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."
wintersaurora:
❅
Aurora gazed sidelong at Robin, feeling the way her tone almost taunted. She decided she wasn’t going to be baited, not now. Only inhaling from her nose and quieting as she drank. She wasn’t going to plead for information or guidance in a matter that she had already begun tonight and concerning a person that she had known since he was tall enough to reach her knees, when she had firm doubts that her friend knew his name or his story. Important as Raja had always been, Aurora had honored her promise and kept him far away from anyone in her world, save for herself. It had worked to keep him safe this long, at the very least.
She is taking a drag of her drink as Robin bows, putting on a show of annoyance. And she was abruptly forced to remember that, despite having known her for ages, Robin does not spend much time in her Court and none in her counsil. “Did you take my demanding tone for an order? Do you forget I don’t beat around the bush - if I wanted to use influence on you in any way, Robin, I would have said so very plainly and with indisputable meaning. And why would I do so when I’d known you long enough to ask?” She sighs and puts her empty glass on a passing server’s tray. “‘That is all’ is that is all I have to say and what you may do for him. As he’s my nephew and is not wholly aware of the circumstance that he’s in, that is my jurisdiction to decide. If you have a differing opinion, share it with the consideration that I will only hear nothing of him being harmed. Otherwise, share it. By all means, I have not stopped you from being honest as you know better than to stop me.” She beckoned another server with a full tray of drink. “I’m not your cousin, or aunt, or whatever Fen’harel is to you,” she said, glancing back at Robin as the server changed course towards them. “You don’t need to go trying to read between the lines.”
...
“Why else Aurora? Politics. I am well aware how things work, and I realize we are in a fairly tentative era for the Courts. It would not be unwise to ensure your position is cemented on people’s mind, simply to make it stronger,” the explanation leaves her with a shrug, as the spite leaves her as she puts the logic into words and it clicks as a possible reason. Robin is not quick to anger, but she is not one to back down in an argument, out of instinct. She enjoys arguments, enjoys arguing and teasing out ideologies and beliefs out of others and striking them down if they are wrong. And yet, she also enjoys being proved she is wrong and learning from it. This is not a fight she wants to have, not when she still doesn’t know what is happening in the Courts or in Rome. Not when in all things that matter, she tends to agree with Aurora. “I do apologize for the my reaction, the years apart have not made me any less confrontational.”
She follows Aurora’s lead, grabbing another drink and throwing it back before switching it with another. It won’t get her drunk, but the shock of alcohol going down her throat is enough for her to collect herself.
“And I am sorry for overstepping. The party might be a delight but I almost got a heart attack when I saw there were multiple mortals in a supernatural party,” her admission comes with a sigh, mind wandering to the mortal she had met a few years back. It is likely she would have the same reaction if she found him at the party, but what were the odds? Unlikely, as it was full of supernaturals in the first place. Then Aurora keeps talking and she snorts. “Read between the lines? I need to bring a damn microscope every time I want to try and talk to them. There are layers underneath the layers, and while that is sometimes fun, sometimes is plain annoying.”
who? @wardernirvaan
where? winter’s mountain
notes: they are sitting and chilling near a cliff like bros
“Alright spill, something it’s in your mind.” It’s not too clear what exactly, but they have been enjoying the moment of quiet for long enough for her to hear him absolutely failing at the game he is currently playing. It’s distracting enough that she had messed up her strategy on her own game and that alone is a serious offense of the highest order. “What is it?”
assanx:
-
“Tuna.” Please. Assan said as he folded his hands behind his head and walked forward with Robin at his side, head tilted towards the sun. It was so warm in Italy, especially with summer just around the corner. That suited Assan’s temperament perfectly since he was most fond of sleeping outside, sometimes under the stars, sometimes in a cat nap somewhere on a rooftop. Occasionally he slipped into another’s home and snagged their couch or their bed. Dungeons & Dragons were fun, the tiefling was clearly the most superior choice - getting everyone together was a hassle though and Assan never had the motivation. That was on Robin and Rawlins’ shoulders. There was something bothering him and it wasn’t any human with a gun, he’d come to Rome for a reason but everything he thought of just felt like so much work. He looked towards Robin from the corner of his eye, “Salmon?” Are they making you nervous?
...
“I do have a rather time consuming job, you know,” Robin says dryly at Assan’s dismissal. Planning meet ups had fallen upon the cambion’s shoulder, at the end, as any free time that Robin found herself having was devoted to personal projects or meets up with those she cared for. On occasion, she would help Rawlins with organizing, but with the forest closing it’s borders, it would be impossible for her to host unless it is on her apartments within Rome and she would rather those remained secret to most aside of Assan and a few others. At least for now. She shares a brief look with Assan at his question and inclines her head ever so slightly. “I have never found pleasure on their presence, and their overt displays of power do not bode well for Rome, now that they have been foolish enough to work with them.”
"Well, I hope that you have found some peace in your travels. The gods know that I did as I transversed the Otherworld," Robin comments kindly as she steps back from his embrace, missing the lingering warmth already. "I realize you have had a difficult time, even aside the Court Politics," funnily enough, she does not remember the troubles, merely that they are some. "So I am here for anything you need, truly. It is my duty, and my pleasure, to ensure your safety and happiness." Her expression remains vacantly pleasant when he asks for the others, the magic from the satyr's preventing the truth from spilling forth from her lips as she does not remember the truth. "Things are quiet, what with Yavie and Farenduil having joined the troupe, but aside from that, the others are well."
Pure melancholy overcame him. Today's festivities weren't normal. Sure, nothing within Rome really was, but a part of him remained cautious. Some of his cautiousness faded while he was with Robin, however. Knowing she was save and well meant more to him than any suspicions. He'd have to investigate on a later date. "I'm so glad to hear that," he removed himself from her then, though both his hands remained on her shoulders. "I feel... fine. I do. I've been here and there for the most part," all vague answers to questions that prompted a more detailed answer. An answer he wasn't willing to give just yet, "things have been complicated, to say the least. I just had to go," the last sentence was a mere whisper, with Rhovanor choking on his own tears. His face remained somewhat stoic as he fought with his emotions. "How are the others? I hope everyone's doing well, even without me. Because.. you need to move on."
A sense of disgust and self-recrimination settles in the back of her throat every time she thinks of Lain. Their encounter had been inevitable, it had been a reminder. For all the lycan was fun and interesting, he was mortal as they come. Alive one moment, gone the next. A passing fancy that could not grow beyond that for the pure and simple truth of inevitable with death. She knows that it is inevitable that she will mourn him when his time comes, but she cannot love him. Not when his lifetime will be the blink of her eye, and she needs to ensure she is a source of steadiness for her people.
It is this truth that stays her hand, that keeps her from seeking Lain as soon as the war ends. But their encounter is not inevitable, so when her clairvoyance tells her of his attempt to contact her, Robin does nothing but sigh and follow the direction her magic takes her towards. She gets close enough to hear his attempt to manifest her from thin air, and she cannot help the giggle that echoes through the woods as she steps into the clearing that Lain had found himself in. Her brow is raised as she takes in the lycan, but she shows him her hand to show him that she is not going to attack.
"That is one way to summon me, dearest wolf," she mentions, fondness undercut by the quiet apology on her tone. "What would have happened if I had not been on my way to meet?"
For: @thegoodfellow
Where: The Forest, outskirts of Lupercal
Notes: sorry I tried to kill you, can we still be friends at least?
He had selfishly avoided this confrontation for weeks. The elves were a capricious bunch, it was possible that Robin might decide to finish the job her changeling had started the moment she saw his face. But it was worth a shot. She deserved closure, as well as an apology for his actions. As terrible as Lain saw himself, he drew the line at hurting the few people he cared about. Species that lacked the heightened sense of smell that lycans were gifted with could have easily gotten lost in the expanse of the wilderness, but Lain could easily visualize his own scent trail that would lead him back home. He kept rehearsing what he was going to say to Dawn chancellor when he finally found her, but knew that there was no way he could articulate his feelings as perfectly as it all sounded in his head. “Robin!” The lycan called out, “I just want to talk!” He stopped walking, focusing on listening for the faint indicators of any signs of life that were not his own that the sound of the leaves crunching under his feet obscured. Lain could pick up on the quick thrumming of multiple heartbeats, but all of them sounded far too small to belong to anything humanoid sized. Likely just a rabbit or a squirrel. Fuck, where was she?
"Me," she purrs in agreement, and in a fit of mischief, she stands once more and stalks closer to the wandering fey whose dashing rescue had featured in countless daydreams and wet dreams as well. A slow languid smile graces her lips as she moves, movements feline and predatorial as she approaches the woman she owes a life debt to. Carefully, gently, she raises her hand to place a single finger beneath the other's chin and raises her head just enough so that she can meet her eyes. There is still something ancient and predatory within her eyes— it belongs there after her confirmation as Chancellor and she will not get rid of it — but there is warmth as well, as recognition flickers once more and she finally gets the privilege of drinking in the delicate features adorning the other's face. "I did not get the honor of admiring your beauty, back when you saved me, but now that I have? I can say without a doubt that there was no better high elf to play the role of dashing saviour."
There is something playful to her tone as she speaks, breath fanning over the others cheekbones as she memorizes the depth of her eyes. Then and only then, Robin steps back, breaking the electrifying tension between the two of them as she sits on the edge of her desk and places her hands to her sides.
"Of course I remember, darling. I owe you a life debt, and I am not one to forget that," she informs her, amusement clear even as she makes herself as transparent as possible. "I assume you have a request, if you asked me here in the middle of festivities. In honor to the aforementioned life debt, as long as it is on my hands and it will bring no harm to my people, I will consider fulfilling it."
Thank the Gods the Chancellor was understanding, hopefully as welcoming as the Lunar Chancellor had been to her sibling. But her train of thought abruptly derailed as the cadence of the woman's voice finally hit Hesperia and filled her with a sense of familiarity. Hesperia looked up, straightening slowly as the Chancellor gestured for her to stand. But her eyes and her concentration centered on the familiarity of her face, no longer obscured so much by the dark and gloom of the Otherworld.
It was a fleeting moment, one of darkness and chaos that had enveloped them both. Hesperia was practiced in evasion and hiding, an expert in caring for herself and for her sibling in the worst parts of the Otherworld. There were moments, however, when the path was made clear to her and she knew it would be a particularly difficult one. The Tranquil would be left bound, silent and hidden in a place Hesperia that picked out and enchanted for brief periods of time while the autumn fey went on to scout the trail. Monsters would be dispatched or their presense noted so she could avoid them with her sibling. On one of those very scouting nights she remembered the sensation of nearby fey magic, something she hadn't felt in so long. Hesperia avoided confrontation with the creatures of the Otherworld, if only because she was often not strong enough to dispatch them on her own. So she knew how to evade them but clearly this other fey hadn't been so knowing or so lucky. Hesperia remembered following the trail of bodies left behind of other creatures when finally the sight of her fellow fey came to view, a noble exhausted to the end of her energy by the creatures that had kept finding her.
"You," she blurts out before she could stop herself. What happened to her decorum? Far too long spent away from the Court of the fey. Hesperia's gaze falters with embarrassment from the outburst before she looks back up at Chancellor Robin. "I- I've seen you once, Chancellor. I don't know if you remember... The circumstances weren't ideal."
who? @wintersaurora where? moon gate, Audulë notes: doing the randomize top songs thing and got super villain by stileto, silent child and kandyle page
"I think we are overdue some mimosas and sweets," she says as she offers the Lunar Chancellor her arm to escort her out of the Fey Forest and towards A Grazie a Brunch. She had contacted the dark elf in charge and managed to reserve them the perfect table for some gossip and snooping. Perhaps if she poked the other enough, she would admit about her apparent taste for members of the Dusk Court, current and past alike.
TATI GABRIELLE FOR ELITE DAILY
“I want to break the idea of a celebrity. Like, I’m no better than anyone else just because I’m on TV.”