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[dcybreak]

Kavitha exhaled a soft laugh as she ventured further into Nari's apartments, taking a seat on one of the less ornate pieces of furniture. "Under normal circumstances, I might invoke the rules of courtly decorum." Which she tried to maintain, though it lapsed more often in Lady Nari's presence, a reflection of her genuine trust and affection for the woman sitting opposite her. "Presently, however, that is too attractive an offer to pass up." Her voice dropped slightly, lighthearted and conspiratorial in a way she rarely was, with anyone else. "At dinner last night, somebody from one of the seasonal courts made a pass at me." She wrinkled her nose at the memory, which she had not had a moment to truly reflect on until now. "After spending an inordinate amount of time sniffing and swirling his wine, which – to put it lightly, the order in which he did those things did not work his favor."

"  we  could  not  have  that.  "  she  teases,  but  means  it  as  well.  nari  would  never  wish  for  her  friends  to  overwork  themselves.  kavitha  was  likely  flooded  with  requests  and  tasks  –  all  of  which  nari  did  not  envy.  a  slight  snort  leaves  the  lady  at  the  jest  from  her  friend,  and  she  can't  help  but  smile.  even  if  they  were  speaking  of  the  guests  she  couldn't  wait  to  see  gone,  it  was  still  something  normal  to  relax  with  the  other.  she  didn't  have  to  fear  much,  nor  did  she  ever  really  play  her  masked  game.  something  about  kavitha  made  nari  realize  she  was  a  person  to  trust  –  a  fae  she  could  call  a  friend  when  it  was  so  rarely  a  title  offered.  "  you'll  have  to  come  dine  in  my  private  quarters,  i  have  all  the  best  sent  here  first.  "  an  offer  she'd  only  extend  to  those  she  actually  liked.  

[dcybreak]

It was a mentality Kavitha could deeply understand, having been raised deep within the trappings of it herself. Her father wrote daily, pleading with her to return to her ancestral family home, for the sole reason of putting as much distance between her and the mainlanders as physically possible. However, the more entangled the dusk court became in the political webs of the other courts, the more determined Kavitha was to remain in the inner circle, at Yijun's proverbial side.

"The younger Lady Yronwood has taken to hiding tomes containing our courtly history, so that our guests might not access them," Kavitha admitted, and she could not quite mask that she found the practice deeply amusing. Still, she was quick to acknowledge its potential value. "Which is not, strategically, without merit. We can build bridges without revealing our hand in its entirety. But, obviously, they aren't complete idiots — they can tell we're keeping things from them. A gesture towards cross-court cooperation could go a long way."

the   scholars   and   scribes,   of   the   other   courts   were   the   best   ones   to   work   with   when   it   came   to   recording   information   of   their   courts.   though   the   high   lord   wouldn't   blame   his   scholar   for   being   skeptical   of   working   with   the   others,   it   wasn't   something   that   any   of   them   could   have   thought   was   coming   for   them.   however   that   was   what   yijun   had   wanted   was   for   them   to   all   try   to   work   together.   wanting   the   dusk   court   to   remain   a   part   of   prythian   when   everyone   finally   got   to   return   to   their   home   courts.   "i   know,   i   have   been   trying   to   convince   our   members   to   be   more   open   towards   the   mainlanders.   it   is   a   habit   that   has   been   ingrained   into   them,   to   not   trust   them.   as   well   as   my   siblings."

"i   promise   you   kavitha,   i   am   finding   the   time   to   eat   all   three   of   my   daily   meals."   some   of   them   may   be   consumed   at   his   desk   with   paperwork   in   front   of   him,   but   he   wasn't   neglecting   his   bodily   needs   for   the   sake   of   the   court.

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His lips twitched in amusement, a tacit acknowledgment of the implication. "I'm afraid not. My mother drank for taste, a trait I unfortunately inherited." Considering the circumstances of his birth, and the number of nights he'd spent immersed in the middle and laboring classes of society, it was a bit humorous that Valentine had developed a taste for the finer things. He supposed that one benefit of their current confinement was relatively unmitigated access to these comforts, even if they were a little smoky for his liking. "Somewhat. I've acclimated to the low light, the dragons, the food, and the mistrustful locals. The accompanying political upheaval, however, poses its own challenges."

she watched valentine approach with an observant eye and clasped her hands together at her front. she was unsure what to make of him, knowing his area of expertise. she found it hard to trust people who lied like it was second nature in general and his line of work had to include that, so their relationship was definitely more professional than anything else, but this interaction was leaning more towards personal. so that was a development. " for me the taste of only the first glass of wine is of importance. is it not the same for you ? " she was definitely a drink your emotions away type of gal and considered it to be normal too. " i have accustomed to this court. have you ? "

[dcybreak]

Valentine could argue; could remind Calix that he couldn't will away their shared history, that some pulse of understanding would always exist between them, whether or not they were inclined to acknowledge it. But pushing back in this moment seemed unkind. He had spent fifty or so years carefully studying the slant of Calix's brow, the shifting lines around his mouth. One look at him, paired with the thread of woe in his voice, was enough to make Valentine back off.

"Alright," he said, trying not to sound soothing, not to fall into the voice used to use when Calix melted into him after a long day of tending to his duties. "I only — I didn't want you to think that I was... not similarly affected. That I was false, in the feelings I professed to you. Leaving was not a decision I made lightly."

It was the earnest truth that he had never wanted to cause him pain. And Valentine could see that, every moment he spent in Calix's presence, he was doing just that. For that reason and that reason alone, he doggedly ignored the flex of Calix's hand, and carefully avoided any consideration of what it might have meant. "Yes, you should." He cleared his throat, feeling, inexplicably, like the biggest failure who ever lived. "If you need anything, even if it's from a stranger — obviously, I owe you one. Or several." As he continued, his voice pitched down, eyes intent on Calix. "Be safe."

despite the differences of years between the last time they had laid eyes on each other, there were parts of calix that had changed, parts of him that had not. he did his duty as a commander of the day court, still took care of his siblings when needed but the heart that had once been opened by valentine had closed itself off once more. walls made of stone encased around it and it felt as if a lesson, the one time he had truly opened his heart to another it had been crushed. " you left and broke me, you don't get to claim you know me anymore. " the fact that seeing valentine brought back that pain and ache inside him made calix want to wrench his heart out of his chest if it would spare him. if he had known valentine was here, if he had seen him before now maybe he could have controlled the emotions in his words and face, to hide it because he hated how even now this man still had control over him. " no, you do not. you do not understand, you lost that privilege a long time ago. " the words are clipped, harsher than he intends in his hurt. gifted with years upon years, a blessing and a curse for the commander who knew his heart would always be owned by the other. it made him feel weak, defenseless and he hated that most of all, his father had taught him to never let anyone make him feel that way, what a fool he was. " despite your best intentions, i have seen your face and you have seen mine and so the pain you caused remains ever the same. " his hand flexes at his side, stopping himself from reaching out, stopping himself from pulling valentine to him. " i-- should go... i should check on others of my court. "

[dcybreak]

"I couldn't possibly," Kavitha insisted, nudging the plate closer to Kael once more. She reached for one of the pieces of bread she'd obtained, tearing off a piece to dip into the soup. "If I tried, I'd be at immediate risk for falling asleep right here and missing the thousand and one meetings I have scheduled for early tomorrow morning." Meetings she actually wanted to attend, in spite of her relative exhaustion. She had had to adjust to a lot since leaving her ancestral family home, but the recent changes to the dusk court made it feel a bit like she was starting anew all over again.

She shook her head, suddenly, faintly apologetic. "But look at me, going on and on about my work. It can't have been easy for you, either, with an influx of new people to both protect and be suspicious of. How have you been faring?"

Kael’s heart skipped a beat as she waved away his suggestion to leave, telling him to stay. He nodded, trying to keep his expression calm, but inside he felt a mix of relief and nervousness. She had always seemed so comfortable around him, but it still caught him off guard, especially now, as she kicked off her shoes and settled in across from him. It was moments like these that reminded him why he liked her so much.

When she offered him food, he hesitated, trying to act casual. "Uh, yeah, I could eat," he replied, though his nerves made it hard to tell if he was actually hungry. He glanced at the plate she set between them, then back at her, noticing the way she sipped her drink like she was trying to unwind.

"You sure you don’t want to eat more yourself?" he asked, trying to distract himself from how close they were sitting, his pulse quickening just from being near her. "Long week and all… might need the fuel." He managed a small smile, hoping she couldn’t tell how jittery he felt inside.

[dcybreak]

Kavitha felt a pang of sympathy for Cerys. As a scholar and a member of the inner circle, it must've been difficult to peruse the dusk court's annals and feel a bit like an awkward guest in someone else's home. Part of her loathed that they had to be strategic about what information they shared -- that it couldn't just come forth at the first notion of rigorous, sustained curiosity. "Outside of our court's history, do you have any particular scholarly interests?" she asked, measured, but kind. "I could try to dig something up for you. Our collection is, in reality, much more vast than it appears at first glance."

closed for @dcybreak ( kavitha ), continued from here

the need for knowledge kept her perusing the stacks and shelves in the dusk court's library, hoping that she would find something new that would fill in the gaps in the knowledge that she currently had. whether such gaps were because of books loaned out or removed because the court wished to hide something from them. they wouldn't put it past them, the dawn court would do much the same if it was something important that not just anyone could know. " ah, i see. that makes sense. " still she hoped to get her hand on anything she hadn't yet read, " we do not know how long we will all be here, but i hope i get to read through the tomes that i have not been able to yet. "

[dcybreak]

He shook his head with a smile, there was no apology necessary. In truth, she'd hardly be the first he'd lulled into a stupor with excessive herb-related facts. "Obviously, we have to be careful, with the dusk court's.... ambassadors, flying overhead," he sighed, sparing a reticent glance out the window. However, it hardly deterred him, and he proceeded to rise to his feet, gesturing for Iphigenia to do the same. "But I see no reason why we can't take a turn about the compound's gardens, at the very least. It's one of the few places around here you don't get the evil eye for just existing in."

“a field trip could be very enriching,” iggy agrees (perhaps too quickly). “sorry,” she retreats sheepishly, lowering her quill. she had clearly missed the mark of the lesson completely. “you’re being very helpful and i am being useless.” she appreciated valentine’s wisdom very much despite her poor focus. he nailed the problem on the head, though. she was a kinaesthetic sort of learner, best on her feet — it was no wonder she struggled with the readings and the lecture. “i do agree, though. i think it would help to get my hands on some of them.”

[dcybreak]

Vivian's amusement had a wry smile tilting his lips, even if it was at his own expense. Hubris was right, probably. Though, how any of them could've predicted this series of events, he had no idea.

"In my defense," he interjected. "The events of the past few months have flown in the face of many things we presumed to be known facts of our universe. It is not an easy time to be in our line of work."

For a moment, Valentine debated admitting to her that Calix wandered these halls — that decades ago, he had made a mistake, suffered a lapse in judgment he never thought he'd have to reckon with. But he couldn't quite push the confession past his lips. Vivian respected him, and that respect had been hard-won. He was wary to jeopardize it over something he might be able to handle on his own.

"Nothing that will be news to you," he shrugged. The high family and the inner circle were so tight-lipped and secretive that Valentine had been driven to descend into the lower rungs of society in pursuit of information. Even then, he hadn't gotten very far. "Some of the locals, the fishermen, the shopkeepers — they harbor extremely warped perceptions of the other courts. One of them asked me to stick out my tongue, so they could make sure it wasn't forked."

PERHAPS that had been a reason - their isolation. They knew themselves & their nature all the better without external influences. Perhaps they could be deemed the true fae. She hummed at his words, nodding lightly. "Perhaps that is exactly why they can, to an extent, control us. They seem wiser, though it could also be said more cunning. I respect them for the sheer audacity of it, for being so gentle with their guests, yet unawering in their restictions."

Vivian snickered. He had been her favourite spy for a reason.

"Cursed by the hubris once more, are you? Then you are fortunate we are in such a... forgiving place." she chuckled.

she could only imagine the names, the grin pulling at her lips.

"So long as my favourite spy remains breathing & alive, I am content. Do tell, though." she paused, head tilting to the side, "Have you heard anything... interesting or unusual?"

[dcybreak]

Kavitha nodded. Initially, the idea unsettled her; though she had had positive interactions scholars from the other courts, she still found it difficult to presume their competence at most scholarly endeavors. However, an invitation to collaborate from Yijun would be a a powerful symbol of diplomacy. And a time when she could feel restless rising within the compound, maybe it was the olive branch they needed to maintain the peace. "I think that's a good idea. I know that members of the other courts have sensed a certain... hostility, from the inner circle. And some of the family." She rubbed at a knot that had started to develop at the base of her neck. "Wherever it's possible to build bridges, we probably should. I'm willing to work with them."

At the reassurance, her lips tilted in a small smile. "Good," she nodded. "Though I hope you mean time for more than just dinner. But I'm leaving it there, because I am well aware that a lecture from me would be both presumptuous and a little hypocritical."

it   had   taken   yijun   time   to   figure   out   how   he   wanted   tings   going   forward   with   the   mainlanders.   thankful   for   the   fact   that   aurora   had   taken   the   time   to   organize   them   in   the   court.   but   it   was   the   scholar   and   the   scribes   recording   everything   that   he   was   actually   fond   of.   wanting   to   be   able   to   have   something   documented   of   the   other   courts   for   future   generations   to   be   able   to   read   up   on.   "i   thoroughly   appreciate   that   you   are   putting   this   together.   i   will   see   what   i   can   do,   though   perhaps   maybe   working   with   the   other   courts   scholars   and   scribes   could   be   helpful.   i   can   speak   with   the   other   high   rulers   about   them   potentially   lending   a   hand   to   record   the   information   of   their   courts."

"i   promise   i   make   time   to   eat."   maybe   it   wasn't   always   the   proper   way,   sitting   down   at   his   desk   with   a   stack   of   papers   and   his   plate   of   food   beside   him.   however   he   did   always   dedicate   time   for   a   proper   dinner.   "don't   forget   that   i   always   set   out   time   for   us   to   all   have   dinner   together.   my   family   and   the   inner   circle."

[dcybreak]

"Mm," Valentine agreed. It was further interesting that there existed civilian riders. Presumably, it would be treasonous for them to defy the instruction of their high lord, and yet... It was a lot of power, in the hands of the citizenry. It was a marked shift in the type of courtly dynamics he'd come to expect. "Much more than I would expect, from a court that has had no contact with the rest of us."

Thus far, Valentine had not encountered many people he would consider.... sway-able.

But, Vivian was the spymaster for a reason. If she believed in the potential for alliances, Valentine would continue to pursue them. "Right. Well, I'm being very friendly. Best behavior. Spy's honor." He did an only slightly sarcastic salute.

"Though, it is... not ideal, to have so many people from different corners of our world congregated in such close quarters." He paused, clearing his throat. "Particularly when I've given different names to a few of them."

OMINOUS, or perhaps smart. The Dusk court had been smart- the dragons' presence had been... subtle, but present enough that the drakes circling the sky could be seen as either a looming threat, or a display of security. Should any fae step a toe out of line, the dragons would know & report back to their rulers & the fae would be in trouble.

yes, it had been a smart move, to both hide them & flaunt them in the most subtle of ways.

"They have all the liberty they want, but the are not to harm us, unless given command of it by their High lord or their riders." Vivian responded, fixing a glare at the beat flying overhead, "They've kept us in check in a very unassuming way. They are smarter then some courts would give them credit."

she hummed.

"We do. It's only a matter of perspective. They could be swayed to our side, if we appear more friendly than the other courts. The seasonals could try, but ultimately, their true faces with shine through." Vivian grinned.

[dcybreak]

In truth, she was relieved that it was Kael. She didn't have to put up any sort of pretense around him -- in fact, she felt perfectly comfortable stepping out of her shoes, which had been pinching her feet all day, and sitting with her legs folded in the space opposite to him. She waved a dismissive hand at his request to leave. "No, stay," she said firmly, setting her plate down in the space between them. She paused to take a long sip from her goblet, which she maybe shouldn't be doing on an empty stomach, but it had been a very long week. "Are you hungry? I think my eyes were bigger than my stomach. I didn't want to have to risk going back for a second helping."

Kael was struggling to find his own footing as of late. Well in his opinion he was. He was struggling with ensuring that any privilege he received, any praise that he received was legitimate and not because of who his father was. He knew this would be a struggle for him when he joined, but he wanted that approval so desperately he decided to join anyway. So while most everyone else was eating together down in the hall, he had made his way to the observatory to take a break from the constant need to be on.

What he didn't expect was a familiar and welcomed voice to be one he heard in the room just after he settled in. "No, it's quite alright, there is plenty of room in here to share, the room with you." He said, his words much less confident than he would want them to sound around her. "Please. If you want the room, I can leave it for you." He told her jumping up from his seat a little too quickly and knocking over the books on the table next to him. Something about Kavitha always made him nervous, like butterflies in his stomach and a loss of train of thought.

[dcybreak]

At Celeste's dry comment - dispensed with the sort of shrewdness he'd come to expect from her - Valentine cracked a small smile, furthering his approach with slow, contemplative steps, and settling a respectful distance away from her. "It shouldn't," he acknowledged. "But I've always felt that it does. Though maybe that's more to do with the taste. It's almost like they smoke everything here." Valentine wrinkled his nose. "I can't decide how I feel about it." Though he had moved between the courts - both solar and seasonal - a multitude of times over the past few hundred years, he remained preferential to the dawn court's customs and cuisine. In the same vein, he turned slightly to ask Celeste, "How have you been settling in?"

focused on the walking as both a form of meditation and the way to get somewhere the slowest, the heels of her boots sounded forcefully against the wooden floors of the hallway, but this was to be interrupted. " valentine, " she greeted back, approaching the other and dipping her chin, and even though hierarchy had been strictly taught to her when she was in her warrior training, there was a small amount of fae with enough intelligence to take any note of rank or had any respect for her. celeste did not take it personally. his question derailed her. " to consume at dawn would point to problems for someone who starts a day being intoxicated, but no one blinks an eye if you're keeping company with wine at dusk. " it would have to be the closest to a joke that she's ever made. " to be serious, i cannot find a difference. does it matter ? "

[dcybreak]

"I will certainly listen, my lady, but if I endeavor to transcribe another thing today, I run the risk of my hand falling off." For Kavitha to admit to weariness, it had to be quite extreme. She didn't think she'd ever written so much in her life, including the days when she was compiling detailed lesson plans for the schooling of her eight siblings. At Nari's admission, she nodded in quiet agreement. Though she put up a cordial front, the arrival of the fae from other courts had triggered some deep, pervasive distrust in her, likely put there by her father. "Mm. It does feel like the rules of our known world are changing in some significant, undefinable way. I find myself caught between existential dread, and irritation that they eat all the good bread before I make it to breakfast in the mornings."

few  came  to  visit  nari's  apartments  directly,  and  the  guards  were  doing  their  job  at  keeping  the  mainladers  at  bay.  it's  why  she  doesn't  worry  when  there  is  a  knock  and  the  door  pushes  open,  a  slight  smile  offered  to  her  brother's  court  scholar.  "  none  ?  i  was  hoping  for  a  sense  of  normalcy.  "  she  teases  lightly.  nari  didn't  mind  kavitha's  inquisitive  nature,  it  seemed  appropriate  for  the  position  the  other  held  and  she  was  never  rude  or  pushy  when  nari  clearly  had  a  boundary.  for  that  alone  she  was  fine  with  it.  a  sigh,  and  she  gestures  to  the  seats  across  from  her  for  kavi  to  join.  "  yijun  has  encouraged  me  to  be  nice  and  open,  and  while  some  may  not  be  horrible,  i  still  wish  them  to  leave.  "  had  they  tried  swimming  home  yet  ?  they  should.  "  i  am  fine,  mostly.  annoyed,  wondering  why  all  this  had  to  happen.  "  

[dcybreak]

Of course, Kavitha knew exactly why that particular text contained more gaps than it should. She kept a meticulous record of everything arriving and departing from the Court's annals — even those surreptitiously thieved away by the younger Lady Yronwood. She made little effort to conceal her quiet amusement. "Mm. The royal family and my staff have unfettered access to our collection. It's not unusual for portions of works, or even entire tomes, to be out on loan for unspecified periods of time." She smoothed out her skirts, taking a tentative seat on the opposite end of the alcove. "Maybe they'll find their way back to the library, before everyone takes their leave."

there were more than a few hiding spots that cerys had found in the weeks they had been in the dusk court, but with so many people those spots could be hard to come by. at times even the library felt crowded with scholars and others alike, almost one after the other on top of each other. an introverted creature by nature she found her studies were hampered by too much noise or outside influence. the lady nods, " it is quite beautiful, i am surprised such flowers can grow in this light. " cerys picks up the book in her lap, " ah, this ? it seems to be a history of the dusk court, but i feel like it is missing several chapters, as if there are large gaps in decades and centuries. "

[dcybreak]

Valentine doubted very much that she got most of it, but he wasn't really bothered by it. Iphigenia might not have been the most diligent student, but she was sweet, and he was always cognizant of her position within the court, the power differential it created. "Nothing, to be honest. There is nothing interesting about seaweed," he admitted. "Maybe it would be easier if we had some of these plants in front of us." He glanced out the window, still quietly struck by the dissonance he felt with the environment. Still, plants were plants, whatever dirt they happened to take root in. "It's entirely possible some of them are grown around the grounds. Or in the adjacent woods... A field trip could be quite enriching."

her quill grows still in a curled palm, as iggy watches valentine’s lips move in rapid conversation with himself. the fae had a growing interest in getting better at physical medicines (as urged by sera’s advice), but it hardly meant that her attention span had expanded in any way since her youth. she knew valentine as a talented herbalist, prompting her to reach for his help. despite a strong discipline in etiquette, she had always been somewhat of a poor student. startling out of her reverie, iphigenia has the decency to attempt at covering her tracks. “oh. no. i think i got most of it.” jade hues look downward at the blank parchment before her — a crude drawing of a bell-shaped plant in the margins. her nose scrunches, caught now. the healer sheepishly meets his eyes. “the interesting thing about seaweed?”

[dcybreak]

Though it was with entirely unearned confidence, Valentine didn't doubt his knowledge of Calix for even a second. If he was doing his job, he would back off, diffuse, avoid confrontation for the same reasons he left all those years ago. But there was a part of him that couldn't bear to concede. Eyes dropping over the familiar planes of Calix's face, he asked, "Can you honestly tell me I don't?"

It was a bit terrible, but some part of him took comfort in the fact that he was still capable of evoking these emotions — frustration, sadness, confusion — in Calix. It would've been much more painful, if he was indifferent. Now, the most difficult part of making it through the moment was understanding the depth of the harm he had caused. Of course, Valentine had been permanently changed by their affair in kind. "I think I understand a little bit."

He couldn't bring himself to dwell on that aborted sentence. He resolved to let it drive him mad later, when he was out of Calix's eye-line, and he had a moment alone to properly spin out about it. "You did deserve more," Valentine agreed, because he had no good excuse. "I am sorry — and not in the way where I'm seeking forgiveness, I'm just... sorry. Trust me, Calix, I thought the best thing I could ever do for you was ensure you never had to see my face again. I don't know why this is happening. I can't believe it is."

the feelings that calix had shoved down, pushed away to a corner of his heart and mind and he had thought would never be dredged up again. their time together hadn't been long, compared to their long lifespans, it had been barely a fragment of time, but that time had been everything. before valentine, calix had kept a wall around his heart as he focused on his duties, on his family, but he had chipped away at it, bit by bit. and instead of clearing away the pieces and the rubble of those walls, they had been plunged into his heart. " you know me ? decades have passed and you say you know me ? " a scoff leaves his lips, " you left as fast as you came into my life. like a whirlwind, like a storm, you don't understand what it did to me. " he was never this blunt, he kept a guard on his emotions but seeing everything he had once wanted... and maybe still did in front of him did not help him with his need for control. " you needed to leave. " he repeats the words and shakes his head, " i deserved more than a letter. if you were going to end things with me, i deserved it to be spoken to my face. " instead if felt like valentine had resorted to cowardice, the easy way out and calix had been left to deal with the aftermath. " i lov-, " he stops himself, surprised in what he had almost said, but it was true. he had loved him.. still did. " i cared for you... valentine. "

[dcybreak]

Vivian was right, of course, as she was often wont to be. The dragons, for better or worse, kept the peace, though it meant they were all at the mercy of the dusk court. He lifted his head, scanning the skies, catching a flash of a leathery wing. "It is a bit ominous, having them fly overhead constantly, like that." He glanced at Vivian. "How much have you come to understand about them? Their relative autonomy is... interesting."

Presumably, they were players in this game the same way everyone else was, though Valentine seriously doubted the likelihood of any dragon divesting their loyalty to their dusk riders. If a dragon chose to bond with an outsider, well... that would be something.

"Do we even have a solar card?" he asked, with a habitual glance over his shoulder. "I've dealt with distrustful locals before, but the people around here take it to a new level."

Much of his training seemed to be a moot point, here. Impossible to try and fly under the radar when he was instantaneously clocked as a mainlander regardless of what he wore, how he talked, or where he lingered.

STRANGE. Her favourite spy was right. It was strange that the fae were still behaving, so very unlike them. Then again, it was very unlike Vivian to take her own spy under her wing like a lost pup, yet here they were. It's been a long while since he came under her scrutiny & spymaster's care, & he had quite possibly been the only one in the entire court - sans Celeste, naturally - who was no longer afraid of her.

it was cute, really.

also very ballsy of him.

Vivian let out an amused snort & craned her neck to glance at her spy, the amused smirk gracing her usually frowned lips. "If someone had asked me to place a bet on it, I would've already lost. I figured it would take them few days at most before they went at it. Dusk court's little dragons truly do wonders for courtly politics & diplomacy." she took a sip of her drink, then ;

"Until they use them as a weapon, of course. We can only play the solar card with them to buy us time if it happens." & if Kabir keeps his shit up, it very well just might.