TATI GABRIELLE Filmed By Robert Marrero For Wonderland Magazine (Winter 22/23)

"Robin, Inan, call me Robin," Robin says, a fond smile flitting through her lips as she sees his reluctance to drop the formalities. It is good for her, to have someone to depend on after the last few months. Unfortunately, as much as she wanted to keep him by her side, their bond would make it more convenient if they separated to cover more ground at a quicker speed. "Your place it's by my side, yes, but we need to cover a lot of ground in a small amount of time. The less time we spend apart, the better for our chances. Did you see where the others fell?"

Tamlen's nature remained a great mystery, but Inan understood now why they said power was seductive. The warder had never been stronger, sharper, or faster than when he'd felt Tamlen's power come flooding through his warder bond with Robin. Joined in body and soul, Inan did wish that Robin wouldn't put it like that, but he kept it to himself, he knew how the summer fey were when it came to carnal pleasures but the warder had always been more reserved. By no means prudish, just far more private. "What would you have me do, chancellor? My place is at your side." Inan did not enjoy the thought of leaving Robin in this moment, but he would do as he was commanded regardless.

who? @senatusstarters where? hall of mirrors

"I do wonder if they are going to check the entire palace after the party," she hums thoughtfully as she eyes the mirrors and their magic signatures with great interest. She gives herself half an hour more, at most, before she gives in and begins jump into the mirrors to snoop around the palace with an excuse. When will she have the same excuse to explore? No one shall judge her if she admits she got lost after walking into a magic mirror. "An awful lot of poor unassuming souls might end up trapped in places they weren't meant to be if they don't."

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?”

vincenzodives​:

This second chance at life was not what Vincenzo had wanted. It was honestly the last thing he had thought would happen upon his death. When August had brought him back, he could only wonder why. Why had his friend deemed it necessary to bring him back when he couldn’t even accomplish what he had wanted to do in the first place. The witch had made sure of that when he told him about Vivianne. The oracle that had been his enemy without her even knowing about it. Now she was safe due to her half-brother. What a coincidence he wished was not the case. But it was too late for things to change now. Well, it had been since they were born. It was a sad and annoying coincidence. And August had brought him back because Vinny was his friend. So now what did he do? Well, he was going to stick to letting it go for now. Until he changed his mind, that was.

Robin didn’t know any of that though. It had been a bit of time for them and Vinny couldn’t quite figure out how to explain the situation in a way where it wasn’t as pathetic as it sounded. Thankfully, as her hands rested on his shoulders and her forehead against his, he didn’t have to think about it. For right now at least. One hand lifted to her face just as hers had to his. Then his eyes closed, any shallow breath he had evening out for a moment. “Thank you. You’re…I’m glad you’re here.” He leaned away after the words left his mouth and let out a sigh. “I feel lost. Like I don’t know what to do anymore.”

...

For a moment, her eyes flutter close as she takes in Vinny’s presence. The memories of their first meeting flit through her head as she takes a deep breath to ground herself.The new information had surprised her, shaken her despite her attempts to show otherwise. The sensation of his hand cradling her face is what she needs to fortify her, a moment that reminded her of simpler times, of a time where she had no responsibilities but the ones she gave herself. For a moment, the weight on her shoulders lightens as she basks on his presence, but like everything, that moment soon fades and she opens her eyes as Vinny leans away, hands falling from his shoulders and into the table to cradle her gelato basket.

“Now that I am aware of your stay in Rome, I wouldn’t be anywhere else,” she admits. She will help him, despite being already overwhelmed by the work on her courts. There is just too much history between the two of them and she cares for him too greatly not to help.  Perhaps it’s been years since they last met, but that does not diminish the care, not when that time had been a blink for her, not when he is sitting in front of her.  “Unfortunately, I cannot give you the answers you seek, but I can offer my support in whatever you decide. Do you have a place to stay?”

Autumn is in the air, the spores tethering themselves into body and brick alike. It is a relief to have a clear sign that her plans had taken root, that her time spent studying under the elders and the Wisdom Daimona had been worth their while, even if it had meant ignoring the world outside the forest. A world that she no longer feels responsible for saving, not when she needs to focus on her people first. The Lupo pack is moving, so the Eye should be taken care of, which means that the Courts must turn their eyes towards the Drow.

At the same time, she cannot just move without consulting the Elders. Not without documenting her every action to provide a sense of accountability for herself, a paper trail for others to go through if there was ever a doubt of her allegiances. Fen'harel's legacy loomed over her, their shadow as dark as the magic of Lloth's priests. The legacy of thousands of years of lies cannot be erased easily, and she is the one left to hold the weight of an embittered people.

"Inan," Robin welcomes warmly as he steps into the alcove of the Chancellor's Estate, glad to see him returned from a self-imposed exile that the Elders had not thought he deserved. His words settle heavily over her shoulders as the implications dawn on her. Head tilting to the side in consideration, Robin smiles kindly and steps forward, one finger settling under his chin to keep his gaze on her. "As my warder, or my watcher? I am aware that the council would like the later, and I do not begrudge them for it, but I would appreciate your honesty."

@thegoodfellow location: Autumn's Fields, Chancellor's Estate notes: idk when this takes place but I would like it to be when he becomes her warder thanks

Fall's fields were a pale shadow when compared to what they'd held in the Otherworld, but in every corner there was the essence of those hoping to rebuild. Their kind were used to preparation and to anticipation, often their place to look ahead at the coming and cold and understand what had to be done. Forethought in action as Inan wandered with a characteristic autumnal breeze at his back; his presence was light and deceiving, weak magic bolstered few environmental effects but Inan had never cared to be as flashy as some of the others.

Robin's presentation at the Equinox denoted her ascension, maybe undetectable to some but he remembered who she'd been before the Council had tapped her, and he felt the difference now. The myriad shift of small magic that was pronounced among them, spores and rot that were too small to see but for fey of their court who'd trained for so long, it could be felt. She had changed, but time would tell if it would be for the better.

Inan landed on a knee, his head bent towards her as he crossed an arm across his chest. "Chancellor," he should have been here sooner, months ago, but he was here now. He'd sworn the words before, he would gladly do it again, but he would do better this time. Blue eyes shifted from the ground at Robin's feet towards her features, "I was summoned by the Elder Council, if you'll have me, my sword is at your side."

who? @sabinabrutus​

where? the graveyard

Fire is an element that comes to Robin as easy as breathing, an intricate diamond blade set aflame manifesting on her hand as soon as the danger makes itself known. She had sensed the strange magic as soon as it had swept upon Rome, heard the words of the Pythia and felt the dread swept over her as her clairvoyance hit her with the all consuming emotion. Then chaos falls upon the once melodious party and she sets asides her worries to examine later, fire sweeping around her as she hums, the smell of Autumn following her as blistering flames consume Terrors and protect the living. She will not allow harm to befell to anyone, not if she can help it. Eladrin might be her priority, but she would never allow the fate of a Terror befell an innocent soul.

“Down, mortal,” she orders the pretty woman before she sweeps her blade above her and decapitates an unsuspecting Terror.

who? @chancellorxlaer​

where? summer’s sands

Robin is by far the least experienced of the Chancellors. Born to the stable reign of Fen’harel, having grown with the belief that the Dread Wolf would protect their court and never harm them, only to be proved wrong by the liar’s own lips. Only to be thrown into a position she had never wanted, her freedom restrained and the weight of responsibilities that grew heavier by the day settling on her shoulders. She had done the best she could, but her transition had not come in a time of peace. No matter what, it never seemed like she had done enough. Not for the courts, not for her court. Not while more than half her people suffered at the hands of their most ancient enemy, not while there was nothing she could do, for her expertise laid on subterfuge and not the full frontal attack the drow required. Her task had been solidified once she had become a Chancellor: to watch the Eye’s moves and undermine them as much as they could. And despite that, she had given one of them the entrance to their last refuge, given Wade permission to enter, and invitation. She had been lucky the only one to pay the iron price had been her, lucky that her mistake had not cost any fey life, but even in this luck, she had been unlucky. For she is weakened now, when they need the Chancellor’s strength to be at it’s fullest.

A sigh escapes her lips, as she approaches Laer’s presence. Robin is in dire need of advice, and although she wishes to go to Meryasek or Aurora instead, she cannot overburden her friends on such a crucial time. Laer, however? He has had millennia to learn how to hold the burden of his position, even in war time, and she faithfully believes that although he does not carry all the solutions, talking to him will at least help.

“I am in dire need of advice,” she comments quietly, as she comes to stand next to the other as they survey Laer’s work at shaping his new domain. “And I would prefer if it’s yours, but if you are too overburdened by current events, do let me know, I can find someone else.”

meryasek​:

Meryasek’s magic was spread throughout the forest. He’d ingrained a bit of his own song into the flowers, into the trees, whispers that would give him news, tell him what was wrong, and that’s exactly what had happened, now. Robin was in trouble, and maybe he was too hyperaware of the fey now – he didn’t think twice about using his magic to transport him across the forest, standing now above Robin. The Fall Chancellor was weak, her blood spilling into the fauna below her, and he kneeled beside her, “You’ll be fine,” he murmured, mostly to make her relax. “Who did this to you?” he asked, his hand coming to rest above hers. Blood seeped between his fingers, but he began his healing song, the wound slowly but surely stitching itself up. She would be weak, still, but no longer in danger. “Tell me.”

...

“Someone who I thought I could trust,” she gasps out as magic begins filling her, healing her, faster than she would have been able to do alone and panicking. As much as Robin had witnessed combat before, but it had never been as real. Not when no one could get close enough to wound, not when her magic could always protect her. The Autumn Court was meant to be one for guile, for trickery and strategy, they were not warriors, they were mastermind, always counting the grain to ensure they would survive the Winter, and she had grown complacent on that role. But no longer. She needed to learn how to fight beyond her magic. “I will not make that mistake again, but they are too useful to kill just yet.”

vincenzodives​:

It had not been long since he had met his unfortunate demise. The night had been burned into his brain and it playing like a movie on the back of his eyelids every time he closed his eyes. There was still nothing that gave him any inkling as to who it could have been. All he could truly remember was the lycan’s teeth digging into his flesh. It took two seconds for him to realize that he was going to die. Less than that to realize he was going to die while he was high. It was disappointing, but not at all surprising. Vincenzo could only think about how his mother would have felt. How he had proven her right to stay away from this place. But then August had brought him back. Being around people was already a chore. Now it was even more of that. It seemed like their magic was calling to him. Yet, he had absolutely none of his own. He hated it. What was he to do when he had lived most of his life with magic and now he was without it? There was so much going through his head, he couldn’t even focus on the gelato in front of him. He had gotten it, but it didn’t even look appealing to him. 

There was a small commotion that he barely got to look up to see before he had a presence in front of him. The magic was strong, but all he could think about was how much he wanted it. And he wasn’t sure if that was meant as a witch or as a ghoul. The face that was behind the magic was definitely a pleasant sight to see though. Vinny didn’t have many friends, but he was lucky to have the ones that he did. August most of all who had actually cared enough about him to bring him back. When was the last time he had seen Robin though. It seemed like forever, but he was sure it hadn’t been that long. Time was something of a strange concept to him now though. He was dead. Why would it matter what fucking day it was? The spoon dropped back into the gelato in front of him as he scanned her face. It was…good to see certain people. Yet, he still didn’t know what to say to her. 

“I’m not sure there’s anything you can do to help.” His eyes darted to any prying eyes and anyone’s ears perking up. This was nobody’s business but his own and whoever he decided to tell. Once he deemed the air clear for him to speak, he looked back at her, his eyes meeting hers. “I died.”

...

A thousand and one thoughts flit through her head at the whispered confession, the words hitting her harder than she had expected. Friends and lovers alike, she had known of his mortality, had expected to have to mourn him in a century like she had done with so many of those she had gifted with her heart and her trust. It’s still a blow to know it happened sooner than she had hoped, a blow to know he had died and come back and she hadn’t known. That he had been alone, on his first days as a ghoul and she had not helped. And make no mistake, she now knows he is a ghoul. Knows it for there is only one thing he can be if he has been brought back. There is a hundred and one questions hanging over them, but at the end, Robin is kind. She is not going to push when it is clearly not what he needs. She wants to know the truth, wants to know who brought him back, what he wants to do, if he had been buried once again to regain his humanity. She wants to know, but won’t ask, not now, not when the reality of his early demise so clearly weights upon him.

Robin doesn’t care about his new status as a Terror, does not fear it.

It’s Vinny.

A soft sigh leaves her as she sits on the chair across Vinny and settles her gelato on the table before them. There is a weight to his confession, something she can’t take away no matter how much she would wish for it. There is usually no coming back, once a mortal dies, no changing what has happened. He had been given a second chance, but with it, much had been lost. There is no words she can use, no empty platitudes that could be said. Carefully, gently, she reaches across the table, hands falling upon his shoulders and squeezing briefly, before they slide up to cradle his cheeks, thumbs brushing them reassuringly as she leans forward to rest her forehead against his in an attempt to provide comfort.

“I am here, whatever you need me, I am here.”

rawlinsbriggs​:

“I don’t even know what really happens in most of our sessions, Robin. Assan talks in fucking riddles.” If there was one thing Rawlins was absolutely confused about, it was his like for playing Dungeons & Dragons. The coffee was a nice gift from one of his few companions though. Black coffee just the way he preferred it. She was right though. There was a bit of a cliffhanger and he was very curious about what would happen next. “I don’t think I have any potions at all so it’s probably best that you use those when it’s really necessary. I’m not trying to die now because you used it at the wrong moment.”

...

“Funny, I understand him perfectly,” she comments with amusement, not bothering to mention the true length of her acquaintance with the tiefling.Time and patience had built a foundation that allows her to understand her best friend better than most. Taking a sip of her drink, she takes her time to ponder Rawlins comment and agrees with a decisive nod. “I do believe I have the capability for one or two more healing spells too, but I would have to check. But you are correct, waiting for the right time is likely best.”