jiaorenyi

[jiaorenyi]

THAT'S what had bugged her. If the rumors were untrue, why start them? To drive their king mad? To spark a war between them, for this third kingdom to then pick up the pieces? It could've been done in a million different ways. This had seemed... honest in a very strange, very chilling way.

she couldn't put her finger on it.

"There's undoubtedly magic, & a very strong one. Unholy, perhaps. It takes... a monstrosity to make a spell so perfectly durable, so... solid for gods know how long. Centuries? It's more than ancestors. It's almost ancient history by now." having more than one hidden kingdom was horrifying enough, but two?

she shivered, the headache blooming at the edge of her vision.

"It seems preposterous, just like the one of the hidden kingdom. If one is true, the other could be, as well." Renyi sighed & blinked, the headache subsiding for a bit.

"So, what do you make of it all? Just a lie or more to it?"

yinuo furrowed his brow, shaking his head slowly. "when it comes to this...new kingdom," he started, "it's hard to say. clearly, they've been in hiding for centuries, so...perhaps this is not on us, but on our ancestors. it is hard to know what to do—or what should've been done, rather—when we weren't there to witness it." he shrugged. "perhaps there was magic involved, or perhaps it was pointed when it happened—like an intentional erasure. who's to say?"

at the woman's latter words, he let out a small laugh. "i really don't know about that one, my lady. it seems preposterous, really. children of the royal line, hidden from the kingdom?" his smile, tinged ever-so-slightly with sadness, one that would go undetected unless you knew him well. "i can't believe that rumor—with all due respect."

[jiaorenyi]

NICE, INDEED. It was nice to get away from it all - she'd know it the best, with overbearing, high achieving parents & weakling sister who couldn't even use her siren song. & yet, she was dubbed Lady of Enchantments?

preposterous.

She was a far better fit - a true siren. Much like the princess in front of her, who could have been a better queen than her freshly crowned sister. It seemed they were cursed with inept siblings.

"I would understand that better than you think, your highness. Our families & friends all mean well, don't they? But, they can also suffocate us, can't they? It's hard. Always raising expectation, yet falling short because of age or... preference. Very rarely is true skill seen." she didn't even use her sirensong to speak to her.

"Sanity is overrated sometimes. I think being just a little insane is good for the skin." she chuckled, then took out a bottle of hard liquor she smuggled on her way out. "Care to indulge in a drink?"

sabrina gave her a small smile, preoccupied with their thoughts. "yes, i understand completely." she was certain almost no one would be able to understand what she was going through—how many times could you really get engaged against your will, and then have to watch your sister take the throne in a kingdom that didn't want her? they were already dreading the gossipers and naysayers. it was going to be a long year.

with a sigh, she glanced around the garden once more. "...that's why it's nice to get away sometimes, you know? duck out from the hustle and bustle...a respite, as you said." they smiled at the other woman. "sometimes, it's the only thing that keeps me sane in a day."

[jiaorenyi]

WELL, naturally she would have agreed, but that idea flew out the window once the Hollow eater had appeared - if only by name drop. She wasn't entirely sure if the Hollows were intending to just scare them, but by the gods... it's been a month. This is just getting tedious & repetitive.

what was next, the Hollow drinker? please.

"Well, what about the whole Frigoria thing, then? Have we just collectively hallucinated it? Or maybe thought we've forgotten it? I mean, there's more to it than just being a joke. & what about our king having younger siblings? Where did that come from?"

there was absolutely more in store. the incident at the celebration had merely been a warning, yinuo was sure of it. hence why he was so eager to get to the bottom of what they were—if they could figure that out, they could figure out how to counter them.

"well, if all they wanted was to scare people, then they have certainly outdone themselves," he replied dryly, shaking his head. "i do not think there was even one person getting a good night's sleep that night." certainly not himself. "so let us hope that was all it was. for all our sakes."

[jiaorenyi]

location: asteria. common rooms of the asterian wing of the palace. time: night, unspecified. with: @lixln.

RENYI had been, in lack of a better word, rather pissed at the current events. Her father will definitely have thoughts to share & she wasn't quite sure she was stoic enough to deal with whatever bull he was going to throw her way. She had been exemplary at everything she did, her Siren song had been beyond compare & she had managed to land a position as Asteria's diplomat ( perhaps that had been done purposefully on their end, as her enchantment had certainly been a wonderful bonus ).

but, gods above & below, she was pissed.

The whole bloody empire had manage to keep itself hidden from everyone for centuries & not a single enchanter had felt anything off? What was that about? & these... blasted Hollows & their fucking royalty & now an eater? Her patience had been strained & her head had suffered from splitting headaches.

Probably the only other person having as swell a time as her had been the very king she had worked under. He had younger siblings. Plural. That must not have been easy for him to learn of, that must have also posed a threat to him - for what if a fraction now decides to side with his younger siblings, whoever & whatever they are?

if they are alive.

Renyi entered the shared rooms of the Asterian palace & noticed it wasn't as empty as she had hoped - but, fortunately it had only been the king. A smile immediately blooming on her lips, Renyi approached.

"Your Majesty, I hope you are faring well. These Hollows had proven to be a headache to us all. Do you think they could be from Frigoria? How horrifying it is that a kingdom can lay hidden from sight & mind for so long. It had slighted even my enchantments." she spoke.

she'd ask about the siblings, but she figured he'd mention them himself, if he had wanted to talk about it.

[jiaorenyi]

WHAT could the princess possibly want to get away from? The entertainment in her sister's honour? The marriage to her king? Oh, now, it that was the case, she'd better say it now - Renyi would be so pleased to help her rid herself of the annoyance of being Asteria's queen.

as if Asteria needed a foreign queen as their ruler.

It was preposterous. But, her smile grew & so she spoke again, mixing just a smidgen of enchantment in her voice.

"I do so understand that. I am a mere lady of Asteria, merely a diplomat for our king, & yet... I too sometimes so long for freedom, for a respite. Not many know what troubles & turmoil we are going through on a daily basis, do they?"

she nodded, giving the other woman a small smile. "yes, the sun is quite...warm." that was the best she could do at the moment. lord, was it warm. they tugged subtly at the cuffs of their dress. trying times. that was one way to put it. what was it, exactly, that made them so trying? was it the spook at the fete? surely not. the most that had been was a speck of chaos; there wasn't anything behind it. was it the currents rippling in the royal quarters—her sister taking over, her own marriage to king yixin? potentially.

gods, she didn't want to think about that.

had she been faring well? complicated question. complicated answer. instead, they avoided it. "as well as one can be in these trying times," they replied, sending her another smile as they modeled her words. after a moment, she sighed. "more like get some fresh air," she answered easily. "just—sometimes nice to get away, you know."

[jiaorenyi]

THEY won't know even once they do return home. She had been spending quite some time in Asterian library, & she doesn't recall seeing anything bearing this mark, this trail. It had gone as dead & as cold as if it had not even existed.

it was weird & not a good weird.

"I don't think they had a point." Renyi said with a hum. "It's too random & volatile. I think their purpose was to just scare us. It was tastelessly done, but they have not entirely failed, if that was their goal. For it to be anything else but a malicious ploy to terrify us... I don't wish to find out if there's something more they have in store for us."

he cracked a faint smile at the lady's wise remark. "perhaps so. perhaps it is easier to blame the bugs, which cannot argue back." perhaps it was also just an excellent way of avoiding the question. cursed creatures, eating their precious knowledge.

"they may." yinuo let out a sigh. "it all depends on which answers you're looking for. historical questions? yes, most likely you'll find an answer there. magic? potentially. probably no better than sotera's, though." he gave a small shrug. "won't know until we make it home, anyway."

"now, there, i agree with you." he shifted his book across the table, out of the way. "this was way too over the top if they just wanted a simple scare. the fear in that ballroom that night was nearly unparalleled." yinuo shook his head. "i just can't figure out what the point of it was."

[jiaorenyi]

location: asteria, drawing room of the palace. time: march. unspecified, but after the Drama. with: @princebonesy

RENYI had been entertained during the masquerade, she won't lie. It was hilarious. But, this? The shaking, the shrieking, the Frigoria? What in the gods' names was that? A kingdom, hidden from all of them for how fucking long?

she was seething.

There had been enchantment magic that she had not seen through & it was making her pissed as all hell. Standing by the furthest edge of the room, away from the window but close to the hearth, Renyi was leaning against the cold, soothing stone of the fireplace. She had been alone, & loneliness had suited her, as she pondered the avalanche of questions & memories she should not have, flooding her mind.

the splitting headache had returned & lingered, refusing the ebb since the shriek had dropped the Frigoria at them like the Sun from the sky.

The door opened, then closed, & Yiyi felt a presence in the room, but deigned not to return to face the intruder. Still, she had acknowledge the presence with a soft sigh & softer tone of voice as she said ;

"Frigoria, huh? That was some hyper advanced magic to have fooled us all for how many centuries?" a retort, then ;

"What is next, I wonder. A giant, emerging from the mountains to smite us? Please." she tsked.

[jiaorenyi]

NOT GOOD, or purposefully vague. History had been written by the victors, who was to say their two little kingdoms were benevolent? Was that not the reason that... spare little thing was getting thrown to Asteria's king? & by proxy, her king? Now, that was just sloppy. Sloppy solutions for dangerous reasons.

but, she wouldn't say that to the lord Zhao in front of her.

Yes, she had seen him around Asteria, but they've never spoken more than a passing hello in the corridors of the palace. "That, or they were eaten by time. I have seen quite a few of their scrolls falling prey to moths, making some of the pages rather... illegible." she commented with a light hum.

illusions.

Mn. Could very well be. It had a ting of magic behind it, leaving a residue but not a trail, which had made her pissed. Had there been a trail, she could have tracked it - but now... nothing. Still, she nodded at his words, leaning her head against her palm.

"You ask all the right questions, but none of them seem to have an answer around here. Perhaps our archives back home in Asteria could have some kind of an answer." Renyi offered, lips pursed in thought.

"But, I do wonder, as well... about the purpose of it all. If it was just to frighten us, they overdid it."

the only open seat in the library, and it just so happened to be across from one he hadn't spoken to much. forget it, he needed somewhere to sit, anyway—the book in his hands was too unwieldly to read standing up. checking if it was alright to sit by glancing at the other woman, he nodded to her, sinking across the table from her and her own work.

her words drew him up from his own pages moments later, and yinuo blinked as he looked up at her, processing her words. frigoria. assimilation. "assimilated," he repeated, nodding. "makes sense. i suppose the scribes weren't quite as good at their jobs back in the day then, if things are missing." he raised an eyebrow.

"smoke and mirrors...it's possible." he flipped the cover of his own book closed, leaning slightly to read her manuscript upside-down. "just an illusion. for what purpose, though? how would that benefit anyone?" this was a dangerous conversation for him to have. he'd have to be delicate here.

[jiaorenyi]

OH, SHE was faring really well. The nights were eventful, the fete in Valeria Angorian's honour had been both a delicious disaster & a lovely success. But, only those who had truly known her, had known which one of those options she had preferred, & chuckled over.

she really was faring wonderfully. "I am very well, thank you. There is nothing quite like the sunlight's soothing rays to ease a troubled mind. Enjoying the warmth & the simpler things in life - that is what we should all strive for in these... trying times." Renyi spoke in a soft voice, soothing voice - enchanting voice.

but, not too much, not. she'd hate for the princess to notice it. "Have you been faring well, your highness? Have you come to enjoy the sunlight as well?"

out. they just needed to get out. away from royals, away from officials, away from common folk—just away from everyone. if they heard the m-word one more time, they were going to erupt. they couldn't take the constant chatter anymore—didn't anyone have anything more interesting to talk about?

the garden was their only escape. she had already moved halfway down the path before she heard a voice call out to her. every fiber of her body told her to ignore them and keep moving, but her brain screamed that she had to stop. what if it was someone important?

reluctantly, she paused, turning back to see a woman sitting on the bench. inclining her head slightly, she moved closer, taking the seat nearby. there was a moment of silence as they sat, basking in the warm rays of sunlight, before sabrina finally spoke. "...how are you today?" they asked politely, princess mask already slipping back into place. "faring well?"

[jiaorenyi]

RENYI'S lips quirked into a light smirk as Jiao Bi plucked the cup from her hands & she reached over the table to pick up another & the decanter of peach wine. Pouring a cup for herself, & refilling the one Bibi had just finished, Yiyi leaned forward, her fingers lacing together as a smile bloomed wider on her face.

"Mn. I managed to procure a good one from their pantry. Do you like it, meimei?" she inquired.

Leaning forward to peer into her sister's face, Renyi found herself chuckling at the question. Had she enjoyed the merriment? Quite. It had been entertaining - until the moment the Thorned King had crumbled into nothing, leaving only ash & fear in it's wake. It reeked an awful lot like -

"I did not mind it. It was meant to entertain, was it not? & one it had served it's purpose, it had vanished into nothing. I had suspected nothing less from an enchantment - it does reek of it, wouldn't you agree?" Renyi wondered if her little sister would agree - or had she still remained oblivious to the ringing of magic in their ears.

they weren't called sirens for nothing.

   Her dearest sister lounged on an armchair as if she were the one waiting. Of course, she would feel her presence. She always did. A'yi was like that – suffocating in her knowing, unwavering in her expectations.

   And Bibi… a velvet, thorned endearment.

   Jiao Bi glided toward the armchair opposite to her sister's, but not before plucking the cup from Renyi's grasp, bringing it to her lips. A sip – sweet and syrupy. Jiao Bi delighted in the smallest of victories. So unlike her A'yi.

   She hummed in approval; her elder sister had always been a connoisseur of the finer things. “The wine is fine. Peach?”

   A hint that her nights were not, but A'yi only needed to know about one.

   Jiao Bi sat, all poised, as a precaution toward oncoming visitors who would dare disrupt the room's hush. She laid out a folded sleeve of Renyi's robe. A gesture not meant to appease, but an acknowledgment of her sister's strength — one she loved to toy with. Why aim for perfection if a mere sleeve was… a touch out of place?

   “And you, Yijie?” She tilted her head. “Which night have you found delightful? The one with theatrics or the one without?”

   If her sister were to choose the former, she must know its jollies weren't entirely coincidental.

[jiaorenyi]

location: sotera, bench in the gardens.

time: mid-day.

with: @apricitydelivered

RENYI had been enjoying well deserved moments in the sunlight, basking in the chill of the winter's sun. At least the warmth was welcome, not insufferable, like it got during the summertime. Head rolled the the side & with her eyes closed, the diplomat of Asteria had enjoyed the fluttering light behind her eyelids, a content sigh leaving her lips.

it was strange how... unfazed she had been during the last night's performance.

She did suffer from a splitting headache, but it could as well have been the wine she drunk - she was unaccustomed to the pale champagne that Sotera had seemed to fond of. Feeling a presence to her right side, Renyi opened an eye, squinting in the sunlight.

Oh, the spare! What an opportunity for her to use. Cracking a looped side, she invited the princess to join her.

"What an honour to be graced by your presence, your highness. Please, do join me."

[jiaorenyi]

location & timeline: sotera's library, february 14th, after dark.

availability: open to all !

RENYI had spent the majority of her diplomatic affairs hunting down for the rulers of the two kingdoms, but after the Thorned King's appearance, she was determined to get to the bottom of it - & immediately, if she could. She had seen more than a few familiar faces around the library, all of them pouring over ancient tomes & texts, searching for & hunting for even the smidgen of information.

she had found none of value, yet.

Some madman's ramblings about a place called Frigoria that had made the headache return with a pulse. Pressing her fingers against the temples, Renyi lets out a deep sigh, before continuing to focus on the tome in front of her.

"It's all just ramblings without heads or tails. Just a vague mentions of a place called Frigoria & then nothing more. It would appear they'd been assimilated into both Asteria & Sotera centuries ago. Even the name of the once ruling dynasty remains forgotten. Perhaps it's all smoke & mirrors, after all." Renyi spoke as the person slid into the seat opposite of her.

[jiaorenyi]

location: sotera, the asterian quarters common room.

time: unspecified night.

availability: closed for @pepperwall !

RENYI would have felt her sister's presence anywhere in the world. She was accustomed, since the other Shih girl had been a babe in the cradle, to how she breathed, how she governed herself. While A'yi had been... disappointed over the weakness of her sister's Sirensong, Jiao Bi had still been her dearest sister. Sitting by the table in the Asterian common room quarters, Renyi had been drinking peach wine & mulling over the tonight's oddities.

she had been rather intrigued by it all.

The jesters from the masquerade had... eerie painted smiles that had seemed awfully familiar to her, the soft headache already pulsing in her temples. Still, the fragrant wine had helped in dulling it a bit, just in time to notice her sister's lingering presence.

"You loiter by the doorway again, Bibi. You might as well join me for a cup. It had been a joyous night, had it not?"

[jiaorenyi]

【 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 】  || @jiaorenyi

"About Time (Intro)" by Sabrina Claudio — "Oceanic Feeling" by Molly Lewis — "My Plants Are Dead" by Blonde Redhead — "Nice Girls Don't Stay For Breakfast" by Julie London — "King" by Florence + The Machine — "Laura" by Bat For Lashes — "Art Deco" by Lana del Rey — "Tough" by Quavo & Lana del Rey — "BREAK MY SOUL (THE QUEENS REMIX)" by Beyoncé & Madonna — "Cleo at Abbey Road" by Shygirl — "Rascal (Superstar)" by Tinashe — "One On 5 (feat. Bibi Bourelly & Jason Evigan" by Rico Nasty

[jiaorenyi]

THE LADY HEIRESS

Occupation: The lady of the court of Asteria, heiress apparent of house Shih.

Name: Shih Jiao Ren Yi

Age: 28

Pronouns: she/her

Power: Enchantment, earth magic - currently dormant.

IT BEGINS —

You have always been the prized child. The second eldest, born with the power so potent in your veins. Unlike the eldest sister that had been meek, marrying off to secure alliances of no consequence, it fell on your shoulders to hold the once-noble house Shih aloft, proudly worn like a crown. You have always loved your task, your mission, your purpose. Loved the way your power sung in your bones at the promise of the Second coming of Glory. Your younger siblings should have followed in your footsteps, followed you lead of Sirensong.

But they all fail. They all fall. You have been the heir apparent, handpicked by your father and mother, with your two younger siblings in tow, dispatched and disposed of within the bowels of the Asterian noble court. You liked the new play of power, the eyes wide with excitement upon entering the palace and meeting all the puppets on the stage. But, your father had been a treacherous thing - promising your spoiled little brother your crown should he turn out victorious from your struggle to find foothold within the court.

The Benevolent king dies, but before he takes his last breath he appoints you his diplomat, your brother the lieutenant of the army and your little sister a court jester, for all you know. A singer with a broken song that weaves enchantments - she had been your greatest confidante once and you do love her dearly. But, your upbringing had been so starkly different, so unfair - to you both - that a part of you resents her.

NOW IT COMES TO —

You are well established in Asterian court, perhaps not the part of the closest Council, but you do have the peoples ear. They begin to sing praise of the Shih siblings once again, but you have a goal of your own - why fight with your brother over a flimsy Shih legacy, when you can fight the Spare princess for the Asterian crown? Endless possibilities, eternal loyalty, it all weaves into one singular thought -

that you should come out victorious in the upcoming power struggle.

HEADCANONS.

character traits:  + traits loyal, steadfast, resourceful, generous, intelligent.  - traits manipulative, machiavellian, solitary, distrustful. headcanons. is actually a lot softer and gentler than she appears to be. in fact, she quite the romantic. she had been gifted a silver heart shaped locket by a travelling magician that seems to amplify her power and take off the brunt of her headaches. she cherishes it deeply, but isn't aware the spell is done by an earth user who is trying to awaken her dormant magic. however, the magician is not a friend. has strange dreams of a midnight veiled land, covered in mist and shadows. it seems to have been made of blood and bones and every time she dreams it, she has migraines for up to twenty four hours.

 POWER.

enchantment - dominant. her most potent magic, the most powerful is the Sirensong - she can enchant people to do her bidding and keep them enchanted and under her thrall up for an hour. however, once when the spell vanes, they will not remember ever being under her spell - the only thing everyone involved in it will have, is a massive ( or light, in case of her unsuspecting marionettes ) headache. when she uses the lighter part of her magic, people usually forget about her allure the moment they leave her premises. when she get too greedy with her power, she can suffer from migraines up to three consecutive days, depending how many people she had enchanted and to what end she took them for her bidding. she can also break minor enchantment spell done by various casters and she can peer though weaker illusions. earth - dormant. her secondary power, she cannot use it at this moment. it's an extant line from her mother's side, a deep and dark ancestry she has yet to learn of and master.

[jiaorenyi]

DILRABA Tencent Vídeo All Star Night 2023

[jiaorenyi]

2024.06.27 ° Dilraba Studio Weibo x The Truth S2E9