to be, filomena had experienced far too much hardship and pain in her life to be heartless. granted, she'd met many people who had been through hell and taken the opposite perspective— they shut themselves out from the pain, turn cold, rather than face it and risk another vulnerability. fia was like that herself for a time. a long time. but it took far more strength to maintain her sanity and health than it did to risk her life in an impulsive blaze of glory. . . or so she was slowly learning to convince herself.

if there was anyone who filomena would say she owed her life to, it was finnick. he ignited a strength in her that she never knew she'd had, simply by being himself. by seeing her. and for that, she could never repay him. starborn, truly— the high lord was something from the heavens, something no one on midgard nor prythian deserved, and filomena would more than willingly die to defend him.

"apologies," she giggled with a dip of her head, though the triumphant smile on her face suggested she wasn't all that sorry. "you make it far too easy for me. too easy, indeedy," she teased. filomena enjoyed the moments she could catch the high lord off guard. not for any malicious intent, but because that celestial mind of his always entranced her. she could watch him for minutes, hours uninterrupted — so long he didn't notice her — just pacing in thought or tinkering at his work station. he was brilliant, so thoroughly brilliant in a way that no one of this planet could ever begin to understand. and yet, she still found fun in spooking him out of deep thought whenever possible, like they were a couple of kids let loose in a mansion.

her playful smile slipped upon seeing the stress that riddled her high lord's face. always nosey, and never one to hold her tongue, filomena didn't bother to pretend she wasn't eavesdropping. "what's going on in that brain of yours, finn?"

[ohisms]

↪     ᵗʰᵉ 𝑫𝑼𝑺𝑻𝒀 𝑻𝑶𝒀𝑩𝑶𝑿 .    (  a  collection  of  various unsorted sentence starters .  adjust  phrasing  as  necessary .   no longer updating .  )

why are you here ?

drive .  drive fast .

i think we should make an informed decision .

are you coming or not ?

you’ve been avoiding me .

[ name ] ,  what were you thinking ?

this should be your priority .

let me hold you for a minute .

get out of my way .  i won’t tell you again .

that wasn’t supposed to happen .

can you keep a secret ?

i don’t know what i did to deserve you .

you seriously think i could’ve done something like that ?

you’re safe with me .

sorry isn’t good enough .

where is all this coming from ?

who told you about that ?

sorry i’m late ,  i got caught up .

you’re being paranoid .

why are you looking at me like that ?

you’re the single most important thing to me .

all i’m asking is that you hear me out .

whatever they told you ,  it’s a lie .

we shouldn’t stick around here .

hold my hand ,  i don’t want to lose track of you .

[ name ]  …  truth or dare ?

i love you .  nothing’s gonna change that .

can you tell me what happened ?

you can’t come around here anymore .

back off ,  okay ?

what ,  you don’t have time for me anymore ?

you’re asking for too much .

i’m trying to start a new life .

what do you mean ,  you aren’t coming back ?

sometimes i think you must hate me .

why can’t we just talk about this ?

i know i fucked up ,  you can stop rubbing it in .

you’ve got quite a reputation .

i’m not usually like this ,  i’m sorry .

please ,  just let me explain myself .

i love watching you work .

we’re on the same team .

did you ever tell anyone ?

you’ve got a lot of explaining to do .

really funny ,  you’re very mature .

you call THAT a PLAN ?

can we get out of here ?

i thought things would be different .

this is not up for debate !

do whatever you have to do .

karma’s going to get you for that .

it could’ve been a lot worse .

i asked you to leave me out of this .

maybe it’s time to take a leap of faith .

i never want to see you again .

can you see how many fingers i’m holding up ?

i’m gonna be there when you get what’s coming to you .

you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me .

i’ve been waiting all night for this .

i told you not to contact me .

sometimes i really think you have a death wish .

what do you need ?  —  what can i do ?

i would do literally anything to keep you safe .

that was supposed to be a secret .

you haven’t called me that in years .

stop telling me to calm down !

we make a pretty good team .

i have so much i want to say to you .

i’m not going to let anyone hurt you .

can we please not do this right now ? 

wait ,  wait  …  just breathe for a second .

how are you holding up ?

why don’t you stay the night ?  i’ll take the couch .

i don’t need your protection !

you’re not making this easier on yourself .

are you going to let me in ?

i’m supposed to be protecting you .

i will kill you if i have to .

do whatever you have to do .

this is going to hurt ,  i’m sorry .

what happened to you ,  where have you been ?!

there was nothing you could’ve done .

you’re all i need right now .

i don’t believe in love at first sight .

have you been following me ?

i need you to believe me .

what do you remember ?

i’m not a good person .

what the hell’s going on with you ?

you’re being followed .

just when i thought my day couldn’t be any worse .

i’ve been having weird dreams .

so you’ve been lying to me this whole time ?

are you trying to get us killed ?

this is the worst thing that’s ever happened to me .

i never asked for your help .

you’re being followed ,  pretend you know me .

why has it started to feel different with you ?

don’t worry ,  i have a plan .

i heard everything .

do you need to sit down ?

i have the right to know what’s going on .

i’ve just gotta catch my breath .

stay out of my business .

what did you think was going to happen ?!

don’t cause a scene .

tell me something about you that i don’t know .

can i buy you a drink ?

what if  …  we played spin the bottle ?

this was never a problem until  [ name ]  came around .

you can’t ask me to make that choice .

are you seeing anyone right now ?

i need you to listen to me ,  we don’t have long .

you’re lying ,  that doesn’t make any sense .

you look  …  stunning .

what are you trying to prove ?

who died and made you the boss of me ?

you can’t just show up here like this .

let me make it up to you .

there’s no way i’m leaving you like this .

can we stay like this ?  just for a little longer .

i don’t need you to fight for me .

so  …  you lied to me ?

you’re the only one that can help me .

i can’t help you if you won’t let me .

i never introduced myself ,  i’m [ name ] .

i expected more from you .

you have no idea who i am ,  do you ?

are you real ?  is this real ?

can i stay with you ?  just for the night .

you’re going to get yourself killed .

why did you help me ?

tell me what i can do to help .

pick a card ,  any card .

i never wanted any of this .

i love you .   you don’t have to say it back .

do you wanna get out of here ?

what the hell are you talking about ?

i should have trusted you .

get your head out of the clouds .

how is any of this MY fault ?!

what aren’t you telling me ?

i can’t help you if you won’t let me .

it’s never just one with you ,  is it ?

you’re not supposed to know about that .

shut your mouth .

i haven’t kissed you yet ,  today .

where is this coming from ?

come over here and make me ,  then .

keep lying to yourself ,  see where it gets you .

i’m not a bad person .

is that what you wanted to hear ?

we can’t be seen together .

i can’t give you what you want .

i need you to leave .

are you drunk ?

i’m here ,  i’m here .  i’m not going anywhere .

you might want to take a seat for this .

have you been listening to anything i’ve said ?

i haven’t heard from you in weeks .

you’re jealous ,  aren’t you ?

who do you think you’re talking to ?

what are you reading ?

you could’ve killed me !

come on ,  we don’t have time for this .

i just need ten minutes of silence .

really ?  that’s all you have to say ?

we could leave ,  you know .  go far away .

you don’t look too good .

i never want to see you again .

why can’t you just leave me alone ?

i thought you died .

you’ll do anything for attention .

give me another chance .

how’s the weather up there ?

all you do is hurt people !

i’m sorry ,  none of this makes sense .

you need to get out of here before anyone sees you .

i told you i didn’t want you around here .

is that supposed to be a threat ?

you’ve changed .

don’t look at me like that .

it’s a beautiful day ,  don’t you think ?

i did what i had to do .

you never know when to stop .

i’ve got to get home ,  it’s getting late .

i have nothing to prove to you .

stop LYING to me  …  all you do is lie .

you don’t have to be nice to everybody .

don’t tell me what to do .

pull your head out of the past .

nobody can help me .  i can’t even help me .

we are not talking about that right now .

are you new around here ?

you have no idea what you’re starting .

i’m gonna get us out of here .

whatever you came here to say ,  i don’t want to hear it .

everyone’s staring at us .

is there anything i can do to help ?

i won’t cause you any more trouble .

– just follow my instructions for once !

do you want to come in ?

i just didn’t know what to do .

you need rest ,  lie down .

i’m not who you think i am .

i don’t know what you want me to say .

you’re not like anyone else i’ve ever met .

i feel like i’m going insane .

stop asking ,  you’re not going to like my answer .

i didn’t want you to see me any differently .

i wish i knew what to say to you .

don’t give me that look ,  you know what i mean .

you should be afraid .

do you still love me ?

i never thought i’d get this far .

the world doesn’t revolve around you .

i need you to give me some space .

i know what you’re doing ,  don’t play games .

you left me to die .

i’m beyond repentance .

when are you going to get it through your head ?

i missed you more than i thought i would .

i’m in love with you .

what do you need from me ?

i’ll kill them ,   just say the word .

[ name ] ,   what are you doing here ?

how can i help ?

you’re pathetic .

i need you to come pick me up .

where have you been ?  it’s eleven o’clock .

i couldn’t live with myself if i let you get hurt .

i can’t just pretend it didn’t happen .

you’re a real piece of work .

do you remember how we first met ?

when did all of this fall apart ?

that’s not what i came here for .

i would do anything for you .

i don’t need you to hold my hand through this .

are you sure this is the right thing to do ?

can’t we try to pretend things are okay ?

what is THAT supposed to mean ?

you’re always late ,  what am i supposed to think ?

there’s nothing you can do to fix this .

you’re far too kind to me .

can we go now ?  like ,  right now ?

i have to do this alone .

where’s your common sense ?

we aren’t supposed to be in here .

can you feel my heartbeat ?

i think i’ve seen you around before .

why are you acting weird ?

i have a really bad feeling .

i hate seeing you like this .

how am i supposed to react to that ?

what do you want most in the world ?

[heightstm]

titan's frustration crawls up his spine , broad shoulders tensing as he watches her insufferably smug expression. she was a bug. a tiny little bug with gorgeous , voluminous hair crawling under his skin. is he supposed to feel scared by her evident proximity to the dusken high lord because they're on a first name basis ? considering the height of the honourable lord finnick , it's hardly impressive to him and his domineering seven foot length under the water , but titan observes the threat ( ? ) for later. she was such a case study. field notes galore !

❝ stop treating me like a guppy — ❞ titan frowns , crossing his arms. ❝ it's not like this is a hole in the wall. it was just the loudest bar on the street and thought it might be good fun. ❞ it was just his luck that his least favourite prythian happened to be seating there , vulnerable to the dangers of an untied shoelace.

titan scans the other patrons at the bar. to her credit , they seem rowdier with a charged energy — more likely to break into a bar fight than a group song. he squeezes into the booth with the high fae , figuring that despite her rough exterior , he would probably like her on his side in a bar fight. ❝ what are you reading ? ❞

[wcrsening]

𝐀 𝐆𝐔𝐏𝐏𝐘. 𝑭𝑰𝑳𝑶𝑴𝑬𝑵𝑨 𝑯𝑨𝑫 𝑻𝑶 suppress a smile. a struggle which became immensely easier when titan sandwiched into the booth beside her, effectively gobbling up a good portion of her elbow room. to make that point rather obvious, she dug an elbow into his ribs. as if he were the sole distraction in the increasingly raucous bar. fia scoured the room with narrowed eyes, taking in the drunken crowd. good. just as she wanted them.

lugging her haul of books all the way back to her quarters seemed far too daunting, but she hadn't wanted to risk being seen with such materials— assuming any of the prythianites could even identify the language, much less decipher it. still, the stack of clearly ancient books would be enough to raise eyebrows amongst any sober and inquisitive crowd. filomena had taken great care in scouting out the one place where no one would question her about a book, nor later remember if they had. and yet—- here was titan.

filomena turned her head to look at him head on, raising an eyebrow. "none of your fucking business," she responds swiftly, maintaining the same mock brevity as before. her eyes didn't leave his as she slammed the book closed, then reached for his drink and sipped it as casually as if it were her own.

"unless. . . you've actually happened to learn something from your sister?" if there was anyone's help she could use, it was calliope's. the far more preferable of the siblings, in filomena's humble opinion. before titan could even answer, fia scoffed. "nevermind. i doubt you could help. these texts are far too old. far too complicated." queue the saccharine smile that she knew would press his buttons.

[heightstm]

her sweet little ermine wakes clytemnestra as she's always had: by nibbling on her toes. even as a kit , snowball would creep under the covers , crawling between her and her love , waking them with nibbles and laughter and silliness. the wistful memory plagues her in the mornings that she wakes alone ( which is to say ... all of them ). as the ermine's sole caretaker now , holed together in the confines of a lonely bedchamber , snowball's pampered nature very quickly becomes unbearable as she cries and whinges at her utter lack of toys and snow to bound around in. deciding that snowball would easily love to be a grassball as well , clemmie shepherds the ermine into her arms , pushing her chamber door's open with her hip.

❝ oh. ❞ she pays no mind to the reason or the awkwardness surrounding his visit , especially as she'd just been thinking about vitto. she melts into a smile , but as with every time he's seen her since , it's still just as disturbing to watch him bow towards her. especially when all she can think while peering into the deep green of his eyes is the laughter in them when he would catch her in his arms and they'd kiss between dizzying spins. her stomach does an uncomfortable tumble. it's not fair to think about it as a married woman , nor is it fair as the one who broke his heart but truthfully , it's good to see him.

despite the reverie , snowball squirms giddily in her arms , chirping happily at the familiar face. really , clem can't help but follow suit. a warm , welcoming smile graces her lips. ❝ hi vee,❞ it wasn't in her to categorize her old flame as anything but — nothing as impersonal as lord duchamps , or commander. ❝ i ... ❞ she falters between the truth and propriety. ❝ i'm fine. did you just meet with kardan ? ❞

[wcrsening]

𝑨𝑵𝒀 𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑵𝑪𝑬 𝑶𝑭 𝑺𝑨𝑳𝑽𝑨𝑮𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑯𝑰𝑺 less-than-cool composure was shattered at the sight of the squirming, fluffy ball of white. vitto's face broke into a rare, unbridled grin as his eyes fell straight to the ermine— perhaps the one and only being who could win his attention over clem's ( a feat snowball was certainly aware she'd achieved, the spoiled little thing ).

the moment is short-lived, for it only takes one glance at the smile on clem's face — a mirror to his own in that moment, so bright and warm and happy — to knock the breath from his lungs. his smile slipped away with it. hi vee. all the training or battlefield experience in the world couldn't have prevented the flicker of emotion that flashed across his face right then. pained, haunted ; as if he were remembering a battlefield, a fallen soldier. clytemnestra, for all vitto loved her, was like a living, walking ghost that tested the limits of his strength every single day.

sometimes he viewed it that way. from the perspective of a commander. the only way he'd ever been taught to think. vitto wasn't taught to feel, but trained to strategize. not to learn names, but to count heads. to rationalize, because commanders did not have the luxury of indecision. he'd failed clytemnestra in that way, with his own weakness. if he hadn't been so eager to please his father, to please kardan—

the thought of it made him sick. sometimes physically so. if the whole tragic situation were a battlefield, then clem was a soldier he'd errantly sent to the grave. if he'd made a different call, any call, maybe he could have saved her.

and mother above, how he hated the sound of his name on her lips. it was enough to jolt vitto back to reality. he forced his gaze elsewhere— the carpet, the window, the mountains beyond. anywhere but her, so radiant and beautiful and so fucking happy to see him.

he swallowed and forced himself to meet her eyes again, this time with the colder neutrality he'd learned to adapt. the hard set of his jaw couldn't be helped. discussing kardan with clem, even in the most trivial of manners, would never get easier for him.

"no. he's— " vitto paused, brow furrowing slightly as it occurred to him that kardan clearly did not extend the courtesy of sharing his whereabouts with his wife, even in such uncertain circumstances. bastard. vitto sucked a breath in through his teeth, stuffing his hands into his pockets to hide his clenched fists. "i'm. . . not at liberty to discuss the high lord's schedule." silence stretched between them, broken only by snowball's excited chattering, blissfully unaware. vitto realized, then, that he had no real excuse to be there. "are you— do you need anything?"

[tragiclike]

When their relationship came crumbling down, she was convinced he never loved her to begin with. Althea loved him like no other. At one point, she could have seen them having children, growing old together. He had managed to spark so much joy in her life and made her feel like the most important person in the world. A part of her heart would always yearn for that love he once made her feel. The truth was, she was frightened history would repeat itself once more. Vitto left her shielding her heart from the universe, and even her newly found mate himself.

To this day, she liked to think that maybe she was still right. Perhaps Vitto never had any genuine feelings for her and all there was between them was physical attraction and nothing more. She still felt resentment toward him. Simply being this close to him left her feeling an overwhelming amount of emotions, both a mixture of rage and despair. She could feel the heat beginning to swarm toward her face and her body threatening to shake from emotion, but she wanted to conceal that as best she could. He did not deserve to see how much he shattered her. More importantly, he did not deserve the attention she chose to give him.

There was a coldness toward his grasp on her fingers. It left her taken aback at his bold moves, provoking a scoff under her breath. How dare he... look her up and down as if nothing had happened between them? How could he just prance around as if he hadn't done any damage?

"Ah, of course. How could I forget? It certainly has not been decades since we last saw each other." A lie. She did know, but if he wanted to play a game with her, she would play it, too. The corners of her lips twitch into a confident smile, bright violet hues never daring to leave his gaze. Her hand slips out of his grasp as she takes a slow deep breath in. "Hmm. I do wonder why." As she stood there staring into his icy hues, she couldn't help but think about what her intentions had been when she first approached him. Certainly not to insult him, though at this point it felt like the words were flying out of her mouth with little control. "Do tell me, Commander. How are things in the Winter Court?"

[wcrsening]

𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑸𝑼𝑬𝑺𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵 𝑾𝑨𝑺 𝑰𝑵𝑵𝑶𝑪𝑬𝑵𝑻 𝑬𝑵𝑶𝑼𝑮𝑯, but something in Althea's tone made him freeze. When she drew her hand back, he did the same, clasping his wrist behind his back instead. Vitto straightened himself, setting his shoulders back, and stared hard into her eyes. Though his easy smile had faltered, he managed to keep the corners of his mouth tiled upward in an attempt to counteract the cold gaze he leveled on her.

"Quite well," he quipped. Vitto took half a step forward, just enough to invade her personal space. This was the persona he wore most often these days. The mirror of his high lord, cold and calculating. It was what earned him his current position, more or less, this ability to turn to ice. But even as he ground his teeth then, it wasn't just in reaction to what Althea laid out between the lines of her question. It was because this wasn't easy for him. "Much better than things in the Dusk Court, I presume I can say with confidence."

He didn't bother to back away from her, and his eyes held a clear threat: leave it at that.

Vitto dragged his eyes over her once more, though for all the show of intimidation, he did take a brief moment to really look at her. " — So," he started off, finally backing up a step, "no date?"

[whichcouldmeanothing]

#what they’re all thinking

[franksveins]

Mia Goth

[wcrsening]

𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 @wingedtm — 𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑜 + 𝑐𝑙𝑦𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎

𝑨𝑻 𝑳𝑬𝑨𝑺𝑻 𝑨𝑵 𝑯𝑶𝑼𝑹 𝑯𝑨𝑫 passed since vitto made the decision to make the short trek to his high rulers' suite— a good forty-five of those minutes were spent pacing up and down the hall that lead to their door.

she's your high lady. you're allowed to check on her. still, he felt that icy surge of dread that always paralyzed him when his feelings for clem threatened to rise to the surface. one wrong look in kardan's presence could mean a swift death for vitto. he'd seen firsthand just how irrational the high lord could be when it came to defending what he believed to be his. but it would be nothing compared to the punishment clytemnestra would endure, should kardan ever discover that vitto's feelings had once been reciprocated.

he'd always known that his love for clem could never fully be returned, though— even when they still stood a chance. vitto was head over heels from the moment he'd seen her. he put her up on a pedestal far before she earned her title. sometimes, vitto wondered if she truly preferred such coldness and distance in a relationship. if he'd suffocated her by laying himself too bare. she'd fallen into bed with a warrior, after all. a commander, trained to be cool and calculated at all times. not one of the dozens of hopeless romantics that she already had vying at her feet.

the sound of the door opening doesn't cause him to start, but he does freeze in his tracks, having clearly been pacing. "clem— " vitto made to step toward her, but paused, bowing instead. when he looked up to her, concern was plastered all over his features. "i hadn't seen you since— i wanted to make sure you were alright."

[tragiclike]

to: @wcrsening's vitto duchamps

In Althea's head, this felt like the mature thing to do. She knew he had seen her throughout the night, and so did she. Moments before making this decision, they had even managed to lock eyes for just a moment. She felt panic-stricken and at this point, too frozen to do anything else. She swallowed thickly as she approached the once familiar man.

"Vitto." The lady greeted, almost immediately dreading her decision. "Commander." Althea corrected herself. She could feel her heart racing in her chest, and at this point, she couldn't tell if it was an effect of her anxious state or the anger threatening to rip out her chest. It seemed that even to this day, he still left a mixture of emotions within her. Anger. Despair. Need.

"You seem... well." She felt a struggle in forcing out those words. As she stood there and took in his fresh new figure, she couldn't help but think about the fact that he looked almost entirely the same as the last time they had ever seen each other. The only difference was that he was now a stranger to her. Things are better this way, she liked to convince herself. It was a lie she fed herself for too long. "What brings you here today?"

[wcrsening]

𝑯𝑬'𝑫 𝑳𝑶𝑪𝑲𝑬𝑫 𝑬𝒀𝑬𝑫 𝑾𝑰𝑻𝑯 𝑯𝑬𝑹 just once, earlier in the evening. his face, as always, had given nothing away. no hint of the twist in his gut that always roiled in her presence, of the gnawing guilt that threatened to devour him whole some nights. instead, he'd given her a hint of a smirk and returned to his conversation, as if she were nothing more than a brief acquaintance.

it came far too easily to him— the act of shutting down his emotions, of honing his inner insecurities into outward malice. sometimes he lamented his own inability to shift between human and weapon.

a small twitch of his lips hinted at a smirk when althea addressed him by his title. "lady althea," he greeted with the same formality. he took one of her hands as he bowed his head, placing a light kiss to her knuckles. "you look stunning."

vitto lowered her hand, but kept a light grasp on her fingers. "i have to come to all this shit now, remember?" a smirk did break through then, at the informality of his language compared to their situation. a beat of silence passed as he took in her appearance again. "and you? i ran into your brother earlier, but. . . he didn't seem to keen to speak with me."

[wcrsening]

. ✧ . * . ˚ ━━ ｢ LOGAN LERMAN, CIS MALE, HE/HIM. ｣ welcome VITTO DUCHAMPS, the COMMANDER of THE WINTER COURT, to velaris! it is well known that the 31 / 544 year old HIGH FAE is LOYAL and UNFLAPPABLE. it is a lesser known fact that they are also RETICENT and SPITEFUL. however, it is LOUD MUSIC MUFFLED IN THE DISTANCE ; SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF A MOUNTAIN PEAK ; CALLOUSED HANDS THAWING IN FRONT OF A FIRE ; FRESH BLOOD SPATTERING BRIGHT SNOW that truly define who they are. in the shadows, their alliance with PRYTHIAN makes them a force to be reckoned with.

Character Information

∘₊✧── 𝙂𝙀𝙉𝙀𝙍𝘼𝙇 𝙎𝙏𝘼𝙏𝙎

Name: Vittorio Duchamps Nicknames: Vitto (almost NEVER uses his full name) Age: 544 / 32 Occupation: Commander of the Winter Court Forces Sex: cis male (he/him) Species: High Fae Court: The Winter Court

∘₊✧── 𝘼𝙋𝙋𝙀𝘼𝙍𝘼𝙉𝘾𝙀

Hair Color: black-brown, wavy, just a little overgrown

Eye Color: very light blue, almost silvery-grey in the light; iridescent

Skin Color: white; usually fairly pale, but tends to have some color on his face and arms from training outdoors (gets brutally sunburnt when he’s high in the mountains rip)

Height: 6ft 2in (i know logan isnt that tall but i want a skeletor sadboi dont @ me)

Weight: 178lbs

Notable Features:

SCARS: he has a LOT of scars from battles and training. most of them are nearly imperceptible, due to the magic of high fae healing, but a few in particular were too deep to ever heal properly; — three long, pale, overlapping scars embedded from a whip that lay along along his spine — a long upraised scar above his right ear that stretches just to the edge of his cheekbone, from an ash arrow grazing the side of his head — one that starts just beneath his right armpit and ends at his waist on the inside of his hip; a long, deep gash from a sword. this was the most near-fatal of all of them.

TATTOOS: his tattoos are a deep navy blue, but vitto is able to change the color of them to match the color of the armor or clothes he’s wearing— a gift bestowed upon him when he became commander, intended for camouflage purposes in battle. he rarely utilizes it. — a fairly large rendering of the Sacred Mountain and its surrounding peaks take up the expanse of his back — a single, ornate flame, decorated with symbols of the winter court and fashioned to look almost like a blade, on the right side of his neck that begins to curl up the side of his jaw to frame his face — the back of both hands, from his knuckles down past his wrists, are covered in the same ornate winter court symbols and designs — the winter court army insignia on his left bicept — probably more tbh but thats all for now folks

About

Born to a very wealthy & well-respected family in the Winter Court. Vitto’s father was the Commander of the Winter Court for centuries before Vitto took his place, and many other members of his family have dwelled within the court.

The youngest of three sisters, Vitto was forced to hit the ground running the moment he could stand. His father had long yearned for an heir by the time Vitto was born; the stress and strife of trying for a son wore on his parents — and then his sisters — for decades. The family he came into was a tense house full of bitter resentment and smoldering grudges.

Vitto was trained as a warrior from the age of five, just as all the men in his family before him were. Luckily, he was a born natural when it came to strategizing and fighting. He easily rose in the ranks. Though there are certainly some that still claim he’s earned his spot as Commander through nepotism, those who trained with him and serve under him know Vitto to be a worthy and fearsome general and respect him without question.

Basically a bigtime sadboi who likes to fight but wants to hug

∘₊✧── 𝘾𝙊𝙉𝙉𝙀𝘾𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉𝙎

Clytemnestra Nihar — high lady(ish), ex-lover During his years serving in the ranks of the Winter Court forces, Vitto was always being groomed by his superiors to take on the role of Commander ; he spent a lot of time within the court and found himself immediately infatuated by Clemmie, who was then working as an advisor. The two became lovers for a time, and to this day, he’s still deeply in love with her. Only a scant few had known about their relationship to begin with, luckily. Once Clem became High Lady, Vitto knew he would have to take that secret — and love — to the grave with him.

Kardan Nihar — high lord Even with his feelings about Clemmie aside, Vitto dislikes Kardan and certainly doesn’t trust him. He despises the way he treats his wife and the people of the Winter Court. Vitto’s father always compared him to Kardan, believing that Vitto needed to be colder and more wicked to be taken seriously in any position of authority. Vitto is unwaveringly loyal to his high lord, even when he doesn’t want to be. He always keeps an eye out around Kardan, and tries to make himself sparse— lest he be caught in the same room as Kardan and Clem together for an extended period of time, which Vitto always tries vehemently to avoid.

Althea Haldar — ex girlfriend The longest lasting relationship that Vitto has ever had — the closest he's ever come to a normal, stable love — was Althea Haldar, sister of the High Lord of the Dusk Court. The two of them were immediately smitten, two sides of the same coin. As much of a friendship as it was a relationship, Vitto allowed himself to get closer to Althea than he had to anyone before. He truly loved Althea; they envisioned a future together, dreamt of being mated. She knew him inside and out, which was precisely the problem— she could tell his heart was somewhere else, and eventually, she unearthed the secret of Vitto's infatuation with his high lord's wife. To protect himself and Clytemnestra both, he denied all of it, and still attempts to.

∘₊✧── 𝙒𝘼𝙉𝙏𝙀𝘿 𝘾𝙊𝙉𝙉𝙀𝘾𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉𝙎

bring my bb his soldiers!!!! members of the winter court forces <3

childhood friends from winter court, friends from other courts

current and past lovers/flings galore!!

WOULD LOVE HIS 3 OLDER SISTERS OFC!!!!!!!!

someone who knew about his relationship w/ clemmie and holds it against him could be v spicy...

[heightstm]

patches of dried scales stand like irritated goose pimples , regretting that he'd even said anything. fuck him for being a nice guy. fuck him for pointing out her laces seemed to be undone. his chill , bohemian image was going to die in this bar. he just wanted a pint of beer but he would be laid to rest and bury underneath the booth with a headstone that read: HERE LIES TITAN NARDOA , DEAD IN A FOREIGN LAND. what would his moms say ?

choosing not clarify , titan bares his teeth in a grimace , ❝ you're pretty , but ever consider that you're made of nuts and bolts ? ❞

it was much easier to be like his fellow mer — barefoot was best , but floppy sandals that let the feet breathe were as good as shoes got. you didn't need to tie them or anything ! but , on second thought , the blonde fae seemed unhinged enough that she wouldn't care even if she had noticed. he'll record this anomaly into his field notes.

[wcrsening]

"𝑨𝑾𝑾, 𝑯𝑬 𝑻𝑯𝑰𝑵𝑲𝑺 𝑰'𝑴 𝑷𝑹𝑬𝑻𝑻𝒀," she cooed to no one in particular, eyes already back on the ancient script in front of her. Such a tone from Filomena, all lilted and sing-songy, could be construed as nothing but blatant sarcasm.

For a few moments, it seemed as though Filomena wasn't planning to respond further. The paragraph she was on had fully sucked in her attention— but then her head popped up once more, sending a flick of blonde her over her shoulder. "I have, actually," she continued as if the brief absence of her attention had never happened, lifting her eyes to Titan's face. The exasperation written all over his features brought a crooked smile to her own. "Considered that I'm made of nuts and bolts. It'd be rather convenient, I think, given Finnick's knack for tinkering. He could make me unstoppable." Another flash of teeth before she downed the remainder of her beer and sat back in the booth, finally taking a breath.

When she looked at Titan again, she was finally truly taking in his presence. Her eyes swept over the mer, taking in the contrast of him compared to the dark, dingy bar. "What are you doing here, anyway? Following me? I'd have thought you'd start melting in a place like this. Or maybe burst into flame."

[wcrsening]

𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐍 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑 !! 𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 : a dive bar in velaris

𝑭𝑰𝑳𝑶𝑴𝑬𝑵𝑨 𝑾𝑨𝑺 𝑰𝑵 𝑹𝑨𝑹𝑬 𝑭𝑶𝑹𝑴. the emissary was more than used to taking disaster in stride, but to her own dismay, she has always very much been a creature of habit— or, moreover, of organization. it wouldn't necessarily appear that way to a passerby, given her general partying, fighting, and debauchery, but she's always had a firm head on her shoulders. after all, she didn't earn her title — nor her current state of survival — by being messy.

stranded in the night court with all of her technology, research, and the majority of her weapons back at the dusk court, filomena was damn near panic. she knew she needed to get to the rift, but she needed to be prepared— as did everyone in the city that bustled around her, if her worst fears were coming to light. her usual cool demeanor was frazzled and almost frantic.

" — what?" someone nearby had been speaking, and she'd been completely tuning them out. filomena slid her half-full beer to the side in order to make room for another book, pulled from the large stack that sat beside her on the booth. she'd checked out everything she could find in the vicinity that might help her research.

finally she looked up, reaching for her beer as she spoke. "listen. before you go on, i don't have time to answer questions. or to apologize for being rude."

[wcrsening]

. ✧ . * . ˚  ━━ ｢  MIA GOTH,  CIS FEMALE,  SHE/HER.  ｣  welcome  FILOMENA DELAVAL,  the  EMISSARY TO MIDGARD  of  THE DUSK COURT,  to  velaris!  it  is  well  known  that  the  29 / 808  year  old  HIGH FAE  is  DAUNTLESS  and  QUICK-WITTED  it  is  a  lesser  known  fact  that  they  are  also  BRAZEN  and  HEADSTRONG.  however,  it  is  A BULLET CAUGHT BETWEEN TEETH, A SLIGHT CHILL IN A SUMMER NIGHT'S BREEZE, THE UNNERVING SENSATION OF BEING WATCHED, A FIRE IGNITING AGAINST THE COBALT SKY. that  truly  define  who  they  are.  in  the  shadows,  their  alliance  with  THEMSELVES  makes  them  a  force  to  be  reckoned  with.  truly,  who  knows  what  to  expect  of  them.  cauldron  save  them,  mother  hold  them.  ｢  MILA,  25,  GMT CENTRAL,  SHE/HER  ｣

// will definitely be adding more to this!! still fleshing this wonderful mess of a baby out<3 // WCs to come as well, but please attack me with yours in the meantime!!

TW: mention of torture, death, PTSD... (I think that's all?!)

Character Information

∘₊✧── 𝙂𝙀𝙉𝙀𝙍𝘼𝙇 𝙎𝙏𝘼𝙏𝙎

Name: Filomena Delaval Nicknames: Fia, Fi, FiFi (usually only used by those close to her, ESPECIALLY the last one) Age: 808 / 29 Occupation: Emissary to Midgard Sex: cis female (she/her) Species: High Fae Court: The Dusk Court

∘₊✧── 𝘼𝙋𝙋𝙀𝘼𝙍𝘼𝙉𝘾𝙀

Hair Color: naturally a brassy brown, but usually dyed blonde

Eye Color: honey brown

Skin: light olive skin tone, a smattering of freckles across her face

Height: 5ft 7in

Notable Features: (coming soon!!)

About

at heart, filomena’s true loyalty lies with her birthplace: midgard. She had avoided settling in prythian herself for as long as possible, instead keeping mobile and continuing to help other midgardians through the wall. only when she was invited to take up her current position as emissary did filomena reluctantly begin to accept the harsh reality that had been staring her down for some time: the planet she’d lived and loved on would never be the same. with the few possessions and even fewer loved ones she’d kept around for the past decade, she didn’t have much left to lose. . .  but she was finally forced to release a part of herself, her past, that she’d been clutching on to for far too long.

bouncing from place to place is something she’s always done, sometimes out of necessity, and sometimes out of personal preference. In her younger years, she was a firecracker and a wild spirit. she keeps that edge; however, years of war and hardship have sharpened and honed her carefree joy into guarded sarcasm. bever made a habit of harboring malicious intent, but would do absolutely anything to protect & defend the dusk court, what’s left of midgard, and all the innocents in between.

years back, filomena met a man that she was near certain was her mate, and vice versa— she still believes that the connection would have snapped into place, had they had just a bit more time. he was a member of the 18th legion, a strong and passionate malakh, and they had been together for many years before the rebellion broke out. she still mourns him deeply. the memory of him fuels her desire for midgard’s preservation, but her desire for self preservation is increasingly little. she’s always been adventurous ( fearless, she would proclaim ), always willing to take risks, but lately it seems she’s almost purposely seeking out dangerous and toxic situations. partying, schmoozing, fighting, traveling, working—- whatever the vice, she’s indulging in increasingly unhealthy amounts.

one fateful night she was identified by an enemy, recognized as the “mate” of one of the legion. she was captured, and ended up spending several years as a prisoner in various war camps. they shuffled her around blindly, subjecting her to varying levels of labor, torture, or interrogation at each one. her wit, grit, and charisma kept her alive, and despite the wretched nightmares she occasionally suffers from, fi now believes she was meant to be kidnapped. she was able to see places in midgard that she’d never visited before, met species of all kinds, and gathered as much information as she possibly could. 

personality wise, fia is very much a wild card!! she can be very manipulative/charismatic, but also sometimes just…. straight up unsettling? or strange?? she’s a lot! 

stans dusk court over EVERYTHING now… she loves and appreciates the court so much for all they’ve done for midgard, and the IC is the closest thing to family she’s ever had. will fight anyone on sight who whispers a WORD against the dusk court. views them as just as much of home as midgard  ( but tea.. is concerned about their ability to hold their ground against the other courts!! )

∘₊✧── 𝘾𝙊𝙉𝙉𝙀𝘾𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉𝙎

(COMING SOON!!)

∘₊✧── 𝙒𝘼𝙉𝙏𝙀𝘿 𝘾𝙊𝙉𝙉𝙀𝘾𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉𝙎

(ALSO COMING SOON IM TRASH)

[possession]

MIA GOTH via Instagram