liriennoctis

[liriennoctis]

"Vampires in general or....?" Brow raised, he's curious but he is relieved that this does appear to be going well. Going well without him having to lie or puff out his chest a bit, there's none of the usual borderline overconfidence he has with people around the Harmonium or crowds. "I haven't encountered anything by slapping the family name onto mine aside from..." Trailing off again, he tries to think about what the reaction had been when he'd been announced for his auditions. Hushed whispers had settled through crowds, but he hadn't quite paid them any mind. "There's perhaps been some hesitation from people, but I haven't minded." Hesitation was one way to put it, at least. The truth was it'd wound up being an in with the vampires around the campus, he doesn't think any of them would pay him much mind without it. It sparked curiosity about him, was often a bit of a conversation starter, and as the thought came across the forefront of his mind, there was a bit of anxiety welling in his gut. It didn't sound like something he should voice out loud in case it painted him in a bad light. For someone who considered themselves fairly likeable, he did feel somewhat terrified that Casimir would come away from this....Not liking him.

Casimir understands more than anyone that curiosity could be impossible to satisfy without the truth of experiencing something. Word of mouth was nothing unless one truly lived what they had a wanton for. "Well, you can still wander and experience these things, but I urge you to be wary." It felt ominous, as though his words were condemning Lirien to be utterly, irrefutably, polluted by what dark lingered in Veilcrest, but he could not demand that his cousin see it as what he'd witnessed himself and could only hope he would not lose his cousin to the Dark he would wander within.

"We are not often seen in a great light in society, no?" There's a curl of his lips as he says this, he'd known of such wary glances, such cruel disregard; it'd only made Casimir all the more ambitious to carve out his own legacy.

[liriennoctis]

"It's....." Lirien doesn't quite know how to put it in any sort of delicate way, his feelings. Because ultimately, he'd wanted to grow up with something, with someone. An actual family, not just mentors and teachers and the halls of the Harmonium. And he understands where Casimir is coming from, the weight of the decision he'd made for himself. "I wish I'd had the chance to form that opinion myself." Maybe he'd have made the same choice Casimir had if he'd gone through the same hardships, felt that same pressure. "I don't know how to feel about any of it, not really." His tone is contemplative and he puts his free hand in his coat pocket, his lips pursing in thought as they walk the hall. "All I've ever had is everyone's opinions on a family that's mine but not mine."

"Does anyone ask to be tied to the Dark?" Red eyes flickered to Lirien's as they walked; Casimir knew it was a complicated subject and went to elaborate further, "Genasi, some vuldak's, they can ponder on such a choice, but we are gifted to the Dark. We don't have any say in what we can really become when it comes to the whispers of the abyss." He'd already known life was not fair and he wasn't entirely asking for the scores to be evened, but he'd had liked a chance to have not been delivered to the influence of the Dark so easily. Casimir made the choice to be susceptible to such whispers daily, he'd known of a few who had joined the Legion as though it disrupted such tether, but Casimir liked to believe, in some respect, it only made him stronger to continuously turn away.

"Riches and influence, being tied to the Noctis name... you might think it allows you freedom beyond belief, but really it's just a cage. Something to obey and toe the line of," there is some lingering bits of compassion in his eyes, something not typically possessed by a dhampir, but the sentiment is worn in his gaze all the same.

[liriennoctis]

"I spend a fair amount of time in Eterna or nearer the Harmonium." Downtown Eterna, skulking around corners if his fingers weren't occupied with some kind of instrument, but that was his own business. "I own Lutes & Lyrics, it's a relatively new venture so that's where I've been the last couple of weeks." And frantically arranging furniture in a way that's borderline manic, but again, that's his business. Not one to break his seemingly unbothered nature, he glanced from his cleaned up cuticles to her. "You should stop by."

A brow raised at the last name, but Talisa did not comment any further. It was vaguely familiar, and not in an especially good way, but she could not pull from her memory precisely where she heard it. Thus, it couldn’t be that bad! “I do, but I have friends outside of Avalon as well. And I like Eterna, I like cities.” She knew Eterna was not the only city within Taravell, but it did strike her as the most diverse of them all. “And where do you spend the majority of your time?” she asked as she carefully examined the shape her nails had been cut and filed into–rounded ovals, like little dragon’s eggs. 

[liriennoctis]

Lirien blinked not once, but twice, and then he canted his head to the side slightly. Was it too dark? His fangs were out, his fangs were always out. Ridiculously, it was a blow to his ego just a little bit, preyed on that insecurity of being more human than vampire. At least he'd thought he was some sort of blighted creature. "Not really out for souls, though getting any closer to feed on you would certainly require some sort of mask." This guy was indeed going to try to punch him in the face, and probably attempt to snap his wrists, but Lirien thinks this is now a matter of pride. "You're less than a block from a tavern that caters to vampires." He points out instead of digging his heels in and continuing to further aggravate the man. "And you were expecting a blighted wolf."

"You're so weird for that... wait, are you a bighted wolf? are you here to eat my soul? Well, I hope I taste foul and kill you!" they were called Vuldaks if he remembered correctly, and if this was how it was going to end, he was going to try and make sure he gave them the least satisfaction. "I'm definitely going to punch you in the face." Anwir wasn't going to be someone's lunch, if he was given the chance to defend himself, he wasn't going to play fair.

[liriennoctis]

Whatever distress this man was in wasn't really any of Lirien's business, he was in this purely out of curiosity and perhaps maybe a snack. That would be if he could get past the smell of just what had been described, a musty basement. What really had his brows raising was the way he fought off the shadows, some of them shrank away. Holding his hands up in surrender and taking a step back, the shadows dissipated to just clutching at the man's ankles. "I followed my nose, I'm not here to haul you back from whatever dungeon you crawled out of." There's a bit of bite to it, he's not completely absolving a pretty face of rudeness, but Lirien was maybe just big enough to admit that he kind of deserved it. "I'll let you go if you don't go for the face or the hands." There's still some mild sarcasm there, his fangs ever present in his mouth didn't help matters.

"Well, whatever depraved fetish you have for musty basements, I won't be part of it." Anwir struggled against the shadow bindings as the other apprised him. It made his blood boil that the other thought he had some kind of superiority over him. There was still some time when he could use the others' abilities. He ordered the shadows on him to release him; some of them obeyed, but not all. "I'm going to punch you in that smug ass face when i get the opportunity." If the other person really wanted to de-escalate the situation, he shouldn't have bound Anwir.

[liriennoctis]

Taylor Zakhar Perez | July 11, 2025 | 🎥 Maria Zakhar

[liriennoctis]

"Indeed, I followed what I assumed had to be a dank basement on the move." Lirien didn't move as the man got closer, didn't retaliate when it became apparent this was going to get physical. Because the shadows around them in the end of the alley twisted, hands reaching out of the dark and clutching at the other man to keep him still. Arms crossed over his chest, Lirien's brow raised as he took a second to actually appraise what he'd found on his way to dinner. The light of the moon overheard illuminated bright eyes, a boyish face underneath overgrown stubble and unkempt hair. He's short but he's not entirely a twig, he had a decent build, or perhaps at one time he'd been more solid, at the moment he looked almost sickly. With a bit of cleaning up, Lirien was sure he'd be pretty to look at. "If you promise not to get physical, I'll let you go." There's amusement to his tone, his shoulders raising in an all too casual shrug as the shadowy creatures clutched at ankles and knees. He's curious now, invested in whatever the hell this guy's problem was.

Anwir was in a fair state of disrepair, his hair long and greasy, his beard untamed, wild. Grim stained his skin, with long fingernails that trapped the indecency of prison below them disguised a body that Anwir had trained for his escape years ago. While his cheeks weren't full, his muscles and bones would see him through his escape. "Says the one who followed me." The confidence the other had to follow down here must have meant he wasn't just a human. It was a confidence he was going to take from beneath his feet. Anwir would have preferred a sword, but his only defence was his own ability. Assertively, he closed the space looking like he was going to shove the other out of the way. There wasn't much force behind the elvhen, that was until he mimicked the others' strength out of seemingly nowhere. "One i'm not going back to so get out of my way."

[liriennoctis]

He watches from behind the rim of his glass, relatively amused at the whole idea. Big man with power comes through Haven and gets decimated, it would seem that just kept happening. Such was the hubris of men in general, he figured, people kept seeming to underestimate the inhabitants of the Wildlands. "No, I imagine the cycle will continue, but maybe they'll be smart enough to realize coming from the North isn't a safe option." Maybe, if they were really lucky, the Kossith would just go right for the Tower. But that was a petty thought. "You seem your usual self."

“They can be quite useful if one knows how to use them, I suppose,” she admits in amusement. Humming thoughtfully, she bends down behind the counter and grabs a pad of paper her workers usually used to take orders and a pen. Standing back up, she begins writing the names she had carefully collected during her time in the boat. She has them memorized, after all. It’s a list she has that she needs to go down step by step to ensure none of them reveal her truth. Belladona can’t be too obvious, not when they are aware she is a Dream Genasi, but she has enough connections to keep an eye on those who were also captured. If nothing else, if they begin to act in a manner that brings her concern, she can begin looking for ways to eliminate them. “None survived no, but I have a feeling their leadership will not be dissuaded with such a small loss.”

The lives lost in the ship were extensive, yes, but they likely had far more Kossith amongst their numbers, so Belladona wouldn’t be surprised if there is another invasion within the next few years.

[liriennoctis]

There's something about Mikhael that comes off as strangely innocent, naive maybe. Like it's his first day on a job that he is somehow good at and Lirien finds it ridiculously endearing in a way. He lets this be known by offering a light sigh and stepping forward to smooth down the lapels of the other man's jacket. "If that happens I will surely find you something." It's said all too casually, as if he wasn't already mentally making a note to look into getting Mikhael something nice. Lirien had standards and they were high because they had to be. "If you see me getting bored as some noble comes up to me, I expect you to wait a moment and then ask me if I have seen the piano in the other room yet."

“I suppose it’s hard to tell when I wear my armor,” he agrees politely, just the edge of a drawl to his words to signify to his employer that he did catch the condescension but would not dignify it with a retort. He is being paid to stand around and look intimidating enough to stop anything funny from happening to Lirien, after all. No need to start openly bickering with his employer. That would only lead to rumors and less contracts in the future, and he would much rather avoid that sort of thing. He still needs to get paid, after all. “I do have a handful of appropriate outfits for occasions such as this, but I must admit that if you begin hiring me regularly, you might grow tired of my selection.”

[liriennoctis]

Stepping across the room to Hector, Lirien let himself be pulled into the hug and he returns it, pressing a purposefully obnoxious kiss to the side of the strigoi's face before he's pulling away. He has to admit, his head does feel a lot quieter with the other man present. "I'll have to make sure Thief is rewarded handsomely in apples for getting you here then." He's amused enough at the thought as he all too quickly goes from the floor of the shop to his office and back, a bottle of wine and two glasses in hand. "My day? Of arranging furniture on the shop floor over and over because I have convinced myself that it's going to matter and if I don't get it right, it'll ruin a customer's overall experience?" He perches himself on said furniture, a nice velvet upholstered couch that he thought was fun but not pretentious or gaudy. Setting the glasses down on the small side table, Lirien goes about pouring a decent amount of the O Negative into them. "Overthinking. Overthinking has been my day." And he allows himself to huff a little, exasperated with himself.

The store was a curious meeting place, but Hector remembers meeting stranger men in stranger places. Hearing the notes pulled through the trumpet-like fixtures of the curious looking machines on display, Hector smiles warmly at seeing Lirien walking towards him in a bashful fashion. He extends his arms towards him, expectant of a hug as so many parents do before bringing Lirien in for a hug. "Don't you fret too much."

"I would have came later, but Thief rode towards here like a bat from hell. Poor horse might have missed feeling the firm ground after being stalled in the snow near Haven."

To see his pseudo kin walking to their meet late wasn't surprising. A bad habit that Hector could have unfortunately passed down to Lirien, being a thief with light fingers on a slow and heavy hand. Hector hadn't been one to chide anyone for being tardy, a strigoi like himself was very familiar in the distractions one could find within Eterna, but it didn't stop the teasing thought from entering his mind.

"But of course, this is not to say I wouldn't mind some compensation." Hector winks. He pats Lirien on the shoulder before walking towards one of the record players, admiring the intricate design. "Maybe telling me about your day and I'll see if that'll be sufficient payment for your tardiness?"

[liriennoctis]

The Silverlands or Avalon, that was very interesting and somewhere he didn't have much reach for information. So not only was she a fellow pretty face, but she was an asset. "Lirien Noctis." The last name isn't necessary, but even if he's not using it to garner a little attention, it's something he's proud of. "Do you head back towards Avalon often?" Lirien is immediately curious, eyes glancing from where his technician is gently picking at his cuticles over to her. More contacts out in the Silverlands wouldn't hurt either.

So she did indeed have good taste and Lirien regards the suggestion with a quirk at the corners of his lips as he keeps his hands still as they're being filed into the usual small points. It's definitely something he'd select for himself and he's in a good enough mood to be a tiny bit touched she could pick up on his vibe. "I think that'll do splendidly, thank you." His free hand plucks it off the connecting counter to further inspect it and makes a mental note to wear his one silvery sheer shirt later in the week to match it. "I haven't seen you here before." He muses, setting the bottle on the table and glancing from where his nails are being filed to the woman.

[liriennoctis]

"I think if anything, it makes you more interesting." Lirien muses and kicks himself mentally almost immediately the words are out of his mouth. He doesn't want to come off as buttering anyone up, though he admits he slips into such a thing with ease. There's no reason to schmooze Casimir and he takes a second to take a sip from his glass as they begin walking down the long, portrait adorned hall of the Harmonium. "And more inclined to tell me the truth." For Casimir had nothing to lose and because of that, he was free. "I'll admit, when I first heard, I thought either you had to be mad or you felt truly trapped into a life you didn't ask for." Lirien's brow furrowed just a little before he chuckles softly and shakes his head. "Or the second one led to the first." It'd felt like getting stabbed, actually. Hearing that Casimir had given everything up, everything he wanted, or at least everything he should want, and Lirien had been angry at a man he didn't even know. But as the whisperings about his cousin's ungratefulness reached his ears, that anger, that jealousy for a stranger, had turned almost protective. None of those who whispered about Casimir knew him anymore than Lirien himself did and he wasn't afraid to point such a thing out.

"Well most don't vie to know of the child who turned away from their silver spoon," Casimir feels he must point this out for there were many who came before Lirien, though they'd never been bound by blood, just simple curiosity to the Noctis life, to Veilcrest. In some ways, especially in comparison to those he owed nothing to, Casimir does feel inclined to tell Lirien more - as best he could without freely offering secrets - but he's still unsure of where Lirien holds himself when it comes to Valerius and loyalties.

Rumors were easy things, such words and tales which Casimir didn't need to breathe life into but none knew the true weight of his disappearance from Veilcrest. There'd been a battle prompted by Valerius, blood was shed on both sides, and the Shade was no longer apart of their hierarchy once the dust had settled. None really knew that Casimir did not fight in the first place and he could only wonder what Lirien was predisposed to, what rumors the other dhampir heard that led him to genuinely wishing to approach Casimir. "What have you heard then?" Lirien's rumors were based in the Harmonium, based on Valerius' capture; Casimir also paid such rumors no mind, intent on learning more of Lirien from his own perspective.

[liriennoctis]

Normally he doesn't bother with other people's business, he had enough of his own to worry about. Lirien's social card was usually booked, he'd come from the Comedy Keep, he was on his way to the after function at Veil of Veins when he'd heard a particular kind of scurrying. The scent that hit his nose as he'd passed by one of the city's many alleyways was.....There wasn't a pleasant word to describe it, like dank basement, like musty stone, fresh earth and the metallic tang of metal. "Name calling? Really?" Lirien clicks his tongue as he rounds the corner and strides towards the figure. "And with nowhere to go? You're a bold one." His tone is amused, his hands still in the pockets of his coat as he cants his head, appraising the other curiously. "What hole did you crawl out of?"

Who: @liriennoctis Where: Eterna flash back

In the chaos of it all no one had noticed Anwir mimicking another that could turn their form into water. While they were all fending off the imps that were attacking civilians he took his chance and slipped under the bars. That had been days ago now and the city had regained some small sense of normalcy but this was Anwir first moment of freedom in years and where was he spending it? Down a back ally as the heavens rained down upon them. Constantly looking over his shoulder he noticed a shadow move, that was enough to send the faiman sprinting down its dingy alleyways that were more maze like then he remembered. But like usual he had horrible luck and came to a dead end. It gave him no choice but to turn and face his pursuier “come on you chicken.” He tried to taunt the other.

[liriennoctis]

Person: @blightedmikhael Location: It's an event and it's fancy "Well, you do clean up nicely." It's a compliment but it doesn't entirely come out that way, there's the faintest hit of condescension. It's purposefully placed, Mikhael has this puppy dog feel to him. Loyal and lost, a refugee from Iskaldrik who Lirien swooped in on at The Cisterns a few weeks prior. Mikhael thinks he's there on 'security detail' but the truth was that he was simply here to keep Lirien grounded. If he'd have wanted a date, he'd have gotten one and he was more than capable of defending himself from a room full of mostly mortals. At least he'd very much like to think so. He simply wanted company. "I was wondering if I should have offered to let you borrow something."

[liriennoctis]

Again he has to hold his tongue for fear of sounding bitter or ruining the mood. Casimir is being polite, there's no punch to his words, it's honest and Lirien appreciates it, he wasn't looking for anyone to sugarcoat anything for him. He has half a mind to point out it might have been different if they'd had each other to lean on back then, but there is no point in dwelling on what could have been. They were there together now and Lirien grabbed two tall glasses of wine off of a tray being held by a nervous looking student and nodded his head towards the large doorway. "To get the elephant out of the room, you don't have to tell me about home." They'd have time for that, he was holding all of his questions about his father, his aunt, their family, all back in his head. What was most important that they were united now and for every question he had about home, he had one about just his cousin, too. "I've heard whisperings, but hearing about a person isn't quite getting to know a person." Handing Casimir one of the glasses, the smile he offers the other dhampir is soft

There's something horrific about the fact the grass is indeed always greener; Casimir cannot imagine the others upbringing and he'd never want to assume, but the dhampir could wholeheartedly say that there was nothing truly missed about growing directly under Valerius, directly within Veilcrest. Glamours and arcana could easily deceive, but Casimir was no fool and even Lirien had been raised far away from the influence of the Noctis', he was so vividly one of their brood.

"I don't want to steal away these dreams that stoked this inner aspiration of yours, but I can't say you missed many family values and playdates at the park." It's as polite as he could be considering the cruelty of their world, but he's half-certain that Lirien is somewhat aware of this scope of violence and Casimir can't be sure if that makes this all the more haunting to realize. Valerius' son, indeed.

"I am your guest so of course I have the time for such," he's entirely giving Lirien the floor on this matter. There's much he wishes to learn of the other, that is clear, and he knows that such sentiment is entirely returned tenfold.

[liriennoctis]

"You know I love a good list." He could cross compare with what he had already. There's not really a reason to be compiling it, he had been lucky enough that no one close to him had been hauled away by the Kossith, but who knew when the information could be valuable? Not to mention, Casimir had gone out there to the wreckage, this was something his cousin was interested in, too. "None of the Kossith survived?" Not like he entirely cared, they'd had it coming, but he was interested in their methods, their cruelty. On one hand Lirien was impressed that everything had seemed to work out, on the other, he'd have been pleased as punch to see Arishok cleave through the Queensland and maybe knocking down The Tower for fun. It was but a petty and morbid daydream, another reminder that if he wanted something done, he'd have to do it himself.

“You might get less information than you are hoping,” she warns him as she takes the gold pieces set in the bar and slips them away as she speaks. Regardless of whether Lirien is satisfied with her information or not, she would give him what she was willing to reveal from her time in the dreadnought. Perhaps living out a few bits, but that is for her to know and the dhampir to figure out. After all, there were already far too many who knew her identity as a genasi, she didn’t want more people to know. Not just yet. “I washed up alone, but met one of my acquaintances on the beach and he was looking for some very specific people among those taken. Aside from that, I can give you a list of those who survived until the ship broke apart, if you are interested.”

[liriennoctis]

So she did indeed have good taste and Lirien regards the suggestion with a quirk at the corners of his lips as he keeps his hands still as they're being filed into the usual small points. It's definitely something he'd select for himself and he's in a good enough mood to be a tiny bit touched she could pick up on his vibe. "I think that'll do splendidly, thank you." His free hand plucks it off the connecting counter to further inspect it and makes a mental note to wear his one silvery sheer shirt later in the week to match it. "I haven't seen you here before." He muses, setting the bottle on the table and glancing from where his nails are being filed to the woman.

Talisa subconsciously closed her hands into fists so that he could not see the sorry state of her soon-to-be-replaced manicure as she looked at his own set of nails meant to be changed out. She let out a slight huff of a sound and offered a half shrug as she looked at them. She could appreciate the overall aesthetic, even if it was not her own. “Well, what if I go with the pink, and you go wiiiiith–” Her voice trilled off, borderlining turning into song, as she picked through a few more of the vials that had been set before her. “Oh! This!” She placed a small bottle before him. Within, was a deep grey color with shifting mica powder. It looked like a churning storm cloud with flecks of dark silver, deep black-blue, and iron–much like Talisa’s own scales.