wintersaurora:
❅
Aurora sighed, rolling her eyes but nodding. “I understand, Rob, I do. But unless you’ve been in that situation, I really could not explain to you how difficult it is to think of anything but giving peace of mind to the people that you care about, especially when you’ve already made their family’s life difficult to begin with by bringing in your own world.” She wouldn’t have bothered even explaining that much, as little as it was, had it not been Robin. But Aurora had known her, barely after the cusp of maturity, and so she had always held her words back less. They flowed out like a reckless young adult’s.
“I never mind how harsh you are, you already know I don’t. But don’t extend that to him and don’t act like you know my nephew or the situation better than I do. If you mention anything about him getting killed or bound again, I’m going to take that very seriously,” Aurora replied, impressively calm. “And I’m trying to be level-headed tonight. So while you’ve given me some sage counsel, Robin, the best you can do now is keep an eye on him every once in a while if you’d like to help him in any way. That is all.” Though much unlike their youth, Aurora now spoke with the crushing finality of a Chancellor.
...
“According to you our experiences do not align in the slightest,” she notes, voice amused still even as the ever present warmth fades from her eyes. It is not that Aurora is fully wrong, and yet she is not fully right either. She had brought plenty of mortals into their world, whether they wanted to learn about it or not. Anne and William had just been the beginning, the parents and childrens she had set up for her plans a continuance of said actions. Despite the Chancellors assumptions, she knew rather well what it mean to bring someone to this world. She did not care for all of her birds equally, but she is not heartless and there are some she had loved and lost for the greater good. Still, she gives Aurora some grace, as she knows nothing of what is going on behind the scenes. ”I will simply add that I have actually experience similar situations, but I see that doesn’t matter so I shall keep the rest of my words to myself.”
Aurora is an old friend, and Robin will always hold her dear for that. That doesn’t mean that Robin approves of her every action, nor she likes some of them. The younger eladrin’s tendency to default to her position as a Chancellor as a trump card over and over again is one of the things that grate her the most. It’s truly infuriating when she believes herself to be better just because her father died before his time and she was chosen to replace them. Yes, Aurora had the prowess and the intelligence necessary to assume the role of chancellor, but damn did her arrogance undermine her every move when she used her title to end every argument, assuming that being a chancellor could make up for being wrong.
“Of course, Chancellor,” she says thinly, with a brief yet almost mocking bow to demonstrate her annoyance at the other’s use of her position in what was supposed to be a conversation amidst friends. “I will endeavor to do as Your Excellency orders, despite the fact you do not head my court.”
who? @wadecalhoun where? by the dance floor
"Do they teach you how to dance in the fancy farm of yours?" She asks as she slides next to Wade with a chesire grin on her face. Bumping her shoulder good naturedly against the hunter's, she basks on his presence, wondering why does it feel like it's been far too long since the two of them spent time together. "I sure hope so, you won't be impressing anyone if all you know is square dancing."
"So you have met often," Robin confirms, a spark of delight on her carefully light tone as she bumps her shoulder against Farenduil. As much as she truly does enjoy gossiping, her attempt to tease the former fey lays more on her desire to bring a smile or a blush upon his cheeks, anything to distract him from the reality in which his mother sacrificed herself for the common good. What Titania had done is commendable, but Robin worries that with Farenduil's already set tendency for melancholy, the grief would not leave him. He might be human now, but he grew up as a fey, and she is sure the long lasting melancholy he is used to would kill him in his fragile shell. "But you have not ventured outside? That cannot do. We must do some recon and find good outing spots, then. The Saturnalia market, for example, sounds fantastic."
"I didn't know that, actually." It's very casual, almost too casual, because he knows what she's getting at and it's something he hasn't really put too much thought towards. Just because he'd made peace with Titania passing didn't mean it didn't hurt, but with all of that swept away, confined to the house, he was left with....Life is quite strange. Though he is touched that many have made a point to keep him in their lives, even if Robin is grilling him on the elephant in the room. "We usually just have coffee at my place. I still haven't gotten out much."
END
"The slow decay never stops, but with it comes the birth of new life," she whispers, more to herself than to her fellow Chancellor, a fond smile of her own as she keeps her gaze on the golden splendor before her. One must die and die and die, before they can live, just as she had been told on her confirmation ritual. She had learned that lesson intimately as nature consumed her and reshaped her over and over again, and learned it once more when buried along the roots, but it was easy to forget, when face with the enormity of their losses, of their grief. So many had died, sacrificed themselves for a better future for the courts, and that future has yet to arrive, for they are the ones that will be building it up from nothing. There is a reason that for as much as she does not understand Zahrya, she respects him. He is doing his part, building the future they deserve, and she can only thank him for that. "It will be hard work, reaching that future, but I look forward for that toil," she admits, even as a bemused smile spreads and she sends him an arched look. "I am beyond delighted to receive your invitation, I will not miss such a high honor."
lainxsolus:
“I’m well aware of how petty the fey can be. I got turned into a changeling during the masquerade party last year,” Time had dulled the pain he had experienced from the transformation, at least he could openly talk about it now without visibly trembling. Besides, he had survived and the ordeal had made him stronger. When he wasn’t numb to his emotions, he got a little scared. The initial opening himself up to become intimate and vulnerable with someone new was a hurdle that Lain always struggled with. It was easier being alone, but damn if it didn’t hurt like hell. “I don’t actually have fleas,” Lain replied, grinning, “I’ve been wearing my flea collar. Although if you start offering parasite removal services you might just become the most popular person in New Rome.” The lycan closed the short distance between them, lips brushing against Robin’s, his body reflexively flinching at the initial contact before he willed himself to relax against her. His lips continued to move against her’s, muscle memory coming back to him easily even after nearly a year of not kissing another person. It was not like he had not wanted to kiss someone before meeting Robin, but he always managed to talk himself out of it before he even made a move. He pressed her against the wall, hands moving down her body to firmly grip her waist. “There’s cops everywhere, how about we find somewhere more private?”
...
“Oh, you pretty thing, that wasn’t pettiness that was viciousness,” she tuts softly as she raises her hand to brush her knuckles across his cheeks tenderly. She can’t apologize, not when she would have done the same, cannot apologize for Fen’harel’s actions because at the end of the day, she is not above making changeling either. And yet, it would have been such a tragedy to lose the little puppy before they could have their fun. With their current alliance with the Lupo pack, she does not have to worry about a betrayal coming from their side, and that means that she can finally relax and have some fun. By the Seasons she had missed having fun. “Mmm,” she hums thoughtfully as she tilts her head. “I am pleased to know that, and I might even offer you the parasite removal if you are good, but I would never overstep my bounds, not when Zahrya has such a keen interest in the pack,” Robin croons playfully as she tilts her head to make it easier for the lycan to kiss her, moving carefully, as if she were treating a spooked animal. The hand brushing against his cheek slides down until it rests against his neck as she leans into the kiss, allowing him to take the lead as to not to spook him before they have their fun. Stepping back, she feels her back press against the wall and she smiles against his lips, a grin full of mischief. “I am agreeable to that compromise. Do you have any compunctions against fucking in a deserted clearing in the forest or do you prefer a bed?”
chancellorxlaer:
-
Matters of Fall weren’t really his concern, but a threat to one of the chancellors was a threat to all of them. “You should brush up on your combat skills as well, we’re at war, you set the tone for your court. If you can’t hold your own, someone will replace you.” It’s not a warning or a threat, just a word of caution that reputation was everything, if and when (because with fey it was always a matter of when) word got out that Robin had been bested by a single mortal man, it might not end well for her. Laer returned to the task of adjusting some of the aesthetics of his court, the castle in the sky that loomed ever present over the barren wasteland of Summer’s sands below. A very clear metaphor for the ego of eladrins. “Let me know if I can support you in any way, Summer is always here.”
...
“Any recommendations on who to turn to? I had considered a good enough fighter, but it is clear to me that I need to be better, and a teacher is always appreciated on these situations,” Robin comments, usual levity gone from her tone as she goes through the list of people she knows would provide help. If it were up to her, she would ask Aurora for help, but the Winter Chancellor is rather too busy for that. She hopes that Laer might have a suggestion or two, because despite her own lack of aspirations for leadership in the past, now that she has been given the position of Chancellor, she refuses to be deemed a failure. Not when she is making an effort to be better.
who? @lainxsolus where? near the stage, in a little alcove
"Excellent performance, sweetheart," Robin offers as she tugs at the chain wrapped around Lain's neck, pulling him towards an alcove she had scouted before the play had begun. Once they are hidden from view, she reaches up an places a hand on the back of Lain's neck, pulling him down for a quick kiss before pulling away and sending him a mischievous grin. "Reminds me of William's first production of Hamlet, full of enthusiasm and passion for the craft. Definitively something worth rewarding."
Winter arrived with it's full splendor, it's icy touch spreading through the Lunar Court and beyond Gate. Frost had reached the boards of the Dusk Court that it shared with Aurora's court, the last days of Autumn smattering with coldness. It's a rather beautiful sigh, the slow combination between Dusk and Lunar, and she quite enjoys walking near the borders, the chill settling on her bones as she observes the results of entropy on action. Alas, duty calls, even as the Solstice Festival it's at it's apex. Robin had turned in early, as soon as Aurora had been called away for a manner relating her denizens, and had made it to the boarder between the courts with a languid step, only to be called away by one of the fluttering pixies regarding an audience with a Dusk elf whose name she does not recognize.
How curious.
Part of her training before her sacrifice to the Holt, had been to memorize the name of the survivors that had followed them to the Fey's Forest after the court fell. Hesperia is not a name she recognizes from amidst the survivors, and she wonders if she has found herself a pilgrim for her court. Perhaps Laer has finally met his match.
Snickering to herself at the thought, she makes it towards her office where the stranger awaits and opens the door to a strangely familiar presence. How curious. She had not known her by her name, but she did know the stranger before her. Robin needed a glimpse of her face to be sure, but if she is right, her Court owes the stranger for Robin's life, and she is very determined to fulfill her debts.
"Far from it, that you asked for an audience despite the festivities is telling," she comments as she moves to sit on her desk chair and gestures at the other to stop bowing. She understands the decorum, but she has never been one for it outside from formal situations. "If the matter is important, I am thankful you want to bring it to my attention sooner than later."
Date: December 17-23rd, one of the nights after the festival Location: Audele, Dusk Fields Characters: @thegoodfellow & @hidinghesperia Notes: future pumpkin wives
The first brush of winter had come to the world and yet nothing gave her sibling joy, not even the gently drifting snowflakes. Hesperia went to the Lunar Court first, if only because she had been terrified that the Lunar Chancellor would deny her 'useless' sibling any welcome. That paranoid fear had been for nothing but The Tranquil was Hesperia's priority so, with the assurance that her sibling was welcomed and being looked after, Hesperia finally headed to the Dusk Fields and to who she knew to be her new Chancellor. She remained quiet, out of the way, soft-spoken and stubbornly mysterious despite the curiousity that she could feel emanating from the other Dusk elves that, most of them, had likely never seen the common elf before. Hesperia only spoke to ask where she could to find the Chancellor and was led to wait for an audience with her. Robin, they said was her name. Young but tenacious. The other common elf had gossiped how their Chancellor had succeeded a traitor in the midst of brewing war despite never having prepared for the role. That sort of challenge would make anyone crass and so Hesperia only hoped for her and her sibling's sake that that wasn't the case. She was terrified for them. For their sake she needed to make a good impression - she needed to grovel on her knees if that's what it took.
"Chancellor," Hesperia greeted, immediately standing up as the door suddenly opened. She didn't even give herself enough time to properly look at who Robin was before the common elf inclined her head respectfully and turned her gaze downward. Hesperia was lithe and clad in dark, simple elven clothing, the sort of clothes made for lots of free movement. She had covered her hair and her ears with a equally dark scarf, if only because it had made it easier for her to sneak around that way while in the Otherworld and now it served to hide her ears from mortals. "I apologize for asking for an audience so late and during city festivities."
who? @yaviefey
where? near hell’s bell
“I am aware that the Faerie King’s Forest is not the same as the Courts, but you are missed Yavie.” The words are said simply as she comes to stand near her fellow autumn fey, looking around curiously as she tries to figure out if he has been staying nearby or not. “Additionally, I must apologize, I have not been a great friend for the last couple of months and I regret it. Let me make it up to you?”
who? @thanatcsx where? Robin's residence, the Autumn Fields
Before her lays a lavish table, offerings weighting upon it, each more delicious than the last. A feast fit for a king, a welcome fit for a god. The rumors are true, she has found, Death walks amongst Roman and countrymen. After her acceptance by the Múkēs Holt, her council had advised her to reach out to the ancient being, the one that had been spotted amidst the satyr's sordid festivities. With how her domain of influence bowed to his, she could not deny the wisdom on the advice, not when rot and decay followed Death and fed on the corpses of those He collected. She would be remiss not to make contact, and truly, she was rather interested on meeting the god as it is. Leaning back against her seat, Robin gives the table set for the two of them critically, smiling as Genise makes her presence known from the fireplace where she slumbers.
Homely, yet dignified. It is not a feast on the level of Antiquity, but that can come later. For now, she merely wants to introduce herself to the god, merely wants to give him the awareness of her acceptance into her role and what it meant.
"Master of Secrets, Lord of the Sacred Lands, Inpu," Robin's voice resonate as she swirls the goblet on her hand. "Death, I welcome you upon my Autumn's Fields, upon my hearth. I invite you to join me on consuming the fruits of my courts labor. Step into my home, and enjoy my hospitality, He Who Is In The Place of Embalming, my table has been laid for you."
“Many forget that while summer and spring are used for planting, it is fall that brings the harvest to fruition,” Robin mentions idly, smile tired from where she is stands, a hand wrapped around her waist and the other on a tree trunk to keep her balance. As a Chancellor, she has been given the best treatment capable for someone suffering from an iron wound, but the faint scar still pulls if she moves just right, so she has taken to be careful as she moves. Nothing too noticeable, for she can’t allow her people to grow discouraged, but she doesn’t believe for a second the other Chancellors have not noticed. Fall might be for liars, but she has never been much of an actor when it comes to the things that matter most. “That is a beautiful dream, but you are correct. Humankind fears what they cannot comprehend, and those who would not hate us would be too afraid to go against the crowds to protest. And yet, we must not forget that although many mortals are our enemies, there are many more unaware of our existence and they, more than anyone else, deserve our mercy.”
where?: autumn’s fields
With the influx of Otherworldly refugees, part of Zahrya’s duties now include ensuring that no ecosystem is overburdened. The balance of life within the forest will be maintained for all, and the bounty of Robin’s fields was a big part of that. Crop vegetables and fungus line the bellies of the beasts Zahrya directs along a migratory feeding path. Humans could spend their entire lives tending to these fields and never pick the plants bare, just one of the many marvels of this forest. “It’s quite curious how this one strip of forest could feed so many,” he says absentmindedly as they watch the animals feed, the lyre at his fingertips directing their march and appetites. “We could probably heal the entire realm together. You and I could easily feed every plant and creature with the simplest of songs, and yet they would still find a reason to persecute us for it. I’m much happier now that we’ve abandoned such notions. Mercy is for the deserving.”
@thegoodfellow