supernva

[supernva]

Even as Sabina wished to be alone she couldn't bring herself to truly desire his absence, nor could she tear her eyes away from the golden gaze of his that filled her with warmth and seemed to awaken her very soul. She could see the wheels turning in his mind just as they were shifting in her's, the both of them playing an unseen game of chess where the pieces seemed to have minds of their own no matter how much they plotted or planned. At the mention of attacking each other her hackles had already begun to rise once more, and heated words were primed on the edge of her lips while her brows drew together. But his words kept coming and they stole the fire out from under her, drenching the flames in a confusion that had her trying to find her footing. How was it that he could unseat her with a few syllables where none other had managed such a feat?

"We?" Sabina echoed, taken entirely off-guard by including them as a set. The purpose of the innocent but all too intimidating word became clear while he finished his thoughts, though it only muddled the waters they were trying to tread with freshly stirred uncertainty. But with the way he was looking at her- as if she were the only thing that mattered in these moments...she leaned in closer to those eyes despite her better judgement and a lack of faith. Sabina was pulled in by the force that was determined to see her sucked into his orbit, and she wasn't sure she could have fought it even if she'd wanted to.

"You felt it?" Once again she could think of nothing else to say other than his own words, trying to parse together what was happening. He'd felt it. Felt what? Felt it as she had felt it when he gazed at her across the ballroom? When a string of her essence had become taut as a harp's while she waited for him to reach out and make music of her by plucking it? "What did you feel?" she asked, her voice dropping to a whisper. Her heart pounded in her chest as if it already understood what he was trying to say.

Her words stung as much as he was certain he had. he didn't understand why, but the two of them seemed to wish for a common ground, a thread that grounded them instead of whatever malice had been able to form between them. Zacreus wondered if his anger and her insecurity of him were misplaced, that in truth the two should trust one another instead of this continuous dance they kept on dancing. He clenched his jaw and was about to take back his words of never meeting again - but she spoke first and the comment of acting had him sighing heavily.

" it has nothing to do with dancing, nor acting," he replied rather harshly. His eyes locked upon hers. he didn't wish to utter any of what he'd thought as she had run away from the castle. he'd wanted nothing more than to find her and when he did he had no idea what he was supposed to say. Did he confess his worry? did he tell her that he'd felt something too during whatever she had experienced? he might've had it not been for the comments. they were fated to butt heads, weren't they?

"I suggest instead of either of us attacking the other-" he avoided his eyes before closing them, taking a deep breath, signaling that his shields were going down at least for a few seconds, perhaps minutes. "we try to figure out what happened." his voice was calm now and his eyes blazing with daylight as he looked at the lady of the night. "please, I do not wish malice, I'm here because -" he knew it was a risk to take, yet he was willing to take it. "I felt it."

[supernva]

Sabina squinted into the wind that constantly plagued the training grounds and had granted the House of Wind its name. With the sparring ring settled on the roof of the house it was open to the elements, but tonight was thankfully calmer than most evenings. "Well then- did you intend to come this way?" Sabina replied the male, still not entirely able to make out his features in the darkness while her eyes were still adjusting. Relied that he either didn't recognize her or didn't care enough to question her about the vision trickled into her next answer, the sarcastic words more playful than biting. "You don't recognize the most popular dance floor the party has to offer?" she said while motioning to the ring. "Or the latest party fashion?" Her hand waved over the leathers she was wearing.

it  did  not  matter  the  centuries  that  had  passed  for  icarus,  but  he  found  the  formal  aspect  of  these  kinds  of  celebrations  quite  boring.  the  one  occurring  at  the  house  of  wind  was  no  exception  and  he  had  considered  wandering  down  the  city  proper  instead.  but  as  he  stood  upon  a  balcony  something  had  caught  his  eye.  he  hadn't  expected  a  training  ground  so  close  to  the  house  of  wind  and  his  curiosity  won  out  the  more  he  thought  about  it.  finding  his  way  to  it  quite  easily,  he  had  felt  a  bit  of  surprise  of  seeing  another  dressed  in  leathers.  tilting  his  head  as  she  spoke  out,  he  waited  more  seconds  than  truly  needed  before  stepping  further  into  the  light.  "  i  am  not  lost  if  i  intended  to  come  this  way,  don't  you  think  ?  "  it  is  made  to  sound  like  a  question  but  he  does  not  truly  expect  an  answer.  icarus  takes  a  moment  to  gaze  around  the  sparring  grounds  before  returning  to  her  form,  "  and  why  are  you  here,  after  all,  the  party  is  back  the  way  i  came.  " @supernva

[supernva]

The laughter that erupted from Calliope is one of pure satisfaction and success, all too pleased with the sounds she's garnered from her brother, and she's far too immersed in their shenanigans to take note of the fae's disapproval. "Titan- don't you dare. You have to tell me! It's basically written in our family creed. Plus it's my right as first-unfreezed and your sister." It was a common joke between them that they were made and not only born. And since they'd been frozen as eggs in the same round before their moms had used IVF- age was a funny concept between them.

he gives a loud shriek as he squirms away from his sister and beloved beaufort. the prythians on shore with their pedigree and high noses give them dirty glances but the siblings are often the centre of attention for one reason or another. his expression turns solemn as he shakes his head. ❝ i don't wanna tell you 'cause you're being mean to me. ❞

[supernva]

The brightness in her answer was spurred on by the laugh she'd earned, and her own grin widened in response. It felt like she'd been given something that few others had ever seen, a rarity more valuable than any precious stone sold on the streets of Velaris. And yet...she still couldn't explain why she felt it so poignantly. It was the same sense of feeling as if she should know him, that she should know his smiles and laughs weren't won easily. But mere moments later she was already questioning why she should have such certainty- wondering if she'd made it up entirely. There was little to no hesitation when Calliope answered his question, as if she didn't have the patience for anything other than the most socially acceptable version of the first reply that had come to mind.

"No." A glint smugness entered the corners of her eyes. "Because if you weren't gonna pay my tab I'm pretty sure I could get another guy in here to do it." The words weren't cocky but spoken from casual experience. They even appeared to alight the idea as she continued on somewhat absentmindedly while scoping out the rest of the bar. "Actually...that's not the worst idea." Only a blink had passed before the entirety of her attention was back on him. "But mostly because I like asking you questions," she teased. "Also- you just asked me a question so that means I get to ask you another! Those are the rules." Where these suppose 'rules' were printed was anyone's guess.

she was tiny, and sparkling he thought with an air of reverence. despite his perturbance a creeping thread of self-doubt sunk into his stomach easily. insecurity belonged there in the deepest wells of his body-intertwined he and it were old fair-weather-friends. ezra's gloomy, dark face only lightened a little at her words. she was clearly from the crescent city so modern and bright she couldn't possibly have spent history in somewhere as restrictive as prythian. he raised his glass to the bartender and only let the sweet smell of the drink tickle his nose. his laugh was deep and sonorous the only genuine thing he'd felt that whole afternoon. "if i promise to pay your tab tonight will you stop asking me questions, invasive or not?" even if he hadn't always enjoyed the responsibilities of being the dusk courts second at least it came with a generous paycheck.

[supernva]

Sabina made a quick study of the other fae, noting how she seemed to embody everything an emissary should be. A flicker of annoyance colored her mood while she yet again wondered why she'd been given this position in the first place. The trickle of irritation only strengthened at the mention of her vision, but she schooled her expression into one of calm. "Thankfully you still haven't seen someone faint." It had irked her to appear weak in front of such a large crowd. "Fortunately, I still had consciousness when I was on the ground." Even if it had been a barely there subliminal space that she'd occupied while whispering strange words of the vision. "But now that I've gotten another drink and a few more desserts I'm even better off than before the star fell. I don't think there's anything as healing as a few over-sugared pastries."

❝ not recently, but i've been fortunate enough to witness the event a handful of times before. ❞ iphigenia smiles as she opens her body towards the high fae, her tone warm and genial. ❝ all beautiful, but i've surely never seen anyone faint as a result of it. ❞ her sacchrine concern doesn't betray a single thought, ❝ are you feeling well ? ❞

was she shocked sabina sought her out ? no. not only was iphigenia the life of any party, but she was also staring. not obviously. sort of. for the most part. but could you blame her ? iphigenia trusted sabina as far as she could throw her. for the majority of after the evening's jarring events, the peregryn kept the high fae in her sights, ensuring she could see her in her periphery as she shared niceties with other courtiers. there was little that she knew about the fellow emissary and that was saying something considering their entire occupation was knowing people.

[supernva]

Another flicker of affection crossed Sabina's gaze while Niamh asked after her wellbeing before diving into anything else. A note of tension left her shoulders, but she still couldn't help but be all too aware of the lines that now separated them. Growing up in the Night Court had been easy, and there had been nary a secret between the two Aromdee siblings and Sabina. Niamh had even known about the seer's crush on their elder sister long before Callista ever did, much to Sabina's annoyance. But now their loyalties were scattered, and while the heart wished to confide in her oldest friend and ally, the head said exactly the opposite. "I rarely ever know what to make of them immediately. I think that's what I hate the most. Giving me these visions that have to be picked apart and analyzed. If you have something to tell me- just fucking tell me. Even if the vision itself isn't unsettling the drama around it is always infuriating."

It was more than that with this particular one. Sabina could have faced the tearing of the horizons with staunch determination and a battle-ready sword. It was the starry god's eyes that had chilled her and made her wonder if he'd seen her just as she had seen him. It was like he'd known her- as if he knew the secrets she herself hadn't yet uncovered. A lengthy sigh was her only respite from her rekindled unsettling. Just as the rest of the courts, Niamh couldn't know the details until Rhaeya allowed it. And even Sabina's mental state might be too much information when it came to its contents. Nevertheless she gave the other fae's hand a squeeze. "Sometimes I wish things could go back. That we could go back." Not just her and Niamh. But Callista too.

attention to detail caused niamh to notice the quirk of sabina's brow, the hard set to her jaw as they dared to mention the high lady. they made a mental note of it, deciding to press that button after she ensured that what had happened . . . that sabina was okay. it was what callista would have wanted. otherwise, that semblance of doubt would have sent the commander on edge, sirens blaring in their head of what line they would continue to toe. ❝ that's what i wanted to hear. though, hearts are still intact ; i didn't take it that far. be reasonable. ❞

dark brows stitched together, assessing the appropriate way to gauge her second's well - being given the circumstances. it was obvious, signed by the expression written across sabina's face, that whatever she had seen had touched a nerve. such a ' glorious night ' for her court to be shredded to bits as she collapsed to the floor in front of everyone ⎯ a spectacle of the danger that hovered above their heads even now. if she could hold her tongue, if they could refrain from adding to the interrogation, they would. just to ease her mind.

a pale hand reached forward, taking hold of sabina's ⎯ a desperate display of some sort of humanity that still resided within. ❝ you're okay? ❞

[supernva]

While he lay on his back, Calliope took the opportunity to strike again while he was prone and defenseless- jabbing a prodding finger into his side. But nearly all other thoughts were put on the backburner as soon as it became clear Titan had something fun to share. Huddling closer to her brother, the bioluminescent freckles on her shoulders began to glow. "Tell me! What'd you hear?" The otter came up beside them as if he too wished to be privy to the gossip. "Was it an affair?" she asked with wide and excited eyes. "A murder?"

he gives a groan , flopping back into the water as if calliope had just shot him. titan rarely heard the word no as the precious baby of the family and although he understood that it seemed like a long-winded process , the word was a wound. a moment passes and he resurfaces , swimming dejectedly towards her. ❝ cal , you don't even understand what nonsense i just witnessed. if you heard what i heard , we'd be on our way back home. actually no — you'd run off and leave me and beau here to fend for ourselves because it was just. that. juicy. ❞

[supernva]

Not to be discouraged, Calliope continued her observation of him— letting her gaze trace the planes and dips of his features like she was trying to remember what they'd look like in a smile. Her head tilted to the side and a small furrow appeared between her brows while she pondered the feeling of familiarity that nagged at the corners of her mind— the feeling that if he'd called her name before she'd spoken it she wouldn't have been all that surprised.

His question might have given others the hint that he wasn't all that eager for conversation. It might have even offended others. But Calliope's grin was quick to return, never having left her lips entirely in the first place. "That's not fair! I only asked one." She leaned forward on the bar, placing her chin in her hand. Apparently she had no intention of letting him off easy. "But why? Did you want to be special?" she teased. "I could ask you more questions if you do."

a vague sense of recognition floods him, the flowing blonde hair and iridescent smile trigger something in his chest that's warm and balmy and he can't keep himself from looking up at her left agape for a second. calliope-he tosses the name around on his tongue just to see how it tastes in his mouth. "uh no." ezra says confusion coloring his features. at least none that he knows of whatever dear-old-dad is up to these days he's got not the slightest clue. he shifts on the bartop arms draped over each other. "i'm an only child." he still couldn't quite place her. it was just something soft like a feather pillow or a laugh caressing his mind. "do you always ask this many invasive questions when you first meet someone or am i just special?"

[supernva]

Calliope's own offense was quick to mirror Titan's. "First of all- how dare you insinuate that I would insinuate that Beau couldn't make it on his own!" Her tail waved a playful splash, peppering her brother with the water droplets that flew from it. "It's the papers or whatever. They need some sort of ID to let people across the rift or something....I think." She wasn't actually all that sure of the rift protocols, but she wasn't going to say that when she already had a message she was planning to send via Beaufort. "What did you need to tell her so bad anyway?"

titan gapes. what slander ! libel , even ! he takes the refusal as an insult to beaufort's character. the otter was a bright enough chap to make the journey alone. he was a messenger otter , after all. and their mother must hear about the juicy gossip he'd over heard while hiding under a bridge ( and , for the record , he'd been under the bridge first and then the gossiping began ). but man were these prythians were messy ! ❝ beau is the bravest little dude. ❞ the mer reaches over to gives the otter a firm pat on his head , feeding him a small oyster in exchange for a slippery cuddle from the water dog. ❝ he could do it — couldn't ya , beau ? ❞

[supernva]

Calliope  was  all  too  excited  to  have  someone  who  seemed  willing  to  talk  about  plastics,  and  it  showed  in  the  way  her  tail  flipped  from  side  to  side  in  eager  spirals.  "Yeah!  Plastics!"  she  repeats  in  case  he's  not  familiar  with  the  term.  Her  excitement  seemed  to  triple  as  the  Illyrian  mentioned  the  ocean  and  how  plastic  might  polluting  it.

"Yes!  Yes,  you're  exactly  right.  Thankfully  there's  not  nearly  enough  plastic  in  Prythian  to  really  make  an  impact  yet-  but  that's  why  it's  important  everyone  know  how  harmful  they  can  be.  Especially  if  they  get  into  the  waterways. Did you say you've noticed some?"

it is the first time elias has been inside the night court in over a century, and perhaps closer to a millenia inside of velaris. the city has changed so much in his lifetime, that he has almost a hard time wrapping his head around the sight of it.

walking down the length of the sidra helps ease his mind, as the water reminds him so much of the comforts of his new home. his wings tense at the sound of someone calling for him, and elias glances around before he catches sight of shimmering scales inside the water.

" plastics ... " elias murmurs quietly to himself, glancing down at her notebook. he thinks back to the vast oceans of the summer court, the beaches that he frequents, and the pieces of foreign objects he'd begun picking up every so often. " is that what's been getting into our oceans ? they're a nuissance. "

[supernva]

The rush of fondness that filled her at the sight of her brother was quickly replaced with an impatience that matched Titan's once he'd gotten out his question. "Titan- I'm busy! You're gonna scare off all my interview people!" It seemed Calliope was woefully unaware of how she was already doing a rather good job of that on her own. "And I told you- Beaufort can't make the crossing without one of us with him so you might as well just go see mom yourself." The otter in question popped his head above the water at the sight of Titan, already begging for any treats the merman might have.

titan cuts through the water with knife-like precision , coming up to the surface with a large splash. water ripples off of his iridescent scales in small beads to rejoin its wider body. if he wants to offer any advice on his sister's seemingly abysmal approach to interviewing prythians on various pollutants , titan says nothing. didn't really feel like a fight he felt like losing , to be honest.

❝ cal — please — where's the otter ? ❞ the younger mer demands , treading his tail impatiently in the water. ❝ i need to message mom. ❞ / @supernva

[supernva]

@fataviam

Wiping water from her eyes, Calliope was quick to recognize the handsome face looking back at her. If the malakim's striking looks hadn't given him away the fond nickname would have, and a burst of warmth that she hadn't felt in nearly half a century shot through her soul. "Brax!" she nearly screeched with joy as she pulled herself from the water in an effortless and fluid motion, her scales shifting until they became a pair of legs sporting jean short cutoffs. "It's really you! You're here!" Her arms didn't hesitate to wind around the man before her, and in another familiar motion she perched on tiptoe, eyes locked on his lips with all the intention to welcome him with a kiss.

With their meeting once more she couldn't help but remember their parting- how she'd told him the pattern of her heartbeats and how he hadn't said much in response. But she hadn't professed her love to hear him say it back. She'd simply wanted him to know that there was someone in the world who held him in their heart. Nevertheless, she was suddenly conscious of the fact that he might not want her lips anywhere near his, and redirected at the last second to plant a peck on his cheek. Her hands were still locked behind his neck while her exuberance knew no bounds. "I mean- I knew you were here but- I didn't know if I'd get to see you!"

abraxas had concerned himself with investigating the rift, spending far too much time hovering over velaris as he racked his brain for information. was such a thing possible? could the asteri find a way to break through wards still laced with the magic possessed by luna's horn? had things gotten so bad in midgard that their own parasitic abilities had gotten stronger? a thousand questions posed, a thousand questions unanswered. it would do him no good to worry when he hadn't be granted approval to conduct a thorough investigation ⎯ to go through the rift. thus, he settled his aching mind with a walk along the edges of the sidra, an improvement from his walks along the istros. he dared to think sight of a messenger otter would raise his spirits. instead, it was the chirp of a familiar voice that did it.

❝ nearly four decades since you've seen this face and you want to ask me about plastics? you haven't changed a bit, lili. ❞

[supernva]

@nightfvll

It took a moment for her to place his face as he approached, but once she did Calliope was hoping she hadn't accidentally committed some sort of Prythian faux paus by addressing a high lord so casually. She vaguely remembered meeting him after she'd crossed the rift, but she'd been to enraptured with the ten million new sights and sounds to truly give him all of her attention. "Oh! You're Finnick, right?" Was she supposed to call him by his title or something along those lines? Well- it was too late now. "Sorry for not recognizing you at first. There's been so many new faces," she offered with an chagrined smile. Despite taking a moment to place him she beamed when he recalled her name, coming closer to the edge of the river to lean her arms on its edge. "Yeah! That's me! I came over with my brother, Titan."

Calliope was all too pleased he'd taken up the conversation of plastic without hesitation and her eagerness shone through her voice. "Really? Did you make it here or have it brought over?" She hadn't expected a leader to speak as if he'd handled plastic in such an intimate way, shaping it with his own hands. "But did you know it can take up to five centuries for plastic to degrade? Have you heard about how it's accumulating in some of the waters of Midgard?"

𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩, snaking through the heart of velaris, piquing his interest in terms of having hearing a flurry of stories about the depth and what actually got him was that someone – granted a vendor did inform the high lord of the dusk court that dreams flow in the waters. it was clear to him that he had been hoodwinked though it is on him for believing such a thing, not to deter him from getting closer to the riverfront. crouching on the cobblestone edge, he tried to get a vail from the small waves though not getting any luck whatsoever. he wasn't going to dirty himself up by getting closer to the water as his general would certainly put two and two together, knowing that he had snuck out of the house of wind.

knapsack leaned against his ankle, finnick twisted his upper body over his knee about to dive into the depths of his knapsack to seek out rope when his hand stopped at the entrance of the sack, pointed ear twitched under chestnut tuffs. reluctantly his eyes shifted to the commotion, landing on a mermaid, merfolk whom he had seen on occasion in his court. a polite smile etched itself on his lips when she beckoned him over and like the sailors of old he was lifting from his perch, making his way over to her. ❝ Calliope, correct? ❞ he asked her, making sure he was correct on who he was talking to not wanting to display himself poorly in front of his court members. ❝ plastics, i do believe are bad and quite difficult to work with – having experience with the material myself. having used them as insulation in our latest home. ❞ he mumbled the last part of his sentence as it could be seen to others as rather boring. exhaling as he crouched down near her to be polite and show that she has all his attention. ❝ i'm curious about your view on plastics. ❞

[supernva]

Dive bars were nothing new for a girl who'd loved partying as much as the next sorority girl in her university days. But Calliope had yet to find a place that could serve as her home base for the nights she wanted to forget everything including her first and last name. Tonight wasn't one of those nights, and she'd wandered into the bar in an attempt to sate a bit of the burning curiosity that had gripped her ever since stepping into the new and wondrous world of Prythian. When the male she'd been staring at turned and addressed her she blinked in surprise, not expecting him to be so direct with his accusation. Nevertheless she didn't hesitate to move closer, taking up the open spot next to him. "No problem," she replied in a cheery voice, still studying his features as if they were a riddle to be deciphered. "I think you remind me of someone," she gave by way of absentminded explanation before introducing herself with a bright smile. "I'm Calliope! Do you have any siblings or something like that?"

for: everyone

he probably should have been as dutiful dog by his high lord's side as ever. but he had already checked on fin and he could handle himself for a few moments and after everything he'd seen, ezra needed a drink. the bar was practically empty except for himself and a few other lingering patrons, apparently, the rest of velaris had been scared away by talk of double moons and whatever else those seers had mumbled before they'd collapsed. moonlight hung low in the window and gas lamps barely illuminated the darkened corners. even the hidden city had dive bars. he gripped at the skin of some mulled wine his rings clunking against the wooden countertops. he could feel a pair of eyes lingering on his back, years of paranoia crawling up his spine. he turned back, an eyebrow cocked and wine-skin raised. "is there a problem?"

[supernva]

𝚜𝚊𝚋𝚒𝚗𝚊 𝚝𝚛𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚍𝚒 .

. ✧ . * . ˚  ━━ ｢  ADITI RAO HYDARI,  CIS  WOMAN,  SHE  /  HER.  ｣  welcome  SABINA  TRIVEDI,  the  EMISSARY  of  THE NIGHT  COURT,  to  velaris!  it  is  well  known  that  the  34  /  35  year  old  CAULDRON-MADE  HIGH  FAE  is  INTUITIVE  and  AMIABLE.  it  is  a  lesser  known  fact  that  they  are  also  AGGRAVATED  and  RESENTFUL.  however,  it  is  water  slipping  through  carefully  clasped  fingers  ,  a  haunting  that  never  rests  , half  seen  shadows  in  the  corner  of  the  eye ,  and  unclaimed  blood  spilt  by  a  steady  hand  that  truly  define  who  they  are.  in  the  shadows,  their  alliance  with  PRYTHIAN  /  THEMSELVES  makes  them  a  force  to  be  reckoned  with.  truly,  who  knows  what  to  expect  of  them.  cauldron  save  them,  mother  hold  them.  

. ✧ . * . ˚  ━━ because of the effects of the glamour placed on the cauldron - made fae , sabina has two options for certain characteristics . the first will be designated in bold and represents who / what she currently believes she is . the second will be designated in italics and represents her actual and currently unknown identity .

name . . . . . . . . sabina trivedi .

nicknames . . . bina .

age . . . . . . . . . 635 / 35 .

species . . . . . half high fae , half lampade / human Made fae by the cauldron .

born . . . . . . . . the hewn city / undisclosed .

gender . . . . . . cis woman . she / her .

orientation . . . pansexual .

position . . . . . emissary to the night court .

family . . . . . . . only child , parents deceased .

mate . . . . . . . . unknown to her .

abilities . . . . . prowess as a soldier , physical combat , seer / other magical abilities unknown .

. ✧ . * . ˚  ━━ in the vein of the above information, most of this biography is viewed through the glamour and is not the truest form of Sabina's story. But so far as the Prythianites and Sabina are concerned...it is the only story.

In a land built on carefully constructed hierearchies and traditions, Sabina Trivedi came into the world in the worst place possible. The bottom of the last rung of the ladder. Somewhere in the caverns of the Hewn City, a dreamer was born into the Court of Nightmares. Her hearty cries made her mother proud, and assured her that her little one would be strong. It was something she'd need to be if she were going to make it in Prythian. Not only did her family have no standing— her father was a lampade, one of the lesser fae that were often sneered at in the streets while Prythian favored the pure and high fae. So the little girl began her existence as the dregs of society, and the only way out was up.

After numerous scares in the form of attacks both mental and physical against their child, the Trivedis desperately sought the help of their high lord. They'd heard of a shining city full of joy and art, a place that would be safe for their child to grow and prosper in peace. Their high lord had been in a generous mood, and granted their daughter safe access to the city of Velaris. But she would have to go alone, claimed the high lord that came before. If he were to give too many underdwellers passage to the shining— all the citizens of the Hewn City would demand the same.

Sabina was given a small house on the outskirts of the city that she might make her own, the equivalent of a young teenager left to find her own way in the world among the Court of Dreams. Rather quickly she was taken under the wing of none other than the mother of Niamh and Callista Aromdee. From nearly first sight, Sabina was entirely enraptured with Callista, and her puppy love knew no bounds though it was kept under tight wraps.

Her parents has been right. Velaris was certainly safer and kinder, and Sabina was thrilled to have found friends in the Aromdees. But no city is perfection incarnate, and those that managed to unearth her former home as a member of the Hewn City and status as a half-breed often reacted one of two ways. Dismissive superiority or violence. She learned to defend herself well enough out of necessity while studying how to blend. Reading other fae was something that also came as second nature when your happiness depended on who might greet you with ambivalence rather than an open hand slapping against one's cheek. It was these skills that led her to a job that few were wont to do, and Sabina took on the role of smuggling contraband in and out of Velaris. Much of her success was due to her inventiveness and clever hands, creating new methods and technology that would change the game of smuggling.

Even without a lick of magic to her name Sabina became one of these most sought after smugglers, and suddenly the people who'd been scorning her for the entirety of her life needed her help. Her favor. The illusion of power it gave her was a heady wine that she drank as sparingly as she dared, but still she couldn't help but revel in how it felt to have those who had cursed her origins paying for her services. She charged extra for arrogance and prejudice. Sabina was getting used to the stability of it when the news of her parents deaths came, and the rug was swept out from beneath her. After a rigorous investigation she found that they'd been suspected of aiding the humans in their growing cause against a lingering Hybern, and had been removed from the picture.

Whether there was truth to the claims of their support she didn't know nor care, not when she was left with only herself in the world. As an act of vengeance she joined the very people her parents had been accused of aiding, eventually climbing through the ranks with a fire that refused to dim. After proving herself she was introduced to a unit that was so covert they barely existed in any official space. Thunderstorm was meant to be the knife that Hybern didn't see coming— that no one would see before it was too late. Beyond the satisfaction that came with working against the murderer of her family and aiding the weak came something she hadn't expected— a new family in the form of her unit. And within this unit she found two someones she hadn't been anticipating. Her childhood friends of Niamh and Callista. Even after a lifetime Sabina harbored her secret feelings for Callista, but it wasn't until a mission gone horribly sideways that they finally became something more than friends. Girlfriend seemed too lax a term for what they shared, but there was no sign of a mating bond. So they were simply partners, and their love knew no limits.

It was another act of Thunderstorm that would tear them apart, though the details remain infuriatingly hazy for Sabina. She remembers a torturous imprisonment followed by confusing demands and explanations. And then...she remembers Callista disappearing into a depthless liquid, struggling to stay above the rising water. Sabina recalls the feeling of wrongness that slicked over her skin and into her soul while she plunged after Callista, pulling what was already a corpse from the fathomless void.

She tried not to think of much more, and before she knew it she'd become emissary, named by her high lady and friend to the lofty position amidst her confusion. Sabina still isn't entirely certain how she managed to snag such a place, and also isn't quite sure she wants it. Perhaps even more confusing is the recent revelation of her seer abilities that have manifested. But she will do her duty to her high lady and court, and try her best nonetheless.

[supernva]

An impressively hearty eyeroll accompanied the crossing of her arms while he attempted to put her in what he thought was her place . But the belittling words were ones she'd heard a thousand times in a hundred different ways . It seemed there was something the brothers shared other than similar looks- an overabundance of arrogance . "Maybe you are brothers after all . You both talk as if you're the cauldron's gift to fae-kind ." If he'd thought she was trying to charm him then he was being entirely too optimistic . Five seconds into the conversation and she was already ready for it to be over . "Then it's a good thing is I don't care to earn the respect of people like you ." Perhaps she was being presumptuous , but nothing either of the brothers had said gave her hope to think they might be willing to compromise on the idiotic hierarchy of fae . Was she digging a deeper hole when it came to her emissary duties and the day court ? Most likely . Yet it was hard to curb her tongue when her brain still felt fried by the events of Starfall .

Genuine confusion found its way into her expression while she assessed the male before her , looking him over in the way one might size up an opponent . "Listen- I don't know what you think you're talking about , but I only just met the male . So either you've been given some woefully deranged description of events or one of you is out of your mind ." But his words pried at the strange knot that had appeared within the moment she'd met Zacreus's golden eyes , and she wondered what Aurelio's insistence could possibly mean . If she were being honest- their dance and meeting at her home had felt like something otherworldly , and she wasn't yet certain if that was good or bad . Based on the reactions of the brothers...she was leaning towards bad . "I'm not having this conversation with a literal stranger who tried to pull a weapon on me . Nor am I having it with anyone other than my high lady until she deems it necessary ." After all , the vision was most dangerous when they didn't yet know what it meant .

her attempts at charm were feeble at best, just another snarky young fae who believed they had a right to speak to him in such a way, as if his age and status hadn't made him her superior, at least in his own mind. the two brothers, though similar in appearances and motivation were so different in other ways. aurelio was always fighting. he had been born a fighter, kicking and screaming for the attention he deserved. and now in his adulthood he would solve every problem with actions over words. ' manners are reserved for those i hold respect for. you are no such person. ' he's incredibly blunt, golden eyes narrowing on the emissary in challenge. ' don't play coy with me. we both know what you and my brother share is deeper than that. ' he was no fool, despite what she may believe. ' now tell me what it all means. ' he removes his hand from his weapon, putting a hand up in surrender.

[supernva]

Whilst staying in Velaris , Calliope had found the Sidra to be a hospitable enough home . Now she was drifting along its surface with a waterproof notebook in her hands , her long blond hair plastered to her shoulders while her tail flicked to and fro beneath the surface of the water . The bikini top she wore matched the silvery dappling of scales along her shoulders along with the bioluminescent dots that peppered them like freckles . "Okay- well you didn't have to be so rude!" she was yelling after a fae that seemed like he couldn't vacate the area quick enough when she spotted her latest victim . There wasn't a single breath between the end of her words and the next sentence that sprung from her lips while she called out to this new stranger . "Oh! Hey! Yeah- you! Could you come over here? I'm doing a survey about a foreigner's opinion on plastics !" She hadn't yet met a Prythian who'd known what the last word meant without explanation .