Fantasy ☽₊✩‧₊Found Destiny₊✩‧₊☾

[ZombieBaee]

Marigold Lycath
◯ ☽ ◑ ● ◐ ❨ ◯
23.Scorpio.Werewolf.Water

“You couldn’t just give me that one? You look like you could use a shower anyways.” Mari snarled as she watched the water move across the room and filter into the various plants. After a heavy eye roll her attention moved back to Rune and his bare chest, his bare chest that was covered in sweat and made heat rise to her cheeks until she realized the scars. Mari felt a squeezing in her chest, there were so many of them… she had to imagine it was from the war or training or both but still they seemed so deep and painful. It was hard for her to resist the urge to move forward and run a hand along them, to ask about them… Dammit! Mari remember why you’re here. With a little effort the replaced the stone cold look on her face and moved her eyes from his chest to his as he moved passed her.

“Then bring the monarchy back! From these men who have been training their whole lives. Not with two human women.” Mari turned on her heel and followed him, her voice louder than it likely needed to be. In his living space she found him pouring two glasses without waiting for an answer from her and she took the glass of amber liquid. Mari tossed it back like it was some cheap shot before slamming it down on the table with such force that it shattered in her hand. Oops? But she wouldn’t say sorry, her current elevated annoyance was Rune’s fault entirely.

“Haha Rune. You’re very funny.” Mari growled, looking over at the broken glass that her hand still rested in. She would be lying if she said life was hunky dory up until now, it wasn’t just the twins that were causing issues but currently they were acting as quite the catalyst. The wedding was just something that Mari was pouring her attention into because it distracted her from the fast that she was indeed getting married. She would become the wife of an heir and eventually the lady of a powerful house. She wouldn’t be a warrior, she wouldn’t be an alpha, she wouldn’t be a fighter. Mari would become a figurehead and while the power would give her a good life and her family a great position, it wasn’t something she wanted to be. At least not in the way Cypres and his family wished her to be.

Mari glanced back up at Rune and noticed the softening of his expression… it caused her hand to clench into the broken glass without her even noticing at first. “Don’t look at me like that.” Don’t look at me like you care, like you see me, like you understand why I’m the way that I am. That was what Mari really wanted to say but saying it would be admitting more to herself than she was willing to,


​

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Alina Diaval
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
22. Aquarius. Storm Dragon. Water & Air


"Oh assure your mother that your wedding will be the event of the year. Leo's mother has tacky taste, my mother and her keep butting heads. It'll be a trainwreck." A weak attempt at trying to cheer him up but, Alina herself wasn't feeling the most cheerful as of late.

Alina paused for a moment on the topic of Leo. A dejected smile tugged on her lips, her gaze falling from Cy to the manicured nails in her lap. "I turned into this elegant noble woman that my mother wanted me to be solely to climb the social ladder. Aether is my cousin, Aqua gives me bad vibes; you were the one I always wanted even before I was tasked with marrying an heir. It... just didn't work out. I'm just glad you found someone who makes you happy." That's what she told herself to be okay with Cy and Mari. He was happy, and that's all she had ever wanted for him.

A heavy sigh passed those pink glossy lips and she looked back to Cy, her elbow giving him a playful nudge. " In the end I'll have to let Leo bite me again, even if it hurts. I've got to keep him happy. But there's no doubt I'll make him suffer for being rude. I mean the wedding is in three weeks, I need to teach him some manners quick."

"Remember that dream we had when we were little?" A bright smile suddenly lit up that pretty face of hers, her cerulean blues having a twinkle in them. It was rare for her to smile honestly like that, like she used to. Now it was just constant stress and drama, Alina hardly looked forward to anything anymore. "That white sandy beach we went to when we were younger. We wanted a little villa, to lounge in the sun by day and the storms at night." The thought heated her cheeks as her gaze drifted to the moonlit sky. "Silly I know, but that's what I think of most days to get me through."


​

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Vesta “Smith”
✴︎⋆✴︎⋆✴︎
21.Gemini.Currently Unknown Order & Element

Per usual Vesta quietly followed Matteo through the Ignis towers living quarters, her doe like golden specked emerald orbs glued on the much taller fae male. She had only known him for a couple weeks but... was he acting strange? He had been doing that all week whenever they were on the topic of Orders. And while Vesta certainly wasn't one to talk about strange behaviors it worried her. In the library she was reading how there were fights because of Orders, how it caused segregation, isolation. Everyone already hated the twins, Vesta couldn't even imagine life without Matteo.

The red head slipped up onto a stool and sat on the counter, her elbow resting on the smooth marble and her chin in her hand. It was like how all the girls whispered about Matteo and looked at him like some spectacle. Speaking of Orders... "An incubus... does that mean you get some cool horns, too?" Vesta didn't even miss a beat. She read a little up on how an incubus charged their magic but that didn't matter to her. The girl herself had never even had a boyfriend so she'd absolutely die if it was her. This? This was Matteo. Still the sweet, funny, kind, obnoxiously gorgeous fae man she clicked with that first day. Besides... it wasn't like he'd ever look at her to help charge his magic. Veda was always the twin men preferred.

"Thanks. Yeah, no scales yet." Actually there was nothing showing to indicate her order. At least, not to her knowledge. She took a small bite of the sandwich, which tasted better than any of the food they had in the human world, and chewed on it as she listened. "So you're acting all funny because you think I'm like my dad?" Her ginger brows quirked upwards curiously. A phoenix... the word alone gave her goosebumps. Wings, feathers, fire. He was acting like it was some top tier secret, like everyone would freak out if they knew. Matteo also knew these people a lot better than her.

"We'll keep it a secret then. Just me and you, yeah? I don't need to give Veda anything else to worry about." Vesta sat further back in the chair as she finished munching on her sandwich and grabbed two napkins, handing one over to Matteo before wiping her mouth and hands. "I know Rune keeps you plenty busy, but I didn't read anything on the phoenix. You're my favorite company around these parts, and I still have to teach you some of my master thief tricks..." Vesta shot Matteo a sweet smile before extending her hand out to him. "What do you say Matteo? Want to be my partner in crime and help me figure out my powers?"

​

 

[Sir Damien]

Rune Finch
⋆༺𓆩

𓆪༻⋆
27.Scorpio.Basalisk.Shadows&Earth

Rune silently drank from his glass as he watched Mari move like she had some bone to pick with him. He understood that her anger was misplaced, he didn't mind. It was better that she took out her frustrations out on him than the twins, or Cy, or anyone that could permanently screw up her life. Rune was just that, Rune. At the end of the day he'd never mean anything to anyone. Things were better for everyone if they stayed that way. "It's more complicated than that. The monarchy was based on the royal lineage, the royal bloodline. You know what the late King was, right? What every other king before him was? They were the only known bloodline of the phoenix. That's what they're wanting to bring back, not some random order."

But Mari knew that. She knew all of it and she still was raging with a fire he had never seen within her. So much so that she was literally shattering the glass and causing him to sigh. This was more than the twins, more than their training. Her wedding with Cypres was fast approaching and he could just see that this wasn't what she wanted. Mari was... everything. Strong, beautiful, powerful. She deserved the luxuries of a powerful house, yes, but she also deserved to be true to herself and her wolf.

"I'm not looking at you any type of way..." Rune trailed off with that soft expression still on his face. Those piercing green eyes drifted down to the glass she was holding and he moved a step closer to her. With a small clink he sat down his empty cup and moved his large hands to hers, his calloused skin gently cupping hers and opening them so he could retrieve the broken glass. Shadows shifted from around the room and took the glass and all it's broken fragments before taking them and depositing them in the trash in the corner. In its place the shadows grabbed a vial off of Rune's potion elaborate potion station and shifted back to him.

Once the potion was in hand he popped open the elixir and dripped a few drops onto her wounded hands. "If you want something Marigold, then take it. Make it happen." As soon as the glowing green liquid seeped into her hands the wounds healed instantly, allowing one of his hands to slip to holding her cheek and guiding her face so that her gaze met his. "You want the twins gone, make it happen. You're sick of the direction your life is heading in? Change it. You are capable of so much more than you give yourself credit for. Stop waiting on things to change and be that change."

His attention drifted down to her lips for a millisecond and he felt his jaw tighten. Everything about Mari was perfect; obviously she was gorgeous, more than the normal fae, she was strong, powerful, capable. She worked hard to hone her skills and Rune valued that in a person more than anything. Add on the fact that she kept his secret, there was no denying the pull that he felt towards her. "If anything goes to shit then I'll back you up. I'll take the fall for whatever you need, just, do something. You're more than just a figurehead for the Terra household."

​

 

[Colt Voltage]

Leo Thorn
𓆩✧♛✧𓆪
26.Leo.Vampire.Fire

Here's the thing; Leo had little patience for people. Already he was having a weak moment apologizing to Veda of all people, something he'd never admit to anyone and was only doing out of his dying state, yet here she was insulting him of all things. She was acting like he tried to kill her or something?

Wait... that wasn't the point.

There wasn't much time to think about his next course of action, his body just kind of... reacted. From her berating him, mocking him to his face, he felt his jaw tighten several times in frustration. Without any reaction time he was bouncing to his feet to grab the dark haired twin by her shoulders and spinning her around. Within seconds she was pinned to the wooden support of the gazebo and Leo's face was leaning down close to hers.

"You're right, Veda. I don't want to give up my power. I like protecting my people, being the one strong enough to defend them from the threats beyond the veil. It's what I was born for, it's what I live for. I'm fucking terrified of giving that up to women who don't even like my people." His grip on her shoulders tightened and those bright blues of his flashed a brighter, almost glowing color. "If you had the option to go back I know you would and we would happily send you there. But that's not the case; you're not permitted to leave. You're stuck here, so it's about time to teach you the way things around here work." As he spoke his already prominent fangs extended even further, his grip tight enough not to hurt her, but make sure she didn't move.

"The stronger the fae, the more powerful the fae. And vampires are at the top of the food chain... everything weaker than us is free game." And just like that Leo's face leaned into her neck and sank his fangs into her neck like a knife into butter. Immediately she would feel a sharp pinch followed by a poison he secreted that numbed the bite mark since he wasn't a complete monster. He didn't like hurting people but, a guy had to feed. Leo began to drink a steady amount of her blood, his eyes closing as he paced himself. If It was Alina he wouldn't have been so careful, she was used to the feeding process and he paid the woman. Leo's goal wasn't to hurt Veda though, he was just hungry... and, maybe teaching her a lesson. No anger, no malice, just irritation and hunger.

A hunger that was quickly being satisfied. He could taste the dormant magic in her blood and it was filling him faster than most would. Just what in the fuck was her order?

​

 

[ZombieBaee]

Marigold Lycath
◯ ☽ ◑ ● ◐ ❨ ◯
23.Scorpio.Werewolf.Water​

His gaze made an internal fight begin within Mari, her wolf instinct told her to run away from whatever this pull between them was, that it was trouble for her, but that invisible force that kept shoving her in his direction was undeniably tempting. Mari couldn’t help herself but fall silent and bite her lip as she watched Rune tend to her hand that she hadn’t even realized was bleeding. As he looked over her wounds he spoke of the twins and their current situation… it made her let out a small hum of annoyance. “Sometimes things aren’t that simple Rune, you know that more than anyone I would think.” She didn’t look at him as she spoke, instead she moved her gaze along his hands to his arm and the tattoos there. He was visibly scarred and clearly had stories to tell but instead he always hid behind this wall of indifference and brooding. His entire life was forced into secrecy basically due to their hierarchy here and Mari couldn’t even imagine how hard that had to be. For her of all people to be the only one who knew and respected his secret. She watched in silent awe as she shadows took care of the glass fragments and wondered for the thousandth time since she first saw them why they had to stay hidden. His power didn’t seem much different than any of the others, sure it wasn’t the norm but they didn’t seem anymore dangerous than what she has seen her peers, hell even herself, do with their elements.



Rune Finch. Her mentor. A war hero. A hidden secret in their nation. And the man who didn’t make her heart flutter, he made her heart stop. The times they ended up like this felt like the clocks had stopped, as if time itself were frozen around them waiting for their next move. It was so enraging to feel like this for him, to be absolutely enchanted by a man who she shouldn’t want… even if she wasn’t engaged it would be taboo with his position.



As he cupped her face and moved her gaze to meet his Mari placed her newly healed hand against his chest lightly, her fingers grazing over some of the pronounced scars that lied there. Her golden eyes shone brightly as she listened to him speak, his words caused her breath to catch in her throat and her words to get tangled up in her brain. Hearing that he would have her back, that he knew she was more than this… it just confirmed it for her. Rune saw her. Mari closed the small distance between them, the smooth material of her silk blouse pressing against the contours of his chest lightly. She caught the flick of his eyes and felt walls crashing around her in response, it was another confirmation for her and this time they weren’t on the ground in the arena where anyone could stop them by walking by… “Rune I said don’t look at me like that.”



Mari was the first to move, tilting her head ever so slightly and gently pressing her full lips against his. It only lasted for a moment at first, soft and timid which was something neither of them really ever were but the tension in the air made her so. She glanced up at him through her dark lashes and slid her hand up his chest to cup the side of his neck. “You know, sometimes you should take your own advice Rune… if you want something you should take it. Especially if it wants you back.”

​

​

 

[ZombieBaee]

Veda “Smith”
₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊
21.Gemini.Currently Unknown Order. All Four.


How quickly Leo moved nearly gave Veda whiplash, her body shuddering in reaction to the slight pain of the wooden support against her spine. It took her a moment to shake off the shocked look that painted her features but once she caught up Veda trained her eyes on Leo in a glare. “Buzz off mosquito boy!” She tried to lift her hands to push him but was surprised at how strong his hold on her shoulder was despite the grip being fairly gentle. Instead her hands could only raise to about his navel and pressed there in a feeble attempt to keep distance between them. “Not liking YOU is not the same as not liking your people. I’m sure they’re just like any other species, good and bad. Unfortunately you seemed to gather all the biggest fuckwits you could find to greet my sister and I.” Veda growled the words as she tried to fight against his proximity but could barely even move a centimeter let alone fight off this man towering over her. However then Veda noticed his fangs and the look on her eye and she went statue still, for a moment she had forgotten what this was, what he was. “Leo what are you doing?” Her breath caught in her throat as he leaned into her neck, the heat of his breath against her skin made her shudder in a way that made her want to vomit.



Then the pain hit. It wasn’t bad, it was kind of like a piercing if it was done in the side of her fucking neck. “Leo!” Veda whimpered at the pain for a moment until it quickly subsided into a humming tenderness that spread through her neck and made the hands that pushed against his abdomen clench down into his shirt. He wasn’t doing this to hurt her, or kill her, and Veda was somehow instantly aware of that, she could feel it in her bones. Leo was being a dick but it wasn’t out of malice, it was out of fear and opportunity… “H-hey! That’s enough!” Leo had seemingly settled into her neck, his body pressed against hers as she felt him steadily draining the blood from her veins… the power from her. Veda went to dig her nails into his chest but a moment later it was like something snapped in her brain and she was connected to him so deeply that it was as if she was swimming in his emotions… drinking them in.



Leo was so so hungry and even more stubborn… and scared. When he has said he was starving to death she had assumed he had been being dramatic. But she could tell now that he had been basically on a hunger strike out of his own damn stubbornness, holding out and pretending to be strong enough simply to prove a point to Alina, no to himself. Veda could sympathize with that, she could be the same way sometimes, needing to put on the strong mask just to make herself feel like she really was… even if it was a lie. The need to take on whatever role to keep your people safe, it was the same even if your people were an entire nation or just one single entity. Veda wasn’t sure she liked how much she had lost track of where her own emotions stopped and his began, she could feel the power rolling off of those feelings and into her soul but it was scary, uncomfortable and new.



Veda wasn’t sure how long their macabre embrace had gone on but at some point her brain began to go fuzzy and she was loosing control of her limbs and physical strength. Before she could even attempt to warn him she felt her knees give out from under her, the only thing keeping her from dropping to the floor being his hands at her shoulders. However the motion made her move slightly and her neck drag along his fangs causing a yelp of pain to erupt from her lips, her hands desperately grasping his shirt to get him to stop as the sharp points slightly marred her sensitive skin. “P-please.”



​

 

[KAYDEN]

Cypres Ettery
~𑁍~
25.Capricorn.Nemean Lion. Earth & Air​

It shouldn’t have made him as happy as it did to hear Alina say she thought her wedding would be a train wreck but it did. Cy could barely restrain the smile that threatened to plaster over his face. “Well, she has always been quite flashy but to hear that she’s wanting to much flash that she’s putting a mother dragon to shame is quite something.” Cy leaned a little closer to Alina and nudged her gently in the arm as their shoulders pressed together. He looked over her for a long while, his eyes moving from her eyes to hover at her lips for likely a moment too long before following her own gaze down to her hands and painted fingernails. As she began to speak Cy hummed a bit in agreement to her first few words, she was an elegant woman but he felt that about her even without the social status. Alina was simply graceful and dutiful in everything that she did, she cared about others and even with her fierce personality she always made sure to keep the people she cared for in mind. However her next few words made his heart flip in his chest and his body to go taught with anticipation, was Alina really saying this right now? Cy was nearly convinced he must have been dreaming, that he had to have fallen asleep in his room after sending her a text and this was the resulting scenario created by his imagination. “Alina I-“ Cy fell quiet, his voice fading into the night air around him as his lips closed tightly and his jaw twitched with the tension. Why was she saying this now? Why couldn’t she have said something years ago before they were both engaged to be wed and knotted up in all these political dealings? Alina was right that her mother only cared about an heir but the truth was all his parents wanted was a marriage for Cy with an influential family of a powerful order. Alina could have fit that and they could have been together… but it was too late and too fucked up now. If she tried to leave Leo his mother was ruin Alina and her families reputation through her powerful connections and if Cy attempted to walk away from Mari… well she might straight up murder him.



“Happy… right.” Cy finally spoke although his voice was barely above a whisper, it was hard to come up with a way to respond to all this. Thankfully when Alina moved onto the subject of Leo once more, Cy found it much easier to find the words to say. “Fuck him.” Ever so eloquently said. “You don’t have to do shit, just because you’re getting married to him doesn’t mean you have to be his personal blood bag if you don’t want to and he should respect that.” He reached over and wrapped a calloused hand around her soft fingers, turning them over and running to me of his own over the smooth skin until he stopped at the ring around it. “You’ll be his wife, not his servant Alina.”



Cy didn’t move his hand away from hers as she brought up their old memories and dreams, in fact her actually found himself tracing small shapes in the palm of her hand as he listened to her talk. “Of course I remember it, I think about those times often Alina.” His hazel eyes traveled from her hands back up to her face that was turned up to the moonlight sky and he found his breath being stolen by her beautiful smile. Alina was a gorgeous woman, anyone with eyes could see that, but when she found something that made her glow Cypres didn’t think there was a single more beautiful thing in this universe. The way the soft light of the moon above reflected off her ivory skin and made starlight dance in her eyes… it was nearly enough to break him right there. If it were only Cy who would be ruined by walking away from his engagement he likely would have but the idea of anything bad happening to Alina caused him to retain some form of restraint. “Alina it’s not silly at all, I understand it completely. I feel the same.” He lifted her hand to his lips and planted a gentle kiss against the back of her hand, then feathered soft touches to each finger before finishing with her engagement ring. “Alina you are my most dear friend, person… and even with you marrying Leo and my relationship with Mari I won’t let anything keep us from keeping a good relationship. I promise.”

​

​

 

[EclipseRosee]

Matteo Sellis
｡ ₊°༺❤︎༻°₊ ｡
24.Sagittarius.Incubus.Fire
“If I end up going full out with my power then yes, horns will appear.” Matteo chuckled as he took another bite and eyed her from across the counter, she seemed to be taking all of this so well. Obviously to them the fae and all the different orders were normal and things to learn about when they were children, to humans these were the monsters under their beds and the villains of their story books. “There’s just a lot of things here that are different socially and culturally…” Matteo said sheepishly and rubbed at the back of his neck, if she knew anything about the wings and the horns he was nearly certain that Vesta knew about the way he recharged. It wasn’t that the fae were out here screwing on every corner but there were orders like his that it was just a fact of life and even beyond that promiscuity was just less socially taboo… with people that lived long long lived it was easy for society to focus on things that mattered more and let go of the strange social norms from their human relatives.

“You think I’ve been acting weird? Vesta I think you have been spending far too much time with me babe.” A smirk played at his lips as he finished his food and grabbed each of them a napkin from the corner of the counter. “Not that I’m complaining about it.” Matteo grinned at her before continuing, his bright eyes dulling slightly at the topic of conversation. “Yes, I think you’re like your father. That symbol that burned around you in your trial is nearly proof itself as long as my eyes weren’t tricking me. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, it’s quite amazing if I’m being honest. But it’s something that makes you quite powerful Vesta, and it means you’re resilient against a lot of the current heirs powers and influences. It will scare the shit out of them when they learn about it… you won’t be able to hide it for long because as your power grows it will simply become obvious but for now I think it’s best you keep it between the few of us as you said.”

Matteo returned to his seat at one of the stools and pulled his bag over in front of him to retrieve a book from the back pocket. It was an old weathered thing bound in leather and twine, gently he slid it across to her and tapped the wordless cover. “This is a ledger from your family, mostly birth and death records but some other fun information in there like family trees and information on your order. Your father’s family was the last line of phoenixes to exist so they kept good history of their members until his death. It’s in rough shape so they keep it under lock and key but… I have my ways.” ​

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Alina Diaval
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
22. Aquarius. Storm Dragon. Water & Air


The lion and dragon sat underneath the bright moonlit sky with no cloud in sight. The moody woman normally summoned storms left and right purely because of her endless anxiety she hid so well from others. With Cy he was the one thing that made her calm. Alina was audibly admitting her desire to marry him for the first time, and while it didn't seem that he shared that sentiment the stress melted off of her shoulders. All that mattered was Cy stayed in her life... at least, that's what she told herself. Deep down her heart physically ached for Cypress, so much so that it made it hard to look at him and Mari at times. Whether he chose her or not she loved him; he deserved so much better than the rowdy wolf.

As she stared down at those manicured, blue speckled sparkled nails of hers she found her smile faltering. By the time Cy and Mari tied the knot Alina and Leo would be attending their ceremony as a married couple. She'd be bound to Leo for all of eternity with the expectations of producing strong dragon and vampire heirs, to be at his beckon call. She'd be nothing more than a pretty face instead of the wildly powerful dragon she was. With the combination of water and air Alina was a rare breed that could even use electricity; she wanted so much more than to be just someone's blood bag and wife. She felt terribly alone in school, in her relationship, and it wasn't until Cy took her hand did she truly feel seen by someone. He was eloquently telling Leo he could fuck off, though truth be told it was hard to focus on his words with his calloused fingers along her thin digits. The man gave her heart palpitations, her heart nearly stopping as he traced over the obnoxiously large oval diamond on her ring finger. "C-Cy..." If only what he said was true. The painful truth was Leo wouldn't want her if she started standing up for herself. He'd find a way out of the marriage and leave Alina, making her nothing but a disappointment for her family.

Large tears began to well in her eyes as he revealed the fact that he shared in her dreams. Why couldn't it have been them? Instinctively her slim form scooted and closed the small gap between them, her warm cheek rested against his shoulder as she gazed back at their hands and the shapes he was tracing into them. For people passing by the two looked exactly like a couple; the perfect couple, in fact. Cypress was strong, level-headed, kind, thoughtful; he was everything she wanted in a partner. He was everything a leader needed to be. Even if she did leave Leo, what would she do? Ask Cy to leave Mari for her? It'd create such drama, it'd risk him being exiled from his family. Besides, he didn't seem to react much when she admitted her feelings to him. It would've all been for nothing.

But then his lips landed on her hand and she felt everything shift. Her heart leaped into her throat and blood rushed to her face as her gaze lifted to meet Cy's gaze for the first time since they had been on the bench. Without thinking her free hand lifted so those soft fingertips could rest against his right cheek, those plush glossed lips of her landing on his left cheek for a long moment. As her lips pulled from him her button nose brushed against his cheek affectionately. "You're the most important person in my life Cypres. I hope I can always be by your side." Alina unknowingly threw in the 'hope' word; she knew that their marriages would separate them from each other again whether they liked it or not. In just a few weeks Alina would once again be pulled away from Cy and only see him during meetings, parties, or royal business.

The thought alone was like a punch to the gut, but at least they had a few weeks left.

"Come on." Alina stood to her feet and laced their fingers together, a bright smile tugging on her face as she looked to him. Even with her standing and him sitting she was just at eye level with him. "Want to get out of here for a while? You just happen to know the flight instructor for young dragons. I can fly us out of here. I'll have you back before Mari even notices your gone." Alina gave him a playful wink before leading him away from the bench and towards the flight field.


​

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Vesta “Smith”
✴︎⋆✴︎⋆✴︎
21.Gemini.Currently Unknown Order & Element

There wasn't much in life that visibly effected Vesta. At times she was emotionally detached from most things and most of the time she didn't understand social cues. However, there was something about Matteo calling her babe that caused her entire freckled face to go as red as her hair. Her heart skipped several beats and she found herself at a lost for words. Quickly she reminded herself that this was Matteo, the flirty man who had slept with half if not more of the Ignis tower. She didn't judge in the least, but everyone here was gorgeous. Vesta was... she wasn't Veda. She wasn't some attractive, alluring siren. There was no way he'd ever think of her as anything more than his odd little human friend.

Luckily the conversation shifted to something that wouldn't cause her heart to implode. It even brought Matteo around to the stool next to her, pulling up his bag and bringing out some leather and twine bound book.

Vesta had scooted her stool slightly so that she was sitting directly next to Matteo. The move wasn't to look at the book so much as it was to smile sweetly up at him, her warm hand gently resting on top of his. Those green and golden eyes met his reddish brown ones and everything around them faded from her mind. "Incubus or not, you're still just Matteo to me. I like you for who you are; you're perfect as is." The copper haired twin didn't know to the extent on how bad things were for him in the past because of his order or his family, but Vesta accepted him for who he was. She came from a place where she used to always be the outsider, and she still was to some extent here. At least here she didn't have to hide who she was, she didn't have to steal for her and Veda to scrape by. Here she had a friend for the first time in her life.

"Okay, maybe you're a little crazy but that's just because you hang out with me. Guys always prefer Veda's company." The small woman nudged him with her elbow playfully before moving her hand to gently trace over the leather binding. It was like her fingertips warmed just from the feel of the book; Vesta had never been curious about her lineage until now. Now she was the last of an order.

"My my my. Matteo, did you steal this?" Vesta quietly teased him as she carefully hugged the book to her chest. "I've never been more proud. Come on, I don't want anyone seeing us read this. First rules about thieving: don't let anyone see." The short statured woman hopped off of the stool and grabbed hold of Matteo's hand with her free one. It was then that she began to guide the two back to her room.

Again, socially awkward. She didn't see anything wrong with bringing a guy to her room.

​

 

[Colt Voltage]

Leo Thorn
𓆩✧♛✧𓆪
26.Leo.Vampire.Fire

Once upon a time ago Leo was the nicest of the heirs. Charming, funny, athletic and, let's face it, he's always been irresistible. It was when he was 18 did things change for him. Right after graduation the war started. Instead of serving by his fathers side he did the first thing he could think of and that was to go fight the front lines. Of course there was the occasional death in school but, it wasn't anything to the extent he witnessed out there on the battle field. He wasn't like Rune; he couldn't watch their own people suffer and die without feeling something. He fought on and off over the next few years, each battle wearing on him more than the last. He internalized the pain like Rune taught him to, put on a brave face for his people... Now he was just constantly scared, hence why he was always so protective and aggressive. The girls threatened his way of life and it terrified him.

That and the push of the fellow heirs and, well, that was part of the reason he was feeding off of Veda. The other part was he was starving. Each calculated drink from Veda seemed to soothe some of the towering vampires worries because he visibly relaxed, though the secure grip he had on her didn't waiver. However, something within him began to change.

It... was like someone was in his head. No, not quite that simple. Someone was in his emotions. She could see his fears and worries, and as much as he hated it he couldn't move. The more she stayed connected to his stream of emotions the more it felt like she was taking away those worries with her. For the first time Leo felt like his guard was let down, and for a few seconds it was absolute bliss...

And then fear hit him again. His fangs retracted and he straightened himself up, his head pulling away from her neck just in time to feel her knees begin to give out on her. It was a gut reaction to react; in one fell swoop one hand supporting the back of her shoulders the other scooping underneath her knees. "Keep your siren powers out of my head, yeah? You won't like what you find in there." For once his voice towards her wasn't cocky or mean; Leo was warning Veda for her own well being, his voice quiet yet stern. As if she was weightless he plucked her up and flush against his cool vampiric chest. He wore a simple black t-shirt but he exuded no warmth, another thing that Alina hated about him... ah, but what was new? His future wife hated everything about him.

"Sorry if I'm cold... I didn't think I took that much blood. I'm sorry." Those bright blues of his looked down at Veda's face and shone her an apologetic smile. Maybe it was that exchange of emotions with her but, he felt much more at ease around her and he absolutely hated it. It caused his jaw to clench a couple times as he internally wrestled with himself. He swore he'd never let anyone in, sirens included. Carefully he began to head towards Aqua and stepped off of the wooden gazebo to the glowing stone path. He studied the way the moonlight hit her long lashes, how it made her eyes illuminate like some ethereal being.

In that moment he realized how attractive she was and it twisted his gut and pulled his gaze from her and to the path. "Your blood will be replenished within the hour. And you should be all powered up for the trial now, I'm sure you got a good recharge with what you just did there." Did she know she was a siren already? Leo wasn't sure, but there was no doubt in his mind.

"Any scales show up yet?" Veda very well may tell him to fuck off or not talk to him, though she certainly wasn't in the position to walk herself. Nope, she was stuck in those safe, muscular arms that carried her like she was the most fragile and precious thing to him.

​

 

[Sir Damien]

Rune Finch
⋆༺𓆩

𓆪༻⋆
27.Scorpio.Basalisk.Shadows&Earth

When Rune found out just what his powers were he took a vow to never take a lover. Being a shadow user was illegal; his entire family was burnt alive in front of him because of it. Rune was spared, essentially made into both a weapon and resource for the kingdom. He wanted a family when he was small, when he was blissfully unaware, but he wouldn't make anyone he loved live their lives in secret like him. It was exhausting as hardly anyone knew the truth about him. Not his power, not his order, least of all the fact the man was Prince of the Shadow Realm.

That vow waivered whenever he was with Mari. The pull towards her was undeniable and all he wanted to do was spend time with her, talk to her, kiss her. He didn't understand it at all and it was inappropriate at best but the heart wanted what the heart wanted. Yes, he wanted to change their situation, he wanted her. The feelings were so much more complicated because he didn't want to hurt her. Stars be damned though he couldn't stop looking down at those tempting lips of hers. And was it his imagination or was she moving closer to him?

Emerald green orbs glowed a shade brighter as he glanced down at the hand on his chest, one single touch of hers enough to light his entire body on fire. It caused the breath to hitch in his chest. His calloused thumb caressed her cheek lightly as if to forever memorize the feel of her soft, perfect face. Everything from her scent, the silk blouse of hers pressed to his bare chest, to the movement of her lips when she spoke he felt like he was drowning in a sea of unfamiliar emotions.

For the first time the war hero was frozen. His stare went from her eyes back down to her lips again just as Mari's pressed her full lips to his. His head tilted to the opposite side, and just as his dark lashes closed over his eyes she was pulling away.

And just like that he knew what he wanted in life and she was standing right in front of him. He wanted to love her, value her, protect her... he wanted her. Merigold Lycath, the gem of their nation that was overlooked and unappreciated. The woman he would fight a thousand wars just to protect. Rune moved against his better judgement and his lips were on hers and were not soft and timid. He kissed her with the burning love he had for her, his lips claiming hers as if she didn't have a fiancé waiting for her just outside and up the spiral staircase.

The hand on her cheek pushed back into those golden locks of hers, his eyes closing as his free hand slid to her hip. In one skillful movement he was scooping her up and pressing her flush against him. Without even looking he guided them back into the cool stone of the room so he could press Mari to it, holding her up to it with his muscled chest and hips so his hand could glide up the curves of her side before cupping her face during their heated kiss.

The kiss lasted until Rune realized he needed to breath. He pulled from the kiss with a small frustrated groan and panted a couple times as his chest rose and fell quickly in attempts to catch his breath, those green eyes looking down at her with all of the love in the world. "I want you to stay Mari." Forever. He wanted her to stay forever with him, but he'd start with right now.

​

 

[ZombieBaee]

Veda “Smith”
₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊
21.Gemini.Currently Unknown Order. All Four.

“Fall is my favorite season, night time specifically.” Veda hummed as her head lulled a bit and fell against his shoulder with a soft bit of pressure. It wasn’t exactly a normal response to his apology for being cold to the touch but Veda wasn’t exactly thinking very clearly at the moment. Her head felt both heavy and light, like a strange heady high that she didn’t think she enjoyed very much, her body and mind felt so heavy and tired but she could feel her magic thrumming with power within her after whatever the hell happened between her and Leo.

“What are you talking about mosquito?” Veda groaned, her eyes fluttering open and staring up at him in annoyance. Honestly she wanted to fight the fact that he was also carrying her but she didn’t have any energy left in her so she decided to settle on a wicked glare. “I assumed that whatever went on there was some creepy vampire trick.” As Veda glowered she tried to think back on what Matteo had said about sirens, apparently they fed off of others emotions and thoughts good or bad and when they did it was like they were feeling it all themselves… well that would certainly explain what happened back in the gazebo. “Do you really think that’s what I am?” Her voice was soft and caused her gaze to follow suit, the glare fading a bit as she studied his face for a sign of an answer. She thought back on how she had felt at the moment and her brow furrowed slightly, her head growing heavy once more with the confusion and falling against the cool sensation of his shoulder. Logically Veda felt like she should be on edge, afraid, angry that he was touching her in general but for some reason she simply wasn’t. Leo has, albeit unintentionally, shown a side of him tonight that she hadn’t expected. One that she hated that she understood and empathized with. When she had been swimming around in his emotions they mirrored so many of her own that she had felt before that she hadn’t even realized what was really going on.

“I didn’t hate it, I actually kind of liked what I saw in there. It made me feel less alone.”



​

 

[ZombieBaee]

Marigold Lycath
◯ ☽ ◑ ● ◐ ❨ ◯
23.Scorpio.Werewolf.Water​

Oh stars… Mari felt as if her very soul lit on fire the moment that Rune returned her kiss. He initiated so much hungry passion that she felt as if her body may literally melt away from her due to the heat of the embers in her heart. “Rune.” Mari breathed as he swept her up and pressed her against the wall, her legs locked around his hips and she couldn’t help but notice just how perfectly they seemed to fit together, how natural and beautiful this felt. Her long manicured nails found their way into his long raven hair and gently moved against the skin at the nape of his neck. There was suddenly in her mind but them, but him… The world outside his door no longer existed, Cy no longer existed. The issues that would keep them apart; her family, their roles, his secrets. For once Mari finally let herself be free from all of those problems and she felt so alive, she felt so full and happy. It felt as if that strange pull that constantly pushed her towards Rune had finally reached the end of its rope and clicked the two together like perfectly paired puzzle pieces.

When Rune finally pulled back, Mari only then realized how badly she had to take a breath. Her chest rose and fell heavily, her eyes finally fluttering open to stare into his emerald ones. “Okay.” Her full lips spread into a wide smile, one that was beaming with true joy and love, one that she was positive no one had ever truly seen before. She allowed her arms to fall a little bit, moving to snake around his broad shoulders and running her fingers along the contours of his upper back. “I-I want to stay, I will stay.”

That was when Mari noticed, or realized… how could she have not theorized before back when the two of them had their near moment in the arena all those years ago. How did she not even think about the possibility while she constantly fought the pull she felt to Rune. Now as Mari looked into his eyes, love in her own reflecting that in his, she found that his eyes had changed ever so slightly, “Rune….” Mari breathed, one of her hands moving to gently hold his cheek, her thumb running along the bone structure that framed his gorgeous eye. There was a thin ring of gold that now framed the usual soulful green that only made him even more insanely attractive. It was the sign that a person had found their mate and somehow Mari knew that if she were to look in a mirror she would find the same change in her own golden orbs.

Mates were such a powerful bond between fae, said to be written in the stars and graced by the signs. It was rare among wolves to bond to those outside of their own order but it wasn’t unheard of…. Plus only about half of the fae really ever found their star bound mate, it was fairly rare and most people typically just fell in love and were happy with that. Mates were more than love, they were relationships that so closely toed the line of twin flames that they could go on either side of the line… people that could love each other so deeply and passionately that they could take on the world together without blinking. Or people that could push one another away and end up being constantly pulled apart by the stars.

“If I’ll be staying the night, think I could borrow something a bit more comfortable? And maybe we could move further into your place? I mean Rune were barely feet from the front door.” Mari smirked down at him from where she still sat wrapped around his waist, her eyes twinkling with excitement and joy. “As long as you still want me to stay?”


​

 

[KAYDEN]

Cypres Ettery
~𑁍~
25.Capricorn.Nemean Lion. Earth & Air​

There were many times in his life that Cypres wished he wasn’t so damn prideful, that he wasn’t tortured by his very bloodline to be bold and powerful, to live a life that was worth being proud of. He had always thought that their ideation of pride had gotten bastardized along the way, that pride didn’t require power and wealth, it required living an honest and sincere life, one full of love and respect. However for the last who knows how many years, Ettery men and women had become a line of lions damn near living as dragons. Dragons found themselves obsessed with gold and riches due to their needs for recharging their magic, his family however had morphed pride into wealth. It was the whole reason he lived the life he was living, Cy knew the only way to live a life his family would believe was worth living was to create powerful relationships and continue to grow their already large vault.

If it wasn’t for his damn warped view of what his life had to be, Cy would be with Alina. There was no question about it. He was deeply in love with the girl and only wanted the best for her, which was another reason the two could never be together… being with her now would ruin her. Cy glanced down at the woman against his shoulder and noticed the tears beginning to well up on her bright blue eyes and he felt his jaw twitch. “Alina…” He sighed softly, pressing his own cheek against the top of her head and closing his eyes for a moment. “Please don’t cry beautiful, come on. I’m not worth your tears love.” He knew damn well that this was likely inappropriate, he and Alina had constantly toed that line of what was truly acceptable considering they were each in their own relationships. A lot of their interactions he could try and explain and seeing her as his family but this was undeniably intimate. The way they were pressed together with their hands intertwined, the way he was treating her with such gentle care and how heavily she was leaning into him… lord if anyone saw them now Cy could only imagine the drama that was ensue with Mari and Leo.

After a few moments Cy could feel Alina shift and felt her eyes on him causing his own to flutter open and look down at her. Thankfully she had stopped crying but before he could comment on anything at all her soft lips were pressing against his cheek. His heart did backflips and his stomach mirrored it, he could feel the heat moving to his cheeks and the man physically had to tense up to avoid grabbing her and kissing her right then and there. Slow, light breaths blew out from his lips in rhythm to try and calm his pounding heart and racing thoughts. It was absolutely insane how easily this woman could affect him.

Then as if it wasn’t already bad enough, Alina was standing and taking his hand to pull him even further into their night of borderline make believe. Cy knew that he should and could say no, that it was late and the two of them should return to bed. He knew that he should likely return to his room and call Mari after she stormed out, or find her back at Aqua to talk after their small fight… that Alina should probably find Leo and make sure he wasn’t dead in a ditch somewhere. But Cypres couldn’t make himself do that, instead he stood from the ground and looked down at the short dragon with a lopsided smile that reached his eyes, “Well lead the way madame flight instructor.”

​

​

 

[EclipseRosee]

Matteo Sellis
｡ ₊°༺❤︎༻°₊ ｡
24.Sagittarius.Incubus.Fire
Matteo was only allowed to be at the citadel because of his agreement with the council to be Runes assistant, at least that’s what his official title was. Around here though everyone knew that Matteo was just everyone’s errand boy and in his free time he was often found flirting with anyone who would give him the time of day around the grounds, especially those in Ignis who happened to feed off the same type of energies. Part of it always felt slightly soul sucking in a way, despite it being the way he had been raised his family was always full of such love and affection… his parents were a fairytale, actual mates and partners unlike many of their order ever would be… call him a loser but Matteo was a bit of a hopeless romantic because of it. So when Vesta took his hands to tell him she liked him for him… it sent his fucking heart into overdrive and caused his jaw to tick. “Well thank you Vee, I appreciate that more than you know.” Matteo tossed her a wink and smiled softly over at her. There was just something about her, she was gorgeous of course but it was more than that. Vesta was so unashamedly herself and true to her morals in a way that was both refreshing and reminded him of who he was trying to be despite his own shitty situation.

“Stop bashing yourself like that, Veda is great of course but you’re just as awesome if not more.” Of course he wasn’t going to tell her to her face that he thought she was better than her twin because that just seemed flat out rude but… he hoped she realized what he was saying without saying it so crudely. “If you think guys gave Veda more attention because she’s the prettier one or whatever you’re out of your mind Vee, they were probably intimidated by how damn gorgeous you are. Plus I can tell from just a few weeks of knowing Veda… her attention was likely for her own nefarious purposes.” He chuckled as he raised a brow at Vesta, the twins had told him about their ways of getting by financially in the human realm and it had made Matteo laugh so hard he had nearly cried. It just made so much sense for the two of them.

“Of course I did, I mean that’s what we do around here isn’t it little miss kleptomaniac?” Matteo smirked over at Vesta as the two of them walked through the halls towards her room. A few people made stupid comments and whistling noises as they walked and Matteo did his best to ignore it. “Don’t let them bother you, they know it’s not like that… they just want to make us feel uncomfortable.” He scratched at the back of his neck sheepishly before tossing a glare back at a few of their fellow house mates. “This is you yeah?” .​

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Alina Diaval
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
22. Aquarius. Storm Dragon. Water & Air


Whoever said love was a beautiful thing lied. From Cy's comforting arms to his warm, welcoming voice, those eyes, everything about the man made her heart ache to the point she wished it would just stop. Alina had made the confession about wanting him to be her betrothed because, well, she didn't know why. What could be done? Was it better if he reciprocated? Maybe that would of been less painful than the answer she got. His friend. That's all Alina would ever be to him is his friend.

So why was she okay with it? Swallowing down her love for him to marry Leo, all just so she could be his friend. The barely 6 foot tall pearlescent purple storm dragon had flown him up to the mountains north, past the ocean, and to her favorite peak that overlooked the citadel and entirety of Starburough. The ground was covered lush green grass that sparkled under the moonlight and was tucked between two higher peaks, waterfalls cascading from the rivers and down into the ocean below. It was Alina's favorite view, the hidden gem of the nation that to her knowledge only she knew of. Her father showed her before he died, and Alina wanted to share the place with Cy... even if she was heartbroken. It wasn't like she'd ever bring Leo.

The two stayed there for far longer than they should've. They reminisced, talked about everything until they ran out of topics, and when it started to get cold she flew them home. Cy had dropped her off back at Aqua with a hug, and... That was it. The last happy minute she was sure she'd ever receive.

"Leo! Calm down!" The small blonde woman was running down the hallway after the tall vampiric man. She had woken up to a belligerent call from him bright and early about a picture of her and Cy. He accused her of cheating, of ruining his name. She tossed on some black jean shorts and a white sweater before dashing over to the Ignis tower. Someone had taken a photo of her and Cy during a hug, so the Terra heir simply comforting a sad friend exploded on Stargram.

Leo believed her, but that didn't mean he was happy about it. She put herself in a compromising position and-- and it was her fault. It made him into a laughing stock, and it made her look look like an unfaithful fiancé. Her mom hadn't called yet to berate her, but, she knew that was coming, too. "Y-You can't really expect me to cut off Cypres, can you? He's my oldest friend. There's nothing between us. He's-- he's an heir! We're going to be socializing with him on a regular basis!" Alina knew what to do. She knew not to question who Leo had fed on last night, and she knew she had to cut off Cy to keep Leo.

That pain ached in her chest again and the poor woman fought back tears. She didn't even care that everyone was looking at them right now, everyone had seen the picture by now and if they didn't they would soon.
​

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Vesta “Smith”
✴︎⋆✴︎⋆✴︎
21.Gemini.Currently Unknown Order & Element

The thing about Starburough that was the most magical wasn't the literal magic, it was Matteo. Vesta was just happy to have food and a roof over their head back in the human world; she didn't have any friends, and those that she did were certainly not good ones. Veda always had ulterior motives with people but people made Vesta feel... invisible. A bit ironic seeing as everyone in her order was extinct. Matteo was the light in any of the shit worlds she had been in. He immediately welcomed them with open arms, voluntarily showing them the ropes and looking out for them, and that smile of his alone made her heart beat funny.

Vesta had never felt anything for anyone ever before but she had quickly let her guard fall around Matteo. It was a new, unfamiliar feeling that she didn't entirely hate. This was Vesta we were talking about though, she'd never get any social cues without things being told to her point blank. Not Matteo saying she was better than Veda, and not the housemates whistling at them or comments. It all went over her head.

And so the phoenix and incubus stayed up studying the history of her family. They had sat on the couch with the red and gold pillows she embroidered, and small cute plants wee growing on her coffee table. They had been pretty accommodating, getting Vesta things that she asked for without a second thought... not that she asked for much. Then one minute she was awake, and the next she was clocked out and leaning against Matteo like he was a pillow. And save for the times she slept near a roasting fires it was the best sleep of her life.

"These trials are far too early. I was having the best sleep of my life, can't a girl get an extra hour? Aren't we some type of royalty?" The ginger headed twin gave a yawn as the trio walked through the long hallway towards the official dining hall. She hated it and much preferred the Ignis one, but Veda wanted to go there this morning and she seemed in a good mood for once. And as far as Matteo? Vesta acted completely normal once they woke up, though she couldn't say the same for him. Maybe he didn't sleep as good as she did?

As soon as they walked into the large dining hall those sleepy green eyes fell on Alina and Leo and their public argument. There was a twinkle in her eye and bright grin spread on her face. "My money is on the dragon."



​

 

[Colt Voltage]

Leo Thorn
𓆩✧♛✧𓆪
26.Leo.Vampire.Fire

"Yeah kid, you're a siren." Leo offered Veda a small smile as he looked down at her during their, his(?), stroll towards the Aqua tower. He made note of her saying she liked fall and chuckled quietly to himself, giving a small nod at the trees. "Fall in Starburough is magical. By then I'm sure you'll have your scales. Though with that boost of energy you just got I'm sure they'll pop in no time." It might of seemed odd that they were chatting casually after he bit her, but... okay, yeah, no it was weird even to his standards.

Her confession on not hating his feeding, however, took him by surprise. So much so that he stopped and looked down at her, his bright blue eyes wide and his jaw dropping slightly. "I... think I took too much of your blood Veda. You're talking nonsense." There was no way in the stars that she meant that. "You have your sister. You have goody two shoes Matteo. You have a lot more people rooting for you girls than you think. I'd even root for you, you know, if it didn't ruin my future." Leo tried to end the night on a positive and offered her a kind smile.

"Hey. You." Leo motioned for one of the aqua fae nearby and the brunette male ran towards him without even questioning it. "Make sure she gets back okay. If there's even a piece of hair out of place when I see her tomorrow I'll drain you and your whole family." Leo sat Veda down on her feet and made sure she was capable of standing before letting it go. "I gotta go. Get some rest for the trial tomorrow Veda."

------

"Put yourself in my position Alina. My fiancé, the woman I'm to wed, to rule with, is caught with a---" Leo couldn't even get the words-- he was boiling up inside. Were him and Alina in love? No, but this was how their lives worked. She was not his ideal person, but he didn't get a say in it. He wanted someone to like him, to talk with. His thoughts shifted to Veda for a millisecond and his jaw tensed with frustration.

No. This was about what she did. "You and Cy are done." His chin raised and his brows narrowed as he looked down at the small woman. They were in public and she had already made a spectacle out of them. "I will see him during meeting, you have nothing to do with them so you will stay home. You can see him during functions and that's it. You're to be my wife Alina. Act like it." His eyes lifted from hers and they landed on Veda from across the room. The firm look on his face softened for a moment, just a fraction of a second, but he had to tear his eyes away from her and back to the current problem.

"You best believe Cypres will get what's coming to him too. I'll make things clear between you two once and for all."

​

 

[Sir Damien]

Rune Finch
⋆༺𓆩

𓆪༻⋆
27.Scorpio.Basalisk.Shadows&Earth

Everything about Marigold Lycath was completely disarming. It took Rune out of the mountain solid defenses he had built around him. She was the only lifeline he had leading him out of the solitude that was his life and it fucking terrified him. At the same time though he couldn't stop himself. The damn pull they had on each other was solid, unbreakable, and he would follow her anyway. He would drop anything and everything at the drop of her hat... Rune would give her the world.

Then Mari brought up the golden halo in his eyes, but Rune couldn't focus much on it. He was gazing into those golden brown eyes and finding the exact matching golden hue to her eyes and, for once, Rune had nothing to say. Everything made so much sense. He was quick to get her a shirt before carrying her like precious cargo to his bed. He gave her some time to, well, change before he joined her in the bed where the pair did much more than sleep.

"We can't do this again." Rune had been quiet since they had woke up, but then again this was Rune we're talking about. He was always quiet. Truth of the matter was he woke up absolutely sick to his stomach with anxiety. He had never slept better, he had never had a night so perfect. This was his mate, someone most people would kill to find. Rune was different though; he'd kill to protect her.

The thing was, Rune wanted to give her the world. All he offered her was these four walls and that's if Cy's father didn't order his execution. If Marigold left Cy for Rune where would they go? The Shadow Realm? Anywhere they went in Ecrela they'd find them; Rune would be hanged, or burned, or stoned, and Mari would be destitute. Letting her go... it crushed his heart, his very fucking soul, but...

This was his way of giving her the word. His father came from the shadow realm and found his mate in some Basilisk. He stayed to live with her, to raise the child together, and they were murdered as soon as they were found out. Rune would not let that fate befall Mari. "Marigold you need to go find Cy. He's looking for you." Rune glanced down at his atlus as he finished dressing himself in the usual black tank, leather jacket, and matching cargo shorts. The pain in his chest was undeniable; he was pushing Mari away to protect her despite knowing how badly it would fuck the two of them up.

At least she'd be alive and able to live her life to the fullest. Rune offered her nothing but pain. With a heavy sigh he pushed his hand through his long dark locks and turned to face her again, though he looked everywhere but her eyes. He couldn't stand to see that light fade, he couldn't see how badly he broke her.

​

 

[ZombieBaee]

Veda “Smith”
₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊
21.Gemini.Siren. All Four.

It was a bit fuzzy for Veda to recall the events of the night before but she did know that when she woke up she felt more powerful than ever and there was two glaring puncture wounds on the side of her neck. At first when she had seen them in the mirror getting ready she had been filled with rage and was basically ready to go storming out to find Leo and shove his face in the dirt, however within seconds the memories of the night came flowing back to her and she felt her rage cooling into a slight anxiety and then turned to a heavy sense of embarrassment. She honestly thought it might have been a dream because there was no way that she had found humanity, no not just humanity but... kinship... in Leo. Veda tried to push the thoughts from her mind and turned her focus to getting ready for the day and the trial ahead of them. There was a new glow to her skin, almost dewey and it was like there was a slight shimmer across her cheekbones and collarbones... maybe that was the siren part of her? That is if Leo was correct about that part of things, though she couldn't dispute that it felt correct.

The twins had plans to meet in the morning so Veda made sure to get ready quickly after wasting too much of her time searching her body for scales. The woman painted on her usual makeup; heavy black cat liner and dramatic lashes, her full lips swiped with iridescent gloss and a touch of blush. Her black locks were worn in a spiky ponytail today, her bangs braided back and pinned with a sparkly blue star clip. With it being their aqua trial today, Veda opted for a pair of black athletic shorts and a black sports bra that she pulled on a loose blue sweater over. Then there was covering up the bite marks on her neck, she normally wore a lot of jewelry but today she make some specific choices that included a cute light blue sheer and sparkly scarf that she tied around her neck along with her many necklaces. That should work... hopefully.

"Best sleep of your life eh?" Veda waggled her eyebrows at her sister as they entered the large hall, glancing around and finding it a bit more lively than she had expected for this early in the morning. Everyone, and she meant everyone, was gossiping at their various tables, bent over their atlus screens and pointing. "What in the hell is going on?" She hadn't looked at it yet this morning so she finally decided to pull it out and within a moment of scrolling a gasp escaped her lips. Then the voices of Alina and Leo graced her ears, followed by a spark of lightning that shot through her spine and caused her to look up abruptly, her gaze falling on Leo's. Even without her siren powers, Veda could feel the anger and embarrassment rolling off of him through his eyes, well that is until his face softened the slightest bit and caused her lips to curl into the softest smile.

It had all happened so quickly that Veda was hopeful that no one really noticed it and turned her attention back to Matteo and Vesta. "I don't know, personally I don't blame him. I mean look at this." She turned her screen to show the other two as they found a place to sit, "I mean even if they're not together for love or whatever, they're engaged and this is a bad look right? I mean you can't say thats a hug between friends." As she spoke she realized how annoyed she was with a situation that really didn't involve her and she couldn't help but feel a little stupid. It was annoying that they had all these arrangements anyways! Even more annoying that it required them to be stuck unhappily or sneak around. It just seemed so stuipid to her.


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[KAYDEN]

Cypres Ettery
~𑁍~
25.Capricorn.Nemean Lion. Earth & Air​

The night before had been an absolute dream, so heartbreakingly beautiful that when Cypres woke up he could hardly believe that it had been real. The places that Alina had shown him were so amazing but even more great was just the time he was able to spend with her although he could tell it felt like a goodbye of sorts, like they were really letting themselves be free just for one night to truly enjoy themselves. However when he woke up Cy was instantly launched into a nightmare hellscape that also didn't feel very real. Not only was Mari missing, but someone had taken a photo of he and Alina in an embrace the night before and it was spreading like wildfire along the various social media apps. The very first thing he did when he saw the posts was send Alina a quick message to make sure she was alright, although that might not have been the best option the more he thought about it. Leo had for sure seen all of this by now and it had been proven time and time again that the guy was a fucking hot head. Cy only hoped that he wasn't taking all of this out on Alina... hopefully the fucker was lying somewhere in a ditch from being so blood depraved.

"Mari pick up, this is getting a little bit ridiculous." Cy growled into the phone once more, shoving it into his pocket after he left yet another voicemail. Her atlas had been turned off since the night before and Cy had already gone to her room to find her that morning to talk about their fight and the photo. However his fiance was literally no where to be found and at this point Cy was starting to worry a bit... there hadn't been any attacks in months especially this close to the Citadel but it wasn't unheard of and Mari liked to go for late night runs often, especially when she was upset. He may not have been in love with Marigold but he did cherish her as a friend and would never wish any harm upon her.

Cy threw open the door to the dining hall a bit harder than he had anticipated but this was his last place on the grounds to check, he had sent some of his terra sentries to look for Mari on the outskirting forests of the area but besides that this was the last stop. As soon as he entered he could feel eyes on him and he knew it was because of the photo but he couldn't focus on that for now, he instead put his attention into looking around the room to see if he spotted the familiar golden haired wolf. Only he didn't, instead his eyes fell on Alina and Leo who were in a clear argument and the look on her face pushed every other thought out of his head.

"Hey Thorn! Didn't I tell you to watch the way you talk to her?"

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[EclipseRosee]

Matteo Sellis
｡ ₊°༺❤︎༻°₊ ｡
24.Sagittarius.Incubus.Fire
While it wasn’t the first time that Matteo woke up in someone else’s room, it was the first time in a long time that it was so innocent and even then this time made him feel more shy than ever. He was worried about what others in the tower would say about it, gossip and drama seemed to move across the grounds here faster than wildfire but thankfully everyone seemed far more concerned with something else this morning so it seemed that their little sleepover would go under the radar, at least for now. After waking up in Vesta’s room, Matteo rushed to his own to quickly get ready for the day before meeting her back at her door to go catch up with Veda for breakfast before their trial.

On the walk there Matteo got a text from Cypres about Mari and he sent an unanswered message to Rune to see if he knew anything but it seemed as if the man was ignoring his atlas this morning. “Not yet mon princessa, I mean technically but currently there’s no real monarchy instated until you girls prove your worth for it to return. So sorry to say that until then, you have to deal with us lowly regular folk like me.” He shot a toothy grin over at Vesta as he put his phone away and tried to not blush at her best sleep ever comment. Truthfully it was the same for him, he had never felt so comfortable with someone else like that and it was one of the rare nights that he found himself free from nightmares. Besides them Veda picked fun at her sister and Matteo stifled a small chuckle, knocking his elbow into the raven haired twin and rolling his eyes. “Oh come on Veda, leave your sister alone or I’ll put you both in the time out shirt.”

Inside the dining hall there was an instant air of tension that made Matteo look around, he had assumed it had something to do with Mari due to his text from earlier this morning but instead he found Alina and Leo loudly arguing. It wasn’t the first time the two had fought but something about this time seemed to have grasped everyone’s attention and soon enough Veda was showing them something on her atlas screen. “Oh that’s not good.” Matteo hissed out a breath and glanced back over at the argument to find Leo staring towards them, no not them… Veda. It was then that the girl interesting choice of accessories stood out to him and a small frown appeared on his face. “Interesting scarf there Veda, will you really want all that on for your trial today? Seems like it might get in the way.”[/font]​

 

[ZombieBaee]

Marigold Lycath
◯ ☽ ◑ ● ◐ ❨ ◯
23.Scorpio.Werewolf.Water​

Rune Finch was her mate… her mate. Hers. It was absolutely out of this world insane to think about, to think that the very stars that ruled their world bonded them together and he was hers and she was his. Last night was the happiest night of her entire existence, it was filled not only with passion but with so much love and affection that Mari had never felt before. Rune treated her like a princess, like she was something to be handled with respect and care. It was clear to her how much he understood her and that he really truly loved her. Mari had never felt like love would be a part of her life, she was happy enough to be in a good marriage to Cypres and have a comfortable life but now that she had finally allowed herself to follow the pull to Rune, she realized that love had been a part of her ever since their night in the arena.

Mari woke up in Rune’s bed in one of his tee shirts and both of them had been silent all morning. Rune had laid besides her for a long while before getting up to start getting dressed for the day and Mari remained under his covers, watching him silently as he changed. It was as if in the quiet morning the two of them had come to the same conclusion but neither of them had the want or the strength to say it out loud. Mari loved him, that part would never change, but being with him would destroy them both. Her eyes followed him across his room and she could feel the tears welling up in them before he even spoke, the pain in her chest was becoming worse by the second and all she wanted to do was run into his arms and hold him. But allowing herself to be selfish would only hurt them more in the long run. He was the first to talk and Mari turned her attention from him to the folds of the blanket over her legs, “I know.” Her voice cracked as she spoke, she felt so small and weak and she hated it. She didn’t want to give him up, she didn’t want to live without him and she didn’t want to make him suffer… it was an impossible place to be in.

If Mari left Cy to be with Rune, Cy would likely be more than fine with that, this wasn’t a choice that would hurt him emotionally, it was one that would cause their entire lives to fall apart. Rune would likely be persecuted by Cy’s father due to the marriage falling apart, Cy would in turn chase after Alina and cause issues with Leo’s family and it would cause all sorts of political chaos. Mari was no one in the grand scheme of things and this would ruin her family in the eyes of all their heirs. There was just no way she could be that selfish, even if she could ignore all of that… she wouldn’t allow Rune to get hurt. It would be painful to not be with him but it would kill her if he was in danger.

“Rune, look at me.” He was refusing, staring anywhere but her face as he brought up Cy looking for her and she couldn’t care less about that right now. Right now she had a few more moments behind closed doors with the man she loved and she wanted them to end the best that they could. She didn’t want the only thing they ended on to be him telling her to go back to her fiancé. So Mari crawled across the bed and stood up from the end before closing the space between them, “My love.” Mari’s voice was barely a whisper as she slid her hand across his cheek, gently lifting his gaze to meet hers as she stared up at him with tear stained eyes. Her other hand rested against his chest, tracing small circles with her fingertips as she tried her hardest to smile at him. Mari had fought her entire life to be respected, she had went toe to toe with men twice her size and ran trials against the most talented members of her pack but this was the hardest thing she had ever done. “Rune Finch, I will always love you, my heart is yours forever and you will always remain the only man who can make me feel loved like this, feel seen and respected and appreciated. Even though we can’t be together, even though moments like this have to come to an end, that will never change. I love you. “ The golden haired woman stood on her tiptoes to brush her lips softly over his before pulling away from him completely.

Her heart felt as if it was being shredded and every instinct was screaming at her to not make this decision. But she had to. For him.

“I’ll see you at the trial.”

With that Mari collected her things and found her way quickly out of Terra and towards her own house, making her way to her room in Aquas tower trying her best to be unseen by anyone who might connect her strange outfit to Rune in any way. Thankfully she only passed one or two others and it seemed as if they payed her no mind. After a short shower filled with tears and sobbing, Mari painted on her own version of war paint; deadly accurate eyeliner and her usual sun kissed makeup routine. Today she wore a tight navy blue top that hugged her body with sleeves that went to her wrists, she paired it with a pair of light wash jean shorts and sneakers. It was her trial to run today so she needed something active to wear, that and she didn’t feel like dressing up much after the morning she had already had.

Once she was dressed she finally turned on her phone to find all the missed calls and messages, then she found the picture of Alina and Cy…

“As if it wasn’t enough!” Mari boomed as she stormed into the dining hall, using all her might to throw her atlas at Cy as she closed in on the table he stood near that contained Alina and Leo. “As if it wasn’t enough that this stupid photo is making its rounds to all of these MORONS who can’t understand that it’s just a hug and not a photo of you two FUCKING. You have to come to poor little Alina’s defense as well? Make things look even fucking worse! She’s a god damn adult Cy, she’s able to handle herself in her relationship. How about you worry about yours? About me?” This wasn’t going to be a good day, Mari was just getting more rage filled by the second.




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