#Irontooth

[boitedeconcert]

Irontooth

O'Rileys, Hull, England. 13/07/24.

[randomhatthief]

You know I HAVE been meaning to draw out Lace's new scar after being bitten by that big ol' undead shark.

[jaiesthetic]

My (very late) revenge(?) On @randomhatthief 's Player Character Lace!

She's spunky! She's funky! She'll cut off your junk-y!

Idk maybe she's going on a date or something

[freddy-hawk]

Been having fun with some with some Green Stuff sculpting!

So here are some WIP’s on two characters:

Ürhzahn Irontooth (Cataphractii dude)

And Murn Sagittarius, Champion of Tritan

[spectralidax]

“Sometimes heat sinks fail. It is best to not be in the mech when this happens” - Big Chomp Irontooth, Mechanic of the Rising Tide.

[slivertm]

HONORIA VESPER ; third in command of night.

‘ fivel stewart, cis female, they/she, 31 / 310, illyrian ’ ― cauldron save you. it seems honoria vesper has been teleported to the dusk court, the third in command from night court is said to be ruthless and is said to describe themselves as crusted over blood, black grime building underneath jagged finger nails, master swordsman’s finest blade growing dull on the wall as a rich man’s toy, tasting the beauty of the stars at last and wondering what you had done to be born with the taste of dregs burnt into your tongue  and with all of this in mind their sensitive nature always seems to get them into trouble. may the mother hold them as they navigate this unthinkable time. 

full name: honoria vesper name meaning: honor, evening, evening star nicknames: nor, nora age: three hundred and thirty place of birth: camp irontooth gender: cisfemale pronouns: she/they sexual & romantic orientation: bisexual

occupation: third in command of the night court personality traits: tender, sensitive, disciplined, ruthless, wistful, quiet, cautious, estimated interests: sight seeing, combat abilities: flying, has (2) siphons character inspiration: yelena romanov (marvel), jude duarte (folk of the air), manon blackbeak (throne of glass), nesryn faliq (throne of glass), azriel (acotar), riza hawkeye (fullmetal alchemist)

family: unaware of any biological family as irontooth eliminated family dynamics in favour of their breeding program, separating the children from their parents

height: 5'7" body and build: slim, muscular hair color and style: long, dark hair; ornately braided out of her face complexion: tan, sleep-deprived eye color: deep russet, flecks of gold clothing style: tight, dark leathers signature scent: bergamot tattoos: swirling arm sleeve + an irontooth branding scars: four scars across her lower back, three more scars interrupting her arm sleeve fae: black, leathery wings with a nearly purple sheen tattoos: arm sleeve of conjoined lines, almost like runes, along her right arm — similar along her left thigh

the story of your life is the way all illyrian stories begin: in a grab for power.

you are born to camp irontooth. the camp that you’re raised in is ruthless as far as ruthless goes. you have no family so to speak. this isn't the irontooth way. your band is notorious for its breeding program, churning out warriors primed for war or raids or whatever their war lord fancies that day. you’re a product of this breeding, a true blooded illyrian who was made to be a weapon. and you do it well. you’re the first to achieve carynthian in your blood rite year, having scaled the mountain solo — as is customary of irontooth. your life as a warrior is filled with monotonous gore. but, you take pleasure in your purpose because you are useful.

you are young when your talents are first borrowed. your services are requested to bring a bride to her marriage home. this is when you see the hewn city for the first time. despite its darkness and the evil embedded into the stone, you wipe a tear from your eyes — never having once seen anything so beautiful in your life. you think — oh. this is the beauty they strove to protect. this is why your camps united under the night court’s banner. there's an immense pride in your court.

while you have no family, you had something close to it once. he was only a little older than you, a comforting presence to make the day bearable. he helped bandaged your hands when your callouses burst, and let you crawl into your cot when the nights were too cold. you traded stories about escaping, dreaming that one day you might make it out of that bloodshed. he followed that longing into the night and out. you do not. you stay. you stay and you resent him.

but, we all have a purpose to serve and you find yours at the side of the high lady. half of the night court was made of illyrians, scattered in your war camps. you come to court to be their voice, a representative who understands the doctrine of your people. but just like you had at the sight of the hewn city, you weep at the sight of velaris, shocked that such beauty could exist. you’d do anything to stay.

potential connections: honoria previously has guarded you! you did the blood rite in the same year! war camp rivals! too stupid to understand feelings!

[lichtundschattens]

‘ zendaya coleman, cis woman, she/her, 28/280 , illyrian ’ ― cauldron save you. it seems VALORA VESPER has been teleported to the dusk court, the ACOLYTE from THE SUMMER COURT is said to be VALIANT and is said to describe themselves with BATTLE-SCARRED HANDS THAT WERE ONCE INSTRUMENTS OF DESTRUCTION NOW HOLD A SURPRISING GENTLENESS, SHADOWS OF A WAR-TORN CHILDHOOD, THE SCENT OF BLOOMING FLOWERS MINGLED WITH THE SMELL OF SALT AIR, FOREVER NAVIGATING THE WATERS OF YOUR OWN HEALING and with all of this in mind their VOLATILE nature always seems to get them into trouble. may the mother hold them as they navigate this unthinkable time.

full name: valora vesper

aliases: valor, val

age: 28/280

occupation: acolyte

alliances: summer court

species: illyrian

personality (+): valiant, resilient, confident, empathetic

personality (-): reserved, volatile, self-destructive, dissociative

inspirations: natasha romanoff / black widow (marvel), lightning farron (final fantasy), diana prince / wonder woman (dc), touka kirishima (tokyo ghoul)

THE STORY SO FAR;

In a world devoid of love, you emerge - a sapling in barren soil. Irontooth, your war camp, becomes your crucible, forging you into a weapon through selective breeding and relentless training. Violence is your lullaby, combat your nursery rhyme. By ten, you can take down foes twice your size.

Pain becomes your constant companion, etching its presence into your bones. Yet, beneath the bruises and scars, a flicker of humanity persists. It ignites when a little girl, sharing your surname, seeks solace in your presence during frigid nights. This unexpected kinship blooms in the harshest of environments, like a dandelion pushing through concrete.

At fifteen, fate rips you away from your newfound sister, but also from the iron grip of Irontooth. Freedom tastes foreign on your tongue as you find yourself under the guidance of a sea captain. Her wisdom unravels the tapestry of lies you've been wrapped in, revealing a world far more complex than you ever imagined.

The seas become your classroom, each port a new lesson. You sail through Prythian's courts, collecting fragments of identity like seashells on a shore. Yet, as you piece together a new self, the old one haunts your dreams, waking you with ghostly screams and cold sweat.

Peace remains elusive. In the Day Court, you grasp for a sense of normalcy, your warrior hands now cradling delicate flowers in a quaint shop. When contracted to train Ulka, a small fae with grand ambitions, you see a reflection of your past self in her determined eyes. You pridefully accept.

Your journey has been a tapestry of encounters, each thread a potential path. One such thread, offered by the High Priestess of the Summer Court, dangles before you - a chance at a different kind of serenity. After years of internal debate, you find yourself at the threshold of the Summer Court, poised to embrace a new chapter, hoping that this time, peace might finally be within reach.

TL;DR: born in an illyrian war camp that was known for selective breeding to create the perfect warriors. earns freedom at 15 through luck, then sails the seas and finds her identity. still plagued by trauma and recently turned to becoming an acolyte in an attempt to find peace.

TIMELINE! : (0 - 150 yrs) - Irontooth War Camp, escape at 150 (150 - 250 yrs) - Sailing the seas (250 - 270 yrs) - Day court (270 - now) - Summer court

[korkiekenobiconfirmed]

The witches were some of tog’s best characters for a lot of reasons, but the divide between the Matrons and their Heirs is one of the biggest.

All 3 Irontooth Matrons remained loyal to Erawan and hateful of the Crochans. It was their daughters, Manon and Petrah (tho not Iskrah) and the covens they commanded, that turned on their people to fight with Aelin. It was the youth — they broke the cycle of violence perpetuated by their foremothers, they fought for a better world because they were able to recognize that the hatred they’d been raised with would one day be their downfall.

[missingnoge]

Meet the new characters of Pain 'n Dave!

It is time.

Alright, so I know that there is a lot going on in this picture with all of these characters but today we'll only be focusing on those new lot at the bottom since all of the characters before them will have a character showcase in the future, being pre-existing characters.

Okay, got all that? Let's meet some of these new characters!!

[Fun note for any of you newcomers: About 80% of these characters that you see in the portraits above you don't actually need to know about. This is all just fun worldbuilding that I like to do]

The Disciples of the Labyrinth Lord (Wontas, Rey'avh, Horoev)

The Maze of Madness, or the Labyrinth Lord's Realm, was a realm once known to the demons. However, relations fell through and now the realm sits quietly, scheming its revenge against the demons who had betrayed them. The Disciples of the Labyrinth Lord carry out these machinations.

Wontas is the most magically-attuned but also the most frail. He's the only one of the trio who can speak, having learned to from listening to the screams of their prisoners. He sounds like a synthesizer being thrown down a flight of stairs.

Rey'avh is the most intelligent of the three, perhaps even the entire universe. He has concocted the most if not all of their operations such as the subjugation of the Vernak Peninsula.

Horoev is nothing more than a beast. The others wondered how he even got to their position, believing it to be a joke from their Lord. However, everything about Horoev is genuine. He is a monster; a ravenous animal who is motivated by nothing but food. Rey'avh has since found use for him by using him as... motivation for their prisoners.

Fun Fact: This is the first time I've ever colored the Disciples. For the longest time, they were just sketches since I didn't really know what color I wanted them to be and also they were kind of low priority since they won't really appear in any comics - they were made for a game in the first place. I also just sketched them out on a whiteboard first before they ever showed up digitally while I was on campus since I was bored.

The Maggots

A lot happens down in the Under-Cities of the Maggots. If only things were perfect for such a tide of worms...

Akstrom Big-Hat is a Bishop with a big hat and big ideas. She has been known to be a thorn on the other Bishops' sides, constantly challenging their ideas simply by having a big hat. It's the only reason she has and the only one she ever needs. The Arch Bishop would really like to strangle her some day but she has a big hat.

Irontooth is a chef who resides in the food-filled Under-City, Ma'fu. He's known throughout the tunnels for being one of the best chefs despite his attitude but he's also known for his remarkable lifespan, with some saying he has been blessed by their god, Yersinias. Irontooth is actually quite tired of this whole "theocracy" crap happening though. He lost his tail in a fight.

Big Head was once a regular Maggot. He was digging out a cave for his Under-City when a big rock hit him in the head. His head hurt but the other Maggots thought he suddenly became smarter. Now word spreads of a Maggot of grand intellect and others visit Big Head for his wisdom. The Arch Bishop, Kro'Gax, has also become wary of such rumors and wishes to stamp out this heretic creating a new group. Big Head has no idea what is happening.

Fun Fact: Irontooth was originally just a generic Maggot cook I drew for a sketch and then decided to turn into a regular character. Not unlike what happened with Beth Harbinger!

More of Pain's Family

The Marauder Kin may be smaller in numbers than they were back in the day, but they're still alive and kicking. They enjoy more favor from the more-dominant Bog Demons (who were once their prey) but it's better than fighting a losing war against the Vundar Demons

Murmur is Pain's aunt. She spent a lot of time with Pain when he was younger and essentially acted as a mentor if not an additional parent figure to him. Pain basically got his sense of humor from her! Pain respects her dearly and always enjoys when she does reappear in his life. These days, Murmur just roams around Molagar looking for new and interesting things but will always come back to her family.

Bosch is one of Pain's cousins. He is an avid filmmaker, having made about twenty films and is currently working on his twenty-first one. He's still currently writing it. I think he wants to dabble in detective fiction now. Anyways, Bosch can be quite particular about his methods which can border on perfectionism at times. He loves his camera and is constantly seen maintaining whenever he can. For good reason too, the amount of times film has come back from it completely black is enough to drive any demon crazy. He still loves it regardless

Pieter is Bosch's older brother. He's not really big into filmmaking as his brother - he really only likes to watch movies occasionally (His favorite are action films, which Bosch doesn't really like). Despite that, Pieter tries to help his little brother as much as he can, finding Bosch's passion for filmmaking to be infectious. He acts as a stagehand for many of Bosch's films, holding equipment like microphones or lights. He also has to mediate tension between Bosch and his actors when Bosch gets frustrated during filming.

Fun Fact: Murmur's name comes from the 54th demon listed in the "Lesser Key of Solomon," Count/Duke Murmur. Also, Bosch and Pieter were inspired by "Home Movies". Bosch and Pieter are also Murmur's sons.

Rise of the Rackoleps

Deep in the Northeast of Hell, a forest of mushrooms called the Largos Frontier grows. The fungi has been called many things, such as "Devil's Bane" or "Magic Eater" but it is most known as the Rackoleps. The dangerous properties of the Rackoleps has moved the Citadel to take action against the rapidly-spreading fungus, establishing a perimeter around the forest wherein Inhibitor units spray various poisons, flames, magic, and other would-be fungal killers. At first, it worked, but the Citadel noted an ever-increasing resistance to their efforts as the Rackoleps becomes more and more resistant towards their attempts.

However, unbeknownst to the general public, the Rackoleps has finally reached a critical point of its evolution: sentience. After having assimilated enough outside life, the mushroom can finally walk; talk. Think.

Mycelia, the Spore Queen is the firstborn of these so-called Rackoleps Demons. She towers over all life so that She may watch over Her kin; Her children. Her ultimate wish is to unify the Chaos Realm under the mushroom cap of the Rackoleps.

Cybin was one of the first Rackoleps people to have been created by the Queen. However, he would be the first to step outside of their fungal forest, for his purpose is to understand the world beyond. As he went on his observations, the voices of his family back home became quieter until he had traveled so far that all he heard was silence. Cybin still continues his mission however it is a lonely one. He wanders Molagar alone, depressed. Dying. He wonders how his family is doing back home.

Fun Fact: The Spore Queen was probably the hardest I thought when it came to coming up with a character design; a lot of intention was put into Her design with the idea of making Her look beautiful yet alien. Gentle yet intimidating.

Alright, I think that's pretty much everything when it comes to the "new characters". I put it in quotes because, for me, they're not actually that new. Relatively with the others? Yes, certainly, and they're definitely new to you, the reader since I didn't really have a chance, or will get the chance to, introduce them to you through the comics any time soon.

Hope you enjoyed this massive lore dump. That's the thing I like about this site. I can write about just whatever I damn please! Thanks, tumblr!! I'll see you all next time with the next character introduction of the Harbinger sisters! Now those are characters you should actually know about!

[jasmineleeplays]

We achieve "The True Royal Court" achievement after Queen Matilda's Royal Court rank became 4th in the world with 54 Court Grandeur, surpassing her liege Kaiser Konrad II of the Holy Roman Empire who is only 5th in the world.

Queen Matilda's son-in-law, Count Bohemond of Buthrotum who is the husband of the recently deceased Princess Beatrice, tries to seduce Queen Matilda into having sex with him to assuage his loneliness and longing for Princess Beatrice. Queen Matilda rejects him as not only is it inappropriate to her daughter's memory, but she is a Zealous and pious woman as well.

Queen Matilda's stepson and Court Poet, Ralph forges yet another Famed item - this time, Italian Flexible Mail. Given that she already has the Burnished Scale Armor of Illustrious quality, at first, Queen Matilda thought of giving this to Prince Goffredo's 2nd son Count Adelmio of Antwerpen. Later, however, she thought better of it and let her eldest grandson Count Goffredo III decide on the fate of the armor. She will hold on to it for now.

While Queen Matilda's combined forces with Basileus Eusebios and the King of Georgia in the Liberty War suffers ignominious defeat at the hands of Basileus Eusebios vassals at the Battle of Herpha, Queen Matilda gets invited to a Grand Wedding by Duke Jakob of Angria of House Zahringen.

During the Wedding proceedings, Queen Matilda set about trying to gain an alliance with Duchess Wartrun "Irontooth" of Steyermark given that she has 2.7k+ troops. She approaches Duchess Wartrun with rumours about a courtly plot, betting that Duchess Wartrun would be interested as an Intrigue character. The approach succeeds in gaining favour with her, however it does not lead to an alliance.

Meanwhile, there were 2 other normal marriages that took place:

Between Queen Matilda's grandson (Princess Beatrice's son) Nicola di Canossa and the Sardinian Asexual Giantess Elianora de Lacon-Gunale.

Between Basileus Eusebios of the Byzantine Empire and Queen Matilda's granddaughter (Prince Goffredo's daughter) Basilissa Anna of the Byzantine Empire who grew up to be a Brilliant Strategist (4-star Martial Education) with 19 Martial.

Both Nicola and Anna seem to however, take after their grandfather King Gottfried "the Hunchback" who was known for his extremely short stature.

[sortyourlifeoutmate]

The Ork legends remember 'Da Big Race' between Ork Warlords Groff Irontooth and Agrash the Brutal. The two Warlords of the plane Orkush IV had decided to resolve their dispute for the leadership of the planet by a race. Their supa-charged War Trukks arrived at the finish line together and it was impossible to determine the winner. As a vast number of teef and the leadership of the next Waagh! had been been wagered upon the outcome of the race, thr audience started a huge row over the result. The fight led to a full-blown battle amongst the spectators and finally to outright war between the two Orkish factions. The war lasted for three years and virtually wiped out all life on Orkush IV. Da Big Race is fondly remembered by all the Orks, and they eagerly await new races in hope that they can also be part of something as spectacular as Da Big Race.

- White Dwarf

[chickencupcake]

This suggests dwarves have incredibly dense teeth. And so, we could add Irontooth as a dwarven surname. If dwarven names derive from hereditary jobs, then perhaps it’s equivalent to “cook” in English.

Orc teeth never stop growing, like rodent’s teeth. You can always spot a hungry orc by his elongated teeth, marking them as desperate and more willing to take risks. It’s a common orc insult to call especially stupid people “big tusk”

Goblins eat food that’s rotted, which means the food is softer, and somewhat liquefied. They don’t drink much at meals, and if you visit, they may not have cups, or they may have to look through the lesser used crock-ware in the back of the cupboard. One of the telltale signs of lower caste vs upper caste goblins is whether their shirts are stained around the neck, and whether they wear a bib when they eat.

Random worldbuilding idea:

In a world with the classic Standard Fantasy Races, the concept of "mildly toxic just means spicy" is known to all of them, but what defines 'spicy' depends on what these specific people have the highest natural resistance to. Humans, who metabolise plant poisons remarkably well, naturally enjoy their chili, mint and other mildly irritating toxic plants in their food for spice. Dwarves have a whole gallery of various types of stones and minerals found underground, which are so precious to them that anyone finding a vein of a coveted crystal is set for life - the expression "as rich as a spice miner" is so common among dwarves that it's also spread to unrelated languages of people who live, or frequently trade or work with dwarves.

Elves, who are far too refined for such simple luxuries as toxic plants or rocks, prefer to spice their foods and wines with things that cause mild-but-harmless psychic damage. Elves from cultures that prefer spicier foods make fun of elves from milder cuisine cultures for not being able to handle spicy foods, while elves from mild cuisine cultures agree with non-elves that you can't even eat Spicy Elf Food without afterwards seeing demons for three weeks straight.

In contrast the orcs, who do not care for such fancily sophisticated luxuries as human plant spice or dwarvish rock spices, and are actually immune to elvish spices completely, prefer the simplicity of abrasive textures - common orcs add coarse sand into their foods, while warlords and orc rulers of high status might splurge in the luxury of having their dinners spiced with shards of glass.

Humans will sample the food of anyone but the orcs. Elves are actually surprised that humans also indulge in psychedelic mushrooms, and dwarves are amazed that humans can handle salt.

[randomhatthief]

My Attack on jaijabbers, @jaijabbers of their DELIGHTFUL jester, Maverick, who I cannot WAIT for Lace to meet.

[lichtundschattens]

‘ mackenyu arata, cis man, he/him, 32 / 320 , illyrian ’ ― cauldron save you. it seems YOZORA ANGMAR has been teleported to the summer court, the SCHOLAR from THE NIGHT COURT is said to be DISCIPLINED and is said to describe themselves with SCARS LIKE FADED INK ALONG YOUR ARMS (FRAGMENTS OF A PAST YOU CANNOT ESCAPE), THE LINGERING ACHE AFTER A NIGHTMARE YOU CAN'T REMEMBER BUT CAN'T FORGET EITHER, INK STAINED FINGERTIPS, THE SMELL OF LAVENDER AND IRON and with all of this in mind their CYNICAL nature always seems to get them into trouble. may the mother hold them as they navigate this unthinkable time.

full name: yozora angmar

aliases: rivenar "riven" mordhaan (birth name)

age: 32 / 320

occupation: scholar

alliances: night court

species: illyrian

personality (+): disciplined, calculative, resourceful

personality (-): cynical, self-deprecating, reserved

notable physical features: heterochromia (left eye dark brown with specks of gold, right eye golden), white hair that threatens to come back frequently, scars along the hands, arms, torso, back, and wings

inspirations: ken kaneki (tokyo ghoul), suguru geto (jujutsu kaisen)

THE STORY SO FAR; tw: violence, ptsd

Being born as an Illyrian of Camp Irontooth meant one thing: discipline sharpened into cruelty. Combat perfected to brutality. Mordhaan did not birth sons or daughters. It bred weapons.

You never knew your parents. No one did. Children were not raised, they were forged. Shoved from womb to warpath and taught two things with unrelenting clarity: fear and rage. Anger was nourishment. Pain was scripture. You were taught to study your peers not as brothers, not as friends, but as stepping stones or threats.

Leadership was earned only by domination. And they expected it from you. Mordhaan’s name carved that expectation into your skin before you ever learned to bleed.

You were the second eldest in your squad. Old enough to command, young enough to resent it. You hated being told to protect your younger peers, to corral them like misfit soldiers-to-be. But you did it. Grudgingly. And in time, one of them began to matter more than the rest.

She was clever. Not in the brutal way Irontooth praised, but in the quiet, dangerous way they feared. She didn’t claw for power like you did. And one night, under the slivered moon and bleeding knuckles, she whispered a hypothetical plan, a plan where you could both leave. A story, she called it. A fantasy. But it took root in your mind like a seed finding water in dust.

You couldn’t stop wondering. And one day, you did it. You ran. But you didn’t go back for her.

You were ten. Small, ragged, your limbs thin and fast from training, your heart hammering with something like guilt or maybe cowardice. You ran until your body gave out, until even fear couldn't carry your legs. You didn’t stop until you crossed into the shadowed lands of the Night Court.

The streets there were colder, but not as cruel. You learned to steal. You slept in alleyways, the armor you once wore like pride now rusting around your bones, a prison you couldn’t shed. Until someone found you. Not with chains. Not with orders. With kindness.

They took you in. Not as a project, but as something fragile that could still be saved. They taught you how to be soft. How to feel things you’d never been allowed: warmth, safety, the ache of laughter. Love. Being loved.

It was excruciating at first. Slower than healing a broken wing. But it was real. And so, you made a promise: never again. You refused to touch another blade, another bow. The weapons that once felt like limbs now gathered dust in the corners of your memory, locked away in the dark where you couldn't hear them call.

You tried to be reborn. You gave yourself a new name. A new life. You read books instead of bloodshed. Studied stars instead of targets. You learned how to speak without barking orders. How to breathe without scanning for the enemy.

But the past never leaves cleanly. The nightmares still come. What her face must have looked like when you left, of your squad's screams when punishment surely fell. Your body bears the map of your camp. Scars etched like forgotten runes, each one a reminder of what you were made to become. And though you are no longer that creature, some days it feels like he's just beneath your skin, waiting for permission to return.

You never give it. Because Yozora is not a weapon. Not anymore.

TL;DR: illyrian born to a war camp known for breeding the perfect warriors. escapes after stealing his friend's escape plan. ends up in the night court, eventually adopted. traumatized but trying their very best!

HEADCANONS;

Camp Irontooth is known for creating the perfect Illyrian warriors through their own brood. Children never know who their parents are just as parents never get to meet their children. Children will simply be given their last name, and may know about what reputation the offspring of that house usually have.

Everyone is trained to hone every type of weapon at Camp Irontooth. However, Yozora was particularly skilled with long-distance weapons, such as throwing knives and a bow and arrow.

Born with naturally snow white hair, Yozora attempts to dye it frequently. This is his own attempt at trying to suppress his past.

Has trained others for physical combat in the past, though these have been very small exceptions.

[spiritunwilling]

What if ironteeth witches lost their teeth like sharks do. (and grew them back just as quick)

But like.

Examining corpses and sometimes finding a gleaming iron tooth lodged in the carcass.

[lichtundschattens]

It was true, he found peace in the quiet of the outdoors. Especially at night, when the weight of the world seemed to lift just enough for the stars to be seen. From the steps of their court, far from the noise and demands of responsibility, he’d sit for hours beneath the sky, head tilted upward, watching the constellations. The stars never did anything but exist. And yet, that was enough.

It always struck Yozora as odd, how easily she had taken him in. Like a stray left in the rain, all sharp edges and silent snarls. There had been no hesitation. She had simply reached out, gathered him into her arms, and refused to let go. As if she’d known all along that beneath the hardened training and bloodstained past, there was still a boy desperate to be seen as something other than dangerous.

And she had taught him. With unshakable patience, she showed him how to be more than what Irontooth had carved into his bones. How to sit still without flinching. How to speak without biting. How to feel without shame. It shaped him.

“You’ve caught me at just the right time. Lucky you,” he said at last, voice light, but not without weariness, as he turned from his cluttered desk.

A stack of papers lay before him, fanned out with careless abandon, and beside him, a lopsided tower of books that threatened to collapse. His hands were ink-stained, and his brows still faintly pinched with whatever thoughts had followed him since Honoria. Maybe their brief interaction had left him shaken. He wouldn’t admit it aloud. Not yet. But it clung to him, ghostlike, pressing behind his ribs. And he wondered, as she stepped closer, if she could tell. If she knew him well enough to see past the smile.

“I suppose I’m doing the best that I can be,” he said with a sheepish lift of his lips. The kind of smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “What with the heat... and the food,” he added, gesturing vaguely as if either truly explained anything at all. Maybe that was spoiled of him to say. “Mm. I suppose it could be worse.”

CLOSED for @lichtundschattens -- yozora. night suite's common room.

THE HIGH PRIESTESS OF NIGHT HAD DISLIKED THE FACT THAT THEY WERE ALL STILL STUCK IN SUMMER. While she had nothing against the Summer fae, it was their allotted season that had irked her to no end. She can live with the constant specs of sand in the air, even the humidity that had made her wake up in sweat every day ( as she slept during the day & rose during the night ), but the blasted heat that never waned & the cursed light that pricked at her eyes? That was really starting to get to her. Teamed up with Mother's holler about the battle & the outcome with the Made Daughter, before she peaced out of interaction once again, Moira's temper had truly been tested. But, there was a fae - an illyrian to be precise - that never tested her temper.

in fact, he often soothed it.

Entering the common room to see her son already occupying the shared chamber, the High Priestess' lips pulled into a smile. Approaching Yozora with motherly affection written so transparently upon her, usually rather intimidating, features, the lady Angmar placed a gentle hand atop his head. "There you are, my sweet. I wondered if I'll find you here or taking to the skies."

Pulling a chair out to be seated opposite of her son, Moira reached over to a silver tray containing a bottle of strong bourbon & a spare crystal glass, pouring the amber liquid for herself - refilling Yozora's in the process. "How have you been faring? Did you get some rest? Are you sleeping well?"