#✖ ┊ ⧼ little sunshine ⧽ ⇹ ( c. )

[sansloii]

The first thing the princess notices upon entering the main hall are the plants. The once vibrant plants and flora that lined the walls, sat in planters, and hung from hooks on pillars now appeared limp — as if all the life had been sapped from them and is draining still. A few, here and there, seemed a little less affected but what did it matter? They were dying quickly and didn't look like they'd stop just because the princess willed them to…

Brown eyes drift from the plants to the rest of the hall. As the coordinator had told her, the air was thick with tension — the guards stationed along the walls and sprinkled in against some of the pillars having stepped away from their posts. Some had their hands on their weapons and some did not… but all of them were fixated on one section of the hall. They weren't the only ones with their eyes drawn to it, as she could see the heads of patrons looking both at the walls and towards the commotion — varying levels of confusion and concern etched into their faces…

…and the few that had spotted her entering with Ezra looked at her with that very same confusion, the underlying expectation that this is not how the festival should be. coming to rest heavily on her shoulders. The murmurs of side conversations had grown near silent… but she's sure they continued.

Rather than dwell on comments and criticisms that this incident is drawing, she focuses more on the quickly growing crowd they approach. She lifts a hand to the one placed on her shoulder with a little squeeze of her own, and she's quick to fall into step with Ezra as they draw closer. She stops when he does, eyes flicking from him to Tabbris to…

…Tahariel Elohim.

Her heart jumps into her throat when, not a moment later, the man lept into the air to cross the crowd — heading towards the center as she had been before they stopped. Her gaze follows him intently before it drops to the crowd that still lied ahead of her. They were still packed together, heads craned to get a better look at whatever altercation that's transpiring out of view…

— And then comes Allisae's shouts. She could make out some of the words and sentences yelled over the silence of the crowd. The sound of it — how angry it was, how it reverberated in the spacious hall, and bounced off of every surface. The dead plants that framed the hall shudder as new ones sprouted forth and grew larger than the ones before them, spilling out of the pots, planters, and vases that held them.

She could hear the worried whispers of the guests before — worried about the state of the party… but they would not move. All they did is crowd in to watch… and gawk…and whisper… and comment —

“For god's sake — I need you all to move!” she shouts, startling the invitees nearest her. When the turn to look, her brows furrow. “Do not just stand and stare at me! Did I stutter?”

“Move out. Of the way! If you are not going to be helpful, leave the hall. Now.”

— and with the weight of that order hanging heavy in the air… the crowd parts in a neat line, through which she passes through briskly. Most, as she walks past, begin to filter out as per her firm instruction.

She knows she will regret doing that later, if the tightness of her throat is anything to go by. However, right now she does not care.

[offlineaus]

╰☆☆ –ji changmin– ☆☆╮

✎ status key ⟩| ✓ completed ; ✍ ongoing/work in progress ; ✖ abandoned ; 👑 favorite|⟨

- s h o r t f i c s // 𝚘 𝚗 𝚎 𝚜 𝚑 𝚘 𝚝 𝚜 -

↠ Three wishes 👑 ↠ 11:11 👑 ↠ Take what you want ↠ Crowned ↠ Most wanted ↠ Something Tangible ↠ Just one second ↠ Impossible love ↠ Heebiejeebies 👑 ↠ Color my world ↠ In the next life ↠ Zombie 👑 ↠ Just friends ↠ A sweet little letter ↠ Something new ↠ Scaredy cat 👑 ↠ Shallow ↠ Coffee Shenanigans 👑 ↠ Heather flowers

- l o n g f i c s // 𝚜 𝚎 𝚛 𝚒 𝚎 𝚜 -

↠ Signing off 👑✍

genre(s): bff to lovers, SMAU summary/prompt: your best friend figures out you’ve been leaving him love letters for the last few months.

↠ Chase me 👑✍

genre(s): SMAU, twitch au, friends to lovers summary/prompt: You are Birdy, international twitch streamer, personality and photographer, and a few years ago you attended art school, where you met your best friends Changmin and Chanhee. Since then you’ve had a lot of laughs, and were introduced to another twitch streamer by Changmin, called Sunwoo, who quickly became the sunshine of your life. Sadly however, Sunwoo is a bit of a fuckboy, so, it was with regret, that you felt it was time to end things. As you recover from your break up, new feelings arise, and you slowly learn of the long hidden affections of one of your best friends. Will you allow yourself to be captured by him? And what happens when what was supposed to be an innocent twitch stream goes very awry

↠ Liar, liar, watch out liar ✓

genre(s): royal au, historical, arrianged marriage summary/prompt: Princess Gowon from Baekje is forced to marry Prince Changmin from Goguryeo as a part of a peaceful agreement between the two kingdoms. Too bad it’s only a seemingly peaceful one, and too bad she almost gets killed for believing in her father’s good intentions.

↠ Kidult ✓

genre(s): strangers to lovers, daycare au, slow burn, fluff, angst summary/prompt: Changmin always believed he was never fond of children, especially when he took the job at your daycare. little did he know the child in him was playing hide and seek, finally revealing itself after growing to love the kids. oh, and you too

↠ Out of the blue ✓

genre(s): strangers/enemies-ish to friends to lovers au, fluffy fluff, humor, v slight angst n drama, SMAU summary/prompt: when you find out that one of the students you coach is the niece of the guy you accidentally punched in the face and pushed into a pool, you’re not surprised that he’s, well, disappointed at the outcome. however, you’re determined to make amends with him for the sake of his niece… and maybe for the sake of his cute face too.

↠ Curtain Call 👑✓

genre(s): exes to lovers, wrong timing right person trope, actors/actresses au, SMAU summary/prompt: after the curtain closes, you know that you are no longer the character that plays the love interest of Ji Changmin’s character. all feelings that could possibly be felt towards him could be you being immersed into your own character. how much of it was actually true considering you couldn’t tell what was real and what was acting.

↠ Read Between the lines ✍

genre(s): romance, SMAU summary/prompt: True love has never come easy; life makes sure of that. From unrequited love to missed timing, does anyone have any hope at finding success- let alone pass History at the same time? All these questions leave young people wondering….will they still love me in the morning?

[sansloii]

“Oh, I think I'm going to vomit — I'm so nervous.” is said with a heavy exhale, hands on her hips as she stares at a spot on the floor of the throne room. The princess then looks up — as if remembering just then that she's not alone — to a leagues more frazzled attendant, who likely took her words to heart and is now looking around as if she means to call for help.

“No, no — I'm fine.” Cassandra quickly reassures, both hands now outstretched in a soothing manner. “My apologies, I…It was a joke. I'm not actually nauseous right now. I'm just…it's a little daunting without my sister here. I will be fine.”

“…Are you sure?”

“Yes, I'm sure. I'm fine.” — but that was only a partial truth. “Though… if it's not too much, could you get me something to drink. Anything — water, tea, juice… it doesn't matter.”

She feels bad, sending the young woman away for something that she truthfully didn't need. However, as the attendant exits the room and she's left alone and in silence, she can't help but feel some measure of relief and takes a deep breath in before exhaling slowly.

The second draws in the scent of the sea wafting in from the open windows… and she holds it for bit — eyes closed and hands coming to rest on her stomach.

It would be fine.

[sansloii]

“Koko, what should I do if someone from Vanystea is at the Meriet festival and causes a scene about Allisae or wanting to see her. I know we're already expecting something already but... what do I do?”

“Simple — pull them aside and advise them to stop. If it doesn't, eject them from the party and instruct them to leave Meriburn.”

“... But I have my voice... can I not just use that? What if it's a foreign royal we invited to the party?”

“...First, you can also use your voice to get them to leave, yes, but I don't want you to strain yourself if it happens with more than one person. Don't use it unless you really have to... okay?” she tells her sister, “Secondly, it does not matter if it's someone we invited. I don't think you would enjoy their company any more than I would if they had a chance to cause a scene again. Don't focus on them being there; focus on getting them out. That's more important.”

“... Okay... Just making sure.”

[sansloii]

☺ ( Cassie @ Hatty)

“I am not going to compliment a man that has deluded himself into thinking he is correct when he insults me. He believed his lie even though he knew it was not true and honestly, I'd find his conviction impressive if I didn't think he lacked basic decency.” she states, “Why should I offer anything — even in jest — when asking him to genuinely apologize is too difficult for him? He gets nothing, as he deserves.”

free compliments nevermind | @soraeia

[sansloii]

How many times did she catch a glimpse of her elder sister passing by the door, ushered along by an attendant before she could be tempted to linger?

How many times did she sit at her window, watching an ash brown head of hair scurry across the courtyard?

How many times did she ask to see her or play with her? How many times was she gently told “no” or given some other excuse a child couldn't possibly understand?

She finds herself thinking back to those times, sitting in an airship heading home. Tucked into a cushioned seat and idly chewing on one of the many snacks given to her by Namodia's co-ruler, she stews in her thoughts. In between her slow chewing, she takes a sip of the familiar tasting tea that had accompanied all the snack with a closed-mouthed sigh. With it, comes thoughts of Allisae and the hope that she's alright wherever she is. She's almost certain that it's better than being trapped on that floating prison of a structure… but still, it made her nervous not truly knowing where her friend was. Even now, she could barely remember each and every thing that transpired up until this point. All she knew that, following the horrid spectacle that was the duels, her friend and her daughter had disappeared… and not too long afterwards, they ( along with another of Allisae's children ) been removed from Aegis entirely.

Brown eyes drift towards the window nearest her,making note of the clouds that quickly pass by. They linger for a moment or two before returning to the mostly empty bottle sitting in a small holder on the arm of the chair. Her attention then drifts up to her sister sitting not too far from her. Of course, she's busy reading a very boring looking document--lips pursed in thought and brows slightly furrowed.

Not a moment of rest for Meriburn's queen…

“…”

She had to do something. Perhaps not now, with fatigue and weariness still clinging to every one of her limbs… but that much would be gone when they landed. And when they did, she'd be able to accomplish a lot more with renewed energy.

…One of their holidays was coming. She could use that.

[sansloii]

“King Hatius of Namodia is the rudest man I have ever come in contact with. The fact that he is a king astounds me to no end.”

[sansloii]

☺ (Cassie and Koko @ Taha—)

“...I'm sure he's wonderful to Allisae.” — but the growing unease she had concerning him only grew.

“As most men who covet their loved ones are. I'm happy that she's finally smiling. ” — but, much like her sister, she too was filled with a sense of unease... and no small amount of sadness.

free compliments | @soraeia

[sansloii]

“It's kinda silly for the Vanystean Empire to make such a fuss about the sea between it and the Tengmen empire when it has viable waters elsewhere along its coasts.”

“They're worried about their people's ability to eat using the same mouth to taunt another nation about... water.”

[sansloii]

The closer she got to the main hall, the more she sank into her own nerves. It didn't help that upon turning into one of the last hallways that lead into the space, she was approached by one of the main coordinators monitoring the event. They gestured urgently to the main hall with mention of Princess Allisae, several others, and the various guards stationed being on edge — to the point where swords might've been drawn.

If anxiety had a sound to it, it'd be the nervous hum that escapes the princess as she speeds up a little bit.

[sansloii]

Meriburn

The princess could feel eyes upon eyes at her back, following every step towards the city's shore and into the water. She wished that the music continued and hummed behind her as she crouched at the beginning of the submerged sand path… but, instead, the sound of the waves rolling in served as her backdrop. Her fingers slip beneath sand to touch the cool stone beneath… and upon brushing the tips of her fingers against one of the many roots that covered it, the waters parted. It's a slow process, but Cassandra doesn't wait for the water to fully recede before she's upright and quickly crossing.

It's strange, walking without shoes over this path. The sand there is packed thinly — not enough to be be disturbed by the waves above but she felt as though a strong enough wave would spell the end of it. Maybe it would reveal the stone path she suspected is beneath… Maybe it would cause the whole sand bar to sink and with it — the altar…

The errant thought fades away by the time she's reached the main part of the small formation. The sea closes up the path behind her and she wastes no time hurrying to close the gap between her and the structure. Sandy brown eyes drift up to the sky to quickly make a note of Naziliv — who is now joined by Ciea — in it, and she gathers up her skirts as she ascends what few steps laid at the altar's base. The moment her foot touches that step up, it's as if the sea knows and the tide rises to a point just above the altar's topmost surface, the roots that twisted and winded across it slowly come to life. The soft, luminescent glow of the deep stretches out from where she steps… but it's not until she settles in the middle with her legs tucked underneath her that it truly spreads to the whole platform.

The princess faces the wide ocean with her back to the kingdom. Her hands, at first, rest in her lap as she internally counts down. One last glance is offered back up to the moons… and with a breath, her hands slide from her thighs and to the altar she sits upon.

[sansloii]

Meriburn

The later it got in the day, the more lively Sylalune became. As expected the festive spirit in Meriburn was infectious and Cassandra could already hear the music humming out of the city below. The sun was just being to set and taller buildings cast shadows across the decorated city streets. If one squints, they could see the faint glow the streets closest to the shore — likely due to citizens just enjoying the festival. The same anxiety she'd been feeling earlier bubbles up once more as her gaze travels a bit further out from the shore, focusing on the currently disconnected sand bar that sat a few miles out. Not much in the way of decorations had been set out yet, given the rough nature of the seas, but the welcome ceremony altar stood untouched by the elements.

“…”

She shouldn't get so worked up but, in truth, this was the first time she would be leading the festival. Dakota is the one that usually led the precession for the welcoming ceremony or gave some sort of speech that indicated the start of a celebration. This isn't to say that she didn't have words of her own or… didn't help in some way but that was different than the one she played now. She could hear Ezra's words urging her to calm down a little bit — that it'd be fine. However, all she could think about each and every little thing that could go wrong… or — worse — that the effort the ceremony required would be too much for her ( despite knowing that it wouldn't be ).

On top of that, there was the matter of Allisae, her children… and that fiancé of hers that occupied the thoughts that weren't swallowed up by her worries.

“Things are running smoothly…” she reminded herself of Ezra's words silently, “…It'll be fine.”

Truthfully, she should be heading over there right about now — not without greeting the rest of the royal guests, of course, but she should be quick about it.

“…It'll be fine.”

[sansloii]

@soraeia replied to your post:

Hatius: This gives me no inclination to behave more politely towards you

“Only a classless man would accuse a woman of trying to seduce their brother when called out on their bad behavior. ”

[sansloii]

Dakota was right; convincing the kingdom's advisors that her idea had merit was a little difficult. During the mock deliberation the queen had guided her, through, she thought they'd worked through all the ins and outs of of her plan…but the group she posed it to was rather thorough in their questioning. Whatever experience ( and patience ) she had accrued dipping her whole heart into the kingdom's diplomatic ties were very much tested with that meeting. Though she would've liked it to end so much sooner than it did, part of her was glad that they had drawn it put for as long as they did. It took them a little bit to get them on board with her plan; with no input from Dakota, she was sure she'd have to keep pushing for the event. However, once that was all said and done, the small meeting quickly moved on to a secondary planning stage that discussed much more than “We could” or “We should”.

Planning a meeting between potential allies, though intricate and delicate in its own right, was vastly than what she'd chosen to undertake. And when she steps out of the meeting room — her sister in tow — she feels like her head is spinning a little bit. Perhaps that much was written plainly on her face because not a moment later, she can feel a hand falling to rest on her arm. It offers a little tug and she obliges it, allowing the queen to guide her off to the side when out of view of the rest of the court ( as well as whoever else was lingering following the meeting ).

“Are you alright?” She asks softly, “…I know it was a lot of information but parts of it are things you'll never need to remember.”

At first, Cassandra nods and tries to offer some sort of confirmation that she's fine. However, she hesitates right before she speaks, brows rising with a little tilt of her head and a shrug of her shoulders.

“It's…. It's a lot.” she confesses, “…but it's okay. I'll have plenty of time to go over all of it on the way to Brecaea. Even if I don't need to know all of it, it'd be usefully to know little details of everything.”

To that, Dakota's brow arches. “Are you certain about that? The capital of Brecaea is not very far by airship, you know. If *that's the means by which you want toget there…"

“Did you just say I didn't need to know to know everything?”

“Attempting to cram it all in on one ride and missing a thing or two here and there is not what I meant… We're not leaving right now so. let's have them draw up something of a checklist for us so you're not panicking on the way over.”

To that, the princess pouts. “Who's saying I would panic?”

“Frantically trying to remember every single little thing that we covered in this meeting would constitute panicking, Cassie… even if your expression is the most focused I've ever seen it.”

“If you want to ask for that list, I'll let you request it from our advisors. After that, try to relax and let everything we went over just… sink in. Okay? We can leave for Brecaea either tomorrow or the day after that, though I'd recommend the the day after just so we can make sure that word reaches them before we arrive.”

“…Let's leave the day after. I'll handle that as well.”

Dakota smiles. “It's all yours.”

[sansloii]

A pink-wrapped package arrives in Meriburn from Namodia, for the Darling from King Yukaine. Inside it holds a cat-like bear creature wearing an Obsydian heart shaped necklace with an aventurine center, along with a hand written note….and a vitamin drink. “Hope you’re always well.”

“Hope you’re always well.”

The princess reads the note over and over again, her other hand resting on the open package but not quite moving onto the rest of its contents just yet. Perhaps, it was because the note was handwritten… or, maybe, because the message is so sweet despite being so short. A small, tiny part of her rapped its knuckles against what should've been her better judgement, reminding her not to get too caught up in the silent ( but giddy ) emotions bubbling up in her chest. She's no stranger to receiving gifts during the Season of Pink Skies, and she can't even begin to count the amount of well wishes or plainly worded proposals she received from admirers and the like — all of which she was grateful for but… left it at that.

…However, dwelling on this one for a little bit longer wouldn't be a crime, would it? Ignoring the very obvious sender, the package is very thoughtful. The cat-like bear plush laying down at the center of the open package, the heart-shaped necklace draped around its neck, the vitamin water bottle laying next to it — it was just so… perfect.

“…I need to put this up somewhere.” Cassandra mumbles to herself, setting the note aside finally as she reaches in to pick up the plush. The vitamin water is removed from the box as well, but it's left right next to the note as she turns to make her way out of the shared study.

She should probably send a gift ( or two, as he did ) and note back, shouldn't she? It be rude not to…

…and, part of her was hoping that he was anticipating something from her in turn.

Season of Pink Skies | @soraeia

[sansloii]

“Accusing me of having no manners when you doubled down on a lie you concocted out of thin air is hypocritical at the very least... and weaponized arrogance, at most.”