Fantasy 𝑯𝑨𝑷𝑷𝑰𝑳𝒀 𝑬𝑽𝑬𝑹 𝑨𝑭𝑻𝑬𝑹 — 𝒊𝒏 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓

[ComplexDragon]

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royal son of sleeping beauty

Aurelian

mood

Slightly loopy and excited

outfit

Party Outfit Incoming

location

Cinderella's Castle

interactions

Mentioned: Knox, Amor, Piper, Hazel
Interaction: Mars

tags

606 neverbackdown picklemouse Nifty

Mars started digging in his pockets for something, probably a gift he had hoisted off some unsuspecting student.

“Oh yes, and I got just a little gift for you for taking me all the way over.”

“You didn’t have to do that. It’s no trouble, really.”

Aurelian often bartered for his goods and services. He had plenty of money and preferred trading for articles of clothes or other knick-knacks. Letting a friend hitch a ride certainly didn’t seem like much of an inconvenience. After all, the car belonged to his family.

Glass glinted in the yellow lamplight of the dorm hallway. Aurelian’s eyes widened as the cat procured not one, not two, but three shots of a yellow liquid. They shoved them towards him.

“On second thought, I believe I’ll take them.”

He flashed a smile before getting in the car and allowing the feline to slide in after him.

He cracked open one of the bottles and tipped it back without hesitation. The liquid scorched the back of his throat. From the taste, it was clear this was quality tequila and something far outside Mars’ budget. How they had time to lift this was beyond him, but at this point, he didn’t much care. A good shot was a good shot, no matter where it came from.

“I have to say, I know this year has just started but, I must find out all the gossip that happens and get good pictures for this announcement Hazel claims to have to put into the paper. Hoping to get the first article out by tomorrow if I pull an all-night. However, to school, drink up, would be lame if we got there sober.”

Mars opened one of their own bottles, downing it before going for another.

“Quite right. Being sober is entirely overrated.”

Aurelian followed suit. A pleasant buzzing feeling filled his head as he finished the last one. This party would be infinitely more fun with some alcohol involved. Enough to dull his senses and make the world seem a little more rosy. Though he’d be lucky if he wasn’t entirely smashed by the time this party was over. He’d be luckier if he was. This was the one chance he had to ignore his school responsibilities and be reckless. After that, well, he had classes to pass. Like Heroics 101. He failed for the third time last year because he never showed up for classes. And when he did, he was often under the influence, as it was the only thing that kept his anxiety at bay. The whole thing was horribly embarrassing, but this year he had to pass, otherwise he wouldn’t graduate. And that was entirely unacceptable.

The car rumbled to a halt in front of a large stone castle. He gave it a cursory glance, noting the perfectly manicured lawn and the intimidating statues perched on the walls. He had been here once or twice, and it reminded him of his home. However, this one was full of opportunity instead of crippling responsibility.

“It seems…familiar…I almost experienced death near a similar fountain as a kit.”

Mars’ voice suddenly cut through Aurelian’s thoughts, nearly sending him from his seat. He glanced out the window again and followed his friend’s gaze to an ornate fountain. There was so much he didn’t know about Mars. Hearing that they experienced near death in a fountain when they were small was not a surprise. Mars had a penchant for getting into trouble. It’s one of the reasons Aurelian loved them so much. That and they were someone who enjoyed napping more than even he did.

Mars tore their gaze away from the fountain, a mischievous smile growing on their face.

“Must be crazy - lead the way, Lian.”

“With pleasure.”

Aurelian slid out of the car and dusted off his pants. He peered down at his reflection in one of the side mirrors, pushing back some blonde hair that had come ungelled. Satisfied, he strode up the steps and into the main entrance.

“Time to dazzle everyone with our presence.”

People were already inside the party room. Everything was decorated to the nines. Music blasted from somewhere farther inside and tables were lined with various foods and drinks. Everyone was dressed on theme, in either silver or gold attire. He gave a cursory glance at the list of Hazel’s rules, filing them away

Aurelian scanned the room for people he recognized. He spotted Knox almost immediately - looking positively dashing in the ensemble he had constructed for the archer. It was still plain compared to what everyone else was wearing, but Knox was on theme and looked fairly nice. Hopefully, it would pay off.

Elsewhere, Hazel looked radiant in her own golden ensemble. It seemed she even dyed her curly locks to match. A genius idea that Aurelian was disappointed he hadn’t come up with himself. Nearby, a swatch of bright pink caught his eye. Amor and Piper were sitting at the bar together locked in conversation. Both were also outfitted in gold, with the latter having black accents. Meanwhile, the child of Cupid wore a pink dress with golden accessories, fitting the theme but still being entirely on brand.

Amor was arguably the prettiest one in the entire room. He even thought about going up to tell her but decided against it. He didn’t want to overwhelm her, since she was no doubt on edge with the number of people in the room. He would find her later and they could really catch up.

Finally, he searched the room for a familiar dark-haired princess. Winter would no doubt be showing up looking like the star of the show, but either she was hiding or wasn’t there yet, because he had no luck locating her among the throng of students. He did notice Cosette Swan standing by one of the tables, nursing a drink and looking like she was contemplating how to murder someone without getting caught. Or perhaps she was just bored. Truly he could never tell.

Tearing his gaze away from the swell of activity, Aurelian turned his attention back to Mars and raised an eyebrow.

“Well. What are you up to next? Creating mischief, I presume?”

♡coded by uxie♡

[/border]

 

[sunshineysoul]

victoria bell

the rebel.

mood.

"i'm trying here"

location.

Cinders' Castle

outfit.

someone tells her she cleans up well PLEASE

interactions.

N/A

mentions.

Hazel (directly), previous friends (indirectly)

Don't wanna call you in the nighttime, don't wanna give you all my pieces, don't wanna hand you all my troubles, don't wanna give you all my demons. You will have to watch me struggle, from several rooms away. But tonight, I need you to stay. Tonight, I need you to stay.

HAZEL'S PARTY

Bet you nobody would bat an eye if you didn't show up, She gambled with herself. Not out of self-pity or loneliness, out of pure and seer apathy to attend any kind of royal ball. Sure, it wasn't so much a "ball" as it was a back to school party, but that didn't matter to Victoria. A social gathering was a social gathering no matter the dress code or location, and this particular guest list should've been enough to deter the fairy from leaving her dorm room for the entire weekend. She gladly would, at the drop of a hat, Vic would be more than happy to stay locked up in her dorm room, reading, tinkering, catching up with her seasonal magic and not be a social pariah.

However, there was an outside force, that was driving the forefront of Vic's decision to get dressed up and attend regardless; Hazel Cinders. The one person who never faltered in her friendship, even when it seemed like everyone else all but turned their backs on Victoria. Hazel was far too kind and loving to ever do that to anyone she considered a true friend. Hazel was truly the only reason she had picked herself off her freshly made dorm bed to get dressed in the one "nice" outfit she actually brought from Pixie Hollow.

It took everything in Vic to muster up the want to actually get up, get dressed, and then even do her hair and makeup. She threw her "party" dress on, the green tule and ruffles with floral accents bringing a smile to her face, and remembered how much she actually liked dressing up. After a few twirls in the dress, Victoria decided to think of only Hazel. Not Mitra, not Knox, not Cosette. Hazel was the only friend she had left, and she wanted to act on her words of "I'd do anything for you". Hazel had been an amazing friend to her, and Vic figured if Hazel could still be friends with Vic while all their mutual friends turned a blind eye towards herself, the least Vic could do was attend her party and support her. There are surely worse fates than spending an evening with Hazel Cinders.

Pressing the screen on her phone, her playlist started playing softly in her room. She wanted to do more than pretend to want to be there, she had to get hyped and excited for the party; and music was the perfect way to do that. She took a moment as she rummaged through her bag, trying to remember what makeup products she brought with her; Hopefully more than just the basics, she certainly didn't want to look too bare when everyone would be pulling out al the stops for this party. The only "non-basics" kind of makeup Vic came across was her singular eyeshadow pan, lily pad green, to be specific.

"That'll have to do," The words were muttered out of her mouth as she gathered the rest of her essentials and set up in front of her mirror. She brought a simple rectangular mirror to hang up on the back of her closet door, not wanting to have to leave her room and go to the bathroom any time she wanted to do her makeup. With a few "brief" pauses from Vic's lip-synching concerts, her makeup was finished. The best she could do with so little tools, but she was happy with how it turned out. She was not, however, happy with how her hair looked with the rest of the outfit. Vic tended to keep her hair on the shorter side, right around shoulder length if not shorter. It was easier to manage, stayed out of her face more often than not, and she never had to worry about giant knots or anything. But when she stood in front of her mirror, makeup done & favorite dress on, she wished her hair was longer.

"Easy fix," Muttering to herself, yet again, Vic swished her hand around and some glowing sparkles appeared. She finished the hand motion by pointing to her hair, and her hair seemed to grow in length, down to the middle of her back. A little beauty trick she learned from Rosetta back home. Now her hair was long, flowy, and beautiful, and it matched the rest of the vibe for the evening. But of course she had to tame the beast that was her hair; her fingers worked quick and swift as she gave herself a braided crown with a few stray braids here and there. She topped off her lips with a subtle, but sparkly lip gloss and decided now was a good a time as any to leave for Hazel's castle.

~~

If there was one thing Hazel knew how to do, it was throw a party. Vic had been to the castle a few times before, but any time Hazel decorated for any kind of party or celebration, the entire atmosphere of the castle changed. Without the decorations, it was just a stuffy old castle with far too many trophies, portraits and other shiny expensive things on the walls, and everything felt too cold and "perfect" to touch. But when Hazel did up the place, it was stunning. Vic only hoped she dressed right for the occasion.

After standing in the entry way, gawking at everything, for a few moments, Vic actually made her way into the main "party" area. Her pair of strappy silver heels made soft clicks along the marble floor, but there was no way anyone could hear over the chatter of voices and rhythmic thump of music. The fairy was incredibly grateful that she showed up a bit late, she figured she would shrivel up and die if she had to be the center of attention as one of the first guests there.

Her soft-clicking heels carried her to the drinks station, where Vic quickly downed three shots of whatever alcohol was there. It burned her throat, but Vic always invited it, it was a small price to pay for the pleasures of getting buzzed. Letting the alcohol settle while she waited for Hazel, Vic began wandering around the party, giving small smiles to those she knew, desperately trying to avoid others, and hoping her friend would find her sooner rather than later.

Eventually, Vic spotted Hazel with her friends. She was laughing and smiling, just as Vic had always known Hazel to do. Hazel was a sociable person, happy and bubbly and full of love and joy for everyone. Vic always wondered how she was able to maintain such a golden friendship with such a golden soul.

Best not to interrupt, right? Wouldn't want anyone to have any more of a reason to dislike me. Her inner monologue caused an eyeroll as the fairy found a good place to become a wallflower. If Hazel wanted to see her, she'd come and find her, right? There was no reason to intrude on her current conversations, she wasn't playing favorites...

right?

This is why...

I can take them on my own.

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[picklemouse]

scroll

Royal Daughter of Snow White

Winter White

mood

Ready to Party

outfit

Back To School and Hazel's Party

location

The Open Road, Cinder's Castle

interactions

Mitra Ababwa (Briefly) -ferret- ; Knox Hood (Briefly) picklemouse ; Hazel Cinders (Briefly) Nifty ; Cosette Swan (Briefly) ComplexDragon ; Elijiah Hayes (Briefly) minajesty ; Aurelian Rose ComplexDragon & Mars Stivali 606

tags

oops already did em

As she drove...

Winter couldn’t help but to whoop triumphantly as she drove, breathing the cool, spring air deep into her lungs. This last break was harder than most, for reasons she found baffling. Her mother was more overbearing than she ever was. Training with her uncles shifted to more intense regimens. Her father seemed distant and distracted. More than usual at least. The worst part of the break was how far away from her friends she felt.

She had written letters to Adonis, Aurelian, and Hazel all break. All to no reply, except a few from Adonis. The only time she saw Hazel all break was as a guest for Grumpy and Bashful’s wedding, and even then, it was just one night. There was hardly time for catching up on everything. They wouldn’t have much of a change tonight either, so Winter decided to ask Hazel out for a dinner next week. If only just to figure out if this situation was as nefarious as she suspected.

After being away from all her friends this break, Winter was ready for a night of unhinged enjoyment, reconnection and of course copious amounts of alcohol. She’d surely find the answers to the questions that had been nagging her all break, but tonight was not the night. Tonight was about her freedom. With her mother pushing her to graduate early, this could possibly be the last year she can have control of her life.

The stones crunched under the tires of her car as it approached Cinderella’s castle. Winter recognized the two figures making their way up the steps. One, a friend: Mitra Ababwa. A trusted friend, and someone Winter never felt anxious to be around. They would study together, both appreciating time with no interruptions. The other, an annoyance: Knox Hood. A man with a polarizing effect on everyone she genuinely cared about. Half of her friends loved him, and the other half were so sick of him. To Winter, he was nothing more than a fly, buzzing around, and she wasn’t afraid to take a swat when she needed to.

She took her time exiting her car, grabbing her garment bag and overnight case, before closing the door with her hip. Her heels clicked on the stone as she strode regally up the steps. As she passed Mitra, she pulled her sunglasses down her nose with the hand she carried the garment bag, and her keys, noting how good her friend looked in gold.

“Hello Mitra,”

Winter said warmly as she looked over the brow of her glasses.

“It’s lovely to see you again.”

As a courtesy, Winter turned to Knox, pushing her sunglasses back up.

“Hello Knox.”

She continued up the stairs, handing off her keys to a servant, and entered the familiar castle.

The gold adorned entrance of Cinder’s Castle was always a favorite sight for Winter, not for its opulence, but for the feeling of home she felt whenever she was here. On sleepover nights she found herself awake after Hazel had fallen asleep, she found herself studying the paintings. Contemplating the long lines of families who’ve had their lives predestined to them. Wondering often if they ever found peace with it, or always felt as she felt: As if she was railing against the bars of a cage quietly.

None of this crossed her mind much as she ascended the staircase, following the familiar path to Hazel’s room. There she greeted Hazel and Cosette Swan with kisses and joyous greetings, and Elijah Hayes with a compliment on his well styled appearance. The group was too much of a crowd for Winter and she adjourned to a guest room she liked to call hers. It was slightly understated compared to the rest of the castle. She often fell asleep counting the wood carved leaves in the bedposts.

Winter didn’t rush as she got ready. She washed her face, preparing it for a fresh application of makeup. For no reason she understood, she was well practiced in glamor magic. Something she used to her advantage often. Growing up with the many eyes of the kingdom on her came with a level of challenge no one could have prepared her for. Articles were always being published by gross paparazzi, critiquing her body and her behavior. Her family always had a policy of working hard to not give the press much to talk about. Using magic to cover her flaws was as easy as patting concealer under her eyes. The practice of doing both was just being smart, in her royal opinion.

When she was done, Winter examined herself in the mirror. The theme was Gold and Silver, so she had opted for a flirty silver rhinestone party dress, with a cut so high on her hip her mother would faint. Exquisite silver jewelry and a pair of sparkly pumps completed the look. Her hands smoothed her black hair as she inspected herself.

Flawless. Just like she was always destined to be.
—

Later, at the party…

The party was extravagant, though Winter expected no less from Hazel. She was thoughtful to every detail, making sure everyone had enough food, drink and entertainment for the night. She walked easily through the throng of her classmates. Ignoring the rule about taking a shot at the door, Winter happily helped herself to a bottle of champagne from the drink table, which she opened herself and poured gracefully into a glass. The bottle became her comfort, and something she would generously pour to her friends and never let out of her sight. You never did know who was lurking among friendly crowds.

Soon, she found a pair of guests she recognized among the crowd. Aurelian Rose was standing with Marquis Stivali, for what reason, she was not entirely sure. Regardless, the champagne was working its way through her body well enough by now that she was a friend to most.

“LIAN!”

Her arms wrapped around her friend as she stumbled upon them.

“How are you? I missed you!”

Winter pulled away from Aurelian, taking in Mars in their fabulous outfit.

“How,”

she started to them,

“do you always have the best boots?”

Winter had a well stocked closet, but Mars’ silver platform boots were nothing short of enviable.

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[picklemouse]

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Rebel Son of Robin Hood

Knox Hood.

mood

Enraptured by Cosette Swan

outfit

Hazel's Party Outfit

location

Cinder's Castle (The Grand Staircase)

mentions

Cosette Swan ComplexDragon ; Mitra Ababwa -ferret- ; Hazel Cinders Nifty ; Benjamin Wolfe sunshineysoul ; Elijah Hayes minajesty

Tags

Done above

Before the party...

Knox Hood loved many things. He loved the feel of a cool breeze and the sun on his face as he rested on a tall bough in the Sherwood Forest. He loved the smell of his mother’s cooking in the middle of winter, reminding him they could always find warmth even in the coldest times. Knox loved his friends, and he loved to climb. He loved lazy Sunday sleep-ins and a run at sunset. However, there was nothing or no one that he loved more than the woman who was making her way down the stairs towards him, whose beauty outshone the gilded frames and fine craftsmanship of the ornate room in which they stood.

The first time Knox Hood saw Cosette Swan, he was in deep conversation with Benjamin Wolfe between classes. It was, perhaps, the rogue curls of her hair that first caught his attention, or perhaps it was just a feeling that called him to turn his head towards where she stood. She was walking beside her best friend Hazel, clutching her books over her chest as she spoke passionately. Passionate in a furious way about something he never knew, but furious in a way he’s seen from her many times since, often on the receiving end. Benji was still talking about their plans for the evening but Knox was transfixed on her. He’d never seen her before so she must be a first year. He’d never seen her around the town, so he wondered who she could be and what fate she was meant to inherit, and more importantly, if she would ever look at him as he was looking at her.

He must have slowed his pace, letting Benji move ahead without him as Hazel and the object of his newest desires approached. Cosette turned her head towards him, the immovable force in the middle of the hallway. The look on her face could only be described as distrust and repulsion; She may have said something cutting, but he was lost in her eyes. It was like the world was falling around him, the students around them were in slow motion, and he couldn’t help but smile.

The only thing that snapped him out of his rapturous state was the harsh call of Benji, who had made it down the hallway, for Knox to catch up, which he did. The problem in this moment was the fact that he neglected to watch where he was going. His attention was finally pulled away from Cosette when his foot slammed into the bucket, causing him to fall ass over shoulders over the handle of the mop; Cleaning water all over the floor, and now mostly soaked into his clothes.

This was just the beginning of Knox’s embarrassments with one Cosette Swan.

“Hello, Knox.” Cosette Swan halted her descent on the stairs of Cinder’s Castle, a mere ten steps above him. “Is Mitra with you?” A simple question with a simple answer that kept getting caught in the back of his throat. Knox found himself at a full loss for words, lost in the gold tinted coils of her hair, and the gold feathers that adorned her dress. The way the candlelight from the chandelier danced on her shoulders, and the crinkle of her nose and brow as she impatiently waited for him to say any coherent thought.

He cleared his throat, taking a half a step forward before resting back on his heels as she continued down the stairs.

“Yeah - They’ve just gone up to see Hazel.”

Six steps. Five steps. Four steps remained between them and he cleared his throat. As she approached, Knox tapped his fingers nervously, drumming an anxious flourish against his thighs before hiding his hands in his pockets.

“Hazel is just upstairs with some of the others. Should I let her know you’re here?”

Knox raised his eyebrows and responded with a cool

“Nah,”

shrugging his shoulders.

“No - I’ll let her finish getting ready. I was just looking at the artwork.”

He lifted his chin towards a large portrait of the royals of the house: Cinderella and her prince on their wedding day. It was remarkable how much Hazel resembled her mother. Instinctively, he wondered if they were as happy as they looked in their portrait, knowing happy endings were not offered to everyone in their realm. Slowly, he turned, caught in the moment as he scanned the walls lined with various scenes, stopping (without thinking) at a portrait of a beautiful swan mid flight. The name plate was far from his view, but he knew it was of Odette, mother to Cosette Swan.

“Some of these paintings are quite beautiful,”

he turned back towards the painting of his father and The Merry Men, as if to divert their attention from the touchy moment.

“Though I will say, whoever painted this one got Alan-a-Dale all wrong.”

Knox chuckled, taking in the serious figure posed against a tree to the left of his father.

“I’ve never seen the man with anything less than an angelic expression on his face.”

He turned and smiled towards Cosette,

“and of course, he’d never be found without his lute.”

Until this last winter break, Knox hadn’t considered much into any of his friend’s fates. Cosette and her heartbreaking fate caused him to take a pause and truly consider the consequences of the life they had to live. If nothing, he was determined to find a way to prevent the fates of her, and everyone he cared for, to come to fruition.

Within his pocket, Knox’s fingertips found a folded page, upon which was a poem he wrote over the winter break. Somewhat a diversion of his energy, or possibly the way he found to cope with the pressing sadness at the thought that they would never live their lives together. His intention, simply, was to give Cosette this poem, hoping to convey his feelings for her. Leaving the moment in her hands, figuring he had done enough to convey how he felt about her. Timing had never been his strongest skill, unless it had to do with the release of an arrow from his bow. Now, while they were alone and he hadn’t done anything to entirely embarrass himself, it seemed as good a time as ever.

“Hey,”

one of his hands emerged from his pocket, indicating towards her as he spoke.

“Happy belated birthday.”

The words ‘I wrote something for you’ sat on the tip of his tongue, but their focus was drawn upwards to the top of the staircase.

They were interrupted by the appearance of the guest of honor herself, Hazel Cinders, closely followed by his close friend Elijah Hayes as they made their way down the stairs.

“Alright, Eli? Looking sharp man.”

Elijah was an old friend, and looked quite dashing in a crisp white shirt and silver jewelry. A comfortable smile stretched across his face, and Knox stepped past Cosette to meet their friends as they descended down the stairs.

He gave Eli a firm squeeze on his shoulder before turning to the birthday girl, who looked unsurprisingly exquisite in her golden gown.

“Hazey Daisy!”

He was careful not to disturb the fine gold and pearl chains resting on her shoulders when he gave her a hug and a friendly kiss on the cheek.

“I hope you don’t mind, I don’t have a gift for you, but thank you for having me all the same.”

"You're alright, Foxy Knoxy! Nobody has to give me any gifts, I don't expect them to, since this will be a party for all of us in EAI! And besides, I appreciate your presence enough. So thank you for coming!"

A warm, appreciative smile spread across his face.

“Well, thank you just the same. Let me know if you need anything tonight.”

Friendship blossomed between Hazel and Knox the previous year when the cheerhexing team needed an extra member. Knox’s agility and gymnastics training made him the obvious target for the coach. It was the fact that he was in some hot water with the administration for a graffiti related incident that forced the collaboration. Being paired with Hazel for many lifts and tricks helped accelerate the bond between them. Since then, she has become a closer friend than he ever expected to make with a princess. It was hard to not be her friend after all.

She was in a hurry, no doubt to attend to last minute touches to the party before people really started to arrive. “Actually! Knox! I have a job for you!” He was always happy to help, though he wished she had delayed her descent just a few moments as he was almost regretful of his offer. Knox looked at Cosette and smirked regretfully before turning back to the birthday girl.

“Of course love, whatever you wish on this, your special day!”

She quickly leads Eli down the stairs towards the door to the East Wing, expecting Knox to follow. Which he did, of course, but not before another turn up the stairs to Cosette,

“It’s nice to see you Cosette,”

punctuated with a wink and two fingered salute from his temple.

Maybe he didn’t need to give her the poem today. Maybe Hazel’s interruption was divinely placed in order to prevent him from another crushing rejection from Cosette. He really couldn’t help trying, but the ache was starting to become stale. She either loved him or not, and he had to be okay with either scenario. Either way, a party of this magnitude may not be the time or place to lay it on the line definitively. That could certainly wait another week or so. For now, he would live in the comfort of hope that he wasn’t a complete fool, that she would someday give him a chance. He couldn’t help but continue whistling his happy tune as he caught up to Hazel to find out what job she had assigned him for the evening.

Part 1 of 2

♡coded by uxie♡