#creed ic tag tba.

[offrozenmemoirs-old]

"How kind of you!" Aimon's hand hovered over lips that quivered with suppressed laughter. Esconded, the elf was surrounded by other elves - Lavender-eyed and honey-eyed elves with dark hair, braided tightly or curled but as tight to the scalp as helmets. They circled him, their intentions clear behind watchful gazes.

Blue eyes linger away, spotting the pronounced black horns of a much taller other. After a brief squint, recognition dawned - a nobleman,

Just as he, both tiefling and elf possessed polite exteriors.

And their eyes lingered long on one another's. The signal!

Aimon interjects, a high note in his voice, "Allow me to introduce you to one of the Academy's finest graduates," Aimon wastes not a breath. He gestured energetically toward his backup plan. "Creed! Creed! Come meet these delightful women!"

The elf was already escorting the group as his eyes fell upon the orange-eyed acquaintance he'd happily reacquaint with. "Oh, Master Yousef, a delight to see you again!" Eagerness speeds his movements, he smoothly sidesteps past Creed, replacing another in their prior conversations.

( post-Creed graduation, but pre-GTE fall :) )

Ah, of course, Aimon playing the ever-faithful wingman, as he always does for Creed. She of course, had been talking with the nobleman who had begun to chat her up, though truthfully, she was half-listening. Men weren't much in her wheelhouse, many knew that, and some still took it as a sort of challenge, only to come up against her and be found wanting. Though she had been friendly enough, after all, any doubt she had in herself had long since been burnt out, where there was a need to remain unseen, now stood a desire to stand out.

"This is the friend I was telling you about Master Yousef, he's quite the trove of knowledge! I'm certain that he will provide you with excellent company!"

She offers her arms to the two ladies that Aimon has introduced her too, giving a grin as she watched their arms link with hers. Certainly, she would have to thank her friend for always having her back. The two played off of each other rather well, despite their houses' history with one another. She's more than aware that Ariortos doesn't like the fact she's bonded with him. After all, the other houses are supposed to be enemies, and whatever else he liked to rant about.

"Ladies, please, allow me to show you my old lab! I'm certain I can think of some contraptions to put together, or turn something into gold for you, hm?"

@allthatisleftinthedark

[offrozenmemoirs]

Cat in the Cradle

"It seems as if Vadu has deigned to give her blessing to your younger brother. I'll admit, I'm surprised that he was chosen, given his...deficiency."

Ariortos frowns as he listens to his father. He knew nothing of his sister, otherwise, he would've known that his brother, was a sister, and to speak of her as if she were useless because she couldn't call upon the elements...It annoyed him. Had he paid attention, he would know that she showed an interest in alchemy, a field that only a few from Nihiran took up as a study. Especially within the nobility, it was frowned upon for being seen as common work, but that hadn't mattered.

Part of him does feel a sting of jealousy at Nelia, the one member of their family who couldn't use magic, and she was the one who was chosen to be blessed by Vadu. It wasn't enough that she was the only one of them to be born with the hooves of a fiend, showing just how strong their hellish inheritance was within her.

[It seems almost unfair, to have put so much work into my practice, to become one of the greatest necromancers to ever graduate from the Graneyean Academy of the Arcane Arts, to have surpassed my grandfather...For someone who can't use magic, in a family known for magic, it makes no sense!]

He bites his tongue, controlling his body so that his tail doesn't lash in irritation. He tires of listening to his father speak about his sister, but it's not her fault that he's angry. Part of him knows it's wrong to be upset with Nelia, she didn't ask for the blessing, and had even went out of her way to cover up more and more to hide the changing pigmentation of her skin. Where there had been a rich, brown color matching their usual tone, splotches of red had been popping up and growing larger. She had come to him first, thinking that it had been a sign of sickness and that she was dying.

"Indeed. Though, I believe she is more afraid than anything. She does nott understand what is going on, at such a sensitive age...Nelia is panicking. Perhaps it would do her well to have you explain the changes?"

Leonardo raises an eyebrow once his son speaks, and where he might've shrunk under the other's gaze before, Ariortos simply stares back at him, eyes hidden behind his glasses. He could never read his son anymore, as if he never relaxed, or let himself be known by others. Rafan stuck to herself, even moreso once she began to work as Vadu's enforcer...Naeem, no, Nelia, when had that happened? Liyan was far too young to do anything other than babble and crawl around, and he left her to be cared for by his wife.

"I suppose you have a point. I'll make a note to have a talk with her. To explain the gift she's been given. Lack of magic or not, she's the one who will lead us to greater heights. Vadu's blessing has not manifested in centuries. She shall come to understand her role within the house soon enough."

Ariortos gives a stiff nod, waiting to be dismissed from his father's office. His eyes scan the room, despite being highborn, he never liked being in here. Everything was far too gaudy, gilded portraits, a collection of his father's accomplishments, but what stood proudly above the fireplace, was the head of a dragon, its bones perfectly preserved.

He never liked the idea of such majestic creatures being reduced to trophies of all things. He understand the history and them being reduced to near extinction, but to have done this...Horns capped in gold, spiraling along the grooves, ruby red gemstones placed in the eyes, engravings done to the bones, and filled with silver...It did not deserve the fate of being a trophy.

"By your leave, father."

Before Leonardo could say anything, he hears his son's retreating footsteps, broken from his thoughts.

[I remember when he used to hang on to every word of mine. How he would always ask me how to apply magic to more practical uses. Where has the time gone?]

He sits in silence, contemplating just how little he knew about his children nowadays. Had he become the same person his father had been to him? No, he couldn't have been that bad. At the very least, he acknowledged his children.

Ariortos found his way to his own office, much less decorated than his father's, a simple setup, with more lab equipment within it, and built to be functional over fashionable. Within it, sat a simple desk, with no decorations, save for a photo of himself and Corvus on their graduation date. He had even smiled, or what his friend teased him as a smile. Really, it had been more of a quirk of the lip than anything. His window was open, letting some air in. He sighs as he sinks into his chair, opening a drawer at the bottom of his desk. Within it, sat a bottle of Avernian Fire Wine, he never drank, but he couldn't refuse the gift from his only friend.

He could brew some tea right now, but he felt exhausted. He sat up, preparing to get up until he saw a familiar head of hair peeking within his doorway.

"Come in, Nelia. I can see you hiding within my doorway."

"Nuh-uh."

His lips twitch in an urge to smile.

"What do you mean, 'nuh-uh'? You are not intangible."

He hears her giggle as she steps into his office, wearing a smile. Ariortos knows that things have changed, she is chosen, and he was not...But does she deserve to be punished for that?

"You said you'd spend time with me today, big brother, so I'm here to bother you, now that...dad's not spending time with you."

He hates how her smile falls at talking about their father...Sperm donor, really, it's not as if he's ever made any effort to spend time with them or get to know them. He's been the one who really took care of Rafan and Nelia, and he knew that. She carries a book of alchemy, the basics, but she's already taken to it like someone years above her own.

"Do not fret over him. Pull up a chair, we shall go over the applications of alchemy for combat today. I know you have been excited for that portion of lessons, correct?"

As quick as it faded, it came back in full force, and she excitedly took a seat next to him. She already begins questioning him, and he smiles at her.

[Perhaps she has been chosen for a reason. But she does not deserve my anger. No, I shall reserve that for father and Vadu.]

Right now, he took a small pleasure in getting to help his sister come into her own. If only to assuage her feelings of inadequacy, he would be happy to help her understand that she could be just as great as any member of House Zarin, if she put the effort in.

[offrozenmemoirs-old]

‘  that  look  in  your  eyes  tells  me  all  i  need  to  know.  ’ ( juniper @ creed during GAAA days!! )

Scenario Prompts || Accepting! @allthatisleftinthedark

"Huh? What's that s'posed to mean?"

You stare at the woman, she's noticed that you've been a bit more distant as of late. Perhaps you've been pretty obvious that things at home aren't alright, that you've been subjected to yet another rant about your lack of magical abilities. The fiend's blood within you is stronger than most of your family, but because you can't conjure fire out of thin air, or will the seas to spray a torrent at whatever you wish, you're a lost cause. You've been covering up, growing into your new form, and even though you feel more comfortable, part of you still wants to hide away from everyone.

"Everything's fine, you know how things are, right? House Zarin is slow to change."

They always have been. You're aware of your family's history, to succeed in House Zarin, you need to have cunning, you have to be ruthless, and most importantly, have to understand that blood doesn't mean a thing. If you couldn't scheme or defend yourself, then your time was short. Just surviving this long is something of an achievement, considering that your family has been feasting on the scraps of House Elrose and trying to take advantage of the power vacuum.

"Always will be, I guess."

You've adopted a rougher way of speaking, and sometimes your voice still cracks, you nervously pull at the edges of your sleeves. Juniper has known you even before you were Creed, and it's easy for her to read you like an open book. You can hear Ariortos' voice in your head, telling you that would get you killed someday.

"You never did have the best of poker faces, Kaimeros. Learn to shield your mind from such things. Never allow yourself to display weakness of any kind."

Your face contorts into a grimace, before you let out a sigh.

"Why don't we go get lunch Junie? I'm kinda hungry."