elysiium

[elysiium]

❛   ──   𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑛 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑟 : aurora & koda , warehouse district / new york .

it was a long day , perhaps even longer for her werewolf companion who happily ? endured today's session . while the results remain the same — no cure in sight — the nephilim believes they made some progress . what progress that might be , she cannot say for sure , but in her eyes no time has been wasted as of yet . she is in the process of cleaning up when she hears the heavy metal doors of the warehouse slide open , mismatched eyes travelling over to the sound . she expects to find jasper coming back ( for whatever reason ) but instead she sees @brazyspirit she does not recognize . ❛ can i help you ? ❜

[elysiium]

a genuine smiles crosses her face . ❛ it is . ❜ violet would have been a part of her family even if no blood was shared among them , but this . . . this just solidifies their bond . besides , it will give rory another sibling to dote upon . she nods at vala's suggested instructions before she pauses at her offer . ❛ oh . . . okay . ❜ because her siblings are younger than her she has never had to deal with them so young ; she does not really know what to do ( or how to hold ) someone so little as lacey . but she holds out her arms awkwardly , waiting for the dragon to hand the baby over .

𝐬𝐡𝐞  𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐬  𝐟𝐨𝐫  𝐚  𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭  𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞  𝐡𝐞𝐫  𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝  𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬  on  the  actual  topic  now  that  aurora  has  breathed  her  relief  .  “  that  is  so  exciting  for  them  !  ”  vala  smiles  .  she  knows  that  nothing  aurora  does  will  disappoint  cosimo  ,  but  for  the  sake  of  ensuring  her  niece’s  comfort  the  dragon  will  ensure  she  acts  as  if  she  never  knew  when  violet  and  cosimo  tell  her  themselves  .  “  here  ,  combine  the  eggs  and  flour  ,  i  did  kind  of  measure  things  out  already  so  that  we  can  actually  focus  on  each  other  .  ”  she  says  ,  reaching  to  pull  the  ingredients  for  the  pasta  .  “  do  you  want  to  hold  lacey  at  all  before  ?  ”  she  offers  as  lacey  tries  to  twist  a  little  to  look  at  aurora  .  “  she  is  such  a  happy  little  baby  .  ”  

[elysiium]

❛ easier , but this is better . ❜ photographs are meant to document journeys so it only makes sense to get the both of them in it . aurora shifts closer to him when he grabs her phone , almost instinctively leaning into him as he takes a picture of the two of them . she smiles once the task is done , taking her cell from him and taking a few seconds to send a quick message ( with the photo attached ) to violet and her father in a group message . she looks up at julian once it is done , the soft gesture of moving her hair behind her ear making her feel warm . ❛ i don't mind sending her more . ❜ there are not many moments that the nephilim feels girly , but in this moment ( by the silly definition of such word ) she does , cheeks rosy and eyes sparkling in affection . ❛ we will just have to find other exciting places to take photos . ❜

julian narrows his eyes , if only to tease her once she attempts to fit him in . ❛ i was referring to a picture of you , not of both of us . that would have been much easier . ❜ a dramatic sigh falls from his lips , but he reaches for her phone and adjusts the angle before taking a picture of them both . he has never been too fond of photographs , but he hums as he returns the phone to the nephilim . ❛ huh . that looks decent enough . be careful though , violet is going to demand more once you send this one . ❜ he muses , brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear .

[elysiium]

that pride only swells at leo's approval — i am sure he did . her smiles widens , her pace quickening towards their destination . ❛ oh . . . ❜ it is a bit of a surprise they have already come to the spot — did she miscalculate how long it would take ? was it purely luck ? or perhaps the labyrinth knew and quickened their journey ? rory wants to believe in the latter . the nephilim observes the section and is both amazed ( and skeptical ) at the display of books in front of them . ❛ are these all written by warlocks ? or do some of these novel come from others ? ❜ how did they collect information from nephilim ?

as much as leopold wishes that he could agree with her , he cannot . at least not yet . it is going to take more time to put his mind at ease and would it truly come as a surprise if any discomfort lingers ? letting go is not exactly his forte — a blessing and a curse . blue eyes drop to their hands when she takes it and the warlock squeezes hers before he smiles at the pride that laces her voice . ❛ i am sure that he did . ❜ he agrees , a quiet chuckles escaping him as he glances back . and why wouldn't he ? aurora did not hesitate and most warlocks here would not question another without cause for concern . ❛ this is the area we have been looking for . the book should be here . ❜

[elysiium]

❛ we'll explore things at your pace . ❜ aurora can be pushy ( she knows this ) especially for things such as this , but she doesn't wish to scare her cousin from her abilities ; quite the opposite in fact . if there is one thing that people learn about the nephilim is her encouragement finding pride in your own species . she will do so especially if someone of her family is feeling insecure in themselves . she smiles then — truly one of the best joys in life is food . ❛ good because that is all we have right now . ❜ with their celestial powers that could change , but there are some things that the nephilim enjoys doing mundane and that is cooking . ❛ i just had a feeling tonight was a spaghetti night and it seems i was right . ❜

it is a harsh truth , but talia cannot blame her cousin for pointing it out . aurora speaks her mind and she is grateful for it , even if things can be difficult to process . she takes a deep breath before she wraps her arms around the nephilim to return the hug . another thing that she's grateful for — physical affection can be difficult for rory , after all . ❛ i know . i do want to explore things , i'm just . . . conflicted . ❜ the whitelighter lets go , brown eyes following her as she moves into the kitchen . ❛ i would like that . ❜ even if it only happens every now and then . she chews on her bottom lip before she nods . ❛ i love spaghetti . ❜ one of the few foods she enjoys warm as well .

[elysiium]

cosimo's response is a . . . surprise to say the least . it makes her frowns ; her father is ancient , has taken life without much recourse or remorse , yet he lectures her about carrying about such . . . vermin ? it confuses her . ❛ why ? ❜ she asks before he explains , but upon hearing his reasoning it only makes her brows furrow more . his words do little to make her understand . ❛ why should i care i killed them ? they would have killed me , killed my friend , if i had not acted . ❜ to her , taking such an action is a casual thing .

now , this is a situation that cosimo did not expect to find himself in . at least not any time soon . ❛ you should care that you did . ❜ cosimo is not going to tell her to feel guilty about it , but that is not the same thing and aurora needs to know that . ❛ taking a life , for whatever reason , is not a casual thing . whether it is done in self defense or a moment of desperation . whether it is done out of hatred or love . it does not matter why , it is not a casual thing . ❜ he reinforces as his mismatched eyes stay on his daughter . the archangel agrees that she should have enough control over her powers and she needs to practice , but . . . this is just as important as everything else .

[elysiium]

❛   ──   𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑛 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑟 : catalina & harrison , cafe / new york .

the bell chimes as she steps through the familiar doors , the smell of coffee hitting her senses . catalina is still not use to muted everything now as a human , but she appreciates the little things that she does get — such things including a certain werewolf @brazyspirit that she sees in her sights as soon as she enters . ❛ hey stranger . ❜ she greets as she comes up to the counter , missing the line of people desperate for caffeine ( though in her defense , harrison is just making a coffee right now , so she isn't really skipping the line with there being another employee at the cash register ) . ❛ i missed you last week . ❜

[elysiium]

❛   ──   𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑛 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑟 : catalina & julian , the medici residence / solaria .

be very very quiet . . . that is , until the now - clumsy being that she is trips over a toy and makes an ' oof ' and a loud thud as she tumbles and hits the ground right beside a sleeping @violentdesires who just so happens to be cuddling her sleeping niece and nephew . she smiles sheepishly at him when his eyes open to look at her . ❛ morning sleeping beauty . ❜

[elysiium]

❛ i have not . ❜ there is little she has seen of faerie ; since her . . . well , since moving in with her brother here in this realm she has not seen much of this place and any time she has spent here formerly is hardly remembered — it is easy to forget days past when you are so old . ❛ do you enjoy the alley café ? ❜ this question is not directed at leopold this time which is evident as catalina leans down , hands resting on her own knees as she peers down at the warlock's hellhound companions , her head cocking as she awaits their answer .

the warlock decided to take leora and aurelius on a walk this morning , something that feels sillier than he expected . hellhounds hardly need to be walked like dogs , but it simply offers them a small amount of time without their puppies and it is an opportunity to ease leora back into some movement . they follow him , one on each side , and stop the second leopold halts in his steps . ❛ the alley café is worth a visit . especially if you haven't been . ❜ he answers the question , an amused smile on his lips . ❛ they are well known for their cupcakes and it's lovely to sit outside and enjoy the sun . it's louder inside , because they tend to show movies or sports matches . ❜

[elysiium]

they give ceren an almost apologetic smile at having disturbed her — clearly the lady has he hands full with all of her company , but even still gives her the time of day . how lovely . ❛ oh that all sounds like such amazing choices . ❜ she giggles . ❛ though i'll let you in on a little secret . . . ❜ she leans in , voice quiet as a whisper . ❛ new york city has better coffee than here . ❜ catia's smile is giddy as she stands straight , using her fingers to fake zipper her lips shut and throw away the key . ❛ don't tell the seelie's that or they might have my head ! ❜

𝐭𝐡𝐞  𝐟𝐚𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞  𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐦  𝐦𝐚𝐲  𝐧𝐨𝐭  𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞  the  way  the  human  world  does  ,  but  ceren  always  considers  the  different  holidays  marking  the  changes  ,  rather  than  the  seasons  .  if  one  wanted  a  change  in  season  ,  a  visit  to  the  unseelie  lands  was  what  would  be  done  by  those  allowed  or  willing  . but she does like how this realm changes much less compared to the human realm .         ceren  likes  these  days  ,  walking  in  the  sun  with  the  children  and  dogs  .  kayra  is  toddling  ahead  ,  fingers  grasping  lila  and  esma  ,  with  chilli  walking  along  and  sniffing  at  things  beside  esma  .  simay  is  carried  in  a  wrap  against  ceren’s  chest  ,  and  adaline  walks  alongside  them  ,  glancing  back  at  them  every  so  often  .  their  walk  ,  so  far  ,  had  been  casual  ,  although  chilli  had  sneakily  started  to  steer  them  towards  the  café  ,  where  she  knew  that  she  could  get  a  treat  since  ceren  was  incapable  of  saying  no  .         she  glances  away  from  her  niece  walking  ahead  of  her  when  someone  approaches  ,  a  warm  smile  slipping  across  her  own  face  .  “  oh  ,  we  like  walks  ,  picnics  ,  spending  time  by  the  lake  .  the  café  has  good  coffee  and  the  library  is  nice  as  well  .  ”  

[elysiium]

what did happen ? why does she feel so . . . so wrong ? she does not take the offered water — she cannot . fingers press against her temples , shaking breathes coming in and out of her lungs . there is a desperation to it — she needs this air now , why does she need it ? she didn't need it before . breathing was a habit , but now it is life . blue eyes flicker here and there , never staying in one place too long as her mind races . she doesn't understand . it's so quiet . so so quiet . . . then her eyes land on cosimo , ones that used to faintly glow with heaven , now dulled . ❛ the . . . the songs are gone . why are the songs gone ? ❜

heaven knows that cosimo is not known for answering prayers , not anymore . he used to be a loyal soldier , a loyal son , but the fates taught him that his loyalty meant very little to those who should have supported him . . . so why should he continue to do the dirty work for them ? most prayers never reach him now and if they do , they tend to go unanswered . who cares if it sheds bad light on the old man ? yet , there are exceptions to the rule . his family would always be able to reach him , no matter where , no matter when . the desperate cry trickles in and the archangel appears almost instantly , trying to look calm as he kneels down in front of his sister that is sitting on the floor of . . . is that a god damn church ? confusion washes over his features and he reaches forward , touching her cheek once he notices the sweat on her skin . how very odd . he clenches his teeth as he realizes something even more odd . there is no celestial connection between them in this instant , nothing that tells him what happened without words being exchanged . the ground beneath them begins to quake , a mild vibration that is barely noticeable . . . for now . a bottle of water appears in his hands and he hands it to catalina , all while he attempts not to lose his shit right then and there . ❛ what the fuck happened ? ❜

[elysiium]

if she was sane right now , she would tell him that he misunderstood — her statement was not a declaration that he did not understand the cursed that plagued her with weakness . of course he has been with her every step of the way , helping her through it all , carrying the burden with her . she would never state otherwise . even leopold should knows this , but neither of them are sane right now . both are hurt , scared , upset at what has happened that make it hard to control their emotion — emotions so easily erupted in this moment . later , once calm has settled between them she will be able to correct her meaning , but right now ? his response only brings more dread . she cannot respond , weak words replaced with a heartbreaking sobs — cries that echoes in the bathroom that soon turn into hysterical breathing . while his words are harsh ( truthful , even if misaimed in the moment ) , auraline clings to him all the same . she is desperate for his touch , his presence , despite the tension that permeates the air . and soon , incoherent i'm sorrys spill through her weeping . sorry for what she said , sorry for what has happened , sorry for everything .

his first instinct tells him to run , to leave the bathtub and create some much needed distance between them . it is a reaction that has been threaded into his very being for centuries now , one that his wife is familiar with , and it takes every ounce of willpower to stay put . a scoff falls from his lips , the words that fell from hers mere seconds ago feeling more like a smack than anything verbal . ❛ of course i don't understand . ❜ is that what she thinks ? after all this time ? ❛ how could i ? i never spent a single sleepless night right next to you . i never noticed how feeling ill turned into insecurity , sometimes even self-loathing . i wasn't there when your body defeated that brilliant mind of yours . no . how could i possibly understand , auraline . ❜ a trace of ice freezes the familiar warmth of his tone and it does not take much to notice the tension that has taken over his body at the very same time . leopold would support his wife through almost anything — but he is not going to encourage this behavior . he is not going to watch her , let alone help her put herself down . ❛ great parenting . here i thought that you would comfort them as it would be about them , not about you . ❜

[elysiium]

while it is not something danny declares , it is something auraline feels — his loyalty has never been questioned by her despite him not being part of her fair folk . it is a rare thing , really . ❛ unless you count the knife in my stomach as a note , no . nothing . ❜ a poor joke ; the queens sighs . ❛ i have wrecked my mind trying to think of a reason , but whatever that reason it was taken to the grave with them . ❜

Serving the seelie queen as her guard was an honor the shadowhunter rarely expressed out loud, but his loyalty was strong, and tangible, and the last thing he wanted was to disappoint her or get her in harm's way. He owed his life to the seelie court, it was only fair that he would try and repay some of their grace. "There was no note? They didn't say anything? Nothing of importance? There has to be a reason they targeted you." His mind was racing, theorizing about the assassination attempt, paranoia already taking him to the conclusion that the attack on the queen and the destruction of Alicante was carried out by the same people.

[elysiium]

she has heard little of the new inquisitor . in all honesty , news of the shadowhunters have remained in shadow as they have — blanked in the darkness of the things that have happened to them . remaining among themselves as they rebuild . in ways , their absence has only contributed to the chaos of the downworld , but they are not to blame . it seems chaos is inevitable these days . even so , it comes as a surprise when inquisitor hightower ( whether it came directly from himself or one of his subordinates ) requests an audience with her even if it only makes sense . auraline knew this would happen eventually once the hunters got some better footing ; the downworld council handled most of these matters and auraline was more than happy to allow her husband more reign over it ( having better understanding of the new worlds order ) but she was not going to turn down this meeting . it is important . she bows her head in greeting , acknowledging his own . ❛ the apology is not necessary . my court and i only wish to work with the shadowhunters for the good of everyone . ❜

the inquisitor rises to his feet when the queen of the seelies enters the council chambers . many would deem it a sign of respect , but it is one that has been well studied instead of coming from the bottom of his heart . the majority of people fails to tell how dimitri truly feels about dealing with downworlders and he has every intention of keeping it that way . ❛ queen auraline . ❜ he greets as @elysiium steps closer . ❛ i am very pleased that you could make it . ❜ he smiles , his voice sounding sincere . ❛ i do apologize for the rush , but i thought it would be wise to have this conversation sooner , rather than later . ❜

[elysiium]

it is probably best they both ignore it and move it . it is not something that either of them will agree on soon , but both respect the other enough to not make a big deal of the disagreement . that is something auraline respects and appreciates . soon any sourness from the previous talk is replaced with a smile , her hand squeezing the dragons . ❛ as i said , you are allowed at my court whenever you desire . my guards know of such and will allow you entrance immediately . . . i too would love such visits . and i know my girls would be excited to meet and play with lacey as soon as she is old enough . ❜

𝐯𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐤𝐚𝐞𝐫𝐚  𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐬  𝐭𝐨  𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒆  𝐭𝐡𝐞  𝐟𝐚𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞’𝐬  𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡  .  she  knows  she  is  safe  —  living  elsewhere  does  not  make  her  any  safer  .  if  someone  wants  to  try  to  get  to  her  ,  she  thinks  they  may  reconsider  that  idea  while  she  is  in  house  wrath  versus  alone  at  lyndhurst  or  in  the  castle  in  the  faerie  realm  or  back  in  her  home  in  spain  .  “  i  did  not  plan  to  .  ”  she  shrugs  .  she  knows  how  they  feel  about  each  other  .  “  maybe  once  lacey’s  a  bit  older  she  and  your  children  can  have  some  playdates  .  until  then  ,  i  do  want  to  come  visit  you  and  the  girls  .  ”  

[elysiium]

it is something that could be easily admitted about the seelie court . auraline's kind might be called benevolent compared to the malevolent unseelies , but anyone who learn of the fae know that is not truly the case . seelies can be just as unkind , the court difficult for those apart of it , especially those of royal blood — everyone becomes a pawn ; not even children are removed from it . ❛ of course . ❜ there is sympathy in her voice , but she does not press further . if her sister wishes to elaborate more , auraline will lend her an ear , offer words of comfort , of support , whatever truth speaks to things said . until then , it is not her place to make kaelie speak more on it . luckily , the discussion of hers and violet's new establishment is an easy transition from it . ❛ and that is . . . different from a strip club ? ❜ unsure of what a place of pleasure could mean .

kaelie hums when auraline mentions her daughter . that is what she appreciates the most — even if it is nice to hear that her sister cares for her wellbeing too . ❛ i am glad . inês deserves family members that she can depend upon . ❜ and they both know that none of those can be found at the unseelie court . even if zagan would keep her safe , he would do it for his own fucked up reasons . ❛ it did . ❜ a vague answer , but the unseelie princess is not trying to evade the question . her hands smooth over the fabric of her skirt while she takes a deep breath . ❛ it does not change the moments we shared , but it changes just about everything else . ❜ in good ways and it bad ones too . the world is never just black or white , is it ? the sexual dance place . laughter falls from her lips and she shakes her head in amusement . ❛ it's a strip club . though violet may or may not be taking that to a very different level , so . . . a place of pleasure may be more accurate . ❜

[elysiium]

it is an arrogant statement dripping with affectionate . such as it is every time the archangel speaks of his wife . it's adorable really , though the queen does not say that allowed hence risking smited by him . ❛ i have seen your wife . ❜ it is not meant to be a double - meaning , but alas the way it sounds . . . it makes the seelie blush a little , quickly moving on . ❛ but i am very happy for you . we should hold a baby shower ! ❜

cosimo never struggled to understand hellhounds . they have valuable traits that turn them into the perfect companion , as long as people nourish them . he does have an unfair advantage though — everything gets easier when you can communicate with someone . ❛ you have seen my wife . it's impossible that they are not going to be beautiful . ❜ which sounds far more affectionate than arrogant this time around , traces of pride lacing his words as he continues to play with nefeli and the puppy that pounced . ❛ i know you will . just like i expect you to . ❜ the blond grins .